Cube - nothing square about it!

Everyone needs a go-to italian restaurant - mine is Cube. This place is easy to miss as you're driving up the busy streets of La Brea. Located at the corner of La Brea and Melrose (ish), this fresh italian gem boasts a patio that seats about 12-15 and about 20 indoors. Oh yeah, if you're just popping in for a quick bite, you can also grab a seat at the bar. Or, if you're looking to celebrate, there's a cute private room that seats a max of 12 peeps. This private room is right before the kitchen....it feels like you're apart of the action!
Ok, so what do I love about this place?

1) The Food!
My first time at Cube was for V-day...yes...J did good :). Typical V-day menus are prix fixe and here is what we had.....

Black Truffle Pizza

(One of the finest crusts in town...no offense J! It took just one whiff of this truffle bomb and I was in heaven!)

Lobster Linguine

(Ok, this should be called linguine lobster....there was so much lobster on this dish, I cannot believe I am complaining! One of the most freshest and most memorable pasta dishes I've ever had. Generous portions and cooked to perfection).

Filet mignon with mash and green beans

(A little unconventional but I assumed this was due to the occaision. Unfortunately, nothing to write home about...)

3 Chocolates

(A sampling of chocolates with dried cranberries, honeycomb and nougat)

Pannacotta with Rasberry sauce

So that was the V-day menu...but we've been back a few times since and have really enjoyed their selection of cheeses (yummy Burrata) and charcuterie, their parpadelle with lamb shank and 4-cheese mac n cheese). The pasta is so fresh that you can't go wrong with any of the pasta dishes.

2) BYOW - oh yeah, did I mention this? Not only is it BYOW...but there is no corkage either...yup, let me repeat - no corkage. Unless that's changed since 2 months ago.....You can bring in cases of wine if ya wanted...hehe...

3) Cube's marketplace - after a scrumptious dinner, head to the counter and pick up some of their fresh-made uncooked pasta and wide selection of raviolis, sauces, tapenades and other goodies.

4) The private room - ok, so I haven't been there yet, but I need to round up 12 of my closest friends (and no more than that) to feast on a 6-course meal...for the low low price of $400. Yup - $400. That includes a wide selection of pizzas, pastas, salads, charcuterie and cheese platters, soups and desserts. This room is quickly snatched up, so plan ahead! What a deal...esp if you can BYOW!

Cube Cafe, Cheese Bar & Marketplace

615 N. La Brea Avenue

Los Angeles, California 90036

323-939-1148, x.1

http://www.cubemarketplace.com/

http://www.divinepasta.com/

J & J's Cucina

Ok, asides from asian cuisine, we usually whip up some pasta on the weekdays. It's quick, easy and hearty. Here are a few dishes we've come up with......

Macaroni and 4 Cheeses

(A Thanksgiving Favorite - I only make this once or twice a year (I made this for Steph's bday as well)...too much for my tummy to handle. I've been trying to perfect this recipe which I found on Gourmet 2004).


Roast chicken breast over linguine and mushrooms
(J's specialty)

Calzone with roasted bell peppers, sausage and fresh mozzarella

(J's creation)

Grilled jumbo shrimp in garlic butter over corn, shittake and white mushroom linguine

(I love the big fat shrimp from Costco....so meaty and sweet)

Baked stuffed-chicken breast served alongside penne tossed with green and yellow bell peppers and mushrooms

Baked pasta (I think it's a form of cavatappi) in chicken sausage, mushroom, mozzeralla and parmesean bread crumb crust)

Japanese Restos that I LOVE!!!

Everytime we want to get Japanese food, we are always super indecisive...do we want sushi or do we want cooked food? Here is a list of places that I love and frequent with my buddies....

Furaibo, 2068 Sawtelle Blvd., (310) 444-1432:
Let me tell you how much I love this place! If I lived any closer, I would be there at least once a week. I've gotten J so addicted to Hanpen cheese that he is constantly craving it! I think he once went to Furaibo 3 times in one week...now that's insane! So I cannot leave that place until I have 2 full orders of extra spicy chicken wings, hanpen cheese (fish cake stuffed with Kraft american singles coated with panko and deep-fried to crunchy ooey-gooey perfection), tori soboro (ground chicken on rice with a raw quail egg), agedashi tofu and/or miso tofu, karei-kareege (whole deep fried halibut where they cleverly use the bones of the fish as a serving contraption), spinach bacon (oozing bacon grease that we always order when we go with Mengster T) and of course Age nasu (eggplant in sweet soy sauce). When we go with Steph, we also get the yummy kimchee nabe soup (without the fish...hehe).

Enoki and Scallops

Chicken Wings

(The famous wings...better than Hooters! Order it extra spicy!)

Hanpen Cheese

(A little piece of heaven - one of my favorite foods of all time and definitely my favorite at Furibo...this is the Japanese grilled cheese!)

Tori Soboro

(Minced chicken over rice, served with a raw quail egg - we order this everytime without fail...instead of steamed rice!)

Koraku: Late night mom-pop japanese diner located in Little Tokyo. This place has awesome rice dishes (their pork fried rice is sooooo good, especially with a shrimp omellete and gravy sauce drizzled all over), their ramen is delicious (I prefer the shoyu ramen) but my all time fav is the Tantan ramen (super spicy)...OMG...as I am writing this, I am craving it. Oh, and not to forget the gyozas (taste homemade) and the stir-fried liver dish with chives and other mixed veggies...but don't forget, it's CASH ONLY!

Shabu Shabu House (127 Japanese Village Plaza Mall,Los Angeles): Long long lines....but how often does the chef slice your beef in front of you as you chowdown elbow-elbow with 30 other people? Ok, maybe sometimes...but my point is, if you want great shabu shabu, this is the place to be...and I love how there are only two choice on the menu (small beef shabu shabu or large beef shabu shabu). The prices are the LOWEST I've ever seen in this town and the atmosphere is cozy.

Mishima, 11301 Olympic Blvd. (No. 210 Olympic): When I first moved to L.A., I was constantly at the place. I was totally blown away as to how much food you can get for such an amazing price. I always order the Ten-don combination (beef and egg served over a bed of rice, served alongside a huge bowl of noodles - you can choose between hot or cold soba or hot udon). I usually pick the hot udon, cause I love the crunchy tempura garnish they serve it with). The tofu salad is also unbelievable and highly-recommended (served with loads of bonito flakes and spring greens). Everything in here is good, but be prepared to wait in line cause it's popular!

Other notables:
Curry House
Hurry Curry of Tokyo (Sawtelle)
Manpuku Tokyo BBQ (Sawtelle)
Izakaya (on Santa Monica Blvd)
T-O-T (in Little Tokyo)

Sushi

I must admit, I haven't been to every sushi place in town, but so far, here is what I've liked...

Kaya Sushi: Ok, this place is always PACKED. But the wait is well worth it. The sushi is not traditional, but they are AMAZING (well-known for their vaste selection of rolls named after their customers and/or staff). Here are my staples: Lobster dynamite, Ama-Ebi (sweet raw shrimp with the world's most amazing deep-fried shrimp head), hamachi sashimi, agedashi tofu, sukiyaki, a couple of their rolls and their stir-fry seafood udon. To die for!

Sushi Karen: We decided to try this place yesterday after reading about it for a few weeks and absolutely loved it. I hope this place remains a hidden gem in CC cause it's small and I can see this place getting very packed! We started with a LARGE Asahi and a LARGE hot Ozeki sake. As we waited, our first order came...a generous portion of salmon and yellowtail sashimi. These pieces were THICK and FRESH (my two favorite words when it comes to sashimi). Then came the tuna and albacore sushi. Steph loved the albacore so much that we had to order another round! We also tried the Philly Roll (awesome!) and the special Crunchy Roll (deep fried roll with cripsy shrimp tempura in the middle and garnished with a sweet and spicy sauce...and then rolled in pink and green rice crackers. We topped off the evening with...yes, tempura ice cream. Now that we've tried, we cannot wait to come back :)

Sashimi Plate - Salmon & Hamachi

Philly Roll

Crunchy Roll

Albacore Sushi

Tempura Ice Cream

Sushi Roku: When I get a chance, I am going to blog all my fav HH spots...roku definitely ranks up there. After years of going to this place, I must say that I am a little disappointed that they have cut their HH menu to just a few items. I loved their shiitake-eryngii mushrooms, their popcorn shrimp, calamari, their various handrolls (esp tuna and hamachi) and not the mention their chicken karaege and their beef skewers. The sushi here is always fresh and they are always very generous with their cuts.

A Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh C!

After talking about this place for almost 2 years, we finally made our way there last night. All I have to say is...."what was I waiting for?". So to celebrate J's big "decision", and just cause we were long overdue for a nice date night, I made reservations at AOC. We arrived a little early and were greeted at the door by a warm and friendly staff. Since our table was not quite ready, the sommelier quickly handed us a wine list. I selected the Strange Syrah - a full-bodied and fruity syrah, while J soaked in the atmosphere and admired the decor. Within 5 minutes, we were promptly seated - and boy, we had a great seat. We were escorted to the terrace on the second floor where a quaint table for two in an intimate candlelite corner awaited us. We had a full view of stars and the clear night sky.

Within 30 seconds, the waiter brought over their infamous spicy harissa dip, olives and bread. Talk about service! We perused the menu and were not at all pressured to order. Our waiter was extremely friendly and suggested we order 2-3 dishes per person. I already kinda knew what I wanted, but in taking a closer look at the menu, made a few last minute changes....

Spicy Harissa Dip & Olives

(This was spicy....even I had a hard time eating it)

Summer Fruit Salad with Jamon

(Perfect beginnings - light, seasonal fruits enhanced by a balsamic dressing to bring out their natural sugars)

Arroz Negro with Squid & Cream Fraiche

(This was unbelievable - perfectly cooked squid, laced with sweet cherry tomatoes...and did I mention it came with cream fraiche???)

Halibut, roasted aprictos on couscous

(The fish was buttery and juicy, couscous a little think, but the roasted apricot was AMAZING)

Chanterelle Gnocchi

(I can eat this all day long...but I think that would be bad)

Foie gras stuffed quail

(This was our favorite - the quail was completely deboned and the stuffing was to die-for)

These dishes were the perfect portion and well-balanced. Although a little on the heavy side (that gnocchi was sooo rich...but soooo good), we ended with the quail which was surprisingly pretty light for a protein dish (and stuffed with foie-gras). We didn't have any more room for dessert, so capped the meal off with coffee. What a wonderful start to date night....happy and fueled-up, we made our way down the stairs and towards the Arclight for a night at the movies.

I still cannot believe I waited this long to dine at AOC - I cannot wait to come back!

My Favorite Chinese Restos

I am so glad I don't live in the SGV cause I'd be at these places everyday.....

Dim Sum

1) NBC Seafood (Monterey Park) - by far the best dimsum - ample seating, amazing ha gao, siu mai, sticky rice in lotus leaf, bean curd rolls, spare rib rice, and of course, chicken feet. And not just the dimsum, but the meals are amazing too...Monday-Friday seafood menu, the amazing crabs (cooked any style), fish maw soup, clams in stewed eggs (trust me, it's good), and filet of sole with mixed veggies...yummmmmm

2) Sam Woos (SGV) (the one on the third floor in Focus Plaza) - the wait can be long but the siu mai is awesome (has a big ole shrimp on top)

3) Ocean Star (Monterey Park) - definitely a long wait but well worth it too...there is always Starbucks downstairs if the wait gets too long...

4) Sea Empress (Torrance) - I came here once with Steph and loved it! We ordered a lot for three people, but it was sooo good. Better than Sam Woos, but NBC still rules.

HotPot

Two words: Lu-Gi (San Gabriel). I love this place. The yin-yang soup is the BEST IN TOWN. It's got everything you need - lamb, beef, all types of veggies, frozen tofu, fujian fish balls (Fish balls with meat inside) and all types of mushrooms (shiitake, enoki, oyster, etc).

Other notables - Little Sheep (San Gabriel) (it's not ma-lah hotpot, but still pretty good),

Chinese Food-Food

1) Sam Woo's BBQ (San Gabriel) - Lobster ma-po tofu (it's everything I love in one pot of goodness). Amazing roast pork, BBQ pork, roast duck and duck wings. This is a staple in my diet and I come here at least once a month
2) Nature' Pagoda (San Gabriel)- Different varieties of pot rice and some of the best herbal soups in town (just like how mom made it).
3) Mao's Kitchen (Venice) - you'd be surprised how great this little place is...yes, it's right in Venice and I never thought that there would be good Chinese on the westside...but I was wrong!
4) NBC Seafood (Monterey Park) - as mentioned above.
5) Shanghai Kitchen (2nd floor of focus plaza San Gabriel) - Steph and I love the Hunan Tilapia...except we need a million glasses of water to go with it cause it's sooooo spicey!
6) Dragon Mark (San Gabriel and Rowland Heights) - Great taiwanese xiao chi - beef stew noodles, pork chop rice, minced pork rice, xiao long bao, green onion pancake, meat buns.

That's it.....for now :)

J's Pizza Night

I know I'm in for a treat when J decides to make pizza...As a matter of fact I call all my buddies over so that J has to make a variety of pizza...ok fine...it's not just for variety, but mainly to share the wealth!
We all know that the crust is what makes a good pie - yes...the tender loving care one puts into the dough makes all the difference in the world...and that is exactly what J does. Obviously I cannot give away his little secret touches, but it is by far the most amazing thin crust I've ever had. It always comes out crispy yet soft, blisters perfectly on the edges and holds the ingredients impeccably.
So what types of pies did he present us that night? Here's the list....

Pizza Espagna with imported chorizo, crimini mushrooms, sweet white onions and fresh mozzarella
Goat cheese pizza with julienne green peppers, fire roasted red and yellow peppers, crimini mushrooms and sweet white onions

Meat Madness pizza with spicey chicken sausage, crimini mushrooms and fresh mozzarella.

Pizza Margherita with fresh mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes

Favorite L.A. Korean Restaurants

Ok, so I am a total sucker for Korean food....kimchi and rice...that's all I need. Of course there are very specific places for certain Korean dishes....

Soon Tofu
So the first thing I was craving after getting back from Europe is Soon Tofu....this stuff is sooooo addictive...here are my fav tofu joints:

1) SoKongDong (Do not miss the spicy raw crab...OMG!)
2) Beverly Soon Tofu (Not only is their tofu tasty, but their grilled squid is to-die-for!)
3) Tofu-Ya (Best in West L.A. area)
4) BCD Tofu House (good for after partying....)

Ban Chan from Beverly Soon Tofu

Beverly Soon Tofu - DAMN!
Grilled Spicy Squid from Beverly Soon Tofu

Korean BBQ.....here are my top picks...

All you can eat (gas stove): Mu Dung San (On Western and Conneticut). This place is awesome...I can never get sick of it. The service has slipped a little since it first opened (waitresses are pretty unresponsive). But all things aside, the meat is delicious. Rib eye, brisket, sirloin, pork belly, and even the chicken! Loved all of it and can't be beat for $15.99/person.

All you can eat (charcoal): Soot Bull Jeep (on 3136 W. Eight Street) It's super smokey...but awesome grill! The meat is delicious, the sides are generous and they even serve cold noodles at the end to cleanse the palate.

Mom at Mu Dung San :)