Paulette: A Sweet Final Week

(From top left: coconut, jasmine tea, caramel, pistachio, vanilla)

Like many other bakers, I jumped on the French macaron bandwagon a few years back and it has become di rigueur for me to order these tiny meringue sandwiches whenever saw them sold. In terms of LA, I’ve managed to hit up most of the macaron places – from Jin’s to the Little Next Door. But weeks away from my last day in LA and I still hadn’t visited the no-longer-so-new macaron “boutique” – Paulette – in Beverly Hills.

Well, thank God I have great friends who know me :D The beautiful Sunny called me down from the apartment and surprised me with a small baggie of Paulette’s macaroons. I LURVE her. And of course, she knew my flavor preferences so the bag included my staple macaron trio of (Madagascar) vanilla, (Sicilian) pistachio and caramel. On top of that, the Sun got me the coconut (my favorite favorite dessert flavor) and jasmine tea.

(Innards of the pistachio)

The Paulette macarons were almost too pretty to eat. I took a million photos of those babies from every angle imaginable. I probably have more photos of the macarons than I will of my future children. When I finally got over their prettiness, I took my first Paulette bite. Mmmm…sweeeeet sweet goodness. Unlike the dry, crunchy “biscuit” I had at Little Next Door, the meringue shells at Paulette were chewy and light, though not as well made as Jin’s or Bouchon’s. Paulette did really well, however, with bringing out the flavors of the macarons. The jasmine tea was mild but fragrant and smelled like flowers. They used actual caramel instead of caramel ganache in the caramel macaron which gave it an interesting flavor. It doubled the chewiness of the sandwich and personally, I quite liked that. The pistachio had a very strong nutty flavor. Awesome. But my absolute favorite was the coconut macaron. It was sooooo effin’ good. It was a bite of pure, satisfying coconut-ness. If I could, I would go back and order a box only in that flavor.


FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: n/a (didn’t go myself but Sunny said the service wasn’t pleasant and the macaron samples were dry)
ATMOSPHERE: n/a (but I’ve seen photos and it looks tres cute <3!)

PAULETTE ($/$$)
9466 Charleville Blvd at Beverly Drive.
Los Angeles, CA 90210
(310) 275-0023
http://www.paulettemacarons.com

Little Next Door: I.N.D.U.L.G.E (Part 1)

I’ve been having massive eggs benedict and peanut butter cravings lately (yes, INDEPENDENTLY of one another). It’s weird, I never really had a big thing for either…I guess personal tastes change when one ages…

Well, to satisfy le eggs benedict craving, we hit up Little Next Door for Sunday brunch. This place is so cute – just sitting there makes me feel as if I’m on vacation. Something about their outdoor patio makes me feel so relaxed; quite literally, I was pretty much lounging in my chair by the end of the meal.

In terms of the food, everything on the menu sounded really appetizing but I was determined to get my benedict fix so it took less than a heartbeat for me to decide on the smoked salmon eggs benedict ($14.00). Debs got the omelet du jour while the Sun ordered the Omelet Lardons ($11.00). The bread basket at Little Next Door is also pretty great. Their French bread is crusty on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside. Mmmm…I always appreciate a good bread basket.

(Omelet du Jour)

(Omelet Ladorns)

Though seemingly unassuming at first, the food portions at Little Next Door are pretty damn big. And thank God they are because the food is pretty dayam kick-ass. My eggs benedict was soooo effin’ awesome. It came with a side salad which was a perfect balancer to the cholestral + carbs side of the dish. Instead of an English muffin, the poached eggs came on top of two slices of thick toast and the toast and eggs sandwiched a VERY generous heap of smoked salmon. The salmon was cured to perfection (not too salty, a la Katz deli but also, not bland at all) and it was absolutely amazing paired with the eggs. The first poached egg was a little too runny for my personal taste (it literally flowed like a river) but it was good to soak with the toast. The second egg I had was cooked to perfection – not so runny that it spills all over the plate. It was, in simple terms, quite gorgeous.

(Mmmmmm-ness: Salmon eggs benedict)

(When runniness = good times)

And to cap off a perfect brunch, I ordered my usual suspect combination of macarons ($1.75) – pistachio, vanilla and dulce de leche (ok, I usually get caramel but this was the closet thing they had on offer). I started with the pistachio which was…SO GROSS. Yes, I was bitterly disappointed. The shell was dry and crunchy. WTF? I’ve NEVER had a crunchy macaroon before. And the filling to shell ratio was way off – half of the macaron was glopping with pistachio ganache while the other half was completely void of any filling. Ech. Disappointed, I moved on to the dulce de leche which, thank God, was a redeemer. The shell was the perfect balance of soft and chewy and the sweetness of the caramel filling balanced the mildness of the shell. Good stuff – I guess the pistachio was just from a bad batch. The last one was the vanilla which was definitely not as good as the dulce but also, definitely not as bad as the pistachio. The shell was a little too delicate – it shattered even before I finished biting into it. So I guess consistency is a little bit of an issue in terms of desserts at the Little Next Door.

(Flourless chocolate cake)

(Panna Cotta)

(The good, the bad and the ugly: Dulce de leche, vanilla, pistachio)

Service is fantastic. The waitstaff are all all-smiles and friendly. Our serving waitress kept thanking us for enjoying our food. Awwww…I love friendly service. The food is pretty pricey though and although I enjoyed every part of Little Next Door (save the pistachio macaron), I think I’ll keep it as a indulgence, lazy afternoon brunch place rather than an “everyday eatery.”

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

Little Next Door ($$)
8142 W Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 951-1010
http://www.thelittledoor.com

Animal: Dude Food

Animal has been on my “to-go” list since it opened in June last year. I finally ventured out to the Fairfax resto tonight with poor, jetlagged Theresa in tow (sorry hun!) Being a Wednesday night, I didn’t think we’d need to make reservations. Wrong assumption – Animal was packed and the only available seats were at the bar.

Neither of us were starving so we skipped the appetizers and hopped right to the entrée selection. The restaurant name is right – this menu is definitely NOT for vegetarians or salad people. Thank God I re-entered the meat-eater’s world. Theresa decided to take a stab at the quail fry, grits, slab bacon, chard and maple jus ($26) while I decided to spoil myself with the foie gras loco moco with quail egg, spam, hamburger and gold rice ($35). Yes, I felt robbed of my foie gras after that disappointing beef Wellington episode at the Stanton Social and I felt the need to be compensated.

Our (substantially-portioned) food arrived after a little bit of catching up. The presentation of the food seemed to spell out exactly what the restaurant was about – Animal doesn’t care about the Jean Georges-esque delicate precision. What it DOES care about is infusing top quality ingredients into stripped-down, casual dishes that don’t look too aesthetically intimidating to eat. This is the epitome of “Dude Food” – nothing looks overly pretty and the food doesn’t make you feel like you should turn off the football game and catch an opera show instead. In fact, Theresa’s quail fry looked nothing fancier than a plate of KFC chicken.

(Disappointing Quail :[ )

Sad to say though, Theresa’s quail fry also tasted nothing fancier than a plate of KFC chicken. The quail meat was practically tasteless (a little marinade would be useful) and the only ounce of flavor was in the fried, flour coating. It was a disappointing dish and a waste of a good quail. On the flip side, however, my foie gras loco moco was absolutely awesome. A perfectly cooked medium-rare hamburger patty was topped with a slice of spam and a pretty generous slab of foie. This pillar of deliciousness was capped off with a fried quail egg with a semi-running yolk. It was indulgent alright. I wonder how many arteries I clogged tonight. The surrounding gold rice was doused in a lovely sweet and sour type sauce – I almost wanted to lick the plate clean. The burger was somewhat bland by itself but had a fantastic charred, smoky flavor. And its mild flavor complimented the jolting savory taste of the spam – combining both meats in one bite created the perfect flavor balance. The rich taste of the runny yolk and the smooth, creamy foie gras elevated the simple loco moco dish to a whole new unbelievable level. But the most ingenius part of it all was the sprinkling of chopped green onions. It’s such a humble ingredient but its raw, slightly electrifying taste balanced the heaviness of all the cooked, meaty components and brought out the full flavor potential of all the other components. What I loved most about the food was its simplicity. Sure, maybe foie gras doesn’t really fit into the idea of “simplicity” but what Animal does is it brings luxury ingredients down to earth. At Animal, foie gras is on the same level as spam and burger patties and it’s wonderfully refreshing to find a place that reminds you to eat food for its actual flavor and texture rather than for its luxury connotations.

(Keeping the Foie Real: Foie Gras Loco Moco)

Service is awesome and has the same no-frills attitude as the food. Tattoos are almost di rigueur among the staff and with John Shook and Vinny Dotolo as the owners/head chefs, I’m not at all surprised – all I could see through the little window into the main kitchen were Vinny Dotolo’s full-sleeve tattooed arm working over the stove. Also, unlike other Hollywood places, the 20-somethings at Animal aren’t aspiring actors/actresses and they actually like working around food and know something about it. They’re friendly and approachable and, most of all, you get the feeling that they really want you to have a kickass time with the food.

Well, mission accomplished. I totally had a kickass time!

FOOD: 4/5 (based on my loco moco and not the quail fry)
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

ANIMAL ($$/$$$)
435 N. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 782-9225
http://www.animalrestaurant.com

[NYC '09: Brunch, day 5] Max Brenner: Savory or Sweet? Well, Let's do Both!

(Little Miss Pinky: a great Brunch Cocktail)

Debs and I met up with our beloved Shoe for brunch in Union Square on day 5 of our Manhattan trip. It was unreal seeing Shoe in NY! The weather was a little too gloomy and gray for brunching on farmer’s market fare outdoors so Shoe took us to Max Brenner a couple of blocks away.

Max Brenner was surprisingly uncrowded when we arrived. I could smell the rich chocolaty-ness of the place even before I stepped into the restaurant. So much for a light brunch! The brunch menu is so extensive – we took at least twenty minutes to decide on what to order. Debs was the first to close the menu after deciding on the tuna salad sandwich ($11.25). Shoe and I were both vacillating between the sweet and savory offerings so we decided to order two dishes to share. From the savory end, we got the guilt-free omelet ($14.50) and on the sweet side, we went with the spiced apple and walnut French toast ($14.50).

(Mmmm...waffle fries)

Food took a while but we didn’t really mind since we were busy catching up. I also ordered an absolutely delicious Little Miss Pinky Martini ($10) while we were waiting for our food. The cocktail – a mixture of vodka and triple sec with strawberries was a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness and with a name like that, how could I not order it??

Anyhow, the food came eventually and the portions are huge! We should’ve expected it. Shoe and I started with the omelet…which, as we had guessed, was hardly guilt free (trust me – we didn’t order it to be healthy). It was extremely well-made – the omelet was huge and fluffy and chock full of flavorful garden veggies and melted cheese. It was extremely substantial and tasted almost meaty even. The eggs came with a side of well-seasoned hash and a buttermilk biscuit. The biscuit was a shining star. It was buttery, fluffy and crumbly all at the same time. Amazing stuff!

(Delicious but DEFINITELY NOT guilt-free)

We moved onto the French toast which was plated along with two cute vials of syrup and melted white chocolate. The French toast was wonderfully eggy and fluffy. Too bad they didn’t use thicker bread (when will places learn?) to really bring out the toast’s potential custardy goodness. The spiced apple and walnut combo was perfect and everything was made even better with a generous dousing of melted white chocolate…but then again, what isn’t :) ?

(Pass the White Chocolate)

Service at Max Brenner’s is excellent. All the waitstaff are super friendly. Must be from all the endorphins from working at a place like this. The place was getting packed by the time we left so I guess, arrive fairly early if you want to try brunch here. Food was fantastic and the company was even better. It was so great seeing Shoe again. Well, hopefully, before long, we’ll be able to meet up in Manhattan again :D

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3.5/5

MAX BRENNER ($$)
841 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
(212) 388-0030
http://www.maxbrenner.com/

[NYC '09: Brunch, day 4] Rong Hang Restaurant: Noisy, Dirty, but Oh-So-Good

(Spare ribs and beautiful cubes of taro)

After our dinner at WD-50 and our shopping extravaganza at Century 21, Sunny and I decided to economize for our day 4 dinner. Initially, I had planned on grabbing soup dumplings from Joe’s Shanghai but, being a Friday night, the place was packed full with – you guessed it – White people. It was already close to 8pm, I was starving and I wasn’t about to wait 45minutes for my food. So, instead, the two of us walked over to the part of Chinatown on the other side of Manhattan Bridge.

We stepped into Rong Hang Restauarant and were greeted by the loud ruckus of clanking bowls and beer bottles and indiscernible Chinese dialects. Yes, it’s scary and unnerving but it’s also a pretty certain sign that the food is probably really good.

Since the dine-in menu was in Chinese only, Sunny gave me ordering carte blanche. The menu boasted that the restaurant served authentic Fuzhou fare which, I have to say, I’m not very familiar with but seemed to be made up of a lot of animal innards. Well, knowing that Sunny is a non-innards person, I skipped over dishes like sautéed pig stomach and crispy duck intestines and went for the spare ribs with house special sauce ($8.95), the stewed lamb Chinese style ($9.95) and two mountainous bowls of steamed rice.

Both dishes were awesome. Though both the pork and lamb were both bony cuts of meat, the meat was cooked to such tenderness that it fell easily off the bones. The pork was so flavorful – it was cooked in a sort of sweet and sour sauce which was close to being addictive. But what REALLY was addictive was the cubes of taro sprinkled throughout the dish. They were my favorite part of the meal. The sauce really enhanced the taro flavor and the tartness of it really cut through the crumbly soft texture of the root vegetable. The lamb stew was a perfect compliment to the pork dish – it was a lot milder in flavor so it balanced the meal out. Also, the stew broth was perfect when mixed with the steamed rice. The sheets of dried bean curd soaked up all the flavors of the lamb and the broth and turned into a sheet of pure deliciousness. These dishes were a welcome respite from the days of eating heavy Western food – both the pork dish and lamb stew had a hearty balance of veggies and the cuts of meat were cut to small bite-size pieces which made the overall meal less stuffy. That being said though, the portions are huge – we left about half of each dish unfinished…and the total for the two of us still only came to $20. I love Chinese food.

(Lamb stewed to tenderness)

Service is iffy – especially if you don’t speak the dialect. This place is DEFINITELY catered to its regulars. I mean, I could converse with the staff in Mandarin and I still had only mediocre service. But then again, at places like this, it’d be stupid to expect red carpet service. As long as the food is awesome – which it was – I’m a happy camper. I’m glad Joe’s Shanghai was packed. Rong Hand is off the beaten path but it’s a definite gem if you can put up with its seeming rough unprettiness.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 1.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 1/5

RONG HANG RESTAURANT ($/$$)
38 Elridge St.
New York, NY 10002

[NYC '09: Lunch, day 3] Emporium Brasil: Don't Pass the Salt

Times Square and Midtown was on the main agenda of day three in Manhattan. I had initially wanted to grab lunch at the Dean and Deluca café near Rockefeller – for those who don’t know me, I am IN LOVE with Dean and Deluca. I don’t really know how this love started but I think that place is absolute genius. But blegh, bad luck – we hit D&D right during lunch hour and couldn’t find an empty table anywhere so we had to improvise somehow. We walked down to 46th and turned into a small side street and settled for Emporium Brasil instead.

Sunny and Debs both went for the rigatoni com brócolis e frango/rigatoni, broccoli & sautéed chicken ($12.25) while I ordered the espaguete primavera/spaghetti with mixed vegetables in tomato sauce ($11.25). Personally, spaghetti is my least favorite type of pasta but the spaghetti dish was the only vegetarian option on the pasta menu. Anyhow, the chef at Emporium Brasil must not know that pasta is a filling carbohydrate because the pasta dishes were HUGE. The three of us all left at least half of our pasta untouched.

(Salty rigatoni)

But the size aside, I was pleasantly surprised by how well cooked the spaghetti was. It was perfectly al dente. On the flip side though, I was disappointed by the dish as a whole. The veggies was cheap, probably bought-in-bulk-frozen stuff – broccoli florets, carrots and mushrooms. On top of that, the dish was probably 80% salt. I mean, I was brought up on an HK diet of MSG-rich instant noodles and even I couldn’t take the saltiness. Sunny and Debs complained about the over-saltiness of their dishes too. Someone needs to hide the kitchen’s salt shaker.

(Would not go near this if it weren't for the al dente-ness: spaghetti primevera)

Having said that though, the service was pretty great. The waitstaff are attentive and I actually think that the service is too good for a place like Emporium Brasil. This was the first disappointing meal we’ve had during the NY trip. Oh well, I guess I can’t expect 100% perfection…even in New York City.

FOOD: 2/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 2/5

EMPORIUM BRASIL ($$)
15 West 46th st.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 764-4646
http://www.emporiumbrasil.com

[NYC '09: Dinner, day 2] Katz Delicatessen: When Dorothy met Deli

I have a soft spot for greasy Jewish-American diners and I have another soft spot for cheesy 90s chick-flicks. Put the two together and what do you get? Katz Delicatessen in N-Y-C!

Katz is definitely a New York institution. The ordering system can be super overwhelming for an out-of-towner – we were all really confused about the ticket vs. waiter system. It took three UCLA educations to finally crack the system and we eventually grabbed a table near the front. The self-serve counter is where most of the action is. It’s the epitome of NY speediness: you come in, put down your order, grab your sandwich and go. But we had been trekking around East Village and the Lower East Side the whole day and all we wanted to do was plop our asses down and have a meal.

(Welcome to a NY diner: pickles)

(Fries should be FAT. With Lox omelet)

(Debs' Pastrami Omelet)

Although I had planned on returning to a carnivorous diet during the NY trip, I didn’t want to overwhelm my palate with five inches worth of sliced pastrami on rye after over five months of meatless-ness so I opted for the lox and onion omelet ($13.40) instead. The omelet was huge and came with a generous portion of steak cut fries. The plate was greasy as hell but whadda’ expect? This is, after all, an American diner. The omelet was pretty good but I couldn’t find any onions at all in it :s the lox was also good but a little bit too salty for me. The omelet was too overwhelming for me halfway through – both in size and saltiness and I just couldn’t go through with the whole thing. I did pretty well though. The fries were the bomb though! Thick crunchy wedges with fluffy, piping hot innards – I finished all of them with no problem. I also got a bottle of their in-house lemonade ($2.50) which was the perfect washer-downer for the food.

(Trust me, skip the snapple)

I wouldn’t say that the food was amazing (but the fries were!) but Katz does have an absolutely fantastic atmosphere. It’s SO New York. The subway musician eats at the table next to the Wall Street financier just off from work; the waiter (yes, SINGULAR) has been working at the diner for years, stays for a chat, cracks jokes and asks if you want “caw-fee” at the end of your meal. Katz is not just a diner serving greasy sandwiches and omelets. It’s part of New York and there lies its charm ♥

FOOD: 3.75/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 5/5

KATZ DELICATESSEN ($/$$)
205 East Houston St.
New York, NY 10002
http://www.katzdeli.com

[NYC '09: Dinner, day 1] Barbarini Alimentari: I Love New York

After our 5 hour long flight from LA (a 7am flight, no less), the three of us were in no condition to venture far for dinner. After consulting my list of dinner places in the financial district, we decided to try out this small eatery near our hotel. We battled the strong NY windy night for a few blocks before nipping into the welcoming warmth of Barbarini Alimentari.

(The Food Counter)

Barbarini Alimentari is a neighborhood gem. In fact, it’s pretty much the real-life representation of what I think the perfect restaurant should be like: great food, great service, and a cute and cozy atmosphere. In one word, the restaurant is adorable. It’s tucked away in a quiet street near South Street Seaport. It’s not fancy or anything; a few clean chairs and wooden tables set in a small room with a glass counter at the front displaying the daily offerings. What the restaurant IS, though, is a perfect setting for a small group of friends to catch up over dishes of hearty American-Italian food.

(Just a part of the large dessert selection)

The three of us all ordered off the daily special chalkboard menu. Sunny got the penne with meatballs ($14.00), Debs got the orecchiette with shrimp in pink sauce ($16.00) and I ordered the vegetable lasagna ($14.00). We had just gotten off the plane and were literally STARVING so we all dove into the bread basket when it was brought to the table. Thank God we didn’t eat too much bread (cold and too tough – nothing special) because our piping hot pasta dish portions turned out to be quite hefty.

(Penne with Meatballs)

The orecchiette was a little bit too much on the al dente side for my personal taste but the sauce was great. I took a small taste of the penne and the sauce which I thought was a tad too sour but Sunny seemed to enjoy it. And the vegetable lasagna? Layers of pasta and grilled zuchinni, mushrooms, minced eggplant, cheese and more veggies…OMG it was SO GOOD. The pasta texture was perfect – not too mushy and not too chewy. The creamy béchamel sauce was spot on with the salty/cheesy/creamy balance and although the dish looked super greasy, the dish was surprisingly unheavy, relative to its ginourmous size. The minced eggplant lent the lasagna an almost meat-like texture. Really, with something THIS good, who needs meat?

(orecchiette in pink sauce)

When we were nearing the end of our meal, a sweet, intoxicating smell came wafting slowly from the kitchen. I have no idea what it was but it smelled absolutely amazing…which SUCKED because we were all way too full after finishing our pasta dishes. The chef, however, brought a small dish of complimentary amaretti to our table. How cute! The cookies were bite-sized pieces of sweet, crumbly goodness. The amaretti settled a pretty much solidified my love for this place.

(Meaty Meatlessness: the BEST veggie lasagna I've had so far)

Service was top-notch. Friendly, laid-back and attentive. The prices were also extremely reasonable – nothing was over $18.00 and many items on the regular menu run under
$10.00. The adjoining Barbarini Mercato grocery store is also absolutely adorable, stocking fresh fruits and imported wines and foodstuffs.

(Sweet and Almond-y Amaretti)

Between the soft glow of the restaurant lights and the warm fuzzy feeling in our happy stomachs, the atmosphere in Barbarini Alimentari felt Christmasy to me. And being at the table with those two ladies, I couldn’t ask for a better way to start our New York trip.

Here’s too good food and good friends.

(And an espresso to end a perfect meal)

FOOD: 4.75/5
SERVICE: 4.75/5
ATMOSPHERE: 5/5

BARBARINI ALIMENTARI ($/$$)
225 Front St.
New York, NY 10038
(212) 227-8890
http://barbarini.net

Guelaguetza: There's a Cricket on my Plate (04/07/2008)

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I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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(Chupalines: good stuff)

Guelaguetza is alright. And I don't mean that in a negative way. In their defence, I only went to try their chupalines (crickets) so I probably didn't get to enjoy the full Guelaguetza experience. The chupanlines were good...but nothing special...apart from being a HUGE portion (I had to box half of it...which I reheated and had with some rice for dinner. It was actually really good). I mean, I wouldn't NOT order it again, but it just wasn't very "WOW!! What IS this Godsend of a food????!?!" The complimentary nachos with mole sauce were pretty good too. Very tangy...

(Wrap it in a tortilla)

I DID love the interior decor. Yes, it's "gaudy" (think plastic tablecloths, clashing knick-knacks, and a TV in the corner playing 90s Spanish soaps) but it's cute! It's in this type of place where you know you can totally relax and enjoy your food.

Service was nice. I liked my waiter.

I'll probably go again...just so I can be fair to this place. It seems as if it could be promising...

FOOD: 3/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

GUELAGUETZA PALMS RESTAURANT ($$)
11127 Palms Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 837-1153

Delphi: Spread the Love...onto a Pita (05/06/2008)

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I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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Delphi is my new favorite place. I absolutely LOVE it!

The food is great, the service is great, the atmosphere is great. What's NOT to love??

The first time I went, I went with a friend for lunch. In the midst of the blue and white interior and the laid-back feel of place, my friend and I immediately looked at each other and said: "wow, I feel as if I'm on vacation".

Their complimentary bread is straight-from-the-oven amazing. Still warm and oh-SO-good! But what's even MORE amazing? Their taramosalata ($2.80 for half portion). Their portions are ridiculous - my friend and I couldn't even finish the "half" portion...I don't even want to think what the full portion is like. In all honesty, I can't think of anything more beautiful than their taramosolata on top of their warm pita bread ($1.95). OK - I lied - Anderson Cooper is more beautiful than that...but their taramosolata is not far behind. And seriously, their pita bread is the best. Not to mention that it's a VERY generous serving. I honestly think that it was the never-ending pita bread basket. I actually think it might be the same basket of bread that Jesus pulled the five loaves of bread and two fish from...because no matter how much we ate, there was still more pita.

(Taramosalata: Honestly one of the best things you can ingest)

Anyhow, onto the entrees. The mousaka ($9.25 at lunchtime) is AMAZING. I love eggplant (in my opinion, it's the king of all vegetables), I love potatoes, I love beef. So when someone makes a good mousaka, I love them. Hence, I love Delphi. Yes - there's a lot of love going on. I went back for dinner today and got the chicken Athenian ($18.25). By this point, I'm no longer surprised if the food tastes great...I've come to expect that everything that comes out of Delphi's magical kitchen is a little bit of love on a plate. The entree comes with either a soup or salad. And of course, the salad is sprinkled with a generous amount of feta cheese. And that in itself is 5-star worthy.

(Mousaka: eggplant that's better than just eggplant)

What else? Oh yes, the Galaktoboureko - custard wrapped in phyllo - is great (come on, it's custard AND pastry. It would be almost illegal if it WASN'T good!) and size-wise, it's good to share. On top of the great food, the atmosphere is great. Laid back and service is amongst the best in the area. Cups are always filled and the waiter always checks up without being overwhelming. Plus, they were playing Sinatra tonight...definite brownie points!! So if you ever want to bump into me (if for some reason, you so desire to do so), try going to Delphi. I won't be surprised if I'm there.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

DELPHI GREEK CUISINE ($$)
1383 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 478-2900
http://www.delphirestaurant.com/

Shaherzad: Persia + Food = Good Times (05/06/2008)

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I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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I L.O.V.E Persian food. Officially.

In all honesty, if heaven was an eggplant, it would take the form of kashk bademjan. I wouldn't mind eating a big bowl of that by itself. I've been dreaming of it ever since that fateful day of trying it for the first time as part of Shaherzad's AMAZINGLY worth-it combo of appetizers ($10.95). The combo platter is great - I highly recommend it. Everything is sooooooooo good....ESPECIALLY the kashk bademjan!

Also got the boneless chicken kebob ($14.95) with substitute side order of shirin polo rice. Ahhhhhh SO GOOD. The chicken was so succulent, so flavorful. And the shirin rice!!!! According to their menu description, it's rice with orange peels, pistachios, almonds and saffron with a hint of rosewater. The result? Absolute beauty. It's so amazing how the flavors blend together so well. It's something that's really hard to put into words. So I won't bother trying. Just go try it for yourself.


This place is reasonably priced. I give it 4 stars because of one kind of prickly waiter. Don't get my wrong - service is not horrible. Our greeting waitress was all sunshine and smiles. But the person who took our order seemed a bit impatient. Maybe he was having a bad day or something.

Atmosphere is great. It's not a 5-star hotel but, then again, it's not trying to be. It's a place for good food and that's what matters.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 3/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3/5

SHAHERZAD ($$)
1422 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 470-3242

Soleil: Why Everyone Loves the French (04/12/2008)

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I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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Just got back from dinner at Soleil and I'm VERY happy.

This place is SO good...why didn't I find out about it sooner??? Soleil is the ABSOLUTE paragon of the type of restaurant I love. Small but cozy, friendly service, great food. There is nothing pretentious about Soleil. The people who come here come because they want good food. Simple. The service is really great, albeit a bit slow (but I was never one to be bothered by slow service since I like relaxing meals over long conversations) and you can tell straight up that the waiters are excited about the food and actually know what they are talking about.

(Steak o' perfection)

The crab cake appetizer ($6.95) was really good, even better with their special mayonnaise. I got the Steak a la Christine ($22) which came with a side of fries. Oh, the steak was SOOOO FRIGGIN' GOOD. Perfectly chargrilled on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside. The fries were, as our waiter promised, "thin and crunchy" and was amazing with the steak...even more so when drenched in the peppercorn gravy (which, I guess, took away the "crunchy" aspect of it...but if anything, it was in a really good way).

Determined to have a three course meal (oh, don't be fooled by the small Asian girl exterior), we also each got a dessert. On the recommendation of our waiter (who I LOVED, by the way), my friend got the feuillete de fraises puff pastry dessert and I tried the chocolate crepe. The feuillete was AMAZING!! So sweet, light yet crispy...so good. I want to raise my children on food like that. And the crepe! SO DECADENT! It was, basically, a crepe filled with vanilla ice cream, banana, chocolate sauce, drizzled with MORE chocolate sauce and placed between two large dollops of sweet whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Uhm, ok...how can I NOT love that?? Like I said, service was slow (our dinner spanned for 2 hours) but that meant good food and good conversation...and it allowed ample time for digestion between courses (all the better for me!!)

(Chocolate crepe: one way to get fat)

Everything together, plus a big fat tip, my meal came out to about $50. Not bad at all considering what I ate. Yes, tonight before I sleep, I'm going to thank God for situating Soleil just 20 minutes from where I live. Life is good.

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I've been back a couple of times and I've made yet another happy discovery. Their pumpkin ravioli ($14.95) is a plateful of heaven!

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4.25/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

SOLEIL ($$)
1386 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 441-5384
http://www.soleilwestwood.com

Pomodoro: The Big Tomato (05/06/2008)

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I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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Pomodoro is such a cute place! Unpretentious, down-to-earth, good food. And that kind of food is the best kind.

Their Gnocchi Alla Fiorentina ($10.50) is amazing. I'm actually kind of pissed at the fact that their gnocchi is good...because now I'll always be torn between Pomodoro and Sprazzo just next door (which also has amazing gnocchi). Pomodoro or Sprazzo? Pomodoro or Sprazzo? Argh, my life is so hard.

Service is very good, especially considering how crowded and busy this place can get. Water never dips below the 1/2 full line. This place is extremely cheap for the amount AND quality of food you get. It's a little cheaper than Sprazzo and a little more casual.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3/5

POMODORO TRATTORIA ($$)
1393 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 445-9998
http://www.pomodorowestwood.com

Sprazzo: Eating Clouds (04/18/2008)

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I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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God must really love me or something because I've had a REALLY good run of restaurant-going for the past 2 weeks (Sushi Masu, Soleil, among others).

Sprazzo is great!! SOOOO much better than Mio Babbo's in the village (yes, I've pretty much given up on Westwood Village as a dinner area). It's the type of casual upscale restaurant that makes dining such an enjoyable experience. There's the dim lighting and candles-on-the-table thing going on but at the same time, it's completely unintimidating (I don't believe in restaurants that make you as if you'd be judged for eternity if you make some sort of dining faux pas).


I got the Gnocchi da Vinci ($14.95). Soft, pillowy, like a cloud...a VERY tasty cloud. I could go on and on about how great it was; about how the sauce was amazing, bla bla bla...but you should try it for yourself. I won't be able to do it justice. All I can say is this: I was so sad when I finished my gnocchi...sigh*, if only it could've have been the never-ending plate of gnocchi!!


For dessert, I got the Dulce Cheesecake ($8.00). It was really good, but not AMAZING. But really, the gnocchi was a tough act to follow so I'm not surprised that I wasn't blown away by the dessert. My friends got the tiramisu and the panna cotta and they both seemed more than content with their choices. I can't wait to go back and try their other (i.e. ALL) their desserts.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

SPRAZZO CUCINA ITALIANA ($$)
1389 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 479-3337
http://www.sprazzo.net

Kyochon: The New KFC (06/08/2008)

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I've been sifting through some of my old writings and I realized that I have a whole bunch of food reviews that I never got round to posting on the blog. And because I REALLLLLY don't want to start studying, I'm going to do some more food blogging/procrastination. So here they are, reviews from yesteryear.

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If late-night studying and stressing about finals weren't enough of an invitation for a breakout extravaganza, I decided to go grab fried chicken for our weekly Friday night dinner.

Someone tipped me off about Kyochon. Since this was also the same person who had explained Samuel Beckett's "Molloy" to me, I had complete trust in him - even with regards to food recommendations.

Kyochon is SO Asian. The place is UBER cute (I want my future house to look something like that); their menus look like glittering children's storybooks; the English on their banners read something like, "oooOOOooo, open until 24:00AM. VERY JOYFUL!" I absolutely LOVE it.

But that aside, the food is awesome. And how could it not be? It's Korean fried chicken! I LOVE Korean food. I LOVE fried food. I LOVE chicken. Perfect. We (i.e. 3 small Asian girls) ordered 2 whole chickens...and finished it all! Yep, that's right - I ate two-thirds of a fried chicken. I'm so proud of my disgusting self.

There was another table of 3 Asian girls near us. They were sharing a basket of fries and a chicken salad. Now THEY'RE disgusting...(what are they even DOING at Kyochon??)

The garlic-soy sauce is frickin' good. I could easily have eaten a whole chicken in that sauce. I can't take spicy food (sad, I know) but I still tried 2 small pieces from the spicy chicken and liked the flavor a lot. My Korean friend absolutely dived into the spicy chicken plate. The chicken itself is tender and juicy. We got a few dry pieces but then again, we did order the whole chicken and so got some less meaty parts (stupid ribcage meat) Next time, I'm SO going for the mountain-plate of drumsticks.

Price is a little high for fast-food but then again, this isn't grotty, dirty fast food. I thought it was pretty reasonable overall (around $42.00 for the 3 of us). Service is great as well - real friendly. Parking wise, there's valet service for $1.50.

Needless to say, I love Kyochon bigtime. Open until 24:00AM? VERY JOYFUL indeed!

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 3.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3.5/5

KYOCHON ($$)
3833 W 6th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 739-9292
http://www.kyochon.com

Clementine: If Tomorrow Sun Doesn’t Shine…

Sometimes, days are just fan-effin’-tastic and you go through the space of 24hours with a huge grin on your face which you just can’t explain.

I woke up today to the smell of cold windy air. Bought a copy of New York magazine (special, “Best of NY” double issue), tucked it under my left arm and started my morning stroll to breakfast. Half an hour later, I stepped into Clementine (finally!) feeling as if everything really was in its right place.

Now, I had never tried to hide my contempt for the British but even with that, I know that that country has given us two good things: a) fantastic music (a la the Beatles and the Stones) and b) banoffi pie.

I’ve been having MASSIVE banoffi pie cravings lately. But that Godsent pie doesn’t seem to exist anywhere in Los Angeles (trust me – I’ve done some extensive searching about). So, I’ve had to settle with the slightly inferior banana cream pie – which is exactly what I got a slice of at Clementine ($4.50/slice). Yes – VERY fatty “breakfast.” I got myself a seat in the sun and flipped to NY magazine’s crossword puzzle. This month’s issue was definitely difficult – a slice of banoffi pie and a LARGE coffee ($3.00) later, I was still less than a quarter done with the puzzle.

(Coffee and Crossword Puzzles: One of the small joys of life)

But, to expound upon the pie – it was alright. Seriously, that was it – “alright.” The best thing was the crust (that is usually the best thing) – a concoction of crushed grahams, butter, and brown sugar. That was topped with a scanty layer of bananas, a vanilla custard filling and a blob of whipped cream. Standard stuff. But, four/five years ago, I had sold my soul to the banoffi pie so I’ve been spoilt and know that there’s a much more beautiful world beyond the mere banana cream.

But Clementine to me isn’t just about the food – it’s about the idea. It’s the sitting in the sun, listening to the conversation of the table next to me – the table of a group of twenty-somethings who are talking about their jobs and life over cups of coffee. It’s the sun that shines through the bright yellow canopy. It’s the feeling of being happy.

(The idea: a quiet morning of good people and good coffee)

And as if that weren’t enough of a great day, I treated myself to a bag of popcorn and Slumdog Millionaire at one of my favorite theaters - the Majestic Crest. There’s a reason that movie won “Best Picture.”

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I had the last class of my undergraduate career today. It’s done. Six more days and I’ll be an official graduate. Crazy innit? Thirty months I’ve spent here and it’s almost at an end. I feel so blessed – I’ve spent over two years doing what I love and I’ve met some of the best people.

Sometimes life is great JUST BECAUSE. You can never anticipate how fantastic everything can be. I never thought I’d fall in love with Yeats, that I’d be so excited to churn out a twenty page paper on Chinatown theaters, that I’d have learnt all that I did.

("Daisies are the friendliest flowers" - so I bought a bouquet today)

I know this has been an incoherent post but, I guess, all I’m trying to say is: If tomorrow sun doesn’t shine…at least I’ll have my Clementine. And I hope you will too.

FOOD: 3.75/5
SERVICE: 3.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

CLEMENTINE ($/$$)
1751 Ensley Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 552-1080
http://www.clementineonline.com

THE MAJESTIC CREST
1262 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 474-7866
http://www.westwoodcrest.com/