Yuko Kitchen in Los Angeles

 

spicy salmon and avocado rice cake

My brother and his fiancee raved about Yuko Kitchen when they moved to the neighborhood and now I see why.  The food is comforting and tasty, it's extremely affordable, the setting is quaint (there's both a cozy interior and outside patio), and the service is darling. The drinks are executed well so don't leave without trying the strawberry soda or apple-mint lemonade. As for food, go for the crispy rice cakes with salmon.  They top salmon over toasted rice and slather it with creamy avocado and a jalapeno pepper.  The teriyaki chicken plate is also scrumptious and an affordable, generous-sized option for lunch or dinner.  This is what a neighborhood restaurant should be all about.

 teriyaki chicken plate

 fresh water eel roll

I became addicted to their strawberry soda.  They also make a mean apple-mint lemonade that is best enjoyed on a patio in the trees.

Yuko Kitchen is located on Dunsmuir Ave., just off of 5484 Wilshire Blvd. in LA

Scoops Ice Cream in LA

T. finally took us to Scoops on our last visit in LA.  I think I can safely declare it to be my favorite place for ice cream ever.  (It's not gelato but it's the best frozen treat I've come across.)  I challenge a place to top Scoops for not only the innovative flavors, but the insanely perfect texture and quality of the ice cream.  Theirs is creamy and soft, without being rich and heavy.  And they encourage sampling- by that I mean they have no problem with you trying every flavor on offer.  This is because they change out most of their flavors daily- yes daily.  Some customer favorites like brown bread remain constantly on the menu, but I found myself enjoying other flavors even more.  Even the pizza flavor was satisfying; the only reason I didn't order it was because I couldn't see another flavor pairing with it.

Flavors like pizza, rosemary-olive oil, green tea-jasmine, and brown bread

I couldn't help but spoon some rainbow jimmies on top 

Scoops has two locations in LA:
one at 3400 Overland Ave in the Palms area
and the other at 712 N Heliotrope Dr in the Wilshire Center neighborhood 

 

Joan's on Third: Roof Picnic in LA

Last month we went to Joan's on Third and took it back to T.'s apartment for a rooftop picnic before heading to the airport.  The moment I walked into Joan's, I was in foodie heaven.  It was almost too much to handle it was that amazing.  Yes there were long lines, but the service was so professional, efficient, and helpful that everything moved smoothly.  I recommend getting the focaccia- there are three great flavors: grape, lemon zest w/ salt, and cherry tomato.  We also indulged in the delicious made-to-order sandwiches.  Since it can be crowded during certain hours, I think Joan's is best enjoyed as take-out, although there are tables both inside and on the sidewalk.  They have every drink you could imagine, so we picked up some fun bottles of sparkling lemonade since it was a picnic afterall.  

And as it was our last afternoon before heading back up north, we had to have some Pinkberry since the flavor was blood orange!!

Joan's on Third is located at 8350 W 3rd St. in Los Angeles

Birthday Party

For my mom's birthday, S. went all out making caprese salad, spaghetti puttanesca, and bringing home a delicious cake from La Provence Patisserie and Cafe.  

Night + Market in LA

When I came down to LA, I knew I wanted to check out the pop-up Thai street food restaurant Night + Market.  Pull behind the curtain at the Talesai restaurant on Sunset, and you're there.  The room is sparsely decorated with a projector playing movies on the side wall.  The food?  Well, I would be tempted to eat here often if I lived in the area.   

Beef jerkey, veggies, egg

Nuoc mam chicken wings w/rooster sauce

My favorite dish of the night (on the dine LA menu)- grilled eggplant salad, boiled shrimp, shallots, lime juice, bird eye 

Pad kee mao

Beef grapow w/fried egg

Fried banana and coconut ice cream

Ice cream sandwich (sticky rice, coconut ice cream sandwiched between 2 rolls)

Night + Market is at 9043 Sunset Blvd. in LA.

Weekend Postcard from LA

This past weekend we headed down to LA for a little reunion.  As we were a big group this time, some of us ended up staying in a charming new boutique hotel- The Hotel Wilshire.  It just opened up a week before our arrival so everything was in tip top shape.  The highlights included spacious bathrooms, extremely comfortable beds, and an amazing rooftop bar and pool area.  We tried their brunch which was enjoyable in the cabana, but I really recommend the bar.  I suggest going up there for a pre-dinner drink when the sun sets.  My favorite cocktail- the bramble (a lovely take on one of my favorite drinks- a kir royale) is a refreshing and delicious way to start off the night.  At night the pool was sparkling, the city lights were glowing, and we found warmth from the fabulous fire pit.  

Left-banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery Right- burrata and marinated vegetables appetizer from Allora

A lovely Sunday in Manhattan Beach proved relaxing.  We strolled the pedestrian path and stared at all the gorgeous houses along the walkway.  This one above was my favorite- they were setting up for what must have been a fabulous dinner party by the beach!  A trip down to LA is always a nice way to liven things up and catch up with family.  I hope the next one is as fun!
 

Macarons from Bottega Louie

Rooftop Grill Night

{Kebabs ready to be taken upstairs to grill}

T. and S. have a great rooftop sundeck where we had our last dinner in LA.  There were yummy kebabs, salmon burgers on hawaiian rolls, carne asada, and grilled asparagus and corn.  It was a beautiful warm night and a string of christmas lights, natural city light, and candles were our only sources of light.  

{Grilled kebabs, condiments}

{Grillmaster in motion}

{Candles glowing}

Photo Diary of a Sunday in LA

The day started off in Santa Monica for a lazy brunch...

{View from brunch at The Penthouse in Santa Monica}

{Huevos Rancheros}

...continued with a drive in the convertible down to Balboa Island in Newport Beach for an afternoon of boating

{Heavenly jasmine on Balboa Island} 

{Beautiful home gardens in Balboa Island}

{Balboa Island "fair" fare included corn-dogs and frozen bananas}

{Fun retro soda at Balboa Candy store}

...winding down with a gorgeous sunset drive back to LA, a text-message alert to an impeding presidential announcement, turning on the radio and listening to (accurate) speculation of Osama Bin Laden's death culminating with President Obama's official announcement

{Gorgeous sunset leaving Newport Beach}

{Right before the text-message alert}

...then becoming too tired to eat out after a long fun-filled day and opting to pick up Japanese take-out at Izakaya by Katsu-ya on 3rd street and dessert from Magnolia Bakery.

{Watching the breaking news while eating spicy tuna on crispy rice
and seared albacore and crispy onions}

{Finishing off a wonderful day with cupcakes and banana pudding
from Magnolia}

Paradise

{What I woke up to every morning}

More to come.

A Food Review of LA

{Katsuya Brentwood}

{The Crawfish Festival in Long Beach}

{The Counter in Santa Monica}

{Gyenari in Culver City

{Chaya Brasserie in Beverly Hills}

{The Beachcomber at Malibu Pier}

{Cafe Brasil in Culver City}

{Ford's Filling Station in Culver City}

{Ketchup in West Hollywood}

Since I just posted on a recent trip to LA, I wanted to focus on a lengthier trip there I had last summer where I was able to eat at a lot of different places, some better than others.  


I'm going to admit this right now- my only previous exposure to Katsuya was from watching the Kardashians and all those other reality show starlets eat at the famed Japanese eatery.  I somehow decided their business must mean good food so we made dinner reservations for the Katsuya in Brentwood (11777 San Vicente Blvd.) as opposed to the more star-powered Hollywood location.  It was by no means a cheap meal and the scene might not be for everyone, but the food was spectacular.  I could eat the tuna and crispy rice rolls in my sleep (I'm sure people have dreams about them).  The shrimp tempura roll, dragon roll, eel roll, and crispy albacore were other favorites among our group.  And any restaurant that has a decadent chocolate lava cake on their dessert menu is a winner in my book.  We left stuffed but happy, and I made a successful effort to return there on my last trip for an equally as delightful meal.  Pizzeria Mozza, however, did not live up to the hype as Katsuya did.  The service was mediocre, they were out of several of the pizzas, and the quality did not live up to the price.  With so many competitive Italian-style pizza restaurants opening up these days, Mozza is not a unique concept and it did not live up to my expectations.


A few other food favorites in LA: 
The Park on Sunset (1400 Sunset Blvd)- a good place to stop by before a Dodgers game as we were doing, the Park has great classic dishes (think spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread) specializing in seasonal ingredients with a twist.
Cafe Brasil (10831 Venice Blvd)- a great spot on Venice Boulevard in Culver City- choose your meat/fish from the grill and it comes accompanied with rice, beans, plantains, and salsa.  The fresh fruit juices and drinks here are not to be missed, particularly the Passion Fruit.
South Beverly Grill (122 S Beverly Dr)- the Happy Hour in the piano bar guarantees a fun time- the menu is great- don't leave without having the mini crispy chicken burgers.  
The Long Beach Crawfish Festival- okay so this is only an annual event, but if you happen to be in town when it's taking place, I recommend a trip on the 405 to go see it.  There's crawfish, amazing grilled corn on the cob with tons of different sauces to try, zydeco bands, and lots of other entertainment.