Holbox

On my previous visits to LA in 2019 and 2022, we ate at a lot of places but never got to hit up Holbox.  It came highly-recommended and in fact, has recently just been award a Michelin star.  High praise for a food stall located in Mercato La Paloma.  Chef Gilbert Cetina fuses Coastal Mexican cuisine with Southern Californian and Baja Califorinan influences.  They have an 8-course dinner on Thursdays and Fridays, but Viv and I were only able to make it out for lunch while we were in LA.

No matter, because there is still plenty to feast on including the Shrimp Aguachile.  This has to be one of the best, if not the best aguachiles I've had.  There was definite heat from the spicy green aguachile, but it was also refreshing and acidic.  It was also properly seasoned where the sweet shrimp took on all of the flavors.  The addition of crispy shrimp heads were great being a textural contrast to the soft shrimp.  Nice little tweak that elevated this dish.  Oh, and this came with saltines that you can enjoy with the aguachilie.

Next, we had the Blue Fin Tostada with avocado puree and arbol peanut sauce.  Featuring Baja California farmed blue fin tuna cerviche, the buttery soft texture really came through.  Also, the unmistakable sweetness and freshness of the sea was present as well.  Despite being a ceviche, the acidity was dialed down enough to let the blue fin shine.  The avocado puree only added some creaminess as it was mild while the peanut sauce was also creamy with smokiness.  Some pico de gallo provided some crunch and extra brightness.

Another killer dish was the Sopa de Mariscos (Seafood Stew).  This consisted of local rockfish, shrimp, kanpachi, mussels and house-made fish sausage.  This was outstanding where all of the seafood juices were completely incorporated into the broth. Therefore, the natural sweet and brininess of the seafood was at the forefront.  The whole thing was also properly seasoned.  Perfect for dipping that toasted airy bread.  The seafood itself was beautifully cooked where the fish was flaky and the mussels were plump.

From all the choices of tacos, we got a few including the Baja Shrimp and the Octopus.  Crispy on the outside while meaty and perfectly cooked on the inside, the shrimp were pretty sweet on their own.  However, the addition of some cabbage, crema, mayo, salsa roja and pico de gallo added crunch, brightness, acidity and background spice.  As for the octopus, it was tender with just a bit of crispiness on the outside.  It sat atop a calamari ink sofrito which provided some moisture as well as sweetness and earthiness.

Our last item was the Smoked Kanpachi Taco with local queso Oxaca, salsa cruda, avocado & peanut salsa macha. This was on par with the aguachile and seafood stew as our favorite item.  The flavors in this were impactful and memorable.  From the smokiness of the fish to the smoky and nutty salsa macha, this was addictive and we wanted another.  But alas, we were rather full and completely satisfied.  I gotta say that Holbox definitely deserves its Michelin-Star.  The food is fantastic in terms of freshness and execution.  It is interesting and does not hold back in announcing its flavors.  I would come back in a heartbeat and really, I need to get resos for that dinner tasting menu!

The Good:
- Fantastic flavors
- Food is exciting
- Relatively affordable

The Bad:
- Well, it is in a market and seating is a bit hard to find at peak times

Playa Provisions

I'm not afraid to admit it.  Sometimes I buy into the hype and seek out restaurants featuring and/or operated by Top Chef alumni.  I've had some really good experiences with some spots such as Juniper & Ivy, Knife and Toup's.  However, I'm also acutely aware that there will be less-than-stellar places as well.  So I guess I tried to have realistic hopes when I met up with Jess at Playa Provisions while I was in Los Angeles.  Yet, with Brooke Wiliamson attached to this place, I couldn't help but have elevated expectations as well.

We went big with our starter with the Shellfish Tower featuring 12 oysters, 1/2 Maine lobster, 6 jumbo shrimp, 3 Scallops with navel orange nuoc cham and 1/2 dungeness crab.  This was a hefty $150.00 and in some sense, it was worth it due to the sweet and briny silver devil and blue fox oysters as well as the beautifully buttery tender and sweet scallops.  The prawns were excellent too with a nice meaty snap and all of the sweet aromatics that go with it.  Even the lobster was on point with its unmistakable aroma and rebound texture.  The problem was the dungeness crab.  It was spongy and lacked the fluffiness and taste of the sea freshness.  It wasn't very good.  So for that, we were disappointed.

We also had the Watermelon & Whipped Feta with cucumber, kalamata olives, red onion, oregano and olive brine vinaigrette.  This was rather refreshing and did come through with the promise of creamy whipped feta.  The olive brine was a good contrast to the sweet watermelon.  I personally love olives and welcomed the salty tang they added to the dish.  I thought the red onion might've added too much sharpness to the mix, but I'm sure that could be subjective.

Onto the Salt Cod Clam Chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl, it featured meaty smoked pancetta on top.  As you can see in the picture, there was a bevy of fresh Manila clams (in the shell) peaking out from the chowder.  This was pretty good with a rich broth that was a semi-thick viscosity.  Would've liked to see more bininess, but the clams were definitely there.  Salt cod was prepared properly where there was flavor without being salty.  It was rehydrated well as it was flaky and moist.

The one thing that caught my eye on the menu was the Connecticut-Style Lobster Roll sporting dungeness crab, lobster, shrimp, tarragon and chives in warm lobster buttered brioche.  This was pretty good despite the spongy dungeness crab.  As you can see, there was a good amount of seafood that provided a good ratio to the soft bread.  Of course the butter helped with both texture and flavor.  Overall a good seafood roll.

Viv had opted for the crispy battered version of the Playa Fish Tacos.  It was topped with Meyer lemon kohlrabi slaw, caperberry remoulade and cilantro in a corn tortilla.  This was good with flaky and moist fish sporting a light crispy batter.  The slaw was crunchy and fresh with nice acidity.  Creamy with saltiness and tang, the remoulade was a good alternative to tartar sauce.  Would've liked to see more fish though.

So my daughter went back to the well and got her ol' standby being the Fish & Chips.  Now these were essentially the pieces of fish found in the tacos.  Not a bad thing though as they were just as crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside.  However, the size of the fish left a lot to be desired.  Instead of fries, we found crispy potato wedges that were not that crispy.  They were a touch dense.  The tartar was creamy with a nice bite and they didn't skimp on the malt vinegar.

My son didn't do seafood and went for the Patty Melt with dry aged beef, gruyere, caramelized onion, "Beechwood" BBQ sauce and arugula on marble rye.  For a predominantly seafood-focused menu, this item was actually one of the better ones.  The aged beef was moist and tender with plenty of umaminess.  It was nicely accented by the sweet onions as well as the melted cheese.  The tangy sweetness of the BBQ sauce added another layer of flavor.

One of the more disappointing dishes was the Grilled Swordfish.  Now I'm pretty familiar with swordfish, so I realize that it isn't the most moist and light out fish out there.  However, this one was more chewy than usual and hence, we didn't enjoy eating it.  Too bad really as the accompaniments were great including baby corn, green peppercorn and sungold tomato puttanesca.  This provided sweetness, bite and also tanginess.  Very bright and appealing.

As a side to his patty melt, my son also ordered the Crab Mac & Cheese sporting dungeness crab, parm and breadcrumbs.  For this application, the spongy crab worked as it was further baked with cheese on top.  Hence, we weren't looking for fluffy, instead, we were expecting crab flavor and it delivered.  The pasta was al dente and was coated with enough cheesiness to make an impact.  This was one of the better dishes we had.

One last side was the Creamed Cornbread that turned out to be more cream of corn with some cornbread.  Not that it was a bad thing though, as this was delicious.  It was creamy for sure, but also had impactful natural sweetness accented by fire roasted poblano & black truffle relish and sottocenere crumbles.  Lots of umaminess and slight tanginess from the relish while the cheese crumble added some nuttiness.  Overall, the food was good with a few things we didn't enjoy.  For most restaurants, that would be more than acceptable.  However, given the expectations we had, it didn't deliver.  Is that fair?  I'm not really sure, but just being real as to how we felt.

The Good:
- Outstanding service
- Nice ambiance
- Some good dishes

The Bad:
- The dungeness crab was just not good
- Parking is hard to find, but they do have valet

Parks BBQ

I've been itching to try Parks BBQ for quite some time now.  We've been to LA many times but have never been to K-Town (gasp! it is true!).  Call it the "young children" effect as all we did was generally go to Anaheim.  Well, we were going to Anaheim this time around too, but I made it my mission to go to have some legit Korean BBQ (especially since the kids love it).  We ended up Ubering it because the valet parking situation at Park's can only be described as chaotic.

Before we got to the meat festivities, we were served a selection of Banchan including Rice Noodle with Meat Sauce, Potato, Green Salad, Marinated Bean Curd Skins, Kimchi, Rice Noodle Sheets (more for the pork belly than banchan), Spicy Bean Sprouts, Onion Salad with Cilantro, Marinated Peppers, Meatballs and Potato Salad.  I particularly enjoyed the bean curd skins as they were texturally appealing and slightly spicy.  Kimchi was crunchy and had a rich flavor.  In fact, the banchan here at Park's was a bit different and good.  Not your typical boring selection.

So we had no other thing on our mind other than going for a Taste of Park's BBQ (P1, P2 and P3).  They cook your food here and do it with great efficiency and care.  We started with the Brisket, Boneless Shortrib and Ggot Sal.  Gotta say the quality of the meat was top-notch where the marbling was particularly appealing in the ggot sal.  Meats were tender and the beefiness really came through.  Yes, the pricing isn't cheap here, but I think it is worth every penny due to the meat quality.  I particularly enjoyed the Ggot Sal which was so flavorful from the fat and succulent.

As you can see, there was also mushrooms, zucchini and onion.  We moved onto the Ribeye Steak next.  To the right of it is the cooked Outside Skirt. I found the ribeye to be soft and fatty.  It was beautiful.  As for the outside skirt, it was also marbled, but not as much as the ggot sal.  Hence, it was flavorful, but probably the least of the cuts we had.  It was rather meaty in texture, but still tender nonetheless.

In my haste of enjoying the food, I didn't get a picture of the Bulgogi, yet there is some remnants of it at the top right corner.  It was also, you guessed it, tender and nicely charred. What we see here is Park's Galbi, Shrimp and Pork Belly.  That short rib was buttery and delicious.  The pork belly was quite meaty with just a bit of fat.  Excellent for rolling up in the rice paper sheets.  Lastly, the shrimp were also good with a meaty snap and the usual sweet briny flavor.

To get some rice into our meal, I got the Dolset Bibimbap.  By appearance alone, it seemed to be quite a bit of ingredients on top of the rice.  When mixed together, it turned out that there wasn't actually that much rice, it was practically all toppings!  The stone bowl was hot enough to get a socarrat on the bottom (after I squished the rice on the sides that is).  Really good and hearty.  Now the Taste of Park's BBQ P1, P2 and P3 is $199.00.  I actually don't find that expensive given the variety and quality of meats offered.  Also, the banchan is delicious and the service top-notch.  Totally worth it in my opinion.

The Good:
- High quality meats
- Great service
- Good banchan

The Bad:
- With the meats cooked for you, the meal goes by a bit too quick
- That valet parking situation is not the best

Mr. BBQ

I know, I know...  The best Korean food in Los Angeles resides in K-Town.  There I said it.  I wanted to get that in before people chime in and criticize my decision to eat at Mr. BBQ out in Fullerton.  You see, due to our tight schedule of eats, the only time we could get Korean was when we were staying out in Anaheim.  So taking our dinner break from Disneyland, we made the short drive over to Mr. BBQ for some AYCE action.  Normally, AYCE means low quality and bad service, but at Mr. BBQ, that couldn't be any further from the truth.  This was some of the best service I've ever had in a non-fine dining establishment.  No joke!

So for the AYCE, the menu is pretty extensive and one could get even more selections with the premium AYCE.  We ended up staying with the standard menu since there was like over 20 items already.  That theme would continue into the Banchan as we were served 14 different kinds including a green salad.  Impressive not only for AYCE, but any Korean BBQ joint.  Even better, they refilled the banchan, salad, water and sauces without us even asking!  Literally, we turned our heads and things were topped up.  Impressive.  Onto the meats, we got all of the beef options including the Premium Wagyu Beef Belly.  Let's just say when this cooked up, it was buttery and soft.  Heaven in our mouths!  Pro-tip, make sure you cooked this through as the considerable amount of fat isn't that appealing when not activated.

Continuing on with the Thinly-Sliced Prime Beef Brisket, it was fairly lean so it was not as soft as the beef belly (also it wasn't wagyu).  With that being said, it was still plenty tender with a meatier texture.  This cooked rather quickly and the grill had a difficult time providing an effective sear.  Hence, you would have to overcook it quite a bit to achieve this. I would ask for the grill to be turned up in this case.  Next, the Black Angus USDA Prime Top Sirloin was not only legit-looking, it was completely legit when we ate it.  Being a thicker-cut, we could get a proper sear on it and still keep the meat around medium-rare.  The result was a super tender and full-bodied tasting steak.  It completely blew our minds that we were getting such quality beef at a reasonable AYCE price!

Not finished with beef, we had the Marinated USDA Prime Sirloin as well as the Marinated Black Angus Choice Chuck. Due to the marinate, these did sear up a bit more easily and of course didn't need much at all of the sauces on the side except for the aromatic sesame oil.  I thought the prime sirloin was somewhat similar to the steak, but less meaty due to the marinade.  As for the chuck, it may have been a lesser cut of meat, but due to being thinly-sliced, it was soft.  Our last beef dish was the Premium Wagyu Finger Short Ribs.  This was essentially, the remaining meat on the bones which meant it wasn't exactly tender nor buttery.  Rather, with the tendon and fat, it ended up to be pretty chewy.  If you really wanted actual short ribs, you would need to pay another $10.00pp for the premium AYCE.  Our first non-beef meat was the Teriyaki Marinated Chicken.  Being thigh meat, it was tender and was also well-seasoned.

Onto some other meats, we had the Premium Cut Fresh Pork Belly along with the Premium Sliced Pork Neck.  For me, I wasn't as impressed with the pork compared to the beef.  It wasn't as if the quality wasn't good, it was well-marbled and fresh.  Rather, with the grill not being hot enough (possibly our fault not asking it to be turned up), the meat didn't char properly and it became a bit chewy since it cooked so long.  We really wanted to try more meats, but we were at our maximum meat consumption.  So we ended off with the Spicy Garlic Pork Butt and Fresh Shrimp.  Due to being thinly sliced and marinated, the pork butt ended up to be much more tender and tastier than the other 2 cuts of pork.  As for the shrimp, we cooked it just enough so it had a meaty sweet snap.  By now, we couldn't eat anymore despite many more items on the menu.  For the price, the quality of the meats was also very good.  I also can't forget to mention the awesome service.  I've never had such good service at a Korean AYCE before or most other casual restaurants.

The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- Meats are good quality
- Outstanding service

The Bad:
- Floors are pretty slippery
- Lineup is crazy during peak times

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

During this trip, the name of the blog should've been temporarily renamed "Sherman's mediocre chain restaurant adventures".  Yup, after a long day at Universal, we didn't travel very far for dinner.  In fact, similar to Downtown Disney, we took a walk through Citywalk and ended up eating at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.  Yup, a whole restaurant chain spawned from the success of Forrest Gump.  But at the very least, Viv and I have tried the restaurant before, albeit Ala Moana Center in Honolulu.

And much like the last time I dined at Bubba Gump in Hawaii, I had the Shrimp Heaven featuring tempura shrimp, peel n' eat shrimp and coconut shrimp.  Sadly, this was mostly a disaster with raw batter on the tempura shrimp while the coconut shrimp was inconsistent as many of the pieces had not much coconut.  The peel n' eat was okay but not with enough coldwater snap texture.   Even the fries were kinda soggy. They did offer up a 10% discount for the uncooked batter though. Viv had the Seafood Pasta that featured sautéed shrimp, mussels & clams in Bubba’s favorite garlic butter wine sauce, served on penne pasta, tossed in a  homemade marinara sauce. The al dente penne was doused in a spicy tomato sauce which lingered.  This was actually not bad with a notable spice and well-prepared seafood.  Portion size was large where Viv could not even finish it.

Elaine went for the Dixie Fishwich with
Louisiana special sauce and Pepper Jack cheese. Unfortunately, the batter was undercooked as well.  Hence, it was slightly crispy yielding to a mushy doughy interior.  The fish was flaky and moist though.  With the small amount of sauce, the sandwich lacked zip as well (although the sauce itself was quite good). Costanza went for the Shrimp Scampi with capers and lemon garlic-butter.  Faithful to its description, it was very buttery, garlicky and in particular, tart.  For me, that was good since it meant plenty of flavor for the al dente pasta and crunchy shrimp.  I personally liked it due to the right balance of bold flavors, but he thought it was too acidic for his tastes.

My daughter had a bowl of the Old Fashioned New England Clam Chowder which was only moderately creamy.  The flavor profile was dominated by celery and onions rather than the taste of the sea.  However, it wasn't a bad soup per se with lots of buttery tender clams. And as you can probably figure out, the size of the bowl was rather large.  My daughter couldn't finish it. My son had the kid's Popcorn Shrimp and it was slightly underdone as well.  Hence, it wasn't crunchy.  Rather, it was a bit crisp with plenty of soggy portions.  The shrimp were okay though with a light cold-water snap.  And just like the fries in my meal, these were soggy as well.

There was also the kid's Fish n' Chips at the table and I thought it was okay with crunchy batter and flaky fish. For some odd reason, the batter here was cooked all-the-way through unlike the other fried dishes as our table.  But then again, the fries were consistent, being soggy.  Yet, did we expect any better?  Yes and no.  I distinctly remember that the food was better the last time I had it, however, that was awhile ago and a 5-hour plane ride away.  It was quite apparent that they rushed the preparation of the fried items, which resulted in underdone food.  Ultimately, we were fed, but at the prices we paid, we expected a little better execution on all items.

The Good:
- Pastas were surprisingly well-executed
- Lots of choice

The Bad:
- Underdone fried items
- Service was okay, but our server was a bit indifferent after some people didn't order the expensive drinks