Uncensored Former Yelper(s) Back from the Dead

Started by Lolia S. with content provided by people who like writing reviews but dislike the other aspects of Yelp

[formeryelpers]

Slurpin Ramen Bar, 3500 W 8th St, Los Angeles (Koreatown), CA 90005

I believe this was the first location of Slurpin Ramen, which now has six branches. Slurpin Ramen specializes in authentic Hakata-style rich, thick and creamy tonkotsu ramen to California. The menu also includes tsukemen, veggie ramen, rice bowls, appetizers, and drinks. The ramen can be customized by adding toppings (they also have double chashu and make it pro options). The basic ramen comes in two sizes, small and regular, with tonkotsu broth, noodles, garlic, black garlic, dried seaweed, green onions, and choice of protein (chashu, fatty pork, chicken, tofu). You can choose your spice level.

Ramen (small, $16.50) with fatty pork: A small ramen is small (like a mini). It’s mostly broth and noodles. The milky pork broth was garlicky and flavorful without feeling very heavy or salty. The noodles were firm and straight. The fatty pork was pale, very tender, and fatty. I didn’t enjoy the bowl as much due to the lack of toppings. Extra spicy wasn’t too spicy but they brought some chili oil and hot sauce.

The ramen combo includes your choice of appetizer and a salad for $5. The salad was nice and fresh with mixed greens, shredded radicchio, corn, and a creamy sesame dressing. Four Takoyaki balls were hot and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. They were topped with sauces and bonito. The takoyaki sauce was a bit too salty.

The interior has cute hanging lights, long communal tables, and counter seating as well. The windows had all been tagged. Service was fast and friendly.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Loli Farms, 885 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106

It’s rare to find a restaurant without an exterior signage, not even a name on the door – but that’s Loli Farms. Loli Farms is a casual Peruvian café, specializing in pollo a la brasa - rotisserie chicken, marinated for 48 hours and slow-roasted in a wood fire oven.

You can order ¼, ½ or a whole chicken, sides, and sanguches (sandwiches). The chicken comes with sides. There are a wide variety of sides to choose from, including canary beans, quinoa salad, platano frito,  fried yucca, white rice, mashed potatoes, etc. The fries are hand-cut.

½ chicken ($18) with choice of two sides: The rotisserie chicken was tender, fall of the bone tender. The spice rub was too salty at times, but if you eat the skin with the meat, it evens out. The skin wasn’t crispy but I took it home. The sweet potato fries were soft and not crispy, but I took it home and I think the food continued to steam in the container. The lentil and chopped bell pepper saiad was simple but good. The lentils were firm. The chicken comes with two spicy sauces, a creamy yellow one and a herbaceous green one. The sauces are fantastic. If you dine there, you can help yourself to the sauce bottles. If you take it to go, you don’t get much sauce.

The interior was remodeled and repainted. They played lively music (Peruvian?). The décor is simple. They also sell a small selection of Peruvian spices, frozen veggies, and sauces. Order at the counter and they’ll call your name when your order is ready.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Philz Coffee, 4400 W Riverside Dr, Suite 100, Burbank, CA 91505

This Philz opened last summer, and it’s a smaller location. The drink menu seems the same at all the Philz locations. Choose your drink (dark roast, medium roast, light roast) hot or iced, pick your dairy/non-dairy alternative, specify the level of sweetness, and select the size.

A medium classic coffee is $5.75. It’s another $1 for their fancier creations.

The pastries include morning buns, muffins, croissants, cookie croissants, kouign ammans, cookies, Danish, cinnamon rolls, cake, and more. They also have breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, bagels, and more.

Grilled ham & cheese ($6.95): premade but they can heat it, the bread is thin and white but crunchy like they added more cheese on top, there’s a sweet bechamel like sauce, and a thin layer of ham

Dusted Chocolate Flourless Cookie ($4.95): really good, moist with lots of chocolate flavor and chunks of chocolate, like a brownie, crisp edges

Medium Dancing Water, black ($5.75): it’s a lot of coffee and seems to have extra caffeine vs. other coffee

The service is consistently great. They greet everyone who enters. You’re also told to taste the drink and ask for adjustments if needed.

The space is charming with hanging globe lights, and white with light wood and yellow accents. You can buy Philz coffee beans. Order ahead and earn points with the Philz app. They also have parking in the back. If you don’t find a space, it could be difficult to find parking in the neighborhood.

4 out of 5 stars.

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Top One Kitchen Cuisine,  1257 Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801

Top One is a new Cantonese restaurant in Valley Square. It’s in an area with many Chinese restaurants. All the patrons were Chinese. It seemed to be well-run, with the owner serving as the waitperson and cashier. She was friendly and attentive.

The menu is fairly extensive and included steamed noodle rolls, congee, claypot rice, rice plates, soups, noodles, Indian curry, appetizers, signature dishes (e.g., Hainan chicken, braised pork trotters), and fried rice. The claypot rice is made to order, so it will take at least 25 minutes (longer if they’re busy).

Claypot rice with Chinese cured meats ($17.99): This smelled nice and toasty when it hit the table. It was made in a claypot. The veggies and sauce were served on the side. The gai lan was still crunchy, which I enjoyed. The sauce, which contained soy sauce, wasn’t too salty. A crispy crust did form on the bottom. I liked how the meat was cut a bit thicker for added chewiness. The sweet Chinese sausage contrasted well with the saltier slices of preserved pork. It all tasted harmonious with different textures to keep it interesting. Both meats were fatty, enhancing the flavor of the white rice.

The restaurant had a casual look with a cute mural of Chinese street food. It had a casual, homey look. There is a fee for credit card payments.

4.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Froyo & Fido, 599B Country Club Dr, Simi Valley, CA 93065

Fro-yo girl here. It took me a few months, but I finally visited the new Froyo & Fido in Simi Valley. It’s a self-serve froyo shop that sells dog accessories, bagged candy, and canned beverages.

The shop was clean, cute, and cheerful. I like how you can find the flavors of the day on their website, as well as nutritional information. Service was better than average.

There are eight self-serve froyo flavors a day and a well-stocked toppings bar. It’s $0.79/ounce. Sample cups are available. You can also build your own tray of froyo nachos.

Froyo flavors:

Jolly rancher

Tart: rather bland, mild tartness

Strawberry

Cotton candy

French vanilla

Cake batter

Chocolate

Peanut butter cup: creamy, not too chocolatey

The yogurt is good but it’s not special, but I think they’re trying to build a community and provide a fun experience. The goal isn’t to provide artisanal froyo.

They sell froyo for dogs ($3 a cup) and dog treats.

Every other Thursday, 20% of froyo sales will go to the Community Pet Fund to help local families with vet bills.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

3.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Casa de Soria, 1961 E Thompson Blvd, Ventura, CA 93001

The reviews were positive and Casa de Soria has been serving Ventura since 1958. However, we were disappointed. Mr. Froyo’s words were so harsh that I was surprised. He said Chipotle was much better because it was fresher.

It’s a sit down, classic Mexican restaurant serving combination platters, soups, tacos, burritos, taquitos, sopes, enchiladas, seafood, breakfast, cocktails, etc. The tortillas are handmade. Complimentary chips and salsa were provided. The chips were thick and crunchy. Mr. Froyo said the salsa tasted like canned tomatoes, and he thinks it had MSG because he felt dizzy for hours the next day.

3 birria cheese tacos with consommé, rice, refried beans ($17.50): The tacos barely had any birria and they were greasy. They were also very salty. The refried beans were super thick when they’re normally thinner at most places. Mr. Froyo thought the beans had been sitting around for hours. The rice was okay.

Vegetarian burrito ($15.50): whole beans, rice, tomato, cheese, guacamole. Mr. Froyo said the tortilla was very tough. The burrito barely had any guac or cheese. It was also bland and not served with salsa. They put the burrito on a plate with nothing else.  

The crispy tacos were covered in shredded bright orange cheese…very strange...didn't seem authentic. The meat choices are pork (chile verde), chicken, beef , or shrimp - no lengua or anything interesting.

We had an early dinner and were the only people there. The restaurant is huge with multiple rooms. It’s definitely an older building with tile floors, booths, tables, and colorful hanging paper flags. Service was fine. They have a happy hour.

2 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S

[formeryelpers]

West Valley Mall, 3200 Naglee Rd, Tracy, CA 95304

WV Mall was probably the place to be when it opened in 1995. Today, it looks like it is dying. The anchor stores are Target, Macy’s, Hobby Lobby, and Burlington. Sears closed and is still vacant. Macy’s is closing.

However, any mall with a Target isn’t too bad. There are some decent shops left, like Bath & Body Works. You’ll also have lots of independent retailers. I noticed quite a few shoe stores. The food court is half empty but there is an Auntie Anne’s, Yogo Berry froyo (listed as Yoga Berry on the directory), Sansei, Filipino bakery, and a halal place.

The Cinemark movie theater remains open. Parking was easy to find. Free wi-fi.

2.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Wyndham Garden Newark/Fremont Silicon Valley, 5977 Mowry Ave, Newark, CA 94560

It’s a mid-level, older hotel with four floors and most of the amenities you’d expect. The building is older but they did a nice job remodeling it. The lobby was bright and lovely. The room was spacious and comfortable. The bed was plush and comfortable. The towels were fairly soft though the toilet paper was not.

The room included a tub/shower, hairdryer, wardrobe, coffeemaker with coffee, tea, and creamer, ice bucket, plastic cups, microwave, toiletries from Beekman 1802, Bible, large flatscreen tv, nice lounging chair with footrest, desk, alarm clock, ironing board, iron,  pad of paper, pen, and telephone.

There was no mini fridge or in-room safe. The temperature is controlled in each room. Mr. Froyo said the hotel was poorly ventilated. The windows opened, so that helped, but the parking lot was noisy. A lot of tour groups stay here and the groups are noisy early in the morning.

Breakfast is included and was different every day. They had eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, make your own Belgian waffles, toast, bagels, fruit, coffee, juices, etc.

There is a pool, small fitness center, mini store for drinks, snacks, and food, meeting rooms, ice machines on floors 2 & 4

The location seemed safe and there’s a large shopping center across the street with many restaurants (Chinese, Indian, Korean, Thai, boba) and two supermarkets, Chinese and India.

Another strange aspect is the bright lights outside of the hotel. We didn’t realize that they had blackout shades, so the bright lights were visible from the room. Tip: there are blackout shades.

Parking is free. Free wi-fi is included.

It was a little louder and stuffier than I expected, but overall nice. Housekeeping didn’t visit our room one day, even though we didn’t have the do not disturb sign on. They change the towels every three days (to be eco-friendly). The elevator was out of order.

3.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Crossroads Specialty Foods, 3300 E Castro Valley Blvd Ste B, Castro Valley, CA 94546

I’m not too familiar with Castro Valley, but it seems like Crossroads is the only international market specializing in European and Middle Eastern groceries. They claim to have 6,500 products from 42 different countries and many of these products cannot be found elsewhere (in Castro Valley, at least).

I noticed they carried better hummus brands, the same kind that I find in Israeli grocery stores and also one brand that I hadn’t seen before, a local brand called Origin Hummus.

They carry all kinds of spices, canned goods, dates, snacks, nuts, dried fruit, candy, bread (pita, sangak, lavash) from local bakeries, cookies and pastries from local bakeries, coffee, tea, wine, beer, frozen food, ice cream, cheese, sausage, caviar, olives, yogurt, labne, pasta, etc. I saw items from Russia, Italy, Latvia, Germany, and more.

They had fresh baklava, Turkish delight, and other Middle Eastern treats by the register.

The store looked clean and organized. Parking was easy to find in the shared parking lot.

5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

The Posh Bagel, 20665 Rustic Dr, Castro Valley, CA 94546

I haven’t been to The Posh Bagel in many years. I think it’s the only bagel shop in Castro Valley? It had an old school feel and a huge menu of bagel or croissant sandwiches, bagel dogs, pizza bagels, deli sandwiches, wraps, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, cream cheese, bubble tea, smoothies, slushies, coffee, etc. You could also grab a bag of potato chips or bottled beverage. I also spotted some huge muffins, scones, Danish, and croissants in the case.

A regular bagel is $2.25. A gourmet bagel is $2.75. There were many types of bagel and many types of cream cheese.

Jalapeno cheddar bagel with jalapeno cream cheese and avocado ($5.85 + $1.99): The jalapenos were actually spicy, so I did like that. But there was barely any cream cheese or avocado. The avocado tasted bitter and unpleasant. The bagel was thinner but had a nice dense chew.

It’s a big space with free wi-fi and easy parking.

3 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

As Kneaded Café, 300 Estudillo Ave, San Leandro, CA 94577

Fresh baked goods and coffee inside the library? Yes, please. I’ve seen some cafes at libraries but As Kneaded Café seems better because they bake their own bread and pastries (not on site but a mile away). They don’t have a kitchen on site.

Choose from a case of pastries (croissants, muffins, scones, cookies, teacake, quiche). You can also order a salad or sandwich. The sandwiches are premade and sitting in the refrigerated case. Drinks include your usual espresso drinks, drip coffee, tea, lemonade, and hot chocolate. They use Counter Culture coffee beans.  

The Sorbonne Salami sandwich with stoneground mustard and cornichons ($14): They baked the demi baguette, so that’s a plus. However, it was very firm and very chewy because it had been sitting in the refrigerator. The ingredients were simple and complementary, but I could have easily made that sandwich at home. The mixed green salad was too salty to eat. Wish they could make the sandwich to order.

The entrance is outside the library with different hours from the library. There’s a nice outdoor patio and also seating inside. They also sell loaves of bread, Counter Culture coffee beans, Wild & Tea, local honey, and snacks. There’s free wi-fi and easy free parking for three hours.

They just opened and are very friendly. Hope they do well.

3.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Laberinto de Humo, 5885 Jarvis Ave, Newark, CA 94560

It’s a smaller Mexican eatery in a strip mall anchored by Safeway. I thought it would be your average taqueria, but it’s not. Everything seems to be made from scratch and fresh. The owner takes pride in her business and was very attentive.

Laberinto de Humo was founded in Mexico City. It was a high-end restaurant, which may explain why the prices are still so high. A regular taco is $8, a protein burrito $27, mulita $27, huarache $27, and a quesadilla $22. Wow.

Regular taco ($8) with your choice of meat (I chose cabeza), cilantro, onion, and salsa. The corn tortilla was homemade and quite thick. The cabeza was tender. The tortilla was a bit too doughy and soft for me. The flavors were good and I really liked the small cup of consommé (like birria but not heavily spiced) with chunks of beef, onions, and cilantro. The taco was four times the size of a usual street taco.

Vegetarian burrito ($17): beans, rice, corn, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, cilantro, cheese, sour cream. Salsa is served on the side. The menu said spinach tortilla but it looked like a regular tortilla. This was one of the largest burritos that I’ve ever seen. The tortilla was grilled on the outside. It was stuffed with fresh veggies. Mr. Froyo enjoyed it.

Meals come with complimentary chips and salsa.  The décor was more interesting – more modern.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

El Moro Churreria, 1524 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles (Echo Park), CA 90026

El Moro Churreria is the churro that took over Mexico. Back in 1933, the founder immigrated from Spain to Mexico City. Noticing the lack of churros, he started a churro cart and by 1935, established a shop that became well-known and led to other churrerias.

The churros are vegan and the drinking chocolate is made with Mexican chocolate. One churro is $3. The menu includes churros, combos, chocolate (hot or cold, 6 kinds), dips, churro ice cream sandwiches, tortas, coffee, milkshakes, etc.

I think there is one kind of churro but four dips to choose from. The churro is made to order.

Churro ($3): thinner and crispier, covered in cinnamon sugar. I don’t really eat a lot of churros. I think I’d prefer a thicker one though.

Especial chocolate ($5) 16 oz, served hot, bittersweet chocolate. This was HUGE for someone who never drinks hot chocolate. It was thick with an interesting texture (chocolate bits?), enjoyed the bittersweet flavor but didn’t think dipping the churro in chocolate did anything for me.

The shop is elegant looking – mostly white with a covered patio and touches of navy blue. It has a parking lot.

I appreciate that they’re making churros fresh but I wish they had more variety (like different types of churros).

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Old Gold Tomato Pies, 4681 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles (Los Feliz), CA 90027

I went to Old Gold expecting to find the usual pizzas…these were not your usual pizzas. They only had thick crust, Sicilian style pizzas. The slices were squares.

You can order a slice or a whole pie. I liked how they had 12 types of slices – they could even make the ones that weren’t sitting out on the counter. There were some vegan and vegetarian options and some interesting toppings like ‘njuda, fig jam, clams, cream cheese, and crab. They also have salads, sandwiches, and drinks.

Red flag ($7): vodka sauce, mozz, pesto. The crust was like focaccia – super thick, soft, with a crispy bottom. The vodka sauce was decent. There was a lot of cheese. Despite two sauces, the slice still needed more flavor.

Real fun guy ($6.5): crème fraîche base, maitake mushrooms, red onion, fennel pollen. I couldn’t taste the fennel pollen. The crème fraiche base was creamy but not that flavorful. There was a lot of cheese. I liked the size of the mushrooms. The pizza was a bit bland.

Maybe it’s the thickness of the crust that made both slices somewhat bland. The foccacia was very good though. Service was friendly. The shop had a 90’s skating theme. There were three small tables inside and counter seating.

3.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Yogurtland, 13260 Jamboree Rd, Irvine, CA 92602

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland at the Market Place opened in 2009. It took me this long to visit (Yogurtland has had 7 branches in Irvine). It looked like it had been remodeled within the past few years (the green tile had been removed).

I did not see the price posted. Most Yogurtland locations have the price displayed on the flatscreen monitors by the register.

There were 16 self-serve flavors a day and toppings. It’s $0.91/oz. I was surprised, since the average Yogurtland price in Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley is about $0.79/oz right now. Also, the strip mall that it’s in didn’t look fancy or interesting. And Yogurtland by UCI is $0.74/oz with clear pricing.

Most of the flavors they had didn’t appeal to me. The toppings bar looked messy. For fresh fruit, they only had strawberries and those were huge pieces (halves or whole berries). The strawberries were sour. The granola seemed a little stale. The usual toppings and sauces were present - nuts, candy, cookies, brownies, cheesecake, mochi, chocolate chips, cereal, popping boba, etc.

Froyo flavors of the day:

Plain tart: One of their best flavors, it was good but the texture was a little icier than usual

Dragon passion tart

Rocket pop sorbet

Citrus C sorbet

Pistachio

Toasted coconut

Classic cookies & cream

Lucky Irish mint

Caramel apple pie

Dutch chocolate

Rich chocolate ice cream

Creamy vanilla ice cream

Cheesecake

French vanilla NSA

Birthday cupcake batter

Pralines & cream NSA

They had the 20th anniversary cups but not the 20th anniversary spoons. Join Real Rewards to earn free froyo. Parking was easy to find.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

3 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Chubby Cookie Company, 743 W Milford St A, Glendale, CA 91203

In a crowded cookie space, what makes your cookies stand out? For Chubby Cookie Company, it’s freshness (cookies are served fresh and warm, right out of the oven) and texture (super soft and moist).  The small cookies (2 oz each) look different as well – like golf balls vs. the flat discs. The bottoms are lightly browned, so the cookies are cooked.

I didn’t order the large cookies (5 oz each).

Double Dark Chocolate: Ate this one warm, super soft, melt in your mouth. I’m not sure how I fell about such soft cookies.

Dark Chocolate with Peanut Butter: The peanut butter comes from pb chips, same soft chocolate cookie but with pb chips, melt-in-your-mouth softness

Chocolate Chip with Walnut: Ate this one after it cooled, it was a bit firmer but still moist. Chock full of chocolate chips, not too sweet, very good. Reminded me of Levain but a bit softer.

Other cookies: Vegan Red Velvet, Oatmeal with Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate Macadamia, Sprinkles Birthday Cake. Look for seasonal specials.

A pack of six small cookies was $18. It seemed expensive but the cookies are super thick.

 Chubby Cookie Company does not have a retail shop, but you can order online and pick up the cookies from their kitchen. There is a locked gate, so someone will have to buzz you in and out. You can call to see if they have an extra cookies if the urge strikes and you can’t wait an hour or two to get cookies.

4.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Corner Sandwiches, 471 W Lexington Dr, Glendale, CA 91203

Someone converted what used to be a run of a mill corner/convenience store into a thriving sandwich shop. You can still spot some groceries but most of the space is dedicated to the sandwich shop, bottled and canned drinks, and lots of potato chips and snacks. It doesn’t seem like you can build your own sandwich. They have sandwiches with ham, turkey, mortadella, tuna, brisket pastrami, salami, etc. I think the sandwiches all come on the same white rolls.

Corner Sandwiches is known for their pastrami and tuna sandwiches. Sandwiches are made to order. The breakfast sandwiches sound amazing (e.g., fried mortadella) but they’re only available till noon. Call ahead if you’re smart or in a hurry because this place is popular.

Order at the counter and pay. They’ll call your name when your sandwich is ready.

The Real Deal Brisket Pastrami ($16.99): 15 hour smoked brisket pastrami, shredded lettuce, Swiss cheese, pickles, mayo, mustard. This is like an LA pastrami sandwich. The pastrami is thin and smoky. It’s served warm and tucked in to a thin white roll with lots of lettuce. They combined the mayo and yellow mustard together. The bread is very fresh and toasted. It’s not too thick, so it works well with the fillings. The brisket is smoky and not too salty. Everything works well together. If I had a choice, I’d prefer a spicy condiment and more pickles. The sandwich was satisfying. I ate half and felt full.

There is one parking spot in front. There are four small tables if you want to eat in.

4.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.