A few friends and I are planning a big birthday bash to take place in D.F, but the birthday is on December 26. Are most places closed then? We were thinking Pujol... I was just there over the summer and loved it as well as Maximo and Contramar.

Any ideas or itineraries welcome, many thanks!

My friends and I (four of us, one who is Japanese and a regular) asked the chef to just do his thing on a sushi sampling with two appetizers each. The first appetizer was warm mackerel in a light vinegar sauce - delicious - although it might not appeal to those who aren't fond of oily fish; and the second were scallops in a cream sauce. Both dishes were cooked. We then each had about 8 or 10 pieces of sushi, running the gamut from toro to yellowtail to sweet shrimp. We did have two bottles of cold sake among the four of us - and the bill came to about $130 per person. We don't dare venture into Shige's wine world, the last time we did that, the bill was almost double that!

Was there a few weeks ago. Did not have the omakase, but the sushi was fabulously fresh. I don't have many other benchmarks to compare it to from the neighborhood, as there is such a dearth of good sushi restaurants in the SL/EP hoods (imho). I'd say its the Go's Mart of the eastside of town. The clientele, on that friday evening, was leaning more hipster, most likely a reflection of the neighborhood. But still definitely make reservations ahead if you'd like to sit at the sushi bar and let Shige san do his thing!

There's a hidden jewel right nearby - Alma.

http://www.alma-la.com/#!home/mainPage

Wonderful inventive farm centric cuisine. Not sure if they have their liquor license yet though.

Maximo mi amor!!! Ruth - I agree, Maximo was just fabulous - I ate at Pujol too - that food is on a different plane - almost slightly experimental (but delicious!) but Maximo has it hands down: fresh market driven menu. My friend and I walked by earlier and made a reservation and then returned for dinner at 9 - there was a huge line which didn't recede till 1030p, but they honored our reservation immediately. Absolutely loved Contramar - they don't take reservations, but ask if you can sit at the bar if its crowded, or be prepared to wait. Fabulous dining experiences.

I was in Mexico City recently and dined at Pujol for a midweek lunch and Dulce Patria for a Saturday dinner. Pujol was filled with a business lunch type crowd in suits and ties; but Dulce Patria, on a Saturday night, ran the gamut from hipsters to tourists in T-shirts and people dressed to the nines in high end designer fashion. The service at both was impeccable, and the food was absolutely amazing. Mexicans eat late, lunch starts around 2 and runs the entire afternoon. Dinner is usually a more casual affair - starting after 9p or so.

I guess I wasn't alone!

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/...

Anyone been? First impressions? Looks promising... although does the price point seem a bit high?

http://www.restaurantba.com/about-res...

I can't wait for the findings! My friends and I were at Rustic Canyon and we all found ourselves exhausted from fighting the din trying to converse. It is a good way for the restauranteur to clear the tables and fit the next revenue generating party in!

RP - I was at UCLA at the time. There were not too many dining options that worked for my dining companions and me. I may be a glutton for punishment when it comes to seeking out good food, but after time, it seemed that the food started to become pedestrian and the attitude really began to grate on us. Perhaps the food seemed to decline because we were tired of the attitude, or perhaps it really did start to go downhill; I'm not wont to give it another try to really find out after all this time, especially when there are so many other tills in this town waiting for me to open my wallet.

That said, I did return to Nozawa incessantly, and would still were he still in business.

I agree, flowergirl. I've dined there perhaps half a dozen times, and the owner has always treated my dining companions and me with such indifference and haughtiness, I've stopped going just to avoid feeling as if I've done something wrong by showing up at the restaurant on time and with a reservation! The food is decent, but not worth the attitude.

are some restaurants just way too noisy nowadays?

I was at Lazy Ox and could hardly speak with my dining companions. They had the volume turned up high with Hendrix blaring. I'm a fan of Hendrix's but it made for very difficult and imho uncomfortable dining. Then my friend mentioned that it seems to be a trend - noisy and noisier - Bottega Louie and Red Medicine come to mind....

So I'm taking a poll - what do you think is the noisiest restaurant in LA? Would you avoid a noisy restaurant even though the food is good? Or do you think the noise just adds to a convivial atmosphere?

I'm not trying to rap any of these restaurants, but just to find out what everyone's temperature on this is....

Annie

How about stopping at that mecca of Chinese food called the San Gabriel Valley which is on your way? There is practically something for any hankering - from dumplings to noodles to sit down feasts - just do a search on the board if this interests you.

Have you tried booking online through the website the fork? Its useful in a pinch for restaurants in Paris and France. They run the gamut in terms of places - you could even use it for michelin starred places!

I'm coming from LA - where we have Mexican, East/Southeast Asian foods galore.

Thanks so much for the recommendations!

Will be in DC for a weekend in April, can any fellow DC hounds steer me to a fabulous eating experience - either lunch or dinner? I'll be staying in Georgetown but will have a car. Don't care about scenes or people watching, just good food. I'm trying to limit to one meal so I have the financial resources to do it - and live on ramen the rest of the time! Thanks!

Marino's has a very nice bar, and they have lovely wines by the glass. Its very quiet during the week, and it does have old school Hollywood elegance. It depends on what mood you're looking for - Marino's is zen and contemplative, while sitting at the bar at Osteria Mozza people and things seem to go by a mile a minute.

Magnificent! Brings back such incredible memories of an amazing lunch I had there a few years ago. Everything was impeccable.

Was at Craft this week for Dine LA. The salmon was perfectly cooked and delicious. Loved the chicken liver pate and the mixed greens, the firecracker shrimp only so-so. The meyer lemon dessert was just the right finish. My friend had the short rib ravioli - unctuous and decadent. The mushroom au jus was the best part! Enjoy.

I just found it at Erewhon on Beverly.

Thanks everyone. I totally forgot about Spice Station! Happy Holidays!

I'm looking for it for a pork recipe? I live in the Silverlake area, but can - will travel for this item! Any suggestions appreciated! Thanks in advance!

This is a very handy guide for what is allowed to be brought into the country food wise...

apologies if this is not the correct board for this.

http://www.thedailymeal.com/guide-foo...

How about Shibucho (the one in Westlake)? If you let Shige san guide you, the results are almost always incredible - just let him know which sea creatures you're not that fond of eating - and he'll tailor to your taste. Plus, he has great wine if you're not feeling like sake. But its sushi and sashimi only.

-----
Shibucho
3114 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Thanks Ipse. From the looks of it, slim pickin's in LA, huh.

Blair's used to feature a brunch - with a delicious blackened catfish sandwich as one of the offerings. Netty's grilled up an incredible ahi with caper pesto mayo. Alas, Blair's killed their brunch offering, and Netty's is now Reservoir.

Where have all the good fish sandwiches gone? Can anyone help my craving? I am partial to Silverlake/Los Feliz but thats just because I live near, but will travel for a good fish sandwich!

Thanks in advance!

Thank you all so so much! Pti, what Laotian places do you recommend? My Vietnamese aunt who lives near Tolbiac will cook me her home cooked dishes, but I've not had Laotian in Paris before - wow, sounds like my few weeks will be a voyage of discovery for Asian/South Asian in Paris!

Rio - you're right - it was le Cambodge! And Ptipois, thank you so much! I will post a report on these after I try them.

One of my favorites for Chinese in the 13th is Likofa, do you know if it still is worth a trip to?

Also, I really enjoyed restaurant Chengdu on the Blvd de Strasbourg (near the Passage Brady) for Sichuanese - does anyone know if that one has stayed decent?

And, is Passage Brady still the best low cost Indian food?

I'm sorry to be asking about Asian and Indian food on the France board, but I've had some wonderful Asiatic culinary experiences in Paris (perhaps because the ingredients in France are so unadulterated) which I would love to re-live!

Thanks again for everyone's suggestions!

Hello, I am going to visit Paris again this September, and was wondering if someone could recommend some good Cambodian restaurants? I remember I ate at one near the L'hopital Saint-louis that was delicious a few years back. Any suggestions appreciated, thanks! I will be staying both on the right and left banks so can explore!

One trick my Hong Kong friend's mum taught me - whatever vegetable you mix into the filling of the wonton - be it nappa cabbage, baby bok choy or the myriad of chinese veggies that you can use to mix in - parboil it first, chop with a cleaver into fine dice and then squeeze out as much water as you can with your fist. Its always given my wontons a superior mouth feel. And although I grind my own pork (this pork must have some fat in it) I always chop my shrimp with a cleaver and never process it with the food processor. The textures as you bite into the wonton are integral to enjoying this cantonese delicacy. (This is particularly true for soup wontons, imho).