Fried chicken has been trending for quite some time in LA. One of the first to get recognition was Gus’ Fried Chicken. Soon after, we started seeing many variations such as hot fried chicken from Hotville Fried Chicken, Honey Dress (Korean), and Tokyo Fried Chicken. Tenkatori is an award-winning Japanese karaage restaurant open on Sawtelle Blvd in Japan Town. …
Westside
Nostalgia Bar & Lounge, A Retro Bar with Quality Food
With COVID restrictions largely lifted, people seek ways to get out of the house and have fun. For me, it’s terrific to see restaurants and bars back open again. The Nostalgia Bar & Lounge is one of the most recent to open. I attended their grand opening ribbon-cutting event with the Santa Monica Chamber of…
Bicyclette, an Impressive Westside Parisian Bistro
Walter and Margarita Manzke opened République in 2013 and caught LA by storm. Since that time, they have opened other popular restaurants like Petty Cash Taqueria and Sari Sari. During the pandemic, they transformed the place where Sotto operated into a Paris bistro named Bicylette and an upstairs formal Parisian restaurant called Manzke. The interior look and…
Mee and Greet Adds Southeast Asian Cuisine to Palms
Humble Potato is a restaurant with a twist on Japanese American cuisine; it was owner Eric Ong’s first brick and mortar. He followed up with Most Valuable Playa or MVP, with a menu focused on Southeast Asian comfort food. His most recent endeavor is Mee and Greet. Mee and Greet resides in a Palms strip mall, a…
Where to Find Christmas To-Go Dinners in Los Angeles
Due to the potential threat of the Omicron variant, some people are seeking a place where they can obtain their Christmas meal to go. If you are one of them, I’ve curated a list of some interesting possibilities. Hollywood The Cat and Fiddle Restaurant and Pub Whether you are dining with members of your household…
Menya Tigre Introduces Delicious Curry Ramen to LA
My mom lives in West LA, and I periodically drop by with Japanese food from her area. We both enjoy Japanese curry, and throughout the years, we have enjoyed curry dishes from restaurants in West LA that no longer exist. I was happy to learn about Menya Tigre, a restaurant serving curry ramen. Menya Tigre…
Skinny Dave’s an Artisan Sandwich Shop in Westchester
Chef / Owner David Kuo doesn’t mind making fun of himself. His first restaurant was “Status Kuo.” For some reason, he quickly renamed the restaurant to “Little Fatty,” a name that his mom used to call him when he was a young boy. His latest endeavor is “Skinny Dave’s,” another self-effacing poke at himself. Skinny…
Celebrate National Tequila Day at Lanea in Santa Monica
This year National Tequila Day takes place on Saturday, July 24. Unfortunately, no one knows the history behind National Tequila Day and how it began. Perhaps the creators of this holiday just consumed too much of the drink they celebrated to remember they created it. Either way, the exact roots of this day are not…
Kaz the Soba Place Prepares Unique Soba Dishes
While Japanese ramen and udon noodles are well known, soba remains a favorite to those who are familiar with Japanese food. Ramen and udon are made with wheat noodles. Conversely, soba noodles are made from buckwheat. I recently visited Kaz the Soba Place, a restaurant that specializes in soba. Kaz the Soba Place is just…
Anzu Gourmet Scores with Japanese Fusion in Sawtelle Japantown
A ¾-mile stretch of Sawtelle Ave in West LA has an amazing collection of Japanese eateries. Named Sawtelle Japantown, you can find restaurants specializing in sushi, ramen, tsukemen, udon, Japanese curry, yakitori, and bento. One of the more recent restaurants to open is Anzu Gourmet, a place specializing in karaage fried chicken. Karaage is a…