India’s Tandoori Hollywood

You may have noticed that India’s Tandoori – Hollywood isn’t on our 2018 LA’s Must-Visit Restaurants list. That’s because we were simply craving Indian food one night and instead of ordering in like we usually do, we pulled up Yelp and looked in vain for walkable Indian restaurants. That’s when I was blinking a few times at my screen when an Indian restaurant I hadn’t seen before showed, with a location that was only 0.3 miles away! Now, here’s the humdinger. Once we finally discovered where the restaurant was, we realized that the Himilayan/Indian restaurant that was there before it was gone. This location had a frequent turn-over for restaurants. Sometimes, it would be the same management, but simply a re-branding, so needless to say, we were a little skeptical. But, cautious as we were, we still tramped on down to eat at India’s Tandoori Hollywood.

Jun212018

Lukshon: LA Restaurant Review

It’s been a while since we posted regarding our epic eating tour of Los Angeles (gotta-eat-em-all). Remember that one where we made a list of the must-visit restaurants of 2018? There have been a few things that have gotten in the way since then like our honeymoon, but have no fear, we have stand-out restaurants to review for you! Next stop on our tasting-the-best-of-Los-Angeles list is Lukshon.

Lukshon, a modern restaurant focused on Southeast-Asian flavors, was brought to life by the same chef who opened the famous Father’s Office, Angelenos’ favorite burger & beer spot–Sang Yoon. This man knows how to hit you with flavor and keep your palette guessing and craving for more. The creativity of his work is out of bounds and stunning. Don’t get tricked by the menu prices–this place is pricey because “hot plates” and “cold plates” are small plates and you’re bound to get a good amount of them. Even though we weren’t ready for the price of the meal, we can sit here and tell you that it’s worth it. It’s a dining experience you aren’t likely to forget.

Jun022018

The Best Food in Ireland

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.

Apr192018

Dune: LA Restaurant Review

Next stop on our quest to hit the best eateries in Los Angeles was Dune. All four of us enjoyed our food at Dune, plain and simple. One vegetarian and three meat eaters, celebrating a birthday and going to an eatery that came highly recommended from a very reliable source. The food at Dune we would consider to be fresh Middle Eastern cuisine. It has distinct flavors that aren’t afraid to be bold.

Apr142018

Wanderlust Creamery: LA Eatery Review

We were out to dinner at Dune (review coming soon) with our videographer when the snow-cone looking logo caught our eyes. Everyone knew that dessert was across the street, but we had no idea just how good it would be. We’d never heard of Wanderlust, but we wish that we had sooner! Watch us enjoy Wanderlust in this video.

The server quickly explained that the flavors were inspired by places the owners have been and others they want to visit–all over the world. Well, a few of the spots were ones that we’ve been to (Cafe du monde, for example) and a few others were ones that we’re going to soon (Ireland, Iceland) so there was an immediate connection that was thrilling. Plus, our videographer (Juan Esguerra, Iron Fortitude Media) is from the Philippines, and the server told us the owner was too, so even more bonus points. But who cares about all that… get to the ice cream!

Mar242018

LA’s Best Secret Menu Foods: Jitlada’s Green Beans

We hope Chef Jazz doesn’t get mad at us for telling her secret, but we can’t help but want to bring more people into the Jitlada family. That is, after all, exactly what it feels like after you’ve been there a few times. When you’re sweating bullets while eating her southern curry (nowhere near the hottest on their menu) and Chef Jazz comes over to fill up your water, there’s nothing more endearing than the look on her face. Half of it is a sort of admiration, based in the fact that you’re going for it, halfway through the bowl without complaining, and half of it is a grin, knowing that it is a “2” out of 10 on her spice-meter.

Mar152018

Jitlada: LA Restaurant Review

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!

Mar102018

Gwen: LA Restaurant Review

Not everything goes according to plan, and when you go to restaurants “on your list” for dinner one night and lunch the next day, it can really throw you for a loop… and this did! I was planning on a romantic (and expensive) dinner at Gwen, but what we never expected was to discover that Gwen is one of LA’s hidden LUNCH gems! Some of the highest quality meats in the city at reasonable prices?! Yea, actually.

Even though the restaurant’s tall ceilings, accented by incredible design and elaborate chandeliers, are still present, this is actually a very casual lunch spot. You order at the counter, take a number (I’m not sure if we actually took one) and the wait staff brings your food to the table when it’s ready. It wasn’t immediate, since they clearly cook from scratch, but it was relatively empty in there and didn’t take long at all.

Feb222018

The Ponte: LA Restaurant Review

When we started this project (Must-Visit Restaurants in LA), we knew there would be challenges depending on our schedules, but we vowed to keep the wheels on the wagon and here we are for our third installment. While we didn’t order our top 40 list, The Ponte definitely would’ve fallen into the top 10. With Food Network celebrity chef Scott Conant behind this high-end Italian restaurant and considering his reputation for pasta mastery, our expectations were high.

But then, we were thrown a curveball. When researching The Ponte, it seemed as if they had a slew of entrees in the $28-32 dollar range, which is in our $$$ range. However, I didn’t consider that my Valentine’s Day reservations might have come with a third wheel on our date: a fixed, four-course meal. Still, as we valeted our car and walked through their enchanting entrance at the back of the restaurant, we decided that our entire focus would be on enjoying this experience.

And. we. did.

Feb072018

Connie & Ted’s: LA Restaurant Review

Second stop on our 2018 “Must Visit Before We Move Out of LA” Food Tour (last stop was Sqirl and next week is… well, we’re not sure yet, but we’re going to have a nice, romantic meal at The Ponte on Valentine’s Day) is Connie & Ted’s. Connie & Ted’s is a restaurant based on a New England love story featuring, well, Connie & Ted who are this restaurant owner’s grandparents. When you think New England, you perhaps think lobster or clam chowder or some kind of seafood–and that’s what Connie & Ted’s is all about! The restaurant is huge with plenty of staff and it is everything seafood. Obviously, expectations are high based on their reputation, perennial presence on Mr. Gold’s 101 Best List, etc.