JoeAnn's Corner

Our loving friends from Starry Kitchen got another reservation at LudoBites 6.0 and of course Chef Ludo once again wowed. I have so much respect for him as a chef, he is innovative and inspired. He utilizes different techniques and with different flavors that truly is the mark of a chef who is on the leading edge of his field and the creativity that distinguishes him from other chefs.

An example being his mackarel - he used a blow torch on this fish, which created a different texture and flavor for the fish. Different and innovative.

Standouts from this round include the Kim Chi Steak (featured above), the phenomenal fois gras, and for me suprisingly the veal ravioli.

While the fois gras as a tad bit gamey (I am not a huge fan of game flavor) the combination of the flavors was exceptional as well as the execution of the dish.

The veal ravioli was like comfort food. The ravioli was in a broth and the veal was suburb. Sort of like an Italian version of Wonton soup - simple and let so comforting in addition to amazing flavors! The execution of every dish was simply phenomenal.



The panna cotta was simply heaven in your mouth. Best desert ever! The panna cotta was very well prepared, the caviar on top was unbelievable. The combination of the two, sweet and salty wow. No words.




Again in love with Ludo! Since he is going on the road - I hope others will have a chance to experience his amazing cooking!

We finally broke out of the Honey Pig rut - nothing wrong with that :-). We did try to new places that were charcoal based - Soo Won & Parks.

Ummmmm ummmmm tasty - review coming this weekend!!!

So after much hype and fanfare from friends, we branched out to try Park's BBQ.

It is in a shopping center with valet for $2 - totally worth it in K-town. So Park's is charcoal based, which I have to say adds a lot of flavor to the meat. I am pretty positive I am a charcoal convert at this point in my Korean BBQ eating career :-).

Restaurant Information:
955 S Vermont Ave # D
Los Angeles, CA 90006-1647

So I am a bit particular with how I eat my BBQ. I like the oil based sauce with salt and pepper which they did not have as well as the rice papers (they were out).

However, the meat quality was excellent - very very good - as in the best I have had. We got the Waygu, seasoned kalbi, pork belly.

My personal favorite was the pork belly. We also threw some kim chi on the grill as well, which was pretty tasty. They also have a really good steamed egg dish. However, since our Korean friend ordered, we were not able to get the recommended meats - it seems the unseasoned meats are their specialty.

Their sides were pretty decent - I love the pickled cucumber. Of course our friends had some Hite - I am not a beer drinker, plus more room for the meat :-).


We are definately coming back to try more meat! Will keep y'all updated!

LudoBites 6.0 tonight so more to come later especially after I am free of the school bond December 10th.

So we went to NYC for the first time last December during the holiday season. It was an incredible trip and truly the only city that rivals LA in terms of food in my opinion. We had a list of over 50 NYC places to eat from friends and family. We'll be going back again soon as we love visiting!

Above - my dreams and what I crave while here in Los Angeles. Seriously - the pastrami sandwich at Katz's Deli is just unbelievably tender and moist and literally melts in your mouth. The most amazing pastrami ever. And of course going in December when it is nice and cold, we got some Matzo ball soup. With all the walking you do in NYC - you can eat whatever you want! And that is exactly what we did!

Information:
205 East Houston Street (corner of Ludlow St)
New York City, 10002

The one meal that both the hubby and I still talk about and miss like crazy would be the pizza though. We met up with some friends on 1st street at Luzzo's.

Information:
211-213 First Ave.
New York, NY 10003

The pizza crust was so thin, the toppings so fresh and amazing, and they had an amazing sauce! It was like olive oil with hot peppers that you drizzled onto the pizza - omg so tasty and amazing!

We were fans of Chicago from the hubby working there for about 4 months - no more. It is NY pizza all the way now!

Below was a prosciuitto pizza with some arugula on top - wowza. The crust was super super super thin and the ingredients all came together in your mouth!

Sigh - maybe we'll plan a trip back this summer! There were so many food adventures there, I could write for a while. Let's just wait till the next NYC post!

So I know many of my readers are from Cali so I will put this disclaimer that Tex-Mex is totally different then Cali-Mex and different then authentic Mexican. It is totally unique in my opinion.

We flew into Houston around lunchtime and texted a good friend asking about the best Tex-Mex in town as we are not from there. She mentioned two restaurants and we picked Lupe Tortilla based on location as we were staying by the Galleria.

We pull up and immediately the partner was like whoa - I know this place, I can't believe I forgot about it. The place has very cheesy cute decorations like sombrero lights but still is so cute.

First and foremost we had to start with the margaritas because anyone who has had a Texas margarita knows those are the best! I had 1/2 of a cup and could not even finish it sadly - yes light weight! Phenomenal especially with salt and on the rocks.

The homemade salsa here was too die for and oddly but in a good way, they also had pinto beans with just a little bit of pork in it. It might not sound awesome but let me assure you, dipping chips into these amazing beans were surreal. Sooooo super tasty! Of course, after we demolished the first batch of chips, I had to stop or ruin my appetite.




Fajitas - holy moly seriously omg. Yes the beef and shrimp were sizzling, because the were cooked on the platter - not just placed on it after it was already cooked, which is what so many places outside of Texas do.

The sizzle alone makes you salivate. The homemade salsa, the freshly made tortillas that come out warm, the guacamole - especially the warm tortillas. There is something to be said about fresh warm tortillas that were just made.



All in all - it was a productive eating trip to Texas based on this meal alone!

Hi all,

I want to apologize for being absent for the past few months. As some of you know, I went back to school and have been slammed. I am back and will aim to post hopefully once a week. Just a heads up - I'll be posting things that I have cooked as well.

Coming up - blog on some darn tasty Tex-Mex from Houston as well as some recipes from a great blog - http://www.wanderingchopsticks.com

I am so excited as we just moved to the Southbay to Redondo about 15 minutes away from the Hermosa location of this tasty restaurant. As a Miami resident for 2 years, I am fairly familiar with Peruvian cuisine!

Ummmm so first things first - depending on where you go, there is a different vibe. There is a location in Lawndale that is very casual down home sit down. We went to the Hermosa location on a Saturday night and it was nicer sit down and they had a live band playing. They always start you off with a chicken rice soup which is a freebie as we have never paid for it!

Food = spectacular, though I do think the Hermosa location has better quality food in terms of quality ingredients. First the traditional Lomo Saltado - the first time I had this in Lawndale - I was disappointed as I could not get over the tough beef that was used. However, the one in Hermosa was simply delicious - perfect combination of beef, onions, tomatoes, and french fries were spectacular.

The standouts are really the seafood dishes though.

The Filete de Pescado Encebollado con Arroz is is pan friend with sauteed onions and tomatoes and is one of my personal favorites.

The hubby def appreciates the Picante de Mariscos and the Parihuela which is a seafood stew.

And for some random reason they have really tasty desserts! My personal fav is of course the rice pudding!

Also been cooking a lot so tune into later postings on that!!

Such a classic institution, simple foods, simple menu. Now I want to preface by saying the food here is not spectacular or mind blowing. It is just simple good foods served at a counter. Health freaks need not come as this would not meet those requirements.

Logistics:
10801 W. Pico
Los Angeles, CA

I usually just do street parking in the residential streets behind the place. Etiquette rules is there is an informal line so you would not skip if the people right by where you are standing get up to leave. You would allow those who were there before you to take the seats unless of course they pass.

Onto the food, the simple menu consist of burgers,fries, and pies. Personally I prefer the burger with the hickory sauce as it is more tasty to me. The fries are nothing special but if you are one of those people who needs fries with their burgers - go for it!




This pie was the highlight of the night - this is the BEST pecan pie I have ever had! The apple pie was also really good! Very affordable and right next to Westside Pavillion too!

So after Lee's comments in the last post regarding deserts - I was motivated to post regarding my fav cupcake place in LA! Now just to let you know, prior to Hotcakes, I was a Sprinkles fan even though they were too sweet. The cake was tasty and the flavors were awesome!

Then I had Hotcakes and it was all over! So logistics

As requested by a colleague:
Hotcakes
4119 Centinela
Los Angeles, CA

There is parking in the back. Now onto the most important things. Hotcakes serves both full sized and baby cupcakes. I personally prefer the smaller ones as I can try several flavors.

The only one I get full sized is the Boston creme pie, which is not done is a smaller size. This cupcakes is yellow cake with a creme center and the top is dipped in chocolate - simply fabulous!



Look at those little baby cupcakes - don't cha just want to grab it and stuff your face :-). I have tried several and they are all pretty fabulous. The standouts are def Boston creme pie and Red Velvet.


Being from the south, I am pretty finnicky about this flavor. However, this red velvet is as good if not better then our wedding cake - which is saying something!



The reason these cupcakes are so good is that not only is the cake moist and tasty, the frosting is not too sweet - the combo of the two spectacular. Neither cake nor frosting overwhelm each other - rather they complement each other very well.

This is worth the drive if you can make it!

So the hubby mentioned that I should do reviews of places we were not fans of as well. As much as I post about all these amazing food experiences, he is right. It is not always so rosy and tasty. There are places that we have not liked whether it is for horrific service or terrible food. Now I don't need 5 star treatment or anything like that but there should be baseline expectations of either food or service or a combo when you are going out to eat.

This is where we experienced major challenges with Jerry's Deli in Westwood. We came in one weekend when it was fairly empty - a few tables at most. After waiting a few minutes we were seated, and then proceeded to wait for 20 minutes while a waiter passed by us at least 4 times to serve other customers. After waiting, we got up walked to the back and asked for a manager. He offered to serve us personally but after waiting 20 minutes we were too angry to eat there. We never even got water or anything.

From coming once before I know the food is decent but no restaurant in their right mind allows customers to sit for 20 minutes. I know we will never come back.

Took my parents here this weekend as it is one of their fav restaurants in LA - due to the fact that they have rice :-). My parents just can't seem to enjoy a meal w/o rice - I wonder if that will happen to me when I get older.

So some logistics, the restaurant is above a Thai grocery store so just keep that in mind. You will see the grocery store, turn in, get a ticket from the parking person, and drive up to the 2nd level, where the restaurant has a separate entrance.

Just a note - medium spicy is pretty spicy for my taste buds at least. This is a place that means spicy so if you cannot handle it, get mild.

Hands down, no questions asked, the standout is actually an appetizer, the papaya crab salad. A papaya salad is the norm at a Thai restaurant, but Thailand Plaza kicks it up a notch by adding salted crab to the dish. Get this medium spicy and it will heat you up inside!




Some classic favs include the fish cooked in a spicy broth. We usually ask that they fry the fish first. The dish comes out in a pot, they will then light flames and it heats up and cooks in front of you. The spicy broth also has veggies in in as well. For those faint of heart - the fish does come out whole (with head and all) but is oh so tasty.


Panang beef curry here is beyond excellent. We usually get this at medium spicy. Personally I think Thai curry is best out of all of the different ethic curries.

They also have Thai iced tea the way I like it, which is a fresh combo of tea and milk versus already being pre-mixed. Oh and I forgot to mention, the place is owned by a former Thai pop star so sometimes he will come out and start singing which is pretty fun because he is talented!

I know this is quite the drive but if you have a car or happen to be in the San Gabriel Valley - this is totally worth the drive. While Din Ta Fung is an an Asian based chain - there are only 2 locations in North America - right next to each other in Arcadia!

I know there are other dumpling places - but this place consistently delivers in regards to intact dumplings. While Mei Long's flavors taste better - their dumplings are always broken - which defeats the purpose of soupy dumplings. The wait at DTF can be quite atrocious but I find coming at 10:30am-11am means less of a wait. We can once the day after Christmas - around 6pm and the wait was 2 hours. Timing is critical here if you don't want to wait but there are benches and ledges to sit on if you have to.

To start we always grab an appetizer - yes that is what is called on the menu. This is just a tasty combination of tofu, bean sprouts, and some other veggies! Plus it will hold you over from the long wait till when the dumplings come.

The most popular are the juicy pork dumplings, which I personally love. However, my personal favorite has to be the fish dumplings. They literally have pieces of fish fillets in the dumplings along with the broth.



There are sides of soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and hot sauce. Everyone has a personal combo - mine is heavier on the soy sauce. You can then dunk and slather the dumpling - I am just a dunker but this photo is from the hubby. In case you are wondering - you use your chopsticks as well as your soup spoon to scoop this nom nom dumpling into your mouth.


In addition, I really like their pork fried rice which is very simple as well as their rice cakes, which are seriously the bomb. Enjoy the photos and if you have other dumplings suggestions - please let me know!

Heaven, yes, heaven, 1/2 of those dishes were simply WOW and the rest were spectacular. First a shout out to Starry Kitchen, our very good friends from Texas who have simply had a spectacular year breaking into the Los Angeles food scene. They were able to get the reservation and invite us and even bought the wine :-).

Where to start except with the concept - Ludo Levebvre, one of the of top chefs of the world, believes in amazing food at an affordable price. He does this through going into pre-established restaurants to serve dinner, when they are not usually open. Ludo describes this as guerilla style pop up restaurants called a "bistronomy". We went when LudoBites was at Gram & Pappas in the downtown fashion district.

We went through the entire menu, 3 bottles of wine & an epic dining experience. Since we went through so many dishes - I will only highlight standouts according to my culinary taste buds!

The photo at the top is of the brie with a little bit of honeycomb - simply spectacular. The flavor combination is amazing - that little bit of honeycomb simply puts this dish over the top in regards to flavor combination.

Burgundy Escargot with a garlic flan - yes savory full of flavor and amazing - I wish I had words to this justice.


Foie Gras Black Croque Monsieur - wow amazingness wrapped between bread but to call it is a sandwich is a crime against foodality.



Squid Carbonara - enough said right. Wow this dish was incredibly creative. Utilizing extremely tender squid as the "pasta" for this incredible dish. It was topped off with an egg as well pieces of bacon.



The chocolate souffle - nothing to say about this except that every bite was
literally heaven. Soft, fluffy, chocolatey (yes I know it is not a word). Even though this was the last dish on the table, I managed to finish every bite.



This is us at the end, happy and full with the amazing chef Ludo on his birthday and his beautiful wife along with the Kitchen Ninja, her hubby as well as myself and my partner in crime!

No not The Grove. I usually head to the Brentwood Farmer's Market as it is close and has some damn good food. We have been trying to eat many different types of food there. They have Thai BBQ, gyros, LA street dogs (bacon wrapped hot dogs) and the list could go on.

Today the highlight are the oh so tasty pupusas. The ones pictured above are made from chicken and cheese.

In case you don't know, a pupusa is a traditional Salvodorian dish made of a heavy tortilla and filled with a mix of meat and cheese. The ones we get from the market also come with cabbage slaw as well as some salsa on the side. Delicioso!

Now as all know - BBQ can be quite controversial. Being born and raised in Texas, I am all about the beef bbq with very little sauce. I have to say for pork BBQ, Memphis was all levels of amazing - just very different from Texas BBQ. As far as I am concerned good BBQ does not need sauce - however, a little bit of sauce is okay especially if it is the Saltlick sauce. If you happen to be in Texas specifically the Austin / San Antonio area - drive out to to the original in Driftwood as the other locations do the meat no justice.

Basic Information:

18300 FM 1826
Driftwood, TX 78619

Restaurant: 512-858-4959

Driftwood Hours: Open every day 11am to 10pm

Saltlick ribs literally are to do die for. Tender, smoky, meat is literally falling off of the bone. No words can describe these - writing about it makes me want to salivate. Their brisket has been smoked for hours and is super tender and very moist. The sausage is truly exceptional. I am not sure what they use for the casing of the meat. As you can see despite being a BBQ purist - we love the sauce!

If you are an Ex of the University of Texas - the alumni group out here in SoCal does fly Saltlick out for an annual BBQ once a year - ping me and I can send you more information. Not as good as the original but good BBQ by the ocean is nothing to sneeze about!

First things - valet here is only $2.50 or you can street park - also there is no sign that says Honey Pig - there is simply a sign with a pig on it.

Starting, I want to openly acknowledge that I am not an expert. I can only guide you through the experiences that I have had as a foodie. I know there are raging debates on all you can eat versus not for Korean BBQ, different types of meat and the list could go on right!

However, my experiences with Honey Pig are epic in my mind for a number of reasons. First the pork belly - what else can I describe about this experience except tasting probably the best most epic bacon of your life. Second reason - kim chi fried rice on the grill.

Okay so some meat highlights of this place - obviously the pork belly - the regular is very tasty, no need to upgrade unless you want too.

This is my friend Korrin getting ready to go in for the kill!!



The marinated beef tongue is the bomb - this does cook very quickly though so be aware of that.

Sides include bean sprouts and kim chi that get thrown on the grill - below is a photo illustrating that including the steak.

While I normally don't like kim chi - I think I might slowly be picking it up. Hot kim chi is certainly different from regular colder kim chi so give it a shot - you never know!

Also for my K-town BBQ newbies - you can dip the meats into the different sauces, wrap it in the rice paper or lettuce and throw in some sprouts or kim chi and toss it down to the tummy :-).

I have heard many things about Parks BBQ and will let you know when that happens and how it goes!

Ramen on the westside = Santaouka broth heaven. Santouka is located in the Mitsuwa supermarket food court located at Venice & Centinela. While this is a Japenese chain, there is a reason why it is so popular. Heads up - Mitsuwa has wierd hours so I believe they close at 7pm and it is cash only.

My personal favorite is the spicy miso ramen. The salty ramen is also incredibly tasty. The broth here is simmered for hours on end. With the morsel of pork and seaweed, floating among the homemade ramen noodles, this is a perfect snack on a rainy or chilly day. I also highly recommend the egg for no other reason then it taste good!

Since today is a rainy Los Angeles day - high recommend for the rest of the week! This is usually what the bowl will look like when we are super hungry!

This post is dedicated to Starry Kitchen. Very good friends of ours turned a passion into a job. Last year they had an underground restaurant in their apartment and a year later they have this. A restaurant in the California Plaza in downtown LA - only open for lunch M-F serving spectacular home cooked Asian fusion foods.

So many foods - too little words. First the concepts, they have a rotating schedule of "proteins" that you can select, then you can pick your vessel, which can be a salad, banh mi (baguette style bread), a wrap, or a lunch plate with rice.

First the Hoisin Hamburger in a banh mi style - wow. The flavors of the meat being marinated with the hoisin combined with the slightly pickeled vegetables with the spicy mayo sauce equal food flavor explosion.
These are hands down my absolutely favorite from SK - Crab Cakes - made from imitation crab, lightly fried with amazing amazing flavors - these are a winner. I recently found out they have jalepenos in them which explains the spicy kick that they have. They can come as a side or as a protien, that is when you can get them!


I was a little nervous when Thi and Nguyen went from apartment style restaurant to the big leagues but wow what a transition! I have been going religiously every week minus one off week for over a month now. Keep in mind this is a drive from the UCLA campus to downtown LA in lunch traffic - yes that is the draw. Great home-cooked Asian fusion cannot be beat! Can't wait to head out Wednesday to see the options!

Soleil can best be described as an adorable French bistro with waiter staff with cute accents. On the inside Soleil has night skies painted onto the ceilings and is lit by Christmas lights. This creates a very romantic ambiance which along with the waiter's accents make you feel that you have been swept away to to another continent.

Soleil has a cute though somewhat loud patio as Westwood is a busy street. The location being right next to Border's makes this a perfect date location within walking distance of campus.

The food being fairly tasty only adds to the charm of this adorable bistro. Standouts depend on when you go. While they have all you can eat mussels on Wednesday, I have yet to try this. Personal favorites include the Soleil Shrimp, which has a garlicky butter sauce that is simply divine, though first time date participants might want to avoid this :-).




A personal favorite would be the chicken marsala which is unlike any other that I have had with a spectacular sauce.



The deserts are simply mouth watering. The crepe is perfectly thin with all the right toppings and the chocolate sauce only add flavors to the fruit nestled within the crepe. The creme brulee is also a consistency that has shape and is firm though still melts in your mouth. Either are winners!!

Happy food hunting to all! Ludobites blog coming later this week!

Within walking distance of campus, south of Wilshire is a great date spot, Sprazzo's Restaurant. The restaurant itself is a small boutique restaurant with dim lighting. This would be a great date location.

The meal starts with some homemade balsamic and olive oil that has amazing flavors. Occassionally they have an excellent hummus that while garlicky is super tasty!

A great starter would be their calamari which is excellent. This is not your average fried calamari but rather calamari rings and a few shrimps in a creamy buttery sauce that that is succulent and tasty. The garlicky (yes there is a trend here) bread dipped in the sauce makes you hip grow just by observing the following photo.



There are so many great entrees there but standouts would include the linguine alla pescatore which is a seafood pasta with shrimp, scallops, calamari in a spectacular tomato based sauce.



The vitello piccatta is a tender moist and succulant veal that is cooked in a butter sauce - seriously I don't even like veal and yet this dish is that amazing! Sorry no food porn shot here.

While the desserts are not spectacular, they serve a very tasty coffee.

Overall, great date spot within walking distance of campus - a nice long walk :-)!!