Mo_menuism

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{ AMBIENCE }

I went to Susina Bakery & Cafe for the first time on a sunny Saturday morning at around 10am to meet up w/ a couple of friends. There is stacked parking in a lot behind Susina (2 cars deep), with signs that indicate which spots customers can park in for each establishment that shares it. They look like very leggy picket signs, resembling tall, languid flowers. (I guess I thought the signs were kinda funny in a charming way. It sort of looked like the parking lot was on strike because there were SO MANY signs.) ANYWAY…

The bakery/cafe is bright and well-lit, lending an atmosphere of a welcoming friendliness. At the time that I arrived, there were probably just about a half dozen patrons there, ages ranging from their 30’s to 60’s.

What appealed to me was the unpretentious feel of the place, and the un-“L.A.-ness” of it. The service was very friendly and relaxed, and as I do believe that the trickle-down theory applies to management, I’m assuming that the owner’s vision was to create a neighborhood cafe that appealed not so much to snotty, self-obsessed, celeb-wannabes, but for people who wanted a warm, laid-back atmosphere in which to enjoy a pastry and a warm beverage, whether to read the paper, to compose that brilliant piece of work, or to meet up w/ friends.

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{ THE PASTRIES }

This pastry fiend was in heaven when gazing lustfully at the display case full of beautiful cakes, scones, and other pastries. My friend told me that everything is made in-house, and the baked goodies definitely look it…they look like they were made very lovingly.

I felt that a lot of the pastries were calling out to me, but the scones looked particularly inviting. They were displayed in the top row of the case, and I could’ve stood there for probably an hour doing the eeny-meeny-myney-mo thing, because they all looked equally good. I decided to put an end to my indecisiveness by selecting the chocolate cherry scone…the others will have to wait until my next visit, which I’m already looking forward to.

The wedge-shaped scone was beautifully-browned on the outside (unlike its albino counterpart in most supermarkets), w/ a slight shine from the eggwash. The scone looked light and slightly crusty, which showed that the dough probably wasn’t overworked. I guessed from looking at the exterior that this was going to be a tender scone, and it didn’t disappoint. I broke off a piece to reveal the interior’s moist crumb…a perfect balance. The chocolate and cherries were evenly distributed, so each egalitarian bite was equally enjoyable. I think I was enjoying the scone so much that I was even picking up the crumbs on my plate w/ a moistened fingertip…it was literally good to the last crumb, and my friends, who took a sample, agreed.

One friend ordered the chocolate croissant, and though it was good, she didn’t find it to be memorable. Another friend ordered a regular croissant, some of which I tasted for myself, and I liked the texture. It was light, flaky, and moist. Susina’s pastries probably range on the milder side when it comes to sweetness, so it never becomes cloying.

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{ THE TEA }

The tea I ordered was brought to my table in a single-serve coffee/tea press. I allowed the leaves to steep for several minutes before I depressed the plunger to the bottom, and poured into my dome-shaped cup (perfect for dipping pastries into) the freshly-brewed, Jasmine Pearl tea. It gave off an intoxicating aroma, foreshadowing its flavors. I took a sip, and the tea was delicate and the flavor complex. It had a gentle, natural sweetness to it, and I let out an audible “mmmmm…” w/ each sip. For my next visit, I’m planning on ordering the Japanese Cherry tea. I loved it at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (had it as a latte there), and I think it would make such a perfect pairing w/ another one of their scones.

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I rarely feel compelled to return to an eating establishment, but Susina Bakery & Cafe, which is my friend’s favorite neighborhood cafe, has instantly become mine, as well (though more in spirit, since it’s not my neighborhood). So many of their offerings seem so tasty that it would be hard to pick a favorite.

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{ THE GOOD }

The ambience is nice, so you get a good first impression. I thought the place was charming when I first walked in. It’s very dim in there, so the mood is set for a romantic date. If you find that you’re squinting at the menus (like everyone else), just place your menu behind the tealight candle to illuminate the text. I almost took out my flashlight, but resisted the urge, as not to distract from the mood.

(If you’re a detail-oriented person, and you notice things about service, plating, the establishment’s attn to detail, etc., your impression of the restaurant will evolve fairly quickly.)

The first course was a mini-sampler of hummus, baba ganoush, and spiced olives, served w/ toasted (somewhat blackened) pita wedges, about the size of tortilla chips. I really enjoyed the spiced olives…I liked them so much that I just might make some at home. The olives were small and firm, and had a briny, garlicky, and spicy bite.

If you like churros, you’ll probably enjoy the dish w/ the phyllo round containing some kind of diced chicken. The chicken is hardly detectable, but you WILL notice the cinnamon and powdered sugar sprinkled on top of it. It was just like being in an amusement park…just a lot costlier, and w/ utensils.

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{ THE NOT SO GOOD }

For you TRUE foodies out there, you might consider skipping this place, because there’s absolutely no “love” in the food prep…the food isn’t bad, it’s just so mediocre that it’s not worth the money. I would say that the food would’ve been completely acceptable in a food court at the mall…competely edible, one-note dishes that aren’t inspiring, but wouldn’t be disappointing, as long as you didn’t pay more than $7 – $10 for your entire meal.

I think that the people who are really impressed w/ this place probably don’t cook much themselves, because there were no definitive flavors, and no pride taken in the preparation of the food. It was obvious to me that the inspiration for this restaurant was born NOT for the love of food, but was born instead by the lure of profit from customers who could be fooled by their gimmick of initial ambience. Making money’s fine, because life’s not free, but the place reeked of apathy.

This is Moroccan food “Beverly Hills style,” so DON’T expect authenticity. You won’t be sitting on the floors or on small stools at low tables, for one, but they try to “French-ify” the plating, so your food takes up only about 10% of the plate. All of the dishes I had in the tasting menu were very mild, and I don’t recall tasting any kind of pungent flavors, as I might have expected from Moroccan food…definitely catered to the average, White American palate, or for people who don’t like to take chances on varied flavors and aromas. I guess there’s nothing “offensive” served here.

I ordered the tasting menu, and there were 7 courses total, so the quantity, overall, was just fine, and I was actually a tiny bit full by the end of the meal. If you’re expecting a Morcoccan feast, this place is probably not for you. The portions are small, and you’ll be able to consume each course in about 2 – 4 bites.

Not much of a booze selection, if that’s important to you.

I never lost myself in the experience. The waiters were minimally competent, but their serving style didn’t contribute to any mood…there was nothing evocative about it. They were pretty apathetic, I think…it was just a job, to them, but I could tell that these guys, just as people, weren’t in the habit of anticipating others’ needs…they could probably barely take care of themselves.

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{ IDEAL CUSTOMER }

If you’re the type who makes decisions based on first impression and care only about ambience and not so much about the food, you’ll probably like Tagine. If you go here on a date, and your date is of a similar sensibility, you’ve got a winner.

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{ WHO SHOULD PASS ON THIS PLACE }

If you’re the kind of person who prefers hole-in-the-wall joints cuz yes, ambience might be nice, but doesn’t really matter, and you really, REALLY care about having memorably good food, don’t spend your money here at TAGINE.

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• AMBIENCE *

I think the ambience is my favorite thing about Claws…it’s got that local haunt type of flavor, where the staff would probably know you by name and anticipate what you’re going to order. The walls, covered w/ raw lumber, are “graffitied” w/ the exultations and shoutouts of many enthusiastic diners, as well as w/ signed polaroids of giddy gourmands.

The pirate theme’s been embraced fully to create an atmosphere that’s casual and festive. If cajun food’s what you’re craving, this place is perfect for casual dates, b-day parties, game-watching (flat-screen TV’s everywhere), and for chillin’ out w/ friends for absolutely no reason at all.

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• SERVICE *

All of the waitresses were friendly, efficient, and adorable. My glass of refreshing strawberry iced tea (w/ REAL strawberries inside, thinly sliced; perfect sweetness) was always full.

I don’t like when the servers are TOO eager, as you might’ve experienced before at Cheesecake Factory or some similar place, where they check up on you too frequently, at times, w/ that veneer of enthusiasm…I don’t know about you, but it tires me out. You won’t experience that at Claws…they’re friendly, but laid back, so you can relax and enjoy your meal and your company.

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• FOOD *

I tried the:

- STRAWBERRY ICED TEA (you HAVE to try this!! Heard the peach iced tea was great, too)

- GUMBO (balanced, mild flavors; hearty, but not heavy…like healthy comfort food…ate every last drop!)

- SHIPWRECK (assortment of breaded and deep-fried mussels, calamari, shrimp, and clams…generously-sized seafood, but wished the batter was seasoned and lighter in texture)

- CRAWFISH (comes boiled in a bag w/ corn, potatoes, crawfish, w/ Old Bay seasoning(?). The table’s lined w/ paper to absorb the liquid from inside the bag, and once the waitress bibs you, you can get down and attack that crawfish. These cute crustaceans look like mini-lobsters, and as w/ similar types of shellfish, it takes some work to get to the flesh, so if you’re a lazy eater, like I am, go w/ a friend who’ll do the work for you, or just order something that’s easier to eat)

- CAJUN FRIES (moderately spicy…can’t have just one)

- STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM (sweet and creamy finish to an otherwise savory meal)

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• LOCATION *

Claws Restaurant is conveniently located close to the 22 fwy on Brookhurst Ave., just south of Chapman Ave. in an expansive shopping center w/ plenty of parking. If you’re coming in from Brookhurst, look for El Pollo Loco and Jumpa Thai at the entrance.

What’s defined as food is relative, so for the most part, I am, or at least, I try to be a tabula rasa as I submit to the first taste of a food that’s considered to be exotic in the mainstream American culture.

If you’re wary of trying the meats not typically consumed here in the States, PHONG DINH is the place to sample them, as there is little to no gameyness, at least to my taste buds…then again, I have an affinity for pungent foods, though that doesn’t really extend over to animal proteins. People who were raised on American mainstream cuisine may find some of the meats to have a gamey aftertaste, though I personally didn’t find them to be offensive.

Apparently, my brain resorts to a seemingly simplistic mechanism when assessing the taste of a species of animal that I’ve never before consumed. In my inadvertently primitive need to relate them to something, I seem inclined to compare their tastes and textures to: (1) chicken, (2) beef, or (3) pork. For the diners who might prefer a more familiar-tasting meat in their dishes, I’d recommend the ones that I sampled throughout the night during my 12-course meal. I was so proud of the relative restraint that I practiced, as one dish after the other crowded onto the lazy Susan (this invention needs a new name…) before us at the round table.

When it comes to rating the tastiness of a meal, I first place the dishes and dining establishment into their proper context. There are certain exceptional meals that I describe as “last-meal worthy,” where I make yum sounds w/ each bite, and that I passionately share about with others with all the sentimentality of a love that I will recall w/ great fondness for the remainder of my existence. I may not classify this meal into this category, but I would definitely commend PHONG DINH for how they consistently procured dishes with balanced flavors, cooking the meats and veggies to the perfect doneness level, and the sauces that accompanied the dishes were multi-dimensional and tasty when drizzled over rice.

I would describe this restaurant as being more Chinese-Vietnamese, as the dishes I consumed were mainly stir-fried, and at least a couple tasted like they were in a kung pao sauce.

The meats were very tender, their protein fibers probably broken down with a marinade that contained some kind of cooking wine, and their gameyness was either cooked out or mitigated because of the alcohol.

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Dined on the following:

(1) BAKED CATFISH (their specialty)
Moist flesh, browned skin, though still a bit flabby. Would have preferred that the fish was seasoned w/ some salt, but accompanying tamarind garlic sauce was a perfect compliment.

(2) QUAIL EGGS WRAPPED IN SHRIMP PASTE AND BATTERED IN SWEET RICE FLAKE
There was a quail egg in here? I like fried foods, and I’m also a fan of shrimp paste, but my taste buds failed to register the presence of the quail egg. Nonetheless, if you like fried shrimp paste, you’ll probably like this.

(3) SHRIMP & PORK w/ LOTUS ROOT SOUR SALAD
To me, this dish is more about texture, because I’m simply not a fan of cartilage. There was some form of pig cartilage in this salad, and the presentation of the dish was beautiful, but alas, I opted to pass on sampling this dish.

(4) CHARBROILED GROUND SNAKE IN ROLLED “LOT LEAVES”
Pretty much everyone described this dish as gamey, but I didn’t have a problem with the dish, from that standpoint. These bite-sized morsels of snake wrapped in leaves were on the dry and bland side, so that would be the primary reason why I’d pass on this dish for the next time.

(5) DICED VENISON SAUTEED w/ ONIONS
I think this was the dish that tasted like pork. Sauce was well-balanced.

(6) KANGAROO SAUTEED w/ WINE FLAME
As with everything else, it was seasoned well, and the meat was tender…tasted like beef. For you pyromaniacs, you have the added excitement of a flambe show prior to consuming this dish.

(7) SAUTEED BOAR IN CURRY SAUCE
This curry sauce was delicious. Interestingly, this curry wasn’t very herby, and it was slightly sweeter than the usual, so it may be friendly for children’s taste buds. The boar was very tender, and I believe its flavor resembled beef.

(8) MINCED ALLIGATOR w/ LEMON GRASS, WOOD EARS AND WATER CHESTNUT SERVED w/ WHOLE SESAME RICE CRACKERS
This dish had many varied textures, providing a revolving mouth feel. The alligator meat resembled chicken.

(9) MANILA CLAMS w/ BELL PEPPER, GARLIC, AND CHILI
The sauce that the manila clams were sauteed in was very well-rounded and incredibly tasty…I think this sauce was my favorite of the bunch. The clams themselves were cooked just right, where they were perfectly tender, and not rubbery.

(10) WATER SPINACH
Flavor was mild and served as a perfect palate cleanser after being served one meat after another. Water spinach is on the stringy side and tougher in texture, so chew carefully before swallowing.

(11) BOK CHOY AND GARLIC
Quartered, stirfried bok choy were infused in garlicky oil, retaining just the right amount of crunch.

(12) COCONUT AGAR AGAR
I’m personally not too keen on the slightly cartilagenous bite of agar agar, but this was a refreshing end to the meal. Coconut milk was stirred in, and lent its mild sweetness to this dessert.

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[ ambience ]

Typical of most Vietnamese joints, PHONG DINH had a family restaurant atmosphere with standard Vietnamese restaurant furniture. The wallpaper of the waterfalls was probably inherited from the building’s previous tenant, but the interior of the establishment was well-lit, and the venue would be well-suited towards larger groups. If the parking is full for the restaurant, there’s plenty of parking in the adjacent shopping center, containing a 99 Ranch Market.

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[ OVERALL IMPRESSION ]

PHONG DINH is worth going to for its food, service, and relatively convenient location. I haven’t found myself daydreaming about anything I ate there, but nothing disappointed, and I would describe their dishes as being “reliable.” You can count on having a great meal, as long as you’re not expecting one that is necessarily memorable.