Korea Town Foodie Adventures #1

Feeling the urge to eat something spicy, I decided to head to Korea Town. One of my favorite places to eat is the trendy and fun Caffe Village. Introduced by a friend, I go here to enjoy big portions of my favorite casual Asian foods. They serve specialty sushi rolls, udon, jjajjangmyun (black bean noodle), donkatsu and other fusion Asian dishes. But my favorite at Caffe Village is their mega ddukpokki (spicy rice cake) and sesame chicken.

Unlike the more traditional street food, Caffe Village's mega ddukpokki has udon noodles, mozzarella cheese, and sausage. You might be intimidated by this combo, but trust me, once you try it, you'll fall in love. The cheese counters the spiciness and creates a perfect and very filling dish. The sesame chicken is also very tasty. Quickly fried in a light batter, these chicken pieces are perfectly paired with a sesame dipping sauce. YUM!

But I wasn't done with Korea Town just yet. I wanted bingsoo (korean shaved ice) from Ice Kiss for dessert. This joint is where K-towners go to cool down, chat, play board games and enjoy the shaved ice treat. They offer the choice of coffee, green tea, red bean or fruit toppings and ice cream. I opted for pat bingsoo (red bean shaved ice), my favorite. The mix of fruit syrup, red bean, mochi, fruit, strawberry ice cream, and ice was perfect to cool down my taste buds. Although Ice Kiss isn't the cleanest of Korea Town, its definitely worth the try.

Gonpachi

A newcomer to L.A.'s restaurant row, Gonpachi serves Angelenos delicious izakaya in a gorgeous and traditional atmosphere, one that mimics the original Gonpachi in Tokyo. I walked through a small but beautiful garden, complete with a koi pond and bridge, to enter the restaurant, where a charming hostess greeted us warmly. Gonpachi prides itself in their handmade and handcut soba noodle dishes where the noodles are made fresh in-house. Watching the man in the display room busily kneading and stretching the buckwheat dough increased my anticipation for the delicious meal I was about to enjoy.
The booths overlooking the garden are perfect for a serene and intimate evening with family or a small party while the large dining area in front of their charcoal robata grills are the best seats in the house for those who love to see the action a la iron chef. There are also more private booths upstairs.
Unsure of what to pick on my first visit, I opted for the 6-course tasting menu, which meant I would get to try all of Gonpachi's highlights. Perfect!

The first course was a cold appetizer of fresh, soft tofu and a Lotus root and gobo salad which was a mixed with sesame oil and jazzed up with red pepper. The root salad was a harmonious blend of salty and sweet.
The second course was a plate of two dazzling fried bites. The Showa Croquette is a fried potato and squid ball toped with quivering bonito flakes. The Shrimp Shinjo-Age is a ball of creamy minced shrimp, wrapped in crunchy harusame noodle and deep-fried.The Sumiyaki course was perfectly smoky and tender. 'Negima' is a skewer of stacked chicken thighs & leeks. 'Tsukune' is ground chicken seasoned lightly with salt with a wedge of lemon for a sour kick.
The fourth course, miso marinated rock cod, was delightful. The fish was as soft as butter and the delicate flavors of the fish and marinade melted in my mouth.

After devouring four scrumptious courses, I was surprised that I had no trouble devouring the 'Inaka' soba. The home-made noodles were served cold with a dipping sauce with chopped green onion and grated radish. The noodles had a perfectly bouncy and chewy texture.When I finished eating the noodles, the server brought out a lacquer teapot filled with cooking water. He poured it into the remaining dipping sauce, which made a delicious soup.
And finally, for dessert, I had their house special dessert .The Gonpachi Pudding was a vanilla creme brulee accompanied by matcha shortbread cookies. I was pleasantly surprised to eat such a delectable european dessert at this Japanese restaruant. I loved the smooth, velvety texture, speckled with real vanilla bean.

Gonpachi
134 N. La Cienega Blvd (between Clifton and Wilshire)
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310)659-8887
Hours:
5-11 pm

Daikokuya Ramen

After a visit to the MOCA Murakami Exhibit, my sister and I decided to have lunch at Daikokuya Ramen in Little Tokyo. This is one of our favorite spots to eat Japanese-style ramen. The noodles swim in a rich and meaty stock then topped with bamboo shoots, green onion, a hard-boiled egg, bean sprouts and slices of kurobuta (black pork). The meal is complete with some garlic paste added to the broth and red pickled ginger on the side. The always busy Daikokuya also serves donburi and bento, but the ramen takes the spotlight when it comes to a simple and very satisfying meal.
Daikokuya Ramen
327 E. 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(323)626-1680
Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:00am to 1:00am
Sun 12:00pm to 10:00pm

Paulette Macarons

Paulette Beverly Hills, on Charleville Boulevard right near the Pinkberry and Color Me Mine on S. Beverly Drive, bakes one of my favorite treats. This shop is devoted to macarons! The Paulette Koumetz and Christophe Michalak collaboration produces amazing macarons in vibrant colors and amazing exotic and traditional flavors. Their ganache-filled almond cookies come in more than 10 different flavors including wedding almond, Sicilian pistachio, Madagascar vanilla, and chocolate coconut. Compared to Boule macarons, Paulette's have stronger flavor which I prefer. My favorite is the raspberry rose flavored macaron. I have only fallen more in love with these delicious French cookies!

Paulette Macaron
9466 Charleville Boulevard at Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
http://www.paulettemacarons.com/
Hours:
Mon- Sat 10 am to 6 pm

Vanilla Bakeshop Cupcake Babies

Miniatures of Vanilla Bakeshop's original cupcakes, the cupcake babies are cute bite-sized treats for the tastebuds. Just the right size to enjoy more than one without guilt, they are for people tempted to try all the different flavors. Vanilla Bakeshop offers a set of 6 flavors baked daily (Red Velvet, Vanilla Bean, Mom's Birthday Cake, Chocolate Vanilla Bean, Black & White, and Bittersweet Dark Chocolate) and also a set of cupcakes rotated by day. The changing menu includes flavors like Spicy Carrot, Pumpkin, Toasted Coconut, Strawberries and Cream, and Chocolate Raspberry.
The cake texture is firm yet fluffy and the frosting is not so unbearably sweet . My personal favorite is the Southern Red Velvet with its sweet cream cheese frosting.Yum! I think these cupcakes taste better than the more popular and hip Sprinkles cupcakes.Vanilla Bakeshop
512 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-458-6644
www.vanillabakeshop.com
Hours
9am - 7pm Monday thru Saturday
10am - 6pm Sunday

Sno:la Yogurt

Sno:la, what I thought was another fakeberry, is a new twist to the growing frozen yogurt trend. Their catch? Five seasonally changing flavors made from organic dairy and all natural ingredients. Unlike Pinkberry which only serves original tart and green tea, Sno:la offers fig/date, pomegranate, chocolate, Italian, sour cherry and pumpkin embellished with over 40 toppings.

They have also joined a greater cause beyond frozen yogurt. Sno:la aims at being eco-friendly with their recycled material bowls and wooden spoons. They also have countertops made of re-used microchips.

I tried the original tart and the pomegranate. The tart was far from what is offered at the frozen yogurt places these days. It was not sweet and more on the watery/icy side. The sherbet like qualities matched better with the pomegranate. The tart and not too sweet flavor was a tasty mix with the strawberry and pineapple toppings.

So if your in the Beverly Hills area, go try Sno:la. I think its definitely special enough to give a try atleast once. The interesting variety of toppings, including aloe, the many flavors and the all-natural eco-friendly appeal make for a cool visit.

Sno:La
244 North Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, 90210
310-274-2435
http://www.snolayogurt.com/
Hours (Winter)
12pm-7pm Sun-Thurs
12pm-10pm Fri-Sat

Spitz in Eagle Rock

Not far from the Eagle Rock Shopping Center, Spitz: Doner Kebab serves kebab, veggies, and tzatziki and chili sauce wrapped in lavash or sandwiched between focccacia. Their classic is half lamb and half beef thin doner meat shaved off the spit. They also serve chicken, falafel or veggie wraps. Spitz's simple menu is complete with a variety of sides including lightly fried pita chips with hummus, sweet potato fries, regular fries or a side salad. They also offer gelato to finish off your meal with a dessert.

This little shack is a great place for a inexpensive and hearty meal. The wraps are made to order and the fillings are very fresh. I enjoyed not only the wraps themselves but the sides especially the bright orange sweet potato fries which were crisp and lightly salted. Definitely try the wrap meal, so you get to try both the wrap itself and the sides. The only con to Spitz: Doner Kebab is that the service isnt the fastest. Because they make the wraps to order, don't plan on stopping by and leaving quick like a drive through. Try it out!

Spitz

2506 Colorado Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90041

323-257-5600

http://www.eatatspitz.com/

Hours
10am-11pm 7 days a week