Chef Jay Terauchi

Chef Jay Terauchi A Los Angeles food consultant by day,
food eater at night. Follow my food adventures.

After a bizarre weekend dealing with customers…I needed a taquito fix.Combination 2from Cielito Lindo on Olvera Street.W...
01/26/2026

After a bizarre weekend dealing with customers…

I needed a taquito fix.

Combination 2
from Cielito Lindo on Olvera Street.

With 2 Beef Taquitos, a Chicken Tamale, and Beans topped with Cheese. Of course, I ordered 2 additional Taquitos with sauce on the side for the trip home.

The Best thing, No Line!

It’s FryDay!A good day for Fish and Chips.Combo 2with 2 pcs of Fish, 2 Jumbo Shrimp, and Chipsfrom Pier 1 Fish N Chips i...
01/17/2026

It’s FryDay!

A good day for Fish and Chips.

Combo 2
with 2 pcs of Fish, 2 Jumbo Shrimp, and Chips
from Pier 1 Fish N Chips in Montebello.

The Fish stayed crispy until I got home AND I remembered to get extra Tartar Sauce.

A good way to end the week…
“Life isn’t, and has never been, a 2-0 home victory after a fish and chip lunch.”

~ Nick Hornby

It all started by wanting potato salad…Oooh, then a baked potato.But you can’t just eat a baked potato for dinnerOR can ...
01/14/2026

It all started by wanting potato salad…

Oooh, then a baked potato.

But you can’t just eat a baked potato for dinner
OR can you???

So, I got a Ribeye Steak with it!

“Steak and s*x, my favorite pair.
I get them both very rare.”

~ Rodney Dangerfield

It was a late lunch at Pampas Grill in Culver City.Picanha (Sirloin Cap) and Maminho (Tri-Tip)with Collard Greens, Brocc...
01/10/2026

It was a late lunch at Pampas Grill in Culver City.

Picanha (Sirloin Cap) and Maminho (Tri-Tip)
with Collard Greens, Broccoli, Potato Salad, Pasta Salad, Plantains, and Garlic Noodles with Chicken Stroganoff, my usual plate.

I’m not on the Westside much these days,
So today’s lunch was a treat.

It was a tough day.. It started with prepped items from yesterday ruined by someone not thinking.  I’m hoping we had eno...
01/08/2026

It was a tough day..

It started with prepped items from yesterday ruined by someone not thinking. I’m hoping we had enough product to last until tomorrow.

Next, the produce delivery being a day late, bringing the wrong onions. Instead of a box of green onions, they deliver a 50 lb bag of yellow onions. WTF???
I checked my order and it said, “Green Onion”

I couldn’t get them on the phone, but they replied to my email and will deliver green onions tomorrow. Fortunately, we have enough prepped until tomorrow.

THEN, after dealing with all of these things, I’m told that last night’s delivery from our central kitchen was missing an item that we can’t prep a popular menu item, WTF 2???

I checked the order sheet and the manager-in-charge did order, but the closing manager didn’t send an email or left a note we didn’t receive that item. Fortunately, the central kitchen will send that missing item tonight.

So, it’s been a stressful day…

Not to include the 3 times an Uber Eats scammer kept calling about our account. He called during our lunch rush the first time saying they’re trying to pay us and I said to call back at 3 pm.

This scammer calls again 40 minutes later and says Uber Eats wants to do an upgrade since we are not getting Uber Eats orders, we get a lot of UE orders. I told him that he needs to talk to our corporate person for that. He asked for our corporate person’s cell phone number? WTF 3??? I told him that the phone number is on the account and he can look it up since he has access to the account. He says nothing after that, Yup SCAMMER!

He calls a third time, SAME GUY. Says Uber Eats wants to do a special promotion and I need to give them some information. I told him to talk to our corporate person on the account. He asked for the number, I told him AGAIN it’s on the account and so is our corporate person’s name. SILENCE, click.

I was waiting for a fourth call, but that call never came.

Since I forgot to bring lunch, I ordered dinner for pick-up on the way home.

Lasagna, it’s what’s for dinner…
from Di Pilla’s Italian Restaurant in Rosemead.

“Once again, my life has been saved by the miracle of lasagna.
~ Garfield (Jim Davis)

It’s Been Too Long…Chili Cheese Houndat The Happy Hound in Los Gatos.Served with shredded cheddar cheese, chili, and oni...
12/31/2025

It’s Been Too Long…

Chili Cheese Hound
at The Happy Hound in Los Gatos.

Served with shredded cheddar cheese, chili, and onion.

It’s been a long long time since I’ve last been here, when I lived in the area during college.

Still the same, with red onions, chili with beans, but I forgot to get the dog grilled (upon request). That’s ok, it was still good.

Only thing, I forgot to bring my with me on this trip, so I added mustard.

Happy New Year’s Eve!

“I never met a lasagna I didn’t like”~ Jim DavisTonight’s Dinner…Homemade Lasagna from Di Pilla’s Italian Restaurant in ...
12/28/2025

“I never met a lasagna I didn’t like”

~ Jim Davis

Tonight’s Dinner…
Homemade Lasagna from Di Pilla’s Italian Restaurant in Rosemead.

“If I could have drawn a cat yelling for lasagna every day for 15 years and have them pay me $30 million to do so, I would have.”

~ Berkeley Breathed

In-n-Out…That’s what a hamburger’s all about.In-n-Out is a special place for me during the holidays.When I was in colleg...
12/25/2025

In-n-Out…
That’s what a hamburger’s all about.

In-n-Out is a special place for me during the holidays.

When I was in college, I worked at Nordstrom.
On Christmas Eve, the store closed at 6 pm. Since the Men’s Half-Yearly Sale begins on the Day After Christmas, we spent Christmas Eve setting up. We finished and left the store around 11:30 pm. After working a full day and then another 5 hours setting up, I was really hungry.

I didn’t have much food at my apartment, since I was planning on spending Christmas at my parents’ house and a party with the family.

It’s Christmas Eve, just before midnight and nothing is open. THEN, I see a line of cars on an empty street. In-n-Out is OPEN!

I parked and was the last walk up customer of the evening, just a couple of minutes before midnight.

I took home my Double Double, Fries, and Chocolate Shake and it was the Best on Christmas Eve, esp since I was starving…

So, on Christmas Eve, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Rolled Tacos on a FryDay!I would come here late night for their Rolled Tacos,but since the pandemic, they don’t stay ope...
12/20/2025

Rolled Tacos on a FryDay!

I would come here late night for their Rolled Tacos,
but since the pandemic, they don’t stay open as late as they once did.

I’m not in the area a lot these days, so it’s a treat to pick up my 5 Rolled Tacos from Benito’s Taco Shop in the Fairfax District.

I usually take the Rolled Tacos home with Green Salsa,
the Red is now too hot for me.

Did my Rolled Tacos make it home???

It may look like a mess…BUT, it was a delicious mess!Caught in a carbs-olutely delicious situation.Half Spaghetti and Ha...
12/13/2025

It may look like a mess…
BUT, it was a delicious mess!

Caught in a carbs-olutely delicious situation.

Half Spaghetti and Half Ravioli with a Sausage
at Little Toni’s in North Hollywood.

A huge plate of Spaghetti and Meat Ravioli
covered in Meat Sauce.

Stuff happens, especially with ravioli.

I worked on Thanksgiving…I was trying to remember that last time I worked on Thanksgiving…I know I’ve cooked for the les...
11/30/2025

I worked on Thanksgiving…

I was trying to remember that last time I worked on Thanksgiving…I know I’ve cooked for the less fortunate on Thanksgiving, but I don’t remember the last time I actually worked on this day.

Thanks to a nice person, I was given some turkey, stuffing, and gravy. It was ok, in lower case letters.

I thanked this person for thinking of me as I worked on Thanksgiving and I appreciated the holiday meal.

So tonight, I decided to close out the Thanksgiving weekend with a proper turkey dinner…

The Famous Turkey Dinner
at Tallyrand Restaurant in Burbank.

Roasted daily and served with herb dressing, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of cranberry sauce.

Tryptophan is included at no extra cost.

“Thanksgiving dinners take 18 hours to prepare. They are consumed in 12 minutes. Half-times take 12 minutes. This is not a coincidence.”
~ Erma Bombeck
,

Pre-Thanksgiving with Friends…At Carney’s on the Sunset Strip in WeHo for a later dinner together.Of course I had a “Car...
11/27/2025

Pre-Thanksgiving with Friends…

At Carney’s on the Sunset Strip in WeHo for a later dinner together.

Of course I had a “Carney’s” Hot Dog with chili, mustard, tomato, and onions.

But, I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a taco here and tonight is the night. With a chopped up beef patty, hand-chopped salsa, lettuce, and cheese on a tortilla.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Address

Los Gatos, CA

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