down by the river, where the buffalo play...

"Did you know that Taco Bell isn't real Mexican food?" my dad asked. I was stumped, as I had no idea what was beyond my narrow world of Taco Bell's Mexican pizzas and nachos... He had heard from a friend at church who owned a taco stand (and ironically was Korean) that Taco Bell and Del Taco was not the real deal, and that he should come and try his place. (This is not a hate post on these chains. I enjoy both sides of the border.) So my sister, father, and I went to the suggested taco place, and hallejuah, my eyes were opened to the deliciousness of carne asada. This was roughly 10-12 years ago. While his friend does not own Taco del Rio today (although I suspect that another Korean owns it now), the quality has not changed, and I want to show a little love to Taco del Rio, my favorite taco place around the area.

I went there yesterday after having a rough day of physics. It is easily found by going on the 60, getting off Azuza and heading in the opposite direction of the Puente Hills Mall. I'm sure you may have seen it before while driving by, especially if you like to go to the driving range in Industry Hills.

Yes, this is one crappy picture of the menu. Damn glare. At least I brought my camera with me this time. If you click on the picture, you can see the prices and menu better. Your meat choices are listed on a separate laminated paper near on the window: carne asada, al pastor, carnitas, lengua, cabeza, pollo, chile colorado (beef with red sauce), and chile verde (beef with green sauce). I opted for the special tacos (special because it comes with sour cream and guacamole) with carne, lengua (tongue), and chile verde, as well as an Orange Bang and a small side of fries.


On the other side of the looking glass....
You can see the beans and carne asada ready to be ladled onto heated tortillas, as the man makes my tacos. That guy has been working there for a while.


What's in that pot? Your guess is as good as mine.


My three special tacos piled with cabbage, onions, cilantro, (cotija?) cheese, guac and sour cream. There is no salsa bar. Instead you have your choice of red sauce or green sauce. I asked for both. Special tacos $1.49 each. Regular soft tacos are $1.26. You can't see the meat very well because of the toppings, so I took some closeups.


Carne Asada was on mark.


Chile verde. This was the first time I ordered this. The meat was good, flavorful and tender. I thought it would be dry and stringy. I have tried it all except for the chile colorado and the pollo. The lengua was also very good. It was my second time trying tongue, and this was definitely a better experience than my first, which was at a taco truck in Bakersfield (the one on the 5 where you see all those signs for some Indian restaurant, and across the street from the AM PM).


You can also ask for jalapenos on the side. A must for me.


Hot and crispy Crinkle cut fries, which I believe are made when you order them. Small size $1.52.


My friend ordered the special all meat burrito. Sorry no cross section picture. I personally prefer tacos over burritos because that way you can have different kinds of meats. While I do not claim this place to be the best in LA county or California, it is a place that has been consistent over the years, and has some good carne asada. I also recommend their cheeseburger. It may seem a waste to order a burger at a Mexican place, but hey you never know. Primos in La Jolla (in the Vons plaza) also has a pretty good burger from what I remember. I asked the cook if it was good, and he told me it was, and whatdya know, it was! As you might be able to figure out from the pictures, it is all outside seating, and there is about eight tables total. There is a sign saying 30 minutes maximum for sitting down at a table haha.

Taco del Rio
445 S Azusa Ave (Near Valley Blvd)
La Puente, CA 91744
(626) 912-0703



Old Dan chowin down....

TGIF BABY!!!!!

i have a horrible phoking headache

and my gums are killing me. In other more relevant and important news, a new era has begun. I went to the polls around 6:50 AM today because that was the only time I could vote, and was surprised to see that people were already lined up. I thought that there would not be that many people at this time, since they have to work early. I was wrong, and ended up late to work. Luckily, my boss was cool with it. If anyone goes to Cal Poly or Mt. SAC and is reading this, you understand my pain of driving through this bs traffic due to the road construction on Grand/Temple....needless to say, it sucked. I wish my school closed for Election Day. Enough on the dithering, and on with the food.

During the spring or summer, I noticed that the Jolly Bagel, which had been around for quite some time on DB Blvd had closed down, and in its place was a little love shack called Pho Super Bowl. I hadn't had a chance to try it out until a few weeks ago, and let the pho adventure begin.

The restaurant is in a big space, but the actual number of tables and seating is small from what I remember. I went in for lunch around 11:30ish AM and there were a few other people eating as well. I opted for the Pho tai nam chin, rare beef and well done beef brisket, which I pretty much always get, regular size for $5.25, the large costs $5.95.

Service, like most other pho places, was prompt, as I got my standard sprouts, sliced jalapenos, basil, and a wedge of lime, shortly after I put in my order. I have yet to see a place around here give ngo gai (saw leaf herb)....I love that stuff. I also requested some sliced onions because I like extra onions in my soup, as well as mixing some with hoisin and siracha sauce, and eating it as a kind of "kimchi."


Here is the pho, after I put in the basil, which is why it may look greener than usual. There was a good amount of beef, and it was okay. I may be mixing this up with another place, but I remember the brisket being sub par because the pieces were very small. The broth on the other hand was good. Something was familiar about its taste that I just could not put my finger on, but I knew that I had also tasted this once or twice at a pho place in San Diego. I want to say it was a bit sweet, and while I'm not sure if that is the right word to describe it, it took away from the taste that I like. I'll have to ask the owner next time, if he/she is willing to share with me. Needless to say, I enjoyed this broth a lot more than Saigon Noodle House or Pho Hana in Diamond Bar, both of which I'd say aren't very good. In retrospect, since I do not enjoy Saigon nor Hana, it would not be completely correct to say that Pho Superbowl's broth is good. Rather the broth is better than Saigon or Hana. So far, I haven't found a place around the area whose broth I enjoy as much as Pho Pasteur in San Diego.

Lastly, there was a surprise. I got up to pay for my bill, which I'm used to doing at the other two pho places mentioned above, when the owner? or staff quickly ushered me back to my seat, telling me that he'd bring me the check. With the check, he set down this delicious treat.

(Yes this picture sucks. I took all these pictures with my cell phone. I think the other two came out well though. It's not the best quality, but it's clear enough for me.)
I was taken aback because 1) I thought he had misplaced his order, and 2) I've never received a free dessert at a vietnamese place (not to say that I've eaten at a lot), let alone a pho place. When i asked him what it was, he told me something in Vietnamese that I could not understand. I asked him to repeat it, and he simply said, "Coconut Milk." It certainly wasn't just coconut milk, but it was good, and he can call it whatever he wants, as long as I get it again next time. It was a warm and rich desert, which was kind of like a gelatinous pudding/porridge, with some kind of bean/rice in it. Sorry, that is a pretty crappy description. I asked a friend about it, and he told me that it was probably che dau xanh, which when I looked it up, translates to sweet mung bean soup.

I would definitely come here again. My only complaint is that they don't serve Vietnamese sandwiches, as I was looking forward to getting one to go. Yes, I know I can go to Lee's or other places, but I'm not really sure where the closest sandwich shop is around Diamond Bar, and I do not consider Irvine or Santa Ana close by any means. There is one more pho place that I haven't checked out yet, and that is Lucky Pho on the corner of Colima and Fairway...

Pho Super Bowl
329 S. Diamond Bar Blvd.
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Open Everyday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Free Coffee, Donuts and More!

Election day is coming up, and there are three freebies you can get for voting.

http://www.starbucks.com/sharedplanet/news.aspx

If you vote, Starbucks buys your coffee

On November 4, 2008, Starbucks will give voters a free tall brewed coffee at participating U.S. stores. This initiative kicks off with a 60-second ad during the final pre-election edition of Saturday Night Live on NBC this Saturday. The ad was developed by BBDO, who is working with Starbucks on a number of initiatives.

Voters simply need to cast a vote, then tell the barista at their local Starbucks and they’ll receive a tall (12 oz) cup of brewed coffee at no charge (limit one per customer). In the best tradition of democracy, we’re using the honor system for proof of voting.

Also....

Krispy Kreme wants your vote! Actually, the company doesn't care who you vote for as long as you vote. On November 4, locations around the country will be handing out free star-shaped donuts with red, white and blue sprinkles to anyone with an "I Voted" sticker (we're guessing other proof may be allowed, in case your polling place is out of stickers). The effort is non-partisan, so don't worry about one of the candidates forking over a wad of leftover campaign money in some kind of weird get-out-the-vote effort. This is just about Krispy Kreme trying to get some foot traffic of its own.

"We can't guarantee that your candidate of preference will win on November 4, but we can guarantee that your right to voice your choice will be rewarded with a patriotic doughnut that will remind you just how tasty freedom really is," said Krispy Kreme's Chef Ron Rupocinski in a press release. "Krispy Kreme encourages everyone to take part in this historical election and vote."

Lastly...

http://www.benjerry.com/features/i_voted/
That's right. Free scoop of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. My personal favorite is Cherry Garcia, but they have a lot of good stuff.

I am sure there are some other promotions going on as well. Who doesn't like free stuff? Gotta love it!

it's raining!

Music suggestion while reading this post: led zepp - the rain song

rain makes soup taste even better...have you watched the movie Oliver?

Oliver- May I have some more soup sir?
soup person - What??!!?
Oliver - Some soup sir, may I please have some more?
*Riot ensues*

A couple weeks ago, I went to Cho Dang Soon Dubu in Diamond Bar for dinner. It used to be an old Chinese restaurant for quite some time, but I guess business languished for them as the years went by. It was the place to go to when I was a kid. Anyhow, I apologize for the poor quality of the pics, especially this set, as I used my cell phone to take the pictures. Service is usually prompt at these types of places. I got a salad, comprised of mostly iceberg lettuce and some little pieces of purple cabbage and carrots with a spicy asian type dressing (not sure what it was...but it had some ginger in it), as well as a small fish (yellow corvina?)

Banchan: Bean sprouts, cucumber kimchi(sweet and spicy, and pretty good), and not sure what that small stuff was exactly...spicy marinated squid? The standard dolsot rice in the background.


Once again, apologies for the crappiness of these pictures. The cucumber again, regular cabbage kimchi, and japchae(noodles), which was very plain and bland. The banchan rotation here is pretty much the same every time I go here. I feel like the quality in food has gone down, since they first opened. Sometimes they give geem(dried seaweed) as well. Nevertheless, it seems like a popular spot. I go simply because its the closest soondubu/Korean place to where I live, making it the most convenient.

Soondubu with Kimchi and beef, spicy level: hot for $8.99. It was pretty good that time, granted I was starving, after coming home from the gym. I scarfed this down pretty quick. It was better than the last time I came.

There is a frozen yogurt machine (vanilla, chocolate, or swirl) where you can have a nice complimentary dessert. They've also been doing this promotion for a while now, where you get a card, in which for every entree you order, you get a stamp, and with ten stamps, you get a free bowl of soondubu. Once I got the yook geh jang (spicy beef soup), and although it was pretty big, it wasn't very good. Spicy though.

Overall, like I said before, I feel like this place has slowly gone downhill. However, I do prefer this to BCD and MyungDong in Rowland Heights.

ChoDang Soondubu
1155 S. Diamond Bar Blvd. Suite M
Diamond Bar

Last week, I was craving some Kimbap (Korean sushi I suppose you could call it without the raw fish), and decided to go to the dying Han Nam Chain Market to try a restaurant inside there that I remember having Kimbap. I consider myself a gambling man when trying food, and often times lose when trying new things. This was one of those times. Inside the market, on the right side, sharing the space with the bakery is Masenara, which serves Korean and Japanese Cusine. I ordered the kimbap and spicy tuna roll.

Sides included two bowls of miso soup, which was bland and a bit watered down, some daikon/dakwang, and some potatoes cooked in a soy sauce sugar type sauce, I'd say.


12 pieces of kimbap, filled with spinach, egg, carrots, Krab, pickled daikon, and fish cake. The rice wasn't very good because it wasn't cooked right, so the chew factor wasn't very pleasant. I'd give the kimbap a D+/C-. I've had worse. The price was around $6 or $7. I think that Han Nam Chain has the best kimbap that I've had around these parts. On the left side of the market, there is a section where people make fresh kim bap for the day around 5 bucks for two rolls. Those were much better than these, as well as the ones at the HMart too. You might be reading this and asking yourself, well, why didn't you get it at that stand then stupid? Because I wanted to try something new, that's why. Sadly I'm still craving kimbap, so I've decided to try and make some of my own for the first time tomorrow. I love kimbap almost as much as I love soup.

Spicy tuna roll around $7 or $8. I don't know why I order this damn thing every time I go to get some sushi. I just can't help it, whether I want it or not, I just have to get it. It wasn't very good, although I can say that I wasn't expecting too much. It was spicy, but the taste of the spiciness was off; it almost tasted like kochoojang. Maybe it was? Funnily enough, Masenara also has a promotion going on with a card and stamps. Every ten bucks spent = 1 stamp. 10 stamps = 1 soondubu. Regardless, I don't think I'll be coming back here again any time soon. They do have an extensive menu, ranging from Korean stews, bbq, to Japanese sushi/sashimi. I've also tried their mandoo, bibim gooksu, and hwedupbab before, and they were okay. The sashimi rice/hwedupbap was a good amount, like other places.

Masenara
21080 Golden Springs Dr
Diamond Bar, CA 91765


On my way out, I saw a man and perhaps his son, making some hodduk and I forget what the other thing was called, which was a small bite sized piece of bread with red bean inside it. Each hodduk was a dollar, and I planned on getting one. However, I saw a lady who was in front of me in the line that I knew, and she graciously bought me two, which was very nice of her. The sign said it was filled with honey powder, pine nuts, and some other stuff. It was nice to eat warm, as the man cooked each dduk per order. What I didn't like about it was that it was a bit oily, and some parts of it didn't have enough filling. Still it was nice to have on a somewhat cold night.

To end, I bought a bottle of this bad boy at Ralphs, for around 5 or 6 bucks I believe. 5.2%. If you like chocolate and you like stout, this is a beer you'd enjoy. There was a very strong chocolate taste (I read they use dark chocolate), which stood out clearly from the rest of what was going on without it being overpowering. The picture looks weird because I was messing around with it on Picasa.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow. California needs it. Happy day light savings. Everyone gets an extra hour of sleep. Hallejuah Handel!