Ayara Thai, Los Angeles

Ayara Thai

6245 W 87th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90045

(310) 410-8848

www.ayarathaicuisine.com

We stumbled upon this place when we were searching for a good Thai restaurant near the LAX airport, what we didn’t expect was that we were making the best decision of the week by selecting Ayara Thai. First off, this place was packed!!  There was a 45 minute wait just to get a table! So that was a good sign, they are obviously doing something right if people are willing to wait just to get Thai food, when there are so many other restaurants to choose from. What I noticed next were the countless awards given to Ayara Thai, one in particular for their peanut sauce, which I later tried and now see why it was awarded.

We started off with the Ayara’s Delight appetizer which is a combination of 4 of their appetizers.  This is a good one if you can’t decide on which appetizer to get.  Although, next time I come back, I will probably go with the Thai Beef Jerkey or the Muai Thai Chicken wings because they have more protein.  Next, we went with 2 orders of the chicken sate…really good, no complaints there.  Tom Yom soup is another favorite of mine that I always get when I go to Thai restaurants.  But notably of all the dishes was the jade curry and the ka pow pork belly.  The curry was delicious and fresh. And the pork belly was so flavorful and crispy.  Two excellent choices that I would highly recommend.

The service was a little slow but then again, they were so so busy! I’ll take slow service any day as long as I know I’m getting good food.  The ambiance is a little more family oriented.  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this place for a romantic date night in the early stages of a relationship, but more so for couples who have been together for a while and are just looking for a good place to eat. Just make sure to make a reservation!

Ayara’s Delight

Chicken Sate

Tom Yom Soup

Jade Curry

Ka Pow Pork Belly

Pad Thai

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Mr. C, Los Angeles

The Restaurant at Mr. C

1224 Beverwil Drive

Los Angeles, CA 90035

(310) 277-2800

www.mrchotels.com

 Two words: People watching.  That’s all you’ll want to do at Mr. C Hotel because everyone that walks in looks like a supermodel.  And the food? Mamma Mia! We were first greeted with a taste of their delicious homemade Bellini.  I ordered the Tagliardi with Veal Ragu, quite simple, but the simplicity of it is what makes it so special.  All the flavors were so light and delicate so you could truly enjoy the craftsmanship in the pasta itself.  I’ll definitely have to go back, if not for the food, then to grab a drink at the lobby bar with a live band on Fridays and Saturdays which I’m told pulls in quite the crowd 

Tagliardi with Veal Ragu

Mr. C Pizza

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Ramen Yamadaya, Sherman Oaks/Westwood

Ramen Yamadaya

Westwood location:

1248 Westwood Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90024

Sherman Oaks location:

15030 Ventura Blvd.

Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

http://www.ramen-yamadaya.com/

Twenty hours boiling broth…that is how long it takes to get their broth just right. They make their broth by boiling pork bones for at least twenty hours at extremely high temperatures, constantly monitoring it to make sure it doesn’t burn. As you can see, a lot of work goes into making this rich soup.  The Yamadaya Ramen is their number one seller because it does have the most flavor, so of course, I opted to try that one.  The broth had a very very rich, pork-like taste to it. Unfortunately it was wayyy to heavy for me. I would not recommend it at all. They do however have vegetarian Ramen!!  I ordered this one time and it was such a unique soup.  The broth was made from soy milk!  And the noodles were spinach noodles.

Not in the mood for ramen? Not to worry, they have other entrees like their Chicken Katsu and Chicken Kara-age seen below. And their curry…..delicious!!! The flavor of their curry was unlike anything I’ve tried.  In fact, I just had the chicken and curry recently at their Sherman Oaks location.  It came with Miso soup, potato salad, rice, and cabbage salad. This place is cheap, quick, and does the job.  Definitely going back again and again!

Chicken Katsu

Yamadaya Ramen

Chicken Curry

Kara-age Chicken

Vegetarian Ramen

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Wok On Fire, Los Angeles

Wok On Fire

1447 S La Cienega Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90035

(310) 289-0102

www.wokonfirela.com

Alright, don’t make fun of me, but one of my favorite Chinese restaurants is Wok On Fire.  Actually, that IS my favorite Chinese restaurant among the non-fancy quick serve category.  Why do I love it so much? Well for starters, their lunch special is pretty awesome.  You choose the main dish you want, and it comes with salad, rice, and an egg roll.  But the taste is what got me hooked!  I hate how when you go to have Asian food, a lot of it can be pretty sweet.  But Wok On Fire knows how to keep the savory dishes savory.  Every dish I’ve had here has been really good and its really hard for me to say which is my favorite.  I’d say, try them all.  Their orange chicken was always a popular selection among my friends as well as their Crispy Walnut Shrimp. The downside? They have a B rating!!! And its been like that for years now! I don’t know why. But I don’t care.  I guess neither do other people because they had multiple order takers and their phones were ringing left and right for delivery and takeout orders.  This place is a bit far from me but so far, its the only Chinese restaurant I really love.  If anyone knows of other good Chinese restaurants let me know! I’d love to try it!

Mongolian Beef

Orange Chicken

Garlic Chicken

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Kushiyu, Tarzana

Kushiyu

18713 Ventura Blvd.

Tarzana, Ca 91356

(818) 609-9050

www.kushiyurestaurant.com

If you’re looking for a great sushi restaurant in the valley, this is it. In Fact, its probably THE BEST sushi spot in the valley, west of Sepulveda.  Yes, I think its better than Cho Cho Sun, aka Revolving Sushi.  Now, the prices are tad steep compared to other spots, but we’re talking about raw fish here.  I really don’t think “cheap” is the way to go.  Plus, you can tell that the premium you pay is because you are getting BETTER QUALITY food, as opposed to paying top dollar just to sit in a pretentious restaurant, in a pretentious city, and eat shitty food.  Not to mention, this place is packed!!  People going in an out, so you know there’s high turnover with their food. You can tell from first bite how fresh their food is.  And guess what…no need to worry about bright lights and a casual atmosphere, because their ambiance is great too! Its dimly lit, and can be a romantic spot too.  Trust me on this one, one visit and you will be hooked!

Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice

Chilean Sea Bass Skewers

Hamachi Cilantro

Green Beans

Green Roll

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Crustacians, Beverly Hills

Crustacean By House of An

9646 South Santa Monica Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

(310) 205-8990

http://houseofan.com/wp/

Beautiful, Elegant, Refined. The only way I know how to describe an evening at Crustacean in Beverly Hills.  We went here for my mama’s birthday.  Only the best for such an amazing woman.  This is the kind of place you take that special someone in your life, where money ain’t a thing, and all you want is a fantastic dinner served in the most elegant of all places.  I would definitely celebrate an anniversary or a birthday dinner for two here at Crustaceans.  Don’t even think about not ordering the Dungeness crab and garlic noodles.  I’d say those are the two most requested dishes here at Crustacean.  They pair so well together I couldn’t imagine ordering anything else!

An’s Famous Garlic Noodles

Sampler Appetizer Plate

Dungeness Crab

Dungeness Crab

Chilean Sea Bass

Spinach and Asparagus

Filet Mignon

me at dinner

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Lo/Cal Coffee and Market Featuring Honey Butter Biscuits!!

Lo/Cal Coffee and Market / Honey Butter Biscuits

2214 Pico Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90405

www.local-coffee.com
www.honeybutterbiscuits.com

One thing I love about LA is how easy it is find motivated people who are not merely driven in pursuit of their passions, but also holding proudly and compassionately to a sense of community.  I witnessed it first hand during my meeting with Jonel De Los Reyes, General Manager of Lo/Cal Coffee and Market in Santa Monica.  His business philosophy is something he shares earnestly, and there’s a simple message at the heart of it… there’s a new wave of entrepreneurship… one that is no longer singularly money driven, but that is first socially responsible — a concept that is reflected in almost every aspect of Lo/Cal’s operations. They source all of their products locally, and decisions are made collectively among the entire staff.

Me with the General Manager, Jonel De Los Reyes

And that’s just behind the scenes…

ON to the coffee…..          

I sampled the macchiato, cortado, cappuccino, honey latte, and last but not least, their cold brew Nitro coffee.  The cold brew is prepared by steeping locally roasted coffee in room temperature purified water for 12 hours, after which it is injected with nitrogen, resulting in an outstanding “smoother and creamier” texture. This was described by the staff as being comparable to drinking a Guinness, and it turned out to be very true! It was so rich and bold. The silky mouth feel and long lingering taste let you know that what you’re sipping is of exceptional quality. This and the honey latte were my two favorite drinks.

But let’s talk about the reason I was here to begin with. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to try, quite literally, the BEST biscuits ever!  Nick Westbrook, owner of Honey Butter Biscuits, graciously invited me to an exclusive tasting of his authentic Southern biscuits, which are featured at Lo/Cal. We started off with one of his Georgian specialties… a crispy chicken biscuit sandwich.  Mmm Mmm Mmm… The hand battered chicken breast was seasoned and cooked to juicy perfection. The biscuits were tender, buttery, flaky, and ever so moist, yet had just enough structural integrity to hold the makings of a sandwich inside. You can taste the perfect balance of salt and butter with a subtle sweetness in each bite. The bottom had a golden brown crust which gave it a nice contrast to the soft and delicate inside. This heavenly sandwich is an off-off-menu item that Nick plans to make available to the public by partnering with other LA eateries in the future, so start asking for it now!

Next, I tried a biscuit with his very own homemade honey butter, the most popular way to order a biscuit at Lo/Cal. Wow!!! There is seriously nothing better in this world than bread and butter, and this takes it to new levels of decadence. Sweet, salty, cinnamony, pure amazingness.

We went a little in depth about why Nick’s biscuits taste so good, the secret method of which I can’t reveal, but I will mention one thing….PRACTICE! This recipe — which is inspired by early memories of the biscuits his grandfather made in Georgia — was literally years in the making!!! The urge to make biscuits originated as a way to have a piece of home away from home, but the desire to perfect the recipe came with an even stronger desire to share this unique taste of comfort with the world — as Nick likes to say, a great biscuit brings you home. So for many years he worked on his craft until he felt for sure that it was ready. By now, everything is down to a science, from the super light flour he imports from Kentucky, to the careful way he prepares the batter. Nick even refers to himself as a mad scientist!

Nick Westbrook, owner of Honey Butter Biscuits

I had such a fantastic time hearing his story and would like to wish him nothing but success!  If you want a taste of Honey Butter Biscuits, and TRUST ME, you do…you can find them right here at Lo/Cal Coffee and Market or Cafe 50’s in Santa Monica. You can also order dozen or more for personal pick up at honeybutterbiscuits.com. 
Be sure to follow Honey Butter Biscuits and Lo/Cal’s journey on instagram @HoneyButterBiscuits and @lo.cal. Go try these delicious biscuits and extraordinary coffee concoctions together at Lo/Cal Coffee TODAY and let me know what you think!

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Shanghai Grill, Beverly Hills

Shanghai Grill

9383 Wilshire Blvd.

Beverly Hills, Ca 90210

This next place is a Chinese restaurant in Beverly Hills. Its a little upscale, in that its right in the heart of Beverly Hills, and this is somewhat reflected in their prices.  But its too bad their decor is a little outdated.  Nevertheless, it must be good enough for celebs because I guess a lot of them dine here based on the pictures on the wall.  The food itself isn’t so pretentious either.  Its not 2 little pieces of meat on a plate, its real Chinese food in decent portions. Their lunch special is great because it comes with rice, soup and a little salad.  So far, everything I’ve had here tastes good and fresh, but my absolute favorite is their honey walnut shrimp….soooo good!  So whats the verdict? Would I recommend this place? I’d say if you’re looking for a nice Chinese restaurant but don’t want to go to a hole in the wall, don’t go to the default P. F. Chang’s. Try something new and go to Shanghai Grill, trust me the food here is way better!

Garlic Chicken

Egg drop soup

Honey Walnut Shrimp

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