amour for le saint amour (culver city)

as my black board eats discount for le saint amour descended into its eleventh hour, a sense of urgency filled my belly. 30% off?! do i allow this percentage to go down the drain or do i contact every single hungry person i know in my hungry people rolodex in hopes of connecting with another starving soul? alas, i was successful and off my sis and i went to culver city for a little french dining.

tools for our night of ravenous eating.

the first item up for consumption was the foie gras terrine ($15) with a side of mesclun salad. my tongue was mesmerized with the decadently smooth, well seasoned, foie gras which paired quite nicely with the sweetness from the apricot jam. the crostinis were superbly buttery and provided a wonderful platform for this fatty goose liver. a must order for me.

the escargots de bourgogne ($12 for 6) burgundy snails, garlic, parsley, with a puff pasty cap was delightfully buttery and garlicky. might i recommend drowning, and i mean DROWNING your already dead snails in the sauce before delivering it to your mouf? please do.

i enjoyed resting my escargot on the puff pastry cap before taking my swift bites.

the truffle mac and cheese ($10) was somewhat disappointing. it was rather watery with just a faint hint of truffle. although pretty to look at and priced decently, it would not be worth the extra dimple that will surely surface on your buttocks from the extra calories after consuming it.

i was rather excited to try their moules marinières ($18) mussels, white wine, shallots, and french fries which came with glowing reviews from justin and misty....until our server approached us with this question in his thick french accent, "do you want the good news or the bad news?" bad news first of course. "the bad news is that our french fry machine broke." WHUT?! OH HELL NO! I WAS TOLD THEY WERE AWESOME! :'( "the good news is that this is good for your body" and he said this while waving his arms up and down his slender frame. UGH. instead, we had to replace the unavailable fries with haricot verts. but luckily, the mussels were delicious and the creamy pool they rested upon was a perfectly delectable sauce for us to dip our bread in. drool. i almost forgot we were missing the fries.....

tasty, buttery, and garlicky green beans...but nowhere near a french fry. oh dear. oh sadness.

chef bruno's housemade sausages; lyonnais, toulouse, boudin noir ($20) was one huge sausage party on my plate. my favorite from the trio was the blood sausage while the other two fell limp in flavor. overall, not my favorite dish of the night.

we only briefly contemplated dessert before we decided to head home. my belly was freakin' full with french food and even a 30% discount wasn't going to expand it anymore than it already did. anyways, au revoir! till we meet again.

Le Saint Amour
9725 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 842-8155
http://www.lesaintamour.com/

price: $$$
verdict: tasty, try 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!

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!

manna at the mall

i really don't have the double stomache that i claim i have. i might eat a lot, my belly might hurt sometimes because i do stretch it a bit, but i do have an eating limit which makes me weak sauce when it comes to all you can eat. that's why i don't do it much and that's why i can still fit into my pants....albeit larger pants than what you probably wear.

but once in a while, i get invited to situations that calls forth a large bottomless belly and although my heart is willing, my belly is unable to deliver which makes it a bad deal economically. take a few days ago when my friend wanted to go get some korean bbq for lunch. i suggested manna at the fox hills mall (now known as the westfield mall) because it's new, modern, super clean, AND has lots of parking. besides, he's a boy so i assumed he can probably heif down a cow or two so i thought the all you can eat option at a fixed price point was the smarter choice.

when we were seated inside, i surveyed the other diners and noticed a lot of people wearing sweats or clothes that can stretch alot...probably to accomodate the inevitable expansion of the waistline once they were done eating. hahaha! at least we were in no danger of getting our eyes put out because of popping buttons since everything was cinched with an elastic waistband.

we proceeded to order the all you can eat option for $16.99. you get three orders per person and you ask for a refill when you're done. we picked one of everything cuz that's how you do it.

before the meat came out, our table was laid with their banchan which is always my favorite part of any korean meal. i love to be suprised by any interesting condiments as well as snack on my old favorites. the manna version was alright, nothing that screamed special to me. however, the kimchee was extremely limp and lacked the bold burn of kimchee...almost as if the concoction it was marinated in was watered down. what a travesty!

when the meats came out, our grill was completely covered. the smell was rather delicious, but upon closer inspection of the meat, i noticed they were comprised of mostly cheaper cuts with a lot of fat or were the odds and ends of better cuts. well, you get what you pay for right? so basically, you get all you can eat mediocre meat. don't get me wrong, it tasted aight...but if you've been spoiled by better cuts of meat at other kbbqs, then this one may disappoint.

the one thing i did like about manna was the rice wrap they had which reminds me of vietnamese banh cuon. i totally skipped my bowl of rice and wrapped most of my meats in these. i LOVE korean bbq joints that serve these!

so my friend stuffed face, but i stopped eating way before my three orders of meat came out. seriously, there's only so much dead animal i can eat at one sitting. although the space was new and modern and the ventilation system was great, the actual meal itself was ok at best. so you decide, would you rather get an all you can eat meal for $16.99 that comes with spotty service and ok quality meat OR pay a little more to have your tastebuds sing? you decide.

Manna Korean BBQ
6000 Sepulveda Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230
(310) 397-9901
mannabbq.com/

price: $$
verdict: it's aight

not so tender meat

Tender Greens
9523 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 842-8300
www.tendergreensfood.com

price: $$
verdict: it's aight

dinner here is quite the steal. for $10 flat, you get your choice of meats (or veggies) on a hot plate which comes with a side of salad and mash potatoes or as a sandwich. of course there are huge salads too that you can order if you feel particularly goaty. last night, when i came here for dinner, i decided on the angus flank steak as a hot plate with a side of ceasar salad and a glass of meritage. mmmmm.

the meal in and of itself for $10 is alright. the meat was a bit tough, but flavorful...but tough. heck, it was $10. what can i expect. the ceasar salad was really light and creamy. that was pretty excellent and i wouldn't mind coming back for more salad in the future. before i took a bite of the mash potatoes, i thought they forgot the gravy (cuz you know, i thought i didn't have enough fat in my meal already), but a forkful of the mashies answered that question. you don't NEED gravy. the potatoes are yummy in and of itself. very dense but flavorful. i like how they want to kill their customers with a heapful of carbs cuz they sure gave a lot.

i liken tender greens to a fancy cafeteria. it's not a place to go for ambience, but for $10 a plate for a generous plateful of food, i'm sure you can overlook the fact that you are in fact, sitting in a cafeteria.

organic akasha

Akasha
9543 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 845-1700
www.akasharestaurant.com

price: $$$
verdict: tasty, try it!

i actually watched a food network spotlight on akasha when this restaurant was under construction. i immediately fell in love with its green and organic focus and was excited to try it. ahhh..the day arrived and it was gooood.

two friends and i went to akasha for dinner. we started off the meal with their onion rings. holy crap it was good! it lacked the oilyness that most onion rings are synonymous with and the paprika dipping sauce was plain WOWZAS! i started to spread some on my bread too because i just couldn't get enough of it. i also ordered the akasha cocktail which tasted like naughty cucumber water. it was refreshing as it washed down my food. i ordered their flatiron steak for my entree. the steak was topped with a tart green sauce and sauteed onions. paired with fries, the dish was delicious indeed.

the whole experience was nice and akasha is definitely worth a visit. i wouldn't make it a regular dining destination though because i think for the price it commands, there are many other similar eating places to explore first. but if you are in the area and feeling organic, i think akasha is a nice place to try. besides, culver city has transformed a lot since i last lived there. culver city is finally worth a visit on its own merit.

pappa makes mean sweet potato fries

Father's Office
3229 Helms Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 736-2224
www.fathersoffice.com

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

i was excited about FO because of all the hype it got from the santa monica location. in my mind, i'm thinking YES, i FINALLY get to try FO because 2 locations must mean more room SOMEWHERE for me. tackling the santa monica one seemed like an uphill battle; i shall not fight for food unless there's a famine and i need to battle for the last loaf of bread at ralphs because my hungry family is waiting for me at home.

hype is a funny thing. i think my expectations for their food was at a 10 but my tastebuds gave me another number when i actually ate my office burger. maybe i'm just use to a particular kind of burger (and NO, i don't just eat at mcdonalds. i eat burgers everywhere i go). who knows because i was unimpressed with the burger i got. the sweet potatoe fries were another story though. DANG...how many of those can i stuff in my mouth at once?! they were delicious and though i might have clogged my arteries by dipping them in the mayo concoction that comes with their fries, the semi-heart attack may well be worth it once you taste that sweet, crunchy bliss. oh so good. they had a variety of beers and i picked a "fruity" one....yes, that's the extent of my beer knowledge.

my meal turned out to be about $28 with tip included. i thought the price was too much for an alright burger even if the sweet potato fries were yummy. i will definitely give FO another try before i make my final verdict...but for now, it is just ok.