Andy Gavin's Blog, page 50
April 11, 2022
Pa Ord Noodle
Restaurant: Pa Ord Noodle
Location: 5269 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca, 90027. 323-536-9929
Date: September 3, 2021
Cuisine: Thai
Rating: Another solid (authentic) Thai
_Pa Ord Noodle is another highly regarded Thai Town place.
We visited in the middle of the pandemic “opening up” phase and ate outside in the parking lot — hence all the takeout wares.
The menu.
Various chili sauces!
Papaya Salad – great.
Coconut Soup with Seafood — also delicious. Similar to the “coco lotus” soup at ...
April 4, 2022
Kato West Penultimate
Location: 11925 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. (424) 535-3041
Date: August 31, 2021
Cuisine: Omakase Asian
Rating: Really interesting and different
_It’s hard to describe Kato. Located in one of the ubiquitous Santa Monica Blvd mini-malls it serves a sort of modern Asian omakase/kaiseki. It won a Michelin star recently and at the 2021-22 junction moved downtown. Now this last bit I’m bummed about as I loved having it on the westside. But their audience is p...
March 29, 2022
Embassy Kitchen Expedition
Restaurant: Embassy Kitchen
Location: 218 S San Gabriel Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 286-8148
Date: August 28 & September 9, 2021
Cuisine: Chinese
Rating: Very tasty, but lots of MSG
_Over the years Embassy Kitchen has been on my radar. I missed a couple dinners there due to scheduling conflicts and we even showed up once years ago and when they declined to allow us to open our wine the group rebelled and moved to Beijing Tasty House. Anyway, I managed to go twice in 2021, both for a test...
March 25, 2022
Banging Bicyclette
Restaurant: Bicyclette
Location: 9575 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035. (424) 500-9575
Date: August 25, 2021
Cuisine: Modern French Bistro
Rating: Bar-like space, great food
_Walter Manzke is a fixture of the LA dining scene and the chef/owner of iconic Republique (which I’ve been to countless times). This dinner was organized by Liz Lee of Sage Society and features epic Burgundies.
So it was exciting when he took over the former Picca and Sotto spaces (much missed) to open a new modern Bist...
March 16, 2022
Drago Centro Baroli
Restaurant: Drago Centro [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Location: 525 S Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90071. (213) 228-8998
Date: August 20, 2021
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Great high end Italian
_Back to Drago Centro for “another” Sauvages Barolo lunch. Theme today was “Barolo from any vintage between 1995-2006 (except for 2002 or 2003).”
Located on busy Flower in DTLA.
We had a little reception outside on the patio before the lunch proper.
Hot shrimp wrapped in prosciutto, asparagus spears.
Blinis with cr...
March 9, 2022
No. 1 Charcoal Really Is
Restaurant: No. 1 Charcoal BBQ
Location: 112 N Chandler Ave #101, Monterey Park, CA 91754. (626) 281-5288
Date: August 22, 2021
Cuisine: Chinese BBQ Skewers
Rating: Fabulous food — Highly recommended for the adventurous
_Yarom and I discovered this Chinese BBQ joint while exploring the area (and eating at a nearby Northern style place).
It’s around the corner from Garvey, not far from the lots of places I’ve frequented.
Inside is amusingly peculiar, the current Chinese BBQ place having clearl...
February 16, 2022
Intercrew with the Crew
Restaurant: Intercrew
Location: 3330 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010. (213) 878-1201
Date: August 19, 2021
Cuisine: Club Food
Rating: Style over substance
_Erick used to go to the “original” Intercrew back in the 80s when he was in high school, so when it recently rebooted in a new night club format we went out to try it.
It’s located right on Wilshire in the heart of KTown. It used to be some kind of underage club. Or at least a club that didn’t card.
Now it’s a snazzy new ktown super...
February 5, 2022
Iron Teapot Dome
Restaurant: Iron Teapot Dum Sum & Bar
Location: 10306 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90034. (310) 736-1803
Date: August 18, 2021
Cuisine: Dim Sum
Rating: Good food, terrible service system
_I was surprised to hear that a “real” dim sum restaurant had opened in Culver City. It’s certainly a neighborhood I know well having had an office there for years and owned and operated a restaurant (just blocks from this location). The concept is basically a menu like the “daytime” menu from a regular Canton...
January 31, 2022
Soot Bull Jeep
Restaurant: Soot Bull Jeep
Location: 3136 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005. (213) 387-3865
Date: August 15, 2021
Cuisine: KBBQ
Rating: Old school with charcoal
_Soot Bull Jeep is a classic hedonist spot.
Pretty much the definition of old school Korea Town KBBQ, they are one of the few places that still use charcoal. I’m not even sure new places are allowed to.
The banchan are classic but basic.
The salad could be zestier.
Spiced Seasoned pork.
Cut of beef “near the liver” — a bit chewy and ...
January 23, 2022
Food as Art – The Brothers Sushi
Restaurant: The Brothers Sushi [1, 2]
Location: 21418 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364. (818) 456-4509
Date: August 13, 2021
Cuisine: Japanese Sushi Kaiseki
Rating: Really wonderful modern style Kaiseki
_This dinner is the third in (the others being here) in a vast series of epic Japanese sushi and/or Kaiseki dinners post lockdowns that all included myself, Erick, Joe and Bonnie — and often Larry, as is the case tonight. Herein we “endeavor” to visit or revisit most of the top sushi spots...
