Showing posts with label fried chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fried chicken. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Astro's Doughnuts & Fried Chicken (Downtown LA)

Doughnuts. We can't get enough of them. The popular DC-based Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken is now open in downtown LA. It's been named one of the best donut shops in America, so of course I had to try them! And I tried quite a few of them ..
Astro Doughnuts

Astro's has a selection of three hot cake doughnuts that will be made fresh to order, and you don't want to miss these. I got the Nutella hot cake doughnut (but it was a tough choice between this and maple bacon).
Astro Doughnuts
You have to get one of these made-to-order donuts if you have time to eat in the store! Warm donut with melted Nutella. So good! I'm normally a fan of yeast donuts more than cake donuts, but this was an exceptionally good cake donut.

Made-to-order donuts aside, Astro's doughnuts are made fresh in small batches throughout the day, and their batter is never frozen. Look out for their special seasonal flavors, like this Chocolate Banana Daiquiri filled with banana custard
Astro Doughnuts

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Preview: The Chicken or the Egg in Playa Vista, CA

by @btsunoda

I recently attended a pre-grand opening party at the Chicken or the Egg in Playa Vista. If you haven’t been to Playa Vista before, it’s an interesting mixed-use development situated between Westchester and Playa Del Rey.
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The concept is the creation of Hunter Pritchett (Waterloo & City, Mendocino Farms, Son of a Gun) and Sean Krajewski. The name, Chicken or the Egg, represents a restaurant that serves breakfast egg sandwiches, salads and dishes that include fried chicken. In addition, their ingredients are sourced locally from suppliers that have sustainable processes.

The restaurant interior is urban with a clean minimalist appearance. The design fits in well with the office buildings situated nearby. Both bar and table seatings are available. There were a couple of indoor trees which offset the stark interior.

I was able to sample a few items that evening.


A delicious assortment of baked good awaited us. These were just baked and were warm and tasty.
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Chicken Cobb Salad
Photo credit: The Chicken or the Egg

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Willie Mae's Scotch House (New Orleans, LA)

I'm late in posting about my visit to Willie Mae's Scotch House but decided to do so now because of the recent news of Willie Mae Seaton's passing. This great woman ran Willie Mae's Scotch House for decades until she passed away at age 99.

I had the chance to dine at Willie Mae's when I was in New Orleans for the last Foodie Hub North American Awards (formerly known as Chowzter). This hole in the wall had won a James Beard Award! Of course, Anthony Bourdain has been here, too.

Willie Mae's
Willie Mae's is off the beaten path, but it's less than 2 miles away from the French Quarter, so the pilgrimage here is totally doable. The place was completely packed. You'd probably have to wait in line but thankfully they are quick in serving you and churning food out, so the turnover is high.

Willie Mae's fried chicken definitely deserves one of the top spots on any fried chicken list. The skin is super crispy, the chicken is juicy and seasoned well. We all dug in and loved it! Get it with a side of fried okra.
Willie Mae's

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Loretta's Last Call: Southern Food and Live Music Steps From Fenway (Boston, MA)

The area near Fenway isn't just for sports bar. If you're looking for something different, head to Loretta's Last Call for some Southern food and live country music.

Loretta's Last Call
When you do go, be sure to get the Bacon and cheese grit fritters
Loretta's Last Call
Tater tots? Arancini? Who needs either of those when you have these, bacon and cheese grit fritters!

Friday, September 4, 2015

Fried Chicken and Donuts at Do-Rite (Chicago, IL)

Angelenos already know the name Jeff Mahin from the great burrata and pizza at Stella Barra (and DC and Maryland folks are familiar with his Summer House Santa Monica), but few have been lucky enough to try his donuts. Jeff Mahin's Do-Rite Donuts are currently only in Chicago, unfortunately for those of us who don't live there.

My favorite donut there so far: Cinnamon crunch raised donut. This donut has layers of cinnamon streusel hiding within!

Do-Rite
The raised dough itself had a great texture that I really liked, but the key for me, a cinnamon lover, is obviously all the cinnamon streusel I keep discovering with each bite.

The Erie St location of Do-Rite also serves various fried chicken sandwiches. I had a hard time choosing what do order (Chef Mahin's favorite is the spicy fried chicken), but I finally decided on The CBR (fried chicken with bacon and cheddar on brioche)
Do-Rite Donuts
A nice, filling sandwich for only $5.99. The chicken was tender and the breading was really crispy. Even with the fried chicken and crisped bacon, the sandwich wasn't greasy and nicely held together by the buttery brioche bun. Oh, they also have fried chicken sandwiches using glazed donuts as buns, if you are so inclined!

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Brunch at Avec (Chicago, IL)

Chicago has many great restaurants worth revisiting, and since I'm heading back to the Windy City soon, I'm looking back at the meals I had last year. I've been to Avec for a solo dinner before, but since I couldn't try much, I returned for brunch.

Of course, we had to get one of Avec's most famous items, the Chorizo-stuffed medjool dates, bacon, piquillo pepper-tomato sauce ($12)

Avec
There are bacon-wrapped dates and there are Avec's bacon wrapped dates that are on another level. Don't those plump dates, stuffed to the brim with chorizo, look so delicious? The tomato sauce has a nice kick to it also.

Moroccan "berghir" pancake with fried chicken wings, honey butter, red harissa ($12)
Avec
Really crispy chicken wings, this dish was another hit for me.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Negroni Slushies and Amish Chicken at Parson's Chicken and Fish (Chicago, IL)

I almost missed my flight out of Chicago. I almost missed it because I was busy eating fried chicken and drinking slushies at Parson's. Parson's Chicken and Fish was opened by the team at Longman and Eagle, which you may remember was one of my favorites from previous visits. I'd been hearing about their negroni slushies and decided to stop by on my way to the airport. The place is a fun, colorful, diner.
Parsons
They actually had negroni and dark & stormy slushies, so we got both! They're not just frozen blended to order but actually comes from two slushie machines which you can see sitting on the bar. The two drinks cater to different palates, with the sweeter and zingy Dark and Stormy versus the slightly more bitter Campari taste from the Negroni. Since it's the Longman and Eagle team who opened this restaurant, Conbon asked for her favorite Old Fashioned from L&E and they were able to make it.

Sunday, November 30, 2014

ChocoChicken (Los Angeles, CA)

I’ve been curious about ChocoChicken since it opened. Chocolate fried chicken? Yes, it sounds weird, but since it’s hard to just imagine what that would taste like I had to try it myself. They’ve taken over a pretty big space in downtown that used to be Corkbar.
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The chocolate chicken was actually more … “normal” than I had expected. Yes, I could taste a bit of the rich, bitter chocolate flavor, but for the most part it was fried chicken. Fleischman wasn't going for a sweetness by adding chocolate, but more complexity with bittersweet chocolate.
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Saturday, February 15, 2014

Grainivore: A Tiny Singaporean Join in Koreatown

The name Grainivore certainly doesn't sound like a Singaporean restaurant and who knows why they decided to open up in Koreatown, but there it was. Grainivore is a tiny joint (there is extra seating in a back room, which is connected by an alleyway) serving up combo Singaporean meals on paper plates.

You first choose between steamed rice, chicken rice, or coconut rice. Then, there are four protein choices: Hainan chicken, barbecue pork, shrimp paste chicken, and beef rendang. All the combos are $6.99 except beef rendang costs $2 extra.

The place closes at 8pm and when I came around 7pm they were out of the pork and Hainan chicken, so I ordered the beef rendang on coconut rice. All the combos come with a salad with peanut dressing.

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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Dinner at Gus's BBQ, Plus Their New Party Trailer (South Pasadena, CA)

Gus's BBQ is a beloved spot for South Pasadena locals, who keep the restaurant packed every night. When you go, be sure to get the Cast Iron Cornbread ($6.95), made with Sweet Pennsylvanian corn and served with Jalapeno jelly (and make sure to try the jalapeno jelly!)

Photo courtesy of Wandering Chopsticks
NachosA good appetizer to share for a big party is the Pulled Pork Nachos ($10.95): homemade tortilla chips topped with pulled pork, four cheese sauce, bbq baked beans, smoked mozzarella, jack cheese, tomato, red onion, guacamole, and a bbq drizzle. Talk about loaded nachos!

Mint julep
There's a bourbon-focused cocktail menu here with items like Blood Orange Manhattan and Mint Julep. The Mint Julep is served in a proper julep cup with crushed ice. They also have a dozen beers on tap with seasonal selections and some good local selections.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

New Season Warrants New Visit to Sadie (Hollywood)

A new season means new menu and new cocktails at Sadie. Summer was the season for strawberries and cocktails like the Pink Rose (lillet rose, lemon juice, strawberry syrup, GH mumm cordon rouge - $13)

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Gio Martinez' summer menu featured cocktails like the Sandy Swizzle (pineapple and sage infused chivas regal, agave, lemon juice, whipped coconut cream, Smith and Cross float, $12)
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The first sip of the coconut cream on top was a weird, but as you keep drinking the flavor melds together well with the rest of the cocktail. The coconut cream brings me back to my holidays back home in Indonesia. This was my favorite and the most unique of the summer cocktails!

The chef has changed since I was here, but when I visited I had some great fried chicken. The Sadie Fried Chicken came with grilled red lady peaches, crispy confit potatoes and Bulleit rye jus for $22
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There was also this gorgeous Charred Bone Marrow with peppadew peppers, leek ash, citrus chive vinaigrette, and of course, toasted bread
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When there's bone marrow at a bar ... you know what might happen, bone luge!
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e*starLA is a pro at this!

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Wood and Vine (Hollywood, CA): Monday Market Dinners and ChickenandWaffles

Fact: Wood and Vine has one of the best al fresco dining area in Hollywood. Insist on a table here as long as the nights aren't too cold. It's a quiet escape from the craziness of Hollywood Blvd.

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When Wood and Vine first opened, the executive chef Gavin Mills had to figure out how to work with the tiny kitchen and now he's got it down. The kitchen is so small it has no walk-in fridge! But that just means Chef Gavin goes to the market every morning for fresh ingredients.
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At a recent dinner, I started my night with a Chai Gold Rush (chai and vanilla infused bourbon, lemon, honey, $12). This was a great cocktail, probably my favorite of the night! It's not overwhelmingly "chai"-like, just notes of spices. I hope they keep this one on the menu for a while!

Mondays are good to give Wood and Vine a try with their Monday Market Prix Fixe menu, $18 for 3 courses. There were three of us dining, so we tried one of the prix fixe menu while ordering other items to try.

watermelon
The first course was a Melon consomme with basil.
This was a rather interesting first course. It was cold (good for the summer) but since it's also sweet, it was more like drinking melon juice rather than a consomme.

The entree that night was Shrimp and Grips with Anson Mills grits and house andouille sausage
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The current menu has plenty of Southern items (as you'll see more below, chicken and waffles being one) and he's also doing a Southern Sunday suppers. I lived in South Carolina for high school and developed a liking to grits. I liked the shrimp and grits here, especially the texture of the grits and the addition of the housemade sausage.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Your New Pasadena Lunch: Burger Haven at Haven Gastropub

Burger Haven isn't a pop-up, but a restaurant within a restaurant. During the lunch hours, the back part of Haven Gastropub in Oldtown Pasadena turns into Burger Haven, serving burgers, fries, and milkshakes. There are 6-7 items on the menu including the Haven burger, the lamb burger, a veggie option, and Here's the Kicker topped with habanero, serrano, jalapeno, and pickled ghost chili! I tried a bite of this and was dying from the spiciness, but I know quite a few people who would love it! You can see the full menu here.

For my lunch, I went instead with the Shake and Bake, which is their fried chicken sandwich. It's made with Mary's free range chicken, coated in corn flakes and pan fried, topped with rosemary mashed potatoes, gravy, braised collard greens, and honey mustard on jalapeno-habanero bun ($9)

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It's like your handheld Southern plate. Fried chicken and all the staple Southern sides compacted between two buns. You may have to explain to your boss why you fell asleep after lunch when you eat this, but at least you'll be full until dinner time!

Regardless of how full I was after that fried chicken sandwich, there's always still room for a Nutella shake ($5)!
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How can you say no to milkshake AND Nutella?

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Eating and Riding Around Knott's Berry Farm

I've been invited to many restaurants and food events, but every once in a while something fun and different comes along, like an invitation to Knott's Berry Farm! OK, so the invite was to come to a tasting of their food offerings around the theme park, but I have to admit the opportunity to ride roller coasters was a major draw for me. Knott's Berry Farm isn't just known as a theme park, but their fried chicken and pies were what started the whole enterprise. Mrs Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant started in 1934 and attracted so many tourists that they started building shops and attractions around it to entertain waiting guests. So it really was the food that started the theme park!

The most famous food here of course is the fried chicken from Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner in the MarketPlace area, where they still serve the original recipe from 78 years ago. I actually have never had the fried chicken up until now, despite having lived in LA for almost 10 years. Verdict: they're quite good and hit the spot.

During the tasting I also tried the chicken pot pie, which also turned out to be really good. Flaky crust with creamy filling!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Revisiting Lexington Social House (Hollywood): New Chefs Bring New Menu(Plus Jazz Nights)

Lexington Social House has gone through a couple of executive chef changes since they opened and have also added nightly specials like Tuesday Pizza Pop Ups and Wednesday Jazz Nights. I was invited in recently to check out the new items and also the Jazz Night.

The large back patio is a nice spot for a quiet outdoor dining in Hollywood.

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We started with a LITTLE GEM LETTUCE salad with smoked blue cheese vinaigrette, grapes, toasted hazelnuts ($10)
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The smoked blue cheese was very aromatic!

Steak Tartare, pickled fennel, root beet caviar, french fries
Beef Tartar
The root beer caviar was a fun touch, but I'm not sure about serving the tartare with french fries. I ended up eating them separately.


Thursday, November 17, 2011

Lexington Social House: Social Hour and Fried Chicken

Good cocktails in the heart of Hollywood, for cheap? We're not talking dive bars, here. It's possible during Lexington Social House's Social Hour, where all specialty cocktails are priced at $7 on weekdays 6-8PM and all night Sunday.

With the launch of Social Hour they also launched a bar menu (items from this menu are also $7 during social hour!)
Do try the Chipotle Pork Belly biscuits with aged gouda, fried egg ($14)

Pork Belly Biscuits
I have a soft spot for McD's sausage egg mcmuffin, but this is (of course!) so much better! Everything you'd ever want from a breakfast sandwich, even if it isn't breakfast time. Great buttery biscuits, thick and tender pork belly, fried egg with runny yolk. I will definitely get this again.

The cocktail menu was created by barman Kyle Ackley, who used to work at XIV, and the cocktails are quite good and interesting (well, the bottom half. The top half consisted of mainly vodka drinks catered to the usual Hollywood crowd).

For my first drink I ordered the Palmera made with Zirbenz stone pine liqueur, pineapple juice, lemon juice, velvet falernum, angostura bitters
Palmera
This refreshing drink is a great one to start the night off with. Frothy, velvety, nice light grassy note.

Next bar food: Short rib panini, port salut, pickles, IPA mustard ($12)
Short Rib Panini
One word to describe this would be "rich". Very rich. The bottom slice soaks up the juices from the braised short rib and melted cheese.

My friend got the SPANISH HARLEM with tanteo cocoa infused tequila, maraschino liqueur, agave nectar, chocolate-chili bitters
Spanish Harlem
As you lift the glass, you'll get a strong chili aroma, but the drink itself is actually not spicy. Strong and balanced.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Chicken, Sweat, and Hot Oil

It was about 90 degrees and 70% humidity, because it always is in the tropical country of Indonesia. The sweat and humidity made our shirts stick to our skin. There's no air conditioning here. That would be too much to expect from a dive called Warung Doyong.

Warung refers to a cheap eatery, a hole in the wall if you will. Doyong, on the other hand, means "leaning." And it isn't leaning in the sense of the tower of Pisa (ooh it's a wonder of the world!) but leaning as in the place is about to collapse on itself. Even in these conditions and heat, this place in Bogor is jam packed. The fan on the wall barely helped, so you order a fresh fruit juice or three - lots of ice cubes.

What is it that we all came here for? It's none other than the fried chicken.

Ayam Goreng (Fried Chicken)
Here, pieces of ayam kampung (the literal translation is village chicken - they roam free, but on the streets, not on a green pasture) are fried en masse in a giant wok, spiced with turmeric, garlic, and all kinds of spices, along with serundeng (spiced, fried shredded coconut).

Monday, August 18, 2008

Chickens and Cobblers

Have you noticed I keep ordering cobblers (crumbles/crisp) for dessert? If not, you probably soon will as I make more backposts :P

This is a backpost of my visit to Cynthia's on Third Street. I've been hearing good things about their blackberry crumble and that's pretty much my main reason for this visit.
Cynthia's was pretty quiet - we came early and were the 2nd table in the house - and has a casual/ homey feel. The music was definitely noticeable and they have a note on their menu saying that they will not turn it down ...

Piping hot bread was served.
Bread was decent and since it was hot it tasted even better.

We shared the crab cake appetizer from the Specials menu.
It was served over a bed of mangoes and the sourness really complements the crab cakes. Overall a good dish, though I would've loved more crab in the crab cakes.

I, of course, ordered their infamous fried chicken. I usually do not order chicken at restaurants (especially breasts) because they tend to be dry and overcooked. But I do love fried chicken and was curious after all the reviews. Then came three big, crispy, fried chicken breasts:The mashed potatoes and greens weren't much - I guess they were good but how can they be special in the first place?
The fried chicken on the other hand, really was good! Althouth they were chicken breasts, they were tender and juicy since they were cooked properly. The skin was crispy and had a nice texture. If only they didn't put it on top of the mashed potatoes - that made it soggy over time.
Definitely a memorable fried chicken dish!

I unfortunately can't really remember what kind of fish my friend ordered ... I think it was a barramundi, but sorry can't guarantee that that's correct. It was off of their specials menu.Whatever it was, it was delicious! I had a few bites and really liked it. The fish is tender and flavorful and juicy. The flavors were bold, which I like in my fish dishes. It was served with some orecchiete which was also done well. A great dish overall, I wish they would offer it again and again.

And now it's time for the blackberry crumble! First of all, it was HUGE. Definitely enough for two:
It was indeed a great crumble. The crust was oat-based and was nice and slightly chewy. The flavor was right on though. Whole fresh blackberries inside. It was more watery than normal crumble/cobbler, but it tasted great and at least you know you're not just chowing down a whole lotta syrup... (although that wateriness does make seem like I'm missing something)
I'm generally that a huge fan of blackberries (go blueberries!) but I did really like this crumble. Don't know if it's the best in LA but definitely up there somewhere.

Cynthia's Restaurant3

8370 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 658-7851


Cynthia's Restaurant3 on Urbanspoon

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