Kings Road Cafe

Rarely do I go out to eat breakfast-- I'm very picky in this department (I like the waffles at Denny's, and I'm very particular about who makes my eggs and how they make it). So what happens when I set out to eat brunch at Kings Road Cafe? I eat lunch. But since (spoiler alert!) I enjoyed the meal, I'm happy with my choice.

Kings Road Cafe is a deceptively small restaurant-- half the building is actually devoted to a bakery that we never tried. There is plenty of outdoor seating (a fixture at most restaurants that line Beverly and 3rd), but you'll probably have to wait a while to get it; we opted to sit inside. The decor is nothing to brag about-- simple brown walls, wooden tables and chairs, etc. But the atmosphere was very chill, and for the most part, it is a very enjoyable place for a meal.

Jason and I ordered the Classic Caprese as an appetizer. It's a pretty simple dish: mozzerella, a slice of tomato, and some basil in the middle, with some olive oil drizzled on top.
This was a great start to the meal. Despite being an entire leaf, the flavor of the basil wasn't too overpowering, so you were able to really enjoy the mozzerella and the delicious tomatoes. Place it on top of the complimentary bread, and you have yourself a mighty fine appetizer.

For my entree, I was debating between the French Toast with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar, or the Ahi Tuna panini. I went with the ahi tuna, and wasn't disappointed.
The ahi tuna was grilled rare, which made me nervous at first (even moreso when I saw how pink the middle of the fish was). But once I took a bite out of that panini, which was sandwiched between two amazing slices of bread that were perfectly crisp and full of so much flavor themselves, I was a doubter no more. The tuna was well seasoned, moist, and worked well with the roma tomatoes, red onions, and the watercress. The side of red cabbage was a little too lemony for me (it was tossed with a lemon vinagrette), so I steered clear of that for the most part.

Aegean ordered the mozzerella, roma tomato, and basil omlette which she thoroughly enjoyed (I had a bite of it, and it was certainly pretty good; not too cheesy, which is a plus). Jason was pleased with his choice, the breakfast burrito, as was Angie, who ordered the garden vegetable omelette. {Sorry, but the pictures were too blurry to post.}

Like I said, we skipped out on dessert, which is supposed to be amazing, but I am not opposed to the concept of returning in the near future, to try the French Toast or any of the dessert options. Overall, I give Kings Road Cafe a solid B: it was pleasing to both the wallet (breakfast $7-11, paninis $8-10) and the palate.

Kings Road Cafe
8361 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, Ca. 90048

A Home-Cooked Meal

May 23rd is a wonderful day-- it's the day my mother was born. Normally, I try to buy her a gift (usually something useful), but this year, I drew a blank as to what she needed that I could afford, so I came up with a suitable alternative: dinner, cooked by yours truly. With the new Food Network Favorites cookbook I just purchased, I had the meal all planned out: for starters, grilled shrimp with a spicy mint dressing; the entree, roasted salmon on a bed of roasted plum tomatoes, with carmelized lemons; and a dessert that was scrapped because my dad bought a cake.

The shrimp is pretty simple: In a bowl, mix a cup of fresh mint leaves, two serrano chiles, some kosher salt and fresh black pepper, a little white wine vinegar, and some fish sauce (which I hope I will use again and again because I have a whole bottle of it). Blend this mixture then drizzle over the shrimp (which you have grilled for 1-2 minutes on each side) which is sitting in a bed of lettuce. Here's how it turned out:This was a pretty good starter. It was light, the shrimp was well cooked (naturally), and the sauce was pretty delicious, with the mixture of mint and a little kick from the chile.

The main course was even easier: Season salmon with salt and pepper to taste, then stick it in the oven for 15-20 minutes. As for the tomatoes, season to taste, drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil, then stick it in the oven for the same amount of time. To carmelize the lemons, simply sautee them for a bit with some EVOO in a skillet. And that's it!

I will be honest, the salmon was a little bland, but it was cooked perfectly, so it was the right amount of moist. The tomatoes were sweet and delicious, and the lemons were also surprisingly good (even while being overwhelmingly sour). Overall, it was a pretty good main course.

So what did my parents think? My dad was the complainer. He's not a fan of shrimp (which he mentioned ad nauseum), but I got him to eat at least two pieces, which is an accomplishment. He really enjoyed the main course, despite the fact that the portions were so small. "Who do you think we are, Americans? Is this some sort of snack? Is there more food coming out? You did all that work for this much food?" etc. etc. It was to be expected.

The most important opinion though was my mom's: she loved it, like only a mother could. Here she is post-salmon and pre-cake (when she sang happy birthday to herself):
Overall, I'd say it was a success: B+ (because I did all the work).

La Luna Ristorante

I was scared that my trip to La Luna Ristorante would end in bitter disappointment. I was afraid that experience just wouldn't live up to the hype and the price (for dinner: appetizers, $9-15, pastas, $10-17, entrees $25-30). But if people loved it so much that they were willing to put "Save La Luna Ristorante from Eviction" signs on their front lawn, I figured it would be a good place to check out. I was right.

Like most restaurants in Los Angeles, La Luna had a very upscale but laid back vibe. The restaurant was light on decor: bare walls, an open kitchen, and a cool (and dead) tree in the rear dining area. Families were interspersed among young couples out on a date. The room was loud but not obnoxious; everyone seemed to be having a good time. {Adding a little novelty to the whole affair, we spotted Patricia Heaton and Craig Ferguson dining separately.}

Our meal got off to a bad start. We were feeling adventurous, so we ordered the Carpaccio di Branzino and Salmone (I gave up trying to pronounce the name half way thru, and just pointed to it on the menu). The menu describes it as "thin layers of raw sea bass and salmon, with spinach and basil cream in EVOO and lemon." They weren't lying when they said thin layers. Once we figured out what was what (although the pile of rings in the middle is still unidentifiable), we had trouble scooping the fish up with a spoon. I also squirted everything with lemon, not realizing that the fish had apparently already been soaked in lemon. What was left was very lemony salmon with bland sea bass. There wasn't much flavor to the dish, leaving us wanting more.

Thankfully, our main course was superb. I ordered the Petto D' Anitra Agil Agrumi & Miele (carmelized breast of duck, sauteed with pearl onions and enoki mushrooms in honey, mango, and citrus sauce). The duck (top left) was amazing; it was tender, and thanks to the sauce, very sweet. The pearl onions were also very sweet, and were so well cooked, they almost melted in my mouth. Aegean ordered the linguini with fresh clams (top right), which she described as amazing ("I love the texture of the pasta" is the exact quote). Kathy ordered spinach and egg pasta with bolonese sauce (bottom right), which was "perfectly al dente." Mickey ordered a pizza (bottom left) with artichokes and mushrooms that he too seemed to enjoy (I enjoyed the crust-- thin and crisp).

We went all out and ordered dessert ($8 each). Aegean and I went for the tiramisu, Kathy and Mickey, the creme brulee. The tiramisu was probably one of the best I've had at a restaurant in L.A.-- it was soft and fluffy, the espresso was subtle and didn't overpower the other flavors, and as a nice little touch, there were chocolate flakes sprinkled on top. Mickey was a little disappointed with the creme brulee because he didn't get to crack the layer of sugar on top-- it was more like large, granulated sugar, not like what you'd expect for creme brulee. But the custard underneath was light, and even I enjoyed it (I'm not always a fan of custard).

Overall, I'd give La Luna a B/B+. At one point our service was a bit slow (I spent 5 minutes trying to call our waiter, who was apparently busy telling another table the history of the champagne they chose), but we were never rushed. It reminded me a bit of the service in Europe, and I welcomed that. I enthusiastically recommend La Luna, and hope that they do "Save La Luna."

La Luna Ristorante
113 N Larchmont Blvd,
Los Angeles 90004

La Bruschetta Ristorante

For years, I have driven past La Bruschetta dreaming about all the delectable food that could possibly wait inside-- it's named after my favorite appetizer, so it has to be good, right? Not so much.

La Bruschetta Ristorante is like an upscale neighborhood joint. We arrived at around 6:00, when the restaurant was empty, but we were assured by our waiter that the place usually starts filling up at 6:30. When people did start arriving, most seemed to be members of the AARP (it's not a place known for its atmosphere).

When I opened the menu, the first item I looked for was the bruschetta; it wasn't on the menu. But the wily owners behind the restaurant were one step ahead of us: the bruschetta is complimentary. With my fears assuaged, I eagerly dug into the the restaurant's namesake.

To say I was disappointed would be putting it mildly. In Italy, bruschetta (let's class it up and start pronouncing it with the "k") was the solution to the problem of dealing with day-old bread: grill it, toast it, do whatever to it, add tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil, and you've replaced once-stale bread with a tasty treat. The problem with the bruschetta at the restaurant was that the bread actually tasted stale. Adding insult to injury, the tomatoes had a bland taste, with little to no seasoning. This was certainly not a good way to start the meal.

As for the entrees (pasta priced between $12 and $20, "second piatti" priced between $20 and $30), I was again underwhelmed. I initially ordered the linguini al pesto e capesante... linguini with bay scallops, basil and white wine sauce. That's not what came to my table. I think I was just completely engulfed in my conversation with Stephanie that I didn't really pay attention to what I was eating. It wasn't until after I finished my plate that the waiter mentioned I was given the wrong order. Notice the absence of anything really green, like the basil sauce; I just assumed that I misread the menu (there were lots of italian words, and the lines were close together, I got confused). I was served linguini (I think) with fresh crab meat and zucchini. The crab was rather bland and practically non-existent. In fact, the flavor of the pasta (which probably needed another minute or two to be al dente) and the olive oil seemed to overwhelm what little flavor the crab meat may have had.

I was hoping our meal was going to get comp'd because of the chef's mistake, but instead, they gave us free dessert-- tiramisu.

The tiramisu was slightly above average, but not memorable. It was a little too creamy for me, and the espresso was by far the dominant flavor (in a bad way). The raspberry "sauce" complemented the tiramisu well, but the lemon "sauce" did nothing for me.

I must admit, the service was pretty good. Our waiter was very friendly and very knowledgeable about the food, although I did feel a little uncomfortable staying around well after our meal was over, but that's customary of nearly all restaurants in the U.S.

I was going back and forth with this, but I'll wuss out and give it a C-/C.

La Bruschetta Ristorante
1621 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, Ca. 90024

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

Newsroom Cafe

I have finally completed the triumvirate of the most accessible celeb hotspot eateries in West Hollywood. First there was the Ivy, then Urth Caffe, and now, Newsroom Cafe (Mr. Chow and Koi are a little more exclusive, and also a hecka lot more expensive). This was probably the most disappointing of the three, and it wasn't just because I didn't see any celebrities (I did see some paparazzi taking pictures of someone, but I didn't recognize who it was, and since it was only two people, I figured I wasn't supposed to care).

I went pretty late in the day/early in the evening, so in terms of atmosphere, there wasn't much of it. Although, to be fair, the layout is pretty nice, with ample seating inside and outside. There are also entertaining posters inside the bathroom. And if you're dining alone, there is plenty of reading material (there's a newstand inside... Newsroom Cafe... get it?).

Onto the food... It's hard for me to go to any restaurant and not order bruschetta. It's a simple appetizer, but it's still quite different (and often pretty tasty) everywhere I go. So there was no way I would turn down the opportunity to try the Tuscan Bruschetta, which had all the bruschetta prereq's, along with kalamata olives. I was pretty underwhelmed by what they gave us. The bread was slightly toasted, but relatively bland (I'm not sure what kind it was). The tomatoes were nothing spectacular, and the olives seemed out of place. There were very few olives, and their flavor was overwhelmed by everything else.

As for a main course, I ordered the Fresh Ahi with Fusili (with a sun-dried tomato marinara). I was expecting the ahi to be scattered in smaller pieces throughout the pasta... that wasn't the case (it was on the side). I was also expecting the pasta sauce to be a little lighter... that wasn't the case either (it was very thick). Though the fish was well cooked (perfectly grilled, and for the most part, relatively juicy), the taste wasn't memorable. It seemed a bit bland without any sauce alongside it. The pasta was also rather mediocre; I enjoyed the sun-dried tomatoes, but overall, it seemed like an average dish that I could make at home.

There should be an asterisk beside this review because I was starting to get sick (I was starting to get a stuffy nose and a fever), but I wasn't at the point where I couldn't differentiate various flavors. So I can't ignore my thoughts entirely.

The food was average (esp. considering the price), but I'd certainly give Newsroom another shot (maybe with Aegean so I can see another celebrity), because there were a few other menu items that I was interested in (and I also think that you can't make a decision on a restaurant in one sitting unless it is truly horrible). An average meal gets an average grade: C+/B-.

Newsroom Cafe
120 N Robertson Blvd,
Los Angeles 90048

The Ivy

urth cafeI can't believe I didn't post about the Ivy, THE celeb dining spot in Los Angeles. I'll do a "quick" post here, because I'm bored right now.

The restaurant is obviously very nice. The inside is reminiscent of a French cottage (I think I read that somewhere), and feels very much like a house... a small house (it's very cramped inside). But of course, the patio is where it's at. It was a beautiful day, so the patio was the perfect place to sit. The one down side is that some of the tables are large, so I felt far from my dining companions. The tables are also close together, so if your neighbors aren't having a stimulating conversation, they definitely listen in on yours (and they stare too)... this happened to us on both sides. I had the primo spot facing the street, which meant that I got to see who came and who left the restaurant (as well as who was walking down the street). It was from that spot that I saw Christ Kattan.

Considering the fact that I heard that the food at the Ivy sucks, I was pleasantly surprised by how good everything was (this might have been due to lowered expectations). We ordered the Fried Calamari as an appetizer. It was pretty good, but nothing special about it. They also served us scones, which were amazing. They were warm, soft, and had some sort of berry in them (I figured raspberries).

I ordered the Fish n' Chips as my main course. This isn't your ordinary fish and chips. Not only did I get fish (cod, naturally), I also got calamari, scallops, shrimp, and onion rings! Plus there were fries too! On top of that, the plate was huge, meaning lots of fried foods, and lots of plaque in my arteries later on in life. Everything tasted great; the seafood was well cooked and seasoned (especially the shrimp!), the french fries were thin and crisp (just like how I like them), and the onion rings were large and onion-y (perfect).

I can't remember what Aegean ordered, but I know Selina ordered a pasta and she said it was "alright"-- pasta is not one of the Ivy's strengths. Since both are alkies, they also ordered spirits before noon-- Aegean got a mojito-type drink, which was strong but tasted really good (very mint-y), and Selina ordered the worst drink in the world, a bloody mary. It tasted like V-8. It was disgusting.

We also ordered a pecan bar for desert, with some sort of homemade ice cream. Both were amazing.

All in all, it's expensive yes, but if you want to be cool, the Ivy is the place to go. B.

The Ivy
113 N. Robertson Blvd.
Los Angeles, Ca. 90048

Urth Caffe

I'd heard that Urth Caffe was one of the hot spots on the Westside for lunch (with many star sightings on Defamer as proof of its hipness), but I was skeptical that the food would live up to the hype of the atmosphere. I'm no longer skeptical.

With mostly outside seating on Melrose (right after the Pacific Design Center, so the street is smaller and not obnoxiously noisy), Urth had a really good atmosphere that was enjoyable for people watching (including a celebrity sighting!... more on that later). Don't bother sitting inside, because it's too stuffy. We have great LA weather, you might as well enjoy.

On to the food... I ordered the Panini Caprese, a grilled sandwich, with mozerella, tomatoes, roasted peppers, basil, pesto, and an olive spread.
After the vinagrette fiasco at Joan's on Third, I was understandably hesitant about ordering something with pesto and a "spread," but my fears proved to be unfounded. There was just the right amount of pesto and olive spread, so it didn't dominate the flavors of the panini, which is a good thing, because the sandwich was flavorful. There wasn't too much cheese (a big plus for me), the tomatoes and basil were tasty, the roasted peppers were actually kind of sweet, and the bread was grilled to perfection (crisp on the outside, soft in the middle). The one downside of the meal was the bland salad. The mixed greens were bitter, the dressing practically non-existent, and there were no candied pecans like the menu said. Aegean went with the Panini Prosciutto (parma prosciutto, italian cheese, sundried tomatoes, basil, and housemade olive spread), and loved her meal too, but also complained about the lackluster salad.

Urth Caffe is also famous for its organic desserts (and if you don't have tastebuds, they do have vegan cakes as well), and they certainly don't disappoint in that department. We went with the Chocolate Blackout Pound Cake. For $5, we somehow ended up with three slices.
The cake was moist and not too rich, and was overall very satisfying.

A meal at an L.A. hotspot wouldn't be complete without the aforementioned celeb sighting. And it was a good one (at least IMHO): Sarah Chalke from Scrubs (who is more beautiful in person, even without a lot of makeup).

With a down to Urth food staff (get it Ravi?!), solid menu, tasty dessert, and celeb sighting, Urth Caffe gets an A- (Sarah Chalke bumps up the grade from a B+).

Urth Caffe (Menu)
8565 Melrose Ave.
West Hollywood, Ca 90069

The Future?

The New York Times has an interesting article about the proliferation of food blogs and the surprising amount of power these blogs wield. Although the article is New York-centric, it's still worth reading.

It also got me looking at some of the food blogs mentioned in the article. The only one that really caught my eye was The Amateur Gourmet, because it seemed to go about the whole food blogging with a sense of humor (plus I wanted to check out the "best food blog post of 2006"... it was pretty entertaining).

And then, while on that blog, I came across his 1000th post, which gave a nice (albeit long) summary of what it takes to have a food blog. It was interesting (I definitely had dreams of GoogleAds dancing in my head), and I figured I should just pass it on, because it does have good tips about maintaining a food blog, even if it is just for friends.

Joan's on Third

I hate creamy sauces. I just do. But this isn't some sort indiscriminate kind of loathing-- I hate the texture, the look, and based on all the cream sauces I've tried, I hate the taste too.

So to find out that Joan's Vinaigrette is more of a creamy sauce is disappointing. It was even more disappointing finding this out after my food arrived. I ordered the Tarragon Chicken Sandwich (baby greens, tomatoes, chicken, and the vinaigrette). I could definitely taste the tarragon (which was good), and the bread was great, but the sauce? Yea... not so much. The whole meal looked to be a disappointment (in spite of the great company), but then, we discovered a little thing called dessert. And Joan's on Third knows how to do dessert.

We decided to mix it up and order three different desserts (one chocolate dessert, one fruit dessert, and one "outlier"). I went with the rustic apple pie. Once I saw it, I fell in love. It had a thick, crispy crust that enveloped the apples in the center. I looked amazing. But when I asked to get it warmed up, the workers accidentally burned it. In spite of that, the pie still tasted amazing. The apples were warm and a little sweet (maybe a little tart?), there was a perfect amount of cinammon, and the crust was perfect (when not burned).

Aegean ordered some sort of fruit tart. It had an assortment of berries, and was delicious-- just the perfect combo of sweet and tart (word of the day?). Elained ordered the old-fashioned chocolate cake. The chocolate icing was so rich and the cake was moist and perfect.

The staff there is amazing. To make up for the burnt pie, they let me get whatever dessert I wanted, then proceeded to pile on more. I picked up the Clouds cupcake, a chocolate cookie, and something I believe was called "Chocolate dream" (it basically looked like a brownie bite. The Cloud was a chocolate cupcake topped with merengue in an our chocolate shell. The merengue was so airy... like a cloud (get it?!), and the cupcake was very good (also moist!). The cookie was more like a brownie in the form of a cookie, but it was perfect in every way. The chocolate dream, however, wasn't very dreamy. The chocolate was too bitter, and the whole thing was dry. It was a let down. But it was all freeeee!

I'll give Joan's on Third a second chance in the lunch department (both Aegean and Elaine were satisfied with what they ordered, so I can't be too quick to judge). But I'll definitely go for dessert.

{Grainy cell phone pics shortly?}

Joan's on Third (Warning! Website has annoying music! Can't turn off!)
8350 West Third Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Quick show of "hands": who thinks my posts here are too long?

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)

The Good...

I went up to San Francisco this weekend, and filled myself up with some amazing food (including delicious homemade pancakes care of Jason and Kayvan). But this is blog is all about restaurants, so let's do it to it...

The first was Indian Oven, in the Lower Haight district. This non-descript restaurant had quite the wait outside (nearly 30 minutes), but was well worth it. The restaurant had a very homey feel to it. It was very intimate, the perfect place for a nice, relaxing dinner with friends.

This being a special occasion (no idea why though), we decided to go all out, ordering wine and an appetizer. While going to the restroom, I noticed an amazing appetizer dish ("assorted appetizers") on another patron's table, so we ordered it ourselves. It consisted of a samosa, vegetable pakora (spinach, onion, and potato dipped in a chick pea batter), and papadum (a sun-dried lentil wafer). The samosa was rather tasty, with just the right amount of kick to it that was a great complement to the amazingly sweet mango chutney. The pakora tasted like onion rings for the most part-- it was hard to really tell what you were eating-- but was satiating nonetheless. The papadum was a bit plain, until you added the mango chutney, becoming an outstanding combo.

I went with the dal (assorted lentils delicately spiced with sauteed ginger and garlic) for my main course (it was more than enough with the rice and garlic naan). I'm used to eating Ethiopian food, so I was very familiar with the dal (which is almost identical to some Ethiopian lentil dishes). The dal had a subtle (re: plain) taste, but was meant to be eaten with the naan (which was perfectly garlicky). Together, I couldn't get enough of them. The rice was flavorful by itself, needing nothing to kick it up a notch. Like I said, I ordered wine, a Riesling, Yalumba "Y" series (a white wine), that was sweet, with a slight apple taste to it, which went well with the mildly spicy dal.

I didn't try much else, because I had enough to deal with myself (waaaay to much dal), but it was definitely a satisfying meal. My fellow diners were also satisfied. And the fact that there were a few Indians enjoying the restaurant as well made me think that it was pretty authentic Indian food.

Indian Oven proved to be a great find in the city.

Indian Oven
233 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94117


I also had the opportunity to go to the greatest food court in the world... found in a mall (because that's usually where food courts are). The mall (the Westfield San Francisco Centre), only a couple blocks from Union Square, is your typical high-end fashion mall (much like the Beverly Center here). Except, the luxury of the Beverly Center stops just before the food court. At the San Francisco Centre, the food court is an extension of the kind of luxury you can find at the nearby Bloomingdales (i.e. no Fat Burger, Sbarro, or McDonald's, de rigueur at most mall food courts). Food is served on white plates (similar to the presentation plates ubiquitous on the Food Network), alongside silverware. Soda can be served in a glass, and most restaurants (?) offer beer and wine.

After debating between Japanese food (the tempura platter was rather enticing), Korean food (the smell of Korean BBQ was tempting), and a steakhouse, I went with the steakhouse, the Buckhorn Grill, because I saw three people with Roadhouse Onions-- I'm a sucker for high end (-ish) onion rings.

I went with the Little Buck Sandwich (the perfect size), the side of Roadhouse Onions, and a soda. The meat was amazing-- it was so flavorful, juicy, and rather tender. I couldn't get enough of the carmelized onions either. For a rather simple sandwich (just tri-tip and onions on a french roll), it was bursting with flavor. It was the perfect choice. The Roadhouse Onions were what I expected-- fried deliciousness (is that a word? because it is now). With a little ketchup, it was a great side dish. Not nearly as oily as most onion rings, it didn't seem too unhealthy (although they give you so much, it still probably is). Getting all this, in a food court, at a mall, for only $8?! That's pretty insane.

...Apparently the redesigned Century City Mall has a similar food court (with a few of the same choices). It may be worth a gander.

Westfield San Francisco Centre
865 Market St.
San Francisco CA 94103

...and the Bad

I came back to LA, and ate at another great restaurant, the Beachcomber Cafe in Crystal Cove/Laguna Beach-- it's right on the water, creating a beautiful environment. And they had the most amazing seared ahi tuna, and the juiciest, softest, salmon I've ever had (both delicious even without the savory Asian dressing). They have great service, and even give you blankets so you can stay warm while you eat. It's hidden from PCH, creating a welcomed sense of (tropical) isolation from the city. So the week to this point (Friday), had been pretty delicious. Then came La Dijonaise Cafe. Oh how I loathe thee...

First, a little bit about the menu. This is a moderately priced restaurant (the most expensive entree is $16-- this isn't even Cheesecake Factory expensive). It's also a relatively laid back environment (trendy yuppies mixing it up with the untrendy elderly, etc. etc.). And yet, the menu items are all in French (with English descriptions). What type of bourgeois/snobbish/pretentious kind of place is this?! Either jack up the prices and go all out with the pretentiousness or, give it up. You can't have it both ways! (The restaurant didn't even feel French!)

And now the food: It would probably be better if we didn't talk about it. I ordered the shrimp scampi, which was served with a lemon and garlic sauce. I went with french fries and vegetables, because I didn't want rice. The food came out, and I was already disappointed. There were five pieces of shrimp. And while I was expecting some sort of creamy sauce, I got watery sauce instead. The shrimp was satisfactory, nothing special, nothing I couldn't make at home (although I guess it wasn't necessarily an inventive/risky choice... but nothing else on the menu really jumped out at me). The vegetables (green beans and carrots) were bland... even with salt and pepper. The french fries were the one bright spot. But the "sauce" from the shrimp drenched most of the fries, leaving them soggy (the few that survived unscathed were crisp and delicious). I could only eat the fries with ketchup (to mask the sogginess-- don't try to rationalize this) and a fork (probably the first time I've ever eaten fries with a fork). The fact that this was all $14 made it even more of a disappointment.

I also ordered dessert, a chocolate brownie, for a reasonable $1.50. It was a horrible dessert. You'd think it would be pretty hard to mess up a simple chocolate brownie, but not for them. It was moist, but lacked any real chocolate flavor. It was as if no real chocolate had been added, but instead, the brownie was sprayed with chocolate mist, giving the slightest hint of chocolate with nothing really there to back it up. There was no bittersweet chocolate taste I've come to know and love. It did taste like something familiar, but I still don't know what it was (it's not something "good-familiar" either). A major let-down.

Oh, and the fact that cleaning a table involved sweeping the crumbs off the table and onto the floor, was irritating too. There were pieces of lettuce underneath several tables. That's just wrong.

...I'm pretty sure "dijonaise" is French for "disappointment." ... It's not? Well who cares what the surrender-happy French say. I'm an American. If I want to change the translation of one of their words, then I have every right to. They still owe us for all those World Wars.

{I won't even tell you where this place is.}

Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken

{Ok, I'm new to this, and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, and I ate at this place weeks ago, but I'm gonna post anyways, because that's how I roll...}

Situated in the heart of downtown Culver City, just minutes away from the douche bags at Sony, and surrounded by trendy restaurants and bars (and a Cold Stone) sits Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken. The place is first and foremost a fast food restaurant, so don't expect much in terms of atmosphere. This isn't one of those hoity-toity, uber-trendy Westside restaurants (although it does have cool plasma TVs showing sports/the news).

It's pretty simple, you order at the counter then wait for your food. The wait to get your food is manageable (although it seemed like days until I got my food, probably because I was starving, and had a hankerin' for fried chicken). I ordered a 2 piece lunch meal, which comes with a side of fries and a biscuit (I avoided the side of pickles). So far, it's your typical fried chicken fast food joint, like KFC or Louisiana's Fried Chicken. But the similarities end there.

The fried chicken is amazing. The skin is just the right kind of crispy (with that slight aftertaste of "Oh God, this is definitely not healthy"), and if I remember correctly, a little sweet too. By far, the skin was much better than anything you could get at KFC or LFC. The meat (I ordered chicken breast, but you can also get two legs, or two thighs, etc.) was tender and juicy. The biscuit, although a little salty, was also very tasty (slightly crispy on the outside, nice and soft on the inside). The fries (I think you'd call them steak fries) were pretty good too. I also ordered a lemonade, which was just the right combo of sour and sweet (a little more of the former over the latter, just how I like it).

For those of you who don't like fried chicken (?!), they have a pretty extensive menu, and have pretty appetizing desserts, although after all that food (plus the lemonade), I definitely didn't have room for dessert.

Good eating overall. I was happy.

- Surf

Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken
9537 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, Ca. 90232
{There's also a location in Compton, just minutes from my house, if you wanna come visit me}