The struggle is real for us at Girls on Food. My love of dining out and experimenting in the kitchen has been pretty brutal on my wallet. I’ve been trying to curb my spending as much as possible. I recently downloaded a free app from the iTunes store called Moopon. Moopon is a mobile coupon system that alerts you when you’re near their promotions. I recently drove through K-Town and my phone exploded with deals. This is a win for me, cause I love exploring K-town goodies.
The exterior of The Original Ramen Burger.
The Original Ramen Burger
239 S. Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Vermont Ave is packed with some of K-town’s finest Asian restaurants and The Original Ramen Burger fits right in. The infamous burger was voted one of “the 17 Most Influential Burgers of our time” by Time Magazine. Keizo Shimamoto, a ramen-fanatic blogger turned Chef, created this concoction and I feel like he just raised the burger bar tremendously.
*heavy breathing*
Although it’s a food stand, with limited outdoor seating and a not so glamorous view (including a bus stop, a Von’s and a trash can), it has its charm and creates a little bit of a social atmosphere. I can make new friends at a communal table while I wait to pick up my order.
I got a child-like glee when the burger arrived. I was a Top Ramen and Quarter Pounder junkie growing up, this feels like they got married. The patty rests in between arugula, green onion, Shimamoto’s shoyu sauce and the fresh ramen noodle buns. I assume they boil the noddles, then fry them together so they hold. So the bun is soft, and towards the end is fun to eat. The noodles start to come apart at the end, and that is where you can get the traditional ramen “slurp” on. It’s like I’m “Lady and the Tramp”-ing myself and I’m okay with that. The deal I got from Moopon included the Ramen Burger, Miso Garlic fries and a beverage of my choice for only $10. That’s such a great deal for LA! I was so full after this and I even had fries leftover. #yougottatrythis
The laid-back exterior.
Flake
513 Rose Ave
Venice, CA 90291
310-396-2333
I’ve been coming to Flake somewhat regularly ever since I moved to Venice. It’s fast casual dining, with a surfer/hole in the wall feel to it. I always get great service here and they do make a great dirty Chai Latte (chai latte with a shot of espresso, I get almond milk). So, I feel like they deserve some Girls on Food love.
Matty Chai – Sweet and spicy.
Flake has been a breakfast institution for Rose Ave residents since 2007. They get their breakfast sandwiches right. What I really appreciate about this place is that the options fit every kind of customer. If you want to keep it slim and get an acai bowl, you can do so. If you’re dining with kids and all they want are sugary brand name cereals we all know and love, you can do so. If you’re like me and you want to add bacon to anything, you can do so.
SGS – No MSG.
My personal favorite breakfast sandwich is the SGS. It comes with scrambled eggs, bacon, Gouda cheese, their secret sauce (which I could bathe in) on an English Muffin. The secret sauce is a must add for any of their savory sandwiches. Make sure you get some on the side, if your sandwich doesn’t come with it.
Check out the Moopon app here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moopon-social-coupons/id920895743?mt=8
