2012 is the year of the red pepper paste.
Back in January Baum+Whiteman, a food consultant company, declared that Korean cuisine would be the next hot flavor trend in restaurants. Meanwhile in-the-know foodies predicted kimchi and kalbi as the “new Thai” to sweep American taste buds.
Everyone in favor, raise your spoon and chopsticks.
Thankfully Sacramento is on trend and houses a pocket of outstanding Korean restaurants. If you’re looking for a family-friendly venue with minimal wait times and good food, opt for Mo Du Rang on Folsom Blvd. near Bradshaw.
Dinner at Mo Du Rang started off with a delicious and complimentary scallion pancake. We gobbled it up so quickly I forgot to snap a picture!
For those unfamiliar with Korean dining, an assortment of kimchi (pickled and seasoned vegetables) is central to the meal and serves as a flavor accent for the various dishes. Our small army of kimchi sides arrived promptly, and we happily nibbled as we waited.
Mo Du Rang features a do-it-yourself tabletop BBQ and you really can’t go wrong with bulgogi, a Korean classic featuring thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and garlic. The sweet meat is delicious, especially when enfolded by fresh lettuce, garlic, jalapeños and a swab of miso-chili sauce.
We came ready to sweat through the spice, and sweat we did with this next dish: tofu soup with seafood!
The grilled mackerel was a great idea but was a tad too salty, yet easily solved with a bite of rice.
One of my favorite Korean dishes is bibimbap, a mound of rice topped with veggies and an egg, all mixed with red pepper paste. This dish satisfied perfectly.
We left stuffed, carrying with us the lingering scent of garlic—proof of a perfect ending! Trend or no trend, Mo Du Rang is worth a visit in 2012.
Mo Du Rang
9545 Folsom Blvd. #2
Sacramento, CA 95827
(916) 363-8505
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop—A Taqueria Champion
There’s only one taco shop where you can gobble up heavy shrimp-filled tacos while watching reruns of 1980’s Mexican wrestling matches, and all for a reasonable price of $8! Welcome to Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop, a small San Diego hot spot set on a path for complete taco domination.
The restaurant opened in 2008 as a side project between three brothers Jose Luis, Maurilio and Diego Rojano-Garcia. Departing from typical taqueria ambiance of sombreros and mariachi music, the brothers opted for a vibrant and colorful theme. “Lucha libre” literally translates to “free style wrestling” in Spanish, and refers to the Mexican art form of wrestling. “Anyone growing up in Mexico remembers the wrestlers on TV,” owner Jose explains. “We wanted to share this with San Diego.”
With wrestling masks crammed haphazardly along the brightly painted walls and pink zebra-printed chairs, the fun restaurant rapidly gathered a neighborhood fan base. “We had this crazy idea that quickly turned into something big,” Jose said. Big enough to land a national TV segment on Man vs. Food in 2010 and to remain a tourist destination ever since.
“Our future plan is to take over the world one taco shop at a time,” says Jose. The brothers are opening Lucha 2 by the end of 2012 and hope to expand into Los Angeles in the near future.
While recently visiting my sister in San Diego, we ventured to this popular destination for an early 11 a.m. lunch. Already the line was outside the door. Having forgotten the taste of an excellent fish taco, I ordered both the Undefeatable Seafood Taco with grilled shrimp (pictured above) along with its fresher counterpart the Flaco Taco containing grilled blackened Mahi Mahi (pictured below). Both were cooked perfectly and flavored with just the right amount of spice. Scrumptious!
But what makes Lucha Libre a unique destination? The shop lives up to their gourmet name by offering high quality ingredients, which means marinating, grilling and chopping their carne asada by hand. Let’s not forget the Surfin’ California burrito—stuffed with grilled steak, shrimp and French fries—which remains the most popular menu item. Top it off with the “special green sauce” which locals swear is pure gastronomical genius!
“Oh, the cilantro sauce? I give credit to my mom,” said Jose. He proceeds to tell the full story. “It was one day before opening and I had eight spots for salsa on the condiments booth, but only seven salsas. I did not know what to do and my mom said, “Remember that salsa your aunt made in Mexico?” She made it and we put it out in desperation. I think she added a bit of nicotine because it’s kind-of addictive! It was one of those accidents that worked out.”
The next time you’re in San Diego, make sure to stop by Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop. Even better, call 24 hours in advance to reserve seating in the ringed-in champion booth. “It is full service and you can drink out of real goblets,” says Jose. “We already have people making reservations for next year.”
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop
1810 W. Washington Street
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 296-8226
www.tacosmackdown.com
Sacramento Mother’s Day Dining Round-Up
We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again! SacFoodies is here with our faithful round-up of Mother’s Day options in the area. From fine dining to the ball park, we hope you’ll find an apt venue to celebrate!
Make it a weekend affair and drive down to the Old Sugar Mill on Saturday or Sunday. Presented by Carvalho Winery, the events include chocolate sampling from Capitol Confections, massages from Keola Bodyworks and live music from the Camellia Symphony Quartet. On Sunday, treat mom to brunch for $44.95 per person. Call 916-744-1625 for reservations.
For an upscale brunch, visit The Firehouse from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. Served in buffet style, choose from an array of starters including artisan cheeses, oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail and seasonal fruit, followed by your choice from five delicious entrees and two decadent desserts. Cost is $47.95 per person. Call 916-442-4772 for reservations.
Does mom enjoy the ballpark? Get out the peanuts and crackerjacks and come enjoy the Macy’s Mother’s Day Brunch at Raley Field! The pre-game brunch goes from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30a.m. and includes a $10 Macy’s gift card and seats for the River Cats vs. Cubs game. Visit the website for reservations.
Temperatures will continue in the 90s on Sunday, providing the ideal opportunity to treat mom to a Hornblower Mother’s Day Dinner Cruise. Departing from the Old Sacramento L Street Dock, the 3-hour cruise is $60 per person and includes a gourmet dinner and live entertainment. Visit the website to make reservations.
Or, end the day with a classy evening at Ella Dining Room & Bar. Paired with impeccable service and pleasant ambiance, the 3 course Mother’s Day menu will be served from 3:30-7:30 p.m. Cost is $65 per person. Reserve online or call 916-443-3772.
We’ve captured but a few options! Visit Open Table or Yelp Sacramento for more Mother’s Day dining options in the Sacramento area.
Q & A with a Food Photographer: Keith Seaman
Ever curious about the art of food photography, I jumped on the opportunity to chat with Keith Seaman, a veteran photographer of 35 years and a long-standing friend of Fleishman-Hillard’s Sacramento office. Keith’s studio is located in Fresno, California, and over the years he has produced a fabulous food and wine portfolio for some of our clients.
How did you get interested in food photography?
My friend sold me his 35mm camera. Soon after I started at the Art Center College of Design and then apprenticed with some photographers in Los Angeles. I’ve always been a generalist, but my interest in food came later when I moved to the San Joaquin Valley.
Who comprises your photography team on the set?
The food stylist and myself. Also a creative director who ensures that the needs of the client are satisfied.
What is the job of a food stylist?
A food stylist is someone who understands the food and prepares it for the camera. The food must look good and must faithfully represent the recipe. Food stylists and photographers work as a team—without a great food stylist I wouldn’t be shooting food!
Let’s talk tools of the trade. Which camera and lenses do you use for shooting food?
My favorite food camera combo is my Sinar F view camera paired with my Phase One digital back and a 150mm f2.8 lens. The view camera gives me the opportunity to change the focus angle with any lens. This is useful because I can keep both the food and the wine labels in focus.
You have your own studio and you also travel?
Correct. I occasionally shoot in my home, but I also have a 4,000 square-foot studio in downtown Fresno. My studio has a full kitchen and I also built a “Cyclorama” space, which is a seamless room with no corners, for shooting reflective objects. It’s like being inside of a white egg.
What is your most memorable food-related photoshoot?
About one year ago I had the opportunity to do a portrait of Chef Charles Phan at his Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco. It was incredibly fun! I put together a team of five people and we spent 1.5 hours taking two photos. They turned out great. Afterwards Chef Phan used my photo when he was inducted into the Who’s Who in Food and Beverage in America at the James Beard Foundations Awards.
What is the most difficult aspect of food photography?
Well, some food needs to be shot immediately. Like soufflé. You take it out of the oven and it immediately starts to deflate. Another example is real ice cream. There’s no time once it is on the set.
What are your top 3 tips for taking vivid food photos?
- Be aware of the angle. Find the angle where the best parts of the food are facing the camera.
- Use color saturation appropriately. Increasing color saturation can brighten a photo but it may misrepresent the food. When altering color, make sure it still looks real and appetizing.
- Lighting is critical. You can’t shoot good food with bad lighting. Window light is always nice. If indoors, make sure there aren’t too many different light sources, since each source has a different color.
So what happens with the food after you finish?
We try to save as much as possible. Usually we split the food and everyone takes home a bag. When there is a ton of food left, I arrange to have it delivered to a charitable organization. My home studio is adjacent to a Salvation Army Retirement Home.
For more about Keith, visit Keith Seaman Photography.
This interview was condensed and edited.
Nutrition Fuels Fitness Walk/Run Race in Elk Grove
Nutrition. Noun. The interrelated steps by which a living organism assimilates food and uses it for growth; the process of being nourished. (Sourced from The American Heritage Dictionary.)
Here at SacFoodies we examine all things food-related which often includes newly discovered recipes and reviews of local eateries. However, today I am taking a side-step to make a tribute to food as nourishment. Food plays an integral role in our mental and physical health – and as the adage goes, we are what we eat.March is National Nutrition Month, an annual nutrition education campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association). Originally launched in 1973, National Nutrition Month is a reminder about the basics of healthy eating. This year’s theme is “Get Your Plate in Shape,” which focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. For eating tips, healthy snack ideas and other nutrition information visit the National Nutrition Month website.
Enough talk. Lace up your running shoes and celebrate National Nutrition Month with a fun local event for you and the whole family!
Nutrition Fuels Fitness Race
Join the community in celebrating healthy eating and fitness with a 5K/10K race and a family fun festival. Race options include: a 5K Run, 10KRun and Kids Half-mile.
When: Sunday March 25, 2012
Where: Elk Grove Regional Park
Features:
- Separate Kids’ Fun Run
- Custom T-shirts
- ChronoTrack Disposable Tag Timing
- Awards
- Fueling Station—complimentary breakfast sponsored by local food vendors
- Family Fun Festival
Why: The race benefits the Northern Area Dietetic Association and its grant-funded childhood obesity prevention programs.
To register for the race visit: www.nutritionfuelsfitness.org