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Archive for February 2023

Wolfing it Down

Feb27

Restaurant: Wolvesmouth [1, 2, 3]

Location: Los Angeles

Date: July 30, 2022

Cuisine: Modernist

Rating: Very tasty and great night

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Second July in a row I went to a Wolvesmouth dinner. My previous visit was great fun, but it was for a long time a complicated “application based” dinner and I’m kinda lazy about such things. So when some of my friends decided to buy out the night and invited me I jumped at the chance to return.

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In these uncertain times, albeit in the relatively optimistic early/mid summer window, this dinner was held in the Chef Craig Thornton’s home.
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The dining table is right in front of the open kitchen.
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Ribeye cap. Roman gnocchi. cherry onion jam. fermented tokyo turnip. salsa verde. al taglio. An odd first dish, but delicious. The salsa verde was very chimichuri like and gave the whole thing a sweet and salty succulence.
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Scallop. corn. tomato. sungold. chorizo. melon. Bright flavors and very strong corn flavor. Quite lovely.
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melon gazpacho. mascarpone. melon. marcona almond. This was quite sweet and summer-like.
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Halibut. grilled asparagus. poblano. pickled radish. beet. sopes. garlic labneh. My least favorite dish, fairly heavy, probably from the poblano and beet.
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Albacore. cauliflower. charcoal chili broth. freeze dried thai basil. mint. coconut curry. coconut arancini. kaffir lime. green papaya. thai chili. galangal. chive. Extremely intense “Thai” flavor. The base liquid pretty much tasted like the most extreme Thai salad dressing ever, albiet less salty. Delicious but a wine killer.
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Pork belly. japanese sweet potato. yuzu. black plum. shiso. Super delicious. Sweet and savory with Chasui like quality.
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Cornbread blini. togarashi honey butter.
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Quail. white bbq. pinquinto beans. blueberry. dill. cheddar biscuit. hatch chili cheddar. Awesome. Deep fry like a corndog with a scrumptuous tangy white sauce. The bisquit was amazing too.
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Financier. butterscotch mousse. nectarine. chewy nectarine. apricot ice. burnt meringue.
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Buttermilk vanilla panna cotta. strawberry. concentrated strawberry. strawberry vanilla crumble. strawberry ice. Strawberries and cream.
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Feeling creative — Pistachio Basil Gelato – Milk blitzed with fresh Italian Basil leaves and melted together with Pistacchi di Bronte DOP from Bronte Sicly (duh) — 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 #basil #pistachio #sicily
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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
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Le chef.
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This was a fabulous night. Great wines and atmosphere, but most importantly wonderful company and some really tasty food. I was very impressed. There was no obvious “theme” to the menu, but each dish was very strongly executed with bold and powerful — and tasty — flavors.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Favori Dinner
  2. Quicker Crustacean
  3. 888 Seafood – Banquet
  4. Thai Tour – Sri Siam
  5. Szechuan Impression Tustin
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Craig Thornton, Gelato, Hollywood, Skylar, Wine, Wolvesmouth

Big Night at Capital

Feb25

Restaurant: Capital Seafood Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: 50 N La Cienega Blvd #130, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. (310) 855-1234

Date: July 29, 2022

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Great again

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Sometimes (particularly during a week day) people don’t want to drive all the way to the SGV — and when that happens there is always Capital Seafood Beverly Hills. Tonight a bunch of us gathered for a big wine night.

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Capital is the latest SGV place to move west, occupying the Newport Seafood Beverly Hills location that failed to work out. Not that I love even the original Newport, but Capital is fairly straight up banquet / dimsum Cantonese.

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The space looks pretty Chinese, even in Beverly Hills.
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Coves. Gotta have the coves!

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Candied Walnuts.
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Peanuts.
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It’s alive!
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Jellyfish. Nice texture and a good slightly tangy sauce.
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Shrimp Egg Rolls. Nice and crunchy.
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Har Gow. Well made with a great filling, although they had sat on this plate for a bit too long and so were starting to sag.
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Live prawns.
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Boiled Live Spot Prawns. Normally I don’t love these sea bugs, but with the sauce they were quite nicely cooked, sweet and delicious.
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Sauce for the prawns.
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Live lobster!
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Typhoon Style Lobster. Great with a nice garlic flavor.

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Live crab!
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King Crab Body with Basil. Lovely basil flavor and well cooked crab.
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King Crab legs steamed with garlic. Juicy, fresh, and delicious.
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Pseudo Peking Duck. Not bad, but no pancakes, which makes it more or less Pseudo Peking Duck (see my Ultimate Peking Duck Guild for details).
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Buns instead of pancakes.
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Wines chilling!
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Duck bones with cumin. Actually one of the best duck bone preps I’ve had. Really nice “cumin lamb” style prep. Lots of meat and a bit crunchy.
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French style Filet Mignon. Sweet and a bit of black pepper. Boring dish but this was a nice version of it.
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Salt and pepper Pork Ribs. Excellent version of this dish. Very fried but not too salty.
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Beef rib with Garlic XO sauce. Very savory garlic/MSG sauce. Meat was a touch over cooked, but it was delicious.
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King Crab Shell Fried Rice.
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Pea Tendrils steamed with Garlic. Nice for a green.
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Stir fried fungus with fresh lily and asparagus. Not bad at all for straight vegetables.
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Macau Tarts.
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Peach shaped buns with bean paste.
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Raspberry Lemon Curd Gelato — an awesome dairy Raspberry base swirled with house-made Lemon Curd — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — tangy and sweet! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #raspberry #jam #lemoncurd #curd
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Gift from the kitchen: pork buns.

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Overall, this was one of our best Capital Seafood (BH) meals ever — and I’ve been a lot! Really fabulous food — partially as we had some really regular customers. Wines were incredible too.

For my catalog of Chinese restaurant reviews in China, click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Dirty Dozen at Capital Seafood
  2. Capital Dim Sum
  3. Capital Sauvages
  4. Capital Sauvages
  5. Late Night Longo
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Beverly Hills, BYOG, Cantonese cuisine, Capital Seafood, Chinese Food, Gelato, hedonists

Coche In at Brothers Santa Monica

Feb23

Restaurant: The Brothers Sushi Santa Monica

Location: 1008 Montana Ave #1, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (424) 330-0270

Date: July 28, 2022

Cuisine: Modern Sushi

Rating: Awesome (and close)!

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Our Foodie Gang has been going to the incredible “The Brothers Sushi” in the valley for some time now, and it was with much glee that we welcomed in the brand new (and somewhat delayed) Montana Santa Monica location.
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The space used to be the repulsive Louise’s Trattoria, serving not exactly Italian for decades. But Brother’s has given it a major new makeover.
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This particular visit was during their soft opening and Chef Mark Okuda was there to personally handle our omakase.
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The build out is gorgeous. Here the bar is for omakase only and the tables are for à la carte only.
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More details.
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Chef Mark Okuda on the left and his chef de cuisine Moriyuki Kanamaru.
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2014 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Cuvée Nicholas et Mathis. 93 points. Flinty nose, but not very giving. Lemon infused palate, crisp and acidic with lemon rind elements and a chalky texture. Much more closed than the very open 2013.

What better way to inaugurate a new sushi bar than with coche night!
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2008 Coche-Dury Meursault. VM 91. Peach and white flowers on the nose; a real essence of Meursault perfume. Then creamy-rich and sweet, with soft citrus flavors dominating. Finishes with lovely lingering sweetness of fruit. Ridiculously sexy village wine.
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2011 Domaine & Selection Meursault Coche-Dury. 92 points.
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2012 Coche-Dury Meursault. 94 points. Sexy aromas of orange oil and brown spices. Bright and penetrating, with peach and soft citrus flavors firmed on the tactile back end by saline minerality. Really excellent texture and length for village wine. (Incidentally, don’t hesitate to snap up Coche’s 2012 Bourgogne Blanc if you can find it. This ripe, fruit-driven wine, from rocky soil around Coche’s house, is as good as most Meursault village wines. The very rich, tactile, classic Meursault Narvaux, which is usually sent to the U.S., was just at the beginning of its malo, and the Rougeot hadn’t even started at the end of May.)
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2013 Coche-Dury Meursault. 93 points. Pale, bright yellow. Stone fruits and a honeyed nuance on the inviting nose. Concentrated, ripe and dry, conveying a musky complexity to the flavors of peach, pear and minerals. Finishes with excellent energy and a positive phenolic edge. (Burgundy lovers who routinely snap up the Coche-Dury Bourgogne Blanc when they’re lucky enough to spot it in a retail shop or on a restaurant wine list will love the very sexy 2013 version, which offers intense white peach and lime flavors framed by lemony acidity and finishes with noteworthy refinement for its humble appellation.) (Drink between 2017-2023)
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2016 Coche-Dury Meursault. 93 points. A cooler and more restrained nose features notes of spicy green apple, acacia blossom and the hallmark hazelnut wisps. There is excellent density to the finer and more mineral-inflected flavors that possess almost painful intensity on the focused, powerful and strikingly persistent finish. This too is a seriously good performance for a villages level wine that should age effortlessly for at least a decade. (Drink starting 2026)
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Marinated Seaweed, Scallop, and Okra. Sunomono sweet and tangy quality with beautiful textures.
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2 week aged King Salmon, Marinated Momotaro Tomato, Ponzu Jelly, and Ice Plant. Delicious.
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Smoke infused dry aged medium Chu Toro with wasabi. The smokey flavor is lovely.
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Chawanmushi with Dungeness Crab and Santa Barbara Uni. A very lovely sweet and briny custard.
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Maryland softshell Blue Crab, lightly fried and marinated with pickles. The acidity served as a nice offset to the grease of the fry.
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Spring snapper.
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5 day dry aged Amberjack.
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Shima Aji from Kushu Japan.
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Golden eye snapper. Had a touch of char as he blow torches some charcoal over it.
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Marinated Maguro (blue eye toro).

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Sweet Ebi from Japan.
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Special brined Ikura over rice and topped with wasabi.
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Sea Perch.
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O Toro. Some of the softest, fatiest otoro I have yet had.
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Anago Sea Eel from Kushu. Lovely soft texture.
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Another round of chu and o toro
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Clam miso. Lovely briny flavor. Very satisifying.
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Tamago.
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Hokkaido uni “wrap”.
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A5 Wagyu nigiri.
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Hokkaido scallop.
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Toro Takuan Handroll.
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Hamachi.
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Ikura.
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Ngawa. Haven’t heard of this fish but it was super tender and delicious, almost unctuous.
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Seared Chu Toro “Zule” with homemade soy sauce.
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Matcha Cheesecake.
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Leche Quemada Gelato — “burnt” some milk with Cinnamon and Vanilla and then cooked into the mix a light Water Caramel. I didn’t have any Animal Crackers so I decorated with Stroopwafel — 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 #cookie #cinnamon #vanilla #BurntMilk #stroopwafel #caramel
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Chef enjoying some gelato.
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Bonus!

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Overall, another perfect night of sushi and white burgundy!

Instantly Brother’s Santa Monica has leapt into the top tier of westside sushi bars along with Miyagi and Shunji. It’s combination of perfect nigri and very refined “other dishes” are really great. It’s slightly different from woodland hills in personality, with some dishes in common and some specific to each — just enough to keep things interesting.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Brothers Sushi Two
  2. Food as Art – The Brothers Sushi
  3. Major Coche to the Dome-O
  4. Fraiche Santa Monica
  5. Fraiche Santa Monica part deux
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Brothers Sushi, BYOG, Foodie Club, Gelato, Mark Okuda, Moriyuki Kanamaru, Omakase, Sushi, Wine

Dirty Dozen semi Grand

Feb21

Restaurant: Grand Harbor [1, 2, 3, 4]

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

Date: July 24, 2022

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Solid Cantonese

_

It has become traditional for the Dirty Dozen (our blind tasting group within a group) to do white wine lunches over dim sum — but this time we mixed it up slightly and combined with Sunday night dinner into a Cantonese banquet Dirty Dozen White dinner. I think this was originally white Burgundy themed, then opened up to Rose Champagne for this event.

Grand Harbor is a relatively new Hong Kong place in Temple City from Jackie Zhou, having opened in 2012. It is part of the NBC Seafood Restaurant group, which has several other locations throughout the Los Angeles area.

The restaurant was designed to provide an elegant and upscale dining experience, with a focus on fresh seafood and high-quality ingredients. The owners of the restaurant were inspired by the traditional seafood restaurants of Hong Kong and wanted to bring a similar experience to the United States.

Since its opening, Grand Harbor has become a popular destination for diners seeking delicious seafood dishes and a luxurious dining experience. The restaurant has received numerous accolades and positive reviews from food critics and diners alike, and has become a go-to spot for special occasions and celebrations.

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.

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We had a private room — pretty much a necessity given the crowded main room.

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Peanuts.
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Smashed cucumbers. Slightly spicy sweet sauce. Not sure what the deal with dumping this kind of spring roll sauce on top of the cucumbers is.

We had the champagnes in flights but I’m too lazy to do anything more than present the photos of them in the order they were served.
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Cold appetizers. Jellyfish, roast pork, pork belly, roast duck. Roast pork and duck were good.
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Sauces for the cold apps. The hoison like one and sweet duck sauce.
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Walnut shrimp. Lightly fried, very mayo, a bit sweet, and quite delicious.

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“Peking Duck.” Skin is a bit soft and mushy and there are buns, but still tasty. This is “pseudo peking duck” like most of the Cantonese restaurants server. For more legit versions, check out my Peking Duck Guide.
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Scallops in XO sauce. Very nice, not super strong.
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Lobster steamed with garlic. Nice light prep.
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Pork belly with preserved vegetables. Mild and very fatty but very good. Mild is a theme tonight.
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Fried pork chops. Very fried but not super salty.
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French style beef with mushrooms. Super tender but why, why do we keep ordering this dish?
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Bok Choy. Lightly flavored.
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Everything fried rice.
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Plated.
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Truffle chicken. Chicken itself was very tender but the truffle was canned truffle with rancid truffle oil. I could only handle one bite.
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Pan fried noodles with beef and egg whites. Topping was pretty good but noodles had a slightly odd flavor. Overall pretty mild (aka under seasoned).
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Double Mint Oreo — Base made with Fresh Spring Mint infused milk and then laced with Crushed Mint Oreo Thins and Chopped Valrhona 70% Chocolate! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — lovely strong mint flavor and color is all natural — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #mint #valrhona #chocolate #oreo

My gelato is DOTN (dessert of the night) by about 5 orders of magnitude.
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Light honey and plain sponge cakes.
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Sweet soup with sesame mochi. Sweet egg drop anyone?
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The results.
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By July of 2022, Grand Harbor had come most of the way back since it’s immediate post pandemic low, but it’s still not quite as good as it was before 2020. The dishes look good, but there was a slight but consistent under seasoning that made a little one dimensional — except for the truffle chicken which was disgusting. Say no to truffle oil! Still, one could always bring some a shaker of “flavor” (MSG) and Grand Harbor a very solid Cantonese with top notch rooms and service. From those who have visited more recently I’ve heard they have rebounded even further.

And I do like Rose Champ with Chinese food.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Related posts:

  1. Dirty Dozen Grand
  2. Dirty Dozen at Capital Seafood
  3. Dirty Dozen Crustacean
  4. Dirty Dozen at La Paella
  5. Dirty Dozen at Water Grill
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: blind tasting, BYOG, Cantonese Chinese, Champagne, Dirty Dozen, Gelato, Grand Harbor, hedonists, SGV, Wine

Date Night at Addison

Feb18

Restaurant: Addison

Location: 5200 Grand Del Mar Way, San Diego, CA 92130. (858) 314-1900

Date: July 18, 2022

Cuisine: California Japanese Fusion French

Rating: Best meal I’ve had in California in a while

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My wife and I snuck away during July 2022 for a romantic getaway to San Diego and managed to snag (thanks Jeffrey!) a reservation at San Diego’s best restaurant, Addison — then 2 Michelin stars, now recently promoted to three!
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Addison is a renowned fine-dining restaurant located in the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, a luxury resort in San Diego, California. The restaurant is named after Addison Mizner, a famed architect from the 1920s who specialized in Mediterranean-style architecture.

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It’s located at the glamorous and woodsy Fairmont Grand Del Mar.
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The outside patios are very 2000.
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The restaurant has a sophisticated and elegant — if slightly overdone — ambiance, with a modern European design that includes chandeliers, high ceilings, and polished marble floors. The dining room has an open floor plan with tables set with white linens and comfortable chairs. The restaurant also has a private dining room that can seat up to 20 guests for more intimate gatherings.

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Regular menu.
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Pescatarian menu.

Addison’s cuisine is described as contemporary French with a California twist, and the menu changes frequently to highlight the freshest seasonal ingredients. The restaurant has a strong emphasis on fine dining techniques and presentation, with each dish carefully crafted to provide a feast for the eyes and the palate.

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Welcome drink of fermented pineapple with a bit of a funky quality.
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Wagyu tartar with a squid ink cracker.
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Chicken Liver Churry. Soft and crispy textures.
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Chili Churro. The vegetarian variant.
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Sake Cured Kanpachi “Nigiri” with shiso leaf. Very nice crunch paired with the softness of the fish and an shiso finish.
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Iberian Ham, Crispy Potato, Black Truffles. Decadent little bite.
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A glass of rose to start.
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Kanpachi Sashimi, Salted Kiwi, Shiso, Melon. Formed into a floral shape each piece of fish could be dipped into the citrus and shiso sauce.
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Shellfish Chawanmushi with scallops and Haikkado Uni, Broccoli, Bok Choy, and Daikon.
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Vegetable Chawanmushi Broccoli, Bok Choy, and Daikon.
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Even though I brought wine, the $100+ (maybe even $150) a bottle corkage drove me to the not-too-badly-priced wine list. 2019 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières Domaine. BH 91-93. Moderately firm reduction overshadows the underlying fruit at present. Otherwise there is very good volume to the nicely concentrated and more finely textured middle weight flavors that brim with minerality on the youthfully austere and lemon zest-inflected finale that isn’t quite as structured. (Drink starting 2027 — oops we started a bit early — that’s restaurant wine lists for you)

The wine is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes, which are hand-picked and carefully sorted to ensure only the highest quality fruit is used. After pressing, the juice is fermented in French oak barrels, 25% of which are new, where it undergoes a malolactic fermentation, which adds richness and creaminess to the wine.

The resulting wine is a brilliant golden color with aromas of lemon, pear, and white flowers. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and complex, with flavors of citrus, vanilla, and a hint of minerality. The wine has a long, elegant finish that lingers on the palate.1A4A1540
Regiis Ova Reserve Caviar, Koshihikari Rice, Smoked Sabayon, Sesame. Very soft rice texture, rich and creamy with a nutty quality but not overwelmingly sesame. Quite lovely.
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Salt and Vinegar Chips, Toasted Dill, Burnt Onion Dip. Basically fancy “sour cream and oil chips” — delicious.
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The dip.
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Golden Eye Snapper, Flavors of summer. Very moist and subtle and pleasant.
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Truffle Tamale, Squash Blossoms, Quesillo, Pork.
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Can hardly see it under all that truffle!
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Tom Kha Gai Goong, Thai Basil, Coriander, Coconut. Very authentic but extra smooth and clean.
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Lime to add into the soup.
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Crispy vegetable fritter.
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Sourdough Bread, Goat’s Milk, Browned Honey Butter.
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Browned Honey Butter.
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Goat’s Milk.
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2013 Domaine Perrot-Minot Chambolle-Musigny. VM 90-92. Bright, dark red. Aromas of cherry, spices, rose petal and menthol are accented by a piquant suggestion of blood orange. Distinctly brambly aromas of berries, rose and menthol. At once lush and bright, with a firm tannic spine giving the wine structure and grip. A very serious village wine in the making. (Drink between 2020-2027)
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A5 Wagyu, Black Garlic, Maitake Broth, Negi. Super buttery/tender beef very much in the true wagyu vibe. Scrumptious.
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Maaitake Broth, Negi. Very pleasant and extremley Japanese.
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Wild Mushrooms, Black Garlic, Crispy Kombu.
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This (vegetarian) dish also came with a broth.
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Chef William Bradley in the kitchen. He’s the executive chef of Addison. He joined the restaurant in 2006 and has since become known for his contemporary French cuisine with a California twist, showcasing the finest seasonal ingredients.

Chef Bradley began his culinary career in his native Florida, where he attended culinary school and worked in various restaurants. He then moved to California to work for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in San Francisco and later the St. Regis Hotel in Los Angeles, where he earned a Michelin star.

In 2006, Chef Bradley joined the team at Addison as the executive chef, where he has continued to elevate the restaurant’s reputation for exceptional cuisine. Under his leadership, Addison has been awarded multiple accolades, including five stars from Forbes Travel Guide, five diamonds from AAA, and a spot on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Chef Bradley is known for his attention to detail and his innovative approach to cooking. He draws inspiration from both classic French techniques and local California ingredients, combining them in unexpected ways to create dishes that are both elegant and inventive.

Overall, Chef William Bradley’s career has been marked by a dedication to excellence in the culinary arts, and his contributions to Addison have solidified the restaurant’s reputation as one of the best fine-dining destinations in the United States.

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Harry’s Berries Strawberries, Cucumber Jelly, Whipped Orange Blossom. Super intense berries, fabulous “strawberry and zabione” style dish.
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The Sweet Treats.
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Praline and Cocoa Crunch, Passion Fruit, Toasted Fluff. Lovely crunchy texture and rich chocolate flavor.
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Yuzu Custard, Green Tea. Lite and bright.
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Chocolate Wafer, Pistachio, Sour Cherry Jam.
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Berry-Beet Tartelette, Verjus, Vanilla. Very intense berry flavor.
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Wildflower Honeycomb. Glucose spike!
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“Gift” of granola.

Addison was flat out great. First of all, it’s a lovely setting, really quite magnificent. Then the atmosphere and service are absolutely at the level of a European Michelin 2 star, which is so rare in America. The food also feels like 2 star food — and now that it has a US 3 star that puts it where it should be because the best US 3 stars match up with European 2 stars. There just aren’t places at the Euro 3 star level in the states, not really.

Anyway, on to the food. It’s very refined, beautifully plated and artfully presented. Every dish tasted bright and delicious. Overall, there is a very pronounced Japanese influence, which is typical these days for high end California restaurants. The techniques are largely modern French, although there are dishes like the Chawanmushi which are pretty straight up Japanese. Otherwise, even with the French techniques the ingredients are at least half Japanese, so it has the feeling of a great Japanese omakase.

As a “date night” it turned out to be one of those perfect romantic evenings — spectacular even.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Date Night at AR Valentien
  2. Date Night at Madeo
  3. Thai Tour – Night+Market Song
  4. Night of the Whirling Noodles
  5. Late Night Medicine
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Addison, California French, Chef William Bradley, Date Night, Del Mar, Golf Course, Japanese Fusion, Michelin 2 Star, Michelin 3 Star, Romantic Dinner

Date Night at AR Valentien

Feb16

Restaurant: A.R. Valentien

Location: 11480 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037. (858) 777-6635

Date: July 19, 2022

Cuisine: California Bistro

Rating: Solid for a hotel spot

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My wife and I went for a romantic mini vacation to San Diego July of 2022 and stayed at the Iconic Lodge at Torrey Pines where we stayed just before our son was born.
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It’s a lovely spot in full California style, located in La Jolla, California, just north of San Diego. The lodge is nestled in a grove of pine trees overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course. The hotel is decorated in a Craftsman-style decor, with hardwood floors, custom furnishings, and hand-crafted details that evoke the warmth and character of a bygone era.

The Lodge is also known for its proximity to some of the most beautiful natural areas in Southern California, including Torrey Pines State Reserve, which is home to rare and endangered plant species, and miles of hiking trails. Other nearby attractions include the La Jolla Cove, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, and the San Diego Zoo.

Overall, the Lodge at Torrey Pines is a stunning destination that offers a luxurious and relaxing retreat in a breathtaking natural setting.

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The sunset view from the Lodge’s signature restaurant, A.R. Valentien. The restaurant highlights regional San Diego cuisine served in an elegant, timbered indoor-outdoor dining room overlooking the 18th hole of Torrey Pines Golf Course. Executive Chef Kelli Crosson sources only the best local provisions, and the menu changes frequently based on seasonal fare available. The restaurant takes its name from a talented early 20th-century California artist whose works are exhibited throughout the restaurant.

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The menu.

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A favorite — can’t even remember if I brought the bottle or we bought it off the list — 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 cuvée, but with no lack of vivacity.

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Vegetarian amuse.
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Stonefruit Salad. Young Lettuces, Whipped Goat Cheese, Marcona Almonds, White Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette.
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Applewood Smoked Rainbow Trout. Burnt Onion Cream, Shishito Relish, Crispy Potato.
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Braised Alaskan Halibut. Miso Broth, Bok Choy, Sprouting Cauliflower, Torpedo Onion, Cauliflower Mushroom.
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Roasted Liberty Duck Breast and Confit Leg. Caramelized Fennel Flan, Hazelnuts, Roasted Grapes, Frisée.
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Bonus of wax beans and romesco.
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Cheese with Spiced Nuts and Jams. Caveman Blue. Rogue Creamery, (Cow’s Milk). Cave Aged Marisa. Carr Valley, (Sheep’s Milk). Lake Effect. Blakesville Creamery, (Goat’s Milk). Wagon Wheel. Cowgirl Creamery, (Cow’s Milk).
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Beignets and candies.

Certainly a very pleasant romantic meal.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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  3. About Last Night
  4. The Last of Us Part II – Release Date Reveal Trailer
  5. Wine Night at Garlic & Chives
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: A.R. Valentien, Date Night, Lodge at Torrey Pines, San Diego

Camphor Cool

Feb14

Restaurant: Camphor

Location: 923 E 3rd St Suite 109, Los Angeles, CA 90013. (213) 626-8888

Date: July 14, 2022

Cuisine: Modern French Bistro

Rating: Great fusion of flavors

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Camphor is a modern bistro located in DTLA’s bustling Arts District led by Co-Executive Chefs Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George. It seems to merge French style with some Indian flavors.

Jeffrey and Erick and I, collectively the Foodie Club or Bottom Feeders, set off to try it out — and of course ordered almost the entire menu (as we are wont to do).

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They are located down in the Arts District — ugly location, but a nice build out. It’s the same space that used to house Nightshade, another place I liked that shut down during the pandemic. Some of the owners and/or staff have carried over.
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The interior. It doesn’t look that different than Nightshade did.
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The menu and our marked up version.
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1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. 92 points. Best attribute is a long finish, with good balance. Notes of white flower and tree fruit.
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From my cellar: 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 94 points. When they are on the wines are really incredible, this bottle was flinty and completely alive and delicious, everything you could want but the success rate is pretty much 50% on these wines for me so as long as you are comfortable with that reality they are worth seeking out, I’m not sure I’m going to be buying anymore myself. Even at 2x the average retail price on these which is basically what the cost is when you have to pour out every other bottle, they are still a relative bargain compared to any other older White Burg but it’s a frustrating experience opening them.
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Amuse in the form of a light delicious foam in a chickpea shell. Very nice refreshing bite.
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Saucisson with brown pepper. Tasty thin salami.
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Baby shrimp “gunpowder.” Incredibly tasty little salty crunchy shrimp with a hint of curry and/or lemongrass and basil.
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Clam barbajuan. Tasty, but the ratio of fry made it taste like there could have been anything in there.
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Clams with garlic parsley butter. Quite tasty.
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Tartare of beef with an herb tempura. This was a fabulous “creamy” tartare and particularly delicious on the crispy herbs.
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Herb tempura to put the tartare on.
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A5 wagyu otoro carpaccio. Also creamy. They like the sacues here.
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Barbajuan of Dungeness crab. There was also probably spinach in there. I thought there was a nice (but subtle) crab flavor. The shell was great.
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Sauces for the barbajuan of a creamy butter sauce and incredible pickled sweet Peruvian peppers.
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Special onion tart with anchovies. This was very good, but not as good as Jeffrey wanted.
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From my cellar: 1989 Daniel Moine-Hudelot Clos Vougeot. Amazing!
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Special dover sole with brown butter beurre blanc with capers and bread crumbs.
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The browned butter.
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Breadcrumbs.
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They like to sauce at the table. Very soft and rich and delicious fish.
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Lobster with coral bisque. Super tender lobster tail with a sauce that was basically lobster bisque.
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The lobster claws in a ridiculously rich and delicious hollandaise-like foam.
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Lentils and Lamb. Under this foam was a lentil soup with a hint of curry and a touch of lambiness. Not much meat but it was delicious.
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1993 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge.
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Chicken with Thyme and chicken jus. This was a soft log of chicken and super delicious. The sauce was vaguely curry-like and so we called it the “curry wurst.”
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Asparagus and béarnaise. Salty and good.
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Special of layered crispy potato. This was great and the sauce beneath had a complex sweet and sour flavor that reminded me of chaat puri (the Indian street food).
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Special of ribeye from a special source with a slightly different bearnaise sauce. Very nice meat but I was very full.
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Soft sweet bread.
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Chocolate and hazelnut. There was icecream and crunch underneath. Quite good.
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Special of strawberry and cream in a crispy shell. Fabulous. Again, too bad I was full.
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The chefs.
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Little madeleines.
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This was a super fun dinner, one of my favorites of the year, and I loved Camphor. First of all, I really enjoy these small Foodie Club/Bottom Feeders outings to new restaurants. They are free of drama and chaos of some larger dinners. Then I really enjoyed the food. It’s precise, and very very saucy — but I like saucy. Be prepared for it. Everything is sauced. Béarnaise, beurre blanc, reductions, it’s all there. But sauce adds fat, salt, and flavor to otherwise plain proteins. And I really enjoyed the precise French style paired with bolder more assertive Indian flavors, without getting too heavy. The DNA is mostly French.

Oh and our Burgundies turned out very well tonight. The 1989 Clos Vougeot was one of those magical wines. So lucky when those happen. Some people have complained that Camphor dish size is too small. This is actually a plus in my book and just an opportunity to order more dishes. Look at how much we got through with just three gluttons!

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

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  4. Perfect Atmosphere – LSXO
  5. Eating Philly – Tiffin
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Camphor, DTLA, Foodie Club, French Cuisine, Sauce, Wine

Not all Dim Sum are Created Equal

Feb11

Restaurant: Five Star Seafood Restaurant

Location: 140 W Valley Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 288-1899

Date: July 9, 2022

Cuisine: Chinese Dim Sum

Rating: Meh

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Once or twice a year the hedonists (and Yarom’s family) trek’s out to the SGV for a two part Saturday featuring dim sum and some banquet dinner. Locations vary but several times we’ve been to the awesome Juicy Dumpling.

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This is the same maxi-mall with Juicy Dumpling and Spicy City (now sadly closed I think). 5 Star has a comanding position in the corner, high above everything else (you need to take an elevator up above the market).
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It’s a giant room with a decent view, classic Cantonese.
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And a cart place. I haven’t been to a cart place in a while and 5 Star reminded me why.
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Our table.
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Pan fried meat and chive patties. Oily and delicious.
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Greens. Just were. Not much garlic.
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Red bean sesame balls. One of the problems with carts is the totally random order. Actually it’s not random, it’s bad to better.
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Fried shrimp paste balls on sugar sticks. Luke warm (or even cool) by the time we got them.
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Disgusting pig trotters the way Yarom likes ’em.
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Chicken Feet. Same deal as the pig’s feet.
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Pork ribblets. Pretty tasty, if boney.
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XLB. Doughy version and not very warm at all, but still tasty.
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Veggie roll. This is normally a great dish — here a bit meh.
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Eggplant stuffed with fried shrimp paste. Not so great. They love the shrimp paste here.
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DEEP fried wontons with mayo.
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A different deep fried roll, I think with shrimp paste — and more mayo.
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Yet another deep fried roll with mayo. Hard to tell the difference, maybe different (fried) wrapper.
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Lotus Sticky Rice. They do have all the classics here.
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Siu Mai. Took us a long time to get these and even when we did they were luke warm. They were passable.
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Scrawny.
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Beef ball. Very “processed” and almost sweet like a jewish meatball.
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Chive and shrimp dumpling. One of the best dishes. Somehow, despite this being a dim sum place, I basically had to ambush the dumpling carts at the kitchen and rip the steamed dumplings out of their hands — they were very determined to push more over-fried stuff.
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Har gow. Very hard to get, surprisingly, and just fine.
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Baked pork bun (char siu bao). Ok. You can see from the picture it’s a bit flabby.
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Pineapple bun. Excellent actually.

This was some pretty mediocre dim sum for the SGV. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s still tasty. Even bad dim sum is pretty good. And this wasn’t terrible, it’s not like some of the horrible ones in downtown or further west, but there are about 10 much better places within a mile or three! And it’s a cart dim sum which basically sucks. It’s hard to get the dishes you want. They’re cold when you do. You get them in the wrong order. Hungry party members insist on loading up on the bad fry they always drive by first. Much better to order from the sheet in waves.

After this I got two different two hour massages (because I couldn’t convince my normal place to do longer than two hours). THEN we went off to Shanghai #1 Seafood for an awesome dinner (way better than lunch).

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

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  5. China Red by Day
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Cantonese Chinese, Chinese cuisine, Dim sum, dimsum, hedonists, parlay, SGV, Wine

Eating Geneva – Le Chat-Botté

Feb07

Restaurant: Le Chat-Botté

Location: Quai du Mont-Blanc 13, 1201 Genève, Switzerland. +41 22 716 69 20

Date: July 6, 2022

Cuisine: French-style 1 Star

Rating: Lovely

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On our way out of Sardinia/Corsica we couldn’t get a direct flight to the states and so had to spend a night in Geneva. Oh well, this served as a chance for a quick exploration of that lovely city and to hit up another Michelin starred restaurant.
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Le Chat Botte was conveniently located right near our hotel.
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With yet another lovely patio — something American restaurants could learn a thing or two about.
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And a view of Lake Geneva and the water spout.
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Amuses. Rice crisps with vegetable blobs.
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Savory Macaron.
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Crispy shell with mousse and bacon.
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The menus.
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2017 Ballot-Millot & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. BH 92-94. A trace of mineral reduction sits atop the pretty and very floral-inflected aromas of various white-fleshed fruit and citrus scents. The caressing yet intense mineral-driven flavors possess outstanding complexity on the balanced and impressively long finish. This is at once delicate yet powerful and should also age effortlessly. (Drink starting 2027)
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Watermelon gazpacho with fruits. Just a bit of a pepper finish.
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Bread and brioche. The brioche was to die for.
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Lime olive oil.
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Gluten free bread.
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Lobster from Brittany with green zebra tomato, Thai basil, and nectarine. Very lovely and fresh.
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Colored tomatoes, burratina, green shiso.
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Mackerel from Lorient, smoked eggplant, and imperial caviar.
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Ring of tomatoes.
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With the gazpacho added.
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Kid pasta.
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Zucchini flowers.
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Swiss salmon, chanterelle mushrooms, and pistachios. Very rare and tender. Nice crunch to sauce.
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Even more bread.
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2016 Domaine Chanterêves Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes.
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Duckling breast from the Dombes, carrots, flat peach with ginger. With the sauce. Better than the 3 star duck breast.
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Swiss salmon, chanterelle mushrooms, and pistachios. 4 course portion of this was larger.
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All Swiss cheeses. 3 cream with a tangerine compote, washed rind with 70% chocolate, and a blue cheese with sherry reduction and walnuts.
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Cherry blossom tea. Very light with subtle berry character.
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Tea leaves smelled amazing.
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Lovely sunset.
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Pre-dessert of something herby and cherry.
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Crunchy with hibiscus.
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A strawberries and cream type dessert.
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Chocolate gelato that the chef jazzed up a bit.
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Mirroring the amuses is a fruit version of the dessert amuses.
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More dessert macaron.
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White chocolate cups with pistachio.
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Overall, a lovely place and a great way to finish out a fabulous trip.

For more French dining reviews click here.

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Chat-Botté, Eating Geneva, Eating Switzerland, Lake Geneva, Le Chat Botte, Wine

Eating Corsica – Beach Lunch

Feb03

July 5, 2022 we took a Ferry ride across the Mediterranean from Sardinia to Corsica to visit some friends of ours.

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The have a beach-side house on the east coast of Corsica, not far from Bonifacio. This is really an incredible spot.
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The house is lovely and the patio looks out on the incredible view of the sea above.
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Our friends prepared a traditional Corsican lunch, including wine of course.
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Moroccan olives that are almost sweet.
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Empanadas with caramelized onions and cheese and a Corsican herb.
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Watermelon and avocado salad.
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Tripe made by the local priest. very tender but smelled and tasted “fecal.”  Eww.
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Cannelloni with cheese and spinach.
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Green beans.
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Fresh melon.
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Flat breads.
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More wine.
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Pecorino and fig jam.
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These were the best packaged gelato I have yet had.

Overall, this was just one of those peerless afternoons. The food was nice, but it wasn’t about that per se, but really the location, weather, company, and all that.

For more French dining reviews click here.

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  5. Manhattan Beach Post
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Beach, Corsica, Eating Corsica, tripe

Eating Baja – Somu

Feb01

Restaurant: Somu Ristorante

Location: Piazza Ventaglio, 07021 Baja Sardinia SS, Italy. +39 349 120 0682

Date: July 4, 2022

Cuisine: Italian 1 Star

Rating: Very nice

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For second Sardinian 1 Star and final meal in Italy we trekked 20-30 minutes to the town of Baja Sardinia.

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The restaurant was a touch difficult to find, as it was tucked away down at the harbor piazza (where there was no parking).
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Finally we located it.
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The have this gorgeous sea-side patio.
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So we had this table looking over the bay/cove.
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Amuses. Crunchy rice crisps with tomato and basil. Delicious and looked like jellyfish.
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Rice crisps with steak tartare.
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Veggie “tartare.”
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Rice crisps in various flavors like saffron and squid ink and tomato.
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Pork Jellies. Cute little piggies.
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Vegetarian bites.
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Refreshing fruit and wine “soup” (cold).
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Brioche like bread.
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Butter and lard.
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Mushroom butter.

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The menus. We had a bit of an issue at first where they really wanted us to all have the same menu — and since some people were vegetarian/pescatarian that really wasn’t going to work. This was unusual for a Michelin starred restaurant. I think it was the particular person we had as a manager came over and completely changed the tune and was very accomodating.
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Amuse of oyster with various flavors.
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Vegetable creams with basil oil.
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Crispy Sardinian Bread.
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Grisini.
1A4A0227
Bread.
1A4A0234
Carne Salata. Strong meaty and briny flavors with sesame.
1A4A0231
Tomato terrine.
1A4A0247
1A4A0256
Black Garlic Ravioli. Lovely pillow-like texture, nice pasta bite, and great flavor.
1A4A0251

Egg yolk.
1A4A0240
Gluten free version.
1A4A0274
Green tomato risotto. Very interesting flavor and perfect creamy texture.
1A4A0262
Spaghetti.
1A4A0228
Kid pasta 1. Was almost sweet.
1A4A0280
Kid pasta 2.
1A4A0292
Red Mullet. No hint of fishiness.
1A4A0285
Risotto with sweet and sour peppers (from identity menu)
1A4A0320
1A4A0323-Edit
Suckling Pig. Great texture.
1A4A0315
Stuffed vegetable.
1A4A0329
Pre-dessert.
1A4A0334
Pecan.
1A4A0339-Edit
1A4A0348
Beans, oat milk, and citrus.

1A4A0367
petite fours.
1A4A0350-Edit
Gluten free petite fours.

1A4A0357
Chocolate cannelés.
1A4A0359
Liqueur soaked pastry balls.
1A4A0362
Passionfruit jelly.
1A4A0364
Chocolates.

1A4A0368
Overall, a fabulous fancy Italian meal. Not quite as approachable as ConFusion, as Somu was slightly more complex and cerebral, but really good. Lovely setting too.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Porto Cervo – ConFusion
  2. Eating Porto Cervo – Pergola
  3. Eating Porto Cervo – Clipper
  4. Eating Senigallia – Niko Cucina
  5. Eating Alghero – Macchiavello
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Eating Baja, Eating Sardinia, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Sardinia, Somu, Wine
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