Terrific NY Day lunch at Xiang La Hui香辣汇
(https://www.yelp.com/biz/xiang-la-hui香辣汇-alhambra)
Sichuan notes were all spot on.
No pics, sorry.
Dan Dan Mein was one of the best preps I have had in ages.
Twice Cooked Pork, Water Boiled (green) fish filet, Chong Qing Fried chicken, Fried Cabbage, Sichuan Green Beans, Cold Spicy Chicken (not much meat…but that sauce), all great.
Went to Mercado last night. You know, despite being a chain now, the food is quite good. There aren’t a lot of places in LA where you can get a better carnitas plate–tender, rich, and served with delicious blue corn tortillas and a side of al pastor seasoned cauliflower. Also, while pricey, you are somewhat paying for the scene and atmosphere. If the right comparison for Mercado is Javier’s (as opposed to Carnitas el Momo), then I think Mercado absolutely blows its competition out of the water in terms of quality and value.
One other bonus–it’s one of the rare places where the jalapeno margarita is actually spicy.
lunch bang bang
zhengyalov hatz - soft, chewy, pliant bread + juicy mixed herb city = good snack…it would be nice if i can add some protein in there to kick things up a notch
paxlava - just like a baklava but i could be wrong? pleasantly sweet with layers of phyllo and crunch from chopped nuts
when did din tai fung takeout packaging become so fancy??
red bean, sesame, chocolate mochi - excellent fillings for them smooth, chewy, elastic steamed mochi
Santa Monica?
Yep. Though I think there are a number of locations now, I like the Santa Monica one.
Went to Yummy Cafe in Walnut but they’re temporarily closed. Boo hiss.
Consolation first visit to Ruby BBQ. Very glad of the recommendation from you guys!
Spicy beef brisket and tendon noodles for lunch (Queen House, Mountain View)
Barolo 2015 & Margherita, a trio of gelato: coffee, Yuzu vanilla, spiced cookie (Pausa, San Mateo)
Angler SF last night
What is in the bowl at Angler?
Smoked abalone (essence) custard.
I went last night too…it really is the best in LA…it’s insane
verdict on angler?
Slightly off-topic: I love that show! The French version is also very good.
On-topic: looks delicious.
The Mexico one is hillarious and so sweet! Many people in Mexico don’t even have ovens in their kitchen… LOL!!
Few spots from the last couple weeks:
Noodle Harmony
Got spicy beef noodle soup, which was great and rich and almost a little gamy - it reminded me of the broth from some of the better Paomo I’ve had. The Sichuan Dry Noodles were good and nutty, though I think they could have been a bit punchier. The cold tofu, though, was really the star, super spicy and savory with a great chili crisp and green onion.
Kitchen Mouse
Mariscos El Paradero
Finally made it down there and was pretty impressed by their mariscos. Need to go back with a bigger group to run through more of the menu. Couldn’t quite justify the tower because I wanted to try a couple other things and it’s $35.
The Raymond / Bar 1886 Happy Hour
Solid happy hour. The food is fine and fairly affordable at HH, but the drinks are the reason to go. $7 at HH and really excellent, plus it’s a nice environment, especially around the holidays.
Anayas Pasadena
Made the mistake of going when I wasn’t very hungry so I only had a couple tacos, which were pretty solid but not exactly the thing to get there. Friends had shrimp enchiladas, which were excellent with an almost tikka masala-like creamy tomato sauce, and a mole burrito, which was also nice but I think would be better served at a specialist. Interesting to note - their menu advertises cocktails, but they’re all made with Sabe brand spirits. Seemed a little odd, so did some research - they appear to be underproof knockoff spirits used so that places with only a beer-and-wine license can make ‘cocktails.’ Weird choice, and I don’t love that they’re charging real cocktail prices with fake cocktails, with no mention of the substitution. And not just because of the ABV. Food was pretty good tho.
Sorry, too distracted by the hot host of the Mexico one to pay attention to the contestants… 
Forgive my ignorance, but how do the people w/o ovens cook? Are there communal ovens (or do they do it over fire in cast iron)?
delicious food corner in monterey park - excellent QPR ($8.5 before t&t)
@beefnoguy @JeetKuneBao
yuenyeung (half milk tea and half coffee)
soy sauce pan-fried noodles & jook with century egg and salted pork
good caramelized soy sauce flavor but it’s a little dry and need more wok hei
good flavor and quite silky
turns watery after stirring vigorously so it needs to be cooked for longer
