Fried Rice That's 'Absolutely Phobulous'

What: Vietnamese food Where: Absolutely Phobulous in Encino and West Hollywood

Must Order: Jen's Shrimp Rice

The Verdict: Everyone has their choice for comfort food. Some people like a hearty soup when they're having a bad day; others take to mac 'n cheese. One of my favorite comfort foods is fried rice -- but it has to be done right. Whenever I go to Absolutely Phobulous I order Jen's Shrimp Rice. I don't know how they've managed to create such a delectable dish out of few basic ingredients. It's just fried rice with chopped carrots, peas, scrambled egg and plump shrimp (for only $8.50). But the execution is spectaular. It's savory, it's just salty enough and the amount of each ingredient is just right.

And, since you're already here, make sure you order the Soda Chanh ($2.50). A sweet, sparkling lemonade drink, it's a fun treat for yourself once in a while. Oh, and the Pho? You can never go wrong with a big bowl of it. My choices are either the beef combo or seafood. The beef ($7.50) is always sliced into tender, thin strips, and the seafood ($8.50) is fresh and generously heaped into the soup.

Get Old-Fashioned at Top Pot Doughnuts

What: Doughnuts, pastries, coffee and tea

Where: Top Pot Doughnuts in downtown Seattle, WA.

Must Order: Old fashioned doughnuts, including glazed and pumpkin; ovaltine latte

The Verdict: So what? They're just doughnuts. Ah, but often, it's the simpler foods that catch our eye. Certainly, unusual foods pique my interest, but when I hear about an ordinary dish that's served up in a memorable way, I do a double-take.

You may have heard of Top Pot Doughnuts in the news recently; President Barack Obama stopped by in October and treated himself (and, I assume, his sizable entourage) to a few dozen doughnuts. The friendly staff at Top Pot revealed that the president himself enjoyed the Pumpkin Old-Fashioned Doughnut. That, indeed, was one of the establishment's better doughnuts, but my personal favorite was Old-Fashioned Glazed. It was simple, it was sweet and best of all, it packed that ever so slight resistance when I bit down.

Sweet treats aside, another must-order is the Ovaltine Latte. I'm a big fan of both hot chocolate (when it's made correctly) and lattes. Top Pot fuses them together with this drink. With the sweetness of the chocolate and the kick of the coffee, you get the best of both worlds in this velvety drink.