Mystery Critic

      

Overall
Food
Service
Ambience
Value

      

I have admit that I ALMOST gave it five stars.  That's right, it was that good.  Alright, I've never been the New Orleans, but I've been to the South and had some awesome cajun food before.  This place not only brings back good memory, it also re-affirmed my long-standing bias that certain ethnic groups do tend to know how to enjoy life than others.  It was so good that it was difficult to remember what was not good, but the stars of the meal were definitely the etouffee, bbq ribs and fried seafood.

Etouffee is always great unless it's totally screwed up, but this etouffee, granted that they didn't use fresh crawfish, is down right nasty-good.  The ribs, though, came out as the surprise of the day.  Not that many people were having ribs, but they were super moist and succulent.  Fried oysters were my favorite, but the fish and shrimps were great as well.  Desserts were down-to-earth good even for someone with a very full stomach.  The minor disappointments were the gumbo which has its rice NOT in the soup, a bit unusual but pretty tasty, and the jambalaya that was a bit too heavy and the Andouille sausages that accompanied it were too classic Creole and authentic for my taste.

This is the kind of place that is not pretentious - if you are looking for "professional" service, go elsewhere.  The waiters were good though - efficient and responsive when you need them.  I think at first they weren't too sure how to treat us - afterall, this is not exactly a Rowland Height Asian hangout and we were visibly different from rest of the crowd.  They slowly warmed up a bit and were very attentive.  The highlight was the fact that they brought out extra corns because someone like (more like LOVED) them but didn't bother to charge for them.  We're not that cheap, but we like occasional treat.  A bigger is always the outcome anyways.

AMBIENCE

The street where this restaurant is located is somewhat deserted.  Like I said before, this is not exactly the kind of place you park you BMW on the street.  The outside looks a bit like an inner city cafe (haha, that's what it is!!), with a rather old and classic-looking sign.  The real surprise is when you step in - it's like going back to the 70s. 

Everything semes a bit run-down, which is not bad or makes it uncomfortable, but given the excellent business you'd think they can afford some pocket change to brighten it up just a bit.

If you are looking for quantity and quality at a discount, you are at the right place.  Maybe it's the fact they saved money from not doing remodeling for 30 years, the prices they charge are very reasonable for the quantity of food, and we're talking mountain-high seafood and meat, plus lots of bread and side dishes.  Of course this not a Rodeo Drive stargazing joint, but at those prices I can afford to eat here often IF I live in the LA area.

BOTTOMLINE

Let's cut the chase here - if the image of driving to South Central, park in a guard-protected valet parking lot, eat with lots of "brothers", and REALLY fill up on high protein/high carb food really bothers you, then this is not the place for you.  If you love cajun food (as much as my friend who said "oh it's in South Central?  So is it good??") enough to accept a small risk, you are in for the Cajun treat of your life (in CA, that is).

BTW

The place was packed at 3pm with lunch crowd.  Yes it's kind of popular - so make reservation if you can.  Also, be sure not to order too much to start with but add more entrees it's too good for you just to be half-full.  The food is heavy so proceed with caution.