Kat's 9 Lives

Tucked away on Lake Ave is The Cheese Store of Pasadena. After a grueling 3 hour drive from OC to Pasadena for Gourmet Pigs birthday party, I accompanied her to pick up some cheeses. Since my trip to the Truffle Festival in Napa, I have been craving some triple creme cheeses. The Cheese Store of Pasadena was the perfect answer to my foodie search. As soon as you open the door, the pungent aroma of ripe cheeses flow into your nostril. If you love cheese, then you'd be in heaven.
Even though it is not a huge store, they offer a vast amount of artisanal products. There were a few private rooms that seemed to have people tasting wines and cheeses, which would be a nice option to explore. It was a rainy evening and we were two gals with a party to start so we had to hurry. There were so many great products to peruse and a lot of holiday items that looked divine. Can't overlook the freshly made brie filled with truffles on their counter!
They have many cheese experts that will gladly help you find the right cheese for you to take home. There are a few different samples at the counter for you to try as you wait for the next available staff. The first thing I saw at the counter was a cute bag of Sea Salt Caramels from Little Flower Candy Co. They were a little pricey, 1/4lbs for $7. Nevertheless, I had to buy it to taste for myself and I know Ms. Lin loves salted caramel. The caramel and hints of sea salt were nice. I wished the caramel was a bit smoother and softer so that it would melt in your melt. Still, the caramel was solid and tasty.
I couldn't stop myself after trying all the different cheeses. The Delice de Borgogne made of Cow's Milk from France was simply divine! After trying this cheese GP had to buy this for her party instead of the Époisses. It was so creamy and smooth but with a strong pungent bite at the end. We loved the velvety texture and strong flavor. I admit it might have been evil of me to convince GP to buy the honeycomb they sold there, but it was so DELICIOUS! It was such a hit at the party. If you are to buy any strong cheeses then you need to pair it with honeycomb to bring out the natural sweetness and flavor of the cheese. It also matters what kind of bread you smear the cheese on. The artisan baguette sold at The Cheese Store of Pasadena went perfectly with the Delice or with just the honeycomb. C'est Magnifique!
My main purpose of finding a nice triple creme was to pair it with my truffle honey. Even though the Delice was great, I wanted to have a wide variety of cheeses to pair with my truffle honey. I asked for a lighter yet just as creamy cheese they suggested the D'affinoir made of Cow's Milk from France. This will allow the flavor of truffle in the honey to permeate through better and no strong flavor will be fighting for my tastebuds' attention. Be sure to serve these cheeses at room temperature so that they are soft and easily spreadable. The flavor emanates better as it gets softer.
Even though I had sworn off truffles because I have had my fill for the next year or so after the Truffle Festival in Napa, I couldn't do it! When they offered me a sample of their Boschetto made from Sheep and Cow's Milk from Italy, I couldn't resist! The first thing I did was inhale the fragrant aroma of truffle and I was hooked! Truffles are like a drug that I really can't say no to apparently. You really can't taste the normal pungent flavor of sheep's milk. There are slices of truffle embedded into the cheese. Honestly, it was just okay because I currently in love with having sliced truffles in the center of a triple creme.
Last but not least was the divine Blue de Bocage made of Goat's Milk from France. This blue cheese was fantastic! I think it is the goat's milk that they use that made it so soft and smooth with a pungent bite. We were both in love with this cheese because it was so flavorful. Behind the strong savory flavor was a slight sweet pinch of heaven that emanated through my mouth. After we left the store, the flavor resonated throughout and we ran to the car to eat the honeycomb so we can continue the joy. O=) Blue cheese is best with honey and even better, honeycombs.
The Cheese Store of Pasadena
140 S Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 405-0050

So when is it truffle season? For Burgundy truffles the season begins in July/August and continues into December. The black winter truffle season begins in December and continues through the following March while the white truffle season in Italy ranges from August to January.

What's the average size of truffles? They generally weigh between 30 to 60 grams. The biggest truffle found to date was 364 grams in the Alpes-Maritimes.

Truffle prices very greatly depending on the season. The later in the season the more aromatic the truffles are and they are more valuable than the ones from earlier seasons. Truffle prices very from year to year depending on the availability of truffles. When they are scarce, the price of truffles can be double the amount of the preceding year.

My friend had been raving about Masala Bowl and I had to try them out for myself. She said they make all their dishes fresh when you order. So keep in mind that there might be a little wait or if you are there for pick up to just call ahead. The people there are pretty friendly but I have to say... they are not the most competent. I have called in orders TWICE and both times there have been snafus! >_<# The first time they forgot an item in my order but luckily I check and told them. They were apologetic and gave me my missing item. Recently I ordered take out again and had someone else pick up the order. When she got back we had another mix up where they forgot one of the drinks, which happened to be mine! =*( I was very sad being Mango Lassi-less! At least the first time I got my Mango Lassi because I was the one who picked up the order. I think it was the owner or manager who was pretty nice and held open the door for me as I took out my drinks. It's a good sized drink and smoothly blended. You can substitute the drink for a $1 more on the combos, which is a nice treat.
On their menu they offer Samosa Bites that are mini versions of samosas filled with seasoned potatoes and peas. I haven't had their original samosas to tell you if they are different but the bites were wrapped in egg roll skins and fried. It was crispy and flavorful. Personally I love eating fried egg rolls but I do love the normal crispy skin on regular samosas. The good thing is you have a choice here depending on what you feel that day.
I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala combo made with a creamy tomato sauce and dry fenugreek leaves. My favorite thing to do with the sauce is dipping my Naan in there. The sauce is creamy and savory, which goes great with most carbs. If you order the combo, you get their regular naan and a fountain drink or you can do what I did by paying $1 more to substitute the mango lassi. In the dish they use chicken breast meat that were still tender and well seasoned. You can choose different meats, but I always like chicken with this sauce.
All in all the food was solid but I am a little perturbed that if I am not careful my order comes out wrong and I am not willing to drive back to pick up any items they left off. Will I be giving them another chance? Sure, but they are walking on thin ice if they keep messing up my orders. Originally if I wrote this review before my second order, it might have been a better review. Let's hope the third time is the charm.

Masala Bowl
14311 Newport Ave
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 505-2695