Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Sam Woo BBQ and Tapioca Express

I don't get to Alhambra or its surrounding deliciously Chinese areas on a regular basis. Therefore, my working knowledge of the best spots for roast pork or soup dumplings is a big mess of names from local blogs to Jonathan Gold anywhere from two years ago to last week.

When I recently felt a roast duck craving coming on, I was overwhelmed by the immense possibilites (read: impatient and unmotivated). So, I asked Kung Food Panda for his expert opinion and that's how I ended up at Sam Woo BBQ with a beatific smile last Sunday (thanks Danny!). Before I embarked, I found Wandering Chopsticks' post, which was helpful particularly in the noodle department as revealed below:

Sam Woo 1
Roast duck plate: the skin was not crispy, but I didn't care. I was too busy losing my mind eating roast duck for the first time in months! It was just the right portion for us. And to think, my original inclination was to order the half duck.

Sam Woo 2
Deep fried fish fillet with sweet and sour sauce: big portion! And sweet and sour sauce that didn't look Simpsons hued. Not amazing, but then again, I wasn't expecting the quality of the fish to blow my mind here.

Sam Woo 3
Shrimp crispy chow mein: I love pan-fried crispy noodles and their version was pretty good. I think they have a BBQ pork one, which I've got my eye on for next time!

Then we stopped by Tapioca Express for some boba.

051009 7
Charles had a strawberry "icy." Only for those with a severe artificial flavored sweet tooth.

051009 8
I had a Thai tea milk tea. Refreshing perfection.

And that is how I like to do Sundays.

Sam Woo BBQ
514 W. Valley Boulevard
Alhambra, CA 91803
(626) 281-0038

Tapioca Express
228 W. Valley Blvd, #105
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 289-9735

5 comments:

weezermonkey said...

Sam Woo is a classic! Glad you tried it!

Wandering Chopsticks said...

I like the roast duck at Seaworld Seafood or Yum Cha Cafe inside the San Gabriel Superstore. Both versions have skin that taste slightly of honey and crispier than Sam Woo's.

I need to update my Sam Woo post too. $3.99 plates after 10:30 p.m. :)

Marie said...

WeezerMonkey: I was so glad I tried it, too. I have been thinking of Sam Woo this whole week, so I might have unwittingly started a bad habit!

Wandering Chopsticks: I need to check out both places immediately (Seaworld Seafood is a hilarious name for a restaurant). And yes, I got excited by the late night specials posted on the board. I don't do much late dining these days, but with those prices, you never know!

HISTORY said...

ain't nothing wrong with sweet teeth. we need more boba in our life.

Marie said...

Charles: Just had a thought, alcoholic boba would be weird, right? Right? The more I think about it, the more I want to try it.