Category Archives: West LA

September 13, 2013 · 3:57 pm

ROC My World

Few things bring me as much joy as dumplings. I like to think of them as little wrapped presents that I open in my mouth. Well-crafted Chinese dumplings are especially nice gifts, the kind that I buy for myself after a particularly grueling work week or as a reward for doing my best to navigate the chutes and ladders of modern life. Sometime I gift dumplings to myself for no special reason at all, and occasionally I will even purchase them for others.

The best place for Chinese Dumplings is the San Gabriel Valley, but when I don’t have time to schlep out that far, I usually go to ROC Kitchen in West LA’s Asian food mecca known as “Little Osaka.” ROC opened last December and, despite a recent expansion into the space next door, there is almost always a wait for a table. The decor is modern and minimalist, with the focus, as it should be, on the food.

A meal at ROC should properly start with Xiao Long Bao aka Shanghai Soup Dumplings; little doughy sacks of broth and meat that explode in your mouth as you eat them whole. After that, I recommend moving on to the Crispy Dumplings with Pork and Shrimp — eight fried dumplings that have been fused together to form a crispy pancake of sorts, followed by some fluffy Steamed Pork Buns. Take a brief respite from the carbs and try the Three Cups Chicken with Fresh Chilies, Thai Basil & Roasted Garlic or the Pepper Beef. Both are excellent. For dessert, you can resume carbo-loading with sweet red bean or taro dumplings.

ROC Kitchen is located at 2049 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles (in West LA).

Xiao Long Bao aka Shanghai Soup Dumplings

Scallion Pancake with Gingered Soy Dipping Sauce

Pickled Szechuan Cucumbers

Steamed Pork Bun

Beef Rolls

Crispy Dumplings with Pork and Shrimp

Pan Fried Pork Dumplings

ROC Rice Cake with Chicken, Napa Cabbage & Spinach

Three Cups Chicken with Fresh Chilies, Thai Basil & Roasted Garlic

Pepper Beef

A dumpling house for Westsiders

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Tagged as best chinese food west los angeles, dim sum los angeles, Dim Sum West Los Angeles, dumplings west los angeles, ROC Kitchen, roc kitchen dumplings, roc kitchen los angeles, ROC Kitchen Menu, ROC Kitchen Review, sawetlle dumpling place, Soup Dumplings Beverly Hills, Soup Dumplings Santa Monica, Soup Dumplings West LA, Xiao Long Bao Los Angeles, xiao long bao west la, xlb west la

February 8, 2013 · 11:00 am

In Hot Water

Lately I have been on a strict low-carb diet, probably the inevitable result of eating all of those scones. It’s one of those diets where you only eat protein and vegetables, so I’ve been frequenting all of the shabu shabu joints in town. For the uninitiated, Japanese-style shabu shabu is basically a plate of thinly sliced raw meat and another plate of raw vegetables and tofu (and udon noodles if you’re one of those hedonists that eats carbs), all of which you cook yourself in your own individual pot of boiling water. My wife has an issue with going to restaurants where you need to cook your own food, but I think it’s incredibly fun.

My favorite shabu shabu restaurant is Mizu 212. The “212” stands for “212 degrees,” the temperature at which water boils. Mizu 212 is exactly what you want in a restaurant serving raw meat; it’s exceedingly clean and modern, and the food is of the highest quality. Most of the seating is at a wraparound bar and it feels like you’re eating in a really cool science lab that plays great music.

There are several choices of premium beef. I usually order the “Vintage Natural Beef” Prime Grade Rib-Eye. It’s excellent, although “vintage” beef sounds funny to me; like they’re peddling old meat. I think the idea is that it’s old-fashioned-style beef, the kind that was raised before the use of hormones or antibiotics. If you’re wiling to pay a premium, you can get Kobe-syle “Wagyu” beef. They also have free-range chicken, high-grade black pork or lamb, and even grass-fed buffalo.

Mizu 212 is one of the few places that also offers seafood shabu shabu, including wild salmon, shrimp, scallops, crab and clams. The vegetables are super fresh and include cabbage, baby bok choy, carrots, asparagus, green onions, broccoli, kale, mushrooms, snow peas, kabocha squash and chrysanthemum leaves. They have delicious homemade ponzu and goma (sesame) sauces for dipping. Upon request, they can also make you a gluten- or sugar-free sauce. You can wash it all down with an artisan tea, premium sake, glass of wine or craft beer.

Mizu 212 is located at 2000 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles (in “Little Osaka” in West LA).

Seafood

“Vintage Natural Beef” Prime Grade Rib-Eye

Sauces

Vegetables, Noodles and Tofu

Shabulicious!

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Filed under West LA

Tagged as Best Japanese Restaurant Los Angeles, Best Shabu Shabu LA, Best Shabu Shabu Los Angeles, Mizu 212, Mizu 212 Degrees, mizu 212 menu, mizu 212 review, Mizu Shabu Shabu, Mizu212, Organic Shabu Shabu, Sawtell Shabu Shabu, Shabu LA, Shabu LIttle Osaka, Shabu Los Angeles, Shabu Sawtelle, Shabu Shabu Sawtelle, Shabu West LA

October 12, 2012 · 11:51 am

A Sweet Shave

One of the best things about eating dinner on Sawtelle Boulevard in West LA aka “Little Osaka,” is that after your meal, there are fun Japanese shops to visit, karaoke if you’re in the mood, and most importantly, half a dozen dessert places to satisfy the need for something sweet. My favorite such dessert place is Blockheads Shavery, which opened this past year and serves something truly unique; a frozen confection that they call “Snow Cream.” Snow Cream is a cross between shaved ice and ice cream. Large frozen blocks of flavored and sweetened cream are shaved to order on a machine, resulting in a delicious treat with a very unusual texture. It’s a fluffy mass of icy thin sheets folded on top of each other.

Here’s how to order: First you select one of the flavors, which typically include chocolate, coffee, strawberry, black sesame, green tea, peanut butter and their “original” flavor which reminds me of Pinkberry original. Next you select which topping you want. There are Asian-style toppings such a egg custard, red beans, almond jelly and lychees, as well as the more typical yogurt toppings such as Oreos, Reese’s Pieces, nuts, brownie bites, and fresh berries. Regardless of which flavor of Snow Cream you get, I highly recommend the homemade rice cakes. They are chewy and delciously glutinous; an absolute must-have. Finally, you select a “drizzle” such as condensed milk, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, strawberry puree or mango puree. If you have trouble choosing, don’t worry; there is almost always a long line at Blockheads so you have plenty of time to decide.

Blockheads Shavery is located at 11311 Mississippi Ave., Los Angeles (in West LA).

Original Snow Cream with Egg Custard, Toffee Crunch and Caramel Sauce

Makin’ Snow Cream

A cool little dessert place in Little Osaka

Three Iconic LA Eateries Revisited

Every city has its landmark diners and food stands, perenially popular places that have survived the test of time and become local institutions. Growing up and going to college in Los Angeles, I would frequent many of this city’s landmark eateries back in the day, often late at night with my fraternity brothers. Feeling nostalgic last week, I decided to revisit three such restaurants, two of which I had not been to in over 25 years. I was curious to see whether these iconic eateries would live up to my memories.

My first stop was Pink’s Hot Dogs. Pink’s was founded by Paul and Betty Pink, who started selling hot dogs from a pushcart in 1939 and upgraded to their current brick and mortar location in 1946. As evidenced by the perpetually long lines, Pink’s is the most popular hot dog stand in the city. They specialize in chili dogs and also offer numerous hot dog creations named after celebrities such as Ozzy Osbourne and Martha Stewart. A lesser known fact is that they have incredibly delicious slices of coconut and marble layer cakes. I have great memories of midnight “hot dog runs” to Pink’s, but rarely go there anymore. However, my opinion of Pink’s has not changed. Pink’s hot dogs aren’t the best in Los Angeles, but they’re still very good and Pink’s is a fun place to go.

My next stop was Tito’s Tacos, LA’s most famous taco stand. Tito’s Tacos opened in 1959 and is known for their inexpensive hard shell tacos and close proximity to the airport. I hadn’t been to Tito’s since I was at UCLA. I’m not sure whether the restaurant has gone downhill since then or my palette has become more sophisticated, but I was incredibly disappointed when I recently visited Tito’s. I certainly didn’t remember very dry and flavorless shredded beef, rubbery cheese and watery salsa and guacamole (which should more appropriately be referred to as “avocado sauce”). There are probably 100 better taquerias in LA. I guess some memories are better left alone.

My final stop was The Apple Pan. Around since 1947, The Apple Pan is a diner famous for their burgers and pies. All seating is at a long U-shaped counter which surrounds the cooking area. The servers are grumpy old men who provide uber efficient, no-nonsense service. There is usually a wait. Eating at The Apple Pan again after a quarter of a century, I was still impressed with their Hickory Burger. It’s not UmamiBurger, but really tasty nonetheless. I was less enamored of my apple pie, which had a burnt crust. But all in all, The Apple Pan was a fun experience — a real blast from the past — and I’ll probably not wait another 25 years to go back.

Pink’s Hot Dogs is located at 709 N. La Brea, Los Angeles (Mid-City). Tito’s Tacos is located at 11222 Washington Place in Culver City. The Apple Pan is located at 10801 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles (in West LA). If you enjoy Consuming LA, please subscribe, like me on Facebook and/or follow me on twitter at the top right of this page. And please forward to your friends!

Pink’s Hot Dogs

Pink’s Chili Dog with Cheese

Pink’s Layer Cake

Tito’s Tacos

Tito’s Taco with Cheese and Chili Beans

Tito’s Chips and Salsa

The Apple Pan

The Apple Pan’s Hickory Burger and Fries

The Apple Pan’s Apple Pie

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Filed under Culver City, Mid-City, West LA

Tagged as Apple Pan, Apple Pan Hickory Burger, Apple Pan Hours, Apple Pan Los Angeles, Apple Pan Menu, Apple Pan Review, Apple Pan Westwood, Historic Los Angeles Restaurants, LA Restaurants that are Institutions, Los Angeles Iconic Restaurants, Los Angeles Institutions, Los Angeles Landmarks, Los Angeles Restaurant Institutions, Pink's, Pink's Hot Dogs, Pink's Hot Dogs Hours, Pink's Hot Dogs La Brea, Pink's Hot Dogs Los Angeles, Pink's Hot Dogs Menu, Pink's Hot Dogs Review, Pink's Hours, Pink's La Brea, Pink's Menu, Pink's Review, The Apple Pan, The Apple Pan Los Angeles, The Apple Pan Menu, The Apple Pan Westwood, Tito's, Tito's Tacos, Tito's Tacos Culver City, Tito's Tacos Hours, Tito's Tacos Los Angeles, Tito's Tacos Menu, Tito's Tacos Review

June 29, 2012 · 2:12 pm

Rolling in Dough

Lowbrow food and drinks of the past are all being refined and transfomed these days into high-end gourmet fare. Â Beer, for example, which was once thought of as the beverage of the blue collar working class, has been transformed into a wide variety of artisan craft microbrews and offered in virtually all restaurants serving high-end, cutting-edge cuisine. Â And with beer’s ascendence, Â it was only a matter of time before its prior proletarian partner, the pretzel, went gourmet. Â

Incredibly delicious artisan pretzels can be found at Coffee Tomo, a cute little coffee house that opened last year in Little Osaka, just off of Sawtelle in West LA. Â Coffee Tomo’s pretzels are fresh, warm soft pretzels stuffed with a variety of things. Â My favorite pretzel is stuffed with sweet potato puree and cheese. Â It’s sweet and salty and incredibly delicious. Â I also like the pretzel filled with beef and cheese (pictured above). Â

To accompany your pretzels, Coffee Tomo has really excellent “hand dripped” coffee, cappuccino and other coffee drinks, as well as tea. The other specialty at Coffee Tomo is the Honey Butter Bread. Â Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, it’s similar to a Belgian waffle and is drizzed with caramel sauce and topped with whipped cream. Â It’s dangerously good!

Coffee Tomo is located at 11309 Mississippi Ave, Los Angeles (in West Los Angeles).

Honey Butter Bread

Sweet Potato and Cheese Pretzel (outside)

Sweet Potato and Cheese Pretzel (inside)

Cheese Tomo

Crowded on the weekends.

Category Archives: West LA

ROC My World

In Hot Water

A Sweet Shave

Three Iconic LA Eateries Revisited

Rolling in Dough

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