Cerelac Batter

We went to a restaurant called Blue Marlin, a Japanese-Italian fusion type of place.   It is one of several restaurants in a strip-mall in Sawtelle in  WLA.  I've been to three other places along this line but it's my first time here.  They have food pics displayed near the door, and one item caught my attention,  Uni Spaghetti.   Must come back for this.

There is an underwater theme to the decor with boats on the ceiling and fish on the walls.   We got some Miso soup and Salad with some sesame seed dressing (no pics).  We ordered some appetizers to share and taste.

The first one to arrive was the Fried Calamari, the squid was delicate and thinly sliced, the batter was light and deliciously salty.  I've never had calamari served this way.  Usually it is served thick and heavy on the batter.  This was really good, I'd come back for this alone.

Next was the Crab Croquette, the batter was light and crunchy,  inside was moist and delicious.  They used real fresh chunky crabmeat, which added great texture in my mouth.  Only two pieces :(   there were three of us.  We all still got to taste it though.

Last to come was the Tuna Tartare served with some dough chips.   The dish is light, mild tasting and fresh.  Nothing special, looks great though.

And for the piece de resistance,  Uni Spaghetti.  The spaghetti is served in a deep bowl like ramen.  But why?   I love Uni sushi,  but this is not for the light hearted.  There is a lot of Uni in the dish.  The aroma is intense, the best I could describe it is "sea urchin cheese".   The texture is creamy akin to carbonara sauce.  The taste is definitely Uni but subtle.  Okay, not my favorite dish, but well executed.  This goes into my list of "tried it".   To wash it down I had some Kirin draft beer.

We also got the Uni Rice, I only had a taste of this.   I thought it was okay.  

Pork Cutlet (Katsu) with the demi-glace sauce,  I also had a taste of this.  I found it really tasty, and the sauce was delicious.

Ah!  Creme Brule, if it's on the menu I will order it.  This was very good,  crispy sweet crust and creamy delicious under.  

Tempura Green Tea Ice Cream,  the Green Tea ice cream is coated in a batter and deep fried, Tempura style!   We were kind of giggling because the batter tasted like "Cerelac", the baby food.   It does!  

So, I may not be back for the Uni Spag but I am still interested in other things in their very interesting menu.

Blue Marlin

2121 Sawtelle Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 445-2522

Route 66 Diner

I found myself in a diner along  Route 66 in WLA on Santa Monica called Cafe 50's.   The place is not easy to miss with it's blaring red neon signs outside.  Inside is a real throwback in time,  their signs, equipments, and decors look authentically 50's.  There's even a phone booth inside.  I also saw some vintage-style postcards for sale.

I had Corned Beef sandwich, Fries, and a Root beer with a complimentary side of Coleslaw and a slice of pickle.  The sandwich was delicious and huge.  I had to take home half.

Cafe 50's

11623 Santa Monica Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 479-1955

Taste Buds Fatigue

If you can get over the ever confusing San Vicente Blvd. in the Mid-Wilshire area , you can find a nice Spanish restaurant called La Paella.  Almost everyone in our group had to go around the block at least once to find this place.  Inside, the place gives a very homey vibe, candle-lit tables, lots of hand painted ceramic plates on the wall, very colorful and vibrant.  A woman singing Spanish songs was playing in the background.  

We got a few tapas: Calamares a la Plancha (Grilled Squid with garlic and parsley), Mejillones Costa Brava (Steamed mussles with white wine), Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp sautee with garlic and chili pod), Vieras al Ajillo (Scallops sautee with garlic and chili pod), Callos a la Madrileña (Tripe stew with sausage and garbanzo beans), Boquerones en Vinagre (Marinated anchovy filets), and Jamon Serrano from Spain.  I really enjoyed each and every tapa,  the seafoods were clearly fresh and deliciously cooked lightly, making it soft and savory.  The Mejillones,  steamed mussles, were so good we ordered another one, the wine broth made excellent dipping for the crusty bread.  The Callos had a creamy texture that felt like butter on the tongue and the savory mix of chorizos, garbanzos and tomatoes makes you forget it is tripe.   I expected the Boquerones to be salty and fishy, so I was delightfully surprised to find it fresh, sweet, and tart, reminds me of pickled Herring.  The Jamon Serrano from Spain was also so good we had to order another one.  The paper-thin slices of ham looked deliciously smooth and glossy, the bite is firm not soft, and the taste is unforgettable, nutty and sweet, with a wonderfully floral hint.  

We had two huge pans of paellas, what a magnificent sight,  Paella Valenciana Mixta (lower)  and Paella de Montaña con Chorizo (upper).   

The Paella Valenciana is made with rice, seafood and vegetables with saffron and rosemary.  The dish is pure eye candy.  I think Paellas are the best looking dishes.   In terms of taste, this is sensory overdrive with so much going on in your palate.  Delicious but a little salty.  The Paella de Montaña con Chorizo is made with rice, chicken, in-lieu of the traditional rabbit, pork chorizo, green beans and lima beans with saffron.  Also delicious,  I must have had some form of "taste buds fatigue" because I swear both paellas tasted the same!  Except for the distinct seafood flavor in the Valenciana and the robust flavor of chorizo in the Montaña.  These were still superb dishes that I would come back for.

Unfortunately, they did not have any Txakoli, so I had some Estrella Damm beer to go with my food, a Spanish pilsner beer from Barcelona, light crisp and refreshing, goes very well with Spanish food.   I took this picture with my iPhone before the tapas were served.  I looked at the picture and decided to bring out the camera.  

La Paella

476 S. San Vicente Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90048