Westlake Coffee Shop's Eggs Benedict

I always pass by this place and from the outside, Westlake Coffee Shop seems so retro that I never bothered to go inside and try their faire. Today was a breakfast day and I was pleasantly surprised!

The place was clean--although it had dated pink patterned carpets and even older booths and counter seats. It was like walking into a 1940's diner! The menu and prices were reasonable. They had the usual American breakfast items as well as staple burgers and sandwiches. I believe they are open only for breakfast and lunch.

I ordered their eggs benedict. It's been a while since I had this and always want to try it out on a regular weekday. Most breakfast places only serve benedicts as their weekend specials. The hollandaise sauce was just right. It seemed like it was freshly made. It was runny and didn't taste like it was pre-heated at all. The eggs were poached well, but the muffin seemed like it could have been toasted a bit more and the Canadian bacon was thinner than what I would have liked. But for a mere $10, it was an okay deal.

What I liked about this place was it's homey feel. Each table had beautiful orchid plants on them and the flowers were a-plenty. I was tempted to ask the owner how she made them bloom like that!

Overall, Westlake Coffee Shop is an okay neighborhood place. I really should be patronizing the local business owners more often because most of the time, I'm pleasantly surprised and walk away with a good full stomach.

Twice Cooked Pork

I literally cooked this pork twice! I always thought that the name of the dish was a give away, but when I looked at the recipe--you do to cook it twice! This recipe is a winner, especially for left-overs for lunch the following day. Details below without clear measurements:

Bonless pork: I just love pork belly and its fatty lining, so I used some pork belly with some pork shoulder and pork butt for some more tenderness and fat in the meat. Boil pork with water enough to cover the pork, some sherry (1 Tbsp), green onions (about two stalks), and a ginger (about 1 inch) until the pork is tender (about 30~45 minutes). It's best to do this the day before, because once boiled and tender, place in the fridge until the pork is cold. When ready to cook, slice into thin 1/4 inch slices.

When ready to cook, prepare the sauce. Mix 4 tsps Hoisin sause, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp white sugar. Add some crushed red pepper flakes for heat. Add sparingly according to your taste and preferred heat level. Set aside.

Slice green and red peppers (one each). Slice in 1/1/2-inch thickness some green onions as well. Pre-fry both peppers and onions in a wok with hot cooking oil. Remove peppers and onions from oil. Grate 2 tsps ginger and toss in the same oil. Add some minced garlic. Stir both ginger and garlic in wok. Add pork slices in the wok. Stir fry until pork is coated with oil, ginger, and garlic. Add the sauce and continue stirring until the pork is well coated with sauce. Add the peppers and green onions in last when ready to serve.

Serve hot over rice. Enjoy!