potatomato.blog: Minibar (Studio City)

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Mar 30

Minibar (Studio City)

Food 18: Other

We celebrated our birthday at this cute mod 60s hip bar at Hollywood nearby Universial City. A rare sight when we reached there: the valet is a woman! There's a sign "Valet of the Dolls, inc." :D !!! Sure the right sign for our all-Girls night out. The vibe inside is hip and casual (despite the old people seen in the pic ^^;). Though there are couple sleazy guys at the bar that harass me when I passed by them to the bathroom. One side of the bathroom wall is a black chalk board where you can draw. Since it was easter sunday, the place is not packed at all. 60s music were blasting, very nice~

Drinks around the table: Lemon Drop, Mojito, Chocolate Martini, Grasshopper, Margarita (not in pic)~ The waiter is very attentive and drinks came very fast. It's a fun place really, the food are gourmet tapas plates, most sounded exotic and unpredictable from the name. 25 of them to choose from which we shared, they're around $6-$15 (but they added up quite scarily o_O).

♥ yucca bread $6 golden puffy yucca flour biscuit with smoked gouda (I like this!)
♥ salmon-brie strudel $10 salmon & grilled shiitake mushrooms and brie baked phyllo dough and served w/ honey mustard dip
♥ Artisanal cheese plate $15 hand crafted cheeses with seasonal fruit, guava paste

♥ steamed mussels and clams $10 in white wine oyster sauce broth
♥ duck confit mini eggrolls $8 chinese bbq duck in wonton skin w/ spicy cilantro-peanut sauce (taste normal like a regular cheap spring roll)
♥ salamb bombay $15 curry rubbed, seared new zealand lamb chops w/ cucumber-mint raita and cilantro chutney (I ordered this of course haha~ fresh tasting, very good!)

♥ goat cheese portabello cap $8 spinach, onion fennel marmalade and sun dried tomato salad stacked on a grilled portabello and topped w/ curried goat cheese (not too crazy for the goat cheese or else it's very tasty).
♥ brochette of flatiron steak rolls $11 flatiron steak stuffed with grilled huitlacoche onions and cotija cheese. s/w a roasted garlic chimichurri dip
♥ duo of grilled sausages (pic accidently got deleted T_T) $9 rabbit & duck sausages served with two mustards and cornichons

It was then I found out how to adjust shutter speed and explosure at dark interior, without resorting to use ugly flash. We over-order...we order everything on the dessert menu! o_0;;;; Oddly they gave us chinese soup spoons. ^^;;

♥ cafe con leche chilled coffee-caramel pudding
♥ spanish harlem vs. little italy guava mascarpone cream-cheesecake
♥ napoleon & ginger ginger creme brulee napoleon with persimmons (reminded me of chinese egg puddings)

♥ brown sugar crumble peach an cinnamon cobbler with vanilla ice cream
♥ don't harsh my mello stew rich hot dark chocolate soup with homemade marshmallows and almond biscotti (like kingdergarden tea party ^^;;)

All of the food taste really yummy! ^O^ Food wise I would say my favorites are yucca bread, salamb bombay and salmon-brie strudel. For dessert my favorites are the cafe con leche and napoleon & ginger. My drink was magaritas which was very good, Joan's Mojito was very delicious too, lots of lime with right balance of sweetness and refreshing mint.

The beautiful ladies ^o^--> First pix: Grace, 2nd pix: Yuli and Veronica, 3rd pix: Tina and Roberta, 4th pix: Yan. We were kinda all too busy chatting to be really munching the food, *shame* Oh I did facial the same morning so my skin is so shiny and oily, my camera harsh flash is making it worst~ o_0;;;;

We had a really great time! Great food, cute place, fun vibe. I definitely will go back to this place. I think it's the best bday I've ever had :D~~~ Thank you gals!! ♥♥♥

Minibar (323) 882-6965
Cocktails & Tapas
3413 Cahuenga Blvd. W. Los Angeles, 90068

Freda | March 30, 2005 11:42 AM

Comments:

Yeah it's the same Vero, but she didn't come back for our party haha, she's suppose to be back to LA that weekend (her beloved husband lives in LA~~so....)

Joan | April 1, 2005 01:30 PM

Happy Birthday!

Eileen | March 31, 2005 06:20 PM

You girls must have stood out so much in the bar!! ^^;;;

It is the same vero who took you around in Seattle right? She came all the way for your party?? That's sweet.

seat | March 31, 2005 10:53 AM

Yeah haha it's delibrately all girls nightout, no guys allow! Tina wanted to bring her husband but even he's not allowed.

Yeah it'll be awesome if you and Tomoko can be here too~~ I like these kinda small plates places, it's like Dim sum really~~

Joan | March 31, 2005 09:35 AM

The poster(?) on the wall is amazing!!! And the food all look/sound so exotic!! *o* I want to try that salmon-brie strudel!!

It is so cute that it is all girls night, was it deliberate?? ^^;;; I wish I could join in~~~it is so sweet!!