obviously stuff can get overlooked during a meal and there’s no malice behind it but those overturned water glasses throughout your photos are hilarious
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Ohmigod, that’s so funny that you noticed that! I hadn’t even paid attention to the glasses in the pics, but, when I writing the post, I was like, “If someone gives me grief that the labor and water involved in providing the glasses is the same whether we had water throughout the meal or not, I’m totally going to respond that THE GLASSES WERE ALREADY THERE THE WHOLE TIME!!!”
More about the meal: partner’s fav was the delicata squash, mine was the lamb hummus (which is wonderfully rich and decadent).
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Substituting feta for custard seems like a bizarre idea.
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I just went to kenbey. i think it’s the best a la carte sushi on the “east side.” speaking of: matsumoto is moving from beverly grove to k-town.
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What did you like at Kenbey? I pass it all the time but thought it was omakase only.
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Nothing stuck out as especially good or bad.
The main reason I like it is because it’s close to me, easy to get a table, the fish is solid, and it has a good a la carte menu (with harder-to-find things like kohada). It also has a lot of cooked dishes / non-sushi options, if that’s your thing.
by comparison to other good a la carte sushi places, i’d put it behind kisen and in matsumoto’s neighborhood.
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Chef use to work at Brother’s sushi in Woodland Hills for a while, great dude!
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Kenji - used to have a restaurant on Westwood Blvd - Necco - great guy!
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I enjoyed their hikarimono offerings
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he has a good selection, and those are probably the stand-outs. the chu-toro last night was also quite good
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Mercado La Paloma (over 10 years since my last visit). Holbox was delicious, especially the ceviches. Still love Chichen Itza.
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Head’s up - And Gather for Good is hosting a charity bakesale benefitting immigration rights. It’s held tomorrow, Sunday, February 23 at 10AM until sold out at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.
Participating bakeries include Proof, Flouring, Petitgrain, and lots of others.
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Tacos Puro Jaliscos in Fullerton. The quesabirria was my favorite. Great mix of shredded hunks or meat and some cartilage. Next time I should get 3 of these with consommé but wanted to try the cabeza and pastor. Both were excellent. Good salsa bar with onions, carrots and jalapeños along with spicy red salsa and a more flavorful green salsa. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area.
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Kaju soft tofu in Buena Park. The robots serve the rice and ban chan. I’m not sure if you’re supposed to grab the stuff yourself or if the waiters come serve the food?
Excellent soon tofu. Great flavor but if you want spicy go up a level.
Generous portions or galbi. Nice marinade and char. Good thick pieces. Not the skinny ones some other places trot out.
Definitely right up there with Young Dong. Service was kinda uneven. Felt like the robot did most of the work.
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BAPS (Chino Hills). It’s an ornate Indian temple that I won’t judge. They have a pretty good Indian cafe with the best patra (stuffed taro leaves) I’ve had in California (out of two). Combine it with the Nixon Library (Yorba Linda) and the dreadful American Museum of Ceramic Art (Pomona). Oh it’s such a perfect day.
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We go there quite a bit.
The roboservers have been there for a while. They’re super efficient on days where the staff are overwhelmed, but there’s always a call button on each table if you need an actual person.
In addition to the tofu, I also like the bimbimbap and seafood pancake.
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Jin Cook - Buena Park
This soo yuk dish might be better than their amazing galbi jjim. The waitress showed us how to eat it, garlic chive, chili paste, kimchi and garlic sauce sandwiched between two pieces of sous vide pork belly. Dear baby Jesus this was good. 
Moo’s Craft - Lincoln Heights
Delicious
The beets were delicious!
Fred’s Downhome Burgers - South Central
That thicc bacon cheese burger
Lupe’s #2 - East Los Angeles
Guacamole fries with carne asada so addictive you won’t be able to stop eating it.
Bang bang with Churros Don Abel not too far away.
Katsu Jin - South Pasadena
Delicious katsu specialists, better than Kagura Torrance these days.
Willie Mae’s - Venice
The best fried chicken in Los Angeles and I really enjoyed their mashed potatoes
Tam’s - Ontario
Pastrami chili cheese fries
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Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta write up coming here soon.
But highlights were an incredible dinner at Sarde with Jacob Harth in the house (his upcoming restaurant Winnie’s has multiple LA popups in the past and will be back) and Daniela Soto Innes’ new restaurant in Punta Mita, Rubra.
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Sunday BBQ at Taverna in Mar Vista:
Like everything else nowadays, I wish the portions (aside from the vegan moussaka, which was substantial) was a bit bigger and the prices a bit lower, but I can’t complain too much b/c it was all very tasty. Pork sausage was a bit dry, but the flavor and spicing were marvelous.
Not sure what the “topping” for the vegan moussaka was. It was a bit grainy (not in an unpleasant way) and, texture wise, kind of reminded me of a Chinese turnip cake (but less firm and cohesive). Maybe bulgar?
I guess my first (and last) visit must’ve been shortly after they had opened b/c the place was pretty packed yesterday. A nice local spot.
Forgot to take pics of dinner at Tasty Noodle House along Sawtelle. The place isn’t going to win any awards for food, but it does hit the spot. I hadn’t realized that “beef brisket noodle” here isn’t “beef brisket noodle soup.” Whoops. I did enjoy the dish and the gravy sauce, and I’d order it again.
The eggrolls (partner loves eggrolls) were a bit weird. Nice cripsy exterior, but there was something soft, starchy, and gelatinous in the filling that was… odd.
Even on a Sunday evening, Sawtelle was PACKED, PACKED, PACKED.
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Went to Takuma for the first time in a while for lunch and it was really good. Definitely need to get them back in the regular rotation
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