Chilean sea bass at Fig and Olive

Paella del mar:

Black tiger shrimp, sea scallop, calamari, mussels, saffron rice, saffron aioli, pimentón & oregano - Hojiblanca Olive Oil

Branzino (Summer edition)

Chilean sea bass:

Marinated with lemon thyme, carrot, asparagus, celery root purée, fingerling potato confit, charmoula, mascarpone harissa olive oil emulsion

Place: Fig and Olive

          8490 Melrose Place

          (310) 856-8699

Genre: Mediterranean (Southern French, Spanish and Italian)

$$$

My Opinion:

I know, I've done a review on Fig and Olive before, but seeing as my blog is on more than just restaurants, but rather individual dishes, I thought I'd go ahead and make an "updated" review. My opinions haven't changed; I still believe Fig and Olive does an excellent job of preparing the finest dishes with beautiful presentation. This review is primarily based on seafood. Of the few types of cooked fish I eat, Branzino (a mediterranean sea bass) and Chilean sea bass are my two favorites. I'm going to start off by describing my opinion of the branzino at Fig and Olive. Does Fig and Olive serve good Branzino? yes...and no. It's a seasonal thing. The summer one (pictured above) is the best. I don't remember the exact details of how it was prepared, but it was rather simple, as you can see. It tasted clean, flavorful and had a nice moist texture. The fall/winter branzino, however, was not nearly as good...or good at all. I was disappointed. I don't have a picture of it because it didn't look good in the dark, and I don't recommend it at all. The winter branzino is prepared with a fig and balsamic vinegar glaze, snow peas, figs, olive oil mashed potatoes, and Koroneiki Olive Oil. The fish was too dry. I couldn't even taste the "branzino flavor," not because the glaze was too strong, but that the fish was too dry. I've tried plenty of branzino in Los Angeles, and I'd have to say that Fig and Olive's branzino during the winter was the worst I've ever had. [which says a lot coming from me.] On the contrary, the Chilean Sea bass is perhaps the best fish they serve. The celery root purée and mascarpone harissa olive oil emulsion was exquisite. Really, not too salty, perfectly flavorful, and smooth. The fish itself was made to perfection: light, moist, and it melts in your mouth. I can't say enough good qualities about the chilean sea bass. It's a must-have!

          

Ravioli at Scarpetta

Porcini & Taleggio Ravioli

(please excuse the poor picture quality!)

Place: Scarpetta

          225 North Canon Drive
          Beverly Hills, CA 90210
          (310) 860-7800

Genre: Italian / 'nuova' cuisine

$$$$

Hit or a Miss? Hit!

My Opinion:

"chestnuts & black winter truffles" ...need I say more? Anything with the word "truffle" in it and I'm sold. The presentation itself is a masterpiece: porcini and taleggio ravioli, truffle foam and fresh black winter truffles. It was simply divine. I don't think I've ever eaten a dish as slowly as I did this one. I had to savor each bite! Words cannot do justice to/describe this pasta. The first thing I noticed on my first bite was how fresh the pasta was. You could just tell that it was made that day. As usual, the truffle flavor was evidently present, but not over done, just the way I like it. I took each bite carefully, making sure to get the ravioli, with some truffle foam and a bit of fresh truffle. It was the perfect way to eat it. This is definitely one of the finer "truffle" dishes I've had. I highly recommend it.

"Frankies" at India Jones

Paneer "Frankie"

Truck: India Jones Chow Truck
-typically located on Wilshire Boulevard across the street from LACMA

Genre: Indian

$

Hit or a Miss? Hit!

My Opinion:
So after my positive experience at Cali Bahn Mi I decided to try another food truck. I absolutely love Indian food, so I was drawn to the "India Jones" truck the minute I saw it. Sure, I was a bit skeptical about good Indian food coming from a truck (or any type of cuisine for that matter), but I had to try and see for myself. So I ordered a "Paneer Frankie." You must be thinking, "...what's a Frankie?" A "Frankie" is a Roti (an Indian flat bread) rolled up with cilantro tamarind chutney and chopped onion with an egg wash. There were several Frankie options: Lamb, Chicken, Beef, Mushroom & Cheese and Paneer. Paneer is an Indian cheese, which has the flavor and texture much like that of tofu. I am quite fond of paneer, so I ordered a paneer Frankie. I'm so glad that I did. Honestly, the flavor combination was just perfect. The sweet chutney accompanied with the savory paneer and soft roti made for a smooth texture in your mouth and a delectable explosion of flavor. I just get more and more impressed with food trucks after each encounter! India Jones is definitely on my list of "can't miss food trucks." See for yourself!

Tofu Bahn Mi at Cali Bahn Mi

My first Food Truck review!

Lemongrass Tofu Bahn Mi

Truck: Cali Bahn Mi

-typically located across the street from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

Genre: Vietnamese

$

Hit or a Miss? Hit!

My Opinion:
I'm not too fond of food trucks, but I was interested in trying one after visiting LACMA over the summer. I mainly decided on Cali Bahn Mi because of their vegetarian option: the lemongrass tofu bahn mi. I was blown away. Firstly it tasted so fresh despite the fact that it came out of a truck. Secondly the combination of the lemongrass tofu with the lime peppercorn aioli and cucumber was superb. Finally, the bread was perfect: flakey and crunchy on the outside, but soft on the inside, which helped absorb the juices of the lemongrass tofu and aioli flavor. If you're looking for a quick, tasty, and inexpensive sandwich along Wilshire Blvd. after a day at the museum, Cali Bahn Mi is the place to go!

Earth Burger at Umami Burger

Truffled Beet Salad w/ Arugula, truffled ricotta, and almonds

 Earth Burger: Mushroom and edamame patty with white soy aoili, truffled ricotta, cipollini onions, lettuce and slow roasted tomato

Place: Umami Burger

          500 Broadway Street

          Santa Monica, CA 90401

Genre: Burgers

$$

Hit or a Miss? Miss

My Opinion:

Umami might be the place for meat-eaters, but I wouldn't recommend it to a pesce/vegetarian. The "earth burger" was not my cup of tea. The consistency of the burger was much like that of mashed potatoes...I couldn't "chew" on anything. The squishy patty combined combined with the crumbly soft ricotta just made the tasting experience even worse. The flavors themselves didn't blend well together. The soy aoili and the truffled ricotta was just too much. If you do decide to go, I'd recommend asking for one of the two on the side. They are just such powerful flavors that you don't really taste anything other than that in your mouth (I completely forgot about the taste of the patty). I'm sure you won't get the same mushy texture from a normal burger, but since this is a pescetarian food blog, I'm going to say that Umami is not the ideal place to get a veggie burger. The Earth Burger is also hard to eat. You'd have to have a rather large mouth to take one bite, which includes almost all of the parts of the burger. Despite my negative comments on the Earth Burger, I would have to say that the Truffled Beet Salad is pretty good, not amazing, but good. I wasn't entirely amazed by it, which is why I'm having difficulty describing it. Long story short, if I were to ever return to Umami burger, I would skip on the burger and just order the salad. The Counter is definitely the best place to get a veggie burger.

Veggie Burgers at the Counter

Milkshakes 

Veggie Burger and the "50/50" in the background:

1/2 fries and 1/2 onion rings

(you have the choice of fries, onion rings and sweet potato fries) 

My custom built veggie burger:

vegan veggie burger on a bed of lettuce with gruyere, tomatoes and caramelized onions

(I don't remember which sauce I got...this photo was taken 2 years ago when I still took photos with my Nikon DSLR)

Place: The Counter Custom Built Burgers

           2901 Ocean Park Blvd. #102

           Santa Monica, CA 90405

Genre: Burgers

$$

Hit or a Miss? Hit!

My opinion:

I've always enjoyed veggie burgers. Even as a carnivore, I preferred a veggie patty over the traditional burger. What I love about the Counter's veggie 'burgers' is that you are never stuck with the same veggie burger if you go more than once. When I go out with friends to a burger place and I'm stuck with one option, the veggie burger, I get pretty jealous of my meat-eating friends who have a wide variety of burgers in front of them. However, at the Counter, I have an infinite amount of burgers I not only get to choose from, but that I can create. This review isn't so much about a specific burger I enjoyed, but more so about the Counter itself and the quality of their food. I actually never get the same combination whenever I go. I think it's just the plethora of options that makes the Counter so appealing, not to mention the freshness of their ingredients. The Counter is a great place to go with friends and family (pretty kid friendly). Their milkshakes are also very good. Sorry for the brief review, but all I can really say at this point is that the Counter is probably the best place to go for any pescetarians who are looking for a good veggie burger. You have to taste it for yourself. Leave a comment to share your favorite burger combo!

Quinoa Pancakes at Cafe Montana

Quinoa Pancakes with Blueberries, Bananas, Walnuts and Maple Syrup

Place: Cafe Montana

          1534 Montana Avenue

          Santa Monica, CA 90402

Genre: Cafe - Breakfast

$$

Hit or a Miss? Hit!

My opinion:

Wow...just wow. I mean, I love quinoa, but I never knew one could make quinoa pancakes. I don't think I'll ever be eating normal pancakes again. What I enjoyed most was that you got a deliciously (semi-thick) fluffy pancake without the density that often comes with a thick pancake. I think the quinoa makes the texture much less heavy. I walked into Cafe Montana, not thinking I'd leave with any sort of review (1. because it was relatively early in the morning to even think about a review 2. I wasn't in the "foodie" mood). When I left, I knew I'd be blogging about it. If you don't live in Santa Monica, you should really make your way over to Cafe Montana for breakfast. Montana itself is a great place to walk, window shop and eventually make your way down to the beach. :) Something about these pancakes just put a smile on my face. I also didn't feel entirely guilty after finishing my entire plate. Plus, quinoa is filled with protein, so rather than the traditional carb-load from pancakes, you get a more protein filled breakfast. The blueberry, banana walnut combo was superb. Long story short, quinoa pancakes will forever be my favorite types of pancakes.

Pizza at 800 Degrees

Margherita Pizza w/ Mushrooms

Place: 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza

           10889 Lindbrook Drive

           Westwoood, CA 90024

Genre: Pizzeria

$

Hit or a Miss? Miss

My opinion:

As always, the hype kills your first experience. I've been on the hunt for some great/authentic neapolitan pizza. When a friend of mine told me about 800 Degrees, I knew that I had to try it. I had such high expectations....I should stop having them, I end up being disappointed in the end. So when I first went I got the margherita pizza with mushrooms. Ok, it was not terrible, but it's not what I was expecting. I've had pizza in Italy before...it doesn't even compare. First off, the pizza is way too soggy. Secondly, the tomato sauce just tastes like water. So my personal pizza was not bursting with as much flavor as I hoped it would. The cheese was good, I'll admit that. It's not the traditional type of cheese you'll get from a delivered pizza. You can definitely tell that the mozzarella was fresh. (That's a plus!) The mushrooms were also rather delicious, but my combination wasn't "amazing." I would still say that Milo and Olive pizza is still superior. That said, if you're looking for a quick dinner/lunch with a few friends and want to build your own pizza within the span of 5 minutes, go to 800 Degrees! For what it is, it was not terrible pizza. It just didn't meet my expectations.

Dumplings at Din Tai Fung

Shrimp and melon dumplings

Place: Din Tai Fung

          1088 Baldwin Ave.

          Arcadia, CA 91007

Genre: Chinese food - dim sum

$$

Hit or a Miss? Hit!

My opinion:

Good dim sum is hard to come by in Los Angeles. Well, perhaps the right word would be authentic instead of "good." The best dim sum is really only found out by Monterey Park and Arcadia. Dim sum consists of small chinese delicacies: various dumplings, bao, sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves etc. Din Tai Fung has the best dumplings I've ever had. I wouldn't say it's the best place to get Dim Sum, only because dim sum includes more than just dumplings. Din Tai Fung really only serves dumplings, a sub category of dim sum. Of course you can order noodles, rice and vegetables, but they aren't considered 'dim sum.' Din Tai Fung is world-famous for their 'xiao long bao,' otherwise known as juicy pork dumplings (which of course aren't pescetarian-friendly). My family jokingly calls them soupy dumplings. Why? Inside the 'skin' of the dumpling lies a ball of chopped pork and hot broth, which, when you bite into the dumpling, oozes out. So why am I writing about a restaurant famous for pork dumplings? As I mentioned before, Din Tai Fung serves a variety of dumplings, all of which are fresh and handmade daily. So for those of you who are pescetarians, your best choices would be the vegetable dumplings and the shrimp and melon dumplings. The steamed vegetable dumplings are filled with chopped thin glass noodles, mixed mushrooms and chopped bokchoi. My favorite dumpling would be the steamed shrimp and melon dumpling. Inside is chopped melon and shrimp sitting in a little puddle of hot shrimp and melon broth. It's just delectable. The reason why I prefer the shrimp/melon dumplings is that they have a much springier/fresher taste than the vegetable dumplings. Plus, you get the 'juice' experience, and they're much lighter than any of the other dumplings Din Tai Fung serves. So if you're ever in the area, you should really stop by. Warning, they don't take reservations and if you don't get there exactly when they open, you could be looking at a 45 minute wait, which is totally worth it. Even if you aren't in the area, I highly recommend making the trek to Arcadia. Try to get there right at 11am if you can. Trust me, you won't be sorry.

Shout-out!

I'd like to make a shout out to my friend Laurel Wayne. Check out her food/photography blog.
The photos are breathtaking and the food is mouthwatering. She's so talented!!
http://laurelwayne2.blogspot.com/

p.s. Look out for a special food hunt review that I'll be posting in the next couple weeks. Laurel and I will be doing it together!

Macarons at 'lette

Assorted Macarons: vanilla, earl grey, salted caramel pistachio, Italian almond, and lemon

Place: 'lette Macarons

          9466 Charleville Blvd.

          Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Genre: French pastry

$$

My opinion:

I had my first 'american macarons' from 'lette. Of course they're nothing compared to macarons from Ladurée and Pierre Hermé, but they do the trick. In fact, I was rather surprised by their quality when I first had them. My favorite flavors are the ones listed above in the photo caption. Their best flavors though would have to be salted caramel and pistachio. The pistachio macaron just has such fresh and satisfying pistachio flavor. The salted caramel one is incredible! The filling is not even a traditional ganache...it's simply caramel. So when you eat it, you'll feel the caramel ooze down your finger when you first bite into it. If I had to do a comparison between the macarons from 'lette and those from Bottega Louie, I'd have to say the ones from 'lette are better. I don't know....they just taste a lot fresher and lighter. If you've never had French macarons before, NOT macarOOns, then you should have your first ones at 'lette, unless of course you're going to France in the near future. Save your first macaron experience for France ;)

Paradise at Bottega Louie

Assorted macarons: Earl grey, espresso, salted caramel, vanilla, and pistachio 

Saumon Millefeuille

Beignets

Pistachio Éclair // Pistachio Saint Amour

Assorted eclairs: vanilla, cherry, dark chocolate and pistachio

Assorted pastries

Place: Bottega Louie

          700 South Grand Ave.

          Los Angeles, CA 90014

Genre: Italian food / French patisserie

$$$

My opinion:

The second you step into Bottega Louie, you feel like you've been transported to Paris. The outside is reminiscent of the world famous Ladurée and on the inside you hear the bustling people, smell the freshly baked bread, see the high parisian ceilings and taste the most mouthwatering pastries in all of Los Angeles. The patisserie alone is a spectrum of vibrant colors. Bottega Louie is interesting in that it's brunch/lunch and dinner menu is reminiscent of an Italian restaurant (minus the rather fresh Saumon Millefeuille, considering the use of pastry dough), but all of the pastries are French. Regardless of the peculiar combination, Bottega Louie is the best place for lunch, dinner and dessert. I brought my friend, who by the way is French, and she herself said she felt like she was in Paris. Honestly, I almost cried of happiness the first time I came. Everything is just so beautiful. The macarons are vibrant and delicious. Truth be told, the pastries are far superior to the lunch/dinner menu. If I could recommend one thing from the brunch/lunch menu, it's the Saumon Millefeuille. It's to die for. It consists of several layers of puff pastry, crème fraîche, a touch of scallion, smoked salmon and black sesame on the sides. Nothing overpowers another element in this masterpiece. Each ingredient compliments the other. The light saltiness of the smoked salmon is subdued by the subtle crème fraîche. It's simply divine. Be careful when you go though....you end up spending more than you think, but it's so worth it. The ambiance just makes the experience 100 times better. 

Bibimbap at Bibigo

Hot stone Bibimbap with tofu and black rice

Place: Bibigo

          225 S. Beverly Drive

          Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Genre: Korean

$$

My opinion:

For a korean restaurant that is a bit Americanized, Bibigo is really good. It's definitely not an authentic korean restaurant or a mouthwatering korean bbq place, but still, the bibimbap is really tasty! It has a neat system: 1. pick the type of bibimbap you want (hotstone or not) 2. pick your type of rice (barley, white, brown or black) 3. pick your protein (bulgogi, chicken, tofu, or shrimp) 4. pick your sauces (kohot, sesame, ssam or soy) It's quite simple. Everytime I go I get hotstone bibimbap, with black rice, tofu and kohot (a spicy sauce). It's so good!! The hotstone bibimbap itself comes with a fried egg, bean sprouts, green vegetables and mushrooms. When you mix everything together and let the rice sit for about 2-5 minutes, you get a nice crispy and crunchy bottom (probably the best part!) Be careful though, it's REALLY hot. Be patient! If you haven't noticed, it's also super vegetarian/pescetarian friendly! Bibimbap is so unique to Korean cuisine and Bibigo does it quite well. Of course, I'm not korean and I'm not accustomed to traditional home cooked korean cuisine, but for someone who's been to several authentic korean bbq places, I have to say that Bibigo is a great place to get bibimbap if you don't want to make the trek to Korea town! I should also add that the service is great. The only downside is that parking is quite a hassle.

Sushi at Sushi Stop

Yellowtail Truffle Handroll 

Spicy Tuna Roll

Place: Sushi Stop

          2053 Sawtelle Blvd.

          Los Angeles 90025

Genre: Japanese food - sushi

$

My opinion:

For what it's worth, Sushi Stop is fantastic. All of the sushi, rolls and sashimi are each $2.75. I was surprised by how good it was for that price. Plus, you get the real experience since the only seating is at the sushi bar. It also doesn't take long to get a seat. When I first went I had to try the salmon sushi. I'll admit, it's not like the salmon sushi at SugarFish, but for $2.75 for two pieces of salmon sushi, it was pretty delicious. My favorite thing there is the yellowtail truffle hand roll. If you haven't read my other posts, I'm a HUGE truffle fanatic; however, I was sort of hesitant to try it in sushi...not the most common combo. To my surprise, the combination was fantastic. The truffle oil is really subtle, so it doesn't take away from the yellowtail flavor, but you still know there's truffle oil in the roll. Everything is perfectly balanced. I'm always so impressed by Sushi Stop. If you're looking for good sushi for a reasonable price, go to Sushi Stop!

Sushi at SugarFish

Salmon and Albacore sushi / edamame 

"Tuna Sashimi"

Place: SugarFish

          11640 San Vicente Blvd.

          Brentwood, CA 90049

Genre: Japanese food - sushi

$$$

My opinion:

SugarFish is easily one of my favorite places to get sushi. Unlike a lot of japanese restaurants you won't find any complex rolls like "spicy tuna crunch roll," or a "dragon roll." At SugarFish, you'll only find sushi in it's purest and simplest form: sashimi and rice. It's best if you order one of the 'chef's tasting menus' : the Turst me and the Trust me lite. It may seem like there are only a few pieces in the pre-set menu, but it fills you up. You don't feel bloated or heavy at the end, just satisfied. (one of the main reasons why I love SugarFish so much) Take a look at the menu on their website and you'll see what I mean. Of course you can order a la carte, but for the real experience, get one of the chef's menus. Every piece of sushi is finished with the perfect light sauce. My favorite things are the Tuna Sashimi, salmon sushi, yellowtail sushi, lobster hand roll and the salmon hand roll. I HIGHLY recommend SugarFish. It's on my list of all time favorite restaurants.

Juice at Pressed Juicery

 Detox 3 and Apple, Strawberry Coconut

 Detox 2 and Greens 3

Peach Melon

Place: Pressed Juicery

          13050 San Vicente Blvd.

          Brentwood, CA 90049

Genre: Juice

$$ (sort of expensive for juice...)

My opinion:

I'm sort of addicted to Pressed. Their juices just brighten my day. Everything just tastes so fresh and cool. Honestly, it's perfect for any time of year. Pressed specializes in Juice cleanses. I've done one of the 3 day cleanses. I was quite impressed with how easy it was. The people who work there make sure you get your fix of greens (kale, parsley, celery), 'roots' (ie. carrots and beets), fruit, chlorophyl water for hydration and aloe vera water. A one day cleans is $40, but the week long ones are much more expensive. My favorite drinks are 'citrus 2' (pineapple, green apple, lemon, mint), the chlorophyl water (it tastes like unsweetened green tea), almond milk (it's soooooo good), and coconut mint chip (it's sort of an acquired taste, but I love it). The one on San Vicente is a bit hard to find. It's quite literally a "hole in the wall." If you know where the Starbucks is then you're headed in the right direction. All you do is walk down the walkway in-between Starbucks and Le Pain Quotidien, turn to your right and you'll see Pressed. It's the perfect pick me up!

FroYo!

The best frozen yogurt in Los Angeles:

Ever since around 2006, frozen yogurt shops have popped up all over Los Angeles. I've been to several places and came up with the LA's best 2 places to get frozen yogurt.

The Bigg Chill

1. The Bigg Chill
    10850 Olympic Blvd.
    Westwood, CA 90064

Hit or a Miss? Hit!

My opinion:
Don't be fooled by the exterior. It might be tucked away in a little strip mall, but The Bigg Chill has the best frozen yogurt I've ever had. First, you definitely get your money's worth. The portions are HUGE. All of the froyo is fat free and they have a variety of toppings. The toppings aren't as extensive as those of a lot of other popular froyo places, but good nonetheless. Their froyo is just to die for: creamy, smooth and fulfilling. You know how sometimes you go to a self-serve froyo place and when you pull the lever the yogurt comes out with a bit of liquidy melted yogurt? Well you'll never find that at The Bigg Chill! I can't put into words how much I love their frozen yogurt. It's just perfect. I'm not a big fan of chocolate ice cream/froyo, so I never get it. I always get vanilla. So the first time I went I got a small with half vanilla and half peanut butter. Oh my goodness...it was just amazing. I didn't have to get toppings because I would've been happy with just the yogurt, but I got kit kat, which hit the spot. You really have to try it for yourself. The Bigg Chill is just another testament to how it's the inside that counts, not the outside. Also, parking isn't too hard to find because of the little parking lot right in front.

2. t o p p i n g s
    872 Via de la Paz
    Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

My opinion:
The name really gives it all away. Seriously, I've never seen such a large selection of toppings. They have everything from potato chips, to jujubes, from kit kat, to white chocolate covered oreos. It's unbelievable how many different toppings they have! Their froyo was really good too. I'll admit it wasn't as good as the froyo I had at the Bigg Chill. Their's seemed a bit on the 'icy' side, just not as creamy/smooth. Still I didn't get any of the annoying melted yogurt that first comes out of the machine. Oh yea, I forgot to mention that it's self-serve fro-yo. You have to go for the yogurt and the toppings. If toppings and the Bigg Chill came together they'd make the absolute best frozen yogurt place in the world. The only down side to toppings is that it's really hard to find parking at a busy time of day.

'Snow Cream' (...again) at Sweet Crush

Coconut 'Snow Cream' with Coconut drizzle and dark chocolate shavings

Place: Sweet Crush

          11753 San Vicente Blvd.

          Brentwood, CA 90049

Genre: Ice Cream/ 'Snow Cream'

$

My Opinion:

Yes, this is the SAME EXACT concept as Blockheads, but with a twist... Think of it as Pinkberry meets Blockheads. The same 'Snow Cream' concept, but with fruity/tart flavors of 'Snow Cream.' (and more flavors at that) I keep calling it 'Snow Cream' because I honestly don't know what to call it. I couldn't tell that much of a difference between Sweet Crush and Blockheads except that Sweet Crush is located in Brentwood and has "tartier" flavors. Either one is good. I just decided to put a review of both of them to say that if you can't make it out to the Sawtelle area to try some 'Snow Cream,' you can find it in the heart of Brentwood. The only draw back about Sweet Crush is that the service is MUCH slower.

"Snow Cream" at Blockheads Shavery

Original Snow Cream (to go) with Andes chocolate mint and Strawberries 

Original "Snow Cream" and Coconut "drizzle" with Andes chocolate mint and Strawberries

Place: Blockheads Shavery

          11311 Mississippi Ave.

          Los Angeles, CA 90025

Genre: Ice Cream / "Snow Cream"

$

My opinion:

So my friends kept telling me over the summer to try "Snow Cream." You must be wondering, "What on earth is 'Snow Cream' ?" Basically, it's a large chunk of some version of ice cream (lighter and less 'creamy' and much more 'solid,' like ice) that has been shaved into extremely thin sheets. It's not shaved ice, but some think of it that way. Anyway, I liked it when I went for the first time. It's different from anything I've had before. It's light and fluffy, but truthfully lacks a lot of flavor. However, you have the option of adding 'drizzle,' which is essentially syrup. If you don't get the 'drizzle,' you won't like the 'Snow Cream,' it would be too dry (I know this from experience...). They have the rather popular condensed milk drizzle, coconut, chocolate, coconut, mango and strawberry drizzle. The condensed milk seemed too heavy for me, so I decided to try the coconut drizzle. A bit too sweet, but when combined with the rather bland 'Snow cream,' it's pretty fantastic. It's the perfect summer treat! Unlike ice cream and frozen yogurt, you don't feel all that bloated/sick after finishing the large portion of Blockheads. Oh yea, the portions are HUGE. Other than the redbean, the toppings are pretty standard: chocolate chips, fruit, oreos etc. The combination I recommend is: original 'Snow Cream,' coconut drizzle, strawberries and Andes chocolate mint. It was delicious! 

Ice cream at Sprinkles Ice Cream

Over the summer I went out on a mission to find some of the greatest "cool down treats" [i.e. ice cream, froyo, juices, smoothies etc.] so you'll see a few more treats than dishes for a few posts.

 Red velvet ice cream

Place: Sprinkles Ice Cream

          9631 South Santa Monica Boulevard

          Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Genre: Ice Cream

$$ (relative to most ice cream places)

Hit or a Miss? Miss

Featured Flavor: Red Vevlet

My opinion:

I came to Sprinkles with some pretty high expectations. Though I'm not quite a fan of their cupcakes, only because they are so dense, I thought their ice cream would be just as good and if not better than that of Sweet Rose Creamery. I was incorrect. Don't get me wrong, the ice cream was fine, just not better than Sweet Rose ice cream. To start off the "red velvet ice cream" consists of a sweet cream ice cream base. I say this because it isn't vanilla, just a sweet cream sort of flavor. Then there are the chunks of Sprinkles' red velvet cupcake. The cake pieces themselves are good, but what I wasn't quite fond of was that the frosting was included. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but ice cream and cream cheese frosting just don't mesh. Their consistencies are just too different: a smooth, creamy ice cream and a (slightly) grainier and heavy frosting. Secondly, the cream cheese flavor and sweet cream flavor didn't exactly compliment each other to my liking. All together it was a pretty heavy ice cream. The hype didn't really improve my experience. That said, it wasn't terrible. I'd say that it was "just good." Another thing that added to its mediocrity would be the wait...seriously you'd expect the ice cream to be fantastic if you're waiting for almost an hour. (but maybe it's just the "Sprinkles" name that attracts so many customers). The service is unreasonably slow. The line is ALWAYS out the door. Anyway, I'd say Sprinkles ice cream is a "one time only" kind of thing. Go for the "experience" if you want, but there are better places to get ice cream in LA.

So I've become sort of lazy the past several months...sorry. I've still been taking photos/notes on almost everything I've eaten. You should expect some posts in the following days/weeks! Sorry for the delay!!