Esther "fattie" C.'s Profile

I had a really crazy day on Tuesday and found myself downing a delicious gin and tonic with 3 limes.  Followed by a full bodied Malbec.  But...I'm sure you're more interested in the food than how I coped with a long day.

Akasha is an amazing little find that I didn't even know existed!  It felt like a venue that should have been tucked away in Silverlake or downtown LA.  I loved it!  The service was incredibly friendly, fast, and attentive.  I went with 3 girlfriends and shared 4 dishes...see below for our amazing feast!

tandoori SPICED chicken wings--chat masala, tamarind-date chutney, mint relis

SO AMAZING and full of flavor!  They were delicious and the green sauce was minty so the two items paired together were to die for!  If you love Indian food, you'll LOVE this dish.

fig & prosciutto--caramelized onions, shaft bleu, wild arugula

UNfreakingbelievable!  This pizza had the most amazing crust!  The saltiness of the prosciutto was a great balance with the sweet figs~ and the chunk of blue cheese gave it an incredible kick that was then balanced by the fresh and crunchy arugula.  I highly recommend this delectable pizza~~ It's not super filling, so you may need another item to eat, but you won't regret ordering this!

SKILLET MACARONI & CHEESE--gruyere & cheddar, toasted bread crumbs

I have to say, this is the only item I wouldn't order again.  It was cheesy and great...but it really didn't have anything special to it.  Markel actually makes a better baked mac & cheese~ so the one at Akasha is really just..."meh" and "whatevs".

paso prime Flat Iron STEAK / chimichurri--duck fat fries, roasted tomatoes, grilled asparagus

HOLY CRAP, this dish was to die for.  The steak was incredibly tender and juicy!!  The tomatoes were whatevs and the fries were soft (i like crunchy)~ but that really didn't make a negative dent in the most scrumpteous steak ever!  The asparagus was seasoned and cooked to perfection~ and the presentation was impressive.  You have to try the steak~ I still can't get over how awesome it was and how it just melted in your mouth!

Can't wait to come back here with Markel.  Akasha was such a great experience, I would gladly go back for a second, third, and fourth time!

214 5th St
Ste 101
Huntington Beach, CA 92648

The North Shore Poke Co. looked like it had just opened and was a little off the Huntington Beach pier area.  When we arrived, there was no one in the restaurant and everyone greeted us.  There was an owner/manager type of guy who was pacing a lot throughout the restaurant which was a little weird and made me nervous for the business...like he was worried as well.  The chef in the back also came out a few times to ask our party (as well as a few parties that came in after us) how the food was and what we thought of the flavors & sauces.  Which also led me to believe they were in a soft opening phase...

The ambiance is very casual with some trite paintings/murals of Hawaii that seemed like it was trying to hard to be "surfs up" but then the furniture in the restaurant was really cheap... confusing decor...

Now...Time for the Food!

The Spicy Italian Sausage Masubi was a delicious twist to the normal spam.  Although it says "spicy", it really wasn't.  I wish they had a few more variations, like the SISM with egg or cheese, etc.

The Salmon Ahi Tuna bowl was yummy and fresh.  I added a masago eggs to it, but I wish I had added avocado and a few more extra toppings as well.

The Ahi Tuna Tacos were tasty as well.  They were much lighter in flavor than meat or fish tacos, which I really loved.

Overall, I think as the business grows and becomes more popular, the food and flavors will become better as well.  I'd definitely return to eat here, but wouldn't say this was THE spot to try at the pier.

Hands down, this is one of the best Korean-Chinese restaurants I've ever been to.  Korean influenced Chinese restaurants are what most Koreans grow up on (like myself).  We eat food that's influenced by Korean spices, menu items and well...flavors all around.  Young King is where my parents love to come to whenever they visit LA from Hawai'i...

The interior isn't impressive, the service is abrasive and fast~ but there's NO WAY you can beat the incredible food, the fast preparation, and the great prices on the menu.  If it weren't for the high dose of MSG, I'd eat here weekly.  I love YKC and would enthusiastically recommend it to all my friends and family.

We ordered: Jja Jja Myun, Pal Boo Chae, and Jjang Bong

600 S Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90014

A few Sundays ago, Markel and I took our parents to The Artisan House in downtown LA.  It was a fun and trendy place to have brunch since it helped our parents experience downtown in an upscale trendy.  There's a market attached to the restaurant so while you're waiting for your seats, you can look around the gourmet boutique market and pick up some ready-made items and desserts.  (a bit pricey tho...hence the "gourmet-boutique-market").

The food came out on really great wooden cutting boards that really made The Artisan House unique and craftsman-like.  The decor is gorgeous, the long windows bring in lots of light, and it really makes the mood of brunch relaxing.  Additionally, the menu is extensive and clearly well thought out.  There were more than a few things that I wanted to try!

Now...time for a few complaints...

The food portions were really small (for the price) and our waitress was an airhead.  We asked for things multiple times before it actually came to our table.

If you're looking for a new trendy place to have lunch and explore downtown, I recommend The Artisan House.  If you're looking for good food...meh...there are tons of better places.

My coworkers and I recently went to 800 degrees pizza and it was the most memorable pizza I've ever had~ dare I even say...better than Pizzeria Mozza!  *gasp*

From the outside, you would never notice this place.  The sign for the restaurant is modern, but it's overshadowed by this huge movie theatre sign.  Once you walk inside, WOW.  The ambiance totally changes~inside the decor is modern, sleek, and upscale. You can see the chefs making your personal size pizza and it's pretty awesome.  The ingredients look super fresh, the employees are incredibly friendly~

Now...for the Pizza!  There are a few ways to order yours: 1) order a specialty one (the menu changes often) 2) pick a base and add toppings.  The pizza takes about 10 minutes to cook (at 800 degrees, duh) and it tastes AMAZZZZING.  The crust is chewy and fresh while the combination of topics melts only goodness into you mouth!

I got the: Tartufo ($11.65) with truffle cheese, roasted mushrooms, caramelized garlic, arugula (no tomato).  To drink?  I paired the pizza with a refreshing Blue Moon. =)

With the first bite, I had a serious taste bud orgasm.  The flavors of salty cheese, delicious truffle flavor and fresh arugula burst into your mouth.  I devoured the entire pizza in seconds~ before many of my friends could finish their 2nd slice!  It's very rare that pizza impresses the hell out of me~and 800 did!  I came with really low expectations and left wanting to come back with my other friends and my bf.

I highly recommend 800 degrees to anyone and everyone in the area.  For $12 + a $4 beer~ you really can't beat the prices, the flavor profiles of each pizza, the ambiance and the innovative idea of baking gourmet pizzas in under 10 minutes!

I went to AOC last week with my girlfriends for a tearful farewell.  The restaurant was a little over-hyped for me...but it was the perfect ambiance and food for a wonderful goodbye.

We ordered a ton of small plates (since AOC is tapas style) and here's a small collage of our dishes =)

I would highly recommend getting the skirt steak, the endive salad, and s'mores dessert.  They were deLishh~ the other items were just "A-OK".  The service was impeccable, ambiance was out of this world, and the wine selection was awesome!  AOC is definitely a romantic date place, so I recommend keeping this on in your back pocket for any future intimate nights out.

PLEASE don't go here.  Worst place ever.  I bought a trubates deal for 1 full chiropractic exam and a follow-up.  I've been to chiropractors before and have always had really great results.

I had an appointment with Dr. Rothschild and was REALLY turned off.  For the first 20 minutes, he kept trying to sell me on his other services.  As much as he tried to tell me WASN'T pitching me new products/services~ it was blatant and uncomfortable.  Even while he was doing the alignments, he was telling me about the other services available.

I was already really turned off by the service, but I was even more turned off and OFFENDED by what happened next~

I got a free 20 minute massage (part of their service) and was taken to a back room.  There was already another gentlemen in one bed and I laid down on the empty one.  The woman (short black hair and tattoos), she was SO VERY RUDE!  I waited patiently as she finished with her first client.  She put these electric pulse things on my back and told me to wait until I heard a beep. Ok...totally not a problem.

When it was time for her to actually massage me, I was really tense.  I'm normally a ticklish person but have gotten massages before and once I'm used to the person's hands, I relax more.  The lady started to massage me and felt my tension.  She put a glob of lotion on my back and then made a few snide comments about how she wasn't going to massage me in this condition, put my shirt down (on top of the wet lotion) and walked out.  I had no idea if she was coming back, or if this is how she ends sessions... I mean how rude!  I was even more surprised that she wouldn't wipe the glob of lotion off my back~ (thanks for ruining my shirt!)

I would NEVERRR come back here.  I left feeling really angry and taken advantage of by the staff.  If you're looking for a Chiropractor in West LA, do NOT go to ChiroMassage Center.  They don't care about their patients, they're constantly trying to bleed moving from you and the treatment is abominable.

I never made my second appointment here and never will.  What a waste of a Trubates Deal.

GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GORGEOUS.  I'm sad that my friends and I didn't get to order oysters, but we were SOO happy with the bottles of champagne we ordered.

Ordering by the glass is much pricier than getting a bottle, so I would recommend getting oysters and a bottle of champagne and enjoying the afternoon in the gorgeous patio!
xo

I can't believe I've never been here before!  Gil Mok was DELICIOUS~

They are known for their Cold Noodles (dong chim ee gook soo).  I hadn't had this in a really long time~ My mom used to make it during really hot summes in Sacramento!  The soup was DELICIOUS, the noodles were perfectly cooked and the added toppings on top (shredded cucumber, etc) added a great crunchy texture.

Additionally~The side dishes accompanying the food was also quite a treat!  There were a few variations of kimchi as well as some fresh greens (shredded green onions).  My group and I also ordered Kalbi as well and it was AMAZING!  So tender and Juicy.   I was salivating as soon as I saw it!

The venue is easy to miss as it's in an unmemorable strip mall.  So be sure to be careful!  The decor and amenities are dated and old, but clean.  The service is incredible friendly and the woman are a little no-nonsense so make sure to order what you want and don't dilly dally.  The menu comes in English and Korean so you won't have any problems finding something you like.

I went to Bruxie last night with a group of friends and I left feeling... "meh" about the whole place.  I would like to give it 2-stars, but the service was fantastic and the dessert waffles were pretty delicious.

We ordered:
--Buttermilk Chicken & Waffle
Chili Honey & Cole Slaw~ extra syrup is $1
--Braised Beef Short Ribs
Crispy Blue Cheese Potatoes, atop Caramelized Onions, Horseradish and Chives
--Waffle Fries
--Nutella & Bananas
with sweet cream
--Seasonal Creme Brulee
Classic Vanilla Creme with Burnt Raw Sugar & Seasonal Fresh Strawberries

ALL THE FOOD was ridiculously small in portion size and not worth buying.  Honestly~ our meal of one waffle and one drink came out to $11.18.  I was really shocked.  How can half a waffle sandwich and soda be over $11??  The desserts were also $5-$8 which was pretty ridiculous since it was half a waffle.  The fries came in the SMALLEST container and wasn't worth $3.  For that price you can go to chick filet or mcdonalds and get two larges.

Now onto the food review:

The chicken was okayyy~ it was moist but nothing  spectacular.  The waffles were perfectly cooked and crisp.  But the coleslaw was bland and whatevs.

The braised short rib waffle was the better option.  It was delicious~ but not filling.

The fries were yummy but the amount that you get...wasn't worth it.
Nutella & bananas was okayyy.  Something you could totally make yourself at home.

My favorite of the night was the Strawberry Creme Brulee Waffle.  It was AMAZING.  The burnt sugar tasted much like a burnt marshmallow and left us all wanting more.

*All in all, I wouldn't recommend this place for any of the savory waffles.  They were overpriced and not something worth spending $11+ on.  The dessert crepes were good and worth trying~ but beware that it's a super small portion size.

If personally wouldn't recommend this place to anyone.