Happy Thanksgiving!
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we ordered it with meat lovers pizza too. You can ordered however you want.
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Manaoo Thai in Tustin. Several people have raved about this place and it’s always busy on the weekend. Got there 10 mins before opening and we were the 11th party to sign up on Yelp waitlist with a bunch of parties behind us. When we first moved to OC almost 2 decades ago the only place we went to that was comparable to Thai Town was Renu Nakorn. In the past decade we’ve found a lot of great Thai places. Manon in Fullerton, Hanuman in Costa Mesa, Esan Thai market on La Palma and Chiang Rai Thai in Tustin.
The kai soi is supposed to be one of their best dishes. The noddles were very good but it didn’t hit all the right notes for us. The best kai soi we’ve ever had was when Jason at Playground was making it. He told us how much work went into making the dish and he would show us how if we ever wanted. We never took him up on that offer.
Great pad see ewe. Well sauced and wok hei shines.
Crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli. Excellent. Just a notch below the version we get at Ruen Pair.
We asked for spicy and this was perfect. Edible but you could feel the heat.
Tom Yum. My kids favorite is at Lotus of Siam but they said this was a solid version. Very generous 6 shrimp in the cauldron.
We would definitely come back if in the area but don’t think we’d wait 30-60 mins which seems like the average wait time on the weekends. Big plus is that Oliboli is 3 mins away and open until 9.
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Arepas and desserts at newly opened Chainsaw in Melrose were fantastic. Really good Milanesa too. I’m sure people will complain about 10+ dollar arepas but the ingredient quality really made em for me, great masa flavor
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Joan’s on 3rd - Beverly-Grove
Patty Melt $14.95
Double Smash Burger $14.00
And they are Good! 
Add fries for $4.00
‘Tis the Season for Soup…
Whittier location.
Caldo de Pollo
Perfect antidote for a cold, a rainy day or really any day. I can eat this comforting bowl of savory broth, vegetables, tender chicken w/white onions, cilantro & squirt of lime anytime.
Iki Ramen - Western Ave
Spicy Chicken Miso (spicy on the side)
Another wet night, another hot bowl of comforting soup.
Soju Old-Fashioned / Shichida Junmai/Saga
Hubs usually avoids soju but he was pleasantly surprised by this cocktail—it is “very good”. More sake than the server described 
but also very good—clean, smooth, fruity.
Feng Mao - Koreatown
Cucumbers
These smacked cucumbers soaked up all the soy dressing. So good.
Marinated Beef & Lamb w/Cumin Spice
Pork Belly Wrapped Asparagus
We could’ve skipped this one for more of the tasty chicken wings.
Chicken Wings
Chives
Slightly undercooked for my taste—stringy & chewy, tasty sauce. There was a lot so I took them home and added to hot soup the next day—softened them perfectly.
Lasung Tofu & Pot Rice - Koreatown
Seafood Tofu Stew
Rainbow Powerhouse - Multigrain Rice
Marinated Short Ribs
Went for lunch. Tasty banchan, tofu stew, bomb short ribs! earthy multigrain rice. Easy parking in front. Would definitely go back to do a deeper dive into the menu.
A walk next door to Rōk for matcha…
Iced Strawberry Matcha Duo
Hubs’ bday at hubs’ favorite steakhouse.
La Griego - Muddled Watermelon, Cucumber, Valbreso Brine, Kettle One
The description is this “Think of a summer romance between brine and blush”. Well, I hate what that tastes like. It’s a watermelon cocktail w/olive juice… just wrong. Typically I order a classic martini at a steakhouse, but it was Martini Monday and they had these unusual flavor combinations—I was curious what a briny watermelon cocktail tastes like… undrinkable is what it tastes like. I didn’t say anything but they noticed I didn’t drink it and took it away and off the bill.
Hubs was slightly happier with his old-fashioned.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Domingo Molina, Valle de Cafayate, Salta
Much better. I don’t love malbec, so I selected this cab by-the-glass. Big glass, big pour.
Free Bread
Caesar Salad with Boquerones
Great.
Carlitos Chimichurri Auténtico
To slather on everything.
Ojo de Bife - Prime Ribeye
This is what it’s all about. I mean really. The flavor, texture, tender relaxed grain, the juiciness. Incredible. Argentinians ain’t playin when it comes to their beef.
Creamed Corn + Papas Frites Provenzal (french fries, garlic, parsley)
The creamed corn is incredibly rich and the fries are crispy, garlicky.
Banana Ice cream + Dulce de Leche
Happy Birthday, Hubs!
I had a Mochinut yesterday.
Winter is Coming… Eat Well!
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That’s a great looking patty melt!
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It was! Now, when I eat the controversial Max & Helen’s patty melt, I’ll have had something to compare it to for a proper assessment. 
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Happy birthday to Mr. @TheCookie!
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Re-reading—I meant antidote not anecdote! It’s soup not literature! 
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That’s some good eating @TheCookie
Posting the price and photo of the Joan’s patty melt is what the kids call rage baiting. Haha.
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paging @bringyourbrunch @Rodeogig @beamtoast
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You will get a reply on Nov. 2, 3025
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I wandered all around Copenhagen today as one of thousands of sad Radiohead refugees. I took a late afternoon stroll through Freetown Christiania. As I was reaching the end, with nothing on my evening agenda, I opened Google Maps to see what was nearby. Lo and behold, there was Noma, just a 10 minute walk down the very street on which I was already meandering. I didn’t have a reservation, of course, but felt it was worth a picture. Perhaps I could feel the energy from the sidewalk, I thought.
You can’t get particularly close to the front entrance. But - they did just open a “Projects Shop” - a physical manifestation of Taste Buds if you will, out front.
It was very cool, and it felt like a taste or a distillation of the Noma ethos. They even offer a free multi “course” tasting of their sauces. This is no Momofuku mass market shit (much of which I like to be fair) - this is the real deal.
I went home with a bottle of the pepper reduction, corn yuzu hot sauce and Nordic “soy” sauce, each fantastic and complex in its own right. And I’m currently sipping a fantastic cocktail at Bird in Downtown Copenhagen, with thanks to @mzonelli and @doublestuffedpierogi for the rec.
Pictured: Plum Stone Prefix
Japanese whisky, plum sake, yuzu, citrus blend, co2
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How cool!
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some phở in Hanoi in late November:
Phở Gia Truyền - 3 options here: tai nam (slices of flank steam), pho tai (round steak), and pho chin (brisket).
Went with the tai nam and pho chin. Can’t go wrong regardless..
Phở Gà Nguyệt - Pho with chicken thighs and wings. Really nice quay here to perfect your dish. I started ordering the quay everywhere. This was the one pho spot where I saw several locals ordering dry noodle dishes.
looks really good, but something is missing..
ah alright there’s the fried dough, here we go…
Phở Gà Châm - The chicken broth here is clear, light, and flavorful and the chicken is perfectly tender as well. Nice bowl of spices on the side. Not exactly loved by the locals since it’s pricier and considered a luxury pho - $2 versus $4 USD, nice reminder of how lucky we are.
marvelous
a nice bowl of spice besides me, don’t mind if I do.. was a big fan of the chili sauce here
just a reminder of how good this chicken is, just right
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