BROKEN SPANISH (DOWNTOWN, LOS ANGELES, CA)

Broken Spanish
1050 S. Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
www.brokenspanish.com
Tel: 213.749.1460
$$$ ($30-$45)
Sat, 07/02/2015, 8:45pm reservation
(4 Piglets)

Sophisticated. Contemporary. Flavorful. Those are all adjectives that I would use to describe the bustling restaurant in downtown Los Angeles known as Broken Spanish.  

Chef Ray Garcia is a native Angeleno who is able to bring his influence of Latin flavors with a touch of finesse from his classically trained days as a chef. With inspiration from the City of Angels, the dishes are refined in such a way to bring fresh ingredients with a hint of modern flair. 

The space is unique with a touch of character. Simple and chic with modern clean lines comprises most of the decor in the restaurant. An open kitchen with bar seating embody a quarter of the restaurant while the remaining space are seats arranged as both communal and independent. With that in mind, it's a wonderful location with a cool vibe with none of the pretentiousness that you would get in the Westside. 

The interior

The interior in the back room

The interior in the back room

Cheers! 

TEPACHE FIZZ ($14.00): Blanco Tequila, Bols Genever, Alvear Cream Sherry, Lime, Fermented Pineapple Tepache, Nutmeg, and served in a tin mug. This was a refreshing drink. It was slightly creamy and a hint of spice from the nutmeg gave the drink a depth of flavor and complexity. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was neither too strong or super sweet. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. TAMALE ($16.00): Summer Squash, Brentwood Corn, Rajas, Queso Oaxaca. O.M.G. This is probably one, if not, the best tamale ever. The texture was soft and decadent. The vegetables were super fresh. What really stood out with this dish was the sauce the tamale was dressed in; it was creamy, slightly buttery, rich, thick and full of deliciousness. It had so much flavor that I just wanted to soak up every last bit of it with the tortilla. It was so good that we ordered another one! Definitely a must order! 

TOSTADA ($13.00): Habas, Pea Salsa Verde, "Little Lamb", Carrot Escabeche. This was absolutely delicious. The tostada was nice and crisp with a definite crunch. The topping was fresh and spicy. The peas and carrots almost made you think you were eating a healthy dish. 

TORTILLAS, WHIPPED CARNITAS FAT ($8.00): I thought the tortillas were good and obviously were homemade. The carnitas fat had a slight spiciness to it but honestly, it didn't really do anything for me. It coated my tongue like how fat does but I felt it lacked taste and flavor. Maybe it just needed some seasoning to bring out the fatty taste? 

ENSALADA RUSA ($15.00): Heirloom Potato, Pickled Pepper, Smoked Marlin, Pork Rind. This dish was recommended by the staff and quite honestly, it wasn't one of my favorites. Sure, it tasted like potato salad with a bit of sophistication to it, but that's all it was. It wasn't anything special. 

QUESADILLA ($15.00): Oxtail, Plantain, Habanero, Salsa Quemada. This was another outstanding dish from the chef. I loved oxtail, It wasn't dry and had a great amount of flavor to it. The habanero offered a kick to the dish that hit you at the end of your bite. The salsa quemada was delicious. A must order. 

PULPO ($22.00): Alberjones, Chorizo, Crema. This dish was good, but for the price compared to the other dishes, I would order something else. The pulpo was tender and not rubbery like most octopus can become when overcooked. The beans were good and had a good flavor to it, but it wasn't one of my favorite dishes. 

CHICHARRON ($39.00): Elephant Garlic Mojo, RAdish Sprout, Pickled Herbs. This was an excellent dish. If you don't like pork belly, this dish may convert you. The pork belly was tender and fatty. The chicharron that coated the pork belly had a great crunch to it, even with the sauce. The herbs were fresh and had a good amount of acidity to cut through the fat. It was a well-constructed dish and definitely innovative. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

VERVE COFFEE SINGLE ORIGIN ($8.00): 20 oz. This is a lot of coffee. It definitely was good and not bitter. It's one of those coffees that you actually could probably drink it black cause it's that good. It's a great amount of coffee to share amongst 2-3 people. Twenty ounces is a lot; so for one, it's a bit much. 

A closer look at the coffee

ICE CREAM/SORBET (3 FOR $10.00): Goat's Milk Ice Cream, Horchata Ice Cream, Guava Sorbet. The goat's milk ice cream was pretty interesting. I've never had it before and it definitely had a slightly pungent taste to it. I don't think I loved it. The horchata tasted like horchata in ice cream form. It was good and the cinnamon was prominent. If you're on the fence with horchata, then it's not for you. The guava was probably the best out of the three. The guava was slightly sweet and was still super creamy even though it was a sorbet. 

CAFE DE OLLA ($13.00): Hazelnut Dacquoise, Canela Pastry Cream, Jivara Ganache, Macha Stout Reduction, Cafe-Canela Ice Cream. This dessert was the best out of the two. The layers of all the different textures and flavors worked well together. The canela pastry cream almost had a texture like marshmallow creme. The dessert was sweet but with the ice cream, it cut through it all. I wish there was more of the ice cream because it was super delicious. This dessert was good, but not by any means amazing. 

Overall, Broken Spanish is a great restaurant offering Mexican/Latin food with elevated flavor profiles. It's already difficult as it is to find good Mexican food that's contemporary and somehow, Chef Garcia managed to pull it off. The space is great and the location is in the heart of Downtown which means parking can be difficult. They offer valet parking that can be easily missed. With everything being said, it's definitely worth a visit. 


Notable Dishes: Tamale, Quesadilla, Tostada, and Chicharron.  

CHOCOLATE CHAIR (KOREATOWN, LOS ANGELES, CA)

Chocolate Chair
Madang Plaza
621 S. Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005
https://www.facebook.com/ChocolateChair/
Tel: 213.389.3360
$$ ($15-$30)
Friday, 06/17/2016, 9:00pm walk-in
    (3.5 Piglets)

There's always some type of new fad happening in Los Angeles. First, there was the liquid nitrogen ice cream and now you got this: a cereal-like concoction known as "dragon's breath." If you're thinking you'll be spitting out fire like dragons on an episode of Game of Thrones, you'll be thoroughly disappointed. Instead, you inhale a fair amount of dry ice into your mouth that is too cold to keep your mouth closed that it's illusive you'll be spewing out the smoke from the dry ice. 

The location is nestled in a plaza right next to H Mart in the middle of K-town. The actual store is a bit odd, shared next to a beauty shop that consists of make-up and lotion. The line is a bit ridiculous and the seating, well, it's limited and can be quite dirty. 

The interior

Liquid Nitrogen is Dangerous 

DRAGON'S BREATH ($5.44 + $0.50 FOR DIPPING SAUCE): The dragon's breath comes with a fair amount of balls that you can chew on that can be shared amongst 2-3 people. The texture and taste is like captain crunch/trix cereal. It's airy and sorta lacks taste on its own. There are a variety of dipping sauces that you can choose from with an extra charge of $0.50, which I think is worth it. Once you take a bite, it literally sticks to your mouth. Pretty cool nonetheless. 

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM ($5.44): The ice cream is pretty darn good and I think I have succumb to the fad of liking liquid nitrogen ice cream. It was super creamy and you can definitely taste the strawberries in the strawberry ice cream. Most people don't visit Chocolate Chair for the ice cream, but I think it's worth a try. 

Overall, Chocolate Chair is a pretty cool concept but I think it can get old pretty quickly. There's nothing special about the taste other than the fact that you can act like a dragon for a good 15 minutes. The parking can get crazy but luckily, there is a structure and Chocolate Chair will validate. Is it worth a try? Sure! Would I go out of my way to come out here? Probably not. 

Notable dishes: Dragon's Breath

DAW YEE MYANMAR CORNER (SILVERLAKE, LOS ANGELES, CA)

Daw Yee Myanmar Corner
2831 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
www.dawyeemontereypark.com/
Tel: 213.413.0568
$$ ($15-$30)
Sunday, 06/05/2016, 1:00pm reservation
    (4 Piglets)

Here in Los Angeles, Burmese food is a rarity. You can drive throughout the streets of LA and you probably won't find one for miles on end. I've been to Burma Superstar in San Francisco and it was absolutely amazing. So when I heard there was a Burmese restaurant that opened in Silverlake, I knew I had to jump on the chance to try it.

Daw Yee Myanmar Corner is the second restaurant from the Daw Yee Myanmar Café located in Monterey Park, CA. Dellun Chow is a second generation Burmese who has managed to incorporate Burmese authenticity with hipster Silverlake. Classic Burmese dishes like the tea leaf salad and samosas are integrated into the menu.

Soft opening!

Interior

Interior

KYAE OH NOODLE SOUP (DRY VERSION TOSS IN GARLIC OIL) ($9.95):  Rice Vermicelli, Flat Rice Noodles, Ground Pork, Tofu, Quail Egg, Fish Ball, Mustard Greens and Chives (GF). This dish reminds me of some home cooking. My mom would make something similar to this. It has a lot of what seems to be Southeast Asian flavors mixed with Chinese. It's filling and could definitely be shared.

MOLASONG DRINK ($4.00): Pandan Jelly, Tapioca, Coconut Milk, Whole Milk. This tastes like one of those drinks you get at a Vietnamese café. It's a bit on the sweeter end and the coconut milk flavor definitely comes through. It almost feels like a dessert rather than a drink. It's good nonetheless.

TEA LEAF SALAD ($9.95): Myanmar Imported Fermented Tea Leaves, Tomatoes, Roasted Peanuts, Fried Yellow Lentils, Fried Garlic, Toasted Sesame, Diced Tomatoes, Steamed Corn and Shredded Cabbage (Vegan, GF). This tea leaf salad is a bit different than the one at Burma Superstar. It has a lot of texture from the Peanuts and Yellow Lentils but I felt like its missing something. Maybe more fish sauce? It fell a little short for me, but it's still worth a try!

SAMOSAS (6 PIECES-$7.95): Fried Pastry Filled With Potatoes and Onions Seasoned with Masala Curry Spices (Vegan). I thought the samosas were really good. A hint of Indian flavors with a bit of Asian, how could you go wrong? They were super crispy just the way I like them and the interior was soft. Cooked perfectly. The sauce that comes with it is pretty amazing too.

MY FAVORITE DISH. FRIED MYANMAR TOFU (12 PIECES - $7.95): Homemade Yellow Lentil Tofu (Soy Free) with a Hint of Tumeric Fried in Light Batter (Vegan). I love these little suckers. They're super addicting. It's not your typical tofu that you normally eat. It's made out of yellow lentils and the texture is out of this world. Crispy on the outside with a cornemal-like texture. Not at all greasy! Its a must order! I wish I could eat these at home while I'm watching Game of Thrones on the couch!

Overall, Daw Yee Myanmar Corner is a nice addition to Silverlake. The food definitely meshes well with the hipster town and there are tons of vegan options! It's casual and I appreciate the simple food with bold flavors. It's definitely worth a try if you've never had Burmese food cause once you taste those fried tofu sticks, you'll be hooked! On a side note, you'll receive 10% off during the soft opening but you may want to call and see how long it'll be going on for.


Notable Dishes: Fried Myanmar Tofu and Kyae Oh Noodle Soup

THE PIE HOLE (LOS ANGELES, CA)

The Pie Hole
714 Traction Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90013
www.thepieholela.com
Tel: 213.537.0115
$ (under $15)
Tues, 05/31/2016, 2:15pm Walk-in
     (5 Piglets)

Homemade pie is comfort food at its best. Located in a cool little spot in the Arts District of Los Angeles sits a hole in the wall pie shop known as the Pie Hole.  It is a family run restaurant serving both savory and sweet pies as well as Fair Trade organic coffee. 

Becky Grasley and Matthew Heffner, the mother and son duo who started this place, has since expanded to other locations in the OC and LA. 

The shop itself is very quaint, with outdoor seating and a large communal table indoors. Recipes are framed and hung as artwork for the pie shop. 

Seating

The Pies

Menu

Cereal Killer Cheesecake

CEREAL KILLER CHEESECAKE ($6.25): It's your breakfast dream come true. A sweet and delicious cheesecake filled with fruity pebbles and topped with cornflakes. Crunchy and creamy all rolled up into one. Need I say more?

Earl Grey Tea Pie

MY FAVORITE DISH. EARL GREY TEA PIE ($6.75): I can't reiterate how delicious this pie is. The crust is flaky and not overly dense. The filling is nice and smooth. The hint of earl grey just slightly coats the palate without it overpowering the whole pie. Hints of chocolate can be tasted as well. It's one of the those pies that is one of a kind.

Overall, this pie shop is great! The vibe is slightly hipster and the pies are unique. I appreciate that they offer both sweet and savory so you're not contingent on one type of taste. It's a great place to catch up with friends over coffee and some delicious pie. The location is kinda hidden but just look for the Wurstkuche and you know you're nearby.


Notable Dishes: Earl Grey Tea Pie