Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

18 Oct 2013

Jun Won Restaurant – Los Angeles (Koreatown)

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My Korean food cravings fall into three neat categories: meaty, greasy, and homey.

When all I want is a feast of flame-licked meat, DonDay and Kang Hodong Baekjeong never fail to please. If it’s kick-back bar food that satisfies my mood, OB Bear and Dwit Gol Mok always treat me right. And to scratch my comfort food itch, I let the ladies at Ma Dang Gook Soo, Jeon Ju, and my latest obsession, Jun Won, do their thang.

Jun Won makes the kind of everyday fare that Korean moms and grandmas prepare for their brood. Opened in 1994 by Jung Ye Jun, the restaurant can be difficult to find. I parked and entered through the back, following the signs that read “Korean Restaurant,” of course.

The seafood-centric bill of fare was printed onto place mats, but before getting down to deciding what to order, my dining mates Lien, Natasha, and I took a moment to relish in the banchan scattered about the table. Jun Won’s regulars swing by three to four times each week, so Ms. Jun makes sure to change up these little nibbles every day. Fermented squid, several varieties of kimchi, wilted sprouts, marinated cucumbers, and fish cakes are constantly rotated in and out.

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Now Closed

16 Oct 2013

Jake’s Burgers – Pasadena

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When A Hamburger Today discovered burger “greatness” in my neighborhood a few months back (“Classic Burger Joint Greatness at Jake’s of Pasadena“), I immediately bookmarked the spot with a future lunch date in mind.

I’ve walked past this ruby red, burger-slangin’ hut in Old Pasadena dozens of times over the years, but it wasn’t until reading this piece of positive reportage that I was motivated to sit down for a meal. It was just the nudge I needed.

I am not sure what Jake’s menu was like when it first opened its doors in 1947, but these days it’s a build-your-own-burger situation supplemented by a half dozen composed “Signature Burgers.”

When my lunch date and I entered the restaurant, we were greeted with order forms on clipboards and pencils to make our mark. A friendly waiter slash cashier picked up the forms from our table as soon as we finished filling them out.

In addition to burgers for each of us, Nastassia and I shared a basket of truly fantastic onion rings ($3.49). The batter, crazy-crisp with nary a trace of grease, made these irresistible.

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{swoon}

14 Oct 2013

{swoon} Sea Salt Ice Cream with Caramel Ribbons at Salt & Straw

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Lemme tell you about my first taste of Portland. It was an unseasonably wet and chilly night when Nastassia and I climbed out of our cab (a Prius, of course) and onto South East Division Street. Our dinner destination, Pok Pok, greeted us with indifference and news of an hour long wait. Rather than get hammered at the bar across the street, Nastassia and I did what we do best—we sought out the very best sweets.

Ice cream before dinner might not be the most responsible call, but it made perfect sense this evening, especially with highly-touted Salt & Straw located a few storefronts away. It was fate.

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