Mitsuwa - Japanese Gourmet Food Fair 2011

Mitsuwa Market

MITSUWA
21515 Western Ave
Torrance, CA 90501

A couple of weeks back, Mitsuwa hosted a "Umaimono Gourmet Fair," which featured Japanese delicacies straight from Japan!

Rice Crackers Booth + Samples

This had "Culinary Adventure" written all over it! Many booths offered free samples, while others showed demos of how their specialties were made.

Utsunomiya Gyoza Tenou Booth + Demo

The thing I was most looking forward to trying was the special ramen offered by Kitahama Shoten, a ramen place from Hakodate, Hokkaido with Chef Hideyuki Haniu.

Kitahama Shoten Ramen Booth

KITAHAMA SHOTEN SHIRO MISO RAMEN: I'm actually not a big miso ramen person (I prefer tonkotsu or shio style), but I had to try this "No. 1"-rated ramen. The broth itself was slightly sweet and the noodles were a little softer than I usually like, but the chasiu was delicious! The fat literally melted in your mouth. Yumm~

Kitahama Shoten Shiro Miso Ramen ($9.80 + tax)

KITAHAMA SHOTEN HAKODATE SHIO RAMEN: I came to this food fair with my mom so she got the other style of ramen that was offered. "Shio" means "salt" in Japanese so this ramen had a salty broth with the same mouthwatering chasiu. The toppings were slightly different from my miso ramen, but we both agreed that we liked the Hakodate Shio Ramen more.

Kitahama Shoten Hakodate Shio Ramen ($9.80 + tax)

KUKURU TAKOYAKI: One of my favorite demo booths featured takoyaki, which are dough balls stuffed with pieces of octopus and covered with takoyaki sauce, mayo, bonito shavings, and seaweed powder. Takoyaki is a popular festival street snack in Japan. Usually, takoyaki is served in an open container so you can enjoy them immediately and the steam can escape, but Kukuru placed their takoyaki in an enclosed paper box, which ended up making my takoyaki really mushy. :(

Kukuru Takoyaki Booth + Demo (8 balls for $6.90+tax)

Check out Kukuru's Mascot

LAPOPPO APPLE POTATO PIE: The Lapoppo booth demonstrated how to bake an "Apple Potato Pie."

Lady selling Baked Sweet Potato and Sweet Potato Stick Snacks

Chef making "Apple Potato Pie"

I love baking so I had to try this strange apple and potato pie. Who ever heard of potato in a sweet pie anyway??

Burger Adventure: Fuddruckers

Fuddruckers

Fuddruckers
221 N San Fernando Blvd
Burbank, CA 91502

After a fun Conan TV taping and some tasty treats at Porto's Bakery, my friends and I headed over to Fuddruckers for dinner. Fuddruckers is a build-your-own burger joint that I've heard about but never visited before.

Fuddruckers Menu

Basically, you order the foundation of your burger (type of meat, size of your patty, cheese, and any special toppings) at the window and add the veggies and condiments yourself at the other stations. I say "type of meat" because Fuddruckers offers an "Exotics" menu that includes wild boar, elk, buffalo, or whatever other game is in season.

Fuddruckers Veggie Station

Fuddruckers cooks up your burger fresh to order. Once they call your number, you bring your burger to the Veggie Station to add whatever you want in whatever proportions you want. Here, you can add lettuce (whole leaf and shredded), tomatoes, onions (rings and diced), different pickles, relish, salsa, and chili peppers.

Fuddruckers Condiment Station

At the Condiment Station, you can add your regular ketchup, mustard, and mayo, but they also carry some more interesting condiments like BBQ sauce, nacho cheese, nacho jalapeno cheese, Tabasco, malt vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.

Heinz 57 Sauce

They even carry Heinz 57 Sauce, which I've never had before. It tasted a little like slightly sweetened Lucas.

My Kid's Meal - cheeseburger, fries, and a cookie

This is how my burger turned out. Rather messy, I know, but it was pretty tasty. I actually ordered the Kid's Meal Cheeseburger because I didn't want to eat a huge third-pound or half-pound burger. I was scared the cashier wouldn't let me since the menu said it was for kids 12 and under, but fortunately, the cashier didn't say anything. The Kid's Meal came with a burger, fries, cookie, and souvenir cup (not pictured here, but it's in the photo of the Veggie Station). Honestly, the fries weren't anything spectacular and I've had better cookies, but I liked the burger with its buttered bun and beefiness. Next time, I'll order this without the cheese since the Condiment Station carries nacho cheese.

Elk Burger

Here's my friend's Elk Burger with cheese and grilled mushrooms. He ordered it medium, but it came out rather rare. I got to try a bite and the best way I can describe it is that it was like beef without the beefiness... so like... bland beef? It didn't really impress me and the rareness was off-putting so the Elk Burger is not for me. My friend didn't seem to be wow-ed by his burger either so maybe we're just not elk burger people.

Ultimately, I enjoyed my first experience at Fuddruckers and don't mind coming back.

Bakery Adventure: Porto's Bakery

Porto's Bakery
3614 W Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, CA 91504

A place that's been on my "To Try" list for the longest time, Porto's Bakery is one of those bakeries that everyone and their mothers (including my own mother!) have tried, but has somehow slipped through my fingers. I've heard my friends rave about it, but I never got the chance to try it until I found myself in the Burbank area for a Conan taping. It's located a little less than a mile away from the studio so it finally all worked out for me. Yay!

We got there around 6pm-ish and the lines on both the cafe side and bakery side were massive. I have a feeling it was all people who just got off work or finished a TV taping (like myself! :P). I could've sworn some of the guys in the line were in the audience with me!

Porto's selection of baked goods is so large, I honestly wasn't sure where to begin. I knew I had to try their potato balls, cheese rolls, and guava and cheese rolls, but there was so much more to choose from, I was a bit overwhelmed!

Just look how yummy their cakes look!

Here's a recap of all the things I tried:

Potato Ball ($0.90 each)

POTATO BALL: I bought 5 potato balls so I could eat one fresh and take the rest home for my family. These are fried mashed potato balls with a chili-like meat filling. The filling had a slight, but distinct bell pepper flavor. I'm personally not a big fan of bell peppers (I have to be in the mood to eat them) so I didn't really like the filling too much, but it was tasty overall. My bro engulfed his and when he finished he said, "I think I ate mine too fast. I want another." Haha! Too bad I only had one for each of us, but next time I'll know to buy more.

Opera Cake ($2.95)

OPERA CAKE SLICE: Has anyone seen the anime "Yumeiro Patissiere"? This is the cake that Kashino makes for his sister to convince her to allow him to become a pastry chef. Haha, because of that, I wanted to try it for myself. This cake tasted just like tiramisu, but with chocolate ganache. The official description stated that it was "Almond sponge cake soaked in coffee, layer of chocolate ganache, layer of mocha butter cream. Topped with chocolate." The slice itself isn't too big, but it's very rich. I cut pieces off to share with my friends, which left a little more than half the slice for myself and even that was a little too much for me. I love tiramisu and chocolate so this was really good, but I can only have it in small doses. 

Top: Cheese Rolls ($0.70 each), Guava and Cheese Roll ($0.75 each)
Bottom: Dulce de Leche Kiss ($0.50 each), Raspberry Kiss ($0.50 each), Blueberry Muffin ($1.15)

CHEESE ROLL: One of my friends loves these and almost bought 2 dozen, but he settled of just one dozen. These were very similar to a cheese danish but with a sugar coating instead of icing. The outside is like a flaky, buttery croissant with a outer sugar crust and slightly sweetened cream cheese filling. I thought they were pretty good, but didn't particularly like the sugar crust. I'd still buy these again though.

REFUGIADO (GUAVA AND CHEESE PASTRY): This was made of flaky puff pastry with a guava and cream cheese filling. I'm normally okay with guava, but I didn't really like this. It has a distinct guava flavor and when my mom bit into it, she knew instantly that she had had this pastry before. My bro doesn't like guava so he didn't like this at all. I won't be buying this pastry again.

DULCE DE LECHE KISS: This cookie has a buttery, shortbread-like outside with a dulce de leche filling. I really liked these. The center was chewy and not overly sweet even though they were dusted with powdered sugar. While I was in line, a few of the people ahead of me each bought a dozen of these so I thought I'd give them a try. I'm very glad I did and will be buying these again next time.

RASPBERRY KISS: These reminded me of the Knott's Berry Farm cookies. They had the same cookie outside as the Dulce de Leche Kiss, but with a raspberry filling. They actually reminded my brother of a Nutrigrain bar or a Fig Newton. Although they were tasty, I would pass on these the next time I go to Porto's.

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN: I thought this was a solid blueberry muffin with a lot of blueberries. I bought this because my friend's cousin recommended it, but I still like the fresh mini muffins from Souplantation the most. I wouldn't buy this muffin again in future visits, but I might try one of their other muffins.

Materva ($1.40)

MATERVA: And lastly, the Materva. According to the menu, this was an international soda that's only available at the Glendale and Burbank bakeries. I wasn't sure if I should choose the Materva, Malta, or Inca Cola (which are all only available at the Glendale or Burbank locations), but the saleslady suggested the Materva so I got that. (Haha, I bet I could've gotten this cheaper at a Hispanic supermarket! xP) Anyways, Materva is a yerba mate soda that tastes like red licorice in soda form. I'm not a big soda person so I only finished half the can, but it was interesting to try. Needless to say, I won't be getting this again.

Alritey, that concludes my adventure to Porto's. I wouldn't mind going back if I'm ever in the neighborhood again. There are also locations in Glendale and Downey so if those are closer to you, don't be afraid to check them out if you haven't already! (Haha, though I bet you already have since EVERYONE has tried Porto's! Now, including myself! :) ) 

Until the next adventure...

Conan TV Taping 05.26.2011

Hi all! :)

I recently scored tickets to see a Conan O'brien TV taping (Episode 1098 on 05/26/2011)! :O I know, I know... HOW DO I KEEP GETTING TICKETS TO ALL THESE RANDOM EVENTS!? Haha, I honestly don't know, but I consider myself VERY lucky! :) Conan tickets are given out by lottery so it's really all in the luck of the draw. I actually originally got tickets to the May 13th taping, but that show got cancelled and the Conan team rebooked me for the May 26th taping.

Being a Thursday, it was rather difficult finding people to go with me, but I managed to wrangle up 2 other friends.

Wristbands

We got there around 1pm. Even though it was still way ahead of the 2:30pm check-in deadline, I would recommend going there even earlier. We had to go through security, have our ID's checked, and then check in with the PAs (production assistants?), who gave us wristbands, our tickets, and a group number. Then, we were free to roam around the waiting area or leave to grab something to eat. The group number served to keep our place in line so I would suggest going early so you get a lower number and then going out to lunch somewhere nearby.

Tickets, Group Number, and Email Confirmation

Group #28 landed us in the middle of the right section of the audience, which isn't too bad, but it would've been cool sitting closer.

Burrito and Torta Truck

As we waited, one of the PAs informed us about a food truck that usually parks outside so when it came, we decided to try it. Neither I nor one of my friends had eaten lunch and it is always a good idea to eat before a TV taping. (I'm speaking from experience. *cough* Mad TV *cough* Catch 21 *cough* It's never fun finding yourself almost starving in the middle of filming! x__x)

Asada Torta

The truck itself was one of those no name "original" food trucks that mainly served burritos and tortas. (Haha, there's no fancy fusion food like kimchi quesadillas or honey feta fries here.) I got the carne asada torta. (Sorry about the crappy picture quality. These pics were all taken with my phone's camera since we aren't allowed to have camera cameras.) The meat was a bit on the dry side but the ingredients seemed fresh and it was a good pre-TV taping meal.

Water and Music Provided

Something that I loved about Conan's waiting area was that they provided water for everyone and music for people to listen to. They're so considerate of their audience! (When I went to the Mad TV taping ages ago, we had to stand outside in the sun waiting in line. Not fun.) Also, I wanted to note that the security guards are friendly and helpful too! It must be great working there! As a total aside, they also have some of the nicest port-a-potties I've ever been in. They still smell bad like regular port-a-potties, but there's AC and automatic sinks! Strange and yet kind of cool...

Conan T-shirt ($30 there, but $25 online)

Back of the Shirt

There was also a small merchandise shop that opened up while we waited. They had shirts, hats, and wristbands. I caved and ended up buying the shirt above because I liked the color and how the back said "I WAS THERE". (When I came home, I checked online and found that it was cheaper buying it online! D:< The prices were different for the women's shirts for some reason (with some being more expensive online while others were cheaper) so I suggest double checking the online prices before going to the taping if you're considering buying something.)

The waiting area

At 3pm, they started escorting groups to the studio. We were in the 3rd group (Groups #21-30). We walked through the WB lot and got to see where they film The Big Bang Theory (which is across from the old Friends set), Two and a Half Men, and a few other studios. I didn't get to take any photos since they made us turn off our phones, but the guests for the day were Dana Carvey, Mike Zohn & Evan Michelson (from Obscura Antiques and Oddities), and Tinie Tempah. The guests themselves didn't really interest me, but it was a fun experience. I was really hoping Tinie Tempah would sing more than one song (maybe even off camera for the audience present), but that didn't happen which was a bit disappointing.

Some things I noticed while filming: Andy Richter is actually a lot bigger in person! When he stood next to our MC warm-up/prep guy, it looked like Penn and Teller! Haha! The stage itself is also a lot smaller in person. As Dana Carvey said during filming, it really is a rather "intimate" experience. Case and point: one of the guys in the audience had a sign asking, "Can we touch your hair?" and during one of the breaks, Conan went up to him and let him touch his hair! How cool is that!? Just goes to show that Conan really cares about keeping his audience happy! :D

As we were leaving the taping, some people from the Lopez Tonight show stopped us and asked if we wanted to go to his taping. I wanted to because the guests seemed interesting (Randy Jackson, Russell Peters, and someone from Kiss), but my friends wanted to leave to go to the bathroom instead. -.- Perhaps next time... It's alright we didn't get to see them though. It gave us time to go to Porto's Bakery and grab dinner at Fuddruckers.

Conan Check-In is on Level 1

One thing I wanted to see before we left was the Warner Brother's tower, but I missed it! One of my friends spotted it as we were driving, but when we turned, a big building got in the way. Bummer... :( Oh wellz... next time, rite? ;)

"We're walking... we're walking... and we're stopping..." ~ Miss Information (Yay for everyone who remembers Animaniacs! :P)

Bakery Adventure: 85C Bakery

85C Bakery
Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center
2700 Alton Parkway, Suit #123
Irvine, CA 92606

I have a confession to make: I'm in love. With a bakery!! I've been going to Asian bakeries since as far as I can remember but NEVER have I ever LOVED a bakery's bread this much!! The bread is so fresh and moist and everything I wish my own baking could be. I've never had anything like it! The bar has been set and it is HIGH, my friends!

85C Bakery Bread

Check out my haul! I don't live near Irvine nor go there regularly so I went a bit overboard. I really wish I could've tried everything they sold, but it wasn't in my budget and my waistline wouldn't have been too happy. But here is what I did try...

85C COFFEE BREAD: This is the bread that's on the bottom right corner of my haul pic. It was soooo moist with a crisp top coating that's similar to the tops of Chinese pineapple buns or Japanese melon pan. Inside, there was sweet red bean paste and soft mochi. It seemed like a strange combo - I mean, who would think to combine coffee, anko, and mochi? - but it tasted delicious together! I ate this right outside the bakery while it was still warm. Yum....

BRIOCHE: I must thank my friend, Deanna, for recommending this gem! This bread came out fresh right as we were paying at the cashier so we asked the cashier to grab some for us. It is so moist and fluffy! Not overly sweet... There's a slight sweet coating on the top and it was soooo good. My friend ate this as we sat outside and gave me a piece. It is too. die. for. when it is fresh! It's still extremely good the next day. Still very moist and fluffy! My family literally devoured it as I slept! *sneaky sneaky!* I would definitely buy this again! :)

85C Bakery - Brioche

COFFEE RAISIN BREAD: Strong coffee flavor with the sweetness of raisins and a bit of cheese flavor. Moist and chewy. It was good, but not my favorite.

85C Bakery - Coffee Raisin Bread

COCONUT TWIST: This is one of the most common buns one can find in Asian bakeries and somehow, 85C Bakery does it better! There's loads of coconut so this was made for you coconut lovers out there!

Coconut Twist

85C ROSE CHEESE BREAD: Deanna told me that this was one of 85C's most popular breads and I can see why! I couldn't really taste the rose, but I did notice that there were small bits of dried cranberries and I love those! There's also a sweet cream cheese filling. This turned out to be one of my brother's favorites.

85C Rose Cheese Bread

85C Rose Cheese Bread (cross section)

WALNUT MILK BREAD: This bread was moist like all the others, but I didn't find anything memorable or spectacular about it. Compared to the other buns and breads, we felt that this was a bit on the "eh" side. Don't get me wrong, it's still very good, but we liked the other pastries more.

Walnut Milk Bread

CHOCOLATE CHIP BOWL: Another moist bread, but with chocolate chips. I thought I would really like this because I like chocolate, but I found that this was my least favorite item out of the bunch. There was something about the chocolate chips that I didn't really like, but I can't put my finger on what it was.

Chocolate Chip Bowl

HONEY CAKE: I love honey cake! 85C's has a strong honey flavor and is moist and soft.

Honey Cake

HONEY CHOCOLATE CAKE: I can't say anyting about this cake because I didn't get to try it! I'm so sad! I did get a picture of it. (Though, that's small consolation. :T ) This is on my list of things to buy the next time I visit.

Honey Chocolate Cake

I ate these buns/breads/cakes over the course of a week and miraculously, not one of them dried out or became stale! It really blows my mind! I know I kept describing everything as "moist" but it really was! And I honestly don't know how they make their pastries that way! It is now one of my life goals to bake bread as moist and tasty as 85C's. My life has been changed and no bread is ever going to taste the same! I look forward to many more adventures to 85C Bakery.

How to Make Onigiri by Hand (No Mold, No Mess)

Have you ever wanted to try the triangular riceballs your favorite anime/manga characters always seem to enjoy? Onigiri are Japanese riceballs that can be eaten plain or made with a tasty filling and/or mixed with furikake (Japanese rice seasoning). As a non-Japanese kid growing up in America, my first exposure to onigiri came from the dubbed anime shown on KidsWB (now known as CW4kids). Like me, you might know onigiri as the "donuts" Brock made for Ash and Misty back in the day when there were only 151 Pokemon, but trust me, there is nothing donut-like about onigiri... especially Brock's. Brock's onigiri were made with umeboshi, which is a sour, pickled plum - about as far away as you can get from a donut on the taste spectrum! >.< Nevertheless, onigiri are easy to make and taste great!

On today's adventure, I'll show a simple tutorial on how to make onigiri by hand without the use of a fancy mold. Better yet, I'll show you how to make them without getting your hands wet or dirty! I promise! ^_^

Although this isn't the traditional way of making onigiri, I love this method because the bowl helps you achieve onigiri that are the same size and the plastic wrap keeps your hands clean. Fresh cooked rice is also super hot and the bowl helps minimize the time you spend handling these toasty balls of yummy-ness.

Tohru used leeks when making onigiri in Fruits Basket

The thing I love most about onigiri is that the filling possibilities are virtually endless so you can customize everything to your own taste. I used tuna mayo and umeboshi (pickled plums), which are some of the most popular fillings, but you can use whatever you want. Have an adventure with it! ^_~ Just be sure the filling isn't oily or too watery because that could cause the riceball to fall apart. Raw filling like sashimi or spicy tuna should also be avoided if you are packing onigiri that will be eaten later since those fillings can spoil.

ONIGIRI FILLING SUGGESTIONS
Tuna Mayo
Umeboshi (picked plums)
Teriyaki Chicken
Grilled Salmon
Kombu (seaweed)
Spam
Kimchi
Bulgogi
Spicy Pork

What's your suggestion?

Onigiri are great for snacks or packed in a bento lunch. I often make them for my family and friends when we go to places like Anime Expo or an amusement park. Now that you, too, know how to make them, take them with you on your next big adventure! ^_^

P.S. Click the link to see my Anime Food Re-creation of Fruits Basket's platter of onigiri!