Pauline T.'s Profile

I had The Foundry on my list of fine dining restaurants to try, but I often strayed away due to the inconsistent reviews. However, I decided to try this place for my birthday dinner this year because I received a sweet deal from http://groupon.com for $70 off. I only paid $35 for the coupon though. The 3-course tasting menu only cost $39, so this almost covered 2 people's meals. Sweet deal right? WRONG! Little did I know that my party of 9 would have to endure the longest wait in the history of serving food at a supposedly well established "fine dining" restaurant on Melrose.

My reservations were at 8pm on a Friday, but since they didn't set up our table yet, we didn't get to sit down until about 8:30 pm. Our friendly waiter escorted us to the outdoor patio which had a nice chill ambiance. It wasn't too fancy but not too casual. It was a perfect night to dine outdoors since the weather was nice. So I give them props for nice ambiance and modern decor.

Everyone ordered regular entrees and apps except my one friend who got the tasting menu. I really wanted to try the tasting menu but they change it up every so often so it was different than the tasty one I saw online. I then decided on the crispy pork belly and duck breast with caramelized figs, mushroom, and brioche. They sound delicious don't they? Well, they were just decent, nothing extraordinary. The worst part of this dining experience was literally waiting about ONE HOUR for 5 appetizers and OVER ONE HOUR for entrees! They weren't even ridiculously busy that night! The apps arrived around 9:40 and by 10:18, we were still waiting on our entrees!! To make matters worse, our waiter, although friendly but also not super apologetic about making us wait, kept asking in the interim if he can get us anything. Hellz yah, you can get us our 9 entrees! Why would we bother ordering anything else only to endure another hour of waiting?! We just want our entrees!

Eventually he offered us free shots of "pootie tang" aka vodka shot mixed with Tang. It was a nice gesture and we drank them, but we didn't need drinks; we needed food! After an hour, I gave him the stink eye but still remained cordial. I'm not going to look happy in front of him if I'm like starving to death. Not literally, but pretty damn close! He returned EMPTY-HANDED again and asked if we want anything else. By this time I was so sick of hearing that overused line. Five minutes later, he finally offered us free appetizers. Not any of those $16 apps, but instead 9 mini biscuits with garlic butter. They were tiny like macaroons! We killed it within seconds, and then he returned again asking if we needed anything else?! HELLO?! We need our entrees! He didn't even offer to give us more biscuits. My starving friend who didn't order any app asked them to bring out another tray but they only brought out 4 more. Geez, talk about a crappy consolation prize, on my bday no less.  Of course we killed those in a heartbeat and continued waiting until god knows when.

We couldn't keep track of time anymore. Luckily we are a cool bunch who love talking up a storm so during our long wait, we discussed current pop culture issues from the Kanye-Taylor Swift VMA fiasco and the Whitney & Oprah 2 part interview to the crazy stories of Annie Le's murder, the mother stabbing herself and her 2 kids, and JC Dugard's kidnapping. We even discussed 80s-90s scary movies and shows like It, Pet Cemetery, Are you Afraid of the Dark, and Tales from the Crypt.  All this pop culture and still starving like kids in Somalia!

Finally when our entrees arrived, we devoured them like no other. However, it wasn't the best food. It was decent, not bad, but if you're going to make me wait so ridiculously long, then you better be serving me mind-blowing food!  The crispy pork belly came in one square block for freakin' $16!  It almost cost as much as the salmon entree at $18! The duck breast was good, but I don't even know if I was just beyond starving by then. My friend who ordered the salmon doesn't even eat fast and she finished her whole plate first. That is a big deal if you know her.

After we finished our entrees, my one friend still needed to get her dessert from the tasting menu. The waiter asked us if we wanted to order dessert and we were so over anymore waiting and it was nearly midnight, so NO THANK YOU! Five minutes later, he returned and asked whose bday it was and I said it was me. He politely asked, "I'd like to get you a birthday dessert, if you don't mind." My reply, "Nope, I don't mind." Instead of dessert with a candle though, I guess they wanted to "impress" us with 3 desserts (not including my friend's dessert). He even brought another round of pootie tang. I know it was another nice gesture, but you know what? Too little too late buddy! You were sweet and friendly, but no amount of pootie tang, fluff biscuits, and excessive dessert after HOURS of waiting are going to make up for slow service and mediocre food!

Perfectly Sweet keeps calling out my name, telling me that if I had to have one last dessert on earth, it'd be their TRES LECHES! If you don't know espanol, tres leches = 3 milks. (1) evaporated milk, (2) sweetened condensed milk, (3) whole milk. (I prefer mine with whole fat milk, not 1%, not 2%, none of that watered down gross skim milk. I just want my whole fat thick milk, please.) Perfectly Sweet adds coffee to their tres leches which adds AMAZING, I repeat, AMAZING, flavors to please your sweet tooth palate. It's perfectly moist, perfectly sweet, and perfectly creamy!  With just one little bite, you will be amazed! I promise you!

I adore this quaint, lovely bakery from all of its cute little french cottage style decor and calming, inviting pale green walls to the plethora of desserts and baked goods ranging from the following: chocolate covered strawberry tuxedos, tiramisu, white chocolate rasberry cake, strawberry shortcake, lemon custard cookies, etc. Their coffee and teas are also very complementary with their desserts or baked goods.

During football season, one of my bestest buds surprised me with a nicely packaged Trojan cookie after an exciting victory at the Coliseum. When she handed me my treat, I really restrained myself from eating it and instead let it sit at my cube as a Trojan keepsake, as I am a loyal SC alumni. They also sell some bruin cookies for those of you over on the dark side. They always run out of the Trojan cookies when I go there, but there are always tons of bruin cookies left. Take your pick. Football season is almost here, so I must get my Trojan cookie and eat it for real this time!

I never heard of Xooro (pronounced sure-oh) until I got my Thrillist email that they were giving out free Spanish fritters for the grand opening of their second shop. I'm a total sucker for freebies, especially free food, so my friend and rolled up expecting a long ass line with other freebie whores. We got there early and the shop was still tying up loose ends and didn't open yet nor did a line start early, so we just window shopped nearby at those overpriced, designer shops to kill time.

When we finished shopping though, we did see a line of maybe 10 people though. Still not an extravagant crowd compared to most grand openings. Their website had a plethora of unique flavors, and I was hoping to try the coconut churro. On the downside though, they were apparently only serving the freebies and no other cool flavors on their grand opening. The freebie churro was their original vanilla custard filled churro. My churro was deliciously creamy and hot and cripsy, fresh outta the oven. I like the gooeyness of the vanilla custard filling and it's just the right amount of filling in the churro.  I believe it's not always this fresh, but this was all they were giving out that day, so I'm glad I got a good batch. While we stood outside eating our churros (they have no seating inside or outside), we kept seeing people leaving with 3 churros each. Talk about greedy, but of course I wanted to jump on that bandwagon! Turns out they had an excess of churros due to the lack of patrons, so we both asked for 2 more churros and they were delighted we wanted more. We were't totally being greedy freebie whores though because it wasn't for ourselves; it was actually for our friends who were happy we brought them a nice treat.

Ironically, my friend was going to a Spanish tapas potluck dinner that night and told them she wanted to buy a box but they weren't giving out anything but the o.g. churro. Their faces lit up though when she told them, and they asked us to take a pretty promo picture for their marketing collateral. Too bad they didn't have more flavors, because I would've been more inclined to come back cause I love sweets. It is overpriced though for a churro and the lack of seating, any seating for the matter, is not likely to bring me back for a while.

Once you step foot into Apo Apo, you immediately feel like you are dining in Taiwan. The pristine red, white, and black decor is reminiscent of clean modern decor of those cute little cafes in Taiwan. Even the hustle and bustle of the restaurant reminds me of Taiwan, but it definitely doesn't take away from the warm, inviting ambiance that makes you feel comfortable enough to eat and talk loud as if you're at dim sum. In Taiwan I ate like no other, and eating at Apo Apo was no exception.

Our table for 2 grubbed on the following:  

Spicy Shrimp Wonton - They're light, perfectly boiled wontons! You gotta mix it up with the spicy sauce and green onions for the full effect. For those that can't handle spicy, they'll serve the sauce to your liking: mild, medium, or spicy.

Chunky Fatty Pork - What's not to love?! CHUNKY FATTY PORK! Enough said.

Minced Pork with Rice - This is your standard minced pork with rice and pickled yellow ginger. It delivers exactly what you'd expect, which is standard goodness.

Apo Apo House Special - This is the MOTHER of all rice dishes here. It comes with fried pork chops, fried chicken, fried shrimp, fried tofu, boiled egg, Chinese sausage, pickled ginger, green veggies, and a bed of rice covered with minced pork. Needless to say, I devoured this dish. Not all in one sitting though, suprisingly. If you are not satisfied with this dish, I cannot ever eat with you. Period.

Apo Apo Juice - This speciality purple drink with its original recipe, unlike Snapple, is truly made from the healthiest stuff on earth! I never thought I'd ever like a drink partially made of cabbage but it's super delicious and refreshing!

Soy Pudding - I've never had this dessert before and it was delicious and unique! You can choose your own custom ingredients so we added strawberries, mochi balls, and taro balls with the soy putting which was mixed with shaved iced covered in condensed milk. It was so. damn. GOOD. We ate so much of the rice dishes that we couldn't finish the dessert. I know, sad right.

Many Chinese places are not keen on good customer serivce, but if you're lucky, Michael might serve you here. He was the best waiter and served us VIP style. He even made the kitchen whip up a special creamy mayo-tartar sauce for my fried shrimp.

If you want some down right authentic Taiwense cuisine, come to Apo Apo! They also serve Japanese dishes like okonomiyaki (japanese style pancake) and hot pot, which I'll have to order next time. They pretty much have an extensive list for rice and noodle dishes, specialty drinks and dessert. When we left, my bf said I walked out like a prego lady! Luckily I was wearing a loose tube top so you couldn't see the food baby. To some that may be offensive, but to me, that just means I left Apo Apo as a happy camper.

I'm no comic geek by ANY standards. In fact, I've only read one complete graphic novel, but in the span of one week, I was shopping at three different comic book shops to find my comic lovin' bf the perfect bday gifts. I was actually lucky enough to find his surplus of gifts at 2 other comic shops, but Dream World Comics was #2 on my checklist. I read their rave reviews, so I really wanted to check it out. I told my bf about this shop, so we finally went here one evening and he was like a giddy, little kid in a candy shop. He wasn't nearly as giddy as he was at Comic-Con, but close enough though.

Within 5 mins, I realized I could've killed two birds with one stone cause all the graphic novels and the figurine I got him at the other 2 shops were all at this shop alone. I also noticed off the bat that the owner was very hospitable and knowledgeable about what was up and coming, so it's a shame I didn't get there sooner, but better late than never.

After browsing through the store together, I left my bf to his own comic geek world, and I found the bat cave in the back (thanks to the heads up from the loyal customers who yelped this place). This shop has the COOLEST BAT CAVE known to mankind! I literally felt like I just got off the Batman ride at Magic Mountain and was waiting for my photo to appear on the screen. However, in this case, it was even better cause I perfectly came in when they started playing the opening credits for The Dark Knight. I sat on the sofa with the A/C blasting over my head in this super cool, dark bat cave, fully entertained by the film and fascinated by the endless figurines of Batman, Robin, and Joker that surrounded me on all sides. This is the perfect spot to just sit back and chill while a true comic geek combs the shelves for the next best graphic novels.

Some people are born to dance.

Some people are born to sing.

I was born to eat, and eat lots of meat.

For only $16.99, you can get  the ultimate AYCE kbbq with quality meat at Road to Seoul. I don't think I've ever turned down any type of meat here. I grubbed on juicy kalbee, bulgogi, beef brisket, sirloin, beef tongue, pork, chicken, etc. Damn, I love me some red, juicy, hot-off-the-grill meat. This joint never, I repeat, NEVER disappoints. Every time I eat here I try to wear a loose tunic or just a black top because I always end up leaving with a big food baby. Yes, I know, very attractive, but the bf has seen the food baby and sometimes finds it cute. Strange but true.

Most Korean restaurants just serve you their traditional side dishes, but at Road to Seoul, on top of those dishes, they also serve you steamed egg, salad, and their Korean pancake which consists of green onion, egg, and zuchini. If I could, I would bring home my leftover pancake (if there were any leftovers) and drench it in Sriracha. Yum!!

I usually don't find myself going to AYCE kbbq joints based on the ambiance factor. However, that is not the case with Road to Seoul. I love the open air space and the sleek, industrial modern style, which are rare attributes, especially for a place with cheap but quality kbbq. What is unique about this place is the glass room that is separated from the rest of the space. It feels modern and the open air loft style makes it feel less smokey and stuffy as other kbbq joints.

Once in a while they play eclectic music here but usually it's just plain mainstream top 40s with a bunch of cheesy happy bday songs randomly repeated in between based on the number of bday peeps in the house. The last time I ate here was the day after MJ's mysterious death, so they paid a little tribute to him which as an MJ 80s fan I thoroughly enjoyed. RIP to our beloved MJ! And to quote the king of pop, I'd like to say "don't stop till you get enough" of kbbq meat.

You know how kids get all crazy excited when they're inside a ginormous candy store? Well, imagine that crazy excited kid as me, entering this grand, white NY-style food palace and grubbing and OoooHing and ahhhh-ing at all the scrumptious desserts, pizza, fresh bread, deli-fixins' and appreciating the classy-modern white decor, pristine marble floors, high lofted ceilings, ornate French custom molding, open airy ambiance, and the whole nine yards at my fave LA dining spot, Bottega Louie.

Upon my first visit, my friends and I were literally drooling over the desserts and deli items, and I guess it was pretty obvious, so one of the 220 uber friendly staff members voluntarily gave us a helpful little tour of each area. We learned that Bottega Louie is not just any type of fine dining restaurant. It is ALL of the below and then some.

a) It's a bakery/dessert shop that includes but is not limited to the following items: cute mini cupcakes, sweet chocolate squares branded with the restaurant's initials BL, crispy sweet pastries and muffins, gooey fresh fruit tarts and pies, fresh baked french bread and even chocolate bread, skinny mini baguettes, and macaroons that come in all sorts of colors of the rainbow. If you order enough pastries and dessert to fill a box, you'll leave home with a pretty in pink box tied with a bow.

b) It has a visible pizza making station! Yup, a really cool pizza making station is located in the back of the restaurant with clean white brick walls and a glass wall that allows you to see the wood-fired pizza getting tossed and then freshly baked in the oven.

c) It's a fresh deli that serves the BEST eggplant parmigiana! I had to hold myself back from ordering too much at the deli, but I had my eye on the fried chicken, mac n' cheese, and quiche lorraine. They are so clever with the packaging of their deli items because they give you this white, pristine envelope and card that gives you instructions on how long to cook your leftover food in the microwave and/or oven. It really adds a very classy touch to your carry out items and it makes for a memorable souvenir if you're into pretty stationary cards and arts and crafts stuff like I am.

d) It's a fully-stocked bar/cafe that is frequented by various people from downtown loft dwellers and yuppies to hipsters and after-work patrons. So far I only tried their red wine and it complemented well with my dinner. My friend can attest that the bar service was great and one of the bartenders was ultimate eye candy for her while she waited for us laggers to arrive.

e) Last, but certainly not least, it's a fine dining establishment that deserves 5 stars for its food! I am still drooling over the crispy portobello fries dipped in their special aioli sauce. That has been my staple appetizer at every single visit. My usual entree is the grilled pork chops (one order comes with 3!) with a side of apple sauce for dipping. I know it sounds strange, but there's a nice balance between the salty and sweet flavors. Many of their dishes are perfect for sharing family style, so if there are 3 of you, get the 3 succulent, grilled pork chops!  If you want something buttery and savory, the trenne is definitely the way to go. It's an amazing pasta that tastes light, but is super buttery and is tossed with tiny chunks of beef and some greens. Other notable dishes:  fresh bianco (basil) pizza and arrianchi arrabiata appetizer (think fried mozzarella sticks but in the form of balls and stuffed with rice and cheese).  Save room for dessert because you won't want to miss out on the delicious warm chocolate soufflé! If you have more room for dessert, try the sweet simi freddo and light orange crepe.

Not only is Bottega Louie impeccable and unique in terms of food, ambiance, and decor, but its service is among the best I've ever had in downtown. The highlight of our service was gettin that initial tour by that friendly staff member. I wonder if she gives consistent tours to other people, but I'd like to think we were the special trio that lucked out that one evening. That was a great precedent to what was to follow for our perfect dining experience. Our waitress  was hospitable and knowledgeable about each dish and was pretty attentive in clearing our dishes along with other random staff members who were always quick to clean our table and fill up our water. After we ate dessert, this handome guy who looked like a manager in a three-piece suit just happened to roll by and happily took our picture. He was a mix between Adam Levine and David Beckham, so, yes, they are friendly AND good looking!

Bottega Louie truly is a diamond in a rough, as it is located on the dingy streets of 7th and Grand. There's no other place in LA that can give you that same look and feel as if you're dining in NY but with reasonable prices, great hospitality, and superb ambiance and decor.

Tagine screams romance, sexy, candle-lit romance. I literally fell in love with this fine Moroccan restaurant. It's warm, cozy, and extremely inviting with all of its plush seating, elegant decor, and dark, sexy ambiance. The super friendly staff also made the experience even better.

When I first stumbled upon this place on Yelp, I knew that it was the perfect date spot to take my bf for his bday. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint, and we left like a happy, gluttonous couple for the night.

Here's what we devoured off the 7 course tasting menu for $45 per person. Yes, a sweeeet deal and worth every single bite!

1) Hummus + tapenade deliciously served with warm pita triangles
2) Israeli cucumber and tomato salad topped with a lemon sorbet. I'm allergic to cucumber though, so they just whipped up a fresh beet salad for me topped with a fruity sorbet. This plate was so cool cause it was served in this fish-bowl like glass which was placed on top of a plate.
3) Salty tiger shrimp with creamy pureed sauce + some foamy topping
4) RACK OF LAMB with a side of sweet potatoes + shiitake mushrooms from Paris (Yea, from Paris, at least that's what the waitress told us). Hands down the BEST dish on the tasting menu!
5) Delicious white fish with a side of asparagus + grilled zucchini
6) Perfect chocolate mousse soup served in a swanky little decanter (imagine a small wine decanter) that is poured into a skinny tall glass with vanilla ice cream topped with caramelized pecans
7) Sweet and sour plum, apricot, granola + raisins drizzled with a sweet sauce with a few scoops of fresh sorbet ice cream. This was our bonus dessert they whipped up because they change their 7 course menu every now and then. I was hoping for the baklava topped with powdered sugar, but this was good too.

You must try their specialty sweet mint tea!! It goes down smooth and perfectly complements the palate, especially with dessert. It's hot and is served in these cute little green and red Moroccan style cups. Their sangria also washed down well with all the food. I love sangria, so I really don't have any complaints about it.

We had a very unique waitress who gave us the best service throughout the night. She was very friendly and sweet since the moment we walked in. I was carrying the bday gifts I got my bf, and she asked if it was my bday, but I said it was his. Later in the night she put a candle on his dessert upon my request, and even served us some more mint tea on the house! I think she liked him lol. It was obvious that she was a newbie, so a few times she was a bit slow and she literally told us that she kinda forgot about picking up our bill. It was cute how honest she was though,  and because she was so sweet, it didn't bother us at all. The highlight of my night was getting a hug from the waitress right before we left! I guess she really liked me too and vice versa. She was the coolest boho-chic waitress there ever was. How many people can say they've ever hugged a waitress that they've just met after finishing a meal?! That is truly unheard of, especially right smack in the City of Angles and on the pretentious street of Robertson.

I'm definitely looking forward to coming back here again! Next time we'll go on a double date here so we can snag the best corner booth in the back, and hopefully we'll get that same awesome waitress.

Stingaree meets all my clubbin' expectations and them some. We had a grand old time here and this is why:

Chic/posh ambiance in the gas lamp district of SD

3 floors + awesome rooftop overlooking downtown SD

Rollin' deep with my sexy entourage of 12+ ladies and gents

$10 cover for guys, $5 for girls only because this random party promotoer/party bus driver hooked us up after our long wait in line  

Getting my PYT on with the DJ's tribute mix to Michael Jackson from the 80s-90s - "I wanna rock with you all niiiight" RIP MJ!

Ultimate 90s hip hop battle remix with tupac/west coast & biggie/east coast rap = ghetto fab!

Daft punk ONE MORE TIME extended version **unz unz unz**

Although it was good times here, there were a few cons:

LONG ASS LINES if you are not on the glist or hooked up by the random party bus driver who approached us or if u didn't bribe the bouncer

SUPER CROWDED everywhere, especially on the rooftop where everyone is getting some fresh air (this was probably due to 4th of july weekend and the fashion show though)

Typical over-priced alcohol for clubs

Too many random couples hooking up on the dance floor next to our entourage getting our groove on! Get a room people!

Hello black sangria.
Hello mac n cheese with bacon
Hello sliders.
Hello happy hour (HH) at the Must!

To my drinkers: HH is MONDAY-SUNDAY 4p-7p. Nope, that is not a typo. HH is 7 freakin' days a week which is unheard of in LA. Woot!

This wine bar is another fairly new hidden gem in DTLA. I love how the City of Angels is truly reviving itself! It's still hidden amidst old rundown buildings, but don't be mislead by it's deceiving old neighbors. The Must has a chill, artsy yet unpretentious vibe, especially for a wine bar. I like the plush seating and eclectic, unique art work lined up on the walls. Their logo is very unique: a human head with a wine bottle pouring into the brain. It pretty much reads: wine is food for the brain, at least that's my take from their logo. The ambiance is warm and inviting, the staff is uber friendly and attentive, and the quality of the HH drinks and snack prices can't be beat during this recession!

I am amazed at myself for having only come here ONCE. I need to put this bar back on my "bars to check off list" again. I need to bring more fellow HH lovers here. I need to taste their specialty sangrias the black sangria (Cabernet Sauvignon with black cherries, blackberries & blueberries -- yum!!) again and the white sangria (Viognier & Chardonnay with fresh white peaches & white Port). I might even try the MUSTgarita (Wine Agave & Orange Muscat with Muddled Strawberries and fresh lime juice) even though I'm not too fond of lime juice. And just to support the prez, I gotta try the Braque Obama which is White Port with tonic and fresh squeezed lime juice. I MUST go back to the Must soon!!