Sunday, February 27, 2011

1/2 priced happiness at saint felix

sexy shoes.



fishnet legs that go on forever.


that can only mean one thing. time to go to saint felix in west hollywood for some cocktails. better yet, go between the hours of 4-8 when they have their happy hour.



during happy hour, all cocktails are half off. and if you enjoy fruity, jolly rancher hard candy tastes in liquid form, then might i suggest that you try their watermelon martini (happy hour price $6) which is a concoction of watermelon vodka with a watermelon mixer. you will even get a slice of watermelon drowning in it.



then perhaps your sexy self can move onto their firecracker cocktail (happy hour price $6), a blend of finlandia grapefruit vodka, lime juice, and then shaken with raw jalapenos. i asked for "mild" and can distinctly taste the jalapeno in it. it was intriguingly yummy and there was a certain kick to every sip.



and if you don't want an empty belly swishing with alcohol as you walk towards your parked car, you should probably partake in their $5 food offerings. unfortunately, there's not much to choose from on their happy hour menu if you're actually expecting to eat a whole lot while you drink. i decided on their kobe slider which had grilled onions on a brioche bun. CLEARLY, one comes to saint felix to drink and not to eat.



or you can just seat yourself in a cozy corner with your sexy shoes and fishnet stockings and drink the night away....till 8pm course. i'm sure you're not too sexy for a good happy hour deal.


Saint Felix
8945 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 275-4428

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

tongue spasms at patisserie chantilly

if you have needs that must be fulfilled (not speaking of your carnal ones), PATISSERIE CHANTILLY in lomita is THE place to be to have your needs FULFILLED.

got thirst? quench it with some of their crema coffee ($3). the coffee won't be as mind blowing as some of the ones you might sip at bona fide coffee houses, but it does the trick and will perk you up real good.



got high cholesterol? a piping hot cup of their green tea ($2.50) chocked-full of antioxidant properties should help revitalize your fatty body. unfortunately for me, their cup was quite potent and bitter and for a recreational green tea drinker like me, the robust matcha flavors were slightly overpowering.



got scurvy? their cafe orange ($4.50) with coffee mousse and orange ganache will leave a slight citrus kiss on your tongue and help combat your vitamin c deficiency.....even though it's packaged in a million delicious calories.



got saggy facial wrinkles? partake in their le matcha cake ($4.50) to stall the effects of aging. the consumption of this delectable, slightly sweet, antioxidant laden cake will give you a natural face lift. though the matcha flavors were present in the matcha mousse, the earthy flavors were not at all overpowering like their cup of green tea. delightful.



got misplaced jealousy? patisserie chantilly's black and white cake, the othello, is filled with chocolate and sesame flavors, a murderous MUST order when you're here.



got some pounds to lose? this grapefruit gelee will happily replace your ho-hum grapefruit diet with some refreshing grapefruit juice, rum, and petite morsels of grapefruit flesh. this seasonal item is a MUST TRY as well and i'm pretty sure you will pucker your face in happiness while you consume it.



got a hole in your heart? holy shit eat this!! the choux aux sesames ($2.95) might possibly be the most delicious sweet thang i've noshed in a long time. the sesame flavors and smell reminded me of my grandmother and my mother toasting sesame seeds when they cooked, but the black sesame cream with the hint of honey in their toasted shells elevated these precious seeds to a rather sophisticated level. personally, i found the best bite to be the cap of this pate a choux with a dollop of the black sesame cream. dear lord, thank you.



not wanting to leave patisserie chantilly empty handed after that "holy shit" moment, d and i assembled a box of goodies, kept fresh with their 25 cent ice packs. each bite at home burned a desire in my soul to go back for more. and more. and more.



thank you danny for introducing us to this delicious gem in the south bay and to the talents of pastry chef keiko nojima! my treks to lomita will be frequent because of this patisserie AND sadly because i now have a sesame need that must be fulfilled. someone, please drive me :'(

Patisserie Chantilly
2383 Lomita Blvd #104
Lomita, CA 90717
(310) 257-9454
price: $
verdict: holy shit!
Pâtisserie Chantilly on Urbanspoon
Patisserie Chantilly in Los Angeles on Fooddigger

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

yakitori nights and dashi broth dreams at torihei



a trip down to south bay with danny, remil, cathy, vern, and d proved to be a most delicious belly adventure. although i did not attend the epic gorge fest that occured that day with 7 stops total, i was able to drop in for the last leg of the south bay eating frenzy at torihei, a japanese eatery specializing in kyoto style oden and yakitori. hubba hubba, my belly was so excited for some grilled eats!



since torihei is an excessively popular place, danny made reservations for us in advance so that we can avoid the wait. once we were seated, he feverishly marked the many slips of paper tucked into a glass cup. we were then instructed to spoon a bit of shichimi togarashi (red colored) and sansho pepper (green colored) for flavoring onto our plates. personally, i love my yakitori with just a hint of salt and don't normally use either, though i'm sure they went fabulously well with the grilled goods there.



one of the first grilled skewers to arrive was the chicken heart ($1.80) which was tender and delectable. one of my favorite parts of any bird. i heart the heart.



the chicken skin with ponzu ($3.95) was tangy with its ponzu dressing and thinly sliced raw onion strands. each bite was tart and fatty and rather delectable. i would absolutely order this again.



the squid marinated in salt "shio-kara" ($4.95) was my least favorite item of the night. the fishy funk was overwhelming and definitely unpleasant to put in my pie hole.



the homemade chicken liver paste with bread ($4.95) was served with honey and was delightful to eat. pairing the silky, savory pate with the sweet, sticky honey resulted in a harmonious medley of flavors for the tongue. when we tried to order it again and was told they were out, an audible, disappointed sigh escaped from all of us. so sad...too bad. i want :(



the chicken gizzard ($1.80) was also grilled to perfection.



chicken tail aka chicken ass ($2.30). as nasty as it sounds, this clucker's ass has just the right amount of fat and chars quite nicely on the grill. come on now, you probably can't ignore a good piece of ass either.



the garlic wrapped in foil ($3.95) were wonderfully tender and the sting one normally gets from raw garlic was eradicated during the cooking process. in between nibbles of grilled eats, i suggest popping one or two of these babies into your mouth.



the grilled liver ($1.80) was also cooked to perfection. each bite was creamy and dreamy. another favorite offal of mine.



the grilled chicken thigh ($1.80) was juicy and moist.



the chicken karage ($6.95) had a thick coat of crunch but the chicken protected inside was moist and flavorful. a wonderful snack when one fists a mug of sapporo as well.



the half raw egg with ikura ($1.95) in dashi broth was simple yet intensely flavorful. the dashi broth at torihei has been the best rendition i've tasted by far. simply craveable.



the torihei meatball ($1.80) was rather tender and crumbled in in my mouth as i bit into it. the second order we ate revealed an interesting incorporation of cartilage in the meaty balls. yumz.



the chicken skin ($2.30) was also grilled to perfection. a must order when one favors the fatty, smoky flavors of grilled chicken skin. obviously, i am not one to shy away from skin. are you?



the beef tongue ($2.30) was thick and the dots of wasabi instantly cleared up my nose when i consumed it. i LOVE tongue as much as i love blogging. does that explain my love enough?



the chicken cartilage ($2.30) was crunchy and the meat that clung to it gave each bite a smokey, savory flavor.



the fatty pork ($2.30) was unctuous and delightful to eat.



the chicken breast with plum ($1.80) was tasty as well. the plum which i suspect to be a an umeboshi paste added an extra dimension of sour and tart flavor profiles to the chicken.



we finished off the night with the whole tomato ($2.80) which was topped off with a piece of mozzarella cheese in dashi broth. AGAIN, the dashi broth was crazy good and transformed this rather plain, somewhat cooked tomato into something rather magical. i wish i can slurp that dashi broth again.



and as you can see, the skewers says it all. it says, come hungry, leave happy (i might have just quoted IHOP) and i will most certainly come back hungry to torihei and i will fist a few skewers and guzzle that dashi broth until i pee in my pants. thanks danny for introducing us to another fantastic meal!

*priced per skewer*



Torihei
1757 W. Carson St.
Ste A
Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 781-9407

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!
Torihei on Urbanspoon
Torihei in Los Angeles on Fooddigger

Sunday, February 6, 2011

porky delights at don dae gam



most restaurants do not advertise to their patrons how rotund their buttocks may become after heifing at their establishment. but don dae gam makes no apologies for it and proudly displays the roundest swine's behind for you to look at and aspire to as you stuff your face silly with all kinds of their delicious porky offerings. not at all intimidated by a potential expanding behind, my dining partner and i dropped in for dinner this past saturday night.

surprisingly, this sister restaurant to park's bbq was rather empty which was a godsend for our grumbling bellies. we were seated quickly at a round aluminum table, woot. the banchan that was brought out to us was standard fare though i quite enjoyed a marinated version of kimchi that reminded me of vietnamese pickled mustard greens. ah...when conical hats meet korean kats.



after a quick huddle over our menus, we decided to go with a combo meal for the best bang for our buck. for $49.99, the combo #1 allowed us to choose two different kinds of pork bbq, a side dish from their "something more" category, and beer/soju. since there were only two mouths that night, albeit big mouths at that, the best deal for us was a combo meal.



although don dae gam offers beef, it seemed counterintuitive to order cow when such a big fat pig was emblazoned on their menu. we decided to choose the special pork neck meat and the seasoned black pork belly as our two porky choices and a side order of fried kimchi rice balls from their "something more" category.



pork neck. WOW. i can't quite say i've had it before and texturally, it reminded me of pig's feet but without the gelatinous element to it. however, the chew was similar. it was LOVE. if i was a vampire, i would forgo your neck and head straight for the swine's. DELICIOUS i tell ya and i would certainly crave this odd piece of meat.



the seasoned black pork belly was dangerously unctuous and was marinated with the same ingredients that one would find for galbi. but i must warn you that one must ENJOY fat to enjoy this cut of meat. i like fat so i likey.



the little football shaped fried kimchi rice balls were a delectable discovery that night as well. although a tad oily, the balls of mixed black and white rice were stuffed in an egg blanket. each bite seared into my memory the desire to return to don dae gam sooner, rather than later, for another order of these savory carb filled footballs.



the meal ended with their tofu and bean paste soup. as you can tell by the picture, we had quite a bit of heat in that bowl. i thought it was too spicy and my dining partner did not enjoy the fermented bean taste.



and rice crust in water, another unnecessary side for us that came along with the meal.



overall, the meal i had at don dae gam was spectacular and i only wished there were more mouths that night to justify over-ordering. not only was there no wait, but the service was quick and attentive....not to mention PORK NECK and FRIED KIMCHI RICE BALLS. and truth be told, my bum was quite robust as i waddled out of their doors that night. ahhh, i do look forward to waddling back through their doors again soon though. oh pork...i oink you.

Don Dae Gam
1145 S. Western Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90006

(323) 373-0700


price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!
Don Dae Gam on Urbanspoon
Don Dae Gam in Los Angeles on Fooddigger
Related Posts with Thumbnails