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Showing posts from 2015

Javan Restaurant- Los Angeles (Sawtelle), CA

Established in 1986, Javan Restaurant is a Middle Eastern restaurant located on the Westside focusing on Persian food.    Inside, the environment was decidedly upscale, with a bar, a white grand piano, stone tables, wood accents, and plenty of pictures adorning the walls. All the waiters, moreover, were dressed quite formally with dress shirts and ties.

Cafe Gratitude- Los Angeles (Arts District), CA

We've greatly enjoyed our past visits to Larchmont's Cafe Gratitude , and so we were glad to hear that Cafe Gratitude has also opened up in Downtown's Art District--making a for a shorter drive to enjoy their creative vegan and organic foods. The Arts District location takes more of a light colored approach (instead of an emphasis on turquoise), with white chairs and benches, grey walls, yellow chairs, green plants, and woods throughout the entire location. It's also much larger than the Larchmont location--we made reservations, given Cafe Gratitude's general popularity and dineLA, but found out that the restaurant was less than half full when we entered. Unlike some of the Yelp reviews about this location, service was great right from the moment we entered the restaurant. We were happily guided to our table, our waiters noted the dineLA menu and dinner specials, checked up on us to make sure we were ready to order (took a while given the many options!)

Pizzeria Mozza- Los Angeles, CA

Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, Lidia Bastianich , and Nancy Silverton's Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza have been extremely popular restaurants in Los Angeles, commanding queues that were hours long. So when we were recently in the area and found out on OpenTable that we could reserve seats for lunch at a time just less than a half an hour prior to arrival, we took the opportunity. Pizzeria Mozza is a relatively small restaurant, located adjacent to the larger Osteria Mozza (open for dinner only) and Mozza2Go. Inside, light toned woods and yellows set the tone--a skylight, which was filtered with a yellow skin, provided most of the lighting. A friendly vibe was immediately set with the upbeat employees, who immediately seated us and went through the menu in detail once we told them it was our first time dining here. We found out popular items, and also some notable differentiations--pizzetta meant a smaller pizza, and that any pizza that didn't list "tomato" on i

Real Food Daily- Pasadena, CA

I've recently gotten an interest in healthier foods and restaurants that specialize in healthy eating, such as Cafe Gratitude. Having greatly enjoyed Cafe Gratitude , I thought it wouldn't hurt to explore and try out a fellow restaurant chain also in the same organic, plant-based segment--Real Food Daily. While Cafe Gratitude likes to " provide inspired service, honest and transparent communication, and express gratitude for the richness of our lives ", Real Food Daily prides itself on being a destination where " community happens around education, connection and hospitality, over delicious, accessible food that’s real. " And indeed, there were parallels in both restaurants. The service was extremely friendly, the environment upbeat, natural, modern, and friendly, and people were enjoying a wide assortment of plant-based items--drinks and juices, appetizers, rice bowls, salads, and dessert.

Yi Mei- Monrovia, CA

A local Taiwanese restaurant chain specializing in breakfast and pastries, Yi Mei in recent years has also expanded to Monrovia, California, with a revamped, modern look. The Monrovia location takes on a modern, fast-casual concept, with the menu displayed on large television displays and ordering done at the counter. Condiments, like garlic soy sauce, chili oil, and vinegar, and utensils are located on a side table, and frozen items and pastries are located at another wall of the restaurant. Though breakfast is the main attraction--think a pastry, bread item, or rice item with soymilk--Yi Mei also offers a full lunch and dinner menu with various noodles, rice plates, and other Taiwanese specialties--that's the topic for today's post.

Trattoria Amici (The Americana At Brand)- Glendale, CA

Trattoria Amici is a small, local, two location Italian restaurant chain (the other being in Brentwood ) focused on fresh ingredients, handmade pastas, and wine. On a recent visit to the Americana at Brand, we decided to visit it for lunch. . Inside, Trattoria Amici presents multiple seating areas and options, whether it be a covered patio or indoor seating with different setups. We were seated close to the main entrance, with plenty of sunlight flowing in from the windows. As we perused the regular menu and seasonal menu (spring) our waiter, who regularly checked up on us throughout our meal, brought us some warm, crust bread with fruity olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The soft interior and crusty exterior of the bread paired very well with the accompaniments, and were great to snack on while waiting for our main entrees. In curiosity of what handkerchief pasta would be like, I ordered the Fazzoletti Al Pesto, Gamberetti e Menta (19.95 USD) from the seasonal men

Tim Ho Wan (MTR Hong Kong Station)- Central, Hong Kong

A visit to Hong Kong entails a list of places to visit-- Tim Ho W an, a Mic hel in starred dim sum restaurant chain also widely known as the cheapest Mic helin starred di m sum, was on that list. We found one outlet conveniently located at the MTR Hong Kong Station , nestled beneath the large IFC Mall in Central , Hong Kong, and chec ked it out during a weekday lunch. The ca veat of the weekday lunch, however, is t hat the office workers nearby head down toward s IFC Mall for many delicious eate ries. Tim Ho Wan, as a result, was pack ed, with long queues for sitting inside the restaurant. Unwilling to wait, we d ecided t o order to-go, and enjoy the food at our hotel room instead. After filling out a menu sheet, paying for the ite ms, and waiting fo r only a short period of time, we were on our way t o en joying some dim sum.

Savoy Kitchen- Alhambra, CA

A famous restaurant for Hainan Chicken Rice, Savoy Kitchen is a very small restaurant on Valley Boulevard that draws large crowds. But it isn't merely an Asian restaurant, but rather it serves both Asian and Italian options--you'll find pizza, pasta, bread, curry, and other options.

Cafe Gratitude- Los Angeles (Larchmont), CA

A growing 100% organic, plant-based restaurant chain, Cafe Gratitude offers healthful vegetarian foods in a positive, modern, and friendly ambiance. I was recommended to visit it by a friend, who lauded the positive atmosphere, and was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the vegetarian fare was. Inside, Cafe Gratitude is happy, positive, and clean, with natural tones and casual furnishings. The mood is set by the positive adjectives not only listed on the menus ("I am...") and boards, but also the employees, who are content and wear shirts that say "love" and other terms. Mindfulness, health, and wellness permeate the entire environment.

Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa- Marina Del Rey, CA

Part of the Waterside in Marina Del Rey, California, Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa opened its first location here. A collaboration between Kazunori Nozawa, Jerry A. Greenberg, Tom Nozawa,  Lele Massimini ,  Cameron Broumand , and Clement Mok, Sugarfish aims to provide Sushi Nozawa style and quality sushi at a larger and more accessible scale. Such accessibility means that there are no sushi chefs or sushi bar viewable to the customers; rather, all the sushi is prepared in the kitchen and presented on tempo when one is ready to receive more food. Inside, it is sleek, and the menu is simplified -- although there are a la carte sushi, handroll, sashimi, and drink options, almost everyone, according to the menu and our server, orders one of the three Trust Me's: Trust Me Lite (17 USD), Trust Me (25 USD), and Nozawa Trust Me (35 USD). For simplicity's sake, we ordered one of each. As such, we began with plates of o rganic edamame (2.50 USD), which were also presented wi

Chichen Itza Restaurant (Mercado La Paloma)- Los Angeles (University Park), CA

Mercado La Paloma, a local community gathering place, is also home to a fine hodgepodge of quality restaurants--Thai, Ethiopian, American, Mexican, and Yucatecan cuisine can be found here. Chichen Itza, the restaurant that consistently has the longest queue of all the restaurants, specializes in Yucatecan cuisine (southeastern Mexican cuisine)-- the menu is filled with unique regional specialties . After ordering in person at Chichen Itza's counter, one receives a wooden stand with a number (for the employees to keep track of where to bring food to). Prior to the arrival of the food, an employee will bring over beverages as well as Chichen Itza's house Habanero Hot Sauce. It's a potent, fruity, extremely spicy, and slightly acidic hot sauce.

Jeon Ju Restaurant- Los Angeles (Koreatown), CA

Widely known as a bibimbap specialist (their website is " bibimbap.webs.com ," if it wasn't already understood), Jeon Ju is a venerable place to visit for a Korean meal. Not only is their bibimbap well done, but so are lots of their other items.  As we perused the multi-paged menu, cups of smooth, weak barley tea were provided at the table. After ordering, we were presented with a wide array of banchan. There were six common items for the whole table--bean sprouts, marinated potatoes, sweetened, dried shrimp, daikon kimchi, a green pajeon, and napa cabbage kimchi. For each individual was a bowl of noodles in a lightly spicy broth and napa cabbage water kimchi. We found everything to be nicely done, and found the dried, crispy shrimp really fun to snack on. A condiment of green onions, sesame seeds, peppers and soy sauce was also provided for a larger haemul pajeon and yeong yang dolsot that we ordered.

Ma Dang Gook Soo- Los Angeles (Koreatown), CA

After looking at Ma Dang Gook Soo's handmade noodles and acorn noodles featured on Gastronomy and Buzzfeed / The Actors Diet respectively, it didn't take much more to make our own visit to Ma Dang Gook Soo. When we visited on a Sunday evening, Ma Dang Gook Soo was operating at system capacity. The restaurant was full, but it didn't take much for us to wait in line before getting an open spot. Seated down, lots of people were enjoying the noodle options, seasoned spicy rice cake ( tteokbokki ), and bibimbap. Moreover, the friendly waitresses were eagerly serving the customers. When I wanted to learn more about some items which were only written in Korean on the wall (it was actually soy broth noodles), the waitress took her time to answer, and when I asked her about the soy broth, she even brought a small bowl for me to sample before deciding whether to order it.

California Fish Grill- Irvine, CA

  Having read Edwin Goei of Monster Munching's positive review of California Fish Grill and a recent feature on its poke on Stick a Fork In It of OC Weekly and being in the mood for poke and cooked fish while in Irvine, we finally visited California Fish Grill, a fast-casual seafood joint. During our weekday visit at lunchtime, it was packed, with local employees and families coming in for lunch. Both indoor and outdoor seating were packed except for the bar near the kitchen, people were ordering both take in and take out, and the kitchen's grill was completely filled with fish filets. Talk about good business! We began our meal with the New England Clam Chowder Bowl (4.49 USD) , a large bowl for a very reasonable price. It was not jam packed with clams, nor was it very heavy on the clam flavor (instead favoring the cream instead), but it was freshly made, with the potatoes cut into sharp cubes, and veggies cut into small pieces. We also liked that it came with oys

Jook Hyang- Los Angeles (Koreatown), CA

In search for some healthful Korean food--soups and porridge--I found out about Jook Hyang, a standalone Korean restaurant on Olympic in Koreatown. An abalone, chicken soup, beef bone soup (cooked for a week), porridge specialist, Jook Hyang offers a wide range of offerings dedicated to the three items--abalone sashimi, abalone porridge, abalone and chicken soup, and a page full of different porridge items. Walking into the restaurant, you'll see an abalone tank and bucketfuls of cornish hens. All these quality items and work spans throughout the restaurant and offerings, which also includes bamboo rice entrees, korean barbeque and seafood, banchan, and other items. It also translates into slightly higher costs--lunch is slightly cheaper if you order the sets, but otherwise, expect to spend around 15-20 USD per person, if not more.

Pa-Ord Noodle #3- Los Angeles (Thai Town), CA

After visiting Bhan Kanom Thai , we decided to follow along with dinner at Pa-Ord Noodle, which has been famous for its noodle soups. Inside Pa-Ord Noodle was a homey atmosphere, with a small marketplace of imported and locally made snacks and desserts, several warming stations with food, and festive Thai decorations. The staff were extremely friendly, smiling happily and welcoming to offer suggestions and advice on the menu.

Bhan Kanom Thai- Los Angeles (Thai Town), CA

Inspired by a post from Wandering Chopsticks , we decided to visit Bhan Kanom Thai--essentially the place to go for Thai desserts in Thai Town. With a whole host of homemade desserts, as well as a onset of special ethnic snacks, Bhan Kanom Thai truly is a fun place to be. So much so, that its dessert options have been featured on Buzzfeed , amongst other media outlets.

Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream (Ferry Building Marketplace)- San Francisco, CA

While at the Ferry Building Marketplace, one store stood out in terms of a long queue and lots of people enjoying its products-- Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream, established in 2008. After enjoying lunch at The Slanted Door , we decided to check it out. The storefront was quite simple, with a blue, white, and metal theme. The funnest part of Humphry Slocombe are the flavors-- lots of intriguing, unconventional flavor mixes and blends. Samples were graciously offered (through metal tasting spoons), letting you sample a variety of flavors before choosing the ones you want to order.

The Slanted Door (Ferry Building Marketplace)- San Francisco, CA

During a recent trip to the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco, we stopped by The Slanted Door for lunch, a modern Vietnamese restaurant that came highly recommended per a review by Kevin Hsu of kevinEats .

Blockheads Shavery- Los Angeles (Sawtelle), CA

After lunch a t Ts ujita LA Artisan Noodles , and exploring part of what Sawtelle Blvd. has to offer (Cocos, Ni jiya Market, Curry House, Hide Sushi, Seoul Sausage, Gottsui, to name a few of many great places!) , we de cided we wanted a dessert to cool o ff from the walking we did and to quench our thirsts after th e heavy noodles we had earlier in the day. By this time, Blockheads Shavery was filled with customers, all of who seemed to be experts in ordering what Blockheads Shavery calls " snow cream" , or what is generally called shaved snow-- combinin g elements of shave d ice and ice cream together. Ordering is simple and is done in 3 steps: 1. Choos ing a flavor (Original, green tea, black sesame, sea salt, and a special brown sugar created with soymilk were offered during our visit) and size 2. Choosing toppings (60 cent s each)   3. Choosing a d rizzle, of which include condensed milk, strawberry puree, coconut pur ee, chocolate sauce, and carame

Tsujita LA Artisan Noodles- Los Angeles (Sawtelle), CA

Tsujita LA Artisan Noodles has been in my radar on places to try for quite a while, given the wide media press ( LA Weekly , Jonathan Gold ), and recently, I was finally able to try it out! To avoid the lines, we had a late lunch around 3PM. Still, the restaurant was over 70% capacity, with lots of people seated outside, enjoying the LA sunshine.  After being seated, we were handed a simple menu, consisting of ramen, tsukemen, sides, and rice bowl options. The drink of choice seemed to be water for the day--pitchers of water were placed at almost every table--so we went with that too!