Happy Pho - shiitake mushroom

I love Pho, a traditional breakfast in Vietnam, but I don't like to eat pho outside (it doesn't not taste good, usually). I also don't want to buy instant pho from asian market, because they use so much MSG and other chemical for soup base. So, It's really happy that we found this product at Wholefood market (around $3 for w servings per box). Unlike other instant noodle, this soup base powder does not include much salt, so I add a tea spoon of fish sauce. The most important thing: no MSG.

To make a bowl of pho has more flavor, some slices of onion and chopped green onion (it will be better if you add cilantro) are added.

As it advertised, the noodle is made from brown rice, so even I use a mixture of water and chicken broth to cook, the final product's color looks so so brown !!!!

In amazon website, they sell 6 box/pack, but it's still very expensive. I will buy more once I see it in wholefood market, much much cheaper.

Otafuku noodles house

The store locates at 16525 S Western Ave, Gardena, its own parking lot is behind the restaurant.

Rice with Aji and vegetables: A must try! 

Cold udon with sea eel tempura $13

After you finish the noodles, they will give you the soup (in this red pot) to mix with the remain dipping sauce

Hot soba with sea eel tempura $13

Rice with shrimp tempura

Yamadaya ramen

The restaurant locates in a small plaza, at 1175 Baker street, Costa Mesa. At dinner, if you are lucky, you don't have to wait.... The price is very reasonable. around $9 for a bowl of ramen, or you can add ~ $5.00 for an extra bowl of rice with tofu or curry. If you don't like oily soup ramen, just choose the ramen with fish-based soup, the one with soy sauce is suggested.

Spicy ramen

 

The best spicy ramen I've ever eat in America. They don't use Vietnamese spicy sauce as the other stores. Here is the soup after mixing the hot sauce.

mapo tofu rice

Curry rice

Cold (not really cold) noodles with fish-based soup

Fukada noodle @ 6200 Scholarship Irvine

If you are lucky, you can get in without or waiting or just wait for 10 minutes, phewwwww!!!!!

Salad for the rice with eel

 Miso soup

Seafood udon pot: a must try

Rice with grill eel (a little bit salty, you can ask them add less sauce)

Fried oyster

Where they make the noodles

Japanese restaurant at Costa Mesa

 Pork dumpling - Gyoza 

The restaurant's most famous dish: Jinya Tonkotsu (ramen).

The egg is very delicious!

Japanese noodle

Each bowl of noodle is about $10. The meat is very tender. Dried bamboo (dark color part you see in the bowl) brings a special flavor to the soup. Great try!

Hokkaido food at Mitsuwa supermarket @Tustin

 Rice stuffed Squid

Ramen - Miso flavor

SOBA cold noodle from Nongshim

When the temperature reaches 90 degree, it's time to have cold noodle.  You don't have to go out for this dish, just need one pack of instant soba noodle.
I choose Nongshim brand because it has no MSG.

It's quite complicated to cook instant noodles (haha) but it tastes like what you eat outside (seriously).

Ok, start to prepare:

1. Cook the noodle in broiled water for 4 mins. 

       While waiting for it, you can prepare the soup: mix cold water with the soup      base and seasons

2. Rinse well in cold water (preferred filtered water)

3. Put the noodle in a bold of cold water (mixed with ice)

4. Strain well

5. You can put some dried seaweed (if you have)