Journey of an Epicurean Cutie

Palsaik Samgyupsal Korean BBQ- 8 Flavors of Pork Belly

2012-01-27T09:46:00.000-08:00

A group of us came here over the holidays to try the famous 8 flavors of pork belly. Not really being a fan of pork, I agreed to join because I've heard that even non-pork lovers like this place.

We had a party of 6 with no reservations so we ended up waiting an hour! Yeah, we should have called. Ooops. The host gave us a coupon for a free pork belly which was nice of him. I think if the people who were just sitting at the table occupying space for 30 minutes AFTER they were done eating had left, we probably would have waited less than an hour. What is up with that? They weren't even talking, just sitting there. Did they not see the hordes of people waiting outside?!

Anyways, when we finally got seated, we put our purses and jackets inside the stools to avoid the smell of meat. Pretty clever idea!

We ordered the 8 flavors, some spicy seafood stew and cold noodle soup.

kimchee + bean sprouts

spicy seafood stew

veggies

The presentation of the pork belly is pretty incredible. Eight different rolled up fatty pork, just waiting to be devoured. I liked that the servers cooked it for us and even cut it up! I was wondering how we were supposed to eat the huge slices.

8 flavors of pork belly

grillin

The banchan was just some kimchee and bean sprouts thrown on the grill. But, it's not really about the banchan here, so don't expect tons of dishes.

I liked the spicy seafood stew which came with my favorite- baby octopus! The cold noodle soup that we ordered at the end was just okay.

cold noodle soup

Oh.. the pork belly? Yeah, it was pretty damn good. My favorite flavor was miso, with wine being a close second. I didn't like the curry at all. It was really weird.

All this food cost $20 each for our party of 6. Not bad!

I'd go back, but with a smaller group.

Parking is available in the lot, but you might have to circle a bit if it's during peak dining hours.

4****

Palsaik Samgyupsal Korean BBQ
863 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 365-1750

Hwang Jang Korean BBQ Restaurant - $10 AYCE

2012-01-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

The saying "You get what you pay for" really applies to this place. We were actually across the street at Castle BBQ, but the wait was too long so we came to Hwang Jang. We were seated right away and then left alone without service.

Finally she came back and asked us what we wanted. We said AYCE please and about 5 minutes later a huge plate of brisket, pork belly, chicken and bulgogi arrived. The brisket wasn't very good, too chewy and thick. Pork belly was meh, chicken was tasteless and the bulgogi surprisingly was the best.

Banchan was decent and we even got the coveted steamed egg. Service was pretty bad, but whatevers. I guess you can't expect much for $10 a person.

We didn't like the meat that much so ended up not really eating a lot. You know it's not good AYCE when you leave and you can STILL eat.

I would pass on this place.

2**

Hwang Jang KBBQ
480 N Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 465-6707

Creamy Avocado Pasta

2012-01-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

We picked up some avocados from Ralph's for 47 cents each so I looked up some recipes online and came across this one: Creamy Avocado Pasta from Two Peas and Their Pod. It looked simple and tasty so I whipped up a variation for dinner.

I substituted with egg noodles and didn't use any cilantro, but it still came out delish. Make sure you add tons of garlic cause it really brings out the flavor.

Ingredients

8 oz of pasta, spaghetti or linguine are best
2 medium ripe Avocados, pitted and peel removed
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add salt and olive oil to the water, put in pasta and bring to boil.

2. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce by placing the avocado, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and place pasta back into the pot. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss until pasta is well coated. Add more salt, pepper and lime if desired.

Enjoy!

The Misfit - Not For The Faint of Heart

2012-01-12T06:21:00.000-08:00

Very cool restaurant and atmosphere. We were looking for a place to eat on a weekend day and decided to give The Misfit a try.

We sat down by the window and proceeded to order. My friend had mentioned that the oysters here were yummy, but I wasn't in the mood for oysters.

However, it was happy hour and they had sangrias for $3.50 a glass. BTW, HH is 12-7 pm every day, so indulge! I only had one since it was the middle of the day.

What we ordered:

Ahi tuna burger, pan seared medium rare, meyer lemon aioli, avocado: Pretty damn tasty! I would have liked it if they didn't toast the bread. Toast and my mouth don't get along. Too hard for me. Other than that, good solid dish. ($12)

Baked mac + cheese, green chile, brown rice pasta + chorizo: Good lord, this was a dish to behold! It was super heavy, but delish. I found it a bit greasy for my taste, but then again, I kept eating it. Definitely a dish to share, as I don't forsee anyone eating this by themselves. ($14)

Prime rib french dip sliders, seasoned + sliced to order, homemade au jus: Yum! Another great dish, 2 sliders per dish. i liked the au jus which added flavor without being salty. ($13)

Fried chicken: 2 pieces of fried goodness. I loved the crispy skin and sweet mustard dipping sauce. You need to try this if you're a fan of fried chicken. Sure beats KFC by a mile!

The service was good and attentive. Music was way too loud. I would prefer to be able to hear my companions in the middle of the day, but loud music is fine at night.

I'd definitely come back. They also have bottomless mimosas!

4****

The Misfit
225 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 656-9800

Blockheads Shavery- Shaved Ice Goodness

2011-12-27T17:01:00.000-08:00

Seriously, the best shaved ice I've ever had and I've had a ton of shaved ice. In fact, I'm not even a fan of shaved ice, but Blockheads has made me a believer.

Their ice is so soft and fluffy, it's not even like your typical shaved ice. More like buttery, flakey snowy goodness.

I had the black sesame with rice balls and coconut puree. OMFG. Heaven in a bowl!! The black sesame may sound weird, but it's really, really good. It has a unique flavor that is hard to describe. Kinda sweet, but not overly sweet. I also tried the taro, but it wasn't as good and didn't really taste like taro.

Black sesame with rice balls & coconut puree

Plain with mango puree and mango

Tip: If you check in on Foursquare, you get a free topping when you order a regular with a topping. Good deal! Regular is $3.50 and toppings are 50 cents each. You really can't miss this new gem on Sawtelle.

5*****

Blockheads Shavery
11311 Mississippi Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 445-8725

VIDEO: Angel Hair Pasta with Asparagus & Truffled Egg

2011-11-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

My newest video.. enjoy!

1. Marinate your asparagus (5 stems per person) in olive oil and salt and pepper.

2. In a saute pan, line bottom with OO -- this is your sauce. Add crushed garlic and red pepper flakes. Warm through on low, but don't cook.

3. When you drop the angel hair in the boiling, salted water, drop the asparagus in a grill pan.

4. The pasta takes only a minute or two to soften, so once al dente, transfer pasta to saute pan with the warmed olive oil. Reserve some of the cooking liquid and add to pasta as needed. Season with S&P.

5. Start your poached eggs.

6. Your asparagus will probably be done at this point.

7. Turn up the heat for the pasta and toss to coat and finish cooking.

8. Plate pasta. Add asparagus. Top with egg. Top egg with S&P (I used truffle salt) and truffle oil.

9. Finish with fresh basil and parmesan reggiano.

Roasted Cauliflower

2011-11-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

Oh yes. We just had a huge Thanksgiving feast last night, but I'm hungry again! Being a fan of cauliflower, I looked some recipes online and came across roasted cauliflower. It looked simple and tasty, so I decided to go for it.


Before the oven

All done!

Recipe was pretty easy and took a mere 10 minutes to prepare.

1 head of cauliflower
3 cloves of garlic, chopped up
olive oil
garlic salt
pepper

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Cut up the cauliflower into florets and put into a baking dish. Toss in the garlic and drizzle olive oil on top. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put dish into over and bake for 27-30 minutes until the tops are brown and tender. Remove and serve immediately. You can add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, but this was tasty without it.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker- Honey Garlic Chicken

2011-11-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan of the slow cooker because I don't like to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen. The last two weekends I've put the crock pot to good use. Last weekend was beef stew which turned out pretty good. This weekend I tested out chicken. Yes, chicken can be cooked in crock pot and it comes out tender! I used boneless, skinless thighs and breasts for this recipe as there are finicky eaters in my household.

Honey Garlic Chicken

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts. Up to you on what your family prefers
5 cloves garlic, chopped up
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 honey

Wash and trim off fat from chicken. Put into slow cooker. I used a 4 qt Rival Crock Pot which I got from Ralph's for around $20. Combine all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Pour over chicken and make sure it's coated evenly. Cook on low for 5 hours. Serve over rice.. enjoy!

This is a great meal to make first thing in the morning so you can enjoy it for lunch. The smell of the chicken is seriously amazing.

Potato Leek Soup

2011-11-07T08:06:00.000-08:00

It's been chilly in LA which means it's the perfect time for soup! I made this wonderful potato and leek soup last night and it was delicious! Simple comfort food that is budget friendly too.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium Russet (or other starchy) potatoes
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 stalks leeks
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
½ cup dry white wine
1 qt chicken broth or stock
chopped up pancetta to garnish

Cut leeks into 1/2 to 1 inch thick, roughly the same size

Peel potatoes and cut into the same size as leeks

Add butter to a big soup pot and melt over medium heat

Add leeks and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes

Add wine and reduce by half

Add stock and potatoes, bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 more min till potatoes are easy to cut with a fork, but not mushy

Put into a blender and puree working in batches if needed

Put back into pot and simmer for a bit longer

Serve in soup bowls and top off with some pancetta or bacon if desired

Enjoy!

Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa- Authentic Vietnamese Food

2011-10-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Located in a strip mall in Alhambra, this Vietnamese restaurant is a hidden gem. With low prices and tasty food, the owners know how to please an audience.

We ordered Pho Tai, Bun Bo Hue and Nem Nuong along with three fresh coconuts. Yes, coconuts cut out at the top so you can just sip the juice! Nothing in the can beats that.

The Pho Tai was okay, kinda flavorless, but my kid wanted it badly. I think Pho 999 is still the best in terms of pho.

Bun Bo Hue was very good, albeit not that spicy. I liked that she asked us if we wanted blood and other funky items in there. We said no thanks. I'm prefer my beef noodle soup sans the red stuff. It came with a dish of veggies to add into the broth. One thing I like about Vietnamese food is the abundance of fresh veggies. Makes me feel healthier as I stuff my face.

The Nem Nuong was good and it was my first time trying it. Basically, you get a plate of veggies, a plate of meat and shrimp and rice paper to wrap your own spring rolls. I liked the variety veggies especially the mint and perilla. The dipping sauce was kinda blah though, just a weird flavor and not spicy at all.

Total bill was $42 for our party of four. Not a bad deal for all this food! I would come back and try the other dishes. Make sure you get the Nem Nuong, it's their specialty.

4****

Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa
1700 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803
(626) 943-7645

New Video- How to Poach An Egg

2011-09-26T09:08:00.001-07:00

I've found the secret to poaching eggs.. vinegar and..

Khan Shabu Shabu - Great Deal for $9.99

2011-08-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

We came here for the $9.99 lunch special and it was so worth the trek!

The Japanese style shabu is the way to go. It comes with your choice of normal or spicy broth. I was feeling adventurous so decided to try the spicy broth and boy was it HOT. It was so hot that I had to ask the waiter to change out the broth to normal. Wimp. The normal broth way tastier anyway.

Special comes with prime beef, a huge plate of veggies consisting of cabbage, tofu, scallions, carrots, 1 piece of bok choy and udon noodles. There was so much napa cabbage I felt like a bunny. It took a while to make a dent in that plate.

One of the advantages of being at a Korean restaurant is the banchan you get with your meal. We got potato salad, kimchee and cucumbers. The potato salad was the best so we got more. Yay for unlimited refills!

Also, you get free iced tea with your meal.

All this for a mere $9.99? Believe it.

Service was on par and we used the call button when we had to.

Highly recommended. Can't wait to come back!

4****

Khan Shabu Shabu
210 N Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 465-6688

The Counter - Customized Burgers in the Valley

2011-07-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

First thing I noticed when we walked into The Counter was how friendly everyone was. Even amid the chaos, we were still greeted and shown to a table within 2 minutes. Kudos to the staff for that.

The Counter's drawing point is customized burgers which is great for picky eaters like me. We were hungry so we ordered a ton of food.

Crispy onion strings: thinly cut onion fried to a golden crisp. It came in a huge, heaping portion. I think we should have got the half order. Very tasty!

Parmesan french fries: fries topped off with melted Parmesan cheese and mixed with parsley, rosemary and garlic aioli. Not bad, but way too heavy for me. I had a few bites and was done.

Sweet potato fries: Pretty tasty, good choice for the health conscious.

All the sides came with different dipping sauces. My favorite was the roasted garlic aioli.

Now on to the burgers. I had the beef burger with mushrooms, avocado, red onion, mixed lettuce and roasted garlic aioli on a multigrain bun. It was delicious! Very juicy and great flavors.

One of my dining companions had the buffalo burger with mushrooms and gruyere cheese on an English muffin. He liked it a lot and said the buffalo was cooked well and very tasty.

My other DC had the beef burger with grilled onions, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato on a regular hamburger bun. She liked it as well.

I ordered a glass of Riesling to drink since I don't drink beer. The manager actually carded me. Oh yesss.. thanks for making my day! They do have a wide selection of wine and beer for you alkies.

Overall, a great dining experience. I would definitely come back when the burger craving hits again.

4/5****

The Counter

12117 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 980-0004

Cham Sut Gol - AYCE KBBQ

2011-07-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

We were so excited for AYCE KBBQ at $16.99 per person. After reading some stellar reviews on Yelp, we couldn't wait to try the bomb ass chadol and sirloin and enjoy the awesome service.

Hmm.. did that happen? Well, 1 out of 3 delivered so you be the judge.

Our group of 5 sat at a table by the back, next to the serving stations. You would think that would help our chances of getting great service, but nope! We had to constantly ask for food and drinks. At one point, we were sitting there meatless, banchan-less and with no drinks whatsoever. WTF?

All of us were pretty annoyed by this fact and we had to ask for steamed egg a few times. They tried to tell us we already got it, but we weren't that dumb. One of the waitresses was cool and hooked us up with 3 steamed eggs (that's the limit per table). However, I did see that the table behind us got stellar service and tons of steamed egg. Hmm..

On to the food. We ordered pretty much everything off the $16.99 menu, except for the intestines (barf) and the pork belly.

Chadol: Weird. Not like typical chadol, too thick and progressively got more funky. We had about 4 plates of chadol. At one point, even the waiter couldn't tell if it was chadol or beef tongue!

Sirloin: OMFG. Winner of the night! This thick and juicy steak was delicious! There is a limit of 1 steak per 2 people. We had 5, but still got 3 steaks. Yay for some sweet talking from MC in our group. Definitely get the sirloin, you won't be disappointed.

Sirloin

Kalbi: Pretty good, albeit kinda chewy. I've had better elsewhere.

Baby octopus: Really salty, but tender. Could have done without the intense salty marinade.

sirloin, baby octopus, spicy pork belly

Beef tongue: Not bad, but then again, I'm not a fan of tongue. Don't want my food tasting me back.

Spicy pork belly: I didn't like this at all. Very hard to chew and really salty. Skip this.

Salad was okay and very salty as well! I was so thirsty the entire dinner and for hours after.

Salad + banchan

Banchan was lacking and small in portion size. Nothing out of the ordinary here. We had potato salad, daikon, fish cake, tofu, kimchee, rice wrappers, bean sprouts and pickled cucumbers. My favorites were the rice wrappers, potato salad and bean sprouts.

Overall, the food was about a 3.5 and service was a 2.

Would I come back? Probably not. But, you can't beat a $20 dinner and feeling like a stuffed cow.

3/5***

Cham Sut Gol
3700 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 734-9292

The Waffle - Worth the Wait?

2011-07-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

We saw this place featured on "Best Thing I Ever Ate" thanks to Susan Feniger praising the red velvet waffles. So, we came here last Sunday to see what the fuss was all about.

First off, be prepared to wait a good 30-40 minutes for a table. We got there around 1 and didn't get a table till about 1:35 pm. Then, be prepared to wait for your food. Our food took another 30 minutes to arrive. F that. We were starving! I seriously can't stand waiting that long to eat. But, I took one for the team.

The red velvet waffles come with cream cheese butter and truly taste like red velvet cupcakes. At $10.50 for 2 pieces, it will pretty expensive. But, I guess you pay for novelty.

I ordered a tuna salad sandwich as did my DC at $8.25 each. The sandwich came with waffle fries which made them worth the price. Actually, the sandwich was pretty good.

I opted for the bottomless cocktails option which is only available on weekends. You get your choice of mimosas, bloody marys or margaritas for $12. I started with a mimosa which was just okay. Then I progressed to a bloody mary which was very watered down and weird. I would skip the cocktails and just drink water.

Bloody Mary

Someone was still hungry after her waffles so she ordered the dip and chips. What a waste of $7. A pile of stale chips and some artichoke chip = fail. Don't get this dish at all.

Our total bill was $57 before tip! Wowza. That's way too expensive for the food we got, especially after waiting an hour to eat.

3/5***

The Waffle
6255 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 465-6901

Wurstkuche- Exotic Sausages in DTLA

2011-06-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

Finally got to try this place last weekend and it was definitely worth the trip to downtown. We parked on the street for free right next to the restaurant. As we walked up we saw a long ass line and were I felt kinda annoyed since waiting for food has never been my thing. However, I took one for team and sucked it up. Waited about 25 minutes to order and another 20 minutes for the food to be done.

menu

in line to order

Here's what we got:

Rattlesnake and rabbit sausage: AMAZING and sooo juicy. I loved it. For those of you wondering what the heck that tastes like.. well, chicken. Doesn't everything taste like chicken in some way? I got sauerkraut and spicy peppers for my toppings and they really balanced out the sausage. Yummy.

Duck and bacon sausage: This one was a bit dry which was kinda disappointing since it sounded so juicy. It had a smoky flavor to it as well. Not sure I'd recommend this.

L- R: truffle fries, kielbasa, rabbit + rattlesnake, duck + bacon, rabbit + veal

Kielbasa: Yum, very tasty and one of the "normal" sausages. This one is good for those faint of heart and less adventurous.

Rabbit and veal sausage: Tender and juicy as well. Tasted very similar to the rattlesnake and rabbit one. But, the RR one still ranks #1 in my book!

Rabbit + rattlesnake with sauerkraut + spicy peppers

mmm mmm good

Fries with truffle oil glaze: OMG. I'm not a fan of bigger cut fries, but these suckers were delish! I could totally taste the truffle oil too ($2 extra), but it's so worth it. We also got 4 dipping sauces to go with it. 2 chipotle aioli, 1 pesto mayo and 1 buttermilk ranch. The chipotle aioli was our favorite, good flavor with a kick.

There is also a mustard stand where you can serve yourself. My favorite was the sweet mustard. So tasty with fries too!

As far as drinks go, they have plenty of beer and sodas. I got a Pellegrino for myself and my dining companions got a vanilla cream soda (yum) and an orange soda (decent).

In terms of price, not cheap! Our lunch was $56. The dipping sauces should be free instead of $0.75 each.

view from our table

Good food, decent seating and alright pricing. Just remember to get the rattlesnake and rabbit!

4****

Wurstkuche
800 E 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 687-444

'Lette Macarons

2011-06-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

I'm in love. With macarons. And, I'm not even a sweets fan.

We came here the other day because my friend had been raving about these sweet concoctions and I just HAD to try them.

The store is located on the corner of Beverly and Charleville. It's very clean and bright inside with a minimalistic vibe.

Service was quick and friendly and she even threw in a free macaron. I got 13 for the price of 12 ($19).

OMFG. If you have to pick 3 flavors, definitely get the Sweet Almond, Caramel and Pistachio. Those 3 blew my mind! I couldn't stop saying mmmmm.. mmmmmm. omg. mmmmm.

The filling is incredible and the macarons are totally worth it at $1.60 a pop.

I have yet to try the other remaining flavors, but that's cause I'm saving it for another day. They are just too pretty to eat!

If you do go, make sure to get 2 of each ,so you don't have to share half with someone.

Parking is available in the lot or snag street parking.

Enjoy the orgasmic overload of macaron goodness!

5****

'Lette Macarons
9466 Charleville Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 275-0023

Koraku Ramen- Sherman Oaks

2011-06-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

Located in a strip mall off Ventura Blvd, Koraku is pretty easy to miss. The only reason I came upon this place was because we were craving ramen and this was the only restaurant close by.

We rolled up around 2 pm on a weekend and the place was pretty empty except for another party sitting at the bar. We chose a booth and started ordering right away. Everything looked good, but then again, everything looks good when you are starving.

The waitress was efficient and semi-helpful only because her English wasn't that good. I changed my order and she didn't seem to mind so definite plus.

Rice balls: One came with bonito and the other had salmon in it. Nice presentation, but I didn't eat any. My companions did and said they were okay. Too much rice, not enough filling.

Mapo tofu ramen: I love mapo tofu. It's one of my favorite Chinese dishes. So, when I saw this epic combo, I was super stoked to try it. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as it sounded. The broth lacked flavor which is surprising considering all the ground pork and tofu it came with. I couldn't finish the bowl, just wasn't good to me.

Popeye ramen: Cool name and sure lived up to it. Packed with tons of spinach and slices of pork, this ramen was tastier than mine. It's in a soy based broth so that could be the reason.

Croquette: Pretty tasty! Potato croquette with ground pork served with some julienned cabbage and some dipping sauce. Wish it came with more than just one per order.

Pork fried rice: My favorite! The portion was a bit small for sharing, especially with how tasty it was. I liked the small bits of egg, carrots and green onion mixed in there. Yum.

Overall, the food and service were good. I would come back and give their ramen a second chance.

3***

Koraku Ramen
14425 Ventura Blvd
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423(818) 906-0045

Pho 88- NYC

2011-06-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

After a night of endless drinks, we were hankering for some pho.

I looked on Yelp and found Pho 88 within walking distance of our hotel. On the trek there, we came across a few other pho restaurants that were closer, but kept going because I read that the pho here had less sodium than other places.

The restaurant is relatively new and pretty clean.

We sat down at a small table for two and ordered 2 orders of pho tai, 1 order of banh beo and 1 order of summer rolls.

I liked the summer rolls a lot and found them very fresh and tasty. The shrimp, noodles and veggies inside were all good. Some places give you some questionable rolls, but 88 did well.

Banh beo was okay, but not what I'm used to. It came with some potato salad like topping which I'm not sure I was down with.

Pho tai was good, but the broth was lacking in flavor! I had to add a ton of hot sauce and jalapenos to give it some depth.

But, at around $6 a bowl, can you really complain?

Service was good for an Asian place.

Cash only.

3.5***

Pho 88
51 Bayard St
(between Bowery & Elizabeth St)
Manhattan, NY 10013
Neighborhood: Chinatown

Noir Wine Bar

2011-05-23T20:04:00.001-07:00

Not sure why this place is called Noir Wine bar, but hey, it's the food that matters right?

We came here on a Tuesday night and parking was quite easy to find in the residential area. Big plus, it's free!

The place was completely empty at 7 pm, except for us, but I didn't mind. Better service for us!

We ordered the beef shabu shabu, 7 oz with brown rice that cost $1 more. I should have just had the white rice, since the brown rice was weird and sticky. But, trying to eat healthy so I stuck with it.

Shabu came with napa cabbage, tofu, mushrooms, broccoli, squash and udon noodles. Napa cabbage was all you can eat, so we got some more after we finished ours. The ponzu sauce was amazing! It had a slightly sweet taste to it without being overly sweet. We got more because good ponzu is hard to find. The sesame sauce was pretty tasty too.

Veggies

You also get a choice of salad. I got the tuna sashimi salad and OMG, it was soooo good! The dressing must have crack in it. I wanted more when I was done.

I guess 7 ounces of beef is actually quite large since it took me a while to finish it. Very fresh and tasty dipped in the ponzu.

We only had one pot, but it had a divider in the middle so it's okay. I prefer having my own pot though.

Service was friendly and accommodating. Bill came to $30 each.

Not the cheapest shabu, but I'd come back. Mizu is still my #1 though.

3.5 ***

Noir Wine Bar
801 S La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Dip's Grill

2011-04-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Dip's Grill really has it going on. My friends and I made the trek here from the westside the other day for lunch because we've been hearing such rave reviews for it.

The place is modern and clean and service is spot on. We sat a booth and started perusing the menu.

Since we were starving we ended up ordering more than we could eat. But, hey, better to have more food than not enough food.

Steamed rice cakes (banh beo)- I've never had these in my life and they were delish! A huge portion of rice cakes arrived each sprinkled with scallions, dried shrimp and fried garlic. Pretty damn tasty! Eat them individually and top off with some fish sauce and you've got an addiction in the making.

Fried crepe with seafood and bean sprouts- Another solid dish. Never had these either, but when you eat them wrapped inside a lettuce leaf along with mint and other veggies, it's really flavorful and well-balanced. Of course, don't forget to dip in the special sauce.

Fried shrimp rolls- These were okay. Kinda lacking in shrimp and forgettable.

Vermicelli plate with egg rolls, beef and pork - Tasty mix of vermicelli noodles, beef, fried egg rolls and veggies. I liked it quite a bit. My other dining companions weren't too gung ho about it. Oh wells, more for me!

Spicy beef noodle soup (bun bo hue)- Oh hells yea! This came last and was worth the wait. Rice noodles in a spicy red broth along with big chunks of beef. Man, what more can you ask for? The noodles were alright, but we all loved the broth. Beef was substantial and they didn't skimp on the pieces. It was very flavorful with just the right amount of spiciness. I highly recommend this dish.

We ate till we reached an unanimous food coma. Total cost of lunch - $45.

Not a bad deal. Oh, if you check in on Yelp, you get 10% off your bill. We checked in and were supposed to get 10%, but I guess the waiter forgot. We didn't realize it till we left anyway. So, hopefully next time!

I'm still thinking of that spicy broth. Yum-o.

4****

Dip's Grill
1412 E Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 284-3477

Bao Dim Sum

2011-01-08T10:57:00.001-08:00

Dim sum in Weho? Sign me up!

When I first heard of this new restaurant opening, I was so excited. No more driving to the SGV or Chinatown for dim sum. And the best part is they serve dim sum at all hours. You can get your fix at night if your heart desired.

We arrived for dinner one night and were seated immediately. The place was pretty empty, but then again it was only 6 pm. I noticed that all the diners were non Asian. That didn't faze me since we were in Weho, not Chinatown.

Service was great, but food was hit or miss.

Xiao Long Bao: Four steamed dumplings per order. I liked how they were sitting on individuals foil cups. Pretty tasty, but nothing like Din Tai Fung.

Har Gow: Steamed shrimp dumplings, four per order. These suckers were huge! I thought they were pretty authentic, nice job.

Shrimp dumplings with chives: I liked these even better than the har gow. The chives give it a nice kick. Three per order. Boo.

Tripe: Hells to the yeahhhh... I love steamed white tripe. Served with ginger, carrots and cilantro. Very tasty, thumbs up!

Radish Cake: This is one of my must haves when I eat dim sum. I was disappointed in theirs though. Way too soft and undercooked. I like radish cake slightly fried with a crust on the bottom. Meh.

Crispy taro balls: 3 per order. Basically fried taro balls. I think there was pork in there, but not sure. Not a bad dish actually.

Crispy seafood chow mein: Ehhh, this was tasteless. No flavor and pretty small serving. I would pass.

Wonton soup: Way too salty. Wontons were weird tasting. None of us liked it. Pass.

I'm not sure if I'd come back, but if the craving hits at night, I probably would.

Oh yeah, they forgot our green tea, but charged us anyway. However, the manager removed it with a smile. Can't beat good service at a Chinese restaurant.

3***

Bao Dim Sum
8256 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 655-6556

Boiling Point

2010-12-02T17:27:00.001-08:00

The weather is cooling down and this makes me crave soup. Enter Boiling Point, an authentic hot pot restaurant in the heart of the SGV.

The moment you enter, you are transported to a faraway destination that serves soupy concoctions packed with everything from noodles to beef intestines. Don't worry, you don't have to partake in the exotic ingredients.

Lunch specials start at $8.99 and come with your choice of hot pot and a soft drink or tea. With prices this low, there's no wonder the wait was long. We had to wait around 30 minutes and it was already past lunch time.

Since BP is known for its stinky tofu, we got a side of it along with beef hot pots. No intestines of pigs blood for us, thanks. We also got a side of pork, quail eggs and vermicelli. I wasn't sure if the noodles came with the hot pot and the waiter wasn't very good at communicating in English, so we just ordered it anyway. It's an extra 50 cents so not a big deal.

Hot pots come out boiling hot on an open flame. It's quite deceiving, but the pot is endless. I felt like I had to eat for a while before making a dent. The broth was spicy and we only asked for medium. But, it was good!

I didn't really care for the stinky tofu as it was kind of bland. They come in big cubes and aren't the typical fried ones you get at other places. The stink factor was very low. The meat was decent, but not the best quality. Quail eggs were awesome!

Make sure you get the sauces too. They are located by the cashier at a do-it-yourself station. Garlic soy and soybean paste were our favorites. The chili oil is extremely hot so beware. I had one taste and passed on it.

Service was okay considering how crazy packed it was. Our waiter was flustered, but managed to get us what we needed. Too bad they were out of boba and Chinese donuts! It was a bit disappointing since it wasn't even dinner yet.

Overall, a good place for hot pot lovers. But, make sure you're up for the wait. Also, cash only. Boo to that.

3***

Boiling Point
153 West Garvey Ave
Monterey Park, CA 91755
(626) 288-9876

Jinpachi - Toro Heaven

2010-09-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for authentic Japanese food and sushi, Jinpachi is the way to go. I came here a couple weeks ago for dinner and I still fantasize about the amazing toro they serve here.

Located on Santa Monica Blvd in the heart of West Hollywood, Jinpachi is an unassuming restaurant that you can easily miss walking by. But, it's so worth the visit, even if you just get a few pieces of sushi.

Service was great, polite and on par. The sushi chef really knew what he was doing and each piece of fish was very fresh.

Here's what we ordered:

Sweet shrimp - I would skip this one. It tasted ordinary, not like the really amazing sweet shrimp at Sushi Go 55.

sweet shrimp & toro

Toro sushi - OMG. We ordered 4 pieces to start with and got 4 more because it was THAT delicious. Both of us took a bite and were in toro heaven. It literally melted in our mouths. I swear, I've never had better toro elsewhere. Definitely a must get item, but it's not cheap. It's still worth it though!

close up of toro goodness

Salmon sushi - Delicious and fresh as well. Like butter. Highly recommended.

Yellowtail sushi - Pretty good, but not outstanding.

Tuna sushi - Good, but not our favorite.

salmon, yellowtail, tuna

Spicy tuna, toro, salmon

Unagi - Very good, nicely grilled.

Blue crab hand roll - Yummy, but the blue crab hand roll from Sugarfish still holds my heart.

unagi, blue crab

Chawan Mushi - Loved it! Soft, silky, flavorful and packed with mushrooms and seafood. Simply delicious.

Mixed tempura - Came with white fish, shrimp, and assorted veggies. Kiddo liked it and it's a notch above the mixed tempura at other restaurants.

In a nutshell, I'd come back here just to eat toro. Mmmmmm. I'm drooling thinking about it now.

Save up because it ain't cheap. Just remember, toro!

Jinpachi
8711 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 358-9134

Shabu @ Kagaya

2010-08-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Oh my heavens. I had one of the best dining experiences here last night. It truly warranted the $51 price tag per person. In fact, we had so much food, I am STILL full this morning, and I passed out right away when I got home. Can you say food coma?

We arrived before our 8 pm reservation so we had to wait outside for the other diners to leave. But, once we were seated, the food journey began. And what an adventure it was.

Started off with a halibut and caviar sashimi. The flavors were amazing and I loved the caviar. I did think the halibut was a bit chewy as did one of my dining companions.

Next up was the duck soup. At first it was mild in flavor, probably due to the extremely flavorful sashimi, but after a few sips, the soup took on a life of it's own. It was sooo good and comforting. And the duck, omg, it was beyond tender. Very creative and well thought out soup.

Following the amazing soup came shark's fin chawan mushi. OMFG. OMFG. This was one of the best things I've ever ate! I should be on that Food Network show. The steamed egg mixed with the shark's fin was orgasmic. I could eat this every single day.

At this point I was already getting full, but after a brief 10 minute break they brought out the shabu. We all got the mixed shabu A, which consisted of beef, clams, king crab legs and one oyster. This came with rice and a plate of veggies - mushrooms, vermicelli noodles, napa cabbage, tofu and chrysanthemum leaves.

We dug in and started chowing down. Wow, the beef was so tender and fresh. It basically melted in my mouth. I liked the ponzu sauce they gave us but if you're into spice like me, add a few drops of hot chili oil and the flavors really come out.

The veggies were all delicious and cooked up pretty fast. I'm a fan of those chrysanthemum leaves, so damn good.

Clams and crab legs were good as well, but the best was the oyster. Yes, you get only one oyster, but holy moly, it was one of the freshest oysters I've ever eaten! We opted to eat it raw, and I would recommend you do that as well. If you cook, it's a waste of a oyster!

After eating all this food I really felt like I was going to explode. We all were in a food coma, but geared up for the next course.

Rice soup. I've never had it before and was quite interested to see what all the fuss was about.

They took our pot of soup and within 10 minutes came back with rice soup. It had rice, egg, tomato and veggies in it. It was amazing!! I was so full that I felt like I was 3 months pregnant, but I still downed my bowl of soup.

At this point, we were crying for mercy. But, the waiter came back and asked us what we wanted for dessert. I got the creme brulee, my friend got the sorbet and my other friend got the green tea mousse.

creme brulee

I'm not a huge dessert fan, but that creme brulee was heaven on earth. It was seriously one of the best I've ever tasted. I liked that it was small too, and yes I practically licked the bowl. The green tea mousse was pretty good as well.

green tea mousse

peach sorbet

The service was excellent all night and our waiter was on top of things. 5 stars for service.

Everything was amazing last night and I can't wait to go back asap. Who's with me?

5*****

Kagaya
418 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-1016

AYCE KBBQ @ Yi Ssi Hwa Ro

2010-08-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

Woooot! One of my new favorite AYCE KBBQ places. A group of us came here the other night and ate till we almost exploded.

There are 2 different menus, one for $16, the other one for $20. We opted for the $20 one because it came with baby octopus, shrimp and spicy kalbi.

I'm a huge fan of baby octopus, I could eat them every day. However, the baby octopus here was not that good. The tentacles were good, but the head was so sandy I had to spit it out. Gross.

However, the chadol (brisket) was soooo good that we ordered 5 plates of it. Yeah. You think you aren't eating that much since the meat is so thinly sliced, but really, don't kid yourself. Meat is meat and it's gonna expand in your tummy.

The kalbi was good as well, and rib eye steak was alright. My faves of the night was the chadol and kalbi. I didn't get a chance to try the spicy kalbi cuz I couldn't really breathe after round 3.

Oh yeah, loved the rice papers and the sesame oil with salt dipping sauce. I didn't much care for the purple rice though. White rice!

As far as service goes, it was pretty damn good. They were attentive, friendly and even changed out our grill multiple times. I like that, it prevents cancer.

Oh, since 2 of our friends had birthdays that night, they gave us a free bottle of bubbly and made them dance in front of everyone. It was awesome.

We also had 3 bottles of soju at $6.99 and $9.99 per bottle. The $10 bottle was a bit smoother.

Overall, great dining experience and at $33 per person, a great deal.

Yi Ssi Hwa Ro
3465 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 365-8111

Lunch at Eva Restaurant

2010-08-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed a pretty good lunch last week at Eva and I got a $25 gift card to use for my next visit. Thanks to Groupon, I purchased a 2 person prix fixe lunch deal for $35. Normally, the lunches are $22 each.

I got this Groupon back in April when the restaurant used to be open daily for lunch. Since then, it has changed the lunch hours to just Thursday and Friday, and most recently only Fridays. Since the Groupon expires 8/3, I had to go last Friday.

Didn't get a reservation since they were all booked up, but when we arrived, they seated us right away on the outside patio. Yay for not waiting, especially since it took me 35 minutes to get there from the westside.

Service was prompt, courteous and great overall. Jill and Alexander took care of us and both were super nice.

For my appetizer I went with the lettuce salad with tomatoes and this great dressing. Not sure what the dressing was, but it was creamy and had tiny bit of onions on it. I wasn't too keen on the tomatoes still having the vine on the top, but it was a small inconvenience. Yeah, it looked cute, but eating it required me having to remove the stem.

My DC had the chilled corn soup with tomatoes and tiny bits of chorizo. He liked it a lot and I thought it was okay. I'm not a fan of cold soup tho, so if it were warm, I'd probably enjoy it more.

For our entrees, we both had the fluke (white fish) with summer squash and this amazing buttery sauce. I loved this dish! The fish was soo soft and tender, it seriously melted in my mouth. A++

Dessert was watermelon for me and donuts for him. I'm a fan of watermelon, but felt that it wasn't really considered a dessert. It was just 3 slices of watermelon. Maybe they could have done something else to it? He didn't care for his donuts, and said they were dry and boring. Oh wells, donuts are hit or miss.

Overall, I liked the lunch and left feeling full, but not stuffed.

I'm coming back to use the $25 GC, and hopefully try their other dishes.

4****

Eva Restaurant
7458 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 634-0700

Nate n Al's Deli

2010-07-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

When you've got a hankering for a sandwich after watching an episode of "Best Thing I Ever Ate" on Food Network featuring a huge pastrami sandwich at Langers, Nate n Al's is a good alternative for westside peeps.

I had been craving a nice beef sammie for 2 days after seeing said episode. I finally got a chance to satisfy that the other night.

The boy, kiddo and I went for dinner and were pretty full after.

I had the corned beef sandwich with a side of potato salad. He had the egg salad sandwich with a side of macaroni. Kiddo had a corn dog, fruit and chocolate milk.

Overall, I liked my sammie. It was packed with corned beef, which was tender, and flavorful. Not a bad deal at all. The potato salad was a bit sweet for my liking and drowning in mayo.

BF liked his egg salad sandwich, but then again he likes egg sandwiches in general. I had a bite and it was pretty good, packed with egg salad with a strip of lettuce.

Kiddo didn't really like her corn dog, but she dug the chocolate milk. The waitress was pretty funny, in a grandma kind of way.

The pickles they give you at the start of the meal are really good and crispy! Great addition to your sammies.

I'd come back when the craving hits again.

Nate n Al's Deli
414 N Beverly Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 274-0101

Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar

2010-07-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

My friend and I came here for happy hour the other night. Happy hour goes from 4-7 pm and we got in at 6:52 pm. We sat down at one of the many high tables and waited for service.

Our waitress comes over, and told us that they have HH, but there was only 8 min left. Yeah, we know.

She left and came back about 9 minutes later to take our orders. We ordered a glass of wine each ($5) and 5 appetizers at $4 a pop. Good prices.

We asked for duck rillettes, olives, spanikopita, burrata and tater tots.

After about 10 minutes she came by with the olives and mini hot dogs. I was confused and asked her what the hot dogs were. She said they were kobe dogs. Um.. we didn't order those I told her. She said sorry curtly and took them away.

Another 10 minutes later we got the tater tots, duck rillettes and spanakopita.

I've gotta say, those duck rillettes were effen amazing. Similar in texture to pate, and served with toast, it was the best thing of the night. I could have ate another order of them. I'm sure it was laden in fat and I probably gained 5 lbs from one serving, but whateves, it was worth it.

Tater tots were average, crispy, but after a while was just okay.

Spanakopita was soft and flaky with a nice spinach and cheese filling. Another winner.

Olives were just average. Nuff said.

And the burrata? Well, I couldn't tell you as they never showed up. We tried to flag her down but she was too busy chatting with some people at the bar. Seriously, the service was just off. She got the order wrong, then forgot our other order, and basically ignored us till we got our bill.

Maybe she should have written down the order. Just sayin.

Or hire another server, since she was the only one.

I might come back to try the Monday all night happy hour, but I really hope the service is not as bad.

3***

Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar
104 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-7693

Cafe Med

2010-07-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

2 must try dishes at my favorite Italian place in Los Angeles.

Orecchiette with sausage, rapini, and garlic. My ultimate pasta dish. Love the flavors.

Fettucine with truffles. Divine in all senses of the word. Topped off with fresh parmesan cheese.

Cafe Med
8615 W Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 652-0445

Genwa Korean BBQ

2010-07-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

After reading all the 5 star reviews on Yelp, I was stoked to try Genwa. My friend and I went for a late lunch and got stuffed to the gills with food. Was I satisfied? Well, I was stuffed.. but something seemed amiss.

We ordered the Combo A+ which came with house salad, soon tofu, chap chae (glass nooodles), galbi, and bulgogi for $50.

I was looking forward to the 20+ banchans that people were raving about, but when they arrived, they were TINY. Like, about half the size of regular banchan. Nothing in particular stood out to me. It's definitely more for presentation, rather than taste. The few that I do remember being good were the pancakes, fish cake and some kind of pickled veggie.

close up on banchans

Other than that, banchans were disappointing.

Galbi was good and came with this big bone that had meat and cartilage on it. Our waitress cooked for us most of the time and cut the meat up. I wasn't too keen on the grill since our veggies got scorched and it seemed like the meat was cooking really slow. Kinda weird if you ask me. Yeah, you don't reek of meat afterwards, but it just didn't seem authentic.

Galbi and Banchans

Bulgogi tasted a bit sweeter than galbi, and I liked it the same. By the time we got to the bulgogi, I was so stuffed from the galbi it was pretty hard to force myself to eat the rest of the meat.

We both ordered brown rice which cost $2 each. Personally, I think rice should be included in the meal. I thought everything was pretty damn salty and needed the rice to quell that taste. The brown rice was interesting, not your typical brown rice, more of a mixed wild rice. I'm thinking the white rice would have been a better option.

As far as the soon tofu, it was pretty average. Not spicy at all, and pretty forgettable.

House salad was lettuce and green onions mixed with dressing. It was good with the beef. Glass noodles were okay as well, and I didn't really like that she portioned it out for us. I would have much rather picked at it, but whatevs. I know this place is all about service.

The service was good for the most part. She forgot my friend's water, and took away her soju drink before she was done. Other than that, they refilled our water and banchan when we asked.

Oh, the lychee soju cocktail we got were pretty weak and $5.50 each. It was pretty though and came with an umbrella.

Our bill was $71 before tax and tip. Even though we were stuffed, I still feel Chosun is a better value. Better quality and more authentic.

Oh, just remembered we didn't get any lollipops after our meal. Hmmm, but, I did notice she gave it to other tables. Maybe she forgot. Oh wells.

Last thing, the restaurant is super clean and modern. That's definitely a plus, but I still think Chosun is better overall.

3***

Genwa Korean BBQ
5115 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 549-0760

Yatai Ramen Twist @ Breadbar on 3rd St

2010-07-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

Stopped by here last Saturday for the special Yatai Ramen Twist event cuz I was craving some oxtail ramen.

We sat outside on the patio and our waiter was really friendly and helpful. Great service.

The food was a bit of a disappointment to me. I ordered the oxtail ramen with truffle oil and it was too heavy for my liking. It tasted more like beef noodle soup than ramen and the oxtail meat was kinda chewy. Broth was very beefy, not sure I was really expecting that. Noodles were cooked good, not too soft and not too hard.

My dining companion liked his miso ramen and raved about the pork slices. He said it was so tender it basically melted in his mouth. Wow. If that isn't something to rave about, I don't know what is.

I didn't taste any truffle oil in my soup. Boo hoo. I love truffle oil. The oxtail ramen may be a good choice for someone who is really into beef.

I'm not knocking it, since I'm a huge fan of oxtail. I was just overwhelmed with the intense flavor.

Very big portions and neither one of us finished our bowl.

Not sure if I'd come back, but if I did, I would give the spicy miso ramen a try. Maybe oxtail and ramen just don't mix. If you're interested, they are running the event till 7/24. Mondays- Saturdays from 5-10 pm.

3***

Breadbar
8718 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 205-0124

Yakisoba Video

2010-06-12T22:11:00.001-07:00

Check out my simple yakisoba video. Under 3 minutes to a quick and tasty meal.

Drago Centro

2010-06-11T14:40:00.001-07:00

I drove 1 hour and 15 minutes in traffic on the horrendous 10 East during rush hour, so I could get here and enjoy Happy Hour with my friend. Was it worth it? Thank goodness, it was.

Parking is underground, right where the red valet sign is on the corner of 5th and Flower. It's freaking confusing and the only reason I saw it is due to pure luck. I hate one way streets. I hate downtown LA for this reason. So, good thing Drago delivered.

We sat at the bar and ordered some HH drinks. I had the Mai Tai which was decent, pretty sweet and damn strong. $5. Can't beat that.

Food wise, I really have to commend the kobe burgers. More like sliders since they were tiny, but nevertheless, delicious. $7 for 2 burgers. Very tender and great flavor. I could have ate 2 more, but decided to refrain from pigging out and getting fatter.

Another highlight were the saffron arancini. Bomb ass cheese rice balls. I loved them, but they were quite heavy and we couldn't finish all the balls. $5

We got the spinach, ricotta and pancetta pizza to share, and while it was good, it was missing pancetta. Hmm.. maybe there were very teeny chunks, but I certainly didn't taste any. I did like the super thin crust though. $4

After all this food, we were in the mood for some pasta. Unfortunately, we had to move to the dining room to enjoy dinner, so it was a bit of a drag.

But, kudos to the manager and the waiter for taking really good care of us. They moved all our drinks, appetizers and were super cool about letting us share ONE plate of pasta. They even divided it up.

We had the basil spaghetti, with tomato-almond pesto which looked beautiful but tasted salty as hell. Funny enough, after taking a bite, the waiter rushed over and asked if it was too salty. I said yes, and my friend agreed. He took it back and got us a new order. How cool is that?! The second dish was less salty, and quite good. I give props to the pasta.

Oh, they also gave us an amuse bouche of figs wrapped in prosciutto. Sooooo damn good. The combination of salt and sweet was heavenly. I wish we could have had more of that.

We got 30% off our $18 pasta dish with Black Board Eats coupon. Score! Can't beat that at all.

Ok, I'd like to come back and have a regular dinner. Also, for some more burgers. Yum.

Great place and stellar service.

4****

Drago Centro
525 S Flower St
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 228-8998

Sauteed Kale

2010-05-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

Who here loves kale? Who has even heard of it? I freaking love kale, even more than I love spinach. So, on a whim at the store today, I picked up a bunch to make for lunch.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fat Fish

2010-04-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

Oh boy. Once again, this dinner was a bit fuzzy due to the TWO martinis I had. TWO! I must be losing my touch.

We came here last week since someone had a craving for sushi. Not me, I must add. I'm not big on sushi these days, give me meat or cooked fish any day.

It took me 45 effen minutes to drive from the westside to Weho, so when I arrived I ordered a martini as soon as I sat down. LA TRAFFIC KILLS ME! But, it wouldn't be LA without the traffic right?

I had the Sex N Honey martini which consisted of honey vodka, pineapple and cracked black pepper. It was blecchhh.. but I downed it anyway and felt an instant alcoholic euphoria.

Sex N Honey

The food was nothing special, but we did order TWO plates of BBQ ribs for my daughter who devoured both of them. OK, I had 4-5 pieces total, but damn, she ate those like it was going outta style. I guess the sweetness of the ribs were a good thing.

finger lickin' good ribs

Sushi rolls were pretty mediocre. The lobster roll tasted more like shrimp and was ehhh at best. Spicy tuna roll was also just okay. My dining companion had the salmon and unagi sushi and he said he liked it, so you'll just have to go on his opinion.

spicy tuna roll & lobster roll

unagi

sushi

Oh, forgo the fried dumplings. They were not good at all. Just get the ribs and some martinis and you'll be good to go.

dumplings

Since I didn't much care for the Sex N Honey, I ordered a Lychee martini and it was 50 times better. When in doubt, stick with what you know. Lesson learned. Lychee martini hit the spot! I was buzzing good after 2 sips. I probably didn't need to finish the whole drink, but I'm not one to waste alcohol.

lychee martini

Service was pretty good and the ambience tended towards a clubby/loungey scene. They blasted hip hop and top 40 music from those speakers. At some points, I had to yell during my conversation. Or maybe I had to yell because I was drunk? We'll never know.

Dinner was about $130. Not cheap, food was mediocre, but I'd come back just so my daughter could have more ribs. Oh ya, lychee martinis for me!

3/5***

Fat Fish
616 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 659-3882

Jar Restaurant

2010-03-31T11:02:00.001-07:00

Jar. The name evokes images of mason jars filled with jam preserves. Funny enough, didn't see any mason jars.

Located on Beverly Blvd with limited parking, Jar sits on the corner of Beverly and Harper Ave. Good thing for the $6 valet. Sheesh.

Why is it that valet parking is so prevalent in LA? Are people really that lazy? I'm just saying. There are so many spots that "valets" take up on the street. It's really annoying for people who don't mind walking a bit before stuffing their faces. Plus, $6 is a meal, damn it.

Anyway, I had a Blackboard Eats coupon for 30% off dinner so my friend and I decided to cash it in. Good thing we had that discount, cause dinner was over $100.

Bread and butter

We started off with the crab deviled eggs. $10. Was it worth it? Hells to the yeahhh. Quite possibly one of the best deviled eggs I've had in my lifetime. We each had 2 and then shared the last piece.

For my entree, I had the Coq au Vin with red wine, applewood smoked bacon, pearl onions, and crimini. $21. Hmm.. not sure this was worth the price. Too sweet for my taste and I've had better Coq au Vin at O Bar. Plus, the mushrooms were lacking and I like my mushrooms, damn it.

My friend had the signature Pot Roast with carrots, and caramelized onions. $29. She said her grandma makes better pot roast. Since I've never tasted said pot roast, I can't agree with her. However, the pot roast was fork tender and juicy. I liked it way better than my chicken.

We shared a side of water spinach with garlic just to get some greenage into our systems. I liked it, anything with garlic is good. $8.

I had a Riesling with my meal at $12. It was alright.

She had a Holy Water- hangar one 'buddhas hand' Lemon vodka, fresh lemon, simple syrup, a splash of lemonade, and club soda. $15. It tasted like lemonade. Where was the vodka?!

Even though I felt like a stuffed turkey after dinner, we still ordered dessert to share. That girl is a sweets fiend. I had to oblige. Plus, we had 30% off so why not?

We got the signature chocolate pudding. $10. OMFG. OMFG. It was freaking amazing! I'm not a sucker for desserts, but Jesus Christ, I could eat this pudding for days to come. It tasted more like a mousse though. Ain't complaining, just saying.

Our bill was $104, but with 30% off it was much better. You can do the math. Of course, make sure you tip on the pre- discount amount.

Jar was popping on a Wednesday night. We had to sit in the side room since our original reservation of 4 dwindled down to 2. Whatevs. Service was nice and accommodating and no one tried to rush us out. Yay for that! If they did, I'd have thrown some chicken.

Probably won't be returning here. But, it was nice to check out. Thanks BBE.

3/5***
Jar Restaurant
8225 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048

The Bazaar

2010-03-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, my experience at Bazaar is a bit of blur. You can thank the 3 extra dirty martinis I had that night. Better yet, I can thank them. They were quite tasty and helped me endure some awkward moments.

I was invited to a business dinner/going away party for a former colleague this past Tuesday. Good thing I wasn't paying for the food. I probably could only afford 2 drinks.

We had a large party, so I believe there was a prix fixe menu. I can't say for sure since I was too busy talking to people and I also don't remember seeing any menus on the table.

I'm not even sure what we ate. But, one thing stands out in particular. The beef topped off with mandarin orange slices. It was fork tender and practically melted in my mouth. When I asked my former boss what it was, he said "I don't know. Beef with orange? Beef a l'orange." Now, THAT was some funny shit.

We had some albacore with orange slices on top too. Hmm.. is that their signature fruit?

I vaguely remember a roll with quail egg on top. That wasn't too shabby.

Not sure what this was, but it was alright

I do recall everyone complaining they were starving. Well, it is tapas and I guess since the table was 80% male, they should have opted for double servings.

Oh ya, make sure you visit the super cool restrooms. They have mirrors everywhere AND the restroom attendant cleans up after every single person comes out of the toilet. Now, that's A+ service.

I would like to come back, but I can't guarantee I'll be sober enough to remember what I ate again.

3/5***

The Bazaar @ SLS Hotel
465 S La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 246-5567

Pierre Lafond Bistro

2010-03-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

During a weekend trip up to Pismo Beach, we stopped in Santa Barbara for a quick lunch. I was craving pasta as usual, and wanted to eat the Lobster Putanesca I enjoyed at Pierre Lafond last time. Unfortunately, it was no longer on the menu.

I opted for the Shrimp Pappardelle with roasted mushrooms, asparagus and shellfish cream. I really had high hopes for this dish, but it came swimming in sauce. You could have called it shrimp stew and it would have been more fitting. As far as asparagus goes, I found about 5 small cut up pieces in there. The rest was pasta, shrimp, tomatoes and some mushrooms. What a waste at $21.

My dining companion had the Mushroom Sacchetti Pasta with roasted mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, and asparagus in a light Chardonnay sauce and it was pretty much 80% sun dried tomatoes. The pasta was very dense and cheesy, and the sauce was anything but light. There should have been more than 5 small pieces of asparagus to balance out the forest of sun dried tomatoes. $18 for this? I think not.

As far as service goes, it was mediocre at best. We were greeted by the host after waiting for a few minutes at the front. The waiter seemed inexperienced and in a rush to hurry us out. Why? The restaurant wasn't even that busy! One such instance that perturbed me was when he came up to ask me if I was done eating, while I was in MID BITE! Ummm, hello? Does it LOOK like I'm done? Geeez.

This brings me to another thing I've noticed lately about restaurants trying to rush you out. Read my recent experience at Wakasan. Please don't do that. It makes me feel unimportant and that you just care about your next guests. Also, it discourages me from wanting to return or recommend you to others.

In conclusion, skip Pierre Lafond. There are several better dining options on State Street.

Pierre Lafond Bistro
516 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 962-1455

Absolutely Phobulous- Encino

2010-03-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

I like this location better than the one on La Cienega.

Two of the reasons are better parking and better space.

There is valet parking available under the complex, and it's free with validation. Just make sure the valet gives you the right car because mine pulled up in a Honda and I started laughing. Not that I have anything against Hondas, but my car is a Mitsubishi.

This location is much more spacious and they also offer booths which La Cienega does not have. Ventilation is better here as well as the service. Well, the service is about the same, but at least they greet you here instead of just grunting.

My seafood pho was quite tasty and a good deal at $9. It came with squid, fish balls, and crab. Not sure if that was real crab, but I doubt it. However, the broth was yum and I ate the entire bowl.

We also shared an order of fresh summer rolls. They were okay, mine pretty much fell apart which was not good. I also did not care for all the bean sprouts they put in there.

Our waiter did not check on us once, which is fine since we didn't need anything. Food came out in a flash, seriously, within 5 minutes.

Yay for a good Pho place in the valley!

Absolutely Phobulous
15928 Ventura Blvd
Encino, CA 91436
(818) 788-3560

Wakasan- Good Food, Crappy Service

2010-03-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

Waksan started off on a high note, but ended with rudeness from the wait staff.

I'll get to that later.

First the food. We got the omakase for $35/per person. Quite a deal considering how much food we got, but I was under the impression it was 12 courses. Instead, we got 9. When we asked the waitress why that was, she just said that it "varies". Hmm. I see.

1. Spinach with bonito flakes- Cold appetizer topped off with bonito flakes in a soupy broth with slices of bamboo. I liked it because it was healthy. It was just hard to eat without dripping broth all over the place.

2. Egg tofu with steamed sea urchin- This was a favorite among the table. The uni was paired perfectly in texture with the tofu and practically melted in my mouth.

3. Marinated abalone with shitake mushrooms and seaweed- Not a fan of this dish. It was toO salty for my taste, and I only liked the mushrooms. Abalone was okay. (oops, I forgot to take a pic of this. It was just brown and dark anyway)

4. King mackerel, tuna and halibut sashimi- Delicious. I liked it all! Fresh fish is sometimes hard to come by, but they did good.

5. Salmon, fried shrimp and lotus root- This was my favorite dish of the evening. Salmon was grilled perfectly and seasoned well. I loved the fried shrimp, it was simply divine. The lotus root added texture and elegance to the plate.

6. Albacore salad with poached egg- Pretty damn good as well. We mixed the poached egg into the salad and it brought out the flavors of the fish and greens. Yum.

7. Beef shabu- This was quite a set up. They brought out a small stone boiler with raw beef and scallions sitting in a paper dish on top of it. We had to push the beef down to cook it and after it was cooked, they took away the fire pot. I rather enjoyed this soup, but then again, I'm a shabu fanatic! Great presentation.

8. Sticky rice with mushrooms- Meh. Some parts of the rice were burnt. I hate burnt rice, and the flavor was not good. My least favorite dish. It felt like a let down after everything else we ate.

9. Cheese creme brulee- Holy smokes! This dessert was off da hook! I wish they gave us a bigger portion, as the ramekin was tiny. I'm not big on sweets, but damn, I could have ate a tub of this creme brulee. Smooth, creamy, and lip smacking good.

So, why the 2 stars?

Well, after we enjoyed our dinner and paid the $200 bill, the waitress comes by to tell us to leave since there was another party waiting outside. She just said, "We have another party waiting and if you could leave that would be good". What the F? Are you kidding me?

We were in shock at her rudeness. She didn't even say please! Besides that, there were 2 other empty tables! And, we had just spent good money and given her a good tip! $200 aint cheap, especially in this economy. The reason it was $200 was due to the 2 bottles of sake we ordered. But, anyhoo.

My friend asked to speak to the manager who came by and was like, "Oh, it's a Japanese custom, you can choose to leave or not. It's up to you." UMMM what? He did say sorry, but it felt like he was just saying it out of respect, not like he meant it.

BTW, the party that was waiting outside ended up being seated at an empty table. So, why did they ask us to leave again?

Whatever, it's cool. We ended up staying another hour chatting and drinking water.

And no, I won't be back. I refuse to pay good money to be treated like shit.

2/5 **

Wakasan
1929 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 446-5241

Baked Fish in Foil w/ Veggies Video

2010-03-09T12:34:00.001-08:00

Super easy to make. Healthy dinner for 2 under $10!

Ingredients:

Fish fillets, I used Tilapia ($8 for 4 filets at Trader Joe's)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Carrots
Zucchini
Onion
Parsley to top if off

Place each serving of fish in the center of a 12 inch square of foil. Put veggies on top of fish. Drizzle olive oil over everything. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Seal foil. Place on a baking pan. Bake for 25-30 min in a preheated over at 450 degrees. Fold back foil, sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!

Happy Hour @ Morton's The Steakhouse

2010-03-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

Morton's features Power Hour, between 5-6:30 pm and 9 pm to close every single day! There are several bites to choose from, along with beer, wine and cocktails for $4- $7. Great deal, if you ask me!

My friends and I came here last week to indulge in some Mortinis and food.

Yes, I said Mortinis. That's what they are called there.

We ordered Vodka Mortinis, Cosmos, and one of us had the Mojito.

My favorite was the vodka Mortini, extra dirty. It was damn strong, but didn't taste nasty. See, you gotta be careful with those cause they are creepers. One minute you're sober, the next you are loopy. However, I didn't mind. Bring it on. Really, I only had 2, my tolerance has gone down in my old age.

Food items were overall quite tasty. Our favorites were the cheeseburgers and the artichoke dip. I loved the sliders and the small amount of onion on it really gave it an extra punch. Just make sure you have some gum if you plan on smooching later.

cheeseburger sliders

The artichoke dip with crab and spinach was heavenly. I'm sure it had like 5000 calories and 500 grams of fat, but who cares? That's what spin class is for.

Oysters were decent, but unmemorable.

Same goes for the filet mignon sammies.

Chicken Goujonettes, fried chicken strips, were too dry for me. I didn't like them at all.

The 3 mini crab cakes were also just okay. And they were definitely mini.

Service was great, and we even got hooked up with free valet parking from the general manager! Cools! Now, that's $6 saved.

If you come here, get the cheeseburgers, artichoke dip, and had a few Mortinis. You won't regret it. Just make sure you aren't driving.

4/5 ****

Morton's The Steakhouse
435 S La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 246-1501

Slow Cooker Recipe- Beef Stew

2010-03-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, I treated my BF, daughter and myself to one of the best beef stews ever. The funny thing was, it was so easy to make, my 9 year old could have done it herself. All you need are a slow cooker ($20 at store) and the following ingredients.

5 red potatoes. More flavor than the russet ones and you don't have to peel them.

A few stalks of celery

I used half a bag of baby carrots that are peeled. Just cut them in half for easier eating.

an onion

1-2 lbs of stewing beef

2 cans of beef broth

let the beef stew cook on low for 10-12 hours

Look at the tender, beefy goodness

Serve over rice for a great comfort meal

Recipe

4 carrots
5 potatoes
1 onion
4 stalks celery
1-2 lbs stewing beef
2 cans of beef stock of broth
Worcestershire sauce to taste
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp paprika

Chop vegetables and put all ingredients into crock pot. Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours or high 4-5 hours.

In my experience, cooking it overnight produces much more tender beef and flavor. Enjoy!

Happy Hour @ Checkers Downtown

2010-02-26T12:32:00.000-08:00

What a great happy hour! I came here last night with 2 of my girlfriends, and we ate and drank to our hearts content.

Everyone was really friendly and accommodating, from the doormen to the waiter. We even got free valet parking! It's usually $6.

Checkers has a happy hour called FOUR, from 4-8 pm, featuring 4 food and drink items, each only $4. Pretty clever eh? The menu changes weekly, so if you are a lush like me, you can go every Thursday and try new drinks.

We ordered all 4 food items and 3 of the drink specials.

LIMONCELLO BRAMBLE – A martini of Vox Vodka, Limoncello, blackberry puree, and fresh lemon juice. From the mind of our own bartender. This was sweet, but not very strong. The waiter brings it in a martini shaker and serves it to you in a martini glass at the table.

MOSCOW MULE – Vox Vodka, fresh lime juice, fresh ginger juice, and ginger beer. “Moscow” for the vodka; “Mule” for the kick of ginger! My favorite drink of the evening. Crispy, refreshing taste with a small kick to wake you up. I had 3 of these.

VESPER MARTINI – James Bond’s change-of-pace: Tanqueray Gin, Vox Vodka, Golden Lillet, and a twist of lemon. This was the strongest drink. One of the cleanest martinis I've had ever. One of these will get you buzzed and happy.

VICHYSSOISE with house-made taro chips. This is a chilled soup with cream. I didn't much care for it, since I'm not a fan of cold soup.

OLIVE OIL POACHED AHI, with cannelloni bean and basil pesto ragout, and red onion pickles. Hmm.. not really a fan of this dish either. The ahi was dry and it was covered with too much foilage.

SHORTRIB GRILLED CHEESE with sautéed onion, baby arugula, and a stone-ground mustard sauce. My friends loved this dish, but I was just okay with it. It's too heavy for my taste, and I'm not a fan of cheese. Yeah yeah, shoot me.

CONFIT OF ARTICHOKE HEARTS, with lemon zest and shaved mizithra cheese. This was a winner! I love artichokes. The tanginess of the lemon combined with the sharpness of the cheese really brought out the natural flavor of the artichokes.

Since we wanted to try more food, we ordered a side of garlic fries and the hummus.

OMFG. If you like hummus, you will LOVE their hummus. It has roasted garlic in it and it was seriously, the BEST hummus I've ever had. Came with warm flatbread for your dipping pleasure.

Garlic fries were a bit salty, but I didn't mind so much since I had my Vesper martini to wash it down with.

I would totally come back here! Great deal, great service, and great food. That's what a happy hour is all about. I may make this a weekly event. Thanks Tony of Sinosoul for the rec!

Checkers @ The Hilton
535 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 624-0000

Sushi Masu

2010-02-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

We walked in and were greeted amicably by everyone. Thank god they didn't scream like at other sushi places. I'm a mellow person and prefer to dine in places where I don't feel like it's a circus.

I did most of the ordering as my DC trusts my judgement.

Toro sushi- Too chewy and not buttery like I expected. I would def not order this again here.

Yellowtail sushi- oh hells yeah! This was soft like buttah and melted in my mouth. Wish I ordered 5 of these.

toro on the left, yellowtail on the right

Yellowtail and green onion roll- pretty good, but not extraordinary. Well, it had yellowtail inside, so I'm not complaining.

Sweet shrimp- Now, this was my first time eating sweet shrimp and I was quite impressed. Fresh and slippery. Me likey.

Butterfish with miso sauce- Basically like cod. They were outta sea bass on the menu, so the waitress suggested this instead. Yum! Loved it. Wish it was bigger. Great flavor, soft, flaky and tender. Mmm. I'm drooling thinking about it now.

Fried shrimp heads- interesting. These are from the sweet shrimp and at first I was intimidated by the eyes and whiskers, but after taking a bite of the crispy goodness, I rather enjoyed it. Especially with some freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Fried shu mai dumplings- Meh. As my DC put it, too doughy.

We also had a crab miso and clam miso soup. I liked my clam soup, and it came with 3 clams! Score.

Service was good overall. Our waitress was nice, got our orders right and friendly. But, one thing that really bugged me was that ALL the food came at the same time! Seriously, there was no space on the table, yet they kept bringing out the food. Ugh. I felt overwhelmed and annoyed. Pacing the food is important. Please don't just bring the food all at once, thanks. I don't like being rushed when I'm eating.

Dinner was $85. Say what? Yep. Not the cheapest place. Damn the market prices for toro and sweet shrimp.

3***
Sushi Masu
1911 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 446-4368

Michael Mina @ Bellagio

2010-02-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

Michael Mina was an excellent dining choice for my BF and I during our trip to Vegas in November. We stopped by spur of the moment and were seated right away without a reservation.

The dining room was spacious and well lit which helped with my picture taking on my iPhone. Service was fantastic and I liked how they recite the dishes to you when it's served.

We ordered the cookbook tasting menu which was quite delicious overall, but damn were we stuffed.

First: Tartare of ahi tuna was delicious! I loved the sesame oil and pine nuts mixed in for texture. It was my favorite dish of the evening. Fresh and fun.

Second: Maine lobster pot pie was amazing! The waiter cuts off the top of the pie for you, so you can dig into the huge chunks of lobster and veggies. Creamy and delicious, this was the BF's fave, and my second fave.

Third: Miso glazed Chilean sea bass was next and I liked it very much. It was soft, flaky and sat in this dashi broth accompanied with a shellfish dumpling. Exquisite.

Fourth: American Kobe ribeye was a bit of a disappointment. Too chewy and a bit salty, not really either one of our favorites.

Sixth: Trio of Desserts was the final course. Thank goodness because we were about to burst. The root beer float was charming and I liked the chocolate straw it came with. Coconut cheesecake was decent, and the opera cake was way too sweet for my taste. Overall, dessert was not very impressive.

We also had a couple glasses of Riesling each. After all that food, I certainly did not feel the buzz. However, the wine was just the right amount of sweetness.

I would come back here in the future, as long as I try not to eat anything the entire day.

Michael Mina
Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 693-7223

Tip of the Day

2010-02-15T19:29:00.000-08:00

For tasty, seasoned rice, add some olive oil and garlic salt to the rice cooker before you push start.

Breadbar @ CC Mall

2010-02-13T22:13:00.000-08:00

After watching Valentine's Day on it's opening night, we walked over to Breadbar to get some dinner.

It was pretty chilly outside, so we sat down at a corner table towards the back. Our waiter was pretty attentive and got our orders fast enough. You know, when people are starving, they tend to get a bit snippy.

I had the ahi tuna burger with grilled veggies instead of fries. After my torturous core fusion class earlier, I didn't want to eff that up by eating fried crap. Changing to grilled veggies cost a few dollars extra, but it's better than packing on a few extra pounds.

The ahi burger was quite tasty and I liked the arugula and wasabi mayo thrown in for a twist. Crispy fried onions topped the seared fish gave it a nice texture. I would have liked more fish than bun, since the bread dwarfed the ahi. Grilled vegetables consisted of zucchini, bell peppers, broccolini and squash. I liked the zucchini and broccolini best, but didn't much care for the squash. Some pieces of it were a bit too charred for my taste.

Kiddo ordered the cauliflower soup, which came in a pureed form. She didn't eat much of it, since she was tired, but the BF ordered one as well and scarfed it down. I've had it before and it is indeed quite tasty.

We also ordered a side of mac n cheese and it was not good. Their wasn't much flavor and we left most of it on the plate. Blah, skip this dish.

Overall, a decent spot to eat lunch or dinner. I'd like to come back and try their sliders. It seems they have expanded their menu since the last time I was there.

Breadbar
Century City Mall
10250 Santa Monica Blvd
Century City, CA 90067
(310) 277-3770

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries For Valentine's Day

2010-02-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

Wanna make something for your sweetheart, but don't have much time or money? Check out my quick how-to video for chocolate dipped strawberries under 5 minutes and less than $10. Happy Valentine's Day!

Happiest Hour at Hudson House

2010-02-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

My friend and I were hankering for some liquor, so she suggested we come to Hudson House. I've never heard of this place, as this is not in my hood, but she said they had happy hour. That's all it took.

Located on PCH, Hudson House is an unassuming gastropub that probably wouldn't have garnered a second look from me. I'm more into the chi chi lounges, as some of you may know.

We parked on the street, and sauntered in. The place was pretty empty and it was around 6:30 pm. But, who cares? HH was in full effect! Hudson has "Happiest Hour" from 5-7 pm on weekdays.

They had the door open and it was freezing cold, so we sat towards the back on the room and ordered up some drinks. I had the blueberry cava cocktail ($4), and she opted for a chardonnay ($5).

My cava cocktail consisted of champagne and some blueberries at the bottom. It was pretty damn good, and even better at 4 buckaroos. I ended up drinking 2 of those. Since blueberries have antioxidants, why not?

We shared a steak with frites as well. Priced at $13, the steak was huge and we actually couldn't finish it. Steak came sliced already which was good, since I didn't feel like doing much work last night. Fries had garlic, truffles and cheese on it. How can you go wrong with that combo?

Our bartender was attentive, friendly and good looking. It's always a plus to have some eye candy.

I'll come back, but maybe on a different night when it's more lively. Yay for a good happy hour under $20!

Hudson House
514 N Pacific Coast Hwy
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 798-9183

JJ Bakery and Cafe - Great TW Restaurant

2010-02-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

One of my top Taiwanese places! It's cheap, decent service and the food is delicious.

We came here yesterday for some good eats around 5 pm and I was so happy we got seated right away. I've been here when the wait was 30 minutes and it's so hard to not want to stare people down to hurry up and leave when you're starving.

Ordered up a storm since I hadn't eaten all day, except for some cheese and crackers.

Stewed seaweed- So good! I love seaweed in any form, and this one hit the spot with the slightly slippery texture and perfect taste.

She accidentally gave us stewed pig ears, which I do like, but I just wasn't in the mood for ears, so I sent it back.

Fried daikon rice cakes. OMG. I love these!! We all did. I think it's the garlic sauce they put over it, along with some chopped cilantro, cuz the flavor explosion in your mouth is insanely good.

Green onion pancakes- They were okay. Not really crispy, so I would forgo this dish.

Beef noodle soup- OMFG. One of the best I've had! Huge bowl of beefy goodness, with a bit of spice to kick up the flavor. I had to take this to go, it was too big to finish. This is a must try! Noodles and beef are cooked perfectly, and there are some tendons thrown in for good measure.

My sister ordered the noodles with pickled snow veggies.. She liked it, and I didn''t try any since it looked kinda bland compared to my NRM.

Kiddo had the shrimp fried rice. She liked it, and it was a huge portion. Could have used some seasonings, but that's what the white pepper is for!

All this food cost $33 before tip! And yay, they take credit cards!

We hit up the adjoining bakery after lunch and I picked up some freshly baked taro bun, green onion bun, and coconut sweet bun for a mere $3.55. Love it!

JJ Bakery And Cafe
18558 Gale Ave, #168
City of Industry, CA 91748
626-965-1388

Beverly Glen Deli

2010-02-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not really a deli person, but since my BF lives down the street from this deli, we frequent it whenever he is in the mood for breakfast. Yep, I don't eat breakfast either. It's whatever to me. Give me some Special K cereal with soy milk, and call it a day.

This morning he wanted to go get some breakfast, and I unwilling obliged. It's only fair, the boy eats carbs with me, even though he's on a health kick.

I ordered a matzo ball soup with half an egg salad sandwich, which came with a side of potato salad. He had a veggie egg white omelette with a side of cottage cheese.

My soup came out within 5 minutes. It was quite tasty, with a big matzo ball, some noodles, carrots and chicken. Ew.. gross. I hate boiled chicken, so I took them out one by one. Sue me, I'm picky. Other than the chicken, I thoroughly enjoyed my soup. Great texture with the ball and the noodles were cooked perfectly.

The egg salad sandwich was huge! It almost seemed like an entire sammie with how much egg salad they piled on it. Kind of lacking in flavor, so I added some hot mustard to it. I wish it had some pickles or celery for some crunch.

However, the potato salad was a different story. Way too much mayo and totally gross. I took a bite and was immediately repulsed. If I am not eating my food, you know it's bad. I eat almost everything.

BF liked his healthy breakfast which I did not touch. Sorry dude, it's just too healthy for me. He should have got some roasted potatoes with that, damn it.

Service was efficient and friendly. They're on top of stuff there, which is good. It's also funny to me that the waitress calls everyone "honey" or "sweetheart".

All this for $28 before tip. Good place to go if you live in the hood. Oh, and one time John Voight (Angelina Jolie's dad) sat at the booth next to us.

Beverly Glen Deli
2948 N Beverly Glen Cir
Los Angeles, CA 90077
(310) 475-2719

Lion's Head Soup- Comfort Food

2010-02-01T12:42:00.001-08:00

After visiting Dean Sin World last week for some down home cooking, I was craving some Lion's Head Soup. It was listed on their menu, but when I ordered it, she said they were out. This spurred me to think about it constantly for the next week or so. Finally, I decided to put matter in my own hands and make it myself.

It's not really a lion's head, but big meatballs and napa cabbage which symbolize the head and mane of the lion. Cute, eh?

I hit up Ranch 99 for the ingredients and ended up spending $50 on random stuff. Seriously, they have some of the best snacks. I got some BBQ flavored dried tofu, yogurt drinks, veggie buns, chili bamboo shoots, pickled cucumbers and some other random stuff. Unfortunately, they were out of the malt flavored soy milk. Booo. And damn it, I just remembered that I forgot to get GRASS JELLY. Arghghg.. it will have to wait till next time. That parking lot is a bitch though. People can't drive and I almost got hit by a jerk who was speeding in the lot. Stupid.

Anyways, the soup was pretty easy to make. Total cooking time was about 30 minutes. I fried the meatballs a bit so they would stay together, although some recipes say to just drop them in the boiling soup.

Ingredients:

1 Napa cabbage
1 – 2 green onions (spring onions, scallions), minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 large egg
1 pound ground pork
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Black or white pepper, to taste, optional
2 - 3 tablespoons cornstarch or flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Preparation:

1. Wash and drain the cabbage. Cut crosswise into 3 inch strips. Mince the ginger and green onion.
2. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork. In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork with the green onion, ginger, salt, sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, Asian sesame oil, pepper if using, and the egg, using your fingers to mix together the ingredients thoroughly. Add as much cornstarch as needed to make so that the mixture is not too wet. (I start with 2 tablespoons and then add 1 teaspoon at a time).

3. Form the ground pork into 4 large meatballs. Flatten them a bit so that they are not completely round.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet or wok on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the 4 meatballs. Cook for 5 minutes until browned on the bottom. Turn and cook the other side (adjust the heat if the meatballs are cooking too quickly).
5. In a flameproof casserole dish or saucepan that is large enough to hold the meatballs, heat the chicken broth and 2 tablespoons soy sauce to boiling.
6. Add the meatballs, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the cabbabge. (You can arrange the cabbage on top of the meatballs so that it steams, or lay some right in the broth if there is room). Simmer for another 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and there is no pinkness in the middle.

Very simple recipe. My BF and I loved it! It was truly a great, comforting home made meal.

You can add rice to the soup for more heartiness.

LA Paella- Great Spanish Tapas

2010-01-31T15:28:00.000-08:00

LA Paella never disappoints. If you are looking for authentic tapas from Spain, this is the place to go.

Pascual, the owner is always friendly and happy to see us. He greets us with handshakes and cheek kisses (bf and me) respectively, and makes sure we are at the best table with stellar service.

Last night, they were completely booked, so we sat at the bar. After 10 minutes, he told us we could move to a table, since the couple there was done, but we opted to stay at the bar for a different experience. It's cool sitting at the bar, since you can watch the waiters making sangria and other drinks.

BTW, I recommend the sangria here, it's sweet, yet strong and make sure you eat the fruit. That's where all the alcohol is.

We ordered artichokes with ham, spicy potatoes, shrimp with garlic, grilled octopus, spanish omelette, croquettes and baby octopus.

artichokes, shrimp w/garlic, potatoes bravas

spicy potatoes, omelette, grilled octopus

Everything was delicious. My favorite is the baby octopus. OMG. It's so good. Light garlic flavor, with red pepper flakes and a hint of lemon, the baby octopus are succulent and perfectly cooked. HIghly recommended. It's not on the menu, so make sure to ask for it.

baby octopus

Spicy potatoes are great too. I love me some spicy food!

I love the garlic aioli they bring at the beginning with bread. It's seriously, to-die-for. I could eat a cup of it. Ok, I exaggerate. Maybe half a cup. I love garlic!

One of my top restaurants in LA and I've been coming here for years.

LA Paella
476 S San Vicente Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 951-0745

Dean Sin World- Lunch for 3 under $20

2010-01-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

Wow, super cheap hole in the wall! I'm so glad I got to try DSW.

My friend, kiddo and I came here last weekend to fulfill some Chinese food cravings. This place is super small, only 4 tables inside, and we were lucky enough to beat the crowd.

Make sure you speak Mandarin or bring someone who does, because the lady does not speak any English at all. Good thing both of us spoke some Mandarin.

We ordered the steamed pork dumplings (XLB), potstickers, green onion pancakes, and beef noodle soup. I wanted to try the lion's head soup, but she said they were out. Bummer! No, it is not actually a head of a lion, it's just a big meatball that resembles a lion's head. My Mom used to cook that, and damn, I miss home cooking!

XLB was good and juicy, skin was thicker than the one's at Din Tai Fung. But, they tasted homemade. I liked them very much.

Potstickers were okay, nothing special, but they were filling.

Green onion pancakes were good, crispy and a tad bit oily. We all liked it.

Beef noodle soup was quite tasty as well. Not spicy, but slightly sweet. I enjoyed the meaty tasting broth.

Overall, everything was good or great here. And you can't beat the price. 19 bucks for all this food! Only in the SGV.

I also took home a bag of 50 frozen dumplings for $10. What a deal! Oh ya, Cash only.

Dean Sin World
306 N Garfield Ave, #2
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 571-0636

Nom Nom Truck

2010-01-23T16:36:00.000-08:00

In support of the T-lofts fundraiser for Haiti today, I dragged my kiddo and BF here to check out the congregation of food trucks. There were 25 total, but I only had 2 in mind to try.

Nom Nom was one of them and I was totally looking forward to getting my banh mi fix.

The line was about 20 minutes long to order, then another 10 minutes to pick up the food. I ordered the deli special which is basically all sorts of deli meats along with pickled veggies. They ran out of pate, which was a bummer, since pate is very common in banh mi. Also, there were no jalapenos in my sammie at all! I was disappointed in that, since I love those spicy peppers. It was also surprising to me since they have a big sign that states their sandwiches HAVE jalapenos.

The sandwich itself was okay. Bread wasn't very fresh, but it was quite filling. I guess for $6, it was alright. I've had better banh mi for $2.50 from the SGV though.

Service was friendly and I could tell she was really trying to accommodate everyone. She even gave me a free soda for waiting. Kudos to the service!

I might come back, but only if they have pate and remember the jalapenos.

Nom Nom Truck

Pizzeria Mozza

2010-01-20T19:30:00.000-08:00

We rolled up to Pizzeria Mozza without reservations the day after New Years. No problem, the host said, just have a seat at the bar.

Sat down at the pizza bar, since the wine bar looked boring. I mean, I like wine, but do I really want to stare at a wall full of wine bottles? Nah.

pepper, anyone?

I was quite entertained watching the pizza being made. It's assembly style, one person rolls out the dough, another one puts on the toppings, a third person bakes it, and finally, it is cut and prepared before being served.

Before I continue, I must say I am NOT a fan of pizza. I crave a lot of things, but pizza is never one of them. However, the thin crust pizza here has certainly changed my opinion of this pie.

I got the Coach farm goat cheese, with leeks, scallions, garlic & bacon. At $15 a pop, this isn't cheap, nor is it huge, but it was the perfect serving size. I gobbled it up, much to the amazement of myself and my dining companion. The goat cheese was delicate in flavor, but blended perfectly with the pungent leeks, scallions and garlic. Bacon, well, it's bacon. Everything is better with a lil bacon.

He had the Speck, with bufala mozzarella, olive tapenade & oregano. It was quite tasty as well, and the ham mixed with mozzarella was very good. However, I did enjoy my pizza better.

We both had a glass of Riesling and a glass of Moscato. I preferred the Moscato, but that's cuz I like sweeter wines.

Service was pretty good, waiter was attentive, but not overly so. It was a bit packed at the bar, which would have been better if they removed one stool. Good thing I didn't have to sit next to the guy who kept kneeing my BF. He has more patience than me.

I plan on coming back for sure. Maybe this time, with a reservation.

Pizzeria Mozza
641 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 297-0101

Neptune's Lounge- Fail On The Live Seafood

2010-01-15T21:56:00.000-08:00

Last night, a bunch of us stopped in to try the live octopus. But, to our dismay, they did NOT have any! According to our waiter, it was not in season. WTF? No! We were so pumped up too! It was a fail of epic proportions.

We all ordered the AYCE for $35. It came with a ton of seafood, some which I did not recognize.

My favorites of the night were the porridge and the uni. Yes, I said uni. Mind you, this was my first time tasting uni and I was quite scared to do so. I've heard that it's an acquired taste and many of my friends have expressed their disdain for it.

porridge and salad

However, being the adventurous eater that I am, I dipped into it carefully. Hmm.. it was.. actually pretty good! The taste is hard to explain, but I guess it's similar to roe, but more creamy. It was quite fresh too, as it was served in it's prickly shell. I heard that the freshness really makes a difference in taste.

Uni!!

no idea what this is

There was a plate full of sashimi as well. The salmon was best, very soft and buttery. Yellowtail was okay. Halibut was meh. There was also some abalone in a shell which was so nasty that I spit it out. It was so hard to chew and had a gross, fishy flavor, I could not muster the strength to swallow it. BLECHHHH!

sashimi

sushi and rolls

A plate of crab showed up soon after. Shit. That crab was quite good. I would have ate more, but was getting stuffed.

Next up, they brought a hot plate with raw shrimp and beef on it. I had a piece of beef, and was quite unimpressed. It was just beef. Nothing special. Usually, beef speaks to me, you know, like mooing with flavor. This one was just beef. I did not eat any shrimp.

raw beef and shrimp

Oh, I have to say that the spicy soup with daikon in it was really good! They bring that at the end of the meal. I had 2 bowls, and would have had a 3rd, but didn't want to scare my fellow diners with my big appetite.

For a place that advertises "live seafood", nothing that we ate was alive. Humph!!

Service was very spotty. We had to keep asking for water and other stuff, over and over.

At $50 a pop, I think I would rather spend that somewhere else. A place where live octopus is ALWAYS in season.

Neptune's Lounge
601 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 365-0730

Petrossian Weho- Best Mac N Cheese

2010-01-13T12:15:00.001-08:00

Petrossian has been on my radar since I read about the super good truffle mac n cheese featured on their menu.

Very pretty decor, the lights are quite festive

The BF and I came here last night around 6:30 pm to experience some truffle goodness. We were the first diners there, and the host greeted us happily.

Before I get on to the food, I just want to commend the service we got last night. It was very friendly, non-intrusive and our waitress really seemed to like her job. That is something I do not find often in restaurants. Upscale places may have good service, but half the time I feel like they are being fake. Trust me, people can pick up on that. Anyway, I felt completely welcome and at ease here.

On to the food.

We ordered the black truffle mac n cheese. It was simply beyond words of amazing. I mean, if there was an orgasm on a plate, this would be it. Orecchiette pasta with parmesan, chives, bacon, and bits of truffle. OMG. What more could one ask for? The only thing missing based on other photos I've seen of this dish, was a piece of black truffle on top of my pasta. However, it was still a fantastic dish.

My entree was the seared scallops with butternut squash and bacon. It was quite good as well, however, I could have done without so much squash. Also, one of my scallops was extremely overcooked and hard to chew. One was cooked perfectly. The last one was somewhere in between. I would have liked more consistency with my scallops. I also did not taste any bacon in this dish.

BF had the steak frites- black angus hanger steak with pepper sauce and shallots confit. He enjoyed it, but didn't much care for the fries. I have to agree, the fries were okay. Steak was cooked medium and I thought it was done right.

Overall, we had a good experience here. I'd like to come back for the Sunday champagne brunch. And, also the mac n cheese! Heavenly, I tell ya!

Maybe next time, I'll be lucky enough to meet Chef Ben Bailly, formerly from my favorite restaurant- L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Vegas. Unfortunately, he wasn't there last night, which might explain the scallops.

Petrossian Weho
321 N. Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048

4/5 ****

Newport Tan Cang Seafood

2010-01-08T20:26:00.000-08:00

Wow, this is an OG Chinese restaurant! I've been hearing so much about how good the lobster here is, so I finally got a chance to coerce my friend to come with.

We showed up at 6 pm and started ordering food like crazy women. The lobster was too pricey for the 2 of us since we wanted to stay under $50 for dinner, but we were able to order 3 dishes that were quite good.

First up, the french style beef. This came highly recommended by a few people, so I couldn't pass it up. Chunk of beef, stir fried with some awesome sauce, sitting on top of lettuce, onions and tomatoes. It came with a side of lime juice/sauce which was superb. For an extra kick, eat the beef with some onion. Flavor explosion! Just don't go make out with anyone afterwards.

Stir fried Chinese broccoli with dried fish was next. It was very good, and I liked the big chunks of garlic mixed in with the sauce. OMG. I love garlic anything! Great dish, and healthy too. Veggies rule!

Our final course, the steamed flounder took about 15 minutes to arrive. It was $22.95, much cheaper than the cod at $15/lb. Anyway, the flounder was very tasty, with thinly sliced scallions on top and sitting on top of some soy based sauce. We killed that fish like hungry cats, but were not into the fish eggs in the belly of the fish. Ewww, gross.

Overall, a great Chinese restaurant! By the time we left, there was a bunch of people waiting for tables! And 99.9% of them were Asian. You know this is an authentic place when Asians line up and wait!

Service was up to par, actually, better than expected. I'd like to come back and try the clams and lobster. Maybe when I have more funds.

Newport Tan Cang Seafood
518 W Las Tunas Dr
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 289-5998

New York City In Frames

2010-01-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

My visit to NYC over the holidays was quite eventful. We did so many things and ate at lots of restaurants. Here's a short recap in a photo essay.

Ippudo NY. Best ramen ever. Akamaru Modern. 65 4th Ave (between 9th St & 10th St)

Clearly, my daughter loved her ramen.

Pepolino Restaurant. Fettucine w/braised rabbit. Tasted like chicken. Good service. Quaint. 281 W Broadway (between Avenue Of The Americas & Canal St)

Nha Trang. $5 pho. Decent, but nothing memorable. Small bowl, no option for bigger bowl. 87 Baxter St (between Walker St & White St)

Central Park on Christmas Eve. Beautiful. Serene. Snowy.

Central Park Zoo. Checking out the polar bears. Wish I could take one home. 830 5th Avenue.

Gus, the polar bear @ Central Park Zoo.

Nespresso Cafe. Mimosa. Perfect way to keep warm in 30 degree weather. 761 Madison Ave (between 65th St & 66th St)

Lady M. Best Milles Crepe cake ever. Kiddo opted for strawberry shortcake. 41 E 78th St (between Madison Ave & Park Ave)

American Museum of Natural History. Great exhibit on dinosaurs. Central Park West at 79th Street

Armani Ristorante. Hip, Italian resto located in the Armani store. Great risotto. Great view of 5th Ave. Waiter was forgetful. Good Riesling. 717 Fifth Ave

Max Brenner. Union Square. For chocolate lovers. Always packed. Seating is cramped. More of a touristy place and for kids. 841 Broadway (between 13th St & 14th St)

Jing Fong. Dim sum palace. Moderate wait times. Huge selection of dim sum. No steamed tripe. 20 Elizabeth Street (between Bayard St & Canal S

Rockefeller Center. Top of the Rock. Cool elevator shoots you up 68 stories. 30 Rockefeller Plaza

NYC will always be my favorite city. But, for now, LA is my home.

Tea Station - Milk Tea Goodness

2010-01-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

I blame Tea Station for my insomnia last night. Who knew that a taro milk tea had so much caffeine in it? Apparently, I didn't get the memo.

My friend and I stopped by here last night after eating at Newport Seafood. We were stuffed, but craving something sweet.

I've never been to a Tea Station ever, but have heard so many people rave about it. Personally, I'm not a fan of boba, too fatty, but I do like some good pudding.

I ordered a hot taro milk tea with egg pudding. She had a cold green milk tea with egg pudding. Pudding rules!

hot taro milk tea

At $5 a pop, this tea ain't cheap, but it was worth it!

My taro tea was sweet, and I loved the pudding bits. It was easily one of the best taro tea I've had. My friend liked her green milk tea as well.

Green milk tea iced

One downside to Tea Station is they charge 50 cents if you want to use a credit card on orders under $15. Ours was $11 so we ended up using cash. It's a bit of an inconvenience if you are short on cash, but whateves. I guess this must be very common with Asian places, because I noticed this at Newport Seafood as well.

Oh wells, I'll be back. Gotta get me some more taro.

Tea Station
158 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 288-3785

Animal Restaurant- For Hardcore Carnivores

2010-01-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

I have been hankering to try Animal since reading about it, and hearing about if from friends who have dined there. So, finally, last night the BF and I were able to try it out.

It was a last minute decision, so we didn't have any reservations. Just popped in at 6:15 pm and were told they were completely booked up, but we could sit at the bar and eat. That was cool with us.

We went over to the bar, and ordered up a glass of Riesling each. As my faithful readers can probably tell by now, I'm a sucker for sweet white wine. No reds, thank you.

Our first dish was the BBQ pork belly sliders. I've heard so many rave reviews about this dish that I just HAD to try it. Verdict? It was good, but way too saucy. I liked the texture of the pork belly, with a meaty and fatty side, but the sauce was dripping all the over the place! I didn't much care for that messiness.

Next up was my favorite dish. Pig ears with chile, lime, and a fried egg on top. It was magnificent and original. A complete delight in my mouth. The spiciness of the chili along with the sourness of the lime really woke up my taste buds. Highly recommended.

BF ordered the sweetbreads, creamed spinach, capers and hedgehog dish and we both had no idea what it REALLY was. When it arrived, I looked at it with a lack of interest. He dug in right away, told me it was good and offered me a piece. I had a taste and made a WTF face. I didn't even finish the bite. It tasted funky, and the texture was chewy, yet weird. I asked him what sweetbreads was, since it didn't taste like bread. He decided to look it up and it was so gross, I almost barfed.

Sweetbread = Throat of pancreas of the calf of lamb. OMFG. BARF. And this was before I knew what it was. Why the hell would they call that piece of animal sweetBREAD?!! *note to self - NEVER order stuff before consulting the Wiki first.

Anyhoo.

We guzzled down water and wine and waited for the next course. And waited.

20 minutes later, the black cod entree arrived. It had chorizo, garbanzo, and pickled cauliflower vinaigrette. I liked it, but was so stuffed from the previous dishes, I asked the waitress to pack it up to go. It wasn't the best cod I've ever had, since there was way too much going on. Usually, I'll still eat even if I'm full, IF the food is really good. I just didn't feel like it at this point.

Don't get me wrong. Animal is a good restaurant, serving original and creative foods. But, I don't think it's the best restaurant ever like so many people have told me. The service was great, and everyone was pretty friendly. I'd probably come back, but not for a few months.

The food is very heavy and definitely not for anyone on a diet. But, if you do go, just remember to get the pig ears!

Dinner for two- $116. Dayam.

Animal Restaurant
435 N. Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 782-9225

Houston's @ Century City Mall

2009-12-20T01:14:00.001-08:00

Good lawd!! Hungry? Go to Houston's!

The BF and I stopped in the other night for din din and we left beyond stuffed.

I ordered the prime rib and when it came out, I almost fainted. That thing was like 1/3 of a cow. I kid you not.

The crust was too salty, and after looking at it for a few minutes, I decided to switch with his filet mignon. I'm sorry, but I'm a visual person. If the food isn't appealing to me, I just can't eat it.

I mean, it tasted alright, but 1/3 of a cow sitting on my plate was not gonna work. I got a side of oven roasted veggies instead of fries, and really should have gotten the baked potato. Bleh. The veggies were not that tasty, and kinda dry.

Filet mignon was quite a heifer as well, but nothing compared to the Titanic prime rib. It tasted better than the prime rib, especially after it was dipped iin the au jus. He got the roasted veggies as well, which was meh too.

Dinner was about $70. Service was good, so no complaints there. But, for $70, I'd rather go to BLT Steak.

Houston's
10250 Santa Monica Blvd Ste 45
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 557-1285

Dim Sum @ Elite Restaurant

2009-12-14T15:08:00.001-08:00

Came here yesterday via recommendations from a few different people. I knew that there were no carts which made for fresher dim sum, but the lack of carts took away from the experience. It just felt like we were ordering food at a Chinese restaurant.

Sure, the food was good, but I did notice that the turnip cake was different from the other dim sum places I've been to. I ordered the fried one first, and it came cut up in little chunks with slices of fried egg on it. It was good, and a tad spicy, but I just wanted my regular fried turnip cake that came in squares.

fried turnip cake

So, I ordered the steamed turnip cake and it came in a round dish with big chunks of turnip in there. It was good, but I wish the turnips were cut smaller.

steamed turnip cake

One dish that really stood out was the fried taro. OMG, the 3 of us all loved it. Crispy, flaky and yummy at the same time. This was a winner.

crystal shrimp, fried taro, mango pudding

The crystal shrimp dumplings were huge, albeit a bit dry. Some hot sauce solved that right away.

I also liked the Chinese broccoli because they were steamed well and easy to chew. The other ones I've had were way too hard to sink my teeth into.

Steamed pork buns were another great dish. We all liked the flavor and the soft buns.

steamed pork buns, steamed yellow sweet buns, chinese broccoli, fried taro

The steamed yellow sweet bun were way too runny on the inside. None of us liked that at all. I think it should have been cooked more.

Crispy shrimp rolls were okay, but I prefer the regular shrimp rolls better. They weren't really crispy at all, more like chewy with the fried yo tiao in the middle.

Fried shrimp dumplings were decent, my BF liked those the best. It came with a dipping sauce which helped the flavor.

Service was pretty good and we only waited 15 minutes on a Sunday. Granted it was 1:45 pm, but we eat lunch late.

Our bill was around $44 which is about right for the amount of food we got. I'll come back and order some other stuff next time. Kinda sad they didn't have my steamed tripe though. But for dim sum though, I'm more into the whole hustle and bustle of the carts.

Elite Restaurant
700 S Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 282-9998

Yabu- Braised Pork Goodness

2009-12-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

I've heard so much about Yabu and it's awesome soba, so my friend and I decided to try it last night.

We pulled up to the $2 valet and walked in. Wow, it was packed and really loud! We had to sit by the door, next to a drunk woman at the bar, but oh wells. It was kinda annoying every time the door opened since the cold air would just blow in. But, hey, nothing a lil down home cooking couldn't fix right?

We started off with the braised pork which was so tender and delicious, I almost wanted to get another one. This was easily my favorite dish of the evening. I think everyone should try it! Even if you aren't a pork lover. The meat was perfectly seasoned and fork tender. Yummy.

melt in your mouth pork

Next up was the cold tofu salad. I ordered this because I felt the need for greens. The tofu was good, salad was okay. Arugula was kickin'! Dressing was a bit sharp as well.

Steamed shrimp shumai came next and it was decent, but forgettable. I had one and gave the other three to my friend. It was kinda dry and boring.

For my entree, I got the ground chicken rice bowl. It was ginormous! I quite enjoyed it. Great flavor, along with the egg. It tasted better all mixed up of course. I gave my friend 1/3 of my bowl and I still couldn't finish the rest! This was comfort food to the bone. Highly recommend this as well, especially at $8 a bowl.

My buddy got the tempura soba which came in a rather large bowl as well. He liked it, but thought my chicken bowl was way better. I had some of the soba and found it to be a bit gritty, not really the best soba I've had. Personally, I think Gonpachi hasa better soba. I also didn't like that they put the tempura in the soup. It got all soggy and non-appetizing. Tempura tastes better when it's crispy and served on the side.

Overall, I liked the food. Service was lacking. It was hard to get the waiter's attention. The table next to us finally flagged down the waiter because they waited 30 minutes to get their fried chicken order. Yikes.

I'll come back when I'm craving some braised pork and chicken rice bowl.

Yabu Restaurant
11820 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 473-9757

9021Pho. Don't be fooled.

2009-12-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

A new pho place in Beverly Hills? Count me in!

Or not.

My friend and I came here last night after having a drink at the Luxe Hotel down the street. I told her that this place was new and worth checking out.

In hindsight, we should have just stuck to our regular pho joint, Pho Citi in Westwood.

The place is quite small, maybe 10 tables, and a few counter places. We sat a small table, went over the menu and decided to get pho. For a place that calls itself 9021Pho, one would expect more than 5 different pho options. They didn't even have Pho Tai, which is the most common Pho of all.

Oh wells. I got the Pho Chay, veggie pho with tofu. She got the Pho Bo, which came with slices of beef and beef balls.

Pho Bo

The service was lacking. We asked for water when we placed our order and didn't get it. I had to ask again 10 min later.

20 minutes later, we finally get our pho. It came in huge bowls which was impressive. It wasn't filled to the top though, but still, presentation was good.

I added the bean sprouts, jalapenos and lime juice to my soup. My 1 sprig of basil was not fresh, so I didn't even bother. Added some Sriracha rooster sauce as well.

Hmm.. wtf? The soup was so bland! There was no flavor at all. Even after the ton of hot sauce I put in there. My mouth was on fire, but it was just fire, not flavor. UGHH. Pho is supposed to have effen flavorful broth. My friend said hers sucked. She didn't even finish it and she usually eats everything on her plate.

Pho Chay

I was disappointed in the 4 small slices of tofu on my bowl. Usually, veggie pho has big chunks of tofu, not puny slices. There were also some small pieces of bok choy and scallions in there. I guess the straw mushrooms were good. Noodles were okay. Overall, it was just a huge disappointment.

After all the hot sauce was added

At $12 for a bowl of pho (after tax and tip), I really felt ripped off!

It's okay, I drowned my sorrows in a carrot cake cupcake from Crumbs down the street.

9021Pho
490 N. Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 275-7077

Ajisen Ramen

2009-12-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

Whoa. There was a long ass line today for lunch. Probably cuz it was -5 degrees in LA. I guess everyone had the same idea as me.

I ordered the Ajisen Ramen with cabbage, pork, half an egg, and seaweed. It was quite delicious! I loved the broth and the noodles were cooked perfectly. Not al dente which I hate.

BF had the seafood ramen which came with scallops, mussel, 2 baby octopus, and shrimp. His broth was lacking in flavor, but I was able to steal his baby octopus. They were okay, kinda bland as well.

see the red baby octopus in the corner?

We also ordered the fried tofu which sucked. No flavor and the dipping sauce it came with tasted weird. The fried croquettes were dry and not too tasty. I took one bite and gave it back to him.

2 pieces of fried tofu. bleh

very dry croquette

I'll give them 3.5 stars, but if they improve their sides and made the seafood broth more flavorful, I'd bump it up to 4.

Cost for ramen- $8.25 for Ajisen. $9.75 for seafood.

Ajisen Ramen
Century City Mall Food Court
10250 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90067

Spago- Las Vegas

2009-12-06T11:37:00.001-08:00

It's a tradition for me to visit Spago whenever I am in Vegas. I can't get enough of their hand cut fettucine.

However, this last visit was short of extraordinary. But, still the food was yummy.

We came for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and were seated outside in the patio. Our waitress came over to get our drink orders within 10 minutes. BF had a Riesling and I got the Prosecco. I was feeling bubbly.

The busboy dropped off a basket of bread which had some pretzel style crackers, square onion bread, and some other stuff. The onion bread was my favorite, but unfortunately, they only gave us ONE of those in the entire basket.. WTF.

So, we asked the waitress for more of that bread. She came back 5 minutes later with a basket of bread that had everything BUT the onion bread. Stupid.

Anyway, whatever, moving on.

We got our entrees. I had my usual hand cut fettucine with Wild Oregon Mushrooms, English Peas, Arugula, Glazed Shallots and Parmesan-Reggiano. Delicious as always! Big portion too, took me a while to finish it.

BF had the PAPPARDELLE PASTA À LA BOLOGNAISE
Braised Beef, Roasted Double Blanched Garlic, Plum Tomatoes, House Made Ricotta Cheese and Italian Parsley. I think he always get this dish too. We must be creatures of habit. He cleaned off his plate in 10 minutes, so yeah, he liked it.

Our waitress seemed to be missing most of the meal. We had a hard time flagging her down to get a second round of drinks.. I'm not sure why that was. Spago is usually great with service.

But, it's all good! I got buzzed off 2 glasses of Prosecco. I ain't complainin'.

Lunch was around $100 before tip. I'll still go back, just hope for more attentive service next time.

Spago @ Caesar's Forum Shops
The Forum Shops at Caesars
3500 Las Vegas Blvd S, Ste G1
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 369-6300

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

2009-12-03T22:19:00.001-08:00

If ever there was a culinary god, his name would be Joel Robuchon.

This guy is a freaking genius. I bow down to him.

bread basket

My BF and I came here the other night and boy were we glad. We didn't get the tasting menu since we stuffed our faces the night before at Michael Mina.

We opted for a la carte items and were very satisfied with our choices.
-------

Started off with an amuse bouche of foie gras with cheese foam in a shooter glass. Effen amazing! I never knew foie gras could taste so good.

Foie gras ravioli in warm chicken broth with herbs was my favorite dish of the evening. Tiny pockets of delightfulness all wrapped up. OMFG. I am still dreaming of them.

Maine lobster in spicy broth shaved lime and corn was delicious as well. I liked the kick it had, but then again I like most of my food fiery. This was my BF's fave dish.

L'Atelier style spaghetti was up next and it was quite filling. This was basically spaghetti carbonara and it was creamy, yet not overpowering. I also like the tiny pieces of ham. Very tasty indeed.

I chose the salmon with crispy potatoes and a side of mashed potatoes for my entree. It was good, but didn't really stand out as the best salmon ever. However, the mashed potatoes were so buttery every single bite I took made me feel my heart thump harder. It's all good, the BF polished them off for me.

He had the foie gras stuffed quail and truffle mashed potatoes and boy was that heavenly! The quail had such great flavor and seriously melted in my mouth. Wow.

We had 2 glasses each of the German Riesling. Very good as well.

The service was attentive and knowledgeable as well.

the kitchen

I absolutely love this place! Dinner was $250 before tip, so make sure you bring someone special! I can't wait to come back. This was simply orgasmic, in the culinary sense.

I heart Robuchon!

5*****

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon @ MGM Grand Hotel
3799 Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 891-7358

Happy Hour @ Luxe Hotel

2009-11-29T18:21:00.001-08:00

If you're looking for a scene, this place ain't it. But, if you want cheap ass martinis at rock bottom prices, get yo ass here. ASAP. Trust me, you can get drunk for less than $20!

My GF and I hit up Luxe for happy hour on a Monday evening, well, more like afternoon, since it was only 4:30 pm. Yes, we start early. We are lushes after all.

There was no one there. We sat at a table outside and the waiter took our orders. Cosmo for me, appletini for her. Both $3.60! What? In Beverly Hills? Yes, f'reals.

We also ordered some food since we get the muchies after a few drinks.

Fried chicken skewers were decent, 3 pieces of chicken accompanied by BBQ sauce, and some honey sauce. ($3.60)

Parmesan fries were very good! There was an option to add truffle oil to them, but that would bring the price from $3.60 to $7, so we said hells no. Besides, they tasted good with the cheese on it. No need to add extra calories to our meal. Haha.

Our favorites were the mini filet mignon sliders with grilled onions and crumbled cheese. Umm hello?! They were $9, but shit, I'll pay $9 for a tease of scrumptious deliciousness like that. Both sliders were scarfed down in a matter of 2 minutes. Yeah, I highly recommend them!

I could have ate 5 of these.

We had a few more martinis to tide us over after all that food. I had 2 dirty martinis and she had a watermelon and a cosmo. This was my first time having a dirty martni and I quite enjoyed it. In fact, I think I'll be drinking those from now on. I like the salty taste and it made me feel all grown up! Teehee.

dirty, dirty martini

Our bill was around $28 each after tax and tip. My only complaint is that they should have more food items for $3.60, but can't go wrong with cheap martinis.

Service was good when the waiter was around. Overall, a fun experience, just kind of dead. I'm just happy we got sloshed for so cheap.

Luxe Hotel
360 N Rodeo Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 273-0300

Soba Video

2009-11-20T21:33:00.000-08:00

Making some cold soba topped off with scallions, boiled egg, and dried seaweed.

Feedback appreciated! =)

Taiwanese Hamburger

2009-11-19T12:28:00.000-08:00

I just enjoyed one of the best burgers ever for breakfast. And, no it was not breakfast burger from a fast food place.

I picked up this gem from JJ Bakery in Arcadia the other day after dining at Din Tai Fung. Wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it looked damn tasty with the fried egg on top.

When I bit into the burger, it brought back childhood memories of being in Taiwan. I immediately recognized the sweet mayo topping along with the crisp cool cucumber. What a great flavor combo! The fried egg was a nice touch and brought the entire burger together nicely.

Now, if I can only find that sweet mayo sauce so I can duplicate this delightful journey back in time.