DINING IN LA, DAY 3

Day 3 at home brought more Asian cuisine, as expected. But I also got to try new stuff. For lunch, my mom took me to this place in Koreatown called BCD Tofu. They're famous for their soft tofu, which I'd never tried before. I guess it's basically a homemade tofu that's cooked in a broth with other ingredients. I ordered the seafood one, since it was the only thing that didn't involve beef or pork. (well there was a vegetarian option, but I wanted more flavor than just veggies.) You can order it mild, medium or hot and here's a tip. Unlike Japanese food, when Korean food is hot, it really is very hot and spicy. (just like Indian food).

After we waited for a brief few minutes, we were quickly showed to our table. I discovered that this restaurant is all about efficiency and turning tables. It's not about service. People quickly take your order, bring your food and usher you out. Which is ok for a quick lunch. So like I said, I order the seafood soft tofu, mild, while my mom got some other one, but medium. I think the spicy would burn a hole into your tummy.

Ok, so first they give you a number of small pickled items (like kim chee) and oddly enough, this fried fish. Which was pretty yummy. (except for the small bones).

Next came the rice that arrived in the neat stone bowls. You're not supposed to eat out of them. Someone comes out and dishes the rice out for you.

And finally, here's my bowl of soft tofu with seafood. It arrived bubbling and steaming. So you're supposed to spoon it over the rice and consume it that way. I found it very yummy and was glad that I ordered the mild, cause I don't think I could've handled any more spicy than that. It was so much food that I couldn't finish mine. It would've been even more perfect on a cold day (unlike the 75F that it was, but i'm not complaining) And of course, the greatest part of lunch was the fact that it all cost $20 including tax and tip, for the both of us. (and my mom paid- that's right, the real reason i go home).

After lunch, I did some chocolate shopping and then spent the afternoon at the spa! yeah! And then before i knew it, it was time for dinner. Once again, my parents let me pick the place, and i wanted to go to Sushi King, my favorite Japanese restaurant in LA for sushi. And no one protested my choice because everyone in my family likes this place.

We arrive early so we could get any seat we wanted (since they really don't take reservations) and we all got to sit at the sushi bar. So here's another tip. When you go to authentic (and i empahsize that term) Japanese restaurants, the more senior sushi chef generally works towards the front of the sushi bar. Since my family's going to this place for years, we know the chef and of course, all sat at the front of the bar. Here's a pic of my cousins and my little sister, Cathy. (try to pick her out! we look nothing alike)

Unfortunately for me, i wasn't all that hungry having had lunch not to long before. But i made a heroic effort and tried to eat as much as my tummy could hold. Here's a photo of the bar, with the fresh fish in the case.And here's what i ordered. I started with a California roll(yes, with real crab):

And ate my dad's sunomono salad (aka cucumber salad in rice vinegar) with shrimp.

Then I ordered a shrimp tempura roll:

And then I soft shelled crab roll:No no, I didn't eat all that food by myself. I shared with everyone. and when i really got full i started coercing other ppl to eat the sushi.

Ok, and here are the fried shrimp heads that I ate. When you order ama ebi (sweet shrimp), they give you the heads, deep fried, with some tempura dipping sauce. yummy.And lastly, I finished it all off with a green tea ice cream. (which i always order when i eat out at Japanese restaurants, for some reason, I find that the stuff in restaurants always tastes better than the stuff you buy in a market). And so, i filled my requirement for one Japanese meal per day while at home and I also tried something new, the tasty and spicy soft tofu.