Eating Lobsters in Puerto Nuevo, Baja California, Mexico

(Click the image above to view the complete photoset of 12 pictures) TRAVEL ALERT: Updated Jan 8, 2008 I was informed by a reader that there have been recent attacks by masked, armed bandits in Rosarito and Puerto Nueve. Kindly read this article on MSNBC and US Department of State Travel Warnings site before going. Where can you get some of the best--and affordable lobsters--in the world? The answer lies in a small coastal town named Puerto Nuevo, or self-described as "Lobster Capital of Baja California" in Mexico; a convenient 30 to 40 minutes drive south of the San Diego-Mexico border. Other than the milder weather, nice environs and good food, one great perk of living in Southern California is the fact that I can practically go abroad in 2 hours, driving. I have been to Puerto Nuevo many times to savor the scrumptious lobsters, but this post marks the first entry in Rasa Malaysia and serves as an ultimate guide to eating the best lobsters in the world. Click here to view all pictures and read the following guide to eating the best lobsters in Baja California, Mexico... Dining Guide: Lobsters in Puerto Nuevo, Baja California, Mexico How do I get to Puerto Nuevo? Take 1-5 South all the way to the US-Mexico border. As soon as you cross the border, stay in the right lane and you will see a signboard that reads "Rosarito-Ensenada." Turn right and just follow the signboard. As you come to the top of the hill, follow the signboard that says "Rosarito/Puerto Nuevo/Ensenada Cuota." (Cuota stands for the Toll Road). Pass through two toll gates (each for US$2.40), then exit when you see the "Puerto Nuevo" sign. Turn left and head south on the old highway. Puerto Nuevo is located on your right about 2 miles south of the "Puerto Nuevo" exit. Which restaurant should I go to? There are over 30 restaurants in Puerto Nuevo but I always go to Puerto Nuevo I or Restaurant Nuevo. This restaurant is hard-to-miss; located on your left hand side with a big "1" sign on its roof as you enter Puerto Nuevo. Puerto Nuevo I is constantly packed with diners, with a beeline of eager (and hungry) patrons lining up outside of the restaurant. There is only one thing served here: lobsters. Choose the size of your lobster--small, medium or large; each order comes with 3 lobster halves. (I strongly recommend medium sized lobsters.) The lobsters are served with sides such as beans, rice, chips, salsa, unlimited supplies of fresh, homemade flour tortillas (which is easily the best ever!). Restaurant Nuevo AKA Puerto Nuevo I Km. 44 Carr. a Ensenada Puerto Nuevo (Km. 44 Old Highway to Ensenada New Port), Baja California, Mexico Tel: (661) 614-1411 When does lobster season start in Puerto Nuevo? The lobster season is from October through March each year. Restaurants are open during off-season, but you might get frozen lobsters instead of fresh ones. What makes Puerto Nuevo lobsters better than others? The answer is simple: live local (California coast) spiny lobsters pan-fried with lard so the meat stays tender and succulent, with that unmistakenly lobster aroma. Yum! How much are the lobsters? Price ranges from $15-$30 each (usually 3 lobster halves per person with sides included). At Puerto Nuevo I/Restaurant Nuevo, medium-sized lobsters are priced at $20 each. What else should I see or do while in Puerto Nuevo? Check out the local shops and souvenirs stores. Sipping Margarita at restaurants/bars along the sea, looking out the beautiful Pacific coastline, preferably open air if weather permits. Try out the sweet tamale sold by this mobile vendor outside of Puerto Nuevo I restaurant. He is not always there, but if you are lucky, don't miss out his sweet tamale. Visit the famed Hotel Calafia--a beautiful mission-style hotel where Titanic was filmed. Hotel Calafia is a few kilometers north of Puerto Nuevo, along the old highway. Stop by Rosarito, the beach town north of Puerto Nuevo. Visit the local market and shops for sourvenirs, Mexican handicrafts, or get cheap beer at the numerous watering holes in town. There you have it, my guide to eating the best lobsters in Puerto Nuevo, Baja California, Mexico. Try it, you will not regret it, I promise! For in-depth resources about Puerto Nuevo, check out this website and please stay tuned for my pictures of Puerto Nuevo in my next post! Other lobster posts on Rasa Malaysia: Mango and Lobster Salad Stir-fried Lobster with Butter and Cheese (芝士牛油焗龙虾) Baked Lobster with Cheese Continue Reading "Eating Lobsters in Puerto Nuevo, Baja California, Mexico"

I Love Xinjiang Fragrant Pear (新疆香梨)

Juicy, thin skin, crunchy, and very fragrant. No wonder they are called "Fragrant Pear." Definitely my favorite kind of pear. On sale now at 99 Ranch for only $1.18/lb. Hurry, grab them while you can and bid goodbye to those mushy kinds of pear. Continue Reading "I Love Xinjiang Fragrant Pear (新疆香梨)"

Recipe: Baked Scallops with Creamy Spicy Sauce

Ooooouch! I burned my left thumb on a 475 degree Fahrenheit smoking hot oven--all because I was too eager to devour this dish like a hungry ghost. And now I got myself a blister about the size of Krakatoa and a mini-Krakatoa on the thumb. I have been soaking my thumb in a glass of ice water, but it still hurts. More ooooouch. Gluttony is indeed a sin... However, the consolation of the day is this perfectly baked scallops (the golden brown mayonnaise topping is strutting its stuff) with enoki mushrooms in creamy spicy sauce. If you've been to any Chinese/Japanese seafood buffet restaurants, I am sure you have tried the variation of this dish. Or, if you are a gourmand that frequents the likes of Matsuhisa, Nobu (and their outposts), Koi or other Japanese restaurants in Southern California, you know this is one of the must-try dishes at those eateries. My recipe is adapted from Nobu: The Cookbook. It's really quite simple to make, but I must warn you that the plate is darn hot, so stay your fingers off the food so you don't get burned like I did. Recipe: Baked Scallops with Creamy Spicy Sauce Adapted from Nobu: The Cookbook Make 4 servings Ingredients: 6 sea scallops 1 pack of enoki mushrooms 6 tablespoons of creamy spicy sauce Creamy Spicy Sauce 6 tablespoons of mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice 1/2 teaspoon of sugar 1 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce (passed through sieve) Mix the ingredients in the creamy spicy sauce and blend well. Method: Preheat the oven to 475 degree Fahrenheit. Clean the scallops and cut each scallops into 4 pieces of equal size (slice horizontally). Chop off the roots of the enoki mushrooms and divide them into 4 equal portions. Spread the mushrooms on a plate and layer the scallop pieces over the mushrooms and bake for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the scallops from the oven and top with creamy spicy sauce. Put the scallops back into the oven and baked until the surface turns golden brown. Sprinkle some paprika powder on top of each serving and serve hot. Cook's note: Nobu: The Cookbook is a great cookbook. If you love seafood and Japanese food, this is a must have. Buy now at Rasa Malaysia store. Related Recipe: Seared Scallops in Spicy Cream Sauce with Buna Shimeji Mushrooms Continue Reading "Recipe: Baked Scallops with Creamy Spicy Sauce"

Shellfish Overload: The Recipes

MUSSELS Their sweet and tender meats are very tasty, or in Chinese, 鲜味. Stir-fried with pounded ginger, garlic, taucheo and chili paste, this Malaysian recipe is a keeper for those who like their food spicy. Stir-fried Mussels with Chili and Bean Paste Ingredients: 1 lb mussels 1 teaspoon of yellow bean paste (taucheo) 1 1/2 teaspoon of chili paste 1/2 inch of fresh ginger (pounded with mortar and pestle) 2 cloves of garlic (pounded with mortar and pestle) 1 stalk of scallion (chopped to 2-inch length) Sugar to taste Salt to taste Chili Paste: A handful of dried red chilies 2 tablespoons of cooking oil Water Grind the dried chilies and cooking oil in a blender. Add a little water while blending. Heat the wok, pour some cooking oil and stir-fry the chili paste for about 3 minutes. Set aside. Scrub each mussel with a brush under cool running water. Remove the hairy beard by pulling it off. If the shells are open, discard the mussels immediately as they are dead. Set aside. Pound the ginger and garlic with mortar and pestle until fine. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, use a cleaver, pound and chop them finely. Heat up a wok and pour some cooking oil. Stir fry the pounded ginger and garlic until fragrant, add in the taucheo and chili paste and do a quick stir. Add the mussels and stir continuously until the shells are open before you add the chopped scallions. Add salt and sugar to taste. Serve hot. FARMED NECKS These hard-shell clams are very similar to Manila clams, but less fleshy. The distinctive aroma of basil leaves and the fiery taste of bird's eyes chilies give this dish that extra kick. It doesn't get easier than this! Stir-fried Clams with Basil Leaves Recipe Ingredients: 1 lb farmed necks 6 sprigs of basil leaves 3 bird's eyes chilies (pounded with a cleaver) 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) Fish sauce to taste/salt to taste Scrub and rinse the clams well under cool running water. Set aside. Heat up a wok with some cooking oil and stir fry the chopped garlic until fragrant. Toss in the clams and stir continuously for about 1 minute. Add in the bird's eye chilies and basil leaves and continue to stir for 3 - 5 minutes, or until the shells open. Add some fish sauce to taste. Serve immediately. SOFT SHELLS This type of clam has a softer and oval-shaped shell with a long, dark siphon sticking out of the shell. At a glance, it looks like a mini geoduck clam. Known as steamers in the east coast, or long necks in the west coast, these clams are best served the American way, that is, cooked with butter and garlic. The broth of this classic recipe is briny but very delicious. Soft Shell Clams Steamed in Garlic-Butter Broth Recipe Ingredients: 1 lb soft shells 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) 4 tablespoons of butter 1 sprig of parsley (chopped) 1 cup of water Heat up a pot and sauté the chopped garlic for about 1 minute. Add in a cup of water and wait till it boils. Add the clams and chopped parsley and cover the pot. Steam over high heat, stir it with a ladle for about 3-5 minutes or until the shells open. Serve immediately. Cook's Notes: If you do not have the shellfish I call for in my recipes, feel free to use Manila Clams or your favorite kind of clams. The membrane covering the siphon of soft shells is not edible. Discard the thin membrane when eating. Related Posts: Shellfish Overload Shellfish Overload, Part II Drunken Clams Stir-fried Savory Clams Photo Blog: My Favorite Shellfish Continue Reading "Shellfish Overload: The Recipes"

Shellfish Overload, Part II

It all started at Redondo Beach. Famed for its fresh seafood and beautiful coastline, Redondo Beach is one of the top tourist destinations in the Greater Los Angeles area. Personally, I don't care much about the beach and the touristy crowd; the main draw for me is the live-in-the-tank (hidup!) and wide selection of fruits de la mer...and so, that was the beginning of my shellfish binge this past weekend. As a die-hard seafood aficionado, Quality Seafood is a dream come through. Think 25 varieties of fresh oysters, over a dozen of clams of various sizes and species, lobsters from both the Atlantic and Pacific waters, and big fat meaty crab of all kinds (has anyone tried Spider Crab before?!). And wait, there are more: fish, chilled seafood, cold appetizers, hot seafood dishes, cook-to-order services, plus a few tables right outside the shop to feed the eager seafood buffs who just can't wait to get home to devour their goods...well, you get the idea. This is a seafood lover's paradise. Period. So, at the sight of the above large shellfish selection, I literally went hog wild with my buying (and later eating) spree. I got myself black mussels, farmed necks, live softshells, and scallops. On the way out, I scooped up a dozen of fresh oysters--Kumamoto, Stellar Bay, Eastern, Baja, Willapa, and Malpeque--and had them shucked and served immediately. The Stellar Bay and the Malpeque, both recommended by the salesperson, were sweet, creamy, and very tender. The Willapa tasted salty to me and the Kumamoto were mushy. I enjoyed the Baja oysters while LK preferred the Eastern oysters. All in all though, Quality Seafood--as the name suggested--is a great fish market. The price is not cheap (raw oysters are priced at $1.25 - $1.85 each), but you get what you pay for, that is, freshness and varieties. Quality Seafood Fresh Fish Market 130 S. International Boardwalk Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Tel: (310) 374-2382 Now, do you like raw oysters on the half shell? Related Post: Shellfish Overload Continue Reading "Shellfish Overload, Part II"

Shellfish Overload

Here are some pictures of what I was cooking (and devouring!) in the past three days. Stories, recipes, and more yummylicious pictures will be unveiled over the next few days. Stay tuned! Related Posts: Shellfish Overload, Part II Shellfish Overload: The Recipes Seared Scallops with Spicy Cream Sauce and Buna Shimeji Mushrooms Continue Reading "Shellfish Overload"