Cheebo's...In honor of our current sky

7533 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323)850-7070
Mon-Thu 8AM-11PM
Fri-Sat 8AM-12PM

The sky still has it's fresh layer of orange thanks to the fires that have crisped the south land. All that orange has reminded me of our very own Cheebo restaurant here in Hollywood. If you've ever been patrolling down Sunset you'll know that is quickly one of the most memorable places on the strip thanks to it's orange artsy exterior.

Inside your eyes are treated to pop art laden walls while your butts are treated to "getting-to- know-all-about-your-nearest-neighbor" seating. And though the seating is sometimes tight it's always been a friendly environment...maybe Cheebo's attracts all the right people.

While perusing their menu you'll notice it's quite eclectic and for the most part healthy. They strive to use organic, all natural, nitrate and hormone free products, but this doesn't mean flavorless. In fact, most of their plates exude a natural in your face experience. Take their Cheeborrito for instance. While possibly one of the simplest items on their menu, they have paid attention to make sure the the bacon is chopped and spread evenly throughout. They give you 3 extra items of your choice to accompany the eggs, hash browns, bacon and salsa already inside the tortilla.

I'm not going to mention everything on their menu though most of it I could easily write about. I will however make mention of two often bought items. One being the Porkwich. Their description of it is "slow roasted organic pork, pickles, roasted onion, manchego cheese, tarragon may on ciabatta". My description, "pork holiness nestled between artisanal bread". This is one of the "slamminest" (non BBQ) pork sandwiches on the West side. By the way, I love the chips that come with this plate (as well as many of their other plates), they're freshly made and never too salty.

The other favorite is their pizza. The crust is soft on the inside and a little less soft on the outside, the cheese is smooth with lots of "string" character, the toppings are very fresh, and it's consistently like this. It comes out on a wood plank and is good enough for one (with an appetite) or two people (if you're eating light) . Their pizza is by far above average but obviously more artisanal and therefore wasn't on my pizza week postings. That's not to say it isn't absolutely fabulous and worth ever cent you pay for it, it's just not your traditional pie (to some it's even better than tradition) . Pictured above is their Alfredo Slab, a white pizza with ricotta, ham, spinach and mushrooms. It's one of Celeste's favorites and I think has been ordered by someone in our party almost every time we've been. Now if you're going for take out, you may want to to order their famous "slab" which is a 3 foot slab of pizza that can be sectioned off for toppings.

This is just a sampling of the many glorious items they have to offer and though I only mentioned day time meals they will blow your socks off as well when it comes to dinner. I really do wish I could name off all the plates that are special, but I think you'll just have to go and discover for yourself. Oh man, before I forget, they have a killer Arnold Palmer...it's seriously my favorite. It's fresh lemonade and not your typical tea to boot!

Parking can be weird depending on when you're there. It's a safe bet to park on the street around the place but just pay attention to the signs...it is West Hollywood after all. The staff are pretty on it and though the place has some serious hustle and bustle to accompany the noise level, it's generally a pleasant experience always. When you do decide to go, try and grab a spot on their patio on a sunny day, it always reminds me about how nice it is to enjoy Hollywood.

PS. celebs go here...often... & FREE WIFI.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range: Breakfast/lunch $7 to $20 and dinner is $10 to $24 with one special plate (28 day dry aged Prime all natural NY strip) setting you back $35

BIG PS. I have a winner for the ticket give away, thanks to all of you who gave it a shot. Keep checking the site for more opportunities (sometimes they're not the subject of the post) and BIG HINT, I'll have another REALLY REALLY soon.

Brasa Brasil Grill...stuffing our faces with some of the best meat in Culver City

10022 Venice Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310)558-3287
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11AM-3PM
Dinner Daily 5PM-10PM

First things first, sorry about the delay in posting. Sometimes you get a string of restaurants that suck and therefore can't be posted about. I had a sizable run of "wow...that was a waste of time and money and I feel tainted for going here". Some people may say, " but you can still write about other places?" My answer? Yes I can, but pictures convey so much in telling stories, and if I'm posting about some place I really like, I want to do it justice. So, when I have pauses from posting, you can be assured it's due to lack of pictures.

The second order of business is about this brand spanking new place (and that's "new" as of October) on Venice in Culver City called Brasa Brasil Grill. Bring your massive appetite to this spot! As many Brazilian eateries do, they concentrate heavily on meats. This has got some of the best meat going on in Culver City (which is saying a lot considering it's the mecca of mastication at the moment and shows no sign of stopping thanks to Sony).

The interior is pretty chill and please don't think it's messy cause the picture shows all the chairs wacked out, there was good size party there for a birthday party. The eating style is buffet and yes there is a buffet bar, and no I didn't grab a picture of it. Rest assured the buffet bar is not the main attraction here, though it sports all the sides you'd want for your meal such as garlic rice, beans, plantains, poached salmon, Brazilian potato salad, cucumber and tomato salad, black eyed pea salad, farofa, fresh greens and even boiled quail eggs. The place was spotless and the buffet bar was a reflection of that as well the fact that everything that we had from it was fresh.

Notice the object I took a picture of. This red and green wood dowel looking thing rules your meal. When you get there they tell you how it works, "When you want us to bring out more meat turn this so the green side is up. We'll bring out whatever you want from our meat menu and we'll keep on bringing out meat until you turn this so that the red is facing up". Sounds simple enough. It happened 3 times at least that we forgot to flip back over and they kept bringing meat (though you can decline it when it comes out...just made for a funny times is all). The best thing is that it's all you can eat and your choice of which meat or meats you want.

Salad (that's right...from the buffet) , as stated, was fresh and the boiled quail eggs were a pleasant surprise. Celeste topped her spring greens with the black eyed pea salad (firm but smooth) and the cucumber and tomato salad (crisp and almost sweet) as well.

Their garlic rice, black beans and plantains were superb. If you had nothing else from the buffet bar this would be more than excellent to accompany any of the meats. The beans were marinating in meat making their flavor more pronounced, the rice hinted at the garlic and the plantains were perfectly ripe and made to perfection (as you can see).

We tried ALL the meats they had which would be quite the feat for some people (and was actually for Celeste) . Did I mention that after having this we've realized we really need to lose some weight haha? Shown up above is a piece their bacon wrapped chicken and one Brazilian sausage. The bacon wrapped chicken was succulent and glistened with bacon juice. The sausage packed a huge flavor that was gentle on the salty side. As for the rest of the meats (except for the Spicy Chicken...sorry about that) take a look...

Tri Tip (not to be confused with their Picanha)...it tasted even better than it looked. Super moist and great marbling in the meat with an outstanding spice blend that complemented it well.

Their garlic beef was super tender and packed a wallop of spices, and oddly, it is called Garlic Beef but it's richness wasn't from the garlic.

Here's their Picanha which is their creme de la creme meat. Picanha is technically tri-tip (or sirloin), and is, to date, now in our top five for that cut of meat. The slight garlic char on the outside sealed in the wonderful juices inside. Just a mighty fine piece of meat.

Their lamb was almost perfect (Celeste's piece had a little bit of fat, but it's not hard to see). Slightly sweet on the outside with a perfectly done inside. And, if you do get a bit that has a good sized piece of fat, that's the beauty of the place...you just get another piece. I personally loved their lamb. It was nice having lamb a little nontraditional to me.

The only thing that wasn't all that happening, and unfortunately goes with the territory, was their pork. All their meats are on open fire on a spit and while all the other meats have a lot leniency when it comes to keeping them warm, the pork has to be very precise. Once you go passed that temperature you start to lose moisture inside the meat. While the outside of the pork was wonderful the inside was a bit on the tough side for lack for juice. That said, based on everything else, it might have just been an unlucky fluke.

The restaurant itself could seat about 50 or so and is in a small strip mall that has about 15 spaces and 4 other restaurants, but thankfully, street parking is abundant in that area. Pedro the owner is a totally sweet guy and was eager to please (no he didn't know who I was and from what I could tell never saw me taking a pic of anything) . This restaurant is definitely for those who can put it away, but make sure you sure you only eat what you can as they have a policy to charge additionally the full meal price if more than 1/2 a pound of edible food is left on your plate...though if you're like me, once you taste it, you'll totally stuff yourself.

PS: ON A BIG SIDE NOTE, KEEP YOUR EYES GLUED TO WHAT'S TO EAT LA AS I'LL BE GIVING AWAY MORE TIX VERY SOON!


Free refills: yes on Soda only
Entree Price ranges: Buffet and BBQ combo dinner is $23 for dinner and $15 for lunch (you can have the BBQ meats only for $16 or the buffet only for $15 but hey go for both and be happy).

Jaragua...new kid on the block can play with the big boys

4493 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323)661-1985
Open Everyday Noon-10PM

Over this weekend we found a new spot that's totally worth a mention. Jaragua is located on the Saladorean strip of Beverly (between Vermont and Western) at the the far West end of the block. We had seen when it was in the process of opening a short while ago and made sure to mark it on our "go to" list. What really enticed us initially was the fact that it was a Salvadorean spot that was obviously trying to step it up to finer dining (most of the restaurants on that strip are mom and pop spots that are more about the food than the appearance...to say the least).

The interior is, as you can see, more of a family dining type of atmosphere.

We were promptly seated and ordered quickly. We started off with their traditional appetizer platter which had sliced green plantains, fried yucca, one empanada, fried plantain chips and a patelito. Let me start right off the bat and say that their empanada that they gave was pure bliss in my mouth. I had never had a banana and cream empanada and this thing rocked. The yucca was lightly fried making it much easier to enjoy as it's subtle flavor wasn't hindered by heavy batter. The plantains were perfectly ripe making them bold in their sweetness and the pastelito was a baby fist sized ball of meat and vegetables. A wonderful platter and would be worth going back for alone..but it gets betters.

What kind of Salvadorean restaurant would be complete without pupusas? None. It was about 6 inches in diameter and (the one we got) filled with revuelta. Revuelta is a mixture of chicharon, cheese and beans. While not the best I've had, it was completely worth it as everyone's revuelta pupusas taste a little different and are thereby pretty customized. Their's was nicely made with meat of notably good quality, wasn't too salty and also good as it was also a decent size.

Ah...Salvadorean tamales, always a treat. Celeste got for herself one chicken and one pork. Now, she could have gotten one and been just fine, cause the things were huge...almost twice the size of your everyday tamale. That said, I'm glad she did though, because if she hadn't, we wouldn't have known that they use different flavoring for the masa for the different types of meat. If you haven't tried a Salvadorean tamale, you really must. The style of masa in the first place is considerably different (it's smooth and moist with a sweeter flavor) , and there's always one green olive (pleasantly mild) , and a couple potato chunks. Even if you share, make sure you at least try one the next time you have a chance, no matter where you are!

The entree we got (and should have shared!) was their Pollo Encebollado which came with traditonal rice (carrots, fava beans and peas mixed in). I think an entire onion was used and every ring was tasty. This was a massive plate of food with a quarter of chicken and all the vegetables within. The chicken was tender and moist and the onions added lots of character to it. A little bit of citrus zing rounded out the sauce that everything was sitting in. What a great plate of food this was and they whipped out pretty fast to boot.

They have parking in the back and there's plenty of street parking in the area. The staff was quick and very courteous, though I did have one small problem with the waitress who brought us our check (not the waitress who was helping us for everything else). She brought the check out and actually waited right there by the table for me to sign my bill. Kind of rude...but I think she was new...in fact I'm almost positive she was. Overall I look forward to going back as the prices were really good and I'd love to support a local newcomer that I feel deserves a chance to get going.

Free refills: No

Entree Price Range: Sampler platter was $7, main entrees are $9 to $14 (remember lots of food!), and tamales are about $2.25 as well as the pupusas.

Westwood Burgers and Falafel...or should that be Westwood Falafel and Burgers

1945 1/2 Westwood Blvd.
West Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310)475-4070
Mon-Sat 11AM-9PM

This may be one of my stranger posts. Don't let this deter you. Westwood Burger has been one of those locations that can't seem to survive and therefore changes owners and menus every couple years. My wife used to work directly in front of them for Monster.com in 2001 and ate there at least a couple times each week, and we had gone back to see if we'd be able to include it as a part of last week's "Tribute to the LA Burger Stand". Now, if my memory serves me correctly, Westwood Burger has morphed 3 times since she worked there. The new owner has had his version open for about a year now and though it's called Westwood Burgers and Falafel, I would highly push to call it Westwood Falafel and Burger.

We ordered up a lamb pita, a couple of cones of falafel (we started with one, which lead to another), and of course a burger. The lamb pita was pretty rocking with good sized chunks of tender juicy lamb of surprisingly high quality in a very fresh pita. The lettuce and tomato were equally as fresh. The overall eating experience was, to say the least, more than pleasant.

As stated just words ago we got a couple of cones of falafel. We originally ordered just one cone, ate those, and realized "Wow...these are pretty good...pretty darn good" (not to mention the killer sauces they served with them) . With that, we bought a second cone and devoured those as well. They weren't overly hardened and bland the way many many falafel are in LA. These things kicked serious butt, and heck, with their barely crisped exterior and flavorful well textured interior, they could possibly just sell these and do quite well for themselves.

How can you come to a place that says burger in the title and not get a burger? The burger, while done well and tasted pretty solid, didn't have much to it. Yeah, it was fresh, but the meat flavors didn't jump out at you. Don't get me wrong, it was still a good burger, just not up to the standards we held for last week's burger stands. And that's ok, because where they really shine is in their Mediterranean dishes.

Parking is street parking but there's also a parking lot connected to it that they give validation for, so you're completely covered no matter how you want to do it. The owner, who by the way is a totally sweet guy, was really enthusiastic about everyone who came in, and really, why shouldn't he be? He seems to be doing what he loves, making people great food that reflects his culture. I love LA.

Free Refills: No
Entree Price Range:$2.75 (those amazing falafels), $4 (those tasty pitas), to $8 (plate combos)

Thai House...a personal favorite spot in my hood

8657 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310)274-5492
Lunch: Mon-Fri 12PM-3PM
Dinner: Sun-Thurs 5PM-10PM
Friday: 5PM-11PM
Saturday: 1PM-11PM

I laughed the other day when I realized I hadn't put one of my favorite local Thai places up. Thai House has been open for a quite a few years now and I've been blessed to live within relative walking distance of it. But really what is "walking distance" in LA? It's been interesting to watch how they've slowly been adding to their clientele and have really made it a great community dinner spot. Funny thing I've noticed recently about many Asian spots about our town is their very generic in their choice of names. I mean how do you distinguish one Thai House from another Thai House? Just makes me wonder why they chose the names they did. But I digress.

The walls covered with young artists artwork, the exposed roof, and the kind of a trendy overall warehouse atmosphere gives this place a pleasant feel that makes everyone feel at home. Now, while I can personally vouch for a good portion of the entire menu let me show off some recent highlighted plates that were pretty killer.

We started off with a bowl of their Coconut Chicken soup which had creamy Thai spice and lemongrass broth with galanga and fresh mushrooms. The coconut cream coupled with lots of tang thanks to the lemongrass and galanga are great. It's also hearty, with the healthy sized crimini mushrooms that float around in it. After having this a couple of times I need to ask my wife to snag me some of this soup next time I'm sick. It's big on taste and the hints of heat give it enough zing to put it within reach of most heat sensitive palates.

I test many places out with their cashew chicken to get a feel for how they make some of their basics. Their's consists of good sized hunks of tender, juicy, sauteed chicken coated in roasted red curry sauce (not too spicy), with scallions and water chestnuts to even out the plate. It's solid and worth getting when you can't decide on what to get.

Their Spicy Beef Thai Yumm has thinly sliced tender NY beef strips on a bed of fresh greens with tangy lemon grass vinaigrette and crisp red onions. Everything's lightly dressed, but there's plenty of extra if you decided to douse the meat and greens like we did. This is such a great plate when you're feeling like you want something more fresh but still want some meat.

Other plates of note include their Panang, Pad Thai, their Catfish Special (crisped whole catfish falling off the bone with a teriyaki and lime sauce), and their Angel Wings (chicken and pork stuffed in chicken wings). Every time I come back I wonder why I don't come here more often. The prices are pretty good, the place itself is always a pleasure to be inside and the service is good. Oh and theirs that whole walking distance thing...maybe I'm just lazy. Have a great 3 day weekend guys!

Free Drink Refills: No
Entree Price Range:Lunch specials range from $7.50 to $9 while dinner prices range $8 to $15
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A funny thing heard at a wine shop at their cheese section. A customer picked this up and the person at the counter said "Yeah made from real pug's milk". The customer was like "really"? Some people are so gullable.

India's Grill...hidden for 20 years (at least to me)

428 S. San Vicente
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310)659-3903
Mon-Fri 11AM-11PM
Sat-Sun 12PM-11PM

What a strenuous week this has been! My apologies for taking so long with this post but it was my 5 year anniversary on Friday and we just took off to the Santa Ynez for wine tasting and the whole "Sideways" experience. It was beautiful and we tasted a whole slew of wines. We got to collect a wonderful bunch of memories that a 5 year anniversary should be filled with. Once we got back we popped into a place by the name of India's Grill that my friend Hector recommended to us. He was taken there by a friend of his who absolutely loves Indian food and passed it on to us.

Located in an area that, unless you're waiting at a light, you would never see. It resides in the strip mall on the Northeast corner La Cienega/San Vicente "Bermuda Triangle" of traffic. It's a cool little spot with a... better than "community Indian" and just a little less than fine dining... comfort to it. Booths and tables and a smallish patio area make up the quaint location that surprisingly has been there for 20 years. I was so impressed when I found that out and instantly thought of Caffe Carrera, because they too have lasted an impressively long time on the Restaurant Row area of Los Angeles. Another great fact... India's Grill is under the same ownership as another great Indian food spot, Electric Lotus.

We popped in and got a booth seat by the window for privacy as well as good lighting for the pics. After perusing the menu we decided on doing things a little differently and had a good portion of vegetarian food included in our order (usually I'm a carnivore when it comes to Indian). We got the Mixed Tandoori Dinner as well as the Paneer Vindaloo Dinner. Both the dinners included sides of garbanzo and eggplant, a mound of naan, and your choice of Raita or salad (we decided on the raita cause Celeste liked the one over at Electric Lotus).

The naan was fluffy and had some serious substance to it. It was a real winner for us since we always feel like many other places are stingier with their naan. I mean come on...it's just bread.

The raita was great for both of our plates. It was just a little bit thinner than we're used to but it had plenty of onions and cucumber.

Both our plates, and I'm not exaggerating, were piled 2 and half to 3 inches high. Surely one dinner was good enough for two people, but we wanted to show you a what this place is all about. Shown above is the Paneer Vindaloo. This mound of goodness boasted their home made sauce as well as home made cheese. It was a balanced plate with flavors of the Paneer's savory sauce framing chunks of tomato and blending beautifully with the garbanzo beans and egg plant (which had touches of sweetness) changing the texture with each bite. Once again, let me reiterate, this was a ton of food and at $15 it's a really good deal.

Our second plate was the mixed Tandoori dinner. Piled high were the pieces of chicken tikka, lamb, tandoori chicken and jumbo shrimp. We doused the meat and shrimp with the lemon wedges provided and chowed...and chowed...and chowed. We had leftovers for the next day equivalent to a large lunch. Both types of chicken were the stars of this plate with the red char on the outside sealing in the juices beautifully. Overall this was a steal at $20 just for the fact that it was so tasty and abundant.

The wait staff were totally sweet, and though in a small strip mall, you completely forget that you're there once inside. I was floored when I found out they'd been doing business there for 20 years. But, seeing how good everything was and what solid service they provided, I quickly understood. And if that wasn't enough, to add to all this, they offer take-out, delivery and catering. Their lunch menu is a bargain with combination plates going from $6 to $9. Next time you find yourself waiting at the infamous La Cienega/San Vicente light you should hop on in and be sure to bring an appetite.

PS. You can only enter by being on San Vicente heading north. How's that for hidden?

Free Drink Refills: Nope (darn you cans of soda)
Entree Price Range: lunch plates are $6 to $9 and dinner ala carte plates range from $9 to $16 most of those being on the lower end of the spectrum. Dinner plates range $15 and up.

Xotik Kitchen...a picnic in the park...or at The Bowl

6121 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310)280-3961
Mon-Sat 11AM-8PM

Today's entry is interesting in the way that I'm going to call it like it is, and maybe not how they want to be known as. Xotik Kitchen, located in the Arts District of Culver City, is a smallish shop that is as casual as you can make it. A couple of chairs and tables out front and a very small counter inside comprise the entire eating area. They describe their food as a natural organic fusion. I could agree with them on that, and heck I could even agree that it's pretty healthy and generally affordable. My view of this place is different on one thing really. The food and layout is more designed for takeout and imparticularly if you're feeling like having a bite out of the house but not in a restaurant like say a picnic. It makes sense that they do a good bit of catering.

We wandered over to Xotic one day on our way home from work, in the mood to hunt around a bit and spotted this place right after we passed the Helm's Bakery area. We hopped in and ordered one Sumatran Coconut Chicken with potatoes and rice(you have a choice of many different sides to choose from) and their Grilled Vegetable Salad. We sat down inside and waited for maybe 10 minutes, then the lady who took our order brought our food. As soon as the food arrived we noticed a dog outside who must have sensed the food in the air. He watched us eat the entire time. I so wanted to swing by and throw him one of my leftover bones.

As you'll notice, the food comes out in aluminum bowls. I grew up eating food like this from Puerto Rican places when I was a kid, so I wasn't too suprised. I must admit though, it was funny seeing it come out like that, especially cause they had little prepackaged plasticware as well. This is one of the main reasons also why I feel they're much better for take out and not so much a dine in spot, granted we came close to their close time so that may have been the reason. The chicken was surpisingly super moist and the slightly tangy coconut sauce that was drizzled on it gave it some zip. The potatoes and rice were not insanely over the top good, but I had no complaints about them. What's nice about this dish is the amount of chicken they give is a half free range chicken. Enough to satisfy even the heartiest of appetites.

Next up is a plate for rabbits with a discerning palate. I enjoyed my few bites, but Celeste loved this thing. Besides a whole mess of grilled vegetables of the season like different kinds of squash etc, feta cheese, maple crusted pecans with pesto were served over a bed of field greens with a citrus dijon dressing. YUM said my little rabbit.

They have other salads, fish plates, some ribs and even a skirt steak to choose from. While their offering is humble, it's all solidly good. The season and weather is very right for a picnic and the Hollywood Bowl is starting to have their picnic type nights and a meal from here would be perfect. Just one thing... make sure you bring extra napkins cause the food is fingerlicking good.



Free Drink Refills: No
Entree Price Range: $7 to $13

Asakuma Rice...a serendipitous evening

848 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310)652-7780
Sun-Thur 11:30AM-10PM
Fri-Sat 11:30AM-11PM

Don't you just love when serendipity happens? When I was little I was told a story in second grade about serendipity. A child had lost a toy and went looking all over their home for it. In the process of the search he found much more than he was looking for and though he found the toy in the end, he realized that all the things he found in the process were just as fun if not more fun than his lost toy. I went in search of Vito's Pizza and found Asakuma Rice (their website is down at the moment so here's the menu to help as well) a couple of doors right next door. When I got to the parking lot something inside changed my appetite from pizza to Japanese so it was decided by destiny.

Rice (the chain of Chinese food restaurants) used to be in this exact spot now held by Asakuma Rice. From what I'm aware of, it's associated with Rice, but Rice is Chinese and Asakuma Rice is more of a mix of Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Knowing that I try to stay away from chains, this is an okay exception due to the fact that I think this is the only Asakuma Rice, though it may be associated with Rice. The inside even seems more Japanese than it's Chinese counterpart (though you can't see it, to the right of the picture is also their sushi bar).

Celeste and I popped down and were greeted by one of the happiest, friendliest waiters I've ever had the pleasure of having been waited on. Imagine if the town of Stepford branched out from just wives and started making wait staff as well... that's what you'd get. We started out with their steamed won tons (we ordered for them to be spicy and the sauce they blended was a perfect mixture for us). Great texture and very full flavored won tons. The bed of spinach it rested on was complimetary to each won ton bite and perfect for soaking up the sauce. I'd totally order these again.

Being that this was Asakuma and not just plain Rice, I ordered one of the Asakuma specials. I got the Marinated Black Cod with Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura which came with rice and Sunomono. Let me start with the sunomono which was crisp and extremely fresh tasting. Not too extreme on the vinegar base. I'd also like to add that I never had sunomo with noodles in it. Usually it's just the cucumber mostly. The noodles were a nice touch and quite unexpected. It was a good way to round out such a simple side.

The tempura was great. Just on the edge of doughy but not reaching it. I liked how they gave me plenty of it as well. Some places only give like three or four pieces sometimes, so this too was a pleasant surprise.

And the Black Cod, just a lovely piece of fish. It was so incredibly tender, but not "fall apart" tender. It was firm how a good piece of fish should be. The slightly orange flavored sauce was amazing. Please don't discount it cause I called it orange sauce because it was actually so much more than that. It was just a divine main course crowned by this piece of cod.

Celeste had the Kung Pao Shrimp and chose brown rice to accompany it(which was moist, not dry and in need of sauce). The shrimp were cooked just right, they were firm but tender(there are few things worse than dry, chewy, overcooked shrimp). The vegetables were very good as well, but what made this dish snap were the peanuts. I don't know whether they were or not, but they tasted and looked like those big toasty Virginia Peanuts, and oh the difference it made. Such a simple way of making a traditional dish stand out from the competition!(and we know, cause it's one of her favorites)

We finished off with Mochi, mainly because it was noted on the menu that they get theirs from some special vendor in Hawaii. Now I wouldn't say they were any better or worse than other mochi we've had, but the texture was a bit different, which was a nice change of pace. What made this dessert worth a recommendation though was the fresh fruit and fried wonton strips with caramel sauce. Yum!

Going back to serendipity. I am never all that surprised anymore when I find a place worthy of being written about. In LA you rarely have to go too far to find someplace worth eating at. Sometimes I like to think that Los Angeles Magazine looks at my page when I find that recent issues have places I've recently covered in the last month or two in it and they've labeled them as new listings on their restaurant roster. Makes me feel like I'm helping out in a weird way. If I am "helping out" feel free to give me a mention. I'd love the nod from you guys.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range:$7 to $12