Lunching at Westwood's sandwich shop Fundamental LA

Westwood has been booming with new restaurants of late - 800 Degrees, Ramen Yamadaya, Five Guys, Skylight Gardens, Casa Azul Cantina, Fundamental LA. So much to choose from. On one of my days off, I decided to meet the Sig O for lunch at the sandwich shop Fundamental LA.

The shop is simple, the decor basic. I thought it would be packed but we were able to grab seats at one of their communal tables.

The menu is short and concise, with just a few sandwich and salad options. They also serve beer and wine! The SO cringed a little when he first looked at the menu. This wasn't his type of sandwich shop. Guess he was hoping for a good ole sub for $5. But he was quickly won over after he took a bite of the food. This is why we leave the restaurant selections to moi.

The side of potato chips sounds normal but they were worth the additional $2. The fresh homemade chips were crisp and had a kick to it from the pepper.

He ordered the Cold Roast Beef sandwich. The pink tender thin slices of beef were topped with muenster cheese, tangy pickled red onions and spinach. The bread was nicely toasted and spread with spicy horseradish.

The beef sandwich was tasty but hard to match up to the fried chicken sandwich which was hands down the winner. We were both impressed with the sandwich. We liked the nice-sized portion, fresh fluffy brioche and the well seasoned LARGE fried chicken which had a crispy skin but was not greasy. The meat was tender and juicy too. The sandwich had a unique combination of mild tarragon aioli, sweet apple and spicy crunchy nuts.

Fundamental LA is such a great lunch spot. The sandwiches were served quickly and were reasonably priced. The ingredients are fresh, sandwiches are unique and the restaurant has a comfortable, non-pretentious feel to it - making it a great spot for both work professionals and UCLA students alike.

Fundamental LA
1303 Westwood Blvd.
Los angeles, CA 90024
(310) 444-7581
www.fundamental-la.com

Fat Spoon: An Uni-licious lunch

Soon after I returned from my Southeast Asian trip, I started my new job. My new offices are in Downtown LA, so it was a perfect opportunity to check out the lunch dining scene in the area. My friend and I decide to check out Japanese curry house, Fat Spoon, located in Little Tokyo. I am not very familiar with the area, but already knew I wanted to come back to check out Kagaya, Spice Table, Daikokuya, Orochan and Shin-Sen-Gumi.

Fat Spoon is owned by Michael Cardenas of nearby Lazy Ox Canteen and Toranoko, and is known for their curries and pastas. The prices are reasonable at about $10 an entree. There were so many items on the menu that sounded appealing such as pork cutlet curry, pasta with salted cod roe, but I knew I had to order the uni pasta from the Specials menu.
Uni croquette was also available on the Specials menu.
The croquette had a nice panko breading that wasn't greasy. The mashed potato and uni filling was creamy and rich. I love the strong taste of uni, so I thought that the uni flavor here wasn't strong enough. I wonder if they diluted the flavor a bit to cater to more palates, or perhaps there was more potato than uni. Still a tasty dish but I longed for more of that distinct uni taste.
Uni pasta with mushrooms made up in the uni flavor department. I really enjoyed the al dente pasta that was coated with creamy sauce and mixed with earthy mushrooms and chunks of rich orange sea urchin. It was glorious! I wanted to slurp up every last drop of sauce. I loved the amount of sea urchin in the dish. Even their selection of mushrooms was spot on.

Fat Spoon is a great addition to the area. The restaurant is quaint and homey. I liked the simple menu and how comforting the dishes felt. Sure I wanted more uni flavor in the croquette, but that's a personal preference. I enjoyed my pasta and there are many other items that I'd like to try.

Hits: uni, pasta, prices
Misses: like most restaurants in the area, there is no parking
Rating: ***1/2

Fat Spoon
329 E 1st St.,
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 621-7890
www.fatspoonfood.com

The Rockefeller: An upscale bar in Hermosa Beach (yay!)

Hermosa Beach is essentially a beach town where the standard attire is shorts and flip flops, bars are filled with partying coeds and most meals you'll get there will consist of potato skins and buffalo wings. I'm a Brentwood girl and my boyfriend is a Hermosa guy. Therefore, I was so excited to hear about our new compromise: new gastropub The Rockefeller a block from the Hermosa Pier. The Rockfeller is trying to target a mature crowd with their selection of over 30 craft beers, wine and upscale bar food.

The place is bustling. We attempted to check it out on a Friday early evening but it was already packed, so we returned the next day for lunch.

The menu is rather limited for a gastropub. Even though the menu itself looks long, half of it comprises of breakfast items and sides. The lunch/dinner items are mainly a small selection of starters, sandwiches, salads and a burger option.

The outdoor patio is the place to sit but the restaurant has a very open layout so the seats inside still get a good view and ocean breeze.

Special of the day was the deep fried risotto fritter which is essentially an arancini. The risotto was cooked nicely and mixed with wild mushrooms, salty parmesan and bits of truffle. My only critique was that the arancinis weren't hot and tasted like they had been sitting out for a while. I also wished the truffle flavor was stronger.

Giant onion rings were pretty good. They had a crispy breading and weren't greasy. Each side comes with a choice of dipping sauce which includes chipotle mayo, lemon thyme vinaigrette and roasted tomatillo. We opted for the lemon saffron sauce which was an aromatic citrus aioli.

The side of portobello mushrooms was served in a tin can. Similar to the onion rings, these weren't oily. The mushrooms had a nice textural breading (almost panko like) and were not mushy. The side of spicy ketchup had a tangy Worcestershire flavor.

Gourmet Grilled Ham and Cheese consisted of a selection of cheeses (aged cheddar cheese, jarlsberg swiss and mascarpone), black forest ham and pesto on whole wheat bread. The sammie was oozing with cheese and sweet caramelized onions. You can tell that they select good ingredients for their sandwiches, however the homemade pickle was nothing special and tasted like a jarred pickle.

The Grilled Chicken Sandwich was a refreshing and light sandwich. It had arugula, watercress and wild mushrooms. The chicken was cooked nicely and well seasoned. The mushrooms and salad was definitely very fresh.

The food overall was decent and tasted pretty healthy. However I found the menu to be limited and the food items did not seem to jive with what a normal gastropub would serve. They mainly serve sandwiches, salads and a burger. I fell that they should serve food that pairs well with beer, perhaps some flatbreads or gourmet mac and cheese. If they wanted to stick with sandwiches, perhaps a pulled pork sandwich would be more appetizing than a salmon or chicken sandwich. But at the end of the day, I am still glad that we have Rockefeller in the neighborhood. I think it has a lot of potential - it already has a great location, decor, layout and beer selections. Now all it needs is to throw some more beer-compatible hearty pub food items on the menu.

Hits: arancini, mushrooms, dipping sauce selection
Misses: not really a bar menu
Rating: ***

The Rockefeller
418-422 Pier Ave
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
(310) 372-8467
http://www.eatrockefeller.com/

Brunch at Fig, Santa Monica

FIG restaurant is located at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, a block from the ocean. The kitchen is known for sourcing local and organic ingredients especially from the Santa Monica Farmers Market. Although the restaurant does not have a view of the ocean, it does look out to the pool and garden area. I have been meaning to check out their brunch menu but unfortunatelyI didn't realize that brunch is only offered on Sundays. On Saturdays, you can only choose from their lunch menu that includes sandwiches, salads and entrees.

We ordered a round of drinks of beer, mimosa and wine. Unfortunately the wine was not chilled enough.

BBQ chicken pulled organic, coleslaw, smoked cheddar
I really enjoyed the sandwich. The BBQ pulled pork was tender and juicy, and lathered with the right amount of sauce that wasn't overly sweet or tangy. I typically don't like slaw but I was blown away with the coleslaw. The slaw wasn't dressed with too much mayo and it had a nice zing to it. The crunchy slaw and tender meat was a nice combination.

Fish Tacos with mango salsa, cilantro, crema
The fish tacos were extremely spicy, a bit too spicy for my friend but I can appreciate it. The fish was nicely grilled and topped with mango salsa and avocado slices. You can definitely tell that the ingredients are fresh and good quality.

Fish and chips, cod, fries, tartare sauce
The fish and chips were decent but nothing too special. I liked that the breading wasn't greasy and that they offered a nice portion of fish which tasted fresh. However the mushy peas didn't really do it for me. I also thought the fries weren't crispy enough. I usually finish every fry on my plate but I left half of mine on the plate.

Lunch at FIG was good, but apart from the BBQ sandwich, I don't think the other dishes were anything special. I think the brunch menu looks much more interesting (such as bacon waffle or lengua taco) so I probably won't venture back unless it's a Sunday.

Hits: chicken sandwich
Misses: not too unique or inventive
Rating: ***

Fig Santa Monica
101 Wilshire Blvd.,
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 319-3111
www.figsantamonica.com

Rib Eating Competition @ Spring Street Smokehouse

This past Sunday, Spring Street Smokehouse held their 2nd annual rib eating competition. A $30 entry fee gets you into the contest, where the winner had to eat the most ribs in 20 minutes. We weren't going to participate but we were present to support the owner, who is a good friend of a friend. The Smokehouse is located in Chinatown and very popular with the lunch crowd. In an area that's swarming with dim sum restaurants, the Smokehouse stands its ground.

It's casual inside with a industrial feel. They also have a few TVs which makes this a great place to catch some sports. Each table is set with condiments and a loaf of bread.

The Smokehouse got a face lift a few years ago and added a great selection of craft beers to their inventory.

Smokey ribs fresh off out of the kitchen for the competition. They were actually really massive slabs.

The contestants were hard at work, breaking down the slab. Apparently, the key is to eat it slow and steady. We saw one guy plow through 3/4 of a slab but halfway through the competition, he started to sweat profusely and looked like he was about to gag. Many contestants couldn't even get through half a slab and gave up even before time was over.

The winner (who is a friend's husband) was last years runner-up. This year, he ate 16 ribs FTW. In addition to having his name on the board, he also received a tour and tasting at Firestone Brewery, gift certificate to the Smokehouse, and t-shirts and hats.

Love this contestant's shirt - People Eating Tasty Animals. Very apropos.

After the contest, we sat down for lunch and ordered a few items.

Smokehouse Chili. A hearty portion with chunks of beef and beans, and top with shredded cheese and zingy diced onions. The chili was served with fresh crusty french bread.

Cracklins. If you've only had the packaged kind from the gas station, you're missing out. These cracklins were warm and airy, and seasoned with pork rub which had a sweet and salty flavor combination. But beware, they are very addictive.

Smoked hot wings. I'm not much of a BBQ sauce fan so we ordered this with the sauce on the side. The chicken wings were finger licking good. They had a nice char to it but the meat was tender and smoky.

This was what's left of my chicken bones. If there's a competition for cleanest bones, I think I'll win.

Pork Spare Ribs - Select lean, juicy pork ribs, seasoned with the Smokehouse special rub, slowly smoked and served with homemade BBQ sauce.
The full rack has 12 ribs, the photo was taken after a few of us had grabbed some ribs. They also serve ribs in a 4 rib basket or a half rack. The BBQ sauce is more of a spicy vinegary sauce (Carolina style) vs. tomato based. The meat was moist and tender. I prefer to eat my ribs sans sauce so that I can get the full flavor of the pork. Thankfully, the ribs at the Smokehouse were smoky and flavored well so it was tasty on its own. I was quite impressed with how juicy it was, and how it tasted great even with minimal sauce. The portion was also very large. Initially I thought it'd be easy to eat a whole rack but the ribs were very meaty and filling.

Sampler Plate - 2 Spare Ribs, Hot Link, Chicken & Brisket, and a side. This is a great way to get a flavor of everything.

Burnt Ends - Crispy trimmings from a Beef Brisket.

The next time you're in Chinatown, walk away from the Chinese restaurant. You can get that any other time. Instead grab a brisket sandwich or some ribs at the Spring Street Smokehouse. And wash all that down with a frosty glass of Abita.

Spring Street Smokehouse
640 North Spring St.,
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-0535
www.sssmokehouse.com

Bao Dim Sum House - getting your fix west of the 110

Please, before you rip me into shreds and lose all confidence in my restaurant choices, I want to preface this post by saying that I don't dispute that there aren't any good dim sum places west of the 110. And I do know that paying around $5 or more for a plate of dim sum is highway robbery. But I don't live east of the 110. I don't like driving out of the way for food. And I'd really rather just pay a couple more bucks to feed my dim sum craving, f the restaurant is located fairly close from home. Even if it isn't the cheapest or the most authentic.

But newly opened Bao Dim Sum House on Beverly Blvd in Mid-City isn't trying to be that authentic Chinese restaurant. In fact, you won't see the curt Cantonese women wheeling their carts. And you won't find chicken feet here. But if you're looking for the popular dim sum dishes (har gow, siew mai, BBQ pork buns and the like), Bao Dim Sum House will meet your needs.

The restaurant used to be an Americanized Korean BBQ joint and much of the decor remains the same. I know because I've been there. I guess the Korean BBQ restaurant didn't work so well because one would only need to drive a few more miles east to get the real thing. Luckily for Bao, Chinatown is much further.

There's a decent selection of dumplings and buns. It's a pity I didn't study the menu more intently because I didn't notice the beef tripe.

Bao also offers rice and noodles for a more filling option. This would be a better choice for dinner.

Mimosas and dim sum do mix. I promise.

Crispy Scallion Pancake ($4.25)
The pancakes were thick and doughy. Apart from the scallion topping, you couldn't really taste the scallions that were mixed in with the dough. But who am I kidding? It was fried, so I finished every piece.

Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce ($5.75)
People can complain about the price of this dish but I thought there was quite a fair amount of pieces and they weren't measly. In fact, I was glad that they didn't Americanize the dish by excluding the pieces with cartilage (my favorite part). The spare ribs were delicious and served with cubes of taro. There was however an overkill of cilantro topping.

Sticky Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf ($5.25)

Surprisingly, I thought this tasted very authentic. The rice was moist and sticky, and filled with well seasoned Chinese mushrooms, Chinese sausage and ground meat. Unfortunately it was missing a salted duck yolk which can be found in some versions.

Spicy Shrimp Dumpling ($4.95)
When they first brought this over, I thought they had mistakenly served us regular har gow but the dumplings indeed packed a punch. The shrimp was quite large and plump. Unfortunately the wrapper was too thick.

Crispy Shrimp Stuffed Eggplant ($4.95)
This dish sounded good in theory since I love eggplants, but it was smothered with too much sweet chili sauce and the eggplant alone was very oily. In addition, it was hard to eat this large piece of eggplant with only chopsticks.

Radish Cake ($4.50)
This is my favorite dim sum dish and I was pleased with Bao's version. The radish cakes were soft and freshly pan fried with a crispy exterior. The cake had chunks of radish, onions and mushrooms.

The food's decent but definitely pricier than most Asians would expect to pay. Even though the dumpling skin was rather thick, I enjoyed the sticky rice and turnip cake. Unfortunately they are missing the aesthetics of the dim sum carts. But Bao knows who its target demographic is. Someone that isn't looking for the most authentic dim sum meal. Someone that's willing to pay a bit more for convenience. Someone that doesn't want to drive in the opposite direction from home. Someone just like me.

Hits: turnip cake, sticky rice, spare ribs, not too far east
Misses: prices are higher, no chicken feet
Rating: **1/2

Bao Dim Sum House
8256 Beverly Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 655-6556
http://www.baodimsum.com/