Foods Galore!: Afternoon Tea and Ramen

It seems as though I take more photos of food than anything else as of the late. Here are some of what I have had this past month.

Galbi tang (Korean Beef Rib Soup)

When you want something light in your belly, have some galbi tang with a side of rice!

Homemade Garlic Shrimp

 One of the simplest and most delicious things you could possibly make. Seriously just clean the shrimp, slice down the middle, garnish with lots of garlic, a bit of oil, some salt and white pepper, then steam until ready!

(￣(ｴ)￣)ﾉ ☆｡､::｡.::･'ﾟMy Afternoon Tea Experience

Had afternoon tea at Chado in Little Tokyo before going to Disneyland (stay tuned for a post!) for Dapper Day! Afternoon Tea Service for 2. The service includes a three-level tier of sandwiches, scones, and a dessert plate. Each person gets their choice of tea (in a pot!) and choice of soup or salad as well!

     

One hot pot of Chado Afternoon Tea (goes great with milk, mild and not acidic) and a chilled one of Rooibos Capetown (hibiscus floral with bits of citrus and berry).

There was enough for more people! I ended up having to take what was left of the chilled tea in a to-go cup since it was so good and I had so much left!

Tomato bisque

Unlike some of the tomato bisque I have had, this one was less creamy (which I actually prefer) and had a stronger tomato taste to it. Mild and delicious! It came with two appropriately-sized slices of toast, which went wonderfully with the bisque.

Obiwon

     

The tier was so tall, and the table was so small, I had to take photos by sections. The top tier had a selection of their sandwiches, which consisted of the following:

• Souchong Chicken Sandwich - Shredded smoked chicken breast combined with mayonnaise and cranberry lingonberry
• Smoked Salmon - Served open faced on dark rye bread with cream cheese then topped with baby dill and a slice of lemon
• Punjab - Eggs marinated in our Lapsang Souchong smoked tea then combined with mayonnaise and green onions
• Limerick - English cucumbers served on buttered bread then decorated with cream cheese and green onions

Though that was the top tier, we were recommended to have the scones (second tier) first since they were freshly baked and still hot. The scones came with whipped cream and jam. The scones were such a delightful treat! It had a tangerine marmalade in it (I could definitely taste it), and so putting a bit of cream before each bite created such a fantastic taste. Not sure if it is because it was my first scone ever, but it was amazing! Paired well with the Chado Afternoon Tea with some milk!

     

The last tier were some shortbread cookies and a chocolate mousse. By the time we reached the cookies, we were stuffed! However, I was curious, so I had a bite (which led to several more bites) of the shortbread and found it wonderful! Yet again, it went well with the hot tea. In case you were wondering, I had my chilled tea during the sandwich portion of the meal as it was lighter.

As a surprise, we were presented with a tea float. Yes, you read correctly, TEA float. As amazing as it sounds, I was disappointed in myself for not realizing this obvious dessert in the first place! The tea float consists of a scoop of vanilla ice cream poured over with one of Chado's tea blends. I love it and will consider making some of my own at home!

 (￣(ｴ)￣)ﾉ ☆｡､::｡.::･'ﾟMy Din Tai Fung Experience

It all started with the Food Network. It ALWAYS starts with the Food Network. I recalled going to Din Tai Fung a while ago, but did not realize that maybe it was just so popular that I thought I have already eaten there before.

A well-known Taiwan-based dumpling house, Din Tai Fung was able to open three locations within the U.S. (two in Los Angeles, one in Seattle).The wait time on average is about 45 minutes.

Their cute water cups

Appetizer: Spinach and Soy Noodles

Juicy Pork Dumplings (Shaolong Bao)

Fish Dumplings

Shanghai Rice Cake with Chicken

The wait was not as bad since seating was done after 30 minutes of waiting. Service was quick (as it should be since there is quite the line!) and food was delicious. The rice cake was so good! Definitely a nice place to drop by with a few friends to share a family-style meal.


To finish off the entry, I give you another popular restaurant with a 30-minute+ wait..

SHINSENGUMI

Hakata Ramen

There is only one ramen here, so you cannot order anything else! Like many famous ramen houses, they will not allow you to order the ramen as take-out as they fear that you may try to replicate their recipe. I have actually seen a woman argue with a server because of this.

It is difficult for me to say if this is the best ramen I have ever had since I am quite close to a good many that are on the same par. However, this particular location of Shinsengumi (they have quite a few, this one is in Rosemead), I did not like as much; I prefer the one in Little Tokyo. The broth was a bit too strong for my taste (even though I asked for mild broth), and I was so parched after my meal. I will go to the Little Tokyo one next time.

Hope this does not get you hungry at the wrong hour. Stay tuned for a short Disney post!