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

Eat Well

I suppose I should count myself among the fortunate. Part of the reason I don't write about every place I eat in this blog (though I will try my best to catch up) is that all good food now seems to taste the same-- delicious, but of the same (high) quality. It makes for happy tastebuds and a boring review.

We're talking about the Graces, the Wilshires, the Violets, the Fords Filling Stations, and Fogos of the world. The freshest ingredients wrapped up in an enchanting ambience.

And then you have places like Eat Well. There are 3 Eat Wells scattered throughout the greater LA area, and I knew I had to try it when LA.com said that it's "rare a true Angeleno foodie hasn't stopped by an Eat Well at least once." Well, ok, maybe that's not the exact quote, and I shouldn't have put it in quotation marks, but I'm no journalist.

Whatever. They said I had to go, and being a follower, I went. And boy was I disappointed. The service was rushed, despite the fact that there were only two other tables occupied in the restaurant (which should've been my first clue). And while I appreciate the open kitchen, the food that came out of it was bland.

My vote: in the $5-10 price range, it's more expensive but less tasty than Chipotle. Stay away, unless you're in the neighborhood and crave diner food (in which case you probably don't belong in West LA).

Ravi

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