Señor Fish - Downtown / Little Tokyo

For the longest time I thought Señor Fish was a one of a kind restaurant located only in Eagle Rock (the Rock). [I had been to the Rock SF numerous times during the years I attended Oxy. It was conveniently close to campus and also a great change from the Cooler or Marketplace meal plan menu selection.] I realized my mistake while wandering around Little Tokyo (LT) looking for lunch. Apparently there are six Señor Fish restaurants in SoCal.

Even more surprising to me was that the LTSF establishment significantly differs from the Rock SF. First, LTSF is gigantic! It is easily twice the size of the Rock SF. Second, LTSF has a GIANT bar, a Happy Hour (weekdays 4pm-9pm; weekends 12-4pm) and a later happy hour cleverly titled Happier Hour (12pm-1am). The Rock SF serves alcohol, but not to the extreme as LTSF (no giant bar). Third, LTSF has table service. Contrast to the Rock SF where a patron must order at the register, pay at the register, take a number, and sit down to wait for the food. Fourth, the whole look and vibe of LTSF is more hip and fun than the Rock SF. I’d take my friends to LTSF and my family to the Rock SF.

I ordered the Lunch Special. Any weekday between 11am and 3pm, for $6.95: 2 tacos, rice, beans, and a drink. I chose asada tacos. The tacos were tasty. Pretty much how I remember them to be at the the Rock SF.

I know what you’re thinking — Space, bar, tacos - this place sounds great! I would be inclined to agree if it weren’t for the 50 minute wait between ordering food and food arriving (we ordered around noon, but food arrived around 12:50). This is a huge handicap and makes it unlikely that LTSF will be repeated during the lunch hour. However, the Happy Hour will be another story.

Señor Fish
422 East 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-0566

(Hi!) / Hama Sushi / Delicious

Almost 2 years, wow. I’d be lying if I said my life has not significantly changed since the last time I blogged. I’m not going to get into the boring details, but let’s just say I do not have much free time. (I’m still lamenting that I never got to finish blogging about my trip to SF. It’s too late now, I have no idea where my photos are from that trip.) Fortunately, I have a teeny weeny tiny bit of extra time that allows me to hopefully add a few posts. I am spending my summer in a part of Los Angeles that I have never really explored before - downtown! Including, but not limited to: Little Tokyo, Olvera Street, and Chinatown. I am very excited for what lies ahead.

As you might have noticed in the past, as I became busier in my life (not unemployed) my choice of subject matter and adjectives became more limited (everything was either delicious or not delicious). This will probably be the case this summer as well. So, I apologize for my future lack of descriptions now & hope you still enjoy my documentation of delicious, sans details.

Anyway, let’s cut to the chase! (A phrase that originated in the U.S. film industry b/c many early silent films started with obligatory romantic story lines but ended in chase sequences. The first reference dates back to 1927 after the first ‘talkie’ The Jazz Singer. More info on this phrase here.) For my first review this summer, I will start with what arguably might be the best sushi restaurant in the downtown vicinity: Hama Sushi. I bet you’re wondering what Hama means. No? Well, I’m going to tell you anyway. According to one website on Kanji and Romaji the word Hama, aka  はま, means beach or sea coast. (This name choice makes sense b/c it implies that the sushi is fresh from the ocean.) Although the restaurant is small and it was getting close to standard lunch time in Los Angeles (1pm), my friend and I were able to be seated immediately and order our little hearts out. And it was delicious. DELICIOUS.

To be honest, I can’t remember everything we ordered. But, it doesn’t matter because everything was great. I am confident that I could order completely differently next time and still give my same lazy delicious approval.

However, there are a few things that stood out enough for me to repeat: Order hot green tea (obv), order toro (obv), order hand rolls (they are cheaper and more filling). There are a few more pictures, but uploading them is not as easy as I remember it to be! Maybe I will add them later…

Hama Sushi (Yelp page b/c I couldn’t find official website)
347 E 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Neighborhoods: Downtown, Little Tokyo

The Tavern

Brentwood is not the same as it was when I first moved here. And that is a good thing. For quite a number of months, I have watched the slow transformation of a Hamburger Hamlet (a restaurant I have never been) turn into a beautiful hot spot, Tavern (a restaurant I want to go to everyday). Tavern (and Larder) is the product of renowned restaurateurs Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne. Their other amazing restaurants include A.O.C. and Lucques. Also, Suzanne Goin and her husband, David Lentz, own the delicious Hungry Cat.

A few weekends ago, my roommate and I decided we would go for drinks and appetizers at the bar. We went around six, which was early enough to avoid the dinner crowd. The stools at the bar counter were full, but the chairs and tables surrounding the bar were still available. The bar is beautiful. The design of the bar (and everywhere else) is well thought out; fluidly chic from the lighting to the upholstery on the chairs. The service was also excellent and consistent even as the place progressively became more crowded.

First drink: I had a glass of Cabernet. Instead of writing down the exact wine or trying to memorize what I ordered, I thought I could just go online and check their wine menu. Sadly, they don’t have it up. So I don’t know exactly which one I ordered.

Second Drink: Lucques Gimlet - Hangar One Vodka, fresh lime juice, and mint. Delicious. In my humble opinion, I prefer the cocktails to the wine. And in no way is that a criticism to the wine list, but instead a compliment to the cocktail menu. All their cocktails are creative and delicious. I would order any of them and be satisfied.

While I was there to just have a few drinks, my roommate ordered some bar food which I was fortunately able to sample:

Steak tartare with quail egg - It is hard to believe that I was a vegetarian for eight years, because I could eat this perfectly seasoned tartare with quail egg everyday. And part of me wants to only to catch up on the lost carnivorous years.

Gougères with french radishes - A gougères is a choux pastry (light  pastry dough made from butter, water, fllour and eggs) filled with cheese. I think Tavern follows tradition and makes their gougères with gruyere cheese, but I could be wrong and plan to return soon to taste again. A French radish, also known as French Breakfast Radish, is an elongated red-skinned and white root base. I only had one, but that is all I needed to fall in love. It’s a cheese pastry in a ball form that you can pop into your mouth. What’s not to like about it? 

The Tavern and the Larder (marketplace/café) are wonderful additions to my neighborhood. I love that in a short walk I can be consuming tasty drinks and amazing dishes. I plan to go back in the future, repeatedly.

AWOL

There really is no excuse for my lack of posting. But, it happens. I am sorry. I will try to keep up. Here is the current excitement in my life:

I was able to return the 3rd generation iPod Shuffle and downgrade (but more like upgrade) to the 2nd generation. Unfortunately, I had to pay a 10% reshelfing fee. This is ridiculous to me because the product was broken. And I was only returning it so I wouldn’t have to repeatedly get it replaced. Oh well. I learned my lesson. This shuffle’s name is “the third” as in the third shuffle I had gotten in the past two weeks. So far, it has been good. As you can see, it looks like Shuffley, but pink.

In other news, I did not do anything really special over Memorial Day weekend. Part of this was because my boyfriend and I were so busy going back and forth to Ikea. On Saturday, we drove to the giant blue playground of cheap modern furniture and meatballs to buy a desk for my bedroom. It was a madhouse. With my anxiety high, I chose the desk I wanted and we left as soon as possible. I was a little worried about buying the right parts because there were six separate products I had to find in their warehouse section: the top, the frame, and 4 legs. I quickly asked an Ikea worker if I had chosen the appropriate parts and if it was all I needed to make the desk. I also asked if the tools and screws were also included. He reassuringly said “Yes, they are included in the frame box.”

We got home, exhausted and drained, and attempted to build the desk. Immediately, we realized there were no tools, just an empty compartment for where they should have been. I should have known better. I always encounter problems at/from Ikea. Everyone always encounters problems at/from Ikea. My boyfriend did not want to drive back to Ikea that night, so we went to Casa Escobar and had margaritas instead. The next day, we woke up and drove out to pick up the tools necessary.

At first, I did not like the desk in my bedroom because it felt cramped. But having a few days to adjust, I have learned to like it. I just now need a new comfortable chair (NOT FROM IKEA).

Chabuya, but I hardly know ya…

On a Thursday not so long ago, my boyfriend and I headed over to Sawtelle to eat at Asahi, but were unpleasantly surprised to find it closed. Instead of pouting, we I looked at the positive side of the situation: a chance to go to a new restaurant! Even though my boyfriend is a simple eater, he doesn’t like eating “new” things very much. So I said, “How about Chabuya? They have ramen and they take credit cards!” It worked. Hooray.

The service was pleasant and smooth. I ordered the Tori Soba, fresh homemade noodles with original chicken based broth, green onion, fried shallot, and charbroiled chicken. The noodles were more al dente than I am accustomed to (Asahi), but in a good way. Next time I think I would get with the house pork broth instead of the chicken broth to mix it up a little.

My favorite part of the dinner was the Shrimp Shiumai (shrimp dumplings). The delicate chewiness of a dumpling shell with the softest most amazing center. And mustard, a condiment I love, to dip in! This was a combination I never would expect to work, but was amazed to find how appropriately perfect it tasted. Four was not enough.

I plan to go back again someday, especially since I heard they have Sesame Ice Cream(!)

Chabuya Tokyo Noodle Bar
2002 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 473-9834

Asahi Ramen

I am not a big noodle/pasta eater. It just isn’t something I ever think about making or eating even though it is so easy, yummy, and inexpensive. I also never lived the cup o’ noodles / packaged noodles lifestyle that is popular in college. So when my boyfriend recommended going to Asahi Ramen restaurant many months ago, I was intrigued. We fortunately were able to be seated immediately after we walked into the small and busy restaurant. A polite waitress came over to our table and dropped off complimentary tsukemono (pickled cucumbers) and took our drink order.

I naively found the menu to be comprehensive for a restaurant that is all about noodles; I never had thought about the different ramen combinations available by mixing and matching different broths and toppings. All these choices made it hard for me because I wanted to try everything. Feeling as if I needed something more filling than “soup,” I ended up not ordering typical ramen and instead ordered the soupless Yakisoba (pan fried noodle dish with vegetables and chicken). When it came to the table, hungry eyes from a table nearby spotted my dish and contacted their waitress immediately to change their order to “what she has.” These noodles were everything I wanted that night: tasty and filling. It was also a large amount of food for a small amount of money ($8).

In a battle between eyes and stomach, I had also ordered Gyoza, pan fried potstickers, for the table ($3.50). Potstickers are also a dish that I never really have eaten much of in life. These have changed my ways, I now love potstickers. And they are the best I have tried, even though I have a limited potsticker experience.

It was a wonderful feast of food. I have been back to Asahi quite a few times since this recorded visit. Sadly, I never have taken a picture of their ramen, which I find to be just as wonderful as the soupless noodles. I am constantly changing my ramen order and don’t have a favorite merely because everything I order has been good. However, I usually add in wontons as an extra topping (for $2.25 extra) because it is the same dough used for the potstickers. I recommend! They do use MSG, unless you make it clear in your order that you do not want that in your meal. Helpful tips: It is usually always crowded during dinner “rush”, they only accept cash, and they are closed on Thursdays.

Asahi Ramen
2027 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 479-2231

Homemade Pizza / Recessionizza

I’ve waited days for my cold/bronchitis to go away so I could use the ingredients I bought last week to make pizza. It is now day eight and I’m still coughing, congested, and frustrated. This evening, I decided I did not want to wait any longer.

Even though I love pizza, I do not eat it too often because of health and economic reasons. I usually buy Amy’s frozen pizza to mitigate the health concerns, but afterwards I feel guilty for spending six dollars on such a small frozen serving. Having just opened a Mint account to budget myself, I have become ultra aware of my spending and decided it was time to start making my own pizza. For my first attempt, I kept it easy and used whole wheat pita, low-fat mozzarella cheese, Muir Glen pizza sauce, garlic, fresh farmer’s market asparagus, onion, and kalamata olives (thanks roomie!). Delicious. In the future, I plan to make the dough and sauce myself and also get more creative with the toppings.