Sanamluang Café.

BBQ Duck Flat Noodle Soup.

Tasty, inexpensive Thai food! I was in the mood for some good soup noodles on Chinese New Year so I ordered the BBQ Duck Flat noodle Soup (with beef broth?). The BBQ duck was especially delicious. It came in a huge bowl and was very flavorful. all for only $7! They have good Thai tea too, but make sure to drink it before the slushy ice part melts.

My friend Keith also recommends the Spicy Beef Noodle, it's his usual. According to Yelpers, their Pad See Ewe and Satay are also awesome.

Plenty of chances to eat here too since they're open 'til 3:30 am! Hooray for a late night dining option in Hollywood!

Sanamluang Café
5176 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Forage.

Citrus agua fresca, mac & cheese, potato gratin, and cheesecake.

(Thanks to Alyx and Mac for recommending this for the blog and also for good eats and good times.)

Forage is easy to miss as you're strolling along the hipster infested Sunset strip in Silver Lake, but stop by and you won't be disappointed. With farm fresh and organic fare, the banquet is laid out right in front of you at the counter. I decided to get a drink and sample some sides and a dessert.

 I started with a citrus and blood orange agua fresca, sides of their potato gratin with gruyere and stinging nettles, homemade mac & cheese, and berry cheesecake. My cashier remarked that I had just ordered the best items in their restaurant, but I was about to find out for myself.

The agua fresca was so citrusy fresh, one sip of it made my friend order one to go.

As for the Potato gratin, the stinging nettle texture was interesting and the overall taste was good, but even for me, I think it was potato overload.

The mac & cheese side was definitely the star of the sides. The breadcrumbs on top were so crispy and the cheese was not overpowering the perfect macaroni. I would've liked some bacon and peas added to it, but even without it, it's pretty darn good. However, it doesn't beat my all-time favorite mac & cheese dish at Kitchen 24.

And finally, the berry cheesecake. It was so exquisitely soft and fluffy, the lightest cheesecake I've had with just the right amount of cream and fresh berries on top. A sweet way to end a good meal.

When I do come back to Forage though, I think I'll try an entree and their cream puff. Just a taste of the cream puff convinced me that it's the best dessert on the menu, if not their tastiest item. Watch out, Forage. All your cream puffs are belong to me.


Forage
3823 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Kitchen 24
1608 N Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Keungama Tofu House vs. Young Dong Tofu.

Now THIS is the color the soup is supposed to be.

Final Edit 3/16/2012 and a follow up to my first Soon Doo Boo entry.)

We inadvertently stumbled across one of the best Soon Doo Boo places before Dr. Who Burlesque! I ordered the kimchi and beef as usual, and the soup was PERFECT. It even came with fancy rice, similar to Japanese hijiki rice. One of the sides was surprisingly, steamed egg, which was also delicious. Everything for $9, with friendly service and a great atmosphere. I also recommend the miso soup broth as an alternative to the usual.

Young Dong Tofu.

3/16/2012: Now that I've been to Young Dong Tofu again and even had their spicy pork, I can say with confidence that Keungama Tofu House is the winner of all the Soon Doo Boo places I've tried. Although Young Dong is still a good place if you're in the San Gabriel-Arcadia area.

But I'll be back, Keungama house... I'll be back.

> Keungama Tofu House
 3020 Wilshire Blvd
#119
Los Angeles, CA 90010


> Young Dong Tofu
1311 S Baldwin Ave
Ste B
Arcadia, CA 91006

Bottega Louie.

I was only here for a Macaron run, but I was pretty impressed by the decor and dessert bar. I tried a green tea macaron and I daresay it was the best I've had. $3 a piece. The Earl grey macaron is blue with gold flecks, so pretty.

I'd brave downtown LA just to come back here for an actual meal. (I have my eye on you, Portobello fries...) but for now, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Macaron counter.

Rows and rows of Macarons.

Bottega Louie
700 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90017

 

Pailin Thai.

Pad Thai with pork.

Wednesday: Ventured into Thai Town for some good Thai after learning of the unfortunate closure of Fat Sushi and ended up at Pailin Thai.

Pad Thai with pork- not the best, but not bad. Great price though, around $6. Enough leftovers for another meal.

Their soup with dumplings, however was excellent. A friend recommended their BBQ pork over rice. Their Thai iced coffee and Thai iced tea are also amazing but the longan drink is strangely sugary.

I'll probably go back here if I'm jonesing for cheap Thai food, but I might be more tempted to revisit Thai Patio, my go-to Thai restaurant in Thai Town because everything I've had there is excellent (fried rice & pad see ewe).

Pailin Thai
5621 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Thai Patio
5273 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027

dineLA 2012

3 course meals at a special price at all the best restaurants? Count me in.
I've wanted to participate in dineLA before but have not as of yet.
So many choices...

dineLA participating restaurants
Jan 22-27, 2012
Jan 29- Feb 3, 2012

Huckleberry Ferry.

Fried Egg Sandwich.

Maple Bacon Biscuit.

Huckleberry in Santa Monica was a Saturday brunch experience like no other. I usually don't have patience for being in a half hour line snaking through the restaurant and out the door, not to mention you're not allowed to get a table until your entire party is there and have ordered... but if the food's really good, it's worth the wait in the end.

The bakery/restaurant makes their own bread, pastries and desserts, which are all right up front for you to drool over as you make your order. I had the fried egg sandwich with runny sunny side up eggs, perfect bacon, gruyere, arugala and aioli, and also their signature maple bacon biscuit. Both were very yummy but neither of these can compare to their Prosciutto gruyere croissant and Blueberry tart. These two bakery items gave me a touch of the dizzies, the food high. And it is for these two things that I'll be back.

Great food in the $9-$12 range for a meal, around $4 for items from the bakery.

Later that night I visited the Sawtelle block and ate at Hurry Curry of Tokyo and had some red bean boba at Volcano Tea House. Both were pretty good, but I was surprised Volcano did not carry soymilk. Otherwise, their boba was perfectly chewy and delicious and they had huge drink selection. Next time, I'm trying the Oolong milk tea and waiting patiently for the Ramen Jinya to open down the street.

Huckleberry
1014 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Hurry Curry of Tokyo
2131 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025

Volcano Tea House
2111 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025

Ramen Jinya
11239 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604 

The Best Sushi in LA. (1/18/2012- NOW CLOSED FOREVER! R.I.P.)

Fat Sushi Combo with Sashimi & Cali Rolls.

Incredible sushi for incredible prices. I visited Fat Sushi on Friday with some friends and was impressed.

Don't be fooled by its unassuming strip mall location- Fat Sushi really delivers. The restaurant  has a nice atmosphere and friendly service, and the soy sauce even comes in those cute, authentic Japanese jars.

The menu is organized by Roll Type- Salmon, Eel, and Tuna. Even if some categories overlap, this is brilliant for people who know exactly what they like.

Sashimi side order.

All these little touches are great but the food... oh my goodness. When they say "fat", they mean it. You can find the most generous, freshest portions of sushi here. 

On Friday, besides the sashimi, I also tried their vegetable gyoza (tasty) and Red Dragon Roll- salmon outside, spicy tuna inside. Everything tasted amazing, including their huge California Rolls. That's when I knew we had found a gem, the best Sushi in LA. I can't wait to go back.


p/s: Lunch includes complimentary edamame to start and fried vanilla ice cream balls drizzled in chocolate for dessert. Can't beat that. <3

Fat Sushi
6248 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Soon Doo Boo.

Tofu Village's Kimchi Soon Doo Boo.

It's not baby talk, but rather the name for "Korean spicy tofu stew". This dish has recently become a favorite of mine after visiting Tofu Village in Houston's Chinatown.

Soon doo boo meals consist of spicy tofu soup simmering in a stone bowl, rice, and various side dishes typical to Korean restaurants. It also comes with an egg that you're supposed to crack yourself and add to the bowl to cook. As for level of spiciness, I usually ask for mild because I'm a sissy, but nevertheless, the secret is to either ask for the kimchi soup or to add your own kimchi. Your tastebuds will thank you as they savor the concoction of spice perfection.

So far, the best Soon Doo Boo spot I've found is in San Gabriel, Young Dong Tofu- great soup and amazing spicy BBQ pork (the best I've had) side combo, all for $15.

Beverly Soon Tofu is the only Soon Doo Boo I've tried in Koreatown. They've been rated well on Yelp and weren't bad- $9 for a kimchi with beef soon doo boo, with enough for a second meal's worth of leftovers for me.

Beverly's Kimchi & Beef.

Tasty pickled potato and cucumbers!

However, the search for the best Soon Doo Boo in the area continues...


Tofu Village
9889 Bellaire Blvd
Houston, TX 77036

Young Dong Tofu
1311 S Baldwin Ave
Ste B
Arcadia, CA 91066

Beverly Soon Tofu
2717 W Olympic Blvd
Ste 108
Los Angeles, CA 90006