the food ronin

a wanderer's view into food culture

[thefoodronin]

i am a food ronin: what food is to me

I never really put into much context who I am, what I do, and what this blog is about, so I thought I might take some time to kick off the new year right. I want to take some time to talk about what a food ronin is.

So I am an Asian-American who grew up in New Jersey, lived about a decade out in Chicago, then in the last couple years, I moved over to California.  I currently work in entertainment and I am a pretty avid food buff.  I actually started having an interest in food about 10 years ago because I was looking to build on a skill set that I did not have at the time ... Also, my sister told me it was a good way to meet girls (I am currently married and I have my first kid coming soon, so I guess it worked out!).

I started cooking a lot during the time and just trying to challenge myself and make new things.  Below are a few of the dishes I made at the time.

Oysters Rockefellar

Xiao Long Bao or Soup Dumplings (小籠包)

Mushroom Risotto

It gave me a real appreciation for good food and also a better understanding of how to assess good food, which drove me to go out and try new things.  I actually have a real drive for trying new types of food (though I can be difficult to please), so this led me to really exploring Chicago, which is also why a lot of the early entries are very Midwest focused.  I also had the liberty of traveling a lot since, at the time, I worked as a full-time traveling consultant.  During my journey and through my experiences, I made friends with a variety of chefs, servers, and bartenders who further helped me hone my taste buds and expand my knowledge base.

I have a good friend (Thanks Andy!) who then suggested I document my experiences and go more in depth in describing them, which led me to starting The Food Ronin.  My logo was designed by the super talented Beefy at BeefyCo.com (Be sure to check out his website as he has some pretty sweet shirts, and cute plushies!) though The Food Ronin idea and site layout was devised by me. 

Although I title myself The Food Ronin, I actually think anyone who has a hunger for exploring and challenging themselves to try new foods are just as much of a food ronin as I am.  I will continue to write more articles but try to have them be more short form and image focused.  For all the people who want to celebrate food culture, feel free to share your experience and hashtag them #iamafoodronin!

[thefoodronin]

a new dawn for the ronin

Thank you everyone who has been following my escapades this year!  I have enjoyed creating new content on The Food Ronin and I look to continue it for a long time.

I had been doing some thinking about the direction of The Food Ronin for 2018, and I came up with some changes in the format for when entries come out and also the content that I will be focusing on.

Previously, I wrote about 2 entries a week, one for Monday, and another on Thursday, with each entry featuring a restaurant that I had visited, but I feel like that format doesn’t really suit this more visual (instagram, snapchat, etc) and short-form age of information.  Instead, I am intending on focusing more on the pictures and comments I can provide for places I visit on my instagram account @thefoodronin​ and also my Facebook page (also @thefoodronin​).

I will continue to update with new entries but I will refocus entries on specific topics from my experience.  For example, I grew up on the East Coast, lived about a decade in the Midwest, and I currently live in LA, so a “East vs West” type of article might be fun to write.  On occasion, I will feature a restaurant if it highlights a specific cuisine that is helping to change the culinary terrain here in LA, and I will also try to revisit the evolution of food in other places (as I do try to keep tabs on what is going on).  I will also update maybe once a week (tentatively Mondays for now) to try to find and compile more interesting/fun segments.

I am open to collaborations if anyone wants to contribute to The Food Ronin, so feel free to reach out to me!

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[thefoodronin]

smitten ice cream

Hands down this is the creamiest ice cream I have had, and also it is the best ice cream cone I have had.

Located at the Westfield Mall in Century City, Smitten Ice Cream churns their ice cream to order and also hand makes their cones every day.

They even created and patented a new kind of mixer that they call the “Brrr” in order to help make their ice cream to order, so it is not surprising it is incredibly creamy and fresh.

Although it takes a bit longer, it is very satisfying to see my ice cream made right before my eyes.  It tastes very different from the whole liquid nitrogen trend that has been around for some time (different in a much better way).  Their cones are so crispy and crunchy, but not hard, like a lot of cones.  The cones feel light and paper thin, but still firm.

This is one of the best ice cream spots I have had.  It is a nice treat to take on the go while Christmas shopping.

[thefoodronin]

busan fishcakes

This week, I wanted to highlight one of those fun casual places to stop by.  It is not about particularly high quality or outstanding food or drinks, but more budget drinking.  I will explain a little later after a little overview ...

Busan Fishcakes is this extremely well hidden restaurant that is on the 2nd floor of the Solair Building.

The parking center is actually off of Oxford Avenue.  Now I usually don’t get too much into explaining where the restaurant locations are because I figure this one needs particular care because it was tough to find.  The sign isn’t even in English, and I don’t speak a word of Korean.  So look for 부산어묵 if you are trying to find the place.

This place is known for their “ dukbokki “ or Korean fishcakes.

Let me right off the bat mention that this place is generally very comfortable, but not anything particularly stellar.  The food was okay, and it is pretty clean with some pretty decent service. They have decent pricing depending on what you order.  For example. their soup noodles are these small dishes for $10+ is significantly overpriced, but you can get decent sized fishcakes for ~$2 a piece on average.

However, the price for their sake is INCREDIBLE. A small bottle, which is really not small at all (like 8+ cups of sake) is like $2, and a large is $4.  Large is meant to serve a small party, and not a single person (pictured below is a small).

So if you want to find a gem in Koreatown to start off a night of budget drinking, and get some food in you, this is a great place to stop by.  I am not sure where else you can go to beat $2 drinks.

[thefoodronin]

189 by dominique ansel

The holiday season is upon us!  About a week and a half left of Christmas shopping (unless you are just going to Amazon it all).  If you do like to go shopping to get a smidgen of that Christmas atmosphere, you might want to grab a bite at 189 by Dominique Ansel.

This Dominique Ansel spot just opened at The Grove about 3 weeks ago. The line was pretty massive for the bakery, but the wait for the restaurant was pretty reasonable!  We only waited for about 15 minutes to get a table.

Specifically, we went for brunch, which they do this dim sum or Fogo De Chao style eating.  They set a pan in front of you, and as long as your menu is turned over, they will keep bringing food.

We started off strong with the DKA, which was phenomenal. The outside has a thin shell of flaky and crispy pastry, and the inside is light like cotton candy.  It was just subtly sweet enough to make you want to keep coming back.

The salmon was not bad, though a tiny bit dry.

The lobster roll was delicious, but it was a little overpriced.  The bun actually outshines the actual lobster a bit because it is so perfectly warm and spongy.

We also had these sweet butternut squash pancakes that was kind of like a combination of latkes (very festive!) and a classic brunch pancake.  It is sweet, but the texture is unique that it very much gives cadence to the butternut squash.

Oh man ... When I stuck my fork into the fried chicken, I could already feel the meat give away and I knew how it would taste.  These two pieces were perfectly tender and crispy.

The server finished off our meal with cronut holes.  They were a perfectly nice and sweet after meal treat, but I would have rather eaten another DKA.

189 by Dominique Ansel is really worth a stop!  There was a reasonable wait time with a reasonable price.  It might be a nice break in between shopping and also enjoying all the Christmas decorations.

Happy shopping and eating!

[thefoodronin]

the humble potato

In Culver City, there is this small Japanese themed hamburger place that exhumes comfort food called The Humble Potato, which is one of the most comfortable names I have ever heard.

Its a relatively small and unassuming location, but it has some great ambiance. 

I like all the old Japanese art that they have around the place.

If you enjoy tater tots, their Three Little Pigs bring it along with spam, a fried egg, and cheese.

All their burgers, or as they quaintly called them, “hambága”, are simple with a little Japanese twist.  I had the Battle Royale (may be named after the cult Japanese film) which, while messy, was a very satisfying messy.  Its one of those burgers you have to mash down and when you do, you watch the runny egg yolk seep down the side.

The Humble Potato is a very chill place to stop into if you just want to meet up with friends and grab a burger and beer.  I would love to stop in again for another hambága.

[thefoodronin]

the snooty fox

I thought I might do a throwback entry to when I was in Irvine.

Snooty Fox is this charming little brunch place in Laguna Hills.  It actually has that midwest/east coast diner kind of feel, which I don’t really find out here that often.  They also have this simple but memorably cute mascot.

This is some really well constructed comfort food. There is this very consistent level of quality that is delivered with every dish.

Their breakfast burritos is like biting into a little bit of fresh Saturday morning.  That perfectly balanced breakfast eggs, ham, and cheese rolled into a neat package.

They also have a beautiful array of scrambles, which they regularly switch up.

The best part is their giant cinnamon rolls.  I have never had cinnamon rolls that are quite like this.  It is not as sweet as it looks, nor is it as sweet as other cinnamon rolls I have had, so I can keep eating it guilt free (or with a little bit less guilt).  It is really fluffy, warm, and soft, like eating a hug.  This is definitely a great OC breakfast spot to stop in (or food to get after a long night of partying).

[thefoodronin]

baby’s badass burgers

So this is going to be a pretty short entry about a fun little food truck called Baby’s Badass Burgers.

So a little background, this food truck is a passion project by Erica Cohen, a  restaurateur, and Lori Barbera, an event planner.  They have this very fun feminine design and unique brand to their burgers that I haven’t really seen before.  Even the headlights on their truck have eyelashes.

Their menu is very straightforward with a delicious classic burger with a few nuisances here and there to keep things fresh.

I had the Original Beauty, which is topped with swiss, sauteed mushrooms, and baby’s special sauce,  with sweet potato fries.  It was pretty good!  I easily ate the whole thing quickly in one sitting.  It was sweet and juicy with this fresh-off-the-grill-out-at-a-BBQ feel.  The only thing was that I did not tell them (though I wasn’t asked) to make it medium rare, and it was cooked medium, so it tasted just a tad bit overcooked for me. I will have to remember that next time I go back.  I am thinking I will probably order the Love Child ... That fried egg is calling to me.

[thefoodronin]

silverlake ramen

Silverlake Ramen is one of the first ramen spots I went to when I moved to California.  There are a few places that I would rank (overall) higher than Silverlake Ramen (I would still favor Tsujita), but it still ranks pretty high up on my list (better than Daikokuya).  I will be sure to cover the other ramen spots in future entries.

Also, there is no insane wait for the food. It is always busy, but I have never had to wait for more than 10-15 minutes each time.

Silverlake has a certain charm to it.  It is a bit small, but homely.

There are a lot of old Japanese movie posters that are decorated along the walls, which are fun to look at.

Well, some are not Japanese movies, but rather movie posters in Japanese.

I had their Tonkotsu ramen (with an extra side of noodles).  I tend to try to order similar things when I first visit a ramen shop so that I can be as fair as possible when comparing their food.

I really like their soup, and their tonkotsu just melts in my mouth.  Their noodles could be cooked just a little bit longer as they are a bit on the firmer side, and I prefer my noodles more al dente. 

The quality of their karaage was surprisingly high for such a small place.  I couldn’t find even an ounce of dry meat in their karaage, and the avocado gives it a nice Californian touch.

Although Silverlake Ramen isn’t my highest ranked ramen spot, it still sits high enough that I would definitely visit it again (though parking is kind of a challenge).  Looks like they are looking to franchise with their next location in the Third Street Promenade.

I might look to consolidate my ramen rankings into a future entry ...

[thefoodronin]

magpies: pies & softserve!

Happy Thanksgiving!  I was wracking my brain for an appropriate Thanksgiving entry (as I have not had my share of Turkey just yet) and I decided to go with pies!  Unfortunately Magpies Softserve is closed today but passing out from food coma and waking up tomorrow for your dessert is always an option!

Magpies Softserve contrasts softserve places like CVT Softserve by having more of an artisan take where they create flavors that are truly unique to their brand, but still very familiar to your regular ice cream eater.

They also offer vegan options alike with their regular dairy based soft serve options (I am not vegan, but its always nice to have options).

I had their butterscotch and sweet cream ice cream which has this delectably rich silkiness to it.

I also had the opportunity to try their malted milk chocolate which had a particularly mellow and refined taste.  Their vegan apple pie also encapsulates the sweetness of a classic apple pie with just a hint of sour and spice to it.

They also offer soft serve pies!  I never really heard of a soft serve ice cream pie and found it to be scrumptiously unique.

So if you can hold off your dessert a little, or you are looking to offset the hot desserts you might be eating for Thanksgiving.  I highly recommend hitting up Magpies Softserve!

[thefoodronin]

budda belly: modern kitchen

Budda Belly (not “Buddha” as I kept mistaking it for) is a new Asian Fusion place that opened just about a month and a half ago.  It is located in downtown Alhambra, by the AMC theater, which makes for a great place to stop by if you are planning a movie night.

There is a lot of open space for groups and a really suave and modern finish with an equally suave and modern atmosphere (as the name suggests).  They have a really 

The Asian Braised Short Ribs were tasty, but a smidge dryer than I would prefer and could have used a bit more sauce.  I was able to finish it, but it wasn’t the fall-off-the-bone kind of meat that I usually expect from a good set of short ribs.

The Chicken & Waffles were also decent, but not overly impressive.  What really blew me away were the G-Money Rolls.

These were perfectly addicting and I could have eaten two (or more) plates of these for my meal alone.  That bulgogi meat coupled with the melted cheese makes for a perfect bite.

Overall, Budda Belly was okay, and shows a lot of promise.  It definitely has a really good location with some easily accessible nightlife, so I do encourage people to stop in (if at least for a drink and some G-Money Rolls).

[thefoodronin]

wurstküche

I am on hunt for some really tasty hot dogs (I lived in Chicago for almost a decade, so not surprising).  

I came across Wurstküche from watching an episode of Worth It.  I will probably go try Vicious Dogs, but still undecided on that $169 hot dog ...

Anyways ...  Wurstküche is located in the Art District right down the street from Salt & Straw, which was the ice cream place I featured for Halloween.

The front is a bit small, but they actually have this huge back room that is great for groups.  When I went, it wasn’t too crowded, but if you are afraid of lines, they take reservations online.

For a first time visitor, I went for their brats and also their kielbasa and it was extremely satisfying. Every bite was just very full and meaty with all the tastes of a classic hot dog.  I usually like a little more out-of-the-box, but I haven’t tried their exotic hot dogs yet, so I will be sure to post up on my instagram (@thefoodronin) when that happens (and it WILL happen).

With their large selections of meats, Wurstküche is a nice place to revisit.  To top it off, the location is really convenient, since after you are done with your hot dog meal, there are lots of places to explore in the Art District.

[thefoodronin]

tea brick and the wonders of honey sea salt cream

Tea brick is easily one of my favorite milk tea spots in SoCal.  This is probably my favorite milk tea spots (thus far).

Located in Monterey Park, Tea Brick is ALWAYS packed, but the line tends to move very quickly.  My only issue is their milk tea is usually a little too sweet for me ... So I just get it at 25% sugar and it is PERFECT.  I do add the honey sea salt cream, and the salt just brings everything together.

I also love their bottles and the seasonal themes.

They have a really diverse selection of drinks outside of milk tea (but nothing beats the mildly sweet and smooth original teabrick milk tea).

From the bottles you might be able to sense that they have this unique quirkiness with their atmosphere (like the farty ninjas below ... or are they just jumping? ... But now I can only see them farting ...)

Anyways, this is my go-to-spot for some good quality milk tea.  I found a very comfortable nook in with my 25% sugar teabrick milk tea with honey sea salt cream.

[thefoodronin]

seven grand: whiskey for everyone

I love whiskey lounges (one of the best combinations of two words), especially one that drives a unique atmosphere with a lot of variety in drinks and something new to offer.

Seven Grand is one of those places.  There is this very rustic vibe with light jazz music in the background while people are shooting pool, and an old black-and-white film playing on the TVs over the bar. I stumbled across this place just by happen stance.

They have a MASSIVE selection of drinks from as long as $6 to a few hundred dollars.

Their menu is actually called the “Seven Grand Whiskey Bible.”  It was a lot of fun flipping through it while I sipped on my fantastically smooth old fashioned.

They have drinks in cases all along the walls, so it is like walking through a whiskey museum.  Even though it was packed, there was plenty of standing space and a few bars to get drinks from.  If it gets too loud, there is always the patio.

This is a must stop spot if you are looking for a good whiskey.  Seven Grand literally has something for everyone.

[thefoodronin]

comet bbq: dreaming of bbq & grilled cheese

Comet BBQ makes hands down the best grilled cheese sandwich I have had since coming to SoCal 2 years ago.  To be fair, I have a ton more to eat and I haven’t been seeking out that much grilled cheese here ... But NOW I will!

This food truck specializes in all kinds of BBQ meats in the form of tacos, sandwiches, burgers, you name it.

I had their burgers and they are good, but ...

... That pulled pork grilled cheese just overshadows it.  The meat is cooked just right and melds perfectly with the cheese.  Really the pulled pork is the highlight that is complemented by the rest of the sandwich.

As far as comfort food goes, this is a great spot to put on your list if you are looking for a quick bite to eat.  I am sure there is a lot more that could be done in building the perfect grilled cheese, but Comet BBQ delivers what I am LOOKING for in a grilled cheese and with a bit more punch to it.

[thefoodronin]

preux & proper: a literal slice of new orleans

In DTLA, Spring, Main, and 8th Streets intersect to create a small pizza slice of creole and cajun food known as Preux & Proper.

So there are actually two parts of the restaurant, an upstairs that has more sit down dining, and a downstairs that has a patio and window seating.  Both, the upstairs and downstairs, have bar seating.

I have only eaten downstairs (so far). The upstairs has some more food selections, but everything I was looking for was available downstairs.  What I do like about downstairs was they have very open, comfortable, and New Orleans-esque seating. 

Their Black Tiger Prawn Gumbo had a good flare of spice to it, and the prawns were perfectly cooked.  The Fried Chicken Po’Boy was HUGE, so it is a great price for what you are getting  I had some issues eating it as it kept falling apart, but the flavors are right and chicken was tender.

What stole the show for me was the Baked Mac & Cheese.  That sizzle was so magical, I can still hear it.  Every bit of the willow maid dry jack on the cast iron skillet from the soft gooey center to the slightly charred edges was unbelievably addicting.

The crackle and pop of the melted cheese was beautiful.  Thinking about it makes me want to run out and get another order.

Preux & Proper has a bit of a different feeling from other downtown Cajun spots I have been to like The Little Easy (in a good way).  There is a very definitive Cajun atmosphere in the restaurant and in their food that makes it their own.  If it isn’t apparent, I am heading back soon for another Baked Mac & Cheese

[thefoodronin]

halloween special ice cream: salt & straw

I was debating doing two ice cream entries in a row, but Salt & Straw had some super interesting Halloween specials that are noteworthy to share.

A little bit about Salt & Straw.  The owner had cashed her 401K to start this business in Portland ... That is some really admirable commitment!  I went to their Los Angeles location in the Art District, so you don’t need to go to Portland for a taste of this.

Salt & Straw sells a lot of ice cream you can’t get anywhere else, and they regularly come up with new flavors for each season.

Also, if you think their flavor naming is just meant to be thematic, don’t be fooled, they are quite literal (in a certain sense).  The Great Candycopia has a lot of candy in it, the Dracula’s Blood Pudding has (pig’s) blood in it, the Essence of Ghost has spirits in it (alcoholic), the Creepy Crawly Critters has bugs in it, and the Freckle & Hyde Potion has a duality theme with a strong mix of bitter and sweet.

You can get 2 flavors with a single scoop, so pictured below is actually a single scoup (I actually get along just fine with a kid’s scoop).

I had the Essence of Spirit on top, and the Dracula’s Blood Pudding on the bottom (you may have seen this picture on my instagram @thefoodronin​).  The Essence of Spirit was really strong but it has a really nice and smooth alcoholic taste to it. Makes me think of an English fog for some reason ... Although it is more ghost themed, part of it feels a little Jack the Ripper-esque.  Maybe it is a mix of ice cream, the night, and also the Halloween season that brings that out.

The Dracula’s Blood Pudding was tasty in small doses, but this had a really strong iron taste, like having blood in my mouth (not too surprising since there is pig’s blood in it). I expected it to be a little more subtle instead of the highlight in the ice cream.  The chocolate was silky, but the blood taste was too intense for me.  I really applaud the creators sense of adventure and willingness to experiment though.

The Chocolate Gooey Brownie is my favorite off of their regular menu.  It is a chocolate birthday cake party in my mouth.  It might seem like too much chocolate, but pushes the boundaries and hits that just-the-right-amount point.  Brownies have a tendency to be too rich for me, but this was mild and added a nice texture to the ice cream.  My 2nd favorite is probably the Roasted Strawberry Coconut. It is a relaxing sorbet which also happens to vegan.

The Stumptown Coffee & Compartes Love Nuts is also highly recommended.  If you love coffee ice cream, this puts the coffee on center stage, and the Compartes Love Nuts is something you should definitely try on its own.

Salt & Straw does a fantastic job of combining a lot of great ingredients with some really inspiring creativity.  This is becoming a regular spot for me to visit.