Eat.Til.i.Die

STELLA!!

2011-10-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

AMAZING! If Pizzeria Mozza had a cooler, hip cousin on the Westside, her name would be Stella Rossa. She's way cool in her subtle, humble way. All the girls want to hang with her on a Friday and Saturday night, and all the boys will wait 20-30 min for her... especially because she'll call you back like she said, while you burn time around Main St.

This place truly does live up to its expectation. You can smell the aromatics walking through Upper Main St. The scene is lively and the DJs spinning the tunes that'll get your heads bobbing. Most importantly, the pizzas are one of the best things you'll find on this street (trust me, I ate pizza all over SF recently).

+ The crust is scrumdiddledeeumptuous - the edges are crispy but fluffy and slightly chewy on the inside; the center is thin but sturdy enough to be the canvas for the amazing market-fresh toppings

+ Really unique toppings - my fave is the crispy Purple Kale & Spinach. It's a light, white pizza with strong, *fresh* parmesean flavor.

++ Our waitress. She was so sweet and attentive, AND she brought Christmas a little earlier this year by surprising us with a bonus sausage pizza just because she wanted us to try the house favorite.

Take it from someone's whose on a "hot by Halloween" mission. I ate ALL my crust and didn't mind the carb bomb. Oh soo good...

Stella Rossa Pizza Bar
2000 Main St

Santa Monica, CA 90405

Pizzeria Mozza
641 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

When in Rain, Eat Ice Creaaam

2011-10-04T10:43:00.001-07:00

What the.. how the.. huuuhwhaaat?! Why has no one told me about Mitchell's before? Everytime I visit the Bay, it's always Bi-Rite, Bi-Rite, Bi-Rite! And don't get me wrong because I love me some earl grey or coffee toffee (best ever) at Bi-Rite, but sometimes you want some of that hoo-hah and culture that Mitchell's seem to do so well.

Uber ethnic. Seated in the Mission - next to hipsters I've been told (thank god I brought my b and boat shoes). So many flavors (I sampled 7 - I tipped so shut it). I didn't even bother looking at everything else + condiments because I was so focused on ice cream - I did see there was a pretzel cone (somebody get it and tell me).

So they have regular flavors and then the Filipino flavors. I went exotic, because you know, wild Scorpio. I thought their espresso toffee was really strong - impactful choco chips if you dig that (I don't). I got...

Langka (Jackfruit) - true to the fruit flavor, creamy but light, fragrant but not domineering. It's a good, mild for those easing their way into something non-vanilla.

Halo-halo - Nice mix of everything + texture! They've got beans, jellies, and gummies in it. There were hints of young coconut but then also ube but then pineapple. I've never had a real Halo-halo but I imagined this creamy combo 1-2 punch.

So with that... I've had my share of tubs of ice cream at random Filipino UFC fight parties and potlucks, and I can't say I was that impressed with the ube or avocado. I don't think it was strong or fragrant enough - something very modest about these flavors. I think for avocado ice cream (or milkshakes) to be really successful, they need to have almost equal parts condensed milk like the Vietnamese do...

Aside those 2, I really liked the variety, most flavors I tried, and their risk factor. I'll be back as often as the Fast and the Furious sequels! (sadly).

PS. Getting ice cream at speciality shops on rainy days is really the best idea because you avoid lines that everybody Yelps about!

Mitchell's Ice Cream
688 San Jose Ave

San Francisco, CA 94110

Urban Adventurin’ in Downtown LA

2010-05-04T01:03:00.001-07:00

Being on the West Side of LA, there is a certain kind of life I'm accustomed to. It is congested but there is a layer of laid-backness that takes us with the wind - some people even argue that there is lack of strong personality. Whatevas.

Speaking of w/e, the thought of Downtown LA makes me cringe. I do visit on occasion to get my fix of concerts and pro ball games. Not this one Spring Saturday afternoon though. I felt relaxed after an easy night of Tivo, and was ready to take on the world, or better yet Syrup Desserts at the heart of downtown.

GAH! I always am amazed by the amount of traffic on the freeway. Where is everyone going at 2pm on a Saturday? You should already be at the beach, or you're a damn fool if you're heading East where the hotness resides. Well I am neither, I just wanted a waffle with a visiting friend. Silly? Not if you know my track record. After over an hour of agony and heat on the 10E, I exited 6^th Street and landed at a convenient (but expensive) meter across the street from this place. It has been listed on Yelp's hot list for as far as this year goes and I was ready to verify its high reviews.

Syrup Desserts. What a pleasing combination of words. Waffles. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Ice Cream. What music to my ears!, and this was just the beginning. They had an intense menu of sweets of all combinations and unique flavor pairings. Strawberry Jasmine Tea and Pistachio Truffle Ice Cream were the flavors of the day - just to give you an idea of the ammo they packed. They stack these over fruit-infused or plain Belgium waffles with a generous decoration of fruit and syrup. I love waffles since I saw my first Eggo commercial during Saturday morning cartoons, so naturally, my eyes fixated on this end of the menu. There were a few that I wanted to try but I decided on one (I am trying to portion control despite how affordable everything was) which was a Blueberry Lemon Waffle with Blueberry Black Tea Ice Cream and Custard topping. Go anti-oxidants!

My friend, as health conscious as she was, knew I was a fan of Mascarpone and ordered the Little Italy crepe which consisted of berries, the cheese, and a scoop of Pistachio Truffle ice cream. Not much of a crepe lover, I actually really enjoyed this – even moreso than the waffle. It must have been the delicateness of the batter and the silkiness of the ice cream. No, really, it was the block of Mascarpone cheese that they layered on top of the crepe. Oh my fat belly this combination was so good! The best part was that you feel less guilty because the crepe was so light and fluffy. In comparison, the waffle was tough. It must be the Belgium-ness in it – it has a resistance to your bite which is ok if I was training for the annual teeth-athon.

The two desserts were pleasant but those two alone would not be enough to draw me to this place. Enter the décor. Syrup Desserts has that real downtown vibe. It is the blast of culture you'd expect in LA as you appreciate its sights from the top level of the loft. There's a rough black coldness to it – industrial – as you think downtown should be, yet there's a sophistication and chicness echoed in the white couches and tabletops. Being here took me away from LA for a minute. I almost felt the livelihood of NY and it was, ironically, refreshing. I really do need to find more places like this or just get out of West LA. There are so many different experiences and they are usually just a 20 minute (or 1 hour+) ride from me.

To life!

Syrup Desserts

611 South Spring St.

Los Angeles, CA 90014

ToraFUKu - Shut Yo Mouth!

2010-04-27T00:26:00.000-07:00

I went to Torafuku for lunch today and it brought back good memories of dinner here. There's a bit of a dilemma. The lunch bentos are super affordable at $12-15/box but their dinner menu is what defines them as a traditional Japanese restaurant.

The lunch bentos come with a ponzu-inspired salad, their signature Kamado white or brown rice (refillable), miso soup, little potato salad & picked vegetables sides, and a decent serving of protein. I got the ginger glazed thin sliced pork and it was ok. It had a good sauce but the flavor didn't fully absorbed into the meat, and I was not so much a fan of the fattyness on the meat. I was a little jealous of my friends' chicken which pretty much looked like a full chicken's breast.

Their signature Kamado rice is basically rice cooked the old style way and I don't know if it's because I heard the story but their rice is pretty damn tasty, especially given I had the brown rice instead.

Like I said, dinner is what sets them apart other Japanese restaurants on this side of town. Their tapas-style menu allows you to try multiple dishes without over-indulging since it is light Japanese (and expensive) fare after all. I highly recommend their miso cod and braised pork with stewed potato in broth. The fish is perfectly cooked and just classy. It looks simple but there's a myriad of flavors that goes into it. The braised pork is just fantastic, especially as you soak it in some of the broth and eat it alongside their old-style white rice. You can find this same dish at Musha in Santa Monica, but I feel this place does it a lot better (less fatty too).

I would stay away from the spicy tuna crispy rice. It's not Katsuya or Koi style. I am also pretty sure I had the overly-crunchy rice pieces stuck in my teeth. I highly advise that you save some stomach area for dessert. I was a little pissed at dinner because I had to pay $4 for a small bowl of non-refillable rice and was disappointed by the crispy rice (despite their stated wins), BUT their redeeming quality that brought up my expectations is their traditional red bean mochi and black sesame ice cream. They flambe the mochi a bit so you get that textured crunch, and its filled with that good-for-you red bean as traditional mochi should be (none of that Americanized ice cream stuff though that is tasty too). The black sesame ice cream is probably the best version I have ever had in Los Angeles. It stays true to the black sesame flavor, not too sweet, and satisfyingly creamy. It would be my Christmas wish to have a carton of this at home, hint.

Overall dinner is a little pricey but I do highly recommend it over lunch - eat light, it is good for summer beach bods! The decor is intimate and sweet. The service is not bad, probably a little more attentive than you'd like but you get things quickly. Did I mention they have awesome black sesame ice cream?

Torafuku
10914 Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
www.torafuku-usa.com

Musha
424 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
www.musha.us

Vintage Puck, Wolfgang Puck

2010-04-25T22:17:00.001-07:00

Wolfgang Puck is quite the culinary icon. If Michael Jackson is the king of Pop, Cut is the king of steakhouses. I love that place but let's go back, way back to his earlier work at the very retro Chinois on Main in Santa Monica, CA. It is his take on Asian fusion, inspired by all parts of China.

Décor – ultimate 80s appeal. The restaurant is easily missed if you are not actively looking for it. The main entrance on Main St. is very unpretentious. The inside keeps the same consistency with faded plastic aqua chairs, common of elementary lunch cafeterias. There are trinkets of Chinese culture via the red dragon, Buddha, and other pieces I have missed. The interior is a little on the tacky side, but again, think 80s retro. Not knowing what the restaurant looked like when it first opened, I am pretty sure it has kept the same look. My favorite part about the whole place is that you can see the actual kitchen and its many ducks hanging, which is uber exciting for a Chinese American on the West side – tell me where else can you see such things?

The place serves mediocre Chinese food at best but I am glad I have crossed it off my "to eat" list. Nobody can be great at everything, and it's fair to say that this is not Puck's forte.

Garlic Chicken Spring Rolls with Chinese cole slaw in a spicy plum sauce - The slaw was really nice and saucy, but the skin of the egg roll was soggy.

I also ordered a Sizzling Calamari Salad with Chinese chili paste served in a Won Ton cup, which was fantastic. The Calamari was perfectly fried, and there was a really great flavor to it greens. The Won Ton cup also added a very nice texture to the soft salad.

Whole Sizzling Catfish with ginger & ponzu sauce - There was nothing sizzling about it, so the dish name was misleading. I was more than impressed that they served an entire fish, head and tail, on this side of town but did not think it was anything to write home about. I did love the ginger and ponzu sauce, which I generously lathered over my Duck Fried Rice for additional flavor.

Grilled Szechwan Beef with spicy shallot cilantro sauce - Nothing extraordinary and I felt the beef was a little tough despite cooking its Medium preparation.

What really surprised me was the Stir-fried Chicken with cashew, pine nuts, and Chinese vegetables. It sounds like a boring dish but Wolfgang did update this dish with his mix of nuts and savory hoisin sauce. There was a bed of white rice in the center that absorbed all the good sauce that just made it even more appetizing.

We also ordered the Cantonese Duck with fresh plum sauce and I hated this rendition of it. The plum sauce was so tart and inconveniently drizzled all over the duck that I could not even avoid it if I wanted to. It was like Wolfgang was trying to turn it into a Thanksgiving turkey with cranberry sauce, which some people can appreciate had they not loved Chinese roast duck with hoisin sauce. Even Mr.Chow stays true to this dish with his minor twist. Boo on you for messing up a traditionally good dish!

Dessert was somewhat impressive because of its spread of cookies. Our curiosity was piqued by the "Confections of Good Fortune" and we found a tray of French Macaroons, almond-paste bar, and chocolate chocolate cookies at the end of that rainbow. Not the best FMacs I've had (and I am a FMac whore) but it was nice to see. It is a fun spread and none were overwhelmingly sweet.

I may be spoiled by good Chinese restaurants growing up, but I have never knocked upscale Asian cuisine if done right. I am still a fan of Mr.Chow and Crustacean in Beverly Hills, and would love to have them in my take-out boxes MWFs. Hah! BTW, funny how all these Asian restaurants start with C? Guess it makes it more authentic Chinese. Oh and this is a bit of an after-thought, but their Jasmine green tea is amazing. I don't know what brand they use but it is so fragrant and delicious, it melts all the fat I ate this meal.

Chinois on Main
2709 Main St.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
www.wolfgangpuck.com

Mr.Chow
344 N. Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
www.mrchow.com

Crustacean
9646 Santa Monica Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
www.anfamily.com

Italia!

2010-04-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

I'm usually pretty generous about sharing my leftovers with my family so they can try what good food in LA is (ugh don't get me started on the time where my Mom sandwiched a beautiful Veal medallion from Providence in a Ciabatta loaf from Bay Cities Deli for a snack)... But Toscana in Brentwood might be the first and only place where I will be licking clean my own leftovers (and to prevent such horrid aforementioned incidents).

Quaint, cute place. It's very subtle and easily missed on this busy street - it's actually right across from Tavern, fyi. The place is small and not bougie or snobby by any means, especially after hearing all the rumors of celebrity sightings. I guess this place is like Fritto Misto for the stars? Good ol' hearty Italian cooking with a lot of yum.

I had the grilled calamari to start and it was unique since it wasn't deep fried like most places. It tasted fresh and I loved the char on the tentacles (don't be a prude). I also had the prosciutto pizza to start and it was amazingly thin. It was really light - no heavy cheese or tomato sauce. I'm glad I had this as an appetizer rather than my main lunch entree because I would not have been full because it was so snack-like (even though it was 16" in diameter).

As for my main, I got greedy and wanted to try both the Spaghetti Pomodoro (most popular dish) and their Daily Special Brisket Bolognese Shell Pasta AND they were surprisingly able to accommodate. Oh I was so glad I asked because they were both SO GOOD. Both pasta were cooked perfectly al dente - it had a good elasticity. I was already more than happy with the texture, but the sauce! I never order anything simple because it's just not me but after strong Yelp reviews on the Spaghetti Pomodoro - just tomato and basil sauce - I went against my grain. Boy was I glad because this simple dish had so much depth and flavor that it made me want to keep eating it despite how full I was. The tang gave me good stamina to power through my pastas and dessert. Next, the Bolognese Shell was oh so tasty too! Perfectly seasoned, very meaty, and comforting. My taste buds tangoed with the two pastas while my feet tapped to the rhythm of the sizzling wood grill in the visible kitchen.

As a dessert surprise, they brought this crispy sugar puff pastry pro bono. It was a delicate sugar crisp - perfect after a carby meal. It reminded me a bit of a butterfly pastry but lighter. They didn't have many desserts for lunch but I didn't mind because I rather eat more pasta, which is quite a statement from me.

I left a pretty happy (hefty) camper. I can't wait to come back... I'm like in love! Italia! Sorry mom, I'll save my next Cut steak for you instead.

Toscana
11633 San Vicente Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90049
http://toscanabrentwood.com

PS. The pictures are of my leftovers - Toscana doesn't really serve on Chinese plates. Haha.

Chasing Cars – Mobile Food Frustration

2010-04-05T01:28:00.001-07:00

I really hate chasing all these food trucks because the fail rate is pretty high. I've been trying to chase Coolhaus for over a year now and I finally caught them twice in one week... not because I was so satisfied the first time, but because I wanted a better taste in my mouth.

Truck events are just no bueno. I attempted the LA Food Truck Festival in Downtown mid-February and that was just a hot mess (the sun was scorching that day!). I tried again at the mini-truck festival at the Americana this past Tuesday thinking that it was a school day and it is so 'effin far that less people. To my dismay, everyone + their moms were there, literally. The only reason I went was to try the Grilled Cheese Truck because I heard it was amazing. Unfortunately it also had the longest line and I unhappily stood there close to 3 hours before finding out that they ran out of macaroni and cheese. Ok… the Coolhaus line wasn't terrible in comparison but many of their flavors were out after my 45 min wait. I was left with the sorbet (pineapple, coconut, pear, lemon, blood orange) flavors and no brioche - all things that made them interesting were gone. I couldn't not get anything after such a long wait so I sucked it up and had the pear sorbet on chocolate cookie. My world was not rocked by any means, nor was I satisfied after my yearlong anticipation. If you've read any of my previous posts, you know that I am pretty particular about a "good" cookie and I don't feel Coolhaus delivered.

Fast forward to 1st Friday on Abbot Kinney and I had a MUCH BETTER food truck experience. The Grilled Cheese Truck line was still the longest of them all but I was happy to finally succeed in trying the monster Mac-N-Cheese, BBQ Pulled Pork, and Caramelized Onion in a Grilled Cheese sandwich. It made me so happy. One bite reminded me of a BBQ plate lunch from a backyard summer BBQ with The Dove Shack's "Summertime In the LBC" playing in the background. This truck is so worth all those fail attempts at trucking. I wished I had gotten my 5 sandwich per person limit…

Coolhaus at 1st Friday – The lines were still long but I was more than happy that most of the flavors, minus pistachio truffle, was still available. I finally got to try the brioche bun, which I paired with the brown butter and candied bacon ice cream. Yummy… The Brioche was ingenious - pairing such delicate, eggy bread with ice cream. It was nice and soft, and the portion was suitable to the focus of the sandwich - the ice cream. I thoroughly enjoyed the Brown Butter & Candied Bacon Ice Cream - I ate it so fast I didn't even have any thoughts for it. You'd think it'd be odd because bacon is so salty but it was subdued from the caramelized coating. The ice cream was such a dynamic combination of sensations. Crunchy. Savory. Sweet. Creamy. Cool. Softness from the brioche.

I had a bite of my friend's dirty mint chip and that was a pleasant surprise. I expected your run of the mill mint flavor, but it tasted like actual mint leaves. Very refreshing and very surprising - I would have polished one of these off myself too if there had been a shorter line!

The obvious bad thing about these trucks is that they're limited in their resources and staffing, and their schedules are rather inconsistent. I like the idea that there are festivals where they are all in one spot, but I guess everyone else feels the same way. It is much better to catch them on an off-night when they're just rolling to your local hot spot for late night snacking. One thing I hate most is when everybody waiting for their food or in line to order complains the heck out of their experience because of the slow service and long lines. It's a food truck people! Save your bad energy for home or get Chinese takeout if you wanted a convenient, smooth experience.

With the abundance of trucks these days, it's hard to keep track of them all. One tip is to use an aggregator site like www.findlafoodtrucks.com. This will list all trucks in the LA area and where they are along with any specials of the day.

I have not had the chance to try them all but these are/were the ones I am/was most excited about and recommend trying:

Kogi BBQ – The originator of the LA Food trucks. Korean tacos and burritos. My faves are the spicy pork and chicken tacos. I would avoid the kimchi quesadilla and sliders, which I found underwhelming.

Komodo Truck – Uhh only the sexiest truck around! They've been on KTLA morning news and Tasting Table. They use only the finest ingredients and are not restricted to a food genre unless unique is part of the descriptor. I've only had their fish 'n grape taco, and can say they know how to perfectly fry a fish which can be difficult in a truck!

Grilled Cheese Truck – If you've read my post, you know my stand on this. Get it. I wouldn't get a plain grilled cheese here though – go big and get the one with the mac 'n cheese and bbq pulled pork. You only live once right?

Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwich Truck – If they're nearby, have most of their flavors still, try it. They are good in that they do have some inventive flavors and will surprise you with their take on the classics but their lack of appearances and incognito schedules really piss me off. I would much rather go to The Milk Shop who is there when I need them to be.

Frysmith – French fries with melted cheese and meat on top? Sign me up! It's a pretty hefty meal on its own, which can be surprising since this carb is usually a side accompaniment. I recommend the kimchi chicken – unique and the pickled vegetable keeps your appetite up when you think you can't go any further.

Don Chow Tacos – Chinese Tacos and one of the longest standing trucks which popped up soon after Kogi. This truck is made up of one of the nicest people in this industry. Their special chow fun is bomb, their char siu is damn delicious and not a fake red, and they serve horchata. See any flaws? They'll also be on on Guy Fieri's Dives, Diners, and Drive-Ins later this year.

South Philly Experience – Very low key and under-rated. I stumbled upon them on Pico Blvd. after Kogi ran out of my favorite tacos. I've never been to Philly so I can't compare but I really liked their bread. It was soft and buttery, which is more than I can ask for. The food is just more pricey than I figured for a food truck at $8-9 average.

Buttermilk Truck – I have not tried but I saw someone with Red Velvet mini-pancakes… Next mission…

Chasing cars is an exhausting task. My patience for them is shot. Can they just be in a restaurant already so I don't have to find you? I'm a lady and I enjoy being catered to.

Mo’ Mochi Please

2010-03-17T23:33:00.001-07:00

In the olden days, the Japanese made mochi only during special holidays as a gift to the gods. Chinese folks would make it for wedding ceremonies or romantic holidays as a tribute to old tales of lost lovers. Fugetsu-Do in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo currently makes mochi to put in my belly while miraculously adding inches to it too. As the mulit-tasker, mochi is one of my food loves.

I wouldn't call it candy; I'd put it along the same vein as baked goods. I used to only be bedazzled by the ice cream mochi sold in your local supermarket's frozen section but now I am pretty serious about it. I still love the ice cream ones but I do very much appreciate the traditional rice cake and filling types – maybe it's my mature, ahem, taste buds now (I do like bittersweet chocolate since we are on the topic).

Fugetsu-Do has been around for ages (like since 1903 to be exact) and they are actually the mochi topping providers for Pinkberry, Yogurtland, or one of those famous places (I want to say the former). I just heard of this place recently through a friend and I love it. They have so many varieties and some unique flavors that are worth trying. Here is a play by play because you should know sooner than later:

Come on! And if peanut butter doesn't appeal to you, I'm sorry about your troubled childhood.

My mom kinda scolded me saying something along the lines of "you'd even buy chocolate mochi?!" She quickly quieted herself after a bite. It is surprisingly tasty for you traditionalists. For those with a more American palette, you'll eat this up... literally.

It is still Saran-wrapped because I wanted to keep my family's claws off them. Heh... the light colored one is a strawberry flavored white bean with a touch of chocolate. It is their signature flavor and rightfully so.

It's pretty yah? It's a white bean mango mochi. The mango flavor is very subtle. Nothing to go crazy over.

The green thing kinda looks like Slimer from Ghostbusters :) Different texture though! He's more tender and powdery from the peanut powder on the outside and he's packed with red bean (great for you somehow as a Chinese mom would tell you). The pink mochi in the background is like the mango too in that it's packed with white bean and nice to look at. The flavor is very mild if you are looking for something... how shall we say... boring?

One of my other favorites - baked potato mochi. It's not your traditional rice cake type. The texture is very unique and powdery. It becomes a sticky mess but it somehow pieces back together in your mouth as the bread it initially resembled.

They are 3 other baked varieties but most of the rice cake mochi come in either red or white bean for your choosing. They also have some without any filling, just lots of good dough. Your call but don't pass this up!

Fugetsu-Do Confectioners

315 East First Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012

They ship them too if you are too lazy to make the trek :) Get 'em for Valentine's Day! And Easter and Halloween and Christmas... oh, and Columbus Day.

Nobu Matsuhisa = Genius

2010-03-04T00:11:00.000-08:00

It's so good, I like, cry. Not to quote Paris Hilton and all, but the best sushi / Japanese food I have ever had came from this man.

So I remember reading People magazine and thinking how ridiculous it was that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie spent 4+ hours dining at a restaurant for their anniversary or something. It was probably just a PR play to show that their magic was still there right? Yeah, no. After dining at Nobu Malibu, I can see how anyone (with deep pockets) can EASILY spend so much time at one restaurant... eating and eating and eating. Bragelina must have been at Nobu or Matsuhisa because those places are just exquisite.

Tucked away in the hills, Nobu Malibu is neither pretentious or shi shi. It is fancy - don't get me wrong - but in a classy way. The music isn't blaring loud like some of the other obnoxious places in Hollywood. The waiter (great guy Kevin who's been there since only October '09) is down-to-earth, friendly, and straight-up knowledgeable about everything sushi-related. Did you know that all their waiters go through intense training courses on the fish and menu?? I have never had such great service at a high-end place, hands down. This guy paced our dishes so that we were never overwhelmed. He ordered our dishes so that there was a balance between light and heavy, savory and salty, fish and beef, and any other yin yang that I missed because I was hypnotized by the food.

I had more "hot" or cooked dishes at this place than I did at Matsuhisa, but everything I had came out beautifully and magnificent...

<-- Big Eye Tuna on Miso Chip (Cold Dish) - Coolness on top of sweet, crispy chip = win

Tiradito (Cold Dish) - White fish in ponzu/lemon juice with kick of Peruvian sauce ramps up your appetite with the punch of tartness from this dish -->

<-- Yellowtail Sashimi (Cold Dish) - Every fine Japanese restaurant has their own version of this now, but did you know Nobu was the mastermind behind this dish?

Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice Lettuce Cup (off the menu) - Did I not say it was artistic? -->

<-- Tempura King Crab in Jalapeno Ponzu Sauce (Daily Special) - Very meaty and succulent!

California Roll Nobu has a rice plant in Japan that
makes rice JUST for him... that's pretty gangster, and makes for the best CA Roll I've ever eaten - definitely nothing like the Costco sushi roll trays, hah!-->

<-- Beef "Toban" Yaki (Hot Dish) - Brought out on a hot plate, it sizzles with a fragrant butter sauce that is enough to make Paula Dean blush and will put you in pure meat sin...

Tempura King Crab Roll (Off the Menu) - I just wanted to show how meaty this crab roll was. Nobu definitely does not skimp on the good stuff -->

And lastly, 3.5 hours later after the kitchen is closed and the staff starts to clean up, I get to the best part... DESSERT! With a short selection, it is a fairly easy decision - well at least until the waiter goes on to describe the DNA of each dessert, then things get a little complicated. So being the problem-solver that I am, I requested an Omakase of dessert that well... I polished off myself because my buddy lacked a sweet tooth. Luckily for him, I have two rows of sweet teeth.

The dessert omakase included a hazelnut cookie ice cream sandwich complete with a duo of caramel and vanilla ice cream. The cookie was soft and easy to inhale, which I did. The spring rolls was dark chocolate and white chocolate, and came with three sauces--strawberry, chocolate, and caramel. This was ok but I am generally not a fried egg roll fan (I'm a spring-er). The shiso crepe stopped me in the middle of my conversation. I had a moment where everything else in front of me faded away and my mind went numb while my taste buds went into overdrive. How can a green pocket of warm caramel and caramelized banana be so delicious?! The mint crepe was soft and comforting, and just made me want to eat more. As full as I was, I scarfed them both down because this goodness was not to be missed. I am generally no crepe girl (yeah weird right? guess I am more of a guy), but their's was a little thicker and more substantial... a little airy. It was almost a light, spongy bread but not? Not to mention, pairing it with the vanilla ice cream just made it great. I would easily opt for this dessert over ANY chocolate souffle and that is a pretty bold statement guys. Did I mention the vanilla ice cream sat on top of a crunchy meringue? What a nice surprise! I thought I finally found a flaw at Nobu in that they had served me old freezer-burnt ice cream. No, I just got punked. It was actually another texture surprise hidden under good stuff. And lastly, the strawberry ice cream. I'll admit, my "mature" taste buds have taken me away from fruit flavors which include the aforementioned but I was so ever surprised that this tasted like an actual strawberry. It was not the fake Quik Strawberry Milk powder ice cream, it was the bite of an actual strawberry in season. Just slightly tart and refreshing, cooled as it just came out of the fridge. Amazing, Nobu, amazing.

This is such a great Japanese restaurant that the only one that trumps it is Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills, and that is only because I had more of his sushi dishes and all those were just mind-boggling good. Really really ridiculously good.

Nobu Malibu
3835 Cross Creek Road #18A
Malibu, CA 90265

Nobu Hollywood
903 N. La Cienega Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046

Matsuhisa
129 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Ice Queen

2010-03-02T17:35:00.001-08:00

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream... well, I just eat it. LOTs of it.

When I was a kid, I loved rainbow sherbet. You know the ones that come in a rectangle square box from Thrifty's where the colors are meshed into each other? (Man, I don't know how those paper boxes every lasted. They got so mushy by the end of their freezer career!) When I was 5 years old or so, my mom had given me the OK to eat ice cream after lunch - probably because I spent another day being the best kid EVER. She was tired so she left it up to me to scoop my own bowl of dairy confection goodness while she napped. With a little spoon for my little hands and a frozen box of ice cream, I slowly chipped away at the rainbow ice and transferred it into my bowl. It was the first time I got to control my sugar portions, and with my mom asleep, it was the perfect time to capitalize on an opportunity o' greed. Scoop... scoop... scoop... I was so focused on my growing ice cream pile, I failed to realize that it had already been 30 minutes later. In life's greatest irony, my mom woke up and saw me with my huge mammoth of ice cream and immediately decreased my load by half. Epic fail.

A bit long-winded but that began my love for ice cream. What isn't there to like really? It's sweet, creamy, and slowly melts so you can enjoy all aspects of it. Or it's still sweet and creamy but you bite through it so fast that your teeth turns cold and you're caught in an immediate brain freeze - what a rush!

20+ years later, I am still the ice queen I once was. I tried to boycott store-bought ice cream 2 years ago because I was extremely upset by the incredible shrinking ice cream boxes - I couldn't believe that Dreyers Ice Cream boxes kept shrinking as their prices kept soaring. I know we're in a midst of a tough economy but I don't like being bamboozled. Don't just sneak in a smaller box and expect me not to notice! Seriously! Dreyers was smart though. They countered my boycott by teasing me with Dreyers Limited Edition Flavors. If these flavors were only going to be on shelves for only so long, I will have to try it as a true ice cream lover before it go-goes. Sigh... ice cream undefeated, me 0. Here is a short recap of the Limited Edition flavors that I just so happen to have on-hand...

Egg Nog - I get it every year during the holidays; it's better than drinking!
Vanilla Sandwich - If you love ice cream sandwiches, then you'll like this. Not only that, but it's almost like Cookies and Cream 2.0. There are so many cookies pieces and they're so much bigger at that. Bigger is better! (Greedy confessions of a fat kid by the way.)
Hot Cocoa - If you dig marshmallow texture; I don't but I like that this takes me closer to Serendipity's Frozen Hot Chocolate.
Mud Pie - It sounds good but it could use a bolder coffee flavor, especially given how delicious coffee ice cream just is.

Other noteworthy Dreyers Limited Editions not pictured:

Apple Pie a la Mode - Saw it once, got it, and never regretted it! The caramelized apple pieces with graham cracker crust interwoven throughout the box - amazing!
Pumpkin Pie - Do you like Thanksgiving? Then get it!

You are brilliant Dreyer's. Not only do I keep gaining weight but I continue throwing money your way with your constant inventions. What great marketers...

Good Eats

2010-02-28T23:46:00.000-08:00

It is rainy, I am hungry, and it is barely 9am in the morning. Driving back from Irvine after a late night of birthday celebrating, Xiao Long Baos (juicy Shanghainese soup dumplings) sounded divine. I was definitely not about to drive another 50 miles elsewhere, so I resorted to good ol' Yelp for a good place to start off a good, rainy Saturday... and thank goodness for it because Ding's Garden was such a great find.

Ding's Garden is a legit, small-time Shanghainese-Chinese restaurant. Their menu is written only in Chinese (unless you shamefully request for the English version like me - ABC, what what?). There are so many different dishes but most are the familiar classics. The food comes amazingly fast - within 5 minutes - so you won't be kept in much anticipation.

I know I said I came to satiate my craving of Xiao Long Baos but my wondering eyes got the best of me and I feasted like it was Chinese New Year again. Here is the play by play:

APPETIZER / MAIN:
+ Jiao He Jiao He (mixed cold-cut appetizer) - Simple, herby, addictive (not overly sensational to kick off your pallete)

+ XLBs - Excellent! Meaty, soupy, and flavorful. The vinegar and ginger is not even necessary because it's that good. I honestly wished I had ordered 2 crates.
+ Zha Zhang Mian - Tasty with a hint of sweetness. The noodles had a good elasticity and chewiness to it. It still is not comparable to the best-I've-ever-eaten in Hong Kong but I mean, you can't really beat the motherland.+ Pork Chop Fried Rice - Huge pork chop, well crusted, good meat to breading ratio, comforting fried rice
- Spicy Beef Noodles - Great lean cuts of meat without much tendon (my personal preference), but the soup lacked the herbiness that makes this dish - maybe it's the Shanghainese recipe vs. the Taiwanese flavors I am used to, at no fault of the dish if so
- Dan Dan Mian - Very peanuty if you are into that but it tasted too close to a peanut butter sandwich to me; I would have enjoyed more meat flavor in it. As an FYI, I do love PB in every form but this just seemed too much, even for me
- Stir Fried Rice Cakes (Nian Gao) - Ordinary, could have used more salt

DRINKS / DESSERT
+ Winter Melon Drink - Fragrant and sweet
+ Boba Milk Tea - Boba is smaller, which made it easier to swallow without much necessary chew time --> more time to eat everything else! :)
+ Sesame Rice Balls in Sweet Soup - Fantastic! I could not stop eating it for the life of me! You can tell it is freshly made from the delicateness of the rice balls. The sweet soup perfectly complements the balls, and I love the hint of fragrant Osmanthus flowers sprinkled on top. This is definitely worth getting if you can appreciate traditional Chinese desserts, which is especially perfect for a rainy day.
All in all, this meal was excellent - taste, value, and service rocked (the servers are busy folks but they will gladly stop and explain what's what on the menu and what the other table ordered). All the dishes were inexpensive, averaging $6/dish.

My mom said it best in that you know the owners of Ding's Garden are good cooks who care about their food as it clearly shows in the dishes. I can't wait til I come back for my 2 crates of Xiao Long Baos and sesame rice balls!

18922 Gale Ave, Ste A
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

534 E Valley Blvd, Ste 10
San Gabriel, CA 91776

It's DeLuscious with a 'sch

2010-02-27T11:39:00.000-08:00

Hi, I am a self-proclaimed cookie monster. I would trade my first born for a box of DeLuscious Cookies - I have never had such an epic dessert experience in my life. Their Chocolate Decadence - half cookie/brownie, half God's gift - is THE epitome of what a cookie should be.

Yes they are a little more expensive at $4-5/cookie. Yes you do have to pre-order and have them delivered or picked up. Finally, yes they will be the BEST cookies you ever eat.

They mastered the chocolate brownie-cookie to a tee. It is large and can probably serve as your desk's paperweight. It is coated in powdered sugar and decorated with natural oven cracks to display the seriousness of it all. On your first bite, the powdered sugar melts and cools into your mouth and then immediately, you are hit with rich, chocolately decadence (har har har). You get the outside crisp of a cookie, the inside satisfactory denseness of a brownie, and surprise pockets of melted chocolate chips (I don't know how they do that after the cookie has been cooled and wrapped!).

There's really no other place I know that bake cookies the way they do. I really hope they start selling them individually so I can satiate my spontaneous cravings and be able to sleep peacefully at night...

829 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038

www.delusciouscookies.com

Internationally Known, Not Just Known to Rock the Microwaaave

2010-02-25T22:29:00.001-08:00

I don't know what it is. Maybe it is something about having too many perplex dishes or hitting that quarter life crisis, but there is something beyond appealing about pizza. Piece of dough, tomato sauce, melted cheese, and some meat topping and your day gets better. It is a sure win and it is comforting. Well… knowing me, it can't be that simple!

Korean pizza. I heard about this concept 3 years ago but never acted on it - let's face it, if I am going to K-Town in LA, I am going to grill meat, end of discussion. But recently, my friend had told me about Pizza and Chicken Love Letter in Cerritos. Appealing because it is in the 'burbs where parking is abundant and it is away from the temptation of Korean BBQ. Thanks to Yelp, I found a closer location right in front of my parents' house in a random, janky strip mall. SCORE! Why Korean pizza you ask? It is atypical. Ok more? Rather than your traditional pepperoni (which, don't get me wrong, I LOVE), they have zany toppings like bulgogi. Do I need to say anymore? You can put that meat anywhere and it is delicious! All right, if that has not hooked you. This place also has a potato and sweet potato topping. Ok the former is becoming more main stream so we will let that slide but you still doubt carb on carb? Sounds too heavy? Well, it is not too much if the restaurant does it right. Sliced thin or chopped small and the starchiness will not be overwhelming. Enter Pizza & Chicken Love Letter's sweet potato pizza – WOW!

First of all, if you love (yellow) sweet potato, then this is it. If you are not a fan of this starchy friend, then you will NOT get the point of Pizza & Chicken Love Letter. They take a pan-roasted crust and pile on diced sweet potato, pineapple, sausage, onions, corn, tomato sauce, and cheese. If you're feeling more adventurous (and you should because you've already walked through the door), upgrade to the "gold" crust where they fill the pizza crust with mashed sweet potato. I have never tasted such an amazing combination – all these flavors together work! It is just the right amount of savory remixed with natural sweetness from the sweet potatoes. It might be weird for some people, but again, if you enjoy sweet potatoes, then you will like this pizza.

Did I mention this place was super cute? It made me think I was in a CUE photo booth. It is a little barny because of the brownish wood interior and red & white checkered tables. The place is lined with booths for a more intimate love session… with yo' pizza! The walls are decorated with cartoonish writing along with cheesy chicken mascots that remind you of the Asian authenticity of this place.

They also have a variety of different chicken styles and flavor. One of them is chicken bulgogi that has been baked in cheese – tell me how awesome does that sound? While the sweet chili chicken wings are as addictive as Nutella, I happily optted for the sweet potato gold pizza because it is… just… that… amazing. Between the cute atmosphere and unique combinations, this place is stomach-worthy fo' sho!

These are the location addresses:

18333B Colima Rd.
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

8891 Garden Grove Blvd.
Garden Grove, CA 92884

11752 Garden Grove Blvd.
Garden Grove, CA 92884

You Must Be My Lucky Star

2010-02-18T22:01:00.001-08:00

Have you ever paid $45+ for ice cream? I thought fine dining ended at steak or sushi, but somehow I managed to pay that much for one of The Milk Shop's French Macaroon ice cream sandwiches…

Is their ice cream really worth that much? You can say it is debatable. Admittingly, I didn't really pay $45+ for just ice cream – 95% went to the city for illegally parking my vehicle 5 minutes in the residential area to satisfy my sweet tooth. Can you really blame me? I had already driven 15 minutes out from the Westside for their limited edition blueberry French Macaroon ice cream sandwich that I have never ever had. Am I asking too much to just have a parking spot ready for me at 10pm? Seriously, parking on Beverly has become a pain in the a-hole ever since two years ago. On the weekends, El Coyote is nice enough to lend out their lot (for a fee) but good luck on a busy night. If they are full, you are pretty much stuck driving around the neighborhood until you stumble on a meter. And despite all those grade school grammar lessons on double negatives, Milk double-jabs you with their constant price increases. $1 increase in less than a year is pretty horrendous, especially considering how affordable they used to be in 2006 ($2.50 for an ice cream sandwich vs. $4.50 now!). Yet despite all obstacles, I keep coming back. I'm a damn fool in love, and Milk is just magically delicious. This is why:

French Macaroon Ice Cream Sandwiches – Take the best two sweets man ever invented and then twist it with some shi-shi French influence to make it even more mind-blowingly amazing. The French Macaroon part is sweet and chewy, holding its own against the silky ice cream. The textures play off each other well as you get a bit of substance in between a flash freeze of cold. My favorite is the Toffee Coffee –strong overall coffee taste with bits of chocolate covered toffee for an extra bite. I also enjoy their many unpredictable seasonal flavors. It gets me in the store every time! My favorite is the Rose French Macaroon Ice Cream sandwich that is only available on Valentine's Day week. It is quite the treat if you are into fragrant-tasting food.

Blue Velvet Cake – If you believe in puppies and have a ridiculous sweet tooth, then yes. Saay whaat? You will have a new favorite birthday gift after a bite. Unbelievably moist with a tasty cream cheese frosting… Bits of blueberry dancing in between each frosted layer… Just rich, guilty indulgence. And just when you think you have had your way with the cake, it gives you another magical experience. Your very own blue Easter Egg! Ask me after.

Espresso a la Mode – It took me 4 years before I knew this existed. I have spent all my energy on the FMac & Blue Velv that I skip the menu. After going with a new group of people and candidly giving them disgusted looks for ordering items other than the aforementioned, I was exposed to this concoction containing 2 scoops of vanilla + 2 shots of espresso + chocolate syrup + whipped cream + hazelnuts. For someone who loves coffee-flavored things, I was in heaven. Contrast of hot and cold. Bitter and sweet. Creamy and nutty. I became an instant fan – so much that I did not even get a FMac during my latest run. I went straight for this dish with a few minor tweaks because who wants to be boring vanilla: 1 scoop coffee toffee ice cream + 1 scoop peanut ice cream + 2 shots of espresso + light chocolate syrup + hazelnuts. Too much? Nah… I had no problems sleeping that night. I was more than satisfied.

Inventive ice cream sandwiches. Tasty cakes. Bold items. Yeah, I will be back (sans the parking ticket hopefully). There really isn't any dessert place out there that can do what they do.

7290 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046

That'sa Pizza!

2010-02-16T00:53:00.000-08:00

Pizzeria Mozza: This place will always have a fond place in my heart. I had this place earlier on in my food career when my boyfriend at the time whisked me away after a stressful day at work to introduce me to the best pizza he ever ate. Not knowing how different gourmet pizza can be from my favorite take out joint, Pizza Hut, I became a new person that night.

While I have not gone very often, I hold Batali’s pizza as the bar for what great pizza should be. Their pizzas are made with the freshest ingredients. The tomato sauce is tangy and rustic. Their cheese is made in-house and sprinkled with just the right amount (not too much, not too little though nobody ever complains about extra cheese!). And… the perfect bubbly crust which makes the pizza. Just to give you a little background, I am not a crusty person. I am that girl that would cut the middle of the pie and eat it if you’d let me. Why waste my stomach space on an area that does not contain cheese, meat, or tomato? Worse of all, it is usually pretty dry and hard to eat. Well that mentality changed after having Mozza’s light, airy crust.

Fast forward a few years, I have yet to find another pizza place as tasty as Pizzeria Mozza. Recently his pizzeria gave me a new reason to come back: Nancy Silverton’s new Wednesday night Italian-rubbed baby back ribs. Boy oh boy were they tasty! Extremely flavorful – tangy, savory, spicy, and moderately saucy. The aromatics on the ribs fill your senses with every new bite. They aren’t bbq so don’t expect smoke or grill marks on this baby. Also, unlike your traditional baby backs, these are much smaller. It’s an interesting cut – only half the size of what you are used to. (They are more like Chinese short ribs if that means anything to you.) Don’t fret though! The volume of flavor truly does make up for the smaller size.

On that night, I also shared two pizzas – the Bacon, salami, fennel sausage, guanciale, tomato & mozzarella and the Egg, bacon, Yukon gold potato & Bermuda onions. The first one was basically a meat lovers-kinda pizza (YEA!!). It was ok. I wished it had a little more tomato sauce on it and more bubbly in the crust. The second pizza was better. I was surprised by how tender the potatos were, and I was more than stoked to have an egg on my pizza. The egg didn’t quite live up to the idea I had of it – maybe if it was bigger? It is tough to get enough of the egg on the pizza when its divvied up into four slices.

Sadly, the pizzas weren’t quite what I remembered. Maybe I did not order the right ones. Their maragherita (mozzarella, tomato & basil) is their best pizza after all, and I previously loved their prosciutto. Maybe it was the ribs. They were just so damn delicious it suppressed every other capable sensation that night. Or maybe it was that treasured first memory – it’sa Amore! Regardless, I will still love this pizzeria and now I have the ribs to look forward to.

641 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Animal Cruelty

2009-08-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

You break my heart Animal. I've longed you for months, but you killed my spirit with your lack of lamb, savory-less dessert, and plates for ants (I thought it was another bad Mugatu joke).

Animal
The appetizer list is extensive and the most interesting of the menu items. The quality was good--definitely rich and paired well--but it was bite-sized and dissatisfying. Yea apps are smaller, but I never expected a SINGLE ravioli to come out. Otherwise, the head cheese and sweet bread was unexpectedly good. It was the first time I had the latter, and I'm glad it was a good experience. As for the head cheese--I just love banh mi and pâté, so I will love this dish regardless.

I had the following as my mains: foie gras loco moco, the flat iron steak, and the lamb. I thought the loco moco was the most original and unique. I really liked the maple syrup, teriyaki, and sriracha sauce they used in place of traditional plate gravy. The dish was topped by a fatty piece of foie gras, contrasted by a delicate fried quail egg. In accompaniment was also a (over-done) hamburger patty and spam (uhh yumm!). The flat iron was ordinary, though the size should have made it an appetizer. Now the lamb! I can't even talk about the lamb because I never got it after 45 minutes of waiting! You know really, it's fine if you don't have it, but please don't promise it to me, have me wait longer, and then end up canceling the order for me because somehow it's not available anymore. It's not that serious, just be honest! That kinda soured my experience, but it's fine because the much-anticipated bacon crunch bar is next on my palette. Well uhh.. yeah. Under-whelming. The bacon bits tasted like the fake bacon in cans used for salads. Maybe they played it too safe with this one--not wanting to interfere with the sweets--but if you're going to pull this stunt in the first place, balls out son! I preferred the tres leches--moist, milky, and adequate.

I am glad I tried the place. Some plates were unique and well-executed... I just wouldn't come back. There are so many better restaurants at this price point.

435 N Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Summertime in the I.C.E

2009-08-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

Send for the flower girl and fly out the doves because the perfect union has taken place down the ice cream aisle at your local supermarket! The two best things on ice have decided to spend their shelf life together in a bucket!

Do you Mint Chip take Cookies 'n Cream to be yours? Because I've called my friends while you play with your friends, and I'm ready to do this every weekend! Ben and Jerry's has kept this marriage for a while with their Mint Cookie pint, but if you're anything like me, you definitely want something more sizable and affordable. Enter Dreyers, who decided to mainstream this flavor into one of their many offerings in any grocery store. Mint Cookie Crunch. (Don't even get me started on how long it took me to find this specific Dreyers carton. They came, they left, they're back, whatever, just stay!) It's green, as any good mint ice cream should be--I don't care if it's artificial, something about the color validifies its taste. The cookies are soft and present in most bites you take (though it would be nice to get that surprise big cookie here and there to fully satiate your cookie tooth). It's also, sadly, lowfat, which you can taste on a particular night. Ok fine, it's not the best but it is present and not bad which is more than I can ever ask for. So Breyer's Mint Cookie Crunch is the mate I settled with (definitely over Ben & Jerry's Mint Cookie, personally. I hate whites). We aren't passionate nor have that magnetic spark, but it is consistent and stable. There is a big ocean with room for other fish right? Hopefully other ice cream brands will start spawning this best concoction.

One other notable mention while we're on the best ice cream combo ever is Trader Joe's Mini Mint Ice Cream Mouthfuls--Oreo 2.0 stuffed with mint ice cream in the middle. This is a hard find people, godspeed.

Awesome Blossom

2009-08-19T23:06:00.001-07:00

Shrouded between a new high tower for sale and clouds of smoke, I saw bright yellow explosions of highlighter on people's T-Shirts. On one hot Saturday afternoon, I supported Southern CA's summer past time--this year's KBBQ festival.
Like anybody's first, it was a bit of mess without much direction or combative preparation. Social media struck again--enlisting an army of hungry eaters and participators from Yelp & Co. I'm not going to hold it against them. Shit happens. There were about 5 restaurants around 2-4ish. The one I was most excited about had the longest line, but it looked oh so worth it! Not because they had jap chae or kimchi or potato salad or any of the fun bon chon that comes with korean food. This booth only had rice but it was the sidekick to this AWESOME PIECE OF SHORT RIB. The meat was blossoming off the piece of bone. It was really beautiful. Nice caramel color. Charcoal marks to affirm its bbqness. Fat piece of bone to add more flavor. And a fat piece of meat, cut into squares and that's right, blossoming off the thick piece of bone. I wished I took a picture, but sadly Flip's BBQ ran out of meat after over an hour of waiting in line. To which, my sunburnt body retrieved back to the Korean indoors at nearby Chosun Galbee on Olympic. Why do you deny me Flip's, why?

Side Note..

2009-07-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Have you eaten to the point where your stomach hurts for multiple days? I feel like I am consistently there...

Cellulite Please?

2009-07-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

Friend: What are you doing tonight?
Me: I'm going to craft
Friend: Oh! How fun! What are you making?
Me: Umm... I'm making cellulite.

Craft Los Angeles
And that is exactly what I did with the never-ending dishes that made its way to our table at Craft Los Angeles. I had been once before, but was not blown away. It had great ambiance but the dishes itself didn't present anything unique. This time around, I had a greater appreciation for Tom Colicchio's restaurant. While not the most creative, the restaurant serves the finest ingredients and let its quality speak for itself.

I had an interesting conversation with my cousin yesterday, in which I was quick to fight him on but could not think of a counter-example. The experience at Craft today seemed to back up his theory that appetizers are the stars of any meal, while the entree is the boring supporting actor. Hmm... bold statement. I love meat, I love carbs, ergo I love main entrees which is essentially the meat (is there a better word in the culinary dictionary?) of each meal. I didn't want to believe it, but it makes a bit of sense. Since apps are smaller, chefs can be a little riskier... adding as many ingredients, texture, and flavor as they like. Entrees have to deliver certain expectations. Period. It makes up most of the bill, so it better taste like that fond memory (did someone say pot roast? ok, who am I kidding? I mean, Chinese roast duck). On that note...

Appetizers/Sides
Japanese Hamachi & Tuscan Melon - The citrus jelly that skirts the fish is bombastic
Assorted Mushrooms - Really really good, as in I-think-there-was-bacon-in-it good
Gnocchi - Carb bomb but light and fluffy
Lemon Asparagus Risotto - Too citrusy
Variety of Heirloom Tomatoes - At its peak season and sweet to the taste
Lobster & Avocado - It's ok. Even bacon doesn't make this outstanding.

Entrees
Flatiron Steak - It's what it is. You can find this anywhere.
Pekin Roast Duck - Underwhelming. Fatty. The grape-inspired peppercorn sauce could have tasted better with an extra pinch of salt.
Halibut - Delicate. It's fish. Don't have much of an opinion.
Braised Beef Short Rib - Really tender, really juicy but how can you mess up a slow-roasted short rib really? Throw it in a crock pot with some good spices and you are set (really!).
Lamb - Not gamey at all, really meaty and just flavorful. They stuffed this chop with herbs, causing it to almost taste like an Italian sausage.

Dessert
Watermelon Granita with a dash of Salt - Refreshing! This would have been the best note to end on.
Almond Pound Cake - Where's the almond taste?
Souffle - Wow.
Beignets - Delicious and delicate despite its fried doughness. Drizzle with a bit of honey and chocolate, and you're walkin on the moon
Petit Fours (White Chocolate Cookies, Brownies, Caramel Popcorn) - Now these intricate little bites ought to be in a fine dining restaurant!
Lavendar Lemon Muffin - I'm having this for breakfast, so verdict TBD

Yeah we had about 1/2 the menu... thank goodness it is family style, which is the best attribute of this restaurant. As far as my opinion, I am going to be nice and say indifferent in the realm of fine dining. (Disclaimer: I have been to some really really good restaurants.)

Ode to the Beef Roll

2009-07-25T21:21:00.001-07:00

It's almost child cruelty that my mom kept this deliciousness from me for over 2 decades: the Taiwanese Beef Roll.

Beefy (obviously), savory, sweet, slightly chewy and fresh all in one bite... and one you can neatly pick it up with a pair of chopsticks! This breakfast/brunch dish is made with well-seasoned pieces of beef, practically in shreds as a testament to its tenderness. The beef is slathered with a bit of hoisin sauce (and who doesn't love this sauce?!) and a generous heap of diced cilantro. All this is rolled into a slightly crispy onion pancake, which softens a bit after the beef's juices seeps through. Altogether, it looks a bit like a beef burrito. The genetics of this dish is pretty simple, but its got all the right flavors and texture that really makes this outstanding and much desired. Maybe it comes laced in crack, IDK... I don't know how to say "crack" in Mandarin to ask.

I have not been to many places with it, but these are my top 2:

Yung Ho
1045 E Valley Blvd #A105
San Gabriel, CA 91776

Kam Hong Garden
848 E Garvey Ave #A
Monterey Park, CA 91755

3 Sq Cafe + Bakery = 2 Star Happy

2009-04-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

LA's first taste of summer hit this past weekend and what better way to spend it than biking along the beach then Venice for shopping and good eats? Selfishly, I dragged my friends after an exhausting, hot day to a place where I had heard about the next best thing to steak: a Pretzel Bun Burger.

3 Square Cafe + Bakery
Situation: 3 Square Cafe + Bakery is a cute, happening place on a corner of Abbot Kinney. I have passed it by several times, always wondering what people are talking about in there and whether or not I can afford what they are eating. (There are plenty of surprises on this street after all.) It was not until my friend told me about the Pretzel Bun Burger that I made my way into this restaurant. Eclectic, clean, even eco-friendly looking (judging from the Astro Turf on the table). Cool. Menu is simple, but included a twist on traditional items--Avocado Fries, Truffle Macaroni 'n Cheese Croquettes, Pretzel Dumplings, Truffle French Fries, Cauliflower Puree Soup with Chorizo.

Food: The menu is oddly organized and priced, to which I heard the waitress bitch about the entire time I was there (service sucked and they were so negative about the restaurant)! Appetizers read like sides and entrees are mixed with 1 sandwich and random other things. My eyes drew to all items pretzel and the macaroni cheese, and so I ordered. The Pretzel Bun Burger included a generous piece of perfectly charcoaled meat--medium the way I liked it--with grilled onions and melted Swiss cheese. Not many ingredients to take away from the highlight of the meat-complementary pretzel bun. I added a bit of ketchup, mustard and a tad of El Cholo (we are in CA after all). CHOMP! And it was one of the best burgers I have had in a while! So, I could not taste the pretzel much outside of its texture (not enough salt crystals, which let's face it, makes a pretzel). BUT, it was only because the burger patty was so well done that nothing else mattered, and so the party in my mouth continues without...
Until I had the Mac 'n Cheese croquette and Pretzel Dumpling. The croquette style was different. Lot more breading than I would have wanted, and definitely cooled before I was done finishing my 3rd bite. I liked the marinara accompaniment but I much would have rathered Pizza Hut's bread sticks to go with. There were black pieces of truffle, but I could not really taste what made it decadent. Moving onto the Pretzel Dumpling which looked more like a pancake and had the texture of a Chinese Turnip Cake than an actual dumpling. Maybe my childhood was warped, but I always thought they'd be plump, round and ideally, surrounded in soup? Veto, I should have opted for the boring Truffle Fries instead of both of these!

Verdict: The Burger got me craving red meat again and that is a statement in itself. I am a fan, but next time I would probably just go to the Bakery part of 3 Squares and order the Pretzel Burger rather than get everything else and then have to pay tip to the unprofressional waitress. Nothing else on the menu really caught my eye (gasp I know, I don't care for avocado). I did venture to the bakery next door and was aroused by the various breads. However, let me warn you that the goods do not have a good shelf life. Leave it out for 1 day and it turns stale hard! But if you can stomach many carbs in one sitting, go for the pretzel types (hello, what have I been telling you their specialty was?) They have ones with cheese, jalepeno, etc. and they are even better when toasted!

Ask yourself, when's the last time you had a good pretzel with depth? I am not talking the thin, twisted kind you eat at a ballpark, I am talking indulgence in the finer things of life-kinda pretzel. Ch-check it!

1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90293

Toe Jam, Blue Jam?

2009-04-07T22:59:00.001-07:00

It seems old age comes with burnt taste buds and the re-generation of new ones. I can't really complain but I wish some fat was burnt in the process of chewing as well. With that said, brunch seems to be making its way on the top of my craving list. Eggs and bacon... can you really not like either? Melt some cheese on top and serve it with a side of crisp, thin hash and say my name because I am there.

Blue Jam Cafe
Situation: I won't lie, I'm still a brunch-noob so I let my friend do the researching. She picked a place near Melrose area of West Hollywood called Blue Jam Cafe. It sounded like a hoot and their comprehensive menu had me wearing sweat pants to the place.

Food: I like sweets for bfast, but it can't ever be my only dish. Luckily, I coerced a friend to split a sweet and savory with me! First up, the Gourmet Eggs Benedict. This bougie dish consists of smoked lox instead of the traditional canadian ham, croissant instead of the english muffin and a nice touch of chives. Definitely a notch up and tasted yumm! One of my biggest peeves with benedicts is when chefs go overboard with the Hollandaise sauce. Blue Jam poured just the right amount and allowed the egg yolk to do more of the toast coverage. It's not as heavy as traditional benedicts, so it left me with enough room to eat my next dish. The only thing I would change is for the croissant to be lightly toasted to get a bit of crispness to it. Next up, the Blue Jam French Toast--stuffed with cream cheese and surrounded by fruit (the bacon rule applies to cream cheese too where it makes everything better). It sure looked like a decadent dish, but after I bit into it... Ehh. Ok. Why isn't the cream cheese warm? Why isn't it a bit sweeter? Where's my damn jam to balance the CC? It was pretty disappointing. So b*tch, give me back my couch!

Verdict: Blue Jam Cafe is ok. Mind you, the wait on the weekend is 1hour terrible. You can occupy yourself with shopping on Melrose, but I don't know about you, I am damn cranky when I am hungry. My critique might also be a bit harsh. I am spoiled. I had the best brunch experiences in San Francisco at Canteen and Toast. Everything was perfect up there. So LA... show me something good and hopefully not over-priced!

Well it isn't all bad, here are some quick recommendations of good brunch places in LA:

Amandine - Best Almond Croissant (very crispy, non-traditional buttery pastry)
26 Beach - Order the Polar Bear which is a crazy french toasted croissant with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, plethora of fruit and caramel and fruit sauce drizzled on top, and the Monte Cristo which is a french toasted ham and blackberry jam sandwich (dabble in the sweet & savory in one bite)
Griddle Cafe - Their Chili Omelette My Soul inspired me to make bfast again, and their Nutella French Toast is simply heaven (their portions are extremely large so order half sizes!)

7371 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Reunited and it feels SOO GOOD!

2009-03-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

Broke in college, I spent my lunch and dinners at the dorms or made a simple (ahem inexpensive) fake-spam fried rice at the apartment. All the meanwhile, I saved up money for occasional splurges at a local korean food stand called Gushi's near my college campus. It was some of the best bulgogi and japchae I had until some of my best girlfriends went shopping one day.

Ham Ji Park
So tell me how 3 girls with no daytime classes shopping in Los Angeles winds up in korea town where they find a gem sandwiched next to the best bingsoo shop and another japanese grill store? Impressingly so, these three little piggies put away a good portion of self-grilled, skillet beef, pork, ribs and stew. The girls came back raving about this place and in particular, the pork neck stew. Curious about this wonderland, I was on-board for the next ride.

Trying not to break my friend's heart, I admitted to my friend the stew was "not all that" (let's bring the 00 slang back!) However, when I woke up the next morning, I had pork neck on my brain. Odd--thought I was not a fan? Apparently it took a while to get deliciousness into my bloodstream since I have been hooked on fake korean food this whole time. I proceeded to text my friend to tell her I was crazy about the stew and was ready to go back.

Situation: From that text on, Hamjipark became our favorite reunion place. I now take all my special people here.

Food: It's not your champion-eating buffet style kbbq so there is no pressure to eat massive amounts. The key ingredient here is the quality of meat, either self-cooked or prepared by the kitchen. They have all the typical appetizers minus the rice or turnip paper. There are 5 types of meat, with my favorite being the marinated sirloin beef. With tongs to cook, you can control the doneness of the meat. Pair it with the sesame-salt-pepper dip they provide you, a bite of lettuce and you are having one of the simplest and best kbbq meals EVAR (misspelling intended).

Next must-have is the pork neck stew which is absolutely fabulous. It is hearty and savory with a lot of deep but non-overwhelming flavors. The stew has a dark red color but is not spicy at all. It's thick but not creamy nor pureed, which reflects the depth of flavor. The pork is stewed so tenderly, it easily falls off the bones. Even better, the potatoes are so soft yet wholesome until you sink your teeth into the stew-absorbed vegetable.

If you rather not cook, try the pork spare ribs. Meaty and smoky. It also comes really fast and does not require you to sit at one of the grill tables, which can be a bit of a wait around dinner time.

Verdict: Always a good meal and a good time. The family style atmosphere and the cheery pass of tongs or beer makes Hamjipark a fun interactive dinner. The meat does not disappoint and there is something for everybody, even the non-grillers. The staff is friendly, especially towards UCLA students. My favorite waiter, whom I have seen gone through at least 3 hair cuts, still asks if I graduated college. Keeping true to the gold and blue, he still manages to give me a college discount or free soup refill every encounter. Oh-yay-er!

Haaaaaaaam-Jiiiiiiiiiiiii-PARK!

3407 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020

Don't Believe Er'thang You See

2009-03-01T21:33:00.000-08:00

I love TV more than the next kid. This past summer, Travel Channel and Food Network got me appreciating BBQ after all the countdowns they had across town. Top Chef got me fantasizing about quitting media and opening up my own mom 'n pop restaurant counter. OG Iron Chef still has me saying silly critiques at every chance I get.

My cravings change every so often and lately I have been all about the sandwich. Fried Egg Breakfast sandwich, Argentinian Caramelized Banana & Marscarpone sandwich, all of it! Call it my segue into Spring eats. Over the summer, Travel Channel aired a "Best of Sandwiches" show where a local mention made its way onto my radar: Philippe's Sandwiches, home of the apparent "original french dip sandwich."

Philippe's The Original Restaurant
Back when, Philippe's server accidentally dropped the french roll into the au jus sauce while making a beef sandwich. The sandwich was still served with the juiced-bread and won the love of the cop, who brought all his friends back the next day for more. And just like that, french dipped was born in Chinatown, Los Angeles. Nowadays, Philippe's gives you the option of Once Dipped, Twice Dipped or Wet sandwich style with the pairing of beef, ham, pork, turkey or lamb.

Situation: Loving sauce and soggy, I finally convinced a friend to venture out East with me in the congested town of Los Angeles. They had 2 parking lots=awesome! Despite the sizeable lots, there were so many people going in & out, it was a riot! The store was no different! With people emerging from both doorways, I was shuffling my way in with the rest of the herd. It had a barn-like atmosphere with hay dust on the floor and benches horizontally placed closely together which served more as a line separator rather than dining tables. There was one service counter where 7-8 lines formed right in front of it. I noticed a person next to me even brought her walkie-talkie to touch base with her friend in another line on the other side of the room in their race to the famous french dip.

Food: As many people as there were, the line moved relatively quickly. I managed to spend my 30-45 minutes productively thinking over which of the 5 sandwiches I wanted and with how many dips. Finally settling on the lamb with a double dip, I decided to not get any sides--potatoe salad, coleslaw, etc. As nice as it would have been, it did not really look that appetizing. They were piles of white creamy blobs without much to distinguish one side from another. They also had a selection of what looked like homemade pies, which were generously filled with fruit if you dig that. Fortunately for my favorite jeans, I am not. The bill? Under $7 for a sandwich, which is pretty cheap for this day and age!

Verdict: YESS! After the long trek across town and through loads of people, I have my own Philippe's original french dipped sandwich in front of me. Finally I was about to experience the history and flavors of what Travel Channel had described so delictably on both "Best of" and "Man vs. Food" most recently and... yea... You know how the camera adds 10 pounds? I guess it added deliciousness to this sandwich too. The lamb was ok. I got a decent serving of it. It was a little tough, as it should be since I would not take it the slightest rare from a barn (no offense! You wouldn't ask McD's to give you a medium Angus burger!) Most of the lamb was fat rather than meat. The french roll had a good crunch despite the double dip. The au jus, which is what should make the sandwich, was bland. It was there but it did not leave any sort of impression. The Lawry's $0.50 instant au jus or gravy packets in the supermarket tastes better, I swear!

So yeah, that was a little disappointing. Sitting on a stool in the back room with yellow painted walls and a heavy duty brown storage room door next to me, tray of food finished, my friend turns to me and says "I feel like I'm in prison eating prison food." And with that, we kicked the hay off our shoes, shed the smiles off our faces and made our way home. TV, why would you lie to me?

At this rate, maybe I should rename this blog to "little angry girl" but I promise I do enjoy good eats when I find them. It sounds like a trip to Milk is very necessary this week...

1001 N Alameda St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012