When most people visit Little Tokyo to dine, they usually search for good sushi or ramen. The RIKE owners elected to focus on the Japanese love for rice and open a restaurant featuring onigiri rice balls. The name RIKE is a play on the words Rice and Like. Located on 1st Street in Little Tokyo,…
Downtown LA
Sushi Gen Continues Impressive Omakase Offering
Because Torrance and Gardena are neighborhoods close to my house, I have many great choices for Japanese food. Consequently, I am less motivated to frequent Little Tokyo because it is 45 minutes away from home (with no traffic). Recently, I spent a long weekend in Little Tokyo to see what I have missed. Sushi Gen…
Redbird Delivers Exceptional Dining Experience
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that my wife and I frequently dine with my cousin and her husband. When I learned that his birthday was coming up, I remembered that they celebrated their anniversary at Redbird. Because of that, I selected Redbird to celebrate his birthday. Redbird resides in…
Ditroit – A Fast Casual Taqueria from Enrique Olvera
LA has become the hottest place to set up a kitchen, and many established chefs flock here. Examples of this include James Beard award winner Dave Beran who relocated from Chicago to open Pasjoi. Michelin starred chef Curtis Stone made a move from London and opened Maude. One of the more recent chefs is Enrique…
Bridgetown Roti Delivers Tasty Caribbean Street Food
Rashida Holmes is one of the most talked-about chefs in LA right now. She hails from Bridgetown, Barbados, and made her way to LA via Pittsburgh seven years ago. Holmes has spent time in notable kitchens such as Ray’s and Starks Bar, Terrine, Rustic Canyon, and Botanica. She recently went on her own and opened…
Shiku Brings Korean Comfort Food to Grand Central Market
Grand Central Market has become one of the most exciting places to dine in LA. One of the latest entrants is Shiku, an eatery created by Kwang Uh and Mina Park of Baroo. They feature homestyle Korean comfort food and deliver it as doshirak, a traditional Korean rice box. In Korean “Shiku” means “the people…
Birdie’s for Fresh Artisan Coffee, Donuts, and Chicken
Fried chicken is trending in LA and many Angelenos are now willing to pay for better quality fried chicken. What makes for good fried chicken? The exterior should be crunchy and not be glistening with oil. The coating should completely cover the chicken. Finally, the inside should be moist and tender. Since my wife and…
Rice Box – Flavorful Cantonese BBQ in DTLA
A growing trend taking place is the number of second and third generation immigrants that are following in the footsteps of their parents’ restaurant livelihood. The generation raised here is influenced by modern cooking techniques exhibited by many LA restaurants. An example of this is Rice Box, a modern Cantonese BBQ restaurant located in downtown…
Yess Aquatic Delivers Innovative Japanese Seafood
Editor’s note: Yess Aquatic ceased its food truck operation in Oct 2021. Owner Yamasaki is working on opening a brick and mortar in that same location. Date TBD. Despite the pandemic taking place, some LA restaurants are taking steps to prepare for their opening. One such restaurant is located in downtown LA’s Art District. Since…
Tsurumaru Udon Honpo – DIY Udon Kit
Toshikoshi is a celebration for the New Year in Japan, which means to cut from the old year to the new year. They do this by eating Toshikoshi soba, a “year-crossing noodle” to cut from the old year to the new year. To aid in the celebration, Tsurumaru Udon Honpo created DIY Nabeyaki Udon kits. …