Friday, January 18, 2013

Pine Tree Korean BBQ, Korean Barbeque, Northridge, CA

8322 Reseda Blvd
Northridge, CA 91324
(818) 886-1512
I have loved Korean BBQ for a long time, and so my wife and I decided to try this place, and it is great. We have already been back twice, once with mom.
As with most Korean BBQ you can order things off the menu or get all you can eat, and there are levels of all you can eat, but we have just gotten the standard. The Standard all you can eat has 4 choices, and you can either get a plate with all 4, or the ones you pick. The choices are thin beef, marinated chicken, pork belly or spicy pork. The others are good, but what is really exceptional is the spicy marinated pork. It is awesome and delicious! Fantastic in fact. Worth travelling here to get it.
And like all Korean BBQ, you get delicious sides that you can and will get refilled. Especially the kimchi and sliced cucumber (I think that is what it is).
The service good and the food is good. And you get Korean pop music playing, and really nice and clean bathrooms.
The only complaint is that the parking fills up very fast, but they have a backup lot not too far away.
Quite good and I do recommend it.

Asahi Sushi, Sushi, Granada Hills, CA

Asahi Sushi
10375 Balboa Blvd
Granada HillsCA 91344
(818) 360-8499

Pretty darn good Sushi in the valley. Sure it is not Sushi Ike that i had near me in Hollywood, but fairly reasonably priced and good service. The only complaint is the place gets pretty packed, and you might wait for a table, but the service is pretty fast, especially at the Sushi bar. And the best part both times i have been there has been great Albacore. Exceptional in fact.

Overall there is a decent variety of good sushi, and a huge amount of strange and different rolls. Lots of quirky rolls. My favorites are the Balboa Roll with spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, avocado  cucumber w/seared albacore and fried onion (more like thin panko onion strips).

There are other rolls I would like to try, though too many have spicy tuna or albacore, and I tend to shy away from that as I think the spicy wipes out the fish flavor completely!

They also have tons of bento boxes and the like that lots of people get and I would like to try sometime, though I don't know if I will be able to stay away from the sushi.

I signed up on their web site and go ta $5 coupon for my 2nd visit, and enjoyed it immensely the second time as well.

Well worth checking out.

Zankou Chicken, Middle Eastern, Northridge, CA


17949 Chatsworth St
Granada Hills, CA 91344
(818) 360-1300
Web Site
I have loved Zankou for a long time, especially the Hollywood original location, but I am so glad that this one has opened up near my house, and owned by the same owners as the orignal. And their garlic sauce is awesome as always.
I used to always get a whole chicken, extra pita and a falafel plate to make my own wraps, but lately I just get a chicken tarna plate. Also great are their kebobs, but they cook from scratch, so they take longer to cook (about 20 minutes), so expect a wait.
The service is fast and friendly, and unlike the Hollywood location they do take credit card.
My only negative is that you might have to park a little far away as the little parking lot next to it, fills up really quick (there is always nearby parking, but just a little farther away).
Always have and always will love Zankou!

Tacos Vallarta, Mexican Food, Alreta, CA


8730 Woodman Ave
ArletaCA 91331
(818) 891-3836
I had been interested in this place for a while, as I love the quality of meat and veggies at Vallarta Market and I was not disappointed  The place is a hole in the wall, kind of an enclosed stand, but with a very good menu and a great salsa bar that even has great guacamole.
I tried a carne asada burrito, which was spot on, and Kelly had an enchilada plate with rice and beans. Both were great, the sides were tasty and the salsa awesome, and very inexpensive.
Nothing high end, but high quality mexican fast food that is really delicious. Well worth checking out. I am glad I noticed this place on my drive home!

La AsunciĆ³n Family Restaurant, Mexican and Mole, North Hills, CA

8712 Sepulveda Blvd
North HillsCA 91343
(818-891-5760  

In a little strip mall on the North East corner of Sepulveda and Parthenia, this place had some of the best Mole I have ever had. The prices are also quite reasonable, though they speak very little English, and they sure didn't have everything we tried to order, but they sure did have Mole, red and black.

The decor is very Tijuana Chic, and they don't let you take photos, and a bit run down, but don't let that stop you.

First they gave us some chips with red and black mole and a little queso fresco on them. I ended up going for the red mole and my mom went for the black. Both were good, but I though the red was better as it had more flavors in it, and the black was a bit more bitter, but both were still very good.

The prices were very reasonable and the the service good and fast. Certainly worth checking out and going back again.