County Line, Austin TX

Last night, 12 friends and I dined at County Line Bar-B-Q.

Yeah, County Line is a small chain restaurant. And yeah, it's a little cheesy.  But it has delicious marbled brisket, kickass potato salad and the one we went to sits on a lake! What is not to like? And with a large group to feed tonight, it's perfect for casual fun and gluttony.

Our whole table decides (or I decided :) ) on The Cadillac: all-you-can-eat beef ribs, lean brisket, marbled brisket, chicken, sausage, ham and baby backs along with bread, soda, beans, coleslaw and potato salad come with.  And ice cream!

This wheat bread is like candy. Smear some butter on it. If I had a choice for an addiction, this would be it.

I was surprised by how much flavor this potato salad had. Vinegary, salty, crunchy with celery, and flavored with dill. The tang was a good match for all the meat (scroll down).

I love this potato salad. Can't think of a better one I've had recently.

Now, for the main event. Texas is about beef BBQ and this place gives you that AND everything else.

Ham, Chicken and Baby Backs all served with tangy sauce.

When I have a choice, I go for the marbled brisket which is fatter and of course, tastier. Pile a little on the wheat bread and you are going to have a rodeo in your mouth. We got seconds of the beef ribs and the brisket. :)

Beef ribs on top; brisket underneath. A few sausage tossed about.  

I still had room for dessert. Yay! The ice cream was part of The Cadillac deal. I convinced my friend Virginia and myself NOT to order their famous cobbler!! The ice cream was fresh tasting and I was not surprised to hear it was made by the restaurant.  Not super creamy but again, fresh.

Homemade ice cream

I had an idea! How about a root beer float!

A root beer float!! Reminds me of childhood.

And on top of this meal, a new work friend gave me ride back to my hotel in his kickass, immaculate, newish Ferrari!! Vroom vroom!

La Condesa in Austin, TX: Upscale Mexican

I have not had a bad meal in Austin until this week.

My first choice for dinner was a trailer called Odd Duck farm to trailer, but I couldn't get my act together to get there.  There was a place around the corner from my hotel with 4 stars on Yelp. It seemed like a good compromise so I settled on La Condesa, serving contemporary Mexican. The menu looks fantastic and I was excited.

Now, I realize eating take-out is not the optimal experience.  The chef at La Condesa couldn't have intended for the food to be eaten out of a paper box. Plus, I'm not sure how long the food sat there before I picked it up. Upon picking up my food, I did take note of its trendy looks (which I like, yes, I'm one of those people) with trendy people all around.

I chose three small plates starting with what is called a huarache, a crisp corn tortilla with toppings. Love trying new things! I just think blue cheese with pork belly is a terrible, terrible marriage. I call for an annulment! The cheese completely overpowered the pork belly and I could not taste any other element. Awful.

Panza de Puerco:  berkshire pork belly, pure luck farms blue cheese, piloncillo caramel, apple-brown butter purée, apple-tomatillo salpicón

I also ordered a side of Plantanos served with salsa verde and queso fresco.  It was also not very good.  How does a restaurant calling itself "Mexican" make bad plantains?! The main problem was the plantains were not cooked well enough. And a few pieces were hard. I dream of the plantains for Versailles, a fabulous old-school Cuban restaurant in Los Angeles. Order the garlic chicken, you will not be disappointed.

Back to La Condesa.  My third small plate was the savior of the night.  This corn was covered in queso fresca and chili spices.  The corn itself was grilled and sweet, sweet, sweet. I loved the mild queso on top, along with the hot chili!

Elotes: mexican-style street corn

I asked three different people about La Condesa, and none of them liked it. Puzzling that it was nominated for a James Beard award for best new restaurant. So, I won't be dining here again. But maybe I'll stop by for a drink one night and order that corn again, a little spicy and sweet snack.

Dim Sum: The food of my people

People are usually pretty excited to eat Dim Sum with me, as I can serve as the tour guide. Dim Sum has always been a part of my life. I half joke that it is the food of my people. Eating Dim Sum style as a child is likely why I have a tough time ordering food off of a traditional menu. Why can't everything be made in miniature size so I can have a little of everything? Makes sense to me.

Yesterday, we were very excited to have Dim Sum with some friends at Legendary Palace in Oakland Chinatown. They haven't had dim sum in 20 years! What? How can this be? We live 15 minutes from Oakland Chinatown. But I know, it can be intimidating and honestly, those ladies pushing the carts aren't exactly helpful, are they?

I often overeat at Dim Sum. Who can resist all these little packages of yumminess rolling around in carts?! And it's right there, ready for you! No ordering, no waiting. Instant gratification.

Let's see what we ate, shall we?

The chives in this dumpling is not the kind you put on your baked potato. They are less oniony and flatter in appearance. She is indeed cutting my Dim Sum so that I can share smaller pieces.

Shrimp and Chive Dumpling (ngau choi gau)

In the center of this strange looking dumpling is a bit of pork and mushrooms which is surrounded by mashed taro, then deep fried to golden perfection. It is hard to describe all these flavors to someone who has never tried one. Taro is a root vegetable and is very starchy. The texture is thick so the crunchy outside adds a good balance. Imagine eating a mashed potato ball that has been deep fried. Delicious, right?

Deep-Fried Taro Dumpling (wu gok)

I love these because the texture of the glutinous rice shell is a bit chewy and sweet to the taste. The sweetness plays well against the salty filling of pork, mushroom, water chestnut, and dried shrimp.

Glutinous Rice Turnover (hom suey gok)

Oh, Siu Mai aka Steamed Pork Dumplings ... one of the basic items of any dim sum meal. Legendary Palace's are tender and juicy.

Steamed Pork Dumpling (siu mai)

Cheurng Fun means long noodle. Ha means shrimp. Shrimp are rolled in large sheets of rice noodles, steamed so that the shrimp is nicely cooked, then a sweeten soy sauce is poured on top.  I always order this dish. It is simple and comforting to me. You can get Cheurng Fun with minced beef or with char siu (BBQ pork). Legendary Palace's noodles are not sticky and they hold together, not falling apart when you pick them up with chopsticks, a sign of skill in the art of rice noodle making.

Shrimp Wrapped in Rice Noodle (Ha Cheurng Fun)

When I judge a dim sum restaurant, I judge it on its Siu Mai, Ha Gow which is steamed shrimp dumpling (not pictured), and its Cha Siu Bao. In a Cha Siu Bao, I'm looking for a fluffy white bun that is slightly sweet, not too moist, not too dry. I want a good proportion of meat to bun. I want the cha siu to be tasty with a little sauce and not red (a sign of too much food coloring). Legendary Palace's Cha Siu Bao meets all the requirements and is my favorite in Oakland Chinatown. If the white flour bun was better for me, I would eat a dozen of these. I have banned Cha Siu Baos from my house because they are simply irresistible.

(The Magical) Steamed BBQ Pork Bun (cha siu bao)

Two little precious packages:

Sticky Rice with Pork and Mushrooms (lo mai gai)

Lo mai is glutinous rice also known as sticky rice. In this Lo Mai Gai (literally translating to sticky rice chicken), the rice surrounds a saucy mix of chicken and mushrooms and is wrapped in a lotus leaf. It is the leaf that makes it special, infusing it with a flavor that is very mild, but complex and hard to describe. But if you didn't have the leaf, you would immediately notice its absence.

Lo mai gai, unwrapped

In the middle of Dim Sum, it's wise to have a little greenery to remind your stomach and intestines that you care about their health. Gai Lan is also known as Chinese Broccoli. Oyster sauce is to Gai Lan as ketchup is to french fries.

Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce (ho yau gai lan)

This is one of my husband's favorite Dim Sum items. It is BBQ inside a pastry. Made well, it is flakey layers of dough wrapped around a slighty sweet and salty meat. These were certainly flakey but also a tad too oily.

BBQ Pork Pastry (cha siu soh)

A cousin to the Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, these Cha Siu Chan Baos are baked. On top a wash of sugary glaze which make the bun a bit sticky to the touch. I like the steamed ones more because I like soft, pillowy buns but you'll catch me eating one of these from time to time.

Baked BBQ Pork Bun (cha siu chan bao)

For dessert, we decide on Pineapple Bun with Custard, in Cantonese: Bo Lo Bao. Contrary to the name, there is no pineapple in these. They are named after the texture of the crunchy top which resemble the outside of a pineapple. These were awesome. Just out of the oven, the custard on the inside was still warm. The buns were warm and the top was crunchy.

Pineapple Bum with Custard (lai wong bo lo bao)

Hope you enjoyed this short tour of some dim sum basics.  If you've never had Dim Sum, you should try it! Have a little heart!

Gordough's Donuts, Austin TX

Will make this one quick. Gordough's. Haha, get it? They make donuts to order. Yep, no premade donuts sitting in the window. Sold from a trailer on Lamar Ave. Serving food out of a trailer is THE thing to do in Austin. And you know what? I like it.

I admit it. I did not actually go to the trailer. I was working hard for my money at the office. My friend (true friend) Chris acquired the fried dough for us to try. I did my homework though and know I want the Mother Clucker. So, $20 bucks later (thanks for the treat Chris!), 4 giant donuts.

The Mother Clucker is fried chicken strips with a slightly sweet donut. It is actually fried bread! Yummy and reminiscent of chicken and waffles. I can't eat a donut for lunch? Or can I?

The Mother Clucker: Fried Chicken Strip with Honey Butter

 
I know.  We went overboard! We only take a few bites of each. I love the Clucker! And we agree Miss Shortcake is also a winner. Hmm. Kinda gross now that I look at it.

Clockwise from upper left: Razzle Dazzle (Raspberry filling with Fudge Icing); Mother Clucker; not sure what this one is ... Son of a Peach? (Peach Filling, Cinnamon, Sugar & Cake Mix Topping); Miss Shortcake (Cream Cheese Icing with Fresh Cut Strawberries)

Wink Restaurant, Austin TX

To date, my best meals in Austin have been at Uchi and Uchiko. But I've only being commuting out here for 4 weeks and there are many, many more eateries to try.  :)  Like Uchi/Uchiko, Wink is serving up interesting, mostly well-executed dishes. I loved the casual, friendly vibe starting with being personally greeted by the host which put us in a good mood.

We opt to go a la carte but tasting menus are available. First, we are gifted with a beautiful amuse bouche from the chef (thank you!). A slightly sweet little orange custard (?) over a smooth panna cotta. I missed the full description due to me futzing with my camera. A great start! The egg mimicry amuses me! Haha. So cute.

BTW, had some noob-related problems with my camera so only a few photos survived. I'm learning a lot about digital photography though!

Amuse Bouche of Orange over Panna Cotta.

For my appetizer, I choose what I think is the most interesting dish. The chevre panna cotta is light in texture and flavor, very smooth like a gelatin, slightly creamy.  Candied walnuts bring the sweet; gastrique and shallots bring the sour.  By themselves, each side component is simple and just plain good. (Where do I buy a jar of those shallots?) All together, it is a jazz concert in your mouth.

Texas Chevre Panna Cotta with Candied Walnuts, Pickled Shallot, and Sherry Gastrique. 

My friend Virginia chooses coriander spiced hamachi for her appetizer. She's very generous :) and shared a forkful with me.  I love how we are starting to see raw fish partnered with non-traditional ingredients. Wink does this very well, careful not to overwhelm, leaving in your mouth several flavors but what you walk away from is the clean tasting hamachi.

Coriander Crusted Hamachi Sashimi with Arugula, Fuji Apple, adn Chile Vinaigrette

For me, the winner of the night is the Seared Foie Gras. By far, the best foie gras dish I have had in a long, long time. Perhaps ever. Foie gras is good, decadent stuff and some restaurant just serve it simply. But this; this is exceptional and I had to put my spoon down after tasting it so I could express my joy! Buttery foie gras with sweet blackberries and vanilla creme, which is basically melted ice cream. Two types of vinegar (red wine and something I can't remember) give this dish a brightness that goes so well with the fullness of foie gras. Some might consider this foie gras slightly undercooked, but I like the texture a lot.  (again, sorry for the sad pic ... this one from my iPhone.)

Seared Foie Gras with Blackberry Compote and Vanilla Creme

We splurge on three desserts. Chris wants the Chocolate Soup; Virginia ... the El Rey Flourless Chocolate Cake. My favorite is the Lemon Curd in Lemon Meringue cup. I would eat that crunchy meringue on its own, it is so good.  It is great fun to crack and eat with the curd; we giggle while eating it. Lemony and sweet!

Lemon Curd in Lemon Meringue with Candied Lemon Peel, 

This is considered one of the best restaurants in Austin and I can support that.  The one misstep in the meal is the overly-salted bone marrow risotto that came with my Pan Roasted Sweetbreads (sorry no pic).  The sweetbreads, though, are perfect. The service is professional and friendly. We never feel like we are a burden despite being the 2nd to last table out. They also have a wine bar with a different menu. Some mighty, good-looking things were being walked that way.

We girls had a really nice night, full of laughing and conversation, thanks to the warm atmosphere, perfect service and remarkable food.

Good friends for almost 10 years, growing up with the game industry, enjoying a well-deserved night out.

Rudy's Country Store and BBQ

Texas = BBQ!  Tonight,  my friend Chris is visiting Austin on business. On our agenda ... Rudy's Country Store and BBQ.

This BBQ is part of a gas station.  The line is HUGE and as it turns out, there was a fundraiser for a sick teacher. So, we were eating meat for good cause.  :)

Soda or Beer while you wait in line! They also have some Mexican soda options.

 Sause and Sausy!

My friend Chris and I share 1/2 pound of smokey brisket, 1/2 rack of baby back ribs, cole slaw, cream corn, and banana pudding.  The cream corn was the best item of the night!! Slaw was refreshing. Sause was tangy.

Rudy's Cream Corn Recipe (now I wish I didn't eat so much of it.)
2 lb frozen corn
1 8oz. cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
i put all of the ingredients listed and put in a crock pot and cook on medium till the cream cheese and butter are melted.

We ordered the Cutter's Choice which is between the extra lean and the "moist" (read fatty fat fat).  It was moist enough!  This was good but I liked County Line's extra marbled brisket more.

The best banana pudding I have ever had.  Large chunks of banana in cream and cold pudding.  And two crunchy Nilla wafers (which I looooove).  Winner!!

My Mexiwaiian Chinerican Easter

I grew up in a culture in which every holiday or event is a reason to eat. Chinese New Year! Let's eat! Autumn Moon Festival! Eat mooncake! And in the olden days ... Your baby survived the first month! Host a banquet! I know many of you can relate. Our mostly Chinese but increasingly multi-culutural family continues to carry on the eating tradition but now with much more flavor.

If you are squeamish, I must warn you that there is a picture of a balut in here.  That is a cooked egg that contains a duck fetus inside. I'll let you know when it's coming up so you can choose to stop reading.


EASTER EVE LUNCH
Our family (on the Ng side) is a pack, including five dogs between us 3 sisters. When my little sister travels from LA to visit, one of our favorites things to do is to take a walk at Point Isabel, the best dog park ever.  But first, lunch!

T-Rex BBQ in Berkeley, CA.  Having all these dogs means we seek out restaurants with patios.  The one at T-Rex is pretty utilitarian but it works.  Duck Confit Hash with a very nicely poached egg.  Some day, I will devote a post to the mighty egg.

T-Rex BBQ has great sides including this multi-cheese Mac n Cheese.

EASTER EVE DINNER 
Saturday's drizzly, gray weather was perfect for "Dah Been Loh" or "For Wor" roughly translates to mean fire cauldron. It is so simple: raw ingredients, boiling pots of water (some use stock), various condiments, two sets of chopsticks for each person (don't eat with the chopsticks you use to grab raw meat), little baskets for cooking.

We pick up all the ingredients at 99 Ranch. Lamb and beef already thinly sliced can be found in the freezer section.  And our fave, little fish balls with roe inside!  Shrimp, fish, chicken, veggies, noodles.  The resulting broth, as you can imagine, is very tasty.

The Ng Family Dah Been Loh'ing!

EASTER SUNDAY BRUNCH

Easter Sunday is with Ross' family. It's just a big potluck followed by an Easter egg hunt for the "kids" some of whom are 16!! What's the age cut-off these days?

Usually I bake something desserty but I was simply to busy and Ross picked up the slack by making one of my favorite foods in the whole world: Pão de Queijo: Brasilian Cheese Balls made from tapioca (manioc) flour, oil, salt, and tons of cheese.

Rollin' rollin' rollin'. 

 

Pão de Queijo: I was first introduced to these cheese balls on my first trip to Brasil. They were everywhere. Made from manioc flour, they are chewy and cheesy inside.  Eating them hot is the best and you will want 20 of them.

My brother-in-law Greg (a mighty good cook) brings Kimchi Fried Rice. This is my comfort food on flavor steroids. The rice is the sticky short grain variety meaning it packs a powerful, relaxing carb punch. I've made his recipe before and I will tell you that it is not diet food. Butter. Spam. And most important ... kimchi chopped up, at least that has fiber.

 WARNING: If you are squeamish, you may want to stop here.  Or scroll down really fast.

Cousin Tina says to me ever so casually:  So, what is the best way to boil an egg?  Soft or hard, I ask?  She says, looking at her husband Cousin Craig for agreement, hmmm, probably hard-boil is the best.  A few of us chime in with our suggestions. 

Fast forward to an hour or so, there is a lot of commotion and people telling me to grab my camera. Apparently, she was boiling baluts!  There were purchased at Belmont Farmer's Market, a small suburb south of San Francisco. Who in the heck is buying baluts at a farmer's market?! My cousins.

A balut is a cooked egg that houses a duck fetus.  As you can see, there is the yolk. The consistency is smoother than a regular cooked duck yolk.  Also milder in flavor.  The pinkish, brownish thing is, if you've not figured out, the little duck.  The head is curved and tucked into the yolk.  It is like eating a very soft, tender, mild tasting piece of duck.  There are no bones because they have not developed.  If you can get over the grossness, I can see why this is a prized delicacy in some cultures. Some of you may have remembered my balut experience in Vietnam in 2009. This one is better.  (Thanks duck.)