Kiichi Kiichi Koo!

Photo Courtesy of sagehen_93

Sometimes your in the mood for a nice heavy meal, and sometimes, you'd rather spend the calories on beer. But why must you sacrifice flavor and quality (you can only beer batter SO many things) when you want to have a mostly liquid meal? Well, you don't.

The izakaya, or Japanese "snack bars," revolution has swept over Los Angeles like it's famous brothers before: cupcakes, frozen yogurt, "shmancy" pizza. Izakaya has spread all over the city from east to west, and is even featured in January's Los Angeles magazine. So with a desire to stay with the times coupled with my equal desire to drown my day with sake and cold beer, I headed to West Hollywood's Kiichi with one of my best dining partners, Sam (wait - didn't I call him a drunk the last time I blogged about our food adventure? I'll try to be kinder).

I'm always a little weary when I'm one of 5 people in a restaurant, which was the case with Kiichi on a Saturday night. However, I was there so I was going to give it my all - and I'm glad I did. Luckily we made it right before last call on Happy Hour, which opened the door to $2.50 beers and $3 bottles of Sake. They also were happy to have us order more than one drink to take advantage of the happy hour prices, but were kind enough to keep the beers chilled until we required a refill. I guess that's one of the benefits of a slow night at Kiichi.

One of the other benefits was fantastic service. Not only did Sam and I enjoy a 3 hour dinner/drinking fest (heavy on the latter), but everything we ordered was recommended by the staff (I left it up to the experts), and everything was fantastic. So, let's get down to it:
We started with Yellowtail & Jalapeno Sashimi ($8.50) which was on the special menu. If you like a little spice in your life, you will love this dish. The yellowtail is so fresh, it basically falls apart in your mouth. This was my favorite part of the whole meal.
Next we moved on to the Sashimi Tortilla ($6) also on the specials menu. Anytime I can combine my two loves: Mexican and Japanese, I'm one happy chica. Here, tortilla chips are topped with tuna sashimi, fresh cilantro, avocado and chili sauce. Taka me to the border!
Next, Raymond's favorite dish: Everybody Loves Spicy Tuna Roll ($7.50). A crispy rice cake is topped with spicy tuna and jalapenos in a bite sized treat (actually, it's two bites - these honkers are huge). There's really yummy and creamy, spicy and crispy. I'm starting to sound like a Taco Bell commercial but you get the deal.
I swear this next roll was created by a mom trying to get her husband to eat vegetables - Teriyaki Beef Roll ($7.50). Crispy grilled asparagus is tenderly wrapped in thin slices of beef and drizzled with teriyaki sauce. Oh man, this dish was rich and delish. I should note that their portions are huge for tapas style food, and by this time Sam and I were stuffed. I should ALSO note that somewhere in between these dishes and our second bottle of sake, I also had the Scallop Ceviche ($5) which jumped into my mouth faster than I could take a photo. Another refreshing fish dish that I couldn't get enough of.

So there you have it. Sam and I left Kiichi full of good food and good drinks and ready to take on the night. If you're in the mood for light fare, and great service, than hit up this West Hollywood spot for a meal you won't forget.


Kiichi
8351 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, 90069
(323) 654-4404
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Something Old and Something New

When you're craving Italian food, here are a couple fantastic options. One is old, one is new, both are worth a return visit.


Dominick's Restaurant used to be favorite of Frank Sinatra, and now enjoys frequent visits from Jack Bauer himself, Kiefer Sutherland. But it really isn't about the eye candy (although it doesn't hurt). The menu features classic Italian American fare such as fried rice balls and Veal Parmesan. Must haves include the Spaghetti and Meatballs, Grilled Artichoke, Hanger Steak and Gelato Trio (I lucked out with Coffee, Mint Chip and Brown Sugar - it changes every night).

But the thing that makes Dominick's unique and user-friendly is their Sunday Supper. For $15, enjoy a 3 Course Menu and for an extra $10 share a bottle of their very own white or red wine. The portions are plenty big and the atmosphere is quite romantic. On a nice night, request the patio, complete with fire place and terracotta galore. You'll swear you died and went to Italy.

Dominick's Restaurant
8715 Beverly Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 652-6335
$$-$$$




There's nothing like gourmet pizza to make you feel a little less guilty for eating bread and cheese. Thanks to chefs and co-owners Mario Batali (the red-head from the Food Network) and Nancy Silverton, formerly of Campanile, pizza has never tasted so good. Pizzeria Mozza, located on Melrose and Highland, and serving hot pies until midnight, is so good you could almost convince yourself to go twice in one week. Heck, with over 15 pizzas to choose from, you wouldn't even have to be a repeat offender.

But let's start at the beginning, shall we? The restaurant takes reservations, but if you're feeling risky, just drop in as it's first-come-first-serve at the counter. I prefer this view as you get an upfront seat at the brick oven, viewing the pizzas in all stages of creation (not to mention giving you a chance to window shop before you buy). Prior to the main course, I recommend partaking in one of the starters. Nancy's Chopped Salad is wonderful, and any of the bruschettas will leave you ready for more. If you're overwhelmed with the pizza options, you can't go wrong with either the Funghi misti, fontina, taleggio & thyme or the Prosciutto di Parma, rucola & mozzarella. I beg you, save room for dessert. And if you don't have room, make it. One of the best desserts I've ever had was at Mozza. Of course, I can't remember the name of the dish, but it included two scoops of caramel gelato, marshmallow fluff (for lack of a better term) and caramelized salted peanuts.

A moment of silence, please.

Thank g-d for Italians. Stay tuned for Osteria Mozza, coming soon, complete with its very own mozzarella bar.


Pizzeria Mozza
641 North Highland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 2970-0101
$$-$$$

What's for Brunch?

I happen to be a fan of any widely accepted "in between" meal, brunch being my favorite. Here are my top five favorite brunch spots in Los Angeles:

OFF VINE
6263 Leland Way, Hollywood
$$
This is an incredible hidden gem in Hollywood. It's right off Sunset and you would have no idea it was there unless I told you. So now that I've told you, you have to go. Rather than giving you bread before you meal, Off Vine gives you a plate of assorted bagels, cream cheese and their homemade jam - and that's just before you get your meal!

KINGS ROAD CAFE
8361 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles
$$
If you don't mind waiting (especially on the weekend), this place is worth the massive amounts of saliva you've collected in your mouth. Great eggs, great home fries. You can't go wrong with this traditional brunch spot.

QUALITY
8030 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles
$$
This is one of my favorite brunch/lunch spots in Los Angeles. I'm a big fan of Mexican food for all meals, and this place has awesome huevos rancheros. They also make great egg white scrambles if you would rather not have to take a nap after breakfast. If you're feeling more on the "unch" side of brunch, they make an incredible curry chicken salad. You can't miss here.

JACK N' JILL'S
510 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica
$$
Don't be turned off by this order at the counter, take a number and we'll bring you you're meal, type of place. The food is really wonderful. The Chinese Chicken Salad is awesome and get a side of corn bread - it's huge! Their lemonade is great too, which always wets my whistle (actually, only when I wear a whistle around my neck and it accidentally falls into the lemonade). They also make wonderful coffee and tea drinks, so even if you want to grab a muffin and a coffee to go, go to Jack n' Jill's.

LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN
1055 Broxton Ave., Westwood
$$
Belgain baked goods and tasty sandwiches? Am I dreaming? These may be questions you'll ask yourself at this old country style food spot. The answers are collectively, yes. Trade in your Eurorail pass for some new kicks, and take an instant trip to Europe at Le Pain.