I know you know the good shit, my Venice Ramen brother/sister.
Jealous that you got to live outside San Sebastian/Donostia. Must have been a blast.
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Hi @beefnoguy,
Thanks for the report. 
How is Ramen Saryo Hachi with their regular menu compared to other Ramen-ya up there?
And how’s Hashiri? Thanks.
You and @aaqjr probably have family recipes but there is also a wonderful Basque cookbook, “Basque Country” with beautiful pictures, and really good recipes, including one for Basque chorizo. I plan on trying the recipe soon as I have plenty of time on my hands. Basque country is on my bucket list if we can ever travel again.
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@Chowseeker1999 it’s one of my more subdued favorites for ramen for the dine in menu (the bentos are new offerings for these trying times probably collaborated with owner’s husband on ideas and what to do). The style is lighter and more complex, and very different than the competition. There is more of an emphasis on refinement, technique, and the atmosphere is more like a modern Japanese cafe/kissaten than a ramen shop. As a result it’s more popular with Asian American females, Japanese expats (in particular Japanese expat housewives), and those in the know who appreciate this style.
Hashiri’s takeout is on my to try list so it will take braving the drive up to the area, putting on a mask, and doing pickup in person. As far as dine in, I like Hashiri a lot, but not so much their nigiri (good quality fish, but not served at the right temperature, and their shari is not my style). The modern kaiseki portion of the course is splendid, and their Japanese wine sommelier knows his stuff super well…the general manager is the sake somm…the prices are high but the choices are solid. This is probably the only kaiseki place in town where they really nail down the wine pairings (but also force the pairing via the cuisine by means of applying the right textures/approaches, even perfectly matching for the wagyu course…it’s cheating a little bit but logically it is sound). They have a dedicated pastry chef doing wagashi and her work is super solid.
About 10 minutes walk away or so is Birdsong. Put that one on your to try list once this madness is over. Although in the meantime, Birdsong is doing fried chicken takeout…and Saison is now doing BBQ dinners (brisket ribs etc) with a caramel frosty included in the set (should be very similar to the signature Angler dessert) though I’m not in a rush to try…
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Yes. Durring Paella time it can get quite full. Aside from Chowy folks like us, it’s also a big hit among wine tasting groups and local police/fire deparment. I’m always standing next someone with a walkie talking spilling the neighborhood secrets when I get there…
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And lots of big Cuban families, with the matriarchs and patriarchs holding court. Fun times.
I have family from Spain, and we still go there quite a bit whenever we can. Though not ‘Valenciana’ per se, the La Espanola house paella would not at all be out of place when served in a bar in say, Retiro, or a small roadside stop in Extremadura, or my friend’s backyard in Alicante (most regions have their own variations on the theme). This paella is admittedly “truck stop” paella (and socarrat snobs need not apply ;-D), but perhaps I guess that’s why I find the styrofoam racion here so remarkable.
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One of my favorite words to see or hear. Brings back such memories.
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I can’t believe I haven’t tried this yet!
Any malasada sightings while you were there?
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It’s a seductive slice of cheesecake indeed! #thecovidnineteen
Malasadas were not seen in the bakery display case on the day I went, but I didn’t ask specifically - maybe they have it in the back…? I would call them first.
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Went on a little PCH drive today with the lady to get out of LA…Malibu then up to Santa Barbara.
Started it off with bacon breakfast burritos (easy papas @Nemroz) from Franks on fairfax and coffees from PCP.
Cruised around Goleta hoping to hit freebirds but closed… then tried to hit Lily’s but closed… so ended up at la super rica in Santa Barbara…been many times and it’s a little over hyped, especially coming from LA with the goat Tire Shop Taqueria but it’s still serviceable. Steak, adobobo tacos and pork tamal. Go for the tamal not the tacos.
Finished it up with a little vino to go from the funk zone to enjoy beachside.
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Did you notice if Los Agaves next door to La Super is open too?
my gf mentioned it looked closed
Took a page from @skramzlife but went south to Dana Point for our annual pilgrimage to Kawamata. Beautiful day. They take your door from the door (customers cannot enter, and, while they’re still cash-only, the person taking the cash either doesn’t pack up the food in the bag or conspicuously sanitizes her hand after each interaction (excellent!!!). Food was great, as always. Spam musubi not pictured. Then went to a nearby park overlooking the ocean and sat in the car to eat. Everyone at the park was a good distance away from each other. Then went to the nearby Stater Bros., which was a mess. 
But at least we found our preferred brand of TP, so I guess that made it worth it…
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Even without any traffic starting from West LA, that is a major shlep (and totally worth the trip). Great chowhounding!
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Kawamata is great! One of the few places that serves poke with Ogo Seaweed, you ain’t finding that at your usual SoCal poke place that’s for sure.
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As for poke my only recs would be Kawamata and Jus Poke in Redondo. The Ogo Seaweed is such a game changer.
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Love Kawamata. Been there twice in the last month and your pics are the longest lines I’ve seen. The spam musubi is aces! We always get tempura shrimp too, but eat it whilst crispy before leaving our parking spot.
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@SpockSpork heard someone in line after us ordering tempura and was like, “Drat! We didn’t order that!” 
Well, that leaves us something to try for next time.