LEBANESE

Carnival
4356 Woodman Ave, Van Nuys

Cost for four (before tip): $54.90

This was a really disappointing meal. The service was lousy, the hummus and shawarma were bland. The freshly fried felafel were yummy, but overall it didn't come close to the food of the nearby Pita Kitchen. Do yourself a favour and go there instead.

"SCOTTISH"

Tam O'Shanter Inn
2980 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90039

Cost for 5 (before tip): $131.50

This was the most expensive establishment we've visited so far on this gustatory adventure, and also one of the most disappointing. Most of us found the food very ordinary. It certainly wasn't Scottish, just regular American food, which made it surprising that there were no vegetarian options. Nor were there any child-sized portions, so at $30 for a steak, our guest Aussie Gringa elected to share with Broadway Baby (formerly known as Lava Girl).

Dr. Drool: Simply mediocre. If I wanted bland food I could eat at Coco's. Overpriced and undercooked.

Peg Leg Scooty: Bad smell, bad food.

Aussie Gringa: The steak was good, but the veggies weren't. The decor was a bit over the top, but the company was great!

Broadway Baby: I loved the staff's outfits, and liked the restaurant itself; it had the look of the seven dwarves' house. The bathrooms had a lot of flowers and a makeup center. My steak was phenomenal.

BonzaMum: I wasn't prepared to pay $22 for tilapia, so I elected to just have steamed veggies. Sadly I still had to pay $16 for that!! Ack!

We spoke with friends the next day who are familiar with this establishment; they told us that the hand made potato chips at the bar are the only things worth eating.

BRITISH

Buchanan Arms
2013 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank, CA 91506

Cost for 4 (before tip): $78.13

BonzaMum: The open plan dining room was far from empty, but was not at all noisy. I appreciated that. My dinner of fish and chips was delicious -- the batter was light and not greasy, the fish delicate, though the chips could have been cooked a little longer (I've developed the American preference for crisper, rather than softer, chips.) All in all, a satisfying overload of carbs and fat. If you want comfort food and don't care about calories, this is the place to go.

Peg Leg Scooty: The cockaleekie soup was really really really really good. As for the shepherd's pie, it was good but not special. It tasted just like what it was: ground beef, mashed potatoes and cheese. There was no way I could get through it all, not because I was full, but just because I got bored with it.

Dr. Drool: Generous portions, delicious food. Battered, deep fried zucchini ... what's not to love?

Lava Girl: I loved it all. The soup was awesome, and so was the steak and mushroom pie. The crust was delicious, and the vegetables and chips were not overdone; they were just right. I thought I didn't like apple crumble but really loved this dessert too. The bathrooms were clean.

CREOLE/CAJUN/SOUTHERN

Les Sisters Southern Kitchen
21818 Devonshire St, Chatsworth, CA 91311

Cost for 4 (before tip): $61.38

This is a basic no-frills shopfront restaurant. Drinks are served in mason jars, and a commercial smooth jazz radio station provides the background music.

The three omnivores in the family all chose the same meal -- ribs -- and really enjoyed them. Unsurprisingly, there was not much for the lone vegetarian to eat beside side dishes.

Dr Drool: Not much to the ambiance or presentation but the rib dinner was everything a Southern rib dinner should be. The ribs were meaty but a bit bland; they could have had more kick. The best candied yams I've had outside the south.

Peg Leg Scooty: Great hush puppies, but bad smooth jazz music. Overall: YUMMY.

LavaGirl: I really liked the ribs and hush puppies, but the bathroom smelled like a port-a-potty.

BonzaMum: I didn't go in with high expectations, so I was not too disappointed. The salad was sad -- browned iceberg lettuce and a few thick slices of bitter cucumber. The red bean and rice were fine but uninteresting, while the collard greens had a good texture but I didn't care for the flavour. This is not a restaurant I'd go back to.

CUBAN

Guantanamera
916 W Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506

Cost for 4 (before tip): $66.02

We ordered:
Empanadas (beef and chicken)
Papas rellenas con picadillo (mashed potato balls stuffed with ground beef)
Sopa de frijoles colorados (red bean soup w/sausage, bacon, squash and potatoes)
Bisteck de palomilla en su Jugo (top sirloin steak)
Congris (black beans and rice)
Plantanos maduros fritos (friend sweet plantains)
Vegetales mixtos

Dr. Drool: Very nice decor in the Cuban flavor. Dinner was very tasty! Nice live violin and cuban muzak. Service was pleasant but slow, and my chair was uncomfortable. 7+.

Peg Leg Scooty: The empanadas were great, and the sauce was amazing. All the meat dishes were really good. Bathroom was fine. The new Indiana Jones movie is awful. 7.5 out of 10.

LavaGirl: Live music was A+. The bread was lovely. The bathroom was big and had a Spanish rose. The chairs were big and comfy. Excellent steak, beans and rice. I loved the chocolate icecream with hot fudge sauce. 9 out of 10.

BonzaMum: Well, the carnivores in the family were very impressed, but this vegetarian was not. The vego options were paltry. The yucca was odd, the steamed veggies were swimming in butter, and the black beans were plain. The only thing I loved was the sweet plantains, and the live music (electric violin, not too loud). 6 out of 10.

ETHIOPIAN

Nyala
1076 South Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90019

Cost (for 4) before tip $67.43

Oh my, has it been a year since our last review? That speaks volumes about our family's finances in the last 12 months. But last night we celebrated new jobs with a new (to us) gastronomical experience. And we gave it the thumbs up.

All food (except dessert) at Nyala is eaten with the fingers, scooped up in a crepe-like, spongy, sourdough bread called injera. We chose the meat sampler, the vegetarian sampler, Shrimp Tibs, and Doro Tibs. It was all served on one platter and we dug in.

Dr. Drool:
Great decor, bright and colorful paintings, large window with good sunlight. Good music, and a large inviting room. The meat dishes were wonderful, very good tastes and quite different from each other. The cold spongy bread was a bit off putting. Desserts were a disappointment, Italian ice cream and Greek pastry? Nothing African?? 7.5 out of 10.

BonzaMum:
I thought the injera had an odd texture and I didn't really like having to have a mouthful of bread with every taste of lentils and veggies. I would have appreciated another method of transporting the food to my mouth. A spoon, maybe? I don't mean to sound horribly western -- hey, I use chopsticks -- I just didn't really want 50% of my meal to be spongy bread. But that aside, the vegetarian dishes were very tasty. 7 out of 10.

PegLeg Scooty:
Welcoming interior and a nice, helpful waitress. The meat dishes were very good, but they were not spicy enough for me. I asked for more spice, which was great, and they let me take some home. The bathroom was nice except for the fact that there was a window that anyone walking in the alley could see into. The dessert (baklava) was amazing but I have never had this dish before so it could be just as good anywhere else. 8 out of 10.

LavaGirl:
They should serve decaf coffee, because I'm not allowed to drink caffeine and I wanted to enjoy the coffee ceremony. I thought the music was nice, and the place smelled good. Stevie Wonder likes it there (his signed photo was on the wall). The waitress was not focused because she was talking with her friends at the bar. But the food was delicious, and so was the tea. I liked the spices in both. And the BAKLAVA was great. 9.5 out of 10.

INDIAN

India's Tandoori
19006 Ventura Boulevard, Tarzana CA 91356

Cost for 4 (before tip) $42.15

Overall: Clean, quiet, delicious.

Lava Girl: I got the Lamb Biryani. This was my favorite food EVER!

Peg Leg Scooty and Bonza Mum: We shared the Dil-e-Baha Vegetarian combination bargain dinner. It was all delicious, especially the Saag Paneer.

Dr Drool: I got the Tandoori Chicken combination bargain dinner, and was disappointed with the chicken itself. It was all dark meat, and a bit tough. I've had much better elsewhere. But the side dishes were good, and I liked Lava Girl's lamb!