I'm not that familiar with it to say but I looked at pictures online and the instagram pictures that Servorg posted and the ones served the night I was there were a little different. They were thinner (didn't have a bulge); possibly shorter (using the cucumber and bowl as reference points) it looks like they were the size of the body alone; the ratio of body:legs were different, with the legs being much smaller; and, they were creamy white in color (I couldn't say if they were skinned).
Next time, I should bring a camera and take better notes!

I think I have good news to report. I went today and asked if there were any updates about the ownership change date. The man said that they are only changing the name of the place. He said the owner and chef were going to be the same. When I asked if they would have the same menu, there was a slight hesitation before he said yes. I asked if the items we had ordered would still be there and he said yes. I confirmed multiple times and also asked what the new name is going to be and that's when he said it was going to be Ma Po Tofu House and gave me the business card.

I'm so hoping that it's not a misunderstanding due to language differences.

Ma Po Tofu House
639 W. Garvey Ave.
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 576-9088

M-Su/11a-9:30p

Kuma Sushi Seafood Buffet in Torrance (in the former Onami space). Haven't been yet but thoufht to put it out there for you.

Kuma Sushi Seafood Buffet
1925 W Carson St
Torrance, CA 90501
http://www.kumabuffet.com/

Thanks, JThur01! I'm bummed that I didn't see this in time for lunch today. I used to go to the SG location and then made the trek out to RH only once since it didn't meet my expectations (spicy lobster). Funny, a woman at the RH location said she recognized me. I wasn't sure if she was just saying that but when she commented on my haircut, I knew she meant it.

I'll have to go to the MP one tomorrow.

Here goes...

Here are some notes on my dinner last month. I arrived right on time and was the first one there (street parking is a challenge). While waiting for the others, I got to see Yama-san prep the hairy crab that was still moving about. There were five diners that night and the pace was slightly on the faster side (I think it was done within 2 hours). I missed some things because I was the only one writing things down and did not want to hold everybody up or throw off Yama-san’s timing (he set timers for certain items). Combined with my not-so-stellar memory, I’m afraid this report may be lacking and imprecise. In any case, it is what it is so I’ll just give you what I have.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and want to return when it’s fiscally responsible for me to do so. Service was wonderful. The two things that really stood out for me were the toro and the nori, both of which were the best I’ve had.

1. Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, Cinco Jotas (J5) + caviar
I feel bad as I write this but, honestly, I was a little disappointed. A dollop of caviar was placed atop pieces of the ham. I didn’t understand the name of the caviar or the label (he said it was an Italian purveyor). The flavor of each component was great but I would have preferred to have eaten them separately, which I ended up doing. IM(very)HO, I also thought that the pieces were a little too thick. I think thinner slices would have emphasized the unctuousness of this coveted ham.

2. Fresh baby eel with green peach and sesame sauce
The baby eel were small, thin and semi-translucent and almost looked like fresh noodles. It had a clean and delicate flavor with a somewhat rich mouth-feel. The green peach was totally new to me. It was about the size of a gingko nut or small kumquat. I thought it would be tart but it was sweet and had a definite peach flavor.

3. Baby squid + cucumber, yuzu sauce
These were the tiniest squid I’ve ever seen, maybe about 1-1/2 inches long, end to end.

4. Steamed ice fish with plum jam
This was the one dish that I did not enjoy because I did not like the texture of the fish. It was steamed and the flesh was soft but when you chewed it, it felt like there were tiny, delicate needles (which, of course wasn’t the case). It was a weird sensation; it was not like biting into fish bones that are fine.

5. Tofu 2 ways, uni from Hokkaido and custardy crab innards (maybe kani miso)
Both were delicious. The uni from Hokkaido was darker in color than the one from Sta. Barbara. It was my first time trying it and I think I prefer the SB ones. It may have been just a color thing but I felt that the SB ones have a more prominent fruitiness/mango flavor.

6. Torched belt fish with 600-year old Himalayan pink salt rock
I loved the smokiness of the fish and the salt, which he grated from a large-sized rock (it looked like it was larger than an American football), was quite impressive. Yama-san said that it was about a 1/3 of the size of what it was when he first started using it.

7. Kusshi oysters from Washington with soft poached quail eggs 2 ways, uni from Santa Barbara wih yuzu sauce and blue crab with sesame sauce
The oysters were small, sweet and creamy and the eggs were divine, with the creaminess matching the oysters.

8. Steamed live hairy crab from Hokkaido
Served straight up. Very sweet and succulent. I thought that the hairy part was going to be more prickly but it was more brush-like.

9. Chawanmushi, gingko nut, beltfish, shrimp, clams, +++
There were several other items and I remember being amazed that he was able to fit them all in the little vessel. It was amazing. The only thing that I thought was that there could have been more of the custard.

10. Toro with freshly grated wasabi, eggplant, crab, poached quail egg and soy sauce-maui onion sauce
It was the softest, most supple toro I have ever tasted. I hadn't seen this before but Yama-san peeled off a layer/ring of the flesh and then sliced it in such a way that there was no connective tissue in the piece.

11. Pan seared A5 wagyu tenderloin from kagoshima prefecture, with buna shimeji mushrooms and WhistlePig Rye whiskey sauce.
All the flavors and textures went really well together. The loin was just as you'd expect an A5 wagyu to taste like, a luscious and divine bovine experience. I was almost full at this point so I asked if I could bring the rest home and they obliged.

12. Sashimi: bluefin tuna, toro, line-caught spanish mackerel from Japan,kanpachi
All were excellent but if I had to pick the best of the best, it would be the toro and the spanish mackeral from Japan

13. Hand roll with toro and ?
I can't remember what the other protein was but the nori was exceptional. tt was very dark and firm but it almost melted in your mouth. The warmth of the rice made it seem as if it had just been toasted.

14. Acai sorbet
The perfect end. It had an herbaceous quality to it, not too sweet and not too tart. I thought that he had mixed in some matcha or some kind of tea but Yama-san said that it was only the berry.

The bill came out to about $215 (pre-grat)

It was quite a treat and I hope to return.

I loved almost all of the dishes (the only one I didn't like was only due to me not liking the texture of the fish, needlefish). The nori was truly a revelation; the best I've ever tasted.

I'm not a sake drinker but I imagine that it would pair very well with the dishes.

Will do...I have been trying to find the piece of paper where I wrote down the courses.

@Thor123, I brought a bottle of NV Agrapart et Fils champagne and a half bottle of 2007 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Lytton Springs, which actually turned out to be the perfect complement for the wagyu.

Should also mention that it's BYOB and there's no corkage fee (they don't offer any alcoholic beverages).

They said starting at $200.

Yes, but it's to submit a request only; it's not an actual reservation.

Ocean Avenue Seafood. I was there a while ago and had started the night off during happy hour. I was in bivalve and crustacean heaven. I can't recall the deals but I do remember that I found a happy medium (satiety-satisfaction-fiscal responsibility).

Thanks, everyone. I'm happy to say that I now have first-hand knowledge of it. I got in and will be going tomorrow. They were very gracious in their email messages. Now to figure out what wine(s) to bring...

Has anyone been able to get in using their reservation request form?

New udon restaurant where the noodles are made to order in front of you and you customize it with your choice of toppings. They have limited non-udon options.

It is located on the third floor of the Little Tokyo Shopping Center at the corner of Alameda and 3rd (in the old Issen Joki space). Serving is cafeteria-style. Grab a tray, go down the line as you assemble your bowl, pay at the cashier, sit and eat and then return your tray at a window.

12 types of udon (hot and cold options, offered in 3 sizes, comes with scallions and grated daikon):
kake (just broth), bukkake (sauce, daikon, ginger, bonito flakes), ume (plum), ume bukkake, zaru (dry, dipping sauce), ki-jyo-yu (soy sauce, radish, ginger), kitsune (broth, deep fried tofu), wakame (broth, seaweed), niku (broth, thinly sliced stewed beef), kobu (broth, kelp/kombu), kizami and kama age (in hot water with dipping sauce)

Additional Toppings (extra):
Kitsune (deep fried tofu), wakame (seaweed), kizami (chopped deep fried tofu), kobu (kelp/kombu), ume (plum) and niku (beef).

Omusubi:
Sake (salmon), ume (plum) and konbu (kelp).

Tempura:
Yasai kakiage (veggie), ebi (shrimp), chikuwa (fish cake), ika (squid), tori (chicken) and sweet potato.

I went last week and was the first in line when it opened for lunch (a few minutes after 11 AM). They were still prepping. The noodles were ready but they were waiting for the broth to reach the right temperature. They were also still frying the tempura and the omusubi wasn't out yet. I had the large niku with kizame and 3 shrimp tempura and 1 sweet potato tempura.

It was a delicious lunch. The noodles were firm and chewy. The light brown colored broth was deep and rounded. It didn't taste like any dashi I've had/made before. After I stirred the beef into the noodles, the broth became umami heaven. The tempura was very crisp and not very oily. They didn't have any tentsuyu for it but dipping it into the broth was just fine (I usually don't like my tempura in my soup).

The charges for the extras can add up quickly (I ended up paying more for the tempura than the soup) but I can't wait to go back. I took the leftovers home for dinner and the noodles held up well.

Tsurumaru Udon
333 S. Alameda Street
3rd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90013

They did not have a sausage course that night but they may possibly have it at another dinner. The menus and the featured animal change so if you're really interested in having that course, I would recommend contacting them.

I went to the nose-to-tail dinner on Saturday, Feb. 16 2013. Red Wattle pig, 5 courses + hors d'oeuvres ($75++). Family-style seating and serving.

They greeted you with a complimentary glass of prosecco and brought around plates of bruschetta with various toppings. Personalizing the menus was a nice touch. I was seated facing the open kitchen so I got to see chef Chad Colby cook and/or plate every course (the dessert course is the only one he didn't cook).

First Course
House-cured salumi and terrines served with pickled vegetables and spicy mustard. I think there were 4-5 different kinds of salumi but by the time the plate got to me, I just had some salami. I was able to get a slice of speck when another plate was passed over. I could have asked for more, as others did, but I wanted to leave room for the other courses. There were 3 different terrines (pork butt, pork loin and butcher's) and I liked the butcher's one the most.

Second Course
Parmigiano-Reggiano Souffle with pork leg ragu. Rich but divine. The ragu had just the right amount of acidity to balance the dish.

Third Course
Slow roasted pork shoulder with salsa verde and chicory and kale salad. He shredded the meat and sprinkled crispy bits of skin and served it along side the salad. The cracklings took the dish to another level.

Fourth Course
Milk roasted pork loin with caramelized pork loin and fried sage. The crust was delicious. When I saw the chef carve the loin off the ribs, I went over and asked if he was going to serve the bones. When he said no, I asked if I could take them home for my dog and he obliged.

Fifth Course
Graham cracker pigs with gelato and sorbetti. Oro blanco and blood orange sorbetti and Greek yoghurt gelato. The yoghurt gelato was the perfect foil for bitterness of the citrus fruits. The cracker/cookie was in the shape of a pig and about 5 inches long.

The food and service were excellent. The meat in each and every course was perfectly cooked and seasoned (as were the accompaniments). The portions were generous. They didn't have any suggested wine pairings so I asked them to recommend some -- I had a friulano and a sangiovese. The wine list is limited and dominated by the Bastianich label.

They encouraged you to feel at home and walk around, talk to the chef, etc. The only drawback was the size of the room because it was a tight squeeze getting around the communal table.

I will definitely go back to try the regular menu as well as other whole animal feasts (they'll be offering non-porcine ones in the future).

Haven't tried Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa but the pictures on Yelp are making me want to try them out.

The Whole Foods in WLA (Barrington/National) had Chilean Sea Bass last Saturday (2/9). They said that it is now off the endangered list. Price $30+/lb.

Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa has some great items. My favorites are #7 banh beo chen tom chay (you get 9 small bowls of steamed rice cakes topped with dried shrimp), #8 nem nuong cuon voi cha ram tom (fresh spring roll with charbroiled pork, crispy shrimp roll and veggies) and their iced coffee (you are given a glass with the condensed milk at the bottom and the coffee dispenser on top, a glass with ice and a small thermos of water in case you need to dilute it -- this does take a while to drip but it's worth it). Service is great as well.

Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa (CASH ONLY)
1700 W Valley Blvd, Ste C
Alhambra, CA 91803
(626) 943-7645

I would recommend giving Guidi Marcello in Santa Monica a call. They carry many hard-to-find Italian products and the prices are very good. If you do end up going there, know that it's a little hard to find. You will need to enter 10th St. from Olympic, going westbound, and they will be on the right hand (east) side.

Guidi Marcello
310-452-6277

1649 10th St.
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Loch DB?

I will be in Rohnert Park for a conference and would appreciate recommendations for lunch and dinner (Thursday dinner and Friday lunch). Open to any price range and cuisine as long as the food is something that will leave me savoring it long after I've gone back home to southern California.

There's Chutney's at the corner of Barrington and Pico for some Indian/Pakistani food. My favorite there is the Nehari (tender chunks of slow-cooked beef shank meat in spicy curry sauce)...goes well with plain naan.

i love the chirashi, ono, ikura, uni and salmon skin roll here. it's in an easy-to-miss spot, on the north side of san vicente just east of la cienega. it's next to LA paella.

Haru Sushi & Roll Café
www.harusushicafe.com
480 South San Vicente Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048-4107
(323) 782-0547

Another option: the Westside Tavern in the Westside Pavilion Mall (by Pico/Westwood). They have burgers (and steak) on their lunch and dinner menus and I've had no problems customizing orders (sauce on the side, fries instead of chips, etc.). My favorite meal there is the jar of chicken liver mousse washed down with the grapefruit rickey.

http://www.westsidetavernla.com/

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Westside Tavern
10850 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

I've bought pismaniye at:
Super Hayat Market
16904 Prairie Avenue
Torrance, CA 90504
(310) 370-5707

I saw that this market, next to Sofra Kabab on Venice, carries different kinds of pastry dough in the refrigerated section but I didn't notice what kind they were. I did, however, notice other Turkish products in there, like some cheeses, so they may carry yuftka and leblebi (and I think I did see pismaniye there as well)..
Payless Produce Market
10817 Venice Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90034-7103
(310) 836-9841

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Super Hayat Market
16904 Prairie Ave, Torrance, CA 90504

Thanks for your suggestions. We ended up at Vetri and had the grand tasting menu without the wine pairing. It was quite a lot of food and we ended up doggie-bagging the main course. It was well beyond the planned budget but I'm happy to have splurged.

Overall, it was a wonderful meal and the fabric bags with the take home goodies were a nice touch (particularly the bag itself). Some things were outstanding (gazpacho amuse bouche, foie gras, melon granita/palate cleanser) but the deserts (corn flan and steamed raspberry cake) were not at the same level as the other courses.

There were a couple of minor things that detracted from the experience. Although chicken liver was mentioned by my friend when they'd asked us if we had anything we didn't like from the sample menu items, they still served it to her. It wasn't a big deal since we happily exchanged items between the 2 of us.

Also, it was difficult to make a wine selection since we weren't told beforehand what we'd be getting. I don't know if he was the sommelier or manager but a man had come to see if we wanted to get something from the list and he offered to go find out what we were going to be getting so that helped a little but it was difficult to share a bottle.

Again, it was a wonderful evening and I thank you for making that suggestion.

LA Hound looking for a great dinner spot to celebrate a 40th b-day...party of 2, just the girls.

Price range $20-$30 entrees or thereabouts (will spend more if it's one of those truly spectular places...places where it'd be a shame for a foodie to miss)

Cuisine: There's no preference for any particular country's cuisine, just food that's prepared thoughtfully and leaves you wanting another bite even after you've polished off the plate...food that's interesting, with unusual ingredients presented in innovative ways...dishes where the use of quality ingredients comes through. doesn't have to be fancy, just darn good..

Location: will be driving down from Newtown/Langhorne. The shorter the drive the better but we will travel for good food (I'm used to LA distances)

Date: Sat., Aug. 21

It's been a while since the OP requested info but I just came across the thread today. Here are a couple of other places...I agree with sku that it's hit-or-miss. Although, I do find the sweets at Aladin to be fairly good most of the time. If you want to try the sweet yoghurt, make sure to ask for it in the clay pot as that tastes better than the one they serve in the foil containers.

To clear up some of the confusion, Bangladesh used to be a part of India (referred to as East Bengal) and then it became a part of Pakistan (East Pakistan). It gained independence in 1971 and, as such, no part of it is in India. West Bengal is a state in India and you will find Bengalis there as well as in Bangladesh. "Bengali" refers to both the people and the language and in Bengali, the word "bangla" refers specifically to the Bengali language and the word "desh" means country/land. Hope this helps.

Aladin
139 S. Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
ph: 213-382-9592

Swadesh
4153 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90020-3446
(213) 386-7799

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Swadesh
4153 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90020

Every now and then I make the trek over to Shahnawaz (from Culver City). I love their bihari kabab and nehari. They have a special lunch buffet on Sundays and it allows me to venture away from my 2 staples..

Shahnawaz Restaurant
12225 Centralia St, Lakewood, CA 90715
(562) 402-7443

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Shahnawaz
12225 Centralia St, Lakewood, CA 90715