LET IT BE KNOWN…

Update 5/22/12: First, let me apologize to everyone about dropping the ball for my food blog. Life caught up with me in the midst of my food bloggery. A couple updates. I’ve since graduated from CSULB (Class of 2011 baby!). I work full time as an Account Representative for an international freight forwarder (sounds boring, but I love what I do!). I still venture out into the infinite abyss of food spots and continue to have the passion to share my adventures. So let’s continue, shall we?

 

I am not a great writer. I mean, come on now, I’m a Business major.

 

However, my passion for exploring and discovering good food has inspired me to create this blog of my adventures, with hopes that you as the reader may also have that urge and motivation to check these places out and, even better, find new places which I hope you’ll share with the world also.

 

Enjoy!

Click on the categories above to check out my posts.

The site is still in Beta mode, but it WILL continue to get better over time. Promise. 😉

Milk

Take a second to absorb that picture.

Take another second to absorb the name of the dessert: French Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich

Now, let me clarify that it is indeed as good as it looks and sounds.

It seems that the cupcake phase has dwindled a little bit since its glory days back in 2008 and 2009. More recently, I’ve noticed the rise of the french macaron (not to be mistaken with the coconut macaroon) as the “got to have” dessert. Fittingly so, its extremely small size is compensated by the flavorful bites it offers. I’m not a culinary expert, so I don’t really know what’s exactly in a french macaron. However, my taste buds scream like a crazed banshee whenever I get my hands on those things. So though they’re expensive, I’ll drop an extra couple bucks here and there to indulge in the mini treats. There’s also that other dessert, ice cream sandwiches, which everyone loves. With cookies traditionally serving as the bun with the ice cream patty in between, it’s really hard to not like such a simple but delicious dessert.

In comes The Milk Shop. They had the bright idea of combining these 2 incredible sugar treats to one unstoppable pleasing machine known as The French Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich. It reminds me a little of that one Fabolous and Ne-Yo song, “Make Me Better”. These lyrics come to mind: “I’m a movement by myself, but I’m a force when we’re together”. Or a more recent metaphor would be comparing the French Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich to the Avengers mash up, minus the shawarma.

I was quite taken aback that this treat actually existed, so I was a little apprehensive to try it. I wasn’t sure if the french macaron “bun” was going to have that flaky consistency along with maintaining it’s rich taste. On top of that, I didn’t know if the ice cream would complement or clash with the taste of the treat. O but it worked! It worked so well! I opted for the red velvet french macaron ice cream sandwich my first time at Milk. It definitely delivered as the frozen flavor rush overwhelmed me not just at first bite, but with every bite that followed. If I could draw up a scene of what I felt at first contact with the sandwich, it would be comparable to when Charlie first saw the chocolate meadow while Willy Wonka sang “Pure Imagination”.

The french macaron bun completely delivered as it was packed with flavor and crumbled in a flaky style after each bite. The added bonus is that it’s about 2-3x larger than a normal french macaron. The ice cream insides were the perfect partner and definitely brought out the overall “yum” factor of the sweet sandwich. I was so impressed that I came back about a week later (30-40 mins away from Long Beach) for a second go. I had the Thai Tea version and it was also extremely good. It had a hint of holiday eggnog aftertaste to it.

I really do have to make another trip for their famous Blue Velvet Cake. I hear it’s the “ish”.

Cruzade Rating: 9

Location:

7290 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 939-6455

http://www.themilkshop.com

Desserts

I don’t care whether my pants are about to explode after consuming a heavy meal. I will opt for dessert just about every time. Nothing sweeter than sweets, right?

Milk – Cruzade Rating: 9

Royal Cup Cafe

I cannot emphasize how much I love this place. It’s the perfect combination of coffee, food, and artsy ambiance. I really wish I had more time to go here, but work just won’t allow it. While in college, I loved calling up a friend and bringing them here to study or to simply hang out and relax. It’s just one of those “go-to” places when you want to catch up with someone over good coffee. So let’s talk about my favorite offerings at Royal Cup:

Iced White Turtle Coffee- This is the basis of which I compare other iced coffees I try. A cup filled with white chocolate, almond, chocolate, and caramel. A sweet tooth can’t ask for more than that. It’s not too sugary to the point that you feel like dying, but enough to keep you more than satisfied. Also, a plus is that it’s served in a jar if you dine in. If you’re not feeling coffee, try the white chocolate green tea. Either drink is a win.

African Safari Panini- What’s inside: Worcestershire sauce mixed with mango chutney, chicken, fire-roasted sweet peppers, provolone and mayo. The combination of these ingredients in a warm pressed panini = heaven. The perfect blend of sweet and savory juices compliment the chicken and makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Also, the sandwich has my favorite cheese of all, which gives it an extra point in my book.

The Art- In no way am I an art connoisseur. I am not blessed with artistic talent, but I do appreciate art and the people who contribute to it. The walls of Royal Cup are full of unique pieces from local artists looking to showcase and sell their work. Each can be bought for a specific price. I really admire that Royal Cup does not charge the artists to display and sell their pieces.

Like many other coffee shops, Royal Cup hosts open mic nights during the week. I have not had the chance to attend any purposely, but there was a time I had to shorten my study session because it’s almost impossible to study with live music and people cheering around you. I will make it a point to come out and support one of these days.

Cruzade Rating: 9

Location:

994 Redondo Ave
Long Beach, CA 90804

(562) 987-1027

www.royalcupcafe.com

Coffee Shops

I love coffee shops simply because of the feel and the atmosphere. Study or chill time, these spots keep me at ease and help relieve stress…even if what I’m studying fills me with it.

Viento y Aguas Coffee House and Gallery – Cruzade Rating: 9

Royal Cup Cafe – Cruzade Rating: 9.5

Viento y Aguas Coffee House and Gallery

What I’ve come to realize in my years of residence here in Long Beach, and So Cal in general, is that there are a billion quality hole-in-the-wall spots in the area. Viento y Aguas is definitely one of the many treasures that Long Beach has to offer. I was looking for a new study spot and I saw that this place is highly praised on Yelp. Yelp has NEVER failed me and definitely did not disappoint me this time around. I realized upon passing the coffee shop to park that I’ve been here once before. I remember getting a fruit-based drink because I think I was in that juice phase the last time I came here about a year or two ago.

I’ve been on a crazy coffee craze as of late…well more like for the past 3 months. Before that, I was highly addicted to milk teas for about half a year. I tend to go on sweet drink phases, and they last quite a while.

So this time around, I opted for the Mexican Mocha on the rocks, which happens to be one of their core competencies (business term for something they make/do really well). I wanted something savory to eat and asked the cashier what she recommended the Killer Tomato Sandwich with a voice resounding with resilience. I couldn’t refuse. Whole thing came to about $11, which isn’t cheap nor pricey for a coffee shop meal.

I took a seat, and there was a whole lotta room here…which is a great thing because it’s a rather popular place and I can see how this place could get packed. They have a funny sign outside on their door advertising their free FIOS Internet for customers. You have to ask for a card that has the password on it, and they’ll gladly provide that for you. Before I go any further, their customer service here is definitely above average and worth mentioning in this blog. The cashier was extremely friendly when she took my order and the barista was attentive and took the time to learn my name while sparking light conversation. Big plus, and gave this place a more “homely” feel.

On top of the great atmosphere and customer service, the food and drink was definitely the “deal maker”. The Killer Tomato Sandwich consisted of a sun-dried tomato bagel, tomatoes, cream cheese, spinach, basil, avocados, and lemon pepper. For those of you know my food habits, meat is something that I always have with my savory meals. So for this sandwich to be completely vegetarian and have the ability to impress my taste buds, was HUGE! Cream cheese and avocados go well with anything and everything. But with this sandwich, they successfully served as the meat substitute and paired perfectly with the rest of the ingredients. What surprised me most was how the sandwich filled me up. I wasn’t bloated, but I was definitely content. Bravo, Viento y Aguas!

The Mexican Mocha deserves high praise too. It consists of coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and coffee syrup. I usually don’t opt for mocha drinks because most places make them taste too “chocolatey”, so I go for the white mocha drinks a majority of the time. It was done right here. It was full of flavor and had enough sweetness to appease my sweet tooth. A big plus was that it was served in a jar. Cool beans.

Cruzade Rating: 8.5

Location:

4007 E 4th St
Long Beach, CA 90814

(562) 434-1182

www.vientoyaguacoffeehouse.com

#2 Uni Spaghetti at Cafe Hiro

I honestly did not know what to expect coming here. My first question upon stumbling onto this dish was, “What the heck is Uni?” I come to find out that it’s sea urchin. My next question is, ” What the heck is sea urchin?” I think a picture best explains it:

So that isn’t what was on the spaghetti per say, but it was this animal’s gonads. Okay, it sounds gross, but I had an open mind coming in here and I hope you do too. Just order it!

I’m a huge fan of fusion restaurants, so I was definitely excited to partake of a Japanese-Italian dish. It came presented will smooth strips of al dente spaghetti, a very rich flavorful sauce, pieces of nori (seaweed), and dollop of wasabi. I’m not a fan of wasabi so I quickly grabbed a fork and transported the green blob to the table cloth, which was a bad decision because the waitress saw the whole thing and gave me the awkward eye. The dish itself truly embodied what a Japanese-Italian fusion should taste like: one element not overpowering the other, but instead joining forces to make sure my experience at Cafe Hiro was memorable.

It was a great dish, but I don’t think it should be #2 on the list. I would easily put the Strawberry Croissant from Cream Pan ahead of the Uni Spaghetti, but that’s the opinion of these taste buds. Prove me wrong.

Cruzade Rating: 7.5

Location: Cafe Hiro, 10509 Valley View St., Cypress, CA 90630, (714) 527-6090

#6 The Whole Sha-bang Shrimp at Boiling Crab

Too much is to be said about this dish. First of all, it’s one of the few items on the list that I have already partaken of waaaaay before I ever found out about the Top 100. Boiling Crab is high on the “Hype Chart” and deservingly so. The line to get inside and seated is beyond ridiculous. They open at 3pm on the daily and the hoard of hungry people are there even an hour or more before the doors open. If you’re planning to dine in, be prepared for an extensive wait. However, there is also the option of walking a couple stores down to the Boiling Crab To Go store and eating your food elsewhere (I’m speaking of the Brookhurst location exclusively).

So when the time finally arrives when you and your party are seated, your stomach is growling at you in a Navi-like tone, “You are like baby!”, and you may feel like ordering more than you can handle. I mean, you waited this long (probably 1.5+ hours) and you want to reward your patience with an absurd amount of food all at once. DON’T DO IT. Order a fair amount…and if you’re still hungry you finish that portion, order some more. Spread out your meal. There’s no rush because you’ll probably be there for a while. 😉

As for me, I usually go for 1.5 lbs of shrimp, and 6 pieces of sliced sausage. I’m not to big on rice. What?! An Asian that doesn’t want rice with his meal?! Impossible!

Possible.

I’m a fan of rice and all, especially with Filipino dishes because of the large amounts of salt in them. But when it comes to food at the Boiling Crab, I want to enjoy them solely without the distraction of rice. I want to enjoy as much as I can without filling up my stomach with those rice carbs.

So what makes the Whole Sha-bang Shrimp at Boiling Crab so amazing? Other than everything, it’s pretty much that Whole Sha-bang sauce, which is a mixture of their Rajun Cajun, Lemon Pepper, and Garlic Butter. I usually get it with no spice because I’m weak sauce and don’t like that fireball burning my taste buds. My friends usually get it mild, but I highly suggest not going higher than that because their sauce is pretty intense. The Whole Sha-bang sauce amorously drenches the shrimp, which are fairly large in size. Dip your shrimp in the salt/pepper with lemon mixture that they provide in containers for some extra lovin.

Tip: If you’re with a group, don’t order too many baskets of fries. I’d say about 4 people can share 1 basket. More often than not, fries are neglected once the other dishes come. Let’s be real now…you’re only munching on these potatoes while you wait for your shrimp.

Cruzade Rating: 9

Location: The Boiling Crab Brookhurst (714) 636-4885 13892 Brookhurst St. Garden Grove, CA 92843

#11 Banana Blossom Salad at Xanh Bistro

To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect coming here. The Vietnamese spots I’m used to going to are more on the “old school” side, as in traditional dishes like pho, vermicelli and rice dishes…that kind of stuff. So when I stepped into this restaurant and looked at the menu, I was quite surprised at the modern atmosphere and fusion-esque items on the menu.

So the reason why it’s called the banana blossom salad is because of the crunchy diced purple flower pieces that are from the end of a branch of bananas (wasn’t familiar with this before, but pleasantly surprised when I found out). Along with the salad are tender bits of pork, shrimp, veggies, herbs, and lime dressing. A nice addition that compliments the salad are the sesame seed crackers. I usually don’t go to a restaurant to order salad, but I’d gladly return to Xanh Bistro for this work of culinary art.

They have some great stuff in their menu. Here are some other things we ordered:

Sauteed Filet Mignon with Sweet Potato Fries

Fried Banana with Spicy Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

Also, Coconut Creme Brulee (Not pictured because I scarfed it down once it hit the table).

Cruzade Rating: 8

Location: Xanh Bistro, 16161 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley; (714) 531-2030;www.xanhbistro.com.

#14 Strawberry Croissant at Cream Pan

This has got to be my favorite dish on this list as of today. It’s simply amazing. I will update this post if/when a dish tastes better than this. This croissant is high in demand, and many times they sell out…so the best thing to do is to give them a ring to make sure they still have some in stock. There were a couple times I called beforehand and they said they ran out. With Cream Pan being all the way in Old Town Tustin, it saved me the drive there and worse, the disappointing drive home.

So for $2.60, what do you get? Sweet Perfection. Nothing less. Man…I fell straight in love after the first bite. The flaky triangle shaped croissant, the rich faintly-sweet custard, the sliced strawberries, and the grand daddy of em all: powdered sugar. If happiness were a recipe, these would be its ingredients. My goodness…just try it for yourself.

Word of warning: this can get very messy. Watch out if you’re wearing black clothing because of the excess croissant flakes and powdered sugar will find a way to attack you.

Cruzade Rating: 9.5

Location: Cream Pan, 600 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA 92780, (714) 665-8239

 

#18 Deep Fried Fish with Mango Salad at Thai Nakorn

I’m usually not a big fan of spicy…but for this this dish, I make an exception. I haven’t had many cat fish dishes before, so I didn’t really know what to expect here. But if I had to compare it to another fish, it would probably taste most like Tilapia (and I love Tilapia…just not the left over kind that you have to microwave. Fish is never as good when you reheat it). So the fried catfish was quite delicious by itself: soft, tender, rich, and moist. The real game-changer was the mango salad. I’m not too sure what exactly was in there but man…it was pack with flavor! It had a sweet/sour taste with a spicy kick to it. Combine that with the deep fried catfish and you’ve got yourself a winner! For the most part, fish dishes don’t fill me up, but the two large pieces were plenty to fill my stomach.

O and a word of warning, this dish is a surprisingly a bit pricey. $16 I believe? They didn’t include the price in the menu so be aware. 😉

Cruzade Rating: 8.5

Location:

Thai Nakorn, 12532 Garden Grove Blvd., Garden Grove; (714) 537-5011.

Thai Nakorn, 11951 Beach Blvd., Stanton; (714) 799-2031.