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

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

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