Tangerine Chinese Restaurant (Little Tokyo, LA, CA)

Located at:
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St
Ste 202
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Date of Visit: 11/6/13


      I was a bit bewildered when I saw them renovating this space for a Chinese restaurant a while back. I mean a Chinese restaurant in the middle of Little Tokyo? Just sounded odd. But then figured why not? There are already some Korean, American and even some Pizza Joints here already. Man Little Tokyo is changing man... but i digress. So I was still itching for some Chinese food since the last spot I hit up didn't really satiate my cravings. And what better time to try this place out than now? 

      The place had a very welcoming and chill atmosphere. The interior was very clean, comfortable and modern. But the outdoor dining area felt very haphazard so we dined inside.
     Now during that time I was starving. And usually when that happened everything on the menu looked amazing to the point where I would just say "Give me one of everything!". Luckily my cousins were with me to keep me in check. I noticed on the menu that there were a few good lunch special sets. But i opted out and tried their full on plates. 

      Spicy Cold Arctic Surf Clam. An amazing appetizer. The surf clams were nicely cooked. And the flavors were just amazing. Though they were amazing it felt like all the flavors were just coming from everything but the actual surf clams. I think they were just there for texture purposes. There is usually a very subtle sweetness to them that gets totally overpowered. The spiciness was a bit of a creeper and was kind of amped up by the massive amount of garlic. Which i loved. I could have just ordered a plate of these and a bowl of white rice and be totally happy.

      Aloha Shrimp - "Stir Fried Shell-less Shrimps  with Pineapples in Mayo" Very well executed. The shrimps were cooked nicely and the batter was nice and crispy. Which is usually a biggie for me. The creaminess from the mayo and the sweetness from the pineapples eaten with a shrimp makes it such a tasty combo.

      Filet Mignon w/ Black Pepper Sauce. Another amazing dish. The meat was perfectly cook. Didn't have to chew for ages. And they were not too heavy on the pepper so the flavor of the meat could still come through.

      Cold Squids w/ Five Spices Soy Paste. The squids themselves were just practically flavorless and just felt overdone. And since it depended on the sauce it had to be awesome right? wrong. I don't know what went into that alchemical sauce but it just was not for me. Not a fan of this dish.

      Taiwanese Style BBQ Eel Over Flavored Sticky Rice. I'm normally not a fan of eel and usually take a pass on it. But I'll make an exception for this one. The eel itself was very fresh and very moist. They didn't drench the eel with some heavy sauce but rather really let the flavor of the eel come through. The sticky rice underneath was just alright.

      1.5Lb Lobster with Truffle Oil Sauce. Rather torn about this dish. On one hand the lobster tasted fresh and was nicely cooked. But flavor just didn't seem like it was all there. The lobster flavor is definitely present but as for the truffle oil part... not so much.
     Overall I think the food was above par. The only thing that was holding it back was that squid dish. The only thing I would lament about is how greasy some of the dishes are. As a joke I would normally say the shinier a dish the tastier it is. But in this instance it's just ridiculous. Especially the surf clams. There is a pool of grease (possibly from the chili oil) underneath the clams. Same goes for the filet.
     The service here was very good. They friendly, prompt and checked up on us every now and then. No complaints.
     They for sure serve up some delicious Chinese food here. I will definitely be back to try more of their dishes or even their fancy shaved ice. Until then I'm giving this place two thumbs up and a full face.

Golden Dragon Restaurant (Chinatown, LA, CA)

Located at:
960 N Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Date of Visit: 11/1/13


     So the Golden Dragon has been around  for as long as I can remember. And I've wanted to try it out for as long as I can remember. So when my folks asked if we wanted to for lunch on a whim. I jumped on that opportunity.

      I had no idea what to expect really. I heard good things from my friends and relatives that had came here before. So that is a good sign.

     When I opened the door and had a look inside the first thing that struck me was how big this restaurant was. Their bar and waiting area combined is bigger than some of the sushi restaurants I've been to. And the massive dining room just seemed like it could have gone on and on. Though they board off part of it towards the back. The exterior sure did play a tricked me into believing this was a much more humble establishment.
     The place itself gave me kind of a lavishly decorate Chinese retro feel. Some may say this place needs a makeover but I'd say it's part of its charm.
     So once we were seated I noticed that there were a mesh of different dining styles going on at the same time. One of which is that they serve Dim Sum. Which is basically smaller portioned food which is usually carted around by servers. And when they stroll by they would usually tell you (or you can ask) what they carry on their cart. Then you can pick and choose those items for munching. And of course they will charge you for what you pick and seeing as how these dishes are more on the small side. You can rack up quite a bill if you don't keep track. But in most cases Dim Sum isn't too expensive unless you're at a higher end type of establishment. And aside from Dim Sum I saw people ordering full on dishes from their menu.
     Now I was torn as to what I wanted. I'm particularly bad at making decisions on the spot. So I said what the hey. Why not just get em both? So we ordered a few items off their menu and picked off a few things that had carted by.

     The Dim Sum here overall were just "alright". They were on the salty side. And just tasted like generic Dim Sum. The one thing i did like about the Dim Sum here though is the fact that the rice flour skin that they use on their dumplings and other dishes are on a thinner side. Which helps with the filling to wrapper ratio drastically compared to some of the other places that I have been where the skin was just too thick and chewy.

     Kung Pao Beef - It was alright. It was flavorful but the beef was on the tough side.

      Lobster Yee Mein - This dish was on their specials. It too was just "alright" the lobster was nicely cooked. But if i re-assembled it parts of it is definitely missing. The noodles felt undercooked and was hard at certain areas. And even though this dish is drenched in sauce. It was a little bland.

      Sweet n Sour Fish Filet - Dish was alright. It actually had a bit of underlying heat to it. The batter was still crispy but the fish didn't really taste fresh.

      Lemon Peel Shrimp - My favorite dish of the day. The shrimp was nicely cooked and the batter was still nice and crispy. The sauce had not gotten it all soggy. The flavors were nice too. Even if it did seem like a shrimp version of "Orange Chicken".
     "It's alright" was how i was feeling about everything at the end of the meal. Granted it seemed like I got every single stereotypical Chinese dish you could find at every other Chinese restaurants. But if they couldn't pull off those "popular" dishes well enough then that says a lot about that restaurant.
     The service here was "alright" just as well. They take your orders and then they disappear. And their unhappy demeanor were rather off putting.  But contrary to the male waiters, the female waitresses pushing the Dim Sum carts were very friendly. Though at times they did feel a bit too pushy.
     Just when we were paying our bill and packing up our leftovers I looked over to a waitress on a nearby table serving a elderly lady. And what I saw next left me a bit shocked. As the waitress was putting down a plate of friend shrimp balls, the elderly lady used her bare fingers to pinch them to see if the consistency was to her liking or not. She did no approve of the plate that she had been served and asked if she could get another. She gets served another one, pinched it and kept the dish. But the dish she had felt up with her bare fingers went into the cart to be served to another person! I was left rather mortified.... needless to say, I don't think I'll make a return trip anytime soon

Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant (Downtown LA, CA)

Located at:
811 Wilshire Blvd
Ste 2100
Los Angeles, CA 90017

Date of Visit: 10/28/13


     This restaurant has been on my radar ever since I went on a yelp raid and saw just how lovely the restaurant was. And since my friends and I were on a classy night out I suggested this restaurant. It's located on the top floor of a office building in Downtown LA. Which meant parking was going to be a pain. (And it was) Once we were inside the building we had to take the elevator to the top floor. Which then lead us to this very picturesque restaurant.

     

      This was a really nice place it did not disappoint. The view was magnificent. It was very spacious and had a nice atmosphere.
     The hostess here was a bit snooty which lead me to be a little wary of the service here. But once we got to our table got to and met our waitress I was put at ease. Our waitress was very friendly and expected of this place, attentive. The service moved at a pretty good pace but the only thing was that our drink order took a little long. But it ended up being pretty strong so... all is good. :D

      "Seared Yellowtail with Diced Chiles - Yellowtail Sashimi topped with Diced Jalapeno Chiles, Seared with a Ponzu Olive Oil."  I didn't know what to expect from this dish at all. And when i shoved it in my pie hole my mind was blown. The fish was very fresh  and the flavors were all just working with each other. A very lovely dish. 

      "Baked Scallop Roll - California Roll topped with Baked Scallop Dynamite" The California roll tasted generic. The scallops tasted a little off. It definitely had a heavy fishy/ocean taste to it them. Not a fan.

      "Grilled Angus Filet - Sliced Angus Filet Mignon served with a Black Truffle Sauce." The meat itself was good. It was was nicely cooked and the truffle sauce wasn't overpowering the meat. But my (and my friends') favorite thing on this plate was not the meat unfortunately. It was the scalloped potatoes. You could hardly tell they're there but there were only 4 slices (one for each of us) and man the flavor, the way they cooked it, and the added bread crumbs provided extra textures. Just spot on. 

      "Takami Roll - Spicy Albacore, Cucumber, Topped with Pepper Tuna & Yellowtail with Takami Sauce." This roll had some really good flavors and the freshness of the fish came through.

      "Salmon Spring Roll - Salmon, Romaine, Avocado, Cucumber, Kaiware, Asparagus & Gobo Cilantro Aioli." This roll was...well... "whatever" I just think maybe there was way too much going on. Just too many textures ranging from the mushiness for the fish to the crunch of the lettuce and asparagus was just weird.

      "Molten Lave Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream" This dish hit the sweet-tooth spot. The cake was soft and moist. The center was a lovely runny gooey core. It may have been a bit too rich for some of my friends. But I didn't mind getting chocolate-wasted off of this bad boy. 
     I had a nice time here but I still can't decide if I like the restaurant or not. Granted this place does have the impressive setting going for it. And it's definitely an amazing place to take someone on a date just for the atmosphere. The food however was mostly just average out to be "good". There were some high points though low is being dragged down by some of their "alright" dishes. (Side note: We did order a few more rolls but were not pictured. And we had a consensus that they were just "alright" such a salmon roll and a shrimp tempura roll). Normally if i had food like this at any other regular ground level restaurant I'd be throwing my thumbs up. But I think my real beef is that at the prices that each one of the items were. They should have been more than just "alright". Where as i could have gotten a lot of those rolls at that quality at Little Tokyo at almost half the cost. But I had a overall good experience so I guess I'll raise a thumbs up?

Philippe the Original (Chinatown, LA, CA)

Located at:
1001 N Alameda St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Date of Visit: 10/25/13


     This eatery manages to draw in an insane amount of people regardless what time of year it is. Thanks to all the hype is always seem to get. One of the draws of course is the claim that they invented the french dip sandwich. And since it boasts that it would also go without saying that these sandwiches here should be pretty delectable. Another draw here is that is it's almost like a  historic landmark. Before this area was really Chinatown it use to be Little Italy. There aren't very many remnants left of that time other than maybe this restaurant and another sandwich establishment on the other end of Chinatown. And you do feel a little bit like you're stepping back in time when you set foot into this restaurant. I know i kind of it. Maybe it was just the overall architecture or the things they posted on the walls. Or even the "relics" that they have laying around. (i.e. old telephone booths)

     Although i do live like a mile away I don't often venture out here for a bite. And with all the hype going on I'm just not sure why that is. Don't get me wrong I've eaten here before. Except that was maybe a decade ago. And my earliest memory of dining here was when I was with my grandparents having a slice of cherry pie prior to starting elementary school. Just don't know why this place is rarely on my first pick when I feel the need to go on a rampaging chompfest. So here's to hoping this visit may give me some answers.

      Maybe it's the crazy crowds? It's not that I am extremely anti-social. But there really is a lot of people here. Especially if a "Doyer" (Dodgers) game is going on that day. So much people in fact that they have ten people behind the counter taking orders. Ten. Their tables are more of a family style long design. Which of course may be trying to push the whole... get to know your neighbors kind of thing. But lord help the poor soul who distracts me from my guzzling jamboree.
     All the food items are posted on boards behind the counter or a super massive one adjacent to it. And it's the usual order your food, pay, receive food situation. So nothing special there but it is rather efficient when dealing with this madness.

      And if the main floor is way too packed you could just venture upstairs for more seating areas. But it first wierded me out a bit since the rooms are divided up into smaller dining rooms. Quite a interesting feel.

      Beef Stew. Not going to lie. I was expecting something different. This bowl of Beef Stew felt more like beef soup? The "sauce" was more like a broth than a sauce. But the flavors are nice. The beef was a tad dry and overdone though.

     Double Dipped Beef Sandwich. I ate the first half of this sandwich without an condiments just to get the full taste of things. It was just "alright". There was a lot of of meat. But the flavors of the meat were too much on the bland side. But all the extra flavors that was soaked into the french roll (which got it really soggy) kind of compensated for that.   

      The next one was with their house mustard sauce. It's got a really heavy horseradish flavor to it... really heavy. Which I'm totally cool with. And honestly it did make the sandwich was better with it. Only if you like horseradish.

      Double Dipped Lamb Sandwich. Ok so we were wondering why there were so many people walking around with two sandwiches on each plate. Turns out one just may not be enough. They are rather on the smaller side. Or small to a fatty like me. So I went splitsies with my friend for a second one. And we opted for a lamb one. Again I felt that it was just "alright". The cuts were thicker but tasted a little dry. But then again was compensated with a drenched french roll.

       Once again, seemed better with the mustard sauce. (if you're into horseradish)

     Apple Pie. The pie was actually pretty good. Though it looks rather messy...
     So after the meal I was a bit muddled as to what a lot of the hype was about. Though this place does have a lot going for it when it comes to the over "feel" of the restaurant. But when it comes to the food. Not as much. But it may just be the fact that each one of those beef sandwiches were 7 bucks (including tax) and the little under 9 for the Lamb. I just don't see the sandwiches justifying the cost of each one. I mean it was just meat and a french roll. And they were on the smaller side. So if i really did go to town here I'd have to really drop a bit of dough. So at least now I refreshed my memory why I don't come here as often as I do. Though if I was in a LA nostalgia mood I'd probably pop back in here. Other than that I'd say this place is just "alright".

Masa of Echo Park (Echo Park, LA, CA)

Located at:
1800 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Date of Visit: 10/23/13


      It's no secret that this gem in Echo Park has gotten more and more popular over the years.  The waits and lines outside this establishment just keeps getting longer and longer every time i try to dine here or pass by. Heck this place gets even worse especially on weekend nights. Only the brave and patient dare to dine here then. But all that is totally justified by the good food and nicely cultivated atmosphere that they have. However since I'm not that much of a people person I avoided coming here and take on their lines. Until it hit me that I just may avoid all that fuss if I dined with them at some obscure hour to dodge all that crowd mess.

      It has been a while and from the looks of it not much has changed. It still smells heavenly when you walk in because of their baked goods. And all the entire restaurant itself still had all its charms and character. The only huge difference that i noticed was well the influx of the hipster clientele. I mean whats also not a secret about Echo Park is that how much more hipster it has gotten nowadays. And sitting by the window people watching while i ate i kept asking myself at certain intervals "Am I still in LA?" Anyways I digress...
     Another familiar thing about this restaurant is the warm friendly service. They're very prompt and attentive. I never felt forgotten at any point of the service at all. But they aren't perfect. I recalled a instance a while back where I had a really off putting snooty waitress once. And another time where it was a guy who kept forgotten about us on multiple occasions and was left parched for most of our meal. And the place was practically empty. But I've been here a lot and dropping the ball only twice compared to the numerous other great services they provided me it's no biggie.
     Now, this place is definitely known for their Chicago Deep Dish pizzas. Which they do give you kind of a disclaimer that it usually takes roughly 40 minutes to make since they start from scratch. And normally that is what i would get if i wanted a awesome pizza buzz. But the ravenous spirit that possessed me that day told me I wanted pasta. So I obliged.  

      "Garlic Bread - A Loaf of Masa Bread, toasted & drizzled with olive oil, parmesan cheese & chunks of garlic served with marinara sauce." They got some bomb arse garlic bread here. First off they used their own rolls which tasted really fresh and it had the right amount of crisp hardness on the outside and a softer crispiness on the center. Secondly their ratio of garlic and cheese on top was spot on. Everything was just balanced out so well. And of course it came with a marinara sauce for dunking. The sauce itself is good but I usually choose to just eat the garlic bread by itself because the marinara will overpower everything. Also normally they would give you one of their rolls at the beginning to hold you over. Since we got the garlic bread to start we would not get it. But our waitress was kind enough to hook up the roll to go. Flippin score!

      "Penne Orleans - Blackened Cajun spiced chicken breast, spicy Arabiatta sauce, crispy mushrooms & shredded parmesan." They were no joking about how spicy this dish is. Had I shoveled all of that in my mouth in a manner that a worker would toss coal into a coal powered train's furnace. My eyes would fog and tear up and my nose would be running like Niagara Falls. In which case happened to my friend who i was with. But the flavors were really good and the pasta was nicely cooked. Hence the shoveling. 

       "Masa Gnocchi - Mushrooms, Garlic, Peas & at Touch of Cream" My favorite pasta dish from Masa. Then again i added bacon to it. Always. Maybe that is why. HA. The flavor is just amazing. Every bite is just garlic and bacon. One of my favorite double whammy.  And there is hint of smokiness to it which may come from the bacon. The gnocchi s themselves were cooked very well and not too chewy or just mush. 
      I'm glad this restaurant is doing well for itself. Even though it's been years that I've been coming here and I felt like nothing has changed much. It's been consistently good mostly throughout my visits and it proves to the testament that if something ain't broke don't fix it. I shall be back to maybe do a post of their deep dish pizza and their amazing bread pudding. Until then I bestow upon this place a very hipster thumbs up. 

Kouraku Restaurant (Little Tokyo, LA, CA)

Located at:
314 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Date of Visit: 10/20/13


     I was meeting up with a few of my friends for dinner and none of us were in the mood for anything too "hoity toity" and opted out for a more humble establishment. Then we recalled a Japanese diner which served more homey styled meals. And so we decided to pig out here for that evening.

     First thing I noticed when I got there was that it looked different. They had remodeled the exterior to give the diner more of a rustic look. And they kept the window display of plasticized foods that they served inside. (they were so shiney)

      Another thing we noticed was that there was a wait. But we really wanted some of that nice Japanese styled home cooking that night. So we mustered up all our patience and waited a whole ten minutes before we were seated. :P
     The waitress was quite nice and prompt with taking our drink orders while we looked over our menus and checked out all the specials they had written up/printed out and posted on the walls. In addition to all the items they had listed as daily/weekly specials, they have pretty good sized menu. It covers starters/appetizers, entrees, rice bowls, ramen and other more homey warm Asian dishes. Which usually leads to me wanting to pig out extra hard.

      "Ika Butter Yaki - Squid Sauteed in Butter" Off to a totally awesome start. The squid was nicely cooked but by itself it felt rather bland. However the butter was there to save the day. And it worked wonderfully. But a little warning. Thought tempting, do not ingest all of the butter sauce because it would lead to a very messy aftermath. Same goes going overboard dunking the squid into the butter sauce to coat it more. Or even drenching that cabbage in the butter....don't judge me!

      "Honrenso Garlic - Spinach Sauteed with Garlic" I love spinach. I love garlic. So this dish is a wonderful medley of the two. Though it was a tad too salty for everyone else, I thought it was fine (I love salt too).

      "Tanindon - Beef, Onion, Green Onion and Eggs on Rice" Granted it looks uninspiring but i can assure that the flavor is very good.

      I mixed the bowl up a bit to show what lays underneath that layer of egg. The texture is all over the place with the chewy meat, crunchy onions, stringy green onions and the mushy rice. But it somehow works..

      "Mabodon - Ground Pork, Tofu and Green Onions with Spicy Sauce on Steam Rice" The tofu is nicely cooked and the sauce has a nice mild kick to it. It just gives you a very homey and hearty feel to it.

     "Beef Teriyaki - New York Steak" Unlike more places that gives you slivers of beef in a bowl and calls it Beef Teriyaki. This place gives you a slab of meat instead. It makes for a pretty picture but man that bugger put up quite a fight. The meat was so tough it was like trying to take a bite out of a chew toy. But the Teriyaki sauce they used was very nice.

     "Chicken Karaage - Deep Fried Chicken Nuggets with Seasoned Batter" Now I'm very particular when it comes to Chicken Karaage. Because it is yet another one of my favorite things so I'm very much a Chicken Karaage concessionaire. And this one did do not do very well. The chicken was moist on the inside but the batter was on the heavier side. They also claim that the batter was seasoned.. if it was it was too much on the subtle side. Overall the chicken karaage here is not for me.
     This diner may not be serving super duper pompous and dressed up foods. And it may not be for everyone. But if you're just in a mood for some place that has a homey feel, friendly and prompt service that serves homey food this place is it. But I'm still rather unsure about how i feel about this place. Its got a bit of lows and a quite a bit of highs. So I'm going to give this joint a thumbs up?