Holey Grail Donuts@Santa Monica ★★★

One-of-a-Kind Donuts. Pretty, tasty, and good smaller-than-usual size. Prettiest donuts I have ever seen. Made-t0-order and served warm. Got in for a free Tasting Box ($16 value) plus a Fizz drink ($6 value) from Yelp. Beyond what I expected. Wae Waffle Donut (top left) blew my mind. Love the blend of chocolate & nutty waffle cone crunch. Miso Honey (top right) was nice & savory. The Taro they used gives off a doughy flavor. It will get messy. I felt like I wanted to use a fork and knife to eat the donuts to keep my hands clean (which doesn't sound eco-friendly, or bring your own utensils). Since they were out of the Fizz drink, I had a Matcha Latte ($7 value), which was very milky. Also got a free multi-color Yelp highlighter swag. Indoor & outdoor eating area available. Metered parking on street.

Wae Waffle (waffle cone, almond espresso, single-origin chocolate), Miso Honey (miso local honey, black lava sea salt) , Lilikoi (local passion fruit), J Dilla (single-origin chocolate, coconut butter)

Holey Grail Donuts
2441 Main St,
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(424) 345-0311
holeygraildonuts.com

Yelp Elite: Oyabun@Koreatown ★

Yelp Elite Perk: 3 Free Specialty Rolls. A generous $60 value at the Korean sushi restaurant. All rolls were great. Baked Salmon Roll even came in flames. Uni was on the bitter side. Shrimp was very fresh. Shrimp head can be fried upon request. The head was huge, meaty, and delicious. I only paid for the Uni and Shrimp Sashimi I ordered. Sashimi seems to be overpriced. More than Japanese restaurant. I remember paying $40 for 6 pieces of Live Shrimp at Korea restaurant back in the days. They have their own fish tanks. Parking on the street or at their lot for $4.

Complimentary Banchan

Baked Salmon Roll (originally $20)
Crab, Avocado, Baked Salmon, Baked Mayo, Eel Sauce

Shrimp Tempura Roll (originally $20)
Crab, Avocado, Cucumber, Shrimp Tempura, Crunch Flakes, Eel Sauce

Hot Night Roll (originally $20)
Crab, Avocado, Cucumber, Shrimp Tempura, Spicy Tuna

Live Sea Urchin (L) $38

Live Shrimp Sashimi (L) $23

Shrimp Head Can Be Fried Upon Request

Oyabun
3060 W Olympic Blvd Ste 150
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 572-6771
oyabunseafood.com

Yelp Elite: Salvadores Mezcal x Monte Alban@Westwood ★★★

Yelp Elite Event: Salvadores Mezcal Tasting at Monte Alban. Free authentic Oaxacan food and Mezcal tasting, thanks to Yelp. Nice tasting portions. The Mezcal tasting was guided by Salvador. Unlike Tequila, Mezcal is meant to be drunk in small sips. Tobala Mezcal had smoky flavor with a hint of Citrus. My favorite dish of the night was Taco Enchilado de Picadillo, served in a yummy Red Mole Sauce, which will go well with anything. Food were generally spicy, so they paired nicely with the Mezcal. Flan had a sweet caramel flavor. Very friendly staff. They even demonstrated Oaxacan dance for us in conclusion of the event!

Salvadores Mezcal Tasting

Ceviche de Camaron
Paired with Tobala Joven

Mole Verde de Pollo
Paired with Tepeztate Joven

Taco Enchilado de Picadillo
Pair: Cirial Joven

Traditional Mexican House-Made Flan

Salvador from Salvadores Mezcal

Restaurant Manager

Mezcal

Natural Wine Label

Take Home Gift

Oaxacan Dance by the Manager and Chef

 Monte Alban Restaurant
11929 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 444-7736

BAKE Cheese Tart@Century City ★★★

Japanese Cheesecake in a Tart. Originally from Hokkaido. Tart was soft and moist. Love the Green Tea flavor. Thanks to Yelp Elite Perk, I got to sample a box that comes with 6 pieces of a variety of cheese tarts for free, even included a nice insulated bag from Yelp. Can be eaten cold, frozen, or heated up. They are $3.50 each. The store could be a bit hard to find, so use the freestanding directory in the mall.

Also, I finally archived Yelp Elite Black status this year, after being a Yelp Elite for 10 years! The journey sounds long, but it happened with a blink of an eye!

On 2nd floor between Aldo and Eataly, closer to Aldo.

BAKE Cheese Tart
10250 Santa Monica Blvd Ste 2900
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(424) 566-8767
cheesetart.com

I'm a Yelp Elite now ★★★

I am so thrilled that I just got invited by the Yelp Headquarters to be a Yelp Elite! My dream came true!
http://syori.yelp.com/