dragon beard candy 龍鬚糖 cuz i like my candy wispy

i love awkward translations of things. especially the asian ones into english...or how about this one?! not asian, but still awkward, right??

it's a real disservice to the original language because the wording probably sounded pretty rad before its massacre into english (literally). take this 龍鬚糖 (lóng​ xū​ táng) or dragon beard/whisker candy. in chinese, the wording connotes images of strong, majestic dragons with long flowy beards....in candy form. so purty, so delicate. but in english, you just think, wtf?? candy whiskers?! candy beards?! what is this edible hair follicle that you speak of? can it even be tasty?

when i saw edythe's tweet about dragon whiskers/ beard candy at the hawaii supermarket in the sgv, i got so excited that i almost peed in my pants. my last taste of this unique chinese candy was about 20+ years ago and never once did i run across it again till now.

not only is this a tasty concoction, it is also steeped in ancient chinese traditions, a confection served only to the chinese emperor and his court back in the days. the fine hair-like strands are created by constant pulling, stretching, folding of a sugary "dough" made of maltose, sugar, corn syrup, or in this case, honey. i liken it to savory hand pulled noodles, but of course this is a more delicate, sweet version. normally, the strands harden after a day, but the addition of honey keeps this candy soft.

alex goh practiced the art of dragon beard/whiskers candy making for over 20+ years. he might even look familiar to you if went to that night market fiasco in pasadena not too long ago.

stretching.

twisting.

pulling.

the strands double up in minutes.

a sweet beard indeed.

then he pulled off sections of the dragon beard and filled each piece with loose chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and/or toasted coconut.

he carefully folds the "beard" over its peanut innards.

a sweet, silky looking cocoon is the result of all that labor!

for $5, you get a box of 8. although they are on the "smaller" side and not as sweet as i remembered, i do appreciate rediscovering them again. it is just a unique candy with an interesting history and totally worth a try especially due to its rarity. if you want your fix of some sweet hair follicles, alex is at the hawaii supermarket in san gabriel during the weekends. thanks again edythe for the lead!

Alex Goh
Dragon Whiskers Candy
(919) 597-9325

Hawaii Supermarket
120 E. Valley Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 307-0062

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!

phuoc loc tho for snails and duck fetuses, yay!

food court food usually turns my tongue flaccid, but phuoc loc tho's food court in westminster does the complete opposite by perking up my tastebuds while inducing wild vietnamese spasms in my mouf. yes, it does.

as i mosey through all the knick knacks and future garage sale items at phuoc loc tho, the food court at the center always beckons me with its plethora of delicious vietnamese treats. and NOTHING makes my tongue wiggle as wildly as THIS treat, trứng vịt lộn (a fertilized duck egg with a nearly formed duck fetus nestled inside). here is a batch of eggs sitting in a warm water bath, awaiting for a lucky pie hole like mine.

to crack one of these suckers open for consumption, one must possess a gentle touch. first, you take a good look at your egg and make sure the tapered end faces upwards. you then make soft taps with the back of your spoon and carefully peel off the pieces of broken shell from the top, being cautious not to spill any of the duck juices that has brewed so potently within its shell. take an initial slurp and you too, will relish in the pure concentration of this duck juice. a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and vietnamese mint sets the stage for a most wonderful bite.

we quickly followed up our ducky mouthfuls with these snails cooked with lemon grass. it was delicious and tangy. my only regret was not ordering more.

these paler versions were cooked in a light, gingery broth. when they were brought to our table, our toothpicks were poised and ready to fish out the meat from these coiled shells. a light dip in the fish sauce gave this gastrapoda just enough zing for consumption. loves.

the bánh cuốn was not as masterful ;) as my mom's homemade version, OF COURSE, but it was delicious nevertheless. the fish cake and the mung bean patties were very filling components to the dish.

and we rounded out our feast with an order of bánh bèo which were delicious individual saucers of steamed rice cakes topped with a bit of dried shrimp. i could have eaten them all if it wasn't for the fact that i HAD to share. BOOOOO.....

and before i headed home, i HAD to grab a box of goi du du, a vietnamese style green papaya salad. what makes this food stall particularly memorable is their beef AND liver jerky on top. i never leave phuoc loc tho without a beloved box of shredded green papaya from this place.

heavenly. the textures and flavors are just amaaaaazing.

man i love this place. phuoc loc tho...where it tastes phuocking great!

Phuoc Loc Tho
9200 Bolsa Ave.
Ste 1148
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 903-2550

price: $-$$
verdict: omg, i love it!

liquid pork at ramen yamadaya

this is how you make LIQUID PORK. you take ms. piggy, pull off her dress and pearls, then boil her in a vat of water for days. the water will then be infuse with her porky juices, thus making a heavenly pork broth for your consumption. OR, you can drop by ramen yamadaya in torrance to treat yourself to some of their heavenly tonkotsu ramen broth. holy oinkster batman, i want to drink a vat of that liquid pork!

to start the meal off in this intimate ramen shop, i chose NOT to go light. i ordered the combination special which came with ramen and two sides. the first side was a crispy set of gyoza quadruplets. oh how i adore these crispy pan fried gyozas with their silky, meaty innards.

the second side, the kimchi fried rice, was stellar as well. each crimson bite revealed a bit of kimchi and chasu. if it wasn't for the fact that i had a big bowl of ramen to look forward to, i would have consumed every single grain of rice in that bowl.

my eating partner chose the kimchi fried rice and the kara-age chicken for his combination special. each piece of kara-age was a plump nugget of breaded chicken bliss. the cabbage slaw was tangy which minimized the greasy bites.

...and the ramen. oh dear lord, the ramen. i chose the yamadaya ramen with the "thin" noodles which had two types of chasu pork, menma (fermented bamboo shoots), nori, and a seasoned egg. oooohhhh emmmmm geeeee DELICIOUS. the broth was full bodied, creamy, savory, and wonderfully hearty. and if this was even possible, each slurp of the noodles tasted even better than the last (i may have just drooled on myself as i type this) and slurp away i did until my whole bowl was dry as a bone.

on the other hand, my friend decided to get their kakuni ramen with the "thick" noodles. an alarming slab of fatty pork belly adorned the bowl and although i am a fan of both pork and their fat bellies, the unctuous nature of this particular piece was just too much. due to the thickness of this fat, it was not "melt in your mouth." it was more like "i bit the thigh of a fat man and now it's in my mouth." *shudders*

but whichever ramen style you decide to order, don't forget to ask for their garlic press and squeeze a few cloves of garlic through. the aromatic raw garlic was a great balance to this slightly greasy broth and truly makes a difference in this gustatory experience.

this soup was the quintessential LIQUID PORK and will pop your tongue with the most satisfying savory flavors. if it wasn't for the fact that ramen yamadaya is located in torrance, i guarantee to you that i would have become a regular pretty quickly. lucky for you westsiders, a second ramen yamadaya storefront will soon open its doors in culver city. so dang delicious and DO check it out when you get the chance.

thank you panda for introducing us to ANOTHER delicious meal!! and as always, we enjoy noshing with you and the other dude :) good times!

Ramen Yamadaya
3118 W. 182nd St.
Torrance, CA 90504
(310) 380-5555

www.ramen-yamadaya.com

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

margarita heaven at gilbert's el indio

this man knows his firewater.

he told me you can find it here, at gilbert's el indio in santa monica.

i listened cuz i am a recreational drunk. looking at all those glasses hanging in the air, i knew i wasn't alone and that they must lure people like me to their libations like lindsay lohan to crack.

i wrung my hands in anticipation once i placed my order. omg, wow. omfg wow! this is the best ice blended margarita ($4.50) that i've ever tasted! i want to bottle it up and nurse my margarita bottle throughout the day. would that be appropriate? yes!

though i would have been sloppy happy with just this drink, i decided an empty belly filled with firewater does a car accident make. i decided to ply myself with their complimentary chips cuz i lovee their spicy salsa and their tart pickled carrot slices which i pop into my mouth like chips.

my eating companion dared me to eat a red chili on top of the salsa on top of the chip. he thinks i'm tipsy from drinking the firewater and therefore gullible.

i told him to shove it and ordered the extra super mule ($8.95) instead. not earth shattering like the margarita, but it will do its job to keep your belly satiated. besides, the thirst induced by this monster sized mule will give you more than enough reasons to quench your thirst with MORE MARGARITA. yes please!

i really love gilbert's. i really do. i love the kitschy environment, the friendly staff, and those freakin' awesome margaritas even though the food is just so-so but i forgive thee. listen to me and listen to the man with the headdress, the firewater is goot so bring a wad of cash and prove us right.

Gilbert's El Indio Restaurant
2526 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 450-8057

gilbertselindiorestaurantmenu.info/

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

savoring savoy kitchen

finally.

i.finally.ate.at.savoy.
it wasn't crowded. whut?!
i didn't have to wait. whut?!
that's.why.i.finally.ate.at.savoy.because.we.didn't.have.to.wait.

whenever we drive by this place during peak chowing hours, i always see prospective diners waiting by the entrance as thick as flies for a chance to land a seat. this sight usually encourages me to push down harder on my gas pedal to go somewhere else....but lucky for us, it was actually slow and gosh darn it, i finally get to check savoy off my belly list!

we opted to sit outside to enjoy the warmth and to witness a fender bender that was narrowly averted. seriously, i have NO IDEA why reckless drivers always seem to drive expensive cars. what a waste. anyways, i gripped my iced cappuccino ($2) tightly in my hands and made a loud gasp. fortunately, the lady finally located her brake pedal and twisted metal was avoided.

ready to refocus our attention on the food, we started off with the shrimp rolls ($5.50) which were crispy and flaky with enough grease to leave a nice sheen on my lips. kissable? totally.

the three of us also shared the cold pasta salad with smoked duck ($7.75). this salad was cool to the mouth and pretty hearty for the belly. even though the extra carb load was unnecessary for this padded booty of mine, i enjoyed the way the pasta soaked up the dressing especially since i suspected that the dressing contained duck drippings amongst other ingredients. a total smash hit.

the belle of the ball and the main reason why people flock to savoy is their hainan chicken rice ($6.75). i growled a little when i found out there was an extra $2 charge for dark meat...oh come on now! who else but the asians would choose dark meat over breast meat and after looking around, there weren't a lot of breasts to be seen....$2 x a lot of asians....

anyways, i found this poached chicken to be rather salty and the ginger and chili sauce only enhanced its salty nature. although delicious, i couldn't eat more than a few pieces before my tongue abandoned ship for slightly less thirst inducing flavors. on the other hand, the rice cooked with chicken broth was delectable. although i was full to the brim and had to loosen my belt buckle not once, but twice, i.couldn't.stop.eating.the.rice. it was so good.

seriously, i would come back just for that rice and that salad. considering all the carbs that i fell in love with at savoy, in hindsight, i'm HAPPY that they are super busy because it just means i get to maintain my current pant size since i'm not willing to brave the wait.

Savoy Kitchen
138 E. Valley Blvd.
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 308-9535

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

xoia eating in echo park

i'm barely literate in english let alone vietnamese so when my friend asked me to meet her at xoia in echo park, i just said, "oh, that new vietnamese place. sure!" when we got there, both my friend and i decided that it was not a phonetic vietnamese name and sure enough, our server told us xoia was pronounced "soy-yah" and was named after the owner's child...either that or they might have named the child "mango" in vietnamese, but the spelling would still have been incorrect. xoia definitely sounds a lot cuter than "bob" or "martha" or "mango" doesn't it?

we decided to sit outside in their patio area to inhale the fresh exhaust that comes right off of busy sunset blvd. ahh, nothing like combusted fuel to expand my appetite. of course, if you don't enjoy the automotive bustle while you eat, there is a larger dining area inside for you to enjoy your meal.

we started off with the pho beef tacos ($5.75) which were surprisingly yummy! these tacos tasted like a bowl of beef pho sans the soup and the noodles. the salsa was a fusion of red salsa with a hint of sriracha. my friend was eager to begin grubbing and squeezed lime on our tacos while i snapped away. i would totally order these again. you should too.

we also ordered the lemongrass pork carnitas banh mi ($6.50) which was a fabulous rendition of the traditional banh mi with long cilantro tendrils and vinegared daikon and carrot sticks spilling out. i loved the chunky carnitas with my every bite and the hint of lemongrass for a lemongrass lova like me left a wonderful fragrance in my mouth. this banh mi was quite generous in portion size because behind those white shrimp chips was the other half. two words: cheap date. you eat one half, i eat the other half and then we fall in love.

the mi quang ($9.25) was the main reason why my friend wanted us to eat at xoia. this dish is a hoi an specialty which i thought was rather delicious. although per my friend's observation that the noodles were a bit wider and thicker than what she had tasted in that region, i thought the thick yellow noodles xoia used were a great medium to sop up the delicate sauce that puddled at the bottom of the bowl. crispy black sesame chips, chopped peanuts, and crunchy bean sprouts gave this dish all the crunch you would ever need in a bowl of noodles.

we ended the meal with the banh xeo ($6.50) which was our least favorite dish of the night. the banh xeo was crispy which was a plus, but the pork was severely oversalted with a double ugh of severely overcooked shrimp that resembled dried chicken which were nestled inside. i'm also not use to banh xeo with peanut sauce which is normally served with nuoc mam (fish sauce). not to mention that the peanut sauce tasted thick and straight from the jar and lacked the typical garlic notes which i am use to.

i'm normally very critical when it comes to vietnamese eats because i grew up eating superb homecooked vietnamese food, but xoia did not disappoint even though there were a few details that needed tweaking. this is a cash only spot so i'll be sure to return with a wallet full of greens to try other xoia eats on the menu. perhaps i might even bring my mother. great yummy addition there echo park. nice.

Xoia
1801 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 413-3232

www.xoiaeats.com/

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!