Afuri Ramen is one of the latest Tokyo-based restaurants to expand their operations into the US. They have locations in the San Francisco area, Portland, and recently opened in LA’s Art District in downtown LA. They are best known for their signature Yuzu Shio ramen; yuzu is a common fruit in Japanese cuisine. I was…
Smorgasburg LA, What’s Changed?
Smorgasburg LA is the premier outdoor market featuring some of LA’s best food finds. Located at Row DTLA, they are open each Sunday, rain or shine. It was based on the Brooklyn summer weekend food market and opened almost six years ago. Due to the pandemic, Smorgasburg LA was closed from mid-2020 to 2021. I…
John O’Groats Celebrates its 40th Anniversary
This year, John O’Groats will celebrate its 40th anniversary on Sat. Feb 26. Since its inception, this West LA restaurant has been owned and managed by the Jacoby/Tyler Family and cited by many as serving “The Best Breakfast in LA.” To celebrate this milestone, John O’Groats will give each of the first 40 parties to…
Joey Restaurant Offers Global Cuisine to the South Bay
The Manhattan Village Mall is in the final phase of a vast transformation. To enhance the visitor experience, they added an open-air retail environment where neighbors and friends can gather and socialize. Brand new restaurants occupy the open area; one of the latest is Joey Restaurant. Joey Restaurant was initially conceived as a pasta house…
Mee and Greet Adds Southeast Asian Cuisine to Palms
Humble Potato is a restaurant with a twist on Japanese American cuisine; it was owner Eric Ong’s first brick and mortar. He followed up with Most Valuable Playa or MVP, with a menu focused on Southeast Asian comfort food. His most recent endeavor is Mee and Greet. Mee and Greet resides in a Palms strip mall, a…
Where To Find Superbowl Food To-Go
If you are a Rams fan, you’ve watched some up and down games throughout the season. Tampa Bay and San Francisco were both hard-fought wins and now they are fortunate enough to host the Super Bowl at home in Sofi. Because LA hosts the Super Bowl, restaurants are responding by offering elevated game day food…
Krust Bakery and Cafe Improves with New Owner
I frequently walk on Pacific Coast Hwy and was surprised to see Krust, a bakery, still in business. I checked their website on a whim, and my jaw dropped when I saw the extensive and inviting menu. In addition, they close later, which means that they fixed their ability to produce enough goods. A couple…
Bowl Thai Grill Complements Nearby Sweet Rice
In 2013, Angela Sakdi bucked conventional trends and opened a fast-casual concept of an authentic Thai restaurant. She immediately succeeded and soon opened Sweet Rice which quickly became No. 8 on Yelp’s 100 best places to eat in the country in 2020. Her family’s most recent endeavor is Bowl Thai Grill, located next to Sweet…
Maru Kitchen Features Delicious Korean Comfort Food
Lomita is becoming the new hotspot for Asian cuisine in the South Bay. Longtime residents like A-1 Chinese BBQ were the early pioneers, and new entrants like Ruiji Sichuan Cuisine and Maru Kitchen have recently emerged. As a South Bay resident, I am happy with this evolution as it reduces my need to visit San…
Ha Noi Corner Delivers Tasty North Vietnamese Cuisine
Unlike the majority of Vietnamese eateries that feature Central Vietnamese cuisine, Ha Noi Corner, favors North Vietnam cuisine from Hanoi. The owners immigrated from Hanoi in 2016 and created a menu reflecting the cuisine they enjoyed back home. Visiting Ha Noi Corner, I was pleasantly surprised at the attractive interior. Unlike the stark, minimalist interior…