seeing as how pinkberry got its own post, i thought red mango deserved one too.
as most people know, red mango is supposedly the *original* concept developed in korea, prior to it being *stolen* by pinkberry. my attitude is this: if you didn't have the forethought to bring it to the US first, you shouldn't blame someone else for jumping on the chance to do so. i mean, that's just LAME. stop whining! however, i suppose that a nod by the pinkberry folks would be considerate.
in any case, my top picks are: the original flavor at red mango, and the green tea and coffee flavors at pinkberry. there's something yummier about the original flavor at red mango -- slightly sour-er? slightly sweeter? a bit of both? i can't tell, but it's good.
the thing i do appreciate about having both red mango and pinkberry in westwood is that each place has slightly different toppings. for example, red mango has chi-chi ghirardelli dark chocolate bits and snazzy cinnamon toast crunch squares. (i have to say, i do like the *brand name* toppings. isn't that horrible?) pinkberry, on the hand, has the wholesome carob and yogurt chips, and several other crunchy cereal toppings. thankfully, both places now have mochi! a godsend of a topping, i say, a godsend of a topping.
sadly, red mango no longer has any of its cool melon toppings! (are they out of season?!) the melon blender (smoothie) i put together (original flavor yogurt w/watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe) was absolutely AMAZING, and i can't believe i'm going to have to wait till next summer or something to have it again. bring it back! bring it back! *sniff* *sniff*
in any case, different strokes for different folks. so i encourage everyone to have a taste of BOTH and make their own decision.
http://www.redmangousa.com/
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
sushi roku
so i went out to santa monica tonight to meet up w/viv and check out sushi roku on ocean boulevard. this is definitely one of those places that i've passed by a bazillion times and wanted to try. and tonight was the night! joanne had mentioned it being really pricey, but i suppose she just never knew how much i'd spend on food, b/c the prices were actually pretty fair for a nice sushi place right by the water. i mean, that's some serious real estate.
while i was waiting for viv (who was stuck in traffic), i hung out at the bar. which i generally never do b/c i feel weird not drinking. thankfully, i was at a sushi place and it was chilly outside, so ordering a hot green tea didn't seem out of the ordinary. plus the bartender mentioned it being happy hour -- how providential! and seeing that i was semi-starving, i ordered some calamari to tide me over. to be honest, it was *way* salty. thankfully, it was just a few pieces for $3, but my goodness. it's like they salted the calamari, breaded it, and then salted it some more. as i was telling viv later, i'd much prefer to have something bland so i can salt it myself, rather than have it come way too salty and i somehow still have to swallow it. yuck!
btw, let it be known that this place is pretty strict about reservations. the hostess wouldn't seat me till viv got there. and as soon as it hit 6:15, she asked me whether i wanted to give up the table. thankfully, a few minutes after i'd politely told the waitress NO, viv showed up. of course, she'd been distracted by seeing john mayer and cameron diaz strolling down ocean boulevard together, so i suppose i had to forgive her. it's weird how star sightings are so typical here.
the hostess seated us at a lovely table for 2 and we checked out the menus with ravenous appetites. (me a little less ravenous seeing as how i'd scarfed down the salty calamari and all.) as i'd checked out the menu online beforehand, my eye was already drawn to a few items. and while i'd wanted to eat light and stick to veggies, i really couldn't help myself. (that seems to be my MO recently -- *sigh*) we decided to get a bunch of small plates to share: fresh salmon daikon w/caviar, sizzling mushroom "toban-yaki" (i have no idea why this word was in quotes -- anyone have a clue?), seabass "harumaki" spring roll (again, no idea about the quotes -- help!), seaweed salad, foie gras wrapped yellowtail in black truffle soy, and a mixed sashimi plate. don't these all sound absolutely delish?!
well, here's the rundown: the fresh salmon daikon -- yummy. i suppose the price was due to the caviar, but the flavors and textures were pretty delish regardless. the sizzling mushrooms -- WAY salty, but the mix of mushrooms (and therefore textures) was fabulous. the seabass? BEST THING ORDERED. creative, not too salty, and perfect with a little bit of the herb citrus dip. the seaweed salad -- i find out later that i'd eaten all the spinach that viv had thought was missing and she'd eaten all the seaweed that i'd thought was missing (and which she'd gotten stuck in her teeth)! way to go for quality female communication, huh? (when do friends become psychics? anyone know?) the foie gras wrapped yellowtail -- pretty yummy in my opinion. ever so slightly bitter, which was good against the backdrop of endless salt we seemed to have throughout dinner. and the mixed sashimi plate -- ordered at the end of the meal and just the kind of super fresh protein goodness we needed to fill us up. all in all, i think we did pretty well! plus i thought it was lovely that our green teas came free of charge. i mean, it's so asian, no? ultimately, i'd love to come back to this place and try some more dishes. not necessarily the sashimi/sushi (b/c i think you can get fresh fish at other places for cheaper -- please feel free to disagree), but perhaps some of the interesting rolls. plus there was definitely quite a bit of creativity put into some of their hot appetizers. maybe tapas and small dishes are the new craze, but i love checking out new things and i love sharing, so a bunch of appetizers works way better for me than having a whole dish to myself. it's kinda like being non-committal. (also my MO.)
check it:
sushi roku
1401 ocean ave
santa monica, ca 90401
310.458.4771
http://www.sushiroku.com/sushiroku/index.htm
we raced out of the restaurant in time to catch "vincent" at the santa monica miles memorial playhouse. i won't say too much about it b/c i was generally unimpressed. while the venue itself was pretty cool and rustic, and the actor was pretty decent, i couldn't get into the one-man show or the character(s). i saw "edge" at the odyssey theatre and it was totally watchable b/c i could connect w/sylvia plath at several points throughout the play. not the case with vincent van gogh or his brother theo. the actor's expression was glazed over most of the time and i simply couldn't feel the emotion. i kept shifting around in my chair and i wished i could've taken a nap. i swear i could hear people yawning all around me. (or was that a figment of my imagination? i'm not sure.) well, as viv and i both confessed in the car, at least we were thinking how we didn't pay too much for the tickets!
http://www.theatreforasmallspace.com/
while i was waiting for viv (who was stuck in traffic), i hung out at the bar. which i generally never do b/c i feel weird not drinking. thankfully, i was at a sushi place and it was chilly outside, so ordering a hot green tea didn't seem out of the ordinary. plus the bartender mentioned it being happy hour -- how providential! and seeing that i was semi-starving, i ordered some calamari to tide me over. to be honest, it was *way* salty. thankfully, it was just a few pieces for $3, but my goodness. it's like they salted the calamari, breaded it, and then salted it some more. as i was telling viv later, i'd much prefer to have something bland so i can salt it myself, rather than have it come way too salty and i somehow still have to swallow it. yuck!
btw, let it be known that this place is pretty strict about reservations. the hostess wouldn't seat me till viv got there. and as soon as it hit 6:15, she asked me whether i wanted to give up the table. thankfully, a few minutes after i'd politely told the waitress NO, viv showed up. of course, she'd been distracted by seeing john mayer and cameron diaz strolling down ocean boulevard together, so i suppose i had to forgive her. it's weird how star sightings are so typical here.
the hostess seated us at a lovely table for 2 and we checked out the menus with ravenous appetites. (me a little less ravenous seeing as how i'd scarfed down the salty calamari and all.) as i'd checked out the menu online beforehand, my eye was already drawn to a few items. and while i'd wanted to eat light and stick to veggies, i really couldn't help myself. (that seems to be my MO recently -- *sigh*) we decided to get a bunch of small plates to share: fresh salmon daikon w/caviar, sizzling mushroom "toban-yaki" (i have no idea why this word was in quotes -- anyone have a clue?), seabass "harumaki" spring roll (again, no idea about the quotes -- help!), seaweed salad, foie gras wrapped yellowtail in black truffle soy, and a mixed sashimi plate. don't these all sound absolutely delish?!
well, here's the rundown: the fresh salmon daikon -- yummy. i suppose the price was due to the caviar, but the flavors and textures were pretty delish regardless. the sizzling mushrooms -- WAY salty, but the mix of mushrooms (and therefore textures) was fabulous. the seabass? BEST THING ORDERED. creative, not too salty, and perfect with a little bit of the herb citrus dip. the seaweed salad -- i find out later that i'd eaten all the spinach that viv had thought was missing and she'd eaten all the seaweed that i'd thought was missing (and which she'd gotten stuck in her teeth)! way to go for quality female communication, huh? (when do friends become psychics? anyone know?) the foie gras wrapped yellowtail -- pretty yummy in my opinion. ever so slightly bitter, which was good against the backdrop of endless salt we seemed to have throughout dinner. and the mixed sashimi plate -- ordered at the end of the meal and just the kind of super fresh protein goodness we needed to fill us up. all in all, i think we did pretty well! plus i thought it was lovely that our green teas came free of charge. i mean, it's so asian, no? ultimately, i'd love to come back to this place and try some more dishes. not necessarily the sashimi/sushi (b/c i think you can get fresh fish at other places for cheaper -- please feel free to disagree), but perhaps some of the interesting rolls. plus there was definitely quite a bit of creativity put into some of their hot appetizers. maybe tapas and small dishes are the new craze, but i love checking out new things and i love sharing, so a bunch of appetizers works way better for me than having a whole dish to myself. it's kinda like being non-committal. (also my MO.)
check it:
sushi roku
1401 ocean ave
santa monica, ca 90401
310.458.4771
http://www.sushiroku.com/sushiroku/index.htm
we raced out of the restaurant in time to catch "vincent" at the santa monica miles memorial playhouse. i won't say too much about it b/c i was generally unimpressed. while the venue itself was pretty cool and rustic, and the actor was pretty decent, i couldn't get into the one-man show or the character(s). i saw "edge" at the odyssey theatre and it was totally watchable b/c i could connect w/sylvia plath at several points throughout the play. not the case with vincent van gogh or his brother theo. the actor's expression was glazed over most of the time and i simply couldn't feel the emotion. i kept shifting around in my chair and i wished i could've taken a nap. i swear i could hear people yawning all around me. (or was that a figment of my imagination? i'm not sure.) well, as viv and i both confessed in the car, at least we were thinking how we didn't pay too much for the tickets!
http://www.theatreforasmallspace.com/
sports nutrition workshop
i attended this 1.5-day workshop a few weeks ago to finish up my required CEC's and i wanted to post on it since i thought it was pretty informative. you really have to pick through exactly what you want to take away from these things, but all in all, i thought it was quite interesting. bill evans did a great job incorporating research into his talk. (perfect for a budding scholar like myself.) nancy clark was more practitioner-oriented in her use of case studies. which was highly appropriate for the audience that was dominated by dieticians and nutritonists. but a little too simplistic pour moi. at any rate, this is way better than spending a bazillion dollars getting myself to a conference in vegas. (FYI that i DESPITE vegas. its only redeeming quality is its rising number of top-notch restaurants. though i do find those vegas commercials fairly amusing.)
if you need CEC's:
http://www.sportsnutritionworkshop.com/
if you need CEC's:
http://www.sportsnutritionworkshop.com/
some girls
as soon as i got the event card in the mail from the geffen, i told myself that i HAD to get tickets. i'd just re-watched "in her shoes" recently and i couldn't help falling in love with mark feuerstein (despite his short stature -- ok, come on, we all know i like them 6' or taller!), who was oh so adorable when he said "i've always wanted to be your bitch" to toni collette. ohmigosh. *sigh* i also haven't seen rosalind chao in forever and a day, though i had fond memories of her in joy luck club when she stood out in the rain talking to andrew mccarthy (another one of those short but amazing male leads). i remembered paula cale lisbe from somewhere, but i hadn't realized where until the program reminded me of that show providence with melina kanakaredes. in any case, plays w/actors i know and love are always worth seeing, especially up close and personal. (amazingly enough, i saw them all yucking it up over dinner at corner bakery before last saturday's show! i love seeing movie stars in westwood. b/c it's totally like they're real people with real lives and who aren't *necessarily* pretentious.)
as soon as i saw tickets available on goldstar, i jumped on them! as a poor grad student (and someone who appreciates time on her own), i bought a single ticket for a friday night. (i'd considered buying 2 and asking around for takers, but considering that they were still a bit pricey, i didn't want to bank on finding someone last-minute. plus, to be brutally honest, i usually have very little desire to spend time w/anyone but myself after a long week. being around people all the time is seriously exhausting!) so with less than 30 minutes to spare, i scarfed down some ralph's sushi (which is surprisingly yummy) and i went to see the show!
now i've heard about the audrey skirball kenis theater and i'd just looked at the specs recently, but i had NO idea what to expect when i walked in. the space was soooooo intimate. and i mean that in the best way possible. the colors were perfectly warm and neutral. there were just enough seats with just enough leg room. the ceilings weren't too high. the stage wasn't too far away. i was in the last row, but i felt so close to the scene. it was amazing. i know i say that a lot, but whatever, it was amazing. i must admit that the music came on a bit loud, but otherwise, the set-up was perfect.
in terms of the play itself, i totally appreciated that it was 4 acts back-to-back w/no intermission. i have to say that i really despise intermissions b/c they totally break up the action (at least in my mind). i mean, i don't want to talk about what's happened or what might happen (or even hear other people talking about it). i want to get through the whole thing and then reflect on the whole thing. i'm no longer in HS english class where i need everything broken down, chapter by chapter. there's something to be said for the big picture and letting it all come together in the end. which it did in this play. shockingly together.
when i got to the end, i thought "OMG. typical. people never change." (which is interesting, b/c that seems to be house's motto -- one that he reiterated multiple times in the most recent episode and which has been stuck in my head since tuesday night.) even now, i'm not sure whether i was surprised or not. there was something about mark's character that just made me a little uneasy, and the ending just brought it into the light. as for the 4 unbelievable actresses, their characters also seemed to reflect that sentiment. they were perfectly cast into these character roles -- ones that i've seen regularly portrayed on tv throughout my life. paula -- the neurotic housewife/mother (so like her character in providence). justina -- the lusty latina (a bit stereotypical, but not unbelievable). rosalind -- the type A professor (again stereotypical, but with a bit of a bizarre twist). and jaime -- the free-spirited blond (who reminded me of holly hunter in saving grace).
the way the 4 female characters evolved through their scenes was really fascinating. it was possible to sense the different personalities embedded within each character, especially their insecurities and how they were deeply affected by their interactions with this one man. it was heartbreaking really. to the point of tears every now and again. i often wonder whether it's a good thing to show on stage/tv/film what people already know (or think they know). does it just reinforce all their negativity? (i suppose positivity is possible, though less likely.) on the other hand, life is what it is. and reality is what it is. if men suck (and they do at times), shouldn't women just be able to acknowledge this and move on in whatever way, shape, and form they choose? i, for one, think that plays are meant to convey one person's perspective on the world. and that the audience is free enough to make its own decisions. others may disagree with stereotypes being perpetuated by the stage. but if that's someone's experience, who am i to deny them the opportunity to share it?
at any rate, this play was quite good. while the story line sounds similar to the movie plot for something that came out in the last year or so, i assure you that the point is totally different (at least from what i can remember about the movie). it's worth seeing, especially when the actors and the venue are all so quality. plus, can i just say that i hope i look as good as rosalind chao when i get to whatever age she is? aside from one or two wrinkles, her face and figure are ridiculous. way to go for ethnic women barely aging!! woohoo!! (sadness for everyone else who won't be able to age so gracefully. ha! that's mean, i know, so sue me.)
a must see:
http://www.geffenplayhouse.com/
as soon as i saw tickets available on goldstar, i jumped on them! as a poor grad student (and someone who appreciates time on her own), i bought a single ticket for a friday night. (i'd considered buying 2 and asking around for takers, but considering that they were still a bit pricey, i didn't want to bank on finding someone last-minute. plus, to be brutally honest, i usually have very little desire to spend time w/anyone but myself after a long week. being around people all the time is seriously exhausting!) so with less than 30 minutes to spare, i scarfed down some ralph's sushi (which is surprisingly yummy) and i went to see the show!
now i've heard about the audrey skirball kenis theater and i'd just looked at the specs recently, but i had NO idea what to expect when i walked in. the space was soooooo intimate. and i mean that in the best way possible. the colors were perfectly warm and neutral. there were just enough seats with just enough leg room. the ceilings weren't too high. the stage wasn't too far away. i was in the last row, but i felt so close to the scene. it was amazing. i know i say that a lot, but whatever, it was amazing. i must admit that the music came on a bit loud, but otherwise, the set-up was perfect.
in terms of the play itself, i totally appreciated that it was 4 acts back-to-back w/no intermission. i have to say that i really despise intermissions b/c they totally break up the action (at least in my mind). i mean, i don't want to talk about what's happened or what might happen (or even hear other people talking about it). i want to get through the whole thing and then reflect on the whole thing. i'm no longer in HS english class where i need everything broken down, chapter by chapter. there's something to be said for the big picture and letting it all come together in the end. which it did in this play. shockingly together.
when i got to the end, i thought "OMG. typical. people never change." (which is interesting, b/c that seems to be house's motto -- one that he reiterated multiple times in the most recent episode and which has been stuck in my head since tuesday night.) even now, i'm not sure whether i was surprised or not. there was something about mark's character that just made me a little uneasy, and the ending just brought it into the light. as for the 4 unbelievable actresses, their characters also seemed to reflect that sentiment. they were perfectly cast into these character roles -- ones that i've seen regularly portrayed on tv throughout my life. paula -- the neurotic housewife/mother (so like her character in providence). justina -- the lusty latina (a bit stereotypical, but not unbelievable). rosalind -- the type A professor (again stereotypical, but with a bit of a bizarre twist). and jaime -- the free-spirited blond (who reminded me of holly hunter in saving grace).
the way the 4 female characters evolved through their scenes was really fascinating. it was possible to sense the different personalities embedded within each character, especially their insecurities and how they were deeply affected by their interactions with this one man. it was heartbreaking really. to the point of tears every now and again. i often wonder whether it's a good thing to show on stage/tv/film what people already know (or think they know). does it just reinforce all their negativity? (i suppose positivity is possible, though less likely.) on the other hand, life is what it is. and reality is what it is. if men suck (and they do at times), shouldn't women just be able to acknowledge this and move on in whatever way, shape, and form they choose? i, for one, think that plays are meant to convey one person's perspective on the world. and that the audience is free enough to make its own decisions. others may disagree with stereotypes being perpetuated by the stage. but if that's someone's experience, who am i to deny them the opportunity to share it?
at any rate, this play was quite good. while the story line sounds similar to the movie plot for something that came out in the last year or so, i assure you that the point is totally different (at least from what i can remember about the movie). it's worth seeing, especially when the actors and the venue are all so quality. plus, can i just say that i hope i look as good as rosalind chao when i get to whatever age she is? aside from one or two wrinkles, her face and figure are ridiculous. way to go for ethnic women barely aging!! woohoo!! (sadness for everyone else who won't be able to age so gracefully. ha! that's mean, i know, so sue me.)
a must see:
http://www.geffenplayhouse.com/
Thursday, February 7, 2008
table 8
talk about a GODSEND of a dining experience to end restaurant week with! i'm forever indebted to dani for picking an absolutely AMAZING closer. yay!
so who out there has NOT heard of govind armstrong? if you haven't, look him up NOW. b/c even if you don't know or care a thing about his food, you should at least know and care that he's HOT. yes, he's HOT. i mention this b/c i think he actually came into the dining room a few times during the night! mmm.... yummy food made by a yummy chef, what more could a girl ask for? well, maybe that he were mine....
while the 1.5-2 hours that was required to get me from campus to table 8 on a bus through crazy traffic on sunset blvd during rush hour was frightening to say the least, i think i was way too tired (from lack of sleep) to get way too worked up about it (that is, aside from a bit of a rant to elizabeth as i was getting off the second bus).
plus the driver on the first bus tipped me off to the correct transfer point for the second bus (after seeing the wrong transfer point printed on my mta.net directions -- BOO mta.net!), which probably kept me from freaking out and/or missing dinner entirely. the latter which would've been worse than anything imaginable after a super long day on campus which started soon after i woke up at FIVE in the morning. and don't bother asking. i have no idea why.
so as i walked in the door, i realized that dani was there already. yay! so this meant we were getting seated right away, yes? um, no. the hostess said she was new and asked if we wouldn't mind waiting a few more minutes. so we sat down on the cushy seats by the hostess stand. a few minutes later, she said our table was ready. so we got up and proceeded to follow her into the dining room (which was a bit small and nondescript in my opinion). to a huge booth prepared for a party of 4. as we were attempting to not look confused, a second hostess came over to tell us that the first hostess had directed us to the wrong table. so we left the dining room and went all the way back out to the hostess stand. stopping midway b/w the dining room and the bar/lounge area b/c we really had no idea where we were supposed to be going. the first hostess looked at us and wondered why we were back. and we looked at her and at least *i* wondered "why us?" within a few minutes, the second hostess returned us to the dining room. this time to seat us at 2 side-by-side tables set for, yet again, a party of 4. by this point, i know *i* was anxious for dinner, so who the heck cares about the seating arrangments? of course, as i proceeded to slip into the inside seat, i almost tripped over the attache case by the feet of the gentleman at the next table. needless to say, this was nothing more than a pre-dinner comedy of errors. but thank god the night could only get better, right? right.
while the dining room wasn't particularly lavish or memorable (just dark) nor was the ladies room (which has been known to be pretty ridiculous at some places), the food and the service (other than the semi-incompetent hostesses) certainly made up for the space.
first of all, the waiter brought us both menus (regular and dineLA) in leather books. umm... yeah... if i get my prix fixe menu in a leather book, i'm pretty impressed. re: the dineLA menu, not only had the online menu options already looked delish, but the restaurant chose to add more dishes! and unless you're wildly indecisive (which means you have issues), who doesn't appreciate more options? to be honest, probably us to the teensiest degree b/c now there were even more scrumptious-looking items we'd have to deny ourselves!
at any rate, after discussing our top picks (which amounted to pretty much everything on the menu), i decided on the roasted broccolini and the duck confit (both additions to the menu), and the tres leches with coconut macaroons. dani picked the boucheron with greens, the short rib, and the dulce de leche chocolate cake. all of which sounded absolutely AMAZING by description alone. considering the power of advertising and marketing, i simply don't understand when my eyes are met with bland food descriptions. how are those supposed to draw me in? if you can't even convince me to pick the thing, how am i going to taste it to know it's fabulous? the restaurants that want my money should know what makes me tick. and the restaurants with decadent food descriptions (and equally decadent food to match) ultimately have a *much* better chance of getting their hands on my dwindling fellowship funds!
so who out there has NOT heard of govind armstrong? if you haven't, look him up NOW. b/c even if you don't know or care a thing about his food, you should at least know and care that he's HOT. yes, he's HOT. i mention this b/c i think he actually came into the dining room a few times during the night! mmm.... yummy food made by a yummy chef, what more could a girl ask for? well, maybe that he were mine....
while the 1.5-2 hours that was required to get me from campus to table 8 on a bus through crazy traffic on sunset blvd during rush hour was frightening to say the least, i think i was way too tired (from lack of sleep) to get way too worked up about it (that is, aside from a bit of a rant to elizabeth as i was getting off the second bus).
plus the driver on the first bus tipped me off to the correct transfer point for the second bus (after seeing the wrong transfer point printed on my mta.net directions -- BOO mta.net!), which probably kept me from freaking out and/or missing dinner entirely. the latter which would've been worse than anything imaginable after a super long day on campus which started soon after i woke up at FIVE in the morning. and don't bother asking. i have no idea why.
so as i walked in the door, i realized that dani was there already. yay! so this meant we were getting seated right away, yes? um, no. the hostess said she was new and asked if we wouldn't mind waiting a few more minutes. so we sat down on the cushy seats by the hostess stand. a few minutes later, she said our table was ready. so we got up and proceeded to follow her into the dining room (which was a bit small and nondescript in my opinion). to a huge booth prepared for a party of 4. as we were attempting to not look confused, a second hostess came over to tell us that the first hostess had directed us to the wrong table. so we left the dining room and went all the way back out to the hostess stand. stopping midway b/w the dining room and the bar/lounge area b/c we really had no idea where we were supposed to be going. the first hostess looked at us and wondered why we were back. and we looked at her and at least *i* wondered "why us?" within a few minutes, the second hostess returned us to the dining room. this time to seat us at 2 side-by-side tables set for, yet again, a party of 4. by this point, i know *i* was anxious for dinner, so who the heck cares about the seating arrangments? of course, as i proceeded to slip into the inside seat, i almost tripped over the attache case by the feet of the gentleman at the next table. needless to say, this was nothing more than a pre-dinner comedy of errors. but thank god the night could only get better, right? right.
while the dining room wasn't particularly lavish or memorable (just dark) nor was the ladies room (which has been known to be pretty ridiculous at some places), the food and the service (other than the semi-incompetent hostesses) certainly made up for the space.
first of all, the waiter brought us both menus (regular and dineLA) in leather books. umm... yeah... if i get my prix fixe menu in a leather book, i'm pretty impressed. re: the dineLA menu, not only had the online menu options already looked delish, but the restaurant chose to add more dishes! and unless you're wildly indecisive (which means you have issues), who doesn't appreciate more options? to be honest, probably us to the teensiest degree b/c now there were even more scrumptious-looking items we'd have to deny ourselves!
at any rate, after discussing our top picks (which amounted to pretty much everything on the menu), i decided on the roasted broccolini and the duck confit (both additions to the menu), and the tres leches with coconut macaroons. dani picked the boucheron with greens, the short rib, and the dulce de leche chocolate cake. all of which sounded absolutely AMAZING by description alone. considering the power of advertising and marketing, i simply don't understand when my eyes are met with bland food descriptions. how are those supposed to draw me in? if you can't even convince me to pick the thing, how am i going to taste it to know it's fabulous? the restaurants that want my money should know what makes me tick. and the restaurants with decadent food descriptions (and equally decadent food to match) ultimately have a *much* better chance of getting their hands on my dwindling fellowship funds!
the meal started out w/some yummy appetizers b/c both of our dishes involved greens (healthy) and some delicious cheese (*slightly* less healthy). my dish was literally warm broccolini covered in melted cheese -- a bit too salty for my tastes, but delicious nevertheless in all its gooey-ness. dani's was a little bit lighter and a perfect combo of flavors and textures, especially w/the inclusion of some roasted mushrooms. mmm.... mushrooms....
FYI that duck is literally my favorite bird of all time. while dani made a good point that duck *can* be fatty and gross, all that means is that the poor bird was cooked by an IMBECILE. needless to say, no imbecile came near the duck on my plate b/c it was absolutely heavenly the way it fell right off the bone as soon as i touched it with my fork. the meat was perfectly seasoned, cooked -- and swallowed. mmm.... dani's short rib was also quite delicious, especially with a bit of the crispy bacon and creamed swiss chard. honestly, creamed anything w/crispy bacon sounds like a pretty good combo.
last but not least, dessert. before i go on, i want to preface this next comment by saying that i'm generally NOT a fan of tres leches. particularly b/c i'm simply not a fan of milk. it really doesn't do a thing for me. and the last time i had tres lches, i was completely overwhelmed by the milk that'd been soaked up by the cake. it was a big ole mess in my mouth. THANKFULLY, the tres leches at table 8 is the reason why i don't (usually) let one bad experience ruin things for me. as dani pointed out, this cake was *so* light -- even airier than angel food! and there was just enough milk on the bottom of the plate for *some* soaking to occur (but not too much). in addition, the dish came with a coconut macaroon, which (in retrospect) i totally should've shared, especially since we'd had SUCH a bad experience w/one sunset's wannabe macaroons just last week. alas, i stuffed the whole thing into my mouth way too quickly, especially when i realized how perfectly crunchy and moist it was. not that it mattered b/c dani seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her chocolate cake, which was BEYOND amazing. this cake totally beat the lava thing we'd all shared at one sunset...BY FAR. and y'know what? on top of the great combo of chocolate and caramel, i could taste chocolate nibs! i swear those nibs will do it for you. they add just a little bit of texture to the ooh gooey deliciousness in your mouth. mmm....
so as this first year of dineLA comes to a close, all i can say is that i'm pretty darn impressed. not only w/some of the YUMMIEST meals i've had since being in LA, but particularly w/the fact that i got so many of them in my schedule over the course of 2 weeks! and the best news? table 8's extending their dineLA menu till the end of the month!!! talk about unbelievably freaking amazing. do they KNOW how many weeks are left in february?! *happy happy sigh sigh*
go go go:
table 8
7661 melrose ave
la, ca 90046
323.782.8258
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
3 on 4th
so this is one of those places that i've passed by a million times and always wanted to try. it's dimly lit and it looks deceivingly small from the outside. but that's just what you want sometimes -- a place that has an intimate feel but gives you the necessary elbow/leg room once you're settled in.
seeing that restaurant week was ending in a mere 3 days, i was really excited about this reservation. i'd had a long week and a long day, and i'd just submitted work to my advisor the night before, so it was time to celebrate!
idiotically, i'd worn heels (which i rarely ever do), and even though i was sitting on a bus for 45 minutes (which was surprisingly nice), my toesies were still majorly chafing (like my mom says, do you really need to suffer for beauty?).
so i decided to make two pit stops before heading straight to the restaurant. first, lululemon. ummm, LOVE them, wish i could afford them. thankfully (!!) i remembered to ask the saleswoman about the discount they have for local fitness professionals (yes, c'est moi -- is that gramatically correct, btw?). all i have to do now is fill out a form, submit a fitness schedule w/my name on it, and commit to being part of their R&D team for a year -- and i get 15% off! how great is that? yes, it's a bit of work and paperwork, but nothing lil ole me can't handle. as i was telling eri a few months ago, I'M AWESOME!! (yeah, no ego here, right?)
btw, as i was chatting w/the lovely saleswoman, i found out that she was a dance major at UCLA and is now teaching dance classes! how cool is that? i swear, you find the most random people doing the most random things in the most random places. i love that! totally makes my day. so as a supporter of this new lululemon acquaintance, i'm providing a link to the dance studio for all you dance lovers out there: http://shaktiselements.com/. check it out! FYI that she teaches beginning roots modern dance. it sounds totally fun. who's in?
next, leonidas. i forget who, but someone was just recently raving about the fact that leonidas now has sugar-free chocolate. i think they expected me to think it was a wonderful thing, but my reaction is: HELL NO!! i mean, when i'm at a fine chocolate shop, i don't want to see chocolate where sugar's been subbed by some sugar substitute. i mean, GROSS! chocolate is chocolate, and if you didn't want to indulge, then why bother coming into the store at all? go get yourself some cheap-ass russell stover or whitman's (ewwwwwwwww!!!!). furthermore, if you want less sugar, go towards GOD and buy DARK chocolate. (milk chocolate's nasty anyways. and only edible when you have no other chocolate product in sight.) any true chocolate connoisseur knows that dark is the way to go, with milk coming in second, and white coming in WAY third. (talk about cloyingly sweet. ick.) personally, i enjoy the REALLY bitter (like 90% cacao if possible), but you're pretty good to go w/65%.
before i move onto dinner, let's just say i couldn't even pay attention to what leonidas had to offer on its shelves b/c i was so distracted by this couple in the store. the reason? i was blinded by the GINORMOUS diamonds on her ring finger. as a number of my friends have gotten engaged over recent months, i've been trained to watch for the bling as soon as someone's left hand passes through my field of vision. but there is NOOOOOO way anyone could've missed these babies. they were HUGE! the engagement ring was a ginormous pear in the center with humongous side stones. and i think the wedding band was rocks all around. btw, have i mentioned they were HUGE?! i swear this woman's hand must've been glued onto her wrist. at any rate, i had to break the mesmerizing hold of all that ice and leave the store. all i could do was wonder what that man did for a living. i mean, seriously. is he trafficking drugs?!
as i limped over to the restaurant, i was oh-so-thrilled when the hostess offered to seat me first. however, i should've known that dinner would go downhill when she broke my cardinal rule of restaurant week eating -- she didn't offer the regular menu! (i had to ask the server for it later b/c i really wanted to see it.) i mean, how are you going to get me back into the restaurant if i don't know what else is available? tsk tsk. bad move.
at any rate, my friend (who shall remain nameless for reasons that will become clear shortly) wasn't going to be there until the actual reservation time, so i had some lovely minutes to myself to scour both menus. while i was impressed with the appetizer options on the regular menu, i was unimpressed with the entree options (and prices). i mean, who wouldn't want to try scrambled eggs w/sea urchin, black truffle, and creme fraiche? (ok, maybe lots of people, but they're not the adventurous eaters i like to hang with.) but who wants to look at yet another boring menu with salmon, chicken breast, and steak frites? talk about dullsville. bleh. furthermore, who wants to pay excessively high prices for little to no creativity? i could just as easily get dorm food. (and some of that dorm food is pretty darn yummy!) in any case, i'm thankful that we were doing the prix fixe menu. it wasn't anything too mindblowing, but the pricing was significantly better than dining a la carte.
let's see... for the appetizer, i ordered the grilled apple salad w/buffalo mozarella, crispy prosciutto, and honey roasted walnuts. (considering that i was going to try and be vegetarian for the month, i haven't been doing too well. why vegetarian? for the resolution revolution of course! http://12-resolutions.blogspot.com/) for the entree, i chose the wild atlantic striped bass. and for the dessert, i went with the mascarpone cheesecake. a lighter version than the typical cheesecake, but it's cheesecake, so how light could it possibly be? let's not lie to ourselves.
but first things first, i have to admit that i was slightly distracted from the food last night by some very negative dinner conversation. and i've decided that bad dinner conversation is WAY worse than completely dead air. and as everyone knows, eating out is as much about the company and the conversation as it is about the food. and if the conversation kills the mood, you can't even resort to focusing on the food b/c you've totally lost your appetite. at least with dead air, you can direct your atention to what's on your plate. plus negative chatter really messes up your first impression of a restaurant. so if there's a place you really want to check out, pick your dinner date accordingly. with that, i premise this abbreviated review with the apology that my taste buds weren't quite as sharp as usual last night.
so before we even ordered, one of the servers came out with an amuse bouche. this is usually a sign of chi-chi fare. unfortunately, the amuse was a combo of tuna and potato. this was yet another sign of a downward spiral, as i don't like tuna and i hate potato. eek. the flavors weren't heinous, but needless to say, i was more impressed by the thought of the amuse than the amuse itself. as for the salad, it was a yummy combo of flavors and textures. i'm not the biggest fan of apples, but i think i prefer them slightly grilled over completely raw. and who can't get enough of candied walnuts? it was a pretty basic dish, but a light way to start what ended up being a pretty heavy meal.
the fish. well, the skin was WAY crispy (the way i like it) and the meat was flaky (though a little dry). unfortunately, the presentation was seriously bland. there was some green celery puree and some orange carrot puree on the plate, neither of which looked very appealing. there was no sauce at all, which would've been better w/the fish than the slightly grainy vegetable purees. and to kill the dish, the chef set the fish on top of a white mess of POTATO PUREE. as i reiterate yet again, I HATE POTATO. needless to say, that was just gross. i had to try and flake off the fish w/o getting too much potato on my fork. talk about ruining taste AND texure. ick.
the dessert. mascarpone cheesecake. not a bad concept, but not a light one either. and when you've had a heavy meal, a light dessert option should at least be offered. what did i have to choose from? a chocolate tart. been there, done that. blueberry pie. ummm, how does that even belong on the menu? so random. and probably saturated with sugar. so i pretty much didn't have too much room to maneuver. granted, i ate it all. but it's dessert, it's restaurant week, and it's me w/no self-control once i've started in on something. needless to say, i felt seriously weighted down when i left. emotionally AND physically. talk about ending the night on a crappy note! i so did NOT deserve that. boo!
this just means the week's going to get better, right? lol. staying positive. (thanks, derek!)
3 on fourth
1432A 4th st
santa monica, ca 90401
310.395.6765
http://www.3onfourth.com/
seeing that restaurant week was ending in a mere 3 days, i was really excited about this reservation. i'd had a long week and a long day, and i'd just submitted work to my advisor the night before, so it was time to celebrate!
idiotically, i'd worn heels (which i rarely ever do), and even though i was sitting on a bus for 45 minutes (which was surprisingly nice), my toesies were still majorly chafing (like my mom says, do you really need to suffer for beauty?).
so i decided to make two pit stops before heading straight to the restaurant. first, lululemon. ummm, LOVE them, wish i could afford them. thankfully (!!) i remembered to ask the saleswoman about the discount they have for local fitness professionals (yes, c'est moi -- is that gramatically correct, btw?). all i have to do now is fill out a form, submit a fitness schedule w/my name on it, and commit to being part of their R&D team for a year -- and i get 15% off! how great is that? yes, it's a bit of work and paperwork, but nothing lil ole me can't handle. as i was telling eri a few months ago, I'M AWESOME!! (yeah, no ego here, right?)
btw, as i was chatting w/the lovely saleswoman, i found out that she was a dance major at UCLA and is now teaching dance classes! how cool is that? i swear, you find the most random people doing the most random things in the most random places. i love that! totally makes my day. so as a supporter of this new lululemon acquaintance, i'm providing a link to the dance studio for all you dance lovers out there: http://shaktiselements.com/. check it out! FYI that she teaches beginning roots modern dance. it sounds totally fun. who's in?
next, leonidas. i forget who, but someone was just recently raving about the fact that leonidas now has sugar-free chocolate. i think they expected me to think it was a wonderful thing, but my reaction is: HELL NO!! i mean, when i'm at a fine chocolate shop, i don't want to see chocolate where sugar's been subbed by some sugar substitute. i mean, GROSS! chocolate is chocolate, and if you didn't want to indulge, then why bother coming into the store at all? go get yourself some cheap-ass russell stover or whitman's (ewwwwwwwww!!!!). furthermore, if you want less sugar, go towards GOD and buy DARK chocolate. (milk chocolate's nasty anyways. and only edible when you have no other chocolate product in sight.) any true chocolate connoisseur knows that dark is the way to go, with milk coming in second, and white coming in WAY third. (talk about cloyingly sweet. ick.) personally, i enjoy the REALLY bitter (like 90% cacao if possible), but you're pretty good to go w/65%.
before i move onto dinner, let's just say i couldn't even pay attention to what leonidas had to offer on its shelves b/c i was so distracted by this couple in the store. the reason? i was blinded by the GINORMOUS diamonds on her ring finger. as a number of my friends have gotten engaged over recent months, i've been trained to watch for the bling as soon as someone's left hand passes through my field of vision. but there is NOOOOOO way anyone could've missed these babies. they were HUGE! the engagement ring was a ginormous pear in the center with humongous side stones. and i think the wedding band was rocks all around. btw, have i mentioned they were HUGE?! i swear this woman's hand must've been glued onto her wrist. at any rate, i had to break the mesmerizing hold of all that ice and leave the store. all i could do was wonder what that man did for a living. i mean, seriously. is he trafficking drugs?!
as i limped over to the restaurant, i was oh-so-thrilled when the hostess offered to seat me first. however, i should've known that dinner would go downhill when she broke my cardinal rule of restaurant week eating -- she didn't offer the regular menu! (i had to ask the server for it later b/c i really wanted to see it.) i mean, how are you going to get me back into the restaurant if i don't know what else is available? tsk tsk. bad move.
at any rate, my friend (who shall remain nameless for reasons that will become clear shortly) wasn't going to be there until the actual reservation time, so i had some lovely minutes to myself to scour both menus. while i was impressed with the appetizer options on the regular menu, i was unimpressed with the entree options (and prices). i mean, who wouldn't want to try scrambled eggs w/sea urchin, black truffle, and creme fraiche? (ok, maybe lots of people, but they're not the adventurous eaters i like to hang with.) but who wants to look at yet another boring menu with salmon, chicken breast, and steak frites? talk about dullsville. bleh. furthermore, who wants to pay excessively high prices for little to no creativity? i could just as easily get dorm food. (and some of that dorm food is pretty darn yummy!) in any case, i'm thankful that we were doing the prix fixe menu. it wasn't anything too mindblowing, but the pricing was significantly better than dining a la carte.
let's see... for the appetizer, i ordered the grilled apple salad w/buffalo mozarella, crispy prosciutto, and honey roasted walnuts. (considering that i was going to try and be vegetarian for the month, i haven't been doing too well. why vegetarian? for the resolution revolution of course! http://12-resolutions.blogspot.com/) for the entree, i chose the wild atlantic striped bass. and for the dessert, i went with the mascarpone cheesecake. a lighter version than the typical cheesecake, but it's cheesecake, so how light could it possibly be? let's not lie to ourselves.
but first things first, i have to admit that i was slightly distracted from the food last night by some very negative dinner conversation. and i've decided that bad dinner conversation is WAY worse than completely dead air. and as everyone knows, eating out is as much about the company and the conversation as it is about the food. and if the conversation kills the mood, you can't even resort to focusing on the food b/c you've totally lost your appetite. at least with dead air, you can direct your atention to what's on your plate. plus negative chatter really messes up your first impression of a restaurant. so if there's a place you really want to check out, pick your dinner date accordingly. with that, i premise this abbreviated review with the apology that my taste buds weren't quite as sharp as usual last night.
so before we even ordered, one of the servers came out with an amuse bouche. this is usually a sign of chi-chi fare. unfortunately, the amuse was a combo of tuna and potato. this was yet another sign of a downward spiral, as i don't like tuna and i hate potato. eek. the flavors weren't heinous, but needless to say, i was more impressed by the thought of the amuse than the amuse itself. as for the salad, it was a yummy combo of flavors and textures. i'm not the biggest fan of apples, but i think i prefer them slightly grilled over completely raw. and who can't get enough of candied walnuts? it was a pretty basic dish, but a light way to start what ended up being a pretty heavy meal.
the fish. well, the skin was WAY crispy (the way i like it) and the meat was flaky (though a little dry). unfortunately, the presentation was seriously bland. there was some green celery puree and some orange carrot puree on the plate, neither of which looked very appealing. there was no sauce at all, which would've been better w/the fish than the slightly grainy vegetable purees. and to kill the dish, the chef set the fish on top of a white mess of POTATO PUREE. as i reiterate yet again, I HATE POTATO. needless to say, that was just gross. i had to try and flake off the fish w/o getting too much potato on my fork. talk about ruining taste AND texure. ick.
the dessert. mascarpone cheesecake. not a bad concept, but not a light one either. and when you've had a heavy meal, a light dessert option should at least be offered. what did i have to choose from? a chocolate tart. been there, done that. blueberry pie. ummm, how does that even belong on the menu? so random. and probably saturated with sugar. so i pretty much didn't have too much room to maneuver. granted, i ate it all. but it's dessert, it's restaurant week, and it's me w/no self-control once i've started in on something. needless to say, i felt seriously weighted down when i left. emotionally AND physically. talk about ending the night on a crappy note! i so did NOT deserve that. boo!
this just means the week's going to get better, right? lol. staying positive. (thanks, derek!)
3 on fourth
1432A 4th st
santa monica, ca 90401
310.395.6765
http://www.3onfourth.com/
Sunday, February 3, 2008
GO GIANTS!
FYI that i didn't watch the game, nor did i want to watch the game, but boy does it still feel really good that my home team kicked some new england butt tonight. GO GIANTS!
a little green
in case you're interested in helping the environment, but not willing to commit your body and soul to the cause (at least not yet), you can get great daily tips on how you can save the world a little bit(e) at a time! check it out: http://www.idealbite.com/
mr. noodle drama
a quick note on a westwood staple. i'd been in love with noodle planet forever when i was advised by a fellow asian sista that mr. noodle was even yummier. while their dishes tend to be somewhat smaller, i must admit that the flavor combinations are quite good.
to start, i can't say much for the little bowl of pathetic noodle cracker things that they give you at the beginning of your meal. (those should get dumped ASAP.) but none of the meals i've ever had there have been remotely under par. while their menu options are significantly fewer compared to noodle planet, isn't it better to do fewer dishes well than more dishes mediocre-ly?
during my most recent visit, i had the chinese sausage fried rice (which i ordered primarily for the yummy chinese sausage since i really don't like rice -- and yes, i'm still asian) and my dinner date (who shall remain nameless for reasons indicated below) had the beef pad see ew (which bears a strong likeness to the beef ho fun that our people know and love -- thick noodles covered in shiny grease -- mmm....).
as a sidebar, i must comment on mr. noodle being located at the center of the world, particularly since it's situated right next to the infamous diddy reese. as soon as we walked in, we spotted a mutual friend and her roomie sitting right near the door. as we sat down, i had to look twice b/c the girl at the next table looked uber familiar. ah yes, the gym girl that'd ended up in my friend's play reading. and as i was waiting for the bathroom (where someone was obviously giving birth since i was waiting for what seemed like an infinite number of minutes), i noticed our friend yakking it up with her former TA and his friends who'd just come in from the cold. it's nice to know that you can always bump into familiar faces even in a super bloated college town like westwood village.
as a follow-up to the sidebar, i absolutely must elaborate on the second reason for mr. noodle being located at the center of the world. here it is: because apparently my dinner date (a friend who oozes fun AND sarcasm) is apparently the sun and her smile brightens up the room -- at least for our server!!! OMG. i swear i couldn't stop laughing. not b/c the comment was untrue or anything (b/c it so isn't!), but let's just say the scenario in which the comment came out was totally laughable. the one bad thing about mr. noodle is that the waitstaff can barely speak english. not that this is heinous, but when the communication sucks, it sucks.
so this pathetic little waiter comes up to our table and starts going on and on about how his friend (who was our server) is pretty much enraptured by my friend, her smile, her voice, and whatever else that he couldn't find the words for. b/c unfortunately, this waiter could barely string two syllables together and the whole thing was just a scene from a really bad romantic comedy. plus, i'm not quite sure how good of a friend this guy was, especially when he asked my friend to say a few nice words to our server when he came back. to be sure, we had no idea WHAT words she was supposed to utter, but i suppose her melodic voice was enough. does anyone think our server had any role in this madness?! was he seriously in love w/my friend? or just an innocent pawn in this bizarre mr. noodle play?!
b/c he didn't seem to have much of an expression on his face when he dropped off our food in a paper bag and walked away. but perhaps he would've fainted if he'd lingered much longer? my attitude: if he wanted a date, he should've just asked for it. why play these games?! especially when he AND his friend ended up looking way foolish.
at any rate, my poor friend was heinously embarrassed and glared at me for busting out at the table. i mean, i tried to hold it in, but no one could seriously expect me NOT to react. it was just...so bad...so so bad.... needless to say, neither of us are going back there anytime soon. regardless of the fact that the food itself was quite yummy. but then again, you have to have a minimum of $15 to charge, so that put a damper on things too. isn't having a minimum illegal btw?!
i love mr. noodle, but i could definitely do w/o the drama. fo sho.
Mr. Noodle
936 Broxton Ave
Los Angeles CA 90024
310.208.7808
http://www.misternoodle.com/fmain.htm
to start, i can't say much for the little bowl of pathetic noodle cracker things that they give you at the beginning of your meal. (those should get dumped ASAP.) but none of the meals i've ever had there have been remotely under par. while their menu options are significantly fewer compared to noodle planet, isn't it better to do fewer dishes well than more dishes mediocre-ly?
during my most recent visit, i had the chinese sausage fried rice (which i ordered primarily for the yummy chinese sausage since i really don't like rice -- and yes, i'm still asian) and my dinner date (who shall remain nameless for reasons indicated below) had the beef pad see ew (which bears a strong likeness to the beef ho fun that our people know and love -- thick noodles covered in shiny grease -- mmm....).
as a sidebar, i must comment on mr. noodle being located at the center of the world, particularly since it's situated right next to the infamous diddy reese. as soon as we walked in, we spotted a mutual friend and her roomie sitting right near the door. as we sat down, i had to look twice b/c the girl at the next table looked uber familiar. ah yes, the gym girl that'd ended up in my friend's play reading. and as i was waiting for the bathroom (where someone was obviously giving birth since i was waiting for what seemed like an infinite number of minutes), i noticed our friend yakking it up with her former TA and his friends who'd just come in from the cold. it's nice to know that you can always bump into familiar faces even in a super bloated college town like westwood village.
as a follow-up to the sidebar, i absolutely must elaborate on the second reason for mr. noodle being located at the center of the world. here it is: because apparently my dinner date (a friend who oozes fun AND sarcasm) is apparently the sun and her smile brightens up the room -- at least for our server!!! OMG. i swear i couldn't stop laughing. not b/c the comment was untrue or anything (b/c it so isn't!), but let's just say the scenario in which the comment came out was totally laughable. the one bad thing about mr. noodle is that the waitstaff can barely speak english. not that this is heinous, but when the communication sucks, it sucks.
so this pathetic little waiter comes up to our table and starts going on and on about how his friend (who was our server) is pretty much enraptured by my friend, her smile, her voice, and whatever else that he couldn't find the words for. b/c unfortunately, this waiter could barely string two syllables together and the whole thing was just a scene from a really bad romantic comedy. plus, i'm not quite sure how good of a friend this guy was, especially when he asked my friend to say a few nice words to our server when he came back. to be sure, we had no idea WHAT words she was supposed to utter, but i suppose her melodic voice was enough. does anyone think our server had any role in this madness?! was he seriously in love w/my friend? or just an innocent pawn in this bizarre mr. noodle play?!
b/c he didn't seem to have much of an expression on his face when he dropped off our food in a paper bag and walked away. but perhaps he would've fainted if he'd lingered much longer? my attitude: if he wanted a date, he should've just asked for it. why play these games?! especially when he AND his friend ended up looking way foolish.
at any rate, my poor friend was heinously embarrassed and glared at me for busting out at the table. i mean, i tried to hold it in, but no one could seriously expect me NOT to react. it was just...so bad...so so bad.... needless to say, neither of us are going back there anytime soon. regardless of the fact that the food itself was quite yummy. but then again, you have to have a minimum of $15 to charge, so that put a damper on things too. isn't having a minimum illegal btw?!
i love mr. noodle, but i could definitely do w/o the drama. fo sho.
Mr. Noodle
936 Broxton Ave
Los Angeles CA 90024
310.208.7808
http://www.misternoodle.com/fmain.htm
Friday, February 1, 2008
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