MrShoop's Profile
Pro knife sharpeners in Santa Monica?
I decided to give Magnus a try. He came over to our house and I give him 4 Global knives (2 long - Chef's, 2 short - paring). He dropped them off 2 hours later, clean and sharp! It was $32 total. He is super passionate and knowledgeable about knives, and the the price and convenience was amazing.
Pro knife sharpeners in Santa Monica?
Has anyone tried Magnus Pettersson Hand Knife Sharpening in Santa Monica? I was looking up Japanese Knife Imports based on this thread and came across Magnus Petterson's blog. Doesn't look like there is a shop, just free pick up and drop off. Prices seem closer to Ross than JKI.
http://www.memagnus.com/wp/
baked chicken wings?
i've tried a couple times now to bake chicken wings, and haven't been able to get good results. It's frustrating, because I love the wings off a simple baked whole chicken (450 degrees, trussed, salted, about 50 minutes). When i do the whole chicken, the wings come out golden brown, and crispy.
I wanted to get the same result with just wings, so I put them on a baking sheet, cooked for about 40 minutes, and it they really just seemed to stew in their own fat, and never got crispy. So i tried again, putting the wings on a rack in a roasting pan so the fat could drain. This time they came out somewhat crispy, but more of an unappetizing fleshy brown than a golden brown. Maybe they just need more time? Next time I'll try tossing them in baking soda as recommend earlier in the thread, but I'm curious why they cook so differently than the whole chicken. I was expecting them to be even more crispy since they weren't attached to main mass of the chicken.
attention pho aficionados....good pho in the south bay...anyone?
I was down in the south bay on a sunday, and ended up at Pho Ever (a lot of other places seemed to be closed). It really exceeded my expectations - the pho broth was complex (not one note and overpowered by anise like some places). We also got a pork broken rice plate which was good (com dia?). I think it is a good Westminster worthy alternative.
Pho Ever Restaurant
2228 W Rosecrans Ave
Gardena, CA 90249
Monta Noodle House
I gave Monta a try for dinner on Monday and it was really good. I had the tonkotsu and the broth was delicious. The chashu was also amazingly tender and flavorful. I had them add mustard greens which like everything else brought a surprising amount of flavor. I live in Los Angeles and think it's as good as any of the ramen houses here. Thanks for the recommendation!!
Best place for loose leaf tea?
If you happen to be in the south bay, try Tea Habitat which is in the mall at the top of the hill in PV. Nice mom & pop Chinese tea place. http://www.teahabitat.com/
Whats your favorite Tea Cafe? Why?
Green Tea Terrace in Westwood - good quality Japanese green tea that is brewed carefully (most of the time). Never tried the boba there, but for traditional green tea, it is great.
Echigo-dinner Omakase
If you sit at a table for dinner, you don't have to order Omakase, you can dine a la carte. The dinner at Echigo (Omakkase, or a la carte) is now substantially better than what you get for the lunch special. I don't think it was always the case though. The size and quality of the lunch special has gone down over the last couple years.
Zankou today: dry, bland chicken
Was the chicken at Zankou ever really great? I love it, but it has always been about the garlic sauce.
Bay Cities vs. Claro's Italian Sandwich
I'm surprised people are complaining about the meat - last time I was there I ordered a spicy salami w/works, and ended up peeling about half the meat because it was too much. Everyone has their own bread preference, and there is no right answer, but objectively, the bread at bay cities has a thin but crunchy crust, and is definitely chewy in the middle. I think it is perfect for sandwiches.
Claro's sounds awesome, but not really an option for mostpeople on the westside to got to Arcadia or Tustin to grab lunch. Maybe a good stop next time on the way to Vegas. :)
In need of recommendations for Santa Monica Farmer's Market
Are you sure it is accurate to say a small percentage? I haven't counted but it feels like a majority are organic - almost everything west of the promenade.
Persian Restaurants in the South Bay
The only one I know of is Seaside Palace in Torrance, on the corner of Sepulveda and Hawthorne. I haven't eating there in 5+ years (call to make sure it is still open), but back in the day it wasn't quite as good as some of the best westside Persian places, but pretty close.
Beer Garden / Outdoor Drinking in LA?
Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas has one of the biggest patios I can think of. It is a great place for a cold beer on a hot night (food is pretty weak). Speaking of Cantina's, Baja Cantina in MDR/Venice also has a nice patio.
Pinkberry Locations
The Brentwood/San Vicente location was open today. Unfortunately the parking lot was blocked of for construction. Still looked to be a line out the door.
Tender Greens is a great deal
It's a really pleasant indoor/outdoor space as well. It is really a great package of food/space/value. The thing they need to work on is the ordering process which can get chaotic as it gets crowded. You end up ordering multiple times to multiple people before you are done.
Pinkberry Locations
It looks like the one on San Vicente is about to open - I drove past this evening and they pulled the paper covering off the door and windows. It looked like there may just be some cleanup work remaining.
Finally did the Sabor thing ...
At Sabor do you order at the counter, or is it a sit down place?
Imitation Pinkberry
Who has the most tart yogurt? That's what stands out to me and I like the most about Pinkberry.
REVIEW: Beacon (with pix!)
I think their hangar steak is one of the best beef dishes in LA. The sweet sauce with the wasabi relish is a great combo.
Sprinkles cupcakes
They are some of the best looking cupcakes, but I think they are overly sweet, and maybe a little light on salt.
Bay Cities Deli- bad attitude of the managmt
You have to ask for "the works" to get the pepper concoction (which I think is one of the best parts of the sandwich), so you just need to remember not to ask for it unless you want it. The second part (preferential treatment) is indefensible, but I've been going for a while and never seen it.
montana of santa monica: is there a best?
I think Vincenzo is often overlooked when people talk about Montana. Definitely a cut above Rosti (which I like for a quick bite) and not as cramped as Locanda Postofino. If you aren't totally locked into Mpontana, it is only 3 blocks down 11th St to Wilshire where you could try Rustic Canyon.
PHX hound visiting Santa Monica
Do make sure to try Cora's, which is just a block or south from your hotel, for breakfast or lunch. Simple food with great ingredients.
Best Tea in Los Angeles
I understand it isn't the classiest expereince - it is a casual place, but I don't think that a waxpaper cup is going to ruin, or even affect the flavor. Oversteeping or overheating has a much bigger effect, and they tend to be good about that.
Best Asian tea shops in Los Angeles?
I've had the highest grade green Oolong from Ten Ren, which was really good, but you can get better for about half the price online. My favorite is this seller in Taiwan:
http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=teahomeus
Susiecakes
I really like Susiecakes. The cupcakes taste much better than Sprinkles, which I find sickeningly sweet and bland. Sprinkles' cupcakes do look beautiful, but the taste never lives up to the look. Susiecakes has a much more home made look and taste. I wouldn't drive 24 miles for one, but a great addition to the westside.
Sawtelle dining
Yakitoriya is really good, if a little expensive. I like the ground chicken bowl/quail egg, but the skewers are where it really shines. All sorts of yummy chicken parts. They used to do chicken sashimi, but I didn't see it there the last few times I ate there.
Dino's Burgers
Ya, they both have el pollo maniaco. I kinda like the main st version because the chicken comes with the rice and beans in addition to the fries, but Both are good, I'd go to whichever is closer.
