Looking for K-town in Culver City

Gyenari
9540 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90231
310-838-3131

Delicacheena usually travels to Koreatown to satisfy their craving for sizzling meat and kimchee. With the opening of a Korean BBQ Lounge in Culver City, UE and the SPII crew sneaked in after the lunchtime rush to enjoy a meal that is happily consumed in the late-night hours.

Gyenari offers outdoor dining with a bar area located at the front. The remaining space contains black leather booths and a beautifully lit yellow flower wall divider. Unlike traditional Korean establishments, the atmosphere was calm and quite spacious.

The lunch menu offers both recognizable dishes as well as salads & sandwiches. No barley tea was available but we did enjoy the cranberry hibiscus tea. The surprisingly meaty pork Mandoo appetizer satisfied our empty stomachs but the mild kimchee and chicken broth side dishes set the tone for what we now knew would not be traditional Korean entrees.

The piknik plates were combination meals with different meat offerings. The tempura was light and the batter surrounding the vegetables and shrimp was flavorful and not over-fried. The side noodles were a solid offering that was appreciated more as the meal progressed.

We had high expectations for the bulgogi plates but like the kimchee before it, the spice level and seasonings were drastically dull. TOS was happy with his spicy pork but agreed the adjective "spicy" should be removed from the name. Meanwhile, KKK's beef bulgogi was not offered on a sizzling plate. Without the usual smoky flavors and inescapable meat perfume, the non-grilled meat left a bland taste and a chewy texture. For a traditional preparation, we recommend visiting during dining hours as patrons are able to grill meat at their tables.

UE's pan seared tofu was a bright spot among the piknik plates. The sauce was familiar and did not overwhelm the natural flavors of the tofu. The texture was slightly firm and maintained its form well. Overall, a simple dish that can satisfy any foodie.

Since the A.L.T. was not under scrutiny, URL happily devoured the sandwich and the perfectly shaped onion rings. The ahi burger was seared and prepared exactly as it should be. URL declared it the best among all she's ever tasted. After taking a bite, KKK was convinced and will order the sandwich on her next visit.

As lunch came to the close, we all left room for dessert. Four delightfully fried donuts with a raspberry cream sauce washed away any disappointment we had with our meal. The donuts crunched on the outside and warmth exuded from the center. The raspberry sauce tasted natural and freshly prepared. We stared at the empty plate and wondered when we would return for these treats again.

Gyenari is not a substitute for the traditional places in K-town. Do not be discouraged with the lunchtime combination meals as they come through with their other offerings and well-made desserts.

Murakami

Mitsuru Cafe
117 Japanese Vlg Plz Mll
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-1028

Like all the cool kids, Delicacheena had to visit the Takashi Murakami exhibit at MOCA's Geffen Contemporary. We were bombarded with color, flowers and toothy grins and loved it. As we expect at art exhibits, we experienced moments of "Is that what I think it is?" and of beauty. But we weren't challenged to think too deeply about the art and it was the first time that Delicacheena contemplated buying the same Louis Vuitton bag in a dozen different colors. After deciding we didn't really need to lay down hundreds of dollars on plush flowers (got the coffee table book and pink KaiKai, instead!), we followed our stomachs to Japanese Village Plaza across the street.

Usually we don't miss Mikawaya for mochi ice cream, but it was closed. Fortunately our other standby, Mitsura Cafe was cooking up fresh imagawayaki. They are pancakes filled with red bean paste. INK still wonders who was the first guy to think, "Let's add sugar to beans and make dessert!" Hot off the griddle, theses sweets are irresistible and are the Japanese version of the gorditas de nata enjoyed in Baja. But we can't live on pancakes alone so we also ordered a skewer of takoyaki (octopus balls) drizzled with a sweet sauce, slightly chewy and juicy.

Folks rave about that shabu-shabu spot and the maddening crowd waiting for tables knew what they wanted, but we couldn't endure the wait and a step inside revealed a not-so-nice aroma. We decided to travel west from Japan to Korea. One of Delicacheena's companions, MH, seems to partake in Korean barbecue once a week. We ordered a plate of beef tongue because we could. Hey, it's all you can eat! We decided we don't need to do that again.

Been There, Ate That. . . too

JiRaffe--Probably the first place we had an amuse bouche. Ahh, INK's foot-themed meal: trout with peeky toe crab and black foot chanterelles. Why don't we go back?

Hungry Cat--Decadent lobster roll, heart-breaking chocolate souffle/creme brulee/bread pudding, few tables. Gotta try the creative cocktails.

!Loteria!--Because you can't always go to San Diego when you get a hankering for potato tacos.

Apple Pan--Burger, fries and apple pie ala mode. Or banana cream. Wonder which of the four veteran servers will be working our side of the counter. No nonsense, cash only.

My Secret Recipe--When you want oodles of spicy little octopi cooked in front of you in Koreatown. Believe them when they say medium is spicy. Wish the rice came at the beginning; like we said, it's spicy. Enjoyed the pa jun, fried pancake with more octopus and lots of green onion.

Bread Bar--Of course, that first visit during its early days was the best because they gave INK a free bag full of brioche and croissants.

Caprice--Don't really remember the French mini pastries too well. It's the experience of ringing the doorbell and either a tall, skinny guy with an accent lets you into the kitchen with large metal tray upon tray of delights. Or its a young woman or Caprice, himself, who will regale you about his youth in Provence. Sometimes its one on one. Other times there is a row of cooks with pastry bags in the background. They're all in their chef whites and they all offer free samples!

Tia Juana's--Soft tacos, so-good-must-be-bad refried beans and rice, handmade tortillas.