Chinatown Summer Nights : Reconnecting with My Roots

My family and I immigrated to America when I was 7 years old. I remembered being confused as I thought we were on a vacation—a temporary stay in an unfamiliar place but at the end of the week, we'll be back at home in Hong Kong. 

According to old photos, it certainly wasn't the first time as there were numerous photos of me in Disneyland with Mickey and his pals from years past and faint memories of oranges and time spent with my grandparents. Except, this time around, there were tears, cardboard boxes and packing tape. 

The move finally dawned on me as we moved in with my grandparents in a tiny apartment (which I thought was enormous—coming from HK) above my grandpa's book store on Chung King Road. As my parents looked for a house in the suburbs, I attended Castelar Elementary during the day and spent the rest of my time reading Old Master Q comics in my grandpa's bookstore. 

When my parents found a house in sleepy Temple City four months after, we moved once again. In the years that followed, I struggled to learn English and fitting in. For the first time, I wasn't the smartest in class but rather one of the slowest. I took comfort in art as that was the only subject that didn't require an understanding in English. 

I also distanced myself from my culture in order to be more "American." In a way, my life was a mirror of Chung King Road. There used to be bustling Chinese shops all opened along the road, then one day, a lone art gallery sprung up to replace a martial arts school. Then another, and another. The most significant change being my grandpa's bookstore—when he passed away, my grandma sold the space and in the span of a few months, almost all traces were wiped clean with a fresh coat of white paint and a few avant garde paintings. 

Life went on and I went on to study fine arts at the University of Southern California. Then explored the world of fashion, food and design after graduating—still trying to find my place in this world! 

For years, I didn't think much of Chinatown, until a chance call this past May from Amanda, my client for design from when I was an undergrad. We swapped stories and she asked if I was interested in branding Chinatown Summer Nights—a month long event in August produced by Community Arts Resources (CARS) and the Community Redevelopment Agency of LA (CRA/LA) in efforts to bring life back to the lethargic Chinatown. 

It was a project I couldn't pass up. Not only is it a designer's dream to brand an entire event, but this was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with my roots. 

The day after the contracts were signed, I dragged my then date, now boyfriend Lucky to Chinatown and spent the better part of the day exploring the town and snapping photos. 

There was a certain beauty that I haven't paid attention to before—the faded candy colors, the kitschy neons and the paper lanterns. When I finally made my initial sketches, I wanted to convey the essence of that beauty to others. The color palette were drawn from the paint on the actual buildings, the typefaces inspired by the neon store signs and the logo a mix of neon and Chinese writing seals. 

It was one of the most challenging projects I've finished thus far. The first being the sheer scale and the lack of time available to accomplish it. It was also the first project where I learned to manage programmers—designing for the web is a completely different beast than print! But mostly, it was an extremely personal project because of the history I've had with Chinatown.

Got to visit the event on 2 separate occasions and was surprised each time to see how well received the event was. It's definitely heartening to see Chinatown lively and buzzing—kudos to CARS, CRA/LA, as well as all the community organizations that came together to put Chinatown Summer Nights together. 

Also, got to admit, it's a big boost to the old ego to see my maps, directory and logo everywhere—even when it's above a bathroom sign! 

And of course, the food… 

Not only were there food trucks galore at CSN—to which I tried the poutine at Frysmith, Papa's Tapas, Lomo Arigato and Patty Wagon—they were also entertaining cooking demos with numerous Chinatown restaurants and amusing emcees. One such was the vivacious Next Food Network star Doreen Fang as she, with the help of the Miss Chinatown Queen and Princess as they touted the beauty benefits of eating fish maw (aka stomach). 

Here are more food from CSN:

Poutine with bacon gravy at Frysmith. Unfortunately a letdown with room temperature, bland gravy and too high expectations. Quite enjoyed the squeaky cheese curds though!

La Vie en Rose Burger at Patty Wagon. Hearty buns, robust Gruyère, juicy patty and sweet caramelized onions. Doesn't get better than this. 

Free salt & pepper crab claw at the cooking demo. Hard to eat without the proper tools but solidly prepared. 

Tallarin Saltado at Lomo Arigato. Generously sized with a good sodium kick. Don't forget the Aji Verde sauce!

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Paella at Papa's Tapas. Healthiest of the bunch with the side salad but the rice was too gummy—tasted as if it was cooking for the entire day (most likely). 

Can't wait to check out CSN again next year!

An Announcement...

Gastrophoria is in the middle of a transformation!

Back in March, I first got an addicting taste of cooking on a large scale when joining up with my friend Yulree to cater my old classmate's 25th birthday bash. Looking back, it was crazy that we, with the help of 2 friends, were able to pull off and succeed in cooking for 200 people with no prior experience!  Since then, Yulree and I have been steadily cooking together in our spare time, working on different food concepts and we're proud to say that we are partnering up to take Gastrophoria to new heights. 

Gastrophoria has been my personal journal to catalog and share unforgettable food experiences, moments of euphoria when a specific flavor combo just hits you and overwhelms—not unlike falling in love. 

Now, Yulree and I are modifying the paradigm. We're joining forces not to simply share our epicurean experiences, but rather, we want to bring the experience to others. 

Simply put, under the name Gastrophoria, we'll be combining our love of cooking and hosting to create exceptional dishes and one-of-a-kind events. We both believe that bringing together people and food often produces magical results and we're excited to be on the quest to do so. 

This blog will then be the vehicle where we document our journey on this new mission. In fact, Yulree will be covering our latest adventure!

Until then, happy eating, together.

Brodard's Nem Nuong Cuon Remixed

Personality-wise, Kanye West isn't someone you would want to meet your mother. Musically however, he's up there amongst the musical greats (in my book, that is). 

Take "I Wonder" for example. West has an uncanny knack for taking snippets of the classic, Labi Siffre's "My Song," then mixing in a sweet beat and lyrics to transform it into a musically delicious morsel. 

In cooking, I strive to be like Kanye—to take classic dishes and remixing them into my own. 

After a particularly (stomach) fulfilling day at Westminster where I was inducted to the wonderful nem nuong cuon (aka pork spring roll) world that is Brodard, I couldn't wait to recreate it into something new. 

First step was to relive the experience. Luckily, there was plenty of photographic evidence to review. 

Brodard's rolls are quite innocuous looking. Yet, underneath the translucent rice wrappers is a tempest of flavors and textures. First, there is the grilled snappy pork sausage with a garlicky punch. Then a shatteringly crispy chive egg roll comes into play. Best part though is that it finishes on a light note, with crisp romaine, spears of fresh cucumber and aromatic chives. You won't find any filler rice noodles here. 

If that wasn't enough, the nem nuong cuon comes with the "house special sauce," a secret concoction that makes the rolls taste even better. It's simultaneously sweet, spicy, salty and comforting. 

To recreate the rolls, I started out making the chive egg rolls, a easy task with prepared wrappers. Cutting each wrapper in half, I wrapped them around a few chinese chives loosely (goal is to get layers of crispy wafers) and glued the ends with a bit of egg wash. A minute in a hot oil bath afterwards was all it took to get them golden brown and ready. 

Next came the protein portion of the program. Instead of the traditional pork patties, I made fish pinwheels instead for a lighter summer fare. Using fish paste from my favorite purveyor, Ocean Plus Fish Market in Rosemead, I mixed in chopped green onions, chinese chives and reconstituted shitake mushrooms. Then, I spread the mixture thinly on a sheets of nori and rolled them up as if making pin wheel cookies. A slightly longer hot oil bath is then in order to cook them through. 

With the chive egg rolls and fish pinwheels ready, all that was left was to assemble the rolls. I dunked a piece of rice paper in a bowl of hot water and layer on shredded carrots, chinese chives, cucumber spears, romaine leaves, a chive egg roll and a fish pinwheel before rolling it into a neat little package. 

Oh, and before I forget, the sauce! Made a close replica by boiling the water left over from reconstituting the shitake mushrooms and adding fish sauce, sugar, grated carrots, Sriracha garlic sauce and chopped garlic. When all the flavors have melded, I thickened it with a cornstarch slurry and finished it with egg to mimic the look of Brodard's sauce. Theirs is spicier and more orange in color, to which I suspect is attributed to more chili sauce and grounded dried shrimp. 

To complete the experience, I made my own version soda chanh (lime soda) with a sugar syrup made with a mixture of white and brown sugar cooked with pomelo zest, pomelo juice and sparkling water. The perfect accompaniment to the nem nuong cuon. 

The verdict? The judge of the day, a genuine Vietnamese foodie (who was also the one who introduced me to Brodard) ate till he could eat no more. Success for team Kanye!

6 Course Tastings at Disneyland

Lately I've been obsessed with tasting menus. 

Perhaps I've been partially influenced by Sona as I visited there multiple times in the past few months to get my fill before they closed a few weeks back. Or perhaps I just developed food ADD lately. In any case, I've been attempting to recreate the tasting experience at home and wherever I go, with the most recent tasting at Disneyland. 

Most visitors to the happiest place on earth are there for the rides—I used to as well. Being in the school's marching band since I was in the 4th grade up till I graduated from high school, my friends and I would look forward to the annual trip to Disneyland where we got to spend a day at the park in exchange for performing at their parade.  We strategically planned out our days at the park, sprinting to each ride to gather up fast passes to effectively bypass the endless lines. Food then weren't so important—a quick trip to the clam chowder stand was all we needed. 

Now, after countless trips, I wanted to see Disneyland in a new light, and what better way than through food?

1st course: Corn Dog

Located in a stage coach near the fire station, this is not to be missed. Fried to ordered, the meaty frank gets a crunchy corn bread batter—heavy on the corn meal for added texture—jacket and it is incredible. Think Hot Dog on a Stick x 10. If you want to feel healthier, get some apples on the side.

2nd course: Steak Gumbo

I had already subconsciously walked to my favorite eatery, as I like to call it, chowder corner. But this day being the day to explore, my foodie partner, Lucky, chose the steak gumbo instead for the next course. A  pretty decent specimen, it's a hearty stew of rice, beef, okra and assorted veggies. But, the clam chowder still has my heart. 

3rd course: Clam Chowder

Needless to say, it was back to the OG slurry for me. A powerfully briny potage, wonderfully tempered by the mild sourdough bread, it was extremely comforting, transporting me back to my band days. 

After the chowders, a quick excursion to (the outside of) Club 33 to in order to walk off the soup. For those who don't know, Club 33 is a top-secret, membership only restaurant in Disneyland. I was lucky enough to witness 2 making their way in… evidently, you have to buzz the intercom and say some sort of password before being admitted inside. Tres cool. 

4th course: Pineapple Whip

After a few rides down my belt, it was time for dessert. Lucky recommended the pineapple whip, which I thought was a type of taffy but couldn't be more wrong. Found only in one spot in Disneyland (next to the Tiki Room), pineapple whip is a refreshing frozen soft serve made from Dole pineapples and possibly magic. I am quite sure though that it doesn't have dairy as I was fine after eating my fill—and I'm highly lactose intolerant. 

5th course: Turkey Leg

Few more rides after and a princess makeover (don't ask), we made our way back to the middle of the park to experience another Disneyland famed food item: the Turkey Leg. Slowly roasting under heating lamps, these mammoth drumsticks  are the bee's knees. Moist, salty (it was like turkey ham) and fatty, it was the trifecta of medieval goodness. As I savagely polished off the hunk of meat, families looked in horror. Note to self: find a discreet location for said feast.

6th course: Churro

Following the turkey carnage, I was in the mood for something sweet again—such is a wretched endless cycle—so we concluded the food marathon with the classic churro. Crunchy exterior, soft interior and cinnamon sugar coating, it was the perfect ending to the perfect day.

Until the next time!

* Images courtesy of Lucky

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Bake-a-Thon for Camp Footprints

My good friend, Allen, sent me a heartwarming email recently. This summer, he will be volunteering at Camp Footprints, a camp first founded in 1992 that serves kids with developmental disabilities. It's a cause especially close to Allen's heart as his uncle passed away from complications with severe developmental disabilities. So in memory of his uncle, Allen signed up to be a camp counselor and plans to raise a total of $800 to sponsor 2 kids to go to Camp Footprints.

Because of current rough economic times, it's not easy to ask others to donate when many struggle to make ends meet—I am currently in that boat. However, I want to give in my own way, and the best way I know is to cook.

For Foodbuzz's April edition of  24,24,24, I was propitiously chosen as one of the lucky bloggers to host a dinner. However, instead of a traditional sit-down meal, I took the opportunity to engineer a day of baking: a Bake-a-Thon (and following bake sale) where all the proceeds go to the benefit of Camp Footprints. Hosted at Allen's apartment, I recruited a small squadron of friends, 4 very capable bodies to bake and package camp-inspired goodies such as: 

1. Samoas Rice Krispies

2. S'more Sandwiches

3. Choco Mint Brownies

4. Trail Mix Cookies

At noon sharp, my friends and I assembled at my friend's apartment and began setting up the different stations for maximum efficiency. A cookie-cooling station was first on the list—we created a make-shift bench using my friend Lucky's beer pong table (which was dubbed the cookie pong table for the day). We also transformed the dining room table into the mixing table and the kitchen into a baking machine. 

Then, Allen and Lucky broke off to the cutting area to trim out all the labels for the baked goodies. Inspired by vintage candy wrappers, I had designed one-of-a-kind packaging for each of the different items—it was seriously one of the most enjoyable design projects I've had to date!

First off, Samoas Rice Krispies. Yulree, my friend with the serious mixing-arm, was our master mixer. Paying homage to my favorite Girl Scout Cookies, I recreated the classic by adding butterscotch chips and coconut flakes within the marshmallow cereal mix. And to top it off, a drizzle of semi-sweet chocolate. 

Pretty soon, the kitchen smelled of caramel and marshmallows—it was glorious. Since the recipe makes one 9 x 13 inch pan, we made 4 batches to make a total of 24 big treats. 

Next off, S'more Sandwiches. While I love a good s'more, the time it takes to create one s'more makes it more of a every-once-in-a-while treat, so here I attempted to make them more portable, cleaner, and with less preparation time required. 

An involved operation, my friends Pauline and Lucky set off to split the graham crackers, assemble the layers and toast them in the microwave to cement the sandwiches together. All 100 of the them. We found that adding a layer of honey-chunky PB works wonders on the taste and the mechanics of further cementing the treats together. 

As the pair was working  their assembly-line, churning s'mores out like clockwork, Yulree and I learned the finer arts of tempering chocolate. First stumbling onto Mark Bittman's video a few days back, I learned that dipping chocolate is quite the art-form—when done correctly, you get a nice glossy layer of the good stuff. However, if you do it wrong, you'd get a streaky, dull mess. 

Heeding Bittman's warning and advice, we dutifully melted a few handfuls of chocolate bits till the temperature reached 115 degrees. Then removing the mixture from the heat, we "seeded" the choco-lava with more chocolate so the temperature fell to 91 degrees. Because the golden period for dipping chocolate is from 91-88 degrees, we conjured up superhuman speed to dip as many sandwiches as possible. It was a messy, albeit delicious affair.

5 o'clock and at the half-way mark! Now, we switched gears again to create the Choco-Mint Brownies. Due to time constraints, my friends and I decided upon using boxed mixes. We settled on the double-fudge brownies for moistness and prepared the batter as usual… with the exception of adding a box of chopped Andes Mints (laughing diabolically) before baking. If that wasn't enough, we also painted the tops with even more dark chocolate and sprinkled additional Andes pieces on top after cooling for more chocolatey impact.

Two hours later, with our energies almost drained, it was time for dinner! On the menu was Watermelon Aqua Frescas and Bacon-wrapped hot dogs—a little camp-inspired treat for Allen to get him ready for camp. We made the aqua fresca by blending an entire watermelon (including seeds for flavor), simple syrup, the zest of one orange and its juice together with water. Served simply with ice (or for an adult's version, add a shot of rum), nothing is more refreshing. 

For the hot dogs, we wrapped bacon around beef franks (bun-length ones are the best), then pan-fried them till smoky and crispy—which was surprisingly harder than it looks because the rebellious bacon prefer to unravel themselves from the franks. It made me appreciate well-made ones on the street so much more. To accompany the dogs, we toasted buns in the oven, sautéed onions with tricolored bell peppers and made caper-garlic aoili from scratch. 

Refreshed and stuffed, we shuffled back to the kitchen for the final item, the Trail Mix Cookie. I found a wonderful recipe from Betty Crocker and thought to share it with all of you. Of course, I'm not one to color within the lines, so I made a few minor adjustments (in parentheses). 

Trail Mix Cookies by Betty Crocker

Makes 60 cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup PB (I used honey chunky PB for flavor and crunch)

1 cup butter at room temp

1/2 cup shortening

2 tsp vanilla (vanilla bean paste adds little flecks of beans, fancy!)

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups oats (I like old-fashioned ones for the texture)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups M&Ms

1 cup peanuts (I prefer lightly salted toasted peanuts for that salty-sweet balance)

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Beat sugars, peanut butter, butter, shortening, vanilla and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, oats, baking powder and baking soda thoroughly. Stir in candies, peanuts and raisins.

2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet; flatten slightly with fork.

3. Bake 9 to 10 minutes (I baked mine for 12) or until light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

120 cookies later at midnight, we were finally finished! 12 hours of baking—we are true marathoners. To cap the night off, those of us who hadn't yet overdosed on sugar celebrated with freshly made ice cream sandwiches and once once we all switched gears to put Allen's apartment back together. 

With our cache of baked goods, our goal is to sell them all (Today at the LA Yelp Elite Event, kudos to Allen for spearheading this!) to be able to sponsor one child to camp. 

Thank you to my friends for giving day of your time to embark on a sugar-filled adventure with me. It was a crazy day, especially during the home stretch as we were falling from our sugar highs, but we pulled through and came out victorious! 

Until the next time.

* Images courtesy of Lucky.