My mouth has been watering for Asa Ramen ever since I first read about it in blogger rameniac’s Chowhound review. “superbly well-crafted”; “proprietary hakata-style noodle” — whoa. This really sounded like one to check out.
Tucked into a Gardena mini-mall, Asa is a small place that was full even when I got there at 9 […]

I don’t want to dwell on my awful afternoon tea at Clementine, which had required a reservation with credit card number. Let me just sum up: slightly stale sandwiches, underbaked scones, and I think even the clotted cream was a bit off. I was shocked, since this place is consistently so good — it’s my […]

The Korean restaurant On Dal 2 specializes in crab hot pot, a tempting option as the days start to grow cooler. Of course, L.A. was in the throes of an Indian summer heat wave, with temps in the 80s, while I was visiting, but in theory this would be great for fall.
Actually, its greatness by […]

After lunch at Jitlada, I hit Scoops, an eclectic ice-cream place around the corner where owner Tai Kim made no secret of where he stood on the presidential election. I enjoyed reading the suggestion board before settling on a cup of the bestselling brown bread ice cream, which sounds like an odd flavor (ok, not […]

Jitlada is the only restaurant in the Los Angeles area specializing in southern Thai food, which is said to be insanely spicy. (I read somewhere that Thai cuisine had been scientifically determined the world’s spiciest, so this is saying a lot.) After an excellent meal of unusual flavors there, however, I have to say that […]

Chile en nogada, a dish of stuffed poblano pepper in a creamy sauce dotted with pomegranate seeds, is a festive dish whose colors reflect those of the Mexican flag. It’s definitely not something you’ll find in your average burrito joint, and in Southern California, La Casita is reputed to make one of the best versions […]

I thought I knew mole, the complex sauce that’s a key part of Mexican culinary heritage. I’ve been to Oaxaca, the land of seven moles, and tasted earthy mole negro, ethereally herbaceous mole verde, and a delicious nuevo cocina invention, sweet-and-tangy mole de tamarindo. Unfortunately, I can’t comment on the “tablecloth-staining” manchamanteles, because I wasn’t […]

We arrived at my friend Carol’s eco-conscious store a bit early for her summer solstice, but very hungry. Happily, the shop is right across the street from Mustard Seed Cafe, purveyor of my favorite turkey burger of all time. I’m not even a turkey burger fanatic, but in the years that I lived in this […]

Wes and I recently went back to L.A. for the weekend, where we stayed with a friend in Hollywood, putting us strategically close to my favorite Thai restaurant of the moment, Spicy BBQ by Nong & Family.
An article in the L.A. Times about regional Thai restaurants alerted me to this tiny, family-run place in (of […]