I sincerely apologize for my hiatus, which I understand had been way too long. Sorry to keep everyone in the dark.
I don't know if anyone remembers but I mentioned in my last blog of my trip back to Ipoh, Malaysia (my root) for 3 weeks in August to take care of some family matters. I'm excited to say I managed to, as the saying goes 'kill 2 birds with 1 stone'; took care of my family matter and been to quite a number of excellent eateries in and around Ipoh.
I've just started to put together all my Ipoh food rendezvous' photos and notes. My next posting and beyond will be all about foods of Ipoh. Very excited la. My camera and my notebook were my most prized possession on my flight back to Los Angeles, much more so than my passport. Lose passport can replace but I'll be damn if I lose my camera and notebook.
In the meantime, there is this Korean BBQ & Tofu joint in Chino Hills, California which I've always wanted to blog. I frequent this restaurant quite regularly and have nothing but good things to say.
YoungDong in Chino Hills, is one of the 3 branches spread across Southern California, the other 2 are in Arcadia and San Gabriel. This one opened some 3 years ago and more often than not the place is crowded during both lunch and dinner hours. In the last 4-5 years, Chino Hills have seen a spike in it's population, most notably Asians. A vast majority of the Asians settling down in Chino Hills mostly are from Korea, China, and Taiwan. Compare to other Asian restaurants, especially Malaysian, Koreans restaurateur is meticulous in their food's authenticity and place a premium on it's quality.
YoungDong's interior is not fancy in any sense of the word. The first thing that engulfs me when I walked in each time, besides the aroma of kimchi and barbecue is the spaciousness and cleanliness of the restaurant. Once seated, I quickly leaned back and feel real comfortable. The ambiance is not it's drawing point, the food is
YoungDong does not have built-in grills nor portable stoves on their tables like you find in most Korean restaurants. Instead they do all their grilling in the kitchen. I don't mind this setup at all. This way I don't smell like grilled meat when I leave the restaurant.
One of the first things served is a small salad of lettuce and a few strands of radicchio follow by the signature side dishes of condiments called 'banchan'. The salad dressing is the best I've had anywhere. I've always prefer salad dressing with an Asian twist. They call their dressing 'black pepper ponzu vinaigrette'
Ahhh....Kimchi, a must have in a Korean meal. Fermented napa cabbage seasoned with the unmistakable red chili Kimchi spices. Some Kimchi are stuffed with tiny fresh raw oysters like those in YoungDong. This is the only condiment I ask for a second helping without fail
Cucumber kimchi (Oi Sobaegi)
The sliced cucumber is crunchy, snappy and full of flavor. It is lather with a sour, sweet and spicy sauce all in one and is a good kick start to any taste buds and a perfect accompaniment to a traditional Korean meal.
The sliced cucumber is crunchy, snappy and full of flavor. It is lather with a sour, sweet and spicy sauce all in one and is a good kick start to any taste buds and a perfect accompaniment to a traditional Korean meal.
Seaweed salad
A taste of the sea. Seaweed salad with some julienne carrot and cucumber in a vinegar, ponzu and sesame oil mix. This side dish is very refreshing
The bottom left condiment is pickled squid and julienne radish (Ojinguh Jut). It is packed with flavor and quite spicy. On the bottom right is one of the more popular side dishes, bean sprout salad or Sookju Namul.
A taste of the sea. Seaweed salad with some julienne carrot and cucumber in a vinegar, ponzu and sesame oil mix. This side dish is very refreshing
Beef and seafood tofu
A pipping hot bowl of stewed tofu with beef and seafood. YoungDong has other variations of tofu, such as dumplings, kimchi and mushroom. A raw egg comes with this dish and is added into the bubbling tofu at the table. The ceramic hot bowl is able to retain the heat of the stew for quite some time. This tofu stew with shrimp, 'la la', egg and a few thin slices of beef is both hearty and very healthy. The stew tofu here is very consistent, always have the right amount of broth to tofu and the rest of the ingredients. 'Spicy' is my preference on the level of hotness. I had them 'medium spicy' before and it's just better spicy
A pipping hot bowl of stewed tofu with beef and seafood. YoungDong has other variations of tofu, such as dumplings, kimchi and mushroom. A raw egg comes with this dish and is added into the bubbling tofu at the table. The ceramic hot bowl is able to retain the heat of the stew for quite some time. This tofu stew with shrimp, 'la la', egg and a few thin slices of beef is both hearty and very healthy. The stew tofu here is very consistent, always have the right amount of broth to tofu and the rest of the ingredients. 'Spicy' is my preference on the level of hotness. I had them 'medium spicy' before and it's just better spicy
Beef stew soup with udon
This Korean soup noodle warms you from the moment it touches your lips all the way down to your toes. The soup is light, a tad herby and the chunks of beef very tender and delicious
This Korean soup noodle warms you from the moment it touches your lips all the way down to your toes. The soup is light, a tad herby and the chunks of beef very tender and delicious
Grilled short-ribs (Galbi)
The grilled short-ribs comes on a bed of white sliced onions in a hot platter. I usually let the dish sit for a few minutes before I dig in. The reason is I want the hot platter to cook the sliced onions half-way through until they get soft and sweet. The short-ribs are incredibly tender, sweet and full of the flavors of garlic and soy sauce.
The grilled short-ribs comes on a bed of white sliced onions in a hot platter. I usually let the dish sit for a few minutes before I dig in. The reason is I want the hot platter to cook the sliced onions half-way through until they get soft and sweet. The short-ribs are incredibly tender, sweet and full of the flavors of garlic and soy sauce.
The finished product!
The reason I include this photo is to share with you my own personal way of eating short-ribs. Notice how clean each rib is without any evidence of meat sticking on it? Well, the ribs are not wrap with the meat but a thick, chewy layer of ligaments. Separate the ribs from the meat by tearing off the ligament. Where the meat is tender, the ligament is chewy and full of robust flavor
The reason I include this photo is to share with you my own personal way of eating short-ribs. Notice how clean each rib is without any evidence of meat sticking on it? Well, the ribs are not wrap with the meat but a thick, chewy layer of ligaments. Separate the ribs from the meat by tearing off the ligament. Where the meat is tender, the ligament is chewy and full of robust flavor
Last but not least is the soft and sweet Korean white rice that is cooked in a hot bowl here in YoungDong. I'm a sucker for Korean white rice. Sometimes I wonder weather the reason I come here is partly for the rice. Notice from the photo the layer of rice hardened by the heat of the hot bowl? Koreans never leave any stone unturned, in this case 'rice unturned'. A traditional way of finishing off the hardened layer of rice is by pouring hot tea into it to soften them up again.
Curry and most anything spicy is my kind of foods. I live and die for curry. I've lived in Southern California for more than 7 years now and the last time I went to a Malaysian restaurant here was 4 years ago. The reason being not authentic enough for my standards. I felt the total opposite during my 15 years in New York. Never once there did I miss Malaysian food. Malaysian food rules in New York. Anyway, what has this got to do with this posting of Korean food, you might be asking? Because of the sub-standard Malaysian food here, I've to adapt to other kinds and I know Korean food is very high in their authentic standards. I know because I've been to a few Korean restaurants where all their patrons were Koreans. Korean cuisine is very healthy. From the side dish to the main and from fresh to fermented, vegetables like cabbages, bean sprouts and spinach are generously used. Garlic and ginger, two main ingredients in Korean cooking has a history of being a health booster.
YoungDong Korean BBQ & Tofu
3233 Grand Ave., #H
Chino Hills, CA 91709
(909) 613-1888
