my tongue was assaulted at chego :(

it is rare for me to travel out to the westside when there's a plethora of still to be conquered eats east of the 10 freeway. but when i do find myself out there, you betcha i'm going to hit up some places that i've been itching to try....like chego. oh, chego. chego is roy choi's kogi meets korean rice bowl venture and is located in a strip mall in palms, a stone's throw away from culver city. if it wasn't for the sudden horrible parking in the middle of an apartment filled/strip mall street, you would have never known that the master behind the kogi truck has set up shop here.

restaurant front. imagine long lines out the door if you don't eat insanely early dinners like me.

the belly of this restaurant is rather small and cramped. a wall of mirrors tricks your mind into thinking there's a vast open space, but there really isn't. if you are not one of the lucky ones to nab a spot along the wall or the sides which allows you to sit and eat, then you stand up and chow along the long communal table located in the middle like a row of birds.

my friend and i started off with the charred asparagus ($5) which had extremely potent flavors cranked with a side of ADD. there was a super charge of acid and salt that i did not like and which made me pretty nervous about the food to follow.

because by then, i had already regretted my order of the buttered kimchi chow ($7) which was a heavy bowl of shlacked on kimchi piled on a mound of rice. i understand the salty nature of kimchi, but did not enjoy the sour, fattiness on top of that. seriously, if all i can taste from my main bowl of sustenance is salt, sour, and heat, then this belly is going to die a hungry death.

my friend ordered the one chubby pork belly bowl ($8) which tasted SLIGHTLY better, but still just as eww. i LOVE pork belly, but i don't love fucked up uncharred pork belly. it's like eating a blob of uncooked fat with a shlack of sauce on it. why do it? is your muffin top not billowy enough? bleh.

we also ordered a side of ooey gooey fries ($5) because i read good things about them but wish i didn't. there goes another five dollars. not only do these fries pale in comparison to the frysmith truck, they also belong in the category of overly salty and sour eats at chego. i ate a few bites and threw them away.

in general, i enjoy roy choi's intense culinary flavors in a taco because they are small, bite sized, but then you're done with it. however, once it's placed in a big ole rice bowl, the extremely salty, spicy, and oftentimes sour flavors attack your tongue in a most unpleasant way and you are eons and eons away from being "done with it" cuz the damn bowl is kinda big. even though i grew up respecting the rice bowl so i would always eat everything i was given even though i was full, i could not do it here at chego. i threw most of the food away and drove home thirsty and hungry. man, that sucked.

Chego
3300 Overland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 287-0337

www.eatchego.com

price: $
verdict: hells no!

dilly dally ramen

i understand the allure of staying on the east side especially since i reside there....cuz driving out west only means the eventual murderous trek back home on the 10 to the 110 to the 101. i'm not speaky code. i'm speaky bad southern cali traffic.

so imagine my anxiety when i had to meet a friend out at the westside pavillion for a class project and still found myself out there at 5pm, the start of commuting hell. holy crap, do i go, do i stay? red pill, blue pill? going meant potentially getting caught up in an hour's worth of traffic. but staying meant having to come up with a good dilly dallying plan. santouka ramen?! oh heck yeah!

so i called up a hungry friend and off we went to santouka ramen located in mitsuwa market (i love this market! such a great place to pick up japanese snackies!) for an early-avoid-bad-traffic-dinner.

if i can recall correctly, santouka is one of four eating options at mitsuwa's tiny food court, not counting the countless things you can pick up at mitsuwa's prepared food section. anyways, i zoned in on santouka and went in for the kill. looking at the plastic foods in their display (i love japanese plastic food art!) swayed me to choose the miso chasu ramen. the salt ramen just sounded...er, too salty? was i wrong to have skipped over that one?

anyways, here's the miso chasu ramen in all its glory. the miso broth was a tad too salty for me and the fatty chasu was well, just too fatty! i know right?! when was i ever adverse to fat? hell must have frozen over cuz i felt a little chilly when i ate it. i thought the broth was tasty and the ramen was aldente, but in a head to head ramen wrestling match between the three ramen houses i've tasted so far, daikokuya, orochon, and santouka, daikokuya would still reign supreme. there is something mighty complex about daikokuya broth. santouka would be running in for the bronze medal.

though i may not purposely drive out to the westside to eat at santouka again, it served as a great dilly dallying plan. by the time we finished eating and i finished shopping for snackies at the market, i was able to zip home on nearly empty freeways with a belly full of warm ramen to boot. not bad for this silverlaker who hates badass southern cali traffic.

Santouka Ramen
3760 S Centinela Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 391-1101
http://www.santouka.co.jp/

price: $
verdict: it's aight

um, no.

Valentino Italian Restaurant
3115 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 829-4313
www.pieroselvaggio.com

price: $$$$
verdict: it's aight

i took advantage of restaurant week and had dinner here the other night. it's a really gorgeous place, uber snooty, and slightly makes you feel retarded for spending that kind of money on food during these hard economic times...until you realize, HOLY SHIT, it's a dineLA deal and that's OK.

i started my meal off with a drink. OF COURSE! they had a nice reisling by the glass for $12 that i couldn't resist. having a good meal without wine is like eating an ice-cream sunday without a cherry on top. i then moved on to my appetizer of two jumbo shrimps in a diced tomato sauce. it was tasty, but i wasn't blown away by it. as the meal progressed, i discovered that this would be the theme for the night,"yummy, but nothing special." my entree was lamb ossobuco which was really tender and fell off the bone as you forked it. there was a slight sweetness to this dish though which seemed strange to my palate. the meal then culminated with a chocolate mousse dome for dessert which was their rendition of the tiramisu. little unidentifiable crackly pieces were imbedded in the mousse which gave the dessert good texture with every bite. nice!

but alas, the portion they gave for each course was way too small! i'm not sure if it's the consequence of eating dinner for $44 bucks so portion size was restricted to the smaller end. in any case, my eating buddy and i left valentino slightly hungry and unimpressed. perhaps if i win a million dollars, i would come back. otherwise, there are a gazillion other snooty eateries to conquer before i feel valentino's call once again. i require that i be seduced by my tastebuds first, and not just by ambience. valentino didn't do it for me this time.

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.

nikki makes me happy with a cheap happy hour!

Nikki's
72 Market St
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 450-3010
nikkivenice.com/

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

my friend and i came to nikki's in search of happy hour. it was perfect timing too when we walked in because there was one table left and we quickly nabbed it. patrons that came later had to stand around. nanananana....*sticks tongue out*

nikki's had a good selection of appetizers and drinks on the menu for happy hour prices which meant half off. boo yah! i love sales! the wine selection was limited to a house white or red, but they have a fairly decent beer menu. i settled on the house chardonnay which tasted fine. the appetizer choices consisted of the usual fare. we ordered the calamari, avacado wonton, and the "shrooms" which turned out to be sliced mushrooms wrapped in filo dough. the avacado wontons were fabulous, but then again, how can you ever go wrong with avacoados that are wrapped up then fried? the calamari was tasty but the shrooms...not so much. when i took a bite of my shroom, my tongue was met with a cold center. the least you can do is to defrost them well before serving!

overall, nikki's has oodles of potential to become an awesome happy hour spot because the bill for 3 appetizers and a glass of wine and beer came out to be $26 WITH TIP INCLUDED. that meant $13 each. heck yeah that's a great price! you would think so too if you ate out as much as i do. so nikki's, remember to heat up your shrooms and i'll be back.

when mangos are red, not yellow

Red Mango
10401 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 845-1798
www.redmangousa.com

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!

mangolicious. actually, it tastes quite similar to orange cream froyo. the yogurt is not too tart and has a nutty flavor to it too. the texture is smooth and of course, they offer all the fruit and dry toppings that you are use to at any froyo shop.

a medium size froyo with two toppings set me back $4.75. since i had to haul ass back to the east side, i got my froyo to go. the cashier offered me an ice pack for it. SURE. so he put some ice cubes in a ziploc bag and sent me on my way. alas, my froyo melted a little, but the fruit toppings chilled to a nice firmness. yummmm....

red mango was definitely on my list of must tries. now that i did, i see it's on par with all the other tasty froyo shops that i've reviewed. i still think pinkberry is better...and yes, it's because pinkberry is crack laced, that's why.

i don't "do" ugly

Ugly Roll Sushi
11128 Palms Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 837-8500

price: $
verdict: not worth my time

i was excited about ugly roll sushi because in the same breath of being told that it was a sushi place, my friend also used the word "cheap." hey, count me in! we are in a recession after all!

ugly roll is NOT a looker i tell yah. the decor is totally craptastic and the owner placed white butcher paper on the walls for you to draw on as you wait...or as a destractor from your present company. whatever you want. anyways, it reminds me of a public toilet stall where you can draw whatever you want on it....so i did.

i ordered a lot so i can puff out my empty belly. i got their ugly roll combo, tempura roll, spicy tuna, philly roll, and this sushi dish called "over 18" which turned out to be an albacore tuna/avacado roll with ponzu sauce. the food was MEH. so MEH. i can really appreciate a good price point, but time and time again, i've been reminded that you can't do good sushi for cheaps. like dirt cheap i mean (komasa still rules in the department of good and cheap but it's still not dirt cheap). the fish were thinly sliced and not the best quality at that. the rolls are also cut pretty thin which tricks you into thinking there are a lot of pieces when in fact, it's just thinner and smaller. suckas! i do think they have a good tempura batter, but that's about it.

other than the hot looking owner and the tasty tempura, there's really no reason to come back. so i'm not.

thinly sliced sushi makes me sad :( see, sad face.

i heart apple butter

Ocean Park Omelette Parlor
2732 Main St
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 399-7892

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

omelette parlor is in a prime location. there's metered parking in the back, the sandy beach just a cross walk away, great retail stores in the vicinity, and good eats. yup, it's a pretty fantastic package.

my friend and i went there early in the morning so there wasn't much of a wait. i ordered a yummy omelette. nothing to rave about though. better than average but not memorable eggs. the serious star of it all though was the apple butter cream spread that they give you in this tiny paper container. it's brownish looking...for a second, i thought it was some savory bbq sauce...ha! apple butter! holy yum! man, spread that sucker on an english muffin and you'll be addicted. seriously! i would totally go back JUST for that! please tell me where i can get it if you know what i'm talking about!

the servers are pretty awesome too. quick and friendly. that explains the long lines, but the equally short wait. it is a great breakfast place to go to right before you hit the beach.

happy hour at the border

Border Grill
1445 4th St
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-1655
www.bordergrill.com

price: $$
verdict: it's aight

i came here recently with friends for their happy hour. yum!! they serve $4 drinks (margaritas and mojitos amongst other libations) and $5/$7 dollar tapas to go with your drinks. you sit on the bar side if you want happy hour, but there is a separate area for regular diners.

i ordered a carnitas sope which was soooooo good. nice, tart, tangy marinade and the meat was so tender and flavorful. i could have eaten a few of those. i wanted to order some more tapas after i consumed that one order, but i didn't do so after having this conversation with my happy hour going companion:

me: are you going to order more tapas?
friend: no i'm getting full
me: i'm still hungry
friend: oh, you didn't eat lunch?
me: umm...yes i did.
friend: oh...you had an early lunch?
me: no

(in my head, i'm just thinking...maybe my belly can just sock away more food than the rest of yous...)

alas, i did not order more. i had to reevaluate why my belly can hold more food than other petite asian girls. other than crappy santa monica parking, this is a good find!

not so cool at finn mccool's

Finn McCool's
2700 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90407
(310) 452-1734
www.finnmccoolsirishpub.com

price: $$
verdict: it's aight

friends and i dropped by finn mccool's for dinner and drinks last thursday night. the food is overpriced for what essentially is fried food and beer. i ordered crab cakes on a bed of greens with a side of fries. not the healthiest dinner choice, but it's a pub. what do you expect? their wine selection was small (duh, it's a beer place) but i found an ok glass of wine to wash it all down.

it wasn't crowded at all and the food is alright..it's just not anything special in my opinion.

not THAT kind of library

Library Alehouse
2911 Main St
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 314-4855
www.libraryalehouse.com

price: $$
verdict: it's aight

i've been here twice and thought the food and the ambiance was alright. it is definitely a place to chill and throw down a few beers, but since i'm not a beer drinker, it mostly served as a place to chill and throw down fries. they have happy hour too so the wines by the glass are ok. the wine selection isn't the best, but it made for a good beer alternative.

it does get pretty crowded so we usually come for an early dinner. i've had their burger which was meh and their fish and chips, also just meh. there's nothing craveable about the place and for that reason, i wouldn't especially hanker to go back again.

mr. cecil makes some good bbq sauce

Mr. Cecil's California Ribs
12244 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 442-1550
www.mrcecilscaliforniaribs.com

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

it's a great place to get ribs if you like them on the sweeter side. the sides are amazing and the ceasar's salad is REALLY good. i know, why am i ordering ceasar salad at a rib joint...because i grew up being told that i need veggies somewhere with my meal...even though the veggies have a ton of croutons, parmesean cheese, and creamy dressing. delicious!

the ribs are yum and so is their signature bbq sauce which falls on the sweeter side. the last time i left this joint, i bought myself a bottle of their sauce. i use it as a ketchup alternative at home.

plantains, chicken, and beans oh my!

Versailles Restaurant
10319 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 558-3168
www.versaillescuban.com/

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

i've been coming here for years, but my motives for patronizing versailles has changed with time though. when i use to go here as a poor, starving, college student, my main priority was to get the most food for my buck. seriously, ordering the 1/2 order of garlic chicken meant having dinner that night and then leftovers for lunch or dinner the following day. going to versailles was a survival tactic. no joke.

nowadays, i go because it just tastes good! not like i didn't appreciate the flavor before, but having a real job means being able to choose where i want to spend my bucks, so it says a lot that i still come back here time and time again. i really enjoy the buttered bread they serve you at the start of your meal (though they become rocks if you ever have them the following day). the garlic chicken is so freakin' yummy and so is the pork....the plantains, to die for. i use to drive from silverlake JUST to get their plantains. love the way they are so nicely caramelized around the edges. ohhh..and the perfectly made black beans (my stomach is grumbling now from just the description of it) to spoon over my rice. happy stomach!

the only beef i have with versailles nowadays is when i order their garlic chicken and i want extra garlic sauce with it, you have to pay extra for it. what the heck? why am i paying extra to make your food jucier? no matter. i still eat here. my taste buds have fond memories of this place.

the glory that is gloria

Gloria's Cafe
10227 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 838-0963
http://www.gloriascafela.com/

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

it's a good thing that i don't live close to gloria's cafe anymore because i'm pretty sure i'd be over there weekly. i have a real soft spot for beans, cheese, and rice and BOY do you find all of that and then some over at gloria's!! the food is really tasty here and the prices are reasonable. i typically order the combo meal (because of the beans, cheese, and rice...hello? is there an echo in here?) and usually get my enchiladas or chili rellenos because these are some of my old favorites. i can't wait to try some of their other dishes though because everything looks pretty spectacular. more reasons to drive to that side of town!

one of the best things about gloria's is their sangria. holy crap this sangria deserves it's own paragraph. it's smooth and sweet...but packs a punch because the alcohol hits you slowly. you typically want to order more than one cup, but i suggest you pace yourself because the alcohol slowly creeps up on you and you're going to find yourself to be a sleepy drunk. if you have more than one lush at your table, i suggest you get the carafe. it is a better bang for your buck.

i love the fact that there's good food, good service, reasonable prices, consistency, and you get seated immediately. if you've never been here before, i suggest you try. little gems like gloria's are hard to find. you will definitely get your grub on!

one of the tastiest burritos ever.

swinging some din din

Swingers
802 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-9793
www.swingersdiner.com

price: $$
verdict: it's aight

the decor is hip and cute, but logistically, their booths are kinda small. trying to fit 4 people into one meant someone(s) had to leave a partial butt cheek hanging off of the seat, but i digress.

i've been here twice. the first time, i had breakfast for dinner. always a delicious option. this second time, i ordered their hamburger...not so delish. my burger, along with my other 2 friends' entrees, tasted under seasoned. the only friend that didn't have this issue with her meal had ordered a sandwich that had bacon in it. we concluded the bacon gave her food the necessary seasoning.

before the night was over, i bought a red velvet cupcake to taste. the frosting was a little bit tart with white chocolate shavings on top which added a nice touch. it tasted alright, but for $6.44 a pop, i had expected more.

my conclusion: the decor is fun, but the food was average. i guess it depends what you come here for.

geriatric eats

Billingsley's
11326 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 477-1426
www.billingsleysteakhouse.com

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

early bird special.

enough said right? lots of senior citizens, the decor is outdated with lots of wood paneling, but the food is suprisingly tasty. this is not a place to people watch unless you like checking out the 60 and over crowd. it IS a place for you to hunker down and chow though. start off with a slice of their cheese bread and their nicely chilled salad with green goddess dressing. ordering ribs is usally a good bet and so is their salmon dish with rice. it is a good place to go eat when you just want to feel warm and comfortable. ahhh billingsley...a taste of geriatric life.

puffy daddy

Beard Papa's
2130 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 479-6665
www.muginohousa.com

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!

this cafe is not located in the best area for parking, but once parked, you are within reach of many good eats too. i suggest you go to furaibo for dinner, then walk over to this cafe for some beard papa cream puffs for dessert.

the cream puff has a crisp exterior and the inside is filled with lightly sweetened cream. nice. one should be good enough, but if you want to play it safe, buy two so you don't regret not snagging another one as you drive away from sawtelle. but then again, beard papa's has multiplied like acne on a prepubescent teen. i'm sure you will come across one if you missed out on this location.

a puff of sweetness.

bok bok, cluck cluck

California Chicken Cafe
2005 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 446-1933
www.californiachickencafe.com

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!

my friend brought me here for lunch today and boy was the food super tasty!!! so yummy!! i got the three piece dark meat rotisserie chicken with a side of broccoli pasta and vegetarian rice primavera. everything was well seasoned and every mouthful packed a punch. i liked the bbq sauce to dip with my chicken...it made a good dipping sauce for the pita too.

the only drawbacks might be the the long lines and the crowded dining area. we were able to find seating right away, but i can imagine it being impossible to find space during a really busy day. if i'm in the area again, it is a definite "must eat." can't believe it's only a recent discovery....i could have been a fan a LONG time ago.

an ice cream sammich

Diddy Riese Cookies
926 Broxton Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 208-0448
www.diddyriese.com

price: $
verdict: omg, i love it!

to me, diddy riese meant a late night sweet run when i was an undergrad at ucla. it also meant looking for loose change in my backpack and standing in outrageous lines waiting to pick up THE CHEAPEST dessert treat in town.

many, many years later, diddy riese meant getting a ticket for jay walking. it is still yummy, but watch out for those westwood cops. if you THINK you can just walk across the street from bj's, DON'T. your ass will get an ice cream sandwich AND a ticket.