Moo’s Craft Barbecue - Los Angeles

Finally, someone who knows how to use a smoker! 

Wow, this Brisket. Fall-apart, just the right meat-to-fat ratio in every slice, deep smoke through and through. Pork Belly Burnt Ends are perfect as well, oozing with a sweet Korean-style glaze. 

Everything here is so flavorful, savory all the way through, no details have been missed. Even the pickles have a kick, and the sweet and tangy bbq sauce and mustard are both great for saucing up the Pulled Pork, which, while juicy and tender, doesn't quite reach the depth of the other two. 

The sides are a lie. Sure, the Slaw is lovely, with just the right combination of creaminess and tang, but if I only had the Beans with some rice as a meal, I would have given Moo's 5 stars on that alone. They’re too good to be just a side, flavored with abundant brisket bits and a warmly spicy zing. 

BEST bbq in LA. This one could actually stand up to some of the stuff I've seen from Texas, and every bite is exceptional. There's a lunch line out the door even on a Friday, and there's a reason they sell out fast. 

Tierra Mia Coffee - Los Angeles

Nice little coffee shop to beat the heat while waiting for Moo's to open. 

A blended Mexican Chocolate Frappe has a great cacao flavor without too much sugar, and a Dulce de Leche Latte is my cool-off drink of choice. This one is very sweet, but reasonably so considering what it is.

Nice little coffee shop, looks a bit commercial, like the inside of your typical Peet's. Not for snobs looking for craft coffee, but definitely does its job if you're just looking for a shorter sit.

Triple Beam Pizza - Santa Monica

Can't commit to an entire pie? Triple Beam is the place to go. Order your custom, craft pizza in quarters, each with of three "beams” of Roman style pizza. 

That crust is a Nancy Silverton signature, and it is incomparable. It finishes with an impossibly crispy crunch while the topping side retains a doughy chew. The toppings…The toppings are alright. 

The Pineapple, Prosciutto and Jalapeno is *chef’s kiss, a beautiful balance between salt, sweet, and heat. 

Roasted Mushroom and Shallot looks so good, with towering fungi and gorgeous purple rings, but the shallots are tough and the cheese is overpowering, a bit too creamy to let the mushrooms come through. 

Roasted Fennel & Sausage with Goat Cheese is better balanced, with fragrant fennel complementing the sausage and just a bit of cheese smooth out the texture. This one is exactly what you’d expect when someone says “gourmet pizza”. 

Fantastic crust, pretty good toppings. Not my favorite pizza place so far but it’s all good fun and I’d always be up for more. 

Canaan Cafe UPDATE - Lomita

Maybe I ordered the wrong stuff or maybe my half-delirious, fully-starved postpartum brain has changed my palate. Or perhaps I didn’t give Canaan Cafe enough credit the first time around. 

The Steamed Shanghai Dumplings are still just fine, a small sip of sweet and savory soup with a tender pork filling. 

The French Style Beef is where they really step it up. Sharp slices of onion punctuate these tender, peppery cubes. A simple dish, but simply delish. 

Canaan Special Pork Chop is nicely seasoned, though a bit soggy from the transit. 

Kung Pao Chicken is super tender. I did wish for more veggies, but the flavor is good. Don’t let the chilis deter you - they add more pepper-sweetness than spice. 

The Stir Fried Baby Bok Choy is just that, but they do a good job on it. The stems still have some crunch, and the flavor is punctuated by notably fresh garlic. 

It’s still no Muodu, but I need to stop wishing for what’s lost and just be grateful that the replacement will do. I can’t see a cafe like Canaan standing up in San Gabriel, but it’s pretty good Chinese for the South Bay. 

Bake & Che - Westminster

Vietnamese desserts, colorful drinks and cute little cakes.

Bummer, they're out of the palm sugar best-seller, but others will suffice. Love the texture on the durian pandan cake, do not love the durian. It’s subtle, but you do have to like durian. Still it’s well-executed enough that even I ate half. The rest of the cakes are great as well . Taro is denser but smooth and sweet, mung bean has a fine-grain, mealier texture, and cassava is more like mochi. 

The Flan Cheesecake is a perfectly creamy texture, barely-eggy, sweet and smooth.

I can’t even remember which che I chose - I think it was the Thai. Every spoonful of sweet milk is spectacular with so many colors and textures combined: juicy sweet fruits, chewy tapioca, bright jelly chunks. 

A great place to stop by after dinner, especially if you’re already in this plaza.

Destination Seafood House - Westminster

Quite the destination for all sorts of shellfish. 

Don’t be selfish, share the shellfish. The Five Spices Grilled Platter comes sizzling hot with four of everything, best for two to share. 

The corn is the best thing on this plate - that buttery scallion topping really hits. The whelks are chewy, both by nature and by preparation so they won’t be to everyone’s taste. The clams are a bit dry, but the razor clams and mussels are tender. There’s a smothering of garlicky sauce in every shell, and overall this big plate lands well.

The Garlic Roasted Lobster with Noodles is stunning to see, but the lobster is tough from bring overcooked, and I suspect the dry garlic chips also stole some moisture. The garlic noodles beneath, however, are exceptional, with a buttery and pungently sweet finish. 

Shaken Beef is a landlubber option if you want the garlic noodles without the seafood, but the beef, although tender, could be better seasoned so you’d do better to just get just noodles for a fraction of the price. 

Not bad overall, a lot of fun for seafood fans. Not cheap but still reasonably priced - seafood just isn’t cheap. I liked it but I didn’t love it, mostly due to a fair amount of overcooking. I wouldn’t recommend against it, but I would also try some other places in the area before I decide how this one ranks. 

The Brothers Sushi - Santa Monica

Counter service by chef Mark is a zen-like pleasure. It is almost a meditation, watching him deftly slice shining cuts of premium fish amidst friendly chatter across a sparkling counter. The decor here is as elegant as his knife work; clean, quietly warm; a welcoming space.

There's a series of starters; a fresh salad with tangy dressing, a steaming bowl of miso soup. 

Dry-aged Ceviche features colorful chunks of lime-laden fish. Something about the acid opens the palate and whets the appetite for what’s to come.

First is a slice of Baby Sea Bream, cool with shiso and lime. 

The Orange Clam hails from Boston, a delicately meaty chunk tenderly scored into soft stripes. 

Chutoro is a familiar favorite, as fat melts amongst the meat. 

Hokkaido Scallop is sweet and soft, dotted with zested lime. 

The crispy covering of the Beltfish Tempura melts away from buttery bits of such soft flesh. 

Ora King Salmon has serious smoke, and 3 weeks of aging gives it a firmer finish. 

Marinated Bluefin Tuna comes alive with a spike of mustard. 

Jack Mackerel is gooey and smooth with just thr slightest fishy sting. 

Sweet Sea Perch is silky and slick. 

And just when I think I’ve seen it all, a bit of fresh Ikura graces my plate. This is so different from any other I’ve had, not so fishy, a firm and satisfying pop from every single bubble bursting with flavor, full of liquid much thinner and far less ooey-gooey.

Tamago concludes the lunch set, but there always more a la carte. 

I pay extra for the Uni as the price point makes it prohibitive at lunch, and it's worth every cent. This stuff is so fresh and so impossibly sweet, and chef cuts thick stacks to set into the gunkan. 

Any way you slice it, $100 for premium sushi is a steal, especially on the swanky streets of Santa Monica. And the quality they’re able to provide is astounding; spectacular slices of fish, some spiked with touches of creativity from one of LA’s sweetest chefs. 

Pizzana - Marina del Rey

It’s quite the ordeal to order on DoorDash, with the expanded range fee and a high tip for the poor Dasher stuck in southbound traffic. 

But wow, is it worth every penny, even lukewarm by the time it arrives. 

The Funghi is smothered in fresh seasonal mushrooms. The mozzarella base is mild, allowing the earthy fragrance to float right through. Fontina adds a creamy richness, caramelized onion a bit of gooey sweet. The crust is a perfect chew, though I imagine it lost some crisp along the way. No matter, the dough is delightful. 

Sweet and spicy dominate the Diavolo, with long slices of salami with sass and spunk. A sweet drizzle of honey makes it hotter, and the charred shallots finish with just a little hit of bitter ash to ground it. The sauce is toasty and roasty, more smooth than it is tangy.

I really didn't expect to like it this much, but wow, I am in love. Their operation seems a bit more casual and a little less upper crust, but their crust is hardly inferior, and I think their toppings can compete with even the likes of Pizzeria Bianco. Would absolutely pay all the fees to feast on this stuff again. 

Dumpling Mix - Redondo Beach

Handmade dumplings, a menu full of Chinese-Taiwanese classics. 

Sesame Noodles are sensibly simple, chewy noodles mixed with cool cukes, and a smooth sesame sauce. 

Lion Head Meatballs are sold in singles, tender pork in a brown sauce in a bed of clear rice noodles. A bit too heavy on the salt for my preference but not a bad starter for sharing. A single one can be split. 

Dumplings are the main event, and they offer them steamed, boiled, or fried, all to perfection. Steamed keeps the wrapper chewy, and fried comes with that crisp bottom crust. Surf and Turf is a three-meat mix of chicken, pork, and shrimp. The filling is tender and juicy, with just a little bit of sweetness lent by the shrimp. The Seafood filling is a little bit fishy so only get it if you like a little sting from the sea. The crab comes through and shares the stage with the fish and shrimp. Pork and Cabbage are traditional, also tender, with a lighter finish than the other two. 

Despite the recent arrival of Jiayuan and a couple chains of Bafang, good Chinese staples remain scarce in the South Bay. The food here tastes like food my family would make, and I'm pretty thrilled that these dumplings got thrown into the mix.

Calif Chicken Cafe - El Segundo

I will not lie, their menu is BORING. It is chicken. Chunks of chicken, parts of chicken, salads of chicken, and wraps of chicken. It's a good thing Ellie has impeccable taste or I would not have driven any distance for this menu. 

The location is interesting, more casual than casual with only outdoor seating. There’s no real inside, just a counter for ordering and pick-up. 

We start with dark meat Rotisserie, only legs and thighs. The fat drips a little, as it should when you pick up a piece to bite into. The seasoning is just right, the meat is perfectly tender, no need to add anything, though chipotle dressing does supplement with spice. 

A side of Chinese Cabbage Salad is like a sweet coleslaw of understated simplicity, a refreshing contrast to all the meat. The first few bites feel meh, but the more I eat, the more I like it. 

The Melrose Wrap has a wholesome cross-section, just strips of white meat bordered by avocado and greens with tangy Italian dressing to perk it up a bit.

It's good, nutritious food that doesn't make you feel gross after you eat it. There's no carb coma, no grease regret, just the lingering savoriness of chicken cooked correctly and refreshing veggies to give you an energy boost.  As simplistic as this stuff seems, it's not stuff you should skip. 

Highly Likely - Los Angeles

It is highly likely that I am not cool enough to be here. The vibe is ultra hip, and the food is too cool for school, Southern California cuisine in all the best ways possible. 

Plenty of choices, simple things like a Bodega Sando for breakfast. Fluffy scrambled eggs covered in ooey-gooey cheese spill out of a fluffy potato bun. 

The sando itself is nice, but it’s best when accompanied by the Ubiquitous Avo Toast, which might be the prettiest toast in town. The soft stuff is smashed over a slice of crispy-crust, seedy toast. Furikake and fresh herbs add their aroma, and pickled onions add some acid. It leaves a morning-dew-on-grass impression, lovely just by itself. Combine it with a spoonful of scrambled eggs from the sando for a combination that is divine. 

More lunch-like options include the Pibil Bowl, shreds of tender chicken spiced up with achiote, accompanied by runny-yolk fried eggs that ooze over the crunchy tostada and fill in the gaps between the veggies and the cheese. 

Drinks are supposed to be good here, and the Matcha Latte gets my love. Like everything else I had here,  the quality is clear and simple, with fresh ingredients and a flawless execution. 

A great place to sit and socialize, best for a basic  brunch of much-better-than-basic food. 

Bridgetown Roti - Hollywood

There are two kinds of people: those who can deal with traffic and those who cannot. And then they marry each other. I will drive anywhere in anything to get to my food but my husband will not. And then he knocked me up so here he is, driving me to Bridgetown Roti. 

After a single bite of the Chicken Curry Roti, he declared, “I would drive here anytime to eat this again.” He has never before uttered these words because I have never known anyone who hates Hollywood more than he does. So try the chicken curry here. The thigh meat is tender and soaked in an ethereal spice mix, full of island charm…and whatever powerful witchcraft can propel my husband back to Hollywood. 

The Red Pepper Goat Roti is a hard-hitting, spicy, goat-gamey stew-wrap of shredded meat that melts in your mouth. 

Soothe the burn with a bite of the creamy Mac and Cheese but beware the hint of ghost pepper that sneaks up oh-so subtly. 

Cool down with the Jerk Cucumber Salad as well if you wish. The vinaigrette is quietly refreshing and delivers a satisfying crunch in every bite. 

But if you do nothing else here, be sure to snag the Wings. A jerk brine followed by a jerk sauce sinks the flavor in and with that sweet sear of honey…well, there are no better wings in the world. 

I don’t need to tell you how special this place is. Arguably the first real roti in SoCal, they’ve already carved out their niche. Every item on their menu will sear itself into your memory, and their house-made mixes of powder and curry will make them a legend.