Out of Country Visitors

Last week, a couple friends I went to college with came for a visit from the Philippines where they currently work. It was great seeing them again after a couple years. I spent a couple days hanging out with them and catching up on old times. Remincing about the "old days" Of course as with any reminiscing of any kind, food is bound to be involved.

The first is Zankou Chicken. This is a family-owned franchise here in SoCal. It's a fast food mediterranean joint that's been around for years. Really popular with the locals. They're mostly known for their shwarmas, rotisserie chicken, kabobs. I ordered the fallafel plate. I love fallafel. The sizes they serves are larger that a golf ball and are so delicious. You can also have it in a wrap. It comes with a side of two type of hummas, pita bread, salad, and pickled radish. As well as their famed garlic dip. Yum!!

This is the famed chicken. Tender juicy perfect in a pita with hummas and their garlic dip. You try this or their kababs you'll want to have seconds. It's that good.

You can't resist that chicken!!!

Their Chicken Kabob plate with a roasted tomato and rice with picked radish and hummas.

Next is a place that I've just found out about. Chick Fil-A. It's not really found around LA, so I was a bit surprised to see it in the valley. The restaurant got some weird advertisements on the walls about chicken. You'll just have to go to one to find out.  We had a simple breakfast there before heading out to our destination.

Their bacon, cheddar, egg biscuits with hash browns.

We had their biscut sandwiches. Biscuits are the buttermilk kind. A bit similar to the one found in KFC. The meal comes with a side of hash brown nuggets and your choice of beverage. The other people in my party ordered the chicken bagel sandwich and the regular chicken breakfast sandwich. It wasn't that bad. I kind of with I had a little more bacon on mine, but that's just me.

Later that very same day we had a late lunch/early dinner at Pampas Grill at the Famed LA Farmer's Market. I love the food stalls there. If I could I'd there there everyday.

It's a neat little stall serving Brazillian food. It's almost like a buffet. You pick with sides you want and then when you to the meat area, just say which one you'd like from their selection. You pay by the weight. (The weight of the plate has already been deducted)

Top clockwise: Fried plantains. Veggie fried rice, a slice of picanha, chicken rodízio (chicken wrapped with bacon), garlic toast and salad with some herbed tomato slices with fresh corn.

I love Brazillian food. I think the picanha is probably one of the best pieces of beef I have ever tasted. I believe it's part of the rump area. Correct me if I'm wrong. Aside from the prime rib and the roasted pig. It's a real toss up. Of course, I saved that slice of picanha for last with my slice of garlic toast. Turned it into a sandwich.

The following night, we went out with a couple of other fellow college mates and went to our old hangout spot. Noodle World. Brings back memories just seeing their faces back in the same room again. We used to come here after a long days shoot and just chill, eat and chat. We ordered some of our favorites. I would have ordered the peking style duck dish, but I still had my leftovers at home.

I I opted for the udon noodle soup. I went for the somewhat "light" meal. Haha... This one consisted of udon noodles in broth, with slices of egg, beef, shitake mushrooms, green onions, and nori. It was just what I needed for a cold night. Soup plus friends equals a really good time.