j u m a.'s Profile

This is the third installation of this chain restaurant from Taiwan featuring Chinese and central Taiwan style dishes.   Located in the old Maru Sushi restaurant, they've remodeled and the signage is not up yet, but Liang's Kitchen is up and running in Arcadia.  Their grand opening was at the beginning of October 2009 and though the taste was good, I thought the fare at the San Gabriel location was better as some dishes here were on the sweet side or could have used a little more flavor.  Hopefully, they're just kinks that will be worked out in time.

To date, I've tried these dishes from Liang Ma Ma's.  

APPETIZERS
- bittermelon
- pork stuffed chili (recommended)
- green onion pancake
- spicy wontons (highly recommended)
- stewed tofu (Tainan style dish of soft tofu covered in sauce and cilantro)

NOODLES
- beef noodle soup (unique flavor, they use a spice I only taste in Taiwanese dishes)
- tomato minced pork noodle (my favorite, be sure to get the thick cut)
- shredded pork with pickled vegetable noodle
- szechuan sweet bean noodle (mmmmm)
- cold noodle (mediocre)

I was told by our server in the San Gabriel location that one of their specialities is the tomato minced pork noodles.  Choose the thick wide cut handmade noodles, I think about this dish a lot.  Made with fresh tomatoes, it reminds me of spaghetti.  

To order, you go from a picture and text menu and mark off a checklist, like at Din Tai Fung.  Though the checklist is in Chinese, there are corresponding letters and numbers to help Chinese illiterate folks like myself.   Or you could always ask a server to help you order.

Though you could probably find a hole-in-the-wall that specializes in the best of one dish or another, the menu here is extensive, the restaurant clean and decorated, and each dish is prepared good enough to make me want to go back for more.

Great customer service if you are in need of glass repair.  I called for a quote while at work and they sent some one over to measure the window without my presence being required.  I could have saved on labor charges if I knew how to remove and bring the frame in myself, but paying $70 to repair a 36 x 26 window was a whole lot cheaper than any quote I was given through places I found online.  The next day, I called back authorizing them to fix the window and came home to an invoice on my door and a fixed window.  I'm satisfied with the repair, price, and especially the promptness.

Sing Young Music World was the first company to bring karaoke machines to the US since 1983.  It is a family owned business and they treat all their customers like family.

Back in the 80's, songs were stored on 8-track tapes and microphones weren't wireless.  Today, you can purchase a Magic Microphone that can store up to 100's of songs depending on how many chips you put in the microphone.   You can get CDG software by special order.

Sing Young has branched out from karaoke electronics to become a home entertainment retailer as a licensed dealer for Pioneer, Sony, Samsung, LG, Toshiba, Panasonic, and Sharp.  They also carry blue ray players, all zone DVD players, karaoke players, receivers, and speakers.  Speaker brands include Canton, Tannoy, Niles, Elan, Bose, JBL, Infiniti, BMB, Vocal Pro, Martin Ranger, and more.

They have the lowest prices in town and the best customer service.   Sing Young has custom installations for homes and businesses.   Feel free to bring in a model number for any consumer electronics for a competitive price quote.

Located in the same plaza as Din Tai Fung, JJ Bakery, and Phoenix Boutique, stop by the store the next time you're waiting for a table or picking up some bread.

Sing to stay young!

Full Disclosure: My brother and sister owns this business.  I do not have any financial interest in this business.  I have purchased an all zone DVD player for $39 and not only has it lasted over the years, it came with a one year warranty.

I give props to UCLA, they may have better programs in public health, law, business, medicine, and fine arts...all right even B ball.

Fine, per the US News and World Report for 2008's best colleges, they're number 25 and USC is 27.  
But there are some things that make Trojans better

10 REASONS USC IS BETTER THAN UCLA

USC is the 8th most connected, high-tech campus in the US according to PC Magazine.

Trojan Family network. It has helped me professionally

Community outreach programs like the annual "Friends and Neighbors" volunteer service and the involvement of USC with the local community has earned the school recognition as a "College with a Conscious" as named by the Princeton Review.  

USC's role in improving the surrounding communities earned the school the title of "College of the Year 2000" by Time Magazine

USC admits more international students, helping to create a more culturally diverse environment

USC was here first!  Established in 1880.  We have three campuses and one of the largest teaching hospitals in the nation.  Have you seen the new state of the art LAC+USC Medical Center?

According to US News and World Report USC ranks higher in engineering (top 10 in nation), pharmacy, and social work.  USC's Physical Therapy program is #1 in the nation!  

We don't have stupid traditions.  What is the point of yelling at the top of your lungs at midnight to break from studying during "Midnight Yell"?  Why run half nekkid in the "Undie Run"?  

People love to give us money!  USC's endowment is a billion dollars greater than UCLA.  George Lucas likes us so much he donated $175 million to the School of Cinematic Arts.  Though Bruins SOM might have received 200 million, Trojans have received 5 nine figure gifts.

Athletics.  USC Football.  USC has had more Trojans at the olympics than any other university.

FIGHT ON!!!

Excellent alternative form of transportion over a shuttle or cab if you are in Dallas.

The driver was there to meet me in the baggage area with a nicely printed name card and the vehicle also had a placard with my Jane Doe.  The black Lincoln Town car I rode solo in was very spacious, clean, and comfortable but I kept thinking about the gas being wasted and the added pollution as 160 attendees of the conference I attended all got the same VIP service.  

So I was very happy I carpooled in the SUV with 4 other passengers on the return trip to the airport.  Bag service and water or soda offered en route, not too shabby to feel like an exec for a sec.

Price wise, there is a base rate that they add charges to based on number of passengers and number of stops, it costed about 125 to take 5 passengers between Frisco and Dallas which isn't too bad compared to renting cars or taxis.  Shuttles will always be your best budget bet, but if money is no object or it's not on your dime, Executive Car Service has nice vehicles with professional drivers

More and more these days, I'm buying gifts for my friend's children.  Though Baby Gap has sales, it's still a lot of money to pay for clothes that will only last a baby a few months.  $35 for a cotton dress and a pair of shoes for a one year old that she will outgrow in less than half a year.  It's no joke when they say having kids are expensive!

I love learning about cultural practices.  I came here this past weekend to buy a gift for a Korean Toljabee.  It is a traditionally celebrated first birthday in which the baby is placed in front of a number of items and depending on what the child chooses, it is supposed to predict the future.

If the child picks the book, a scholarly path is foreseen

If the child picks a microphone, a future career in entertainment is forecasted

If the child picks a ball of string, a long life is expected

If the child picks the stethoscope, a career in medicine is predicted

If the child picks the money bill, an affluent future is foreseen

There was also a computer mouse, but I can't recall what that represented

The birthday girl dressed in traditional Korean garb chose the book, foretelling a future as a good student.  Never mind the bias in choosing this when there is a picture of ELMO on the cover!  The second time around, she chose the hundred dollar bill.  

Before I left, the grandfather gave me a box of rice cakes.  The symbolism of the rice cakes is a wish of long life and happiness for the one year old.

This newly built library smells brand spanking new inside

You can borrow periodicals, audio books, nonfiction, fiction, reference books, DVDs, even movies.

They have a section of Chinese literature and children's section

The walls are so high and the grounds very well kept, it's not very quiet as you can hear people chatting in the community conference meeting room from the main section of the library.  

Their conference and garden areas can be rented for private use

I came here to use their computers for research, you just need  a library card.  Lots of desktops and space.

I enjoyed perusing the Rotating Art pieces that are on display as part of a contest now

The collection at the library is still in the process of being built.  So donations of books are welcome.

I came tonight to support my buddy Tony C.'s event.  I just read his review and I realize now why my taste buds were confused.  I thought I was eating authentic Thai food for the first time since I had flavors I never had.  But apparently, there's Arabic spices and Malaysian influences in Southern Thai cuisine.  What perfect timing, I'm off to the southern parts of Thailand next weekend!

My tongue isn't discriminate enough to tell you what spices were used, but the food had the flavor combinations I like.  Salty. Sweet. Sour. Spicy!  Wasn't spicy enough though, since I'm training my belly for a fire hazard coming soon.

Dish 1- green papaya salad, tasted nothing like the usual fare I've had, not sure if it's because I've gone to places that catered to the American palate, or that it's the region.  Thin slivers, the way it should be

Dish 2 - grilled pork, very sweet and chewy, reminded me of Chinese beef jerky

Dish 3 - An interesting curry noodle dish that came with a plate of vegetables that you pour into the curry bowl and toss

Dish 4 - I liked the deep fried shrimp with crispy basil. Be careful if you get this though, I stabbed myself in the lower lip not knowing there was a toothpick speared through the shrimp

Dish 5 - Eel soup. Spicy sour soup.  I don't usually eat eel skin, but I did tonight and was surprised with the freshness of the tendermeat.  

Dish 6 - Like a CD (yes I haven't gone Ipod yet, leave me alone!), there's at least one track that sucks.  This was the loser dish.  A soup with mackeral and cod roe, the fish eggs gave the broth a fishy flavor I wasn't taking to.

Dish 7 - Lamb curry.  I rarely eat sheep, wolf is more my preference, but I had several pieces of lamb.  It was tender, and tasty and I even picked off a piece from anti-DYL's plate since she didn't want it

Dish 8 - Deep fried chicken with a sweet chili sauce. A little salty, but good. I ate it with my hands to bite away the tasty meat from the bone, which each piece had.  Wonder what part of the chicken that was?

Dish 9 - My favorite for the night.  Stir fried soft shell crab with vegetables in a sauce that was some kind of as Rick W. would say KAPOW!

Dish 10 - I'm not sure, I didn't get to taste the frog legs, but it probably tasted like chicken.

I had some sticky rice that came in a bag stuffed in what looked like a little bamboo stalk.

We were given free dessert of coconut flavored tapioca with jackfruit.

Jazz the owner was nice and welcoming. But the service was slow and we did have to ask more than once for certain things, which is understandable since we had so many people, sharing a table shaped like an L, which was only conducive to socializing with yelpers near you.

Tony was a great host and even said a toast.  
Informed us of our eats and gave a little speech.  
He poured us champagne and thanked us for coming.  
He even fasted so we could eat more, isn't he something.

Khap khun kha!  (thank you in Thai, for females)

Sometimes I am beside myself.

When I am in squirrel mode, I act like a rodent.

Sometimes I hate on my fellow chipmunk, but we're actually from the same family Scuridae.

Some folks think I'm a pest, but don't mess with me because I have sharp teeth that keep growing and I will bite you if you test me.

But I should behave or I could end up as part of a recipe since I'm considered wild game in certain regions of the US.

I am high in cholesterol

I'm an omnivore, that means I eat everything!  I even eat mayo straight out of the single serving bag http://www.yelp.com/bi...

Spring is coming, so hopefully I'll lose some weight since the nuts will be sprouting and other food sources aren't readily available yet

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.or...

Ten Ren is the company that brings you Tea Station.  This location has the best boba, with the perfect chewiness with the right amount of brown sugar sweetness and the most fragrant tastiest tea.  My standard drink is the yogurt green tea with aloe vera jelly.  

I've mentioned in previous reviews and on threads that boba means humongous breasts.  In Taiwan, boba is usually called pearls, but the name comes from the Taipei version of Hooters with hot chics (la mei) in tight tops with shakers shaking the bobas and I'm not talking about the tapioca pearls.  Those tea shops are no longer around, but the name has stuck.