Category Archives: Cafe

Royal/T Cafe: Fusion Cafe, Shop, Art Space

Posted on by Stoli The Foodie

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Royal/T Cafe is a restaurant/art gallery that celebrates Japan’s tea culture and is inspired by Tokyo’s maid cafes with the waitresses dressed in maid uniforms.  A wide variety of teas are offered alongside Japanese influenced food with a California touch.  The multi-purpose space is in a large warehouse with exposed trusses, wooden beams, industrial skylights and full-length wall display cases which create a unique vibe for the cafe as well events and art exhibits.

The five-year project is concluding and the Culver City space will be closing its doors sometime in Summer 2012.  Fortunately, there will still be upcoming roaming special events, exhibits and pop-ups in the Los Angeles area. The venue’s final show, “The Art of Cooking,” will run April 27 through Aug. 1, 2012.

The menu offers an array of over 24 types of loose-leaf teas (hot and iced) as well as coffee blends in small or large pots.  The teas range from traditional to modern.  The cafe’s signature is the Royal/T Milk Tea, a unique combination of Black Tea with rose petals, and pieces of fruit and vanilla, brewed in Soymilk ($4).  Another nice tea blend is the Kyoto Sunset Tea, a mix of apricot and premium Ceylon Black Tea ($4).  Shown here is the Rooibos Lemonade (iced), a refreshing blend of Green Rooibos, lemongrass, lemon peel, lemon myrtle and calendula ($4) and a large pot of Megami Sencha (hot), a delicious Green Tea with jade intensity ($7).

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They also offer a high tea served with choice of small pot ($20).  This one features the beautiful jasmine budding tea, small sandwiches (such as cream cheese & lox, grilled veggie panini, and spicy tuna on grilled toast), brownie bites, red-velvet cake-pop, scone and assorted berries.

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The food at the cafe is a mixture of California classics and Far East fare. There are many options from soups, salads, sandwiches and burgers to spicy tuna tartar, soba, chicken katsu curry and rice bowls. Brunch options are also available :)

An excellent starter is Crispy Tuna Tartar ($9), crispy rice wrapped in nori topped with spicy tuna.

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The Kobe Beef Sliders ($10), also appetizers, are irresistibly cooked to a perfect medium-well on toasted mini brioche buns. There are three sliders each with a different topping: tomato chutney, blue cheese & caramelized onions, and quail egg.  The one top with quail egg is my favorite, offering a delicate savory flavor to the slider, but blue cheese & caramelized onions is a close second.

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Chicken Katsu Sandwich with mixed greens ($12) is very fresh and filling. This is a slightly different take on traditional Katsu with crispy panko breaded chicken, Napa cabbage slaw and a spicy mayo, on a ciabatta roll and includes a side salad or sweet potato fries.

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Soba Salad ($7) is listed as an appetizer, with buckwheat noodles cooked al dente, carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, sesame seeds, ponzu dressing is light, but can certainly be a whole meal.  These buckwheat noodles in a light ponzu are a must-try.

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Along with selling Royal/T loose-leaf teas, the retail shop offers an eclectic assortment of tea/coffee accessories, home decor, Japanese Pop Art, jewelry, toys, and other Harajuku-esque chachkies….

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Here is a glimpse into “The Art Of Cooking” – a new food and art themed exhibit that brings new meaning to “food for thought.”

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Confettisystem (2012), a site specific installation. Giant peaches, silver pineapples and a metallic disco banana made from the same materials as a pinata.  Also, join the World of Mr. Toast at the pop-up shop with Joe the Egg, Miles Ice Pop and Shaky Bacon.

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Flour LA burger, fries and ketchup flower arrangement.

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Maho Sushi Favorite Assortment (2008), acrylic on plastic food sample.

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Enjoy some tea, Asian-Fusion treats and peruse the art/retail store while you still can! Parking available at meters or around the corner (behind the restaurant) in a lot marked with a pink crown.

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Royal/T Cafe
8910 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 559-6300
Café: 10am – 5pm daily
Shop & Space: 10am – 6pm daily
http://www.royal-t.org/

La Provence Patisserie & Cafe– Casual French

Posted on by Stoli The Foodie

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La Provence Cafes bring a quaint French village culture to Los Angeles. From French macarons to paninis, you can’t go wrong with a visit here.  The ambiance is casual and non-pretentious.  It’s order at the counter and find an available seat style.  The baked goods here are delectable (more on that later).  The food is consistent and great. I’ve been coming to the Beverly Hills location since I was in middle school, nearly 15 years now.  The portions are a good size at very affordable prices.  I can generally get lunch for less than $15 which is great for Beverly/Brentwood.

I love the sandwiches and paninis at La Provence, they are served on baguettes that are nicely toasted on the outside and a bit soft on the inside–a nice crunchy panini.  There is an option to get half a panini with soup, chili or salad so that’s what I usually go for.  They also have one of my favorite soups in town, the country vegetable.  It’s a pureed soup and tastes more like tomato soup, but that’s just how I like it.  One of my favorite paninis is the Autogrill Special [pictured here], with prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, basil and black olive tapenade ($10 + $1 with soup). My other favorite panini is the prosciutto with sauteed mushrooms, goat cheese and arugula.

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They have great salad options.  All the salads are nicely chopped and quite large portions and served with slices of freshly baked baguette.  Half salads are also available with half panini or chili. Among some choices are the Nicoise, organic chicken curry, grilled wild salmon,  Greek, Cobb… Their classic salad is the Chopped Salad, with a choice of kosher salami or home cooked turkey (I like to get half & half), garbanzo beans, Swiss cheese, tomato and olives in a red wine vinaigrette ($11). I love their turkey chili as well so one of my favorite meals to get is a bowl of chili and half the chopped salad ($13).

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Another fan favorite is the Mexican Cobb, with grilled chicken, fresh jicama, roasted corn, avocado, tomato, black beans, pepitas and cahita cheese in a lime cilantro vinaigrette ($11).

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Additionally, what great French cafe doesn’t offer quiche?  I love their spinach quiche, they also offer Quiche Lorraine.  La Provence serves a large slice of their quiche which is very light, a bit cheesy and pillowy in pastry crust with their house salad ($10).

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I love that breakfast is served all day, and there are many great options from breakfast paninis, breakfast sandwiches, omelets, scrambles, waffles, french toast,  “other goodies” and more.  Here is the Eggs Benedict on toasted croissant with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce with spinach and avocado added ($10, without add-ons).  I really enjoy the seasoning on the eggs.

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A more French breakfast option is the Croque Madame (they also offer Croque Monsieur) ($9).  This is basically a Black Forest Ham and Gruyere grilled sandwich with 2 fried eggs on top.

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For a sweeter breakfast option the Belgian Waffles are the way to go, served with the most adorable syrup-filled tin in the shape of a little French country cabin.  This one has fresh strawberries and whipped cream ($10, 2 eggs scrambled or sunny side up +$2).

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Finally, no trip to La Provence would be complete without trying a dessert.  They have a space a couple doors down in the shopping center where the cakes, pastries, baguettes and famous macarons are baked daily.  The display cases in the cafe are filled with these delicious treats, most famous for their French Macarons but also their cakes.

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The Chocolate Roulade is one of my all-time favorite cakes consisting of a thin layer of chocolate cake wrapped around chocolate truffle with chocolate
mousse, fresh cream, strawberries and a chocolate dipped strawberry on top.  Whole cakes or slices can be purchased.

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The fruit tarts are another great option, such as the kiwi and blueberry.

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BUT, the La Provence absolute must try is the French Macarons.

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Some of my favorites are the rose and lavender, but they are all delicious in their own right, soft with great filling.

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French Macaron Flavors ($2 each):

Lemon: Fresh Squeezed Lemon Curd
Chocolate: Chocolate Ganache
Pistachio: Ground Pistachio Buttercream
Lavender: Lavender Infused Buttercream
Hazelnut: Noisette Buttercream
Raspberry: Puree of Raspberry Buttercream
Vanilla: Pure Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Orange: Essence of Orange Infused Buttercream
Coffee: Espresso Reduction Buttercream
Rose: Rose Water Buttercream
Pumpkin Spice: Fresh Pumpkin Butter Cream (seasonal)

After many years of being a customer at La Provence I still come here as often as I can.  The BH location has FREE parking in the garage below, a rarity in LA, and I always leave feeling very satisfied with my meal.  I haven’t tried something I didn’t like yet. One Macaron bite and you’ll be hooked….

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La Provence Patisserie & Cafe
http://www.laprovencecafe.com/index.htm

Beverly Hills Plaza
8950 W. Olympic Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 888- 8833

–Please note hours of operations–
Monday: 6:30 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
Tue- Fri: 6:30 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.


Brentwood Gardens
11677 San Vicente Blvd. #315
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 442- 1144

–Please note hours of operations–
 Monday- Friday: 9:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 8:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m.

Larchmont Bungalow

Posted on by Stoli The Foodie

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Breakfast all day, like music to my ears!  Larchmont Bugalow is located in the charming Larchmont village.  The cafe is set up like a little country home with an antique coffee grinder displayed in the front window; an old school stove where you can get water and fix-ins for your coffee; a living room area with a fireplace and couch; a patio area in the back with additional seating.  At the counter you see the delicious assortment of muffins and other baked goods they offer, such as macarons, cupcakes, cakes… You order at the counter and sit wherever there is room available.

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We really enjoyed our meal here.  My friend ordered the Garden Omelet ($14 and you can substitute the toast for oatmeal for $1) and I had trouble deciding on which omelet I wanted most so I got their unique option of Mini Omelet Sliders where you can select any 2 of their signature omelets ($17).  I went with the Fajita Omelet and Cobb Omelet.  I loved them both, a good tasting size yet hearty.  The lattes were very good, but just not as good as a Spanish Latte from Urth Cafe.  I think I need to try a couple others they offer on the menu.  The breakfast specials come with a choice of potatoes, fruit salad or garden salad.  We both chose the fruit salad– there is a variety of fresh fruit with nicely presented balled melons and sliced strawberries.

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Garden Omelet: Egg white omelet with sauteed spinach, grilled zucchini, grilled asparagus and fresh goat cheese.  The toast comes with individual jars of jam, a nice touch that I haven’t seen in LA in quite some time.

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Fajita Omelet Slider: Fajita seasoned chicken, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, and black beans topped with crème fraîche, salsa, and shredded tortillas.

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Cobb Omelet Slider: Chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and Pt. Reyes bleu cheese topped with avocado.

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As a brunch dessert we split a half order of their famous Red & Blue Velvet pancakes with creme cheese filling (Half Order $9 Regular $14).

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It’s like the 4th of July on your plate. The pancakes are fluffy yet just dense enough, not too sweet (add the syrup if you have a sweet tooth) and the creme cheese with candied walnuts are a great accompaniment.  I really enjoyed indulging in this decadent treat.

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Larchmont Bungalow is open for breakfast lunch and dinner.  There are so many things I still want to try.  Some other great breakfast options are the huevos rancheros, breakfast burrito, challah french toast or the Seafood Lover’s Omelet (with lobster, shrimp, fresh blue crab, and spinach topped with a truffle hollandaise).  Other highlights on the lunch/dinner menu include includes burgers (Bison Burger), burger sliders (Mexican Burger and Greco Burger), salads (Lobster cobb), crepes, wraps, sandwiches, fish (pistachio crusted fish & chips), steak and lobster.  They offer a bunch of different Southern specials like the Southern Fried Chicken Wrap, Louisiana Cajun Wrap, Pulled Pork and Southern BBQ Baby Back Ribs.

Parking is a little difficult, there are 2 hour paid spaces along Larchmont Boulevard and some free residential parking as well.  It’s self-serve seating and can get very busy in the morning.  We arrived a little before 11AM on a Saturday and were able to find a table without a problem.  By the time we left, around 12:30, there was a line out the door.  The food is a bit overpriced, though on par with Urth Cafe, but there are Living Social and Groupon deals available. The service is a bit scattered, we had to find someone to clean our table when we sat down, but everyone is extremely friendly and I think the food is worth it.

The receipt has this memo, “Bungalow coffee is committed to promoting environmental, social and economical sustainability.  We are continually evolving with our lines of organic, sustainable and earth-friendly products by working with coffee farmers, donating to the Humana Foundation and educating the coffee lover to make the world a better place… starting with a cup of coffee!”

Larchmont Bungalow
107 N Larchmont Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 461-1528
http://www.larchmontbungalow.com/

Porto’s Bakery & Cafe

Posted on by Stoli The Foodie

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A very generous co-worker brings Porto’s into the office every couple of weeks and this morning was one of these occasions.  Porto’s is pretty far out of the way to patron so this is pretty much the only time many of us get to enjoy the pastries and, of course, a potato ball.

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A little history on the famous Porto’s…It all started back in 1960 when Rosa Porto began perfecting here recipes and selling to her friends and neighbors, building a customer base in Mazanillo, Cuba.  Rosa and her family emigrated from Cuba to California and she continued in her baking venture.  Rosa’s Cuban cakes were later joined by French mousses, Italian sweets, and international savories.  Some of these include the trademarked Potato Balls and guava and cheese strudels.  Rosa Porto is now retired but her recipes and high standards remain as her legacy, including her motto, “quality is the number one ingredient in everything we do”. [excerpted from the website http://www.portosbakery.com  The cakes from Porto’s are also always a work of art (even though they’re not being represented here).

Meat-stuffed potato croquettes are the perfect savory treat.

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Apricot and cheese danish is another favorite.

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If you’ve never tried Porto’s I highly recommend you change that.  The bakery and cafe are worth the trip, and don’t forget to try a Potato Ball!

Porto’s Bakery
http://www.portosbakery.com/

GLENDALE
315 North Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91203
(818) 956-5996

BURBANK
3614 West Magnolia Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 846-9100