Sunday, August 31, 2008

CRISPY CRUST

OMG! We've finally found a pizza place that delivers to where we live that's not a major chain. Pizza was hot, delicious, and my favorite -- not greasy! We had ordered a 1/2 pepperoni and 1/2 vegetarian. The fella who took my order was really nice (just like Lotion M. puts it). Go on-line to find out the current deals.

Thanks yelp and thank you Crispy Crust!

Address: 1253 N Vine St Los Angeles, CA 90038
Phone#: (323) 467-2000
Rating: 4 out of 5

CHEEBO

We headed to Cheetos; I mean Cheebo after a screening, and we had the Fresca pizza:


As you can see, the prosciutto is pretty fatty...so when chewing, it eventually tastes like cardboard and you need to spit it out... the crust was pretty greasy too. B liked that there was no sauce on the pizza; I prefer having sauce. 1.5-STAR

Cheebo mix greens (apple, currants, walnuts, and balsamic dressing): It's tasty and simple. 4- STAR

Tiramisu: Our waitress was right -- tiramisu was damn good! Chocolate top layer is not the powder version so no need to worry about choking. 5-STAR

Homemade potato chips: Free and tasty, but a bit greasy. But FREE and homemade! 4-STAR

Service: 4-STAR

Overall: 3.8 - STAR. I will have to come back and try a different pizza.

Address: 7533 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90046
Phone#: (323) 850-7070
Rating: 4 out of 5

Saturday, August 30, 2008

WAKO DONKASU

Wako Donkasu is the perfect place to eat if you are broke. Their portions are very generous!

I ordered the chicken cutlet for $10, and the server came back with a big tray of chicken cutlet, bowl of rice, salad, and miso soup. I split my meal with B since he didn't like their chicken curry (he was expecting it to be Japanese style, but what do you expect when you're at a Korean restaurant?). I ended up sharing my B's chicken curry with a colleague the next day for lunch. I like their Korean ice tea as well.

This place closes at 10pm but if you come with a big party, they'll open it later for you. And if you somehow managed to finish the entire meal, you can go next door to the arcade and work off your meal playing that dance-a-thon.

Address: 3377 Wilshire Blvd Ste 112 Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone#: (213) 381-9256
Rating: 4 out of 5

Friday, August 29, 2008

SUSHI & KUSHI IMAI

It's was really tough giving Sushi & Kushi IMAI a 4-STAR as their service was T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E, but their sushi is the best walking distance from my work.

I headed over their for lunch around 2-ish last Thursday, and there were 5 uncleaned tables. For a second, I thought there was only 1 waitress but turns out that there were 3. I highly suggest them to hire a busboy --it makes a huge difference.

They have good lunch deals. $11 gets you miso, rice, vegetable (usually 3 pieces like broccoli), salad (comes with the yummy Japanese dressing) and two "sushi" options. I opted for the sashimi (2 salmon & 3 tuna, fresh), and a spicy tuna roll (ok). It took me awhile to get my entree. The girl who sat next to me got her ice green tea towards the end of her meal. I don't know if the restaurant is seriously understaff or if they just have bad servers...

Anyhoo, I was listening to one of the chefs explaining their special fish for a limited time, the Wild White King Salmon - about how it was recently discovered because the Eskimos kept it a secret cuz it was so good, and how that fish costs 3x's more than other salmon. Well now...I think I'm going to have to try some Wild White King Salmon sushi ($6.95 -I think.. the sashimi was $16.95). WOW! HOLY COW! It's so good! None of the fishy salmon taste. It tasted like a rich buttery albacore -to me. I've got to get me some more Wild White King Salmon and so should you!


***Update 9/3/08

I went back there the other day and it was cleaner. Can you guess why I went back so soon? You got it, for their Wild White King Salmon! Their unagi and avocado roll is ok.

***Update 12/5/08

We treated our intern to sushi on his last day. The cod lunch special was excellent, and the portion was a good size too. Sushi & Kushi Imai has the best lunch deals in the Miracle Mile/Beverly Center area. $11 for entree, soup, rice, salad, vegetables, and fruit!! How can you not love Sushi & Kushi Imai!

I'll have to come back and try the poggy sushi, parrot sushi, flying fish sushi, and baracuda sushi.

Address: 8300 Wilshire Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Phone#: (323) 655-2253
Rating: 4 out of 5

Thursday, August 28, 2008

BOSS SUSHI

Boss Sushi is overrated.

We ordered...

Fire de Kaz (roll): Not spicy at all...try Toshi Sushi if you want to cry.

Tuna Tartare: best dish. we ordered it 1/2 tuna and 1/2 salmon, but I couldn't really tell the difference between the salmon and the tuna....

I Love Tracy: it's okay. their spicy tuna is not as good as Noshi Sushi.

Boss Cold Treasure (sashimi): Yellowtail w/ balsamic: It's okay.

Green Tea Ice Cream: 2nd best thing we ate.

I will have to admit their sushi rolls look amazing; it's just ashamed that they don't taste as good as they look.

Address: 268 S La Cienega Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Phone#: (310) 659-5612
Rating: 3 out of 5

Monday, August 25, 2008

AKBAR

Akbar, my home away from home in my young'n days. I was there a couple months ago, and it's still fun!

Akbar was (or still) is like the gay version of Cheers -"where everyone knows your name." Stephan's is Sam Malone, Gina's a mix of Dr. Lilith Sternin-Crane and Rebecca Howe, Bo's like Norm Peterson trapped in a slightly taller version of Dr. Fraiser Crane's body, and Sebastian's Diane Chambers.

I would always have fun here and occasionally run into trouble (86 2x's - guilty by association but they took me back a week later). Drinks are STRONG & CHEAP. The crowd is cool and friendly. Music is good. What more can one ask for?

Update info: Sebastian, Gina, and Bo no longer work there... : (

Address: 4356 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90029
Phone#: (323) 665-6810
Rating: 5 out of 5



FIDDLER'S BISTRO BAR & GRILL

Back in the days I would come here for brunch after a night of drinking and order their chicken pesto frittata --the perfect greasy dish to soak up the alcohol.

B has never been there, so we went there for brunch last weekend. I decided to try their eggs Benedict, and boy, that was a HUGE MISTAKE. It was the worst e.b. that I had this year. The ham was a generous portion, but the hollandaise sauce was gross. I tried to scrape the sauce off.

To make matters worse, we sat outside because it was so loud inside, and I didn't realized that we were sitting next to the bathroom entrance...so there were a bunch flies flying around.

The fruit salad that came with the e.b. was not fresh. The cantelope and melon tasted a few days old. The banana was the only thing that was ok.

Bf's eggs and pancakes were fine --hard to mess that one up.

Disappointing...

Address: 6009 W 3rd St Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (323) 931-8167
Rating: 2 out of 5

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Sushi Noshi

Sushi Noshi is my favorite cheap sushi restaurant in LA. This is probably the only sushi restaurant in Koreatown where the sushi chefs ARE Japanese. The décor is simple so don’t get dressed up. There is a parking space but often time it’s full during prime time eating hours –no valet and be careful where you park. Often times you will find yourself waiting for a seat because when I say the sushi is cheap, it’s cheap –cheaper than a supermarket’s sushi.

Noshi Sushi is the type of restaurant where you order your usual, and my usual is their spicy tuna roll, eel avocado roll, and their albacore salad. They don’t offer fancy rolls, just the basics but their spicy tuna rolls are like crack. There is something about their orgasmic sauce that makes it very addicting. I’ve been to a lot of sushi restaurants and their sauce is one of a kind.
Noshi Sushi
They offer the albacore salad in two sizes – half or full. The half is plenty enough for one person. It’s perfect if you’re on the Adkin diet. A handful of albacore sashimi sitting on a bed of thinly sliced cucumbers topped with julienned vegetables.
DSC07150
Their spicy tuna roll and albacore salad are usually enough to fill me up, totaling to $11 not including tip. They don't have a wide range of fish but they are fresh except their yellow tails, which are a hit or miss. They offer free miso and green tea. The only problem is that they close at 9PM and closed on Mondays.

If you’re penny pinching and craving sushi, Noshi Sushi is your answer!

Address: 4430 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Phone: (323) 469-3458
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Thursday, August 21, 2008

VERDUGO

I dig this bar. Verdugo is a chill bar with all the top shelf liquor/beer that has a great, small outdoor patio and a beer bong table.

They break their extensive beer list by the continent, so if I feel like having a German beer, I'll go for a Heineken (just kidding). Anyhoo, I don't drink beer. I went straight for their special drinks and ordered the Carrot Cake Martini, which was a little bit too tropically for me. It could have been the bartender's fault...she needed to look at the menu to see what ingredients were in the drink. I then ordered the Washington Apple drink (forgot the drink's name) but requested with Vodka (better than the C.C.M.), and again, the bartender needed to look at the menu...they only have a few special drinks on the menu. Geez.... after that, I decided to stick to my usual drink, and so should you.

Movie of that night: One Million Years B.C.

Address: 3408 Verdugo Rd Los Angeles, CA 90065
Phone#: (323) 257-3408
Rating: 4 out of 5

GUELAGUETZA RESTAURANT


I don't want to be mean and give Guelaguetza a 2 since it was my first time having Oaxacan food, so I'm giving it a 3.

I like to play it safe when I try a new cuisine (no thank you on the crickets!I didn't see the crickets on the menu, but there was young goat meat...). I had their famous pollo banana-leaf tamales. I wasn't expecting their tamales to look so rubbery...and their mole sauce was surprisingly sweet....let's just say it was foreign to me....and the best part of the meal was the rice and beans.

Their horchata was not bad; I like the cantelope touch -not so sure about the nuts. I also tried their Champurrado (drink made from atole blanco and oaxan chocolate) which tasted like Chinese rice soup--basically tasteless (DON'T ORDER IT).

Good service. Clean. You can watch Spanish soap opera or the hipsters heading to the R bar.

Address: 3014 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90006
Phone#: (213) 427-0608
Rating: 3 out of 5

Photo credit: Nancy Y. (top) & Lydia C (bottom)







Monday, August 18, 2008

TOMATO PIE PIZZA JOINT

I was not impressed with Tomato Pie Pizza Joint's Grandma pizza; it was just ok. The taste didn't improved on the second time with their pepperoni pizza. Their pizza is not bad, but there's no wow factor that would make me give it a higher rating.

I will say that their staff is very friendly. I might have to give them another shot...

Address: 2457 Hyperion Ave Los Angeles, CA 90027
Phone#: (323) 661-6474
Rating: 3 out of 5

ANDIAMO

I like Andiamo! I ordered the Belladonna with pepperoni to go, and as I was waiting, I noticed that they have a compost bin --how cool! Well, they hold true to their mission statement about going green.

I understand where Haile R. is coming from, because you know when you go to those Japanese ramen noodle house and they have fake model because non-Asians need to know what they're ordering (ok, ok, they're for Asians as well), that's what their cheese looked like ---plastic. The cheese sat evenly on the crust. --maybe that's why I like their pizza...their pizza looks like a perfect model that I think to myself that it's not that good because it looks to perfect and plasticy, and when I take a bite, I am surprise that it's not bad and in fact quite good. My cheese didn't came off with one bite, and I didn't notice any breadcrumbs on my pizza nor was it overwhelming salty. Their tomato sauce is more like paste. The best part of the pizza for me is that it's NOT oily. I can actually eat the entire pizza without getting grease all over on my hand.

I'll have to come back and try their Frittatas and Formaggio Con Fughi.

P.S. Thanks Anna A. - I had no idea that it's free/BYOB!

Address: 2815 W Sunset Blvd Ste 101 Los Angeles, CA 90026
Phone#: (213) 483-7070
Rating: 4 out of 5

Sunday, August 17, 2008

TACO ZONE TRUCK

Hmmm..I ordered Carna Asada tacos and ended up with Carnitas. La vez próxima, no ordenaré en español. Mis daños del estómago de comer el cerdo. Gracias Babelfish. Don't order their horchata --I've had better.

Still, I have to admit $9.00 for (3) pork (that was supposed to be beef) tacos, (3) chicken tacos and a horchata is not bad.

The only thing that is missing is hand sanitizer.

Address: Alvarado and Montana Los Angeles, CA 90026
Rating: 3 out of 5

Saturday, August 16, 2008

FUNNEL MILL RARE COFFEE & TEA

We checked out Funnel Mill on the weekend of the disappointing GLOW show (I'm behind on my yelping...). Shaz raved about this place, "Funnel Mill is the best coffee shop ever!" so of course we had to check it out. Now, I'm not a "real" coffee drinker; I can't drink black coffee --must have some kind of sweetener, so I had the chocolate latte. The aroma was misleading; smelled like rich chocolate but tasted like a hint of dark chocolate-- nonetheless, not bad.

B had the $10 Kona and then....the $65 Kopi Luwak. We watched the Bucket List earlier, so B indulged and checked the K.L. off of his list. I took a few sips, so I too can also check drinking coffee beans that was shitted out by a mammal off my list. It was not bad. Uber dark roasted beans. I believe Kopi Luwak has 3x's the caffeine of an espresso, so if you need to wake up and have $65 to blow, get a K.L. Oh, you get a Kopi Luwak members mug with the drink.

My favorite part of F.M. was watching them make the coffee. The baristas are like scientists.

In a nutshell, if you're a coffee connoisseur, you HAVE to come here.

Address: 930 Broadway Ste A Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone#: (310) 597-4395
Rating: 4 out of 5

BLD

We came here last weekend for brunch. I ordered my usual --eggs Benedict. BLD's Benedict looked better than Overland Cafe's, and the hollandaise sauce had flavor....only BUTTER flavor --was missing the lemon kick. Their Benedict comes with crumpet. B had his usual -eggwich, and like Overland's, his eggs were a bit running for him.

I'll have to try their Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes the next time around.

Address: 7450 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (323) 930-9744
Rating: 3 out of 5

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

FRIED DUMPLING

Man, I miss you! 5 dumplings for $1. My cheapest addiction. I love your pot stickers and your fresh soy milk. Yum....Address: 99 Allen St New York, NY 10002
Phone#: (212) 941-9975
Rating: 5 out of 5

Photo credits: Michael C. (1st photo), Arlene C. (2nd photo) and Princess M. (last photo)

DUMPLING 10053

The dumplings were good but lacked the OMG I can't stop eating them feeling. The steam pork dumplings are better than the fried pork dumplings. Limited options for those who are allergic to crustacean... maybe that's why I prefer Din Tai Fung?

Address: 10053 Valley Blvd Ste 2 El Monte, CA 91731
Phone: (626) 350-0188
Rating: 3 out of 5

NICKY D'S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA

I had Nicky D's Pesto Bravo (sausage, roasted red pepper, goat cheese and roasted garlic) and it was pretty greasy and soggy... and omg, i love garlic but they put the entire clove on the pizza!! Each slice has 4-5 cloves....that's a little too much garlic for me--well at least I don't have to worry about vampires biting me. They should really try crushing the garlic...

Oh, don't get all excited and expect the crust to be special since it's "wood-fired pizza."

Address: 2764 Rowena Ave Los Angeles, CA 90039
Phone: (323) 664-3333
Rating: 2 out of 5

PHO VIET

If you're allergic to crustacean, don't come here.

I was craving some Goi Cuon, and was excited that Pho Viet was walking distance, but to my bad luck, they only offer it with shrimp. One would think that they can make it with beef since it is a restaurant...and then I asked if I can have the vermicelli with beef instead of shrimp and pork and guess what the answer was? NO! Maybe they only have a microwave in the back?

They suck. Thank goodness I can trust Pho Cafe; I just need to drive...

Address: 209 S. Vermont Ave Los Angeles, CA 90004
Phone: (213) 381-3300
Rating: 1 out of 5

Update: 3/16/09: R.I.P. - CLOSED

CITY BEST CHICKEN

What did the City Best Chicken say when it cross the road?
"Kabob, kabob, kabob!"

I know, terrible joke but they have excellent kabobs.

Address: 5303 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90189
Phone#: (323) 938-7409
Rating: 4 out of 5

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

FATHER'S OFFICE

The Father's Office Burger is definitely a MUST. It's not your normal round burger--more like an oval shape.

The Sweet Potato Fries are another must. You can skip the fig jamon appetizer (jamon is not salty enough to balance the sweet fig taste) and...the goat cheese spread (forgot what it's called..) --let's face it, goat cheese is goat cheese. Spend your $ on something more interesting.

If you hate waiting, then go on Sundays at 12pm. If you can't find street parking on Montana, then go North of Montana for parking.

Address: 1018 Montana Ave Santa Monica, CA 90403
Phone#: (310) 393-2337
Rating: 4 out of 5

LAWRY'S THE PRIME RIB

My first encounter with Lawry's is at the grocery store walking down the seasoning aisle. There's no Lawry's restaurant in MN, so when B's friends wanted to dine at Lawry's, I was surprised that the seasoned salt/spices/mixes has its own restaurant? It would be like going to a Heinz 57 Restaurant or a Hellman Restaurant. And who knew it was a classy, fancy restaurant on top of it!

Service is excellent. Presentation is amazing --from spinning the salad to slicing our meat. Food is good. Their Irish Coffee is an IRISH Coffee (2% coffee). If I had to pick on something, my CA cut was a bit on the fatty side. Nonetheless, it's a real steakhouse.

Def sign up for the VIP card prior to going to Lawry's cuz you will def spend $.

Address: 100 N La Cienega Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Phone#: (310) 652-2827
Rating: 4 out of 5

Photo credits: Joan S. (top) and Larry M. (bottom)

Saturday, August 9, 2008

OVERLAND CAFE

I was hoping that TeeJay & Beth's reviews on O. C.'s Benedict were wrong, but unfortunately it's true...I ordered their eggs Benedict with chicken sausage, and their hollandaise sauce was bland --needed more lemon?? The chicken sausage looked weird --bit on the red side even though it was fully cooked, not spicy at all. I finished only half of my meal. It was disappointing to drive to the West side just for below average eggs Benedict.

B's eggs were runny. He asked for well-done, but then again, like some of the Yelpers pointed out that it's so freakin loud, the waitress missed his request. They should remodel their ceiling (the bar side) and install sound baffles.

Oh, and we waited 30 minutes for our food.

Come here if you want drunch, not brunch. You should finish 2 bottles of champagne before you eat.

Address: 3601 Overland Ave Los Angeles, CA 90034
Phone#: (310) 559-9999
Rating: 1 out of 5

Monday, August 4, 2008

HAUS DESSERT BOUTIQUE

I have to agree with Theresa...we waited F-O-R-E-V-E-R for our drinks at Haus. Oddly enough our CREPE dessert came out 20 minutes BEFORE our green latte, mocha latte, and almond shake...yeah for real. The people who were seated after we ordered got their drinks before us...The call button doesn't guarantee excellent service. Btw, don't order the crepe dessert; it's gross --drench with grand marnier and lots of orange zest.

The $6.00 8oz green latte was DISAPPOINTING. They use powder...should have gone to the Coffee Bean where I would have only paid $4 for 16oz with skin milk (Haus doesn't have skim or 2% milk). Their mocha is ok, but I prefer Loft's for the same price and double the size. B enjoyed his almond shake.

I would've given Haus a 0.5, but they realized they messed up and gave us a free Tiramisu and cookies --I would have preferred them to take off the nasty crepe . Oye vey!

Rating: 3826 W 6th St Los Angeles, CA 90020
Phone#: (213) 288-5311
Rating: 1.5 out of 5

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