SWEET CHICK (LOS ANGELES, CA)

Sweet Chick 
448 N. Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
www.sweetchick.com
Tel: 323.592.3423
Cuisine: Southern
$$ ($15-$30)
Wed, 10/11/2017, 7:00pm reservation 
    (3.5 Piglets)

Alright, so I had to check out this chicken joint that is ever-so popular in New York owned by NAS the rapper. It is a place to get your choice of various fried chicken and waffles amongst other things. It is American comfort food with a twist. 

I heard the restaurant is usually slam packed in NY, and here, on a Wednesday night in Los Angeles, it was kinda chill. There were a few empty tables. The service was pretty impeccable though. The restaurant is pretty dark with a large bar area. The menu is simple, with the focus being chicken and waffles. 

The interior bar and seating

MAC AND CHEESE ($9.00):  Gruyere, Fontina, Aged White Cheddar, Ritz Cracker Crumble. This mac and cheese was surprisingly delicious. It was creamy and luscious with just the amount of flavor. The crumbs added a good enough texture. The pasta was a little too soft for my liking. Other than that, it was perfect. I would definitely order this again. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. PORK BELLY NUGGETS ($10.00): Kimchi, Blueberry Balsamic Glaze, Pickled Watermelon. This was my favorite! The pork belly was so freakin delicous. It had just the right amount of fat without being overly fatty. It was a little sweet and reminded my of hoisin sauce. I wouldn't say that it has "kimchi" per se. It was more like pickled cabbage. The watermelon was interesting. I thought it was radish at first. A bunch of flavors and they were delicious. 

NASHVILLE HOT FRIED CHICKEN ($18.00): with Milk Jam Waffle. Ok, so i love spicy food. Spicy food is one of my favorites. The spice on this chicken was seriously spicy. It isn't for the weak sauce. I know now why they serve the milk waffle with this chicken, but seriously, you need to eat the waffle with the chicken or your mouth will go numb. I enjoy spicy but not when it overtakes everything else you eat. This was one of those moments. If you just want to eat spicy chicken, this may be your jam. I much prefer chicken with a hint of spice and let the chicken shine. 

SWEET CHICK CHICKEN AND WAFFLES ($17.00): 2 PC CHICKEN AND YOUR CHOICE OF WAFFLE-WE CHOSE APPLE N' CINNAMON. I thought the waffles and the chicken were just ok. The chicken wasn't as crispy as I would have liked and the waffles, well, a little bit on the soggy end. It didn't do much for me. After eating fried chicken from Gus', it's hard to beat that chicken in LA. 

Overall, I thought Sweet Chick was just ok. The service was impeccable but the main dishes of the chicken and waffles were sub par. I felt the chicken could use a little more seasoning and the waffles as well. The Nashville hot chicken was almost not enjoyable because of the spice level of the chicken. I actually prefer my waffles with a little bit of a crisp to them, and unfortunately, they were soggy. The side dishes were great though, with lots of flavor and texture. I much prefer the fried chicken at Gus' however, if you want a combination of chicken and waffles, this is a good place for that option. 

Notable Dishes: Pork Belly Nuggets and Mac and Cheese

MARUGAME UDON AND TEMPURA (SAWTELLE, LOS ANGELES, CA)

Marugame Udon and Tempura
2029 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
www.marugameudon.com
Tel: 424.317.2222
Cuisine: Asian
$ (under $15)
Mon, 10/2/2017, 7:00pm walk-in

    (4 Piglets)

Udon is absolutely delicious, especially if it's handmade on the premises. Marugame Udon and Tempura is no exception. The fresh noodles are chewy and delicate, with a nice bite to them. The restaurant itself is completely different than Marugame Monzo located in Little Tokyo. This Sawtelle location is simple, with the focus on the udon and tempura themselves. 

Marugame Udon and Tempura takes you back to your childhood, running like a cafeteria where you pick your dishes. You start with the type of udon you want and they make it on the spot. Afterwards, you roll your tray along the counter and start choosing from the variety of tempura like a buffet line. You also have the option of ordering a rice bowl and at the end of the line, you pay and add extra toppings to your heart's desire at the condiment counter. When all of that is finished, you seat yourself and dig in! 

outdoor seating

Rolling out the dough

Cooking the noodles-made to order

Seating

Communal Seating

Tempura

More Tempura

And more tempura (this one is like an onion blossom)

Cooking up the tempura

So happy!

Condiments

KAKE ($4.50): Served with Our Signature House Made Broth. This was meh to me. I thought the noodles were delicious but the broth itself was a little bland. It was simple and there was no substance. It would be a good alternative to the chicken soup if you were sick and wanted something plain. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. NIKUTAMA-HOT ($7.50 REGULAR): Kake Sauce with Sweet Beef and Soft Boiled Egg. I thought this was delicious. It is recommended you stir everything together and break up the yolk. It creates a nice, creamy sauce that goes well with the udon. The udon was perfect and the sauce was thick and a little sweet. The beef was ok. Reminded me of yoshinoya beef. 

CURRY ($5.50-REGULAR): Served with Classic Japanese Style Curry Soup. I thought this was pretty good. It tasted like authentic curry soup. The noodles were coated well with the curry once mixed. It had a depth of flavor. It wasn't spicy. 

A selection of tempura I picked out including asparagus!

Overall, Marugame Udon and Tempura is pretty good if you want a fast and decent noodle soup without all the fuss. I thought the line went by pretty quickly. I like that there is a variety of tempura and noodle soups to choose from as well as cold or hot options. It's not fancy. It's straight forward and to the point. I actually prefer Marugame Monzo to this restaurant, just for the fact that there are different menu items that I enjoy thoroughly at Monzo vs this location. Tip: Eat the tempura quickly or it becomes soggy if you wait. 

Notable Dishes: Nikutama and Chicken Tempura