Los Angeles Restaurant Tips by joits

Rosalind's: Eat... Ethiopian Style...

The occasion was my sister's birthday and my sister has a reputation of always wanting to try something new. This time it was Ethiopian cuisine. I've eaten Zambian food and I've been to African restaurants, but I've never sampled Ethiopian food specifically.

Located in the Little Ehiopia section of LA, this restaurant has a pretty nice decor. It is decorated with an Ethiopian theme and there's a nice ambiance to it.

It was an interesting experience eating the food Ethiopian style... (when in Rome...). This meant that when we ordered our food, it was brought out in one big dish... about two foot in diameter, and the different dishes are in different areas of the plate. Then we are given some bread (I think it was called Njera and it sort of resembles a flour tortilla), and with that bread you use that to pick up the various food items. There's no cutler and no plates, but I'm sure you can ask for these items, but where's the fun in that. Whenever I go to an ethnic type restaurant, I always try to eat how that particular culture eats, its part of the experience.

Service is decent... can't compare to the type of attention you get from any standard American restaurant like TGI Fridays or BJ's Pizza where the waiters and waitresses really work for their tips.

Favorite Dish: I think the dish was called "Special Tibbs" which is basically strips of beef and onions sauteed and served on a sizzling plate. You also get as much Njera bread as you want. The bread itself has a slightly bitter taste to it.

For appetizers, try the Sambusas with beef. Make sure you tell em or they'll serve you them with Lentils instead... ewww!

Address: 1044 S. Fairfax Ave

Comparison: about average

Directions: If you are heading 10 West, exit Fairfax, make a right on Fairfax. Restaurant is on corner of Whitworth and Fairfax.

Phone: (323) 936-2486

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: African

Maggianos Little Italy: Expensive Italian...

Make sure you bring your appetite to this place. American restaurants generally give large portions.... but dang, they take it to extremes here. When you order food, they can just bring it in these huge plates that usually serve several people.

I came here for New Year's dinner... it was pretty cool. Everybody got dressed up, suits and ties and fancy dresses n stuff. For a group of 13, we ordered so many dishes, drinks and deserts! Definitely a New Year's to remember.

Favorite Dish: Can't remember what I ordered, just that pretty much everything was freakin awesome.

Address: 3333 Bristol St

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: In Costa Mesa, right next to South Coast Plaza.

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 5

Theme: Italian

Toi On Sunset: Late night eating!!

After a night of clubbing or bar hopping, a great place to grab a bite to eat is Toi on Sunset. Its Thai food... but its not exactly your typical Thai restuarant. First of all the waiters are mostly white. Second of all, the decor is not what you'd expect at a thai restaurant. It has a sort of rock & roll type decor with vintage furniture and posters. One table doesn't even have chairs, its set up in a middle-eastern style... you have pillows and you can sort of lounge around the table. Service is pretty good. The food comes quickly too.

Check the site for more locations.

Favorite Dish: Spicy seafood fried rice.

Address: 7505 Sunset Blvd.

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: On the intersection of Sunset @ Gardner.

Phone: 323-874-8062

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim

Lucky Fish Restaurant: Conveyor Belt Sushi...

I have always wanted to try eating sushi as it gets prepared on a plate on put on a conveyor belt that goes around the restaurant. Found a brand new place in Beverly Hills that does this. The sushi was good but overall it was an expensive experience. You can get just as good sushi and maybe better at other places. Nevertheless, the service was great and the decor and atmosphere at the restaurant is pretty nice.

Favorite Dish: Its my favorite at any sushi restaurant and it wasn't any different here... I love the taste and texture of raw salmon...

Address: 338 N. Canon Dr Beverly Hill, CA

Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: (310) 274-9800

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 5

Theme: Japanese/Sushi

El Paseo de Los Angeles: Great Mexican food...

While exploring Olvera street in downtown LA, i stopped here for lunch. I chose to sit outside in the patio which is covered so that I can people watch while I ate. Service is quick and friendly. The food is also excellent. While you eat, there are live performers who aren't associated with the restaurant, but who roam from restaurant to restaurant. They'll ask for a donation once they're done singing.

Favorite Dish: I ordered the Carne Asada burrito meal... I love burritos and this was excellent.

Address: 11 Olvera St, Los Angeles, 90012

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: In the middle of Olvera Street, near the Avila Adobe house.

Phone: (213) 626-1361

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Mexican

Ngoma: Real African food...

Since I moved here from Africa, I hadn't had any African food in almost ten years. So when my sister found this place, we had to go. The decor is of course African but its not over the top. When you go eat there, they try to maintain some of the traditions, like they will bring a jug of water and a bowl so they can wash your hands. They have food from different parts of Africa. They also drinks, deserts and appetizers from Africa.

Unfortunately, the service is what is lacking. The waiters are pretty inattentive. Service is also slow.

My friends actually told me one time they came in and sat down and nobody came up to them. They eventually just left.

Basically this place is more about the experience than the service and the food. The food is okay, not great. Its just to say that you had some genuine African food.

Favorite Dish: Try the samusas (sp?) and the Nshima.

Address: 5358 Wilshire Blvd

Comparison: about average

Phone: 323-934-1595

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: African

Full House Seafood Restaurant: Great restaurant in Chinatown

Went to this place to have dinner with friends from out of town. We went on a Friday night and it wasn't too busy so we went in pretty quickly. Dress is casual attire. It's one of those restuarants that has the rotating middle section of the table so that everyone can reach the food properly. The service was decent, although still not as good as service in places like TGI Fridays where waiters really work for the tips. One thing I didn't like was when we were paying the bill and collecting money for everyone, the waitress/host was practically hovering over us to get the bill. We had to tell her that we weren't ready yet. But overall, it was a great place to eat, I had a blast, and if you're in Chinatown in LA, it's worth it to check it out.

Favorite Dish: The orange chicken. The best tasting orange chicken I've ever had!

Address: 963 North Hill Street, Los Angeles

Comparison: about average

Directions: In Chinatown.

Phone: 213.617.8382

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum

Cha Cha Cha: 1... 2... 3...

This is a pretty good Caribbean restaurant. Its a relatively small restaurant but it is usually packed on a weekend. On the outside, it doesn't look like much, its not in a very nice location. But its pretty obvious that word of mouth is what makes it popular. The inside has a very cool Caribbean decor and its lighted mostly by candles and it is a great place for romantic dates. Guys... bring the ladies here... you might get lucky... hehe.

This restaurant was also featured in the movie "Fast and the Furious". Parking is a ***, bring money for valet, so you don't stress about where to park and whether your car will be safe.

Favorite Dish: The Jerk Chicken dish is pretty spicy... I was practically sweating after every bite! The Paella was good too.

Address: 656 N Virgil Ave

Comparison: more expensive than average

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Other

Website: http://www.theoriginalchachacha.com/

Krispy Creme Doughnuts: Homer: mmmm.... donuts.... Krispy Creme Doughnuts Review

We don't have Dunkin Donuts, but the next best thing is Krispy Kreme donuts. Their donuts are friggin amazing. If you go inside you can watch how the donuts are made... man I was like a little kid in a candy store transfixed at the sight of little hoops of dough being turned into donuts... the food of the Gods... according to Homer Simpson.

Favorite Dish: The glazed donuts, the cream-filled donuts...

Address: Several Locations

Comparison: more expensive than average

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Dessert

Website: http://www.krispykreme.com

Johnny Rockets: 50s diner style place...

This burger and fries place is a throw-back to the 50s type diner. The decor is... believe it or not... 50s style. On the tables, there's a kind of juke box thingy where u can choose songs... I think. I've never actually put money in it. So maybe its just for show...

As far as the food, its just about average really. And its quite pricey. There's no "meal" specials where u get a burger, fries and a drink for a discount price. You gotta order it separately. And the waiters come around and take your order, unless u sit at the bar...

Favorite Dish: I guess the burger, its nothing special. If you pass by an In-N-Out, go there instead.

Comparison: more expensive than average

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 2

Theme: American

Website: http://www.johnnyrockets.com/index2.php