Purple Fusion
The Promenade at Howard Hughes Center
6081 Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90045
USA

+1 (310) 568-9736

Chinese Cuisine

Restaurant: 3/5

Purple Fusion is located on the upper deck on at The Promenade at Howard Hughes Center just at the edge of Culver City. This unassuming mixed-bag of shops and quick-bite eats has been my happy lunch-hour provider for the last four years. So it’s a joy when somewhere new opens, especially if they bring the promise of well prepared food you might want to eat on a regular basis.

Service: 4/5

Very friendly, if a little chaotic as they get started. Don’t expect expensive utensils or fancy surroundings. They’ve just opened, and the spartan feel presents a fresh startup feel that has plenty of potential. The service is a little disorganized, but again, they’re finding their feet.I would imagine they’ll tweak things around a little in the coming weeks and months.

Food: 3.5/5 – Based on dim sum menu

It’s rather interesting that it’s pitched as a “fusion” restaurant, as there are really two halves to the menu. The unusual mix of Asian and western food blended (as seems to be all the rage), but also a wonderful little dim sum menu that stays true to its roots. I chose to skip the fusion, and go for the dim sum. Out of interest, I was interested in the reaction of a Malaysian co-worker who knows a thing or two about growing up with Chinese food.

The dim sum menu is short and sweet, around 12 simple dim sum dishes are available, ranging from pork rolls, shrimp dumplings, turnip cake, ribs with black bean sauce, and other dinky little dishes that go down easy. If you’re not careful, you’ll have ordered four or five dishes before you know it, and be nicely satisfied. If you’ve ever lived near a big-city Chinatown (such as LA or Chicago), you’ll know the craving for dim sum never leaves after you’ve had it once!Like all good dim sum, it’s not meant to be anything special, but the joy here is that it’s wonderfully fresh and tasty, made by a friendly family who’ve been in the business for three generations.

I’m reserving judgment on their various curry dishes and eclectic fusion menu until I’ve had a chance to dive in. But for now, I heartily recommend a 30 minute stop at Purple Fusion if you want just enough to fill you up, but don’t come away feeling stuffed stupid.

The mango lemonade is interesting too.

Massimo
9513 Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
USA

+1 (310) 273-7588
www.massimobh.com

Italian Cuisine

Restaurant: 3/5

Massimo is located in the heart of Beverly Hills. The restaurant has a nice cozy classical decor and is comfortable. If parking on the street is the problem (usually it is), try one of the Beverly Hills city public parking.

Service: 2.5/5

Service was good. Our waiters spilled some wine and some soup but I will attribute that to the moon as they were very professional and made genuine efforts to please us.

Food: 3.5/5

I started with the minestrone. The minestrone, prepared with fresh vegetables was excellent. While I had to add salt, the vegetable were perfect cooked and the broth was really flavorful.

As main course, I had the Gnocchi Verdi, one of Massimo’s signature dish. The gnocchi, served with a porcini mushroom sauce, are made with spinach and ricotta. They are surprisingly light. Absolutely delicious and definitely some of the best gnocchi I’ve had.

For desert, I had the special which was a dark chocolate custard. The custard was served with a decoration of raspberries and mint. It was very good.

Value for money:4/5

Around $60, including drinks (sparkling water, wine and coffee) and tip. While $60 is a lot of money, the location, the athmosphere and the food make Massimo a very good value for money. I will certainly come back.

Du-par’s
6333 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90036
USA

+1 (323) 933-8446
www.dupars.com

Diner

Restaurant: 2/5

Du-par’s is located in the very popular farmer’s market of West Hollywood, at the corner of Third and Fairfax. The restaurant, renovated in 2006, has a typical diner decor and is relatively comfortable. The patio is very nice and I highly recommend to get a table there if the weather is clement enough. Du-par’s is conveniently open 24 hours a day.

Service: 2/5

Service was good but definitely slow. It’s a very popular and crowded place. They definitely could do with a bit more staff.

Food: 2.5/5

I had a very typical diner dish: the meat-loaf sandwich. The meat-loaf sandwich is served as an open sandwich with mash potatoes and mushroom gravy. The both the meat-loaf and the mash potatoes were very good. The mushroom gravy works very well with the meat-loaf. One regret, the meat-loaf was a bit cold.

Value for money:2/5

Around $20, including drinks (orange juice and coffee) and tip. Du-par’s is a bit expensive considering the quality of the food and the service but it’s a Los Angeles institution with a good location and a nice atmosphere, so I will certainly come back.

The Ivy
113 N Robertson Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
USA

+1 (310) 274-8303

New American cuisine

Restaurant: 3/5

The Ivy is located in the heart of West Hollywood. The restaurant is comfortable and has a nice shabby chic decor. The patio is very nice and definitely the place to be. If you can get a table on the patio (I had to push), you will rubbing shoulder with the Hollywood crowd. It’s the place for power lunches and paparazzi. Because of the celebrity clientele, I didn’t take pictures of the food as I usually do. Parking in the area is difficult. Think about using the valet parking if you have a nice car or as default use the public parking structure a bit lower on Robertson.

Service: 4/5

Passed the maître d’hôtel who tried to put us in the back of the restaurant, the service was fantastic, prompt and professional.

Food: 3.5/5

I started with the daily special, the italian seafood soup. Served in a small bowl, the soup made with salmon, cod, squid, muscles and clams in broth was terrific. Simple but delicious.

As main course, I ordered the spinach and ricotta raviolis, served with a basil and tomato sauce. Obviously homemade, the raviolis were very good. I would have preferred a bit more ricotta in the raviolis but it’s a minor detail on a very well executed dish.

As desert, I had the tarte tatin. The tart was terrific. Certainly one of the best I had. The apples were perfectly cooked and really flavorful.

Value for money:2.5/5

Around $90, including drinks (champagne cocktail, still water, capucino and espresso) and tip. The Ivy is an expensive place but considering the food (simple but perfectly executed), the location and the beautiful people crowd, I will certainly come back.

Firebirds
Suite 910
8030 Renaissance Parkway
Durham, NC 27713
USA

+1 (323) 933-8446
www.firebirdsrockymountaingrill.com

Grill

Restaurant: 2.5/5

Du-par’s is located at the very nice Southpoint mall in Durham. The restaurant is pretty comfortable and has a western decor.

Service: 2/5

Service was good but unremarkable and a bit slow. They could do with a bit more staff.

Food: 0.5/5

I had buffalo meat-loaf. The meat-loaf was served with parmesan mash potatoes and pecan green beans. While the mash potatoes were good, the meat-loaf was too salty and had too much pepper in it. I couldn’t taste the meat… Additionnally the green beans were cold and the gravy was far too salty. It’s pretty hard for a restaurant to mess up meat-loaf but they successfully did it. In one word: a disaster.

Value for money: 1/5

Around $20, including drinks (beer) and tip. Considering the food, Firebirds can’t be a good value for money. It’s a place that I will definitely avoid.

Kyochon Chicken
3833 West 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90006
USA

+1 (213) 739-9292

Fast food

Restaurant: 1.5/5

Kyochon Chicken is located in the heart of Koreatown. As you can expect from a fast food, there is no real decor and the comfort is minimum. Additionally, parking in the area may be difficult.

Service: 3/5

Service was very good for a fast food: we were served quickly at our table.

Food: 2.5/5

First, we were served radishes in cold water. It’s a nice attention that kept us busy while we were waiting for our diner and later helped to alleviate the amount of chili use on the chicken.

We started sharing a chicken and rice cake combo. The broiled chicken was served with long round rice cakes, peppers, onions and carrots. All of that in a tomato chili sauce, topped with sesame seeds. It was very tasty but very hot.

After the chicken and rice cake combo, we shared a hot combo. The combo comprised chicken wings and drumstick, served with cabbage. The cabbage was topped with mayonnaise and ketchup sauces. It was really good but really really hot. Finishing the dish, my lips were burning while my tongue was hurting.

At the end of the meal, we were served vanilla ice cream. It’s another really nice attention that really help me to recover after eating food that hot.

Value for money:4.5/5

Around $15, including drinks (orange juice and coffee) and tip. Considering the food and the service, Kyochon Chicken offers excellent value for money. I will definitely come back.

The Belvedere
Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel
9882 Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
USA

+1 (310) 551-2888
beverlyhills.peninsula.com

Modern American Cuisine

Restaurant: 4.5/5

The Belvedere is located at the Peninsula Hotel, in the heart of Beverly Hills. The restaurant, with it’s traditional decor, is really comfortable. The patio at the back of the restaurant is really nice. I highly advise to get a table there is the weather is nice.

Service: 5/5

from the beginning to the end, the service was perfect. They really pay attention to every detail.

Food: 4.5/5

For brunch, you only have to select your main course. You get a selection of starters, served family style, and access to the desert buffet. The selection of started comprised their very famous macaronis and cheese, the organic beet salad, the sauteed prawns, the smoked salmon, the peking duck (carved in front of you in the dining room) and the fruit salad. The macaronis and cheese were absolutely spectacular. Definitely the best I had so far.

The organic beet salad was served with tomato, arugula, nuts and a well balanced sauce.

The sauteed prawns, served with crispy noodles on the top of cabbage, were excellent.

The smoked salmon with it’s mustard sauce was very good.

The peking duck, served ready to eat in pancakes with spring onions and sauce is definitely one of the best.

The fruit salad had nothing remarkable but was pretty good.

As main course, I had the potato crusted chilean sea bass. The sea bass was perfectly cooked with the potato bater being crusty and the fish being juicy and flavorful. it was served with orange quarters on the top of vegetables.

The desert buffet is pretty extensive and should satisfy about everybody. The plum clafouti and the warm bread pudding were truly excellent. Unfortunately, I found the rest of the deserts overly sweet.

Value for money: 4.5/5

Around $100, including drinks (orange juice, water and espresso) and tip. Considering the restaurant, the service, the food and the location, The Belvedere is a excellent value for money. I will definitely come back.

Forte Ristorante
362 North Camden Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
USA

+1 (310) 277-7346

Italian cuisine

Restaurant: 3/5

Forte Ristorante, previously Prego, is located in the heart of Beverly Hills. The mediterranean decor is nice and the restaurant is very comfortable. Parking in the area can be problematic. So, if you don’t find a parking space straight away, head to one of Beverly Hills public parkings.

Service: 3/5

Service was very good. The maître d’hôtel took care of us and provided good advice. While we leaved sometime after the restaurant closing time, we weren’t pushed out of the door.

Food: 3/5

I started with a tricolore salad. This version of the tricolore salad was arugula, endive and radicchio. The salad has nothing exceptional but was good.

As main course, I had swordfish. It was served with diced tomatoes lightly cooked with olive oil and caper, potatoes, beans and carrots. Swordfish is usually dry as most of the restaurant overcook it but not this time. It was tasty and juicy. The vegetables were perfectly cooked, neither too soft or hard.

As desert, I had the fruit tart. The fruit tart that day was raspberry, peach and blackcurrant. It was served with a decor of whipped cream and strawberry on a strawberry coulis. It was very good. The pastry was not too hard or too soft and the glaze wasn’t too sweet.

I had an opportunity to taste the Panacotta cheese cake. It was truly delicious. Light, fluffy and tasty. Perfectly complemented with strawberries.

Value for money: 2.5/5

Around $65, including drinks (red wine, sparkling water and espresso) and tip. Considering the food and the location, Forte Ristorante offers good value for money. I will probably come back.

Spice Street
University Mall
201 South Estes Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
USA

+1 (919) 928-8200

www.ghgrestaurants.com

Mediterranean and Japanese food

Restaurant: 3/5

Spice Street is located in the University Mall, in the center of Chapel Hill. While inside the restaurant is pretty large, the Mediterranean themed decor doesn’t make it fell like it. Additionally, they have a beautiful terrace.

Service: 3/5

The service was good. Our waiter made genuine efforts to please us and the maître d’hôtel payed constant attention to every customer. The only problem was with the busboy which obviously was bored to death by her occupation.

Food: 3/5

As we waited, we were served some flatbread with a very nice tomato and harisa dip.

As main course I had a spinach, broccoli, tomato, pepper and potatoes frittata. The frittata was served with a small mixed green, cucumber, tomato and radish salad. It was very good, cooked but still moist with tasty vegetables.

I had the opportunity to taste the lamb flatbread. It look a bit like a pizza but is actually minced lamb meat, crumbled feta cheese, tabbouleh and tzatziki sauce on a flat bread. The combination sounds pretty strange, it is truly excellent.

For desert, I had a green tea crème brûlée. While the taste was good, the texture could have been better. It was bit watery.

Value for money: 4.5/5

Around $30, including drinks (orange juice and espresso) and tip. Spice Street offers excellent value for money. I will definitly come back.

Pink’s Hot Dogs
709 North La Brea Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90038
USA

+1 (323) 931-4223
www.pinkshollywood.com

Fast food

Restaurant: 1/5

Pink’s Hot Dogs is located in the heart of Hollywood. The restaurant is extremely casual, so don’t expect much comfort. The place could really do with an update. As parking is difficult in the area, Pink’s Hot Dogs provide a decent parking lot for customers.

Service: 1/5

There is no real service at Pink’s Hot Dogs. You queue to order your food and when your food is ready, you move to the cashier to get your drink and pay. While the line is usually pretty long, it goes pretty fast and the staff really seems to make an effort.

Food: 2.5/5

I ordered a “Ozzy” spicy dog and onion rings. The “Ozzy” spicy dog is a spicy polish sausage topped with Nacho cheese, American cheese, grilled onions, guacamole & chopped tomatoes. I have to say that I heard so much about Pink’s Hot Dogs that I was skeptical. What I was served convinced me. The bun was fresh, the sausage was really good, far from the cheap industrial kind you usually gets, and they are generous on the topping. One regret: the onion rings were a bit overcooked.

Value for money: 4/5

Around $10, including drinks (coke) and tip. Without doubt, Pink’s Hot Dogs offers the best dog in town and an excellent value for money. Watch out for updates as I will go back.