Been awhile...

Mountain Cafe (Koreatown)
I tracked this place down and found what, after a good amount of research, I determined to be somewhat of a fan favorite for Korean juk, which is basically porridge. The abalone juk (above) was supposed to be particularly good. And I suppose it is pretty good, if a little underwhelming for around $9. Next time I'll try the Ginseng Chicken Soup which seems to be equally as popular. Supposed to be great for a cold. (B)

101 Coffee Shop (Franklin Hills)
I could sit in this place for hours. Low lights. Comfortable booths. A long bar with a friendly, if a bit unhurried, wait staff. A slice of American cool, vintage photographs crowding the wall, with a comfortable, almost cave like atmosphere at night that provides as good an example of space-age commercial architecture as you might get in a city with an embarrassing surplus of such treasures. If only the food was memorable. The Tandoori Salmon sandwich is ok, though a bit bland. The Blackened Catfish sandwich seems to suffer from an abundance of bread in proportion to, well, the catfish. The chocolate malt seems to be a bit too much chocolate, and not enough malt. Again, though, if there's any kind of bottomless cup of coffee deal, I could easily pass two hours in this place with a book or a copy of the Sunday New York Times. Or maybe with just the coffee. (B+, for the look, not the taste)

Newport Seafood (Westminister)
Deep fried lobster. Completely worth the drive. (A-)

Tacos El Sauz (Glendale)
El Sauz is kind of like a stationary taco truck. The menu is very limited, though a bit more expansive than your average truck (they have ceviche...). The food arrives almost as you order it. You are in and out in less than 20 minutes. Alas, there is no toppings bar with assorted salsas, though the owner will provide a small selection of radishes and grilled jalapenos if you ask. No one is overly friendly here, but the tacos and burritos are just as good as anything I've had at a taco truck, which says a lot in this town. (A-)

Versailles (West Hollywoodish)
Maybe not as good as El Conchinito in Silverlake. Maybe a little better. Honestly they're kind of identical in my mind. I'll take El Conchinito for the atmosphere, or lack thereof. (A-)

Kyochon (Koreatown)
I'm not sure I really get it. Sure, the wings are pretty good, but I feel like there's a bit of a gap between the praise that's been heaped upon them and their actual delivery. Am I missing something? I'm sure I am but I'm not quite sure what it is...Maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about. (B+)

Sapp Coffee Shop (Thaitown/Hollywood)
Recent discoveries (Ground Chicken Curry and the Saturday special Hainanese Chicken Rice) make me appreciate this place even more than I already did. They seem to run out of the specials early, which is a good sign. (A)