The 5 p.m. Lunch at Pa Pa Walk

Yesterday, I went to Occidental College to visit my friend Sophia, as well as meet up with Jackie. Excited to eat something out of the ordinary, we decided to randomly Yelp something. Bad idea. Three indecisive girls with too many options means an hour worth of time wasted (no lie!). We finally decided on a place in Alhambra called 15 Cats--the sister restaurant of Jazz Cat Restaurant. Unfortunately, when we got there, we realized that the restaurant had moved locations! So we decided to just head to San Gabriel and just settle on a restaurant. We ended up pulling into one of the many plazas along Valley Blvd in San Gabriel, and walked into Pa Pa Walk (better known as 趴趴走 or Pa Pa Zou).

The restaurant is not very big, and squeezes in quite a few tables. I imagine that it would be very loud and cramped when it's a full house. Fortunately for us, we arrived there around 5:00 P.M. for something like our first meal of the day. I really like how the walls are decorated with colorful posters depicting some of their top dishes (such as their creamy soup inside brick toast!). In addition, the menus were very helpful, because they not only have lists upon lists of tasty options, but at the top of each section, there is a box full of some of their top rated dishes. As far as service, I can't say much since it was pretty empty when we were there. But if you take that factor out, service was great, as the waiters were very polite and attentive.

Anyway, after yet another prolonged period of deciding what to order, Jackie ended up getting the Hainanese Chicken Rice, Sophia ordered the Three Cups Chicken with Rice, and I got the Stir-Fry Noodles with Lamb.

Stir-Fry Noodles with Lamb from Pa Pa Walk.

This dish tastes better than it looks! When it arrived at the table, I could already smell the strong, yummy aroma. The lamb was a little gamey, but I like it that way, so it worked out for me. It was also thin, and tender. I also grew up not really liking onions, but the onions in this dish were super sweet and fit in with the other ingredients seamlessly. I was a little surprised by how much veggies they put in, but in a good way.

Three Cup Chicken with Rice from Pa Pa Walk.

I also tried Sophia's dish, also known as 三杯雞, and I LOVED it. Apparently, this Three Cup Chicken dish is made from mixing in a cup of soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. In addition, it is also cooked with garlic slices and basil. The flavor is nice and strong, but despite the amounts of garlic and basil, nothing was overpowering. I think I will order this when I come back to this restaurant.

Hainanese Chicken Rice from Pa Pa Walk.

While I did not try Jackie's dish, she did say that the dish is very good. Again, as with my dish, I was wow'd by how much veggies they put in. Thank you, Pa Pa Walk, for keeping us all healthy :)

In addition to their extensive food menu, they also have a large selection of drinks and desserts. Because we all decided that we wanted to order desserts, we started off with pretty basic drinks. Jackie ordered a black tea, Sophia got strawberry green milk tea, and I got barley water.

Barley water from Pa Pa Walk.

Sophia and her drinks from Pa Pa Walk :D

As you may be able to tell from Sophia's face, drinks were not a disappointment!

Finally, when we were about done with our entrees, we took a look at their desserts. Jackie had her eyes set on shaved ice, which I definitely recommend, as Pa Pa Walk has a wide variety of toppings you can add, and the ice has more of a snow-like consistency.

Jackie & her Red Bean Shaved Ice from Pa Pa Walk.

I originally had my eyes set on the Mo Mo Cha Cha, which is a Malaysian dessert that is like a cold, sweet soup, usually with coconut milk, taro, sweet potato, and tapioca. However, when I tried to order it, the waiter told me that they actually don't serve it anymore! He recommended another similar dessert instead, but I was too bummed to eat anything else :( But maybe that was a good thing, as I was already pretty full...

Regardless, lunch (dinner? linner?) was, as usual, fabulous. The waiting time is pretty average, nothing noteworthy. Prices are quite cheap too. I think Pa Pa Walk is very stable in the dishes they cook, but no big "WOW" factor. However, please do go and try some of their crazy-good shaved ice this summer!

Greetings from Sophia, Jackie, and me!

As always, thanks for reading!

Pa Pa Walk
227 W Valley Blvd, Ste 148-B
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 281-3889

Dip's Grill: Quick and Tasty!

Last night for dinner, my brother took my sister and I to Dip's Grill in Alhambra. Due to some minor editing difficulties, I wasn't able to get this post up until today. Anyway, originally, my siblings and I were planning on going to eat clay pot rice, but because we were all running late, my brother suggested this small restaurant in the nook of a plaza on Valley Blvd. The interior looked very hip, with black wooden floors, black tables, and black chairs/booths. Not to mention, most of the people eating there were of a younger crowd.

The menu had some pretty interesting items, but my brother gave out a few recommendations on what was good there so we just ordered what he said. My sister and I both got the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, while my brother ordered the Spicy Spaghetti. BUT, the main attraction of the night was the Pork Belly Buns we ordered as an appetizer.

Pork Belly Buns from Dip's Grill.

Look familiar? I think this dish is a very interesting take on the traditional Peking Duck. The bun is the same kind, and like the Peking Duck, there are also scallions. What's different about this dish is that, as the name suggests, instead of duck, the meat in the middle is a thick piece of pork belly. Yummy! Also, there is no dipping sauce that usually comes with it, and there is also a bit of lettuce inside. I think I won't be able to help myself and will keep on ordering this every time I come back to Dip's Grill.

Now back to the main dishes... My brother recommended the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup saying that it wasn't actually that spicy, so being the trusting sister that I always am (ha ha ha), I ordered it. I was instantly shocked by how it looked like when it arrived:

Spicy Beef Noodle Soup from Dip's Grill.

It's RED and it kind of reminds me of the Sichuan Spicy Fish that my sister and I used to always eat (and believe me, that stuff is S-P-I-C-Y). I was a little worried at first, but I couldn't just send it back and order something else, so I tried it. It's actually not that bad, though a little more spicy than my brother portrayed it. I think on a scale of mild to super spicy, it ranks on a medium level. Forgetting the spice though, I really enjoyed the dish. The noodles are really good, and not the usual kind that you get everywhere I don't think. The beef was tender as well. So overall, this dish is a win!

My brother also let me try some of his Spicy Spaghetti. According to him, it's incredibly spicy. Again, as with the noodle soup, I thought this was inaccurate. It does taste a bit spicier than the noodle soup, but nothing extravagantly spicy. Although, I only had one bite. I'm assuming that the taste strengthens with time...

Spicy Spaghetti from Dip's Grill.

As with most of the other places I blog about, I recommend Dip's Grill as well! The service is super fast (as you might be able to tell by the title), which was good because my brother was starving. Also, I liked that the drinks were in plastic, takeaway cups, because I never finish my drinks by the end of the meal. However, their iced lemon tea is nothing to boast about. It's super concentrated, and tastes very artificial, but I feel like many similar style restaurants' iced teas taste about the same. No big deal.

I feel like I haven't been to a restaurant with amazing drinks (in addition to amazing food) in a while other than True Food Kitchen. If anyone has any recommendations in this aspect, please send them my way! :)

(P.S. Thanks for the recent influx of comments! I have been reading every one of them~)

Dip's Grill
1412 E Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 284-3477

Casual Lunch at Le Pain Quotidien

This weekend, I got together with my good friend Alyssa for a nice lunch. We wanted to try out something new, so we did a little bit of Yelp-ing and found this gem: Le Pain Quotidien in the heart of Old Town in Pasadena.

When we arrived, I was wow'd by how spacious the interior looked, as well as how nicely decorated it seemed. Basically, all the furniture inside was made out of light-colored wood, which made the setting look very cute. One long table took up most of the seating area (it could probably fit about twenty people), and then there were smaller tables scattered around it.

The serving staff was very friendly, and upon being seated instantly, Alyssa and I were quick to decide on our beverages. She ordered their Mint Lemonade, while I ordered the Organic Coconut Orange Refresher off their Seasonal Specials menu.

Mint Lemonade & Organic Coconut Orange Refresher at Le Pain Quotidien.

To be honest, I was a little bummed about my drink. For $4.25, I got a small cup of what tasted like watered down orange juice. Lesson learned: don't be too excited about a drink with a fancy description such as "coconut water, orange juice, and sparkling water."

Nevertheless, looking at the restaurant's extensive list of Tartine sandwiches, Alyssa and I were both at loss about what to order, since they all sounded delicious! Not to mention, the breakfast menu on the other side which lasts till 3pm also had me drooling. After a bit of time, Alyssa chose the Avocada tartine with chickpeas, alfalfa sprouts, and spicy tahini. I ended up choosing the Prosciutto & Mozzarella di Bufala tartine with sundried tomatoes and basil pesto.

Avocado Tartine at Le Pain Quotidien.

Prosciutto & Mozzarella tartine at Le Pain Quotidien.

The Verdict: I LOVED THEM BOTH. I love that they were sliced up into slices, which makes for easy sharing. The Prosciutto & Mozzarella tartine was very subtle in flavor, but was still very delicious, and the coupling of ingredients was perfect. The Avocado tartine, although very different, was just as tasty, and also very refreshing! Also, living up to its name as a bakery, the bread on the bottom of both sandwiches was fresh and soft.

Although the tartines did a good job of filling us up (perfect serving size in my opinion!), we still wanted to order dessert... No judgement. We both ordered the Belgian-style cheesecake off the Seasonal Specials menu.

Belgian-style Cheesecake at Le Pain Quotidien.

Do not be fooled by it's simplistic look and small portion size. This cheesecake was more than amazing. It had perfect texture and consistency. Writing about it now, many hours from when I first took a bite from it, makes me want to eat it all over again.

So overall, this was a fantastic lunch. The waiters were friendly and attentive, the setting was peaceful and bright, food came timely, and most importantly, the food was phenomenal. I can't wait to come back again and try out their other sandwiches... not to mention their breakfast menu! And their dinner menu too!


Le Pain Quotidien
88 W Colorado Blvd #102
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 396-0814

Guest Blog: Fine Dining at Home with Kirhan Cheng

White wine risotto & Chicken picatta. Made by Kirhan Cheng.

As with most of my concoctions, this meal was inspired by what I already had in my fridge and pantry. But staying true to my culinary point of view, I wanted to make it a fine dining experience that can be enjoyed from home.

To start off the meal, we have a white peach sangria. For the ignorant college students that only drink cheap crap like Bud Light and Smirnoff, sangria is basically an Iberian fruit punch spiked with wine and sometimes other spirits. I made it with orange and pineapple juice, peach nectar, fresh oranges, lemons and peaches, some simple syrup, and about 1/3 of a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to marry. You can substitute any other fruit you like and you can also adjust the amount and the type of alcohol. If you’re not a big drinker (like me :)), 1/3 of a bottle of wine is just enough to know that it’s there but not enough to taste the bitterness or the burn.

White peach sangria by Kirhan Cheng.

For the starch, we have white wine risotto with spears of asparagus. The preparation is a bit of a process, so impatient people might want to stick to fried rice =p. First, toast any medium-short grain rice (I used white Arborio) in a sauté pan with some butter and onion (you could also use shallots for a milder flavor). Then add the alcohol and let some of it cook out. Next, add HOT chicken stock in small batches and let the rice slowly absorb the stock and release its starches. This step is important to achieve rich, creamy risotto. If you add all the liquid at once, you will just have congee =.= Lastly, add in the blanched asparagus spears and season with salt, pepper, parmesan cheese. Top with crisped prosciutto for a nice salty crunch. This risotto is awesome if you want to impress your friends or boy/girlfriend, but if you’re cooking for one, I would just go with some rice porridge and preserved salted egg and save yourself the labor.

White Wine Risotto by Kirhan Cheng.

Another shot! :)

For the main course, we have chicken picatta. I didn’t have to pick up a single thing from the store to make this recipe because all you need is flour, an egg, bread crumbs, and chicken breast. You’ll want to start by butterflying your chicken breasts. Just take a sharp knife and slice the breast in half with your blade parallel to the cutting board. An alternative would be to use a tenderizing mallet to pound out the breast to ¼ of an inch thick. Next, prepare your flour, egg wash, and breading stations. I highly suggest you use seasoned bread crumbs, but if not, just salt and pepper your plain bread crumbs. Heat up about 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add your floured-egged-breaded (in that order) chicken and fry until golden brown on both sides. For best results, only fry one piece of chicken at a time. Serve with slices of lemon.

Chicken Picatta up close. Made by Kirhan Cheng.

And last but not least, we have super easy homemade mango ice cream! The recipe is so easy, it’s impossible to fuck up- and you don’t need an ice cream machine. In a large bowl, mix together mango puree (fresh or frozen), a can of condensed milk, and a tub of cool whip. Freeze for about 2-3 hours and then stir in fresh cubes of mango. Freeze for another 2-3 hours and it’s ready to eat! Cool whip can be substituted with any other non-dairy whipped topping, but don’t substitute with whipped cream or any other dairy product or you’ll end up with a rock hard mango creamsicle. 

Homemade Mango ice cream by Kirhan Cheng.

Aside from maybe the risotto, all of these dishes are super easy and super accessible for any college student to prepare. The sangria and ice cream are great for entertaining b/c they can be made in advance, and the chicken can be whipped up in less than 20 minutes. And if you’re a fatty like me, sometimes you just like treating yourself to a gourmet meal w/o having to go out. xP Happy eating everyone!! :D

Simple Goodness at A & J Restaurant

OH MY GOD. I just realized as I was uploading this picture... that I actually frequent this place back home (Arcadia branch). I never realized until JUST NOW that it's the same place as the one I frequent in Irvine. WOWWWW. Ok. So. THIS PLACE IS GOOD. LEGITIMATE. For today's post, I am going to focus on the Irvine branch.

The plaza it's located is very nice, but I guess my only complaint is that the parking lot is pretty scattered and I feel like it would be easy to get into car accidents there. Anyway, the actual restaurant is not hard to find, and is quite spacious inside. We were quickly seated, and given menus. While the menu was in both Chinese and English, my friend Satoko and I had trouble ordering, because the separate ordering sheet was only in Chinese. But that didn't stay a problem, as we just told the waitress when we came what we wanted. They waiters all speak good English, so no problems with ordering!

While Satoko ordered Zha Jiang Mian (dry noodles with meat & bean sauce and veggies), I ordered Dan Dan Mian (spicy Sichuan noodles with sesame paste). I usually order the Zha Jiang Mian, which is absolutely delicious, and healthily balanced with protein and vegetables. Today I decided to switch it up to Dan Dan mian, and was happy that I did so. The sesame paste kept the dish from being overpowered by the spicy oils, and so it wasn't that spicy at all! I don't know about you, but that's good for me because I am very bad with spicy foods. We both had the option of either thick or thin noodles, and chose the thick ones! Anyway, I like that the servings were of good size, and good quality. The noodles are perfectly chewy, soft, and fresh.

Zha Jiang Mian from A & J Restaurant.

Dan Dan Mian from A & J Restaurant.

I love that the flavors are kept really simple, and similar to True Food Kitchen, the food is pretty light, so I didn't feel weighted down after dinner. But the best part of the meal, apart from how delicious it was, was the bill. I definitely recommend this to those who are on a tight budget, but still want to get the best deal for food!

A & J Restaurant

14805 Jeffrey Rd, Ste D
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 786-3585

As a side note, my friend Kirhan is guest-blogging on Matcha & Pavlova. Please keep checking in to my blog and stay tuned for his post. GET EXCITED.

Jazz Cat Restaurant Revisited

Today, my sister and I went to Jazz Cat Restaurant in San Gabriel for a nice hot pot (I know, again...) late lunch. I remember when we first checked out this restaurant years ago-- it was originally located in Alhambra, and while the food was good back then, they have made many improvements since their move to San Gabriel. Usually the wait for food is insane, anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour! So I'm glad we came at an unconventional eating time, as we were seated immediately.

Since their move, I feel like the restaurant became a lot classier and fancier, with their nice black granite tables, and the black chandelier and beads in the waiting area. The chairs were also very heavy, big, and cushioned. In addition, the walls were painted a deep red and lined with paintings, and the jazzy music really set the mood for a relaxing meal. Another thing that I liked was that even though there seemed to be a lot of tables inside the restaurant, the way it was set up made every table seem very private.

Because Jazz Cat is known for their hot pot (and their incredibly tasty specialty drinks!), I ordered their Mongolian Herbal hot pot combination. I had a hard time deciding between the Rose & Cream hot pot or the Mongolian Herbal hot pot, but finally decided with the latter as I ordered Matcha Milk as my drink. I loved my choice, as the soup base tasted amazing with my meat and veggies. Another cool thing about Jazz Cat is that their hot pots are served individually, so each person has their own type of soup and their own trays of food.

Mongolian Herbal soup base, rice, and Shacha sauce at Jazz Cat Restaurant.

My sister also ordered a hot pot combination, but she chose the Mongolian Spicy soup base. As for how different the two tasted, I can't say because I did not try hers, but you can judge from the photo below! From what she told me, it wasn't that spicy when she first ordered it, but it became a lot spicier by the middle to end of our meal. So be careful if you ever order it!

Mongolian Spicy soup base at Jazz Cat Restaurant.

With our soup bases, the combinations also included a tray of meat (we both chose lamb over beef, chicken, or pork) and a tray of veggies and noodles. I was happy to see that our trays were filled with a variety of items like tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and pumpkin. All together, neither of us were able to finish our own trays, as they were generous in their servings. However, I don't think it's large enough of a meal to share between two hungry people either! I guess it's good for one of those days where you have a larger appetite. To match with our food, we were also given small dishes of Shacha sauce as our dipping sauce (you may recall from my last hot pot post). We added soy sauce and a raw egg in ours to give it an extra kick (trust me, it tastes good together!).

Trays of lamb and veggies for our hot pot combos at Jazz Cat Restaurant.

Shacha sauce with an addition of soy sauce and raw egg for our dipping sauce at Jazz Cat Restaurant.

To wrap things up, it was another good meal out. I loved the atmosphere and the quality of our foods. I highly recommend it to anyone who is up for trying new flavors on a cold winter night (if you ever try that rose & cream hot pot that I was considering, let me know what you think!). Just remember to avoid it during popular lunch and dinner hours if you're starving!

Our meal at Jazz Cat Restaurant

Jazz Cat Restaurant
121 E Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 288-5200

Mid-week De-stress Dinner at True Food Kitchen

True Food Kitchen is just what I needed after surviving the first half of the week. The food and atmosphere was very enjoyable, and I am fueled with enough energy to kick butt for the rest of the week! I went there for an early dinner tonight with my friend Lindsey. When we arrived inside, we were stunned by how big, open, and stunning the interior was. We were both drawn to the outside patio area, which was almost as huge as the inside, and so we requested a table outside (despite the massive wind today!). I loved the setting, because it felt really relaxing.

We were greeted by our server shortly after, and she told us that the restaurant is actually partnered with a nutritionist, so their menu boasts an assortment of nutritionally balanced meals and drinks. And let me just say, their drinks are amazing... They have interesting combinations of ingredients for their drinks, and I was so excited that I wanted to try many of their drinks. At last, because I could not make a decision, I asked our server for her recommendation and ended up ordering the Cucumber Refresher, which is a mix of freshly juiced cucumbers (unpeeled for full flavor) and honey lemonade. I sipped up every last drop!

Lindsey ordered the Oogave Natural Sodas which consisted of Cola, Mandarin Key Lime, and Ginger Ale. When it arrived, it looked like Sprite, but upon further inspection, we saw that it had a pretty light green tint. And the taste was as equally attractive.

Left to right: Water, Oogave Natural Sodas, Cucumber Refresher from True Food Kitchen.

As a starter, I ordered the soup of the day, which the server described as a mushroom broth mixed with carrots, onions, chives, and mushrooms. She called it the Immunity soup I think? Anyway, it had really simple flavors, and tasted pretty basic. However, it had a really nice mushroom aroma that I enjoyed.

Immunity soup from True Food Kitchen.

Afterwards, came our main dishes. We were anxious to eat them, but unfortunately, it took longer than usual for the food to come out. We waited a good twenty minutes maybe. When the dishes came out though, boy were we excited. Lindsey ordered the Panang Curry with chicken, and I ordered the Wild Ahi Sliders with two sides of sweet potato mash and kale salad.

Lindsey's Panang Curry from True Food Kitchen.

Wild Ahi Sliders from True Food Kitchen.

I wasn't sure you'd realize how amazing my slider was, so I included a close-up.
Wild Ahi Slider from True Food Kitchen.

The sliders were PERFECT. The meat was cooked amazing, and I love the way it tasted combined with the avocado and sprouts. At first I was a little worried that two measly sliders would not fill me up, but it was the perfect amount of food (maybe even more than enough). Although I have my eyes on other dishes to order for future visits, I am already very tempted to order the sliders for my next ten visits to True Food Kitchen. They are that good. SERIOUSLY. The only part of the plate that was a little unsatisfactory were the two sides. The sweet potato mash was ok in taste, but way too filling. The kale salad was even worse. It was completely drenched in a vinaigrette that was way too vinegar-y for my liking.

Lastly, dessert! I was debating between the Flourless Chocolate Cake and the Almond Olive Oil Cake, so I asked the server, and chose the Chocolate Cake. It was a good decision. Although they ran out of vanilla ice cream, she offered to replace it with any choice of ice cream from their dessert menu, so I quickly decided on pistachio ice cream. Again, it took another good fifteen minutes for it to arrive, but I soon forgot about how long the wait was when I tasted it. The cake was just the right amount of fluffiness and crunchiness. Super yummy!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Pistachio Ice Cream from True Food Kitchen.

As you may be able to guess, I will most definitely return to eat here again. Although a bit on the pricey side, I think it is well worth it considering the serene atmosphere and the quality of the food. The best part is that after finishing dinner, although full, I did not feel weighed down from the food. In other words, the portions are good in that I did not overeat and the content was not overly heavy. And now that I am not groggy from eating too many filling foods, I guess it's about time to start studying for my midterm...

True Food Kitchen

451 Newport Ctr Dr
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 644-2400