Zzzzaaaaapp... Gotcha!

Finally got to check out that one restaurant a couple friends and I had been interested in for quite some time now. We tried to check it out in November but it was closed for the day and ended up going to Karma instead. We took the chance again to see if Zapp would be open. It WAS!

Zapp is known to be serving Thai dishes but I believe it's more than that. It also serves the cuisines from Malaysia, China, Japan, Laos, Vietnam, and even Italian. So it's an interesting mix they got going over there. And I couldn't wait to dive in.

We got a combined order of...

Young Coconut Water. Well that one wasn't shared! All mine. :) I know, I probably should have passed because it would have been cheaper to just buy it at a supermarket, but I love it!



Thai Bruschetta. Fantastic appetizer. The flavors together were wonderful and balanced.



Mussel de Coco. A superb combination of Green Mussels, lemongrass (!!!), kaffir lime leaves, cilantro, green curry paste, and coconut cream. Couldn't get enough of this. Even the heat. I wanted to bottle it up.



****
Pho and Eggrolls (not pictured). Pho was wonderful, warm, and full of goodness. And fish balls too. Chicken Eggrolls were lovely and absolutely loved the kick of the curry dip. We grabbed more on the side.

****

Yaowarach. A salad combination of duck, lychees (!!!), scallion, ginger, deep fried garlic (!!!), onion, peanuts, cilantro, tomatoes, sesame seeds, and a tangy plum dressing over a bed of spinach.

Yeah, I really really love lychees.

Anyway, the salad fit completely well. Interesting flavor. Everything soaked up that plum dressing goodness. Combination worked and was flawless. The duck---unbelievably moist and tender. I have finally found a place that serves perfect duck. I've had it at a few other Asian restaurants but are usually somewhat dry. This was delicious.



And dessert too...

Penang Panna Cotta. Made with strong Malaysian coffee. Just perfect. Period.



They also have an almond pudding that we will probably try the next time.

I give Zapp 5 hearts: ♥♥♥♥♥. Flavor was flawless. Dishes were presented beautifully. Service was absolutely wonderful. Price was a little expensive but we combined and it was affordable. Unfortunately the location is poor. Hopefully they will pick up and find a better location because it would be a shame if their location = their downfall. I would definitely like to return and dive into more dishes. I'm going to take a small hiatus right now from spicy foods, eating out, and changing my diet around a little so I'll probably check out this place again a little later but this is a definite must if you are in the area.

Thai Pepper Seconds

As part of my birthday festivities, my friend Jessica allowed me to pick a restaurant of my choice and I would get dinner on her! Good thing she gave me a heads up because I needed a day or two to think about where my heart desired to go. I was really leaning towards Thai Pepper so I followed my heart and told her where I would meet her.

My one concern with going here again was that I was worried it wouldn't be the same as the first. From past experience, there have been real good eats that I had thoroughly enjoyed the first time, but it would then lack the love I was feeling the first time when I went back for seconds.

So I decided to test this theory out to see if I could enjoy this wonderful hole in the wall again and feel the same love I felt for it the first time around.....the result--UNBELIEVABLE. It was just as good as the first time, if not better! I'm telling you, you are really missing out on this great hole in the wall in the middle of Old Town Newhall. Believe it or not, the SCV is home to plenty good eats that have been around for a really long time. I think this place is a true gem in the middle of somewhat nowhere and don't judge it because its location in North LA. I'd make the drive for it. Guaranteed.



I started out with Tom Kha with the Tofu Option. This time they remembered to add the lemongrass and it definitely brought the soup to a higher intensity. I love the citrus with the savory coconut kick. Gets me everytime.




My entree was the Panang Beef Curry. I love the dried chillies heat kick along with the lemongrass flavor, galangal, coriander, and shrimp paste. The flavor combination--just lovely. Quite spicy but not overpowering. The beef, again, just melts in your mouth.



Jessica got the Pad Thai with Chicken. Her stomach can't handle a lot of new stuff (I'm still working on this random path I'm trying to get her to go on) so I cut her some slack and let her order it. She enjoyed it.



Lastly, I convinced Jessica to get a dessert there and try something she has not had before. I settled with Khao niao mamuang- Mango with sticky rice soaked in a sweetened coconut milk. Hmmm, just might have to be my comfort dessert. The combination is so comforting, so satisfying, and just so sexy. I love it. Period. I just found out now, literally, that my birthday is being celebrated again, sometime this weekend, with a dessert run and well, I'm thinking I might just have to go back to Thai Pepper just for this. :)



My thoughts: I'm sticking to my rating of 5 hearts: ♥♥♥♥♥. It is rare to find a restaurant and hole in the wall that, I have a feeling, will just get better and better each time you go.

Chiayo! ไชโย

Mom Can Cook-Take Two and T-Bo's "Supposedly Best" BBQ In Town

Okay, so I have two restaurants that I went to this week. One revisited and one for a work holiday event. Mom Can Cook and T-Bo's House of BBQ.

The first---Mom Can Cook. The last time I went, in October, I was sick, didn't have my sense of smell and taste, and relied on my friend Paola to tell me the flavors. So I decided to go back, try it again, and re-do my review on it before. Won't change my thoughts from before but I'll give more accurate descriptions from my tastebuds this time around.

You can make fun of me if you want, but I ended up ordering the same food as before, minus the Tom Kha, just so that it is fair and the fact I had no problems with those two dishes before! And a bonus that I took home my food this time!

Siamese Fried Rice with Shrimp and Scallops



I'll just say this again--you may think "whoopdy do!", this is just fried rice. NO, this is not just fried rice. This is better than regular fried rice! The flavors have that Thai kick that make it stand out and place this in the "better than normal" category. I thoroughly enjoyed this, but to be honest, I think this was better the first time around. It wasn't bad, but I didn't get that special feeling inside like the first time I tried it. The rice was just a little soggy, was missing the lemongrass, and it was also missing the fried garlic and shallots that I LOVED the last time. I asked the waitress if I could have some on the side and she brought some to me right away. Poured it all on top of the rice and tried again. Gave the rice the kick it needed but still didn't feel the same. They said Mom cooks in the kitchen everyday, but I wonder if she had help that day.

Pad Woon Sen



This time around, I didn't want to try it with the beef since it was overcooked last time, so I chose between tofu and shrimp, and well, shrimp is one of my weaknesses so I chose shrimp. The dish was good, but the flavor was different, which I'm assuming it was because of the protein used in this dish, the shrimp, and not beef.

This time I was able to taste the fish sauce (nam pla น้ำปลา), but not enough of it. I actually asked them if I could have more of the sauce because I could only grasp a hint of it and that wasn't enough to hold the dish together, to me. And I really disliked having to do that. It made me feel guilty, but it truly did not have much sauce in the dish. They took the food, added the sauce, heated it up quickly and returned the dish. It was definitely better after. Could taste the flavor, the saltiness, and completed the dish, but again, it just wasn't as special to me as it was the first time around. I really don't know why I was feeling like this that night because it really is unlike me. I dislike change but I also like change and trying new things. Odd combination. I'm weird, I know. :)

And this time, I actually did look for the dessert menu, but there was none! Dessert is basically whatever they have on hand, or how everyone knows it as, the "Special of the Day". What they had on offer that night was Green Tea or Coconut Ice Cream and Fried Banana with Coconut and maple sauce. Of course I chose the Fried Banana because I JUST LOVE banana fried in the many ways that it is utilized in different cuisines and wanted to try out their style of the fried banana. And the fact it was my only option since I can no longer have ice cream (long story, I'll explain in my future blog "2009 Through My Mouth", which I am currently working on).

Fried Banana กล้วย ทอด



Fresh banana completely covered with freshly grated coconut, fried to perfection, and served with maple syrup.

I simply adored this dessert. I wanted another one, but had to have some self-control! The outside, the grated coconut, was just wonderful; so crispy. The banana was soft, smooth, and sweet. The combination--flawless, sexy, luring, and satisfying! And I loved the maple syrup with the banana. I actually utilized the sauce; not normal for me. (Not a real fan of most syrups--chocolate, caramel, honey, maple/pancake syrup :), butterscotch...etc) This won't mean I will be indulging in maple syrup from now on, but I will always enjoy this fried banana with the syrup. Pair well with eachother. Overall, satisfied and no issues. I recommend!

My friend Jessica got the Green Tea Ice Cream and of course enjoyed it.



Overall, good food and I would go back. Jessica said she would go back as well. The only issue I had was that I didn't get the same special feeling like I did the first time around. The food is really good and not at all putting anything I had that night down. Maybe it was just my mood before I got there? Not sure. As for the people, I LOVE the owner and his staff. I love the fact that he remembered me when I arrived there. He is very good at recognizing faces. Good experience, humble environment, and still makes you feel like you are in a restaurant in Thailand (again, I am assuming)!

Next up, we have T-Bo's House of BBQ

I'll make this quick, unlike the staff there with our meals. Went there Thursday night for a work holiday party. While there, I realized I could take what I had there and put it on here! Everyone at my table got a kick out of it, especially since it gave us all something to do for the amount of time we were there.

The whole night was just lagging. Got there at 7:00pm, saw that there was only one waitress for around 60 people. Really?!? I was literally at the forgotten table with a couple other coworkers. Everyone was enjoying their appetizers and after awhile, one of us alerted the waitress, who acted surprised that we were the only ones with no appetizers. I'm not blaming her for a poor start of the night, more like the whole restaurant staff in general. They finally got another waitress to help out, which did help a little but not a whole lot. The menu was planned in advance so the whole night shouldn't have been difficult. Everyone just assumed the food was made already and just needed to be "microwaved" :-P.

So here is what we had...

Appetizers

Pickle chips, Spinach Artichoke Dip, and Mad dog bites.



Pickles were fried with a regular flour, salt, water dough. Different and I did actually like it. Spinach Artichoke Dip was off to me. Don't think I really liked it, except for the cayenne pepper on top, which gave the dip a kick. I think it was the cream of the dip that gave me that odd taste. Didn't fancy it. The Mad dog bites were more like rubber dogs. I liked the concept, I'll give it that, but I don't think any of us could eat it. They basically did the same thing with the pickle and batter and fried the mini hot dogs. Literally couldn't bite into the hot dog. So rubbery. The pickles were the only hit of the appetizers.

Next up, the salad. There were three salads to choose from; I chose the Orange Salad.



I really don't know if I want to get into this, so I'll just make it quick. The salad was made up of mandarin oranges, granny smith apple slices, gorgonzola cheese, burned and stuck together candied pecans, raisins (why, I don't know), lettuce, and an odd tasting vinaigrette--citrus flavor but with an odd pairing. They said there would be jicama in this salad and there wasn't. Would have liked to enjoy the salad with it. The only parts of this salad I liked were the oranges, gorgonzola cheese, and just slightly, the pecans--just complaining because I have never seen a salad with chunks of pecans stuck together like the ones in our salad bowls. I'll just say poor execution of the salad.

Next up, they forgot the soup and went straight to the entree, which was late by the way. Party was supposed to end at 9:00pm. We got our food at 9:30 while some tables were already ordering dessert. When we had got our meals, we had also asked for to-go boxes since none of us really wanted to eat so late. Had many options with the pulled pork, BBQ smoked chicken, salmon, 1/4 rack of baby back ribs, and brisket. I wasn't really hungry to begin with so I just chose the BBQ Smoked Chicken. There were several options for the sides to choose from and made the decision to get the garlic mashed potatoes and BBQ beans.



Chicken skin was crisp and I loved the BBQ sauce. Only things I liked on the chicken. The chicken was dry. Ate a couple bites and put it in the to-go box. I had promised my friend at work beforehand that I would share the food with her at work the next day since she wasn't able to attend. (I gave her the whole chicken.) I will not complain about the sides though. I really did love the garlic mashed potatoes and BBQ beans. The mashed potatoes had the right amount of garlic, not too overpowering (though I love garlic so I wouldn't have disliked it otherwise!) and the BBQ beans had that spicy and sweet flavor that I am always fond of. I didn't give her the sides! :)

Last but not least, we had ordered dessert when we had got the to-go boxes so that we wouldn't have been so far behind (at this time there were about 4 servers, which made things move more smoother). Choices were: Cow pie (?), Carrot Cake (!), Peanut Butter pie (iffy), T-Bo's S'mores (YUM!!), and Lemonade pie (interesting!). Two people at the table ordered the carrot cake, which I'm sure it was good because I love carrot cake! One ordered the Lemonade Pie.

(At this time, my camera chose to die so remainder pictures come via my phone.)



Basically a lemonade-flavor ice cream pie with a really crumbly graham cracker crust. I had a bite and it wasn't bad at all. Her husband ordered, I believe, the Cow pie, which he didn't get because one of the waitresses gave his order to someone else. He then ended up ordering the T-Bo's S'mores to go, of course after looking at mine.

Yes, you know it! I ordered the T-Bo's S'mores to-go because you know I fall to my marshmallow weakness easily!


Seriously how good does that look! I might have to go get my leftovers after writing this!

How it looked like in the to-go box. Not as appetizing or pretty but remember---Don't judge anything by its looks until you try it!

It is made up of again, crumbly graham cracker crust, a brownie, topped with marshmallows, and chocolate sauce if you want it. I didn't. And I don't think it needs it. Really, I just fell in love with this. It was sooooo good. I let it cool down because I liked it better slightly cool/warm than when it was hot. I believe I made a perfect choice for dessert! When we all got dessert at our table, it was 10:40pm.

*Shockingly, I did bring some of it to work for Lacey, which she was SO excited because---ONE, she said it tasted like Heaven--she loved it and TWO, do you know how hard it is for me to give up anything with marshmallows in it?!?! VERY hard. She knows that and she better think I'm a great friend. She said my director told her that I am a very selfless person.

In the end, I give T-Bo's House of BBQ 2 1/2 hearts: ♥♥1/2. Honestly, this really has nothing to do with the waiters. I blame management for not having sufficient staff for a party that was planned ahead of time. Very unorganized. I've been to a couple work parties through this company (going on 4 years) and this party was the only one that was off. Anyways, I'm not judging the party, I'm critiquing the restaurant. The 2 1/2 hearts is because of the food. I really didn't like any of it. The only things that stood out to me were the fried pickles, entree sides, and the dessert. Wasn't too impressed with the whole meal. I'm sorry.

Would I go back? Probably not. If I did, it wouldn't be coming out of my wallet. I might just go back for the dessert, but then again, I could just make it whenever I was craving it! ;) It isn't a complicated thing to do.

There you have it. Two restaurants--two different reviews. Next up should be two new restaurants--Argentine and Vietnamese. And a recap of 2009 Through My Mouth to follow after.

Mom Can Cook

Yes she can! And our waiter too, for that matter, since he also makes masterpieces in the kitchen! So I checked out another Thai place that was recommended to me by a friend yesterday. Yes, it is called "Mom Can Cook". I think that was one of the main reasons why I wanted to check this place out.



Located behind all the action of the quiet area of Canyon Country. I just fell in love with this cute, little restaurant. Being inside the restaurant felt like we were in a restaurant in Thailand (I'm just assuming!). Just by everything they had in there, decor-wise, throughout the restaurant. Like I had mentioned, the restaurant is very small and was full so we grabbed the last available table outside.

I loved the menu. Didn't see anything too generic. And unlike Thai Pepper, the menu appealed to me more by showcasing more Thai dishes that I was unfamiliar with.



So this is how the night went....

First wanted to make clear that most of the opinions given about the dishes we consumed are by my friend, Paola, because I've been sick for almost a week now and have lost my sense of smell at the moment! Sad times for me, but it didn't completely ruin my night. I even had a friend who I work with make a joke about it before I had gone to dinner (She is sick as well; not a good week for both of us!).

"Are you really going to spend money on food when you can't even taste it?"

"Um....yeah!"

Ok, so looking at the menu, I first wanted to choose a soup or salad. I was eyeing the Papaya Salad but what had stopped me from ordering it was the honey chili lime dressing. Not a fan of honey. And it isn't me to order a side and ask them to remove something, especially when it would have put the whole thing together.

So I saw that they had Tom Kha and Paola was okay with trying something new, so we had ordered it. We chose the tofu option.




Tofu in coconut soup with galanga, lemongrass, cilantro, and lime juice.

(Galanga=Resembles ginger, but not in flavor. A citrus, earthy aroma)

Unfortunately, I couldn't smell or taste the lemongrass. Paola said and I agreed, from what I could get from it, was that the lime and maybe even the galanga was really overpowering the lemongrass. The soup was still warm and comforting, despite the citrus standing out in the dish. She also didn't like how the tofu didn't take on any flavors from the soup. I noticed that as well, but it didn't really bother me because I like tofu and I don't mind it on its own. I asked her if she would order this again and she said she would, but she would get the chicken option instead. I'm proud I got her to try something new!

So next up we split our rice and entree courses. She ordered the Siamese Fried Rice with Shrimp and Scallops, which she really recommended, and I just ordered a side of Egg Fried Rice.

The Egg Fried Rice that I never even tried! That was because we had filled up on the other dishes before I tried this one and ended up taking it to-go, in which one of the waitresses bagged our food and switched our orders so Paola took my food home! So anyway, this is what it looked like, untouched.



The Siamese Fried Rice, on the other hand, I cannot say enough great things about this dish! Really, it was like my sense of smell came back the second I had my first bite of this greatness. Too many words I could use to describe this just satisfying dish!



Fried rice with shrimp, scallops, tomatoes, eggs, green onions, peas, carrots, cilantro, lemongrass, and the one thing that I just fell in love with---FRIED GARLIC! Oh my GOODNESS, wow, definitely brought this dish to a higher intensity! The flavors were just simply outstanding! Paired extremely well together. How lucky was I to take home Paola's meal instead! (They stapled our to-go bags shut so that is why I didn't catch this until I got home.) Must be precautious from now on when going out to eat! Yeah, I really recommend you try this one out!

And lastly, I had to make a decision between the Brown Curry or Pad Woon Sen. After a couple minutes, I decided to go with the Pad Woon Sen.




Beef stir fried with glass noodles, fish sauce (nam pla), tomatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, egg, and fried garlic.

I loved it. The flavors tied together. The nam pla was the main reason, to me, that tied everything together. The whole dish was so delectable, warming, and inviting. Paola enjoyed it as well. Sad she took it home with her! I will, however, say there was only one thing that disappointed me, and that was the beef. It was dry and hard to eat. Overcooked. Nothing I experienced at Thai Pepper. But I will say the flavors stood out to me in this dish so much that it alone made me forget about the overcooked beef. Definitely didn't ruin my opinion.

The only thing I do regret about this night was not having dessert or even just looking at the dessert menu! Not that I really order or eat dessert, but I always like looking at what each restaurant offers, especially in these type of family-run restaurants. I hear they offer a good variety of desserts that resemble ones you would find in Thailand.

Phenomenal authentic food. Matt, the owner and who was also our waiter, was just hilarious! Very kind, friendly, open, and humble. Cozy atmosphere and wonderful decor. Very reasonable prices. 5 hearts ♥♥♥♥♥. I would go back.

Thai Pepper

Located in the middle of nowhere, known as Newhall, is a hole in a wall Thai place that I had been dying to try out---Thai Pepper. I had only heard good things about this family-run restaurant and wanted to see what they were all about.

The one thing I was looking for was the menu and their selection. I wanted to get that feel like I was out of the country, meaning that I wanted to see dishes on the menu that weren't generic. Everyone knows about Pad Thai. I wanted something deeper than that. And their menu did not disappoint.

So this is how the meal went..

Nicole really recommended that we get the Tom Kha.



We had the choice of chicken, beef, or tofu. We went with tofu since she is a Vegetarian (Don't worry--I'm trying to switch her back to meat!!!) I am not complaining though because I do like tofu as well. The soup was made up of tofu, mushrooms, herbs, baby corn, cabbage, lemon, and coconut milk in a spicy and sour soup.
The soup was quite savory, slightly tangy, and just wonderful. The flavors were doing the rhumba in my mouth. Enjoyed the flavor of the lemon in the soup. Everything paired extremely well.

There were only two things I must say about the Tom Kha---one, it was not spicy at all and my tongue could not grasp what they put in it to make it spicy. And two, which had Nicole slightly fired up over, was the fact that there was no lemongrass in the soup. She was wondering how the one time she finally showed me Thai Pepper, the owner did not put lemongrass into our Tom Kha.



Yes, we looked and smelled carefully. Just in case we could have missed it, but we both knew there wasn't any lemongrass. I would definitely be able to tell if it had been in our soup because I will NEVER forget the scent of lemongrass when we smelled it in a cabaclo village off the Río Negro, in the Amazon----JUST SO ENTICING!

Lemongrass in the Amazon:

Brings back memories! So much better to smell it out in the open than at any market or restaurant!

Nevertheless, Tom Kha without the lemongrass was still satisfying and I was not disappointed.

Next up was our meals. Nicole settled with the Red Curry.



The Red Curry was made up of tofu (again!), bamboo shoot, basil, and bell pepper in red curry, with coconut milk. Steamed rice served along side her dish, as well as mine. The bamboo shoot was crunchy. Nothing soggy about that dish. I tried it and enjoyed it, though found it to be quite spicy, of course! She enjoyed it and said she felt at peace, healthy, and the whole meal was just refreshing.

There were a couple dishes I wanted to try out but I settled with the Panang Curry. I chose to try it out with the beef. Same flavors as the Red Curry but had more of a sweet, yet just slightly spicy taste to it. Seriously, I fell in love with this and my mouth is watering just thinking about it!



I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. Was quite spicy at times but it wasn't overbearing. I dealt with it! The beef literally melted in my mouth. Perfect, savory, and delectable. One thing that also really made my heart happy was---there was LEMONGRASS in it! The second I smelled it, I knew it was in there! This definitely brought this dish to higher intensities. Overall, I was completely satisfied.



I took my meal to-go, in which I just ate the rest of it 2 hours later!



In the end, we felt at home there, food was definitely satisfying, and prices were very reasonable. Not expensive at all. I give it 5 hearts ♥♥♥♥♥. Like I said before with India, if you cannot make a trip out to Thailand, this will do for now!