Sweetsalt Food Shop

Sweetsalt Food Shop is one of those places you keep your eye on for months, finally stop in and then kick yourself for not making it in when you first heard of it. Opened last January by husband and wife team Alex Eusebio (Top Chef contestant season 5) and Sara Mann, Sweetsalt is an adorable shop that serves sandwiches, salads, soup and baked goods with an unpretentious French flair. I stopped in on a weekend morning; while there is no breakfast menu, per se, many of the sandwiches work perfectly for starting off your day.


Serrano ham & fig sandwich ($9): crusty bread, salty ham, sweet fig preserves and brie to bring it all together. I was incredibly happy while eating this sandwich and it's been a long time since I've had that blissful feeling. Swoon. The salad was fresh and had a slightly tangy dressing that seemed to be Dijon mustard based. I was stuffed from finishing the sandwich, but I ate as much of the salad as I could.


Eggnog macaron ($1.50): I have started a slow courtship with macarons (I am unsure yet if I can't live without them or not), so I've been ordering them when they're around. Chewy and without an overwhelming eggnog flavor, their version was a light end to an indulgent breakfast.

I want to try so much more on their menu, such as: lavender duck sandwich (lavender as an ingredient intrigues me), Sweetsalt BLT (with pears!) and grapefruit truffle salad (pancetta, wild mushrooms, and a citrus-truffle vinaigrette warrant irresistible investigation). Add the fact that they have espresso and tea? You're going to see me eating and reading leisurely here through the winter, for sure.

You can read LA Weekly's Squid Ink interview with Alex Eusebio here.

Sweetsalt Food Shop
10218 1/2 Riverside Drive
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
(818) 509-7790

Banh Mi Che Cali

I did something daring today: I went in search of breakfast in the San Gabriel Valley without a game plan! I just chose an exit at random, drove around a bit and stopped in at the first place that looked somewhat promising, which was Banh Mi Che Cali. Of course, I did not get the two things they are famous for: cheap banh mi and buy one get one free boba. Instead, I chose to grab pre-made eats and ended up eating in my car on the side of the street like a madwoman.


I'm going to need some help here, but it was some sort of pork products and noodles. I was starving, so I wolfed it down.


Vegetarian spring roll. I could identify it, but I wasn't that pleased with them. Considering my breakfast total was $5.77, I wasn't that heartbroken about my very basic meal.

I have to say, I felt out of my element because of the language barrier and their counter setup (I wasn't sure if only certain things could be ordered in each area). The important thing is that I got my Vietnamese cravings taken care of for the time being. However, I'm going to have a Vietnamese speaking friend tag along next time around; I want the good stuff (and not my usual scenario of crossing my fingers, hoping for the best)!

Banh Mi Che Cali
7968 Garvey Ave
Rosemead, CA 91770
626-572-3788

Roy's Fall Prix Fixe Menu

I recently attended a media tasting for Roy's at the downtown Los Angeles location, thanks to my friend Weezermonkey who asked me to be her plus one! We sampled selections from the fall prix fixe menu, which is $35.95 for one appetizer, one entree and one dessert. [Full disclosure: My meal was free and I also received a $50 gift certificate for Roy's.]

Here are the dishes we tried:


"Elaine's" Kabocha Squash Salad: the cinnamon pepitas and cranberry vinaigrette upped the autumnal flair overall, but the amount of squash was less than expected. The flavors worked together well, though.


Blackened Rock Shrimp and Red Bean Soup: comforting with a lot of flavor, especially with the Portuguese sausage, and it reminded me a bit of gumbo. Funny enough, the soup was one of the items I was least excited about on the menu and it ended up being one of the meal's highlights!


Artichoke and Goat Cheese Crusted Salmon: less rich than the name suggests and the goat cheese element was not strongly present. The sundried tomato sauce was pretty on the plate, but I would've still enjoyed the dish without it. Salmon with a little more oomph, which I would happily eat again.


Cilantro Grilled Tiger Shrimp: slightly overcooked, but I had more of an issue with the lentils, which were fine, but didn't add much to the dish. I was a little confused by the mix of ingredients.


Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs: good flavor and I was able to eat the dish with a fork. I don't need much more when it comes to short ribs!


Pumpkin and Ginger Cheesecake and Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle: both desserts were fine, but the pumpkin cheesecake got more points because of the ginger and spice, which were more interesting to me than classic chocolate.

Considering the regular menu at Roy's, the fall prix fixe menu is a pretty good deal. We just had tastes of some of the offerings; you can see all the options for the prix fixe here. Thanks again to Weezermonkey and Allison of Formula PR!

Roy's Restaurant
800 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
213-488-4994

Mapo Kkak Doo Gee

Over the weekend, I woke up with a strong need for Korean food, but wasn't sure which places would be open for breakfast. I had been thinking about visiting Mapo Kkak Doo Gee for a while after reading about it in LA Times and Midtown Lunch Los Angeles. My Google SMS search wasn't very helpful when I requested the phone number, but Koreans are known to eat full meals at the breakfast hour sometimes and my craving for banchan was so pressing, I decided to take my chances and head over. And lucky me! They were open.


I was hoping for more banchan as pictured in the $5.99 lunch special, but I was alone and not in the mood for being pushy with the middle-aged Korean women servers. I was given a seaweed salad of sorts, a few different kimchis, simmered-in-soy potato and steamed cabbage with a hot soybean dipping sauce. I enjoyed the flavors, which were not heavy handed or underseasoned, and appreciated that they make a real effort with their banchan; a lot of Korean restaurants seem to have an obligatory, but not enthusiastic, approach in that area.

I ordered kimchi jjigae ($7.75), which held a nice surprise in store: dduk (rice cakes)! You can't tell from my picture, but I promise they were in there and enjoyed with gusto. Also, apologies about the photo; I dug in for a while before realizing I forgot to click away (yes, my anticipation was that great). Mapo's is a pretty good version, though I wish there had been more kimchi in the jjigae.



Their menu has lots of dishes I'm eager to try (particularly their fish offerings) and considering the quality level and reasonable prices, I must say that I am their newest devotee. Another breakfast spot to add to my weekend list!

Mapo Kkak Doo Gee (I'm going by the full name version as noted on their Korean signage)
3611 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 736-6668

Jalapeno and Apple Slaw

Inspired by The Golden State's jalapeno slaw, I decided to satisfy a craving the old-fashioned way: make it! I wanted some crunch and sweetness, so added Fuji apples into the mix. A very simple method:

1. Slice up whatever you want in the slaw.
2. Throw in a couple spoonfuls of mayonnaise.
3. Add salt and pepper.
4. Combine and taste for adjustments. Voila!

Could it be any easier (well, aside from having it served to you and all you have to do is dig in)? I think not. Hope you'll try making your own at-home versions of slaw!

Tiato

I've been pretty diligent about not spending money on workday lunches, so I felt all right taking a day off the waiting-for-the-microwave rotation and heading to Tiato for, as I imagined it, "something Vietnamese."


Vietnamese rice noodle salad with lemongrass chicken and chicken rice crispy rolls ($9): hit the spot with the flavors, but missed the mark with the portion size. I wish I had ordered a side or soup; I'll know better next time.


Hazelnut macaron ($1.75): my first and I enjoyed it, though not earth-shaking or life-affirming, which I was kinda expecting. The middle was dense and rich; I'm eager to try more macarons in the immediate future.

Although I was still hungry after my lunch at Tiato, I'd go back for another mid-day timeout from my desk. The menu is a bit puzzling (half the items are not traditional Vietnamese, i.e. turkey taco salad and a grass fed burger with beet horseradish aioli), but I suppose a smart move for their customer demographic as it is housed in the MTV Building in Santa Monica.

The serene dining room is full service on one side, pay at the counter and wait with your number card on the other (also grab-and-go with a salad bar and pre-made food). And for those wanting to smell the fresh air and feel the sun, there are tables in the spacious garden area, an unexpected treat. FYI: the restaurant is a little tricky to find; I walked in through the Colorado building entrance and had to ask the security desk for directions (you go through the long hallway of what look like offices and suddenly, there's Tiato); you can also enter through the East Garden Gate on Stewart.

Tiato
2700 Colorado Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310-866-5228

Ramen Jinya

This summer has not been the most exciting for me in terms of food, but I am quite thrilled to have a new place to blog about: Ramen Jinya. My experience with Studio City restaurants has been a mixed bag and although there have been a few high notes amid the chain-heavy neighborhood, I've largely been disappointed. Happy to report, however, that Ramen Jinya is solid and will most likely become a craving-buster haven for me, especially in the colder months (or as "cold" as it gets in Southern California).



I'm not particular about having typical breakfast items for my first meal of the day (which goes back to my childhood of Saturdays eating cold pizza while watching cartoons), so I was quite game for a weekend brekkie of ramen. I ordered the ramen/ crispy chicken/salad combo for $12.50. For the ramen, the two options are Jinya (chicken broth and chicken meatball) or tonkotsu (pork broth and chashu); it wasn't a question for me, I went with the pork and did not regret it. The broth was rich, but not overwhelming, though as is the case with all Japanese ramen, I always have to drink water with the meal and I love salt (just an FYI).



The crispy chicken had great flavor, marinated in a soy/ginger concoction, but as it was white meat, the pieces were a teensy bit dry. Still, I was in the mood for fried poultry, so I was a happy camper. I was very hungry when I walked in, so this amount of food was perfect (the salad was a basic green salad with an Asian dressing, but no pictures because they were out of focus). I enjoyed Ramen Jinya quite a lot and if people aren't already encountering waits at peak times, I have a feeling that will be the case very soon. Hmm, perhaps I've found a new breakfast joint?

Ramen Jinya
11239 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
818-980-3977

Jangtuh Bosam

I often find myself driving aimlessly around Koreatown, hungry, but wanting to try somewhere new. Most times, I end up folding and just resorting to a consistent-but-not-great mainstay (in this case, BCD Tofu on Western). However, there were a few people already waiting for tables and I thought I'd take a chance on one of the other restaurants in the plaza. Enter Jangtuh Bosam where I had a $7.99 bulgogi lunch special that was sizable in portion, served with perfectly fine banchan dishes and all delivered with friendly service (shocker).





Their specialty is pork, so next time I will venture into bossam territory, which involves slices of boiled pork and a radish/kimchi concoction of some sort wrapped up in cabbage leaves. I will probably not get the bottle of soju usually accompanied with it, though.

Jangtuh Bosam
857 S. Western Ave,
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 387-2241

Black Bean Salad

I'm beginning to think that in the kitchen, the inspiration game is not right for me. Most of the time, I just decide what to make, go buy the ingredients without hesitation and do the damn thing. And that's pretty much how this black bean salad came to be (pertinent information: I spent the weekend drinking a lot of cold beer and eating delectable foods that live many time zones away from virtuous).

There are a lot of black bean salad recipes out there. I made a very pared down version because let's face it, that's my usual approach to food. I put the following in a bowl: black beans, corn, red peppers, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, a very small amount of cumin, olive oil, salt and pepper. I imagine if you made a separate dressing, the salad might taste even better, but on a Monday night, I felt strongly that it wasn't essential. I did, however, run the red onion under a bit of water to mellow it out.

Summer and I have an uneasy relationship, especially since I moved to LA where central air conditioning is rare for renters; I try to keep my wits about me and accept that it's sentencing me to months of eating cold salads/sandwiches/whatever doesn't require the stove as well as fitful nights of waking up really annoyed at how hot it is, even at night. But, whether I'm ready or not, she has officially arrived to torment us all. So, prepare yourselves for a lot of cold dishes from me!

A Little Lull

It's been quiet here, so I wanted to pop in and say hello. I've been busy with eating not-really-meals at home and traveling (I've got more coming up, which is very good for my wanderlust). This little lull is only temporary and I should be back with posting shortly.

The above photo is from Julian's in Providence, RI, where I had brunch with my sister last weekend. I've developed a habit of ordering a Bloody Mary (sometimes, more than one) when I'm on vacation. As I love hearing about people's food and drink quirks, please indulge me and pipe up about your "travel drink" of choice!

LudoBites 4.0

I don't tend to flock to things that are hip and happening, mostly because of limited energy and funds. But, sometimes, it happens by accident. Other times, it's fate. One night, I thought about it was too bad that I never got my act together enough to go to LudoBites (getting reservations isn't for the faint of heart nor those who aren't on the web minute-by-minute). The next morning, I got an email from Rants and Craves seeing if I was free to go to LudoBites! And the rest is history.

My other two dining companions for my first taste of Ludo's food were The Truck Chaser and Weezermonkey. A lovely group of ladies to consume butter with, non?


Paris ham soup: unreal. Ludo's take on ham and cheese means utter decadence with Guiness foam and cornichons thrown in for balanced hot-damn-goodness. My (savory) personal favorite of the night. I'll get to dessert in a minute.


White asparagus veloute: We missed the part about this dish being cold. Still, a delicate yet sexy way to highlight white asparagus. And yes, that salmon roe is beckoning you right now.


Foie gras black croque monsieur: are you kidding? Wonderful.


Squid carbonara: who needs pasta when you've got tender squid? I really enjoyed this interpretation, especially with the poached egg.

So, my pictures stop here because of lighting issues. You can check out Weezermonkey's LudoBites post here, chock-full of gorgeous photos per usual.

Now, I must tell you about dessert: my very first chocolate souffle. Pertinent background information: my dessert experience is limited because I don't really care about ending meals on a sweet note. If it's there, I'll eat it, of course (I'm not monastic about sugar, trust me). Now, back to the souffle. I took one bite and everything fell away for a split second. That good. Only the French could have concocted a billowy puff of a dessert that holds a slightly gooey chocolate heart. Souffle, je t'aime.

I'm now going to be chasing the dragon on this front, but I will take on that challenge gladly. Thank you to Ludo for giving me such a special food memory.

And of course, thank you to Rants and Craves, my LudoBites fairy godmother! I had the best time and it's times like these that I thank my lucky stars that I live in LA. Magic can happen anywhere, but living in a city like ours serves up possibilities on a silver platter quite often.

LudoBites 4.0 (through May 28)
Gram and Papas
227 East 9th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Komasa

Sushi is a constant craving, but it is only an occasional indulgence for me because of the price point. Luckily, The Roaming Belly gave me the heads up on Komasa in Little Tokyo, a place where the quality is good, but the sticker shock is minimal. And she was also nice enough to join me for dinner! Here's what we ate:


Fried softshell crab: a lip-smackingly good way to start our meal.


Albacore salad: eat your veggies even when at sushi and I love salads at Japanese restaurants. I especially enjoyed the carrots, which were lightly pickled.


Tuna, uni and salmon roe: we had another round of sushi as well, but I failed to take a picture before we dug in (a common problem of mine). The spicy tuna roll here is good stuff and with big chunks of tuna; I can't imagine going to Komasa now without ordering one (or two, in our case). Everything I tried was fresh and so reasonably priced.

Our total bill (with tax and tip) came to $60! The only slight downside is that the restaurant is tiny, so you will most likely have to wait, but you are free to roam about because they take your cellphone number down and call when your table's ready. We went on a weeknight, so it only took about 15 minutes to get the call. Plan accordingly; if you're really hungry, going on a Saturday night is not a good idea.

I am Komasa's newest convert. A huge thank you to The Roaming Belly for showing me the light!

Komasa
351 East 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 680-1792
*Parking validated at Japanese Village Plaza structure, entrance on Central Ave (you pay upfront and get your money back with 2 hr validation)

The Village Idiot

A while ago, Food, she thought wrote about her visit to The Village Idiot and she mentioned a few menu items that were new to me. Having had a few meals and many drinks there before (and enjoying them), I made a mental note to stop by soon. "Soon" is a relative term, but I finally made it there when my friend Seve and I had brunch there.


Seve ordered a 1903 Lager ($6). I stuck with water, but from prior experience, I can recommend their Bloody Marys.


He also had the rancher's breakfast ($11): eggs, black beans, crisp tortilla, ricotta salata, salsa roja and spicy sausage. He liked it.


I was really looking forward to trying a full English breakfast ($13). But, I was let down. Perhaps one mistake is that I decided on a whim to order poached eggs? In addition, the sausage (ahem, banger) was dry, though the grilled rashers (bacon) were good. I guess I will simply HAVE to go to England for the real thing!

I prefer The Village Idiot during the day when the light spills in through the big windows, the conversations are a little less deafening and you don't have to wait for a table. I'll go back sometime again, but perhaps stick to lunch fare.

The Village Idiot
7383 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046-7526
(323) 655-3331

Libra

I was recently invited to a free private dinner by Libra, a new Brazilian by-the-pound spot in Culver City opened by Marcelo Ahn, owner of Brazilian Churrascaria M-Grill. With a 90% vegetarian salad bar and grilled meat options, Libra's got something for everyone, which is a draw for friends and family whose dietary differences may run the gamut.

At the beginning of the bar, there is a hand-washing station. Unusual, yes, but I like the idea. I fancy the design as well, which could be said of the entire restaurant, which is white and minimalist.



Out of the many salads and sides, these photos turned out the best, but trust me - they've got a lot of stuff (including pasta items and meatballs!).


Snow pea salad was a must for me as I cannot resist the green pods. A good option to balance out the less virtuous (but tasty) items like caramelized plantains and cheese bread. Also pictured: the smoked salmon and pea salad, which I did not try.


Pickled stuff. I had the cornichons, of course, and eggplant.

After you load up on the bar, if you want meat, you give your order to the cooks.


The grill. With the meat.


I chose the picanha (top sirloin cap) and linguica (Brazilian sausage). The beef was fine, but the linguica was very good.


By the grill station, there are sauces available. I got chimichurri and some type of "vinaigrette" (I believe that's what was on the label).

Pricing is a little high: the bar only is $9/lb and the bar with grilled meat items is $11/lb (my plate above weighed 1.01 lbs). I imagine the prices are due to the location and the quality of the ingredients (the restaurant makes all dishes from scratch with no processed items). But, if you're looking to eat a casual meal in this part of Culver City, you're going to spend a bit of dough unless you go to Chipotle. The setup is cafeteria style, so no table service, but the interior seems to be kept very clean with staff members clearing tables and refilling water (at least the night I went).

The food is better than the "bang for your buck" level as the restaurant boasts a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef (who is Ahn's sister). I liked Libra enough that I would eat there again, but probably for a lighter meal. Funny enough, vegetarians may have a rollicking good time here, maybe even more than omnivores.

Libra
3833 Main Street
Culver City, CA 90232

*Park in the Cardiff Center garage (at Cardiff and Culver), which is 2 hours free. I always park here when going to this area.

Spinach and Orzo Salad

I've been on a nutrition kick lately and wanted to make something not-so-boring for a weekday lunch. I found this Spinach and Orzo Salad recipe over at Simply Recipes, which was used as a starting point. Some adjustments that were made:

I used capers (already had some) instead of olives and left out the pine nuts. I had canned artichokes waiting to be used, so I threw those into the mix. I didn't blend the spinach because I lacked the proper equipment (leaving the leaves whole) and the vinaigrette was made with white wine vinegar and without the dried herbs.

This one is a keeper. The olive oil in the vinaigrette gives the salad a slight richness, which was a pleasant surprise, and the feta works well with the other ingredients. I am so looking forward to my Monday lunch!

Osteria Mamma

During the workweek, meals for me are usually simple, light and not very interesting. So, you can imagine how much I was looking forward to a "school night" dinner at Osteria Mamma with Weezermonkey! We ordered a good deal of food and laughed. A lot.


Polipolata ($9.25): octopus salad with celery and potatoes. The octopus was so tender. Remarkable! We also had a great gorgonzola arugula salad with brown pear ($8.95).


Tagliatelle bolognese ($15.25): loved the springy pasta and the rich sauce. I was a lucky duck and got to take the leftovers home.


Spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli in butter and sage ($13.95): appreciated the handmade dough, but the flavors were too subtle. Definitely a lighter way to enjoy their pasta, though.


Custard Cream Tart (can't remember the price): A smart choice for anyone who wants a rich, yet not overly sweet, dessert. We split one and it was plenty (it is misspelled as Custer on the menu, which gives it an inadvertent military flair).

I've always wanted an Italian grandmother, but such a relationship is not easy to come by. Instead, I will look to Osteria Mamma whenever I'm dumbstruck with handmade pasta cravings. Their menu also offers pizzas, which might be something to try when I've exhausted myself of their noodles (could this ever happen?).

Osteria Mamma
5732 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004
323-284-7060

Bayou Grille

Like many of Bayou Grille's recent first time customers, I was led here by the LA Times write up (note: the address was incorrect in the Times; Bayou Grille is actually on NORTH La Brea). It's not often that I move so quickly after reading a review, but sometimes I just decide to do things with swift determination; to the surprise of no one, many of these instances involve food.


Charles got the tiger shrimp po'boy ($7.29) and gave it high marks. He liked that all the components worked together with not too much of this or not too little of that.


I couldn't get crawfish etouffee out of my mind after seeing it in the article, so naturally I had to order it. I was so glad I did; the flavor was rich and the crawfish were so tender ($11.99 and worth it). They give you the rice and etouffee in separate containers and let you put it all together, which is a smart way to avoid any heated debates since I'm sure lots of people have opinions about the "proper" rice to etouffee ratio!


We split an order of cajun fries ($1.99), which were tasty and aplenty. This seasoning would work nicely on popcorn (because salt on top of salt is perfectly acceptable to me).


The nectar of the Southern gods: sweet tea ($1.50). It tastes like home! I cannot tell you how deliriously happy I am to have located an authentic version out here. I am over the flippin' moon. And self-serve with refills (dangerous, but much appreciated)!

Bayou Grille is for eating, pure and simple. You order at the counter, wait patiently (if I am remembering correctly, the seafood is fried to order) and scarf it all down once it arrives. I plan on returning very soon because I have got my eye on not only the crab cakes, but also the oyster po'boy!

Bayou Grille
1400 N. La Brea Avenue
Inglewood, CA 90302
(310) 673-0824

Broccoli Slaw

Now I know what a home run feels like.



When I cook at home, my expectations are fairly low. Most of the time, I am able to turn out better-than-edible food and once in a blue moon, I make something incredibly good.

This broccoli slaw made my jaw drop. I couldn't believe I made something so awesome. I used Smitten Kitchen's recipe, which nonchalantly introduced me to the best damn version of one of my favorite vegetable dishes (I cannot resist any interpretation of broccoli slaw; you should see how my eyes light up at the very sight of it).

Notes: I have been rather taken with currants lately and used those instead of cranberries. For the dressing, instead of shallots, I used red onion, which is mentioned as a substitute in her recipe.

If you don't know Smitten Kitchen, now you do. She knows what's up, especially if you are a baker (let's not go there right now; let me bask in my glory).