Fabiolus dineLA Friday.

Bigoli al Granchio.

We had a girls lunch last Friday at the Fabiolus Cafe in Hollywood. Off the dineLA menu, I had a chance to try the Calamaretti Fritti- "Lightly fried calamari, rings only served with spicy tomato sauce", Zuppa di Cavoli "Velvety cauliflower soup with shaved parmigiano cheese", Bigoli al Granchio "Homemade thick rustic spaghetti with Crab meat, basil, garlic and onions in a spicy tomato, brandy and cream sauce", and the Tiramisu.

Gnocchi Radicchio e Salsiccia.

Everything was delicious. This was the thickest spaghetti I've ever had but the balance of crab meat and sauce was exquisite. I had a bite of the Gnocchi Radicchio e Salsiccia "Homemade Italian style potato dumpling with red radicchio and sausage in garlic and olive oil sauce" and it was also quite good.

Dessert didn't disappoint either. Tiramisu was alcohol-free which was good news for me, and the ricotta cheesecake was yummy too. All in all, a great dineLA purchase, for $16 too. We'll be back in October!



Fabiolus Café
6270 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Tiramisu.

Ricotta Cheesecake.

Lauren's Fine Home Cooking.

Cheers, Lauren! Your whole wheat spaghetti, meatballs from scratch and tomatoes with mozarella  was truly a meal to remember. It was an honor and a privilege being there for it. Mm mm...

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