Andy Gavin's Blog, page 31
August 12, 2023
On Fire – Wasn’t
Restaurant: On Fire Hot Pot
Location: 500 N Atlantic Blvd Ste 201 Monterey Park, CA 91754. (717) 966-6666
Date: January 15, 2023
Cuisine: High End Hot Pot
Rating: Evidently golden toilets don’t bring luck
_This high end hot pot joint in located in a hard to find spot upstairs near Atlantic Seafood.
Lots of cheap marble.
The main dining room.
Golden urinal.
Golden toilet!
Cheesy bling by the sink.
Our 8-10 person private room with two pots. Very undecorated.
Snacks and the “sauce bar.”
G...
August 10, 2023
Champagne Sauvages
Restaurant: 71Above [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]
Location: 633 W 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071
Date: January 13, 2023
Cuisine: New American
Rating: Awesome in all ways
_71Above is one of my favorite LA restaurants and I’ve been many times. In fact there are 10 previous write ups! Original Chef Vartan Abgaryan has moved on to his own new place, Yours Truly (which the pandemic has sadly done in), and 71Above is now seamlessly helmed by his disciple, Chef Javier Lopez. Today the lo...
August 8, 2023
Mr. T x 2
Location: 953 N Sycamore Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (310) 953-4934
Date: January 10 and February 18, 2023
Cuisine: Modern French Bistro
Rating: Really tasty
_I enjoyed my first dinner here so much that I wanted to come back and try the regular menu — which I did — twice!
Mr.T is a contemporary French cuisine inspired by upscale street food dishes featuring fresh ingredients and masterful preparation by our head Chef Alisa Vannah. Indulge in unique flavors using local ...
August 6, 2023
I don’t think that word means what you think it means
Restaurant: Blooming VIP Restaurant [ 1, 2]
Location: 8118 Garvey Ave A, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 280-2288
Date: January 8, 2023
Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese
Rating: There are better
_The latest Dirty Dozen white overlaps with Sunday Chinese. Truth is, I prefer just straight Sunday Chinese, but having a wine theme is ok. It was Champagne again this time.
We went out to relative newcomer Blooming VIP — which has pretty decent dim sum – and a very over the top decor.
This time around we needed w...
August 3, 2023
Niku X – Hits the Spot
Restaurant: Niku X
Location: 900 Wilshire Blvd Ste 212, Los Angeles, CA 90017. (323) 920-0302
Date: January 2, 2023
Cuisine: Chinese-owned Japanese Korean BBQ (cultural A for the win!)
Rating: Excellent neighborhood Italian
_Every New Year demands a big celebration!
Niku X is Yakiniku (Japanese Korean BBQ), but it’s Chinese owned and operated which means it has a certain extra blind factor — at the expense of Japanese obsession with quality and detail. They describe themselves as:
JAPANESE T...
August 1, 2023
DimSumQuest – Bistro 1968
Restaurant: Bistro 1968
Location: 402 S San Gabriel Blvd Ste A, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 766-1968
Date: December 30, 2022 & January 4, 2023
Cuisine: Chinese Dim Sum
Rating: One of the current best
_Bistro 1968 opened with considerable fanfare (for the SGV) at the tail end of 2022. It serves up a large but focused menu of Cantonese dim sum and unusually is not two restaurants in one like most of the Cantonese places. Instead they have the same (dim sum focused) menu for both lunch and dinner...
July 30, 2023
Manzke Birthday
Location: 9575 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035. (424) 500-9575
Date: December 16, 2022
Cuisine: Modern American French
Rating: Really good and great fun
_There is no question that Walter Manzke is one of LA’s most influential chefs of the last decade or so. His Republique is iconic and I’ve eaten dozens of meals there.
This particular (second visit) to Manzke was for Sebastian’s 2022 birthday!
Manzke is his new “tasting menu only” spot located in the former Picc...
July 27, 2023
Salon Sushi
Restaurant: The Brothers Sushi Santa Monica [1, 2]
Location: 1008 Montana Ave #1, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (424) 330-0270
Date: December 13, 2022
Cuisine: Modern Sushi
Rating: Awesome (and close)!
_Our Foodie Gang has been going to the incredible “The Brothers Sushi” in the valley for some time now, and it was with much glee that we welcomed in the brand new (and somewhat delayed) Montana Santa Monica location. Now it’s become a bit of a staple spot for us.
The space used to be the repulsive Lo...
July 24, 2023
Orange Opulence – Chang’an
Restaurant: Chang’an
Location: 13051 Newport Ave, Tustin, CA 92780. (949) 324-5558
Date: December 10, 2022 and February 23, 2023
Cuisine: Chinese
Rating: Best Chinese in the Southland
_Among my friends Chang’an is a highly controversial Chinese restaurant. Personally, I think it has hands down the highest quality Chinese food in California, really the best I’ve had outside of China. But it’s high end, and in Tustin, and very expensive. There is a certain contingent who likes their Chinese grung...
July 22, 2023
Lunch Quest – Spicy Impression
Restaurant: Spicy Impression
Location: 17110 Colima Rd B, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745. (626) 363-4948
Date: December 20, 2022
Cuisine: Sichuan Chinese
Rating: Mostly for takeout
_For today’s Lunch Quest Yarom, Chevy, and I hiked out to one of our favorite “corners” in the Far SGV, close to Shanghailander, Spicy Home, and others — all to try out this casual new Sichuan place.
Typical box store.
Casual interior. There was only one other table, although lots of takeout in progress.
The menu.
“S...
