Kit S.'s Profile

First of all, I am still not over the AMAZING pie crust. It is everything you hope for and somehow more transcendent. It's flaky, rich, robust and a totally perfect match for the chicken curry. Delicious.

Anyway, earlier this week Diep was kind enough to give us run of the entire restaurant for a company lunch and we were given a limited menu, so there are still a bunch of dishes I want to try. The dishes I did try, especially that incredible pot pie, made me a believer in Asian fusion.

The menu is a really great blend of all the comfort foods I love. Unlike other fusion places I've tried, the Asian elements marry well with the American elements and it doesn't feel forced. In fact, the matches were so natural and tasty that I kept wondering why I had never even imagined food like this.

Service was great. There were just 2 wait staff for a hungry crowd of 50+ (since it was a special function) but Clayton and Carol (I think) were gracious and attentive. Tip well, people!

Anyway, I highly highly recommend the chicken pot pie and the fries. For desert, the almond jelly was my favorite, followed by the mocha joe. But really, that pie crust ... Diep, if you're reading this, please considering hiring me to be your intern.

Just had lunch here today and this is now one of my favorite places within a reasonable drive of downtown.

Here's what we ordered:
- grilled chicken sandwich (pretty good!)
- cobb salad (awesome homemade dressing and plenty of carmelized onions)
- pastrami sandwich (idk, i don't eat beef)
- grilled tuna steak sandwich (BEST IN SHOW!)

The tuna is a special, so you'll have to go get it NOW or check TVK's twitter for daily specials: @villagekitchen

The service was great, the ingredients were fresh and the bakery items looked fantastic -- cute little mummy red velvet cakes and ghost chocolate cupcakes. I didn't try the cupcakes, but I'll be coming back.

Location is not great for groups, but they do have catering. Call 213-235-2284.

For a place the relies solely on the similarity between it's name and the name of a more popular restaurant just down the street to bring in clientele, Thai World isn't so bad.

I got the penang with chicken, which was pretty flavorful and had a nice gentle kick to it. There was a TON of chicken in there and I ended up eating penang for three days. It's great mediocre food that will always be reliably mediocre.

The great thing about Thai World is that none of the cool kids come here so it is very empty. If you sometimes hate other people like I do, Thai World is vastly preferable just because of that.

We've been waiting for this place to open, and the bf said he would take me here for a special occasion. well, we couldn't wait for a special occasion, so "happy one year, six months, 2 weeks, and 4 days anniversary, honey!" it was. (yeah, he keeps track of the days. and hours. on a calendar. awww.)

food was delicious. everything was well-seasoned, portions are hearty, even for hardcore carnivores like the bf. meat was definitely quality and it's so nice to get the char and none of the smoke smell for the rest of the night. Didn't try anything off the wine menu, but judging from other tables it was good.

and of course, dessert. first of all, what other korean bbq place even takes the time to cater to sweet tooths/teeth? none that I have seen. I am very picky about donuts, and even I thought the green tea donuts were awesome, but after reading susy h's review, I wish bf had really let us splurge (calorically speaking) on the banana creme pie. And there were no romantic, endearing moments for us; if I spent every moment bf had food in his mouth adoring him, I would never have a free minute to post on yelp. which is really why I've been quiet so long.

So, in conclusion, gyenari has the kind of menu that is really gastronomically intriguing, makes you want to try everything on the menu. you think you know kbbq, but you don't. so we'll be coming back. as soon as we can think of another special occasion.

I get lost probably a good 25 - 46% more than your average driver. In Culver City, that percentage probably doubles. Everyone's been lost in CC before, I'm just glad I usually manage w/o getting ticketed.

So true story, someone walked me from the Trader Joe's down the street to Honey's. This person not only immediately knew what I meant when I said "fried chicken place" but also insisted that I follow him there lest I should get lost again. How is that not good customer service?? Just kidding, the service here really sucks, but then again, you would never sass your mother if she were standing above a vat of hot oil.

yay, I love putt-putt! I love how almost every mini-golf place is right next to the freeway. Ever feel tempted to putt right into traffic? (Also, I won. My final score was actually less than 18. Some people are jealous and won't admit it.)

I like all the miniature buildings, even if they are basically 3D stereotypes. Camelot has a big old fake pagoda or some other temple thing called the "Golden Orient." I half expect little mechanized people to pop out and start singing some fake Asian language to the tune of "it's a small world."

The course wasn't incredibly hard, but it was challenging enough to be fun, especially if you create additional hazards of your own. There were a ton of small fry and not-so-small fry on even the courses designated hard or advanced. It's not really that annoying, because it's hilarious watching the kids cheat at it.

The arcade was a whole different story. The whole place smells like greasy melted cheese. Something about that fog of grease and the electromagnetic waves radiated by the arcade games makes everyone who stumbles through that arcade revert to the absolute most awkward time in their life. It is a mess of awkward.

Oh man, why did I spend so many years of my life afraid of brie? Well, if you're living in the shadow of brie-fear, then follow my step-by-step guide to overcoming your fear.

1. decide you want to change. admit you have a problem. Brie-fear is not natural.
2. Trek down to the French Garden and order what is possibly the most amazing thing you can get on a baguette -- the brie sandwich.
3. Enjoy that rich, smoky-sweet flavor. That roasted eggplant is amazing paired with the cheese.  See? welcome to brie-love.

how much do I love the tuna bowls here? Very much. They are 5 or 6 bucks of pure protein and carbs that will fuel you all day. If you ask nicely, the ladies in the kitchen will make you up a fresh bowl of all tuna or whatever your fave is.

I wouldn't recommend the warm food here, but I do partake occasionally. The noodles are really oily but I've never had lukewarm soup here.  I would also avoid the pre-made bento boxes. In that department, Nijiya beats out Mitsuwa, hands down.  And even though I would never do all my actual grocery shopping here, I do appreciate that there are a lot of options here.

Like it, it's decent as a shoddy alternative if the line at Sushi Gen is too long.

Normally, the words "asian fusion" make me want to die a horrible death involving stabbing forks in my heart and possibly a cage full of hungry lobsters.

However! Via Cafe isn't bad. Not bad at all. I remember it being pretty decently priced for the atmosphere and location. There is a lot of interesting art on the walls, and I think they switch it out every once n a while. Pho was also pretty decent, but I really liked my vermicelli bowl w/ shrimp, egg rolls and most importantly, fish sauce! man I love that stuff.

I ordered a green tea slush thing that I think was in the $3.50 range and was quite tasty, if you're the kind of person who likes half and half, green tea powder and sugar syrup blended with ice. I am. Sometimes that is exactly what I order at drink stands, Farve style: "Gimme a liter a half and half, green tea powder and sugar syrup -- blended, not stirred."

good thing my mom thinks I'm funny.

I can tell you exactly what appeals to me about Tudor house. Two things: a. ambiance and b. clotted cream.

a. I like worn-in diners. I like fake pretentiousness. I like creepy-weird wallpaper that's slightly too loud. At Tudor House you can find all these things, which is why I chose TH for my birthday tea.

b. And who doesn't like clotted cream?

So, that being established, let me suggest that you forgo the fancy tea set with salmon (it's a tiny piece anyway) and just get a more affordable option. For my birthday tea, I paid around $70 total for three people and I definitely had to snack before dinner. I don't remember exactly how much the food was before tax and tip, but I do know I left a bigger tip than usual because our server was very efficient and friendly.

Some other reviewers mentioned that the food isn't great, but I've also heard that the pies are decent. I haven't tried them yet, but I will be going back just as soon as I can think of a good excuse ...