Los Angeles/OC/San Diego 🌈

[compact hound]

And it was just fucking boiled bok choy

[earnest robin]

I think it was cucumber salad, popcorn chicken, wontons and Dan Dan

[compact hound]

Had the dan dan noodles and three cup chicken

[tight gorge]

Speaking of Georgian wine, this one is fantastic

[civic crest]

that's odd we've been at least 6x food comes out piping hot everytime lol

[tight gorge]

Haven’t had a bad pine and crane experience

Been a minute though

[civic crest]

we last went in february i think

[eternal birch]

I honestly dont think its taiwanese food tbh

if you think of it as not taiwanese food trying to be taiwanese food its fine

(even though the owners are taiwanese)

[civic crest]

some stuff is, some isn't

like beef roll, fan tuan are taiwanese i'd say

[compact hound]

Totally get that but it just straight up wasn’t good when i went

Idc if your food isnt truly “authentic” as long as the flavor is there

[eternal birch]

damn 😦

[glossy sail]

Pine/crane is not good. lol.

So much more competitive options in 626

[vivid violet]

weird. may be quite variable.

went with some friends who had been there before and whatever they picked was tasty.

• and they explicitly mentioned the DTLA one was better than the other location

Huge Tree is pretty consistent, and their fan tuan is also really good.

[vivid violet]

what other good TW bfast options are there ? my wife and i really enjoy them

[mellow sonnet]

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/759454469531893801/1362461052817903707/image0.jpg?ex=68027a3c&is=680128bc&hm=a32e6eb21f0ec6a3107b0b7c5d6e5b85537060578f5042f758c779317f7f98ad&

Minis cost 6300 now

I guess 3800 a crazy steal at this point

[boreal solar]

I should have waited to sell

[compact hound]

Belle’s #19

Comparable to Langers

Dressing was just a tad too sweet for me

Pastrami itself was yum though

[weary chasm]

Where is this

[compact hound]

Belle’s in HLP

[surreal pivot]

Damn now I want a Belle’s bacon egg and cheese

[compact hound]

LA shop number 562

Sugar with PO ☠️

[boreal solar]

The exposed wooden beams look nice though

I like the aesthetic 🤷‍♂️

[compact hound]

Its nice for sure but their brew bar is way too minimal IMO

So naked

PO was a funk bomb though

Anaerobic washed colombia

[mellow sonnet]

How is it

I debated going today

But I had a headache so I sat at home

Why did they get the puqpress and not put the grinder on top

[compact hound]

Its fine

Vibes were good

Staff was friendly

Coffee is coffee

[mellow sonnet]

Are they new?

How long have they had the machine

I've had my eyes on those machines since before I had my de1

I didn't think it was possible to get it serviced bc it's an Australian company and super small

[compact hound]

Yeah just opened

[desert stirrup]

I heard Daughter’s Deli is really good. It is also owned by the daughter of the guy who owns Langer’s

[desert stirrup]

I gotta say, it looks like nice sugar

The packaging is nice at least, I can’t tell if it’s just white sugar

[compact hound]

Yeah i heard its basically the same

[desert stirrup]

Langers without the wait and druggies attacking you

Quite tempting I will admit

[drowsy knot]

same though we go for dinner in silver lake

[crude citrus]

Yi Mei or Huge Tree Pastry

[cedar otter]

Getting on that yunnan hype train

[eternal birch]

May 2nd, 245%

unless roasted in a foreign country

but yunnan so good

[cedar otter]

It’s at 140% now?

My lagom 01 is stuck in china rn

[eternal birch]

nothing yet except orders over 250$

de minimis will be removed come may 2nd though so pretty much everything tariffed

aka the lagom 01 thats declared at $150 you might have to pay $360 in tariff fee

[cedar otter]

[cedar otter]

That a frame sign has seen some stuff

[civic crest]

i saw them at the atwater village FM last month

[surreal pivot]

Chinatown farmers market always letting me down.

It should be so much better than it is.

[boreal solar]

Anyone been to TravelTown?

[lunar fjord]

:oooo gimme some secrets

(not about the people, about the food)

[vivid violet]

• add salt after ferment..
• rest dough appropriately.
• give up, throw out dough.
• buy baguettes from Bubb & Grandma's.

[lunar fjord]

lol

[eternal birch]

yeah, I just got some baked stuff from homeboy and thats about it

favorite one is plummer park(?) in torrance

[surreal pivot]

Omg it still exists? I had my third birthday there. My mom just mentioned this the other day 😂

[boreal solar]

Incidentally I was going to be in the area Saturday and was debating taking my three year old 😂

[surreal pivot]

I don’t remember much but from the pics I’ve seen I loved it

[surreal pivot]

I like Mar Vista a lot

[civic crest]

i'm usually there every sunday

[civic crest]

he'll love it

[vivid violet]

for those of you with the Aiden, may want to try the pickle pourover and feel like a KING

https://www.ddinstagram.com/reel/DH5mJtbRygl/?igsh=NjFhOGMzYTE3ZQ==

[mellow sonnet]

I forgot to show my breakfast

I made eggs

[cedar otter]

For shop #2

[gleaming prairie]

Prob Wilson park?

[desert stirrup]

What farmers market is this?

[desert stirrup]

Not too far off honestly

[desert stirrup]

What secrets do you want to know? Bread making secrets or techniques of certain items at Republique or Friends & Family?

[eternal birch]

LA state historic park every thursday

it sucks as a farmers market but its a nice to have if you're visiting the park anyways

[eternal birch]

ya wilson, got it confused for weho farmers market mb

[desert stirrup]

I need to visit the farmers markets around. I have been neglectful to one of LA’s best food perks

[lunar fjord]

all of the above but I could start with certain items

I think of all the restaurants I miss from LA, Republique is in the top 3 at least

shame about politics and whatever else is going on under the covers, but I loved that restaurant

[gleaming prairie]

Culver City has one Tue from 2-7 in downtown. It's kinda small tho, but super close for you?
Mar Vista on Sundays is pretty good

[drowsy knot]

with both kids many times over the early years - good fun

[gleaming prairie]

Travel town is great

Live steamers around the corner is also fun for the kids.

[boreal solar]

Definitely going to check it out then. Thanks guys 🙏

[desert stirrup]

Very close! Also Mar Vista sounds fund! Thanks for the recs

[desert stirrup]

Republique does Panettones for about a week or two during the Christimas Holiday time. They are $50 or so. They usually do two flavors but the classic chocolate, candied orange, and nuts option is the main seller.

They sell out very very very quick and sometimes we the bakers would just randomly choose a name off a list or just draw from a bain

I knew someone who worked at Bianca in Culver and they seem to do the same thing in regards to a very limited window for Panettones. I don't know if they draw lots like we did though

I plan to try Bianca's panettones this winter!

There's not many other secrets that I can think of. Both places are bakeries. The people bake

Like coffee, get good ingredients, don't fuck it up

[lunar fjord]

gotcha

I loved their mango passion fruit pie

we got it for my birthday 3 years in a row

[tight gorge]

goat panettone but $$$$ https://www.thisisfromroy.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thisisfromroy/?hl=en

[desert stirrup]

I have heard of this but isn’t it around $100?

Yeah $102

I’m glad he has a spring flavor available. That’s something I was shocked about when traveling through Italy. Panettone can be a year around item. Usually less buttery and filled with seasonal goodies for spring and summer

I went in the summer and the panettone was not as rich but it had figs, peach, and apricot

[desert stirrup]

It’s not often but sometimes there will be unsold goods and they get placed on a speed rack for the staff.

[tight gorge]

He had a pistachio for easter that looked lit

[desert stirrup]

I was elated when I saw any pie slice

Best and worst part of being a baker, you’re always first in the building

[lunar fjord]

rip your waist

[compact hound]

Santa canela a skip

[desert stirrup]

Bro I know! It’s was even less fun given I was starting my weight loss journey

Many comments were made if I skipped on R&D tastings with the team

I once brought in a spit bucket for R&D tastings and I got clowned so hard

[lunar fjord]

F

are restaurant people generally pretty mean

it seems like a harsh environment

[weary chasm]

not that anyone plays sf6. but i hit a milestone. lol. Masters in Ryu

[lunar fjord]

ah

I played a good amount last year

nice job

I'm a scrub and only play gold E. honda

[vivid violet]

fancy, with the gold.

I only am able to play the civic EX

[weary chasm]

I'm probably still a scrub now.

Only just the beginning. So uninstall while I'm still newly minted. Lol

[desert stirrup]

I actually find restaurant staffers really nice! Especially back of house.

The people in the back are there for two reasons usually:

1. they love food and serving others
2. it’s the only job they could get and or keep (mostly pertains to those who are ex-convicts, uneducated, of legal but uncertain and or illegal status)

Regardless of the either reason all back of house staff are going through the same grueling labor for low pay and usually low appreciation. That builds a form of camaraderie and empathy. Very often if not daily we have family meal where someone cooks for the team and we all eat as a team (this usually doesn’t include front of house but the relationship BoH and FoH is one of bribery, hatred, and appreciation). I think the simple act of breaking bread formulates bond and understanding.

So in my experience I think those who work in the restaurant industry are usually pretty chill and kind people. There’s obviously outliers but they don’t last in better restaurants. The better the restaurant the higher the standards while also the more pressure and chances of having a dick if a chef or sous chef is but I would argue that’s what happens as anyone progresses upwards in any industry. Usually the people who work in restaurants are also odd or askew in a way. Granted, some are ex convicts or unable to hold a normal 9-5 so it is expected.

[desert stirrup]

The environment is harsh because it’s such a laborious and underpaid workspace. As a baker I would be in at 1:30-2:30am depending on the station I had or started for the day and I wouldn’t be out until 1-2pm. I was in almost every day the bakery was open. I was on my feet all day expecting for my 30-45 min break, and I was lifting multiple loads of dough that weight 25lb, peeling and cutting 100s of apples, snapping at least 100 sourdough loaves, then prepping and cleaning for the next day. All of this and more shit for minimum wage. I work as BoH on the line in Texas and I started at 7.25 because that’s the minimum there. At least in California it’s better pay. So the environment is harsh, and if you’re blasted and busy the pressure gets intense. Pressure is intense and you’re dealing with very sharp objects, very hot items, and other people moving quickly. It’s stressful.

Though that stress, pride in food, and love for serving others is what usually keeps people coming in the next day.

It’s an awful yet necessary life. Food is too beautiful and fun not to have businesses dedicated to it and serving the community.

[lunar fjord]

Yea that seems terrible

But I am very grateful for people that make food

[eternal birch]

would rec this shawarma

possibly sold out already though

[earnest robin]

Is it a truck?

Close to my work, might try if they are still there

[eternal birch]

not a truck, just some tents

its pricy but 1000% worth it

[left inlet]

@eternal birch I like Falafel Queen for their shawarma and falafel. If you ever went to Falafel King, which was in Westwood Village for decades, this carries on the tradition by one of its longtime employees.

Check out Falafel Queen!
https://yelp.to/jtNzcgdOow

[eternal birch]

the one I linked is fundamentally different! I'll check out falafel queen sometime though

[left inlet]

@eternal birch They also have this more built out location in El Segundo to try. I haven't been to his new location.

Check out Falafel Queen!
https://yelp.to/d7mPuAQjVH

[cold apex]

pay $1700 in rent for this tiny ass cafe spot and the landlord cant even give us running water

ours and our neighbors are off

boiler still full though so ig im serving coffee

at 7.5 bars

if theres any silver lining its that

[weary chasm]

Dang. How you gonna do dishes.

I guess you running on pop up mode?

[mellow sonnet]

Trying a new beef noodle soup place one of my pharmacist recommended today

[cedar otter]

technically you have to close when you don't have running water

[cold apex]

the landlord can pry the keys from my cold dead hands

water came on at 10:30

thank god for the boiler in the drip maker

l;et us rinse out pitchers lmao

[mellow sonnet]

Guys don't spro suica at least not short ratio 💀 it was so sour

[dark fjord]

@cedar otter you’re going to have to step up your to-go cup game. These Central Valley shops are on another level

#Coffee4Christ #HappyEaster

[boreal solar]

Oh man my wife’s home town had one of those. It was started by a retired football player whom claims god came to him in a vision as motivation or something of the sort.

Are you in kingsburg?

[dark fjord]

Lolololol yes

My wife is from here, which means our wives definitely know each other 😂

They do better pour over than a plenty of shops in LA and the whiskey bar opening here has made visiting the in-laws a decent time

[compact hound]

What did u think

[tight gorge]

Lamb ipizza is good, margherita avg

[compact hound]

Wowowow

I love the marg

But i respect it

Never tried the lamb

[tight gorge]

The sauce didn’t hit. I got the special one with upgraded ingredients

[compact hound]

Never tried that iteration

[crimson cedar]

lol this might be old news to most of u but i keep getting ads for this spot called regent coffee

wtf is barrel aged coffee tf

[tight gorge]

Bourbon twang cold brew

Def tastes like bourbon

[crimson cedar]

bringing gentrifier mixology to coffee

idk tbh seems sus to me

[tight gorge]

I would tell you to try it but I learned some things and I don’t recommend it anymore

[crimson cedar]

lmfao

whatkindathings

ohshit they got a red ek tho

wonder if ekA

roasts look coal af

[tight gorge]

It rhymes with ||sqirl||

[crimson cedar]

my brain is too small or too clean to know lol

[desert stirrup]

The Mala lamb is such a fun pizza flavor

I haven’t tried Nardo or Pizzana yet but I have been to Sei a few times and thoroughly enjoy it!

Nardo was ranked 13th in the pizza ranking I believe so I gotta try to see the difference

[vivid violet]

muy mysterioso

[tight gorge]

I was pretty explicit with my clue lol

[tight gorge]

The presentation is also really nice. It looks so pretty

[gleaming prairie]

Modern times did some runs of one in a can. Super bourbony. Was too much for me

[boreal solar]

When I lived in Iowa one of the two local roasters at the time was obsessed with bourbon aged for a year and a half there. My wife hated it. I thought it was interesting but it wasn’t something I wanted to drink regularly

[dull adder]

Was it DOP?

[cedar otter]

There’s someone who’s doing coffee cart in Burbank with death wish coffee ☠️

It’s 7:30pm 💀

[boreal solar]

Heh

Weird choice

[weary chasm]

Seems on theme

[tight gorge]

Prob ingredients just sounded fancier

[surreal pivot]

Oh no 😂. Mold!

[compact hound]

Heavy handed actually pretty good

Soft serve was yum too

@tight gorge was All Day Baby any good

[surreal pivot]

It was great. RIP the chef who created ADB 🙏

[lunar fjord]

@honest thistle my wife wanted to ask, if we just followed the recipe book, would we have pretty good success replicating stuff at republique?

[tight gorge]

Never ended up going

[dull adder]

It smelled good every time I walked by. Smoked chicken is something I can do well at home though

[weary chasm]

Easter Sunday. Mandarin still open though.

[tight gorge]

Shook 12 croissants can cost $6

Blaming my foodie brainrot for this

[boreal solar]

Just means you need to eat a lot of them. I finally tried the lighter than air pain au chocolat yesterday at Ondo. It was nice. I think I need a pastry break though. My wife bought a new scale and it reads ten lbs heavier than my old one 😅

[tight gorge]

Yeah, I reduce it to 1 a week when that happens. But my wife is due in 6 weeks so it’s out of control rn

[boreal solar]

I got a little carried away coupling too good to go with a great local bakery ten mins down the street

[weary chasm]

Is this a value buy? Lol

How would you rate it on your foodie scale

[tight gorge]

I think with the right reheating technique it can be pretty good. For now it’s just good for the money.

[earnest robin]

They are not cafe quality but good for sandwiches

And taste good but no texture at all

[boreal solar]

Airfryer helps with texture btw

[earnest robin]

Another reason to get it

I just don't like how noisy they are

Especially in an apartment

[boreal solar]

Mines actually pretty quiet

It’s one of the ninjas. I forget which model specifically.

Also amazing for salmon.

[lunar fjord]

^

airfryer fish is great

[vivid violet]

how many are left at MCC ? need at least one of these

[tight gorge]

Two for one Easter special

[tight gorge]

Hydrangea spro was not good

First time not getting signature drink

But prob works great on drinks

[vivid violet]

walked in to Pizzeria Sei, and they seated us immediately at the counter.

these were the specials:

• Raci (hot honey and spicy soppressata)
• Margherita DOC

wife thought her DOC was too watery, but she liked the crust.

I liked both.

a couple next to us also offered a slice of their Bizmark to try, it was DELIGHTFUL.

got the Funghi and Diavola to go.

tried to get a combo of tomato and white bases.

[tight gorge]

I agree with your wife! Was the mala lamb not on the menu? It’s great

[vivid violet]

it was still on the special menu and i was gonna get that (due to your recommendation), but felt more like hot honey.

too bad we can’t get the specials to-go

[desert stirrup]

I think you got the wrong avocado

Also what’s up with everyone in here being married?

Sounds like I’m the only single guy with a doggo in the chat!

[desert stirrup]

Your simple and honest question is a struggle for me to answer. Mostly because it all depends on your proficiency with baking, mostly with breads.

I feel this way towards many if not all restaurant cookbooks. So I’ll say this about Baking at Republique as I would say this with the book The French Laundry or Noma or Dishoom; if you are not already invested or willing to invest the time, money, and energy of high caliber cooking or baking then restaurant cookbooks will seldom provide anything close to the original.

These books are written by chefs who are approached by publishers with wads of cash. They aren’t writing these for the home chef, nor do I think they know how to honestly. With the Republique book in particular there are master dough recipes, then you refer to them for distinct recipes later on. The issue is, those recipes use, let’s say, 28% or 53.8% of the dough that is used in the master brioche recipe (those are real numbers btw, I have the book and just calculated it from orange babka recipe and fruit tarts recipe). You’re then stuck with an odd percentage of leavened dough that needs to be baked within the next ~2-8 hours. Quite inconvenient. It’s not inconvenient, actually normal, for commercial bakers because they set the math up to break the 20lbs of brioche perfectly for 4-5 items each with 2 dozen units. You could do the math to get the perfect amount of the master dough needed. I do that, but you need to be proficient in bakers math and understand your machines for adapting purposes which call back to having to invest the time, money, and energy. Another aspect to keep in mind is commercial settings have so much more space and man power, they are also tasked with the goal to strike the customer impressed via quality, consistency, and appearance (novelty or eating experience is included at high end restaurants). This requires many steps and tools and space in the fridge or counter. It’s laborious and difficult if not near impossible (or even impossible) in the home setting. For example dry aging or curing meats are pretty damn difficult at home. In terms of baking I’d say the oven (pro ovens can control ambient moisture and can rotate the interior) and quality of ingredients are the main limitations that home cooks face that restaurants skirt very easily.

Also this cookbook is poorly published and has stupid amounts of typos. Hopefully they fixed it but I have a book bought around 2020-2021 and I had marked my book up with corrections.

Now I’m not here to dissuade you. I’m here to tell you how it is as someone who baked from the book prior to employment, and now after employment. If you want to cook from Baking at Republique, Noma, Dishoom, The French Laundry please go ahead! I laud you for your efforts and ambition!! You simply will have to temper expectations and live with the fact that some of these recipes you will make once and never make it again due to the effort or cost or you’ll simply just never make them. I think you can get pretty damn close if you try and are diligent with your efforts, especially if you are keen on attaining as close to pro levels as possible.

In the end, yes and no. Yes if you follow the Bake at Republique cook book you can get results that resemble the bought item. No in the sense that the book isn’t written with replication by the home cook in mind nor do they do chefs try to accommodate to the home cook in turn, causing the home cook to be disappointed that their end product does not mirror the pro version or frustrated how difficult it is to make happen.

[eternal birch]

@tight gorge ty for delivery of one of the last batches of chinese roasted coffee

[desert stirrup]

TL;DR:

The book has typos (maybe they are fixed by now) and is not designed for the home cook.

You can get the book and follow the recipes but temper your expectations and live with the fact that some recipes are not worth repeating or even attempting. Many recipes will resemble but will not mirror the original identically.

Regardless if you love cooking and baking and want to try, you should! Please try! Food is beautiful and if done honestly will always be appreciated even if it doesn’t taste all too good.

[desert stirrup]

Damn look at that line!

[compact hound]

Saigon eden good

Noodles were overcooked though

[earnest robin]

Less taxes

Until some point lol

[weary chasm]

Feels good to cut the line .

Lol

[vivid violet]

like y'all said, i got my fair share of stinkeye when i skipped the line to look at beans

[lunar fjord]

oop, thanks!

keeb chat my field75 arrived

I love it other than the weird peripheral buttons

but the keyboard itself is extremely pleasurable to type on and hear

[mellow sonnet]

Who's going to ondo cupping Tuesday 🫡

[crude citrus]

I’ll be there

[cedar otter]

🔥

[desert stirrup]

how tho??

[weary chasm]

Just do it.

[desert stirrup]

damn you right

idk why I didn't think of that

[weary chasm]

But yeah.

[desert stirrup]

fak I forgot to sign up

[weary chasm]

If you're just buying Merch or coffee

You can skip

[desert stirrup]

I need to check insta more often

[boreal solar]

I always wait in line anyway because I’m too socially awkward to walk in front of someone 😅

[mellow sonnet]

Ground without the catchcup today 😢

Happened twice this year already

[eternal birch]

in for wednesday for ondo tasting

couldnt get tuesday off 😦

[cedar otter]

I have too much fire coffee

Not sure how to split them into 3 sessions

[eternal birch]

natty only on wednesday

[cedar otter]

Koreans don’t love natty as much

But I’ll put some on

This double natty auction lot gesha blend

[mellow sonnet]

I'm finally cutting down on my backlog so I can buy more now too

My only unopened bag is my second 011 bag

I have suica, Keeblife, 011 right now

[glossy sail]

Oh shit me too. Coincidence.

[mellow sonnet]

I cant do Wed bc I need to do OT at work and go early 🥴

[cedar otter]

Lmao I thought @compact hound bought another ticket

It was different Allen Tran @glossy sail 🤣

[glossy sail]

lol i get to use the cupping spoon Mason (luminous) gave me

This just gonna be a mini LA EAF meetup tomorrow

[eternal birch]

should get a q2 meetup on the board tbh

[compact hound]

Yes LOLOL

You guys wanna hop to ktown pho after?

Im going with @vivid violet and @cedar otter

If you guys are free no pressure

[drowsy knot]

shooting all day tomorrow otherwise cupping and pho!

[desert stirrup]

Big wack that this week is busy with projects

Upsetti I can’t cup and pho with the homies 😔

[vivid violet]

no worries, will have another food outing again 😋

we'll eat a boule for you

[crude citrus]

Pho sounds so good. It’ll depend on the baby in tow and how many urgent emails I get in the morning

[dull adder]

No Friday homies 😓

[vivid violet]

sadly, mtgs that day..

[weary chasm]

Fnm??

I got hit by this ad. And I'm feeling nostalgia for a console I never owned. Lol

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/J-w5IcTw27k

[glossy sail]

Thai traffic blows

This*

Lol

Hope Bryan reserved a few parking spots for eaf vip lol

[vivid violet]

i also agree that Thai traffic blows too

(it took me 35 minutes to go 1 block in central BKK, once)

[glossy sail]

Lol also true when I was in BKK

During loy krathong no less. What a cluster f that was

[eternal birch]

omw a lil late

[desert stirrup]

Speaking of Thai, I went to Luv2Eat Thai bistro for the first time yesterday

What a schlapper

Thai food slaps man

Actually

Food in general just slaps

[gleaming prairie]

west side could use some better Thai. Most of the spots over here are fine, but not great

def need to check out Luv2Eat with the Mrs.

[desert stirrup]

THE OTHER AVOCADO IS ALSO MARRIED???!!!

I don’t even want to meet you guys

You lot of married men

Go share your cortados with your lady friends

I’ll enjoy my two cups alone with all my plants and doggo

[civic crest]

we old bruh

[glossy sail]

Wtf fellow releasing an espresso machine

[mellow sonnet]

Mini-eaf meet kek

Today was fun

we all got confused by strawberry lmao

[desert stirrup]

Is that the DTLA holy basil location?

That place is unreasonably spooky

Are there once when it was getting dark

I never clutched my rosary and Glock tighter in my life

[gleaming prairie]

wasn't trying to throw shade... and my dude, the grass is certainly not greener on the other side, LOL.
many days, the freedom, peace, and quiet sound like an amazing way to live

[gleaming prairie]

lots of chatter about it in #general-equipment one of the enginers was talking a little about it

[mellow sonnet]

Mr hasselblad

[compact hound]

Anko taiyaki fire

Sey washed honduras spro was bad though

[tight gorge]

Thank you for your sacrifice 🫡

[cold apex]

good eats between getty/west la and the inland empire

i trust your reccs over google or reddit

now go my little search engines

i do not want to sit in 2 and a half hour traffic rn 💔

[eternal birch]

thats a big range lol

[cold apex]

exactly

pizzaria sei and a mediterranean place i want to try are both closed on tuesdays

:|

so we are kind of head scratching

[eternal birch]

budget?

and what kind of cuisine

[gleaming prairie]

going to spoon and pork tonight, anybody ever try it?

[compact hound]

Ktown pho hit

[cedar otter]

Hurry curry of Tokyo

Honestly any spots in Koreatown

Father’s office in culver city

[compact hound]

Wako donkatsu

[gleaming prairie]

Pasta sisters next to Father's office

[eternal birch]

tsujita annex, sawtelle

jinsol gukbap ktown

[gleaming prairie]

Tsunita def next level

[cold apex]

noted for next time

thanks for the reccs, im never out in la (especially west)

[desert stirrup]

Making decisions with only myself to be concerned with is the peak of the single life form

Though I guess my choices effect me and my pup

[desert stirrup]

Holy basil? Or was this broken mouth?

[desert stirrup]

Amazing place to just hang out. I love gastropubs for this reason! Good Food and Brewkis!? I’m in

[eternal birch]

broken mouth

[opal junco]

Oo how about recs for food that's walkable from the DTLA convention center or Civic Center? Got some friends from Japan visiting and they'll prob do Grand Central Market but I wasn't impressed with the food there last time, had some mid tacos (sorry don't hurt me)

[eternal birch]

ondo on hassie @mellow sonnet

light leaked, need to replace seals

ngl not the best picture since there were tall cars parked out front

[vivid violet]

ah too bad. i got some great molé concentrate to go from GCM

Hanky suggested "Redbird" a few blocks away:

• https://maps.app.goo.gl/ULbQvVkKyoYw7PKk8

but it looks like it'll set your wallet on 🔥

I had bookmarked the following to try:

• Danny Boy's Pizza: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1pmqPJKBVc7v6gRN6
• Kaminari Gyoza Bar: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8NBgrLTfw1cMkJvv5
• Okayama Bakery and Cafe: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9nv9c14qytLLWDQe6

[weary chasm]

I wonder if the bradburry building is still open

[lunar fjord]

great place

[lunar fjord]

the coffee milkshake at G&B is bomb

eggslut is good

belcampo is good if they still have that smash burger deal

good fries too

have them do angel's landing?

[opal junco]

this thing right, not the zion hike lol https://maps.app.goo.gl/b1aJaiECSpChzes9A

[opal junco]

looks like it's closed and "go get em tiger" is there now, do you know if it's just as good?

[tight gorge]

Villas tacos in GCM is well liked and since they are from Japan they will prob like them.

[dull adder]

GGET always owned G&B. This rename happened maybe a few months ago. No clue if there's been any additional changes beyond the name

I didn't go often but I loved getting a 1 and 1, and they serve their fizzy hoppy tea with it.

[boreal solar]

I went to the GGet in a Row a few times during smorgasburg. It’s fine really. They occasionally do single origin spro and pair it with a hoppy tea to serve as a cleanser. It’s not going to be the best shot you’ve ever had but it’s certainly a tier above most larger chains. It’s third wave. Just a little mere towards medium roast and less exciting offerings wise.

Pastries are good though

[mellow sonnet]

A friend I haven't talked to since highschool asked me which coffee shops I thought had the best spro and I told them ondo 🫡

Made me realize I've never had a spro at mandarin

[lunar fjord]

Not the same unfortunately

[dull adder]

What did they change?

[lunar fjord]

I don’t know personally since I left LA in 2022

But reached out to a friend and they said “not the same”

[eternal birch]

ayy SB?

gotta get east beach tacos

[eternal birch]

if you're here in the morning you can stop by my place for a coffee

[opal junco]

haha aw thanks for the offer, i'm trying to find a spot to take potentially a bunch of folks tho who don't have a car so yea. i might even bring my spro setup to the hotel at this rate

[compact hound]

“since they are from Japan they will prob like them.” actually true though

[tight gorge]

not my style but they look good and are popular so I call that a win win

[boreal solar]

I like Guisados even though the Boyle Heights location is better.

I think it’s like a twenty minute walk to the spring st location.

[dull adder]

They just opened one in Hermosa so I went for the first time, that place is really good. I have to go to the OG at some point but I cant imagine it being much better

[boreal solar]

They have a lot of new locations since I last looked. I might need to try the Pasadena location soon.

[glossy sail]

Only 4 minutes from my work site today. Thanks for the recommendation!

[eternal birch]

usually try something different in SB but thats the one place thats always on the itinerary, goated spot

[mellow sonnet]

Finally trying a mandarin spro

They got sey on bar today

I've never actually looked at the spro menu

[tight gorge]

hopefully its better dialed

[mellow sonnet]

It's p good

Also their spro to-go cups are nice kek

[tight gorge]

nice, ill give them grace since they did say they were testing the hydrangea blend instead of their regular spro blend.

[mellow sonnet]

I think the shot was a little light? I feel like I have more crema and my shot is thicker at home even though I do 3bar turbos

Might be bc they pull into a diff cup and transfer though

[cedar otter]

Just pulled a Sey Peru SL9 and put it into an iced americano

Driving down to shop #2

[boreal solar]

Are you going to be serving the same menu, food etc?

[mellow sonnet]

Down? We got a direction

South of location 1

[cedar otter]

More food

[boreal solar]

Sandos?

[cedar otter]

Yeah and maybe a couple of baked desserts

[boreal solar]

I went to Sqirl after one of my recent visits to Ondo. Would have been just as happy to get something similar from you so that works for me.

[compact hound]

Artesia

[tight gorge]

ah so espresso dosas

[lunar fjord]

amazing how sqirl was completed unscathed after the jam debacle

[dull adder]

The craziest part to me isn't even the mold but the complete lack of knowledge that you cannot just scrape the mold out. How someone can work in food and not know that is insane

[lunar fjord]

crazier is that no one sued

[gleaming prairie]

Been trying to make Lodge Bread ricotta jam on toast at home. Super easy. And no mold 😂

[compact hound]

Oh im 100% sure they knew they just dgaf

[eternal birch]

damn this mold talk is making me want orobae

i miss u orobae 😭

[tight gorge]

Huitlacoche good too

[dull adder]

Just wanted to double check my info. I found an article that Koslow of Sqirl allegedly talked to a mycologist for guidance on removing the mold. That mycologist denied ever talking to them and stated it's a bad idea in a commercial operation, you don't know how deep the mold penetrates, and the toxins from the mold could diffuse deeper

Insane.
Anyway I went a few months ago and the jam was delicious 😂

[lunar fjord]

is that you or the mycelia talking

[compact hound]

Orobae was the only good milk tea around

Too bad it was so far for me

I had odd one out recently and was disappointed af

[eternal birch]

dude same

[compact hound]

I feel like din tai fung is the only good milk tea but they’re inconsistent

[eternal birch]

idk why odd one out so hyped, its gotta be paid reviews

[compact hound]

I also dont understand

They take pride in their quality teas or whatever but there was nothing quality about the taste

[eternal birch]

we got 2 drinks then went back and ordered a plain tea just to confirm our suspicions

like 28$ down the drain cus that shit was expensive too

[compact hound]

Yep shit is crazy overpriced

[eternal birch]

the gongcha in gardena is aight

[compact hound]

Oh god i actually think its so bad

[eternal birch]

thats where I usually go for tea drink

[compact hound]

Maybe the one time i tried was an off day

[eternal birch]

depends on the employee

[compact hound]

Chicha sen chen overrated too

[eternal birch]

other than that my favorites are 626, formosa and ccsq

its overrated yeah but the oolong is good

[compact hound]

But definitely a lot better than odd one out

OG Gardena tea station used to be so good

[eternal birch]

steep and kettl is new age stuff but good

[compact hound]

Do they have boba at steep?

[eternal birch]

no boba at either afaik

[compact hound]

Ah

[mellow sonnet]

You guys have crazy caffeine tolerance to be drinking coffee and then also getting boba

I stopped drinking boba and teas once I got into coffee in line 2019

[compact hound]

I drank 2 PO’s at like 9 pm a few weeks ago and went to bad just a few hours later

[mellow sonnet]

Ur psycho

[compact hound]

Unfortunately i dont get the jolt of energy from caffeine at all so i simply drink it for taste

[mellow sonnet]

I think my cutoff is like 7pm

My cutoff pretty late but I'm young-ish

[gleaming prairie]

I'm drinking decaf only after 12pm 😆
Sensitivity is way higher than it used to be

[tight gorge]

Cola Pasta lasagna is dank.

[lunar fjord]

is this in torrance somewhere?

has that squat asian plaza look

[cedar otter]

Artesia!

But yes it’s in squat asian plaza

[vivid violet]

Ordo is expanding !

(we previously joked about https://ordorestaurant.com/ looking like Ondo)

congrats Bryan 🎉

I can't imagine all the work it takes to procure a location, setup, etc.

[final stump]

South St!

[cedar otter]

Lmao @compact hound that homeboy in shambles comment

[compact hound]

Had to

[cedar otter]

I should poach their manager

[desert stirrup]

Today I have 3 shots of espresso, one cortados, and 3 cups of pour over

All on an empty stomach too

I was feeling insignificant, existential, nihilistic, cynical, puny, anxious, isolated, misunderstood, tainted, disgusting, fallible, and far far far more

I felt like this

But then I took a nap and ate

Now I’m chilling 🙂

[desert stirrup]

Yeah me too. I guess I don’t get the jolt of energy but I get mad LSD like anxiety and feelings after an enormous caffeine attack

[compact hound]

Definitely dont get that either LOL

[desert stirrup]

Hahahaha

Damn just me I guess

On the bright side, I now know what I’m aiming for in espresso

I hit up Boxx, Kumquat, and Cognoscenti in Arts District and DTLA.

All quite different espresso profiles and ratios, however the filters are all quite similar.

[tight gorge]

What are you aiming for?

[desert stirrup]

I really enjoyed the medium, erring on even light, body with high acidity shots pulled at Kumquat. I can see myself enjoying those plain.

Secondly, I enjoyed the medium to thicker body shots with some fruity notes from Cognoscenti. I like those plain or as a cortado. I didn’t get any lattes but I see always enjoy cortados over lattes anyway.

The baristas at kumquat told me the shot I got was pulled at a 1:2 while at Cognoscenti it was pulled at a 1:1

[tight gorge]

Shoulda stopped at endorffeine for the 1:5s

[desert stirrup]

I bought the coffees I tasted and wrote down my notes from them so I could have a target in terms of flavor and a game plan

[desert stirrup]

This just sounds like a filter brew

1:5 that’s something I haven’t heard of

I am intrigued

[tight gorge]

yeah I’m prolly capping, but I think it’s high ratio

[desert stirrup]

I have heard some crazy good things about Endorffeine

[tight gorge]

Endorffeine, Ondo, ReCaPhe the holy trinity in LA rn

[desert stirrup]

I also checked my notes, Kumquat was pulling 1:2.3 but I could stretch to 1:2.5 with not problem

[desert stirrup]

Never heard of ReCaPhe

[tight gorge]

make the trip and tell him Sloth sent you

[desert stirrup]

Damn this place is south

[tight gorge]

Yeah I only go when I drive up from SD

Worth it, unique style. Extreme clarity

His PO fire too

Been lucky that the owner has done all my drinks, idk how good the rest of the staff is

[dull adder]

This is about their spro?

[tight gorge]

Mainly PO, spro was nice too

uses ULFs so shots still high clarity but PO much more present imo

[cedar otter]

should I use titus brew burrs for the spros

for 2nd location

[tight gorge]

Hell yeah, yeet brew shots

[cedar otter]

lmaooo

[eternal birch]

yessssss

[cedar otter]

since my new lagom 01 is stuck in HK rn

[eternal birch]

i loved the titus burrs

[cedar otter]

$2650 becoming $6500 thanks to tariff

[tight gorge]

But prob not, homeboy market can’t hang with yeets

[eternal birch]

how long until new shop up and running?

easier to setup since shop 1 is running?

[mellow sonnet]

I've been enjoying Titus brews for spro

Do u know what day it'll open yet? I want to ask for the day off for a Dr appointment 🤡

I need a 6 week notice ideally

[cedar otter]

techincally I can open in 2 weeks

just need change of ownership

but

we'll be doing some remodeling/final touches

buy equipment

R&D

and hopefully open late June

[eternal birch]

thats fast

[cedar otter]

since we gotta start paying rent from July

[mellow sonnet]

Are u planning to open a weekend or weekday 🤧

[eternal birch]

praying for lever machine

[tight gorge]

Spiritello

[cedar otter]

prolly Friday friends & family

and soft open Sat

[mellow sonnet]

Why spiritello and not mirage

Kek

[cedar otter]

la marzocco linea classic s for boomer shots

and san remo you for SO

san remo is like digital lever

sorta

wish I had money tho. def would do a spiritello or slim jim 1 grp

[eternal birch]

o ya san remo can puck blast

[cedar otter]

no money for mavam

gotta use the LM that the place comes with

gonna send panels off for powdercoating tho

[mellow sonnet]

I'm sitting between sanremo you and just downsizing to a met once my house is done 💀

[eternal birch]

coat ondo logo on there too

[cedar otter]

https://www.prismaticpowders.com/shop/powder-coating-colors?color=pris_blue

[tight gorge]

Lameee.

[mellow sonnet]

Ral 5002?

[tight gorge]

Gotta go big when you return

[mellow sonnet]

Yama blue? Bubba?

[cedar otter]

or yama blue yeah

[tight gorge]

pull some gushers that spray into the couch

[mellow sonnet]

Yeah I really want to go big but I feel like I'm mostly filter anyways so why am I whaling on spro 💀

[cedar otter]

https://www.prismaticpowders.com/shop/powder-coating-colors/PSS-0961/orchid-lavender

ORRR

[tight gorge]

same, but fook it still went dumb dumb

[eternal birch]

yeah, might as well met home and call it a day

are you enjoying flair so far?

[mellow sonnet]

I think sanremo is real "home" endgame with room to spare if you want to go commercial but I feel like non-commercial is better for me if I'm not drinking daily bc then I can turn machine on/off

Flair been nice just feels like manual not for me long-term

[cedar otter]

I heard from andrew (mad lab) that spoke to san remo engineers

basically

the HQ wouldn't approve a new Opera 2.0 machine

so the engineers kinda built a 1 group machine that was basically the opera 2.0

and got better parts under the hood

that's why Mad Lab has been running 2 san remo you's for their cafes

better than 2 group cafe racer lol

[tight gorge]

I could have sworn they had a racer before

[cedar otter]

they did

not anymore

[tight gorge]

Ah, it looked nice

[vivid violet]

hey @mellow sonnet , i'm curious about the chimney-like device you were using at the last coffee meetup for pourover consistency..

what was that device / where can one get everything to do a pourover like that ?

have a couple friends who may be interested..

[mellow sonnet]

Colum?

Colum by melodrip

Fun toy

[vivid violet]

yessss

https://melodrip.co/collections/colum?srsltid=AfmBOooMX9pXBS9mhtZD2FP3LZR1YI2wHoknMt8YVyhnIARj7mrHBH-M

[mellow sonnet]

Sorry it's COLUM they learned from ozik I guess

Hmmmm sanremos are made in Italy right? I hope they aren't crazy pricey with random tariffs next year

[dull adder]

I saw someone say the SR You has the pressure sensor in the wrong place. I'm not 100% on that but something to look out for

[mellow sonnet]

From the boiler instead of the puck iirc

Well I'm in no rush 😂 I prob got a year

[dull adder]

Yeah that's my understanding.
But also I'm just secretly steering you back to the Decent

[crude citrus]

Take one for the team and get the fellow espresso series 1 and let us know if the hype is real

[boreal solar]

I know the wendougee supposedly has that issue. Haven’t heard much about the You though. Could always wait on the bengle or even get something like a Bianca if you don’t like the decent. They’re also supposedly going to be selling refurbished de1pro at a budget price along side the Bengle so there’s that.

[proven anchor]

What’s the best shop in oc for single origin espresso?

[gray spruce]

Imo Play

so.sentimental is in Long Beach is pretty good too

but not OC

[proven anchor]

in fullerton?

I’ve only tried the espresso tonic there and maybe a cortado once

[gray spruce]

Fullerton or Orange are both pretty dialed in my experience

[proven anchor]

dang yeah i see that they have a pretty extensive espresso menu now

[gray spruce]

yea usually a good handful on espresso and then 6 or so on hand brew

[proven anchor]

don’t remember seeing that when i went but its been a few years

[gray spruce]

some of their funkier selections aren’t really to my taste but they always have a decent mix

[crude citrus]

Recaphe is my pick. The owner prefers spro over PO so he’s very dialed in for that

[proven anchor]

ooo been meaning to try this place too

good recs gang

[eternal birch]

play is so fken expensive

[mellow sonnet]

Guys I got baited

So sad

My vote for OC is ReCaphe and ondo

[boreal solar]

Golden state occasionally has something nice too. Although they maybe a tad towards medium for some of you guys.

[gray spruce]

I haven’t made it to Recaphe yet and idk why

looks sick

[compact hound]

Play has been kinda shit in my last 3 visits

Definitely done with them

[mellow sonnet]

My favorite pourovers were done by the owner

The others is hit or miss

Also I hate going to kumquat

I end up buying stuff and spending 50-60 every time

[crude citrus]

The owner was watching over his staff when I had a PO there. I doubt he does that every time but I trust his QC

[surreal pivot]

Which one did you go to? I went to the one in Fullerton and it wasn’t bad.

[mellow sonnet]

I found the orange location more consistent bc that's the one the owner goes to

Guys kumquat sells the auto comb and other barista hustle stuff

I almost bought it 🤡

[weary chasm]

Not now, but maybe your next visit?

[glossy sail]

they pull on an LM no? lol

[glossy sail]

you cna just tell him allen tran sent you and he'll wonder which one lol

[dull adder]

Do they have the black milk pitcher?

[glossy sail]

do spro. 100% do spro at recaphe first lol

[mellow sonnet]

Uh they had wpm pitchers

[dull adder]

Ah okay. I like the price, features, looks of the BH one. I'm willing to look past Perger's racism

As I guess so is everyone, no one seems to care anymore lol

[compact hound]

No idea

[compact hound]

Both play and orange

[cedar otter]

sounds like I need to stock more stuff at ondo

[mellow sonnet]

Lol I only bought 1 bag of lilos but then I wanted a matcha whiskey holder and a spatula and then suddenly + my drink I spent 58 today 🥴

[mellow sonnet]

Some Chinese coffee reviewer went to 17 shops in LA

Endorffeine and ondo their top picks

They said they went to 2 shops owned by Chinese ppl. Mandarin is one, what's the other? Gget?

Oh he won 2024 America latte art

He has a shop in seattle

He called Cali weird for having so much matcha and milk drinks 😂

[cedar otter]

Oh that’s wenbo

https://www.instagram.com/joeyangpnw?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

He won brewers and latte art and is trying for roasting now I think

[tight gorge]

I hear the Seattle coffee scene is pretty bad

Soooo I’m curious what he would recommend there

[mellow sonnet]

Wew ya that's him

[cedar otter]

starbucks reserve roastery

[weary chasm]

No joke. It's really cool

Starbucks reserve roastery in Seattle

[boreal solar]

The Chicago one isn’t that bad tbh. Like it’s not great. But it’s better than half the local shops if you’re not being biased(aside from obvious moral concerns I guess)

[weary chasm]

It's like going to a theme park

[cedar otter]

The seattle one used to have a pizza shop in shop. It was delish

[boreal solar]

Now I want pizza. I’ve been eying an ooni but wife doesn’t want the clutter

[cedar otter]

Get the breville pizzaiolo

Indoors

[boreal solar]

I looked at it. I wanted one as well. But I’m more likely to get the outdoor oven as my wife is more sensitive about kitchen storage. The backyard is sort of unofficially my domain and she doesn’t care as much about my grill, smoker, tools etc

[compact hound]

Had daves a couple weeks ago and it was so shit so i had to scratch the hot chicken itch properly

[weary chasm]

i too had howlin's yesterday

good to know dave's is trash...

was it the one on artesia and hawthorne (?)

[compact hound]

Nah it was one in LB

Daves used to be solid but that recent visit was not it

[weary chasm]

thanks howlin for starting the nashville hot chicken craze

or at least, thats how i think it happened.

[compact hound]

Definitely the first to do it and still the best

[surreal pivot]

Dave’s is so bad that they can’t even get the fries right. Easily one of the worst places I’ve ever eaten

[weary chasm]

But they have a lot of locations.

Is that a sign of success?

[surreal pivot]

It’s a sign of private equity

[tight gorge]

It’s a sign Drake invested in Dave’s

[surreal pivot]

Anybody tried Fleurs Et Sel Bakery?

In West Adams

[tight gorge]

Not yet, my (trigger warning superavocado) ||wife|| has been asking us to go

[compact hound]

Haven’t

All i know is it’s hype

[tight gorge]

Not my style of cookie

[compact hound]

Same

[tight gorge]

I like thin, crispy, with a soft center bite

[compact hound]

I mean i fuck with all cookies but thin is definitely my preference

But not too thin

I want to try copenhagen pastry

[tight gorge]

It’s sight

Looks the part though

[compact hound]

How does their princess cake compare to QS

[compact hound]

Thanks for da heads up

[tight gorge]

I didn’t get it there. I’m also not super into princess cake atm

[compact hound]

Ahh

[tight gorge]

Marzipan too much

Like biting into a leather belt

Lmao

[surreal pivot]

Wait lol

Haven’t been, but claiming it’s hype can’t be anything other than hating… need you to expand on this for us 😂

Could be right but what is this based on?

[surreal pivot]

I do as well but I’m open to other varieties

[compact hound]

Not hating at all LOL

[tight gorge]

I’ll try to go tomorrow and report back

[compact hound]

https://tenor.com/view/the-goat-gif-4115569673926897153

[tight gorge]

Helps that my ||wife|| puts up with my bs

[compact hound]

Goated w*fe

[vivid violet]

damn, this food thread moves quickly.

had meant to reply about how the Starbucks Reserve in Bangkok EmSphere is pretty cool (atmosphere).

coffee was oookay.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/uDg1DX11iAJYm1Bk6

[weary chasm]

its all about A E S T H E T I C S

i say that, but really. you visit these for the vibes and atmosphere

lol.

i'll def go there if i'm ever in the area.

probably not...

[vivid violet]

BKK is soooo traveler friendly. highly recommend.

we like taking EVA Air from LAX -> Taipei -> BKK

[weary chasm]

the closest i'd get to the Thai one is probbaly this one. since i am more likely to be in cambodia if visiting SEA

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xNdFH7ouBpcdq9536

also BKK, but not BKK of thailand.

its an area in the capital

[tight gorge]

Yeah I was so confused

[weary chasm]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeng_Keng_Kang_I

its where all the "foreigners" stay.

so they have a bunch of global chains in that area

[vivid violet]

https://tenor.com/view/scott-austin-powers-firethelaser-yell-gif-11298209009713273466

[weary chasm]

there's carls jr, marugame udon, etc

[dull adder]

Ahhh I'm never going again. Not that it was that good

[vivid violet]

friend from Italy recommended the cafe and snacks here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/asGcM63YVyhJ7hBh8

haven't been, looks like it might be a good one.

[tight gorge]

huh good to know. pretty cheap too.

opened in 2024

[mellow sonnet]

I've driven past it going to samys

Next time I should go check it out

They sell lady fingers

Time to make tiramisu

I really want to try a cursed tiramisu with shots of some weird coferment

[cedar otter]

I think moonwake uses wilton benitez red bourbon with their tiramisu 😂

[vivid violet]

has anyone actually tried ceramic keys on keyboards ? that seems like it would be weird / slow down the action..

https://www.cerakey.com/products/full-set-v2?variant=41532871508107

[brave egret]

I have a set of rubberized gaming key caps for the WASD keys and several above and below

[mellow sonnet]

Iirc they're ok? U need heavier springs to compensate for the weight of the keycap for the return

I don't know any people super deep into keebs that enjoy them, but people that own 1-2 keebs and aren't super into them find them fun

I do think it's a preference thing though where most people super deep into the hobby are already conditioned to like the normal plastic sound

[tight gorge]

The cross over event of the century

[mellow sonnet]

When's the endorffeine meet

I'm so close to doing a train day and taking train to LA for endorffeine

Bc I don't like driving there

Or parking

[compact hound]

TFTI guys wtf

I wouldnt have been able to come though

How was it?

Purp got some nice teeth

[compact hound]

Wut? I feel like chinatown is actually not that bad

I mean i was there yesterday in the afternoon and didnt have trouble parking

Ktown is way worse

[mellow sonnet]

Yeah I hate ktown

Well Chinatown not bad but endorffeine is like a block away from a metrolink stop

[compact hound]

Ah

[tight gorge]

Chinatown bad on weekends

[tight gorge]

Solid for the style.

They are super nice so bonus point for that

But would not get again

[mellow sonnet]

The cafec tritan carafe is the perfect size to make enough pancake batter for 1 person

[desert stirrup]

I love the thick pad of butter

I’ve been known to ask for 3 or even 4 scoops of whipped salted butter on top of my flapjacks at diners

Wait

Guys

I live less than 5 mins away

Nobody told me the broskis were getting cookies

[desert stirrup]

You guys out here keep getting the wrong Avocado yo

[desert stirrup]

I’m in!

Alright I’m done catching up

I read your guys’ wIVeS showed up

Wack

@ me when it’s just the broskis and the pups.

Kids are chill and the light of the future. I’m down to hang with the kiddos too

[surreal pivot]

Agreed solid, owner was super nice.

The pistachio shortbread was actually good.

[surreal pivot]

Impromptu meetup. He posted a pic here about a minute before I walked up. I glanced at this thread and realized who I was standing behind in line 😂

[desert stirrup]

Dude I live within walking distance from there

[desert stirrup]

It’s a joy to have Tartine that close to me

[opal junco]

You were right, the Tokyo boy was a fan, thanks for the rec

Gonna take them to Howlin Ray's in Chinatown shortly, too bad endorffeine isn't open on weekends

[surreal pivot]

Nice fluff on those!

[desert stirrup]

Given I live close I think the cookies are pretty good and it’s really nice to chitchat with the owner.

I do think the cookies are too thick for my liking. Like many of you I enjoy the textural difference of thinner cookies. I think Lara (the owner) could bake her cookies a tad bit more to achieve that but I think it’s her style to have thicker, denser, moist cookies.

I think Levain does a good job in making thick but texturally stimulating cookies. My only issue is how their cookies tend to be a bit more dry. Not enough brown sugar or maybe too high of gluten content in their flour of choice.

Oddly enough, Tony Khachapuri has pretty damn good conventional cookies

Maybe it was just late at night and it hit an itch for me, but I was taken aback on the vanilla to chocolate ratio and the texture

[surreal pivot]

Yeah. The crumble to moisture ratio on the shortbread was on point.

[desert stirrup]

I haven’t had her shortbread! It might one of her rotation creations or specials!

[desert stirrup]

Oh dude speaking of pancakes I was playing around with pancake ratios and yeasted leavening

Check out this accidental creation

I plan to explore this pancake/morning bread more. I wonder if this is already a thing in another culture.

It was fluffy and erred on sweet like a pancake but it had the fermented flavor of bread or even something similar. Moist and fluffy like cake or even like a quick bread.

I can drop the recipe if you guys want to try it or want to riff off of it

I’m thinking there’s multiple ways to improve on it or make it savory

[compact hound]

Looks bangin

[vivid violet]

nice and fluffy ! looks tasty, what were the amounts you varied ?

(also, did you weigh out the flour, or just use a good enough measuring cup approach ?)

kinda reminds me a bit of a nice dutch baby (surprisingly easy to make in a cast iron pan, in the oven)

[desert stirrup]

My man, I only use grams

Get that imperial or volumetric shit outta here

With the craze of Golden Diner’s pancakes it piqued my interest of using live leavening rather chemical. I used to make sourdough pancakes for family brekky at Republique and F&F so I’m no stranger to leavened pancakes buuut I never explored anything outside of the normal pancake.

I reduced the flour amount and amped up the oil because I wanted to give the yeast as much room to breathe plus the oil helps keep it moist.

[desert stirrup]

You can say it’s similar to a Dutch baby but on the opposite side of the spectrum. Instead of thin and crisp this bad boy is thick and fluffy and moist af

I’m going to play with savory inclusions or toppings

On my walk with my dog I came to the conclusion if this is not a thing in another culture I get to refine it and dub it.

So far I’ve came up with “Dad Cake” because it’s dummy easy, one bowl, one pan, and can be made with any topping to suit the audience

I’ll keep you guys up to date. I’m thinking this is a new entry into the fun brekky genre

[civic crest]

I can meet you there it’s walking distance from me

[civic crest]

lol are you in culver

oh nm the fleurs place

[earnest robin]

I had princess cakes a couple of times. It's a tarty European style cake with marzipan shell. As a person who doesn't like cakes I liked it

I like their chocolate walnut cake

Any recs for 5 days vacation in San Diego? Planning on going to zoo, safari and SeaWorld with a 4 months old one (I'll probably get a nany for a couple days)

I have stayed in little Italy a couple of times many years ago. Is it still good place to stay?

The parking was shit there

[compact hound]

Dunsmoor bar burger

Good but not worth the fuss of making the effort to come right when they open

[opal junco]

if you're over in la jolla, go to children's pool and watch the seals, there's little baby ones flopping about. get bobboi gelato and if you're feeling tacos, Taco Stand is a decently consistent chain

[earnest robin]

I have seen the seals, but in general, do you recommend staying in La Jolla or just one day trip?

Thanks for the food place recs!

[opal junco]

@cedar otter thinking of taking a group visiting from abroad to your spot tmrw am, are there any breakfast spots you'd recommend walkably close?

[opal junco]

day trip is totally fine. on your way up to the safari park you can choose from a wide variety of asian food in convoy, this spot has a pretty nice selection of teas, def big on the tea flavor over the sugary syrup that most boba spots do https://maps.app.goo.gl/goj38X7E2QAkWRSN9

[boreal solar]

I’ve walked to Sqirl from his shop. Was about 10 minutes and it’s pretty trendy/hip so they may get a kick out of it.

[surreal pivot]

Is The Benjamin a hype burger?

[compact hound]

Yes but haven’t tried

[cedar otter]

Sqirl and courage bagel

[surreal pivot]

Yeah I’ve heard too many conflicting opinions about it to be inspired to try

[crude citrus]

Is the line at courage bagel still an hour long?

[cedar otter]

I’m the wrong person to ask 😂

[compact hound]

Last like 4 times I’ve passed by it looks to be about 20+ min wait every time

But on weekends it def still gets that bad

[mellow sonnet]

Going to Recaphe today 🤧

[tight gorge]

Need to go back to Kyoto I guess

[boreal solar]

Did you really need another reason?

[tight gorge]

True

[mellow sonnet]

That looks like it has golden ratio

[mellow sonnet]

Guys I'm convinced ReCaphe has the best spro

I need to try more from ondo first

And endorffeine

Mandarin still my fave filter thou I think

[crude citrus]

Ondo has a great modern spro and while I haven’t had the spro at recaphe, the owner says he prefers traditional spro

[mellow sonnet]

Last I went they had normal cups

Now he's using neat glasses

Also I caught this guy

[eternal birch]

feels like im back in china

[weary chasm]

Wow. Molly tea took over

[boreal solar]

I’ve never seen anyone order spro there before. Like I’m sure it’s not bad but he seems to attract filter people

[desert stirrup]

These shots look like they were taken on a film camera

[tight gorge]

Wiut? He mostly does spro

[boreal solar]

😅 I’ve only been like twice lol

So maybe it’s happenstance

[tight gorge]

yeah I’d say 8 out of ten are spro

Including lattes and such

[boreal solar]

Unfortunately his hours aren’t conducent to me visiting

[tight gorge]

Same. I yolo on Thursday’s for lunch but not as often anymore

[boreal solar]

I’ll do Ondo every so often but not really anywhere else these days. Even then it’s just to drink something new and support Bryan since he’s a cool guy.

I have way too much leftover ragdoll inventory to go out often.

[cedar otter]

No more lattes at endorffeine

Who bought the april servers

I have a feeling it’s one of us in here

Or two of us

We sold two

[weary chasm]

Lol

Are they like $100?

Each

[eternal birch]

Dai Ho, it was my favorite bowl but now I think its inconsistent so cant rec anymore 😦

idk, it was so good I dunno what happened

maybe the grandma retired, I didnt see her

[cedar otter]

$85?

I did just get the april hybrid drippers tho

[mellow sonnet]

April switch on bar?

I really want one but I don't think it's different enough from a sworks dripper

[cedar otter]

Only way to find out

[mellow sonnet]

My main struggle w the April was recipes I liked didn't work on April and they always needed their own different recipe

Maybe the switch will give more options

[cedar otter]

Just do almond noon recipe with April Hybrid

16:240

2x 120g pours

Each pour is divided into 60 circle + 60 center

First pour is closed off

Vvv simple

[opal junco]

it wasn't my group but they really enjoyed Ondo today, appreciated the Japanese vinyls and when they saw the ceramics come out for pourover they said it reminded them of shops in japan. big thumbs up for the batch brew and pastries too

oh i also copped a bag of letty and opened it up to give them a whiff. one of them immediately got up and bought a bag, i warned him he better have a decent brewing setup at home but we'll see if his superauto makes something tasty

[cedar otter]

Thank you so much @opal junco !!

[weary chasm]

Let's see how forgiving letty is at home

[dull adder]

Huh? Like he only does smaller sizes like cappuccinos?

[cedar otter]

Yeah

He used to offer them years ago

Then a couple years back he stopped offering, saying that his water composition and espresso style doesn’t suit lattes anymore

[tight gorge]

I tried to sell my EK but the new burrs were only giving me rocks at chirp

put pre15 back and we were back in business. I wonder why that is

[cedar otter]

Probably burrs didnt get installed properly

Like a small piece of coffee ground stuck on the surface

[tight gorge]

Yeah, something for sure was off. I did it twice too. Was too annoyed to try again.

Will try again next weekend before blaming the burrs lol

[desert stirrup]

Does anybody know why many cafes in the area use April for pourover?

When I did my cafe crawl a few days ago I noticed they all used April. I’m wondering why. I used a glass Kalita (so not the doodoo clog prone stainless steel) and Orea yet always found the V60 to be more repeatable and to offer punchy acidity and sharp flavors.

So I grow curious about the April and I wonder if it’s due to repeatability and ease of use in a commercial setting.

[tight gorge]

kumquat/loquat use it since they are homies with April. Other supposedly due its to simple and repeatable recipes. I havent seen it much myself but I also never order PO at shops

I mained it at home for 6 months, its very prone to clogging so I stopped using it.

[vivid violet]

i think folks will stop using it soon. it’s about to be May in a few days.

[boreal solar]

Flat bottom drippers tend to require slightly less precision and the April is one of the more cosmetically pleasing offerings in that area.

[weary chasm]

You getting a copy of the April?

[mellow sonnet]

Play uses april

I liked my April but u had to use April filters

[desert stirrup]

Hate clogging

[desert stirrup]

Get your dad jokes outta here

[tight gorge]

Return to monkey, use plastic v60

[desert stirrup]

Nah I most likely won’t be buying another pourover dripper.

Every single time I do I end up selling it and returning back to V60

[weary chasm]

UFO, v60 but wider. Lol

[eternal birch]

only dripper I'm considering is ufo lol

[desert stirrup]

I now invest much of my dripper money into special edition V60s

[boreal solar]

I just use my switch as a v60. I need to work a little harder to preheat than a plastic v60 but I like having the versatility and having fewer drippers

[weary chasm]

Anyhow, that's when you know it's that you can get super special v60

[boreal solar]

Lately I’ve just been sticking with filter3 though.

[desert stirrup]

Yeah but to make a filter fit it’s like arts and craft time

[weary chasm]

You can use a 3d printed tool
Or buy special filters for it

[boreal solar]

Negotiators help a lot.

[tight gorge]

The founder going cringe on his IG is a turnoff

I’m more of a medlodrip ig kinda guy

[desert stirrup]

Behold, my latest pickup

[desert stirrup]

I am scared to get it and try it

Seems like blasphemy in terms of pourover

[boreal solar]

Looks like something teenage me would buy. Not necessarily a bad thing. Just commenting that it would fit right in.

[desert stirrup]

I swear I’m the youngest in the chat

By like a decade too I bet

[boreal solar]

This server is a little older than other coffee servers I’m on. I’m used to being a grandpa for being in my 30s. Less so here though.

[weary chasm]

Someone else showed this. Maybe if I see it in a store somewhere

[desert stirrup]

More money on stuff that isn’t coffee or rad V60s?

Wack

[vivid violet]

gets up from walker to object

[weary chasm]

https://entsukicoffee.com/zh-us/products/hario-v60-ru-ware-01-dripper?srsltid=AfmBOoo0ZF7Z0loKDFZovGwCTVELpItf0W1Z2-Zo6eZTG64S0ano6scy

Probably Taiwan dollars

[eternal birch]

im also at the age where im usually not the youngest anymore

[boreal solar]

You’ve aged well though. I would never peg you for your age on the street 😅

[desert stirrup]

spill the tea. Is he mega MAGA?

[desert stirrup]

I’m the opposite

People literally spit their water out when I tell them my age

I fear the day I actually am in my mid 30s if people already think I’m 34

[weary chasm]

Would you be like James Hoffman?

Both 30 and 60

[boreal solar]

It’s the gray hair coupled with baby face. @vivid violet sort of has that going on too. Maybe you need to be an influencer 😮

[mellow sonnet]

Yeah how old is Hoffman he looks 60 but sometimes early 30s

[vivid violet]

if people want to watch a coffee influencer who knows nothing about coffee, and has a ghetto setup, i’m all setup for that

[mellow sonnet]

Rory looks late 30s can confirm

[boreal solar]

A meticulous is not a ghetto setup 😂

It would probably violate all sorts of terms though

[mellow sonnet]

Hoon used to be the go-to budget setup but he's slowly pushed the budget higher and higher 💀

[vivid violet]

well.. i mean mostly an ikea table with a dent in it when i tamped too hard, and a plastic cutting board to protect the wall from my badly tamped shots spraying on the Bezzera

thank goodness i didn’t learn about turbos, it would be all over the wall

[mellow sonnet]

Ok Mr Olympia with tamping strength of a titan

[weary chasm]

I used to tune in early to watch hoon stream early in pandemic. Very chill vibes

[mellow sonnet]

I feel like I tamp too hard 🥴 I just push my whole arm into the tamper

[boreal solar]

Just let Kim build you something 😂

[mellow sonnet]

Hot take. If somebody likes Nespresso and Starbucks let them enjoy it

[vivid violet]

she is so happy with her tool boxes setup. i think what she truly desires is a full stack of Mikita tool chests

[boreal solar]

My parents love “bad coffee”. It doesn’t really bother me.

[vivid violet]

we had Nespresso in the office, and it was pretty good..

[desert stirrup]

I mean, sure. Isn’t how that is for anything of higher quality?

[mellow sonnet]

I had Nespresso at my friend's place and it's gone a really long way tbh since like 2014 when my dad first got a keurig

[desert stirrup]

Yeah life is too short to try and convince people their wrong

[mellow sonnet]

I think modern Nespresso is better than Starbucks tbh

[boreal solar]

I’d rather have a Starbucks refresher, or a matcha latte etc. but those are just sugar.

[mellow sonnet]

Every time I've had Starbucks they used boiling water or something but Nespresso makes the temp lower so there's actual flavornote even though usually "caramel" or something

[boreal solar]

I don’t love supporting Starbucks but I still end up with it at airports at times. Ngl about it. Rarely get something that isn’t sweet and hides the coffee though. If there’s even coffee in it.