Santa Maria BBQ Company-Closed

Santa Maria BBQ Company
9552 Washington Blvd
Culver City
310-842-8169

Yes, I have been to a Santa Maria BBQ Company in Culver City before. But they moved to a bigger location a few blocks north of their old location. So I decided to try it. BTW the old location is now Meltdown, a restaurant known for their grilled cheese sandwiches.

Santa Maria BBQ means tri tip, cooked over oak wood. So I ordered the half pound of tri tip, $8.00. I wasn't in the mood for bread or sides, so I went the protein diet. Just as before I loved the tri tip. Very tender, full of flavor and juicy, cooked about medium rare. Not fatty at all and a nice smokey flavor.

Service was good and bad. I had a group of 17 people and we only lack quick refills on drinks. But when I called early to tell them we were having a big group they were very tough to deal with. They almost gave me the impression they didn't want that many people. Then when I got there, they had to think realy hard about where to sit us. Hey that big space in the center of the room would be a good place. But other than that, we were treated well.

Parking is tough in the area but most parking structure gave you two hours free without validation.

I would go back to Santa Maria BBQ again. I didn't get the ribs this time but I like the ribs I got on my last trip.

Golden Bird-Closed

Golden Bird
4725 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles
323-525-0488

This Golden Bird is one of the last Golden Bird locations left. I have only been to the Golden Bird that was part of Porky's BBQ in Inglewood, which is now closed. So I wanted to try a stand alone Golden Bird. But I was very mad because my stupid GPS took me all over trying to find this place. I mean how tough can it be to say exit La Brea off the 10 freeway, go north, make a right on Venice and it will be about a 2-3 blocks ahead. But no, instead they make be go to Pico and then all these stupid turns.

Anyways, I got there, ordered the chicken breast, $2.71. The skin was a dark brown color, which means they oil needs to be changed. But the skin was very crunchy and cripsy. I though it maybe a bit oily but no, it wasn't greasy at all. The chicken was a bit dry and I felt it had been sitting under heat lamps for too long.

Service is good. The lady is very nice and helpful.

I think the chicken here can be good if they cleaned the oil more often and of course you go there, just after they cooked up a new batch of chicken. If I was in the area I would go back but I'm not making an extra trip.

Master Chef-Closed

Master Chef
937 N Hill St
Los Angeles
213-687-3638

Master Chef recently opened up on Hill St. in Chinatown. They offer a lunch and late night menu for great prices, nothing over $7.95. So with a group of friends we went and tried Master Chef.

With every meal you get soup, which is a corn soup. Lots of corn starch mixed with chicken stock and some corn. Nothing great but it does come with the meal.

Sliced chicken with spicy garlic sauce, $7.25. This was a very good dish, though it was listed as spicy and it wasn't spicy at all. Filled with slices of chicken, green peppers, onions, mushrooms and bamboo shoots in a garlic flavored sauce. All these flavors worked well.

Rock cod fish fillet with black bean sauce, $7.25. This was also a good dish. Lots of black bean sauce, onions, and bell peppers. Nice flavor and tender good tasting cod.

XO combination fried rice, $7.25. This fried rice had all the meats, beef, pork, and shrimp with some peas and eggs. I thought it was nice sized portion.

Pan fried scallops with asparagus, $7.95. Scallops, asparagus, and carrots in a light sauce. Fresh, sweet, and tender scallops make this dish. The asparagus could have been cooked a little longer, too crunchy for me. But otherwise a good dish.

French style beef, $7.95. Interesting item for a Chinese restaurant. The chef must have been trained in Vietnam or by Vietnamese people. Tender pieces of beef with lots of onions, in a light gravy.

Honey walnut shrimp, $7.95. A sweet dish, with a crunchy outside and a tender shrimp inside. I liked this dish but they could have put a bit more shrimp in there.

Service was OK. We did wait a long time for them to take our order and for them to give us our check.

I would go back to Master Chef again. I liked all the dishes we ordered and would order any of them again. They have a huge menu so next time I go, I will order something else. Their late night menu is the same as their daily lunch menu. I can picture myself going here after seeing the Dodgers lose or for lunch on the weekend.

Update July 14, 2009.






I went back to Master Chef for their late night special.

Soup-Not sure the exact name but this soup had pork and tofu. This was hot and tasty. The ground pork had a lot of flavor and the tofu was firm, not mussy. I wouldn't order this soup as my first couse, the corn soup is a better choice.

Deep Fried Sole with spicy brown sauce, $7.95. I saw this dish the last time I was at Master Chef and wanted to try it. A huge whole sole, covering a spicy brown sauce. But the sole was way too dry, as if it had been deep fried a long time ago and sitting around. The fish was tough, chewy and not good at all. The sauce was wonderful, not that spicy but lots of flavors including soy sauce, garlic, peppers, and green onions. If the sole was freshly fried, this would have been a great dish.

Kung Pao Chicken, $7.25. This was an amazing dish. Perfectly cooked piece of mostly white meat chicken, mixed with a light sauce. Maybe the best King Pao chicken I have ever had. And the portion was huge!!!

Service was again pretty good.

Even though the deep fried sole not living up to expectations, I did enjoy Master Chef again. A great restaurant and if you go during their late night special, a great deal.

Update: July 19, 2009





I love Master Chef so much, I went there three times in a week.

First I want to review a dish I order awhile back but forgot to mention, pan fried beef ribs with house special sauce, $7.95. The ribs were pretty tender but what a flavor. The house special sauce had a hint of orange and was fairly spicy. A good dish.

Now I got the shrimp with eggplant and spicy sauce, $7.25. This is a great dish, even if you don't eat eggplant, like me. There were a ton, I mean a ton of shrimp and the sauce isn't that spicy at all. It is a mixture of corn starch, chicken broth, and some spices. Order if, even if you don't eat eggplant. The hottie I had dinner with told me the eggplant was great.

Pan fried scallops with vegetables, $7.95. This is listed on the menu being with asparagus but there was no asparagus in the dish. What was in the dish was huge pieces of scallops that were pretty fresh and tasty.

Service was a little slow this time. It took awhile to get refills on water and rice.

Ostioneria Colima

Ostioneria Colima
1136 S Hacienda Blvd
Hacienda Heights
626-333-8017

I have passed by Ostioneria Colima a million times but I have never stopped in until today. I heard they serve good fish and shrimp tacos and a huge portion of shrimp cocktails.

So I got the small shrimp cocktail, $5.99, shrimp taco, $2.49, and fish taco, $1.99. The shrimp cocktail was great. This is the first time I've had Mexican style shrimp cocktail and I was impressed. So fresh and tasty!!! It was filled with a ton of fresh shrimp, onions, avocado, and cilantro. I thought the juice was going to be sour, much like ceviche, but this juice was sweet. I love this dish. I'm glad I got the small because I wasn't able to finish this.

The shrimp taco was also good. Filled with large pieces of deep fried shrimp, cabbage, and that white sauce, this was among the best shrimp tacos I have had. Full of flavor, hot, fresh and tasty.

I didn't care for the fish taco, though. The fish was too dry and not flavorful. It would have been better if it was deep fried. I would not order this again.

Service was good. But I found it weird that one of the guys who took the food to your table, was just hovering around the dining around, like a stalker. He didn't say anything to me or look at me. But it was just weird.

Ostioneria Colima is a damn good place to get Mexican seafood. I think the prices are fair and the food is very good. Parking is in the back, though as the picture shows there are 4-5 spaces in front. I would go back to Ostioneria Colima anytime.

Miceli's Italian Restaurant

Miceli's Italian Restaurant
3655 Cahuenga Blvd W
Los Angeles
323-851-3344

I'll be honest, I am not a fan of Italian food. I think most are just overpriced crap. I mean most Italian food is just sauce and pasta. Who can really screw that up? I consider Miceli's a decent place to go to, a step above Olive Garden. The big draw of Miceli's is the performing servers. They perform every night they are open.


I went for lunch, so no performances, and ordered the lasagna, $11.95. The lasagna had three cheeses, beef, pasta & meat sauce. This was pretty good but the lasagna was undercooked. It wasn't al dente, just a little under. Now I understand things can happen but damn, when an Italian place can't get the pasta right, what is going on?

I thought the beef and cheese was good. But the meat sauce was just too tangy and sour for my tastes. It was weird to find actual bay leaves in the lasagna. They need to be taken out since bay leaves are not to be eaten.

Service was OK. When I ordered the lasagna, the server asked me if I wanted cheese on that. I was said "I thought it came with cheese?" She said it comes with cheese but if I wanted cheese on top, it would be extra. I told her no. That question was stupid and what is more stupid is charging extra for more cheese.

I would not go back to Miceli's again. The food is very average, I mean I think the frozen lasagna from Stouffers is better and I can get an entire tray for less than one small portion from Miceli's.

Yankee Doodles- Long Beach-Closed

Yankee Doodles- Long Beach
4100 E Ocean Blvd
Long Beach
562-439-9777

I've been to the Yankee Doodles in Santa Monica. So when I found out there was Yankee Doodles in Long Beach, I was expecting basically the samething. But I was in for a big surprise.

I got the combo platter, $10.50, with wings, chicken strips, and popcorn chicken. I got one chicken strip, that was cut up it up into four pieces. Give me a break. This chicken strip was about as good those frozen chicken strips you get at the market. Not impressed.

Another item that wasn't impressive was the popcorn chicken. Most were warm, as if they were sitting under heat lamps. There wasn't much chicken at all. Yes, there were a lot of popcorn chicken but most were just filled with air. Not impressive.

The only thing that was impressive was the wings. They were hot, spicy, and good size. They had a lot of meat on them. The sauce was very good and spicy. Four wings made up for the sorry popcorn chicken and chicken strips.

Service was good. There was only one bartender there and she was working pretty hard.

I'll be honest, this is a dive. A dump. I was shocked to see a sports bar in this time period, that isn't full of flat screen HD TV's. Most of the TV's there were the old models. The seats were ripped, carpets dirty, just a dive.

I am not sure if they the Yankee Doodles in Long Beach and Santa Monica are part of the same chain or if they are owned by different owners. But whatever the case, if I lived in Long Beach, I would drive up to Santa Monica location than go back to the Long Beach location again.

Bigmista BBQ at Atwater Village Farmer's Market

Bigmista BBQ at Atwater Village Farmer's Market
3250 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
562-423-4BIG

Bigmista BBQ is a catering company that sets up at local Farmer's Markets in the LA area. He is in Torrance on Tuesday, Lawndale on Wednesday, El Segundo on Thursday, and Watts on Saturdays.

I got the half rack of ribs, $10. The ribs are well smoked, tender, and has a very spicy rub, which I think is a good thing. But I thought the ribs were a big fatty and I wasn't that impressed with them. They aren't the best ribs I've had, all readers of The New Diner know, I've had the best ribs at Phillips BBQ. They were average. I do know that Bigmista is known for his brisket. His brisket wins many BBQ competitions. Of course I am not a brisket fan. They also serve tri tip and pulled pork at Atwater Village. At other locations they serve chicken.

Nice friendly service and you won't miss Bigmista.

I may go to Bigmista again for their brisket, I wouldn't go for their ribs.

Chef Marilyn's Soul Food Express-Name Change

Chef Marilyn's Soul Food Express
2638 Crenshaw Blvd
Los Angeles
323-737-8101

Why is The New Diner not eating at Phillips BBQ, when he is on Crenshaw Blvd? Well the first time I went to Phillips, I saw a long line, going out the door, at Chef Marilyn's Soul Food Express. So I stopped in and grab a few items and was impressed.

It has been awhile but I finally made it back to Chef Marilyn's. Talk about perfect timing, I went on the weekend when they were celebrating 20 years in business. Everything was 99 cents!!!

So I got mac and cheese, hot link, mashed potato, fried chicken breast, and smothered pork chop. I also ordered the short rib, I'll get to that later.

The mac and cheese was great. Perfectly cooked pasta, lots of melted, gooey cheese, rich and flavorful. Regular price is $2.50.

The hot link is regularly 99 cents. It is drowned in a sweet BBQ sauce. The link, which is all beef, starts out fairly sweet, then it kicks in and a nice spiciness fills your mouth. A good size and a steal at 99 cents.

The mashed potatoes are also, regularly 99 cents. They were just OK. They had a bit of a tangy flavor to them. I think mashed is the wrong word, it is blended. I have never had mashed potatoes with texture like this. I wouldn't order mashed potatoes from here again.

The smothered pork chop was a boneless pork chop covered in a rich gravy. The pork chop was a good size and was tender and flavorful. But I was say the last few bites was nothing but fat. I wish they would have cut the fat in the pork chops. The gravey was rich and added flavor to the pork chop. Other than it being fatty I did like the pork chop.

The fried chicken breast was pretty good. The skin isn't crunchy but crisp. The breast was a bit dry but not too bad. I think I should have ordered the smother chicken to moisture.

Service was average but friendly. Ok the line was loooong. At 99 cents per item, nobody is going to turn down this deal. But while waiting in line you get an order form. I put the five items I reviewed PLUS the short ribs. I get my order and she charged me for five items, missing the short ribs. I was walking over to take pictures of the food and checked my order. I was missing the mac and cheese. I went back and got the mac and cheese. I could have made a big deal about the short ribs but I already had ribs for lunch so it wasn't that big of deal. So they could make sure the orders are correct and while I understand it was busy, it doesn't take much to make sure the orders are correct. But they were nice and friendly and corrected their mistake without any problems.

I do like Chef Marilyn's and I will go back. There is usually a line, 5-6 people, every time I've been there. This was the longest line I've seen but then again it was the best deal. You get good food, at good prices. But be careful when going at other times. Only certain items are 99 cents.

Taix

Taix
1911 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles
213-484-1265

I'll be honest, I am not a fan of the French, who I think are arrogant assholes. Then when those wussies didn't support Operation Iraqi Freedom, I said screw them. Screw the frenchys. I haven't really been to any French restaurant. But when I heard that Taix has been in LA since 1927 and offers a $18 filet mignon on Mondays, I decided why not? Plus I knew I was going to enjoy the company of other foodies, including some hotties.

So I got the filet mignon, $17.95, which comes with a baked potato and some broccoli and carrots. For $4 more you can get a veggie salad and a great blue cheese salad.

The veggie soup was awesome and I don't order soup that often. The soup was full of veggies, including zucchini, which I do not like, and some red beans. The soup was spicy, rich and hearty. A good example of homemade veggie soup.

The blue cheese salad was very interesting. A quartered head of iceberg lettuce drown in blue cheese. Oh was this good. Very fresh lettuce, blue cheese dressing which was very thick and rich, lots of flavor.

Then the main course, the filet mignon. I was worried about the quality and quanity of the filet but after one bite, all my worries were eaten away. The filet was soooo tender, sooo flavorful, it just melted in my mouth. I could have used a plastic knife to cut the filet. The bearnaise was very good, it added to the flavor of the filet. But I think next time I go, I will ask for the bearnaise on the side. I also thought the filet was a very good size, I would say about 6 to 8 oz. The steaks is a steal at $17.95.

Service was awesome. Bernard was our server and he has been at Taix forever. He knows how to provide great service.

I would go back to Taix anytime. Every Monday is their filet mignon special. They have a daily special, also for $17.95, I think the next time I go, I will try the roast pork loin.

Taix is a long time LA restaurant that everybody must try. A nice restaurant without being full of arrogant assholes.

Rib Ranch Barbeque

Rib Ranch Barbeque
4923 Topanga Canyon Blvd
Woodland Hills
818-884-7776

Rib Ranch Barbeque, location Woodland Hills. Suburbia. The San Fernando Valley. Just from that, readers of The New Diner can tell how I feel about Rib Ranch Barbeque.

I got the Easter baby back pork ribs, $11.45. I saw the large grills they use and it is a grill. The charcoal is placed right under the meat, direct heat, just like people do with their Weber during the summer. So these ribs were not smoked, no smoke flavor. They were also very dry, as if they had been sitting in warmers for too long. The baby backs were pretty lean and the meat was OK. The BBQ sauce is basically spiced up ketchup. I was not impressed.

Service is pretty good. We sat outside and the servers were nice and always came around to refill drinks.

I would not go back to Rib Ranch again. I was not impressed at all with the ribs and I would not go back to Rib Ranch again.

Fosselman's Ice Cream Co

Fosselman's Ice Cream Co
1824 W Main St
Alhambra
626-282-6533

High expectations and low results. This is how I would describe Fosselman's Ice Cream. I have heard so much about Fosselman's but I've have never gone. So I finally decide to give them a try.

I got a single scoop of rocky road, $2..50. The ice cream itself was very smooth, much smoother than Dreyer's or Ben N Jerry's. But rocky road means marshmellows and almonds. Fosselman's rocky road has walnuts and no marshmellows. Not good and some of the walnuts tasted stale. Not a good example.

Service was pretty good. They were very crowded when I was there. They give free samples too. I tried the blueberry but wasn't impressed.

I would not make an extra trip for Fosselman's. Give me a scoop of Thrifty's ice cream anyday over Fosselman's.

Fresh-Closed

Fresh
3425 Pomona Blvd
Pomona
909-859-8992

After going to Ginza, I noticed that Fresh was next door. Fresh is a sandwich shop and between 2-5pm everyday all cold sandwiches are $3.50. So I decide to drop in for a roast beef, turkey, and cheese sandwich on multi-grain dark bread, $3.50, happy hour price, $4.99 regular price. When you get to the counter, there are slips of paper where you write what you want on your sandwich.

The bread was very interest, a cross between squaw bread and a french roll. It was very good, not as sweet as squaw but fresh baked and a nice texture.

The meats were about Subway quality. Not the best but good. But the meats are also sliced really thin, which isn't a good thing when the bread is thick. They could put more meat on the sandwiches.

Service is good. The lady is very nice and friendly.

I think for the $3.50 price, the sandwich is a good value. At the regular $4.99 price, I think it is overpriced.

Jinza Teriyaki

Jinza Teriyaki
3425 Pomona Blvd
Ste 1
Pomona
909-595-1135

A friend of mine, who is a foodie in training, told me about Jinza Teriyaki. She said they have good food at good prices. Well I wanted to see for myself.  It's located next to Fresh, a sandwich shop.

I got there about 11:30am and felt as if I was at the food court of Cal Poly Pomona. This was full of students from Cal Poly Pomona. Ginza is a small restaurant with seating for about 16 people.

I ordered the chicken teriyaki and California roll, $6.75. The portions here are huge. I was so full after eating half the chicken and two pieces of the rolls. The chicken was nicely grilled, tender and didn't have a lot of fat on them. They were lightly coated with a teriyaki sauce, which was mild in flavor and didn't overpower the chicken. The salad they give you is nothing more than lettuce and some bits of cabbage and carrots, which was pretty fresh. The CA roll was good and fresh.

Service is good and fast.

I would go back to Jinza anytime. Good food at good prices. They close at 5pm M-F and are not open on the weekends. But if you work or live in the area, you should make a trip to Jinza for lunch.