Eating in La Verne

City of La Verne

La Verne is a small but lovely city to live and shop in and thanks to the Taste of Asia restaurant and the Corner Butcher Shop, this sleepy city hosts two terrific businesses that are really worth trying no matter where you reside.

The Taste of Asia restaurant is a unique Asian restaurant with a menu featuring exciting dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, China, and even fromLaos. Thanks to owner/chef Virada Khowong who is a certified chef who trained in Thailandand her family,  the food is delicious, creative and nicely presented.

A great starter is the Honey Shrimp, 5 jumbo breaded and fried shrimp wok’ed with a sweet mayo topping and served on a bed of crispy rice noodles. Both the noodles and shrimp made for a nice pairing and is definitely worth trying.

Now normally, I do not like Egg Flower soup because it is usually quite boring however, the version served here is delicious and is highly recommended! The richly flavored broth had a nice even balanced mixture of tofu, peas, green onion, Napacabbage, scrambled eggs and crispy fried onions and is quite addicting.

If you are looking for something unique, may I suggest the Laotian Sausage, a dense textured sausage made with ground pork, lemon grass and other seasonings, sliced and served with peanuts, cabbage, chilies and fresh ginger on the side. Only after devouring the sausage, was I informed by the polite server that you are supposed to wrap the sausage in the cabbage with the peanuts, chili and ginger. Oh well, it was still a culinary sensation especially with the homemade chili paste that came with it.

Some other tasty items from the Chef’s Recommendations section of the menu include Beijing Chicken, sliced deep fried chicken breast served with a zesty sweet and tangy soy wine sauce with garlic, chili paste and some ketchup, the Spicy Garlic Shrimp,10 partially shelled jumbo shrimp cooked in a wonderful garlic chili soy sauce topped with crispy fried basil, and the Taste of Asia Mussels featuring steamed green lip mussels stuffed with a delicious assorted seafood, herb, and chili mixture and topped with a kaffir lime leaf and served on a bed of fresh basil with coconut milk.

As good as those items were, the Crispy Beef, crispy fried beef sautéed with a delicious sweet oyster, vinegar, wine, and sesame oil sauce and the Tropical Salmon, grilled filet of salmon topped with a fresh mango, tomato, onion salsa served on a bed of fresh spinach are dishes not to be missed.

Dining at the award winning Taste of Asia restaurant is a memorable dining experience for those who enjoy a different slant on Asian food with dishes that have layers of flavors, textures and taste as good as they look.

Remember the good old days when every city had a real butcher shop? I do and The Corner Butcher Shop inLa Verneis a unique and exciting throwback to what a butcher shop was like. In addition to friendly owners and staff who actually care about your needs, they offer an array of beef, pork, poultry, fish, seafood and exotic meats as well as a full deli counter, a nice selection of California wines and some delicious hot entrees and sandwiches that you can sit and enjoy in their store or take out.

All of the fresh meats are either Prime or 8% upper Choice grade beef and hand cut on the premises. Were talking high end restaurant quality meats! They also make over 21 first class handmade traditional as well as unique sausages like Bratwurst with Cheese, Chicken Apple, Smoked Andouille, Linguisa, Swedish, and for those who like English sausages, a great pepperyCumberlandsausage. Master sausage maker Eric Murray has been making old world style sausages for over 44 years and his experience and passion really shows in all of his impressive 1/3 lb. sausages.

If you’re looking for some delicious sandwiches or BBQ plates, Darnell’s BBQ restaurant, inside their butcher shop is the perfect setting. Their sausages, chili and hot dogs are made from end cuts of their meats and little or no fillers are used. You can dine in their store sitting on two long tables and a counter or take the food out.

All of their sandwiches include a freshly made side salad or a bag of chips. I would definitely go for the sides like their deliciousNorth CarolinaCole slaw made with Catalina dressing, their feta cheese and olive salad, a pasta salad with cube of cold cuts, a wonderful smoked chicken salad or the hearty potato salad.

Before I dive into their menu, I must start out with my absolute favorite item they offer, their homemade Hot Dogs. The “dogs” are made with quality cuts of perfectly seasoned beef and pork and coarsely ground and smoked and served on a bun with all of the traditional condiments that usually goes with hot dogs. You cannot find a better hot dog anywhere! You absolutely must get one and eat it at the restaurant or take them home to cook. Once you have had one, you will be hooked. All of their meats are slowly smoked with a combination of hickory, mesquite or whiskey barrel woods and are outstanding.

Their Tri Tip Sandwich features slices of tender tri tip that is first marinated, seasoned and grilled and served on your choice of squaw, wheat, rye, sourdough or a wheat bread or a French roll. In addition to the delicious tender tri tip, lettuce, tomato and a tangy sweet BBQ sauce are added to the sandwich. What a treat! Another winner was the Steak & Cheese Panini, was the best of the best! This spectacular sandwich, which was created by a customer, consists of two pieces of sourdough bread filled with a large 10 oz or so sirloin steak, Swiss cheese, grilled bell peppers & onions and a zesty horseradish sauce. It was then pressed and ready to devour.

Other items worth trying is the Sausage Plate, Prime Beef Short Rib Plate, the popular Pulled Pork Sandwich and BBQ Brisket Sandwich and the slowly smoked Baby Back Rib Plate which ranks as some of the tastiest ribs I’ve yet to experience.

In closing, whether you dine in, take out, cook at home or want some truly incredible catered sandwiches, deli trays or hot entrees for your next party or office function, owners John & Will Fuelling will be glad to make your dining and shopping experience a memorable one.