Yelp! It is a platform that we’ve used for years, but have never really talked about on the blog. Why? It has always been a bit taboo, I suppose. Yelp doesn’t like their users doubling up their reviews. They see it as a conflict of interest. They have some control issues. As a result, we’ve always said no to their annual invites to be Yelp Elite. We play it safe by avoiding be too far in Yelp. Still, we love to use it for the following reason.
Wow, what a way to highlight the seafood available in Ireland. It is an island, after all.
Americans have a less than favorable perception of food from Northern and Eastern Europe. That includes Ireland, England, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Norway and every other nation in between. Greece, France, Spain and Italy are given much more love when it comes to highlighting their cuisine in the US, but is that a fair assumption for us to make.
During our recent trip to Iceland, Ireland and Northern Ireland (the UK, technically) we finally had the opportunity to more fairly judge the quality of their food. As a whole, it wasn’t anywhere near as flavorful as Chinese or Mexican food, but it wasn’t terribly bland and it certainly wasn’t lacking in freshness.
What foodie in LA hasn’t heard of Jitlada? Whether you read Jonathan Gold’s 101 best restaurant list every year or watched his movie City of Gold, watched Chef Jazz compete on Food Network, or have taken a tour of Thai Town with Jet Tila himself, you’re sure to know about Jitlada! When we were making the list, it was one of the first we mentioned… a top priority for all of the reasons above and then some!
After looking up churros on Yelp and finding that this place offered churro waffles, we decided to check out Seasalt Fish Grill. It helped that it was a seafood specialty stop because we both favor fish-based diets. We expected to be walking into some busy and posh new spot in downtown Culver City, but that isn’t the case. It’s easily accessible and even has free parking. The spot itself offers both outdoor and indoor seating with your very casual order and take a number system. Again, this wasn’t what we were expecting and while I thought there was going to be a small, specialty menu, I was wrong again.
Fit’s plate (the garlic fries were for both of us)
On Sawtelle, away from the long lines and commotion of popular spots like Tsujita LA and others, is Bar Hayama. Highlighted by a beautiful outdoor seating area, this bar offers four seating options and multiple menus worth of food. As a result, being seated and served takes far less time than eateries closer to Olympic. Still, as Hungry & Fit, the most important dining aspect is the food, but let’s take about what makes this fiery location worth a visit.
Restaurant? In a sense. It’s not the best word I’d use to describe the atmosphere at Simply Pho You on Vermont (just off Wilshire Center–Fit things it’s a hilarious name) in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Tucked in a strip mall on a crowded corner that gets loads of foot traffic, there isn’t any space for outdoor seating. While the inside also lacks square footage, management has loaded family-style tables with plenty of seating. No over the-top-decorations, no attractive hostess at an over-sized station, no wasted space. They just want to serve you food, and I love it. Efficiency bursts out of the kitchen with one of the hardest working wait staffs I have ever seen. The food is well worth the small price you have to pay. Restaurant? Again, not quite. I’d imagine this is what a Vietnamese block party feels like and I have few complaints.
The sun is down and it’s a cool night in early December. The allure of downtown Culver City draws us in and after parking, we walk Main Street. It’s a hip area for that demographic that loves small plates and craft beers but we LOVE food and we want a meal. After checking out a few menus and feeling the auras emanating from each location, we are seated at Cafe Ugo.
Service:
It was impeccable. 4/5. We wanted to sit outside and they brought us our own heating tower. It wouldn’t work so they got someone to fix it on the spot. We were slow to decide and our waiter put down the load he was busing in order to take our order when we looked ready. We didn’t even call him over. He had recommendations (and they weren’t based on price), he had patience, he had class, and he had a personality. My water was almost always filled, and if it wasn’t for a lapse near the end of the meal I would have given a perfect 5. When our heater went out, they immediately swapped out the propane tank for a new one. Just excellent.
Atmosphere:
A large restaurant with indoor and outdoor options, busy bar fronts and quiet back rooms. 3/5. The tables were just not a comfortable size. It was awkward but everything was clean and orderly. I didn’t love the makeshift walls for the patio but recognize their convenience for weather changes. While I had no major issues, there was nothing to set this place apart from a normal restaurant, dare I say, even a Cheesecake Factory.
Food:
There are always faults when you aren’t at a Michelin restaurant but they aren’t significant here. 3/5. The ravioli needed more sauce. They were dry and the spinach filling did not compensate for the somewhat dry pasta. Still, they had flavor. The pizza was a true delight to eat. It hit every flavor profile. Salty cheeses with acidic tones from balsamic that were tied together nicely on a well made crust. The structural integrity was questionable, but this is pizza from Naples and not New York so that can’t be taken into consideration. The fried calamari was well cooked but the sauces were a necessity because the breading was not seasoned.
Pricing:
Let’s just say they could have easily charged us more and while the portions were not massive, the food quality made it a good value. 4/5. It’s downtown Culver City, it’s a prime location, and it’s a specialty. Authentic Naples style pizza is not a common dish around here, especially with an 1000 degree oven and serving it uncut. We were more than happy to pay the price on the bill and tip accordingly.
We were glad that we stopped by Cafe Ugo that night. It was enjoyable, we were relaxed, well fed, and left happy. We recommend it to groups of 2, 4, or 6 that are passing by or in the area. It might even be worth a little drive in non-peak hours. We’ll be back if we’re in the area and we’ll bring some family next time. And as always, stay hungry and fit!
Although Los Angeles brings its hardships in living and finding our way, Koreatown is certainly not lacking in its culinary scene. Get ready for a ton of reviews on Koreatown restaurants. We love to walk around our neighborhood and find hidden gems to feast our faces on. We almost always come out smiling. Especially from places like today’s review– Cafe Korobokgur. Sound like a mouthful? We think so, thus we call it “that little gnome place.” And we mean it in the best way possible.
Cafe Korobokgur is an American-Korean fusion cafe. I keep wanting to call it “little” but it’s actually quite large for a cafe. It’s adorably decorated with cute things here and there (with Miyazaki things too which is a plus). It has an incredibly friendly atmosphere. It is certainly a place I would call “hip” but not overcrowded with people, which is nice. It has its own character and feel to it, which I really appreciate in food establishments. They are them and they aren’t afraid to show it. You’ll find cute quotes, sayings, and pictures all over this place. There’s a little “cafe front” and then we assume the kitchen is in back. This cafe is not just for drinks, but for food too. They also have an adorable restroom.
Can you find the Cat Bus?
We came here for dinner one night. There were other Koreans and Korean-Americans here–mostly our age–that brought their study supplies or friends to enjoy. Again, we come in with a smile to a relaxed atmosphere. When we are in good, generous moods, we like to spoil ourselves with food. And that means 3-course meals. After bringing us some fruit-and-cucumber-infused water, our waiter took our order. For appetizer, we got seasoned fries and fried calamari. They served different seasonings for the fries which was fun to try out and it was certainly delicious and cooked well. The fried calamari also pleased us. After appetizer, it was time for our main dishes. I got the kimchi fried rice and Hungry got Don Katsu. We were both satisfied with our entrees, though I couldn’t even finish mine. The kimchi fried rice was nice and spicy, so that I had to take slow. For dessert, we got something original by this place called a “Jarming.” Basically it is a mini mason jar filled with a dessert. We decided on the banana nutella sponge cake Jarming and it was absolutely fantastic. I seriously cannot stress enough how good this little thing was. They also make them in tons of different flavors and make seasonal ones too!
Fried calamari
Full of YUM
The service was a bit slow, so don’t come here in a rush. However, it is part of the relaxed atmosphere, I think. We are definitely going to head back to Cafe Korobokgur again and enjoy its adorable details and its yummy food soon. The drinks were rather expensive, but if nothing else, that Jarming will reel me in for another round for sure. If you’re in Koreatown, be sure to stop at Cafe Korobokgur and don’t leave there without a Jarming! I promise, you won’t regret it. And as always…stay hungry and fit!
BONUS KITTY PIC
Sajah resting in between a set of reps
Our friend and client in Colorado has been talking about this place, Comida, since I’ve met her. She said the first time she had a taco there, she cried because it was so good. She’s been trying to get us to go and finally on our last day in Colorado, we went with her for some lunch. Comida is located in Longmont, Colorado, but could easily be placed in New York or Los Angeles–it’s trendy!
Comida is basically gourmet Mexican. I don’t necessarily love gourmet, but I do love me some Mexican. The menu was fairly small, which I like. Most of the options had meat, so I opted for an egg and bean quesadilla. Chris and Crystal got three varieties of tacos and we all split a plate of nachos. Crystal got a watermelon jalapeno margarita and a pomegranate lemonade, I got a Jamaican margarita, and Chris got a Boylan’s soda. It was a wonderful array of food.
Presentation is beautiful, no doubts there. They definitely make it look appetizing so that you can’t wait to dig in. The plates are stylish as is the way they lay everything out. Prices are decent. It’s gourmet, so it’s a little more expensive than your typical Mexican joint–about $4 per taco. However, on most dishes, the flavor is worth the slightly expensive price. Hungry really enjoyed the tacos (especially Stella’s Pork Carnitas) and I couldn’t get enough of the Not ‘Yo Nachos. The quesadilla was slightly less in flavor, but luckily I had some salsa to dunk it in. My margarita was also delicious!
All in all, I would come back. We got to sit outside, which was very nice and peaceful. The flavors are great and are enough of a reason for us to return if we have the time when we visit Colorado again. All in all, Comida gets a thumbs up from Hungry and Fit!
No contest. Burgerfuel wins. In all honesty, I never got to have a Burger Wisconsin burger but they should not open at 5:00 p.m. at so many locations (they didn’t open until late!). Burgerfuel served me the largest item on their secret menu at 9:00 a.m. That won my heart. With that being said, I will say nothing more about Burger Wisconsin, to be fair. (Editor’s Note: after we left New Zealand, my brother was able to get Burger Wisconsin as it finally opened, and he said it was pretty tasty. Looking forward to trying it next time around)
The first Burgerfuel burger I had was in Taupo, New Zealand. It is a chain based out of NZ that has locations in Australia, Iran, UAE, Dubai, and Sudan. (I could be totally wrong about the last three… I think two are correct.) So was the second, no more than 14 hours later. That was the impression it made on me. And these are not inexpensive burgers… they cost a ton. And I still went back.
Part of the huge family at Lake Taupo, New Zealand
First course, The Bastard. This is the largest item on their public menu. Off their website, it contains, “1/3 pound 100% pure NZ grass fed beef, melted cheddar, bacon, beetroot, juicy mango, avocado, salad, relish and fresh natural BF aioli.” It cost about $13. I didn’t get fries or a drink but someone else in our group did. Their spud fries and kumara fries were both delicious. It is supposedly 1200 calories and went down easy. The meat was cooked well and the condiments made it one of the MOST DELICIOUS BURGERS I HAVE EVER HAD. The beetroot, mango and avocado were fresh and top-notch pieces. The trademark aioli and relish caused salivation.
The Bastard
Second course, The Ultimate Greedy Bastard. Add a second 1/3 pound patty, a piece of their chicken, and an egg. There might have been one more item. This one is not on the menu, it is above The Greedy Bastard on the secret menu revealed by an employee after I complained The Bastard was too small. It was about $24 and was so good for a breakfast sandwich. I had a hard time finishing the last tenth of it. I have no ideas how many calories or grams of protein/carbs/fats it had. The employees had awesome customer service skills. The facility was clean and had an inviting but cool vibe.
EPIC! Ultimate Greedy Bastard
Trying to get my mouth around it (Aunt Raewyn in the background)
Finally, Burgerfuel invented the DOOFER. A picture is below but it is essentially a burger holder so you don’t make a mess! What an amazing idea, plus they are made of 100% recycled material. Everyone else who got a chicken sandwich and fries enjoyed their meal. I would have liked the opportunity to sample more of their menu but so far I am very impressed.
So if you are in any of the countries listed above try to stop by a Burgerfuel and let me know what you think of it! Five Guys, Smashburger, Bobby’s Burger Palace, and even In-n-Out doesn’t compare.(Alana will kill me for that last one!) This is just based off the quality of a single sandwich at each, not the meal as a whole. In-n-Out wins in that category. More New Zealand/Kiwi posts coming up! And as always…stay hungry and fit!
P.S. – Burger Wisconsin, if you want to compete, open earlier! Burgers should be available for lunch, says I!
If you want to see more of our New Zealand pictures, follow us on instagram! @nanatiger and @hungryandfit!
BONUS KITTY PIC
Sajah literally fell asleep between my feet last night in about 5 seconds
