Irvine Global Village Festival 2007 - Irvine, CA

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon Rebel XTi.

Ok ok. Just one more article 'cause this one is time sensitive, then I'll start my Canada series. I promise.)



Every year, the city of Irvine holds a sprawling carnival at Bill Barber Park to celebrate the city's cultural diversity. The euphonically named Irvine Global Village Festival invites restaurants, religions, and cultural organizations to participate in the event and foster understanding, tolerance, and appreciation of the disparate groups that share our fair city. Cat and I have been avid supporters of the festival since our first visit in 2006.


The cultural exhibits are something I look forward to. I have a lot of fun learning about new cultures, particularly ones I didn't expect to find in Irvine. Chinese, Persian, and Korean exhibits are to be expected, and are always fun to visit, but I had no idea that Irvine boasts representatives from Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Slovenia, and Kurdish Iraq. It was nice to see a display by the Daughters of the American Revolution. When exploring the diversity of cultures in our country, we often forget to honor the evolution of our own distinctly American culture. From the Native Americans who first inhabited the land to British colonists that formed the original Union, the Dutch and German settlers that expanded the Union, the Spanish settlers subsumed as Spain sold its rights to the New World, the African slaves, without which the wealth of the fledgling Union could not have been built, and the eventual inclusion of representatives from every culture under the sun, the United States has a culture truly unique in the world due to its inclusiveness. I couldn't be prouder to be a citizen.


Nowhere at the Irvine Global Village Festival wass the city's diversity more evident than on the fair's three entertainment stages. Spaced throughout the park, each stage boasted a variety of performances representing a number of cultures, including Aztec warriors, a patriotic children's choir, Hawaiian dancers, and Taiko drummers. Wandering entertainers, such as an African drumming trio, stilt walkers, and a belly dancer, livened things up. There were also rows of craft booths and an entire tent dedicated to the religions of the world.



Intellectual nourishment aside, the main draw for most celebrants, myself included, was the food. There was a lot of it this year, even more than last year, from restaurants in and around Irvine. As usual, I tried to get a sampling of everything.



However, I first had to get my hands on some food tickets. For some reason, food vendors at the Irvine Global Village Festival won't accept cash; at least they're not supposed to. Instead, you purchase tickets from one of several booths for a dollar a ticket, then exchange the tickets for food. Luckily, the lines weren't too bad and moved quickly.


To my great disappointment, Formosa Chinese Restaurant was a no-show this year, despite being listed in the program as a participant. Russell's Seafood Palace, one of my preferred haunts for weekend dim sum, was also absent. Instead, Cat and I decided to hit up Crystal Jade, a recently opened Cantonese eatery on Quail Hill Parkway. It was the perfect opportunity, since I'd been meaning to try their dim sum for my Dim Sum Series.

The dim sum was very good. Surprisingly good, actually, given that they were prepared at the restaurant and driven to the park fifteen minutes away to be served from foil containers. Even more amazing was that half the items were steamed dim sum, which have a notoriously brief lifespan once cooked. However, the Xiao Jiao (Shrimp Dumplings), Shao Mai (Pork Meatball Dumplings), and Cha Shao Bao (Steamed BBQ Pork Buns) were all moist and flavorful. Cat decided to try some of their Chen Pi Ji (Orange Chicken), which really hit the spot for her. I'm definitely giving Crystal Jade a try at their restaurant sometime soon.

Price: $1 for two dim sum items, $5 for the Orange Chicken.

Flavor: A
ROI: B+ (The dim sum were worth it, the chicken wasn't.)

Overall: A-

Crystal Jade
6511 Quail Hill Parkway
Irvine, CA 92620
1-949-683-9429




Next, a quick stop at the Champion Food Company from Fountain Valley for something to drink. As with last year, I was surprised that the one in Irvine didn't attend, although I think I recognized the owner from the Irvine branch running the booth. Maybe they're both owned by the same person.

I picked up a Milk Tea which was quite refreshing. There weren't any tea eggs this time, although they were frying up some delicious looking Taiwanese sausages. Still full from my dim sum gorge fest, I decided to move on.

Price: $2 for the milk tea

Flavor: B+
ROI: A

Overall: A-

Champion Food Corporation
17090 Magnolia St.
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
1-949-857-6686




Still quite hungry, Cat decided to get something from May Garden Chinese Restaurant, which seemed to be serving more standard steam table Chinese fare. She chose a bowl of fried rice topped with a stir-fry of bell peppers and chicken, which was a lot sweeter than it looked. We weren't too impressed with what they were offering at the Irvine Global Village Festival, but some of the Yelp reviews I looked up afterwards were interesting enough that I plan to give them another try.

Price: $5

Flavor: B-
ROI: C-

Overall: C+

May Garden Chinese Restaurant
1400 S.E. Bristol St.
Santa Ana, CA 92707
1-714-751-9229




Without the Shire Nomad as backup this time, Cat and I were about at our limit. We decided to finish up at the African Hut for some hearty South African fare. The smell of grilling sausage was irresistible, so Cat and I split a Boerewors Sausage Roll, which was served with an onion tomato sauce. Boerewors are spiced South African farm sausages made using pork and beef. Cat found it too greasy for her taste, and didn't like the combination of flavors from the meat and spices. I, on the other hand, enjoyed the unique taste, especially when topped with the onion tomato sauce. The sauce helped tone down the gamey flavor of the boerewors and added a mellow sweetness.



For dessert, I picked up a plate of Malva Pudding. A popular South African dish of Dutch origin, Malva pudding is a dense, moist cake made with apricot and topped with custard. It was very rich and not as sweet as I expected. I rather enjoyed it.

As a side note, if you read my review of the festival last year, you might recall I experienced a bit of unpleasantness interacting with one of the South African workers at the booth. There wasn't any sign of that this year. My entire experience was very pleasant, as it always it when I visit the African Hut's brick and mortar location.

Price: $3 for the sausage roll and $2 for the Malva pudding

Flavor: B+
ROI: B+

Overall: B+

The African Hut
27601 Forbes Rd
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
1-949-582-9546
http://www.africanhut.com




Cat's sweet tooth still needed to be satisfied, but she barely had any stomach space left. Layer Cake Bakery's assortment of cookies was perfect. One chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie later, she was a happy kitty.

As a side note, I think Layer Cake Bakery is opening a branch up on Barranca, at the site of the ill-fated Irvine J's Market. If anyone knows what happened to the owners of Irvine J's, please let me know. They were very nice people.

Price: $1

Flavor: A
ROI: A

Overall: A


Layer Cake Bakery
111 Caravan
Irvine, CA 92606
1-949-786-7734



(One of our boys in blue patrolling the fair on a really cool T3 Motion scooter thing. Go Irvine PD!)


Irvine Global Village Festival - Come take a bite out of our community. You can fill your stomach, heart, and mind all at once.


The Irvine Global Village Festival
Bill Barber Park
4 Civic Center Plaza
Irvine, CA 92606
Irvine Global Village Festival Website

One day every September from 10:00am-6:00pm


Click here to read my review of the 2006 Irvine Global Village Festival.

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Le Papillon (Semajim's Wedding) - San Jose, CA

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon Rebel XTi and Canon PowerShot SD800is.

As the wedding season draws to a close, I thought I'd finish up with one more wedding post before turning my attention towards my Canadian adventures.)



Semajim and I have been friends since high school, where our shared interest in theater, part-time jobs at Marjolaine (now Margaret's French Bakery) and a number of mutual friends helped form a strong and lasting bond. I watched him mature from a gangly, awkward adolescent to the confident man he is today. He was a critical part of planning my bachelor party and was one of several close friends who made the heroic, whirlwind journey from NorCal down to the Southland for my wedding. I was honored to be invited to both his bachelor party and wedding.



Exactly one month after Cat and I were married, Semajim and his lovely fiancée, Aralara, tied the knot at the scenic Clos LaChance winery in San Martin, California. It was a beautiful ceremony from what I was told. Sadly, while trying to make our way down from a brunch with friends in San Francisco, Cat and I were delayed when our train suffered mechanical difficulties. We arrived half an hour late and missed the ceremony entirely.


(Waldensian chatting with K Love and his lady.)

Fortunately, we were able to make the reception, which we spent with a number of good friends. Semajim and Aralara were understanding and very gracious about our tardiness. Those two are a class act.


(I'm not entirely sure... It was good, though.)

Semajim had chosen to have the wedding catered by Silicon Valley's famous Le Papillon. The restaurant was founded in 1977, before the high tech boom that would later make the area so prosperous. Its focus on Californian cuisine using seasonal ingredients and French cooking techniques influenced by other cooking traditions has earned Le Papillon Silicon Valley's highest restaurant rating in the renowned Zagat Survey.


(Ahi tuna lollipops dressed with a soy ginger sauce.)

Well acquainted with my food blogging, Semajim teased that he'd ordered a gourmet spread just for me. I didn't believe him for a second, but the food certainly lived up to his promise. I particularly enjoyed the hors devors.



One of my favorites was a light and creamy mousse containing chicken, or some other form of fowl, served on a toasted brioche point. Smooth and airy, its delicate flavor was offset by the crunchy texture of the rich bread. This was a very comforting starter.



What the wait staff informed me was a baked mousse of halibut and roasted red peppers was intriguing. It was similar in flavor and texture to Asian fishcakes, but the combination of ingredients was inventive. A definite wake-up call for my palate.



My number one favorite hors devors were tiny pastry cups filled with a swirl of tangy goat cheese and topped with small pieces of heirloom tomatoes. The sweetness of the tomatoes, the acidity of the cheese, and the buttery pastry were the ideal flavor combination. However, I thought Semajim and Aralara had done a great job in selecting all the members of their starter lineup.



Once the hors devors were finished, we moved to the tables for dinner. Semajim and Aralara looked radiant as they were announced. Aralara later told me that Semajim had gotten teary during the ceremony. The two of them were very sweet together, and obviously very much in love.


(Ninjafuzz and the Ring Bearer locking it up.)

Cat and I had a great time during dinner, largely due to being seated with Waldensian, K Love, and Ninjafuzz. Those boys really know how to party. Watching Ninjafuzz deliver the beginning of a speech he'd found in the pocket of his rental tux before moving on to his own speech as best man was a riot.



Dinner began with baskets of Le Papillon's artisan bread. While the rustic baguettes were delicious, it was the darker olive and walnut bread that had us scrabbling for the last piece.



The salad was a refreshing mix of spring greens tossed in vinaigrette with thin slices of cantaloupe and pear. It was topped with grated feta, which added body to the light dish.


(Cat and her new best friend.)

Night seemed to come suddenly to the winery, along with a steady breeze, making the already brisk evening even colder. Servers came around to light candles and turn on the outdoor heaters. Unfortunately, there weren't enough heaters, leaving many of the ladies borrowing their dates' jackets and nursing the candles for warmth.



The main course was a two-part combination of cooperating opposites divided by a crispy wall of fried potato threads that was perched on a mashed potato mountain. On one side, a piece of herb-crusted halibut swam in a creamy sea of dill and tarragon. Juicy wedges of tomato frolicked in the alabaster waves, their tart acidity cutting through the frothy richness.



On the other side, a hefty half of filet mignon provided the raging yang to the halibut's gentle yin. Boldly grilled and finished with sautéed wild mushrooms and a powerful cognac au jus, it called out to primal beast within each of us. The mountains met the sea in this delicious work of art.



Afterwards, we mingled with friends new and old. The ladies, some in wraps, others in borrowed jackets, huddled together for warmth beneath one of the heaters. The manly men, on the other hand, refused to succumb to the temperature. We just happened to be standing against the lee of the building, out of the wind. It wasn't because we were cold or anything. No...


(The Oni in his trademark pose.)

The wedding cake was, of course, provided by The Oni and Margaret's French Bakery. As if any of the Marjolaine alumni would get our cakes anywhere else.


(Semajim and Aralara - Picture taken by friend Kevin Zumani.)

Semajim and Aralara, thank you for inviting us to share in your special day. We were truly touched. Cat sends her love.




Le Papillon - The best Californian cuisine Silicon Valley has to offer. They're a little pricey, but they'll deliver every time. The food quality does suffer little when catering in an offsite location, as opposed to when it's served in the restaurant. However, the flavors are still top notch.


Overall: A-


Le Papillon
410 Saratoga Ave.
San Jose, CA 95129
1-408-296-3730
Restaurant website

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Polly Ann Bakery (Wedding Catering) - San Pedro, CA [Supplying]

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon PowerShot SD800is.

Helloooo beautiful people. I'm back! We'll, technically I'm typing this as I wing over the dark Seattle sky, but in just a few short hours I'll touch down in sunny Southern California and post this to the blog. Sorry there hasn’t been much in the way of articles for the past week and a half. Once I sort through all of my photos, I'll start writing some of the great places I visited and introduce you to a new blog contributor, a charming fellow who takes after my own heart. In the meantime, here's a review I've been dying to share with you all.)



Can you remember your first bite of cake? For Cat, her first memories of cake revolve around Polly Ann Bakery in San Pedro. Since as far back as she can remember, her parents have bought her birthday cake from this decades-old, neighborhood confectioner.



Tucked away on a quiet, one-way street, Polly Ann Bakery has served the families of longshoremen, fishermen, and other working class craftsmen around the Port of Los Angeles for generations. Although its sweet treats seem influenced by European baking traditions, the bakery is a thoroughly American proposition.



As an example, when I asked several of staff members about one of their kringles, I got blank looks in response. Only after I pointed at what I was talking about did one of the counter girls identify the kringle as a "Danish ring".



Confused though their terminology may be, the flavors at Polly Ann Bakery are simple, straightforward, and delicious. Every morning, the bakers cook up rafts of sticky, flakey treats for their loyal regulars. The portions are generous, this is an American bakery after all, and the prices fit the blue collar neighborhood. It's a good thing Cat and I live an hour away. One of their dangerously delightful Danishes every morning might just about do me in.



Even more deadly is their selection of classic cookies, as Cat can attest. When she was a small girl, she loved getting cookies from Polly Ann Bakery. She'd carry the cookie carefully with both hands as she followed her mother home. One on notable occasion, she tripped and fell. Unwilling to drop the cookie, she ended up sprawled out on the pavement, skinning both sets of elbows and knees. To this day, she considers it a fair trade for having saved her cookie.



A few months ago, I was finally able to sample one of these scrape-worthy cookies. The very same type of cookie, in fact, that Cat had fallen saving as a child. A golden drop of shortbread with a dab of pink icing in the center, it practically melted away in my mouth, leaving lingering hints of butter and sugar. I'd never tried a shortbread cookie so light and airy, or one that wasn't overly rich. According to Cat, only her late Scottish grandmother baked better shortbread.



The same level of care is taken with the cakes at Polly Ann Bakery. I've always had a problem with the amounts of butter and sugar used in American confections. For a lad raised on Taiwanese sponge cakes filled with fresh fruit and lightly decorated with whipped cream, American cakes have often been too rich and sweet. Eating a piece of the overly frosted bricks sold in most major grocery chains is the equivalent of subjecting my taste buds to a sensory A-bomb. I usually get a headache afterwards. However, The buttercream used by Polly Ann is less sweet and more aerated, making it less rich. Their fluffy sponge cake, while suitably full of flavor, seems more like an angle cake in texture. If it wasn't for the measured cap of buttercream weighing down their cupcakes, I'd be worried about them floating off into the aether.


(Image taken by The Oni and property of Margaret's French Bakery. Flower arrangement service provided by The Oni.)

When we were ordering our wedding cake, Cat's only request was for one layer that was like the birthday cakes she remembered. After sampling some of the baked goods at Polly Ann Bakery, she didn't have to work very hard to convince me. In addition to the five delectable cakes provided by Margaret's French Bakery, we had a sixth one made up by Polly Ann Bakery with American yellow cake and chocolate buttercream. It was bold, straightforward, and an absolute hit with the guests.


Polly Ann Bakery - I highly recommend ordering your birthday, wedding, or special occasion cakes from them. Their flavors and presentation are clean and simple, and the quality won't disappoint. For classic American cakes, not the butter-slathered sugar bombs served up by the major grocery chains, try them.


Polly Ann Bakery
1440 West 8th Street
San Pedro, CA 90732
1-310-519-0966
Polly Ann Bakery

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I'm in Canada!

Hey y'all! Sorry this blog has been silent this past week. I'm in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia enjoying the stormy Canadian weather. Expect lots of posts soon!

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Funashin - Fountain Valley, CA [CLOSED]

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon PowerShot SD800is.

On a personal note, I used to frequent a restaurant called New Sushi House at 1969 Harbor in Costa Mesa, which was run by a friendly Chinese couple. They were suddenly replaced by a Taco Surf around July of 2004. If anyone knows what happened to them or where the chef is now, I'd very much appreciate a comment or email. He had some very innovative rolls, which I'd like to taste again.

Edit 08/24/20312: Funashin has closed. The space is now home to Izakaya Ku.)

In Japan, a bento is a culinary jewel box containing a variety of succulent tidbits that delight the senses. They're a ubiquitous lunchtime treat that can be picked up from convenience stores, department stores, restaurants, and train stations. Mothers pack them for their children and husbands. Families take them to work, school, parks, or outdoor events. Every city has its own regional variations, epitomized by the famous ekiben (train station bentos). Yet in the States, the glorious plethora embodied by the bento is diminished, replaced by mix-n-match combination lunches that are pretenders to the name. A bento isn't a choice of teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef, or a pork cutlet. It doesn't always come with a garden salad. You shouldn't be locked into a side of tempura, gyoza, or sashimi. A true bento is a cook's gift to you. It's an omakase of his or her favorite small dishes, packed together in an amount that won't make you gain ten pounds, at a cost that won't make you raid your child's college fund. A bento, in short, is a box of edible imagination.



Having recently embarked on a journey of home bento-making discovery, Elonweis wanted to sample some authentic restaurant bentos for inspiration. Unfortunately, everywhere we looked, we were faced with boring, insipid, unimaginative offerings. Through a series of misadventures, and with the help of my trusty GPS, we ended up at Funashin Japanese restaurant in Fountain Valley.



Conveniently located at the corner of the 405 freeway and Brookhurst, Funashin appeared to be typical of Japanese restaurants in the States. A small sushi bar spanned one side of the restaurant, separated from the dining area by shoji screens. The menu contained the usual suspects, teriyaki this, tempura that, and nods to udon and sukiyaki. However, two small lines near the top of its menu set Funashin apart; "Funashin Bento. Boxed lunch with a variety of Japanese delicacies." There was an A Set and a B Set. The difference? The B Set included a tempura assortment. Fingers crossed, we ordered the Funashin Bento B Set.



The standard bowls of Miso Shiru were brought out immediately. They passed the first test. We didn't go blind.



To take the edge off of our hunger while we waited, we ordered a few items from the sushi bar. The tender slices of Tako (octopus) were chewy, juicy, and redolent with the flavors of the briny deep. The sushi rice, on the other hand, was disturbingly salty.



Two ruddy pieces of Hamachi (yellowtail tuna), my gauge for freshness at any sushi bar, were mediocre at best. Once again, there was something terribly wrong with the seasoning of the sushi rice, which almost drowned out the fish.



The Uni (sea urchin genitalia), glistening cylinders of ice cold richness, tasted of egg yolks and the sea. Here, the large amount of salt used in the sushi rice served to enhance the strong flavor of the sea urchin, instead of clashing as it had with the more delicate yellowtail.



The Ninja Roll was a Soft Shell Crab Roll done on the cheap, containing mostly imitation crab with a little avocado and deep fried soft shell crab. I guess the soft shell crab was the "ninja", since it was well-hidden by the other ingredients. With only five pieces, definitely not worth its $9.50 asking price.



Disappointed with the sushi, Elonweis and I were more than ready for our bentos when they arrived. It was worth the wait. The selection, the sheer variety, these were the bentos we were looking for. They were type of bentos one might find in Japan, featuring the best small dishes the restaurant had to offer.



Going clockwise from the top, we found a number of simmered items, including bamboo shoots, kabocha pumpkin, taro, konnyaku, and fishcake. A piece of tamagoyaki, sweetened and custard-like Japanese omelet peeped out from next to a cup of seasoned burdock and carrot threads. A small mound of seaweed salad graced the front.

Everything was exquisite and perfectly flavored, particularly the dense kabocha, which melted and spread its gentle sweetness throughout my mouth. The konnyaku resisted slightly before breaking into shards that ricocheted off my mouth and tongue like a shattered super ball.



Next, a slab of salmon, austerely seasoned with salt and grilled, was perfect in its simplicity. A squirt of lemon added a bright accent to the rich meat. Behind the salmon, a crispy piece of tori kara-age, its deep color revealing the ginger and soy sauce marinade it had steeped in before taking a dip in hot oil.



Generous slices of gem-like maguro (tuna) and hamachi sashimi glowed in the lower right. The hamachi, which we'd already sampled, was average. However, the ruby red maguro was very fresh, releasing more and more of its rich flavor as we chewed.



The lower left side held a dazzling assortment of tempura, including shrimp, sweet potato, and kabocha. Most intriguing was a lurid yellow cylinder covered in a batter I'd never seen before. One bite revealed it to be surumi, with a crisp covering reminiscent of Corn Flakes or puffed rice. The tempura were very enjoyable, although a little too oily. Given the sheer amount of food in Funashin's bento, it was almost overkill. I could see why they offered an A Set sans tempura.



Above the tempura, what initially appeared to be a croquette drizzled with tonkatsu sauce turned out to be a whole scallop crusted with panko crumbs and deep fried. The soft texture of the scallop was a great contrast for its crunchy armor and tangy sauce. Behind it lurked another piece of tori kara-age.



Last but not least, a selection of tsukemono (Japanese pickles) were placed in the center to refresh the palate between items. They went very well with the rice.



After all, no meal is complete without rice. Gotta have the rice.


Funashin - The sushi is only so-so, but the bento makes it worth going to. That one dish alone is enough to make me a regular. The tempura in the B Set should be tried at least once. However, if you have a low tolerance for oily food, you might be better off getting the A Set. Stay away from the sushi bar.


Bill:

Hamachi - $4.00
Uni - Market Price
Tako - $3.50
Ninja Roll - $9.50
Funashin Bento B Set - $13.50


Flavor: B+
Ambience: A-
Service: A
ROI: B

Overall: A-


Funashin
18120 Brookhurst St, Ste 25
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
1-714-963-3484

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