Jar - word review

I finally went to Jar last week, so I'm reporting back.

Alas ... my camera was out of battery! So no picture :( Sad ...

What we had:

Crab Deviled eggs - The eggs were good, and the amount of crab was somewhat generous. Not generous enough to warrant any special note though, so overall it was not that special.

Lobster Cocktail - The lobster was fresh and delicious, but a bit on the tough side ...
I think the onions they put overwhelmed the lobster taste and the dish would have been better without it ...

Pan Roasted Wild Alaskan Salmon - The piece of salmon was not evenly cut ... so here's how it was: on the thicker end the salmon was undercooked, in the middle it was just right - perfect and oh so delicious in every way! On the thinner end it was a bit overcooked ...
It is too bad that they didn't keep this in mind while cutting/preparing it ....

Braised Lamb Shank - What can I say? This was the best lamb shank I have ever had! The most tender lamb shank ... *drool* and the coriander+star anise sauce was de-li-cious.

We had baked purple sweet potato for the side ... the sweet potato was sweet and yummy, but I don't get why people would put sour cream on sweet potatoes ... That just takes away from the sweetness :(

Desserts:
Jar's signature chocolate pudding - very good chocolate pudding, but I can't say it was something particularly noteworthy.

So overall ... Most of the dishes had kinks, but I would definitely come back here, especially for that lamb shank ... and next time perhaps will try more of the meat dishes.

Jar
8225 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 655-6566

www.thejar.com

My Ultimate Burger and Shake Meal

People can argue with me, but I think Grace offers the best burger+shake meal in LA. Sure, the price isn't exactly what you would normally spend for burger and shake, but ...

(If you're looking for a review of the other food they have at Grace, go to my dineLA review here)

I ordered the Grace burger with the truffle cheese. The waitress assured us that (although you can't see them), the cheese was made from authentic Italian white truffles, not just truffle essence ...
A huge patty of beef, cooked medium with melted truffle cheese in between fleur-de-sel buns, with fresh lettuce and tomatoes. And delicious fries, too. Yum. I don't know, I think Grace burger is my favorite, although I can respect people saying otherwise, e.g. if they want Kobe beef, or more unique sauces/preparation, or just more burger-like prices :P
This is definitely not my go-to place for a regular daily cravings for burger. Special occasion burger cravings only!


Last time I had the blueberry malt shake which was absolutely, absolutely amazing. This time they didn't have it ... so I opted for the Mexican Chocolate shake. This was also really, really good! Grace might not have the best burger around, but I would definitely argue that Grace has the best milkshake.

GRACE
7360 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036-2501
gracerestaurant.com

Say "Kurobuta"!

It's easy to find the best ramen place in little Tokyo. Just follow the line. While Mr. Ramen or whatever else on 1st street is practically empty, there is always at least a 30 minute wait outside of Daikokuya.

What makes Daikokuya so special? They use kurobuta pork! And they make their broth by boiling for a whole day. They get my vote for the best ramen in LA. Here is the Daikoku Ramen:
A hard boiled egg that's been soaked overnight. Noodles done just right. That wonderful, wonderful broth that just spells out "comfort food." Sumptuous pieces of kurobuta, topped with lots of green onions. Oh and the sesame seeds. Yum.

Let's look closer at our lovely fatty kurobuta shall we? ;)
The kurobuta is so tender that it feels like it would just melt in your mouth. No more of that chewy chashu in my ramen for me.

The whole thing is definitely fatty. That is probably why it tastes so good that you want to just gulp down the broth from the entire bowl. When I eat this I always think about the last ramen scene from Tampopo. You pick up your bowl, gulp down the entire thing. Ahhh.

(If this doesn't seem to do it for you in terms of fattiness, feel free to order the kotteri style for extra back fat in your broth!)

Daikokuya
327 E. 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90012