Restaurant Review #201: Valley's Pizza Land, Van Nuys

Meatball sandwich

I know, I know. You can't believe I would actually eat at a restaurant called Valley's Pizza Land. The name says it all, doesn't it? This is just further evidence for why you only dine on the Westside.

Well, you're partially right. I didn't eat at Pizza Land, I had it delivered. The only reason I considered this place at all is because delivery options in some parts of the Valley are pretty scant, so when a restaurant menu shows up on your doorstep that isn't for pizza or Chinese food, it's a pretty exciting day.

But Pizza Land is a pizza place, you say. Well, that's only sort of true. You see, Pizza Land is also a Middle Eastern restaurant in disguise.


Beef kebab plate

We ordered a variety of dishes out of morbid curiosity. Was there any chance that a pizza place could actually make decent kebabs and grape leaves? The answer seems to be no.

I started with the beef kebab plate, which comes with lavash (the interracial love child of a tortilla and some pita bread), hummus, rice or french fries, roasted vegetables, and a little cucumber/tomato salad. The charred green pepper gave this dish a wonderful aroma--that is, until I actually got the beef pieces close to my nose. They had the aroma of something I might feed my cats if I were seeking revenge for the latest overturning of the bathroom trash can. I just couldn't bring myself to eat more than two bites of this mysterious meat that had the texture of beef, but smelled more like rotting chicken. I feared food poisoning, but it never surfaced. The french fries were hopelessly soggy, so I saved them as leftovers for future revival in my toaster oven. I decided to make a meal out of wrapping lavash around pieces of red onion, cucumber, and tomato and dipping them into the somewhat watery but otherwise hummus. At least the bread was warm and soft. The entire dish was only $8, so I can't really say that I feel ripped off. It's more that, had the meat actually been good, I would have found a killer deal. Oh, and if you're wondering why I ordered french fries when I could have had rice, which travels much better, it was the morbid curiosity getting to me again.


Eggplant parmesan with spinach linguine

In contrast to the beef kebabs, the eggplant parmesan was delicious. Eggplant is easy to screw up--I've done it many times myself. I've also eaten many frozen eggplant dishes from Whole Foods where the eggplant is hopelessly undercooked. Pizza Land's eggplant was cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection. I would definitely order this dish again. It's also only $8 and, for me, enough food for two to three meals.


Dolmas

I really like dolmas when they're done well, but most of my experiences with these rice and meat-stuffed grape leaves have been ill-fated. Pizza Land makes the worst grape leaves I've ever encountered. By the time they arrived at my door, they were both soggy and hard at the same time, the rice undercooked, the leaves overcooked to a putrid green-yellow, and the beef the same rank-smelling concoction that was used for my kebabs. This dish made me feel like I'd really like my $6 back. Maybe if I steam them and pour tomato sauce on top, I can make them palatable. I hate wasting food.


Deep fried ravioli

We ordered the deep fried ravioli expecting toasted ravioli--a fantastic dish rarely seen outside of St. Louis, but given the oddities of the rest of the menu, it seemed plausible that this dish had made it to a Valley pizzeria/kebab hut. But no, they actually took pieces of ravioli and deep-fried them, resulting in a dish with a bizarrely leathery appearance and a pasta shell that gave a new meaning to "al dente."

The "homemade meatball" sandwich was a riot. It actually tasted quite good, but the "meatballs" were not ball-shaped at all and looked a little like spam and it could have used more filling to balance out all the bread. The sandwich was also $8 and came with fries.

In addition to the bizarre assortment of dishes you've read about in this review, Pizza Land also serves fish and chips, "deep fried creamy jalapeno," baby back ribs, and "sea fairer delight" (fish and shrimp). Oh, and pizza.

Despite the oddities and horribly inconsistent food, I actually plan to order from Pizza Land again. Next time I'm going to be a little more adventurous and try a khachapure, a dish made of bread filled with egg, cheese, and sometimes other fillings. It has about a 50% chance of being good, but I've never had this dish before, so at least it will be an adventure. I'll also re-order the eggplant and venture into some other dishes. Maybe I'll even try the pizza.

Because how can you not love a place this weird?

Valley's Pizza Land
4837 Laurel Canyon Blvd.
Valley Village, CA 91607
M-Th, 11-11
Fri. and Sat., 11-midnight
Sun. 11-10
Free delivery ($8 minimum)
Also located in Burbank, Sherman Oaks, and North Hollywood

Restaurant Review #191: Rincon Salvadoreno, Van Nuys

Pupusas topped with curtido

After eating at a few hundred restaurants, almost 200 of which I've taken the time to write about, I've learned that there are no undiscovered restaurants out there, particularly in a city as large and thoroughly combed as Los Angeles. So why did I decide to get my birthday dinner from the dirty, dingy, hole-in-the-wall that is Rincon Salvadoreno when there were zero customers inside? I guess hoping I'll manage to discover a restaurant others haven't gives me some kind of foodie high.

Despite the name, Rincon Salvadoreno has mostly Mexican-sounding dishes on its menu. I was there for the pupusas though, which were advertised in the window as being $1 on Mondays. In fact, the woman who appeared to be the restaurant's sole employee, a crotchety old glad-you're-not-my-grandmother type, also informed me of this special. Yet, when the bill came, we were charged--well, I can't even figure out how two horchatas and six $1 pupusas comes out to $16, but I figured she needed the money more than I did so I didn't bother to argue. Despite the fact that I speak fluent Spanish, we had major communication problems the whole time I was there.

"What flavors of pupusas do you have?"
"Meat and cheese."
"What kind of meat?"
"Meat and cheese."
"Are there different flavors?"
"Meat and cheese."

After this exchange, I just ordered six pupusas and two horchatas to go and hoped for the best.

Despite the major communication issues, hostile service, terribly dreary space and menus that I was loathe to touch, the pupusas (which contained shredded pork and cheese) were freshly made and the best I've had yet--not too salty, not too greasy, not too doughy. So I guess in some ways, I did find a gem, but I'm unwilling to deal with so many unpleasantries when there are plenty of other places to get pupusas in the area.

Rincon Salvadoreno appears to be a chain with additional locations in North Hollywood and Sun Valley--I wonder if they're any better?


Rincon Salvadoreno
14338 Victory Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Map

Restaurant Review #189: Java Groove Coffee, Van Nuys

Grilled chicken panini

Java Groove is a relatively new coffee shop and cafe in Van Nuys about a four block walk from the Van Nuys Courthouse. Despite its warm wood floors and deep orange walls, it maintains some of the sleek sterility of a corporate coffee shop while seemingly aiming for something a bit more personal (it is family-owned, after all). When I visited on a Saturday morning, they had a live saxaphone player--live in the way that the saxaphone players on the Third Street Promenade are live, with shrill notes played against a back up tape. Java Groove is small, with seven, two-person indoor tables and a few outdoor tables. They are one of the only places in the area with free Wi-Fi.

Java Groove is about a year old and inhabits a sleek, relatively new pedestrian-friendly shopping center on Victory just east of Van Nuys Blvd. It is one of several new sandwich shops that have popped up in the area, presumably to serve the nearby Van Nuys Courthouse's lunch crowd, who are (so the festering of sandwich shops would have me believe) not interested in trying one of the many nearby taco shops or pupuserias. Java Groove's neighbor, formerly the Mexican restaurant El Pedregal, is now also a sandwich shop called The Patio Grill. Then there's the Subway at Erwin and Van Nuys, the Quizno's across the street from the Subway, and the sandwich and smoothie shop opening at the corner of Friar and Van Nuys where the never-open Zairov Chicken used to reside. Java Groove was dead on a Saturday at lunch and isn't even open on Sundays, further proof that it doesn't exactly cater to the neighborhood (can you imagine a Westside coffee shop dead on a Saturday?).

I must admit that I did not try the coffee (in fact, it did not even occur to me to try the coffee, so hungry was I). What I did try was a grilled chicken panini. It took longer than I expected for the sandwich to be made, but that's because it was made to order, so I really cn't complain. The freshness and high quality ingredients made all the difference for this flavorful sandwich with juicy chicken and perfectly melted cheese. The true test that no sandwich shop ever passes is the tomato test--everyone puts their tomatoes in the fridge and turns them into tasteless, mealy, dessicated disks. Well, Java Groove's tomatoes were none of these. Quality tomatoes at a random coffee shop--who would have guessed? The sandwich ingredients are slippery, so leave the toothpick in while you eat it.

I also ordered a chocolate smoothie. Chocolate smoothie, you ask? Yes. For some reason, Java Groove does not (or at least not on my visit) make chocolate milkshakes, only chocolate smoothies. They do, however, make mango milkshakes. But not mango smoothies. And milkshakes only come in one size, but smoothies come in three. Are you confused yet?

If you're spending the day serving jury duty at the Van Nuys Courthouse, Java Groove seems to be one of the best options in the area for an inexpensive lunch (or, ahem, "cigarette" break) that you can walk to. If you're looking for something with a more authentic Van Nuys flavor, you might try El Traipiche Pupuseria on Sylvan (on the opposite side of Van Nuys Blvd. from the courthouse) or Taqueria Emanuel. Most people will not enjoy Rincon Salvadoreno for the dingy atmosphere and lousy service, but their pupusas are awfully good. If you have enough time to jump in the car, I recommend Mi Casita Salvadorena, Zankou Chicken, or a short drive to Sherman Way in North Hollywood where you'll find the delectable Krua Thai. If you need some fuel before the day begins, don't miss the crullers at Donuts and Delites.

Java Groove also offers catering services and rental of their coffee shop for private events and meetings.

Java Groove Coffee
14310 Victory Blvd
Van Nuys, CA 91401
(818) 785-6593
Java Groove Website

Parking lot in rear

Restaurant Review #187: Golden Crown Wok Palace, Sherman Oaks

Kung pao chicken

Ignore what I've said in the past--Golden Crown is my new favorite restaurant for Chinese delivery in the Valley. Their sauces are flavorful, their meat is cooked correctly, and the food always arrives quickly and piping hot.

I don't know when I will ever find kung pao chicken that lives up to my memories of the stuff I ate as a child (quality chicken, plenty of sauce that was neither too thick nor too thin, and pleasantly spicy), but Golden Crown's is a close second. The sauce is not very spicy, but it is flavorful, and there aren't a lot of obnoxious veggies standing between me and my chicken and peanuts. Yum.


Sweet and pungent chicken

Sweet and pungent chicken is candied meat at its best, if you're into that sort of thing. Most of the time, Golden Crown's version is cooked to perfection, which is more than I can say of most other Chinese restaurants in the area. If you've ever had overcooked fried meat, you know how tough and chewy it can be. If you've never had pungent chicken, it's similar to orange chicken, but a bit sweeter and a bit more sour (hence the "pungent" part of the name).


Cashew chicken

Overall, what sets Golden Crown apart from the other Chinese restaurants I've tried is that each dish has a generous amount of very flavorful sauce and they use high quality chicken cut into easy-to-eat, bite-sized pieces. Almost all of the chicken dishes are excellent (with the exception of the fatty sesame chicken), though I generally order the same trio you see here over and over. Also, their rice is always soft and fluffy while still maintaining a bit of bite. I can't really comment on the beef dishes--I didn't like the kung pao beef, but I never like the beef dishes at Chinese restaurants because I always think the meat tastes fishy.

Ordering from Golden Crown is always easy and efficient since they store your address in their system, and the food always comes quickly and on time.

Golden Crown Wok Palace
4722 Woodman Ave.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
818.784.8287
Free delivery within three miles
Over three miles add $2.00
$10.00 delivery minimum
Mon - Thur. 10am - 9:30pm
Fri. 11am - 10pm
Sat. & Sun. 11:30am - 10pm
Entrees $8 -$13

Restaurant Review #180: Hong Kong 88, Van Nuys

Kung pao chicken

I initially dismissed Hong Kong 88 since they serve sushi in addition to Chinese food and are willing to deliver sushi. That seemed to me like an glaring sign of a restaurant that didn't case about the quality of its food. Multiple recommendations on Chowhound's boards, however, convinced me to give them a shot.


Orange chicken

It's a good thing I listened, because Hong Kong 88 serves the best Chinese food in the area when compared to others I've tried: Joie Luck Kitchen, Bamboo Village, and Bamboo Cuisine. They use large pieces of high quality chicken, flavorful sauces, and vented plastic containers that keep fried items crispy and allow presentation and delivery to coexist.


Mongolian beef

Minced garlic adds kick to their orange chicken, and fresh bell peppers balance out an otherwise very meaty kung pao chicken. While the kung pao could use more heat, the thick hot and sour soup left me panting happily for a glass of milk. The beef didn't fare as well, since the meat was fatty.

Any place that can deliver steaming hot, mostly delicious food in 20 minutes on a Friday night will be getting a lot more business from me in the future.

Hong Kong 88
5658 Sepulveda Blvd. #101
Van Nuys, CA
818.997.7118
Hong Kong 88 Menu

Free delivery within four miles and with $15 minimum order

Restaurant Review #178: Mi Ranchito Salvadoreno, Van Nuys

Pan con pavo

Mi Ranchito Salvadoreno is one of those restaurants where if you walk through the door, they'll assume you speak Spanish even if you look like a flaming gringo (I love Van Nuys). A jukebox blares an array of tunes (all in Spanish) and two small televisions play the Latino equivalent of MTV (and the volume isn't turned down, which can create cacophony with the jukebox if you're sitting near a TV). The restaurant is small with lots of booths and a few well-spaced tables. Colorful paint and plentiful beer signage are the main decorations. Even though the music is painfully loud and the decor is almost garish, the overall effect is festive and cheery. We had plenty of time to soak it all in since we ordered takeout and our food took forever.

Sometimes the problem with making a sandwich that you don't have to eat is that, in an attempt to be generous, you overload the sandwich to the point where it cannot actually be eaten as a sandwich. I used to work for a sandwich shop, so I would know. I ordered the pan con pavo, a Salvadoran turkey sandwich, since Evan Kleiman raved about them once on Good Food. I didn't see what the big deal was: the sandwich consisted of fatty turkey (gross), mayonnaise-soaked lettuce, mealy tomatoes, radishes, carrots, and slightly pickled bell peppers. The bread was soggy from all the mayo, and the sandwich was enormous, so I picked at it with a fork for a while then ended up tossing most of it.


Deep fried sweet corn tamale

One strike against the restaurant was that they got my tamale order wrong. I ordered sweet corn tamales with crema, not deep fried sweet corn tamales with no crema. It was interesting to try the deep fried tamales, which were a novelty to me, but with no crema they were really too dry. They also weren't very sweet.



The marinated sirloin steak ($9.95) was passable but not excellent. It wasn't very tender and was a bit overcooked. There was some fatty bits, but less than you'll usually get when you order a restaurant steak that isn't an expensive cut. The meat was on the dry side (probably due to overcooking) and tasted better with some hot sauce added at home.

We ordered four pupusas: queso, calabaza, mexicana, and chicharrones. I was a little put off by the pupusas because they were incredibly greasy and because I think they either gave is the wrong pupusa instead of the calabaza or didn't describe it accurately on the menu. I was expecting pureed pumpkin or squash, and I got cheese with what appeared to be very mild peppers. Hmm. Maybe they meant to write "flor de calabaza" (squash blossoms) on the menu? The mexicana consisted of cheese and fantastically spicy peppers, the queso was nondescript, and the chicharrones, described on the menu as deep fried pork, was stuffed with deliciously moist shredded pork. To me, pupusas on their own are a little too salty and one dimensional, but add curtido (imagine a mayo-free lovechild of American coleslaw and Korean kimchee) and you've got one tasty treat where soft, warm, salty and gooey meet cold, sweet, spicy and crunchy.


Carne asada tacos

The interesting thing about these tacos is that they come in thick, pupusa-like tortillas. However, they're on the expensive side for tacos ($2.50 each) and on the dry and not-so-spicy side for carne asada. Also, there wasn't any salsa for the tacos and the onion chunks were too big (raw onion gets overpowering fast). Argh.

The horchata wasn't what I expected--instead of being white, it was brown, and had a sort of nutty, toasty, bitter flavor. I enjoyed it, but I still prefer Mexican horchata.

I might have been able to forgive an imperfect order if I didn't speak fluent Spanish and hadn't written down my entire order. The combination of an incredibly long wait time for our food, not getting everything right, forgetting our horchatas, and subpar food didn't exactly impress me. I won't be going back.

Mi Ranchito Salvadoreno
14523 Vanowen
Van Nuys, CA
818-994-4562
Delivery available



Tags: Los Angeles Van Nuys Salvadoran Food