Bulan

This is the Bulan on Santa Monica in Silverlake, although they do have a location on Melrose. Serving vegetarian and vegan thai food, Bulan actually manages to offer a fairly accurate version of genuine Thai food.

Visits: 3

Andrew Says: I had eaten once at their Melrose location and been underwhelmed, however the Santa Monica spot has been very impressive. On my first visit I had the Pad Thai with 'chicken', which was quite tasty. The food presentation is very clean and precise, and it comes out so quickly that you'd swear the cook was psychic. I gambled on my second visit and tried the Prig Khing Fried Rice, which is fried rice with chili paste, basil, green beans, and 'pepper steak'. While the pepper steak was a tad rubbery, this dish was delicious. The perfect combination of spicy chili and smooth basil, I cleaned my plate and was tempted to order another to take home (but this time with 'chicken'). For dessert we had Banana rolls with coconut ice cream. The ice cream was great, with real chunks of meaty coconut, but the banana rolls were still frozen in the center, which was a letdown.

OVERALL: 4/5

VEG FRIENDLY: Extremely so. Everything is vegetarian, and (almost) anything can be made vegan.

DOG FRIENDLY: There is a bowl of water outside on the patio.

COST: Dinner for two with tea and dessert, $35

Cafe Tropical

Cafe Tropical is located at 2900 W. Sunset blvd, where Sunset hits Silverlake blvd. It's on a busy corner, and while it doesn't stand out among all the other restaurants packed around it, it would be a mistake to pass it by. Specializing in inexpensive Cuban food and pastries, served up with strong espresso, Cafe Tropical is an oasis on an overpriced strip. The air inside is hot and humid, and the small patio area seems to leave you sun-baked regardless of the time of day, but if anything that just adds to the ambiance.

Visits: 10+

Andrew Says: Friday nights the Silverlake Lounge has an open mic comedy night, and by chance I stumbled into Cafe Tropical to use their ATM machine. I've stumbled back in nearly every Friday since. I always get the egg and cheese sandwich, and I've never thought of trying anything else. Served on buttery, grilled Cuban bread, they top the egg with a processed white cheese, which makes the sandwich perfect. Toss on some hot sauce, chase it down with an Americano with cinnamon, it's the perfect start to any evening.
I've also tried the guava and cheese pie, which is an ultra-rich combination of flaky pasty, sweet guava paste and the aforementioned white 'cheeze'. It's tasty but doesn't replace the egg sandwich. The only drawback to Cafe Tropical is that when it's busy, it's crazy. You might not get exactly what you ordered, and the generally friendly staff will be too busy to help you out.

Natalie Says: Café Tropical’s egg sandwiches are so simple that I really should be making them at home to save a buck or two. But there’s something about standing in line and yelling your order to someone who still gets it wrong, sitting on hard metal chairs while sipping espresso con leche in the broiling heat of the mid-morning sun, and listening to the clapping of the AA meeting that shares a wall with that cafe that I enjoy. I really do. One reviewer said that Café Tropical might initially feel like a pseudo-Cuban hipster hobble, with posters of Che Guevara on the walls and the clientèle smoking hand-rolled cigarettes with perfectly disheveled hair and immaculately weathered leather boots; however, once you bite into the guava-cheese pie or burn your mouth on the hot melted cheese of your egg sandwich, it’s worth all the identity issues that surface when you first walk in.

Today we sit outside because we have Peaches with us. After changing tables three times so that we can find a spot of shade for her to lie in, we squint against the heat of the sun and squirt the ubiquitous Hot Sauce (available on every table inside) onto our egg. We then stuff the sandwiches into our faces so that we can get out of the heat as quickly as possible. Because today is Sunday, the café is packed. While Andrew waits outside with Peaches (and chats with a woman who pushes her little dog around in a baby stroller) I stand in line, which, although it is long, goes pretty quickly. “What would you like?” asks the woman scooping pastries into paper bags.
“Two egg and cheese sandwiches on bread, one with tomato.”
“One egg and cheese sandwich. What else?”
“Two egg and cheese sandwiches on bread,” you have to specify on bread or else they’ll put them on croissants, “and one espresso con leche and one espresso with water.”
“So you just want one coffee?”
“No, one espresso con leche and one shot of espresso with hot water.”
I listen as she shouts out the incorrect order in Spanish, “Dos sandwiches de huevo y queso.” No tomato. “Y dos cafes con leche.”
There is no time to argue. Our shots of espresso are already being pulled and the milk is already being poured into both cups. The man at the register rings me up and smiles; he’s always friendly no matter how busy or slow the café is. I usually come on Friday nights while Andrew does comedy at the Silverlake Lounge next door. I bring my reading for class and eat a sandwich or a pastry because sometimes I would rather stick needles in my eyes than watch an open-mic comedy night. Not that Café Tropical is equivalent to needles in the eyes. Quite the contrary. It’s a good place to go for an affordable sandwich on fresh bread (baguettes), tasty desserts, and good coffee. I suggest coming on a weekday to avoid the crowd and its concomitant chaos, though if you’re flexible and interested in seeing how L.A.’s bourgeois proletariat spends its Sunday mornings, then put on your leather boots and head to Sunset and Silverlake.

OVERALL: 4/5

VEG FRIENDLY: Vegetarians can enjoy the egg sandwich, or the Cuban veggie sandwich, but vegans will likely want to steer clear.

DOG FRIENDLY: They do have four bowls of water set out on the sidewalk, but they were good and hot.

COST: Breakfast for two with coffees, $13.00

Figaro Bistrot

Figaro Bistrot is a charming little French bistro/bakery located on the bustling 'hip strip' of Los Feliz. Boasting both a well-appointed bar and a very tempting pastry case, Figaro seems to have all your options covered from morning to midnight.

Visits: 1

Andrew Says: We had brunch on a whim, and it was amazing! The first nice surprise was that it wasn't any more expensive than the neighboring restaurants. The second surprise was that the very snazzily dressed staff weren't snobby at all. They were very efficient and courteous from start to finish. We shared an omelette with brie, avocado and mushrooms and some strawberry crepes. The omelette was good, but not great. I think avocado needs a stronger cheese, like swiss, to be appreciated. The omelette shared a plate with roasted potatoes and a tiny salad. If the plate had been simply full of the potatoes I would have been happy. They were cooked to perfection, rubbed with rosemary and full of deep, earthy flavor. Actually they were probably cooked in bacon.
The strawberry crepes were truly great. The crepes were light and airy, and filled with a delicious custard. Topped with both fresh strawberries and a drizzled berry sauce, the plate was completed with an overgenerous helping of homemade whipped cream. Although it looked like something you'd eat for desert, it really wasn't overly sweet. I already want to go back!

OVERALL: 4/5

VEG FRIENDLY: Vegetarians will find plenty of egg and cheese delights, but vegans will be out of luck. Apparently the French hate vegans.

DOG FRIENDLY: Peaches received her water bowl when we did, and the waiter even scratched her head a few times.

COST: Brunch for two with coffee and tea (and a package of madelines to take home): $33

About Us

We are Natalie and Andrew age 29 and 31, who really like to go out to eat, even though we can't really afford it. We live near Sunset Junction in Los Angeles (for those who are unfamiliar with LA, this is near where Silverlake, Hollywood, and Los Feliz converge to form an oasis of hipster dining and drinking options). Natalie is a graduate student and Andrew is a stand-up comedian; we have pretty different tastes in food, but we both agree that spending most of our income--and then some--on eating out is a valid way to participate in this exciting recession.

Natalie eats mostly vegetarian, and her tastes are as varied as they come. She especially enjoys authentic Thai and Indian cuisine (both north and south). The only food she truly hates is papaya.

Andrew always eats vegetarian, and is a fairly picky eater, in addition to being allergic to onions and peppers. In contrast to Natalie's exotic tastes, he would be happy with a lukewarm bowl of macaroni and cheese, if that's all that was available.

Our dog, Peaches, will accompany us on as many dining adventures as she can, and we will let you know how dog-friendly each establishment is. Peaches is the least picky eater among us; she's equally content with crispy road corpse and fresh raw veggies.

Together we hope to offer you a unique viewpoint on L.A's dining scene. Join us as we describe, review, and price LA's tastiest (and most repulsive, perhaps) eating options.

Things to know:
When we list the price for a meal, it will include a 20% tip unless otherwise noted. We know everyone who reads this understands the importance of a nice tip, so we wanted to include it in our price estimations.

The rating system:
5/5=Unbelievable. Quit reading this blog and go eat! An instant favorite.
4/5=Great. Worth the trip. A place we plan on returning to frequently.
3/5=Good. You won't regret the trip, but it doesn't really stand out.
2/5=Meh. Below par in one or more respects. Better off staying home and cooking.
1/5=Horrible. Something has gone truly wrong here. The kiss of death.