Vegas and Food

Bricks & Scones - Larchmont, L.A.

2012-01-30T22:57:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite bakery/cafe on Larchmont. If you come here after 9pm, all their pastries are buy 1 get 1 free! This is the perfect place to study. So quiet inside, beautiful outdoor patio.

All the pics are from March and June, 2011. I know, I can't believe I haven't posted any pics of my favorite bakery..

Intelligentsia coffee!

chestnut corn muffin $3.50

Cran walnut scone $2.99

Blueberry scone $2.99

Cinnamon raisin scone $2.99 (after buy 1 get 1 free, this was free)

Scone $2.99 Apricot banana nut muffin $3.50, Croissant $2.75 (free after buy 1 get 1 free), Cran walnut brain muffin $3.50

Hazelnut chocolate croissant $3.50

Rating: 5 / 5
Service: 4 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Bricks & Scones

403 N Larchmont Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90004

(323) 463-0811

Mon-Fri 7:30 am - 10 pm
Sat 8 am - 10 pm
Sun 8 am - 8 pm

http://www.bricksandscones.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bricks-and-scones-los-angeles

Veggie Grill at The Grove, the original farmer's market

2012-01-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

I had a birthday offer for a free meal here.I wasn't sure which burger to get so I asked to the cashier person and he said get this Santa Fe crispy chicken, so that's what I got. I really enjoyed my sandwich. It's healthy yet tasty. And I don't feel guilty!

Santa Fe Crispy Chickin' with chili $8.95
Crispy fried chillin' chickin', lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, southwestern spiced vegan mayo

Healthy chili. To me, it was more like baked beans

Rating: 4 / 5
Service: 4 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Veggie Grill

110 S Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 933-3997

Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm

http://veggiegrill.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-veggie-grill-los-angeles-2

cooking class with Chef di cuisine Ian Gresik at Drago Centro in Downtown, L.A 1.25.2012.

2012-01-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

Well, I was very lucky. I retweeted on twitter and I won cooking class for two with Chef di cuisine Ian Gresik at Drago Centro ( Yay! That's like $55 a person). There were about 40 people attended. We all got to sample three different pastas, some wine and bread sticks. The chef made egg pasta from scratch and also three different pasta sauce.

I've dine at Drago Centro before and I loved it. So I was very excited to be here again, for the cooking class.

CLICK HERE for pics from 2010.

Cooking class menu

fettuccine with bolognese sauce with cheese

I asked for no cheese. Oh my.. bolognese was so tasty, so good. I wish I had a recipe for the sauce.

Spaghetti with pesto sauce, fried tomato skin on top. Of course no cheese on mine and they remember it!

Agnolotti with ricotta filling
I was worried because I don't like cheese. This ravioli is filled with all cheese. But I ate it. It was actually good.

We got some dough to take it home with, so I made pasta and ravioli. Nothing better than using fresh pasta.

Drago Centro

525 S Flower St
Los Angeles, CA 90071

(213) 228-8998

Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 10 pm
Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
Sun 5 pm - 9:30 pm

http://www.dragocentro.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/drago-centro-los-angeles

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar - Little Tokyo

2012-01-26T23:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's finally open in Little Tokyo. Kula Kaiten sushi restaurant. Almost all plates are $2 each. Everything in the picture below are $2 each. The food was fine for the money. This place is so much better than Fat Fish in Koreatown. The best thing about Kaiten sushi is that you don't have to wait for the food, you sit down, you grab what you wanna eat.

Albacore, red snapper, beef,..

Crispy tuna, spicy tuna, egg, ..

Sunomono

I think it's salmon yukke

spicy crunchy salmon

Inari, gyoza, Asahi beer, ..

Rating: 3.7 / 5
Service: 3 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar

333 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 290-9631

http://www.kura-corpo.co.jp/us/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kula-revolving-sushi-bar-los-angeles

Tbilisi N Yerevan Bakery - West Hollywood

2012-01-24T23:47:00.000-08:00

This place has been in business for about 20 years or so (I think that's what the lady told me) but they closed and reopened, and I happened to be here on the grand opening day (1/19/2012). I just bought one pastry to try, since I like French/Japanese/Korean pastries better and I wasn't sure if I'm gonna like it or not.

I think cakes are between $3-$4.

I wanna try red velvet cake

Sold by weight.

black sesame paste inside $0.42 (sold by weight)

Rating: 3 / 5
Service: 3 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Tbilisi N Yerevan Bakery
7862 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90046
323-654-7427

http://www.yelp.com/biz/tbilisi-n-yerevan-bakery-west-hollywood

T&Y Bakery at The Grove

2012-01-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

While I was walking at The grove, I saw this place so I took some pictures. I actually didn't buy anything since they don't look yummy to me. Plus, I can get this type of baked goods at some Mexican places for under $2.

T&Y Bakery
6333 W 3rd St, Stall 222
Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 930-2355

http://www.farmersmarketla.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/t-and-y-bakery-los-angeles

IOTA - Koreatown (2)

2012-01-22T01:58:00.000-08:00

I like IOTA. Drinks are good. I LOVE Misutgaru shake and Almond shake. Coffee drinks are good too. Desserts are depends on what you get. I don't recommend chiffon cakes or cakes that using sponge. sponge cakes are dry, not good.
Now they have the servers (Yes, you have to wait to get seated and I HATE it.) and also the prices are higher if you eat here. If you wanna save money, get drinks and pastries to go.
Food is only served until 10pm.

CLICK HERE for pics from opening event

Misutgaru shake$6.75 and Apple berry tea $5

Red Velvet cream cheese cake$4.75

Macaron $2.50
My friend crushed it. Stil, it was delicious.

Steamed cheesecake$3.25

Puffs
Yum

Raspberry mousse$4.25

Not recommended.

Green tea chiffon cake$5.25
Don't get this

Cappuccino$4.25

French caramel $6
It was too sweet for me. I remember getting this at HAUS cafe.

Crepe $4.50
Crepes are served with ice cream.

Key lime mousse$4.25
Not recommended.

Bread

Walnut raisin bread $1.50

Yammy cake $4.25
Yammy cake (Japanese purple yam) was yummy.

Pumpkin latte $5.25
Yes, you can taste real pumpkin. It's good.

Menu
New menu. I think the prices are insane.

Almond shake $6.75

Banana cream pie $5.25

cafe caramel $5.25

Cafe vanilla $5.25

Green tea latte$5.25

Oreo cheesecake

chocolate cake

Tiger miso ramen $8.50

Yup, ramen at cafe. It's actually good.

Rating: 4 /5
Service: 3 /5
Repeat: Yes

IOTA coffee house
528 S. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90020

(213) 568-3700

Weekdays:~12am
Weekends: ~2am

http://www.yelp.com/biz/iota-coffee-house-los-angeles

Purple Wine & Coffee - Koreatown

2012-01-16T23:19:00.000-08:00

It's opened last month, new wine and coffee bar/cafe in Koreatown. I like ambiance and decor. The service was slow but they were nice. Also don't be mad even they make so many mistakes.

So there were 4 of us. 2 of us used buy 1 get 1 free coupon, and one used either 40% off wine or half off food. So either wine was 40% off or tempura was $6.

I ordered hazelnut iced coffee $4 and green tea latte $5. After buy 1 get 1 free, my total was $3. Yup, something is not right. I know. They were messing up our bills and orders a lot. I was just checking my receipt, they charged me hot hazelnut coffee $3 and gave me latte $5 for free.

Complimentary peanuts and cheese

My hazelnut iced coffee (left) $4 and iced cappuccino $6
Ok, so one of the girl ordered hot cappuccino, not iced. So they just gave us this iced cappuccino and made new hot cappuccino. I had both drinks and I liked both. Cappuccino was good after pouring syrup.

Cappuccino $5
And a girl got cappuccino.

Tea $4
One girl ordered blended drink, but it came out more like "iced" and not "blended". So we asked them to make it "blended" and they said no, they can't. So she decided to get tea. Of course the girl ordered as iced tea, but we whispered and decided to not tell them. Then when we were ready to pay, they told me "you can't use buy 1 get 1 free with coffee and tea". I was shocked. So I said "well, she got blended coffee drink, but you said you can't make blended and that's why we had to change it to the tea". After my word, I think she got buy 1 get 1 free.

Green tea latte $5
My green tea latte tasted like shortbread. Yeah, you can see there are some sprinkles on top. It was sweet, in good way. I actually liked it.

Shrimp tempura $12

Ask for this coupon to get this deal.

Purple Wine & Coffee (Inside Garden Suite hotel)
681 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005

(213) 383-0000

Mon-Sat 7 am - 2 am
Sun 7 am - 12 am

http://gardensuitehotel.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/purple-wine-and-coffee-los-angeles

Grand Opening! La Mamma Burger at Grand Central Market

2012-01-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

La Mamma Burger, it just opened about a week ago inside the Grand Central Market in Downtown, Los Angeles.The menu is simple, burger, hot dog, chicken, turkey, philly, and the merguez sandwiches. I couldn't decide between burger and the merguez sandwich, but I got hamburger. Toasted brioche bun sounds yum. But I'm going back for The Merguez sandwich. It's 3 Mediterranean sausages on french baguette. Sounds great.

Hamburger $5
1/3 lb fresh ground beef, toasted brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, easy 1000 island dressing

Well, maybe because I asked for really really easy dressing (because I'm on a diet), plus I didn't get any extra toppings, (you can get grilled mushroom, peppers, caramelized onions, etc for only $0.35 each topping) my burger didn't have much flavor. So yeah, get with extra toppings or their premium sauce. I'm sure it'll taste great.

It was super juicy.

Rating: 3.4 / 5
Service: 4.5 / 5
Repeat: Yes

La Mamma Burger (Grand Central Market)
317 S. Broadway #C4.5
Los Angeles, CA 90013

(213)261-4161

http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-mamma-burger-los-angeles

Tirovino Wine Bar - West Hollywood

2012-01-15T00:49:00.000-08:00

I feel bad whenever I go to the wine bar because I really don't drink wine. But I tasted my friend's dessert wine and I liked it, so I ordered one too. The food was very good here, I really liked my spaghetti and braised beef brisket.

We started off with dessert wine, Moscato D'asti. I recommend this dessert wine to people who can't drink wine like me. No, I can't drink wine, except this.

Complimentary bread

Lesso $13
Pot braised beef brisket with cabernet wine and mustard

Beef was sooooooo soft and flavorful. Get this appetizer. Absolutely delicious.

Pesce Milanese $14
Pan fried filet of sole with a lemon wedge

My friend's entree. It was too buttery for me.

Spaghetti $18
Lump crab meat in a garlic tomato white wine sauce

Pizza Capricciosa $11
Tomato, mozzarella, artichokes, ham

We asked for half with mozzarella and no ham, and other half ham with no cheese, and tomato and artichokes on both. The pizza was really big portion. $11 is a good deal. Also they serve pizza without cutting it into slices.

Rating: 4 / 5
Service: 4 / 5
Repeat: Yes
Parking: Street or you can valet at the next door restaurant

Tirovino Wine Bar
7166 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90048

(323) 933-1800

Open: 3pm-11:30pm
Lunch: friday only 11:30am
Brunch Sat & Sun: 10am-3pm
Sunday dinner: 3pm-9:30pm
Happy Hour: Everyday 4-8pm

http://tirovinowinebar.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tirovino-wine-bar-west-hollywood

Acid free Tylers coffee

2012-01-14T22:16:00.000-08:00

Introducing Tylers coffee. 100% Grade AAA premium Arabica acid free coffee.
Tyler's acid free coffeeis a high-quality blend of fine beans that's perfect for anyone on a low-acid diet.

Tyler’s Coffee uses a “Z-Roasting” process that optimizes the time the coffee beans are cooked; the result is high levels of caffeine and free of acid. Benefits of an acid free coffee are tooth enamel is protected and teeth are stronger leading to fewer cavities.

Acid is removed from the coffee through Z Roasting technology, a fully computerized roasting process. Z Roasting monitors, controls temperature, speed, air, humidity, and atmospheric conditions to allow each delicate coffee bean to reach perfection. The coffee is then ground in specific multiple micro grind sizes, specially sealed & packaged, and shipped.

It's so much darker

The preferred method to brew Tylers coffee is the French Press. So that's what I did.

Order online:
http://tylerscoffees.com/

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Espresso Profeta - Westwood

2012-01-12T00:53:00.000-08:00

When I was in the area, I was looking up "near by places " on yelp and this place came up, and I'm just so happy I found this place. Too bad this place is only open until 7pm.

It's really hard to see..

Inside was packed with students with laptop.

So we sat down outside. Very nice. Love it.

Cafe nico (3.5oz) $3.75 + tax
candied orange, half and half, cinnamon, orange zest

Yup, it's small. Well, it says 3.5oz on the menu, but the menu is so small and I really couldn't see it. Also my question was "where is candied orange?" Very expensive $4 a cup of coffee. It was good though.. But I'm getting cafe latte next time. That's 12oz and I need more than 3.5oz.

Rating: 4 / 5
Service: 3.7 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Espresso Profeta
1129 Glendon Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024

(310) 208-3375

Mon-Sun 7 am - 7 pm

http://www.espressoprofetala.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/espresso-profeta-los-angeles

$1.50 ice cream sammies at Diddy Riese cookies in Westwood

2012-01-09T01:51:00.000-08:00

Yup, I'm not kidding.You can get a big ice cream sammy for only $1.50 here. No wonder always packed this place (Yes, I mean it. ALWAYS packed. You'll be waiting at least 10 minutes). So cheap and open late. Sure, Coolhaus is delicious, but their sammies are $5 each. Oh my god, I love this place. I wanna go there right now.

CASH ONLY

You can just buy cookies. $0.35 each or 3 for $1.

White chocolate macadamia nut cookie with strawberry cheesecake ice cream $1.50
They use Dreyer's ice cream.

Next time, I'm gonna do with two different cookies. Maybe oatmeal raisin with walnuts cookie and sugar cinnamon cookie.. or candy choco chip. Or maybe order two sammies. Why not?

Hawaiian shaved ice $1.50

Rating: 4 / 5
Service: 3 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Diddy Riese Cookies
926 Broxton Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024

(310) 208-0448

Mon-Thu 10 am - 12 am
Fri 10 am - 1 am
Sat 12 pm - 1 am
Sun 12 pm - 12 am

http://www.diddyriese.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/diddy-riese-cookies-los-angeles

Falafel King - Westwood

2012-01-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

Another free coupon for falafel balls at Falafel King in Westwood. Cool. We also spotted someone bumped the car and run away.

Falafel Balls with Hummus and Chips

I really liked it. I've been wanting to make this at home.

condiments

Rating: 3.5 / 5
Service: 3 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Falafel King
1010 Broxton Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 208-4444

http://www.yelp.com/biz/falafel-king-los-angeles-3

http://www.yelp.com/biz/falafel-king-los-angeles

Stan's Donuts - Westwood

2012-01-07T23:23:00.000-08:00

One of the L.A.'s most famous donuts shop in Westwood, Stan's Donuts. I had a coupon for one free donut. I almost never in the area, but hey, thanks to Munch On Me for some FREE stuff. I enjoyed walking around in the area. I found some good places too.

When I was picking my donut, there were two guys helping me out and they were nice, but when I went back later on the same day to get one more donut, there was a girl, and she was super bitch to me, so I just left. Sorry bi*ch, I'm not buying anything from you.

So many choices.. But everything looks too sweet for my taste.

Simpsons donuts caught my eyes

Peanut butter and banana with choco chip also caught my eyes..

But I got this. I think this is Apple Cinnamon log $2.50 and I liked it.

Rating: 3 / 5
Service: 3 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Stan's doughnuts
10948 Weyburn Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024

(310) 208-866

Mon-Sun 6 am - 12 am

http://www.stansdoughnuts.com/index.html

http://www.yelp.com/biz/stans-doughnuts-los-angeles

Fat Spoon - Little Tokyo (2)

2012-01-06T22:29:00.000-08:00

My second visit to Fat Spoon. Of course I ordered something different from my last visit. If you can't decide either you want to order pasta or curry, I'd say order curry.

CLICK HERE for pics of my first visit

Uni croquette $6

Mini corn dogs $5

Clam with squid ink pasta $14
Girls, don't worry about your teeth getting black. It won't.

We got complimentary desserts. Pudding and Yuzu sorbet.

Rating: 4.2 / 5
Service: 4 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Fat Spoon
329 E 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 621-7890

http://fatspoonfood.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/fat-spoon-los-angeles

Crepe Studio - Pasadena

2012-01-05T00:38:00.000-08:00

I love crepe here.The girl knows how to make crepes! She made my crepe so crispy on purpose! There is a TV and plugs on the wall, so I can charge my phone while eating/watching TV.

Tropical $5.95
Nutella, pineapple, kiwi, and whipped cream

Yeah.. you can tell it's crispy

Rating: 4 / 5
Service: 4 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Crepe Studio
99 E Union St
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 844-8810

Mon-Thu 10 am - 8 pm
Fri-Sat 10 am - 10 pm
Sun 10 am - 7 pm

http://www.crepestudio.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/crepe-studio-pasadena

PappaRich - Pasadena

2012-01-03T22:18:00.000-08:00

PapaRich, the place known for roti buns. Choose from Maple/Mocha, chocolate, cheese, and milk. I think I got milk, it was warm, soft, and buttery.

There are some tables

milk roti bun. $2.99

Rating: 3.5 / 5
Service: 3 / 5
Repeat: Yes

PappaRich
100 W Green St
Pasadena, CA 91105

(626) 440-0009

Mon-Thu 6 am - 9 pm
Fri 6 am - 11 pm
Sat 8 am - 11 pm
Sun 9 am - 9 pm

http://www.yelp.com/biz/papparich-pasadena

Osteria Mozza - Los Angeles (2)

2012-01-02T22:31:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite place to dine. Another excellent food at Osteria Mozza. Always crowded so make sure to make reservation.

We decided to go with Pasta tasting menu along with some other dishes. The pasta tasting menu including five pastas and two desserts.

The service was a bit slow, we spent 3 hours here. BUT I really enjoyed the food here.

CLICK HERE for pics from 2010

Tasting menu $69 a person (March, 2011)

Sitting at the bar area. We started off with some wine.

This place was packed as always

breadsticks

Bread

I wish I could remember what this was.

Sweetbreads Picatta with artichokes $28

I think this is Mojito. It was strong

So this is the first pasta from Pasta tasting menu.

Farfalle with funghi misti

Cappelletti di Vitello, burro e salvia

Garganelli Verdewith ragu Bolognese

Francobolli di Brasatowith passato di pomodoro

Pici with duck Ragu

Blood orange gelatina with tangerine sorbet

Palacinke with limoncello zabaglione

Cappuccino

Nice latte art. Love it.

And my second cup of cappuccino

Rating (food): 4.5 / 5
Rating (service): 4/ 5
Repeat: Yes

Osteria Mozza
6602 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038

(323) 297-0100

Mon-Fri 5:30 pm - 11 pm
Sat 5 pm - 11 pm
Sun 5 pm - 10 pm

http://www.mozza-la.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/osteria-mozza-los-angeles

Demitasse - Little Tokyo (3)

2012-01-01T02:33:00.000-08:00

Last day of 2011. Yes, I was here. Good coffee, delicious pastries and friendly people. Love here.

CLICK HERE and HERE for more pics

This is what I was here for.

They used to carry pastries from Farmshop, but maybe they changed it? It says baked goods by cakemonkey.

My coffee and pastry $5

For this special $5 deal, you can choose coffee from Ecuador El Batan, Sumatra Lake Tawar, or Mexico Chiapas. I just said "I'm gonna have whichever the one you recommend". And I got this. I think this is Mexico Chiapas. This coffee was perfect match with my apple pie crumble pop pie.

Apple pie crumble pop pie $3.50

Oh my goodness... this pie was so so so delicious. Just so good. Now I'm a big fan of Cake Monkey. Although I love Farmshop too so I wish they had pastries from Farmshop AND Cake Monkey.

Yes, now they have outdoor patio.

Rating: 4.5 / 5
Service: 4.5 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Demitasse
135 S San Pedro St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 545-1047

http://cafedemitasse.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/demitasse-los-angeles

Wood & Vine - Hollywood

2011-12-30T23:42:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Wood & Vine. My dining experience here was great. The stuff were nice and all the food was great. Also nice indoor patio, I bet it's gonna be very cozy at night.

Accomplice cocktail (front)$12 and wine
Organic vodka, lemon juice, strawberry syrup, champagne

Our server recommended this.
One of the popular drink here and it was good.

Roasted beet salad $10
Arugula, pickled onion, ricotta esalada, pistachios

Fried chicken & waffles $15
House-made waffle, maple glaze, sage butter

Forget about Roscoe's. This is the place to get chicken and waffles! Little too much syrup on waffles, but otherwise it's delicious. It's better for me if they serve syrup and butter on the side.

Steamed mussels $14
White wine, roasted garlic,parsley, grilled bread

Grilled scallops $18
Truffled anson mills grits, corn ragu

Delicious. That's all I can say.

Rating (food): 4.7 / 5
Rating (service): 3.7 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Wood & Vine
6280 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 334-3360

Mon-Sat 6 pm - 2 am
Sun 10:30 am - 6:30 pm

http://www.woodandvine.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/wood-and-vine-los-angeles

Wolfgang Puck Bistro at South Coast Plaza - Costa Mesa

2011-12-30T02:59:00.000-08:00

It's located at South Coast Plaza and I didn't know but there are some pretty good restaurants here. There are some other places I wanted to eat, but it was lunch time and other places were packed. So I said, let's go Wolfgang Puck bistro. The food should be fine there. We were hungry and lucky for us, we were seated right away.

Wine. I can't remember which one, but our server recommended and it was sweetest wine they have. We loved it.

Complimentary bread/cracker. I personally prefer to have some bread.

Clam chowder $7
potatoes, bacon, onions, celery

Bacon wrapped meatloaf $14
mashed potatoes, port wine sauce and crispy onion rings

We loved it. Simply delicious. I haven't had meatloaf for so many years so I just had to order this.

Traditional margherita $9

I was hoping to have some good pizza, but unfortunately, pizza wasn't good at all. The crust was too thin for my taste. I didn't like pizza but I'd love to try some other pizza they have. I hope I have a chance to come back since they gave us a coupon for buy 1 get 1 free entree and I wanna use it!

Rating (food): 3.7 / 5
Rating (service): 3.5 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Wolfgang Puck bistro
3333 Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/casual-dining/Wolfgang-Puck-Bistros/7504

http://www.yelp.com/biz/wolfgang-puck-bistro-costa-mesa

Firenze Osteria - Toluca Lake

2011-12-27T22:10:00.000-08:00

I was pretty excited coming here. We didn't have any reservations, but I think we got here at 5pm and the place was empty. Of course this place was packed when we were leaving.
The service was not outstanding but good. Nice atmosphere. The food can be good or not so good, depending on what you order.

Happy Hour. Monday - Thursday 5-7pm, $4 cocktails.

We started off with bread, but bread was dry. Disappointed.

Dipping for the bread

Sesame Ahi tuna salad$20.95
sesame tuna steak, mesculin, roasted asparagus and carrots, cherry tomato, balsamic dressing.
The carrot was tough but other than that, the salad was very good. The picture below is half portion. They split for us.

Broccoli squash soup (soup of the day) $7.95

Wheat spaghetti$16.95
wheat spaghetti, chicken breast, arugula, roasted cherries, sun-dried tomatoes, shredded carrots, basil, light pesto sauce.
We didn't like this pasta. I could eat it, but my friend absolutely hated it. It just didn't taste right with wheat spaghetti and pesto sauce together.

Crab cake$16.95
lump crab meat cake, cole slaw
Simply delicious.

Lobster ravioli $17.95
lobster tail and vegetables ravioli, cherry tomatoes and shrimp in a white wine lobster sauce.
This ravioli was good.

Cappuccino

Mixed berry meringue$8.95
fluffy meringue, filled with Chantilly cream and topped with fresh mixed berries.

I wanted to eat Tiramisu, but I ordered this because my meal was heavy so I wanted to finish my meal with something light. Berries are my favorite although I'm not a big fan of meringue.

Rating (food): 3.7 / 5
Rating (service): 4 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Firenze Osteria
4212 Lankershim Blvd
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
(818) 760-7081

Mon-Fri 11 am - 3 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 12 am
Sun 5 pm - 10 pm

http://www.firenzeosteria.com/firenzeOsteria.html

http://www.yelp.com/biz/firenze-osteria-toluca-lake-2

Get 30% off at restaurants on savored

2011-12-27T01:56:00.000-08:00

I'd like to share this awesome website with my readers. Yes, that's right. If you make reservation through savored.com, you get 30% off all food and drink. What a deal.
Also if you invite your friends, you get $10.

http://savored.com

Lot 18 Gourmet - Exclusive access to the finest wines and artisanal selections

2011-12-27T00:45:00.000-08:00

If you love wines, check this website. Not only wines, but this website also offers gourmet coffees, chocolate, cheese, and other artisanal selections. Not only that, they also offers wine and culinary adventures. And the best part is, they are always offering discounts.

https://www.lot18.com

Open Sky Winter Sale

2011-12-27T00:20:00.000-08:00

Open Sky is having winter sale! Check it out! You can get some gourmet products here. Organic & Vegan friendly!

https://opensky.com

The Luggage Room Pizzeria - Pasadena

2011-12-25T02:42:00.000-08:00

Our first stop of Yelp Pasadena food crawl. We also received a gift bag filled with goodies including $30 gift card that you can use at Luggage Room or La Grande Orange so later I came back. They do make Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten-Free pizzas.

Mon & Tue: Buy 1 pizza, get the second for $5

Sampling Sangria, Margherita pizza, and Gladiator pizza at Yelp event. Sangria was very good, I had 3-4 cups of it. Pizza was good too, of course.

Here's the menu when I dined about a month ago. We ordered 2 pizzas and salad. Since me and my friend, we both doesn't like cheese so much, we got both pizzas with no cheese. I really enjoyed pizza here.

menu

Nice little chop salad $5
General portion, big enough to share

The Padre $13
Prosciutto, figs, arugula (no cheese)

Daily special pizza $13

I think it was some kind of homemade sausage.

Rating (food): 4.2 / 5
Rating (service): 3.5 / 5
Repeat: Yes

The Luggage Room Pizzeria
260 S Raymond Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105

(626) 356-4440

Mon-Thu 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
Sun 12 pm - 9 pm

http://www.theluggageroom.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-luggage-room-pizzeria-pasadena

Lucky Deli - Chinatown

2011-12-24T00:59:00.000-08:00

Lucky Deli, another cheap Chinese deli place in Chinatown. I'm guessing cash only. There are no price tags, but I'm guessing each item is between $0.50-$1. You can buy dim sum and pastries cheap here. You can also buy Chinese deli food, like Panda Express type of food but cheaper and better.

sesame ball 50 cents, taro 80 cents

To be honest, I didn't like taro, it was doughy& not much flavor. Sesame ball was fine.

Rating (food): 3 / 5
Rating (service): N/A
Repeat: Yes

Lucky Deli
706 N Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 625-7847

http://www.yelp.com/biz/lucky-deli-los-angeles

$2 Banh Mi at Buu Dien - Chinatown

2011-12-23T22:32:00.000-08:00

There are many hole in the wall places that serves cheap and good food in Chinatown. BUU-DIEN is one of the place for Vietnamese Banh Mi (sandwich) and Pho. But the owner is Chinese and he is very friendly.

As you can see the menu, everything is dirt cheap. I feel like an idiot paying $6 for a half sandwich at some gormet food trucks or the restaurants when you can get full size sandwich here for only $2.

Banh Mi menu

Pho and drinks Menu

Buu Dien Sand Banh Mi (It's the first one on the menu) $2

Rating (food): 4 / 5
Rating (service): 4 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Buu Dien
642 N Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 617-8355

http://www.yelp.com/biz/buu-dien-los-angeles

Drip - Koreatown (2)

2011-12-21T23:42:00.000-08:00

Recently I went back because @chingiscool needed to pick up artwork she bought. It was also on the day of UGLY SWEATER HOLIDAY PARTY. Although we didn't wear ugly sweater. I didn't because I don't have any ugly sweaters. Anyway, we only stayed like 30 minutes then left. We missed gingerbread house making and other things they were having, but we got a free mini cupcake!
Also according to their Facebook page, now Drip is PROUDLY serving Handsome Coffee Roasters espresso. Now I have a reason to go back again!

CLICK HERE for pics from opening day

Now they have pastries

Almond croissant $4.50

Ching ordered Hazelnut latte $4.50

complimentary mini cupcake

Drip (second floor of ASSI supermarket)
3525 W 8th St
Los Angeles, CA 90005

(818) 521-7338

Mon-Sat 10 am - 8 pm

http://www.dripla.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/drip-los-angeles-2

Chocolate Lava at Islands

2011-12-20T23:59:00.000-08:00

It's been 3 years since last time. I came here to use my birthday free dessert coupon. Since I tried Kona pie before, I had chocolate lava this time. This fudge brownie topped with 2-3 vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream is 1440cal. OMG.. I tried to share with my friend but we both didn't like it. It was way too sweet for our taste, also too rich and too much chocolate syrup and cream. And of course.. the calories..

CLICK HERE for pics from 2008

dessert menu

Chocolate Lava

Islands
330 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101

(626) 304-9050

http://www.islandsrestaurants.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/islands-pasadena

Sushi Roku - Pasadena

2011-12-20T03:20:00.000-08:00

This was our last stop of Yelp Pasadena food crawl (I know... I haven't even updated the first place). Because I got coupon for complimentary appetizer, I went back with my friend. At the food crawl, we got to taste cocktail, tuna, and rice cake with tuna. I'd recommend this place just for the atmosphere but not for the food. Yeah, it's a good date spot. The food was average although the service was good when I went back with my friend.

Roku Fusion.
It seems like no one liked it, including me..

Tuna sashimi carpaccio

Spicy tuna hanabi (crispy rice cake/tuna on top)

Happy hour menu

This is what I got using my complimentary appetizer tasting coupon.

Ingen Itame (Green beans) $3

Popcorn shrimp tempura $3

Beautiful. Merry Christmas.

Rating (food): 3.4 / 5
Rating (service): 4 / 5
Repeat: Maybe

Sushi Roku
33 Miller Alley
Pasadena, CA 91103

(626) 683-3000

Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri 5 pm - 11 pm
Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
Sun 12 pm - 10 pm

http://www.sushiroku.com/sushiroku/index.htm

http://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-roku-pasadena

Dog Haus Biergarten - Pasadena

2011-12-18T19:48:00.000-08:00

Our second stop of the Yelp Pasadena food crawl. Excellent food and friendly stuff. Free beer and dogs? Awesome. And I really enjoyed food here. I think I had like 2-3 each sliders and hotdogs (sample size). I couldn't stop eating.. It was just so good.

Beer

menu

Fries

Scott Baioli Dog

Slider

Dog Haus Biergarten
93 E Green St
Pasadena, CA 91105

(626) 683-0808

Mon-Wed, Sun 11 am - 12 am
Thu-Sat 11 am - 2 am

http://www.doghausdogs.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/dog-haus-biergarten-pasadena

Pita Jungle - Pasadena

2011-12-17T22:27:00.000-08:00

This was our third stop of the Pasadena food crawl. There were so much food waiting for us!

Pita, hummus, pita pizza, chicken, etc.

Happy Hour menu. Mon-Fri, 8pm-close
Good deal. You should come here for happy hour.

Pita Jungle
43 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91105

(626) 432-7482

http://www.pitajungle.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/pita-jungle-pasadena

AKA - An American Bistro - Pasadena

2011-12-17T20:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to yelp for this great event. I was attending to Yelp Pasadena food crawl and AKA was one of the place. I'm not familiar with the restaurants in Pasadena so this event was very good opportunity for me to try out some of the popular places in Pasadena.

I can't really judge this place since all I had was one drink and fries. But some guy was eating steak or something and it looked really good.

AKA menu

Blood orange cosmos
Sorry to say this but it wasn't so good.

crispy portobello fries / ruffle aioli

It was greasy and wasn't very crispy. Also I wish I could have more than 3 tiny pieces.

AKA - An American Bistro
41 Hugus Alley
Pasadena, CA 91105

(626) 564-8111

Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 10:30 pm

http://www.akabistro.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/aka-an-american-bistro-pasadena-

Cafe Dulce - Little Tokyo (3)

2011-12-17T01:47:00.000-08:00

Cafe Dulce has some new items!

CLICK HERE and HERE for more pics

New strawberries n' cream donuts. I haven't taste yet, but I can tell it's yummy

Another new cake. Berries are my favorite. Mousse is my another favorite. Well, two of my favorites in one. I guess I have to try it.

My lovely drink

Hazelnut crumble $2.75

YUM! Peanut butter cream filling. I think Cafe Dulce knows what I like..

Rating (food): 4.5 / 5
Rating (service): 5 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Cafe Dulce
134 Japanese Village Plz. Bldg E
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 346-9910
Mon-Sun 9 am - 10 pm

http://cafedulce.co/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-dulce-los-angeles

Beer Belly: Craft Beer Bar in Koreatown

2011-12-14T23:01:00.000-08:00

Beer Belly, it's located just a few blocks from Wilshire/Western metro station. Wow, isn't that great? So you don't have to worry about driving? Anyway, if you wanna drink craft beer in Koreatown, you wanna go to either Beer Belly or Biergarten.
This is a good place to hang out with your friends. Beer prices are between $6-$10. The menu is available online.

HAPPY HOURS: everyday till 7pm ($1 off beer)

Menu back in August

Beer Belly's signature Duck fat fries $6
You must order this. It's good.

I love raspberry mustard.

Grilled broccoli & cauliflower

Oktoberfest

Catfish n' chips $10
Beer-battered in Brouwerij West Blond, Shrimp Gumbo tartar sauce

Beer Belly
532 S. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90020

(213) 387-2337

Monday, Wednesday-Saturday 5pm-1am
Sunday 12pm-10pm **Brunch 12pm-4pm**
CLOSED TUESDAYS

Parking: Yes

http://beerbellyla.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/beer-belly-los-angeles

Urbano Pizza Bar - Downtown, L.A.

2011-12-13T23:47:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Black Board Eats for 30% off coupon! One pizza and meatballs, only $15! And they have coolhaus sammies!!

menu

beef meatballs with warm pizza bread $8
There were three big meatballs. I really enjoyed meatballs along with bread. Crispy outside with delicious sauce.

scimmietta $13
smoked bacon, pumpkin, goat cheese

I thought I get pumpkin as a topping but it wasn't. I like pizza here because I like wood fired pizza, but my friend didn't like pizza at all. My friend said "I like California pizza kitchen better".

Rating (food): 4 / 5
Rating (service): 3.8 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Urbano Pizza Bar
630 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90017

(213) 614-1900

Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 11 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 12 am
Sat 6 pm - 12 am

http://urbanopizzabar.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/urbano-pizza-bar-los-angeles

Le Cafe Bonjour - Downtown, L.A.

2011-12-13T16:09:00.000-08:00

This is my hidden spot in Downtown. The owner is very friendly and fun person. Good price, good coffee, and there are outside tables. Stop by when you are in the area. There are good Mediterranean places in the area.

The owner gave me a free espresso. Served with carbonated water

This is my drink. I think it's cappuccino (M) $3

menu.

Rating (food): 4 / 5
Rating (service): 5 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Le Cafe Bonjour
640 S Hill St
Los Angeles, CA 90014

(213) 670-0100

Hours: 8:30am-6pm

http://www.lecafebonjour.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/le-cafe-bonjour-los-angeles

Introducing smorgie.com

2011-12-12T23:50:00.000-08:00

Now you can make and share your own lists of yummy. Smorgie helps you:

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Remember places you want to try
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Share them with friends

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The rest of the time, you can always find your lists and places at smorgie.com.

Just one thing, I wish I could browse/search by users.

This sponsorship is brought to you by Smorgie.com who we have partnered with for this promotion.

Hidden Karaoke bar - Brass Monkey in Koreatown

2011-12-12T23:14:00.000-08:00

Hidden Karaoke bar in Koreatown. Drinks are pretty strong here. You can get drunk fast. Every time I drink here, I throw up. No, I'm not kidding.. They have an happy hour. For the food, I like fried chicken.

Check out some of the videos:

http://www.twitvid.com/PEZ0I

http://www.twitvid.com/GYW6T

http://www.twitvid.com/SVPHE

http://www.twitvid.com/4DAJD

http://www.twitvid.com/YCGBR

http://www.twitvid.com/5LKB5

food menu

Tacos (happy hour) I think it's $1 each

Veggie burger $6.50

Honey-stung fried chicken $8.50
with fries and coleslaw

Nachos $5

Brass Monkey
3440 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90005

(213) 381-7047

Mon-Sun 10 am - 2 am

http://www.cafebrassmonkey.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/caffe-brass-monkey-los-angeles

Tully's coffee - Koreatown

2011-12-11T11:25:00.000-08:00

Yeah yeah.. get your caffe bun here. Of course other pastries look good too.

Berries & creme (tall) $3.29

Famous caffe bun $1.69
I think it's $2.69 but my receipt says "promo" and got $1 off.

Caffe bun was so warm and soft. I believe they bake fresh daily.

Rating (food): 3.9 / 5
Rating (service): N/A
Repeat: Yes

Tully's coffee
3435 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010

(213) 608-0464

Mon-Fri 6 am - 10 pm
Sat 8 am - 10 pm
Sun 8 am - 8 pm

http://www.tullyscoffeeshops.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/tullys-coffee-los-angeles-2

Delicious toasted bagel sandwich at Night toast cafe - Downtown, L.A.

2011-12-09T23:49:00.000-08:00

I normally don't go to cafe and eat just by myself, but sometimes, I just like to walk around and find new places. I knew about this place for a while, so I finally decided to try here because I had 50% off scout mob coupon. I got croissant and veggie sandwich, total was only $5.25 plus tax. I love scout mob. I left this place with happy face. And thank you for the very friendly service. Even it took a while to get my sandwich, still I was very happy.

I usually like to sit outside, but there is a bus stop right in front of the cafe (it's convenient, but also annoying at the same time), also I saw homeless walking by, so I sat down inside.

Almond croissant $2.49

yummy.

Veggie sandwich (with no cheese) $7.99
pesto, eggplant, mixed peppers, alfalfa sprouts

It comes with your choice of salad or potato salad, but they didn't have potato salad, so I got Mediterranean salad (olives, tomatoes, vinaigrette).

I asked if I can get my veggie sandwich with bagel toast instead of french roll, because that's what you should get here. Both sandwich and salad were tasty. I really like my toasted bagel sandwich.

menu

Rating (food): 4.2 / 5
Rating (service): 4 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Night toast cafe
653 S Spring St
Los Angeles, CA 90014

(213) 488-9944

Mon-Sat 9 am - 10 pm
Sun 9 am - 3 pm

http://nighttoast.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/night-toast-cafe-los-angeles

Mr Churro - Olvera street, Los Angeles

2011-12-09T02:34:00.000-08:00

Olvera street, aka little Mexico in L.A., just 5 minutes walk from Union Station. Custard and chocolate are two popular churros here, but I got other flavors.

half guava, half strawberry churro $3

strawberry was just like strawberry jam inside.

Rating (food): 3.5 / 5
Rating (service): 3.7 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Mr Churro
12 E Olvera St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 680-9036
Mon-Thu 9 am - 7 pm
Fri-Sun 9 am - 9 pm

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mr-churro-los-angeles-2

Nickel Diner - Downtown, L.A.

2011-12-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

Quick stop after Babycakes NY for donuts. I was thinking to get red velvet, maple bacon donuts and pop tarts, but I got Irish car bomb instead. That was more interesting to me.

food menu

Irish car bomb

I think it was $2.50. It wasn't too sweet as it looks, and it was soft and moist. I like it.

Rating (food): 3.5 / 5
Rating (service): 3 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Nickel Diner
524 S Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90013

(213) 623-8301

Tue-Sun 8 am - 3:30 pm
Tue-Sat 6 pm - 11 pm

http://www.nickeldiner.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/nickel-diner-los-angeles-2

Urban Fresh - Beverly Hills

2011-12-04T23:59:00.000-08:00

Newly opened little cute organic cafe in Beverly Hills. If you want a cafe with organic stuff, try here. I only had latte and haven't tried any food yet, but maybe next time. They do have four square check-in special, 15% off or 50% off coffee with purchase of pastry. Check four square for more details.

menu

Yes, this place has soy milk, half & half, and fat free!!

And not so many places has Agave nectar and organic sugar!

small latte $3

Urban Fresh
9679 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

(310) 275-4440

Mon-Fri 8 am - 6 pm
Sat 9 am - 5 pm

http://www.theurbanfresh.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/urban-fresh-beverly-hills

Semi sweet bakery - Downtown Los Angeles

2011-12-01T01:55:00.000-08:00

Newly opened bakery in Downtown, Los Angeles, just around the corner from Nickel Diner, and also Baby Cakes NYC. When I'm in the area, I like to stop by at Baby cakes and check out their day old 50% off pastries, then come here.

Pastries are reasonable (I hope they don't change the prices) and delicious. Most items are between $1-$3. Everything looks homemade and yummy. I was gonna try savory pie but sorry, no cheese for me. Too bad. And of course, maple bacon sticky buns, Ding-a-Lings, and pocket tarts, yes, that's what I have to get next time.

Red Velvet Ding-a-Lings $2.50

7 up pound cake

and here's my 7up pound cake $2
I'm gonna make this at home. LOVE it.

I forgot what this was, but some kind of cookie, and it was delicious. So tasty. $1.25.

Free cookies on grand opening day

Rating (food): 4.3 / 5
Rating (service): 3 / 5
Repeat: Yes

semi sweet bakery
105 E 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90013

(213) 228-9975

Tue-Thu, Sun 8 am - 4 pm
Fri-Sat 8 am - 6 pm

http://semisweetbakery.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/semi-sweet-bakery-los-angeles

Vegan Thanksgiving meal at Cafe Gratitude - Larchmont L.A.

2011-11-26T02:37:00.000-08:00

Cafe Gratitude is known for delicious organic and vegan food. I was very curious, what do they serve for Thanksgiving food? Sure they not gonna have any turkey or ham. Well, I just had to find out. Cafe Gratitude was serving free Thanksgiving meal to everyone. I got here around noon and this place was packed. Luckily, I was alone so I could be able to sat down right away. There were also live music. Food was great as always. I'm not a vegan, but I love food here. They serve pretty tasty vegan food.

CLICK HERE for pics from opening day.

Special Thanksgiving menu

Drink: Apple grape pomegranate spritzer

Butternut squash lentil sage loaf
Almond herb roasted green beans
Garlic mashed potatoes with olive oil, Shiitake crimini mushroom gravy

Mixed green salad with persimmons and fig balsamic dresing / pomegranate orange maple chutney

pumpkin pie

dessert menu

strawberry shortcake $8
This is the picture from the other day.

After thanksgiving meal at Cafe Gratitude, I stopped by at Baskin Robbins and got a free scoop of ice cream using my birthday offer. Ice cream was good, of course, but the scooper guy was rude.

Baskin Robbins Super soldier swirl

Then I stopped by at Baciami cafe and got a free cup of gelato, using some kind of promotional offer I had. Gelato here are very rich and creamy.

Baciami cafe grapefruit gelato

Rating (food): 5 / 5
Rating (service): 3.8 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Cafe Gratitude
639 N Larchmont Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90004

323-580-6383

Hours: 10am-10pm

http://www.cafegratitudela.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-gratitude-los-angeles