Sprinkles Cupcakes ATM – Beverly Hills

Usually when you put your debit card into an ATM you get cash. When you put your debit card into the Sprinkles ATM, you get the perfect cupcake…with no sprinkles.

Unlike the random not-your-bank ATMs you’ve used, while Sprinkles does come with a 4-dollar ATM fee, you get a cupcake for your trouble. Most ATMs charge at least $2 anyway. Believe me, you want to double down for the picture-perfect Red Velvet Cupcake with the cute-as-a-button cream cheese icing on top.

Be careful about venturing to Sprinkles late at night. The only gunshots you’ll hear in Beverly Hills may be movie props, but that ATM is downright dangerous. All that sugar will get you high as a kite, and if you don’t crash soon enough, you’ll probably go back for seconds. And they’re open late. And if you go too many times you won’t have any money left to take out next time you go to your real ATM.

All Jacked Up about Jack’s on Montana – Santa Monica

Walking into Jack’s and expecting an average brunch is like walking into Gold’s Gym in Santa Monica and expecting everyone to look like you. Arnold Schwarzenegger trained there so believe me, everyone there is jacked. And although I don’t know who trained the chef at Jack’s, believe me, Jack’s brunch is brunch on crack. 

When Jack’s serves brunch, Jack’s serves a serious brunch. You’ll leave disappointed if you're craving some creativity, but don’t worry, the classics will blow you away. I’ve had some pretty awesome omelets, and I’ve even made a few good ones myself, but good things come in threes, and nothing comes close to the Three Mushroom Omelet. The eggs flop fluffily around a bulging tube of juicy mushrooms, which burst in your mouth as they stick to strings of fresh mozzarella. We subbed the mozz for the goat cheese just to lighten this dense little flavor-pack.

I never thought I’d see my beloved blue corn again after a brief stint in New Mexico, but I guess they migrated with me...and picked some soft black beans and just the right blend of salsa, guac, and cheese along the way. Just break those farm fresh eggs and top the hearty Huevos Rancheros with a little halo of yolk.

The less creative the name, the better the food. And the food at Jack’s is about as creative as its name, a bunch of brunch bites rooted deeply in tradition; sandwiches and sausages with predictable sides of soft home fries and the freshest fruit. You don’t get less creative than a name like Jack’s, but I dare you to find a brunch that’s better. Being new to California, I still have a lot of brunch to try. I'll try them all one day, but today I’m still pretty jacked up about my journey to Jack’s.

Oh Em Gee at O Dae San - Los Angeles

My SunDae got a whole lot better when I went to O Dae San. And that’s really saying something considering I was stopping by on my way up to the famous Runyon Canyon.

There’s no other way to describe it, Runyon is just plain famous. A haven for hikers, a hotspot for socialites, and a must-see for celebs, there’s really no one left that doesn’t know about Runyon. Koreatown isn’t that far behind. I mean, you probably won’t see celebs, but I dare you to find someone in SoCal who doesn’t know about Koreatown. And if you think about it, they’re not all that different. One is holes in the ground, and the other is holes in the wall. And although most people aren’t driving to Koreatown for the breathtaking view, the view into a barbecue pit isn’t half bad either.

My drive up to Runyon was quite a trial of traffic, with cars on the 405 as numerous as the plethora of pickled plates that mark the start of every Korean meal. But O Dae San also starts with a Kimchee Pancake, which fell as flat as its name. I love kimchee, but it doesn’t belong in a pancake. The pickled spiciness gets lost in the batter, and it ends up being goopy breaded cabbage. So forget the kimchee, pancakes should be reserved for strawberries, blueberries, chocolate chips…and scallion.

The pancake was an unpleasant hike toward the main event, but looking down and seeing Pork Belly, Beef Belly, and Beef Brisket sizzle on the grill was about the equivalent to going to Runyon and looking down from the top. The thing is, no matter how hot the sun gets, downtown LA doesn’t burn, which is more than I can say for the beef if you leave it on the grill too long. Plus the pork belly turns tough under the heat. So feel free to bite off more than you can chew, but be careful about cooking more than you can eat.

The best part about Runyon’s view is that it’s free. Celebs and nobodies alike can soak in the sights for the same no cost, and at O Dae San, anyone can have an all-you-can-eat lunch for $11.99.

I had fun at O Dae San, and I loved going there, but I wouldn’t go back simply because Koreatown offers too many promising alternatives. But if you’re craving a huge lunch at a crazy deal on your way to Runyon, a meal at O Dae San will put the cherry on top of your sunDae. Just make sure you hike to burn it off.

My Cooking

Even interns have time to make a simple meal! Here's my easy-as-pie beef, zucchini, and egg noodle spicy Stir Fry!

Country Touch Café – Torrance

Everyone needs a touch of country in their lives, but I wouldn’t go to Country Touch unless you’re looking for a little more south than that. Then again, if it’s culture you’re looking for, the menu cooks up everything from grilled cheese to beef bulgolgi, a touch of at least two very different countries. If nothing else, I knew when I saw the menu that I needed a taste of whatever was inside this California melting pot.

There’s always a reason a restaurant has regulars, and I spotted at least three tables’ worth on a weekday morning. And once I got my French Toast with sausage and egg, I figured out why. Country Touch Café is literally your kitchen and your cooking away from home, minus the labor and the dirty dishes. My French toast was overly egged, just like the stuff I fry up when my bread and eggs are expiring and I’m out of Challah. The Jimmy Dean-esque sausage tasted fresh out of my freezer box on a griddle greasier than my Foreman grill, and I swear I flipped that same egg over-easy yesterday.

Country Touch Café has all the comfort of home cooking, and the clever little sayings that decorate their walls provide endless amusement, but I can’t bring myself to recommend it. There’s nothing wrong with the food, and I always say the best meals are homemade, but why pay someone else for food I make when I’m not even trying?

BCD Tofu House – Torrance

Some people are born with the gift to teach, the ability to explain, to enumerate, to elucidate in a way that makes even the muddiest concepts crystal clear. Some people are born with this gift, but I for one was not. On my lips, complex principles are rendered more confusing, simple truths are twisted, and even the clearest concepts turn to mud.

I don’t teach. I took medical vows to do no harm a long time ago, and my teaching would only add to this world’s chaos and confusion. So when I tell you that I’m about to teach you the ABCs of dining at BCD Tofu House, just think how important this lesson must be.

A is for appetite, and you’ll need to bring one when you venture to BCD. Because you’ll get at least half full before you even order thanks to the array of free appetizers. No need to order an extra side of kimchee with there’s already a sizable side dish to start, and if you’re into pickled veggies, there’s almost no limit to how many of these you can try. Too much pickled veggies can wear on you so make sure you take bites of this fresh fried fish in between.

B is for bring a buddy because you’ll need more than one to split the Seafood Pancake with. This brazenly bold, pizza-sized omelet special is loaded full of tentacles, shrimp, and all sorts of deep-sea delights. BCD gives you a soy-based dipping sauce, but if you take leftovers home, it goes great with hot sauce and citrus.

C is for casserole. When we think of the great American casserole, we think of soggy cans of green beans baked in a can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, sometimes sprinkled with a topping of onion crisp. Asian casseroles are considerably better, and BCD has the Soon Tofu to prove it. Soon you’ll stuff yourself with this casserole-stew of tender pork and a kick of kimchee. Between that and the seafood pancake, you’ll probably fill up too soon.

I’d never take a good teacher for granted, and believe me, I’d never take BCD Tofu House for granted either. Because a good chef is like a good teacher. A good teacher possesses the intangible talent of clarifying even the most confusing of concepts, and a good chef can clearly cook even the most complicated of dishes. And believe me, Asian food may seem simple, but balancing those flavors is no small feat. 

Binging at K’ya Bistro Bar– Laguna Beach

My only knowledge of Laguna Beach is that it’s Lauren Conrad’s birthplace. The only thing I know about Lauren Conrad is that she was on The Hills and that she once shaved her roommate’s cat. So thanks to TV documentation of her entitled upbringing, her obsession with shiny things, and her terrible taste in friends, I was actually afraid to walk around Laguna Beach without a pedigree in hand.

I don’t have a pedigree. I am the daughter of Chinese immigrants who clawed their way up from waiting tables to Ph.Ds. So good thing I stumbled upon a cute little unpretentious tapas tavern with friendly service and quality food because that’s the only reason I didn’t turn back around and leave.

The food at K’ya is very much like the lives of Laguna’s rich and famous; it’s impossible to suck when you have all the right ingredients to make it good. It’d be pretty hard to screw up Seared Filet Mignon with creamy horseradish for example, and believe me, K’ya does not.

When you combine multiple right ingredients, you get neat little packages like Whitney Port, Heidi Montag…and Bacon Wrapped Dates. It’s hard to fail when you have a combination of looks and daddy’s plastic, and gooey blue cheese-filled dates surrounded by chewy bacon, and all you can really do here is congratulate the chef on the assembly.

I swear the Hibachi Salmon came off the grill at your nearest hibachi haven and was smothered in those dipping sauces they give you. Something so simple and slightly sloppy sounds like something that would permanently wrinkle a socialite’s nose. But I’m not a socialite and I love hibachi so rock on.

I stand corrected. Even the best ingredients can go wrong. Brussels sprouts are awesome, but K’ya’s Brussels Sprouts Gratin was as awful as it looks. The sprouts were steamed to mush, the gratin was soggy, and the balsamic added a terribly sour aftertaste to something that was already terribly bitter. Plus the only pairing that clashes more than LC and Heidi Montag status post Spencer is vinegar and gorgonzola. It tastes like homemade ipecac and elicits a similar reflex.

We sent that side back and got the Sauteed Spinach as a substitute, no questions asked. The spinach was sautéed just right, and the garlic added a nice bite. LC may be never redeem herself in Heidi’s eyes, but don’t worry K’ya, I’ve already forgotten the Brussels sprouts.

Aside from the side of sprouts, I loved all the dishes I had at K’ya. But none had blown me away until I went wild for the Wild Hawaiian Ahi Poke. I’m a minimalist when it comes to sauce, and it’s been impossible to find a soy-sauce-sesame-oil immersion that doesn’t drown out the pure flavor of tuna so I usually don’t actually like poke. Just kidding. Because this spicy soy-tempered tuna with a smooth finish of seaweed and onion and chips for a contrasting crunch was possibly the most perfect thing in SoCal. And it doesn’t even have botox in it.

I’ve droned a bit about the OC’s famed excess, but I’ll let the Lobster and Crab Cake speak for itself. The embodiment of sweet simplicity, the crab and lobster flavors shone through a highlighting hint of curry. The bed of edamame and corn succotash was both fresh and refreshing, the very spirit of a summer at the beach.

Even without a sterling pedigree, you can still have your Flourless Chocolate Cake and eat it at K’ya…especially if you get Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee on the side. The cake is dense and rich, as it should be, and the crème is sweet and smooth.

Thanks to my family’s humble beginnings and my status as a foodie from North Carolina, I’m pretty sensitive about people judging me based on where I came from instead of where I choose to go. So I’m ashamed to admit that that’s exactly what I did to K’ya. So thanks K’ya, thanks for the lessons learned: don’t judge a restaurant by its neighborhood, don’t judge a neighborhood by its reality show, and don’t judge anything with a chip-on-the-shoulder, especially if it’s K’ya. Because K’ya deserves an unbiased appraisal, so come see for yourself.