Quick Hits: Reports On Bean & Burgundy, Le Comptoir, Cafe Au Lait's Bahn Mi And More

I always love that the local food scene has become robust enough that I can't possibly link to every post.  The HoCo Blogs food page remains the best source because that captures lots of voices, including some profiled in last year's Sun article.  But I like to highlight a few hits along the way:

• Bean & Burgundy Bread got a favorable report from Elizabeth on The Bare Midriff.  She reported on a hybrid menu that mixes American and Korean dishes, and she liked her lunch.
• Le Comptoir got a pass from The Two Dudes Who Love Food.  Since I think I'm the "hype" that they mention about the place, I have to note that they didn't have such a great visit.  Their family had a $47 breakfast that they definitely didn't love.  If you want the hype, check out my posts.  We love the joint for sweets and coffee.
• Kitchen Scribble wrote up meals at two different places -- Cha Ya Asian Asian Bistro in Columbia and Cafe Au Lait in Ellicott City.  The cafe is the local outpost for bahn mi sandwiches.  I wrote about Cafe Au Lait's sandwiches in 2012, and kat ordered a huge selection for a group of people to share.
• And the folks at Cha Ya keep posting videos on YouTube.  They're pretty interesting -- although I laughed at the video where the chef talked about the wok that he uses.  I'm actually infatuated by the jet engine gas burner that he uses.  How do I get one of those?

On top of those, check out a new food blog with local authors.  Three Beans On A String mostly does recipes -- lots of inspiration of fresh vegetables.  But they're local folks.  Elizabeth talked up a mushroom stroganoff that she had at Great Sage, and the Twitter feed is good to follow for other local food links and ideas.

Lunar New Year: Learn To Make Seafood Dumplings From Cha Ya's Growing Video Line

Cha Ya Asian Bistro has updated its cooking video lessons in time for the Lunar New Year.

Check out the video above to see the chef making scallop dumplings.  This one has even-more instructions about forming the steamed treats -- a perfect pair if you buy dumpling wrappers at an Asian supermarket and your own filling recipe.

My favorite dumpling resource is Andrea Nguyen's cookbook Asian Dumplings.

Hat tip to Jessie X who spotted the video.

Cool Kitchen Videos From Cha Ya Asian Bistro

For a look into a local restaurant kitchen, check out the string of videos that appear to be demonstrations from Cha Ya Asian Bistro in Columbia -- posted by "Siu's Cooking" on YouTube.

They're all straight-ahead videos with a chef demonstrating and talking -- although I rarely saw the chef or the filmmaker.  See him make pan-fried wonton, Hong Kong style lobster, beef chow fun, and more.  A few like General Tso's list the ingredients and have some quantities, but I also saw lots of work with a deep-fryer and a wok heated by a super-powerful gas jet.  These are restaurant dishes, not recipes for the home cook.

I did love the wonton-folding technique in the video above.  I never knew how to make the pinched shape, and the video does a nice job showing how they're folded, then seared and steamed.  I also love the gas jet under that wok.  That's awesome.

One warning:  Live shellfish are dismembered on camera.  You will want to skip seafood videos unless you're ready for those visuals.

Is anyone a regular at Cha Ya?  What do you recommend?  The lobster and wonton both looked delicious.  We ate there once on a holiday, and we probably didn't get the lead chef.  We ended up with a fried shrimp dish by mistake, so we would love any thoughts on lighter fare.

Hat tip to JessieX, who sent me last week's jalapeno orange chicken video, and the essential HoCoBlogs page.  You can also follow Siu's Cooking on Twitter for new episodes.  Cha Ya is on McGaw Road across from Wegmans.  It is in the same shopping center as Royal Taj, The Green Turtle and other restaurants.

Link: Cha Ya Cafe On Cupcake RN

Katie at the Cupcake RN blog hit Columbia's dreaded Sunday night sushi blackout when both Sushi King and Sushi Sono are closed.

But nurses are resilient, so she took friends for a fish hit at Cha Ya Cafe instead.  She has posted photos and a short review.  And, most importantly, she has officially moved to Howard County so the local blogs increase again!

Comments about Cha Ya Thai, Coal Fired Pizza and More

News and opinions are pouring in from people who leave great comments. I'm highlighting some recent ones, including pizza updates and a review of Cha Ya Thai Sushi on McGaw Road in Columbia.

• Anonymous describes the Coal Fired Pizza being built in Ellicott City and says that it may open as early as tomorrow, April 20.  (Update:  Coal Fire opened, and I posted about it here.)
• Bob writes that he got a computer message that suggests that Z Pizza may be relocating and trying to open again two months.
• Anonymous loves the Ginza of Tokyo restaurant in Fulton both for the food and for the way that they catered to his son's allergies.
• Anonymous left a comment on the mangos at Lotte linking to a Channel 2 Web page that describes roaches and rats at Lotte. I don't like smacking around a local business, but the health department report and the reporters' personal observations are pretty horrible.
• The Gonzo Journalist sent an email asking about the ingredients in An Loi's pho. Does anyone know if they share the recipe? Or can you recommend a great pho recipe?
• Anonymous left thoughts about "community supported agriculture" and her experience buying a share of a farm.
• David sent an email lauding Cha Ya Thai Sushi in Columbia, which he calls a mash-up of An Loi and Bangkok Delight and which I have never tried. He talks up the Thai, Japanese and Chinese dishes, especially the duck with coconut milk curry, the hibachi chicken and the sushi rolls. This is from David:

So far, our favorite dish is the duck with coconut milk curry. Wonderful duck, cooked and chopped in the traditional style, then added to an incredible curry. It comes out moist and tender, tasting like duck of course, but with the lightness of the coconut and the spice of the curry to balance the fat of the duck. Very impressive.

We also had hibachi chicken, which took a bit longer to prepare than other dishes, but had that wonderful charcoal flavor and a great sauce, along with grilled veggies. They make some really impressive sushi rolls, too. They have the obligatory Chow Fun, which they call "Drunken Noodles", done very nicely and doesn't leave you with a puddle of grease when you are done. Still working our way through other dishes.

Cha Ya has the most spectacular rolls I've ever seen. Everything from simple California rolls to bizarre assemblies with pureed fish in the rice, crisp wrapping around it and layers of various raw fish on top of that. They use a variety of sauces, too. With the bigger ones, one could be an entire meal.