Moving to another country is not the easiest thing to do. You have to leave everyone and everything you know behind to start a new life. So now in LA we have to discover everything: where do I need to go for some good pizza? How do I know which groceries can be ‘trusted’? Where do I have to buy underwear (or better: what will be my favorite underwear)? Who can I trust to cut my hair? Oh and I can go on with this list for -let’s say- forever!
One of the things I have to miss in Amsterdam is good dim sum. I regularly went to a really good dim sum place where the weekends were packed with Chinese customers. So then you know it’s good! 😉
After being in LA for one week friends invited us to a dim sum brunch and of course we immediate accepted! Even though we just finished a huge breakfast with American pancakes 😉 Everytime is a good time for dim sum!
We met our friends at the Empress Pavilion and I was so excited to see all the waitresses with push carts. I had never seen it before.
All those women walk around with carts full of steaming baskets and bowls filled with delicious food. You just point to the food you want, they serve it and they will leave a stamp on a card at your table. Once you’re finished you take the card with you to the cashier’s desk to pay.
So we had lots and lots of great food (it was so good, almost better than the food I had in China ;-)) for just a few bucks.
But sadly, yesterday I learned that Empress Pavilion suddenly closed 🙁 So now I have to look for another good dim sum place in LA. On Twitter I was told to go to Monterey Park. I hope it is worth the drive!
Nothing to do with dim sum but that doesn’t matter. This lukewarm noodle salade is so good, you have to try it!
Ideal for those sunny days in LA, a quick and healthy Asian salad. And it's also vegetarian!
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz udon noodles
- 3.5 oz carrots
- 4 spring onions
- 1 bell pepper, seeds removed
- 3.5 oz romaine lettuce (about one piece)
- 1/2 cucumber
- 5 oz peanuts (I like the dry roasted ones)
- for the dressing:
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp red chili flakes
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain them and run cold water over the noodles to stop the cooking process.
- Clean the carrot, spring onion and cucumber and slice them. Cut the bell pepper in thin strips.
- Rinse and coarsely chop the lettuce.
- Toss the vegetables together in a large bowl and add the noodles.
- Combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey and red chili flakes, shake well and mix it with the veggies and noodles.
- Add the peanuts and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
