SUSHI ROKU
Hannah had friends in town from Boston and wanted to give them a truly LA experience. So we decided on Sushi in Santa Monica, that's seems to be pretty LA. Little did we know how authentic the experience would be. The restaurant comprised pretty much everything I hated about LA. Having called ahead to put my name in we show up and find out that didn't really help us at all, we'd still have to wait for our table. So the "Actress" behind the hostess table told us we could wait in the bar. Once in the bar there was nowhere to sit so we stood there waiting for our table. After about 20-30 min another "Actress" told us she could seat us now, but we'd have to eat in and hour and a half because there was another party coming at that time and they needed our table. Translation: There's someone more important coming and you'll have to move for them. Starving at this point we decide to do it anyway and are led to our seats.
Once another "Actress" showed up to serve us all she did was tell us what we should order instead of listening to what we wanted. Every time we would ask for one thing, she would tells us no and suggest something else. After a while I wanted to grab her by the arm and scream, "I don't want your God damn Shima Roll!!!! Just take my order and shut the hell up!!!" But since I didn't want to be arrested I kept my cool.
The food was good, but the portions too small and too expensive, very LA. We ended up having a good time, but that was mostly due to the present company and had nothing to do with the restaurant. There are better places to get Sushi and better places to feel unappreciated. Avoid this place.
I once worked with a guy that never washed his hands. Every time he came out of the bathroom we knew, whether it was number 1 or 2, he never washed. I would not take this man to Nyala. Come to think of it, I wouldn't shake his hand either.
However, if you can find 1 or 2 people that do wash their hands and are up for a sans fork adventure, check out Nyala. The place has about as much atmosphere as McDonalds, but you don't go there for the shit on the walls, you go there to eat well prepared meats and veggies with your hands. Just be careful you don't bite your own fingers. I know most of you are like, "But Tyler, I'm not an idiot, so I won't bite my own fingers." Well I bit my own fingers twice so go to hell. If you're laughing at me right now I hope you bite all your fingers right to the damn bone. Dicks. Well I'm rambling so I'm going to sign off, but check this place out for something different.
This taco truck was pretty standard. $1 tacos. They were out of chicken which is pretty ridiculous so it gets slightly lower marks for that. I had carne asada taco's which were very good. I paired those tacos with a lovely neon orange drink that looked like it could double as engine coolant. It was actually pretty good and made with natural sugar. We ate our tacos on a bench at a park which I felt was very appropriate for this experience.
JITLADA
Jitlada must be Thai for, "Holy balls this shit is hot, oh god, I only ordered water, that just makes it worse!!!!!" Maybe I'm just a little girl, but what I ordered was the hottest thing I have ever ordered. The heat was made worse by the fact that I was so hungry. I had to balance my hunger with my tolerance for pain.
The food was good, but I just ordered the wrong thing, I couldn't enjoy it at all. I would take a bite and enjoy it for about 1.5 seconds, then the heat would kick in and for the next 2 minutes I was pretending that nothing was wrong while I turn as red as a drunk Irish baby. Now I don't blame Jitlada for this. The menu is crazy long and I'm sure there's plenty on there that doesn't melt your tounge. And the sheer number of skinny jeans and stylish eye glasses in the restaurant tells me this is a unique and good place that deserved a second chance from me. You don't get that many hipsters in one area unless there's good food, or someone's handing out free Kanye glasses.
So in the end I recommend Jitlada, just watch out for anything that involves the words "Thai spices."
NYALA
I once worked with a guy that never washed his hands. Every time he came out of the bathroom we knew, whether it was number 1 or 2, he never washed. I would not take this man to Nyala. Come to think of it, I wouldn't shake his hand either.
However, if you can find 1 or 2 people that do wash their hands and are up for a sans fork adventure, check out Nyala. The place has about as much atmosphere as McDonalds, but you don't go there for the shit on the walls, you go there to eat well prepared meats and veggies with your hands. Just be careful you don't bite your own fingers. I know most of you are like, "But Tyler, I'm not an idiot, so I won't bite my own fingers." Well I bit my own fingers twice so go to hell. If you're laughing at me right now I hope you bite all your fingers right to the damn bone. Dicks. Well I'm rambling so I'm going to sign off, but check this place out for something different.
TACO TRUCK!!!
Hell yeah!!! Taco Truck baby!!! I love the whole taco truck/taco stand thing. It's exactly what Mexican food should be. I hate expensive Mexican food. $10 for a taco plate? Really? I'm supposed to believe that because you have a waitress and table cloths your rice and beans are more expensive than others? Please, I know you bought your shit at Vallarta like everyone else. Mexican food should be unpretentious, cheap, and not contain the words "Mexican Pizza."
This taco truck was pretty standard. $1 tacos. They were out of chicken which is pretty ridiculous so it gets slightly lower marks for that. I had carne asada taco's which were very good. I paired those tacos with a lovely neon orange drink that looked like it could double as engine coolant. It was actually pretty good and made with natural sugar. We ate our tacos on a bench at a park which I felt was very appropriate for this experience.
So to summarize, next time you see a taco truck on the side of the road pull over and get a couple tacos. It'll only cost you a couple bucks and the co-pay on your health insurance :)
This is pretty much what our hostess looked like a Pizzicotto, minus the armor of course. Let me start with saying that this was a very good restaurant. The food was delicious and the it had great atmosphere. It even took 9 hours to get seated, get our food, and get out, which anyone who's ever been to Italy can appreciate.
ALL INDIA CAFE
MY HOUSE!!!!!!
RAMAYANI
This place was a trip. It was like you were eating in some ones house, literally. Once you walk past this pantry section of the restaurant the rest is decorated with pictures of family members and heirlooms that look like they came out of some ones grandma's house. Speaking of Grandma, her and Grandpa were 2 of the 3 employees here. This was every bit a mom and pop shop. Their grandson was even in a booth watching other people play video games on his computer. Not sure how entertaining that is, but hey, I'm 27 and he's 8, maybe things have changed. Maybe playing video games is now seen as archaic and quaint.
Although this is my first experience with Indonesian food, I have a feeling this was pretty entry level. It was good mind you, but it seemed like stuff you could get in one form or another from many other Asian restaurants. There's like 600 things on the menu so I still recommend you come at least once and see what interests you. At the very least you can catch a few minutes of video games while you wait.
PIZZICOTTO
This is pretty much what our hostess looked like a Pizzicotto, minus the armor of course. Let me start with saying that this was a very good restaurant. The food was delicious and the it had great atmosphere. It even took 9 hours to get seated, get our food, and get out, which anyone who's ever been to Italy can appreciate.
Having said all this I'm left asking one question...why? Why go here? LA is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. Why settle for something that can be found in Iowa? Having Italian food in LA is like going to Disneyland and riding the ferris wheel (not actually sure Disneyland has a ferris wheel, but you get the idea). Why not ride Space Mountain or The Matterhorn. Or take a risk on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, who knows, you might enjoy it. Take a chance on something new and different. That's what this blog is all about. It's not as scary as you think. Chicken is chicken no matter where you are in the world. Things that were once so foreign and strange become less so with exposure. That's how it is with international travel and that's how it is with food. You don't know you like it until you try it.
So to summarize, if you're looking for a nice Italian place, go to Pizzicotto. But if you want an experience or something new, go somewhere else on this blog.
ALL INDIA CAFE
Strip malls, a fact of life here in LA. Usually they're a great place to buy liquor and get stabbed. Typically full of previously mentioned liquor stores, Mexican restaurants without any English signs, and "Health Centers," I tend to avoid these places like I avoid vegetables. But when it came time to tackle Indian food I had a recommendation from a friend for the All India Cafe. Tucked away in a strip mall on Santa Monica Blvd., right next to a "Dentist Office" (don't go there...ever) and above a payday advance store was a very unassuming Indian Cafe. To say my expectations were low is an understatement.
Upon entering I was pleasantly surprised they had place mats and napkins. My anti strip mall bias was quickly washed away by the charm of this tiny cafe. They made great use of a space that could have easily been a "Dentist Office." The food was excellent, I don't remember what I had, but it resembled a burrito in shape and construction. It was excellent. The service was good too, although we were pretty much the only people there so they really had no excuse not to cater to our every whim. Our waiter spoke about as much English as I speak Spanish which means it was a pretty authentic place.
All and all a good experience, it has renewed my faith in strip malls. Think I'll sign off now, walk over to Santa Monica Blvd., and buy some liquor and Mexican phone cards.
LALA'S ARGENTINE GRILL
Argentinian grill known for their steaks...clearly this was my suggestion. I've been known to eat JUST steak for dinner. Well that's not totally true, I tend to have beer with it. I was so excited to go here I didn't even bother with parking and headed straight to the valet, something I almost never do. We headed in and the hostess found us a table near the kitchen, which is normally a bad thing, but not here.
Hannah and I ordered the same steak (I knew there was a reason I liked this girl) and were not disappointed. It was so good I barely put up a fight when Hannah gave me her left overs. "No, no, no, I want you to keep it...well ok I'll take it." It was even good the next day, which only happens when it's a good cut of meat. The food was so good we fell into a food coma once we got home and didn't even make it to a couch or bed, just fell asleep on the floor. Fortunately Hannah borrows my vacuum frequently so the floors were clean. Plus I can't get 1 1/2 steps into that apartment without being told to take my shoes off.
Overall it was a great place and worth the little extra a steak house is going to cost you.
MY HOUSE!!!!!!
So Hannah has given me a page on her blog. Which is probably a mistake on her part, but don't tell her, I need this. So on this page I will be giving my own take on the restaurants we visit. The ratings on her page reflect our overall joint impression on the places we visit. These are just my rants and jokes associated with the places we go. I'll try to keep it classy, but can't make any promises. Enjoy!
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