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    The Kitchen for Exploring Foods

    4.5 (82 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Services - The Kitchen for Exploring Foods

    Catering

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    Umbrella I was dining under on the sidewalk.
    Antho L.

    The food here is excellent! I come by every so often because it's down the street from my office and they have a great lunch combo where you can select one of their gourmet sandwiches, a sodas and a dessert for $8. I had a late lunch the other day so they were limited on the sandwiches but had a the chicken Caesar salad wrap available. For dessert I opted for one of their superb brownies! My sandwich was delicious and when I ate the brownie later, that rocked too! The guy serving me was cool enough to set up a table and chair outside for me to dine when I asked about it and brought out his cool looking umbrella to shade me from the intense rays of Pasadena http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/r4R-Sgqy2FD9bHZXgEYp3g?select=Gl4ylovPg3tkE0eUKbfSug The variety of entrees available will make you come back again and again. It's a great place for a lunch or to cater an event. If you're in the area, make sure you stop in. You'll definitely become a fan of this place!

    Jackie C.

    Delicious! We spotted this place while we were driving by and decided to stop in for lunch. So yummy! The chicken enchiladas were like mom used to make. The K-bbq sandwich was also delicious.

    Best. Almond Tart. Ever.
    Rhea B.

    I'm just reviewing the desserts, which are decadent. Today, I had an almond tart topped with candied orange rind. Rich and moist with marzipan inside. Very satisfying with just the right amount of sweetness. All for $3.50. I didn't know about this place until I walked by after having a rather virtuous lunch at The Little Flower Candy Company two doors down. A welcome find.

    dining with wife at dinner party
    Gary C.

    I am posting this review as someone who dined on their excellent offerings this past Friday. So the picture may not be complete as I didn't have a chance to deal with the aspects of ordering and customer service. As far as my wife and I are concerned, this is as good as it's going to get with regard to the quality of catered food. I had the good fortune of enjoying this establishment's food twice (our office ordered from them last year at the same time for the annual holiday party). The appetizer menu (hors d'oeuvres circulated by servers) included short rib sliders, beef tartar, and sashimi ahi tuna. The main course menu included a arugula salad with light dresing, various grilled vegetables in olive oil (some tubers, peppers, squashes), seared salmon, pot roasted short rib, and dinner rolls. Everything was impressive. We could not resist going for multiple rounds on the sashimi hors d'oeuvres. The proteins on the main course were top notch with beef that literally falls apart on your fork tender. It's impressive how the beef could be cooked so tender and not be pink. The salmon with a wine sauce was perfect as well. Vegetables were excellent with no annoying signs of excessive grilling marks. I am already looking forward to next year (if we order again!).

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    7 years ago

    Their pecan bars are AMAZING. Expensive, but in my opinion worth every penny.

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    The best turkey sandwich and also avocado sandwich I've ever had in my life. Amazing desserts too. And all homemade, fresh food.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - The Kitchen for Exploring Foods

    Review Highlights - The Kitchen for Exploring Foods

    They are really known for their catering(which is also A+) but little do people know that they have a store front counter.

    Mentioned in 10 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Fugetsu-Do

    Fugetsu-Do

    4.6
    (1.6k reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    What an amazing shop! Was on vacation in LA for a concert and had some extra time for sightseeing…read moreand scoping out awesome food stops, so we knew Fugetsu-Do had to be on the list. The shop has been open for 103 years and is certainly impressive! We got there about 10 minutes before open and were the first ones in line. The mochi was fresh, they had a huge selection, and at a good price. They also have tons of other snacks and the staff was so nice and friendly. By the time we left, there was already about a dozen people in line behind us, so definitely recommend to get there early. Ultimately, I went with a six piece with two red bean mochi, two blueberry mochi, and two strawberry mochi. All of them were very delicious, the mochi was perfectly chewy, and a good amount of filling. We will definitely be back if we're in the area!

    This place has been around since 1903! So amazing. The oldest Japanese-American business in the…read morecountry. I love stopping in when I'm in town and it's a great place to take out of towners if they like mochi and sweet treats. I got a pack of 8 today and it came in around $17. It's fun to try different flavors! The guy behind the counter was unfortunately not the friendliest, he seemed a little impatient by us asking what the flavor of each mochi was. Not our fault for wanting to know and descriptions of each not being displayed! Anyways, the mochi is soooo soft and fresh. You have to make sure to eat them relatively soon after buying them because after several days, they start to go bad. I personally like the ones with red bean in them.

    Photos
    Chocolate mochi
    Chocolate mochi
    Pretty mochi
    Pretty mochi
    Fugetsu-Do

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    Pine & Crane DTLA

    Pine & Crane DTLA

    4.5
    (1k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    This is the 3rd time I've been here and each time I love it more. Their flavors are well balanced…read moreand if you need more salt or spice you can add that with the side sauces. The popcorn chicken and Sha Gua Mian & Side Braised Beef Shank has been one of my favorites. I think everything I've had is a must try. The space is very cute and minimal with adorable light fixtures. The acoustics are decent, but sometimes hard to hear the person across from you. The people are so kind and helpful.

    A great spot near the Crypto.com arena!…read more Despite the line, we put in our orders at the counter and got a table fairly quickly. We shared the dan dan noodles, the 3 cup Jidori chicken, pan-fried pork buns, and cucumber salad. I also got the soy milk, which I believe is made in-house. The food came pretty quickly and arrived before our drinks, in fact. The cucumber salad was fresh, and the cucumbers had a nice crunch. I liked the flavor of the chicken, but I thought it a bit on the dry side. The dan dan noodles and pork buns were excellent, however. The noodles were flavorful and had an enjoyable chew. The pork buns were tasty as well and filled with juicy meat. I also really liked the soy milk. It wasn't too sweet, and it had a nice thickness. The staff was friendly. The restaurant is a casual spot with a self-serve water station.

    Photos
    Interior of Pine and Crane
    Interior of Pine and Crane
    Popcorn chicken!
    Popcorn chicken!
    Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken 鹽酥雞

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    Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken 鹽酥雞
    Valeria's Groceries

    Valeria's Groceries

    4.6
    (14 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $

    Valeria's is AWESOME! I was coming to Chile Secos, but it was closed during the Covid-19 slump…read more Valeria's had even more choices of mole pastes, and they were priced lower. I got 7 lbs of different mole pastes for $6 each. Outstanding! They also have beans, dried chiles, rice, spices and some limited groceries. Friendly staff too! Last night, I fixed a pound of Mole con Ajonjoly Telolopan with a quart of chicken broth and some fresh blue corn tortillas to make enmoladas. Incredibly flavorful - a smidge spicy for my family, but I loved the deep flavor with some heat.

    I don't do much cooking, but my friends Michael K. and Gino G. do. I accompanied Mike on a grocery…read moretrip to Grand Central Market when he was home for Thanksgiving. Gino had sent him with a shopping list of Mexican ingredients that are hard to find in Seattle, and Mike found most of them right here, at Valeria's Groceries. Valeria's is a vendor in the thick of the market, where you can buy spices, chilis, beans, moles, and a whole lot more, at what struck me as very reasonable prices. Most of the products were displayed in big bulk cases, clearly labeled for easy browsing. The man working the grocery was friendly, helpful, and efficient. He got Mike what he needed and bagged it up for him right away. I love Mexican food and fantasize about making moles at home now and then, but like, my lunch today was a soup that came out of a pantry bag and a frozen Tupperware of brown rice that my mom gave me in early 2018. If I ever get motivated, though, I know I can find what I need at Valeria's.

    Photos
    Lots of dried peppers  07-08-2023
    Lots of dried peppers 07-08-2023
    Valeria's Groceries at Grand Central Market in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024.
    Valeria's Groceries at Grand Central Market in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024.
    Dried Ghost Peppers  10-16-2022

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    Dried Ghost Peppers 10-16-2022
    Bottega Louie

    Bottega Louie

    4.1
    (19.6k reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    We had an amazing experience at Bottega Louie! Our waiter, Theron H., was absolutely outstanding,…read morefriendly, attentive, and genuinely caring throughout our visit. He took the time to explain the menu in detail since it was our first time dining here, which made us feel very welcome and comfortable. The service was exceptional from start to finish, and the food was delicious. Employees like Theron are a huge part of what makes customers want to return. Bottega Louie is lucky to have him on their team. He truly deserves a raise, for the level of service he provides. Thank you for making our first visit so special. We will definitely be coming back!

    came for brunch on a saturday w/ a reservation and was seated right away…read more our server was great, super kind and helpful. he gave us a fresh piece of bread that was still warm and butter which was a nice surprise! the le pancake is a super fluffy souffle pancake w/ a sweet strawberry syrup and a chantilly cream that was light and fluffy. the croque madame was a delicious savory brunch item. the room was on the dimmer side and i think could have used a little bit more lighting. the interior decor feels elevated yet simple and the desserts are a beautiful display. i came wanting to try the desserts but decided not to b/c of how expensive it is. until someone tells me its the best thing they've had, i'll hold off on boutega louie desserts for now

    Photos
    Bottega Louie Pepperoni Pizza
    Bottega Louie Pepperoni Pizza
    Bottega Louie Macarons
    Bottega Louie Macarons
    Bottega Louie Branzino

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    Bottega Louie Branzino
    Dahlia

    Dahlia

    4.6
    (24 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Excellent food and experience! The staff was super nice and we felt like it was a true hidden gem…read more They knew it was my friend's birthday so made a special effort to wish her a happy birthday and include a candle on top of one of the pastries. The food is really good and the tea choices are excellent. The mocktail was a nice add to help refresh ourselves on a hot day. Overall a nice place to celebrate any special occasion or gather with friends. The parking lot next to the hotel is super easy to park at. All day parking around $10, self park.

    The DTLA Proper Hotel is beautifully designed by Kelly Wearstler, a former athletic faciliity…read more Although I've done several staycations here, tea at Dahlia remained on my bucket list of experiences, since it's only offered on weekends. I finally was able to check it off, thanks to a hotel offer with a dining credit. Dahlia is the gorgeous petite space behind the larger ground floor restaurant space now called Cabrillo (formerly Caldo Verde). Dahlia opened as a bespoke cocktail lounge, then began to offer tea. Now it's just tea. There are five 2-tops and two 4-top tables. All food and beverage venues at the Proper used to be under the auspices of famed chef Suzanne Goin and her business partner/sommelier Caroline Styne. They are no longer affiliated with the Proper, but many of their dishes/contributions remain. The last named vestige of them is on the tea menu, "Suzanne's Deviled-Egg Sandwich". The tea menu has several options: Classic, with a seasonal mocktail, or with different champagnes. I opted for the Classic experience, because the mocktail had mocha, not my fave. Server Lluvia was clearly a Dahlia veteran; she offered a tea-smelling of all the teas that interested me as well as crowd favourites. I ultimately chose one of these faves, Mad Hatter's Tea Party, which had passionfruit and vanilla. I declined milk/cream, but did get lemon. There were rock sugar sticks on the table. It seems the selection of tea sandwiches and sweet treats changes every so often, although the vanilla bean scone, dried currant scone, Devonshire cream and apricot orange jam seem like constants. The sandwich selection at my visit were: cucumber, crab/creme fraiche, beet hummus on pita, smoked salmon and Suzanne's deviled egg. All were delish, the beet, crab and deviled egg especially. The sweet treats were: orange fig butter cookie, spiced apple brown butter crumble, cranberry frangipane hand pie, chocolate mocha macaron, pumpkin madeleine, plus the 2 scones. All were excellent. There were no leftovers. A bit pricey, but a relaxing and lovely experience. The room was not crowded when I visited, adding to the calmness of my visit.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Desserts - strawberry red bean tart/cone, mandarin white jasmine jelly, taro sesame ball, pandan layer cake
    Desserts - strawberry red bean tart/cone, mandarin white jasmine jelly, taro sesame ball, pandan layer cake
    Tea sandwiches (vegan)

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    Tea sandwiches (vegan)
    Henrietta

    Henrietta

    4.7
    (51 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    We absolutely loved celebrating my friends birthday here. The restaurant is so quaint and you feel…read moreyou're in your families home. The service was exceptional. Our server Abby was friendly and helpful but not over the top- just right. The owner was lovely and brought the food to us . We had the baguette with butter (amazing), the ricotta dumplings (star of the show), lettuce salad (best I've ever had), asparagus, and the short rib pasta which we didn't care for. But overall everything was delicious and wonderful!

    We ordered the snap peas & avocado salad ($21), beef tartare toast ($24), ricotta dumplings ($32),…read moreand half chicken ($37). The salad was way too overpriced for the portion size and there wasn't anything special about it. Maybe other than the snap peas were slightly charred? The beef tartare was okay. I think if the toast was not as thick, the flavor would be more balanced. The char on the toast was the main flavor. The ricotta dumplings were the best thing we ate that night, mostly because of the broth. It was equally light and full bodied, I could've had an entire bowl of the broth to myself! The ricotta dumplings were good but definitely needed the broth to complete it. Otherwise, it was just okay on its own. The dish comes with two dumplings. The half chicken was good. The charr on the chicken was perfect. The chicken breast was on the dry side though. The salad was more on the bitter side and it lingered. I liked that the bread was mixed in the salad and soaked up the chicken juice. I think there is room for improvement in terms of the food quality. The pricing definitely doesn't make sense. Half a chicken was only $5 more than the ricotta dumplings?? Idk. $21 for 5 endive leaves, snap peas, maybe a quarter of an avocado... the most overpriced item on the menu for sure.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Chicken
    Chicken
    Henrietta

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    The Kitchen for Exploring Foods - catering - Updated June 2026

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