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Archive for September 2014

In the Magic Garden

Sep29

Hedonists know how to do house parties right.


Tonight’s affair is creol food at Lana’s house, which has been host to a number of events in the past. She has a magical garden full on Beverly Hills style that makes for a peerless setting. The chef was Guy DuPlantier III of Crazy Creole Catering.


And, the human pigs are supervised by the Cinghiale.

NOTE: I’m just going to break the wines down into white (with appetizers), red (with mains) and dessert. The format was free-for-all.

1999 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Cuvée Palmes d’Or. IWC 90. Vivid gold. Peach, orange zest and gingerbread on the pungent, smoky nose and in the mouth. Lush and expansive, offering very good depth and power and picking up exotic toffeed apple and marzipan nuances with aeration. Closes sappy and long, with resonating spice and orange notes and a touch of candied fig.


NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Blanc de Blancs.


From my cellar: 1994 Robert Ampeau & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. 90 points. Nicely aged white Burgundy with notes of butterscotch and citrus. It started promisingly but faltered pretty quickly in the mouth, dissolving into a dry, pithy finish.


2006 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons. Burghound 91. The nose reflects only modest aromatic development on the notably ripe, spicy and intensely floral nose that introduces strikingly intense and sappy flavors that are supple and textured yet the finish tightens up very quickly and possess a lovely sense of underlying tension on the palate staining finish. This is impressively long and possesses good if not truly class Chablis character. To my taste this is nearing the front edge of its peak drinkability though it will be capable of holding here for years to come.


1997 Domaine de la Fontainerie Vouvray Sec. 92 points. Dark golden yellow. Honey, apricot and cognac on the nose. Distinct acidity and a well defined wine. Dried stonefruits on the aftertaste.



2007 Sine Qua Non Body & Soul. IWC 94. Vivid gold color. More energetic than the previous wine, with zesty aromas of Meyer lemon, pear skin and grapefruit pith complemented by deeper notes of peach pit and yellow rose. Juicy and finely etched, with the palate displaying sweet orchard and pit fruit flavors and a strong note of grapefruit pith. Strikingly pure, lively and incisive on the finish, which clings with excellent juicy persistence.


Shrimp cocktail. With a bit of spicy aioli.


Baby back rib. Totally awesome. This was about as tender and flavorful as ribs get — which is pretty darn tender and flavorful.


Catfish Po’ boy. Not bad, but a little dry.


1997 Fernand Lécheneaut et Fils (Philippe et Vincent) Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles. 89 points. Drinking nicely but mature.


From my cellar: 1998 Dominique Laurent Bonnes Mares. IWC 93-96. Full red-ruby. Ineffable nose features briary black cherry, iodine, licorice, caramel and smoke. A wine of incredible sweetness and thrust; profoundly deep, sharply delineated and finishing with superb grip. The aftertaste mounts and lingers for nearly a minute. I’m sure there’s great underlying tannic structure, but I was too entranced by this wine’s fruit to notice.


2000 Marcassin Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard. IWC 94. Reticent but complex nose combines smoke, apricot and menthol. Sappy and rather powerful in the mouth without coming across as phenolic. Strong flavor of baking spices. Rather dominated today by its structure, but this also possesses lovely sweetness of fruit. A less exotic style of chardonnay than the Upper Barn.


2002 The 50 by 50.


Casa Vinicola Botter Gran Passione Rosso Veneto IGT.


2008 Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Superiore. AG 95. The 2008 Guado al Tasso is once again fabulous. In fact, it may be Tuscany’s most improved wine over the last few years. Firm, vibrant tannins support expressive layers of dark fruit, plums, cherries, sage, espresso and mocha. The wine shows fabulous detail and nuance in a translucent, totally seductive style, with tons of focus, drive and verve. It is a striking wine that will be a joy to follow over the coming years. Guado al Tasso is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.


2000 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Conteisa. AG 95. The 2000 Conteisa is one of the most positive surprises in this tasting. The wine is positively explosive, with marvelous balance and richness in its generous, radiant fruit. The 2000 is a terrific Conteisa.


1990 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn. AG 97. The 1990 Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn opens with a wonderfully expressive, floral bouquet that leads to a finely-knot core of ripe red fruits, sweet tobacco and spices. Here the warmth and generosity of the vintage offer superb balance and fleshiness to the wine’s sculpted, well-articulated aromas and flavors. The wine’s overall sense of harmony is spectacular.

agavin: Most of us (including me) thought this was the wine of the night.


1988 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. 91 points. This shows wonderful development in contrast to the younger Amarone. Full of funghi with leafy, compsty nuances that build on the agelica root spiciness. Hints of cigarette tobacco and powdered sugar add depth. This is still big and rich in the mouth with excellent balance, full of red fruits and a hint of apply sweetness across the midpalate and leading to a clean, long finish.


1970 Faustino Rioja I Gran Reserva. 91 points. Brick colored. Barnyard, but delicious.


2006 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto. Parker 99. I can still remember nearly falling out of my chair the first time I tasted the 2006 Masseto (100% Merlot) from barrel. The wine is now in bottle, and it is every bit as monumental as I had hoped. The wine possesses staggering richness in a style that perfectly captures the essence of this great Tuscan vintage. Black cherries, flowers, licorice and sweet toasted oak are just some of the nuances that emerge from the 2006 Masseto. A wine of breathtaking depth, it also reveals superb clarity, freshness and vibrancy in a sumptuous, beautifully-balanced style. Simply put, the 2006 Masseto is a masterpiece from Tenuta dell’ Ornellaia. According to Agronomist/General Manager Leonardo Raspini the dryness of the vintage slowed down the maturation of the sugars, leaving the wine with an unusually high level of acidity, and therefore freshness, considering its overall ripeness.


2009 Smith-Haut-Lafitte. Parker 100. The finest wine ever made by proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard, the 2009 Smith-Haut-Lafitte exhibits an opaque blue/purple color in addition to a glorious nose of acacia flowers, licorice, charcoal, blueberries, black raspberries, lead pencil shavings and incense. This massive, extraordinarily rich, unctuously textured wine may be the most concentrated effort produced to date, although the 2000, 2005 and 2010 are nearly as prodigious. A gorgeous expression of Pessac-Leognan with sweet tannin, emerging charm and delicacy, and considerable power, depth, richness and authority, it should age effortlessly for 30-40+ years. Bravo!


2003 Gruaud Larose. Parker 88. The 2003 Gruaud Larose’s dark plum/garnet color is followed by sweet aromas of damp earth, forest floor, herbs, espresso roast, cassis, licorice, and plums. Medium-bodied as well as surprisingly up-front and precocious, it possesses sweet tannin, very nice concentration, and loads of earthy/herbal characteristics intermixed with black fruits, and an attractive, but supple, evolved finish. Drink it over the next 12-15 years. It does not rank alongside the top St.-Juliens.


1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 87. Readers looking for soft, immediately appealing Cabernet Sauvignons with some of the Montelena personality should check out the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga Cuvee. Dark ruby/purple-colored, with sweet tannin, and black currant/cassis fruit, this lush, expansive, tasty, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon should drink well for another decade. This wine has an uncanny aging potential, and is powerful, but its lack of barrel and malolactic fermentation gives it a refreshing, zesty, Chablis-like personality.


2011 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 85. The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a lighter ruby color as well as more diluted aromatics, and a pleasant, short, round mouthfeel that tails off. There is no herbaceous or vegetal character, but the wine reveals the vintage’s lack of intensity. Drink it over the next 5-7 years.


2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary. 91 points. Dark berry nose, rich, deep, cherry/fruit bomb, satin, easy to drink. 14.6% alc. Nice effort.



2005 K Vintners Charles Smith The Skull Syrah. Parker 98. The 2005 Syrah The Skull comes from a different section of the Royal Slope. If it is possible, the wine is a bit more structured and powerful. It needs 8-10 years of cellaring and will be at its best from 2017 to 2035.


2003 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard. Parker 96. Absolutely superb, this 2003 is drinking beautifully. This blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot from the famous hillside Eisele Vineyard in northeast Napa Valley tips the scales at 14.5% natural alcohol. Gorgeously fresh black currant and black raspberry notes intermixed with spring flowers and forest floor jump from the glass from one of the most aromatically complex wines of the vintage. Medium to full-bodied with sweet fruit, velvety, melted, integrated tannin, a round, generous mouthfeel and no evidence of oak, this is a classy, elegant as well as substantial beauty that continues to age well. It may even be superior to Araujo’s 2002, which, on paper, is a better vintage. The seductive, alluring 2003 should remain at this level for another 5-8 years, but there is no reason to defer your gratification. Bravo!




Fortunate Son Cabernet Sauvignon. All those pictures I still can’t find a vintage. So I won’t look it up — but people really enjoyed it.


2009 Colgin IX Syrah Estate. Parker 95. I could have sworn the 2009 IX Estate Syrah had some Viognier in it, but all of these wines are 100% Syrah. Flowery, peppery, blackberry and bacon aromas reminiscent of a Cote Rotie jump from the glass. However, once in the mouth, the masculinity, power, awesome richness and incredible texture come forward. This killer Syrah should drink well for 20 or more years.



1998 Kongsgaard Syrah Hudson Vineyard. Parker 92. There are about 200 cases of the opaque black/purple-colored 1998 Syrah Hudson Vineyard. As John Kongsgaard said, it was made from “stupidly low yields.” The wine is tight in the mouth, but reveals tremendous stuffing along with scents of blackberries, licorice, earth, truffles, pepper, and graphite. Massively tannic, but sweet and rich, this wine should enjoy two decades of life. However, one word of caution — either decant it for 60 or so minutes prior to drinking, or wait 2-3 years.


2009 Turley Wine Cellars Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard. Parker 94-96. It was difficult to chose a favorite although the 2009 Petite Syrah Rattlesnake Ridge, Hayne Vineyard and Library Vineyard are the three greatest in terms of concentration, depth and potential complexity. As I have said so many times, Petite Sirah is by far the most underrated varietal in California, so it is reassuring to see how many producers continue to make remarkable wines with around 13-14% alcohol as well as 20-40+ years of aging potential.


Chicken salad. Tasted like it looks.


Beans and sausage. Tasty, but dangerous.


White rice. Necessary for the the beans and other dishes.


Crawfish etouffee. This was okay (and I normally love this dish) but there really wasn’t much crawfish in here, about 98% sauce, and the sauce itself was buttery without also having that brandy-type flavor. This roux was probably a lighter version and could have used more intensity.


Green beans. Not bad.


Mac & Cheese. Cheesy, probably cheddar, and good.


Jambalaya. Creol paella, but good as well.


2005 Rieussec. Parker 96. Nice, sweet.


From my cellar: 1994 Dow Vintage Port. Parker 97. Deep garnet colour. The nose is just beginning to evolve into musky, dried plum and raisin aromas with whiffs of tree bark, nutmeg, cumin and cloves. The palate is seriously big and voluptuous with medium to high acidity and a medium to firm level of fine tannins. Very long finish.


Pecan pie. Runny, but very tasty.


Bread pudding. With a nice cinnamon note.

Our hostess on the right

The garden of foodie dreams

El Capitan

 

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By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Aioli, Cajun, Creole, garden, Garlic, hedonists, Lana's House, New Orleans, shrimp, Wine

Century City Heat

Sep26

Restaurant: Meizhou Dongpo

Location: Century City Mall Dining Deck. (310) 788-0120

Date: September 9 & 18, 2014 and October 27, 2017 and March 8, 2020 and August 15, 2022

Cuisine: Beijing/Szechuan Chinese

Rating: Good to have on the westside, and now as good as some in the SGV

_

My faithful readers know I frequently venture out to the SGV for great Chinese, but I’m always looking for a fix closer to him. So when I heard (back in 2014) there was an actual Szechuan place in the Century City mall I went right on over. I’ve been a couple of times and more recently for a 6 person dinner in March of 2020 (on the eve of the pandemic) and a big gang dinner in August of 2022.


Yeah, it’s a big premium American mall!


Meizhou Donpo (sure doesn’t roll off the Western tongue). I’ve been told this is a high end (like Houstons) chain in China that has opened a branch here. This must reflect the influx of Chinese tourists into LA. All good in my view.

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The interior is sort of new Chinese mall-swank.
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They also have a huge patio (where we ate in 2020 and 2022).
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Smashed cucumber with garlic (3/8/20 & 8/15/22). This was an excellent multi-dimensional cucumber salad. A bit of tangy, lots of garlic, and a little spice.
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Sausage plate (3/8/20 & 8/15/22). Four different types of pork sausage. Some spicy. All very tasty.
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Chicken potstickers (3/8/20). Pretty much as you imagine.
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Cold chicken with ratan pepper (3/8/20). Very delicious boiled chicken with that numbing and bright green flavor.
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Cold mung bean noodles with chili (3/8/20). This was a spectacular version of this Chengdu street dish. Tons of flavor and a hot of heat.
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Cold noodles with spicy chicken (8/15/22). You mix it up and douse in the sauce. Quite nice cold noodle dish with good texture and flavor.

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Beef tendon soup (3/8/20). I didn’t try it.


The lunch special comes with hot and sour soup (2014). I’m always a fan and this was a straight up classic version, with more heat than most American ones normally have.


Then I had to try all the Schezuan classics: Dan dan noodles (2014). Not your totally typical take on it, as it’s fairly wet. Most authentic ones I’ve had you mix up and are a tad drier. Still, this had a nice chili + schezuan peppercorn taste. It was hot, but not really hot. Just a mild burn. Not so much of the nutty flavor.


Cold Szechuan Noodles (2014). These are closer to what I usually think of for Dan Dan noodles. They had a nice chili oil spice, but maybe no meat.
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Sweet potato glass noodles in hot and sour sauce. (10/27/17). In general, I love this dish because of its spicy/tangy balance. For example at Beijing Tasty. This version, unfortunately, looks ok, but has no balance. It wasn’t that hot. Wasn’t that tangy. Mostly it was just salty. This seems to be a problem at MZDP.

Numb taste wontons (2014 and 10/27/17 and 3/8/20). They just called these Szechuan Wontons, but they’re supposed to be numb taste. Great flavor. Sauce was a little sweet but boy was it tasty.


Not too hot, and a really savory pork filling.


Ma Po Tofu (lunch special) (2014). Also on the plate: rice, string beans, squash, spring roll. The beans were great, but the tofu was a bit salty (MSG I think) and not too hot or numbing. Okay flavor, but the most disappointing of the dishes, particularly given how when done right this is one of my favorite dishes ever.


Peking Duck (2014). Because peking duck is so important, I’m going to SEPARATELY write up my thoughts in 2014 and 2020. This duck is expensive compared to the SGV, although they do sell a half duck (which is what we got).


The usual condiments.


And pancakes.


The meat in 2014. This duck looked great, but the hoisin was a little salty and lacking in that plummy punch and somehow the meat felt a little flat or flabby.


Duck soup (2014). Comes with the duck (optionally). Very straight up and dull.
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Peking Duck (3/8/20). We ordered two whole ducks for 6 people! They carve it tableside.
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This is half a duck (2020). We had four of these plates. This was some of the best peking duck I’ve had in a while. About the same quality as the excellent NC Peking Duck. It’s cut in the modern style with much of the meat combined with the skin. It was super succulent and juicy. The skin could have been just a touch more crispy. But the pancakes were great and the overall combo delicious.

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Peking Duck (8/15/22). Skin was very good and the meat was a tiny bit dry but tasty. Pancakes are perfect. Biggest problem is that the hoisin isn’t quite sweet/strong enough. But still in the top five ducks. Tonight they cut it for us the “meat and skin” way (because Yarom requested it), but he can also cut it together which I think I prefer. The duck itself is from long island and isn’t as fatty as a Chinese duck (not available). A detailed discussion of Peking Duck can be found in my Ultimate Peking Duck Guide.
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Condiments for the peking duck.
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The duck here comes with ultra-thin pancakes — as always much better than the buns.
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Bones (3/8/20) from the duck meat.
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Duck bones fried with garlic and cumin (3/8/20 & 8/15/22). This was a stunning dish. There was a lot of bone, but the crispy fry was amazingly tasty.
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Stir fried shrimp (3/8/20). This may look simple, but the shrimp was super succulent and well cooked. Delicious.
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Sole Filet with green onions (3/8/20). Very lovely as well with nice thick filets. Lots of “flavor” (MSG).
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Sole filet with pickled cabbage (8/15/22). Dish of the night. The spicy/numbing/tangy “soup” with pickled chilis was first rate. Lemony flavor.

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Scallops with vermicelli (3/8/20 & 8/15/22). A nice dish, but not my absolute favorite of the night. Interesting. Scallops maybe a touch overcooked but the sauce was very good.
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Live lobster with secret house sauce (8/15/22). It included garlic, ginger, butter and a touch of cheese. Very silky and light with extremely well cooked lobster you could actually taste.
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Aromatic fried chicken with chilies (10/27/17). Another typical Szechuan dish. This version wasn’t that spicy (despite all the peppers) and was notably sweet. It was still pretty good though, but the balance was off.

Szechuan green beans (2014). Tasty rendition of this dish.
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Bacon brocollini (8/15/22). Not very good at all, mostly because of the American brocoli.
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Garlic Eggplant (10/27/17 & 8/15/22). A 7/10 version of the dish. Not as much super garlicky flavor as there should be, but good nonetheless. In 2022, nice but a little sweet. Texture was very good though.

Kung Pao Shrimp (2014 or 2017). Very nice. A bit of heat and lots of peanuts.


Boiled beef in chilis (2014 and 3/8/20 & 8/15/22). A classic Szechuan type dish. While this wasn’t inferno hot like the best ones in the SGV it did have a bit of Szechuan peppercorn and a nice flavor.
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Sautéed Chinese Tomahawk (8/15/22). A bit weird and overcooked, but tasty enough with the sauce.
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Braised pork hock with special sauce (8/15/22). Super delicious umami/msg/savory sauce. Rocked. “Special” obviously means MSG.
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Fried rice with chicken (3/8/20).
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Fried rice with shrimp (3/8/20). Slightly more moist than the chicken dish.
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Mango Passionfruit Sorbetto – 56% mango, 44% passionfruit, plus a bit of Amaro to offset the mango — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #mango #passionfruit #amaro

Overall writing in 2014 and 2017, I’m psyched to have Meizhou Dongpo, despite it being a bit blander, saltier, (and more expensive) than the SGV Szechuan places. It’s tasty enough and close. Too bad it’s inside the mall, because parking and getting into that beast is a nightmare. I hate that parking lot. It’s the biggest most confusing mall parking I’ve ever been too. Every direction looks the same. Ditto with the mall. I’m always getting turned around in there. Too bad the balance is off on the dishes. Service was a little slow/sloppy too on 10/27/17. The very first time I was here it was very nice, so maybe it’s just hit or miss.

Coming back for a 6-7 person dinner on 3/8/20 I had a vastly improved experience. Almost every dish was very good, some great. The peking duck was first rate. Really really good. Many of the appetizers were awesome too like the green chili chicken and cold mung bean noodles. Flavors were far less salty and much more balanced. Service was fairly good too and we had a nice large table outside on the terrace. They were super nice to us too, particularly about the corkage. I’ll have to try again to see if this is consistent, but I am raising my overall opinion substantially. On this particular night at least, this was as good as many SGV places (but certainly not as good as the best). Really a great option. The menu is nice, but not super large either.

Continuing in 2022, standards were pretty close to that of 2020. Our duck wasn’t quite as good because Yarom “made them” cut it with the skin all separate, which usually makes the meat dry. And they keep altering the menu slightly and some favorite dishes have gone away. But overall quality was very high, certainly great for the Westside. Dish consistency is just a bit random as they are a big place and probably have several chefs.

For more LA Chinese reviews click here.

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The mall is also home to a mini Grom, which is a solid chain gelato place. I reviewed one in New York here.
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Hazelnut on the left, cafe expresso on the right. Texture was perfect. Flavors were about 8/10. Very good gelato for America. I wish they had more flavor variety in the store though.

Wines from the 3/8/20 dinner:
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By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Chinese cuisine, Gelato, Grom, Meizhou Dongpo, Peking Duck, Szechuan Chinese, Tofu, Wonton

Pate de Bourgogne

Sep24

The best Hedonist dinners are the ones like this. The crew: small. The theme: world class Burgundy. The food: superb. The setting: magicial.


The setting was a lovely Hancock Park home and garden.


This particular dinner was hosted by Hedonist, and restauranteur Adam Fleischman. Adam needs no introduction and as the mastermind behind Umami Burger, Smoke Oil Salt, 800 degrees, and a ton of other concepts he is a man with endless energy, ideas, and a talent for doing it right.


Our table.


And my artsy “magazine style” shot.


The menu. The food tonight comes from Gorge Restaurant and Charcuterie (all produced by Adam). Chefs and co-owners Elia Aboumrad and Uyen Nguyen were both at the house whipping up just an amazing sequence of dishes that paired superlatively with the wines.


Everything had that understated contemporary country elegance.


2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. IWC 95. Bright gold. Pungent aromas of candied orange, buttered toast, pear skin and vanilla, with a smoky nuance that gains power in the glass. Stains the palate with intense pear liqueur, citrus pith and brioche flavors, picking up notes of licorice and candied ginger with air. A bright mineral note adds lift and energy to the finish, which clings with superb tenacity and lingering smokiness. This complex, concentrated Champagne is showing very well right now but has the legs to age for years to come.


2004 Coche-Dury Meursault. Burghound 91. Soft mineral reduction does not materially detract from the green fruit, citrus, stone and slightly smoky nose that introduces detailed, pure and attractively intense middle weight flavors that possess excellent vibrancy on the taut, linear and refined finish. This isn’t quite as complex or concentrated as the ’02 version (see herein) but the sheer persistence is most impressive. And in the same fashion as the 2002, this has reached an inflection point of maturity where it could be enjoyed now or held for a few more years depending on how one prefers aged white burgs. For my taste, I would hold this for another 2 to 4 years but many people will find the current state of maturity to be perfect now.

agavin: I just have to mention again that Coche makes THE BEST village white Burgs. Period. It takes a producer at the level of Leflaive or PYCM to even make a grand cru as good as this village. It is a village, and so doesn’t have the depth or power of a great grand cru but it does just soar.


Smoked oyster Mousse. Beef jus en gelee, Crisp baguette. Like creamy smooth pure oyster concentrate. Fabulous paring with the caviar on top and with the champagne.


1985 Stony Hill Chardonnay. 89 Jeff Leve. With the color of an aged Sauternes, the oily textured, concentrated wine is low in acidity, with honeysuckly, caramel, citrus peel and butterscotch. When first poured, the wine seemed oxidized, but it improved in the glass after 10-20 minutes. This was quite a wine considering it was a 30 year old California Chardonnay.

agavin: I stole this review from my friend Jeff Leve (on a different night) — but it was dead on accurate with our bottle too.


1999 Domaine Leroy Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 94. This wine possesses a genuinely staggering nose of superb complexity with all of the green apple and minerality that one associates with classic Corton-Charlemagne. The chiseled, precise, intense medium full flavors are rich, sappy and brilliantly delineated with superb depth and breadth on the explosive backend. A very serious wine that has so much mid-palate sap that it can actually be approached now with pleasure yet it will age for at least a decade, perhaps more. In a word, brilliant. Consistent notes.

agavin: Well, Leroy is one of those few producer’s who can make a wine to outshine a Coche village (the 99 Coche CC would be a fair pairing). This Leroy just had all that Grand Cru depth and complexity with a tremendous minerality (petrol). A real fresh bandaid quality.


Trout. Mi-cuit en roulade, fried shallot rangs, confit lemon zest & tomatoes, tuna just. This dish had a bright bright acidity to it that was really fabulous. The fish itself melted in the mouth like great sushi.


2002 Domaine Marc Morey & Fils Montrachet. Burghound 94. This is an exceptionally impressive effort by any standard with a pure, ripe and highly complex nose of fennel, white flower, citrus and orchard fruit aromas trimmed in a discreet touch of oak spice that can also be found on the rich, powerful, concentrated and equally pure big-bodied flavors that possess admirably vibrancy and outstanding length. Not surprisingly for a young Montrachet, this is still on its way up and it will be another 3 to 5 years before this peaks and it should be capable of holding at that level for up to another decade. A beautiful wine.

agavin: When we first tried this wine I tasted something unusual in the palette. Not a flaw, but one of those unusual complexities you get in great Burgundy that is unexpected. Perhaps it was what AM above describes as fennel, as I initially thought of it as slightly medicinal. This isn’t criticism but a note on the complexity possible in wines of this caliber.


Rabbit Rillette. 24hr confit, house pickled romaneco cauliflower. Sort of like a very french sandwich. The whole pickle and pate thing. Even the cauliflower tasted exactly like cornichon (i.e. vinegar). The mousse/pate itself was mild and a bit gamey, letting it work with and not overpower the Montrachet.


From my cellar: 2005 Etienne Sauzet Montrachet. Burghound 96. In contrast to the expressive noses of the 3 prior grands crus, this is positively discreet and almost reticent by comparison and only vigorous swirling would coax the broad-scaled nose to reveal itself, offering up notes of anise, peach, pear, citrus, orange blossom and honey that also merges seamlessly into textured, sweet, powerful and robust full-bodied flavors that possess a seductive mouth feel yet excellent precision and cut as well. This is a big wine and not overly refined but the sheer depth of material is almost hard to believe and as such, this will eventually transform into something very, very special. Patience required however.

agavin: As I have a whole bunch of these, and this is the first I opened, I’m pleased. It was a monster. On first taste powerful intense acid. Then we left it open for an hour or two and it hit the glass like a beast. The nose was all Montrachet with that coiled massive power that you only get from the world’s greatest Chardonnay vineyard. Wow. wow. My favorite in a line up of really stellar whites.


Wild pheasant terrine. Black truffles, organic arugula salad, mustard. I would have thought this was a country French pork pate, although perhaps a hair lighter. Either way just fabulous.


1949 A. de Luze & Fils Graves Royal. Old old sweet Bordeaux. There wasn’t so much sweet left, but for the age it was holding up darn well.


Foie Gras torchon. Fig confit, fines herbes salad, Grapefruit marmalade. Wow! Basically straight foie with fig. The salad had a nice astringency that countered the heft of the foie. Wow again. Just stupendous.


1999 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. Burghound 96. In contrast to the general style of the vintage, this is still aromatically austere though with coaxing, reveals wonderfully complex aromas of a simply incredible array of black fruits, earth, spice, crushed herbs and notes of chocolate with flavors that are huge but fine, powerful but subtle and rich yet detailed with a stupendously long finish that offers intense minerality. This is genuinely stunning juice and not to be missed if you have the chance. Tasted multiple times with consistent notes.

agavin: Our bottle was surprisingly open and ready. There was an odd brett thing going on, and the balance wasn’t perfect, but this was an extremely hedonistic and enjoyable glass.


From my cellar: 2001 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. Burghound 96. One of the finest wines of the vintage, this is simply a spectacular effort that has captured every bit of the potential it originally displayed in cask. Restrained and backward nose of a fantastically complex mix of blackberries, spice, cedar, soy, anise and dried herbs followed by full-bodied, multi-layered flavors of amazing length. Opulent and lavish yet all remains exquisitely balanced and this is astonishingly precise. A real stunner of a wine that is as classy and graceful as they come. As good and classy as the ’02 if not quite as structured.

agavin: The 2001 drank much younger than the 1999. Lots of acid and cherry tones. It just got better and better as the night went on. It needs a few more years but there was that kind of singing balance that bodes extremely well.


Duck Sausage. Housemade choucroute, orange cream sauce. I love sausage, and although I’m not usuually the biggest krout fan this dish was just flat out great too.


1991 Domaine Leroy Richebourg. Burghound 93. Madame Bize made superb ’91s virtually across her entire range and this wine is no exception with its deep, rich, complex nose and flavors that display remarkable depth, including earth and tobacco notes. The finish is subtly complex and still quite structured but the tannins are ripe and buffered by plenty of extract. In sum, this is dense and intense and should continue to improve for years to come. Consistent notes.

agavin: This was all Richebourg. It just reeked of the specific place and time.


1995 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg. Burghound 93. This too is reserved and restrained with an almost completely closed nose that reveals only glimpses of fresh black fruit even after extended aeration. The flavors however are rich and offer excellent detail and are underpinned by dense yet ripe tannins and good extract. I very much like the style of this though it is clearly for the patient and I suspect this will always have a rather strict personality. This has put on a bit of weight and a bit of richness since the big Richebourg tasting in ’01 and appears to be better balanced than the prior bottle but otherwise, it is quite similar.

agavin: A brooding powerhouse!


Tournedos Rossini. Potato puree. GORGE garlic glaze. Foie Gras. This was just the best beef dish ever. Haha, maybe, but it was just stupendously good (and rich). Pure tender beef, truffle, foie, and yummy potatoes and reduction. The sweetness of the glaze helped counter all that fat. It might be overkill, but it totally worked.


2007 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant. Burghound 94. An ultra elegant, pure and quite delicately fruited and spiced nose that is extremely fresh, floral and expansive that is more layered still as it introduces seductively textured, detailed and gorgeously delineated middle weight flavors that possess laser-like focus if less density than is usually seen with this wine. Indeed, this is rather like a ballerina with limited power and weight but the watch word here is purity, purity and purity. I quite like this but it will strike some as unduly light though I believe the underlying material is present such that it will add weight in bottle as it ages.

agavin: The oak was very present when we first poured it (as you’d expect for a way too young grand cru). But even from the get-go it just screamed RSV. As the evening wore on it opened and opened and opened. This will be a stellar (it was stellar) wine.


1990 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts. Burghound 94. This remains quite darkly colored with obviously ripe, borderline aromas that are clearly Vosne in origin with loads of spice and secondary nuances to the black fruit and earth aromas that are followed by sexy, sappy and intense middle weight flavors that culminate in a mineral-infused, sweet and energetic finish that delivers outstanding length. This is sufficiently ripe that it is perhaps not a beacon of terroir but it remains unmistakably Vosne in basic character. This is really quite impressive and to my taste, it has arrived at its peak though one that should hold for a number of years to come. Tasted multiple times with mostly consistent results.

agavin: The Beaux Monts was probably my favorite red of the night, and it was the only premier cru. It even tasted like it. As it really came off as full on Beaux Monts. But wow, what a terrior play. Just all VR spice and depth. Fabulous.


1834 Barbeito Madeira Malvazia Reserva Velha. 96 points. A wine made before the civil war! Strong cinnamon with brown notes. Beautiful with a lingering finish that goes on and on. Quite a lot of acidity for a 160 year old wine.

agavin: delicious!


Strawberry Rhubarb St Honore. Vanilla bean cream puffs, crisp puff pastry, vanilla chantilly. This was very French — and delicious. Light, sweet (perhaps more sweet than it would have been in France) and with that perfect pastry texture.


Chocolate Macaron.

Overall, this was just one of the best dinners we’ve ever done. And those of you who follow know that is a HIGH bar. Every element was in balance: setting, weather, people, food, wine. That is what wine (and hedonism) is all about. You can take the above (magnificent) wines and put them in a more clinical setting and they’d come off well — but when you pair it all up properly it rounds out the flaws and emphasizes the best qualities.

Bravo! (And thanks Adam for setting it all up)

more crazy Hedonist dinners here!


The after diner antics begin. You had to be there!

Related posts:

  1. Burgundy at Providence
  2. Valentino – 2004 Red Burgundy
  3. Melisse Madness
  4. JiRaffe Burgundy Blowout!
  5. Chili Crab Craze – Starry Kitchen
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Adam Fleischman, Allen Meadows, Burgundy, Champagne, Corton-Charlemagne, Cru (wine), Hancock Park, hedonists, Montrachet, Wine

Heavy Noodling at JTYH

Sep22

Restaurant: JTYH Heavy Noodle II

Location: 9425 Valley Blvd. Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 442-8999

Date: September 17, 2014

Cuisine: Chinese

Rating: Tasty

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The SGV has every kind of Chinese food. JTYH specializes in homemade noodles and dumplings. For those of you not in the “noodle know” knife cut noodles are made by shaving a block of raw dough directly into boiling water with a sharp knife.


Heavy Noodle, lol. The sequel to Heavy Metal the Movie?


The decor rivals Crustacean and The Bazaar. Not. But the food is tasty and the prices astounding.


Uh oh, Yarom is ordering. Expect pig ears!



The menu.


1998 J. Rochioli Chardonnay South River Vineyard. Oxidized, and certainly not getting any better, but with an enjoyable custard vibe.


Pig ear w/ spicy oil. I told you so. This is two pig ear dishes in 4 days. I’m not a fan.


2012 Caspari – Kappel Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling Spätlese feinherb “Alte Reben”. Sort of half dry with a lot of asphalt.


Cold cucumber. Chinese pickles. These are fine.


2005 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel. 93 points. Nice and sweet and nectar-like.


Smoked Chicken. You would not believe this is chicken. Tastes like ham!


From my cellar: 2001 Ulrich Langguth Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese. 92 points. Quite ripe – more Auslese in style – with a typical Mosel flavor profile. Enjoyable, and a good value for an ’01 Spatlese.


Celery. Yep.

2010 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese. 92 points. Lime juice, orange, apricot and apple. The sweetness of the pure fruit does show but it is cut through by very good acidity and it finishes very cleanly.


Beef roll. This “burrito” of vegetables and cured (pastrami-like) beef is pretty awesome.


From my cellar: 2002 Bouchard Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers. IWC 92. Ruby-red. Highly aromatic nose combines dark berries, Cuban tobacco, smoke and game. Sweet, lush and fat, especially in the context of this vineyard, showing more texture than definition today following the racking. Best now on the very long, subtle finish, which features suave, sweet tannins and excellent firming acidity.


Boiled dumpling: pork w/ napa or leek. I’m not sure which dumpling Yarom ordered, but these had a tad more vegetable than I would have liked. Still, I ate three.


2009 Flying Goat Cellars Pinot Noir Rio Vista Vineyard. 91 points.


Shredded potato. This is a common central Chinese dish. Pretty darn yummy actually, particularly dipped i a bit of dumpling sauce.


2003 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast. 91 points. Holding well with good fruit and good balance still. Nice red cherry fruit roll-up, compote strawberry and vanilla. Secondary flavor of toasted walnuts and almonds. Nice smooth wine, would drink now.


Szechuan Style Beef (I think). Some tasty beef in a red chili sauce with just a bit of spicy numbing peppercorn.


1997 Arrowood Syrah Saralee’s Vineyard. IWC 90. Ruby-red. Complex, musky aromas of raspberry, game, mint, nuts and woodsmoke. Ripe, layered and deep, with a pleasing pliancy and enticing flavors of raspberry, cola and smoky oak. Finishes with fine tannins and a persistent, subtle flavor of tangy raspberry.


Spicy Lamb Ribs. We’d be all set for passover, because this was more like lamb bone and chilies. It was tasty, but there was merely a hint of meat on them thar ribs.


2004 Saxum Syrah James Berry Vineyard Bone Rock. Parker 93-98. Made from a blend of 85% Syrah, 12% Grenache, and 3% Mourvedre, there are 500 cases of the 2004 Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard. It possesses a saturated ruby/purple color along with tight, restrained aromatics of blackberries, blueberries, and flowers, good acidity, fleshy, full-bodied flavors, and fine elegance, delicacy, and finesse … rare for a wine of this size and intensity. It will drink well for 10-12 years.


Corn. Chinese succotash!


2003 Pax Cellars Syrah Walker Vine Hill. Parker 94-96. The inky/purple-tinged 2003 Syrah Walker Vine Hill is a 552-case cuvee produced from a 12-year old vineyard planted on a southern slope in sandy goldridge soils. One of the estate’s silkiest, most opulent efforts, it is a stunning, enormously concentrated 2003 that tips the scales at 15.2% alcohol. Nearly 100% stems were utilized during its fermentation. A saturated purple color is accompanied by a massive blast of blackberries, cassis, and white flowers in this full-throttle, super-concentrated effort. There is a meaty-like richness in the mouth, as if one were chewing the wine rather than drinking it. Enjoy this impressive Syrah during its first decade of life.


Fried Pork Dumplings. These were the real deal. The filling was great and meaty. The covering was THICK!


2004 Dumol Syrah Jack Robert’s Run. Parker 95. The terrific, dense purple-colored 2004 Syrah Jack Robert’s Run is a 200-case cuvee that spent 18 months in French oak. Notes of melted tar, roasted peppers, meat juices, blackberries, and cassis emerge from this full-bodied, rich, flavor-filled, intense effort. Enjoy it over the next 10 years.


Hand-made noodles with preserved meat. Basically like pasta fresca with vegetables and sweet salami. Fabulously yummy though.


2006 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot. Parker 86. There are 5,000 cases of the 2006 Merlot, a blend of Sonoma and Napa fruit that includes 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. Its dark ruby/purple color is followed by subtle aromas of road tar, mocha, and sweet cherries, medium body, and austere, aggressive tannins that attenuate the finish. Drink this 2006 sooner rather than later as I do not believe the fruit is sufficient to hold up to the structure.

agavin: not sure we opened this, but it was on the table.


Dan Dan Noodle. You still it up. There was chili oil at the bottom. This is a pretty classic rendition. Quite nice with a little bit of heat.


Bok choy. Standard Chinese vegetable.


1997 René Renou Bonnezeaux Cuvée Zenith. 92 points. Opened and served immediately. Dark yellow to gold color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of apricots, honey and a bit of tangerine. Dash of honey on the palate up front followed by a bit of lychee. Pretty light and somewhat nimble on the palate. Medium acidity, light to medium body. Drink over the short term, maybe the medium term.


Spicy Shrimp. Similar prep to the “ribs.” You ate the shells and that was fine, they were cooked down to a nice sweet crunchy state. A bit of peppercorn in here too. Very nice.


Shrimp fried rice. Classic.


2005 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Clos du Bourg. VC 97. Light golden yellow color; almond, green apple, lanolin, white pepper, wet wool nose; rich, structured, deep, ripe apple, peach, mineral, almond, tart pear palate; long finish.


Cumin lamb. Here’s where all the meat went! These chunks were succulent and tender.


Beef fried noodle. More noodles, but again “hand-made” and again very good.

Food was extremely tasty at JTYH, and extremely reasonable. The feast was $28 a person with a huge tip. We didn’t actually get the “knife cut” noodles though (even though ordered) instead getting three types of the “hand-made” (which are more like a handmade spaghetti). I would have liked to try their knife cut, which are thicker and shorter (probably the same dough). I’ll just have to come back.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Related posts:

  1. Banqueting at Shanghai #1
  2. New Bay Seafood
  3. Spice Up Your Life Szechuan Style
  4. Newport Special Seafood
  5. Hedonists go to Beijing
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Auslese, Chinese cuisine, hedonists, JTYH Heavy Noodle II, knife cut noodle, Riesling, SGV, Spätlese, Valley Boulevard

Posh Spice

Sep19

Restaurant: Szechuan Impression

Location: 1900 W Valley Blvd. Alhambra, CA 91803. (626) 283-4622

Date: September 14, 2014 & April 6 & May 6 & May 24, 2016 & June 19, 2017 & February 5, 2018

Cuisine: Szechuan Chinese

Rating: Red sauce for the win

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Szechuan is among my favorite Chinese sub-regions. It’s also, somewhat mysteriously, a really hot genre. Chengdu Taste is so hot (haha) that the line rolls around the corner. The Sept 2014 diner was organized by Skylar. Also included are dishes and impressions from a April 2016 lunch.


As of 2014, Szechuan Impression was brand new, just a couple of weeks old, but it too was mobbed and doesn’t take reservations.


The display out front shows off all sorts of peppery goodness.


The decor is a notch more modern and upscale than the usual SGV spot.




The menu.

Sweet bean and lychee tea. A pretty and unusual beverage.

It should be noted that SI doesn’t have a liquor license, even as of April 2016, so bringing wine wasn’t really an option.
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Rose Honey Tea. Tasted like turkey rosewater sorbet! Very sweet too. (5/16)
 Smoked plum juice. They do have the classic Szechuan plum juice, which I do love.


Vegetables in Chili Oil. As you’ll see, red chili oil is the rule more than the exception with this cuisine.  This appetizer is a bunch of vegetables and weird chicken parts (gizzards or hearts?) skewered in hot (two types of hot) chili oil.


Impressive Cold Noodle. There was debate as to whether this “noodle” was dough or in fact intestine or jellyfish. Anywhichway it was delicious. Nice slick texture and a mild heat. (9/14 & 4/16 & 5/16)


Hou (Honest) Dao (Authentic) Dumplings. Simple but tasty dumplings in chili oil. (9/14 & 5/16)
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Wontons in Chili. Better than the Honest Dumplings, although similar. They had more meat (pork presumably) and hence more flavor. Very good. (5/16)

Smoked Pork Ear. Eeew. Looks like something my Labrador would’ve liked. Kind of hammy and leather textured.
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Impressive Cold noodles. They are fairly impressive. Not meaty or that nutty like Dan Dan, but a really nice chewy noodle with a tasty chili sauce.
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Mapo Tofu. A nice, salty, broad bean dominant version of the classic. (5/16)


Boiled fish Fillets in Chili sauce. A classic dish. Not as incredibly spicy as at Chengdu, but very tasty. The sauce particularly over rice.
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Rice Noodle Lamb. The usual broth with lamb and rice noodles. Tasty, but perhaps not the most exciting of the dishes. (9/14 & 4/16)


Chicken in Chili. With peanuts. The sauce here was even better and there was actually some chicken breast (along with all sorts of weird other parts). (9/14 & 4/16)


And when Yarom “complained” that things weren’t spicy enough, we got this version: Those red chilies on top — hot!
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Spicy Bullfrog Pot. Some bones, because it is frog, but very tender meat. At least they cut it up. I hate whole frog! (5/16)
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Fresh squid dry hot pot. It might actually have been octopus. The flavor on this dish was great, with a TON of cumin. It was also hot hot hot. Hottest dish I’ve had here by far. Really quite a slow punch. The sauce soaked potatoes well great too. The squid/octopus maybe a little chewy (cooked), but fresh and tasty. (5/16)

Toothpick lamb. Tender meat of a higher quality than some places. Really tasty.


Tea Smoked Duck. Cold. Really good. Tasted like ham.


Looks like ham too.

Tea smoked ribs. These had an amazing “forest floor” like smell and fragrant meat that just fell off the bone. (4/16 & 5/16)
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Cumin Lamb. The classic cumin woked lamb. Fairly spicy. (5/16)

Special garlic shrimp. This wonderful dish is a Szechuan “original” version of a dish I frequently get at Chinese American restaurants. There it’s sometimes like tomato soup with shrimp, here it’s a goopy spicy/garlicky wonder. (4/16)


Steamed Taro Chicken Pot. Like many of the other dishes. Just the chicken was even weirder less identifiable parts.


The usual sauce. Have some chili oil!
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Golden Soup with beef (6/19/17). A sort of yellow sweet and sour soup with light noodles and boiled beef. Very nice actually and different. I would get this again.
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Golden Soup with lamb (2/5/18). The same basic soup, but with lamb.
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Fried chicken with chilies (2/5/18). This is the typical aromatic Szechuan dish. Nice version with a thick fry.
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Street Vendor Potatoes. Spicy Szechuan french fries. A little oily. Not as yummy as those shredded potatoes a lot of Szechuan/Hunan places have. (5/16)
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A choy with garlic. Fairly typical Chinese greens with a nice crunch to them. (5/16)


Pumpkin cakes. Nice mochi texture and vague sweetness.


This was someone else’s dessert, a kind of sticky rice.

Overall, Szechuan Impression was very tasty. The ingredient quality and presentation was a notch or too up from some of the other valley Szechuan places. The flavors are complex and the ingredient quality significantly above some of the more “OG” places.

Service was great for SGV Chinese. At my April ’16 lunch a friend of mine was gluten free and they did an excellent job (particularly considering the language barrier) in sorting that out.

Like Chengdu Taste they didn’t allow wine (bummer), and they show no interest in getting a liquor license.

At the Sept ’14 dinner, I think we also could have done a better job ordering, mixing it up a bit to have more different proteins and less wall to wall red sauce. This particular sub-group we were with likes to keep the cost down, but this is a place where cheap is $25 a head and “going nuts” is $35. There are interesting crab dishes and the like on the menu.

I was even more impressed at my April ’16 lunch, having eaten at many many Szechuan restaurants in the 18 months between. Plus, one of my initial gripes with SI was that the menu didn’t feature some of the Szechuan greatest hits but they seem to have expanded the offerings. Because of the wine thing this is more a lunch place for me, but I want to head back and sample a wider portion of the menu.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Related posts:

  1. Spice Up Your Life Szechuan Style
  2. Hills of Gold and Spice
  3. Chengdu Taste – Power of the Peppercorn
  4. Serious Szechuan
  5. Sugar & Spice
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Chili oil, hedonists, Sichuan, Szechuan, Yarom

Hills of Gold and Spice

Sep17

Hedonists aren’t confined only to restaurants. Tonight’s meal features home cooked Pakistani cuisine at the home of chef Noorani Burstein.


And what a home it is, perched over Benedict canyon in Beverly Hills. Tonight we ate outside, and given the usual Southern California September heat wave it was absolutely gorgeous.


From my cellar: 1994 Robert Ampeau & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. 91 points. Nicely aged white Burgundy with notes of butterscotch and citrus. It started promisingly, dissolving into a dry, pithy finish.


2005 Jomain Puligny-montrachet. A bit premoxed.


2012 Gilbert Picq & ses Fils Chablis. Burghound 87-89. There is a touch of mineral reduction to the cool and airy aromas of green fruit and iodine. The racy, intense and well-detailed middle weight flavors possess a discreet minerality on the lemon-infused and very dry finish. This should drink well early but also reward a few years of bottle age if desired.


Dokhra. Chickpea flour cake/Snacking bread with curry leaves and black mustard seed, fresh coconut and cilantro with a red hot chili sauce.


Eggplant Pakoras – Eggplant, Zucchini, dipped in a chickpea flour batter and lightly fried for crispness and flavor.


And onions similarly treated.


A variety of lovely chutneys. The tangy tamarind, spicy tomato, and cool cilantro coconut.


CHICKEN SAMOSAS with Tamarind Sauce Chutney.


BEEF KEBABS (Spicy ground beef patties) with Mint, Cilantro and Coconut Chutney.


As we finish the appetizers the sun sets.


And here is our chef, Noorani.


2007 Azelia Barolo Margheria. Parker 96. The 2007 Barolo Margheria was raised in cask and reveals a slightly more classic side of Nebbiolo. Sweet floral herbs, tobacco, geranium and wild flowers emerge from the bouquet. The firm yet well-integrated tannins frame a core of fruit loaded with Serralunga character, leading to a wiry, muscular finish. Hints of leather, licorice and iron linger in the glass. The Margheria is less immediate than the Bricco Fiasco at this stage, and it will require more patience, but it is every bit as compelling. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027.


From my cellar: 2000 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire. Parker 96. The heady 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Centenaire is more evolved than either the 2001 or 1998. Extremely full-bodied, with low acidity, and a knock-out bouquet of blackberry and cherry jam intermixed with licorice, pepper, and dried Provencal herbs, this sexy, voluptuous, enormously concentrated 2000 possesses a huge, silky, seamless finish. Drink this irresistible effort now and over the next 12-15 years.

2002 Sean Thackrey Orion Syrah. Parker 96-100. A riveting example of Syrah is the 2002 Orion. It boasts a black/purple color with more mint and blackberry notes intermixed with exotic floral characteristics. With great intensity, full body, multiple dimensions, and superb purity as well as length, this blockbuster is incredibly well-balanced/harmonious. It should drink reasonably well young, yet keep for 12-15 years.


2001 D’Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz. Parker 98. Readers should be on the look out for the 2001 The Dead Arm Shiraz, one of the greatest examples of this cuvee. Its dense black/purple color is accompanied by celestial aromas of melted licorice, graphite, blackberries, cassis, incense, anise, and toasty oak. Fabulously concentrated, with great purity, an unctuous, viscous texture, and an amazingly long, 60-second plus finish, this fabulous baby will need 5-6 years of cellaring, and should drink well over the following 20-25 years.


Naan.


KARAHI CHICKEN: Boneless chicken cooked with tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and finished with dried fenugreek leaves.


BANANA RAITA – Spiced yogurt with sliced bananas, jalapenos and cilantro).


POTATOES with Turmeric and Black Mustard Seeds.


CHICKPEA SALAD with fresh Vegetable and a Tomato dressing.


SAAG PANEER – Spinach with fresh Indian cheese.


MUSHROOM CURRY. Dark and savory.


CORN RAITA. More like the classic.


Mutton Pulao. Under that layer of rice is a spicy layer of curried mutton. It was cooked for days to reach a superlative level of tender — and boy was it great. As Yarom says, “this dish was a 10!”


My plate, reminiscent of Thanksgiving plates!


An older tawny port.


Mango Lassi. The classic sweetened mango yogurt drink.


KHEER – Basmati Rice pudding. Also a 10!


SEVIYAN KHEER – Pakistani Vermicelli & Milk Pudding. Another great dessert!

Overall, a lovely evening!

Related posts:

  1. Spice Up Your Life Szechuan Style
  2. Bouchon Beverly Hills
  3. Beverly Hills Hotel – Polo Lounge
  4. All Things Akbar
  5. Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Sun
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Beverly Hills California, Chateauneuf du Pape, Chutney, hedonists, Indian cuisine, Noorani Burstein, Pakistani cuisine, Southern California, Tamarind

Elite Wine Night

Sep15

Restaurant: Elite Restaurant [1, 2]

Location: 700 S Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754. (626) 282-9998

Date: September 11, 2014

Cuisine: Cantonese Banquet

Rating: Elite!

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Elite is well known as one of great LA’s top dimsum places, but I’d never been for dinner. Tonight I gathered with a group of Burgundy loving friends for some awesome Cantonese grub.


We had the private room, complete with authentic Chinese decorative screen.


For whatever reason, tonight’s wine lineup is a crazy blitz of great champagne (+ a bunch of Burgs and Rhones). But because it’s so chaotic in format, and didn’t really match the food, I’m going to detail all the wine together after the food.


Peanuts on the table start off many a real Chinese meal.


Suckling pig. We preordered this little fellow. He’s kinda sad, but he sure tasted great. Really just a fabulous bit of pork and cracklings.


XO sauce. For that savory fermented seafood zing.


Fish maw soup. This is the same mild and fluffy textured soup I had the other week at Newport Seafood.


Roast squab. Succulent little birds, heads and all.


Lettuce chicken. Chicken with water chestnuts in lettuce cups.


Straight off the PF Changs menu, but delicious.


Flounder. Some special “meaty” flounder in mild sauce with vegetables. Very succulent actually.


Garlic fish bits. The fins and tails and the like off the flounder fried with garlic. Boney, but surprisingly delicious.


Lobster! Some awesome tender lobster in garlic sauce.


Sea cucumber. Not my favorite protein, but tasty enough.


Greens. A typical Chinese green vegetable. More or less a colon sweeper.


Noodles. I LOVE these noodles. I’ve had them before at several Cantonese places and they are always great. This particular version was just awesome. The mild savory sauce soaks into the crispy noodles. Yum!


Shrimp fried rice. Classic goodness.


Fried tofu. A kind of soft fermented tofu, deep friend. Tasty and hot (temperature).


Steamed pork. Yeah, it looks like barf, but it was delicious. More or less, this was pork meat minced up with ginger steamed. Seriously it was great.


Coconut and coffee gel. Really great actually. Mild coco/coffee flavor. Delicious.


Goji berry gel. These were actually spicy! I like the jello-like texture, so I enjoyed it. The spice was a bit of a surprise.

Overall, while Cantonese isn’t my favorite Chinese sub-cuisine, this was a fabulous and tasty meal.


This isn’t wine (it’s a beer), fresh brewed just the day or so before. It tasted like grapefruit peels.


1988 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. Galloni 94. An unexpected treat, the 1988 Dom Pérignon is a fabulous surprise. Here the flavors are bright, focused and tense, with attractive floral and citrus notes that cut through the richness of the chilled lobster appetizer.

agavin: our bottle was a little oxidized.


1995 Guy Larmandier Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru Cramant. IWC 92. Pale color. Precise, vibrant aromas of lime, lemon, tangerine and stone. Creamy and rich yet light and lively, thanks to its steely mineral spine. Very firm and concentrated. Lovely purity of flavor and finesse. Finishes graceful and very long, with spice and mineral traces and some youthful austerity. Impeccable blanc de blancs.


1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque. IWC 96. Yellow-gold. Explosive aromas of ripe pear, honey, gingerbread and iodine, with intense smokiness and notes of chalky minerals and magnolia. Sappy, palate-staining orchard and pit fruit flavors are braced by exotic spice and mineral qualities, picking up notes of buttery brioche and toasted grain with air. Strikingly dense but energetic too, finishing with superb thrust and mineral-driven persistence. This ridiculously complex Champagne is only beginning to enter its window of maturity.


1997 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. IWC 90. Light gold, with a hint of copper. Expansive and powerful on the nose, displaying scents of honey, light toffee, fresh fig and baked apples. Dense and thick, with serious heft; emphatically not an aperitif style of Champagne. The flavors of ripe apple and pear, singed butter and baking spices are concentrated and deep. Boasts a velvety, weighty texture that carries through the finish.


1997 Salon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs. Burgound 95. An elegant and very fresh but distinctly yeasty nose of stupendous breadth leads to incredibly intense, pure, detailed and vibrant flavors that possess superb depth and simply knockout length. This is a powerful Salon and even though it doesn’t have the solid acid spine of the very best vintages, this compensates by its approachability and terrific mouth feel. This could be drunk now or aged, depending on one’s preference. If you can find it, I would lay in a case and drink it selectively over the next 20 years.


2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. IWC 95. Bright gold. Pungent aromas of candied orange, buttered toast, pear skin and vanilla, with a smoky nuance that gains power in the glass. Stains the palate with intense pear liqueur, citrus pith and brioche flavors, picking up notes of licorice and candied ginger with air. A bright mineral note adds lift and energy to the finish, which clings with superb tenacity and lingering smokiness. This complex, concentrated Champagne is showing very well right now but has the legs to age for years to come.


2002 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. IWC 95. Light, bright gold. A heady, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes lemon curd, pear skin, iodine, honeysuckle and toasty lees, with notes of ginger and honey emerging with air. Strikes an impressive balance of power and restraint, opening slowly to offer vibrant citrus and orchard fruit flavors, along with intense floral and spice nuances. Clings with superb tenacity on the gently smoky finish, which features zesty orange pith and mineral qualities. By the way, the 2004 Comtes de Champagne Rose has become even more intense over the last 12 months, gaining in both mineral and floral intensity. I know the old saw about aging rose Champagne but this is a wine that is built for the long haul.


From my cellar: 2004 Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 95. Perhaps the most backward and reserved wine to this point as the nose reveals only hints of white flower and green fruit aromas that are framed in a subtle touch of pain grillé but the flavors explode on the palate as there is a chewy texture to them yet there is ample minerality present, particularly for Bâtard. This too is blessed with abundant dry extract and a finish that won’t quit but for all of the size and weight, this is impeccably balanced. This has that “wow” factor and in terms of style, it’s almost like a muscular Chevalier.


2008 Domaine Michel Niellon Chevalier-Montrachet. Burghound 95. This hasn’t changed much since my 2010 review as it remains strikingly complex with an ripe, pure and airy nose that speaks elegantly of white flower, spice and subtle pear aromas\nthat complement perfectly the rich and mouth coating flavors that are built on a base of fine minerality, all wrapped in a sappy and explosive finish that oozes dry extract. This is really a stunning effort that is perhaps a bit more forward than I originally envisioned and thus I have shorted my estimated initial drinking window slightly. Seriously beautiful juice.


2010 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 95. This is not quite as refined as the Bienvenues but it’s more complex still with an unusually expressive nose at this early stage of notably ripe white peach, pear, yellow peach and apricot fruit scents that combine with very pretty floral nuances. The rich, powerful and muscular full-bodied flavors ooze with dry extract that imparts an opulent mouth feel to the attractively precise and borderline painfully intense finish. This is exceptionally backwards and just like the nose, the palate impression is not as fine but this is both bigger and longer. Impressive.


2007 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Brézé. JG 94+. The 2007 Brézé Blanc bottling from Clos Rougeard is a terrific wine in the making. This is a one hundred percent chenin blanc cuvée that is aged in a judicious bit of new wood and shows every sign (if premature oxidation does not rear its ugly head with this wine) of aging for several decades with great style and class. The deep, pure and complex nose jumps from the glass in a blaze of apple, orange zest, bee pollen, complex, chalky soil tones, dried flowers and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very tight out of the blocks, with a rock solid core of fruit, bright acids, excellent focus and balance and a very long, tight and racy finish. This will be a long distance runner, but it deserves at least four or five years in the cellar to uncoil. A beautiful wine.

agavin: The Chinese food was really throwing my palette with regard to the whites. This dry Chenin is one of those wines that pairs with unusual stuff — I just couldn’t tell what last night.


From my cellar: 1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. IWC 93+. Good fresh dark red. Flamboyant nose combines blueberry, blackberry, licorice and Cuban tobacco; distinctly blacker aromas than the ’97. Great sweetness and penetration on the palate; flavors are given thrust and grip by a strong spine of acids and tannins. Quintessential grand cru intensity without excess weight. Extremely long, noble finish. Fascinating Bonnes-Mares, and likely to be very long-lived.


1996 Georges Lignier et Fils Clos de la Roche. agavin 92. A bit of funk, but quite enjoyable. This particularly bottle didn’t feel like it would be improving.


2009 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts. Burghound 93. A ripe yet still cool and elegant nose of classic Vosne-style spice notes adds breadth to the black fruit and stone aromas. The naturally sweet and succulent flavors brim with a fine minerality and plenty of mouth coating dry extract that conclude with a dusty, firm and impressively persistent finish. This is terrific and should age effortlessly.

agavin: a perfect example of why I think of this group affectionately as the “babykillers”


1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Parker 97. The 1989 is inkier/purple in color than the 1990, with an extraordinarily sweet, rich personality offering up notes of smoke, melted licorice, black cherries, Asian spices, and cassis. Full-bodied and concentrated, it is one of the most powerful as well as highly extracted Beaucastels I have ever tasted. It requires another 3-4 years to reach its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for at least two decades. (Many purchasers have reported bottle leakage (due to a cork problem) with this vintage. I purchased two cases of this wine, but none of my bottles reveal any sign of leakage.

agavin: by this age there is considerable bottle variation and ours was in the middle of the pack. Not bad, but not fabulous either. A tad sour, although certainly enjoyable.


1998 Robert Michel Cornas La Geynale. IWC 89. Medium red-ruby. Sweet aromas of crystallized red berries and minerals. Strong fruits and spices in the mouth: raspberry, cassis, blueberry. Really expands on the palate; lush impression suggests a high pH. But youthfully firm and quite solid thanks to its solid spine of tannins. Finishing note of licorice. In contrast to the ’99, no new barrels were used for this ’98. This will require a few years of bottle aging.


2004 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard. IWC 95. Dark purple. Ripe, potent cassis and blueberry scents, with a striking floral quality. Lush and creamy, showing impressively pure dark fruit flavors, juicy acidity and fine-grained, silky tannins. Finishes sweet, supple and with superb length, the sweet berry notes clear and persistent. No sulfur was used for this cuvee.


2005 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS. Parker 95. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS, which is clone 4 from block C1, displays a bit more depth and tannic structure. Its inky/ruby/purple color is accompanied by sensational aromas of creme de cassis, scorched earth, acacia flowers, licorice, cedar, and grilled meats. Pure, full-bodied, and powerful, it should hit its prime in 4-5 years, and last for 25.



We had no idea what vintage this BV was. Probably 80s.


2007 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Gewürztraminer Spätlese. Parker 90. Litchi, pear, muskmelon, and lily perfume mark the nose of Rebholz’s 2007 Gewurztraminer Spatlese, which then comes to the palate with corresponding and predictable opulence and inner-mouth perfume. Creamy in texture; delicate at 9.5% alcohol – especially for this grape variety – and managing to balance out its residual sugar, if barely, this finishes with honey and brown spices adding to the wine’s succulently ripe pear and melon. I imagine it might stay fresh for a decade or more, but I have no experience with its track record.

This amount of wine needed: foot massage!

For more LA Chinese reviews click here.

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By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Babykillers, Burgundy, Chinese cuisine, Elite Restaurant, Monterey Park California, suckling pig, Wine, XO sauce

Back to Beijing

Sep12

Back to the SGV for some more delicious and authentic Beijing-style food…

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Beijing, Beijing Resteraunt, Chinese cuisine

Fargo’s Dark Fable

Sep10

MV5BMjMzMTIzMTUwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjE0NTg0MTE@._V1_SX640_SY720_Title: Fargo

Genre: Dark Crime Dramedy

Cast: Martin Freeman (Actor), Billy Bob Thornton (Actor)

Watched: Late August, 2014

Summary: Evil Walks the Earth

ANY CHARACTER HERE

I’m generally a big Coen brothers fan — as I like things both dark and surreal. Certainly the movie Fargo was a great film, but this show, without redoing anything, replicates a bit of the feel of the film while taking it to the next level. Perhaps this is due to the current Golden Age of narrative television, and the subject matter’s relatively inexpensive nature. The longer form format of television (10 hours instead of 2) allows for a greater depth of character.

Now, you have to do it well, and Fargo (the show) executes in spades. From pitch perfect casting, to great writing, to dark moody music, to overall feel — this is television at its best.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKs8DzjPDMU]

Fargo is a show about a “normal” small American town and what happens when Billy Bob Thornton’s rivetingly evil trickster of an assassin arrives, strewing chaos and blood in his wake. This character isn’t so much human as a force of nature, a malevolent spirit of concentrated hitman, or perhaps the overcoat wearing incarnation of Loki, Norse trickster  god. By crafty manipulation (always a dark riot) he pulls people strings and sets in motion a year long orgy of murders.

Fargo - Episode 1.03 - A Muddy Road - Promotional Photos (2)

Weak-willed Lester braces a pair of hitmen, the right one is deaf, and they argue constantly in sign language

The characters have that Coen Brother over-the-top quality, with a touch of the comic. Yet the best ones, like Lester (the weasly guy), the talented nonsense female deputy, and Colin Hank’s doe eyed patrol officer are deftly drawn and fully realized humans. This, combined with the fine, fine acting, and the amazing dark comic tone, really make the show hard to stop watching. It’s also filled with references to itself, Coen movies, the film Fargo, and more than its share of parables, allegories, riddles and the like. A David Lynch murder mystery that actually makes sense, these elements are fully in balance. A use of a certain amount of parallelism and coincidence transcends cliche to become art.

Malvo (right) is the evil force around which the plot whirls. Really, one of cinema/television's best villains yet

Malvo (right) is the evil force around which the plot whirls. Really, one of cinema/television’s best villains yet

Like the people, the setting is just nailed. The Minnesota accents. All that cold. The snow. The heavy coats, boots, and hats. It might be okay in the summer, but why would anyone want to winter there? But in a show, the town and the surrounding woods and lake become almost actors in of themselves. And it’s worth mentioning the music, which is almost reminiscent of The Last of Us, and equally effective. The both event include this “ching” sound which punctuates the starkness to draw your attention.

So if you liked dark comedy, and appreciate a good hour of tension, with an almost everyday horror quality, tune in.

Check out more TV reviews

fargo-s-allison-tolman-colin-hanks-tease-satisfying-season-finale1

The deputy (right) is fabulous, and to her left, her boss, is played by Bob Odenkirk, who is almost as good here as he is as Breaking Bad’s shyster lawyer

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By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Television
Tagged as: Billy Bob Thornton, Coen brothers, Fargo, Martin Freeman, Television

Shunji Sushi – Nonstop Nigiri

Sep08

Restaurant: Shunji [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 12244 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064. (310) 826-4737

Date: September 4, 2014

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi

Rating: First rate traditional sushi

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Somehow, straight nigiri sushi is mostly a lunch thing for me. And oh do I love it, perhaps no other savory food offers such a consistent yummy bite factor.


Shunji, which took over for the “Mr. Cecil’s BBQ” in this oddball looking building on Pico has developed quite a reputation. Chef Shunji Nakao was an opening chef at Matsuhisa in the day, then opened Asanebo, then The Hump (one of my old favorites). It has quickly risen to the top of the LA Japanese scene.

At night, Shunji offers an amazing and advanced mix of traditional and modern raw and cooked dishes, but at lunch it’s straight sushi.

It might be noon, but great food enjoys some great wine.

1990 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. A truly wonderful nose of simply knockout complexity features notes of yeast and baked bread along with now fully mature aromas of a variety of floral notes and spice hints that gives way to mineral-suffused round intense and detailed medium full flavors that also offer outstanding depth on the sappy and mouth coating finish. This is drinking perfectly now. A beautiful effort of real style and grace.


Tai (red snapper) with salt.


Seabream. Note that like most recent great LA sushi places, Shunji sauces all the fish.


Shima-aji.


This chef cut for me many many times at Takao.


Here is Shunji himself.


Magaro (Big eye tuna).


Japanese Baracuda. Not my absolute favorite.


Belt fish.


Sea Trout. Sadly, I  missed a couple before this. It’s hard at sushi places to remember to snap every fish.


Chu-toro (medium tuna belly).


O-toro (fatty tuna belly). This is actually super uber o-toro and was some of the best I’ve ever had.


Ikura (salmon roe). Nice and sweet.


Uni (sea urchin). Left is from Japan and right from Santa Barbara. The local one is sweeter and less briny.


Ama-ebi (sweet shrimp). It was alive about 15 seconds before we ate it. The head was still wiggling on the counter in front of the chef.


The heads come back as miso soup.


And fried.


Geoduck clam.


Himejako (giant clam).


Unagi (freshwater eel).


Hotategai (scallop from Japan).


Crab hand roll. This was good, but I probably prefer the kind that the Nozawa disciples make (like at Sasabune and the like).


Albacore hand roll. Nice.


Mixed berry sorbert. Lots of flavor.


Grapefruit sorbet. Intense bitter grapefruit flavor. Very refreshing.


Chocolate mousse. Very dark and strong.


Traditional tea.

All and all Shunji is rather fantastic, joining the large repertoire of top LA sushi restaurants. I really have to come back here at night and get a big mega omakase to sample his more “modern” fare. Not that I mind the nigiri, because as I said at the beginning, it really is a classic for a reason.

For more LA sushi reviews click here.

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By: agavin
Comments (5)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: fish, Foodie Club, Japanese cuisine, Nigiri, Shunji, Shunji Nakao, Sushi, Wine

Totally Totoraku

Sep05

Restaurant: Totoraku [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: 10610 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

Date: September 2, 2014

Cuisine: Japanese Yakiniku

Rating: Best beef in town!

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About twice a year my Hedonist group makes a regular pilgrimage to Totoraku, LA’s “secret beef” restaurant.  Toto (as its affectionately known) serves a refined version of Japanese Yakiniku, which is Beef BBQ originally from Korea but filtered through Japanese sensibility.

This time, we’re back to a 30 person mega dinner, quite the madness. It was so crazy that I’m going to list all the wine at the end because there was no progression, just a free-for-all.

The outside is basically a shell. The “Teriyaki House” has nothing to do with the food within, and the phone number is incorrect. The place is like a beef speakeasy!


The appetizer plate.


A very soft gelatinous thing that probably had some crab in it, certainly veggies.


Abalone with root vegetable.


Shrimp with endive and caviar.


Uni risotto balls.


Okra with squid and caviar.


Tomato and burrata.


Snapper rolled around vegetables.


Purple taro balls.


Salmon wrapped in daikon, stuffed with avocado and other vegetables.


Ham with fresh fig! (delicious)


Beef carpaccio with special salt, flowers, and some onion family derivative. Very yummy. This is eaten raw.

Two kinds of beef sashimi, eaten nearly raw. On the left beef tataki (rib eye) and on the right (in the cup) beef throat sashimi. Also on the plate is a bit of Korean style hot sauce (the red stuff), some intensely strong garlic (yum) and micro julienned ginger.

The throat was very chewy, more about texture. The rib eye soft and more flavorful. All went well with the garlic and ginger — I particularly liked the garlic.

A raw beef dish. Marinated raw beef is seen here with ginger, raw egg, cucumber, daikon, pine nuts, and something orange. Apparently, this is a Korean dish called Yukhoe. Actually, I’ve had it at Korean places, but in any case it’s delicious.


The elements are mixed together and then eaten. It’s hard to describe why it’s so good, but it is, with a very complex flavor and texture interplay.


The tabletop grill we cook the rest of the dishes on.


Beef tongue with salt. After cooking, you dip it in lemon juice.


Filet Mignon with bell peppers, onions, and sisho pepper.


Filet on the grill.


Momotaro tomatoes with a vinaigrette. These are supposedly incredibly good tomatoes, as a hater, I didn’t try them. I think Oyama-san gets them from some special place in Orange Country.


The “salad.” Cucumbers, carrots, daikon. They are served with this spicy sweet miso dip. The vegetables do help to move along the fat and protein heavy meat.


Outside rib eye with special salt and garlic.


The outside rib eye on the grill.


Inside rib eye.


The inside rib eye on the grill. Probably my favorite cut.


This was a special pork that Kaz made up for us. Most people get the exact same repertoire of dishes and we are lucky to get at least one special every time.

The pork cooking up. This was a wonderful bit of meat, a bit like Jose Andres’ Iberica pork loin.

You have to special order the lamb, which like all of Kaz’s meats, is pretty wonderful.


One hell of a chop.


“Special” beef. I think it was a form of sirloin. It was certainly good, very salted.


And it on the grill.


Skirt steak.


The final grill of the night.


Toto serves homemade ice creams and sorbets as dessert.


So chaotic was this giant night that they brought out all five flavors on each  plate and just placed them about the tables. I like the ice creams better than the sorbets here. The white chocolate was fantastic. Still, it’s all great.

Just a small portion of the crazy.

I’m detailing all the wine below. I missed photoing a whole bunch of bottles (even a Margaux!) and other than starting with the single white and ending with the dessert wine, there was no real order. Just grab as you like. We had so many extra bottles and so many magnums that almost nothing ran out quickly, so there was no probably getting a good taste. Just a problem finding a spare glass to hold it!


2004 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 93. A pure, elegant and transparent nose trimmed in noticeable but not intrusive wood leads to big, rich and powerful medium weight plus flavors blessed with ample dry extract and that coats the palate on the impressively long, complex and mouth coating finish. This is still relatively primary and thus despite the premature oxidation risk, I would be inclined to leave it in the cellar for another 2 to 4 years though I stress that it would not be complete infanticide to open this now. I note the premature oxidation risk because another bottle that I opened did in fact have a hint of butterscotch on the nose and while not enough to spoil the experience, it was certainly less interesting than it would otherwise be.


2013 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Cuvée Tardive. 93 points. A beautiful, well-balanced Gamay, with dark but not heavy fruit, smooth and delicious.


1994 Gaja Barbaresco. 92 points. brillant red color , red fruits and spices , after half hour also come the coffee and chocolate . On the palate is round with smooth but still perceptible tannins , it seem younger , great and vibrant acidity.


1986 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Falletto. Parker 97. The revelation of the night, Giacosa’s 1986 Falletto Riserva is also one of my all-time favorites from this producer.  It is a stunning Barolo, displaying a classic, deep nose of roses, tar, and smoke followed by massive amounts of dark, sweet fruit wrapped around a tight core of iron-like minerality, with tremendous structure, length, and freshness on the finish.  This superb, multi-dimensional Barolo appears to still be a few years away from its peak, and should offer profound drinking until at least age 30 and probably beyond.  An awesome effort.

agavin: fine fine wine — and still profoundly young.


1997 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia. Parker 95. The 1997 Ornellaia (magnum) is a big, fat wine endowed with tons of fruit. Mocha, coffee beans and ripe, dark fruit emerge from the glass on a rich, opulent frame. The structural elements are easy to overlook, as the tannins are so juicy and ripe, and the fruit is incredibly intense. Simply put, everything is in the right place. Not surprisingly, 1997 is the year Ornellaia introduced their second wine, Le Serre Nuove, and the extra selection that was carried out to produce this wine has paid off big time. The 1997 is also the first Ornellaia in which Merlot is a full 30% of the blend, while Cabernet Sauvignon is 65% and Cabernet Franc is 5%. It is also the first year in which the percentage of new oak is 50%. In many ways, the 1997 is a wine that signals a move towards the more extroverted style that is common here these days. The 1997 Ornellaia, like many wines from Tuscany that year, is marked by a unique growing season that saw an April frost lower yields dramatically, followed by a hot, dry summer which concentrated the remaining fruit to a levels not seen previously. It remains a magnificent example of this Tuscan classic. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2017.


2006 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto. Parker 99. I can still remember nearly falling out of my chair the first time I tasted the 2006 Masseto (100% Merlot) from barrel. The wine is now in bottle, and it is every bit as monumental as I had hoped. The wine possesses staggering richness in a style that perfectly captures the essence of this great Tuscan vintage. Black cherries, flowers, licorice and sweet toasted oak are just some of the nuances that emerge from the 2006 Masseto. A wine of breathtaking depth, it also reveals superb clarity, freshness and vibrancy in a sumptuous, beautifully-balanced style. Simply put, the 2006 Masseto is a masterpiece from Tenuta dell’ Ornellaia. According to Agronomist/General Manager Leonardo Raspini the dryness of the vintage slowed down the maturation of the sugars, leaving the wine with an unusually high level of acidity, and therefore freshness, considering its overall ripeness. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031.


1970 Montrose. Parker 87-92. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, this was considered a brilliant vintage at the time, but looking back, most 1970s are slightly austere with aggressive tannins and, possibly unfairly, have never really reached the potential that was predicted for them. Harvest began on September 23 and continued through October11, under extremely fair and hot weather. The alcohol degree was high for the era – between 12.5% and 13.5%. In the tasting, the 1970 showed abundant cedar wood, very masculine, muscular character, with new saddle leather, tobacco leaf, truffle and slightly austere tannins. It is medium-bodied, shows plenty of amber at the edge and seems close to full maturity even though the tannins are never going to fully resolve themselves – a sign of the older style Bordeaux vintages. Drink over the next 10-15 years.


1978 Domaine de Chevalier. Parker 92. Along with the glorious 1970, this is my favorite vintage of Domaine de Chevalier during this decade. The 1978 has consistently been a textbook Graves with a tobacco-tinged, smoky, sweet, cedary, berry, and black currant-scented nose. It is still lusciously fruity, round, and generous. This medium-bodied, exceptionally stylish, elegant wine exhibits the exquisite levels of finesse Domaine de Chevalier can achieve without sacrificing flavor and concentration. Anticipated maturity: Now-2005.


1989 Montrose. Parker 98+. This was not in the tasting at the chateau, but I opened two bottles on my return home, because this is another near-perfect wine from Montrose. It is an unusual two-grade blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. The wine emerged from another very hot, sunny, dry growing season, with early, generous flowering. Harvest in Montrose took place between September 11 and 28. The wine has never had any issues with brett, making it a somewhat safer selection than the more irregular 1990. Like a tortoise, the 1989 has finally begun to rival and possibly eclipse its long-time younger sibling, the 1990. The wine is absolutely spectacular and in auction sells for a much lower premium than the 1990. That should change. This is a magnificent Montrose, showing notes of loamy soil undertones, intermixed with forest floor, blueberry and blackberry liqueur and spring flowers. It has a full-bodied, intense, concentrated mouthfeel that is every bit as majestic as the 1990, but possibly slightly fresher and more delineated. This great wine should drink well for another 40-50 years.


1990 Vieux Chateau Certan. Parker 94. This was a very strong vintage for Vieux Chateau Certan. The 1990 reveals a deep garnet color to the rim along with a sweet bouquet of charcoal, licorice, roasted herbs, forest floor, and a meaty, truffle-like scent. A fleshy, full-bodied wine with exceptionally low acidity, plenty of melted tannin, and a long, layered finish, this beauty is close to full maturity, but it is in no danger of falling apart. It should keep for another 15+ years.


From my cellar: 2000 La Mondotte (magnum). Parker 98+. In two tastings this garagiste wine performed as if it were one of the wines of the vintage. Proprietor Stefan von Neipperg continues to lavish abundant attention on La Mondotte (as he does with all his estates), and the 2000 (80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc) boasts an inky/blue/purple color in addition to gorgeous aromas of graphite, caramel, toast, blackberries, and creme de cassis. A floral component also emerges as the wine sits in the glass. Extremely dense, full-bodied, and built for another twenty years of cellaring, I thought it would be close to full maturity, but it appears to need another 4-5 years of bottle age. It should age effortlessly for 2-3 decades.


2005 L’Evangile. Parker 95. L’Evangile’s sublime 2005, a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, is the first wine made in their brand new cuverie. Sadly, there are fewer than 3,500 cases of this deep purple-colored offering. A gorgeous nose of meat juices, black raspberries, chocolate, espresso, and notions of truffle oil as well as smoke is followed by a full-bodied Pomerol displaying sweet tannin, a flawless texture, and stunning complexity. While surprisingly showy and forward for a l’Evangile, it will undoubtedly shut down over the next year or so. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.


1998 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 92-96. The 1998 is unquestionably one of the great modern day Beaucastels, but because of its high Grenache content, it is different from some of the other classics.


2006 Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes. Parker 95. One of the vintage’s blockbusters is the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes, with even higher alcohol (16.2%) than the 2007. It offers lovely notes of black fruits, truffle oil, roasted meats, beef blood, black raspberries, abundant kirsch, and a hint of roasted Provencal herbs. On a much faster evolutionary track than the 2007, it is a layered, multi-dimensional effort displaying a finish that lasts nearly 60 seconds. Some unresolved tannins in the finish suggest this wine should be cellared for 2-3 years, and consumed over the following two decades.


1993 Guigal Cote Rotie la Landonne. Parker 88. The great glories of this house are its Cote Roties, of which there are now five separate offerings. The 1993s, which have just come on the marketplace, are from a troublesome vintage for everyone in Cote Rotie, rivaling 1984 in difficulty. Nevertheless, the single-vineyard wines have turned out well. As for the single vineyard wines, they are all excellent in 1993, but more herbaceous and clearly marked by the green pepper smells of slightly underripe Syrah. The most tannic of the three famous single vineyards is the 1993 Cote Rotie La Landonne. It is amazingly powerful and rich for the vintage, and reveals more fruit and intensity than it did prior to bottling. It exhibits a saturated ruby color, and copious amounts of pepper, tar, olives, licorice, and black cherry fruit in the nose. It remains the most muscular and structured of the three wines, and has managed to avoid the hollowness and vegetal character that plague so many 1993 northern Rhones. This Cote Rotie should age gracefully for a decade or more.


1989 Chapoutier Chateauneuf du Pape Barbe Rac. Parker 94. A classic for the vintage, the tight, muscular, tannic, saturated ruby/purple-colored 1989 requires another 3-5 years of cellaring. The bouquet offers up scents of Provencal herbs, pepper, garrigue, licorice, and gobs of kirsch liqueur. Full-bodied and powerful as well as extremely tannic, it will be drinkable between 2008-2020+.


Velvet glove. Bogus new world label with no vintage on the front.


2010 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown. 94 points. Yarom is obsessed with this wine.


2011 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown. So young I couldn’t find a review.


1999 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 97. The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is one of the finest wines of the vintage. The 14.9% alcohol is barely noticeable given the amazing concentration and intensity. A saturated opaque purple color is followed by scents of vanilla, blackberry liqueur, crushed minerals, and a hint of white flowers. There is stunning intensity, tremendous purity, full body, and a remarkable, seamless finish (amazing given the elevated, austere tannin). Give the 1999 another 2-3 years of cellaring, and enjoy it over the following two decades or longer. A brilliant effort!


2001 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 90. Performing better than it did eight years ago, the 2001 Opus One reveals a classic, French-like style with notes of cedar wood, melted licorice, black currants, roasted herbs and tobacco leaf. While not one of the stars of the vintage, it is a medium to full-bodied, outstanding effort that has reached full maturity. It should continue to drink well for another decade or more. This was a reassuring showing, although vintages over the last five years have been stronger and more powerful, with greater aging potential than the 2001.


2001 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine. IWC 93. Full medium ruby. Wild, flamboyantly expressive aromas of black raspberry, crystallized blackberry, smoke, leather, licorice, bitter chocolate and cedar, lifted by violet and spices. Smooth, mouthfilling and decidedly dry, with a lightly dusty character to its flavors of dark fruits, minerals and game. The broad, very long finish features building tannins. Quite different in style from the higher-pitched 2008, which was tighter and more floral at the same stage of its evolution.


2010 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 98+. Rich, backwards, structured and massively concentrated, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon comes mostly from the Champoux Vineyard (also from Galitzine, Klipsun, Palengat and Tapteil) and is comprised of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Merlot that spent 22 months in all new French oak. Offering up plenty of creme de cassis, coffee bean, toasted spice, pencil shavings and violet-like qualities on the nose, it has palate staining levels of extract and tannin that come through on the mid-palate and finish. Gorgeously full-bodied, layered and textured, with perfect balance, this awesome Cabernet needs to be forgotten for 5-6 years and will have two to three decades of longevity.


2010 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard. Parker 97. The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan (only 25% of the normal production or 250 cases were made) offers a remarkable suppleness and velvety character to the tannins. Despite being 100% Cabernet Sauvignon you would almost swear this was a Merlot-based wine from one of the finest vineyards in Pomerol given its lusciousness and appeal. This spectacular 2010 possesses abundant creamy creme de cassis notes intermixed with notions of mulberries and spicy oak and a broad, expansive, savory appeal with decent acidity as well as ripe tannin. As in nearly every vintage, this 2010 can be drunk early yet has the uncanny intensity and overall harmony to age effortlessly. We still don’t know how long this wine will last since the first vintage was only in 2000, which was not one of Napa’s greatest years. The 2010 should hold up for at least 20-30 years.


1988 Château Suduiraut. IWC 88. Highly complex nose combines a stony, minerally pungency with notes of pineapple, orange peel, pine and petrol. Supple and fairly viscous, but with some slightly edgy acidity and a note of green herbs. The wine sugar is currently fighting its acids, creating a somewhat disjointed impression. Just a hint of alcoholic harshness on the finish.

Die hard hedonists with chef Kaz

And this place IS all about the beef, which is arguably some of the best I’ve ever had. Certainly the best yakiniku/Korean BBQ I’ve ever had. There is a perfect tenderness to every cut that’s fairly transcendant. I’m not even that much of a steak fan — but I’d take this stuff any time over even a spectacular cut from Mastros or Cut. The food here does not vary much from visit to visit. There is no menu. The quality however is utterly consistant. So while it isn’t an everyday sort of dining experience, perhaps once every 6-9 months, I love to return for my fix.

This evening was great fun, if seriously chaotic. We had almost all of the restaurant and there was so much wine almost nothing ran out — but there were also too many to even try in any reasonable fashion. But, hey, we are hedonists!

More crazy Hedonist adventures or

LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Totoraku – Hedonists Beef Up
  2. Totoraku Double Meat Madness
  3. Epic Hedonism at Totoraku
  4. Totoraku – Secret Beef!
  5. Totorakuly Epic!
By: agavin
Comments (4)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Barbecue, beef, hedonists, Japanese cuisine, Totoraku, Wine, Yakiniku

The Last Kingdom

Sep03

51PrYqbtDHLTitle: The Last Kingdom

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 384 pages

Read: August 3-13, 2014

Summary: First Rate

_

I usually don’t read “straight” historical fiction (i.e. without magic), but I was drawn to The Last Kingdom by a comment George R R Martin made about how it contained some of the best battles he’d read.

This is the first volume in the “Saxon Stories” (there are at least 8) and chronicles a fictional earl during tumultuous 9th century England. This is the same period as the excellent TV show Vikings and has a number of overlapping historical figures. Basically, Saxon England was divided into a number of kingdoms and continually raided, invaded, and settled by waves of Danish (vikings, although technically that only refers to raiders). This is an intensely interesting period, detailing a clash between two different very dark ages peoples. The Saxons are a heroic society transforming into a priestly one. And the vikings are just straight up heroic warriors. I don’t use this term in the modern sense of the “hero” of a story, but in its more traditional sense of meaning societies dominated by the charisma of individual warrior leaders.

The Last Kingdom itself is first person, written in a fairly narrative (lots of telling) style. It’s tight, personal, and intensely fast paced without being even slightly exploitive. The whole thing feels very appropriate to the ideas of the time. The narrator, while a Saxon, grew up among the Danish and reflects the warrior ethos. He is disdainful of the weak, of the church, and values the traditional warrior traits of pride, honor, strength, and courage. In these circumstances they aren’t trite, or a caricature, but a reflection of this very traditional mode of masculinity — still admired — but not at all in alignment with the outward values of our modern society. Perhaps this is why medieval fiction, inclusive or exclusive of the fantasy, is so appealing. I’m pretty certain I wouldn’t want to actually hang with any Danish Earls, but they sure make for good fiction.

There is a lot of history in these novels, and Cornwell has clearly done his research. He sticks closely to actual events (as close as can be managed due to our conflicting and incomplete sources). But the details don’t bog the story. Our narrator is skillful woven into the tapestry of events such that both the political complexities and the  way of life are chronicled in a personal and immediate way. If this period, or even heroic societies in general, interest you, this is a really excellent series.

For more book reviews, click here.

 

vikings-202-recap

Both Vikings and The Last Kingdom feature Ragnars and Lothroks, although not exactly in the same way

 

Related posts:

  1. Seoul Sausage Kingdom
  2. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
  3. Julian – The End of an Era
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Books
Tagged as: Bernard Cornwell, England, Historical fiction, Saxon Stories, The Last Kingdom, Viking
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