Sam Woo BBQ * * * / + + + $

Themo's Take: Asian place in an asian neighborhood. You will pay no more than $10-$15 and get a lot of excellent meats (duck, pork, BBQ pork, chicken) which you first observe hanging in the displays, plus all the classic asian dishes. There is a similar place in Vegas too. The lines are long because they are good and they know it.

Andrew's Take: The "asian" place is San Gabriel Plaza and the cuisine is Canto BBQ. I didn't like the "mixer" plate of meat we ordered. Too much "ghap" i.e. livers, kidneys, feet etc. I prefer the half duck, or ginger-oil dip with white chicken, or roasted pork (not red BBQ kind). There aren't so many of these places around - as Howz remarked - not like Toronto Chinatown. The Tomato-Beef rice is quite good. Mountainous rice! I like to get the vegetables not on the English menu; just like my momma taught me. Peeps in the know get "duww miu" and have it "ching chow"'ed. Good food, memories of back in the day. Thumbs up.

Who? Joyce, Andrew, Themo

Ye Olde King's Head * * * * * / + + + + $$

Who? Andrew and Themo
Where? Santa Monica
How much? $25
Zagat: * * *, $22

Themo's Take: This place what better than I expected. It has true British cuisine, very weird stuff but good nevertheless. The environment is very european also, and lots of british go there too as it is a trusted place. On top of that it is located next to the Santa Monica promenade, and the price you pay (~$25) is worth for what you get.

Andrew's Take: I agree. The walls are littered with beer placards and other English paraphernalia. The "weird" stuff to which Themo is referring: Scotch Eggs (eggs covered in what can only be described as meatloaf), kidneys - as in Steak and Kidney pie (a standard) and braised lamb shank (tonnes of stewed lamb meat falling off a rather large bone). All very, very tasty. And, chips=fried potatowedges! The best part? My favourite beers: a pint of Boddy's, Murphy's Ale, and Newcastle Brown. Great restaurant - almost feels like home, my birth-home that is. Awesome neighbourhood to spend a night in. Thumbs up.

Buffet @ Paris Las Vegas * * * * * * $$

Following the suggestions of both friends and the Lonely Planet guide, I visited the buffet at Paris. Words are too little to describe the feeling: I felt like a kid in Disneyland (or myself in Magic Mountain for that matter). I now understand fully why Marios said that he wanted to throw up so that he could eat more food. I also now understand fully why Christiana was cursing Marios "It's noot fair us girls that you guys can eat so much food". I just sat there and kept eating for more that 2 hours until we were the last ones at the hall, around 11pm. And all that for just $25.

Buffet hint: the best ones have very few pasta in their menu.

AY: Dude... this is not in L.A.!
EK: It's just for setting a scale.

Who? Themos, Panos
Where? Las Vegas

Border Grill * * * / +

Who? Andrew and Themo
Where? Santa Monica
How much? $32
Zagat: * * * *, $30

Themo's Take: This is a Mexican restaurant with meals around $20-$30. Go there for the enviroment and the people. The raw materials they use are fresh and good, altough the food quantity you get is does not agree with the price. If I even remotely liked Mexican food anyways I would give this guy 3 stars, but I'll stick to 2 for the time being.

Andrew's Take: Overpriced and not of good quality. I've had better Carne Asada at taco stands. And the Margharita was blah. Pretty decor though - looks like a kid painted it. Go to Olvera street in downtown for Mexican food - where the waiters will sing to you.

Ye Rustic Inn + +

It looks ever so scary from the outside. If you ever happen to pull into this plaza, you probably wouldn't go into this place! The inside is dark and... well dark. Unfortunately, they also have a jukebox that plays too loudly. The food is decent pub grub and it comes in very huge portions for very cheap. Domestic pitchers are cheap too. Basically it's like Clark Hall (Queen's University). But the college crowd definitely does not hang out here!

Who? Adam, Wan, Steve, Andrew, Ben and Anna

Pampas Grill (Farmer's Market) * * * * / + + + + $$

Who? Themos, Stayros, CostasZ ; Howie, Andrew
Where? Farmer's Market @ The Grove
How much? $21

Andrew's take:Located in the Farmer's Market at the Grove, Pampas is an absolutely excellent Brazillian BBQ. Pick up a wide array of foods from tuna stew to plantains (oh so good) to fresh tomatoes and beets to yucca. The meats are definitely the highlight of this churrasco. I had the combination of sausage, spicy chicken and sirlion caps and was not disappointed. Cost is determined by the weight of the plate and a generous serving will run around $18. A great place to people watch and to hang out after dinner. But be warned, this place is so popular that the lines get unruly!

Themos' Take: Well, I am impressed. The lined are usually long and there is not format restaurant enviroment, but the meat quality in this Brazilian place just blew me away. Great stuff for a modest price, this place is a must if you want to try something at the Farmer's Market.

The Old Spaghetti Factory * * * / + + + $

Who? Andrew, Rajay and Themo
Zagat: * *, $17

Themo's Take: This one of the best choices for a $10 sit down restaurant. The food is decent for the price, and the enviroment looks interesting as a fake-retro attempt. Don't forget to try the greek cheese Mizithra Spaghetti, a dish you won't forget for a long time.

Andrew's Take: It gets an extra star from me because I like the decor... and it made Rajay puke. Nice place to take a date.

MIcelie's * * * * * $$

Who? Themos, Roubos
Where? Hollywood
Zagat: * * *, $23

Located in Hollywood, this is the oldest Italian restaurant in Los Angeles - and it's really good. Everything is so anti-American: terrible service, narrow tables, great food. They have booths carved in the wood and bottles of wine hanging from the ceiling, plus live piano music. Most of the stuff cost $10-$15. Various celebrities have eaten there, ranging from JFK to the Beatles. I may have given it a 5th star if the service was better.

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles + + + $

Who? Andrew, Shusan, Howie
Zagat: * * * *, $15

The closest Roscoe's to USC is located at Pico and La Brea and it's ghettofabulous. I don't know if that's a word but maybe you can pardon my stereotyping for just a minute . The service was full of "sweetheart" and "y'all". What else can you say about fried chicken smothered with gravy and served with greasy waffles. You want to stop but you can't. It's good, cheap and will probably kill you.

Union Cattle + + + + $$

Located in Hermosa Beach, close to the pier, Union Cattle is one of those restaurants just brimming with energy. This is an awesome place to grab a couple of drinks and a good old steak. The burger I had was excellent, and to quote Steve on his meal: "That was one of the best steaks I've had in a while" (and he's a country boy). The atmosphere is very loud owing to the mechanical bull and the music - but it's mighty fun!. If you're "lucky" you'll see the most incredible bull riders. There is a nice bar on the second level and a great rooftop. As usual with popular places like this, there is a mighty wait for a table.

Who? Andrew, Steve, Steve and Corey

Pho L.A. + +

Average, average, average... go there if you really need a Pho fix... and get a big bowl of it. I don't understand the valet parking. Some of the menu items look the same, but actually they're different. One may have all the items i.e. beef, tripe, etc... whilst the other has a "choose from" clause. Thanks for pointing that out guys!

Who? Shusan, Howie, Andrew