Discovering LA’s Sqirl: Toast, coffee and sunshine

From someone who goes to church rather than sits in a cafe with coffee and whatnot first thing when the sun’s up, the tip-off about this overflowing cafe on neighboring Virgil Avenue is unconvincing. But then again, rerouted my morning walk to the seemingly boring street between East Hollywood and Silver Lake. A long line of beautiful people snaking down from the other street obstructs the view inside an establishment. The only clue: the filled curbside tables.

I reached home, googled it, yelped it. The inconspicuous spot is literally the toast of the town. It’s Sqirl. Celebrity sightings have been reported. I browsed the menu. Toasts, jams, rice bowls, eggs, coffee, vegan food, breakfast til 4PM. As a recent transplant, I’m still trying to figure out the local food culture.

A visit to Twig & Twine brought me again to Virgil. On this particular weekday, Sqirl was to my surprise quiet and peaceful, with a line that was only inside.

The photos will kinda guide you on what to expect. Choose your order from the menu on the wall as quickly as possible; place your order and pay at the cashier; get your number and find a table; after which your order will be delivered to you. If you need to buy their homemade seasonal jams, which Sqirl became known for (according to articles about Sqirl’s creator, chef Jessica Koslow), and the enticing pastries to go, buy them when you order food at the cashier to avoid getting back to the line.

Lait n’ Egg: Vietnamese-style iced cortado shaken with egg whites.

So my first breakfast at Sqirl consisted of brioche toast with jam (you get to choose your jam, and I got seascape strawberry), sorrel pesto rice bowl, and lait n’ egg, a refreshing glass of sweetened iced coffee with egg whites, which went well with the contrasting flavors of the rice and toast. I forgot to order their famous house ricotta for my toast, so it came later.

Super satisfied risking my 20 dollars at Sqirl. The sorrel pesto rice is technically Kokuho Rose Brown Rice, nut-free sorrel pesto, preserved Meyer lemon, lacto-fermented hot sauce, pickled radish, French sheep feta and poached egg. Every spoonful depends on where you scoop it from. It can be salty or sourish or both. The brioche toast is impossible to forget. I crave it when I’m in bed, I dream of waking up to the thickest jam-smeared piece with the thickest layer of the milkiest ricotta cheese. The jam is not sweet by mainstream standards.

It’s funny how some people (on Yelp) expect good food and good location to match. You won’t understand Dawang’s Place (in Laoag) unless you’ve eaten there. The same applies to Sqirl. Easily one of my best meals in Los Angeles. Attainable good food, I didn’t even have to dress up. I went straight from bed, actually, and I don’t think someone ever noticed. Everyone was engrossed in the food.

Sqirl
720 N Virgil Ave #4, Los Angeles, CA 90029
Monday—Friday 6:30AM—4PM Sat—Sun 8AM—4PM
(213) 394-6526

What makes The Boiling Crab tick

Enough to stimulate my curiosity, The Boiling Crab is a constant mention when I ask people where they love to eat in Los Angeles. My sister, who lives in Jacksonville and is set to visit LA, has already arranged a Boiling Crab seafood binge in her mind and with us. I couldn’t wait for the day she finally boards that Southwest Airlines plane, and only that Southwest Airlines plane. Eventually asked Ericke for a dinner date at the trending Cajun-spiced seafood place.

We went to the Koreatown location. The long line was no deterrent. Two hours and fifteen minutes, to be exact, before we were seated. The crowd was a mix of young and old, people who didn’t mind getting down and dirty. Everything but the food is plastic here — a bib is tied around your neck and a fresh sheet is laid on the table. There is actually more than the boiled-in bag seafood of your choice in the menu. Fried oysters I haven’t had since my San Diego trip thrilled me, not counting the shrimps swimming in the whole sha-bang sauce. Crabs and lobsters would take us a few more hours at the place, so reserving it for another trip, if it’s really worth going back through the same ordeal.

Practically had all the sauces available. Hotness level is your choice. Salt and pepper with lime was the perfect complement to my deep fried oysters. Making me think of getting plain oysters next time, the batter was on the thick side, but the oysters were succulent.

The whole experience of building the appetite, falling in line, waiting for hours, digging into a sauce-filled bag and eating with bare hands where it is legitimate to suck on heads makes eating at The Boiling Crab phenomenal. The sauce is insane to begin with.

The Boiling Crab
3377 Wilshire Blvd #115, Los Angeles
(213) 389-2722
Open Monday to Friday, 3-10 PM, and Saturday to Sunday, 12 to 10 PM

Phone Photos of Silver Lake and Brunch at Millie’s

Yay! I am a new owner of a 4G phone, a gift from my brother and sister-in-law. Getting the hang of mobile photography. Let’s start with my neighborhood. Honestly, walking to Sunset Blvd. was more pleasurable with just a phone and twenty dollars in my pocket.

Went to this old American breakfast place called Millie’s. An institution in Silver Lake, Millie’s is open only up til 4PM and is always packed, oftentimes with long lines, but I was lucky to get a seat by the bar. Eggs, toasts and pancakes are popular, as well as their Mexican-inspired and vegan options. It was difficult to choose what eggs Benedict to get. Settled with California style, traditional Benedict merged with avocados and crisp smoked applewood bacon, with rosemary potatoes on the side. The hollandaise sauce was flawless. The explosion of flavors sent me to a foodgasm. The serving was hefty, but it was all worth the trip. Staff is wonderful, food is served quickly, and it really feels like a friendly neighborhood eatery.