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Author Archive for agavin

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.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Hawaii – Brown’s Beach House
  2. Eating Xi’an – Warrior Lunch
  3. Seconds at Sam’s by the Beach
  4. Food as Art: Sam’s by the Beach
  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.
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Bread.
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Carne Salata. Strong meaty and briny flavors with sesame.
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Tomato terrine.
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Black Garlic Ravioli. Lovely pillow-like texture, nice pasta bite, and great flavor.
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Egg yolk.
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Gluten free version.
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Green tomato risotto. Very interesting flavor and perfect creamy texture.
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Spaghetti.
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Kid pasta 1. Was almost sweet.
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Kid pasta 2.
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Red Mullet. No hint of fishiness.
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Risotto with sweet and sour peppers (from identity menu)
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Suckling Pig. Great texture.
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Stuffed vegetable.
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Pre-dessert.
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Pecan.
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Beans, oat milk, and citrus.

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petite fours.
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Gluten free petite fours.

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Chocolate cannelés.
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Liqueur soaked pastry balls.
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Passionfruit jelly.
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Chocolates.

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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
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Eating Baja, Eating Sardinia, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Sardinia, Somu, Wine

Eating Porto Cervo – Pergola

Jan30

Restaurant: La Pergola in Giardino

Location: Costa SMERALDA, 07020 Porto Cervo SS, Italy. +39 0789 931620

Date: July 3, 2022

Cuisine: Sardinian Italy

Rating: Lovely

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Sigh, for our second to last night in Sardinia, we headed back to the Porto Cervo marina to a place we had scoped out last time we were there.
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The marina is quite pretty.
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Pergola is attached to a snazzy boutique hotel.
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The menu.
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Breads.
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2021 Capichera Vermentino di Gallura Vign’ Angena. 91 points.
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Amberjack marinated with raspberries and glasswort. Nice soft crudo texture. Interesting sweet and herbal notes.
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Plain pasta for the boy.
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Spagheti all’oro. Not too different than the plain.
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(Gluten free) Burrata filled ravioli.
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Seafood fregola. Little chopped pasta bits. Really delicious, like a classic risotto marinara but pasta.
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Filet of sea bass with squash blossoms.
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Turbo filet with Sichuan Peppercorn. Very light numbing flavor, but very good.
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Biscotti.
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Overall, this was a nice place. It’s a touch more modern/international than a few of the others while remaining solidly Italian. I tend to like my food updated and they had a tight kitchen as everything was very tasty.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Porto Cervo – Clipper
  2. Eating Porta Cervo – Renato Pedrinelli
  3. Eating Porto Cervo – ConFusion
  4. Eating Rome – La Pergola
  5. Eating Senigallia – Taverna Porto
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Eating Porto Cervo, Eating Sardinia, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, pasta, Risotto, Travel, Wine

Eating Porta Cervo – Renato Pedrinelli

Jan28

Restaurant: Renato Pedrinelli

Location: Piazza degli Ulivi, snc, 07021 Porto Cervo SS, Italy. +39 339 649 5114

Date: July 2, 2022

Cuisine: Sardinian Italian

Rating: Tasty

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Another night in Sardinia, another Italian restaurant.
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Renato Pedrinelli was well rated and conveniently located only a mile or two away from our hotel in a large ritzy shopping plaza near the Porto Cervo marina.
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As usual for summer dining in Italy we ate al fresco, coperto be damned!1A4A9971
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The menu.
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They bring by a selection of barely or recently living sea creatures for your perusal.
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Sardinia usually features crispy breads.
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2018 Argiolas Vermentino di Sardegna Cerdeña. Gotta drink local.
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Burrata pugliese e pomodorini. Burrata with cherry tomatoes.
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Half lobster Catalan style. I was a bit apprehensive given all those raw tomatoes, but somehow with the acidity and the onions it was pretty awesome.
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Classic penne pomodoro.
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Paccheri with fish ragu, bottarga and courgettes. Cheesy and a bit fishy. Nice bite.
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Sea Bream with tomatoes, olives, and capers.
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Filleted.
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Overall, while nothing spectacular, this was a solid meal. Everything in Porto Cervo is a bit focused on a tourist set — not necessarily American tourists (we didn’t see many of those) but mostly mainland Italians or other Europeans.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Eating Porto Cervo – Clipper
  2. Eating Porto Cervo – ConFusion
  3. Eating Alghero – Macchiavello
  4. Eating Rome – La Campana
  5. Eating Senigallia – Taverna Porto
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Eating Porta Cervo, Eating Sardinia, eating-italy, fish, Italian cuisine, Italy, pasta, Porta Cervo, Sardinia, Wine

Eating Alghero – Macchiavello

Jan26

Restaurant: Ristorante Osteria Macchiavello

Location: Bastioni Marco Polo, 57, 07041 Alghero SS, Italy. +39 079 980628

Date: July 2, 2022

Cuisine: Sardinian Italian

Rating: Tasty

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We drove across Sardinia to visit the lovely town of Alghero.
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Picked this attractive lunch spot just by feel and menu.
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The menu.
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They always have solid bread in Italy.
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Burratini con petali di pomodori marinati, basilico e zenzero. Burrata cheese with marinated tomatoes, basil and ginger. As you can see, Sardinians, like other southern Italians, love their tomatoes (and they are some of the best tomatoes in the world)!
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Simple pasta with the obligatory pomodoro sauce.
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Culurgionnes di Oliena con pomodoro e basilico. Home made Sardinian egg pasta filled with potatoes, pecorino cheese, and mint served with basil and tomato sauce.
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Spaghetti lla chitarra neri. Home made cuttlefish ink pasta cooked in parchment paper with mussels, clams, red prawns, scampi, small crab, octopus, squids, in a sauce of basil, cherry tomatoes, and a dash of chili infused olive oil.
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Delicious with a strong briny flavor, a bit of sweetness, a hint of heat, and lots of seafood. Crab and shrimp shells were soft enough that they could be chewed through. Pasta was very thick and al dente. The shellfish stock cooks down with the tomatoes into a wonderful blend.
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Overall a nice local meal in a great setting.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Eating Porto Cervo – Clipper
  2. Eating Colle di Val d’Elsa – Dietro Le Quinte
  3. Eating Santa Margherita – La Paranza
  4. Eating Milano Marittima – Lo Sporting
  5. Eating Poggibonsi – Osteria da Camillo
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Alghero, Eating Alghero, Eating Sardinia, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Italy, Macchiavello, pasta, Sardinia

Eating Porto Cervo – Clipper

Jan24

Restaurant: Clipper Ristorante

Location: Via della Marina, 10, 07021 Porto Cervo SS, Italy. +39 0789 91644

Date: July 1, 2022

Cuisine: Seafood Italian

Rating: Solid (this is Italy) but nothing amazing

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Online various people seemed to insist that Clipper was the best restaurant in Porto Cervo and “quite a scene.” Not sure I trust “those people” too much anymore.
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The outside was cute enough.
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They specialize in fresh seafood like many restaurants all over the coast of the Mediterranean basin.
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Inside is cute but casual. They had a fairly bustling bar.
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The menu.
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Something fishy about these plates.
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2020 Capichera Isola dei Nuraghi IGT. We ordered it again. After I tried some other Vermentinos I went back to ordering Capichera!
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Crispy Sardinian bread.
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They had gluten free bread (and crackers) but it was all packaged. A far cry from Confusion, but still they had it.
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DOP Buffalo Mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and EVOO.
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Plate of Sardinian cheeses.
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Antipasto of fresh seafood, including various shrimp-like creatures, clams, oysters, etc.
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Sauces for the crudo.
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Simple Spaghetti pomodoro.
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Linguine all’astice with half a live local lobster. Very fresh tomato sauce. I was to have this basic dish a bunch of times in Sardinia and it was delicious every time. Really nice straightforward Italian pasta.
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Spaghetti with tomatoes, fior di latte.
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The other half of the lobster grilled with potatoes and beans.
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Random packed cookies and candies.
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A free degistivo.
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Confusion was a much better “deal” at 2x the price of Clipper. But Clipper was enjoyable enough. Just basic good local Sardinian food done for the higher end tourist audience. Not fancy exactly, but perhaps a bit International. Like most decent kitchens in Italy it was totally enjoyable, if not exactly exciting. Not totally sure why this place was considered by so many online as “the best” though.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Porto Cervo – ConFusion
  2. Eating Senigallia – Taverna Porto
  3. Eating Santa Margherita – Antonios
  4. Eating Cinque Terre – Gianni Franzi
  5. Eating Senigallia – Niko Cucina
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Eating Porto Cervo, Eating Sardinia, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Italy, pasta, Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Seafood, Wine

Eating Porto Cervo – ConFusion

Jan22

Restaurant: ConFusion

Location: Promenade du port Via Aga Khan 1, Via Porto Vecchio, 1, 07021 Porto Cervo SS, Italy. +39 340 120 9574

Date: June 30, 2022

Cuisine: Modernist Italian

Rating: Amazing, one of our best meals of the trip

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Having learned my lesson about relying on “non foodie” sources for restaurant reservations, particularly tourist centric ones like TripAdvisor, I went right back to Michelin for our first night in Sardinia with this modernist Italian 1 star in the heart of Porto Cervo.1A4A9594
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Porto Cervo is straight out of a James Bond film — literally The Spy Who Loved Me.
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Confusion overlooks the main square.
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It features gorgeous, if a touch overdone, al fresco dining.
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Nice details including the moist toilets that “inflate” when water is added.
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2020 Capichera Isola dei Nuraghi IGT. This was my first introduction to this stellar local Vementino. I ended up visiting the winery and sending home a couple of cases.
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Parmesan puff with a liquid center. Amazing.
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“Pasta” twist with salmon roe. Delicious briney quality.
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Crisp with eggplant mousse.
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Gluten free amuses. Olive, gluten-free version of the eggplant, and tuna.
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The menu.
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Trio of tomato things.
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Tomato gazpacho with avocado mousse. Absolutely amazing.
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Cured tomato.
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Crisp with cheese and tomato flavor.
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Bread sticks.
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Gluten free crisps.

And with this we finish the AMUSES!
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Simple pasta. My son thought this was one of the best he’s had. He ordered two.
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Sea bream tartare, bread and cucumber salad, and yellow tomato gazpacho. Awesome mix of flavors and textures.
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More bread.
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Special butter spread.
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Poached and crispy egg, caviar, truffle, sesame asparagus, Parmesan fondue.
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Risotto with raw red prawns, marinated in vinegar with veal nerves, and licorice powder.
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More excellent local wine.
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Another great bread.
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Seaweed wrapped in nori seaweed, green curry sauce, turmeric lentu bread.
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Sardinian cheeses, mostly pecorino.
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The plated spread.
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Parmesan.
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Bread for the cheese. Lots of bread tonight!
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Pre-dessert of white chocolate and vanilla. Lovely soft texture.
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Chocolate gelato with strawberries.
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Faux apple with apple mousse.
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Raspberry and chocolate.
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Deconstructed gin and tonic.
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Petite fours. Passionfruit and raspberry.
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More in the drawers.
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Gluten free petite fours.
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The check came in this cute box.
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Not actually bad for such an epic meal with 4 people. And there was even a E15/pp coperto (an Italian charge for sitting outside, fairly standard actually).

Overall, Confusion was quite amazing. The setting was fabulous, the service smooth as room temperature Normandy butter, and they did an incredible job of adjusting to dietary restrictions and needs. But primarily, the food was just simply wonderful. In retrospect, and a bit at the time, I’m bummed that we didn’t come back and have a second meal here. Highly recommended and probably more enjoyable than the 2 and 3 stars I ate at during this trip.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Senigallia – Taverna Porto
  2. Eating Castellina – Albergaccio di Castellina
  3. Eating Positano – Mediterraneo
  4. Eating Senigallia – Niko Cucina
  5. Eating Rome – Roscioli
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Confusion, Italian Cusine, Italy, Modern Cuisine, Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Vermentino, Wine

Eating Paris – L’Ambroisie

Jan20

Restaurant: L’Ambroisie

Location: 9 Pl. des Vosges, 75004 Paris, France. +33 1 42 78 51 45

Date: June 29, 2022

Cuisine: 1980s Haute Cuisine French

Rating: Amazing

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This was supposed to be my fourth starred restaurant in Paris, but some complexities of the “2022 moment” led to us missing two of them. I also ended up going here by myself instead of with a big group, but c’est la vie.

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L’Ambroisie is a traditional French restaurant in Paris, France founded by Bernard Pacaud and now run by his son Mathieu that has maintained three Michelin stars for more than thirty years. The name “L’Ambroisie” (“Ambrosia” in English) comes from Greek mythology and means both “food for gods” and “source of immortality.”

The restaurant’s founder and head chef is Bernard Pacaud. He was abandoned by his parents at age 13 and raised in an orphanage in the mountains of Lyonnais. Pacaud started cooking at age 15, in 1962, as an apprentice at the famed Eugenie (Mére) Brazier’s restaurant Col de la Luère located 20 km from Lyon. Pacaud spent the next three years as commis at the Tante Alice restaurant in Lyon before becoming chef de partie at La Méditerranée in Paris. Pushed by Eugénie Brazier’s encouragements, he applied to work in 1976 with Claude Peyrot, the chef and owner of the Vivarois (a Michelin three star restaurant) on avenue Victor Hugo in Paris. In 1981, he opened his own restaurant quai de la Tournelle (at the crossing with rue de Bièvres) in Paris. In 1986, he opened L’Ambroisie at place des Vosges and obtained three Michelins stars in 1988 which he has kept since then. His refined and classical cooking style makes it one on the most esteemed French restaurants.

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The restaurant is in a period house on the southwestern corner of the Place des Vosges in Paris. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Place des Vosges was an upper-class and noble neighborhood.

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The interior was very 1980s “le Grande Restaurant.” I didn’t photo much of it because the Madame en Charge was giving me the evil eye and I didn’t want to get boxed out of using my camera. As it was I didn’t dare even put the flash on, I could just tell that wouldn’t fly.

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2015 Rapet Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. BH 92. This easily possesses the most complex nose in the range with its ripe yet cool array of green apple, citrus, petrol, soft wood and spice hints. There is impressive size, weight and concentration to the muscular big-bodied flavors that coat the mouth on the citrus and mineral-inflected finish. I would make the same observation here that while this could easily be enjoyed young, I would be inclined to give it at least a few years of bottle age first to develop more depth. (Drink starting 2022)
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The menu. This is pretty close to the style of menu I generally encountered at nice restaurants in the 1980s. Dishes are vaguely clustered into courses and the intent is that you order one from each. Lighter eaters could skip one.
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Special cornbread-like bread.
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Amuses. Fennel tart (front). Delicious. Red pepper mousse (back left) on a crisp. Leek with Caviar (back right). I always enjoy the rich and varied tastes of amuses — I could do an entire meal of amuses trivially.
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Sour dough bread and Normandy Butter. Sour dough seems a recent thing at high end French places.
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The bread itself.
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And le beurre.
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I started (with the amuses) trying to shoot these dishes with my F1.8 lens and a tiny tripod. About one picture in the eagle eye’d manager honed in on me and made me ditch the tripod. Why me sitting alone at my large table with a 6″ tripod was “distracting to the other guests” is anyone’s guess, but as I had to make due hand holding in dim light with no flash I was basically shooting with a couple mm of depth of field — hence I present several photos (pretty hard to focus stack without a tripod).

Feuillantine de langoustines aux graines de sésame, sauce au curry. Langoustine feuillantine with sesame seeds, curry sauce. Lanougstines (course 1). Very precise. Perfectly cooked and the buttery mildly curry sauce was delicious. This was an excellent dish.

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Interlude de homard aux pusses de legumes, nage a l’anis etoile. Lobster interlude with vegetable pusses, star anise broth. Lobster (course 2). Incredibly tender and another great beurre blanc. Basically you could think of it as perfectly cooked lobster in perfect beurre blanc — nothing wrong with that. The broth was so good that it made the vegetables awesome.
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2013 Domaine Poisot Pere & Fils Romanée St. Vivant. BH 92. There is a fine sense of freshness to the cool and overtly spicy aromas of various floral, plum and sandalwood hints. I very much like the purity of the energetic, sleek and attractively detailed medium-bodied flavors that possess a highly refined mouth feel thanks to the fine grain of the supporting tannins, all wrapped in a balanced, persistent and beautifully complex finish. This is quite good and should age effortlessly over the next 10 to 15 years. (Drink starting 2025)

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They noticed me squinting at the wine list and offered me reading glasses! Very helpful.

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Supremes de pigeon laques a la Montmorency, meli-melo de betteraves confites. Supremes of pigeon lacquered with Montmorency. Pigeon (course 3). Good, and perfectly cooked, but touch heavy.
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Candied beetroot medley. Beat side dish as part of duck. Kind of lovely.

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Centerpiece on the table.
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Pre-dessert. Very light.
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Blanc-manger meringue aux agrumes, sorbet cerises a la Kriek. Blancmange meringue with citrus fruits, cherry sorbet with Kriek. Super fresh and great cherries and cream thing.
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Petite fours.
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Mini strawberry tart.
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Perfect cannel.
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Pastry with Chantilly cream and a caramelized top. It’s sort of related to a Saint-Honoré pastry and includes a slate of elements I love.
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An immense amount of cocoa almonds.
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Overall, this is a great kitchen and in summary a great way to experience the 1980s/early 90s style of high end French Cusiine, but I’ll break down the elements:

Food. Dated, without the heavy Asian or modernist influence that’s common these days, but extremely precise and and well cooked. This makes the cuisine more “French” than most other 3 stars. It also floats everything along with butter and creme instead of using some of the lighter newer “solvents.” The format also features a more or less 3 savory style which I found less exciting than a newer style with many more, smaller, savory courses. Being by myself, I didn’t get to sample that many things.

Wine. The by-the-glass wine list was surprisingly poor compared to my meal the previous night at Le Grand Restaurant – Jean-François Piège. I had to pick from the kind of “off vintage, off producer, a bit too young” Burgundies I won’t even buy anymore.

Atmosphere. The room is pretty, but formal in the classic way. I’m certainly fine with that. Tables were very spaced out and things were quiet. For me, being along, and in combination with the relatively small number of courses and the slow pacing and my inability to use a tripod or flash (which would occupy me a bit longer with my photography) the whole experience was kind of slightly uncomfortable and a bit dull. I was a little too far from the other diners to easily listen to their conversations. haha. The staff, particularly the manager, seemed more stern and disapproving, if always flawlessly polite, than the friendliness I experienced the previous night.

For more French dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Eating Paris – Bistro V
  2. Eating Paris – Les Antiquaires
  3. Eating Paris – Jean-François Piège
  4. Eating Chantilly – O Bistrot Chic
  5. Eating England – The Square
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Eating France, Eating Paris, France, French Cuisine, Haute cuisine, L'Ambroisie, Michelin, Michelin 3 Star, Paris, Wine

Eating Paris – Jean-François Piège

Jan16

Restaurant: Le Grand Restaurant Jean-François Piège

Location: 7 Rue d’Aguesseau, 75008 Paris, France. +33 1 53 05 00 00

Date: June 28, 2022

Cuisine: Haute Cuisine French

Rating: Amazing

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This was supposed to be my third starred restaurant in Paris, but some complexities of the “2022 moment” led to us missing two of them. Fortunately I didn’t miss Le Grand Restaurant Jean-François Piège as it was very high on my list.

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I did however, due to another Paris in Summer of 2022 fact — a complete lack of taxis and Ubers — have to walk 45 minutes across the city to earn my dinner.
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It’s tucked away on a classic street near a lot of the high fashion stores not too far from the Champs-Élysées.

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JFP isn’t a huge place, but it does have a very stylish modern setting.1A4A9229
An opening glass of Champagne.
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Fancy salt and pepper.
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Elegant plates.
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I went for the classic menu. All of the food here is regionalized to France.
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Bretagne, Île-de-France. Le meilleur de la grenouille. The best of frog. This is playing on the old French/Frogs thing. It’s basically a buttery bread with some parsley garlic butter (and a tiny bitty bit of frog). Delicious though.
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Île-de-France, Normandie. Radis beurre Hauts-De-France, Loire-Atlantique Rôtie de “Plumes”, macération de garum, feuilles et racines de réglisse. Hauts-De-France butter radish, Loire-Atlantique Roast “Feathers”, garum maceration, licorice leaves and roots. This plays on the classic “radish and butter” dish — albeit in a much fancier form.
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Bretagne. Foie de lotte comme je l’aime. Monkfish liver as I like it. Taking a hint from the Japanese.
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The girl with the box of knives!
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This is just the “by the glass” wine list! The main list was something like 50,000 bottles!
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2010 Coche-Dury Meursault. VM 92. The 2010 Meursault Village from Coche-Dury has a fresh, tight bouquet at first, gradually unfurling to reveal shucked oyster shell and sea spray notes that gain intensity over the course of 15-20 minutes. The palate strikes a sublime balance with a domaine-typical judicious line of acidity that keeps this Meursault on its tiptoes. Toward the finish, white chocolate and hints of marzipan emerge, completing (predictably) a sublime 10-year-old Meursault that is probably <em>à point</em>. Tasted at Hatched restaurant in London. (Drink between 2020-2032)
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Vendee, Provence. Crevettes bouquet de Bretagne, nage de poutargue, ail des ours. Shrimps from Brittany, bottarga broth, wild garlic. This was a stunning bit of raw shrimp and buttery, almost curry-like, sauce. All the dishes with sauce come with a bit of “bread” to manage the sauce — which was a good thing considering how good the sauce was.

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Bretagne, Pays de la Loire. Cuite sur un pave parisien, langonstine de belle taille, laitne de mer, sabayon de sarrasin. Cooked on a Parisian pavement, nice size langoustine, sea milk, buckwheat sabayon. The shrimp was cooked table-side on a hot rock and then the elements were layered on. There were buckwheat and seaweed type flavors giving it a bit of a Japanese vibe.

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Provence, Île-de-France. Tourte de pois chiche en farine de Bertrand Allais et Fontainebleau. Chickpea pie in flour from Bertrand Allais and Fontainebleau. A very light, almost sponge-cake-like, bread with a sort of whipped cream.

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2012 Etienne Sauzet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. JG 96+. The 2012 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet from Domaine Sauzet is a dynamite wine, offering up a deep, pure and stunning bouquet of apple, white peach, clementines, beeswax, citrus oil, chalky soil tones, apple blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and quite concentrated, with a supremely elegant profile, a great core, crisp acids and simply stunning length and grip on the long and racy finish. This is a broad-shouldered vintage of BBM, but at the same time, the inherent elegance and grace of this terroir are still very much in evidence. A great wine in the making. (Drink between 2020-2060)
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Sologne, Normandie. Bar de ligne, cuit tout doucement, beurre noir Bretagne. Line-caught bass, gently cooked, Brittany black butter. This was a spectacular dish. Basically very very tender moist white fish with a black squid butter sauce and what seemed like corn flakes. You wouldn’t think it’d be so good, but it was.

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Brioche to go with it — used for mopping up.

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They took me to the kitchen.
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Île-de-France, Provence. Concentre de celeri rave des jardins, huile d’olive maturee. Garden celeriac concentrate, mature olive oil. The chef himself serves this shot — interesting as it tasted like celery and olive oil.

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Some gorgeous foods and/or decorations.
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2011 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cuvée Duvault-Blochet. BH 91. A perfumed and very spicy nose features ripe and well-layered aromas of plum, violet, red and black pinot fruit plus hints of sandalwood. This is impressively rich with a highly seductive texture on the mid-palate as there is plenty of mouth coating dry extract, all wrapped in a complex, balanced and beautifully long finish. There is enough structure to suggest that this will need most of a decade in the cellar. (Drink starting 2020)

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2017 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant. VM 98. A total stunner, the 2017 Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru is the most expressive wine in the lineup today. Rich, creamy and so wonderfully textured, the RSV simply has it all. The tannins are present, but they are also matched by tremendous fruit density and pure power. Floral and savory overtones grace the lifted, saline finish. Leaving price aside, if I could only have one wine in this range, it would unquestionably be the RSV. The 2017 is a total knock-out. That’s all there is to it. This fruit was picked on September 10 and 11. (Drink between 2027-2057)
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Pyrenes. Mijotes sur des coques de noix, ris de veau sucs au gout de sotolon, girolles, briffeton a la graisse. Simmered on walnut shells, veal sweetbreads with sotolon flavor, chanterelles, briffeton with fat. This was rich and delicious, very meaty with amazing mushrooms. However, it was a hell of a lot of sweatbreads. It was almost like a test of will to get through the whole lobe or whatever it is. I observed that no lady I could see in the dining room made it past the half way mark. I finished it of course.

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A different Bread to mop up the sauce.
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Île-de-France, Bourgogne. Brie de Meaux vielli deaux ans, moutarde. Brie de Meaux aged two years, mustard. Very very aged cheese. Delicious.
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Aquitaine, Val-de-Loire. Croute de fraises fleuree de feuilles de laurier. Strawberry crust with bay leaves. A lovely little tart with unusual flavors.

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Tabiti, Normandie. Mon Blanc a Manger. My Blanc a Manger. This marshmallow-like texture broke open to spill out the most delicious Crème anglaise.
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Somme, Val-de-Loire, Sud Ouest, Île-de-France, Bourgogne Rhubarbe. Dans un coin du jardin. In a corner of the garden. The amuses were particularly fun.
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Persil. Parsley. A bit of parsley “pudding.”
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Coriandre. Coriander. Bourgeon de cassis. Blackcurrant bud.
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Fraises. Strawberries. Fleurs de sureau. Elderflower. A candied or soaked strawberry with a bit of elderflower liquor.

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Pavais. Paved. A kind of chocolate mouse treat.
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Chartreuse. Hands down the best Chartreuse I have ever had.
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Overall, this was a pretty spectacular meal. Yes it wasn’t cheap, but it was playful and delicious. Service was amazing, fully at the 2-3 star level. Table-side presentations abounded. And the wine list! It was vast and cheaper than retail and the number of by-the-glass options were impressive.

For more French dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Eating Paris – Les Antiquaires
  2. Eating Paris – Bistro V
  3. Eating England – The Square
  4. Big Guns at Providence
  5. Eating Reims – Brasserie le Jardin
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Coche Dury, DRC, Eating France, Eating Paris, Jean-François Piège, Michelin 2 Star, Wine

The Last of Us (HBO) is Almost Here

Jan14

Tomorrow (2/15/23) is the official debut of The Last of Us show and this previous Monday I was honored to attend the official premiere and have the opportunity to watch the first episode.

I’m not going to spoil anything, but I just wanted to say that what I saw was pretty darn awesome — flawless really. Not that I’m unbiased, but the tone was a pitch-perfect match to the games. And, hey, the music was the same — which is incredibly important in forging an emotional tie in for fans. Sure there are little changes to suit the medium, and the casting (which is great) means that the characters look a bit different than the in-game models, but the essential DNA of the story appears fully intact. That’s, I’m sure, a testament to the intense role that Neil Druckmann had in the show and to the first-rate HBO team. Craig Mazin has a great track record (I loved Chernobyl) and is a master of slow burn horror.

Neil and I at the premiere.

In any case, I can’t wait to see the rest of the show as both reviewers and my ND friends who have seen it indicate only gets better after the first episode.

Related posts:

  1. More Game of Thrones CGI
  2. Game of Thrones – Episode 4
  3. Game of Thrones – Episode 8
  4. Game of Thrones – Episode 13
  5. Game of Thrones – The Houses
By: agavin
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Posted in: Games, Television
Tagged as: Craig Mazin, HBO, Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us

Eating Paris – Les Antiquaires

Jan14

Restaurant: Les Antiquaires

Location: 13 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris, France. +33 1 42 61 08 36

Date: June 27, 2022

Cuisine: Parisian Bistro

Rating: Touristy, but delicious

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Wanting something casual, but ignoring Tripadvisor, we found this well rated street cafe/bistro.
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Yeah, it appears a bit touristy, and the menu is “classic” but execution is quite good.
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The classic Paris street-side seating.
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A glass of Chablis.
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Condiments.

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Classic Escargot. Straight up but perfect.

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Tools for the snails.
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Onion Soup. Also classic, but a very good cheesy/bready soup.
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More bread — useful for dipping up the garlic butter from the snails.
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Beef Tartare and fries.
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There was actually a choice of Tartare style, the old pure French barely adorned style and this slightly newer “Italian” style with arugula and Parmesan.
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French Fries. Really good thin crispy fries.

I was surprised how good the food was. I actually just wanted to order these obvious French favorites as a benchmark and they didn’t disappoint. Each of them was pretty much a perfect example of what it was.

Service was brusk but extremely efficient.

For more French dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Eating Paris – Bistro V
  2. Eating Chantilly – O Bistrot Chic
  3. Eating Florence – Caffe Pitti
  4. Eating San Francisco – Absinthe
  5. Eating Reims – Brasserie le Jardin
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Antiquaires, Beef Tartare, Eating France, Eating Paris, escargot, Onion Soup, Wine

Eating Chantilly – O Bistrot Chic

Jan12

Restaurant: O Bistrot Chic

Location: 62 Rue du Connétable, 60500 Chantilly, France. +33 3 44 63 93 46

Date: June 26, 2022

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Casual, but very tasty

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After a visit to the Chateau de Chantilly we found this casual bistro for a quick bite.
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Looks the part.
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A cute interior with locals and tourists.
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The classic French menu board.
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Eyes Mayonaise. Aka deviled eyes. Very soft and nice. On the side is a beef pate with a very pureed texture.
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Liu Noir (fish) with rice and a Thai-like light curry. I could have used about 2-3X the sauce, but otherwise good.
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Another fish.
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Caesar Salad with chicken and anchovies.
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Without the chicken.
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Beef Filet with pepper sauce.

This was a pleasant little casual place. Food wasn’t crazy innovative or anything but it was tasty and the service was very friendly.
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Afterward we got some pastries with Crème Chantilly (whipped cream).

For more French dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Eating Paris – Bistro V
  2. Eating San Francisco – Absinthe
  3. Eating Hanoi – Green Tangerine
  4. Eating Reims – Brasserie le Jardin
  5. Eating Philly – Tiffin
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bistrot Chic, Eating Chantilly, Eating France, French Cuisine

Eating Reims – Brasserie le Jardin

Jan09

Restaurant: Brasserie le Jardin

Location: 7 Av. du Général Giraud, 51100 Reims, France. +33 3 26 24 90 90

Date: June 25, 2022

Cuisine: French

Rating: Lovely lunch

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After my Tripadvisor fail the night before, I retreated for the next day’s lunch — and a day trip to Reims — to the comforting territory of Michelin Guide rated French restaurants.

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I really wanted to go to Le Parc (2 Michelin stars) but our 13 person party and the formal dress requirements send me instead to Brasserie le Jardin their “more casual” garden restaurant.

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The approach is lovely.
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We had this giant table which was great.
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I don’t like to drink on the first night in Europe (after 36+ hours awake) but today we jumped in feet first.

2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François. VM 97. The 2006 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine, but it needs time to be at its best. I am surprised by how tightly wound it is. But that only makes me think what it might develop into with time in the cellar. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint, crushed rocks and sage meld together in a bright, crystalline Champagne endowed with terrific purity. The 2006 is 60% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, mostly done in steel, with just a touch of oak, around 5%. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. (Drink between 2020-2032)
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Parmesan crisps.
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Bread.
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I hate this new trend of digital only menus.1A4A8579
Simple pasta.
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NV Eric Rodez Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée des Crayères. VM 91. Light yellow-gold. Aromas of Poire William, white flowers and honey are lifted by a zesty mineral topnote. Fleshy and dry on the palate, offering very good lift and clarity to its bitter quince and peach pit flavors. Closes on an emphatic, sharply focused mineral note, with firm grip and spicy persistence.
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Cucumber gazpacho with beet sorbet.
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Tomato Tart with reims vinegar.
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Tin of crab with Champagne emulsion.
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Salmon in Bellevue with garden herbs.
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NV A. Margaine Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. The NV Brut Rosé is mostly Chardonnay and is done in a style that emphasizes vibrancy and tension. Crushed red berries, chalk, white pepper and mint lend pretty top notes to this beautifully sculpted Rosé. The Rosé is 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir, of which 8% is still red Pinot. Dosage is 9 grams per liter. Disgorged: June, 2021. (Drink between 2021-2026)
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Lean on the planca with paprika sauce.

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Hake with passionfruit sauce.
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Veal filet with olives and lemon with garden herb jus.
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Beef filet with roasted foie gras. For when you feel your steak doesn’t have enough calories.
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Braised beef chunk with cooking juices.
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Pork loin confit with baby onions.
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French fries with thyme flower.
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Salad with seeded granola.
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Macchiato.
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Madelines with the coffee.
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Gianduia chocolate ganache with Mille-feuille.
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Soft biscuit with lemon zest.
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Fresh fruits with basil syrup.
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Rhubarb sorbet with raspberry coulis. There was mint in here and different textures. Very refreshing.
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We had a large party.
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This meal was far more my style. It was hovering just under 1 (European) Michelin Star. Service was great, particularly given our gigantic party. Food was rich, French, and quite delicious. Champagnes were very good. Setting was fabulous too. It was raining, so we sat inside in the lovely dining room. They have a lot of nice garden too (given the name) but that rarest of June sight to my California eyes: rain.
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After lunch we staggered over to Taittinger for even more Champagne.

For more French dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Mountain Eats – Brasserie
  2. CR8 – el Jardin de Frida Kahlo
  3. Eating Paris – Bistro V
  4. Eating San Sebastian – Zuberoa
  5. Eating Rome – Metamorfosi
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Brasserie le Jardin, Eating France, Eating Reims, Reims

Eating Paris – Bistro V

Jan07

Restaurant: Bistro V

Location: 56 Bd de Port-Royal, 75005 Paris, France. +33 1 45 35 35 31

Date: June 24, 2022

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Meh French

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On our first night in Paris I knew we were tired and was looking for a very casual “good food, authentically French” place for our large party with kids. Given that, I didn’t want to use the Michelin Guide or anything, so I thought I’d try one last time to use Trip Advisor. This place was EXTREMELY highly rated (on TA), like #20 out of almost 16,000 restaurants in Paris and above almost every 2 and 3 star etc.

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Looks like a typical Bistro.
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Inside had some atmosphere, but not as much as I would have liked. It was deserted — we were the only people — yet they basically ignored us.
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Crisps from a bag. Not an auspicious beginning.
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Bread with a butter packet. Oh boy.
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Watermelon, honey, mint and feta salad.
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Chicken spring rolls from Chef Alain Kassi, Thai herbs and hazelnut chips. These weren’t bad per se, but spring rolls?
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Périgord duck foie gras, citrus chutney. This was solid, but you could buy a can in Paris and slice it.
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Creamy risotto with coconut milk and ginger, grilled prawns, fresh herbs and parmesan.
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Supreme of cod, roasted broccoli and basil pesto.
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Beef tenderloin (High Quality Meat Breed) black pepper sauce, sautéed potatoes.
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Duo Camembert with Tartufata and Comté cheese.
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Semi-cooked chocolate with a runny heart, passion fruit juice and vanilla ice cream.
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Cheesecake, Matcha tea cream and salted butter caramel.
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Plain strawberries.
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Strawberry salad, balsamic caramel and mascarpone ice cream.

Food was okay. Nothing inspired at all. Just fine. Not super authentically French. I’ve had better meals in totally random cafes. I just don’t get the rating.

Service was VERY slow with a single employee in the front and one in the kitchen. The waitress was a bit exasperated with our frustration at the pace and showed it. We were the only people for an hour but they really didn’t get going, probably because of the kitchen guy. Dessert took 45-60 minutes because the kitchen guy wanted to finished everyone elses savories. Basically miserable service and very irritating when we had been up for 40 hours (with kids).

This concludes any trust I have in Tripadvisors ratings as this is rated VERY high on their list, as I said #20 out of 16,000! I will NEVER trust a TA score or reviews ever again. I might have to use them when there is nothing else in English, but only as a last resort. Given how many great places are in Paris some tourist trap would have been better. I don’t even know who this restaurant is aimed at.

For more French dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Rosh Pina – Shiri Bistro
  2. La Cachette Bistro part deux et trois
  3. Quick Eats: La Cachette Bistro
  4. Food as Art: Bistro LQ
  5. Bistro LQ – Truffles 2017
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bistro, Eating France, Eating Paris, French Cuisine

Ultimate LA Peking Duck Guide

Jan03

Peking Duck (also more correctly known as Beijing Duck) is one of those sublime foods that’s full of contrasts. It’s always good, but rarely perfect. Seemingly common, proper versions are hard to find. And it’s poorly understood and equally poorly distinguished from it’s ducky cousins. I’ve loved it for nearly half a century, enjoyed it in America and China, and recently made an exhaustive study of the offerings in the greater Los Angeles area. Myself and my good friend and infamous fellow-glutton Jeffrey (a.k.a. @xtremefoodies_) co-organized DuQuest, the search for the best in LA. But before we get to the rankings (click here to skip to them) we need to discuss the basics.

What is Peking Duck?

Fundamentally, Peking Duck is a kind of Chinese roast duck. But as far as I can tell there are at least 4 broad categories of roast duck COMMONLY available in LA’s vast bounty of Chinese restaurants (and a few fusion places). They are:

“Real” Peking Duck

For the purposes of this article, I’m focusing on this: A dish from Beijing (Peking) that has been prepared since the Imperial era. The meat is characterized by its thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and breast/thigh meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks bred especially for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven. The meat is often eaten with spring onion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce with pancakes rolled around the fillings.

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(Messy) Peking Duck spread at Tasty Duck

There are two major sub-variants (cutting styles) we will discuss later but for the purpose of distinguishing “real” Peking duck from other types of duck the main marker is spring pancakes. When served with pancakes it’s “real” and without them it’s usually one of the following:

“Pseudo” Peking Duck

Because Peking Duck is a popular premium dish most restaurants in LA’s amazing Cantonese scene offer it on the menu. However, the vast majority of these, nay, perhaps all, offer what I am calling “Pseudo” Peking Duck. This dish, somewhat beyond the already bloated scope of this article, is a variant of Cantonese Roast Duck, typically cooked in the Cantonese BBQ manner and served with steamed buns, hoisin, cucumbers, and spring onions. It’s a close cousin, and often delicious, but the duck itself is prepared differently, cut differently, and served differently. The buns do not offer the sublime minimalist carbohydrate balance of the pancake. The hoisin is usually sweeter, the duck is generally plated with shrimp chips, and most importantly the skin is never quite so crispy. Pseudo Duck can be delicious, but it’s just not the same thing.

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Pseudo Peking Duck with buns at Longo Seafood

Cantonese Roast Duck

This delicious dish is offered at nearly every Cantonese, dim sum, and Chinese BBQ joint in the city. It’s great, but it’s not Peking Duck. This duck is usually rough chopped with a cleaver (Chinese knife) and soaking in jus. It’s very moist and at it’s best has a very satisfying fatty skin. If it has any condiment it’s just some sweet (orange) plum-based sauce.

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Cantonese Roast Duck at Bistro 1968

Sichuan (or other) Tea Smoked Duck or Nanjing Cured Duck

I’m not sure if smoking counts as roasting, but many central Chinese restaurants, particularly from Sichuan, Hunan or Yunnan will offer a tea-smoked duck. As you can tell, I like duck, so I also find this a fabulous dish. The skin is not as crispy and the whole thing is dry with a smoked pastrami-like quality.

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Tea-Smoked Duck at Haige-Star

Nanjing Duck is salt cured and also dry, often cold, and has a lovely flavor. It’s not crispy at all.

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Nanjing Salted Duck at Nanjing Duck

Peking Duck in Beijing

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Aged ducks waiting to be roasted at Country Kitchen in Beijing

I’ve been to Beijing several times but on my most recent visit in 2018 I enjoyed several high end Peking Ducks, most notably at Dadong and Country Kitchen. On previous trips I also ate at a different Dadong, Made in China, and some old school spots. I’ve had high end duck at various places in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and other various other Chinese cities.

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Ducks roasting in the wood-fire oven at Country Kitchen in Beijing

Proper Beijing duck in Beijing is never quite replicated here in the states, although we have a few that come close. Over there, the duck is always dry-aged, seasoned, inflated with some kind of compressed or pumped air, often filled with a special broth, then slow roasted for 1-1.5 hours in a wood-fire oven. Here in LA they always use gas ovens. Wood-fire is just too complicated or expensive, probably because of annoying regulations. In China, a duck pit master tends the ducks, moving them around to cook them evenly. After roasting, some special bits of the belly skin are served by themselves with sugar. This is enjoyed as a crunchy snack with a sweet/salty/fatty contrast. The legs and wings are removed, and the breast meat is sliced into little ovals that contain both juicy meat and crispy/fatty skin. The meat skin pieces are combined with hoisin, cucumber, and spring onion inside a spring pancake and enjoyed rolled up. Remaining meat is often (optionally) stir-fried and the carcass is made into duck soup. Realistically, they don’t make YOUR particular duck into duck soup. Previous carcasses, probably from previous days are cooked into big batches of the soup and served on demand.

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Table-side carving at Country Kitchen

The Components

Peking Duck consists of several different components, each of which is worthy of separate evaluation:

Skin

The skin should ideally be super crispy/crunchy with just a bit of (mostly rendered) fat. It’s traditionally served by itself and often on parts of the meat. The solo skin can be eaten plain, with a bit of sugar, or dipped lightly in hoisin. It can also be placed inside the pancake roll (which I’ll call a “bing” as explained below).

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Crispy skin served atop some meat at Dadong Beijing

Meat

The “meat” of a peking duck consists of three main sub-parts. The most important is the breast, which is served typically in one of two styles in LA (see below) with or without skin. Then there is thigh meat, and at many places the legs and occasionally the wings. The legs (and wings) are eaten mostly by themselves but the breast and thigh bits are generally designed to go inside the rolled pancake (“bing”). Ideally the meat should be juicy and delicious with a distinct duck taste but not an overwhelming gamey or barnyard quality.

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The breast meat with attached skin at Country Kitchen

Pancake

A proper Peking Duck comes with ultra-thin delicate warm spring pancakes. In Chinese these are known as Chun Bing 春饼. They should be almost translucent, durable enough to wrap, and add just that touch of carbohydrate goodness to their task of binding together the contents. A “Pseudo” Peking Duck will often be served with steamed buns instead of pancakes. It’s not a Peking Duck. Even worse, some Chinese American places will attempt to serve “Pseudo” Peking Duck (it’s not roasted like a real Peking Duck either) with (store bought) Mexican Tortillas. Not only does this taste terrible, but it’s sacrilegious and offends the food gods.

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Spring pancakes at Country Kitchen

Hoisin

Peking duck sauce isn’t a true hoisin, but we will call it that nonetheless. Peking duck sauce is a thick, fragrant sauce commonly used in as a glaze for meat, an addition to stir fry, or as dipping sauce. It is dark-coloured in appearance and sweet and salty in taste. Although regional variants exist, peking duck hoisin sauce is not exactly the same as the Cantonese hoisin, but instead is usually made from Tian Mian Jian (甜面酱), a chef specific blend of fermented yellow soybean paste, fermented wheat, sometimes fruit (like plums), and the oil from roasted ducks in additional to aromatic ingredients. Tian Mian Jian translates to sweet flour sauce and despite it often having the work “bean” in the description is not primary made from beans. It should be salty, savory, a bit sweet, medium thick, and have a hint of medicinal/herbal quality. It should not be too jammy, watery, or too sweet. Interestingly, it’s actually one of the most important elements of the pancake roll (“bing”) even though it should be used sparingly. One of the reasons “Pseudo” Peking Duck is often inferior is the use of Cantonese hoisin, which while good, is not the same. Peking duck sauce (hoisin) is used — sparingly — to flavor the rolled up pancake (bing) and and to flavor meat eaten on its own.

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Hoisin (really duck sauce) in the SGV

Accoutrements

Accoutrements are anything else potentially added to the pancake roll (“bing”). Minimally it’s julienned cucumber and spring onion but pickles, melon, and other ingredients are frequently found in China. They make interesting and important combinations of flavor.

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Accoutrement dish at Dadong Beijing

Bing (Pancake Roll)

Since the rolled up pancake containing duck meat etc is such an important part of Peking Duck I’m going to give it a name, “bing.” Really, bing just flat cake in Chinese, and chun bing is a spring pancake, but I had to call it something. But regardless, the “bing” is the main event of any Peking Duck. It consists of the spring pancake, lightly coated in hoisin, meat, skin, and accoutrements then rolled up into a thin cigar-like shape, possibly folded over a bit at the ends. All of the above elements are required for a proper “bing” and it is very sensitive to flaws in any of them, particularly the pancake itself or hoisin. The score for this category is about the overall experience of the “bing,” not the individual components themselves. Hoisin should be used sparingly as it can overwhelm other flavors.

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Bing prior to rolling at Country Kitchen

Bones

It’s long been possible to get a plate of the “bones” of your duck. This is the hacked up remains of the carcass. Depending on the technique and skill of the carver these can be merely a pile of roasted bones or contain quite a lot of tasty meat. More recently, LA Peking Duck restaurants will stir-fry these bones either with “spicy salt” or cumin. This last seems to be new and non traditional but it is delicious. These stir-fried versions are almost always better than the plate of hacked roasted bones, which is often inedible. One place even stir-fries the duck tails, which are fatty and delicious.

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Cumin duck bones at Duck House

Stir-fry

For decades it’s been an option to get parts of the meat that aren’t served on the main plates for the “bing” stir-fried or prepped in some manner. The most common are stir-fried with bean sprouts or lettuce cups. I’ve never liked the bean sprout version. The lettuce cups can be fine. Both have very minimal meat and I rarely order them. This is sometimes called “2 ways.”

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Stir-fry with bean sprouts and microscopic duck at Tasty Duck

Soup

Duck soup is often sold in a “3 ways” package with the main event duck, a stir-fry, and the soup. At best it’s a mild chicken-like (but duck) soup with tofu and cabbage. At best it can be pleasant and soothing. At worst the soup is very gamey and kinda nasty.

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Duck Soup at Meizhou Dongpo Arcadia

Overall

An overall score takes all the relevant above elements into account, presenting a score of Peking Duck quality at a particular restaurant.

The LA Presentations

In LA, there are three basic methods of presentation, which end up in two “on the table” styles:

Table-side Carving, Beijing Style

In this presentation, only really performed at Chang’An in Tustin and Meizhou Dongpo, the whole duck is brought out and carved up table-side to the amusement of the guests. The breast skin is pulled off and the breast is sliced into ovals with some skin attached. It’s generally served on little white duck plates. The table-side presentation is not just for show — although it certainly is fun — but has material impact on the overall Peking Duck experience. Sliced duck meat, and particularly skin, has a lot of surface area and it cools rapidly. Ducks sliced in the kitchen often linger there for a few minutes and come to the table luke warm.

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Table-side carving at Meizhou Dongpo

In the Kitchen, Beijing Style

This is pretty much the same as the table-side style, but the carving is all done in the kitchen and the meat and skin are brought out on plates. It should be noted that one appears to get a lot more meat via the Beijing style carve, regardless of it being table-side or not. Generally there are two full plates of skin and meat as opposed to the bowl cut which seems to be closer to half a duck. Kitchen sliced duck will generally be cooler in temperature than table-side duck, and therefore will be drier and seem fattier (hot fat is always better).

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Plated breast meat with skin at Chang’An

The Bowl Cut

Many “classic” LA Peking Duck restaurants bring the duck meat and skin out from the kitchen together on a single large plate. The skinless meat is packed into a soup bowl and then inverted in the center forming a dry packed meat dome. The best skin is cut into rectangular “petals” and arrayed around this dome to form a floral pattern. This system has an efficiency for the kitchen, and does seem to provide some of the crispiest skin in the city (as it’s separate) but the plate is sometimes cool by the time it arrives and the meat is usually lean and dry. Overall, I find it an inferior technique but it does have it’s advocates — namely those who prize the crispy skin above all. There is certainly less meat available via the bowl cut method as it seems to be reserved for the other dishes (that you also have to pay extra for). An additional problem with the bowl method is that there is frequently some delay between carving the duck, arranging the platter, and serving it. The net result is that bowl cut duck is usually not very warm, sometimes room temperature. Hot duck means hot duck fat and is much superior.

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The Bowl Cut at JiRong

The Rankings

Overall ranking is just an order but all of the other categories are rated 1-10. Currently included are only Peking Duck specialty restaurants serving “Real” Peking Duck that I have visited recently and reviewed in detail.

Restaurant Overall (of 7) Bing Skin Meat Pancake Hoisin Accoutrements
Chang’an 1 7 6 10 10 8 9
Meizhou Dongpo Arcadia 2 7 6 9 8 7 8
Ray’s Duck House 3 8.5 9 7 10 9 3
Duck House 4 8 9 6 8 8 9
JiRong 5 8 7.5 5 9 8 7
NC Peking Duck 6 6 9 8 9 5 7
Happy Duck 7 4 8.5 5 5 6 4
Tasty Duck 8 6 4 5 9 9 8
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Restaurant: Chang’An Tustin

Location: 13051 Newport Ave, Tustin, CA 92780. (949) 324-5558

Last visited: December 10, 2022

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Chang’An has a dedicated duck oven and aging cabinet that can be seen by the guests just like top places in China. Besides being a fantastic high end Chinese restaurant, they have superlative duck, arguably the best I have tried in Southern California. It’s brought table-side, covered in Chinese rice liquor and lit on fire to crisp. Then it’s carved up traditionally. Half of it is smoked too. Decor and service here are amazing. Ducks must be preordered and only one is allowed per table for some mysterious reason.


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The Skin was thin and mildly crispy, aged ducky flavor, served with traditional brown sugar. But still this way of doing the duck, better for the meat, compromises the skin ever-so-slightly = 6.

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Meat was served 2 ways, both with some skin on the white meat, straight up = 10 where it was really juicy and full of flavor.


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A second half of the meat was served smoked which was very different, a bit more like ham, and quite lovely = 9.

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Pancake was thin and translucent and there were plenty of them = 10.
Hoisin was good to great. Slightly thin maybe, sweet and savory, quite pungent = 8.

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Accoutrements were scallion and cucumbers as usual plus pear = 9.
The bing together was a 7/10 or perhaps 8/10 as I didn’t pack it right. I should have made a second but I didn’t want the extra carbs.
Extra bonus for table side, duck stand, flaming duck, and smoking!
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A full review of Chang’An is in the works.
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Restaurant: Meizhou Dongpo Arcadia

Location: 400 S Baldwin Ave #2045, Arcadia, CA 91007. (626) 538-4136

Last visited: December 4, 2022

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MDP is a close second for best Peking duck in Southern California and for LA residents, with both Arcadia and Century City locations is far more convenient than Chang’An. They also carve the duck table-side, albeit without any flaming show or smoked second half. The also employ the Beijing style cut. This is a very modern Chinese chain with (particularly in Arcadia) a very elegant and fancy modern Chinese build out. Unfortunately both branches are located in Westfield malls which makes for annoying parking and crowds. They have very nice private rooms and service can be top notch.
Century city is very similar to Arcadia. The duck is essentially the same but the decor isn’t quite as nice and they don’t have the same great private rooms. They do however have a fabulous patio.

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The skin was very thin and crispy but there was less of it because of the split skin cut = 6.

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Meat was super juicy, even a touch pink, with real jus. Excellent. Some was served with the skin on = 9.

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Pancake was thin and resilient, but -1 ding for being folded (may cause sticking) = 8.
Hoisin was very good, but a touch savory = 7.

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Accoutrements were scallion and cucumbers as usual, but extra point for sugar (for the skin) = 8.
The bing together was a 7/10 because the pancake/hoisin is the most important component of that.

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The bones are solid and available in cumin stir-fry.

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Duck soup was very pleasant and mild = 8
Extra bonus for table side carving!
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A full review of MDP (Century City) can be found here.
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Restaurant: Ray’s Duck House晶瑞轩海鲜酒楼

Location: 4721 Chino Hills Pkwy, Chino Hills, CA 91709. (909) 606-9046

Last visited: January 26, 2022

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The overall spread at Ray’s. They used the modern Beijing cut (in the kitchen) and brought it out on the usual two white duck plates. Ray’s serves a really first rate Peking Duck (even if the leg’s and wings were missing). All of the top three places (Ray’s included) are very good and slightly different. Here the skin is the best of any of the modern cut places being delightfully thick and crispy.

In addition, at lunch they have a really excellent dim sum service. Really excellent. The only problem is that the restaurant is located very far east, about 50 miles from Santa Monica! It’s a shame that 2 of the top 3 places are extremely far from LA proper. I have to come back and try the Cantonese banquet dishes and seafood.

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Skin was thick, crunchy, airy, and quite spectacular, both the separate parts and the bits on the meat — it was all crunchy! = 9. I actually think this skin was even slightly better than the Happy Duck skin. The fact that the skin on the meat bits was also crunchy was incredible.
Meat was served mostly moon cut with the skin, some dark meat by itself. The wings and legs were missing. And while the meat wasn’t as juicy as MDP it was very very tasty with great duck flavor. Probably the third best meat = 7.

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Accoutrements were scallion and cucumbers as usual. This was the weakest element as they had been cut the previous day (most likely) and were dry = 3. However, in the bing it was hard to tell.

Hoisin was great. It wasn’t goopy thick, nor too sweet, and had fabulous on-point flavor = 9.

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Pancake was thin and translucent and there were plenty of them = 10.

The bing pancake together was excellent largely due to all the ingredients other than the scallions being first rate = 8.5/10.
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Duck Soup was bland although at least not unpleasant = 4.

Bones were on the menu, but they didn’t think we needed them = N/A.

A full review of Ray’s is in the works.

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Restaurant: Duck House Restaurant 鹿鼎記

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

Last visited: December 22, 2022

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Duck House is one of the SGV’s classic… well you guessed it… duck houses. Hostess and owner Catherine used to operate Tasty Duck but moved years ago to this location and she’s one of the best hostesses in town. Not only do they serve great Peking Duck but they have a wonderful all around menu. The decor is excellent in the height of 2000ish Monterey Park style and they have nice private rooms. They prepare the duck in the kitchen with a gas oven and then serve it using the SGV “bowl cut” style. Bones and even duck tails are available a number of ways as I’m sure are stir-fries and duck soup.
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Skin was very thick and crispy, really delicious = 9.
Meat was dry without the skin, but fairly pleasant flavor = 6.
Pancake was thin and translucent, but a bit sticky = 8.
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Hoisin was very good. Not too thick, sweet and savory, with a hint of medicinal tone but not off-putting = 8.
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Accoutrements were scallion and cucumbers as usual plus a spread of pickles, mustard sauce, corn flakes, and raw garlic = 9. These extra four condiments were specially prepared for us by the owner, they aren’t always available, but is totally worth asking about!
The bing together was a 8/10 because the pancake/hoisin is the most important component.
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Bones are very good both salty and cumin style.
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The duck tails are to die for. Little bits of super crispy fat!
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Duck wings are another option.
Extra bonus incredible service!

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A full review of Duck House is available here.

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Restaurant: Ji Rong Peking Duck

Location: 8450 Valley Blvd Suite 115, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 280-8600

Last visited: November 1, 2022

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In recent years, Ji Rong has risen to be one of Alhambra’s “go to” places for Peking Duck. You must order ahead here and they serve using the “bowl cut” method, but it’s very dependable and they offer a vast array of modern Beijing food that is quite excellent. This includes a variety of western and Sichuan influenced dishes. It’s very popular and feels very 2010s SGV. The “private rooms” are merely separated areas to the side of the main dining room and it can be quite loud. Service is very efficient but young employees sometimes seem at the mercy of the kitchen staff. They have three ways and all that.
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Ji Rong skin was very crispy and some of the pieces that were thick were about as good as Happy Duck, however there was a slight funk to it so -1. point for that = 7. Thick pieces maybe an 8.
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Meat was packed in a bowl, no skin. White meat was medium dry, also with a slight funk = 4, but the dark meat was better = 7. They do offer the legs with the main dish.
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Pancake was thin and resilient = 9.
Hoisin was very good with really nice balance, not perfect, but extremely good = 8.
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Accoutrements were scallion and cucumbers as usual = 7.
The bing together was a 8/10 because the pancake/hoisin is the most important component of that.

A full review of Ji Rong can be found here.

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Restaurant: NC Peking Duck 老北方烤鸭店

Location: 17515 Colima Rd Unit A, City of Industry, CA 91748. (626) 839-0000

Last visited: October 27, 2022

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In just the last few years there have been more and more great Chinese restaurant openings in the “far SGV” (Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, City of Industry). NC Peking Duck isn’t the fanciest, but it is a Peking Duck specialty place with a broad menu of Northern Chinese Cuisine and very modern Beijing Style duck. They have a couple of minimalist private rooms and excellent service as well as many great dishes. The duck itself is served in the Beijing Style, but carved in the kitchen. Ducks should be pre-ordered.
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NC skin was ultra-thin and crispy, and gets an extra point for some of the pieces having some meat/fat on them = 9 for fatty pieces and 7 for regular ones.
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Meat was juicy and flavorful with skin on = 8. On some occasions they plate in the really “classic” double duck dish style.
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Pancake was thin and resilient = 9.
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Hoisin was tasty but “goopy”, extra thick, and with a bit too much medicinal tone = 5.
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Accoutrements were scallion and cucumbers as usual = 7. Before the pandemic they offered this incredible 9 way deluxe accoutrement spread, which would have earned a 10! Hopefully they bring it back.
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The bing together was a 6/10, dinged mostly by the hoisin.
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They offer cumin bones.
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Or very meaty “chopped” bones.

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A full review of NC Peking Duck is available here.

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Restaurant: Happy Duck House

Location: 18210 Gale Ave, City of Industry, CA 91748. (626) 581-4747

Last visited: October 27, 2022

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Happy Duck is also located out in the far SGV. As a restaurant I’m not that much of a fan. It’s just a little mom and pop place with no atmosphere and a fairly boring mixed “duck house” and Cantonese menu. Others like it better. It’s not bad at all, just not exciting to me (no spicy dishes). However they do offer “Real” Peking Duck and it’s pretty decent. Service is very friendly. Ducks should be preordered.
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Happy Duck skin is unusually crispy and delicious, almost spongy = 8.5 (some people in our group think a 9). This skin has its devotees and some people thing it’s the best skin in the city — certainly it’s very good skin. They have a special “torching” technique here that crisps up the skin.
Meat was dry and served packed into a rice bowl and served as a dome (no skin) = 5.
Pancake was house-made but chewy and uneven, really disappointing = 5.
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Hoisin was very sweet but tasty, with a strong medicinal taste = 6.
Accoutrements featured fresh spring onions but flabby cucumbers = 4.
Bing with everything rolled up was a 4/10, dinged hugely for the pancake and hoisin.
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Like most duck places they have duck soup.
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And duck and bean-sprout stir-fry, which is pretty bland and dry.
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A lot of duck houses also have eel sticky rice and this is actually the best version of this dish I’ve ever had. Eel was perfectly cooked and the rice was great too.

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A full review of Happy Duck is available here.

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Restaurant: Tasty Duck

Location: 1039 E Valley Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 572-3885

Last visited: November 16, 2022

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Tasty Duck was one of our “go to” duck places for around a decade and it’s located in a small, crowded, not-particularly-attractive space in the center of Alhambra. Ducks should be preordered and they traditionally served in the “bowl cut” style. The last time we went they had new owners and tried to cut table-side in the Beijing Style and made a real hack job of the duck. They offer 3 ways and we did “up the ante” by bringing half a pound of fresh caviar.
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Skin was very thin, oily, and not very crispy. And there wasn’t that much of it = 4.
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Meat was juicy, but was gamey, luke warm, and not particularly appealing. Attached skin was soggy = 5.
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Pancake was thin and translucent = 9.
Hoisin was absolutely first rate. Not too thick, sweet and savory, with a hint of medicinal tone but not off-putting = 9.
Accoutrements were scallion and cucumbers as usual, but extra point for sugar and melon = 8.
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The bing together was a 6/10 because the pancake/hoisin is the most important component of that. Caviar was BYOC so not normally available.
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Duck soup was terrible with a barn-like flavor = 2.
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Duck stir-fry. Bleh. I don’t get this dish.
Extra bonus for table side carving — although it was a duck massacre!

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A full review of Tasty Duck is available here.

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As the Southern California duck situation evolves I will continue to update this page. There are a couple duck places I haven’t had time to go to such as Ray’s Duck House in Colima (quite far east). In addition I may list places with “Pseudo” Peking Duck and revisit fusion restaurants with Peking Duck like Merois and Chinois. There are also a couple places I haven’t been in a long time, like Shin Beijing, which serve a Peking Duck somewhere between “real” and “pseudo.”

Last Updated: January 3, 2023.

Related posts:

  1. NC Peking Duck – Double Duck part 2
  2. NC Peking Duck again
  3. Happy Duck – Double Duck part 1
  4. Peking Duck at A-1 Chinese BBQ
  5. Duck House without Yarom!
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Beijing Duck, Chang'An, Chinese Food, duck, Duck House, Duquest, Happy Duck, Ji Rong, Lunch Quest, Meizhou Dongpo, NC Peking Duck, Peking Duck, Roast Duck, SGV, Tasty Duck

Eating Orange – Tram Chim

Jan02

Restaurant: Tram Chim Fresh Seafood

Location: 9455 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92683. (714) 717-6885

Date: June 22, 2022

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Swimming in tanks!

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No parental visit would be complete without a trip down to the OC for some awesome Vietnamese.
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Tram Chim has a typical looking frontage.

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Big “pseudo fancy” room.
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Creatures in the tanks.

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They sell all sorts of stuff too.
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Phonebook sized menu. Check!
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Sauces. It should be noted that the room “reeked” of shrimp paste. Very funky smell.
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Vietnamese snails with garlic and butter. Pretty tasty, if chewy.
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Large grilled scallops with flying fish eggs. Solid.
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Live Santa Barbara Spot Prawns with Tamarind Sauce. Goopy and sweet, but a decent balance of acidity, so a pretty tasty sauce. Possibly the prawns were a tiny bit over cooked.
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Free exotic fruit.
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Tram Chim was way too hardcore for some of our party. The fermented shrimp paste factor alone — not to mention the whole in-shell creatures — was too much. The food was tasty though as I’m a fermented fan. So I’d rate it as “authentic good.”

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Orange Afternoon — Garlic & Chives
  2. Orange Afternoon — Tai Buu
  3. Eating Saigon – Hoa Tuc
  4. Eating Hanoi – Club Opera
  5. Orange is the New Black
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: OC, Orange County, Seafood, Tram Chim Fresh Seafood, Vietnamese cuisine

Soulmate Study

Dec31

Restaurant: Soulmate

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

Date: June 16 & September 15, 2022

Cuisine: Spanish Tapa Fusion

Rating: Hit and miss

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

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Soulmate has a lovely — but loud — build out with a very open feel. In fact the sky may actually be open.
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The normal menu and specials on 6/16/22.
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Our special menu on 9/15/22.
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Jeridan brought this huge bottle of 08 Dom courtesy of LVHM to start.
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HALF DOZEN OYSTERS / PINEAPPLE CAVIAR, TAMARIND FOAM. Nice bright flavors, particularly the pineapple. Offset the briney oyster flavor.
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EGGPLANT HUMMUS / SESAME SEEDS, CILANTRO OIL , MARKET VEGETABLE CRUDITÉ (6/16/22). Nice crunchy veggies, but a touch boring. The ladies however loved it and ordered a second one!
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HOUSEMADE FLATBREAD for the dip.
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SALMON CRUDO / AJI AMARILLO, PINEAPPLE PONZU, BROWN BUTTER, JALAPEÑO (6/16/22). A tiny bit of spice. Lots of flavor. Not really too Spanish — more modern Japanese Peruvian influenced — but hey!
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JAMÓN IBÉRICO DE BELLOTA & PAN CON TOMATE / MONTARAZ, AGED 48 MONTHS (6/16/22). Really nice balance.

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2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne. VM 98. The 2008 Dom Pérignon is a huge, powerful Champagne and also clearly one of the wines of the vintage. This is one of the most reticent bottles I have tasted. So much so that I am thinking about holding off opening any more bottles! The 2008 has always offered a striking interplay of fruit and structure. Today, the richness of the fruit is especially evident. Readers who own the 2008 should be thrilled, but patience is a must. (Originally published in May 2021) (Drink between 2028-2058)
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Bonus from my cellar: 2008 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne. BH 94. An upper register and highly complex nose of green apples, white pear and citrus notes introduces almost painfully intense, pure and impressively powerful big-bodied and overtly muscular flavors that possess an almost aggressive minerality on the palate staining, tension-filled and driving finish. This is really a striking wine that is built to age as there is an abundance of dry extract. Gorgeous. (Drink starting 2016)

agavin: I brought this because having ALL CDP for a Spanish dinner is a little crazy.
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SPICY PAELLA BITES / BIG EYE TUNA , CRISPY SEAFOOD RICE, CHILI AIOLI. Weird. A bit spicy and basically just tuna toast like you get at “trendy” Japanese places. Not sure what in the world is paella about them (I guess the type of rice?).
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SANTA BARBARA UNI TOAST. ROCK SHRIMP, BUTIFARA SAUSAGE, CHILI HONEY, PIQUILLO PEPPER AIOLI. Tasty, but also a bit spicy and strong pepper flavors. Can’t really tell what is going on with the different elements.
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LOBSTER ROLLS / MAINE LOBSTER TAIL , BRIOCHE BUNS, CELERY, CRÈME FRAÎCHE, GARLIC & CHILI AIOLI. These mini versions were “bun forward.” Fairly yummy although not Spanish at all.
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BUŇUELOS DE PATATA / POTATO FRITTERS, QUINCE, PARMESAN CHEESE, BLACK TRUFFLE SAUCE. These were gross, like potato hush puppies. Worst item we had.
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CROQUETAS DE POLLO / GARLIC AIOLI, BRAVA SAUCE. Way too temperature hot, but otherwise ok.
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FIRE ROASTED SHISHITO AND SWEET PEPPERS / CILANTRO, LIME, GREEN ONION. Just peppers.

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CRISPY EGGPLANT / QUINOA SALAD, CHARRED EGGPLANT PURÈE (6/16/22). Hehe, look at that “eggplant,” Beavis.
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WOOD FIRED OCTOPUS / CHARRED ROMESCO SAUCE, NEW POTATO, PICKLED FRESNO CHILE. Ok, but not that crispy.

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OVEN ROASTED STRIPED BASS / SWISS CHARD, TABBOULEH, AVOCADO PURÈE, HERB BUTTER (6/16/22). Very much a parsley/mint type flavor.
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GAMBAS AL AJILLO / WILD BLUE SHRIMP, ROASTED GARLIC PUREE, CHILE DE ARBOL (6/16/22 and 9/15/22). This was one of the best dishes, maybe because how wrong can you go with melted fat and garlic?
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HOUSEMADE FLATBREAD.
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ROASTED PORK BELLY / BRIOCHE BUNS, MOJO VERDE, GARLIC AIOLI, CHICHARRON. Another pretty yummy dish, but lots of bun. Not exactly something I’ve seen in Spain either.
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SOULMATE PAELLA / SHRIMP, CALAMARI, CLAMS, BOMBA RICE, SAFFRON, CHORIZO, AIOLI, MARKET VEGETABLES (6/16/22 and 9/15/22). Very middling paella. Or more precisely a bad paella, but a middling pan of rice with stuff. Also, I chocked on one of those watermelon radishes thrown in there for effect and it was stuck in my throat for 5 minutes. I eventually hacked it out.

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Here is the offending radish. This was actually moderately traumatic. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to “choking” — except maybe that time in Sicily when a fish bone stuck in my throat. I wasn’t actually in any danger of not breathing, but it was just stuck there for a long time and by the time I coughed it out my throat was sore for 24 hours.
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LOBSTER ROSSEJAT / VERMICELLI PASTA , SQUID INK & SEA URCHIN SAUCE, MAINE LOBSTER, SEPIA , GARLIC AIOLI (6/16/22 and 9/15/22). This was better with the little briney/sweet pasta. The tiny lobster tails were overcooked though and so stuck in the shells.
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16OZ AMERICAN WAGYU NY STRIP, TRUFFLE JUS. Just some steak. A bit overcooked. This sent Albert into a frenzy and he almost got into a fist fight with the server.
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SPINACH SALAD. Boring.

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SUMMER SALAD / BABY ARUGULA , BING CHERRIES, ASIAN PEAR, MANCHEGO CHEESE, ALMONDS, DATE VINAIGRETTE (6/16/22).
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WHIPPED POTATOES. These were ok with the garlic butter from the shrimp poured on top.
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CHURROS. SPANISH DARK CHOCOLATE SAUCE. These were actually pretty good, mostly because of the sauce.
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CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO TART. COCOA NIB ICE CREAM, ESPRESSO CURD, CARAMEL CREAM, CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS. This was delicious. But I’m also a sucker for cream, custard, and coffee.
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After dinner LVHM pimped out this elite super mega expensive cognac but one sip of it on my injured throat was like fire and I passed it off. I don’t really do the whole high alcohol drink thing anyway.

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

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

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2010 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo. VM 95-96. Inky purple. Heady, explosive aromas of black raspberry and blueberry preserves, garrigue and incense, with smoky mineral and anise accents. Lush and palate-coating, offering deeply concentrated black and blue fruit flavors that are enlivened by juicy acidity. Ridiculously rich but animated wine, with excellent finishing thrust and lingering spiciness. This wine had still not been bottled when I tasted it in mid-November.
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From my cellar (only thing I had on hand): 2015 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo. VM 97. Opaque ruby. A hugely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruits, pungent flowers, garrigue, licorice and exotic spices. Stains the palate with deeply concentrated, spice-laced black raspberry, boysenberry, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors underscored by a vein of juicy acidity. Shows superb clarity and floral lift on a strikingly persistent finish that features reverberating florality and building tannins. (Drink between 2025-2035)
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1998 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo. VM 95. Saturated dark ruby. Nose like a fruit essence: blackberry and blueberry liqueur, licorice, pepper, Provencal herbs, and hints of more exotic fruits. A wine of extreme unctuousity, virtually too large for the mouth. Suggestion of marc, but with sappy fruits and great solid underlying structure. The tannins saturate the palate on the peppery finish. Very much in the style of Bonneau rarely made Cuvee Speciale. This wine took nearly two years to finish fermenting. Paul Feraud told me he feared that the alcohol would burn, that there would be too much residual sugar, and that the wine would show signs of premature oxidation. But in fact this headspinner (and I mean that in the purest, Linda Blair sense) boasts great surmaturite without quite descending into madness.
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2007 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. VM 97. Opaque ruby color. Remarkably complex bouquet of dark berry compote, potpourri, sandalwood, smoked meat and licorice, complemented by a smoky mineral overtone. Broad, palate-coating dark fruit flavors pick up notes of candied flowers and licorice with air and show a pungent Indian spice character. Becomes more floral with air and leaves sweet cherry and floral pastille notes behind. I’d buy all of this that I could afford.
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2003 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. JG92+. Given the mantra at the domaine that the Hommage à Jacques Perrin is only made in the finest vintages, I hardly expected to encounter a 2003 version, but the wine is really not bad at all and is now into its apogee. This is surprisingly low in octane for the vintage, coming in at the same 13.5 percent as the 2001 and 2004 iterations. The bouquet is really quite fine, wafting from the glass in a classy blend of dark berries, new leather, tree bark, woodsmoke, espresso and a lovely base of dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and wide open on the attack, with a good core, impressive soil signature and just a bit of backend tannin perking up the long and complex finish. A very pleasant surprise! (Drink between 2016-2025)
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2010 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. VM 97. Bright ruby. A drop-dead, room-filling bouquet evokes black raspberry liqueur, incense, anise and lavender, with smoke and herb overtones. Sappy and penetrating, offering deeply pitched but lively dark berry and cherry flavors and an exotic touch of candied flowers. Fine-grained tannins come up with air and give grip to an endless, fruit- and mineral-dominated finish. This remarkable wine would be at the top of my Chateauneuf to-buy list this vintage if I had the resources to swim in such waters.
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2009 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. VM 96. Glass-staining purple. Hypnotic bouquet of black and blue fruits, potpourri and exotic spices. Broad, sappy and strikingly pure, with intense blackberry and boysenberry flavors that reach ever corner of the palate. Rich but lithe wine with a seamless texture and superb finishing clarity. This wine’s marriage of power and vivacity is something else.
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1999 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. VM 96+. Full ruby. Knockout nose of black raspberry, roasted nuts, road tar, licorice, leather and game; comes across as riper and more roasted than the regular cuvee Fat, dense and superconcentrated, with extraordinary precision of flavor and tactile strength. Has the firm backbone to support its compelling flesh. Very long, slow-mounting finish throws off notes of licorice, game, tar and brown spices. This will go on for decades. I may have marginally underrated this wine a year ago. This is consistently one of the great wines of Southern France: it will be a fascinating experience to taste the ’99 and ’98 side by side ten years from now.
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Albert brought: 1975 Château Latour Grand Vin. JG 94. The 1975 Latour is a very good example of the vintage, which was nowhere near as successful in the Médoc as it was in the Right Bank and Graves. But, in this era, Latour always seemed to rise above the general level of the vintage in more difficult years, and this was certainly the case in 1975. The wine offers up a fine, classic bouquet of sweet cassis, cherries, Cuban cigar wrapper, black truffle, dark soil tones, cigar ash and just a hint of petroleum jelly in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and now very elegant in profile, with a solid core, excellent acids and still a bit of tannin perking up the long and complex finish. The 1975 vintage was the highest ever measured for tannins and acidity on the Left Bank, up until the 2010 vintage came along, so for the Latour ’75 to be so beautifully balanced forty years down the road is no small achievement! Fine juice and a sleeper vintage of Latour. (Drink between 2015-2050)

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

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

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

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

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

Plus I almost choked on a radish!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Sauvages Tesse
  2. Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Sun
  3. Pig Ear is Here – Taberna Arros y Vi
  4. Tiempo de Tatel
  5. Thirds at Smoke Oil Salt
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Chateauneuf du Pape, Paella, Soulmate, Spanish, Spanish Cuisine, Tapas, Wine

Charcoal Checkin

Dec29

Restaurant: Charcoal Venice [1, 2, 3]

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

Date: June 14, 2022

Cuisine: New American Grill

Rating: Some great meats

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

It’s located on Washington Blvd about 2 blocks in from the ocean.
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Inside at night. By the middle of dinner service it was hopping.
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This is one of those pandemic “parking lot” patios. Not sure it’s actually the parking lot, but it has that informal look but I love al fresco, so totally works for me.
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The menu.
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 168eme. JG 96+. The new release of Krug Grande Cuvée “168ème Édition” is from the base year of 2012, with the reserve wines in the blend stretching all the way back to 1996. The final cépages has ended up as fifty-two percent pinot noir, thirty-five percent chardonnay and thirteen percent pinot meunier. Forty-two percent of the blend is made up of reserve wines in this beautiful iteration of Grande Cuvée. The bouquet is superb, wafting from the glass in a mosaic of apple, white peach, a touch of Clos du Mesnil-like fresh apricot, almond, a beautifully complex base of soil tones, fresh-baked bread, hints of the caraway seed to come and a whisper of buttery oak (which is particularly evident when the wine is first poured, but quickly is subsumed in the other elements on the nose). On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and very complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil signature, utterly refined mousse and a long, perfectly balanced and very energetic finish. This is one of the most effortless and seamlessly balanced young releases of Grande Cuvée in several years and is utterly brilliant wine. (Drink between 2020-2080)
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2014 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée A Tempo. VM 95. Vivid yellow. Mineral-tinged citrus and orchard fruit aromas show excellent clarity and pick up a suave floral accent with air. Silky and precise on the palate, offering bitter lemon pith and pear skin flavors that show fantastic power and a subtle, slow-building suggestion of iodine. A distinctly mineral, Chablis-like quality characterizes the remarkably long, penetrating finish, which strongly echoes the floral and citrus fruit notes. This deeply concentrated yet vibrant wine is one the most mesmerizing versions of white Châteauneuf that I have ever tried and, in fact, it measures up to some of the best white Rhônes, period. (Drink between 2018-2025)
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Oysters on the Half Shell, Garnished Traditionally and Creatively.
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Bread with Beurre De Baratte.
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Yellowfin Tuna, Pickled Cucumber, Avocado, Citrus Vinaigrette. Classic, but good.
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Crisps for the tuna tower.
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Smoked Mushroom and Beet, Crème Fraiche, Currants. Tastes like liquid smoke, but really nice actually.
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2000 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. 95 points. Unique and fantastic Pape! nose with remarkable note of Grappa as well as roses, tar, asphalt, wild raspberries, raisins. Extremely concentrated, lush, silky and sensuous on the palate. Character as a mature Barolo, long lingering on. At peak now.
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2001 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou. VM 96. Saturated, bright ruby-red. Knockout nose of black raspberry, meat, minerals, spices, chicory and espresso. Like liquid silk in the mouth; an incredibly concentrated, nearly confectionery wine, with compelling flavors of blackberry, violet and game. As creamy as a molten Valrhona chocolate cake. The oak component serves to frame and intensify the flavors, enabling this wonderfully thick wine to retain a sappy character. Finishes with intriguing garrigue notes and a repeating espresso element.
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2001 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Deux Frères. VM 91. Bright ruby-red. Superripe, roasted aromas of singed red fruits, carob, marzipan and walnut. A huge, roasted wine showing strong evidence of surmaturite; flavors of dried fruits and walnut. With alcohol in the 16% range this is undeniably massive, but I found myself wishing it had more primary fruit and verve. Quite different in style from the Cuvee de Mon Aieul. A rare and expensive bottling, recommended for fans of the type. (Wines from France, Mountainside, NJ)
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Smoky Grilled Chicken Wings, Oregano, Chili, Vinegar. Good, but I like Vietnamese wings better.
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Smoked Lamb Ribs. Fatty, smokey, awesome.
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California Avocado Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes,Fresh Tagliatelle. Really nice “green” minty flavor.
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Oxtail Bolognese, Gremolata, Horseradish, Cavatelli Pasta. First class meaty pasta.
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21 Day Aged Half Liberty Duck, Honey, Coriander. Amazballs. Sweet but very ducky and delicious.
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Little Gems, Shaved Market Vegetables, Bread Crumbs, Grilled Scallion Vinaigrette.
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2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée XXL. VM 94. Inky purple. Wild, highly expressive aromas of kirsch, blackberry and fruitcake, with complementary notes of anise and violet. Broad dark fruit flavors show exotic spice and herb nuances, with velvety tannins providing support. Finishes sweet, sappy and long, with smoke and spice notes lingering. This wine, which fermented its sugars for two years, will be bottled in March of 2010.
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2007 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape. VM 95+. Deep ruby. Powerful, pungent aromas of kirsch, dark berries, smoky herbs and spicecake, with notes of black olive and tobacco coming on with air. Chewy, palate-staining dark fruit flavors are complicated by bitter chocolate, licorice and black cardamom. Acts like a 2005 today, with serious structure but also superb depth of powerful, densely packed fruit. A hint of cherry skin adds grip and refreshing bitterness to the long, smoky, focused finish. Not an easy read right now: this demands cellaring. (Wines of France , Mountainside, NJ)
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16 oz Prime Ribeye. Nice meat.
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Cabbage Baked in the Embers, Yogurt, Sumac, Lemon Zest. Really great veggie. This is actually one of my favorite dishes here.
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Grilled Vermillion Rock Cod, California Citrus, Port Wine, Brown Butter, Mint. I didn’t try.
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Steak Fries with Ketchup, Mustard.
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Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Parsley Breadcrumbs, Fermented Garlic Dressing.
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Coal Roasted Carrots, Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, Herbs, Honey, Black Pepper. Bad photo, I know, people were “Langing” it.
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Hpnotiq Blue Hawaiian Sorbetto — like a frozen cocktail — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Thai Coconut Milk, Pineapple, Lime, and Hpnotiq liqueur –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #Hpnotiq #BlueHawaiian #pineapple #coconut #lime
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Hazelnut at the Ritz Gelato — Nocciola (hazelnut) custard base made with Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste then mixed with house-made caramel and crushed Ritz Crackers (for that salty offset) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #nocciola #caramel #caramello #ritz #crackers
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Apple Crumble, McConnell’s Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake, McConnell’s Double Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream. Really nice.
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I was impressed by our meal here. Not everything was perfect, but some of the dishes: duck, cabbage, lamb ribs were exceptional and most of the rest really good. A couple were a bit flat (like maybe the salads). The name, Charcoal, implies wood cooked, and they deliver on that promise with an experience that has a bit of a non-Spanish Asador feel.

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

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. No. 1 Charcoal Really Is
  2. Ginza Onodera Checkin
  3. On Fire at Charcoal
  4. Sauvages Tesse
  5. Lawry’s Chateauneuf
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: bbq, BYOG, CDP, Charcoal Venice, Chateauneuf du Pape, Gelato, Wine

Quick Eats – The Penthouse

Dec26

Restaurant: The Penthouse

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

Date: June 11, 2022

Cuisine: American

Rating: Solid execution

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Over the years I’ve gone to the Penthouse in various guises many times. Hey, I used to go to Toppers here in this space in the 1990s. Food has generally been pretty good, although hotel “trite” (aka very tame). Today was actually my birthday and we headed out for lunch with my family.
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The space is lovely with great views.
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The brunch menu.
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Waffle. Strawberries,Whipped Cream, Vermont Maple Syrup, Melted Butter.
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Condiments for the waffle.
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Salmon Benedict.
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Smoked Salmon Pizzetta. Meyer Lemon Creme Fraiche, Salmon Roe, Lox, Caramelized Onions, Cherry Tomato Confit, Chives. Great, but a touch too salty.
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Grilled Wagyu Burger.
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Inside said burger.
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The view (from one side, it’s actually great — and different — on each side).

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

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats – Margo’s
  2. Quick Eats – Bru’s Wiffle
  3. Quick Eats — Bill’s Burgers
  4. Quick Eats – Courtyard Kitchen
  5. Quick Eats – Rush Street
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Brunch, Family, Santa Monica, The Penthouse

Summer Miyagi

Dec21

Restaurant: Sushi Miyagi [ 1, 2, 3 ]

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

Date: June 2022

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi

Rating: Top Shelf Omakase Sushi

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Great sushi is always a good excuse to pull out the beloved Champagnes and White Burgundies.
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The unassuming storefront on the largely ignored side street that is S Barrington Ave.
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The space is small but attractive (these are pre covid pics).
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This is chef focused serious sushi, and so we pre-ordered the largest omakase possible — Erick even egged them on to a larger than offered menu. This picture is also pre-covid, post there is a plexiglass barrier across the bar and no bar seating.

Chef Shinichi Miyagi says about himself on his website:

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

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

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

1A4A7631
2008 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 98+. Taittinger’s 2008 Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is simply breathtaking. I have tasted it many times over the years in various trial disgorgements and it has never been anything less than compelling. The final, finished wine captures all of that potential. Bright, focused and wonderfully deep, Comtes is a fabulous example of a vintage that expresses so much energy but with real fruit intensity, the signatures that distinguish it from other vintages (1996 comes to mind) that were similarly taut, but more austere in the early going. Although the 2008 impresses right out of the gate, it only really starts to open up with several hours of air. The 2008 Comtes represents the purest essence of the Côtes des Blancs in a great, historic vintage. Readers who can find the 2008 should not hesitate, as it is a truly brilliant epic Champagne that no one who loves the very best in Champagne will want to be without. (Drink between 2023-2048)
1A4A7632-Edit
Amuses. Oyster with caviar. Monkfish Liver with ponzu jelly. Deep fried River Crab. Steamed Conch in the back. The monkfish liver was particularly good for its type, super tender and not a hint of bitterness.
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Sashimi. Japanese Bonito with ginger on top. Japanese Halibut. Toro from Spain.
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Japanese hairy crab. Both some meat and a bit of leg. Very sweet and tender.
1A4A7661
Octopus egg in soy sauce with wasabi. I’m not sure I’ve ever had this. It was a texture a bit like a chewy rice, quite delicious.
1A4A7680
2007 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes. VM 91+. Deep aromas of pear, white flowers and clove. Sweet and lush but with ripe harmonious acidity keeping the flavors under wraps today. Best now on the long, vibrant finish, which offers a lovely combination of ripeness and energy. But distinctly firm-edged at present. Colin told me he thought that pHs levels in his 2007s were in the range of 3.2 but noted that he doesn’t pay attention to technical parameters as much as to the taste of the wine.
1A4A7665
Japanese red snapper.
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Hokkaido Scallop.
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Triggerfish with fresh liver from the same fish. Never had this particular variant. Lovely.
1A4A7676
Striped Jack from Japan.
1A4A7684
Oregon Giant Clam.
DSC07472
Amberjack that was 10 days aged topped with Yuzu koshu.
1A4A7688
Japanese Sweet Shrimp.
1A4A7691
Norwegian Salmon.
1A4A7641
2007 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes. BH 94. This is more expressive and a bit riper with ultra pure aromas of peach, apricot, pear and spiced white peach leading to ripe, concentrated and superbly precise flavors that display plenty of mid-palate fat and ample minerality that this part of Charmes always seems to impart to the wines and overall, this is a stunningly harmonious wine of finesse. (Drink starting 2017)
1A4A7697
Bluefin Tuna that was 19 day aged.
1A4A7700
Almost O-toro.
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Spanish Mackerel from Japan.
1A4A7705
Japanese Baby Barracuda.
1A4A7707
Black throat from Nigata prefecture.
1A4A7714
Goldeneye Snapper with Summer Truffle.
1A4A7717
Hokkaido Uni.
1A4A7719
Japanese Beef nigiri.
1A4A7679
2007 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. VM 96+. Bright yellow. Subtly complex nose melds Asian pear, violet, lavender, ginger, iodine and powdered stone. Tactile and dense on entry, then creamy in the middle, conveying an impression of great volume without weight. This extremely backward, youthfully understated Clos firms up dramatically on the back end, finishing with palate-saturating citrus and talc flavors that refuse to fade. One of the longest Chablis bottlings I tasted for this issue, this truly transcends chardonnay.
1A4A7726
Chawanmushi with Uni, Mushroom, and Tofu. Very soft.
1A4A7731
Crab Hand-roll.
1A4A7734
Anago Eel.
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Kohada.
1A4A7711
2005 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 93. Taittinger’s 2005 Comtes de Champagne was a perfect way to commence proceedings. Orchard fruit and hints of brioche on the seductive nose are joined by a hint of lemon verbena filtering through with time. The palate is beautifully balanced, perhaps not as riveting as a recently tasted 2008, yet underpinned by a fine bead of acidity and exuding harmony on the apricot-tinged finish. This is drinking perfectly now but should give 15-20 years of drinking pleasure. (Drink between 2022-2042)
1A4A7743
Vanilla and Truffle ice cream. Not actually that big a fan of truffle in my ice cream.
1A4A7744
Cherry Gelato – a blend of Morello Cherry and intense Amarena Cherry fruit make this dairy gelato really pop — topped with Candied Amarena Cherries — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #amarena #morello #cherry
1A4A7747
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
1A4A7749
Sushi Miyagi is exactly the kind of sushi place I like best — all omakase and very traditional. This is some seriously good fish. Mostly just straight nigiri and a bit of spectacular sashimi and a handful of cooked dishes. This is really really good and instantly catapulted into the top westside sushi joints. Very friendly too. Intimate as well. Sushi at this level is all about the chef and Shinichi Miyagi is very talented.

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

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Mr. Miyagi’s Sushi Bar
  2. Sushi Miyagi Apres
  3. Yamakase Summer
  4. Brothers Sushi Two
  5. Summer at 71Above
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Champage, Gelato, Japanese cuisine, Miyagi, Sashimi, Sushi, White Burgundy, Wine
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