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HERE ARE TWO EVENTS THIS WEEKEND, NO FOODIE WOULD WANT TO MISS:

L.A. STREET FOOD FEST

Of course, I would have to be out of town when one of the largest foodie events in L.A.is set to take place. Good for them because I would actually wait overnight to be the first to hit up each truck and I would be all over seconds and thirds at each truck like Winnie the Pooh to honey.

But if you'll be in town and looking to splurge on that summer diet and workout routine, make some rounds at the second L.A Street Food Fest taking place this Saturday, July 24, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena (1001 Rose Bowl Drive, off North Arroyo Blvd.)

More than 60 mobile food truck vendors from eateries, restaurants, celeb chefs and classic carts will park it outside the bowl while vendor booths sit under tents inside.
What will be offered? The question is really, what won't be offered.

Everything from breakfast at Monsieur Egg to dessert from Cool Haus and Sweet Lucie's. There will also be open bars and beer gardens for tequila and mezcal tastings, and specialty juices and cocktails.

Presale tickets are limited and only available online. No at-door sales. Tickets are $45 per person and is all inclusive, as much as you can handle. The last food fest included long lines for some foodie favorites so be sure to get there early if you want to make a couple rounds at your favorite truck or vendor..

For more information and tickets, visit www.lastreetfoodfest.com.

Read about how some vendors are preparing in Staff Writer Brian Charles' story.

YOGA FOR FOODIES

David Romanelli (aka Yeah Dave) is bringing his Yoga for Foodies to Los Angeles. Yoga for Foodies is a national tour  where at each stop, David collaborates with local chefs to create an unforgettable foodie experience.

On July 25, Dave will be pairing up with Akasha Richmond, chef founder of the critically acclaimed Culver City-based Akasha Restaurant, Bar, Bakery.

During the event, the morning will begin with David's flowing yoga class whose message and music will emphasize a more sustainable pace.

Following yoga while participants are relaxed and in the moment, Akasha will lead a guided tasting inspired by her years of cooking for and studying with Yogi Bhajan, and how his teachings influenced her style of cooking. Akasha began her professional career at Yogi Bhajan's Golden Temple Conscious Cookery, a now defunct but once popular vegetarian restaurant in Los Angeles.

Menu highlights include: giner-mint lemonade and organic mango lassi; local farm egg and goat cheese frittata with spinach and caramelized onions; cumin and coriander spiced lamb sausage; grilled tandoori vegetable salad with coleman farms greens, white corn, zucchini, red peppers, and chutney dressing; punjabi focaccia with holy basil pesto, heirloom tomatoes, grilled eggplant, fresh paneer; fresh baked blackberry coffee cake, peach scones, and housemade preserves.

Yoga for Foodies will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets are $54. Reservations are required.
Akasha Restaurant, Bar, Bakery is at 9543 Culver Blvd., Culver City. For more information, call (310) 845-1700.

After a couple of restaurant groups were didn't have much staying power at the site of the former Sam Woo BBQ on San Bernardino Road and Azusa over the years, I hope the new inhabitants, Sora Sushi & Roll, will have better luck.

After a few colleagues made a few return trips there for lunch, I thought I would give the new Japanese cuisine a try myself to see what they had to offer.

Though there are many Asian restaurants in the neighborhood, there haven't been too many that have such a variety of sushi and rolls offered, and taste good too.

Although the teriyaki plates and combination platters were very tempting, I felt it only fair to give the sushi rolls a try.

With everything from a simple California or tuna roll to the specialty, fresh, tempura and baked rolls, I grew hungrier as I read the description of each roll. I finally settled on the Alaska roll (spicy scallop inside, topped with salmon and avocado and rice) and a spicy tuna roll.

Sushi and roll orders come with a cup of miso soup and salad. The soup was perfectly temperatured for me to enjoy right away, I would have liked more tofu pieces but the broth was seasoned well for a tasty, warm start to my meal.

The small salad was a simple mix of greens with radiccio and carrot. The dressing, not knowing exactly what it was, was very tasty with a slight tangy and light flavor.

The Alaska roll ($8.95) was beautifully displayed and it tasted as good as it looked. The spicy scallop had a nice tender kick, not too strong, and the salmon and avocado was a nice fresh and cool balance to the roll.

The spicy tuna ($4.95) cut roll had a little more heat but was still not overwhelming the rest of the flavors in the roll.

The rice in the rolls were cooked just right so they stayed sticky to keep the rolls in place. A good indicator of the sushi chef's talent.

I was pleasantly full with the size of the rolls but the dessert was so tempting, I ordered some strawberry mochi ice cream to go ($2.50 for two pieces) - perfect ending to my Sora experience.

Although it can get pricey, I will definitely have to return to Sora to try the rest of the menu, starting with the Jalapeno Bomb and Soft Shell Crab in their Little Bites menu.

Sora also offers salads, sashimi combos, noodles, bowls, tempura plates, and party platters.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and from 4 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Sora is located at 519 N. Azusa Ave., Covina, 626-332-1201.

A few weeks ago, I was sent out to work out of one of our other sister papers' office in Torrance and while I was only there for a couple days, I thought I would venture out for lunch and see what the city had to offer.

The first day, on my way into the office I passed by a sushi place that caught my eye and I knew I had to try it for lunch - Sushi Boy.

From the outside it looked like a fast-food type of sushi bar and even though that didn't sound too appealing, I was intrigued.

As I walked in, it was just what I thought - fast food. They did add some cool Japanese art throughout the dining area to get a more authentic Japanese restaurant feel to it.

The menu featured a variety of sushi rolls, sashimi and sushi, as well as combo meals with salad noodles and bowls offered.

Wanting to try a little of everything I ordered the Takumi value meal for $6.80 which came with four pieces of california roll, one salmon and one shrimp sushi serving, three pieces of tekka maki and kappa maki each (tuna and cucumber, respectively) and a spicy tuna hand roll.

Each value meal comes with a serving of miso soup, or get a fountain drink instead for a few cents more.

My order came out pretty quick - ten minutes or less - and with the price, I was a little hesitant.

Everything looked surprisingly fresh for how quick it was served. The soup was okay but there wasn't much, if any, tofu which I'm used to having in my miso soup.

I dug into the Califoria rolls first - they were average, nothing special but pretty good for fast food. I don't know what type of wasabi they served but it didn't taste like wasabi I've had before and it wasn't necessarily good.

The cucumber and tuna tasted fresh but the seaweed was sometimes a bit too chewy. The salmon and shrimp tasted pretty fresh and not fishy. I wish I had better wasabi to serve it with.

The best item by far was the spicy tuna hand roll. Not only did the spicy tuna have the right amount of heat but there was plenty in there and it all fit perfectly with the cucumber and rice.   

When I first spotted Sushi Boy I never seen anything like it and I thought maybe I was trying something that could only be found in Torrance but as I perused the to-go menu I discovered there is a Sushi Boy in the San Gabriel Valley!

Or at least a version of what seems like a franchise. The company has 12 California locations in all including one in West Covina - Marukai West Covina at 1420 Azusa Ave. 

I will definitely have to try Marukai in West Covina one day but I may still call it Sushi Boy because it sounds cooler. For the other locations, visit www.sushiboy.net .

For the variety and price, I was happy with the quality of my lunch at Sushi Boy.

SECOND DAY

For lunch on my second day in Torrance I thought I would entrust my new Blackberry to help me find something I hoped would be different and unique.

Craving noodles, I was torn between a Thai restaurant and a curry one.

Since I don't have too much experience with curry I thought I would give the Curry House a try and it was only across the street from the office.

When I stepped in it was a nice sit-down restaurant. I was seated by a hostess and soon visited by my waitress. She sensed I was new there and gave me more time to look over the menu.

I don't know much about what exactly is normal for a curry restaurant menu but there I knew it didn't seem normal to have jambalaya on the menu.

The jambalaya entree was special to Curry House because it also included curry sauces. 

I really wanted to try something with a good curry sauce but the Jambalaya-style curry meal came with rice and I was still craving pasta or noodles so I went with something else.

The Seafood Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine ($10.05), featured shrimp, white fish, baby clams, squid, onion and bell pepper in a curry cream sauce - perfect! Pasta and curry all in one.

I ordered hot tea and water but there was a wide variety of beverage options with tropical iced tea, iced oolong and green teas, shirley temple, iced cafe au lait and more.

And if you have a reason to celebrate or feel like a little libation they also serve alcoholic beverages such as plum wine and Kirin Ichiban, a Japanese beer, on tap.

The table settings and the atmosphere of the restaurant was nice but it didn't seem too busy at the time but I was having a late lunch so I hope, for their sake, there was more customers there a little earlier.

Despite not having too many customers, my meal took a little while but that only made me believe it was freshly made to order by real cooks in the kitchen.

By the time I did get my plate, I was pretty hungry. It was hot but luckily for me not too hot (I can't stand extreme temperatures in my mouth).

I dug right into the squid and the fettucine, swirling it around in the curry sauce to get a nice taste of it.

The squid wasn't too chewy but it did have a bit of a fishy taste and after having some bites of the perfectly tender and flaky white fish I knew it wasn't that. Maybe it was the baby clams.

It was pretty easy to scoop them out of their little shells but they also had more of a fish taste than clam flavor. The fettucine was nicely cooked and the curry sauce was tasty but I was expecting it to be spicy and it wasn't.

Overall for a seafood dish it was tasty but I would skip the clams next time and maybe ask for some spicier sauce on the side or instead of.

Now, it being my second and last day in Torrance I thought I was having lunch at a restaurant that again, is exclusive to Torrance but once again I was mistaken.

Curry House is a small chain of restaurants with 11 California locations, (one being take-out only), including one near the Puente Hills mall in the City of Industry.

There is such a variety of food on their menu that it's a good thing there is one closer to me so I can try other offerings.

There is everything from salads to curry rice dishes to spaghetti dishes and even kid's meals.

Curry House in Puente Hills is at 17865 Colima Road in the City of Industry. For more information on other locations or menus, visit www.house-foods.com/CurryHouse.

So much for adventure dining in new cities.... At least I don't have to drive to Torrance to try these places again.

By Maritza Velazquez

The sushi may not be spectacular, but the price is just right. 

Sakura of Tokyo in West Covina probably has the best lunch specials of any Japanese restaurant I've ever frequented.

My lunch companions and I pondered over the expansive menu that included more than 35 lunch combination specials for at least 10 minutes before making a decision. 

After members of the attentive wait staff returned to take our orders more than once, I finally settled on a combination plate of sushi, sashimi and tempura for $8.50. It included salad, rice and a serving of miso soup. 

Probably the biggest disappointment was that the five pieces of sushi on my plate were really only just three. Two of the pieces included only egg and rice. The shrimp sushi wasn't the most fresh seafood I've ever tasted either.

But the sashimi (sliced raw fish without the rice) consisted of a good-sized helping of my two favorite fish - salmon and tuna.

The tempura, a popular Japanese dish of battered and deep- fried meat, included both shrimp and vegetables. 

If you're not familiar with sushi, or Japanese cuisine in general, Sakura of Tokyo is a great place to start. Every menu item has an accompanying photo, and each booth has a poster of the names of all the different kinds of fish.

Lunch specials range from $5.75 to $8.50 and include many different options, such as California rolls, gyoza (fried chicken dumplings), beef and chicken teriyaki and even egg rolls. 

Dinner specials at Sakura aren't too shabby either. All priced at $8.25, there aren't as many options as the lunch specials, but you can still order some of the same fare - teriyaki, sesame chicken and sushi. 

The whole staff at Sakura of Tokyo is friendly from the get-go. It was great that we never had to wait, and even our food came out in less than 10 minutes.

The restaurant is adorned with random trinkets consisting of both Japanese and ocean themes. My aquaintances and I enjoyed observing all the fun decorations - like the blow-up oversized Sapporo bottles and killer whales, combined with faux cherry blossoms and Japanese lanterns.

Sakura of Tokyo is at 533 S. Glendora Ave., in West Covina. It's open seven days a week, and closes between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m. On Sundays, it's only open for lunch from 4:30 to 9 p.m.

For more information, call (626) 960-7155.

By Amanda Newfield, Correspondent

Arigato Japanese Restaurant in Azusa was delightfully satisfying in the most Japanese way, even if I nearly missed the restaurant as I drove up Azusa Avenue.

The face of the venue is nothing special, with a small and almost non-existent porch. But it was the inside of the restaurant that caught my attention.

As I ventured into a narrow building and walked past the sushi bar, I noticed cherry blossoms and a Japanese woman painted on the wall to my left and old style brick that reminded me of the east coast to the right.

The ambiance was peaceful as a Japanese restaurant should be - the restaurant was not too loud and yet not so quiet that one feels compelled to whisper.

The server was pleasant and attentive but not overbearing.

Then came the food - in a prompt manner, by the way - and it was more than I expected. The $9.95 Dynamite Roll lived up to its name with scallops and crab covering the roll with a sweet soy sauce to top it off. The fish was fresh and tasty and the rice was sticky and delicious.

What Japanese lunch is complete without tempura? The vegetable tempera was good. I was a little caught off guard by the tempura-covered bell pepper, but the crispy and fresh shrimp tempura was superb.

Arigato, which means thank you in Japanese, offers more types of rolls then I could have asked for, from spicy tuna to Hawaiian volcano. The choices were almost overwhelming.

I decided to be daring and ordered the $4.95 Eel Avocado Roll, which did not disappoint. The eel and avocado were fresh and satisfying; it was a good-size roll for the price.

The family-owned restaurant is at 722 N. Azusa Ave. in Azusa. Operation hours vary. For reservations or to call ahead an order, you can reach the restaurant at (626) 334-5545. Or for menu information or business hours visit www.mrarigato.com.

By Lafayette C. Hight, Jr.

A couple of things threw me for a loop when I walked into Rolling Sushi in Duarte.

First were the high-boy tables and chairs, which are typically found in any type of casual-dining establishment other than a sushi bar, (it took several hours of mind-racking before I would remember that it used to be a sandwich shop/ice cream parlor) and the second was the absence of an actual sushi bar. 

But I decided to focus on the reason I was there, a craving for sushi.

Rolling offers about 18 different rolls, ranging from the $4.99 vegetable cut roll to the high-end $8.99 rainbow roll. I opted for the latter and a $7.99 spider roll, which was discounted because they were having a 50 percent off deal for the second roll.

I learned that this second in a two-chain restaurant opened about three months ago. The first restaurant is Sushi in the Box located in Temple City.

It took just a few minutes for the chef to create the rainbow of salmon, tuna and halibut, shrimp and avocado over a California roll, which he did just behind the counter.

I'm happy to say that the roll tasted exactly as it should. The fish was fresh, the rice was moist, and with the proper amount of soy sauce and wasabi it was great for a "quickie sushi" type of place.

The soft-shell crab roll didn't disappoint either. It is easy to overcook the crustacean, which will make it the consistency of battered rubber, but Rolling got it right on par with the fancy-schmancy restaurants that charge twice as much for the same dish.

In addition to sushi, the restaurant offers several rice bowls - a couple of ramen soup varieties. They don't serve alcohol, however, for those looking for sake bombs. 

Rolling Sushi is located at 1114 Huntington Drive in Duarte. For more information, call (626) 471-3568.

By Claudia S. Palma

News Cafe & Sushi in El Monte is like two worlds in one.

The counter on the side facing the open kitchen and the signs for breakfast specials give the place a diner appeal.

But the table settings and chairs make the cafe look like a small Japanese joint. As you look around and head towards the back, the Asian decor and sushi bar counter say they mean business when it comes to sushi.

The menu is expansive. There is a separate list for sushi items, which were not all available during lunch the last time I went.

The menu is expansive. There is a separate list for sushi items, which were not all available during lunch last week.The cafe menu featured typical breakfast and lunch fare, from country breakfast to cobb salad and pasta dishes to a bacon cheeseburger.

There are also plenty of vegetarian and salad choices.

The Japanese lunch special featured a bento meal, with items such as chicken or beef teriyaki, miso soup and choice of California or spicy tuna rolls. There were also cut rolls such as caterpillar rolls and crunchy rolls.  

Unfortunately for me, having too many choices is not always a good thing. I am not a very picky eater and want to try everything. I eventually just gave in and tried something from both worlds.

The crazy salmon roll, $9.95, called to me, as well as the Reuben sandwich (nix the sauerkraut).

The Reuben sandwich combo, at $7.95, came with either a pasta salad, cole slaw or fries. I went for the pasta salad (which I regretted later when I saw someone else's plate with huge steak fries - darn, I love thick fries.)      

The corned beef, sandwiched with squaw bread and cheese, was good but could have used more pepper or seasoning and I would have preferred it more moist. The pasta salad was made of colorful rotini pasta, some crunchy pieces of bell pepper and onion and a light, tasty vinaigrette.

The crazy salmon roll featured spicy salmon, avocado, cucumber and rice rolled in seaweed and completely covered with long strips of raw salmon and topped with a special light sauce and sesame seed.

The whole roll was surprisingly good but I wouldn't make it my favorite. Having their own separate sushi chef was a good call though.

The spicy salmon wasn't as spicy as I expected. Usually when I order spicy anything from a Japanese restaurant, it really does have a kick.

Warning - the cafe was pretty busy when I went around lunch time and there didn't seem to be enough waitresses for the crowd swarming in for some cafe food. Be patient or call ahead of time if you are picking up. 

News Cafe & Sushi is located at 11357 E. Valley Blvd., next to El Monte City Hall. They are open from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday to Saturday; and 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

For information or delivery, call (626) 443-2603.

By Maritza Velazquez

I love a good Japanese restaurant.

And in Diamond Bar, there are more than a couple great spots. One of my favorites has to be Yoko Yoko Sushi & Rolls.

A Japanese fusion restaurant, this place offers a little more variety than your traditional Japanese selections. I've been here a few times and have never been disappointed by the food. 

I try to seek out something new each time I go there.

On a recent visit it was the Green Salmon appetizer for $6.95. Baked salmon surrounds chopped green mussel, onion, avocado and tomato. The dish is smothered in a delicious sesame-based sauce that really compliments the salmon.   

I also ordered the Dynamite Roll, which is a California Roll, topped with bay scallops baked with mayonnaise and masago. Although this is probably my favorite dish at Yoko Yoko, this time the scallops didn't have their usual freshness. I was surprised because everything I've tried here, including the sashimi, has proved to be really fresh.

If you're a spicy food lover, you can also order the Volcano Roll, which is the same as the Dynamite Roll except it has a little bit of a kick to it. There's a great selection of baked rolls, fresh rolls and tempura rolls. Whatever your choice, all the specialty rolls are $10.95.

Yoko Yoko opened last year and replaced the old Rendino's Pizza.

Beautifully remodeled, it boasts a more modern look and fun atmosphere. If you decide to sit at the sushi bar, the chefs are really friendly and more than willing to explain any of the dishes to you.

But if you opt to sit at one of the booths, beware - many of the servers don't regularly make their rounds to check on their customers. Most likely, you'll have to catch their attention. More than once, I've had to go up to the register to pay for my own bill after waiting 10 minutes or more.

This is something I've heard from many people in the area who enjoy Yoko Yoko's food. They say the fare is great, but the service is not satisfactory. 

I have to admit though, my most recent visit on a Friday afternoon was much more pleasant than in the past. My acquaintance and I had a seat on the patio and our server (whom I had never seen there before) was very attentive.

Despite the sometimes questionable service, I always return to Yoko Yoko for the great food. I always have a good time, whether I visit for lunch or dinner. They've also got a few flatscreens, too, so it's a great place for all you sports fans. And while you're watching, you can enjoy a glass of Bud Light on draft for just $0.99.

Yoko Yoko Sushi & Roll is located at 2161 S. Diamond Bar Blvd., in Diamond Bar. For more information, call (909) 860-4000. 

Why Jack has obsession with bowls is beyond me.

Though I haven't tried the breakfast bowl meals offering basically a breakfast burrito without the tortilla and with a spoon, I was willing to try the new Teriyaki bowls.

Actually, they're not new. Apparently the teriyaki bowl was first introduced by the restaurant chain in 1993 and were a hit to many guests but was removed from the menu in 2003.

As much as I love Jack in the Box, I wasn't expecting too much from these new versions of the meal, which may or may not end up being a fad again.

The teriyaki bowls come with steamed white rice topped with broccoli and thinly sliced carrots, and your choice of strips of chicken or sirloin steak, and all covered with a teriyaki sauce.  

One weekday lunch I decided to try the sirloin steak bowl and I was happily surprised.

Yes, I know, it's just Jack in the Box, but the tasty and tangy teriyaki sauce did not overwhelm the fresh taste of the vegetables and the nicely grilled generous portions of steak, and the rice was soft and not bland.

I've never been a fan of Yoshinoya, but if I were them, I would think twice about my business if Jack in the Box is able to perfect a teriyaki bowl in their very diverse menu and they can't even perfect it as their main staple in their menu.

Even though I still wanted more, I had to convince my stomach that it was plenty. Especially with the egg roll that came with the meal.

I think its a great deal for the suggested prices, excluding tax, of $4.29 for chicken and $4.79 for sirloin steak. My combo, which included a warm, crunchy egg roll, and small drink added up to $6.92 total with taxes.

I still don't know if I'm ready to take the plunge into the breakfast bowl yet, though.

Anytime someone in the news room mentions Anjo, we get all flurried. We love this place that's situated on the border of West Covina and Baldwin Park.

They have everything from sushi to udon and it's always fresh.

This little restaurant (when I say little, I mean little) opens up for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., then closes until dinner time from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday only, and Sunday, only dinner is offered. It is closed every Monday.

I believe they can afford to have such oddly short hours, since it is always packed for lunch. My very first day here at the paper about two years ago I was invited to this locale for lunch and tried salmon for the first time.