Plan Check - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 1800 Sawtelle Blvd, West Los Angeles, CA 90025

Items Ordered (sorry bout the camera phone pics):

• Drinks (not pictured): little Osaka sour, adulterated soda (vanilla soda w/ whiskey)
  
• Appetizers: baked crab dip, fresh cut fries, veggie chips w/ avocado dip
• Mains: Plan Check Burger, Chef's Favorite Burger, southern fry, pastrami nosh (not pictured)
• Specials: shrimp burger, pork belly torta (not pictured)
  
• Desserts: Cereal ice cream bar from Momofuku, cruller donuts

Plan Check has been garnering a line outside the door ever since it opened in West L.A. Apparently, the restaurant is from the owners of Umami Burger, which might explain the hype. Since I love Umami Burger, I went a little overboard on my 2 visits, and have been able to try almost everything on the menu :P. Drinks-wise, I loved my adulterated soda, which tasted like an alcoholic ice-cream float. As I was nearing the end of my glass, a waiter came by and mistakenly poured ice tea into the glass. Did drama ensue? Was this a restaurant FAIL?! No, actually I got a replacement drink free of charge, and it actually made dinner even more enjoyable :). The appetizers didn't fare as well as the drinks as they were kind of small or a little too oily. I would recommend just ordering an extra burger instead! Having tried a bite or two of several burger offerings from Plan Check, the definite standouts were the Chef's Favorite Burger (CFB) and the pastrami nosh. The CFB actually had a spicy tang from the hot sauce, and I loved the runny egg paired with the soft bun--this one is a must order. The pastrami nosh was beautifully smoky, and had a nice contrasting flavor from the kimchi mustard. After eating both dishes though, I was super stuffed! As far as the other burgers go, I thought I would like the southern fry & PCB more, but they can't really match the flavors of the 2 standouts. The pork belly torta was tasty, but overall had too much fat and mayonnaise for me to order it again. Last but not least, I SUPER recommend the cereal milk bar for dessert if it's available. It's one of the best desserts I've had in a long time. Overall, if you've been debating whether braving LA traffic to the Westside is worth it to visit Plan Check, then I would say stop debating and start driving! :P

-y

Three Broomsticks - Orlando, Florida

Address: 6000 Universal Blvd (Islands of Adventure) Orlando, FL 32819

Items Ordered:

• Cornish pasties
• Fish and chips
• Turkey leg
  
• Butterbeer & pumpkin juice
  

Where's the happiest place on Earth located?! Hints: it's in Orlando, there's a mouse involved, and magic is everywhere--it's Wizarding World of Harry Potter of course!! The food at Three Broomsticks was perfectly acceptable and the butterbeer and pumpkin juice were super delicious. The only way the food and atmosphere could've been more enjoyable was if it was actually made by house elves. Being at Three Broomsticks just makes me kind of sad that I'm an ordinary, magic-less Muggle. For anyone who's a Harry Potter fan, Wizarding World of HP and Three Broomsticks is a must visit!

-y

The Apple Pan - West Los Angeles, CA

Address: 10801 W Pico Blvd, West Los Angeles, CA 90064

Items Ordered:

• Hickoryburger with Tillamook cheddar cheese
• Steakburger
• French fries
  
• Apple pie à la mode

The Apple Pan is within walking distance of where I live, yet I've only eaten pies there for the last 2 years--albeit deliciously, gooey, and warm boysenberry, apple, and banana cream pies. It was at the recommendation of Jonathan Gold's 99 Eats that I decided to brave the line and try the hickoryburger at The Apple Pan, and I'm so glad I did. The hickoryburger had a nice tangy sauce and the cheese was melted perfectly, making this one messy but super enjoyable burger. Oh yea, the fries are perfectly crispy here, and I would go back just for the fries as well. Last but not least, with a place called Apple Pan how can you not get the apple pie...mmm. I really loved this old school diner, and I highly recommend you try it!

--y

9021PHO - Beverly Hills, California

Address: 490 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Items Ordered:

• Pho Bo
• BBQ pork Banh Mi

You might be surprised, but growing up in Houston, I was surrounded by authentic Vietnamese restaurants as well as homemade Vietnamese food from my friends' houses. So lets say I'm a Vietnamese food expert ;). Why then did I go to a pho restaurant in the middle of Beverly Hills?? Cuz 1. I liked the name, and 2. I'm still on an epic search for authentic Vietnamese food in West LA --it's debatable whether I will ever find that elusive place. So how was 9021PHO? The pho broth was a little on the bland side, and I wasn't in love with it. I'd only rate it above Pho Citi on the Westside. However, the BBQ pork banh mi was surprisingly flavorful and the baguette was nice and crunchy, but I couldn't wrap my mind around the hefty price tag. Would I recommend a visit? Nah, save your money and taste buds for some Sprinkles cupcakes or Urth Caffe instead.

-y

Elite Restaurant - Monterey Park, California

新年快樂！恭喜發財！Happy Lunar New Year! Gong xi fa cai! May your new year be filled with joy, luck, health and prosperity! In honor of the beginning of the Year of the Dragon, a dim sum post for you :)


Address: 700 S Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754

Items Ordered:

• Pork siu mai, shrimp har gow, spare ribs, bean curd wrap, chicken feet (small items)
  
• Shrimp rice roll, steamed turnip, sticky rice in lotus leaf (larger items)
  
• Crispy snow bun, golden cream bun, bbq pork buns (dessert/buns)

Elite Restaurant is an order-off-the-checklist-menu dim sum restaurant, which I prefer since the food is more fresh and you don't feel as bad turning away the Chinese ladies hawking their food. My group of 5 arrived around 10:30am and the wait was only about 10 minutes long--come any later though, and your wait time can be up to an hour plus! I was really impressed with the quality of the food coming out of the kitchen and the pace of their service too. This was some of the best siu mai and har gow AND chicken feet I've had anywhere, and I've been itching to return to Elite Restaurant. The only thing that I wouldn't order again is the steamed turnip since I like the pan-fried version. Maybe it's the fatty inside me talking. Otherwise, I enjoyed everything from the food to the company, and hope you can make it out to Chinatown for a delicious visit sometime!

--y

Tartine Bakery - San Francisco, California

Address: 600 Guerrero St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Items Ordered:

• Spicy sopressata, fontina, broccoli rabe pesto sandwich
• Niman Ranch pastrami sandwich w/ horseradish & gruyere
• Croque Monsieur w/ bechamel, gruyere, thyme, & Niman Ranch ham
• Coconut passionfruit bavarian cake
• Chocolate eclair

You might think that if you visit Tartine Bakery on a random Tuesday at 11am or 2pm you wouldn't have to wait in line for savory sandwiches or moist delicious pastries. Well you'd be WRONG. There is always a line out the door at Tartine b/c their sandwiches are packed with flavor and perfectly melted ooey gooey cheese. The bread can be quite crunchy so it might not be the best place to bring Grandma :(. The mouthwatering pastries on display are hard to choose from, but you can't go wrong with anything you pick. Try not to eat too much here though b/c just a little walk away you can also visit Pizzeria Delfina and Bi-Rite Creamery--2 delicious San Francisco institutions. I'm experiencing some San Francisco withdrawal as I write this post so it might be time to plan a trip soon! Hopefully, I can snatch a morning bun at Tartine before they run out :O.

--y

Son of a Gun - Los Angeles, California

Address: 8370 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Items Ordered:

• Smoked mahi fish dip: celery, radish, crackers
• Lobster roll: celery, lemon aioli
• Shrimp toast sandwich: herbs, sriracha mayo
• Fried chicken sandwich: spicy b&b picckle slaw, rooster aioli
• Linguine and clams: uni aglio-olio, chili, breadcrumbs
• Roasted escolar: truffled pomme puree, chicken jus

HAPPY 2012!! Hope last year was fantastic, and that each new year continues to be better than the last! And now back to the food...

I was excited about trying Son of a Gun, the seafood counterpart to Animal, since I prefer seafood over random piggy parts, and the restaurant did not disappoint. First, the not-so-good: the shrimp toast was too oily for my taste, the fried chicken sandwich was overwhelmed by the tangy slaw, and the linguine and clams weren't that special for the price. With that said, we still polished off every plate. The goods: mahi dip was a smoky, creamy leap above tuna salad made in my kitchen, and the lobster roll was amazing! Too bad it came in such a small size, I recommend ordering one per person so you don't end up fighting over it. Last but not least, the roasted escolar was crispy and tender and probably one of my favorite dishes of 2011! The truffle potato puree was creamy and buttery, and the dish just really works. I would definitely return to Son of a Gun for the escolar and lobster roll. Try it and let me know what you think.

--y

Moo Moo Thai Cafe - Venice, California

Address: 11127 Venice Blvd, Culver City, CA 90034

Items Ordered:

• Thai Tea
• "I can't believe this is Mushroom" - fried crispy mushrooms
• Papaya Salad - level spicy, with green beans, tomatoes, shrimp, lime juice, & peanuts
• Kra-Pow Crispy Pork - stir fried with spicy garlic sauce, basil, green bean, & serrano
• Chicken Pad Thai - not pictured

Ever since visiting Thailand a few years ago, I've been searching for a remnant of authentic Thai street food in the U.S. Moo Moo Thai, a new restaurant in Culver City, comes reasonably close, but alas, the ultimate search continues. The mushroom appetizer was only okay, a tad too salty for my tastebuds. The papaya salad on the other hand, was refreshing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Next time, I'll order it extra spicy so I can relive that burning but oh so delicious sensation I felt from eating papaya salad freshly made from street carts in Thailand. The crispy pork was flavorful, and had the right amount of spiciness, but the "crispiness" factor could have been a point of contention. Moo Moo Thai has some good looking noodle soups that I still want to try, and I would definitely return for some good papaya salad.

--y

P.S. The thai tea was fantastic.

Cafe 70 Degrees (formerly Westsubs) - Culver City, California

Address: 3863 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA 90232

Items Ordered (breakfast menu):

• Smoked salmon bagel with egg salad
  
• "Simply Yummy" - baked egg, turkey bacon, potatoes
• Peach Icy Snow with boba

I waited a long time to write this post b/c I kind of don't want to share this place with anyone :O. I first discovered this small cafe nestled in Culver City Center when I was in need of wi-fi for a few hours. I ordered a boba milk tea and to my surprise a giant beer mug of creamy, perfectly sweetened milk tea and chewy boba arrived at my table. I liked the drink so much, I proceeded to order a crunchy tuna wrap and thoroughly enjoyed polishing off the whole plate of fresh tasting ingredients including the side of cantaloupe and salad. I can't recall if I actually got any work done that day amidst all the eating...

Ever since discovering Cafe 70 Degrees, I've made multiple return visits, and honestly have loved everything I've ever ordered here. On this particular day, I went for breakfast with a friend, and thought the salmon was smoky, fresh-tasting, and paired beautifully with the toasted bagel. I was a little too stuffed with the egg salad atop, as it probably could've been made into FOUR delicious egg salad sandwiches--too much for one person! The peach icy snow was one of the best drinks I've had from Cafe 70 Degrees yet.

If you decide to visit, and love this place as much as I do, do me a favor and keep it on the DL. It'll be our little secret, yea? Thanks.

--y

Thanksgiving 2011

Items Prepared:

• Crab and cream cheese spread with toasted almonds on French bread
• French onion soup
• Arugula, beets, and goat cheese salad
• Prime rib and Yorkshire pudding with au jus
• Chocolate mousse with mint and raspberries
  

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm thankful for my beautiful family and friends today as I am everyday. No turkey this year, but prime rib is still a winner! Hope your Thanksgiving gathering is fabulous and delicious.

--y