A good friend of mine, Mr.John Quintus (Hi!) recommended this really awesome restaurant in Atwater Village. Momed (click) has 2 locations, one in Beverly Hills and the other in Atwater Village. I am the hugest fan of that area. I've had my fair share of potato burritos from Tacos Villa Corona picking up a friend of mine every morning with a stench of Vodka. Ain't nothing wrong with that.
But as time moved on, our ideas of life, neighborhoods, the amount of money we have, has changed. Atwater Village has really transformed itself into an upcoming neighborhood.
Going back to the story, my friend knew my deepest obsessions with food and highly recommended this restaurant to me. It took me no time to make a short trip to the neighborhood. The restaurant is a big restaurant in a small little neighborhood, has a modern feel with a very open layout that feels warm, inviting, carefree, and then, time just stops.
3245 Casitas Ave, Ste 120
Los Angeles, CA 90039
You will find Momed snuck in between a few studios and Theatres, literally. Walking up the steps, getting seated, being handed with the menu, I already had my heart set on a dish. And we all know what that's like. There's no changing your mind even though you think to "think about it" and look through the menu, you always end up ordering what you wanted the first time around.
Shakshuka
This is my first time having Shakshuka. Shakshuka is a tomato/ragu based with eggs poached in. This Shakshuka was cooked on top of some spinach, which was crusted from the hot cast iron where you will find crispy bits around the edges! I can die. I am in heaven. And the egg? Organic, poached into the sauce. With a dollop of tzatziki sauce. Do NOT forget to ask for their spicy sauce that they also make in house. Wow. That really elevated the dish. The Shakshuka was served with some pita that was also made in-house. I don't believe I've ever had pita that was freshly made, but it was really delicious. The texture of the bread when you rip it apart, you see the hot pockets air out with each tear. I am crying right now thinking I've devoured this beautiful masterpiece and just like that it's gone. Why couldn't the Chinese be the ones to discover this? *LOL*
I know. Really? Bacon and eggs? at a place like this? Well let me stop you there for a second. And that's just a nice way to put it. I'm going to give an example with Chinese people. Because I am Chinese and I can make fun of myself AND my people (sorry dad... and mom... grandma (eeeeeps!) brother? you don't give a sh*t). But if we can't make rice correctly, it's like, wtf is wrong with you? Take that mentality to every cuisine that you try. If you are one of those, I order fried rice, I only order Pad Thai, I only order Carne Asada, I only order Gyro, I only order sushi (but we know that sh*t is California rolls), that mother f*cker we all know, and if you are reading this you should be a foodie and if you are not you are now because you have been blessed. Like, no. But if you are one of the people that does that above, well, you kind of get it... actually. You stick with safe choices for a reason.. right? Because if you can get the basics done right, then you are legit. And feels safe to maybe order that... Roast Duck, or that... Tom yum, or that Suadero, or that engawa (Click engawa).
With that being said. Eggs and Bacon is something that every chef should be able to master. And it was pretty perfect here. The smoked bacon was DELICIOUS. John Wan shared it with me and he could normally eat like... 1.. but he was scarfing all of that DOWN. A good cheap bacon is great when it's super crispy and sometimes, thin. A good quality bacon tastes so much better when it's slightly thicker, a little chewy, BUT crispy on some ends. Why I like bacon that is a little chewy? Because you really taste the pork. You really taste the smoke. The love and everything you can think of that went into it.
And the potatoes were spot on. I really envisioned myself on this place. I really hope that when I do come back, consistency will still be key. A lot of places don't have that. But I feel it in this place.
Wrecking BALL & Iced Green tea
OK. We had Starbucks before this, hence the lack of caffeine. Normally I would order a cappuccino, but instead I got their Iced Green tea, and John ordered the Wrecking Ball Coffee that is from the San Francisco Bay Area. The iced tea was good. It was light, refreshing, and imaginably sweet if you were to put sugar in mix.
The Wrecking Ball coffee was really good. I enjoyed how light it was. Not full bodied, but with a nice sharp roasty aftertaste. I would definitely have this again when I come back (breakfast or dinner).
By the way. They have happy hour. All I saw was $4 wine. BUT, I am down to come back. So, let me know if you are because I am ready, to try every single thing on their menu.
Give this place a shot when you have time. And if you like it, you can thank me by taking me with you.
Los Angeles. Trust me when I say you are difficult to find a really good place to have breakfast brunch.
Daiisies