Top Pan Asian Restaurant in Marina Del Rey
PHO MdR Noodle Culture
2928 Washington Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, United States
I really wanted to like this new local restaurant. My family spent roughly $150 to try a few things here tonight. Expensive is fine if the food is good (rent is high around here, I get it), but the Banh Mi was perhaps the worst I've ever had. I've spent two weeks in Vietnam and while I'm no specific expert I've had 100+ Banh Mi in my life and I can confirm this was the worst one I've had. Bad bread selection, bad meat selection. Nothing can save it from there. Banh Mi lives or dies on bread selection, I could have gotten better at Ralphs and Lee's well Lee's $2 banh mi is 3 Michelin star compared to this. We ordered many things. All were the worst versions I've had except the Pho. The Pho is the only thing edible here, the rest we threw away. I'd give the Pho a 2 star on its own, the broth was interesting and strong profile but inauthentic and perhaps trying too hard despite missing the key flavor staples of pho. Everything else I tried to eat was a zero star and literally thrown away. My family agreed. Mediocre food wouldn't justify writing a review, charging premium prices for the worst Vietnamese I've had does just because I'm super disappointed this place didn't bring their A game when opening in a foodie city. My mom was here from out of town and said the spots where she lives in Tucson were better. Made me feel sad for Venice/MDR since we usually have restaurants that are way better than Tucson!I hope this shop gets it together, I root for small businesses and I support all our local restaurants here in Venice/MDR but this meal was borderline offensive to even sell because most people who know Vietnamese food wouldn't serve this to their own friends or family let alone charge this much for it. I realize it is a new restaurant so I hope it was just an off day for them but either way I'm bummed out that they let this level of food go out the door to any customer. I want you guys to succeed. Please try harder and don't get brainwashed by yes men with the other reviews. We need great Vietnamese food here, please step it up for us all.
Top other services in Marina Del Rey:
Irori Sushi
4371 Glencoe Ave Suite B4, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, United States
Omg this was amazing. You definitely get what you paid for - and more! You take your shoes off at the door, which was cool for us to do with our 3-year old who likes to take her shoes off anyway. You sit on the floor, but have a huge leg space below the table to set your feet if you want.We had sushi, miso soup, dumplings, and rice. Miso soup was something I'm used to (we're from Georgia, btw), dumplings were so-so with me but my husband and daughter loved them, sauce was not my fave - but I think that's the normal sauce it comes with, rice was super sticky and our daughter actually ate it! Back home she doesn't like it - I guess because they don't make it there like they did here - super sticky and soft. Even our 7mo old ate a decent bit because it was soft enough for him to gum!The sushi..I mean wow. Bravo. So fresh. Accommodating (I don't care for cucumber in my rolls, but like cream cheese). And the eel sauce was perfect for me. It's so thick at the restaurants I go to back home, but here it had a slightly thick consistency and was fabulous. The rolls? I was expecting like the ones back home where they're kind of small. Oh no. These are massive. Philly Roll, for example, I'm used to being just one sliver of salmon and a small slice of either cream cheese, avocado, or both. I was a little hesitant when I ordered as it's about $8(?), but wow. Dare I say I feel I was slightly under charged for what I got?? I even have a side, like in another roll, where the meat spilled out the back side, too! Very generous.We got the Rainbow Roll ($20) and the Spicy Tuna ($8.5?) as well. Rainbow roll was absolutely amazing, and the spicy tuna - well, that's a ton of spicy in a ton of tuna. If you like it hot - that's what you want to order. But, I'm not much of a spicy food person, so I could be whimping that a bit.(Sorry I can only add the pictures I can - it was all so good we ate it too fast!)All the servers are so nice and loved talking to our two kids. It was beyond cute. (Thank God our baby was in a good mood because it was way past his normal bedtime, though it was only 7 here - 10 back home.)Go! The sushi, omg. I had to order one more philly roll to go! So good.Can y'all move to Atlanta??
Moto Azabu Sushi Bar & Grill
517 W Washington Blvd 2nd Floor, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, United States
The fiance brought me here for an early Valentines Day Dinner and what a find! this is going to be our new go-to sushi place!we had the Kusshi Oysters, Akamutsu (fatty white fish), Toro, Salmon, Ankimo - Simmered (Monkfish liver), Dragon Roll, & of course ended with a scoop each of Hojicha and Black Sesame Ice Cream. EVERYTHING was delicious and the sushi was fresh!Moto Azabu cures their own Salmon and it is absolutely delicious. they are most known for their Toro - definitely try both the Salmon & the Toro. also try the Ankimo (simmered) b/c not many places have the simmered version.the fiance almost put some shoyu (soy sauce) on his Akamutsu piece by mistake but Taka-san stopped him just in time.the scoops of ice cream reminded me of my visits to Namba in Osaka, Japan and Arashiyama in Kyoto, Japan...i told the fiance, i dont want to contribute this find to Google Guide World b/c i want to keep this place a secret so we dont ever have to wait!but alas, sharing is caring & yalls should experience the delicious sushi at Moto Azabu.どうもありがとうございます Masa-san, Ken-san, Taka-san, & Jose for the wonderful and delicious meal! we plan on becoming regulars! (:
The Cheesecake Factory
4142 Via Marina, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, United States
Honestly the worst service Ive ever experienced in a restaurant. I walked into the restaurant with my dog (service animal) right away the front desk said the dog wasnt allowed. I told him that my dog was a service dog and showed him his ID. As soon as the manager saw the ID I was told that he wasnt allowed to check his ID. If he is not allowed to check the ID how they gonna allow people with service dogs? Then he said my dog wasnt wearing the vest. My dog wasnt wearing the vest because he was playing at the beach before. The vest can easily be bought online its a piece of clothing. So for the manager a piece of clothing has more value than a ID issued after a dog being trained. I dont even have to say my dogs breed... one more time pitbull discrimination. After the frustration he let us sit. First of all its not about the dog its about the person if something had happened to me the dog is trained to do his job. I dont care if u dont like my dog! Its about human health. After all the inconvenience we got a table. To finish this terrible experience I left my wallet at the vallet. I called the restaurant because the valet had no phone to be reached. I was told my wallet wasnt there. I asked the guy to please ask the valet if my wallet was there and my answer was: I cant Im busy. The valet is right in front of him. Ofc he wasnt trying to help so I explained him that I have a medical condition ( thats why the service dog) and my medical prescription was inside my wallet. Plus my wallet was last seen at the valet so if it wasnt there I was gonna cancel all my cards and get new IDs. He said he would ask and call me back. NEVER DID. I call again and he said that he asked but nothing was found. He said he was going to call if someone returns it. He didnt call so I called one more time and he said he was going to check. Left me waiting on the line for 15 min so I hang up and called again and he picks up right away which means that we wasnt checking anything. I was one hour away I had to drive back because i knew my wallet was there. AS SOON AS I GET THERE I ASK THE VALET IF HE FOUND MY WALLET AND HE SAID YES. I go to he front desk ask the same guy wheres my wallet and he says that they didnt find. I told him that the valet just told me he found my wallet and returned to them. He called his manager then she goes inside and... GUESS what!?? My wallet was there the ENTIRE time. If I had believed the guy on the phone I would have lost my wallet, my IDs, my medical prescription plus 200 cash.Extremely unprofessional, untrained team and rude.A lunch with my family that was supposed to be a good time was turned into a nightmare of stressful events. Thats how they appreciate their costumers.Never again.