A prospective review of gustatory and taste sensations as observed in individuals with obsessive compulsive traits focused on gastronomy.
I wish I had some Golden Cheesecake from 99 Ranch Market. So fluffy, so non-cheesecake-like, so delicious.
Or maybe some Portuguese egg tarts would hit the spot. I can’t believe the Chinese didn’t think of crisping and caramelizing the tops of egg tarts before.
I don’t think I should have pictures like this as my desktop background; it’s probably the reason I’m always hungry. What can I say? I’m a glutton.
On my third day, I hit up a couple places that I used to frequent while in college. My friend Donna picked me up so we could get some food and catch up on the past couple of years. The first stop was LA Chinatown–the one in downtown, not Monterey Park–for a giant bowl of pho at Pho 87. Pho 87 is hole in the wall with great tasting and unpretentious food. It was packed with out-of-Chinatowners even at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon, a testament to its deliciousness.
Since this would be my only Vietnamese meal for a couple months, I did as I did at Santouka: ordered a dangerously large amount of food. I started with a bowl of their special pho, which came with a variety of cow parts that reminded me of anatomy for some reason: tripe, tendon, flank, meatballs. And unlike the brown-water broths normally served in Nashville, the soup here exuded flavor which could only come about from hours of brewing no less than a dozen different ingredients.
I also ordered egg rolls for the both of us, but somehow I was the only one eating them. I had five out of eight pieces, to be specific.
I finished up with a glass of che 3 mau, a concoction of beans and jellies in coconut milk. It’s really more of a dessert than a drink, but every place always serves this as a drink. After finishing my bowl of noodles, egg rolls, and che 3 mau, I felt a sudden urge to urinate (I did drink a lot of fluid, after all). It was when I finally stood up after eating that I realized just how much I ate: my abdomen began to contract, trying hard to contain all that I ate to prevent my stomach from bursting out a la Aliens.
It was painful.
I never thought I would throw up from eating so much. And I wasn’t going to anytime soon. I suggested to Donna that we kick it and meander around Chinatown.
Chinatown is one of the most underrated hangouts in Los Angeles. Sure, it’s a huge tourist spot during the day, but it doesn’t compare to New York’s Chinatown; you won’t find counterfeits here. During my years tutoring at Castelar Elementary School, it was only during my last year at USC that I discovered the art galleries and hipster shops in between antique shops. There’s also a pretty chill nightlife. And the architecture is pretty awesome. It’s like walking around an brightly colored Asian themepark.
I came back with baked goods–egg tarts–despite my stomach ache. And I ate them. They were creamy, flaky and delightful.
That night, I went to Yai in Thai Town, another hidden gem/hole in the wall I only discovered during my senior year at USC. The food is cheap, plentiful, and made with some soul. Each dish tasted like someone’s mom or dad made it, albeit without as much love, because I don’t really know who made it, so there’s not much love there. But it’s still good!
Pad thai was at a happy medium in between neon orange and poo brown. It’s also tastier when it’s not either of those colors, too.
The panang here was leaps and bounds superior to the one I had on Friday, and any I’ve had in Nashville. The sauce was creamy and thick, much like a stew. I ordered this mild, but I probably should’ve asked for something spicier. Thai food just isn’t the same when I’m not reaching for a Thai tea to extinguish a fire in my mouth.
The beef salad I ordered did start a small fire, though. This was one of the more authentic dishes on the menu, with beef and red onions tossed in vinegar, chilis and rice powder. Usually beef salads tend to be overwhelmingly sour or spicy, but this was balanced, possibly from the rice powder? I’ve never had rice powder so I can’t say for sure.
It’s been a week since I almost ate myself into painful stomach ache oblivion, and I think I’m still suffering the consequences of eating that much. I don’t regret it, though. Somehow, eating until the verge of throwing up made me feel alive. So how do I feel about it now? I say, “Screw Ben Franklin and his quotes–I live to eat!“
It was a gut feeling. Or it was hunger. But I knew that I was getting closer to something tasty. As I drove west from Nashville, Music City USA, the skyscrapers of downtown disappeared and were replaced by lush, green hills. The weather was humid. And, what do you know, there were vendors selling fruit from their trucks on the side of the road! It was a scene straight out of Taiwan, also known as the land of deliciousness.
Far from the country music, the barbecue, the fried chicken, Alpha Bakery resides in the middle of a vast expense of strip malls. Underneath its off-white and slightly worn exterior is a bakery that serves some of the finest baked goodies I’ve had in Nashville (besides biscuits from Loveless). While many of the items are European in origin, there is a considerable Japanese influence. It’s apparent when you first open the door and a sweet odor fills your airways, when you see the Japanese magazines by the door, and when you see the Japanese candies and drinks by the register, but it’s not so apparent when you look at the goodies they offer. This only becomes apparent after taking the first soft and chewy bite of any of their buns; it’s sweet, but not too sweet–a hallmark of Asian-European pastries. I don’t really know why there’s an Asian bakery in the middle of Tennessee, but I’d rather eat now and ask questions later.
It takes a bit of driving to get to Alpha Bakery, so it’s best to stock up when you go. I came away with enough bread for a week or two, given that it doesn’t mold too fast: a loaf of glazed alpha fan, two curry pans, a melon pan, a cream pan, and a slice of cheesecake.
The alpha fan I bought was glazed with a light apricot sauce. I couldn’t really taste it, but it’s probably because I loaded up each toasted slice with honey-sweet peach preserves from Loveless. The outside has the flaky texture of a croissant, and its insides are equally croissant-y and airy, but are also dense enough to support spreads. Not quite the Asian-style toast I’m used to, but it’s a solid purchase that won’t disappoint.
The melon pan is aptly named because it looks like a melon, not because it tastes like one. The outside crust is a bit crispy–from both the baking process and some sugar granules–but the inside is doughy and a little sweet. Microwaving it for 10 seconds to make it soft and warm may make my belly even happier.
The cream bun is soft and has the same soft and doughy texture, but is filled with a thick egg-tasting cream. It reminds me of Chinese or Portuguese egg tart filling in a bun. Also quite good if microwaved.
The curry pan is covered in what I think is panko flakes and filled with a curried beef mixture. The filling doesn’t quite taste like Japanese curry, which usually has some touches of sweetness from honey or fruit; it actually tastes like curry-spiced meat. The outside is also extremely greasy for something that looked baked. It’s good, but the prospect of eating something that looks more oily than fried chicken, but not as tasty, is just a tad disturbing.
The cheesecake was overpriced for such a small price. I think it was supposed to be New York cheesecake, but I don’t like the stiffness in New York style cheesecakes. It also wasn’t as sweet as I expected to be but that can be good or bad, depending on your preference. This left me with a “Meh.”
It’s getting to that time in the school year when I gotta move back into the library so I won’t be able to visit Alpha Bakery as often, but that just means that I’ll have to stock up even more when I do get the opportunity to visit.
Alpha Bakery 7120 Highway 70 S Nashville, TN (615) 673-8168
