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Soulmate Study

Dec31

Restaurant: Soulmate

Location: 631 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 734-7764

Date: June 16 & September 15, 2022

Cuisine: Spanish Tapa Fusion

Rating: Hit and miss

I adore Spanish food in general and Tapas in particular so I was excited to hear about a new “modern tapas” place in Hollywood. This report combines a normal 6/16/22 dinner with friends and a big set menu Chateauneuf du Pape dinner partially hosted by LVHM. It represents most of the menu and most of the key dishes sampled twice so I consider it a pretty solid review of the kitchen.

Soulmate has a lovely — but loud — build out with a very open feel. In fact the sky may actually be open.

The normal menu and specials on 6/16/22.

Our special menu on 9/15/22.

Jeridan brought this huge bottle of 08 Dom courtesy of LVHM to start.

HALF DOZEN OYSTERS / PINEAPPLE CAVIAR, TAMARIND FOAM. Nice bright flavors, particularly the pineapple. Offset the briney oyster flavor.

EGGPLANT HUMMUS / SESAME SEEDS, CILANTRO OIL , MARKET VEGETABLE CRUDITÉ (6/16/22). Nice crunchy veggies, but a touch boring. The ladies however loved it and ordered a second one!

HOUSEMADE FLATBREAD for the dip.

SALMON CRUDO / AJI AMARILLO, PINEAPPLE PONZU, BROWN BUTTER, JALAPEÑO (6/16/22). A tiny bit of spice. Lots of flavor. Not really too Spanish — more modern Japanese Peruvian influenced — but hey!

JAMÓN IBÉRICO DE BELLOTA & PAN CON TOMATE / MONTARAZ, AGED 48 MONTHS (6/16/22). Really nice balance.

2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne. VM 98. The 2008 Dom Pérignon is a huge, powerful Champagne and also clearly one of the wines of the vintage. This is one of the most reticent bottles I have tasted. So much so that I am thinking about holding off opening any more bottles! The 2008 has always offered a striking interplay of fruit and structure. Today, the richness of the fruit is especially evident. Readers who own the 2008 should be thrilled, but patience is a must. (Originally published in May 2021) (Drink between 2028-2058)

Bonus from my cellar: 2008 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne. BH 94. An upper register and highly complex nose of green apples, white pear and citrus notes introduces almost painfully intense, pure and impressively powerful big-bodied and overtly muscular flavors that possess an almost aggressive minerality on the palate staining, tension-filled and driving finish. This is really a striking wine that is built to age as there is an abundance of dry extract. Gorgeous. (Drink starting 2016)

agavin: I brought this because having ALL CDP for a Spanish dinner is a little crazy.

SPICY PAELLA BITES / BIG EYE TUNA , CRISPY SEAFOOD RICE, CHILI AIOLI. Weird. A bit spicy and basically just tuna toast like you get at “trendy” Japanese places. Not sure what in the world is paella about them (I guess the type of rice?).

SANTA BARBARA UNI TOAST. ROCK SHRIMP, BUTIFARA SAUSAGE, CHILI HONEY, PIQUILLO PEPPER AIOLI. Tasty, but also a bit spicy and strong pepper flavors. Can’t really tell what is going on with the different elements.

LOBSTER ROLLS / MAINE LOBSTER TAIL , BRIOCHE BUNS, CELERY, CRÈME FRAÎCHE, GARLIC & CHILI AIOLI. These mini versions were “bun forward.” Fairly yummy although not Spanish at all.

BUŇUELOS DE PATATA / POTATO FRITTERS, QUINCE, PARMESAN CHEESE, BLACK TRUFFLE SAUCE. These were gross, like potato hush puppies. Worst item we had.

CROQUETAS DE POLLO / GARLIC AIOLI, BRAVA SAUCE. Way too temperature hot, but otherwise ok.

FIRE ROASTED SHISHITO AND SWEET PEPPERS / CILANTRO, LIME, GREEN ONION. Just peppers.

CRISPY EGGPLANT / QUINOA SALAD, CHARRED EGGPLANT PURÈE (6/16/22). Hehe, look at that “eggplant,” Beavis.

WOOD FIRED OCTOPUS / CHARRED ROMESCO SAUCE, NEW POTATO, PICKLED FRESNO CHILE. Ok, but not that crispy.

OVEN ROASTED STRIPED BASS / SWISS CHARD, TABBOULEH, AVOCADO PURÈE, HERB BUTTER (6/16/22). Very much a parsley/mint type flavor.

GAMBAS AL AJILLO / WILD BLUE SHRIMP, ROASTED GARLIC PUREE, CHILE DE ARBOL (6/16/22 and 9/15/22). This was one of the best dishes, maybe because how wrong can you go with melted fat and garlic?

HOUSEMADE FLATBREAD.

ROASTED PORK BELLY / BRIOCHE BUNS, MOJO VERDE, GARLIC AIOLI, CHICHARRON. Another pretty yummy dish, but lots of bun. Not exactly something I’ve seen in Spain either.

SOULMATE PAELLA / SHRIMP, CALAMARI, CLAMS, BOMBA RICE, SAFFRON, CHORIZO, AIOLI, MARKET VEGETABLES (6/16/22 and 9/15/22). Very middling paella. Or more precisely a bad paella, but a middling pan of rice with stuff. Also, I chocked on one of those watermelon radishes thrown in there for effect and it was stuck in my throat for 5 minutes. I eventually hacked it out.

Here is the offending radish. This was actually moderately traumatic. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to “choking” — except maybe that time in Sicily when a fish bone stuck in my throat. I wasn’t actually in any danger of not breathing, but it was just stuck there for a long time and by the time I coughed it out my throat was sore for 24 hours.

LOBSTER ROSSEJAT / VERMICELLI PASTA , SQUID INK & SEA URCHIN SAUCE, MAINE LOBSTER, SEPIA , GARLIC AIOLI (6/16/22 and 9/15/22). This was better with the little briney/sweet pasta. The tiny lobster tails were overcooked though and so stuck in the shells.

16OZ AMERICAN WAGYU NY STRIP, TRUFFLE JUS. Just some steak. A bit overcooked. This sent Albert into a frenzy and he almost got into a fist fight with the server.

SPINACH SALAD. Boring.

SUMMER SALAD / BABY ARUGULA , BING CHERRIES, ASIAN PEAR, MANCHEGO CHEESE, ALMONDS, DATE VINAIGRETTE (6/16/22).

WHIPPED POTATOES. These were ok with the garlic butter from the shrimp poured on top.

CHURROS. SPANISH DARK CHOCOLATE SAUCE. These were actually pretty good, mostly because of the sauce.

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO TART. COCOA NIB ICE CREAM, ESPRESSO CURD, CARAMEL CREAM, CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS. This was delicious. But I’m also a sucker for cream, custard, and coffee.

After dinner LVHM pimped out this elite super mega expensive cognac but one sip of it on my injured throat was like fire and I passed it off. I don’t really do the whole high alcohol drink thing anyway.

Now this dinner had a bit of a CF of great wine. We had the following big verticals of cuvee de capo and beaucastel hommage but they were served rapidly, willy nilly, in a random order. Total chaos. But all the wines were nice — but mostly way too big and way too young.

2007 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo. VM 96. Inky ruby. Pungent, exotically perfumed aromas of dark berry compote, Asian spices and garrigue, with bright minerality adding vivacity. Powerful and deeply concentrated but also shockingly fresh and lithe, offering sweet red and dark berry flavors and notes of candied flowers and licorice. The finish is smooth, sappy and extremely persistent, with echoing floral and herb notes.

2010 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo. VM 95-96. Inky purple. Heady, explosive aromas of black raspberry and blueberry preserves, garrigue and incense, with smoky mineral and anise accents. Lush and palate-coating, offering deeply concentrated black and blue fruit flavors that are enlivened by juicy acidity. Ridiculously rich but animated wine, with excellent finishing thrust and lingering spiciness. This wine had still not been bottled when I tasted it in mid-November.

From my cellar (only thing I had on hand): 2015 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo. VM 97. Opaque ruby. A hugely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruits, pungent flowers, garrigue, licorice and exotic spices. Stains the palate with deeply concentrated, spice-laced black raspberry, boysenberry, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors underscored by a vein of juicy acidity. Shows superb clarity and floral lift on a strikingly persistent finish that features reverberating florality and building tannins. (Drink between 2025-2035)

1998 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo. VM 95. Saturated dark ruby. Nose like a fruit essence: blackberry and blueberry liqueur, licorice, pepper, Provencal herbs, and hints of more exotic fruits. A wine of extreme unctuousity, virtually too large for the mouth. Suggestion of marc, but with sappy fruits and great solid underlying structure. The tannins saturate the palate on the peppery finish. Very much in the style of Bonneau rarely made Cuvee Speciale. This wine took nearly two years to finish fermenting. Paul Feraud told me he feared that the alcohol would burn, that there would be too much residual sugar, and that the wine would show signs of premature oxidation. But in fact this headspinner (and I mean that in the purest, Linda Blair sense) boasts great surmaturite without quite descending into madness.

2007 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. VM 97. Opaque ruby color. Remarkably complex bouquet of dark berry compote, potpourri, sandalwood, smoked meat and licorice, complemented by a smoky mineral overtone. Broad, palate-coating dark fruit flavors pick up notes of candied flowers and licorice with air and show a pungent Indian spice character. Becomes more floral with air and leaves sweet cherry and floral pastille notes behind. I’d buy all of this that I could afford.

2003 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. JG92+. Given the mantra at the domaine that the Hommage à Jacques Perrin is only made in the finest vintages, I hardly expected to encounter a 2003 version, but the wine is really not bad at all and is now into its apogee. This is surprisingly low in octane for the vintage, coming in at the same 13.5 percent as the 2001 and 2004 iterations. The bouquet is really quite fine, wafting from the glass in a classy blend of dark berries, new leather, tree bark, woodsmoke, espresso and a lovely base of dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and wide open on the attack, with a good core, impressive soil signature and just a bit of backend tannin perking up the long and complex finish. A very pleasant surprise! (Drink between 2016-2025)

2010 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. VM 97. Bright ruby. A drop-dead, room-filling bouquet evokes black raspberry liqueur, incense, anise and lavender, with smoke and herb overtones. Sappy and penetrating, offering deeply pitched but lively dark berry and cherry flavors and an exotic touch of candied flowers. Fine-grained tannins come up with air and give grip to an endless, fruit- and mineral-dominated finish. This remarkable wine would be at the top of my Chateauneuf to-buy list this vintage if I had the resources to swim in such waters.

2009 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. VM 96. Glass-staining purple. Hypnotic bouquet of black and blue fruits, potpourri and exotic spices. Broad, sappy and strikingly pure, with intense blackberry and boysenberry flavors that reach ever corner of the palate. Rich but lithe wine with a seamless texture and superb finishing clarity. This wine’s marriage of power and vivacity is something else.

1999 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. VM 96+. Full ruby. Knockout nose of black raspberry, roasted nuts, road tar, licorice, leather and game; comes across as riper and more roasted than the regular cuvee Fat, dense and superconcentrated, with extraordinary precision of flavor and tactile strength. Has the firm backbone to support its compelling flesh. Very long, slow-mounting finish throws off notes of licorice, game, tar and brown spices. This will go on for decades. I may have marginally underrated this wine a year ago. This is consistently one of the great wines of Southern France: it will be a fascinating experience to taste the ’99 and ’98 side by side ten years from now.

Albert brought: 1975 Château Latour Grand Vin. JG 94. The 1975 Latour is a very good example of the vintage, which was nowhere near as successful in the Médoc as it was in the Right Bank and Graves. But, in this era, Latour always seemed to rise above the general level of the vintage in more difficult years, and this was certainly the case in 1975. The wine offers up a fine, classic bouquet of sweet cassis, cherries, Cuban cigar wrapper, black truffle, dark soil tones, cigar ash and just a hint of petroleum jelly in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and now very elegant in profile, with a solid core, excellent acids and still a bit of tannin perking up the long and complex finish. The 1975 vintage was the highest ever measured for tannins and acidity on the Left Bank, up until the 2010 vintage came along, so for the Latour ’75 to be so beautifully balanced forty years down the road is no small achievement! Fine juice and a sleeper vintage of Latour. (Drink between 2015-2050)

This was very contentious because it was totally off theme. Some people loved it and some people hated it.

Soulmate is a great concept with a great build out but the details of the menu and the execution are a little hit and miss. It’s also much better as a 2-4 person casual dinner spot than as a venue for larger wine dinners like or CDP dinner. It has no private space, is very loud, and they aren’t setup at all for large table service.

Food wise the menu is a list of classic Spanish dishes, somewhat faithfully executed, and vaguely Spanish “riffs” on popular dish types (like the Lobster Rolls), and “healthier” options like the eggplant on cous cous. A number of times there are too many ingredients. They are a bit stronger at the classic items or maybe it’s just that some dishes are much better than others. Like very nice gambas and lousy BUŇUELOS. Paella wasn’t that great. The black (squid ink) one was much better than the “Valencia”.

Our large event was a whole lot of fun, but it was also a total CF. The food service was a bit confused (polite for SS) because they aren’t used to large tables and the order was very weird, not following their menu at all. I fixed the order in post, but we had appetizers landing way late, one end of the table getting things and the other not and all that sort of stuff. But the staff did try hard. They just weren’t prepared for this.

The wines were really great, no flawed bottles, but too young and big as a general rule. But the “wine service” (done by us, not the staff) was a total zoo. There was some mystery order blending wines from both winemakers and new glasses were constantly being poured into our 2 glasses. It was so loud and dark that I never even heard what the wines were nor could I remember what was in the glasses. So it was just one random great gigantic CDP after another. Large red verticals suck anyway because they never pair with a meal but this was especially chaotic.

Plus I almost choked on a radish!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chateauneuf du Pape, Paella, Soulmate, Spanish, Spanish Cuisine, Tapas, Wine

Charcoal Checkin

Dec29

Restaurant: Charcoal Venice [1, 2, 3]

Location: 425 Washington Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292. (310) 751-6794

Date: June 14, 2022

Cuisine: New American Grill

Rating: Some great meats

Josiah Citrin’s (owner/chef of Melisse) newish more casual eatery has been open for a while — and although I bike past it weekly and went once for brunch, this is my second official dinner visit — and we are enjoying the lovely back patio.

It’s located on Washington Blvd about 2 blocks in from the ocean.

Inside at night. By the middle of dinner service it was hopping.

This is one of those pandemic “parking lot” patios. Not sure it’s actually the parking lot, but it has that informal look but I love al fresco, so totally works for me.

The menu.

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 168eme. JG 96+. The new release of Krug Grande Cuvée “168ème Édition” is from the base year of 2012, with the reserve wines in the blend stretching all the way back to 1996. The final cépages has ended up as fifty-two percent pinot noir, thirty-five percent chardonnay and thirteen percent pinot meunier. Forty-two percent of the blend is made up of reserve wines in this beautiful iteration of Grande Cuvée. The bouquet is superb, wafting from the glass in a mosaic of apple, white peach, a touch of Clos du Mesnil-like fresh apricot, almond, a beautifully complex base of soil tones, fresh-baked bread, hints of the caraway seed to come and a whisper of buttery oak (which is particularly evident when the wine is first poured, but quickly is subsumed in the other elements on the nose). On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and very complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil signature, utterly refined mousse and a long, perfectly balanced and very energetic finish. This is one of the most effortless and seamlessly balanced young releases of Grande Cuvée in several years and is utterly brilliant wine. (Drink between 2020-2080)

2014 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée A Tempo. VM 95. Vivid yellow. Mineral-tinged citrus and orchard fruit aromas show excellent clarity and pick up a suave floral accent with air. Silky and precise on the palate, offering bitter lemon pith and pear skin flavors that show fantastic power and a subtle, slow-building suggestion of iodine. A distinctly mineral, Chablis-like quality characterizes the remarkably long, penetrating finish, which strongly echoes the floral and citrus fruit notes. This deeply concentrated yet vibrant wine is one the most mesmerizing versions of white Châteauneuf that I have ever tried and, in fact, it measures up to some of the best white Rhônes, period. (Drink between 2018-2025)

Oysters on the Half Shell, Garnished Traditionally and Creatively.

Bread with Beurre De Baratte.

Yellowfin Tuna, Pickled Cucumber, Avocado, Citrus Vinaigrette. Classic, but good.

Crisps for the tuna tower.

Smoked Mushroom and Beet, Crème Fraiche, Currants. Tastes like liquid smoke, but really nice actually.

2000 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. 95 points. Unique and fantastic Pape! nose with remarkable note of Grappa as well as roses, tar, asphalt, wild raspberries, raisins. Extremely concentrated, lush, silky and sensuous on the palate. Character as a mature Barolo, long lingering on. At peak now.

2001 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou. VM 96. Saturated, bright ruby-red. Knockout nose of black raspberry, meat, minerals, spices, chicory and espresso. Like liquid silk in the mouth; an incredibly concentrated, nearly confectionery wine, with compelling flavors of blackberry, violet and game. As creamy as a molten Valrhona chocolate cake. The oak component serves to frame and intensify the flavors, enabling this wonderfully thick wine to retain a sappy character. Finishes with intriguing garrigue notes and a repeating espresso element.

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. (Wines from France, Mountainside, NJ)

Smoky Grilled Chicken Wings, Oregano, Chili, Vinegar. Good, but I like Vietnamese wings better.

Smoked Lamb Ribs. Fatty, smokey, awesome.

California Avocado Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes,Fresh Tagliatelle. Really nice “green” minty flavor.

Oxtail Bolognese, Gremolata, Horseradish, Cavatelli Pasta. First class meaty pasta.

21 Day Aged Half Liberty Duck, Honey, Coriander. Amazballs. Sweet but very ducky and delicious.

Little Gems, Shaved Market Vegetables, Bread Crumbs, Grilled Scallion Vinaigrette.

2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée XXL. VM 94. Inky purple. Wild, highly expressive aromas of kirsch, blackberry and fruitcake, with complementary notes of anise and violet. Broad dark fruit flavors show exotic spice and herb nuances, with velvety tannins providing support. Finishes sweet, sappy and long, with smoke and spice notes lingering. This wine, which fermented its sugars for two years, will be bottled in March of 2010.

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. (Wines of France , Mountainside, NJ)

16 oz Prime Ribeye. Nice meat.

Cabbage Baked in the Embers, Yogurt, Sumac, Lemon Zest. Really great veggie. This is actually one of my favorite dishes here.

Grilled Vermillion Rock Cod, California Citrus, Port Wine, Brown Butter, Mint. I didn’t try.

Steak Fries with Ketchup, Mustard.

Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Parsley Breadcrumbs, Fermented Garlic Dressing.

Coal Roasted Carrots, Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, Herbs, Honey, Black Pepper. Bad photo, I know, people were “Langing” it.

Hpnotiq Blue Hawaiian Sorbetto — like a frozen cocktail — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Thai Coconut Milk, Pineapple, Lime, and Hpnotiq liqueur –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #Hpnotiq #BlueHawaiian #pineapple #coconut #lime

Hazelnut at the Ritz Gelato — Nocciola (hazelnut) custard base made with Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste then mixed with house-made caramel and crushed Ritz Crackers (for that salty offset) — 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 #hazelnut #nocciola #caramel #caramello #ritz #crackers

Apple Crumble, McConnell’s Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake, McConnell’s Double Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream. Really nice.

I was impressed by our meal here. Not everything was perfect, but some of the dishes: duck, cabbage, lamb ribs were exceptional and most of the rest really good. A couple were a bit flat (like maybe the salads). The name, Charcoal, implies wood cooked, and they deliver on that promise with an experience that has a bit of a non-Spanish Asador feel.

Tonight we had a great evening out on the patio. BIG wines for pretty big food! These were some serious Chateauneufs!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: bbq, BYOG, CDP, Charcoal Venice, Chateauneuf du Pape, Gelato, Wine

Quick Eats – The Penthouse

Dec26

Restaurant: The Penthouse

Location: 1111 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (310) 393-8080

Date: June 11, 2022

Cuisine: American

Rating: Solid execution

Over the years I’ve gone to the Penthouse in various guises many times. Hey, I used to go to Toppers here in this space in the 1990s. Food has generally been pretty good, although hotel “trite” (aka very tame). Today was actually my birthday and we headed out for lunch with my family.

The space is lovely with great views.

The brunch menu.

Waffle. Strawberries,Whipped Cream, Vermont Maple Syrup, Melted Butter.

Condiments for the waffle.

Salmon Benedict.

Smoked Salmon Pizzetta. Meyer Lemon Creme Fraiche, Salmon Roe, Lox, Caramelized Onions, Cherry Tomato Confit, Chives. Great, but a touch too salty.

Grilled Wagyu Burger.

Inside said burger.

The view (from one side, it’s actually great — and different — on each side).

The Penthouse is actually pretty good for a hotel restaurant. Yeah, it’s American food (one of my least favorite cuisines), but it’s more interesting than most. And the space is great. At night it can be kinda hopping too.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Brunch, Family, Santa Monica, The Penthouse

Summer Miyagi

Dec21

Restaurant: Sushi Miyagi [ 1, 2, 3 ]

Location: 150 S Barrington Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90049. (323) 382-5635

Date: June 2022

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi

Rating: Top Shelf Omakase Sushi

Great sushi is always a good excuse to pull out the beloved Champagnes and White Burgundies.

The unassuming storefront on the largely ignored side street that is S Barrington Ave.

The space is small but attractive (these are pre covid pics).

This is chef focused serious sushi, and so we pre-ordered the largest omakase possible — Erick even egged them on to a larger than offered menu. This picture is also pre-covid, post there is a plexiglass barrier across the bar and no bar seating.

Chef Shinichi Miyagi says about himself on his website:

Born in Osaka, the art of sushi mesmerized the chef at an early age and decided to devote his life as a “Decchi” (apprentice) under Master Higuchi at the age of 16. He opened his first “Kappo” (traditional style of cooking in front of a crowd) restaurant at the age of 25, and moved to LA at 29, working in numerous well known Sushi restaurants in West LA, Beverly Hills, and San Diego.

Through managing a Sushi restaurant in Manhattan Beach (i-naba), now in present day, he found an opportunity to try his skills as an executive chef in Brentwood/Los Angeles. The chefs many years of experience in choosing the freshest fish, will surprise even the most sophisticated pallets of this beautiful city.

His methods and techniques in preparation follows the traditional Japanese style, bringing out the true flavors of the fish. The chef also prepares two styles of rice, AKAZU SHARI (Red vinegar sushi rice), and SHIROZU SHARI (White vinegar rice). The SHARI (Sushi rice) will alternate depending on the fish being prepared, and we hope you enjoy the eclectic flavors of the different vinegars being used.

2008 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 98+. Taittinger’s 2008 Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is simply breathtaking. I have tasted it many times over the years in various trial disgorgements and it has never been anything less than compelling. The final, finished wine captures all of that potential. Bright, focused and wonderfully deep, Comtes is a fabulous example of a vintage that expresses so much energy but with real fruit intensity, the signatures that distinguish it from other vintages (1996 comes to mind) that were similarly taut, but more austere in the early going. Although the 2008 impresses right out of the gate, it only really starts to open up with several hours of air. The 2008 Comtes represents the purest essence of the Côtes des Blancs in a great, historic vintage. Readers who can find the 2008 should not hesitate, as it is a truly brilliant epic Champagne that no one who loves the very best in Champagne will want to be without. (Drink between 2023-2048)

Amuses. Oyster with caviar. Monkfish Liver with ponzu jelly. Deep fried River Crab. Steamed Conch in the back. The monkfish liver was particularly good for its type, super tender and not a hint of bitterness.

Sashimi. Japanese Bonito with ginger on top. Japanese Halibut. Toro from Spain.

Japanese hairy crab. Both some meat and a bit of leg. Very sweet and tender.

Octopus egg in soy sauce with wasabi. I’m not sure I’ve ever had this. It was a texture a bit like a chewy rice, quite delicious.

2007 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes. VM 91+. Deep aromas of pear, white flowers and clove. Sweet and lush but with ripe harmonious acidity keeping the flavors under wraps today. Best now on the long, vibrant finish, which offers a lovely combination of ripeness and energy. But distinctly firm-edged at present. Colin told me he thought that pHs levels in his 2007s were in the range of 3.2 but noted that he doesn’t pay attention to technical parameters as much as to the taste of the wine.

Japanese red snapper.

Hokkaido Scallop.

Triggerfish with fresh liver from the same fish. Never had this particular variant. Lovely.

Striped Jack from Japan.

Oregon Giant Clam.

Amberjack that was 10 days aged topped with Yuzu koshu.

Japanese Sweet Shrimp.

Norwegian Salmon.

2007 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes. BH 94. This is more expressive and a bit riper with ultra pure aromas of peach, apricot, pear and spiced white peach leading to ripe, concentrated and superbly precise flavors that display plenty of mid-palate fat and ample minerality that this part of Charmes always seems to impart to the wines and overall, this is a stunningly harmonious wine of finesse. (Drink starting 2017)

Bluefin Tuna that was 19 day aged.

Almost O-toro.

Spanish Mackerel from Japan.

Japanese Baby Barracuda.

Black throat from Nigata prefecture.

Goldeneye Snapper with Summer Truffle.

Hokkaido Uni.

Japanese Beef nigiri.

2007 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. VM 96+. Bright yellow. Subtly complex nose melds Asian pear, violet, lavender, ginger, iodine and powdered stone. Tactile and dense on entry, then creamy in the middle, conveying an impression of great volume without weight. This extremely backward, youthfully understated Clos firms up dramatically on the back end, finishing with palate-saturating citrus and talc flavors that refuse to fade. One of the longest Chablis bottlings I tasted for this issue, this truly transcends chardonnay.

Chawanmushi with Uni, Mushroom, and Tofu. Very soft.

Crab Hand-roll.

Anago Eel.

Kohada.

2005 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 93. Taittinger’s 2005 Comtes de Champagne was a perfect way to commence proceedings. Orchard fruit and hints of brioche on the seductive nose are joined by a hint of lemon verbena filtering through with time. The palate is beautifully balanced, perhaps not as riveting as a recently tasted 2008, yet underpinned by a fine bead of acidity and exuding harmony on the apricot-tinged finish. This is drinking perfectly now but should give 15-20 years of drinking pleasure. (Drink between 2022-2042)

Vanilla and Truffle ice cream. Not actually that big a fan of truffle in my ice cream.

Cherry Gelato – a blend of Morello Cherry and intense Amarena Cherry 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

Matcha Almond Latte Gelato – Ceremonial Matcha Green Tea and Sicilian Noto Romano Almond gelato base — 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 #almond #matcha #GreenTea #Sicily

Sushi Miyagi is exactly the kind of sushi place I like best — all omakase and very traditional. This is some seriously good fish. Mostly just straight nigiri and a bit of spectacular sashimi and a handful of cooked dishes. This is really really good and instantly catapulted into the top westside sushi joints. Very friendly too. Intimate as well. Sushi at this level is all about the chef and Shinichi Miyagi is very talented.

Not for the sushi neophytes and roll loves, but fabulous for those of us who really enjoy great fish being showcased in a straightforward and delicious manner.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Champage, Gelato, Japanese cuisine, Miyagi, Sashimi, Sushi, White Burgundy, Wine

N/Soto Goodness

Dec15

Restaurant: N/Soto

Location: 4566 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016. (323) 879-9455

Date: June 2 & 11, 2022

Cuisine: Japanese Izakaya

Rating: Elevated Izakaya

The N/Naka group — the original being one of LA’s top Japanese restaurants — has recently opened a more casual Izakaya (Japanese bar food) place. One of my former cooks (and friend) even works there!

Classic Japanese frontage.

Unless you look out on the street 🙂 in which case it’s classic LA frontage.

Nice modern (polished concrete) interior.

The menu.

Fizzy non alcoholic fermented drink.

2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 99. The 2008 Cristal is one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted. A stunning wine from any and all perspectives, the 2008 simply has it all. Spherical in construction, with superb persistence. The 2008 takes hold of all the senses and never gives up. One of the many things that makes the 2008 special is a combination of ripe fruit and bright, piercing acidity. Marzipan, lemon confit, dried flowers and orchard fruit all build into the explosive, resonant finish. “We learned from the mistakes of 1996, when we picked more on acid than ripeness, as was the norm in Champagne back then” Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon told me recently. “In 1996, the best fruit turned out to be the last picks, where the fruit was physiologically ripe. Today, we aim to pick all our fruit with that criteria.” (Drink between 2020-2050)

From my cellar: 2007 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Vireuils. VM 88. Slightly reduced aromas of soft citrus fruits and toasted bread. Ripe, round and nicely balanced; classically dry but not austere, with a flavor of orange dominating the palate. Not yet complex but offers lovely texture. Roulot bottled his 2007s between January and March of 2009, after storing them in cuves for five or six months. Incidentally his Bourgogne blanc, bottled in March, offers lovely floral lift and bright acid cut, and reminded me of a baby Meursault.

2011 Domaine Thenard Montrachet. BH 91-94. Here too there is visible but not intrusive wood that sets off a very closed nose, indeed this is almost mute. There is excellent volume and power to the big-bodied, intense and equally closed flavors that possess plenty of underlying tension on the tight, focused and beautifully long finish. This moderately concentrated effort is very much a work in progress. (Drink starting 2019)

Warm House Made Tofu. ginger, tosa joyu. Soy sauce on the side. Hiding in the soy milk it was made of this was soft and delicious tofu with a bit of bite from the wasabi.
Mentai Mochi. nori, mentaiko. Really delicious. High acid marinate on the onions and seaweed was really good.

Cucumber & Wakame. tosazu, ginger. Jelly version of the classic sunomono.

Carrot & Fennel Tartare. pickled fennel, chickpea miso, chips. Dips were good.

Ankimo. Sumiso, seaweed, ponzu. Really delicious. High acid marinate on the onions and seaweed was really good.

Brussels Sprouts & Salmon Skin. red onion, poached egg. Nice warm salad with good crunch.

Sashimi Moriawase. chef’s selection. Uni, scallop, toro, and others.

Sashimi Moriawase. chef’s selection.

Blue Crab Handroll.

Toro Takuan Handroll.

Shigoku oyseters. Tosazu jello, ginger. Nice bright oyster.

Shigoku oysters with uni. Tosazu jello, ginger. Nice bright oyster.

Beef Tataki. seared zabuton, crispy garlic, ponzu. Perhaps a touch overseared.

Sakamushi clams. Shiitake, dashi. Absolutely delicious garlicky broth.

Maitake Tempura. green tea salt. Very tasty.

Softshell Crab Tempura.

Steamed Seabass. shiitake, kombu, egg. Very soft and pleasant.

From my cellar: 2008 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru. VM 94. The 2008 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (from young vines in Musigny) is a powerful, inward wine. There is lovely depth to the fruit, but the wine remains tightly coiled at this stage, even if occasional glimmers of richness emerge over time. Cloves, cinnamon and a host of other spiced notes add complexity on the finish. This is another superb, textured wine from de Vogüé. (Drink between 2018-2028)

2002 Nicolas Potel Grands-Echezeaux. VM 92-94. Red-ruby color. Penetrating, pure, highly complex aromas of raspberry, minerals, flowers and pungent spices. Wonderfully urgent and intense, with the mineral and pungent spice elements carrying through on the palate and giving the wine superb lift. Tightly wound but already showy. Finishes very long and nuanced, with fine, ripe tannins. From a selection massale planted in 1957. Very impressive.

From my cellar: 1978 Camille Giroud Beaune 1er Cru Grèves. Awesome.

Chicken and scallion and prime beef shoulder skewers (on the right).
Chicken Thigh with scallion.

Lamb chop.

Jidori Tebasaki. Jidori chicken wing. Nice and crispy.

Kurobuta Sausage. Awesome!

Unagi.

Bacon Tomato. A little sour.

Beef Tongue. butter lettuce, pickled red onion. Totally awesome, probably in no small park because of the pickled onions.

Miso Baked Bone Marrow. umeboshi onigiri. Rice was really crispy and nice.

Motsunabe. Tripe, daikon, cabbage. WIthout the funk this dish often has this was amazing.

Trout and Ikura Donabe. This salty and slightly fishy rice was an awesome finish.

The rice plated.

Pickles, sesame seeds, and nori for the rice.

Coffee Budino with jelly.

Yuzu Boysenberry ice cream from Ginger in Culver City.

Okinawa Yam Pudding, which has mochi (the balls), kokuto (Okinawa brown sugar), and adzuki beans. It’s topped with kokuto sauce that’s made in house and poured tableside. Very sweet!

Melon Float. Vanilla ice cream with homemade melon soda (like Jidori but fancier). The melon soda was poured in tableside.

Mango Sorbet.

N/Soto is a very solid addition to the extensive LA Japanese food scene. It fills a niche (more or less) vacated by MTN, a place I miss a lot. It’s not quite as approachable to Izakaya newbies as that, but definitely upscale and a little more Caucasian friendly than more classic Izakaya like Hero or Takuma. And it’s WAY WAY better than the rash of more consumer friendly “sushi + robotoyaki” type pseudo izakaya like Kappo Miyabi. Those places can be ok, but the food is really uneven. N/Soto on the other hand is quite casual, not too expensive, and has very good execution for a fairly wide array of Japanese “drink friendly” dishes.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Izakaya, Japanese cuisine, N Soto, Robatayaki, Sashimi, Wine

More Old California (take 3)

Dec13

Restaurant: 71Above [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]

Location: 633 W 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071

Date: May 31, 2022

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Awesome in all ways

71Above is one of my favorite LA restaurants and I’ve been many times. In fact there are 10 previous write ups! Original Chef Vartan Abgaryan has moved on to his own new place, Yours Truly (which the pandemic has sadly done in), and 71Above is now seamlessly helmed by his disciple, Chef Javier Lopez. Today the location plays host to a special old California dinner owner Emil Eyvazoff organized with an equally special menu. This dinner is the spiritual sequel to a much older Old California dinner back in 2015 and one from 2021.

Besides being located on the 71st floor (950 feet up!) of the US Bank building, being the highest restaurant west of the Mississippi, it’s owned and operated by my friend Emil Eyvazoff!

On one of these visits, Emil gave me a quick tour of their new “patio” on the 70th floor below where they are serving up Mezzes and drinks.

Gorgeous build out upstairs for the main event.

Look at the crazy view and the crazy fog on this weird spring night.

We set up shop for this evening in the private room.

Just a few glasses at the ready.

Our special menu for the night.

NV Schramsberg Vineyards Mirabelle Brut. BH 89. A notably fresh, fruity and overtly yeasty nose evidences notes of green apple, citrus and pear scents. There is good vibrancy to the delicious and equally fruity flavors that possess good if not special depth on the moderately dry but not really austere finale that is shaped by firm effervescence. This has arrived at a point where it could be held for a few more years or enjoyed now. (Drink starting 2015)

Chickpea Panisse, Truffle Aoioli.

Crispy Chicken, Mustard Emulsion.

House-made bread and butter.

1994 Stony Hill Chardonnay. JG 94. I really like the potential on display with the 1994 Stony Hill and fully expect this to be one of the reference point vintages of the 1990s. The nose is still in its youthful stage of development, but shows plenty of promise in its aromatic mélange of buttered apples, lemon, gentle leesy tones, orange peel, dusty minerality and lemon blossoms in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, crisp and beautifully reserved, with fine acids, impeccable focus and balance and excellent length and grip on the still quite primary finish. Excellent potential. (Drink between 2014-2045)

1975 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay Napa & Alexander Valleys. JG 90. The 1975 Château Montelena chardonnay is still drinking beautifully out of magnum at age thirty-five, as the non-malo style fashioned here at this time by Mike Grgich has proven to be very ageworthy indeed. The wine is a blend of Napa Valley and Alexander Valley fruit, which a few years later would end up being bottled on their own by the winery. The bouquet is deep and quite classy in its mature, but still vibrant mélange of apple, orange, a touch of popcorn, orange peel, salty soil tones and new leather. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very, very fresh for its age, with good mid-palate depth, lovely acidity and impressive length and grip on the finish. The complexity here is in the good, but not great camp, but all other aspects of this wine are most satisfying. (served from magnum) (Drink between 2010-2020)

1987 ZD Wines Chardonnay. 89 points.

1984 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay McGregor Vineyard Edna Valley. 94 points.

1973 David Bruce Chardonnay.

1984 Acacia Chardonnay.

1984 Saintsbury Chardonnay Unfiltered Carneros.

1985 Matanzas Creek Winery Chardonnay Sonoma County.

Hamachi Crudo. Mandarin, ginger, coconut, jicama, white soy, thai basil, habanero, sake. Flavor a bit like Tom Yum soup.

1968 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. VM 88. A powerful yet eccentric brute, the 1968 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask H-12 is full of dark tonalities. Smoke, game, blood and molasses linger on the muscular but rustic finish.88 (Drink starting 2014)

1974 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Cabernet Sauvignon Lot F1 Vintage Selection. JG 92. After the bitter falling out of the Mondavi brothers in the mid-1960s, where Robert and Peter actually came to blows in the winery, Peter Mondavi was eventually forced to make financial arrangements to allow his older brother, Robert to receive his share of the family legacy. The history of the family’s acrimonious parting and eventual law suit is chronicled in James Conaway’s book, Napa, and also notes the falling out between Peter Mondavi and a number of the winery’s former suppliers of grapes, which included Nathan Fay. The Lot F-1 “Vintage Select” is the last Krug wine made from Fay Vineyard fruit by the winery, and may well be the last of the great Charles Krug cabernet sauvignons that had ranked right up at the very pinnacle of California cabernet during the decades of the 1940s and 1950s. The 1974 Lot F-1 has been fully mature for many years but remains in full bloom on both the nose and palate, as it offers up a superb bouquet of dark berries, chipotle peppers, woodsmoke, herb tones, lovely soil nuances, tobacco, a touch of nutskin and a fantastic spice box of Indian spices in the upper register that just become more and more complex and vibrant with extended aeration. On the palate the wine is fullish, complex and velvety, with very little remaining tannins, but such fine balance that it will have no difficulty continuing to drink at a very high level for at least another decade or more. The wine shows lovely focus and fine mid-palate depth, and is very long, elegant and complex on the finish. A delightful bottle. (Drink between 2009-2020)

1974 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. 90 points.

1974 Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon Proprietor’s Reserve. JG 87.

1976 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. VM 92. Decent medium red. Ineffable high-pitched aromas of redcurrant, raspberry, tobacco, cardamom, curry powder, celery seed, dried rose and loam. Then intense and penetrating, boasting terrific inner-mouth energy and strong notes of cocoa powder, earth and resiny oak throughout. Finishes firmly tannic and long, with noteworthy lift for a drought year. The yield in 1976 was an extremely low one-and-a-half tons per acre, or roughly the same as in 2015, compared to a normal three to four for Beaulieu’s Rutherford Cabernet. Another seemingly ageless wine. (13.5% alcohol; 7 g/l acidity) (Drink between 2019-2034)

1978 Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon Proprietor’s Reserve.

Crispy Octopus. Black garlic aioli, hazelnut dukkah, beets, guajillo Vinaigrette, Gremolata. Super tender and delicious.

1980 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosché. 93 points. Brown and bricked throughout. Bottom neck fill. Perfect cork. At first a worrying smell of lacquer. But then such an elegant wine emerges. Silky smooth mouthfeel. Smoky aroma. Plums and licorice, smooth cherry, long warm finish. Truly remarkable at 42 years. Do not decant!

1980 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. VM 91. Full healthy red with an amber rim. Expressive scents of redcurrant, plum and milk chocolate show some nutty oak tones but also something distinctly fresh. Silky, rich and concentrated but juicy and delineated as well, boasting building intensity on the back half. Still full of life, with some remaining tannins that may yet be resolved. I have liked this vintage of Georges de Latour since the start. According to Trevor Durling, this 1980 was still raised entirely in American barrels but he noted that this vintage may have gotten a small percentage of new barrels and a slightly shorter élevage than in earlier years. (I must note that a second bottle tasted two weeks later in New York showed a less lucid color, a stronger tobacco quality and more obvious oakiness. It was beginning to dry out on the finish and reminded me increasingly of a dry Oloroso as it opened in the glass.) (13% alcohol; 7.2 g/l acidity) (Drink between 2019-2028)

1980 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate. VM 91. Medium red with a hint of amber. Red berries, coffee and earth on the fragrant nose, lifted by a minty nuance. Lively and firmly built, with its red berry and tobacco flavors conveying an attractive sweet/savory quality. This, too, struck me as a bit Saint Julien-like. Building tannins spread out to saturate the palate. A very nice showing. This vintage had a brett bloom in the bottle, admitted Barrett, “but it ultimately went away.” (13.5% alcohol) (Drink between 2019-2028)

1983 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard. JG 90. 1983 was a particularly difficult year for north coast cabernet sauvignon, but the ’83 Phelps Eisele has done quite well in this tough vintage and the wine was drinking beautifully when I last crossed paths with it in October of 2011. The deep, complex and quite classic nose offers up scents of cassis, eucalyptus, woodsmoke, a touch of tariness, petroleum jelly, beautiful soil tones and a nice base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with a touch of the tariness on the nose repeated here on the palate (no doubt a reflection of the difficulties getting cabernet ripe in ’83), but also with excellent complexity and focus, and very good length and grip on the still slightly chewy finish. This is not a great vintage of Phelps Eisele, but it is a superb effort for a difficult year and a very, very tasty bottle of mature cabernet. (Drink between 2011-2030)

1984 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard. JG 95. The 1984 Martha’s Vineyard is a great wine and one of the best cabernets to be found in the vintage. It is quite ripe by the standards of the day, listed at its customary 13.5 percent on the label, but probably closer to fourteen percent, as Joe Heitz did not really enjoy changing details on his labels for the vagaries of a single vintage! The wine is very deep and pure on the nose, while still retaining plenty of youthful vigor in its constellation of black cherries, petroleum jelly, eucalyptus, cigar wrapper, a beautiful base of soil tones, allspice, incipient notes of chipotles and a nice touch of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, ripe and full-bodied, with a plush core of fruit, fine soil signature and focus, ripe, seamless tannins and a very, very long, complex, tangy and impeccably balanced finish. The 1984 Martha’s Vineyard is now starting to drink very well indeed, but I have the sense that it is still in climbing mode and will be even better a decade down the road. It will prove to be one of the longest-lived 1984 cabernets. (Drink between 2021-2065)

1984 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. 88 points.

Handkerchief Pasta. Mushroom, Brown Butter, pine nut, salsify, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Lemon. Really nice, rich, and savory, particularly given there was no meat.

1985 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. VM 92. Good full medium red, with faint amber at the edge. Pungent scents of raspberry, spices, cedar and eucalyptus. A distinctly penetrating, high-acid style with noteworthy clarity and energy to its floral flavors of berries, dark cherry and loam complicated by a touch of molasses and an obvious oak component. This soil-driven midweight, the product of a long, cool growing season, finishes with a sneaky building whiplash of flavor, with a slight dry edge suggesting energetic extraction. Classic older-style Georges de Latour. (13% alcohol; 6.4 g/l acidity) (Drink between 2019-2033)

1985 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve. VM 92. Medium red with some amber at the rim. Sexy aromas of redcurrant, raspberry, truffle, underbrush and flint. Sweet and a bit wild, showing terrific retention of candied raspberry and plum fruit. This concentrated wine is a step up in texture and depth of fruit from the earlier vintages. Strong but integrated acidity gives it definition and lift, with the long finish showing broad, tongue-dusting tannins. (Drink between 2015-2024)

1986 V. Sattui Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Preston Vineyard. 88 points.

1986 Fisher Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Coach Insignia. 90 points. This one was built for aging. Had a case from release and it was tannic and almost undrinkable. Finally it has reached its potential and the tannis have resolved and left a nicely aged cabernet with plenty of fruit and wonderful integrated flavors. This is an example of the old style of California wine making. The color was ruby red with very slight bricking at the edges. Old cabernet nose with fruit still showing. Blackberrys and cassis on the palate. Two bottles left and no rush to drink up.

1986 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve. VM 88. (13.9% alcohol; 14% Chabot, 23% State Lane, 42% St. Helena and 21% Bancroft Mountain Vineyard; an early budbreak was followed by a cooler growing season): Medium dullish-brown color. Aromas of cherry, orange zest and tree bark show incipient maderization. Soft but slightly tart and angular, with a flavor of dried redcurrant. This has a firm tannic structure but I think it’s beginning its decline. This was Laurie Hook’s first vintage and she believes that this wine will still open further in bottle. (Drink between 2015-2015)

1986 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. VM 92. Full medium red with a faint hint of amber. Aromas of dark cherry, menthol and mint show a slightly medicinal cough medicine quality; very Médoc in style. Then surprisingly supple and fine-grained, offering terrific inner-mouth energy and acidity to shape and freshen its intense dark raspberry and menthol flavors. This wine is fully mature but still full of life, displaying plenty of tobacco and savory spices but also superb remaining fruit and floral lift. For a bone-dry wine, it delivers captivating fruit sweetness that perfectly supports its firm tannins. An excellent showing–and not as dry as the ’83 or ’84. (13% alcohol) (Drink between 2018-2028)

1989 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. 87 points.

Grilled ribeye. Charred Broccolini, crispy shallot, date puree, macadamia, jus.

1978 Ridge Late Harvest.

Cheese Plate. Sofia, red rock, Ameribella, Seasonal Accompaiments.

1978 Chateau St. Jean Johannisberg Riesling Select Late Harvest Robert Young Vineyard. JG 82. Back in the mid to late 1970s, the Château St. Jean late harvest rieslings were amongst the most renowned dessert wines produced in California. I drank many examples of these wines back in the decade of the 1980s, with great enjoyment. The winery produced two levels of late harvest riesling back then, with the wines designated as “Special Select Late Harvest” (abbreviated above as SSLH) their equivalent of Trockenbeerenauslese, and the Select Late Harvest (SLH) their version of Beerenauslese. These were wines that were delicious in their youth, but not particularly long in acidity, and it is not too surprising that they are a bit tired more than twenty years on. The 1978 Robert Young Vineyard SSLH is very dark in color, but retains an interesting nose of burnt caramel, new leather, gentle notes of orange rind and tea leaves. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and still shows a vestige of its acidity, but is not particularly complex, despite it still being impressively long. This was great in the day, but its apogee has been in the rear view mirror for many, many years now. (Drink between 2010-2020)

Strawberry Margarita Sorbetto! — like a frozen cocktail and a signature Sweet Milk favor — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Strawberries from Avignon, blended with fresh lime juice, Reposado Tequila and Cointreau –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #strawberry #Margarita #cocktail #Tequila #Cointreau

Caramel Double Chip Gelato — Base is Salted Caramel made by replacing the sugar with house-made Water Caramel. Laced with Valrhona Chocolate Chunks and Toffee Chunks — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #caramel #SaltedCaramel #valrhona #toffee

Emil with Chef Javier Lopez.

Best Somm in the city, Catherine Morel.

The wine lineup.

The aftermath.

Heading down!

Overall, 71Above is just a seriously well conceived and executed one-of-a-kind restaurant. Really, it’s more like a NY, Singapore, or Tokyo kind of concept. First of all, the view is just awesome. I can’t wait to come back on a really clear day. Particularly once they begin brunch service, a nice winter day will offer an observation deck like panorama.

But then Emil and crew built out such a lovely space to capture the drama. It’s modern, but welcoming. Not too loud, you can hear the conversation and the music both. And from when you enter off the double elevator ascent it folds from one experience to another: lounge, dining room, more intimate corridors, chef table, quiet and romantic view areas in the back, and a series of two adjustable private dining rooms. The attention to architectural detail is amazing.

Today’s dinner excelled on all counts. Service, food, company, and of course the wines. I’m not normally a California wine guy, but these older wines are much softer, nicer, and more Bordeaux-like.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: 71above, BYOG, California Cabernet, Chef Javier Lopez, DTLA, Emil Eyvazoff, Gelato, Wine

Tai Siu is New

Dec11

Restaurant: Tai Siu [1, 2]

Location: 8728 Valley Blvd #101, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 307-0203

Date: May 29, 2022

Cuisine: Cambodian

Rating: Awesome meats!

We Hedonists have been going to Tai Siu for years. I think I first came here in 2015.

But they recently moved into a new Valley Blvd space.

I guess it’s lucky they did!

This is the main dining room.

But we set up in the small private room off to the side.

Herbs for the next three of dishes. Thai Basil is great.

Sweetened fish sauce.

Mega crispy deep fried wontons. Really nice crispy texture and delicious.

Super crispy deep fried spring rolls. Fabulous with the herbs etc. Very fried. Very crispy.

Omelet with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts. Really delicious with the herbs and sauce.

Chicken and Chicken Liver Cambodian Salad. Very nice dressing but the unusual star of the show were the small chunks of liver that gave it an unusual flavor punch.

Crispy fried Garlic Quail. Extremely crispy and so delicate one could just crunch through the bones. Delicious.

Almost every dish came with this salad of greens, onions, and a pleasant dressing to help wash things down.

Dressing-like salt and pepper sauce.

French style venison. More flavor and a bit chewier than the usual beef.

Goat Curry. Delightfully balanced curry (I was drinking it) with tons of flavor. Potatoes in there with the goat to absorb the sauce.

French bread to dip in the curry.

Crispy fried garlic bait fish. Quite delicious and salty with perhaps a hint of curry flavor, or maybe because I was also eating the curry.

Spicy hot pot. This broth was actually quite spicy. The following proteins and herbs were added.

Little squids and thick cut soft beef with egg for the hot pot. First we added the squids then we mixed the egg and beef and added that with a bunch of herbs. All delicious.

Herbs for the hot pot.

Clams with a very odd white pepper and corn starch sauce. Clams themselves were good but the sauce wasn’t my favorite.

Deep fried crispy frog legs. This was some fabulous frog. Super crispy and light (but thick) batter with delicate and moist frog. Boney though as usual.

Hypnotiq blue, chocolate peanut butter, and lemon cookie from the archives. The chocolate was a bit freezer burned.

I had “forgotten” how good Tai Siu is. This was a really fabulous meal filled with bold flavors and well balanced cooking. Service was great and overall a total winner.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Cambodian Cuisine, Gelato, hedonists, SGV, Tai Siu, Wine

Teatime at Tata’s

Dec09

Restaurant: Tata’s Cafe

Location: 12627 Hawthorne Blvd, Hawthorne, CA 90250. (424) 675-4168

Date: May 27, 2022

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Great ingredients and a lot of fun

Our friend Jeff Bovon owns and operates this unusual restaurant in Hawthorne. He’s part chef, part food importer and supplier, being a purveyor of super high quality seafood and meats and he basically took over this little cafe and turned it into a very unusual destination. We setup a big custom group dinner.

The interior is basically a little Hawthorne cafe that’s been mildly scaled up.

NV Henriot Champagne Brut Souverain.

Erick and I brought almost all the wines for this dinner as most of the guests aren’t collectors.

2017 Costaripa Valtènesi Rosamara.

The place setting.

Our special menu tonight.

2013 Prager Riesling Smaragd Achleiten. VM 93. Clarity and primary juiciness emerge from the present collection of Rieslings only when we get to this point. A shimmering interaction of crystalline stony suggestions with white peach, raw almond and bittersweet liquid floral perfume plays out on a subtly satin-like if also fundamentally firm palate. Bright lemon and its pips lend refreshing vivacity and piquant counterpoint on the vibrant, long finish. (Drink between 2015-2025)

Hokkaido Scallop and Uni Crudo.

1997 Verget Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes. VM 90-92. Exotic tropical fruits, apple, honey and a whiff of caramel on the nose. Superripe honey and apple flavors are almost too ripe; in a Show Reserve Australian chardonnay style. Finishes with a note of butterscotch. This has more impressive material than the above, but I’d find the regular Fourchaume easier to drink.

Toast with Egg Yolk and Caviar. Creme Fraiche, celery root puree, chives. This was really yummy.

2005 Cantina di Santadi Shardana Valli di Porto Pino IGT. VM 94. The 2005 Shardana is an awesome Carignano endowed with exuberant dark fruit, smoke, licorice, sage, rosemary and tar. This is a fairly big, masculine wine with great intensity, depth and roundness. It needs another year or two in bottle for the tannins to settle down. The Shardana is formidable, though, and a terrific choice for hearty cuisines. (Drink between 2013-2021)

Roasted Bone Marrow with sea salt and peppered crostini. I don’t really like bone marrow dishes like this. There is basically no “marrow” on the bone, so you scrape a thin layer of fat and collagen onto a toast. Not really my thing. The pickles were good though.

New world juice.

2014 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. VM 94. Pale, bright yellow. Fresh yellow peach, apricot, lemon and toast on the nose, accented by a subtle spearmint note and a whiff of oyster shell. Densely packed, intense, saline and penetrating; tightly wound yet somehow pliant, this wine offers considerable charm owing to its early balance and sweetness but is built for a graceful evolution. Superb, seamless wine with enlivening saline minerality carrying the finish and giving it terrific grip and lift. (Drink between 2020-2032)

Heirloom Tomato Salad. Compressed cantaloupe, Bulgarian feta, pine nut salsa verde. I think for tomato lovers this would have been great. I can handle the little tomatoes, but the big ones have too much “tomato gut.”

2011 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Valbuena 5°. VM 94. Inky ruby. Sexy, high-pitched dark berry and floral pastille aromas are complemented by suggestions of oak spices and smoky minerals. Shows a surprisingly light touch on the palate, offering sharply focused blackberry, bitter cherry, licorice candy and floral pastille flavors that deepen and become sweeter with air. Harmonious tannins add grip to the extremely long, sappy finish, which leaves behind notes of dark berry preserves and candied lavender. (Drink between 2021-2032)

Whole Roast Suckling Pig!

So soft he cuts it with a plate.

We each got this much meat!

2010 Domaine Lignier-Michelot Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Bertin. VM 91-93. The 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Bertin is rich, dark and sensual. Black cherries, plums, spices and minerals are some of the notes that are woven into this generous, textured wine. The Cuvée Bertin finds a higher, brighter register on the mid-palate and finish. This is a beautifully poised, elegant Gevrey. The Cuvée Bertin was made with 40% whole clusters. (Drink between 2015-2025)

Crispy Duck Breast. Cherry sauce, purple cauliflower & King Trumpet croutons. This was a good dish. The brown mushy stuff under the duck was very savory and delicious.

2014 Compania de Vinos del Atlantico Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz Vara Y Pulgar.

Porcini Crusted NY Steak. Getting full here.

Yuzu Tart. Very nice little “meringue” pie.

Strawberry Margarita Sorbetto! — like a frozen cocktail — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Strawberries from Avignon, blended with fresh lime, Reposado Tequila and Cointreau –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #strawberry #Margarita #cocktail #Tequila #Cointreau

The wines.

We had a very fun time. Big group and diverse wines with a LOT of food.

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Foodie Club, Gelato, Jeff Bovon, suckling pig, Tata's Cafe, Wine

Lunch Quest – Dai Ho

Dec07

Restaurant: Dai Ho Restaurant

Location: 9148 Las Tunas Dr, Temple City, CA 91780. (626) 291-2295

Date: May 27, 2022

Cuisine: Taiwanese Chinese

Rating: Notoriously reasonably priced

Dai Ho has been on my “to try” list forever (maybe close to 10 years). It’s a very small menu Taiwanese lunch place known for noodles and being incredibly cheap (and tasty).

Typical old school SGV frontage.

The extremely casual interior space.

Tubs for sale.

Bean curd and anchovies. Nice texture and a bit savory.

Mustard greens with Bean Curd.

Mixed “spicy”. Peanuts, peppers, bean curd, garlic.

Tripe and Bean Curd. Pretty good for tripe.

Ground Pork Dry Noodles.

Ground Beef Dry Noodles.

Sesame Dry Noodles. Like a dan dan with less spice. Probably my favorite of the noodles — although not as strong as a good dan dan.

Beef Noodle Soup.

We pretty much ordered everything. There are some variants of above, but we covered our bases. Everything we had was very tasty and the bill was ridiculously low, but I do like a restaurant more more variety!

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: AFF, Hai ho, lunch, Lunch Quest, noodles, Taiwanese Cuisine

Lunch Quest – Happy Valley Village

Dec05

Restaurant: Happy Valley Village / Shanlitun

Location: 1655 S Azusa Ave E, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745. (626) 669-8406

Date: May 26, 2022

Cuisine: North East Chinese

Rating: One of a kind

This unusual “hot pot” restaurant in Hacienda Heights specializes in lamb spine and goose hot pot from the region just west of Korea.

It’s located in the usual kind of mini-mall and is as far as we can tell one of a kind in California — in that no one else offers this cuisine.

It has a pretty nice build out.

And a colorful decor. Notice the hoods over each table.

And each table has this built in super hot pot.

The menu.

Five Vegetable Noodles. Mustard and tangy sauce with mung bean noodles.

Cold beef with garlic sauce. Sauce was great. Beef is dense and pastrami-like.

Sweet and Sour Crispy Pork. Very breaded. Not actually sweet enough. A bit mild in flavor.

Lamb spine hot pot with mushrooms and eggplant.
Add in pork belly and pork ribs.
Add in crystal noodles (wide).

And corn cakes cooked on the side.
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Steaming up.

Spine had a ton of flavor. Very boney, but worth it. Ribs were the best and pork belly also great. Sauce/broth had huge depth of flavor.

Inside of the corn bread.

This is a pretty focused restaurant where the stew is more or less the thing, excepting the fairly simple set of “appetizers.” But the stew is pretty darn tasty. There are the 5 variants: fish, goose, cabbage & pork, chicken, and lamb spine. You can’t really try more than one per visit so we’ll have to come back sometime and try at least the goose.

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Happy Valley Village, hot pot, lamb spine, Lunch Quest, SGV

Lunch Quest – Da Long Yi

Dec01

Restaurant: DaLongYi Hot Pot 大龙燚火锅

Location: 250 W Valley Blvd L, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 872-6690

Date: May 20, 2022

Cuisine: Chinese Szechuan Hot Pot

Rating: Very solid spicy hot pot place

Da Long Yi Hot Pot is a relatively new spicy hot pot branch of some Chinese chain, in the Chongking style, but from Chengdu specifically.

It’s located located on the second floor of this classic mall right next door to Shanghai #1 Seafood Village.

The interior has a decent but modern industrial build out.

The “snacks” are extremely minimal.

The sauce bar section is decent, totally workable, but not as good as a few other chains.

I made my usual pair of sesame and vinegar based sauces.

Fried Pork. Super nice fry with juicy pork. Great!

Half spicy, half bone broth. The bone is boring, of course.

Smooth beef. Thick slices coated in egg. Very tender and nice.

Pork meat balls. Great, not those dense packaged ones.

Luncheon Meat. Always one of my favorites.

Fish Balls stuffed with Roe. Great.

Angus Beef.

Beef Tongue.

Lamb Shoulder.

Assorted Tofu.

Assorted Mushrooms.

Lotus root. Love that crunchy texture.

Napa cabbage. Because this is always the favorite veggie, we decided to just order it.

This turned out to be a surprisingly nice spicy hot pot. It’s “almost” as good as Shancheng Lameizi or Chun La Hao, but not quite. Build out isn’t as attractive as either of those. Sauce/snack bar is a bit worse. Actual hot pot food quality was quite good, basically equal. Weirdly, they were completely empty. One employee I think and we were the only customers. Food was great though.