An update after returning to the 1940s hooker motel for more awesome Chinese BBQ.
Click here to find out what it’s all about.
Jeff ordered a Pig Head for the fun of it.
Author Archive for agavin – Page 13
Restaurant: Private Chef, David Slatkin
Location: Pasadena
Date: November 11, 2022
Cuisine: American
This particular entry in my series of Friday afternoon wine themed Sauvages lunches was set at a member’s lovely Pasadena house with a Bordeaux wine theme. Food was by frequent Sauvages chef David Slatkin.
Champagnes at the ready.
Tuna Salad on Wonton Crisps. Lots of mayo.
Pigs in a Preztel Blanket.
Korean Short Rib Mini Tacos. Sweet and salty.
Table A.
Table B. I’m not a fan of the two (guys) table setup, actually. It’s just not as fun as a single table.
The Lady’s Table.
Because of the double table thing and the confusion and too many bottles I’m not going to write up the wines, just picture them. I can’t keep this kind of two table thing straight. I think this lineup of wines were ours at Table B.
Wines on the sideboard.
Brioche French Toast with Pan Seared Foie Gras and Sweet Apple Sauce. Pretty darn sweet!
What’s left after I ate just the foie.
Cavatelli with Meat Ragu and Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossom. I have to say, putting a fried item on pasta is an interesting twist.
Stuffed Quail on Mashed Parsnip with Crispy Sweet Breads. Very nice dish. Quail was juciy and the parsnips (tasted a little) were delicious.
New York Steak with Crispy Cauliflower and Mashed Potatoes. The cauliflower was very good. The steak was medium well and a bit chewy.
Cheese Plate with pan baked buns.
For some reason I make this flavor in October — Key Lime Pie Gelato — base is a key lime egg custard, layered with house-made Graham Cracker and covered with house-made Torched 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 #KeyLime #lime #custard #meringue #GrahamCracker #cookie
Citron au Courant Sorbetto – Fresh squeezed Lemons blended with French Currants (Cassis) — 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 #sorbetto #lemon #cassis #currents #lemonade #citron
Chocolate Souffle with Whipped Cream and Berries. The cream was not sweetened (good) and the souffle had a great texture but was only mildly chocolately.
Chocolate Chip Cookies. Fresh baked and very soft.
Party gifts. This were fabulous for packaged cookies.
The table split.
My notes.
Lineup.
Debauchery.
And more.
The sane table.
Overall, this was a fun lunch, but the two (three with the ladies) format kinda bites. It’s way too confusing, too competitive, less social, and generally less fun than a bigger single table. You can’t try all the wines either. I find this true at lunch or dinner, regardless of the group. So I think Sauvages needs to be capped at about 16 and even then only when the table and wine service supports such a careful pour.
Food was some of the best we’ve had from Slatkin, if a touch on the heavy side. He paired it extremely well with the wines — which given the Bordeaux thing worked.
The setting was lovely.
For more LA dining reviews click here.
Lots more wines. Probably a mess of duplicate photos.
Restaurant: Peppone Restaurant
Location: 11628 Barrington Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90049. (310) 476-7379
Date: November 11, 2022
Cuisine: 1970s Italian American
Rating: Saucy!
Jeffrey was clamoring for months to visit Peppone in Brentwood for Old School Italian eats.
I, myself, hadn’t been in 15 or 20 years!
Not that the interior changed. It hasn’t changed since disco was king! This place opened in around 1971 and looks it. All the hot girls were there too (later) — just the girls who were hot in the 70s!
At the bar.
The petrified menu.
From my cellar: 2012 Borgo del Tiglio (Nicola Manferrari) Collio Studio di Bianco. 95 points. Borgo del Tiglio’s flagship 2012 Studio di Bianco is the most precise, sculpted wine in the range. Lemon peel, white flowers and crushed rocks are some of the nuances that take shape in a wine that deftly balances the richness and tension. As is often the case, I expect the Studio will need a few years in bottle to truly open up and show the full breadth of its personality. (Drink between 2017-2027)
Cheesy Garlic Bread with Marinara Sauce. I didn’t try these (avoiding the carbs) but people said they were pretty good. But they do start off tonight’s “sauce” theme, even if it’s a dipping sauce in that EVERY dish served was covered in a sauce.
From my cellar: 2018 Azienda Agricola Valentini Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. VM 92. Bright pink. Minerals, fava beans, pomegranate and violet on the bright nose. Then very harmonious in its acid-fruit-tannin profile, with lively balanced acidity nicely extending the flavors similar to the aromas on the long back end. Strikes me as a rather refined, sneakily concentrated Cerasuolo. (Drink between 2019-2025)
Jumbo Artichokes Venetian. Not only is this pretty hideous (and decidedly messy) but it was probably the worst artichoke I remember having. The sauce was just vaguely salty and the artichoke itself was very thick and heavy and it was difficult to scrape any meat off of the leaves. This is an easy dish and can be delicious steamed with butter, garlic, and a bit of salt — don’t complicate it.
Baked Zucchini Blossoms. Ugly as hell, but actually fairly tasty. The overall texture was much like an omelet as the blossoms were smashed flat and slightly soggy. A fairly tasty brown sauce of some sort was sort of drizzled over it.
Escargots. Another looker! Passible, but these shelled snails were drowned in this mysterious brown sauce. Straight French-style garlic butter escargot are much better.
Scampi Vesuvio. Nicely cooked shelled shrimp were soaked in the vesuvio sauce which seams to be butter, lemon juice, and some seafood “juice.”
From my cellar: 1965 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva. VM 97. Garnet-tinged red. Aromas of raspberry, red cherry, dried flowers, licorice and smoky spices complicated by white pepper and herbs. Suave on entry, then sweet but gripping in the middle, with harmonious acidity giving terrific definition and lift to the multifaceted flavors of red berries, minerals, iron and spices. A wonderfully creamy, almost fleshy Chianti with utterly silky tannins. Offers amazing vibrancy while saturating the entire palate without conveying any impression of weight on the extremely long finish. A great wine from a vintage that received mixed reviews at the time, with some producers liking it a lot, and others much less so. The general consensus, though is that it was inferior to both 1964 and 1966.
Would have been home on the original opening list!
Pasta Trio with Rigatoni with Italian Sausage, Fettuccine Alfredo, and Lobster Ravioli. Three “classic” pastas. The good one was the Rigatoni which was quite al dente and had a nice Italian American Sausage sauce. The Fettuccine was mushy and just tasted like cream. The Ravioli sauce tasted mostly like salt with almost no lobster shell (aka bisque) taste.
From my cellar: 2002 Romano Dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta. VM 94. Dal Forno’s 2002 Valpolicella is a massively endowed effort revealing backward dark fruit, new leather, spices, herbs, roasted coffee beans and toasted oak on an imposing, tannic frame. Made in a super-concentrated style – even by Dal Forno’s standards – it will require several years of cellaring for the tannins to soften somewhat, although it is hard to imagine that will ever completely happen. Beginning with the 2002 vintage Dal Forno’s Valpolicella is made from 100% dried fruit, whereas in previous vintages the wine had been made only partially with dried fruit. (Drink between 2013-2017)
Sweetbreads Pompei, Sandabs in Padella, and Chicken Livers Flambee. These were all actually pretty good. The Sandabs were fabulous, albiet coated in another of those salty old fashioned sauces, but they were very delicate and moist (drowned). The Sweetbreads were also good, but hard to tell under the sauce. The Liver was my least favorite but it was still solid for liver of this sort as it was soft and not chewy or heavy.
From the ancient list: 1989 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi. VM 97. The 1989 Barbaresco Costa Russi is a thrilling wine that literally takes my breath away – and that comes from someone who usually isn’t the hugest fan of this particular wine. In 1989 the Costa Russi offers a touch more roundness and spiciness than the Barbaresco. The fruit here is super-luxurious and silky, while the tannins possess remarkable polish. The finish remains firm and full of life. Even 20 years ago Angelo Gaja and Guido Rivella were making wines most producers would kill for today. Simply put this is a magical bottle; I only wish I owned it. Wow. (Drink between 2013-2030)
Sausages Pizzaiola. This seemed more like sausages and peppers. But regardless the sausage itself was great, classic Italian America with a nice bit of fennel. Sauce worked well making it like a good street Sausage and Peppers. The old fashioned veggies lol. Steamed with maybe a bit of butter. Drowned in the sauce they were actually fine as they were still reasonably crunchy — but so old fashioned!
Vitello Saltimbocca. Hard to find the veal under all that sauce, and it was salty, but it was also tender and pretty delicious.
Lamb Osso Buco with Gnocchi. I usually expect Osso Buco to be vertical with more fat and collogen and this is more reminiscient as a cut to a Middle Eastern lamb shank, but the meat was delicious. The Gnocchi were a bit chewy, not the light fluffy ones that are best.
Sautéed Mushrooms. Ugly delicious for sure! Looks like a bowl of dog food, but these mushrooms, nearly invisible under the thick salty brown sauce were quite delicious. Certainly it was all about the salty mushroom (and maybe beef) sauce.
Yar! Ghostly skeletal praline pirates are marauding — Pecan Pirate Praline Gelato — An eggy Texas Pecan base layered with my creepy skull-shaped New Orleans style Vanilla Bourbon Pecan Pralines and Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Pumpkins — 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 #vanilla #bourbon #pecan #praline #candy #halloween #spooky
We were joined tonight by the lovely and vivacious Lisa of LisaEatsLA. Plus her boyfriend.
Overall, the room at Peppone is gorgeous. The clientele consists of 1968 California Girls dolled up and ready to party — in 2022. The waiters have all probably worked here for decades and they were great. Very nice, very knowledgeable, efficient. Our meal did take mysteriously long. They kinda did that thing where they ignored us a bit until the bulk of the crowd (which had seated before us, even though we at at 7pm) thinned out.
Food was better than I thought, but OMG the hideous plating and all that sauce. Literally every single dish is drowned in a barely identifiable heavy sauce. The driest dish was the Garlic Bread (which also included a sauce). And it’s just poured over. And it’s all so 1970s. I love sauce but this was a bit much. And we aren’t talking a precise french Beurre Blanc or even a peerless Marinara but these heavy sloppy butter based “brownish” sauces. Plus the antiquated veggies. However, must dishes were pretty tasty in a salty buttery way. Pastas were weak. We didn’t try dessert.
They do have a pretty well priced big wine list. It’s poorly spelled and only sometimes includes vintages but we did manage to find a fantastic 1989 Gaja Russi for $349 (which is probably about retail).
Restaurant: Kinnara Thai Restaurant
Location: 15355 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91406. (818) 988-7788
Date: November 18, 2022
Cuisine: Thai
Rating: Slightly modernist Thai
The Foodie Club lunch crew and I went out for Lunch Quest to Go’s Mart, but he was oddly closed, so we ended up here:
At this “slightly trendy” Thai place.
Interior is pleasant.
Good sized menu (as usual for Thai).
TOPAZ SHRIMP. Cooked shrimp with yellow curry and crabmeat. Interesting modern one bite format. Ultimately a yellow (turmeric) curry shrimp dish. The shrimp was very tender though and the curry nice and bright with a tiny bit of heat.
FILET MIGNON SKEWER. Grilled filet Mignon with white curry sauce. Hmm, maybe a green curry sauce? Pretty tender filet skewer doused in a very tasty spicy/sweet green curry — shot it afterward.
Pork Rib Lemongrass Soup. Pork rib soup with mushroom, mint, cilantro with spicy and sour soup. Lovely sour broth with medium tender pork chunks and button mushrooms.
Condiments.
CHAING MAI PORK BELLY. Crispy marinated pork belly with spicy chili sauce. Super addictive crunchy pork belly with a really nice green chili sauce. Delicious.
Spicy Chai-Yo. Chicken and shrimp sauteed in spicy topaz curry and finely cut green bean. The spiciest of our dishes, but not super spicy. Sort of a chichen larb in yellow curry with more tender shrimp.
Panang Soft Shell Crab. Crispy soft shell crab with panang curry sauce. Awesome crunchy soft shell with a great mild red curry. The crispy basil really took it up too. Delicious dish and not that different than the Chinois lobster.
911 Catfish. Crispy filet catfish with green peppercorn and chili garlic sauce. A bit fried but very tender with a nice (only mildly spicy) chili garlic sauce. Too much bell pepper but it was nice to see the green peppercorns.
Pretty tasty Thai with a bit of a modernist spin. Flavors are very classically Thai, however, which is a good thing. The chef apparently has gone to Vegas. Haha.
Restaurant: Mr. T [1, 2]
Location: 953 N Sycamore Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (310) 953-4934
Date: November 3, 2022
Cuisine: Modern French Bistro
Rating: Really tasty — and awesome Champagne
This was the first Sage Society wine dinner “post pandemic” and it was great to get back to this impeccable series that Liz Lee puts on where she showcases the wines of a particular wine maker, with great food, and the wine maker themselves.
Mr.T is a contemporary French cuisine inspired by upscale street food dishes featuring fresh ingredients and masterful preparation by our head Chef Alisa Vannah. Indulge in unique flavors using local ingredients to create an authentic dining experience. Mr.T carries a variety of handcrafted cocktails and a uniquely selected wine list offering a tasteful array of wines from some of the greatest producers in the world. We look forward to serving you!
“For Mr. T’s Los Angeles location, Guedj and Miyazaki have tapped Chi Spacca, Tsubaki, and République alum Alisa Vannah to head up the kitchen. Vannah, a Los Angeles native, trained with Miyazaki in Paris and collaborated with him on several dishes that will only appear on the Los Angeles menu, such as a riff on a chicken pot pie made with caramelized onion and tare chicken jus, as well as a big eye tuna crudo inspired by Vannah’s trips to Redondo Beach with her family as a kid.”
The have a cute “patio.”
A sleek modern interior.
Spotless open kitchen.
And this really cool “recording industry” themed private room.
Champagne at the ready.
Rodolphe Péters took over the reins of this venerable estate in the southern Côte des Blancs in 2008, becoming the fourth generation to lead since the estate was founded in 1919, under the name Camille Péters. Today, Rodolphe holds 18 hectares of vineyards, predominantly in the grand cru of Les Mesnil-sur-Oger. Péters owns small holdings in several other grand crus (Oger, Avize and Cramant) but Les Mesnil-sur-Oger is where 45 of the 63 parcels he farms are located.
The menu was totally custom and only thematically linked to the normal Mr T. menu — which I will show at some future meals/posts.
Table setting.
NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuvée de Réserve. JG 91. Blanc de Blancs Brut NV (Mesnil-sur-Oger)) The current release of Rodolphe Péters’ “Cuvée de Réserve” Blanc de Blancs is from the base year of 2018. It includes reserve wines in the blend all the way back to 1988! Seventy-five percent of the vins clairs go through malo for this bottling, with the wines raised in a combination of stainless steel, cask and concrete. It was disgorged in December of 2021 after aging sur latte two years. The bouquet is deep and refined, wafting from the glass in a mix of apple, pear, fresh almond, brioche, chalky soil tones and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and still quite youthful, with a good spine of acidity, fine depth at the core, good mineral drive, pinpoint bubbles and a long, still fairly brisk and promising finish. I love the expressiveness of this wine on the nose, but it is lagging behind on the palate and could do with a year or two in the cellar to blossom more properly from behind its acids and start to drink with generosity. It is going to be a lovely non-vintage bottling of Blanc de Blancs. (Drink between 2024-2040)
NOTE: the magnum is actually a different cuvee, in this case with all 2017 vintage wine.
Potato Pancake with Creme Fraiche and Caviar. Great pancake with a lot of onion and flavor. Very high quality caviar. Super delicious version of “carbs + creme + caviar.”
Skikoku Oyster with Salmon Roe and Micro Greens. Very nice deliciate small oyster.
NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuvée de Réserve. A 750ml for comparison.
2017 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Réserve Oubliée Blanc de Blancs. 93 points.
NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru L’Etonnant Monsieur Victor MK14.
Scallops with tomato, cucumber, and lime. This was a stunning dish. The raw scallops were amazingly tender, the tomatoes very sweet, and the cucumber/pickle bits crunchy. But it was the sauce below, which was slightly thick and had this cucumber lime vibe going that was frankly amazing. We all drank the sauce. Very refreshing summer dish (in November).
NV Fleur de Miraval Champagne ER2.
NV Fleur de Miraval Champagne ER3.
Chawanmushi egg custard with Santa Barbara Uni and summer vegetables. Certainly the best Chawanmushi I’ve had at a non Japanese resteraunt. Very light and lovely with a nice textural interplay between the soft custard and the crunchy vegetables.
2012 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Montjolys. VM 96. Here in its first release, the 2012 Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Spéciale Les Montjolys takes all of Pierre Péters signatures and gives them an extra kick of intensity that comes from the higher percentage of clay and generally heavier soils in this parcel, which sits just below Les Chétillons. Ample and explosive, with tremendous backing energy, the Montjolys has so much going on. Orange marmalade, spice, butter, hazelnut and lemon confit are front and center. More than anything else, the Les Montjolys possesses tons of breadth and resonance, not to mention considerable character. The Péters family owns three hectares across seven parcels in Montjolys, that form the backbone of the Cuvée de Réserve. This is the first release of pure Montjolys from Pierre Péters, and it is fabulous. Dosage is 3.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: November, 2018. (Drink between 2022-2037)
2013 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Montjolys. VM 98. As good as the Chétillons is in 2013, the 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Spéciale Les Montjolys is even better. In fact, it is the single most impressive Champagne I have ever tasted from Rodolphe Péters. Deep, rich and pliant, the 2013 possesses tremendous depth to play off the searing, bright acids of this late ripening harvest. Light tropical accents add gorgeous nuance to a core of apricot, marzipan and lemon confit. Next to the Chétillons, the Montjolys is richer and creamier. It will be a matter of personal preference as to which wine readers prefer. The Chétillons is taut and focused, while the Montjolys is broader and more vinous. In two separate tastings, I slightly preferred the Montjolys. Both are moving, profound Champagnes. Dosage is 3.5-4.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: March, 2020. (Drink between 2023-2038)
2014 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Montjolys. VM 94+. The 2014 Brut Cuvée Spéciale Montjolys shows just how compelling this vintage is. It offers a gorgeous mix of energy from this late-ripening year along with the natural radiance of this site. Lemon confit, white pepper, apricot, white flowers and chamomile are all finely delineated throughout. There is a bit of youthful austerity, though, so I would cellar the 2014 for at least a year or two. (Drink between 2024-2035)
Salmon Wellington. Really spectacular pastry, perfectly moist salmon, savory mushroom layer, and lovely Salmon Roe accented Beurre Blanc. Perfect version of this dish.
2004 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons.
2007 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons.
2015 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons.
Liberty Duck breast with mushroom. A classic French duck prep with that heavy (but not crispy) skin. It was cooked perfectly medium rare but had no funk. The darker paste was a lovely mushroom paste and the nutty mushroom on the left was extremely dense and chewy, but also really fabulous. A bit more Beurre Blanc drew it all together. Great duck dish.
Cheeses. Rich Brillat-Savarin, Comte, and Tomme de Savoie.
Bread for the cheese.
My notes.
Some of the lineup.
This was a fabulous dinner.
First of all, the food was off the charts good. I was really impressed and have been back twice since to sample the normal menu (which is also very good). This is French modern bistro style, very fresh and crispy. Really tasty.
The wines were of course epic. I ended up buying quite a bit more (and I’ve been to previous Pierre Peters dinners and own quite a bit). Really high quality grower champ. I particularly love the Montjolys, very sexy.
As always, Liz Lee of Sage Society puts on an impeccable event.
Restaurant: Locanda Veneta [1, 2, 3]
Location: 8638 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048. (310) 274-1893
Date: November 3, 2022
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, I decided after many years of rejection to try it out again. This is also right at the start of my new low carb diet but they did very graciously offer substitutes for the pasta.
The location is Los Angeles classic, Locanda Veneta, a Beverly Hills Italian with several decades of history. Above, Chef Andre in the kitchen.
Our big outside table — which is great in nice weather.
From my cellar: 2011 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. 94 points.
2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 98. We started with the 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, which is every bit as racy and seductive as it has always been. It’s a great, great vintage for Comtes. (Drink between 2022-2046)
2008 Drappier Champagne Grande Sendrée Submarine Edition. 96 points.
The menu.
Ron bonus: 2018 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots. VM 94. The 2018 Chablis Bougros Côte de Bouguerots Grand Cru is well-defined on the nose. Quite stony and terse at first, it opens with orange rind and crushed pebble scents. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, tight and energetic with a zesty, minerally finish. This meliorates in the glass, ending up quite nuanced and tensile. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting. (Drink between 2024-2040)
Bread with a “pesto” of parsley, olive oil, lemon juice etc.
Insalata San Remo. Mixed Greens served with Avocados, Tomatoes, Hearts of Palm, Zucchini, and Pine-Nuts tossed in our House Vinaigrette. Not a bad salad but certainly not great with wine either.
Penne Pomodoro.
From my cellar, and WOTN (haha but true): 2011 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. BH 95. As was the case from a bottle in 750 ml tasted in 2019 (see herein), a still strikingly fresh, elegant, airy and cool nose features aromas of wisps of acacia blossom, lemon rind, mineral reduction, green apple and a lingering hint of wood influence. The sleek, pure and stony medium weight flavors exude palpable underlying tension before culminating in a vibrant, driving, intense and impeccably well-balanced finish that goes on and on. This is textbook Perrières that for my taste is still on the way up, and particularly so in magnum format, and I would suggest allowing it another 5 to 8 years of cellar time. With that said, it wouldn’t be a crime to open one now – just be sure to allow for some air time. Impressive. (Drink starting 2028)
“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.
Fresh Made Blini, Chopped Egg Yolks, Spanish Red Onion and Crème Fraiche.
A slight odd course, but delicious (and salty). Always a little amusing when there are 2 white courses (salad and caviar) and a whole lotta giant red.
2001 Penfolds Grange. VM 94. Inky violet with a bright rim. Explosive and utterly captivating on the nose, offering a range of aromas that encompasses red and darker berries, flowers, cigar box, minerals and sexy oak spices. Quite broad on the palate, and packing a real punch to its flavors of cassis, boysenberry, candied plum, bitter chocolate and fruitcake. Serious, harmonious tannins give plenty of structural support. This expands and grows even sweeter with aeration, finishing with outstanding persistence. Oak spices add sex appeal. A superb Grange.
1999 Penfolds Grange. VM 91+. Full ruby-red. Sexy aromas of raspberry, cola, root beer and coconut. Thick, dense and concentrated, with exotic, slightly candied dark fruit, caramel, toasted coconut and mineral flavors nicely shaped by firm acids. Shows strong fruit and a major dose of oak on the powerful, backward finish. This can’t quite match the 1998 for sheer depth of fruit, but it’s built to age.
1993 Penfolds Grange. 93 points. Slightly chemical nose, then herbs, anis. With time better and purerx On the palate much better, high toned red fruit, lots of ripe dark fruit, minerality, herbs, minty notes, again anis and spices. Very complex and layered. Highly precise. No faulty notes. Round but still very powerful but so round and sexy.
1990 Penfolds Grange. 94 points. Excellent 33-year old Grange – mid-neck level and perfect cork. The nose was fantastic and very complex with aromas of cedar, exotic wood, incense, dark cherries, leather and another “je-ne-sais-quoi”. The palate was excellent, but not as impressive. Balanced and very long. Still has the tannic structure and the stuffing to last 5-10 years, but will it improve? I don’t think so. Enjoy now.
Risotto al Tartufo Nero or Blanco. Carnaroli” Rice simmered with a Shaved “Alba’s” Fresh Black Winter or White Truffles. Very tasty and rich.
Antelope Carpaccio with arugula and truffles. The less carby variant.
2000 Chris Ringland Shiraz Dry Grown Barossa Ranges.
2003 Chris Ringland Shiraz Dry Grown Barossa Ranges.
1989 Henschke Shiraz Hill of Grace.
1991 Henschke Shiraz Hill of Grace.
“Tomahawk” di Manzo. USDA Prime Beef “Tomahawk” charbroiled to perfection, rubbed with Kosher Sea Salt, Black Pepper and our Secret Fresh Spices. We had several of these steaks at various levels of doneness (rare to well done). LOTS of beef. It was quite salted but the ones on the more rare side were delicious.
Roasted Rosemary Garlic New Potatoes. Great potatoes but I only had one because of carb avoidance.
Sautéed Baby Asparagus. Solid.
Sautéed Baby Carrots.
Branzino with “no fry” Eggplant Parmigiana. This was an unusual branzino, not quite as light as the classic greak/italian prep, but very tasty. The eggplant was fabulous and tomato sauce forward.
1986 Penfolds Grange. 95 points.
1982 Penfolds Grange. JG 95. The 1982 Penfolds Grange Hermitage has always been an impressive bottle, and since its debut in the second half of the 1980s, this has been a head-turner of a vintage for this great wine. Despite its fairly early appeal (where there was more than enough beautiful fruit that one had no trouble drinking it with great pleasure and just ignoring its fair chassis of tannin), this was always a wine meant to age gracefully and it has done so in no uncertain terms. Today, the bouquet is deep and complex, offering up a moderately jammy blend of cassis, black raspberries, coffee, meaty tones, menthol, dried berries, a touch of leather, new oak and a good base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with fine focus and grip, a plush core of fruit and impressive length and grip on the meltingly tannic and well-balanced finish. This is a classic vintage of Grange and has decades of life still ahead of it, but is fully into its apogee. (Drink between 2017-2050)
1981 Penfolds Grange. 93 points.
“New York” Steak di Manzo. USDA Prime Beef “Tomahawk” charbroiled to perfection, rubbed with Kosher Sea Salt, Black Pepper and our Secret Fresh Spices. There were a lot of these steaks too — just tons of meat.
Almond Amaretto Fudge Gelato — Amaretto Zabaglione (egg yolk, amaretto, and sugar custard) Sicilian Almond gelato base with a swirl of house-made Valrhona Cream Cheese Fudge Icing — 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 #Valrhona #almond #amaretto #icing #chocolate
Apple Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel. Delicious.
Panna Cotta. Italian vanilla custard served on a strawberry coulis. Lovely and soft.
Wines tonight.
The gang.
The kitchen.
Overall this was a fun evening. I’ll bring apart commentary into different areas.
Service: The restaurant did a great job managing a group of our size. They were on top of things for the most part and extremely nice and accommodating. Whoever helped pick the menu for white wines did a good job pairing out all those red tomato sauce dishes.
Food: The food was good. Some dishes were excellent like pastas. Some were just nice. It all feels a little 90s Italian-American (which it is), but isn’t fully contemporary or fully Italian. But it’s good. Plating is very 90s.
Wine: Grange is always good, but I always feel weird not drinking Italian at Italian restaurants. These wines are monsters, BTW, even at 30-40 years of age. No point in cracking them at <25 years.
Anyway though, a very fun evening.
Another rollup post assimilating 4 different meals at the awesome Henry’s Cuisine.
Curry Beef Stew. This is one of the best yellow curries I’ve had. The sauce itself, probably coconut milk based, was extremely delicious and a straightforward version of the English/Hong Kong yellow curry. The meat is tender put packed with collagen and/or tendon.
Restaurant: Crustacean Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Location: 468 N Bedford Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 205-8990
Date: October 28, 2022
Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion
Rating: Awesome as always
Crustacean is one of our regular haunts and features a great patio in these “outside is better” days. Tonight’s meal was a Sauvages wine lunch, with a Red Burgundy theme.
We’ve had a couple awesome meals here in the last couple of years.
Lots of champagne to start.
We are situated in their patio room as usual.
The ladies have a spot nearby.
Cocktail “hour.”
Our menu.
And wine list. Look how organized they are!
2005 Domaine Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin. VM 92-95. Good ruby-red. Sappy, liqueur-like aromas of griotte cherry and black raspberry. Wonderfully intense and concentrated, with a nearly confectionery sweetness to its explosive fruit flavors. Like the Cuvee des Alouettes, this comes across as a bit high-toned and will require careful attention during its final months of elevage But offers great potential.
2005 Camille Giroud Latricières-Chambertin. VM 92-95. A subtle dash of oak influence highlights the equally dense dark berry fruit nose of surpassing elegance and refinement that complements perfectly the texture and very Gevrey medium full flavors that in contrast to the nose seem less refined than usual. Indeed, this is a powerful Latricières that at present anyway seems to under emphasize the underlying minerality so typical of this cru though the finish is long, velvety and mouth coating. A qualitative choice though the respective characters are very different. (Drink starting 2018)
2007 Joseph Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin. VM 92. Medium red with a palish rim. Enticing aromas of crushed red fruits perked up by pepper, spices and herbs; more evidence of stems here. Then densely packed and juicy, with a suave, smooth texture and enticing inner-mouth perfume. A peppery note adds to the vibrancy of this sappy grand cru. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and considerable class.
2003 Domaine Maume Mazis-Chambertin. BH 93. An absolutely gorgeous nose of black fruit, anise, violet and cassis coupled with a smoked meat and wild herb notes introduce big, intense and explosive flavors that are sappy and seductive. There is a deeply buried but steely tannic spine that will take its time resolving but I’d like to see this wine at age 15 or so. This is really a stunner as it’s very fresh for the vintage and absolutely one to buy. (Drink starting 2011)
Tuna Cigars. Instant Smoke, Feuille de Brick, Avocado Silk, Vidalia Onion, Tobiko Caviar. Lovely little “cigar.” It actually tastes somewhat cigar-like with the “smoke” and after that fades out is more reminiscient of the Spago tuna cone. The tobiko is more textural and doesn’t have the richness of a real (sturgeon) caviar.
2003 Dominique Laurent Charmes-Chambertin. VM 91-94. Deep red. Floral aromas of red cherry, red licorice, spices, mocha and iron. Sweet on entry, then precise, perfumed and sharply delineated in the mid-palate, with juicy, harmonious acidity. Lifted by violet and rose notes. Finishes very pure and long, with nicely integrated, rather gentle tannins. Classic Charmes. (A separate cuvee of Mazoyeres seemed very ripe and was in an oxidative phase.)
2001 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. BH 96. One of the finest wines of the vintage, this is simply a spectacular effort that has captured every bit of the potential it originally displayed in cask. Restrained and backward nose of a fantastically complex mix of blackberries, spice, cedar, soy, anise and dried herbs followed by full-bodied, multi-layered flavors of amazing length. Opulent and lavish yet all remains exquisitely balanced and this is astonishingly precise. A real stunner of a wine that is as classy and graceful as they come. As good and classy as the ’02 if not quite as structured. (Drink starting 2016)
1999 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays. BH 94. I was quite surprised to find just how open for business this was in magnum format as I expected something far more reserved but such was not the case. A beautiful and highly expressive nose of ripe black cherry, earth and the hallmark red pinot fruit is followed by medium weight yet concentrated flavors of bacon, smoke and sappy pinot extract that are given lift and verve by the intense minerality and outstanding length. This has added a good deal of weight and seems more powerful than before yet it remains very stylish and classy with excellent potential though like the same wine in 750 ml (see herein), this is so well balanced and harmonious that it could easily be drunk now with pleasure. That said, unless you are lucky enough to have this in quantity, I would counsel cellaring it for another 5 to 10 years. In a word, terrific. (Drink starting 2014)
2002 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares. VM 95. Ruby-red. Flamboyantly rich aromas of blackberry, minerals and chocolate. Fat, rich and powerful; compellingly sweet and dense but with terrific thrust as well. Superripe flavors of chocolate and black plum. Finishes very long and powerful, with big but thoroughly ripe tannins. Offers great potential.
Kagoshima A5 Wagyu Tartare. Rau Rum Chimichurri, Quail Egg, L’Amuse Golda, Sesame Rice Cracker. Great beef tartare. Tons of flavor, umami from the cheese, and the rice cracker was nice and light.
Roasted Bone Marrow. Escargot Brunois, Garlic Baguette, Rau Ram. This is the best bone marrow I’ve had. There was a lot more of the actual “meat” (aka fat) and it was bulked up with the far tastier garlic snail mixture. Normal bone marrow is just a scraping of tasteless fat but by pair that with the savory escargot and balanced with a bit of lime it was just way better.
1998 Joseph Drouhin Grands-Echezeaux. VM 91. Deep red. Wild aromas of medicinal cherry, mint and coffee; subtle and fine. Full, sweet and silky but very unevolved and dominated today by its structure. A moderately ripe wine that’s not especially sweet or expressive but shows excellent backbone and freshness. Finishes with slightly tough tannins. But very backward and hard to judge today.
1999 Remoissenet Père et Fils Grands-Echezeaux. 98 points. Wow! An extraordinary wine! Gorgeous lush fruit, just the right amount of barnyard, complex notes of earth, leather, and ripe fruits. Perfectly balanced, a BIG wine with loads of structure and a finish that just won’t quit. If you can find this wine, mortgage the house and buy it! It’s drinking incredibly well now, but still has years of life in it.
1989 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux.
1999 Château Latour Grand Vin. VM 92. The 1999 Latour is a vintage that I have not encountered for four or five years. It has a pH of 3.80 and a yield of 38hl/ha, representing 58% of the total crop. Interestingly, this includes 14% vin de presse compared to the 9 to 10% used nowadays. It has a classic Latour bouquet of blackberry, pencil box and undergrowth aromas, quite strict and conservative in style, and fairly intense but not firing on all cylinders; orange zest aromas evolve gradually. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and nicely detailed, offering blackberry, black truffle, pencil shavings and a touch of spice toward the finish, which shows more grip and density than the 1989 Latour tasted alongside, probably because of that pressed wine. This is beginning to reach its drinking plateau, although judging by this showing it will give another two decades of drinking pleasure. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate. (Drink between 2019-2039)
Pork Belly Salad. Black Mission Fig, Lemongrass, Yuzu Vinaigrette, Butter Lettuce, Point Reyes Blue Cheese Snow, Hazelnut. Some people didn’t like this salad but I did. It was very light and bright, a bit like a punchier version of a lardon and frissee salad. The pork belly was bacon smokey and nicely pervaded the dish.
Mongolian Lamb. Char-Grilled, Market Vegetables, Twice Cooked Potatoes. Very tender, sweet, and tasty. Still basically a lamb chop.
1996 Louis Jadot Chambertin. VM 92-95. Rather delicate aromas of crystallized berries, smoke and sandalwood. Velvety and very sweet in the mouth, with pungent oak spice and a firm mineral underpinning. Ripe acids are in harmony with the wine. Great concentration. No hard edges.
1996 Louis Jadot Chapelle-Chambertin. VM 93+. Saturated red-ruby. Fabulously complex, thoroughly ripe aromas of black raspberry, animal fur, mocha and chocolate, plus a distinct hint of surmaturite. Thick, creamy and very concentrated on the palate, and already quite expressive. Has a complicating herbal note that complements the wine sweetness. Finishes very long, with silky tannins and a hint of marzipan.
1995 Claude Dugat Griotte-Chambertin. VM 96. Deep ruby. Fabulously complex but extremely primary aromas of black raspberry, orange zest, smoke and black pepper; even higher-pitched and finer than the Charmes. This and the Charmes offer just the slightest hint of the animal complexity to come with development in bottle. Dense and pristine in the mouth; conveys a black peppery note of sheer extract. At least as long as the Charmes but suaver, finer. Amazing juice.
1996 Domaine Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. VM 92+. Excellent red-ruby color. Knockout aromas of smoky black raspberry, black cherry, coffee and roasted oak. Thick, sappy and sweet, with powerful cherry and raspberry fruit. Dense but given shape by strong acidity. Long, firm, sweetly tannic finish.
AN’s Famous Garlic Roasted Dungeness Crab with AN’s Famous Garlic Noodles. This was a special personal version of the crab and noodles. I remember when I first came here that you had to pay an extra few dollars for them to crack it! But now that’s included if you like. We didn’t have to crack it at all. The meat was delicious and so were the noodles.
Himalayan Saltblock Steak. Prime all-Natural Rib Eye, Horseradish Crema. Meat.
Bloody Apple Pie Gelato — A Tahitian Vanilla Custard base layered with my house-made cinnamon bourbon apple pie filling, house-made Vanilla Caramel Blood, and house-made Grave Soil Charcoal Graham Crackers (GF) — 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 #applepie #apple #cinnamon #caramel #GrahamCracker #halloween
Yar! Ghostly skeletal praline pirates are marauding — Pecan Pirate Praline Gelato — An eggy Texas Pecan base layered with my creepy skull-shaped New Orleans style Vanilla Bourbon Pecan Pralines and Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Pumpkins — 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 #vanilla #bourbon #pecan #praline #candy #halloween #spooky
Vino.
The ladies table in full swing.
Us gents.
Overall, this was an awesome lunch. Boy did the Ans treat us right and we had an incredible menu, amazing service, and great wines. They turned out to be home run unique dishes that really knocked it out of the park.
Wines were great too.
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.
A detailed update following our second visit to LA’s best Chifa restaurant.
Special order Cowboy Lomo Saltado. Cowboy Tomahawk Ribeye steak, wood grilled and sautéed with cherry tomatoes and onions. This was an incredible steak with great smoky flavor that was really amped up by the veggies. The beef fat soaked fries were incredible too. A real meat and potato feast.
Restaurant: Wagyu House by The X Pot
Location: 18558 Gale Ave Suite 122-128, Rowland Heights, CA 91748. (866) 610-0609
Date: October 20, 2022
Cuisine: Chinese Hot Pot
Rating: A bit of style over substance, but solid
This was actually just a “Lunch Quest” where we set out to the far SGV to check out this “fancy hot pot” I’d seen online. Turned out it was mobbed! Chinese food in the SGV is never crowded for weekday lunch!
We had to wait about 50 minutes. The wait was weird because the place is huge and was only about 25% full, although tons of people were waiting.
Build out is pretty extensive. Sure, the build quality is “sloppy” and it won’t hold up, but it looks pretty cool right now.
Private rooms.
Sauce Bar. The sauce bar is excellent. Not quite as good as Shancheng Lameizi but very good. There weren’t very many snacks though (like cucumbers etc).
My usual pair of sauces. I tried not to make them very spicy today.
The menu.
And the special “expensive” package menu.
House Special Wagyu Pot (right) and Coconut Chicken Pot (left). Neither of these imparted to obvious a flavor onto the stuff — or at least not enough to survive dipping int he sauces.
Instead of the coconut chicken I really wanted the golden one, which is a specialty of theirs — but alas it was “out.”
House Crispy Pork. Quite yummy, like pork clam strips.
Wagyu Tartare. You mix it up and eat. Pretty good, but the sauce flavor was a little odd.
Braised Lotus Root. I really enjoyed these as I like the texture of lotus roots.
Grilled Wagyu Bone Marrow. Most of the group thought this was the best dish. Just seemed like greasy beef nibblets to me.
Fish Tofu. The usual slight fishiness which I kind of like.
Assorted “meat” balls (beef, pork, and shrimp). The meatballs were good here.
House Special Pork Balls.
House Signature Ham (spam). I love “luncheon meat” at hot pots. This one tasted good, but it became a bit soft in the pot.
Kurabuta Pork Jowl. These were quite good.
Mini Pork Sausage. Not the usual “brand” of sausage and not quite as flavorful.
Each A5 has it’s own presentation. The rib cap (we didn’t order it because Yarom was fighting the A5) comes in a bull!
Japanese Miyazaki A5 Wagyu Silver Side. This was very good but it’s hard to know that one can tell it’s A5 after it’s been boiled and soaked in sauce. I’m a little skeptical if it’s really A5. It might be some more domestic wagyu. Hard to know for sure.
Wagyu Short Rib. Meat was good.
Wagyu Top Blade.
Squid Rolls. Interesting texture.
Imitation Crab Sticks. These almost disolved in the broth, which gave them a slightly offputting mushy texture.
Assorted Vegetables. The cabbage rocked.
Bamboo Shoot. Fiber!
Robo waiters.
This is so SGV.
Overall, Wagyu X was interesting. It was pretty good hot pot, and the decor is great, but we had the annoying wait and a problem with the broth choices/availability. If we got that sorted and were there at dinner and ordered crazy stuff I think it might be a lot of fun.
Fundamentally, if like me, you make your sauce pretty zesty/spicy, then there isn’t that much taste difference between this and any of the other higher end “regular” hot pot chains. Wagyu X is prettier, however, and they do have more wagyu. They also have a lot of expensive live seafood, which I do think would be good with milder broths like the mysteriously unavailable golden broth. After this meal, but before the long delayed write up, I’ve had a couple of delicate seafood hot pots with fabulous non-spicy broths and they were really good. As much as I love a good Chengdu style spicy ox fat broth, it pretty much nukes out seafood subtlety.
This place apparently has the same owners as Niku X — which we shall come to in time on All Things.
For more LA dining reviews click here.
For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.
After we went over to a friend’s restaurant to say high.
Got some free Chinese buttered buns which had carbs I didn’t want. They tasted good however.
Restaurant: Kato Restaurant [1, 2, 3, 4]
Location: 777 S Alameda St Building 1, Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA 90021. (213) 797-5770
Date: October 13, 2022
Cuisine: Omakase Asian
Rating: Even better, but too far
In late 2021 Kato, a longstanding modern Asian omakase/kaiseki in Santa Monica shut up shop and moved downtown to a larger, far more glamorous space. Erick and I were bummed because there are so few unique places on the westside — and well the Row is FAR!
The nominal excuse for tonight’s dinner was the rare appearance of Reisa back in LA, so Eve organized this dinner. She’s an investor (and caviar supplier) for Kato.
Kato is right around the corner from Hayato.
The interior is sleek.
We had this nice large sized table.
Most of the gang.
The minimalist menu (not much in the way of descriptors).
I think we bought this off the list. Despite Eve being very tight with Kato, no one senior was in and she had forgotten to arrange something with regard to the corkage — and they have that idiotic 2 bottle limit. What sense does it make that a 2 person table and an 8 person table can open the same number of wines? The Kato list is decent, but it’s young, small, and pretty marked up. Plus we just have way too much wine to be buying off LA lists. After a while they forgot about us and our wine hijinks and we manged well enough.
Chicken Liver, genmaicha, date. Super yummy “liver macaron” style bite.
Sweet Shrimp, seaweed, shaoxing wine. Very interesting blend of flavors being part Japanese and part Chinese. The Shaoxing wine is very distinct.
Scallop, soy preserves, doubanjiang. Yummy little scallop tart with nice textures and a bit of heat to finish.
More champgane.
Sea urchin, Iberico ham, brown butter. Basically a puff pastry/donut hole stuffed with uni and wrapped in ham.
2017 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Großes Gewächs. Probably. Loosen has so many cuvees it was hard to tell which dry Ürziger Würzgarten this was. I picked it off the list.
Black throat sea perch, Tomato and tomato water jelly, shiso. Awesome dish with very pleasant tomato flavors and a bright acidity. I don’t even like (raw) tomatoes and I loved it.
Caviar, dungeness crab, garlic. This is more or less a Kato classic and I’ve had it a bunch of times but it’s still creamy and delicious.
Milk bread. Awesome sweet and fluffy bread. Addictive in fact.
Normandy style butter. Bread was even better with this nice butter.
From my cellar: 2009 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. BH 93. Subtle wood sets off aromas of flowers, oyster shell and tidal pool that complement perfectly the racy, pure and strikingly well-detailed medium plus weight flavors that brim with minerality on the delicious, mouth coating and impressively long finish. This beautifully vibrant and concentrated effort should drink well young and age well too plus it’s more classic in style than many wines from this vintage. (Drink starting 2016)
Tilefish, fish fragrant sauce, Szechuan peppercorn. This is like that French seabass dish with the crispy scales but with a sticky numbing sauce!
1985 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin. BH 92. Some bricking. The nose is a complex mixture of Gevrey earth, spice, game, underbrush and an evident nose of minerality followed by powerful, intense and still moderately structured flavors with plenty of punch and length. The finish is still firm though by no means hard and while this is certainly approachable now, I would give it 45 minutes or so of air. Note: another recent bottle was similar in character but did not possess the same degree of freshness and in particular, the finish seemed somewhat light and diffuse.
Duck, menegi, duck sausage. Great duck. Super tender, a bit sweet and delicious. The spring rolls off to the side with the sausage were even better.
1999 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs. VM 96. Good dark red. Seriously rich, deep aromas of black cherry, currant, tobacco, chocolate and sexy soil tones, plus a whiff of leather that adds complexity. Wonderfully rich, deep, tactile Volnay with a remarkably chewy texture and outstanding dimension to its flavors of strawberry, redcurrant, mocha, tobacco and cocoa powder. The salty, monumental finish features huge, mouthcoating tannins and outstanding rising length. This very complete wine boasts uncanny depth of flavor, particularly in light of the vintage’s healthy yields. By far the best bottle of this wine that I have tasted to date. (13.45% alcohol; September 24 harvest; 41 h/h; 3.37 pH) (Drink between 2019-2039)
A5 Wagyu, beef tendon, sour Chinese mustard. Super tender and rich. Quite nice.
2011 Jean-Claude Boisset Echezeaux. BH91. A ripe, spicy and violet-inflected nose of primarily plum and cassis gives way to opulent, rich and pliant medium-bodied flavors that possess very good depth on the attractively well-balanced finish where a touch of wood can be discerned. In much the same fashion as several other wines in the range this isn’t a great 2011 but it manages to avoid any shortcomings of the vintage and indeed about the only nit is a slight touch of warmth. Note that this could easily be enjoyed now if desired though it should also be capable of rewarding up to a decade of cellar time. (Drink starting 2018)
Freshwater eel, rice, cucumber. More or less like a Japanese rice, but without that Japanese flavor.
Cucumber with a bit of Szechuan peppercorn. I really liked the pickles and was munching them for a while.
Off the list grappa.
Passionfruit, buttermilk, guava. I love passionfruit and I love custard, so this “pot ‘o creme” with passionfruit was an easy sell.
Creme Puff, salted egg. Fine.
Hazelnut, caramelized white chocolate. Like a sweet spaghetti with a white chocolate meatball hiding inside.
Double Mint Oreo — Base made with Fresh Spring Mint infused milk and then laced with Crushed Mint Oreo Thins and Chopped Valrhona 70% Chocolate! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — lovely strong mint flavor and color is all natural — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #mint #valrhona #chocolate #oreo ///// Triple Chocolate Cruch Gelato – The base is made with Valrhona 62% Satilla Chocolate and then layered with Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Ganache and chopped Nestlé Crunch! — 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 #Valrhona #chocolate #creamcheese #ganache #icing #NestléCrunch
Eve brought several tubs of bonus Astrea Caviar! Yummy!
Take home gift.
Almond sesame “cookies.”
Emotional damage!
The wine lineup.
Food at Kato is better than ever. It’s just as cryptic, but there are perhaps slightly more courses and a few of them are slightly larger. The net effect is that it’s not completely necessary anymore to go for second dinner. Back in Santa Monica, even with all the supplements, it always required something else. Now it’s a full meal, and surprising and delicious at that. But it’s also a trek to downtown. And that whole wine thing dragged out what was like a 8:30pm start into a 9:30pm start and we got home at about 2am.
Still, awesome and unique food, and highly worth checking out if you haven’t been.
For more LA dining reviews click here.
Restaurant: Dinner at the Borgese’s [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
Location: Santa Monica
Date: October 11, 2022
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 follows hot on the heels of a Billecart dinner I did here a few weeks before. It’s so close that the Halloween decorations were even more opulent.
The Borgese’s LOVE Halloween and so their house was already decorated for the spook season in epic style!
The dynamic Borgese team consists of Rocco, his lovely wife (and the main kitchen chef), and his daughter (helping out with service).
Plus all this incredible wood fired oven set up.The wine lineup. Not too shabby.
NV Moussé Fils Champagne l’Or d’Eugène Blanc de Noirs Brut.
Tonight’s menu.
From my cellar: 2005 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. JG 95+. The 2005 Comtes de Champagne is a stunning young wine. The bouquet is deep, pure and youthfully complex, as it offers up a very classy blend of pear, delicious apple, fresh almond, incipient notes of crème patissière, chalky minerality, brioche and just a whisper of vanillin oak in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and rock solid at the core, with exquisite balance, refined mousse, crisp acids and simply superb length and grip on the seamless, youthful and oh, so promising finish. The style of the 2005 vintage gives this some early accessibility that was not evident with the more tightly-knit 2004 out of the blocks, but this wine has the structure to also age long and very, very gracefully. It has been a year since I last tasted this wine and it has started to show more precision to go along with its early generosity and is a classic in the making. My gut feeling today is that it will be superior to the 1989 version, to which I compared it to a year ago. Brilliant wine. (Drink between 2015-2045)
Ricciola Sashimi Cucchiai. Yellowtail Sashimi Spoons.
2018 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots. VM 94. The 2018 Chablis Bougros Côte de Bouguerots Grand Cru is well-defined on the nose. Quite stony and terse at first, it opens with orange rind and crushed pebble scents. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, tight and energetic with a zesty, minerally finish. This meliorates in the glass, ending up quite nuanced and tensile. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting. (Drink between 2024-2040)
From my cellar: 2005 Mongeard-Mugneret Grands-Echezeaux. JG 96+. The 2005 Grands Echézeaux from Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret is going to be a great, great wine, but it is still a puppy and needs at least another decade in the cellar. The bouquet is young, but stunning, as it soars from the glass in a blaze of red plums, red and black cherries, a hint of blood orange, a gorgeously complex base of soil, cocoa powder, gamebirds, woodsmoke and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still quite primary , with great depth of sappy fruit at the core, seamless, ripe tannins, outstanding soil signature and a very, very long, tangy and laser-like finish. This is an utterly brilliant bottle in the making. (Drink between 2025-2100)
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.
1989 Château Latour Grand Vin. JG 95. The 1989 vintage of Château Latour was not considered a great year for this superb property, which was purported to have started a mini-slump after the release of the brilliant 1982 vintage at the estate. However, though I did not buy this wine on release (believing the critics of the time and their assessment of its relative inferiority), on the couple of occasions where I have been lucky enough to drink it again in recent times, it has been clear that this wine was underrated at the outset and really is an excellent vintage of Latour. The most recent bottle was getting close to full bloom, but not quite there yet, offering up a deep and complex bouquet of cassis, sweet dark berries, cigar ash, Latour’s classic gravelly, dark soil signature, cedary oak and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and plenty deep at the core, with firm, well-integrated tannins, excellent mineral drive, very good acids for the vintage and a very long, balanced and complex finish. This is getting close to really drinking well as it closes in on its thirtieth birthday, but it is an old school Latour and will still be an even better drink at age forty than it is today. (Drink between 2018-2085)
1990 Château Latour Grand Vin. VM 98. Tasting the 1990 Latour is like running into a long-lost friend. Still dark, deep and spectacularly flamboyant, the 1990 possesses remarkable textural richness from the very first taste. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of pencil shaving, dark fruit, chocolate, licorice and spice flavors, but more than anything else, the 1990 is a wine of pure and total voluptuousness. While I never think of wine as a competition, the 1990 is quite a bit more complex, layered and intriguing than the 1982 served alongside it at the same charity dinner. Its longevity will ultimately be determined by the quality of the cork and storage conditions, as the wine has several decades of truly exceptional drinking still to offer. In a word: magnificent! (Drink between 2019-2039)
1995 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 96. Griotte and kirsch complicated by roast coffee, smoke, mocha and a whiff of game; complex and ineffable. Lush, sweet and very intensely flavored; sappy cherry flavor complicated by a peppery quality. Seems a bit higher in acidity than Guigal’s ’95 La Mouline, and the tannins are distinctly firmer. Again, quite explosive on the aftertaste.
Pasta Fresca di Tonna. A fresh spaghetti with tuna and olives. This lent it a slightly “Spaghetti alla puttanesca” vibe, although not as pungent as that dish. Quite delicious and perfectly textured.
1996 Château Haut-Brion. JG 94. The 1996 Haut Brion is less hermetically sealed than the 1998, and is beginning to hint a bit at its secondary layers of aromatic complexity, though it still remains a very young wine. The bouquet is deep and classic, as it jumps from the glass in a mélange of black cherries, dark berries, Cuban tobacco, incipient notes of the black truffles to come, and a fine base of Graves earth. I assume that the 1996 saw the same amount of new oak as the 1998, but there is little sign of the wood at the present time. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and very intense, with a quite powerful profile for Haut Brion. The wine is rock solid at the core and very tannic, though the tannins are ripe and well-integrated into the wine. The finish is very, very long and soil-driven, and this will clearly be one of the most powerful vintages of Haut Brion to emerge since the 1959. It will be superb, but one will require plenty of patience. (Drink between 2025-2075)
1996 Château Latour Grand Vin. VM 94. The 1996 Latour is a wine that I often find overrated and did not achieve everything that might have been possible in this favourable growing season. That said, this might well be the best of around two dozen bottles I have encountered over the years. As usual, the 1996 is decidedly austere at first, standoffish, looks down its nose at you. Yet it coalesces with time and develops engaging cedar-scented black fruit tinged with pencil box and a touch of iris with time. The palate (again) is a little muted at first but it soon found its voice and evolved very fine tannin allied with a crisp line of acidity. It is not quite as demonstrative as it was even just a couple of years ago, gained some detail and perhaps it will continue to meliorate. Very fine, very fine indeed – but not a patch of say, the Château Margaux or perhaps even Léoville Las Cases. Tasted at the International Business & Wine Latour dinner at Ten Trinity. (Drink between 2018-2040)
1997 Château Mouton Rothschild. VM 90-91. Very good red-ruby color. Currant, cassis, roasted nuts, gunsmoke, chocolate and a note of surmaturite Fat, sweet and expansive, but with sound underlying structure. Lowish acids and a confit note (due at least partly to passerillage, or drying of the grapes by the wind and sun) contribute to the wine almost voluptuous texture.
Quaglie Ripiene. Stuffed Quail. Stuffed with sausage (and some veggies) on a bed of polenta. We’ve had this several times before and it’s a fabulous dish.
1998 Penfolds Grange. VM 97. Very deep red-ruby. Smoky, deeply concentrated fruit bomb of a nose: blackberry, dark plum, cassis; creamy vanilla and lightly toasty coconutty oak; and ethereal background notes of white pepper, smoked meats, musky spices, tar and licorice. Profoundly concentrated but velvety-smooth and seamless; impressively muscular and thickly coated with oak, and bound by drying, astringent tannins. Without question the most concentrated Grange of all time, utterly steeped in blackberry flavors; a real show pony. It’s also the most alcoholic Grange ever made, and at a declared 14.5% does taste warm and spirity – the first Grange to do so. It also ventures to some degree into the realm of currant and prune. No doubt a brilliant wine, but only time will tell if, with its elevated alcohol and its superripe flavors, this 1998 version ranks with the very best Grange vintages.
1999 Penfolds Grange. VM 91+. Full ruby-red. Sexy aromas of raspberry, cola, root beer and coconut. Thick, dense and concentrated, with exotic, slightly candied dark fruit, caramel, toasted coconut and mineral flavors nicely shaped by firm acids. Shows strong fruit and a major dose of oak on the powerful, backward finish. This can’t quite match the 1998 for sheer depth of fruit, but it’s built to age.
2003 Penfolds Grange. VM 93. Inky purple. Seductively perfumed nose offers cassis, blueberry, cherry-cola, violet and dried fig scents, with a suave undercurrent of smoky minerals. Deep, finely etched cherry and dark berry flavors are complicated by mocha and candied licorice, becoming riper with air. Cured meat and black cardamom notes arrive with air, adding further interest. Full, fleshy and sweet on the impressively long finish, which is nicely braced by dusty tannins. This is more energetic than most wines from this vintage.
Risotto a Costine. Short Rib Risotto. Chef Jen made a 2 day short rib ragu and then it was integrated into this fresh risotto. Yum, now that’s my kind of risotto! Actually I love most good risottos but this one is particularly great.
2005 Sine Qua Non Grenache Atlantis Fe2O3~2a, b & c. VM 100. The 2005 Grenache Atlantis Fe203-2a has been absolutely thrilling both times I have tasted it within the last year. A huge, vertical wine, Atlantis graces the palate with deep, voluptuous red fruit, crushed rocks, smoke, tobacco and mint. Even with all of its intensity and explosiveness, the wine remains light on its feet, with great balance and class to burn. The inclusion of whole clusters adds gorgeous lift and perfume, especially on the finish. At nearly ten years of age, the 2005 Grenache Atlantis is in a perfect spot right now and should continue to drink well for another 5-10 years, perhaps longer. (Drink between 2014-2024)
2013 Sine Qua Non Grenache Jusqu’à l’os Eleven Confessions Vineyard. VM 96+. A darker, more potent side of Grenache comes through in the 2013 Grenache Jusqu’a’ l’Os. This powerhouse wine is nowhere near ready to drink. Swaths of tannin enshroud a core of plum, dark fruit in this muscular, brooding Grenache from Sine Qua Non. Readers will have to be patient. The 2013 is 79% Grenache, 18% Syrah and 3% Petite Sirah, all from Eleven Confessions, done with 89% whole clusters. (Drink between 2023-2033)
Braciola di Vitella Ripiena. Stuffed Veal Chop. Perfectly cooked and super juicy. The white meat was similar to a great pork chop, but milder. It was stuffed with provolone, prosciutto, and tomatoe.
With veggies.
You can see the stuffing here.
Funghi. Wood fire grilled 3 mushroom medley.
Melanzane. Grilled eggplant.
The return of the polenta, this time with the shortrib ragu on top — insanely good.
Hazelnut Hojicha Gelato – Nocciola (hazelnut) base made with Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste and infused with Ceremonial Hojicha Roasted Green Tea — 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 #hazelnut #Piedmont
Chocolate Nutter Butter Gelato – a base made from 100% Valrhona Chocolate and South American Peanuts layered with chopped “Nutter-Butter” cookies — 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 #chocolate #valrhona #peanuts #PeanutButter #reeses #NutterButter #cookies
The wine lineup.
The gang.
The lovely ladies of the house.
Overall, this was another amazing dinner, and the Borgese’s just keep amping up the quality.
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.
Wines have crept up in “biggness” here — and I don’t mean their caliber (which is fine) but too many big reds. This food has a bit of a ramp and there were two seafood dishes and then a quail, so we could have ramped through Champs, 2 flights of whites, and then red Burgundy before getting to a few bigger wines. Not everything needs to be gigantic — or SQN (at least there were only 2).
This meal was a slew of Rocco staples, like the quail, but it also featured the unique veal chop.
For more LA dining reviews click here.
Restaurant: Pizzeria Sei
Location: 8781 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035. (424) 279-9800
Date: October 10, 2022
Cuisine: Pizza
Rating: Very good, but very specific Neo-Neapolitan pizza
There has been a lot of buzz about Pizzeria Sei. I’ll just quote from Michelin who wrong it up:
Thick or thin. Sauced or left bare. Traditional or irreverent. Pizza is the shape-shifter of the culinary world, with seemingly endless variations and an insatiable appetite for the newest iteration. Enter Pizzeria Sei, where individual pies are made with a Japan-meets-Italy flair. A handful of diners perch at the counter to watch the chefs hard at work prepping these savory treats. Wondering where the Japanese comes into play? It’s the cornicione—with its trademark puffy pinch with a mochi-like chew. White pies are more offbeat, as in the Bismarck topped with a poached egg, while red pies lean more Italian. The Margherita is a go-to, topped with simple tomato, basil, fior di latte and olive oil, then cooked in an gas- and wood-fired oven.
Anyway, it’s hidden in a little (I mean little) storefront at the corner of Pico and Robertson (by definition pretty much the kosher zone).
This is about it: The oven.
And the toppings counter.
Today’s minimal menu.
Giardiniera. Pickled farmer’s market vegetables, castelvetrano olive, italian herbs, extra virgin olive oil, toasted bread (vegan). I like me some pickles.
Toast. Didn’t need this.
Bismarck Pizza. Fior di latte, prosciutto cotto, egg, pecorino, basil, truffle oil, sea salt.
Diavola Pizza. Tomato, fior di latte, basil, soppressata, olive, parmigiano reggiano, chili flakes, extra virgin olive oil.
Tiramisu. Soft and creamy. By far on the better side for restaurant tiramisu. Not quite mine, but still.
This was some good pizza, as the crust is very chewy and addictive. Toppings seem of very high quality, but there aren’t that many options. It’s certainly one of the best pizzas I’ve had in LA, but I do not think quite as good (to my taste) as Bar Monette but that’ll be for a later post.
Restaurant: Bistro Na’s [1, 2, 3]
Location: 9055 E Las Tunas Dr #105, Temple City, CA 91780. (626) 286-1999
Date: October 9, 2022 and January 7, 2023
Cuisine: Chinese
Rating: Upscale Chinese, solid kitchen
Chinese Restaurants in the SGV are slowly going more upscale in a way that’s different than the Cantonese palaces of Monterey Park of yesterday. I’ve been here several times before, even celebrating a birthday, but Jeffrey wanted to go, and we figured we’d check it out post pandemic (10/9/22) and then not long after Arnie wanted to try it too, so we went back (1/7/23).
And one of the latest is Bistro Na’s located on Las Tunas near this cool:
Teapot fountain!
The interior is very elegant Chinese, almost traditional but in a new way typical in China today. Ornate wood carvings, lanterns and antique music instruments abound. Technically it bills itself as “Imperial Cuisine”. Maybe there is some of that, but it’s also a bit of Chinese greatest hits. Still, it’s a different cuisine than nearly every other place in the SGV with more ornate plating.
The menu is a hardcover thick paged photo tome!
We reserved the private room again. You basically HAVE to do this at Na if you want a great experience. The regular area is just too cramped and restrictive. Food somehow seems better in here too. But they have annoying policies with the regular room. It has a minimum, which isn’t THAT high, so it’s okay, EXCEPT for the fact that you can only reserve at either 5 or 7:30pm and you only get 2 hours. So if you want a different time, say 6:30pm, you need to PAY for both blocks!
In contrast on 1/7/23 about 10 of us were smushed into this booth out in the main dining room as that was the largest table they had. Yarom hovered as usual.
The menu. A lot of dishes at Na are bland so Jeffrey and I spent hours in advance plotting the best things to order.
Chili Tofu Skin Salad (10/9/22). Very nice texture and a little bit of heat.
Na’s Spicy Chicken (10/9/22 and 1/7/23). The classic Sichuan cold dish. Super tasty with a nice balance of salt, tang, and heat. Some numbing as well. Very tender chicken.
Celtuce Jellyfish Salad (10/9/22). A combo dish of smashed cucumbers and jellyfish. Now while it’s expensive ($42!) it was a fabulous jellyfish (and cucumber) dish with a great tangy/sweet soy.
Jellyfish Salad (1/7/23). Not bad, although not much jellyfish — and it replaces the now discountined Jellyfish with Cucumbers (above) that was amazing. Poor direction to go in.
Chef Su’s Pork Feet Jelly (1/7/23). Kind of bland, although the pork meat part was okay.
Smoked Pork Ribs (1/7/23). Bleh. Kind of like lame ribs at a lamb American BBQ joint.
Beijing Zhajian Noodles (10/9/22). They are served all mixed up. It’s very mild but plesant. The meat and mushrooms add some heartiness. The bean sauce is subdued.
Mixed up.
Alaskan King Crab Typhoon Style (10/9/22). Spectacular version using the crab body. Shell was cooked down to be very tender and the crispy garlic was awesome.
Alaskan King Crab Legs, Steamed. Simple but delicious.
Alaskan King Crab Egg Custard. Pleasant texture and mild flavor.
Crispy Shrimp (10/9/22 and 1/7/23). This is Na’s signature dish and for a reason. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and the shells completely candied and edible. Delicious, if a touch sweet. They remind me somehow of cicadas escaping their shells.
3-4 lb Lobster “Typhoon Style” (1/7/23). Lobster itself was a little over cooked and the Typhoon was oddly soggy without the crisp and stong garlic flavor. A bit meh.
2.5lb Turbo steamed with Ginger and Soy (1/7/23). Okay but a bit bland. Nowhere near as good as the Chang’An version.
Braised Abalone and Sea Cucumber (10/9/21). Pleasant brown sauce. This dish is all about the texture. The Sea Cucumber had a nice mouth feel.
Black Pepper Lamb Chops (1/7/23). We asked for rare and got medium plus. Okay, but a bit too overcooked. These also replace the crispy lamb which was great.
Na’s Braised Pork Belly (10/9/22 and 1/7/23). Great version of this classic Shanghai dish. The pork was super succulent and the sweet brown sauce had a nice depth of star anise.
Crispy Pigeon (10/9/22). Fine, but actually one of the weaker dishes tonight as these were slightly dry.
Stir Fried Angus Beef with Garlic (10/9/22 and 1/7/23). Really interesting. The beef itself was tender and good, even if the piece size felt a little bit thick, but the real killer was the crispy candied chilies. These were incredible! Actually fairly spicy.
Braised Brisket with Quail Egg (1/7/23). Kind of sweet and savory, more or less a beef stew. Not bad though.
Stir Fried Pea Sprouts with Mushrooms (1/7/23). Excellently cooked. Could have used a touch more salt (or “flavor”) but otherwise nice.
Chili Pork with Cauliflower (10/9/22). Very tasty vegetable with nice crunch and a good porky flavor.
Stir Fried Cabbage with Dried Shrimp (10/9/22). The dried shrimp give this version of the dish a quite significant pungency. Weirdly they removed it from the menu by our return in January!
Fried Mixed Mushrooms with Rice Cracker Bites (10/9/22 and 1/7/23). OMG these were like potato-stick crack. They felt “hollow”, crispy, and coated in an almost candied shell. So good!
Shrimp Fried Rice with Bonito (10/9/22). Nice complex fried rice with a distinct bonito flake flavor.
Pan Fried Beef Buns (10/9/22). Very nicely flavored beef and chive filling. Pretty temperature hot at the start and could have used a little vinegar/dumpling sauce to balance the hot fat.
Fruit (10/9/22). I guess you only get this in the private room!
Key Lime Pie Gelato — base is a key lime egg custard, layered with house-made Graham Cracker and covered with house-made Torched 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 #KeyLime #lime #custard #meringue #GrahamCracker #cookie
The emotional damage!
Overall, a complicated place (for the SGV) to review.
Service on 10/9/22 was good, better than before. They brought us wine glasses (not great ones, but they have them). We handled the wine service. There was a good amount of plate changing. Took a while to get going even though we had the pre-ordered menu. They seat all the private rooms in two seatings at 5pm and 7:30pm so all 5 of them were sitting at once (not to mention the limited time thing and the minimums). That doesn’t make it easy on the server. All in all it’s excellent service for SGV Chinese.
On 1/7/23 service was fine, but a bit different as we were smushed in outside. I was also annoyed with them because they had removed several of their best dishes from the menu and replaced them with even blander alternatives.
Food is interesting. Beautiful plating. Not the most flavor forward of the Chinese cuisines. Pretty good if you order very very carefully, but also expensive in a relative fashion. Ended up over $200 a person all in with a good tip because of the King Crab. If you go to a Top Island or the like you can get that much cheaper too. Still a novel and fun experience. Gorgeous room.
While a bit pricey for the SGV, the atmosphere is lovely and the plating much more elegant. Some dishes were excellent, some just pretty good, and some outright bland. I’m not really sure what regionality of Chinese it is. Sort of Beijing/Shanghai maybe? They say “Imperial.” It does feel very contemporary Chinese and is certainly not aimed at white folk. I have a general problem here with their “under-seasoning.” A lot of dishes just seem too sweet or too bland. On Oct 9, 2022 meal we ordered really carefully and leaned toward their more spicy (not actually spicy) dishes. This helped a great deal. On 1/7/23 the meal was considerably inferior. We weren’t in the private room and the “crowd” I was with wanted to order some of their meatier dishes that just fall a bit flat.
Hangry Rider made this excellent video summary of our 10/9/22 meal.
For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.
Restaurant: Savida
Location: 1303 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (310) 310-3772
Date: October 8 and 15, 2022
Cuisine: Crudo
Rating: Hit and Miss
This brand new place is close to our house and so we went two weeks in a row (and haven’t been back since actually). It was fast and fairly tasty, with a good selection of low carb options, but a tiny menu that changes constantly. This “crudo” concept is kinda in, perhaps because it works in a small place without a proper hood. I think you could run it out of a “food retail” space.
Inside was tiny and unappealing, but the patio was nice.
The menu.
SUMMER GAZPACHO. Seasonal fruits & vegetables, balsamic whipped cream. Weirdly thin. Tasted good, but the almost water-like texture with the glops of cream bothered me on some visceral level. And besides, they brought this with desert due to staff “confusion” (they were very confused).
CEVICHE. flounder, aji Amarillo, red onion and cilantro. Very bright flavors which I enjoyed. Almost yuzu-like marinated. Even the onions were good soaked in the marinate.
Uni sashimi. This was actually inedible. There was no flesh in there and it tasted off — I wasn’t going to eat off uni.
TOMATO & NECTARINE. burrata, arugula, marcona almonds, balsamic vinaigrette. A nice little salad. Cheese made it but the rest was good too.
Crab Salad. Not so great.
Arugula, pistachio, pomegranate, cheese salad. This salad “replaced” the peach salad on our second visit.
Truffle Burrata. The cheese was good but it was that canned truffle — not a fan.
SALMON. avocado, cucumber aguachille, sesame. This could have used a little more acidity but was plesant. The “sauce” underneath tasted a bit like tomato water.
Salmon toast. This replaced the better salmon from our first visit.
Hamachi. Tomato soy yuzu koshu dressing, cilantro, mint, dill, crispy shallot.
LOBSTER ROLL SLIDER. crème fraiche, coconut cream, lemongrass, celery, crispy shallots. Surpirsingly nice. The bread was really savory (and slightly greasy in a good way). Some big hunks of lobster claw.
SPECIAL OF TUNA SCHWARMA. Seared tuna with pinenuts, onion, and tahini on a warm pita. Actually kind of delicious. There was some acidity to offset the heaviness of the sesame.
Dessert Menu.
A FIGMENT OF MY IMAGINATION. figs, mascarpone, candied walnut, honey, fresh oregano. This dish lived in an odd intersection between the savory and the sweet. However, it was tasty, particularly the cheese with the nuts and honey, which at times seemed almost savory. Really nice, but wasn’t there the second time we went.
Service was extremely confused in these early days at Savida — don’t know if it has improved. I do need to go back and try it out again. It seems like it’s aping Crudo y Nudo a bit to the south on Main Street. That place is better. But still I like the concept and Savida is very close to our house. Their execution, however, is very hit or miss.
Restaurant: Okumura Restaurant
Location: 17302 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91316. (818) 986-9712
Date: October 3, 2022
Cuisine: Japanese Sushi
Rating: Fine
Here I was just trying to find a reasonably priced but solid Sushi spot during one of my valley dinner “waits” (while my son was in robotics).
Nice enough interior.
Salad.
Albacore with crispy onions and ponzu.
Halibut and sweetened soy.
Hamachi Jalepeno.
Salmon and Hamachi sashimi.
Scallop and Mackerel Sashimi.
Toro, uni, and eel sushi.
Okumura was solid. They didn’t have much in the way of exotics on the menu, but what I had was good. It’s a dependable neighborhood sushi joint.
Restaurant: Blooming VIP Restaurant
Location: 8118 Garvey Ave A, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 280-2288
Date: October 7, 2022
Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese Dim Sum
Rating: Solid
This was sort of the first of a new series we called DimSumQuest, in which a bunch of us actively hit some of Southern California’s vast array of Dim Sum places in short order (1-2 a week over several months) in order to suss out their relative merits. Technically speaking, at the time of this visit we hadn’t yet conceived the nefarious plan, but it was the same crew and in the same timeframe so this was pretty much visit (ground) zero.
Blooming VIP, horrible name aside, is a recent opening of a typical Cantonese palace. It’s even helmed by our friend Ben who used to be at Grand Harbor.
I’m not sure if it’s brand new or took over a previous Cantonese Palace but it has some serious (overwrought) build-out.
Who doesn’t love a dragon medallion.
And the main room has to be seen to be believed.
The highlight are these video screen Chinese columns! Animated seafood scenes roll around them continuously!
The manager, Ben and Yarom.
Le menu.
Honey BBQ Pork.
Five Spices Beef Shank.
Imperial Cold Chicken.
Roasted Duck Hong Kong Style.
Seafood Pan Fried Noodle.
Chicken Feet with XO Sauce.
Short Rib with Black Pepper Sauce.
Bean Curd Skin Wrap.
Steamed Beef Balls.
Shrimp and Mushroom Sui Mai.
Beef Rice Noodle with Green Onion.
XLB.
Shrimp Chives Dumpling.
Har Gow.
Pan Fried Chives Pastry. I love these when I see them.
Tofu with Thai Sauce. I love these too, kind of a guilty pleasure.
Shrimp Egg Roll.
Deep Fried Shrimp Ball.
BBQ Pork Bun.
Salty Meat Sticky Rice Wrap. A bit of an unusual look to it, with lots of filling.
Overall, I remember that this was solid but not amazing Dim Sum. Now don’t get me wrong, if you aren’t jaded like I am with SGV Dim Sum, it might be the best you ever had, but in that rarified world, it’s just “doing a good job.” They have a great classic “Palace” setting, they have a full menu of all the usuals and a few less usuals, they have the BBQ meats, they allow you to order off the bigger “dinner” Cantonese menu if you like (not so recommended during the day), and they have awesome service. So, yeah, it checks all the boxes. Specific Dim Sum execution was just good, not amazing. Unfortunately, not only was this the zero’th DimSumQuest visit but I didn’t take the ultra-detailed notes that I did on later visits, so not much (almost no) commentary on which dishes were specifically great.
When the rest of the DimSumQuest crew returned (without me) in Jan 2023 (due to their incessant zeal) they thought “Blooming VIP in Rosemead was solid. Everything was good… but nothing stood out as excellent EXCEPT… the fresh live steamed Norwegian Langoustine/Scampi….so sweet & delicious! But off course, fresh Norwegian Scampi is not really considered DimSum!” — for me the biggest standout was the giant column TV screens, never seen that before.
Restaurant: Maude [1, 2, 3, 4]
Location: 212 South Beverly Drive. Beverly Hills, CA. (310) 859-3418
Date: October 6, 2022
Cuisine: French Californian
Rating: Great Theme
When it opened several years ago, Maude was a big deal on the LA restaurant scene. For quite some time they had a unique “one ingredient, one month” theme. I had gone in late 2014. But that was back several chefs ago, and then they moved to a “season” (of 3 months I think) with a wine theme and food to match. After the pandemic they pivoted yet again to a different chef and a different thematic style.
With its small indoor dining room, Curtis Stone was forced to pivot the space to Pie Room by Gwen during the bulk of the pandemic, focusing on savory and sweet pies plus a slew of other well-done baked goods. Now, he’s shifted back to the Beverly Hills space’s original purpose, marking yet another restaurant of note in busy Beverly Hills.
Stone has brought on fine dining veteran Osiel Gastelum, who trained at Dominique Crenn and was the chef de cuisine at Somni before coming to Maude, to take on the same title overseeing Maude. Gastelum will be infusing the tasting menu with ingredients like nopales and masa, reflecting his upbringing in Sinaloa and Southern California.
Testing the camera on the napkin.
Tonight’s menu.
2008 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. CW 90-92.
Welcome Cocktail (in jelly form). Delicious.
Potato Requeson Caviar. Mild but yummy.
Infladita. A powerful whallop of herring!
Mushroom Sfogliatella. The laminated mushroom pastry puff is dipped in the white puff of whipped cheese. Hard to manage, but tasty.
2001 Pierre Morey Bâtard-Montrachet.
Nopales, Jicama, Avocado. Lily’s Eggs, Farm Nopales, Jalapeno Cucumber Aguachile. This had a very lovely fresh “crisp” taste and that gloppy egg white texture from the cactus. The plating was so elaborate with the little cut bits and tweezered elements that they had to do part of it in advance of service.
Crisps to settle the tastebuds after the zing.
Corn Caviar and Corn Truffles. McGrath Farm Young Corn, Smoked Creme Faiche, Tamal, Egg Yolk Jam. The left hand thing with the caviar had a sort of tartar sauce texture but tasted of corn and caviar. The pretty thing on the right was a sweet corn custard with a smoky flavor and absolutely delicious.
Pescado Zarandeado. Tomato, Green Olives, Escabeche. More elaborate plating! The flish was very tender and lovely while the tomato thing with the carrots on top had the majority of the flavor.
Tomatoes & Oyster. Valdivia Farm Tomatoes, Morro Bay Golden Reserve Oyster. The center tasted like… oyster. There was a lovely tomato jelly underneath and very sweet little tomatoes around.
From my cellar: 2001 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux. JG 90. I quite like Mongeard’s 2001 Echézeaux, which offers up lovely nascent complexity and fine balance in a medium-full format that simply needs a few more years to fully blossom. I most often cross paths with the Vieilles Vignes bottling of Echézeaux from this domaine, but the younger vine version is no slouch. The nose on the 2001 is a blend of cherries, red currants, raspberries, venison, herb tones, a bit of vinesmoke, a fine base of earth and a topnote of cedar. On the palate the wine is fullish, complex and tangy, and while rather closed on the attack, offers lovely length and grip on the bouncy, moderately tannic and complex finish. There is just a touch of wood tannin currently uncovered on the backend of this wine, but there is clearly sufficient stuffing here to absorb it with a few more years bottle age. Good juice. (Drink between 2011-2030)
House Made Bread and Butter. The butter was house made from Straus cream and very “cultured.” Tasted almost like Vacheron or some other mild cheese. Awesome actually. The bread was very chewy and lovely too.
Abalone. Suncoast Farm Beans, Clams, Ham Hock. One of the most tender abalones I’ve ever had had. Nice bit of bite. Pretty awesome dish actually.
1993 Domaine Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin Très Vieilles Vignes. BH 95. Incredible spice, earth and game aromas are framed by still noticeable (but not dominant) oak notes that lead to powerful, wonderfully textured and precise flavors that offer incredible depth and simply superb extract plus length to burn. While the wood is somewhat stronger than I personally prefer, this has so much style and sheer breadth that it is virtually impossible not to be wowed by it. The wine also possesses near perfect balance, which should enable it to age for years, perhaps decades as this is one stunner of a wine. Multiple, and consistent, notes.
Duck. Figs, Mole, Hitlacoche. Duck was a bit undewelming. Duck might have been a bit overcooked. The mole was good but overwelms the meat.
Cheese. Brillat-Savarin, Pepitas, Ritzy Cracker. Sort of cheese and caramel? Interesting.
Down the Rabbit Hole. Wheat, Spiced Yogurt, Fair Hill Farm Plums, Praline.
Memories of Summer in LA. Champagne Mango, Jasmine, Coconut Tapioca, Herbs. Super creamy and quite lovely, although I would have liked a bit more punch to the flavors.
Peaches and Cream. Cajeta Mousse, Peaches, Sage Butterscotch. Textures were a bit disjointed as it fell apart when trying to eat it.
Mignardises. An incredible coffee truffle and a little s’more thing. Great.
Little shortbreads.
Notes.
The wine lineup.
I found this new format for Maude the best of the three. The food was good, the Mexican vibe was interesting. Some dishes were excellent, really good, and some just solid. The service was fabulous. Food still, for all its “fancy” is still slightly underwhelming. I mean it’s good, but things didn’t stand out in my memory — other than meeting James for the first time (in the pink between Erick and I). But it was certainly way better than some of the previous cerebral meals here. We don’t have that many high end tasting menu western style restaurants in LA, and it’s great to have Maude still going, but it’s never seemed up there with Melisse, Providence, or even some newcomers like Manzke.
Our wines were underwhelming as well. Not the restaurants fault in the slightly. We just didn’t have luck tonight with bottle variation.
I again loved the 2 locations thing and the loungey location upstairs. All in all a super fun evening!
Restaurant: Lady Yan’s
Location: 203 W Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801. (626) 872-6677
Date: October 2, 2022
Cuisine: (Mostly) Szechuan Chinese
Rating: Medium level Szechuan
I’ve eaten at this location as at least 5 restaurants.
It’s the familiar spot that once housed Sham Tsem (Alahambra), New Bay, and Happy Table, and GV Yummy. That’s a lot of restaurant churn — probably the most different restaurants I’ve eaten at in a single location in the SGV. The current name seems to be Lady Yan’s, but the old signs are still up there. New Qing Dao seemed to have been the same as GV Yummy. Not totally sure. It was very confusing.
The menu. This time around I think it’s Szechuan, more or less.
Cucumber Salad. The typical smashed cucumber dish, but an excellent version being smashed, very garlic forward, and well sauced.
Jelly in spicy savory sauce. The Chengdu street mung bean jelly. Not a bad version at all. I would have preferred a slight extra bit of tanginess in the sauce, but it was good.
Sliced beef and ox tongue in chili sauce. Nice version of this dish with the appropriate cilatro and peanut vibe. Regular meat and what is probably tripe or lung. Not as good as at GuYi, but very good.
Spicy wonton “soup.” Nice, although as usual for this dish the wonton’s seemed a bit under-seasoned (maybe just overwhelmed by the chili) and the “soup” is slightly watery.
Our one claw 4lb live lobster.
Lobster with ginger scallion. This was by accident as it was supposed to by Tyhoon style. I think the chef just didn’t want to. The lobster meat itself was fine but the prep was meh. Heavy. One of the worst Chinese lobsters I’ve had in a while.
Live fish kung fu style. Very nice fish with plenty of meat, chilis, veggies, tofu, potato etc. Overall lovely.
Tea Smoked Duck. Excellent pastrami duck. Very juice and delicious.
Sichuan spicy chicken nuggets. Very nice salty/numbing version of this iconic dish. Quite enjoyable.
Double cooked pork belly. Twice cooked pork. Awesome version with a really nice smoke and black bean flavor.
Sichuan signature mixed meats in chili sauce. Pretty much the same chili “broth” as the fish etc. Included all sorts of weird parts. The spam and liver/blood type stuff was good. There was also the chewy tripe.
BBQ Lamb Ribs. Served piping hot. Very fatty and full of sizzling flavor. Nice. The sauces didn’t totally work.
Eggplant with spicy garlic sauce. A 7/10 version of this dish. Pretty nice.
Green beans with garlic. Fine but nothing special.
Shredded cabbage. This had the obligatory pork belly and was generally fairly delicious.
Dan dan mein. Pretty typical Chengdu version. No peanut or sesame but a fairly addictive flavor all the same.
Seasoned peanuts. Nice, although not like the crack peanuts at Haige Star.
MaPo Tofu. Surprisingly delicious. Solid 8/10 version of this dish.
Chengdu style fried rice. Not exactly sure what was in here (other than the obvious peas) but it was very tasty.
Free totally weird Chinese dessert. Pretty terrible.
Citron au Courant Sorbetto – Fresh squeezed Lemons blended with French Currants (Cassis) — 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 #sorbetto #lemon #cassis #currents #lemonade #citron
Overall, this place was solid, but slightly “uninspired” SGV Chinese. Now for outside the SGV it would be excellent, as it’s way better than somewhere like Szechuan Place. Lady Yan’s has a wide range of dishes and they do “pretty well” with most of them, very good with a few. The service was nice and MUCH better than at Happy Table or GV Yummy. The build out was identical. It’s fairly low rent and not super crowded. The space must be cursed. There are better Szechuan places, several, but I’d go back to Lady Yans happily enough. And they do have some lingering dishes from other regions (like the BBQ lamb ribs).
