En Japanese Tapas--Santa Clara, CA

I ate lunch yesterday with Jenny at En Japanese Tapas in Santa Clara. Ravenous and looking to fill up with fat, I went with the braised pork belly with udon and two Japanese tapas dishes--both of them featuring skewers: bacon wrapped quail egg and grilled tongue.

The braised pork belly (above) was delicious and will make me come back again. In the soup were three big fatty chunks of belly. The broth was rich, hot and served in an enormous bowl. Along with the soup came a rice ball with pickled plum and ginger. Instead of the plum, I could have ordered salmon roe, as I will next time.

The bacon wrapped quail egg (below) was crisp and soft in one bite and I can't think of a more delectable little breakfast ball.

The grilled tongue was a slight disappointment. The flame-broiled flavor stood out, but the meat was overdone and chewy. The tongue cooled quickly, so one should get to the skewers right away.

Jenny had the mini udon with yellow tail (below). There were no complaints from her (except for the chewiness of the tongue), but since she'd have to come down from Mountain View to get here, I have a feeling my next trip back will be alone.

Worthy of note: the place didn't fill up during the lunch hour, so you can come in whenever you like. Also, they take American Express.

En Japanese Tapas
3450 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95051-2808
(408) 246-0011

Huong Lan--San Jose

On our way to Happy Hollow in San Jose, we stopped at Huong Lan on Tully Road to pick up lunch to go. Jenny and I have long been fans of Vietnamese baguette sandwiches, or banh mi.
We got two different flavors for our three sandwiches (I ate one of each): grilled pork and barbecued pork. The pickled jicama and carrot with the mayonaise added a tanginess that went well with the sweetness of the barbecued--and grilled--pork. The bread was crisp on the outside and delightfully soft on the inside. And, to be fair, the cracks in the bread you see in the barbecued sandwich above came from it bouncing around in our bag during our trip through the park.

The shrimp spring rolls were cold and refreshing, with the shrimp suitably crunchy. The lettuce was crisp and the mint added pizazz to every bite.

Though I was well rested, the second sandwich nevertheless hit me like a hammer, sending me into a daze that afternoon. Keeping me awake, though, was my thirst. Jenny was likewise craving water, suggesting the meats were spiked with sodium.

By the way, one can get an entire roast pig for $175. And, judging by the two that flew out the door during the five minutes we were there, it's a popular item.

Huong Lan
1655 Tully Rd
San Jose, CA 95122
(408) 258-8868

Cafe Falafel--Santa Clara, CA

I met an equipment supplier representative at Cafe Falafel in Santa Clara near my work last week. Not having anything specific in mind going in, I went for variety and ordered the Lamb and Beef Gyros.

The food came quickly--in about five minutes. The lamb was piled on top of the beef on the bottom and the difference between them was very subtle due to similar marinades. Whether lamb or beef, though, the meat was warm, tender and went well with the sides when shoved into pita bread.

Ah, the sides. The gyros came with a lot on the plate, in terms of both variety and quantity. They were all good but I especially appreciated the giant scoop of rice pilaf and the creamy hummus, which teamed together to fill me up--not easy to do for $9 unless I'm at a buffet. Also coming with the lunch were pickled lettuce and salad.

After I move to my new office next month, Cafe Falafel will be a mere five minutes away and it will be tough to resist going there for lunch. With the parking lot overcrowded during the lunch hour I'll need to get there before noon or after 1:10.

4300 Great America Parkway
Suite 172
Santa Clara, CA 95054
(408) 970-0913

The Cheesesteak Shop--Sunnyvale, CA

Taken on its own, with disregard to authenticity, the "Classic" Philly cheese steak sandwich I had Monday at The Cheesesteak Shop in Sunnyvale was good. The bread was soft in all the right places, the cheese was hot and gooey and the steak itself was tender. I got mine with everything, which included jalapenos that provided a pleasant heat.

However, as I left I couldn't help but wonder if what I ate was the genuine article a diner at, say, Pat's or Geno's in Philadelphia would enjoy. The cheese was white, almost certainly provolone. Although provolone is accepted by many for this sandwich, the default should be Cheese Whiz. Indeed, there was a sign proclaiming the restaurant uses Cheese Whiz, but it wasn't in my sandwich. Also, the cheese should have covered the steak, instead of hiding underneath. Finally, there's the question of heft. Any search on a Philly cheesesteak would reveal that what I had (photo above) didn't carry the weight of what one would find at, say, Pat's (below photo from www.sciencecompanion.com).

All that said, I'd be happy to go back. The fact is, I enjoyed the sandwich and The Cheesecake Shop is located midway between my work and Jenny's. Moreover, Jenny went with the 7" mushroom and she liked her sandwich, too. And, with a 10" classic at $6.29 I'd be hard pressed to find a sandwich more filling.

The Cheesesteak Shop
832 W El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 530-8159
www.cheesesteakshop.com

World Wrapps--Santa Clara, CA

Jenny and I met at World Wrapps at the Mercado Center in Santa Clara today. I tried Jenny's usual, the Samurai Salmon Bowl (below) while she got the Thai Chicken Bowl.

The salmon was a touch overdone, but the bowl was otherwise a joy to eat. World Wrapps mixed in the right amount of wasabi--enough to make the meal punchy and interesting but not enough to hurt. Also, the sauce had a delicious creaminess about it that went exceedingly well with rice. The seaweed, or nori, provided crunch as well as flavor. The avocado was a nice touch but not critical. The bowl was served lukewarm and would have been even better served hot. As with all World Wrapps bowls, this dish can be ordered as a burrito. Although the bowl costs 30 cents more than the burrito, I'd still recommend getting the bowl, as it provides substantially more to eat than the burrito filling. At World Wrapps, a bowl is advertised as a burrito minus the tortilla plus additional rice.

Jenny's bowl (below) was also good, but she didn't enjoy it as much as the Samurai Salmon. The peanut-based sauce was flavorful and was as crucial to her dish as the wasabi sauce was to mine.

If you're interested in lunch at World Wrapps on a weekday, especially a Friday, get here before noon. If you don't, the restaurant will still be able to accommodate you, but parking will be difficult.

World Wrapps
3125 Mission College Blvd
Santa Clara, CA 95054
(408) 486-9727

Grilled pork chops

Over the past ten years or so I've been an avid user of our gas grill. I tried cooking all the standard staples of the barbecue: seafood, steak, skewers, chicken, burgers, hot dogs and polenta. With little question, though, my biggest challenge over the years has been the unassuming pork chop. Unlike, say, for drumsticks, an unforgiving minute or two with chops on the grill can take you from being underdone (and posing a health risk) to chewy. Having grilled chops scores of times over the years, here's my best known method.

1) Use chops that have never been frozen or are thoroughly thawed. A frozen core compromises temperature uniformity throughout the meat. Cooking the center properly forces the exterior to be overdone.

2) Apply your favorite seasoning or rub. As for resting time before cooking, consult your recipe. I've found that giving at least four hours for a rub to settle enhances flavor. Our family favorite, the mustard seed rub, is pictured below and is taken from Weber's Big Book of Grilling:
-1 teaspoon each of mustard seeds, celery seeds, thyme
-1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
-1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper and cayenne (we used chili powder instead)

3) Drop your chops onto the grill, directly over a medium flame. Close the hood. After about four minutes, check to see that the surface is completely cooked (that is, nothing raw showing). If not, give the chops another 60 seconds and look again. Once the surface is free of any pink, it's time to flip. Again, after about four minutes, check the surface for doneness.
4) With both sides browned, you're now ready for indirect heating (two photos below). Keeping the flame at the same level, move your chops to a section of the grill that isn't directly over a flame. Flip after about four minutes.

5) Check for doneness. This is the hard part, even with the cheating that I'm about to recommend. Find your thickest chop. Make an incision, about a half an inch long, midway down the thickness of the chop. If you see juice that's at all red or pink, you need more time. Flip the chop over to let the incision heal up (for aesthetics). Check every 90 seconds or so, making sure that both sides of the chops get equal time facing the grill. Once the juices are clear, you're done!

Chez Mayflower--Milpitas, CA

Heading home on the 880 through Milpitas Sunday at dinnertime, the four of us stopped for a bite at the predominantly Chinese mall, anchored by a 99 Ranch, in Milpitas on Barber Lane. Short on time and unable to wait in line, we threw caution to the wind and tried the eerily empty (just two other tables were occupied despite a nearly full parking lot) Chez Mayflower.

I ordered the fish congee, which over the past year or so has become a standby of mine. The bowl came piping hot and stuffed with tender fish--I counted six four-inch fillets. The flavor, however, was watered down compared to congee at, say, Joy Luck Bistro. Our younger twin loved the wonton noodle soup, especially the noodles. I ended up eating the wontons, which were fine, albeit oversized.

The fried rice packed a lot of shrimp and for eight dollars it was a good size--so good, in fact, that we were unable to finish.

We stopped at this restaurant out of convenience. There were many other options in this mall alone (and several more at the mall next door), but with Chez Mayflower we could get a table immediately. So, for what it was, a quick hit and run, Chez Mayflower served its purpose. I walked away not quite understanding why Chez Mayflower was so empty and the surrounding restaurants so full. Given the same set of rare circumstances (that is, in a hurry on the 880 at dinnertime), we could very well return.

Chez Mayflower accepts cash only.

Chez Mayflower
416 Barber Lane
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 894-9171