Shemuellio

I attended a dinner sponsored by Menuism.com that allowed a tasting of 13 dishes. How great, right?

When I entered Phong Dinh, the first thing that struck me was that while the place was pretty full, there were more Caucasian than Asian diners. It’s kind of a red flag for me that I learned as a kid that if you want great Asian food, you have to eat where the Asians are eating.

I am not an expert on Vietnamese food, although at the few restaurants I’ve been to, the food was much lighter. Phong Dinh employs more Chinese cooking techniques and so the food tastes like Chinese food.

And while this restaurant has garnered the nick name “The Zoo” for all the exotic meats they serve, there are only a few dishes that I ate that I’d order again: the Whole Catfish and the curried boar and chicken. Mainly because everything that is stir-fried, while flavorful, was extremely greasy and overpowered by the taste of burnt oil. Some of my dinner companions enjoyed that flavor and you may too, but it did not seem intentional.

Another issue was the order in which the items were served. With 12 dishes of varying depths of flavors and heat, they would be best served to build flavors on the palate. There did not appear to be any strategy to the order of service as the gamey snake roll was served right after the delicate catfish, and might have been more enjoyable if served after a curry. And serving a simple chicken curry at the end of the meal, while delicious, was certainly anti-climactic.

The staff is very friendly and attentive and they even gave us gifts when leaving (pens). And there’s plenty of parking in back. So if you stay away from the stir-fried dishes (unless you like the smokey flavor) you’re sure to have a perfect meal.

On the recommendation of internet reviews, a friend and I checked out Luckyfish for lunch. The atmosphere gets 5 stars for its innovative modern design and revolving conveyor belt. The kinetic energy of delicious food moving around the restaurant fills me with a child-like excitement.

But I give only 3 stars for the food and 2 stars for the price, as lunch for the two of us cost $100 with tax and tip, but no alcohol. It was an unplanned luxurious afternoon that I would have preferred to spend at one of Luckyfish’s sister restaurants like Sushi Roku.

The best of the belt is the Tuna Sashimi with Crispy Potatoes. Everything else that day while fresh, was not a stand out.

Luckyfish has tastier offerings on the menu. Of the items to order, Wasabi Toro is the one to bring me back. The Baked Crab Roll was warm and buttery but so what? The Shrimp tempura was light and flaky, and who’s isn’t?

Bring a magnifying glass to read the menu selections. It’s very clever with all pictures, but they are so tiny you can’t see them.

So I give an overall 3-Star rating. It’s certainly a novel dining experience but while the food is good, you would never say it’s the best sushi you ever had or would even hurry back unless you work in the neighborhood.

The rating is also for having an Hispanic sushi chef. While I believe anyone can be trained to make delicious sushi, he is obviously the reson the food is so-so.

I was introduced to Hopi Li by Darrell L. of Meetup.com’s LA Sushi and Asian Foodie group when we had our anniversary dinner for 40 people there. Big D. arranged a prix fixe menu that was $26 per person, which seemed very reasonable for what we ate.

We had 5 seafood dishes including fried soft shell crabs, Abalone/Chicken soup, Honey Walnut Shrimp, fresh rock cod in bean sauce and stir-fried scallops with vegetables. Other dishes included crispy Peking Duck with steamed buns and sauces, sauteed Kalbi beef ribs, and Spicy Chicken with green beans. Did I leave anything out?

While I found each dish truly delicious, I have to say that the food tasted “Americanized.” I’m a white guy from Pennsylvania trained as a chef, and I’ve eaten at “authentic” Chinese restaurants in the valley where the flavor profile is very different. I mentioned this to one of my Chinese dinner companions who agreed the dishes we ate had that “Panda Express” appeal. So that’s why I rated it 3 stars.

I would eat here again on another occasion as the food is very tasty and service was FAST for 40 people, but since there are several Hop Li restaurants around town, I’d go to one of the West LA stores closer to home.

I trained as a chef in the South of France so I love Mediterranean flavors. The food at Spain with its Spanish flare is a must-try for anyone who shares my passion for that region.

I went with a meetup.com group of 13 people on a mission of Tapas tasting. We sampled 13 tapas dishes and paella, washed it down with a couple pitchers of sangria all for less than $35 per person. A group is the way to go.

My personal favorite was the tiny fried smelt. Also delicious was the (fried) Calamari Provenzal, although a bit too salty, Add the Garlic mushrooms, beef empanadas and garlic shrimp to the yummy list. I’m glad I tried the marinated anchovies, shrimp tortilla (an omelet), and Papas Bravas (sauteed potatoes), but I wouldn’t order them again.

We were pretty full by the time the Seafood Paella and a chicken one arrived. I only tried the chicken and it was delish!

We also ordered sliced Andouille sausage, Picadas Españolas (cold cuts and cheese platter) and ham ‘n’ cheese empanadas but I didn’t try them since I don’t eat pork.

SPAIN has a complete dinner menu with soups, sandwiches, entrees, salads and desserts but since we were there for the tapas and paella that’s all we ate. And besides sangria they offer a large selection of wines.

It’s a cute little restaurant next to the on-ramp for the 2 freeway. Not much parking in the lot but you can find street parking in the neighborhood. It’s not an easy drive up Glendale Boulevard on week nights, so you might have an easier time getting there on the weekend.

Chef Roy, Mark, and the boys are inside the truck while Alice is out front taking orders. It’s a very different kind of taco stand where not a word of Spanish is spoken – because they’re all Korean.

Culturally speaking, the Asian/Mexican fusion has few surprises as you might have had something similar to a taco in Chinese restaurants called ‘Moo Shoo,’ which is stir-fried meat and vegetables in a thin flour pancake. But it’s Chef Roy’s blend of flavors, textures and heat that make the Korean taco truck so unique, and his attention to detail that make a visit to the truck a culinary experience.

I enjoyed a smorgasbord of tacos and burritos including beef rib, chicken and tofu, for a special Pleasure Palate tasting. They also have a spicy pork but I don’t eat pork. Chef Roy offers different specials everyday and today was the kimchi quesadilla. Que picante! They also offer sliders and hot dogs topped with the BBQ but that was not available to the tasters.

If ordering more that one item from the truck, I discovered the key to enjoyment is the order in which you eat them. Save the beef or pork items for last (they’re the tastiest) So start with the tofu or veggie stuff and your taste buds will thank you.

It’s easy to hunt the BBQ truck down from their website and find out when they’ll be nearby.

So why only 4 stars? Because there’s no place to sit and enjoy the food except in your car.

My acupuncturist invited me to dinner here with some of her family and friends on a Saturday night for what might be the best Cantonese style Chinese food I ever ate.

We all graciously allowed her to order for the table.

First course was fish stomach soup* before the parade of waiters carrying plates of food began:
Peking duck skins with buns and shrimp chips, *
Peking duck meat, *
stir-fired beef, *
spicy green beans, *
pumpkin and mushrooms, *
black cod, *
sauteed lobster, *
tofu and pork,
bbq pork,
fried pork ribs,
fried oysters,
lo mein
and for dessert mango custard and the traditional sweet warm red bean soup with tapioca.

(* indicates DELICIOUS – must order. I don’t eat pork so I don’t know how those dishes tasted)

We were only 10 people but we had enough for 20, leaving with stacks of to-go boxes. A large group is the popular way to eat here.

NCS is a crazy busy place with large parties and weddings going on all the time. The service is amazingly fast under these circumstances and the waiters are attentive with more tea, sauce, clean plates or wet naps.

I didn’t pick up the tab, but my host told me the lobster was free. She explained that with a certain amount of people and purchase, you get a certain amount of pounds of lobster on the house. (Call them for details)

I gave 4 stars not 5 because the lighting is harsh and it’s very noisy and difficult to talk to people across the table. Also they will not seat you until your entire party arrives, so we spent a lot of time in the lobby waiting for those stuck in traffic.

They have quiet VIP rooms available with advance notice and a minimum purchase of a few hundred dollars (again, call the restaurant for details.) They also have another restaurant in Rowland Heights.

If you’ve lived in LA as long as I have for 22 years, you remember Mexican food before Baja Fresh. We ate at La Salsa and thought it was cool and delicious. But after Baja Fresh came on the scene with its more flavorful fare, I never ate at La Salsa again.

So move over El Pollo Loco and Koo Koo Roo, Hawaiian BBQ is the only way to go for grilled meat. One taste of any of the varieties of chicken at Ono’s Hawaiian BBQ and EPL and KKR will be in your history book.

And they don’t just serve chicken. They also have beef and pork bbq and ribs, shrimp, Mahi Mahi, salads, soups and of course the Hawaiian delicacy: Spam. And they offer many combo meals with different entree meats to satisfy any hankering.

I had the chicken combo with bbq chicken, roasted chicken and a katsu (Japanese fried chicken) with rice, steamed cabbage, macaroni salad and a bunch of sauces was only $7. It was sooo tasty and enough food for 2 people – more if it’s smaller people. I paid .50 extra for a pint of curry sauce with huge chunks of carrots and potatoes. No, the curry was not quite as delicious as at a Japanese curry house but it was satisfying.

Ono is a chain of about 50 stores throughout California and Arizona. I was surprised I never heard of them before, but I recently moved near the West Los Angles location. I bet there’s one near you. The next time you see one you have to pop in and try it.

What is most magical about this place is the location on the beach. When we arrived the sun was setting over the water refracting light in a poetic ballet of colors I’d only ever seen before in a Van Gogh painting. It was truly spectacular.

The restaurant was not yet open so my party of five went down to the lounge for cocktails and appetizers. I ordered a glass of Shiraz. The waiter told me they didn’t have Shiraz but that they do have Chardonnay, Pinot Griggio and Reisling. Quick, what’s wrong with this picture? I ordered a red wine but the waiter offered me white wine substitutions. I didn’t want to embarrass him for his grave faux pas and just ordered a Pinot Noir. So my impression of this high-end establishment started with disappointment knowing they don’t properly train the staff.

With our cocktails we ordered some fried calamari and assorted hummus. Beautiful presentation but not the best of either. The calamari breading was pasty and the humus was overpowered by garlic and served with only 5 pita chips. Plus it took 20 minutes for the food to arrive.

When the restaurant opened we moved upstairs. Although it was nice to be seated on the dining room patio with waves crashing below, the view was no longer spectacular after sunset.

The dinner menu can be best described as ‘pretentious.’ The chef has extensive experience and either tries way too hard to prove it or does not realize the changing trends in food since his early days. A simpler approach to the flavors, preparation methods and plating would be more appropriate at the beach in 2008.

Lobster Bisque, Asparagus Salad and California Oysters are tasty starters. The entrees are just OK. Braised Short Ribs, Glazed Salmon, and Grilled Sea Bass all look much better as words on the menu than they taste in you mouth. Warning: The sea bass comes with bacon disguised as ‘Guanciale’ on the menu and had to to be sent back for a vegetarian version.

A couple of the desserts were interesting but also overworked, like the chocolate sampler trio, although I avoided the scoop of Chocolate Bacon Ice Cream. The Apple Tarte Tatin was tasty but again, the cinnamon ice cream topping was overkill. Definitely stay away from the Creme Brulee which was a chunky mess of mismatched flavors and textures.

The kitchen is very slow in getting out the entrees and desserts but the appetizers arrived quick enough.

The Surf and Sand Hotel is gorgeous with beautifully appointed rooms starting at $400 a night, and the restaurant’s interior is also extremely well conceived. But know it will cost at least $100 per person when dining in the evening and you miss the whole point of being there: the view. If you absolutely must try this place, then do like me and get someone to pick up the tab.

Someone must have said: “Take the word ‘Preppy’ and turn it into a restaurant,” and lo and behold Ivy at the Shore was created. It’s ‘The Daily Grill’ done ‘Tommy Bahama’ style.

Nothing is outrageously delicious, trendy, challenging or even tastes bad. Like a Sperry Topsider shoe, their approach gets the job done reliably and efficiently without flare, serving high quality American foods in a simple tropical-inspired upscale environment. The waiters are really the star of this show with highly attentive service and stylish matching pastel ties.

I’ve been here many times and get in a rut ordering the Chilled poached salmon or the Grilled Vegetable Salad with Chicken. In my early days I used to order off- menu like a Fried Calamari Ceasar Salad.

That’s the nice thing about this place is if you don’t see it on the menu, they may actually make it for you if they have the ingredients and you ask nicely.

Sunday brunch is delightful by the water. They bring mini raisin scones with butter and jam to help you decide what to order. Portions are large and plenty for two – especially the salads. I believe many people return time and time again in hopes of seeing celebrities rather than for the food, as the clientele is quite attractive because high prices keep out the riffraff.

One of LA’s hottest places for breakfast and lunch is Patrick’s Roadhouse. A Santa Monica beach landmark on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Entrada Drive, Patrick’s Roadhouse isn’t well-known to the general public. Once an actual rail house and brothel, it ‘s been a favorite underground eatery of the stars since the 1970’s.

On the outside, even with its bright green color overlooking the ocean, the place looks a bit worn. Inside you’ll feel like you’re eating in a crowded antique store. The wooden tables and chairs are from yesterday, and framed memorabilia, antique paintings and knick-knacks fill the walls. It all adds up to an incredibly comfortable place to chill and hang out. They even offer board games for patrons to spend time and enjoy themselves at their tables.

Service can be mixed. Sometimes fast, sometimes not, but they always try to make you feel at home. As long as you come with people you like and you’re not in any hurry, you won’t really care. Dress is casual with a capital ‘C.’ Shorts, T-shirt, flip-flops and trucker cap are perfect summer attire to match the local crowd.

The food is classic Americana diner fare with their own delicious twists and more than generous portions. In fact, Patrick’s received great exposure on TV Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” in 2007 when host Guy Fieri raved about the food and burgers.

Their heavenly burger is the “Rockefeller, Hughes, Getty, Onasis Burger.” Most of their burgers cost around $8, but for a whopping $15.00 this one comes with mushrooms, jack cheese, a dab of sour cream and CAVIAR! It’s as good as a $25 burger from a fancy restaurant. All sandwiches come with deliciously seasoned crispy fries.

Can’t decide what to order? Fish and Chips are world famous here and a smart bet. Be hungry because they serve you Moby Dick.

Yet their omelets are so delicious. Try The Number 5: Roasted peppers, feta cheese, chilies and sauteed onions. Yum! Belgian waffles, pancakes and French toast are tasty options as well. Combine them with a bottomless cup of coffee and you get the perfect breakfast to cure a ‘morning after.’ There’s no ‘hair of the dog’ as they do not serve any alcohol. But don’t forget a slice of Banana Cream Pie can also help make you feel better.

Much appreciated on the menu is the offering of turkey sausage for those who don’t eat pork.

Parking is definitely an issue since they do not have their own lot. If you live nearby or up for a bike ride, the beach bike path passes across the street with a pedestrian tunnel crossing PCH a block from the restaurant. Leave your bike locked up in front.

There’s a parking lot up Entrada Drive on the right hand side. Weekends it costs $3 with validation. The attendant arrives around 10am. And there is some metered street parking.

Before or after your meal, be sure to get your feet wet in the Pacific ocean.