happy birthday murica
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Xecul Restaurante (Guatemalan).
I eat here or get delivery from here pretty often. They have good pepian and estofado, but I tend to just order this grilled chicken plate. It’s quite tasty and has a high protein to calorie ratio. I eat a lot of grilled chicken these days, and this is above par. The beans are good too.
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Kurrypinch (Sri Lankan - East Hollywood / Thai Town).
Really delicious! I’ve enjoyed every dish I’ve tried here. I’d go so far as to say it’s my favorite South Asian (Indian or Sri Lankan) restaurant in all of SoCal! I find myself craving some of these dishes, like the “deviled chickpeas.” There is some flavor combo — which includes ghee and curry leaves — that is addictive. And I wish I could eat more carbs, because the biryani — my god is it delicious!
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I tried the Westside outpost of Miznon, the Middle Eastern restaurant in Grand Central Market. It’s on West 3rd Street, near the Beverly Center, just a few doors down from Joan’s on Third.
I love Middle Eastern food and really wanted to love the place, but alas it was not to be. Although it was empty when I got there just as it opened, I didn’t want to sit inside because the space isn’t inviting, even by quick serve standards. Outside wasn’t much better as they just have one cramped table in a semi-enclosed area (together with two bench seated places) and then a few tables right up against the parked cars. (Not sure how the latter is even legal because it means that no one can exit from the passenger side).
Miznon Outdoor Table.
Strangely they had a fresh tomato on each table. It was just in the way and seemed a waste.
Miznon Outdoor Seating
I had what was described as “lamb kabob plate” for $26. I was expecting chunks of lamb, but instead it was minced lamb, kofta style. It was unpleasantly greasy. And while the restaurant is kosher and I understand that kosher meat is more expensive, for $26 I was really hoping for a side of hummus or salad or something. Nothing. A few roasted tomatoes and a stingy dollop of zhoug. (To be fair, the zhoug was very fresh and tasty). At the bottom of the lamb was a stingy smear of tahini, but you really couldn’t taste the tahini flavor because it got mixed with all the copious fat from the lamb. The bread was too soft and spongy – sort of like Middle Eastern Wonder Bread.
Lamb kofta style
Sadly disappointed and given the horrible parking situation in the area and the fact that the place itself is not a very relaxing environment I don’t think I would be inclined to give it another try. The chef is opening a sit-down restaurant (Malka) in the Sixty Hotel on Wilshire so I might give that a go when it opens.
P.S. I would have ordered some zhoug to take home, but they do not sell it a la carte. And your only option for hummus is to order a plate of it for $18
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FWIW - I don’t much like Miznon in Grand Central Market.
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When there was just the one in NYC it was great. It’s gone crazy downhill since.
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In my opinion, Sri Lankan is a bit of a sleeping giant of a cuisine. Some really nice and complex spice blends varying from lightning hot to nice and soothing, and the heavy seafood aspect lends itself really nicely to being modernized a bit.
give me a Dungeness crab curry or a hot butter spot prawn. Did you go in person this time? Crowded?
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Those mid-tier-ish middle eastern places can be kinda disappointing tbh most of the time it’s probably better to save up for Bavel/Saffys/Ammatoli or on the other end hit up multiple spots in Little Arabia
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You’re right, Sri Lankan cuisine is great – distinctive flavors, and love the seafood focus!
I still have never gone in person; just 5+ deliveries. But I think it’s time to try in person.
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Petros Cafe on Sawtelle:
Not pictured: the Petros Dip (which tastes nothing like baba gonush).
The counterprogramming doesn’t seem to be working. We were the only patrons in there last night (admittedly pretty late at 8PM), and I’ve only seen a few tables, at most, seated when I’ve gone in there twice b/f.
Loved the bougatsa.
The food is very enjoyable here. Westside folks, please don’t let a perfectly decent cafe die!
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Call me either a glutton for punishment or trying to be fair (like a restaurant critic by eating at a restaurant more than once), but I didn’t have time to go out for lunch today so I ordered Miznon for delivery to my desk in order to give it a second chance.
I am now convinced Miznon L.A. must be a licensing deal because no self-respecting chef would put his name on this food. This time I ordered chicken schnitzel - overcooked and greasy. Parts of it were so overcooked as to be unchewable. Probably made even worse by delivery as I think it may have continued to steam and dry out in the delivery container. But based on what I ate, I doubt it would have been much better at the restaurant.
For $26, the schnitzel came with 4 thimble size sides (by thimble size, I mean the little plastic cups that they give you to put salsa in at a Mexican take out). First thimble was shredded cabbage that appeared to have no seasoning on it – literally just a little cup of shredded cabbage. WTF? Second thimble was tasteless tahini sauce. Third thimble was matbucha, which was decent, but miniscule. Fourth thimble were pickles which tasted odd to me.
I also ordered an $18 plate of hummus. For $18, hummus should be great. This hummus was bland beyond belief. The bread was worse than at the restaurant – it was already soggy and spongy at the restaurant, but for delivery it came in a steam bag which made it even soggier.
All I can say is WTF? At these prices, who eats this food? And I wonder if the chef is just going to license his name for the soon to be opened Malka (which at this point, I doubt I will try).
Fool me once, fool me twice . . .
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I want to put in a plug for Marouch as still good—especially the vegetarian stuff—after all these years. Surely 100+ deliveries over the years. Tabbouleh, fattoush, shanklish, grilled halloumi, rice pilaf, muhamarra, mujadara—always good! Chicken (kabob or shawarma) is just average for the price.
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I had a very similar experience vis-a-vis greasiness at the GCM location. An incredibly messy experience sitting at the counter. Felt like I needed tarp coverage and then a rinse afterwards. Flavor does not make up for it, either. It’s upsetting that this replaced Sari Sari Store, whose chicken adobo bowl was a regular and much-loved work lunch.
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Tiny’s (Costa Mesa)
Chef Sang Yoon’s OC experiment begins.
It’s located in the old Boudin spot at SCP.
It is indeed a burger & fries place with a kombini that includes beer and wine. There’s an adorable picnic salad, 2 types of egg salad sandwiches on milk bread and a chicken salad on squaw bread. More on these later.
Solid burger. Not a smash burger so going double makes for a really hefty meal. You’ll need a nap.
Great fries and the house made ranch is more herby than Prime Pizza’s.
The mac & cheese was fine. My companion loved the miso hit. I didn’t think it was miso enough.
The Tokyo dog was a good time. The dog was great…snappy and beefy. And I quite I enjoyed having okonomiyaki toppings and sauces on top.
The tuna melt was fine. Probably more cheesy than I would prefer. If it’s milk bread, the griddle zaps all that away, so you can’t tell. Tuna could have used more seasoning and acid.
Grabbed some kombini items to go. The chicken salad was fine…lots of herbs, but I felt it was missing something. Egg salad was great..though there are is a halved hard-boiled egg shoved in that should also have been seasoned, but the milk bread is good.
Would come back for the burger, fries, dog, and the dole pineapple whip. Twist with Straus vanilla soft serve if you don’t want pure pineapple happiness.
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Some fun World Cup eats:
Cheesesteak at Sonny’s
The cheesesteak melts in your mouth, the wagyu beef and cheese melted together with a nice sesame roll crunch all comes together, and then there’s more, you get a nice unexpected kick of spice. I thought it was great.. the guy next to me thought it was too spicy, so there’s that for level of spiciness. I think Sonny’s is now home to the best pizza and cheesesteak in LA.. although shit, it’s busy in there now
Don’t be surprised if we see a Sonny’s on the west side soon, they’re looking to open a second location, and Venice seems to be the preferred spot
B.L.T.T at Little Dynamite
Fun and delicious special of the month.. mozz, provolone, bacon, heirloom tomato, arugula, lemon mayo dressing.. they really crisp up the bacon, tomatoes were fresh, and the lemon mayo dressing really does the trick. If you enjoy a BLT sandwich, you’re gonna really like this slice.
The Shack Burger at The Shack
Not sure why this burger doesn’t get more love.. the Louisiana sausage links are a great touch, and truth be told I don’t know why I haven’t had more burgers with sausage links on them in my life. Super solid signature burger
Burger at Ercole’s
Hard to hate on a OG joint like this, the experience is classic.. it’ll soon be a 100 year old bar. Solid burger, but in the world of backyard style burgers, I prefer the one at Hinano’s
Tasajo plate and Mole Rojo plate at EK Valley
Oaxacan joint in Culver City.. I believe this was my first time trying mole rojo to the traditional mole negro and I quite enjoyed it. Rojo focuses more on the dried chilies in the mole, bringing out more hint of spice than bitter flavor. Tasajo plate is thinly sliced cured beef with some solid rice and beans.
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AKA Heart Attack on a Bun.
I’m going to Betsy for dinner next week. Anyone been lately? I’ll report back, regardless. Their website doesn’t have the current menu, and while their Instagram is active I didn’t see a menu in the 30 seconds or so I looked. It’s know the restaurant has a lot of fire roasted entrees and looks fairly bougie so I’m anticipating $40 mains.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Daiyd5ED0bw/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
LA Taco finds a breakfast sandwich inspired by Kasama popping up in the La Mirada neighborhood this weekend.
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Check Yelp photos. It’s the only reason I have the app.
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Sonny’s going in hard like Angelo’s in Philly
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