Sawan Cafe

Hello I'm back from my travels & we're back in biz!



When Cory suggested the Thai place by our office a few weeks ago, I rudely jumped down his throat and announced we were not going there. I have already been there. And I didn't like the Pad See Ew so they are effing fired. Yep. I'm not going to name any names but I also don't plan to review it, as it is not an adventure. Sawan Cafe, on the other hand, was a little place I spotted out of the corner of my eye while barreling down Magnolia one day. A nice looking dad and daughter were walking in with confidence- as if they had been there before. And I thought "that looks promising". So today when I was up to bat, it's what I chose. Cory made some sort of jerky resignation to eating with me. Noncommittal compliance with my choice. Apparently not a big Thai fan. But I appreciate that he didn't flat out complain- as I would have had to use my outside voice on him.



Anyhow, we made it down Magnolia and Cory even remembered exactly where it was (as I had previously pointed it out) so he scored some points. As we walked up there were diners leaving with smiles past a very lo-tech lunch special sign. A $4.95 lunch special sign. That is wayyy reasonable, right?



We walked on in and a smiling lady jumped to clean the table at the booth we were headed to, and spoke to us in an adorably high pitched helium voice. I wanted to chortle with glee over it- but I just did an inner chortle.



We looked around snapping photos and found there was no light but daylight coming through the front window- which did make taking photos (for um unprofessionals) very difficult. But it was very calming- as was the cute, clean and simple decor. Like... if they had a nap area for after you ate, it would be perfect.



After accepting our photos would be dark we chose a lunch special each, and I ordered to share... you guessed it Pad See Ew. Cory, of course was skeptical. Like a grumpy five year old. Sorry I think I am tired. Now I'm the grumpy five year old.

The basics: Typical Thai fare with some interesting looking specials. At lunch there is a limited, but appealing lunch special list. You get a little soup, rice, and your dish for $4.95. You get to choose a meat unless it is specified.




Alissa: So check it: I ordered the spicy eggplant vegetable dish. My meat was tofu. I also ordered a Thai iced tea (I order the tea at Thai places and the coffee at Vietnamese places. That's just how I do it.), and I informed Cory that off the non-lunch menu, we would be sharing some Pad See Ew. I said "trust me, you'll like it" while he made skeptical groans and faces. I ordered that with chicken.

The tea came out first- and that passed. Then the soup- it was just veggie broth and simple veggies. It was pretty bland, but I was into it.


Sometimes I get tom kha soup to start and it is so flavorful and spicy and filling that I can hardly move on to the rest of my order. This just sort of whet the ol' appetite. God what a terrible sentence. Instead of erasing it I will just say- I am sorry. THEN out came our Pad See Ew and I immediately snuck some egg. It was good! SO I started shoveling it onto my plate like a damn wild animal and Cory had to say "um don't you think we need to snap a photo of that first?" Damn it. Yes. So I hit rewind and we did.



When I finally got to eat it, I found I was correct- it was really good. Not like that bunk place by our office. It was just the right flavors and textures... the ones that made me fall in love with Pad See Ew when I first snuck a bite of it out of my roommate's leftovers in the fridge. Sorry Morgan! I realize sometimes the egg in Pad See Ew is not so much exciting as present, and I really liked how this egg was done. Next came the eggplant dish. It was good- not like to die for- but certainly eggplanty, spicy, and tofuey. The rice is a nice contrasting texture. I tasted Cory's also and I would say that's probably a really good way to go- I just like trying a veggie dish out so that folks who are not into meat know it's there and is bite-able.

On a side note I would like to say the bathroom is really clean- decorated and well attended to. Sometimes these lil' hole-in-the wall joints have a pretty depressing situation back there, but not these guys. Gals. Also there is some sort of shrine/offering in the hall on the floor on the way to the bathroom which I think indicates this joint is pretty legit.

Now... my only concern is... later I felt that special sweet taste in my mouth which hearkened back to the days when no one made a fuss about MSG. I do believe I need to get to the bottom of that. I could just be paranoid... but it was a little suspicious.

Cory: Are you seriously concerned about MSG, Alissa? MSG is one the highlights of all Asian food as far as I'm concerned, and any place that uses it is tops in my books. I mean, I've had plenty of good food sans-MSG but a nice sprinkling of that powder goes a long way toward improving the flavor of most dishes. Ah the miracles of chemistry...



Anywhoo...I was immediately bummed out when Alissa asked if we could have Thai food, and I can only assume that I made some sort of angry scowl to go along with my grumpy 5 year old groans, but I decided to let her have this one. It was, after all, her big day to pick & I couldn't very well welcome her back into town by promptly poo pooing her choice of lunch spot. So I acquiesced & rode shotgun while Alissa nearly got lost on the way there, secretly hoping all the while that she would give up trying to find it & take me elsewhere. But find it we did, so I was stuck. I've gotta say, this place isn't really much to look at from the outside. Or from the inside for that matter. You could easily pass by it without ever knowing it's there (so if you really wanna try it, keep your eyes peeled on the north side of Magnolia). The inside is tiny & mostly barren, save for a few happy customers. It was nice to see the smiling faces enjoying their lunches, but I generally have a problem dining in tiny places, so I still wasn't 100% on board. The delightfully squeaky waitress seated us at a booth near some strange naked lady lamps, which I'm pretty sure were in my friend's parents' basement when we were kids, and plopped a couple menus on the table.

Thankfully Alissa decided to be the man on this date & order some noodle dish for us to share (the pad see ew, or whatever) because I'm certainly no connoisseur of Thai food and, frankly, had no idea what the hell I was looking at or how to pronounce it. The one item I felt safe ordering was the yellow curry chicken, so that's what I did. And, just to be a copycat, I ordered a Thai iced tea too.



The iced tea came out first & only served to raise my level of skepticism. It looked like someone bled into a cup of tea. Casting my concerns aside, I stirred, sipped, and nodded my head. It was good! Kind of like tea. And creamy anemic blood. Sort of. Or maybe that's not at all what it tasted like, but whatever. It was tasty.
Next up was the pad see ew. Big flat noodles stir fried with egg, chicken, and veggies. "Well, this can't be half bad," I says to myself. And guess what? I was totally right. Not only was it not half bad, it was completely awesome! The other thing that was awesome was watching Alissa use both hands to shovel it into her mouth at a frightening pace. I'm certain now that if I'm ever in prison, I would like her to be there with me. Not to keep me company, but to help me tunnel to freedom.



The yellow chicken curry was last for me. I'm no curry expert either, but this was pretty good. The chicken was a teeny little bit overcooked, but the curry was spot on & more than made up for it. The dish also included potatoes, which tasted like...well, potatoes; and something else, which I can't recall but can only assume was awesome.
I also sampled Alissa's eggplant extravaganza. Eggplant is sort of a new thing for me. See, I was horribly scarred as a child when my 2nd grade teacher brought an eggplant casserole to class & passed it around for all the kids to sample. When no one took any, she got all upset & basically forced everyone to eat it. As you can imagine, forced eggplant is disgusting to an 8 year old; and I've been an 8 year old, as far as eggplant is concerned, ever since. This one was pretty good though. It didn't knock my socks off or anything, but it didn't make me spit it out, throw a temper tantrum, and get sent to the principal's office either...

And here is an unflattering photo of Alissa which she will post as a good sport since she is literally taking a bite. And trying to keep from laughing.



Good bite? Or just totally bites?

A: Well heck I would go on back there and have me some Pad Se Ew and Thai iced tea just about any time if I can figure out for sure that it wasn't all glistening in a MSG rich glaze. That Yellow Curry was really nice & I am sure there are several other menu items that are just as great.

C: Yeah, I'd bite that again. The red chili sauce is the business, btw. Bring on the MSG!

Info:
1907 1/2 W Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, CA 91506-1727
(818) 558-5051

Open Mon-Sat 11am-9:30pm




**Our reports are based on one visit/meal- so we're far from experts on these joints! so if you have advice or experiences you'd like to share, please feel free to enlighten us & our readers! Our goal is to give enough info that someone might feel okay trying somewhere new (or know to avoid it!). Thanks for reading :)

He did it!

Cory did it- Tallyrand is live! And now I'm out of the office... we should only take our vacations together from now on. This just won't do. If he doesn't fall into a deep depression over my absence, perhaps Cory will take a bite on his own while I'm gone. Or maybe he's one of those people who starts realllly chowing down when he gets sad. That's fine, as long as you blog about it, Cory! See you in a couple weeks!

wow, how surprising!

Cory promised to finish the post for last week's bite, but I see he hasn't. I never for a moment totally did not believe him! This is shocking! Well, he'll probably do it while on vacation in Florida this week. That sounds really likely, so watch for it!!!

Tallyrand

The Tallyrand. Sounds like a euphemism that your grandfather may have muttered in reference to his penis, doesn't it? Well, lucky for us it's not. Because that's where we ate last week.
If you're a Burbank luncher, I'm sure you've seen it lurking on Olive, near Verdugo, with its silly-fonted signage. It's been tempting me with the promise of potential weirdness ever since I first started working up here; and now I'm glad we went, because it sure did deliver...
Now, first things first, this place is another "family style" diner. Given our recent lunching at Lancers, I was none too impressed when I discovered this. I've since been convinced that family style diners excel at only one thing. Mediocrity. Alas, we went in anyway...
Walking in, we were greeted enthusiastically by Marty.


Towering over us at around 6 feet tall (well, towering over ME, because Alissa is shenormous too), Marty unleashed a well-rehearsed rapid-fire string of sounds & words welcoming us to the Tallyrand. She waited patiently (though, clearly, with ants in her pants) while we wandered about the restaurant taking in the sites & deciding where to sit. See, there are 3 seating areas here:
the diner side, which looked like a typical diner...

the bar, which looked AWESOME...

and a 3rd area on the other side which was closed so received zero of our attention.

After much deliberation, we chose the diner because it was nice & light and didn't make me feel like I needed to order a bourbon with my lunch.


While seating us, Marty mentioned that Alissa & I were just too cute & asked our birthdays. She went on to very excitedly explain that Capricorns & Virgos are always wonderful couples. And did she mention that we were just too cute? Well, unfortunately for Alissa, Marty had incorrectly labeled me a Virgo. I am, in fact, a Libra; and everyone knows that Libras & Capricorns are a wholly unholy alliance...

The Basics:It's a family sort of place with a family sort of fare. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and fried things aplenty. You're sure to find something to suit your lunch here. Huell Howser recommends the Hot Turkey Sandwich, though, and Marty will tell you all about it.


Alissa: After getting adjusted to the fact that we were going to not only be fed, but entertained, Cory and I examined the menu for anything that could be called a "specialty" and found that there was a powerful core group that they recommended. We sorted out which we felt needed to be in our mouths, and I came up with the fried chicken. Also, having in NO WAY learned from my past food endeavors, I ordered a root beer float. Cause it was on the menu. And I was like- yeah- I clearly want that.


I am a horrible food-taster, apparently, because I did not remember to retain the flavor of the chicken. It was moist- I remember that. But all is overshadowed by the skin. It was not so much a flaky crispy skin, as it was a shell that literally snapped in your teeth it was so crunchy. It was the kind of texture I find dangerous- as I will eat way more than I need just to feel that snap again. In fact. I wish I could bite dat right now. Dang. Anyhow it is good... in that it is unique and fun. It must taste good too, as I think I would have remembered bad or incredible. Fries came with this at Marty's suggestion because we were already gettin mashed taters with Cory's choice. Steak fries. Not under or overcooked. Just right.


I definitely should not have gotten the root beer float- but I am not complaining. It was good & satisfied my yearly float craving. Cory & I tasted each others' dishes as well- and I really liked eating a sandwich (which he will describe below) with a knife and fork. I don't know if I have ever done that. It made me dream of Thanksgiving and that ol' fashion "I ate too much and I feel like I might vomit and everything will just look like stuffing" feeling. I assume this is the way you describe food to others to make it seem appetizing. Please let me know if I am wrong.


Cory:Walking in, I was like, "Awww, crap...it's another Lancers," but it really did prove to be quite the opposite. While it's essentially the same type of place, everything about it is just...better. The vibe is cool, the bar is silly (and the pic we have of it doesn't really do it justice), the food is good, and the staff is, well...quite possibly insane.


After the welcoming song & dance from the very gracious & highly caffeinated Marty, I decided to order the much-lauded-on-public-television Hot Turkey Sandwich. I haven't actually seen one of these on a menu since I was a wee lad in Iowa & would frequent the strange little diner attached to the Woolworth store in our small-town mall. I used to love these things & was very happy to have the chance to order one again. When it arrived, it looked EXACTLY as I remembered from my youth. A heap of mashed potatoes between two halves of a plain white bread turkey sandwich, all smothered in a snot-colored gravy. This version included a side of stuffing & cranberry sauce too, which gave the meal more of a white trash Thanksgiving feel. Thankfully, I'm a lover of all foods white trash. Hot turkey sandwiches, chipped beef, tater tots, or anything containing Velveeta - put em on a table in front of me & I'll happily put it in my facehole.


Perhaps it was just my sense of nostalgia, but this sandwich really delivered for me. The turkey was juicy & flavorful, the potatoes had the perfect consistency, and the plain ol' white bread was utterly saturated with gravy. Every bite took me back to that weird little diner in Iowa and, while I can see why the appearance may scare some people away, I think everyone should try this at least once.
I also nibbled some bits of Alissa's fried chicken. It was pretty good. Crispity crunchity...just the way I like my chickens. bock bock.

Good bite? Or just totally bites?
A: Good bite. Snap. Crunch. I don't know if Marty's always there- but I cannot imagine what it would be like without her. Probably less rapping.

C: It's a good bite. Actually, the overall experience beats the bite; but the experience makes the bite worth biting. Be prepared for aural overload.






Info:
1700 West Olive Avenue
Burbank, California 91506
(818) 846-9904
Open Daily 6am-10pm

**Our reports are based on one visit/meal- so we're far from experts on these joints! so if you have advice or experiences you'd like to share, please feel free to enlighten us & our readers! Our goal is to give enough info that someone might feel okay trying somewhere new (or know to avoid it!). Thanks for reading :)

Choza Mama Peruvian Cuisine

Well, chances are if you work at NBC, you know this place well- as it is directly across the street. Cory and I do not work at NBC, however, so this is yet another place we have never been. Personally, I have been eying it for years from my car- but I am not good at trying new places on my own WHICH is why Cory and I teamed up. Maybe you have been eying it too and just needed someone to say... don't be scared!

Well don't be. Cause it's really good. There is delicious food, air conditioning, and the fellow behind the counter- Brathzo- is friendly and funny. There's nothing to fear. Except cilantro itself... but I think you can figure that part out. Because if you can figure out how to navigate a turn through the intersection there, where like 8 roads converge with a variety of angled green arrow lights... you can probably figure out anything.



The basics: If you have had Peruvian food before, this stuff will be familiar. There's a big menu that allows you to have stuff as a plate with sides, or like- wrapped up as a burrito and more. If you're not sure what to get, ask. A lot of people who came through took stuff to go, but there is a nicely air conditioned room to eat in as well. There isn't a wait staff- you get food on a tray at a window & there is water cooler nearby so that you may help yourself. I hate waiting for water... so I was pretty happy to see that. It's the little things, you know?



Alissa: So, again I remembered to ask for a recommendation on my order instead of just randomly choosing something- which I think is a good idea if you are going somewhere for the first time. I announced "I have never been here, and I like chicken. What shall I order?" There was no hesitation- Brathzo recommended #3. That is a plate: Pollo a la Parilla. With this you get 2 sides, so I chose black beans and fried sweet plantains (which is an extra $2.15, but I lllove plantains). Also, having failed to learn not to order a whipped drink with a large meal, I ordered a Pina Colada Bang.


I was really satisfied with my meal. Overly satisfied. Cory peer pressured me into eating the entire thing, but I would say it is definitely 2 meals- next time half is coming home for dinner. The chicken was really tender & moist and had great seasoning. The black beans were... well they were black beans. And the plantains were awesome and I didn't have to share them with Cory cause he is anti-banana and banana-like fruit. I could have gone with some crema fresca for those puppies. Ah well. In addition... everything seems to come with both yellow and green chili sauces. The yellow is waayyy good- although I had a hard time justifying saucing up my stuff since I liked how it tasted already. I absolutely did not need the PC Bang & later tossed it after a couple sips. I realized if you are going to get one though- it should be the orange- I think this one tastes a little like bread that is getting a little sour. This obviously has nothing to do with Choza Mama- just a general realization.


Also- I would say that while the temperature is nice in there- you may as well get stuff to go. Hanging out with Brathzo is cool- but when we sat down the TV was on and I had to watch a huge woman trying to get her baby to breast feed and heard a bunch of unsavory words- followed closely by that show about chicks who didn't realize they were preggers and there was also some really yucky things immediately broadcast into my trying-to-enjoy-my-meal earholes. I asked if I could change the channel and there was no problem with that- so it wasn't the end of the world. The other downfall is trying to cut meat with plastic cutlery on plastic plates with compartments that prevent you from mixing all your stuff together. Again- you could take your stuff to go- or take your personal knife set out of your holster that you obviously have strapped around your hips.


Cory: So this was the first time that we went somewhere without it discussing first. Alissa just scooped me up in her Amazonian arms, tucked me into her front seat, and whisked me away toward the more studio-ish part of Burbank. It's been a while since I've been over there & I nearly forgot about all the dining options. Sure beats the hell out of tired ol' Burbank Blvd...
Anyway, I was pleased to see that she had set her mind upon this Peruvian place. Peruvian food has long been a favorite of mine - since waaaay back when I first moved to Los Angeles & my super stoned friend brought over a giant platter of what looked like french fries piled with steak, rice, & tomatoes. I assumed it was just some sort of conglomeration that he, in his WAY high condition, concocted in his kitchen; but he informed me that it was called lomo saltado. Then he got annoyed because I ate most of it...
I enjoy the way Peruvian restaurants find 50 different ways to serve up the same things. Like a Mexican restaurant, only way better. Typically, the menu consist of steak or chicken dishes accompanied by some combination of rice, beans, pasta, or potatoes. My favorite of those combos is the lomo saltado, and that's what I ordered. It's essentially grilled steak tossed with french fries, onions, and tomatoes. The two sides I chose were rice & Peruvian beans (like pinto beans, only softer).
Now, I've had some damn good lomo saltado in my day, but this one really took me by surprise. The steak was perfectly seasoned with I-don't-know-what & it must have been pan-cooked because it produced an amazing sauce in which the tomatoes & onions were sauteed. All of this came heaped upon a plastic plate beside my rice and beans, and I mushed them all together to create something that looked not unlike dog vomit. The most delicious dog vomit I've ever eaten! Not that I eat dog vomit...often. Top if off w/ some of that homemade yellow chili sauce & you're good to go.



As Alissa mentioned, the portions are generous - enough for lunch and dinner - but real men man up, so that's what I did. I put the whole thing down AND topped it off w/ an Orange Bang (which I'd never had before). Honestly, I think the Orange Bang was a little too much. It pretty much put me over the top & I floated out of that place on a cloud of orange froth. I suppose the frothy floating was a good thing though, because I was far too full to walk.



Good Bite? Or just totally bites?
A: Good bite! Recommend! I bet there is a burrito or sandwich version of the chicken I got- and I think it might just have to come on a lunch date to the park with me sometime soon. Pina Colada Bang- you're not invited.

C: A good bite! Best Lomo Saltado I've ever had & that's saying a lot. Check it out for yourself. Just do like Alissa says & get it to go. Unless you don't mind the zero-atmosphere atmosphere of the dining room.




Info:
W Olive Ave
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 566-9888
Open Mon-Sat 11am-9:30pm; Sun 11am-9pm

**Our reports are based on one visit/meal- so we're far from experts on these joints! so if you have advice or experiences you'd like to share, please feel free to enlighten us & our readers! Our goal is to give enough info that someone might feel okay trying somewhere new (or know to avoid it!). Thanks for reading :)