Showing posts with label Beverly Hills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beverly Hills. Show all posts

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Beverly Hills - Simon LA

Simon LA by celebrity chef Kerry Simon, complementing and residing inside of the classy hotel The Sofitel LA, often gets questioned for whether or not it lives up to Simon's star status. The interior view is dim, airy and inviting. Outside seating is weather proof and heater friendly.
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We were greeted and attended a few times by the dinner crew before the adventure could begin. Drinks and breads were served quickly as if we were the only guests. The assorted breads were mostly dry and less interesting.
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Roasted tomato soup /10 and the colossal crab cake /16 were the starter recommendation of our attendant. The soup, paired with the little grilled cheese sandwich, tasted like a post hangover revival breakfast bite. The crab cake with the young papaya slaw was reminiscent of a Thai papaya salad. Both dishes were clean and cooked to perfection. Easily recommendable.
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Tomahawk bone-in steak 32oz /75, one of the daily specials, was grilled perfectly to medium rare. The cuts were juicy and flavorful that worked just fine with either the red wine reduction or the béarnaise sauce. Roasted root vegetables and black rice with farro and spinach, the included two sides, tasted a bit like thanksgiving leftover stuffings. At $9 each per side, it could have been so much more.
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Although there might be some uncertainty whether Simon LA is worthy of its stardom, as the friendly host wrapping up the souvenir tomahawk, it proved a good night of pleasant service and decent food.


Simon LA
www.simonlarestaurant.com | 8555 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90048 | (310) 278-5444

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Beverly Hills - Sushi & Kushi IMAI

Sushi AYCE. Yes, All You Can Eat Sushi. Many have offered but none has got me to go back. Ok, except Vegas. That being said, a sushi chef friend told me about Sushi IMAI. Sushi IMAI has been around for more than ten years and only up until recently the owner Imai-san decided to offer various specials -- AYCE sushi brunch on the weekend sure sounded worthy of a shot.
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Sushi IMAI has turned the sushi bar into a buffet bar during weekend brunch. The first thing that got my attention was the shabu-shabu section. The CIY sheets of beef can be done in seconds for optimum tenderness and suitable for some hungry patient-less buffet crowds.
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Sushi, though limited on its selection, successfully delivered IMAI’s sushi standard with its top-notch freshness and quality. Four pieces of the sweet succulent scallop sushi should get your money worth in no time. For those who wants only sushi, they also offer Omakase “Trust Me” sushi meal during dinner hours where one would pay $35 and get around $60 worth of top quality sushi.
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The rest of IMAI’s offerings were above average. I told myself that I was stuffing myself for a good cause: for your viewing pleasure. (and the pleasure was all mine)
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For $12 USD, where can you get an AYCE of all the Japanese all time favorites like Sushi, Shabu-Shabu & Tempura in one setting that actually taste good. My only advise: get there early!

Sushi & Kushi IMAI
sushiandkushiimai.com | 8300 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211 | (323)655-2253