Kin Kitchen, Hae Jang Chon, and Heuk Hwa Dang

Fooding

Long Beach and k-town

Bang bang shrimp at Kin Kitchen were pretty good.

Elaine playing with her Thai iced tea-popsicle.

Pad kee mao (drunken noodle) with chicken was excellent.

Colossal crab meat fried rice was forgettable.

Eating his yam noodles.

Nolan does not look impressed.

Elaine as a mom (twice!), makes me feel old.

Inside. Can imagine the vibe is very different when busy.

Second lunch at Hae Jang Chon.

Madison, Siva, and Bobby.

Ban chan are solid, although not particularly memorable.

Brisket.

Getting help cooking.

Demonstrating focus shift in a panorama.

Mike and Bobby are laughing, our server (Suzie) looks less amused.

Intestine.

Fried rice for the final course.

Very expressive group.

Mike commands attention as usual. Well, except for Madison.

Heuk Hwa Dang.

Milk tea for dessert.

The answer?

Real strawberry bubble latte, 30% sweet.

Taro milk tea, 30% sweet. Pretty solid.

Finally catching up with Elaine and her son Nolan over lunch at Kin Kitchen in Long Beach. Some superb pad kee mao (drunken noodles) but only a so-so crab fried rice. And haven't seen Nolan since he was a baby!

Second lunch/way-too-early-to-be-dinner with coworkers after at Hae Jang Chon in k-town. The essential k-town experience, Hae Jang Chon is a staple for AYCE kbbq. Brisket quality was a bit variable this visit, one order was so-so, the other was excellent. Beef tongue, thick pork belly, galbi, intestine, all the usuals, plus the fried rice at the end! (although might skip the cheese next time)

Heuk Hwa Dang has a surprisingly affordable milk tea just a few blocks away, and was a welcome improvement on much of the previously mediocre milk tea in k-town.