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A critic’s most memorable dining experiences of 2009
Although the article appeared in the LA Times, it’s not limited to restaurants in LA.
I’ve eaten at a few of these places and I keep hearing such great things about Bazaar, by Jose Andres. Jason is determined to prepare one of Andres’s recipes for a party one of these days, and I hope this means he wants to try Bazaar with me the time after the next time I’m in LA.
Something I hear often is “you should try this place because they have the best bloody marys.” Everyone thinks they know where to get the best bloody marys. So I’m a little skeptical about this list, but I’m willing to try one at every one of these places. Any excuse for a drink!
Grilled Cheese Truck to Roll Out in Early October in Los Angeles
I love cheese, and I love grilled cheese sandwiches, but I’m sick of food on trucks. Mexicans have been doing it for who knows how long, and people are acting like it’s something new. Next new thing I’ll read about will be some new-fangled concept called the Ice Cream Truck.
L.A.’s global sandwich offerings
Please, please, let me find the time to try at least one of these before I go!!
I already wrote a glowing review of this place, and I was cheered to hear that they’re opening another location devoted to delivering pizzas.
Here are some photos of the delicious dishes Jason and I ordered after an exhausting day on Melrose.
Some type of goat or lamb dish. SO GOOD.
Prosciutto pizza!! NOM NOM NOM NOM.
2454 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-586-1707
Jason took me to Wilshire for my birthday dinner. I would recommend dressing business casual, but I felt at home wearing a summery maxi-dress. The spiky-haired sommelier’s sleeve also pulled back slightly to reveal heavily tattooed arms, so dressing trendy is fine, too. The service was wonderful here.
My steak tartare with grilled sourdough:
There was a soft-boiled quail egg yolk on top! I broke it and it oozed throughout the steak, imparting a delicious yolky flavor to it. I was not happy to see that bits of chopped onion and what appeared to be green olives were mixed with the tartare, but it still tasted good, although a bit salty. The sourdough was crunchy and had been coated with olive oil. Something yellow was dusted throughout the plate, and I still have no idea what it was. It looked like pollen, but I couldn’t really figure out a taste from it. I liked it, though, and kept scraping it up and adding it to each bite.
Jason’s white corn soup with morel mushrooms and a fava bean crostini, with tarragon shavings and sherry:
This was so delicious! I wanted to steal Jason’s bowl and finish it all. It was mildly sweet and mildly salty… I don’t even know how to describe it, but I loved it. Because it was my birthday, Jason let me temporarily trade appetizers.
My grilled rack of lamb, served on curried quinoa and Japanese eggplant, with a pickled tomato and cucumber raita:
The lamb was prepared PERFECTLY. You can’t see it at this angle because of the flash, but it was so red and juicy without being raw. There was a wonderful ring of fat surrounding it, and the bone retained the flavor and juices. The outside rub was wonderfully salty and seasoned and formed a sort of crust. I ended up using my hands (as discreetly as possible) at some point, in order to get all of the meat off the bone. The tomato and cucumber raita were very refreshing on the side.
Jason’s grilled kurobota pork loin on green garlic polenta, with rapini and rhubarb chutney:
Wow. This dish was delicious. I love it when pork is perfectly cooked and prepared. It was juicy and soft, no dryness, no toughness, no “shredding” action. I also liked the polenta.
My vanilla souffle:
It came with a pitcher of cream to pour over it, and it was delicious, although nothing like the vanilla souffle from Violon d’Inges.
Jason’s assorted cookies:
They even made their own fig newtons! Warm, delicious and wonderful for accompanying the coffee.
Would I come here again? Maybe. The food was delicious, but there are so many good restaurants to try in LA, and I’m not sure that it was SO spectacular that I’d choose it in lieu of trying someplace new. It’s definitely worth a try, and I enjoyed a lovely birthday dinner here. We sat on the patio in back, under a heat lamp, and I loved the ambience as much as I loved the food.
Surati Farsan Mart
11814 E. 186th Street
Artesia, CA 90701
562.860.2310
I saved the receipt from this tiny, but clean and pretty joint. 186th is one of the small side streets off Pioneer Blvd. in the heart of Little India. There is a traffic light, so street parking in the neighborhood adjacent is not difficult at all. You order at a counter, find a table, and your food is brought to you. I believe you bring your receipt after your meal to the counter to pay for it. It’s already been a while. This place is basically your go-to for an Indian tapas-style dinner, only much more affordable than any tapas place that I’ve ever been to. And possibly much more filling and delicious.
Unfortunately, aside from the masala dosa and ragda samosa, I cannot match the names of the dishes to the photos. Fortunately, when you order, the menu provides an apt description of each dish, so you should be able to match the photos with the menu and descriptions when you get there.
I’ll start by listing what we ordered, then providing photos.
Ragda Samosa
Paratha Shak
Masala Dosa
Sevpuri
Petish Plate
This was a spicy broth filled with vegetables. We weren’t sure what to do with it, so we dipped bread into it. It was delicious.
These were delicious balls of dough filled with chopped garlic and spinach, I believe. The inside was dark green, and I could eat these anytime, anywhere. They were surprisingly filling and came with 2 sauces.
No idea what this is, but it tasted like vegetable curry with chopped raw onions on top. Very generous with the vegetables.
I can’t remember what these tasted like, actually. I’m sure they were good samosas.
This was our masala dosa, now I realize that the spicy broth I indicated in the first photo must have been the masala sauce that accompanied it. The dosa was filled with sauce and potatoes. Extremely large.
Another vegetable curry? Now I’m getting mixed up. I’m a bit embarrassed, but please keep in mind that after we had ordered, we had difficulty identifying which dish was which, and even after we had decided what each one was, we still weren’t 100% sure.
Our priciest dish was the paratha shak, which cost $5.99. The rest of the dishes ranged from $3.50 to $4.50, so you can get an idea of how economical it would be to eat here. I should also warn you that Jason and I ordered far too much food. It was embarrassing how much was left over, despite how much we stuffed ourselves. I think we should have left out 2 dishes and still could have been stuffed. We brought the leftovers to my sister’s, but I have no idea if she was able to eat them. Fried foods don’t reheat too well.
Please go here! The food is tasty and affordable and if we had been able to bring more people, we could have really had a feast and gone to town on trying more foods.
Kevan and Rachel took us to breakfast in Rachel’s old haunt, Laguna Hills. This place was called Break of Dawn, and they describe their cuisine as “creative comfort food.” That is exactly what it was, and tasty to boot. We arrived about 10 minutes before 10, and we did not have to wait. We were seated inside immediately, and it’s a clean, open space with Vietnamese-inspired artwork and decor. The service was pretty good, although our waiter disappeared inexplicably at some point, but the other waiters and busboys covered admirably for him.
My dish was the Beef Short Rib. It’s on the menu as “falling off the bone, merlot poached eggs, mushroom and taro ragout, prickly ash pepper jus.”
The dish was good, but the beef was pretty dry (there were some good fatty portions, though, mmmm!). The ragout may have been my favorite part. It had so much tangy flavor! The eggs were interesting because the merlot was very apparent in the flavor. The dish also came with very hot fried rice that was tasty with flavors that I could not identify. The prickly ash pepper jus also complemented and complimented every component of the dish nicely.
Jason’s dish was my favorite, so I will provide two photos:
Smoked Salmon: Coriander Cured, Oatmeal Galette, Herb Poached Egg, Marinated Tomato, Preserved Lemon-Caper Emulsion.
I really, really liked this dish. The oatmeal galette was so tasty, and if it had not been for the menu, I would never have guessed what it was. It was just a delicious savory cake of some sort to us with mild but delicious flavor. The green you see are the herbs for the poached egg. Every single ingredient blended together so well - it was an amazing dish. The whole equaled more than the sum of its parts. If we come back, I will be torn between ordering this dish and trying something new.
Rachel ordered the Casserole: Kaffir Lime-Tomato Braised Eggs, New Potato, Spring Vegetable, Mozzarella and Grilled Bread. Her dish was extremely tasty as well, reminding me of Korean casseroles in that it’s more of a stew than the traditional oven casseroles with which Americans are familiar. It’s not that interesting to see a photo of stew, though, so I didn’t take a picture. The tomato gave it that tart and tangy flavor that I love and the mozzarella melted goo-like onto the surface…. mmmm!
Kevan had the Pork Belly dish that I had been eyeing, which I don’t see on the paper menu, but it was a little dry.
Take a glance at their menu and you will be sold. The food here is as delicious as it is creative.
24351 Avenida De La Carlota #N-6
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
949.587.9418
Kevan and Rachel decided to stuff my and Jason’s faces by taking us to Brodard’s Nem Nuong restaurant for spring rolls. We ate much more than spring rolls, and left a bit on the table, because we ordered way too much and overestimated our stomach capacities. This place was very tasty, but we were a bit overwhelmed by all of the tasty choices and our lack of familiarity with Vietnamese cuisine.
I am realizing now that it will be very difficult for me to remember what everything was and what it was called. The dish above was pork with eggloaf, but I don’t remember which one. Also, due to the difficulty I am having with the language, I am thinking it would be best to just show you pictures of the food, and you can decide whether this is the type of food you like.
I have been here a couple of other times, and I have never been disappointed.
These are the spring rolls, and the reason for which I keep returning to this place. After a hot and tiring day, these are so refreshing and yet filling at once.
We got both the pork and shrimp spring rolls, and I can’t decide which I like more. Both have crunchy sprouts, lemongrass, green onions, and salad (romaine?) wrapped in a thin sheet of stretchy rice paper. Since summer is coming up, I think this spot would be a good place to consider in the very near future.
It is difficult to find this place, as you basically enter through an alley in the rear of a deserted parking lot.
Jason and I went to a second restaurant for LA’s Restaurant Week, and this place was rave-worthy. Before discussing their food, I feel the need to disclose the quality of their service, because I have read terrible reviews on sites such as Yelp! slamming the poor service at Dakota, and I have no idea what went wrong for those yelpers, but I thought the service was outstanding.
Why the service was so great: Jason and I showed up early for our reservation, and the hostess kindly asked us to wait at their “library bar.” I have no idea what a library bar is, but there was a bar nearby, so we sat there and enjoyed a couple of EXCELLENT cocktails (an Old-Fashioned and a Gimlet). Several minutes may have passed, and our hostess stopped by to see how we were doing and to let us know that they were still waiting for a table to open up (the place was extremely crowded and busy) and that she hadn’t forgotten us. I liked that she stopped to check in with us to make sure we knew we hadn’t been forgotten. A few minutes later, our server found us and led us to our table.
One of the reasons why I chose this place was because despite the attractive website, the reviews on this place were extremely mixed. Several Chowhounders recommended Dakota as a good steakhouse, but some claimed that it was more show than taste (heehee). From the comments I read, it seemed to be a place that I would have liked, but the prices were too high for such a gamble. This made Dakota the perfect candidate for Restaurant Week. I was willing to sacrifice $40 on a pretty place with a good reputation and less-than-stellar food, if only to satisfy my curiosity. This was one of my favorite LA restaurant week restaurants of all time.
Hanie’s First Course: Frisee Lardon - Pomegranate Glazed Pork Belly, Frisee, Quail Eggs
Quail egg was perfectly poached - runny yolk but firm egg white. No part was burnt. The pork belly was tender, fatty, juicy, and parts were beautifully caramelized. It melted in my mouth. Sweet without being syrupy; savory without being overly salty. The bitterness of the frisee balanced this dish perfectly. I don’t remember touching the brioche. I was too intent on eating everything else.
Jason’s First Course: Braised Veal Agnolotti - Pancetta, English Peas, Baby Arugala, Corn Coulis
I had a few bites and it was difficult to choose a favorite between the two. Pasta wasn’t over- or under-cooked. The veal dissolved on your tongue. We were very impressed with our first courses.
Jason’s Second Course: Pork Osso Bucco - Parsnip Puree, Caramelized Apple Jus
Simple and perfect. Again, the meat was so tender that Jason touched it with his fork and it collapsed off the bone. The picture says it all, really. It is as good as it looks.
Hanie’s Second Course: Prime Beef Duo - New York Strip, Short Rib, Potato Gratin, Porcini Mushrooms, Baby Heirloom Carrots, Bordelaise Sauce
I know, I rarely order steak when I’m out, and steak is one of the dishes I actively avoid for Restaurant Week. But if you’ve looked at the website for Dakota, you know that Dakota is a steakhouse. I had to see if their steaks were any good. Their steaks were VERY good. I ate the short rib first, and it made me so full that I don’t think I had even a bite of my New York strip… oops. The potato gratin was delicious: the potatoes were not mush, but they weren’t undercooked, either. I love it when carrots are not served soggy. The mushrooms were great as well. The short rib had such tender, juicy, fatty meat. I was very impressed with this place. I still had a lot of my second course left over, so Jason and I shared it the following day right before meeting Kevan, Rachel, Cliff, and Rosie at Honda-Ya for a yakitori dinner. After microwaving, the steak was still juicy, tender, and full of flavor. We licked the plate clean.
Jason’s Dessert: Warm Elegant Lady Pineapple Upside Down Cake - Caramel Sauce, Caramelized Ginger Gelato, Candied Pineapple
I don’t remember if I tried any of it. I was feeling VERY full at this point, and I was having trouble managing even a few bites of my own dessert. I was uncomfortably full, most unfortunately, because my dessert was delicious.
Hanie’s Dessert: Coconut Panna Cotta - Toasted Sweet Coconuts
I’m not even a fan of coconut, and I loved this dessert. It was saddening to have to leave most of the dessert in the glass and not in my tummy.
Final verdict: This place is well worth their usual prices, not to mention their RW prices. One of the few restaurants with a fantastic RW menu, and highly recommended. We will be returning.
DAKOTA
7000 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
323.769.8888
dakota-restaurant.com
Cezanne is a hotel restaurant located inside Le Merigot Hotel in Santa Monica. I read extremely mixed reviews on Yelp concerning this place, so I had no idea what to expect. We tried this place for Restaurant Week, and while it was pretty good, I wouldn’t recommend their RW menu. I was a little disappointed, but the price was very good (only $22 for 3 courses), and the view was beautiful. The service was also excellent. I did glance at their regular menu, and I have a sneaking suspicion that the RW menu was not a good reflection of Cezanne’s strengths in terms of food.
First course: House Smoked Whitefish with Horseradish Cream, Pickled Heirloom Beets, Dill Pancakes
I had no complaints at all with this dish. Fresh ingredients and good, clean, simple taste.
Jason’s first course: Wild Mushroom Bisque with Saucisson and Roquefort Croustades
The soup tasted exactly like Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup, but with a lot of extra mushrooms added. I didn’t taste the croustades because the cheese looked very strong and aromatic.
Second Course: Avocado Stuffed with Shrimp and Crab with Radicchio, Arugula and Tomato Vinaigrette
It was one of the tiniest avocado halves I have ever seen, but it tasted good. The dish tasted exactly how you would expect. You could taste each individual ingredient, and nothing seemed to really blend, but there was nothing wrong with the dish. I guess this was how I saw the restaurant as a whole. There was nothing to complain about, but there was nothing to rave about, either.
Jason’s Second Course: Braised Veal Shank “Osso Bucco” Style with Fettuccine and Winter Vegetables
The veal was tender and pasta was al dente, but I think Jason felt the same way about his dish. Good, but not something to write home about.
Third course: Creme Brulee with Pistachio Biscotti
Tasty, but the caramelization was way overdone. It was extremely hard and thick and I slashed my tongue pretty badly on a shard of caramelized sugar. I kept eating. The biscotti may have been one of the best parts. Perfect crisp to crumbly ratio, in my opinion.
Jason’s Third Course: Apple Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream
Simple, but very, very good. Looking back, I think I was impressed with their desserts. They were probably my favorite part of the meal.
I don’t really want to recommend this place in the way that I have recommended others, but it’s a pleasant place to enjoy lunch/brunch in a great location.
CEZANNE
1740 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.395.9700
lemerigothotel.com
This post will be relatively brief. Jason and I tried a new place on South Street called Gerry’s Grill. I cannot recall the last time (if ever) I have had to spit food out of my mouth. I had been trying to eat their BBQ pork dish, and it tasted like the parts of Korean BBQ that get discarded for being inedible and burnt. I tried a different piece of it to see if it had just been a bad section, but it was just a terrible dish, with bad meat, prepared terribly. I don’t like to give negative reviews; I often simply don’t review places if I don’t like them, but I really need to let my friends know not to go here. We also tried an appetizer of ox tongue (I love things like tongue and tripe and intestines), and while the texture of the tongue was fine, the sauce had a strange sour, saltiness to it that was unpleasant. We just wanted to leave as soon as possible, and the food was kind of pricey (we spent the same amount at the Better Half, which included a half bottle of wine with our 3 course meals). Anyway, if you find yourself in that South Street Asian plaza, you’d be much better off at Tea Station or Sweetee Thai.
I should mention that upon leaving Gerry’s Grill, Jason was still very hungry, so we stopped by Jack in the Box, where Jason tried a teriyaki bowl. He said Jack in the Box had never tasted so delicious in his life. That is not a good sign.
Football: Please don’t mention anything dealing with the NFL to me until next season. I was in physical pain yesterday.
I have another restaurant to add to my list of favorites: Hatfield’s. My mouth is watering, just recalling this place. Jason had made reservations back in May for a birthday dinner, but I fell ill that weekend and we had to postpone it. I was busy studying for exams and taking classes, but after completing the GRE, I finally had a free weekend to cash my rain check.
The place was small, but not overly intimate. The atmosphere was not intimidating, and our waiter reminded me of Andre Ethier, only very kind and very knowledgeable about wines without being pompous. We also noticed that the clientele appeared to be yuppies.
Even before ordering, we were served an amuse-bouche of deviled quail eggs with trout slivers and shot glasses of squash soup.
I normally hate deviled eggs, but these were so delicious. I could not taste any mayonnaise whatsoever, and the trout gave the eggs a strong, salty, tasty burst of flavor.
The soup was sweet and creamy, but not sugary. I loved it. I will tell you right now that I loved every single bite of food that I had at Hatfield’s, so be prepared for major raving.
Jason’s Hatfield’s “Croque-Madame”:
Grilled brioche, topped with a quail egg. Filling: sliced hamachi, prosciutto and melted cheese, with some cream, I think. I never knew that hamachi could dissolve on your tongue like that. Apparently, this is one of Hatfield’s signature dishes, and I am not surprised. It was very impressive and delicious. I would highly recommend this appetizer to everyone except for the lactose-intolerant.
Here is my pan roasted foie gras, caramelized onion and royal trumpet mushroom confiture, quince puree, bourbon jus:
It makes me drool to look at this picture and remember the heavenly flavors. The foie gras melted in my mouth, of course, and it was a pretty healthy portion. It was served on a bed of chopped quince and topped with slivered toasted almonds. The arugula had a tangy flavor, perhaps from the creamed orange thing (completely forgot what it was, but it was tangy, sweet, tart - so good. Must be the “bourbon jus”.). I scraped the plate clean, and I think it was my favorite dish of the night.
Jason’s date and mint-crusted Colorado rack of lamb, potato chive puree, sautee of heirloom carrot, turnip, lima beans:
He let me have one bite, and I have NEVER tasted lamb that soft and juicy. I didn’t know it was possible for lamb to be so tender. The best lamb I have ever tasted, no doubt. This is a good example of the talent at Hatfield’s. The dishes were not super-creative or innovative - they were all recognizable dishes. The talent is that while you’ve tasted all of these dishes before, you can easily say that Hatfield’s prepared it the BEST. You can truthfully say, “This is the best ________ that I’ve ever had.”
Here is another shot of the lamb:
My sauteed, wild striped bass, served on a bed of creamy spaetzle, with a side of wild mushroom, leek, and cauliflower fricasee(I am obsessed with cauliflower - it’s one of my favorite vegetables in the world), and champagne grapes (yummy!).
The bass was sauteed on one side, to keep it flavorful and moist. Perfect: light and flaky, lots of flavor. The spaetzle was delicious and creamy. The vegetable side was what helped me pick this dish over the duck breast. I cannot tell you enough how much flavor these dishes had without being overwhelming or salty. Each ingredient maintained its flavor while being complemented to bring it out in the most flattering way possible. I tried very hard to scrape the plate clean, but I think I left a few bites. I would have posted the picture of me and Jason post-meal, pre-dessert, but my stomach is bulging quite obviously from partaking so heartily. You can look at pictures of Justin in Praha to get the idea.
Dessert: sugar and spice dusted beignets with Venezuelan chocolate fondu and a vanilla malted milkshake shot.
Doughy, fluffy, perfectly crisped on the outside, rolled in granulated sugar and cinnamon, but not at all greasy. Served piping hot - we suffered burned fingers from several fruitless attempts at tearing open the beignets before they had sufficiently cooled. My favorite part of dessert was the tiny malt that accompanied it. It came with a tiny straw and was surprisingly refreshing. The coffee was good, served in individual french presses, and slightly chocolatey and nutty. I think it was some type of Kona coffee, which is what I assume when I taste cocoa and macadamia nut flavors in coffee.
Ahhh, you would think this was the end of the meal, but you’d be wrong. They came out with a little finisher:
Banana bread with hazelnut spread. Delicious.
I got to try Viognier for the first time, and I loved it. It paired perfectly with the fish. We also ordered the house cocktails, and those were so good. I should order house cocktails at good restaurants more often. They are a real treat. I had a Shanghai Ale, and I will definitely be ordering that again in this lifetime.
Hatfield’s
7458 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.935.2977
I love this place. Jason and I decided to try 3 new dishes. One of them was broccoli beef with oyster sauce, which was good, but not really new. It tasted like every other broccoli beef dish at any Korean-Chinese restaurant. I didn’t take pictures of it.
We tried the pork with basil:
Jason swore it was his new favorite dish, but while I love pork, I realize that I do not like pork skin. If you look at the picture, you can see the fried pork skin clinging to every piece of tender, juicy, fatty pork. Fried pork skin is both crispy and chewy, but I don’t like the texture. I don’t like chewing so diligently to break the skin down. The sauce was good, and the onions went very well with the fattiness of the pork, but the skin turned me off, so I probably wouldn’t order this dish again on my own. If Jason wants to order this dish every time we go, I would be fine with it.
We ordered steamed trout:
Very simple, and very good. Fish was flaky and light. It came with a sauce that was probably a Thai version of pico de gallo, and I loved it. It complemented the fish perfectly. Good fish doesn’t have a “fishy” taste or smell, and this was a good fish.
Renu Nakorn has done it again. If you can’t tell, we are going to try every single dish they have. At some point, I will be able to give you advice on every single dish they serve.
Stella’s sister, Felisa told us about a place where she had the best Thai food ever, Jitlada, in Thai Town (LA). Of course we had to go and try it. I was eager to compare this place to Renu Nakorn and Lotus of Siam. Jitlada is a bit of a drive, and it would have to be really good to warrant a trip when we’ve got arguably the best Thai food in the country a few blocks away.
I must say that the food was very, very, very good. If you were looking for a ranking, as compared to Renu or Lotus, I cannot provide it, because the cuisine was completely different. The dishes were not the same. Renu Nakorn and Lotus of Siam are Northern Thai, Issan. Jitlada is Southern Thai cuisine. I didn’t recognize any names or descriptions on the menu - everything was new to me (with the exceptions of staples like Pad See Uw and Pad Thai). I would really like to return to this place and bring new people to see what they think as well. I think Southern Thai cuisine is a little spicier, saltier, and richer than Northern Thai cuisine. We ordered several dishes, way too many to finish (which means I won’t have to cook for the next couple of days - awesome), and while we liked everything, we regretted not calling the restaurant ahead of time to ask them for recommendations. There were several specialties that the owner/chef touted that we need to try.
Here is what we did order (there are 2 dishes I am missing - the fried wontons, which we devoured immediately; shrimp pineapple curry, which looked like the green curry we ordered, so I didn’t bother taking a picture):
Not Tom Yum soup, but Tom Kai (? Don’t know - Lisa and Sarah ordered it). I don’t like the lemongrass-based soups unless I have a cold, so this was a welcome alternative. It had a little of the lemongrass tang, but it was diluted by the coconut milk (which makes it much better, I think).
I forgot the name of this. I think it was a rice papaya salad. This was my first time tasting a rice salad, and I loved it. It tasted fresh, and the rice had been cooked with anchovies. I don’t know how to describe the dish: sweet and refreshing. I don’t like papayas, but I was curious to see how it would taste in the dish. It worked well with the flavored rice. This appetizer was one of our favorites of the evening.
The owner came to our table to chat in between our appetizers and main dishes.
She explained that the dishes took a while to arrive because each dish was made to order, using the freshest ingredients.
She shared stories about the various celebrities that would frequent her establishment (Ellen Paige, Matt Groening, among others) and chatted about the early hardships in trying to get her business off the ground.
I believe that word-of-mouth was the business’s salvation and as various publications have begun screaming praises, her business is now thriving.
I need to ask Stella was this dish was called. It was some type of pork, served with a green mango salad (?) and sticky rice. This might have been my least favorite dish, but that’s not saying much. It’s just that the other dishes were so damn good. I tend to like meat juicier and less-cooked. I also expect pork to be greasy, and it wasn’t. The salad it came with was supposed to be very good, but I don’t know if I had room to try it.
Lamb curry. The lamb chunks were extremely tender and fatty - they melted on my tongue. I highly recommend this dish.
Veggie panang, Southern-style. I didn’t like it. It was more of a vegetable fry-up with a little sauce drizzled on it. Best panang in the world is still Renu Nakorn’s.
Pad See uw with chicken. I loved it, and was surprised that it was slightly spicy.
Lard Na Jitlada. It was a dish I have known traditionally as “rad na” or “rad nar”, but with seafood. For a long time, I have been looking for rad na comparable to that of Racha Cafe’s (Racha Cafe is on Telegraph and Dwight, in Berkeley: best Thai food in Berkeley). I still like Racha Cafe’s the best, but this came damn close. I was pleasantly surprised by the fish in the dish - it was very tender and practically disintegrated underneath my fork.
I forgot the name of this dish, but it was lamb, and it was #66 on the Southern Thai menu (not the regular menu). It came out last, and we were already stuffed, but I managed one bite and immediately wished that I had saved room for more. The lamb was soft and tender, and this dish actually reminded me of a steak and asparagus dish that Jason’s dad makes that I love (I love everything he cooks, actually). I took the leftovers home and can’t wait to have Jason try it.
Uh oh. I realize now that I forgot to take pictures of the green curry with duck. It was delicious, possibly the best curry of the night (possibly - might have liked lamb just as much). It’s difficult for me to really rank everything, because we ordered so much food that I only had room to eat one bite of everything, really. I was uncomfortable at the end of the meal, and even though I had been planning on ordering mango sticky rice (other places didn’t offer it because mangos are out of season), I just couldn’t. The Thai iced tea was very good, too. It kept me up and I couldn’t fall asleep for a few hours.
Final call: GO TO THIS PLACE. But I would advise asking someone who works there to order dishes for you. Their mussels are supposed to be their crowning glory, so I’ll have to get that next time. Their frog legs are supposed to be very good, too.
Jitlada Thai Restaurant
5233 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 663-3104
I’m really sorry I didn’t take any pictures, but I was really hungry and so excited about the food that I completely forgot to pull out the camera.
Komatsu is located in a really ghetto strip mall in Torrance, and like most authentic Japanese restaurants, the name of the bar is nowhere to be found. There is a small sign outside that says “Tempura Bar,” and that’s it. When you first enter, there is a strange smell, like an Asian toilet, and I could smell it pretty much throughout the restaurant, but you lose it when you begin eating.
We went there for lunch, and the lunch menu is much smaller than the dinner menu. We started with soft shell crab tempura and squid tempura. I’m not a big fan of soft shell crab, so the best I can say is that I didn’t dislike it. I tend to prefer squid raw or seasoned (I should have made use of their seasoning salts, damn!), so it was also not a big deal for me. I ordered a shrimp tempura and egg bowl. It came with a delicious salad (I love asian salad dressings - lemon juice and soy sauce, I think), miso soup, and pickles, pickled carrots, and pickled eggplant.
I don’t know much about tempura batters, but I loved it here. It was light: light in color, texture, and on the greasiness (which is to say, not very greasy). The rice was seasoned with furakake, I believe, and covered with runny eggs. The egg yolk had soaked into pretty much every grain of rice, and there was a nice wet section of egg gunk all over the top of the bowl. SO GOOD. I ate much more than I should have, but I couldn’t stop eating.
I should have played with the seasoning salts. They provided shaved daikon to mix with the tempura dipping sauce, and they provided 3 small pots of salts: sea salt, green tea salt, and sesame seed salt. I think I would have enjoyed the soft shell crab and squid more with them.
They serve hot tea in tiny cups, and I drink a lot, so I was thirsty the entire time, but other than that and the odd bathroom smell, I had a great time. The dinner menu looked incredible, so I need to go back a few times. I am no judge of Japanese cuisine, but the place was soon packed with Japanese businessmen (all nationals, I think - they were all speaking in Japanese), so I’m pretty sure the place was authentic and good, even by Japanese standards.
Komatsu
1644 W. Carson Street
Suite B
Torrance, CA 90501
310-787-0787
I kept promising a picture, and here it is:
Mango sticky rice from Renu Nakorn. Looking at it makes me crave it so much. I love it here. I tried the mango sticky rice at Thai Nakorn, and it was terrible.
Reina and I had lunch in Redondo Beach after her dress fitting. We went to Kincaid’s, which had an excellent view of the water. I like beach restaurants like Kincaid’s. They are “nice” restaurants (step above Wood Ranch or Macaroni Grill) in which it is perfectly acceptable to walk in wearing shorts and flip flops. Aside from the hostess appearing to give us a once-over, the service was great.
I ordered fish tacos, as it was lunch time and I was not in the mood for a huge entree (although the entrees looked great - especially the daily lunch specials).
I’m not really sure what to say, other than that I liked them. I love fish tacos in general, and they all tend to taste good for the same reasons. Battered fresh fish, crunchy cabbage, rich guacamole… I even like the white sauce, whatever it is (sour cream? tartar?). I ALWAYS squeeze limes on top - the lime juice really completes it for me. I think the best way to describe my tacos is that they tasted pretty much exactly how they looked like they would taste. Here’s a close-up shot, to give you a better idea.
I started my meal with the lobster and corn bisque. I was, unfortunately, extremely disappointed. It looked and tasted like a bowl of lobster stock, or lobster juice. There were no corn kernels or lobster chunks in it, either. I was a bit confused, because several different servers appeared to be very excited that Reina and I had ordered the bisque: they came up individually to rave about it and ask us, “Didn’t you just LOVE it??” No, we didn’t. I think it was quite possibly the worst lobster bisque I’ve ever had. The opinions of the servers made me question whether my criteria for judging lobster bisque were completely off. I expect lobster bisque to be creamy and opaque like chowder, not watery and clear like broth. I expect chunks of lobster to be present, rather than nothing at all.
Again, I think the picture describes the taste. Anyway, the rest of our lunches were delicious. I have been to Kincaid’s several times with my family over the course of many years, and this is the first time that I have had any dish that I didn’t like. So far, for anyone visiting Kincaid’s, I would recommend everything on the menu with the exception of the lobster bisque. The view is great as well.
Kincaid’s Fish, Chop & Steakhouse
500, Fisherman’s Wharf
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Phone:(310) 318-6080
I had a mad desire a few weeks ago to visit the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. I had told Jason that for some reason, visiting aquariums makes me crave seafood, so he looked online for good seafood places in Long Beach before we left. We decided to try Berth 55, a fish market located where the 710 ends by hitting the pier.
It’s tucked away near what appear to be abandoned warehouses and industrial complexes. You would never guess that a place to get decent seafood would be hidden here, but it is. The food was very simple, fresh, and tasty.
Since it was a hot day, we began with a cup of fresh shrimp ceviche and bottles of Mexican beer:
I need to apologize about the pictures. We decided to sit outside, to enjoy the warm weather and the view (the place was right on the water), but we were sitting under canopies, which affected the lighting. The ceviche wasn’t actually tinged with green, as the picture implies. They chopped the ingredients very finely, which was something different for me. I had been used to Blue Water’s huge chunks in their ceviche, so this caught me off-guard. The ceviche tasted fine, very fresh and refreshing, but to be honest, I prefer Blue Water’s ceviche.
Here is my red snapper and bbq scallop combo:
The fish’s flesh was fresh, soft, flaky, and moist. They had seasoned it by sprinkling some ground Cayenne pepper on it, and that’s it. You could appreciate the mild taste of the fish and there was no fishy taste that required lemon juice to neutralize it. Underneath were the scallops. These were very very tasty, in contrast to the mild snapper. So juicy and flavorful! The meat had that nice “bounce” to it (I don’t know how to describe the texture of fresh scallops), and the grilling had left some sticky, caramelized sauce on the bottoms - delicious.
The fries were very good, too. I would have eaten more of them, but I was too full from the hearty serving of fish. I had to pick out bones here and there - but I liked that: it made it seem more fresh. The fries were thickly cut, but somehow soft and mealy inside, and slightly crispy outside. Warning: they do not have ketchup on the premises. They served the fish and fries combo with one small cup of tartar sauce and one small cup of cocktail sauce. Or, you can get a small packet of tapatillo sauce.
Jason ordered BBQ shrimp, but I forget what kind of fish he ordered. I think it was swordfish:
I loved the shrimp, but didn’t bother to try any of his swordfish because I don’t like swordfish or mahi mahi, or any of those fish meats that are “heavy” (almost like steaks to me). I also noticed the shrimp because I tend to be very picky about shrimp and rarely order it as a result. I love shrimp, don’t get me wrong, but because I love it, I tend to be disappointed easily. That also goes for salmon. I love salmon, but when restaurants overcook it, overgrill it, somehow get the filet to feel and taste heavy and dry, it completely ruins the dish for me and I don’t want to eat another bite. Anyway, this BBQ shrimp was very good - they had cooked it the same way they had prepared the scallops, and it was good for the same reasons.
I would like to come back to this place - it’s a great place to have lunch on a hot summer day. We could see the boats going out to sea, and it’s nice to stare at the ocean on a hot sunny day while enjoying a cold beer with a cup of ceviche.
Let us know if you want to hit up this spot sometime; we’d like to go back. It looked like they changed their specials menu daily, and it was quite a list.
Berth 55 Fish Market and Seafood Deli
555 Pico Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802
562-435-8366
This place is ridiculously close and I had never heard of it until Jason and I hungrily and frantically researched places to eat breakfast in Cerritos that weren’t likely to be crowded. It’s across the street from Gahr High School, in a business complex, and you really can’t find it unless you know it’s there. It is directly on the corner of Artesia and Studebaker, on the Southeast corner. They open very early and close early as well, so it’s best to go for breakfast, lunch, or an early dinner.
The best way to describe their food is American comfort. Do not come here if you are on a diet - they serve extremely hearty portions. They are like a non-chain Marie Callendar’s, but with a much more varied menu and dishes that aren’t as plain. The service is excellent - our waitress was very sweet and accommodating. There was no wait to get a table, even though we arrived at peak brunch hours: 11AM on a Sunday morning. The place was busy, but not at all crowded.
Jason ordered a chicken-fried steak, and this looked like the type of place where it would be really good, but it was really dry and tough and overcooked.
You can tell by the darkness of the bread crumbs that it was overdone. I think Jason’s side of scrambled eggs came with 3 huge eggs - it was a large portion. I think Jason liked the home fries.
I ordered Mike’s Healthy Scramble. It came with ground turkey, scrambled egg whites, cilantro, mushrooms, tomatoes, and as my sides, I chose brown rice and biscuits with gravy. You have several choices, and I liked that gravy biscuits and brown rice were choices.
It was a good simple egg scramble. I liked the ingredients and that it wasn’t greasy or buttery.
This is the “side” of biscuits and gravy:
I put “side” in quotation marks because there were 4 or 5 huge fluffy, buttery, doughy biscuits smothered in yummy, salty, rich chicken gravy. This was enough to feed 4 people. I ate about 4 bites before getting too full to finish. So both of my plates of food together cost $7.75. I was amazed at how little the food cost, because it didn’t taste like they had used really cheap ingredients, like at places like Coco’s.
They had pages of delicious breakfast options, so I would like my friends to consider this place the next time we’re planning a brunch outing that involves more than 4 people. We don’t all wake up early enough to make it to a place that gets crowded by 10 AM, and this place is cheap, tasty, open, and able to accommodate.
I have been going to this place as often as possible. I want to try everything on their menu.
Jason and I ordered an appetizer: angel wings. They were chicken legs stuffed with pork and vegetables.
After taking this picture, the next cross-section better revealed the variety of ingredients (many colors), but I was feeling too ravenous to take another picture. Very, very tasty.
I thought I had a Renu Nakorn take-out menu, but I can’t find it, and so I can’t recall the name of this dish. Some type of deep-fried catfish with red curry and coconut milk, but I couldn’t taste the coconut milk.
Good, but my stomach gurgled a bit menacingly after eating this dish. I think it was the spiciness. You also have to watch out for the bones. Some parts of the skin have these little pockets of fat, or else it’s the quality of the scales. Either way, I was delighted.
This is the famous panang curry; Renu Nakorn makes the best panang in the U.S.:
Try it and you will know that I am not exaggerating. This is one of the few times that my sister Patti will clean her plate. Actually, this is the only dish that isn’t dessert that will get Patti to clean her plate.
The next time I come here, I hope to have more people with me so that we will have room in our stomachs for the mango sticky rice. Then I can take a picture to post.
I ate more on Wednesday afternoon in one sitting than I have for a long time. I could feel my stomach stretching, and it is an uncomfortable feeling. My sister had made reservations at Mario Battali’s famous Pizzeria Mozza, and it is not just hype, folks. I ate until I was in pain, and then I was very sad that I couldn’t fit any more food into my stomach without vomiting.
First course:
This was Nancy’s chopped salad. $15 sounds expensive for a salad, but this salad was HUGE and delicious. It had a light vinaigrette- olive oil and vinegar, I’m guessing, but it was very light and mild and perfect, with just a touch of vinegary bite.
Second courses:
Fried squash blossoms with ricotta. There were about 6 on the plate, but when you place good food in front of my family, it’s funny what little effect the words, “WAIT!! WAIT!! WAAAIIIIIIT!” have on them. I don’t know how to describe these, but man, were they good. They tasted delicate as well, and the ricotta was delicious. Quality, people. It goes a long way.
Bone marrow al forno. I love bone marrow (which you would know if you read my blog regularly), so of course I had to try this dish. I loved it, but I didn’t realize that it would be so substantial. The portions were enormous. It came with 3 huge bones from which to scoop the marrow. I ate it by tearing off a piece of olive-soaked pain, then sprinkling whatever chopped lemon juice-drenched salad leaves were sitting on the plate (parsley? bushy leafy cilantro?) onto the pain, adding a piece of roasted garlic soaked in olive oil, and finishing with a scoop of marrow on top. As Patti commented, I ate with gusto. My only regret was that my family didn’t help much with finishing off the plate, so I got very full off of this rich dish, so that I could barely finish one slice of my pizza.
We each ordered our own pizza.
My dad ordered the Pizza alla Benna: Speck, pineapple, jalapeno, mozzarella, and tomato
Speck is a type of smoked prosciutto. Usually I refuse to eat pizza with pineapples on it, but the reason why it worked on this pizza was that it was dried pineapple rings. There was no juice to soak the pizza and ruin the other flavors. It had a mildly sweet taste that worked well with the spices from the jalapeno and the smokiness/saltiness of the speck.
My mom ordered a pizza with ipswich clams, garlic, oregano, chiles, pecorino and parmigiano:
My family declared it to be their favorite, but I disagreed. I will admit that I was feeling uncomfortably full at this point and the richness of the clams just made me a little nauseous, so if I hadn’t been stuffed with marrow and olive oil, I may have changed my mind. It was quite a unique taste, though. It wasn’t just a pizza with clams dropped on top. It was a dry pizza, with dry cheeses, so as not to compete with the flavor of the clams. There was a pleasant prickly spiciness to it, and I realize now it must have been the chiles.
Patti ordered a pizza with speck, bufala muzzarella, olive tapenade, and oregano (the prettiest pizza):
I was annoyed with Patti because she wouldn’t put a slice on my plate, but if she had, I probably would have reached bursting point. I reheated it the next day for lunch, but I heated the cheese too much and it hardened. The muzzarella was good, though.
My dish was the simplest: Funghi misti, fontina, taleggio, and thyme
This was my favorite dish, because the cheese and mushrooms were so fragrant and rich. The flavor of the mushrooms was strong, in a good way. The cheese was nice and gooey.
We were way too full to even consider dessert, but bursting guts be damned, we ordered 2 desserts, anyway.
This was a butterscotch pudding with creme and a caramel sauce, I think it was. Delicious, and if I had had room, I would have licked the cup clean. It was torturous to have to leave some of that sweet whipped goodness behind.
These are rice fritters with sliced apricots in apricot syrup. They look like yummy beignets, until you bite into them and realize to your delight that they are filled with what appears to be rice pudding. Again, it was torture to not finish them.
Pizzeria Mozza
641 N. Highland Ave.,
Los Angeles
323-297-0101
Don’t valet because it’s too expensive and it is right next to a residential neighborhood where there is ample room for parking.
Here are photos of my family, who have encouraged my love of food my entire life:
Put a glass of cold beer in his hand and my dad is a happy man. I believe my appreciation of Budweiser comes from him, and he is holding an Italian beer that was very crisp and refreshing.
I have described Patti as “just like me, only half a foot taller and 20 pounds lighter.” Oh, except for her head - maybe we actually weigh the same because of the huge disparity in our head size.
… has reopened!! Food is still great - I’ve been there twice in the week that it was open. I forgot to bring my camera when I ate with my sister, but their panang curry is still the best that I’ve ever had. I ordered Khau Soi, which was delicious and reminded me of the Las Vegas group(Doug, Jason, Johann, Reina)’s favorite dish at Lotus of Siam, only not as spicy.
I took Jason and we decided to try some new dishes.
Kang Hung Lay:
This is described as pork stew, and Northern Thai favorite. It has become one of our favorites as well. Spicy fatty pork, with soft garlic cloves, parsley, and green onions, covered in a thin, spicy curry-like sauce. We ate it with sticky rice, but I think next time we’ll order it with brown rice, to better soak up the delicious sauce.
Jason ordered Kang Hoh:
It was pickled pork with rice vermicelli, tender bamboo shoots, and green beans. I thought it was pretty good, but it had that pickled flavor to it, which was different. I think we would have enjoyed it more if it hadn’t been compared to the kang hung lay.
I’ve ordered the mango sticky rice dessert with my sister here, and it’s the best I’ve ever had.
GO to Renu Nakorn. It has been mentioned quite often by several famous food critics as being the best Thai food in the United States, I kid you not. The center is newly renovated, which means a larger, cleaner space, and a much nicer strip mall.
It’s on the northeast corner of Rosecrans and Shoemaker, in Norwalk. They also finally have a restaurant sign in front.
….can be found at Antony’s on Artesia and Pioneer Blvd. It is called the Jiminy Crickett sandwich, and it is goooood. It is a relatively simple dish: buttered roll, sliced in half, filled with 2-3 different types of salami (none of which are tough, dry or overly salty), thinly sliced pepperoncinis, sliced raw red onions, melted provolone cheese, and toasted to perfection. You have to try this for yourself. Jason and I think this may be the greatest sandwich we have ever had. Of course, I had left my camera at home so I can’t show you a picture. If you live in Cerritos, go to Antony’s and buy it.
5/23/08:
Jason and I spent Saturday exploring Culver City and Los Angeles. We ended up passing by Campanile, and when Jason heard me express longing for their food, he treated me to a delicious meal.
We shared a braised pork belly for our appetizer, and we both agreed it was the tastiest dish of the night.
I don’t know if you can tell, but the top of the pork has been caramelized, and gave it a taffyish consistency. Then there was a layer of delicious, melt-in-your-mouth fat, and then the softest, tenderest, juiciest layer of pork meat I’ve ever had. It was served on a bed of lima beans, spinach, and razor-thin slices of garlic. They added chopped mangoes on top, and they were the perfect combination of sweet versus tart to accompany the pork. This is one of my favorite dishes of all time.
I ordered baby lamb as my main dish, with a side of ratatouille and grilled cheese.
It was very fatty, soft, tender, and juicy, but I would have preferred some type of game fowl, and there were none offered on that day’s menu.
Jason ordered rabbit prepared two ways: first was a sort of drumstick, and the other was called “the saddle.” He will probably blog about it.
I saved room for dessert. These days, I have not been tempted by dessert menus at restaurants. Nothing sounds both interesting and delicious, so I have been skipping desserts. But Campanile’s dessert menu was filled with choices that all sounded extremely appetizing. We let the waitress pick our dessert, because she had been the one to recommend the braised pork belly, and we trusted her taste.
She chose a sticky date pudding, with butterscotch sauce, ice cream, and creme fraiche. One of my favorite desserts, ever!
Campanile hasn’t failed me yet! Amazingly, Jason and I had room in our stomachs when we returned to Cerritos to nosh on Brian and Sarah’s chili cheese nachos at Shipmates and guzzle two pints of beer each. Sam had to nosh on fries, since they were cheese-free.
The key to enjoying any good meal is to share it in good company:
Jason and I were itching to try out a hot dog cart in Culver City. These dogs are as close to organic as you will get, without going vegetarian. Here’s some information: http://letsbefrankdogs.com/our_dogs.html These dogs are famous because they were inspired by Alice Waters, of Chez Panisse fame. The cart is located in the Helms Bakery complex, site of the new Father’s Office location. This area of Culver City is quite charming, and a side of Culver City that I didn’t know existed. I would recommend exploring Culver City if you feel inclined.
They had two types of dogs: the bratwurst and the frankfurter. I loved both. Jason and I each ordered a different one, ate half, then traded. Here they are in their glory.
First, the brat dog:
The frank dog:
These were quite possibly the best hot dogs I have ever had. They are not cheap, but the price is reflected in the quality. Think, “fresh” hot dogs, at $5 each. They’ve got a good snap to them when you bite in, and they’re juicy and greasy and full of flavor, with a bit of a spicy kick to them.
Those of you that are familiar with Renu Nakorn should know right now that no, we have not found a place to equal their curry-making prowess. I have never had better curry than at Renu Nakorn, and I likely never will. That being said, there are better places to get Thai noodles. Anyway, Renu Nakorn still hasn’t re-opened, as far as I know, and I have to get a decent Thai curry fix somewhere. It’s very difficult to eat Thai food with Renu Nakorn closed for renovation (for over a year! Come on, people! We’re dying here!). Jason and I have been on a mission to find a place within reasonably close distance that can serve to fill our Thai curry void. We often use Chowhound to find new and delicious places to eat. Many Chowhounders have sworn that a place on Beach Blvd., Thai Nakorn, is the best place to get Thai food… anywhere. I was very skeptical, because everyone who’s been to Renu Nakorn knows that finding a better Thai curry is nigh impossible.
Jason and I were dying for Thai food, so we decided to try the famed Thai Nakorn. We were not disappointed.
The dish above is on their specialty menu, and it is wild boar meat with peppers and onions. It was tasty, but too spicy for my taste (although we requested it ‘mild’ - I am a sissy when it comes to spiciness). My mouth was on fire for a portion of the meal. I don’t really know how to describe it - prickly, peppery, smoky flavor and fatty pork meat. You can also tell by the picture that it is swimming in oil, which probably leaked out of the fatty pork (usually that’s a good thing, but it was too much, in this case). It’s a dish that was good enough to take home and finish as leftovers, but I probably won’t order it again.
We couldn’t find “pad seeuw” on the menu, but had read rave reviews about it on Chowhound, so although we couldn’t find the listing, we told the waitress we wanted pad seeuw and she said, “sure” - no questions asked (other than “what type of meat you want with it?”). Now, I am by no means at all, a connoisseur of Thai cuisine. I really don’t know what certain dishes are supposed to emphasize or “truly” taste like. But I liked these noodles. A lot. I will admit that I do not know many places that have served “bad” pad seeuw. The second time Jason and I went to Thai Nakorn for a private birthday celebration, we ordered it again. I’m pretty sure we’re going to order it every time that we go.
This brings us to the curry:
We ordered beef panang, and it was quite tasty. The beef was very soft and tender, and since we ordered the panang “mild,” the spice wasn’t overpowering at all. BUT. But, but, but. NOTHING can compare to Renu Nakorn’s curry. Jason and I tried ordering a different curry the second trip we made to Thai Nakorn, and like the panang, it was very thin, almost watery in consistency, and a bit oiler than Renu Nakorn’s. Renu Nakorn curry also has the distinction of being very creamy. I think they must use insane amounts of coconut milk. Their flavor is creamier, their texture is creamier…
Final verdict? Thai Nakorn is good, but not as good as Renu Nakorn. However, if Thai noodles are your thing, and not curry, then you belong at Thai Nakorn - their noodles are better than Renu Nakorn’s. Thai Nakorn’s curry will also serve as a substitute while we wait for Renu Nakorn to re-open.
Thai Nakorn
11951 Beach Blvd.
Stanton, CA 90680 (some places list the city as Garden Grove, and some list it as Cypress - the easiest way to get there isto head south on Beach Blvd until it shows up on your right in the plaza on the Northwest corner of Chapman and Beach)
714-799-2031
I keep hearing about how great BCD’s tofu soup is (click here to read an article praising it yet again), and I’ve only had it once, but I wasn’t very impressed. I prefer the tofu soup at pretty much any restaurant in the Cerritos/Artesia area. Then again, I don’t know if I’m any expert on this stuff. I love tofu soup, and I eat it often (even the kind I make myself), but I may have unique taste in terms of what I expect when I order it.
I like my tofu soup absolutely choking with tofu, with a little more than just enough broth to keep it wet. It has to be very hot, served in a stone pot, and not bland. I like it any style, in terms of both spiciness and flavor. I’ve had it with pork, beef, clams, oysters, shrimp, kimchee, and mushrooms, and I’ve never disliked any of the flavors. I’ve had a range of spiciness from white (this isn’t just mild - it’s almost a lack of spice, but it’s still packed with flavor) to medium (the spiciness range can have as many as 6 or 7 different degrees of spiciness), and I’ve enjoyed all of them equally.
Tofu soup is served with raw eggs that you’re supposed to crack into the pot just before eating. It is served with rice and peas, and various Korean side dishes, depending on where you go. My favorite place right now is on the corner of Artesia and Norwalk. The side dishes that they serve are kimchee(spicy pickled cabbage - a Korean staple), gak tu gi(spicy pickled radish, or is it turnip?), mung bean sprouts seasoned with sesame oil, dried roasted sheets of seaweed, spicy raw octopus strips, and spicy pickled sliced cucumbers. They may also serve spicy soft-shelled crab, but I’m allergic to those, so I wouldn’t notice it on the table if they served it, anyway. Most Korean restaurants serve their meals with a larger selection of side dishes, but the side dishes at this restaurant are some of my favorites, so I don’t mind.
Here are the name and address of my current favorite tofu soup restaurant:
Cho Dang Tofu Restaurant
12245 Artesia Blvd
Cerritos, CA 90703
(562) 924-6099
And, oh yes: People often complain (I used to be one of them, so I’m not admonishing you) that eating at a Korean restaurant can set you back further than dining at another restaurant on another type of Asian cuisine. This can be true; Korean dishes may cost more per plate than dishes at another ethnic restaurant, but this is because you get unlimited refills on the numerous side dishes that are always free, varied, and delicious. You get to be adventurous without breaking the bank. Korean restaurants also don’t charge you for hot or cold tea.
I have been here twice already, and it’s a relatively new addition to Cerritos, next to Baby’s R Us. Basically, the food was good, but don’t come here if you are on a schedule. They haven’t mastered the art of timing dishes to come out at the same time, so some people at your table may have have received their food about half an hour before yours arrives. I think it’s best to order dishes as a group and share. That way, no one goes hungry. The food also takes a loooooong time to arrive. I would recommend setting aside 2 hours if you plan on eating here. That being said, I love their green curry and South St. Noodles. The Pad Seeuw is different from what I’ve had at other places. Instead of using that traditional Pad Seeuw seasoning, they use sweet soy sauce. It’s not bad at all, but if you really have a craving for the traditional Pad Seeuw taste, get the South St. Noodles. The food is also very inexpensive. The bill will not make you mad. Be aware that they do not accept credit cards for orders that do not exceed $20, and you need to order at least 3 large dishes in order to reach that amount.
Green curry with chicken:
South Street Noodles:
Pad Seeuw:
11700 South Street
Building #101
Artesia, CA 90701
South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa; (714) 434-7900
Today was my second time eating lunch here, but I neglected to take pictures the first time, and I went hog-wild and ordered so much that time that aside from the foie gras filets (mouth-wateringly delicious and with a raspberry reduction) I had as an appetizer, I don’t remember much.
This time I did the 3 course lunch, which is changed daily and always $20. Here is a picture of my menu:
Sorry it’s blurry. My first course was basically a salad. Very delicious, especially the jambon onu (which I think means smoked or cured - it was like eating thick, firm chunks of prosciutto julienned).
Second course: braised veal cheeks. The meat was so tender and juicy, no knife was needed to cut bite-sized morsels. The meat just slid apart at the touch of your fork. The veal cheeks were on top of chopped seasoned mushrooms and herbed roasted fingerling potatoes, and the combination of sauces and seasonings made it very salty and necessary to eat the potatoes with each bite to cut down on the saltiness factor. I also drank a lot of water. But the sauces and seasonings were very good - it wasn’t salty like when someone else tries to season your fries or anything.
Third Course: passion fruit tart with a caramelized top. My mom thought it was the best part of the meal. It wasn’t overly tart or sweet, and mild without being tasteless. The pastry portion was crispy and sweet. They dusted powdered sugar on the sides and left a swipe of raspberry syrup on the side as well. It was very light, and like a passion fruit custard.
It was an extremely satisfying lunch for an extremely good value. Caveat: the prix fixe price will draw you in, but you will be tempted by the delicious (and substantially more expensive) a la carte items. I will freely admit that the pricey a la carte items are well worth the price.
Any time you are shopping at South Coast and need to stop for lunch, I would highly recommend this place. Especially if someone else is paying.
17720 Pioneer Blvd
Artesia, CA
(562) 809-0080
I love Korean Chinese food. There is one dish that I especially enjoy and crave every once in a while, called jjah-jang myun. It’s the Korean take on noodles with black bean sauce. They use thick fat noodles that are hand-made (I suspect) and somehow get them really greasy. Then you get a bowl of the black bean sauce, which also has bits of chopped up beef, onions, carrots, and cucumber. You pour the entire bowl of black bean sauce over the noodles and enjoy with kim chee and raw onions with vinegar and plum sauce.
This one I ordered had seafood in it:
Now, you’re not doing the meal right unless you pair the jjah jang myun with tahng suyook (big chunks of beef, pork, or shrimp rolled in corn starch and fried, then covered in the Korean version of sweet and sour sauce, which is brown and more sweet than sour). I’m not sure where this tradition of pairing the 2 together originated, but I noticed that it’s a widespread practice.
VIP Restaurant is known among Cerritos-dwelling Koreans as THE place to get jjah jang myun. I ordered their fried pot stickers this time around, but they tasted pretty bad. I can’t really put my finger on it: they were just tasteless and soggy. I’m pretty sure I’ve ordered their fried pot stickers before and liked them, but I guess they’re not very consistent. For tahng suyook, I usually prefer pork, but my mother warned me that as people don’t order the pork version very often, ghetto Korean-Chinese places are not above using expired meat for them. So it’s a gamble. We ordered the beef version this time, and I loved it. My mother abstained from eating more than a few bites, saying they had used bad quality beef and that she didn’t like the taste, so maybe I’m not very good at telling the difference. Anyway, I thought it was tasty and had several servings.
All of my Korean friends (and some of my Chinese) are aware of VIP Restaurant. I have never ordered anything other than their jjah jang myun and tahng suyook, so I don’t know if I can really recommend the restaurant for anything else. Mainly, I want people who aren’t familiar with Korean jjah jang myun to try it, and to try it at VIP Restaurant. If you’re interested in what else they have to offer, my description of the place is that they’ve got a “B” rating, which is usually a good sign if you’re into ghetto Asian food. I think Asian food in general tastes better at a ghetto establishment, and “A” ratings in the window of an Asian establishment are usually an indication to me that the food is probably not authentic. Please remember that you do not go to a Korean-Chinese restaurant if you are into authentic Chinese food or are expecting fine Chinese food. Their menu items will have the same names as their Chinese counterparts, but they will taste entirely different (and look entirely different, as well).
Last Sunday, Mark and Laurel organized a dim sum brunch with a bunch of Mark’s classmates from both Anderson and his engineering school (sorry, no idea what the name of that one is) at Empress Garden in Chinatown. WOW - it was delicious. I had tasted most of the items before, but they were super good here.
I also tried what Laurel described as “guts.” They were really good! I love the texture of fatty foods, chewy foods, squishy foods, jelly-like foods… I like tripe and tendon, for instance. You know those clear, jelly-like things that come in your pho and you avoid and leave them floating in your bowl when you’ve finished? I eat those first. Anyway, the guts came in a peppery broth-like sauce, and it was good. Oh, but I took a bite of the liver, and I didn’t like that.
I think this may have been my first time eating Chinese congee, and it was good, but I didn’t like that there seemed to be tiny shards of chicken bone in it. Fortunately, Laurel refrained from ordering chicken feet. I have nibbled on one before, many years ago, when Doris’s family took me to dim sum, and I wasn’t a fan. It wasn’t gross or anything, I just wasn’t into the taste or texture. There’s no real meat to speak of, first of all, and so you’re basically just sucking on the sauce and softened scaly skin. I can see how it could be an acquired taste, though. I’m sure if my parents had ordered it several times and made me eat it, I’d grow to like it. Jason has never even tried one before.
Laurel is one of the few friends I have that can speak Cantonese, so I was very happy she was sitting next to me. Anything I wanted, boom, she got it. We had excellent and quick service the entire time. We stuffed ourselves silly, and the final bill came out to only $8/person, and that’s including the tax and tip. I guess for dim sum, tip isn’t too high bc you don’t really have a waiter. I don’t know if the prices were really excellent, or if Laurel worked some connections, because that just seemed really low for the amount of food we ate.
The restaurant was pretty chaotic - it’s well-known for being very good, and it was very crowded. It was also crowded outside, from the number of people trying to eat there.
Here’s the address; I would recommend getting there very early:
Empress Pavilion
988 N. Hill St., 2nd fl, Los Angeles, CA
Thank you, Mark and Laurel!!
Since Stella so kindly provided the name and address of the great Chinese Islamic restaurant in Anaheim, Jason and I invited Kevan and Rachel to join us in trying it out again. My God, it was good. I ate much more than I should have, knowing I’d have to fit into a bridesmaid’s dress about one week later, but I couldn’t help it. On Stella’s recommendation, we ordered the thin sesame bread with green onion, and I like it better than the thick kind. It’s like Chinese naan. I’m trying to remember what we ordered: lamb stew, chicken curry, Chinese broccoli with tons of garlic, knife-cut noodles… Was there anything else? I don’t know, but everything was good. I wasn’t such a huge fan of the chicken curry, but I think it’s my aversion to Eastern Asian curry in general.
Anyway, that night was one of those nights where you wish you were bulimic or had a couple of portable stomachs so that you could eat more. I would recommend arriving there before 6:30, because as soon as we were seated, tons of people began to pour in and the waiting area soon was in chaos. So was the parking lot - so much illegal parking! People parked on the grassy curbs, in those striped areas separating handicapped spots from regular spots, in the driveways into the parking lot, under “No Parking” signs…
I was cleaning out my purse and came across a receipt from Jamillah Garden Restaurant. It’s a restaurant that serves Chinese Muslim food. Bruce, one of Jason’s college friends who was visiting Labor Day weekend for Brandon’s wedding took us (Ching, Bryant, Rachel, Kevan, Jason, me) all there. I really liked it, and it was very inexpensive. I’ve had Chinese Muslim food before (with Doris, Scott, Andrew Hou, Sam, Stella, and Ken, I think) and I liked it then, too. It’s basically Chinese food without pork. So the mabo tofu is cooked with chunks of beef instead of minced pork. Substitutions like that.
I wouldn’t recommend their eggplant, because the skins were tough, but 2 dishes stood out in particular: their lamb with cumin, and their chicken with Chinese broccoli. The lamb was really juicy and had kind of a tender, springy texture; the chicken was garlicky and just yummy. I’m also picky with chicken - it can’t be at all dry or stringy or I’ll hate it. They also serve some kind of flaky, layered loaf that’s seasoned with onions and sesame seeds that’s really good: crispy on the outside; soft and doughy on the inside. It is spongy and absorbent, so it sops up the sauces on your plate really well. The staff was also really honest with recommendations. When Ching asked the waiter if he liked their Chicken With Vegetables, he said no and recommended the Chicken with Broccoli instead. They seemed to really care about our preferences and whether we would like what we ordered. He knew we would love the lamb, too. Apparently it’s a new dish there.
The place is in Tustin, and here’s the address:
Jamillah Garden Restaurant
2512 Walnut Avenue, Suite 1
Tustin, CA 92780
714-838-3522
Thanks, Bruce!
I added pictures to “Happy Birthday, Fletch!” The mysterious guy whose face cannot be seen? That’s my friend Fletch. And Johann, I apologize for posting a picture of you blinking. I thought it was funny.
Jason and I went to the Ritz Carlton Huntington (in Pasadena) on Saturday night to celebrate the birthday of my sister’s mother in law. I had a tomato salad, and it was all right (the paper-thin slices of cheese were the best part). The main course was good, I mean, you can’t really go wrong with lobster. It came with pasta that was covered in what appeared to be melted butter and pure cream. I ate 2 noodles and 3 small pieces of the lobster, and was done for the night - the food was that rich and satisfying. I tasted Jason’s pheasant and immediately wished I had had the foresight to order that myself. It was easily the best thing I had all night.
I was disappointed with all of the desserts. My sister wants to call up the Ritz Carlton and tell them to fire their pastry chef. I guess because it was the Ritz, I expected something a bit better, too. Also, before our desserts came out, they had a little dessert-teaser, with pistachio ice cream and lemon tarts, which were very delicious - tart, creamy, with a bit of crisp to it… We were filled with high hopes. Then my blackberry tart came out, and it was basically 6 blackberries sunken into a Saltine cracker with a side of cream cheese. My mom ordered a poached pear, but it was only a slice of the pear, not a half-pear, like we all expected.
One of the best things about the Ritz was the company at the table behind us. I noticed Jason talking to a couple sitting at the table behind us, and assumed he was making small talk with strangers. I glanced at their table, then did a double-take. It was Albert and Wendy, Johann’s friends from Cal! They were celebrating Wendy’s birthday. Man, what a small world.
Last thing, before I forget: at Millefleurs, we were served an amuse-bouche, which was a slice of smoked salmon, with a dill cream sauce, capers, and cucumber slivers, drizzled with olive oil. Who would have thought cucumber slivers and smoked salmon with a dab of dill cream cheese could be so good?
So I spent Wednesday night with friends, old and new (BAM), pigging out on Japanese comfort food and assorted alcoholic beverages at Fukada (right across from Verizon Amphitheatre), the Yardhouse (at the Irvine Spectrum), and the Takano residence. Various people appropriated my camera throughout the night, and here are some of the results:
So the verdict on Fukada is that it’s damn good food at a damn good price. It was also a good sign that the place was filled with Japanese people (and their white boyfriends, ahahaha…). I thought ordering the dinner combination platters would mean that each dish would be slightly smaller, since the combination dinners cost about 45 cents more than the single dishes. Nope. When my food arrived, it looked like two dinners: a huge bowl of hot Sansai Udon and a huge bowl of Oyako Don with brown rice. I finished about half of each, and I still had no room for beer at Yardhouse. Thank God for shots.
Jason and Val, Fukada is the same Japanese restaurant where we tried to eat before the Iron Maiden concert. Next time we’ll know to go earlier and not rely on the scraps left over at La Salsa. I will tell people that the manager at La Salsa felt so bad when she saw the expression on my face upon hearing that they were out of tortilla soup and salad that she gave me a 10% discount on my meal. I bet Chipotle wouldn’t do that! Yes, I went there. Wait a second, Scotty doesn’t read my blog…
