sushi gen, lunch.

lunch in little tokyo.

i finally had sushi gen’s $15 sushi lunch special.

my gf was awesome, and got there 45 minutes before they opened on a tuesday to wait in line.. thats dedication to food!

so much goodness.

xx

 

 

pine & crane.

taiwanese eats in silverlake.

a dear friend of mine has recently been consulting at this new restaurant nearby, and we couldn’t be happier! for b and i, this is comfort food. we were invited to a tasting before the soft opening, and here are some of the photos.

you order at the counter, get a #, and grab a seat. theres a long communal table, and a row of doubles that can be pushed together. it already gets crowded.. i was there early once, before doors opened for lunch, and i was shocked to see that  line had formed in front of me while i took a call in my car.

there are a variety of cold small dishes in the front display case. i always order the seaweed, pigs ear, and my favorite- the peanuts! before i continue, to address pricing; for ex, three cold appetizers for $7.50, which for taiwanese food seems a little expensive, but remember you’re in silverlake. take a look around. this isn’t your normal hole in the wall sgv chinese restaurant setting. you’re also getting quality ingredients, sourced from their own farm in bakersfield, and dining in a well designed, comfortable setting- with great service. try getting that at sgv. i know  we’d gladly pay a few extra dollars and eat closer to home.

continuing on..  heres a shot of the seaweed and shredded potato salad appetizers from the tasting.

taiwanese sausage with garlic.

one of my fave items: the beef roll. i’ve loved this since i was a child. pine & crane’s version is not greasy, and full of beef and scallions. lOve it.

three cup jidori chicken. basil, garlic, yum.

zha jiang noodles. chewy noodles, slightly sweet sauce.

minced pork rice. YUM. this picture is of the tasting sized portion, if you order it it comes in a bigger bowl. with the classic seven spices, and delicious pork fat, which makes the dish what it is. another one of my childhood faves.

pea sprout veggies. fresh, light.. because we shouldn’t eat carbs all day- which is what usually happens when i eat taiwanese food.

b’s fave. beef noodle soup. their version is lighter, not spicy, and does NOT have a layer of fat/oil floating on top. i approve.

loose leaf tea service. this was the high mountain dayuling.

and for my sweet tooth, i usually get a jasmine green milk tea (not pictured), and my gf told us that they may be adding some sweets onto the menu soon.

sO glad there’s some asian food that i actually like nearby now. you guys know i usually avoid chinese/taiwanese food.. especially greasy, or seafood banquets.. ugh. but, pine and crane is everything that i actually like to eat.

cheers! congrats on the soft opening!

xx

 

http://www.pineandcrane.com/

 

republique.

early  dinner at republique.

this rustic space, used to be charlie chaplin’s production studio.

started with the “chips and dip.” was pleasantly surprised by this appetizer, it was a smoked salmon + yoghurt “dip”, served with deep fried pork rind “chips.” sO delicious. and fun.

another pic of the “dip”

b ordered a soup, which was poured at the table. i forget what it was, but it was from the seasonal/specials menu.

roasted cauliflower. simple, but done up with curried lentils and dates. great mix of flavors, sweet to tart to smoky. one of my favorite dishes of the night.

braised beef short rib with polenta. red wine sauce.

meyer lemon tart. my favorite, i love sour desserts.

overall, we ordered classics, but republique’s take on these dishes were refreshing and quite unexpected. we definitely enjoyed our dinner. the pastry counter had some delicious looking scones and croissants.. will def be back for brunch/coffee.

yuM.

xx

 

http://republiquela.com/

 

 

Bestia.

dinner at Bestia in dtla.

i’ve been wanting to try this place for a while, as i have always enjoyed dining at angelini osteria, and it did not disappoint.

beef carpaccio. fresh, cold and seasoned lightly with sea salt, pepper and peppers.

beet and arugula salad. did not think the creamy dressing best complemented this salad, but the ingredients were fresh.

Fusilli al Ragu di Angello, pistachio pasta with lamb ragout. great pasta texture.

squid ink risotto with seafood. this pasta was good, a bit lighter in flavors than i expected.

we also had the Cavatelli alla Norcina, with  pork sausage + black truffles, which i really enjoyed, but i didn’t get a pic of it.

onto dessert. “coffee and donuts.” coffee gelato, cinnamon sugar dusted donuts.

valrhona chocolate and sea salt caramel budino tart. sOo good. my fave dish of the night.

overall quite good, but for me, the savory dishes lacked depth in flavor and a “wow” factor.

will def return to try the pizza and revisit that chocolate budino tart. yUm.

xx

http://www.bestiala.com

maruhide UNI CLUB

as you know.. i LOVE uni. i have a prOblem..

well.. this place in torrance feeds my addiction. maruhide produces santa barbara uni products, supplies uni, and are based out of long beach. their UNI CLUB restaurant, serves up an amazing sampling of their product. i would say that over 90% of the menu is uni.. so b can’t eat here with me. but i have nO problem coming alone to enjoy.

uni bowl with uni, salmon, tuna, ikura, sea cucumber, marinated uni, squid. the amount of rice is just right in proportion to the fish, and the wasabi is freshly grated.

uni bowl, with uni, salmon, ikura and uni tamago. lOve everything in this bowl!

uni cream croquette. i die.. everything is well proportioned, executed and presented. the sashimi is, of course, very fresh. pricing is fair. i would eat here all the time if it wasn’t for fear of high cholesterol.

 

 

lOve.

 

http://www.maruhide.us/?lang=en

 

xx

Manhattan Beach Post

dinner at manhattan beach post.

after all the recommendations to try this place we finally made it. the biscuits brought me in, and the desserts will keep me coming back.  the menu changes constantly, and there are always special savories and desserts to try.

decor + theme. simple + well thought out.

the cheddar bacOn biscuits with maple butter. perfection. sOo good. flaky, buttery, served hot. a must order.

pork belly + kimchi. it was well cooked, a little on the sweet in flavoring. as a general rule, i don’t love asian “fusion” flavors for savory dishes, so i’ll prob stay away from these kinds of dishes in the future. but when we see pork belly.. we usually will order.

green beans, also with an asian fusion twist. a bit on the salty side.

mac n’cheese. now THATS what i’m talkin’ bout. crumbs atop, creamy inside.

dessert. a chai sundae of sorts.. i forget exactly what, but it was the special of the day. it was a soft serve, and melted quite fast.

thai tea panna cotta. delicious.

i’ve since returned, and enjoyed their grilled squid, brussel sprouts and fish of the day.

http://eatmbpost.com/

xx

sushi nozomi.

sushi nozomi, gardena.

i’m always looking for fresh, easy, sushi bars nearby home. this recent find was def one to keep on the list.

while the cooked food and bowls etc, were just ok.. the sushi and sashimi were excellent.

after dining at a table, and ordering from the cooked food menu, along with the sushi bar.. i’d recommend dining from the sushi bar only. i tried their “uni and ikura bowl” from the menu, but the uni was not up to my standards.. runny and mushy. sad.

pics of nozomi sushi.  THIS is what i’d go back for.

xx

1757 W Carson St  Torrance, CA 90501 (310) 320-5511

sawa sushi

sawa sushi in sunnyvale.

the sushi was amazing. but if you research online, sawa gets very mixed reviews for service. its lOve, or hate.

its better to know how sawa works, and read up on this place before you come.. or else suffer the wrath of the chefs attitude and rejection. in my opinion, he does not warm up to strangers easily. i feel that he appreciates those who pay attention and enjoy the fish, and is not afraid to berate picky diners , or those who have no idea what kind of establishment they have walked into.

located at a strip mall in sunnyvale, chef steve prepares fresh omakase sushi, and clearly caters to regulars. being a first timer, we were lucky that our fellow diners knew some regulars that also happened to be there.. i can say that when i first walked in, i got a weird look from steve and his wife..  a sort of ” do i know you?” i can see how some first timers negative reviews on “service” are not unfounded.. but, lucky for us, we got excellent service, with a bit of steves cold yet funny ‘tude.

i guess there are a few unspoken rules.

make reservations. then double confirm them.

don’t expect to order.

expect to pay about $125 and up for your meal.

no hot tea.

if you can deal with that, then the experience is excellent. i truly enjoyed it.. the pictures speak for themselves.

UNI atop toro, was tO die for. the fruity sauce on the side seemed to be based of asian pear, and was a bit spicy. at this point i gave my compliments to the chef- great fish takes long practiced skill to find.

scallop, fresh and sweet. simple light ponzu complements the natural flavor.

this- ok. so. i made the “mistake” of asking if there was ankimo- (i mean, the uni was so good, that i wondered how the ankimo would be here,) and got a weird look and a “eh!!huffpuff” sound from the chef.. eek. i was worried that i had offended. but, he came back a few minutes later, and in a conspiring tone, let me know that he indeed did have a bit, that he was preparing for tomorrows vip guest.. and he was willing to share since i asked!  it was amazing as well. creamy…

hamachi kama. baked to melty fatty perfection.

a complimentary treat for us, some side cuts of a super grade toro that another baller table had pre-requested.

salmon + ikura with a creamy sauce. one of my favorite dishes of the night.

if you love and appreciate sushi, go to sawa.. but try to go with someone thats dined here before and understands how it works. i will def be visiting again.

xx

http://sawasushi.net/

muracci’s japanese curry.

muracci’s in los altos.

best hamburger steak curry ever. you need to call in and order it ahead, as it takes about half an hour to prepare. muracci’s is usually packed, with a waiting line.. so either come earlier or later than the lunch/dinner rushes, or call in with a reservation.

that said.. here it is.

hamburger curry. the meal is served with a small salad, and comes with either white or brown rice.

the pickled veggies. i LOVE the red radish.. so i order and pay for an extra large side portion of it, as its an integral part of my meal.

closer shot of the hamburger steak.. perfection.

 

be warned that their curry is on the spicier side.. so their mild, for me, is already hot enough.

 

xx

http://www.muraccis.com/indexLosAltos.html

superba snack bar.

brunch at superba snack bar in venice beach.  cute open space near the beach, with great small plates and fresh cuisine. the menu changes slightly from time to time, so you can try whats new and fresh on different visits.

starter of  grilled watermelon, burrata and a bread crouton salad.

braised lamb meatballs with harissa. with fingerling potatoes + topped with a sunny side up.

heirloom tomato, croutons, sunny side up, pesto. like a deconstructed breakfast bruschetta.

this is a “side order of bacon”. impressive. braised pork belly.. sO good.

this is the sea urchin pasta. creamy and fragrant, not too heavy on the cream.

will def visit again when i’m in the neighborhood.

xx

http://superbasnackbar.com/