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Typhoon style crab. Perfect crunchy garlic
Author Archive for agavin – Page 19
Restaurant: Ten Raku
Location: 4177 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90020. (213) 380-8382
Date: Oct 21, 2021
Cuisine: KBBQ
Rating: Solid old school KBBQ
Chevy setup tonight’s dinner and he chose KBBQ because he loves meat and any excuse for big red wines. Not that I’m complaining too much.
Ten Raku is a classic KTown KBBQ place place.
It’s kinda old school, and given the state of the pandemic was fairly quiet.
The menu has a decent number of options. This is good, sometimes I feel that some Korean places are too focused.
1995 Perrier-Jouët Champagne Cuvée Fleur de Champagne. VM 88+. Strong mousse. Restrained aromas of lemon rind, lime, honeysuckle and chalk. Tightly wound, firm and quite refined; almost hard today and distinctly backward. Finishes long, brisk and dry, with bracing lemony acidity. (I also tasted a far less fresh bottle, which showed tired aromas of apple and pear.) There’s been a change of importer since last year, so ask your merchant for this fall’s shipment. (Allied Domecq Wines U.S.A., Healdsburg, CA)
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)
Typical “free” salad.
Banchan.
Bean sprouts.
Mac Salad.
Pickles.
Spicy pickled cucumber.
Kimchee.
My personal favorite the chewy fish cake.
Another spicy something.
Seafood pancake. Egg batter with flour, green onions, belly peppers and octopus served with a soy vinegar dipping sauce.
Fluffy egg soufflé.
Besides beef, Ten Raku specializes in octopus, so of course we had to get some. This is some kind of Jeon Gol, a Korean Stew with octopus and various vegetables and noodles.
It all gets cooked down and then…
Served up like this for some chili flavored deliciousness.
Then they dump a bunch of rice into the broth and fry it up into spicy fried rice (with a lot of flavor).
1994 Château Haut-Brion. VM 93-95. Fabulous smoky, roasted, black fruit and tobacco nose, with a sappy urgency. Like liquid velvet in the mouth; gives a saline impression of extract. Very fresh and bright, with uncanny sweetness. Explosive finishing fruit buries the uncommonly fine tannins. One of the very few ’94s that truly stains the palate.
1996 Château Cos d’Estournel. VM 93. The 1996 Cos d’Estournel has a fragrant, Pauillac-tinged bouquet with the melted tar and graphite leitmotifs that I remarked upon in previous encounters. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy-textured tannin. I feel that the 1996 shows a tad more maturity than a few months ago, with undergrowth and peat-like notes surfacing with aeration and then a dash of white pepper streaking across the finish. However, it evinces fine persistency and embraces the classic tropes of the 1996 vintages. Though not a top tier Cos d’Estournel, it remains an excellent Saint-Estèphe. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical at the property. (Drink between 2018-2035)
1997 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon. VM 94+. Bright deep ruby. Blackberry, violet, tar, shoe polish and game on the nose, plus a light floral note; at once vibrant and surmuri. Superconcentrated, remarkably intense flavors of crystallized black cherry, cassis and licorice. An extremely persistent wine of noteworthy finesse, yet also one with a powerful structure for aging. One of the standouts of the vintage.
1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 93-95. Full, saturated ruby, by a wide margin the darkest of these ’97s. Spicy, high-pitched aromas of cassis, black cherry, licorice, flint and tar. Densely packed but currently tightly wound and dominated by its structure. Shows a restrained sweetness and complicating hints of leather, flint and tar. More tannic than the Mouline or Turque but here, too, the tannins are quite fine. Very long on the palate. A lovely expression of syrah from a very ripe year.
1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia. VM 94. Full ruby. Supersweet aromas of blackberry, cassis, bitter chocolate, espresso and tobacco. Thick and seamless yet bright and sharply defined. Very long and spicy on the aftertaste, with excellent grip. Sweet tannins coat the teeth. Williams says the selection for Insignia is based on quality and concentration rather than on a particular flavor profile.
1995 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. VM 89. Healthy dark red. Plum, coffee and chicory on the nose. Savory redcurrant fruit is complemented by well-integrated oak notes of coffee and chocolate. With good salinity and energy, there’s nothing heavy about this Cabernet. Finishes with firm, fine-grained tannins that avoid dryness. No easy sweetness but nicely ripe and persistent. À point right now. (Drink between 2016-2020)
1997 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso. VM 94. What a treat it is to taste the 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pianrosso on this day. Medium-red in color, it offers an expressive, ethereal nose with notes of roses, tar and tobacco that float out of the glass along with soft, perfumed fruit in a delicate, captivating interplay of sensations and aromas. Although this bottle had been decanted for three hours prior to my visit to the estate it nevertheless appeared somewhat closed. Still fresh, it promises to provide memorable drinking for at least another decade although my guess is that the wine’s structure will ultimately outlast the fruit. Regardless, it is utterly irresistible right now. Anticipated maturity (Drink between 2013-2014)
Cold mustardy noodles with beef and veggies. They actually put ice in here that melts.to get it nice and chilled. They are both spicy, tangy, and mustardy.
Korean style beef tartare. Always a great take on beef tartare as it has bits of pear and a sweet and tangy marinate.
Our full spread of uncooked meat! This is the core KBBQ deal.
Some close ups of all that beef. KBBQ doesn’t actually photo that well as it’s really tedious to remember all the different cuts and show them cooking and then cooked.
Some cut on the grill.
And a few minutes later.
The big rib eye.
More meat.
Daikon slices in case one wants to wrap up the meat.
Pickles, garlic, and chiles.
Spicy bean paste. You can add all the elements and some meat together to make a delicious Korean wrap.
Pork belly on the grill.
And more cooked.
Strawberries & Mascar-Creamy Gelato — A base infused with Mascarpone Cheese then blended with house-made Strawberry Curd — created by me for @sweetmilkgelato — my vain attempts to pipe a pretty decoration on top were uttery foiled by timing –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #cheesecake #mascarpone #cheese #strawberry #cream
This was a fun and solid meal. Some of the beef was a bit too “straight up” for me — aka not marinated — but there were a bunch of interesting extras like the noodles, pancake, and octopus stew. Quality was high. Service good. If you want the classic 80s/90s KBBQ style (ignoring AYCE which I always do as it’s pointless), this is a great place. There are newer glitzier places like Gwang Yang which have a much hipper vibe, but the actual meat isn’t much different.
Our wines were generally great even if there were a couple new worlds in there. Unfortunately one of mine was a bit corked. Sigh.
Restaurant: Shunji [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Location: 3003 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 826-4737
Date: October 19, 2021
Cuisine: Japanese Sushi
Rating: First rate omakase
I’ve been going to Shunji for years in its Pico Blvd location but very recently, during the pandemic in fact, he’s moved to a new space over on Ocean Park. So of course we had to go and include him in our Sushi Series of top LA sushi places.
The outside is nearly anonymous.
But inside the whole format and layout is totally different. Gone is the bigger space of tables and now there are two extremely elegant rooms with small gorgeous sushi bars. Each space has its own chef, Shunji himself in this case, and the format of the menu has been vastly simplified. No ala carte at all. Just omakase. Which is how I like it.
New Shunji was so new that all the flowery Japanese congratulation signs were still up.
Even the wood of the sushi bar is stunning.
2002 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons. VM 97. The 2002 Brut Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons, the original release and aged on crown seal, is tremendous. Wow. Ample, sweeping and dramatic, the 2002 is utterly captivating. Smoke, graphite, ash, apricot jam and pastry are some of the many nuances that come alive in the glass, with a top note of reduction that is very appealing. On this day, the regular release is just a touch ahead of the Oenothèque. It’s hard to say exactly why that is, but I suspect that the post-disgorgement time is optimal. This is the finest bottle of the 2002 I have ever tasted. Disgorged July 2010. (Drink between 2018-2028)
1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. JG98. I had not drunk a bottle of the 1996 Krug in several years, as I had deemed the wine still in climbing mode and I am not generally in the business of drinking Krug before its time. But, a friend recently opened a bottle and I was very impressed with how the wine is evolving in the bottle since its release. The bouquet is now starting to show some lovely secondary layering of complexity in its blend of apple, peach, a touch of sweet walnut, patissière, a refined base of minerality, caraway seed and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine flavors on the attack echo the nose nicely, with the wine’s full-bodied format sporting excellent depth at the core, still plenty of the vintage’s snappy acidity, great focus and grip and a very, very long and utterly refined finish. Though this remains quite racy structurally, I really like the point it has reached in terms of aromatic and flavor complexity and it is really not a crime to be opening bottles up at this point in its evolution, though it still has room to grow with further bottle age. A great, great vintage of Krug. (Drink between 2019-2060)
Vegetable purée. Uni caviar. Egg. This wasn’t one of my favorite dishes as it had a very distinct “Shunji” vegetal taste. Sort of a mellow carby flavor that distracted a bit from the uni/caviar.
Matsutaki mushroom Faux Chawanmushi. Winter melon. Eggs. King crab.
Halibut sashimi. Sauce of sake and salt. Shredded Plum. Very mild “salty” taste.
Sake sauce.
King mackerel. Seared skin side. Smoked with green tea. With sea salt and wasabi.
1999 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. VM 93. Bright, pale golden yellow. Pure but subdued nose shows sexy floral, truffle and balsamic hints, plus a hint of mocha. Juicy and delineated more than thick on the palate, with its strong citrus and floral flavors given cut and lift by brisk acidity. Boasts terrific energy for a 20-year-old white wine. Quite penetrating and long on the aftertaste, dominated by citrus fruits. Perhaps not quite as complex as the ’00 but this wine offers broader appeal. (the yield in ’99 was 60 hectoliters per hectare) (Drink between 2019-2028)
2008 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. VM 96. Bright yellow with a green tinge. Classic Montée de Tonnerre aromas of lemon ice, crushed rock, iodiney minerality and white flowers. floral, lemon ice, straight and classic. Tactile, juicy and utterly gripping–in fact still almost painful today. Powerful salty minerality and penetrating acidity currently dominate the wine’s lemon oil, grapefruit and floral flavors, with the wine showing a weightless impression. The dusty mineral-driven finish stains the palate and builds inexorably. (When I first tasted this wine from the barrel, I suggested that it might be the longest Chablis premier cru of the vintage.) Drink the 2010 for lunch now but hold this magical wine for another couple years, as its spring is still tightly coiled. This was my favorite wine of the tasting. The 2014 and 2010 vintages may be richer and deeper, as Isabelle Raveneau suggested to me three years ago, but this ’08 is utterly classic. (12.69% alcohol; 3.14 pH; 4.4 g/l acidity; the days were sunny but the nights were quite chilly during the relatively early harvest of 2008, which concentrated the sugars and acidity, noted Isabelle Raveneau) (Drink between 2021-2042)
Fall bonito. Nori.
Shunji at work.
Abalone sushi with liver sauce.
2006 Louis Jadot Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. VM 96+. Full yellow. Broad, deep and initially quite closed on the nose, this opened to show white peach, crushed stone, and fresh hazelnut and almond. Then powerful, vibrant and palate-staining, with terrific cut to the flavors of white peach, lemon, liquid stone and white flowers. Wonderfully tactile wine with an almost painful intensity. Finishes with superb cut and length. This has only 3.8 grams of acidity yet conveys outstanding balance and verve. “If we had allowed the malolactic fermentation to finish, the wine would have ended up with less than three grams of acid,” Lardiere observed. A great 2006.
2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 94. Aromas of white peach and crushed stone. Sweet, dense and powerful, with strong minerality giving it a strong sappy quality. The ripeness here is almost exotic, and yet this very sweet, long wine comes off as young today. I’d wait four years. Interestingly, winemaker Philippe Prost believes that the ’06s are both riper and more primary than the saline, creamy ’05s, and that they need a bit more time in bottle than the earlier set of wines.
Sweet white miso soup with shrimp in two textures and yuzu. Lotus root for crunch.
2008 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 94. An almost completely inexpressive but relatively high-toned nose of lemon rind, acacia blossom, ripe peach and apricot gives way to almost painfully intense full-bodied and overtly muscular flavors that offer exceptional richness on the magnificently long, mouth coating and palate staining finish that is wrapped around a very firm core of ripe acidity. Chez Pernot, I typically prefer the Bienvenues but as good as it is, and it is very good, in 2008 I give the nod to the Bâtard, if only by a nose, no pun intended. (Drink starting 2016)
Monkfish liver “pate” with toast.
Duck.
Prepping for the sushi.
Ginger.
Red snapper.
Goldeneye snapper.
Snapper.
Pomfret.
Shima aji (Japanese Mackerel).
Blue fin tuna.
Toro.
O-Toro.
Hokaido Uni.
Sea Perch.
Baracuda.
Shirako with uni rice.
Wild yellowtail from Hokaido, 10 day aged.
Salmon Eggs (Ikura).
Artsy Japanese ceramics.
Sweet shrimp cured with kelp and dusted with botarga.
Toro handroll.
Eel. Super soft. Nice Japanese flavor.
Tamago.
Enoki mushroom miso.
Japanese Pears and Grapes.
Roasted Tea Ice Cream.
Roasted Tea.
The wine lineup.
All and all Shunji is rather fantastic, easily in the large repertoire of top LA sushi restaurants. His move to the new location and increased focus on omakase has only improved his already great food. The meal is much more precise and orchestrated now with a natural progression of different techniques and seasonal ingredients. His very fine nigiri continues to shine. Just plain excellent.
And the whole setting is much more pleasant and calm without the bevy of tables behind you.
Restaurant: Asuka
Location: 1553 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024. (424) 832-7284
Date: October 16, 2021
Cuisine: Japanese / Sushi
Rating: Great neighborhood sushi
At one of our endless expensive sushi places Joe and Bonnie insisted that we try Asuka, which is a Westwood “local” or neighborhood sushi place they feel has really good quality. So of course we took them up on the offer.
The menu.
2002 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 99. The 2002 Cristal is now entering its first plateau of maturity, which makes it a terrific Champagne for drinking now. Hints of apricot, brioche, lemon confit, honey, hazelnut, baked apple tart and spice give the 2002 striking layers of nuance. Rich and generous, the 2002 show plenty of the natural opulence of the year and yet retains terrific freshness as well. As always, Cristal is a blend of Pinot from Ay, Verzenay, Verzy and Beaumont sur Vesle, and Chardonnay from Mesnil, Cramant and Oger. Dosage is 9 grams per liter. This is the original 2010 disgorgement. What a wine. (Drink between 2019-2039)
2005 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 94. Bright yellow-gold. Heady floral-accented citrus and orchard fruits on the nose, with smoky mineral and floral overtones adding complexity. Velvety and chewy in texture, offering deep, juicy orange and poached pear flavors and suave honey and chamomile nuances. Blends precision with power, finishing with a distinct mineral quality and excellent persistence.
2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 99. The 2008 Cristal is one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted. A stunning wine from any and all perspectives, the 2008 simply has it all. Spherical in construction, with superb persistence. The 2008 takes hold of all the senses and never gives up. One of the many things that makes the 2008 special is a combination of ripe fruit and bright, piercing acidity. Marzipan, lemon confit, dried flowers and orchard fruit all build into the explosive, resonant finish. “We learned from the mistakes of 1996, when we picked more on acid than ripeness, as was the norm in Champagne back then” Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon told me recently. “In 1996, the best fruit turned out to be the last picks, where the fruit was physiologically ripe. Today, we aim to pick all our fruit with that criteria.” (Drink between 2020-2050)
2012 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 98. The 2012 Cristal is another absolutely stellar wine this flight of recent releases. Rich, vinous and beautifully textured, the 2012 has been nothing short of magnificent on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. In the glass, the 2012 is radiant and luscious, yet it possesses remarkable transparency and striking aromatic depth. Light tropical notes develop in the glass, giving the 2012 a real feeling of exotic beauty. The 2012 is the first vintage of Cristal done with 100% organically-farmed fruit, an approach introduced gradually starting with the 2007 that has profoundly changes Cristal, especially in its aromatic breadth. Two thousand twelve is the vintage where endless trials and experiments in farming and winemaking are fully realized. The 2012 is just stunning. It’s as simple as that. Dosage is just over 7 grams per liter, the lowest it has even been for Cristal. (Drink between 2022-2052)
Appetizers.
Oyster with yuzu-kosho. Great.
Duck and monkfish liver. Both great.
Tofu with uni.
Eggplant. Not my favorite.
Popcorn shrimp tempura. We ordered again it was so good.
1992 J.M. Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 87. Fat, rich, generous fruit laced with notes of botrytis followed by big, intense flavors that show good breed but not much cut or acid balance and as such, this has become a bit top heavy.
1990 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet.
Sashimi (toro, scallop, red snapper).
Crab Chawanmushi. Lovely.
Chilean Seabass. nice.
Octopus. Way too charred.
Red Snapper (tai).
Albacore.
Bluefin tuna.
Scallop.
Kanpachi.
Clam miso soup. Very nice.
2008 Louis Latour Romanée St. Vivant Les Quatre Journaux. BH 93. A subtle touch of wood sets off a strikingly elegant and very pinot nose interlaced with spice, violet and soft earth notes that can also be found on the complex and youthfully austere flavors that possess really lovely finishing balance and excellent length. This is not especially dense yet it actually is relatively powerful for RSV plus there is a beguiling sense of harmony and completeness here. (Drink starting 2013)
1964 Joseph Drouhin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. BH 91. Sweet, pure, elegant and remarkable spicy with rich, round, moderately full flavors that have not lost their focus or precision and a long, rich, velvety finish that has a bit of acid poking through now. The tannins are not fully resolved and give a certain edgy quality to the flavors though not to the point where the overall balance is seriously compromised. Drink up. Note: another recent bottle was completely oxidized and essentially undrinkable.
Lamb chop.
Toro.
Negi-toro handroll.
Spicy tuna on crispy rice.
King salmon. Ikura. Uni.
Sea eel.
Macha custard. Lovely.
Roasted Tea.
The quality here WAS really good. Service was great, and while they have a big menu everything we had, particularly the sushi was quite good. It’s not quite at the level of the mega high end places — nor does it try to be — but it’s a “real” Japanese place with very solid sushi, way better than the likes of Kantana or Roku. Very enjoyable and quite reasonable for what it is.
Restaurant: Private Chef, David Slatkin
Location: Bel Air
Date: October 15, 2021
Cuisine: American
This particular entry in my series of Friday afternoon wine themed Sauvages lunches was set at…
Member Jeff’s lovely backyard and features food by private chef David Slatkin.
We dined at this lovely table — it would be romantic except this is about a dozen old winos :-).
Getting the wine going.
1808 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé Rosé.
Salmon from Jose. Great, but very salty.
Korean Short Rib Taco — sweet but great.
2018 Château Cos d’Estournel Blanc. VM 92. The 2018 Cos d’Estournel Blanc is showing nicely in bottle, partly because of the increased proportion of Sémillon in the blend. That lends complexity on the nose, which displays gorgeous honeysuckle and yellow plum aromas, if perhaps more oiliness than I found from bottle. The palate has tightened up a little, feeling less rounded than before, with intense orange pith, apricot and tangy marmalade toward the finish. A lovely Cos d’Estournel Blanc that I am intrigued to see age in bottle. (Drink between 2021-2032)
2019 Château Brane-Cantenac Blanc. 90 points.
Miso Potsticker — a bit salty.
Mango and burata toast.
BBQ pork belly.
2000 Château Angélus. VM 92. The 2000 Angélus (which, incidentally, was the first vintage where the bottle was embossed with the château name) is one that I have tasted many times, though not recently. Showing minor degradation at its rim, it displays a core with a healthy deep hue. The bouquet is concentrated and intense, plenty of red fruit mingling with melted tar and leather, and perhaps a little more gourmand/animally than I was expecting. The palate is medium-bodied with a slight bitterness on the entry, and delivers good weight and girth, though compared to recent vintages it is patently clear that there is not the same clarity or tension. Quite ferrous, especially with aeration. (Drink between 2021-2032)
2000 Château La Mission Haut-Brion. VM 97. The 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion is a vintage that I have not tasted for several years. At age 21, it has retained its youthful nose of vivid black cherries, wild strawberry and iodine, and shows less of the black olive tapenade element that I noticed in its youth. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins that belie that backbone of this La Mission. Beautifully balanced and quite peppery, with fine salinity, it is less sauvage than many other millennial Bordeaux, leading to a succulent, sensual finish. This is only just beginning to show what it is capable of. 13.4% alcohol. Tasted at the château with Jean-Philippe Delmas. (Drink between 2022-2050)
2000 Château Magrez Fombrauge. VM 88-90. Saturated ruby. Musky aromas of black raspberry, violet, game and burning tobacco. Intensely flavored, firmly structured and tightly wound, but seems a bit dried by the extraction. Seems rather tough today and not showing its personality. But undeniably concentrated. Finishes with somewhat gritty tannins.
Fish with cous cous and lobster.
1989 Château La Conseillante. VM 97. The 1989 La Conseillante is one of the top performers in Pomerol and arguably now one of the best values. This bottle confirms that exuberance and joie-de-vivre on the nose, displaying the telltale crushed violets in bloom, with precious but controlled red and black fruit underneath. The palate is sumptuous from the start, presenting cashmere tannin and perhaps a little more glycerine in this bottle. The bravura finish leaves you grinning from ear to ear. Stunning, and it will remain on its plateau for many years. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. (Drink between 2019-2040)
1989 Château Montrose. VM 98. The 1989 Montrose is a magnificent wine and this represents one of the best bottles I have encountered – one that was purchased on release and not moved from Berry Brothers’ cellar since. I have encountered perfect bottles of the 1989, and this flirts with that magic figure. It is blessed with a captivating bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, sous-bois and black truffle, the veins of blue fruit just toned down a little compared to previous bottles. The palate is supremely well balanced with those filigreed tannins that in some ways are atypical of Montrose. It delivers silky-smooth texture and an intense finish that glides across the senses. I cannot give a perfect score on this occasion, but without question, this is one of the great Montrose releases. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. (Drink between 2019-2050)
1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron. VM 95. The 1989 Pichon-Baron repeats its performance from the vertical tasting in May 2018. It storms from the glass, bearing copious blackberry, cedar and perhaps a little more mint than I noticed on the previous bottle. There is so much youthful zeal to this harmonious, refined Pauillac that you would barely guess it is 30 years old. Long and tender with a graphite-infused finish, this bottle might be even better than the ex-château example. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. (Drink between 2019-2038)
Duck confit with egg.
1996 Château Lafite Rothschild. VM 97+. The 1996 Lafite-Rothschild is consistent with the bottle shown at the Hong Kong vertical. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry, cedar and a pencil box of graphite. The adjective I use whilst writing this note is that the aromas are “cool”. Perhaps given its provenance, this is one of the most backward bottles of 1996 that I have tasted. There are those fine but rigid tannins that lend this Lafite such beguiling symmetry, copious cedar and graphite with vein of brine and oyster shell. I love the precision of this wine and the sappiness on the finish. At the moment, maybe more impressive than enjoyable, so if you can, cellar it for another 5 to 8 years. Tasted at the Lafite-Rothschild 150th anniversary dinner at the estate. (Drink between 2025-2055)
From my cellar: 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)
1986 Château Léoville Las Cases. VM 97+. Saturated dark ruby. Cassis, shoe polish, camphor and rose petal on the nose; this reminded me of a great vintage of Latour. Dense and extremely concentrated; explosive yet totally backward. There nothing playful about this infant claret. Finishes with extraordinary, slow-building persistence. Very serious juice; one of the great Bordeaux of the 1980s. Drink 2010 through 2035.
Lamb ravioli with truffle. Yum!
1990 Château Montrose. VM 95. Full ruby-red. Wild, exotic aromas of crystallized redcurrant, leather, tobacco and minerals; distinctly exotic, even overripe. Then lush, sweet and opulent, with an atypically velvety texture for Montrose. But extremely young and structured, finishing with powerful tannins and great grip and length. Almost California-like in style; in Bordeaux, they’d refer to the fruit expression of this wine as “original,” which is not necessarily high praise. Drink 2008 through 2030.
1990 Château Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse). VM 91. Deep ruby to the rim. Extravagant aromas of black fruits, violets, and toffee. Voluptuous and sweet; this has outstanding concentration but with so much baby fat there’s little delineation on the palate. Finishes with a kick of alcohol and substantial ripe tannins. Very dense, but while a flight of other top right-bank wines were sending off fireworks in the glass, this chunky wine sat like a lump of coal.
1982 Château Mouton Rothschild. VM 98. The 1982 Mouton-Rothschild continues to be the extravagant Pauillac that it has always been. This has an irresistible, exotic bouquet of precocious kirsch, hoisin, graphite and blueberry scents that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is a little headier than previous bottles, sensual and almost glossy, presenting a glycerin-rich smorgasbord of dark cherries, black currant, crème de menthe and mint that almost knocks you off your feet. Fabulous. Tasted from an ex-château jeroboam at the Palace of Versailles charity dinner. (Drink between 2019-2040)
Beef.
1995 Grande Maison Monbazillac Cuvée Madame.
1998 Alois Kracher Grande Cuvée TBA #10 Nouvelle Vague. 95 points. The fat and soft fruit of chardonnay are here perfectly allied with the freshness and spice of welschriesling. Caramel and pungent botrytis augment aromas of honey and tropical fruits. In the mouth, this is the most dynamic of any of Kracher’s ’98s, with insistent fruit acid and firm expression of wood allaying its formidable thickness. Flavors of quince and apple jelly, with musky notes from the welschriesling and a chardonnay-typical caramelization of tropical fruits. Mandarin orange and brown spices join the fruit parade in a formidable finish. 2 stars.
Persimon Souflee.
Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Coconut Cream Pie Gelato — Coconut dairy custard base, house-made GF Graham Crackers, and house-made Coconut Caramel — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #caramel #grahamCrackers #cookies
Apricot Amaro Passionfruit Mango Sorbetto – I like blending compatible fruits together — 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 #sorbetto #amaro #apricot #passionfruit #mango
Epic cheese plate.
No comment.
Overall, a great lunch with really good food and amazing wines — all of which were drinking in great form. I don’t buy too much Bordeaux anymore, but they are really great when you give them a few years.
After the dinner proper a couple of us hung out on the lovely terrace and sipped our vast array of wines (and munched on the cheese plate).
For more LA dining reviews click here.
Restaurant: 71Above [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]
Location: 633 W 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071
Date: October 12, 2021
Cuisine: New American
Rating: Awesome in all ways
71Above is one of my favorite LA restaurants and I’ve been many times. In fact there are 10 previous write ups! Original Chef Vartan Abgaryan has moved on to his own new place, Yours Truly (which the pandemic has sadly done in), and 71Above is now seamlessly helmed by his disciple, Chef Javier Lopez. Today the location plays host to a special old California dinner owner Emil Eyvazoff organized with an equally special menu. This dinner is the spiritual sequel to a much older Old California dinner back in 2015.
Besides being located on the 71st floor (950 feet up!) of the US Bank building, being the highest restaurant west of the Mississippi, it’s owned and operated by my friend Emil Eyvazoff!
On one of these visits, Emil gave me a quick tour of their new “patio” on the 70th floor below where they are serving up Mezzes and drinks.
Gorgeous build out upstairs for the main event.
Look at the crazy view and the crazy fog on this weird spring night.
We set up shop for this evening in the private room.
Just a few glasses at the ready.
Our special menu.
The wine list.
Bread and butter.
1984 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay.
1985 Kalin Cellars Chardonnay Cuvée L. JG 93+. The Cuvée L chardonnay hails from a warmer section of Long Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, where the sun in principally of the afternoon variety, and like the cooler section where the “Cuvée LD” comes from, this is planted with Wente clones. The 1985 Cuvée L is a lovely bottle, with a slightly more fruit-driven personality from the predominance of afternoon sun in this section of the vineyard. The bouquet delivers a fine blend of fresh apricot, baked peaches, a nice touch of soil, a bit of citrus zest and a topnote of toasted walnut. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and seamless, with a lovely core, a very refined personality, great balance and a very long, refined finish. This is more elegant than the 1986 Cuvée LD served alongside of it (differences in vintage character?), but the 1986 Cuvée LD is the slightly more complex of the two wines today. (Drink between 2016-2035)
1985 Kistler Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard.
Yellowfin Crudo. Mango, avocado, passionfruit, daikon, cucumber, habanero, Thai basil. Bright and full of flavor.
1987 Hanzell Chardonnay.
1989 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay. 92 points.
1985 Kalin Cellars Chardonnay.
Charred Avocado. Sungold Tomatoes, uni, trout roe, za’atar, lime, mints. 71Above excels at this sort of unusual combo. Totally worked.
1961 Hallcrest Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. 91 points.
1966 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon California Mountain.
Crispy Octopus. Shishito, almond, sprouting cauliflower, polenta, meyer lemon gastrique.
1968 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. VM 98. Medium-deep red with a greenish-amber rim. Highly complex aromas of raspberry, cherry, mocha, dark chocolate, celery seed and balsamic cedar, with a hint of volatile acidity contributing personality and lift. This legendary wine still boasts bulletproof fruit and a compellingly juicy texture, with a sexy hint of truffle adding interest with air. A wine of great class and balance, finishing subtle, fresh, firm and very long, with sweet, fine-grained tannins. André Tchelistcheff called 1968 his greatest vintage and this wine is still going strong a half century later, with no end in sight. Its balance of sweetness and acidity is stunning. This wine was full-bodied in the early going, in contrast to the initially austere ’69, according to current winemaker Trevor Durling. (12.5% alcohol) (Drink between 2019-2038)
1973 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Alexander Valley. 88 points.
1974 Beaulieu Vineyard Red Blend.
Cavatelli. Poblano Mascarpone, corn espuma, ramps, pepita breadcrumbs, squash. Awesome.
1974 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Cabernet Sauvignon. 92 points.
1974 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. JG 94. The 1974 cabernet from Merry Edwards’ first vintage at the helm at Mount Eden is drinking beautifully out of magnum today, and though it is a bit more powerful in personality than the 1973, it is still a superb example of the vintage. The bouquet is deep, complex and now wide open, offering up scents of cassis, pomegranate, a touch of mint, cigar ash, chipotle peppers, dark soil tones, a touch of spice (vaguely reminiscent of nutmeg) and cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a rock solid core of fruit, fine focus and grip, tangy acids and a long, complex, still gently tannic finish. This is a beautiful wine with decades and decades of life still ahead of it (particularly in magnum). (Drink between 2016-2050)
1973 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. VM 96. The heady, full-bodied style was unmistakably Napa Valley. The 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Eden was equally brilliant. It was perhaps a touch richer, deeper and more powerful than the Sterling, but what stood out most was the wine’s intense, brooding personality.
1978 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. JG 86. Of all of the great cabernet producers of this era, Beaulieu Vineyards was probably one of the few wineries that did not really capture all of the potential of the vintage. I have been drinking this 1978 since the mid-1980s and while many bottles were quite tasty back in the day, I have never hit a truly exceptional example. Back in this era, I have always found that BV was more successful in the vintages of 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976 and 1980 than they were in the more famous years of 1978 and 1974. The only caveat one needs to mention about the great wines that Andre Tchelistcheff fashioned at BV in the decade of the 1970s is that their style has not proven to be quite as ageworthy as many of their contemporaries, and most of these beautiful wines are now in varying stages of decline. This most recent bottle of the ’78 Georges de Latour was okay, but starting to get fairly oxidative and was a bit past its best, offering up scents of black cherries, plums, chocolate, a nice touch of Rutherford dust and coconutty new oak underneath the touch of cookie dough-like maderization. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and plush on the attack, with a solid core and still a touch of backend tannin on the long and moderately oxidative finish. The oxidation here is not yet so bad that the wine is undrinkable, but it is ever present on both the nose and palate and detracts a tad from the enjoyment of the wine. (Drink between 2016-2025)
1982 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. JG 92+. It had been at least a dozen years since I last tasted the 1982 Dunn Howell Mountain, and the wine remains still a tad young for primetime drinking, but it is getting closer to its apogee and has been progressing very nicely in the right direction over the last decade. The wine has dropped most of what was a fairly formidable wall of tannin while retaining its substantial core of brambly mountain fruit. The bouquet is quite complex and is now blossoming very well, as it offers up a complex mélange of black raspberry, red currant, stony minerality, woodsmoke, gentle notes of fresh sage and a bit of petroleum jelly in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and quite soil-driven, with a lovely base of minerality, still a touch of tannin to resolve and a long, complex finish with fine grip but with a slight edge of austerity. This is a very good bottle that may even move up a bit in score as it fully blossoms. If the wine eventually loses the slight edge of austerity it currently displays on the backend, then my score will seem conservative. But a fine bottle in any case. (Drink between 2009-2035)
From my cellar: 1984 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. VM 88. Healthy full red. More reticent on the nose than the ’83, showing a touch of cardboard and an earthy quality, if not an obvious TCA smell, along with its cherry, redcurrant, plum and earth aromas. A step up in texture from the ’83, but less juicy in the middle palate and even drier on the finish. This doesn’t have the personality of the ’83 and it turned drier with aeration. (I’ve had better bottles of the ’84 in the past, although I hadn’t sampled this vintage in at least five years.) (13% alcohol) (Drink between 2018-2024)
1986 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. 89 points.
1986 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Signature. 89 points.
Grilled Ribeye. Charred Broccolini, crispy shallot, date puree, jus.
With the jus.
Cheese Plate. Julianna, 1655 Gruyere, Ameribella, Seasonal Accompaniments.
This is a signature Sweet Milk flavor — Italian Lemon Cookie Meringue Pie — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor mixed with Italian Lemon Creme Cookies and Sicilian Candied Lemon and topped with house-made toasted Meringue — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato) — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #lemon #LemonCookie #cookie #Sorento #Limoncello #Meringue #LemonMeringuePie
The extensive wine lineup.
And the gang.
Heading down!
Overall, 71Above is just a seriously well conceived and executed one-of-a-kind restaurant. Really, it’s more like a NY, Singapore, or Tokyo kind of concept. First of all, the view is just awesome. I can’t wait to come back on a really clear day. Particularly once they begin brunch service, a nice winter day will offer an observation deck like panorama.
But then Emil and crew built out such a lovely space to capture the drama. It’s modern, but welcoming. Not too loud, you can hear the conversation and the music both. And from when you enter off the double elevator ascent it folds from one experience to another: lounge, dining room, more intimate corridors, chef table, quiet and romantic view areas in the back, and a series of two adjustable private dining rooms. The attention to architectural detail is amazing.
Today’s dinner excelled on all counts. Service, food, company, and of course the wines. I’m not normally a California wine guy, but these older wines are much softer, nicer, and more Bordeaux-like.
Restaurant: Matu
Location: 239 S Beverly Dr Suite 100, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. (424) 317-5031
Date: October 5, 2021 & August 9, 2022
Cuisine: Wagyu Steakhouse
Rating: Tasty and share-plates format an upgrade over steakhouse
My 2021 Matu visit was one of the first “new” (aka post lockdown) restaurants I’ve tried since the “before days.” We returned about 10 months later in 2022.
They describe themselves as a “different take on what a steak restaurant can be” which is pretty fair.
It’s located in the heart of Beverly Hills, on Beverly.
The buildout is very contemporary. Neither large nor small inside. A lot of brick.
The menu.
We started by getting the “Wagyu Dinner”, the specifics of which varies by day. Of course then we supplemented by adding about double that amount of extra al a carte dishes.
Georges Laval Champagne Premier Cru Brut Nature Cumières.
1989 Château Lynch-Bages. VM 96. The 1989 Lynch-Bages is one of Jean-Michel Cazes’s triumphs. At three decades, it shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. Blackberry and cedar soar from the glass just as they did from the bottle last year, and touches of graphite develop, all beautifully defined and focused. As I’ve proclaimed before, there is such energy and vigor here! The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh, minty opening. The cedar element is a little stronger than the previous bottles that I have tasted, yet there is still that symmetry and focus. This particular bottle shows a touch more development on the finish compared to others encountered over the years, with great structure and grip, notes of tobacco and just a hint of morels surfacing on the aftertaste. A remarkable Lynch-Bages that is at its peak. As an aside, Jean-Michel Cazes mentioned that there are few bottles of the 1989 remaining in their reserves. A break-in during the 1990s saw robbers of good taste steal much of their stock. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château. (Drink between 2019-2040)
From my cellar: 1996 Château Lynch-Bages. VM 91+. Dark ruby-red with a hint of garnet. Cabernet sauvignon-typical aromas of blackcurrant, violet, tobacco, dried herbs and minerals, complicated by a touch of smoky oak. In a distinctly firm, structured style, but with juicy acidity intensifying the dark berry and mineral flavors. Building flesh and sweetness on the back half counterbalances the wine’s firm spine, spreading out nicely on the lingering finish. Though currently a little clenched and austere, this wine offers excellent precision and wonderful balance.
1989 Château La Fleur de Gay. JG 93+. Out of the blocks the 1989 La Fleur de Gay was one of the most opulent and ostentatious wines to be found in the vintage, but a solid decade in the bottle has allowed the wine’s constituent components to be better heard through the blaze of fruit. In fact, the fruit bomb this wine was in its youth has been replaced now by a wine of impressive depth and complexity, with a reticence that augurs very well for the serious longevity of this vintage. The nose offers up a complex melange of dark berries, eucalyptus, coffee, strong herb tones and nutty, vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is medium-full, deep and tightly-knit, with a rock solid core of fruit, impressive intensity, and a very long and moderately tannic finish. The tannins here are very well-integrated into the body of the wine, making it drinkable now, but it is still so primary that I would strongly suggest burying it in a cool corner of the cellar for another half dozen years or so. (Drink between 2007-2035)
2008 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cabernet Alzero. 95 points. This wine is a blend of 20% Merlot with the 80% (split evenly) of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This wine is produced in the same manner as Amarone, in the appassimento style. The wine is then aged in French barrels for three years, then racked into Slavonian oak barrels for four more years. In the glass this wine is deep with a stunning Tyrian purple hue. Aromas show amazing complexity with notes of chocolate, bruised mint, tobacco, spice cake, plum, candied fruits, balsamic and hints of floral pastilles. The wine is smooth and velvety across the palate and the acidity keeps it from being overweight. The high level ABV is nicely tucked in and not a burner. All the flavors come with intensity and linger through the extremely long and unforgettable finish. Absolutely stunning and unique.
NOTE: this was the bottle that a table neighbor gave us for free at Miyagi.
Beef broth made from simmering Wagyu bones for 24 hours. This was the first course of the “dinner.”
Braised Beef Croquetas served over celeriac puree. Sort of like a fried meatball?
Fazzoletti (fresh pasta from UOVO) with braised beef ragu and parmigiano. Very soft.
Hand-cut Tartare Piedmonte style – parmigiano and lemon.
Baby Iceberg lettuce with “Japanese” Caesar dressing and steak cooked on the plancha. I guess this is supposed to be a “wedge and steak” or something.
The “full” version of the caesar.
Maitake Mushrooms with butter and thume cooked over the wood fire. Very good.
Beef tallow french fries with parsley.
8-hour braised beef cheek over celeriac puree. The return of the celeraic puree!
I think this was the last course of the “wagyu dinner.” I can’t remember for sure. The rest was probably al a carte. We rolled backward a bit in menu progression.
Lobster Tails cooked over the wood fire with yuzu-kosho garlic butter.
Ribeye cooked over the wood fire.
Picanha. Lots of flavor.
Baby cauliflower (caultini) with garlic, red pepper flakes and fonduta. Awesome.
Hand-cut Tartare with a Japanese accent (vaguely like the Korean/Japanese type).
Tenderloin Carpaccio with parmigiano, arugula, and lemon.
Flourless chocolate cake with sea salt.
Arturo’s Panna Cotta with macerated strawberries. Scrumptious.
ARTURO’S PANNA COTTA, CAFÉ CON LECHE.
Matu was interesting. First of all, we had a great time, the service was great, and the food overall pretty delicious. Basically, they have many of the classic items from a steak house menu, but they have altered the style and format a bit. Fundamentally gone is the (annoying) steak house format of each person ordering a plain steak and adding a bunch of communal sides. Instead we have more of an adaption of the modern share plates formula — this I like much better and we struggle at steak houses to do this even when it’s not inherently in their nature. Secondly, they have focused the meat a bit more on wagyu — and this is subtle because it’s not the really decadent “real” Japanese wagyu, but a grass fed New Zealand variant. It’s good meat, full of taste, and more suited to western steak style, but just isn’t the same thing as “Kobe Beef” or “A5.” Totally different beast. hehe.
So overall I thought this was a great place. But being so beef focused, and with a pretty small menu, most of which is basically beef tartare and steaks, this doesn’t feel like a place one would repeat too often — particularly given that we ordered basically everything both times. You have to be down for the cow fest. But that’s fine and it certainly pairs well with a wide variety of red wines.
For more LA dining reviews click here.
Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.
More awesome wine from the 2022 dinner:
The 1983 Margaux was one of the best Bordeaux’s I’ve had in years. Absolutely perfect.
Location: 11925 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. (424) 535-3041
Date: October 1, 2021
Cuisine: Omakase Asian
Rating: Really interesting and different
It’s hard to describe Kato. Located in one of the ubiquitous Santa Monica Blvd mini-malls it serves a sort of modern Asian omakase/kaiseki. It won a Michelin star recently and at the 2021-22 junction moved downtown. Now this last bit I’m bummed about as I loved having it on the westside. But their audience is predominantly young hip Asian couples who mostly live in the SGV. Sigh.
Given what was in the fall of 2021 an imminent move much further, Erick and I went twice to collect the tasty memory data from the late period at this westside location. This is the final report (before heading downtown to try the new spot).
Fit in there with the Mexican places, the cheap sushi, the massage joints.
The decor is minimalist but attractive. The crowd is young and predominantly Asian.
The menu tonight.
2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 96. The 2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is outrageously beautiful. The ripeness of the Chardonnay is front and center in a Champagne that delivers the goods, big-time. An infusion of apricot, orange peel, crème brûlée, chamomile, hazelnut and honey give the 2002 its racy, exotic personality. I enjoy it most with bottle age, but the 2002 is undeniably beautiful right now. The 2002 is a stunning NFB. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, done partially in oak (20%). Dosage is 4 grams per liter. (Drink between 2020-2030)
From my cellar: 2002 Bruno Paillard Champagne Nec Plus Ultra. JG 97. The newest vintage of Bruno Paillard’s N.P.U. is utterly brilliant and a glorious example of the magical vintage of 2002. The bouquet soars from the glass in a very refined blend of apple, white peach, stony minerality, hazelnut, fresh-baked bread and a lovely touch of orange peel in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and displays marvelous mid-palate depth, with racy acids, very elegant mousse, laser-like focus and a very, very long, complex and simply stunning finish. This wine is young, precise and so beautifully balanced that it is already a joy to dink, though it is clearly built for the long haul and its true apogee is at least a decade down the road! Stunning wine. (Drink between 2017-2075)
2010 Domaine Leflaive Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d’Âne. VM 92. Bright yellow with a green tinge. Very ripe aromas of yellow fruits and nut oils. Broad, sweet and fruity, offering lovely volume without excess weight. Silky-smooth and rich but kept fresh by harmonious acidity (4.6 grams per liter, according to winemaker Remy). Long on the aftertaste. A very good vintage for this bottling.
2010 Jean-Marc Roulot Meursault 1er Cru. Very rare bottle.
Tapioca, brown butter, uni. This dish started out with us wanting to do something with milk and tapioca and eventually led to a savory dish. We also try not to have dairy in the majority of the menu so when we do we get to use it, it’s a treat. We think the uni pairs well with the different textures, temperatures and forms of dairy.
Tuna, 3 cup. The flavors of Thai basil, sweetened soy and sesame oil are so emblematic of Taiwanese cuisine so I can see why 3 cup chicken is so beloved. This version is with pacific big eye tuna that’s lightly cooked so it kind of looks like the chicken in 3 cup chicken.
Kanpachi, cucumber. This is one of the first dishes we were really known for. We wanted to revisit it with our new pantry and style of cooking. We smoke pacific amberjack and serve it with a vinaigrette of charred negi and a cucumber relish as well as a bonito vinegar gelee.
Caviar, geoduck, koji butter. We source caviar through Astrea (our friends Eve and Reisa), their Kaluga hybrid is one of my favorites that I’ve ever tasted. The only inspiration for this dish is the quality of the caviar and the rest of the ingredients serve to highlight it.
Egg custard. Whenever I was sick as a child my mom would steam egg custard with black vinegar. It’s still one of my favorite dishes to this day. This dish is our egg custard, a sauce of kelp and black vinegar, a few different shellfish, Brentwood corn and Aaron’s negi.
Bread!
A spread (for the bread).
Chinese style steamed fish. Every regional cuisine of China and every home has a version of this dish. The most recognizable would be the Cantonese version where a fish is steamed whole and dressed with soy, ginger and scallion to which scalding oil is poured over the top. Our version has loup de mer and we cook each element separately and assemble it to service. The soy is traditionally unadorned but mixes with the fish jus in the steaming vessel. We take sea bream bones and make a tisane and season it with different rice wines and soy sauces to emulate the traditional technique.
Short rib, pear. We’re working on doing a throwback menu to our favorite dishes from 5 years. This dish isn’t Taiwanese or Chinese but it reminds us of eating in Los Angeles and our first year of opening. It’s a dish of short rib cooked with pear then grilled. We serve it with matsutake and some of the pear cooking liquid.
But it was a bit different with some rice.
Yogurt, plum. The only dessert I’ll ever go out specifically for is frozen yogurt. This version is served with a shaved ice made from tisane of lemon verbena that Girl and Dug is growing and emerald plums since it’s stonefruit season.
Boniato yam tapioca, fresh cheese, sable. Here’s our other longest standing dish, our ode to arguably the most popular thing to ever come out of Taiwan, boba milk tea. We make tapioca balls out of an Asian roasting yam, similar to the sweet potato or taro ones you’d have in Taiwan. We make a fresh cheese and foam it and we shave frozen brown butter sable so it gives the feeling of eating shaved ice. We think that the flavors range from milk tea shops to shaved ice stands.
A bigger group this time.
Overall, a very interesting and different meal. Very light, bright flavors and the whole thing tasted great but left one feeling not in the least “bombed out” which is actually kinda nice. Extremely modern too and straight up ready for instagram!
Tonight’s (final) meal was pretty similar to the August one.
Service is great, if a bit fast! Like just over an hour! It’s also, for gluttons like Erick and I, not nearly enough food, so despite ordering all the supplements we have always gone for “second dinner.” But this time we went down the street to Sasaya, a local Izakaya.
Open late into the night with ipad ordering.
Crab rice.
Korean style short rib.
An egg dish.
Grilled eel.
Restaurant: Flame International
Location: 11330 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. (310) 444-0045
Date: September 30, 2021
Cuisine: Persian
Rating: amusing and vast place, solid food
This was a peculiar dinner. Jeffrey Merihue organized it, set the menu and then was suddenly out of town on the day of so Yarom picked up the organization (such that it was).
I’ve passed by Flame about 1000 times (on Santa Monica Blvd) and even eaten next door at Nanbankan. I’ve long wondered about Flame.
Turns out it’s one of those Persian large scale “event space” restaurants. Probably it’s used for weddings and other similar functions. I forgot to take good pictures of the inside so I have to use some (bad ones) from the web.
It has that Persian “overbuilt” look. Lots of marble and curtains and chandeliers, but really cheap (looking) construction.
Big space though.
And outside they had this HUGE patio/tent which was even odder. Initially they tried to put us here even though we were the only people in the entire restaurant but the problem was that the floor slanted quite considerably so one side of your chair would be about 2 inches lower than the other. We moved inside (took a bit of convincing to get them to do it though).
Hummus. I find Persian style hummus too thin.
Yogurt with cucumber (and some herbs).
Plain yogurt. Cucumber one was much better.
Shirazi Salad. The classic.
Lavash bread.
Roast Eggplant with crispy onions and tahini. Warm and delicious. This stuff was totally crack. I probably ate 1.5 plates of it myself.
A different salad, same basic ingredient except this one had lettuce.
Trout and salmon. Trout was nice and crispy.
Three kinds of rice.
Crispy rice with lamb. I liked this.
Lamb chops and koobideh.
Succulent game bird.
Fessenjoon given reluctantly at the last minute and with no protein — just the sauce. It was on our menu, but despite (or perhaps because?) we were the only guests they seemed in hurry to move us on threw. We had to request this, even though it was on our menu, and then they just brought a minuscule portion of the sauce alone (no chicken). It was tasty though.
Ghormeh Sabzi with nothing in it — just the stew. Same deal as above.
Blood Peach and Ume Sorbetto — Blood Peaches from Avignon with a bit of Joto Umeshu “Ume” (Japanese plum) Sake! — 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 #BloodPeach #Ume #peach #plum #sake
Sweet Milk Signature Flavor — Italian Lemon Cookie Meringue Pie — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor mixed with Italian Lemon Creme Cookies and Sicilian Candied Lemon and topped with house-made toasted Meringue — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #lemon #LemonCookie #cookie #Sorento #Limoncello #Meringue #LemonMeringuePie
Mint tea.
Food was actually pretty good, and if one wanted to do a cheap banquet with solid Persian food this place might be interesting. Service sucked though and the space was giant but odd. I found it had it’s particular charms.
For more LA dining reviews click here.
We had lots of wines, but I don’t bother to photo them (except for my own) at this kind of casual dinner anymore.
Restaurant: Sushi Kaneyoshi [1, 2]
Location: 250 1st St B1, Los Angeles, CA 90012. (213) 277-2388
Date: September 24, 2021
Cuisine: Omakase Sushi
Rating: Lean mean and awesome
Our Foodie Club “Sushi Series” continues with not one but two visits to LA Omakase newcomer Kaneyoshi. This dinner was sort of a half “Foodie Club” and half Sage Society dinner (in my mind). Mostly it’s just my serious sushi friends which happen to overlap into those two realms.
Kaneyoshi is tucked away in the basement of a Little Tokyo mall/garage building. It’s fairly hard to find. The first time we located the sign but it took us 15 minutes of hunting around to actually find the restaurant (you go up a sketchy stairs, enter a lobby, ask the bored guard, take an elevator down to…
This glamorous “service corridor” — they don’t let anyone in early.
Inside, however, it’s very attractive. It’s just a single 10-12 person seat sushi bar L and a some space around it.
The chefs prepping away.
Liz brought us a little gift.
Cute!
1995 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. VM 94. The 1995 Krug is gorgeous. I chose it because one of my guests loves Krug and I thought the 1995 would have the right amount of complexity to pair beautifully with the smokiness in Saison’s caviar. Although the 1995 Krug is not a truly epic wine, it is in a sweet spot right now. (Drink between 2018-2023)
Belt fish Tempura, Salt and Caviar.
The stain.
1997 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. BH 95. An elegant and very fresh but distinctly yeasty nose of stupendous breadth leads to incredibly intense, pure, detailed and vibrant flavors that possess superb depth and simply knockout length. This is a powerful Salon and even though it doesn’t have the solid acid spine of the very best vintages, this compensates by its approachability and terrific mouth feel. This could be drunk now or aged, depending on one’s preference. If you can find it, I would lay in a case and drink it selectively over the next 20 years.
Chawanmushi with Japanese Hairy Crab and Kani Miso (crab brain).
Japanese Kinki (Rock Fish) Shabu Shabu with Monkfish Liver Sauce (beneath).
2004 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Rosé La Grande Dame (from mag). VM 94. Vivid orange-pink. Seductively perfumed aromas of ripe red berries, Asian spices, rose and smoky minerals. Densely packed and palate-staining, offering vibrant red and dark berry flavors, along with floral pastille and buttered toast qualities. The strikingly long finish repeats the red fruit and mineral notes and lingers with serious tenacity.
1996 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Brut Rosé. VM 95. A head-turning beauty, the 1996 Dom Ruinart Rosé boasts gorgeous, resonant fruit to match its considerable structure and intensity. Although quite pretty and expressive, the 1996 has enough balance to develop gracefully in bottle for years to come. (Drink between 2014-2024)
The next dish is presented like a magic trick.
Smoked Skipjack Tuna with Onions. Lovely smoky flavor.
And the prep for the next.
Sea perch. Torched. In nori. Bit of shiso. Kaneyoshi uses some really stunning nori, particularly crunchy. They have this sort of “open hand roll” too.
1990 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 97. 1990 is one of my favorite vintages ever for this storied cuvée because while the vintage was on the riper side the high yields allowed the fruit to retain a very good level of acidity which made for balanced and ageworthy wines. While I have had the pleasure of tasting the ’90 on a number of occasions since its release, the last time was alongside the 1985 and the 1988, and as admirable as those two vintages are, the 1990 is head and shoulders above them to my taste. The fantastically complex nose is comprised of an abundance of yeast and toast characters that don’t completely dominate the essence of apple, pear, citrus, spice, acacia blossom and discreet orange peel scents. There is equally good depth to the delicious, full-bodied and powerful flavors that possess a lovely sense of vibrancy thanks to the still firm but fine mousse that shapes the delineated, delicious and impeccably well-balanced finale. In my view 1990 is one of the greatest vintages for this wine of the last 25 years and one that is still drinking well. While there is no additional upside development to be hand, neither is there any rush to drink up as this should continue to hold effortlessly for years to come. (Drink starting 2015)
From my cellar: 1969 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. VM 97. The 1969 Dom Pérignon (Original Release) is fabulous. Aromatically, this bottle is perhaps a touch advanced, but the wine’s inner sweetness and textural depth more than make up for that. In the glass, the 1969 is ample, creamy and incredibly inviting. Hints of orange peel, crème brulée, hazelnut and honey blossom in this super-expressive Champagne. The bubbles have mostly receded, and yet all the elements are impeccably balanced. (Drink between 2017-2022)
More delicate work.
Ankimo Monkfish Liver, Salted Santa Barbara Uni, and Sweet Shrimp cured in Kombu.
2011 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc. VM 95. Light yellow. Intense scents of nectarine, pear skin and lemon curd, with complicating floral and mineral notes gaining power with air. Broad and fleshy but tightly focused, offering vibrant orchard and pit fruit flavors and a refreshingly bitter note of citrus pith. Dry and nervy on the penetrating, powerful. sharply focused finish, which leaves sexy honeysuckle and ginger notes behind. I suspect that this wine will age gracefully on its tension and balance.
Seaweed and Melon. Very dashi!
1999 Domaine Jacques Prieur Montrachet. BH 93. Young Montrachet can often be quite austere yet this is forward and flashy with expressive aromas of oak spice, orchard fruits and a background note of acacia blossoms followed by large scaled, relatively dense flavors of remarkable complexity and a fine minerality that continues on into the intense and remarkably powerful finish. A very impressive effort. (Drink between 2009-2020)
2015 Domaine Michel Niellon Chevalier-Montrachet. BH 93. This too was quite heavily reduced and again I strongly recommend allowing this 30 minutes or so in a decanter first if you’re going to crack a bottle young. The powerful and impressively concentrated broad-shouldered flavors brim with both sappy dry extract as well as plenty of minerality that suffuses the wonderfully complex and persistent finish. I wouldn’t describe this as a typical Niellon Chevalier but it is certainly a dramatic and high-quality wine. (Drink starting 2021)
2011 Louis Jadot Montrachet. BH 94-97. Here the nose is notably more reserved with aromas of citrus zest, spice, wood toast, fennel and spice hints. This is also a very imposingly-scaled wine with its big, muscular and wonderfully complex flavors that culminate in a long, focused and explosive finish of breathtaking length and intensity. This overtly powerful effort should reward at least a decade in the cellar and drink well for another. A ‘wow’ wine. (Drink starting 2023)
Baby snapper.
Grouper.
Black Perch with a bit of char.
Japanese Jumbo Clam.
Sweet Shrimp.
King Mackerel.
Scallop with eel sauce.
Da da! This is one aged block of tuna.
Aged Maguro. Spectacular.
Aged O-Toro. Even better.
Hokkaido Sweet Shrimp nigiri.
Hokkaido Uni “hand roll.”
Same uni, but as a tiny baby nigiri.
Sea Eel.
Monkfish liver and cucumber hand roll. Super crispy nori. Very lovely interplay and unusual too.
Red Miso Soup.
Futomaki. I haven’t had a real Futomaki in years and I have always loved it. Although oddly, this is what passes for dessert at Kaneyoshi.
The chef enjoys some wine.
Our lineup.
The sushi at Kaneyoshi was really awesome. They specialize in a style of “cured and aged” sushi and it’s all very straight up showcasing the fish. The flavors are subtle and spectacular. It’s not particularly stunty or overdressed at all. And service is really good. The space, while far away and hard to find, is quite lovely once you get inside. We had the whole place taken over of course. The food is light, however, and by the glutton standards of Erick and I this is definitely a “second dinner required” meal.
Our wines were curated by Liz and therefore amazing as always :-). The company was great too.
Like almost all high end Omakase places Kaneyoshi isn’t cheap. The base was $250 back then (it’s now $300 as of May 2022). They charged a lot of corkage too. Probably at least $100 a bottle. The total was hefty.
Erick and I rolled off in search of second dinner. Annoyingly on this particular night I had the super hiccups which just kept on going and going for about 4 hours!
We found a little izakaya type place.
Plastic samples.
Regular miso soup.
Chicken Katsu Curry with egg.
Pork Katsu Curry with egg.
BBQ Eel box. Needed some fat and carbs!
Restaurant: Officine Brera [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Location: 1331 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021. (213) 553-8006
Date: September 18, 2021
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Still really good
At the time of this dinner I’m not sure I had been out on a “double date” (dinner with another couple) since before the pandemic. But here we are at downtown’s Officine Brera, a modern “rustic” Italian by the team that brought us Factory Kitchen, including master chef Angelo Auriana. So let’s see how it’s held up through the pandemic. At some point they changed the name to just Brera too. I have no idea why.
The area offers a mess of old brick 40s warehouses and factories which are being lovingly converted, allowing large spaces at reasonable rents (for now).
And inside the gigantic warehouse/factory space has been reconfigured with highly attractive duct work. Who would have thought that grungy 70 year-old factory windows could look so good?
Tonight we actually ate outside, which was perfect given the times.
The current menu. At least it’s not a QR code!
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)
BURRATA beets, heirloom baby carrots, roasted summer squash, pea shoots.
HEIRLOOM TOMATO red plum, cucumber, watercress, almonds, tomato coulis.
ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS tempura batter, cheese filled, spicy mayo.
SOFTSHELL CRAB. pan seared softshell blue crab, saffron-prosecco sauce, cauliflower.
CARPACCIO prime beef sirloin, bone marrow dressing, reggiano crema, celery.
From my cellar: 1999 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Vecchie Vigne Sorì Paitin Nebbiolo. VM 92. The 1999 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin Vecchie Vigne is dark, powerful and opulent, with more than enough stuffing to age well for the better part of the next decade. Smoke, menthol, tar, black fruit and French oak blossom in the glass as this resonant, exuberant Barbaresco show off its unique, totally compelling personality. The French oak is present, but well balanced at the same time. (Drink between 2014-2022)
SPINACH POTATO GNOCCHI castelmagno fonduta, tuscan kale pesto.
RISOTTO MILANESE saffron-risotto, bone marrow, roasting jus.
PAPPARDELLE wild boar sugo, shaved black melanosporum truffle.
SEA ROBIN. heirloom chrry tomatoes, farro perlato, tuscan kale, celery root broth.
GRILLED LAMB CHOPS charred cauliflower, couscous, almond-raisin gremolata.
The dessert menu.
Tea.
LEMON SEMIFREDDO. meringue, pistachio sponge, pistachio creme anglaise.
TRIPLE-LAYERED CHOCOLATE TART. figs, grapefruit-campari sorbet.
BASQUE CHEESECAKE. berry coulis, fresh berries. Not actually Basque at all, much denser like a regular cheesecake, still good though.
Food. The food at Brera is very good. It’s very Italian, with a fairly non Italian “vibe” to the place and a more modern share plates style, but the actual pastas and risotto itself is quite Italian, if amped up a bit.
Service. Service was great and we were treated like family. Wine service in particular is great.
Atmosphere. I love the big factory look. It’s a little loud, but not as bad as some (Bestia!). Outside on the patio was lovely.
Wines. Great wines (but I brought them). I think they have a good list too. I don’t pay too much attention to lists.
Because we didn’t have ENOUGH dessert, and we were picking up our kids in Westwood, we stopped at S&R which is a classic Persian Ice Cream place.
Crowded as usual, even during the pandemic.
Rose I think.
The classic Saffron and Pistachio on top of Jasmine. I do really like the flavors here but the texture is that very stretchy grainy Persian ice cream texture.
Restaurant: Marino Ristorante [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Location: 6001 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 466-8812
Date: September 9, 2021
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Superb
Marino is a favorite haunt for many of my wine groups, including the Sauvages lunch group featured in today’s report. The theme today for Sauvages was Brunello di Montalcino, plus we had intro champs and a flight of Italian whites.
The amazing chef/owner Sal Marino cooks at his original family location, venerable Marino Ristorante on Melrose and continues to whip up his unique blend of amazing modern Italian. And if anything, he’s gotten even better.
Post pandemic they’ve turned the parking lot into a cute patio.
This is the main interior, or at least some of it.
But we were set up in the private room which really is private. It’s totally separate, connected to the main dining room via the kitchen and even has its own bar and bathroom.
Our special menu.
And the wine list.
2013 Georges Laval Champagne Premier Cru Brut Nature Cumières. VM 92. The 2013 Brut Nature Cumières exudes depth and creaminess. A host of dried pear, licorice, lemon confit, orchard fruit, brioche and spices flesh out in the glass. The Cumières is a blend of equal parts Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay, but it is the weight and texture of the red grapes that gives the wine much of its signature feel. This is another stellar showing from Vincent Laval. Disgorged January, 2016. (Drink between 2017-2025)
2009 Dom Pérignon Champagne. VM 94+. The 2009 Dom Pérignon is open, seductive and radiant, as it has always been. Soft curves, mid-weight structure and tons of plain allure make the 2009 impossible to resist in its youth. This bottle, the best I have tasted so far, offers a distinc citrus and floral-driven profile that adds a good deal of brightness. Above all else, the 2009 is a gorgeous Champagne to drink now and over then next few decades. This is the first time in the house’s history that a vintage was not released sequentially. (Drink between 2018-2049)
Salmon Tartar with caviar.
2014 Marisa Cuomo Costa d’Amalfi Furore Bianco Fiorduva. JG 93. The 2014 Fiorduva from Marisa Cuomo is a beautiful wine that is drinking at its peak today, but shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The cépages is thirty percent each of Fenile and Ginestra, coupled with forty percent Ripoli. The wine is barrel-fermented and raised in stainless steel tanks. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a refined blend of pear, tangerine, green olive, salty soil tones and a topnote of orange peel. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied and quite complex, with a fine core of fruit, lovely mineral drive and grip, zesty acids and a long, classy finish. This is a truly lovely wine at its apogee, but still with plenty of life in it. (Drink between 2020-2025)
2016 Grosjean Petite Arvine Valle d’Aosta. VM 92. Straw-green. Bright aromas of white orchard fruit, white flowers, mint, sage and thyme. Enters fresh with green fruit nuances (mostly apple) complicated by building notes of apricot and thyme. Finishes long and suave, hints of banana and riper fruit emerging at the back. (Drink between 2019-2024)
2017 Tiberio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Fonte Canale. VM 94. Vivid pale straw-yellow. Penetrating, multifaceted nose of white peach, nectarine, minerals, chamomile and jasmine. Conveys an almost saline sense of extract in the mouth, offering steely, harmonious and high-acid flavors of white peach, minerals and anise. Steely and mineral notes linger on the long floral-accented finish. Once again, the magic of the Fonte Canale 80-year-old vines shines through in a year that saw almost seven months without rain in the Casauria subzone (where the Tiberio estate is located); the roots of these old vines dig deep and are always close to the underlying water table. The 2017 Fonte Canale strikes me as more perfumed and more open-knit than usual on the nose (especially compared to the 2016), but more lemony on the palate. (Drink between 2022-2029)
2018 Castello della Sala (Antinori) Umbria Cervaro della Sala. VM 92. The 2018 Cervaro della Sala is a blend of 92% Chardonnay with a splash of Grechetto, showing a rich and alluring bouquet, leading off with a hint of vanilla bean and giving way to peach, a dusting of confectioner’s spice and dried yellow flowers. On the palate, silky textures flesh out across the senses, carrying flavors of ripe apple, apricot and sweet herbs, as minerals and acids mingle toward the close. The finish is long and almost salty, buzzing with energy and making the mouth water for another sip. The balance here is impeccable, as is the use of barrel fermentation to create such textural richness. (Drink between 2020-2028)
Crudo. Tuna and avocado.
2009 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova. VM 93. Vivid red. Multidimensional nose offers captivating aromas of raspberry, sour red cherry, redcurrant, brown sugar, cinnamon and minerals, lifted by a strong note of fresh citrus fruit. Vibrant flavors of red and black fruits, pink peppercorn and sweet spices are wonderfully pure and juicy. This sneakily concentrated yet refined wine shows a rare blend of power and delicacy and finishes extremely long, with very fine-grained tannins and truly mind-blowing purity of small red fruits and violet. Impeccable balance only adds to its star qualities. One of the best young Tenuta Nuovas I have ever tried and it’s also one of the two or three best Brunellos of the vintage.
2010 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino. VM 93. Dark red cherry, smoke, plum, wild flowers and cedar are some of the notes that flesh out in the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino from Castelgiocondo. Ripe, soft and textured on the palate, the 2010 impresses for its silkiness and early approachability. Sweet floral and spiced notes reappear on the finish, adding considerable lift and perfume. This is a lovely showing from Castelgiocondo and the Frescobaldi family. (Drink between 2015-2025)
2010 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino. VM 95+. One of the stand outs of the vintage, Lisini’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino fleshes out in all directions with gorgeous, expansive richness. The flavors are dark, bold and incisive, yet backed up by notable freshness. A crescendo of incredibly pure dark red and black stone fruits builds on the huge finish. The 2010 is dazzling, but readers will have to be patient. (Drink between 2018-2035)
2010 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne. VM 95. Giancarlo Pacenti’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne is another superb wine. The contours are more modern and the fruit leans towards the darker end of spectrum, yet all the elements are wonderfully in balance. Surprisingly open and expressive for a young Brunello, the 2010 is sure to improve with a little more time in the bottle. All of the Pacenti signatures are in place, though, and the house style is unmistakable. (Drink between 2018-2025)
Tartar di Manzo al Tartufo. Prime Filet Tartar, shaved winter truffle.
2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova. VM 93. The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova has a dark and brooding shade of deep garnet. It bursts from the glass with a mature, sweetly-scented bouquet of crushed plums and blueberries complemented by balsamic tones, smoke and worn leather. It takes a turn toward elegance on the palate with ripe, citrus-tinged wild berry fruits and purple inner florals. It seems almost creamy in texture but well-balanced by vibrant acidity. Seamlessly smooth and harmonious, this finishes long with nuances of residual tannins under an air of warming autumnal spice and inner earth tones. The 2001 Tenuta Nuova has peaked, yet well-stored bottles should be in no fear of decline. Sampled from the winery’s cellar. (Drink between 2021-2026)
2001 Casanuova delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino. VM 88. Good full red. Spicy aromas of plum, red licorice, marzipan and nutty oak. Sweet and pliant, with nicely integrated acids and somewhat unforthcoming flavors of red berries and spices. Could use a bit more clarity and cut. Finishes with slightly drying tannins and a late note of leather. (Distillerie Stock U.S.A., Woodside, NY)
2001 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Ripe al Convento. VM 90. The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Ripe al Convento is a richly-flavored, full-bodied offering loaded with dark cherries, vanilla, smoke, cola and sweet toasted oak. It may not be the most complex Brunello out there, but it does offer an attractive, easygoing personality, outstanding length and sweet, silky tannins on the finish. (Drink between 2013-2017)
2001 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. VM 94. A deep dark red with orange hues, the 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva makes an impactful statement from start to finish. There are depths of crushed black cherries, plums, strawberries, sweet spices and mentholated herbs which rise up effortlessly from the glass. Further coaxing adds notes of cedar, dusty rose and hints of animal musk. It’s silky in feel yet quickly firms up through a mix of tart red berries, minerals, zesty acids and an unbelievably youthful coating of tannin which mounts toward the close. The 2001 Riserva is still on a steady path to its peak, structured and primary, as it tapers off with a grippy feel under an air of inner florals. Sampled from the winery’s cellar. (Drink between 2022-2034)
Flan di Cavolfiore al Tartufo. Cauliflower flan, truffle sauce, shaved truffle. Great dish!
1999 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. VM 93. Bright, dark red. Flamboyant aromas of red cherry, dark berries, plum, chestnut and game. Sweet in the mouth, with densely packed, superripe flavors of red cherry, smoky plum, licorice and milk chocolate. A concentrated, powerful wine, boasting impressive youthful energy thanks to firm, lively acidity. Finishes very long, but can’t quite match the overall balance and grace of the 2001. Another outstanding vintage in Tuscany, 1999 was very warm but with well-timed rains, and, above all, cooler nights and less heat than the vastly overrated 1997 vintage.
2001 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. VM 96. Showing so youthful and perfumed, the 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva starts out dark and inward yet gains in volume and depth the longer it sits in the glass. Dried black cherries, crushed stone, dusty rose and minty herbs create its dazzling bouquet. It is pure silk, with an amazing density to its dark red fruits, as rich balsamic spice and licorice drench the palate. This is elegant yet poised, with just a hint of sweet tannin, along with a buzz of residual acids and earthy mineral tones that mix with its inner sweetness to create a tense and contrasting feel on the slightly chewy finish. Collectors with the 2001 Riserva in their cellars will be very happy to know that it still has five to ten more years of positive evolution in store for them. Purchased from the Il Poggione cellar and held in professional storage. (Drink between 2021-2030)
2003 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli. VM 95. One of the great surprises of my tasting this year wasn’t a 2005 or 2004 Riserva but rather Il Poggione’s 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli, which has developed spectacularly since I first reviewed it last year. This awesome, deep Brunello is endowed with gorgeous dark fruit that emerges from the glass with superb richness and power while retaining a traditional sense of structure. There is more than enough fruit to balance the firm tannins that are typical of this hot year. I was blown away by the combination of opulence and classicism present in the 2003 Riserva. If that sounds appealing, believe me it is. The 2003 Riserva is drinking beautifully today and should continue to offer great pleasure for several decades. The estate’s 1975, from a very hot vintage at the time, was in great shape when I last tasted it a few years ago. Readers interested in older vintages will find plenty of notes on our database. Given the soft market for fine wines and the general disdain for 2003s, I would be shocked if savvy readers aren’t able to pick this wine at a favorable price at some point in the near future. (Drink between 2013-2032)
2004 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli. VM 95. The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli has also developed impeccably. Dark, ample and broad, the 2004 is built on a core of serious power. Layers of dark stone fruits, leather, spice and tobacco build into the rich, intense finish. (Drink between 2016-2034)
Maccheroncini con coda e Guanciale. Pasta, oxtail, smoked guanciale, pecorino toscana. Superb smokey “porky” flavor to this pasta and nicely al dente.
1999 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 96. The 1999 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is everything a great wine should be. This is an expansive, spectacularly ripe wine endowed with layers of perfumed dark fruit, sweet tobacco, new leather and spices. A brooding, structured beauty, the wine needs some serious bottle age to show at its best, but it is already pretty stunning. According to Abbruzzese 1999 represents another step up in quality as the estate’s vineyards had begun to acquire some age at this point. Certainly this seems true in the Riserva, but I don’t perceive as marked a difference from previous vintages in the regular Brunello (see below). (Drink between 2009-2021)
2001 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 93. The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano Riserva was tasted from a half-bottle. The 2001 is seductive, with a rich and alluring display of crushed black cherries, plums, balsamic spices, cocoa and sweet pipe tobacco. It is opulent and velvety-smooth in texture, with extremely ripe dark fruits, sweet herbs and zesty acids keeping them all in check. A subtle tug of tannin lingers, as this closes off to hints of mocha and inner earth tones. You can sense the 2001’s maturity mostly through its fruits, almost Port-like in nature, along with just a hint of dank earth. That said, larger formats may perform even better. Keep in mind that this is a large style of Brunello. Tasted from the importer’s reserve cellar. (Drink between 2021-2026)
From my cellar: 2004 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 95+. The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is powerful, deeply colored and still carrying a considerable amount of tannic heft for a twelve year old wine. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco, scorched earth and licorice give the wine much of its distinctive virile personality. The Madonna del Piano is one of the bigger, brawnier 2004s readers will come across. As such, it needs to be served alongside similarly rich, hearty cuisines. (Drink between 2016-2026)
2007 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 96. The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is another super- finessed wine. Subtle floral notes meld into expressive red berries in a sumptuous Brunello that captures the essence of the vintage. The style is rich and deeply textured, but the 2007, as outstanding as it is, needs at least a few more years in bottle. Once again, finesse rules the day. (Drink between 2017-2027)
2008 Luce della Vite Brunello di Montalcino. VM 91. Luce della Vite’s 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Luce is one of the most powerful wines of the vintage. Mocha, espresso, licorice, smoke, super-ripe black cherries and plums literally jump from the glass. A Brunello seemingly made for Napa Valley Cabernet drinkers, the 2008 has plenty of richness and depth. It is also impeccably made from a technical standpoint, even if it bears little resemblance to the rest of the wines of the appellation. (Drink between 2013-2020)
Agnello. Windrose farms lamb ossobuco.
Orange Old Fashioned Sorbetto — Cold Pressed Orange and Tangerine Juice, Knob Creek Bourbon and Angostura Bitters! Topped with cherries — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Really tastes like an Old Fashioned –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #orange #tangerine #bourbon #KnobCreek #bitters #Angostura
Coconut Cream Pie Gelato — Coconut dairy custard base, house-made GF Graham Crackers, and house-made Coconut Caramel — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #caramel #grahamCrackers #cookies
My bad notes.
The gang.
The wine.
The small but elite group of ladies at the ladies table.
Another awesome lunch. Food was great, I’ve had more elaborate meals from Sal, but all the dishes today were excellent. Sal’s a fabulous chef when you let him go all out and today’s lunch was very on point. I enjoyed all the dishes and there was a hefty “truffle emphasis.”
Wines were great as well. Brunello is a bit of an “unsung hero” in the world of major Italian reds. Yes it’s generally not as complex as a good Nebbiolo, but it has a combination of fruit and acidity that makes it go exceedingly well with most Italian food.
For more LA dining reviews click here.
Or experience my gluttonous month-long food trips through Italy.
Restaurant: The Brothers Sushi [1, 2]
Location: 21418 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364. (818) 456-4509
Date: September 14, 2021
Cuisine: Japanese Sushi Kaiseki
Rating: Really wonderful modern style Kaiseki
This dinner is part of a “Sushi Series” (the others being here) in a vast array of epic Japanese sushi and/or Kaiseki dinners post lockdowns that all included myself, Erick, Joe and Bonnie — and often Larry, as is the case tonight. Herein we “endeavor” to visit or revisit most of the top sushi spots in LA.
Larry has been coming to Brothers for years, but in 2018 recently Chef Mark Okuda took over and totally transformed the place into one of the Valley’s — and LA in general’s — top omakase destinations. Larry took us on a foray a couple weeks ago, but we immediately set up a giant even longer one for more people a few weeks later (this meal).
But the inside is attractive and there is a large patio and this interior with an extensive sushi bar and a few tables.
1990 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. VM 94. The 1990 La Grande Dame is a shock to the palate after all the older wines in this tasting. Candied lemon, rosemary, dried flowers and spices are all super-expressive in the glass. The 1990 retain a good bit of brightness, especially for its age. The citrus flavors have still not moved into realm or more orangish tonalities, as is likely to happen over time. The 1990 can be enjoyed now and for the next 20 years or so. (Drink between 2015-2034)
From my cellar: 1996 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97. Taittinger’s 1996 Comtes de Champagne is another highlight. The flavors are only now beginning to show elements of complexity, a great sign for aging. Gently spiced and buttery notes suggest the 1996 is about to enter the early part of its maturity, where it is likely to stay for another decade or so. (Drink between 2014-2026)
1995 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. VM 95. Wonderfully subtle, complex aromas of white flowers, acacia honey, minerals, nuts and mushroom, with musky and leesy nuances. Oily, rich and smoky but with terrific verve and lift. Quite substantial and chewy for a young D.P. but not at all heavy. Yellow plum and strong soil tones in the middle and on the palate-staining finish. Offers a rare combination of richness and finesse. (Schieffelin & Somerset, New York, NY)
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)
2010 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre. VM 92. Fruit-driven aromas of peach, apricot, pear and flowers. Then juicy and tight in the mouth, with strong citrussy acidity leavening the wine’s mid-palate sweetness. The long, peachy finish shows lovely finesse for this bottling.
2011 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne. VM 96. An utterly mesmerizing wine, the 2011 Corton-Charlemagne conquers all of the senses with its grace and harmony. Lemon oil, white flowers, pears and crushed rocks are some of the many notes that are woven together in the glass. The 2011 is perfumed, sublime and drop-dead gorgeous from the very first taste. With time, though, the wine blossoms beautifully as it fills out its broad-shouldered frame with tons of style. (Drink starting 2018)
Marinated Jellyfish from Okinawa.
3 Week Dry Aged King Salmon, Marinated Tomato and Burgundy Truffle.
Smoke!
Smoked Dry Aged Amberjack Kanpachi.
Sautéed Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Ikura and Mango. Amazing texture difference with the crunchy shell and soft interior.
Sweet Corn Chawanmushi with Santa Barbara Uni and Japanese Watercress.
Japanese Milk Bread, Toro, Takuan, Sweet Onion, and Caviar.
Black Abalone with wasabi.
Risotto (with the abalone).
Monkfish Liver with a very sweet glaze.
Steamed Hairy Crab from Hokkaido.
Sweet and tangy sauce for the crab.
Fried River Crab (eaten whole).
Ginger.
Hokkaido scallop and shimiaji dry aged 1 week from Japan.
Japanese sea perch and golden eye snapper.
Otoro and chu toro from Spain.
Uni. Santa Barbara, Hokkaido, and Red Sea urchin from Japan
White shrimp from Japan and Wagyu.
Green tea cheesecake.
Tea.
Blue Cherry Gelato – a blend of Morello Cherry, intense Amarena Cherry, and Blueberry fruit make this dairy gelato really pop — topped with Candied Amarena Cherries — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #amarena #morello #cherry #blueberry
Burnt Basque Cheesecake Gelato — Milk steeped with Tahitian Vanilla Beans and Valencia Orange Peels and then blended with Cream-cheese and Egg Yolks, layered with house made “burnt” Caramel and topped with house-made Caramel Brittle, finished with the torch! — created 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 #basque #cheesecake #caramel #brittle #orange
The wine lineup.
Some of the gang with Chef Mark in the mask.
I was really impressed by Brothers. Not only was the fish superlative and the dishes every inventive, but Mark has a really refined sense of balance to his flavors. Nothing was overly sweet, or overly salty, or overly tangy — but instead hovered in that lovely space where all of the flavors hang in proper harmony.
Bravo! I’d highly recommend Brothers as one of the best “modern style” Omakase places in the city.
This second (even bigger) dinner was just as good, if not even better, than the first visit. Really really great place. I’ve been back a couple times for lunch since but have been waiting (for six months since this dinner) for their long awaited Santa Monica branch to open!
For more LA dining reviews click here.
Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.
Or for more Sushi Series dinners, click here.
Restaurant: Soko
Location: 101 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (inside the Fairmont). 310-576-7777
Date: September 10, 2021
Cuisine: Sushi
Rating: Great for hotel sushi, but flavors a bit weird
Right in the middle of our 2021 “Sushi Series” (when we visited lots of great LA sushi places) Jeffrey kept egging us to try the new “micro sushi bar” inside the Fairmont Hotel — which he’d hit up a lot since it’s right between his work and home.
This is a tiny little spot inside the hotel with pretty much one employee. Maybe there was a server taking drink orders.
Hand ground wasabi.
1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. JG 98. I had not drunk a bottle of the 1996 Krug in several years, as I had deemed the wine still in climbing mode and I am not generally in the business of drinking Krug before its time. But, a friend recently opened a bottle and I was very impressed with how the wine is evolving in the bottle since its release. The bouquet is now starting to show some lovely secondary layering of complexity in its blend of apple, peach, a touch of sweet walnut, patissière, a refined base of minerality, caraway seed and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine flavors on the attack echo the nose nicely, with the wine’s full-bodied format sporting excellent depth at the core, still plenty of the vintage’s snappy acidity, great focus and grip and a very, very long and utterly refined finish. Though this remains quite racy structurally, I really like the point it has reached in terms of aromatic and flavor complexity and it is really not a crime to be opening bottles up at this point in its evolution, though it still has room to grow with further bottle age. A great, great vintage of Krug. (Drink between 2019-2060)
2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. JG 98. Somehow, I never managed to cross paths with the initial disgorgement of the 2002 Dom Pérignon, so I was delighted to see the coming P2 version waiting in the wings in our tasting lineup in March at the Abbé d’Hautvillers. It would be fascinating to compare the P2 with the first release of the 2002 Dom Pérignon, in much the same way I tasted the two 1996 versions side by side, as this is a great Champagne vintage that dovetails so beautifully with the house style of this bottling. The 2002 P2 delivers a stunning young nose of pear, apple, stony minerality, iodine, dried flowers a touch of nuttiness, menthol and gentle upper register botanicals so emblematic of this cuvée as it starts to first stretch its wings. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and absolutely rock solid at the core, with lovely mousse, laser-like focus again and stunning backend mineral drive on the very, very long, perfectly balanced finish. The 2002 Dom Pérignon P2 looks to be almost unreachable by the passage of time and could easily last a century. (Drink between 2022-2095)
From my cellar: 2008 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. JG 94. The 2008 Pucelles was very closed and reserved, but with great underlying elements that promise a profound glass of wine down the road. The superb nose offers up scents of lemon, orange, fresh pear, beautiful, chalky soil tones, vanillin oak and a pungent topnote of lemon blossoms. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with great mid-palate depth, superb focus and great length and grip on the zesty and reserved finish. This will be just a classic vintage of Leflaive Pucelles. (Drink between 2014-2040)
agavin: this bottle of mine was pretty advanced (so I opened the roulot), but it was marginally drinkable.
2007 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses. BH 94. Initially this is still restrained but after only 10 minutes or so it becomes quite expressive with a nose that is airy, ripe, elegant and strikingly pure as it combines plenty of Chablis character that includes sea breeze, citrus and green fruit aromas that precede the delineated and equally pure flavors of stunning depth and intensity, all wrapped in a hugely long finish. Like the nose, the minerality seems subdued at first yet arrives in a real rush on the finale. A genuinely great wine that is a study in harmony and grace as well as one that should age effortlessly for many years. I have advanced the suggested drinking window by one year as this can already be drunk with pleasure even though it is still on the way up. In a word, stunning. (Drink starting 2013)
From my cellar: 2011 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir. VM 92. A statuesque Burgundy, the 2011 Meursault Les Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir is all class. Nothing in particular stands out, so impeccable is the wine’s balance. The depth and intensity of the fruit is apparent, but readers will have to give the 2011 at least another year or two before the elements start to truly come together. The 2011 is impressive for its depth and stuffing. (Drink starting 2014)
2007 Pierre Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. VM 93+. Pale, bright yellow. Knockout nose combines underripe pineapple, crushed stone and a flinty nuance. Big, rich and voluminous, but with lovely penetration and purity to the pineapple and crushed stone flavors. Wonderfully sweet, tactile wine with outstanding density and breadth for the year. This very long, scented wine remained on my palate for minutes. From very old virused vines in a spot that’s protected from wind by walls on three sides, notes Morey. But the yield in 2007 was still a solid 45 hectoliters per hectare. Wonderfully powerful, youthful Meursault that should reward a decade of aging.
Yam cake, spinach, tofu sesame paste, carrots. Weirdly sweet.
Steamed monkfish liver.
Beans & tomatoes with sesame paste. The dressing was a bit oddly sweet.
Sashimi.
Sardine.
Kohada.
White salmon from Alaska and Barracuda.
Uni, Quail egg, Toro, Flying fish egg. Excellent.
Braided kohada.
Toro negi hand roll. Very good.
Keto roll. No rice. Really good, but not as acidic.
Sunomono with radish.
Taco (Octopus).
Tai and sardine.
Ikura uni roll. Best thing of the night.
Red roll (3 kinds of tuna). Very tasty.
House made tamago.
Special tamago and unagi.
The wine lineup.
While this was pretty good for hotel sushi and some of the dishes were great, the overall mix was a little weird. Most of the non nigri / non roll dishes were oddly sweet and desperately laking in acidity. Some not really pleasant at all because the cloying quality was just odd. But most of the rolls were great and the nigiri pretty good. However, the mix of nigiri was really peculiar as well. It was dominated by marinated “sardine-like” fishes. Now I actually like these quite a bit, but it was an odd balance and there was very little “whitefish” or “tuna” type nigiri.
Anyway, it was certainly a fun evening. Wines were great of course.
Restaurant: Bill’s Burgers
Location: 14742 Oxnard St, Van Nuys, CA 91411. (818) 785-4086
Date: September 9, 2021 (and several times since)
Cuisine: Burger Shack
Rating: Great “hand made” “Big Mac”
This is an unusual stop for me!
Bill’s is a total LA institution. It’s totally a burger shack. Don’t be fooled by the building behind, it’s just that tiny shack in the parking lot.
You can’t really read the menu here, but there are just a couple basic sandwich options.
The owner here, Bill Elwell is 94 or 95! He’s been making every burger here since 1965 — which is slightly longer than I’ve been alive. The place is only open when he feels like coming into work, which is surprisingly often given his advanced years. Hopefully he keeps slinging these for some time yet.
Double cheese burger. I had them leave off the tomatoes — because well I hate tomatoes on sandwiches. It’s a really simple burger, just two thin pure beef paddies, grilled, with chopped lettuce, a bit of onion, American cheese, and some kind of “burger sauce” (ketchup and mayo based). It’s very good. Basically it’s soft and beefy and very similar to the way one remembers a Big Mac. I’ve eaten two every time I go. They take a while to get (15-20 min) even if you are off hours and longer on. So if you are a pig like me, order 2 when you go up.
As a kid (or teenager), Big Macs were probably my favorite burger type, and since this is basically a better version — way better than a current Big Mac — I really enjoyed it. I don’t actually like a thick patty and I really like American cheese on burgers.
It was actually so tasty that I did some experimentation at home making smash burgers (Bill’s isn’t really a smash burger, but not too different either).
This is my homemade smash burger. Really it’s a Oklahoma Style Grilled Onion Smash Burger — USDA Prime Beef seasoned only with Salt & Pepper, smashed on a hot iron pan with thinly sliced Onions, Kraft Singles, house-made Burger Sauce, and a Brioche Bun — one of the best burgers I’ve ever had.
Restaurant: N/Naka [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
Location: 3455 S. Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034. 310.836.6252
Date: September 3, 2021
Rating: Awesome
The Foodie Club returned to N/Naka in September (having been last in June).
The busy street corner on National.
The empty interior.
Our table — before we got to it.
Our menu for the night.
1971 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. VM 97. This bottle of 1971 Dom Pérignon, the second that I have tasted, was an original disgorgement and slightly paler than the Cristal 1971 served alongside. It has a devastatingly gorgeous bouquet, intoxicating from the get-go: grilled walnuts, dried honey and even a hint of marmalade, all delivered with exceptional delineation. The palate is beautifully balanced with perfect acidity. There are subtle notes of citrus peel, mandarin, crushed stone and honeysuckle, though these are discrete. It is rather the tension and precision that elevates this magnificent Champagne. Tasted at Christies/Fine Wine Experience 1971 dinner. (Drink between 2021-2030)
1990 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 97. 1990 is one of my favorite vintages ever for this storied cuvée because while the vintage was on the riper side the high yields allowed the fruit to retain a very good level of acidity which made for balanced and ageworthy wines. While I have had the pleasure of tasting the ’90 on a number of occasions since its release, the last time was alongside the 1985 and the 1988, and as admirable as those two vintages are, the 1990 is head and shoulders above them to my taste. The fantastically complex nose is comprised of an abundance of yeast and toast characters that don’t completely dominate the essence of apple, pear, citrus, spice, acacia blossom and discreet orange peel scents. There is equally good depth to the delicious, full-bodied and powerful flavors that possess a lovely sense of vibrancy thanks to the still firm but fine mousse that shapes the delineated, delicious and impeccably well-balanced finale. In my view 1990 is one of the greatest vintages for this wine of the last 25 years and one that is still drinking well. While there is no additional upside development to be hand, neither is there any rush to drink up as this should continue to hold effortlessly for years to come. (Drink starting 2015)
1998 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. BH 94. An elegant but austere wine that is almost as reticent as the ’96 with pure citrus and floral aromas that continue onto the crisp and still very tight medium-bodied flavors that are beautifully precise and impressively delineated on the gorgeously long finish. This is a long way from being ready and I wouldn’t touch a bottle for another 5 to 7 years.
Sakizuke. Aji, Snap Pea, Bell Pepper Gelee.
A welcome drink.
Zensai. Nasui Yasai, Corn Tofu, Oyster Lime, Shishito White Fish Tempura, Unagi Avocado, Fig, Wagyu Nikogori.
Nasui Yasai.
Unagi Avocado.
Corn Tofu.
Shishito White Fish Tempura.
Fig.
Pickles.
Shrimp with caviar.
Modern Zukuri. Roasted Tomatillo, Chili Sauce, Hokkaido Scallop, Finger Lime, Chayote, Turnip, Kohlrabi, Lemon Verbena Oil
Can’t remember, but it was good!
2002 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Brut Rosé. VM 95. Light, bright orange-pink. Heady mineral- and yeast-accented aromas of dried red berries, blood orange, buttered toast and tea rose. Densely packed and expansive on the palate, offering intense raspberry, cherry compote and floral pastille flavors and a smoky overtone that gains strength with aeration. The mineral quality comes back strong on the silky, focused finish, which goes on and on. An outstanding blend of power and finesse. Disgorged September, 2012.
2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 96. There is a subtle phenolic character to the secondary-tinged yet super-fresh nose reflects notes of baked bread, yeast, pear, baked apple, spice and a hint of citrus. The bold and full-bodied flavors possess superb complexity while being underpinned by a notably fine but dense mousse, all wrapped in a gorgeously persistent finish. This full-bodied effort is seriously impressive and one that is aging effortlessly though for my taste, it could certainly be enjoyed now. (Drink starting 2020)
Owan. Tai, Eggplant, Green Bean
Sake we bought from them.
Otsukuri. Traditional Sashimi.
Yakimono. Ayu, Duck Liver, Smoked Cherry.
Mushimono. Tomato, Lobster Shinjo, Tomato and Fennel Mochi.
From my cellar: 2011 Etienne Sauzet Chevalier-Montrachet. BH 94. A pure and elegant if very restrained nose reluctantly offers up notes of white flower, lemon zest, wet stone and an herbal tea hint. There is an equally stony character to the beautifully detailed middle weight plus flavors that possess real verve and superb depth on the gorgeously textured and markedly firm finish. This does a slow build from the mid-palate to the explosive and palate staining finish. A Zen wine of considerable understatement that will require all of a decade to arrive at its full potential. (Drink starting 2021)
2013 Etienne Sauzet Montrachet. BH 93-96. This is markedly more restrained with its reserved aromas of spice, white and yellow orchard fruit, acacia blossom and a broad array of citrus nuances. There is seriously impressive richness to the overtly powerful full-bodied flavors that possess an admirable plenitude of dry extract that completely drenches the palate on the driving and hugely long finish. As one might reasonably expect this is presently very, very backward and while this may be fully ready 12 years hence I would not be surprised if it required more like 15. Either way, this has terrific upside development potential. (Drink starting 2025)
Shiizakana. Spaghetti, Abalone, Picked Cod Roe, Truffles. Awesome as always.
Niku. A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Beef, Baby Corn.
Sunomono. Nopales, Golden Kiwi, Cucumber, Aloe, Chia Seeds.
Yuzu juice intermezzo.
They brought us some giant bottle sake.
Shokuji. Nigiri Sushi.
And more sushi, including uni/ikura.
Miso Soup.
Blue crab Hand roll.
Mizumono. Lychee Sorbet, Shiso Lime Granita
Mizumono. Ginger Poached Plum, Lavender Ice Cream, Wasabi Mochi, Honey Crumb, Tuile
Blood Peach and Ume Sorbetto, Chocolate Peanut Cream Gelato, and Caramel Fudge Marshmallow Gelato made by me for @sweetmilkgelato.
Take home gift.
Roasted green tea.
Pretty chocolates.
The setting is elegant, minimalist, and very Japanese. N/Naka really is a very special place. All the meals I had here were spectacular. Plus we even did an amazing all foie gras meal here once. The place keeps getting better and better. This is thrice wonderful because often one finds a slight bloom to come off a place on repeat meals. At N/Naka everything is seasonal and constantly rotating.
Coming back to N/Naka after the pandemic I thought they were really firing on all cylinders. This was the best meal I’ve had there since the incredible Foie meal. I think her sushi has gone from “okay” to “great” and with regard to other dishes she has toned down a bit of the “theatrics” slightly but really upped the flavor balance and intensity. There weren’t some of the more interactive dishes of years past, like cooking your own item on hot stones, but the cooking was even more on point.
Service is also spectacular, highlighted all the more by the extremely low understaffed standard currently found in LA.
Restaurant: Pa Ord Noodle
Location: 5269 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca, 90027. 323-536-9929
Date: September 3, 2021
Cuisine: Thai
Rating: Another solid (authentic) Thai
Pa Ord Noodle is another highly regarded Thai Town place.
We visited in the middle of the pandemic “opening up” phase and ate outside in the parking lot — hence all the takeout wares.
The menu.
Various chili sauces!
Papaya Salad – great.
Coconut Soup with Seafood — also delicious. Similar to the “coco lotus” soup at Jitlada.
Fried Shrimp Cake – Delicious. Very friend but great.
Roast Duck Noodle Soup w/ Egg Noodles.
Drunken Noodles Combination meats – very nice.
Pad Prik King Chicken – spicy and quite good.
I pulled this out of the freezer because it was “on theme”:
Buko Pandan Gelato — Infused the milk with fresh Pandan Leaves and then crafted it into a dairy coconut base as my take on the Filipino favorite. Unusual and soothing. — 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 #buko #pandan #coconut
All the dishes here were quite good, and while this was just a lunch, and not a “comprehensive review” (aka big dinner), it’s clear Pa Ord has a very good kitchen. You certainly couldn’t go wrong stopping in here for a Thai food fix!
Location: 11925 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. (424) 535-3041
Date: August 31, 2021
Cuisine: Omakase Asian
Rating: Really interesting and different
It’s hard to describe Kato. Located in one of the ubiquitous Santa Monica Blvd mini-malls it serves a sort of modern Asian omakase/kaiseki. It won a Michelin star recently and at the 2021-22 junction moved downtown. Now this last bit I’m bummed about as I loved having it on the westside. But their audience is predominantly young hip Asian couples who mostly live in the SGV. Sigh.
Given what was in the fall of 2021 an imminent move much further, Erick and I went twice to collect the tasty memory data from the late period at this westside location.
Fit in there with the Mexican places, the cheap sushi, the massage joints.
The decor is minimalist but attractive. The crowd is young and predominantly Asian.
The descriptive but cryptic menu.
From my cellar: NV Krug Champagne Brut Rosé Edition 21eme. JG95+. The Krug Brut Rosé “21ème Édition” is from the beautiful base year of 2008, with the oldest reserve wine in the blend going back to 2000. The wine was disgorged in the spring of 2015 and is a blend of fifty-one percent pinot noir, forty-one percent chardonnay and eight percent pinot meunier. Ten percent of the pinot noir in the blend is still red wine from Krug’s own parcels of vines in the village of Aÿ. The blend is a slight departure from many releases of Krug Rosé, as hail in the village of Ste. Ghemme in 2008 dramatically cut back the quality of pinot meunier from this vintage, so that Chef de Caves Eric Lebel opted to use all reserve wines for the pinot meunier portion of the blend. The very complex wine offers up the characteristically refined and gently exotic bouquet that this cuvée is cherished for, wafting from the glass in a blend of cherries, a touch of pomegranate, orange peel, beautiful, savory spice elements, rye bread, a complex base of soil tones , dried rose petals and incipient smokiness. On the palate the wine is full, complex and still quite youthful in terms of structure, with vibrant acids, a lovely core, elegant mousse and a very long, perfectly balanced and seamless finish. This is already beautifully complex, but I would love to revisit it five to ten years down the road and see what the passage of time does to this beautiful constellation of aromas and flavors. (Drink between 2018-2050)
Erick brought: 1976 Dr. Loosen Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel. Amazing! We bought multiple bottles of this at a fantastic Loosen dinner.
NOTE: I’ve used the restaurant’s notes, so they are in written from the chef’s point of view.
The rectangular one was: Tapioca, brown butter, uni. This dish started out with us wanting to do something with milk and tapioca and eventually led to a savory dish. We also try not to have dairy in the majority of the menu so when we do we get to use it, it’s a treat. We think the uni pairs well with the different textures, temperatures and forms of dairy.
The rounder one is: Tuna, cilantro. I’ve been trying to make our cold dishes feel like the cold side dishes you would get whenever you eat at casual Chinese noodle houses. The dish is based on a smashed cucumber salad. It’s an onion croustade with roasted chili jam, cilantro condiment and minced bluefin tuna.
3 cup abalone. The flavors of Thai basil, sweetened soy and sesame oil are so emblematic of Taiwanese cuisine so I can see why 3 cup chicken is so beloved. My mom used to stir fry sea snails or clams in the same sauce. We decided to recreate that by reducing 3 cup sauce into a syrup and marinating California abalone in it. The dish is dotted with an abalone and sesame oil emulsion so there’s extra notes of sesame.
Tomato. Aaron from Girl and Dug Farms has a huge selection of tomatoes right now. They all taste different so we wanted to do a dish that showcases all of them. It’s a salad of all of Aaron’s tomatoes, tomato consommé, semi dried sungold tomatoes and a vinegar gelee.
Caviar, geoduck, koji butter. We source caviar through Astrea (our friends Eve and Reisa), their Kaluga hybrid is one of my favorites that I’ve ever tasted. The only inspiration for this dish is the quality of the caviar and the rest of the ingredients serve to highlight it.
Shrimp Toast. We’ve been serving a bread course for a long time now because we really like the milk bread recipe that we developed. We’re starting to realize that a bread course doesn’t make sense in the course of our menu but we still wanted to use our milk bread. So we decided to use it as the base of a shrimp toast done in the style of honey walnut shrimp to pair with the custard course.
Egg custard. Whenever I was sick as a child my mom would steam egg custard with black vinegar. It’s still one of my favorite dishes to this day. This dish is our egg custard, a sauce of kelp and black vinegar, a few different shellfish, Brentwood corn and Aaron’s negi.
Chinese style steamed fish. Every regional cuisine of China and every home has a version of this dish. The most recognizable would be the Cantonese version where a fish is steamed whole and dressed with soy, ginger and scallion to which scalding oil is poured over the top. Our version has loup de mer and we cook each element separately and assemble it to service. The soy is traditionally unadorned but mixes with the fish jus in the steaming vessel. We take sea bream bones and make a tisane and season it with different rice wines and soy sauces to emulate the traditional technique.
Short rib, pear. We’re working on doing a throwback menu to our favorite dishes from 5 years. This dish isn’t Taiwanese or Chinese but it reminds us of eating in Los Angeles and our first year of opening. It’s a dish of short rib cooked with pear then grilled. We serve it with matsutake and some of the pear cooking liquid.
Rice dishes are traditional finishers in Asia.
Yogurt, melon. Frozen yogurt is hands down my favorite dessert to eat. I’m not a sweets person but I’ll always make room if there’s frozen yogurt promised. Dessert doesn’t play a huge part in a coursed Taiwanese meal but tea and fruits always cap a meal. Weiser farm melons right now are at their peak so we wanted to incorporate that so we made the juice of 3 different melons into a granita and there are also pieces of mush melon as well. We think it tastes like a melona bar, a staff favorite.
Boniato yam tapioca, fresh cheese, sable. Here’s our other longest standing dish, our ode to arguably the most popular thing to ever come out of Taiwan, boba milk tea. We make tapioca balls out of an Asian roasting yam, similar to the sweet potato or taro ones you’d have in Taiwan. We make a fresh cheese and foam it and we shave frozen brown butter sable so it gives the feeling of eating shaved ice. We think that the flavors range from milk tea shops to shaved ice stands.
Overall, a very interesting and different meal. Very light, bright flavors and the whole thing tasted great but left one feeling not in the least “bombed out” which is actually kinda nice. Extremely modern too and straight up ready for instagram!
Service is great, if a bit fast! Like just over an hour! It’s also, for gluttons like Erick and I, not nearly enough food, so despite ordering all the supplements we have always gone for “second dinner.” In this case right outside to Monte Alban (a Oaxacan Mexican place).
Chips and salsa.
Chilaquiles. Crispy corn tortillas pieces in spicy tomato sauce, sprinkled with cheese, onion, sour cream, and green salsa, with your choice of protein.
Tacos Enchilados, mole negro. Three soft tacos rolled with chicken or cheese covered with red or black mole and sprinkled with fresh cheese, onion, and parsley. Served with rice.
Restaurant: Embassy Kitchen
Location: 218 S San Gabriel Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 286-8148
Date: August 28 & September 9, 2021
Cuisine: Chinese
Rating: Very tasty, but lots of MSG
Over the years Embassy Kitchen has been on my radar. I missed a couple dinners there due to scheduling conflicts and we even showed up once years ago and when they declined to allow us to open our wine the group rebelled and moved to Beijing Tasty House. Anyway, I managed to go twice in 2021, both for a test lunch and then for a Tony Lau dinner.
It’s adjacent to an old 50s/60s billiards hall which I think is still actually open! This is just all so SGV.
Big menu.
Peanuts on the table.
Beef and anchovy patties. A bit salty and “fishy” in a good umami way.
Deep fried chicken cartilage. Garlicky. Delicious but very salty. Here you chew right through the “chicken knees” (chunks of chewy cartilage. This isn’t always easy for those of the Caucasian persuasion.
Rice stuffed chicken wings. Stuffing slightly bland.
100 flower chicken. Great. I love this dish.
Tilapia rolled up around ginger. Delicious but very salty. This is a polarizing dish. Not only is it salty fried fish but there is this tangy and bitey bit of fresh ginger inside. I loved it, but not everyone did.
Quail. Excellent.
House Special Lobster. Delicious.
Mushrooms with a salty yolk fry.
Beef with truffle. Heavy on the truffle oil.
Simple greens.
Veggies with dried shrimp and crispy taro. Delicious but again super salty.
Almond Chocolate Cloud Gelato – The base is made with Valrhona 62% Satilla Chocolate and then layered with Toasted Sicilian Almond Cream and Dark Chocolate Rocas! — 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 #almond
Pinoli Gelato — Siberian Pinenut Gelato — 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 #pinoli #pinenut
Portuguese Tarts.
Pineapple Buns.
Embassy Kitchen has a number of unique and interesting dishes and great flavors. It does however, use a lot of salt and MSG and I could really feel it both after both visits. Worth it. The ambiance is classic SGV with that unique blend of 50s/60s buildings with interesting “hybrid” Chinese American decor. Certainly our Tony Lau dinner made for a great night!
