NOLA: The Beignet Hunt
on Dec 30, 2008 in cafe du monde beignet new orleans NOLA I stopped at almost every cafe on the streets of the French quarter featuring beignets, hunting for the best ones and encountering disappointments.In the end, the best beignets are that of the well-known commercialized brand. I guess there was a reas...

Getting My Ramen Fix at Santouka LA
on Dec 29, 2008 in shio ramen santouka miso ramen ramen los angeles tonkotsu The Santouka in Costa Mesa has garnered quite a bit of fame, but when the LA outpost opened I was still skeptical whether or not it will be quite as good. However, as the reviews come flooding in, it seems like the LA Santouka is pretty good after al...

Matsuhisa: Overpriced "Omakase"
on Dec 26, 2008 in omakase nobu sushi matsuhisa I suggested Matsuhisa to my friend Kat for a lunch get together once, because she wanted to go to a sushi place she had never been to before.I previously had a good experience at Matsuhisa when I ordered their upper-priced omakase, but alas, our expe...

SFO: Blue Bottle from the Non-Avid-Coffee-Drinker POV
on Dec 23, 2008 in hot chocolate blue bottle cafe coffee san francisco recchiuti mocha I don't really drink coffee.But I still wanted to know what all the rave surrounding Blue Bottle Coffee is all about, so since I had time to wait around for a friend after landing in SFO last time, I took the BART down to Blue Bottle.I had a hard tim

Kiriko: Fresh Sushi and More
on Dec 22, 2008 in sawtelle japanese kiriko kama hamachi collar sushi sunomono Someone suggested Kiriko on Sawtelle to us for great sushi. Actually, it was (one of) my hairdresser(s), who is Japanese and know a lot of places and Japanese chefs - including Totoraku!When we went Kiriko was fairly empty with only two other patrons...

Christmas Dinner?
on Dec 21, 2008 in gino angelini dinner christmas la terza provicende Eating out on Christmas? Where will you go?Providence restaurant is again hosting La Vigilia - The Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. The dinner costs $115 per person ($165 with wine pairing).Crudo di RicciolaAmber JackCapesante al Tartufo N...

Mondays after 10PM : Where to Eat?
on Dec 19, 2008 in XIV gjelina BCD tofu house westside list late night riva mondays after 10 24 hours los angeles loteria grill wakasan the bazaar Half of LA pretty much shuts down on Mondays, and the other half seems to shut down at 10 PM.Here are a list of the places I've found (so far) that are open past 10 pm on Mondays - on the westside (ish)1. The Bazaar465 S. La Cienega BoulevardBeverly.