LA eats

While I am not a huge fan of LA as a city, it certainly does have some good eats. 

Because I happened to be visiting a self-proclaimed ramen addict, we naturally had to check out one of the LA ramen spots. We've been to Santouka before, so this time we decided to go to Orochon in Little Tokyo. It's most famous for having an insanely spicy ramen, but since I wanted to actually enjoy my ramen rather than burn off my tastebuds, I stuck with the #4 level spicy (range of 1-7, non-spicy to "extreme") which ended up being a solid choice. With the addition of some char siu pork, it was a satisfying meal. It isn't Ippudo or Minca amazing, but I'd go back if I were in the area.

 

The real highlight of my trip, though, came later that day in the form of mango shaved ice. This was no ordinary shaved ice - Class 302 specializes in snow shaved ice, which is unbelievably fluffy and flavorful. The mango, mochi and condensed milk topping was equally amazing (as a side note, can someone please explain why you can't buy good mangos in the states?) I would come here every day if I lived in Rowland Heights. Looking at this picture now is actually making me drool a little bit.

We finished off the weekend with a trip to Apple Pan, which is supposed to have the "finest example of a California-style burger." Usually I dread going to places that are hyped up because there are inevitably lines and ridiculous waits, but Apple Pan was surprisingly quiet when we went. Others have commented on its retro feel, but it really did feel like an old-fashioned oasis in the modern day suburban wasteland of LA. From the red leather bar stools, to the funny paper hats worn by the servers, to the deliciously simple burgers, everything seemed straight out of an earlier, more peaceful era. If you go, don't skimp on dessert  - the oversized slice of banana cream pie may have actually been better than the burger.

LA may be a sprawling smoggy congested city (sorry I'm such an LA hater), but I guess I can cut it some slack for having good ramen, shaved ice & burgers.