Brent’s Deli

went in to Brent's yesterday, got the soup/sandwich combo with matzoh ball and corned beef. Now I have had good meals at Brent's, and I know they're widely beloved here. but what's the deal with the matzoh ball soup? the soup tastes like it comes from a can – the broth tastes very lightly of salt and not much else, the chicken is tough, and the noodles so soft they sort of mush in your mouth. the matzoh ball is of the mushy kind – not my favorite, but it's a legitimate style. I'm just kind of surprised how lackluster it was given how much praise I see for brents and for this soup in particular. granted I haven't had many truly great matzoh balls at LA restaurants, but even Canter's has a matzoh ball that makes this one look like a school cafeteria lunch.

the corned beef was actually really solid, no notes there, perfect texture and pretty good flavor. but wow I was surprised by that soup.