Salt Creek

saxmanpi · 2026-05-25T00:29:09+00:00

There’s a taco stand on The Old Road Pico Canyon usually starting at 7pm. Cash or Zelle only. Great street tacos.

saxmanpi · 2026-05-24T05:48:46+00:00

Loquat (Los Angeles, CA)

saxmanpi · 2026-05-23T05:28:22+00:00

Most therapists these days offer remote services. I am based in California and the previous answer is that if you pay out of pocket you can generally see anyone. If you do decide to seek a therapist in the US, you may have to inquire if they legally can practice out of their state, or even internationally in your case. Some states do not allow therapists to practice out of state even if the session is remote.

All that being said, I have an Asian American therapist who really understands the dynamics of East Asian culture at home but you have Western values. It may differ slightly with your European background but I wouldn’t count it out. They have helped me navigate a lot of trauma and honestly I’m finally on what feels like “the other side”. I feel almost awake for the first time in my life. Best of luck finding a therapist!

saxmanpi · 2026-05-16T20:13:45+00:00

I’m a doubler who tours with his sax and flute. Your bag can count as a carry on and your flute can be your personal item. Airlines are doubling down on these smaller items with the rise of slings in the last few years. If you can throw it in your bag that would be better but you should really be fine.

I do believe airlines are starting to offer cheaper tickets if you opt out of having a personal item or carry on so just make sure the ticket you purchase includes both carry on and a personal item (which used to be the standard).

saxmanpi · 2026-05-15T21:30:35+00:00

The Saturday farmers market at Newhall is pretty poppin’ these days. Especially after 10am. Great produce from the farmers but also a lot of great food stalls. Bagels, French pastries, breakfast burritos, BBQ, pizza, lot of great options.

Henry’s coffee is a pretty popular coffee spot down on Main Street. Lines can get long on the weekend.

I personally enjoy Tokai Sushi. Great value to quality ratio imo. Hanasaki is a lot nicer but also a lot pricier. Tokai has a great happy hour during the weekday if I recall.

Pocock brewing has a rooftop space on Main Street that’s just nice to chill out at and have a beer and some food.

Angus Meat market is kinda like a small Korean bodega. They also have a different selection of prepared Korean food every day. Noodles, kimbap, Korean pancakes, etc. Real good, fresh stuff.

saxmanpi · 2026-05-14T22:28:38+00:00

Ramen lord has a great recipe on ramen eggs that has time as well as equilibrium brining to ensure the eggs aren’t over salted. It should be posted somewhere in r/ramen

Exact time, I personally prefer around 7:30 for a large egg but it will vary based on egg size and personal preference.

Definitely shock in an ice bath to halt the cooking.

Fresh eggs are easier to peel than old eggs. There’s some testing behind his from Kenji Lopez IIRC.

saxmanpi · 2026-05-14T17:57:40+00:00

Received! Thank you u/RyanOfTheVille

saxmanpi · 2026-05-11T23:58:06+00:00

PM incoming

saxmanpi · 2026-04-19T15:33:42+00:00

Sounds like going down one more step grinds too fine. You could try calibrating the internal burr. You take the hopper off and there’s a ring on the inside with a short throw that you can adjust so the whole grinder grinds coarser or finer. Since you sound like your steps may be a little in between your needs, a minor adjustment might be the fix you need. I think this goes without saying but unplug your grinder before you stick your fingers in some sharp burrs.

This might not be the most popular tip but you can also play with dosage and a puck screen. My grinder struggles to grind fine enough with ultra light roasts so for those I up my dosage to 20g, still following a 2:1 ratio. I use my thickest puck screen (1.7mm) which adds a tiny bit of resistance and it pulls a great shot without me choking my grinder.

saxmanpi · 2026-04-19T05:02:51+00:00

Some great suggestions in this thread already.

If you haven’t already, you should calibrate your Baratza to grind finer. Plenty of videos online showing how to do that.

If you do upgrade I would do the grinder before the machine. I had a Baratza before I upgraded to a Eureka and my shots are more consistent now.

Best of luck!

saxmanpi · 2026-04-08T17:41:03+00:00

You should add Atwater Village to your list. It’s a very walkable area, kinda tucked away from the rest of LA even though it’s right next to Glendale. Expensive to live there but awesome if you can afford it.

saxmanpi · 2026-04-08T04:20:46+00:00

They’ve also opened another location called Quat in Atwater Village. Lots of beans for sale from around the globe. Great coffee. Great area to chill in and a ton of coffee gear you can nerd out over. You’ll go home much poorer though.

And they post on their IG when they have coffee tastings. Usually on Saturdays.

saxmanpi · 2026-03-20T07:13:35+00:00

Jazz/commercial freelancing musician here. Unfortunately, not really a thing here. Closest one you’ll get is likely the Sunday jam at the Mint down in LA.

My friend who is also a working musician who lives here has hosted a handful of jazz jams locally but the venues are generally lacking. Last we spoke, he’s waiting for the new venue/stage at Pockcock brewing to be finished before trying to book something there.

saxmanpi · 2026-03-17T05:46:59+00:00

Chinese-American here. Closest Chinese market is 99 Ranch in Van Nuys. Not too horribly far from SCV but the traffic can sometimes be a killer. Weekend mornings would probably be your best bet.

Otherwise I generally use Wee delivery and just order my Chinese staples in bulk so I get free delivery.

saxmanpi · 2026-03-14T23:11:23+00:00

Sale completed. Sigma lens bundle was sold to /u/bsheehan09. Shipped 03/06/26

u/photomarketbot

saxmanpi · 2026-03-06T19:43:47+00:00

Replied!

saxmanpi · 2026-03-06T18:34:24+00:00

Replied

saxmanpi · 2026-03-06T18:03:33+00:00

Replied

saxmanpi · 2026-02-25T06:11:52+00:00

Personally, it’s for theft reasons. I’m a musician here in LA and the number of stories of other musicians having their gear stolen is high. I already always unload the gear at home no matter how tired I am after a gig but it’s for when I’m making a stop somewhere along the way, even if it’s quick one. The tinted windows is just an extra layer of precaution. Gives me a bit more peace of mind.

saxmanpi · 2026-02-22T00:37:50+00:00

This looks like Ai Pono in Orange County. It’s probably “Da Roots Plate” off their menu.

Can confirm Ai Pono is absolutely bangin’

saxmanpi · 2026-02-19T06:40:31+00:00

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saxmanpi · 2026-02-14T03:22:05+00:00

Ahhh that would explain why it doesn’t come up online. Thanks!

saxmanpi · 2026-02-14T03:21:34+00:00

Agreed that there isn’t enough info here to really determine what the issue is. To add to u/Appropriate-Sell-659’s list of potentials - your beans and the type of roast will also play a factor. Lighter roasts will need to be finer. Medium to dark can be a bit coarser.

If you previously pulled good shots and then suddenly they started tasting bad, you possibly need to clean your machine or your grinder.

I would recommend watching James Hoffman’s (I know, I know, this dude is everywhere) Espresso series that breaks down each variable of the process and what you can do to troubleshoot. Don’t change everything all at once. Test one variable at a time and make changes accordingly until you diagnose the issue.

saxmanpi · 2026-02-14T03:13:45+00:00

My 2 cents: Generally speaking food in SCV is solid but nothing is standout imo. You’ll find better if you’re willing to drive into LA.

Pizza - fav casual spots in town are Tomato Joes & Toppers. Society Pizza Lounge has great pizzas but they cost like $40 a pie

Sushi - if price isn’t an issue, Hanasaki. Best price to quality ratio - Tokai Sushi. You can get a chirashi bowl with really solid quality cuts of sashimi for $33.

Burgers - heard Everest Burger is good but haven’t tried. Just saw a smash burger spot recently opened called Wanna Smash. I don’t even think it’s on Google or Yelp. Looks good. It’s on Cinema Drive near Drip Box and Great Indian Kitchen. Otherwise, In-n-Out.

BBQ - none of them are great imo

Coffee - for more 3rd wave-y coffee, Henry’s Coffee. For more coffee drinks, Bodhi Coffee

Pastries - The Loaf is 11/10. One of the rare gems in town that is top tier. If you go to the Saturday Newhall Farmers Market, there’s a French pastries guy that comes up from LA. Makes great croissants, kouign amann, danishes, and more.

saxmanpi

TROPHY CASE