Breadbar - Century City, California

Address: 10250 Santa Monica Blvd, Century City, CA 90067

Items Ordered:

• Chicken noodle soup
• French onion soup with emmenthal cheese
• Wild halibut pico de gallo, carrots, spinach
• Catch of the day (bass?) with capers, brussels sprouts, and potatoes
• Happy hour: pepperoni pizza, burger and fries
• Bread pudding

Would I go back to Breadbar? Yes! In fact I've already revisited for the amazingly warm and toothsome bread pudding more than once. It's not overly sweet, and is probably the best version I've tried to date. I'm glad that "Breadbar" can live up to its name with the fantastic bread pudding. I'm also a sucker for cheese, especially when it's warm and melty like in French onion soup. If you're a fan, try this dish as well; I couldn't stop drinking it. If that wasn't enough to convince you to give Breadbar a try, both fish entrees we ordered were flaky and well-seasoned. They were also relatively light enough to leave stomach space for dessert. I would recommend visiting during regular hours as the happy hour dishes are just mediocre and probably not the restaurant's best showing. If you visit, let me know if you agree with me about the delicious bread pudding!

--y

Gordon Ramsay at The London - West Hollywood, California

Address: 1020 N San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Items Ordered (DineLA):

• Lamb belly w/ Spanish chorizo, stewed gigante beans, jalapeno sauce
• Chanterelle mushroom risotto w/ sauteed scallop & quail egg
• Short rib served w/ Yorkshire pudding & bacon wrapped asparagus
• Tai snapper w/ coconut milk, shrimp curry broth over jasmine rice
• Lemon tart
• English sticky toffee pudding w/ mascarpone cheese & brown butter ice cream

Items Ordered (Afternoon Tea@Boxwood Cafe):

• Teas - rose w/ French vanilla & Mediterranean Mandarin teas
• Freshly baked scones w/ devonshire cream & lemon curd
• Sandwiches -black brioche w/ smoked salmon & cucumber, hummus w/ crisp shallots, curried chicken w/ golden raisins, roast beef w/ red onion marmalade
• Cakes - honey madeleine, L'opera cake, apple crumble, lemon meringue bar, fresh fruit tart

I tried to limit myself to only one DineLA restaurant in January, and luckily Gordon Ramsay's restaurant at The London did not disappoint. I thought every dish tasted amazing, except the lamb belly since it was a little too fatty, and I'm not a huge fan of lamb anyways. We should've gotten 2 orders of risotto instead. The creamy risotto was flavorful, the scallop cooked perfectly, and the quail egg added some richness--this was probably the best risotto I've ever eaten! The short rib entree was tender, and my tai snapper had a nice crispy skin, not to mention the Jasmine rice was fluffy and went well with the curry broth. I wish I could recreate this dish at home, it was so comforting and flavorful. The desserts were good, but definitely not the most memorable part of the meal. If you visit, definitely try the risotto option and Tai snapper--I'm still salivating over those dishes now!

Since we received $20 off a return visit, I thought it'd be a good idea to try their afternoon tea the 2nd time around. The scones had just the right amount of sweetness and weren't too dense. They were delicious with the lemon curd and cream. The savory sandwiches were interesting, but the breads were a little dry. The cakes were ridiculously cute, and my favorite from that plate was definitely the apple crumble since it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet. However, I wasn't impressed with the fruit tart since the cream tasted a little artificial and resembled something I could've purchased at the grocery store. I learned a lesson after having afternoon tea with my boyfriend...don't bring boys to tea, they will still be hungry after the miniature offerings! I guess Gordon Ramsay is a little warranted in his tirade against other chefs since I was pretty impressed with the dishes at The London. Try it and let me know if you agree.

--y

Philly Eats - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Locations: 

• Pat's King of Steaks
• Reading Terminal Market (Tommy DiNic's, Miller's Twist, Famous 4th St Cookie Co)
• Franklin Fountain

Items Ordered:

• Cheesesteak wit wiz (Pat's)
• Roast pork w/ provolone and broccoli rabe (DiNic's)
• Chocolate chip w/ walnuts, chocolate peanut butter, oatmeal cookie (4th St Cookie Co)
• Soft pretzel (Miller's Twist)
• Hydrox cookies 'n cream, mint chip (Franklin Fountain)

   
I love visiting the East Coast. Everything is so much more historical than in LA (I still love you LA!). This was my second trip to Philly, but I loved it way more since I got to try so many delicious foods. The steak in Pat's cheesesteak was flavorful and the bread was crusty. I dunno 'bout Geno's, but they really do have some competition! No matter, the winner of Best Sandwich in America at Tommy DiNic's was the clear sandwich champion. The pork was juicy and plentiful, and the garlicky broccoli rabe was an excellent addition. Don't forget to try the soft pretzel from Miller's Twist...those Pennsylvania Dutch can make a mean pretzel! Oh, and there's also amazing cookies and ice cream. Go visit Philly! And bring me something back please! Thanks :).

--y

Chifa - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Address: 707 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Items Ordered:

• Peruvian ceviche - leche de tigre, sweet potato, mote, ricoto aioli, pickled onions
• Pork belly bao buns - hoisin glaze, pickled daikon & carrot, togarashi mayo
• Duck taco - duck confit, house kimchi, sliced radish, flour tortillas
• Mushroom broth w/ udon noodles - red miso, wakame, scallions, pickled enoki mushrooms
• Chaufa - shrimp, stir fried rice, chorizo,  mango, edamame
• Vegetarian curry - jasmine rice, tofu, eggplant, coconut
• Humita - charred corn, tamale, bacon, mushrooms, aji cream
• Bien me sabe - coconut cake & cream, guava ice cream
• Suspiro - lemon custard, meringue, alfajores

Gong xi fa cai! Happy New Year everyone!

What does Iron Chef Jose Garces have to do with Chinese New Year's?? Well, his restaurant Chifa in Philly is actually a Peruvian and Asian fusion restaurant. All the dishes we tried were inventive and absolutely amazing. The pork belly buns had just the right amount of fattiness with a great sweet glaze, the duck taco was well-balanced with the kimchi, and the chaufa was like a cross between paella and fried rice that really worked. I won't hesitate to say that Chifa is one of the best restaurants I've ever visited since starting this blog. I'm so impressed by Jose Garces that it makes me actually want to watch Iron Chef America. If you live in or visit Philly, I highly encourage you to make a reservation...STAT!

--y

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