ANIMAL!

The name is actually Animal, but it deserves the exclamation mark. One of my Favorite restaurants! Rich, decadent, full-flavored food. I loved this place! You might like it, you might hate it, but i personally enjoyed most of the dishes that i had. We were too full to finish the ribs.
I would give more details but onto the pictures! No one wants to read the crap i write, we all just want to see the pics!
(i know the pics look all brown, but its meat dammit!)
I will try to name each dish.

melted petite basque, chorizo, grilled bread
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barbeque pork belly sandwiches, slaw
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poutine, oxtail gravy, cheddar
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baby broccoli, pancetta, parmesan, soft egg, bread crumbs
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bone marrow, parsley salad
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quail fry, grits, chard, slab bacon, maple jus
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balsamic pork ribs, delicata squash, cippolini onion vinaigrette
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I also had the bacon chocolate crunch bar, s&p anglaise. No pic but I LOVED it! (I was too busy eating it and forgot to take a picture)

Reservations recommended. (small place and fucking crowded!)
Animal Restaurant
435 N. Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-782-9225
www.animalrestaurant.com

Hot Stuff Cafe

Not your regular Hong Kong style cafe. The Chef actually takes the time and plates his food. The place is in a non-descript part of San Gabriel Blvd, almost hidden. What a surprise for a place that sounds like another HK cafe. The cafe has a seasonal menu so you are most likely not to get the same thing every time. They serve beer and wine and the pricing is reasonable.
Taste is subjective so try the place and let us know what you think.

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Hot Stuff Cafe
315 S. San Gabriel Blvd, Suite A
San Gabriel, CA 91776
626-292-7975
www.hotstuff-cafe.com

Five Guys Burgers

Yeah, Yeah…i know its a chain. But there are only two locations here in the LA County area. One in Cerritos and the other one in Carson.

This place is supposed to be the In-N-Out of the east coast. Personally i think that In-N-Out is the best fast food burger around. Their #1 combo (double double, fries and drink) is what i usually order and damn do they make some delicious grub. Only using fresh ingredients and making their fries from scratch is another one of those things about them that make me smile… Well, back to me writing about Five Guys.

Five Guys uses fresh ingredients too, their menu has a bit more stuff than In-N-Out. You can get Bacon in your burgers and they also serve hot dogs (didn’t get to try those). They also have complimentary roasted peanuts (Yay for free peanuts). I had the Bacon Cheese Burger, large fries and a coke. The food is decent, better than your average fast food joint. Portions are big but you will probably end up spending around 10 bucks for your meal.

Overall, a new choice for a decent cooked to order, fresh ingredients burger, fast food joint. I will go back and try it again. Anyways. here are the pics…

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FPFTW! (Free Peanuts For The Win!)
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The location I visited:
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
11461 South Street
Cerritos, CA 90703
www.fiveguys.com

Valenzuela’s

Thius was my first time here and was told by a friend to to try the recommended specialty.
The “Carne En Su Jugo”, Basically its carne asada cut small, its cooked in its own juice and beef broth. It has pinto beans, cilantro, onions, garlic, and lime. It is accompanied with a plate of radishes, grilled onions and peppers. Choice of Tortillas, fresh cut lemons and limes are standard with this meal.

I guess you can consider it more of a soup, but damn, was this thing good! It was flavorful yet still felt light and refreshing (probably due to the lime). Use the spoon and dig up all the juicy tidbits of carne, pinto beans, and cilantro. The combination of flavors feels familiar yet i have never had this dish before.. A hearty meal that left me feeling stuffed throughout the night.

If you get a chance, hope you try this dish.

Valenzuela’s Restaurant
11721 Valley Blvd
El Monte, CA 91732
(626) 579-5384

Pann’s Diner

What can I say about this place? Come eat the Fried Chicken, the 6 wing platter or the half chicken. Eat it with waffles or as a dinner plate. Just eat their damn original recipe fried chicken! (Their pork chops aren’t bad either).
A cool old style diner near the airport off of La Tijera and La Cienega. I believe one of their other locations (that is now closed) was used for the diner scene in Pulp Fiction.

By The Way, Get a cake with ice cream too.

Pann’s Restaurant
6710 La Tijera Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90045
323-776-3770
www.panns.com