slomosi's Profile
I have never, ever, had a bad meal at ____________and I have eaten there over a dozen times!
Souplantation is a solid choice. Chicken noodle soup and chili are always good. If your salad taste bad the only person you have to blame is yourself - you made it.
Mexican Coke SPOTTED!
i just saw mexican coca-cola sweetened w/ cane sugar at the Costco in montebello last night...
Great Cold Cut subs
Capri Deli in Covina makes a great cold cut sub...freshly sliced meats and cheeses...
Name-calling over an izakaya: The Open Door, Monterey Park
i believe they are only open for dinner...i'm not too sure but try giving them a call....
Tired of the supermarket bread, anything fresh in Alhambra area?
i love the 3 for $1 bread at saigon bakery. they have great egg rolls too....
Name-calling over an izakaya: The Open Door, Monterey Park
I actually think their best dishes are the sashimi/sushi dishes. it's a shame to judge a restaurant that harshly having only tried 4 dishes and calling the other dishes "dated". I feel it's a welcome change to the area and beats driving out to the westside.
I need a place for Valentines...help
valentino's is another option as well if you're into italian food and wine...
The Open Door Japanese Izakaya - Hidden Gem in the SGV
i assume you are referring to shin shen gumi yakitori? if so i've never been there so i can't really compare the two except open door doesn't serve yakitori. As far as price, typical plates run $5-6 and if going in a group expect to order about 3-4 plates each and share.
best valentines (or any day!) chocolate
My gf loves "la maison du chocolat". You may still have time!
Good salsa & chips in San Gabriel Valley?
i agree w/ La Tolteca...best chips and salsa; great for parties. I love their chuncky guacamole as well when i don't have time to make my own...
Kogi - the Korean BBQ taco truck
Pretty tasty tacos. My favorite was the tofu taco for some reason and the short rib was good too. $2/taco is not a great deal but worth it to try once i guess...i probably wouldn't wait for it again...
The Open Door Japanese Izakaya - Hidden Gem in the SGV
haha...wasn't alone..total of 10 of us....
The Open Door Japanese Izakaya - Hidden Gem in the SGV
haha..you are correct! it's the SE corner!!!!!! sorry...
The Open Door Japanese Izakaya - Hidden Gem in the SGV
thanks! this is my first review. I've been lurking on these boards for awhile and have read very informative reviews and been to great restaurants based on recommendations from the chowhound community...
The Open Door Japanese Izakaya - Hidden Gem in the SGV
Located in a strip mall on the SW corner of Garvey Ave/Atlantic Blvd in Monterey Park is a discrete Japanese Izakaya restaurant serving great food at great prices with great service – The Open Door Japanese Izakaya Restaurant.
Izakaya in SGV? Hmmm…we had to try it so I planned a post Christmas get-together for 10 of my friends. I must say I was totally impressed by the set up of the restaurant, the ambiance, the food and the hospitality from the staff. The restaurant has an authentic feel with a live sakura tree in the middle of the restaurant, hand painted walls and dark stained wood benches. The restaurant is tiny; we managed to take up one third of the place. They serve Japanese beers and sake, wine and flavored shochu (chu-hi). We drank all the large Sapporo’s they had; they were nice enough to give us two small bottles for the same price. We seemingly ordered everything on the menu and the food just kept coming out like clockwork. The food was beautifully presented, especially the sashimi dishes. Most importantly the food was cooked to perfection. The quality of ingredients used in the dishes is unheard of in the area, from truffle oil to homemade ponzu. They even use premium Kuro edamame. Their wasabi isn’t that radioactive green stuff served at other sushi places; it’s the actual thing from wasabi root.
First off, the servers at this place are great. They are friendly, accommodating and went the extra mile to make sure everyone was satisfied. The chef made an appearance as well to see how we were doing and what we thought of the food.
More importantly the food was divine; not every dish was mind bogglingly good but even the standard dishes were well executed and done with a little twist to make them stand out.
Braised Short ribs w/ Potato (aka meat and potatoes) – Absolutely delicious. The short rib is cooked flawlessly; long enough to make the beef tender but not long enough to make the meat taste like mush. The broth that it’s braised in is amazing.
Miso Cod (my gf’s favorite) – cooked perfectly with a silky smooth texture and a hint of sweetness.
Braised Pork Belly – Done very well; the pork belly was tender with the flavor from the stew permeating the alternating layers of fat and meat.
Shishito Peppers w/ miso dressing – Perfectly fried sweet peppers flavored wonderfully with a miso dressing
Fried Chicken w/ Ponzu – Boneless fried chicken w/ some sort of tartar sauce on top. It sounds plain but the combination of crispy chicken w/ the sauce and some beer is awesome.
Hamachi Carpa – Superb dish. I love hamachi as it is but the chef’s little twist on this dish makes it outstanding.
Tuna Poke – Fresh tasting, little cubes of tuna; perfectly seasoned w/ ponzu, onions and kelp
Yuzu Whitefish – Beautiful dish and wonderful tasting. The whitefish just melts in your mouth.
Salmon shiso pesto – the pesto gives the salmon a nice earthy taste and goes nicely with the delicate salmon.
Crispy Rice Tuna – another one of my gf’s favorites. The crispy rice on the bottom perfectly balances the soft, creamy texture of the tuna
Albacore with gochujang miso – The texure and flavor of this dish is amazing. The albacore melts in your mouth.
Soft shell crab – They have this both in a roll and as is. We chose the latter and it was satisfying. Nothing too special, but fried foods and beer is a good combination.
Beef Tataki – seared beef, sliced with a ponzu dipping sauce. Good dish with the beef seared to a medium rare and nicely presented.
Truffle butter Edamame – Compliments of the chef =) I’m not a huge fan of coating things with butter but it gave the edamame a nice change of flavor from the traditional boil in salt water flavor. My friend who loves butter loved this dish.
Truffle tater tots – Odd seeing tater tots on the menu but what the hell. Reminded of when I was in elementary school, but prepared in a more adult manner w/ the truffle oil and garlic crème fraiche, which was rich and tasty
Shimano (smelt) – These were the biggest smelt I’ve ever seen. No wonder they only give 2 in an order. This was a favorite on our table. Nothing goes better with beer than deep fried, crispy fish.
Spicy Rock Shrimp Tempura – This was actually a surprisingly good dish. I’m not a big fan of mayonnaise shrimp but the one here is not as heavy or greasy as the Chinese version. The shrimp are flawlessly fried then coated with a spicy mayo giving it a nice kick.
Fried Chicken Wings – The wings are fried to a nice crisp then tossed in a sweet chili sauce. Once, again goes perfectly with beer or sake.
This is welcome change to the vast amounts of Chinese/Vietnamese restaurants in the area. I’m still in shock that there’s something like this in the area. I can’t wait to go back to try out other things on the menu like the rolls and other specials on the board. I'm sad I didn't bring a camera! Enjoy!
The Open Door Japanese Izakaya Restaurant
122 S Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 282-9829
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 5:00pm-10:00pm; Closed Mondays
SteakHouse in Los Angeles Area, Anaheim and Long Beach
Bone in Rib Eye at Mastro's. They also have great sides.
J&J, Luscious Dumplings or Mei Long Village
Of the 3 i like Mei Long Village. Their XLB are good, overall good food w/ a big variety. The place looks clean as well. Luscious has good dumplings too but their menu is small so there aren't many options other than noodles or dumplings. They also run out of food if you go too late, so BEWARE. J&J was decent. I felt cramped in there and it didn't feel clean in there =)
best pre-entree bread
DiPilla's bread - dip it in olive oil/balsamic vinegar...so good..
Is there better Ramen than Daikokuya?
I've tried daikokuya, shin sen gumi, san sui tei, ajisen, orochon and of those i like daikokuya the best. I like the whole egg perfectly cooked, the wavy noodles, the savory pork, the broth and even the ton of green onions they put in the bowl. The only bad thing about the place is the wait....
Loteria Grill Hollywood Review! [w pics]
i didn't even like loteria at the farmer's market so i don't see how this location is much better....expensive mediocre mexican food...
Must EATS in NYC
just a question on una pizza napoletana...is it more NY style or napoletana?
Must EATS in NYC
2 LA natives, my gf and i, will be coming to NYC in october, staying in the times square area for 5 days 4 nights. i've read many posts but still have a hard time deciding what to eat. What do you guys suggest in price ranges similar to the restaurants listed? We want to try NYC MUST EATS. this is what we have so far:
Katz's Deli
Lombardi's
Either Babbo or Lupa
Peter Luger
Thanks a lot!! Can't wait!!
OK. What are the best tacos in LA?
Omana's
10300 Rush St
South El Monte, CA, 91733
(626) 350-1197
