Gottsui got-a-me.

(Wow, I really do eat a lot of Japanese food...) Gottsui IS the best okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) spot. (Suck it, Glowfish truck, I'm still angry at you for making me wait 50 minutes for my food without so much as an apology.)

Cheese Potato.

Let's cut to the chase. Order the Cheese potato- potato, shrimp, eggs and grilled cheese with ketchup and mayo = HEAVEN your mouth. I could order two of those for a meal and be perfectly happy. It literally made me shed tears of joy.

For my first time, I decided to play it safe and order the Gottsui Okonomiyaki, which has shrimp, pork, egg, squid, and potato. See for yourself, it's gloriously delicious. I really don't have anything else to say, after writing this I'm gonna go get some more. And probably a side of karaoke at Max.

> GOTTSUI OKONOMIYAKI!
2119 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025

Eyy girl, I brought you some Daichan.

Fried Hawaiian Chicken & Hijiki Rice.

 Daichan is another one of our regular haunts because everything on their extensive menu is delicious. This is truly Japanese soul food at its best, and when you look at all the traditional Japanese knickknacks and paintings covering ever part of its walls, you get the impression your own Japanese grandma is making food for you in the kitchen.

Have some hot tea when you sit down! Lots to choose from for only a dollar each and free refills! My favorite is the Hoji cha for that roasted taste. As for appetizers, their veggie gyoza is delicious and so is their potato croquette. They have Hawaiian Poki bowls, which are favorites of my coworkers, piping hot udon, and rice plates, which is what I ordered the last time I was there.

The Fried Hawaiian chicken is my favorite of all the things I've gotten at Daichan. Perfectly crispy yet juicy, and it comes with a side of noodle salad, veggies, rice (order their special Hijiki rice, tasty brown rice cooked with seaweed), and a watermelon slice. It's a lot of food, definitely worth the price, plus your mouth will be thanking you.

Dorayaki!

I always get dessert here because Daichan has made me a Dorayaki fiend. The Japanese pancake with a red bean center is heated up perfectly and makes me dizzy with joy as I eat it. I'm also sure their Japanese cheesecake is just as wonderful, but I have yet to pull away from my Dorayaki to try it.

Extremely friendly service, cute atmosphere, amazing food... Daichan will always have a special place in my heart.

> Daichan
11288 Ventura Blvd
Ste F
Studio City, CA 91604

Eat at Linn's.

If you're looking for a place to grab some noms around the Hearst Castle area, you should definitely stop by Linn's in the small town of Cambria. We thankfully discovered it by chance.

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche.

There was a little wait, but it was worth it since we could sit by their cute bakery and have some coffee. Our server was very friendly and commended us on our choices- the Hearst burger made with free-roaming cattle raised at the Hearst Ranch, and the spinach-mushroom quiche for me. They were extra-freaking-delicious. Until this day Mike won't stop reminiscing about this burger and my quiche was perfectly fluffy and flavorful. I'm convinced it's the best quiche I've ever had.

According to Yelp, other things to try here are the Four Cheese Macaroni (with cheddar, asiago, mozzarella, parmesan, red bell pepper, bacon), Salmon quiche, Crab Eggs Benedict, and ollalieberry lemonade.

> Linn's Restaurant
2277 Main St
Cambria, CA 93428

Sushi Hiroba. (NOW CLOSED)

Meanwhile, on the search for the best sushi in LA...

We tried Sushi Hiroba for Valentine's via a Groupon-type thing. It wasn't a bad experience but the sushi and its portion sizes could have been better.

Seven Samurai Roll.

What this restaurant really has going for it is atmosphere- dark wood decor, conveyor belt bar with cute, colorful plates (they sometimes put food on), specialty rolls with movie and pop culture themes.

Mike had the Seven Samurai roll- Panko shrimp, spicy tuna & jalapeno topped with albacore, tuna, avocado and a mountain of crispy onions with swet garlic ponzu. It was only a little better than the overpriced Marilyn Monroe salmon roll I ordered at the recommendation of our server (meh).

Green Tea Tempura Ice cream.

What we truly enjoyed was their green tea tempura ice cream. It was just as tasty as it looked, incredible.

We probably won't be back here unless there's another online offer, although I'm tempted to come back for more ice cream...


> Sushi Hiroba
776 Vine St
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Ramen Jinya, all the time, ya.

Tonkatsu Black Special.

Ramen Jinya is hands down my favorite Ramen joint- authentic, food high-inducing deliciousness. Nothing beats their Tonkatsu Black Special: Pork broth with pork chashu, spinach, green onions, fried onions, dried seaweed, garlic oil, and special flavored runny egg (heaven in your mouth). I usually like pairing that with their iced matcha green tea.

Tan Tan men.

That's my usual, but a few visits ago I wasn't feeling like ramen so I tried their Tan Tan men, their spicy no soup ramen (originated in Sichuan- Noodles with rich spicy sauce, minced pork, ground prok, Tokyo negi, bokchoy, red bell pepper, and chilli oil). It is a definitely a tasty alternative to their broth ramen.

However, DO NOT, BY ANY MEANS, ORDER THEIR VEGETABLE POTAGE RAMEN- thick soup with a salad forest on top. Just don't do it, there are may more ramen dishes worthy of your palate here- like the Tonkatsu Red, the spicy version of the Tonkatsu Black special. $10.50 is a small price to pay for ramen heaven.

> Ramen Jinya
5174 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(also coming soon to Sawtelle!)

 p/s: At the time of this entry, I have been to Ramen Jinya almost once a week for the past 2 months and I'm so glad I plan to go again today because writing this entry has been torture.

My Habit, The Habit.

The burger business is booming- just take a look around Hollywood! But pricier and fancier doesn't always equal better, and that's where burgers at The Habit come in. Their basic Charburger with pickles, mayo, melted cheese, fresh tomato and lettuce on their juicy beef patty with carmelized onions hits the spot every time. And as a bonus, their onion rings are perfectly crispy! I'm sure we know how hard it is to find onion rings that don't come apart when you sink your teeth into them... The Habit also has shakes and malts, which I hear are also top notch.

Whenever I don't feel like joining the crowds at In-n-Out, you'll find me here. The Habit has definitely become my burger habit.

> Habit Burger
(Multiple locations!)
103 E Alameda Ave.
Burbank, CA 91502