Liz "South Bay Princess" L.'s Profile

These people are crooks! They overcharged me by $10 on top of their super high prices and refused to give me a refund! They said that they will credit my next service but I will never return. They charge about 2x the competition and are super rude. I will be contacting my credit card company as well as filing a complaint with Sports Club LA. Stay away!

By far the worst customer service I've ever experienced! Stay away!

I needed coins for the meter so I went in to ask for change. The owner pointed me to the sign that said no change given. OK... I guess I need to buy something. So I grabbed a bag of small potato chips for $1.59 and proceeded back to the counter. I gave her a 5 and asked for $2 in quarters as change. She again pointed to the no change sign! WTF?? I'm paying premium for a stupid bag of chips! I promptly asked for my money back and ran across the street to the People's United Bank at the Pru for some change (closes at 7pm on weekdays - FYi).

So lessons learned - get change from the People's United Bank from across the street, buy your snacks/water from Shaw's which is a stone throw away. This place is super rude and super overpriced. The owner had no business sense to realize that changing coins is free and that she'd get a lot more business if she provided coin change.

We stayed in Barcelona for 4 nights and came here 5 times (closed on Sundays). It's that awesome. It's the best market I've ever been to and I love markets.

Come after 7pm for the fire sale of the pre-cut fruit boxes (up to 30-50% off, start in the center of the market - not the front - for best prices).

Come during lunch for the best chipirones (small squid) a la plancha with olive-oil- fried egg at El Quim (~19 euros for a small plate - you'll need your own cuz it's that good, closed Sundays/Mondays, only open for lunch). If you aren't one of the lucky or patient ones to grab one of El Quim's 15 odd seats or are at the market on a Monday, Bar Pinotxo also has good tapas but it doesn't hold a candle to El Quim.

Get EVERYTHING. The line will be long but it will be worth it when you walk out with enough sweets and bread to feed an army.

Eat a couple of baked goods and a slice of cake for the initial satisfaction. Wash everything down with a cup of iced sea salted coffee.

Distribute the rest of the baked goods and cake amongst friends and family. Because sharing is caring and you don't want to expand your waistline. Plus, they will ADORE you for it.

REPEAT MANY MANY TIMES. It's that good.

Loooove Yoga Barre with Meghan! I've taken classes with her at Bar Method and was happily surprised to see her at Hot 8. Be prepared to work your butt off when taking a class with Meghan. I think I sweat a bucket during the hour since the class is held in a 90some degree room. She will teach you exercises for thinner thighs, lifted seat, toner arms, and flat abs. Gotta love it!

I've taken other Hot 8 classes too and they're awesome as well. The staff is friendly and the facility is clean. I'm very pleased and will definitely be around for a while. The studio is still fairly new so they have good deals on weekly, monthly, and annual memberships. I'm definitely a fan!

Gotta love Gaam!

Half off EVERYTHING (including booze) every day before 8:30pm! My friends and I come here all the time and have never had a bad time. We love getting the tempura french fries, the cheesy dokboki, and the chicken wings. Of course all that needs to be washed down with the ever flowing soju. I don't prefer the fruity stuff but my friends like the yogurt and lemon.

Once it gets completely dark the club music hits and the hot guys come out. Get here early to get a good seat for the eye candy and avoid a wait!

Sidebar is one of the best kept secrets of Beverly Hills! I've been here for happy hour and non-happy hour and I have to say, I love this place!

For all you frugal snobs out there, happy hour is 5-7pm m-f with $7 cocktails (normally $17), $7 wines/other well drinks, and $7 apps. They even give you free munchies to nosh on while you wait for your food/drinks! Score!

By the way, the menu is the same as Cut's with some additions such as the kobe sliders ($7 during hh) and some other small sandwich type offerings. So come here if you can't get a Cut ressie on a busy wkd night or come here if you've spent too much $$ shopping on Rodeo and can't afford a $15 martini at Bar on 4.

The Tasting Kitchen is the guy you date because the object of your affection is unavailable. Unfortunately I should have just waited around for the next love of my life or tried to rekindle an old flame to pass the time because 2nd best is never good enough.

The Tasting Kitchen is where we went because Gjelina, the most desired restaurant on ABK, had a 1 1/2 hr wait on a Friday night. Yes, it's the Mozza on the westside and for good reason. It's delicious. Unfortunately we decided to play 2nd fiddle with the Tasting Kitchen and walked out hungry, sober, and short a Benji in our wallet. The drinks were weak, pours were shaisty, and food was unmemorable to say the least.

Next, please!

It's been a while. I must admit. I was beginning to think that I've lost it - that urge, that desire, that yearning to unexpectedly encounter the truely appetizing dining experience. But it's all coming back to me now. All it took was a journey to Torihei.

Perhaps it was the venturing to a new restaurant that surprisingly didn't lead to disappointment. In fact, I was so ecstatic after my meal that it felt surreal.

Known for their yakitori and oden, we tried a bit of each at Torihei. 2 oden dishes - tomato & egg w/ roe - and 10 yakitori sticks to be exact. The piece de resistance is definitely the chicken meatball. It was so juicy, so soft, and so perfectly seasoned. I'm glad that they have a 2 skewer an order minimum because I certainly didn't want to share most of the yakitori orders that we got.

Having never had oden before, I didn't know what to expect except that I love soupy brothy things. And oh boy oh boy I think i can probably can tackle the entire menu of savory sweet oden menu by myself.

Even days after, I'm still recollecting my simple yet fantastic meal at Torihei and plotting my return trip.

Tip: make a ressie or you'll be standing out in the cold
Bonus: this place is afforable!! Meal for 2 with alchy was less than $50.

Feeling like I won the lottery after scoring a table for 2 for Bouchon on Friday night of opening weekend, I skedaddled over like a giddy little girl filled with excitement and sky-high expectations.

The decor was beautiful, the service was impeccable from the moment we stepped in the door, and the house red was simply delicious (the sommelier is from Mozza so that explains why I loved our wine so much). Then why was the food merely mediocre?

As with every table in the house, we were brought the Epi with toasted baguettes and white bean puree. This lead to red flag #1. The bread was characterless. There was no happy dance of the tongue, no having the urge to plot for the last bite, no nothing.

One can always judge a restaurant by its bread, especially a restaurant that touts its own bakery. What followed the bread short-coming was an overly salted duck confit, bland leg of lamb, and McDonald-like french fries. The juicy steak of the steak frites and the divine mac & cheese were the highlights of the otherwise passable meal. However, while dining at a Thomas Keller establishment anything less than perfection is a failure.

So yes, I was disappointed by my first Thomas Keller experience. Will it be my last? Probably not. Bouchon is the attractive guy in the sexy designer suit who can't carry on an insightful conversation. As with all drool-worthy guys with exquisite taste, it always doesnt hurt to take him on a stroll to see if he'll be your next Prince Charming.