What food do you crave a lot but is hardest to get where you live?

[sokker]

Good chicken.. we don't have KFC in my country, and I've heard good things about Nando's too.. but needless to say, we don't have that either Oh, and it's not food.. but I do wish we had Starbucks here. I hate my country sometimes

[GiancarloC]

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/produ...e-leche-sauce/ - This is a tad bit pricey, but it's possible to find it. Either it can be ordered online, or in a store that contains imports. I can find it here in the US easily. I found it cheaper than Williams Sonoma in stores and as an import. I've found it in a local Latin supermarket and also an import store/restaurant (that specializes in Argentinian products).

Edit: And make sure it says "imported from on the label" and produced in Argentina. Also I had it in Ecuador and Colombia too, and it's just as good... it's actually even sweeter there.

[roadtripboy]

Patty Melts like Walgreens used to serve at their lunch counters.

[Falcon16]

Louisiana Cajun/Creole. Anyone know where I can get this in the Boston area?

[Aaron]

Good sushi. There are some pretty good sushi places here in Edmonton, but nowhere near as good as the places I used to frequent in Vancouver.

[CottonBolus]

Authentic Japanese food.

[xbuzzerx]

Louisiana Cajun/Creole. Anyone know where I can get this in the Boston area?

Now that you mention that, that's very hard to find in Los Angeles too.

[johaninsc]

Lox..



there aren't any real delis around here

[frankfrank]

This isn't the real thing, but it's such an easy facsimile it's worth doing.

Holy hell!! I can't believe how easy that is!

I'll definitely have to try it. I don't have to look hard, AT ALL, to find condensed milk.

But, geez, where am I gonna find the WATER to boil the can in?????????????????

Good chicken.. we don't have KFC in my country, and I've heard good things about Nando's too.. but needless to say, we don't have that either Oh, and it's not food.. but I do wish we had Starbucks here. I hate my country sometimes

Well, don't "look at" KFC if you want *good* chicken, either. Just curious, what country are you in?

In the USA, Popeye's Chicken beats the snot out of KFC...and, in Canada, Mary Brown's Chicken beats the snot out of both of those. Or at least is USED to when I had it eons ago. (A LOT of recipes, etc. can change in 28 & 1/2 years...)

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/produ...e-leche-sauce/
Edit: And make sure it says "imported from on the label" and produced in Argentina. Also I had it in Ecuador and Colombia too, and it's just as good... it's actually even sweeter there.

That's EXACTLY the stuff, same brand and all, that I look for! Yeah, it's pretty spendy, but it's damn worth it. It really does NOT cost any more (per weight) than many of the candy bars do - actually I think less.

[xbuzzerx]

I agree Popeye's is way better and far less greasy than KFC... but it's also harder to find. It's "around", just not as prevalent as KFC by far.

[GiancarloC]

I prefer woodfired chicken. Peruvian style. It blows away all fried chicken places.

http://www.examiner.com/review/la-s-...-pollo-del-rey

They have a picture of the chicken there. Really it's one I always try to get. Woodfired and it's not dry either... they do it just rest. Peruvian style is the best. For others in LA, that article mentions Zankou chicken... but out of the times I been to Zankou it was actually pretty disgusting.

That's EXACTLY the stuff, same brand and all, that I look for! Yeah, it's pretty spendy, but it's damn worth it. It really does NOT cost any more (per weight) than many of the candy bars do - actually I think less

There were other brands. I really can't eat sugary stuff anymore... my stomach doesn't handle it well. But every now and then I do go to an Argentine restaurant and have a dulce de leche crepe they make.

[JohannBessler]

^I agree that dulce de leche is one of the most underrated foods on the planet. Strangely, very few Americans have tried it.

It's very easy to make in a crockpot. Do this:

1. Buy a can of condensed milk.
2. Fill a crockpot full of enough water to completely cover the can. This is very important.
3. Put can in crockpot without opening the can. Turn crockpot on "low".
4. Go to bed.
5. Wake up to a freshly cooked batch of dulce de leche! Delicious!

[xbuzzerx]

I prefer woodfired chicken. Peruvian style. It blows away all fried chicken places.

http://www.examiner.com/review/la-s-...-pollo-del-rey

They have a picture of the chicken there. Really it's one I always try to get. Woodfired and it's not dry either... they do it just rest. Peruvian style is the best. For others in LA, that article mentions Zankou chicken... but out of the times I been to Zankou it was actually pretty disgusting.



There were other brands. I really can't eat sugary stuff anymore... my stomach doesn't handle it well. But every now and then I do go to an Argentine restaurant and have a dulce de leche crepe they make.

I agree with that as well about Peruvian chicken. I was commenting only about "fast food fried chicken" which certainly operates some incredibly low portion of the chicken totem. Also GianCarlo when are you going to give me the excellent Latino food guide to LA?

[JohannBessler]

I prefer woodfired chicken. Peruvian style. It blows away all fried chicken places.


.

It was common wisdom among old farmwives that food cooked in a woodcook stove tasted better. No one really knew why.

So I believe you about the woodfired chicken. I sure would like to try it myself, but I don't have access to cooking with wood.

[xbuzzerx]

Tandoori (claypot?) Indian chicken is beyond delicious too.

[xbuzzerx]

^I was corrected in post comment, the question mark was because I wasn't sure if Tandoori was the claypot style or not. My bad. I know for sure I've had both and both were good, though. Is chicken tika the claypot style?

[zoltanspawn]

A tikka is a cube, often of meat. It can be cooked in different ways, in a tandoor, on a barbecue, in a pot or smothered in a claypot.

[xbuzzerx]

A tikka is a cube, often of meat. It can be cooked in different ways, in a tandoor, on a barbecue, in a pot or smothered in a claypot.

^ That's what I had, I've had tandoori too. The Tikka I had was claypot for sure.

[GiancarloC]

I agree with that as well about Peruvian chicken. I was commenting only about "fast food fried chicken" which certainly operates some incredibly low portion of the chicken totem. Also GianCarlo when are you going to give me the excellent Latino food guide to LA?

Well I have posted on them in the past and Peruvian restaurant is one of the best I've been to. There are a few hidden Mexican restaurants I like.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-michoacan-northridge

These are around... but they are quite good.

[chatolandia]

Good Mofongo and good Cuban Sandwiches

There are few places that make their own version of Cuban Sandwiches here, but it's not the same.

Mofongo, I haven't found a good place for that since El Conquistador closed... I can get great Dominican food, which covers most of my rice and beans needs, but no mofongo

[chatolandia]

I prefer woodfired chicken. Peruvian style. It blows away all fried chicken places.

http://www.examiner.com/review/la-s-...-pollo-del-rey

I love rotisserie chicken Latin style, I get that in CT when I visit my brother .. great Peruvian restaurants in there. But I call them Latin style because in PR you can get that too, there is a local chain that makes amazing rotisserie chicken, I miss that too.

I also love fried chicken, but there is a place 20 mins from where I live that makes amazing fried chicken so I can get my fix there.

[xbuzzerx]

Well I have posted on them in the past and Peruvian restaurant is one of the best I've been to. There are a few hidden Mexican restaurants I like.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-michoacan-northridge

These are around... but they are quite good.

Giancarlo what's your opinion of El Pollo Inka?

[justsimon]

I miss some of the food from my hometown. It's only about four hours away, but the salmon is fresher and the Thai restaurant is better.

[GiancarloC]

Giancarlo what's your opinion of El Pollo Inka?

It's mediocre. At least the one I had in the Lawndale area. Food is a hit or a miss... depending on what you get... and the service was less than great.

Chatolandia, Puerto Rican restaurants are hard to find around here. Cuban restaurants are more common in LA.

But this is one I do know about:

http://mofongosrestaurant.com/

The namesake of your favorite dish. It's pretty good. I've been there like a dozen times... I love Puerto Rican food... absolutely love it. It's not exactly like the real thing, but it's pretty close.

[xbuzzerx]

It's mediocre. At least the one I had in the Lawndale area. Food is a hit or a miss... depending on what you get... and the service was less than great.

Chatolandia, Puerto Rican restaurants are hard to find around here. Cuban restaurants are more common in LA.

But this is one I do know about:

http://mofongosrestaurant.com/

The namesake of your favorite dish. It's pretty good. I've been there like a dozen times... I love Puerto Rican food... absolutely love it. It's not exactly like the real thing, but it's pretty close.

I wondered, yeah. I've had it a few times but I doubted, with it being a chain and all, if it represented the best of what was out there. The soup is addictive though-- I don't know the name of it, but if you do and better yet if you know where it's better somewhere else, you should tell me.

[sokker]

Well, don't "look at" KFC if you want *good* chicken, either. Just curious, what country are you in?

In the USA, Popeye's Chicken beats the snot out of KFC...and, in Canada, Mary Brown's Chicken beats the snot out of both of those. Or at least is USED to when I had it eons ago. (A LOT of recipes, etc. can change in 28 & 1/2 years...)

I'm from Norway. It's such a shitty country. We do have some fast food chains, but not a lot. We have like some Italian restaurants, pizza chains, chinese, macdonalds, burger king and subway. But that's about it. Fast food really isn't that big here.. people mostly go to macdonalds and such. It's REALLY, REALLY, REALLY expensive to go out here though. People would go bankrupt if they went out to eat every day, it's not like in the US. Norway is the most expensive country in the world, and it's very noticeable when you go out to eat. A regular cheese/ham sandwich can cost like 10 dollars or more. I'm not even kidding. A pizza can cost 30-40 dollars. But most of all I just wish we had Starbucks, because I love Starbucks coffee, and Norway is one of the biggest coffee drinking country in the world (per capita of course). They'd make a ton of money here. There was even a petition online for them to establish themselves here, and they are going to now.. they'll start in Oslo, but they'll probably never come to my town, sigh. I'd love it if Nando's came to Norway though.. I've heard that their chicken is really good!

[GiancarloC]

I wondered, yeah. I've had it a few times but I doubted, with it being a chain and all, if it represented the best of what was out there. The soup is addictive though-- I don't know the name of it, but if you do and better yet if you know where it's better somewhere else, you should tell me.

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/-6xAJ...b5xJPaB29L_ACA

This one? I haven't tried it there. I had it in other locations.

[xbuzzerx]

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/-6xAJ...b5xJPaB29L_ACA

This one? I haven't tried it there. I had it in other locations.

That's the one! Where's the best place you've had it?

[-Xibalba-]

Spanish Tapas.

The places I been to here in LA... well are either mediocre or shit and overpriced at that. It's strange because California could have a few good tapas bars (considering you could find many of the same ingredients). I been to a Caribbean restaurant in Santa Monica that makes a reasonably good paella (but it's not really Spanish style), but no GOOD tapas bar.

Another one I'm looking out for are good Puerto Rican restaurants. Impossible to find here in LA. Cuban restaurants do exist, but Puerto Rican food is better.

If you ever come to Vegas make sure you go to Firefly. They've got amazing & not overpriced Spanish tapas. Not to mention the most amazing mango mojitos and sangria.

[GiancarloC]

That's the one! Where's the best place you've had it?

http://www.consaboraperula.com/menu.html

This one... it's called "aguadito de pollo". They do woodfired chicken (a la brasa) but I prefer pollo del rey's chicken the most.

JV, next time I'm in Vegas I'll consider it. Which could be soon.

[frankfrank]

Well I have posted on them in the past and Peruvian restaurant is one of the best I've been to.

i HAVE YOUR pERUVIAN RESTUARANT POST (oops, all caps) sitting in my restaurant travel folder. It sounds worth it next time I'm in or near the Valley.
On the opposite side of the continent, there's a place in Passaic NJ that I really enjoy, called the Peruvian Family Restaurant, downtown. Their seafood casserole (more of a soup, really) is entirely to die for.

You'd better be hungry if you order it.

Being that it's a thousand miles from here, I guess that qualifies as a food that I crave but cannot get where I live.

[Beachguyj]

good Cuban Sandwiches

(

I make my own.

I cook the pork shoulder in a slow cooker with a recipe I found online. Usually the first day I eat the pork as part of a meal, and the next day or two it's Cuban sandwiches.

I heat up the pork which shreds easily. I use Italian or French bread (Cuban is too crusty) a very light coating of mustard on one side of the bread. Thinly slices pickles. Ham, Virginia if you can find it, Swiss and pork on top. I toast it first open face with the cheese on one side and the pork on the other, that way the cheese melts and the ham gets warm too. Then I put it in a panini press for a few minutes and

[loosingyourmind]

I live in Italy, I think I can't actually complain about food lol.
but yeah I always wanted to know oriental food better.

[xbuzzerx]

I live in Italy, I think I can't actually complain about food lol.
but yeah I always wanted to know oriental food better.

My sister lived in Italy for two years and that was her complaint, she said that France and Italy have horrible Asian food.

[JohannBessler]

I wish I could get my taste for Asian food back.

A long time ago, I used to eat it at least once a week. One day, however, i ate a whole plateful of Chinese food that had sat out all day, unrefrigerated. I got such a bad case of food poisoning that I vomited in violent, undulating waves.

I haven't had the ability to actually enjoy Chinese food very much ever since. Once in a blue moon, I get a hankering for it, but this doesn't happen very often.

I love Thai food, but all the Thai food restaurants in Reno went out of business.

[Keeland]

Halvah.
...

[Seto187]

Peaches. I live in florida and I haven't seen a nice big juicy peach. Here the they are small and hard with no flavor.

[xbuzzerx]

Spanish tapas is something I've never had... I've seen it only in a few of those "help a restaurant" type reality shows. Would like to make a point to try it next time I can.

[frankfrank]

I'ver never managed to try it, either - almost always when I'm in a location that has places as adventurous as tapas, there's something else in the same block that appeals even more.

I also live about 900 miles from the "pick your nationality" Adams Morgan neighborhood just north of Dupont Circle in Washington DC. The Senegalese place there is set up to feel like you're actually eating at a big house party in Dakar, rather than in a restaurant. Cool.