Din Tai Fung - Arcadia, California

Address: 1088 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007

Items Ordered:

• Xiao Long Bao: juicy soup dumplings with pork and fish
• Shanghai rice cake with pork
  
• Stir fried green beans

I visited Din Tai Fung (DTF) only so I could brag to my parents that I could have an authentic taste of Taiwan in L.A. while they'd have to resort to eating their own cooking...suckers! After waiting 30 minutes in the sweltering heat, the restaurant was kind enough to offer us cups of ice cold water. When we were finally seated, the soup dumplings and green beans arrived looking extremely photogenic. Tastewise, the dumplings lacked the spoonful of soup which I love, but the outstanding flavor of the fish dumplings made up for the scarcity of soup. The stir fried green beans were crunchy and devoured quickly. Overall though, eating at DTF just made me jealous that I couldn't eat my parents home cooking :(.

--y

Jitlada Thai - Hollywood, California

Address: 5233 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Items Ordered:

• Green Mussel Curry: New Zealand mussels in southern Thai curry with pineapples
  
• Crying Tiger Pork
• Deep fried seabass
• Pad Thai (not pictured)

Jitlada has been on my to-eat-list for almost a year now. After being bombarded by reviews from Jonathan Gold, the Food Network, and other bloggers, I wanted to participate in the Jitlada experience too! The mussels were one of the best I've ever had, and the mussel broth was drinkable like a delicious seafood soup. The best part of the famous crying tiger pork was the spicy sauce that accompanied it, which was really a delight and punishment for the taste buds. Last but not least, the deep fried seabass was a standout dish--probably my favorite of the night. The fish was crispy and delicious even without any sauce. Next time I return to Jitlada, I would definitely order the fried fish and mussels again. Try it for yourself!

--y

The Six - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 10668 Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Items Ordered:

• Turkey Sloppy Joe Sliders
• The Six Mac n' Cheese
• The Six Pizza: Margherita, Mushroom
• Organic Jidori Chicken Breast Risotto
• Parmesan Truffle Fries

The concept of the Six is a full menu of 6 of each type of menu item (entree, fries, appetizers, etc.). It is definitely an interesting mix of food. I love risotto, but this risotto was made out of a quinoa rice. I much prefer arborio rice for risotto, but the chicken did have good flavoring. Great if you feel like having an American meal - very innovative menu and good atmosphere.

--v

Meet - Culver City, California

Address: 9727 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Items Ordered:

• All-you-can-eat Mussels Wednesday
• DIJONNAISE - Garlic, shallots, tomato confit, house mustard, tarragon and cream
• MARINIERE - Garlic, shallots, chablis, herbed croutons
• MEET - Crab, shallot, saffron, tomato confit, celeri, bacon, basil, chablis
• THAI - Indian curry, garlic, cumin, lemongrass, coconut milk , cream
• MARINARA - Merlot, garlic, shallots, spicy marinara
• Fries

Meet is a cute French bistro in Downtown Culver City. We came one day for the all you can eat mussels and it was DELICIOUS. I love mussels and I loved the variety of about 10 different types of mussels we could choose from. The fries came a little later than I would have liked, but once they came, they were perfect for dipping with the sauces. Each of the bowls of mussels (1 pound each bowl) had great sauces and I wanted to just drink all of it. Yummy!

--v

Mayura - Culver City, California

Address: 10406 Venice Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Items Ordered:

• Chicken tikka masala: boneless chicken in a curry sauce
  
• Shrimp masala: shrimp in a savory curry sauce
  
• Masala dosa: crepe stuffed with spiced cooked potatoes
  
• Plain & garlic naans

I convinced Connie and Victoria to accompany me to Mayura after raving about the buttery, fork-tender chicken tikka masala. The dish did not disappoint, and we ended up splitting a second order along with some spicy shrimp masala! I would come back anytime for the chicken tikka masala and a order of garlic naan and rice. The portions are actually quite generous, we were just extra hungry eaters that day. The only thing I might do differently is skip the dosa for some standard samosas instead since deep fried n crispy beats pan-fried any day. Highly recommend.

--y

Update

Hi friends!

Do you find yourself sitting at home wondering, where has the food gone? Or are you slowly wasting away in front of the computer as you search for restaurant options without suggestions from eat.snap.love?! Well, no worries! Summer vacation is also coming to a close for Victoria and YJ, and there will be a whole slew of new cuisines for you to drool over shortly.

However, there have been a few changes in our lives, and you may find the pace of postings a little different. For one thing, Victoria will be posting from jolly ol' Brighton, UK for the next year. How exciting! Maybe we'll finally find out what a "spotted dick" and "toad in the hole" really is. As for YJ, well besides subtracting one fabulous eating partner, she just started a brand new job and hopes to bring you an insider's perspective into gourmet hospital food.......j/k!

We hope your summer has been eventful as well, and look forward to sharing more pictures with you in the future. :)

--v & y

Vivolo's Chowder House - Pacific Grove, California

Address: 127 Central Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

Items Ordered:

• Clam chowder in bread bowl with garlic cheese lid
  
• Spinach cobb salad
  
• Garlic cheese bread

Touted by some as having the BEST clam chowder ever, I was super excited to try Vivolo's on a recent trip to Monterey. The clam chowder was super creamy, just the right level of thickness and the seasoning was spot on resulting in one delicious bowl of chowder. Additionally, the garlic cheese lid and bread were both toasted so that the bread bowl managed to be both crispy and soft (and delicious). The ingredients in the cobb salad tasted fresh, and made me feel slightly less guilty for my cheesy, chowdery, bready indulgence. The verdict? Having lived in San Francisco for a few years, I can still say with confidence that Vivolo's has the best clam chowder in a bread bowl I've tasted thus far. I hope you get a chance to try it sometime so you can judge for yourself :). Don't forget the garlic cheese lid!

--y

Waterloo & City - Culver City, California

Address: 12517 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90066

Items Ordered:

• Smoked salmon terrine, fried egg, sauce gribiche
• Brussels & bacon, balsamic vinegar
• Steamed mussels, red thai curry, lime, ginger, ciabatta
  
• Yukon potato gnocchi, braised beef ragu, tomato, spinach
• Homemade bourbon glazed donuts with cream and blueberry jam
  

Last time Connie suggested a restaurant, it became my new favorite love (aka the Tasting Kitchen) so when she suggested Waterloo & City in Culver City, I was excited to try this hip British gastropub. Victoria also visited on a different occasion, and although I stole her pictures, I have no idea what she thought of the food... All the side dishes/appetizers we tried were delicious. The smoked salmon terrine layered with potatoes and a fried egg atop had a nice smoky flavor and was not as mushy as regular pate, which I tend to avoid. Connie and I fought over the last bits and pieces of the crunchy brussel sprouts and crispy bacon pieces. I never understood why brussel sprouts get picked on as the vegetable that children hate, b/c all the versions I've tried are delicious, and Waterloo & City was no exception. The steamed mussels although well-cooked, could have been found at any Thai restaurant probably for cheaper. The gnocchi had a nice chewy consistency, but the beef ragu didn't taste that special. I suppose the gnocchi was only a disappointment b/c the other dishes we tasted that night were superb. We ordered the bourbon donuts to share, and I found them too sweet for my taste. I would probably try a different dessert and pasta on my next visit, but overall, I really enjoyed the food and atmosphere at Waterloo & City, and would likely take friends here for some beers and small plates to share.

--y


P.S. Only 3 more days until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows finale!!

HOT's Kitchen - Hermosa Beach, California

Address: 844 Hermosa Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

Items:

• Appetizers: smoked trout salad w/ mustard vinaigrette, roasted brussel sprouts, grilled Korean wings with kimchi, grilled lamb lollipops w/ rosemary, lemon, & garlic
• Entrees: HOT's burger w/ cheddar cheese, onion, avocado, tomato, Mexicali burger w/ oaxaca cheese, roasted poblanos, corn-jalapeno mayo, fried onion rings
• Tacos: hamachi, oxtail, spicy tuna, Mojo chicken, duck confit, steak & potato, fried chicken
• Alcohol: 2008 San Luis Obispo Petite Sirah, 2008 Andiron Farrier Sauvignon Blanc from Alexander Valley, and the Duvel Green from Belgium
  

Victoria and I attended our first ever media event at HOT's Kitchen a few weeks ago, and it was super exciting knowing we'd get to hobnob with other foodies. Having rarely visited Hermosa Beach, we got dressed up with our +1's and headed out for a good time :P. Overall favorite dishes were the smoked trout salad and roasted brussel sprouts; both had a nice smoky flavor and the brussel sprouts were deliciously crunchy while the beets had a nice earthy finish. Additionally, the HOT's burger seasoning was flavorful, and we would definitely order the burger again, yum! As for the tacos, I would skip the hamachi and Mojo chicken for the spicy tuna and ingenious fried chicken tacos instead. Perhaps our favorite part of the meal were the suggested wine and beer pairings as we sampled almost all of them, and left the restaurant fuller and "sillier" than when we first arrived. We had the opportunity to meet Chef Sean Chaney and "Beer Geek" Mike Siordia, to round out our meal. We love finding out the history and concept behind any restaurant (i.e. we watch a lot of Food Network and Travel Channel) so this was a special treat. HOT's Kitchen was a fun place to grab drinks & snacks and made our first foodie event a success! Hopefully we'll get to visit again in the future.

--v & y

Crustacean - Beverly Hills, California

Address: 9646 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Items Ordered:

• Shrimp Toast - freshly minced shrimp on French baguette
• Herb Roasted Halibut - sauteed sweet onions, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and porta bella mushrooms
• Royal Tiger Prawns - charbroiled with An's' famous garlic noodles
• Frutti di Mare - mussels, crawfish, shrimp, and lobster with garlic noodles

Victoria and I debated where to eat for eat.snap.love's 1-year blogerversary for awhile, but once we saw Crustacean's menu, we had our hearts and minds set on eating those buttery garlic noodles. Stepping foot into the restaurant with its upscale decorations and ground-level fish tank, we realized we'd come a long way since our first post at Royal/T in Culver City.

Crustacean lived up to our expectations. The garlic noodles were richly flavored al dente strands with buttery, garlicky goodness and so were the tiger prawns. The herb roasted halibut was tender and perfectly seasoned. If we had any complaints, we suppose the shrimp and mussels in the frutti di mare could have been larger and had a nicer bite similar to the tiger prawns.

On our way out of the restaurant, we saw policemen and secret service attempting to escort a celebrity into the restaurant. Who was this mystery celebrity? Only TMZ will tell ;). Ah, the lives of food bloggers visiting the 90210 area code.

Thanks for joining us to drool over food photos at eat.snap.love this past year! Our goals for next year include:

1. Create a ranking of our all-time favorite cuisines
2. Have guest bloggers
   
3. Try not to go broke!

Happy Belated 1-Year Blogerversary!

--v & y