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I’m not really sure what the English name for this restaurant is, but it’s on the corner of Life Plaza. It initially was just a dessert place specializing in Chinese desserts like mango pudding and shaved ice, but now it’s on the hand-shaved (dao xiao) bandwagon.

The BF ordered the house special vegetarian noodle soup. The noodles were decent and chewy, but the broth tasted like a boullion cube. It seemed like someone just threw in a bunch of vegetables like bok-choy and tomatoes into a pot of water and powdered vegetable stock.

I got the house special beef noodle soup. It was supposed to be spicy, but I couldn’t taste it at all. There was a bit of the Szechuan peppercorn taste, but it was pretty weak. The broth was also lacking in depth. I had to dump a bunch of chili oil and vinegar in it to make it taste better. The beef was surprisingly tasty though and had just the right amount of seasoning.

For dessert, we shared the peanut rice-ball which is just glutinous rice balls (like mochi) covered with sweet crushed peanuts. It’s simple, but delicious.

I don’t know if it’s because they’ve only started branching out into non-dessert food, but I thought both of our noodle soups were mediocre. Next time, I’ll go somewhere else to get my noodle soup fix and go to Benser for dessert.

Louise absolutely LOVES filthy, cheap places! (See more of her posts). You can also find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.

Last year my feelings about Indian food went from 0-10 in a matter of one week. Prior to that time, I ignorantly assumed all Indian food was “covered in curry,” which was, in my mind, a thick, pungent green sauce I’d tried in Australia and quite disliked. Eventually a friend convinced me to try Electric Karma, telling me there is so much more to Indian Food than curry, which really just means “sauce.” I’ve tried many Indian restaurants around the greater LA area, but this place remains my absolute favorite … not only because of the authentic food and kind hospitality, but also because of the exotic outdoor/indoor patio area. A few low tables are surrounded by fluffy over sized pillows and couches. Candle light makes the entire room glow, highlighting the warm reds and rich oranges that blanket the room. A gurgling fountain lets the sound of running water sooth the soul, while you sip fine Indian wine. There are gorgeous murals painted on the golden yellow walls, my favorite being the “blue goddess.”

I’m moving to Aspen Co. next week, where there is no Indian food to my knowledge, so I’ve been eating as much of it as possible before I head to the mountains. I took my friend Anna to Electric Karma last week and here’s a delicious account of our meal. I began with a glass of their white wine from India … it’s slightly fruity, but not too sweet. She ordered mango sangria which tasted like white wine with mango juice in it … not amazing but ok if you like really sweet drinks.

As a true eggplant lover, I could not pass up the sautéed Japanese eggplant covered with tomato sauce and ginger yogurt. Each bite melted like butter in my mouth. The tart tangy yogurt and tomato paired perfectly with the sweet eggplant. You’ll find it under salads on the menu, though it seemed more of an appetizer to me.

Next we ordered samosas, because how can you not when you’re eating Indian food, right? 3 little packages of crisp dough arrived fried to a deep golden brown and filled with creamy potatoes, peas, and herbs. The tamarind chutney served with was savory, spicy, and sweet. Addicting!

They brought out the olive naan with the raita sauce, and mango chutney. The naan bread, baked in their tandoor, is fluffy, chewy and slightly crisp on the edges. They have a large variety of flavors including cheese stuffed and a coconut cherry naan! The refreshing raita made from plain yogurt, grated cucumber and onions is so divine I could (and do) eat it as a cold soup. Spread a piece of naan with a little raita and the spicy, syrup sweet mango chutney, sit back, close your eyes and taste heaven.

For our entree … yes we still had more food arriving because it’s all so good I can never order enough … the chef/owner Paramjit Singh Khinda recommended we try the Nirvana Chicken, but replace the chicken with Lamb Tikka. This was the very best lamb dish I’d had so far at Electric Karma! The lamb, which is marinated in yogurt and 17 spices, was perfectly tender and drenched in a velvety coconut masala curry with chili. To die for! I’ve never been able to indulge in dessert at this wonderful Indian eatery, since all the savory food is so flavorful, it’s difficult to even think about saving room for something sweet. Electric Karma will always be on my list of “must visit” restaurants whenever I’m back in LA.

Electric Karma
8222 1/2 W Third St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Phone: (323) 653-2121

Speaking of Karma … I am writing a new blog called KarmalizedLife. Feel free to check it out!
With gratitude for great Indian food - FoodFlirt90210

By foodflirt90210 (see more of her posts). You can find more of foodflirt90210's writing at her own website foodflirt90210

Do I like Greek food?  As my best gal pal Vanessa would say:  does a one legged duck swim in a circle?
The answer is a resounding  Ne! (which sounds like no, but is actually yes, in Greek.)

Now that my Grandma has passed I don’t get Greek food cooked for me nearly as often as I used to.  I still cook something Greek at least 3-4 times a month, but once a year I know there is a place I can go, to get home cooked, quality, Greek food. 

That place is the Valley Greek Festival hosted by St. Nicholas Greek Church in Northridge.

Every major city, it seems, hosts a Greek festival at some point in the summer, but for my money, the Valley version is one of the best.  There is a large Greek community in Northridge and Reseda and the food here is all homemade by loving hands, of members of St. Nich’s Greek Orthodox Church.

If you do go here are my suggestions:

Loucanico:  Greek sausage, grilled and served with a hunk of bread, feta, some lemon and kalamata olives.  This is delicious with a little sip of Ouzo on the side.

Greek Chicken is going all day on large open grills.  It’s served with rice, salad, bread, feta and other fixins.  I like their version, it’s really well made, so if you’ve never had it, give it a try.  For me, I find Greek Chicken is so easy to cook at home, I often go with the dishes, that, due to their complexity, I don’t often cook at home…like…

Pastitsio or Moussaka:  Pastitsio is like a Greek Lasagna made with bechamel sauce.  I’ve made this on numerous occasions, and let  me tell you it’s a bitch to make!  Their version often dries out a little bit, but it’s the nature of the beast.  It’s still worth a try.  The nutmeg flavors in the rich sauce are so damn yummy.   Their Moussaka is delish as well, and usually not as dried out.  I love egg plant, don’t you??

The Gyro (pronounced “Year-oh”  not “Jeye-ro  or Guy-ro”) is also really fab.

For desserts, well, when it comes to Greek desserts they’re all pretty much some version of flour, nuts and honey (my Nouna would kill me for saying so, but people, it’s true!).
The ladies of the church, though, create something crazy, like 48 THOUSAND pieces of pastry.

The most fun dessert, hands down, are the handmade Loucoumathes. 

Little donut holes they cook right in front of  you!  Yum.  I feel so sorry for the poor soul who has to man this station on a hot day.

When you are done eating, you can dance…

watch cooking demonstrations…

play games and shop.  It’s just a nice atmosphere, and for me, I always get a little nostalgic, for my childhood, when big Greek family gatherings where a regular thing in my life.  These days, I still embrace my Greek-ness, and my friends (my extended family) have embraced it with me. 

I plan on spending a good few hours at the festival this weekend, and I’ll let  you know how it went.

Click here to check out The Valley Greek Festival website
 

Photos courtesy of Valley Greek Festival Website

By Erinn (see more of her posts). You can find more of Erinn's writing at her own website Sunday Dish.

Sitting in part of an unassuming building next to a Foster’s Freeze was the most delicious bowl of soba I have ever had in my life. It may be a hyperbole, but the soba I had at Ichimiann Bamboo garden was life changing soba; I will never look at these buckwheat noodles the same ever again.

The restaurant is very small with only a handful of 4-seat tables inside and two tables outside. There’s also a counter that faces the wall which was where I chose to sit.

Upon entering, I was greeted by a friendly Japanese man. His English was as good as my Japanese, so we had a bit of trouble communicating. Luckily, there’s a menu with pictures on the back wall as well as a place-mat type menu in English by the cashier machine.

I ordered the mentaiko orochi with cold thin soba noodles. It came with grated radish, mentaiko (spicy fish roe), seaweed, green onions, and the cold dipping broth already mixed in with the noodles. I mixed all the toppings together with the noodle, took a bite and it was like Orff’s O Fortuna exploded in my mouth.

I’ve always been a fan of soba, but this was unlike any soba I’ve had before. The noodles were crisp and chewy without feeling underdone. I thought the broth was too salty at first, but as I ate more of the noodles, I appreciated the taste more. The radish and green onions brought a fresh, spicy bite to the broth while the mentaiko gave it a subtle umami taste. The small dish of pickles on the side was overkill, but I couldn’t stop eating them.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the noodles after lunch. Ichimiann also offers thick soba, udon, and different types of rice bowls, but I will definitely be back for more soba noodles. If you really want to appreciate the chewiness of the fresh noodles, I would suggest ordering the cold broth instead of the hot, since hot broth might negate the perfect done-ness of the noodles.

The bowl of noodles is definitely worth battling the 405 around LAX during lunch time and the price is just right too. The mentaiko orochi only cost me $6.50 (including tax, sans tip). The only inconvenience is that they’re cash only, but there’s a Well’s Fargo on the other side of the block.

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1618 Cravens Ave.
Torrance, CA 90510
(310) 328-1323
http://www.ichimiann.com

Louise absolutely LOVES filthy, cheap places! (See more of her posts). You can also find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.

In a rather savvy cross-promotion (actually, a no-brainer, when you think about it…) the delightful ice-cream parlor and café on Beverly, Milk, teamed up with the Got Milk? people (namely, the Cali Milk Processor Board) to host an open house last night.

I spotted a handful of fellow bloggers, including the gorgeous Kristy of Best of LA and met Javier the teenage glutster who is going to have to change his blog name any day now, once he ‘comes of age’ - lol

I met the gal who writes Mikey Hates Everything and she even came with two - uh - robot dudes in biz suits…

I also got to catch up with the dashing and daring Eddie Lin of Deep End Dining fame.

A few people asked after you, Jonah, but the words ‘new baby’ and ‘Westside’ seemed to explain your absence (!)

Over the past year, Bret Thompson (former Corporate Executive Chef of the Patina Restaurant Group, Michelin trained, and now owner and executive chef of Milk,) has been tantalising the palates of Angelinos with his delectable treats at Milk. Through this unique partnership with the Got Milk? campaigners, Thompson has adapted and now shares the secret recipes to some of Milk’s most divine sweet desserts – from the ever-so-popular Milky Way Melt (which I did not sample) to the pan-Latin-inspired Berry Tres Leches, which was out of this world!

Bret’s recipes can now be found on their really cool little site.

Other yummy desserts that were being passed around were:
mini ice-cream cones with a fantastic banana & dulce de leche filling and dipped in crisp caramel;
a petite meringue ice cream sandwich;
malted milk shake with teeny choc-covered malted balls within;
a feather-light cornbread cake with raspberry filling and kernels of corn that was truly sensational
also an elegant plastic goblet of a creamy, dreamy and lightly spiced pumpkin squash soup with smoky toasted pepitas on top;
and of course the Berry Tres Leches, which has to be hands down the best version of this classic Mexican dessert I’ve ever tried.

The cake is infused with berries until it is purple-blue and then layered with white cake. The custard parts are not too sickly sweet at all (as is sometimes the case) - it’s simply perfect. Topped with fresh berries and you have a winner. I got to chat with Bret about his Berry Tres Leches dessert, by the way. He explained that it was tough to perfect the genoise or French-style sponge cake part of this delectable dessert so that it doesn’t collapse under the weight of all the three milky ingredients, namely evaporated, condensed and fresh milk.

I also talked to Steve James, the head honcho of the (actually two-person) Got Milk? team and learned how the Got Milk? campaign was created, about fifteen years ago. Legend has it that apparently some creative minds from the advertising firm Goodby, Silverstein and Partners – who they’ve been with ever since – were waiting outside the conference room door, ready to make their pitch. They’d surreptitiously filmed people in their own office reacting, with varying degrees of frustration and anger, to deliberately minuscule amounts of milk left in almost empty containers. They had the campaign and strategy all worked out but no punchy, hooky catch phrase. The team were brainstorming right outside the door, saying, ‘But we need something really simple, like, I dunno, ‘Got Milk?’

Such goes the legend of one of the most enduring food-related ad campaigns you can name.

It was a really fun event.

TIP:

Feast on superb Italian fare at Angelini Osteria across the road, then walk to Milk for dessert.

Milk
7290 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 939-6455

By MaxMillion (see more of her posts). Max Million is the nom de 'net of Pauline Adamek. Born in Sydney, Australia, Pauline has lived in Los Angeles for the past thirteen years and finds it agrees with her. She has been reviewing films and filing celebrity-based interview articles since 1991, and has filed stories from various international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance. She completed a family cookbook and has also written novels for 8-12 year olds. She is the creator and host of ArtsBeatLA.

On Sunday, I met up with friends to celebrate two of the ladies’ birthdays. We knew we wanted to do a Sunday brunch in the San Gabriel/South Pasadena area. I suggested Bistro de la Gare. It’s an adorable looking restaurant just literally steps away from the Metro stop on Mission (Gold Line). Bistro de la Gare has been there for about 3 years and is a local favorite.

I was extremely happy when we were seated right next to the window. Although it has been unbearably hot, if you’re sitting inside a nicely air-conditioned restaurant, it does seem like a nice day outside. We really liked the ambiance of the restaurant, and since we were right by the window, we enjoyed the natural brightness of the sunlight at our table. A server came over right away and greeted us and spoke a little French to me. I love him dearly for not laughing in my face as I completely butchered the French language. Since he was kind enough not do that, my friends were fairly impressed with me. Oh yes, he made me look good.

When it came to ordering, we were so hungry that everything looked good. We were also getting distracted by some of the other diners who were just served. We came really close to saying, “We want what she’s having.” I happened to remember that birthday girl #1 enjoys escargots ($7.50), so this became the first dish we decided on. The escargots here are really excellent. We all agreed that they were cooked just right, not rubbery which some restaurants make the mistake of doing. We also enjoyed all the garlic with the butter. Some French restaurants make escargots with a creamier sauce, which is fine. I believe, however, if you can cook escargots properly, you don’t need to create a sauce for it because diners will enjoy it with just butter, garlic, and perhaps a bit of parsley. The only thing we needed while enjoying this appetizer was some bread so soak up all that lovely garlic, which we got upon request at no additional charge. This really was a great way to start our meal.

For our entrees, we decided to order one dish we knew was a favorite here, the Quiche Lorraine ($8.50). I am incredibly picky about quiches. There is nothing worse than hard, dry quiches. The quiche at Bistro de la Gare is just the opposite. My friends and I kept saying how the Quiche Lorraine was surprisingly creamy and fluffy. At first bite, I thought it was going to be too salty for my liking. We suspect that my first bite had a huge chunk of ham and possibly some bacon because the rest of the quiche was absolutely perfect. Our other savory entree was the Panino au Poulet ($8.50). This sandwich caught me a little off-guard. When served, at first glance, I thought it was just chicken in a French roll. Upon closer inspection, I realized that I didn’t actually see the chicken or anything else for that matter because the French roll had no opening. Once you bite into it (or cut it into 4 parts the way my friends and I did it), all the great filling is indeed inside. The grilled chicken was moist, the onion was nicely caramelized, and the pesto was a lovely touch.

We also ordered the “Frenchy” Toast ($7.95). We wanted something to contrast the savory entrees. In addition, we definitely wanted to order something from the Petit Dejeuner menu, which is available only on Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 2:30pm. The French toast was crisp on the outside and soft inside. It was sweet enough without the maple syrup, but how can one say no to maple syrup, especially when it’s staring at you in the little container on the side? Also, the fruit on the side makes you feel good that you’re having a balanced meal. Personally, I would have loved a little more pecan, but seeing how I was the only person at the table who felt that way, maybe Bistro de la Gare shouldn’t change a thing. We were pretty full at this point, and while the “Frenchy” Toast would have made a nice dessert for us… We had to have a peek at the real dessert menu.

Everything on the dessert menu looked tempting and was priced at either $5.95 or $6.95. I knew we would definitely be ordering the Creme Caramel (Flan), as that is one of the favorite desserts here. I couldn’t recall if it was the Chocolate Mousse or the Chocolate Tart that the locals loved. Our server quickly jumped in and said it was the tart. We were on the fence about the Profiteroles, which is basically cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream instead of cream, topped with some chocolate sauce. Birthdays only come once a year, so we went for it. Our server also understood my really, really bad French and got the fact that we were celebrating two birthdays. He brought over candles for our guests of honor. After lots of photo taking, we finally dug in. The flan really was very well done. The texture was firm enough to retain the right shape, but overall very soft, which is my favorite consistency for flan. The chocolate tart was very fudgey, which explains why so many people enjoy it. It’s a very simple dessert, but a bite goes a long way. The profiteroles were also good, but truthfully, I’ve had better. The trick to profiteroles lies in the pasty puff. There was nothing wrong with how Bistro de la Gare made it, but it just lacked that “je ne sais quoi” that was present in everything else we ordered.

At the end of our meal, I looked over the bill and thought there might have been a mistake. Considering how much food we had and how good everything was, I expected our meal to cost more. It was very affordable, and each of us was happy with our dining experience. Birthday girl #2 told me that she still trusts me for now when it comes to trying new restaurants since I’m the foodblogger. Apparently, writing for lafb has given me some credibility. She says she will continue to take my word on restaurants until I lead her to a bad one. Thank you, Bistro de la Gare, for making me look good and helping me keep my title as foodie/foodblogger for another day.

Bistro de la Gare
921 Meridian Avenue
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Phone: (626) 799-8828

Hours:
Wed-Fri Lunch 11:30am – 2:30pm, Dinner 5pm – 10pm
Saturday Breakfast & Lunch 10am – 2:30pm, Dinner 5pm – 10:30pm
Sunday Breakfast & Lunch 10am – 2:30pm, Dinner 5pm – 9pm

By Pauline (see more of her posts).

It was Saturday night, a few weeks back, around 9:30, when I first visited Jingo to try their Japanese BBQ.  I’ll be blunt, by initial impression was mixed, at best.

Jingo is the new incarnation of Gochi, and my first thought was that the latest proprietors have taken the decor from “Mom and Pop” to casual and cool.   The black and red color scheme and sleek bar up front, combined with the house music playing and wall of windows that look out onto a Zen inspired patio, all say that this places has definitely been given a hip makeover.

My next thought was, “where’s the host?”  There was no one to greet us as we entered, not a host, a waiter, or bartender was in sight.  It was awkward to venture toward the back of the restaurant in hopes of finding someone to seat us.  At the very back, sat the hostess stand, helmed by a nice, if rather blase guy, who then, finally, did find us a table.  There is also a back entrance, perhaps they assume most will enter from there.  Either way, it’s something I feel, should be addressed.

My third and final initial impression was to notice that, although there were only about four tables full , there were about six tables sitting with dirty dishes on them.

Let’s just say we got off to a rocky start.  If my curiosity about the food hadn’t gotten the better of me, I may have walked out.  Luckily, things improved from there.

Our waiter greeted us with menus and took our drink order immediately. I asked him if we’d just missed a dinner rush, in hopes of explaining the dirty tables, but he just shrugged and said “I guess so.”  So much for that.    To their credit, the tables were all bussed within the next  5 to 10 minutes.

The set up at Jingo is like most Japanese or Korean BBQ places.  A large circular grill is built into the center of the table with wooden charcoals underneath.  You order bite size pieces of uncooked meat, fish and vegetables and then grill them yourself table-side.

After our drinks arrived, a Sake and Aloe Martini for me, which was surprisingly fresh and sweet, we ordered our appetizers.   We tried the Seaweed Salad and the Asparagus with Sesame Sauce. 

The salad was pretty and vibrant.  The seaweed was served on a bed of mixed greens and dressed with a light ponzu sauce.  The flavors were tasty blend of citrus and garlic and my only complaint was that the portion could have been bigger, I wanted more!  I guess that’s a good thing. 

The asparagus was cooked perfectly, but I’m not sure where the sesame in the sauce came in.  It was loaded with mayonnaise.  The flavor was bland and the consistency heavy in comparison to the crisp vegetables.  We ate all of the asparagus, but left the sauce alone.

The waiter brought things out quickly and efficiently, but never overloaded the table.  The service definitely warmed up as the evening went along.

Next, he brought out some items for us to grill, the Assorted Vegetables and the Harami - or skirt steak. 

The vegetables consisted of carrots, corn, mushrooms, onion and squash.  They were fresh, but again, I felt the portion was a bit on the skimpy side.  Also, they offer only one dipping sauce, as compared to three when the place still called itself Gochi.  I think they’d score some huge points by offering more choices.

The meat was tender and well seasoned.  We ordered it “Tare” or BBQ style, but you can also opt for it marinated in Miso.  I thought it was delicious, while Todd thought it was overly sweet.

From there we tried the shrimp.  It came dressed with lots of minced garlic, pepper and olive oil.  The shrimp and the dressing were all very fresh.  But I’m going to say it once more…more dipping sauces would be a plus.

We also tried out the Kalbi - or short ribs.  This time we went for it Miso style.  It was underwhelming.  The meat was flavorful and very tender but I am still not sure what, if anything, the Miso marinade added to it.

Let’s break it down…there are some really nice elements to Jingo.  The vibe and decor are great and the service is laid back but still efficient.  The food tastes good, but you are going to spend a pretty penny or two to leave feeling full.  If folks in the Valley are looking for a hip looking place to grab a drink and a small bite (and I know they are) then Jingo is definitely worth giving a try.

I plan on going back on a warm summer night just for a chance to sit out on their gorgeous patio.

Jingo:
17970 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316
818.774.9621

By Erinn (see more of her posts). You can find more of Erinn's writing at her own website Sunday Dish.

Vin Loi Tofu sells a lot more than just plain old tofu. The small humble-looking restaurant has some of the best veggie pho I’ve ever had and that’s saying a lot coming from someone who grew up on the pho in the SGV.

On the counter were some of these strange looking dumplings wrapped in plastic. When I asked Kevin, the owner, what they were he was enthusiastic about them and suggested we try them after he warmed some up in the microwave. They seem to be mock-meat dumplings wrapped with tapioca-starch wrappers. The wrappers made them extremely sticky and they tended to stick to each other, but they were pretty good. It even came with vegetarian ngoc mam (fish sauce) which was a pretty good imitation of the real stuff.

The BF ordered their House Special Noodles, which comes with round rice noodles and an assortment of fake meat. He ordered it spicy, but the broth didn’t seem that spicy to me. The main complaint I have about a lot of vegetarian pho-style soups is that they’re too sweet. Vin Loi Tofu’s broth is sweet, but there’re also enough other spices in the broth to add depth and keep my taste-buds happy.

I ordered the House Special Seafood soup and asked for it to be spicy. Some how, my spicy soup was a lot spicier than the boyfriend’s spicy soup, but I wasn’t complaining. Despite it being over 95 degrees outside, drinking hot spicy soup that made your eyes water felt good. My noodles were the typical flat rice noodles that you get with Pho and the mock meats in my broth included shrimp, fish cakes, and some other unidentifiable soy meat. The noodles were firm and not clumped together or soggy, which was important.

The noodle soups at Vin Loi Tofu will never be as good as the pho at places like Golden Deli or Pho 79, but the soups definitely have the best vegan broth I’ve tasted out of all the other vegan/vegetarian pho places around. And their soymilk and tofu aren’t too shabby either. It’s just a shame that they’re all the way in Reseda and not closer to where I live.

The only caveat is that their mock meats may not be entirely vegan. According to the BF, there may be whey in some of the meats and while the owner doesn’t make all of them, he doesn’t seem to give a concrete answer about their ingredients.

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Vin Loi Tofu
18625 Sherman Way
Reseda, CA 91335
(818) 996-9779

Louise absolutely LOVES filthy, cheap places! (See more of her posts). You can also find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.