Quite by accident but perhaps more and more on purpose, I find myself "stalking" some of ExileKiss' recent Asian restaurant finds.  Most recently, it was Kagura.  I ...

We are regulars at Yuzu in Torrance and were lucky enough to be invited to their "secret" Osechi menu for New Year's Day.   Osechi is a traditional  New Year's Feast in Japan, dating back more than one thousand years.  ...

Upon entering this restaurant and hotel, it immediately becomes apparent that this is not your typical Los Angeles restaurant.

The appetizers were so amazing (and heavy) that we never made it to the entrees.  No matter, it was all great.   The restaurant is in the middle of the newly gentrifying loft district downtown.  Sketchy neighborhood, but that does not keep the crowds away. By the time we left around 10, the crowds were growing, not shrinking.  ...

I have been wanting to check this place out for quite some time.  The chef, Jean Francois Meteigner, was an Iron Chef for a brief time.  Plus, his restaurant is known for taking classic French recipes and making them a bit healthier by using less fat and dairy.  ...

Scot went to a fish market and turns up with a giant Geoduck (pronounced gooey-duck).  It is a giant clam from the pacific northwest.   It takes up a whole shelf of my fridge.  We love it as Marugai at the sushi places, but I have watched the chefs prepare it and it can be quite violent. Lots of pounding and slapping it around.  Plus, I have never seen the chefs deal with the body, just the the giant protuberance.  I have heard that the Chinese associate this creature with male virility; one look at it and you easily can see why.   Kinda reminds me of a New England Steamer clam on steroids.  Pictures speak louder than words: ...

Exile Kiss on Chowhound is the person who first turned me on to this place when it was Yakitori Binchu - I have been following the updates closely to see when they would reopen. (They were closed by the fire dept for somethng having to do with the neighbors complaining about the smoke from the charcoal.  Stupid neighbors.)  ...

OMG Wow! 

Ordinary takeout Japanese by day...incredible tasting sensation by night.  Niki Nakayama is the chef and master of one of the most spectacular tasting menus I have had in quite some time.  Disclaimer:  This is only meant for the pure foodie.  If you are hung up on atmosphere and a pedigree wine list, not to mention if you are put off by the drive to Arcadia, this is not your scene.  If it is all about the food, read on... ...

Ben Ford is a really nice guy.   We saw him on Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.  Loved the bit on the whole suckling pig "comfit" (entire pig was on the stove in a pot of duck fat).  Homemade head cheese also looked great.

Up until now, we had not yet made it to Ford's Filling Station.  I work in Culver City so it is certainly convenient, but reviews have been so-so.  Well, after seeing that episode we had to check it out. ...

We needed some takeout for a picnic on the beach.  Sure, we could have just grabbed some sandwiches, or perhaps a burrito from Chipotle.  We have even been known to bring takeout sushi.  But I wanted something light, something tasty, something special. 

We were driving along PCH waiting for inspiration to hit us, and bam! I saw a place I have been meaning to stop by for a couple years now...Poulet Du Jour.  Signs on the window advertised Rotisserie chicken, hummous, baba ghannouj, falafel, more.  My instincts said it would be good.  ...

The plan was to see Bottle Shock then try one of the new restaurants in Culver City.  The day after making arrangements, I received a nice email from Citysearch extolling the virtues of the new Brunello.  Plus, our friend who was joining us is generally predisposed to Italian so the fates were lined up for us. 

When we got to the theatre and were told the movie (and the entire theatre) were "broken" we should have taken that as a sign.  ...

This little sushi bar has been getting a lot of attention.  We have seen numerous references to it being one of the top sushi bars in the area, with the notable exception of Urasawa.  However, many fans complain of ill-treatment by Keizo, the Sushi Chef and owner.  We decided to investigate and draw our own conclusions. ...

After years of drive throughs on the way to concerts in Cerritos, we finally committed to stopping in Little India for dinner.  After much consternation, we finally decided on The India Restaurant.   Foreshadowing:  Chowhounds warned us to stick with Southern Indian Vegetarian places.  But we wanted chicken.  Our mistake. ...

"Wow, that's the best one of 'X' I ever had" was our mantra for this delightful meal.  ...

Experienced and loved the Crudo tasting menu a couple of weeks ago and have been anxious to try out the tomato version. This time, Sal was there that night. You just had to look at the dining room to see the difference - it was completely full at 9pm on a Wed.

I have been reading about underground restaurants for a couple years now. All the rage in NY and San Francisco, they are finally making their way to Los Angeles. ...

A wonderful new Foodie experience is now available in LA: The MeltingPotTours.  Two ladies (sisters) who have extensive backgrounds in the food industry have started offering intriguing tours with Food themes.  Yes, tourists would love them, but really it is the locals who could most benefit.  I saw they were offering a tour of the Farmer's Market at 3rd and Fairfax and we had to check it out.  ...

We were so full from our bountiful lunch we did not eat dinner until close to 10PM that night.  It was incredibly rewarding to indulge in the produce we purchased earlier that day, much of which was probably picked that morning or the day before.  ...

After an amazing tour with Amelia Saltsman and a brief interlude of "where did we leave the car" we caught up with the crew at Rustic Canyon Wine Bar for a beautiful, relaxed luncheon featuring the best of what is local and seasonal.  I had not experienced anything like this since my trip to wine country in Italy and France last year.  ...

I was very lucky to have recently "won" the time of Amelia Saltsman, a renowned local foodie author and media personality.  The prize, which was the result of my winning a silent auction benefiting the Santa Monica Farmer's Market, included having her as a personal guide through the market, followed by a special luncheon at the Rustic Canyon Wine Bar, featuring that day's market highlights. 
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