DGM (Dwit Gol Mok) otherwise known as (D)amn (G)ood (M)unchies!

the best thing about knowing a panda is their enthusiasm to share their feed with you. fully expecting to find a forest of bamboo shoots last friday night, i was quite surprised by this gritty korean watering hole instead. welcome peeps to DGM (dwit gol mok) and thanks danny for the delicious introduction.

since this was our first visit to dgm, the panda had to escort us the the location or we would have surely gotten lost in this urban forest we call k-town. even though their address clearly points you to wilshire blvd, the actual entrance is from their parking lot which is off of berendo. but like a treasure hunt, once you find the mouth to this gastro cave, your belly will be in for quite a yummy ride.

water is served in beat up gold kettles which adds to the flair of this pub. love it.

their menu is in korean. if you can't read it, do not have a korean friend that speaks it, or a smartphone to show the pictures, then i suggest you learn the names for some of the dishes you'd like to masticate. the servers do speak some english, but i reckon not enough to understand your lively descriptions of the feed or how much you really want to consume it.

and heeellllooo yogurt soju....holy mother of baby jesus. DELICIOUS. this bewitching elixir is a mix of soju and a yogurt drink (possibly yakult or yogu) and was delicious, smooth, and subtly boozy. since you can hardly taste the presence of alcohol, this delicate drink will creep up on you slowly so drinkers beware. after downing a few glasses, all i could think of was, "where have you been all my life?" in fact, i might have shouted that line in my head several times during the course of the night.

the rabukkee was absolutely divine. the ramen noodles and dukboki smothered in sweet and spicy gochujang was a perfect combination of flavors. in fact, it was my most favorite dish of the night and i look forward to devouring many more platters of rabukkee in the future.

fried chicken wings with a side of spicy sauce and a side of cabbage slaw with thousand island dressing. korean fried chicken (aka kfc) is a fixture in all korean pub eats. its presence here was expected and deeply appreciated.

fried oysters, meaty sea animals they were. a perfect snack for drinking.

the spicy intestine soup was a bubbly mini cauldron of intestines, udon noodles, and kimchi. my dining companions were huge fans of this soup, but i had lukewarm feelings towards it. i did not enjoy the floating particles that one typically finds from boiling meat that should be cleared away. the gritty texture from these particles was off putting to eat.

if you head over to dgm between the hours of 5pm-8pm any day of the week, you will get all food items 50% off as long as you order alcohol. if you do not order libation, all food items will be 25% off during those hours. but COME ON NOW, get some yogurt soju baby. i know you will thank me later.

anyways, it was a delicious meal and a wonderful hole in the wall. FOR SURE, my belly will be back. the only question next time is how many pots of yogurt soju should i order?

DGM (Dwit Gol Mok)
3275 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 382-8432

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

go to fraiche for the fraichest happy hour in culver city

did your boss bitch you out? did you miss a deadline? did you get into a gnarly confrontation with a client? or did you forget to kiss the right ass to move yourself up the corporate ladder...again? yup, the minute your work clock hits "GO HOME," go find yourself a fine happy hour to drown your sorrows in and to reboost your spirits. trust me, you will need it to survive the following work day. and if you are lucky enough to be in culver city, might i suggest happy hour at fraiche. with 7 days a week happy hours running from 3-7 pm, specialty cocktails, well drinks, and wine for $5 and draft beer for $3, you will SURELY drown your sorrows. man i dig this place.

the grape ($5). pumped with vodka, elderflower syrup, crushed grapes, and lime, this sweet cocktail will take you to a better place. i promise.

the good apple ($5) with granny smith infused vodka was fragrant to the nose but the addition of star anise was off putting to drink. my least favorite of the three drinks that night.

the st. tropez ($5) was another winner. the gin, lime, and cucumber ice cube reminded me of boozy spa water. i love, loved the cucumber ice cube and had a ball gnawing at it.

the berkshire pork rillettes ($5) with pickled radish and violet mustard were savory and delicious when spreaded on bread.

the ghetto fabulous nacho cheese tasting jar of classy piquillo cheese spread ($5) with manchego cheese and chorizo. i guarantee endless smearings of this cheesy delight on your bread as you drown your sorrows. a definite crowd favorite.

the pate de campagne ($5) with country mustard and cornichons. oh man i love pate and this one did not disappoint.

truffle fries ($5) with parsley and parmesan. truffle odor, fried tubers...need i say more?

and a truffle burger ($12) with onion fondue, truffle aioli, and boschetto. meaty, filling, infused with savory accoutrements that will make your toes wiggle. this truffle burger was muy delicioso and at that price? NICE.

so whether you have a bad day at work or just need a drink, fraiche culver city is THE PLACE to be. love their happy hour...love, love...and i have a feeling you will love it, too.

Fraiche
9411 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 839-6800

www.fraicherestaurantla.com

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

lazy ox canteen for the not so lazy oxen in l.a.

sometimes, during the course of the work week, i feel like an ox. one that pulls heavy loads and walk through sh*t strewn about by careless folks that don't think too much about anyone else. although i make it out alive, on a daily basis, my inner ox calls for lazier times made merrier by good food, good wine, and great company. thank god for pam, marie, and remil for giving me that extra gust of wind for my sail last thursday so i could trod through the rest of my work week intact. AND, what better place to refuel the spirits than good eats at lazy ox in little tokyo.

to start off any form of merry making, one must fist a beautiful glass of wine. my choice that night was a glass of gruner veltliner from austria ($9). the wine had wonderful sweet, fruity notes to start off the night.

having read about their infamous lazy ox pig ears, i immediately scanned the menu and the chalkboard for an order...but couldn't locate them. a frantic inquiry with our server revealed a stash of pig ears in the back, the ones that the big bad wolf hadn't already consumed.

when the plate came out piled high with thick strands of crispy piggly wiggly ears, my own ears wiggled in anticipation. they were suprisingly plump, yet crispy. the tart tang from the lime juice and the pickled veggies alleviated the oiliness from the dish and made for a much tastier bite. delectable and a must order for me at the lazy ox.

the beef tongue escabeche with pickled tomato ($12) was tender and tart. the liberal use of acid masked the delicate tongue flavors, but the dish was still good in its own right and was a delicious addition to our feast.

crispy rabbit livers with cucumber and salmorejo ($12). little wabbits, big livers. the thin coat of flaky batter encased perfectly cooked livers. after a bite of that, what i really wanted was a glass of beer to go along with my wabbits.

lamb belly with lebni and mint ($16) might give pork belly a run for its money. unctuous and fragrant from the mint, this piece of baaaa baaaa belly will melt in your mouth. the real question is, can you deal with another piece of belly fat? i did.

the caramelized romanesco with chile, mint, pinenuts ($9) had strong broccoli flavors and was as dense as cauliflower when masticated. the charred bits of romanesco left a smoky presence in my mouth. the whole dish felt like a beautiful summer breeze.

the creamy farro with smoked sundried tomato and bone marrow butter ($13) was a creamy spoonful enjoyed by us all. and bone marrow butter?!? i die.

the blistered shishito peppers with mojama ($7) was simple and delightful.

the night ended with two wonderful desserts. the rice pudding with caramel and whipped cream gave this carb lover another reason to run around the block before heading home. the rice pudding itself had liberal amounts of cream incorporated into it and though unnecessary, the caramel and whipped creme sides should be spooned in for every bite to add another layer of decadence.

the dense chocolate cake was deliciously bitter. a nice reminder that bitterness is not always unpalatable as it is in real life.

AND that, my friends, was my wonderful thursday evening at lazy ox. man, what a fabulous watering hole for all the hard working oxen in l.a.

Lazy Ox Canteen
241 S. San Pedro St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-5299

www.lazyoxcanteen.com

price: $$$
verdict: omg, i love it!

a breath of fraiche air

i am a belly of many, many words, but for this one, i want to shut my pie hole and share my pictures instead. thank you danny, aka kungfoodpanda for organizing yet another delicious meal for jackie, kate, remil, fiona, d, and moi to enjoy. but most importantly, thank you chef benjamin bailly for hitting another feast out of the ball park. it was truly delicious and i can't wait to come back to fraiche for more!

smoked trout rillettes ($8) and pate on bread to tease the tastebuds.

baby beets ($13). baby let me beat you into a delicious pulp in my mouf.

frisee aux lardons with oeuf pane ($14). do not be intimidated by the deep fried hard boiled egg. this salad is rather delicious and i remember you fondly since our first meeting at petrossian. hello love. did you miss me?

belgian endives ($14). i would ABSOLUTELY get this again. crispy and savory. almost perfect.

crispy loup de mer ($28). perfectly cooked and crispy in all the right places.

seared daurade royale ($28) on a lovely bed of farro. if i was a dead fish, i would choose a farro death bed as well.

pan roasted scallops ($26) on smooth cauliflower puree. it's so smooth, it's criminal.

kobe beef cheeks with celery root puree ($28). tender are thy cheeks. i want to pinch thee with the tines of my shiny fork.

moulard duck confit ($26). i loosened my belt buckle for this one. absolutely satisfying and the creamy fregola sarda was 100% ooh la la addictive.

truffle spaghetti (off menu item). effin' brilliant. this dish will drive your nose into a tizzy. the smell of truffles was truly intoxicating and left my head spinning in a lovely way.

sunchokes risotto ($18) with an off menu serving of truffles. omfg. there goes the truffles again. i was under a truffle voodoo and i didn't care one bit to break the spell.

green peas ravioli (off menu item). sweet little pockets for my big mouth.


rabbit garganelli ($22). yes, those really cute, fuzzy wabbits make a good dish.

hand cut maltagliati ($19) with pork ragu.

by the time dessert came out, i was already rolling about from an overly satisfied belly. the desserts were lovely indeed.

chestnut tiramisu ($9) and manjari chocolate pot de creme ($8)

meyer lemon ($8) and caramel pot de creme ($8)

pistachio creme brulee with apricot sorbet ($9). the sorbet was out of control. might i suggest apricot sorbet with a fresh heaping of fruit and make it its own dessert? soooo good.

panettone bread pudding ($9)

chocolate tart with tres leches gelato ($10)

chocolate coulant with peanut butter ice-cream ($12)

apple and pear clafoutis ($9)

*burp*

Fraiche
9411 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 839-6800

www.fraicherestaurantla.com

price: $$$
verdict: omg, i love it!