Kat's 9 Lives

I wish I could always go there just to fill up on Toro-don and maybe an added bonus of their infamous Kuro ramen. For me, it is all about the amount of toro you get for such a great price! They have great lunch sets and everyone knows it. So if you plan on stopping by for a quick lunch, it might be a little tough with the wait. If you come towards the end of lunch hour you won't have to wait as long. Either way, it is worth the wait! Not only will you be full and satisfied, but your wallet will thank you.
While you wait for the food you can snack on their homemade Kimchi on the table. My only qualm is that there are times where I have bitten into chunks of salt that scare me because it felt like I might have cracked a tooth on them. Still, that won't stop me because I will just be extra cautious on the next bite.
The word Kuro in Japanese means black. Around 1960 in a little shop on the street corner of Hitoyoshi City, known as Kyushu's Little Kyoto. There they prepare the ramen with browned garlic that was called "Kuro Ma Yu" and later know as "Kuro Ramen". Here at Maru Ichi, they make fresh homemade noodles daily. Each of the ramen includes an Egg, Chashu (Roast Pork), Seaweed, Bean Sprouts, and Green Onions. For the Kuro Ramen they used Browned Garlic and a Pork & Chicken Soup.
I love the mixture of black and brown. The Kuro Ramen is definitely different from your every day ramen. If you look closely, you would think the black are oil drops that stay separate from the soup. The soup is very flavorful, aromatic, and rich. I do think the soup is on the heavier side but tasty nonetheless. How you can balance the heavier palate is getting the Toro-don to complement the dish.
Nowadays I cheat and just order the Toro-don because it's such a great deal. For around $5 you can get a full-sized bowl of chopped toro and green onions topped off with shredded seaweed is a dream come true. Fortunately eating with Ms. Lin, I can rely on her to order the Kuro Ramen set and steal a few bowls of the ramen while reveling in my own mix of heaven. I am still amazed that they can offer toro at such a low price and they definitely don't cut down on the portion. Everything is fresh and finely chopped. One plus is that I have yet to find any scales mixed in. You can always ask for more wasabi like I do to add that extra special kick mixed in with soy sauce. I wish I could find a place like this closer to home because I'd be there every day! Oishii おいしい
Maru Ichi Japanese Noodle House
368 Castro
Mountain View, CA 94041

After reading about the deal they have at Bamboodles, how can I not stop by for a "pre-dinner" meal. hehe! We drove up to SGV for hot pot next door to Bamboodles so I suggested that we check them out. Of course I had to call to make sure they still have the $1 noodles!!! lol It was on Thursday around 4:30PM and there wasn't that many people inside so we were seated immediately. I was able to catch a quick photo of the "noodle" guy inside but he was just packing stuff away. =**( I passed by after "real" dinner and saw that he was working again but I felt too guilty to run in for just a photo. =*(
I am normally starving after classes and need to consume some food regardless of taste. Why not save some money while we are at it! lol There was 4 of us and we all had to get the $1 noodle for the day! lol That day it was the Spicy Dan Dan Mien. The portions were very generous and filling, which isn't too good for their own business. My Mom and Aunt were too full to eat more! lol Originally they were going to come back for real dinner here but they were stuffed after the noodles and small snacks we ordered. Luckily they stopped my Aunt who was super greedy and wanted to order another $1 noodle to eat there but luckily I guess it is one per person. It makes sense since they have to make money somehow! lol Besides I gave mine to my Aunt since I ordered a bunch of stuff to eat. The noodles were light and the sauce was not bad. We all agreed that it wasn't spicy at all but for $1 I'm not complaining!!! ^_^
They have some other specials on the menu and one that caught my eye was the Wontons in Spicy Sauce for $1.99! I had to get some regardless of what anyone says. O=) It definitely was not what I expected but still good for the price. There is definitely more filler ingredients than meat as it was fairly green but it tasted fine. I liked that there was a lot of chopped garlic and the sauce had its own kick. My favorite place is Yunchuan Garden, but Ms. Lin commented that she likes it here better. We debated and it is mainly because the price is cheaper here. For her, she never loved the other place as much as I did and for the price she'd choose here. >_< Since I was here, I was going to take advantage of trying more stuff out. I remember seeing people say their Green Tea Slice Pork Noodles is good. So when I saw the combo meal deal, I decided to give them a shot. Hey! They need to make money somehow! =P lol In the combo of it includes a choice of drink and choice of appetizer. I debated between the Bean Sprouts & Bean Curd and the Seaweed with Potato for the appetizer. In the end I chose the Seaweed with Potato. This was more potato with a few slivers of seaweed! The sauce was more tangy than spicy. It's not a bad snack but it is also super cheap to order on its own. So it's not really an appetizer but more like an add-on. I actually really liked the Green Tea Slice Pork Noodles. The broth was very light yet flavorful and really hit the spot. I could drink a bowl of the soup because it was very refreshing. The pork was very tender and nicely cooked. Everything in the bowl came together. I like the fatty cut of the pork. The soup mellows out the heaviness and makes it light & enjoyable. Even though this was not part of the deal, it is definitely worth trying. All in all the food was good, especially for the deal! ^_- With my meal, I got the Lemon Tea. At first I didn't like the flavor, but then they came by to give a refill. Wow, not a bad deal. The second cup was better tasting. Maybe it was because I got refills! lol Call ahead before you come here to make sure that they still have their $1 noodles special so that you can try them out at a good price! Keeping it real, they are not to die for but definitely solid for the price. Hmm maybe I need to stop by and see them again this weekend. O=9 Bamboodles
535 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 281-1226

Wow has it really been 200 posts! Time goes by fast! I guess I must be glued to my computer. ^_^ Since I promised Tofu that I would start my New York reviews, why not do it on the 200th post. I will be posting about any and every thing possible. Watch out for my curve balls!
Last time I went to Manhattan NY, Ms. Lin and I started our own explorations. Of course while she was at work, I went out to play by myself. I normally don't like ramen, but Momofuku's Noodle Bar really change my mind. Any place that can make something I don't really care for into something delectable, I say kudos! We had to get a bowl noodles since it was a noodle bar. They were packed even for a late lunch. It's your typical Japanese noodle bar dining style where you will be sitting next to strangers and both enjoying your meal with the chance of making a new friend. We ordered the Momofuku Ramen with Pork Combo, Poached Egg, Seaweed, and Pickled Vegetables. I really enjoyed the soup and all the flavors working wonderfully together. Ms. Lin was surprised that I ended up liking the ramen. The different types of meat all had their own earthy flavor that mixed well with the delectable broth and the pickled vegetables only enhanced the flavor. I will definitely be back for some more!
Everyone there had the Steamed Buns and the people next to us raved about it. Remember when I said you will make new friends... or be bombarded by your neighbor... the guy was so excited that he kept raving about the steamed buns and certain dishes. No, he was not hitting on us. He had a female companion, but it was really funny how passionate he was. It was nice. We decided to get the Pork Steamed Buns. They are basically "Gua Pao" with a healthy twist. The meat was leaner and they layered it with fresh Cucumbers & Green Onions. It was good, but definitely not as flavorful as normal gua paos. You can judge me, but I think it's because they made it "healthier" and that's why it didn't taste as good. The fattier and unhealthier the dish is, then the better it tastes!! ^_-
We also decided to try a seasonal dish. It was the Hamachi Sashimi with Radish and Green Apples. The concept sounded interesting but it fell extremely short of hitting the mark. I like the fish, but the flavors were weird. In the end I just ate the sashimi separately. Being greedy, as we always are O=), we decided to also get Spicy Cold Noodles with Pickled Cucumbers and shredded Seaweed. I liked the texture of the noodles but the spicy flavor was only okay to me. Back then, I think I was less open-minded to spicy foods. Ms. Lin enjoyed it and she ate them while I scarfed down the ramen. It all worked out in the end!
All in all the service was friendly but they are super busy so expect some delays. Be prepared to sit very close to your neighbors and if you are not there early or late enough then expect a wait. I really liked the place overall because of the ramen. Next time we are in NY together we will have to check out the Ssam Bar. If I were living in NY I would definitely frequent them because the prices are reasonable for NY and the portions are filling. **Drool Drool** Since I have had their ramen, I have been trying different ramens to find one that I really liked... but to no avail. I guess I must come back here again! ^_^

For dinner Ms. Lin wanted to go to Fatima in SJ near Marina Foods. It's Islamic Chinese cuisine. They have their own parking lot behind the restaurant. Their interior decor was like most Chinese restaurants and they immediately spoke Mandarin to us as we walked in. The service was friendly and my water glass never hit the bottom. It's one of my pet peeves on how long it takes for them to refill the glass water. Surprisingly, they were really on top of it.
We opted out of getting the traditional Sesame Bread with Green Onion. Instead we ordered more items. For the appetizer we ordered the Chicken and Ground Green Beans Sheets. The flavor was intense and Ms. Lin didn't do a great job of mixing. Some pieces had a ton of mustard so it was spicier than most. The dish was garlicky and flavorful, but quite messy. While mixing the dish, our whole table was covered with splatter.
Ms. Lin also ordered her favorite Lamb with Pickled Cabbage Soup. It was a very light and flavorful soup. I personally don't like sourness of the pickled vegetables and the soup that absorbed the flavor. If you like pickled vegetable then you would love this dish. I just ate the lamb on top that was very tender. There are glass noodles inside the soup that adds to the texture. The soup was like a meal in itself.
For our main course we got the Beef with Green Onions. Usually this dish goes great the sesame bread because it brings out the flavor. The beef was tender but the pieces were cut a little too small. It was tasty, but nothing out of the ordinary. For the carb dish we ordered the Lamb Dough Slice Chow Mein. They were different from your typical noodles, they were homemade soft noodles. At first I was not a big fan of these homemade noodles but as we keep ordering it at different restaurants I've grown to like it more. The noodles were soft yet chewy and the texture varies from piece to piece. One thing I didn't like the eggs in the dish, but the flavor was still good.All in all the food was flavorful and very Chinese. The prices were not too bad, the whole meal was about $32 with tax. Ms. Lin sure had a lot of yummy left overs for the next few days! No fair! >_<# I am fasting today and now I am so hungry after talking about all that food. I would definitely go back to this place one day if I am craving Chinese food. If Ms. Lin still lived in SJ then I would probably go back more often. It's definitely one of the better Chinese food I have had down there with reasonable prices. =P

Good thing we arrived early for dinner at Manora's Thai in SF, because it started to get really busy after 7PM. There were rave reviews on the internet for this place so we decided to step out and give this place a try. I believe I have been to this neighborhood on my last trip and tried this really bad restaurant that I still have yet to blog about. From the outside you can't really tell that the interior of this restaurant would be nice. They have this neon sign outside that looked kind of broken down, but once you step inside you would see the nice furnishing. I really liked the wood furnishings and gold finish. The fresh flowers really add a nice exotic touch.
To start off the night we both ordered Thai Iced Tea. I couldn't resist a nice refreshing glass that night. Their drink was good, but nothing special. We had to try the highly recommended appetizer, Pirate Treasure. It's a combination of shrimp, chicken, and bean thread sheet marinated in Thai herbs with a touch of lemon spicy sauce. This was definitely a different item from what I have seen at other Thai restaurants. It was very flavorful, tangy, sweet & sour with a touch of spice. I really liked the bean threads. Ms. Lin loved the sauce and kept it around so that she could mix it with the rest of the dishes. The presentation was on point and the taste was great even with the raw cabbage provided. I think this was the best dish of the night.

All the appetizers looked good and we debated for a long time before deciding on what to order. As a compromise, I got to choose the second appetizer and Ms. Lin will get to order a dish she really liked at her favorite Thai restaurant in Boston. As I have said before, I love anything fried. O=P We got the Katong Ton that was crispy batter cups filled with garlic shrimp, chicken, and vegetable mixed with curry served with chili garlic sauce. The presentation was very nice and cute. As for taste, it was good but nothing special. I think it's more about show than taste, but I did like the batter cups.
The Pad Thai here were suppose to be really good and highly recommended. It's pan-fried rice noodles with shrimp, tofu, egg, and bean sprouts. I thought it was only decent, I have definitely had better. It was a little bland for my taste and I didn't like the squishy texture of the tofu. Most of the Pad Thais I've had in the past were firmer tofu that packed more flavor. I don't think I would get this again or recommend it, try more appetizers instead! ^_-
One of my favorite Thai dishes is the Gang-Gari-Gai, Yellow Curry Chicken. Ms. Lin suggested that we get duck instead of chicken, so we ordered the Gang-Ped-Ped-Yang. It's roast duck cooked in curry with coconut milk & red chili sauce with pineapple and spinach. I thought it was yellow curry because I don't like red curry. The duck was good but I didn't like this dish because the pineapple taste was weird in my opinion. At first I though they were potatoes. Guess I didn't read the description before ordering. Ms. Lin ordered the Hoi-Tod because it's one of her favorite dishes. It's Thai style pan-fried mussels that's fried in crispy batter with spicy Thai herbs mixed with egg and bean sprout served with chili garlic sauce. The areas that were crispy tasted good only with the sauce. Overall it was quite disappointing and it wasn't what Ms. Lin imagined it to be. I definitely wouldn't get this dish again. It reminded me of the Chinese oyster omelette, Owah Jien. Trust me, skip this dish if you ever go there.To end the meal we ordered the dessert of the day, which was Fresh Mango with Sticky Rice. The presentation was nice, but the mango wasn't too ripe. It wasn't what I'd thought it to be, I like it when there's some custard on top of the sticky rice. The sticky rice with coconut milk was good, but nothing different from what you can get at other Thai restaurants. All in all this place was good, better than normal Thai restaurants but nothing spectacular. Overall the service and ambiance was nice. There's a lot of nice choices that differ from what you normally see in other Thai restaurants, but I think what stood out the most was the appetizers. If I lived up in SF, I would come back and try their other dish and appetizers.Manora's Thai
1600 Folsom St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 861-6224

I have been waiting forever to come up and try this all you can eat shabu place called Mum's. Who can say no to all you can eat meat!?! After going to Shabu with Hot Mama, I have been craving for some nice meat and not at a high price! As Ms. Lin has said before that Mum's is lots of good meat for a good price, but their sauces are just decent and not as good as Shabu. This place is located in a hotel in Japan town between Sutter and Buchanan. We met up with a friend and based on the dinner talk I am going to label him as Stinky Tofu! =9The service was nice and quick. They sat us down immediately and brought over the burner. Everything else was already set on the table and ready for you to chow down! As soon as the water starts boiling you can load it with veggies and meat. While your waiting for the water to boil, you can make your sauces. They had the typical sauce that resembles ponzu and a sesame-based sauce. At the table there were two other bowls with the chopped green onions and the minced daikon to add to the sauces.
First we tossed in the mushrooms, tofu, enoki, and other veggies. Then we started to load in the delicious meat. Beware not to let the meat overcook as you put it in because they are paper thin so they cook rapidly. As you put more and more meat in, the broth becomes darker and more flavorful. Do not put in the noodles until the end of the meal because it will soak up the broth and at the end it will be the most flavorful. This does not mean you can't put the noodles in early if you really like noodles because they will come by and add more broth.
You can ask for more meat or more vegetables any time and they will be more than glad to help. Be sure not to fill up on fillers like noodles or veggies, go for the meat ^_-. Can't tell I am a carnivore, huh?
After you put a lot of meat in, the gunky film from the meat will develop atop. On the table there were utensils ready sitting in water for you to use with your meal. Inside there was a ladle designed to remove the foamy film and you clean the ladle off back inside the pot of water. Thereby allowing you a clean broth that's ready for more yummy ingredients! Go meat!
All in all the place was good and great for the price. The meats quality varied a little but overall was good. I mentioned to Ms. Lin that Shabu had better meats and sauce but at a much higher price. At least here you can get your meat fill and at the end of the meal you get a choice of ice cream. Stinky Tofu and I got the Sesame and Ms. Lin opted for the Green Tea. I must say the ice cream was very tasty and had just right creamy texture. If I knew where or what brand they had I would get some for home. The tip was included on the bill and they were very fair as they crossed out the tip section to my credit card bill. Bonus points for not being greedy. I definitely will be back again in the future, but not any time soon as I must explore SF! ^_-Mum's
1800 Sutter St
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 931-6986

Can we say Pork Chop and Rice? Nice Time Deli is one of my favorite places for it in Irvine. I have been to the one in San Gabriel, but it's just not as good as the one here. The irony is that this is a Taiwanese cafe, but they just changed ownerships and I believe it's owned now by a Korean person. Makes me a little skeptical of the authenticity now. It seems like they maintained the same staff so the food still tastes almost the same.
I started out the day with Stinky Fried Tofu. Anything fried is always delicious! I usually hate stinky tofu, but when fried it's pretty good. Unfortunately my friend Tofu found it totally disgusting. So my advice would be that you order this only with people who are Asian or at least exposed to a lot of Asian culture or they might be grossed out by this dish. For all you Asians out there, I love the spongy chewy texture that the stinky tofu gets when it's fried. They also give a spicy yet sweet sauce to dip it that really brings out the flavor of the tofu. Normally I don't eat the vegetables that it comes with but I decided to try it out this time and it's pretty flavorful.
One of my favorite dishes is the Pottage, Chitterlings with Thin Noodles. Usually it has oysters in it, but I typically like the ones with only chitterlings. Be careful when you eat this because it's always steaming hot and you can burn your tongue easily so be sure to let it cool off. The soup here was very flavorful and much better than the A&J or whatnot next store. Each bite I added the soup first then noodles and a piece of chitterling. Delicious!
My favorite dish to get is always Pork Chop Rice. There's a nice big piece of fried pork chop atop a medley of steamed rice, ground meat, lightly flavored vegetables, and braised tofu. Be sure to mix the ground meat into the rice so that the taste spreads throughout. I actually really like the vegetables. The cabbage was tender and flavorful in it's own way. The pork chop was good as always, but note that the size may be deceiving at times because it looks big but they were pounded very thin.

All in all I still really like this place once in a while as to change the pace of Chinese food choices in Irvine. For a Taiwanese cafe they are pretty good in my opinion, but that can also be because I have been going to this place for years and my taste buds are just so accustomed to their taste. Their goose meat is always good but as always it's kind of expensive. When you come here, just take a look around or watch what people order and you will see they mostly get the pork chop rice. That should tell you something. It's always my default choice because it's cheap and filling!

Normally I don't like to eat anything spicy, so you know it's AWESOME if I love it. YunChuan Garden has one of the best spicy dishes I have had in my life. I crave their Wontons in Spicy Chili Sauce. They have very authentic Chinese dishes. If only they weren't so far away in Monterey Park, I'd stop by to pick up their hot sauce! The flavors are just splendid! This place is tucked away in a strip mall. There's parking in the back, but you can always park on the street as well.
As you walk in there's a counter straight ahead with their special dishes that you order for your table or take out. Word to the wise, even if you are taking it home be sure to order it for sit down and then take it home. The portion is much more generous when you eat there than taking it home. My favorite dish there is the Fu Chi Fe Pian. It's a mixture of meats that are marinated in their special spicy chili sauce. Just thinking about makes me drool!
I really want to go back soon to get the Wontons in Spicy Chili Sauce so I can take home the yummy sauce and pairing it with other foods. Whatever seasonings they add to the chili sauce truly makes it stand out. The flavor lingers heavenly in your mouth. It's the perfect blend of spices, a great addition to any dish. The funny thing is I hate spicy foods. Everyone is so surprised that I would like this dish, so that really tells you how delicious it must be!
This time around we didn't order that much, but my Mom got greedy and ordered their Signature Noodle Dish. It's called the Kuo Chao Mi Shen. They bring all the components uncooked to your table along with the steaming soup and noodles in separate bowls. Then they pour the meat in first followed by the rest of the plate. At the end they add the noodles to the soup after the meat has a little time to cook. The flavors are very subtle and clean. It goes well with all the spicy dishes since it's very light and flavorful in its own way.
All in all I love the spicy food here! At first I couldn't take it and wasn't too fond of all the spice, but now I can't live without it! Just thinking about the delicious spicy chili sauce makes me want to drive all the way up again for more! Sometimes the place is very busy and it's hard to get a seat, but it's worth the wait! The food here is cheap and good. If you are ever in Monterey Park, you definitely have to stop by here to give them a try. You won't regret it!

YunChuan Garden