The Spice Table - Los Angeles, CA

Address: 114 S Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Items Ordered:

• Hainanese Chicken Rice - confit Jidori chicken leg, Hainanese rice w/ sweet soy sauce, scallion ginger & chile sauce
• Laksa - rice noodles, laksa leaf, spicy coconut-seafood gravy
• Char kway teow - rice noodles, Manila clams, pork, bean sprouts, egg

Nobody likes bland food, and The Spice Table is the complete opposite of bland. BUT after drinking 3 glasses of water during the meal I think my taste buds were ready for a break! The char kway teow was wayyy too salty and not very reminiscent of the dish once eaten on the streets of Malaysia. The laksa was actually very flavorful and rich, but take the first bite with caution since it's a pretty spicy dish. The Hainanese chicken rice was the standout dish of the night and the accompanying sauces were great, but it's difficult to justify the price tag for such simple ingredients. I probably won't make a return trip to The Spice Table and recommend visiting Savoy Kitchen in Alhambra for your Hainanese chicken rice fix instead.

--y

A-Frame - Culver City, California

Address: 12565 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066

Items Ordered:

• Furikake Kettle Corn: buttered blazin J's Hawaiian style
• Heirloom Pickles w/ creamy dip & EVOO
• Kitchen Fries: Okinawan yam, Korean sweet potato w/ kimchi sour cream & sea salt
• Warm Cornbread & Chicken Salad w/ italian sausage ragout, salsa verde & pickled onion
• Knuckle Sandwich: braised oxtail tendons & knuckles w/ soy chili dipping sauce & toast
• Cracklin' Beer Can Chicken w/ kimchi, century egg, salsa roja & verde
• Chu-Don't-Know-Mang: cinnamon churros w/ malted choc milk & vanilla ice cream
• Thick Ass Ice Cream Sandwich - peanut butter ice cream & rice krispie cookie

I'm probably behind on posting about A-Frame by a year, BUT what I do remember is that I was underwhelmed by the food but excited by my dining companions. The furikake kettle corn was delicious, and you know I love a good fried chicken, but other than those dishes, I thought everything was a little too oily and there were too many pickled ingredients. Also, I distinctly recall that the oxtail stew was surprisingly tasteless and mushy, and I would definitely skip that option. Although I was disappointed by the food at A-Frame, I got to catch up with my co-residents, and their company and humor never disappoint :).

--y

Sonoma Wine Garden - Santa Monica, California

Address: 395 Santa Monica Pl, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Items Ordered:

• Garden pizza - ricotta, wild mushrooms, arugula and white truffle oil w/ fennel sausage
• Truffle fries with parmesan and garden parsley
• Arugula salad w/ pear, cranberry, ricotta (?), and walnuts
• Tiramisu & homemade vanilla bean ice cream

Santa Monica Place is so much cooler now. The restaurants and shops are all fancy shmancy--right up my alley. Sonoma Wine Garden is probably my favorite restaurant there since the decor is cute, there's an abundance of wine, and the pizzas are made with deliciously fresh ingredients while still retaining a crispy crust. It doesn't hurt that I love truffle oil, and they put it over almost everything. I don't care what Gordon Ramsay has to say about that! I definitely recommend the pizzas or pastas, but you can pass on the desserts since they're kind of lackluster. Dress up, be fancy, and give Sonoma Wine Garden a try, and let me know what you think!

--y

Twisted Vine - Fullerton, California

Address: 127 W Commonwealth Ave, Fullerton, CA 92832

Items Ordered:

• Baked brie sourdough bowl - **must order**
• Grilled turkey panini w/ brie, sundried tomatoes, mustard, mayo, and pesto
• Beef empanadas served with a creamy chipotle sauce
• Jumbo lump crab cakes w/ bacon & served w/ creole honey mustard
• Nutella panini w/ bananas & strawberries
• Stuffed french toast empanadas served w/ a strawberry champagne compote

I can't believe I haven't blogged about Twisted Vine yet. Their baked brie bowl is one of the most amazing things I've ever stuffed in my face (or eaten in a very slow and ladylike manner...I'll let your imagination decide). Besides that, the beef empanadas are deliciously savory, and you can't go wrong with nutella anything. There's always been ample sitting room, friendly employees, plus a wide selection of wines at a reasonable price. What I'm saying is...go there now! It might be crazy (at 8 in the morning), but if you do, don't forget to call me maybe?

--y

L.A. Wine Fest Food Trucks - Los Angeles, CA

Address: 5300 Melrose Ave (Raleigh Studios) Hollywood, CA (Jun 9-10, 2012)

Items Ordered:

• Dogtown Dogs - CA dog: avocado, arugula, basil aioli, tomato & fried onions; cheesy tots
• No Tomatoes! - chicken tikka masala
• Tainamite - papaya salad w/ shrimp; sweet potato fries
• Sweet Wheels Dessert Truck - ricotta puffs w/ tangerine cream

I love wine. I love food more. I love them both exponentially better together on a nice sunny day in L.A. Thus, the L.A. Wine Fest was destined to be a success! Some of my favorite wines were the 2010 Napa Chardonnay from Frank Family Wines, the 2006 Redwood Valley Syrah from Frey Organic Winery, the Gewürztraminer from Pyrenees Vineyard & Cellars, and the Honey Pie from Cielo Estate Winery--now I'll never forget next time I'm at BevMo scratching my head in the middle of an aisle. 

With that said, it's much too dangerous to drink on an empty stomach (or without chocolate, cheese, or friends for that matter) so luckily there were plenty of food trucks abound to help soak up the alcohol. I really loved the papaya salad with delicious grilled, bursty shrimps from Tainamite, and their sweet potato fries didn't disappoint either. My second favorite was definitely the ricotta puffs that weren't too greasy and the accompanying scrumptious tangerine cream. Dogtown dogs was standard American food fare so I wasn't too impressed, and unfortunately the chicken was kind of dry in the tikka masala from the No Tomatoes! truck AND the sauce was perhaps too tangy? I'll stick w/ Mayura restaurant in Culver City for my chicken tikka masala fix.

Overall, the L.A. Wine Fest a was great experience, and I hope to see you double fisting there in 2013! :)

--y

ink.sack - West Hollywood, California

Address: 8360 Melrose Ave #107, Los Angeles, CA 90069

Items Ordered:

• Cold Fried Chicken House-Made Ranch Cheese, Gindo’s Spice of Life
• The Jose Andrés (aka The Spanish Godfather) Serrano, Chorizo, Lomo, Manchego
• “Reuben” Corned Beef Tongue, Appenzeller Cheeze, Kraut, Russian Dressing 
• Pineapple Chile y Limon

I <3 sandwiches. Just imagine me as Joey from Friends but as a girl who will eat almost any concoction slapped between 2 slices of bread. That's probably why I arrived outside of ink.sack 30 minutes before they even opened one Saturday morning--but surprisingly, I wasn't the only one! The ratio of meat, cheese, veggies, & sauce to carbohydrates was extremely well proportioned in all 3 sandwiches. Each bite allowed the delicious flavors to meld together. The cold fried chicken really lived up to the hype as the chicken was still crispy, and the ingredients matched perfectly. The Reuben was my favorite! I had no idea that beef tongue could be made so tender and flavorful, and the Russian dressing was not overpowering or too saucy. Really, one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. The Jose Andrés was tasty enough, but was overshadowed by the other 2 sandwiches. Don't forget the chili pineapple or watermelon either, it's a really refreshing treat for the summer. I can't wait for my next visit to ink.sack to try everything else on the menu. Two thumbs up for Top Chef Michael Voltaggio!!

--y

Nong Lá Vietnamese Cafe - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 2055 Sawtelle Blvd, West Los Angeles, CA 90025

Items Ordered:

• Pho Tai Bo Vien - fresh rice noodles with rare steak & beef ball
• Bun Bo Hue - spicy lemongrass beef soup w/ vermicelli noodles, pork patty, & beef
• Cha Gio - crispy egg rolls w/ ground pork, shrimp, carrots & glass noodles
• Nem Nuong Cuon - rice paper rolls w/ grilled pork patty (not pictured)

Ever since reading on Eater LA that Nong Lá was open on the Westside, I was just itching to try the food. Luckily, I have friends that indulge my foodie needs, and we headed to the restaurant for lunch last week. The space was a little cramped but the wait at lunchtime was only about 5 minutes for 2 people. With my first taste of the pho broth & beef meatballs, I knew I would come back here for my Vietnamese food fix. The broth was lighter than most authentic Vietnamese restaurants probably due to the lack of MSG, but it still managed to be flavorful and hearty. It's also a huge bowl of pho, and I couldn't finish all of it (a first!). The bun bo hue was also tasty, but the spiciness level would have ranked in milder on the Scoville Scale than at other Vietnamese restaurants. Try the deep fried egg rolls too, they are crunchy and delicious, and I felt semi-better wrapping it in a huge piece of lettuce before gobbling it up. The only thing I wouldn't recommend is the nem nuong cuon...stick with Brodard's for that item. Service was very attentive, but they tend to forget some parts of your orders. I'm sure with time and experience the staff will figure out their kinks. I hope Nong Lá sticks around for awhile as I plan to come back soon!

--y

Fig & Olive - West Hollywood, California

Address: 8490 Melrose Pl, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Items Ordered:

• Sea scallops & truffle artichoke tapenade (not pictured) - White Truffle Oil
• Paella del Mar - saffron rice w/ tiger shrimp, scallop, mussels, etc - Hojiblanca Olive Oil
• Mediterranean branzino w/ fig & balsamic - Koroneiki Olive Oil

Who doesn't love their birthday? Not only do you get to see people that you love all in one place BUT the best part is that they want to buy you food and drinks :D. On this particular birthday celebration, I got to see Connie and try some of her paella which had succulent scallops & shrimp atop creamy carbohydrates. As for my own dish, I enjoyed the crispy branzino skin, but the sweetness & mushiness of the figs were a little off-putting for my taste. The bread dipped in different olive oils was a great start to the meal, and I liked the richness that the different oils added to the flavor of the dishes. The overall decor of the restaurant was elegant and the service was impeccable. I could see why President Obama (or his staff) would have chosen to hold a fundraiser here. As for a return visit, I wasn't completely wowed by the food or concept, but if you're looking for a treat or somewhere to impress your date, then I would recommend paying a visit.

--y

Picca - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 9575 W Pico Blvd, West Los Angeles, CA 90035

Items Ordered:

• ceviche mixto. mixed seafood, sweet potato, choclo
• causa spicy yellowtail. spicy mayo, green onions, wasabi tobiko
• anticucho black cod. miso anticucho, crispy sweet potato (not pictured)
• chicharron de pollo. marinated crispy chicken, salsa criolla, rocoto sauce
• arroz con erizo. peruvian paella, mixed seafood , sea urchin sauce
• chanfainita. braised oxtail, mote and potato stew

Did you know that "pica" is an eating disorder where people eat largely non-food items? Well, to my astonishment, we were served delicious Peruvian tapas at Picca instead of pieces of glass and chalk. Already a plus in my book! The restaurant itself and presentation of dishes was beautiful and appetizing, and probably made me enjoy the experience more. Both of the small bites (causa and anticucho) are worth a try, but were so quickly consumed, that I can't remember much about them now. Ceviche was deliciously tangy and had a bountiful amount of seafood--highly recommend! Also, the fried chicken tasted like savory nuggets of deliciousness, but how can you really go wrong with fried chicken? My last favorite dish of the night was the braised oxtail stew, it was just good home-cooking and sopping up the sauce with house bread made it even better. Unfortunately, the paella was too rich and salty, and left me thirsty and chewing on some ice as I was leaving the restaurant...perhaps Picca and pica are slightly synonymous after all :O.You've got to try it for yourself to judge.

--y

Wurstküche - Downtown Los Angeles, California

Address: 800 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Items Ordered:

• Bratwurst - fine cuts of pork, coriander and nutmeg
• Chicken Apple & Spices - apple and specks of cinnamon (pork free)
• Austin Blues - hot & spicy, tri-pepper, and hardwood smoked pork
• Louisiana Hot Link -beef and pork, onions and hot spices
• Duck & Bacon with Jalapeno Peppers
• Rattlesnake & Rabbit with Jalapeno Peppers
• Groot (L) fries w/ bleu cheese walnut & bacon, chipotle aioli, & curry ketchup dips
• Gouden Carolus Belgian beer

I have to admit it--I was really hungry last week so I ordered 6 sausages, 2 fries, and a beer for myself. I feel bad for my friends who had the misfortune of accompanying me to dinner, they must have been starving all night! So how did EVERYTHING taste? The flavor of the spicy sausages outshone the others so I would recommend the Austin Blues, hot link, and even rattlesnake & rabbit. Surprisingly, the rattlesnake and rabbit didn't taste very odd or gamey, and I actually enjoyed it. My least favorite sausage was probably the duck and bacon as I think it was too mild-tasting and needed a lot of mustard to spice it up. Last but not least, the hot and crispy french fries dipped in the above sauces might even be more enjoyable than the sausages themselves. Oh, and it might be a good idea to share some of this food with your friends to maximize the communal Wurstküche experience. Wurstküche is a good place to check out the "sharing is caring" theory, and I recommend you try it.

--y