Restaurant Review : Wonderland Custom Cakes (Bakery, Dessert, Cupcakes) $$ *9 out of 10*
Decadent, moist, delicious, jam packed with taste… Winner of Cupcake Wars on the Food Network, Wonderland Cupcakes deserves a visit.
They’re little handfuls of sweet goodness for $3.25 each. Try the salted caramel, you won’t be disappointed.
Wonderland Custom Cakes
107 S Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105
Neighborhood: Pasadena
(626) 486-9977
http://www.wonderlandcustomcakes.com/
Home-Cooked Meals : Seafood bake!
Live Crystal Crab, 2 types of clams, Mussels, Periwinkles, Shitake Mushrooms, Garlic, Onion, Potatoes, Carrots, 1/2 bottle of Chardonnay, some butter, and a touch of sea salt makes for a wonderful Seafood Bake out on the rooftop patio!
Restaurant Review : 8th St Live Fish Cuisine (Korean Sashimi) $$ *7 out of 10*
When I want Korean sashimi, I come here. It’s small, homey, and the owner is super friendly and often greets his customers at the tables. It’s reasonably priced, the fish is fresh, and the cooked food is quite decent.
Like all Korean sashimi places, ordering is easy. Small is $69.99, Medium is $89.99, Large is $119.99, and Special Large is $149.99. You pick according to the size of your party and on your hunger level and they will take care of the rest. If you’re not sure, ask your server. They will steer you the right way. For every combo, you get a choice of halibut sashimi (Koreans love halibut) or combo sashimi (I chose combo to break the monotony) along with a spicy fish stew. Then they will give you loads of side dishes which vary depending on the day…grilled mackerel, onion pancake, steamed egg, mussel soup, and some “banchan” to name a few. You will also get some extra sashimi that is only common in Korean places…sea squirt, baby octopus, and raw sea worms! Uni (sea urchin) and live abalone are always a welcome treat.
Hungry yet?
8th Street Live Fish Cuisine
3100 W 8th St #103
Los Angeles, CA 90005
Neighborhood: Koreatown
(213) 480-8585
Restaurant Review : Din Tai Fung (Chinese, Taiwanese) $$ *7.5 out of 10*
Who would have thought that Din Tai Fung would blow up in such a fabulous way and go majorly mainstream?! Since its original inception, the service has definitely gotten better with friendly, English speaking servers. It got so packed all the time that they had to open another location just next door!…and that location is always packed too!
Admittedly Din Tai Fung’s Xiao Long Bao (juicy pork dumplings) are pretty darn good and in my opinion, the best thing on the menu. But there are lesser known places that are cheaper, less crowded, and just as good. Having said that, I do like Din Tai Fung; it’s clean with good service and a suitable place to bring guests that are not too familiar with the food.
Additional pluses are their finely shredded ginger and their side dishes (cucumber and vinegared seaweed & beancurd). I don’t really recommend their soups which are always a bit bland and boring. For dessert, try their red bean dumplings. It’s a great closer that’s sure to please.
Din Tai Fung
1088 S Baldwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 446-8588
http://www.dintaifungusa.com
Restaurant Review : Earl of Sandwich (sandwiches) $ *8 out of 10*
Earl of Sandwich…mmm…so good…
We live in a time when most everything is all about the hype and thus marked up several times in Vegas, especially on the strip. What a wonderful feeling it was to discover this casual sandwich spot located inside Planet Hollywood. It is quick, easy, delicious, satisfying and cheap!!! $5.99 for any sandwich, wrap or salad! Yes, true!
I love love their BLT. The Caribbean Jerk Chicken Sandwich and Tuna Melt are also very popular and delicious. It’s their warm, soft bread that really steps their sandwiches a notch above most others. Their salads are not so good so unless you’re seriously allergic to bread or something, try a sandwich.
Best of all, it’s open 24/7 as it should be in this town!
Earl of Sandwich
Planet Hollywood
3667 Las Vegas Blvd S, Ste 760
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Neighborhoods: The Strip, Eastside
(702) 463-0259
http://www.earlofsandwichusa.com
Restaurant Review: Saffron & Rose Ice Cream (Persian Ice Cream) $ *9 out of 10*
I love this place. The guy behind the counter is super friendly and inviting making us feel right at home. Not to mention that the ice cream is wonderful! With so many choices, you’re bound to find something you’ll love.
Saffron & Rosewater, Saffron+Rosewater+Pistachio, Lavender Rosewater, Orange-blossom Rosewater; they’re all good. But my absolute favorite has to be the Cucumber Rosewater. It’s refreshing, creamy and absolutely amazing!
This mom and pop place has got to favorite for Persian ice cream - hands down!
Saffron & Rose Ice Cream
1387 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Neighborhood: Westwood
(310) 477-5533
http://www.golobolbol.org
Restaurant Review : The Bazaar at SLS Hotel (small plates, Spanish) $$$$ *8 out of 10*
The Bazaar is creative, trendy, and expensive with small little portions. Gastro-concoctions of foam, cotton candy, and nitro help liven the presentation of the plates to make for an enjoyable dining experience.
For those who are conscious of their wallet, Dine LA would be the perfect time to partake in Bazaar’s creations. For only $44, you get an appetizer, 3 small dishes, and a dessert!
We had a party of 5 so we were able to sample a lot of items on the Dine LA menu. What we had…American Caviar Cone, Philly Cheesesteak, Jamon Serrano Fermin(dry cured ham), Market Ceviche, Sea Scallops in Romesco Sauce, Japanese Eel Tacos, Seared Strauss Veal Loin, Sauteed Shrimp, Beef Flank Steak, Croquetas De Pollo, Organized Caesar, Baby Beets Salad, Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Puree. For dessert we shared the Spanish Flan, Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta, and the Hot Chocolate Mousse.
The meal was quite satisfying but I wasn’t overly impressed. The item that really stands out and is a must-have has to be the “Philly Cheesesteak” with “air bread”, cheddar, and strips of rare Wagyu on top…o man, o man, it’s an awesome treat for your taste buds so don’t miss out on this one!
The Bazaar
SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills
465 S La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
(310) 246-5567
http://www.thebazaar.com
Restaurant Review : Tiara Cafe (American) $$ *7 out of 10*
It’s Dine LA so take advantage of it and eat out as often as you can!
Located within the hustle and bustle of the Fashion District in DTLA, Tiara Café opens its doors to a nice, open space with high exposed ceilings, pink girly walls counter-balanced by huge concrete columns.
For $16 here at Tiara Café, you get yourself a nice 3 course meal that’s quite enjoyable.
Here’s what I had…
-A fried chickpea appetizer on the house. It was GBD (Gold Brown & Delicious)! The small fried sticks whetted my appetite and got me all fired up for the next course.
-As my official DineLA appetizer I had the “Hamachi Fresh’wich”. This is like a spring roll with yellowtail, lettuce, and pickled daikon wrapped in rice paper served with a mayo-ey tarako dipping sauce. The Hamachi wasn’t the best of quality and the dipping sauce was a bit rich, but I definitely found myself enjoying this appetizer.
-Next I had the Grilled Prawn and Grilled Vegetable Salad. The salad was delish but the four little prawns were too salty and kind of shriveled up and dry from overcooking.
-My friend had the Smoked Rib Eye. I was kind of confused as to what they were trying to do here. I felt like it was too over-cooked to be like strips of steak but way too undercooked for it to be smoky and tender.
-For dessert we shared the Crumble Top Berry Cobbler and Meyer Lemon Crème Friache Sabayon. I really liked my cobbler but the Sabayon was too sour, too sweet, too sticky, and too whipped for me.
Parking is a royal pain, so if you’re local like me, walk. If not, you’ll probably still have to walk after finding parking.
Tiara Café
127 E 9th St
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Neighborhood: Downtown
(213) 623-3663
www.tiara-cafe-la.com
Classic Kaiseki fare at the Sansuirou Ryokan in Yugawara
I really can’t ask for much more…a steaming, natural-spring, hot tub on my private balcony looking out over the mountains at the colorful autumn foliage. Not to mention the delectable meals served to me 3 times a day in my room. Well…maybe a nice long massage to send me reeling to cloud 9.
The art of “Pickling,” via Tokyo…
For the love of pastries and street food in Tokyo…
Perfect produce in Tokyo
Not even a speck of dirt!
Sweet sake in Tokyo
Come and have a cup of sweet, piping-hot sake says the pretty sake girl. “Why certainly,” says I, who can’t resist a pretty smiling face.
Yoshinoya beef bowl in Tokyo.
Tokyo is where it all started…tender fatty meat, bright red ginger, fast, quick, cheap and efficient.
It’s pretty much the same as what we get here in the states except the portions are a bit smaller, the meat is a bit better, and there’s no chicken on the menu. You can get yourself a combo set for a reasonable price but avoid the kimchee which was pretty horrible!
