Kirbie's Cravings

Chinese pancakes with sweet filling - Taiwanese street food

One of my favorite street foods in Taiwan are the Chinese pancakes filled with either red bean or custard.  They are no longer as popular in Taiwan and can be a bit hard to find, but there are usually a few stands that sell them.  I think I like them so much because I used to eat them when I was a kid visiting my relatives in Taiwan. My mom introduced them to me when I was little; she used to eat them all the time as a child.

I was very excited to see a pancake stand placed inside Ranch 99 a few years ago.  So far, it's the only Ranch 99 I know that has one.  Actually, it's the only pancake stand I've seen in the U.S. There is usually a line for these little hotcakes.  Unfortunately, they don't taste nearly as good as the ones I have had in Taiwan. 

A pancake-like batter mix is placed into the hot metal pancake making contraption.  When they are almost done, a red bean or custard filling is placed in the center.  One pancake is then covered with another pancake and the two meld together.  In Taiwan, the street vendors are super fast at churning these out.  The ladies inside Ranch 99 are a bit slow- hence the line that is always around the stand.

It's been a while since I've had one of these.  I decided to try them out again.  Still not that great.  The batter is way too chewy.  Also, they don't taste very good once they are cold. The ones I ate in Taiwan tasted great hot or cold.  Oh well.  It's still fun to watch them being made though.  I've seen a japanese version of these treats.  They are usually shaped like fish.

If you are ever in the area, it wouldn't hurt to try one out.  They are priced at 60 cents each.  I think if I haven't had better ones, I might actually enjoy the taste of these treats more.

Located inside Ranch 99 Market
7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, #112
San Diego, CA
(858) 565-7799

Taro flavored Chinese steamed rice cake

I do a lot of grocery shopping at Ranch 99.  Being from the Bay Area, I am often envious when I go back home to visit my parents and go to the asian grocery stores which are so much bigger than the Ranch 99 here, and offer so many more things.  Better bread, better cooked foods, better dim sum items, etc.

However, there have been a few items that I have discovered at the Ranch 99 in San Diego, which I have not seen anywhere else.  One of these things is the taro flavored chinese steamed rice cake.  The chinese steamed rice cake is a traditional dessert that is normally white.  You can usually find this dish during dim sum.  It's one of my favorite desserts.  It's not very sweet, and has a teeny bit of a sour taste also. 

I once looked up how to make it, but seeing how complicated it was, I decided to forget it.  You can find a recipe here and here.  I don't know if they are any good.  It's much easier just spending a few dollars and getting an order of it at dim sum.  Sometimes, Ranch 99 will make and sell it.  I never know when they do it.  There doesn't seem to be a set schedule.  Sometimes I see it there, sometimes I don't.  I find that the traditional white one they make is too sweet.

A couple of months ago, while browsing the cooked food section, I noticed these beuatiful purple treats.  Purple steamed rice cake?!? Who would have thought.  Since I love the color purple, I had to buy some. The cake is pretty good.  It is taro flavored, so it's not that they just decided to change the color.  They changed the taste too.  Not as sweet as the white one they make. If you enjoy taro flavored foods or you like steamed rice cake, I recommend trying this out sometime.

Ranch 99
7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, #112
San Diego, CA
(858) 565-7799

Mitsuwa Marketplace

Mitsuwa Marketplace
4240 Kearny Mesa Road
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 569-6699
http://mitsuwa.com/english/index.html

Out of the Japanese markets in San Diego, Mitsuwa is the biggest.  I don't go often, as I think it is also the priciest.  But if I can't find my snacks elsewhere, I'll stop by. Inside there is a Japanese ramen place, a bookstore, and some other stores that sell stuffed animals and other Japanese trinkets.

There are often special Japanese goodies displayed near the front of the store for holidays and other events.

They have a pretty big snack selection, ready made sushi, breads, and other Japanese supplies.

The one thing that Mitsuwa is lacking for me is their mochi section.  They don't have nearly as many different kinds of mochi that Nijiya has.

However, on my last trip I purchased the sakura mochi.  I had never eaten it before but liked the pretty pink color.and the delicate leaf wrapped around it.

The leaf is supposed to be a cherry blossom leaf.  Sakura means cherry blossom and so these pretty pink mochi are supposed to look like cherry blossoms. Each package comes with three of these beautiful mochis.  I enjoyed the taste.  The outside is more of a sticky rice rather than a traditional mochi skin.  And the inside is filled with red bean. Yum!