Sep 2013

Yama Seafood – San Gabriel

Yama Seafood - San Gabriel

My Besh friend alerted me to the awesomeness of Yama Seafood in her recent write up, “Yama Seafood L.A. Fish Market is a Godsend for the Sushi Addict” on L.A. Weekly’s Squid Ink blog.

While The Astronomer was away for an out-of-town wedding this past weekend, I made elaborate plans to finally watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi while indulging in pristine sashimi from Yama. What better way to spend a lazy Sunday, right?

Yama Seafood - San Gabriel

Yama ain’t much to look at from the outside, or the inside for that matter, but the people who run the three-decade-old market are super-sweet, and the fishes are as fresh as billed.

Yama Seafood - San Gabriel

I made my way to the fish counter upon arriving at Yama. Three people were ahead of me in line, and it took a solid 20 minutes before I was served because the sashimi here is sliced and assembled to order.

There’s no menu, little signage, and just a bit of English spoken at the market, so I gestured and nodded to indicate the type and size of fish that I desired. I was only buying sushi for one, so two small fillets of salmon and yellowtail were more than enough to satisfy.

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Aug 2013

{Instabites} August 2013

{Instabites} August 2013

{uni sex—props to sara for comin’ up with that one, a sweet n’ salty craving satisfied in one fell swoop, foie gras at #lafw courtesy of an iron chef, still shakin’ from that shaking beef, #labiteshunger, downtown just keeps gettin’ better and better, i still love this recipe so much, quite possibly my new favorite place to brunch, crauxnut fever}

Aug 2013

Elena’s Greek Armenian Cuisine – Los Angeles (Glendale)

Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine - Glendale

A few of my favorite gal pals and I are packing our bags and flying to Portland for a weekend of serious face stuffage next month. To plan and plot our ambitious dining itinerary, we recently powwowed over a most homey and comforting Greek-Armenian dinner at Elena’s. This trip is going to be epic.

Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine - Glendale

Hourie grew up in the neighborhood and has been dining at this three-decade-old restaurant for as long as she can remember. According to a 1997 Times write up about the place, “Elena Tchentchenian is the woman responsible for the cultural mixing. She was born in Greece but reared in Armenia, which accounts for the Armenian touches.”

Every meal at Elena’s begins with a basket of warm flatbread accompanied by the most addictive garlic “sauce” ever. Rumor has it that the sauce gets its body from mashed potatoes!

Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine - Glendale

When I arrived at the restaurant, Lien and Hourie were already diggin’ into a sumptuous mezze spread. There were pretty pink pickles that make my mouth-water just thinking about them…

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