El Coyote

El Coyote last night. Pretty good, reasonably priced. Hasn't changed much since I last went there a couple of years ago. Mild salsa is served warm and was very tasty. Ordered guacamole ($6) - very good, although it seems a bit creamier (I think it's the addition of sour cream) than typical guacamole, but the sour cream does give it a nice flavor. My main dish was carnitas (shredded pork) served with rice, beans, guacamole, tortillas ($11). Nice casual environment. Parking is $3.50.

Dinner at Bombay Cafe

Bombay Cafe. Indian food. Pico/Bundy. Probably hadn't been here in about 3 years. Used to go here quite often. Last I heard, it had a new owner. Although everything seemed the same (ambience, menu items and taste/presentation of food). The menu prices seemed a lot higher now but that is expected. Dinner receipt:

1 samosa appetizer $8
1 tikka massala chicken $16
1 garlic naan $3.50
1 pullao rice $8
1 iced tea $3.00
tax $3.17
Total: $41.57 not including tip

Noshi Sushi to go

Last night, Noshi to go. Very fresh surprisingly. Lots of not so fresh orders to go before. 2 orders yellowtail and 1 spicy tuna roll. I can't wait to go back. Total bill including tax $12.56.

Dinner at Woo Lae Oak

Had dinner with 3 others at Woo Lae Oak last night. Very tasty. Ordered the following.

1 beer - $9
1 bottle of pelligrino - $8
1 iced tea - $2.50
1 order of fried wontons (7 small wontons) - $12
2 orders kalbi - $28 = $56
1 order bulgogi - $24
1 order vegetables to be grilled - $18
1 order Yook Kae Jang (spicy soup with glass noodles and shredded beef) - $12
1 order of lettuce and bean paste (to wrap around grilled meat) - $3.00
Free side orders include (unlimited amounts) small salad, seasoned broccoli and beansprouts and kimchi

Total charge for 4 people yesterday was $144.5 plus tax = $156.42

Wontons were not worth $12. They were good, but not great plus only 7 small wontons? If it were just up to me, i would have just ordered kalbi. Black cod (Un Dae Gu Jo Rim) $28 is delicious, but I stopped ordering that since they raised the prices drastically.

Joan's on Third - Expanded

Just went to Joan's on Third yesterday. Haven't been there since last month. It's now twice the size. Joan's used to be open from 10 am to 8 pm M-Sat, 10 am to 6 pm Sun, but is now open begining at 8 am everyday and now serving breakfast from 8 am to 11 am. I have yet to try the breakfast. There is a bit more room to maneuver around now also, which is nice. It's a nice place to take out food.

Taylor's Prime Steak - 8th and Ardmore in Koreatown

Had dinner at Taylor's Yesterday. Very Tasty Steak. Meatloaf was not good. Total for 3 people was $104.73.

2 Taylor's Garden Salad $5.90
1 Bean with Smoked Bacon side dish $2.50
1 Kansas Sirloin $20.95 (comes with side of rice, baked potato or mashed potato)
1 New York Steak $22.95 (comes with side of rice, baked potato or mashed potato)
1 Meatloaf $15.95 (didn't taste very good, overwhelming flavor of dried spices)
1 Side of Mushrooms $3.50
1 Creme Brulee $5.75
1 Apple Pie ala mode $6.75
2 7 up's (no free refills) $5.00
1 Iced Tea $2.50
2 coffee's $5.00

Total $104.73

Taylor's Prime Steak on 8th and Ardmore in Koreatown. Has $3 Valet Parking.
213-382-8449 Reservations not necessary, but probably recommended.

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles Again

Take out from Roscoe's again. Had the 5 drumsticks plus a waffle. Drumsticks were not good yesterday- were refried or were cooked in very old oil. So disappointing. Oh well. I'll still eat here again.

Shabu Shabu House - Little Tokyo

Shabu Shabu House - Japanese Village Plaza (alameda and 2nd) in Little Tokyo

Went here Saturday night. I usually just come here M-F at 5:30 pm so I don't have to wait. I had to wait 1 1/2 hours just to get seated finally on Saturday. Mall offers free 2 hours parking in the lot with validation but since we were here for 2 1/2 hours, we had to pay the maximum of $5. I'm getting a meter next time. Food is always consistent and I'm always satisfied. Since this place is so popular, you can almost always expect to wait. Also, they tend to rush you out which is always unpleasant, but people are waiting. Oh well.

Large (15 slices of meat) - $14.99
Medium (10 slices of meat) - $12.35

Shabu meals come with rice, clear rice noodles, udon noodles, cabage, mushrooms, carrot, green onion. 2 different sauces to dip

Can specifically request lean/marbled meat.

Great Dinner at Hide Sushi

Had dinner at Hide sushi on Sawtelle. Sushi was absolutely wonderful yesterday (ordered yellowtail belly, uni, mackerel, albacore, unagi). Tempura good here too. The last several times I had been there, sushi was just ok. Staff is friendly. $50 for 2 people.

Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles

Roscoe's Chx and Waffles (on Gower, near Sunset) - I went here for take-out last night. Hadn't had food from here for months. Ordered the chicken (5 drumsticks) and waffles (less than $10). Friend ordered breast and wing with waffles (less than $10). When I picked it up, it had just been cooked. Drumsticks were so tender and juicy. Can't say that about the breast or wing which were dry. I couldn't wait to eat until I got home, so I ate while driving. Waffles got soggy by the time I got home. Just popped the waffles in the toaster and was crispy again. Waffles are so good here (it's a secret recipe) - has cinnamon flavor. Yesterday's waffles were extra cinnamony - tasted almost like the cereal, Apple Jacks.

Open late:
8:30 am to 12 am M-Th
8 am to 4 am F, S

Take Out Food in Hollywood

Friend and I could not agree on a place to eat, so we ordered takeout from 2 very different places:

I ordered cheap takeout from Noshi Sushi on Beverly /Hobart. Didn't order sushi, just 2 orders of spicy tuna rolls. Each cut into 4 large pieces.Only $3 each, so total was $6. What a steal. Spicy tuna rolls are very good here. The rolls are large and have more spicy tuna than rice. Noshi has all types of rolls - spicy tuna, tuna, salmon, albacore, yellowtail, sweet teriyaki? glazed eel.

Friend ordered takeout from Marouch (middle-eastern food on Santa Monica Blvd, near Normandie). Beef sharwerma plate is enough to feed 2 people and is only $10. Plate comes with beef shawerma (meat quality is ok for the most part, better than some other places), tahini, radish, hummus, rice and 2 pita breads. Other middle-eastern food places I like to eat at in Hollywood:

Al Wazir - Corner of Hollywood and Gower. Sandwiches only $3-5. Food plates are $5-8 and come with choice of meat, hummus, small salad, 2 pita breads, lots of rice. Usually open until midnight.

Zankou Chicken - In east Hollywood on Sunset Blvd, near Normandie. Plates are similar as Al Wazir. Only $5-8.

Papa Cristo's (Greek food, not Middle-Eastern) - Pico and Normandie. Closes early at 8 pm. Next door is C&K Importing, a small market/grocery owned by the same family. Sandwiches $6. Grilled Lamb chops $15. Grilled baby octupus $8. Many items are grilled, not slow cooked like the shawerma items on the middle-eastern restaurant menus. The pita bread served with the plates are thicker and have a different consistency than the pita at the middle-eastern places.

Old Spaghetti Factory - Closed in Hollywood

Who knew Old Spaghetti factory on Sunset in Hollywood would ever close? So sad, so sad. I’d come here as a kid and would get a whole children’s meal for $3 in the 80’s. It didn’t have the best food, but I always felt the atmosphere to be welcoming. It had a fancy décor with fancy chandeliers, but was unpretentious. It was a fun place. The last time I came here was some time last year. The pasta dishes were ($7-$10) and included a salad, sourdough bread and vanilla/spumoni ice cream. If I’d only known it would close on June 19 07, I would have come here one last time. In retrospect, I should have supported it more. It always seemed short staffed and half of the restaurant was usually never occupied. Prices had increased gradually over the years, however, it was still considered very cheap to eat here. Drinks used to be included in the meal, but were no longer included in the later years. Obviously, it was a cry for help. :(

Closest location to hollywood is now in Duarte (take 210 E, about 30 minute drive from downtown los angeles); it's visible from the 210 freeway

1431 Buena Vista
Duarte, CA 91010
Phone :626.358.2115

5:00pm-10:00pm M-Th
5:00pm-10:30pm F
11:30am-10:30pm, Sat
11:30am-9:30pm, Sun

My Preferred Korean Restaurants

Cho Sun Galbi on Olympic, couple of blocks west of Western. Last time was last month. Nice Ambience, good for large parties as well as Order of Galbi was $28 and I believe a minimum of 2 bbq orders must be placed to grill at the table. This is a typical rule for many Korean restaurants.If 1 order is placed, the bbq will be served fully cooked already grilled in the kitchen. I know many who swear by this place. I, on the other hand, did not enjoy the Galbi so much. The meat looked great when presented, but it was tough meat. Flavor was good but I had some meat pieces that would not cooperate and had to be swallowed in one piece. Side dishes were good (very potent, lots of garlic).

Woo Lae Oak on LaCienaga in Beverly Hills. I prefer the Galbi here, also $28. Nice ambience. Good for large and small parties. Six side dishes are usually given at most Korean restaurants, not here. Side dishes here are salad, cold bean sprouts/broccoli and kimchi. Flavor is mild here which I prefer (i.e. not as much garlic/pepper is used in each dish which usually leaves that taste on your mouth for days). Galbi is tender and flavorful. I love the black cod dish (un dae go jorim) here, also $28.

Ma Dang Gook Soo (9th and Western) - Although the name suggests the specialization is noodles in a hot soup (they make their own noodles), I go to this place for the dol sot bibim bap (riced mixed with vegetables on a hot stone plate). $9. I have tried many other places for this dish and nothing have compared so far.

BCD Tofu House (one on 9th and Western next to Ma Dang Gook Soo) - It is a chain so there are many scattered throughout Los Angeles and even in the U.S. I am not a big fan of Soon Doo Bu (hot soup with silken tofu- mild, medium or spicy), but I know many people who love this soup. It's especially soothing on a cold winter day. BCD does have cold bibimbap and galbi that are ok but not that good. $8-10.

Tahoe Galbi (corner of Wilshire and Wilton) - only $14.99 for so much food (bang for your buck here). It's practially "all you can eat". I like the chicken bbq - it's tender dark meat stripped of its fat. Galbi is so-so, kind of chewy. Tahoe gives you a choice of 6 bbq items to choose from (you can order all 6 or order just 1). Obviously, you will get less of each if you order all 6, but you get to try all the meats. Other bbq choices besides galbi, chicken, bacon looking meat and thin slices of un-marinated meat. Once you have finished your plate and are still not completely satiated, you can order another plate of whatever bbq choice you did enjoy from the 6 bbq choices. Tahoe also gives you tons of side dishes including thin rice noodle sheets to wrap you bbq meat in. Don't forget to dip it in the soy sauce and/or sesame oil with salt sauces.

Update - Went to tahoe yesterday, 9/16/07. All you can eat price increased from $14.99 to $16.99. Parking increased from free to $1.50.

Seoul Garden (Genghis Khan/Korean Style Shabu) on Olympic, a couple of blocks east of Alvarado. I love this place. $23/person for shabu at lunch/dinner. All parties share the same cooking pot at the table to cook the thin slices of raw meat. A pile of green onions also is given that complements the meat flavor which should be cooked together with the meat. Dip the cooked meat and green onions in the dipping sauce provided. It's not over yet. Sesame oil, seaweed and rice/noodles are then added to the leftover broth with an egg. Complete satisfied now.

Lunch in Downtown L.A.

Mendocino Farms - My favorite place for sandwiches. Very good, gourmet sandwiches. Highly recommended. Hard to find if you are not familiar with the area. Lower level of California Plaza at 300 S. Grand. I love the "wine country steak and brie" sandwich panini grilled. $7-10 per sandwich.

Mangia Mangia - Lower Level of Arco Plaza at 5th and Flower. Italian Food - Pasta's, pizza's and sandwiches. Food just ok. $6-10.

Happy Bowl on 6th in between Grand and Olive. Korean owned bowls similar to Yoshinoya with a Korean twist. $4-7. I like to eat here when I'm in the mood for Asian food. Would not recommend bi-bim bap dish, not authentic. I prefer to take out here.

Cafe Pinot - Just ok, nice ambience for lunch. Visited yesterday. Lunch prices $10-20 for appetizers, $16-25 for entree. I had the yellowtail dish which was more like a yellowtail salad with fennel $19. Nothing memorable. Service was excellent, although food took a while to be served.

Gas Company Food Court (hard to find) at Northeast corner of 5th and Grand (2nd Floor, tell the security guards that you are going to the cafeteria) - Tried it a total 3 times. Supposedly gourmet food. Was not impressed with the roast beef sandwich or fish tacos (very bad), but I know someone who goes here everyday for breakfast. Changes menu daily and weekly (see below):
http://go.compass-usa.com/socalgas/editor/menuview.asp?id=25

Original Philippe's - Historic Landmark claiming to have invented the French Dipped Sandwiches On Alameda, north of Temple Street. $0.09 coffee. $5-6 /beef, turkey, ham, pork and lambsandwiches. Tuna sandwich (not french dipped) also served here. $1 for side of macaroni salad, potato salad and coleslaw. Hot mustard can be added to sandwich. Very popular during lunch. Nice casual restaurant. Open until 10 pm daily. Breakfast served until 10:30 am.

East Side Italian Deli on 1013 Alpine Street near Figueroa/Chinatown- Area used to be Little Italy back in the day until eminent domain of the freeways. Last remaining Italian Deli in that area.Popular with city firefighters and policemen. Traditional sandwiches (meatball, pastrami, etc). $6-10. Located in residential area near Chinatown. West of Figueroa on Alpine. 213-250-2464
Hours: 8 am-4 pm M-Sat

Sashimi lunch special at Sushi Gen, $11. 422 E. 2nd St. (at Alameda in Honda Plaza); (213) 617-0552. Rice included. Same amount of sashimi at lunch and dinner, but lunch is half the price.
11:15 pm to 2 pm M-F lunch
5:30 pm - 10 M-Sun dinner

Pastrami sandwich on rye at Langer's. 704 S. Alvarado St (at 7th street); (213) 483-8050. Curb side pick up service available. Known for their pastrami.
Hours: 8-4 M-Sat, closed Sun

Sandwiches-extra lean add $2.95
HOT PASTRAMI $10.95
HOT CORNED BEEF $10.95
HOT BRISKET of BEEF $10.95

Combination Sandwiches
#1 - PASTRAMI Cole Slaw, Russian Style Dressing : $11.60
#10 - PASTRAMI and SWISS CHEESE Russian Style Dressing $11.60
#19 - PASTRAMI, SWISS CHEESE and COLE SLAW Russian Style Dressing : $12.25
#44 - HOT PASTRAMI, Sauerkraut and Nippy Cheese Grilled on Rye $12.30
#88 - HOT CORNED BEEF, Sauerkraut and Swiss Cheese Grilled on Rye $12.30

Announced on 9/11/07: Intersection outside Langer's deli will be called "Langer's Square" named after the founder of Langer's Deli, Al Langer, who opened the restaurant 60 years ago.


Do not go to Hot off the Press (5th and Grand)- the sandwich place with Boar's head marked all over the sign (I even thought it was called Boar's Head for a while) - Terrible panini sandwiches.

Cheap & Good Los Angeles Restaurants I Frequently Visit

Hide Sushi on Sawtelle Blvd(Sushi and Bento Box type dishes) in West L.A. - Reasonably priced, hit or miss sushi. Have been eating here for many years-very nice employees. Average sushi for 2 pieces $3.50-5. Thumbs up.

Asahi Ramen on Sawtelle Blvd (Ramen, Fried Rice) - Average ramen bowls at $5-8. Fried rice $5. Tasty. Thumbs up.

Hurry Curry of Tokyo on Sawtelle Blvd (Curry and Japanese Style spaghetti) - Nicely presented food and large portions, unfortunately taste of my spaghetti dish with was very bland on my spaghetti dish. Average dish $8-10. Thumbs down. Keep in mind, KCRW fringe benefits are accepted here.

Tere's in Hollywood (Melrose and Cole) - Very good mexican food (burritos, enchiladas with mole, tacos. $5-10.

Noshi Sushi in Koreatown (Beverly and Hobart). Hit or miss sushi unfortunately. Average sushi for 2 pieces $4-6. I like the spicy tuna and spicy scallop rolls.

Joan's on Third - Gourmet food on 3rd/Kings Road - sandwiches and side dishes. I always get the trio plate for $10.25 which includes 3 salads/side dishes of your choice. I love this place. Joan's has recently expanded (opened on 9/7/07)

Bay Cities Italian Deli on Lincoln in Santa Monica - Great meatball subs and sandwiches. $6-10. Also has market and sells their own parmesan bread. Closed on Monday, closes early at 7 pm on days open.

Mario's Peruvian - (Melrose and Vine) - Popular place. I don't come here too often because I find the food a bit heavy, but it is very good. About $10 per dish.

Yang Chow on Broadway/Alpine in Downtown Los Angeles. Everyone always orders the slippery shrimp ($14) and steamed pork dumplings ($6). Other favorites include the green beans with ground chicken. Slippery shrimp is a very, very sweet dish. Quality of shrimp is poor but sauce makes up for it. Open for Lunch and Dinner. Make your own slippery shrimp with better quality shrimp. Sauce probably taste good with chicken too. Recipe for slippery shrimp posted by the LA Times on 7/29/05 below:

Yang Chow Slippery Shrimp from LA Times: Total time: 25 minutes/4 Servings
1 pound large shrimp
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons water
2 cups oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger root
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon tomato sauce or ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon white wine
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 green onions, sliced

1. Peel, devein and butterfly the shrimp.
2. In a bowl, mix the shrimp with one-quarter cup -cornstarch to completely coat the shrimp.
3. Combine the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water in a bowl and set aside.
4. Pour the oil into a skillet or wok and heat over medium heat until hot. Add the shrimp and deep-fry until golden, about 45 seconds.
5. Remove the shrimp and drain the oil from the wok, leaving 1 tablespoon for stir-frying. Reheat the wok. Add the garlic, ginger and cayenne. Stir for a few seconds, then add the tomato sauce, vinegar, wine, sugar, salt, one-quarter cup water and the reserved cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until the sauce is thick.
6. Add the shrimp; toss until covered with sauce. Add the green onions, stir, turn out onto a platter and serve.
Each serving: 302 calories; 19 grams protein; 16 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 18 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 168 mg. cholesterol; 508 mg. sodium.

Yang Chow Slippery Shrimp recipe from Bon Appetite Magazine (3/08 issue) is different:

2 pounds uncooked shrimp
6 tbsp plus 4 tsp cornstarch
4 tsp water
1 cup vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp dry sherry
1 cup plus 1 tbsp thinly sliced green onion
Follow directions above.


Yai Thai Restaurant in Hollywood - 2 locations. (Hollywood and Wilton is the original and very small; Hollywood and Vermont opened earlier this year and much bigger). I love pad thai and I always order pad thai whenever I eat at a Thai restaurant. Had very, very tasty pad thai at Yai (original location), only $7; i thought the pad thai was much better here than any other thai restaurant I've tried. Heard the crispy catfish with chili paste was delicious. I prefer to take out at the smaller location.

I've tried making my own americanized version of pad thai. I found a recipe on foodtv.com that used ketchup instead of tamarind sauce. I could not find tamarind anywhere, so I tried the recipe below and it actually came out pretty good. I found asian fish sauce and dried rice noodles in the Asian section at Ralph's grocery.

Pad Thai
3/4 pound rice noodles
3 T Asian fish sauce (Such as naam pla)
3 T Ketchup
2 T Rice Vinegar
1 1/2 T Brown Sugar
1/4 t cayenne pepper
3 T vegetable oil
3 large eggs- lightly beaten
8 garlic cloves
4 shallots-minced or 1 small onion-minced
1 cup medium shrimp
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
4 scallions (green onions)
3/4 cup water

Add dried pasta to boiling water for 1 minute (should be slightly undercooked). Rinse and drain well.
For sauce - Stir fish sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar, brown sugar and cayenne together.

Heat 1 T oil in non stick skillet. Add eggs and stir until they are scrambled. Transfer to bowl.
Heat remaining 2 T oil. Add shallots, then garlic. Add shrimp and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add sauce, noodles, bean sprouts, scallions (green onions) and the water. Mix together and cook for another 3-5 minutes until water is evaporated. Add egg and toss.

Nijiya Market (on Sawtelle near Olympic) - Grocery store with take out food (both hot and cold). sushi samplers, rolls, bento box. Has microwave to warm up food. $5-$10. Not the best tasting sushi or bento box plates, but affordable and quick.