Make Food Not War

Hatfield's: A LA Birthday

2009-05-20T02:51:00.000-07:00

Dad was going to celebrate his 57th in LA so I wanted to go somewhere special. Like, REALLY special. My first instinct was to call up The Bazaar but, no dice – after that four star article in the LA Times, everyone and their mother decided to pay Jose Andres' LA joint a visit and they were booked up all the way until May.

For a while, I played with the idea of Michael Mina’s XIV but they changed the menu for spring and upped the tasting menu prices so I volleyed instead between Grace and Hatfield’s. It was a tough decision but LA Magazine awarded the latter one more shining star than Neal Fraser’s restaurant so Hatfield’s it was for April 16th.

(Scallops)

Hatfield’s was a solid experience. My first impression of the place was that it was exactly the kind of restaurant I love – understatedly elegant; laid-back but refined. There was none of that pretentious your-waiter-is-going-to-have-a-‘tude-because-you’re-not-in-louboutins situation (I can’t stand that shit). And of top of the fantastic atmosphere, this place is a STEAL. No joke. Their Spring Special prix-fixe is $49.00 for a top-notch three-course menu – no skimping whatsoever. Good stuff. And as if that wasn’t enough of a steal, every dining party gets to enjoy Quinn Hatfield’s amuse bouche of deviled quail eggs with cream of celeriac. Presentation was so beautiful – eggs served in a tiny silver spoon and the soup was put into a shot glass. This was definitely a welcome opener to our starved stomachs.

(Fatty Foie Gras)

Hatfield’s was off to a great start. The menu is so decadent. For my appetizer, I was eying the pan roasted diver scallops, marinated artichokes purée, saffron vanilla emulsion but mom and dad both had their hearts set on that so, instead, I opted for the roasted Bobo farm foie gras, pain d’epice crust, beluga lentils, apple rosemary purée. Our appetizers appeared before us in their generous portions and art-work-worthy presentation. Personally, I’m not a big fan of foie gras ALONE but foie gras with the perfect accompaniment is a piece o’ heaven and Hatfield’s nailed it. The sharpness of the pain d’epice crust worked amazingly with the creamy texture of the foie gras. I was a very happy camper.

(Halibut)

(Duck Breast)

And onto the entrees. Mom went for the garlic and parsley crusted Alaskan halibut, zucchini coulis, roasted sunchokes, sautéed squash blossoms; dad went for the branzino filet, roasted haricot vert, red onion soubise, dried apricot, crispy almonds and caper crunch and for myself, I decided to have a poultry related fiesta so I went with the pan roasted duck breast, quinoa and maitako mushrooms, butternut squash, whiskey prune smear. Again, portions were huge and presentation was right on the spot. The duck was cooked to perfection – juicy and tender with a layer of moist fat and plump duck skin. Nothing to complain about but I guess because I’m really not that big of a poultry person after all, I wasn’t wowed away by the dish. I enjoyed it A LOT but wasn’t blown away. Plus, the dish may have been a little TOO decadent for my Asian palate – I ate the skin off the first piece but it became too much and I had to skin the rest off. Mom and dad both enjoyed their fish dish (HA – RHYME! I guess my English major wasn’t a complete waste) but also said that they’ve had better. I guess I get where they’re coming from – Hatfield’s is perfect execution but it’s not something I would crave.

('Cheesecake')

But even if I wasn’t WOWED by the food, like I said before, I was definitely wowed by the value of the meal. The dessert menu kept with the theme of non-skimpy decadence. I happily sold my soul to the ‘fuck-calorie-counting’ club the second I saw the words “chocolate and peanut butter truffle cake” on the menu. This turned out to be a chocolate cake with a molten lava PB center…mmmmmmmm. It was NEAR perfect – texture was right on BUT it was a tad too sweet and a tad under-salty for me…oh well, it was good anyways. But what WAS perfect was the accompanying salted caramel ice cream with roasted peanut butter peanut toffee. Mmmmm…so good. They should make that a dessert in itself.

(A beautiful concept: PB Truffle Cake)

My only real complaint is their breadbasket system. Instead of having a basket at the table, they have a waitstaff come around before each course to place a roll on your bread plate. That fancy-schmancyness is a little out of place from the “laid-back” atmosphere I was lauding just a few paragraphs earlier. Plus, their bread roll was a little bit too greasy for our Asian tastes. But, not to end this review on a sore note, service in general is great. Awesome even. And, even better, the bill is served with a small plate of mini brownies. So sweet (literally and figuratively). And these brownies sum up what Hatfield’s is all about – small details, unpretentious pampering and a restaurant who wants their patrons to leave with a smile on their faces.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

Hatfield's ($$$)
7458 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 935-2977
http://www.hatfieldsrestaurant.com

The Griddle Cafe: Discovering Coconut

2009-05-20T02:46:00.000-07:00

OH MY GAWD.

Why the F did it take me THIS LONG to order the scotch on the rocks flapjacks ($10.95)? Coconut, pecans, oats, butterscotch chips --> flapjacks. ‘Tis perfect. The flapjacks were the perfect sweetness and were oh-so-fluffy. It tasted like coconut ice cream almost. Amazing. Speechlessly amazing. And, of course, I never do the Griddle without their dark roast French pressed coffee ($3.35). Just a pot of that makes me a happy, functional person. Yes, their coffee makes me want to contribute to society.

But while I was living la vida loca with my flapjacks, I could tell mom wasn’t really blown away by the turkey and cranberry sandwich. Take my advice, stick to the griddle-cooked stuff or the eggs. Come on, I didn’t even KNOW they served sandwiches. Mom’s sandwich looked pretty I-can-make-that-at-home (ICMTAH) – the bread wasn’t even toasted (non-toasted bread pisses me off).

FOOD: 5/5
SERVICE: hit-or-miss
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

The Griddle Cafe ($$)
7916 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Mandarin Garden: Test Your Tastebuds

2009-04-24T01:21:00.000-07:00

Theresa took us to the Korean-Chinese place she’d been raving about so we could try K-style ja-jeung-mien. If there’s one thing that puts a giant smile on my face, it’s when ethnic cuisines fuse together because the lovechild is, more often than not, a thing of pure flavor beauty.

Like 98% of all the other restaurants in Korea Town, Mandarin Garden Restaurant is located in a seedy looking strip mall (think minimal parking and Asian massage store on upper floor) and has an even seedier looking interior. We didn’t really bother perusing through the menu since our hearts were already set on the house special noodle ($8.65). We chomped away on the two measly banchans (OK, I let that slide. After all, the restaurant is only half Korean) for a while before our noodles were brought to our table in a giant white bowl, divided into two halves – one half filled with noodles covered in a dark, thick gloop sprinkled with bits of meat and onions while the other half housed a bright orange soup chock full of seafood and onions.

(Two 'rights' make an AWESOME)

I started with the spicy seafood soup noodles and I absolutely loved it. The spiciness is unassumingly mild at first but builds up after a while. Yes, that’s how they get you hooked on it – it’s seriously addictive and I was slurping up the noodles and the soup even after I was way past disgustingly full. While I preferred the orange side, I wonder if it was a mistake to start on that – the flavor was pretty strong and by the time I got round to trying the ja-jeung mien side, I couldn’t really taste the sauce. That side tasted almost bland to me. Debs and Theresa, however, both started on the ja-jeung mien side and they both said that they liked that more than the soupy side. So I guess it all depends on which version of the noodle you decide to numb your tastebuds on first.

FOOD: 3.5/5
SERICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 2/5

MANDARIN GARDEN RESTAURANT ($)
1001 S Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 380-0075

Amandine: Last Goodbye

2009-04-24T01:16:00.000-07:00

Leaving LA meant leaving a lot of good friends and I spent the last few weeks trying to jam in as much “meeting-up” time as possible with people. On this particular day, I met up for the last time with two very important friends of mine – my food and HK film Buddy, B and my Japanese baked goods lover, Amandine.

Being nostalgic, I ordered the same thing from my first day at Amandine – the caramel banana tart ($4.35). The tart was as good – if not better – than the first time I had it. The crumbly cookie crust encased a smooth and light cream filling; the sweet pastry cream and the ripe, sliced bananas complimented the slight bitter twinge of the caramel cream topping. In other words, the tart is a perfect balance of textures and flavors and is both satisfying yet not overly heavy. This perfection paired with a large coffee and good company and conversation – yes, there are some things in LA I’ll miss.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

Amandine Patisserie ($)
12225 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 979-3211
http://www.amandinecafe.com

Paulette: A Sweet Final Week

2009-04-24T00:59:00.000-07:00

(From top left: coconut, jasmine tea, caramel, pistachio, vanilla)

Like many other bakers, I jumped on the French macaron bandwagon a few years back and it has become di rigueur for me to order these tiny meringue sandwiches whenever saw them sold. In terms of LA, I’ve managed to hit up most of the macaron places – from Jin’s to the Little Next Door. But weeks away from my last day in LA and I still hadn’t visited the no-longer-so-new macaron “boutique” – Paulette – in Beverly Hills.

Well, thank God I have great friends who know me :D The beautiful Sunny called me down from the apartment and surprised me with a small baggie of Paulette’s macaroons. I LURVE her. And of course, she knew my flavor preferences so the bag included my staple macaron trio of (Madagascar) vanilla, (Sicilian) pistachio and caramel. On top of that, the Sun got me the coconut (my favorite favorite dessert flavor) and jasmine tea.

(Innards of the pistachio)

The Paulette macarons were almost too pretty to eat. I took a million photos of those babies from every angle imaginable. I probably have more photos of the macarons than I will of my future children. When I finally got over their prettiness, I took my first Paulette bite. Mmmm…sweeeeet sweet goodness. Unlike the dry, crunchy “biscuit” I had at Little Next Door, the meringue shells at Paulette were chewy and light, though not as well made as Jin’s or Bouchon’s. Paulette did really well, however, with bringing out the flavors of the macarons. The jasmine tea was mild but fragrant and smelled like flowers. They used actual caramel instead of caramel ganache in the caramel macaron which gave it an interesting flavor. It doubled the chewiness of the sandwich and personally, I quite liked that. The pistachio had a very strong nutty flavor. Awesome. But my absolute favorite was the coconut macaron. It was sooooo effin’ good. It was a bite of pure, satisfying coconut-ness. If I could, I would go back and order a box only in that flavor.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: n/a (didn’t go myself but Sunny said the service wasn’t pleasant and the macaron samples were dry)
ATMOSPHERE: n/a (but I’ve seen photos and it looks tres cute <3!)

PAULETTE ($/$$)
9466 Charleville Blvd at Beverly Drive.
Los Angeles, CA 90210
(310) 275-0023
http://www.paulettemacarons.com

Joan's On Third: I.N.D.U.L.G.E (Part 2)

2009-04-06T02:00:00.000-07:00

(A box of happiness)

In my mind, Joan’s on Third was about the closest you could get to Dean and Deluca and so, unsurprisingly, it’s been on my “to-go” list even before I moved to LA. Well, since we were in the neighborhood anyways after a super indulgent brunch at Little Next Door, I decided to pop into Joan’s and grab a little something (i.e. a little anything) from their baked goods counter.

I was stuffed from brunch so I was planning on getting just a cookie but, when I got to the counter and saw the little cupcakes, my heart wavered a bit. I asked the cashier if I should get the cookie or the cupcake and even before I finished my complete sentence, she blurted out “the cupcake. Go with the cupcake.” I was sold. Given the size (about half the size of a Crumbs cupcake), the cupcakes are a little on the pricey side at Joan’s ($3.00/each) but, hey, today was going to be super-indulgent day so I whipped out my debit card and got the cashier lady to box up a coconut cupcake, a peanut butter cupcake (peanut butter craving? Check!) and the raspberry filled vanilla cupcake. They all smelt soooooo good.

(Give me a P. Give me a B. But most of all, give me a cupcake!)

Usually, I’d head straight for the coconut but, like I said, I’ve been craving peanut butter like no tomorrow and since they ran out of the peanut butter cake when I went to Susina yesterday, I headed straight for the PB cupcake. OHMYGOSH, the cupcake was stellar stellar stuff. The crumb is so moist and the cake itself was sweet and light. For some reason, the fragrant smell reminded me of a really well-made donut. The ganache topping wasn’t overly sweet either – it was just prefect. The cupcake had a PB cream filling which was absolutely fantastic. The whole cake just exuded peanut-butteriness and I found myself licking up every last crumb. It was a good cupcake. A VERY good cupcake.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

JOAN'S ON THIRD ($)
8346 W Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 655-2285
http://www.joansonthird.com/

Little Next Door: I.N.D.U.L.G.E (Part 1)

2009-04-06T01:46:00.000-07:00

I’ve been having massive eggs benedict and peanut butter cravings lately (yes, INDEPENDENTLY of one another). It’s weird, I never really had a big thing for either…I guess personal tastes change when one ages…

Well, to satisfy le eggs benedict craving, we hit up Little Next Door for Sunday brunch. This place is so cute – just sitting there makes me feel as if I’m on vacation. Something about their outdoor patio makes me feel so relaxed; quite literally, I was pretty much lounging in my chair by the end of the meal.

In terms of the food, everything on the menu sounded really appetizing but I was determined to get my benedict fix so it took less than a heartbeat for me to decide on the smoked salmon eggs benedict ($14.00). Debs got the omelet du jour while the Sun ordered the Omelet Lardons ($11.00). The bread basket at Little Next Door is also pretty great. Their French bread is crusty on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside. Mmmm…I always appreciate a good bread basket.

(Omelet du Jour)

(Omelet Ladorns)

Though seemingly unassuming at first, the food portions at Little Next Door are pretty damn big. And thank God they are because the food is pretty dayam kick-ass. My eggs benedict was soooo effin’ awesome. It came with a side salad which was a perfect balancer to the cholestral + carbs side of the dish. Instead of an English muffin, the poached eggs came on top of two slices of thick toast and the toast and eggs sandwiched a VERY generous heap of smoked salmon. The salmon was cured to perfection (not too salty, a la Katz deli but also, not bland at all) and it was absolutely amazing paired with the eggs. The first poached egg was a little too runny for my personal taste (it literally flowed like a river) but it was good to soak with the toast. The second egg I had was cooked to perfection – not so runny that it spills all over the plate. It was, in simple terms, quite gorgeous.

(Mmmmmm-ness: Salmon eggs benedict)

(When runniness = good times)

And to cap off a perfect brunch, I ordered my usual suspect combination of macarons ($1.75) – pistachio, vanilla and dulce de leche (ok, I usually get caramel but this was the closet thing they had on offer). I started with the pistachio which was…SO GROSS. Yes, I was bitterly disappointed. The shell was dry and crunchy. WTF? I’ve NEVER had a crunchy macaroon before. And the filling to shell ratio was way off – half of the macaron was glopping with pistachio ganache while the other half was completely void of any filling. Ech. Disappointed, I moved on to the dulce de leche which, thank God, was a redeemer. The shell was the perfect balance of soft and chewy and the sweetness of the caramel filling balanced the mildness of the shell. Good stuff – I guess the pistachio was just from a bad batch. The last one was the vanilla which was definitely not as good as the dulce but also, definitely not as bad as the pistachio. The shell was a little too delicate – it shattered even before I finished biting into it. So I guess consistency is a little bit of an issue in terms of desserts at the Little Next Door.

(Flourless chocolate cake)

(Panna Cotta)

(The good, the bad and the ugly: Dulce de leche, vanilla, pistachio)

Service is fantastic. The waitstaff are all all-smiles and friendly. Our serving waitress kept thanking us for enjoying our food. Awwww…I love friendly service. The food is pretty pricey though and although I enjoyed every part of Little Next Door (save the pistachio macaron), I think I’ll keep it as a indulgence, lazy afternoon brunch place rather than an “everyday eatery.”

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

Little Next Door ($$)
8142 W Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 951-1010
http://www.thelittledoor.com

Susina: Peanut Butter Recall

2009-04-06T01:42:00.000-07:00

(Berry Blossom Cake)

For some reason, I’ve been having Peanut Butter cravings like no tomorrow. I swore off “crinkly-wrapper” foods about half a year ago so I haven’t been able to satisfy my PB cravings with a Reese’s cup or something.

So I was devastated when Susina ran out of their chocolate peanut butter mousse cake. DEVASTATED. I had to settle for their berry blossom cake ($6.50) which, although is great, I’ve had before. The cake was still stellar – unlike a lot of American bakeries, Susina keeps their cakes on the light side and the whipped cream is not overly heavy like the caked on frosting at places like Sweet Lady Jane. So yes, maybe I didn’t manage to satisfy the PB cravings that day but at least I still had a pretty kickass slice o’ cake. Ah, Susina, you’ve never failed me ever.

(Strawberry Shortcake)

FOOD: 5/5
SERVICE: 5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 5/5

SUSINA BAKERY ($)
7122 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 934-7900
http://www.susinabakery.com

Amandine: Standards have Changed

2009-04-06T01:39:00.000-07:00

(Too soupy: Omelette Ratatouille)

Now that I’m a graduate (I will never tire of saying that), I’ve had a lot of free time on my hands. I mean, just in this past week alone, I’ve been to the cinema three times! And what better way to spend all the free time than to grab brunch and the New York magazine crossword puzzle?

So, on Tuesday, I headed out to Amandine with NY mag tucked under my arm. I ordered the Omelette Ratatouille ($8.95) which came with a side of fresh fruits, two slices of toast and potato gratin. The fruit side was a little random – five chunks of banana, honeydew melon and cantaloupe? Very Asian indeed. The potato gratin was pretty good but I would have preferred it warm/hot instead of cold. And the omelette? It was only ok. The eggs weren’t light and fluffy enough and the ratoutille made the omelette a little too “soupy.” Flavor was good though but I probably wouldn’t dole out close to $9.00 again for that.

On top of the omelette, I ordered two cinnamon croissants ($2.25/each) to go. Right now, I’m on a “trying to find a croissant in LA that can match Bouchon’s” and I heard that Amandine is supposed to have a pretty good almond croissant. They were all out by the time I got there though which is absolutely ridiculous since I got there at 10am. What the hell? Anyways, the cinnamon croissant was only ok. Flaky? Yes. Melt-in-mouth like Bouchon’s? No. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to keep searching.

So yes, now that I’ve tried Amandine’s savory stuff, I guess it’s safe to say that I’m keeping this little favorite café of mine as a sweet-stuff-only location.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

Amandine Patisserie ($)
12225 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 979-3211
http://www.amandinecafe.com

Homemade Marshmallows: How to Say "I Love You"

2009-04-03T01:45:00.001-07:00

Spring puts me in the candy-making mood and since I have a bunch of ingredients I need to use up before I leave, I decided to make a (large) batch of marshmallows. These fluffy concoctions are insanely easy to make, albeit a little messy. Whip up a batch for yourself, dunk them in melted chocolate and box them up for the ones you love. Because sometimes, nothing says “I love you” more than a carton of fluffy sweetness ♥

MARSHMALLOWS (makes approx. 4 dozen bite-size squares)

Non-stick spray
¼ cup icing sugar
¼ cup cornstarch

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Combine icing sugar and cornstarch. Spray a 9 x 9 baking pan with non-stick spray. Sift about a quarter of the sugar and cornstarch mixture over the pan. Shake the tray so that the mixture coats the pan evenly. Shake off any excess and set aside.

Combine the gelatin and ½ cup of the cold water in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine the remaining water with the sugar, salt and corn syrup in a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until the mixture reaches approximately 240°F then remove from heat immediately.

Pour heated mixture slowly into the gelatin mixture. Whisk the mixture with an electrical mixer on low speed. Slowly increase the mixer speed to high and whisk for roughly 12 to 15 minutes until the mixture triples in volume and becomes really thick. Add the vanilla near the end of whisking.

Pour the thickened mixture into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly with a spatula. Dust the top of the mixture with some of the leftover sugar-cornstarch mixture. Leave the mixture to set in the pan for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When the mixture has set completely, cut into small squares with a well-oiled knife or cut into desired shapes with an oiled cutter.

Dust marshmallows with more of the sugar-cornstarch mixture. OR, if you want to do what I did, melt and temper some chocolate (I used milk chocolate) and when the chocolate is relatively cool, dip the marshmallows into it and coat evenly. Leave to set. Dunked in milk chocolate, the marshmallows taste like little bites of hot cocoa :)

(A rushed wrapping job :p )

Finally, box them up real nice and give to the ones you love! Happy spring to everyone!

Animal: Dude Food

2009-04-02T01:50:00.000-07:00

Animal has been on my “to-go” list since it opened in June last year. I finally ventured out to the Fairfax resto tonight with poor, jetlagged Theresa in tow (sorry hun!) Being a Wednesday night, I didn’t think we’d need to make reservations. Wrong assumption – Animal was packed and the only available seats were at the bar.

Neither of us were starving so we skipped the appetizers and hopped right to the entrée selection. The restaurant name is right – this menu is definitely NOT for vegetarians or salad people. Thank God I re-entered the meat-eater’s world. Theresa decided to take a stab at the quail fry, grits, slab bacon, chard and maple jus ($26) while I decided to spoil myself with the foie gras loco moco with quail egg, spam, hamburger and gold rice ($35). Yes, I felt robbed of my foie gras after that disappointing beef Wellington episode at the Stanton Social and I felt the need to be compensated.

Our (substantially-portioned) food arrived after a little bit of catching up. The presentation of the food seemed to spell out exactly what the restaurant was about – Animal doesn’t care about the Jean Georges-esque delicate precision. What it DOES care about is infusing top quality ingredients into stripped-down, casual dishes that don’t look too aesthetically intimidating to eat. This is the epitome of “Dude Food” – nothing looks overly pretty and the food doesn’t make you feel like you should turn off the football game and catch an opera show instead. In fact, Theresa’s quail fry looked nothing fancier than a plate of KFC chicken.

(Disappointing Quail :[ )

Sad to say though, Theresa’s quail fry also tasted nothing fancier than a plate of KFC chicken. The quail meat was practically tasteless (a little marinade would be useful) and the only ounce of flavor was in the fried, flour coating. It was a disappointing dish and a waste of a good quail. On the flip side, however, my foie gras loco moco was absolutely awesome. A perfectly cooked medium-rare hamburger patty was topped with a slice of spam and a pretty generous slab of foie. This pillar of deliciousness was capped off with a fried quail egg with a semi-running yolk. It was indulgent alright. I wonder how many arteries I clogged tonight. The surrounding gold rice was doused in a lovely sweet and sour type sauce – I almost wanted to lick the plate clean. The burger was somewhat bland by itself but had a fantastic charred, smoky flavor. And its mild flavor complimented the jolting savory taste of the spam – combining both meats in one bite created the perfect flavor balance. The rich taste of the runny yolk and the smooth, creamy foie gras elevated the simple loco moco dish to a whole new unbelievable level. But the most ingenius part of it all was the sprinkling of chopped green onions. It’s such a humble ingredient but its raw, slightly electrifying taste balanced the heaviness of all the cooked, meaty components and brought out the full flavor potential of all the other components. What I loved most about the food was its simplicity. Sure, maybe foie gras doesn’t really fit into the idea of “simplicity” but what Animal does is it brings luxury ingredients down to earth. At Animal, foie gras is on the same level as spam and burger patties and it’s wonderfully refreshing to find a place that reminds you to eat food for its actual flavor and texture rather than for its luxury connotations.

(Keeping the Foie Real: Foie Gras Loco Moco)

Service is awesome and has the same no-frills attitude as the food. Tattoos are almost di rigueur among the staff and with John Shook and Vinny Dotolo as the owners/head chefs, I’m not at all surprised – all I could see through the little window into the main kitchen were Vinny Dotolo’s full-sleeve tattooed arm working over the stove. Also, unlike other Hollywood places, the 20-somethings at Animal aren’t aspiring actors/actresses and they actually like working around food and know something about it. They’re friendly and approachable and, most of all, you get the feeling that they really want you to have a kickass time with the food.

Well, mission accomplished. I totally had a kickass time!

FOOD: 4/5 (based on my loco moco and not the quail fry)
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

ANIMAL ($$/$$$)
435 N. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 782-9225
http://www.animalrestaurant.com

[NYC '09: Dessert, day 5] Dessert Club Chikalicous: Cute Desserts in a Not-So-Cute Place

2009-03-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

After dinner at the Stanton Social, we hailed a cab to try Chikalicious, the dessert place endorsed by New York magazine's Adam Platt. We were still too full from brunch so we nipped into the Dessert Club for individual dessert portions instead of the prixe-fixe three course dessert bar across the street. I have to say, the place was totally different from what I had expected. For a place praised for its dainty Japanese-styled desserts, I had imagined a bright, cutely decorated place only to find that the space was the size of a shoebox, had minimal decorations and had two bulking Mexican guys working the counter.

Oh well, at least the desserts are still pretty damn good. Their take on the New York cheesecake (4.95) is served in a small plastic cup. The balance between sweet and zesty tartness is spot-on and the cheesecake manages to be satisfying without being overly heavy. I got the banana custard ($4.95) which was served in similar cup as the cheesecake. The custard had a strong banana flavor which made me all-smiles and the texture was wonderfully smooth and creamy. The pudding tasted best when eaten in a bite mixed with the crushed graham cookies. The mix of textures was wonderful. The desserts at Chikalicous are decent – great, even – but definitely not something to rave about. I heard they were famous for the bread pudding but they were all out by the time we got there. Oh well, maybe next time…

FOOD: 3.75/5
SERVICE: n/a
ATMOSPHERE: 1/5

DESSERT CLUB CHIKALICIOUS ($)
204 E 10th St.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 475-0929
http://www.dessertclubchikalicious.com

[NYC '09: Dinner, day 5] The Stanton Social: Only for the PYT

2009-03-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

(A promising opener: Amuse Bouche)

To celebrate our final night in Manhattan, we made a reservation at The Stanton Social for dinner. This place was exactly as I had expected – loud, dark, young and pretty. To be honest, places like this make me nervous. But oh well, I like looking at pretty things and eating good food and, most importantly, I was with good company.

Stanton Social operates on a shared small plates/tapas dining style. Small plates have been all the rage in the last couple of years and it still seems to be going strong. The waitress (who reminded me of a pre-thievery Winona Ryder) recommended about 2-3 plates per person but, being that we were still stuffed from a heavy brunch, we decided to just start out with 5 plates first.

An amuse bouche of ricotta and tomatoes on toasted bread was brought to our table. The flavors and textures complimented each other perfectly – the salt-seasoned tomatoes cut through the mildness of the ricotta and the smooth creamy cheese played off the crunchiness of the bread. It was definitely a promising opener.

(Can't-taste-the-tuna tuna tartare rolls)

Next up were the nori spiced tuna tartare rolls ($12). This was something I suggested and, sad to say, I was pretty disappointed. I couldn’t taste the tuna at all – the fish was completely overpowered by the spices and the sauce. Also, with the mouthnumbing effect of the sauce, it was difficult to tell how fresh the tuna was but it was definitely not sushi grade. Oh well, I guess this dish just confirmed for me that I will never like tuna tartare no matter how hard I try.

(Good texture: Mushroom Risotto Cakes)

The second dish was the wild mushroom risotto cakes with parmagiano and mushroom chips ($12). I liked the texture – it was dense and interestingly moist and grainy but not coarse. But it was just a little too sour for my personal taste. Not bad but nothing special either. This was getting dangerous – Stanton Social was batting a zero so far in the food zone. So Thank God that the next dish to come up was the butternut squash and sweet potato ravioli ($14). This was hands down the best dish of the night. It was lightly doused in a vanilla brown butter sauce and sprinkled with candied pecans – a perfect blend of sugariness with a slight tinge of saltiness to really bring out the sweet creaminess of the filling. It tasted almost like a sweet potato pie! Great stuff. I wish they would turn that dish into a full sized entrée – I would DEFINITELY order that.

(If only all the dishes tasted like this: Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Ravioli)

Sad to say though, it was all a downhill slope from there on. The Rhode Island style lobster roll ($9/individual portion) was uninspired. I’ll give it credit though for the lobster meat – I’m not a big lobster fan but I do recognize the beauty of a well prepared fresh lobster. The lobster meat in the roll was definitely fresh and had a good bouncy texture. But that aside, it was nothing special. The bun was probably the best part – airy and soft but a little too much on the greasy side. Which actually is my main criticism of the food at Stanton Social – it’s just too greasy in taste. The chips that came with the lobster roll were flat-out gross and tasted like pure oil. Ech.

(Only OK: Lobster Roll)

The last dish of the night was the apparent biggie – the Stanton Social beef Wellington ($21). This dish as a concept was already a little too much for my personal taste – grilled filet mignon with foie gras mousse and mushroom duxelles wrapped in puff pastry. I liked all these components individually but I had a feeling that tossing all these things together could “crudify” them. It was almost like turning a Carolina Herrera dress into an 80s prom gown. But we were at Stanton Social and this was one of the must-try dishes so I put my ambivalence aside. Again, on the level of purely personal taste, I wasn’t feeling the Worcestershire based sauce (I never do) which is also why I didn’t like the pastry since I soaked up all the flavors of the sauce. The beef was cooked really well though (medium rare) but I was still riding on the memory of the wagyu skirt steak at WD-50 and that steak just set the bar way up there. But my biggest qualm with the dish was with the foie gras which seemed to be completely absent from the dish. I’m not a “I HAVE to order foie gras if its on the menu” person but if I DO order it, I expect it to…well…be there. I couldn’t see it, I couldn’t taste it and trust me, I was REALLY concentrating on my bite. I was rolling the piece in my mouth for a full minute and still, no dice.

(Not worth the calories: Beef Wellington)

Although the food is disappointing, the atmosphere is really great. It’s great for drinks and catching up over a light meal and it’s a place to go to if you’re into the see-and-be-seen loud eateries. The kind of place to meet up but not the kind of place to carry out a deep conversation (good luck battling the noise level). And it’s definitely not a place which gets five stars for its food. Personally, it’s not my kinda place…I’m too old and grouchy for hip places like this. I’ll stick to places like Barbarini Alimentari and I’ll leave Stanton Social to all those Pretty Young Things.

FOOD: 2.5/5
SERVICE: 3/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

THE STANTON SOCIAL ($$$)
99 Stanton St.
New York, NY 10002
(212) 995-0099
http://www.thestantonsocial.com

[NYC '09: Brunch, day 5] Max Brenner: Savory or Sweet? Well, Let's do Both!

2009-03-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

(Little Miss Pinky: a great Brunch Cocktail)

Debs and I met up with our beloved Shoe for brunch in Union Square on day 5 of our Manhattan trip. It was unreal seeing Shoe in NY! The weather was a little too gloomy and gray for brunching on farmer’s market fare outdoors so Shoe took us to Max Brenner a couple of blocks away.

Max Brenner was surprisingly uncrowded when we arrived. I could smell the rich chocolaty-ness of the place even before I stepped into the restaurant. So much for a light brunch! The brunch menu is so extensive – we took at least twenty minutes to decide on what to order. Debs was the first to close the menu after deciding on the tuna salad sandwich ($11.25). Shoe and I were both vacillating between the sweet and savory offerings so we decided to order two dishes to share. From the savory end, we got the guilt-free omelet ($14.50) and on the sweet side, we went with the spiced apple and walnut French toast ($14.50).

(Mmmm...waffle fries)

Food took a while but we didn’t really mind since we were busy catching up. I also ordered an absolutely delicious Little Miss Pinky Martini ($10) while we were waiting for our food. The cocktail – a mixture of vodka and triple sec with strawberries was a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness and with a name like that, how could I not order it??

Anyhow, the food came eventually and the portions are huge! We should’ve expected it. Shoe and I started with the omelet…which, as we had guessed, was hardly guilt free (trust me – we didn’t order it to be healthy). It was extremely well-made – the omelet was huge and fluffy and chock full of flavorful garden veggies and melted cheese. It was extremely substantial and tasted almost meaty even. The eggs came with a side of well-seasoned hash and a buttermilk biscuit. The biscuit was a shining star. It was buttery, fluffy and crumbly all at the same time. Amazing stuff!

(Delicious but DEFINITELY NOT guilt-free)

We moved onto the French toast which was plated along with two cute vials of syrup and melted white chocolate. The French toast was wonderfully eggy and fluffy. Too bad they didn’t use thicker bread (when will places learn?) to really bring out the toast’s potential custardy goodness. The spiced apple and walnut combo was perfect and everything was made even better with a generous dousing of melted white chocolate…but then again, what isn’t :) ?

(Pass the White Chocolate)

Service at Max Brenner’s is excellent. All the waitstaff are super friendly. Must be from all the endorphins from working at a place like this. The place was getting packed by the time we left so I guess, arrive fairly early if you want to try brunch here. Food was fantastic and the company was even better. It was so great seeing Shoe again. Well, hopefully, before long, we’ll be able to meet up in Manhattan again :D

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3.5/5

MAX BRENNER ($$)
841 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
(212) 388-0030
http://www.maxbrenner.com/

[NYC '09: Brunch, day 4] Rong Hang Restaurant: Noisy, Dirty, but Oh-So-Good

2009-03-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

(Spare ribs and beautiful cubes of taro)

After our dinner at WD-50 and our shopping extravaganza at Century 21, Sunny and I decided to economize for our day 4 dinner. Initially, I had planned on grabbing soup dumplings from Joe’s Shanghai but, being a Friday night, the place was packed full with – you guessed it – White people. It was already close to 8pm, I was starving and I wasn’t about to wait 45minutes for my food. So, instead, the two of us walked over to the part of Chinatown on the other side of Manhattan Bridge.

We stepped into Rong Hang Restauarant and were greeted by the loud ruckus of clanking bowls and beer bottles and indiscernible Chinese dialects. Yes, it’s scary and unnerving but it’s also a pretty certain sign that the food is probably really good.

Since the dine-in menu was in Chinese only, Sunny gave me ordering carte blanche. The menu boasted that the restaurant served authentic Fuzhou fare which, I have to say, I’m not very familiar with but seemed to be made up of a lot of animal innards. Well, knowing that Sunny is a non-innards person, I skipped over dishes like sautéed pig stomach and crispy duck intestines and went for the spare ribs with house special sauce ($8.95), the stewed lamb Chinese style ($9.95) and two mountainous bowls of steamed rice.

Both dishes were awesome. Though both the pork and lamb were both bony cuts of meat, the meat was cooked to such tenderness that it fell easily off the bones. The pork was so flavorful – it was cooked in a sort of sweet and sour sauce which was close to being addictive. But what REALLY was addictive was the cubes of taro sprinkled throughout the dish. They were my favorite part of the meal. The sauce really enhanced the taro flavor and the tartness of it really cut through the crumbly soft texture of the root vegetable. The lamb stew was a perfect compliment to the pork dish – it was a lot milder in flavor so it balanced the meal out. Also, the stew broth was perfect when mixed with the steamed rice. The sheets of dried bean curd soaked up all the flavors of the lamb and the broth and turned into a sheet of pure deliciousness. These dishes were a welcome respite from the days of eating heavy Western food – both the pork dish and lamb stew had a hearty balance of veggies and the cuts of meat were cut to small bite-size pieces which made the overall meal less stuffy. That being said though, the portions are huge – we left about half of each dish unfinished…and the total for the two of us still only came to $20. I love Chinese food.

(Lamb stewed to tenderness)

Service is iffy – especially if you don’t speak the dialect. This place is DEFINITELY catered to its regulars. I mean, I could converse with the staff in Mandarin and I still had only mediocre service. But then again, at places like this, it’d be stupid to expect red carpet service. As long as the food is awesome – which it was – I’m a happy camper. I’m glad Joe’s Shanghai was packed. Rong Hand is off the beaten path but it’s a definite gem if you can put up with its seeming rough unprettiness.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 1.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 1/5

RONG HANG RESTAURANT ($/$$)
38 Elridge St.
New York, NY 10002

[NYC '09: Brunch, day 4] Bouchon Bakery: The Lake

2009-03-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

(Ingenius Coffee-to-go Lids at Crumbs)

On day 4, Sunny and I decided on a second round of Bouchon Bakery + Central Park. We hopped off the C line at Columbus Circle and picked up a few baked goods before hopping back on the subway out to West 70th. We took a little stroll around the upper west side, stopped at the 72nd street station (so beautiful) before ducking into Crumbs for a coffee-to-go.

(Sweet, moist coffee cake)

We entered the park on 75th – I was planning on enjoying our food at the Ladies Pavilion (remember when Carrie and Miranda talk about forgiving Steve in the SATC movie? Yes, there) but the place was occupied by a wedding ceremony. How cute. Well, we settled instead on one of the benches facing the lake. It was equally lovely.

I took a bite of Sunny’s coffee cake which was crumbly and moist. The brown sugar topping really brought it up a notch too. Stellar stuff. And after falling in love with it the first time, Sunny bought the raspberry and almond croissant ($3.25) again. This croissant is a MUST-TRY. It’s so amazingly flaky – it melts on your tongue and leaves a soft, tart sweetness. SOOO good. I wanted to get that too but since Sunny got it already, I decided to try something else with the hazelnut and fig croissant. I’m not a big fig fan – I got it mainly for the hazelnut. This croissant was also flaky and soft but the fig taste was probably a little too much for me. Definitely get this if you are a fan of figs. It’s chock full in every bite.

(No other croissant will be good enough after this: raspberry and almond croissant)

(Hazelnut and Fig Croissant)

I wanted to try Bouchon Bakery’s famous TKOs (i.e. Thomas Keller’s Oreos) but, since I’m not a crazy big fan of Oreos to begin with, I decided to forego them and opted for a second round of macarons ($2.75/ea) instead. I got the chocolate this time and also got the caramel (my favorite!) again. The chocolate was well and a definite chocoholics’ dream but I definitely preferred the lighter flavors like vanilla and caramel. Seriously, the caramel is so amazing.

It was an absolutely beautiful day. I love Central Park and I love Bouchon Bakery. And, of course, the company I was with :D Sunny and I did manage to sit in the Ladies Pavilion for a while after we had finished our food. So peaceful, so beautiful. And it’s times like these that you know life is good.

FOOD: 5/5
SERVICE: 3/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

BOUCHON BAKERY ($)
10 Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10019
(212) 823-9366
http://www.bouchonbakery.com

[NYC '09: Dinner, day 3] WD-50: OH MY GOD

2009-03-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

(Sesame Bread "Basket")

OMG OMG OMG.

I can’t believe I finally ate at WD-50. This was probably one of the most amazing dining experiences I’ve had thus far. STELLAR stuff. WOW.

I was actually scared that WD-50 would be just riding on the gimmick molecular gastronomy wagon but OMG (that’s going to be the word of this post) the food was amaaaaaaaazing. Hands down the best meal during this trip.

(Corned duck on rye crisp)

I was a little put off at first when the waitress insisted we order an appetizer. I mean, I’ve never been imposed upon by the waitstaff to order so it was a little off-putting. But dayam am I glad she made that suggestion. We ordered the corned duck, rye crisp, purple mustard, horseradish cream ($15) which was my first taste of meat since about half a year ago. The smoked duck was sliced to a paper thin thickness, ensuring maximum tenderness and that melt-in-your-mouth meat was wrapped around my new favorite condiment – mustard. Great flavor combination, and it was especially enhanced by the slight sweet tinge of the filling. It was great stuff but it was definitely overshadowed by…

(Absolutely AMAZING: THIS is eggs benedict!)

THE eggs benedict ($16). This was some trippy-ass shit. It was mind-blowing already as a visual concept. I ate the “egg yolk” by itself at first and thought “meh.” Then I cut off a bit of the fried hollandaise cube, ate that in one bite with the crispy bacon and a bit of the egg yolk and, oh wow…one small bite packed massive flavor. AMAZING.

(Close-up)

(Cutting open the fried hollandaise cube)

We tackled the entrée page right after and this was all the more special for me because it marked my official reentry into the land of meat. Debs ordered the tile fish celery root, wood ear mushroom, chinese sausage consomme ($29) and Sunny took a stab at the pork ribs, fried plantain, hibiscus, jerk consommé ($29). And as for me, I ordered the wagyu beef skirt steak, long bean, tamardine with peanut butter "pasta" ($35).

(Abstract: Tilefish)

(melt-in-your-mouth blocks: pork ribs)

The food at WD-50 isn’t JUST food, they’re works of art. Debs’ tilefish and Sunny’s pork ribs looked like they had popped out from the Guggenheim. My skirt steak was probably the least “abstract” and molecular gastronomy-esque out of the entrees but I totally DID NOT MIND. Seriously, I can’t think of a better way to reenter the meat-eater’s world than with WD-50’s skirt steak. I ordered the steak medium rare and it was cooked to ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. It was literally, melt-in-your-mouth richness. I could tear the beef apart with a fork alone. The flavor was also absolutely on target. The smokey flavor of charred beef shone through while the inner part of the steak was still juicy and moist. I’m sorry, I have to say it again: OMG. The dish came with a side of long beans which had a weird plasticy taste. I’m going to blame it on the tamarind. The other side was the peanut “pasta” which turned out just to be Asian bean curd sheets cut into strips. Distinct peanut taste and an ingenius balance to the heavy, meaty wagyu.

(What perfection tastes like: Wagyu Steak)

Desserts are amazing too. I ordered the coconut (of course!), hazelnut “tart” ($15) and – wow – how do I even explain this? The tart was more a pudding flan than an actual tart. The “crust” wasn’t a crust at all but another layer of custard that rims the filling. The chicory foam was strong and smokey and the hazelnut shavings were sandy bits of sweet sweet goodness. The dessert tasted like a sophisticated Kinder bueno bar – I could eat this forever. Debs ordered jasmine custard, black tea and banana dessert ($15). The banana and jasmine custard was silky smooth and rich. But the “tea” components were the real stars. The desserts were extremely well executed and every single individual component shone through. The meal ended with complimentary ice cream truffles in cocoa nibs. Perfect balance of cool, and smooth vanilla-y sweetness and coarse bitter cocoa. Perfect.

(Coconut + Hazelnut + WD-50 = VERY good times)

(Bring on the tea: Jasmine Custard)

(Truffles in cocoa nibs)

Service swung both ways for me. In general, I thought the service was great. I just didn’t really like our serving waitress. She was pretty cold. But the other waiters/waitresses and the maître d' made up for it. The atmosphere was great as well. It’s nice to be able to have such transcendently fine dining in such a casual, fun environment. I loved every bit of WD-50. And as a icing on the cake, the open kitchen at the back of the restaurant gave me a view of the genius Wylie Dufresne at work ♥

FOOD: 5/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.75/5

WD-50 ($$$)
50 Clinton St.
New York, NY 10002
(212) 477-2900
http://www.wd-50.com

[NYC '09: Afternoon Tea Con't, day 3] Teany: I'll Stick to his Music

2009-03-30T02:38:00.000-07:00

Trying to avoid the rain, we ducked into Teany on the lower East side for an afternoon coffee. Leave it to Moby to come up with a smart punnish name. I have to say though, as much as I love Moby and his music, I was less than impressed with Teany. The place looked cute from the outside but the inside was way too cramped for comfort.

On top of that, service was the speed of slug. Don't get me wrong, the staff was nice but, regardless of niceness, does it REALLY take 15 minutes to churn out a coffee drink? I decided to be adventurous and strayed away from my usual black coffee order and went for the snow globe ($4.50) instead. BIG MISTAKE. The menu claimed that said drink was a mixture of coconut, frosted mint and vanilla. I am in LOVE with all three ingredients (especially the first two) but I tasted NONE of them in my drink. It just tasted like a regular latte. What the hell?

Oh well, maybe it's my problem. Because the place was super packed and everyone seemed to be enjoying their organic teany-machiatto-chino-with-soy milk. I guess I just wasn't made for a place like teany. Yes, I'll stick to stick to my corporate Starbucks black coffee and I'll leave Teany to the skinny-jeans hip organic crowd.

DRINKS: 1/5
SERVICE: 2.75/5
ATMOSPHERE: 2.75/5

TEANY ($)
90 Rivington St.
New York, NY 10002
(212) 475-9190
http://www.teany.com

[NYC '09: Afternoon Tea, day 3] Eleni's: I Still Love You;

2009-03-30T02:34:00.000-07:00

After our midtown tour, we headed down to Chelsea. This worked out perfectly for me since I felt like I NEEDED a picker-upper after that disappointing lunch at Emporium Brasil and what better way to cheer my stomach up than by treating it to my favorite cookie place in the world, aka Eleni's in Chelsea Market.

I absolutely LOVE Eleni's and I still remember my first ice-cream cone shaped cookie from years ago. I actually contemplated placing an order for their cookies while I was in LA. Yes, THAT good. This time around, I got a cute, sparkly sheep-shaped cookie ($5.00) which, of course, was fantastic. Sure, Eleni's is not cheap but I am more than happy to dole out a fiver for a piece-of-art cookie.

The only thing that put me off this time was the service. You'd think that people would be friendly and happy at a place like Eleni's (they were the first time I went) but not so this time. Blegh.

FOOD: 4.75/5
SERVICE: 1/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.75/5

ELENI'S NEW YORK ($)
75 Ninth Avenue.
(in the Chelsea Market)
New York, NY 10011
(888) 435-3647
http://www.elenis.com

[NYC '09: Lunch, day 3] Emporium Brasil: Don't Pass the Salt

2009-03-30T01:59:00.000-07:00

Times Square and Midtown was on the main agenda of day three in Manhattan. I had initially wanted to grab lunch at the Dean and Deluca café near Rockefeller – for those who don’t know me, I am IN LOVE with Dean and Deluca. I don’t really know how this love started but I think that place is absolute genius. But blegh, bad luck – we hit D&D right during lunch hour and couldn’t find an empty table anywhere so we had to improvise somehow. We walked down to 46th and turned into a small side street and settled for Emporium Brasil instead.

Sunny and Debs both went for the rigatoni com brócolis e frango/rigatoni, broccoli & sautéed chicken ($12.25) while I ordered the espaguete primavera/spaghetti with mixed vegetables in tomato sauce ($11.25). Personally, spaghetti is my least favorite type of pasta but the spaghetti dish was the only vegetarian option on the pasta menu. Anyhow, the chef at Emporium Brasil must not know that pasta is a filling carbohydrate because the pasta dishes were HUGE. The three of us all left at least half of our pasta untouched.

(Salty rigatoni)

But the size aside, I was pleasantly surprised by how well cooked the spaghetti was. It was perfectly al dente. On the flip side though, I was disappointed by the dish as a whole. The veggies was cheap, probably bought-in-bulk-frozen stuff – broccoli florets, carrots and mushrooms. On top of that, the dish was probably 80% salt. I mean, I was brought up on an HK diet of MSG-rich instant noodles and even I couldn’t take the saltiness. Sunny and Debs complained about the over-saltiness of their dishes too. Someone needs to hide the kitchen’s salt shaker.

(Would not go near this if it weren't for the al dente-ness: spaghetti primevera)

Having said that though, the service was pretty great. The waitstaff are attentive and I actually think that the service is too good for a place like Emporium Brasil. This was the first disappointing meal we’ve had during the NY trip. Oh well, I guess I can’t expect 100% perfection…even in New York City.

FOOD: 2/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 2/5

EMPORIUM BRASIL ($$)
15 West 46th st.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 764-4646
http://www.emporiumbrasil.com

[NYC '09: Dinner, day 2] Katz Delicatessen: When Dorothy met Deli

2009-03-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

I have a soft spot for greasy Jewish-American diners and I have another soft spot for cheesy 90s chick-flicks. Put the two together and what do you get? Katz Delicatessen in N-Y-C!

Katz is definitely a New York institution. The ordering system can be super overwhelming for an out-of-towner – we were all really confused about the ticket vs. waiter system. It took three UCLA educations to finally crack the system and we eventually grabbed a table near the front. The self-serve counter is where most of the action is. It’s the epitome of NY speediness: you come in, put down your order, grab your sandwich and go. But we had been trekking around East Village and the Lower East Side the whole day and all we wanted to do was plop our asses down and have a meal.

(Welcome to a NY diner: pickles)

(Fries should be FAT. With Lox omelet)

(Debs' Pastrami Omelet)

Although I had planned on returning to a carnivorous diet during the NY trip, I didn’t want to overwhelm my palate with five inches worth of sliced pastrami on rye after over five months of meatless-ness so I opted for the lox and onion omelet ($13.40) instead. The omelet was huge and came with a generous portion of steak cut fries. The plate was greasy as hell but whadda’ expect? This is, after all, an American diner. The omelet was pretty good but I couldn’t find any onions at all in it :s the lox was also good but a little bit too salty for me. The omelet was too overwhelming for me halfway through – both in size and saltiness and I just couldn’t go through with the whole thing. I did pretty well though. The fries were the bomb though! Thick crunchy wedges with fluffy, piping hot innards – I finished all of them with no problem. I also got a bottle of their in-house lemonade ($2.50) which was the perfect washer-downer for the food.

(Trust me, skip the snapple)

I wouldn’t say that the food was amazing (but the fries were!) but Katz does have an absolutely fantastic atmosphere. It’s SO New York. The subway musician eats at the table next to the Wall Street financier just off from work; the waiter (yes, SINGULAR) has been working at the diner for years, stays for a chat, cracks jokes and asks if you want “caw-fee” at the end of your meal. Katz is not just a diner serving greasy sandwiches and omelets. It’s part of New York and there lies its charm ♥

FOOD: 3.75/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 5/5

KATZ DELICATESSEN ($/$$)
205 East Houston St.
New York, NY 10002
http://www.katzdeli.com

[NYC '09: Lunch, day 2] Bouchon Bakery: Because God Loves Us

2009-03-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

(A picture is worth a thousand words...)

Bouchon Bakery has been on my “to-go” list for the longest time. I could’ve gone last year when I was in Manhattan but I couldn’t drag my lazy ass from the upper west side down to Columbus Circle and I was preoccupied with the cupcakes from Crumbs and everything else from Zabar’s. Well, this year, I was determined to visit Thomas Keller’s casual eatery so, on our first full day in New York, we subwayed out to Columbus Circle.

The bakery’s system is a little confusing at first – there’s the dine-in area at the front and there’s the to-go bakery counter in the back. We ordered from the to-go counter since we had planned on picnicking in Central Park. Also, everything costs about $3.00 cheaper if you order to-go. Good, my poor wallet needs that extra $3.00.

(Achingly Flaky Pastries)

It’s difficult to describe exactly how I felt when I laid eyes on the glass desserts case. It was a feeling beyond joy and excitement even…everything felt almost transcendent. Beautiful works of art disguised themselves as tarts and pastries and I could own a piece of that art in exchange for mere money. Wow. VERY wow.

(Reminds me of someone I know. Cough *YVONNE* COUGH)

I opted for the hot-pressed vegetable jardiniere sandwich on toasted multigrain ($9.75) for my main lunch meal. And, on top of that, I bought three macarons – caramel, vanilla and pistachio ($2.75/ea). Yep, there was no way I wasn’t getting Bouchon’s macarons. I had pretty much made this cross-country pilgrimage FOR these delicate cookies. I was brimming with joy when I was handed my small bouchon to-go bag, complete with paper-wrapped sandwich and boxed up sweet treats.

(High quality: Even the coffee kicked ass)

With Bouchon in one arm, we skipped over to my favorite spot in Manhattan: Central Park. Personally, I like the upper parts of the park more (think the Conservatory Garden and the Reservoir) but since we had come out of Columbus Circle, we entered the park at 59th and trekked our way around the lower side and eventually settled down to eat at the Chess and Checkers House.

The food at Bouchon is absolutely amazing! The veggie sandwich was so well-made – I loved every single bite of it. The crusty multigrain bread was spread with a layer of pesto and sandwiches layers of roasted eggplant, portobellos, red onions, bell peppers and wonderfully ooey gooey gruyere cheese. It was wholesome and filling.

(Say [gruyere] Cheese!)

But the star of the show was definitely the macaron selection. $2.75 a pop sounds expensive but Bouchon’s macarons are literally three times the average size. The meringue shell is a little less airy and delicate than, say, Jin’s but that’s understandable given the size (it was as delicate as you can get without shattering under its own weight). The fillings were all amazing. The best I’ve had so far! It’s so rich – it tastes almost like ice cream! The caramel macaroon was definitely my favorite and tasted like a small piece of heaven. The vanilla was light and sweet. The pistachio macaron had a distinct nutty flavor. All three macarons were extremely well-made. I’m a definite fan. And I totally disagree with those who think Bouchon is overpriced. The food quality is outstanding and, after trying their macaroons, I can’t believe Paris Pastry has the gall to charge $2.50 for their macarons when Bouchon’s are about five times bigger and better!

(This makes me happy)

Bouchon is definitely my new favorite bakery. FARK…I wish I lived in New York :(

(Bite of heaven: Caramel Macaron)

(Pistachio ice-cream-like innards)

FOOD: 5/5
SERVICE: 3/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

BOUCHON BAKERY ($)
10 Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10019
(212) 823-9366
http://www.bouchonbakery.com

[NYC '09: Dinner, day 1] Barbarini Alimentari: I Love New York

2009-03-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

After our 5 hour long flight from LA (a 7am flight, no less), the three of us were in no condition to venture far for dinner. After consulting my list of dinner places in the financial district, we decided to try out this small eatery near our hotel. We battled the strong NY windy night for a few blocks before nipping into the welcoming warmth of Barbarini Alimentari.

(The Food Counter)

Barbarini Alimentari is a neighborhood gem. In fact, it’s pretty much the real-life representation of what I think the perfect restaurant should be like: great food, great service, and a cute and cozy atmosphere. In one word, the restaurant is adorable. It’s tucked away in a quiet street near South Street Seaport. It’s not fancy or anything; a few clean chairs and wooden tables set in a small room with a glass counter at the front displaying the daily offerings. What the restaurant IS, though, is a perfect setting for a small group of friends to catch up over dishes of hearty American-Italian food.

(Just a part of the large dessert selection)

The three of us all ordered off the daily special chalkboard menu. Sunny got the penne with meatballs ($14.00), Debs got the orecchiette with shrimp in pink sauce ($16.00) and I ordered the vegetable lasagna ($14.00). We had just gotten off the plane and were literally STARVING so we all dove into the bread basket when it was brought to the table. Thank God we didn’t eat too much bread (cold and too tough – nothing special) because our piping hot pasta dish portions turned out to be quite hefty.

(Penne with Meatballs)

The orecchiette was a little bit too much on the al dente side for my personal taste but the sauce was great. I took a small taste of the penne and the sauce which I thought was a tad too sour but Sunny seemed to enjoy it. And the vegetable lasagna? Layers of pasta and grilled zuchinni, mushrooms, minced eggplant, cheese and more veggies…OMG it was SO GOOD. The pasta texture was perfect – not too mushy and not too chewy. The creamy béchamel sauce was spot on with the salty/cheesy/creamy balance and although the dish looked super greasy, the dish was surprisingly unheavy, relative to its ginourmous size. The minced eggplant lent the lasagna an almost meat-like texture. Really, with something THIS good, who needs meat?

(orecchiette in pink sauce)

When we were nearing the end of our meal, a sweet, intoxicating smell came wafting slowly from the kitchen. I have no idea what it was but it smelled absolutely amazing…which SUCKED because we were all way too full after finishing our pasta dishes. The chef, however, brought a small dish of complimentary amaretti to our table. How cute! The cookies were bite-sized pieces of sweet, crumbly goodness. The amaretti settled a pretty much solidified my love for this place.

(Meaty Meatlessness: the BEST veggie lasagna I've had so far)

Service was top-notch. Friendly, laid-back and attentive. The prices were also extremely reasonable – nothing was over $18.00 and many items on the regular menu run under
$10.00. The adjoining Barbarini Mercato grocery store is also absolutely adorable, stocking fresh fruits and imported wines and foodstuffs.

(Sweet and Almond-y Amaretti)

Between the soft glow of the restaurant lights and the warm fuzzy feeling in our happy stomachs, the atmosphere in Barbarini Alimentari felt Christmasy to me. And being at the table with those two ladies, I couldn’t ask for a better way to start our New York trip.

Here’s too good food and good friends.

(And an espresso to end a perfect meal)

FOOD: 4.75/5
SERVICE: 4.75/5
ATMOSPHERE: 5/5

BARBARINI ALIMENTARI ($/$$)
225 Front St.
New York, NY 10038
(212) 227-8890
http://barbarini.net

Sushi Masu: Returning to an Old Crush

2009-03-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

(THAT'S what I'm talking about)

After the Indonesian extravaganza in East LA, I headed back to the Westside in preparation for an “end of Shakespeare” celebration dinner with Reno. Reservations for two at one of my favorite LA joints – Sushi Masu.

I first fell in love with Masu and his Westside eatery after a kick-ass omakase lunch last year. It was absolutely stellar. Piece upon piece of melt-in-your-mouth goodness was presented to me on small mounds of rice. Needless to say, I was stoked about my “reunion” with Chef Masu.

I opted for ordering a la carte this time around. And, for convenience’s sake, I’ll do a picture by picture run through of my meal. The prices listed are per 2 pieces:

Monkfish Liver ($4.00). Thank God I started with this piece because it was a little disappointing. I’ve actually never had monkfish liver before but I was expecting a kind of deep, rich foie gras-esque flavor. The flavor was actually really mild – it was difficult to actually taste the liver over the rice and nori.

Spanish Mackerel ($4.00). This was one of the specials of the day so, needless to say, it was super fresh. Again, a little on the mild side (which makes it a good opener to the later, more intensely flavored pieces). One thing I love about Masu’s nigiri is the almost perfect fish to rice ratio. Chef Masu is right on target with creating bite-sized nigiri pieces.

Albacore ($4.50). This was a huge, FATTY piece of albacore. I didn’t realize it would be slightly seared. Oh well. This piece was pretty awesome. The taste of the fish really shone through and it was a real jolt of flavor, especially after the earlier, milder tasting pieces. A.W.E-SOME.

Ikura ($4.00). I never used to like ikura. Tobiko was always my favorite sushi but, for some reason, I neglected the tobiko and checked off an order of salmon roe instead. The ikura tonight didn’t “pop” like little flavor bombs but the wonderful saltiness was still there nonetheless. Just, instead of having the flavor bursting out (I had been dreaming of a gastronomic equivalent to the starting riff from The Stones' “Brown Sugar”), the flavor just sort of slowly melted onto my tongue. Not what I had expected but it was good nonetheless.

Seared Salmon ($4.50). THIS was the seal-the-deal piece during my first meal at Masu’s. I had never had seared salmon that was so well done before – it was a perfect balance between super fresh raw salmon and smoked salmon almost. This time around, the seared salmon was still good but nowhere near the first time I had it. It was probably because I left it to the very end and, since food keeps cooking itself even after it’s been removed from the heat, the salmon was a little too much on the seared side by the time I got around to eating it.

The meal was absolutely amazing. Reno also ordered a whole bunch of fish (ten pieces in total, including tuna, salmon, eel, albacore and seared salmon) and the total came out to be $47.00 sans tips. I really can’t think of another place that can compare to Masu’s in terms of quality and value! The meal was almost a steal. On top of that, service was great (as usual). The atmosphere at dinner is definitely a lot better than at lunch. The place is still small and a little cramped though – if you’re planning to go during the weekend, reservations are highly recommended.

I was a little sad that amberjack wasn’t being offered on the menu. I’d also have to make one complaint – Chef Masu was really laying on the ponzu and scallions. Out of the pieces I had, only the ikura didn’t have a splashing of ponzu sauce and chopped scallions. While the little additions helped bring out the fish flavor, by the time I was on to my fifth piece, my tongue was beginning to become overwhelmed especially by the strong scallion taste.

Still, my heart is still married to Chef Masu’s creations. I have less than a month left in LA and hopefully I can fit in time somewhere to visit Sushi Masu one last time before I go.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3.5/5

SUSHI MASU ($$$)
1911 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 466-4368

Indonesian Food Fair: My Kind of Outdoor Activity

2009-03-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Cheap ethnic food has always had an important place in my heart. Nothing spells love like a giant bowl of pho, or a side of warm out-of-the-oven naan bread, or an eight dollar meal of soon tofu and banchans. Or even better? Nothing spells love like a food fair dedicated to feeding hungry souls said ethnic fare.

B and I headed out to the newly reopened Indonesian Food Fair at the Duarte Inn parking lot on Saturday. The deep, woody smell of grilling satay greeted us with open arms the minute we stepped into the parking lot. Good sign. Very good sign. And although the “fair” was made up only of five or six stalls, B and I still had a hard time figuring out where to order from and, more importantly, WHAT to order.

(This stall fed me)

(A closer look at what's on offer)

After taking a look at what all the stalls had to offer, I settled on the first stand which offered a rice and three item combo for $6.50. We got to the fair pretty late so a lot of the stuff was gone already – including the coconut rice. Oh well, I settled for the nasi kuning/yellow rice instead. And although the beef rendang and the satay looked (and smelled) amazing, I was still on my fish-egetarian diet. With these dietary “restrictions” dictating my combo choice, I ended up with a sambal telur/hard boiled egg in chili sauce, a generous scoop of kacang goreng and Ikan bilis/fried peanuts and fried salted anchovies and, to top things off, a piece of perkedel jagung/corn fritter. I carried my box of Indo goods three stalls down and grabbed me a cup of es cendol ($2.50).

(Where I got the es cendol)

(Tempted to get some coconut sweet. But was way too full)

My spicy tolerance has definitely gone up. I’ve grown from my pathetic experience at Kyochon and was able to eat the chili egg like a champion. The sambal was so spicy…and so good. But the strong flavor masked the taste of the egg itself and I found myself caring more about lapping up the bits of chili paste than eating the egg. The little fried fishies was another favorite of mine. Salty and crunchy – perfect "drinking" food. The texture was perfect when paired with the fluffy yellow rice and I had no problem finishing all the anchovies. But the corn fritter turned out to be the surprise winner of my lunch. The texture was great – a little like the Korean pajun/potato pancakes. It was chewy with a nice crisp exterior. It was awesome!

(Annotated Lunch)

The es cendol was only just ok. All I could taste was pure sweetness; I couldn’t make out any coconut taste at all. But maybe my tongue had been numbed by the sambal and my tastebuds for sweet foods had been put on a temporary hold.

(Only alright: Es cendol)

I LOVE the Indonesian food fair. The food is great and the atmosphere is so friendly. It’s a fantastic feeling to be sitting on a rickety fold-up chair, eating $6 food from a plastic take-out box. Plus, all the stall-keepers are all smiles and they do not hesitate to help and explain the dishes. I would go back every week if it weren’t so far!

(Another Close-up)

This was definitely a kickass way to celebrate my graduation!

FOOD: 4.75/5
SERVICE: 4.75/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.75/5

INDONESIAN FOOD FAIR/PONDOK KAKI LIMA ($)
At the Duarte Inn Parking Lot (Saturdays, 10am – 2pm)
1200 Huntington Dr
Duarte, CA 91010

Sanamluang: I Make Bad Life Decisions

2009-03-17T03:25:00.000-07:00

(Good noodles at 1am = Bad life decision)

I’ve been eating continuously throughout the day, I’ve been doing pretty much ZERO exercise, it’s 1am. What do I decide to do? Oh, that’s right…I decide to devour a big fat bowl of Yen Ta Foo noodles in Thai Town. Well done Dorothy, well done.

Blegh, I DO make bad life decisions. We talk about the double consciousness in class all the time and I totally buy into that. Only, for me, I think the double consciousness thing plays into my stomach – there’s the one part of me that eats because I’m hungry. And then there’s that other part of me that’s effin’ full but just eats for kicks but KNOWS that it shouldn’t be eating but still does anyway. Welcome to the stomach of le Dorothy. It’s a disgusting place.

After catching “Once Upon a Time in China” at the New Bev with B, we headed out to Sanamluang Café in Thai Town. I had a myriad of excuses to eat at hand:

1) I had finished a final and therefore I deserved to pig out
2) I had just caught one of my favorite movies of all times and so I should go on and continue with the fantasticness of the day by pigging out
3) I was up in the projection booth at the New Bev and that was super cool and, to celebrate, I thought I should pig out
4) I always manage to find an excuse to pig out

So I did…pig out, that is. Sanamluang does not exactly serve “the best noodles in town” as their canopy suggests. BUT…they DO serve noodles until 4am for dirt cheap prices. $6.75 for a bowl so big I could literally fit my whole head into the bowl. And it was JAM-PACKED with ingredients. On top of the never-ending noodles, the bowl was brimming with slice upon slice of fish cake, fishballs, cuttlefish, veggies, tofu, and a fried wonton to boot. I tried my hardest (believe me, I don’t lie) and still couldn’t finish everything in the bowl. The tofu was a bit bland (one of the things I didn’t finish) and the fishcakes were a bit too mushy for my taste but, at that price and at that hour, I really wasn’t expecting to be blown away by the food. I have to say though, the broth is pretty kickass. A mix of salty, sour and a bit of spiciness – Asian flavors at its best. Plus, it was chock full of chopped garlic. My breath stunk afterwards but it was all for a good cause.

But now, it’s 3.22am. And I REALLY regret eating that bowl of noodles. I am way past full and, even though I say I’m going to eat a lettuce leaf for the next day, I know I’m going to eat three square meals and snack in between. What the hell is wrong with me?

FOOD: 3/5
SERVICE: 3/5
ATMOSPHERE: 2/5

SANAMLUANG CAFÉ ($)
5170 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 660-8006

Amandine: Sweets for my Sweet

2009-03-14T18:41:00.001-07:00

(Amandine Cake Case = love)

Clementine yesterday and Amandine today? Oh wow, I’m reeeeeeally being self-indulgent. I must’ve gained a million pounds in the last few months. Blegh.

(Pastries for happy people)

(I love chalkboard menus)

I was surprised that Amandine wasn’t packed like a madhouse – we got there around 12ish…on a Saturday no less! We actually managed to find a parking spot RIGHT IN FRONT of the place. Maybe the recent dreary gray weather has something to do with it? Oh well, all the better for me.

(Example of REALLY good French toast, see above)

Having already tried the Amandine version of the banana cream pie (good stuff but the crust was a little too hard), I set my heart on the French toast with bananas ($6.75) this time around. Two slabs of thick, custard-soaked bread with a lightly burnt, smoky crust. Mmmmm…THIS is what French toast should be like (The Waffle could use a few lessons from Amandine). Every forkful was a bite of eggy goodness. The bananas were probably a little under-ripe though and weren’t as sweet and “banana-y” as I would’ve liked. I washed my million calorie brunch down with a “small” coffee ($1.85) which turned out to be the same size as the large cup I got at Clementine just yesterday…and about a dollar cheaper. Sunny opted for French toast as well with the cinnamon raisin with cream cheese ($6.50). And, after ordering the Hungarian meat platter last night, Debs did a most un-Debs-like thing by going with the tuna salad ($7.25).

(Tuna salad: eat your greens...and protein)

(California raisins put to good use)

Needless to say, I absolutely love Amandine. Food is consistently great and prices are reasonable. I also adore the atmosphere – it’s all so convivial. Makes me want to put on a flowery day dress and sing and dance and maybe feed a bunny. On top of that, service is always great. The old Mexican man was there again. He’s my favorite. On a not-so-great note though, my love for Amandine could be detrimental to my health…and waistline. Ugh, I really do need to go on my apple fast. Detox, detox, detox.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

Amandine Patisserie ($)
12225 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 979-3211
http://www.amandinecafe.com

Noodle House: Carb-Land EXTREME

2009-03-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

(A big bite)

Having starved ourselves in preparation for this heavy meal, we were near delirious when we were handed the menu and we definitely had half a mind to just order everything off that sheet of paper. A little self-control restrained us from doing so. Instead, we ordered the double mushroom with pork buns ($6.99 for 8), the pork with leek steamed dumplings ($5.99 for 8) and the pumpkin and shrimp steamed dumplings ($6.99 for 8).

This place totally deserves all its great reviews. The buns and dumplings were absolutely amazing. The dumpling skin was perfect – not too thick and doughy but not too flimsy and breakable either. All three orders were awesome but the standout was definitely the pumpkin and shrimp. Who knew that combo would work so well together…and in a dumpling too, no less! We finished all three orders – yes, we’re disgusting like that. I must’ve eaten a week’s worth of carbs in that meal alone.

The place is a dingy hole but, when you’re at Noodle House, you come wholeheartedly for the food. And the food kicks absolute ass.

(Kickass dumpling filling)

FOOD: 5/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 1.5/5

NOODLE HOUSE ($)
958 E. Garvey Ave.
Monterey Park, CA 91755
(626) 280-0831

City Bakery: French Toast with Class (04/07/2008)

2009-03-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers: Jamie Lee Curtis' Burgers of Choice (04/07/2008)

2009-03-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

(Yam fries)

Sit outside if you're not afraid of the crazy pigeons (I was not afraid of the crazy pigeons) and enjoy the carb and meat fiesta!

FOOD: 3.5/5
SERVICE: n/a
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

BARNEY'S GOURMET HAMBURGERS (Brentwood Country Mart Branch) ($)
11660 San Vicente Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 447-6000
http://www.barneyshamburgers.com

Guelaguetza: There's a Cricket on my Plate (04/07/2008)

2009-03-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

(Chupalines: good stuff)

Guelaguetza is alright. And I don't mean that in a negative way. In their defence, I only went to try their chupalines (crickets) so I probably didn't get to enjoy the full Guelaguetza experience. The chupanlines were good...but nothing special...apart from being a HUGE portion (I had to box half of it...which I reheated and had with some rice for dinner. It was actually really good). I mean, I wouldn't NOT order it again, but it just wasn't very "WOW!! What IS this Godsend of a food????!?!" The complimentary nachos with mole sauce were pretty good too. Very tangy...

(Wrap it in a tortilla)

I DID love the interior decor. Yes, it's "gaudy" (think plastic tablecloths, clashing knick-knacks, and a TV in the corner playing 90s Spanish soaps) but it's cute! It's in this type of place where you know you can totally relax and enjoy your food.

Service was nice. I liked my waiter.

I'll probably go again...just so I can be fair to this place. It seems as if it could be promising...

FOOD: 3/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

GUELAGUETZA PALMS RESTAURANT ($$)
11127 Palms Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 837-1153

Quality Seafood: Smell the Ocean (05/25/2008)

2009-03-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

(Reminds me of home)

Employees are super friendly...and they know their stuff. You really feel that they are working here BECAUSE they like food...not just because they want to make a buck and pay the rent. Yes, it's strange to put it like this: but the people who work here actually enjoy cleaning out the guts of uni and that in itself makes this place five-star worthy.

(Having fun cleaning guts)

Tim and I only tried the fresh uni (SO cheap - less than $6.00 for one) and yes, it WAS good. I always believed that seafood SHOULD be fresh and this definitely was. I DEFINITELY want to go back and try more stuff though...the clams looked like a mini party for the stomach.

(Glistening in the sun)

And since I've always been a sucker for alfresco dining, Quality Seafood is the epitome of love for me. I can't wait to go back to that reeking smell!!

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

QUALITY SEAFOOD ($)
130 International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 372-6408
http://www.qualityseafood.net

Scoops: Flavors to Try (06/05/2008)

2009-03-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

********************************************************************

I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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Scoops is the bestest. In my mind, there are two types of ice cream shops:
1) The ones opened by Westerners
2) The ones opened by Asians

It's not hard to distinguish between the two - just look at the flavors available. Those belonging to category 2 will have the standard flavors (chocolate, vanilla, choc mint, etc. etc.) plus things like goatcheese ice cream...

I don't know what it is - Asian people LOVE turning savory foods into ice cream flavors (ever been to the ice cream "museum" in Tokyo with beef tongue ice cream? Had curry rice ice cream in Hong Kong?) And I have absolutely NO qualms about that. So it's a greeeeeat thing that Scoops exists!

The flavors I've tried so far have still been pretty standard. The Irish cream coffee ice cream is good. The Jack Daniels and chocolate is even better. And two fatty scoops for $2.50 only! I can't wait to go back...to try things like the bacon flavor (someone told me about this). I mean, it's not like I prefer the taste of bacon ice cream over cookies'n'cream or something, but how are we ever going to find better tasting food if we don't move away from the standards every now and then?

Sidenote: a lot of people who come here have the cutest tattoos ever (without the hipster 'tude)! Me likey big time!

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3/5

SCOOPS ($)
712 N Heliotrope Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 906-2649

Pink Orchid: Cakes on the Cheap (04/11/2008)

2009-03-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

********************************************************************

I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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I found out about this place about 2 weeks ago and I've already been back about half a dozen times! I have a perfectly fine cake and coffee place about 10 minutes from where I live but now, I'd rather walk 30 minutes (I don't know how to drive) to get to Pink Orchid!!

Their prices alone make the long trek worthwhile. Most of their baked goods don't go over $1.50 - a piece of cake and a cup of coffee COMBINED is less than one slice of cake from my neighborhood coffeeshop.

And just because the stuff is cheap, doesn't mean it tastes that way as well. Their cream puffs ($1.20) are amazing! The cream filling is sweet and light with a hint of vanilla. The cappuccino cake and chocolate mousse cake (both $1.40) are just as great. I HIGHLY recommend the chocolate mousse cake. The cakes aren't too sweet and they're light so you can have a slice (or 2! or 3! or...) and still feel pretty good about yourself...or at least fool yourself into feeling that. I also tried a bunch of their cookies and pastries - all of which were really good.

The coffee is nothing special. It's NOT freshly brewed but since Pink Orchid isn't a coffee shop, I won't take any points off. Plus, I drink my coffee black so I don't really care too much about what it tastes like...as long as it tastes like coffee.

They also have a fridgeful of Mashti Malone's ice cream. I had my first taste of Persian ice cream today after a decadent lunch at Sushi Masu (another bonus for Pink Orchid: being situated next to the best sushi joint in the area!) and I am now officially a fan.

Service is great. Everyone is super friendly. They are happy to help with anything, even if it's something trivial and very you-can-do-it-yourself like choosing an ice cream flavor from the fridge.

FOOD: 3/5
SERVICE: 3/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3/5

PINK ORCHID ($)
1927 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 441-4410

Delphi: Spread the Love...onto a Pita (05/06/2008)

2009-03-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

(Taramosalata: Honestly one of the best things you can ingest)

Anyhow, onto the entrees. The mousaka ($9.25 at lunchtime) is AMAZING. I love eggplant (in my opinion, it's the king of all vegetables), I love potatoes, I love beef. So when someone makes a good mousaka, I love them. Hence, I love Delphi. Yes - there's a lot of love going on. I went back for dinner today and got the chicken Athenian ($18.25). By this point, I'm no longer surprised if the food tastes great...I've come to expect that everything that comes out of Delphi's magical kitchen is a little bit of love on a plate. The entree comes with either a soup or salad. And of course, the salad is sprinkled with a generous amount of feta cheese. And that in itself is 5-star worthy.

(Mousaka: eggplant that's better than just eggplant)

What else? Oh yes, the Galaktoboureko - custard wrapped in phyllo - is great (come on, it's custard AND pastry. It would be almost illegal if it WASN'T good!) and size-wise, it's good to share. On top of the great food, the atmosphere is great. Laid back and service is amongst the best in the area. Cups are always filled and the waiter always checks up without being overwhelming. Plus, they were playing Sinatra tonight...definite brownie points!! So if you ever want to bump into me (if for some reason, you so desire to do so), try going to Delphi. I won't be surprised if I'm there.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

DELPHI GREEK CUISINE ($$)
1383 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 478-2900
http://www.delphirestaurant.com/

Attari: The Middle Eastern Subway (06/05/2008)

2009-03-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

********************************************************************

I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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Q: How do you know you're from Hong Kong?
A: You are instantly drawn to the words "tongue sandwich" on a restaurant menu.

Such was the case when I went to Attari Sandwich Shop for lunch.

Attari's beef tongue sandwich is AMAZING. It's a HUUUUGE sandwich and they do not skimp on the tongue. I LOVE beef tongue but I've never had it in a sandwich before so I'm really glad I tried it at Attari - it exposed me to the even greater potentials of this beautiful ingredient. The bread has a toasty crust which set off the tenderness of the tongue to a T (HA! Alliteration to the MAX! I am an English major after all...) And how could I not talk about the pickles? Little slivers of joy that: 1) added to the flavor like nothing else could and 2) helped prevent a potential over-dryness in the sandwich. Yes...who knew a sandwich could be so technical? But my absolute favorite sandwich from Attari's has got to be the kuku - a patty of potatoes, eggs and a whole slew of herbs and spices. Add a shiraz salad on top of that and I'm a happy camper.

The shop itself is also cute as hell. There's a giant outdoor courtyard - complete with a fountain and flowers. SO cute. The atmosphere is great...it's the type of place where the person at table A probably knows the gossip about the girlfriend of the son of the person at table B. And isn't that the type of stuff that makes the world go round??

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3.5/5

ATTARI SANDWICH SHOP ($)
1388 Westwood Blvd.
West Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 441-5488

Shaherzad: Persia + Food = Good Times (05/06/2008)

2009-03-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

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I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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I L.O.V.E Persian food. Officially.

In all honesty, if heaven was an eggplant, it would take the form of kashk bademjan. I wouldn't mind eating a big bowl of that by itself. I've been dreaming of it ever since that fateful day of trying it for the first time as part of Shaherzad's AMAZINGLY worth-it combo of appetizers ($10.95). The combo platter is great - I highly recommend it. Everything is sooooooooo good....ESPECIALLY the kashk bademjan!

Also got the boneless chicken kebob ($14.95) with substitute side order of shirin polo rice. Ahhhhhh SO GOOD. The chicken was so succulent, so flavorful. And the shirin rice!!!! According to their menu description, it's rice with orange peels, pistachios, almonds and saffron with a hint of rosewater. The result? Absolute beauty. It's so amazing how the flavors blend together so well. It's something that's really hard to put into words. So I won't bother trying. Just go try it for yourself.

This place is reasonably priced. I give it 4 stars because of one kind of prickly waiter. Don't get my wrong - service is not horrible. Our greeting waitress was all sunshine and smiles. But the person who took our order seemed a bit impatient. Maybe he was having a bad day or something.

Atmosphere is great. It's not a 5-star hotel but, then again, it's not trying to be. It's a place for good food and that's what matters.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 3/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3/5

SHAHERZAD ($$)
1422 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 470-3242

Soleil: Why Everyone Loves the French (04/12/2008)

2009-03-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

(Steak o' perfection)

The crab cake appetizer ($6.95) was really good, even better with their special mayonnaise. I got the Steak a la Christine ($22) which came with a side of fries. Oh, the steak was SOOOO FRIGGIN' GOOD. Perfectly chargrilled on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside. The fries were, as our waiter promised, "thin and crunchy" and was amazing with the steak...even more so when drenched in the peppercorn gravy (which, I guess, took away the "crunchy" aspect of it...but if anything, it was in a really good way).

Determined to have a three course meal (oh, don't be fooled by the small Asian girl exterior), we also each got a dessert. On the recommendation of our waiter (who I LOVED, by the way), my friend got the feuillete de fraises puff pastry dessert and I tried the chocolate crepe. The feuillete was AMAZING!! So sweet, light yet crispy...so good. I want to raise my children on food like that. And the crepe! SO DECADENT! It was, basically, a crepe filled with vanilla ice cream, banana, chocolate sauce, drizzled with MORE chocolate sauce and placed between two large dollops of sweet whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Uhm, ok...how can I NOT love that?? Like I said, service was slow (our dinner spanned for 2 hours) but that meant good food and good conversation...and it allowed ample time for digestion between courses (all the better for me!!)

(Chocolate crepe: one way to get fat)

Everything together, plus a big fat tip, my meal came out to about $50. Not bad at all considering what I ate. Yes, tonight before I sleep, I'm going to thank God for situating Soleil just 20 minutes from where I live. Life is good.

--------

I've been back a couple of times and I've made yet another happy discovery. Their pumpkin ravioli ($14.95) is a plateful of heaven!

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4.25/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

SOLEIL ($$)
1386 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 441-5384
http://www.soleilwestwood.com

Pomodoro: The Big Tomato (05/06/2008)

2009-03-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

Sprazzo: Eating Clouds (04/18/2008)

2009-03-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

********************************************************************

I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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God must really love me or something because I've had a REALLY good run of restaurant-going for the past 2 weeks (Sushi Masu, Soleil, among others).

Sprazzo is great!! SOOOO much better than Mio Babbo's in the village (yes, I've pretty much given up on Westwood Village as a dinner area). It's the type of casual upscale restaurant that makes dining such an enjoyable experience. There's the dim lighting and candles-on-the-table thing going on but at the same time, it's completely unintimidating (I don't believe in restaurants that make you as if you'd be judged for eternity if you make some sort of dining faux pas).

I got the Gnocchi da Vinci ($14.95). Soft, pillowy, like a cloud...a VERY tasty cloud. I could go on and on about how great it was; about how the sauce was amazing, bla bla bla...but you should try it for yourself. I won't be able to do it justice. All I can say is this: I was so sad when I finished my gnocchi...sigh*, if only it could've have been the never-ending plate of gnocchi!!

For dessert, I got the Dulce Cheesecake ($8.00). It was really good, but not AMAZING. But really, the gnocchi was a tough act to follow so I'm not surprised that I wasn't blown away by the dessert. My friends got the tiramisu and the panna cotta and they both seemed more than content with their choices. I can't wait to go back and try their other (i.e. ALL) their desserts.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

SPRAZZO CUCINA ITALIANA ($$)
1389 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 479-3337
http://www.sprazzo.net

Kyochon: The New KFC (06/08/2008)

2009-03-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

********************************************************************

I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

********************************************************************

If late-night studying and stressing about finals weren't enough of an invitation for a breakout extravaganza, I decided to go grab fried chicken for our weekly Friday night dinner.

Someone tipped me off about Kyochon. Since this was also the same person who had explained Samuel Beckett's "Molloy" to me, I had complete trust in him - even with regards to food recommendations.

Kyochon is SO Asian. The place is UBER cute (I want my future house to look something like that); their menus look like glittering children's storybooks; the English on their banners read something like, "oooOOOooo, open until 24:00AM. VERY JOYFUL!" I absolutely LOVE it.

But that aside, the food is awesome. And how could it not be? It's Korean fried chicken! I LOVE Korean food. I LOVE fried food. I LOVE chicken. Perfect. We (i.e. 3 small Asian girls) ordered 2 whole chickens...and finished it all! Yep, that's right - I ate two-thirds of a fried chicken. I'm so proud of my disgusting self.

There was another table of 3 Asian girls near us. They were sharing a basket of fries and a chicken salad. Now THEY'RE disgusting...(what are they even DOING at Kyochon??)

The garlic-soy sauce is frickin' good. I could easily have eaten a whole chicken in that sauce. I can't take spicy food (sad, I know) but I still tried 2 small pieces from the spicy chicken and liked the flavor a lot. My Korean friend absolutely dived into the spicy chicken plate. The chicken itself is tender and juicy. We got a few dry pieces but then again, we did order the whole chicken and so got some less meaty parts (stupid ribcage meat) Next time, I'm SO going for the mountain-plate of drumsticks.

Price is a little high for fast-food but then again, this isn't grotty, dirty fast food. I thought it was pretty reasonable overall (around $42.00 for the 3 of us). Service is great as well - real friendly. Parking wise, there's valet service for $1.50.

Needless to say, I love Kyochon bigtime. Open until 24:00AM? VERY JOYFUL indeed!

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 3.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3.5/5

KYOCHON ($$)
3833 W 6th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 739-9292
http://www.kyochon.com

Clementine: If Tomorrow Sun Doesn’t Shine…

2009-03-14T00:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, days are just fan-effin’-tastic and you go through the space of 24hours with a huge grin on your face which you just can’t explain.

I woke up today to the smell of cold windy air. Bought a copy of New York magazine (special, “Best of NY” double issue), tucked it under my left arm and started my morning stroll to breakfast. Half an hour later, I stepped into Clementine (finally!) feeling as if everything really was in its right place.

Now, I had never tried to hide my contempt for the British but even with that, I know that that country has given us two good things: a) fantastic music (a la the Beatles and the Stones) and b) banoffi pie.

I’ve been having MASSIVE banoffi pie cravings lately. But that Godsent pie doesn’t seem to exist anywhere in Los Angeles (trust me – I’ve done some extensive searching about). So, I’ve had to settle with the slightly inferior banana cream pie – which is exactly what I got a slice of at Clementine ($4.50/slice). Yes – VERY fatty “breakfast.” I got myself a seat in the sun and flipped to NY magazine’s crossword puzzle. This month’s issue was definitely difficult – a slice of banoffi pie and a LARGE coffee ($3.00) later, I was still less than a quarter done with the puzzle.

(Coffee and Crossword Puzzles: One of the small joys of life)

But, to expound upon the pie – it was alright. Seriously, that was it – “alright.” The best thing was the crust (that is usually the best thing) – a concoction of crushed grahams, butter, and brown sugar. That was topped with a scanty layer of bananas, a vanilla custard filling and a blob of whipped cream. Standard stuff. But, four/five years ago, I had sold my soul to the banoffi pie so I’ve been spoilt and know that there’s a much more beautiful world beyond the mere banana cream.

But Clementine to me isn’t just about the food – it’s about the idea. It’s the sitting in the sun, listening to the conversation of the table next to me – the table of a group of twenty-somethings who are talking about their jobs and life over cups of coffee. It’s the sun that shines through the bright yellow canopy. It’s the feeling of being happy.

(The idea: a quiet morning of good people and good coffee)

And as if that weren’t enough of a great day, I treated myself to a bag of popcorn and Slumdog Millionaire at one of my favorite theaters - the Majestic Crest. There’s a reason that movie won “Best Picture.”

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I had the last class of my undergraduate career today. It’s done. Six more days and I’ll be an official graduate. Crazy innit? Thirty months I’ve spent here and it’s almost at an end. I feel so blessed – I’ve spent over two years doing what I love and I’ve met some of the best people.

Sometimes life is great JUST BECAUSE. You can never anticipate how fantastic everything can be. I never thought I’d fall in love with Yeats, that I’d be so excited to churn out a twenty page paper on Chinatown theaters, that I’d have learnt all that I did.

("Daisies are the friendliest flowers" - so I bought a bouquet today)

I know this has been an incoherent post but, I guess, all I’m trying to say is: If tomorrow sun doesn’t shine…at least I’ll have my Clementine. And I hope you will too.

FOOD: 3.75/5
SERVICE: 3.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

CLEMENTINE ($/$$)
1751 Ensley Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 552-1080
http://www.clementineonline.com

THE MAJESTIC CREST
1262 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 474-7866
http://www.westwoodcrest.com/

India's Oven: Recovery Comforts of Eggplant and Carbs

2009-03-12T01:36:00.000-07:00

On account of having been both sick and poor, I’ve been eating in for the most part of last week. I’ve largely recovered from the former but I still suffer seriously from the latter disease – that is, poverty. So, for tonight’s dinner extravaganza, the code word was – you guessed it – “cheap.”

Since “cheap” and “ethnic” are basically the Jack and Jill of the food world, we opted for Indian food tonight. A five minute drive brought us to India’s Oven – a no-frills (but incredibly well-lit) eatery sandwiched between a Starbucks and a laundromat. Being a natural eggplant-ophile, I was drawn to the Bengan Bharta ($6.95) like a junkie to heroi…uhm, I mean, like a child to candy. I also ordered a side garlic naan to scoop up that deliciousness ($2.25).

(Never-ending bowl of bengan bharta and garlic naan)

Food portions were large and in charge though they don’t really look like much at first. I was totally thinking, “pshaw, I can finish that Bengan Bharta in two mouthfuls” but I spook WAAAAY too soon. I ended up packing more than half my meal to go. That’s right – massive loss in eating cred. Alyssa and Anj both got one of the combo meals ($10.95 and $11.95) which consisted of six or seven different dishes served on a large silver platter.

In terms of taste, India’s Oven is decent. Food that is supposed to be comforting but not life-affirming. The bengan bharta wasn’t God’s gift to man but, all the same, I couldn’t stop eating it. The flavors could have been stronger – but, then again, I’m still recovering from a cold and stuffy nose so the taste of everything has been a lot blander to me than usual. The garlic naan was served warm and toasty and was flecked with finely chopped roasted garlic. Good stuff. However, personally when it comes to naan, I like mine to be thick, chewy and fluffy (the bread at Jasmine Market rules here) and India’s Oven’s bread was a little too thin and crispy for me to go ga-ga over. Now, if that naan had been a pizza crust…THAT would be very good times. I did try some of Anj’s malai naan ($3.50) and that was really damn good. Warm and stuffed with semi-melted cheese to give it an extra chewy edge. Mmmmmmm. Awesome! I also took a sip of Alyssa’s mango lassi ($2.50) and that too was pretty kickass.

None of us finished our meal and we abandoned our initial plan of grabbing yogurt at the Bigg Chill after dinner. Service was nice but a bit awkward and strange (i.e. very awkward and strange). All in all, I’m a happy customer. India’s Oven has fed me well tonight, will feed me well tomorrow with leftovers, and has also been a good friend to my wallet.

FOOD: 3.5/5
SERVICE: 3.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3/5

INDIA'S OVEN ($$)
1896 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 475-3900
http://www.newindiasoven.com

Ttu Rak: And you Think McDonald's is Unhealthy?

2009-02-28T04:10:00.000-08:00

I was determined to try poesot maeuntang kalkuksu** (i.e. spicy mushroom stew) after hearing Sunny talk about it. We searched high and low and far and wide (I even e-mailed Jonathan Gold for help on where to find this dish but even the legendary Mr. Gold couldn’t find a place) and we finally managed to locate a place on Vermont Ave. that claimed to serve this stew. We were so pumped about it and planned to try it for this week's Friday night dinner. We strolled up to the alleged address, however, only to find that it had been converted into (yet another) Korean fried chicken place.

(Banchans: proof that Koreans are good people)

Well, the good thing about K-town is that you’re never short on options. We hopped back into the car and drove to the not-too-distant Ttu Rak instead. After spending fifteen minutes trying to make sense of the “Korean Fusion” menu, we opted for a two person portion of the spicy short ribs and octopus stew (~$38.00/2 people portion) to split between the three of us.

(English picture wall menu: Where the non-Korean speakers conglomerate)

Again, I had a little banchan fiesta – no joke, I could make a meal of those small dishes. They brought nine different side dishes to the table and though they weren’t as good as the ones at Chunju Han-il Kwan, they were still pretty satisfying. Plus, they had one of my favorites – the potato chunks :) On top of that, they also gave us a bowl of bean-paste soup each. I love Koreans and their food generosity.

(Beautiful Bubbling Stew)

And speaking of food generosity, the stew itself was no paltry portion. It came in a giant metal vat, chock full of short ribs, octopus, veggies and glassy noodles. Debs and Sunny took care of the meat (which they both claimed to be amazingly tender) while I focused on the bits of chewy tentacles. The broth was great too – spicier than the budae jigae soup at Chunju Han-il Kwan but still tolerable for my non-Korean palate. The stew got better and better as it boiled on – when I dove in for my second helping, the soup had thickened, intensifying all the flavors. Even better? The glassy noodles had more time to soak up the spiciness and instead of being individual threads of noodle, they glomped together into a strandy mass of flavor. I know it sounds unappealing but, trust me, it was awesome stuff.

(Octopus swimming in spicy broth)

When we had pretty much emptied out the vat, save the leftover soup and a handful of veggies and meat, the server did something amazing to the pot. He threw in a giant serving of rice topped off with a layer of cheese which melted over and into the rest of the ingredients. Oh, the beauty of gooey cheese. That on top of the fact that the rice at the bottom of the pot had become nice and crunchily crusty. Yes, that cheesy “fried rice” brought happiness to our table. Even though it was supposed to be a two person portion, the three of us only barely managed to finish everything. THAT’S how generous the portion was.

(Cheesy Rice: THE reason why I was at Ttu Rak)

Service was good and bad. Our waiter was pretty young (and, according to the Sun and the Debs, was also “pretty cute” – I wouldn’t know, he was way too young for my liking) and you could tell that he had planned to spend his Friday night at the karaoke bar (or whatever young Koreans do nowadays) instead of working the nighttime shift at the restaurant. Not that he was unfriendly or anything, but he wasn’t attentive and was texting on his phone for most of the time. But my heart was warmed by the fact that the restaurant gives a free bottle of Yakult to each customer at the end of the meal to quell our over-satiation. That was really sweet :D

(See the strands of cheese?)

All the food, plus tax and tips came out to $15 per person. Not bad at all. And, come on, it’s cheese + rice. I would line up to dole out $15 for that!

**Note: If anyone knows where to get poesot maeuntang kalkuksu in LA, please leave me a message!!**

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 3/5
ATMOSPHERE: 2/5

TTU RAK ($$)
125 N Western Ave.
Los Angeles,
CA 90004
(323) 960-0853

Simpang Asia: Gotta Get Gado

2009-02-27T16:58:00.000-08:00

(Adjoining Grocery Store)

Southeast Asian food makes me happy and, because I like being happy, I headed out to grab Indonesian food with Theresa last night. A nine minute drive later (google map didn’t lie), we plopped our hungry asses down on the IKEA-esque plastic chairs in Simpang Asia.

Most of the traditional, “Nasi ” dishes contained some form of meat so I opted for the Gado Gado salad ($6.50) while the carnivore of the table ordered the nasi bungkus ($7.50).

(Nasi Bungkus: a carnivore's banana leaf goodie-bag)

Like in all Asian-run places, it didn’t take long for the food to be brought to our table. Theresa opened up the giant folded banana leaf to find a steaming mound of rice surrounded by portions of chicken curry, beef rending, egg, vegetable curry, among other things. Just the smell alone convinced me that it would be good stuff. I took a bite of yellow-curry-sauce-soaked rice which confirmed my belief. I love the sweet fragrant coconut milk undertones of Southeast Asian curries!

(Gado Gado: drizzled with the nectar of the Gods)

I then focused my attention on my own dish. The gado gado is, essentially, a plate of spinach, long beans, sprouts and other veggies, combined with tofu and a sliced boiled egg, drizzled with a sweet peanut sauce and topped with crunchy shrimp crackers. Mmmmm indeed. The peanut sauce is nothing short of amazing. Smooth and flavorful – a drizzle of that could convert the most mundane of foodstuffs into a mound of deliciousness. The other ingredients in themselves were fairly bland (especially the tofu which was almost inedible on its own) but I soaked everything into the sauce and I lapped it all up happily. Halfway into the dish though, I encountered some strange white cubes in the salad. I took a bite and couldn’t figure it out at all – it was virtually tasteless. I consulted the menu and found out that they were “potato cubes.” Weird. I guess I’m just used to potatoes with, you know, taste. But then again, it wasn’t a problem that a little bit of peanut sauce couldn’t solve! I washed the salad down with a can of honeydew melon “boba” drink from the grocery fridge ($0.89). I say “boba” because, while the can showed the big pearls of black tapioca floating in the drink, what really was in the can was small white chewy bits. Oh well, I never was a fan of boba pearls anyways and plus, the drink itself was really good.

After the meal, we perused the adjoining grocery store for Asian snacks. They have everything from canned jackfruit to Japanese chocolates. I love it! I grabbed a box of ikan asin/dried salted fish ($5.00) which proved to be the perfect drinking food. Being disgustingly unhealthy, we polished off the whole box later in the night after a few drinks. Helloooooo skyrocketing sodium levels.

(Ikan Asin: the most delicious way to bring on high blood pressure)

I also got a dadar gulung ($1.50) from the sweets counter at the cashier – I was sold when the cashier explained that it was a pancake roll stuffed with COCONUT (i.e. the magic word) and brown sugar. I ate it this morning and it wasn’t very good at all. Disappointingly unsweet. Too bad.

(Dadar gulung: forgot the sugar?)

All in all, Simpang Asia is a great spot to eat. Service is quick and friendly and the food is comfortingly satisfying though not perfect. It’s cheap and clean and it’s packed with regulars (it gets more crowded as it gets later). Yep, I sure do loves me some Southeast Asian food.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 2/5

SIMPANG ASIA ($)
10433 National Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 815-9075
http://www.simpangasia.com

Bhan Kanom Thai: Crisp the Fluff and Sweet the Thai (Tasting Thai Town Pt. 2)

2009-02-26T02:13:00.000-08:00

After our meal at Jitlada, we headed out to grab the necessity of life – the after-dinner sweets. Pressure was definitely on since this would be Alyssa’s first encounter with Southeast Asian desserts. We swooped down to Hollywood Blvd. towards Bhan Kanom Thai – the famous Thai bakery and candy shop.

The store was filled with packaged Asian snacks and candies but my eyes were naturally diverted to a single point of interest – the Thai sweets counter. Colorful blobs of rice flour concoctions and tapioca-esque sweets lined the shelves. I perused the labels and knew I was in my own personal heaven when I saw them marked with words like “coconut,” “taro,” and “pumpkin.” Choosing would be quite difficult.

Luckily (or, rather, unluckily) for me, choosing wasn’t AS difficult as I thought since a lot of stuff was already sold out by the time we got there. Boo. I was dying to try the kanom tom (coconut balls), sai sai (coconut stuffed in cream) and, most of all, the kanom krok (which, as you can probably guess, also contains coconut). Oh well, next time.

(Coconut and Pandan Pudding)

I was deeply attracted to the Panchi ($2.50/6) – a small sweet round of taro, corn and shredded coconut. Just hearing the ingredients alone, I was tempted to order 4 crates of that stuff. But before I did, the guy at the counter offered us a sample and while I loved the soft chewy texture, I wasn’t feeling the fact that it was warm. It threw me off completely and I didn’t end up getting any. Now, thinking about it though, I probably will next time and just leave it out to cool. What I DID get though, was a bag of crispy pancakes filled with foi thong/egg yolk ($3.00/8) and a small box of coconut and pandan puddings ($3.00/6). The pudding was alright** – it tried to combine two flavors in one small bite and what ended up happening was that neither flavor really shone through. But the smell and the silky texture made up for it and it reminded me of home :)

But let me get to the good stuff – the crispy pancakes. Oooo…I had purchased a bag of goodness. A thin and crispy “shell” is spread with a sweet and fluffy, marshmallowy-like layer and then sprinkled with shreds of yellow “foi thong” – a sweet made from egg yolk. It’s soooo good…and tastes so light that I could easily picture myself popping them into my mouth like peanuts. I only got the yellow/sweet stuffing ones but I know they also have a salty/orange stuffing which I am determined to try (I LOVE sweet + salty flavor combos!)

(Crispy Pancakes: Good Bites)

Alyssa got the coconut milk ice cream ($2.50/a scoop bigger than my fist) which was amazing and redeemed Thai cuisine significantly in her eyes. There were chunks of young coconut and that’s definitely a happy thing. On top of that, they threw in a random piece of sweet butter toast in my bag of pancakes. I was really confused at first but my confusion quickly melted into happiness when I broke off a small piece to try. It was pretty damn good – crispy and crunchy with a teasing hint of addictive sweetness. I guess good things DO happen when you don’t expect it!

(Sweet Butter Toast: Surprisingly good surprise)

Oh right, and I LOVE how cheap this place is :D

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 2.75/5

BHAN KANOM THAI ($)
5271 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 871-8030
http://www.bhankanomthai.com

**UPDATE**

I had another one of the coconut puddings this morning after sticking them in the fridge to chill up overnight. Mannnn...a little bit o' refrigeration and the tiny pudding got 5 times better!! The coconut flavor really came through. I officially retract my "the pudding was alright" statement - it ROCKED!

Jitlada: Taste vs. Expectation (Tasting Thai Town Pt. 1)

2009-02-26T01:32:00.000-08:00

I REALLY felt like exploiting Alyssa’s current interest in foreign flavors tonight so I suggested we pay a visit to Thai Town. I did a little bit of restaurant research and, after an arduous process of careful evaluation, I narrowed it down to Jitlada on Sunset Blvd. This small joint has been garnering quite a bit of attention and, after knowing that Jonathan Gold listed it as among one of his favorites, I was sold.

Needless to say, I was filled with high hopes about this place. As if the countless A+ reviews weren’t enough, the restaurant smelled like food heaven when we stepped in. When seated, we were handed the menu and, at first, it looked almost identical to the one at Emporium Thai in Westwood. They even had the same color scheme and layout (no joke). So why drive 30minutes out to Thai Town for a menu I could get 3minutes away from the apartment? The answer is simple: SOUTHERN THAI MENU.

(I REALLY wasn't joking about the similar menu thing)

That’s right. I flipped to the last two pages of the menu and, sure enough, there was that big fat, legendary list I had heard circulating about the LA foodblogasphere. There must’ve been over 150 items in that list! I read enough for school already so I wasn’t about to read the novella of food choices. I did one quick scan and set my heart on the poo nim phat phong kari/soft shell crab sautéed with curry powder and vegetables ($15.99). I’m a sucker for soft shell crab so I was, quite literally, VERY excited about this dish.

It arrived at the table and it smelled. AMAZING. I plopped two spoonfuls of rice onto my dish and dove into the crab. The sauce? Effin’ fantastic. Fragrant and sweet with just a teensy bit of spiciness to it. Yes, I was scared by the “curry powder” at first because I suck and have a weakass tolerance for spicy foods. But I asked the waitress about the spiciness level and she assured me that I would be able to handle it. I guess she told the kitchen to tweak it for my delicate sensibilities. Besides, I think the curry powder was supposed to be for the fragrant taste rather than for spiciness – if anything, any bit if spiciness I could taste came from the small strips of chili peppers in the dish. So, yes, five gold stars for the sauce. Now, more excited than ever, I prepared myself for my soft shell crab fiesta. I took a bite and…

…welllllllllllllllll…you know when, sometimes, what you get is just not what you expected? That’s what the crab was like. It wasn’t bad or anything (au contraire, there was a beautiful burst of fatty crab roe in every bite) but there was a slight problem in terms of personal taste. You see, the first time I tried and fell in love with soft shell crab was at a Vietnamese place – dry, crunchy, and sprinkled generously with spicy seasoned salt. Powerful stuff that would make me fight my family for the last piece – even if it were just a tiny scrap of leg meat. Here, at Jitlada, it was soaked in a sweet curry sauce which, although delicious in its own right, masked the flavor of the crab to a significant degree and took away part of its lovely crunchiness. So, was the dish great? Yes. Was it life-changing? Probably not. Was it worth $15.99? Probably definitely not (OKOK, to be fair, it WAS chock full of veggies and crab. But TASTE-WISE, it's not worth the dough).

(Soft shell crab = vaguely orange thing in lower right corner)

And I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t completely blown away. Alyssa left half of her southern curry shrimp with pineapple. I tried a little of her curry and – as she said – it was NOT spicy at all (I mean, I could take it – how spicy could it be?) She ordered “medium spicy” but, the waitress, seeing that she was blonde-haired and blue-eyed and not knowing about her half-Mexican-ness, tweaked the spicy level to toddler-level-mild. Oh, poor, poor, discriminated against Alyssa. We did, however, both agree that the shrimp was cooked perfectly. I took a bite into it and was really REALLY impressed – I’ve never tasted cooked shrimp like this before. It had the same, bouncy, fresh taste and texture that was similar to the “live shrimp” I had at Sushi Masu.

Service was a bit iffy. Don’t get me wrong – everyone was friendly and helpful. BUT, on arrival, there was no one at the door. We had to actively FIND someone to seat us. And, when we asked the waitress about our dishes when ordering, she chimed “ooOOoo…it’s the BEST combination.” We were happy to hear that…until we heard her speak the exact same words to another table who had ordered something entirely different from what we had.

So, no, Jitlada didn’t blow me away (I really wanted it to but I just can’t lie) but maybe we were just unlucky this time. Plus, there were SO many items on the menu...I can't do this place justice with just one go. The place was continuously packed and everyone seemed to be enjoying their food. A LOT. I’ll probably give it another try. Because Jonathan Gold loves them and I love Jonathan Gold.

And maybe I’ll get the mussels…

FOOD: On the fence. But benefit of the doubt says 3.9/5
SERVICE: 3.75/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

JITLADA THAI CUISINE ($$)
5233 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 663-3104

King Hua: Good Things Come in Small Packages/Steam Baskets

2009-02-22T18:24:00.000-08:00

Wanting to take advantage of the relatively traffic-free Sunday, we decided to grab dim sum in Alhambra. I don’t hate V.I.P Harbor Seafood or anything, but we all wanted “real” dim sum…i.e. dim sum not served by a Mexican waitress.

(The Sea Harbor-esque Menu)

I decided to try King Hua – the restaurant opened by former Sea Harbor chef because:

1) Sea Harbor is fantastic so, logically, King Hua can’t be bad and
2) I knew Sea Harbor would be PACKED on a Sunday afternoon

King Hua was pretty packed too but we didn’t have to wait and were seated right away. I took a look at the menu and, just as most of the reviews have said, it was almost identical to the one at Sea Harbor -____- oh well, I’m certainly not complaining.

(Meet my friends: Har Gow)

(Good stuff: Jellyfish and Beancurd Rolls)

The dim sum here – like the ones at Sea Harbor – are larger than the standard sizes (which also mean they’re double the size of the ones at VIP). The shrimp dumpling/har gow was a plump mass of shrimpy goodness. I was very impressed by the skin – it was thin but not flimsy and it didn’t get hard and doughy when cooled down (which, ugh, I’m sorry to say, happens with the ones at VIP). The jellyfish with beancurd roll was another stellar dish. The jellyfish was crunchy and well-seasoned. But my favorite part of the dish was the beancurd rolls filled with chopped mushrooms and carrots. So “healthy” tasting…not that it really mattered, given the amount of unhealthy food I consumed. The steamed rice noodle/cheong fun with shrimp tasted great but the skin was a little too thin and slippery. It was an almost impossible task to get the rice noodle onto my plate in one piece.

(Slip Away: Cheong Fun with Shrimp)

(When flaky is good: Egg Tarts)

I also ordered the steamed preserved egg yolk bun. I LOVE this dish and though I wasn’t disappointed by King Hua’s version, I wasn’t blown away. The egg yolk didn’t have a strong enough taste. But I love eating this – the messiness of the runny, eggy filling is half the fun and it even elicited the interest of the table of white diners next to us. After the bun, I moved onto the egg custard tarts/dan tat. The custard filling was a little forgettable (not sweet enough) but the pastry crust was amazingly buttery and flaky. Another winner. The last item to come to the table was the shark’s fin scallop dumpling. This was SOOOO GOOD. It was a decadent version of the har gow – even plumper and juicer than its more humble cousin and topped with a small piece of scallop and a sprinkling of fish roe. Wow. Again, the dumpling skin was a winner.

(It could get messy: Salty Egg Yolk Bun)

(Luxury wrapped in a rice flour skin: Shark's Fin Scallop Dumpling)

I didn’t eat the shiu mai but both Debs and Sun enjoyed it. Also, stupidly enough, I messed up one order and got the deep fried spring rolls instead of the fried seafood salad roll – the wonderful crispy, sweet, mayo concoction I had at Sea Harbor last time. My bad…

(Shiu Mai)

All in all, it came up to $33.84 sans tips for three people. We left a big fat tip and I still felt like I was robbing the restaurant blind. Plus, service really was great. Efficient and friendly.

King Hua rocks. It’s not as great as Sea Harbor but it’s not far behind. I have no cause for complaint.

(What SHOULD'VE been a mass of seafood + mayo)

FOOD: 4.75/5
SERVICE: 5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

KING HUA ($$)
2000 W Main St
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 282-8833

Susiecakes: Cheered Up!

2009-02-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

(Awwww...)

It’s really hard for me to stay down for long because I have fantastic friends. When I stepped into the car on our way to our Friday-night-Dinner destination (take-out from Jasmine Market. Remember…I’m poor), what did I find on my seat? A big box of cupcakes from Susiecakes! I’ve been wanting to go to Susiecakes in forever (I’m even subscribed to their e-mail list) but it’s always closed when I’m in the Brentwood area.

I spent the most part of our drive to grab dinner making various “awwwwww-this-is-so-sweet” noises and feeling, quite literally, warm and fuzzy inside. Of course, the beautiful, sweet smell from the box also fuelled the warm and fuzzy feeling.

(Why friends rock: (left to right, from top) mint choco, strawberry, fluffy coconut, daily special, vanilla, red velvet)

The cupcakes are absolutely adorable. The pastel-colored frosting is slapped onto the cakes in a “grandma-made-these” way which reminded me of the cupcakes from Magnolia in NYC (I’ll FINALLY get to go in March!) I picked the red velvet cupcake for myself after plating the vanilla for Debs and the strawberry one for the Sun.

The red velvet cake was awesome. After the diabetes-inducing fiasco at Sweet Lady Jane not too long ago, it was comforting to know that red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting doesn’t have to taste like pure sugar. We took bites from each other’s cakes and, though I’m not usually blown away by strawberry flavored cakes, I’ve got to say, I was really impressed by Susiecake’s strawberry cupcake. As Sunny put it, it tasted almost like strawberry cheesecake.

(Coconut Goodness)

And knowing that I have an unhealthy fixation with all things coconut-related, Sunny grabbed the fluffy coconut cupcake at Susiecakes. I LOVED the frosting. Sweetened with desiccated coconut…there’s really no way you can go wrong with that. I’ve been spoilt by Ina Garten’s recipe for coconut cake/cupcakes (recipe will be up. I promise!) though and the actual cake part of Susiecake’s version wasn’t as coconutty as Ina’s. I think it’s because they didn’t use coconut milk in the batter. But then again, Ina’s version is TRANSCENDENT and it’s hard for anything to match up to her version.

My favorite of the batch would probably have to be the chocolate mint cupcake. Chocolate + mint is one of my all-time favorite sweets combos so I was already expecting good things from this cupcake. The chocolate cake was moist but not too heavy but it was the mint frosting that made me fall in love. I took a bite from the daily-special cupcake that Sunny had (We THINK it was cinnamon or something like that) and that was amazing too.

(The hands-down winner: Mint Chocolate)

Crumbs is still my all-time favorite cupcake place (whatever keeps the crumb so moist and dense must be illegal) but Susiecakes beats out all the other places in its sweetness balance. Nothing is too sweet or too much. And, plus, the sweetness behind the gesture is enough to bump it to the highest on my list :)

('Tastes-like Churro' Daily Special)

As if that weren't sweet enough already, she grabbed a menu for me, knowing that I'm a losery menu-collecter. Aw, I love those two.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: n/a
ATMOSPHERE: n/a

SUSIECAKES
11708 San Vicente Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 442-2253
http://www.susiecakesla.com

Pitfire Pizza: Please Don't Go Back to Big Sur...Stay in LA

2009-02-22T16:15:00.001-08:00

I’ve been so self-imposedly poor lately that it’s been absolutely ridiculous. But who can blame me? I want to spend like no tomorrow when I’m in Manhattan ♥ ! And if that means eating canned tuna with Trader Joe’s hummus, so be it.

The sad thing is, of course, I haven’t been eating canned tuna with hummus and, if my past reviews are anything to go by, I’ve actually been spending way too much eating out. Not good. It’s just so difficult though because some things just are a MUST. i.e. Tuesday-night-Dinner-extravaganza with Alyssa.

Well, thank God she’s currently in the poor house too. Poverty loves company, especially when it comes to dining out. But, not really wanting to grab, say, In-n-Out (after all, they don’t have meatless choices), we mosied out to Pitfire Pizza on Westwood Blvd. PP is one of those restaurants which will never make it to your “Favorites” list but will still have you coming back all the time: the food’s not stellar but it’s still pretty damn good; the price isn’t cheap but it won’t leave a dent in your wallet.

Last time I was there, I got the Italian tuna panini ($8.95). Decent size and came with a side salad. I was tempted to get that again and bump up my daily intake of protein and veggies but, after having the absolutely kickass tuna melt at the Hungry Cat not too long ago, I decided to go for something else this time. Well, one thing did catch my eye on the menu – the Big Sur pizza ($9.95). According to the menu description, the toppings were garlic scampi, a four cheese blend, tomatoes, basil, lemon zest and roasted garlic. Mmmmm. I was very excited.

The pizza itself was HUGE! It’s supposed to be a one-person portion but I definitely had a hard time finishing it (HA – OF COURSE I finished it. I have no shame). I forgot to take my camera along so, no photos – sorry – you’ll just have to take my word for it about the size. I was a little ambivalent about the crust at first. Given that I’ve sold my soul to the thin crusts of New York pizza, I didn’t know what to make of the somewhat balloon-esque, pillowy looking crust. Well, I was wrong with my ambivalence – the crust was great. It was chewy without being overly doughy in taste. I felt as if I was eating less carbs that I really was (warning: that could be a VERY dangerous illusion).

The pizza was a little scant on the scampi but it didn’t bother me much – the star of the show was the lemon zest, tomato and garlic flavor combo. It’s absolutely genius! I’ve never had lemon on pizza before and I know it can sound disconcerting but really, when I think about it, it makes sense. The citrus-y flavor cut right through the strong garlicy-ness of the toppings and balanced out the greasiness from the cheese and brought out the sweetness in the tomatoes. Or maybe that’s just a very long-winded way of saying that my hormones have been going crazy and I’ve been craving citrus-y foods. Either way, the pizza was awesome. I also saw that they had a pumpkin pizza offered on the seasonal menu. That sounds A-M-A-ZING! I definitely want to try that the next time I’m there.

PP is a cute and clean and the staff are always friendly. $9.95 is by no means super cheap but then again, it’s no shack of a place and the food is worth it. And it’s still a cheaper alternative to, say, Pizzeria Mozza (which I still have to try before I leave).

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

PITFIRE PIZZA ($)
2018 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 481-9860
http://www.pitfirepizza.com

The Hungry Cat: It's Not About Looks

2009-02-16T22:56:00.000-08:00

I love ugly foods. I will gladly eat anything that appears in gloop-form or is close to resembling a booger. It’s not like I’m trying to be a “daring diner” or anything, it just so happens that, from numerous past experiences, I’ve become a firm believer that when it comes to food, ugly = good.

I would like to say that I’d been craving fresh oysters recently but that would be an outright lie – I am perpetually craving fresh oysters. One of my fondest memories is of slurping down these beautiful, briny slimesters at the Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City. When Moeha suggested we grab seafood for lunch today, The Hungry Cat immediately came to mind.

Word of warning: The Hungry Cat is obnoxiously difficult to locate. It’s in the Hollywood + Vine complex but it’s completely hidden away in a small courtyard. We circled the complex three times before we realized it was right next to Ivan Kane’s Café Wa S. Well, good thing the Cat doesn’t have set lunch/dinner hours since it was around 2pm by the time we finally got there.

(From left: Gold Creek, Kumamoto, Beau Soleil)

Anne isn’t big on the oysters so Moeha and I ordered a half dozen oysters to share ($15.00). We got two each of the day’s selection: kumamoto, gold creek and beau soleil. I couldn’t believe how tiny the beau soleil was! There were probably three molecules of oyster on that half shell. On top of that, it just…wasn’t very good at all. It was waaaaay too mild for my taste. I literally felt like I was eating nothing. I moved on to the kumamoto which is a personal fave oyster variety. Mmmm…SO MUCH BETTER than the oyster I just had. Given, the kumamoto wasn’t much bigger than the blue point, but it had a strong briny taste and I found myself slurping up every precious drop of the oyster liquid. The gold creek was equally good. It was the largest of the three varieties and was briny – though less so than the kunamoto – and wonderfully creamy.

(Lobster Frittata)

(AMAZING Shrimp burger patty)

After the little bivalve party, we started on our entrees. Anne got today’s special – the lobster frittata ($17.00) which was flavorful and chock full of lobster meat. I also had a bite of Moeha’s shrimp burger on brioche with fries ($15.00) and it was absolutely stellar! The shrimp patty was cooked perfectly and was amazingly moist and tender. It also had a nice spicy kick to it. As for myself, I ordered the tuna melt with fries ($15.00). This ain’t your typical deli tuna melt – it was an open face sandwich of Spanish tuna on a piece of toasted French bread, topped with a thick layer of cheese and a salad of arugula, radish and romesco. The flavor combination kicked major ass! A little bit like a pizza (the toast was spread with a sort of tomato-based sauce), a little bit like a sandwich, a little bit like a salad. Oh wow. The best thing was that the tomato sauce and the tuna juices soaked through the toast, making it soft enough to be cut apart with a knife and fork. The creamy, melted cheese melded into the small flecks of Spanish tuna and that, combined with the sweetness of the tomato sauce and the chewy texture of the sauce-drenched toast was a definite winner. The fries were great as well though not as crispy as the ones from, say, Marty D’s or The Bowery.

(Prettied-up Tuna Melt)

The Hungry Cat isn’t cheap but prices are justified. The portions are huge and it is, after all, seafood…very fresh seafood. Service, however, was painstakingly slow. It took them fifteen minutes to bring our oysters to the table. Yes, RAW OYSTERS that require zilch preparation. And, after the oysters, they took another half an hour or so to bring us our entrée. It was actually a little ridiculous.

(The Raw Bar: takes 15 minutes to transport seafood from bed of ice to customer's table)

But, not wanting to end this review on a negative note, The Hungry Cat is a great joint. Food is awesome and the vibe is refined but relaxed. When you DO find the restaurant and when you DO get your food at your table, without a doubt, you’ll have a kickass time!

!! And we also saw Kyan from Queer Eye !! Oh, he’s still so sexy!! Yes, and James Franco feeding quarters into the parking meter.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 3/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

THE HUNGRY CAT ($$)
1535 Vine Street
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 462-2155
http://www.thehungrycat.com

Joe’s Restaurant: If I HAD to live in Los Angeles

2009-02-16T02:09:00.000-08:00

(Feel the viiiiiiiibe)

To elaborate on the title of this post, if I really HAD to live in Los Angeles, I would be looking up apartment listings in Venice. It’s such a laid-back and unpretentious neighborhood…I could honestly picture myself living there. It’s the type of place where everyone owns a dog and rides a bike and though I do neither of those two activities, I like being around people who do :D

(Complimentary bread: a Banana-nut-esque loaf and toast)

To celebrate the completion of our Shakespeare (also known as “Shakey”) midterm, Reno and I drove out to grab brunch at Joe’s Restaurant on Abbot Kinney. Thank God I made reservations because the place was packed to the brim. Definitely a good sign. The vibe at Joe’s is infectious – just seeing all the people enjoying their food and whatever company they happened to be with is enough to make me break into a giant smile.

(Crazy Reno isn't in love with cinnamon. Maybe I should've ordered this.)

(I saved the Bananas for Last)

But what’s even MORE smile-inducing? Le food at Joe’s. The brunch menu (an entrée + appetizer) is a steal. I ordered the Rösti Potato with Scrambled Eggs & Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraiche, Caviar with the Seasonal Fruit Plate with Honeyed Yogurt Sauce starter ($18.00) while Reno took a stab at the Lobster (it’s usually Crab but they ran out so had to substitute in Lobster) Hash with Poached Egg, Red And Yellow Peppers, Potatoes, Mustard Rosemary Sauce with the Granola with Dried Fruit, Toasted Almonds With Spiced Milk appetizer ($16.00). What the hell? Just LOOK at what we ordered and then look at the prices! Joe’s is a COMPLETE undermining of the phrase: “it’s too good to be true.”

(Blegh, shaking hands do the Lobster Hash injustice)

I LOVED my smoked salmon dish. It was basically a giant, perfectly-crisp hash brown topped with a layer of scrambled eggs, a generous pile of smoked salmon and a dollop of caviar. Wow. It’s one of those dishes where all the components, individually, are forgettable but, combined as one, is a Godsent gift. The salmon by itself was a little too bland for my taste (I’m used to smoked salmon cured NY-style) but balanced out the other components of the dish to a T. The one thing that was better on its own though, was the “caviar” which was probably herring roe or the likes of. By itself, it had that gorgeous “sea-taste” but, because it’s not top-notch stuff (come on, the dish is $18 in total), it was easily overshadowed when combined with the other components of the dish. I also stole a bite of Reno’s lobster hash and mmmmmmm…it was so good. The lobster was so fluffily soft without being mushy (ugh). I think I’ll be ordering that the next time I go to Joe’s.

(Fantastic-ness on a plate)

And, as if life wasn’t fantastic enough, I got Reno to drop me off at Shareen’s a coupla blocks down from Joe’s. Yep, today was SUPER SELF-INDULGENT day: amazing food + three absolutely beautiful vintage finds.

I’m happy.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 5/5

JOE'S RESTAURANT ($$)
1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90291
(310) 399-5811
http://www.joesrestaurant.com

Chunju Han-il Kwan: No Mas to V-Day

2009-02-16T00:46:00.000-08:00

Ugh, Commercialized Couples Fiesta day. Another year of obnoxious helium balloons and ugly bouquets. But worse of all? Jacked up restaurant menus. See, the balloons and flowers don’t affect me so much in direct terms but the restaurant thing?? The last thing I need on the V-day is a restaurant that offers a “Couples Menu” that I will NOT be ordering.

Well, the Sun, Debs and I had resolved a long time ago that we would give the finger to V-day ’09 by grabbing McDonald’s drive-thru and staying in watching endless episodes of Friends on the Saturday. But because people “in love” are super obnoxious throughout the month of February, I made sure to steer away from potential danger-zones for this week’s Friday-Night-Dinner.

Enter Chunju Han-il Kwan (CHiK) – a small neon-lit eatery in a seedy looking plaza in Korea-Town. We would be SO SAFE from Coupley-ness here. ChiK is the complete opposite of the V-day restaurant: it’s ugly, it’s cheap, and the food actually matters.

(I love purple rice)

(Banchan Fiesta)

Mmmm…yes, the food DEFINITELY mattered. The words, “Budae-Jigae” were singing in my mind through the whole drive from the apartment to K-town. For those who don’t know what the ef I’m talking about, Budae-Jigae translates into “War-Stew” (HA – take THAT mushy lovely-dovey V-day!). Well, that’s the Korean translation. In Dorothy lingo, it translates into “A beautiful pot of bubbly, spicy soup with spam, sausage, fish cake, rice cake, veggies, ramen and, for good measure, cheeeeese.” It’s a mouthful, but it’s a fantastic mouthful.

(Bubbling Beautiful Budae-Jigae)

On top of the Budae-Jigae ($24.99 which can easily feed three), we ordered the Potato Pajun/Potato “Pancake” ($10.99). God bless the Koreans for coming up with the concept of banchans (free side dishes that are doled out to your table once you sit your ass down) because I was literally starving by the time we got to CHiK and the smell of food from the neighboring table seriously wasn’t helping. I have to say, CHiK’s banchans are the best and most all-inclusive of all the Korean joints I’ve been to in LA. There must have been more than nine side-dishes! I happily chomped away on the seasoned kelp (I love seaweed in all forms) and the kimchee-d fish cake but it wasn’t long before the pajun was brought to the table and – woah – was it huge. And thank God it WAS a huge portion because it tasted effin’ AMAZING! It was almost like a hashbrown in chewy and moist form. It was beautiful. Even though I was ooh-ing over the pajun, I was still most excited about the Budae-Jigae. The broth is great. Really great. I usually can’t take spicy food (which SUCKSASS because I love spicy stuff!) but I had no problems whatsoever with the soup…and I really do think it was psychological. That is, the soup was so good that I subconsciously forbad my palate to be unable to take it in.

(The lovechild of Hashbrown and Pancake)

I did think though, that there wasn’t enough ramen but, apparently, you can order the stew with extra noodles. Service is great (cheerful ahjumas) and so is the atmosphere (i.e. NOT lovey-dovey). We were stuffed and it still came to only about $16.00 a person. That’s right, $16.00 and I’m probably happier and better-fed than the couples who are doling out $154.00 for their February 14th meal.

**Special Mention: Props to Sunny for her multi-talents. CHiK night saw her exercising her mad skilllllz in eating, driving, AND translating! Yep, she’s a keeper.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3/5

CHUNJU HAN-IL KWAN ($$)
3450 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 480-1799

Susina Bakery: SO FULL

2009-02-13T04:01:00.000-08:00

(So many a happy time)

Current time: 3.26am

I am still effin’ full from what I ingested over six hours ago. What the F? Let me run through the list of what I ate today so I can try to make sense of this (all times are approximates):

9:00am – Banana, Bowl of Kashi Almond Flax with cinnamon and soy milk
12:00pm – Coffee, Banana nut muffin
7:00pm – Whole wheat pita filled with sweet peas and thai peanut sauce
9:00pm – Coffee and Susina Carrot Cake

?!?! It’s definitely NOT like me to be as grossly full as I am now from that. It’s the “peas’ syndrome. It’s been horribly horrible since Tuesday night. The hummus (blended chickpeas) + Lebanese mousaka (eggplant, tomato + chickpeas). Then tonight with sweetpeas. I guess I didn’t learn my lesson from Shaherzad night (i.e. hummus + babaganoush + dolmeh).

Ergh, I want to go to bed but I really can’t because I feel like a water balloon (that’s right…a bloated balloon FILLED with more filling water). But I will still do one of my favorite LA institutions justice and write up a review even though she (yes, “she”) is partly responsible for my current discomfort.

SUSINA. HOW I LOVE YOU. I get a fluffy, happy feeling every time I step into this place. Desserts are AMAZING and the staff are so uber friendly that I can’t help but break into gigantous (yes, made-up word) smile whenever I interact with them. Tonight was my 12347820832th time at Susina and I’m still not tired of it.

My first time, I got the Molten Lava Cake ($6.00). Hmmm…I DID really like it. BUT I had a bite of Sunny’s Americano cake ($6.50) and was a little jealous I didn’t get that instead. Second time was my favorite – the sentimentally-sweet WHOLE Bear Cake that they got me for my birthday. It was fucking HUGE (don’t believe me? See photo below). It was sooooooooooo good. It stayed chocolately moist even after days in the fridge.

(awwww...they sat through LA traffic for this)

(How big was the cake exactly? Let's just say that Sunny can fit her whole head into the cakebox)

Third time saw me with the Coconut Cake ($6.50). Last slice…and I wasn’t surprised given how amazingly coconutty and moist it was. Fourth time, at B’s Hong Kong film screening. Got the coconut cake again (I was just too enamored) and got a small box of cookies for B. And tonight? A HUGE CHUNK O’ Carrot cake ($6.50) and the Sun got the Berry Blossom ($6.50). Oh, I only wish I wasn’t as full as I was so I could’ve enjoyed the C-cake more. Had a bite of the Sun’s cake. OMG – I’m in love.

(Carrot Cake, Coffee, Berry Blossom Looming in Background)

And, because I felt bad for totally ditching the Debs, I brought home a small box of Susina’s special HAND-PAINTED Valentine’s cookies. Mannnnnnn, these must be the world’s most-expensive cookies ($4.50 PER COOKIE) but, the funny thing is, given the craftsmanship, I thought it was completely worth it!

(Worth-its-weight-in-gold HAND CRAFTED cookies)

Yes, Susina makes me like Los Angeles.

FOOD: 5/5
SERVICE: 5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 5/5

SUSINA BAKERY ($)
7122 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 934-7900
http://www.susinabakery.com

The Bowery: Impatience is a Virtue

2009-02-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

I love New York fare. Simple comfort food like a fatty slice of thin-crust pizza or a giant cup of thin crunchy fries put a smile on my stomach. But my favorite is the NY take on Bistro fare which turns elegant French cooking into a laid-back weeknight dinner.

My stomach’s been pretty impatient lately and, even though I’m jetting off to NYC next month, it’s been craving said Bistro food. So, when Janet let me pick the dinner spot for tonight, I suggested heading out to the Bowery on Sunset. Plus, the weather in LA has been cold, rainy and gloomy lately and isn’t that the best kind of time for Bistro comfort food?

The Bowery is sandwiched between Magnolia and Fabiolus Café and, like its neighbors, is a to-go spot for a lot of Angelinos “in the industry.” And by “in the industry,” I mean people who apparently don’t have to go to work – the place was PACKED when we arrived at 7pm (on a Wednesday!) We were brought to the one single empty table and, though we tried to catch up, we soon gave up trying to fight the battlefield of conversation around us. Having said that though, the Bowery is cute as hell. It definitely looks like some small neighborhood Bistro in Manhattan. Leather sofas and dark wooden tables dot the low-key dining area and a giant chalkboard with the restaurant’s wine selection hangs next to the long bar. Absolutely beautiful. On a side note, the restaurant was extremely dim though and, while I like that atmosphere, it does no good for the photos, especially since I am always too embarrassed to use flash in a restaurant. Oh, life is so difficult.

After a lengthy period of menu-perusal, Nancy and Janet both decided on the Bowery Burger ($9.00) while I opted for the Moules Frites ($12.50), subbing the regular fries for Sweet Potato Fries. My order appeared in the form of a (very) generous serving of steamed mussels, glistening happily in a spicy tomato broth. The broth was great, especially with the large slices of garlic and onions. The mussels were well-cooked – not mushy at all and every mussel was sand-free :) ! The star of the show was the fries though. Even though they weren’t as “sweet” as I would’ve liked (I’ve been spoilt by the sweet potato fries from Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers), they were right on the mark texture-wise. It was really quite amazing – perfectly crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. The best thing was that they kept their crunchiness right to the end of the meal! I polished off my whole plate of fries. Damn straight, I’m a champion – Nancy and Janet got an order of fries to split and they still had some left over…or maybe I’m just gross. Overall, the moules frites were enjoyable but not absolutely amazing. But considering that it’s only $12.50 for a big fatty bowl of mussels and fries, it’s probably one of best deals in Hollywood.

(Moules - sweet potato - Frites)

Service was spot on. The burger arrived a little too rare for Janet’s taste and the waitress had no problem asking the kitchen to up the fire on her burger. Our server was really attentive and friendly – there’s definitely none of that “I’m-an-aspiring-actor” attitude at the Bowery.

I enjoyed the Bowery and my stomach is happy from the New York-ification. While the Bowery doesn’t make it to my “must-go” list, it’s definitely high up on my “go-to” list.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

Bowery ($$)
6268 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 465-3400
http://www.theboweryhollywood.com

Sunnin’s Lebanese Café: Friends

2009-02-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

“I am willing to expand my white girl taste buds for ya ♥”

The wonderful woman who wrote the above words is one of the reasons I haven’t gone completely crazy in Los Angeles. This is someone who will put her P.F. Chang-appetite on hold because she knows I have a “thing” for food. That’s a big deal for me and it’s just one of the reasons why I love her as ridiculously much as I do.

We went ethnic for the past few Tuesday-night-Dinner-extravaganzas and we followed through with that pattern last night as we moseyed along to Sunnin’s Lebanese Café. I definitely have a soft spot for Middle Eastern food and I’ve been wanting to try Sunnin’s for a while. The place was packed (as usual) with a healthy mix of poor grad students, Middle Eastern diners and a good handful of old ladies. We quickly added ourselves to the mix and looked through the menu.

Of course, we ordered a large side of hommos ($4.50) and, because the people who work at Sunnin’s are pure angels, the hommos came with free baskets of pita bread. Yes, that was not a typo – basketS…as in, they swoop with more pita the moment they see your own basket emptying up. The hommos was a pile of creamy deliciousness. This is actually my first time trying Lebanese hommos – it’s a lot smoother and milder than Greek styled hummus. Being a MSG-raised Hong Kong-er, I personally prefer the stronger types of hummus but I still lapped up Sunnin’s version like nobody’s business. The two of us went through two baskets of pita and were close to finishing all the hommos and yes, we are now attractively bloated and gassy.

(I love the above)

Along with the hommos, Alyssa ordered the Chicken Kebab plate ($7.75) and I settled on a large Mousaka ($5.50). The mousaka was definitely different from what I was used to; unlike the Greek mousakas, the Lebanese version is not arranged in layers but is served, literally, as a glop. On top of that, it’s served cold instead of piping hot. But, differences aside, did I like it? It’s eggplant! OF COURSE I liked it! And plus, the Lebanese mousaka is vegetarian which makes me incredibly happy since none of the Mediterranean places I’ve looked up seem to serve a beefless version of this fantastic dish. I polished off my moussaka – more chickpeas, more bloatage. Nice. Well, it was worth it.

("Mousaka" is code for love-in-eggplant-form)

Prices are great. Service is fantastic (the owner is super friendly). Food is :) I definitely love Sunnin’s. Determined to continue with the glam-ness of our chickpea bloatage fest, we spent the rest of the night with cheapass rum and VH1 reality TV. I love friends. …Oh yes, and I might even really go to the beach just for her.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3/5

SUNNIN'S LEBANESE CAFE ($)
1779 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 477-2358
http://www.sunnin.com

Jasmine Market: Third Time’s a Charm

2009-02-10T00:29:00.000-08:00

***I’M GOING TO NEW YORK!***

Yes, another trip to Manhattan. The flight is booked, the hotel is reserved. I’m already planning my long morning walks through Central Park and dodging traffic to grab a plate of eggs and lox. And while I’m at it, I’m also devising my plan to net me a New York Jew. Yes, the Jewish men of NYC better watch out come March 24th.

So, that was the positive news – the NY-going. But there’s a downside…I’m horribly poor as a result of that (AND Phantom of the Opera, AND all my eating out, AND the shopping, AND…) Though I’ve made a resolution to stay in for dinner and eat canned tuna, I couldn’t possibly have passed up a chance to eat with Theresa. Still, economizing was the key word and, with that in mind, I suggested a visit to Jasmine Market in Culver City.

Jasmine Market and I go way back. Brian and I heard about this place served Burmese food and, after falling in love with the Burmese tea leaf salad back in San Fran, B insisted that we had to check this place out. Of all the days we decided to go, we went on the only day of the week that they were closed (Monday). The second time, we went on a non-Monday weekday, only to realize that the Burmese menu was offered only during the weekend. Well, we threw in the towel and took a forty minute drive out to Whittier instead to eat at Golden Triangle (review to come later).

So I have eaten at Jasmine Market before – albeit from their Indian menu. And it was good. Very good. But what’s better than very good food? Very good CHEAP food. I had the aloo puri for only $2.99 and that was enough to keep me full for the rest of the night.

Having said that though, I was still itching to try the Burmese menu. The Burmese menu is still fairly limited (five items as opposed to Golden Triangle’s sixty-three page menu) so I ended up getting the same thing I had at GT – the Moh Hin Nga/Catfish Chowder with Noodles ($3.49). On top of that, I ordered a side of naan ($0.99) and a can of coconut juice ($2.25). I LOVE all the complex flavors in Moh Hin Nga (English spellings vary) and the Jasmine Market version – which was about four dollars cheaper – was in no way inferior to the one at Golden Triangle. My favorite part is the fried split beans :) I could them like chips out of a bag. I also love all the bread from Jasmine Market. Yes, be warned, it’s greasier than most other places – the naan comes to the tables with a glistening film of grease…it sounds disgusting but that becomes a moot point given the soft, fluffy goodness of the bread. It was amazing paired with the catfish chowder but I really didn’t need to order it – the rice noodles in the chowder was more than enough carbs and I was full before I had finished half my order of naan. But, I always hate to waste good food (that’s a euphemism for “I’m a bottomless pit”) so I finished everything. I took a bite of rice from Theresa’s Chicken Biryani ($5.99) and fell in love. Too bad they only serve their biryanis with meat…I guess I could order a biryani dish and leave the meat. Yes, it was that good.

(Moh Hin Nga: Catfish, Banana Root, Fried Split Bean, Rice Noodle, Cilantro, Egg, Oh My!)

In terms of the restaurant itself, it’s a completely no-frills, B-grade place (yes, they serve their food in polyester dishes. Not very eco-friendly at all). It’s half ethnic market half eatery. That should already give you a picture of what kind of place it is. It just so happens that I like those kinds of places. On top of that, the owner is super friendly – he puts a giant smile on my face :D If you're looking for BURMESE food, hop on the 605 and go to Golden Triangle instead. But if you want simple ethnic Asian fare that costs less than a Starbucks coffee, there's a place in Culver City that requires your patronage!

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 1.5/5 (objective) 4/5 (personal)

JASMINE MARKET ($)
4135 1/2 Sepulveda Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230
(310) 313-3767

The Waffle: The Difficulty of Procuring a Plate of Eggs and a Hot Chocolate

2009-02-09T23:36:00.000-08:00

After a night of watching Phantom of the Opera (the production) and falling in love with the Phantom of the Opera (the character), I pulled out my list of late-night eateries for Sunny to GPS. Given that I was still freshly-depressed from the injustices done to the Phantom, an endorphin-rich vanilla custard-soaked berry French toast didn’t exactly seem like a bad idea.

(If-only-there-was-more-bread French Toast)

The three of us arrived at the half-full/empty Waffle. There were plenty of waitstaff around but it took about a minute before one of them acknowledged us and guided us to a table. Fine, whatever, I didn’t think too much about it. The three of us were handed two menus and our waitress promised she’d be back with another menu. She lied. But again, whatevs, I already knew that I would be ordering the French toast so, no biggie. Plus, all I had to do was ask another server for a menu. We ordered, waited and then what? They got Deb’s order of eggs with corned beef wrong. They took forever to bring Sunny’s hot chocolate (seriously, how long does it take to make a hot chocolate?)

Having said that though, the waiters/waitresses were really friendly. They kept apologizing for getting the order wrong. They were super incompetent (and the restaurant wasn’t even busy!) but, at the very least, they were all super nice and friendly. The French toast was pretty good but I still prefer Asian ones. It’s the bread – the Waffle FT has massive potential but they should switch to Challah bread or some other thicker variety so it can REALLY soak up the custardy goodness. Plus, a thicker bread will also probably better justify it being at $9.00 a pop. The waffle sure ain’t cheap.

FOOD: 3/5
SERVICE: 2/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3.5/5

THE WAFFLE ($)
6255 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 465-6901
http://www.thewaffle.us

Jin Patisserie: A Three Year Dream

2009-02-09T23:06:00.000-08:00

Three years ago, I was desperately trying to convince myself that moving to Los Angeles wouldn’t be that bad. Sure, it wasn’t New York but at least I had two things to comfort me:

1) Knowing that Elliott Yamin* was planning to further his “career” in LA and
2) Jin Patisserie

My fascination with #2 occurred when I stumbled upon Rick Poon’s amazing photography site a long time ago. He would always be raving about this-and-that at this place called “Jin Patisserie” in Venice, CA. I was excited about all the this-and-thats he talked about. But I lived my first year in LA, I lived my second year in LA, I was well into my third year…and still, I had never ventured out to Jin. Why? One word explains it all: CAR. That’s right, Venice might as well have been the other side of the Pacific for me during the two years we were car-less in LA. I had been to Venice once but that was at night, after Jin had already closed up for the day. So you can imagine how ecstatic I was when I heard that Jin was opening a branch at the nearby Intercontinental hotel. I received their e-invite to the opening CHOCOLATE DESSERT PARTY and, without thinking twice, forwarded it to Debs and Sunny, called the place up, and made reservations for three.

The set menu consisted of an assortment of finger sandwiches (Roast Beef w/Brie Cheese, Egg Salad, Cream Cheese Tomato - nothing special there) and a mini dessert platter each. OHOHOHO. I was SO ready. A small pot of Spicy Milk Chocolate Mousse with Mango glistened on my left; a White Chocolate with Peach Compote and Yuzu Jelly filled a giant shot-glass, topped with a mini tuille cookie; a mini square of Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie was flecked with sweet peanut nibs and, at the very end of the plate, a Baked Chocolate Tart with Pineapple and Pistachio. The platter should’ve been my dream-come-true.

…But it wasn’t. Three years of waiting and I was far from blown away from the dessert sampler. The brownie was the best out of the four desserts but even that was just good – not great. Yes, I was disappointed. But I was also determined not to give up on Jin just yet. After all, these weren’t their signature desserts. Nope, Rick P had always raved about their macarons…THAT was what I was here for.

(The best of the lot: the Brownie)

Oh-SO-good! They put the macarons from Paris Pastry to shame (and they were $12.00 for eight! Where does Paris Pastry get off charging $2.50/macaron?!) How do I even begin to describe the meringue shells? A delicate, crunchy shell which hides a soft and chewy, light-as-air mass of perfect sweetness. My favorite was probably the cream cheese macaron (of course) – sweet and tart in a biteful…and in the prettiest pink shade! The caramel macaroon also kicked major butt as did the rose flavor – I’ve had rose macaron before but Jin’s really drew out the flavor like nothing else. Yes, the macaroons more than redeemed the disappointment of the dessert platter.

(You are so beautiful to me: (From left) rose, caramel, violet w/ cranberries, chocolate)

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

JIN PATISSERIE (Intercontinental Branch) ($)
2151 Avenue of Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 789-6485
http://www.jinpatisserie.com/

* Elliott Yamin has since grown out his hair and is no longer attractive to me.