99 Ranch Market

99 Ranch Market is an Asian Grocery store Joey and I ran across when we were making our Taiwanese pineapple cakes last year. This year, I took my friend Kristen to the store so that she could pick up some Asian snacks to take back to CT where she claimed there are no Asian stores.

If you've never been to an Asian Grocery Store, this is one to try.  99 Ranch market is huge and has a selection of produce I'm totally unfamiliar with (Jackfruit?). It also has a very robust fish counter where you can catch your own live crabs or pick up a few fish heads for your soup.  Besides the stranger sections, each aisle has something fun and different to offer--even for a not-so-adventurous eater like my husband.

We walked around the store and she loaded up her arms with all sorts of mochi and red beans.  I was a little more choosy since the store is still in driving distance for me.  The one thing I really wanted to get was the taro toast.  In some Asian bakeries they refer to sliced bread as toast. I don't know why but I sort of like it.  Taro toast is a light pink/purple color and it has a taro swirl in the center.  I first tasted Taro bread in a small bakery in Maui and ever since I've been searching for it everywhere.  It is such a nice flavor combination.

While I was in the bakery section, I was drawn to the hot food section of the store.  It was nearing lunch time and the other patrons were grabbing numbers left and right to get their lunch.  I took a number and bought two bbq pork buns. I do love pork buns and Kristen had never tried them.

These buns were cheap and gigantic. I felt like there wasn't really enough filling to round out the steamy bready outside so that it became a little bit dry to eat.  Kristen who had never had such a thing before declared it one of the best foods she's ever had.  If you've never had one either, try it because bbq pork buns are the best.  If you live in Seattle you can find these buns at Pike Place Market. If you live in LA area and don't find yourself in Van Nuys very much you can find buns like this at the popular convenience store Famima.

While 99 Ranch Market doesn't have the best ever bbq pork bun, it's passible enough for me and the excitement I get from roaming the aisles is enough to warrant a trip.





99 Ranch Market
6450 Sepulveda Boulevard  
Van Nuys, CA 91411

Taqueria Don Adrian

My parents read an article in the LA Times about Don Adrian's Cemitas in Van Nuys. Mexican food has always been a family favorite but I was unfamiliar with Cemitas--described as Mexican sandwiches. We decided to give it a try.

We were in Van Nuys anyway so we swung by the little strip mall restaurant. Inside there are only 3 tables and outside one. The parking was also pretty tight and it was about 2pm. I imagine it's really busy at lunch. Inside the menu is in Spanish on the walls with pictures. There is another menu on the counter with descriptions in English.

My dad and I ordered the Barbacoa sandwich with the jalapenos. My mom ordered the pork cutlet sandwich without jalapenos. It is rumored that there is some spicy sauce you can ask for to complete your sandwich but we didn't know how to get it. The drinks are in bottles and cans or you can get orange bang from the tap.

The sandwiches were delicious. They came out quickly as we sat at one of the open tables we were lucky enough to snag. There was a lot of flavor and the sandwiches were chock full of meat. It had lots of fresh avocado. The jalapenos tasted more like roasted red peppers and were not spicy. I'd like to add a little spice to my sandwich and that would have been perfect.





Taqueria Cemitas Don Adrian
14902 Victory Blvd
Van Nuys, CA‎
Map