Bruxie

Ashley: Stephen and I have been to Bruxie several times already, but haven't gotten around to doing a review. So at last, here it is! I would say Bruxie was one of the biggest surprises I've had in a while. I had heard pretty good reviews about it, but I could never wrap my mind around the concept of using waffles as a burger bun. But I'm glad I gave it a try.

I've always ordered the Green Eggs and Ham Waffle Burger. Here's a picture of what it looks like, along with some waffle fries (which are just as delicious, btw)

I remember the first time I ordered from Bruxie, I had skipped breakfast and as soon as I saw the pesto and egg ingredients in this waffle burger, I looked no further. Before I took my first bite, I was expecting a rush of sugar from the waffle buns. But nope! In my opinion, I might even prefer them over hamburger buns now. They have a slight crisp to them that you can't achieve with hamburger buns, and the waffles were surprisingly more on the salty side, rather than sweet. Everything seemed to work. The pesto, egg, and ham combination was delicious (hence why I keep going back and ordering the exact same thing). If you do happen to order the regular waffles, though, which I hear are also very tasty, they give you their own original syrup in a cute little glass container, which I think adds a nice personal touch.  The waffle fries were good too. The closest thing I've had to the waffle fries were the fries from Chick-fil-A, but these are better by far. The waffle texture gives it that really unique crisp.

Customer service here is also fantastic. Everyone is so friendly and their service is quick and efficient. There's always been someone greeting people with the menu outside of their store, and everyone working there seems to enjoy it.

All in all, I would say that Bruxie is one of the most original restaurants I've tried lately, and for those of you in the southern CA area, I would highly recommend giving this place a shot! Waffle burgers are not as strange as they sound.

Happy eating!

-STASH

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LAST DINELA OUTING: Seoul House of Tofu

(310) 444-9988
2101 Sawtelle Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064
www.seoultofuhouse.com

For our last dineLA, Ashley and I...didn't end up going to a dineLA restaurant, unfortunately. Sorry guys! :( We really wished we were able to go enjoy Little Next Door with all of its great French cuisine and solid reviews. However, when we arrived there, there was a line out the door and we were starving so we weren't able to stay and wait. We will be heading back there to write our review soon though, so please stay tuned for that!

Instead, Ashley and I went to Seoul Tofu on Sawtelle for dinner. Just a word of caution...parking on Sawtelle is hard to come by. But just walking by, we noticed that this place was completely PACKED. Unlike Little Next Door though, there was not much of a line which was perfect for us. We were quickly seated after about a 15 min wait. I was considering ordering a combination but after learning from the waiter that that was just half portions of the tofu pot and the traditional dishes for about $17, I decided I was going to have the seafood tofu pot and an appetizer of kimchi pork dumplings instead. Ashley ended up ordering the assorted tofu pot.

The kimchi pork dumplings came first. Beware, those who don't like kimchi should stay away from this dish. But if you do like kimchi, then congratulations! That's literally all you taste in this dumpling. Mixed with little pork bits, this dumpling is actually quite good but the kimchi could get a little overpowering. I definitely wished that this dumpling was more pork and less kimchi, and I do like kimchi.

Now to the tofu pot! I do like my tofu pots slightly spicy and the spicy level did the trick. The tofu pot had a nice kick to it, but not so much so that it left my tongue useless for the rest of the meal. The shrimp and seafood were delicious in the tofu pot and tasted nice and flavorful. The tofu was also really good as it had a great texture to it, being soft but not mushy. Ashley's tofu pot also tasted similar to mine so it's really up to you and what you like having in your tofu pot. Overall, we enjoyed our meal here so thanks Seoul House of Tofu! The service here is also young, effective, and cordial so our dinner experience was a welcoming one. If you are too lazy to cook but don't want to break your wallet, this place is a decent choice. 

Happy Eating!

- STASH

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Casanova

5th St & Mission St.
Carmel, CA 93921

Ashley: My family went to Carmel-by-the-sea a few weeks back for 4th of July. Since we got there around lunch time, we randomly chose a place to eat. I'm so happy we came across this little gem! We had brought our dog, Sandy, and were looking for a restaurant that was pet-friendly (which most of the restaurants are). The girl standing out in front of the restaurant asked us if we had reservations, which we didn't. Thankfully, though, there was one table for four right outside on the patio that was free, and we were seated there. Sandy was able to get a nice little treat and water bowl for herself while we proceeded to enjoy our lunch.

Their menu had a nice selection, which can be found here: Lunch Menu

After we had ordered, they brought out some crispy breadsticks for us to enjoy. It was a nice change from the usual bread and butter that you get at most Italian/French restaurants. The breadsticks came with a meat sauce for dipping, and we were able to get 2 refills without a problem.

We skipped out on ordering any appetizers, and I suppose that was a good thing because the main entree was quite a large serving size--or at least, larger than what I would have expected from a French/Italian restaurant. I ordered the Linguini con Scampi ($17), and with the presentation of the dish alone, I was already impressed.

This dish was delicious! They give you a nice amount of seafood, and the sauce was made just right! I was afraid that it might have been overly cheesy, but nope! The shrimp was probably my favorite part. They were huge! And juicy and flavorful. All in all, a very impressive dish, and I would definitely come back for more.

After we had finished the main course, we were offered a dessert menu. I thought the desserts were way overpriced, but we decided to try a couple, anyway. We chose the homemade Tiramisu, as well as the ice cream assortment.

The Tiramisu was presented so nicely! And it was made to perfection. It was creamy but not soggy, and the coffee flavor was just right. The vanilla ice cream scoop on the side added a nice touch. I loved this dessert!

This was their ice cream dessert. It came with three scoops, all of which were different flavors, as well as a nice serving of fruit. The vanilla and chocolate were my favorite, and the other one was alright. But because I'm not accustomed to tasting wine in my ice cream, I only took a small bite. Both of my parents thought it was good, though! I'm not sure if the ice cream was homemade, but it was delicious nonetheless. The effort that this restaurant puts into arranging and presenting their food really adds a nice touch. If any of you are ever in the area, I would highly recommend giving this restaurant a try. Yelp says that prices are rather expensive, but from what we had from the lunch menu, I'd say it was reasonable for the amount/quality of food that you're getting...with the exception of the dessert, which I thought was rather overpriced. The workers their were so friendly and attentive. The whole experience was lovely. I definitely want to go back again!

Happy eating!

-STASH

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A Year Ago in France: Ep. 1

Ashley: I went to France last summer with my family, and my only regret is not starting this blog earlier! I have so many beautiful gorgeous pictures of food, but I have no idea what the restaurants were called or what the dishes were anymore. But I thought it would still be interesting to do a throwback kind of post. This particular restaurant was at a farmhouse! I'm pretty sure it was family run, and most people who ate there were actually French. My dad had found the restaurant from reading Rick Steves' travel book. And I'm so happy he did, because the food here was not only *gorgeous*, but tasted amazing as well. Looking back on all of the food pictures I took during our vacation in France, this was one of the few restaurants that I actually distinctly remember. Just not the name, unfortunately :(

Anyway! This post will be more pictures than text, since my memory of the taste of the actual food is quite vague now. This restaurant had two dining rooms, a main one, and one off to the side in another building. My family and I were seated in the side dining room, which I thought was nice because it was a lot quieter. The interior decor looked like this:

 The table was set so nicely. And yes, France was I swear the only trip where I consistently resorted to using Instagram. I just thought it brought out the rustic setting of the whole place! Here is a close-up of the plate set up and a part of their drinks menu:

Ahhh the colors all went so well together! Since I don't remember much about the menu, I'll proceed to the food! I do remember this being a two course meal, where in addition to the main entree each of us could either select an appetizer or a dessert. I think my whole family picked appetizers.

Yes, this was an appetizer! This restaurant overall had better portion sizes than those typical of most French restaurants. I remember this dish very well. The French are known for their foie gras dish. And of course, being a tourist, it was one of those things on our list to try. It's made out of the liver of duck, and I'm pretty sure it's banned from the US. It's really buttery and creamy. Unfortunately, I really really did not like this dish. I know it's a delicacy and all, but something about the taste mixed with the slimy texture of the whole thing just clashed for me. I wasn't able to finish more than a couple bites. The chefs in French restaurants often personally come to your table during your meal to ask if you liked the dish. So to avoid offending them, my parents ate the rest of my foie gras too, even though they had already finished their own relatively big pieces.

I took pictures of everyone's food. I want to say this was my sister's appetizer? It was an assortment of cheeses wrapped with other stuff. It almost looks like sushi! No idea how it tasted since I don't think I tried it. But it sure looks pretty!

This dish I do remember! The red wine sauce made this dish amazing. The pork itself was ok, not too flavorful, and I remember it being a little bit tough to chew. But with that red wine sauce, I finished the whole thing without a problem! The quiche and garlic bread slice were also pretty good! It was the perfect serving size as well. My whole dinner experience left me feeling satisfied, not bloated.

The rest of the pictures are the dishes that the rest of my family ordered. I can't write much about them because I have no idea what the dish was. But I hope you guys enjoy the pictures nonetheless!

The end! Sort of a different post, but I figured that since I've traveled to so many places and I have all these beautiful pictures of food to share, I might as well! Even though I don't remember the details of the dishes. I have so many more meals from France to share. So if you're interested, definitely keep an eye out for this series!

Happy eating!

-STASH

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Class 302

Ashley: This is my absolute favorite place to go for shaved snow. It's a pretty small cramped store, but I think it gives off that authentic Taiwanese vibe. The prices are pretty cheap too! Especially for the huge amount of snow that you end up getting. I've tried both the green tea and vanilla shaved snow combos. I liked the vanilla a lot better. For some reason it just seemed to have more flavor. I've heard their mango one is pretty good too.

Anyways....brace yourself for this heavenly wonder:

Oh my gosh even right now as I'm typing this after I've had dinner I'm still close to salivating. It was so so delicious. I'm serious, you have not had true shaved snow until you try Class 302. They give you a generous scoop of red bean, and the mochi was really soft and chewy as well. I love how well the condensed milk complements the shaved snow. Every bite is just so yummy! Favorite shaved snow combo ever. The snow is actually creamy! It's not quite ice cream texture, but it's pretty close and you would never associate it with just being flavored ice.

Anyway, I would highly highly recommend giving this place a try. I wasn't a big fan of shaved snow until I tried this place. So I thank Stephen for convincing me to go :)

Happy eating!

-STASH

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Curry House CoCo Ichibanya

Ashley: Stephen and I went to try out this restaurant yesterday, since Stephen had gone there before and liked it! They have a bunch of locations across the world but they're mostly based in Asia. We both ordered the same thing (vegetable curry) since we both weren't particularly hungry at the time. I think it was only about $7 for a decently sized plate of curry and rice. So value-wise, it was great!

You're also able to customize the size of your rice/curry serving, as well as your preferred spice level. Stephen and I both went with the regular default options, although I would probably opt for a higher spice level if you want that extra kick of flavor.

The service was pretty fast. We got our food within 10 minutes after ordering. They give you a large plate with rice taking up half of the plate and the curry poured over the other half. I stirred mine up before diving in. The curry wasn't bad, but I didn't think it was anything special. Maybe it was because I got the vegetable curry, and it might also have been because I wasn't that hungry. The dish was filling and relatively tasty, but it was nothing that left my taste buds hungry for more. I will say that the potatoes in the curry were really good--soft and flavorful. But other than that, it was just alright.

So since we both ordered the same thing, this is going to be a pretty short review. If you're looking to try out Japanese curry, this is a great place to start! But it's nothing worth going out of your way for, in my opinion. But maybe I need to give this place a second chance. I saw a few tables around me that had all ordered their omelette dishes--which looked very unique! Definitely something I'm going to try if I go back!

Happy eating!

-STASH

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Men Oh Tokushima Ramen

A couple of days ago, while Ashley had gone to Yojie Japanese Fondue, my friends and I tried out a ramen place based in Little Tokyo called Men Oh Tokushima. What a coincidence that we both ended up going to a Japanese restaurant that night! Anyways here's how the ramen went.

We arrived at the ramen shop at about 7:20pm and were greeted to the sight of over a dozen people standing outside the door waiting to get in. *Cue sighs and groans.* However it definitely isn't nearly as bad as the wait of some of the more prominent ramen shops in the area such as Shinsengumi and Daikokuya. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes in order to get in, but the service staff was very nice and enthusiastic which made our wait a bit more bearable. We were seated comfortably at the bar and our waiter took our orders quickly. Thankfully, all of our food came out within about 10 minutes.

I ordered the Tokushima Ramen and it was very good. The broth was very rich and delicious while the noodles were chewy and robust. I am a firm believer that the quality of the broth and noodles are what makes or breaks a bowl of ramen, and in this case I came away satisfied. The chashu definitely also helped seal the deal as they were very flavorful and not overly salty. Personally, I still preferred the ramen found at Shinsengumi and Daikokuya, but if you don't want to deal with Daikokuya's wait or want a richer broth and chewier noodles than Shinsengumi, this place will be well worth your time. Ashley and I are both ramen freaks and obsessed with trying all the great ramen shops LA has to offer and I can't wait to bring her here next time!

Happy Eating!

- STASH

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Yojie Japanese Fondue

Ashley: This past weekend, I went out with the people from my research program, and after spending a day at the beach, Yojie was our long awaited stop for dinner. I found Yojie while skimming through the list of Dine LA restaurants in the $25 bracket. This was the best value for a Dine LA priced meal that I've had so far. And the food was delicious. Everyone in my group throughly enjoyed their dining experience--especially those who had never had Japanese fondue before.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the restaurant (besides the delicious smell of shabu shabu) was the restaurant decor and ambiance. Is it possible for a restaurant to be so perfectly classy and casual and the same time? Look at what they even did with the napkin! The dots on the napkin neatly align with the lettering on the chopsticks.

Small things like these do get noticed! Anyway, our whole table ordered the dine LA special. I ordered the Sumo (12 oz. of beef). I wanted to order the half salmon half beef plate, but for the value, Sumo was more worth it. The regular price for the Sumo entree alone (not including the appetizer or dessert) is $22. So for a 3 course Dine LA meal, the Sumo had already allowed me to get my money's worth. Customer service here was excellent! My friend had asked for a the salmon/beef combo entree, but they had made a mistake and given her only the beef instead (not the Sumo, a different kind). When she mentioned it to the waitress, the waitress brought out another salmon serving free of charge!

The appetizer came first. I had ordered the regular Miso soup, although they did have a spicy version on their menu. It came in a decently sized bowl but the soup itself was nothing special.

The main entree was the real highlight of the meal. It was quite a lot of food actually, especially with the 12 oz. of beef. All entrees come with a side serving of vegetables, which included a nice assortment of carrots, broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, and noodles (I probably left out something), and a bowl of white rice. The sauces were delicious as well. One was soy sauce based and the other was peanut. After showering the sauces with additional toppings, they both went very well with the meat. The waitress was really nice and patiently showed everyone who didn't know how to eat fondue style all the details. And then....the feast began.

Just look at all that meat! Needless to say, I was stuffed by the end of the main course as I ate every last piece of beef. The beef itself was not that flavorful, but that might be because my soup base was just plain shabu shabu. Dipped in the sauce, however, and the beef was heavenly. Maybe a little bit tough--but overall, delicious! Anyway, I was so so full after the entree. So when they announced that dessert was about to be served, my stomach started to churn. I told myself that I would only take a sip of the ice cream float. Guess what happened...

So obviously there was no way I could resist that and I ended up finishing all of my dessert as well. It was so yummy. The strawberry soda went really well with the vanilla ice cream. My friend who ordered melon flavored soda said the same thing about his float. All in all, it was a great meal. Especially for Dine LA, I thought it was a great value. If you guys ever get a chance to try this place out, I would highly recommend doing so. You won't be disappointed. Great customer service, great food, great ambiance and decor, what more could you ask for!

Happy eating!

-STASH

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Hiking in Topanga State Park

Ashley: So this past Saturday, Stephen and I decided to take a hiking trip. I'd say this was our first "legit" one. I had been looking up trails and this one stood out. Not only did it have spectacular views, it was a decently long enough to take up a whole morning. This trail was about 7 miles roundtrip, and out of the hikes that I've been on, this was definitely a tougher climb. We took about 3.5 hours to finish, but that was including our many stops to take pictures, and a detour we took after making a wrong turn.

We started off at about 8 am at the trailhead at the intersection of Los Liones Drive and Sunset Blvd. I would advise you to use the bathroom before you start on the hike. There are none on the trail. And the bathrooms here are the cleanest I've seen at a hiking place! The first mile was a steady uphill climb, and the second mile was a little steeper. But past that, it kind of just alternates between going up and going down. The scenery along the trail is gorgeous, though! We even saw a rabbit and a fox! It was hard to believe we were still in LA. The air up there was so fresh and crisp--especially since we started early in the morning. We reached the overlook right as it started to warm up. Unfortunately, it was still a little foggy and we weren't able to see much of Pacific Palisades. Nonetheless, I still think it was a worthwhile hike. There was a good amount of shade, and if you go early in the morning, there's not that many people either.

The trail we took consisted of following Los Liones Drive up through the East Topanga Fire Road and then continuing on to reach the Parker Mesa overlook. If you get the chance, I would highly recommend trying out this hiking place! Here are some pictures we took along the way. But the camera was not able to do this place justice with all of the fog :( But you can get a general idea of what to expect. Remember to get there early, bring snacks/water along the way, and be prepared to be slightly sore the next day (especially if you don't hike a lot). But it's all worth it!

Sights along the trail

Parker Mesa Overlook

Parker Mesa Overlook

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Chabuya Tokyo Noodle Bar

2002 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025

Stephen: After a great morning 3-hour hike up to the Parker Mesa Lookout yesterday, Ashley and I went to Sawtelle Blvd for lunch. I personally really wanted something cold to eat so when we saw Chabuya advertising their tsukemen (dipping noodles) we decided to stop there. Funny thing though, I ended up ordering their Hiyashi Summer Noodles instead while Ashley ordered their classic ramen so neither of us got what we stopped here to get.

The noodles were actually really good and chewy and I really enjoyed the slightly salty, sweet, nutty flavor of the sesame sauce. The chashu pork was decent but not very flavorful while the radishes and cucumbers made things seem much lighter. The seasoned boiled egg was really just a normal egg not much seasoning anywhere and not what I expect from a ramen shop. The seaweed was kind of floppy too but I am just being nitpicky there. Overall the noodles were light, cold, and salty-sweet which was just what I wanted that afternoon, and I definitely did like it.

Ashley: As for me, I ordered the classic ramen. I really liked the broth; it was really rich and flavorful! It was a decent serving size as well--especially for the price. It also had bamboo shoots, green onion, a slice of pork, and seaweed if I remember correctly. NO EGG though :( The noodles had a good texture and were just the right amount of chewy, although I still preferred Stephen's noodles. Overall, I wouldn't say this ramen is anything special. My favorite ramen house is still probably Daikokuya (Little Tokyo). But it's decent. 

Happy eating!

-STASH

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Da' Pasquale Trattoria

9749 Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 859-3884

Two days ago, Ashley and I went to Da’Pasquale Trattoria for our second dineLA experience. We found a couple of parking structures conveniently located right behind the restaurant. I'll just say outright that this place offers an exceptional experience especially for its warm service, fresh ingredients, and a pleasant dining ambiance. Walking into the restaurant, the decor was very reminiscent of restaurants in Italy which I thought was a great touch. What was amazing though is that despite the restaurant being so busy at the time, the owner himself was able to personally greet us at the door. We were seated quickly and walked through the bustling floor of the restaurant to get to our seat. This restaurant really nails the authentic Italian dining experience right here in the heart of LA! Their Dine LA menu consisted of a three-course meal. Ashley and I each chose different dishes so we could sample more of their food.

They started off our night with some bread and sauce of olive oil with balsamic vinaigrette. The bread was warm and fresh out of the oven, a little bit hard on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. It was not the best bread I have ever tasted, but it was definitely a very good start nevertheless. it was such a busy night so we waited quite a while to get our food, but at least our waiter never left us feeling forgotten and would periodically come back around in order to ask if we wanted more water or more bread. This was awesome because since the restaurant is family-owned, the waiting staff really made us feel as if we were part of the family during our visit.

Ashley: For my appetizer, I chose the Prosciutto e Mozzarella. The Prosciutto was absolutely delicious! They paired the meat and cheese with arugula, which I found to be quite bitter. But that just might be preference. Stephen, however, thought it complemented the dish quite nicely. The mozzarella cheese, while not super rich, was light and creamy. And the presentation of the dish itself was beautiful.

Stephen: For my appetizer, I ordered the Peperonata con Burrata. It is basically a medley of bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, basil, oregano, and burrata cheese on top of baked bread. Man, this appetizer is so good, I wish that I could have had it as the main entree all on its own. The bell peppers were fresh and sweet, the best bell peppers I have ever had in a restaurant. The eggplant was tender and added a slight nutty flavor to the dish, while the tomatoes, basil, and oregano just took it to a whole new level. The burrata cheese is very light and subtle, a testament to the freshness of the mozzarella cheese that was used to make it. Fantastic, this dish is a must order on a visit to Da' Pasquale.

Ashley: For my main dish, I chose to try the Pici Alla Salsiccia Picante, which is basically hand-rolled long pasta. And honestly, I was quite disappointed. While the sauce itself was quite flavorful, I found the noodles to be too thick and chewy. The serving size was not that generous either. Some of the other people sitting around us appeared to have ordered from the regular menu with significantly larger portion sizes. This pasta dish was mediocre at best. Nothing special, and if you were going to try the Dine LA menu, I would recommend trying some of their other options.

Stephen: I had the Filetto di Branzino All' Aqua Pazza, which is basically sea bass with potatoes and spinach on the side. I definitely wished that my sea bass was bigger because the fish was so tender. I felt that the flavors did not fully develop in the dish, and I found myself wanting a little more seasoning. Some of the potato chunks were cut too small as well, and as a result were a bit overcooked and crispy for the dish. The ones that were the right size however tasted very good and had a buttery texture to it. Spinach, really no complaints here, the leaves were robust and not at all wilted. More fresh ingredients, I love it!

Ashley: The dessert was my second favorite part of the meal--after the appetizer. I got the homemade tiramisu, and everything about it was just right! It wasn't an overwhelming attack of sweetness. The coffee flavor was perfect, and the cake layer was just the right level of sponginess. Would highly recommend trying their homemade tiramisu! I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Stephen: The torta della nona really hit the spot. I'm generally not a fan of sweets and pastries and usually never order dessert but since this meal came with it, I gave it a try. The portion size was perfect for me but it could understandably be deemed a bit too small. I usually make a measure of how good a certain pastry is by the quality of its crust, and the torta here passed with flying colors. It was rich and thick without being crumbly and tasted very satisfying. I definitely appreciate the lemon zest in this pastry which gave it that lemony flavor without any of the tartness. The dessert also avoids being too sweet and may convert me to ordering desserts more regularly in the future. This treat is a great way to end the meal.

Da' Pasquale Trattoria is a great Italian dining experience located close to Century City Mall and begs you to become part of their family with their great service, food, and environment. While their main courses were a bit underseasoned during our visit, the ingredients were fresh and their plating is inspired which shows that their hearts are in the right place. Their owner deserves special recognition as well. He really makes you feel welcome in the restaurant and is very passionate. Because food was coming pretty slow that night, we saw him go to tables that have been waiting a while and apologize for the wait. Ashley and I agree that we would wholeheartedly come back for more in the future.

Happy eating!

-STASH

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SugarFISH by Sushi Nozawa

Ashley: We went to the SugarFISH in Brentwood, and my oh my talk about good sushi. This was the best sushi experience that I've ever had. The reviews on Yelp did not lie--the sushi literally melts in your mouth. None of that sinew-y slimy-ness. Just good AMAZING DELICIOUS fish. The dining experience itself was quite unique as well. Me and Stephen both got the Dine LA menu, which featured the following:

Edamame starter
Tuna sashimi served with scallion and ponzu sauce
2 pieces of albacore sushi
2 pieces of salmon sushi
2 pieces of yellowtail sushi
2 pieces of halibut sushi
2 pieces of large scallop sushi
1 toro handroll
1 crab handroll

I will be talking about the first four and Stephen will take the rest :) They brought out one plate at a time. I was super excited throughout the whole meal because I just kept looking forward to the next plate. The service was fantastic. The serving sizes were quite small, but for the quality of sushi that you're getting, it's worth it! So to start off...the edamame was nothing special. I did think it was slightly more flavorful--but that's most likely due to the extra salt that they added.

The next dish was the tuna. IT WAS SO YUMMY. I was so sad that the serving size was so small. I was literally eating it piece by piece trying to savor it for as long as possible. The sauce was interesting--I've never had anything quite like it. But it went so amazingly well with the fish. The green onions added a nice touch as well.

The third dish was the albacore and salmon sushi. I don't recall ever having albacore, but I think it's one of my new favorites now! I feel like I'm repeating myself over and over again, but the texture of the sashimi they serve is nothing like the average sushi restaurant. I thought I knew what "melt in your mouth" meant until I had sugarFISH. 

I'll let Stephen talk about the rest. Overall, it was a little bit pricey, but definitely worth it. And with dineLA we decided we might as well give it a try. We stopped by McDonalds afterwards to fill ourselves up while watching the new season of Suits. Pretty good evening.

Stephen: For the next dish we were presented with six pieces of sushi this time. From left to right they were yellowtail, halibut, and scallop. The scallop nigiri was hands-down both of our favorite sushi of the night. The scallop was nirvana-inducing. It just bursts with flavor when you bite into and the tangy ponzu sauce that they lightly drizzle on top just adds to the whole flavor of the sushi. There is absolutely none of that “fishy” taste to be found here and combined with the moist texture of the scallop, everything just screamed FRESHNESS. Both of the other nigiris were almost equally as fantastic, melting in your mouth just as perfectly, but the scallop really occupies a special place in my stomach. With the quality of the fish that we were presented, it’s very hard to go wrong with any of the sushi items on the menu here.

We finished off the meal with two hand rolls, medium-toro and blue-crab roll. Both of these rolls were tender and really delicious. The medium-toro had a light taste to it and is a very nice pink color testament to its freshness. The blue-crab was saucier than the rest of the sushi we had tried that night which really surprised me. Personally, I preferred the nigiri and just enjoying the freshness of the seafood as opposed to tasting their sauces so I wouldn’t put the blue-crab hand roll on the same level as the rest of the sushi we enjoyed during dinner. Another thing worth mentioning is that the seaweed was a little tough for me to bite through. It was great because it is very crispy; however it just didn’t seem to want to separate.

I had always been a diehard sushi fan and this is hands-down the best sushi I have ever had. It is pricy but this place prides themselves on having the best quality fish around. Their sushi goes back to the basics and they even explain on their menu that there are three components of good sushi: the fish, the rice, and the sauce. It sounds weird, but the soft, warm rice really makes a difference in how the sushi tastes. Another thing is that I recommend not eating the sushi with any soy sauce, just let the sushi itself surprise you!

Happy eating!

-STASH

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Bobee 5

1756 S Nogales St
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Ashley: Stephen and I have heard so many great things about this place (mostly concerning their beef noodle soup) that we finally decided to give it a try. It was absolutely hands-down the best Taiwanese beef noodle soup (~$7) I’ve had in my life. Even Stephen, who keeps insisting that there’s nothing in America that can compare to the traditional dish served in Taiwan, was quite impressed. 

They give you a choice of thick or thin noodles, or even no noodles at all. Me and Stephen both chose thick noodles, and my were they tasty! The texture was just right—not too dough-ey. As for meat you can choose beef, beef tendon, both, or none! The soup itself is extremely rich but not too oily! A lot of beef noodle soups that we’ve had in the past were drenched in oil, so much that you could see a layer forming at the top of your bowl. Bobee 5 makes a note on the menu saying that this dish is spicy, but honestly, it wasn’t at all. My spice tolerance is almost non-existent and even for me this dish was not spicy. Unless you chow down on a huge chunk of red pepper. The cabbage in the noodle soup added a nice touch since they absorb quite a bit of flavor while sitting in the noodle soup. Overall, I must say, this was DELICIOUS. And we will definitely be back.

The restaurant atmosphere is nothing special, and the space is rather cramped. Service is typical of most asian restaurants (waiters are not very attentive, etc.), but for this beef noodle soup, we looked past it. The food arrived pretty fast though, within 10-12 minutes. So if any of you are looking for a quick, delicious, authentic bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup, look no further! Let us know how your thoughts if you ever do make a trip to Bobee 5! 

*** Also, this week is DineLA! We’re hoping to make it to at least a couple restaurants to take advantage of the discounts :)

Happy eating!

-STASH

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Nick's Laguna Beach

440 S Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Stephen: Today, Ashley and I stopped by Nick’s Laguna Beach for lunch after spending our morning at the Thousand Steps Beach. It was pretty funny because we had originally intended to go to ReMark’s for lunch after Ashley had planned our entire Sunday together while being bored at work. She was so proud about having planned our Sunday perfectly from morning until 2pm, but she forgot that ReMark’s is closed on Sundays. So while at the beach, we did what any normal college student would do when hungry and consulted the grand dictionary of restaurants, Yelp. We found Nick’s and decided to go there instead.

Nick’s is mainly known to be an American breakfast and brunch restaurant, but they were serving lunch when we arrived at about 11am. The place has porch seating, bar seating, and tables arranged against the wall all around the establishment. Personally, I was looking to sit on the porch on this nice sunny day but the entire place was full and we had to wait about 25 min in order to be seated. Once we were seated, the service staff was very nice and friendly and quick to take our orders. I had ordered the braised short ribs ($19) and Ashley ordered the buttermilk fried chicken ($15). The food came out quickly (~15min), despite the restaurant being as crowded as it was.

Our dishes did not disappoint; both looked and tasted amazing. The braised short ribs were layered on top of a bed of buttered mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables (string beans and carrots), surrounded by baby onions, and topped with fried onion rings. The meat was tender and juicy while all the vegetables and especially the baby onions tasted fresh and sweet. The fried onion rings were very tasty while the mashed potatoes were creamy but not too buttery.  The portion sizes are decent, not too big and will easily feed the average appetite. I definitely would love to go back in the future and try some of their other dishes.

Ashley: The buttermilk fried chicken was also delicious. The fried layer was nice and crispy—not too thick, and the chicken itself was tender and juicy. The mashed potatoes went extremely well with the gravy that they had poured over the whole dish, and the biscuit was rich but not overly buttery. Overall, I thought it was a very well balanced dish, and excellently presented. I wish they would have given more chicken than mashed potatoes, though…it was quite an overwhelming serving of mashed potatoes. The corn was alright, nothing special. But I think everything else about this dish makes it worth the $15! If any of you decide to give this restaurant a try, we’d love to hear about what you ordered! :)

Happy eating!

-STASH

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