I LOVE RAMEN

I was looking through this list of Los Angeles ramen restaurants, and wondered how many I could eat at before I leave. I've been eating a lot of ramen lately, mostly because it's cheap and super satisfying.

Here are the restaurants I've tried so far:

Daikokuya
This is my favorite ramen joint. The broth is amazingly tasty and the portions are gigantic. I normally don't care for the pork in ramen, but the one here is tender and flavorful. I only wish it were closer, but at least it's open late to satiate your late night cravings.

327 E. 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Asahi Ramen
Asahi Ramen was my first ramen restaurant, and as such, is the place I use to compare all other ramen places. I go here most often because it's only five minutes from my place. It's a really small space, but the service is always very friendly and quick. I personally like the taste of Asahi's ramen (not as salty as other places). Their portions are generous and their miso ramen is great. I also like their cold noodles and fried rice.

2027 Sawtelle Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Cash only

Ramenya
I also like Ramenya, which is around the corner from Asahi on Olympic Blvd. Normally we only go here on Thursdays when we drive by Asahi and realize that they are closed (seriously, what's that all about?) Not bad, I just happen to prefer Asahi to Ramenya.

11555 W. Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90064
Cash only

Orochon Ramen
I just tried the notorious Orochon Ramen this weekend. The schtick for this place is that they have this intensely spicy ramen (Special #2), and if you can finish this enormous bowl (including the soup) within half an hour, you get your photo taken and posted on their "Wall of Bravery". I went with our friend Jennifer, who is probably the tiniest being I know, and she nearly finished (but didn't have enough time to finish the soup). Amazing. I had the #7, which is the least spicy and wussiest of all the choices.

123 Onizuka Street #303
Los Angeles, CA 90012
$20 credit card minimum

Santouka
Santouka is a gem that is located in the Mitsuwa Marketplace on Centinela Blvd. on the west side. It's low key (as it's in a food court) and really greasy but still tasty. I really like this place too but always seem to get there too late, since they close at 7:30pm. After you eat here, you can check out Japanese magazines and buy Asian goodies in the market.

3760 Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Cash only

Chabuya
I also went to Chabuya last weekend which is very close to Asahi and Ramenya. I liked the atmosphere and think it's definitely worth checking out, but overall found the broth to be too salty and the service to be kind of lazy. Our friend got the Sapporo Black Label, and it was flat despite being from a bottle!

2002 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025

[Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ddkim/2657155053/] Temporary solution until I load my own ramen photos!

Elephant Snack Corner

Yes, Ravi, a B. It's still good.


I recently had the opportunity to eat at the Elephant Snack Corner, located on Western Avenue. We were hungry and jonesing for some good Korean grub, when my dad spotted it in the small strip mall next to the BCD Tofu House.

The food was good, authentic and hit the spot. To be honest, I haven't really had the opportunity to eat at very many Korean restaurants that aren't Americanized BBQ joints. I think that because Korean BBQ is so prevalent and profitable, a lot of people miss out on the variety of dishes that Korean cuisine has to offer. I don't blame anyone- I almost always go for the BBQ as well because it's so gosh dang delicious. But next time you go to a Korean restaurant, I urge you to try the many fish, tofu, or noodle dishes and stews that may be on the menu. Everything is good.

Also, please make sure your Korean restaurants offer you plenty of ban-chan (side dishes) because it's an absolute essential for a Korean meal. However, don't let them charge you extra, because that'd just be highway robbery.



Interior.

I went with one of my most favorite dishes, dduk man-du gook (rice cake and wonton soup). We usually have this soup on New Years because this type of rice cake is called nian gao in Chinese, which I believe is roughly translated as "year cake". The black stuff is seaweed (which Koreans love).


This is a soy bean stew with vegetables and tofu. Korean jji gae is so, so delicious. We used to have a soy bean or kimchi jji gae with every meal growing up. This is why I am a jolly person.


My dad got the yook gae jjang, which is a very spicy noodle soup dish. This had me sweating, but MMM so good.


No Korean meal is complete without ban chan!


My poor sister is a vegetarian, so she went with bibimbap, a dish that mixes a lot of veg with rice and a fried egg. This usually comes with some beef or sushi in there, but she usually asks for it without. It's very healthy, and also very tasty.


Please note that the staff does not really speak English here. But their menu is on the wall with pictures, so you could probably get away with pointing and saying the numbers in English. Cash only.

Elephant Snack Corner
901 S Western Ave
Ste 101
Los Angeles, CA 90006
Cross Streets: Western & Ninth

Gyu-Kaku

{Forgive me, but I'm gonna try to be philosophical for a moment. I may even go meta on you, although I don't really know what that is. It just sounds intellectual.}

Gyu-Kaku (a Japanese BBQ chain restaurant) seems to challenge the conventional wisdom regarding the purpose of eating out at restaurants. I was always under the assumption that we eat out to experience new foods, new flavors, new settings, etc. It's a chance to get away from the often mundane foods we have at home. And most importantly, it's a chance to avoid having to cook for ourselves. It's this last part that Gyu-Kaku seems to be at odds with most, and it's ultimately the restaurant's fatal flaw.

A quick blurb about the decor, etc.: The atmosphere was strange, to say the least. The restaurant was trying to create a pseudo-Japanese/industrial vibe, but it was a little clunky.

Anyways, onto the food, and the restaurant's fatal flaw: you cook the meal yourself. There is a little fire pit/grill in the center of every table, and you do the cooking. Everything we ordered needed to be cooked at our table (there are a few "pre-made" dishes). I ordered the green onion pancakes as an appetizer, and they were rather tasty. They reminded me of latkes, but with a stronger onion vibe to it. As a table, we ordered the Shrimp Garlic, Salmon Miso, Harami miso, and the Nakaochi Kalbi (miso). The shrimp was pretty good, and the salmon (which was steamed) was tasty as well-- we did a good job cooking these dishes (seafood is easy to cook). As for the beef, I couldn't taste the difference between the two dishes. None of us wanted our meet raw, so we tried our best to cook it pretty well. The sad thing is that we kinda sorta burned many of the pieces, or at least charred them, essentially nuking whatever flavors may have existed. Beef is much harder to cook, and our failure put a damper on the meal.

And that's the problem with Gyu-Kaku. The quality of the meal depended on us, moreso than it normally would at any other restaurant (even if you were to "build" your own meal, like at bld). Even worse was the fact that cooking isn't necessarily a great task to do when you're trying to have a conversation with people. Our table was silent at times as we concentrated on the food (constantly flipping and checking if everything was done). While it was certainly a unique experience, it wasn't necessarily a good one.

We also ordered dessert... s'mores! This was by far the best part of the meal, even if the graham (sp?) crackers were a little stale. It was the first time I made s'mores on an open fire. It was lots of fun.

If you go to Gyu-Kaku and you want good Japanese BBQ, you better be good at cooking beef, because it all rests on your talent. If you go for the above average seafood, and great s'mores, then you'll probably enjoy yourself a little more. C+

Gyu-Kaku
10925 W.Pico Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA 90064

Ami Sushi

{I feel like I'm taking over the blog. Someone please eat something! Just because Nicole Ritchie is skin and bones doesn't mean it's the cool thing to do... although I must admit, exposed clavicles are hot.}

I visited the uber trendy looking Ami Sushi restaurant in Westwood. I was lured in by the menu, only to have my spirits crushed by the bad food, awkward ambience, and poor service.

The interior epitomizes the modern Asian decor that's apparently all the rage nowadays-- dark colors, leather, bamboo, crazy compartment plates (no joke), etc. It was all meant for an intimate setting, but the extremely high ceiling made it seem as if you were eating at some dance club and not a restaurant; it sucked the life out of the room. On top of that, you had gigantic artistic photographs of Buddha statues (I think), next to a giant projection TV showing ESPN. And they played Green Day, Sean Paul, and Beyonce as background music. Everything clashed; I was confused.

As for the food, we went with the 3-piece combo plate, and picked the salmon steak, shrimp and vegetable tempura, and spicy tuna rolls as the 3 entrees. The spicy tuna rolls came out first. In spite of the spicy-ness, the tuna was particularly bland, and had a strange, "mushy" texture. Even with soy sauce, the rolls were disappointing. The salmon steak (grilled salmon covered in teriyaki sauce) was slightly better, although it was not something to rave about. While the salmon was certainly moist, the teriyaki sauce seemed to be a secondary addition, just plopped on at the end (ie. the salmon wasn't "infused" with the teriyaki juices). I was underwhelmed by the salmon overall. As for the tempura, the shrimp was mediocre at best. The "tempura sauce" was too watery, and failed to add any real flavor to the food. The vegetables were unrecognizable (I think one was a yam), and the different textures (crispy on the outside, really mushy on the inside) was not enjoyable. Worst of all the salmon was near room temperature, and the tempura was cold.

The service wasn't much better. We were bothered numerous times about whether or not we were ready to order (when the menu is closed, we're ready! argh!). When I asked for a lemonade refill, the woman said "No, is not possible" (I'm not sure if she meant I had to pay, or that I couldn't get a refill; it was really awkward). The waitress also forgot to bring me water after I asked her to.

Overall, the restaurant was a disappointment in every conceivable way.

(You know where it is)

Persian; Malaysian!

Two totally different genres of food, back to back. Both, immensely heavenly and orgasmic.

First up:

Shamshiri Grill
1712 Westwood Blvd.

It's that restaurant that you always see driving past--but never think to go in. But you should, because this Persian restaurant is the greatest delight I've ever encountered with my fellow co-workers. They serve mostly Meditteranean type dishes/foods: typically the hummus, baba ganoush, crazy other things with eggplant, falafel, tzatsiki (that yogurt w/ cucumbers!)--all things you can eat with unlimited (warm) pita bread! It's all extemely delicious.

Food: The main dishes tend to be either lamb, chicken, or beef--and I high recommend their lamb--I got something like this A_ _? Polo dish with AMAZING basmati rice (different colors, with sour berries? CHERRIES?) it was sweet, but not overpoweringly so, and added to the succulent lamb before me. My lamb shanks are HUGE, many in number, and juicy--in their own little dish thing.

I have to also mention that their portions could probably serve 2.3 persons!!! I had soooo much leftover that I wish I could have stuffed down into my belly. Alas, this was not so.

Their vegetables are also suberb (all grilled! I'd die for another one of their tomatoes. Seriously.) This is also a slightly vegetarian-friendly venue.

We didn't try the desserts because they sounded crazy, like BURBUR CHA CHA. Iono what that is, but I was so full, I though I would burst!

Service: PERFECT. Never have I (esp. in a LARGE 20? person group) in a BUSY/full restaurant been so attended to. The owners and head waiter person kept asking us if we needed help, etc. They were all extremely friendly and filled ALL of our waters, pita bread without us asking (or even, needing it!). They were always making sure everything was perfect. And on top of it, they were sooo nice and friendly. Even playful ALMOST. I'm gushing. But it was really perfect.

Price: $8-15 for a main dish. The upper range is mainly for the higher up specialty dishes that no one ordered. But my lamb dish was only $9.95 and since the prices were relatively cheap for a nice (warmly decorated) restaurant with a slightly business/posh crowd, Saabir and I decided to get separate dishes (boy did we not need to!).

Also: Roti Canai for $2.95 (but you only get one, which is sharable for 2 ppl.)

I believe this place received an A from the Health Dept., etc.. YAY!!!!!!



Belecan Grill Restaurant
2701 190th St.
Redondo Beach
Ph: (310) 370-1831

I'd never had Malaysian food before, unless Indonesian food at Penang in the Upper East Side of NYC (AMAZING) counts as similar enough to Malaysian food, but it was really a venture worth taking.

This restaurant is a little bit out of the way of LA, but if you're ever in the area, or want to stop for tastiness whilst driving down the 405 (it's close to the Hawthorne Blvd. exit), please stop by.

The atmosphere here is similar to that at Shamshiri--kind of more business class type crowd. A little fancier than your normal restaurant (i.e. cloth napkins, drinking water/chardonnay out of wine glasses, etc).

Food: The Roti Canai (Malaysian pancake w/ curry sauce) is to DIE for. It's not pancake in your traditional sense--it's more like the Indian roti, except not as thick--think the buttery greatness of puff pastries, and that's what this Roti Canai is. The curry sauce is also very flavorful and pitch perfect.

We ordered the large prawns in a coconut-curry crockpot? and it was more than enough for the two of us sharing it (even though we also someone ordered one of their rice noodle dishes AND Belacan string beans).

The food tends to be spicy in the Malaysian style, but it's mild-medium, so definitely bearable for non-spicy eaters! Their Belacan (shrimp paste signature) spice is very very good, but not if you don't like seafood.

I definitely recommend getting the coconut rice w/ the meal since it complements the spices (coconut, shrimpy ones) in the food.

Service: The service here is also VERY good and attentive. Saabir's parents ordered the noodle dish veggie-style w/ no egg, but since the chef forgot and put egg in it, we told our waiter and he not only let us keep the egg-infested dish, but brough out the replacement one piping hot! in a flash. They're good.

They also are quick on refills, making sure everything is okay. I love that.

The only downside is the heavy accented-ness of the waiters (it's a family run restaurant)--kind of a downside because if you ask him/her what's in a dish, it's difficult to understand what s/he is saying. But the food all tastes delicious so who cares!

Price: The normal beef/chicken/veggie and noodle dishes are about $7-10, but I highly recommend their seafood, which is very good/good looking (i.e. shrimp, prawn, or crab!) which runs a little higher, around $13-15/dish.

Random tidbit, thrown in: There appears to be a heavy endorsement of Malaysia Airlines in this restaurant--banners/posters for Malaysian tourism everywhere! Kind of funny.



All in all: YES! a High-Fivin' good time. Please eat (t)here. I'll go with you. Because it's amazing.

We should still go to CHABA in Redondo Beach (the fancy Thai place I keep raving about) because it is simply scrumptious, but a little pricey. Mindy, it's waiting for you!

The end. I can sleep now because my hair is dry.

i could retire in san diego

and eat until my girth matches my height.

last weekend, ravi and i (with mickey in tow) had the delight of eating at four establishments on one sunday. we had krispy kreme for breakfast, noodles&co. for lunch, extraordinary desserts after that and china well for dinner.

KRISPY KREME

unfortunately, you cannot walk into a krispy kreme store and get a free sample of an original glazed anymore. as of january 3, 2006-- only 12 and under punks get this courtesy. when we got there, we each decided to get the 2 donut + 1 small coffee for $1.99. ravi and mickey got the flavor of the month: creamy caramel, so you'll have to ask them about it. as always, krispy kreme has a wide selection of overly sugarly donuts that disappear in nanoseconds. good, but a tad overrated. especially if you don't get free samples. grr.


ravi's original glazed.


blinded by the awesome sight of the krispy kreme.


the creamy caramel (note the oozing caramel)


i want free shit.

NOODLES & CO.

this restaurant is a kind of fast-food noodle place. we came here because some former chipotle executives moved to this company and ravi wanted to check it out. it has different types of noodles with weird american twists to them. mickey and ravi got the japanese pan noodles which were supposed to be udon noodles with ginger glaze on them, and i think that is probably the best thing on the menu. i got the penne rosa which was penne pasta with tomato cream sauce. it was a little too creamy for my taste, but was fairly filling. the food is not really worth the price (~$6) for the quality and the quantity that you get. you get filled with a large bowl, but you can't help but feel slightly stiffed. the food is also very heavy, which kind of makes you feel gross afterwards.


ravi's japanese pan noodles.


mickey's japanese pan noodles.


mmm penne rosa.

EXTRAORDINARY DESSERTS

i was excited about this place-- since ravi had been looking forward to checking it out and my staffer had been telling me how awesome the food is. basically, this place is pricey (for desserts) but their desserts are simply amazing. beautiful yet decadent. however, their hostesses and waitresses are not attentive (unless, i suspect, you are white/old/rich) and their chocolate cakes might be TOO chocolatey for those that are not as dessert-inclined. if you're ever down in SD, and have a hankerin' for something sweet (and someone else is paying), then i would recommend the torta misu (not as heavy as the other cakes, deeeelicious, and only $7 a slice!) oh yea, everything has flowers on it. classy.


creme brulee


some sort of chocolate cake


fruit tart.




napoleons.


rich people don't use packet sugar. they use crystallized brown sugar. duh.


expensive coffee.


kiwi lemonade. kind of gross.


my torta misu!


mickey's au chocolate


ravi's bette noire

CHINA WELL (San Clemente)

this is mickey's uncle&aunt's restaurant, and every time i go, they pile on the delicious foods. if you city search it (google: china well, san clemente) you'll see that many people in the area love the family style restaurant and the great food. this time they gave us chicken chow mein, beef and broccoli (for ravi), pork mushu and this special seven seas dish with seafood in it. yumyumyumyumyumyumyumyum.


we took the picture halfway through the meal because we forgot to take photos when the food first came.


sea food


chicken chow mein


beef and broccoli


quite a day!

Levels of Spicy=Mild to "Please let this death be swift"

There are plenty of trusty ramen stand bys on the Westside--Asahi Ramen and the other ramen place that's a block down from it that I can never remember. However, when in Little Tokyo, Ramen must be held up to a higher standard. I've tried the 4.00 bowl of Ramen in the Mitsuwa and found it relatively satisfactory and a good eat for a ginormous bowl of soup and noodles. But for those who desire more from their bowl of noodles, I suggest Orochon.

Orochon Ramen is located on the 3rd floor in Weller Court in Little Tokyo. It's the triangular shaped open air plaza on Astronaut E S Onizuka Street. The first time I went I thought these noodles couldn't possibly been have different from any other ramen place I went. Oh but I was wrong,not only can you choose between Miso, Salt or Soy Sauce flavored broth (Soy Sauce is the best) you can choose what level of spicy you want. From 7-2. 7 being "You're a titty baby" mild and 2 being "The heat is hitting the back of my throat and I want to vomit" spicy.

Since I'm obviously a titty baby I chose level 7. But Neil chose level 3 and ten minutes into the bowl he started to tear up and beads of sweat collected on the bridge of his nose. After calling him a pussy, I tried some of it.

This kind of spicy isn't the type of heat that you would get from biting into a hot pepper. The heat of the broth lies in the millions of tiny little ground cayenne peppers. You don't realize it until it hits the back of your throat and parches your tonsils until you cry for relief.

So in other words, I highly suggest it. The $6.45 ramen comes in a very large bowl with a few slices of tender pork and bamboo stir fry.

Orochon Ramen
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Inside the Weller Court there's also this great bookstore that sells lots of great Design and Japanese books.

Ramayani

Indonesian! WOW!

Atmosphere: Peaceful, homely (in a good way), quaint.

As you enter, there's barely a person in the restaurant. Granted, it was almost 10pm, but still. Hence it was quiet with a background buzz of some strange island music one the speakers. When I looked around, I realized that this restaurant was really just as much a home as it is an eatery. They've got photos of grandkids, little shrines, and what appears to be a regular apartment kitchen in the back. Cute, colorful, laid back.

Service: Initially undecided, Finally extremely satisfying.

The wait staff seems to consist of about 5 indonesian relatives milling about the back of the restaurant as described above. They finally seat us and the waitress (a kind faced old indonesian lady) seeming to have a tendency toward asians, speaks barely a word to Kyle and turns to me expecting that I order for the both of us. When the food comes out, I indicate that we were planning on sharing the food and the waitress proceeded to bring us 2 plates, another pair of chopsticks, another spoon, and another fork. Wow. And more than once, more than twice, we were checked up upon. In addition, if I ever needed anything, at least 2 of the 5 continued to linger around the "kitchen" area.

Food: Tasty exotic treats -- all of it.

Coconut curry noodles with shimp -- an every so slighty spicy delicate dish, with its coconut flavors really coming through.

Sampler plate (as I'll call it) -- Corn, peanut fritter, curry beef, green beans+tofu, rice topped with eggs strips and chili peppers, beef jerky+red pepper sauce, and more. It's a good way to go to begin understanding indonesian food, i suppose, but more importantly it really gets you to LIKE the food.

Lime soda -- lime juice, sparkling water, and vanilla syrup = deliciously sweet and refreshing.


I loved it. Close to all you westwood kids, I'd say it's worth the trip. And at about $10/person it's not a bad deal considering I left feeling light and refreshed, then ended up full and satified about 15 mins later.

Ramayani Westwood
1777 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024-5607
(310) 477-3315


Special notes: For all who were at Mindy's potluck and had my "black jook," they had that dish on the menu at Ramayani! I've never seen it anywhere else on a menu, not even in Malaysian restaurants. WOW! There's also a great cheap zagat rated lebanese place right next door.

Manna Korean BBQ

Please tell me if someone has already posted about this place... I don't think they have, so I'll continue.

Warning: this place received a C rating, which means Ravi will never enter the establishment. I, on the other hand, found it even more intriguing.

For $14.99, a person can eat as much Korean bbq as humanly possible. The marinated beef was delectable, the thinly sliced beef just right...

All the little dishes you get were yummy, including: jap chae (glass noodles), kimchi, this sweet dried seaweed thing, fish cake, spicy pickled daikon, and ambrosia. Oh, and they had some egg thingy that was delicious too.

There's a sweet tea to end off the gargantuous meal. Nice way to complete it.

Remember to wear clothes you don't mind smelling up a storm. It's definitely pungent for hours after your meal.

Overall--yummy and affordable for Korean bbq.

Manna
3377 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
323.733.8516

Two Ya's, One Day

Thus begins the continuation of the saga of the Blog of Jenn via We Know More Than Zagat.

This past Saturday, December 10th, I had the great fortune of experiencing two Ya's in one day. Though, I first must admit that I've been to both of these restaurants previously.


The first is Ramen Ya. What can be said about Ramen Ya. Now, I must first compare/contrast Ramen Ya to Asahi Ramen. I'd heard quite a bit about Asahi, that it was amazing, etc. But when I had ramen there, all my friends and I could really say about it was... it's really SALTY. I could feel the MSG burning into my stomach lining and even felt a bit dizzy, which has never happened before because of MSG. Anyway, I was very wary of going to another Ramen house in the vicinity of Asahi.

But since the first time I went to Ramen Ya (which I've learned basically means Ramen Shop in Japanese) I've had their Mabo Ramen + Spinach, Miso Ramen, Wakame Ramen, and Gyoza. Mabo is a wonderful chinese creation that can only be described as ground beef and tofu in Mabo sauce. It's a bit thicker than the usual ramen soup, but is spicy and yummy. Miso ramen is all that can be expected of miso ramen. Wakame Ramen is for the vegetarian in you. It has seaweed, carrots, bamboo shoots, waterchest nuts, and more. It's light and at the same time filling. Gyoza are delicate and flavorful. All have been great. Everyone I've taken there has left full, satified, and happy, and often with leftovers.

With their Ramen ranging from $6.25 - $7.75, it's a pretty cheap eat too! The main thing about Ramen Ya that seems to stand out to people is that their NOODLES are exceptional. It's not the broth or toppings or side orders, it's the NOODLES. So there you have it.



Next up is Honda Ya.


This is quite a far drive from LA, but I believe it's worth the trip. Honda Ya is basically a Japanese pub, where their serve up the Japanese equivalent to the Spanish tapas. It is always crowded, and for good reason.

I've had their Takoyaki (Octopus pancake like balls), Albacore Sashimi, Saitamo Azami? Ni (A broiled taro pot), Miso Eggplant, Bacon Asparagus, Rainbow Roll, Negiyaki (soft, chewy salty turnip cakes), and more that I can't remember. My favorite include Albacore sashimi, takoyaki, and miso eggplant. The sashimi comes with watercress sprouts, shaved daikon, garlic chips, sweet soy sauce, and is absolutely melt in your mouth divine. Takoyaki is a bit more rough, but the pancake like outside is soft and delicious, with the tiny surprise of octopus leg in the middle, and smothered in a delicious bbq sauce, with ginger and mayo on the side. Miso eggplant is a salty sweet treat, always served super hot off the grill, it also melts in your mouth life a sweet treat from your Japanese friend's mom.

A warning though, *DO NOT GO THERE FOR SUSHI* Though the sushi is indeed delicious, the reason for going to Honda Ya lies in their tiny plates, which can be found on the first pages of the menu and their secondary menu. Another warning is that this place adds up. If you're a heavy eater, a gourmand, not gourmet as they say in french, then Honda Ya is not your place. With their little plates ranging from $2.95 - $5.95, it can really add up, and you'll be spending at least $15/person for dinner. BUT SO WORTH IT AND the GAS AND WEAR & TEAR ON YOUR CAR. Another important note is that the Honda Ya is only open from 5pm -1am.


Ramen Ya
located on Olympic just west of Colby
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=W+Olympic+Blvd+%26+Colby+Ave,+Los+Angeles,+CA+90064&iwloc=A&hl=en

Honda Ya
556 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92780-4308

queen pig

first of all, i'm sad to say that i received ravi's message about the dessert outing after i ran into the lucky five that actually got to go. i damn my poor luck of having class and finding out too late, but i look forward to the post.

i did want to establish in this food blog that i officially declare myself the heavy-weight title of queen pig:
i ate at not one, not two, not three, but four westwood establishments for lunch today. it was all gut-sticking food and completely gratuitous, but i justify it by saying my generous boss likes to dabble in a variety of culinary treats (and paid). however, i was able to drive a gigantic vehicle in lunchtime traffic to four restaurants in under half an hour. a feat for someone who admittedly, can't really drive. i shall rank by fatty's:

chili's: we ordered a chicken ranch sandwich (my personal favorite) and the ground peppercorn burger. the chicken ranch sandwich this time was a bit smooshed, but they had a huge piece of chicken, which is a plus. the peppercorn burger is a tasty selection (but i couldn't eat it as i've given up hamburgers a year ago minus that relapse that we shall not speak of)- it sounds weird because it's supposed to have bleu cheese on it, but i don't think it does. both sandwiches are sans cheese- which is why i usually order them. the fries could've been a bit saltier, but overall- chili's is fattyfatty, but delicious.

ono hawaiian bbq: ok, before today i'd really only ordered ono once before per my roommate's roommate's indirect suggestion. i don't really like their food. in one word, it's too heavy. we ordered the ono family plate which consisted of white rice, macaroni salad, chicken katsu, bbq beef, teriyaki chicken and heart disease. i heard the macaroni salad was good (but it was just too mayonaissey for me). i had some chicken katsu which made me lethargic (as fried food tends to do) and chicken teriyaki (which was surprisingly tender). the bbq beef looked a bit sketchy and i don't really like franchised hawaiian restaurants' takes on korean bbq. overall- fattyfattyfatty and so-so.

california pizza chicken: my boss is a really picky eater and says she only eats those "crazy pizzas" on special occassions. personally, i think 24 dollars for two tiny pizzas is a bit outrageous (dominos 5-5-5 deal!). we ordered some goat cheese (sick) pizza and some chipotle chicken pizza. i didn't try the goat cheese one, but the chipotle one was very spicy. i don't really know how ravi would feel about this one. overall- fatty-lite and too pricey.

tomodachi: i think they overcharge at tomodachi because they're really the only place in westwood to get decent sushi (r.i.p. cowboy sushi, you weren't even a contender). since my boss is a bit picky, we ordered "fake" sushi: tempera salmon roll, tempera tuna roll and some other salmon roll. i ate much of this and the belly was quite filled and content. i wish we got the unagi (mmmmm unagi). overall- fatty-lite and just right.

we also had some noah's bagels for breakfast- i had the cinnamon bagel which was alright but cold. but why is it that no matter which noah's franchise you go to, EVERYONE IS ALWAYS A HUGE DICK? apologies if you work there, but you're probably a jerk.

my boss also made brownies and red velvet cake.
i'm leaving ucla a huge cow.
good thing i'm on a food blog.

cheers,
kathy