Tacos Tu Madre - Westwood

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Tacos Tu Madre - Westwood

LA has definitely been a taco staple exploding into different counties. What I find is there are more contemporary fusion tacos than what you would find the past decade. Tacos Tu Madre not only offer your fusion tacos like Korean BBQ or Duck Mole, but also stays within your comfort zones by offering Asada, Carnitas, Al Pastor, Lengua, and Chorizo Egg which I HIGHLY recommend.

Tacos Tu Madre - 1945 1/2 Westwood BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90025

Chorizo and Eggs

This menu was taken a few months ago when I first visited the restaurant. This menu is located outside their take out window, but they also have one to look through for more in depth options. I've included their most recent menu to the left.

As you see, besides the tacos being more sophisticated, so are the prices. But, there are also more component to each taco that you order here. I brought John with me. Like myself and many of you who grew up with $1 tacos, find it blasphemy when a taco costs $1.25.

But as the economy is growing, so is everything else. That's right, a bundle of cilantro can cost 99 cents. Avocados are expensive as hell. And lemons are only used if it's a special occasion. You catch my drift.

Ahi Tuna

This is my favorite from everything I've had. For $4.75, this is totally worth it. Served on a crispy tortilla shell, the ahi tuna is cut in chunks and mixed with avocados, spicy citrus yuzu ponzu sauce, chives, sesame seeds and seaweed flakes.

The only thing I can say, is I can't extract the yuzu flavor. For some reason, I tasted a lot of ginger. Maybe I have poor taste buds. Maybe they don't even have any ginger in house. But it's extremely fresh and something I would never complain about. I would definitely order 2 of these and be content.

There are options to order this in a Burrito or a Bowl for additional charges. A burrito or bowl will supplement as a meal.

 

Chips and Guacamole

In other words, the Darth Maul version. How can you not think about that just by looking at these colors. Or maybe even Deadpool. Each chip has a helpful amount of salt, but not too much. Just enough to balance the guac. I couldn't help but dive back into this from time to time. Avocados are the good types of fat, and I will keep telling myself that everything it touches will become just that.

In the platter above, there's Duck Mole, Korean BBQ, Crispy Fish, Carnitas, and Lengua. The tortillas is not your standard 2 sheets, but one presumably hand made. You gotta eat these fast because the tortillas does break apart if it sits for a while. All the tacos were packed with flavor. I ate these tacos not keeping in mind with what I've grown up eating, but to keep an unbiased opinion based solely on flavors. So yes. I will pay over $3 bucks for a taco.

Street Corn

Street corn is my thing and something I love to make at home. This is not your elote you would find on the streets. Mayonnaise was missed, and it seems they use red chili flakes instead of cayenne. This does make eating a lot easier, and less messier than it would be on a cob. 

Red Velvet Churros

They have desserts like red velvet churros and frozen horchatas to help you move on with your day. The red churros were interesting and definitely had no resemblance from a traditional churro. These are much more dense. I would love the cream cheese frosting to be sweeter as well has the roll out of the cinnamon sugar that is coated.

Putting everything in thought, I would be back. Space is extremely limited, but tables turning over is fairly quick. It does help there are 2 Starbucks within a 1 mile radius.  They do have street parking with meters, a lot where you need to pay, or residential which is just around the corner which is what we did. Trust me, after these tacos, you should take the walk.

Tacos Tu Madre is snuck away, but has a giant colorful mural. If you are lost, but close, it's in between to 2 Starbucks I mentioned.

Good luck.

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Mondo Taco - Santa Monica

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Mondo Taco - Santa Monica

I have to say, Tacos has come a long, long way here in Los Angeles. I lived in Glassell Park most of my life. If you don't know where Glassell Park is, it's basically where gunshots are fired around 11pm or 2-4 in the morning, Ice Cream trucks at noon - 3pm - 5pm, Elote man around the same time, and tacos covering every proximity you can put your hands on. Back to the days when tacos were $1 a pop, and they just had that flavor you can only find on the streets. If you know what I am talking about, just close your eyes for a minute to relive it.

I remember there was this one stall, serving up all kinds of cuts you can imagine on a comal bola grill. Every meat fat you can imagine, melted and cooked as one. You can't find that anymore nowadays. Or not as easy as it was just a few years ago.

But tacos has evolved into something more multicultural. That's the beauty of living in LA. We don't see each other differently because we are so exposed to the different cultures that we are surrounded with. It's really beautiful if you think about it. I remember when I went to visit some friends in Arizona, I literally stood out like a sore thumb being asian. Nothing wrong with that, but you just know when you are in a town where your existence is minimal. Tacos, right.

I was luckily invited to a taco tasting out in Santa Monica the past weekend. And boy, tacos are my thing. So are burgers. There's just some kind of pleasure I find eating food with my hands. Mondos Tacos provide a more contemporary take on tacos than what you would find at the corner of your local neighborhood in LA. Their tacos travel around the world meaning they do flavors like Italian to a further leap like Indian.

Mondo Taco - 2200 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90404

6 Tacos to try with one Watermelon Agua Fresca (delicious!).

Chips and Salsa with a side of Guacamole. A must! Good portion of avocados in the guac. It wasn't super loaded with tomatoes either. A perfect starter. I even whipped some of the guac onto my tacos. You know you want to do it too.

Angry Chicken - $3.50 crispy chicken - hot sauce - blue cheese. Finger licking hot sauce that will make your eye wink. So be careful who you are sitting in front of. Don't want to be sending the wrong signal when you are just enjoying your taco. The blue cheese was tasty and added a nice musk to cut through the tartness of the sauce.

Southern Decadence - $3.75 fried chicken - bacon - BBQ sauce - ranch dressing - diced tomato. I loved this! Yummy BBQ sauce with fried chicken strips. I had the slighted memory of eating chicken nuggets from Wendy's. Not like there is anything wrong with that, because everything about that is utterly amazing.

Fancy Fish - $3.50 grilled fish - poblano - pico de gallo - cilantro crème. The name says it all. The fish was delicate and was complimented by the poblanos and creamy cilantro creme.

El Greco - $4.75 grilled lamb - tzatziki - diced tomato. If you love lamb, this will definitely deliver. The gaminess of the lamb really shoots through. The tzatsiki and tomatoes really help cutting through the strong flavors of the lamb. Great portions of lamb.

Taj Mahal - $4.75 coconut shrimp - curry sauce - diced red bell pepper. Surprisingly one of my favorites from the 6. The shrimp was very plump, cooked perfectly, and the creamy curry sauce pairs perfectly with the light flavors of the shrimp and the sweetness of the red peppers. I really want to order 2 of these next time I come, but there are just so much to try from.

Crazy Fish - $3.50 panko crusted fish - pico de gallo - 1000 Island. Another tasty taco. Loved everything about it. There's nothing I love more than a fried fish taco. This was also one of my favorites. Simple, and flavors were well executed. The fish was fried perfectly.

If you think the condiments are a bit loaded, you are WRONG *BUZZ* The portions of these tacos are larger than you think. The protein is packed, so the amount of sauce and toppings you see doesn't overwhelm the overall taco.

For dessert, we were able to try their Blueberry Panna Cotta. Don't think about it. Just order it. It's delicious and I've had many Panna Cottas. It's so decadent, I can't believe it's in a plastic container! For $3.50, it is definitely a steal. I would honestly drive the 23 miles to get this again. If you've never had Panna Cotta, just imagine a soft cheesecake. Mild, not as sharp. Creamy. Silky. Soft. Like a baby's butt. 

Plan your next visit, there are plenty of things to do out here. We visited MUJI afterwards around the corner-corner.

Until Next time.

D


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Pig Pen Delicacy - Santa Ana

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Pig Pen Delicacy - Santa Ana

Pig Pen Delicacy, located on 201 E 4th St - Santa Ana, CA 92701, inside 4th street market.

I got the chance to taste Pig Pen Delicacy yesterday, another one of Andy and his partners Kevin, Mark and Jason's creation. This place serves a few dishes that are focused in a world of pork and bacon flavors. Just the sound of that gives me heartburns. But, that's why I have Tums.

I've never been to Downtown Santa Ana, so making the trip from Pasadena was already worth it to be able to explore a city I am not familiar with. We arrived around 7. Just in time before the crowd started swarming in. Pig Pen Delicacy as said before, is located inside the 4th street market, but you would need to make your way inside as it is wrapped passed the corner. You will figure it out. Andy recommended a few dishes which we tried. So let's get it on.

BBQ Pulled pork sandwich

I had a feeling they might've been running low on pulled pork for this tasting because the portions were really minimal. I am not complaining since I understand that they were pretty busy from the heavy crowds. But based on the pork that I was able to taste in this, it was something that I enjoyed.

The pork was cooked till tender with some pickled carrots and daikon to cut through the richness of the meat and egg. The brioche bun held the sandwich together nicely as well as soaking up the yolk lava from the eggs. Like really, what kind of world are we living in if eggs can't be cooked perfectly?

 

 

Maple Bacon Jam Burger

I loved this burger. I've never had a sweet and savory burger like this before. I am not a fan of western bbq sauced burgers or hawaiin burgers with pineapple. But sausage with syrup or bacon dipped in syrup is my kind of thing. I think when you really want to imagine how a sweet and savory burger would taste like, this is it. It brings a nostalgic moment from childhood. Eating pancakes and oozing your maple syrup all over everything on your plate imaginable. This is comfort food right here y'all.

Candied Bacon

I don't really need to say much about it. It's bacon with brown sugar and spices. Baked until it's finger licking good. What more do you want? Good Daisy... eat that bacon...

Pork Belly Fries

Again, I think they were running low on pork belly because there were only a few nibbles floating around. The flavors though were really great. I can only imagine how delicious and composed this dish would be if made with their proportions (I saw photos during the day, and this order was HUGE compared to this). Loved the fries that they use. Loved the creamy cilantro sauce with the fresh pico de gallo. Would love to try this again next time I come.

Enjoy. And always love the Dew.




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The Fat Dog - Pau & Johnny - Part 2

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The Fat Dog - Pau & Johnny - Part 2

To continue from Part 1 where Pau, Johnny and I were hanging out at the Idle Hour, we decided to make our way to The Fat Dog.

11050 Magnolia Blvd - North Hollywood, CA 91601

After having a liquid brunch, we were literally turning into Zombies with no sense of direction. I mean, Pau literally lunged to the streets without looking and stopped traffic with her super powers as we trickled behind her. She was on a mission. A mission for Swedish meatballs.

I love it. I went to tinkle and came out with food already on the way. Since we were just snacking, they do have some fun nibbles that are worth to try. Let's start with the sliders shall we.

The Flight

Any beer loving fiend would love cheeseburgers of all sizes. These little decadent-pinky-worth buns with bacon, meat, cheese and guacamole can keep you fixated with your eyes crossed for a good minute.

Comes with fries. But, I would order more for other reasons I will share with you in a bit. But deng, I just love finger foods so much. I don't count calories, but I do think about the amount of food I consume at the end of the day. So little bites like these (x's 54674861231) makes me extremely happy because that means I can try more food. And who, who, does not want to try more food? For goodness sake. Look how delightful Johnny looks in the back enjoying a bite of a mysterious item. I swear it wasn't candid at all.

Hot Wings

I really... really.. enjoyed these wings a lot. I'm not sure if it was from all the beer I drank, but these were zippy. It felt almost as if the wings were marinated in buffalo sauce or rub, and then deep fried. I really don't know how they did it, but it reminds me of dry rubbed ribs. Served with celery and carrots, with their house bleu cheese dipping sauce. Thumbs up. I am ready to come back for this one.

Swedish Meatballs

If you love IKEA Swedish Meatballs, you will love the ones at the Fat Dog. Served in a heapfull, there are plenty of reasons to share. There's nothing fancy with this dish as there is nothing fancy at the ones you would find at IKEA. But, these are comforting as F#$k as they should be. This is where the extra fries would play along. Or, just order the fries with this gravy and lingonberry sauce to top off. Money.

I will be back really soon because there were still a lot of items I would like to try. Love you Pau & Johnny dearly.

Until next time. Eat & Drink responsibility.



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IDLE Hour - Pau & Johnny - Part 1

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IDLE Hour - Pau & Johnny - Part 1

I've known Pauline and Johnny for quite some time. I would say 14 years or so. Johnny and I have stayed friends after High School and I really consider him as one of my best friends. I still kept in touch with Pau from time to time mostly through social media. It wasn't long before Pau and I geeked out over our love of food. And it was about time we rekindled our friendship after a decade of not seeing each other.

Pau arranged our meet at the IDLE HOUR in North Hollywood.

4824 N Vineland Ave - Los Angeles, CA 91601

As punctual as I am, I can't believe that I was the last one to arrive. Don't worry, that will be made up shortly with a few drinks. It was weird to see Pau again. But, it didn't feel different. And it almost feels like just yesterday that we were in High School all over again. There wasn't much awkwardness at all if any. And it literally took no time before the first round of drinks started.

Pau's first drink was a mimosa while Johnny dove into his bloody mary. I steered away and ordered a Ballast Point IPA. And, it wasn't long before we ended up doing rounds of IPA.

Besides the usual work and stuff, life really just went on. There wasn't much to catch up on since Johnny and I have kept in touch, I see the life of Pau through Instagram and Facebook and vice versa between them. So basically, we just talked about food and really digged into the roots of our favorite things to eat. One thing I love about these 2 are the love of food they have for all cultures. There isn't anything these 2 would not try. And you know what? It's hard to find true foodies that embraces all foods of the world.

We didn't order much to eat. Just beer. And more beer. Until we realized we really should order food before getting passed out drunk on the sidewalk. Pau wasn't too hungry. Johnny was contemplating over short ribs. And I had my eyes on the chilaquiles. We decided to go for the chilaquiles since something to share was satisfying enough from all the beer we had.

Chilaquiles

The chilaquiles were large enough to share between 3 of us. The sauce was flavorful with a slight kick of heat that creeps up after. Some queso crumbles topped with 2 perfectly sunny sides. Yes I will order this again.

After ordering another round of beer, I've became a total snapchat guru. Though, I don't remember how to use it now. I'm sure it will all come back to me once I have my hands on a beer.

This was probably around 2. Stay tuned for part 2.


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