3 = mid
Midway Car Rental - 5/5
First time renting a car and it went pretty smoothly with Midway, a local company; they provide shuttles to and from LAX; the only issue we had was having to pay double for the insurance after booking with Expedia; however after contacting Expedia, I was able to get a refund
Monica's Airbnb in Glendale - 5/5
Modern loft with private parking away from the hustle and bustle of LA but close enough with a car
Beyond Vegan - 5/5
No notes for my first meal in LA
Ralph's - 4/5
The Southern California Kroger-1 star off for being expensive
The Broad - 4/5
Cool but very short experience; convenient paid parking garage
The Museum of Contemporary Art - 5/5
Right across the street from The Broad and more interesting
Beewali's Vegan AF - 3/5
Maybe it's because I ordered the wrong dish, but I did not find my food to be extraordinary; however an LA mid is a 4 in most cities
Donut Friend - 5/5
My favorites were the mochi donut, youth brulee, and king puff. Although I love passionfruit, I don't think it belongs on a donut.
Pine & Crane - 4.5/5
I would not order the eggplant dish again, but the passionfruit green tea with grass jelly was so good that it warrants a 4.5.
Ramen Hood - 5/5
So good, especially when I'm starving in the middle of the Huntington Library parking lot; one of the best vegan ramens I've had
Norton Simon Museum - 0/5
The art was just organized by time periods with no stories to tie them together.
Huntington Libary - 5/5
I almost skipped out because I was hungry, the parking lot appeared to be full, and I have gardens back home to see, but I'm so glad I didn't: the library and art museum collection were spectacular.
Bofomofo Cafe (San Gabriel Valley) - 5/5
The OG location, the Strawberry Basil Ginger Lemonade was so pretty and yummy! The vegan popcorn chicken and mapo tots were also good snacks. I would not recommend them as a meal replacement though because I only ate the tots for lunch once, and I would later die of starvation.
Bakers Bench - 5/5
Chocolate croissants are my favorite so any place I can find one is a winner in my book.
Los Feliz Flea Market - 5/5
An unexpected find on my trip to Bakers Bench
Glowing - 4/5
The sandwich itself wasn't memorable, but the fact that I was able to pick up a vegan sandwich with vegan deli meat and cheese from a market for dinner was memorable.
Echo Park - 5/5
The most memorable neighborhood in LA for me
Sunday's Best Thrift Apparel - 5/5
I came back home with two new winter jackets.
Santa Monica Pier - 0/5
Maybe it's because it was cloudy but the beach view here was not that pretty and there's not much to do at the pier if you're vegan
Satdha Plant Based Thai Kitchen - 3/5
The beet noodles were good, but nothing else was memorable. Because it is in Santa Monica, I think the food and flavors are catered to white people v. Bulan Thai in Silver Lake.
Gracias Madre - 4.5/5
The food was okay but the horchata, non-alcoholic drink, and vibes were good enough that I'd return.
Bofomofo (Cafe San Diego) - 2/5
I got the same drink as the San Gabriel location and it was not as good or pretty.
Din Tai Fung (Glendale Galleria) - 3/5
Overrated unfortunately; we did not do our research mamas and the fillings for all the dumplings we ordered were the same so we should have just gotten one dumpling and spent the money on other dishes
Glendale Galleria - 2/5
We walked the whole mall and did not buy a single thing, and it was empty for a well-known mall. The biggest draw was the Apple Store, where I did get a USB-C charger for my rental on an earlier trip.
Escape Room 66 - 2/5
I have a whole blog review on my experience, but $50 for a mid experience is a lot.
