Nyala

Tyler, my mom, who was visiting from Portland, and I went to Nyala in Little Ethiopia after hiking around Griffith Park. We didn’t descend until dark and were pretty hungry upon finally arriving. For a Saturday night the place wasn’t packed, but we did have a hard time finding parking in the area. Thus, bare in mind the time you would have spent waiting for a table may very well be spent parallel parking.

Yelp is not a clear indicator on which Little Ethiopian restaurant is best – but I did recall general acclaim for Nyala (I did some research for some possible Tyler birthday plans a while back), so we labored past also highly rated Mesob and Merkato, until reaching Nyala.

My mom and Tyler each ordered beer and I decided that by not ordering my own I could just steal drinks from theirs. Your choices are these: Harrar, Hakim and Tusker. My Mom, Celia, ordered the Harrar, my favorite of the two. It was bitter with honey undertones and like nothing I have ever tried before or have had since. Really interested in beer? I found a great review of the Harrar on Beeradvocate.com (thanks dkachur) that I wanted to share for those into trying international beers

“Pale amber color with a thin head. The last pour from the bottle was brown and murky... odd for a pale lager. Aroma is strong honey notes with some raw barley notes. Taste is grain, honey, light bitterness and something stale and musty in the finish. Thin-medium bodied.”

I thought Tusker was a bit more mainstay, but also good. Click here for reviews.

Now for the food! Along with the beers came a breadbasket full of spongy sourdough crepe (aka Injera) cuts. The basket is mostly for scooping purposes (hopefully you go with mostly clean handed friends), but is also excellent to munch on – keep in mind that the food also comes on top of the crepe (kind of like separated toppings on a pizza), so hopefully you like sourdough!

We ordered the Meat Combination Plate and the Vegetarian Combination Plate; a brilliant plan for all hungry/adventurous eaters. There wasn’t really a dish that I didn’t like, the vegetable dishes are mainly different types of beans/lentils, but my favorite was the Yabesha Gommen Collard greens which were balanced with hints of ginger and garlic (see the other 5 samplers that came with the vegetarian combination plate here). On the meat dish front, there was lamb, beef and chicken. My favorite was the Yebeg or Yebere Wot (we ordered this as lamb, but you have your choice of lamb or beef - see other two sampler meat dishes here) because it was more on the spicy side and oh so good.

Towards the end, the crepes became so saturated with the juices that we had to give up on our scooping - which was good because the crepe kind of expands in your stomach and by the end of the meal we were really feeling it! A great adventure, I can’t wait until my plans take me back to Little Ethiopia!

For Next Time: I will have to try the honey wine – but I will certainly get the sampler plates again, that is the way to go!

Nyala Fork Rating:

Accessibility: 1 Fork

Ambiance: 2 Forks

Authenticity: 3.5 Forks

Service: 3 Forks

Taste Factor: 4 Forks

Juquila Taco Truck!

A couple Sundays ago (reports of eating promised in a more timely fashion soon), Tyler and I went on a low speed chase after a Juquila look alike. You can imagine our heartbreak when the truck turned out to be a highly questionable produce-mobile. We were pretty bummed, but decided to stick to our guns and return for dinner Monday – after all it would be my first real taco truck experience and according to Tyler’s best friend, Juquila was the taco truck of all taco trucks.

We were able to walk to the truck from our apartment - which added to the experience. We didn’t know if it would be parked on Bundy (location of truck) or in front of Stoner Park, but around 7PM we spotted it in front of Stoner Park. Excellent. The tacos were just a dollar and you had your choice of carne asada, cabeza, lengua, pollo or carnitas. I ordered three, two with just beans (they were out of pollo) and one with lengua in an effort to be adventurous

The two kids working there looked to be about twelve, but they sure did make a mean taco (and actually an accidental fourth in my case)! And for a dollar each, with no added cost for guac – the experience was really never in danger of being a bad situation. We sat in the shade at a picnic table and there I scarfed down three of my four tacos. The cilantro and onions gave the tacos a very fresh flavor and the tasty corn tortillas, which were two thick reminded me of ones that I have had homemade. I was going to go for my second lengua, when the picture of someone sautéing baby cow tongue made me reconsider my full-ometer. (That’s just me thinking too much and had nothing to do with the actual taste). The whole mini event was a load of fun. I would certainly make the trek back to Stoner Park again – but next time further along in the summer with a couple Coronas, your tacos come with the limes!)

Lastly, because it was an interesting point for me, Tyler on top of his tacos, ordered a mandarin orange pop (aka Jarritos Mandarina). At first we both thought it tasted funny, but upon reading the label we realized that was just because the drink actually had real sugar in it. There are a bunch of different flavors to try and perhaps next time, on top of my Corona, I will go for the mango or watermelon.

Fork Rating for Juquila Taco Truck

Accessibility: 4 Forks (nearby our apartment … walkable!)

Ambiance: 2 Forks (the ambiance came more from the feel of the park)

Authenticity: 5 Forks (the taco makers didn’t even speak much English

Taste Factor: 4 Forks (fresh, fresh, fresh!)

Ramayani

This place is the epitome of an Indonesian Mom and Pops. You walk in and one medium size room constitutes as the dining room. The right wall exhibits for sale Indonesian imports and the kitchen encroaches on the dining room’s back wall. The owners, a wizened Indonesian couple, are the servers and probably, at times, the cooks. We settled on this place for a triple date after yelping all the restaurants near Century City’s AMC Theater (by the way - Iron Man II rocked!). The place was pretty quiet for a Friday night, but for the six of us, it fit the bill perfectly.

After some painstake and the patient help of Tyler (they have a very small kitchen for so many menu options) I chose the Tumis Kangkung, Hawaiian Watercress (not to be mistaken for water chestnuts) sautéed with onions, spicy shrimp paste, chili, and tomatoes ($9.50). I ordered the dish mostly because it looked good in the menu photo and there was a chili pepper by it’s description – thus when the waiter/owner asked if I wanted it spicy, I gave the thumbs up.

Tyler ordered the evening’s special, Nasi Goreng, Indonesian style fried rice with egg and chicken satay ($8.95). Too much fried goodness for me, but from the beginning I was really only interested in his beverage choice. To drink he ordered, Tiger, an Indonesian lager, that I liked okay despite my preference for stronger flavored beers and aversion to light, mass-market beers. For the beer connoisseurs this is a good review of the stuff: Link to Tiger Beer Review.

When our food came, I was happy with my pick and after peering at everyone else’s order, I got the sense that I had done well for myself as nothing else particularly appealed to me. Visuals aside, the taste was a little too bland for me – though I did enjoy the subtle Indonesian base blend of spices (see Indonesia "Spice Island"), I would have also preferred each bite to have been a little spicier on impact. Yet, with the extra order of rice and a little added house hot sauce (also available for sale at the wall market), I was happy as a clam and very much enjoyed the warmth of the restaurant and my company.

Pizzicotto

My sister, Alexis, Tyler and I went to Pizzicotto on a Sunday night for a 7:30PM reservation. The place was packed with an Italian birthday party. On the one hand, we were stoked to have found such an authentic spot. On the other hand, we had to wait outside until past 8PM to be seated.

If you go to Pizzicotto at a non-peak hour and have your choice of where to sit, go for the upstairs. The loft is definitely the coveted dining area. However, the whole little restaurant is very cozy and charming; cured Italian meats hang from the ceiling and racks of wine line the vaulted ceiling. Our waitress/hostess was this lovely little Italian woman who wore giant black-rimmed glasses and delivered the complicated specials like she had made them herself.

Prior to bringing out our meals, she served us house bread with a dipping sauce that contained olive oil, pesto and red chili flakes. So good! Our meals definitely took some time to come out (30 minutes or so), but we all agreed they were well worth the wait. I ordered the Salmon Balsalmico, grilled filet of salmon, served on a bed of steamed spinach, with aged balsalmic vinegar sauce ($14.95). The result was phenomenal: the fish melted in my mouth and the balsalmic sauce had a rich flavor that I only wish my Trader Joes balsalmic could deliver.

Also, noteworthy was my sister’s Tortelloni di Zucca, tortelloni stuffed with pumpkin in a creamy tomato, pesto and Parmigiano sauce ($13.95). An entrée as rich as this doesn’t generally appeal to me; however, I had the pleasure of finishing off her leftovers the next day and possibly preferred her dish over my salmon. It’s a toss up though - both are highly recommended!

FOR NEXT TIME: I probably would not go on a Saturday or Sunday night, but I would like to go back because it is such a kitch little restaurant! Also, I want to try the Fregola con Arselle, pan-roasted manila clams with toasted pasta grains, lemon, spices, tomato-white wine sauce; served with garlic bread ($12.95), appetizer. I bet their hazelnut gelato is good too!

Fork Rating for Pizzicotto:

Accessibility: 1 Fork (parking was tricky on top of the wait)

Ambiance: 4 Forks (it was a bit loud)

Authenticity: 4.5 Forks

Service: 3.5 Forks (mostly just because of the wait – I loved our server)

Taste Factor: 4.5 Forks

All India Cafe

The All India Café (from here on out to be referred to as: AIC) is extremely unassuming. Wedged into a strip mall on Santa Monica Blvd., the place is just a fail at impressiveness. Tyler and I agreed to go inside with a pact to check out the menu before being seated. Yet, once inside I was surprised to find that it was indeed a bona fide restaurant and not just a takeout front.

We had our pick of seating as there was only one other couple there. Usually this would bother me, but the lack of hullabaloo after a long Monday was actually quite soothing. Our waiter was super pleasant and the décor was warm and simple.

The best part of my meal was the Nimbu Pani, an Indian-style lemonade with ginger and lime juice ($3.00). It wasn’t too sweet and had a nice twang. I slurped it down and still have plans for recreation with the recipe in the link above.

I LOVE eggplant everything so I ordered the Baingan Bharta, a puree of Tandoor baked eggplant sautéed with onions, fresh tomatoes, ginger, green chiles and herbs ($7.95). When it arrived I was quite skeptical because it looked more like a sadly colored soup than anything else. It didn’t come with any rice so once I ordered the rice (Basmati side $2.50), I was a much happier camper. The puree had a nice spicyness to it and thus I finished happy and full.

I am a texture person and so next time I will try the Eggplant Salad, sautéed Japanese eggplant topped with seasoned tomoato sauce and ginger yogurt ($6.95).

The low down on AIC? Good, but not great. Tyler and I agreed to come back as it is so convenient and simply pleasant; a great weekday spot. I would advocate for their lunch buffet, but honestly if you want an incredible lunch buffet-like experience, go for the Daily Special at the Samosa House ($7.99). And make sure to include the spicy jackfruit; it is orgasmic!

Fork Rating for All India Cafe:

Accessibility: 5 Forks (we walked and didn't have to wait for a table!)

Ambiance: 3 Forks (once inside the place was nice)

Authenticity: 3 Forks

Service: 3.5 Forks

Taste Factor: 3 Forks