longtimehere's Profile
Best Fish And Chips on the West Side
I agree. Delicious, worth the price if you are prepared for not-huge portion. Still enough for decent lunch I think.
Who's got the best Ma Po Tofu?
I agree on that dish- it's almost a guilty pleasure for me. I remember it being garlicky and a little sweet, well-balanced and tangy enough. For some reason wouldn't expect others to like it- has a slightly rich or comfort food feel, but maybe it is better than I thought! Have only tried the beef version.
Pit Fire Pizza
Yes I also noticed the sparseness of toppings in Westwood- hopefully just luck and not penny-pinching....
Pit Fire Pizza
Yes- I just completely loved the way it looked - fresh ingredients, rustic-- but found it oddly not that flavorful. However, I will try it again, because I really want to like the place- maybe different toppings.
Take the Cannoli ... but from where?
Pizza Bravo (Eat-Love) on Main Street in Santa Monica has nice ones- I think the cheese and maybe even the shells are actually from NY.
The Thai Boom Mystery
I agree with whoever said Thai Boom could be a little sweet....but still like it and Ayara-- in my head Thai Boom is more bold/hearty, Ayara more complex or subtle, but they are equal to me (though like the surprising elegance of the interior of Ayara).
The Thai Boom Mystery
Yes I've noticed that from a lot of your postings-- make me wonder if there is some genetic wiring?
The Thai Boom Mystery
I've always liked the Prik King best- nice complexity, heat, and balance. Pla Prik Pao well enough. Also, the chili sauce fried fish dishes, which tend to be fine at a lot of places. Never tried any coconut milk or noodle or peanut sauce dishes. Pretty good larbs.
The Thai Boom Mystery
I've noticed a little more variance in quality (from ok to great) the past 3 months than usual, but still "good enough" at worst. I'll post when I try it again-- I wonder if they got a new chef, or they have been more rushed when the business picked up more? Curious to see. Maybe some dishes were always better.
Bella Pita - New Falafel Specialist in Westwood
I've been back twice more and now agree that it's great. Took me a while to get my mix down just right, but I appreciate the baby argula, cabbage, and hot sauce! I would now give both this place and Hungry Pocket a big thumbs up. Hungry Pocket has a very slight edge in the Falafel, whereas Bella Pita has the homemade Pita, and slightly nicer extras. But too close to call-- just personal preference I think. Like the vibe, too- nice owner and mom and popish!
Bella Pita - New Falafel Specialist in Westwood
Yes, I think so-- looked like white cabbage with mint or parsley throughout. Really want to like this place- the falafel was pretty good- can't remember if it was better than Hungry Pocket, which is my current fave. Liked the condiment bar- agree with JBC.
Red Mango Frozen Yogurt on Westwood Blvd.
Mondo Gelato on Pico near Westwood, which I've been endorsing, has a nonfat "Italian" which is even creamier and possibly better than their "Tart." Fair prices, as well. Eventually I'll compare their "Tart" and "Italian"-- both have plenty of flavor and are my current faves of this type (except for possibly one place in Koreatown...)
Ice Cream Hunt
For Gelato I would vote for Mondo Gelato on Pico close to Westwood-- many interesting homemade flavors. Great sorbettos and gelatos, and as mentioned before, an interesting tart Pinkberry's-ish yogurt that I like better than the others I've tried-- a bit fluffy, less dense- but also somehow smoother-- very nice taste, and not icy at all. The only better "tart" yogurt I have had is at an obscure place called "Boba Time" on Vermont a little south of Wilshire (it's a hair icier but denser/creamier).
Mondo Gelato's tart yogurt better than pinkberry
Thanks a ton for the amazing tip. I loved all their gelatos (I tried and/or purchased about 10). A few were a bit strong in taste for me, but that's just personal preference-- the ingredients seemed quite good and fresh, and much better too strong and clear than too weak. Their "tart" yogurt I agree is better and cheaper than Pinkberry's-- softer, fluffier, less icy....I could see some people liking Pinkberry's more, but not me. I hope people can support this nice shop.
Terrible Indian -- Westside -- Sad
Oops I forgot-- just for samosas, India Sweets and Samosa House are fine. For mango lassis Chutneys and even Hurry Curry are good- I think as long as the yogurt is homemade, it's hard to screw up.
Terrible Indian -- Westside -- Sad
I'll second Chutneys. It tastes homemade to me, and I'm Indian. However, my parents aren't great cooks :). Of course, average homemade Indian beats most restaurants. My only complaint with Chutneys is that it's not super-spicy-- with one exception-- their nehari is quite nice! Not as good as Al Watan's, but really rich in flavor. Chutney's and maybe Annapurna are the only places I will go back to on the west side.
Do real bagels, boiled bagels, exist in West Los Angeles?
Bueller's Bagels on Olympic and Westwood (SouthEast Corner) definitely boils them. I consider them very good for LA, and average for NY standards. Good enough to enjoy, without being astonishing. The owner is a nice Austrian guy.
Katmandu Kitchen - loved it
Thanks, Chowhounds. I just tried Katmandu Kitchen with a friend and we both loved it! I don't know Nepali food but it was close to Indian; that is, homemade Indian food, and not that strange stuff you usually get at restaurants. I requested the food to be spicy, since they said they could accomodate.
Vegetarian Moma: fantastic- nice bitter flavorful greens.
Black Magic soup: nice, earthy, mild
Spinach: garlicky good
Lamb/Spinach: nice bit of sauce and garlicky
Dashein: great goat dish-- dark, rich, curry
Chaya tea: creamy, good tea quality
Great homey mom and pop atmosphere and service, with warm cozy lighting and Himalayan decor.
I'd love to see more reviews, but am going back soon in any case.
Santouka - West LA
Yes - can anyone explain the goodness? Lots of porkiness from the pork bones I guess-- but other things? Maybe the fattiness, too?
Greek Eats in L.A.?
I also like Delphi (though I wouldn't know how authentic it is). I might like their appetizers even better than their entrees. I have a friend that used to go get food and retsina there whenever he needed to get away from fighting with his wife (they don't fight so much anymore, so that's good!).
Thai food in Santa Monica/Venice
I would second the vote for Thai Boom (though I am now curious to try the two Lincoln places, Star of Siam and Poom Thai).
"Thai Boom" Great new Thai on westside...finally
vittus,
Thanks a ton for the great Thai Boom tip. I love their prik king, which I find quite spicy, hot enough, and yet well-balanced (and only a little sweet). Also their pla prik pao is nice-- maybe a bit more basic. The cashew chicken I agree is only so-so. The prik king and jungle curry of Ayara Thai are probably subtler and more complex, but also a bit sweeter, so I might even like Thai Boom better for red curries. Don't know about the rest of Thai Boom's menu but hope to hear more of what others think (good or bad). The west side Thai options are funny because everyone seems to have their neighborhood favorite, but it's hard to get a real overview.
