red hot kitchen

short rib burrito

type of food: korean/mexican fusion

price: $5-10

atmosphere: situated virtually away from the city is little (and i really mean little...the place has inside seating for about 8-10 and outside seating for about 5-6) ole red hot kitchen. the place, although small, is clean and tidy. the inside seating is small and cozy with modern furnishings. definitely casual and a place to grab a quick bite to eat-- no place for a get together with a bunch of friends or whatnot. parking is street parking, but not too much of an issue...will be able to find parking within a block or so.

rating: 9.5 out of 10. one of my friends, Michael Kae, is pretty much obsessed with this place and for good reasons. the place is cheap: the burrito was less than $5 and needed two hands to hold up (my way of measuring the worth of a burrito). the burrito was filled (no skimping here) with rice, a bit of greens, and meat meat meat. the meat was succulent and marinated perfectly. the only problem i might have with the burrito (hence the 9.5 and not a perfect 10) would be the choice in type of rice. they use the sticky type of rice (korean type) as opposed to the non-sticky-more-mexican rice. i would have preferred the mexican rice....but that's a preference. in all, the place is greatly priced and yummy. definitely will be coming back to get a taste at their tacos soon.

4625 Valley Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90032

literati cafe

fruit tart

ice blended cafe mocha

fruit parfait

french toast

eggs benedict w/a side of caesar salad

close up of the eggs benedict

type of food: american; brunch, lunch, cafe

price: $~15

atmosphere: the place is located near ucla and is on the oh-so-busy street of LA, wilshire; hence, it is street parking and metered. however, it shouldn't be too hard finding parking within 2 blocks of the cafe. the place is cutecutecute with an eclectic interior and sweet workers.

rating: 7.5 out of 10. although the place is cute in and out, the food was just mediocre-- nothing special or unique. however, although the variety of foods was a bit monotone, the food was made well and in a tasteful fashion. most likely will come again. cute spot for brunch/lunch/catch-up with a friend.

12081 Wilshire Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90025

coco's bakery restaurant

poached eggs w/mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach

layered upon english muffins

type of food: american diner

price: $~15

atmosphere: like any other american diner, coco's is lax and comfortable. the interior is a bit dated, but clean. the staff is courteous and nice. nothing too spectacular about the diner compared to other diners out there. parking is usually plenty at each location, so no need to worry.

rating: 6.5 out of 10. there isn't anything special about this place compared to other diners. the food came out in a timely fashion and was served in good, hearty portions. the food itself was well-made and comforting. the selection of food was wide and appetizing. all in all, a nice place to stop by for some regular diner food either early in the morning or late at night.

for various locations:

http://www.cocosbakery.com/locations.php?state=ca

the golden state

the burger with sweet potato wedges

look at that stack up. mm mm.

type of food: burgers, hot dogs, salads..ect.

price: $~15

atmosphere: located near the grove, the place is a hidden gem within all the hustle and bustle that is LA. the service is polite and helpful. no need to dress up or anything; casual setting. parking might be a hard to come by-- street parking with some metered along fairfax-- but isn't too horrible. the place is worth walking a few blocks for--trust me. regular burger joint with the addition of the hip, LA customers and tidy interior.

rating: 9 out of 10. i'm not the biggest burger fan, but this burger was by far one of the best burgers i've ever eaten in my life. the meat was so juicy (i get mine medium- well done, too!), the glazed applewood bacon works wonders for the tongue's taste buds, and the arugula provides just the perfect hint of freshness and crunch. the potato wedges were soft and sweet, just the way i like my fries done. overall, a great place to stop by for a tasty burger; definitely need to try this place if you're in the LA area and have a liking for a great burger.

426 N Fairfax Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90036

school food blooming roll

cute placemats

variety of different kinds of rolls

dduk-bok-gee (spicy rice cakes)

a close-up

type of food: korean street food

price: $~10

atmosphere: the place is typical korean cute with white&pink decor, a playful chandelier, comfy seating and modern styling. the place is situated in a new plaza that is about almost done. there's free parking available and the place is on the third floor. it's a really cute place to go with some girlfriends for a light lunch.

rating: 7.5 out of 10. the food was good and tasty. yes, a little overpriced for "street food," but what do you expect from a cute, korean place in k-town? this is no hodori. the rolls were fun to eat especially because of their various fillings. some had anchovies, others had fish eggs-- i know, i know. sounds a bit fishy (ha-ha) and questionable, but really yummy! the dduk-bok-gee was a perfect mix of spicy and sweet. they were also sized perfectly with the rice cake part of the dish being a nice bite size. the service was great: all men servers (he he he), attentive, and the food came out quickly. this isn't a place to go to for some gourmet korean food, but it is a nice environment to eat some familiar dishes at with a few friends.

621 S Western Ave #301

Los angeles, CA 900059

0005

mikawaya

gelato

mochi/pastries

strawberry&green tea swirl ice cream; various mochi and pastries.

type of food: desserts: mochi, gelta, japanese pastries

price: $~5

atmosphere: the place seems like your typical japanese pastries shop-- settled in Little Tokyo, tacky christmas lights hanging, and filled with flavored mochi. it's a nice pit stop to make when in the area, craving something sweet and yummy or just for some dessert after dinner in the area. there is metered street parking available and a parking structure that validates up to a hour free with $10 purchase (enter on alameda).

rating: 9 out of 10. the mochi and gelato were excellent. pretty authentic japanese desserts made well. only reason i jibbed a point was the fact that that was exactly what this place was-- authentic japanese dessert place; there isn't much else different about this place than the next japanese pastries joint. just mochi, pastries and gelato.

333 S Alameda St.

Los Angeles, CA 90013

the downbeat cafe

lox

quiche

prosciutto&melon

interior seating

wall art

type of food: american/brunch/sandwiches

price: $10-15

atmosphere: my friends and i passed by this place numerous times, while driving on alvarado, and always have said that we would dine here; so we did. the hipster/trendy little place is...cool. the interior decor and wall art screams hipster/80s/cool kids. the people who visit tend to be from the area-silverlake/echo park. we felt a little out of place (3 korean girls don't mix too well with the artsy fartsy crowd), but oddly comfortable. the workers are friendly and nice. the place is a nice place to stop by to have a simple lunch or sip of coffee at. parking can be an issue at certain times (metered street parking on alvarado), but most of the time shouldn't be-- there's also free parking at the library next door.

rating: 7 out of 10. the place was fun and casual, but the food wasn't all that great. it was mediocore. they didn't have anything on the menu that was original nor did they have a vast number of items on their menu. however, still a nice neighborhood cafe to try out.

1202 N Alvarado St.

Los Angeles, CA 90026