Cook - Kale Breakfast Scramble

A trip to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market often inspires a new idea, a new recipe. Here’s my attempt to incorporate fresh kale into my usual Sunday breakfast scramble.

Ingredients:
hand torn kale,
2 eggs + 2 tbsp milk (beaten well),
2 spicy sausage links (chopped),
1 Japanese Paprika (chopped),
1/2 cup of corn,
2 cloves of minced garlic



STEPS:
1) scramble the eggs
2) brown the sausage diamonds and get its excessive oil
3) set both aside

4) add minced garlic into the hot pan and cook it in the sausage oil until lightly brown
5) add the kale and toss

6) add 2/3 cup of hot water into the pan then cover. simmer for 7 minutes.

7) in the rest of the remaining ingredients and lightly season it with salt & peppers. mix well.

Serves two.

Alhambra - New Noodle King

In a city where there’s likely a restaurant in every block, deciding lunch or having too many choices can sometimes be a chore. The New Noodle King makes it easy.

Not only that you get to pick thin, thick or vermicelli noodles to go with certain noodle soups, the spicy level would be another option you have upon ordering. Portions are generous.

Stewed Beef Noodle Soup (5.75), aka NRM. The soup tasted light compares to other NRM offerings in town, the flavor was there and enough to be enjoyed with some good slurping action. There could be more vegetables.

The Beef Noodle Soup’s (clear broth) (5.75) aroma and color is reminiscent of Pho, without the hefty thirsty agent MSG. The soup was clean and paired well with the thin noodles. There were about five to six chucks of tender beef in the soup.

Dan Dan Mein (5.5) was cooked just right with the typical sesame sauce with a little kick. It's simple tasting yet fulfilling. Pan Fried Dumplings (5.5) were big, elongated, rustic and heavy on the onion yet enjoyable. Both the dumplings and Green Onion Pan Cake (1.75) skins could have been crispier, but it was acceptable for a takeout.

Kung Pao Shredded Chicken (7.5), a pricer dish in the special delicacy category, turned out to be nothing out of the ordinary. Steamed White Rice (1.5) should have been included.

King’s rice dishes, priced mostly at 5.75 each, consist of one main protein and three small sides like the minced pork, pickled veggies and the braised tofu/egg that goes very well with steam white rice. The duck in Salted Duck Rice was juicy, tasty but not too salty. The pork belly chunks in Pork Meat Rice were braised in an authentic sauce with a good nostalgic mix of sweet and savory. The pork chops in Aromatic Pork Chop Rice were deep fried then dipped in the aromatic sauce that gives it good texture and flavor.

Whether or not New Noodle King serves the best noodles in town, its generous portion and true to the origin approach should have no problem keep people coming back for more.

Menu - front | back

New Noodle King
1265 E Valley Blvd Alhambra, CA 91804 | (626) 281-4836

Las Vegas - RM Seafood

RM Seafood, in the Mandalay Bay Casino, serves fresh seafood in a desert city. As if the concept isn't challenging enough,  chef/owner Rick Moonen also aims to educate the masses to his "State of the Art Sustainable Seafood" through his exceptional offerings. The experience was both refreshing and joyful that comes with a high price tag to be expected from the reputation of a Top Chef Masters finalist.


As one of the 587 Travelzoo subscribers who purchased the $168 worth of an exclusive four-course dinner for two at RM Downstairs at half price, we were led to believe we had the best deal of the evening. The service was decent as the champagne and corn bread were served promptly. The deconstructed shrimp cocktail, an appetizing starter, was small but packed with good flavors.


For the second course, Rick's White Clam Chowder with potatoes, littlenecks and fresh dill was rich and addicting with right amount of seasoning.  The BLT iceberg salad with blue cheese and buttermilk ranch dressing, while pleasing to the eyes with its bright color combination, was somewhat over powering in its dressing. 

Wanting to better grasp the "Sustainable Seafood", we opted for the two seafood entrees. RM-style halibut cioppino, is served on a huge round plate, with calamarata pasta, mussels, clams, king crab and shrimp. The tomato based sauce is packed with deep non-fishy seafood accents. Its sharable portion was a plus.  The Arctic char was cooked to perfection with the skin side seared golden crisp, paired with Brussels sprouts, horseradish and smoked bacon superbly.



The last course, Rick's Ice Cream Tasting Game, a shared plate that features 16 flavors looked extraordinary. Although we scored 5 out of the 16 of flavors, ranging from the most obvious ones like chocolate and the uncommon ones like blue cheese, it was a fun surprise in every bite.

In a town where anything could happen, like delivering fresh seafood hundreds of miles away from the ocean, with a premium price tag, RM Seafood can turn your evening into something special.

RM Seafood
www.rmseafood.com | 3930 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas, NV 89119 | (702) 632-9300