Koraku Ramen- Sherman Oaks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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