Wurstkuche- Exotic Sausages in DTLA

Finally got to try this place last weekend and it was definitely worth the trip to downtown. We parked on the street for free right next to the restaurant. As we walked up we saw a long ass line and were I felt kinda annoyed since waiting for food has never been my thing. However, I took one for team and sucked it up. Waited about 25 minutes to order and another 20 minutes for the food to be done.

menu

in line to order

Here's what we got:

Rattlesnake and rabbit sausage: AMAZING and sooo juicy. I loved it. For those of you wondering what the heck that tastes like.. well, chicken. Doesn't everything taste like chicken in some way? I got sauerkraut and spicy peppers for my toppings and they really balanced out the sausage. Yummy.

Duck and bacon sausage: This one was a bit dry which was kinda disappointing since it sounded so juicy. It had a smoky flavor to it as well. Not sure I'd recommend this.


L- R: truffle fries, kielbasa, rabbit + rattlesnake, duck + bacon, rabbit + veal

Kielbasa: Yum, very tasty and one of the "normal" sausages. This one is good for those faint of heart and less adventurous.

Rabbit and veal sausage: Tender and juicy as well. Tasted very similar to the rattlesnake and rabbit one. But, the RR one still ranks #1 in my book!


Rabbit + rattlesnake with sauerkraut + spicy peppers

mmm mmm good

Fries with truffle oil glaze: OMG. I'm not a fan of bigger cut fries, but these suckers were delish! I could totally taste the truffle oil too ($2 extra), but it's so worth it. We also got 4 dipping sauces to go with it. 2 chipotle aioli, 1 pesto mayo and 1 buttermilk ranch. The chipotle aioli was our favorite, good flavor with a kick.

There is also a mustard stand where you can serve yourself. My favorite was the sweet mustard. So tasty with fries too!

As far as drinks go, they have plenty of beer and sodas. I got a Pellegrino for myself and my dining companions got a vanilla cream soda (yum) and an orange soda (decent). 

In terms of price, not cheap! Our lunch was $56. The dipping sauces should be free instead of $0.75 each. 


view from our table

Good food, decent seating and alright pricing. Just remember to get the rattlesnake and rabbit!


4****


Wurstkuche
800 E 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 687-444

'Lette Macarons

I'm in love. With macarons. And, I'm not even a sweets fan.

We came here the other day because my friend had been raving about these sweet concoctions and I just HAD to try them.

The store is located on the corner of Beverly and Charleville. It's very clean and bright inside with a minimalistic vibe.

Service was quick and friendly and she even threw in a free macaron. I got 13 for the price of 12 ($19).

OMFG. If you have to pick 3 flavors, definitely get the Sweet Almond, Caramel and Pistachio. Those 3 blew my mind! I couldn't stop saying mmmmm.. mmmmmm. omg. mmmmm.

The filling is incredible and the macarons are totally worth it at $1.60 a pop.

I have yet to try the other remaining flavors, but that's cause I'm saving it for another day. They are just too pretty to eat!

If you do go, make sure to get 2 of each ,so you don't have to share half with someone.

Parking is available in the lot or snag street parking.

Enjoy the orgasmic overload of macaron goodness!  

5****

'Lette Macarons
9466 Charleville Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 275-0023

Koraku Ramen- Sherman Oaks

Located in a strip mall off Ventura Blvd, Koraku is pretty easy to miss. The only reason I came upon this place was because we were craving ramen and this was the only restaurant close by.

We rolled up around 2 pm on a weekend and the place was pretty empty except for another party sitting at the bar. We chose a booth and started ordering right away. Everything looked good, but then again, everything looks good when you are starving.

The waitress was efficient and semi-helpful only because her English wasn't that good. I changed my order and she didn't seem to mind so definite plus.

Rice balls: One came with bonito and the other had salmon in it. Nice presentation, but I didn't eat any. My companions did and said they were okay. Too much rice, not enough filling.

Mapo tofu ramen: I love mapo tofu. It's one of my favorite Chinese dishes. So, when I saw this epic combo, I was super stoked to try it. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as it sounded. The broth lacked flavor which is surprising considering all the ground pork and tofu it came with. I couldn't finish the bowl, just wasn't good to me.

Popeye ramen: Cool name and sure lived up to it. Packed with tons of spinach and slices of pork, this ramen was tastier than mine. It's in a soy based broth so that could be the reason.

Croquette: Pretty tasty! Potato croquette with ground pork served with some julienned cabbage and some dipping sauce. Wish it came with more than just one per order.

Pork fried rice: My favorite! The portion was a bit small for sharing, especially with how tasty it was. I liked the small bits of egg, carrots and green onion mixed in there. Yum.

Overall, the food and service were good. I would come back and give their ramen a second chance.

3***

Koraku Ramen
14425 Ventura Blvd
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423(818) 906-0045

Pho 88- NYC

After a night of endless drinks, we were hankering for some pho.

I looked on Yelp and found Pho 88 within walking distance of our hotel. On the trek there, we came across a few other pho restaurants that were closer, but kept going because I read that the pho here had less sodium than other places.

The restaurant is relatively new and pretty clean.

We sat down at a small table for two and ordered 2 orders of pho tai, 1 order of banh beo and 1 order of summer rolls.

I liked the summer rolls a lot and found them very fresh and tasty. The shrimp, noodles and veggies inside were all good. Some places give you some questionable rolls, but 88 did well.

Banh beo was okay, but not what I'm used to. It came with some potato salad like topping which I'm not sure I was down with.



Pho tai was good, but the broth was lacking in flavor! I had to add a ton of hot sauce and jalapenos to give it some depth.



But, at around $6 a bowl, can you really complain?

Service was good for an Asian place.

Cash only.

3.5***

Pho 88
51 Bayard St
(between Bowery & Elizabeth St)
Manhattan, NY 10013
Neighborhood: Chinatown