gee "$" l.'s Profile

Calling this place a "bookstore" seems like an understatement. Amongst the vast amount of literary material, this place holds all kinds of trinkets and treasures that are hard to resist.  Donut shaped tape dispenser? Check.  I also really appreciate their collection of art books. Some of them are very hard to find but Kinokuniya always seems to have at least one in stock.

Good to spend a free hour and some extra cash, there's something for everyone here.

Minus one star because parking is very limited in the area, and if you park in the structure you have to get validated. Kinokuniya has been known to be kind of stingy with their validation stamps, so just a bit of precaution there.

I'm not an expert when it comes to ACYE Korean BBQ, as it's been a long time since I roamed K-town on the regular (good ol' USC days).  But I really had to write a review and praise the exceptional customer service that I experienced on a recent Sunday evening.

I don't know how many times our table pressed that little button to get service, but it happened so many times that since I was the one sitting next to the button I literally avoided making eye contact with the servers for fear of getting that "Now, what is it?" look of annoyance from one of them.

Thankfully, the servers were consistently prompt and attentive, and it truly impressed me that most of them took less than 20 seconds to get to our table.  And though they weren't overly friendly or "smiley", in the moment that I could not avoid eye contact with any of them, I never once caught a stink eye from them.

Oh, and the food was of course, delicious.

This is one of those landmark PCH establishments that you have to experience at least once in your life, preferably when you've worked up a huge appetite after a long day soaking up the sun and sea.

If you're a newbie to Neptune's, the food is separated into three counters.  The first counter is the Fresh food (lobster, crab leg, oysters), the second counter is for espresso, gelato, etc, and the third (and usually most popular counter) is the Fried foods/beer fridges.

They make my favorite clam chowder, and the last time i was there I had tried fried scallops for the first time. I was not disappointed. Juicy, melt in your mouth bites covered in a thin layer of fried breadcrumb batter.  I also tried the crabcake burger, and IMHO, it was something I could have done without.  

The crowds during the summer can get a little overwhelming, and finding seating outside can be frustrating.  The most satisfying view is really right across the stretch of highway, where you can park your car backside in first, and sit atop your car (or in a truck flatbed) and enjoy the beautiful view of the ocean with your food.

So very satisfying.

Came here twice during Comic-Con weekend.  The first time I ordered a Peppered Steak Lavash Wrap. A solid choice, and the salad flavors were not unique, but I appreciated the sauteed cremini mushrooms tossed into the salad, they complemented the steak well. Could have taken the vinaigrette on the side though, as the dressing quickly makes the wrap soggy and my wrap fell apart entirely.

The second time I had the Grilled Salmon in a wrap, and the flavors here are much more mellow. Nothing mind-blowing here, but enjoyable.

I would suggest paying attention to their daily specials though, as the day we went someone I was with ordered a special salad with Chicken Meatballs and Garlic. It was so yummy!

Do take advantage of their current Yelp offer!

Potato taco. Who would've thought! Or rather, why didn't I think of this before? Mashed potato on a tortilla. Fried.

Run. Don't walk! Or at least power walk your way over there for this said potato taco.

(For all those people who said their service was not up to par, I actually had great service tonight. The bartenders were friendly, and the manager was accommodating and patient with our party of 20+).

I didn't really look at the menu before I ordered, and oh how I regret it.  The soy latte I did order was pulled and poured so smoothly, I have to wonder what their La Mill tastes like. Also, out of the corner of my eye I saw in their baked goods display a "Green Tea Donut". I am intrigued. I had a tease of the goodness and dammit, I want it all!

Mouthwatering just thinking about what we ordered.

Started the meal with the dozen oysters and bottle of Sauvignon Blanc for $37 special, and I agree with the reviewer before me, this is a great deal! The oysters we had were not listed on the menu, but they were quite fresh.

Our party of five ordered: Angry Sea Bass, Seared Ahi Tuna, Kid Dynamite, Steak and Shrimp, Scallops, and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes.  We also had a Baked Alaskan for dessert.

I could do without the Baked Alaskan. The presentation of it is nice, but I don't particularly care much for the intensity of the alcohol present in the bottom of the dessert.  The steak and shrimp were delicious but not anything extraordinary.

Everything else? DO TRY.

I don't know what happened to my other review that I posted for Nail Service, but the last time I got gel nails done here I had a terrible experience, with a young lady doing a less than stellar job.  It had something to do with a miscommunication on pricing and that the lady left me with some sticky gel residue on my nails.  I was very unhappy with my first experience, and I was pretty sure I'd never return.

Today I was killing some time in Little Tokyo and desperately needed a pedi. By faith in the positive Yelp reviews alone, I ventured back in to give this place a second chance.

I'm glad I came, my pedicure was done by a very sweet older lady who took her time and did a perfect polish.  Also, the staff that I interacted with while I was there were equally sweet. The receptionist/cashier had great customer service ethic.

When i'm near the area I'll return.

Half of this store is a market that sells various types of Japanese treats and candies, and the other half operates as an outfit that makes some downright delicious crepes.  Both the crepes that I tried (nutella, strawberry, and vanilla icecream) and (greentea, mango, whipped cream) were rather good. My flavor choices weren't very adventurous but it was my first time and I wanted to play it safe. My tastebuds are also not so well-versed in crepes but I appreciate that the crepe was on the crispier side and thus did not get soggy as I enjoyed them.

This is Inner Richmond so of course parking is terrible, and it's also a decent twenty-minute drive if you don't live in any of the adjacent neighborhoods. It's worth it to come out here on a nice day, if you linger around the area. Maybe not worth a drive solely just for the crepe itself.

I could see myself back here again in the summertime.

A girlfriend of mine tipped me off to this place when she found out I was getting my Genki's cherry popped.

This shop is awesome! On first impressions only, it reminds me of a Japanese $1.00 store but it's really much more than that (in a much smaller space).  You need white tees? watches? hats? umbrellas? colored hair extensions? nail polish? jeggings? It's sort of a general merch store that sells things at crazy low prices. Oh, they sell NYX and Red Cherry lashes which are kind of a big deal if you're a budget fashionista (cue makeup haul on YouTube). I know that seems to be what everyone loves this place for, but personally? I just found these awesome tiger printed pants for only $8.  I will definitely stroll across the street and visit this shop whenever I have a hankering for some Genki's.