So as Boo and I were returning from our weekend getaway to Maine, we decided to stop by my doongseng's college to pick her up and grab some good eats. Moolgy gave us some options, which we in the end picked Black-eyed Sally's for some gooooood barbq.
Eaters:
Boo was camera shy, Moolgy Dongseng, and last but not last, Mr. Azriha.
Décor:
Its definitely a nice bar setup with live music at night...we were at an 'off' hour so the place was pretty empty, but you can definitely tell this place is bumpin at night.
Sustenance:
Unsweetened iced teas, and wonderful Lemonades.
The food didn't take long, but long enough that we were able to catchup on each other's lives.
Blackened Salmon Salad (Pan blackened salmon over chopped greens, crispy cornbread croutons and a sweet corn vinaigrette): Boo opted for something healthier after all the fried seafood and lobster we had had in Maine. It was actually really good...the vinaigrette accented the food really well. And the real kicker was the cornbread croutons that really made the dish crunch! $10.95
Memphis Style Pork Rib Platter: (1/4 or 1/2 rack of their famous slo-smoked ribs w/red beans & rice, Sally's slaw and cornbread): I got the 1/2 a rack...but i just noticed they forgot my cornbread...booooo!!! $13.95
The slaw was pretty good, fresh and crunchy.
I also got a side of Mac and cheese: which was aite. $2.95
The rice and beans that came with the meal were pretty good, but nothing outstanding.
The ribs were pretty freaking good. very flavorful and juicy, but what really made the ribs spectacular was the sauce that was on it. DEEELISH!!!
Crispy Cornmeal Catfish (Salt-n-vinegar fries, cole slaw and tartar sauce and fresh lemon): This was definitely the show stealer here. Boo and i had a small piece and completely fell in love with the dish...I don't remember the slaw or the salt and vinegar fries....but the fish was totally AMAZING..and that's without the special tartar sauce. The next time i go to Black Eye Sally's...definitely gonna get this dish all to myself. $10.95
Mississippi Mud Pie (Coffee ice cream pie with a chocolate cookie crust, topped with fudge sauce and whipped cream): The girls were in a mood for dessert...so why not? Though i admit i didn't have much, it was pretty good...$5.50
Summation: We were all very happy campers at the end of our meal. Great atmosphere, and i can't really judge the service since we were practically the only people there, so service was pretty good. Food very good...definitely recommend this place as somewhere to go with a group of friends, and if you're going to bring a date, i say bring her/him at night when the place is bumpin with live music.
So boo and i were watching food network and Guy Fieri was talking about this place...and not only that, the food looked fucking amazing. (You can actually watch the 'review' here on youtube). Also since I was planning a trip to Maine with Boo, and it was totally on the way...and Boo was definitely interested in going SO WHY NOT?!?!?!
The décor inside is of a cozy little friendly joint. Three boards chalked up with today's special. Its a nice quaint little place, but don't let this picture below fool you, we went during off hours, and on our second trip there, the place was sooo busy we had to order out (for Boo's birthday, which was made ok, cause i found a nice nearby park for a romantic...yeah ok back to the review...)
Two sauces supplied on the table. One is a cold vegetable sauce that accents almost anything you put on it, and the second i don't really remember, but i think it was a spicier sauce...hmmmm guess i'm just gonna have to go back and try some more... *wink
Boo got a papaya Batidos (fresh fruit blended with milk and ice) which was a bit on the thicker side for me, but she loved it. $3.50
Boo also ordered Mango Iced Tea for me cause she felt i'd like it...which she was very right...it was fucking amazing and i loved that they let you get the syrup and add as much as you want...and the bamboo stick was a nice piece to chew on. $2.50
Our food didn't take that long to come. Presentation was really nice, a cool banana leaf on the bottom, piping hot food...looked GREAT!!! Yesh we only ordered Arepas our first time around.
Funny story about the Pernil...first time around i didn't even get to try it cause *ahem* someone took it and scarfed it down thinking that the Pernil and Carne were the same thing....Well second time around, i was able to try it...and it was really really good....a definite, MUST GET whenever we er...i go.
The Carne did look on the dryer side, but it was very flavorful...and accented well against the fried corn cake (which you can get skillet roasted if you want) It was very good the first time around, however, second time around it wasn't as good.
Jenny (chicken, cheese, spinach): this was ok good. not my most favorite, but i can definitely see it as something someone could like alot. but it wasn't for my taste buds. everything was moist and savory, well cooked. no dryness or misplaced flavors. $4.00
Zach (crispy chicken, honey): now this was totally a show stealer...we figured it was gonna be on the dryer side, but the chicken was perfectly cooked, perfectly crispy, and the honey PERFECTLY accented the ENTIRE dish. This is a MUST GET everytime we go there...it was ridiculously good. $4.00
What was interesting was our second time around we actually got a free burrito...don't know if it was compliments of the house, or a mistake in the order. It was a Pulled Pork Burrito, and it was really freaking good...but it was HUGE!!! and not to mention $9.00 bucks on the menu.
Summation: What was really cool was, second time around we got to meet Micheal Young, who was on the episode of 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'. He's a really nice guy, totally not full of himself or anything like that. Even though it was slamming busy in Valencia Luncheria, he took the time to take a pic with me. I highly recommend the place, as all of the food was good to really freaking good. I look forward to stopping here for all my trips up to Maine, and can't wait to try the other quite interesting dishes and combinations. Great food. Great company. what more could you ask for? CHEERS!!!
916 North Sepulveda Boulevard Manhattan Beach, California 90266
So on my way back from Australia, i had a six hour lay over in LA. Peachmentos was nice enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to show me around and take me to try out some Hawaiian food...that's a rarity to nil in NYC. WOOT! FATNATION FOR LIFE!!!
*note i did not take these pictures, they're from the google gods.
It has a very interesting set up inside, of a bar and eating area...but i think the thing that you will notice the first/most is the fact that there's a tree in the middle of the joint. Though i did not have the opportunity to find out if it was real or not, it was a nice touch to the interior design...which oddly enough did match up pretty well. Not like i'm about to go and put a tree in the middle of my living room or anything like that...
Grub:
We got Hawaiian iced tea...that was ridiculously good...best part was the tea wasn't over powering, and it wasn't overly sweet...so it was quite refreshing with no stingy aftertaste to make anything bad. ($2.59) yeah...just a tad bit on the pricier side...
Spam Musubi: Everyone's thats had this has been raving about it to me. so i just had to try it....($2.59)
I feel these pics are really good of the food, but they don't even remotely do justice to how good the spam musubi was, i wanted to order more but Peachmentos told me that there was alot more for me to try...
Lahaina Platter 1 (a triple combination of kalua pork, beef teriyaki, and tahaina fried chicken): This was a very interesting platter...($15.79)
The mac salad that came with it was aite.
The kalua pork was actually really good...surprisingly good...i've never had kalua pork before, and on first look...it was kinda ugly...and unappetizing...but the juicness and wonderful flavoring was really good.
Tahaina fired chicken was quite good. nice and crispy...once cold it wasn't as good, but when it was hot and crispy...soooo goooood.
the beef teriyaki; the beef was actually really really dry, but the sauce made it really good, really good...it actually rejuvenated dry beef into something not only palatable but quite enjoyable.
The cole slaw was ridiculously good...i mean it really put the plate together. and the crispy-ness of the ramen noodles worked really well with the slaw.
supplied dollop of hot rice, and the uber yummy teriyaki sauce, glad they supplied more of the great sauce.
Hana Fish Tacos (Grilled Atlantic Haddock on corn tortillas, shredded cabbage, red onions, tartar sauce, Asian-Fusion Salsa, Served with fries or fresh corn chips and macaroni salad): definitely a very pretty plate.($10.99)
This fish taco was grilled and not fried...which i think really took away from the flavor of it.
Macaroni salad was again ok, fries were nice and hot and moist insides, and the salsa was particularly good.
All put together the fish tacos were ok, I really think they should serve the cole slaw ontop of the fish tacos, i think that would have made these tacos AMAZING...Peach thought i should recommend it to the place.
Summation: In the end all the food was really good, though we had to doggie bag alot of it, that didn't take away from the experience.
I'd have to say i liked the spam musubi the most, and would definitely say that its a MUST GET. Kulua pork a close second...but in all honesty i'll probably just repeat the Spam Musubi, and then try some new dishes.
Another repeat would definitely be the the Hawaiian Iced Tea.
THANKS PEACH!!! twas quite the experience! and thanks for driving me around...Fry's was awesome!!
Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, New South Wales 2000, Australia
Well everyone in and their mom (in Australia) was talking about Quay and how it had won restaurant of the year and such...so how could i possibly not try it? My host again was amazing and booked it in advance. Though i was a little sad as this was going to be the last dinner i would be having down under...but i'd make the most of it...
The View:
oh man what a view from our table...truly breath taking....
My host and i opted for the meal where you pick one item from each page, hence a four course meal, the fourth being the dessert choice. (menu pages 2 and 3 are what you pick from.)
Sustenance:
The interesting thing in Sydney is that they all seem to drink sparkling water...and you have to pay per bottle...which in the end i got acquainted with...i don't fully recall, but i think that they did that in Vienna also...maybe its a wordly thing that only us barbaric Americans drink straight from the faucet?...lol.
The first item they started out with, which was compliments from the chef was a tapioca/raw tuna with edible flower concoction. It was pretty good...though the tapioca did throw me off somewhat...and you had it all together or any of the items alone would have too strong of a flavor...interestingly enough.
Warm bread and butter were served...the bread and butter were really good, and it had nothing to do with the fact that we were hungry. lol.
My host got the Salad of spring vegetables, herbs, flowers, goats curd cigars, lemon confit. this was aite.
I got the Sea Pearls in the menu....paid $20 extra for it.
It looked like quite the interesting dish and the waiter actually went into describing them and what was in them...but i just couldn't retain all of that information...moreover the way he went on about it was like a drone recording...no one could have retained that even if they wanted to.
this looks like the sashimi tuna, but there's caviar on top...???
clueless as to what it is...you're guess would be as good as mine....
All i remember at this point is the edible silver on it...and the fact that this chef likes to put tapioca in everything...which i don't really like tapioca...
Nothing about these pearls made an impression on me worthy of note...
She got the Confit of shaved South Australian squid, octopus, garlic custard, baby radishes, native violets, roasted squid consommé. again, nothing memorable.
I chose the five textures of southern rock lobster...had to also pay an extra $20 for these.
I had really wanted to try Southern Hemisphere lobster in Australia...and was looking forward to this.
I guess this was some kind of salty soup or something...overly salty...not impressed.
This had tapioca throughout it, and the textures were all fluffy and unpleasant...maybe it would have worked as a salty dessert...but it was just too salty and not enough texture to make it an entree...let alone wholesome...
Now i was kinda looking forward to this as my two previous choices had totally let me down...
finally big chunks of meat. woo hoo! definitely looking forward to sinking my teeth into this.
don't let the picture fool you...the meat was dry....and flavor was off.
it was only when you accompanied the dry meat with this mayo-like sauce was it palatable...The carrots were good too.
She got the Nashi, Apple, geranium, almond, sugar crystals. Aside from the interesting sterling silver to look at...again nothing about this dessert wow'd me...
I was looking forward to trying jackfruit which my host had told me about.
The texture was pretty neat, as it was made like an egg that i had to chip away at and open up to get to my dessert filling.
interesting how they set out another dish of complimentary shtuff.
chocolate cigars.
and some kind of mint cookie.
Summation: I then got a coffee to keep me up...as the jet lag had never completely left my system...
Unfortunately, Quay fell way short of my little to no expectations...all the food was overly salty...way too much tapioca in everything...and nothing about it stood out in memory...
sadly to say, the best part of my meal was the view...and the warm bread that i put butter on...
I don't know if it was an off day for them, but it just didn't sit well with me of how overly salty the food was...
If i was rice_eric, it'd be -2 tummy points for all the lousy hype...
My host had shown me these delicious apple drinks. They weren't overly sweet, and were quite refreshing. We later on had to go back and buy more cause i started to fiend for the tastey drinks...
Another item that i had wanted to try was Kangaroo. So my host to me to the local market to buy some kangaroo steaks. I decided to cook her a great meal! First we went to pick up some veggies that i would stir fry and then get some fire meats just incase the steak didn't turn out right. (my host had a really nice kitchen.)
i did a dry rub of cornstarch, salt, and pepper. The dude at the store told me to cook it like beef. so i proceeded to do so. (don't knock the pink pot, it was totally rockin...*ahem* cooking wise that is...)
unfortunately....i was *ahem* pre-occupied with someone else...and incidentally overcooked the kangaroo steak... (-__-) *sigh...
if you ate it with the the 'sauce' it was actually quite good...but regardless...this was epic boo on my part....
Well atleast with the veggies and back up meats...the meal turned out pretty good in my mind... =P hahahahaha well i definitely will try another shot at cooking kangaroo steak again when i'm back in Sydney. CHEERS!!!
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