Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Susan Feniger's Street - Los Angeles, California

Address: 742 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

Items Ordered:
  • Kaya toast - Singapore toast w/ coconut jam, soft egg, dark soy, & white pepper
  • Potato samosas - tamarind date chutney, cucumber chile, & mint yogurt
  • Shaved kale and brussels sprouts -goat cheese & lemon picada
  • Rickshaw rice bowl (rotating) - shrimp, eggs, & Chinese broccoli w/ chili sauce
  • Mediterranean chicken wings - tzatziki ranch & pickled radish

Who doesn't like papaya salad eaten off the streets of Thailand, Japanese ramen for cheap in Tokyo, and rice bowls in practically any Asian country? Well, Susan Feniger's Street tries to recreate those inspiring dishes, but in a nice, clean restaurant setting in the great city of L.A. (with upgraded prices to match). The dishes at Street were fantastic. I liked how the plates were shareable and that there were so many options from different countries to choose from. You should definitely get the kaya toast, the blend of sweet from the kaya jam and salty from the soy sauce and egg makes for a delicious bite each time. The samosas were crunchy, and the chicken wings were fall off the bone tender. I love my veggies--and even more so when they're mixed with cheese so I would recommend the shaved kale & brussels sprouts as well. The only disappointment was the rice bowl, which was meant to be homey, but probably too literally so. I could make this dish myself at home, have it taste the same, and feed 2-4 for less than $12. Maybe I was just expecting something more like fried rice or requiring more technique/assembly since it's supposed to be fancier street food. Overall, I was impressed with the recreation of classic street food dishes, and I'd still definitely return to Street and try the rest of their menu items.

--y

Monday, January 14, 2013

Cafe Gratitude - Venice, California

Address: 512 Rose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90291

Items Ordered:
  •  I AM IMMORTAL - tonifying elixir w/ Reishi, Shilajit and Ormus. Served hot with coconut milk and raw honey 
  • I AM HAPPY - Mediterranean wrap with live falafels, zucchini cilantro hummus, spinach, red onion, tomato, cucumber, red chili pepper sauce and garlic tahini dressing on live sun-dried tomato bread
  • I AM LIBERATED - Creamy hemp seed pesto pasta with kelp noodles, heirloom cherry tomatoes, green and kalamata olives and  spinach topped with brazil nut parmesan and fresh basil 
  • Dessert (forgot the name) - warm peach and berry compote with vegan ice cream

Happy New Year everyone! I really do hope your wishes become a reality in 2013. What are your food-related resolutions for this year? Mine is to stop eating chocolate for 6 months! It's quite sad, but makes my dessert options at restaurants easier to choose. I'll give you guys an update in June on my progress (if I don't break before then).

What better way to start the new year than spouting some uplifting phrases and eating some vegan food? I was very amused with the names of the dishes at Cafe Gratitude, and almost wanted to order everything off the menu just so I could say "I am magical and awesome." But I suppose all that food would defeat the purpose of healthy eating. We started with the I AM IMMORTAL drink, which if I were to sum up with one word, would be...terrible. Please try something else instead. The drink tasted like water with a weird herby taste, and I'm not sure made us immortal. I liked my I AM HAPPY, but realized quickly that vegan bread/wraps are a little too dry =/. The I AM LIBERATED was pretty tasty and well-dressed with their pesto. Kelp pasta kinda looks and tastes like vermicelli in case you were wondering. I really loved the vegan ice cream (made with nuts?) that came with the dessert, but again the compote and fruits were a little dry and overcooked. I know this review doesn't sound that positive, but I liked the concept of Cafe Gratitude and would probably return to try out some of their cooked vegan dishes next time.

--y