Eating USA: Route 66 and Rod's Steak House

withProf Horolographer



Route 66. Certainly one of the most famous roads in the US, perhaps the world. I managed to pass its path, when we stayed at the historic town of Williams, AZ when we were visiting The Grand Canyon. See my photoblog for pics of the canyon. Certainly a worthy visit.

Staying at one of the small towns that dot the historic route west for the Americans is advantageous in that it gave me a glimpse of Americana...diners, old american cars, pubs and salons...reminiscent of the wild west...



As we walked from our Motel...yes, its a small town...don't know of any large chain hotel...so we stayed at this little motel...comfort level was ok, but as the motel allowed pets, it was certainly not the cleanest we have ever experienced. The Super 8 motel at Mariposa was certainly one of the better ones.

Anyway, along the route...a pub! Which offered drinks, as well as a bath...I imagined a copper bath tub, hot water for the cowboys of the day to get themselves cleaned for a night out!



As Horolographer was no drinker, and not craving for a drink myself, we passed...till we came across this steakhouse...



A quick peruse of the menu...and we were inside.



Long story on quality, value...and a long story on how great a guy was Rod...who started the steakhouse.



The decor was almost exactly as we expected it...like a saloon in the Wild Wild West (those of you old enough to remember that TV series will know what I mean...those who don't can imagine the Will Smith version. And if that's too old for you too...um...google it up...)



Right on our ceiling where we sat...a light cover with a nice, fat, cow. Hmm...and the songs they were singing on how fantastic the steaks were got my juices flowing. So I ordered one of the signature steaks...Rod's Special Charred Steak. Dipped in sugar. Hmm...that sounds a bit suspicious...but the Special Charred got me.



Looks pretty good...but this was not the speciality charring I was expecting from a high end steak house...like Smith's & Wollensky we just had tried in Las Vegas...but more home cooked.

Cut, it looked good too...



The meat was ok. I guess the cow was grass fed...it had the characteristic sinewy, a bit chewy texture, and almost no marbling. But it was disappointingly sweet. I should have caught the dipped in sugar part when I ordered, but I was not really expecting a sweet piece of meat, which it was. Almost like dessert. Other than the coyness, the meat was fine, and the done-ness was ok. I should have ordered a more regular steak...sigh.



Rod's Steak House
301E Route 66
Arizona, USA
http://www.rods-steakhouse.com/index.htm

Eating USA: In and Out Burger

withProf Horolographer

Last night in Los Angeles, tired, and we had already returned the car. Went to the concierge...

me: Hi, can you recommend a nice place to eat? Walk...Somewhere where you would go.

Concierge: oh...you guys from California?

me: um, no

Concierge: have you tried In and Out Burger?

me: oh, we saw many of those driving around the state...are they any good?

Concierge: Da Best! You gotta go. There is one just round the corner...about half a mile walk.




So off we trotted to the nearest In and Out Burger. When we arrived...there was a long line of cars at the drive-in counter...and inside...there was a long line...to order. Promising, methot.



The menu was simple...this was the place for the indecisive. You only get burgers. That's it! No fancy names to figure out...just plain and simple. Hamburger, Cheeseburger, or Double Double (meaning double patty, double cheese). That's it! I ordered the Double Double:



It was excellent. The blurb they put up...100% beef patty, made from fresh whole chuck. They claim they don’t even own a microwave, heat lamp, or freezer. The buns using old-fashioned, slow-rising sponge dough. And we make every burger one at a time, cooked fresh to order.

And it shows. The burger was delicious. The ingredients were fresh. The beef tasty. The cheese smooth, creamy and um...cheesy.

The fries are also good, and not greasy:



Hand cut in the premises, the fries are also only made on order. Hence the queue.

I also had a nice, thick milk shake...made from real ice cream. So thick, it was a bit difficult to suck out of the cup...and I had to wait for it to melt a bit.

Nice burger joint. Would go again, and recommended if you are in the South West (they have only stores in California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah).


In and Out Burger
many branches throughout the South West USA
we were at the LAX outlet

Eating USA: Country Fried Steak

with Prof Horolographer

Continuing on my series of typical street, or highway food in the US...we stopped by this little diner at Mariposa for dinner one evening...on our way back to the hotel from Yosemite National Park.

Fairly typical, small town USA diner...in a small building on its own, and with the Americal fascination with the automobile, you drive right up to the door:



Inside, it reminds me of an episode of a TV sitcom...like Becker...bad coffee...the coffee in a typical non-specialist outlet (and by Starbucks don't count as a specialised coffee establishment...perhaps Peet's Coffee or other might fit the bill) is really bad...dreg like dark liquid, which is almost not drinkable...but most Americans are happy to drink gallons of this everyday.



So for me, it has to be another type of liquid stimulant...and being in Yosemite (um...distances in the US are different from what we are acustomed to in Singapore...a 40 mile drive (about 65km) is typical...and indeed was the distance we drove from Yosemite Valley to Mariposa. So a nice cold beer, perhaps?



How about one named after Yosemite's famous landmarks...the Half Dome...this was a fresh tasting, slightly malty, but very refreshing brew. Very nice after the drive. And awaiting dinner.

I had a peculiar American dinner meal known as Country Fried Steak.

For the uninitiated, this is a piece of steak...usually not a flattering cut...they don't tell you most of the time what cut it is...tenderised, usually mechanically by whacking it, piercing it till the muscle fibres are cut into small pieces...tenderising the meat. Then coated in a batter like that used for Fried Chicken...and deep fried (they love deep frying in this country) till golden brown and super crispy. Then a wallop of country gravy. And served with a large serving of french fries.



For some reason, I find the Country Fried Steak quite palatable...I was to have several of these in the course of our sojourn. Love the juxtaposition of the tender steak (yes beef) with the crunchy, crispy batter and the rich, smothering gravy. The fries were also done very nicely. Not as great as they do in Paris (see La Bourse ou la Vie), but nicely indeed.




Country Kitchen
Mariposa, CA
USA

Eating USA: IHOP

with Eddie, Prof Horolographer

This trip to the US, being on the road...I drove some 3000 miles (about 4800km) in the 14 days we were there...treking mainly the coastal California cities and the US National Parks of Yosemite, Bryce, Grand Canyon. So it meant having to set aside fine dining, and nicer food, for fast food on the road.

The US highways are literally dotted with many such oasis of food, gas and whatnot. And in many of them, the usual suspects - McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Denny's but also IHOP.

Easy to find, with their characteristic A frame blue roof...



Interesting and typically American to name your chain of stores International House of Pancakes...when the chain is not quite international (they have outlets only in North America), and their menu is quite complete...a bit like Denny's...all day breakfasts, and other American Diner style meals. But of course, special emphasis on pancakes.

I had earlier been kind of hooked on their pancakes...so in our little party of 3 for breakfast before breaking for Gilroy for some retail therapy, we started with a blueberry pancake stack:



This was superb. The blueberries were fresh berries, but totally immersed in a compote of blueberry jelly-jam. The pancakes were huge, fluffy, buttermilk pancakes, which were embedded with blueberries. Eaten just like that, or if you are decadent, with some whipped cream...oh...delicious! Oh, did I mention blueberries are very healthy? They contain a good dose of antioxidants, and are delicious too.

We also sampled the plain pancakes...just a stack of 3 huge, fluffy.



Breakfast, eating this with either Maple Syrup or Honey is just wonderful. Gives you the energy to bounce off walls for the next 10 hours!

We also decided to add some protein, and went for the American staple big breakfast...



Two eggs, ham, sausage, has browns, bacon...all the grease one can take...and smelled wonderful, tasted great.

IHOP...eat like the Americans...and certainly worth one breakfast when in the USA.


International House of Pancakes (IHOP)
everywhere in the USA
www.ihop.com

Eating USA: Thanh Long Crabs

with Kohei, Eddie, Prof Horolographer

Meeting up with Kohei Saito, a good friend from San Francisco...he decided on a famous roasted crab place...run and owned by a Vietnamese family.

The location was rather easy to find, but the parking is a horror...valet is available, which we eventually used.

The restaurant was crowded by the time we arrived at about 7pm...but we were promptly seated.

First up...grilled calamari



Perfectly grilled...slight burnt edges, but nicely medium rare inside...so the meat gives rather easily. It is easy to overcook squid, and will result in a rubbery texture. But this was perfect. Nice, sweet, a bit spicy due to the seasoning and sauce.

We also had the classic Vietnamese deep fried spring rolls.



This was de-rigeur. Quite tasty, but nothing to write home about.

The piece de resistance is the roasted crab.



A nice large Dungeness crab was roasted in supposedly secret ingredients...The crab was large, fat, and had quite nice chunky meat. The meat itself was sweet, rich and creamy. Nicely done. There was rather a lot of meat within the crab.

We also had their famous garlic noodles...basically soft cooked spagetti like noodles, with a garlic sauce. Some claimed this to be irresistable. I found it to be good, but not great.

I liked the calamari and crabs. Very nice.



4101 Judah St
(between 46th Ave & 47th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
(415) 665-1146

Eating USA: Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse

with Prof. Horolographer

Las Vegas...sin city or city of dreams? Amongst the many attractions and distractions of the city, I love the steaks at 2 of the outlets here. One is Gallager's...which in NYC, their main restaurant has a great reputation of great steaks. I had once dined here, and have done a review...nice thick, dry aged steaks.

So its off to Smith & Wollensky which I went this time. Also a haven for great steaks, this restaurant occupies its own building in The Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard), sandwiched between Hard Rock Cafe and MGM Grand.



The steaks are dry aged...from 18 to 21 days, as the grillmaster and resident butcher will determine...and I had my NY Strip Steak, all 16 oz as Chicago medium-rare.

The steak was served exactly as ordered....charred black to a crisp outside:



And perfectly medium rare inside



The taste was wonderful. Full flavoured...the meat was all at once luxurious on the palate as it was rather dense, crispy, smokey, charred exterior gave way to the creamy, almost foie gras like flavour of the meat. Really excellent!

Coupled with creamed spinach:



This is a great meal. Excellent steak. The service was quite good, though Horolographer sensed the waiter might have sized us up as not great spenders...and hence not great tippers...he was probably right. Other than the steaks, and shared spinach, we each had one drink. And nothing else.



3767 South Las Vegas Boulevard
(On the Strip
Opposite the Monte Carlo)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 862-4100

Las Vegas Steakhouse Hours:
Open 7 Days a Week:
Sun - Thurs: 11:30am - 12:00am
Fri & Sat: 11:30am - 1:00am
Wollensky's Grill:
Open Fri - Sat:
11:30am - 1:00am
Open Sun - Thur:
11:30am - 12:00am

Lamentations: no good steaks in Singapore

This is a pet peeve of mine. No good steaks in Singapore. I know we have Mortons - the revered Chicago establishment...while the steaks we get here are possibly the best in Singapore, they are not even close to what they serve in the US. We also have Lawry's which I think is only good for their prime rib roast (which are excellent), but not traditional char grilled steak.

My personal standard of measurement is Peter Luger in Brooklyn. They serve up a wonderful porterhouse. Closest I have eaten is the porterhouse served in Mamou's Kitchen in Fort Bonaficio, Manila. Right down to the pre-cut steak, tilted to allow the fat (butter and beef fat) to drain to one side. Thinking of it makes me salivate.

Ruths Chris are also good, especially in the US, but also their outlet in Hong Kong island in Lippo Building. A local chain in Texas called Saltgrass also serves up great stuff. Steaks in Europe are not anywhere near as good...not even the cote de boeuf in France is less wonderful than what the Americans can do. In Sydney, where they have lots of beef...they have the little restaurant downstairs of the GPO - Prime which is rather good. As is Kingsley, but they are a bit erratic...sometimes good, sometimes too dry.

I hear the Argentinians do the best steaks...or so tells me my good friend who is from Argentina...but I have not been to South America, so cannot testify to that.

So why no good steaks in Singapore? I am puzzled!

I suspect the secret is to start with, of course fantastic meat. Prime USDA Angus beef is the choice for a great steak. Typically wagyu has too much marbling to be able to provide the texture and the oomph for a great steak. Don't get me wrong, wagyu is fantastic, but my preferred method of serving the gorgeous Japanese beef is sliced, tepanyaki style, even with rice. But a char grilled steak is a manly meal...served with no sauce, no jus (I hate jus...in Australia, where they seem to love their jus, I always ask the chef to serve the jus on the side...pretending to watching my weight...they never understand if I tell them I don't want jus.)

The steak, either porterhouse or sirloin, is sliced to be about 1.5 inch thick, and thinner and you will loose too much moisture during cooking, and the steak becomes dry. (A thin steak can still taste good...like a Roman thinly sliced T-bone cooked on a pan with oil, instead of just plainly grilled comes to mind). Too thick it looses its punch.

Only air dried beef have the intensity of flavour and tenderness to make a great steak. A cut of meat is air dried in a cool environment. Dry aging is important as opposed to wet aging. Wet aging is to age the beef in a bag. 90% of beef is aged this way. The beef is vacuum packed and sealed, and left to age for a few days. The aging process will tenderise the beef, but will not impart any additional flavours.

Dry aging is as its name suggests...the meat is aged in air, and this is not preferred by butchers and steakhouses as the process will cause a shrinkage of up to 20% of the meat by weight. The cuts (note the beef is not cut into steak sized cuts, but whole chunks) are air dried from 7 to 20 days, during which a complex chemical reaction by the enzymes within the meat takes place to tenderise the meat, and concentrates the flavours. At the end of the aging process, a thick crust develops on the meat...like jerky.

Why 7 to 20 days? From day 7 onwards, or as the chef/butcher determines as the desired aging period, two slices of steak sized cuts can be removed from each end of the meat, and the rest goes into the chiller for further air drying. Slices are taken out at intervals determined by the chef/butcher. The end cuts are then trimmed off the jerky, and grilled. This is quite an involved process, plus the loss of mass of the meat makes air drying not popular with steakhouses except those who insist on highest quality.



Note the heavy marbling and the jerky like crust on the meat. The fat in the marbling will gently cook the meat, and will impart a wonderful flavour. And will provide the necessary tenderness to the beef.

A steak should be grilled over a hot charcoal fire, and no other seasoning except for salt and pepper added after it is cooked. I like mine done Chicago style medium. This style of doneness means the beef is cooked until the outsides are sealed, and the inside is cooked (typically about 55C core temperature), but still pink and moist. Chicago style means the meat is then charred on the outside. Beautiful.



Here is a cut of sirloin, grilled to perfection - Chicago medium. Note the red arrow showing the charred sides. The blue arrow points to the fat characteristic to a cut of sirloin. Note also the steak is at least 1 inch thick after cooking as shown by the green markings. Some steakhouses will allow you to trim off the layer of sirloin fat at your table after it is served to you, and toast it to a crispy crackling.



Pictures taken at Gallagher's Steakhouse in Las Vegas. Gallagher's is a famous steakhouse founded in New York City in 1927, and the NYC outlet is a 1 star Michelin.