Korea Town Foodie Adventures #2

Recently, on another trip to Korea Town for some shopping and errands, I was hit with the craving for meat. But not the usual Korean barbecue, I wanted Brazilian churrrasco. M Grill, located on Wilshire Blvd., is a korean owned Brazilian barbecue restaurant. Their meat rotation includes an impressive 13 kinds of meat at dinner. My favorites are top sirloin cap, chicken thigh and garlic steak. The meat is rotated on spits with various seasonings then brought out to diners by waiters equipped with a knife for table-side carving. Throughout the meal, these servers bring out hot new meats to your table. To complement the meat heavy menu, M Grill offers the salad bar and hot foods section. Garlic rice, pasta, salad complete the meal. Although dinner for two will cost you over 80 dollars with tip, M Grill is a great place to introduce yourself to Brazilian churrasco!

The next stop was one of countless Korea town cafes: Heyri Cafe.
I ordered a smoothie that was nothing special except its huge size. But the monster cup came with a price. All of Heyri Cafe's drinks are very overpriced and the only thing great about this cafe was its atmosphere. What used to be a house, the two story cafe is very cozy with a cute outside patio. But if what you're looking for is smoothies or coffee without the ambiance, just try Jamba Juice or Starbucks.

Frida Mexican Cuisine

All I can say about this new restaurant is that it's mediocre. I totally agree with the 2 stars on yelp. Maybe it's because the restaurant is just starting out at the Americana and it needs time to improve? I'll just leave you with photos:

Jewel City Diner

It was the opening weekend for the Americana on Brand in Glendale and I was so excited. Developed by Caruso, the Americana was a modified version of the Grove. Complete with shopping, fine dining, eateries and movie theater, the Americana is located right next to the Glendale Galleria and Marketplace. My friend and I braved the crowds of people bustling about, but we were hungry. Not willing to spend the money for Katsuya or to wait in line for Cheesecake Factory, we chose the Jewel City Diner. Although it was also very crowded, we managed to snag two chairs at the counter.

Our tuna melt and burger took too long to arrive because of the huge amount of customers in line for take out and seated in. Cooks were frantically putting orders together, but were running out of ingredients. Luckily, we received our food before the diner had to close due to the lack of burger patties and veggies. The burger and tuna melt were average but the fries were yummy. Hopefully, the diner improves to make up for its weak start.

Pizzeria Mozza

The place for brick oven pizza! I had their popular fennel sausage with panna pizza and it was perfect. The crust was chewy, crunchy and thin like the authentic Italian style. The sausage was flavorful and meaty. YUMM! My friend ordered a panini and that was fantastic too. Although there's a wait and the food is pricey, its worth it to see what makes the man in the orange crocs so famous. Plus, it doesn't hurt that they serve you those tasty long and skinny bread sticks at the beginning of the meal.

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