Ray's Sushi- Hayward, CA

"The most bang for your buck" sushi sounds preposterous (and I'm not going to lie. I had to look up the exact spelling of that word. Yeah, I almost failed spelling). Ok maybe that word is too harsh, but really? It makes me think of old smelly sushi that you buy from the non-Asian grocery store at 9 PM when they try to get rid of it by lowering the price.

ANYWAYS..Ray's Sushi. It was my first experience with Sushi back in the day when I was still scared to eat raw fish. It was well worth it. It's run by Chinese people, but don't be scared away by that. They offer FATTY pieces (fat like large, not unhealthy) of sashimi for the same price as any other decent Sushi joint. and their crunch rolls are to DIE for.

I don't think I've ever encountered a bad dish at this place. Rolls are good. Sushi/Sashimi is good, and so is the udon and tempura. we paid about $20/person and had leftovers. not bad.

Pizzeria Mozza- Los Angeles, CA

If any place can can seriously consider itself a "gourmet pizza shop," it's Pizzeria Mozza. First off, I'm totally enanamored by celebrities. Since Food Network is my weekend TV station of choice, I'm extremely familiar with Iron Chef, and the man known as Mario Batali.

So this is the Pizzeria that complements the always-packed Mozza. The menu at the Pizzeria is different, from what I know of Mozza so far, but still gourmet, and it's PIZZA created by Mario.

First, I didn't think a pile of green could actually be tasty, but it is. We had the Tricolore with Parmigiano Reggiano & anchovy dressing (don't be scared by anchovy. it's just essence-of) and the Rucola, Funghi, & Paive salads. Both really light and tasty. We were also recommended the Pane bianco with olio nuovo (basic bruschette) which I had assumed would come out with some kind of salsa/tomato thing. It actually just looked like 2 pieces of toast. But trust me. the $3 you pay for expensive toast is totally worth it. In the words of the recommender, it was "divine" and that's all truth.

The pizzeria has a number of pizza choices all fairly priced and all delicious looking. We had the Coach farm goat cheese, leeks, scallions, and bacon (bacon being key) which was REAL bacon, not the crap you get in carl's jr burgers. We also had the Pizza alla benno (speck- a type of prosciutto, pineapple, jalapeno, mozarello, and tomato). Again both divine on the thin crust. The Pizza alla benno was my fave since it resembles my favorite all time pizza (Hawaiian, if you didn't get that from the pineapple) only the alla benno pizza had a little kick with the jalapeno and some goodass proscuitto.

For dessert, we had the Butterscotch budino (pudding) with rosemary and pinenut cookies. It sounds very strange, and it was, but it tastes AMAZING. I also had the opportunity to try dessert over at Mozza, where I tried (wait for it..) the Olive Oil gelato with Rosemary muffins. again an OMG moment (but in a good way, not disbelief).

Anyways, if you're looking for celebrity chef-style food, but don't want to wait a month for reservations or fork up $$ for a meal, Pizzeria Mozza is definitely the place for a tasty bite at a decent price.

http://www.mozza-la.com/pizzeria/menu.cfm

Sea Empress- South Bay, Los Angeles

One food-type I miss in living in LA is the authentic Chinese food (and by authentic, that completely encompasses cheap.) Yes, you can argue that Monterey Park and Arcadia are around the corner, but I don't justify driving over 20 mins to get to my Chinese food. To narrow down even further, dimsum is only served for brunch/lunch and again I don't feel justified in going more than 20 mins. out of my way to find good dimsum. Trader Joe's dimsum just doesn't cut it sometimes, and spending more on gas than my food is even worse.

Finally, my point. Sea Empress (the sister restaurant to Empress Pavilion in Monterey Park or somewhere far like that) in the Gardena-area has amazing dimsum for super duper cheap. It's an average $2.85 for your classic dimsum dishes, and $4-something for the bigger dishes. They have everything from shrimp dumplings to chicken feet, all tasty and authentic. The only dish I'd stay away from is the Shaolong Bao, which if you're looking for a tasty Shaolong Bao (aka Juicy Pork Dumpling, aka Soup Dumpling) then refer to Din Tai Fung.

Anyways, go here for a VERY cheap and delicious mix of dimsum goodness that's more local to LA than Monterey Park or Arcadia. The cart ladies loved us so much they even hooked it up with a free noodle-thing. Another plus- they take AmEx.

Red Fort- Torrance, CA

This place was definitely nicer than any other Indian buffet place I've been to in LA. This is speaking strictly from the cleanliness/decor perspective. Food-wise it's definitely nicer than most, especially the fact the naan is made fresh, AND they offered garlic naan or plain naan. They also kept the Tandoori chicken wrapped in foil so it didn't dry out as much.

Now, I usually don't expect fantastic service at buffets in general, except for maybe the Bellagio buffet, where you literally pay for a higher quality of service, but the guy who seemed to be the manager or maybe the owner of the place really hooked it up. It might've helped that when we showed up, there was no one manning the front, and Sam and I walked around like losers trying to figure out if we could sit anymore (all tables were open except 1) and if we could just grab a plate and start eating. Or, if I whipped out a camera to take pictures of the set up/food, so he, thinking I was an actual food critic, hooked it up with extra attentive service, free mango lassi, and a few references to us being his "friends" (i.e. "Hello, friends. How is everything?" or "Friends, do you like your food spicy? You should try this salsa." How nice).


Well, I definitely stink from the curry and the garlic naan, but who can blame me. If you're willing to make the drive down from LA, it's definitely worth it.

Cafe Beaujolais- Eagle Rock, CA

Do I know how to pronounce that? No. But that's ok. The food was awesome. I haven't had too much experience with French food, and I don't often crave it, but every time I go, I'm impressed with the food in general (as a genre).

Cafe Beaujolais in particular is this super cute, quaint little French place (no crepes though). A fairly extensive menu (which I always forgot to take a photo of) which included soups, salads, seafood, land meats, pastas, and vegetarian dishes.

I was so hungry and anxious to dig in (like a true fatty) that I completely forgot to take a photo. We ordered this AMAZING goat cheese salad. Apparently they use a similar salad dressing on the goat cheese salad as the regular "mixed greens" salad, but it was delish, so who cares. No pic of le salad. BUT, here is my rack of lamb in all its glory (minus one rib which was eaten immediately).


I also sampled the filet mignon, which was served with a tasty gravy/jus. I'll go back to check out the steak and mushroom pasta. Also PLEASE remind me to not fill up on the bread. I'm horrible at that and then can hardly finish the entree portion of my meal!

A for taste. Oh, one downside which is accompanied with a story- so BF and I had a clear view of the front door, and we laughed at a guy who walked in carrying a sitting pillow. Shortly thereafter, we begin to realize our asscheeks hurt from the wooden seats which are sort of concave and definitely uncomfortable. If you don't have your own sitting pillow, maybe opt for the booths.

Hamada of Japan, Las Vegas

Forget Todai's. If the only reason why you go eat at those buffet sushi places is to kill the sushi, then go to Hamada instead. This place served up both sushi and rolls (no Sashimi unfortunately) and it was FRESH fish.

I've only tried one other restaurant that does the "all-you-can-eat to order," and that place CLEARLY packed on the rice so you'd get full faster. Plus, they made that lousy rule where if you have left over rice they'll charge you extra bucks. Whatever. Hamada of Japan also said if we don't finish our sushi they'd charge us as well, but at least they didn't pack on the rice!

Albeit they sorta messed up our order multiple times (like they gave us 8 albacore instead of 4 albacore, 4 yellowtail) it's not like it stopped you from ordering the yellowtail that was missing from your original order. Story- so BF really loves salmon. After our first sushi and roll plates, we order a second round of salmon- 4 orders (8 pieces) of salmon and some other variety of sushi. only 2 orders of salmon came out and we're all confused. It's not like they had a policy against how much you could order per order. Anyways, I think our waitress just thought that we couldn't finish it, so she cut our salmon order in half. No problemo..we ordered salmon 3 more times. Do not underestimate us.

Now the only draw to eating here is that the selection IS rather small. And for people with a sweet tooth, it's unfortunate they don't include ANY type of dessert in your buffet. It's a shame they didn't offer any green tea ice cream. I've sorta learned to expect it after eating loads of sushi. B+/A- for all-you-can-eat sushi.

K-Zo, Downtown Culver City

Ok, I'm not going to lie- Ever since I ate at Sushi Zo, I'm such a sushi snob. Unfortunately that means it's increasingly difficult to find an enjoyable sushi restaurant unless there's something unique that sets it apart (i.e., sparkling sake or something of the sort.)

Anyways, K-Zo. Located nearby, which is always a plus, and free parking. Again, a plus. Sushi wise, it was about average. I think I enjoyed their cooked dishes a bit more. We tried the steak, which was delicious, popcorn shrimp and popcorn chicken (Fried = Yum). And also the softshell crab. I mean you can't really mess-up fried food, but hey, if it tastes good than that's always additional brownie points.

They also had some interesting drinks. The best I saw, was the self-squeeze grapefruit soju drink. If you're willing to put a little work into it, it's worth it. Fresh grapefruit in soju is pretty tasty, and now you know it's fresh.

Overall, I'd probably rate it a B-. Cute decor, cute drink ideas, but if you're really looking for some good sushi, try Sushi Zo instead.

Yummy Cupcakes, Santa Monica, CA

I'm really only commenting on the Red Velvet cupcake, which I unfortunately demolished before I could snap a pic. The other cupcakes weren't nearly as good as the moist, creamcheese-frosted red velvet from Yummy Cupcakes. Screw Sprinkles. This place beats all the others, for sure.

I can't find a picture of it online, so I'm including the website and another fun Yummy Cupcake picture. www.yummycupcakes.com



Alice- We have another one on our list when you guys come down.

Sushi Zo, Los Angeles, CA

I've passed this place so many times, and I never think to eat there. First of all, if you know anything about my area, asian food does NOT abound. Secondly, how much should I really trust a sushi restaurant that's neighboring a Mexican Taco Plus and shares a shopping center with Papa Johns and Vons. How snooty am I being?

Sushi Zo. So I don't really have words to describe it, except to say it's the best sushi I've ever tasted. Each piece is served alone (one piece per place per person), and can be as crazy as uni & noodles to something as ordinary as salmon. But what really blows my mind is how fresh the fish is. They must've JUST killed each fish as they were serving it because there was not even a hint of age in anything that we ate.

Another interesting twist in dining- Omakase-style (chef just busts out whatever he feels like). they tell you how to eat the fish. And for those of you who hate taking direction on your foods..trust me it's HELLSA worth it this time. I think I used soy sauce maybe twice through the entire meal. Most of the fish was so fresh or so perfectly matched with another flavor (lemon, ponzu, pepper, etc.) that there was no need to use soy sauce. Lastly, they top off the evening with THE MOST AMAZING blue crab roll I've ever tasted. Seriously. THE BEST. (MAN I wish I sucked up the embarrassment and took pictures. Now I have reason to buy a new camera)

one con- Now, I was fortunate enough to go for business, but I hear that it can be quite pricey, especially if you make it full circle around the menu of fish.

valuable learnings (as we call them at work!)- Did you know the correct way to eat sushi is fish side down (rice side up) so that you get the full flavor of the fish on your tongue? BRILLIANT.

Craft, Century City, CA

Unfortunately, I was unable to snap shots since it was a business dinner, but definitely worth a few mins to discuss. This is what I remember eating...

First courses:

• Oysters: So apparently, the smaller the oyster, the sweeter it is (sweeter being better-tasting). My very first time eating a raw oyster...and it wasn't that bad! And I actually chewed it. I think they were called Kushi oysters.
  
• Crab Gratin: good. cheesey.
  

Main Course:

• NY strip steak. eh. (sad huh?)

Sides:

• baby broccoli
• asparagus
• another kind of gratin (just potatoes this time)
• assorted mushrooms
• polenta

My only comment here is that it was all very boring

Dessert:

• Apple pie crisp. nothing special.
• Waffles and ice cream. again, nothing special (but the ice cream was GOOD!)
• Mango Shortcake: interesting concept...maybe mangos aren't in season yet?
  
• Donuts: these were the best tasting doughnuts i've EVER tasted. not too sweet, not too fried, and super fluffy. YUM!

Ok, so really the only thing i enjoyed was the wine and the donuts. It was definitely nothing compared to the Las Vegas Craftsteak which was INCREDIBLE. I was sad, but at least it wasn't on my dime!

BTW- Father's Office

Father's Office, Culver City, LA (um, can we say "walking distance from jess's apt")

supposedly now open! very exciting, and very hungry. supposedly new and improved menu, as well as bigger space. i'm stoked. and i'll save on gas.

Updates to come...

Apple Pan- West LA, CA

Another burger post!

The thing that sets these burgers apart from the rest are the "hickory" flavor. It's not in every dish (they also have regular burgers, tuna sandwiches, etc), but it's just so flavorful with that hickory taste. Also, note the size of that apple pie slice. They pour some kind of syrup or sauce on it too that's barely noticeable, but it mixed with the (handmade?) vanilla ice cream to make your pie a la mode and it's the end to a very complete all-american meal. A+ for the service too. I never had to refill my own ketchup (and if you know me well, you know I'm disgusting with the amount of ketchup i eat with my fries. I love the stuff, OK?!) There's so much more I could rave about this place, so I'll let the pictures explain the rest.

Matsuwa vs Nijiya - Los Angeles, CA

I don't know when the sudden obsession with Japanese desserts started, but it was definitely sudden. In any case, Sam and I went totally overboard with the purchases. See pictures for reference.

Nijiya
I blame the milk tea bars for the start of it all, now that I think about it. I don't know WHAT it is about them, but they flavor is mellow (not too sweet, not too bitter), and may even taste better than the boba-version. The consistency is perfect, and not too creamy, and definitely would be a fantastically cooling treat in the summer days. And they are small (as most Japanese things are) so they do not make you feel fat. Unfortunately, only Nijiya market carries them.

Matsuwa

A Japanese market on a bigger scale. These guys have what we THOUGHT were milk tea bars, but really they were only milk bars. It literally tasted like someone had put milk and sugar in a mold and froze it. Not as bad as it sounds. Also, don't get the green tea ice cream bars covered in white chocolate. UNtasty.

You can find the Melon bars and that wierd brand of ice cream that makes flavors such as Red Bean and Lychee (with Lychee bits in it!) at almost any asian market except maybe the Ranch 99's, but if you haven't tried those yet, you have not lived. Looks like my sweet tooth is back!

Chloe- Santa Monica, CA

I'm usually not a fan of those niche, funky bars. Nor do I enjoy those dimly lit, swanky places either. But there's a hidden bar recently discovered by my co-worker that I found worthy of a review.

If you don't know what Kir Royal is, please come to LA so I can show you. I'm already a big fan of Champagne, but the way Chloe makes it- Champagne plus a little Chambord (which I also already love) - makes a really tasty drink. Beware- drink slowly.

Also newly discovered favorite food- smoked salmon sandwich with thinly sliced cucumbers and red onions. And you're probably wondering if my breath stunk from the onions. Well, they were so thinly sliced that you could barely taste them. They definitely complemented the overall taste of the sandwich. Man, I love smoked salmon.

Note- if you have a craving for a Father's Office burger, but the line is too long, head over to Chloe's for a similar-tasting, but slightly smaller version. I've never had to fight for a table, and the place is filled with little couches and benches. Cozy.

B+ for bar food, A for drinks

Ruth's Chris Steak House; Beverly Hills, CA

The only expectation I had going into Ruth's Chris Steak House was that it was expensive food. Boyfriend and I got lucky and found that they were participating in DineLA restaurant week (http://dinela.com/) which, if steak was included in the pre fixe menu, automatically made this a good deal.

Menu (of items sampled)

• Bread & Butter

I'm the kind of person that goes into a restaurant starving, and then I load up on bread and butter and have no room for the main course. I have sinned again. The bread was piping hot, so I HAD to eat at least 3 pieces.

• Appetizer: Ahi Tuna & Steak House Salad

There was no steak on the Steak House Salad, but the croutons were good. I was actually expecting it to be a bit more fancy, so I was disappointed by the salad. However, the Ahi Tuna was a hit. 8 fatty pieces of tuna lightly seared, and very tasty.

• Main: Petite Filet

It wasn't really petite (yay!). We were expecting some tiny little cut of meat, but I think it was anywhere between 6-8 oz of steak. And of course, it was cooked in butter. I wish I had picture to post, but since we were sitting at the bar, it seemed sort of awkward at the time.

• Sides: Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Spinach

I don't prefer cooked spinach. I really like it fresh, like in a salad Anyways, I could've done without the creamed spinach. The mashed potatoes, however, were incredible. Smooth, but not so smooth that you think it came out of a box. It definitely complemented the steak.

• Dessert: Raspberry Sorbet, Cheesecake, Apple Pie

Story- so they were out of the bread pudding, which I REALLY wanted to try, so the bartender said I could just substitute with an item from the normal dessert menu. So, Andrew picked the cheesecake, and I at first ordered the sorbet. After hearing about the apple pie option, I quickly changed my mind. The sorbet came out first, and after some speculation as to whether or not the bartender heard me change my mind, I took a bite of it thinking he just didn't hear my order. And then both the cheesecake and apple pie come out, of course looking delicious. Now, these aren't just ordinary slices of pie and cake (think Thanksgiving dessert). These were full on personal sized pies and cakes. Realizing their mistake, we actually got our desserts included in the pre fixe price without having to pay for the third dessert. Sweet.

Then randomly, the guy next to us asked if he could try a bite of boyfriend's cheesecake. So we cut him a piece :)

Definitely an A+ restaurant. The bartenders were really cool, and we were sitting RIGHT in front of the flat screen TV which was showing ESPN highlights, so it was a good experience overall. Unfortunately, I will be cutting out mass quantities of beef from my diet per my expanding waistline's request, so it was a good meal to end with.

Ugo, Downtown Culver City

I don't really think it's hard to make good spaghetti. I'll be the first kid to let everyone know her mama made the best spaghetti she's ever tasted. AND my mama is Chinese.

Anyways, Ugo. "A-" to the calamari. The boyfriend really got me into calamari, and now I have a few key points to judge calamari by: crunch, taste, amount of batter, size, and dipping sauce. Everything about it was good. You don't even need the marinara sauce, it was so tasty.

The pasta was a C-. I think even I could make better pasta. I had the Lasagne and boyfriend had the Rigatoni with meat sauce. Both were kinda tasteless and the portions were very small for the price of a dish (avg about $13-14 for pasta.) Atleast for my Lasagne, it was almost too sour for me. My salad also had hardly any vinegarette.

They did have some interesting cafe-like dishes and drinks that would probably be more authentic than the actual meals. They even have a wide variety of gelato ice cream (but don't come here for gelato! Sales pitch to come...) Anyways, it is what it is, an Italian cafe.

P.S. Angelato in Santa Monica (3rd St Promenade) has literally over 100 flavors, ALL delicious. My uncle owns the place, so help out his business!

The Shack, Santa Monica

Let's be honest, there's not much to distinguish one burger from another except the things you put inside of it. Apart from in-and-out, which by far is the best-tasting classic burger, most burgers are either too expensive or not tasty enough.

I visited the Shack last night, and of course, had the Shack Burger. I've been there once before, and just ordered the Turkey Burger, which my co-workers swore was better than most, but it wasn't. So this time, I ordered the Shack Burger with grilled onions. It was good, but only because they put a hotlink in it. Yes, a hot link. The best of junk food combined into one.

I didn't notice anything else on the menu that really struck me as special, so I'd say the only reason to go is for happy hour and for the Shack Burger. I don't know that I'd bother with any of the other food items on the menu.

Non-food related: We went for a late dinner on Friday (about 8:15/8:30) and of course, the place is packed. The one waiter and one waitress that worked there were super nice, but of course, I'm going to have to say service is slow because there's just not enough hands to help.

http://www.shacksm.com/

La Frite, Woodland Hills

I don't have that much experience with French food. I am, however, familiar with what escargot is. And after getting over the initial fear of eating a bug covered in garlic, it's actually not that bad. Really garlicy, and sorta chewy like a squid.

I had the Sunday night special, which was Swordfish and Salmon on a skewer, some veggies, and a really good pilaf. I usually don't like Salmon, but it was very well cooked, not too dry, and not too heavily seasoned. The Swordfish, (which I think was prepared slightly raw?) was so moist that it was like eating huge chunks of Spam. Ray ordered the mussels. We're not talking like 10-12 pieces..it was an entire pho-sized bowl of mussels in a tasty soup for less than $20. I will try that next time. The prices of the entrees in general are reasonable (Sunday night special was $18.50) and the portions are definitely not skimpy.

Save room for dessert! Like the few French restaurants that I've been to, the dessert selection at La Frite was plentiful, ranging from the typical carrot cakes to the liquor souffles (takes 20 mins to prepare.) I opted for the original Chocolate Souffle, which isn't quite as I remember, but still 100% better than any American dessert.

Vegas's best buffets

Even without the influence from the boyfriend, I rate Bellagio's buffet #1. Variety is enough so that it's not overwhelming, and there never seems to a crowd once you get inside. The flow of the place is amazing and there's never really a line except to get inside the restaurant (Which can sometimes be upward of 2 hours. Thumbs down). Also, service is amazing and you'll rarely have an empty drink or too many trashed plates. Make sure to tip your waitress!

Prime Rib? CHECK. Crab legs? CHECK, and already sawed in half for easy meat, and thus, no worries of stabbing one's self with nasty claws and spines. Then there's always the shrimp cocktail, pizza, small sushi bar (they had urchin?!), and other grilled meats (I've seen buffalo and lamb, to name a few.) All very decent, and surprisingly good for a buffet. Desserts are always tasty, but the fruit tarts are the best if they decide to make an appearance. Also can't discount bananas foster and bread pudding.

Brunch is also offered on the weekends, and for extra dollars, you can get the Champagne. Definitely worth it if you're not Alice who passes out on the table from too much drinking.

Stay away from...

1. Circus Circus buffet. Now, I haven't actually been there since I was in my early teens, maybe even younger than that, but it's got to be the nastiest food available. And PLEASE stay away from the fake Chinese food.
   
2. Planet Hollywood buffet (used to be Aladdin). It's still called something like "5 Spices from Around the World" and has 5 different stations (Asian, Mid-Eastern, American, Mexican, and Italian). It's a heck of a lot of food, too much if you ask me, and it's all not very good. They should've just concentrated their efforts to make one really good spice. Also, waitresses liked to cop an attitude. Thumbs down.
3. Wynn's buffet. This is arguable. I've actually never been, but I hear it's the same as Bellagio but more expensive. If I ever have the money to fork up for the dinner, I'll compare it again Bellagio and repost.
   

If the Bellagio buffet line is too long, I suggest Treasure Island's buffet, which is not bad, and much, much cheaper than Bellagio. They have an amazing dessert selection, which, to my sweet tooth, is heaven. To prevent customers from shutting them down, they use the line system to serve you food. Thus, you could be waiting for a few minutes to get a new plate of food (good for the restaurant, horrible for the eater). But a good second choice if the Bellagio line is out of control.

Food Reflections 2007

Top Pick: Furaibo

Location: West LA

Necessities: Extra Spicy Chicken Wings

Pros: The food, obviously. I don't think I've ever had better-tasting chicken wings with $9 pitchers of beer.  Anyways, you can never turn down the food.  It's that good.

Cons: There's way too much stuff on the menu to try all of it, and get your fill of the necessities.

Runner-up: Northwoods Inn. Known for their meat, they also have an addictive cheese toast, cabbage and blue cheese salad, and rice pilaf.  Support small steakhouses!!

Best New Restaurants (aka Too Expensive to Revisit frequently, but totally tasty)

1.  Yamashiro (Best view, and best raw foods.)

2.  Porterhouse Bistro (Best pre-fixe menu for $40. Steak, wine, sides, dessert.  Amen!)

4.  CraftSteak (This was the first time I've ever had REAL kobe beef, and wow.)

5.  The Lobster (There's 2 months out of the year where Spiny Lobster is in season. I recommend going when they have the Spiny and can grill it. Also recommend- the French Fries with Truffles.)

Best Hole-in-the-wall: Ramenya

Get the Tan Tan Men (Spicy, Pork & Egg Drop Soup and Ramen) to cure a hangover or just experience really good soup and noodles.

Best Burger: Father's Office

Some people don't even consider the Office Burger a burger, since it looks more like a sandwich, but compared to the other $13 burgers from those other fancy restaurants, you'll definitely understand why Father's Office is worth the freakish waiting line. Also consider the ample beers, ales, and cidars all on tap, as well as the yam fries & garlic dip.  But be warned, definitely causes smelly burps.

Runner-up: Apple Pan (Try the smoked burger for a different flavor)