What Do You Mean You Don’t Eat No Meat? Lawry’s Prime Ribs February 24, 2008

Dear My Best Friend Maya,

There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you but I just didn’t know how. I knew that this news would disappoint you, and even upset you, and I was searching for the perfect way to tell you without hurting your feelings. But I can no longer hold a secret of this magnitude to myself. Please don’t hate me when I say that … I gave up eating meat.
No, it’s not a typo. It’s true … I gave up eating anything that once moo-ed, oinked, crowed or quacked (and let me not forget “baaaa”ed). I know that this would come as a total shock since you and I dual-handedly kept the beef industry alive by consuming a shit-load of meat. Please don’t think that our weekly run to Grandma Kim’s for sizzling Korean BBQ for lunch (and risking being socially unacceptable at the office with the garlic stink oozing out of our pores) and our regular visits to Lawry’s for prime ribs (and passing out on the way home from food coma) were all a ruse. They were all real.
Don’t you worry, girlie, I won’t be gone forever. I’ll be back in a month or two, I promise. I just want to see what it’s like on the other side of the world for a bit. And when I return, we’ll take on Flemmings, Ruth Chris and Gyu-Kaku in style again. And yes, our ploy to hijack the silver cart at Lawry’s is still on. Until then, I leave you with these images from our last prime ribs outing (which has the same affect as men drooling over sexy centerfolds in Playboy magazine). 

XOXO,
Hirono

Lawry’s Prime Ribs
100 N. La Cienega, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
★★★★★

Post-Run Lunch to Awaken my Senses: Asian Noodles February 23, 2008

(Isn’t Downtown LA just so beautiful in the morning?)

A couple of friends and I participated in the Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker 10K Run a few weeks ago — an event that was a part of the week-long Chinese New Year celebration. The race began at the heart of Chinatown, then up the hills through Elysian Park and Dodgers Stadium and back to Chinatown for the picture-perfect finish. This was such a wonderful and a rare opportunity to travel the streets of Los Angeles on foot. The view of Downtown LA skyscrapers in the smog-free morning was serene and breathtaking.
I love these local running races and I try to participate in them as much as time (or money, these things aren’t cheap!) allows, but running and I have this strange, love-and-hate relationship. I guess the “hate“ part is the actual motion of putting one foot in front of the other (yep, running is evil), and the “love” part is being able to collect finisher’s medals and cool freebies. I suppose the bragging right you earn by finishing a longer-distance run is pretty good too, although I never reveal to people that I actually crawl my way to the finish line. My boyfriend volunteered one day to buy me a calendar instead of a stop watch … and I don’t think he was joking.
Well, every run is an agonizing experience but a guilt-free lunch that follows immediately after makes every minute of pain worth it (okay, maybe not every minute … maybe two). And this day was no exception.
Although we were in the heart of Chinatown that day, we decided to walk down a couple blocks to sample some Filipino food at Asian Noodle — a cute little establishment with a cafe or an art studio-esque decor. To tell you the truth, I’ve never been much of a South East Asian cuisines fan, and never placed Vietnamese, Thai or Filipino food on top of my “must eat” list. I’m not sure exactly what turns me off from them … maybe I’m not too crazy about cilantro/basil/lemongrass-laden dishes. But I was pleasantly surprised at the firecracker of flavors I experienced at Asian Noodle. Sure, there were some entrees that we ordered that I wasn’t too goo-goo-ga-ga over, but there were a few that I absolutely fell head-over-heels for, like the garlic rice. It was such a simple dish — rice sauteed with chopped garlic — but the flavors had so much depth. The silver noodle was also quite delicious, with chicken and cabbage adding the nice crunch. My apologies – because of my lack of knowledge on the Filipino cuisine, I can’t recall what each dish was called, but here’s what we ordered. If you’re a fan of pungent flavors of lemongrass and other powerful herbs and spices, this place will surely satisfy your SE Asian cravings.

.

.

.

.

.

.
I think our eyes were much bigger than our stomach that day. Between the five of us, we ordered enough food to feed the entire Chinatown and then some. I guess that’s what happens after a good workout — you “think” you’re really hungry but your body is actually too tired to digest. But the combination of sweet, sour and spicy flavors of the Filipino dishes really awakened my senses and, after a couple sips of the delicious lemongrass soup, I was back to my usual hungry self.
.

Asian Noodles

643 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
★★★★☆

Who Knew?!? Delicious Vegan Lunch at Real Food Daily February 9, 2008

I never thought I would put words like “vegan” and “love” in a same sentence — being the hard-core carnivore that I am. But I’ll say it.  I love vegan food!  And I’ll say it again and again.  I also love Ann Gentry’s Real Food Daily restaurant in West Hollywood for opening my cow-obsessed eyes to the infinite possibilities of fresh, organic, natural ingredients that make vegan dishes one of a kind.
My sister took me to this vegan joint she frequents, located a few blocks from the Beverly Center on restaurant-packed La Cienega.  It was a Super Bowl Sunday and although neither of us are girly girls, we just don’t have much appreciation for football, so it was a perfect day for us to get out for a “healthy” day out — while the entire nation sat home and indulged in beer and junk food.

I love all kinds of vegetable and incorporate plenty of them in my daily meals but there was something very foreign and frightening about “vegan” food that completely omitted everything that once had a mother or a head. I was definitely intimidated to try non-dairy cheese and a tofu molded in a shape of a turkey (and mysteriously tasted like one).  I wondered — how tasty can these creations be?

But may I just say … WOW. Everything I had was a touchdown – one of the best food I’ve had in months. My sister and I started out with a tall glass of spinach/celery/carrots/apple/ginger juice. At first, I wasn’t sure about the combination of putting vegetable in a drink. Yes, I’ve seen Jack LaLanne rave about how delicious these juices are (at 2:00 in a morning), but the idea of putting stinky celery and spinach in a juice sort of grossed me out. Well, I guess the good old Jack knew what he was talking about because the juice was smooth, refreshing and delicious. Sweet apples and spicy ginger mellowed out the strong scent and the aftertaste of celery.  It was a pleasant surprise. 

I ordered a Portobello Sandwich and although this was no different from a vegetarian sandwich you would order at regular restaurants as far as ingredients (Portobello mushroom, tomato, leafy greens and red onion), it was fresher, more flavorful and satisfying than anything I’ve tasted. The pesto spread made the sandwich out of this world.

My sister ordered a bowl of Fettuccini Alfredo with (non) meatballs. Believe it or not, the vegan version of the meatball was more dense and juicy than any of the ones I’ve had at Italian joints, and I absolutely could not believe they contained no meat products! She also ordered a side of kale, which was very simple but delicious nonetheless.

.

We ate so much but we didn’t feel gross at all. Because everything was made out of fresh, organic ingredients, we felt great for the rest of the day. I highly recommend this place to anyone who’s curious about vegan cooking, or anyone who just wants to experience an unbelievably delicious food that makes your body jump in joy.  

Real Food Daily
414 N. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048
★★★★★

P.S. We headed to Korean Spa after lunch and got our entire body scrubbed. We soaked in hot baths and sweated all the toxins out in steam rooms. Talk about a healthy day, I tell you … well, so we thought … until we went to Korean BBQ for dinner that night and put all the gunk back into our body!

My New Love: Portobello Panini with Goat Cheese February 8, 2008

I’ve got a total girl crush on Ellie Krieger. Seriously. She’s got some serious poise, class, and a great sense of style in all the dishes she creates. It’s only been a few weeks since my acquisition of her newest cookbook but it’s climbing up to be one of my favorite cookbooks in my small but nutrient-packed collection. My undisputed Domestic Goddess is, and always will be, Nigella Lawson (I worship her) but Ellie is not far behind.
My latest recreation from her cookbook, The Food You Crave, is this Portobello Panini with Gorgonzola and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. My version is slightly different because I used goat cheese I already had in a refrigerator instead of Gorgonzola, and I added a handful of spinach to make this panini a slightly more nutritious and colorful one. I also reconstituted and sandwiched more sun-dried tomatoes than the recipe called for because I love the tangy flavor of the tomatoes. The leftover baby spinach turned into a smoked salmon and capers salad that I added on the side. A sprinkle of lemon juice on the Portobello panini brought all the flavors together and gave it a refreshing final touch. Boy, with meaty and satisfying dish like this, who needs meat?
Next up on my “recreation list,” is White Bean and Roasted Garlic Dip. Maybe I’ll try it out this weekend when we celebrate my father’s birthday!  Will keep you posted.