Susan Feniger's STREET
742 N Highland (just north of Melrose)
West Hollywood/Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-203-0500
www.eatatstreet.com/
Tiny parking lot in back, and limited street parking.
Visited: January 2011, Lunch, Dine-in
Well, I'm not sure how to review STREET. I definitely enjoyed the experience of eating here, but I didn't necessarily enjoy all of the food. Maybe my expectations were too high. I thought many of the flavors to be too light, and others had too many flavors competing. But there were definitely some high points.
We wanted to get a good feel for the multi-cultural flavors featured at STREET and ordered a number of items.
We started with their famous Kaya Toast ($11) - thick coconut jam on toast served with a soft fried egg (really really runny) and a dark soy drizzle. It was an interesting mix of sweet and salty, and even a little cinnamony now and then. While fascinating, it didn't send my tastebuds dancing.
We also got the Dumpling Sampler ($14) which was a nice portion size with 2 pieces of 3 different dumplings. The Spinach Varenky were more cheesey than spinachy, and reminded me of a cheese blintz. The lemon marmalade the accompanied the varenky was very sweet, and overpowered everything. I was expecting more Asian flavor from the Mandoo Vegetable Dumplings, even the sesame dipping sauce didn't seem to add much. The Shrimp Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms were the highlight of the Sampler. The mushrooms themselves were flavorful and the shrimp mousse was tasty. These were very hearty little mushroom appetizers.
And we also started with the Tatsutage Fried Chicken ($16). This was quite good, and I highly recommend having this as an entree. I would have liked the chicken to have more of the soy, mirin, and sake marinade flavor, but the batter was really nice, and the chicken fried well. The kewpie mayo didn't add anything. The chilled soba noodles with the pickled vegetable slaw and chunks of firm tofu were really tasty. Overall, a very nice dish.
For our entrees, we had a few sandwiches. First was the Vietnamese Pulled Pork Sandwich ($14) - actually two slider style sandwiches, and these were winners. It was kinda like having bbq pulled pork with vietnamese banh mi pickled veggie salad on a soft roll. Very tasty, and had a nice little spicy kick. The sandwiches came with a generous portion of fried plaintains, and these very curious chips that seemed similar to Chinese shrimp chips. This was a big and tasty plate of food.
Next we had the Brioche Cheeseburger ($13) - really, anything you do with brioche is going to taste good. The bread was a great holder for the tasty angus beef patty, Vermont white cheddar, and the bright yuzu sauce. The burger also came with a large serving of homemade pickles (didn't really do anything for us), and a large, but wish-we-had-more, serving of homemade Yukon gold potato chips.
And lastly, we had the Falafel Wrap ($11). The falafel themselves were fine, but there was just so much stuff in the wrap that it took away from the delicate falafel flavor. Tomato, lettuce, olives, pickled radishes, tahini, baba ghanouj, tzatziki - too much! BUT, the wrap did come with those heavenly potato chips.
We also ordered two hot teas that are supposed to be "pulled teas prepared tableside" - yeah, not so sure about that. Not only did the tea not arrive early (it came after we had our entrees, so really no time for the tea to cool enough to drink it with the meal), but there was no tableside service. The teas came in these really hot metal containers and poured into glass mugs without handles. Overall very awkward, but the Spiced Chai Assam ($4) was tasty, and the Gen Mai Cha ($3) was okay.
The food came out quickly - their kitchen must run really well. Our server was very nice, and got our order correct, but the slowness on beverages and lack of tea show was disappointing.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Cousin Vinny's Cafe, Torrance
Cousin Vinny's Cafe
5148 W. 190th St (in the 99c Store strip)
Torrance, CA 90503
310-542-3300
www.cousinvinnyscafe.com
Plenty of free parking.
Visited: A couple times, most recently, January 2011, Lunch, Dine-in
Well, they're from back east, and they say they got a good Cheese Steak, and boy, they sure do. We really enjoyed our sandwiches, and will definitely be back.
From a south Philly perspective, the original Philly Cheese Steak ($8.50) was very nicely done. The hoagie roll is soft and toasted on the griddle. The meat is plentiful and very tender, and the onions were cooked very nicely. They also use Provolone, which was great, but also have Cheez Whiz for those that prefer orange cheese.
They also claim to have the best French Dip ($8.50) around, well, not so much. It's a very fine sandwich with that nice bread and meat, however being from LA, nothing tops Philippe's. And my longstanding pet peeve, they used the term 'au jus' incorrectly on the menu.
The Meatball Sub ($8.50) made with their homemeade meatballs and marinara was also very tasty. Good bread is such a key, and their hoagie roll holds up well to the sauce and melted mozzarella.
All sandwiches come with a huge portion of crinkle cut fries or macaroni salad, and a pickle spear.
Vinny's is a new business, so watch out for coupons in area mailers.
5148 W. 190th St (in the 99c Store strip)
Torrance, CA 90503
310-542-3300
www.cousinvinnyscafe.com
Plenty of free parking.
Visited: A couple times, most recently, January 2011, Lunch, Dine-in
Well, they're from back east, and they say they got a good Cheese Steak, and boy, they sure do. We really enjoyed our sandwiches, and will definitely be back.
From a south Philly perspective, the original Philly Cheese Steak ($8.50) was very nicely done. The hoagie roll is soft and toasted on the griddle. The meat is plentiful and very tender, and the onions were cooked very nicely. They also use Provolone, which was great, but also have Cheez Whiz for those that prefer orange cheese.
They also claim to have the best French Dip ($8.50) around, well, not so much. It's a very fine sandwich with that nice bread and meat, however being from LA, nothing tops Philippe's. And my longstanding pet peeve, they used the term 'au jus' incorrectly on the menu.
The Meatball Sub ($8.50) made with their homemeade meatballs and marinara was also very tasty. Good bread is such a key, and their hoagie roll holds up well to the sauce and melted mozzarella.
All sandwiches come with a huge portion of crinkle cut fries or macaroni salad, and a pickle spear.
Vinny's is a new business, so watch out for coupons in area mailers.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Yellow Vase, Palos Verdes
Yellow Vase Café and Bakery
51 Malaga Cove Plaza
Palos Verdes Estates
310-378-0013
www.yellow-vase.com
Located in the hidden corner of the Plaza, to the right when you're facing Poseiden.
Plenty of free parking, just note whether you're in a 1 hour or a 2 hour space
Also:
1805 S. Catalina, Redondo Beach, 310-373-0013 (street parking; does not have a large room for events; is next to their flower shop)
810 Silver Spur Road, 310-541-0013 (plenty of parking; does not have a large room for events; has a very nice patio)
Visited: January 2011, Lunch, Dine-in
All locations are lovely with both indoor and outdoor seating, but the one in Malaga Cove is the cutest! They also have a private room that you can use for parties of 20 or more.
This review is for the Cafe side of the house. They have a lovely menu of breakfast favorites, crepes, omelettes, salads, soups, paninis (grilled or deli style, your choice), and other Home Specials.
Today we tried the Tomato Bisque Soup ($5), and very much enjoyed it. It's quite tomatoey with a light creaminess, and light on any other seasoning. It's served with 2 slices of baguette and 2 slices of seasoned crostini. This is a very filling bowl of soup.
The Quiches du Jour ($9) were Quiche Lorraine and a Vegetable Quiche. Sadly, they were already out of the Lorraine (by noon?) so we got the Vegetable. It was very good. It was hot, and the filling was well cooked and the crust was just flaky enough. There were lots of vegetables, and you could taste the freshness of the spinach and mushrooms. It also came with a small mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and two cute litte cornichons. A very filling meal.
And we tried the intriguing Olivieh Sandwich ($9). A chicken salad mixed with potatoes, pickles, eggs, and supposedly green peas (but we didn't find any) with lettuce and tomato on a baguette. You also have your choice of having it grilled panini-stytle, but we chose as is, or deli-style. The sandwich also came with mixed greens and their vinaigrette. The chicken salad mix was good, but needed just a little more seasoning. But the bread was outstanding. It really made the sandwich. Also, this is a very large sandwich, easily big enough to share.
The restaurant is partially self serve. You order at the counter, and take with you your beverages and pastries. Your food is delivered to your table of your own choosing. Now, taking your own drink to your table is normally fine, but it can really awkward if you've ordered a Large Hot Mocha ($3.80) (in a really large mug with saucer) or if you've ordered Hot Tea (2.25) - carrying your pot full of hot water and cup with saucer while trying to figure out where to sit is very cumbersome. A simple tray would have been nice.
We have tried a few of their bakery items in the past, and their adorable macaroons are also very flavorful - we've had Chocolate, Coffee and Passion Fruit flavors. We tried a Milk Chocolate Cupcake, and that was quite tasty too.
I'm already planning to go back with friends. A lovely place to relax and have a good meal.
51 Malaga Cove Plaza
Palos Verdes Estates
310-378-0013
www.yellow-vase.com
Located in the hidden corner of the Plaza, to the right when you're facing Poseiden.
Plenty of free parking, just note whether you're in a 1 hour or a 2 hour space
Also:
1805 S. Catalina, Redondo Beach, 310-373-0013 (street parking; does not have a large room for events; is next to their flower shop)
810 Silver Spur Road, 310-541-0013 (plenty of parking; does not have a large room for events; has a very nice patio)
Visited: January 2011, Lunch, Dine-in
All locations are lovely with both indoor and outdoor seating, but the one in Malaga Cove is the cutest! They also have a private room that you can use for parties of 20 or more.
This review is for the Cafe side of the house. They have a lovely menu of breakfast favorites, crepes, omelettes, salads, soups, paninis (grilled or deli style, your choice), and other Home Specials.
Today we tried the Tomato Bisque Soup ($5), and very much enjoyed it. It's quite tomatoey with a light creaminess, and light on any other seasoning. It's served with 2 slices of baguette and 2 slices of seasoned crostini. This is a very filling bowl of soup.
The Quiches du Jour ($9) were Quiche Lorraine and a Vegetable Quiche. Sadly, they were already out of the Lorraine (by noon?) so we got the Vegetable. It was very good. It was hot, and the filling was well cooked and the crust was just flaky enough. There were lots of vegetables, and you could taste the freshness of the spinach and mushrooms. It also came with a small mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and two cute litte cornichons. A very filling meal.
And we tried the intriguing Olivieh Sandwich ($9). A chicken salad mixed with potatoes, pickles, eggs, and supposedly green peas (but we didn't find any) with lettuce and tomato on a baguette. You also have your choice of having it grilled panini-stytle, but we chose as is, or deli-style. The sandwich also came with mixed greens and their vinaigrette. The chicken salad mix was good, but needed just a little more seasoning. But the bread was outstanding. It really made the sandwich. Also, this is a very large sandwich, easily big enough to share.
The restaurant is partially self serve. You order at the counter, and take with you your beverages and pastries. Your food is delivered to your table of your own choosing. Now, taking your own drink to your table is normally fine, but it can really awkward if you've ordered a Large Hot Mocha ($3.80) (in a really large mug with saucer) or if you've ordered Hot Tea (2.25) - carrying your pot full of hot water and cup with saucer while trying to figure out where to sit is very cumbersome. A simple tray would have been nice.
We have tried a few of their bakery items in the past, and their adorable macaroons are also very flavorful - we've had Chocolate, Coffee and Passion Fruit flavors. We tried a Milk Chocolate Cupcake, and that was quite tasty too.
I'm already planning to go back with friends. A lovely place to relax and have a good meal.
Seafood Port, Torrance, CA
Seafood Port
21180 Hawthorne Blvd (near Torrance Blvd)
Torrance, CA 90503
310-370-8478
Visited: January 2011, Dine-in and Take-out
Seafood Port is pretty close at being in a Chinatown-style and atmosphere restaurant here in the South Bay. The food is good, the portions are generous, and they're fast.
The real deal is go to at lunch at order the lunch specials, or order the food at lunch and save it for dinner. It really is a bargain. Not all items have a lunch price, but many do. Also, I think the dinner portions may be a little larger, but really, the lunch size portion is plenty enough.
The Bean Curd with Minced Pork & Chili aka Ma Po Tofu ($5.75/$8.50) is not super spicy., but nice enough to be noticed. This dish is cooked well, and has a very comfort food quality about it.
The String Bean with Ground Meat ($5.75/$8.50) is another nice dish. The beans, I'm pretty sure are long beans, are fried real quick and then wokked with the meat and sauce. The beans are cooked but still feel fresh.
The Salted Pepper Pork Chop ($6.50/$10.50) is labelled as spicy, but I think don't so. However, they are still very tasty and have a nice crisp coating and tender meat.
The Peking Style Pork Chop ($6.50/$10.50) is a fried pork chop with the sweet red sauce. The coating is nice, and meat tender, but I actually prefer the sauce to be a little sweeter.
The Fried Crispy Chicken ($6.50/$14.00) is quite excellent. Very tender chicken with a very lovely crisp to it. The menu says to allow 15 mins, but if it's lunchtime and they're cranked up, it out right with the rest of the food.
And, the Salt & Pepper Fresh Squid ($7.00/11.00) is amazing. I've never had fried squid like this. It has that nice and light salt & pepper coating on these lovely flat sheets of squid (not cut into rings or the tentacles). I've never had squid like this before, and I'm in love.
I thought I'd try something different, and got the Kung Pao Scallop ($7.00/14.00). Well, it wasn't very spicy, so the sauce just drowned out the delicacy of the scallops. I was hoping for a nice balance of sweet scallop to spicy sauce, but alas no. They do give you lots of peanuts, though.
They have quite a large menu, so we'll be back to try our more things.
21180 Hawthorne Blvd (near Torrance Blvd)
Torrance, CA 90503
310-370-8478
Visited: January 2011, Dine-in and Take-out
Seafood Port is pretty close at being in a Chinatown-style and atmosphere restaurant here in the South Bay. The food is good, the portions are generous, and they're fast.
The real deal is go to at lunch at order the lunch specials, or order the food at lunch and save it for dinner. It really is a bargain. Not all items have a lunch price, but many do. Also, I think the dinner portions may be a little larger, but really, the lunch size portion is plenty enough.
The Bean Curd with Minced Pork & Chili aka Ma Po Tofu ($5.75/$8.50) is not super spicy., but nice enough to be noticed. This dish is cooked well, and has a very comfort food quality about it.
The String Bean with Ground Meat ($5.75/$8.50) is another nice dish. The beans, I'm pretty sure are long beans, are fried real quick and then wokked with the meat and sauce. The beans are cooked but still feel fresh.
The Salted Pepper Pork Chop ($6.50/$10.50) is labelled as spicy, but I think don't so. However, they are still very tasty and have a nice crisp coating and tender meat.
The Peking Style Pork Chop ($6.50/$10.50) is a fried pork chop with the sweet red sauce. The coating is nice, and meat tender, but I actually prefer the sauce to be a little sweeter.
The Fried Crispy Chicken ($6.50/$14.00) is quite excellent. Very tender chicken with a very lovely crisp to it. The menu says to allow 15 mins, but if it's lunchtime and they're cranked up, it out right with the rest of the food.
And, the Salt & Pepper Fresh Squid ($7.00/11.00) is amazing. I've never had fried squid like this. It has that nice and light salt & pepper coating on these lovely flat sheets of squid (not cut into rings or the tentacles). I've never had squid like this before, and I'm in love.
I thought I'd try something different, and got the Kung Pao Scallop ($7.00/14.00). Well, it wasn't very spicy, so the sauce just drowned out the delicacy of the scallops. I was hoping for a nice balance of sweet scallop to spicy sauce, but alas no. They do give you lots of peanuts, though.
They have quite a large menu, so we'll be back to try our more things.
Little Dim Sum, Carson, CA
Little Dim Sum
107 W. Carson St (at Main St)
Carson, CA 90745
310-830-0808, 310-830-0809
www.littledimsum.com
Visited: January 2011, Dinner, Take-out
We got a number of things to try, and overall, it was okay.
The Pork Shiu Mai (4, $2.55) were very large and had shrimp mixed in, but were kinda plain. Sometimes when the shiu mai are that big, I'm wary if they're cooked all the way through, and the pink shrimp color wasn't helping.
The Shrimp Har Gow (4, $2.55) were also nicely sized, and all shrimp. The skin was pleasant, however leftovers the next day, the skin was rather hard.
The Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce ($2.55) was a nice portion size, maybe 5 feet or so, but bland. They were tender enough, but the black beans were like rocks.
The Fried Potstickers (3, $2.55) were really fried (not just pan fried and toasted, but kinda dark and deep fried), and filling didn't have much taste. I prefer potstickers to come with a soy dipping sauce, but these came with a reddish spicy thing.
The Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf (2, $3.95) were very tasty and lots of bits of meat in it. They just required a bit of patience to eat cuz the rice stuck to the leaves, a lot.
In addition to dim sum, they serve some noodles, congee, and noodle soup.
They also have Rice Meal Combos, but instead of a combo, we ordered a plate of the Salt & Pepper Pork Chops. Nice texture, but a little garlickier than we're used to.
I doubt we'll go back unless to try some of the other items on the menu.
107 W. Carson St (at Main St)
Carson, CA 90745
310-830-0808, 310-830-0809
www.littledimsum.com
Visited: January 2011, Dinner, Take-out
We got a number of things to try, and overall, it was okay.
The Pork Shiu Mai (4, $2.55) were very large and had shrimp mixed in, but were kinda plain. Sometimes when the shiu mai are that big, I'm wary if they're cooked all the way through, and the pink shrimp color wasn't helping.
The Shrimp Har Gow (4, $2.55) were also nicely sized, and all shrimp. The skin was pleasant, however leftovers the next day, the skin was rather hard.
The Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce ($2.55) was a nice portion size, maybe 5 feet or so, but bland. They were tender enough, but the black beans were like rocks.
The Fried Potstickers (3, $2.55) were really fried (not just pan fried and toasted, but kinda dark and deep fried), and filling didn't have much taste. I prefer potstickers to come with a soy dipping sauce, but these came with a reddish spicy thing.
The Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf (2, $3.95) were very tasty and lots of bits of meat in it. They just required a bit of patience to eat cuz the rice stuck to the leaves, a lot.
In addition to dim sum, they serve some noodles, congee, and noodle soup.
They also have Rice Meal Combos, but instead of a combo, we ordered a plate of the Salt & Pepper Pork Chops. Nice texture, but a little garlickier than we're used to.
I doubt we'll go back unless to try some of the other items on the menu.
Fish Bonz, Torrance, CA
Fish Bonz
2599 Airport Drive
Torrance, CA 90505
310-325-BONZ (2669)
www.fishbonzgrill.com
Located in Rolling Hills Plaza in the odd round intersection.
Plenty of free parking, however parking is crowded on Friday nights and weekends due to the movie theaters.
Visited: January 2011, Dinner, Dine-in
Fish Bonz calls itself a casual seafood grill, and I'd say it lives up to that moniker. We tried a couple things on the menu, and were quite satisfied with the quality of seafood and the portion size.
We had the Grilled Mahi Mahi ($8.99), and chose to have it plain with Teri sauce on the side. Normally, you have your choice of Garlic Butter or Cajun style. It comes with choice of rice, fries, or brown rice (50 cents extra), and I chose the brown rice. And it comes with their housemade cole slaw which was very tasty. It's a light Asian-inspired vinaigrette and also has toasted slivered almonds. The fish was cooked extremely well, and the portion was very generous. The rice was also cooked very nicely. In all, I would definitely order it again.
We also had the Shrimp & Scallops ($8.99) fryer combo which comes on a huge bed of lightly seasoned fries. The shrimp were quite meaty, and the breading a little salty, but overall tasty. There were a lot of scallops. These were a little plain, and definitely needed sauce. They have a condiment bar where you scoop your own portins of cocktail and tartar sauces, and a variety of salsas.
Being January, it was a chilly evening, but we chose to sit outside in the heated (and enclosed) patio. It was very pleasant, and would be quite lovely on a summer night to dine and people watch.
In addition to items from the Grill, they have the tacos, other fried items, teri bowls, entree salads, and clam clam chowder. For an 'upgrade,' they also have grilled zucchini and sweet potato fries - will have to try both of those next time.
They have something on the menu called Swai White Ruffy - we didn't know what this was, and was told that it was a type of catfish.
If you are with anyone who does not eat seafood, the choices are limited to grilled chicken, chicken taco, chicken teri bowl, or the Green Salad with chicken.
All in all, we enjoyed our dinner, and will go back and try more items.
2599 Airport Drive
Torrance, CA 90505
310-325-BONZ (2669)
www.fishbonzgrill.com
Located in Rolling Hills Plaza in the odd round intersection.
Plenty of free parking, however parking is crowded on Friday nights and weekends due to the movie theaters.
Visited: January 2011, Dinner, Dine-in
Fish Bonz calls itself a casual seafood grill, and I'd say it lives up to that moniker. We tried a couple things on the menu, and were quite satisfied with the quality of seafood and the portion size.
We had the Grilled Mahi Mahi ($8.99), and chose to have it plain with Teri sauce on the side. Normally, you have your choice of Garlic Butter or Cajun style. It comes with choice of rice, fries, or brown rice (50 cents extra), and I chose the brown rice. And it comes with their housemade cole slaw which was very tasty. It's a light Asian-inspired vinaigrette and also has toasted slivered almonds. The fish was cooked extremely well, and the portion was very generous. The rice was also cooked very nicely. In all, I would definitely order it again.
We also had the Shrimp & Scallops ($8.99) fryer combo which comes on a huge bed of lightly seasoned fries. The shrimp were quite meaty, and the breading a little salty, but overall tasty. There were a lot of scallops. These were a little plain, and definitely needed sauce. They have a condiment bar where you scoop your own portins of cocktail and tartar sauces, and a variety of salsas.
Being January, it was a chilly evening, but we chose to sit outside in the heated (and enclosed) patio. It was very pleasant, and would be quite lovely on a summer night to dine and people watch.
In addition to items from the Grill, they have the tacos, other fried items, teri bowls, entree salads, and clam clam chowder. For an 'upgrade,' they also have grilled zucchini and sweet potato fries - will have to try both of those next time.
They have something on the menu called Swai White Ruffy - we didn't know what this was, and was told that it was a type of catfish.
If you are with anyone who does not eat seafood, the choices are limited to grilled chicken, chicken taco, chicken teri bowl, or the Green Salad with chicken.
All in all, we enjoyed our dinner, and will go back and try more items.
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