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Casa Chocolate - Mid-City Los Angeles

September 13, 2016

I know a lot of people that hate LA because of traffic. People who live on the west side would take an our or more just to get to work that's a few miles away. And on the weekends, you are lucky if there isn't any traffic. All native LA residents know what it's like to drive out to Santa Monica, West Hollywood (oh god), Beverly Hills, Culver City, and so on. So when I am actually out towards that area, it gives me an incentive to find a local restaurant to eat.

I had to run some errands one Sunday morning and found a small cafe tucked in a small plaza. It's called Casa Chocolate.

5450 W Pico Blvd, Ste 501 Los Angeles, CA 90019

I instantly fell in love with their displays. It's simple yet catchy. From the photos of the doors, to the self serving water with lemon and orange slices, to the ketchup, and the array of classic hot sauce and sweeteners.

They have a huge menu with tons of variety. Prices are also very decent especially for the location. I stuck with their traditional house favorites.

Ordered 2 cappuccinos. One for John and one for, well, me. Espresso from Groundworks.

Amazing take on the classic dish - 2 farm eggs cooked to your liking, I had mine over easy. Black pinto beans cooked perfectly and not overly starched, everything served over a corn tostada, topped with ranchero sauce, green tomatillo salsa, avocado salsa, sour cream and queso fresca. So flavorful and so delicious. Loved the char onion and serrano on the side. A must order.

Ranchero steak omelette. FULL of flavor. The beef was perfectly marinaded, extremely tender, and smokey from the char. Cooked with onions, peppers, and mushrooms, folded inside the egg with monterey jack, ranchero salsa and queso fresco. John ordered this, but I am going to make sure I get dibs on this next time. Served with a side of fruit, ranchero sauce and green tomatillo.

Enjoy when you are in the area or passing.

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Fig at 7th

September 11, 2016

As we move close to National Cheeseburger day, we should all think about Fig at 7th. I felt like this center has changed so much with so many added additions. I got the opportunity to feast over a few burgers to spotlight some places you should try.

735 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Starting with George's Greek. Greek marinated angus beef topped w/ greens, cucumbers, feta cheese & a garlic herb aioli. Super juicy and flavorful. The feta adds a zippy tang that goes fantastic with the greek seasonings in the patty.

This is City Tavern's pastrami burger. Extremely luscious with fatty meat and pastrami, melted swiss and a delicious slaw to help the jaw out. Perfectly cooked fries added to this burger for an additional charge, but it's worth it. The burger was cooked to a perfect medium. The bun also held the burger together.

From The Melt, this is their Spicy Mission Burger - Pepper Jack, Jalapeños, Avocado, Romaine, Pickled Onion w/ Spicy Ketchup. The bun also held the burger together really well. It's always scary to have sliced jalapenos. I love them, but they are tricky little creatures. Sometimes they are mild, and sometimes you know you are asking for it. These were spicy! love the heat though.

The classic Original Cheddar Burger - Aged Cheddar, Tomato, Romaine w/ Melt Sauce. Sometimes, you just need a simple cheeseburger to satisfy that burger crabe. Again, great bun, fresh condiments, and a juicy snappy pickle.

Check out Fig at 7th if you haven't already. There are other great burger joints like Five Guys which also carries delicious fries and milkshakes, and Morton's steakhouse that also serves a mean burger.

735 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90017

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Momed - Atwater Village

September 7, 2016

I'm a firm believer about eating somewhere more than once, and the same goes with sharing it over again. I think one of the best compliments you can give a restaurant is going back again to show your appreciation for the food. Momed is a place that I speak highly of. I've never been to the location in Beverly Hills, but the location in Atwater Village is one that I've been to a few times (still thank my friend John Quintus for the recommendation).

I came here one Sunday in the late afternoon with my best friends after having a few drinks in Atwater Village. Like a pirate, I wailed my hands as I told them about Momed. "It's that way!" - with no slurs of course. For a moment, I was not confident I was headed towards the right direction. Momed is actually tucked away from the main strip in Atwater, but more within the residentials between studios and playhouses.

They only carry wine and beer which is fine with me. I am very excited at this point. It's also quite lovely that the train passes through next door.

Grilled artichoke cooked to perfection with a preserved lemon aioli. The artichoke is seasoned lightly with Moroccan spices. All the crispy edges and tender parts towards the heart were literally finger licking good. I felt like I was engulfing the pedals. This is a must order if you are a huge fan of artichokes.

This oven roasted salmon is one of the best prepared fishes I've had. Served with seasonal vegetables and a cashew salsa. I'm sure this is something easy that they've created, but it was ridiculously delicious. The salmon was just cooked PERFECTLY. The Moroccan spices were mild and not over powering. The seasonal veggies were generous and not dinky. I still remember the salmon like a past summer fling I've never had. It's just so good I would think that's what it feels like.

Without further ado, the address is 3245 Casitas Ave, Atwater CA 90039.

They also serve breakfast and brunch. ( K i l l e r)

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Olson's Scandinavian Delicatessen - Los Angeles

September 6, 2016

Who would've know that Olson's Scandinavian Delicatessen has been around since 1948? There are a lot of words to describe this place, but the only word I can think of is how LOVELY Olson's is. I've never had real Scandinavian food and the closest would be Ikea (love Ikea by the way). The deli is located close to the 10 freeway off Washington towards Fairfax. I'm just happy that I don't have to drive into Beverly Hills or West Hollywood.

5660 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019

Before ordering your food, take a moment to notice the decorations and the many items on sale. From candles, to books, to mugs, to bibs, sausages, and even Scandinavian candy! You can find the real Swedish fishies here.

Here are the dishes that we ordered:

There were many, but one of my favorites was their Grav Lax:

GRAV LAX is prepared with their own Dill Cured Salmon, Red Onions, Fresh Cucumbers and choice of Horseradish Lemon Sauce or Mustard Dill Sauce on Brioche Bun. This salmon was so different from your typical smoked salmon. Since this is cured, you get the subtle, beautiful sweetness of the salmon that is wrapped with the slight herbaceous flavors of the dill. The mustard dill sauce was also fabulous. There is also a poached egg added for an additional charge.

Also a fan of their Shrimp Spagen. This is the Lobster Roll of Scandinavia. Greenland Shrimp, mixed with Creme Fraiche, Dill, Shallots, Mayo, Golden Caviar stuffed in a Brioche Bun. The flavors are extremely luxurious especially because Creme Fraiche is used. All Sandwiches served with a side of pickled cucumber.

Make sure to check them out soon. It's not everyday we find a Scandinavian Delicatessen in Los Angeles.

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Daikokuya - Monterey Park

August 31, 2016

Everyone went crazy when Daikokuya opened in Monterey Park. The whole 'Yay we don't have to drive to little tokyo!' or 'Yay we don't have to wait that long!' perception will be crushed in a matter of seconds that moment you start writing your name on the wait list. Along with the line of other groups ahead of you. As you slowly count up and realize you are not number 1, but number 15. And then you start reflecting on your life. Have you ever been number 15? It's worse than a midlife crisis. Or, you're all happy pulling up to see tons of parking spaces. But then you see the crowd of people huddled outside like it's below 0 when it's hot as a mother F'er.

Honestly, I have no idea where that rant came from. This is what happens when you have hot noodle soup during a hot summer day. You start seeing and saying sh*t.

Luckily, my friends and I got here in time where we didn't have to wait over an hour. Maybe it was 30 minutes, but it's fine since I ran into really good friends of mine.

I wouldn't say famous, but this is a very delicious bowl of salad that comes with an order of Ramen. It's their own house dressing which you can also purchase a bottle to take home. A must have.

I ordered their Tsukemen which is all the fixings; Seared Chashu, green onions, sprouts, soft boiled eggs and ramen that has been cooked and cooled under running water. Served with a bowl of pork broth.

Salmon sashimi with housemade carpaccio sauce, passer leaf, salsa and parmesan cheese. A lot of flavor, but quite tasty.

Honestly, chicken Karaage is the ultimate beer food. I take that back, it's the ultimate food to have with any alcohol. I love this stuff. With a lot of lemon. And when I am really hamming, over a bowl of rice. Sitting on the floor, with stretchy pants..

This is their signature Tonkotsu Ramen (Ton-KO-t-su, not katsu please). The tonkotsu (pork base soup) is infused with their house blended soy sauce. Served with boiled chijre style egg noodles, kurobuta pork belly chashu, marinated boiled egg, bamboo shoots, bean sprout, green onions and a dash of sesame seeds.

Their famous shredded pork bowl. Ok I'm not sure if it's famous, but it's extremely popular. Tender kurobuta pork belly that's grilled and served over rice with green onions, pickled ginger and a sweet sauce. If you are hungry, and want something extremely umami like, this is it. It's hard not to get this and even harder not to take a bite when someone offers.

111 N Atlantic Blvd, Ste 241, Monterey Park, CA 91754

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Wine & Dine

Casa Chocolate - Mid-City Los Angeles

Fig at 7th

Momed - Atwater Village

Olson's Scandinavian Delicatessen - Los Angeles

Daikokuya - Monterey Park