Old Town Sushi, Newark, California

Address: 34942 Newark Blvd., Newark, CA 94560

Items Ordered:

• Chicken Katsu
• Miso Soup
• Katsu Calamari
• Dynamite Roll
• Miso Soup
• Grilled Saba Fish

This is the first in my Bay Area series. Just an update, I am now back from the UK and living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since I haven't really lived here in so long, I am really getting started with exploring restaurants around here. More to come as I eat my way around the Bay!

The first thing I have to say about Old Town Sushi is that the portions here are huge! We ordered a 2 item combo meal and each of the items was a dish in itself. The food is pretty good and definitely good value - I even feel like it might be too much. The Katsu Chicken was probably my favorite dish, and I'm still in awe of how much they gave. The free Miso soup was nice too. However, this time I only got one roll - the Dynamite Roll and it's not my favorite. I didn't like the fish(?) inside - it tasted dry. Next time, I'd definitely want to try more of their other rolls. Besides that, looking forward to going back there to try the other rolls and to get more food enough for like 2 extra leftover meals! :P

Anyway, thanks for reading. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas filled with friends, family, love, and of course, delicious food!!

--V

KTCHN DTLA Pop-up @ The Gorbals - Downtown Los Angeles, California

Address: 501 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Items Ordered:

• Drinks: Rouge - beet, carrot, celery, apple, pineapple, OJ; Spicy Carrot - ginger, carrot, apple; Mimosa
• Brie Grits with berry compote topped w/ julienne apples & bourbon cherry granola
• Chicken Fried Ribeye Steak w/ lime gravy, topped w/ a jicama crispy onion corn salad, eggs, home fries
• Red Wine Braised Short Ribs 'n Eggs w/ polenta, melted blue cheese, fried kale, eggs
• Best Part of a Fried Egg w/ bacon, roasted tomato, butter greens, crispy egg white w/ hollandaise, home fries
• Habanero Scramble w/ goat cheese, caramelized onions, pumpkin seeds, crispy onions

There are so many popup restaurants in L.A., that I basically gave up and decided not to visit any of them! Luckily, my friends are not so lazy, and someone planned a birthday get-together for one of my friends at KTCHN in downtown L.A. The drinks were colorful, but nothing you couldn't make at home with a juicer. When I saw chicken fried steak on the menu, I knew it had to be mine, and luckily we were sharing b/c the portion size was humongous (13oz)!! While, I'm glad I got to try it, I thought the breading didn't coat the steak that well, and it can be pretty difficult to season such a large portion of steak. My favorites of the day were actually the non-fried options, including: the brie grits - delicious, and tangy w/ the addition of berries, and the habanero scramble b/c it was so spicy. Yum! The braised short ribs were tender and flavorful, but w/ the fried eggs, it was just a little too rich. Similarly for the fried egg whites dish. I'm glad I got to try this interesting pop up brunch. Overall, the portion sizes were plentiful, and the atmosphere was fun, but the dishes were a little too heavy. I would however, try making this habanero scramble at home since I really enjoyed it.

On another note, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you received everything you wished for and more this holiday season. Hopefully, Victoria and I can squeeze in a few more posts before 2013!

Love,
--y

Seoul Sausage Company - Los Angeles, California

Address: 11313 Mississippi Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90005

Items Ordered:

• Galbi Sausage - 100% All beef kalbi flavored sausage served with kimchi-relish and garlic jalapeno aioli
• Lil' Osaka Ball - Deep fried Japanese curry rice ball
• DA KFC - Korean Fried Chicken

The winner of The Great Food Truck Race (Season 3) in store form? Well, my co-blogger and I decided we must try it! Overall, I had a great experience. I'm not sure if I think it is the most amazing thing ever, but it's definitely a good meal. Let's start with the sausage. We got the Galbi sausage and while it had a good mix of flavors and overall I liked it, we both think it didn't have the kick to put it over the top. The sausage didn't seem "meaty" enough. Moving on to the balls... This was my favorite item we ordered! It is a fried ball of goodness with rice, curry spices, potato, and (I think) some type of meat. It came with a garlic mayo sauce that complimented each piece of the ball well. In addition, we ordered the KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), not to be confused with that fast food place. These came with cornbread on top. I enjoyed this dish, especially the spices and crispiness of the chicken. Lastly, I must talk about the water by the box that YJ loved. Water, in a box...strange, but it works (and is better for the environment). Go there and try it for yourself! :)

-V

Langer's Deli -Downtown Los Angeles, California

Address: 704 S Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Items Ordered:

• #19: Pastrami, swiss cheese, and cole slaw with Russian style dressing
• Chicken breast sandwich with cheese
• Home fries

The menu at Langer's is huge, but the only sandwich that anyone ever raves about is the #19 pastrami sandwich. While the sandwich was full of meaty pastrami, and the rye bread delicious, I thought the Russian dressing was a little overwhelming. I can't help but think that Langer's is a little overrated. I still prefer the options at Bay Cities and Apple Pan on the Westside. The chicken sandwich and fries were pretty standard as well. I liked Langer's, but wouldn't really go out of my way to visit again. Let me know what you think.

--y

Bäco Mercat - Los Angeles, California

Address: 408 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Items Ordered:

• Warm potato salad with pickled vegetables
• Original bäco sandwich - pork belly, beef carnitas, salbitxada
• El Pesco bäco sandwich - crispy shrimp, sriracha, chive

There are some places that have been on my radar for so long that when I finally visit, I just want to order everything on the menu. Fortunately, I have smarter friends than myself, and we were able to narrow down our selections to just 3 options at Bäco Mercat. I have to say, the restaurant really lived up to the hype. The flatbread of the sandwich was somehow crispy yet soft at the same time, and the pork belly and shrimp were both seasoned well. The sauces weren't overwhelming, and one sandwich is definitely substantial enough for lunch or dinner. The warm potato salad was amazing! Crispy potatoes that were well-dressed, absolutely delicious! I would definitely order this again and probably a few more appetizers as well. Highly recommend this restaurant, and props to the chef. Try it for yourself!

--y

Joan's on Third - Los Angeles, California

Address: 8350 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Items Ordered:

• Grandma's sandwich - cappicola, toscano, mortadella & provolone with spicy peppers on a crusty italian roll
• Pressed chicken, bacon & brie - with caramelized onions on French baguette
• Hummus w/ hard boiled egg, cucumber, and tomato 

I've been to Joan's on Third more than once, and loved it each time! The sandwich descriptions are mouthwatering and taste delicious too, especially the pressed chicken sandwich w/ crispy perfectly salted bacon. The Grandma's sandwich held fresh ingredients, but couldn't match up to the Godmother sandwich at Bay Cities. But no worries, there are still a multitude of breakfast and lunch options at Joan's to overwhelm your decision making capacity. The prepared salads and the hummus we got on this day was amazing, and I highly recommend it. Joan's on Third is like a more accessible Dean & Deluca's, and I'm glad it's in my neighborhood.** Extra tip:** there's a great French cafe/bakery 2 blocks down called Little Next Door with THE BEST salted caramel macaron! Try both places for yourself!!

--y

 

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