Andy Gavin's Blog, page 11

Quick Eats – Burgette

Restaurant: Burgette

Location: 111 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Date: July 18, 2024

Cuisine: Burgers

Rating: Pricey!

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This opened down the street from work, replacing Stout (a burger bar concept). It’s owned by the same people as Bar Monette next door.

The concept is “French” burgers?





They just have burgers and fries basically. It was good, but it was also about $25 for the burger itself and another $10? for the fries. woah.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Riding the Mulholland

Restaurant: The Mulholland

Location: 23538 Calabasas Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302. (818) 573-5667

Date: July 17, 2024

Cuisine: Modern American

Rating: Bright and contemporary

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Even though I ride near here all the time I didn’t even know “Old Calabasas” existed.

This new place as of itself:

 

The Mulholland, we’re all about taking a thoughtful approach to New American cuisine in an environment created for memorable experiences around every plate and glass. Our creative menu crafted by Culin...

Yummy at Yummy Kitchen

Restaurant: Yau Ma Tei Yummy Kitchen 油麻地茶餐厅

Location: 500 W Garvey Ave Monterey Park, CA 91754. (626) 703-4556

Date: June 30 & December 1, 2024

Cuisine: Chinese

Rating: Very solid southern Chinese Kitchen

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The Vekyes wanted to hit up this Hong Kong style place which was running discounts on high end seafood. Then a few months later I came back with Yarom and Sklar.

The outside decor is very 50s or 60s.


The inside, maybe 1970s. haha.


But we had the “VIP room”, which was still out of the 198...

AFF – Dong Ting Noodle

Restaurant: Dong Ting Noodle

Location: 1947 Sawtelle Blvd suite c, Los Angeles, CA 90025. (310) 867-5937

Date: June 28, 2024

Cuisine: Chinese Noodles

Rating: Focused, but good

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These days I can only go to AFF (Asian Food Friday) when it’s REALLY close to my house/work — too busy.


Dong Ting is a lake in Hunan and Hubei Provinces and this restaurant features noodles from the region opened recently on Sawtelle.

Very casual noodle bar.


The small menu, mostly variants on 1-2 noodle dishes.

Hou...

Quick Eats – Farmhouse Kitchen

Restaurant:

Location: 5560 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016. (323) 592-3999

Date: June 23, 2024

Cuisine: Thai

Rating: Modernized local Thai

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On this particular Sunday our regular SGV Sunday group fell through and it was just Bovon and I, so we stayed local and got some Thai.



Unicorns in West Adams.

Farmhouse Kitchen is a modern style Thai.

The menu.

Papaya Salad. Spicy! Hand shredded green papaya, cherry tomato, Thai long beans, garlic, fish sauce, bir...

Eating San Fran – Ernest

Restaurant: Ernest

Location: 1890 Bryant St Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94110. (415) 829-2961

Date: June 20, 2024

Cuisine: New American Tapas

Rating: Good

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Another very quick preview of one of my San Francisco work meals.


Ceviche and crackers.

Beef and Salmon Egg Tartar

Croquettes

A Hamachi Crudo.

Nori for the hamachi.

Squid and broccolini

Sardines.

Rolls.

Tomato salad.

Steak.

Duck meatballs (Japanese style).

Leek version.

Japanese sweet soy and egg sauce for the meat.

Onion rin...

K’s Bistro Night

Restaurant: K’s Bistro

Location: 735 Baker St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Date: June 15, 2024

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi and Yakitori

Rating: Good, but far

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All the way down Costa Mesa for a small family Japanese place. Joe loves his sushi + yakitori mixes.

The menu.

Tiny interior.

Our table.


Assorted Pickles Plate. Great. Nice and crunchy.

Monkfish Liver and Sunomono.

Japanese Sea Snail.

Sashimi. Very tender.

The clam plate!

Octopus sashimi.

Sashimi.

A yellowfin tuna sashimi.

Tuna and Tr...

Climb the Mountain

Restaurant: Mountain House Rowland Heights 川山甲

Location: 18888 Labin Ct C101, Rowland Heights, CA 91748. (626) 986-5555

Date: June 9 & September 23, 2024

Cuisine: Szechuan Chinese

Rating: Best new SGV place of 2024

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I had to wait nearly a year for them to get a beer and license before trying!


When we arrived, there was a Chinese American street fair going on in the middle of this mall courtyard.

Mountain House was hidden away in the courtyard. Parking ringed the outside basically looking at ...

Everything at Wagyu House

Restaurant: Wagyu House by The X Pot [1, 2]

Location: 18558 Gale Ave Suite 122-128, Rowland Heights, CA 91748. (866) 610-0609

Date: May 26, 2024

Cuisine: Chinese Hot Pot

Rating: Maybe the best “upscale” hot pot?

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We first came here for lunch but this is our return for a big blow out wine dinner…

Build out is pretty extensive. Sure, the build quality is “sloppy” and it won’t hold up, but it looks pretty cool right now.

If you pay for the “vip room” or have the NFT like Bovon does, then you can ...

Foodie KinKan

Restaurant: KinKan LA

Location: 771 N Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029. (323) 421-3771

Date: May 24, 2024

Cuisine: Japanese / Thai inflected Fusion

Rating: I’m not sure I’ve had Japanese / Thai like this before…

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Erick paved the way with this very interesting Thai / Japanese tasting menu place.


On the sketchy street in Silverlake.

Cute little space but surprisingly empty.


Complementary sake.


DASHI MARINATED IKURA ON NORI TARTLET (left) and Thai larb – dry-aged chutoro almond tartlet (ri...