los angeles - koreatown: heung rae gak

tommy goes for some korean-style chinese food at heung rae gak in ktown...


ddakwan and onions with black bean sauce
cabbage kimchee


seafood jjampong


gan jajangmyun (noodles with black bean sauce)

tommy says: the kimchee was nice, spicy, and crunchy, the jampong broth wasn't bad, and the gan jajangmyun had a thick and oniony sauce and was decent as well (regular jajangmyun looked to be a little runny). not a bad place to get your fix of koreanized-chinese food and definitely beats the dragon on vermont!

heung rae gak

357 s western ave

los angeles, ca 90020

(213) 383-0178

los angeles: 3rd stop

tommy drops by the 3rd stop...


mac & cheese


lamb meatballs with tzatziki


blue cheese and mushroom burger

tommy says: the burger hardly had any blue cheese on it and was just so-so; the meat lacked seasoning. meatballs and mac & cheese were ok. service was incredibly friendly and atmosphere was nice yet laid back! great place to hang out for drinks and maybe a couple of munchies, but maybe not a full meal.

3rd stop
8636 w 3rd st

los angeles, ca 90048

(310) 273-3605

san gabriel valley - arcadia: phoenix food boutique

tommy finds fantastic sweets at phoenix in arcadia...


fresh mango and soy custard


deep fried mini sweet buns

tommy says: absolutely heavenly!! the custard dish ($3.75) is absolutely amazing! fresh mango with tiny tapioca pearls and soy custard makes for an incredible combination! the deep fried buns ($4.25) are not too sweet and the inside is chewy. they come with sweetened condensed milk to dip the buns, so good!

phoenix food boutique
1108 s baldwin ave
arcadia, ca 91007
(626) 446-7668
http://www.phoenixfoodboutique.com/

culver city: cantaloop

tommy tries cantaloop in culver city...


natural with mochi

tommy says: yogurt was ok, but the mochi tasted funny. also tried the mango, which was ok as well. yogurtland is still the favorite for variety and tasty flavors (and self-serve!), while pinkberry reigns for original/natural/plain, though it has a more creamy than icy texture.

cantaloop
3835 main st
culver city, ca 90232
http://www.cantaloopyogurt.com/

west la: napa valley grille

tommy nibbles on the happy hour specials at napa valley grille in westwood...


sliders


tomato, prosciutto, and mushroom pizza


fish & chips with balsamic aioli

tommy says: sliders weren't bad, $2 each and your choice of cheddar, blue, or mozzarella cheese. pizza would be something to pass on - the crust tasted like a microwave oven pizza. bleh. fish & chips were passable, but not particularly noteworthy. during happy hour (daily from 3-7pm, then again 9pm-12am) wine and well drinks are $6 and beers are $4. napa valley grille brings in an older crowd that is a bit more polished. not quite the fun or hip atmosphere that a happy hour usually brings out, but then again, fun can be had anywhere with the right company!

napa valley grille
1100 glendon ave, ste 100
los Angeles, ca 90024
(310) 824-3322
http://www.napavalleygrille.com

los angeles - koreatown: loft

tommy chills at loft in ktown...


pumpkin shaved ice
red bean shaved ice


sweet lady jane triple berry cake

tommy says: the pumpkin shaved ice was interesting and was like a pureed butternut squash. red bean shaved ice was good. both shaved ices had ice cream, mochi, a variety of fruit, and are big enough to share. not a fan of sweet lady jane in general, so the cake did nothing for me; it was too dense and dry.

loft
3882 w 6th st
los angeles, ca 90020
(213) 383-3006

los angeles - koreatown: honey pig

tommy breaks a sweat from the heat at honey pig in ktown...


chadol


spicy pork ribs





fried rice made from the leftovers

tommy says: pretty good, but get ready to sweat! the heat and grease splatter from the giant sombrero shaped pan will make you glisten. chadol, samgyupsal, and the pork ribs were tasty. left over chadol and samgyupsal are mixed with kimchee, bean sprouts, and rice to make a greasy fried rice.

honey pig
3400 w 8th st

los angeles, ca 90005

(213) 380-0256

west la: jaipur cuisine of india

tommy digs in at jaipur cuisine of indian in west la...


items from the lunch buffet

tommy says: decent indian food. nothing to write home about, but at least it was somewhat flavorful. definitely better than anarkali (on melrose) and dhaba cuisine of india. weekend lunch buffet offers about a dozen or so dishes (including chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, saag, pakora, lamb curry, and more) and also includes your choice champagne or soda. naan (which was so-so) is brought out to your table. while this is not a bad option, the hunt for exceptional indian food in la continues...

jaipur cuisine of india

10916 w pico blvd

los angeles, ca 90064

(310) 470-4994

los angeles: susina bakery & cafe

tommy satisfies his sweet tooth at susina bakery...


individual chocolate molten cakes


apple crumb tart


berry blossom cake

tommy says: fantastic bakery! the berry blossom cake was heavenly and blows sweet lady jane's triple berry cake out of the water!! the cake was light and moist and tasty, and the cream was soooo yummy. the chocolate molten cake was really good too, and not too sweet or too rich! the apple tart was quite tasty as well. easily the new favorite los angeles bakery!!

susina bakery & cafe
7122 beverly blvd
los angeles, ca 90036
(323) 934-7900
http://www.susinabakery.com/

los angeles - koreatown: palm tree la/arang

tommy tries arang in ktown...


fried chicken


chadol and kimchi stir fry (this later became a fried rice)


spicy chicken wings

tommy says: pretty good bar food. the wings aren't as spicy as ob bear's but they are still tasty, which makes it a nice alternative for those who can't take as much heat. the kimchee stir fry/fried rice and the whole fried chicken weren't bad either. when you order the kimchee stir fry, you eat some of it, then when you are ready, your server will throw in the rice. its greasy, but good. free parking in the garage next door (drive past the valet outside the building).

arang
3240 wilshire blvd
4th floor
los angeles, ca 90010

santa monica: xooro

tommy tries a fancy churro from xooro...


original

tommy says: bleh. these were oily, soggy, expensive (almost $5 each!) and not even served warm! the original was filled with a custard cream. also tried the turkish hazelnut which had icing all over the outside and was filled with hazelnut cream which was too sweet. the batter for the churro needs work. they should've spent more time concentrating on the taste of the product instead of the packaging! so not worth the calories!

xooro
125 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 260-2919
http://www.xooro.com/

santa monica: the yard

tommy has happy time at the yard in santa monica...


mini pulled pork sandwiches


fish tacos


sliders

tommy says: the drinks and food were all so-so. sliders were dry and bland, the fish tacos were no good, but the pulled pork sandwiches were ok. they weren't great, but just ok, and out of the three items sampled they were the best, though that isn't saying much. they could've been more flavorful, but the bread was nicely toasted. cool, but chill atmosphere. happy hour is from 5-7pm daily. $5 margaritas and cosmos, $3 beers, and $5-$6 food items.

the yard
119 broadway
santa monica, ca 90401
http://www.theyardsm.com

san gabriel valley - san gabriel: mr. shabu shabu

tommy gets his shabu shabu on at mr. shabu shabu in san gabriel...


10 piece beef shabu shabu

tommy says: not bad, and cheap for shabu shabu. you get your choice of broth, meat (beef, pork, or seafood), and size (10 or 15 pieces). the dinner comes with free iced coffee. the meat was good and the sauces aren't the best, but they are decent, and for the price its really not a bad option.

mr. shabu shabu
120 n san gabriel blvd
san gabriel, ca 91775
(626) 285-2700

beverly hills: mulberry street pizzeria

tommy grabs a slice at mulberry street pizzeria...


artichoke and tomato pizza

tommy says: so-so pizza, nothing special. crust was flimsy and not crisp and the sauce was unremarkable as well. best thin crust ny style pizza is still joe's in santa monica.

mulberry street pizzeria

240 s beverly dr

beverly hills, ca 90212

(310) 247-8998

http://www.mulberrypizza.com/

west la: terried sake house

tommy tries terried...


drink up!


albacore salad


tofu with egg


chicken and shishito pepper skewers


albacore with jalapeno


spicy yellowtail roll


squid


butterfish


mushrooms and scallops


chicken balls

tommy says: the butterfish was delicious!! tender and flavorful! other standouts include the tofu with egg, shishito peppers, and albacore with jalepeno, but all of the dishes were good. yummy!!

terried sake house
11617 santa monica blvd

los angeles, ca 90025

(310) 477-9423

santa monica: locanda del lago

tommy goes italian for happy hour at locanda del lago in santa monica...


fritto misto: calamari, shrimp, and wild mushrooms, lightly fried and served with arrabiata



piadina prosciutto: grilled flat bread stuffed with parma prosciutto, stracchino cheese and baby arugula


burrata alla caprese con balsamico: roma tomato with fresh burrata cheese in balsamic vinaigrette, flavored with basil-infused oil

tommy says: the burrata was pretty good, the fritto misto was decent as well, but the piadina prosciutto was not good. appetizers and other select menu items are 50% off during happy hour which is from 4-7pm monday - friday. drink specials include select beers for $4, house wines for $6, cocktails/martinis $7, and premium wines for $8. so-so happy hour, and super slow service.

locanda del lago
231 arizona ave
santa monica, ca 90401 [map]
http://www.lagosantamonica.com

los angeles - downtown: ciudad

tommy tried the happy hour at ciudad...


chicken and carnitas tacos


fish taco

tommy says: the sangria was cheap ($4) but so gross. the carnitas were dry, the chicken and the fish tacos were ok. happy hour is monday-friday 3-7pm, sundays 5-9pm. drink specials include the gross sangria, margaritas, mojitos for $4.

ciudad
445 s. figueroa street
los angeles, ca 90071
http://www.ciudad-la.com/

los angeles - downtown: langer's deli

tommy fills up at langer's deli...


#44 - hot pastrami, sauerkraut and nippy cheese grilled on rye
#19 - pastrami, swiss cheese, cole slaw, and russian style dressing

tommy says: yummmm... langer's is known for their pastrami sandwiches with #19 being the most popular, but #44 was equally tasty, if not better. simply delicious!

langer's
704 s alvarado st
los angeles, ca 90057 [map]
(213) 483-8050
http://www.langersdeli.com/

santa monica: ye olde kings head

tommy goes in for a late night snack at ye olde kings head...


tomato basil soup


rhubarb crumble with birds custard


sticky toffee pudding with birds custard

tommy says: soup was bad, desserts were good but incredibly rich. the birds custard is really yummy...

ye olde kings head
116 santa monica blvd

santa monica, ca 90401

(310) 451-1402
http://www.yeoldekingshead.com/