I have been on a Japanese tear
Thursday - Morinoya, always solid
Friday - Raku, mostly excellent - especially loved Ken “squared” Salad, fried kisu, Tofu, soboro don, Foie, pork (cheeks, I think)
Sat - Wadatsumi, lovely Wagyu Hitsumabushi
I have small plates coming out of my small plates.
Okay, since you and J.L. both keep talking up Morinoya, I’m thinking I gotta try it again. Any ideas on when I should go to maximize the chances of Chef Mori being in?
Tried White Rabbit Cafe in Winnetka last night. No food pictures, but there really isn’t anything to write home about. Had the sisig burrito. Poorly mixed; literally half of my mouth was egg/cheese/garlic fried rice and the other half was sisig.
Egg was cooked well, cheese was barely detectable, garlic fried rice had way too many dried crunchy pieces like it had been sitting out in a steam table way too long. Garlic fried rice was also very lacking in any garlic-fried flavor.
Sisig suffered the same fate as the rice–way too dry and crunchy, almost like jerky at times.
All of this for $7.50. Way overpriced for what you get.
Was dismayed at how highly-rated this place is on yelp…until I snapped a picture of this sign at the order counter.
Friday
Gorgonzola, walnut, and caramelized onion pizza - Claro’s (wonderful & only $4.99 for an entire pizza)
Mint IT’S-IT (like the vanilla ones the best)
Saturday
Lunch
Iced Cappuccino - G&B Coffee
Green falafel sandwich - Madcapra (fennel and cauliflower were great, but a little too salty overall)
Dinner
Everything bagel with lox - Wexler’s Deli (divine, but a little too salty)
Chocolate concha - La Mascota (perfection)
Sunday
Lunch
California bowl with noodles & salad - Yellow Fever (hate the name of the restaurant, but very tasty veggie bowl)
Iced jasmine tea - 85C
Dinner
Poke - Sushi stall at Mitsuwa’s food court in Torrance (nicely balanced)
Baked Okinawan sweet potato
Matcha and red bean Swiss roll - 85C (pretty good)
Friday lunch: Howling Rays. Very fucking dope. Must have been some
Paprika in there or some shit. Had two order two of those dark meat plates. Two pieces of fried chicksn would never be enough.
The fucking GCM burger on Saturday. Biz and pleasure coffee. And the smoked sturgeon and cream cheese on poppyseed bagel.
Dinner:
A fig salad.
Black truffle pizza from Wallys BH. Pretty well dressed fucking crowd. And nice scene. And a carnival barker court jester doling out the fucking joke.
Food left me nonplussed. Granted I didn’t try the majority of the menu.
Sunday:
Nates knockwurst and frankfurter combo
With a fuckload of
New pickles. Potato salad. And baked beans. And of course a fucking diet coke to wash that crap down.