wolvesmouth makes me howl

kids in school call cutting in line "front cuts," but when i was able to bypass the 2,500+ people on the wolvesmouth waitlist by being kung food panda's plus one, i called that move "booyah!"

so here's the deal. check out wolvesmouth's website, get intrigued, and then submit an email to them saying that you're interested in attending while simultaneously praying to the lord hoping that you do get picked. then you wait for a loooooong time (don't hold your breath) and perhaps you will be one of those lucky 12 diners that month to get THE email for a night of wolvesmouth grubbing...kinda like this:

bring lots of wine. the more the better.

then meet craig thornton, the wolf, and watch him work his magic.

butter, lova.

slightly crispy pan-fried brioche. time to loosen the belt. it will be a long night.

corn soup with cotija, aleppo gelee, lime, and a corn fritter. a bowl of sublimely sweet and smooth corn soup with the corniest fritter accompaniment ever. i wished i stole a few when i saw them sitting there looking lonely and delicious.

corn fritters.

a BEAUTIFUL peach, nectarine, chorizo piquillo puree, almond, basque cheese, chorizo, and sherry gastrique on a bleach white plate. one of my faves of the night. deceptively simple, but oh so complex in flavor. a harmony of sweet, salty, and spicy flavor profiles.

Smelt, fried green tomato, buttermilk ranch.

a bowl of squash blossom, marscapone zucchini duxelles, melon, baby squash, and balsamic. a sophisticated reminder of summer's offerings.

tuna, tomato, basil buds, uliva olive oil, wasabi peas, with white soy. the fragrance emitted from this dish was truly intoxicating and i discovered a newfound love for basil buds.

potato, chive, crème fraîche with sneaky lobster pieces hidden underneath the creamy mound. the consistency reminded me of poi due to its viscous nature and the taste was strangely familiar...cuz it really reminded me of lay's sour cream and onion potato chips! no seriously. one word: mutherfuckindelicious. we had to take a break after that one.

next up was the pork cheek, baby cabbage, caramelized onion, dill, pretzel pieces, and mustard.

an electric green cucumber slush to cleanse my palate. how fun considering how a normal palate cleansing routine generally calls for a toothbrush.

lamb, turkish eggplant, watermelon cucumber, watermelon tartare, yogurt, and rosemary. we were all smitten by the cute little watermelon cucumbers and i almost expected a little smurf to strut across my plate and climb over my lamb to grab the watermelon cucumber for their picnic.

mulberry, elderberry, fig, salted brown butta la creme, and croquant. i was officially enamored with the wolf after this one. kung food panda RAVES about wolvesmouth's desserts and i was not disappointed. the sweetness of the dish was tempered by the sour flavors of the berries and the crunch you expect from the bottom of your ice cream cone was nicely represented by the croquant.

cherry sherbet, almond cake, cherry pop rocks, almond cream will send any fruit lover into a dessert high. if not, the cherry pop rocks will at least set your mouth a poppin'.

alas, the dinner concluded with satiated round bellies and a donation of what you feel the meal was "worth" using red envelopes that they provide. but in all seriousness, the amazing meal was worth every bit of the wolvesmouth hype that was fed to me. thank you kung food panda for the invite, and remil, weezermonkey, eleana, and alex for providing the verbal entertainment of the night. and of course, thank you craig for being uh-mazing!

Wolvesmouth
http://wolvesmouth.com/

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

carmela ice cream cools down pasadena one spoonful at a time

perhaps you cool down by diving into a pool, but for fatties like me, i just eat ice cream...and lots of it....wearing my shorts....with my sandals on so i can get that thong strap tan on my feet that i sooooo love to top off my summer look. so naturally, when delicious sounding ice cream joints pop up on my radar such as cathy's post about carmela ice cream in pasadena, i was totally hooked in to try. i.want.that.salted.caramel.dangit.

the flavors they have are rather extensive and they do allow you to have a taste of their various offerings, but after the 3rd tiny spoonful, my asian guilt settled in and i stopped myself from tasting all eleven flavors. i also recommend that you go earlier rather than later because as you can see, the last thing you want is a bold mean line running across the flavor you craved. sucka.

they do sell other goodies...cake pops, ice cream sandwiches, and other cakey sweets....

but the real deal, the cold calling that lead me to pasadena was their handmade, organic dairy ice cream. i decided to get one scoop which they then allowed me to split into two flavors and got the salted caramel on the bottom and the brown sugar vanilla bean on top. and to take this sweet deal to the next level, they make this crazy delicious waffle cone/waffle in a cup that gives you a most buttery crunch when you bite it.

i really enjoyed spooning my ice cream from the bottom up, mixing the two flavors together. but the best bite of all was a piece of sweet waffle slightly softened by the melted ice cream with a bit of blended salted caramel and brown sugar vanilla bean still clinging to it. but i warn you, eat this delicious yet rich ice cream in moderation lest you want some engorged fat cells clinging to your chunky thighs as well. that is all.

Carmela Ice Cream
2495 E. Washington Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 797-1405

www.carmelaicecream.com

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!

yujean kang's in pasadena packs a surprising punch

when i think of pasadena, i don't think of eats. i think of robin's egg blue boxes, apples, and old ladies thinking they will be forever 21. but an invitation from diana brought danny and my belly out to pasadena for a media tasting at yujean kang's gourmet chinese cuisine which promptly changed my mind about what i can eat in pasadena...and how much food my belly can actually hold...oh dear!

first off, i can eat yujean kang's crispy tofu rolls with chicken and mustard greens. the tofu skins had a slight chew to them when fried and are not similar in texture to fried egg rolls. in my heart of hearts, i wanted to believe they were healthier because of the tofu skin. yes?

the shrimp and garlic chives dumplings wrapped in traditional wheat starch skin. the dumplings looked like little doves nestled in their bamboo nest and will perch nicely on your pair of chopsticks before taking flight into your mouth.

the four season dumplings was another yummy appetizer. each pocket was filled with a different ingredient; chopped celery, tomato, wood ear mushrooms, and egg which offered a distinctly different taste based on the orientation of your bite. fun.

yujean kang's hot and sour fish chowder was absolutely AMAZING. this version was tangy, tart, and chunkalicious with fish sans the neon brown look that most hot and sour soups are known for. THIS is the perfect soup to nurse a cold or to accompany any meal. i want to go back for more!

we also nibbled on their braised black cod with soy, garlic, and scallion with baby bok choy.

and chomped on their sauteed jumbo prawns with smoked diced black cod. this dish was well seasoned and the smoked diced black cod was an addictive addition. i used my expert chopstick skills to pluck each and every piece of diced cod before inhaling my prawns.

another stellar dish was their slow cooked pork belly with tofu knots and dark mustard greens. the unctuous nature of the belly and the sweet notes from its caramelization brought just enough savory/sweet decadence to my scoop of fluffy jasmine rice. delicious and a must order!

their spicy scallops with glazed walnuts (normally prepared with prawns), was delightful to eat. each piece of glazed walnut from this dish was like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae because of the delightful burst of sweetness.

mei gan which is a dried, spongy veggie. an interesting texture for the mouth and a definite first for me.

then we partook in a hot cup of tea, asian style with the cup cap and all to keep the contents hot. the best thing about eating at chinese restaurants is the soothing cup of tea to wash all the food down.

and before i knew it, i indulged in their delicious dessert plate; mandarin orange cheesecake with passion fruit sauce and red bean pancake with coconut sauce. each bite had the perfect balance of sweetness and was a wonderful way to end our meal.

yujean kang's chef/owner kept true to traditional chinese flavors but was thoughtful in tweaking certain aspects of his dishes to make even someone like me who grew up on home cooked chinese meals rather interested in coming back. and with a huge wine list, i'm DEFINITELY coming back.

Yujean Kang's Gourmet Chinese Cuisine
67 N. Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 585-0855

www.yujeankangs.com

verdict: tasty, try it!

hawai'i: side street inn for a greasy kiss

our last big meal in oahu was spent at side street inn which is known for their late hours, kimchi fried rice, fried pork chops, and a full bar. although eager to eat after a successful day of shopping (i am a gal. i am genetically programmed to shop), i was not ready for the huge portion sizes dished out by this eatery in ala moana. oh woe is me, my fat belly and all.

the ice tea was sweet and refreshing.

colin's homemade oxtail soup ($14) served with nori musubi reminded me of my mom's own homemade soups. this medly of daikon, shiitake mushrooms, and pieces of tender oxtail was a most comforting reminder of my momma as we took sips of this savory brew.

we were told their pan fried island pork chops ($22) was a local favorite so we promptly ordered it. one bite left a greasy kiss on my lips and a lump in my belly. although tasty as all fried things are destined to be, these particular fried pork chops were massive and provoked a sense of guilt that only eating a slice of triple layer chocolate cake can rival.

since they were out of their infamous kimchi fried rice, we ordered their side style famous fried rice ($12) which we were told was their o.g. rice dish. again, tasty, yet greasy. not another greasy kiss i thought...but kiss i did. in fact, the whole meal felt like i was making out with a greasy faced sumo wrestler. not hot. not at all.

Side Street Inn
1225 Hopaka St.
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 591-0253
sidestreetinn.com/

price: $$
verdict: it's aight

hawai'i: infamous coco puffs at liliha bakery

opened since 1950, liliha bakery has become an integral part of the oahu food scene. their infamous coco puffs even made a cameo on the cbs t.v. show, hawaii five-0, which fueled a resurgence of coco puff lovin' and skyrocketed these pastries into super puffy stardom.

although their puffs placed liliha on the dessert map for those living outside of the aloha state, it should also be noted that they offer more than just their coco puffs which can be seen here

and here

and here too.

but similar to the man in line in front of me who bought 16 boxes of coco puffs to place in his cooler before his flight back to seattle, i knew I HAD TO TRY these darling looking coco puffs for myself.

so i got four coco puffs for us to try. two chocolate ones, the regular coco puff, and the green tea coco puff. and just as quickly as i bought the puffs, they went *puff* in the air as we expertly knocked down each one in rapid succession, not once acknowledging our bulging guts.

because the lovely element about this coco puff was the salty chantilly icing on top which contrasted beautifully with the chocolate filling inside. a definite crowd pleaser as you will see once you do a little more research for yourself. as for me, my most favorite puff of all was not the original but rather the green tea one which offered strong matcha flavors that tempered the overall sweetness of the puff.

and before we left, we bought a box of original coco puffs to give to a relative we were going to meet up that night. and as we presented this box to her, the first thing she said was "ahh, you went everywhere didn't you. you go where the locals go..." which made me sigh happily inside because after a 6 hour plane ride across the pacific ocean, the last thing i wanted to do was eat where the locals won't touch with a ten foot pole. not to mention, these puffs were dang good, too.

Liliha Bakery
515 N. Kuakini St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 531-1651

lilihabakeryhawaii.com

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!