!!!!!!! EUREKA !!!!!!

I found the CHINESE RESTAURANT of the decade.  Hello DIN TAI FUNG!  The home of the Juicy Pork Dumpling.  Now picture a dumpling that has a broth inside along with a pork meat ball, and when you sink your teeth into the dumpling it releases a tasty broth in your mouth.  Mmmmmm.  A heavenly experience here on earth.  One bite in I knew I was hooked, and the beauty of the meal didn’t end there, EVERYTHING we ordered was phenomenal.

Here’s what we ate:

Seaweed and Bean Curd salad in a spicy vinegar dressing.  Fried Pork Chops.  Shanghai Rice Cake with Chicken.  Sauteed Spinach with garlic.  Sauteed String Beans with garlic.  Juicy Pork dumplings.  Juicy Pork and Crab dumplings.

I chalked the cooking up as supreme.  At one point in the meal I was sitting at the table shaking my head and my friend asks me “Why are you shaking your head?”  I had to answer truthfully and said “Because I can’t believe how delicious my food is.  I can’t stop eating nor do I want to.  In fact I want to be gluttonous.”  When we left Din Tai Fung, I told my fiance that I couldn’t imagine too much time would pass before we found ourselves back for more.  We were back 3 days later and it was just as good… if not better.

They house two locations right next to one another.  They don’t take reservations, so be prepared to wait for your meal.  We waited 30 minutes on a Saturday night, and it was well worth it.  Complete YUM-DOGS!  I’m not the only one who thinks so, New York Times named it one of the TOP TEN restaurants in the WORLD.  Wow.  If only I knew sooner. 🙂

Location #1 – 1108 South Baldwin Ave.

Arcadia, CA 91007

626.574.7068

Location #2 – 1088 South Baldwin Ave.

Arcadia, CA 91007

626.446.8588

Mon – Fri  Lunch 11:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. – Dinner 5:00p.m. to 9:30p.m.

Saturday  Lunch 10:30a.m. to 3:00p.m. – Dinner 5:00p.m. to 9:30p.m.

Sunday  Lunch 10:30a.m. to 3:00p.m. – Dinner 5:00p.m. to 9:00p.m.

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

With the gourmet food truck craze going on strong here in Los Angeles, it’s easy to lose sight of the original pioneers that have been selling tacos from trucks for years.  Not I, Taco trucks still hold the key to my heart.  I happen to live in the mecca of taco trucks and the one that won the title in my eyes is Taqueria “El Pecas.” Their tacos are the undisputed CHAMPS in my household.  Perfectly seasoned meat, placed on a slightly toasty corn tortilla, dressed with a smoky red chile or a tangy green chile.  QUE RICO!  No chicken served here my friend, it’s the REAL DEAL. Asada.  Pastor.  Cabeza.  Lengua. Buche.  Chorizo.  They make handsome burritos and quesadillas as well.  One last note…. The truck is immaculately clean.

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

Location: 4752 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. Los Angeles, Ca 90022

Hours: 4:30p.m. to 11:30p.m. Sunday to Thursday

4:30p.m. to 12:30a.m. Friday to Saturday

Tonantzin, Myself, Sandra, Allison, Antonette, and Israel

I needed some bonding time with my sweet gal friends.  Tonantzin called at the right time and strung a thread of friends together for a brunch of closeness.  We sat and chatted over food that tasted like it was made in a home kitchen, simple but GOOD.  Croissant sandwich, french toast with berries on top, coffee with Frangelico cream, and a big juicy burger with fries.  Oh and not to forget the amazing HARISSA (north african spice) aioli we had smothered in our sandwiches and used as a dipper for our fries and potatoes.  Mmmmm.  I cherish times like these, and can’t wait to meet up with my girls again soon! Cheers!

The York

5018 York Blvd.

Highland Park, California 90042

323) 255-9675

Brunch Saturday and Sunday : 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

I love exploring at the farmers market.  I walk around looking at all the vegetables imagining what new dishes I could make and how to incorporate the fresh crop.  But most of the time all that walking, shopping, and reflective thought leaves my tummy hungry.  A few weeks ago, I stumbled across Ma Jasmin’s.  I was greeted by a lovely husband and wife team who were busy getting their goods out to the long line of hungry patrons.  The smell of the grill was hypnotizing.  The light scent of coriander cemented me in the queue. I looked over the menu and couldn’t decide.  It all sounded delightful.

With a giddy tone in my voice, I ordered the Madras Chicken Kebab!  Remembering all the delicious kebabs I had gobbled down in London, I waited with great anticipation. Turns out it was one of the best I had ever tasted.  Thank you Indian food gods for bringing Ma Jasmin’s into my path!  I’ll never have to wish I was overseas to satisfy my kebab cravings again!

Since then I have been back a few times, trying out all the flavors MJ’s has to offer. Making my rounds through the produce of the farmers market, but really there with the intention of having more gourmet Indian cuisine.  As luck would have it, I found several dishes that were unbelievable and pleased my palate to no end.  The Beef Samosa Rolls were a HUGE hit with my family.  Even an hour and a half after we had savored our meal, they were still the topic of conversation.  Couldn’t get them off our minds!

My mom is a vegetarian, and I live to make her happy, so I was thrilled to see that Ma Jasmin’s offered a couple of veggie dishes.  Two on the hot menu, but many more on the cold menu.  Mommy ordered the Tandoori Paneer Skewer wrap.  She’s hooked, and upset that she can only enjoy the wrap twice a week, when MJ’s shows up at the farmers market.  I tell her it’ll taste that much better! 🙂  The proof is in the tandoori…. it left us wanting MORE!

Here’s a picture of Sage and Sonny Sehmi, the genius creators behind Ma Jasmin’s!

Find them at:

LAMC Farmer’s Market at Barnsdall Art Park

4800 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca 90027

Wednesday 12p.m. to 6p.m.

Alhambra Certified Farmer’s Market

60 S. Monterey Street. Alhambra, Ca 91804

Sunday 8:30a.m. to 1:00p.m.

All photo taken by: Nicole Presley

You won’t be disappointed!

I found happiness at Rivera, a restaurant with three dining rooms, each offering their own menu.  “Rivera’s Sangre” offers cuisine from Spain and Portugal, “Samba” gives you a taste of South America, and “Playa Bar” let’s you explore Mexico and the Southwest. We settled in at an open area that looked like a modern sushi bar, but instead of maguro, out came some of the best mexican concoctions that ever passed my lips.  An explosion of flavor on the tip of my fork.  Who are these people?  I don’t know, but we are already friends.  Anyone who could whip up something so pleasing to my palate, and fanciful to the eye is admirable.  Taste + Vision = Nirvana.  Keep in mind… I’m hard to please when it comes to what I eat, and I left Rivera’s Playa Bar with nothing less than magnificent fulfillment.  Saying to myself “comida hermosa.”  I will joyfully run back to this place again and again blowing kisses in the air.

Here’s what we ate:

Chile Guero Relleno- Huerito chile fried tempura style, stuffed with crab, corn, ginger and scallions. Resting in a shallow bath of a slighty spicy chile sauce.  One of the tastiest dishes of the night!

Piquillos Rellenos- Spanish peppers stuffed with gruyere, chorizo, and golden raisins. Wow! This little pepper dish knocked our socks off!

Vieras Arabesque – Scallops on top of an eggplant mash, Ras el hanout, drizzled in preserved lemon sauce. My man went bonkers for this dish!

Yucatecan Puerco Pibil – Pork shoulder that was slow roasted for 18 hours in a banana leaf, served with a red sauce, that made me wish I could leave inhibitions behind and slurp it off my plate. This was by far the BEST dish of the night!

I washed it all down with a drink they refer to as “Siesta”- made of tequila blanco, grapefruit, campari, lime and orange peel. My man had the “Strawberry Fields” – Strawberry puree, tequila blanco and mint. Both drinks were perfectly blended.

For dessert we had the Torta Xocolata – a dark chocolate torte, covered in drunken pineapple slaw, sitting in caramel. YES…it was decadent and delicious. Unfortunately my camera needed a battery charge at that moment and I was unable to photograph it…. never the less it was YUMMERS!

If you are in Downtown Los Angeles and want to take a ride on a food merry-go round…. this is the PLACE!  Enjoy!

RIVERA

1050 s. Flower Street #102

Los Angeles, California 90015

213.749.1460

www.riverarestaurant.com

I thoroughly enjoy the food at Forage.  Every time I dine there, I leave with the most satisfied feeling.  I’m not stuffed, I’m just perfectly content.  Plus I LOVE the whole story behind the restaurant and how they invite local gardeners to bring home-grown produce into Forage, and if they find it fit they will add it to a salad or build a dish around it for the next day… and in exchange the gardener walks away with something tasty from their daily specials.  How brilliant is that?

Forage touches my palate the way it craves to be touched.  It tells me the person preparing the food is a wonder in the kitchen.  That person must adore their job, because the final result is perfect.  What makes Forage stand out and sparkle more than majority of places is…. usually this caliber of food is served solely in upscale restaurants, and at Forage it’s being served more in a cafeteria setting, which sets ease to the place.  Anyone who appreciates delicious food can come to Forage  and sit down next to a family, or two friends chatting away, and not have to worry about the kind of shoes their wearing or if their hair is combed perfectly in order to take pleasure in a great meal.  LOVE IT!

What we ate:

My friend A-dre had the bacon carmelized onion gruyere cheese quiche (pictured above), wild arugula salad with radish shallot lemon vinaigrette and the strawberry basil lemonade.  She didn’t leave a crumb behind.  That’s a statement in itself.  Here’s A-dre quenching her thirst.

Here’s a photo of my plate.  Everything was perfectly seasoned, and had the right hints of spice.  So fresh and delicious.

Jidori chicken from the rotisserie, Gloria’s broccoli, and Citrus/Fennel market lettuce salad.

My plate when I left….I nearly licked it clean.

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

FORAGE – 3823 w. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026   (323) 663-6885

Hours: Tuesday – Friday 11:30a.m. to 3:00p.m.  and 5:30p.m. to 9:30p.m.

Saturday: 11:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. and 5:30p.m. to 9:30p.m.

CLOSED: Sunday and Monday