Pico Paco is a hole-in-the-wall next to New HoHo's Chinese, and the fact that I'm someone who grew up in L.A. eating with a Partner-in-Chow who lived in San Diego means that we're awfully picky about Mexican food. Things like good salsa (me) and horchata (PIC - I hate horchata and think it tastes like bubble gum milk laced with cinnamon) are important to us, and good chile verde is something that I personally take seriously at any Mexican foodslinger - whether it's a taco truck or Sonora Cafe.
Pico Paco started off on the wrong foot when the gal at the counter told me that they hadn't made chile verde that day. Dammit. My go-to order when reviewing a taqueria is: one carne asada taco, on chile verde taco, one chicken taco.
PIC is also very particular about her Mexican food order. This is what she wants in her burrito at any truck, taqueria or any place that isn't a high-end foodie joint:
Beans (preferably refried, whole pintos are a second choice, black beans come in third)
Rice
Sour Cream
Cheese
Jalapenos
That's it. No, really. No, don't put any salsa in it - she hates cilantro. Occasionally some lettuce will join the lineup, but God forbid someone gets creative and throws in anything that involves cilantro or tomatoes in any way. Yes, that includes guac - just stick with the 5 ingredients and nobody gets hurt.
What we ordered: The PIC Burrito (with refried beans), 1 carne asada taco, 2 chicken tacos - one braised, one roasted, a side of whole pinto beans, horchata, beer, bottled water
Service: friendly enough
Atmo: hole-in-the-wall perhaps not-so-clean taqueria with a blessed lack of the usual awful fluorescent lighting.
Crowd: A regular walked in while we were there, but it was the off-hours. This is a neighborhood joint.
Spent: This place is pretty cheap - but not as cheap as taquerias in Mexican neighborhoods - tacos were around $2 and we spent around $20 including the drinks
Overall rating: 3.5 sporks
The PIC gave her burrito 4 sporks, but the meat quality of the carne asada had something to be desired so I'm only giving a 3 with the tacos.
The chicken tacos were both good - I preferred the roasted one. These tortillas are larger than the usual wee taqueria-type shells, which was fine. I prefer the smaller fresher ones, but if you're not making your own I'm already neutral as to your tortillas.
The salsa was just OK, which also merits the 3. The beans were beans - not much to say there.
The PIC burrito was, however, really good. It can be hard for certain establishments to balance the 5 meatless ingredients - sometimes this burrito arrives with way too much rice, or the cream is all glopped in one section, or all the ingredients are layered as though it were a dip so that it's a huge bite of cheese, then a huge bite of beans...
Pico Paco managed to balance this vegetarian burrito well - not too gloopy, and the beans had great flavor. The horchata was also quite good, according to my PIC, and I tried it to find that the usual Pepto-Bismol flavor was minimized. Not that I wanted to drink any more than a sip, but it wasn't completely awful.
Would we go back here? Yes - for the burrito. The reality is that with La Calaca Loca around the corner (organic meat and delicious tortilla soup, plus margaritas with soju) we'd probably pick up the PIC burrito here and then travel to 52nd to get me tacos or tortilla soup.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Pico Paco taqueria - 4911 Telegraph Ave
New Ho Ho's Chinese - 4871 Telegraph Ave
After Tanjia, my PIC and I were really excited to finally, at long last, be at Dona Tomas.
Problem is that we weren't there yet. There's a bank of little hole-in-the-walls we'd never noticed at the 48th block of Telegraph, and so we resigned ourselves to practicing self-discipline and getting them over with so that when we get to the big DT we can feel good about it.
The first of these hole-in-the-walls is New HoHo's Chinese restaurant. The name made us laugh; the view of the interior made us want to run straight away to Dona Tomas. However, we bravely entered and figured that it couldn't be worse than Louisiana Fish 'n Chips. Seriously.
What we ordered: Hot and Sour soup, mu shu tofu, egg rolls, something we can't remember - I think it was veggie fried rice.
Service: overtly friendly and enthusiastic. I thought the counter lady might invite me home for tea and fortune cookies. This might freak some people out; we liked her.
Atmo: Chinese prison cafeteria. With an overly-friendly lunchlady and lots of Chinese newspapers to read.
Crowd: What crowd?
Spent: This place is cheap - it was around $20
Overall rating: 2.5 sporks
The weird thing about New HoHo's is that they have a counter buffet-type display where you can get pre-prepared food as well as a menu. They also mention dry-fried ribs, which we almost ordered but just weren't in the mood for the KFC flavor.
The buffet scared us and so did the thought of the meat source, so we went vegetarian. I have to say, the food wasn't as bad as we thought it would be and actually had some good points. The hot 'n sour soup was actually sour, which has been a problem with other Chinese establishments on Telegraph. The egg rolls were the usual deep fried version and had a really thick wrapper.
The MuShu tofu was quite good - they made it to order and it wasn't particularly greasy. I can't remember the other entree, but I think I remember not being overwhelmed with it. Since we can't remember, we're settling on a 2.5 given that the cleanliness and atmo have something to be desired - being afraid to eat somewhere due to the visuals has to discount a restaurant rating no matter how good the food is (and in this case, it was just OK).
Would I go back here? Unlikely - Yang Chow is by far my favorite delivery Chinese in the area. But if it's in walking distance to your house and you're broke and hung over, go for it. Just order smart - the buffet looks scary. Asking for "light oil" might also be a good idea here.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Lanesplitter, 4799 Telegraph Ave.
I don't really like pizza; PIC loves pizza. Occasionally, I will acquiesce to eating Zachary's... but when I can help it I don't eat pizza.
Lanesplitter changed all that. I love this pizza. And I don't really know why, exactly.
The crusts are super thin and a wonderful blend of crisp and chewy, and they don't go overboard on the cheese. So there's two reasons. Good microbrews on tap are another reason to enjoy eating there, as are the art installations and laid-back vibe. Oh, and fresh basil is always nice to find.
What we've ordered (we'll combine both trips): Thin and thick crusts, olive and mushroom (a fave), herbivore, garbage - between the 2 of us, much pizza has been consumed here.
Service: friendly, sometimes. forgetful, sometimes. vaguely disinterested, hurried and occasionally surly when doing takeout. Overall we've had positive experiences with service here when sitting.
Atmo: Groovy loft-like warehouse meets bike garage
Crowd: Hipster 'hood dwellers, bike messengers, the occasional family
Spent: we generally spend around $25 what with the beers and all
Overall rating: 4.5 sporks
This is great pizza if you obey some simple tips:
1) Eat in and do a 7/10 split if you'd like some beer. It's cheaper and 2 pieces of pizza are filling enough for most people - they're big, if thin.
2) Don't get extra sauce. It makes the crust a bit soggy.
3) Takeout can take forever, and whoever answers the phone needs some Valium. If you want takeout in a hurry from someone who actually wants to take your order, you might want to call elsewhere.
4) Be wary of ordering too many extra veggies for the same reason as #2, and because they really add up in price.
5) Bring your vegan friends and be amazed as they can actually eat "Notta Ricotta" and get something besides bread with tomato sauce at a pizza joint.
6) Be prepared to wait on a weekend night at dinner time.
7) Don't order the thick crust. If you want thick crust, go to Zachary's.
8) Don't wear a tuxedo. Do wear an ironic and authentic vintage tuxedo t-shirt.
In short: Good pizza is indeed had to find, and Lanesplitter definitely fits the bill.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Chef Yu's / YuYu Za Zang - 3919 Telegraph Ave
I'll note that we've actually eaten at this place twice now due to the really awesome fried rice and the homemade noodles.
This place has both Korean and Chinese food. I didn't realize that it was a Korean chef and that the noodle side of the menu was Korean food (not having had Za Zang before), but I was in the mood for soup and took a cue from the cartoon of Chef Yu making noodles that udon soup would be a good choice.
The PIC ordered pork dumplings, fried rice and some sort of chicken (we don't remember, and we lost the receipt).
The atmo inside is lacking - not as lacking as New Big Daddy's, but not somewhere you necessarily want to sit down and hang out. Takeout is probably the best bet here.
What we ordered (we'll combine both trips): Vegetarian udon soup, pork dumplings, chicken something, Hot and Sour soup, fried rice, Za Zang.
Service: friendly
Atmo: Chinese take-out
Crowd: the neighborhood
Spent: around $30.00
Overall rating: 4 sporks
We give Chef Yu's 4 sporks primarily for freshness. The ingredients seem fresher and cleaner than most Chinese food, and the fried rice was really delicious and not remotely greasy.
The Hot 'n Sour soup wasn't particularly hot or sour. It was good, but not a standout. The chicken was pretty good too; both these dishes merit a 3.
The pork dumplings were delicious and come with a dipping sauce that really brings out the flavor. They taste homemade, and we ordered them on both trips.
The noodles come separate from whatever you're putting them in - both zazang and udon soup had them packaged separately. I liked this because it means they don't leech starch while you're in transit, but if you wait too long they become a gluey mess and you have to throw them in water to have them separate and be able to be sauced (which is what happened on the Za Zang trip).
I've heard Za Zang described as Korean Mac 'n Cheese, and I can see why. This is starchy, slippery comfort food at its finest. I got the regular $4.95 Za Zang, not the made-to-order one (Yelp advised that the $2 price difference isn't worth it). I loved this dish, though I don't generally eat pasta as a main course. The PIC didn't like this dish - something about the black bean sauce struck her as "weird" and "ew."
The Udon tasted really healthy - the vegetables were fresh, the broth was clear and clean and this would be a perfect soup if one were feeling under the weather.
Overall, we were impressed by Chef Yu and glad to find a place where both of us have a couple stand-by orders on the menu.
Seoul Gum Tang - 3801 Telegraph Ave
Seoul Gum Tang almost looks like a Korean Community Center from the outside. It's on the corner of Macarthur and Telegraph, and has a parking lot on the Macarthur side.
We don't remember that this place has actual windows either. Glass doors, yes. Windows? We don't think so (we'll check for sure next time we traverse past).
We didn't know what we'd find inside, but the PIC was feeling a bit tired of Korean food already. Fortunately, this isn't a Korean BBQ place. The specialty here seems to be big huge cauldrons of dumpling-filled soups, which come to you on your own personal bunson burners. I'm not sure why the Koreans are so fond of portable grills and so averse to windows - one would think they'd be best off going hand-in-hand. 'Tis a mystery.
We asked the waitress what was good, and she told us "Everything!" As per the norm in our Korean restaurant experience, we were the only non-Koreans in the place and the staff was Korean. Other than Dan Sung Sa, all our waitstaff in the Korean establishments speak Korean as their first language and have spotty English, making it somewhat difficult to really get to the bottom of mysteries like "Hot ball." Hmm.
What we saw on the menu: Assorted casserole of dumpling. We don't know what was in that dumpling, and we feel better off not knowing. (It was some kind of meat.) It cost $28.95, so whatever it was I hope it's good. Something about "Hot Ball" (yes, you can giggle - we did). Most things on this menu are served in a bowl.
What we ordered: Beef/kimchee dumpling
What it came with: steamed rice, marinated zucchini, green onion and kim chee.
Atmo: Korean community center
Crowd: Korean folks of all walks of life
Spent: Around $30
Overall rating: 3 sporks
The atmo in here is very bright and has flat screens with Korean news on them. These folks get extra style points for having utensils in a little box, cool lightweight metal chopsticks, and metal rice holders for your personal rice serving to keep it hot.
The dumpling soup was service in a ginormous cauldron on aforementioned personal stove, and it had cabbage and other fresh veggies on top that you can put in and let wilt. The broth was cloudy and light cream/salmon-colored, and this freaked us out. We still don't know what was in this broth. It was good, but not knowing what was in it and the vaguely fishy flavor scared us both a little.
The soup also contained udon noodles and fish cakes - the latter of which I hate and the PIC loves.
The dumplings themselves were extremely flavorful, and we ate almost all of them.
Advice: don't take this stuff for leftovers. We brought it home to see what would happen and discovered that it became a gelatinous, milky mass when it cooled down. This was less-than-appetizing for us, but absolutely delicious to the canine residents of the house.
The dogs give this place 5 paws for allowing them three major loves all in one dish: fish, beef and noodles.
This restaurant cemented the PIC's opinion that she just doesn't really like Korean food very much, and that the only way she plans to eat it again is if we do Korean BBQ somewhere with fire grills and good meat. Exception is the Dan Sung chicken wings.
So, we may just skip the rest of the Korean restaurants. If we do, we'll list them anyway and note that we skipped them.
Kang Tong Degi - 3702 Telegraph Ave
This is the sign outside Kang Tong Degi, which is why it is known by PIC and I as "Nameless Korean place next door to New Big Daddy's."
Thanks to Yelp for filling in the blanks and giving me a name (and photo!) of this place for our blog.
Note that this is yet another Korean restaurant without windows. What on earth is the deal with this trend? Enlightenment from someone Korean, please.
In any case: This was our third try at Korean food, so we were feeling a little more comfortable with things. We walked in to find a vaguely hipster atmo much like Dan Sung.
We had two guest eaters with us for this adventure. One is a vegetarian, which would prove to be her undoing.
Like Sam Won BBQ, this place will bring you little grills to cook your meat. Unlike Sam Won, the grills are electric rather than giving you the satisfaction of actual fire. Also unlike Sam Won, you get way less condiments and groovy veggies, and the meat was frozen.
The quality of this meat paled in comparison to our impression of the Sam Won meat, and without actual flame we knew that this place just wasn't going to be as good. However, the atmo is groovier and it really puts you in the mood to drown yourself in some soju.
Unfortunately, vegetarian options are extremely limited. Our veggie friend ended up ordering some crazy noodle dish in a spicy sauce that was so hot she couldn't eat it. We're not sure what it was called; the menu wasn't very non-Korean-friendly.
What we ordered: Double beef BBQ (Sirloin and something else in chunks), vegetarian noodle thing with Ass-Burn-hot sauce, soju
Atmo: Korean hipster bar
Crowd: us and young Korean hipsters
Spent: Around $40 for 4 people
Overall rating: 3 sporks
We wouldn't go here again for the Korean BBQ (we'd go to Sam Wong BBQ), and with Dan Sung down the street with a similar groovy atmo and awesome chicken wings, we probably just wouldn't go here again, period.
However, we're glad we tried it out. At this point, the PIC has decided that she may actually be tired of Korean food. This is a problem, because we have at least 2 more Korean places that we know of before we get into the fancy stretch of Telegraph where Dona Tomas and Pizzaiolo live. Yikes.
New Big Daddy's Chinese - 3700 Telegraph Ave
New Big Daddy's is an interesting, fluorescent-lit cafeteria-feeling takeout Chinese hole-in-the-wall.
Good Chinese food is hard to find, so we had low expectations of this place and figured it was just a proverbial notch in the Telegraph belt.
And it was. EXCEPT for one big happy surprise, and that was the "dry fry ribs" which are, I believe, actually called "dry fried ribs." I don't remember, but the first is more fun to say.
I don't know what animal spawned these ribs, but they taste vaguely like Kentucky Fried Chicken - oddly, in a good way. (This is the second establishment in this project to offer us something that tasted like KFC - odd.) They're bizarrely tasty, and the Partner in Chow ate so many that we feared that she might contract a coronary of some kind.
It seems that the dry fried ribs are in fact the specialty here, as they're called out on the menu, on the wall, and some neighborhood dudes pulled up in a hoopdie and rolled in clamoring about dry fried ribs. They were loud and boisterous, and they really wanted some ribs. On the plus side, they didn't ask me for money.
We had two standout dishes from New Big Daddy's: the ribs and the green beans with chicken. Both were unique to this establishment, and both were bizarrely good.
What we ordered: Dry fried ribs, Hot and Sour Soup, Spicy Green Beans with Chicken, Mu Shu Pork, Broccoli Beef and steamed rice. (This is way too much food for 2 people, but for the purposes of a review and PIC's taste for leftover Chinese we splurged).
Atmo: fluorescent Chinese takeout
Crowd: the 'hood
Spent: About $30
Dry fry rib rating: 5 sporks (though we don't have a baseline)
Chicken and green bean rating: 4 sporks
Everything else: 2.5 sporks
Atmo: 1.5 sporks
Overall rating: 3 sporks
The Broccoli Beef had slightly too much fish sauce, but it was still pretty good. I fear weird fluffy Chinese food beef, and this beef wasn't the usual weird rubbery/fluffy beef. It was thin and still slightly scary for me; PIC didn't mind it.
The Hot 'n Sour Soup was OK; thinner than usual, and nothing to write home about. This is one thing I order nearly every time I eat Chinese food, and this one was forgettable.
So: go for the ribs or the green beans, or don't bother.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Louisiana Fish and Chips - 2817 Telegraph Ave
I'd actually heard from a neighbor that he loves this place. I don't like fried food, but I figured we'd give it a try anyway. Hey - they have burritos, so yet another "fried seafood and burrito" place on Telegraph. The first one didn't disappoint...
Unfortunately, this one did disappoint. All the fried fish was bizarrely hard, though to be fair the crust wasn't greasy. Vaguely tasteless and otherwise kinda nasty, but not greasy. Woo.
The hushpuppies were also bland. The burrito was bland. Everything was bland and left us feeling like we were glad we stopped eating before we felt gross.
I believe that this is the place that made 2 other friends sick. I was hoping this wasn't the same place, but after eating there I fear that it was. Yuk.
What we ordered: Fried fish that came with fries, hush puppies and a burrito
Atmo: takeout fish fry
Crowd: us
Spent: Too much, probably $30
Overall rating: (we don't divide evenly; food is more important): 0 sporks
Yes, 0 sporks. We didn't like a single thing. Sorry, Louisiana Fish & Chips. Wait - no, I'm not sorry. You owe me $30 and some calorie credits!
Our advice? Avoid this place and go to Off the Hook if you absolutely must have fried fish and burritos.
