Looks like a shrimp cracker to me
Which GJ has that mussels dish?
thanks – I wasn’t sure what the “rules” here were about mentioning other sites. 
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I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of advice. Thank you all very much!
I cannot wait to try some of these spots.
I will be sure and report back after my list to your part of the USA and let you know my food itinerary and reviews.
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The rules, such as they are, are here FAQ - Food Talk Central but enforcement is lax so long as people don’t get obnoxious.
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We celebrated a Birthday Dinner with Family at Ivy at the Shore last night. We were 5 and I requested round table in the main room. Everyone ordered something different and everyone was delighted with the food. Our server, Antoinette was fantastic. It was a lovely celebration and our birthday “boy” was really really happy. Also, great cocktails and good people watching. I think it would be a good choice, particularly given that you are in Santa Monica. A 20 year old would enjoy it as much as the parents.
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Just got back from our trip to Santa Monica yesterday. Here’s a brief overview:
Chaya (Venice) – Probably the best miso soup I’ve had. Flavors were much more complex than others. Maki was well-made and fresh. Although, what the heck do I know about sushi? I’m from Kansas!
A-Frame (Culver City) – Roy Choi has changed the menu up compared to a few years ago when I was there. It now has a Hawaiian tinge to it.
- Korean Wings – delicious. Extremely complex seasoning with a little heat on the back end.
- Mochiko Chicken Sliders – very very good. Fennel carrots slaw was a nice touch on the brioche bun.
- Heirloom Pickles – pickled radishes, carrots, cucumbers and cauliflower. The radishes were unusually sweet, but surprisingly good.
- Kalua Pork Ramen – Very good. Just the right amount of spice.
Sabroso! (Garden Grove) – After a day-trip to Disneyland, we stumbled across this place located in a non-descript strip mall after searching Yelp. Turns out this is one of Yelp’s most popular restaurants in the US.
- Tostada Fish Ceviche – Very fresh tasting and homemade tostada was crispy and delicious.
- Guacamole – Fresh with just the right amount of kick.
- Burrito – Delicious and very large. You can take half home for lunch the next day.
- Chamorro – The beef was so tender and not as fatty as I expected. The guajillo sauce was smoky and delicious.
ROC Kitchen (Sawtelle neighborhood) – I was here last fall and it is still awesome. We started with the Pickled Szechuan Cucumbers, which were great. I also had a Seaweed Salad, which was a little heavy and dressed but had good flavor. We gorged ourselves on Shanghai Soup Dumplings of all types. So delicious. Service was spotty, however. We had to request water refills and food re-orders a number of times. Food was so delicious that it made us not care about the service disappointment.
Komodo (Venice) – My wife and I stumbled across this Asian-fusion restaurant. It was very good. My wife had 3 tacos: Bánh Mì Chicken, MP3 Steak (with a sunny side up egg and tater tots), Blazin’ Shrimp (which was crazy spicy), and the Komodo 2.0 (steak, aioli and corn salad). She said all were delicious, even though the shrimp was killer spicy. I had the Nasi Goreng which was just spicy enough. I added chicken to it and it was very filling. We would definitely go back.
The Bazaar by Jose Andres (Beverly Hills) – $480 with tax and tip for 5 of us. A little steep, but that included 7 cocktails at about $110. I was here last fall. Again, it did not disappoint. We had the California Cone, Cotton Candy Foie Gras, Philly Cheesesteak, Croquetas de Pollo, Stuffed Pequillo Peppers, Rossejat Negra (paella pasta in squid ink with shrimp), Tuna Ceviche & Avocado Roll, Not Your Everyday Caprésé, and crisp Baby Corn dusted with chile power and served with aioli.
Really, everything was delicious and well-timed. We never felt rushed and were never wanting for food. Service was very good. Cocktails were well-made. We splurged on a few – the LN2 Caipirinha, which was prepared table side and frozen with liquid nitrogen, and the Magic Mojito, which was served in a martini glass filled with cotton candy. The liquid was poured over the cotton candy, dissolving it. Pretty fun show. Overall, it was a memorable and fun dinner for my 20-year old daughter, her teen sisters and my wife.
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Thanks for the report back! Loved reading through it.
Eat anything good at Disneyland?
I also like ROC but was there last week and service was just terrible. They added an outdoor seating area and also added another restaurant somewhere. There just aren’t enough servers or staff. The soup dumplings were good but the crab noodles were so salty as to be inedible. Would have sent them back but no-one around.
A new location in Playa Vista (in the complex by the Whole Foods) is still in the works.
Nice report back. Glad you and your family had a good time on LA. 
We ate at the French Market – Jambalaya, Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice. Edible. I’d rate it a 5 out of 10.
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Maudies5, ROC had great food. The service is seriously holding it back. I could have eaten 10 trays of soup dumplings. It seems like their wait staff isn’t organized or they just don’t have enough servers. I’m not sure. The servers were polite and responsive when we asked for something. They just seemed to be spread thin.
I think they are now spread too thin. There was no one serving in the front room, back room was packed and patio was also very busy. I couldn’t even get my check. Went to the front desk and paid up there. No tip. Never used to be that way.
It is almost the same way at the new ROC location on 3rd St/La Cienega. Maybe not quite as bad. But definitely understaffed. And how can I put this delicately? The servers don’t seem to know much about the type of food they are serving. But depending on the cook that day, the dumplings are really delicious.
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Sad, because they can crank out some good food, The guys preparing the dumplings are working like hell to get those orders out. Then, incompetent servers screw up. Very sad,
Clearly, management has to address these issues.
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