[San Gabriel] [Chinese] 重慶川菜 Chung King Restaurant

Chung King Restaurant
重慶川菜
1000 S. San Gabriel Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 286-0298

We haven't been to Chung King Restaurant for awhile and Dr. Park was craving for some spicy Chinese food one Saturday.  So we came here for lunch.  But.... it was a disappointment.


3 Cold Items Combo ($5.95)

As usual, we went to the counter to order a plate of 3 cold items combo.  Our favorite item was the cucumber.  It used to be so crispy and fresh.  But that day, the cucumber was soggy.  It tasted.... gross.  We used to like the smoked chicken as well.  But it was also pretty bad on that day.  It was too dry and had an overwhelming smoked flavor.  We didn't like it a bit.  Then the spicy beef looked good behind the counter.  But once we tasted it, it smelt and tasted like DOG!  Not that I ever had dog before, but we all know how a dog smells like.  Not to mention the beef was so dry and chewy, almost like beef jerkey.  I don't know.  Maybe that's how the dish supposed to be.  But we really didn't like it.

[Los Angeles] [Thai] Thai Patio

Thai Patio
5273 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 466-3894

We went to Thai Sabai to get come Thai massage.  It was our first Thai massage experience.  I absolutely love it!  It was a mixture of Swedish and Thai technique.  I love how they stretch you.  It was slightly painful during the massage, but I feel so relaxed and loose afterward.  Well, Dr. Park didn't like it at all.  It was just too painful for him.  He didn't like the stretching part at all.  I still recommend trying it once to see if it is right for you.  I will definately go back again.  Their price is great too.  $65 for 90 minutes.

Anyway, now about the food.  Thai Patio is in the same plaza as Thai Sabai.  I've been to the Grove location before.  But sadly that location doesn't exist anymore.  The food I had at that other location was pretty good and cheap.  We parked right in front the restaurant.  When we went to our car, I saw the sign outside "$3.99 Lunch Special".  Perfect!  I'll get something to bring to work.


Thai BBQ Chicken ($3.99)

We both got the Thai BBQ Chicken.  I had the same dish before.  You get 3 pieces of chicken, rice, salad, and 2 crispy wonton.  Good deal!  The chicken was tasty with the sweet Thai sauce.  $3.99 and I was full all night.

They have about 10 items on the $3.99 lunch special menu.  Next time I come back to Thai Sabai for massage, I think I'll drop by Thai Patio again.

[Los Angeles] [Dessert] Scoops

Scoops
712 N Heliotrope Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 906-2649

Back to Scoops again.  It's like an adventure going to Scoops because you never know what flavors they'll have on that day.  After having lunch at Sushi Gen, we felt like having something light and fruity. 



Blueberry & Ricotta....

[Los Angeles] [Japanese] Sushi Gen

Sushi Gen
422 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-0552

We went back to Sushi Gen again.  Just couldn't get enough of their sashimi.  Last time I forgot to bring my camera.  This time I made sure I had it in my purse so I can take good pictures of the sashimi then look at it at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com and drool later.



We got to the restaurant at 10:45am.  The restaurant opens at 11:15am.  Why did we go there so early?

[Los Angeles] [American] Griddle Cafe

Griddle Cafe
7916 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 874-0377
http://www.thegriddlecafe.com

I bought a Los Angeles guide book a long long time ago.  One of the highly recommended restaurants in the guide book is Griddle Cafe.  The restaurant is right next to Directors Guild of America.  The couple times I went to DGA for film screenings, I always saw Griddle Cafe full of people waiting outside.  After many years of wanting to try this breakfast joint, I finally came on a Sunday morning with Dr. Park and his brother Henry.



The place was packed as we expected.  But the host (the guy with the hat and clipboard in the picture) told us it's only a 20 minutes wait.  We waited patiently on the sidewalk with 30 other people.

[Glendale] [American] Bashan Restaurant

Bashan Restaurant
3459 N Verdugo Rd
Glendale, CA 91208
(818) 541-1532     
http://www.bashanrestaurant.com

I've read a lot of good reviews about Bashan Restaurant in Glendale.  When I saw Bashan on the list of participating restaurants for Wine & DineLA event, I made a reservation right away.  They offered a six course tasting menu with wine paring for $105 or without wine paring for $80.



Our reservation was at 8pm.  We were running late for our reservation.  We called and the hostess was really nice about it.  When we arrived at 8:30pm, the tiny restaurant was packed.  But they had a nice little table by the window reserved for us.

[Los Angeles] [Korean] Castle Korean BBQ Restaurant

Castle Korean BBQ Restaurant
473 N Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 467-3813

I was in a really bad mood that day.... after losing my fight for the traffic ticket at court.  Dr. Park tried to make me feel better by taking me to Korean BBQ for lunch.



I picked Castle Korean BBQ Restaurant as our lunch destination.  I used to come here with friends back in the Ktown clubbing days.  I remember the BBQ was great and dinner time was always packed.  I haven't been here for years.  Seemed like they joined the trend and also became one of those all you can eat Korean BBQ restaurants now.