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Archive for June 2017

Great Grenache

Jun28

Restaurant: John Gerber [1, 2, 3]

Location: Flintridge

Date: May 26, 2017

Cuisine: New American

Today’s Sauvages lunch is a lunch in honor of late Co-Poobah Steve Levin. It’s graciously hosted by Paul at at his beautiful home in Flintridge. This event is held outdoors in memory of the Zinfandel barbecues that Steve would hold for our group every summer at his home (it being Paul’s idea to maintain this fine tradition). To that end, we always enjoy a few Zinfandels at this lunch in addition to the theme wines for the lunch. The annual lunches at Paul’s home always rate very high on the scales for ambiance, camaraderie and food quality.

The main wine theme: This year, as it has been the past few years for our lunch at Paul’s, our primary wine theme will be “Grenaches of the World”, in this case from the 2007 and older vintages (the older the better). Just to be clear, “Grenaches of the World” means any Grenache or Grenache-based blend (at least 60-70% Grenache), as long as it is rated 93+ by a reputable critic, and is from the 2007 or older vintage. Grenache-based wines from Australia, California, Washington, Priorat, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Sardinia (called Cannonau) or any other parts of the world are fair game as long as the wine has a qualifying score.

This California style building isn’t the house itself, but the amazing top of the integrated cellar.

Inside the upper level of the cellar where staging occurred.
The backyard.

We gather at one multi-wing table.

Today’s special menu.

From my cellar: 2009 Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay Rosé. VM 88. The 2009 Marsannay Rose is a serious wine. It shows plenty of intensity and generosity, I only wish the aromatics were a little more focused.

2011 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc. VM 88. Pale, bright yellow. Candied lemon peel, bracing grapefruit pith and a hint of flowers on the nose, plus a smoky note that reminded me of chardonnay. Rich, silky and slightly sweet; and more fruity than some Carneros chardonnays I tasted on the same day. This easygoing and attractive wine is perked up by a piquant grapefruit quality on the back end.

2000 La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Rioja Blanco. 89 points. Mineral notes with an apple/pear fruit; balanced acidity.

2014 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé. VM 92. Light orange. Intensely perfumed citrus fruit and white cherry scents are complemented by suggestions of dried flowers, honey and dusty minerals. Chewy, tightly focused blood orange and lavender pastille flavors show very good depth and clarity, with a spine of minerality adding support. Finishes sappy and very long, leaving dusty mineral and floral notes behind.

Poke bites.

Lobster roll.

2009 Clos Mogador Priorat Nelin. VM 91. Light yellow-gold. Intense aromas of dried pear, lemon curd, white flowers and candied ginger, with subtle vanilla and beeswax qualities adding depth. Fleshy, deeply pitched orchard and pit fruit flavors are lifted and braced by a tangy mineral quality and pick up spiciness with air. Finishes broad and ripe, with very good persistence and resonating floral and spice notes. This is showing very well now; I’d err on the side of youth here and drink it over the next few years.

2013 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Meursault. BH 88. A more restrained and very pretty nose offers up hazelnut, acacia blossom and pear aromas. The cool, sleek and delicious middle weight flavors also exude a very subtle minerality on the slightly austere finish that delivers good if not truly distinguished depth and persistence.

Fruits de Mer. Razor clam, sea scallop, spot prawn, fava beans, and fennel. Amazingly fresh and tender — all of it.

1995 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. 91 points. This was ok but really did not ring my bell. 1995 is a not so thrilling vintage with Rayas towering above everything. Very rustic with some serious austerity on the palate and a burnt-ashen character and loads of red fruit. Acidity was average and the wine came across as boring.

1998 Alban Vineyards Grenache HdR Selection Seymour’s Vineyard. Someone gave it 96 points online :-).

1998 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée. VM 92. Good medium red. High-toned aromas of dried cherry, redcurrant, wilted rose, roasted herbs and spices. Sweet, silky, sexy and decadent yet with a penetrating quality thanks to vibrant mint and spice elements. Finishes with big, broad, sweet tannins that come from fruit, not oak. Classic fully ripe southern Rhone grenache.

2000 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire. VM 94+. Full deep red. Tangy nose combines red fruits, roast coffee, pepper and spices. Very rich, dense and full, with considerable power (the wine features 15% alcohol) and a strong element of spice cake. Less obviously creamy than the 2001, but equally powerful and extremely long on the aftertaste. The tannins show a chewy quality and a dustiness that no doubt reflect the wine’s 12% mourvedre component.
1997 Clos Mogador Priorat. VM 89. Medium ruby-red. Aromas of currant, plum, licorice and uncured tobacco. Lush but bright, with a firm edge of acidity and hints of exotic fruits and wild herbs. Finishes with dusty, even tannins and good length.

From my cellar: 2000 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. VM 93. Rather pale red (Reynaud says the color will deepen as the wine ages). Smoke and pepper dominate the nose. Thick and sappy; round and seamless. Offers very good depth of flavor but today I don’t find the excitement of the vintage’s top examples. Best today on the peppery, long finish, which features thoroughly ripe tannins. There weren’t a lot of bunches in 2000, says Reynaud, but the grapes were large.

agavin: my WOTD — although I’m clearly biased

Grilled sweetbreads, morels, and blood sausage. Pea mash and carrot romesco. Amazing and rich dish with a lot of gaminess and weight. I loved the blood sausage and theromesco combo in particular.

2001 Mas Doix Priorat Costers de Vinyes Velles. RR 97. Great Priorat from traditional local grapes Garnacha and Carinena. Dark red cherries, cocoa, nice acidic backbone, small pepper note, medium to full body, soft tannines, in a great place right now, powerful yet elegant, smooth aftertaste.

2001 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape. VM 94. Red-ruby. Flamboyant, wild Chateauneuf du Pape aromas of raspberry, pepper, leather, Cuban cigar tobacco, fruitcake, game and truffle. Explosive, layered and deep, with captivating flavors of game, leather, melting chocolate cake, leather, incense and black pepper. Wonderfully suave and silky but with terrific verve and grip. Finishes with fine, palate-coating tannins and sneaky length. If someone sticks a glass of this in your face and you don’t say Chateauneuf du Pape, you should give up wine drinking.

2001 Rotllan Torra Priorat Tirant. VM 91+. Deep red. Exotic coconutty oak on the rather port-like nose. At once sweeter and more primary than the Amadis, with a penetrating minerality. Also quite oaky, but has more jammy plum and blackberry fruit to stand up to the wood. Still, it’s hard to predict whether this slightly pruney wine will reward more time in bottle. Finishes with sweet tannins and good length.

2002 Torbreck Grenache Les Amis. 95 points. The nose had a latex paint like aroma from the over-ripe fruit in this wine. There was a lot of dried/over-ripe character to the nose of this wine. With some time it also took on a coconut-like note over the muddled red fruit aromas. The palate had loads of jammy fruit and a chocolate like note, but it was just hard for me to get past the nose of this wine to really enjoy the richness that the palate had to offer.

2002 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha Campo de Borja. VM 90. Medium ruby-red. Sappy black cherry and black raspberry aromas complicated by chocolate, minerals and tar. Sweet, lush and seamless, with a pinot-like silkiness of texture. Still a bit shy following the recent bottling but large-scaled and mouthfilling, with sound balancing acidity. Distinctly exotic in its flavors but not yet complex. A wine to follow.

2003 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha Campo de Borja. VM 89. Bright red. Powerful, oak-laced raspberry, strawberry and cherry preserves on the nose, plus a hint of candied licorice. Deep and sweet, the red berry flavors strongly accented by oak notes of coconut, vanilla and clove. Finishes sweet, deep and long. This is clearly made from strong material, but I’d love to have seen it without so much oak.

2003 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée. VM 94. Deep red. Strikingly complex nose offers powerful scents of red berries, spicecake, cured meat and potpourri. Velvety red berry and kirsch flavors stain the palate, picking pick up candied lavender and fruitcake nuances with air. The spiciness builds on the finish, which echoes the cherry note. This wine was most noteworthy for its power in the early going (I rated it 92-94 shortly before it was bottled) but has become more graceful and now conveys a stronger impressive of pure, spicy fruit.

2004 De Lisio Grenache. 90 points. Dark ruby colour. Nose of raisins and some flowery notes. Bursting with ripe fruits on the palate. Blackberry jam. Spicy towards the long finish. Concentrated and flavourful, but still velvety in the mouth. Fruit bomb lovers will like this, with bonus points for the smoothness with age.

Game bird stuffed quail. Black lentils, purple radish and pickled rhubarb. Nice tasty bird. Very moist.

2001 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Deux Frères. VM 91. Bright ruby-red. Superripe, roasted aromas of singed red fruits, carob, marzipan and walnut. A huge, roasted wine showing strong evidence of surmaturite; flavors of dried fruits and walnut. With alcohol in the 16% range this is undeniably massive, but I found myself wishing it had more primary fruit and verve. Quite different in style from the Cuvee de Mon Aieul. A rare and expensive bottling, recommended for fans of the type.

2001 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Sixtine. VM 91. Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, bitter chocolate, violet, mint and spicy oak on the nose; intriguing suggestions of mourvedre. At once dense and penetrating, with rather oaky flavors of blackberry, violet and eucalyptus. Finishes with a hint of leather, but also a slight dryness from the wood element.

2004 Clos Mogador Priorat. VM 94. Deep purple. Powerful, sexy aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, fruitcake, cigar box, graphite and violet, with suave oak spice adding even more interest. Sweet, silky and deep, with wonderfully pure dark berry flavors complemented by cinnamon, smoked bacon and red licorice. Utterly delicious if very young, with great vibrancy, clarity and even elegance. This compellingly sweet and very long wine is the best bottling of Clos Mogador I’ve had to date.

2005 Linne Calodo Sticks and Stones. VM 93. Bright ruby. Explosively perfumed nose offers fresh strawberry, raspberry and rose aromas, with an exotic lashing of baking spices. Fine-grained and silky, with deep but focused red fruit flavors and Asian spices. Lots going on here. Clings impressively on the long, juicy finish. A very impressive blend.

Cheese plate. Midnight moon from California. Schnebelhorn from Switzerland. Campo de Montalban from Spain. Beemster from Holland.

2005 Sine Qua Non Grenache Atlantis Fe2O3~2a. VM 100. The 2005 Grenache Atlantis Fe203-2a has been absolutely thrilling both times I have tasted it within the last year. A huge, vertical wine, Atlantis graces the palate with deep, voluptuous red fruit, crushed rocks, smoke, tobacco and mint. Even with all of its intensity and explosiveness, the wine remains light on its feet, with great balance and class to burn. The inclusion of whole clusters adds gorgeous lift and perfume, especially on the finish. At nearly ten years of age, the 2005 Grenache Atlantis is in a perfect spot right now and should continue to drink well for another 5-10 years, perhaps longer.

2005 Sine Qua Non Grenache Atlantis Fe2O3~2c. ?

2007 Domaine la Barroche Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Pure. VM 96. Inky purple. Huge, expressive bouquet shows dark berry, floral and fruitcake qualities, along with a smoky mineral note. Lush and creamy, with deep boysenberry and blueberry flavors and velvety tannins. Turns spicier on the back half and finishes with outstanding clarity and juicy persistence. As massive as this is, there’s no sense of overripeness or excess weight.

2007 Domaine de la Solitude (Lançon Père et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape. VM 90. Inky purple. Sexy, perfumed scents of black raspberry, cherry compote and potpourri. Broad, fleshy and sweet, offering lush, edge-free black and blue fruit flavors. This upfront, creamy wine is delicious right now.

2007 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape. VM 95+. Deep ruby. Powerful, pungent aromas of kirsch, dark berries, smoky herbs and spicecake, with notes of black olive and tobacco coming on with air. Chewy, palate-staining dark fruit flavors are complicated by bitter chocolate, licorice and black cardamom. Acts like a 2005 today, with serious structure but also superb depth of powerful, densely packed fruit. A hint of cherry skin adds grip and refreshing bitterness to the long, smoky, focused finish. Not an easy read right now: this demands cellaring.

2013 Progeny Winery Trinity Rouge.

Planet Zin

1996 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Collins Vineyard.

2009 Robert Biale Zinfandel Black Chicken. VM 90. The 2009 Zinfandel Black Chicken shows off gorgeous mid-palate richness in its black cherries, menthol, licorice and sweet spices. There is more than enough vibrancy and depth to allow the wine to drink beautifully for at least a handful of years.

2006 Turley Zinfandel Dragon Vineyard. VM 92. Good medium ruby. Black raspberry, spices and fruity pepper on the slightly medicinal nose. Ripe, lush and mouthfilling but quite dry; a big, chewy wine with a deep pepper-and-spice character. Finishes with very suave, pliant tannins.

2008 Brian Benson Cellars The Wince. VM 90. Inky ruby. Powerful, highly aromatic scents of dark fruit liqueur, lavender and licorice, with vanilla and mocha accents gaining power with air. Fleshy and appealingly sweet black and blue fruit flavors stain the palate and show a touch of back-end warmth. Velvety tannins give shape and gentle grip to a long, spicy finish that echoes the blue fruit and vanilla notes. Nothing shy about this one.

In the center is our chef, John Gerber, formerly of the French Laundry! On the right our host Paul.

Extras!

Art of the day.

Cryptic notes.

The list de vin.
And the full lineup!

Overall, a delicious afternoon — food and wine both! As a Burgundy nut, a often forget all the Châteauneuf-du-Pape in my cellar, but it’s really great stuff — and so consistent. Grenache is a nice grape, if a powerhouse. Even the Zins were (relatively) enjoyable.

We did have WAY too much wine for the number of courses. We could have used an easy 2 or 3 more courses to stage it out.

The setting really is magnificent. The weather was perfect, and just an ideal afternoon in the yard!

By: agavin
Comments (4)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Grenache, John Gerber, lunch, Sauvages, Wine, Zinfandel

Lum Ka Naad

Jun26

Restaurant: Lum Ka Naad

Location: 17644 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91316. (818) 616-2338

Date: May 22, 2017 and January 20, 2019 and various

Cuisine: Thai

Rating: Very good authentic Thai with a large menu

My friend Larry and I were going to try some hole-in-the-wall highly rated Thai place deep in the valley but they were closed so we ended up here at this larger more established Ventura Blvd spot.

The have Thai iced tea of course.

Beef Satay. Nice.

Duck Salad. Very salty, but tasty.

Pork salad. Kind of just a regular salad with spicy pork. Not exactly what I was looking for.

Tom Yum noodle soup. A noodle version of the classic sweet and sour Thai soup. Except the broth didn’t have the right flavor tone. I really like a good Tom Yum.

Tom Kha Soup. Coconut milk and tamarind. Delicious. Way better than the no coconut version.

Pickled bamboo with vermicelli noodles and vegetables. Very unusual flavor.

Crying tiger beef. This beef dish was great though. Very tender. Lots of flavor, particularly with the fish sauce.

Red curry with mixed seafood. The typical coconut curry. But it was very good. Nice and rich. Not particularly spicy but not overly sweet.
A kind of special chicken curry. This was a little hot and had a nice complex flavor.

Wrapped BBQ fish and sticky rice.

Unusual flavor to the fish as well. Lots of char taste.

Coconut sticky rice with mango. Delicious.

Overall, this was solid Thai. I’ve been around 10 times (often getting the same dishes though) and while it isn’t as good as the best Thai in LA like Jitlada or Pailin or Renu Nakorn this place has a big menu with both some Americanized stuff and a ton of authentic “unusual flavored” dishes. It’s way better than the generic lousy Americanized Thai places and is a solid B+ or A- (which is pretty good).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Lum Ka Naad, Thai cuisine

Yunnan Garden

Jun23

Restaurant: Yunnan Garden

Location: 545 W Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 308-1896

Date: May 21, 2017

Cuisine: Yunnan Chinese

Rating: Solid!

Apparently there aren’t many Yunnan restaurants in American — most people don’t even know it’s a separate Chinese province and assume the speaker means Hunan (different province).

Anyway the SGV has got one of the few.

But they don’t have a liquor license yet and we had to settle for a Hedonist Tailgate Party instead!

The interior clearly used to be a coffee shop in the 60s. Look at that soffit and the old hanging lights!

Cold starts of pickles, lima beans, and shredded potatoes. The last of these needs chili oil and vinegar!

Spicy tendon and pig ear. Everyone’s favorite meats! The tendon was very good actually.

I’m not a huge pig ear fan though.

Dan dan mien. It wasn’t that spicy, and didn’t have the ultimate nutty complexity, but the noodles were excellent and perfectly cooked. Certainly tasty and satisfying.

Pea tendrils or whatever. A solid garlicky colon sweeper.

Brian has occasionally been known to try a vegetable.

Kung Pao Shrimp. Decent, if a little “typical.”

Smoked chicken and a kind of fried tofu. I liked both. Loved the tofu and the chicken had a nice pastrami-like tone.

Same chicken but with peanuts and pig knuckles. Ick!

Spicy Fish with French Fries. Excellent sauce filled with lotus root, fries, etc. I like real mountain potatoes but the fries did work.

Lamb “ribs.” Very very fried. With some cumin. Similar dish to the fried Szechuan chicken tossed in aromatic chilies. Not much meat on those bones though!

Goat in spicy sauce. Pretty tasty.

Spare ribs with chilies. Excellent!

Fried rice with preserved vegetables. Fine, not the best FR I’ve had by any means, but who’s counting?

Fried chicken with chilies. I think it was chicken. Hard to tell. haha. The batter was that yolk and salt very heavy kind, but it was delicious.

Cured pork with pink tomatoes. Again with the yummy pastrami thing.

Walnut shrimp. An okay version of this. Not the best.

Overall, Yunnan Garden was solid. Not my absolute favorite SGV place, but awesome compared to the lame Chinese available in most other locales. Interesting. Pretty similar to Szechuan here. Not totally sure these are all Yunnan dishes. I would have to research.

Oh, and we did go to Solju afterward. Never hurts.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chinese cuisine, hedonists, SGV, Yunnan Garden

Grand times at Grand Harbor

Jun21

Restaurant: Grand Harbor

Location: 5733 Rosemead Blvd, Temple City, CA 91780. (626) 280-2998

Date: May 20, 2017

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Solid B+ dim sum and Cantonese treats

It has become traditional for the Dirty Dozen (our blind tasting group within a group) to do white wine lunches over dim sum — which is by far my preference given some alternatives because despite the timing problems with wine tasting and Chinese Food, I just always love good Chinese food.

Grand Harbor is a relatively new Hong Kong place in Temple City from Jackie Zhou.

The dining room is huge and opulent in that chintzy Chinese way. I would have thought from all the overzealous cove lighting that the space was built out in the 80s, but apparently it’s only a year or two old!

Real marble blends non-so-seemlessly with faux-alabaster. They have wine too like many of the new high end places. Mostly big young red wine like Bordeaux which totally fails to pair with Cantonese Chinese, but it’s the thought that counts.

XO sauce on the table to start, which is a nice touch.

2007 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Le Mesnil. 91 points. Good, low nose, crisp and good structure, some yeastiness, med+ length. Good, not great.

The theme today was White Burgundy served blind in flights, but this Champagne was a started (not blind).

Cold Appetizers

Seaweed salad.

Chicken feet. How do feetless chicken cross the road?

Wood ear fungus. Pretty nice.

Peanuts.

Starch sticks. Probably taro. Needed salt as they had next to no flavor.

Marinated cucumbers. Very good, nice crunch and a bit of heat.

Macau style pork belly. Great stuff. Nice balance of fat and flavor.

Flight 1:

2014 Kirkland Signature Chablis 1er Cru. 91 points. shiny pale green hints; chalky, rocky, clean, lemony, high acid, good classic chablis character; stainless steel feel to it. Very good and opened up nicely! Killer deal if you can find it.

This was a ringer that Albert sent in with someone else. It did surprisingly well (finishing 2nd or third).

NOTE: tasting notes are mostly by Peter (one of our gang).

2006 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. BH 93. A gentle touch of wood highlights airy yet slightly riper high-toned and admirably pure aromas of white flower, pear and quinine that gives way to supple, sweet, mouth coating and impressively concentrated flavors that exude a marvelous intensity on the long, powerful and driving finish supported by a solid acid spine. Definitely worth a look if you can find it but unlike most ’06s, be prepared to have at least some patience as this is unusually firm for the vintage.

Shu Mai. Shrimp and pork dumplings. Nice version of the classic.

Shanghai style XLB. solid little bags of goodness. These are the classic soup dumplings stuffed with pork and hot broth. The garnish reminded me of gefilte fish.

Scallop dumplings.

Har gow. Crystal shrimp dumplings. Nice.

Pork rice noodle. Known in my household as “pork slime.” I usually love this dish but this particular version was heavy and short on flavor.

Flight 2:

2014 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. Peter 90. This had bright crisp minerality with good concentration on the palate, but a very soft entry. Decent, but kind of straight forward at this point. I suspect very closed, young, and needs a year or 2 to express itself a little more.

2007 Dauvissat-Camus Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. Peter 94. Golden color; rich, powerful nose, golden apple, bags of rocky minerals, some delightful reduction going on, super long, this has it all. My WOTN and #1 wine overall. Killer.

2006 Dauvissat-Camus Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses. 91 points. Medium yellow. As was the case a few years ago, this had a lot of sulfur to accompany ripe yellow fruit and just a bit of seashell. Lush texture but inadequate acidity and shortened by the sulfur. Hardly recognizable as Chablis at this point, and a totally disjointed wine that is going nowhere. A major disappointment as I had hoped that somehow this would be spared from the flabbiness of the vintage, but there is no escaping it, even if you tried to mitigate that characteristic with excessive manipulation.

Roast pork bun. Nice rendition of the classic baked sugary bun. Very soft breading.

Sticky rice with seafood. I had hoped for more depth of flavor as the white sauce soaked into the rice.

Fried “crab salad” roll. These have a crab and creamcheese? filling and a nice crunchy exterior. They were delicious, I ate about 8.

Tofu in tangy sauce. Nice soft fried tofu with a delicious tangy, hot, sweet sauce.

Flight 3:

2014 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. BH 93-95. This is presently sufficiently reduced that it is impossible to fairly assess. The rich, powerful and beautifully delineated big-bodied flavors exhibit almost painful intensity as there is a plenitude of mouth coating extract that buffers the very firm acid spine that allows all of this size and weight to remain exquisitely well-balanced on the chiseled and moderately austere finish. This is not quite as complex or persistent as the Montrachet but it’s not far off and note well that this too is going to require extended cellaring.

2012 Louis Latour Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. Peter 90. Kind of a disappointment, this was golden color (a bit too much gold for a 4.5 year old), had red apple, a bit loose knit but still quite powerful, medium acid, long, with what seemed like slightly elevated alcohol. Slightly disjointed. Still a good wine, but I expect a lot more from this.

2012 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. Peter 91. This initially had a hint of caramel, apple skin, a little earthy, seemed just a little older than it was; tasted 1 hour later and it really showed nicely, with some of the funk blowing off–more red apple, floral, good concentration and with long finish.

2014 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Chevalier-Montrachet. Peter 93. Precise, with a touch of pineapple, pear, green and yellow apple, a hint of reduction, rocky chalky minerality, tight with plenty of zip, super long tangy finish. Killer. Girardin is making great some wines these days.

One of the managers really pushed these roast pigeons on us. I was skeptical, as I came for dim sum, but these were excellent birds. Juicy, with a lot of flavor and a nice crispy skin.

Fried fish. He pushed this too. It looks awful but it was actually delicious.

Dumplings with dried roe. Good stuff continues. All these regular steamed dumplings were quite good.

Pastry with BBQ pork. Good too. Can’t beat buttery pastry with sweet BBQ pork in it!

Flight 4:

Marcassin Chardonnay. Fake chard!

From my cellar: 2002 Louis Jadot Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. Peter 92+. gold amber color; this was somewhat earthy with a slight nuttiness, showing the most age of the group (more than the ’02 Marcassin) which gave it complexity; good lift, quite long.

2004 Jean Noel Gagnard Bâtard-Montrachet. Flawed. Our bottle was corked.

Bean curd with vegetables and pork. Yummy.

Seafood with crispy chow mein. I love this Southern Chinese dish. This was an okay version but not nearly as good as some (like Elite).

House special fried rice. With the Chinese sausage. Yum.

“Shark fin” (I hope not) dumpling or similar. Delicious. These were really good.

Floral jelly. Yeah, had to try it based on that name. Had the nice jelly texture. Tasted like… chrysanthemum tea or something!

Mango pudding. Okay, not as intense as I like.

Milk bun. Sweet and milk. Very nice though.

Macau egg custard. Solid if not exceptional.

Walnut bun. Very nice. Nutty. A touch dry.

The line up. Wines weren’t the most impressive, but were enjoyable.

My bad notes.

Yarom and the manager.

Overall, Grand Harbor had very solid dim sum, at the level just below Elite where a lot of good but not perfect places stand. I’d certainly happy chow down on it again. They did seem to use a lot of MSG because I was HAMMERED by it about 45 minutes later. Non dim sum dishes were excellent and they have a VAST menu of them. Worth coming for an evening banquet.

Service here was fabulous. We should have requested a private room as we really needed it, but we didn’t. Still, they really took care of us. They kept trying to bring us more stuff, which is how it should be in good “Chinese” service. We controlled the flights by filling out 4 different dim sum cards and handing them in one at a time. Worked well.

Wines showed decently. Most bottles were in good shape. Amusing that the Kirkland did so well blind. This group has only 1-2 other Burgundy collectors and so people have to buy and there are a lot of bottle short cuts: too young, lame producers like Latour, Chablis (which is nice but cheap). No pile of good vintage Ramonet here. Still, dim sum makes everything great.

Overall, a super fun afternoon!

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Cantonese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Dim sum, dimsum, Dirty Dozen, Grand Harbor, hedonists, White Burgundy

Moon House

Jun19

Restaurant: Moon House

Location: 11058 California Route 2, Los Angeles, CA 90025. (310) 966-9988

Date: May 9 & June 2, 2017 and September 22, 2019 and August 29, 2021

Cuisine: Chinese

Rating: Fine “classic” Chinese

As an obsessor over Chinese food and a someone who constantly drives to the SGV for Chinese, I’m always trying to find decent places on the Westside. I can’t remember who told me to check out Moon House, but someone did, probably Sklar.

It’s on Santa Monica Boulevard and isn’t much to look at. The interior has a smidgen of decor.

So two years after my initial foray (which is documented below), I returned with a bunch of Hedonists for a last minute Sunday dinner.

Turns out they even have a private room.

The giant menu.

XLB. Decent enough and like pizza XLB are never truly bad.

Fish Maw and Crab Soup – nice texture and soft subtle flavor.

Chicken Salad – Super sweet Panda Express style dressing was pretty gross.

Chicken Lettuce Cups. Shades of PF Chang, but not bad actually. Hoisin makes everything good.

Tofu Lettuce Cups — different filling, same idea.

Salt and Pepper Fish. Very soft breading, but pretty delicious.

Sweet and Sour Fish. Same dish, but sweet goopy sauce to make it even better.

“Szechuan” Shrimp. Not actually very Szechuan, but salty and garlicky, so pretty good.

Walnut Shrimp – pretty good with hint of orange.

Chicken Egg Foo Young. This is so old school, but it was actually super delicious. Fried omelet with chicken and veggies and yummy sauce.

Pea Leaves.

Half a Peking Duck. Not bad. Not the greatest duck or anything, but it’s still Peking Duck. They do carve it table-side too.

We asked specifically for the “bones” and got a lot more meat.

And then decided we needed even more duck, so ordered another whole duck (two halves).

The skin.

The breast meat.

They have buns instead of spring pancakes.

Condiments.

Hoisin.

Tofu with Veggies. Same goopy brown sauce, but I like tofu.

Veggie Crispy Egg Noodle. Simple, and would have been better with meat (we had a bunch of kosher folk) but the noodles were good.

Cumin Lamb. Not hot, but tender and tasty.

Garlic Pork Belly. This was delicious with a nice garlic and onion flavor.

Green Beans — good but salty.

Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables — super soft and tender meat. Good but not as much flavor as this dish should have.

French Style Beef — sweet and tender with a good amount of black pepper.

Egg Plant – Very tasty, and an attempt at “Fish Flavor” but pretty sweet as well with no chili oil.

Salt and Pepper Pork Chops – Very tasty and VERY fried.

Mutton Hot Pot. This was repulsive. EXTREMELY stinky mutton taste. Interesting vegetables — and I like mutton — but I couldn’t get over the stink.

Pistachio Stracciatella Gelato — Sicilian Pistacchio di Bronte DOP gelato base, best I’ve ever made, ribboned with bits of Valrhona Ivorie White Chocolate flavored with hints of Lemon and Orange — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pistacchio #bronte #Sicily #Valrhona #WhiteChocolate #Stracciatella

Blue Cherry Gelato – a blend of Morello Cherry, intense Amarena Cherry, and Blueberry fruit make this dairy gelato really pop — topped with Candied Amarena Cherries — 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 #amarena #morello #cherry #blueberry

Regarding these dinner, it was pretty decent, fairly similar quality level to The Palace. And I do love Chinese food, but it’s nowhere near as good as almost any SGV place I’ve been too. Style pretty Chinese American. Although I do have to admit that the Egg Foo Young was great.

Anyway, below is also a lunch visit from 2017:

My first visit was just a quick lunch but I had to get hot and sour soup, which was fine. This Chinese American favorite is also a favorite of mine. I liked it as a kid and I still like it.
XLB. Decent enough and like pizza XLB are never truly bad.
Szechuan Pork. Shredded pork, mushroom, onions, red and green pepper stir-fried in hot spicy szechuan sauce. This is a typical (non spicy) dish at Szechuan restaurants. This version was just fine. Not bad really, although hardly great. And they did use MSG.

Spicy Garlic Shrimp. I was hoping for the more orange Szechuan version. This is the pretty much typical Chinese American brown sauce (although it did have a big of chili in the mix) with water chestnuts, green peppers, onions — definitely a “classic” blend.

As far as I could tell with this limited one person lunch sampling, Moon House is a fine Chinese American spot. It’s no SGV rival, but it isn’t the really lousy kind of place all too common in West LA either. So if you just want some cheap Chinese to remind you of your childhood it’s pretty solid.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Chinese cuisine, Moon House

Taj Tandoori

Jun16

Restaurant: Taj Tandoori

Location: 10823 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034. (310) 204-2569

Date: May 16 & 30, 2017

Cuisine: Indian / Pakistani

Rating: Solid made to order curries

Culver City — particularly Venice Blvd — is packed with Indian restaurants.

Taj Tandoori was recommended as one of the best.

The menu.

Chicken Tikka Masala. Tender boneless chicken pieces cooked with spices in a creamy cashew and tomato sauce. I always have to try it. Sort of a reference dish. This one was very good. Not as spectacular as at Akbar, but very very good. Nice soft chicken. Curry was a touch thin, but not sweet (which is good). Made to order too, not the buffet slop.

Lamb Korma. Boneless pieces of lamb cooked with yogurt and friend onions. The description doesn’t do justice to the spicy depth of flavor. A nice dish with some broad heat.

Palak Paneer. Cottage cheese cooked with spinach and flavored with herbs and spices. Some nice heat and great cheese but the curry itself was a little thin and could have had a more complex flavor.

Bismati rice.

Garlic Naan. Fresh baked and delicious.

Taj Tandoori is a small family run place that serves up very good Northern Indian food. It isn’t fancy or modern, but they do make stuff to order and features nice flavors not those overly sweet or overly salty slops. The meats seem very good too.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Culver City, Indian cuisine, Taj Tandoori

Crash Bandicoot Reunion

Jun15

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going on stage at E3 with Jason Rubin, Bob Rafei, Mark Cerny, and Connie Booth — thanks host Geoff Keighley — to talk about the good old days of Crash Bandicoot development. Check it out for yourselves.

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Culina with Friends

Jun14

Restaurant: Culina Modern Italian [1, 2]

Location: 300 S Doheny Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 310) 860-4000

Date: May 12, 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Great Italian – Hotel or No

Hotel restaurants are always rebooting themselves, and so it goes with the 4 Seasons Beverly Hills. This time around they have brought in master Italian chef Mirko Paderno who just a year or two ago was cooking up amazing meals at the tiny Avalon Hotel and then had a brief stint at Downtown’s hot Officine.

Cool modern art bread.

From my cellar: 2015 Vietti Roero Arneis. 90 points. Granny Smith apples. Nice structure. Seems almost like it has tannins.

Burrata e pesche. Imported burrata cheese, fresh peach, frisee salad, garda olive oil. Nice salad. Don’t choke on the frisee.

Pie Cauliflower. Cauliflower Soufflé, Reggiano Cheese Fondue, Truffle Butter. Yum city! Cheesy truffle goodness.

Beat of Tuna in Knife. Sashimi Grade Tuna Tartare, Quail Eggs, Chives, Spicy Sauce, Lemon Fresh Shallots. Almost like a beef tartare.

Beef Carpaccio Seared. Seared Beef, Garlic Bagna Cauda, Wild Arugula, Cheese Raspadura.

From my cellar: 1996 Roagna Barbaresco Pajé. 93 points. Stunning Barbaresco – depth, layers of fruit, earth notes, with tannins and acid beautifully balanced. Takes a lot of time to come into its own. If you open one now, decant for half a day. Will be at peak in 2020-2024.

Tartufone pizza. Fior Di Latte, Parmesan Cheese, Duck Egg, Fresh Truffle. I wonder what Fior Di Latte means here — to me it means sweet milk gelato :-). Pizza was awesome though. Another rice dairy truffle eggy combo.

Special order cheese risotto in a cheese. Awesome cheesy goodness.

Ossobuco. I love this rice dish.

Sea Bass Baked. Mediterranean Sea Bass, Roasted Fennel, foraged Mushroom, Onion, Fregola, Garda Olive Oil.

Butterscotch Budino. Whipped Crème Fraiche, Sea Salt Caramel, Coconut Cookies. I adore these. Salty too.

Warm Dark Chocolate Liquid Tart. Mint Chocolate Chip Gelato. Nice combo.
Various Gelati.

Not only is Culina now one of the best hotel restaurants in town, it’s one of the best Italian restaurants. Mirko has always been an amazing chef, and particularly when he just “makes stuff for you.” His particular classic but quite contemporary Northern Italian is very much you get at a great (high end) place in Northern Italy — and totally scrumptious. He does lean toward the rich (i.e. cheese and truffles etc).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Culina, Italian cuisine, Mirko Paderno

Bad Boys at Brandywine

Jun12

Restaurant: Brandywine [1, 2]

Location: 22757 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364. (818) 225-9114

Date: May 8, 2017

Cuisine: French American

Rating: Best old school in town!

My second visit to the amazing Brandywine (first one is here).
Located on Ventura in the far valley, this French American has been open and popular for roughly 30 years. Despite the “classic” decor and menu there is NOTHING dated about the execution here. This place has a 28 on Zagat, and for good reason. It’s run with serious attention to detail.

The decor is cute and romantic, and it has been run by a husband and wife team. She cooks and he runs the front room. They have recently sold the restaurant and we are making some visits during the transition to make sure we get it properly cemented in our minds.

The gang took over half the room.

2004 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. VM 96. I am thrilled with the way the 2004 Comtes de Champagne continues to evolve in bottle. A few years ago, the 2004 was quite focused and linear, in the style of the vintage, but more recently, the wine has begun to fill out beautifully. The 2004 remains bright, with a full range of citrus, white flower and mineral nuances that dance on the palate. A brisk, saline-infused finish rounds things out beautifully in a Comtes that impresses for its crystalline purity. I expect the 2004 will always remain a bit cool next to the more opulent 2002, but it is still drop-dead gorgeous.

An amuse of grav lox with creme fraiche. Really yummy salmon. Great cure.

For the foie:

1990 Château de Rayne-Vigneau. 90 points. High-toned, expressive aromas of lime leaf and licorice. Silky and harmonious in the mouth, with impressive intensity of flavor and terrific underlying extract. Just a hint of acid and alcohol to be integrated. Finishes very subtle and long.

Seared foie gras with toast and slightly spiced jam. Super awesome classic foie. This is actually a half portion, and was super generous, plus the accompaniments were perfect.

From my cellar: 2005 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. BH 94. This is a mild step up in overall class and elegance with a gorgeously perfumed white flower fruit nose introducing linear, precise, intense and powerful medium full flavors that remain splendidly focused on the stunningly long finish that drenches the palate in dry extract. This is a striking 1er and one to buy as it easily delivers grand cru quality.

2001 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne. BH 89. This is a good deal bigger and certainly more powerful than the Truffières though it does not offer quite the same level of finesse and detail but it is every bit as intense with even more minerality, plenty of sappy extract and dense, mouth coating flavors and fine length. This is also noticeably oaky with good if not exceptional Corton-Charlemagne character and bracing acidity. In contrast to the Referts though, there is at least a reasonable possibility that the oak will ultimately be absorbed as there is good density and the oak, while certainly prominent, does not dominate the flavors as it does in the Puligny.

agavin: our bottle was a little thin, missing the fruit.

Shrimp cocktail. Nice shrimp. The homemade cocktail sauce was pretty awesome.

2013 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne. BH 91-93. A discreet application of wood allows the fresh, pure and expressive nose that features notes of acacia blossom, white peach and wet stone hints to shine. The attractively textured, dense and mouth coating medium-bodied flavors possess fine balance and impressive persistence on the notably dry finish where notes of lemon zest appear. This is a really lovely effort where the natural class of a fine Puligny is in evidence.

Escargots. Super buttery and garlicky. Loved them. Some of the best snails I’ve ever had. And dipping the bread in the garlick after!

2014 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. VM 93. Light, bright yellow-gold. Broad, mineral-tinged orchard and pit fruit aromas show excellent clarity, and a sexy floral element emerges slowly. Sappy, palate-coating pear nectar and tangerine flavors are complicated by notes of violet, honey and candied ginger, while a minerally element adds vibrant lift. Becomes spicier on the finish, which hangs on with superb tenacity and a lingering floral quality.

Spinach and bacon salad.

They have one of the best (and totally correct) table-side caesars in town.

Tossing the Romain.

All that zesty goodness.

2006 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière. BH 90. Earthy dark berry fruit and slightly herbal aromas introduce solidly rich, punchy and vibrant medium-bodied flavors that possess excellent length and more sophisticated tannins than usual. This should be lovely in 6 to 8 years.

2000 Domaine Dujac Morey St. Denis. VM 86-89. Full red. Aromas of strawberry, raspberry, spiced plum, mocha and smoky oak. Lush and pliant in the mouth, with mineral, chocolate, smoke and menthol flavors complicated by a vegetal complexity. Finishes with ripe tannins and good length.

Ron has been raving for years about the Lobster Bouillabaisse here, so I had to order it. This HUGE portion of shellfish in broth was amazingly fresh and the broth was to die for garlicky. So good. So massive.

Garlic toasts.

From my cellar: 1998 Mongeard-Mugneret Richebourg. 94 points.

1998 Domaine Robert Groffier Bonnes Mares. VM 93+. Deep ruby-red. Sauvage, highly nuanced aromas of blackberry, black plum, raspberry, gunflint, leather and pepper. Great penetrating sweetness leavened by powerful spice and firm backbone. Very powerful wine but not at all hard today. Finishes with building tannins and outstanding power and persistence. This should reach its peak during the second decade of its life.

Abalone.

2010 Aubert Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast. VM 95. The 2010 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard is the richest and most expressive of these 2010 Pinots. It also shoes the best balance of aromatics, fruit, acidity and tannin. Soy, mocha, the blackest of cherries and white flowers are some of the notes that flesh out in the glass. Delicately woven layers of flavor distinguish the UV-SL. This is a striking wine in every way.

2005 Marcassin Pinot Noir Three Sisters Vineyard. BH 76. Strong mercaptans (think garlic or burnt rubber) with burnt vinyl undertones lead to suave, round and impressively scaled flavors that possess no detail and the finish is hot, bitter and unpleasant. Commercially unacceptable in my view.

New York steak au poive. Classic!

Shoestring fries

NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1994, 1996, 2000 (2015 Release). 95 points. Mesmerizing wine. Dark fruit on the nose, subtle balsamic character, coffee, tobacco, leather, vanilla. Smooth tannins, elegant overall feel. Not as wild as the ’09 Valbuena. More majestic than raw and charming.

1996 Penfolds Grange. VM 92. Ruby-red. Complex, high-toned, oak-driven aromas of mocha, flowers, spices, bourbon, peat, licorice, vanilla, cigar tobacco and earth. Juicy and penetrating, with strong mineral, lead pencil, espresso and tobacco flavors. Has a solid backbone and noteworthy grip, but shows no hard edges. Finishes with big, ripe tannins and excellent length.

Inside that yummy NY.

Veal chop. Modest portion.

1983 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In great shape.

This is two portions of lamb!

Lamb chops. Not only is it massive, but it was incredible.

2004 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon. VM 93. Bright, saturated ruby. Brooding blackberry and blueberry aromas, with notes of mocha, cola and minerals complemented by a sexy meaty nuance; slightly high-toned in a positive way. Fat, sweet and seamless; very plush wine but not over the top. Rather oaky flavors of black raspberry, mocha, oak spices, toffee and minerals. Not hugely complex but wonderfully rich and layered wine, and evolving slowly. Hedonistic and utterly satisfying. Finishes with serious but well-buffered tannins.

2004 Hundred Acre — I dunno which one because of their annoying labeling (nothing on the front).

Veal sweetbreads and some cut of steak.

Bread pudding. Awesome bread pudding.

Meyer lemon cake.

Lemon ice cream and berries. Wow!

Chocolate cake with expresso ice cream.
The chef, Peggy, has an amazing touch.
Chris (right), the host, is married to the chef. This place is polished with love.

The food was so spot on. I admit, I was slightly skeptical going into it despite Ron and Larry’s great reviews. The menu seemed a bit “old fashioned” for my taste. But the execution! Wow! The kitchen here is seriously on point. These are classic dishes, but most of them are among the best versions of said dishes I’ve ever had. And there is nothing wrong with the classics when you knock them out of the park. This is far easier said than done, because all over the country (and France) you can find lots of mediocre attempts. Not here. The foie, escargot, caesar salad, and bouillabaisse were all to die for.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Brandywine, Caesar salad, French Cuisine, woodland hills

Dirty Dozen at Doma

Jun09

Restaurant: Doma

Location: 362 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 277-7346

Date: May 4, 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Good food, big “formal” space

The Dirty Dozen is a sub group of the Hedonists that does themed blind tasting meals a couple times a year.

Tonight’s was at Doma, a new Beverly Hills Italian very much in a 90s (high end) vibe. The theme — oddly for Italian — is Bordeaux.

The Doma interior is large, formal, very white tablecloth and so different than more hip Italians like Bestia.

These champs and whites were bonuses, and not served blind.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this <em>cuvée</em>, but with no lack of vivacity.

From my cellar: 2009 Domaine Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières. BH 91-94. An airy, cool and pure nose of white flower, spiced pear, lemon and hazelnut complements the rich, full and relatively powerful flavors that possess good concentration and an explosive, mouth coating and palate staining finish. This is not quite as mineral-driven as the Perrières but this is really quite impressive and the length is genuinely outstanding.

2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Puligny-Montrachet Le Trézin. BH 91. Surprisingly, given how cool and elevated this terroir is, there is a trace of exotic fruit present here as well with its notes of dried peach, apricot and honeysuckle. There is fine richness to the stony middle weight flavors that are bigger than is typical, all wrapped in an exuberantly energetic, mouth coating, delicious and complex finish. A fine villages that should be approachable young if desired.

Flight 1:

The Bordeaux were all served double blind in flights.

1979 Château Margaux. Parker 93. This wine is just now reaching full maturity, much later than I initially expected. It is a classy, elegant example of Margauxpossessing a dark ruby/purple color, and a moderately intense nose of sweet black currant fruit intermixed with minerals, vanillin, and floral scents. The wine is medium-bodied, with beautifully sweet fruit. This linear, more compressed style of Margaux possesses a good inner-core of sweet fruit, and a charming, harmonious personality. Although not a blockbuster, it is aging effortlessly, and appears to take on more character with each passing year.
1975 Lynch Bages. Parker 86. After the number of disappointing tastings I have had of this wine, I was surprised that it showed reasonably well at the blind tasting in December. The color exhibits significant amber/orange at the edge, followed by a dusty, herbaceous, cedary nose with some ripe fruit. Full-bodied but slightly hollow, the wine exhibits more sweetness and expansiveness than I expected. This above average wine is beginning to reach full maturity. Given the number of washed-out, excessively tannic examples of 1975 Lynch-Bages I have tasted, I am now more optimistic about this wine.

1970 Palmer. Parker 95. Not yet fully mature, the 1970 Palmer is one of the great wines of the vintage. It exhibits a dark, opaque garnet color, and an emerging, fabulously complex, exotic nose of licorice, over-ripe plums and blackcurrants, soy, cedar, and minerals. Rich and concentrated, with medium to full body, a sweet inner-core of fruit, firm but silky tannin, and a long, rich finish, this remains a youthful, potentially superb Palmer. While approachable, it will benefit from another 3-5 years of cellaring, and will keep through the first 10-15 years of the next century.

Liver, balsamic, mushroom, pizza. Pretty rich and delicious.

Flight 2:

1981 Palmer. Parker 81. This is a relatively light, almost indifferent style of Palmer, lacking depth, and coming across as straightforward, with a simple plummy fruitiness intermingled with scents and flavors of herbs, oak, and cedar. It is medium bodied and austere for a Palmer.

1989 Palmer. Parker 96. Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, the 1989 Château Palmer has always been my favourite vintage from that decade after the 1983. The first bottle was unfortunately corked. The second was as it should be: the nose tensile with red berries, sous-bois, potpourri and strawberry pastille – lively and energetic. The palate is medium-bodied and vibrant right from the start, silky in texture with plenty of citrus fruit, gently building to a harmonious and detailed finish that lingers in the mouth. This is a magnificent Château Palmer that continues to effortlessly dish out so much vinous pleasure.

1986 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 95. Now at 30 years of age, there is a gulf between the two Pichons in this vintage that no longer exists. The 1986 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has long been one of the best wines from the estate alongside the 1982 (even if the first bottle was a little oxidized). The second bottle was representative. It has a classic pencil-lead, cedar-infused nose that rockets from the glass, a subtle floral note developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple red berry fruit, a pinch of white pepper and cedar, structured compared to coeval vintages and perhaps further along its drinking plateau than previous examples. Certainly à point, I would be reaching for bottles of this now if you cannot locate those 1982s, or alternatively seek out the superlative 1996. This still remains a fine, rather regal Pichon-Lalande.

Carpaccio with white truffles and fontina cheese. Amazing dish. Too small, but incredibly delicious.

Flight 3:

1999 Palmer. Parker 95. Though I have tasted many vintages of Palmer in recent months, it has been some time since I tasted the 1999 Palmer. Now at 17 years of age, it has a really quite splendid bouquet that is so fresh and vital, pure brambly red fruit, sloes and iodine. It has certainly lost some of the headiness that it showed over its first 10 years, but it is still a Palmer that likes to party. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is good depth here, clean and fresh with wonderful poise. This is a “correct” Palmer, self-aware that it was not born in a propitious vintage, therefore it might seem a little restrained, even conservative in character. That would ignore its precision and grace, the manner in which it gently builds to the finish. You can drink this now but I would be inclined to give it another 3-4 years. There are few better Left Bank 1999s than Palmer.

1998 Angelus. Parker 96. Another great showing for a Right Bank wine, the 1998 Angelus shows a saturated opaque, plum/purple color and a beautiful fragrance of blueberry and black raspberries with licorice, asphalt, truffle and a touch of white chocolate. Beautiful texture, full-bodied opulence, striking purity and overall equilibrium make for a stunning wine that is just entering its plateau of full maturity. Drink it over the next 20 years.

1994 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 91-93. One of the stars of the vintage, this opaque purple-colored wine possesses a gorgeously perfumed, exotic, smoky, blackcurrant, Asian spice, and sweet vanillin-scented bouquet. It is followed by thick, rich, moderately tannic flavors that exhibit medium to full body, good structure, outstanding purity, and a classically layered, long, pure finish. This terrific Pichon-Lalande should evolve effortlessly for 18-20 years.

Home Made Pappardelle Bolognese – House made Flat Ribbon Pasta Meat Ragout Sauce. Another great dish.

Flight 4:

1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron. VM93+. Full medium ruby. Nose at once subtle and flamboyant, with slightly roasted aromas of currant, cedar, lead pencil and minerals. Large-scaled, sweet and rich, with utterly primary fruit suggesting a long future ahead of it. Tasted next to the ’89, this was a much more massive and somewhat softer wine. Very long on the finish, with big but smooth tannins. Of more recent vintages, only the 2000 has a chance to be in the same quality class as the ’90 and ’89.

From my cellar: 1989 Lynch Bages. Parker 99+. The 1989 has taken forever to shed its formidable tannins, but what a great vintage of Lynch Bages! I would rank it at the top of the pyramid although the 1990, 2000, and down the road, some of the more recent vintages such as 2005, 2009 and 2010 should come close to matching the 1989’s extraordinary concentration and undeniable aging potential. Its dense purple color reveals a slight lightening at the edge and the stunning bouquet offers classic notes of creme de cassis, subtle smoke, oak and graphite. Powerful and rich with some tannins still to shed at age 22, it is still a young adolescent in terms of its evolution and will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring. It should prove to be a 50 year wine.

Mushroom risotto.

Cotsen brought: 1990 Margaux. Parker 100. The 1990 Chateau Margaux has turned into a sensational wine that eclipses both the 1988 and 1989…and then some. It has a gorgeous, ethereal bouquet with sumptuous red berry fruit, leather, camphor and licorice—it is the kind of nose in which you just immerse yourself. Is there a hint of brettanomyces here? If there is, I don’t really care. The palate is soft and sensual with incredible depth. Fleshy and corpulent for Chateau Margaux, and yet surfeit with breeding and finesse, there are layers or red fruit, kirsch, sage and fig, later tobacco and cloves. I feel that this 1990 Château Margaux is at its peak and yet the harmony, the sheer swagger of this wine just wins you over. Magnificent. Tasted May 2016.

agavin: Cotsen sweeps the win by craft and force, as the 1990 Margaux is just one of those wines that always blows everything away.

2000 Leoville-Las Cases. Parker 98. Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 2000 Leoville-Las-Cases is a quite fabulous, magisterial Saint Julien that is only just beginning to flex its muscles. It has a very intense and beautifully defined bouquet with mineral rich blackberry and bilberry scents, outstanding focus and harmony, and very well-integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, impressive backbone and focus in situ. There is a touch of mint infusing the fruit here, superb tension with a touch of mulberry and Hoi Sin lingering on the finish that still feels backward and sinewy. What was remarkable was to observe the melioration in the glass, achieving wondrous energy and delineation with time, still improving after a couple of hours. Buy it, cellar it, drink it. Tasted December 2016.

Roast quail with polenta. Ugly, but tastes good.

My notes.

Flight D:

2007 Coutet. Parker 94. Tasted single blind against its peers. The Chateau Coutet 2007 has a very intense bouquet with lemon curd and orange blossom mixed with clear honey. There is impressive precision here, almost crystalline. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine viscous entry, great weight and intensity with racy acidity. There is also much tension cutting through the layers of viscous fruit on the sorbet-like finish. This is a typical Coutet through and through and it should age effortlessly over 20-30 years.

2011 Doisy Daene. Parker 95. Tasted blind at the Sauternes 2011 horizontal tasting. The Château Doisy-Daëne 2011 builds upon its outstanding performance from barrel. It has a powerful bouquet with seductive scents of wild honey, yellow flowers and orange blossom that are well defined, perhaps a little more extravagant then Denis Dubourdieu’s wines of yore. The palate is mellifluous on the entry with well-judged acidity, sensual and harmonious, poised on the entry and then fanning out gloriously with Clementine and honeyed notes that shimmer. This is an irresistible Barsac.

Panna Cotta Alla Vaniglia. Berry compote.

Certainly delicious.

Most of the gang. Notice our studly T-shirts. Jen, who isn’t wearing the hat, was in charge of pairing, opening, pouring etc. She rocks!

The lineup.

Overall the food was quite good. Service was pretty glacial despite the place being empty, and the waiters seemed on the verge of moving down the street to a convalescent home, but they were extremely nice and accommodating.

Wines were great for the Dirty Dozen. Nothing out and out “bad” or spoiled, 1-2 with a little bret that needed to blow off (or not), and a whole mess that were great. Particularly that 1990 Margaux. It really is a fabulous wine and Cotsen steals the wine (and the free meal) for the 3rd of 4th time. He does know how to pick them for these dinners.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: blind tasting, Dirty Dozen, Doma, hedonists, Italian cuisine

Market Ramen

Jun07

Restaurant: Santouka

Location: Mitsuwa Marketplace. 3760 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066

Date: May 3, 2017

Cuisine: Japanese Ramen

Rating: Solid classic

The Mitsuwa Market has some solid Japanese eats hidden away inside, including this awesome tempura place.

Santouka is considered a reference “classic” ramen joint in LA — and as a (former) rival, I was obligated to check it out.

Spicy Miso pork ramen with chasu rice side.

Spicy Miso pork ramen. Not modern in any way, but tasty and rich. Not very spicy by my standards.
I liked the chasu rice bowl, as I generally like good rice.

This is just straight up, well made, tonkotsu-based ramen. I’ve had a lot of ramen, so I’m like: shrug, nice. But for those who haven’t or those who want the classic, it’s good stuff.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Mitsuwa Marketplace, ramen, Santouka

Duck House – Crawl part 4

Jun05

Restaurant: Duck House

Location: 501 S Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754. (626) 284-3227

Date: April 23, 2017

Cuisine: Chinese

Rating: Excellent

After the totally lame Broiling Pit we had to get some good Chinese for stop 4 — so we returned west toward:

A total classic on Atlantic not far from Elite.

They immediately treated us like pharaohs and put us in a private room.

Cold appetizer of mysterious chicken wing bits.

Fillings for the peking duck.

Peking duck, awesome as always with both meat and skin!

Fancy pancake case with bunnies!

House fried rice with Chinese sausage.

Fried sweet and sour shrimp. Decadent and delicious.

Lobster.

Garlic crab. Delicious, but a bit hard to get into.

Mysterious fruity jellies. I was so full by this point (3 meals in) that my stomach hurts just remembering.

Duck House was great, even if we only had a few dishes. I’ll have to come back for a full mega meal. But anyway, the Chinese crawl was huge fun even if not every place was successful!

The full crawl consists of these visits: Yaha, Broiling Pit, Duck House

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chinese cuisine, Duck House, food crawl, hedonists, SGV

Broiling Pit is the Pits – Crawl part 3

Jun02

Restaurant: Broiling Pit

Location: 939 S Glendora Ave, West Covina, CA 91790. (626) 813-3777

Date: April 23, 2017

Cuisine: Chinese BBQ

Rating: Yuck

Continuing our food crawl from Yaha, we ventured across the minimal to:

This was supposed to be a skewers BBQ place.

The interior is way more modern.

This was just the specials menu. There was a giant picture menu too.
This wine traveled with us.

Fake pinot!

2008 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino. VM 93. A complex mix of savory herbs, plums black cherries, leather and sweet spices emerges from the 2008 Brunello di Montalcino. Beautifully layered from start to the finish, the 2008 impresses for its exceptional balance and finesse. The mid-weight style will likely come as a surprise to Valdicava fans, but all the elements come together in the glass. Proprietor Vincenzo Abbruzzese describes 2008 as a solid vintage across the board, but without the peaks of quality that would have allowed him to make the flagship Madonna del Piano. Instead. Abbruzzese bottled just one Brunelli, and it is fabulous.

Lamb skewers. Tolerable, but salty.

Roast chicken. Again, passable but nothing special.

BBQ ribs. So so.

Corn. Sweet. I mean like they put sugar on it.

Broiling Pit just tasted flat, not particularly good at all. And it was empty and took awhile — although they were perfectly nice. I marveled at all the custom signage and the enormous custom color menu. I can’t see how they can make money. Just not particularly good in an area with so many good places.

The full crawl consists of these visits: Yaha, Broiling Pit, Duck House

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!