Sunday, January 21, 2024

Bar Chelou

Bar Chelou is not only a great place to eat before a show at the Pasadena Playhouse, but a great place to eat whenever you are in Pasadena. Many wines by the glass and bottle that are well curated and meant to accompany the dishes that you can combine into a meal or just to have a tapas size bite or two as you sip.

The Clam Toast for $13 was so good, we ended up ordering 2 orders! If you are not a fan of clams, but love great toast, just order the pan de cristal for $7 so you can use it to soak up any sauces from the other dishes you will want to order.


The Bloomsdale spinach for $14 is one of the dishes you will want to use the toast for to soak up the roasted garlic broth, or you can simply slurp the spinach "juice" as a delicious broth.

The lamb merguez for $25 is underneath all the green bean tabbouleh and although very savory, this portion was not very hearty nor generous and I would not order it again.
The Iberico pork chop for $36 with cabbage was perfectly cooked with plenty of meat on the bone as well as a good size thick chop, so this was the highlight of the meal.

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Jitlada Revisted

It was a dark and stormy night when I headed out to Hollywood on an errand, so as a reward I introduced Jitlada to someone who had never been. The last time I went was before Covid hit, so it was a wonderful reunion for me! I was thrilled to find that there was no line and no wait at 5:30pm because of the rain and the early bird dinner time! I even found a spot in the parking lot! I started off with a spicy papaya smoothie for $6 that was probably the only spicy thing on the menu that did not make my nose run! It was made with very ripe papaya and was a great dessert like drink.


Since it was a rainy night, the first order was of course soup! The spicy red crab and egg (#38) for $23.95 was the perfect thick, comforting soup to warm the chill of the weather outside. The lowest spice level was just at the tolerance level for my dining partner, especially since the spice helped warm us up on a chilly night.

I love rice noodles and because my dining partner can not tolerate spice, I ordered everything with no or very little spice. The Pad See Ew (#181) for $18.95 with beef was full of tender beef, chinese broccoli, and tender noodles.

I had to order my favorite Thai oxtail curry (#98) for $22.95, featuring falling off the bone oxtails, a complex medley of spices, and veggies to add different textures to the curry. One of my favorite oxtail dishes in Los Angeles!
I had to add some asparagus to the table (#165) for $19.95. Every piece was tender and the flavor of the stir fry was so good even a non vegetable lover would eat this dish!

The kitchen fell behind in the orders as the crowd began to gather around 6pm (line was around the shopping center even in the rain), so even though we had ordered Bangkok fried rice (#214) for $19.95, we asked for it to go since we were already full. It wasn't until I opened up the container the next day that I realized what a great "mistake" the kitchen had made with a fried egg on top of shrimp paste fried rice and a container of sweet pork nuggets, this dish had fresh mango, string beans, and very hot sliced peppers (that look very similar to the string beans). I wish I had ordered more food to go because the flavors of Thailand keep beckoning me to go back for more now that I know the perfect time to go!






Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Lure Fish House Ventura

Lure Fish House in Ventura is one of those places that make me want to live in Ventura. They have 5 other locations, but I have only been to their Ventura restaurant, so for now, this is the fish house I would chose to make my home away from home by the sea :)

Their Bloody Mary is superbly spicy and served with a gigantic succulent shrimp! 

Their crab cakes for $24 were enough to make it a meal for 1 or appetizers for 3, with plenty of crab meat and flavor, not requiring the remoulade side.
I loved having the option of adding anchovies to the Caesar salad for a total of $13.50, but I found the dressing a bit light on the garlic, heavy on the cheese, and anchovies were only placed on top not incorporated into the dressing.
The crispy calamari for $16 was lightly battered with slices of fried jalapeno peppers and 2 sauces (I preferred the marinara).
The Baja chopped salad for $15 was enough for a meal, especially if you added a protein. As a salad it was enough to share with at least 1 if not 2 other people.
Their wild caught sand dabs for $26 were marvelously done with lemon butter caper sauce and very generously served with 3 pieces that all had crispy edges and tender flesh. The organic green vegetable side upgrade for $2 was worth it, and the pineapple slaw is good for those wanting a sweet treat with your meal.
The white wild caught Pacific Sea Bass for $32 was deftly cooked just to the point of perfect flakiness and the organic greens upgrade on this plate had more greens than broccoli, which was appreciated. The roasted butternut squash was the perfect sweet dessert.




Friday, November 24, 2023

Kaua'i Tidepools Restaurant

My favorite meal on Kaua'i was dinner at Tidepools, located at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu. I made advance reservations about 6 weeks prior to to my trip because I'd heard from so many people that it was worth the planning and the drive. I am very happy to say there were right! 

Following a winding path from the main lobby of the hotel, it is a bit tricky to find the entrance but all the hotel employees were very helpful in steering guests to this hidden treasure. Mobility challenged guests should ask for help and the waiter said they use the service elevator for wheelchairs. 

The breadbasket was filled with freshly baked rolls (you can watch them being made as you walk towards your seat) that were entirely too tempting to offer to hungry people! Somehow I only ate one (and a half)!
We got crab cakes made with crab, kula onions, panko, lomi tomatoes and a garlic parmesan aioli for $27
Poke with wonton chips made with dynamite furikake for $23, that the non poke lover at the table declared the best poke ever :)
The most enticing menu item was the Hawaiian catch with soy glazed Hawaiian fish, cold water lobster, shrimp, scallop, molokai sweet potato, served with a lemongrass buerre blanc for $65. It was a huge portion and every bite was delicately and gently cooked to perfection highlighting all the fresh local ingredients.
The misoyaki kurobuta pork chop with furikake rice cake, seasonal vegetables, and house made bok choy kimchee for $61 was one of the best pork chops I've ever eaten and I fought to take the bone home so that I could savor it in private;)
Getting a reservation at sunset is worth the planning just to get a view like this:





Monday, November 6, 2023

Kaua'i Chinese Food and Duke's

I like to explore both local low key places and scenic touristy places, so that I get a taste of different flavors while traveling.

Garden Island Barbeque in Lihue was one of the few places where I saw no other tourists in the entire restaurant. Located in an old section of Lihue, with fans blowing, and very modest decor, they serve great Chinese food in gigantic portions for very reasonable prices.

It was too humid to order soup, but some of the tables had customers happily slurping up wonton and I was tempted to get some to go :) Instead I ordered the duck with mixed vegetables for $12.95 that could have easily fed 3 people! Luckily I was staying at a condo with a full kitchen so I took most of it back to eat later. Chock full of fresh vegetables and very good duck, it would have been enough to just order this one dish, but since I had no idea the portions were so big, I ordered more dishes that ended up with having leftovers that lasted for 2 days afterwards.

I ordered the beef Singapore noodles for $15.95, which had nice flavors and tender beef slices.
I got some snow pea pods with shrimp that were succulent, savory, and absolutely fabulous because they painstakingly prepared the snow pea pods properly, removing all the fibrous parts before cooking. For $16.95 this is was one of the most expensive items on their extensive menu and worth every cent. 
I got a side of kimchee just because it looked so good at a nearby table and it was homemade!
For a completely different experience, I reserved at Duke's weeks before my trip because it was on so many lists of a place with good food and a view. They have free valet parking (please tip) down the steep driveway next to the Royal Sonesta hotel. Follow the walkway to the host stand.
The view from the entrance was very impressive with a bar, live music, and walk in tables below. If you make advance reservations you will get one of the ocean view tables on the upper floor.
The seared sashimi grade Furikake Ahi Steak served with shitakke, rice, and black bean bok choy, topped with pickled cucumber salad was a delicious twist on the usual tuna tataki for $43
The main course of chicken, ribs and added coconut shrimp (+$16) served with rice, cucumber salad and macaroni salad for $29 included high quality Compart family farms pork and all natural huli huli chicken. I wanted to try their famous salad bar, but this plate was so big that there was no room for salad or dessert!
There was room for my eyes to feast on the view though...














Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Lana's, Waipouli Wine & Spirits and J02 in Kapa'a

One of the great pleasures in food is eating seasonally and locally, especially when the local place is Kaua'i and the local food is tropical fruit! 

I saw Lana's while driving through Kapa'a and made a mental note to pick up some fruit during my stay. I was so very happy that the woman behind the stand asked me when I wanted to eat the fruit so she could chose the perfect ripeness. 

The fruit on the bottom right of the picture is called an egg fruit, and since I've never tried one before I got one! The interior has seeds that are inedible and the flesh tastes like cooked pumpkin. I didn't enjoy it raw, but I could see making a delicious dessert or custard pie with it. There are so many varieties of natively grown bananas in Hawaii, that I wanted to try them all, but the small sampling I did was a reminder that even a fruit as common as bananas all taste different when they don't have to be shipped or trucked long distances to market.
The mango was the best I've ever tasted :) 
While at the stand I got their coconut smoothie, a rich delicious dessert in a cup!
Just down the road is the small air conditioned wine store called Waipouli Wine & Spirits. I was so impressed by their selection and prices that I bought a lovely bottle to take back to the condo to support the business and to savor a fine wine outside of a restaurant.

One of the best meals I ate was at J02 . They offer a prix fixe $45 3 course menu from 5-6pm, but I opted to order a la carte. Their refreshing unsweetened hibiscus iced tea was a welcome respite from all the fruity and sweet drinks found all over the island.
The crispy duck confit salad for $25 could have been a meal by itself, and the perfectly ripe star fruit added a nice tart accent to the rich duck confit.
I don't remember the filling in the ravioli, but this dish was delicious. The ravioli were perfectly and lightly handled.
The best dish of the night was definitely the slow braised beef cheek for $45. It was so tender and such a generous helping that I took most of it back to the condo to enjoy later. Served with vegetables and soft dumplings, this is the meal you want to eat if you love beef and are very hungry for some upscale comfort food. They have a handy parking lot in front, and lovely professional service. If you are staying in the middle part of the island this is an easy spot to access for a comfortable high quality meal. I made my reservation about 1 month in advance, so if you want to be sure to get a table, plan ahead.









Sunday, October 22, 2023

Anatta's Thai Food Truck in Kauai

I ate some of the best Thai food at Anatta's Thai food truck in Lihue, Kauai (the Ace Hardware Store location). Their location at the end of the parking lot has a few plastic picnic tables, plenty of parking, and lots of locals (human and feathered) enjoying the food.
The menu has something for everyone, and you can customize with your choice of proteins, veggies, or tofu.
I chose the pad see ew with veggies for $15.95, a very generous portion loaded with beautiful fresh vegetables.
The red curry with beef for $16.95 was beautifully aromatic with tender slices of beef and plenty of bamboo shoots and cabbage.
A chicken thigh skewer for $4.75 was succulent, perfectly seared and a must!
Three tender skewers of chicken satay for $7.95 with the best Thai peanut sauce I've ever tasted.
I got 2 veggie summer rolls for the plane ride back to the mainland, which were the perfect red eye food packed with fresh veggies and with a sweet chili sauce side.

Any return trips to Kauai will definitely include a stop at Anatta's :)

Sunday, October 15, 2023

Kaua'i Breakfast at Java Kai & Lunch at Kenji Burger

I spent a week on Kaua'i for a wedding celebration and found some wonderful spots, so several of my upcoming posts will all be about places on the island :)

I stayed in Lihue, so Kapa'a was only 3 miles up the road and a great place to shop, eat and walk around. A frequent stop during my stay was Java Kai.
Their oat milk latte $6 was the best I tasted on the island and the same price as the ones in Los Angeles.
Their sunrise brekkie for $15 was a perfect papaya with greek yogurt, granola, a generous portion of delicious bacon, and a toasted bagel served with cinnamon butter.It was such a large portion that I took the bagel back to my condo to eat later. There is nothing like eating local fruit; the papaya and pineapple were the best I've ever tasted!
Portuguese sausage (home made) and egg sandwich with machego and romesco for $16 was a heartier breakfast choice and the home made sausage elevated it to a preferred choice if you like breakfast sandwiches.
Their turkey club comes with a side salad that was good on its own
and the sandwich itself was well balanced portions of all the ingredients for $16.
Kaua'i has cattle on the island and one of the few places where you can find their local beef is at Kenji Burger. The best sign of how good this place is was driving up to see an entire construction crew in line waiting for their order :)

I went to the Kapa'a location, but they have 4 in total all over the island. Of course I had to taste the Kenji burger with teriyaki, ponzu aioli, caramelized onions, cheddar, tomato and arugula for $13


I resisted the fries, which looked amazing, because I wanted to try their Misoyaki fish bowl with miso glazed black cod, arugula salad, and rice for $18. The fish was incredibly tender and fresh, some of the best I ate during my entire stay on the island.