Bouchon Bistro - Las Vegas, Nevada

Address: Inside the Venetian at 3355 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109

Items Ordered:

• Croque Madame: toasted ham & cheese on brioche, fried egg, mornay sauce
  
• Eggs Hussard: ham, tomato, poached egg atop bread with Marchand de vin sauce
  
• Omelette du Jour: crab, cherry tomato, and cheddar 3-egg omelette
  
• Bouchon French Toast: warm layers of brioche, custard, & apples with syrup
  

What better way to end an all-girls Vegas outing than a fancy schmancy brunch at Bouchon Bistro? The Croque Madame was well-prepared, except possibly too much fried goodness, and the crab omelette while good was nothing spectacular. The french toast though was warm and sugary, and delicious, but the Eggs Hussard was the clear winner, with runny egg yolk, ham, and tomato in each bite--like an eggs benedict but not as heavy.

Since girls always get their way, we also received an off-the-menu dessert of raspberry/vanilla push pops compliments of pastry chef Chris Herrin. Even better IMO was the free tour of the Bouchon Bistro kitchen where the magic happens! I left stuffed and satisfied and will definitely return to Bouchon Bistro to try the chicken and waffles and probably dinner too.

--y

Road to Seoul BBQ - Los Angeles, California

Address: 1230 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90006

Items Ordered (All You Can Eat):

• Meats: pork belly (bacon style), kalbi (beef rib meat), chicken, bulgogi, beef sirloin, octopus, squid
  
• Side dishes: potato salad, kimchi, rice paper, salad, etc
• Larger side dishes: steamed egg, kimchi pancake

Road to Seoul, how do I love thee, let me count the ways. One, your meats are so flavorful and tender that my stomach is able to expand 10x beyond its normal capacity whenever I visit. Two, the steamed egg is probably the best food invention ever, and three, $16.99 for some of the best all-you-can-eat BBQ is just amazing.

If you can't tell, Road to Seoul is my absolute favorite Korean BBQ restaurant in SoCal. I've been to Tahoe Galbi, Chosun Galbee, Soot Bull Jeep, etc. and there's just no beating the fatty, crispy pork belly and tender, sweet/salty marinade of the kalbi at Road to Seoul. If you're going to fill up on something, skip the bulgogi and stick with the kalbi and pork belly. However, in a large group, I would expand with the chicken, which is super tender and flavorful and the beef sirloin. Oh yeah, don't forget to dip the pork belly in some salt otherwise it will still be crispy but flavorless.

Another of my favorites, which always seems to run out too fast, is the steamed egg. It's just steamed egg, but I could eat 2 whole bowls of it myself b/c it has this silky texture and great eggy flavor that is like soup but more substantial. Sometimes, I imagine going to Road to Seoul by myself so I don't have to share the steamed egg :(. But no worries, if you ask for more steamed egg, 20-30 minutes later they will bring you another steaming hot bowl. Why so long? Because Road to Seoul is the best, and that's the price you have to pay and line you have to wait in to experience exceptional Korean BBQ.

--y

Hakata Ramen Shinsengumi - Gardena, California

Address: 2015 W Redondo Beach Blvd, Gardena, CA 90247

Items Ordered:

• Hakata Ramen with chasu, spicy miso, bean sprouts
• Takana fried rice
• Cold tofu with bonito flakes

Ramen is delicious. I don't know if it's the loads of MSG or pork fat in the broth, but I'm always up for ramen even when it's 80+ degrees outside. My current roommate had recommended Hakata Ramen Shinsengumi (HRS) to me before we visited Daikokuya b/c she said it was her ultimate ramen destination. I arrived around 5:30p on a Sunday and luckily there was no line. I chose my medium-oil miso broth with firm noodles and added spicy miso for a kick. When the bowl arrived, I immediately took a sip of the broth and while it was rich, it wasn't as fatty and full of flavor as Daikokuya's miso broth. The chasu was tender and flavorful though, and the noodles were just the right firmness, however, I still prefer egg noodles over white noodles. Overall, the ramen was excellent, but Daikokuya is still the reigning ramen champion. If you visit HRS definitely get the fried rice b/c my sister and I managed to finish off a bowl of ramen each, tofu, and the fried rice b/c it was so tasty.

--y

Myung Don Kyo Ja - Los Angeles, California

Address: 3630 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90010

Items Ordered:

• Steamed pork dumplings
• Dumpling noodles
• Kim chi

Please excuse me for not having actual names of the dishes...I can't remember what they were called and I wasn't able to find a menu online! Anyway, I visited this place on my lunch break because it is only a couple minutes walk away. How could I have been working in Koreatown for a couple years now and not know about this place?? When you walk into the place, the aroma of garlic hits you immediately and once you taste the dishes, you understand why. Great flavorings in each dish. We eagerly devoured the dumplings and noodles and they were delicious! I can't wait to go back again! Oh, and did I mention its open 24 hours a day?? Move over 24 hour BCD Tofu House across the street (I still like you though)!

--v

Class 302 - Rowland Heights, California

Address: 1015 S Nogales St, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Items Ordered:

• Mango shaved snow: mango snow, condensed milk, fresh mangoes, mochi
  

I LOVE LOVE LOVE (x 1,000,000) Class 302's shaved snow. It's the best I've had anywhere in the United States. The mango snow is soft, silky smooth, and really just melts in your mouth. The mangoes taste fresh, and mochi is probably my favorite topping for the sugary sweetness and sticky texture. I've had a few of their other flavors of shaved snow, and they are all fantastic. This place is not a very well-kept secret though, the lines are long, and after a certain time they might run out of shaved snow. However, it is totally worth it to visit. If I lived closer, I would probably go to Class 302 10 times a week!

--y

The Grilled Cheese Truck - Los Angeles, California

Address: Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, Los Angeles, CA

Items Ordered:

• Cheesy Mac & Rib Melt: mac & cheese, BBQ smoked pork, caramelized onions

I was super excited to visit the Grilled Cheese Truck at the DTLA Art Walk that I made my current roommate (who doesn't like cheese) wait in the food truck line with me :P. I ordered their specialty sandwich to share, and while it was a great combination idea, the sandwich didn't taste as extraordinary as I anticipated. The mac and cheese just wasn't cheesy enough. Next time I would probably try a different sandwich without pasta and with more meaty cheesy goodness.

--y

OC Fair - Costa Mesa, California

Address: 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Items Ordered:

• Bacon and cheese tater tots
  
• Fried chicken and waffles
• Cheese-filled bratwurst dog
• Red velvet cupcake
• Turkey leg

The OC Fair scared me a little bit. I thought I might have to perform CPR that day looking at all the deep fried foods, coupons for free bacon, and especially the DEEP FRIED BUTTER stand. With that said, my favorite fair foods were the bratwurst, which had a good bite and cheesy innards, and the giant hunk o' meat also known as a turkey leg. The red velvet cupcake was not delicious (thumbs down). I think I could've lived an extra 3 months without the food from the OC Fair so attend at your own risk next year.

--y