Rau Muong Xao Toi (Stir-Fried Water Spinach with Garlic)

I have a love-hate affair with rau muong (water spinach). I can't stand it because its cousin, the field bindweed, has taken up residence all over our backyard, but I love it because as a food, water spinach is just so healthy and delicious in every way. I love it in spiral strips in our bowls of bun rieu, but mostly, I love it sauteed with nothing but garlic and a little bit of fish sauce. My kids slurp these up.

Ingredients:
Water spinach, 1 pound
Garlic, 6 cloves minced or chopped
Fish sauce, 2-3 tablespoons
Oil for frying, 2 tablespoons

Wash the water spinach and cut off about 4-5 inches of the tougher parts of the stem, leaving the skinnier parts and the leaves behind. Let dry completely.

Heat up the oil in a wok to medium high heat and sautee the garlic to release the fragrance, about a minute.

Add in the water spinach and start stirring with a pair of tongs to evenly wilt the spinach. This will take about 3 minutes or so. Season with the fish sauce to taste and then remove, getting rid of the excess liquids left behind.

Vietnam House in San Gabriel

When my Danish cousins were about to fly away from us, we decided to take them to Vietnam House in San Gabriel so that we could tentalize them with this one last memory of a good Vietnamese meal. My family and I go to Vietnam house regularly whenever we crave some good Viet grub, and since it's roomier than Golden Deli across the street, it's a little easier to find a place to sit here for our large groups, and the food in my opinion is almost as good.

Because my parents are creatures of habit and hang on to a good thing when they find them, and since I usually go get pho' in the Alhambra area only with their company, we have yet to try Vietnam Restaurant, not to be confused with this one. As fellow blogger Wandering Chopsticks has explained in depth the relationship between all three restaurants mentioned above, Vietnam Restaurant should be quite good and I'm looking forward to going there. For now, Vietnam House is not too shabby for pho' and when we crave it, Vietnamese 7 course beef (Bo Bay Mon).

Parking is rough here. Just circle and circle until you find a space.

My cousins ordered the Com Thit Nuong (rice with grilled pork), pictured above, while my brother ordered Com Cha Thit Nuong, which is essentially the same as the above but with some Vietnamese quiche added. I've had both here before and have always loved them.

They make their Suong Sa Hot Luu, pictured on the left, the way I like it, with lots of mung beans, tapioca strips and mock pomegranate pieces, and the juice is not overly sweet. The Soda Xi Muoi (Salted plum in soda) is always perfect here.

Their Cafe (or Ca Phe) Sua Da. Have never tried it here but my husband liked it.

I ordered the Pho Tai Sach Bo Vien, which is actually not on the menu. The 4 meatballs were huge, halfway split, and a little chewy but still good, with the noodles being on the skinny side. The broth looks a little murky but was bursting with flavor as always from all the herbs. It's a very good broth. Lots of rare steak in this bowl and not too much tripe, which is how I like it.

No sawtooth herb is offered here, but you order bean sprouts cooked already like my dad does. I don't like bean sprouts either way, cooked or raw and often leave them out in my bowl of pho'.

Mom ordered the Hu Tieu Tom Kho (Vermicelli with Shrimp without soup). Actually the soup is brought out in a separate bowl. Mom gobbled it up. Their hu tieu here has never disappointed.

The service I've noticed was not on par as it has been in the past. They actually messed up my mom's order intially and brought out Hu Tieu Tom Cua instead, but they took it back. You can see from the photo above that we were very tempted to eat it anyways. I also noticed they messed up an order for another table next to us, but that other table was not as forgiving. Can't stand rude customers. Even though they messed up the orders, the food comes out lightning fast. You can't complain.

Hubby order Pho Dac Biet as always. Their special bowl of pho has a good balance when it comes to ingredients. Not too much tendons, a good amount of rare steak.

Vietnam House never fails to disappoint our appetite for things Vietnamese.

Vietnam House is located at 710 W Las Tunas Dr. in San Gabriel, CA (626) 282-3630

Garden Cafe in Alhambra

When my cousin from Denmark and her friend came to visit last month, we found out that they were not very used to eating a lot of things that SoCal Asians are used to eating. So one night for dinner, we decided to take them to the Sunday Cafe on Atlantic Blvd. in Alhambra only to find it closed. Hurriedly, we then drove over to the Garden Cafe instead because we knew at least there would be some foods they would be able to eat. It was a rainy night and the place was emptier than I remember on other visits.

Dinner started out with some creamy soup, which we requested since our visiting Danes don't like tomatoes. Tasted fine except it seems the salt was not incorporated into the soup properly. The creaminess was excellent, though.

The avocado milkshake was good and smooth. Can't really mess that up. Baby R sucked this up.

The rice porridge with fish and chicken was smooth and very good, but they could have cut up the chicken into smaller pieces.

My brother told me that his green tea with boba was very delicious. Cream and sugar were provided.

The seafood chow fun was bland and was pretty greasy.

The sizzling seafood udon was again greasy and bland, and the noodles a little doughy tasting.

The Baked Sole Fillet in Spinach Sauce was nice and creamy, except the sauce wasn't really a sauce. It was more like a bed of chopped spinach added to the bottom of the dish.

The meat dishes really surprised me. The deep fried spicy pork was delicious, a tad salty but perfectly tasty and fried. It wasn't really spicy at all though, since the kids could even eat them.

The combination grilled meat plate was also very good. The chicken, pork, and beef were very tender, and although the lamb was just a tad tough, all the meats were delicious.

We also had a curry dish that was kind of strange. It had a thick consistency to it, and I felt as if the whole dish didn't meld together. And it needed some lemon or spice or something to add some life to it.

I think Garden Cafe had its hit and misses. But as I've said before, I normally don't come to these Hong Kong style cafes like this one or Boston Kitchen or Maxim Cafe for the food. It's more to socialize or simply because it's open late.

Garden Cafe is located at 228 W. Valley Boulevard, Alhambra, CA (626) 289-1833

Maxim Cafe in Rowland Heights

A bunch of girlfriends and I wanted to get some breakfast a few weeks ago. So one of the gals suggested either Garden Cafe or Maxim Cafe in the Rowland Heights area, and since I haven't tried Maxim yet, I kinda led them towards Maxim. Most of them didn't know I had a food blog yet, so they were cracking up when I pulled out my camera and snapped away.

Maxim Cafe is one of those typical restaurants that boast Western decor yet serve Hong Kong fare and is open until the wee hours of the morning. I usually never come to these types of places because I want to have awesome food. It's mostly because I can't think of anywhere else to go, or because nothing else is open, or because I just want a place to sit down and chat for a really, really long time. Maxim is located in the same plaza as Coconut Bay Bar and Grill, and since it was a weekday morning and everyone was at work, it was pretty empty.

I kept things simple and ordered their combination breakfast deals. For almost six dollars, I got a piping hot bowl of rice porridge, rice rolls with oyster sauce (I think), and a cup of tea. I liked the consistency of the porridge at Boston Kitchen more, but I liked how they added in some Chinese doughnuts into the porridge. I had ordered the Beef and Egg Porridge, but I didn't realize the egg was broken into the porridge still raw. I had assumed that there would be bits of cooked eggs chopped up already in the porridge. Next time I'd order a different porridge. You can also substitute coffee for the tea, and they give you condensed milk to add to either beverage. The rice rolls had a good chew to them and were alright for breakfast.

My friend ordered an American style breakfast that came with an omelette, hash browns, toast, and tea or coffee . Her mushroom omelette looked so good from the outside that my friend let me have a bite, and did I regret it. The filling was soggy and just tasted blah. Another friend ordered the same combo with a seafood omelette. I was curious to how that one tasted, and she did offer some to me, but I was just too lazy to walk over and taste it. She did say it was good, and I trust her judgment.

I thought the waitresses here were nice at first because they brought extra plates and utensils for our kids without us asking, but then after two hours, it seemed they were rushing us out when there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. Hey, girls need more than two hours to chat, so we took it outdoors and let the kids romp in their bushes.

I think I will have to try the dinner fare here to make a definitive assessment of their food. For now, I'd just say their breakfast is so-so, but this is a great place for socializing if you can keep it under two hours.

Maxim Cafe is located at 18904 Gale Ave. in Rowland Heights, CA (626) 913-7777

Kang Kang Food Court in Alhambra

The weather in Los Angeles has certainly been up and down lately. A few weeks ago on a warm, windy afternoon, Hubby and I took the kids to the park to fly their kite. We were scheduled to get some shaved ice at the Kang Kang Food Court in Alhambra, but truthfully, I was excited to meet my inspiration and fellow food blogger Wandering Chopsticks and taste test the Jing Dong Meat Pie she recommended there.

WC got a taste of the kids that day. Baby R was teething and being weaned simultaneously, so he was not a happy camper. But WC took to him immediately and graciously held him while I sampled the food. She didn't flinch a bit when R decided to go for his bowl of rice cereal, splashing milk all over poor WC's pretty dress and the floor. The other two for some reason decided to take turns going on long potty breaks with Hubby, but otherwise, they were fairly patient as Mom chatted with her Hubby-dubbed long, lost twin (because we have a lot eerily in common).

For a warm afternoon, the place was quite empty. I remember years ago before this place closed down for remodelling, and when we used to call it Shau May, it was always packed with people, but it was also a lot more grimey. The removal of the dirty carpet and a fresh coat of paint did wonders. Now the place seems roomier and cleaner.

I ordered some shaved ice for the kids at the shaved ice bar. Now, I don't know what the story is with this location and that of the Shau May in Monterey Park. Both locations offer the same stuff, so either it's a chain, or it's owned by the same people. The shaved ice bar offers the same stuff as the Monterey Park Shau May, but when I tasted the rice balls, they seemed harder than those at the Monterey Park location. Otherwise, it was all good.

On a sidenote, I want to demonstrate how sleepy and distracted I was that day. The girl at the counter who took my order asked me what table number I was at so that they could bring us our food later. I started telling her my phone number until WC stepped in with the correct info.

I decided to order two of the Jin Dong Meat Pies thinking one wouldn't be enough for all of us, but boy was I wrong. I had leftovers for the next day. WC pointed out the pretty layers in the pie, and when I bit into it, it was bursting with flavor. If you love ginger, you'll love this, because there was a lot of ginger mixed in with the pork. I didn't care much for the ginger, but I liked the texture of the pie itself and the flavor of the meat.

A few weeks later, I regretted not trying the Shanghai Pan-Fried Dumplings that they are also famous for, so I sent Hubby to order take out for dinner. The dumplings were noticeably juicier than that of the Monterey Park location, and my parents became a fan, even though the juice squirted all my mom's clothes before I had time to warn her. Yeah, they were that juicy. This photo just doesn't do them justice. We also ordered the meat pie again, and this time there was less ginger for some reason, but still yummy.

Kang Kang Food Court offers cafeteria style food for takeout also. So, Hubby also ordered some of their three item combinations.

The first combo consisted of steamed chicken with ginger and scallion, steamed shrimp, and steamed chinese brocolli. The chicken was not the usual steamed chicken I'm normally used to. The scallion/ginger dressing was not as salty, and the chicken felt soggy and actually grainy to me. I'm just used to firmer meat. The shrimp was also soggy, grainy, and not so fresh, but I liked the sweetness of the sauce. The chinese brocolli was just that, average.

The second combo had steamed cabbage with tofu, fish with black bean sauce, and soft tofu with meat and vegetables. Both tofu dishes were bland to me, but the silky texture of the soft tofu was nice. I did not like the fish at all. The sauce was overly salty, sour, and just plain strange. You also get some soup with the combos, but this "soup" is basically some broth with a bit of bean sprouts in it. Not even worth drinking.

Both Kang Kang Food Court and Shau May are comparable, but whenever I want the Pan Fried Dumplings, I'd come to this location. Just don't order them for takeout because it took them half an hour to fill our order. I think I will also stay away from their combination items, although it's a good deal for $4.25 for the three items. Parking is also tough here, but it's worth the trouble.

Kang Kang Food Court is located at 27 E. Valley Blvd in Alhambra, CA (626) 308-3898

Pho So 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada

My family always seem to seek out a Vietnamese restaurant on each lengthy vacation we go on, whether it be in the Northwest or the East Coast, or here in Vegas. Us folks in SoCal often take for granted the goods we have in our backyards, and I'm often reminded of our blessings when we go on these Vietnamese food hunting sessions while on holiday. Here in Vegas, a decent pho' restaurant will just have to do. We were craving pho', and to my family, Pho' Kim Long down the street was overpriced and a disappointment. And since my cousins had just eaten at Pho' So 1 a few days earlier and recommended the place, we decided to try it out ourselves and drag them along for their second visit.

Walking into the restaurant, my mom and I exchange a few words. "Gee, it's dirty". But a little grime never scared us off before. In fact, it's often joked that it's a good thing. The rest of our relatives are already there awaiting us, and so we quickly order our food, which arrives quickly via Hispanic servers who can say "Pho Tai" better than Hubby can.

My Pho' Tai Sach (rare steak with tripe pho') is average. What can I say, it's Vegas. The broth is a bit on the oily side but had a good flavor, and the noodles and meat are alright. My hubby liked his Pho' Dac Biet.

My aunt suggested we order their Pho' Xao Thap Cam, which basically translates to "assorted fried pho'". This was a very interesting dish. The pho' noodles are fried to create a crunchy, chewy pancake layer on which an assortment of seafood, meats, and vegetables are placed on, and the whole thing is topped off with a sweet gravy reminiscent of Thai rad nah gravy. It wasn't out of this world, but it was pretty good.

My cousin's verdict on his Bun Bo Hue (Hue beef noodle soup): good.

I didn't think the Che Suong Sa Hot Luu (a Vietnamese dessert of agar and tapioca in coconut milk) was very good, as it was sparse on pretty much everything, but Hubby liked his Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee), which I noticed came out already in the glass.

Pho' So 1 means "Pho' Number 1", but I'd have to disagree when I think of all the pho' restaurants I've eaten at in SoCal. But because the food and prices are ok, this restaurant will be my go to Vietnamese restaurant for now in Vegas until we try out a few other ones there in the city.

Pho So 1 is located at 4745 Spring Mountain Rd., Las Vegas, NV (702) 252-3934

Pan-Fried Garlic Chives Shrimp Dumplings

Since the Lunar New Year is coming up, I'd thought I'd do a post on one of mine and my kids' favorite dumplings. I first tried these in a Bay Area dim sum restaurant years ago, but I'm not always able to order them readily at my usual dim sum eateries in SoCal. So a few years ago I tried making them myself and was successful. Although I've got my own version for the filling now, I've tried various recipes for the dumpling wrapper (basic har gow wrappers), and have liked this one provided by Elaine from A Series of Kitchen Experiments. I double the ingredients in order to get more dumplings skins.

Garlic chives are also called Chinese Chives and are a little different than the usual chives you might use in American cooking. They have a stronger flavor, and the leaves are flat. I love eating these straight up after boiling them for a while, which I did daily while recovering from having my kids, as they are supposely great for the postpartum era. I call it an era because it really is an era. Garlic chives are also good in soup with tofu.

Ingredients for the Dumpling Skins:
1.5 cups wheat starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup boiling water

Ingredients for the Filling:
3/4 pounds garlic chives, chopped
1/3 pounds shrimps, deveined and diced
1 teaspoon tapioca starch
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper

Ingredients for Dumpling Sauce:
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili (optional)

You'll also need oil for frying.

First, wash the chives. In a pot of boiling water, add the chives in for a couple of minutes, then drain them. Add in the shrimp and the rest of the filling ingredients and mix well.

Prepare the dough for the dumpling skins. Mix the starches and salt together in a bowl and then add in the boiling water. Mix the dough with your hands until you are able to get a dough that you're able to roll out. I often do what Elaine suggests and add in an extra tablespoon of the boiling water at a time if it's too dry. The consistency of the dough is a little tricky to achieve. Too little water and it'll be too crumbly and fall apart. Too much water and it will be too sticky and hard to work. If you accidentally add too much water, try putting in a little bit more of the wheat starch to rebalance it. When your dough is ready, keep it covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

Take a 3/4 inch ball of dough and pat it out with your hands until you obtain a flat circular disk about 2 inches in diameter. I don't like to "roll" them out because they often stick to the board anyways. Take about 2 teaspoons of the filling, place it on the disk and then pull up the dough around the filling and close the dumpling up. Flatten the whole dumpling a little. I get about 20 dumplings from this amount of dough, sometimes a little less.

Arrange the dumplings in a flat pan with a thin layer of oil on the bottom. Fry the dumplings 2 minutes per side on medium-high heat. Then add 2/3 cups water to the pan, cover, and steam for 6 minutes. Remove the cover and continue cooking until the water evaporates, about 1-2 minutes more. Then fry for about 2 minutes more on each side until crisp and slightly brown.

Serve with the dumpling sauce. Gung Hay Fat Choy, and Happy Inauguration Day for those in the States.