landscapes of LA

How was LA?

It's fucking huge.

The last time I was there, I was still into theme parks.  I was probably about seven, and we went to Disneyland and Universal Studios.  I got really into collecting the pressed coins and hit every single souvenir shop even though they are all basically the same.  Today, I really hate crowds and haven't returned to a theme park of any kind since.

If there's ever a place for seamlessly guilt-free meals, it's Native Foods.  Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger is nothing like it sounds.  It's vegan.  While delicious and filling, the 'meat' got a little bit tiring both texture- and flavor-wise.  Taste fatigue is a thing.  Seitan (SAY-tan say-TAN SEE-tin... how do you pronounce this?) makes a pretty convincing 'meat' product but the facon (fake bacon) was too salty.  I'm no stranger to fake meat, and there are times that I prefer it, but bacon - and more importantly, pork belly - just can't be replicated.  Regardless, I was still super satisfied and struggled to walk it off and couldn't get drunk two hours later because it still weighed so heavily in my stomach.  The best part was the fruit/tea drinks - first timers get a free cup.  The waiter even made me a fancy watermelon concoction with mint leaves and a straw.

Wonderful way to start the day at Mary & Robb's Westwood Cafe.  This was the fastest breakfast decision I've ever made.  Minimal mulling over the menu and ranking the importance of ingredients after finally deciding on savory over sweet.  Roasted veggie frittata.  It was the eggplant and basil that got me.  Decorated with pepper and Tabasco.  I don't know why there are days I elect not to eat eggs for brekkers.

Stumbled upon a farmer's market where we finally decided on an easy lunch at the Bolani stand before (not actually) making it to Jimmy Kimmel.  Eggplant pesto, I could eat five cartons of you.  Spinach-filled bolani, you were delicious, too.  But eggplant pesto... apologies again for eating it all, Ann.  I couldn't stop myself.  It's really hard to explain.

The Chipotle of pizzas: 800 Degrees.  Pesto pizza with mushrooms and roasted garlic.  These are a few of my favorite things.  The problem with the toppings bar is that you must remember each thing costs extra.  This is unlike Chipotle where there are tricks to maximizing the size of your bowl.  Then again, I didn't really need to exercise restraint because the hustle and bustle of the place forced an immediate instinctive decision.  I made this personalized pie last two more mornings after stopping myself halfway at dinner.  Good thing too because we're always a little bit behind in the mornings, and I must eat within 30 minutes of waking up.  [Sometimes I wake up just to eat before falling back asleep.]  Excellent with a dollop of eggplant pesto on top.

Lunch outside in the pretty LA weather at TLT Food.  Another one of those places where I have to resist the urge to order one of everything.  Too bad my choices don't reflect how beautiful and refreshing the day was.  Cauliflower with cheese sauce and the Ultimate Taco.  Just as you'd imagine fried cauliflower and pulled pork to taste.  I like that now I can say I've been to TLT after seeing The Lime Truck win The Great Food Truck Race (the only season I watched).  Almost as cool as spotting a celebrity (which unfortunately didn't happen).

After much struggle (because LA is fucking huge), we found Dan for dinner at Hide Sushi.  Or rather, he found us.  Thank you for driving in LA.  The 1000 reviews caught my attention, so I was a little confused to see how crammed the space is.  But the many names on the wait board was a good sign... or could that be because the space is so small?  It was a la carte style, and I wanted to finally try sea urchin.  The scallop pieces were mostly for the sake of filling my stomach - still two really nice and sweet and velvety pieces of scallops though.  I was pleased.  I'd say I'm a fan of uni.  It's weird and slimy and orange and appears fuzzy, but mixed with some rice, it's a bit reminiscent of crab yolk, which is by far my favorite part of crabs.  Meanwhile, Dan was super adventurous and got salmon and spicy tuna rolls.

The Asian cousin of Chipotle is Shophouse.  Also limited in choices lest you want to pay for extra items (how Chipotle has spoiled us all...).  However, here's my first tip for you - ask for half and half veggies if you are like me and couldn't decide.  I'm not sure if it would've worked for fourth and fourth and fourth and fourth though.  My bowl: brown rice, chicken satay, green beans & corn, spicy red curry & drizzle of tamarind vinaigrette, green papaya slaw, peanuts & chili.  Of course it was delicious.  I met my match in spice.  The chicken was so tender and flavorful.  But maybe next time, I'd go for noodles or salad because having the rice must have caused my tastebuds/brain to believe I was supposed to be eating Chipotle, so my cravings got a little bit confused - missing salsas and romaine and fresh tomatoes and guac.

We cut afternoon mall rooftop lounging and nighttime bar hopping with some salads at True Food Kitchen.  California is all about kale.  But I was more about the fava beans, artichokes, peas, cheese, and avocado.  The kale was just a nice addition.  It was an adorable space with a big open kitchen and orange scented water and a mini herb garden.

How was LA?

It was beautiful, and I got fat.