Every Wednesday, USC invites vendors who sell anything from jewelry, fresh-baked goods, locally-grown produce, sauces, dips, and prepared foods.
If you know me, you know I am a Trojan Farmers Market pad Thai fan first, human second!
You can order it with or without the chicken pictured, and it’s absolutely delicious either way. A full plate of pad Thai is $8, while a pad Thai + chicken runs at $13. The first time I had it, I could tell it had been sitting out for a while…yet it still tasted fantastic. The next few times, it came out looking as smooth and soft as it looks pictured here. If you like peanuts, I highly suggest eating the chicken with the peanut sauce they provide. The chicken is already so flavorful, but the peanut sauce balances it out by adding a dimension of sweetness.
Their Thai tea is also great! At $5, it is a bit on the pricier side, but on a 100° Wednesday, I never regret getting it if I can!
These pupusas run at $4 apiece, regardless of the filling inside. I’ve tried the pupusas con pollo, vegetales, y queso (chicken, vegetables, & cheese), as well as the pupusas con carne asada y queso (steak & cheese). They are served with a side of curtido, a Salvadoran fermented cabbage, carrot, onion, and hot pepper slaw, as well as crema Salvadoreña if you’d like. Crispy, savory, and cheesy, pupusas make me feel so happy. I mean, just look at that crispy cheese skirt!! They’re a great grab-and-go meal on busy Wednesdays, making it convenient, filling, and satisfying.
Life is (scallop) *dynamite*.
This is the most unique dish I’ve found at the farmers market. Get ready for an absolute flavor explosion, just like the name implies. The scallop dynamite consists of teppanyaki-grilled mini scallops in garlic butter, along with mushrooms, onions, and broccoli. The scallops are all over a bed of rice, which ends up being as good as everyone’s favorite teppanyaki fried rice, because it soaks up all the caramelized bits and garlic butter from the scallops. It’s all topped off with roe too!
Pictured on the right is the gyoza entree, which is pretty straightforward, but very well-executed. I’m a big proponent of caramelization on my gyoza, and Teppangeles delivers. So good!
See you soon,
Carissa 😊