Jay Eats Worldwide

RAMEN! March 29 - 30, 2014 Santa Anita Park Japan Cup and Japan Family Day Watch the festival commercial HERE March is National Noodle Month! What a way to end the month... Few will believe that there is actually a food festival for Ramen in the U.S.  This was the second year in Los Angeles and the largest ramen festival in the U.S.  14 ramen vendors from Japan, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Jose, and Los Angeles converged on Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on a sunny Saturday to begin this 2 day noodle fest.  I attended the 1st Los Angeles Ramen Yokocho in Torrance, IMO it was the wrong venue, but the ramen was good. Santa Anita Park is a great location, not just for 626 Night Market, but the infield venue was larger than I thought.  Today it was filled with boiling pots of broths, some taking up to 20 hours to make, and lots of fresh noodles.  Growing up, I often think of the dried packages of noodles and in 45 seconds, ramen is ready. ...

Like most Americans, I grew up on burgers and T-shirts.  Regardless if it was a burger at Original Tommy's on Rampart and Beverly or shopping for T-shirts at the Glendale Galleria, it was one of the things to do growing up in the center of Los Angeles.   A couple of years ago I was fortunate to get invited to a Stussy event at Plan Check Kitchen on Sawtelle (see my post here ).  I was glad to hear that Plan Check Kitchen opened a new location in the Fairfax area, it's a lot closer to home.  Recently, I was invited to a special Stussy event at the latest Plan Check Kitchen location on Fairfax.  More importantly, I was interested to see what Chef Ernesto Uchimura had in mind for this special Stussy menu.  I was NOT disappointed! A Stussy Event with Great Food!  See What Jay Eats... Deluxe Soda luxardo cherry soda, remy vs cognac, and elderflower foam  A great way to begin this Stussy event Tonight's Special...

What's a Musubi? A musubi or onigiri is pretty simple, a Japanese rice ball wrapped in seaweed. Some of the traditional filling include seaweed, a sour plum, or salted salmon. Sometimes they're dipped in furikake, which is a Japanese condiment sprinkled over rice. It includes chopped seaweed, sesame seeds, dried fish, salt, etc. You may have heard "musubi" associated with SPAM, which is a staple in Hawaii. Today, I'm with Mama Musubi My first visit to Mama Musubi was at 626 Night Market , their 24-Hour Pork Belly caught my eye and taste buds, I wasn't  disappointed. Read about my first visit to 626 Night Market . I was introduced to the Mama Musubi sibling owners, Carol and Phillip.  They invited me to a sneak peek of the menu items for an upcoming pop up in Little Tokyo. See What Jay Eats... Gyu Niku Musubi Angus Beef Ribeye and Caramelized Onions in a sweet soy sauce. It'...

I was invited to a Special Stüssy event with some of L.A.'s food elite... (Stüssy , the clothing brand) at Plan Check Kitchen + Bar* 1800 Sawtelle Blvd West Los Angeles Have driven by on Sawtelle, finally got to stop in. It's a great space, love the center table. Executive Chef Ernesto Uchimura created tonight's Special Stüssy menu He's the former Umami Burger Corporate Executive Chef We sat out on the patio and looked over the Special Menu. Everything looked great and even order a dish off the regular menu. It's always fun running into friends and catching up... First up... the appetizers Worldwide Tribe Fries with Chorizo Gravy, Fried Egg, Roasted Pasilla Chile Loved the chorizo gravy and chiles, but not an egg with fries kind of guy... Stuffed Mushroom A Roasted Portobello, Swiss Cheese Fondue, Crispy Kale, Steak Sauce It wasn't part of tonight's menu, but I orde...

All I heard was dumplings and I was in... Met up with Six Taste Food Tours for their "Delicious Dumpling" tour in Arcadia, just East of Pasadena. This tour was to experience Taiwanese cuisine, culture, and a chance to meet other foodies. Our group was 8 people and with large appetites, we headed out to sample the best and most popular dishes in this Taiwanese neighborhood. See What Jay Eats... Our first stop, the world famous Din Tai Fung . Our guide Michael Lin giving us Din Tai Fung information before attacking the dumplings. Appetizer Course Blanched cucumbers in a sesame chili oil Michael pointed out that in Chinese cooking, vegetables are not served raw, they're either stir-fried, steamed, or blanched. Shanghai Rice Cake Michael gave us a quick lesson on tea etiquette and the correct way to flag down a server in a busy restaurant. Pork Chop Fried Rice This is one of my favorite Din Tai Fu...