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Thai Tour – Lacha Somtum

Dec23

Location: 5171 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027. (323) 486-7380

Date: April 18, 2023

Cuisine: Thai

Rating: great

Another run of great Thai places.

On the side of Hollywood Blvd near Sapp Coffee Shop.

Big counter and specials board.

The cute interior.

Huge menu as usual. There was even a separate hot pot menu that I forgot to photo.

My ordering notes.

We haven’t seen Bob in a while :-(.

Pork Jerky. Marinated pork, deep fried; served with homemade spicy sauce. This was some excellent pork jerky. Very chewy, but great flavor. The sauce was nice too, salty and medium hot.

Fried meatball with tamarind sauce. We had 3 kinds of “balls” here: pork, beef?, and seafood. They were all good. The sauce was very sweet with nice chili notes. One of those guilty pleasure sauces that I really like. Too sweet, but delicious.

Shrimp Cake. Homemade seasonal shrimp mixed with grounded pork and deep fried; served with sweet and sour sauce. Deep fried with a sauce that was almost a syrup. Delicious “minced meats” kind of patty.

Curry Pork Sausage. Grounded pork, lemongrass, and onion mixed with Thai curry paste; served with cabbage, fresh ginger, peanuts, and Thai chili. A nice curry and pork flavor. Some thought the sausage a touch dry.

Naked Shrimp. Raw shrimps topped with garlic and spicy lime juice; served on a bed of sliced cabbage. Fabulous version of this iconic dish. Really tender shrimp and amazing green chili lime flavor. VERY HOT. We asked for Thai medium for reference. Long burn too. But so worth it.

Combo Salad. Raw blue crab, salted black crab, and raw shrimps mixed with green papaya, tomatoes, long beans, fresh chili, garlic, and lime juice. This we asked for Thai Hot. It started hot. Not sure how long the burn is as it was confounded with the Duck Larb, but something was really hot and really long. The flavor was nice, very funky. The pickled/salted black crab was very interesting. This was too hot for most people.

Dark Larb. Grounded duck mixed with dried chili, roasted rice, chilantro, green onion, and lime juice. Awesome flavor and crunchy texture. It was supposed to be Thai Medium but it seemed to have a really long powerful burn. Tasted amazing though. Only Yarom and I could really handle it.

Grounded pork mixed with roasted rice, red onion, green onion, mint leaves, cilantro, and spicy lime juice. Because this is Jennifer’s favorite dish and the Duck Larb was so spicy, we order this mild version (pork). It was awesome also with very little heat but great flavor.

Crab curry with ka-nom-jean. Crab meat in house special curry sauce; served with Thai rice-vermicilli, bean sprouts, pickled mustard, fresh vegetables, and a hard boiled egg. This was pretty spicy too and an excellent version of this relatively rare dish. Nice complexity. The crab shells were a bit much for most people and one did have to be careful.

Crispy Pork Jungle Curry. Red curry paste, finger roots, baby corn, mushroom, green beans, holy basil, and fresh chili (without coconut milk). Great jungle curry. Nice vinegary tone with really tasty crunchy pork. Really addictive slightly funky flavor. Not incredibly hot.

Shrimp Masamun Curry. Masamun curry paste, coconut milk, peanuts, potatoes, onion, and bell pepper. Best Masamun curry I’ve had with a real peanut coconut richness and a hint of cinnamon and/or nutmeg. Delicious! And (relatively) mild.

Thai Omelet. Thai style omelet pan-fried with seasoned grounded-pork. Worst dish of the night. Not that it was particularly bad but it was a bit flabby.

Clams with Chili Paste. Clams stir-fried with chili paste, sweet basil leaves, garlic, and chili sauce. Great sweet basil sauce. And they do mean sweet. Lots of juicy little clams. Not the easiest to eat for some but I really liked it.

Pad See Ew. Flat rice noodles pan fried with egg. Chinese broccoli, and black soy sauce. I only had a nibble of a bit of chicken.

Thai Boat Noodles with Beef. Thin rice noodles with sliced beef and meat balls in house special soup. Kind of like a Pho. The meat was a bit more bland than some of the other dishes but I really liked the broth and the meatballs.

Mocha Dark Sorbetto – Doing the dariy free thing — a super intense mix of Valrhona 70% Chocolate plus 100% cocoa plus Valrhona 100% Cocoa Mass with fresh brewed Espresso — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — this will pick you up! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #cocoa #Espresso #sorbetto

Pineapple Ginger Sorbetto — Fresh Pineapple infused with Fresh Ginger — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — nice little ginger ale like kick — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pineapple #ginger #GingerBeer #sorbetto

Overall, some very good Thai. As usual, when we asked them to go Thai hot it was pretty HOT. After the salads we toned it way down, particularly after the curries. Some dishes were a bit sweet. There wasn’t an overwelming amount of shrimp paste funk, just about right. Balance of flavor was very good and just a touch “lighter” than some Thai places. Service was very friendly but the kitchen was REALLY SLOW for the first two thirds of the meal. Maybe 30 minutes for the first dish and then they drooled out at 15 minute intervals. Second half of our meal came in the last 1/6 of the time. Highly recomended place in general. The wait issue might be much less with a smaller group (we were 7).

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: hedonists, Lacha Somtum, Thai cuisine, Thai Tour

The Melting Pot

Dec18

Restaurant: The Melting Pot

Location: 3685 E Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362. (805) 370-8802

Date: April 16, 2023

Cuisine: Fondue

Rating: Interesting

A small group of Hedonists trekked out to Thousand Oaks for this weird 80s or 90s fondue.

I decided last minute to join this unusual (or perhaps throwback) place. Normally Sunday night is for Chinese, but it was hijaacked tonight for this. Fondue in Thousand Oaks!

The build out is very… well Thousand Oaks. It’s actually been here a while because they’d never put in the wood paneling these days.

One side of the menu is “full meals”.

And the other is a la carte, which is what we went for.

The table is a bit like an inductive version of a KBBQ table.

The inductive burners have these pots.

This is the ingredients for the “Fiesta” pot (more on that in a second). They put it together tableside.

They actually poured some beer in first, then the previously pictured ingredients and then melted it into the fondue texture.

Fiesta
(332 cal per serving)

Aged Cheddar, Emmenthaler, Lager Beer, Housemade Salsa, Jalapeño. This was the tastier of our two bases, pretty much like a chili con queso.

Quattro Formaggio
(374 cal per serving)

Butterkäse, Fontina, Fresh Mozzarella, Parmesan, White Wine, Roasted Garlic, Basil & Sun-Dried Tomato Pestos. This came out a bit thinner than the Fiesta and while tasty, and creamy, just didn’t have quite as much kick.

Served with artisan breads and seasonal fruit and veggies (357 cal per serving). Not sure how “artisan” this is. I didn’t eat any bread. The rest was apple, broccoli, celery, and carrots. Broccoli was proabably the most sucessfully, most because the texture grabbed the cheese.

Some extra veggies (and apple).

Caprese
(126 cal)

Mixed Greens, Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Basil, Balsamic Glaze.

Caesar
(133 cal)

Romaine, Parmesan, Croutons (left off), Caesar Dressing, Parmesan-Dusted Pine Nuts. I decent but not exactly punchy/authentic caesar. The pinenuts were actually sweet, which was odd.

Mojo
Caribbean-Inspired, Garlic, Cilantro, Citrus. This savory pot was basically a pleasant broth.

Coq Au Vin. SIGNATURE ITEM

Burgundy Wine (haha), Mushrooms, Scallions, Garlic. Actually a perfectly nice broth for cooking meat.

Lobster Tail, drawn butter. We got 3 of these and it turned out to be the best item of the night. Super fresh, might even have still been wiggling. I cooked them in the Mojo and lightly cooked they were awesome with the drawn butter. Some perfect lobster actually.

Various meats for the pot. You cook these with skewers more or less like hot pot.

Herb-Crusted Chicken Breast , Memphis-Style Dry Rub Pork, Premium, Duck Breast.

Filet Mignon , Memphis-Style Dry Rub Pork, Premium, Duck Breast.

Naked Chicken Breast , Filet, Memphis-Style Dry Rub Pork

Some extra veggies (mushrooms, broccoli, and potatoes) and the sauces. These turned out to be great. A sour cream and chives, hot cocktail sauce, blue cheese sauce, sweet chili, awesome yellow curry mustard, and teriyaki. Overall, this turned out to be a surprisingly tasty and fun evening. It’s not actually “upscale” really, or at least has that feel of a Thousand Oaks place, but the service was excellent (thanks Carlos!) and the food actually quite yummy. Fun to do every year or two.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Cheese, fondue, hedonists, Meat, The Melting Pot

Sauvages Rhone

Dec14

Restaurant: Jonathan Club

Location: 850 Palisades Beach Rd, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (310) 393-9245

Date: April 14, 2023

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Surprisingly good for a club

Fellow Sauvages have been swearing that the DTLA Jonathan Club isn’t serving up that boring club food — and in the interest of full disclosure, I usually loath club food.

The Jonathan Club maintains a very high standard of build out.

The restaurant dining room.

We have this awesome private wine cellar room all to ourselves.

The epic table.

Plenty of glasses.

Condrieu for the white flight.

A few bubblies.

Our custom menu for the afternoon.

Champs.

Wagyu beef tartar crostini.

Blini & caviar. Caviar and toppings two days in a row!

Salmon cornets. Tasty little bite.

2020 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. 92 points.

2019 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. 93 points.

2015 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. VM 95. Brilliant yellow-gold. Powerful orange, nectarine and honeydew aromas are complemented by suave floral, vanilla and chalky mineral accents. Supple and expansive in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated, smoke-tinged poached pear and peach nectar flavors that pick up honey and iodine qualities as the wine opens up. Lush and seamless but surprisingly energetic in style, showing superb closing thrust and lingering suggestions of buttery brioche and candied pit fruits. (Drink between 2019-2025)

2012 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. VM 93. Bright yellow. Assertive aromas of nectarine, violet and smoky minerals, with a gingery nuance adding lift. Broad and silky on the palate, offering densely packed orchard and pit fruit flavors that become spicier with air. The mineral note comes back strong on the finish, which lingers with excellent tenacity and building smokiness.

Pan-seared Diver Scallops. Holland leeks, astrea caviar, champagne beurre blanc. This was a very rich dish. Not only are scallops rich, but the beurre blanc (with caviar) was pretty awesome. Tons of rich flavor. I’m not sure the condrieu was the perfect pairing as it’s a very rich wine with little acidity and given all this butter the dish could have used some acid — but still it was very enjoyable.

2001 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon. VM 95. Medium ruby-red. Pure nose combines blackberry, cassis, spices, pepper and a floral topnote. Fat, dense and sweet, with excellent volume for the vintage and firm balancing acids. Very fresh and nuanced on the back end, which features noble tannins. Today, this wine, from a low-yielding parcel of 65-year-old vines, seems more complete than the house’s other Hermitages.

2003 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal. VM 94. Red-ruby color. Rich, dense and powerful on the nose, with aromas of mineral-laced cassis and smoky tobacco. Deep, velvety and lush, but with compelling focus and precision to the flavors of cherry compote, redcurrant and cassis. Finishes suave, silky and unflagging, with serious heft and weight.

2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 98. “Now we take the monster out of his cage,” Jean-Louis warned me before pouring this. Inky, almost black in color. Elemental, hugely concentrated and powerful on the nose, which slowly unveils aromas of dark cherry liqueur, blackberry, cassis, espresso and a deep note of sweet tobacco. Impossibly rich and dense on the palate (the yields in 2003 were off by two-thirds), showing myriad dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors, with a suggestion of tapenade and an intense licorice quality. Remarkably, this takes on a mineral tone on the finish, which has the effect of further drawing out the amazingly powerful finish.

2007 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 95-96. From Peleat: A real fruit bomb, with sexy aromas of red berries, cherry and cassis. Lithe and precise on the palate, with tangy mineral lift and very good cut. From Beaume: Exotic, intensely floral aromas of violet, lavender and magnolia. Sweet red fruits and spices on the palate, with the floral quality repeating. Again from Beaume: Spicy and mineral-driven, with sappy red berry flavors and gentle tannins. Less wild than the previous barrel. From L’Hermite: Musky cherry and dark berry aromas are complicated by minerals and underbrush. Fleshy dark berry and cherry pit flavors cling nicely to the palate. From Meal: A very rich sample, offering powerful cherry and cassis scents and a suavely smoky mineral note. Sappy and broad on the palate, displaying sweet kirsch and smoked meat qualities. From Bessards: Deep, strongly perfumed bouquet evokes cherry, cassis, cured meat and licorice. Firm and chewy, with deep dark berry flavors and slow-building tannins. “This will provide the spine of the final wine,” Chave told me. Again from Bessards: Hypnotic aromas of raspberry, candied cherry and incense, with a fresh lashing of minerals. Brisk and focused, with wonderfully pure red fruit flavors and silky texture. Impossibly pure and long on the finish. The final wine will be a riot of red and darker berry fruits, with excellent freshness and clarity.

Wild mushroom risotto. Acquerello rice, beurre de baratte, preserved black winter truffle. Awesome risotto and very nice and creamy. The truffles were, however, a touch muted. They were “preserved” with a bit of sherry as these truffles are off season.

2001 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 94. Deep red. Wilder, more earthy and more powerful on the nose than the Mouline, with aromas of bitter cherry, creme de mure, fruity dark chocolate, licorice candy, espresso and pungent violet. Dense and broad on the palate, the cherry compote and blackcurrant flavors complicated by dense, dark tones of coffee, high-octane chocolate and black truffle. Quite solid but also lush, sweet and broad on the finish, with hints of complex flowers and herbs. Packs a real tannic punch, but the tannins are thoroughly buffered by the wine’s material. Definitely the most sauvage of the trio of ’01s right now.

2001 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. VM 95. The 2001 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline from Guigal is splendid and reaffirms my preference for this single vineyard over Landonne and Turque. Powerful and sensual on the nose, the multi-layered black fruit is laced with crushed rock, pressed violet, potpourri and autumn bonfire. The palate is beautifully balanced with more weight than the La Turque, seamlessly integrated oak, melted tannins with irresistible garrigue notes lending complexity on the finish. This is going to be a gorgeous La Mouline, but it needs another decade in bottle. (Drink between 2035-2065)

2003 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée. VM 93. Deep red. Vibrant scents of raspberry, redcurrant and strawberry jam, tinged by a note of smoked meat. On the palate, nervy acidity lifts and sharpens the impressively concentrated red berry flavors. A beautifully textured Cote-Rotie that shows excellent verve for the vintage.

2004 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 95. Deep red. Flamboyantly perfumed nose offers a gaudy display of cherry, cola and fresh flowers. Deep, sweet and fleshy, with concentrated cherry/berry flavors, nervy minerality and a broad, expansive finish. While this will no doubt warrant a long rest in the cellar, there’s a seductively open quality to it that will make for wonderful early drinking.

La Belle Farms Duckling Breast. Sunchoke, pepper-maple gastrique, pear. Extremely nice bit of rare duck with perfect accompaniments.

1996 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. VM 91+. Saturated ruby-red. Brooding aromas of cassis, spice and woodsmoke, along with port-like notes of chocolate and damp earth. Thick, silky and a bit roasted in the mouth, with chocolate and game flavors. Still in a rather oxidative phase, as this wine often is in the year or two following the bottling. But has the acidity and strong tannic structure for a long, slow evolution in bottle. Very long, chewy finish.

1998 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. VM 92. Roasted aromas of black cherry and smoke. Less fat but more spicy in the mouth, with superb richness. Superripe suggestion of beefsteak tomato. More firmly built than the ’97, but nearly as rich. Finishes with huge, palate-coating but ripe tannins and outstanding length.

2000 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 92-95. From Beaume: Full ruby. Raw red berries, leather and pepper on the nose. Thick and silky but bright; youthful and primary. Boasts good power for the vintage. Peleat: Bright deep ruby. Complex, stony aromas of tobacco, mocha, brown spices, pepper and iris. Smooth and vinous, with terrific class and delicacy more than power. Already offers lovely detail. Finishes firmly tannic and persistent. Very expressive of the vintage. L’Hermite: Saturated ruby. Explosive, quintessential Hermitage aromas of raw currant, leather, game, minerals and cedary spice. Supple and silky but quite unevolved. Here the tannins come off as a bit tough. Bessards: Deeper, more medicinal aromas of black fruits, cassis leaf and leather. Quite powerfully constituted but not yet sweet. A very serious, tannic lot that will provide the spine for the ultimate blend. Bessards from a new barrique: Sexy aromas of black raspberry, licorice, espresso and bitter chocolate. Sweeter in the middle than the last sample, then tough on the back end, with strong oak tannins showing. Bessards yet again: Aroma of raw crushed currant. Sauvage and minerally in the mouth; supple texture nicely framed by integrated acidity. A lovely blend of sweetness and tannic structure. Peppery on the back end. Very much a wine from granite soil. Meal: Sappy aromas of redcurrant, minerals and brown spices. Less fresh in the middle than the Bessards, with tannins a bit tough. Meal again: Roasted redcurrant, smoke, minerals and game on the nose. Silkier and more pliant in the mouth; this offers much better balance and more finesse than the last mouthful. Here the tannins are less rigid. The tougher sample was from a parcel that yielded just 25 hectoliters per hectare, while this parcel produced 35, noted Jean-Louis. Should make a lovely drink, though it’s hard to believe this wine will equal the ’99.

2000 E. Guigal Hermitage. VM 90+. Bright medium ruby. Very ripe aromas of cassis, gunflint, roasted herbs and spices. Expressive and mouthfilling; a very rich wine that’s amazingly supple for such a young Hermitage. But also broad-shouldered and solidly structured. Finishes very long and ripely tannic.

Quartet of American Wagyu Beef. Ribeye, cheek, short rib, tail, parmesan polenta, foraged mushroom. A lot of beef types. I liked it quite a lot. Certainly the main part was sous vide. I liked the richer extra bits, particularly with the cheesy polenta.

1996 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 93-95. Very good deep ruby-red. Crystallized red fruits, woodsmoke, leather, game and iron on the nose. Sweet, round and fat, with wonderful fruit and texture for the year. Spicy and gamey in the middle palate. This has a serious tannic structure for ’96 but is also far less forbidding today than the La Landonne ’95.

1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 97-100. Saturated dark ruby. Flamboyant, wild aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, leather, smoked meat, tar, minerals, animal fur and brown spices. Silky, thick and huge; less subtle than the Turque but a wine of extraordinary texture and thrust. Finishes with huge ripe but chewy tannins and great persistence. This is 13.2% natural alcohol, vs. 13.5% for La Turque and 13% for La Mouline.

1998 Pierre Gaillard Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Unique Côte Rozier.

1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 97-100. Saturated dark ruby. Flamboyant, wild aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, leather, smoked meat, tar, minerals, animal fur and brown spices. Silky, thick and huge; less subtle than the Turque but a wine of extraordinary texture and thrust. Finishes with huge ripe but chewy tannins and great persistence. This is 13.2% natural alcohol, vs. 13.5% for La Turque and 13% for La Mouline.

French Cheese Plate. Comte, roquefort, brie de meaux, epoisses, grilled bread, fruit compote, raw nuts.

Interesting!

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

One of my earliest Signature Flavors —Tiramisu Gelato — The base is a highly technical Zabaione of Egg Yolk, Fresh Mascarpone Cheese, and Sweet Marsala with Fresh Brewed Espresso. It’s dusted with Valrhona Cocoa powder and layered with house-made Vanilla Rum Espresso syrup-soaked Lady Fingers — the final result is totally Tiramisu — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Tiramisu #Espresso #coffee #chocolate #Marsala #Zabaione #Eggyolk #Rum #Mascarpone

Overall, an absolutely fabulous Sauvages. I had low expectations for the food, and while it wasn’t exactly the most innovative in the world, execution was excellent. Wine service from Paul Sherman was as good as it gets and the room was perfect. The wines were a touch disapointing considering how great Northern Rhones could be — and they were a bit more middling — but a first rate “lunch” all things considered.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, DTLA, Gelato, Johnathan Club, Rhone, Sauvages

Gaja at Locanda

Dec12

Restaurant: Locanda Veneta [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 8638 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048. (310) 274-1893

Date: April 13, 2023

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: fun night w/ retro 90s Italian

I’m not historically a big fan of Locanda Veneta. It’s okay, and the owner is super nice, and execution on the food quite good, but the meal is always the same (maybe that’s Yarom’s ordering) and it’s very 90’s. I like a more modern style of Italian, frankly. This feels similar to Toscana or other good but slightly dated places. And we always end up eating steak — which just doesn’t feel that Italian — although actually it is in Tuscany — but I hate that kind of steak.

Anyway, last fall I decided after many years of rejection to try it out again — and somehow I got roped into AGAIN this spring.

The location is Los Angeles classic, Locanda Veneta, a Beverly Hills Italian with several decades of history. Above, Chef Andre in the kitchen.

A too narrow shot of the frontage.

Champ.

I need to spend more time getting shots of the interior. This one is crappy. And the people at the “other” table complained about being photoed (which they really weren’t) and so have taken on a demonic aspect.

Just a few Gayas!

Tonight’s menu.

Bread.

A “pesto” of parsley, olive oil, lemon juice etc. I ate it plain.

Bonus white I brought.

Insalata di Cariofi. Finely chopped baby purple artichoke with chopped arugula and mixed baby green in a house vinaigrette, topped with shaved “imported” Parmigiano. Fine salad, although not exactly Gaja compatible so we had my Trebbiano.

Champ.

“Beluga” Sturgeon Caviar (1lb.) Sturgeon Roe (Imported Real Fine Black Caviar) served with Fresh Made Blini, Chopped Egg Yolks, Spanish Red Onion and Crème Fraiche. This wasn’t exactly Gaja compatible either! The caviar itself is middling, but it’s very tasty with the Crème Fraiche.

Carpaccio di Antilope. Very thin slices of marinated “Nilgai” Texas Antelope served with arugula in a lemon vinaigrette. The less carby option.

Risotto al Tartufo Nero. “Carnaroli” rice simmered with a shaved Tuscan Fresh Black Summer Truffles. This was good tonight. The risotto wasn’t quite creamy/buttery enough, but the truffles were great — and smelled great.

Gnocchi Bianchi e Neri d’Aragosta. Homemade black & white gnocchi sauteed with Fresh Lobster Meat and our Famour Lobster Sauce. Really a very lovely pasta. Gnocchi were soft and the sauce was perfect. However, it had these (proper) seafood notes that were totally a clash with the Gaja.

“Tomahawk” di Manzo. USDA Prime Beef Tomahawk charbroiled to perfection, rubbed with Kosher Sea Salt, Black Pepper and our Secret Fresh Spices. They served us three of these, cooked at different levels. This was more on the medium side. One was very rare. It’s a solid steak, but perhaps underseasoned, and it was cooked on gas and missing that charcoal taste.

Roasted Rosemary Garlic New Potatoes. These were as good as roast potatoes get, really tasty.

Garlic Green Beans. Overcooked and a touch mushy, but they tasted amazing because of all the garlic.

Roasted Carrots. Overcooked and a touch mushy.

Panna Cotta. Italian vanilla custard served on a strawberry coulis. Lovely and soft.

Flourless chocolate cake. Pretty much what you’d expect.

Cheesecake with berry sauce.

Cannoli and Baklava’s Evil American Lovechild — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Base crafted from Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta and Sicilian Toasted Noto Romano Almond Paste with a touch of the sugar subbed out for Sicilian Honey. Mixed in is Malibu Honey, California Pistachios, and house-made Gluten Free Honey Graham Crackers (almond flour and so good you can’t tell them from the wheat flour version)! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #Sicily #honey #GrahamCracker #pistachio

Overall, a super fun evening. Food is a bit dated, like a throwback to 1998, but the place is very fun and cozy and the wines rocked. Problem is (as it often is) that we really needed either a menu crafted for all Niebbiolo instead of the same same menu or a split of half whites and half reds. All that Gaja was smashed into two courses and a lot went to waste. We even had the “dessert gayas.”

Our chef is super nice and a great host.

The kitchen.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Barbaresco, Barolo, BYOG, Gaja, Gelato, Italian cuisine, pasta

Thai Tour – Can Coon

Dec08

Restaurant: Can-Coon Thai Restaurant

Location: 9349 Alondra Blvd, Bellflower, CA 90706. (562) 925-0993

Date: April 11, 2023

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Awesome (but far)

Thai Tour often drags us far and wide in search of Southern California’s best Thai.

Can-Coon is FAR, all the way in Bellflower, and not exactly “fancy.”

See above comment.

The huge menu.

Nam Kao Tod. Ground pork mixed with green onion, fresh chili, ginger, peanuts, cripsy rice, and lime juice. Crispy, vaguely larb like (but with crispy). Nice.

Soup Nor Mai. Bamboo shoots mixed with green onion, chili, and lime juice. Super funky fermented shrimp paste smell (and to a lessor extent taste) and fibrous texture. A hardcore dish.

Sai Eua. Thai sausage made from pork, mixed with curry paste, lemongrass, and galangal. Great sausage with a lot of flavor.

Koi Soi. Raw beef mixed with red onion, dried chili, and lime juice. Somewhat slimey texture with that shrimp paste taste, although not as strong as the bamboo.

Crispy rice. Intended to be put on the raw beef — which helped it a lot.

Beef Larb. Cooked with chopped onion, green chili, and lime juice. Served with fresh cabbage. Like a salty ground beef cooked version of the raw. Hint of shrimp paste.

Tom Kah Seafood. Spicy and sour coconut soup with mixed seafood, lime juice, and lemongrass. Very nice, slightly spicy, slightly sweet coconut lemongrass soup. Lots of flavor and quite excellent, although not quite as good as the coco lotus soup or the incredible Palms Thai spicy bomb soup.

Shrimp Panang Curry. The color and flavor of fresh and dried chili makes this curry a unique dish. Cooked with coconut cream, sweet basil and chili. Very nice panang. Top notch actually.

Green Curry with Fish Ball. Spicy and delicious with a bit of shrimp paste funk. Really great and “authentic” green curry. Nice bamboo shoots and soft fish balls/chunks.

Sticky Rice.

Pork Leg Stew. Soy sauce pork with five spices. A bit sweet, slightly chinese, and very stewed. Delicious.

Moo Yang. Marinated charbroiled pork, served with spicy sauce. Very sweet and quite delicious.

Tom Sab Baby Back Ribs. Tangy soup with pork niblet ribs (like at dim sum). Great pho-like broth.

Nuah Yum Kra Tiem. Char-broiled beef, topped with fresh garlic and spicy sauce. The waiter pitched this which was like a salty strip 3rd version of the beef salad.

Crispy Pork stir-fried with Basil. Super crispy, a bit sweet, and incredibly delicious. Awesome fried pork nubs.

Crispy Mussel Omelet. Fried Thai omelet with mussel until crispy, topped with sauteed bean sprout and green onion, served with house sauce. Salty but great. Really nice pancake/omelet. Seemed like it had batter in it.

Pineapple Ginger Sorbetto — Fresh Pineapple infused with Fresh Ginger — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — nice little ginger ale like kick — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pineapple #ginger #GingerBeer #sorbetto

Overall, a really tasty, if slightly rustic Thai. Very “authentic” with a lot of shrimp paste flavor. Almost every dish was great. We could have used at least 1 less beef salad, however. The drive was also killer. Almost two hours there and a lot of traffic.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Can Coon Thai, Gelato, Thai cuisine

Ardor Easter

Dec05

Restaurant: Ardor [1, 2]

Location: 9040 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (424) 310-1572

Date: April 9, 2023

Cuisine: Hotel Brunch

Rating: pretty interesting and tasty

We really miss the buffet at Tres and were very sad when it closed.

Ardor is tucked away inside West Hollywood’s Edition Hotel. The Ardor itself is helmed by none other than the renowned chef and restaurateur, John Fraser. Having kick-started his impressive culinary journey in Los Angeles, Fraser went on to refine his skills under the expert guidance of Thomas Keller at the prestigious French Laundry in Napa Valley. His quest for global culinary mastery then led him to Paris, where he further honed his craft at the esteemed Taillevent and Maison Blanche.

Upon his return to the United States, Fraser took up the mantle of executive chef at Compass in New York, where he was awarded a remarkable two stars by The New York Times. Recognized as one of only four young chefs to watch in America by Esquire magazine in 2006, Fraser continued to make waves in the culinary world with his former restaurants, Dovetail and Narcissa. These establishments garnered a plethora of accolades, including three stars from The New York Times, a highly sought-after Michelin star, and glowing reviews from various esteemed publications.

In 2008, Fraser’s exceptional talent was further acknowledged when he received the Star Chef’s New York Rising Star Award.

Cool interior.

The special Easter Brunch menu.

Skittles. Skittles infused tequila, spiced pear, agave, sparkling wine.

Flaming Peep. Bourbon, vanilla bean, chocolate and mole. Basically a really good Old Fashioned with a torched Peep on top.

Ardor arancini egg nest. Multiple different fried rice balls. Some were beets, some tomato and cheese, some pesto etc.

Milk Bread with roasted tomatoes.

The buffet was large and consisted of various stations. It begins here with salad options.

Little crudite cups.

Salad toppings.

Salad dressings.

Then the shellfish section including oysters on the halfshell.

Raw bar with two types of crab and shrimp.

Charcuterie.

Cheeses.

A fairly deluxe custom omelet bar.

Skewer station with charcoal grilled chicken, beef, and mushrooms.

A whole “bread and butter” station.

Then this wonderful Easter-themed and very creative pastry station with all sorts of cute little pastry creations.

The “chocolate soil” garden was particularly fun.

Weho Goddess. Dukkah Crusted Ahi, organic lettuce, fall pears, california avocado.

Pan Seared Banzino. Caper vinaigrette, shaved fennel, watercress.

Ardor Burger. Potato bun, aged cheddar, house spread, hand cut fries.

The Waffle Board. Farmer’s market fruit & berries, chapagne chantilly, salted caramel, chocolate ganache, raspberry-yuzu coulis, confetti. I failed to get my photo in before the kid’s grabbed half of it.

Overall, this was a very fun and creative brunch — and pretty delicious — given my diet I actually haven’t been this full in months!

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Ardor, Buffet, Easter

Robo Eats – Paradise Biryani Pointe

Dec03

Restaurant: Paradise Biryani Pointe

Location: 7231 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Canoga Park, CA 91303. (818) 348-4454

Date: April 4, 2023

Cuisine: Indian

Rating: decent, but not amazing

During my son’s robotics team meetings I have a chance to explore random spots in the Western San Fernando Valley, so I’m nicking naming this the “Robo Eats” series. This one a FB friend recommended.

This is located on Topanga a few miles north of Ventura in a fairly sketchy part of Canoga Park.

The interior is drop ceiling box meets old school Indian boothes and next to know “decor.”

Extensive menu.

Chili Fish. Boneless Fish sautéed red chili sauce and topped with spring onions. Kind of salty and spicy — but not that spicy. Probably a bit fried. Pretty tasty, but not great.

Chicken Tikka Masala. Boneless chicken pieces roasted in tandoor clay oven cooked with Indian spices in a creamy tomato sauce. This was a solid CTM. It’s NOWHERE near as good as Akbar’s, but it was one of the best I’ve had otherwise in LA. It was a bit sweet, and certainly tangy, but with mild curry flavor. The chicken was tender. it wasn’t spicy at all.

Bagara Baingan. Tandoor roasted eggplant blended with fresh tomatoes and onion followed with simmering with ground peanut paste and spices. I didn’t taste the peanuts but the eggplant was nicely cooked and this had a good, if mild, flavor. A touch smoky and quite salty.

Mutton Rogan Josh. kashmiri style curry brimming with flavors of fennel, ginger and marked by the striking red hue. The color wasn’t that striking, and the mutton was boney as hell with sharp shards breaking off in my mouth. I even swallowed one. Gulp. The flavor was mild but pretty good. You could taste the fennel and ginger.

Overall, this was the best Indian I’ve yet had in my Robo Eats explorations, but it wasn’t amazing and it’s still certainly no Akbar. Service was nice but a bit slow considering I was the ONLY dine in customer and there were just two others waiting for takeout. There appeared to be one front of house employee working the phones, take out packing, and the tables.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: curry, Indian cuisine, Paradise Biryani Pointe, Robo Eats, SFV

OOToro Spring

Dec01

Restaurant: OOToro [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Location: 1569 Fairway Dr, Walnut, CA 91789. (909) 598-8299

Date: April 1, 2023

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi (with slight nod to China)

Rating: Ends of the earth, but very good

Chef Kaz of Totoraku, an occasional hedonist, sent us far east to this Sushi restaurant in 2016 and it was such a fun time that we had to return again for a sixth visit — it’s now become a twice a year thing. This is my second return since the pandemic — although some in the group went once in the middle for a meal that was supposedly not quite up to snuff. Because a bunch of us have engaged in a special Sushi Series this fall (tasting all the best LA sushi places) I figured I’d include OOToro in the mix.

And by far east I mean REALLY REALLY far east — to Walnut California. 40+ miles from my house. 20 miles past Alhambra (which most people consider to far to drive for food). It took an hour and twenty minutes on a Saturday night!

Look how clear it is after the rains (and snows).

The slick looking location is in the heart of the affluent Chinese American San Gabriel Valley. But yes, it’s Japan, if perhaps catering to Chinese taste. This photo was shot at about 10pm after everyone else had left.

Here is the private room — the only way to go.

They put up this weird curtain recently.

We ordered the $250 Omakase.

First course of various little morsels.

Marinated Baby Squid. Soft and juicy!

Baby Japanese Sea Snail. Quite tasty.

Shirako (aka cod sperm sac) with a bit of soy/ponzu. Awesome.

Steamed Abalone. Very tender, but not the strongest (or most intense) abalone I’ve had.

Fried Potato Wrapped Shrimp “Tempura.”

Sashimi course. OToro in the back (super soft). Needlefish in the middle. Squid with bad caviar in front with Uni blobi and Half a Live Octopus sucker with sour plum sauce (great).

Special house-made soy sauce that was actually incredible. I kept it all evening. It was so good it made me eat all the garnish and seaweed (with the soy). Even the shiso flower!

Live shrimp in front with wasabi and oyster with uni and ikura. They took head away for later.

Cooked belt fish.

Parfait of Uni, terrible truffle caviar, some kind of jelly, and crab salad. Once the bad caviar with its truffle oil taste was gone the jelly and crab salad was wonderful.

From the side.

Aji (Spanish Mackerel) Tataki. Lovely!

We went out and looked at the wine cabinet and low and behold there were some Leroys. Turns out they were cheaper than retail!

Duo of whitefish sushi, snapper specifically. The left was Red Snapper and the right Goldeneye Snapper.

Awesome ginger.

The “money plate” with OToro on the right and Kama Toro (collar) on the left. So good!

Skipjack Tuna with garlic and numbing chili crisp! The chili crisp was a new twist and actually kinda delicious.

Uni Toast! So good.

Turns out they had a whole tuna collar “in stock” tonight (the kama part) and we were able to order it.

An hour or so later out came the awesome “BBQ Kama Toro” plate. It’s like ducky tuna and fishy smoked duck and is incredibly rich and delicious. Great with that special soy too.

Yarom flintstones the bone.

Flaming Sea Snail with mushrooms. Creature alert!

Chawanmushi (egg custard) with shrimp, ikura (salmon roe), and hairy crab. This was wonderful and it was also presented with a leg of hairy crab.

The beef dish came out in these cute covered cooking boxes.

Inside was A5 Wagyu they cook tableside.

A5 Wagyu. Super tender and melt in your mouth.

The return of the heads.

Shrimp head miso.

Fried shrimp head for brain sucking fun.

Pure and Concentrated Evil — Kentucky Mud Pie Gelato — Expresso Knob Creek Bourbon Custard Gelato base with layers of house-made Crushed Oreo Valrhona Fudge Ganache, and house-made Vanilla Coconut Cream Cheese Icing — The Plaid Mode of Gelati and includes a hefty Caffeine kick — 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 #coconut #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #expresso #bourbon #custard #oreos #icing

Two of us grabbed these Leroys.

Overall, this was one of the best OOToro’s ever. Every dish was great — only exception being that gross caviar, but it didn’t ruin any dishes — and the preparation (hard to say cooking) was very on point. The collar as always really took it up a notch. Plus we had a great group with some first timers and a lot of very good wines.

The epic wine lineup.

After dinner we returned to the always fun valley view parking lot. Big plus over that miserable hotel across the street from Ootoro. Only problem was that it was cold and that on the way home an accident had the 60 closed for over an hour — so I got home almost at 1am.