Pictured: 1/2 orders of Chicken Karahi curry and chicken biryani; curry puff and naan; 2 beef kabab w complimentary yogurt chutney sauce.
I didn’t have $23 in cash on me, so I had to use my credit card (there’s a $10 minimum). Reminder to self: Carry more cash so I can get the discount.
The quantity of Indian/Pakistani food ordered at Zam Zam was double the amount of what I got at Al Watan the week before, albeit more protein and no vegetable or pulse/legume offerings.
I like both restos located side by side In Hawthorne, but prefer Al Watan for the moist kebabs and tandoori meats while the colorful and spicy biryani rice dishes rein supreme for me at Zam Zam.
PS: Don’t worry @hungryhungryhippos - I only ate about 1/3 of it in one sitting
As with any street in this general area, you will also see signs in Spanish and Korean, but the bright white sign here is the simple advertisement for a simple place. Enter via 3rd Street or the mini mall’s tiny parking lot to find a workaday dining room and order at the counter. A very long menu for such a small place greets diners, as do specials on bright TVs, which may actually be to its detriment as it becomes overwhelming and may steer folks away from what the shop does best.
As might be determined from the name, biriyani is the absolute star here and nothing like some of the dishes labeled as such around town. There are too many instances of spiced rice and meat dishes getting this name, but kacchi biriyani (here spelled kachey) needs a long cooking process, the meat and the rice must slow cook together. This type of preparation requires someone with extraordinary attention to detail to make sure the meat is cooked just right.
Kachey lamb biriyani ($9.95) is excellent. The spices and aromatics pour out of the basmati rice when the plate is placed in front of you. It is a marvel how well everything is cooked together, at this price point in Los Angeles there might not be a better version.
I find the only reason to go to phorage is if you have some poor friend who can’t or shouldn’t eat gluten and wants Viet food. Agree with you on the pho, though ours wasn’t rotten, just boring. I got the pork broken rice once, wasn’t very good, the pork is actually better at Pho Shop (and it’s not very good). I’ve heard that Nong La on Sawtelle is better, though just passable. Honestly I just end up at Pho So 1 in Van Nuys, it’s a 15-20 minute drive from west LA after traffic.
The South Bay now has a legit Vietnamese restaurant in the form of Pho Hue Oi which is right off the 405. Worth skipping over anything on that is currently on the Westside…
Oooh, would be a good option for mid-day, but probably not for dinner. Unfortunately closes at 8:30PM, traffic is still bad on the 405 south. Pho So 1 closes at 9:45, and Pho 999 closes at midnight.
We’ve had no problem getting there for Dinner leaving the Culver City area at around 7p on Friday nights. The folks are super nice and it’s busy! We have never felt rushed.
A look at the menu reveals all the sports bar favorites a Dodgers or Rams fan might want, but a fun reason to come is for the sprinkling of foods from South Africa, a true hodgepodge itself. In addition to wings and burgers, there are hints of peri-peri, samosas, and Durban curry.
One way to stay in the zone of a sports bar while sampling a South African favorite is by eating the Jan Van Riebeecks boerewors roll ($14.95), named for a Dutch colonizer from the 1600’s. This all beef sausage is made in house but in the style of a typical South African link, which has standards of low fat content, spicing, and never using offal or processed meats.
While it may not be grilled over charcoal as tradition dictates, the sausage still has a nice smokiness and is full of flavor. It is paired with the tomato and onion gravy they call “train smash.” The roll is essential, a delicious fluffy bread with crisped exterior, hardly an afterthought.
In addition to unique foods, the bar also welcomes anyone in and has a very friendly atmosphere. It can be rowdy during important games and Sunday for American football, but come during a down time and settle in for their South African fare, plenty of beers, and become a regular.
Vaca (Costa Mesa)
Finally got around to having dinner at Vaca. The cocktail program here is fantastic…I quite enjoyed my refreshing Vaca Tonic. Their play on a gin & tonic is a citrusy slushy with the right notes of gin. I could have easily drank a handful of them without realizing it. I had a couple of others and I was really impressed with their drinks…and all under $15 to boot.
We ordered a selection of tapas. Cabrales blue cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. Pan con tomate…the tomatoes are cooked down to a thick sauce and served in jars where you slather on the toasted bread, drizzle with Spanish olive oil, and garnish with Maldon sea salt flakes…an interesting take on a classic dish that you can serve all year along. Our garlic shrimp were overcooked…but since it arrived sizzling at our table, we were too afraid to eat them right away…didn’t want to gamble with burning our palates. The beet salad and the asparagus with romesco sauce were great winners…I’m always impressed when a restaurant can treat vegetables well. Also loved the potatas bravas…nice bit of heat in the aioli. We wanted to try the ribeye, but they only had 2 lb sections left and that was more than we wanted for the night. We had the flan and sorbet assortment for dessert. Chef Santana’s flan is way richer and more along creme brûlée’s custard to me…Jose Andres’ flan remains my favorite in the LA/OC region. The strawberry lemon sorbet was delightful and perfect and the guava sorbet wasn’t too shabby, either. It was a fun evening. I think we’d both return.
We may have to get back in there. We weren’t terribly impressed on the two occasions we went, but it’s been awhile, so who knows. Pueblo in SoCo has become our go-to for tapas.
We’re due for another evening on Friday. We’ll try out Pueblo per your rec…thanks! Worth noting, I enjoyed the drinks more so than the food at Vaca…was disappointed that they didn’t have a smaller ribeye for us try.
I hear you. Beer and wine only at Pueblo, but we love their food. The Montadito de Costilla is a fantastic bite. We also enjoy their brunch. If you’re craving cocktails, ARC is just a few feet away and has a pretty good cocktail program. Small bites there are good, too, but I was disappointed in their tomahawk ribeye when I had it. Especially at the price.
Salmon Roe Toast - really nice briny bursts to go along with a hefty slice of butter. The butter and salt just goes and you really can’t go wrong with high quality butter on Gjusta bread
lol
Where’s the rest of the meal??? 