Check out my simple yakisoba video. Under 3 minutes to a quick and tasty meal.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Drago Centro
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
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
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Sauteed Kale
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Fat Fish
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
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
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Jar Restaurant
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
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
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Bazaar
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
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
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Pierre Lafond Bistro
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
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
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