Kitchen Mouse - Highland Park

I think Kitchen Mouse is my favorite place for breakfast/brunch when I'm in Highland Park. Surprisingly, they serve incredibly delicious Vegetarian food. When I order a meal here, I don't really miss the meat. I believe it was a weekday when we came. They do get really packed on the weekends so it was nice to not have to wait in a line.

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My absolutely favorite thing to order here is their chilaquiles. I loved fried food. It's my life. And what better way to have it than to have it smothered in enchilada sauce drizzled with vegan cheese sauce which don't even get me started by how delicious this vegan whiz is.

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Their corn chips is like no other corn chip I've had for a chilaquiles. It's definitely thicker and most likely deep fried in house. The slaw also adds a nice to touch to break away the richness from the dish.

SO I was never the sandwich kid. If it was a sandwich, it had to have meat in it. That or something very savory and flavorful. They have this Jo's Breakfast Sandwich. I glanced by it a few times. After little thought (maybe 5 minutes) I've decided heck why the F not. "grilled millet toast layered with smashed avocado, two fried eggs, arugula, chipotle cream and chili lemon dressing" even labeled you'll need utensils for this.

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SWISH. This was SO tasty. There's definitely a zip that will punch you right in the face from the chili lemon dressing. I think there was ginger in here as well, but I can't guarantee since it doesn't show in the description. But man. The millet toast, whatever millet means, was buttery, light and crunchy. This really held up to the eggs, the dressing and the smashed avocados. I would most definitely order this again with the chilaquiles.

It's imperative that you order their Chilaquiles.

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5904 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90042

Farmers Market - The Grove

The Farmers Market at The Grove is one of the main reasons why I make the drive out. Besides the fresh produce and butcher shops, they also have a French gourmet store called Monsieur Marcel. I love stopping by Monsieur Marcel for some shaved prosciutto di parma and other things of course.

I've eaten at many places offered at the Farmers Market. My old go to spot was Pampas Grill for some sirloin cap or picanha. That was my favorite thing to get, but I decided to venture and attempt to try something new.

Here are a few new favorites of mine:

Phil's Deli and Grill

Their french dip is not as the OG Philippe in Chinatown Los Angeles, but it hits the spot if this is something you're craving for.

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Their pastrami sandwich was delicious though. The rye bread was pleasant and not overly powering, with a nice crust.

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Accepts Credit Card *Thumbs Up*

Next Stop: Moishe’s Restaurant

I've heard negative things about this place. A lot of it is service followed by food. From my experience, I've received friendly service from the ladies over the counter. And the food I've tasted, was also delicious.

My go-to is definitely their Lula Kebob. Incredibly moist with loads of flavor.

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Their chicken kebob was good, but not great. Lula is still my favorite, but I wouldn't mind ordering the chicken from time to time.

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I don't have a photo of their baklava, but it's one of the best I've ever had. Made with pistachios. I'm not a total sweets person, but I can eat 2 of these. CASH only so don't forget. Prices are a bit steep for a Farmers Market so be warned.

Enjoy.

Delicatessen By Osawa - Pasadena

Delicatessen By Osawa just opened in Pasadena not too long ago. I stopped by after finding out Foodie Cube was closed during the weekends (will blog about that later). I've never been to Osawa, but heard many great things about that restaurant. Knowing the Delicatessen is walking distance from my work, I've decided to give this place a shot.

The menu can seem confusing. They offer meals and plates similar to Lemonade such as picking your items.

I just went with the simple choices such as curry and soba salad.

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Their beef curry is luscious and definitely one of the best I've had. The curry has a lot of depth and goes perfectly with the white rice and lightly fried potato. This definitely hits the spot if you're craving a good curry.

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Soba salad did not disappoint either. A hefty portion, but so refreshing you won't feel a coma afterwards. The shrimp tempura is lightly fried. The buckwheat noodles are perfectly cooked tossed with mixed fresh greens. I also really enjoyed the sesame soy sauce this was tossed in. I would also get this again.

851 Cordova St Pasadena, CA 91101

Yangji Gamjatang - KTown

This was the first place I took blogging more seriously. A lot of my friends if not 99% of them all love Korean BBQ. All love trekking out to Korea Town to find the best all you can eat BBQ. But a lot of them, and acquaintances that I've come across never had other Korean cuisines besides that.

I don't remember if I was hungover when I first came here. That or still drunk. Who knows. But this place is legit and will definitely be a cure for your hangover or is you just caught a cold. No matter what it is, any excuse is a good excuse to check out Yangji Gamjatang.

3470 W 6th St Ste 6 Los Angeles, CA 90020

Every table gets water served in a Psy water bottle. It reads, you could drink me or you can have soju and beer instead. That's not what it says but, it's funny to think so.

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With your order, you get the famous Banchan that these restaurants are known for. 

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I like to try something new every time I come. This is their oxtail soup. It's good, simple and clean if you want something lighter, but their gamjatang is still my favorite.

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Here it is. Their gamjatang. Oh so delicious pork bone soup braised in a light spicy broth with potatoes. You can share this, but I don't recommend it. Just order your own. I add more korean spicy powder to give it more heat. This soup is pretty mild and the broth is also light if I had something critical to say. This soup showcases the pork bone without too many complicating flavors. A must try when you come.

3470 W 6th St Ste 6 Los Angeles, CA 90020

JaneQ - North Hollywood

Jane Q finally opened it's doors this week.

1800 ARGYLE AVENUE LOS ANGELES, CA 90028

If you haven't mapped this place yet, I would recommend you doing so. A casual bar and restaurant that offers elegant dishes that's visually captivating and brings freshness to a whole new level.

Loved everything I had, but the highlights were their shrimp sausage with polenta, grilled peaches with burrata, Margherita pizza. For dessert, their chocolate po de creme was out of this world.