Harrah's Wizard of Oz Slots

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My wife and daughter just returned from Harrah%26#39;s where they played the two Wizard of Oz machines by the cashier. They said the darn things would not stop paying off. They made over $250.00 apiece. They told me to be sure to post this......even though I detest slot machines. ha, ha

Harrah's Wizard of Oz Slots

I was going to post this......funny.....went to edgewater today......slow there.....bank of 3 wiz of oz next to sports book....have always wanted to play but was too crowded too try.....put 20 in lost 10 fast...lady next to me only one playing besides me...she dumps 50.00 playing max spins real fast.I took the 10 and tried her machine. sixty cents a pull....all of a sudden a fairy godmother comes down in a ball and i get a free spin right after i had just spun....something about an extra bonus spin....all the spaces were wild except for 1 and i got back 257.00. I almost passed out.///// went to quick hit and won 57.00 and then won 50.00 on hot shot......what a day!

Harrah's Wizard of Oz Slots

To celebrate went to albertos and had a really good mexican meal.

have to try the oz machines when we get back to AZ this winter. Congradulations on your good luck!! I would have almost passed out too. Where is Albertos? My husband and I liked Casa Seranos in Mohave. Our opionion is that even though it was a bit of a drive it was our favorite compared to Bullhead and Havesue%26#39;s Seranos. Didn%26#39;t try the one at Riverside though. You would think that beings they are a chain the food would be the same. But our experience wasn%26#39;t that way. Mohave%26#39;s had better presentation and portions. Overall taste was better ,to us anyway. And the wait staff is friendlier. We love their Fajita Salad (Chicken or Steak) and the cost was reasonable for lunch (around 5.75). Oft times my husband and I would share it beings it is so big. They also keep the warm chips flowing and serve them with two kinds of salsas and a hot chorizo bean and cheese dip for free with meal...great deal!!

We just got back now from casa at riverside....my daughter graduates tonight from laughlin high and this is where she likes to eat.....same everything as the other ones. They like the loaded mexican pot skins. I ate the combo of soft taco, cheese enchillada and chile releno....it was good but albertos is better. This costs 9.50 here and 10.25 at albertos. Albertos is in the laughlin shopping town center on needles highway . Take james woodbury to end and turn left and you are on needles highway.....pass the park, library, post office and you will see the shopping center. This is big town ....we have aldelpes supermarket, 2 mexican restraurants which are albertos and casa torta(something like that lol...foods pretty good also)and a lousy pizza place called mommas. I eat the lunch buffet there cause its only 5.00. Not too bad for that price but not worth ordering otherwise.

i don%26#39;t know why i can%26#39;t get the time adjusted right on here. Its only 355 as i write this.

Polkadad, Congradulations to your daughter on her graduation day.!! Will try the riverside Casa Seranos. Also, thank you for the heads up and directions to Albertos. Will try that as well. We spent 4 months this last winter and with your help (and Grif and Calsuede) we had an easy time deciding where to eat and gamble in town. We look forward to coming back this next winter and discover more of Laughlin and the surrounding area.

Ok well, I got back from Laughlin yesterday and had a great time.I did hit every casino there except for the Tropicana, which was only because it was on the other side of the street and I didn%26#39;t know it was there until we left in the bus yesterday. I told the bus that I guess I would hav eto go back because I missed one. LOL I did try the Wizard of Oz at one of the casino%26#39;s but I lost on it. I did see it at other casino%26#39;s, but never was able to get on it. Oh well trust me, I lost a whole lot of money without playing the Wizard of Oz ! :(

Did you take a bus from vegas here for like 5 hours?

sorry .....your other post said you stayed at harrahs....

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Fusilli Col Buco e Rucola Aioli

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A very nice Italian pasta for spring and early summer!  Fusilli Col Buco Pasta with Arugula Aioli!
     Garlic mellows so nicely when it is prepared as an aioli.  Aioli is popular everywhere in southern europe and around the mediterranean.  Arugula is popular in this region too.  The peppery fresh flavor of arugula tastes very nice in an aioli pasta.  For the traditional Italian style of flavoring or saucing pasta, the arugula must be finely minced like an herb and then added to the aioli.  Pureeing arugula with aioli will result in a green colored thin liquid aioli that will not cling to the pasta as well.             When aioli is used as a pasta sauce, the hot freshly cooked al dente pasta is placed into a mixing bowl with just enough aioli to coat the pasta with flavor.  The ingredients must be immediately tossed together, so the olive oil in the aioli does not have a chance to bleed out of the sauce.  A good aioli has no problem clinging to a pasta.      Long thin pastas are best for aioli.  Fusilli Col Buco pasta is like a long corkscrew shaped spaghetti or capellini.  Fusilli Col Buco is perfect for an aioli sauce!       Fans of aioli realize that the pasta is hot and the aioli is at room temperature when the two ingredients are combined, so a steaming hot plate of pasta is not expected by the customer when it is served.          Aioli Recipe:     I posted a picture of what a freshly made aioli should look like.  Just like when making mayonnaise, only add a few drops of olive oil at a time, while constantly whisking, till the sauce starts to bind and emulsify, before drizzling a very thin stream of olive oil while whisking!  Otherwise, the aioli will remain thin and it will easily break.       Very finely mince or puree 8 cloves of garlic.     Place the garlic puree into a mixing bowl.     Add 1 egg yolk.     Add 1 drop of good quality virgin olive oil at a time, while constantly whisking, till the sauce starts to bind and emulsify.      Add a very thin stream of the virgin olive oil, while briskly whisking, till the aioli becomes a translucent while color and the texture becomes stiff, yet with a light gravity that is not airy.  The aioli should be lighter in texture than a mayonnaise and it should be able to stand tall in a spoon!     Note:  A plain simple aioli is perfect the way that it is!  A small pinch of sea salt is optional.  A few drops of lemon juice is also optional, but not necessary.  Pepper is not an option.  Never add pepper to an aioli!     The aioli can be kept refrigerated for 7 days.
     Rucola Aioli:     Remove the stems from 1 large handful of arugula leaves.     Very finely mince the arugula leaves.     Place about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the aioli into a mixing bowl.     Add the minced arugula leaves.     Gently fold the ingredients together.     Set the Rucola Aioli aside.
     Fusilli Col Buco e Rucola Aioli:     Cook 1 portion of Fusilli Col Buco pasta in boiling water over high heat.     When the pasta becomes al dente, completely drain the hot water off of the pasta.     Allow the hot pasta to stand for about 10 to 15 seconds, so any moisture that may be clinging to the pasta has a chance to steam off!     Add the hot pasta to the arugula aioli in the mixing bowl and immediately toss the two ingredients together, till the pasta is evenly coated.  (Toss gently, but quickly!)     Place the Fusilli Col Buco e Rucola Aioli in a shallow pasta bowl.     Garnish the bowl with a few arugula leaves.     Serve with finely grated parmesan cheese or finely grated pecorino romano cheese on the side.     Serve with warm Italian bread on the side.
     One fact that everybody knows about Italian food, is that Italian chefs know how to create the greatest flavors with just a few choice ingredients!  The flavor of this simple arugula aioli coated pasta entree tastes like the flavors of springtime!  Thats amore!  Ciao Baby!  ...  Shawna 

Roast Turkey Panini with Aioli, Portabella, Arugula and Provolone

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A nice panini sandwich with popular Italian flavors!
     Panini sandwiches started in Milan Italy.  Panini were snack sandwiches that were served in Milanese bars.  Panini became popular in America about 25 years ago.     Panini are not mile high style sandwiches.  A small 4 ounce portion of ingredients are usually placed on the bread for American panini.  Traditional Italian panini require only just a very tiny portion of ingredients to flavor the bread.  In Italy just adding flavor to an Italian bread that is already great tasting is enough to satisfy!     Panini are made with Italian ciabatta bread.  Ciabatta is similar to focaccia.  Ciabatta has plenty of yeast air bubbles for texture, but the bread has no sourdough flavor.       For a home kitchen baker that only bakes bread once in a blue moon, the better choice is to purchase a loaf of good ciabatta at a local Italian bakery.  It does take practice to make good ciabatta and focaccia style breads.  By all means, if you have a good recipe for ciabatta, then make your own!  There just happens to a good Italian deli nearby that has Italian artisan breads, and that is very convenient for me.    Turkey has become a very popular meat in Italy.  Turkey used to be reserved for the Easter holidays by many people in Italy a long time ago.  Now that health conscious food has taken a front row seat, turkey has become a choice for daily meals.  Occasionally, I do post a nice Italian style turkey recipe and the last few were turkey sausage entree recipes.     Provolone cheese is a classic for Italian sandwiches!  Portabella mushrooms add a rich flavor to this panini.  The arugula adds a peppery springtime flavor.  Aioli is a classic tasting sandwich spread that is much healthier than mayonnaise.  Today's roast turkey panini sandwich is a nice light sandwich for spring and summer!
     Aioli Recipe:     I posted a picture of what a freshly made aioli should look like.  Just like when making mayonnaise, only add a few drops of olive oil at a time, while constantly whisking, till the sauce starts to bind and emulsify, before drizzling a very thin stream of olive oil while whisking!  Otherwise, the aioli will remain thin and it will easily break.       Very finely mince or puree 8 cloves of garlic.     Place the garlic puree into a mixing bowl.     Add 1 egg yolk.     Add 1 drop of good quality virgin olive oil at a time, while constantly whisking, till the sauce starts to bind and emulsify.      Add a very thin stream of the virgin olive oil, while briskly whisking, till the aioli becomes a translucent while color and the texture becomes stiff, yet with a light gravity that is not airy.  The aioli should be lighter in texture than a mayonnaise and it should be able to stand tall in a spoon!     Note:  A plain simple aioli is perfect the way that it is!  A small pinch of sea salt is optional.  A few drops of lemon juice is also optional, but not necessary.  Pepper is not an option.  Never add pepper to an aioli!     The aioli can be kept refrigerated for 7 days.
     Roast Turkey Panini with Aioli, Portabella, Arugula and Provolone:     Heat a saute pan over medium heat.     Add 1 small splash of olive oil.     Add 4 thin sliced small portabella mushrooms.     Add sea salt and black pepper.     Add 1 pinch of oregano.     Saute till the mushrooms become fully cooked.     Set the sauteed portabella slices aside.     Cut a 6" to 8" long piece of ciabatta bread.     Split the bread in half horizontally.     Spread some aioli on both halves of the bread.     Place a thin layer of arugula leaves on the bottom half of the bread.     Place 3 to 4 ounces of very thin sliced roasted turkey on the arugula.  (Thin sliced roasted turkey from a delicatessen is fine for this sandwich!)     Place the sauteed portabella mushroom slices on the turkey.     Place a few thin slices of provolone cheese on the mushrooms.     Place the top half of the ciabatta bread on the sandwich.      Set the sandwich on a panini grill that is set to medium heat and gently press the sandwich with the top half of the panini grill.  (Do not Godzilla flatten the panini like a Cuban sandwich!  Just gently press the panini.)       Note:  There is really no substitute for a panini grill.  The panini sandwich can be cooked and pressed on a standard grill.  The sandwich will need to be flipped to grill the top side and the sandwich will need to be pressed twice.)     Grill the panini, till the top and bottom of the sandwich become toasted and till the sandwich becomes warm.     Place the panini on a cutting board and cut the sandwich in half into triangle shapes.     Set the panini halves on a plate.     Garnish with an Italian parsley sprig and a piece of fresh fruit. 
     It is no use describing what this Roast Turkey Panini with Aioli, Portabella, Arugula and Provolone tastes like, because you probably already know.  This panini tastes like springtime!  Ciao Baby!  ...  Shawna      

Strawberry Pie with Creme Fraiche Quenelle

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Strawberry Pie!  Yum!
     Springtime is strawberry season!  There are strawberry harvest festivals worldwide every spring season.  At the strawberry festivals, there are usually strawberry recipe contests and the competition can be very fierce!     Strawberry pie is usually the number one dessert at strawberry festivals.  The strawberry dessert recipe contest judges really have their hands full, because nearly every contestant enters a strawberry pie in the cook off.  A person would really have to like strawberry pie a whole lot, if they wished to be a judge at a strawberry festival dessert contest!      There are many variations of strawberry pie.  I personally only make two variations.  For one of my strawberry pies, I use a complex gelatin to make the glaze.  For the other strawberry pie that I make, I use a natural jelly pectin to make the glaze.  The flavor is nearly the same in both pies, but the gelatin pie has a firmer texture.       Today's blog recipe is for the complex gelatin style strawberry pie.  The strawberry flavor is extracted via minced strawberries being added to hot molten hard crack stage sugar.  This is the same technique that I use to make strawberry gastrique.  The molten sugar literally instantly pulls all of the strawberry color and flavor out of the minced strawberries, when the hot molten sugar seizes hard like candy after the strawberries are added.  Take care when using this method, because molten sugar can cause serious burns!
     Note:  This recipe makes only one individual strawberry pie portion!  I like the modern individual size desserts, because I personally cannot eat sweets more than once in a blue moon.  If you wish to make a full size strawberry pie, then multiply the recipes by 5 or 6.        Pate Brisee Recipe:      Place about 1 cup of flour into a mixing bowl.     Add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt.     Add 3/4 tablespoon of sugar.     Rice the flour by adding a few drops of ice water at a time while stirring with a whisk.  (The flour should look like grains of rice.)     Cut 1 1/2 ounces of unsalted butter into pea size pieces and drop them in a bowl of ice water.     Gently add a few pieces of the chilled hard butter at a time to the riced flour.     Work the dough lightly with your fingers and for a minimal period of time leaving exposed small pieces of butter.     Chill the dough, till it becomes very firm.     Roll the pate brisee into a thin sheet on a floured counter top.  (The sheet of pate brisee should show streaks of butter!  This is what will give the pate brisee a flakey crusty texture.)     Refrigerate the sheet of pate brisee, till it becomes firm again.
     Individual Strawberry Pie Cup:     Lightly brush a 5" wide pop-ring mold with unsalted butter     Cut a 10" circle out of the pate brisee sheet.     Fold the dough in half and then into quarters.     Place the point of the folded dough into the pop-ring mold.     Unfold the dough sheet.     Gently press the dough sheet into place, inside the mold.     Drape the excess dough over the edges of the mold.     Roll a rolling pin over top of the rim of the mold to pinch and cut off the excess dough.     Pull the excess dough away and save it for another use.     Fill the uncooked pie dough cup with small dried beans.     Place the mold on a baking pan.     Bake in a 375 degree oven, till the pate brisee turns a golden brown color.     Let the baked pie shell cool.     Carefully remove the beans from the pie shell.     Carefully pop the pop-ring loose.     Un-mold the baked pie shell and set it on a dessert plate.     Set the pie shell where it cannot be damaged. 
     Strawberry Pie Gelatin Filling Recipe:      Boil 1 cup water in a small stainless steel sauce pot over high heat.     Add 1/4 cup of sugar.
     Cook the sugar water, till the water evaporates and the sugar enters the candy stages.
     Cook the sugar till it reaches the hard crack stage of 300 degrees to 310 degrees.  (Use a candy thermometer!)
     Immediately add 5 or 6 minced strawberries.
     Do not stir or shake the pot!  Allow the molten sugar to seize the strawberries.
     As soon as the sugar frees up and start to boil again,  add 2 ounces of pino grigio white wine.
     Add 6 ounces of water.
     Add 1 tiny pinch of sea salt.
     Add 1 very tiny pinch of allspice.
     Add 1 very tiny pinch of cinnamon.
     Reduce the temperature to low heat.
     Simmer and reduce for 5 minutes.
     Read the direction on your choice of gelatin.
     Measure enough gelatin to firmly gel 8 to 9 ounces of liquid.
     Bloom the gelatin with a tiny splash of water in a small cup.
     Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot strawberry syrup while stirring.
     Simmer till the gelatin shows signs of activating.
     Pour the  Strawberry Pie Gelatin Filling through a fine mesh strainer into a cup.
     Press as much of the strawberry pulp through the strainer as possible.
     Keep the  Strawberry Pie Gelatin Filling warm on a stove top.

     Strawberry Pie:
     Cut the tops off of 1 handful of ripe strawberries.
     Place a few of the strawberries on the bottom of the pie shell cup.
     Fill the rest of the pie shell cup up with slices strawberries.
     Place a few strawberry skin slice on top, so the pie looks nice.
     Slowly pour the warm strawberry gelatin pie filling over the strawberries and into the pie shell, till the pie shell becomes full to the brim.
     Set the dessert plate and strawberry pie in a refrigerator.
     Chill the pie, till the gelatin filling becomes firm and set

     Creme Fraiche:
     Whisk 2 ounces of cream in a small mixing bowl, till stiff peaks appear.
     Add 1 1/2 ounces of sour cream.
     Whisk the ingredients together, till they combine.
     Chill the creme fraiche in a refrigerator.

     Strawberry Pie with Creme Fraiche Quenelle:
     Place the dessert plate with the strawberry pie on a counter top.
     Use two small spoons to form a creme fraiche quenelle.
     Place the creme fraiche quenelle on top of the strawberry pie.
     Garnish the creme fraiche quenelle with a few chiffonade slices of lemon zest.

     If you have dessert making experience, then this recipe is easy as pie!  Ha Ha Ha!  This strawberry pie is well worth the effort to make.  The gelatin is full of bright crisp strawberry flavor and it is not overly sweet.  This is a good tasting individual size strawberry pie!  The modern rustic style presentation is pretty too.  Yum!  ...  Shawna  

Bistro Boudin- Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA

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After reading David Ng's article on Boudin, I reminded myself to visit the Fisherman's Wharf location on a future trip to San Francisco. So, after visiting UC Berkeley, we promptly went back to San Francisco for a late lunch at Boudin.


The Fisherman Wharf's location is a prime tourist spot; its glass windows and prominent logos make it distinctive among the other buildings in the area, and it houses five different sections: Peet's Coffee and tea, Baker's Hall, Bistro Boudin, Boudin Museum & Bakery Tour, and Bakery & Bakeshop. There is plenty to see and do in just this confined area! We skipped viewing most of the building and went upstairs to Bistro Boudin, a full-service restaurant.


One will pay a premium at Bistro Boudin for its full-service capabilities, dining environment, cutlery, and additional items on the menu. Several selections, however, are the same as those of Bistro Boudin, but  presented in a more casual manner. Paper or plastic serving ware replaces the heavy porcelain serving ware for diners ordering downstairs. As we were to realize later, eating downstairs would be a much quicker and cheaper option compared to Bistro Boudin; unless a slow, lengthy meal is what you prefer, eating downstairs is a wiser choice.

The complimentary fresh sourdough bread was nicely tangy; tender on the outside and crisp and crackly on the outside, it was scrumptious, especially after walking on the Berkeley campus during the morning. The crust had a rustic pattern to it that I did not see at another Boudin location; the pattern of this bread had more variation in color, while in the other location, the appearance of the crust was almost uniform. The butter, on the other hand, was typical, although it was nicely piped.


Our first appetizer, the Manila Clams (13.95 USD), arrived when we had almost finished the entire bread basket! The clams were cooked with pancetta, onions, parsley, white wine, and garlic butter; these ingredients provided a rich, smoky broth to the fresh clams. We finished this appetizer quickly; it didn't take much to empty the entire dish, especially since the portion size was so small.


Our second appetizer was the Boudin Sourdough Bread Bowl (12.95 USD), which was filled with clam chowder (crab and corn bisque is the other option). This bread bowl is larger than that of the "petite" bread bowl on the Bistro Boudin menu; the "petite" portion is actually the same portion size as the downstair's offering, but with an added markup of about 70 cents. We really liked clam chowder here; it was not too salty and was lightly creamy, with plenty of clam flavor and clams in the breadbowl. I liked how the vegetables still held their texture, especially the potato chunks. Waiting for the first appetizer to arrive and the lapses in service though, we had barely enough stomach space to eat the bread bowl's crust, but did enjoy the interior of the bowl, which retained some sourness while gaining the seafood flavors from the chowder.


The Classic Chicken Club (13.95 USD) was decent for most of the dish; what made it not enjoyable was the extremely dry chicken. Another service problem was found here; my companion requested that the bacon be omitted, but instead plenty of thick-cut bacon pieces greeted us when it was served. The rest of the dish was tasty; the same quality sourdough made a presence here, and the vegetables in the sandwich were fresh. The thin-cut, fragrant french fries, pickle, and coleslaw were likewise tasty and liked by everyone at the table. In particular, the coleslaw was refreshing since it had some horseradish, and was something cool and refreshing in comparison to the crisp, savory fries.


My other companion ordered the Sourdough Baguette Burger (13.95 USD), which had Creekstone Farms beef, toasted baguette, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and cheddar cheese (as requested by my companion). I did not get to try this, and nor did my companion make much comment on it. The same sides of coleslaw, pickle, and french fries also appeared here.


My Fish and Chips (19.95 USD) was better. This had several large pieces of tender fish that was dipped in an Anchor Steam beer batter and fried to golden brown; the fish was tender, flaky, and moist, while the crust was very thin and fragrant.


Ketchup, yellow mustard, dijon mustard were some additional condiments provided. I made most use of the ketchup and the tartar sauce for my meal; some malt vinegar would have made the dish even better!

It would have been a pretty enjoyable meal, but the exceedingly slow and unfriendly service was detrimental to the dining experience. That and the exorbitant pricing (although yes, the rent at Fisherman's Wharf is probably extremely expensive), while offering decent food is a combination that does not work.


Bistro Boudin
160 Jefferson Street
San Francisco, CA 91433
Tel: (415) 351-5561




After the meal, it was time to look around Boudin. The upstairs section also houses the Boudin Museum and Factory Tour, which entrance requires a fee. A beautiful display of sourdough welcomes visitors to the upstairs section.

The large windows nevertheless still make for a great viewing of the demonstration factory. All these pictures above were taken through their windows!

Visiting the location that has been featured in so many different pieces of media, whether it be online or on television, was a great experience.For those who do not have the chance to visit the Fisherman's Wharf location, some of the other Boudin branches also do offer large windows to view the bakers at work, as well as the cafe menu. You can see a video that I took of a baker making bread in an Boudin location in Irvine, CA by clicking here.

Find the rest of the posts in this series at this trip's TRIP INDEX.

May's Cafe (May's Chinese Restaurant)- Arcadia, CA

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(Now that I've eaten a generous serving of AP Tots (the reason for my month's absence), I'm back to writing on a weekly basis!)

For years, I have wondered what was this "May's Chinese Restaurant" entry on my GPS; how could there be a restaurant in Arcadia that I did not still know about? It was only recently that I found out it was May's Cafe, an establishment that has been in Arcadia for years. With some special circumstances that began this year, May's Cafe suddenly became a restaurant with a prime location-- one ideal for me to try out their Taiwanese selections from a walking distance.


Inside, the restaurant is tiny-- there are less than 20 tables, and mirrors are used in an effort to enlarge the space. Still, the less than perfect surroundings, coupled with some KOST 103.5 radio and view of the street, add for a unusually relaxing way to end an otherwise busy week. The constant use of Mandarin may present a barrier for some, but eventually orders get through, and food is served.


On my first visit, not knowing what to really order and not really knowing how to say the Mandarin names of some items, I kept to observing the food served to other patrons and what I knew in words, and ordered the Chinese Sausage Fried Rice (6.00 USD). In comparison to some of the ginormous plates of food presented to some of the patrons, this serving of fried rice was comparatively tiny. The fat granules of rice, fragrant sausage, crisp lettuce, and wispy strands of egg were enjoyable, if a bit greasy and salty.  MSG was also added, and so I noted that for future visits I would ask them to exclude that ingredient.


Now armed with the experience of eating at May's Cafe for once, I went into May's Cafe the second time ordering what most people ordered while at the cafe: Fried Pork Chop on Rice (6.00 USD). For the same price as the Fried rice, I got a large, balanced meal of protein, carbohydrates, and veggies. Along with the centerpiece of fried pork chop, there was a bed of steamed white rice, doused with a scoop of soy, and to the side was a generous serving of broccoli with bonito accents, scrambled egg, stewed tofu, and preserved turnip. The pork chop was crisp, light, and most importantly tender; and in such generous servings, I left this time quite full.


On my third visit, I tried out another of May's Cafe's greatest hits: Beef Stew Noodles Soup (6.00 USD). In comparison to my usual favorite, this version offered a bold, intense broth, high quality pieces of stewed beef, and some additions--napa cabbage and homemade preserved vegetables. I didn't care so much that the broth was quite greasy on top, and that the noodles did not offer much other than a toothsome chew, but with subsequent visits the broth has been less greasy-- the manager probably noticed how I was skimming the broth's surface several times before I started enjoying the bowl of soup. My companions feel this bowl of noodle soup is just as good, if not as better, than our favorite; then again, both are quite different in terms of the broth, and your opinion will differ depending on whether you like bolder flavor items (in which May's Cafe certainly wins) or lighter flavored items (House of Mandarin Noodle is the clear winner hear).


Having tried the Beef Stew Noodles Soup, I was now determined to try out the Beef Stew on Rice (6.00 USD). What came to the plate was essentially the same dish, other than noodles were subbed with a bed of steamed rice, and the broth became a cornstarch thickened sauce with some additional seasoning. Although I certainly enjoyed the meaty pieces of stewed beef, I felt that there was too little rice to suit with the generous serving of sauce, and the plastic spoon was sharp enough to make a slight cut on the mouth. So, a suggestion: if you don't care for eating on plastic soup spoons, bring your own utensils!


Another visit, I tried the Fried Chicken Leg on Rice (6.00 USD). The restaurant was certainly busier, having school been released at the same time I went to the cafe, and my plate seemed to have the inconsistency of lacking the spoonful of preserved vegetables. The chicken leg, like the pork chop, was light, juicy, crispy, and simply seasoned-- no special final dusting of five spice or chili powder to be found here. The cabbage was decent, but I definitely preferred the broccoli more.


Having tried the "Da Lu Mian" at Mandarin Noodle Deli, I decided to try out May's Cafe version. Like the other items I've described so far, this item, the Simmered Pork Noodles Soup is also 6.00 USD. I enjoyed the wide variety of ingredients found in the noodle soup-- bamboo shoots, wood ear fungus, carrots, celery, and napa cabbage-- and unlike some of the other items I've had at May's Cafe, this item came out almost immediately after I ordered it. Seasoned with sesame oil, the broth was slightly out of the ordinary, but still pleasant.


Wanting to try some more traditional Taiwanese items, I ordered the Intestines & Oysters with Tiny Noodles Soup. This one was a pungent dish-- mixed inside the bold broth was minced garlic, and placed atop was a dash of black vinegar. The noodles, slightly clumped, needed a slight mix before enjoying; on the other hand, the intestines were tasty, with little foul flavor, and the small pieces of oyster were savored. In this occasion, I felt again that there could be more strands of noodles, as there was plenty of broth to go around.


On a rainy day, the Beef Stew Noodles Soup sounded like a good idea, and so I certainly enjoyed this bowl. And look! Little grease on the surface of the soup! Unfortunately, the stuff that I brought to the restaurant got wet in the rain after a ten minute walk-- always keep your items in a waterproof housing!


On a better day, a companion and I visited May's Cafe yet again. My companion ordered the Curry Beef on Rice (6.00 USD) but did not care much for it, as there was very little curry powder actually added to the sauce. Instead, it tasted more like a brown sauce instead of a curry sauce. We did, however, like that a wide variety of vegetables was added to the curry.


I tried out the Combination on Rice (squid, chicken, beef and vegetables- 6.00USD). In addition to what the menu describes, there were some pieces of fishball, fishcake, and octopus (that tasted weird) to the mix. Other than one awkward ingredient in the combination, the rest of the dish was tasty.



We also ordered the Eggs & Oyster's Patti (5.50 USD), essentially a Taiwanese oyster omelet.This version was quite special in that the starch, oysters, and vegetables were fully encapsulated in a thin layer of egg, while the oysters were still barely cooked and the veggies crisp. It was an intriguing version of the oyster omelet, and had the accompanying sauce been warmed up (it was somewhat cold) I would have liked it even better.


On another visit (there's been too many!), my companion ordered the Beef Stew Noodles Soup, and so I ordered the Pork Chop Noodles Soup, hoping that I would get a lighter soup overall. I was correct-- I got a bowl of noodles and light broth, with the crispy pork chop put aside on a separate dish. Any blandness to this dish was counteracted with accompanying bites of the pork chop, and some scoops of broth from the Beef Stew Noodles Soup-- a little of that broth went a long way in increasing the flavor of this dish!


And as a vegetable side, we ordered the Fried Sponge Gourd (7.50 USD); you would probably recognize this better if it was called "chinese okra." Although the gourd was not actually in season when we tried the dish, the gourd was still sweet and pleasantly prepared.


And on my most recent visit, I had the Fried Chewy Rice Cake (6.00 USD), having saw someone else order it and get a generous portion. My portion was not as generous, but I liked how the plate had plenty of vegetables and meat to go along with the rice cake.

Overall, an enjoyable, small restaurant in the Arcadia area. If you're looking for a non-chain restaurant that offers Taiwanese food, May's Cafe is a reliable, small restaurant with very reasonable prices.


May's Cafe (facebook link)
31 E. Duarte Road
Arcadia, CA 91006
Tel: (626) 574-8348