Silver Lake: A Thai Meal & Creme Brulée at Wat Dong Moon Lek
Nov 06 2013 · 0 comments · Silver Lake, ThaiTucked away in a shopping center on the corner of Fountain and Santa Monica is your typical Los Angeles Thai food outpost, but with a very sweet twist. The difference between this Thai restaurant and the many others lining any given Los Angeles city block? The food comes with a decent ambience and house-made, Western-style desserts. Wat Dong Moon Lek offers a dependable menu of Thai fundamentals, including pan-fried noodles and curries, as well as more adventurous dishes, like Jungle Rice—perhaps named after the animalistic sounds one makes while attempting to breathe through and choke down the peppery, fiery dish. Since its opening in 2009, Wat Dong Moon Lek has steadily become a Silver Lake institution for eat-in and take-out.
We started our dine-in meal with Crispy Vegetable Egg Rolls and Fresh Rolls. The fried veggie egg rolls were no better than the frozen variety, but the fresh rolls were just as advertised, with bright green veggies and a chewy, translucent rice noodle skin. The dips that came with the rolls were a perfect balance of all the best taste groups: sweet, salty, spicy, umami. I drowned every bite with sauce. The fried shredded taro is another good appetizer choice, and it also comes with an addictively viscous nectar of a dipping sauce.
Moving on to mains, the Pad See Ew (thick rice noodles with broccoli, meat and scrambled egg) is one of the better ones I’ve had, though slightly sweeter than most recipes. And, instead of the usual imperceptible egg scrambled into the dish, it is served up over-easy, taking center stage and allowing the runny yolk to dribble over the pan-fried rice noodles like golden gravy. I wasn’t wild about the Goye See Me (fried noodles with veggies and gravy), as the fried noodles quickly became sodden with the watery sauce. The Garlic Green Beans were good, but basic.
My favorite dish here is the Jungle Rice. If you read my SQIRL post, you know that I find rice boring, but this fiery concoction is anything but! Jungle Rice is basically a fried rice, teeming with tofu (or whatever protein you choose), red bell pepper, green beans and thai basil, then pushed to the edge with a couple layers of spiciness to cover all the heat-bases. The black peppercorn is intense, rushing up your nostrils with its smoky heat. The red chili paste slowly spreads throughout the rest of your mouth, tingling with heat. My nose usually runs when I eat this dish, and my mouth kind of wants to run and hide too, but it’s too delicious to pass up. For those that I’ve already scared off, no worries, you can customize your spice level.
To finish off our meal and reward my tastebuds for what they just went through, we ordered the pumpkin creme brulée, a seasonal offering, and the carrot cake. The wife of the proprietor is a formerly trained pastry chef, and all the cakes, souffles and puddings are her creations. The creme brulée was completely surprising. It was just slightly sweet, and instead of being baked in a traditional ramekin, it came in an actual mini pumpkin. We scooped out the soft, baked pumpkin with spoonfuls of the creme brulee, like you would with clam chowder in a bread bowl. The carrot cake was also impressive with its three layers and perfectly applied cream cheese frosting. Like the creme brulée, it wasn’t too sweet, but hit just the right note to cap off another great meal at Wat Dong Moon Lek.
-Jennifer Li
Jennifer Li is a staff writer for Eastside Food Bites. You can read more from her and her boyfriend on their new blog Corned Beef and Rice. Also, see more of what she does at Jenli.me.
Highland Park: Sandwich Salvation at Monte 52
Oct 16 2013 · 6 comments · Best in LA, Burgers, Highland Park, SandwichesMonte 52 has been around for ten whole months, but I’m embarrassed to say that I barely found out about it in July—despite the fact that I drive by it almost daily. In my defense, it is tucked away inside La Tropicana Market, itself a Highland Park gem, where I’ve bought the occasional agua fresca but never ventured to the deli counter…until one fateful day. And that’s when I found it, the best sandwich shop in the neighborhood. Since then, I’ve been making up for lost time by making my way through their delicious, thoughtfully-conceived and well-crafted menu.
Brought to you by the folks behind Echo Park’s The Park, including chef Mitchell Jones who runs the counter, this deli is everything you want it to be. They serve salads, sandwiches, burgers, and soup, plus, rotisserie chicken and french fries. The meat and produce used are quality, portions are sizeable, and a lot of care is put into every order. Amazingly, the prices are still low, with almost everything on the menu costing about $6.
Worth the Drive: From the Colonel to Koreatown, Kyochon is Finger Lickin’ Good
Oct 04 2013 · 6 comments · Best in LA, KoreanA closer look at the evolution of fried chicken could easily be a case study of our ever-changing, multicultural history. Originally a European cuisine reaching back to the medieval period, Scottish settlers brought their recipes for frying up cluckers across the Atlantic to the Americas. Once introduced to the United States, the dish became deeply embedded in Southern culture and cuisine, rising to national popularity with Colonel Sander’s Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Meanwhile, here in present day Los Angeles, fried chicken is going through a renaissance by way of Asian cuisine, with Japanese karaage (kah-rah-ge) and Korean chicken places popping up all over. Jumping on the bandwagon, or into the coop as the case may be, I stopped into Kyochon in Koreatown, long lauded by Jonathan Gold as the “Best Fried Chicken.” Kyochon does fried chicken five ways, freshly made to order in a fast-food style: Signature Soy Garlic & Hot & Sweet Wings, Grilled Wings, Honey Wings, Drumsticks and Sal Sal Chicken Strips.
My party of three ordered the 25-piece Sampler, which allowed us to try every style. A far as I could tell, they all tasted pretty much the same, with a tender, moist chicken base and flavorful finishes. The standout was the Hot Wings. Fans of fiery foods will thrill in the layering of sweet honey, soy and garlic, topped off with the spicy effect and after effect of the Korean chili paste, gojuchang. The chili left a warm, tingly feeling on my lips and throat, which I washed down with some bites of rice and crisp, refreshing daikon radish.
Silver Lake: Pig Roast Goodness at Ô Bánh Mì
Oct 01 2013 · 1 comment · Sandwiches, Silver Lake, VietnameseEver since finding out that Ô Bánh Mì offers pig roast sandwiches every Friday, I’ve been surreptitiously plotting and patiently waiting for a day I could escape my downtown desk and head to Silver Lake for lunch. That day finally came last week.
Ô Bánh Mì is a tiny storefront, tucked behind a stretch of trees on Hyperion Avenue. You can easily drive past and completely miss the neon “O” above the front door (which I did on Friday. Twice.). I arrived promptly at noon, just before Jens, one of the owners, pulled up in his truck, bringing with him the pig that he’d roasted for several hours that morning.
Once inside, I was lucky enough to get a preview of the deliciousness to come, when one of the employees brought over pieces of the pork for my friend and me to try. The meat was tender and juicy, wonderfully enhanced by the crackle of golden skin and permeated with the garlic and herbs that had covered it in the roasting box.
3 Good Micheladas: Xyta, Guelaguetza & La Loteria Grill
Sep 26 2013 · 0 comments · Beer, Downtown LA, Drinks, Studio CityFinding a good michelada is no easy task. Many restaurants just get it wrong—I find Clamato to be the main culprit. I have witnessed too many restaurants filling a glass half way with the tomato-clam juice concoction and topping it off with a Mexican beer. It takes more than those two steps to master the perfect michelada. The beer, spices, lime juice and sometimes Clamato (if invited to the party) need to come together and do the salsa. My hunt for restaurants that share a similar belief led me to travel out a little outside of the eastside, but not too far, and into three very different neighborhoods.
Here’s a list of restaurants doing it right:
YXTA: The location is off the beaten path (near Skid Row), but the restaurant is in a neat industrial space with really cool Dia de los Muertos style artwork, and more importantly, has a great happy hour. Yxta’s micheladas (pictured above) are on the milder side, served with lots of ice and a chili-salted rim that yields the right amount of salty spiciness. The food is okay, but isn’t anything to write home about. The guacamole is a standout and is uniquely topped with pumpkin seeds. 601 S Central Ave., Los Angeles, 90021
La Loteria Grill: This has been a long-time favorite of mine for brunch. They have a fresh-and-simple-is-better mentality that really appeals to me. The Studio City location is my favorite of the three, mainly because they have the best parking situation (lots of free spaces). They do five different takes on the michelada, but being a creature of habit, I always get the Michelada Clasica. It’s one of the best I’ve ever had with a mixture of worcestershire, maggi, Tapatio, and lime juice that comes in a glass of ice and beer on side. The worcestershire and maggi combo adds a rich piquancy while the Tapatio and lime provides a nice kick. It’s a perfect complement to their Huevos Divorciados,which are topped with red and green sauce and served with black beans and papas con rajas. 12050 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, 91604
Silver Lake: Comfy Vegan from Flore
Sep 25 2013 · 1 comment · Desserts, Sandwiches, Silver Lake, Vegan, VegetarianVegan food has become quite the rage in past few years, breaking through to the mainstream with chains like Native Foods, Veggie Grill and Real Food Daily. Still, by my estimation, none of them have managed to even come close to Silver Lake’s Flore Vegan Cuisine. This mainstay cafe has been a go-to for omnivores and vegans alike for years because it’s so damn good. The comfort-driven menu, grounded in organic ingredients, has all the hits, from sloppy burgers and classic sandwiches to fat burritos and breakfast til 1 pm. Their brunch menu even includes a gravy-drenched “Chicken & Waffles.”
I find it hard to veer from Flore’s generally gluttonous sandwiches. The Tempeh Tu-No Melt is close to the real thing but stands on its own, plus any deviation is made up for by the fact that it isn’t chock-full of mercury. Chunky with ideal crunch, the tuna-like tempeh mixture mingles with cashew cheese, which adds a luscious texture and light sweetness. It does the same for the Tempeh Reuben, grilled on rye and absolutely gooey with layers of cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. All sandwiches come with mixed green salad or potato salad.
Lincoln Heights: Bar Fare Done Right at Barbara’s
Sep 17 2013 · 0 comments · Bars, Beer, Burgers, Lincoln HeightsWhen I informed my social circle that my Thursday afternoon plans would involve alcohol, I was met with skepticism. “What’s the occasion?” they all asked, as though one needs an excuse to go midweek drinking. But if anyone had expected me to scrounge up a reason beyond, “… Thursday?”, I would’ve had one in hand. The plan was to try out Barbara’s at the Brewery, one of the drinking establishments nestled in the Brewery Arts Complex in Lincoln Heights-just a quick hop from Downtown LA.
Barbara’s is the kind of bar that you have to quest for. Once you wend your way into the heart of the art colony, good luck picking one unassuming warehouse out from another. Had I not been led to the doorstep of Barbara’s by someone in the know, I would’ve lost at least ten minutes to aimless wandering. Rest assured, though: your efforts will be rewarded.
As a member of the Very Introverted set, I liked the low-key, early Thursday afternoon atmosphere of Barbara’s just fine, not to say that those of a more extroverted slant should shy away. The interior is split into two spaces. One of them is a windowed cafe-like space, the other is the bar, which is lit only by a motley collection of neon sculptures and signs and lined with beer tap handles, most of which appear to have been out of commission for ages.
Glassell Park: Gulasz & Pierogi at Polka
Sep 13 2013 · 2 comments · Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Restaurant ReviewsPolka has been on my culinary to-do list for a while, but for some reason, I just couldn’t get there. Maybe it the location—the Glassell Park restaurant is hidden in one of those only-in-LA strip malls where parking kerfuffles run rampant, and every other space is a five-minute only job. But, if that’s what’s been holding you back, then park on the street. Polka is worth it.
Polish restaurants are a rare find in Los Angeles. There are only two within the city limits, and this one has been around for a whopping 19 years. The original owners, reportedly the salt of the earth, have gone back to Poland, but a relative took over and has kept up the tradition of simple, hearty dishes with more flavor than fluff.
When you walk into Polka, you’re immediately transported to your great aunt’s house. It’s homey and sweetly decorated with a touch of frill. Plus, everyone gets a big cup of soup to start. It was spinach, cabbage and potato on our visit, with flecks of shredded carrots and a creamy base. Cozy even on a hot summer day, this soup is delectable and heavy on the comfort. Salad came next, but it’s not much to speak of, just some iceberg lettuce with shreds of jicama and carrots. Strangely enough, the dressing was a sweet sesame, which gave it a tinge of Chinese flavor.
Silver Lake: Brioche, Jam & Pesto Bowls from SQIRL
Sep 10 2013 · 3 comments · Breakfast, Brunch, Locavore, Restaurant Reviews, Silver LakeSince their opening last October, I find myself at SQIRL once a week, mostly because their food tastes like home cooking ratcheted up to a notch that I myself would never bother with, but am happy paying $5-12 dollars to enjoy. SQIRL summons a steady cult following that consistently crowds its small Silver Lake space for their simple, farm-fresh fare (focusing on homemade jams and ingredients sourced within 350 miles) and adventurous daily specials. Their changing chalkboard menu lists such basics as brioche toast slathered with nut butters and house-made jams, pesto rice bowls, pies and quiches as well as unusual seasonal specials, like squid ink cavatelli, lobster rolls and duck confit.
My usual meal at SQIRL is some variation on their brioche toast—they make it savory or sweet, buttered and browned with any combination of spreads, house-made ricotta, jam, and nut butter, or heaped with sautéed kale, tomatillo jam, a subtle lacto-fermented hot sauce and a fried egg. This week I settled on the brioche topped with a silken ricotta and Black Mission Fig & La Clarine Mourvedre jam. Basically that is a fancy, hifalutin way of saying fig and red wine jam, but SQIRL, with their tiny kitchen and mismatched serving plates and silverware, does not come off as pretentious in their execution or follow the farm-to-table fad blindly. There is an earnestness and sincerity to all that they do.
My brioche toast, as usual, was optimally crisped on the outside while remaining soft and buttery in the center. The warm toasted bread paired well with the slight chill of the smooth ricotta, and the fresh fig jam added just the right note of sweetness, with satisfying chunks of chewy, marinated figs.
Lunch & Pastries at Echo Park Lake Cafe
Sep 06 2013 · 0 comments · Bakeries, Burgers, Cafe, Echo Park, Sandwiches, VegetarianThe overhaul of Echo Park Lake was a seemingly endless one, but now that it’s finally up and running, I find myself strolling its picturesque path often. The long walk brings a combination of sights, including neighborhood joggers (of varying fitness levels), dogs galore, picnickers, and lots of bench-sitting old men just enjoying the day—the scene is downright European.
Of course, for me, one of the best perks of these new digs is the Echo Park Lake Cafe, situated in the lake’s boathouse. Operated by Square One Dining, which serves up a killer brunch at their Fountain Avenue location, the little eatery offers a succinct menu of breakfast and lunch options. The seating is all outdoors and comfortable enough to make you want to linger.
The prices are fair ($3-7), especially considering the much of the produce and some of the meat is organic. A well-assembled veggie sandwich with sprouts, radish, cheddar and avocado is served on hearty 5-grain bread with smatterings of grainy mustard and aioli. While it doesn’t quit live up to its perfect counterpart at The Trails, it’s still a keeper. The burger comes on an English muffin, so it’s small, but it’s also grass-fed, and tasty when you add on Gruyere cheese and a pile of sweet potato fries. Also promising are the Kale Salad, Potato Taquitos, and Chorizo Chili Dog.
