Nong Lá Vietnamese Cafe

With the waves of Vietnamese immigrants coming to California's shores, its no surprise that pho has become a local favorite.  Rather than venture to your neighborhood deli or downtown diner for chicken noodle soup, these mom and pop shops have the perfect cure for your craving!

Since I don't venture to East Los Angeles much, my favorite Vietnamese restaurant probably doesn't meet the expectations of avid pho goers.  I can say with complete confidence that this restaurant is as delicious - but I would hate to get into a Fast & Furious battle with those who disagree. And I mean that in a funny non-stereotypical way since there is very little parking.

Nong Lá Vietnamese Cafe is oddly located in the Little Osaka district of West Los Angeles. Next to the ever popular Tsujita LA ramen sensation, this Vietnamese gem is the perfect alternative to avoid Tsujita's ever growing lines.  Since I eat pork once in a long while, I actually prefer going to Nong Lá to get my noodle soup fix. It is a delicate balance between light yet savory chicken broth, with dense yet not overly filling noodles.  Top that with shredded chicken and onions, and you've got a Hanoi party in your mouth.

Pho Ga ($7.95)

chicken broth with fresh rice noodles topped with white onions, green onions, cilantro 

If you're not in the mood for a hot soup on a hot day, I recommend opting for the second most famous Vietnamese dish, the Bhan-mi sandwiches.   You can never go wrong with grilled meat, french bread and Vietnamese spices.

Bun Steak & Eggroll ($8.50)

grilled kemongrass and sesame steak with eggrolls served on a bed of cold vermicelli noodles with lettuce, fresh herbs, cucumbers, bean sprouts, carrots and fish sauce

So, get on your tuk tuk, motorcycle, minivan or feet and head to Nong Lá Vietnamese Cafe ASAP!!! 

Simpang Asia

For those of us who can't afford to go to Indonesia this summer, let me point your attention to Simpang Asia.  Sitting on the corner of National and Motor, this Culver City delight is no stranger to locals.  Sharing a space with its Indonesian market, Simpang Asia serves up native dishes to American foreigners.  

Influenced by Indian, Arabic, Chinese, and European traders, Indonesia's food is representative of its diverse cultural identity. Although the dishes are small enough to be eaten alone, the best way to enjoy this Southeast Asian treasure is to order several dishes and share among friends. Rather than explain these ancestral dishes that culminate from hundreds of years of history, I will let the pictures and description do the talking.

Chicken Satay ($6.50)

marinated chicken skewers 

Veggie Stir-Fry ($6.50)

Nasi Goreng Jawa ($6.95)

spicy fried rice and noodles

Rendang ($6.50)

dried beef curry

Ikan Goreng ($6.50)

fried whole tilapia

Had author Elizabeth Gilbert come to Simpang Asia before writing "Eat. Pray. Love", the book probably would have been renamed to "Eat. Pray. Eat." The dishes are extremely affordable given the quality of the food - substituting as a more viable option than Rock Sugar in Century City. Embrace a trip to the Indonesian archipelago by visiting Simpang Asia today!

El Torito Grill

Dine LA - Dinner ($25)

One of the problems about getting to blog posts so late, is often, the dishes no longer exist, or even worse, the restaurant has closed.  Despite my unlucky streak, I must take a moment to pay homage to this Southwestern delight.

El Torito Grill of Beverly Hills was the upscale version of the classic restaurant chain, El Torito.  Taking a fancy spin on traditional Tex Mex dishes, El Torito Grill became one of my favorite spots.  My last ride over there was during DineLA restaurant week.  Below are some of the dishes me and my cowboys ate.

Tacquitos de Tinga Poblano

carnitas, chicken chorizo, red onions, chipotle chile, blue corn tortillas, cilantro 

crema fresca, avocado sauce, cojita cheese, arugula, habanero-lime dressing

Mesquite Grilled Chicken Fajitas

chicken breast, onions, pasilla chiles, red bell peppers, beans, 

avocado relish, pico de gallo, handmade tortillas

Mexican Flan

I should mention the, Fire Roasted Tomato Soup [not pictured here] with grilled tomatos, chicken chorizo, pasilla chiles, roasted corn, garlic and spices, was the best tomato soup I ever got my hands on.  Its a real shame that I can't round up some more of this amazing dish!

I'm sad to see El Torito Grill of Beverly Hills close its doors, because it truly was a great feast for the senses.  They put up a good fight until the end!  Visit their other locations in the Southern California area for a great Tex Mex experience.

Tavern

Tavern is yet another enchanted creation of Chef Suzanne Goin: the superstar chef behind The A.O.C., Lucques, and The Hungry Cat. Every time I reminisce about my out-of-this-world experiences at one of her restaurants, I  start to crave one of the delicious morsels I have had the pleasure of eating.  Its hard to describe her cooking style, as each restaurant has its only personality and specialty dishes.  Today, I'm here to rave about her Brentwood Neighborhood favorite, Tavern.

Traditionally, taverns are known as havens for drunkards and heathens alike to drink, be merry and eat.  As it is uncommon in the United States to come across taverns, I can only imagine that they are as magical as they are portrayed in films such as The Lord of the Rings - filled with unlikely characters and good food.  Tavern is just like that.

Rather than expect giants and dwarfs among the crowd, you can expect A-List celebrities to be crawling the restaurant.  I had the pleasure of gawking at Nick Lachey and wife Vanessa Minnillo - however, they proved to be quite normal creatures.

For our first dish, my partner and I had a rendition of the Caesar salad.  Unfortunately, it is no longer on the menu - but I can still remember the decadence of the Pt. Reyes blue cheese complimented with the roasted pecans.  Each savory bite had a hint of acidic dressing to cut through the cheese, and was worth all $15.00.

Also no longer available on their seasonal menu was a braised short rib paired with mashed potatoes and au jus sauce.  My mouth waters thinking about how the meat pulled apart with ease, and bursted with flavor in my mouth.  Yum.

As for myself, I had the crispy duck confit with black rice, swiss chard and spiced rhubarb.  It is one of the restaurants signature dishes, which is very unlikely to be found elsewhere.  I swear, this dish is so good, it is borderline witchery!

This blog entry does not do Suzanne Goin proper justice, but I can assure you, each dish was exquisite.  Tavern is on the pricey side, with main dishes averaging $30.  The best way to imagine the food at this restaurant is to remember the love Gollum had for his ring...MY PRECIOUS!!!