Bowl Kitchen - Santa Monica

July 16, 2017

An LA inspired approach on Vietnamese cuisine. The chef boils the bones for 7-8 hours before roasting the bones in the oven to create more depth of flavor. The owner was also inspired by LA street tacos so you'll also find salsa verde and pickled habanero as condiments besides Sriracha.

Starting the meal with some egg rolls (Shrimp & Pork).

Beef Mi - Grilled beef, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, pickled daikon, carrots and red onion. My favorite bite. I topped this off with some pickled habanero for that summer heat.

Spicy Pork Bowl Bop - Griled spicy pork with grilled mixed veggies

2127 Lincoln Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90405

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Jane Q - Los Angeles

July 4, 2017

Jane Q is expected to launch their opening sometime between the end of July and August. The restaurant will be located on the corner of Argyle and Yucca streets. There will be bar seats near the open kitchen. The food we had that evening was a preview of a few items that will be in store on the menu. Tons of fun flavors. I'm excited to see the full menu once the restaurant opens its doors.

Below are some delictables I was able to try.

Amazing veggie tower with 2 dipping sauces.

Brick oven pizzas in the making.

Their all-day menu is focused on seasonal local produce, sustainably-sourced fish & meat, and pizza, all prepared in a rotating hearth oven. They will also have beers, wines, and cocktails, all on tap.

Jane Q serves modern Los Angeles cuisine with produce purchased directly from the Hollywood Farmers Market which is only a couple of blocks away. You can find locally-roasted coffee, house-baked pastries, made-to-order breakfast specialties plus fresh-pressed juices and smoothies in the morning.

Stay tuned for updates.

1800 Argyle Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028

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Dirt Dog - Los Angeles

June 29, 2017

One of the things my dad always made when I was growing up was boiled hot dogs. He would literally boil a whole pack of weiners and leave it in the fridge so we would have something to snack on. It wasn't until I was in the 7th grade when I was at Drill Team practice by the park where dirty dogs were sold. Dirty dogs are just hot dogs wrapped with bacon. Sometimes with grilled peppers. But I like mine straight up with a slab of mayonnaise.

2528 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90007

Dirt Dog does dirty dogs right. All dogs are wrapped with bacon. I've tried a few and can say these are the best I've had when it comes to a sit down restaurant.

Here we have the elote fries, elote dog (secret menu), their house dog with grilled onions and peppers, patty melt, and their elote corn on a cob.

Mexican crema, cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro. Their links have a nice snap. Ok, there's no good way to review hot dogs without tons of sexual innuendo. So before you say anything, "that's what she said" has already been said by me.

SO, yes. Their hot dogs were beefy and delicious. Buns are shipped daily from a local baker. I recommend their brioche buns.

Their classic house dog comes with a simple bacon thousand island, roasted onions and peppers. Simple, but flavorful and delicious.

This was my favorite. Who doesn't want their bacon hot dog topped with french fries, melted cheddar, bacon bits, and a chipotle mayo? This was a flavor bomb. It was just everything that I would want on a hot dog.

Horchata Ice cream with Churros and fried oreos. After all that food you would think I'll stop. This did it for me. If the dogs didn't put me to sleep, this sure did and I don't regret it. I LOVE fried oreos. The batter did not disappoint.

I'll definitely be back soon.

2528 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90007

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Napa Valley Grille - Tasting Menu - Westwood

June 26, 2017

I've been to Napa Valley Grille twice already as well as talking about them here before. Coming here for my third time, I wasn't too sure with what to expect besides possibly trying out the rest of the menu items I've yet to lay my fork on. Without much notice, I made a reservation for the following day.

Upon arrival, we were informed that Chef Clinton had prepared a few special dishes for us to try. Without hesitation, I resigned the menu as I decided to let the chef prepare the whole meal for us.

|The first course| Melon Bowl |

When I first saw this.. I was caught off guard. My literal thoughts were wtf, where am I? This was definitely not something I am used to seeing at NVG.

The dish looked simple. A bowl of melons. But as you ate into this, you begin to realize how brilliant this course was. This melon bowl was the best starting course I've had all year. The flavors were bright, refreshing, and the citrus gazpacho hidden under these balls of wonder really opened up my palate for the next course.

|Second Course| Avocado Ravioli |

Yes. Avocado Ravioli. Inside the avocado is more of that house Steelhead Gravlax. Served with thinly sliced pickled cucumbers to help cut through the richness of the avocado and Steelhead. The choice of fresh herbs that was playfully placed made each bite fresh and vibrant.

|Third Course| Scallops |

Sweet Corn | Heart of Palm| Lava Fennel Salt | Ginger Citrus

At this point. I can't help but constantly look over my shoulders to see when the next creations arrive. I haven't had scallops in a long time. One of the reasons (if not the only) is people always mess it up. Either they are overcooked or sadly cooked with no sear marks. These were in no comparison to sad scallops. Beautifully seared served on top of a sweet corn puree/sauce, heart of palm with lava fennel salt on top, and a ginger citrus gastrique.

|Fourth Course| "Surf and Turf" |

Smoked King Crab | Bernaise | Wagyu | Armagnac Sauce | Crispy Rice

An amazing pairing with A5 wagyu beef with an Armagnac Sauce and a perfectly, but lightly smoked King Crab with a Bernaise sauce sitting in a claw. Beef was marbled and tender. Crab was definitely acting like a King with the crispy rice wrapped around like a crown. After this meal, I still had a lingering smoked sensation on my palate. Was pretty wonderful actually.

| Fifth Course | Dessert |

Basil Oil Cake | Creme Friache| Fruit | Strawberry Sorbet

How perfect is this. A basil cake with a strawberry sorbet to bring lighter flavors after a smokey entree. The basil olive cake eaten with the sorbet and all the components on the dish screams summertime. We enjoyed this with coffee. So delightful.

I spoke with Chef Clinton about his concepts and ideas. Playing with fresh local ingredients, he is able to create special tasting menus for any occasion. Napa Valley Grilled is open to preparing special menus such as the one I've experienced the past weekend. I would recommend for you to start thinking about your next food adventure with a group of friends. Call ahead and arrange a special menu, or go in a bigger group to share the fun.\

1100 Glendon Ave #100, Los Angeles, CA 90024 :: (310) 824-3322

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Santouka & Gyutan Tsukasa - Costa Mesa

June 4, 2017

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

- is my favorite ramen shop here in Los Angeles, hands down. When I went to Japan a few years ago, it amazed me how delicious the ramen was. People rave about sushi in Japan which I don't disagree but, I can honestly say you can find compromisable sushi here as well. Going back to ramen in Japan, I was blown away with the layers of flavors within the broth. A lot of soup bases here are imported or have fat delivered to recreate the umami-ness you would expect in a tonkotsu broth that have been bathing for 12+ hours. A lot of times, you would just find the soup to be heavy and fatty. Say goodnight after breakfast. At Santouka, the broth is clean, rich and deep in depths of flavor.

Shio Ramen (salt ramen) is my favorite. This is their white tonkotsu soup with melt-in-your-mouth charsiu pork.00

You can create combos with your ramen. I'm not sure why, yet, but I will do research later to why the sets are so ginormous and loaded with carbs. Literally. In Japan and Japanese restaurants here, you can get chirashi with a side of udon. Oyakodon with a side of udon. Why?! I don't mind. I love it actually but, just curious.

665 Paularino Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Mitsuwa Marketplace Costa Mesa Store

21515 Western Ave., Torrance, CA 90501 Mitsuwa Marketplace Torrance Store

3760 S.Centinela Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066 Mitsuwa Marketplace Santa Monica Store

More locations >>HERE<<

Gyutan Tsukasa

665 Paularino Ave Mitsuwa Marketplace Costa Mesa, CA 92626

I've talked about this place before. So nothing much about this besides they are amazing. Delicious beef tongue grilled over binchotan served with wasabie, pickled veggies, miso nanban and a heaping of steamed rice.

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Wine & Dine

Bowl Kitchen - Santa Monica

Jane Q - Los Angeles

Dirt Dog - Los Angeles

Napa Valley Grille - Tasting Menu - Westwood

Santouka & Gyutan Tsukasa - Costa Mesa

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

Gyutan Tsukasa