Gastronomic Adventures

Pizza - Mr Pizza Factory

2009-10-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

Mr Pizza Factory
3881 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 738-0077
personal rating: 3.0/5.0

We went here based on Jun's recommendation since it is his favorite pizza place in all of LA. Mr. Pizza is a bit like Sizzlers in that you could order a salad bar to go with your pizza, but the salad bar is nowhere near as extensive. The first time we went there, we ordered an appetizer sampler. The cheesesticks were chewy and sticky and the chicken strips were nothing special, but the wings were nice and the potato skins were pretty good. We also got a Mr. Pizza combination, with ground beef on only one half of the pizza. The pizza comes pre-sliced with one inch of bacon centered on each slice. The cheese was generous and the crust was nicely crisp and edible. Overall, it is a step up from Pizza Hut or Papa John's (considering the price ... it better be).

On our subsequent trips, we got the spaghetti with manila clams in garlic white wine sauce. The sauce was delicately flavorful and we scooped up every last drop of the sauce that we could. We also ordered the seafood risotto which did not look good but tasted excellent. Overall, Mr. Pizza is a great place to get pizza in the kind of environment where you feel maybe it would be more appropriate to eat pizza with knife and fork instead of your bare hands. We don't recommend eating spaghetti and risotto with your bare hands in any case. :)

	Mr. Pizza's Sampler 2 Hot Wings, 2 BBQ Wings, 2 Teriyaki Wings, 2 Chicken Strips, 2 Potato Skins and 2 Cheese Sticks served with Blue Cheese Dressing, Sour Cream and Marinara Sauce.* $14.40
	Mr. Pizza Combination Peperoni, Ham, Ground Beef, Onion, Bell Pepper, Mushroom, Corn, Olive and Bacon.* $17.50
	Teriyaki Buffalo Wings Teriyaki Sauce and Mesclun Greens.* $6.50
	Seafood Risotto Rice, Sauteed Bell Pepper, Onion, Mushroom with Shrimp, Mussel, Scallop, Manila Clam and Calamari.* $17.50

* Food description is taken verbatim from the menu.

Japanese - Wow Bento & Roll

2009-10-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

Wow Bento & Roll
6803 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 933-2300
wowbento.net
personal rating: 2.0/5.0

This is a fast food cum casual dining sushi joint. The portions were huge (for sushi) and the price low. The restaurant was clean with fairly minimal decor. William ordered the sashimi rice which would have been tastier had it been fresher. I had the unagi roll which was huge (especially considering the price) and reasonably tasty - although quite frankly it would be difficult to mess up an unagi roll. Since the pickled ginger was self-serve and pretty good we had second and third servings of it. We also got a choice of regular soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce. All in all, it is fairly good value for money although not the best sushi around.

	Sashimi Rice $7.40
	Unagi Roll Eel on top of California Roll.* $6.46

* Food description is taken verbatim from the menu.

Vietnamese - Pho 36

2009-09-10T10:59:00.001-07:00

Pho 36
1147 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(323) 766-5329
personal rating: 3.5/5.0

Jun claimed that he has not yet had pho in Los Angeles, and so we decided to go to Pho 36 -- a restaurant that Jen and I found a while back. Our party of four -- Jun, Xiaoxun, Jen and I -- got summer rolls and eggrolls for appetizers. They were up to their usual standards and were absolutely delicious. I personally find them to be the main reason why I keep coming back to this restaurant. Jun and I decided on the pho tai, and we were slightly disappointed as the soup lacked its usual flavor. Xiaoxun ordered a vermicelli rice noodles with steak and shrimp while Jen got the vermicelli rice noodles with eggrolls and shrimp. The steak, shrimp and eggrolls that dressed the rice noodles were well flavored resulting in an enjoyable dish. I know I will definitely come back here again, but I'll probably avoid the pho and go for their vermicelli or rice dishes.

	Summer Rolls Charbroiled lemongrass steak & shrimp.* $4.50
	Eggrolls Chicken, shrimp, mushroom & vegetables.* $6.50
	Pho Condiments Complimentary
	Pho Tai Rare steak, rice noodles soup with fresh herbs.* $6.50
	Vermicelli Rice Noodles with Shrimp & Charbroiled Steak Shrimp, charbroiled steak & vegetables.* $7.50
	Vermicelli Rice Noodles with Eggrolls & Shrimp Eggrolls, shrimp & vegetables.* $6.50

* Food description is taken from the menu.

Vegetarian - Cafe Flourish

2009-09-10T00:16:00.000-07:00

Cafe Flourish
5406 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 939-3932
www.cafeflourish.com
personal rating: 3.0/5.0

Cafe Flourish is one of those hole-in-the-wall snugged in the middle of Miracle Mile that we could have easily missed. Their very simple decor and their menu with "limited opening menu" stamped on it gives the impression that the cafe has just recently opened and is not fully set up yet. Jen and I initially ordered the rueben and BLT&A only, but after seeing the flourish roll on our neighboring table, we knew we had to order it. We did not regret it as the roll was really tasty. We only wished it was wrapped much tighter as we had difficulty keeping the fillings in. Our sandwiches arrived next. The rueben was disappointing as the sauerkraut overpowered all the other ingredients, and the BLT&A was rather ordinary. We'll probably give it some time to settle in before visiting it again. It definitely has lots of potential.

	Flourish Roll Carrots, red bells, cucumber, cilantro, sunflower seeds, green onion, mint, peanuts & rice noodles snuggled in a leaf of red lettuce with a coconut tamarind sauce. Addictive.* $4.95
	Love, Rueben Savory marinated tempeh with house-made "Swiss", sauerkraut & avocado with Russian dressing on rye.* $11.95
	BLT&A (Be Love, Thanks & Abundance) Smoky tempeh bacon, red-leaf lettuce, ripe roma tomatoes, avocado.* $8.95

* Food description is taken verbatim from the menu.

Indian - Mayura

2009-07-25T16:50:00.001-07:00

Mayura
10406 Venice Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 559-9644
mayura-indian-restaurant.com
personal rating: 4.0/5.0

As Manish has been craving gobi manchurian for a while, we decided to go another Indian restaurant, despite just having gone to one the day before. This time, together with Mark, we went to a South Indian, specifically Kerala, restaurant in Culver City. I decided on one of my favorite Indian dishes, bhindi masala; Manish naturally ordered gobi manchurian (despite it not being on the menu); and Mark got lamb biryani. The bhindi masala arrived first, and it was spectacular, easily one the best I have had. The gobi manchurian arrived next, and it was even better! I have not had cauliflower tasting so good before. The lamb biryani arrived last, and it did not live up to its high expectations, expectations brought high by the amazing first two dishes. Nonetheless, our appetites were very satisfied after the meal. I will definitely pay Mayura another visit soon.

	Bhindi Masala Okra, onions, tomatoes and spice.* $7.95
	Gobi Manchurian Crunchy deep fried cauliflower in an Indian-Chinese sweet and spicy sauce.*** $7.95
	Lamb Biryani Rice dish made from a mixture of spices, basmati rice and lamb, served with raita and pickles.** $8.95

* Food description is taken verbatim from the menu.
** As there was no description on the menu, the description is taken from elsewhere.
*** As the dish is not on the menu, the description is taken from elsewhere.

India Sweet House - Indian

2009-07-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

India Sweet House
5992 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(323) 934-5193
www.isweethouse.com
personal rating: 3.5/5.0

India Sweet House was an impromptu choice for dinner. Manish and I wanted to go to another Indian restaurant for dinner, but unfortunately, that restaurant was closed for renovations. Nonetheless, India Sweet House did not disappoint. Like most hole-in-the-wall restaurants, their decor is not something to shout about, but their delectable value-for-money food more than made up for it.

	Saag Paneer Spinach with cheese.* $3.75
	Paratha Mooli Radish pancake.* $3.95

* Food description is taken from the menu.

Jook Hyang - Korean

2009-07-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Jook Hyang
3177 W. Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 383-5252
personal rating: 3.0/5.0

Before leaving for Korea, Jun wanted to bring Makoto, a visiting professor from Japan, to a Korean meal and naturally, Manish and I tagged along. We decided to go to Jook Hyang, a restaurant known for its chicken ginseng soup. We started off with the organic tofu salad which did not stand out and tasted very ordinary. Makoto and Jun went for the chicken ginseng soup which they very clearly enjoyed. Manish had the vegetable porridge which he thought was a little bland, but was well complimented by the various banchan dishes. I decided to go for their pumpkin soup, something I've always wanted to try out of curiosity. The first impression was disappointing and that impression did not change. It would have made a perfect dessert, but it was a little too sweet as the main course.

	Banchan Complimentary
	Organic Tofu Salad $6.99
	Chicken Ginseng Soup (with 10 kinds of herbs) $12.99
	Vegetable Porridge $9.99
	Pumpkin Porridge $7.99

Real Food Daily - Vegetarian

2009-07-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Real Food Daily
414 N. La Cienega Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 289-9910
www.realfood.com
personal rating: 3.5/5.0

After a very tiring week-long conference, we decided to take a mental break and pass all control to Urbanspoon to decide our food consumption for the weekend. The result: Real Food Daily. The verdict: The spring rolls were slightly disappointing, but Jiunjen liked the raw mango sauce. The club sandwich was absolutely amazing! It is better than most non-vegan versions that I've had. If I can have such tasty vegan food everyday, I am a willing convert. And lastly, the raw food meal was a little bland but their dressing more than made up for it.

	Spring Rolls Napa and red cabbage, carrots, daikon, red pepper, mint, cilantro, scallion, rice paper, raw mango sauce.* $8.95
	The Club Seitan, tempeh bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, vegenaise, sourdough bread.* $12.75
	Real Food Meal Brown rice, beans, greens, land and sea vegetables, pressed salad, dressing or sauce.* $12.95

* Food description is taken verbatim from the menu.

Sanamluang Cafe - Thai

2009-07-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

Sanamluang Cafe
5170 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 660-8006
personal rating: 4.0/5.0

This is the one restaurant we go to most often in Los Angeles. It has a large menu selection, all with great value for money. It is open late at night (not so much early in the morning) and has the most amazing shrimp cakes. Of the condiments, the pickled green chillies goes best with the various noodle soups, for example the kou-teaw-kae below.

	Condiments Complimentary
	Fried Shrimp Cake Ground shrimp deep fried and served with sweet and sour sauce.* $7.50
	Pork Leg Over Rice Chinese stew pork leg, served with Chinese pickle over rice and a side of hot chili sauce.* $6.25
	Special Rahd Nah Flat rice noodles with Chinese broccoli, baby corn, chicken, pork, B.B.Q. pork, squids, pork stomach, shrimp and special gravy sauce. Topped with fried egg.* $7.50
	Kou-teaw-kae Clear soup with tiny noodles, fish ball and tofu stuffing with ground shrimp.* $5.95

* Food description is taken from the menu.

Marouch - Middle Eastern

2009-07-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

Marouch
4905 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 662-9325
www.marouchrestaurant.com
personal rating: 3.5/5.0

Marouch is at a somewhat odd location for its price range - right next to a 7-Eleven. For the shawarma, we ranked the meats in this order: lamb, chicken and beef. The accompanying garlic sauce was an excellent complement to the shawarma. We had decided on a 3.0 rating when our next table neighbor offered us a fried baby sardine each, after the consumption of which we decided that perhaps we should reconsider our rating. This decision was cemented by the arrival of the dessert, which would have rated a 4.0 on its own. We'll probably go back for the baby sardines and to try the other items on the dessert menu.

	Pickles Plate Complimentary
	Shawarma (Chicken) Boneless, skinless chicken spiced, marinated and barbecued. Topped with creamy garlic sauce.* $11.99
	Shawarma Combination (Beef, Chicken & Gyros) Beef: 100% pure beef spiced, marinated and barbecued. Topped with sesame sauce. Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken spiced, marinated and barbecued. Topped with creamy garlic sauce. Gyros: 100% ground lamb spiced and barbecued. Topped with sesame sauce.* $15.99
	Knafeh Sweet white cheese covered with semelina wheat mixed with honey and rose water. Served hot.* $6.99

* Food description is taken verbatim from the menu.

Ramayani - Indonesian

2009-07-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

Ramayani
1777 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 477-3315
www.ramayani.com
personal rating: 4.0/5.0

Jiunjen and I were looking forward to getting some comfort food from Ramayani (Indonesian food is very similar to Malaysian food) and we were not disappointed. The highlight of our meal was their sambal bajak, which is to die for! It is by far the best sambal that we've had in a while so much so that we bought a jar of the sambal bajak to bring home.

We started off with otak-otak which I was REALLY looking forward to since I have not had it in a while. Unfortunately, it was a little disappointing as we are used to having it with more turmeric. The tahu telor had a wow effect as we didn't expect it to be presented in a such a big loaf. The accompanying soy sauce, which we think is a mix of soy sauce and shrimp paste, was also a pleasant surprise (Jiunjen loves shrimp paste). The martabak didn't meet our expectations. The tumis udang dan pete was excellent as it was cooked with their sambal bajak. And the bubur ketan hitam was a very delicious wrap-up to a satisfying meal. Overall, we felt that it was a little on the expensive side, but we will definitely go back again.

	Otak-otak Gourmet fish cakes grilled in banana leaves.* $6.95
	Tahu Telor Hand-cut tofu and egg, breaded, deep fried into a loaf, and served with our original soy sauce** for dipping.* $8.95
	Martabak A pan-fried flour tortilla filled with beef, onions, and eggs. Served with pickles.* $8.95
	Tumis Udang dan Pete Tender shrimp sauteed with pete, lemongrass, onions, spicy shrimp paste, and tomatoes.* $14.95
	Bubur Ketan Hitam A warm, sweet, black wild rice pudding topped with coconut milk.* $4.95

* Food description is taken verbatim from the menu.
** We think it's a mix of soy sauce and shrimp paste (rojak sauce).

Welcome!

2009-07-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

Ever since Jiunjen and I got ourselves new iPhones, we have been trying out new restaurants, thanks to the Urbanspoon app. And so, we decided to start a photo blog to serve as a diary of our gastronomic adventures. :)