Cross-town Rivalry

Apologies for the delay in posts! What with the Thanksgiving holiday and all, it's been hectic.

This weekend is the biggest game of the Los Angeles college football year (next to the Rose Bowl). It's the annual USC-UCLA game, and the only football game of the year that I really pay attention to. Why? I went to both UCLA (for undergraduate) and USC (for grad school).

However, I have no knowledge of football whatsoever. I've attempted many times to no avail. I will keep mum on who I am rooting for, since I will get stones thrown at me either way. :)

My experiences at both UCLA and USC have been special ones in different ways. I've spent more time in UCLA, so naturally, I know the Westwood neighborhood more, and hope to talk about its many haunts later. My time at USC was mainly during its night hours as a grad student, and I didn't really get to experience the USC school life (unless you count visits to the University Village -- the area has changed so much since I've left school). My UCLA v. USC will be based on...what else? Food :)

Here are my picks for this head-to-head:

Team Bruin:

Lamonica's New York Pizza
1066 Gayley Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 208-8671

I started going to Lamonica's even before I went to UCLA, before the Whole Foods on Gayley sprouted up there. Where else would you find such authentic NY pizza in Los Angeles, and for such a great price? I still crave their white pizza (spinach with ricotta cheese), their large, thin slices. The restaurant itself reminds you of a NY subway station, or at least it does to me.

Team Trojan:

Dino's Burgers
2575 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90006
213-380-3554

Dino's is not exactly located in the vicinty of USC, but in its adjacent neighborhood. How grateful am I that my love still lives close enough to this so that I can stop by whenever I have a craving :). Surprisingly, I've had Dino's since I went to UCLA, thanks to a friend that lived down there. Also surprising is the fact that of my years of going to Dino's Burgers, I've never actually ordered a burger. Their most popular dish there is the chicken platter. For $5, you get delicious grilled chicken, smothered with a paprika, seasoning salt, vinegary sauce. The chicken is served over fries, with a brush of this lovely sauce that spills into the fries, making me crave the sour tarty-spicy chicken.

So no matter if you're a Bruin at heart, or love your Trojans, just remember -- food never takes sides and can be loved by a Bruin or a Trojan :)

IzakaYa!

TGIF! Apologies for not posting for over a week -- it's been quite busy! In between all my madness, I realized the other day that this past weekend, from Saturday to Monday, I've had Japanese food for just about every meal. It was a very Japanese weekend, since I also finally saw the Murakami exhibit. :) It was amazing! I think I will go back before it leaves town.

During my week of Japanese food, I actually went to the same restaurant twice in one week, although two different locations. Musha is by far one of my favorite Japanese places to eat, because of the variety of foods they have to offer. They have two locations, one in Torrance, and the other in Santa Monica. It is the now very popular Izakaya food, which is basically Japanese tapas -- bar food, if you will. The plates are smaller, so you get to sample lots of dishes. I've seen a few of these Izakaya restuarants popping up around town, and I'm sort of afraid to try them. Can they be as good as Musha? Their original location, is after all, in the real Little Tokyo -- Torrance is the headquarters of many of the Japanese automotive companies, along with many Japanese markets and restaurants. The Japanese version of Alhambra and Monterey Park, you can say. :)


So, as a run down, 10 reasons why I love Musha so much:


10. Kirin draft - by the pitcher!

9. The decor and the atmosphere of the restaurant, both the one in Torrance and the one in Santa Monica, are how I imagine a busy Japanese bar should be -- filled with good food and great lively conversations. The specials are on a hand-written style menu, and the bathrooms are decorated with writings on the wall. I remember the first time I went to Musha was New Year's, and there was a guest book in the bathroom of the Torrance, for visitors to sign. The walls of the private tatami rooms in the Santa Monica branch are lined with mulberry paper, which fascinated me.

8. The combination of Japanese favorites with much loved Italian and French dishes, Japanese style, which is a favorite in Japan.

7. MFC (Musha Fried Chicken) -- Musha's version of the Japanese appetizer/snack favorite. The perfect crunchiness that goes great topped with a squeeze of lemon.


6. The mini grills to grill filet steak and beef tongue (not gross, merely an acquired taste ;)

5. Cheese Risotto that comes in a block of cheese. Creamy. Delicious. Amazing.

4. Umeshu Soda! I discovered this Japanese treat on my last visit to the Santa Monica branch when a friend who was in town for the American Film Market. It's actually plum wine, mixed with club soda. I'm not really a fan of the plum wine, but this was delicious. Served in a tall glass with a big green plum at the bottom.

3. Lobster Rolls -- Lobster sushi, wrapped in soy paper. The most succulent lobster ever, paired with asparagus and avocado. Triple yum.

2. Grilled Saba (Mackerel) -- Absolutely delicious. Grilled at your table with a blow torch - ingenious!

1. Maple Creme Brulee -- The top is grilled with a blow torch for a crunchy, sugary top shell. Delish!

Musha Santa Monica
424 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-6330


Musha Torrance
1725 Carson St., Suite B,
Torrance,CA 92780
(310) 787-7344

Fall Backwards

Happy Friday! What a long week it's been. I'm heading out this week to San Diego -- very excited! I haven't been on vacation in a year, and although SD is only 2 hours away, it's still nice to get out of the city once in awihle.

I'm so excited for the Nantaka Joy site finally launching. :) Check out her blog (linked on my READ list, too) for great design ideas, cute product recommendations, and just a fun read. Joy has my dream job --she designs stationery in her own home with the company of her cats :). Actually, my dream job is to actually open a stationery shop. That sorta reminds me of Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail. I was also excited to find out that Joy was Thai :D. Yay!! It makes me even more proud. I'm genuinely in love with the designs of the notebooks -- the colorful designs and the beautiful lettering. I am in love. :)

It makes me think of the way I feel when I go into my favorite stationery store. If they gave out punch cards for stationery stores, I would've filled up at least three of them. Pulp (what a fitting name) is on La Brea Ave., between 6th and 3rd. There are times when I haven't gone to Pulp for awhile and I get giddy and excited (I know, I'm a nerd) for all the new things they've received. I want to run through the store, and simultaneously, take my time and peruse through the whole place. I stock up on birthday cards here -- you never know when you'll need one!

These are a few of the ones I bought recently. My favorite one is what I call the Domo Arigato one -- the one of the little boy bowing thank you very, very deeply.

Its sister store, Il Literature is also another store I love to visit for one of a kind jewelry pieces, baby gifts, and kitschy home products. They carry lovely Hobo International bags and wallets, Dogeared necklaces that I love, and handmade rings and earrings that I have to resist the urge not to by them all. The last time I was there, I bought a soap dish that I turned into a business card holder -- so cute. :)



PULP 456 S La Brea Ave Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 937-3505



(Il Literature is two doors down. Parking on the street and complimentary valet in the alley.)

**And don't forget to set your clocks back an hour on Sunday!