Artichokes with stems

It tastes like young bamboo pickle in Asia, so match with a meaty dish.

Shrimp gyoza

Preheat a non-stick pan with 1 spoon of oil at medium heat, then add the gyoza, bottom down

After 4 minute, add 1/2 cup of water, open lid cook for 5 minutes, when all water gone, cook at lower heat for extra 2 minutes

Here are the crispy bottom gyoza, as good as you often eat at Japanese restaurant. This is perfect dish for a simple breakfast

Taiwanese sesame chicken soup

1. Ingredients:

- A whole chicken, you can buy cut chicken if you don't like the whole one like this. I bought this one at Wholefood Tustin, level 5. This is the best chicken I can find in Irvine, it even better and more expensive then the fresh chicken at farmer market.

- 1 big piece of ginger

- 1 spoon of dried goji berries ( bought at Wholefood)

- 5 dried date (Asian date)

- 5 to 8 dried shitake mushroom (Japanese mushoom is better)

- 1/2 cup of sesame oil

- 1 cup of rice wine (Taiwanese rice wine)

- 1 spoon of salt, 1 spoon of fish sauce (optional)

2. Method:
- Rinse mushrooms, goji and dates under water for 10 seconds (clean extra dust or preservatives if added)
- Then soak mushroom in water for 10 minutes

- In a big pot, heat the sesame oil, then add sliced ginger, use medium heat for 5 minutes

- Clean chicken, dry well with paper towel, then add to the put, fried each side for 5 minutes

- Then add all other ingredients but the rice wine
- Add water to cover the chicken, open lid, cook for 45 minutes after it boiled

- Add the rice wine, open lid, use medium heat for 10 minutes to let the alcohol evaporated
- Then it's done, you can taste the soup to add more salt or fish sauce if you want.

This dish is suitable for winter time, but this summer, Irvine is too cold, I still want to eat  it ~~~~~

Guppy house's dinner

If you need a cheap but good quality dinner, this restaurant may be the best choice. Its disadvantage: you may need wait for 30 minutes in the peak hour.

The staffs here are very friendly and helpful. The store is clean, it's decoration just impressive!

Here is what we order:

Meat ball (pork) with vege. It comes with rice, cucumber pickle, potato salad, and fresh (not canned) pineapple

Pork intestin with pickle soup

Roast shrimp with shelf - Vietnamese style

1. Ingredients:

- Shrimps: 6 (for 2 people), I bought these shrimps at Mitsuwa super market, Irvine

- Chopped garlic (2 gloves), shallot (half one), lemon grass (1 spoon), 

- Fish sauce (1 spoon) or Salt (1/4 spoon), sugar (1/2 spoon), dry red chili (1/4 spoon) 

- Olive oil (1 spoon)

2. Method:

- Mix all seasonings well

- Devein and clean the shrimps, dry well with paper towel 

- Marinate shrimp with the sauce for 15 minutes

- If you have skewers, use it, otherwise the put the shrimp into baking tray

- Use roast setting with Breville oven, 420 degree for 15 minutes