Katsuya in Century City - I should have known better

[JeetKuneBao]

That is so diabolical on many levels.

Green tea is so fundamental to Japanese culture and to serve the cheapest lowest grade tea at $6 a bag? WOW. Who made that executive decision and they couldn’t find at least something mid-tier?

[Omotesando]

@JeetKuneBao

Green tea is so fundamental to Japanese culture and to serve the cheapest lowest grade tea at $6 a bag

It is not just that the Bigelow tea was low grade, it’s that it had an entirely different taste profile than supermarket sencha or supermarket bancha. It was tea dust engineered not to taste “grassy” and to taste like “honey.” And being served with the slice of lemon, I guess it is tea for high schoolers with sore throats who still have their training wheels on and aren’t ready for real tea. Yikes.

[robert]

@Omotesando

if you are in NYC and in a business district, you can literally stumble into at least 50 restaurants within a 10 minute walking radius where you could have a decent lunch for $75 without alcohol.

I have no trouble finding a great lunch for way under $75 in LA.

[Omotesando]

@robert

have no trouble finding a great lunch for way under $75 in LA

Probably not within 10 minutes of Century City, unless there are all these secret places that I don’t know about.

[robert]

Eataly, Meizhou Dongpo.

[Omotesando]

@robert

Eataly, Meizhou Dongpo

I find Eataly highly meh. I liked Michael Cimarusti’s restaurant there, but sadly did not survive. Haven’t been to Meizhou Dongpo. What do you like there? And do they have decent quality tea or I ‘ain’t going. Also Meizhou Dongpo has some pretty savage reviews, although perhaps all disgruntled ex employees?

[mzonelli]

It’s a mall restaurant it’s going to have tons of negative reviews just from sheer volume. Why would it be disgruntled employees??

I do like super peach myself. But I think in your quest for sheer authenticity you will dislike it

[robert]

Any recent experience at Meizhou Dongpo Century City?

I go every few months Depending on what you get it can be meh or excellent We like Duck, wok fried spicy pot, Serrano beef, most of the fish dishes, dont think they still have frog but when they opened they did and it was great, kung pao i(not special in any way but decent) Meh - any of the noodles, apps, snacks, buns, soups, dumplings

If you can’t find a good lunch at Eataly, I don’t think it’s their problem.

[Loaxley]

Maybe I missed some posts but Din Tai Fung?

Ramen Nagi?

In addition to the aforementioned options.

I think the CC mall has something for (almost) everyone.

[J_L]

My two cents:

DTF: Mid

Nagi: Salt bomb for no good purpose

[JeetKuneBao]

Man I remember DTF when it was in Arcadia then afterwards hit up JJ Bakery and Sinbala. Mini Taiwanese bang bangs. Hate to say it but expansions are likely to drop in good quality

[fattydumplin]

oh dang, those were the days! my in-laws lived 5 minutes away. used to make that exact circuit all the time. sinbala is still my favorite. their shaved ice and do hwa is still bomb.