agavin

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To Tama

Feb02

Location: 116 N Robertson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. (424) 249-3009

Date: May 15, 2023

Cuisine: Sushi

Rating: Solid Beverly Hills Sushi

Kaz (from Totoraku) invited us to try this favorite sushi spot of his.

Right across from The Ivy.

Edamame.

Baby squid with miso sauce.

Super tender and succulent with that “in a good way” taste of the sea.

Clams in “butter broth.” It was a delicious clam broth with a bit of butter and plenty of salt.

Cubes of Seared Toro (tuna belly) with yuzu koshu. The salty/spicy zing of the yuzu koshu offsets the fatty char nicely.

Seared Wagyu. A soft, nice bite, but just a single bite.

Wasabi and ginger as usual.

Halibut fin.

Salmon. Very good salmon actually.

Seared Hokaido scallop with toasted seaweed. Very enjoyable combo.

Saba (Japanese Mackerel).

Chu toro. Totally yummy as always.

Hamachi. The most boring type.

Sweet shrimp. Very nice.

Sardine or some other small fish. I like these and enjoy the oily fish taste.

Ikura (salmon roe). Extremely nice marinated ikura.

Spanish Mackerel.

Charred Sea Eel. Lovely.

Hokaido Uni. Super tender and sweet.

Clam Miso. This is always one of my favorite misos as I feel the clams add a nice equally saline complement to the miso’s inherent salinity.

Fresh crab handroll.

A kind of elevated Futomaki. Tuna, Ikura, Takuan, and chives. Excellent.

Wasn’t cheap — but it is Beverly Hills.

Overall, Tama was a very enjoyable “classic” sushi place. There aren’t a lot of “new style” or ponzu covered dishes, which is nice. This is mostly classic Japanese fare and well executed Tokyo style nigiri. It’s very much in the sushi tradition I grew up with in the 70s and 80s. This is the kind of place like the late lamented sushi sushi that I’d happily go by myself at lunch for a straight up “good sushi” fix.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Japanese cuisine, Kaz, Sushi, Tama

Rocking Roccos

Jan30

Restaurant: Dinner at the Borgese’s [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Location: Santa Monica

Date: May 11, 2023

Cuisine: Italian influenced gourmet home cooking

Rating: Awesome

Dinner at the Borgese’s is a special house dinner in Santa Monica cooked by the stunning pro-level home chef Borgese couple. Tonight’s dinner was another Hedonist dinner featuring whole lamb.

Lovely night out on the patio.

Rocco and gen prepping.

Some big tomohawks at the ready.

Tonight’s special feature was a whole saddle of lamb on the spit!

Our menu tonight. Some new dishes and some old favorites.

Cozze con Guanciale. Mussels with Pork Cheek. The sauce on this mussel dish was essentially like a all’amatriciana except that it was also saturated with mussel-juice. Pretty awesome actually, particularly the crispy little guanciale chunks.

Tartra di Manzo. Beef Tartare. Very good straight beef tartare. I like the capers — classic.

Quaglia Ripiena. Stuffed Quail. Quaglia Ripiena su Polenta. Stuffed quail over polenta. Now this is a to die for dish. The polenta is nice and juicy and the stuffing is amazing.

Pasta all’ Oliva. Olive Pasta. This is like a Pasta Puttanesca without the anchoives. Actually it was one of the best olive pastas I’ve had. It had that fresh olive flavor, and lots of it, but it wasn’t offputting at all. The texture was perfect and the oily caponata-type sauce. Really good.

Yarom gets “just the sauce.”

Sella di Agnello a Legna. Wood-fired lamb saddle. Impressive, but I can’t say I adored this lamb. It was very smoky, but it had just a touch too much lamb “funk” for my taste and a texture more like steak. I really like roast lamb when its falling off the bone, more middle eastern style. These are nitpics though.

Bistecca di Tomahawk Cotta a Legna. Wood-fired Tomahawk Steak. Very rare! Great steak, but I’ve liked some of his other steaks a bit better. I like it a little more “medium rare” and a bit more bark. Plenty of salt though. Rocco does like his salt.

Midollo Osseo. Wood-fired Bone Marrow. The bone marrow was great for “juicing” up bites of steak and lamb. Too bad there wasn’t more.

Polenta. This stuff is always amazing. Lots of butter or something.

Aglio Broccolini Arrostiiti. Garlic Roasted Broccolini. One of my favorites of his vegetables. Really nice crunch. Salty though. Really salty. But tasted amazing.

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

Pistachio Chocolate Fudge Gelato – a new high nut and no egg formulation with Pistachio di Bronte DOGC produces an intense pistachio base, mixed with Valrhona 70% Chocolate Ganache — 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 #pistachio #Sicily #nuts #Valrhona #Chocolate #Ganache

Snickerdoodle Gelato NSA — A cinnamon vanilla base, but this version is No Sugar Added and formulated with Allulose — 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 #snickerdoodle #cookie #cinnamon #vanilla #nsa #allulose

Rocco works my gelato.

Epic wine lineup.

The gang at the table.

Very fun night with an awesome (and typical) crew and great great wines. Food was really fabulous as always, and there was tons, although I’ve had Rocco’s meals where I liked the mains more. Tonight’s standouts were the clams, quail, and pasta.

First of all, the Borgese hospitality was awesome, the house lovely, and the food absolutely incredible. One of the best “home cooked” meals I’ve had. Maybe ever if you restrict it to chefs cooking in their own home kitchen. Just amazing. Every dish was great. Rustic but extremely delicious style. Superb homemade pastas.

Service was handled by the youngest Borgese (teen daughter) and was better than most restaurant staff. Super friendly and you can tell they do this a lot.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, Italian cuisine, Rocco Borgese, Roccos, Santa Monica

Went to Wangjia

Jan28

Restaurant: WangJia Restaurant

Location: 800 W Las Tunas Dr Ste 300, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 872-0618

Date: May 7, 2023

Cuisine: Shanghai Cuisine

Rating: Just pretty good

Another Sunday, another Chinese.

Wangjia is a 3 year old Shanghai style place on Main St (in Alhambra) that was written up in Eater. Somehow, probably because of the pandemic, it wasn’t on my radar until recently.

The Eater article made it sound “more upscale” but this is a narrow Mom & Pop place where the 20 year-old son (talking to Yarom) handles all of the front of house. He was very amusing actually. The place was very busy when we came in, but quiet by about 7:30 (Chinese eat early) and empty when we left at 8:30pm.

Jelly Fish with Soy Sauce. I didn’t actually see any Soy Sauce, but these were nice crunchy bits of jellyfish head with a very satisfying texture and a hint of something tangy, probably a vinegar.

Shanghai Style Smoked Fish. Sometimes this is warm, sometimes it’s cold. Today it was warm. There were some bones but it was tasty. The smoky taste wasn’t massively pronounced. It was drizzled with the sweet aromatic soy.

Black Egg with Seasoned Peppers & Choki Mushroom. The black egg was very mild but the peppers were decently hot, which enjoyed as it cut through all the sweet sauce left on my plate.

Shanghai Style Soy Sauce Duck. Braised duck drowned in sweet soy. It was actually very tasty as the sweet paired nicely with the rich bird.

Fried Fish Slides w/ Wined Sauce (aka Fish Filets with Fungus). This “wine sauce” tasted like really tasty chicken stock and a TON of “flavor” (MSG). It was actually delicious. The fish was soft and veyr pleasant. The wood ear mushrooms weren’t the best — and I generally do like them alot.

Fried Crab with Rice Cake and Ginger and Onion. The crab was a bit hard to eat but was delicious. The rice cakes were really good (if off diet) in the sweet brown sauce. Very classic Shanghai dish.

Stir-fried Baby Shrimp with Tofu. Very nice soft tofu texture and the shrimp, while few and far between had a nice snap to them. The soy beans (or similar) leant some textural contrast with a very pleasant crunch.

Braised Minced Eel in Brown Sauce. I asked the young server which eel dish I should order and he said, “I don’t eat eel.” He did suggest this one (which was the one I wanted anyway) because it had no bones. This is basically the same as pork strips in garlic broawn sauce except it’s eel (and maybe pork) in garlic brown sauce. It was sweet and garlicky and I very much enjoyed it.

Braised Meat Balls in Brown Sauce (aka Lionhead Meatballs). They do love the brown sauce at Shanghai restaurants. The meatballs themselves were very pleasant porky meatballs with a lot of good flavor. I also enjoyed the cabbage. This was a thinner brown sauce than the eels or eggplant, a bit less sweet, and more like a gravy. It was still kinda sweet though.

Red Pepper Fried with Cabbage (aka Cabbage Stir Fried with Red Pepper. haha). Great version of this dish. The cabbage had a really nice crunchy, that pork fatty greasy factor (good), and was actually quite spicy (also in a good way). First rate version.

Steamed Salted Pork with Dry Tofu Skin. Our server seemed agast at the idea that we would order this. He’d never tried it and declared that “no one had ordered it in 2 months.” As my intuition bore out this was a delicious dish. The stock was rich and full of “flavor” (MSG) and the very very fatty pork belly a bit, but not to salty and relaly delicious in that lardy way.

Braised Pig Knuckle in Brown Sauce. Here comes the brown sauce again. THis was the same “thinner” brown sauce as the meatballs. The huge hock of pig was jiggly and good as always. I do prefer the MSG and garlic version of this dish which you get at places with a bit more Beijing influence, but this was still piggy delicious.

Eggplant in Garlic Sauce (also brown). This sauce is very similar to the eel sauce. It’s thick, more than a little sweet, brown, and garlicky. Regardless, this was arguably one of the best dishes and a great eggplant dish. The texture was perfectly mushy and full of great garlic flavor. Not spicy. Sometimes this dish can be spicy in its Sichuan form (which I also like).

Shanghai Stewed Pork & Squid with Tea Tree Mushroom. The squid wasn’t obvious to me and this was basically the Dong Po (red) pork belly in sweet soy. Except it wasn’t red but was brown again. It was fatty and tasty and sweet and I very much enjoyed the texture added by the mushrooms.

Shanghai Style Fried Lamb. I guess they mean stir-fried. It seemed more or less like Cumin Lamb and not super Shanghaiese. It wasn’t my favorite. It was fine, but not that interesting.

Steamed Pork Bun (aka XLB). Always enjoyable. Took a second for the black vinegar to come. The skins were a touch thick but they were juicy and tasty.

Pan Fried Pork Buns. These were a standout here. They were slightly smaller than usual which was a good thing, with a nice crispy shell, lots of hot soup and a delicious porky center. The slightly smaller size made the dough less overwelming than at some places.

Overall, a total steal (at $45/pp all in) and tons of food. This is a more homestyle Shanghaiese place and family run. It’s not fancy but they are nice and the kitchen is quite solid. Yeah, Shanghailander and Shanghai Number 1 Seafood are more elegant and a bit better, but this is some really solid and well priced Shanghai style Chinese food. The menu is huge and there are also a lot of Sichuan dishes “left over” from the space’s previous incrnation as a Sichuan restaurant. Technically maybe the black egg and cabbage were Sichuan but I did try to order (almost) all Shanghai dishes.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chinese cuisine, crab, hedonists, pork, SGV, Shanghai Cuisine

Northern Cafe Temple City

Jan26

Restaurant: Northern Cafe

Location: 9608 Las Tunas Dr, Temple City, CA 91780. (626) 286-5288

Date: May 5 & July 23, 2023

Cuisine: Northern Chinese

Rating: Great private room experience

Normal Northern Cafe is a solid but casual fast casual spot but…

Northern Cafe in Temple City sure is a bit different than the ones in Century City or West LA as we shall see in this special dinner organized by Eve and another I put together myself.

The normal dining room is fairly normal NC.

But they have 5 private rooms, a smaller one being shown here.

We set up in this larger one.

It’s pretty big.

It even has a bit of a lounge area, perfect for organizing our wines.

I think this is the “regular” menu.

And this epic tome is the special menu!

Spicy Cucumbers. Nice garlicky cucumber salad.

Cold Flavored Pork Head. Very chewy texture that was offputting to some with a lovely, but highly porcine, flavor.

Up first came this big installment of Geoduck sashimi. This is the body meat and it was served on ice with Astrea Caviar that Eve brought. Turns out geoduck is excellent with caviar! And this was some very fine geoduck with a very clean mild sea flavor and a nice chewy texture.

It was served with soy sauce and (faux) wasabi.

We had pre-ordered several large live lobsters and the tails were served as sashimi. Probably the best “Chinese” lobster sashimi I’ve had. Quite lovely and subtle.

Eve also brought her own King Crab! They sell it on the menu, but she BYOCed.

King Crab Salty Egg Yolk. The crab might have been a touch overcooked in this prep but the yolk batter, which is not normally my favorite, was quite good as it wasn’t too salty or too pasty.

Bamboo Shoot with Shredded Pork. I loved this dish. It was a pretty classic brown sauce, but very tasty, and the crunchy bamboo was delightful with that bit of porky flavor (classic Chinese velveted slivered pork).

Pork Spareribs with Garlic. Chewy, salty, and very tasty.

Pork and Scallion Pancake. This is a kind of classic Beijing meat pie with a filling that is probably the same as standard dumpling filling: pork, ginger, green onions. They were super greasy, but great.

House Special Smoked Duck. It was served with a bit of hoisin and some Northern style pancakes. The meat was really flavorful, but VERY salty, almost to the Smithfield ham level. Speaking of that, because it was salted, smoked, and cured, it tasted not unlike ham — just ducky ham.

This are the flaky pancakes for the duck.

Next they brought out this lovely Cloisonné hot pot.

This is the basic broth, but Eve ordered it as “mushroom chicken” and so…

They added a mess of mushrooms and…

Some raw chicken.

This mix was allowed to boil for 20-30 minutes (covered).

Here is the result.

First we were served cups. The broth was incredible, with a very deep woodsy and comforting chicken and mushroom flavor. The short boil had extracted a lot of flavor.

For extra things to add to our hot pot we kept it fairly simple, enjoying the legs of our crab. Boiled for 20-30 seconds they were incredibly sweet and succulent.

These lobster “bits” were chopped up and reason to be tossed into the pot.

Also some tofu.

And greens. We kept drinking this broth (with the stuff) throughout the evening as it was delicious.

As was this incredible delicious of live Grouper.

The grouper meat cooked in a bout 30 seconds and was subtle and delicious.

Rib Eye and Lamb Shoulder to boil in the pot. These meats, alone of what we had tonight, is better (IMHO) with the spicy broth served at various Sichuan hot pots.

Some extra fish was also fried up “salt and pepper” style — aka MSG style.

Clams with Basil. This is the classic Chiuchow dish that’s a bit Vietnamese/Cambodian. Some nice basil flavor and a good number of succulent clams. I enjoyed this, even if the clam meat was a bit evasive.

Sauteed Cabbage. I always love this classic and it didn’t dissapoint. This was a simple rendition with a lot of garlic and oil, but cooked perfectly. It didn’t have either the ham (and its nice lardy flavor) or dried shrimp or chilis that some versions of the dish have, so it wasn’t the most flavorful I’ve ever had, but the crunchy texture on the oily cabbage was lovely.

French Chopped Beef with snowflake. Chunks of filet with black bepper sauce. I don’t generally love this dish as I consider it a bit boring, but this one had a real black pepper kick which in combination with the onions was quite enjoyable.

The geoduck neck came back fried. Quite nice, but not nearly as delightful a fry as the Longo version.

Eve also brought not one but two Turbot!

Turbo steamed with ginger, garlic, spring onions, and soy. This fish is best done this way, simply, so that the soft mild flesh and generous cartilage can be enjoyed “as is.”

Crab Custard. This is the third dish from our King Crab.

The custard was a bit stiff, and while still delicious, didn’t have that silken texture I really love.

Yang Chow (or everything) fried rice. Absolutely awesome fried rice with big whole shrimp and chunks of fried pork.

Walnut Shrimp. Fu ordered this guilty pleasure classic, joking that it was for the white guys, but this was a first rate example. The shrimp were succulent and the fry nice and crispy, perfectly offset by the sweet mayo and walnuts.

Fried fish with green batter. This is a Hangzhou dish. There green tea is added to the batter. I’m not sure it was tea here or some other variant, but it was a nice tempura-style deep fried fish. Right out of the frier too as it was very hot and juicy.

House Special Smoked Duck. Very salty, but very good. With that smokey cured pastrami-like flavor. Lots of “flavor.”

Pea Tendrils with Garlic. Great version of this basic dish.

MaPo Tofu. Not a bad version at all. Some Ma and a bit of meat.

Beef & Scallion Roll. Awesome version of this with some hoisin and cilantro. Quite lovely.

Boiled dumplings. Probably pork. Delicious for sure. I didn’t (finally) manage to get some black vinegar for them. Really I like a proper dumpling sauce, but vinegar will do.
XLB. Solid versions.

Scallion pancake. Bready, but really tasty — particularly with some black vinegar.

Inside.

Pan fried dumplings. I’m not sure if this was the same filling. It was late, but they were also good. Skin was a little thick on these, not like the amazing You Kitchen variants, but like all decent dumplings they were hot and delicious.

Nocciola Crunch Gelato — Nocciola (hazelnut) base made with egg yolk and Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste mixed with Nestle’s Buncha Crunch — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — new higher fat base formulation — #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 #Chocolate #Nestle #crunch

Hojicha Latte NSA Gelato – Ceremonial Hojicha Roasted Green Tea base with No Sugar Added (Allulose) — 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 #matcha #Hojicha #GreenTea #Allulose #NSA

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

Cap’N Crunch Gelato – Smooth Peanut Base with house-made White Chocolate Coated Crunch Berries! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — oh my! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #peanut #cereal #CrunchBerry #CapNCrunch

Fu makes off with a bit of booty for the family.

Meal 1 (May 2023), was a super fun night. Awesome wines — and only one red thank Dionysus (given the food). Company was amazing too and the food really stood out. I enjoyed this slightly northern twist and they seem to have an excellent and very flexible Chinese kitchen and great private rooms. Who would have thought at a Northern Cafe? Service was super friendly and excellent too. We did get too many dishes too fast because no one gave them the “one at a time” instructions and fast is the Chinese default. Still, an awesome time and awesome food. That broth was really amazing!

Meal 2 (July 2023).

For more dining reviews click here.

Just a bit of great wine!

And some fire water.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Babykillers, BYOG, Caviar, Chinese cuisine, Foodie, Foodie Club, Gelato, geoduck, hot pot, Seafood, SGV, Wine

Bar Monette

Jan24

Restaurant: Bar Monette

Location: 109 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 310-8575

Date: April 27, 2023

Cuisine: Pizza

Rating: Great pizza

New “tapas” (not really) Pizza Bar in Downtown Santa Monica.

Now that I’m working here, too bad they aren’t open for lunch.

Cute and crowded inside.

The short menu.

Aunty Wendy’s Trevis. Passion fruit, basil. Basically a passionfruit pesto, this dressing was a surprising and wonderful counterpoint to the bitter raddiccio. Nice little (and it was little) saiad.

Poached Prawns. Saffron Bisque. The saffron was subtle, but the sauce was every bit one of those shellfish shell bisques. So yummy. Great little dish.

Sugo Puttanesca. Not as pungent as I might have liked, but certainly delicious with that umami quality.

Burnt Romesco. Awesome smoked romesco flavor. really tasty.

Scissors to cut the pizza!?!

Margherita. Basil, Stracciatella. The dough on these pizzas is so soft, chewy, and perfect. Maybe the best pizza dough I’ve had.

Zucchini Blossom Pizza. Piquillo Pepper, buffalo mozzarella, garlic. Lovely.

Pesto & Dungeness Crab Pizza. Pine Nut, basil, aged cheese. Very interesting pizza. Great.

Spicy Calabrese & Honey. Oregano, Sun-dried Tomato. My favorite pizza of the night. It was so salty/savory good. Yum!

Overall, a narrowly focused but really brilliant little pizza bar. A touch loud, but the service was great and the food to-die-for.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: bar, Pizza, Santa Monica, Tapas

Lunch Quest – Yigah

Jan14

Restaurant: Yigah Restaurant

Location: 8562 Garden Grove Blvd Garden Grove, CA 92844. (657) 233-5502

Date: April 26, 2023

Cuisine: Korean

Rating: Tasty, but there is similar far closer

After at least 6 months, maybe of year of pestering, I finally agreed to drive down to Garden Grove with Yarom for some Korean spicy beef ribs.

I’m not quite sure why he was so obsessed about going to this particular Korean joint about an hour away (with no traffic). But eventually I relented.

Decent enough build out.

The menu. Korean menus aren’t that long and there are usually a lot of variants of the same thing.

Banchan. This is probably a mustard green fermented with chili sauce.

Shredded Daikon.

Turnip or Daikon Kimchee.

Cabbage Kimchee (the classic).

Spicy bean paste and a slightly sweet sauce.

Bossam. Boiled Pork Belly w/ napa cabbage, spicy radish etc. Boy was this some delicious “boiled pork belly.” Really soft, succulent, and porky. Awesome wrapped up with some spicy bean paste.

Spicy Braised Beef Ribs with Cheese. Giant dinosaur ribs in sweet and spciy korean stew sauce topped with Mozzarella and blow torched. Lots of beefy goodness!

So these ribs were good. The bossam was good. But, that being said, it’s hard to imagine there aren’t a whole bunch of places serving nearly the same thing in Korea Town. So not sure why we had to drive to Orange County.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: beef, Korean, Lunch Quest, Yigah

Spring Crustacean

Jan11

Restaurant: Crustacean Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Location: 468 N Bedford Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 205-8990

Date: April 4, 2023

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Awesome as always

Crustacean is one of our regular haunts and one of the few places with the stems, food, and service to handle a serious wine dinner. This was a return to Hedonist form with a mixed dinner of all new traditional Vietnamese food inspired Crustacean creations.

Back in our “usual” private dining room and patio.

Yarom, always posing with owners and the ladies. In the print dress is Elisabeth An.

Our special menu.

Served on this cute wooden toadstool is:

King Crab “Banh Khot”. Royal Kaluga Caviar, dungeness crab, coconut bechemel. A tiny but delicious bite. Great champagne pairing too.

A trio of traditional rolls. Filet Mignon “Bo Nuong” Roll (right). Lemon grass, Ho Fun Rice Noodle. “Cha Gio” Roll (center). Jidori Chicken, crispy rice paper, black mushrooms, jicama, lemon chili. Fresh Langoustine “goi cuon” roll (left). Taito, rau ram, carrots, roasted peanut bean sauce. These were some great spring rolls. Each was just ever so slightly “elevated” from its usual version.

Another trio, this time with sambal, chili oil, and siracha. I was particularly fond of the sambal.

Vietnamese “Banh Xeo” Crepes. Rice batter, organic beech mushrooms, prawns, dice chicken, bean sprouts, pickles. The only thing missing on this wonderful classic Vietmamese dish was the sweet fish sauce.

Escargot “Bun Oc” soup. Escargot, fresh tomatoes, tamarind, ginger chili broth, angel hair rice noodle. I’ve never had this dish before. Both the tender snails and the flavorful snail sausage were awesome. The broth was tangy and a little bit spicy. Delicious!

This was for dipping the snails.

Tasting of An’s Famous Garlic Roasted Dungeness Crab and An’s Famous Garlic Noodles. Roasted garlic and An’s Secret Sauce. The classic never fails to dissapoint. The noodles were “fortuantly” a tiny portion (good given my carb avoidance).

These came smoked.

Lemongrass Cramelized “suon rang” pork spare ribs. Lemongrass, soy, shallot, fish sauce. Very distinct smokey flavor and lots of meat. Yum!

Salt block pork belly for the fried rice.

Rich and flavorful.

XO Garlic Fried Rice. Poached egg, pork belly, XO, Vietnamese Sausage. Awesome rice. Can’t hate on the Vietnamese sausage (which is pretty much like Cantonese sausage).

The icky flight.

Wagyu “Bo Kho”. Snake River Farms Wagyu, su su “Buddha’s Palm,” heirloom carrots, garlic rice. My least favorite dish. It was fine, but mostly beef stew and rice.

Kung Pao Eggplant. Thai Basil, Thai red chili gastrique. Crispy and delicious.

Coconut Tapioca “Che.” Exotic Fruits. A really pleasant mix of the soft and silky textures with the potenent coconut notes offset by the zingy fruit.

I love this flavor — Peppermint Bark Gelato — Base is pure peppermint milk (subbed the sugar with crushed peppermint candies) and it’s laced with house-made double-sided peppermint bark, Valrhona Dark Chocolate and Ivoire White! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — The Peppermint Bark recipe was developed by a famous pastry chef and author, the mum of a Naughty Dog Alum @nancy_baggett — this year I added the two layer thing which is awesome — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #peppermint #bark #Valrhona #chocolate

Hojicha Latte NSA Gelato – Ceremonial Hojicha Roasted Green Tea base with No Sugar Added (Allulose) — 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 #matcha #Hojicha #GreenTea #Allulose #NSA

We had a few wines.

Overall, our best dinner at Crustacean yet — and that is saying something given how many great ones we’ve had. I really like the slightly elevated traditional Vietnamese. It’s a nice change of pace from the fusion, which is quite good as well. They really executed on all levels tonight. Elisabeth joined us and supervised. Her mother was supposed to do all the cooking, but she got sick and ended up spending hours with the cooks over zoom giving them instructions. Obviously she is a good teacher because everything came out great. Wines were awesome and I like a nice progression like this. The cabernets were — as I suspected — too much. The Colgin was the most drinkable but the 2016 — oh my! Service was flawless.

Discussing the food analytically. Very good, and most dishes varied from good to great. The Vietnamese influence is far more subtle, less heavy handed, then at most newer fusion places like Little Sister / LXSO or the more contemporary small plates style Khong Ten. Definitely more roughly 2000 in formal fine dining style — which I don’t mind at all. In some ways it feels like a millennium event fine dining place with Vietnamese — and to a lesser extent Thai and Chinese — notes. It’s a pretty fancy place, and priced accordingly — but particularly during these last two dinners have really knocked it out of the park.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Crustacean, fusion, Gelato, hedonists, Vietnamese cuisine, Wine

China Islamic

Jan09

Restaurant: China Islamic

Location: 7727 Garvey Ave, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 288-4246

Date: April 23, 2023

Cuisine: Western Islamic Chinese

Rating: Very tasty — although no wine due to halal

China Islamic is a Halal (hence no wine) Chinese place right there on garvey. Yarom has been coming here for over 30 years.

Interior is pretty much as you’d expect. They are on the 3rd or 4th owner, currently named Omar. That guy behind the counter did all the front of house work and after dark it got very crowded. He was very busy.

My crib sheet.

Cold Spice Sliced Beef. Not the “soaked in chili oil” version, but instead drizzled with an excellent garlicky chili oil.

Pickled Cucumber. It wasn’t actually really pickled, but was the smashed cucumber and a nice one with good crunch.

Spicy Ox Tripe. Very nice chili flavor and a good soft texture to the tripe. Quite excellent really although not the spicy sesame (super chewy) one that I had in Xi’an.

Lamb with Pickled Cabbage Warm Pot. The broth on this soup had a fabulous savory and sour flavor. The lamb was gamey, but delicious in contrast and there were glassy noodles. Really lovely soup. I kept drinking the broth.

Sesame Thick Bread with Onion.

This is a specialty of the area and the restaurant. It had a great crispy/bready texture but I found it just too bready (bland) for my taste — but that’s me.

Chinese Cumin Lamb “Burger.” This “Roger Moore” dish isn’t really a burger. These were however some of the best ones I’ve had. Really nice warm bread and great flavor to the meat.

Eggplant with Spicy Sauce and Ground Beef. Really nice garlic and chili oil eggplant. Great texture.

Spicy Lamb Ribs. Not particularly spicy but super fried, super salty, and mega delicious.

Mooshu Chicken. It was covered in an omelet instead of having the shredded omelet mixed in. This was actually quite tastey and a bit of a guilty pleasure. It’s here, like many of the dishes we didn’t order (aka Orange Beef) because as a Halal Chinese Restaurant a good number of non Chinese muslims seem to come in and just order regular Chinese American food.

The mooshu came with tortillas — lol.

And a sweet hoisin which was actually pretty good with it.

Beef Dumplings with Soup and Hot Soup. Awesome tender dumplings with great flavor (they were out of the lamb ones too) and a really nice tangy and slightly spicy broth. Kept drinking this too.

Braised Spicy Chicken Bone-in. This was our least favor dish. The chicken itself was tasty, but it was dominated by Jalepeno flavor — and it was fairly spicy.

Cumin Beef. Super tender with that strong cumin, onion, and char flavor.

Lamb Back Bone Warm Pot. Another awesome broth and the incredible lamb spine meat. So tender and almost like lamb pastrami.

The meat is a little scary but it tasted so good!

These noodles, cabbage, etc were for dumping in the warm pot.

voila.

Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb Soup. Another awesome broth — they really know broth here — with the shredded “pita” bread and lamb. The bread gave an effect like gnocchi and was very tender. Fabulous dish and a little different than the Shaanxi version I’ve had that is more like a pasta fazool or something.

Overall, this was some really tasty and a bit different Chinese. It’s fairly close in style to Shaanxi, although they also have a lot of Chinese American dishes on the menu (we only ordered the Mooshu). They don’t seem to have the knife cut noodles that are typical of Shaanxi however. But almost all dishes were really delicious, if rustic, and there was a ton of flavor. Particularly the addictive broths.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: China Islamic, Chinese cuisine, hedonists, SGV

Lunch Quest – Medan Kitchen

Jan05

Restaurant: Medan Kitchen

Location: 8518 Valley Blvd STE 102, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 693-6231

Date: April 21, 2023

Cuisine: Indonesian Market

Rating: Tasty

Another haul out east to try this interesting Indonesian market.

Medan replaces New Century Lobster, that mediocre South Chinese Place.

Some menu on the board outside.

But inside the format is more supermarket than restaurant. Basically all the food has been prepared and placed in take out containers. It’s cold or “cooling” and you just pick what you want and check out.

Our haul.

There are a number of tables outside and some very flimsy plastic utensils.

Peanuts with Dried Anchovies. Salty and just a little sweet with a delightful mix of crunch and chew.

Mackerel in Chili Sauce. Rich fish with a delicious (and pretty hot) chili sambal.

Beef Rendang. Very nice sweet, nutty, and rich version of the classic. The beef was a touch chewy, and give we had to cut it with plastic forks…

Tendon Curry. Very gelatinous and quite delicious. Not for everyone.

Eggplant. Nice slightly spicy and umami eggplant.

Shrimp with Saytan or Tofu. Solid

Fried Cassava. Didn’t try, too carby.

Shredded Chicken. Like Indonesian taco meat.

Sambal. In case you need more heat.

Rice Packet.

Mixed in with the rice was more Beef Rendang, various veggies, a hard boiled egg, and curried chicken. Curry was delicious on the rice.

Super sweet Pandan Coconut Milk Drink. Delicious, but boy was this sweet.

I don’t love the format, or the cold food, or the plastic plates and forks. But the food itself was delicious. Really quite good. It isn’t really cheap either. Certainly not expensive, but only a little bit cheaper than a similar (likely larger) dish at a full sit down restaurant like Simpang Asia. However, this is very authentic, and very tasty. Lots of crabs though, which we did our best to mostly avoid.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Indonesian Cuisine, Lunch Quest, Medan, SGV

A Spice Affair

Jan01

Restaurant: Spice Affair

Location: 50 N La Cienega Blvd #120, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. (310) 400-6800

Date: April 20, 2023

Cuisine: Upscale Indian

Rating: Cream de la Cream

Our friend George organized this visit to A Spice Affair, which being on La Cienaga’s “Restaurant Row” has that fancy vibe, prices, and slightly old school formality that makes it a sort of “Indian Mr. Chows.”

He arranged this private dining area and a sort of “all you can eat” prearranged meal where we could just order as much as we wanted but the price was fixed (at $150 all in a person). Interesting. I’m going to try to capture some of the zany rhythm of this dinner as they just brought certain dishes and we orderd some. Overall it was a strange order and slightly repetetive locally, but plenty of variety in the long run.

Dahi Kabab. Deep fried Crispy medallions of Hung Yoghurt with onions and mild spices. These were like croquettes as the interior was very soft and “creamy” like a bechemel.

Mint & tamarind sauce. Very purreed, which will be a bit of a theme tonight.

Coco-li Cauliflower V. Crisp Cauliflower florets in coconut sauce. You cannot miss this. NOTE: I’m going to keep the “flavor” text from the menu because it’s very amusing. After that, I’ll include my comments. This dish was rich and very tasty, fried then drowned in (rich) coconut milk sauce.

Chili Cauliflower. Tangy and spicy cauliflower chunks in soy garlic sauce and green chili. This duplicative version was similar, but spicy.

We were a party of 12, and the oscillated between bringing out one small plate for the whole of us and the opposite extreme of 3 or more of any one thing. When they did undershoot, they followed up 10 minutes later with a redoubled giant wave of at least 3 of the undershot item, resulting in crazy excesses.

Tandoori Shrimps G. BBQ Smoked Shrimps. A tiny bit dry, and mild, but very tasty.

Chicken Breast Tikka G. Chicken breast cubes skewered in the tandoor. Note: more lean meat. Extremely succulent. Again mild, but great flavor.

Paneer Tikka G. Smoked tandoori Paneer chunks. These were actually my favorite. But notice how not only did we have 2 cauliflower dishes right off the bat, they hit us with 3 nearly identical tandori dishes all at once. These won’t be the last tandori dishes either!

Lamb Chops G. Ginger-infused chunky lamb chops. A succulent sizzling delight! Haha. They did have great flavor but had been yogurt marinated to oblivion so were very “well” done and tender.

Flash Grilled Sea Bass G. Sea Bass, Kashmiri chili, turmeric. Flash grilled in Tandoor. A house delicacy. Excellent, but same tandori flavor.

Stuffed Naan (Kulcha) | Potato & peas OR Onions & Chili. I think we had all of the above, probably 3 different types of stuffed naans.

Mozzarella Cheese Naan and/or Garlic Naan. And even more Naans. Must have been at least 4-5 types on the table.

Cumin Seed Papadums (g, v).
Oven baked lentil flour crunchy flats served with tamarind and mint chutneys. Our host had been asking for Papadums for an hour and finally they came. Very light and crispy.

Gilafi Seekh Kebabs G. Skewered minced lamb, juicy, scrumptious and alluring. Again amusing flavor text. These were very tasty, but SUPER “soft” — they almost fell apart. After this, it should be noted there was some kind of giant delay for any curries to arrive. Like an hour. We ordered a mess as a group. None came. I ordered a few more interesting ones and those came in like 5 minutes (before the “main” ones).

Numbu Lashun Murg Curry. A home style affair. Chicken curry with tangy lemon sauce and garlic. It might have been a Korma. It was very good. Almost sweet, cashew flavored, very mild, but extremely rich and delicious. Most of the curries were LOADED with cream. Or maybe cream, butter, and yogurt. They were very rich and creamy and extremely smooth, like cream soups.

Shrimp & Scallops Moilee G. Kerala style yellow coconut curry tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Also great and also extremely rich. But I “drank” about 2 bowls of this sauce. The scallops were tiny bay scallops.

Papadum’s with toppings.

Because they only brought one each of the two pale curries and they didn’t get around, they followed up with 3-4 MORE of each before any of the other curries hit.

More curry.

Kaali Dal Makhani G. Black lentils and kidney beans slow simmered overnight and cooked to perfection.

Saag Paneer. A traditional blend of creamed spinach and fenugreek leaves with Paneer cubes. Smoothest Saag I’ve ever had, like a steakhouse creamed spinach with Indian flavors. But tasty. Not as much paneer as one might like.

Butter Chicken: Spice Affair Special G. Shredded Tandoori chicken in our irresistible signature tomato sauce. An all-time favorite! It is a favorite for a reason as it was very good. Rich, a touch sweet, but with a lot of flavor. Not even slightly spicy (nothing was).

Raita.

Tandoori Chicken G. Whole tandoori BBQ Chicken, with bones, an all-time favorite from Punjab, India. With bones. In case we hadn’t had enough tandoori chicken before — and it won’t be the last.

Lamb Rogan Josh. Dark. Tasty. Not very spicy.

Lamb Vindaloo G. Lamb chunks in spicy Goan vindaloo sauce. Good flavor, but not spicy at all.

Onions with cumin.

Paneer Tikka Masala G. Soft cottage cheese cubes drowning in our irresistible signature tomato sauce. An all-time vegetarian favorite! Another great sauce, although not quite as punchy or thick as Akbar’s. This time there were lots of big paneer slabs.

Tandoori chicken.

Plain Basmati Rice.

Delhi Dhaba Chicken Curry G. Boneless chicken chunks in traditional medium spiced brown curry. This was ordered “max spicy.” It wasn’t spicy. Maybe a hair more.

Sweet Milk Signature Flavor — Italian Lemon Cookie Meringue Pie — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor mixed with Italian Lemon Creme Cookies and Sicilian Candied Lemon and topped with house-made toasted Meringue — 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 #lemon #LemonCookie #cookie #Sorento #Limoncello #Meringue #LemonMeringuePie

Salty Pistachio Gelato NSA – Pistachio di Bronte DOGC produces an intense pistachio base to which I added just a touch of salt — this version was formulated No Sugar Added with Allulose — 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 #pistachio #sicily #nuts #salt #nsa #allulose

Overall, a super fun evening. The format was interesting. Service was incredibly nice and attentive, although perhaps pacing was a bit weird. Food ended up being great. I think I still like Akbar better, but I can tell A Spice Affair is way more consistent and it is “fancier” as everything is super rich and smooth.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beverly Hills, BYOG, Gelato, Heavy Cream, hedonists, Indian cuisine, Spice Affair

Thai Tour – Lacha Somtum

Dec23

Restaurant: Lacha Somtum

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

Date: April 18, 2023

Cuisine: Thai

Rating: great

Another run of great Thai places.

On the side of Hollywood Blvd near Sapp Coffee Shop.

Big counter and specials board.

The cute interior.

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

My ordering notes.

We haven’t seen Bob in a while :-(.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

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

The Melting Pot

Dec18

Restaurant: The Melting Pot

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

Date: April 16, 2023

Cuisine: Fondue

Rating: Interesting

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

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

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

One side of the menu is “full meals”.

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

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

The inductive burners have these pots.

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

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

Fiesta
(332 cal per serving)

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

Quattro Formaggio
(374 cal per serving)

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

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

Some extra veggies (and apple).

Caprese
(126 cal)

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

Caesar
(133 cal)

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

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

Coq Au Vin. SIGNATURE ITEM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more dining reviews click here.

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

Sauvages Rhone

Dec14

Restaurant: Jonathan Club

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

Date: April 14, 2023

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Surprisingly good for a club

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

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

The restaurant dining room.

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

The epic table.

Plenty of glasses.

Condrieu for the white flight.

A few bubblies.

Our custom menu for the afternoon.

Champs.

Wagyu beef tartar crostini.

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

Salmon cornets. Tasty little bite.

2020 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. 92 points.

2019 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. 93 points.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1998 Pierre Gaillard Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Unique Côte Rozier.

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

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

Interesting!

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

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

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

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

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

Gaja at Locanda

Dec12

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

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

Date: April 13, 2023

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: fun night w/ retro 90s Italian

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

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

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

A too narrow shot of the frontage.

Champ.

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

Just a few Gayas!

Tonight’s menu.

Bread.

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

Bonus white I brought.

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

Champ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roasted Carrots. Overcooked and a touch mushy.

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

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

Cheesecake with berry sauce.

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

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

Our chef is super nice and a great host.

The kitchen.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

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

Thai Tour – Can Coon

Dec08

Restaurant: Can-Coon Thai Restaurant

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

Date: April 11, 2023

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Awesome (but far)

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

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

See above comment.

The huge menu.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sticky Rice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

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

Ardor Easter

Dec05

Restaurant: Ardor [1, 2]

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

Date: April 9, 2023

Cuisine: Hotel Brunch

Rating: pretty interesting and tasty

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

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

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

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

Cool interior.

The special Easter Brunch menu.

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

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

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

Milk Bread with roasted tomatoes.

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

Little crudite cups.

Salad toppings.

Salad dressings.

Then the shellfish section including oysters on the halfshell.

Raw bar with two types of crab and shrimp.

Charcuterie.

Cheeses.

A fairly deluxe custom omelet bar.

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

A whole “bread and butter” station.

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

The “chocolate soil” garden was particularly fun.

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

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

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

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

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

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Ardor, Buffet, Easter

Robo Eats – Paradise Biryani Pointe

Dec03

Restaurant: Paradise Biryani Pointe

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

Date: April 4, 2023

Cuisine: Indian

Rating: decent, but not amazing

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

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

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

Extensive menu.

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

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

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

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

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

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

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

OOToro Spring

Dec01

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

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

Date: April 1, 2023

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi (with slight nod to China)

Rating: Ends of the earth, but very good

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

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

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

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

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

They put up this weird curtain recently.

We ordered the $250 Omakase.

First course of various little morsels.

Marinated Baby Squid. Soft and juicy!

Baby Japanese Sea Snail. Quite tasty.

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

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

Fried Potato Wrapped Shrimp “Tempura.”

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

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

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

Cooked belt fish.

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

From the side.

Aji (Spanish Mackerel) Tataki. Lovely!

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

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

Awesome ginger.

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

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

Uni Toast! So good.

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

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

Yarom flintstones the bone.

Flaming Sea Snail with mushrooms. Creature alert!

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

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

Inside was A5 Wagyu they cook tableside.

A5 Wagyu. Super tender and melt in your mouth.

The return of the heads.

Shrimp head miso.

Fried shrimp head for brain sucking fun.

Pure and Concentrated Evil — Kentucky Mud Pie Gelato — Expresso Knob Creek Bourbon Custard Gelato base with layers of house-made Crushed Oreo Valrhona Fudge Ganache, and house-made Vanilla Coconut Cream Cheese Icing — The Plaid Mode of Gelati and includes a hefty Caffeine kick — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #expresso #bourbon #custard #oreos #icing

Two of us grabbed these Leroys.

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

The epic wine lineup.

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

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, ootoro, SGV, Sushi, toro, Tuna, Uni, Wine

Hot Pot Longo

Nov29

Restaurant: Longo Seafood Restaurant [1, 2, 3]

Location: 7540 Garvey Ave, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 280-8188

Date: March 30, 2023

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Great Meal, Good Deal

I’ve been to Longo MANY times, both for lunch and dinner, but one of our friends who knows the owner set up this special off menu hot pot dinner — normally they don’t have hot pot at all.

Longo is on Garvey right next to the Longo Toyota. Lol.

It’s one of these big formal Cantonese places.

Tanks with live seafood.

Our private room.

Peanuts (with sugar underneath).

Chicken Feet. Yarom has to order them whenever he can.

Cucumbers with a spicy bean paste / oil.

Yarom and the owner.
The owner hung out with us for a bit — she was supposed to actually eat with us, but her kid needed her at home — still, she did bring us a 2012 Unico as a “substitute!”

Tonight’s dinner centered around Longo’s off menu special hot pot.. Each of us had one of these individual pots.

Here is the mild but delicious broth.

The main dipping sauce was this spicy garlic soy.

It could be “juiced up” with garlic, chilies, green onions etc.

Geoduck. Both parts of the giant clam were served raw and could be eaten either as sashimi or dipped in the hot pot to be cooked. I tried the body both ways, but the neck seemed much better cooked. It was pretty delicious this way.

King Crab. We had an entire live king crab who was hacked up into parts. These were cooked in the hot pot for 2-3 minutes and then became extremely juicy and delicious. Could have used some garlic paste too.

Red Rock Cod. This delicious fish was also served raw and was cooked in the pot where it was moist and delicious.

Glass or rice noodles were also served on this platter.

Deep Fried Cod. The head of the cod was hacked up and deep fried. It tasted like Longo’s usual clam neck fry and was delicious.

Scallop. Whole scallops were cooked in the pot and also delicious.

Silken Tofu. This soft tofu was awesome. I must have cooked about 5-6 of these in my pot.

Carby Veggies. Some kind of yams and taro. I didn’t bother with.

Greens. Two kinds of greens, incudling an endive-like thing.

Pork Meat Balls. These were basically sui mai innards that had to be cooked for 10 minutes. They were pretty awesome.

A5 Wagyu Beef. Supposedly. But in any case, it was fatty wagyu and really delicious when briefly cooked — incredibly soft and melt in your mouth.

Velveted Beef. Thicker, but also tender and delicious when cooked. Perhaps more “beefy” flavor than the wagyu.

Cantonese Roast Duck. Juicy.

Fried Squab. Super delicious with crispy skin and very dark rich meat.

Macau Style Pork Belly. Piggy with nice crispy skin. Good stuff.

Sliced Pig Leg. Yep, Yarom couldn’t resist another marinated foot. But the full slices were pretty tasty.

Beef. Just a meh beef. Not bad, but not exciting.

New Flavor — Cherry Bakewell Tart Gelato — While watching every episode of the Great British Baking Show I was introduced to the Bakewell Tart, which I liked it enough to make a gelato — Sicilian Noto Romano Almond Custard Base is layered with house-made Honey Almond Graham Crackers and Cherry Preserves. For extra fun I made an Almond Icing and glazed the Grahams with it in the traditional pattern (first time trying it) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Sicily #Almond #Cherry #GrahamCracker #BakewellTart #tart #bakewell #jam #icing

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

Chinese Baklava?

Chinese Sweet Bean Soup.

Overall, it was nice to have a bit of a “different” Longo experience and this was a super fun night. This was some of the best hot pot I’ve had. It was different than the super spicy ones, but the broth wasn’t bland like the typical pork or bone broths. Basically it really worked with the ultra fresh seafood. Lots of fun and very tasty.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Chinese cuisine, Gelato, hot pot, Longo, SGV, Wine

Eating Santa Fe – La Fonda

Nov26

Restaurant: La Fonda on the Plaza

Location: 100 E San Francisco St, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 982-5511

Date: March 23-28, 2023

Cuisine: Breakfast and more

Rating: Tasty for hotel breakfast

We stayed at this lovely hotel on the square.

The restaurant was in this gorgeous high ceiling room.

The breakfast menu.

Local Granola Parfait with Seasonal Berries.

Buttermilk pancakes.

Pancakes with Strawberries.

Eggs.

Avocado Toast with Bacon, Arugula, and Egg.

Mushroom Omelet.

Omelet.

Trout and Eggs and Potatoes and Hollandaise.

Fancy Gin & Tonic.

Tableside Guacamole.

Pretty solid. Chips were heavy, however.

Chilie con Queso. This was the way I like it.

Simple Pasta.

French Fries.