India Sweets & Spices

18110 Parthenia St Northridge, CA 91328

I was looking to buy a bag of basmati rice and some curry spices. I got more than expected. They have a deli that serves cooked food along with sweets.

Sauce for the fritters. Like a sweet, hot, spicy, pickle sauce with a tang of vinegar.
Sweet tamarind sauce.
Curried potato and aubergine. Bland-could have added more curry and gone spicy hot.
Fritter. Hardly any filling. Just mostly flaky pastry shell.
Fritter filled with a mashed potato and spinach. So so for me, but I'm still curious about all the other food items in the store. I think I'll do another visit...

101 Noodle Express

1408 E Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91801

We had the popular Shadong style beef roll. It lived up to its reputation as being a Chinese burrito. Crisp and flaky on the outside, meaty and tasty on the inside with cilantro, sesame seed, sesame oil and bits of jalapeno. Also we tried the hot and spicy beef noodle soup. The beef was nicely braised and fatty. The noodles al dente. We also tried the shrimp and pork dumplings and the bok choy, pork, and shrimp dumplings. Certainly worthy of future visits.

Island Pacific - 7/3/11

20922 Roscoe Blvd
Canoga Park, CA 91304

Avoid the fried calamari and fried bangus. Also the fried dilis (fried herring). The taste of these food items is very fishy, indicating they have not changed their oil in quite a while. But if rancid oil is your thing, don't let me dissuade you.


The only saving grace was the hopia baboy. Flaky on the outside, yet firm and sweet on the inside.

Tommy's

14601 Victory Blvd,
Van Nuys, CA 91411

I had one of those late night munchie forays where I'm jonezing for a Tommy burger and Tommy dog with a diet coke. If I'm going to have a hamburger, its going to be a bad motherfucking burger, its going to be: a Tommy burger. What makes it so bad? Its the motherfucking chili. Once the chili gets on you or inside you, the smell will excrete from you pores for about a week. Reeking of the funk of a Tommy chili for a week. WhoooWheee!!!

Thus you are obliged to take the following warnings:

1. Never ever eat a Tommy burger in your car or any enclosed area. (The funk of the chili will stay in your car for a week!)
2. Always have more than 2 paper towels when eating a Tommy burger because there is always major spillage of chili.
3. Have a large drink to wash down your meal because the chili has been known to stay in your mouth like concrete. In fact, always swish your mouth vigorously with the drink just to wash down the chili.
4. If the chili should fall on any part of your body and clothing, that body part or article of clothing will smell like chili for a week. I've never known the smell to wash off or be licked off.

Mis Raices

7539 Reseda Blvd,
Reseda, CA 91335


I had their Tuesday special of pupusas filled with squash and beans (I could only detect the beans) and cheese. To punch up the flavor of the bland dish was curtido, a Salvadorean version of coleslaw. Next time the more hearty Carne Guisada.

The Kosher Buffet - June 24, 2011

7147 Winnetka Ave
Winnetka, 91306


Offering a wide selection of meats: beef, chicken, lamb in various herb sauces. I distinctly recollect coriander. Kosher buffet had michado like dish, instead of black olives, green olives.
Customers I recollect: 2 Jewish ladies talking about their children, 2 Jewish guys and one black guy came in for take out. I assumed he was Muslim since Halaal and Kosher follow the same religious preparation conventions. I like the idea of the divide amongst people being bridge with good food.

Island Pacific - Canoga Park

Take out. Embutido, tocino, fried rice, pansit, talong with bagoong (fermented shrimp paste-will make whitey cringe).