I came across My Lai on Yelp which appeared to have just opened as it only had eight reviews, all 5 stars. It’s located across the street from Mar Vista on Venice around the corner from Little Fatty and Rasselbock.
As one of the reviews previously mentioned, it has a Chipotle vibe where you can create your own bowl or order one of their specialities.
I was immediately drawn to the garlic fried rice which I paired with grilled chicken, cilantro, sliced cucumber, sesame medley, crispy garlic and miso sesame sauce. The chicken was moist and tender with a bit of char, and the cucumber added a bit of freshness and lightness while the cilantro added a layer of earthiness to the dish. The miso sesame sauce was light and tangy, and the crispy garlic added texture and bite, but the star of the dish was the garlic fried rice which appeared to have been cooked in a savory chicken broth or stock resulting in a glutinous sticky rice.
The rice was reminiscent of what is traditionally served in Filipino restaurants but more potent and richer in flavor. Though the bowl I ordered was not an authentic Vietnamese dish, it was quite enjoyable.
The restaurant is quite clean and modern with both an indoor and fairly decent sized outdoor space for dining. It would be very easy to have a quick, easy and healthy meal here or spend an hour or two lounging on the patio with friends. This new find is a solid winner!
My Lai
12222 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
https://www.mylaikitchen.com
I had first read about Sushi Beluga on one of my Yelp searches for new and noteworthy restaurants in the area. Since I had the day off, I decided to give them a try on MLK, Jr. Day.
I checked their opening time which was 11:00 a.m. and headed down to Playa. I arrived around 11:26 a.m. and saw the sign by the door that their soft open business hours were not as advertised, but they were set to open in 4 minutes so I decided to wait it out in my car until 11:30 a.m. and was the first customer through the door.
My server was absolutely lovely and welcoming. She explained that they had only been open only a month and a half and not all the items on the menu were available yet. She went page by page and identified those selections and mentioned that they expect to have the full menu available and be fully operational by the end of January or beginning of February.
I ordered the salmon sample which had 5 pieces of salmon for $15.95. For those doing the math, each piece cost $3.19. It was definitely not a cheap plate, but I was hopeful that the 5 star reviews on Yelp were on point.
I was sold on my first bite of the aburi miso salmon. It was tangy, complex with varying layers of flavors. The salmon tasted like it had hints of mirin, soy, sesame oil and citrus. It turned out to be my favorite on the plate.
That first bite set the stage for the rest. Next was the salmon with yuzu which had a smoky, citrus flavor. The third sample was the salmon truffle which was a bit oilier than the first two and had a slightly earthier aftertaste.
The next two samples were both king salmon as the restaurant was out of ocean trout. The texture of the king salmon was akin to the butteriness of the sashimi I had at Sushi Katsura which was located a couple hundred meters from the famous Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. King salmon #1 was Rey light, citrusy and quite refreshing while king salmon #2 had a bit of crunch and a slight tartness which tasted a bit like mango salsa on top contrasted by the salmon which had a more subdued flavor.
I didn’t believe I would ever taste quality even remotely close to what I indulged in during my visit to Tokyo in 2018 but at long last, I think I found a restaurant that is a much closer than Tokyo and likely a less expensive substitute.
Sushi Beluga is not your cheapest fare but the quality of the food they serve demands a slight upmarket price. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and having been spoiled with the freshness and exemplary cuts of fresh fish in Tokyo, I can wholeheartedly recommend Sushi Beluga as my new local go-to sashimi, sushi and nigiri spot in Playa Del Rey.
Sushi Beluga 207 Culver Blvd. Playa Del Rey, CA 90293 https://www.sushibelugaca.com
After a long work week, we were torn on whether to stay in on a Friday night and order delivery from one of our standbys, The Original Thai BBQ restaurant on Venice, or head out and experience a change of scenery. We opted for the latter but chose a place close by in downtown Culver City. A new restaurant opened fairly recently called Amacita. It sits where the former BacoShop had its two year residency. Over the last fifteen years, the space has had several other iterations including Santa Maria BBQ and coincidentally a different Thai BBQ restaurant.
When we arrived, the restaurant was full including its bar area. In the few times we ate at that location, we had never seen it at full capacity so that was a good omen. We ordered beer and wine and were served a basket of super crispy and addictive tortilla chips which was another point in the restaurant’s favor. Luckily, a table for two was leaving so we were seated inside fairly quickly.
We started with two crispy fried golden tacos with chicken which had the same crispy texture as the chips. It came with a huge dollop of crema, a pile of red cabbage and salsa. The chicken was perfectly moist and savory and each taco definitely had a generous helping of meat.
Next to arrive was the McGrath charcoal grilled baby corn with queso fresco and morita crema. The corn was smoky and the sauce added a layer of creaminess and tanginess. It was quite unique as they were petite baby corn and not the usual plate of corn kernels or an actual corn on the cob giving it a much more refined presentation.
Our last starter dish to arrive was a bowl of Weiser tiny russet potatoes with arbol chile cream, manchego, bacon and chives. That was the dish that made me do a double take and pay attention. All the flavors blended perfectly well and the texture of the potatoes weren’t too creamy but weren’t too roughly chopped either. It was somewhere in the middle so that you could taste the chunks of potato with the bites of bacon and chives subtly blending in.
Sadly, there was at least a 20 minute delay in between the starters and the main dishes so that was disappointing.
My husband ordered the mesquite grilled arbor shrimp in country Rhodes blistered tomatoes and tomatillo. It was delicious, savory, smoky and tender all at once with a subtle hint of tanginess.
I ordered the Peads & Barnett pork collar pibil with roasted pineapple and salsa verde. Sadly, it was inferior in comparison to the quality of the preceding dishes. The pork was dry and lacking in flavor. Unlike the three other dishes we ordered which had depth and complexity, the chunks of pork didn’t absorb any of the seasonings or the flavor of the sauces on top and around it. Somehow there was a strange delineation and separation which is indicative of the parts being cooked separately. Perhaps the pork should be marinaded in a lemon, lime or even grapefruit base to tenderize the meat and give it a bit more acidity in flavor. A bit of black pepper would also give it more depth.
Luckily, I mentioned my dissatisfaction to our busboy who must have said something to the manager as it was removed from our bill.
In addition, to apologize for the long delay, we were given a beautifully refreshing dessert on the house. It was a berry granita with peaches and cream which was a delicious way to end our Tex-Mex experience.
All in all, aside from a few hiccups which management acknowledged and corrected, it was a great dinner at Ama-cita. The presentation and flavors were polished and the vibe of the restaurant is a fantastic addition to bustling downtown Culver City. We will be back!
Ama-cita
9552 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA
https://www.ama-cita.com
Our first introduction to Wood & Vine came by way of friends who had a theatre subscription to the Pantages. They frequently ate dinner at the restaurant prior to the evening’s performance. My friend made a point of letting me know that their meal set-up was a great value and the food was actually quite good as well. I made a mental note to make reservations the next time we had theatre tickets.
The opportunity presented itself when the touring company for Miss Saigon announced it would have a short residency at the Pantages. As we had not seen the musical yet and I was offered presale tickets, it was an easy decision which was quickly followed by pre-theatre dinner booking at Wood & Vine though my Open Table app.
Last Saturday night we finally experienced both. Wood & Vine is conveniently located diagonally across the street from the Pantages. They had a few high tops and bar stools by the front, the upstairs dining room had a traditional dining set-up with several tables with quite a few more at the outdoor patio which had the added bonus of a large rectangular table set-up around a fire pit. We opted to sit inside right by the window adjacent to Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame.
Our first order of business was toasting the start of our evening and taking the obligatory photos of and with the Pantages sign.
Drinks were quickly followed by some very tasty appetizers which came in the form of Crispy Brussels Sprouts with a sherry dijon vinaigrette and Shells and Cheese with aged cheddar and a moderate topping of crumbled cheez-its.
The sprouts were savory and smoky all at once. It was a solid dish and a decent sized serving which seemed more plentiful than anticipated so we wisely asked for it to be packed up to take home with us after the show so that we could continue to enjoy what was yet to arrive.
We also opted to bring the mac & cheese home with us as it was quite filling and unique. It’s definitely a dish you want to try again on a different day to make sure that your taste buds weren’t misguided or possibly tainted by alcohol. The cheez-its added a layer of eclecticism to the dish and as strange as it might sound, the combination actually worked! It served as a nice crispy cheesy crust, much like breadcrumbs, on top of a smooth, silky, savory pasta but with a tangier and crunchier texture. It’s true ingenuity stemmed in childhood creature comforts.
As our friends previously mentioned, the dinner entrees were truly a great value. They had quite a few options but we opted for The New Standard which was a shareable platter with 2 short rib, brisket and chuck cheeseburgers and a side of delicious crispy fries. I opted for animal style and was quite happy with how simply it was prepared.
Having consumed a very filling meal, to stay awake during the performance, we ordered a French press coffee which was followed by two very decadent desserts.
We started with the butterscotch which was light and rich at the same time. The maple ice cream with the sprinkles of sweet thyme crumble gave it that a bit of crunch and savoriness.
We also had the dark chocolate cake which looked like a chocolate comet flying off the plate. It came with coffee ice cream and caramel tuile to give us the added boost of caffeine and sugar to keep us alert for the theatre experience.
We were so impressed with the quality and creativity of Wood & Vine’s offering as well as the impeccable service that we booked our next pre-theatre dinner after completing our meal. Our gracious hostess/server/manager, Adriana was kind enough to let us know that Pantages would not allow us to bring our leftovers so she offered to store our sprouts and pasta until after the show. That solidified our loyalty to her and the restaurant.
Once the performance was over, we returned and decided to have a nightcap outside on the patio. It was a very comfortable evening and we could feel a bit of a breeze as we sat and enjoyed our drinks underneath the night sky, listening to the laughter of the large group sitting close around the fire pit. Under the canopy of lights strung between the trees, the patio had quite a romantic glow and was a beautiful and peaceful way to end our evening.
We look forward to many delicious experiences at Wood & Vine in the very near future. It’s a fantastic pre and post-theatre choice as the prices are quite reasonable compared with its neighbors, APL and Katsuya.
Wood & Vine is a neighborhood find in the heart of eclectic and bustling Hollywood and Vine.
Wood & Vine
The Taft Building
6280 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028
https://www.woodandvine.com
The first time we heard about Sakura, we lived walking distance from the restaurant but we didn’t start frequenting it until after we moved away. Over the past 15 years, it’s consistently one of our go-to spots and we’re always happy to return.
On tonight’s menu I ordered the salmon with sashimi and for my husband, a 12 piece sushi plate, a nabeyaki udon and 2 rolls.
My dinner came with a small side salad and miso soup. The lettuce was crisp, cold and fresh and the light sesame vinaigrette had a bit of tang. The miso soup was piping hot and not too salty.
My salmon was a bit dry this time but my tuna sashimi was just right. My husband’s udon comes with either a California or spicy tuna roll. We usually order both which we did again tonight. The spicy tuna had a bit of kick and the California roll was perfectly savory. The rice on the rolls stayed tightly wound around the center.
My husband’s sushi plate was devoured so I’m making the not-so-bold assumption that the quality and flavor were up to par.
He took his nabeyaki udon to go so that he can enjoy the plumped up noodles for lunch tomorrow. Funny story: one of the first times we ate at the restaurant we ordered too much food and by the time the udon came, he couldn’t eat anymore. A day later, he opened up the to-go container and the broth had disappeared. Initially, he was confused and then upset that they had forgotten to give him the broth. That of course made no sense since there would be extra effort to remove the noodles from the broth to pack it up. After he heated it up and tasted it, he realized the noodles had completely absorbed the broth, making that dish even better the next day so that is now his tradition, to order that soup to go, extending the Sakura experience a little bit longer.
The staff is always super friendly and nice. Even when it’s ridiculously busy, the patrons are never rushed and are allowed to enjoy their time at the restaurant. This is one of the many reasons we will keep coming back time after time. Sakura is that rare find with solid food that is reasonably priced, is casual and quite the neighborhood gem.
Sakura
4545 S. Centinela Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90066
When I heard about a reasonably priced casual eats opening in Venice, I was hopeful that it would at least be decent in flavor and quality. We chose Easter Sunday to try it out. We initially headed to Astro Doughnuts but they were completely sold out of the PB&J doughnuts and had no fried chicken left so we ventured 7 minutes south to American Beauty.
We parked in the residential neighborhood and walked over to the corner lot. There are only plastic stools and benches for seating and makeshift tables. You order at the window and minutes later, they call your name.
In planning out my order a few weeks prior, I had decided to get a cheeseburger patty on top of the fried chicken patty to capture the best of both worlds. My husband ordered a double cheeseburger and we shared an order of the kale salad and fries.
The kale salad was quite delicious. It probably had a bit more dressing than I would have liked but it was light and the lemon vin was the perfect accompaniment to the crispy croutons and the pecorino cheese interspersed throughout.
My husband thoroughly enjoyed his burger. What made their burger patty unique is the onion mix added to the beef so it gives it an added dimension of flavor and depth.
My double patty, the double turf which I am coining the ggfoodie, was the perfect combination. I had the melted cheesy goodness layered on top of the onion meaty patty sitting atop a crispy breaded chicken breast with the house sauce sitting as a dip at the bottom of the double patty. That was a winning combination. I didn’t bother with the bun because I eat my carbs in fries.
The cole slaw wasn’t our favorite because it was a bit oily and greasy but everything else definitely worked for us.
The Win-Dow at American Beauty is definitely a solid winner and we will be frequenting this casual and cheap eats for many years to come.
The Win-Dow at American Beauty
425 Rose Avenue
Venice, CA 90291
http://americanbeauty.la/menu.html
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