Ise-Shima@Torrance ★

Extensive Course Dinner. Miyako Couse comes with Miyako Salad, Tempura, Vegetables, Main Dish of your choice, Miso Soup, Rice, and Mochi Ice Cream. Apple Ginger Dressing in the Miyako Salad was amazing, especially well with the sliced almond chips. Sushi is just ok. A bit too big. Sesame Mochi Ice Cream is the best flavor. Service is nice, but Maître d' at front desk is rude.

Nigiri Sushi Gozen (Miyako Course) $47

Miyako Salad with Apple Ginger Dressing (Miyako Course)

Tempura (Miyako Course)

Nimono Vegetables (Miyako Course)

Cod (Miyako Course) $52

 

Caterpillar Roll $20

Sesame Mochi Ice Cream

Green Tea Mochi Ice Cream

Ise-Shima
Miyako Hybrid Hotel
21381 S Western Ave
Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 320-6700
www.ise-shima.us

Hoy-Ka Thai Restaurant@Hollywood ★

Thai Restaurant with 2,000+ Yelp Reviews. Raw Naked Shrimp Salad caught my eye. It's like Amaebi (Japanese Raw Shrimp) Salad. It is definitely interesting with a nice spicy and sour lime flavor to it. Jade Noodle is loaded with good meat in sweet & sour flavor soup. Spinach Noodles are green. Felt healthy. Chrysanthemum is directly from the Chinese grocery store. They also have Sticky Mango Rice, but I was already full. Need to try next time. Parking in rear.

Naked Shrimp Salad $12
fresh lettuce topped with fresh raw shrimps & spicy lime dressing

Jade Noodle (Soup) $15
spinach noodle with crispy pork, bbq pork, & roasted duck

Green Spinach Noodles

Chrysanthemum $4

Hoy-Ka Thai Restaurant
5908 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 463-2979
www.hoykala.com

kodō@Arts District ★★★

Fantastic New Izakaya Restaurant. Hidden gem in the Arts District. Only opened for 4 weeks. Love all the food. Could get pricey. Premium Trio Handroll is expensive ($60), but it's worth a try. Shark's Heart was very special. It tasted like Chicken Sashimi, which was great with its texture. Monkfish Karaage was moist and soft with the perfect flavor. The Shiso Gelato tasted like Green Tea Ice Cream. Great cocktails. Probably can't go wrong with any cocktails there. Great service. Dinner only. Arrived 30 minutes before our 6:00pm reservation but still got seated. Have outdoor, indoor bar, and indoor booth seating. Arrive early. Street parking could be a bit challenging in the busy area. Reservations made via Resy.

Special: Premium Trio $60
toro, uni, and black caviar with shiso leaf served on a handroll

Complimentary Brewed Sencha upon arrival (one per person)

Midori's Melon Soda $14
nankai kokuto shochu, midori, lime, chareau, clarified milk, soda, cherry
Special: Aperol Spritz! with Blood Orange $16

Special: Bonito Sashimi with Onion Salad $29

Special: Shark Heart $26

Monkfish Karaage $16

Tsukune (Chicken Meatball) $15
chicken, jidori egg yolk, yakitori-dare

Egg yolk will stay in middle – there is a hole under it

Special: Premium Trio $60

Kimo (Eel Liver) $7

Gelato Fruit Cup $14 (charged $14 but it's $12 on the menu)
strawberry, japanese mandarin, kumquat jelly + shiso gelato

kodō
710 S Santa Fe Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90021
www.kodo.la

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

Angotei@Costa Mesa ★

Decent Sushi with Reasonable Price. $34 is a good price for sushi dinner. Fish is just not as fresh, but it doesn't bug me. Sushi bar is a nice experience. Hot green tea is $2.50 per person. Go early for walk-in. Free parking at lot.

Sushi Ango Dinner $39

Suijin Sake (300 mL) $22.50

Suijin Sake (300 mL) $22.50

Amebi with Miso Soup (add $2)

Fried Amebi Head

Ikura Sushi (Salmon Roe) $7

Masago with Uzura (Smelt Egg with Quail Egg)

Tai Sushi (Seabream) $7

 

Angotei
675 Paularino Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92628
(714) 557-2696
www.angoteisushi.com