Foodie Adventure in Los Angeles (omusubi, taiyaki, tea, coffee, & sushi)

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Places mentioned: 

Sunny Blue
12608A Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/Doz1pt2frB

Pearls Finest Tea
523 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/lcTA7QagvB

Rubies + Diamonds
6115 W Sunset Blvd, Ste 150
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/3hIGaltaqB

Sugarfish by sushi Nozawa
6115 W Sunset Blvd, Ste 170
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/je19GzkgvB

Somi Somi
621 S Western Ave, Ste 208-A
Los Angeles, CA 90005
Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/7WF1kK8WXA

Caffe Concerto
610 S Serrano Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005
Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/OA4k2FsgvB

Darya Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

 

As an avid foodie and traveler, I love to ask people of different cultures the type of food they eat. Although, I am curious to try everything - its always best to get advice from the experts to see what they would recommend. Plus, I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t love to talk about their culture and food. I tried Iranian food for the first time this year because my boyfriend took an Uber ride from a person who happened to be Iranian. He knows my love for food, so he asked the Uber driver some good restaurant recommendations. We were able to visit a couple of Iranian restaurants this year, which led me to trying Darya. This happens to be a place that was recommended by Mom’s prior manager. So far, this is one of my favorite places to eat Iranian food in Los Angeles, CA. 

The other Iranian restaurants I’ve been to all have nice decor and this place was just as beautiful. It made me feel like I was a princess walking into a palace. The walls along with the paintings and the chandelier make this place look so elegant. I came on a Saturday night when they had live music. It was a man and his keyboard, but the music was soothing. He was singing oldies music. It was loud enough to hear, but low enough that it felt like elevator music playing in the background. It was a lovely place and the singing gave it a nicer ambience. 

Iranian cuisine/Persian cuisine has a lot of variations of food with different types of meats from ground beef/chicken (Koobideh) to Persian style BBQ such as chicken, beef or lamb (Barg) or beef steak strips (Soltani) and more…

Starter:

As soon as you arrive, you will see on the table complimentary Nan-e Lavash bread, which is a thin and flaky bread. It’s one of the most popular bread used in Iranian cuisines and one of the oldest in the middle east. Next to the bread is a plate with butter, raw onion, radish and a condiment shaker that has Sumac (reddish purple color). The fruits of a Sumac flower is used as spice to add a tart and lemony taste. This is the bread and butter appetizer. 

The way to eat this concoction is to take the Nan-e Lavash bread, spread some butter, add some of the pieces of raw onions, sprinkle sumac spices on top and enjoy this appetizer (radish is optional - I’ve only see this place serve this). It sounds weird and of course you must love onions to like this dish, but the creaminess from the butter, the strong onion taste along with the tartness from the sumac makes this a unique and delicious snack. 

Main course:

Chicken Shish Kabob $19.99 - Thick chunks of charbroiled chicken breast marinated in a special sauce with bell pepper, onion, and tomato.

  • I have a low tolerance for chicken because it is usually dry, but this was quite the opposite. The chicken was soft and tender. I would recommend this dish.

Koobideh $16.99 - Two skewers of juicy charbroiled seasoned ground beef served with charbroiled tomato. This is served with Basmati Rice and topped with saffron.

  • This was one of my favorite items here. I’ve tried it at other Iranian restaurants and you could take the gritty texture of ground beef, but this dish was amazing. The beef was tender and juicy. I would recommend this dish.

Boneless Lamb $27.99 - Finest filet of lamb tenderloin marinated in Darya sauce then charbroiled and served with tomato and basmati rice. This is also topped with saffron.

  • This was my original order and it wasn’t bad, but it felt a tougher than the chicken and Koobideh. I felt myself eating less of this dish. I wouldn’t recommend.

We got the entree, which came with basmati rice and saffron. However, we ended up adding cherries to two of the rice dishes. This was a recommendation from my mom because she had eaten here in the past. It sounds odd, but it was delicious together. The tartness of the cherries went well with the buttery rice. I would definitely recommend this.

Tips:

  • Try looking for parking in the front of the restaurant. If you don’t have any luck, park in the IHOP parking lot. There is a sign that says you can park if you’re a Darya customer (free for the first hour, $3 for each 15 minutes after).
  • You’re paying for a strip of meat (except for the 2 pieces that comes with the Koobideh), which can be kind of pricey. I would recommend coming during lunch if you can. It’s half the price and one of the waiters even mentioned this as well.
 

Hermosa Beach Fish Shop - Hermosa Beach, CA

“Pick a seafood and style it anyway you want with multiple selections of marinades and enjoy it; whether it’s in a sandwich, on a salad, in a taco or on a plate. ”

Rating: 4 Stars

 
 

SOL Cucina - Newport Beach, CA

“If you’re craving for delicious tacos with an amazing ambience, this is the perfect place to be.”

Rating: 5 Stars

 
 

Maruhide Uni Club - Torrance, CA

“Uni (sea urchin) galore... you can eat it raw, you can eat it cooked, you can eat it in an omelette, or even as a sauce. Need I say more?”

Rating: 5 Stars

 
 

Capicola's Gourmet Sandwich Company - Torrance, CA

“If you’re an early riser, this is the perfect place to get breakfast, brunch or lunch. You can enjoy a nice piece of dessert or gourmet sandwich along with a beer to wash it down.”

Rating: 5 Stars

 
 

Anjin - Costa Mesa, CA

“It can be pricier than all you can eat, but if you’re looking for a great Japanese BBQ place with quality meat — this is the place to go!”

Rating: 5 Stars

 
 

Seaside Donuts Bakery - Newport Beach, CA

“This bakery is open 24 hours! Come here to eat croissants late at night and walk along the beach.”

Rating: 5 Stars

 
 

Churned - Tustin, CA

“Who doesn’t love ice cream and croissants? Now you can have both together!”

Rating: 5 Stars

 
 

Bosscat Kitchen and Libations - Newport Beach, CA

“Are you looking for an upbeat and casual place to grab a drink with friends? Check out Bosscat’s selection of drinks and small bites along with the many options of bar, indoor or outdoor seating.”

Rating: 4 Stars

 
 

242 Cafe Fushion Sushi - Laguna Beach, CA

“Try this casual sushi spot in Laguna Beach that has endless pages along with images of unique creations (raw and cooked). A place designed by a woman and run by women as well.”

Rating: 5 Stars