March 2021 Rundown

Following @Gr8pimpin’s lead at Tasty Noodle House Sawtelle.

Sadly, at least of one our xiao long bao broke open on the way home. The skin is thicker than the impossibly thin DTF, as with most places. I also found the filling a little sweet. Nevertheless, still a good time when paired with a quality chili oil.

The real surprise was the Shanghai shiu mai. I don’t think I’ve had this at a restaurant, and this one was great. A very good choice for takeout as well, as the sticky rice filling ensures most of the skin stays moist.

Carbs on carbs, with bits of mushroom and pork. We like.

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SABASZN

Had a couple sababozushi orders over the past few weeks with some chefs doing it as a special. When it’s in season, I feel like it’s so hard to beat.

Jimmy Sugi

Chef Ai

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My weekly visit to the Window (Win~Dow :slight_smile:

I absolutely love this place. It is insanely cheap for the quality.

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Just returned from covid hiatus, first stop was one of our favorites holbox. Also ordered ceviche and tacos and bang banged with tire shop taqueria daytime aka taqueria San Miguel.

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Been looking forward to going to the brick and mortar la morra and if didn’t disappoint. Got the potato add sausage, magherita, and hawaiian all perfectly cooked and just as good as their old pop up at tabula rasa

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welcome back

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We always get the kale salad as well. You know, because it’s healthy :laughing:

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I did not even know they had a kale salad.

My brain instantly blocks out anything on a menu that may be considered a healthy option, so I don’t even see those options.

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Perfect weather today to rock my restaurant swag ( shout-out to @set0312 )…

(My poor spring seedlings in my vegetable garden are suffering, though.) #InLikeALion #PixelArtOtaku

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OK, I am now in full regret mode and reconsidering my fashion sense after running into a colleague who asked me why my shirt had a varicocele on it. (No, don’t look it up [NSFW warning if you do])

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Lol!! Don’t tell people to not look it up cuz they will. Like I did. :face_vomiting:

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I’m dying! Lol scarily accurate. Just don’t wear it around other doctors

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This brings a whole new dimension and potential to the Jeff Foxworthy joke about his son saying, “Grandma, you shouldn’t draw on your legs with a blue Magic Marker.”

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Earlier this week a few of us gathered with a covid compliance officer for work. Afterwards, I took my team out for drinks and snacks at Drago Centro. Their big outdoor/indoor patio is in effect, widely spaced tables, and fine dining service.

It was the first time in a year I have gotten to drink a glass of wine in stemware I didn’t own and wash. Wow.

If you’re dtla and wanting to do something similar, this place was a great fit. Four people, two mixed drinks, one glass of prosecco, one glass of zin. One plate of pheasant pasta, and one octopus plate all for $110 after tax, before tip.

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:round_pushpin: Tashkent Produce/Cheburechnaya To Go, 5340 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Valley Village :uzbekistan:

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Despite technically having its own sign and door separate from Tashkent Produce, the sign on the door advises you to use the grocery entrance. Just as well, this affords the opportunity to look over the meats, cheeses, boxed and packaged goods, and general joy of the store. Exploration of the tiny place only takes around five seconds, but is still fun nonetheless.

For those looking for hot prepared foods, make your way to the back and turn left to find the steam table and pre-packed stacks of plov and many other meals just made that morning. They also bake their own breads and have these arranged nicely for Europeans that cannot stand bread in the United States.

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If you are at all Central Asian or Russian-passing (and do not forget Russia is a big place with many types of people) customers and employees alike will start talking to you in Russian, and might even try a second time before reluctantly switching over to our boring common language. You are not expected to be here, so it is your fault. Apologize and smile.

During visits over the years, the clientele has been almost exclusively older women and men, but things seem to have changed since the market’s first review on Yelp in 2007:

“If you’re a single guy, this is the Laurel Canyon equivalent of Tower Records. “Browse” around the produce section, and within 10 minutes you will meet the five sexiest, most gorgeous women in West Hollywood or that melon you’re squeezing is on me.”

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Obviously he gave the place five stars.

So check out the homemade soups in the refrigerator, ask for some of the baked goods to be packed up for you, and grab what you want from the steam table, a couple bottles of Russian beer and Georgian wine, and pay back on the grocery side.

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Plov connoisseurs will not be wow’d by their version, more the type you might expect from a grocery, but this hearty working man’s dish is really economical and good for the price. At $4.99/lb the chicken plov (below) purchased on this occasion came out to a hefty $7.34. The beef version is a bit more expensive at $6.99/lb.

Without a lot of Central Asians in Southern California, we must rely on our Russian neighbors to make the foods like this that are ubiquitous in countries like Uzbekistan and cities like Tashkent. Since they have named the prepared foods portion of the operation a cheburechnaya, you can rely on them to provide chebureki prepared daily as well.

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A large carton of mushroom soup ($4.99, below) was an impulse purchase from the last visit, and one that turned out to be a win. At five bucks, the delicious and simple soup has a simple name (the Russian translation is no more evocative) and lists four ingredients: Mushrooms, barley, potatoes, and greens, which are dill.

The flavor of each item works together very well as a whole, and the mushroom-potato combination gives the meatless soup plenty of filling character. This dish is entirely Russian, and as you will find plenty of the items here at the Uzbek-named Valley Village institution follow suit.

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But the baked goods section might have no better representative than the thoroughly Central Asian samsa ($2.99 each, below). While there may not be a traditional tandoor oven hiding in another room here, they have done an excellent job with the pastries anyways and it will certainly make you want to have more baked items on a future visit.

The crust around this lamb samsa is flaky and delicate yet strong, holding all the meat’s juices and fats inside perfectly. A more perfect samsa might not exist on the west coast.

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Next time you go, you’ve gotta get the kharcho soup, though I think you are correct in saying the pastries are the best part of Tashkent. If one is in the area, it’s worth also stopping by Odessa Grocery down the block.

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Office lunch by Konbi… Lobster/Brown Butter/Pickled Fennel Sando was a bit celery-heavy, but quite palatable nevertheless. The sugar snap peas were killer (with nary a zombie in sight) - Pairing the Sugar Snap Peas with Radicchio, Sesame Crunch, Bergamot & Tofu Dressing resulted in some serious tastiness. Cara Cara Orange Crepe Cake delighted the office crew. Hoji-cha Latte tied it all together.

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We got Santouka ramen delivered! One of the OG ramen spots, with the triple threat of difficult parking, cash only and impossible seating - at least at the Mar Vista location.

The shio ramen is still great, and probably the only tonkotsu broth I don’t get tired of. Only thing missing is the iconic blue and white bowl.

First time having the salmon ikura don, and loving it. Gimme a large bowl of this for the summer months, please.

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KFCs new chicken sandwiches. They are $3.99 each a la carte.

Here we go with the foil packs.

They are pretty good. IMHO, definitely better than new McDonalds versions.

They’re thick like Popeyes, but not as crunchy. Comparable. The pickles though are not as thick or as bold.

They were quite juicy. The breasts were not of even thickness, which I like. Means less processing. The thick ends were thick enough that my mouth could barely get around it. Pretty cool LOL!!

The breading was crunchy, not quite as thick as Popeyes and could use some of those 11 herbs and spices from original recipe. That’s pretty much my gripe of Popeyes or McDonalds. The breading isn’t as seasoned as Chick-Fil-A.

The spicy features the same filet with a spicier slightly smoky sauce. Better than McDs sauce but not as hot. Wish the breading was different than the original, something I like about the spicy sandwich at Chick-Fil-A.

All in all, not a bad effort and a good price point.

Cross posting in Fast Food Thread

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Sunset sushi night. So happy to have legit sushi in Silver Lake. Really really good tonight.

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Counting down to daylight savings.

These affordable Bordeauxs continue to surprise me… such bang for the $. Very food friendly (a paltry (or refreshing IMO) 12.5% ABV). Pairs well even with a dried out slice of Domino’s Brooklyn style pizza (limited options out in the sticks :disappointed:)

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