My Restaurant Tips

Saddle Peak Lodge
419 Cold Canyon Road
Calabasas, CA 91302
USA

+1 (818) 222-3888
www.saddlepeaklodge.com

American Cuisine, Wild Game

Restaurant: 4/5

Saddle Peak Lodge is located in Calabasas, in the middle of the hills not far from Malibu. The restaurant has a very nice hunting lodge decor and is very comfortable. They have very affordable valet parking in front of the restaurant ($3.5 plus tip).

Service: 3.5/5

Service was very good. Our waiters made genuine efforts to please us. They moved the table to make us more comfortable and were kind to accomodate while we were waiting for the other guests to arrive (about 45mns, you should know that you can’t predict traffic in Los Angeles).

Food: 3/5

I started with the chilled heirloom tomato gaspacho. The gaspacho was served with cilantro and cucumber slaw. The texture was extremely smooth and the taste was perfect. It was an excellent interpretation of the classic recipe.

As main course, I had the roast beef sandwich. The roast beef (prime angus) sandwich was served open face with caramelized onions, tomatoes, watercress, arugula, lemon rosemary aioli and sweet potato fries. The beef, very tender and well complemented by the onions, was extremely tasty. The fries, perfectly cooked (crispy outside and tender inside without being oily), were a good complement. While the dish itself is not very original, it was very well excuted and had a nice twist.

For dessert, I had the Cappuccino style coffee creme brulee with home made biscotti. I am a big fan of creme brulee and this one was a bit disappointing. The top of the creme was not properly carmelized and the biscotti was not dry enough to be crackling as it should. Fortunatly, while it was more on the chocolate than the cappucino side, the overall taste was excellent.

Value for money: 3.5/5

Around $90, including drinks (mimosa, a bottle of white wine shared between the 5 of us and coffee) and tip. Considering the restaurant, considering the service and considering that it was father’s day (Celebrations are always more expensive), Saddle Peak Lodge definitly offers good value for money. I will go back.

Vermont
1714 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
USA

+1 (323) 661-6163
www.vermontrestaurantonline.com

Comtemporary American Cuisine

Restaurant: 2.5/5

Vermont is located in the Los Feliz, between Hollywood and Glendale. The restaurant has a nice spanish classical decor and is fairly comfortable. The lighting is particularly nice late in the evening, so don’t go there too early. As parking is difficult in the area, you may want to use their valet parking located behind the restaurant at a cost of about $6.

Service: 2.5/5

Service was good but not remarkable. Our waiter made some efforts to please us.

Food: 2/5

The bread selection, served with a pesto sauce, was good but again, not remarkable.

As main course, I had the oxtail. The oxtail was served with baby spinach and carots. While the oxtail was very tasty, there wasn’t much meat in the pieces and they could have been prepared a bit better.

For dessert, I had the apple tart. The apple tart, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream was very good. Between the apples and the crust, they use a layer of almond paste that work very well.

Value for money: 2/5

Around $60, including drinks (lemonade, a glass of red wine and coffee) and tip. Vermont is not a particularly good value for money. Considering the restaurant, the food and the service, you can definitly find better places in Los Feliz.

The Tower Bar
Sunset Tower Hotel
8358 Sunset boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
USA

+1 (323) 654-7100
www.sunsettowerhotel.com

Hip Bistro Cuisine

Restaurant: 3/5

The Tower Bar is located in the heart of West Hollywood on Sunset boulevard. The restaurant has a nice cozy classical decor with his wood paneling and is relatively comfortable. The view of Los Angeles is particularly impressive. You will have to use the valet parking at a cost of $14.

Service: 0.5/5

Service was poor. It seems that every person we talked with had better things to do and that we were really bothering them with our outrageous demands like having some bread (we had to ask three time only to get lavash bread as they didn’t had anything else left).

Food: 1/5

I was really surprised by the menu which is very simple and bistro like for that kind of establishment, especially at that kind of price.

For starter, we shared a grilled artichoke. The artichoke, accompanied with salad and mayonnaise, was very good. It would have been nice to get a full artichoke as only half was served.

As main course, I had the lobster Cobb salad. The salad was good but had nothing special. I had the opportunity to taste the truffle and caviar omelet. The omelet was good. The caviar served generously was relatively good and a good complement to the eggs but the truffles (probably cheap canned truffles) were absolutely tasteless. While I was extremely disappointed by the truffles, the salad served with the omelet was very good with just the right amount of dressing.

For dessert, we shared a bread pudding and a glass of port. The bread pudding was very good and certainly the best part of the meal.

Value for money:1/5

Around $90, including drinks (sparkling water, glass of champagne and coffee) and tip. The Tower Bar is a very poor value for money. Considering the food and the service, you are better of going to Le Petit Four a bit further west on Sunset. Because of the view, I may come back for a drink but certainly not for dinner.

The Little Door
8164 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
USA

+1 (323) 951-1210
www.thelittledoor.com

French Cuisine with a Mediteranean flair

Restaurant: 3/5

The Little Door is located on 3rd street between the Beverly Center and The Grove. The restaurant has a very nice French provencal decor and is relatively comfortable. It is a very hip place with, of course, a very hip clientele (the usual crowd of models, celebrities, etc…). You probably will have to use the valet parking as parking is difficult to find around there.

Service: 3/5

Despite having a reservation, we had to wait about 20 minutes for our table. Apart from that, the service was excellent and our waiter made genuine efforts to please us.

Food: 2.5/5

To start, we shared the seared foie gras and the meze. The meze was good with a low point of a very dry fallafel. The foie gras, served on French toast was truly excellent.

As main course, we shared the osso buco, the chicken tagine and the sea bass. Everything was good but nothing was exceptional: The osso buco cream sauce was good but the meat was a bit too fatty. The chicken was good but the coucous was swimming in the tagine. The sea bass was a bit too dry.

I didn’t order any dessert but I had the opportunity to taste the ice cream (honey, pistachio and vanilla). Again, the ice cream was good but wasn’t exceptional.

Value for money:2/5

Around $90, including drinks (sparkling water, a glass of wine and coffee) and tip. The decor, the food and the service are good but The Little Door is expensive if not overpriced (there is a minimum of $35 per person for dinner). Still, I may come back as the place is charming and the crowd interesting.

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.