y4pcT1JaIwGptQJPO6l_mZmgv34 tiffin unboxed: December 2012

Chips, Crisps & Wafers Pop-Up Potato Chip Shop

About 2 weeks ago, I stopped by a market in Little India to get some supplies. In the impossibly long check-out line, the people behind me were carrying armfuls of Lay's India's Magic Masala chips. Chips have been my favorite unhealthy indulgence for a long time and over the years, I've more or less managed to wean myself off them. It wasn't easy.

Artesia Nov12_Lays India Magic Masala

Now they are a very infrequent treat, and this enticing flavor seemed to be worthy of breaking my chips ban. I enjoyed the Indian "chaat" type of flavor.

I found out that for more than 30 years, Barbecue flavored chips were the only flavor available outside of plain salted chips. In the 1990's, other flavors started coming in. Many crazy flavors can be found for sure these days, but after comparing them to some of the international and even U.S. regional flavors, I craved something more than Zesty Ranch!

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_card iam8bit Gallery

When a friend emailed me a link to this global Potato Chip Pop-Up shop, in the IAM8BIT art gallery, called Chips Crisps &Wafers, I knew it had to fit into my busy holiday schedule somehow.

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_gallery floor iam8bit

I was detained at another event during opening night, but later on in the weekend, we managed to squeeze a visit in. Good thing because today is the last day it's running.

The exhibit is pretty straightforward with over 50 varieties of chips flown in from around the world as well as within the U.S. The bags went for a fairly steep 5 bags for $20 and a bit more for larger bags.

Samples were not offered, nor were bags of sold out chips on display, so the mysteries inside each bag could only be discovered on your own. They'd also make stocking stuffers anyone would love.

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_gallery emptier section


On opening night the inventory practically got decimated. I read that the first flavors to sell out were President's Choice Maple Bacon from Canada and Haldiram's Aloo Masala from India (which might have been similar to the bag of Magic Masala). Even the Ketchup flavor had sold out.

Here are a few flavor highlights from what remained during our visit. Let's start closer to home.

USA

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Baby Back Ribs USA
Herr's Baby Back Ribs - Pennsylvania, USA
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Cajun Crawtater USA
Zapps' Cajun Crawtator - Louisiana, USA
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Cajun Dill Gatortater
Zapps' Cajun Dill Gator-Tators - Louisiana, USA
Zapps chips seem to have a cult following, and like most food from Louisiana, they never disappoint. The Cajun Dill Gator-Tators is a flavor I tried and they were fantastic. I love sour and love spicy, so this blend worked on all levels.

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Crab USA
Utz The Crab Chip - Pennsylvania, USA
I didn't taste these, but one can hardly go wrong with crab + old bay seasoning on something fried. An added fun fact is that Utz was a product represented by ad agency Sterling Cooper on Mad Men, my favorite TV Show.
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Funky Fusion US
Dirty Potato Chips Funky Fusion - Tennessee, USA
I stared at this bag for a long time wondering what Funky Fusion entails. The woman from the gallery noticed and shared that it mixes all of the Dirty flavors. Sold! They were very highly seasoned, to the point where I couldn't taste the potato, but I do enjoy over-spiced food. 

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips sweet corn
Herr's Fire Roated Sweet Corn - Pennsylvania, USA
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Hot and Spicy Shrimp USA
Dandy's Hot & Spicy Shrimp - Louisiana, USA
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Old Bay USA
Herr's Old Bay - Pennsylvania, USA
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Voodoo USA
Zapps' Voodoo - Louisiana, USA
This flavor results from a happy accident of an employee spilling a mixture of 5 spice sets on the chips. It's probably similar to Funky Fusion.

Louisiana clearly wins on tempting flavors, in the US category.

UK

England definitely loves their meat and potato flavors, but also managed some creative combinations.

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Beefy UK
Seabrook's Beefy - Yorkshire, England
Notice the "Lovingly Cooked in Yorkshire" slogan. Charming.

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Goat Cheese and Sticky Chili Jam UK
Tesco's Goat's Cheese & Sticky Chili Jam - UK (sold out)
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips label Hoisin Duck UK
Tesco's Hoisin Duck - UK (sold out)
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Prawn Cocktail UK
Seabrook's Prawn Cocktail - Yorkshire England (also lovingly made)
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Roast Chicken UK
Walker's Roast Chicken - UK
These chips had a mild chicken flavor, very subtle. The potato taste shone through. Walker's makes the shortbread cookies, very popular in the US also.

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Salt and Shake UK
Walker's Salt & Shake - UK
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips TBone Sausage and Tomato UK
Roysters' T-Bone Steak & Golden Wonder's Sausage & Tomato - UK
Let's move on to Asian flavors, which always come through on creativity and taste.

Japan

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Calbee Seaweed Salt Tokyo
Calbee's Seaweed & Salt - Japan
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Calbee Seaweed Salt Japan Aloo Masala India label
Calbee's Seaweed & Salt - Japan & Haldiram's Aloo Masala - India (sold out)
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips Plum Wasabi Japan
WME Wasa Beef's Plum Wasabi - Japan

Canada
Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_chips label Spicy Peri Peri Canada
President's Choice Spicy Peri Peri (African Birds Eye Chili) - Canada/South Africa
Within about 15 minutes we were checked out with purchases and on our way.

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_counter chips stack a

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_counter chips stack b

Chips Crisps and Wafers Popup Dec12_gallery window from inside
Gallery's window display, from inside
It's always fun combining nostalgic food and art. My vote, which I suggested at the gallery, is to curate a cereal exhibition with all our favorite childhood cereals - Count Chocula? Cap'n Crunch? Lucky Charms, anyone?

Shanghai No 1 Seafood Village

So many great Chinese restaurants come and go in the San Gabriel Valley, sometimes it's hard to stand out. Or even keep track of the action. I don't often repeat places or dishes because it's fun to try something new.

Within the past 6 months, one place I've been to twice and still dream about is Shanghai No 1 Seafood Village, a branch of a chain in Shanghai. It exudes luxury in both its palace-like ambiance and food. Even the artful picture menu, showing the very creative plating, resembles a brightly colored magazine and is just about as long.

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_menu b

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_menu a

Food Writer Jonathan Gold called this the most ambitious Chinese restaurant in L.A., maybe ever.

Let me briefly touch upon some standout features of this place, noted during my 2 visits.

Dinner Highlights

First things first. At this place it's ALL about the pan-fried pork buns, the sheng jian bao. Light as a feather, half steamed half pan fried and sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds and chives, they are at once light, chewy, crunchy and juicy.

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_shen jian bao pan fried pork buns a

Shanghai No 1 Mar12_fried dumplings b

When the broth escapes from the bun into your mouth, along with the seeds and toasty bun, you won't know what hit you. I could make a meal out of a couple of orders of this alone and be happy.

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_clay pot fried rice a

The Stone-Pot Fried Rice is another soul satisfying dish. I don't normally order fried rice, but when Jonathan Gold said it's the best fried rice he's ever eaten, it moves to my short list of dishes to try.

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_clay pot fried rice b

Also fluffy and loose, it remains moist, tasting of broth and accompanied perfectly by various Chinese greens and cubed smoky Chinese meats.

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_chili and garlic fried crab

Our server recommended the Chili and Garlic Fried Crab among a list of delicious sounding crab dishes. I've never had or seen crab like this, dry pan fried in seasoned bread crumbs. And I'm not talking the tube if Italian seasoned crumbs you buy in the grocery.

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_chili and garlic fried crab b

These toasted crumbs are mixed in with sliced red chili, garlic, ginger and salt. You bite into a piece and the crumbs fly around. In a strange way it's as fun as it is tasty.

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_spicy eggplant

And when you think there is no improving on that trio, this stunning plate of Spicy Eggplant blew us away. The very large platter holds 3-4 huge Japanese eggplants, scored diagonally and crosswise, then steamed with chili, peppers, garlic slices, ginger and herbs.

I've never had anything but wok fried eggplant at Chinese restaurants in the past, and would not have expected something so healthy to taste as decadent. The dish packs quite a bit of heat in it's watery sauce.

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_pork cubes

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_squid

Almost every table orders the pork cubes and squid, two gorgeously presented dishes that look almost lacquered. I find the sauces a bit overpowering on both dishes and the proteins a bit too chewy for my taste.

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_shen jian bao pan fried pork buns b

A more satisfying meal I cannot dream up. In the end we had only some eggplant and 1 bao left. We packed it up along with the remains of the bread crumbs from the crab dish (which I froze and repurposed in a salmon cake I made a few weeks later).

Decor & Ambiance

The opulent interior is modeled after a Shanghai palace, complete with old photographs of Shanghai and gorgeous artifacts. One look and you feel like you are in a special place and it's a big occasion.

Shanghai No 1 Mar12_corridor

Shanghai No 1 Mar12_decorations

Shanghai No 1 Mar12_dining room a

Shanghai No 1 Mar12_dining room b

Shanghai No 1 Mar12_dining room c

Shanghai No 1 Mar12_dining room d

Shanghai No 1 Mar12_entrance

Shanghai No 1 Sep12_interior dragon


Dim Sum

My first meal there was during brunch with a large group. We sadly learned that a different team of chefs prepare the mostly Cantonese dim sum menu. At the time, dishes from the regular menu were not available during dim sum. Last time I called they told me they serve both menus in the afternoon, and of course, only the main menu for dinner.

The dim sum serves up fairly standard dim sum fare. I found it as pricey as some of the high end dim sum places such as Seafood Harbour (my favorite) and Lunasia. However while everything was perfectly fine, it didn't wow me, especially for the price.

I couldn't wrap my head around having Cantonese basic dim sum in a Shanghai style restaurant.



Shanghai No 1 Mar12_dim sum a
har gow
Shanghai No 1 Mar12_dim sum b
spring rolls
Shanghai No 1 Mar12_dim sum c
egg tarts, chili and mustard, assorted dim sum
Shanghai No 1 Mar12_fried dumplings a

I hear the soup dumplings, xiao long bao, are well flavored albeit not as brothy as those in at the king of soup dumplings, Din Tai Fung.

But with the bao around, I'm not likely to find out. This is the one dish that made me want to come back for more after this first dim sum meal.

Shanghai No 1 Mar12_dim sum d
my dim sum plate

Final Tips 

Two important things to note about the menu. The restaurant's specialties are listed on 1 of the pages, which really helps. Many of the dishes are listed by price per person. For example if you see an abalone dish for under $5, it probably is 1 piece for 1 person and you are meant to order several to comprise a plate to share.

Also they only accept 1 form of credit card regardless of the size of the party, so plan on being prepared to pay cash.

Shanghai No 1 Mar12_outside waiting area

And like most of the great Chinese restaurants in the area, show up before 11:00 a.m., after 1:00 p.m. for lunch or you're in for a long wait. There is a reason more than 10 large crystal studded sofas are placed outside the front door.


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