James?.. Sugishita? 
1 Like
Was thinking about trying the Red Ribbon Chicken, but didn’t even know they had closed, because after so many chances we told them to piss off a while ago… way before Covid. Careless, inconsistent and just meh.
1 Like
Really thoughtful.
1 Like
SGV Bang x2 well technically x3.
So, to be truthful, wifey and I are not the most adventurous eaters. You’d expect more from someone named “Gr8pimpin” but… yeah.
So she wanted Lunasia for a few dim sum dishes and in-car dining. We hit the road from Santa Monica. Shortly after passing the 405 on the 10, she placed an order.
Traffic was so light, we made it there 1/2 hour before the order was scheduled to be ready for pickup.
I am a fatass who can’t wait patiently to eat, so I decided to see what else I could consume while waiting for Lunasia.
…
Hui Tou Xiang
Thanks to previous mentions by @thechez5 @moonboy403 , @PorkyBelly , and @JeetKuneBao I saw that I had this place marked, for the Hui Tou (pork) dumplings.
This place was setup for safety.
Ate in the parking lot.
The Hui Tou were so juicy i should have saved them to eat at home in the bathtub. I literally took a shower in the juice. My wife bit into one and the steady sprays of juice, like a statue of someone peeing. LOL!
These really were so tasty. Wrapper is definitely on the thicker side. Loved them more than my car seat and floor and shirt.
Lunasia
Again, nicely setup for protecting customers. I appreciate the efforts a lot.
Plexiglass separates the customer area.
No report needed. You guys know this place. Everything seemed fresh, didn’t sit long so they were right on about the pickup time. Everything is really nicely packed. Great packaging.
Oh, bang 3, Burger King for sodas.
Parked at the mortuary a block from Lunasia. Quite scenic.
21 Likes
Funny!
1 Like
thank you for that visual. and just so nobody else misses out, i’ll leave this here.
i’ll see myself out.
23 Likes
OMG, that’s exactly what I thought of, Manneken Pis in Brussels.
2 Likes
Ah, I remember when my dad was biting into a (homemade) dumpling, the juice went straight across the table and hit me in the eye. Memories…
My contribution for this weekend: cassoulet from Lucques Catering. Partner said it best: “extraordinary.” Even the breadcrumbs were f*cking delicious. Only 2 pieces (edit: chunks!) of the most delicious sausage I might’ve ever tasted. Thankfully, there a decent amount of duck. 
16 Likes
OMG, 
!!
That cassoulet looks so amazing!!
1 Like
My Hui Tou Xiang visual (no Bernie mit mittens, for once), similar to the pissing beef balls of “God of Cookery”…
4 Likes
That’s exactly what I was thinking of.
2 Likes
Ours were streams, as opposed to spray. It was so effen hilarious!
1 Like
My wife and a friend got that. Liked the cassoulet, but the advertised salad and dessert were nonexistent. Did that happen to you as well?
YESSSSSS!!! That’s it!!! Exactly like that, except the stuff that was pouring down my neck.
Ohmigod, I had forgotten it was supposed to come w/ those!
So, yes, happened to us as well. Will be contacting them about that…
1 Like
There’s a Dessert Desperado in our midst…
2 Likes
Mystery solved: some of their e-mails erroneously stated that it was a prix-fixe menu b/c it had been so in past years. Bleh. Well, the cassoulet was still largely unimpeachable, even if the e-mail copy was not…
3 Likes
Crooked Gaff Kitchen (Whittier)
My local oyster house when I’m not down to go into the city for Connie & Ted’s or Costa Mesa for Shuck.
Chef Tony Alcazar spent quite a bit of time training under Chef Craig Strong and opened in his hometown an oyster bar and fusion seafood place. His recent January birthday week led to a fun week of specials based on things he loves to cook.
Some became so popular that they’ve hit his menu permanently.
Crispy tuna poké taco…if you love the poké tacos from Gott’s in Napa, then you might enjoy this version. Crispy tortilla shell fried to hardshell form and filled with tuna poké, guacamole, yuzu blue crab, and furikake. With the blue crab mix, it’s a touch gloppy…but so far, the closest rendition to Gott’s and we’re really missing our regular pilgrimages to Napa.
Lobster ravioli…it’s a very generous portion for $17 and the ravioli itself is gorgeous as Chef runs lovely green pinstripes across the ravioli. Filling is very lobster-y and the raviolis are tossed in a saffron cream sauce and garnished with grilled asparagus.
Sorry no photos.
4 Likes