Staying Cool in S.G.V: Banh Cuan Tay Ho

Now do we regret driving our 8-cylindered S.U.V's to the market just two blocks away?

It is hot, in fact, if you were a RAW food-ist...you probably wouldn't be able to leave your food outside (can't eat anything heated beyond 118°F). And what do I crave right now? Fresh, Crisp Lettuces speckled with water, coool satisfying herbs, cold food I guess. And since i'm in East L.A, there 'aint no Tendergreens or any cold, raw food places in sight. But I do have the coool Herbs and Lettuces of Vietnamese, Northern Vietnamese food too be exact. Huge plates, layered with watery Red Leaf Lettuces, gelid Basil, the ever-cool slices of Cucumber, Mint, Cilantro and my favorite; fresh Peppermint, green on the front side of the leaf and maroon on back, with a spicy yet soothing bite that's utterly amazing when combined with all those preceding ingredients and a little Nuoc Cham (fish sauce) fitted to your liking.

You can't beat this, ESPECIALLY right now. Whether used to wrap around "Asian Soft Taco's (actuallly labeled that in the menu, more like a vietnamese omelet though), rolled up around some of the flesh-like Bahn Cuon. Simply labeled in the menu as "Flour Sheet Rolls with stuffings of shredded pork or shrimp-kind of like a wet spring roll. Or cut up into pieces and topped with "Tempura", which weirdly, are damn good sweet potato fries (out of all things). If that's not enough, it's still circled with slices of Pink Pork Meat Loaf, Fried Tofu, Par-Boiled Bean Sprouts, Julienned Squash and marinated Carrots and did I mention some Crushed Peanuts already? Doused down with some of their sticky sweet house made fish sauce mixture that stands in every corner like 40oz bottles just waiting to get chugged, this place really knows how to eat.

Oh yeah, and they also have that same plate but "vegetarian", a molasses-like fish sauce and everything.
It does a pretty good job recreating it's once-active counterparts. Enough so that...I prefer it over traditional one, sans the fake fish sauce though...

Summer's barely begun, but I think I'll manage now...

Bahn Cuon Tai Ho
1039 E. Valley Blv. #103
San Gabriel, CA
(626) 280-5207

Pho Ga...and That's it: What Being a Foodie in L.A is Really About

"Have you been to that place yet? It's supposed to be really good".

...yeah, supposed to be really good.

Something has been getting to me recently, this might just be my neurotic self but...Why do we tend to go to a restaurant only when it's gotten written up? I used to be able to do this, but lately i've been thinking twice about this. Think about it...L.A is home to thousands of restaurants, but we only go to ones after someones had their say on them.

What about the other ones? The places next to those, across the street from those? Have we grown scared of venturing out?

I will admit, it's hard. But if it wasn't for this, i would of never found Bahn Coan Hoan Kiem . Since most vietnamese places around here only tend to specialize in beef, different varieties of Pho Tai (Beef Noodle Soup), trying to find decent Pho Ga (Chicken Noodle Soup) can be a bit daunting. Have Golden Deli's version and you'll see what i'm talking about. But today...i think i've finally....found it.

Adjacent to a more known noodle shop (PHO 97), Bahn Coan Hoan Kiem only serves 2 things....Pho Ga and Banh Trang (rice paper rolls), no more, no less. For a restuarant, only to serve that, seven days a week...you know its going to be great. And great it was. My dad says this is what you call "peasant food", the kind of soup big restaurants don't dream of serving. Huge chunks of chicken-skin on-making it's funk fuse with the bottomless broth, oozing with floppy rice noodles and just a bit of scallions to bring out the subtle ginger notes. With a couple of squirts of Sriracha and sweet fish sauce, this is truly...chicken soup for the soul. Especially in this gloomy global-warming diseased weather we've been having lately that can't make up it's mind.

Bahn Cuan Hoan Kiem
727 N. Broadway
#130 (not 120)
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Bliss in a Bowl: Chaus Kitchen

As unnapealing as it might sound, Rice Porridge is actually something very pleasant and desirable, especially when there is a couple of slices of fresh Chilean Sea Bass submerged inside. It might be the complete opposite of it's more popular northern cousin known as Pho .

A big clay pot filled to the rim with a broth almost as clear and light as water. A subtle taste hinting of seafood notes with no greasy residue or excessive "fishyness" (MSG). Redolent with a nice, ambrosial aroma. A generous amount of rice with tiny slivers of green onion and the main attraction, a couple of slices of slices of sweet, fragile Chilean Sea Bass served only with a little nub of Fresh Ginger that you grate yourself. Blissfulness in a bowl.

Could there be any more comforting soup as light as this?

I don't think so, especially in this excruciating "Frost of 07" that i've been painfully enduring.

Chaus Kitchen
107 E. Valley Blvd.
San Gabriel
626-307-5195