KTLA's Profile
Chowhound from LA seeking restaurant recommendations for Sydney and Melbourne
Thanks Jules101.
Rent a large paella pan & burner?
I recommend you get the paella from La Espanola in Harbor City. Order the serving size you want, they loan you the pan. Take it home and if you have a Weber charcoal grill, light some coals and put a pan of hot water in it. Use this to warm the paella pan, works like a charm.
The Paella is pretty damn good as well.
http://www.laespanolameats.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=main
Chowhound from LA seeking restaurant recommendations for Sydney and Melbourne
Yes, you are right, the AUSD to USD conversion rate does not help. Not having to pay 15-20% tip probably does help as well. Funny thing was during my last visit in 2005 I was not aware of the different tipping policies in Sydney and left a 20% tip at Tetsuya because of the excellent service. The Manager came out and was extremely gracious and thankful. I left thinking this must be Aussie hospitality :)
In general, LA fine dinning is very good value for money. New York is more like Sydney prices. You can typically get a 10 course tasting menu with wine pairing for less than US$200. In general, I fine the dining experience in LA very similar to Sydney because of the similarities in climate (and thus very good quality produce) and cultural diversity.
Chowhound from LA seeking restaurant recommendations for Sydney and Melbourne
Thanks!
Chowhound from LA seeking restaurant recommendations for Sydney and Melbourne
Hi everyone, thanks for all the recommendations so far. My wife and I were in Sydney 5 years ago and ate at Tetsuya, Quay and Rockpool. Fantastic meals at those places. We also ate some good Chinese in Chinatown as well. We will definitely check out the other Sydney places as well. Noticed there hasn't been as many recommendations for Melbourne as Sydney? How does restaurants in Melbourne compare with Sydney (never been to Melbourne). I checked some of the websites for the recommended restaurants and noticed the prices are definitely much higher than LA for the same type of restaurants. Wonder how you guys do it (you must make more money than us poor Americans, LOL).
Keep the recommendations coming especially for Melbourne. Thanks again!
Chowhound from LA seeking restaurant recommendations for Sydney and Melbourne
Hi everyone, we are heading to Sydney and Melbourne for 2 weeks in December and are looking for top 5 restaurants (price not a problem) in each city. Thanks in advance!
Eva Sunday Night Dinner rocks
The regular menu for the rest of the week is reasonably priced and well executed as well. Mark Gold the chef is definitely having fun and he constantly works the dining room to make sure everyone is happy and satisfied. Had several very good meals since it opened last September.
Downtown LA - NYC Chowhounder with NO CAR
Here's a recent link to downtown LA restaurants: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/689017
Authentic Chinese in Torrance
Both of these places are among the best in the South Bay.
Authentic Chinese in Torrance
The spicy beef noodle soup is one of the better ones in Southern Cal. I also like the spicy beancurd with fish fillet. The beef roll is very good. There are numerous Sichuan type food on the menu that is very good as well.
Where can i buy slider sized brioche buns in LA??
Trader Joe's does have brioche buns, but I think they might be larger than slider size.
Eva Restaurant on Beverly Blvd
If you don't have reservations, why would you expect to get into a restaurant if they are full. They are very busy lately with the positive Irene Virbila LA Times review, so don't just show up and expect to be seated.
Spectacular Weekend Brunch Buffets for $40 or Less
There are no more responses because I don't think you can find excellent brunch buffet for under $40. Just my opinion, I would love to be proved wrong.
REVIEW w/ pics: Tour and Paella at La Espanola Meats
We had a paella dinner party in July and ordered for 40 people and fed more than 50! It is by far, one of the best paella that I have ever had. The sausages and cured meats are outstanding as well. Only problem, it is pretty tough to find the place since it's in a somewhat industrial part of Harbor City.
Great Restaurant for dinner in Manhattan Beach or Palos Verdes?
Chez Melange in the Riveria Village. http://www.chezmelange.com/
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Chez Melange
1716 Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Recommendations for wife's birthday on the West Side or in South Bay?
Second Joe's, Gjelina or Providence (Providence is expensive but by far one of the top restaurants in Southern Cal). Don't waste your money on Cafe Del Rey, it was good in the early 90's when it first opened, not sure why it's still around.
FIG, Cache or La Cachette Bistro for 5th Wedding Anniversary dinner?
I recommend Eva, the new restaurant where the old Hatfield's used to be. Everything on the menu is under $20 and you can order a bunch of dishes like as if you are creating your own tasting menu. The restaurant is very new and service is very spotty when I was there 2 weeks ago. Highly recommended!
Eva Restaurant on Beverly Blvd
Went to Mark Gold's new restaurant called Eva Restaurant where the old Hatfield's Restaurant used to be. It has been opened only for about 2 weeks and we had a dinner party for 6 people to celebrate a birthday. The menu is still being developed and fairly small with about 8 starters and 8 entrees. Everything is in small plates and portion, nothing above $20. The dishes that really shined were the Hokaido Scallops, Heirloom tomatoes, Ravioli with burrata and poached beef tenderloin (actually cooked sous vide). They do not have a liquor license so you can bring your own wine with a $12 corkage. We brought a 2000 Peter Michael and a 1999 Justin Isosceles. The service needs a lot of improvement, hopefully they get there soon!
6 people and the bill came to $309.50 before tip. Pretty damn good!
Mark told us that Sunday night dinner was served family style for $35 for adult (including wine) and $25 for children. Going to have try this one of these Sundays.
Hudson House Bar
Sorry if it's a little late, the skirt steak with garlic & truffle cheese fries ($13) and Pretzel Burger ($10) were outstanding the last time I was there.
Redondo Beach/PVE
In the same strip Mall as Gaja, there is Eboshi which has decent Ramen.
Best place for loose leaf tea?
Le Palais des Thes
401 North Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Store hours: 10 AM-6 PM Monday through Saturday ; 12 PM-5 PM on Sunday
Phone 310-271-7922
http://www.palaisdesthes.com/fre/index.cgi
Are AOC and Providence child-friendly?
If your child will order off the menu and enjoy the food and behave during dinner, I say sure. If you need to special order some child friendly type food for your child, then you are better off leaving them at home with a babysitter. We bring our 9 and 12 year olds to restaurants all the time, but they are totally comfortable with a 7 course tasting menu.
Wine seller in South Bay?
Unless you want to drive, Manhattan Fine Wine is hard to beat. They have good wine selection at reasonable prices! Don't waste your time at BevMo.
What is the best place for Thai curries in Thaitown?
Noticed nobody on this link has warned you on how spicy the curries at Jitlata can be. Unless you can handle lips burning spiciness, don't ask for "very spicy"
Larkin's, Hungry Cat, or Grace
Grace has a 5 course tasting menu for $55. I have tried it twice in the last 6 months and both times, it was well worth the $55!
Is Patina worth it?
Drago Centro, Watergrill, Church & State or Rivera. You cannot go wrong with any of these restaurants. I think Patina has seen better days.
Makkah Halal (Indian) – report
The name "Halal" implies a Muslim restaurant. I think we have to be somewhat sensitive to Muslims not consuming alcohol. Personally, I think it's not being very sensitive to the other customers who may be Muslims and the owners as well. Just a personal opinion.
Hatfield's or The Little Door?
In today's tough Economy, why waste good money at "The Little Door". Go spend it at Hatfields! You will not regret it.
Cafe Firenze - Please pack your knives and go.
This is at best, a local neighborhood italian restaurant. I am not really sure why everyone on this thread is expecting more. At the end of the day, if they can pack the restaurant serving so-so food and making lots of money, why bother making it a high end italian restaurant with no business.
Looking For People To Grill/Make Great Tacos At My House for a Party
I have been to a party once and they used Juan as well. I believe it was $7.50 per person, 50 people MIN. They provide everything including drinks. It was very good.
