For starters, every table gets a small bowl of boiled peanuts.....

Autumn Squash Salad, with heirloom farmer's market tomatoes, melons and goat cheese.....

Regular Dinner Salad mixed with Sundried Tomatoes and melons....

Herb Roasted Pork Chop, with baby arugula, Asian pear, Stilton cheese, pinenuts, fingerling potatoes and apricot vinaigrette.....

Grilled Mahi Mahi on a bed of pan fried Lentils.....

Organic Half Chicken Roast, with creamy barley "risotto," spring peas, morels and green garlic.....

Dessert - Vanilla Bean Ice-cream with summer peaches.....

The dinner costs around US$30 per person, including service charge. Overall, this is a nice bistro admist the bland surroundings.

"Bib Gourmand" Dim Sum - mentioned in the Michelin Guide 2009, Elite Restaurant is perhaps the only Chinese restaurant in L.A. serving consistent quality dim sum for a few years straight, and has not changed ownership (yet). Everything is fresh, beautifully crafted, with subtle twists in garnishes or ingredients that make us happy. Steamed spareribs with black beans and chile are delicious, the nuggets of pork on the bone sweet and tender, adorned only with a few black beans and small doses of spicy red and green chile. 'Shiu mai' are a mouth watering mix of roughly chopped shrimp and pork stuffed into a thin wrapper, with a crowning touch of a dab of orange roe. The shrimp in the 'har gow' are pink and meaty, steamed just enough to give them a satisfying soft crunch when you bite into them. The soupy 'giant dumpling' as a single serving in a small bowl is the most satisfying dish of dim sum.

The server mixing the melted cheese and ingredients for the first course - "Alp and Dell Cheese Fondue"

The mixture consists of a combination of white wine, garlic, whole grain mustard and nutmeg, with a smooth blend of Gruyère, Raclette and Fontina cheeses.....

The Second Course is the "Alpine Ridge Salad", which is mixed greens topped with oven roasted tomatoes, Gruyère, Raclette and Fontina cheeses, hard-boiled eggs and honey roasted almonds, mixed with a shallot vinaigrette. No photos here because the salad arrangement looked quite basic, have to rely on your own imagination. The Third Course is the "Fondue Feast", a plateful of Filet Mignon, Sauerbraten NY Strip, Applewood Smoked Bratwurst, Hefeweizen Marinated Shrimp, Roasted Garlic Crusted Chicken, Sun Dried Tomato Ravioli and Fresh Vegetables.....

Soupy mixture of fresh herbs, mushrooms, garlic, spices and burgundy wine.....

Ravioli and Shrimp in action.....

For dessert, Dippers - strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, Rice Krispies, marshmallows, pound cake and brownies.....

"Yin & Yang" - Half dark chocolate and half whitechocolate, artfully swirled for a perfect balance, so delicious.....

The final tab came out to US$59.25 ($109.25 minus $50) for two, which is quite reasonable, considering the sumptuous dessert with the delicious dark and white chocolate fondue. I'd gladly try this again if I can get another $50 discount coupon!

Umami - is a loanword from Japanese meaning "flavor" or "taste". Umami Burger would mean savoury meaty taste. This burger joint sits within a stretch of plain-strip-mall space on La Brea Boulevard just a little south of Wilshire, where you will find a mix-match of mom and pop restaurants and small shops. The inside of Umami Burger is small and pretty well-designed. As you may notice the interior has some Asian influences. The former space was occupied by an Asian fusion food restaurant serving Korean tacos.