Sokongdong

2716 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90189
(213) 380-3737

Sokongdong is one of many soondubu houses in Koreatown LA. it’s located in the plaza right behind Hodori and Nak Won. on a sunday nite it wasnt very crowded.. and they seated our group of 9 with no problems. there aren’t many decorations inside the restaurant either. it almost reminds me of some of the small chinese places that only serve noodle soup or that kind of thing. that’s no problem because it might mean they specialize on serving very authentic tastes, which really has nothing to do with their ability to decorate. in a lot of cases, it’s these small hole-in-the-wall places that have the best food.

the menu is really simple. there’s all the usual varieties of soondubu, they also have bulgoki and spicy raw crab. i didn’t try the crab.. i wasnt in the adventurous mood tonight. i’ve been craving korean food for a while so all i had my mind on was the kimchi. i was surprised, though, that they didn’t offer a soondubu/meat dish combo like they usually do in other places.

WHAT I ORDERED: Kimchi Soondubu w/Pork (medium spicy).

so before i review this, let me get one thing straight. i’m not really a big fan of soondubu. i actually crave kimchi jigue constantly because i practically lived off it when i was in baltimore. but since soondubu is really popular out here in southern california, and there’s a million soondubu houses out here, kimchi jigue is never on the menu unless i go to a traditional restaurant that offers a larger menu.

ok well the meal starts out like all korean meals… with banchan.. which were pretty standard. they had the kimchi, cucumber, fish cake, etc. and i thought they were pretty decent. i liked the kimchi. they didn’t have the potato salad that i always like, though, but not all places serve that so it’s ok. rice is also served in a stone pot, which is transferred to a steel bowl by the server.

now the main dish, kimchi soondubu with pork, i thought was a bit bland. it wasn’t watered-down in consistency, but i thought it just lacked flavor. it might have been partly because i ordered it medium spicy, and i usually have it very spicy, but that still should not affect the amount of flavor in the soup. i also noticed there was too little kimchi and too much tofu. the tofu was pretty good, though, and was soft and silky.

as a dish, you can’t really mess up on soondubu too bad.. i mean it always tastes pretty good at any legit korean restaurant. so at Sokongdong it didn’t taste bad at all, and i finished the whole thing feeling satisfied. however, comparing it with the other soontofu places i’ve been to around the LA area, for me it ranks toward the bottom rung. maybe we caught them on a bad day but that’s my opinion from this experience. it was a bit disappointing because i saw some really good reviews for this place. so long, Sokongdong. i probably wouldn’t go back again if it were my choice.

and i should also point out.. at the very end of the meal, they add hot water to the stone pots with leftover rice. this used to kinda confuse me since a lot of places just serve rice directly in a steel bowl. but if it’s in a stone bowl, they add water and scrape the leftover rice from the sides to make this rice-water after-meal dish. im not a big fan of it, but who knows, maybe it will grow on me eventually.

so overall, a thumbs down because i think there’s definitely better places in ktown. i had a pretty good impression of Nak Won and BCD, and they are open 24 hours and offer a larger menu. and there’s also Young Dong Tofu in san gabriel and Tofu House in monterey park that have pretty decent soondubu and are closer to my area. but those are just my impressions. maybe if i actually try and review them my opinions will change.

SUMMARY
Pros: Good kimchi, fast seating and service
Cons: Bland soondubu with not enough kimchi and too much tofu
Grade: 5/10

Akbar

44 N Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 577-9916
http://www.akbarcuisineofindia.com

so a buncha my college frends were in town last week and one of these guys was indian, and he suggested we go for indian cuisine for dinner. now i’m not at all an expert on indian food, but i do enjoy it quite a bit. i never really tried indian food until college. and after graduating from college, i havent had an indian meal at all. i’ve totally been craving indian food for a long time now, so i took these guys to Akbar, which is right in old town pasadena. i’ve walked by this restaurant many times and noticed theres almost always indian people sitting inside. that is always a good sign. that also caught my attention because my general impression of restaurants in old town is nice ambience, but overpriced food that u can prolly get better in other parts of pasadena (although there are some really good ones in old town).

one thing i would highly suggest. make reservations or go there early to put your name down for a table. when we got there at around 6 pm, the place was basically empty. i put our name down for 7:30 so we could walk around and do some shopping. wen we came back at 7:30, the restaurant was packed with ppl lined up outside. where did all these people come from?? but no worries. we went in and got seated immediately.

and actually the restaurant is very small. i like the warm colored decor, and the tables are relatively close to one another. we were actually listening to this chick telling her frend bout how The Holiday was the best movie ever. and they also serve water in these cool stainless steel cups. which, according to our indian friend, is traditional in india. the menu pretty much has the standard indian specialties. but one thing that i found unique was the “chili meter”. they rate the spiciness of each dish on a scale of 1-5. and you can request to have your dishes more mild or spicy. very accomodating to the diverse old town crowd.

WHAT WE ORDERED: Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Saag, Lamb Vindaloo, Prawn Madras, Chicken Tikka, Naan, Tamattar Nan.

im actually really unqualified to judge indian food from my limited experience, but these are just some of my observations. so i will start with my all-time favorite indian dish. chicken tikka masala. usually i find the dish somewhat heavy, but in a good, richly flavored way. in this case, i found the tikka masala actually very light and very tangy. i’m used to eating it with just rice, but if you eat it with the nan it actually tastes better. overall, i liked that it was light and tangy with a delicate creamy texture, and it was good as expected.

lamb saag was pretty good, though it was not one of my favorites. the flavor didnt leave a strong impression on me.. it was not so rich and distinctive as some of the other dishes. but it’s still good, and i dont have much experience with ordering this dish so i’ll just leave it at that.

lamb vindaloo was up there among my top favorites. it also had that rich, tangy, distinctive flavor that really stimulates your senses. i was quite impressed by this one and i like how the potato kinda mixes up the taste and texture. not much to say, other than i liked it.

prawn madras was surprisingly very good. not that i had any reason to think it’d be bad, but i never tried indian seafood before, so i didnt really know what to think. from what i recall, the curry was lightly flavored with coconut, and really brought out the shrimp flavor. with other other dishes, i feel like the curry kind of overtakes the natural flavor of the meat. prawn madras was a really interesting and pleasant contrast to these other dishes. it was another winner in my book.

the chicken tikka, i was not too fond of. it’s a tandoor grilled chicken. i thought it was dry, and tandoor grill isn’t among my favorite methods of preparing chicken. im probably biased because i practically lived off chicken my whole life.. actually i think some of my frends liked it a lot. but this was just not for me. sorry, akbar. and india. however, i heard that the tandoor grilled chilean sea bass was good. maybe i will try that next time.

the nan was pretty standard… i can’t tell the difference between good nan and bad nan. however, the tamattar naan was a bad choice. it’s nan stuffed with sundried tomatoes, which clashed with the dishes, and tasted a bit too sweet and italian for an indian meal. i’ll remember to not get it next time.

overall, the meal was great. it really hit the spot for me after a year-and-a-half craving for indian food. our indian friend was also impressed, and even filled out a comment card saying something along the lines of “i’ve eaten at indian restaurants around the world and this was one of the best.” one note, though. i know a lotta ppl who’ve never tried indian food at all, and a few ppl who dont like indian food in general. it’s a bit of an acquired taste, so i dont guarantee that everybody will like it. but, for those who do enjoy indian cuisine, i highly recommend Akbar.

SUMMARY
Pros: Great authentic Indian cuisine, located in Old Town Pasadena near lots of shopping and other restaurants, very reasonable prices, very polite service, cozy atmosphere, accomodating menu.
Cons: Not too many tables, long wait (if you don’t reserve beforehand, that is).
Grade: 9/10

Palomino

10877 Wilshire Blvd., #150
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 208-1960
http://www.palomino.com/

so for my dad’s birthday our family went to palomino, which according to the website, serves “european-inspired regional american cuisine.” it’s located within walking distance of the ucla campus. we had made reservations beforehand so seating was not a problem. so the first thing i noticed was that the interior decor and design was pretty interesting and nicely done. it’s classy and modern with a very open-air feel. i think its the recessed floors, snaking table booths, high barstools and low armchairs that give the place a fun, european-feeling terrain. i dunno if that makes any sense to people other than me.. and also the european artwork hanging on the walls were a nice touch. i was all happy wen i recognized one was a matisse painting and another i wasnt really sure but decided it was german.

so when i first walked in i thought this was a straight-up italian restaurant since thats wut my parents told me beforehand. and i didnt really put 2 and 2 together with all the non-italian artwork hanging on the walls at that point either.. so it was a pretty pleasant surprise opening up the menu and seeing some interesting combinations. for instance, some of the ones i was looking at: fettucine and rotisserie salmon, rotisserie pork chop with grilled chorizo, lake superior white fish with seafood salsa (which was what my mom got.) so then, what did i end up ordering..?

WHAT I ORDERED: Spaghetti and Kobe Meatball, and shared a Dungeness Crab & Artichoke Dip appetizer with family. for dessert, a free Chocolate Tiramisu for my dad’s bday and a Warm Pear Bread Pudding.

so first lets start with the appetizer. the dungeness crab n artichoke dip was just plain awesome. so they give u thin crispy pizza crust to use for the dip. and the crab and artichoke is definitely a good combination. i think my sister prefered to dip bread rather than the pizza crust, but i really liked the pizza crust. not much to say.. the dip was a winner.

on to the main course. now when i saw spaghetti and kobe meatball on the menu i was intrigued and couldnt resist trying it. a meatball made of kobe beef. is it really better than a regular meatball made of regular ground beef? i just had to know. and the answer? umm… no its not really better than a regular meatball. at all. it was actually kinda dry and tough. what a letdown. the spaghetti itself wasnt bad.. it wasnt anything special either. needless to say, i would not order this dish again. i also had a taste of my sister’s lobster ravioli. it was also kinda mediocre. aw too bad…

finally.. dessert! so the chocolate tiramisu was really good. you know i think that was the first time ive had a chocolate tiramisu… not sure if its uncommon but it sure is good. there were like chocolate crumbs on top and it was all crunchy and soggy at the same time. gotta love it. and then came the warm pear bread pudding. this really gooey thing with a scoop of ice cream on top. basically tasted like an apple cobbler to me. and of course the idea is contrasting warm gooey bread pudding and pear to the cold vanilla ice cream. it was also great. especially the ice cream. tho i did prefer the chocolate tiramisu over it, only cuz of the meal i just had. the bread pudding seems more like something i’d eat after a burger or pizza or something else totally unhealthy.. and all those gooey calories would be a great finisher for such a meal. but then the tiramisu is totally fitting for a nice italian meal or a light dinner.. it’s very light and cool flavored. and since i had the spaghetti and kobe meatball i naturally gravitate towards the tiramisu.

one final comment i should add. the service at palomino was great as well. everybody was really courteous and friendly. and at the end of our meal we got these cool little ‘thank you’ card thingies with quotes inside. mine says: “The world will always welcome lovers. – As Time Goes By.” overall palomino’s a pretty neat place. maybe it’d be cool to go there for happy hour specials sometime.

SUMMARY
Pros: Classy interior, airy and comfortable atmosphere, good service, good appetizers and desserts, unique menu.
Cons: Mediocre dinner main courses, kobe meatball disappointment.
Grade: 6.5/10

Daikokuya

327 E. 1st Street,
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-1680
http://www.daikoku-ten.com/

Hours
Mon-Thurs. 11 am – Midnite
Fri-Sat. 11 am – 1 am
Sun. 12 pm – “Until the soup is gone”

daikokuya is a ramen & rice bowl shop located in little tokyo, downtown la, right across the street from the village plaza. i went on a friday night, and it was totally packed. so during our wait i took the time to admire some of the crazy stuff decorating the walls. a godzilla figure. ultraman and pikachu masks. old wartime era poster ads and products. and to complete the crazy old-school iconic japanese feel of the place, they played this creepy yet strangely catchy and pleasant soundtrack with like.. marching band music, and singing kids, and uber traditional japanese music. after probably about a 45 min wait, our party of four sat at the counter.

the menu’s pretty simple. they have ramen, and also have rice bowl dishes and appetizers. if ur hungry u can also go for a combination of ramen and a rice bowl. either way, id definitely go for the ramen since they go thru the trouble of handing out explanations on what makes their ramen so special, along with the menu. theres not really any variety to choose from, which is perfectly fine in my opinion. it makes ordering easy, and i dont need to take my chances with variations that might not live up to the original recipe. if you really want to try something different, i hear you can ask for soup with extra rich flavor. but im a lil scared to try that out.. i dunno if i can handle all of that flavor u kno…

WHAT I ORDERED: Daikokuya Raumen, and split a teriyaki rice bowl with sister.

so the meal started off with a salad, which came with the teriyaki bowl. im not sure if it was cuz i was really hungry, but i really liked the salad. and then came the ramen. now ever since watching naruto ive been constantly craving ramen. one good lesson i took away from naruto was the art of ramen tasting.

so when tasting ramen, the first thing you do is take a big whiff of the bowl. and really get ur nose in there and take in that rich flavorful scent. so i take a whiff. smells good and flavorful, which is expected of any authentic japanese ramen shop. but in some of the really bad chinese-owned places i’ve been to, the soup is basically flavored water, with no distinctive scent other than chicken broth. next, i taste a spoonful of the soup. the broth is nice and thick. i like it because it’s flavorful but at the same time, very clean-tasting. the rich flavor doesnt really weigh you down at all.

finally, the ultimate test. i take some of the noodle into my spoon and dip it into a little bit of soup so that i can taste the noodles and the soup together. the noodles are very good as well. they’re nice and firm, and not too thick, so that once again i can enjoy the taste and not get weighed down at all. the bamboo shoots also add a bit of complementary flavor and contrast in texture. im a big fan of the bamboo shoots. it’s like im chewing on something kinda crunchy, feeling the texture of the noodle strands all around my mouth, and have a lil bit of soup swishing around my tongue as well. it’s a combination of at least 3 distinct textures and flavors, all in one shot. i also liked the pork. it’s kinda fatty, which is how i like my pork, but some people may think it’s too much fat. the only thing is i kinda wish there was more random stuff in the soup, like those little pink fishcake things. but overall, it’s probably some of the best ramen i’ve ever had.

as for the teriyaki chicken, i’m not really big on teriyaki to begin with, and the ramen kinda stole the show at this point, so its not something id come back for. i’d definitely come back for the ramen.

SUMMARY
Pros: Excellent ramen, fun and casual atmosphere, inexpensive.
Cons: Very few tables, long wait time (Fri night)
Grade: 8.5/10