for drinks, we had whisk(e)y! i had a dram of my current favorite, Lagavulin 16. she had Basil Haydens.

For starters….persimmon, pomegranate and mint salad with burrata and pistachio aillade

lamb tartare with beluga lentils, avocado, green harissa and fenugreek yogurt

For our main courses… had to turn on the flash =X

braised beef short ribs with swiss chard, roasted cippolinis and horseradish cream

the pork chop was amaaaaaaaaaaaazing.

..way too stuffed to get dessert..

Overall, it was a great meal!

Cheers!

Link: Lucques

… and let her do the cooking….=X.. hahaha..

we had the “Modern Mix”…..

actually, I did help out with some of the cooking and made this star-shaped okonomiyaki….

we also had some fried chicken, takoyaki (my favorite), and some clam soup (yum!)

It was delicious, and always a treat. Until next time!

Link: Gaja

This place has been hyped up quite a bit, and you know what, it lived up to it. The food was unique and pretty damn tasty. I’ll be back…

Here’s what we ate…

in the foreground, we started with the brussels sprouts, pig ears, house-cured lardo, apple

 charred avocado, hen of the woods, whipped fish sauce, mushroom chicharrón

 sea bass, cream of dehydrated potato, black olive oil, lemon, caper

 spaghetti, giant squid, squash, hazelnut-ink pesto, piment d’espelette

 butternut squash risotto, chicken wings, egg yolk, toasted wild rice, aromatic broth

 berkshire pork, charcoal crust, macaroni and cheese, leeks

 veal cheek, red curry, nante carrots baked in salt, fried and sticky rice

 quail, beet juice, quince, hazelnuts, banyuls vinegar

 apple, crème caramel, burnt wood sabayon, walnut

 chocolate, coffee, spice

Link: Ink.

i started the night with one of their newest drinks, The Spanish Harlem – tanteo cocoa infused tequila, maraschino liqueur, agave nectar, chocolate-chili bitters.. though a bit too sweet for my tastes, it was still refreshing…

for food, we started on these biscuit things that had some eggs, cheese, and some of the most tender pieces of short ribs. truly yummy.

 some kind of panini with more short ribs. though this was edible, it was quite on the greasy and oily side. we still ate all of it. hahahaha.

 for some fiber, we had the local Apple and Pomegranate salad. it was ok, but forgettable.

for my second drink, I had The Lexington, which I was told, has been around since the place opened up. It’s comprised of earl-grey infused woodford reserve bourbon, honey, lemon juice, orange bitters…. also, refreshing.

For a main dish, we had their signature fried chicken, bacon-braised kale, smashed potatoes, and mustard sauce. FC thought it was the best fried chicken. I’m not sure if I could agree with that, but I did think it was better than KFC.

When it was time to get a third drink, I noticed not one drink  on their menu had scotch in it, so I played to the bartender’s creative side and requested that he create something on the spot… and he delivered this fine drink, which honestly, was better than the other drinks on their menu. When I asked what he’d call it, he hesitated before naming it “The Scottish Kick.” I’m not exactly sure what was in it, but it was good.

Supposedly their steak tartare is the “best in town.” I haven’t had it that often, so I can’t really say, but it was good.

Towards the end of our night, after hearing that I typically like drinking scotch neat, the bartender made me a final bespoke drink with a lot more oomph. I forget the ingredients, but it was all real good.

Overall, my experience at the Lexington Social House wasn’t mind-blowing, but it was still pretty good.. I’d give it a solid 3 and 1/2 stars (out of 5).

The only real downside is its location, it’s in Hollywood, douche capital of the world.. hahaha. Still, if I were in the area, I’d come back.

Link: Lexington Social House

So, I took it upon myself to introduce her to some of her people’s deliciousness, and also to satisfy a craving =)

Link: Furaibo

Famous steamed pork dumplings

Fact: The Hong Kong branch of this place was awarded 1 Michelin star in 2009.

Of course, we also had other stuff like…

Braised beef soup.

Pork and crab dumplings.

Shrimp Fried Rice.

Steamed pork glutinous rice dumpling, wrapped in bamboo leaf.

Pork and glutinous rice shiaomai.

Fried pork chop.

Some kind of appetizer.

Green melon and shrimp dumplings.

All of it was delicious and cheap, which leads me to the only downside of the place – the wait and the fact that they don’t take reservations. Oh well.

Link: Din Tai Fung

Perused the special St-Estèphe menu, that chef John Sendler resurrected for the month of September, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the birthplace of modern Southwest cuisine. Despite even the prices being the same as in 1981, we passed. We, or rather I and I dragged her along, intended to eat the pibil!

Started with one of my favorite drinks, Rivera’s classic Barbacoa with mezcal. The beef jerky in the drink never gets old. This time, I really appreciated the sliced bell peppers infused with the drink. Always tasty.

To start, we had the Choros al Vapor. mussels, chorizo, aji amarillo pisco broth. So good, I wish that they had offered us more bread to soak up the juices!

Rather than get another appetizer, we dug ourselves into the delicious black mess called duck enfrijolada. blue corn tortillas, black bean puree, chevre, red wine chile sauce. the duck was prepared and had the texture of carnitas.

Before the main even, I had the Oaxacan Piece Pipe. Chichicapa (this word caught my eye and was the reason why I ordered this, Ha!) mezcal, rye, black pepper, cumin syrup, dandelion and burdock bitters, grapefruit essence. This thing was strooooong. Good and strong.

and why we came here……. the Yucatecan Puerco Pibil. banana leaf-wrapped pork shoulder, braised sous-vide. I’d argue is Rivera’s best dish.

So good, we each had our own.

For dessert, we were intent on getting the Spanish Olive Oil cake. lemon extra-virgin cake, creme fraiche ice cream, strawberry sorbet, jerez vinegar reduction.

… and at the last minute, we got the baba cachaca. individual sponge cake soaked in brazilian rum syrup, dulce de leche, fresh citrico. Amazing; it was my first time having baba.

 A great dinner. I’m looking forward to coming again.

Link: Rivera

This particular Tuesday night, the theme was tomato…

amuse bouche was compressed watermellon with some kind of cheese on top.

for the first course..

l’insalata di  seppia. heirloom tomatoes, cuddle fish, bloody mary sorbet!

next…

 l’ippoglosso. olive oil poached halibut, tomato water, shellfish

the third course was gli agnolotti. tomato-ricotta agnolotti, pancetta, chile foam.

la trippa! tomato braised tripe, toasted ciabatta.

…and the final savory dish was…

il vitello. tomato crusted veal loin, sitting on top of balsamic onions, and surrounded by smoked tomato hollandaise.

finally, il dolce – tomato mosaic, white chocolate, basil gelato (so refreshing!).

Fun night.

Link: Drago Centro

Delicious.

Link: Wurstküche

Stopped by the West Los Angeles location.

Link: Zankou Chicken

This last time I went, I opted for the mushrooms instead of the sweet potato fries… These are still on my to-do list to learn to make.

i also had these grilled mission figs.. wrapped in jamon iberico and stuffed with cheese……

I made reservations for us to sit at the Kitchen Counter, giving us an up-close show of the action. It was fun to see the different chefs’ interactions with each other, as well as watch our meal and other patrons’ dishes being prepped and plated….

In the mood for Scotch, wet my lips on the Fujian cure.

..for starters, we had the Beef Tartare which was infused with chiles, onion, herbs, aromatic rice powder, while sitting on slices of pickled cucumber… this was clean, light, and as one could imagine by the list of ingredients, plenty flavorful.

next, came the soft shell crab, a relatively safe dish. This iteration was served with green mango, chile sambal, shallot lime gastrique, and peanuts. Emi picked this, but I think I ate most of it. hahaha.

As mentioned earlier, sitting at the counter afforded us the pleasure to watch the kitchen in action. Here, a couple of guys are preparing our Spicy Chicken Pops.

Spicy Chicken Pops were frenched drummettes, coated with a mixture of garlic, kecap manis, and spicy sichuan salt. This was without a doubt one of the favorites. Almost every table ordered this dish, and we saw the same two guys making it every time.

Another popular dish that was fun to watch being made was the whole steamed fish, in this case Seabass/Branzino, sitting on Taiwan spinach, topped with black bean ghee, and served with sambal ijo on the side. Though de-boning it was a bit cumbersome, this was one of my favorites of the night. There was a lot of flavor to process, and this dish really makes you appreciate the various provincial spices.

Half way through our fish, we were in the mood for more seafood, so we added the clams and enjoyed watching it being prepared with another table’s order.

Close up of our dish being plated.

Manila clams with nahm jim, thai basil, sausage, and lime leaf

And finally, we had the chiang mai curry noodles, a flavorful medley of chile, tumeric, lemon grass, chicken, prawn, yu choy, and rice noodles. I really appreciated the various textures and spices. It was robust and quite attractive, especially with that prawn emerging from the broth.

Near the end of our meal, we were offered Vietnamese coffee in either hot or cold form. If you couldn’t tell, we chose the latter. Hardly the best I’ve had, it was acceptable.

At the conclusion, we were presented these two complimentary desserts. I forget exactly what was in each, but on the left, in the shot glass was Vietnamese iced coffee pudding? with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, while on the right was some kind of sour mish mash over avocado puree and topped with banana sorbet. The combinations were unique and a fitting end to our visit to Lukshon.

The whole experience was fun. I’ll be back!

Link: Lukshon

Took her to one of my favorite restaurants, Drago Centro.

Quite famished and to make this reunion less complicated, we had Chef Celestino Drago’s latest tasting menu, which featured a variety of classic dishes with a twist (of course). It was a leisurely two and half hour dinner where we had a merry good time catching up.

For libations, I had the American Graffiti, a root-beer tasting concoction featured in the “New Classics” section of the Spring/Summer Cocktail menu and highly recommended by a couple of our servers. It was refreshing.

Shortly after, we were presented with amuse bouche (sausage croquette over romesco?)… and began our gastronomic journey…

The first course was a salad comprising of prosciutto, bocconcini mozzarella, and compressed melon. The sweet and savory combination was phenomenal.

The second dish came out in clear plastic baggies that required the server to cut open with scissors, indicating that it was cooked sous vide. On the plate, we were greeted with a healthy piece of white sea bass, mussels, clams, and baby vegetables. It was a very clean dish that left me wanting more. Even the juices from the seafood mixture lent itself to being enjoyed with the table bread. I savored it all to the last bite.

As the sun set, we experienced two of my favorite dishes of the night.

The first (third dish) was a trio of conchiglioni pasta stuffed with snails and coated with herbs, garlic, and brown butter. This was sinfully rich, and though it does not look like much, the portion was perfect.

Whenever I go to Italian places, the experience never feels complete without a taste of gnocchi, whether it be from my order or from a companion’s plate. So, it was to my delight that the fourth dish comprised of crunchy, pillow-soft pork belly, gnocchi, and fava beans in tomato cream. The meal could have ended here and I would have been content.

Anyways…

For the last savory course, we were presented with a perfectly-cooked medium rare lamb chop, panelle, and cipollini onion, over romesco sauce. It was a robust dish full of provincial flavors.

As the moon made an appearance over head, we capped this adventure with delicately ribboned chocolate pudding and rhubarb sorbet. Like everything else that preceded it, delicious.

C’est tout.

Link: Drago Centro

this particular dish was called Jade noodles…. i’m assuming because the noodles are green?…

the kickboxer made us come here to try this…. it was pretty good as well….

Cash Only!

Sapp Coffee Shop, 5183 Hollywood Blvd, 90027.

I haven’t had lobster like this in 10 years. The last time was at Gladstone’s while in college; I was seeing this irrational, but really cute Chinese girl. hahahaha….

Anyways, for this lunch, I did a quick Yelp search, and found this place in Encino….

Honestly, I really liked this place. The exterior and interior was a bit on the old and boring, but really, who cares, the food and service were spectacular! Our waiter was attentive without being pushy or annoying. It was a good experience.

Above is Delmonico’s signature Lobster – Whole lobster served with crab/shrimp mixture on top, and a side of random vegetables.

We had other things, and everything was delicious….even the bread.

The restaurant provided this plate with some garlic and sourdough bread. mMmMmMmm

In addition to lobster, my dining companion and I split the paella…it was okay. I’ve had better.

We concluded with this huge slice of tiramisu and capuccinos. Yum…

I noticed that during the lunch hour, the place was populated with a bunch of suits having business meetings as well.

I’d definitely come back…..Yea, that’s about it. Cheers!

Tip: They have valet service for $4, but metered street parking is easily found ($1/hour).

Link: Delmonico’s Steak and Lobster House

Link: Lawry’s

Looking back at old blog posts, I realize that it’s been a year and half since I’ve been back!

We were in the neighborhood for the Clippers game (vs. the Houston Rockets) at Staples Center, and needed to grab a bite to eat.. or rather, I was craving their signature Barbacoa drink >=)

Anyways, the mezcal-based drink included chipotle, bell pepper, ginger, and beef jerky! Sounds weird, but I guarantee that it is one of the most refreshing drinks ever…pardon the crap iphone pic…

as for food, we started with the piquillos rellenos…stuffed spanish peppers, chorizo, golden raisins, and gruyere. delicioso

remembering how tasty the yucatecan puerco pibil sous vide was, I suggested she order it…

wanting to try something new but also kind of wanting pork…  i chose the costa rican puerco from the samba menu… similar to PR girl’s dish, my hunk of kurobuta pork tenderloin was braised in coffee, and it was served in a sugar cane sauce….yummmmmm..

We skipped dessert to make our way to the game………..

Bonus:

Blake Griffin shooting a free throw!

Link: Rivera

..thank goodness for the 24 hour Restaurant at The Standard. From the “Overnight” menu, we ordered….

FRENCH FRIES!!!!!!

Kick-Ass Fried Chicken Bites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mac n Cheese!

Milk and Cookies!

and finally… grilled cheese with more french fries!

Link: The Standard

Link: Pho So 1

Being my first time, I really wanted to try something special. I was very curious about the tomato seafood ramen served with garlic bread, but alas, they didn’t have any for lunch time. So, I settled on the hakata ramen. I’m not going to lie, I was initially drawn to it as a second choice after reading on the menu that it was limited to 20 servings per day. Ha!

Arriving with a bit of an appetite, I made my order a combo, which added a side salad served with a grated daikon vinaigrette..

…and a small bowl of curry rice.

So, did I like it? Well….. it was okay. I definitely think the reviews that I read overhyped this place. Situated in Studio City, I expected prices to be a higher than the norm and even the taste to be different. The use of fried onions as a garnish to the soup, I think, detracted from the broth. It was unique, but it reminded me of the chinese egg noodle soups. Though I was pleased to find the pork belly slices to be generously cut, a big hunk of it was straight fat. On the plus side, the noodles were properly prepared – firm, slight chew. As for the sides, they weren’t memorable.

I would return and try something else, maybe get lucky, and be able to order that tomato seafood ramen.

Link: Ramen Jinya

I was actually looking forward to it. The place is known for their house margaritas. In fact, LA Weekly considered them the best in 2009, one year after opening up shop. And did it live up to the hype? Yes! It was refreshing, and had just the right amount of tequila. I’d definitely come back for drinks or happy hour, but for straight food, that’s another story….. 

Always on the look out for interesting items, I ordered the Lamb Shank Birria, which included a 21 oz braised lamb shank, served with pickled onions, rice, and corn, in some kind of chile broth. Presentation-wise, it was acceptable. Taste-wise, it was well, edible. There was no wow factor, and actually, left me a bit disappointed. Though the meat was tender and fell right off the bone, it did not appear that it was properly marinated. The trimmings weren’t very spectacular, as well. Oh well, lesson learned. I think I will stick to ordering Lamb shanks only at Persian restaurants.

I tried some of PR girl’s Enchiladas Rojas Sencillas, which was supposed to have included braised beef shortribs, but really, the meat was pretty dry, almost like carnitas. Did the chef fuck up and stuff it with the wrong meat? Or was it just overcooked? During this time, I had a nice margarita buzz going to really care. In hindsight though, the enchilada wasn’t very good. So, this will be another dish that I’ll never order again.

Eventually, we made it to the end of the meal, and satisfied our collective sweet tooth with some churros! In contrast to the rest of the meal, this was yum and I was actually pretty sad that I didn’t just skip the appetizers and entrees and go straight to dessert. But really, you can never go wrong with vanilla ice cream, chocolate, and fried, sugary dough.

Overall, the experience was acceptable. I might be back. We will see.

Link: Ortega 120

I ordered egg and pork toppings, not knowing that the regular already comes with half an egg and pork.. -_-

Link: Shin Sen Gumi Hakata Ramen

I ordered the Shio for both of us. She loved it.

#81 is my default order. It’s regular sized Shio Ramen + Egg + Pork Bowl.

Sinful. Delicious!

Link: Santouka

I got the el caldo…beef and vegetable soup. It was tasty and had that home-cooking aura. I really liked the corn tortillas that they make in-house; they’re thick and flavorful.

. forgive the crap iphone pictures.

tried some of the half chicken special. It was like a leaner El Pollo Loco.

I don’t eat Mexican food that much, but if I’m ever in the valley and want some, I come here. 

Carillo’s Mexican Deli. 19744 Sherman Way, Winnetka, CA 91306.

I want to say that last night was the first time that I had Indonesian food.  PR Girl picked the place. She did a good job. Stuff I tried……..

Nasi Bungkus. Rice with chicken curry, beef rendang, Balinese style egg, spiced potato w/ bits of chicken gizzard, and vegetable light curry. It came wrapped in a banana leaf. 

Chicken Satay…

 Es Cendol……

 Chicken with this tasty, spicy eggplant

 More fried chicken!

Otak Otak…fish cake….. it was good!

Kwe Tiau Sirem…Nooodles!!

Roti Bakar. Toast with Cheese, Condensed Milk, and Chocolate Sprinkles…………….. Interesting.

 Cheers!

Link: Simpang Asia

Link: Kushiyu

before being seated, sooj and i chilled at the bar and caught the end of both the Lakers vs Knicks and Clippers vs Cavaliers games…

wrapped my lips around the Penicillin (scotch, ginger, honey, lemon, spritz of islay scotch) and had a bit of the smoked trout rilletes, which was like a pâté that we spread across slices of their amazing bread.

when our table was ready……. we feasted.

started with the Burrata salad, which was served with brocolini, thin slices of bosc pear, hazelnuts, and colored with balsamic.. pretty refreshing. 

someone was grumpy.

Crispy Loup de Mer was a baked fillet of sole served over sunchokes, wild mushrooms, salsifi, and plated with bordelaise

tasty gnochetti sardi was served with a mushroom bolognese and the house made ricotta. yum.

the monkfish picatta is rightfully one of their signature dishes. it was delicious. the three fillets were served with various cauliflowers, raisins, almonds, and capers. rich.

penicillin number 2

to satisfy the sweet tooth… had the pistacchio crème brulée which was paired with an apricot sorbet and rosemary crumble.

we’ll be back………….. someday.

C’est tout!

Link: Fraiche

fried rice

hot and sour (tom yum) soup

Link: Red Corner Asia

… though a bit sweet, it was still tasty.

this place is known for kushiyaki.. here, i had asparagus, swordfish, chicken meatball, chicken with green onions…

…and gizzards….mmmmm

they also serve sushi. amaebi.

I’ll definitely be back. Cheers!

Link: Kushiyu

drago centro is one of my favorite downtown LA places. i love their smokehouse drink. anyways, ate a lot. tried new things.

amuse bouche

duck risotto. swiss chard, gorgonzola crème. SO flaavorful.

caciucco. spicy seafood broth, crostini

braised rabbit. gnocchi, fennel, carrots. in celebration of chinese new year =)

veal loin. speck, chick peas, parsnips

chocolate budino. walnut soil, banana chips, chantilly cream

apple cranberry crumble. vanilla ice cream

zabaglione semifreddo. tropical fruit. YUM!

mignardises.

c’est tout. will be back for sure!

Link: Drago Centro

cool ceiling.

i had the open-faced Bacaro Burger. Delicious!

hangar steak was kind of underwhelming.

Mr. VIP and the Muff Diver, MD

gnutella panini…. eh.

bread pudding…. yum

I’d come back if I were in the area.

Link: Bacaro

stories of massive feasts and gluttinous indulgences were true..

yumm..

instead, stuck to my default order.

I don’t normally go to Century City Mall, but if I did and had time to kill, say before watching a movie, I might be back.

Link: RockSugar

pr girl with her brazilian blowout

half way through my sausage, i realized the error of my ways. this is how to do it. order two sausages at a time.

ES.

jay-Z,  jay, and blue steel.

Link: Wurstküche

actually took this photo with my iphone. pretty clear, huh ?

Que Huong Vietnamese Cuisine, 7215 Reseda Blvd, Reseda, CA 91335.

Link: Belmont Cafe

We had some drinks at the bar, while our table was getting prepared.

Penicillin: Blended Scotch, ginger, honey, lemon, Laphroaig 10 year…
and Rumble: Rum, lemon, blueberries

When they were ready for us…

mac n cheese

beet salad

darth playing with new phone and kickboxer having a good time

darth’s filet mignon. it was ehh.

burger. mmmm.

darth’s sister. i don’t think she really liked the burger. she only had one bite and tossed the rest away.

oh well. i’d come back.

Link: Comme Ça

Link: Ayame

Anyways, since it was a Monday Night Football, they served these $1.50 tacos.

They were yum!

Link: Naja’s Place

I ordered the miso and added all sorts of toppings, like an egg and wonton. I also tried a bit of their spicy paste, as well. The noodles were different (not in a bad way) from what I’m used to. Nevertheless, I thought everything was pretty tasty.

I’ll be back.

Link: Mottainai Ramen

Top Row:
> Kartell Tati Table Lamp. Retails for $798. Found it on Amazon.com for cheaper, $765 (that includes shipping and no tax).
> Flos Gun Lamp designed by Philippe Starck. $948 at unicahome (free shipping and no tax).
> Marilyn Monroe 1 Print by Andy Warhol. Retails for $750 at Opus Art. Use ANDYW2 coupon code for 25% off.

Middle Row:
> Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair (LCW) in Ebony. Retails for $818. Amazon has it for $551 (free shipping and no tax).
> All Cone Bracelet by Eddie Borgo. Retails on the official site for $450.
> Bodum Chambord Coffee Press – 32oz. Amazon sells it for the cheapest, for $35.89 (free shipping and no tax).
> Converse Chuck Taylor by Cody Hudson. Aloha Rag is selling these shoes for $75.

Bottom Row:
> Alexander McQueen Skull Black Cushion by The Rug Company. Sells direct for $675.
> Martin Margiela Leather Traveling Bag. On sale at Aloha Rag for $995.
> The Selby Is In Your Place by Todd Selby. Amazon has it for $23.10

tried being seasonal, and had the goat cheese, persimmon and pistachio salad. fuyu persimmons, medjool dates, goat cheese, winter lettuces, golden balsamic vinaigrette, toasted pistachios. delicious.

..the merguez sausage, spinach, and feta pizza. huntington lamb merguez sausage, wilted spinach, roasted pepper harissa, feta, red onion. it was just okay.

still kind of hungry… got another pizza. this time a White Pie. creamy ricotta, mozarella, red onion, parmesan, torn basil, mama’s lil hot pickled peppers. this was tastier.

EA sad. hahahahaha.

i’m not really a pizza person, but this place was okay. i’d come back…. in a year or so.

Link: Pitfire Pizza

Link: Ugo

pig ears with yuzu pepper and tomatillo salsa from their daily special menu. friend described it as eating double bacon. they were crispy, yet pillowy. yum.

mushrooms from their standard menu. tasty as well.

Link: Father’s Office

started with the Truffle Beet Salad. pretty tasty. i’d get this again.

this time, i tried the Hatch and the Manly (pictured) burgers. Of the two, the Hatch was my favorite; it came with cheese and 4 types of green chiles to give it a little spice. The Manly burger, though tasty in its own right was a bit too salty for my taste. Oh well.

no burger is complete without some fries… and onion rings.

Cheers!

Link: Umami Burger

they serve good coffee too! i’ll be back.

Link: Gum Tree

Link: Bool BBQ

I read all of the mixed reviews of the place, with most complaints being about the size of the burger and the price point. And after experiencing the place myself, I fall into the cheer camp. Yay.

Honest to gawd, this place makes amazing burgers. We ordered 4 (2 signature Umamis, a Port & Stilton, and a Truffle) between us, and left the plates clean. I really appreciated each of the burgers. They were all unique tasting. I could go into more detail about the combinations, the bun:patty ratio, etc but then i’d start boring myself…. so, here are some pictures.

Close up of the Umami.

Dessert. The waiter called this the UFO. It was something in tempura and ice cream on the side. Satisfied the sweet tooth.

yum, yum, yum. i’ll definitely be back to try the other burgers.

Tip: lots of street parking.

Link: Umami

ddeokbokki

got these anchovie rolls to dip in the ddokbokki

dipped these fried mandus in the ddeokbokki also

sweetness. yum.

Link: School Food

our group was large enough to order two different kinds of paella, and have them served together.

Paella Marinera. Rice with saffron, calamari, mussels, clams, shrimp, small lobster tail, etc
Arròs Négre. Cuttlefish, calamari, baby shrimp and mussels cooked with rice and squid’s ink

paired the meal with a syrah and a cabernet sauvignon from the liquor store down the street. paid the corkage. also had some of the house sangria. yum.

hot and cold tapas.

Croquetas de Pollo. Fried chicken croquettes
Patatas Bravas. Fried potatoes tossed with spicy tomato sauce
Almejas Marinera. Steamed Manila clams with white wine
Gambas al Ajillo. Shrimp sauteed with garlic and chili pod
Jamón Serrano – doméstico. Slices of domestic salt-cured ham
Queso Manchego, en tacos. Small cubes of Spanish year old sheep cheese 

Caracoles al Ajillo. Snails sauteed with garlic and a touch of chili.

Tip: no valet service (thank God). lots of street parking.

Link: LA Paella

Steak Diane. Potato Purée, Cognac Green Peppercorn Sauce, Sautéed Mushrooms 

Warm Goat Cheese with Fig Compote. Crostini.

My new favorite dish here. Crisp Spiced Duck Breast, Braised Swiss Chard, Plum Sauce

To satisfy the sweet tooth. The Big Fig. Delicious, though a bit too sweet.

Link: The Tar Pit

turkey, canadian ham, bacon, avocado, swiss, cheddar, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, thousand island dressing, onions, and chopped pickles

this is the regular size. the jumbo is insane.

Link: Dan’s Super Subs

FREAKING YUM.

also had these…

soup wontons

onion pancake

Highly recommend getting the spicy peanuts also.

Sue’s Kitchem, 23918 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance, CA 90505

We ate well and had lots of laughs. It was fun.

Jar is known for the pot roast, but I wasn’t really in the mood for meat. Instead, I ordered the butter lettuce salad, the mussels, and the cream corn. Since we like to do things family style, i was able try a bit of the lamb shank, burrata, and fries. They were all pretty delicious.

Was way too stuffed for dessert.

Tip: Street Parking is available.

Link: Jar

Sesami Flavored Shrimp Tempura Udon

Link: Oumi Sasaya

german beer and german food.

not german, but still good.

We sat outside and missed most of this. We’re going to have to show up earlier next time to snah a table.

Link: Alpine Village

Link: Musha

Mini Mac. gruyere, cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan

Fries. spicy lemon salt, garlic aioli

Boston Bibb Salad. green goddess dressing, chervil

Gnocchi and Escargots. garlic, parsley, butter, olive oil

Duck Sliders. crisp duck confit, buttered soft roll, cointreau sauce

Fried Oysters. preserved lemon remoulade and crisp ginger

Pickeled Deviled Eggs.

Tip: Ditch the valet. Plenty of Street Parking.

Link: The Tar Pit

Our waitress recommended the lamb chops.

Link: Viva Madrid

saw foods other than burger and fries.

albacore.

figs.

lamb

can’t go to Father’s Office without eating the burger.

Link: Father’s Office

Meiji Tofu Temptation – four kinds of tofu served with sea urchin and truffle oil, lemon and olive oil, balsamic and salmon roe, and gochujang and black caviar.

takowasa – raw octopus and wasabi plant stalk

popcorn shrimp

kamo seiro udon – served with a warm duck broth

kamo seiro soba

close-up of the duck broth. it was actually pretty tasty.

C’est tout.

Link: Gonpachi

I ordered Mitch’s Scramble – eggs, mild green chile, and cream cheese. DELICIOUS!!!!!!
It came with hashbrowns and a couple of buttermilk pancakes…..

… also had some of Uncle Bill’s famous Potatoes Straganoff – potatoes, bacon, and melted cheese.. toppe with sour cream… mmmm.

Link: Uncle Bill’s Pancake House

I have a new name for SH. Other people call her Rin; I’m calling her Chucky’s Bride. Her meaness is that awesome.

Anyways, a bunch of us gathered to have one last summer dinner before Darth heads to the east coast for grad school. Because our party was larger than normal, we dined within the Assouline bookstore… had the room all to ourselves. They even had a white Goyard x Assouline case within spitting distance. You can see it in the above picture behind SH. Awesome.

so…. I started with the Squid….

Tried the Leek Risotto with poached egg, prosciutto, and croutons. It was mMMMm.

My main was the Pork Chop, which was surprisingly flavorful and not dry. Served with grain mustard potatoes, long beans, fried almonds, and an apple rosemary sauce, it was yum. The riesling worked well with this dish.

Finished with some panna cotta topped with mint and a rasberry consomme.

Misc….

Sooj brought her new beau, Rico Suave.. hahaha.

Madame started her own Jihad. Fun Times.

i learned a lot about women’s shoes. apparently, these are dior, jil sander, and nicholas kirkwood.

And then we called it a night…Bye Darth!

C’est tout.

Links:
Assouline
Bastide

Too caught up in the conversations and deliciousness to take photos of everything. So these two photos will have to suffice.

We had:
 roasted dates/parmesan/bacon (my favorite); peaches/burrata/cumin/almonds (salad); seabass/potato-gratin/tapenade; soft shell po’boy/cabbage slaw/paprika (pictured); hanger steak/roasted shallots/red wine butter; arroz negro with squid and saffron aioli (delicious); corn pudding/poblanos/queso fresco (pictured in back -YUM).

Apricot sorbet; tres leches cake with creme fraiche, strawberry compote and cajeta ice cream.

Link: AOC

..so, had to celebrate.

we ate and drank….a lot.. most of the dishes were paired with a different wine…

started off with a crab curry amuse bouche

cuddle fish salad

yellowtail made to look like tuna, using beets

then, octopus or squid….

black cod en croute

Quinn Hatfield plating food; we really had great seats.

braised pork

short ribs

finally, to satisfy the sweet tooth…. beignets and a crumbled pie

finished with cupcakes

in hindsight, having 8 kinds of wine swirling around in my stomache wasn’t such a good idea =X

Ah, C’est la vie.

Good company, good food and drink, good conversations, good atmosphere. A great dinner.

Cheers!

Link: Hatfield’s Restaurant

… which is why I eat out 85-90% of my meals..

Link: Mifune

Great selection of beers, as well.  I’m a fan of the Alaskan White and the hefeweizen.

I like this place. My dish was tasty, and it was the right portion size.

The madame’s cool clutch and sooj’s hand, wearing my ring.

See, we’re all a bit goth.

Link: Marmalade Cafe

I ordered the Chamorro, or Pork Shank. Crispy marinated pork shank served with red bean-chorizo chili and chipotle creamed spinach. It was huge and pretty delish.

Apparently, they’re also known for their fresh guacamole made table-side.

Overall, it was okay. Upscale? Maybe just the prices.

Link: Rosa Mexicano

Cooking Dinner Vol. I from William Hereford on Vimeo.

Started with chacuterie modena style, pickled vegetables, paired with a Sauvignon blanc from Venica & Venica, 2008 

For pasta, had the classic gnocchi amatricani, pecorino cheese, paired with a Dolcetto d’Alba from Sandrone (2008)

halibut, potato gnocchi, peas, asparagus, balsamic

For meat, roasted leg of lamb, rapini, garlic polenta, zucchini served with a Cabernet/Merlot blend from Maculan, 2008

For dessert, had a  chocolate torta caprese, milk sorbet with a moscato from Maculan, 2008. Forgot to take a picture. Oops.

Watched Roman Holiday.

Links:
Drago Centro
Roman Holiday

Link:
Shoubo Izakaya

My black cod with lima beans, mushrooms, and mussells

While waiting at the bar for our table to be ready…..
Waiter approached us and asked: “What would you like to drink?”
Starving SH: Can I get a steak?
Waiter: Would you like that in a smoothie?

hehehe. 

Squid, Cucumber, Fennel, Cranberry Beans, Chorizo Butter.

SH got her steak!

Madame’s Frisee…

Panna Cotta. Yum

The food was okay. Outdoor ambiance was pretty good. Service was spectacular. I’ll be back.

Link: Bastide

Royal Orchid. 21038 Victory Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 Tablespoons white miso (fermented soybean paste)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
• 1/4 cup sake
• 4 6-ounce black cod or sea bass fillets (each about 3/4 inch thick)

Start marinating the fish for this dish at least two hours before you plan to serve it.

Mix first 4 ingredients in shallow baking dish. Add fish and turn to coat. Cover dish tightly and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

Preheat broiler.

Remove fish from marinade. Broil until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side.

ordered way too much.

takowasa

hiyayakko

cheese eggroll

soboro don

hakata ramen

Takoyaki

Tempura Udon…. plus red chili powder.

baked green mussels…YUM

agedashi tofu

Yep, non sushi items are pretty good here as well.

Link: Sushi Ichiban Kan

Link: Crepemaker

it was delicious.

Link: Mitsuwa

Link: La Paz

Matsui, 21605 S Western Ave, Torrance, CA 90501

French Onion Soup, crouton, and farmer cheese. This was okay.

Caesar’s Salad made with hearts of romaine, sourdough croutons, and their Caesar dressing.

I came here on a whim to try something different. I’m glad I did. If I ever have a fling with a vegatarian, I’ll have another restaurant in my wooing arsenal. ha!

Link: Madeleine Bistro

Oh… for those not familiar with this drink, it’s an EXCELLENT hangover cure or preventer (if you drink it before your night on the town). One of these saved my life when I was in Tokyo.

I’m not sure if it will be a mainstay at Mitsuwa or is just part of the “House Fair.” In either case, at $15 for a 6-pack, I think I’ll go back to stock up. 

Links
Mitsuwa
House Foods

It was my first time here and I really liked the place. It was small and staffed by three women – had a true mom and pop feel. It reminded me of the trips I took with my pops to Alpine Village, where we’d pick up cold cuts and sauerkraut, and while waiting for our order, the nice people there would give me a wiener würstchen to hold me over..

I’ll be back here for sure. Cheers!

German Cold Cuts International, 6019 Topanga Canyon Blvd Ste C, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

I also had a savory crêpe. In this case, tomato, cheese, spinach, and sausage, served in a casserole dish. It was pretty rich.

Craving satisfied. Cheers!

Link: La Frite Café

Beverly Hills Diner, 474 N Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

With added commentary, stories, and really nice photos, they’re really more than just cookbooks.

Glimpsing inside the French Laundry – how to prepare foie gras.

His famous roast chicken inside Bouchon.

Ad Hoc at Home is good for bulk cooking.

Links:
Thomas Keller – French Laundry Cookbook
Thomas Keller – Bouchon Cookbook
Thomas Keller – The Complete Keller (includes both French Laundry and Bouchon Cookbooks)
Thomas Keller – Ad Hoc at Home

This time, I got a 6-piece thing of eel box sushi.

Link: Ichimi Ann

(were live) sweet shrimps

shrimp heads with some pozu… mMMm

Namesake, Shibuya House Roll. Americanized, tempura filled fatness. Guilty pleasure.

Salmon Skin Hand Roll. I really liked that they baked the salmon skin. Other lesser places would’ve fried it.

Other than the chefs, my friend and I were the only Asian people. Ha!

Shibuya, 4774 Park Granada, Ste 8B, Calabasas, CA 91302

Link: Sushi Ichiban Kan

cha dol is my favorite. i like dipping it in the salt.

towards the end of the meal, cooked some spicy calamari.

O Dae San. 2889 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90006

Link: Blue Table

Link: Dan’s Super Subs

Link: Ichimi Ann

Service is decent, ingredients are of high quality, and the bread is fresh. I’m getting hungry all over again.

Tip: Phone in your order to avoid a potentially long wait time.

Link: Caveretta’s Deli