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Quick Eats – Little Prince

May22

Location: 2424 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 356-0725

Date: April 20, 2019

Cuisine: American Cafe

Rating: Tasty, but lots of carbs

I have tried several times to test out Little Prince but in LA new breakfast spots can get really busy — and I refuse to wait.

I even once had an OpenTable res here and showed up and they REFUSED to honor it, saying it would be 3 hours. Seriously? They claimed it was a “mistake” and it shouldn’t have been listed. But they should have just made it work some way.

Room is small and cute.

There may even be a patio out back, didn’t go back to check but many places on this strip do.

The menu. We were eating low/no carb and had a bit of a tough time finding items hidden on this list that didn’t have some form of carbohydrate.

Braised bacon. Thick but a touch dry.

Smoked brisket and anson mills grits, salsa verde and a fried egg.

Soft scrambled eggs with an herb salad and toast with smoked sablefish and creme fraiche. Very basic, but nicely prepared.

Eggs baked in the wood oven with smoked cauliflower, green chermoula and flatbread with merguez.

House made ridiculously guilty looking cinnamon buns — we didn’t have them but they smelled and looked great.

Food is very simple, maybe a touch Southern, and quite well prepared. More interesting than you would expect, but not exactly incorporating too many exotic tastes or flavors. Small, crowded, loud, and they have a touch of an attitude. Best to go at an off hour or with two at most.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bacon, Breakfast, Cafe, Eggs, Little Prince, Santa Monica, Venice

Quick Eats – The Rose Venice

May20

Restaurant: Rose Cafe Venice / The Rose Venice

Location: 220 Rose Ave, Venice, CA 90291. (310) 399-0711

Date: April 19, 2019

Cuisine: American Cafe

Rating: Solid contemporary Californian Cafe

With some friends popping into town for a special occasion we met up in Venice on the way back from the airport.

Amazingly, despite having passed The Rose about a billion times, including dozens of times on my bike, I’ve never been — until today. I’ve even used it’s parking before (going to Gjusta).

The place is huge, both inside and out, and tres Venice. The outfits of customers alone are quite amusing.

There was also a huge line on this random Friday at noon — good thing we had a reservation. Even so it took me 15 minutes to talk to someone to tell them we were here.

Lots of good looking pastries not on my diet.

We ate outside.

The current menu.

Great marinated assorted olives. Citrus, chile, garlic.

Almond milk matcha latte with cute piggy latte art — see what I mean about the tres Venice?

Delicious Crispy Brussels sprouts. Pickled jalepeno dashi broth, poached egg, Thai basil, scallion.

Grilled rockfish tacos. Smoked chili creme fraiche, avocado, shredded cabbage.

Di Stefano burrata. Thai pesto, blistered snap peas, asian pears.

Grilled bread.

BREAKFAST SANDWICH. Fried Egg, Juniper Bacon, Smoked Cheddar.

SHAKSHOUKA. Baked Eggs, Moroccan Tomato Sauce, Feta, Arugula, Chermoula, Peppers.

Closeup without the evil bread. Very nice and high acid. Bright flavors. Pretty light too — except maybe if you are prone to heartburn.

Overall, I liked the Rose and will come back. It’s very hipster — down to the Avocado Toast (not pictured), but the food was bright, clean, modern, and overall very flavorful. Service was solid too.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Cafe, New American, Rose Cafe, Venice, Venice California

Tim Ho Wan – Dim Sum Pedigree

May16

Restaurant: Tim Ho Wan

Location: 2700 Alton Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92606. (262) 888-8828

Date: May 15, 2019

Cuisine: Hong Kong / Taiwanese Dim Sum

Rating: Solid, new format, but not amazing

Tim Ho Wan, the Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant from Hong Kong, opened last week in Irvine at the Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center.

It’s the first Southern California location of Tim Ho Wan, which has 47 outposts in nine countries, with U.S. restaurants in New York City, Las Vegas and Hawaii. The restaurant earned worldwide acclaim when it opened in 2009 as a 20-seat dim sum restaurant in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, earning a Michelin star a year later. The restaurant has continued to earn a star for nine consecutive years.

Tim Ho Wan is best known for its baked BBQ pork buns, made with a sweet, sticky char siu (barbecued pork) encased in a cloudlike fluffy bread with a sweet, crunchy top. In addition to the buns, there are the usual dim sum favorites, including har gow (steamed shrimp dumplings), siu mai (steamed pork dumplings with shrimp), braised chicken feet with abalone sauce, congee with pork and preserved egg, steamed egg cake and fried turnip cake.

And the restaurant is known as much for its long wait times.

Mid week, Yarom and I, dedicated Chinese eaters that we are made the full on 1 hour+ pilgrimage to the OC just to try the new “hot” dim sum place.

It’s one of those newish maxi-malls (10 years or so) — a bit nicer than a traditional strip mall but cheesy construction. There were all the usual suspects like 85 degrees, hai di lao, etc.

11:15am — 3 hour wait! Yep! The buzz is a-buzzing. We were lucky though and were only 2 people (we had a third join us mid meal), so we got seated in about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile we went next door and got some 85 degrees coffee.

Besides the regular tables there is a bar, but it’s not open yet. This will make coming in by oneself easier/faster eventually.

The main dining room is attractive, with some build out, but it’s quite casual. Even more downscale maybe than Din Tai Fung and set up for smaller 2-4 person parties (younger audience) and not the traditional giant round tables of a big Cantonese banquet house. More on this later at the end.

The menu is small, and everything (pretty much) is pictured on the placemats.

The older sheet. Today about 1/4 of the items were not available, as they haven’t come “online” yet. It’s still in soft opening.

Tea.

Steamed Rice Roll with Shrimp and Chives. As I always mention, in my family, when I was a kid, this was called “shrimp slime.” We liked it then, I love it now. This particular one had nice fluffy texture, but the taste was a bit reduced. Maybe less grease? (which is a good thing in dim sum). The sauce was a bit mild too, not as sweet as it usually is.

Braised Chicken Feet with Abalone Sauce and Peanut. Nice abalone sauce and good texture on the little chicken claws.

Foot fetish (not everyone loves a good chicken foot).

Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf. A dim sum classic.

Inside the meat and sausage bits of the rice were good, but it also tasted a bit under-seasoned. Not salty enough? Texture was pretty good though.

Braised Beef Brisket with Turnip. Just like mom’s Rosh Hashanah brisket with potatoes! Actually pretty close. Beef was excellent. Soft and full of flavor.

Braised Beef Brisket with Thin Rice Noodles in Soup. Soup was delicious. The meat was the same as with the turnips — and just as good. The noodles are a bit thin and soft, which is traditional with this soup, but I like more al dente noodles in general. The bowl size, which is hard to tell here, is single person small. It’s not the bigger bowl that most Chinese places use. More on that later too.

Pan Fried Noodles. Very simple, classic pan fried egg noodles. Nice taste and light texture though. A bit less greasy than the most traditional version. I’m thinking they use a different (or less) oil than traditional Chinese.

Steamed Pork Spare Rib with Black Bean Sauce. Bone in. The usual sketchy looking pork niblets, but great flavor. Also maybe a touch lighter than usual at most dim sum places.

Deep Fried Spring Roll with Egg White and Shrimp.

You can see inside the fluffy egg white. Very nice light roll. Good crispiness, good texture on the filling. Slightly lighter grease though so I think the flavor was a bit muted. The sauce is more a slightly sweetened soy. I kinda like the sweet sauce for this kind of fry. This may be a Taiwanese influence?

Deep Fried Bean Curd with Avocado and Shrimp and Golden Chives. It’s bean curd, but fried up like a spring roll. The inside with the avocado was interesting and flavorful, adding a bit more heft than the fluffy Spring Roll. Again a sweet sauce would have worked.

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings. Nice texture on the skin and chunky vegetables inside. Light skin too which I like. Still a touch under salty/greasy?

Steamed Dumplings with Shrimp and Chives. Great texture again for the skin, but soft on the inside and muted in flavor.

Har Gow. Steamed Shrimp Dumplings. Nice skin, big chunk of meaty shrimp. This was the best dumpling and fairly classic.

Steamed Beef Ball with Bean Curd Skin. Nice soft meat ball with a good beefy flavor.

Siu Mai. Steamed Pork Dumplings with Shrimp. Small like I like them, and very good texture, but again had that slightly muted flavor.

Steamed Rice with Minced Beef and Pan Fried Egg. Rice less sticky than typical Chinese rice (on purpose). Pretty much a flat layer of the same meat as the beef ball on the rice, with a fried egg and the sauce from the Rice Roll. The whole thing was pretty great. The beef on the rice, with the richness of the egg, and the sauce soaking into it all.

House Special Baked BBQ Pork Buns. Soft crunchy outside. A good bit of sugar.

Inside was delectable sweet pork. This was a great pork bun. As good as I’ve had. It’s of the slightly crunchy type. There are several other types like the steamed white ones, or the baked syrup glazed ones. I probably like this and the glazed ones best.

Tim Ho Wan is interesting. They are clearly making a play at becoming (expanding?) a little empire of fine casual focused dim sum eatery. It’s very new generation. Very millennial. The table layout is for 2s and 4s instead of the giant round tables of the big old Cantonese palace. The decor and format are more casual. The menu is smaller, maybe 1/4 the size and focused only on the dim sum greatest hits. Also importantly there is no “second chef” and giant banquet menu. It’s all the same focused small set of dim sum.

Service, particularly for being in soft opening, was excellent. They kept checking on us. They were speedy. Some confusion but they were on it double checking and made sure everything was perfect in the end. They are clearly very dedicated to improving and doing a good job. There were some minor quirks, like they had no chili oil (only chili sauce) — but they promised to get some by next week!

Plate/order size is smaller than a tradition dim sum house. I actually like this as it allows more dishes. They don’t have any large plate items. This is more consistent with the likes of DTF (Din Tai Fung). It works better with parties of 2.

Food wise, the textures were consistently good, which is the standard thing that many dim sum places mess up. Food was pretty fresh and very hot and not soggy. Problem for me was that on many dishes the flavors felt muted or light. I think it’s under seasoning. Maybe there isn’t so much salt (MSG?). Maybe they use a lighter oil. There is this standard dim sum oil taste that I really like and it wasn’t present or at least was very much more reserved. That oil and salt thing is one of the things I love about dim sum. As I mentioned, the menu is fairly small. We ordered every dish available the day we went and all are pictured above. There were about 6 or so on the menu that weren’t online.

So in terms of actual dim sum quality, places like Elite and Grand Harbor are a notch better at current. I can hope that Tim Ho Wan tunes up a bit, but it’s also possible that they are deliberately going for a lighter less coma-inducing style. It has this new faster/more casual format too, but with a long wait, that’s offset. Eventually though, it probably will be easy to get in on a weekday — it’s always going to be a long wait on weekends. Of course, there is always 85 degrees while you wait. And for me the long drive. I hope one opens on the Westside up here!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Dim sum, dimsum, dumplings, Har Gow, Hong Kong, lunch, Lunch Quest, Orange County, pork buns, sticky rice, Tim Ho Wan, Yarom

Yours Truly

May15

Restaurant: Yours Truly

Location: 1616 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291. (310) 396-9333

Date: April 18, 2019

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Excellent

Yours Truly is a new casual American small plates restaurant by former 71Above head chef, Vartan Abgaryan.

It’s located on super trendy, super busy, super expensive rent Abbot Kinney in Venice, near many other favorites like Gjelina, MTN, Tasting Kitchen etc. Oh yeah, and it used to be Saltair — which I ate at once but don’t seem to have written up.

There is a small patio out front.

Inside looks just like Saltair.

The menu is small and consists mostly of share plates. Technically the last three items are larger.

From my cellar: 2014 Domaine Sylvain Pataille Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay Rose. 90 points. This unusual wine is rather lovely. It’s made with a rarely used clone of Chardonnay called Chardonnay Rose (confusing yes, but it’s a white).

Marcona Almonds. Curry sugar, toasted coconut, salt. Like curry candy almonds. I liked them a lot. My wife — who loves Marconas but not curry — less so.

Chicken liver mille crepe. Rye crepe, kumquat, artichoke persillade, currant mostarda. This dish sure looks like a lot of work for the kitchen! It tasted pretty good too — as I’m a fan of chicken liver. Like liver and toast with the toast built in — sort of.

Asparagus. Pistachio, lemon, maple, sherry vinegar, soft herbs. Very nice asparagus dish with bright flavors.

Scallop tartare. Apple, daikon, sorrel, olio nuovo. Nice textural interplay.

From my cellar: 2000 Cuchet Beliando Cornas. 94 points. Exceptional. I don’t rate wines this high often. Almost never. This was just stupendous. Beautiful, complex and layered nose of flowers, berries and game. Like a red-meated DRC, that good. Both adequately ripe and cherry-fruited and savory, herbal and bloody. Rich but decidedly middleweight on the palate. Long and subtle finish. No roughness, no rusticity. Gorgeous. Hard to imagine a better Syrah, even in the abstract.

Fingerling Potato. Cacio e pepe, black peppercorn, egg yolk, pecorino, parmesan. This was not only several people’s favorite dish — being carby, yolky, and all that goodness — but is the kind of fun dish that’s so in the current LA zeitgeist. It derives loosely from classic cacio e pepe, but in a new interpretation.

Charred Peas & Their Greens. Anchovy, preserved lemon, cave aged pecorino, capers. In many ways this dish (excellent too) is to a Caesar salad what the potatoes above are to Cacio e pepe. Elements are repurposed to lend a familar vibe intermingled with the (mildly) unfamiliar.

Bucatini “Carbonara.” Squid ink, uni, trout roe, bottarga, cipoltle butter. Great dish, with nice texture and brine. I guess it’s trying to play off Carbonara, but I really didn’t get that vibe. It’s closer to an uni/roe pasta.

Nashville Hot Shrimp. Japanese milk bread, cabbage, pickle juice vinaigrette, mustard. I liked these spicy friend shrimp (fairly big prawns). They did feel kind of southern (and slightly Japanese, only slightly). Might’ve been the slaw. A decent bit of heat too.

Some shortbread or similar with the bill.

Overall, I liked Yours Truly and have to go back and try more — until he changes the menu one more go would cover the whole thing! With these dishes Vartan is playing at far less formal motifs than he did at 71Above. There, the plating is very elegant and has a unique modernist continental take. Here, the dishes have as their backbone an array of different ethnic comfort foods, but then reinterpreted with LA Farmer’s market ingredients and a sort of playful LA vibe. It makes Yours Truly a much more “Los Angeles” style restaurant. The format is typical of most recent chef driven American places in LA — with a small slate of dishes sorted mostly by size of heaviness and a general assumption that dishes will be shared. Flavors show that same deftness of pairing that Vartan has always displayed.

Service was friendly, relaxed, and operating smoothly for our meal — even though I had some weird requests (I knew two other tables and kept asking for wine glasses to bring them my wines).

The place is small, cute, and very loud.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Abbot Kinney Blvd, Small Plates, Vartan Abgaryan, Venice, Yours Truly

Double Eagle is Pretty Standard

May13

Restaurant: Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse

Location: 10250 Santa Monica Blvd Suite 1700, Los Angeles, CA 90067. (323) 784-0473

Date: April 15, 2019

Cuisine: Steakhouse

Rating: Middling

Some of our core gang members decided to try out the new Del Frisco’s Double Eagle.

It’s a monster of a steakhouse in Century City — 15,000 square feet of restaurant — and represents Del Frisco’s attempt to go more upscale. Their regular place is like this.

It’s all those levels on the right.

The build out is very extensive/expensive — in a kind of corporate fake way.

From my cellar: 2004 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. VM 96. I am thrilled with the way the 2004 Comtes de Champagne continues to evolve in bottle. A few years ago, the 2004 was quite focused and linear, in the style of the vintage, but more recently, the wine has begun to fill out beautifully. The 2004 remains bright, with a full range of citrus, white flower and mineral nuances that dance on the palate. A brisk, saline-infused finish rounds things out beautifully in a Comtes that impresses for its crystalline purity. I expect the 2004 will always remain a bit cool next to the more opulent 2002, but it is still drop-dead gorgeous.

Bread.

Menu.

2014 La Chablisienne Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses. BH 94. Moderate wood frames the green fruit, floral, citrus and mineral reduction scents. The highly energetic and beautifully well-detailed middle weight flavors possess excellent minerality on the balanced, saline and Zen-like finale. This is quite simply terrific.

Stone Crab Claws with mustard. This was amazingly, I think, two portions. They were fairly flat and bland. And certainly small.

Chilled Shrimp “tasting”. Traditional Cocktail Sauce, Remoulade & Garlic Marinade. Nothing to write home about. And $4.33 a shrimp.

Shanghai-style Fried Calamari. Sweet Chili Glaze, Bean Sprouts, Cherry Peppers, Crushed Peanuts & Scallions. About as Shanghai as Shanghai McNuggets — but this was actually the first tasty dish as fried squid with sweet chili sauce is hard to get wrong.

1976 Château La Mission Haut-Brion. Another aged winner, this had a huge spicy aroma with hints of leather, cedar and cigar box complimenting the black currant fruit in the taste; it held up and finished as it started; a mild bit of sweetness came in late; enjoyable mature Bordeaux.

Thick-Cut Nueske’s Bacon au Poivre. Bourbon Molasses Glaze. Now this was tasty. Fatty, of course. And Sweet, and not really innovative or anything — but tasty.

Erick brought: 1985 Domaine de Chevalier. JG 93. It has been several years since I last saw a bottle of the 1985 DDC, but when last tasted in 2007, it was showing outstanding potential. The deep, pure and beautifully refined nose wafts from the glass in a blend of red plums, cherries, tobacco leaf, black truffles, cocoa powder, beautifully complex soil tones and a deft touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and velvety on the attack, with a fine core of sappy fruit, modest tannins, sound acids and outstanding length and grip on the really intense finish. This is a beautiful vintage of DDC that was just entering its plateau of peak maturity in 2006 and should continue to drink well for many decades to come.

Classic Caesar. Crisp Romaine Leaves, Shaved Parmesan, Croutons & Caesar Dressing. Anchovies.

Blue Cheese Lettuce Wedge. Iceberg, Cherry Tomatoes, Crisp Bacon & Danish Blue Cheese Dressing. Okay enough wedge.

Kirk brought: 1990 Château Trotanoy. VM 91. Bright red with an amber rim. Gamey aromas of black cherry, fig, leather, ink and spices; conveys an impression of rusticity. Fresh and lively on entry, then earthy and supple in the middle, with ripe acidity framing the black fruit and licorice pastille flavors. At once densely packed and lively, with a very long finish featuring substantial but smooth tannins and a trace of bitterness. This delicious, silky, open-knit Trotanoy is currently drinking well.

A dry aged cut. Maybe ?

Lobster Macaroni & Cheese. Certainly good. Not the best I’ve ever had. But I’ll give it some props.

Sautéed wild mushrooms & pearl onions.

1996 Château La Mission Haut-Brion. VM 91. Full ruby-red. Very reticent aromas of plum, black cherry, leather, dark chocolate and flowers; faint suggestion of surmaturite. Fat with sweet fruit; lush and voluminous for the vintage. Finishes with big but very even tannins that spread out on the palate.

From my cellar: 1996 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. VM 97+. What a treat it is to taste these two Pichon Lalandes straight from the chateau’s cellar. The 1996 Pichon Lalande is stratospheric from the very first taste. The deep, layered bouquet alone is deeply transfixing. Smoke, mocha, dark spices, lavender, crème de cassis, a host of dark-fleshed fruits and a touch of warm, resonant sweetness from the French oak draw me in. All of those sensations follow through to the palate, where the wine is massive, intense and totally enveloping. Time has softened the tannins to the point the 1996 is ready to drink, but there is enough sheer concentration here to support another 20-30 years of exceptional drinking. I am not sure I possess the vocabulary to describe just how captivating the 1996 is, but I do know this: If I had an opportunity to pick up a few well-stored bottles I would take it in a nanosecond. Readers holding the 1996 should be thrilled. The 1996 Pichon Lalande is a magnificent wine with plenty of upside. In word: fabulous.

Larry brought: 1996 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron. VM 94. The 1996 Pichon-Baron now has a superior bouquet to the 1995. There is much better definition here, and the scents of blackberry, graphite, smoke and a touch of gravel are all very harmonious and focused – quintessential Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and very fresh in the mouth. Hints of blood orange suffuse vivid black fruit tinged with a core of mineralité toward the finish. This is a seriously fine Pichon-Baron that seems to be pulling away from the 1995. Easily the peak of the nineties. Superb. Tasted at the Pichon-Baron vertical at the château.

Fancy salt tasting.

This premium steak came out to be cut table-side. The “Double Eagle” 45 day dry-aged double bone prime ribeye.

Let the carving begin.

Chop chop.

Slice slice.

Plate plate.

Thick-cut onion rings. Nice staking method.

Creamed corn. Blistered shishito peppers. This was pretty delicious.

I brought some gelato as usual, as I had a motherlode from my 6 batch set the other day.

Testing out a new Italian nut source — Salty Pistachio Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with the new Sicilian Pistachio to produce a pistachio base with a slight saltiness — 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 #salty #pistachio #sicily #nuts

Testing out a new Italian nut source — Caramel Nocciola Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with the new Piedmontese hazelnut to produce a hazelnut base, then adding in house-made caramel and chopped up hazelnuts — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #Nocciola #caramel #nuts

Traditional Cassata di Siciliana Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Sicilian Christmas cake as a gelato, with a ricotta almond base mixed with candied fruit and dark Valrhona chocolate chunks — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Cassata #Valrhona #CandiedFruit #fruit #chocolate #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #CassataSiciliana

Testing out a new Italian nut source — Salty Pistachio Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with the new Almond to produce the base, then weaving in Italian apricot variegate — 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 #nuts #almond #apricot

Very Cherry Gelato – a super intense amarena cherry gelato 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 #cherry

Overall, while we had a fun time this particular night, there were some issues.

First of all, the menu is a bit boring. It’s just slightly up scaled Del Friscos. There is no unique signature to anything. The food execution reflected that. It wasn’t bad. Many dishes were certainly tasty. I liked the meats themselves. The sides. Appetizers were pretty uninspired.

They have a big wine-list. Fairly impressive. But I don’t see who will be ordering the expensive stuff. It just doesn’t feel exclusive or really upscale enough for a serious baller work steakhouse dinner.

They had a TON of staff, and service was okay, but not amazing. Lots of people running around or not doing anything. Wine service was very NICE, but not actually that great. The Somm, while extremely friendly and personable, and extremely accommodating, didn’t anticipate the needs of moving through 8 bottles of wine with 6 people. You have to get it IN THE GLASS for a flight BEFORE the food arrives. If you are opening bottles, fetching stems, etc after or when the food arrives, the wine will all pile up at the end. We had to keep prompting him about this, and we had nearly half of it left at dessert. It takes real anticipation to get the wine shoved through one of these multi-course dinners.

The rent has to be crazy. Now, I’m sure Westfield (the mall owners) gave them huge TIs for the build out. But I can’t possible see this place full any percentage of the time. It’s not a bad steakhouse at all, but it’s not really inspired either. And there are a lot of steakhouses in Los Angeles. So why would you come to this one unless you were just at the mall? And then it makes one hell of an expensive mall dinner.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bordeaux, BYOG, Century City, Del Frisco's, Double Eagle, Gelato, hedonists, onion rings, Steak, steakhouse, Wine

Szechuan Impression Tustin

May10

Restaurant: Szechuan Impression

Location: 13816 Red Hill Ave, Tustin, CA 92780. (714) 505-9070

Date: April 14, 2019

Cuisine: Szechuan Chinese

Rating: that dependable SI quality

I’ve long been a huge fan of Sichuan Impression having eaten regularly at the Alhambra location and about 40 times at the West LA location. At the opening of SI West Yarom and I met one of the owners, Kelly, and struck up a friendship. She’s come to a bunch of our dinners and she invited us down to a big dinner at their flagship Tustin location.

And my commitment to Chinese is even more demonstrated by the fact that this night was the Game of Thrones season 8 premier!

This Tustin minimall much be a hot spot for Szechuan because just like in West LA there is a mob outside waiting.

We, of course, have our big table and owner-planned menu.

Special salad. This is off menu, and is a cool salad of carrots, cucumbers etc.

With a tangy soy based dressing poured over.

Cold Noodles. On the westside, I found this dish a bit heavy, but this version was excellent with nice chewy noodles and tangy sauce.

Juicy Steamed Chicken in Chili Sauce. This classic cold appetizer was excellent here. Not absolutely perfect. This particular night, the chicken was good, but the sauce was a little flat.

Cumin mutton. Super tender. Awesome version of this Szechuan classic.

Off menu, fried chicken, aromatic peppers, and crispy rice.

Tea Smoked Pork Rib. Pork rib, dry chili, scallion, minced peanuts. This was a moderately contentious dish in the group, but I loved it as always. The meat is super tender, melt from the bone, with a dry and nutty heat.

Spicy Crab. This was one of the best Chinese crab dishes I’ve had. Like a Chinese version of Maryland Eastern shore spicy crab. The meat was delectable and not overcooked, and the shell soft enough you could chew right through it.

Spicy beef noodle. Very spicy with thick chewy knife cut noodles and soft beef. Like a very spicy Szechuan beef stew.

Ginger Frog. SUPER spicy with fabulous flavor and delicate but (very boney) frog. I was addicted to this. But because it was Orange County, we only had a couple serious Chinese fans augmented by some newbies — who were a bit scared by the amphibian factor.

Fish filet with green chilies. Really nice version of this dish. Thick soft fish and lots of green heat. Very delicate and flavorful.

Pig trotters. Chewy, but lots and lots of flavor.

The classic shredded potatoes. Great with sauce.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp. Super garlicky, spicy, tangy. Really like this dish too.

Fried rice.

MaPo Tofu. 10 out of 10 version of this classic dish. Salty, but not too salty, with lots of mala.

Lettuce. Also very good. Tons of good garlic flavor.

Kung Pao Chicken. Fabulous. Very much Chengdu style with the heat, sweetness, and tangy quality.

Of course a brought a bunch of my famous gelato, left to right:

Testing out a new Italian nut source — Caramel Nocciola Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with the new Piedmontese hazelnut to produce a hazelnut base, then adding in house-made caramel and chopped up hazelnuts — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #Nocciola #caramel #nuts

Traditional Cassata di Siciliana Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Sicilian Christmas cake as a gelato, with a ricotta almond base mixed with candied fruit and dark Valrhona chocolate chunks — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Cassata #Valrhona #CandiedFruit #fruit #chocolate #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #CassataSiciliana

Like all of the SI branches, this is excellent. As this was the flagship, and the owners bringing out the dishes, everything was really on point tonight. The only (slightly) off dish was the cold chicken which was a little flat. It was fun too to try some new (off menu) dishes like the “salad” and chicken with crispy rice. The crab is on menu and I was particularly spectacular.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Gelato, GYOG, hedonists, Sichuan, Sichuan Impression, spicy, Szechuan Chinese, Szechuan Impression, Tustin, Wine

Marino Ristorante Back Room

May08

Restaurant: Marino Ristorante [1, 2, 3]

Location: 6001 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 466-8812

Date: April 12, 2019

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Superb

Restaurants in Los Angeles are constantly changing, opening, closing etc. One of the recent changes I miss the most was the shuttering of Il Grano — certainly West LA’s best Italian, particularly in the fancy/modern department. I really miss it – as it was one of my favorites and has 9 write ups on the blog (I think the most of any restaurant).
But the amazing chef/owner Sal Marino has relocated (back) to his original family haunt, venerable Marino Ristorante on Melrose and continues to cook up his unique blend of amazing modern Italian. And if anything, he’s gotten even better.

We Sauvages have been here or Il Grano many times, and so we return with a familiar Barolo and Barbaresco theme.

Today we took up residence in the private room. I haven’t been here before but it’s very nice — totally private.

Our special menu.

NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier d’Or. VM 92. Vilmart’s NV Cuvée Grand Cellier bristles with all the energy that makes the Vilmart Champagnes so compelling. Crushed rocks, lemon peel, white flowers, mint and dried flowers are all crystalline and finely cut. Medium in body, fresh and pulsating in its feel, the Grand Cellier is another winner from Vilmart. This release is based on 2014, with 50% reserve wines from 2013 and 2012. Disgorged September 2016. Dosage is 8 grams per liter.

2006 Dom Pérignon Champagne. VM 96. Powerful, dense and tightly wound, the 2006 Dom Pérignon is fabulous today. To be sure, the 2006 is a broad, virile Champagne, but I find it compelling because of its phenolic depth and overall intensity. Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy adds that August was quite cold and wet, and that ripening only happened at the very end of the growing season. Although numbers alone can never explain a wine, I find it interesting that the 2006 has more phenolics than the 2003. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2006 is easily the most reticent Dom Pérignon in the years spanning 2002 and 2009. I am confident the 2006 will have its day, but in its youth, it is not especially charming or easy to drink.

Fried dandelions from Sal’s garden. Nice and delicately crispy.

Bread.

2001 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco Martinenga Camp Gros. VM 92. Palish bright red. Ripe, highly perfumed nose offers red berries, tobacco, minerals, dried flowers and woodsmoke: a classic example of the vineyard. Sweet, deep and rich but light on its feet, with a texture that’s at once silky and utterly mouthfilling. Wonderfully perfumed Barbaresco, finishing with impressive breadth, length and class. I could see the 2004 developing in a similar direction.

1997 Azienda Bricco Asili (Ceretto) Barbaresco Bricco Asili. VM 92. Bright amber-red. Perfumed aromas of dried red currant, apricot skin, almond paste, sweet spices and blood orange. Lively acidity provides clarity and cut on the midpalate, lifting the floral red cherry, tar and spice flavors. The finish is long and nuanced, but the tannins are a little tough.

1990 Gaja Barbaresco. VM 95. The 1990 Barbaresco emerges from the glass with an exotic array of tar, smoke, licorice and grilled herbs. There is wonderful intensity to the fruit and plenty of structure. The tannins are still a bit young and the wine is only now beginning to enter the early part of what looks to be a long drinking window! The 1990 Barbaresco is a touch rounder and softer than the 1989, with perhaps just a little less aromatic complexity and inner perfume, although that is splitting hairs at this level. The finish is long, intense and deeply satisfying. This is a marvelous bottle of Barbaresco.

Quaglia Ripiena. Deboned stuffed quail with prosciutto and robiola cheese. Great quail.

1996 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Villero di Castiglione Falletto. VM 95. An uber-classic wine, the Bruno Giacosa’s Barolo Villero is utterly captivating from the moment it is first opened. The 1996 needs a good hour for the aromatics to open up and the fruit to find its sweetness, but it is a mesmerizingly beautiful Barolo. Now nearly twenty years old, the 1996 Villero has lost some of its youthful tannic grip and is in perfect place to deliver pleasure. Scents of orange peel, spice, lavender and dried rose petal are woven into the exotic finish. Next to Giacosa’s Falletto Barolos, the Villero is more perfumed and sensual. Count me among those who were deeply saddened to see Giacosa stop making wine from this historic Castiglione Falletto site. The 1996 is a fitting close to Giacosa’s work here.

From my cellar: 1997 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba. VM 93. Saturated deep red-ruby. Deep, expressive aromas of cherry syrup, road tar, smoke and game. Fat, chewy and loaded with fruit; can’t quite match the ’98 for flavor development or sheer verve, but this is sweet and lush. Finishes with major, tongue-coating tannins that will require at least a few years of additional bottle aging.

Pappardelle Fagiano. Pappardelle pheasant ragu. I love these rustic ragus. Very nice chewy pasta too.

1999 Elio Altare Barolo Vigneto Arborina. VM 96. I have always adored Elio Altare’s 1999s, even if for many years, Altare told me he preferred the 1998s. In my view, the 1999s always had more energy. That is still the case today. A great example of the vintage, the 1999 Barolo Arborina hits the palate with substantial depth. The tannins have begun to soften, revealing layers of crystalline fruit and more than enough freshness to drink well for another decade-plus.

2001 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc. VM 96. The 2001 Barolo Bric del Fiasc is a gorgeous wine laced with smoke, tar, licorice and menthol. The 2001 remains powerful and authoritative, with more than enough fruit to balance its huge tannins. Today it comes across as almost impenetrably young. There is plenty of upside to cellaring this fabulous Barolo.

Pollo. Autonomy Farms chicken breast black truffle, celery root.

Plus the truffle. Who says chicken has to be boring?

1997 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco. VM 90. Full deep red. Exotic, superripe aromas of candied red fruits (currant, raspberry) and brown spices. Very sweet and lush but given shape by ripe, harmonious acids. Seems fatter and deeper than the ’96. A rather powerful, large-scaled wine in an essentially gentle style. Tannins are attractively sweet.

1999 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala. VM 92. Bright full red. Highly aromatic, minerally nose of raspberry, spice and underbrush; less open today than the Colonnello but very pure and noble. Wonderfully sweet on entry, then considerably less evolved in the middle palate. A powerful, penetrating wine with superb acidity and grip. Firmly tannic, tough and long, but the tannins are nonetheless buried under explosive fruit. The Colonnello is gentler and sweeter on the back today, but this rather masculine Barolo has uncanny persistence. One of the stars of the vintage. The Conterno 1999 Barolos all say 14% alcohol on the label, but the actual level is even higher, according to Franco.

1999 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis. VM 93. The 1999 is easily one of the best wines in the series. It offers rich sensations of spices, flowers, toasted oak and minerals along with well-delineated layers of ripe dark fruit, menthol, and eucalyptus flavors, finishing with exceptional structure, length and freshness. I didn’t taste the superb 1989 (see above) at age six, but when I tasted this 1999 on a later occasion, the first thing that came into my mind was a young version of that wine. The 1999 will require at least a few years of bottle age and will start to be at its best around 2009, after which it should last another decade.

Agnello. Windrose Farms lamb, morels, porcini sauce, polenta.

From my cellar: 2012 Azienda Agricola Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. VM 93+. Light orange-yellow. Forward but racy aromas of tangerine, ginger, white flowers, sweet spices and medicinal herbs on the complex nose. Rich and round, but with lovely acid lift and energy to the concentrated flavors of apricot, pear and botanical herbs. Finishes long and pure. Not the most concentrated young Trebbiano d’Abruzzo from Valentini, but has a rich, ripe seamless personality that is hard to resist. Good to go right now but ought to age for 15 years at least. Really lovely wine.

Formaggi Piemontesi. Italian cheeses hit the spot with the Trebbiano.

Espresso.

Today’s wines.

My lousy notes.

The whole gang.

Today we were joined by these three lovely ladies du sauvages.

2003 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese ***. 93 points. Medium yellow in color. Deep aromas of ripe orchard fruits, citrus oils, fresh cut yellow flowers, slate and honeysuckle. Superb palate shows incredible intensity to the citrus and honey poached pears, peaches, good acidity and a long lip smacking finish with shimmering acidity. Woah…, this bottle is drinking incredibly well. There have been other bottles (from a six pack bought on release) that showed advanced age/aromas.

1989 Château Bastor-Lamontagne. 92 points. This had taken on the beautiful, golden amber colour of aged Sauternes. It was delicious, with the classic flavours of caramel, (hazel)nut and brown sugar. Slight savoury tinge, with uncanny Banofee like flavours dominating the palate, with just a little spice at the end. Simple, but absolutely yummy.

Because the day before I had a MEC3 rep in my gelato “lab” I had a whole series of gelatti.

Made 6 Gelatti to test out some new ingredients —Traditional Cassata di Siciliana Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Sicilian Christmas cake as a gelato, with a ricotta almond base mixed with candied fruit and dark Valrhona chocolate chunks — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Cassata #Valrhona #CandiedFruit #fruit #chocolate #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #CassataSiciliana

Testing out a new Italian nut source — Caramel Nocciola Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with the new Piedmontese hazelnut to produce a hazelnut base, then adding in house-made caramel and chopped up hazelnuts — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #Nocciola #caramel #nuts

Testing out a new Italian nut source — Salty Pistachio Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with the new Sicilian Pistachio to produce a pistachio base with a slight saltiness — 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 #salty #pistachio #sicily #nuts

Testing out a new Italian nut source — Salty Pistachio Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with the new Almond to produce the base, then weaving in Italian apricot variegate — 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 #nuts #almond #apricot

Very Cherry Gelato – a super intense amarena cherry gelato 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 #cherry

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Gelato – a super intense Valrhona 63% base with Valrhona 40% chips — 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 #ChocolateChips

Sal was totally on point today as were almost all of the wines. Service was great too. Really nice lunch that went extremely smoothly. The private room left us feeling like we were in our own little restaurant.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or experience my gluttonous month-long food trips through Italy.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Barbaresco, Barolo, BYOG, Gelato, Italian Cusine, Marino Ristorante, Nebbiolo, Sal Marino, Sauvages, Wine

Black Goat at Mirak

May06

Restaurant: Mirak

Location: 1134 S Western Ave A2, Los Angeles, CA 90006. (323) 732-7577

Date: April 11, 2019

Cuisine: Korean Goat

Rating: Solid, but small menu focused on goat

Mirak’s is a Korea Town place specializing in Black Goat. Gotta try the exotics, right? Plus, goat is the most popular meat in the world!

It’s that barely-labeled place with the yellow sign in the back corner of this Western Ave minimall.

The interior is well… typical.

This sauce was interesting. Mustard, mustard seed, chili, sesame oil. What’s not to like?

Cooking is partially done table-side on the little burners. Truth is, I’m not sure these are even legal, but who cares.

Every Korean place has banchan. This salad was okay.

And the spicy daikon.

Don’t really need the bean sprouts.

Eggplant and kimchee are good though.

And the cabbage in vaguely sweet water is a bit of a mystery.

This is the main signature item — the black goat stew.

Eventually it gets roiling and is actually quite good. Meat is very cooked, which for goat is a good thing.

This was a kind of sizzling duck with garlic and onions dish. Excellent.

Then pork belly.

They do most of the cooking.

It’s pretty good, if a bit piggy, when finished.

Bulgolgi. This was a winner, tender, sweet, and full of flavor.

Goat ribs. They tasted okay, if a bit gamey. The rubbery texture of the skin I could do without.

Rice to go into kimchee fried rice.

Seaweed and seasonings.

Combine it all in the bottom of the goat soup.

And fry it up to make the kimchee fried rice — which is pretty excellent.

This one was done in a different base and so was slightly different.

Kimchee, chewy pork, and tofu. Awesome dish actually. Lots of flavor and heat.

Chicken and potato red pot. Pretty good too.

Chewy spicy squid. Excellent, actually.

As usual I BYOG (brought my own gelato):

Fresh back from Hawaii I created this new flavor with things I dragged home — Big Island — Coconut dairy base, Macadamia Nuts, and Fresh Mango — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Island Fever! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #Hawaii #MacadamiaNuts #nuts #mango #coconut #tropical

The gang.

Yarom and the owner (with someone else’s banchan).

Overall, Mirak is tasty, but it’s a very small, focused menu with mostly goat. We pretty much ordered everything. The goat stew is very good. As was the bulgolgi and a couple other dishes. Ambiance is vintage k-town but they are very nice and let us bring our wine too. This is not entry level Korean, but more a place you go if you are exploring “the real Korea town.”

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, goat, hedonists, Korea-town, Korean BBQ, Korean cuisine, LA, Mirak, Wine

Không Tên – Nomnom

May03

Restaurant: Không Tên LA [1, 2]

Location: 11520 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064. (424) 832-7000

Date: April 9 & 20 and July 13, 2019

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Really tasty, great place

Recently, at my Nightshade dinner I met a friend of Erick’s (now my friend too), Kim Vu, who is the chef/owner at pretty new Không Tên Vietnamese Fusion over on Pico — so of course I had to try it.

Coincidently too, my old kitchen lead from RnR, who I’m also still friendly with, sometimes moonlights here.

The location is on a busy stretch of Pico just west of the 405, close to Sawtelle.

The Brunch menu.
And the dinner menu.

The inside is very cute — and owner Kim is sitting at the end of the bar there. There is a big emphasis on the bar space and her signature cocktails.

Of which this is one.

Spicy and sour cashews. Savory little bar snack.

Organic Chicken Wings. Soy and Sweet Chile. These are as good a set of chicken wings as I have ever had. Really tasty sweet and spicy sauce.

Good enough to enjoy a different vantage.

K10 Organic Chicken Fingers. Organic Chicken, 5 Spice Palm Syrup, House Hot Sauce. The other fried chicken type is a breaded cutlet. Very moist and delicious with the sweet and hot sauces. This, along with the dish below are combined at brunch into a “chicken and waffle.”

Sweet Potato Spider. A giant sweet potato latke. Very addictive and crispy.

Vegan Bánh mì. Turmeric Dill Tofu, Shiitake, Pickled Carrots & Daikon, Cucumber, Coleman Farm Cilantro & Dill & Wild Herbs, Fresno Chile, House Pickles. Really great sandwich. Tons of bright pickle flavor and varied textures. Other than a low fat vibe, you’d hardly know it was vegan.

From my cellar: NV Drappier Champagne Rosé Brut Nature Dosage Zero. BH 90. The color is paler than that of the regular brut rosé. A pretty and slightly more elegant nose features a similar aromatic profile but with more evident yeast character. There is fine intensity to the delicious and vibrant flavors that are supported by a firm and definitely finer mousse, all wrapped in a bone dry and youthfully austere finish where a hint of bitter cherry pit appears. This won’t be for everyone as the dryness is pronounced; I happen to like it but it would be fair to say that this is not a charmer. With that said, a few years of bottle age should serve to round off the austerity and add a bit of depth as well.

Assorted Farmers Market Pickles. Sweet, Spicy, and Sour. Each different vegetable had it’s own brine!

House Made Four-Day Beef Jerky. Peanuts and Herbs. A touch dry, but it is beef jerky!

Toothpick Beef. Sesame Chile Oil. Like a less spicy version of the Szechuan toothpick lamb. Really, really tasty. Tender and full of flavor.

From my cellar: 2016 Domaine Roulot Bourgogne Blanc. BH 88. A discreet application of wood easily allows the aromas of petrol straw and pear to be appreciated. There is more richness and volume to the nicely textured flavors that possess reasonably good depth and persistence if not quite the same punch.

Chef’s Daily Crudo — which I think was albacore with a touch of spice.

Coleman Farm Blistered Sunchokes. Carrot Garlic Chile Romesco. Nice, for a veggie!

Tutti Frutti Farm Zucchini Sticks. Carrot Garlic Chile Romesco, Lime. In some ways like giant thick cut fries.

Thao Farm Bok Choy Salad. Terry Farm Asian Pear, Weiser Farm Rainbow Carrot, Toasted Almonds, Watermelon Radish, Coriander Lemon Vinaigrette. Good salad with nice texture variations.

Kale Banh Mi Salad. Pickled Carrots & Daikon, Weiser Farm Radish, Tutti Frutti Farm Tomatoes, Coleman Cilantro & Rău Ram, Fresno Chile, Fresh Cucumber, Crouton, Silken Tofu Vinaigrette.

Vietnamese Caesar Salad. Coleman Little Gem, Manchego, Lime, Blistered Tutti Frutti Tomato, Cilantro, Thai Basil, Rice Cracker. Usually I don’t like variants on a (really good) classic caesar, but this one was excellent.

From my cellar: 2009 Domaine René Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combes aux Moines. BH 89-91. A brooding and almost mute nose allows only glimpses of an earthy mélange of wild red and blue berry fruit aromas that are followed by rich, full and quite serious medium-bodied flavors that possess both good volume and fine length on the balanced if not especially complex finish.

Jimenez Farm Squash & Chickpea Curry. Coconut Milk, Mint. Really delicious.

Crab Fried Rice. Uni Emulsion with 63 Degree Farm Egg. I wanted (from the name) to love this, and it’s certainly good, but I think the “whole grain” rice just isn’t as yummy as traditional fried rice.

Turmeric Dill Black Cod. JF Farm Warm Dill & Scallion, Pineapple Anchovy Sauce. Very lovely flavors as well. Turmeric is traditional in Vietnam on fish and it sure works here.

Tamai Farm Swiss Chard & Shiitake Mushroom Hash. Weiser Farm Root Vegetables. Very nice veggie.

Crispy Whole Striped Bass. Herbs, Rice Cracker, Coleman Farm Lettuce Cups, Nuoc Cham. I had a similar fish in Vietnam and this was even more delicious, particularly with all the herb salad.

Hello fishy!

Black Bean & Ginger Braised Beef Cheeks. Bone Marrow, Coleman Farm Greens. The (late) winter version of this dish is very hearty with a succulent rich cheek cut. Delicious!

Ginger Scallion Braised Beef Bavette. Harris Ranch Beef, Coleman farm wild greens, Vietnamese herbs, grilled baguette. This is the spring version of the beef dish and still great, but a touch lighter.

Lemongrass Ginger Panna Cotta. Shortbread Crumble and Terry Farm Quince Compote. Very nice exotic flavors. I have to make a lemongrass ginger gelato! Speaking of:

A bunch of Gelatti by me:

Nocciola, Espresso e Bacio Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with Piedmontese hazelnut to produce a stunning hazelnut base, then adding in house-made espresso caramel and chopped up bacio — 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 #Espresso #coffee #cafe #hazelnut #Nocciola #caramel #bacio

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Gelato – the base is a Fior di Latte but I made it with brown sugar instead of white so it matched the cookies better. Inclusions are cubes of house-made gluten-free (almond flour) artisinal chocolate chip cookie dough with Valrhona chocolate chunks! — 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 #CookieDough #ChocolateChipCookie #Cookie #chocolate #valrhona #BrownSugar #GlutenFree

New flavor — Limoncello Biscotti — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor and Lemon Oreos — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Tastes just like lemon cookie! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #lemon #limoncello #Zabaione #LemonCookie #Oreo #LemonOreos

Overall, Không Tên is a hidden little gem. The food is very very good and quite interesting. It’s far more “American with Vietnamese flavors” then a more Vietnamese Fusion place like Little Sister. Quite creative. Also every dish is delicious. It might be a touch understated though, as it’s not super flashy in tonal style. And it’s a nice little space and reasonable to boot. If you’re on the Westside and like this sort of food at all, you should definitely give it a try!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Asian Fusion, BYOG, Fusion cuisine, Gelato, Khong Ten, Kim Vu, Santa Monica, Vietnamese cuisine

Phoenicia – Hookah Time

May01

Restaurant: Phoenicia

Location: 343 N Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91203. (818) 956-7800

Date: April 7, 2019

Cuisine: Lebanese

Rating: Good Mezzes, ok mains

Chevy has been threatening to bundle us off to brow-down (Glendale) to dine patio-side at one of his favorite Lebanese Hokkah joints.

I forgot to take good scene pictures, but you can get an idea. There are several large patios. Food is pretty classic Armenian Lebanese.

Olives and pickled radish.

Warak Enab. grape leaves stuffed with rice, oil and vegetables, cooked in lemon juice with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Kibbeh Nayeh. The classic lebanese-style tartar with burghoul, onions and fresh mint

Basturma. a slice of cured beef with a crust of exotic seasonings.

Pita bread.

Hommos. a delicate mixture of garbanzo beans blended with sesame oil and lemon juice.

Baba Ghanouj. Roasted eggplant finished with tahini and lemon juice

Labni. Lebanese yogurt / cheese.

Mouhammara. A spicy dip prepared with crushed walnuts, red pepper paste, pomegranate juice and extra-virgin olive oil.

Cheese Platter. An assortment of Lebanese cheeses.

San Bousek. Freshly prepared dough with ground beef and pine nuts.

Cabbage Salad. Finely sliced cabbage marinated in olive oil and lemon juice. Middle eastern coleslaw! Really refreshing though.

Fattoush. Fresh greens in a light lemon and olive oil dressing, served with toasted pita corners and sumac.

Tabbouleh. The traditional mixture of fresh chopped italian parsley, crushed wheat, tomatoes and onions, served with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.

Kibbeh Makli. Beef dumpling stuffed with ground beef, bourghoul, onions and pine nuts. Plus “cheese cigars.”

Falafel.

Beid Kawerma. A southern lebanese specialty of ground beef with eggs, cooked and served in fakhar.

Sawda Djej / Chicken Liver. Tender pieces of chicken liver sauteed with spices and glazed with pomegranate juice or fresh lemon juice.

Lessanat. Lamb tongue, gently cooked to a tender finish with lemon and olive oil. Very soft — too soft.

Nekhaat. Lamb brain cooked in olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, served cold. I ate it, but the texture was a bit…

Lamb Shank. Braised with red wine, vegetables. Looks boring, but pretty good.

Lamb Shish Kebab. Marinated lamb fillet, broiled to perfection.

Frog Legs. Pan seared with lemon juice and cilantro.

Kastalleta. Lamb chops marinated with spices and grilled to your order. Very soft, but full of flavor.

Firri. A pair of delicately marinated quails, seasoned and pan-fried.

French fries.

(boring) Vegetables.

Aish El-Saraya. Sweetened bread drizzled with very sweet syrup and covered with cream on top. Sometimes, Aish El-Saraya is garnished with nuts. Love this stuff.

Gelato made by me:

New flavor — Limoncello Biscotti — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor and Lemon Oreos — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Tastes just like lemon cookie! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #lemon #limoncello #Zabaione #LemonCookie #Oreo #LemonOreos

Lebanese coffee.

Hookah. This was apple flavored, I think, and there is an actual apple in there.

The wines.

Chevy and his lovely wife Mary.

Despite the terrible yelp reviews (mostly whining about the service), the food was pretty good — particularly the mezzes which were mostly excellent. Some of the meats were a bit more middling. They err toward the over marinated and not “seared” enough tasting (otherwise known as soggy). Flavors were good though and it’s very reasonable. Funny service, but they treated us well. Interesting scene.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Hookah, Hummus, kabob, Lebanese, Lebanese cuisine, patio dining, Phoenicia

Eating Hawaii – Macaroni Grill

Apr29

Restaurant: Macaroni Grill

Location: 201 Waikoloa Beach Dr #1010, Waikoloa Village, HI 96738. (808) 443-5515

Date: April 6, 2019

Cuisine: Italian American

Rating: Corporate

This write up is from our five day early April 2019 visit to the Big Island of Hawaii.

On our way back home we wanted a quick place, not in the hotel, and Italian, so this was about all we could find.

It’s in a mall near the Hilton, right next to where I rented my road bike a couple days before.

Very corporate style interior — like many mid market chains, but not typical of the type of restaurant I go to in LA (at all).

The menu is generic Italian American, a bit like Olive Garden.

Rosa’s Signature Caesar. Romaine, romano, creamy caesar dressing, rustic croutons. Looks pretty generic.

Bibb + Bleu. Bibb leaves, gorgonzola, walnuts, crispy prosciutto, crispy onions, pickled red onions, buttermilk ranch. This was okay though. I would have preferred bleu cheese dressing, but it was still decent.

Spicy Ricotta Meatballs. House-made beef, veal, pork + ricotta meatballs. Caramelized onions, red chili, arrabbiata. Exactly what you’d expect looking at them — but tasty enough.

Grilled Salmon. Grilled salmon filet, Calabrian honey pepper glaze, spinach sun-dried tomato orzo. Sauce was on the side but it looks a tad boring.

Osso Bucco. Tender braised beef, Italian brown onion gravy. This really was gravy. Not by any means my favorite osso bucco.

Vanilla Ice Cream. Extremely freezer burned. Had clearly melted completely and been refrozen and then half melted again. If I had gelato like this I would have tossed it in the garbage.

Macaroni was about what I expected. It’s not really too bad for this sort of Olive Garden – esque kind of place. Probably even a little up market. It’s not good Italian though.

For more Hawaii dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Big Island, Hawaii, Italian cuisine, Macaroni Grill

Eating Hawaii – Orchid Court

Apr26

Restaurant: The Orchid Court

Location: 1 N Kaniku Dr, Waimea, HI 96743. (808) 887-7368

Date: April 4, 2019

Cuisine: Vaguely Japanese

Rating: Uninspired

This write up is from our five day early April 2019 visit to the Big Island of Hawaii.

Night 3 brings us to another restaurant at our hotel, Orchid Court. It’s typical for resort hotels to have a bunch of restaurants at different levels and this is the “second tier”.

The menu. This one is vaguely Japanese and is very small. Mostly a bunch of basic basic sushi/sashimi and and rolls. Then a grill section (with sides) like a tiny steakhouse.

Mai Tai. Good.

Wasabi bread.

Kaiso Salad. Seaweed, tomato, maui onion, babu arare, citrus.

As I’ve been low carb, ordered pretty much all the sashimi. Very expensive per piece. This was like $30 of sashimi and is very dull, only the most basic types. No “treatment” like at most LA places. Just a chunk of fish. Quality was solid though.

Kurobuta Pork Chop and Hamakua Mushrooms in scallion butter. This is also expensive, at $35 + $8. The mushrooms were good. The pork chop just fine.

Some chocolate ice cream.

The atmosphere at Orchid Court (which is the breakfast restaurant) is okay, but the menu is way to limited, and just “fine.” They really could use something much more creative.

For more Hawaii dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Big Island, Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, Japanese cuisine, Orchid Court, Sashimi

Eating Hawaii – KPC

Apr24

Restaurant: Kamuela Provision Company

Location: 69-425 Waikoloa Beach Dr, Waikoloa Village, HI 96738. (808) 886-1234

Date: April 3, 2019

Cuisine: Hawaiian American

Rating: Solid, great view

Our third night in Hawaii we headed over to the Hilton to check out KPC (Kamuela Provision Company).

This place is huge!

So huge, they even have a train on the grounds!

Following it along.

We get to the crazy pool complex and the floating oceanside restaurant of…

KPC (aka Kamuela Provision Company).

The menu.

This is one big and ugly fish!

Terrible view, too! And our son had wanted to sit inside!

Bread.

Mai Tai.

Frozen strawberry drink — no sugar here.

Caesar salad with avocado. hirabara farms baby romaine, garlic patis aioli, taro sticks, hamakua medley tomato, avocado, grana padana.

Seafood tower for 2 — all for me! Pretty typical (except for poke) and pretty good. I always like good raw bar. Keahole Lobster, Tiger Prawns, Ahi Poke, Pacific Oysters, King Crab.

Plain cheesy pasta for the boy.

Miso Marinated Seabass. waimea sweet corn, ali’i oyster mushrooms, yuzu carrot puree, broccolini.

Ginger Monchong. cilantro, carrot, green onion, kabayaki, peanut oil, sushi rice cake.

A giant serving of cookies and cream ice cream.

This place was solid for a Hawaiian resort hotel restaurant. I’m never that impressed by food in Hawaii. Service was good. Location was great. Prices were hotel prices. Execution was good but not great. So good for what it was, but not exactly break through cuisine or really on point.

For more Hawaii dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Big Island, Hawaii, Hilton, Kona, KPC, Seafood, Tropical Drinks

Eating Hawaii – Brown’s Beach House

Apr22

Restaurant: Brown’s Beach House Restaurant

Location: 1 N Kaniku Dr, Waimea, HI 96743. (808) 887-7368

Date: April 2 & 5, 2019

Cuisine: International American

Rating: Good hotel food

This write up is from our five day early April 2019 visit to the Big Island of Hawaii.

Brown’s Beach House is the “top” restaurant at the Fairmont Orchid. “Top” in the sense that they have a bunch of more casual places and the 1-2 more serious ones.

It’s located down by the beach, with outside dining and a great view of the water and sunset.

The menu.

Breads I couldn’t eat (doing low carb).

Mai Tai (breaking the low carb). Very nice classic Mai Tai though.

Tomato and Strawberry Gazpacho. Pickled Waimea strawberry, cucumber, garden basil.

Miso Sake Clams. Clams, pork belly, miso sake broth, shimeji mushroom, green onion. Very nice appetizer of clams and “bacon”. Good slightly Thai, slightly Japanese flavors (lemongrass, maybe?).

Ahi Caesar Salad. organic gem lettuce, parmesan reggiano, bubu arare. My wife didn’t like the salad so deconstructed like this.

Kekela Farms Beet Salad. Goat cheese fritter, candied mac nuts, citrus herb vinaigrette.

Plain pasta for the boy.

Roasted Garlic and Cilantro Prawns. Maui onion, Waimea tomatoes, crostini (asked to leave it off). Shrimp were nice gambas pil pil style shrimp, just not that many of them.

King Crab crusted Kampachi. Hamakua mushroom, asparagus, sweet potato, poha berry sauce. A touch dry, but not bad.

Big Island Ka’u Coffee Venison. Carrot puree, honey mac nut tuile, tamarind sauce. Rich deep meat, but properly rare.

Chocolate chip cookie chocolate ice cream “sandwich.”

Shortbread cookies.

Matcha shortbread cookies.

The atmosphere at Brown’s is great, although it certainly screams hotel (as does everything on the Big Island’s resorty west coast). Service was good. I give them some credit for using local and Hawaiian ingredients in the food. And the menu design is good. Execution is good but not amazing or anything. Not bad or sloppy, but doesn’t feel like a perfectly on point kitchen either.

For more Hawaii dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Big Island, Brown's Beach House, Hawaii, Vacation

Spago – 2011 Montrachet

Apr17

Restaurant: Spago [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Location: 176 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 385-0880

Date: March 27, 2019

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Still great

This dinner is the third part of the annual White Burgundy Premox test series, hosted by Burg-meister Don Cornwell. This dinner covers 2011 Montrachet Grand Cru and has for the last several years been hosted at Melisse — however, with the closing of that late great establishment, with some difficult maneuvering, it moved to Spago.

2011 White Burgundy is a vintage for those who prefer elegance and purity over power and concentration. It is the size of the wine that worried some white wine producers – many whites were willowy and gentle with low alcohol and modest acidity levels. This contrasts with the past several vintages – 2010, 2009 and the 2008 – where the overall frame and size of the wine was bigger. With the 2011s now either in bottle or about to be bottled, the wines have gained stature and flesh, though they will remain slim. What the best 2011 whites offer are seductive delicate flavors, purity of expression and delightful aromatics.

Spago has been an LA institution for over 30 years!

We were setup in the more intimate (but still quite large) private room. Perfect — as long as we kept the door closed (it’s loud on the main floor).

Tonight’s special menu.

1996 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses. BH 97. One of the greatest examples of the ’96 vintage, this wine has it all with elegance, intensity, subtlety and grace, not to mention buckets of unrealized potential that will enable this beauty to improve for at least another decade and perhaps longer. I can only imagine just how good this would be from magnum format! The nose is discreet, reserved and pure with lemon, green apple and layers upon layers of fruit framed by just the right amount of yeast influence that continues onto the exceptionally dry and tight flavors that are crisp and refined as well as superbly intense yet through it all there is this underlying sense of harmony, as though all of the elements are working in concert. The greatest wines, at least those cut from classical cloth, persuade through the subtlest means and so it is with the ’96 Goisses, which is indeed a great wine by any measure. While it is drinkable now, for my taste preferences a lot of potential would be left in the glass and I wouldn’t start in earnest on this for another 5+ years.

2002 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses. VM 96. The flagship 2002 Brut Clos des Goisses is simply stunning in this vintage. Seamless, ripe and beguiling, the 2002 is pure harmony in the glass. Dried pears, apricots, flowers, red berries and spices are some of the many notes that inform this towering, aristocratic wine. At once vertical yet endowed with serious length, the 2002 stands out for its breathtaking balance and overall sense of harmony. Layers of fruit built to the huge, creamy finish. This is a great showing from Philipponnat. The 2002 was disgorged in June 2011.

Spicy Tuna Tartare, Sesame-Miso Tuille Cone. I’ve had it a million times but it’s still great. The counter play between the crunchy-sweet cone and the soft-spicy interior.

Carrot. This carrot shaped thing in the soil-like pot (which was black pepper!) was reconstituted out of some kind of carrot puree. A touch sweet and rather delicious.

Pork belly macaron. Pretty amazing bit of sweet-fatty in a dessert-like presentation. Great textures too.

A kind of crab tartlet, if I remember correctly.

A sit down amuse inside an eggshell.

A kind of foam soup.

Bread. I always like the crunchy cracker stuff.

Flight 1:

From my cellar: 2011 Olivier Leflaive Montrachet. BH 92-94. This is the most complex if not the most elegant wine in the range with its broad-ranging nose of pure lemon zest, white flower, anise, dried apricot, peach, petrol and a hint of pain grillé. There is outstanding size and weight to the entirely graceful, textured and sappy imposingly-scaled flavors that are ever-so-slightly riper than those of the Bâtard, all wrapped in a powerful, moderately stony and hugely long finish. There are any number of aspects to admire but what stands out for me is the intensity as it’s breathtaking.

agavin: ranked #4 — awesome considering how reasonable it is (for Monty)

2011 Domaine Thenard Montrachet. BH 91-94. Here too there is visible but not intrusive wood that sets off a very closed nose, indeed this is almost mute. There is excellent volume and power to the big-bodied, intense and equally closed flavors that possess plenty of underlying tension on the tight, focused and beautifully long finish. This moderately concentrated effort is very much a work in progress.

2011 Louis Latour Montrachet. BH 92-94. This is aromatically quite similar to the Demoiselles though it’s presently much less expressive, indeed even brooding. The broad-scaled full-bodied flavors are markedly bigger, richer and more powerful with even more dry extract and an attractive sense of lift is provided by the solid minerality that really makes its presence felt on the saline-infused and impressively persistent finish. This is a big wine but not necessarily an especially big Montrachet though make no mistake, this is certainly no shrinking violet as patience will definitely be required.

RINGER: 2011 Château de la Maltroye Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Dent de Chien. BH 93. A ripe yet cool and wonderfully complex nose offers a broad range of aromas that include citrus and ever-so-mildly exotic yellow fruit along with background nuances of anise, clove, spiced tea and menthol. The intense, dense and focused medium-bodied flavors also brim with a remarkable level of dry extract that buffers the firm acid spine on the explosive and lemon-infused finish where the almost pungent minerality adds additional lift. This is also a remarkable effort and it might catch the La Romanée in time.

agavin: corked

2011 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet. BH 95. There is still a touch of wood remaining on the beautifully complex and wonderfully elegant aromas of spice, floral and white orchard fruit. There is stunning size, weight and sheer punch to the imposingly scaled, cool and admirably pure flavors that possessed an opulent mouth feel before culminating in an explosive and hugely long finish. This is breathtaking in its intensity and should amply reward at least a 15 years of cellar time in magnum format.

Olive Oil Poached Salmon. Turnip, radishes, bacon oil. Very delicate, soft and lovely.

Flight 2:

2011 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. VM 96+. Subtly complex, aristocratic aromas of lemon and pure crushed stone. Wonderfully intense and taut, with great mineral depth giving the wine a powerful impression of force. Finishes with explosive energy, an essence of crushed stone and outstanding lingering perfume. It’s virtually impossible to spit this unflagging, tactile wine: the minerality here is almost frightening. The best of these 2011s today, without question, and a wine that transcends its vintage.

agavin: an inexpensive wine

RINGER: 2011 Rhys Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard. VM 93+. A model of precision, finesse and delineation, the 2011 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard bristles with the essence of honey, white truffle, orange peel and nectarine. The 2011 needs a few years to drop some of its baby fat, but the direction it is likely to take becomes apparent with time in the glass. Watching the wine literally become crystalline and pure with air is quite an amazing experience.

2011 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Montrachet.

agavin: ranked #6 (tied with Ramonet Monty!)

2011 Bouchard Père et Fils Montrachet. BH 96. This is aromatically quite similar at this early stage to the La Cabotte. There is an extraordinarily powerful effort with impressive mid-palate density and so much dry extract that it imparts a sappy, even seductive texture to the mouth coating flavors that terminate in a breathtakingly long finish. Moreover, as good as the La Cabotte is, and it is indeed exceptionally good, there is simply no contest between the two wines as there is just another dimension present here. In sum, this beautifully well-balanced Monty is an absolute knockout!

agavin: ranked #5

2011 Etienne Sauzet Montrachet. VM 96. Pale straw-yellow. High-toned, expressive aromas and flavors of lime, peach, iodine and spicy oak. Large-scaled, spicy and deep, as tactile as a solid without coming across as obviously phenolic. A real essence of Burgundy in its density and concentration. Wonderfully integrated acidity leavens and extends the explosive, smooth finish. No rough edges here. This is 13.6% alcohol but is neither overripe nor lacking in acid spine.

Pan-Roasted Lobster Tail. Lemon butter, morel mushrooms, pea tendrils, squid ink tuille. A really awesome hunk of lobster with butter sauce!

Flight 3:

2011 Domaine Ramonet Montrachet. BH 97. The strikingly complex, cool and reserved nose of mostly citrus, stone, floral and white orchard fruit aromas still displays plenty of wood that has not yet been integrated but the density is certainly here to allow that to happen even though it may require 3 to 5 years to do so. In the context of the 2011 vintage this is a superbly well-concentrated wine as the imposingly scaled flavors are a breathtaking combination of size, weight, tension and borderline painful intensity. Despite all of the volume, there is absolutely no heaviness, indeed the acid support is such that this remains impeccably well-balanced on the hugely long and palate staining finish. While it is of course still in the early days for the vintage this is absolutely a strong candidate for the wine of the vintage.

agavin: ranked #6 (tied)

2011 Marc Colin et Fils Montrachet. BH 94. A deft touch of wood surrounds the strikingly complex citrus, floral, spice and essence of ripe pear scents. This is both bigger and richer than the Bâtard with absolutely superb size, weight and mid-palate density as the abundant dry extract both coats the mouth and buffers the very firm acid spine that shapes the explosively long finish. There is a trace of warmth but that is the only nit in an otherwise stunning Monty.

2011 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne. VM 97. Coche-Duryâ’s 2011 Corton-Charlemagne kicks off a flight of stellar white Burgundies. Of course, the 2011 is far too young to be at its best. Tonight, it is the translucent purity of the citrus and lemon confit flavors that stands out most. This really needs time to be at its very best.

agavin: even more affordable than the MP — not. ranked #3

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.

agavin: #1 ranked. WOTN

Slow Roasted Chicken Breast on the Bone. Black truffle, Emmental cheese soufflé. Excellent, for chicken.

The room in full swing.

Flight 4: dessert

1990 Château Suduiraut. 92 points. COLOR-copper; NOSE-obvious butterscotch, Pineapple Oil (mix of Pineapple & Petrol), rusty wet copper penny, ; TASTE-Mango w/ maple syrup, brown sugar & butterscotch on it, finishes w/ an Apricot Reduction sauce, I love this wine, outstanding, a bargain, seek this out.

Madagascar Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee, candied almonds, tangerines, saffron syrup.

And the gelato, both scoops were made by me! Score, added Spago to my list of BYOG places!

Again Sommlier Paul Sherman joined us to coordinate the tasting. He was joined by Spago’s Christie.

The full lineup. Much more manageable than at the other two dinners.

This was a great night and lots of fun. The smaller Montrachet night is always more fun than the 30+ wine giant night 1 and night 2. I just can’t “handle” those flights with 8-9 wines. Almost a chore to get back to them.

The food was really on point as it usually is at Spago for these private events. It wasn’t a TON of food per se — except for the fact that I ate about 6 tuna cones to start (which set me up right). But each dish was delicious and very well prepared.

Service was great and wine service, thanks to Pual and Christie, even better.

Despite being too young, the Montrachet was great as well.

Some of Don’s comments are:

As some of you predicted, the Coche MP did manage to narrowly edge the Coche Corton for the number 2 position by virtue of getting votes from everyone placing it in the top 3.

I was pretty amazed that we didn’t have a single oxidized or advanced wine last night. I believe that this is only the second time that’s happened at the Mostly Montrachet dinner with the other instance being the 2007 vintage.. This was a bizarre year, with virtually no problems on nights one and three, but lots of issues on night two.

To answer Kent’s question, yes, last night was the third time that the Jadot Montrachet has finished in the top 3 at the Mostly Montrachet dinner, all starting with the 2007 vintage. Jadot finished 3d in the 2007 dinner, 2d at the 2010 dinner, and 1st in the 2011 dinner. I thought that the success of the Jadot wines over the three nights pretty conclusively proved that DIAM works. We’ve now had 30 different bottles over the last three years (many of which came from producers with prior major premox problems – e.g. Montille, Fevre, and Jadot) with no issues.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: 2011 White Burgundy, BYOG, Don Cornwell, Gelato, Montrachet, Paul Sherman, Spago

Eating Mammoth – Morrison’s

Apr15

Restaurant: Morrison’s

Location: 3516 Main St, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93514. (760) 934-7427

Date: March 24, 2019

Cuisine: American

Rating: Good for Mammoth

Somehow, in all my trips to Mammoth (probably at least 30) I never noticed Morrison’s.

But always trying to mix things up I figured to try it once I did. Looks pretty much like a typical Mammoth Lakes place.

From my cellar: 2003 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée. VM 94. Deep red. Strikingly complex nose offers powerful scents of red berries, spicecake, cured meat and potpourri. Velvety red berry and kirsch flavors stain the palate, picking pick up candied lavender and fruitcake nuances with air. The spiciness builds on the finish, which echoes the cherry note. This wine was most noteworthy for its power in the early going (I rated it 92-94 shortly before it was bottled) but has become more graceful and now conveys a stronger impressive of pure, spicy fruit.

The menu (forgot to photo the appetizer page apparently).

Shrimp and guac. Sort of a strange combo (guacamole in underneath) but worked out well enough.

SMOKED CRISPY CHICKEN WINGS. Hot buffalo or original matsu sauce with ranch dressing. Dressing was on the side because my brother doesn’t like sauce.

CAESAR SALAD. Spanish anchovies, sourdough croutons, parmesan cheese with homemade dressing.

WHOLE BRANZINO PAN FRIED. European sea bass in fine herb marinate, kalamata olives with cherry heirloom tomatoes and capers, served with basmati rice and seasonal vegetables.

Simple pasta for my son.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI. Sauted in butter, fresh basil, toasted pine nuts with parmigiano-reggiano.

DUCK MOLE. Sauted breast, leg confit with a chocolate pecan mole sauce, roasted gold fingerling potatoes and seasonal vegetables. I would have liked a more pronounced mole flavor, but it was decent.

SCOTTISH SALMON. Crispy skin scottish salmon, served with a lobster and citrus bur blanc sauce with capers, chive mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

The dessert menu.

Belgian Chocolate Ganache. Raspberry coulis, amaretto creme anglaise and fresh berries. Very dark and dense!

Vanilla ice cream.

For Mammoth, Morrison’s was pretty good. It would be old fashioned in LA, but here it’s competent. Way better than something like Rafters.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: American Food, Mammoth, Mammoth Lakes, Morrison's

Chinese Fusion – Nightshade

Apr12

Restaurant: Nightshade

Location: 923 E 3rd St #109, Los Angeles, CA 90013. (213) 626-8888

Date: March 23, 2019

Cuisine: Chinese Fusion

Rating: Really tasty, imperfect service

Tonight was a a smaller Foodie Club dinner with core members Erick and Larry and newcomer Kim (owner of Khong Ten in Santa Monica).

Nightshade, located in the Arts District in Los Angeles, is a flagship concept and first restaurant for chef Mei Lin along with partners Francis Miranda and Cyrus Batchan of No.8. The highly anticipated project will draw from the culmination of Lin’s personal culinary history – from helping her parents and extended families in their Chinese restaurants as a child in Detroit.

The sure have jazzed up the formerly hideous neighborhood a bit with street art.

Sort of gilding the turd, but it (mostly) works.

And while Nightshade has the standard arts district brick front.

The inside though is elegant instead of the usual industrial look.
The menu is small, so even with four people we just ordered the entire menu. Turns out they also have a bunch of great looking secret larger pre-order dishes like a duck and a big steak — wish we had known.

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 164eme. VM 97. Krug’s NV Grand Cuvée 164 Edition is a total knockout. Based on the 2008 vintage, the 164th Edition shows all the crystalline tension and energy that is such a signature of the year. At times, the 164 reminds me of the 2008 vins clairs I tasted after harvest. The flavors are brisk, delineated and pulsing with energy, while the more oxidative notes that are such a signature of Krug Champagnes are not especially evident. A wine of total pedigree and class, the 164 reminds me of some of the great Grand Cuvées of the 1960s and 1970s I have been lucky to taste over the years. No Champagne lover will want to be without this spectacular, captivating wine. All that said, readers should be patient, as the 164 is painfully young, austere and in need of serious cellaring. (Drink between 2027-2047)

oysters on the half shell, passionfruit emulsion. These were nice. Bright flavors from the sauce. It pretty much hid the oyster flavor (retaining the texture) but was still good.

hokkaido scallops, coconut vinaigrette, crispy ginger, coriander. Sauce was great. Bright flavors here.

baja kanpachi, radish kimchi, shiso, kohlrabi. This dish missed a little. It wasn’t bad in any way, but was mild flavored and the sauce VERY mild. I couldn’t really taste that much shiso (which I love).

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)

beef tartare, sesame, egg yolk jam, kochukaru. Very nice beef tartar. Interesting “thick textured” shrimp toast. Went well though as it’s mild, and added some good crunch.

tom yum onion, coconut dip. Like an awesome blossom with a kind of Thai-flavored coconut dip.

tamarind glazed carrots, toasted coconut, carrot top emulsion. Good for carrots.

sunchokes, strawberry molé, seeded granola. Can’t really remember very well.

1995 Domaine Anne Gros Clos Vougeot Le Grand Maupertui. VM 92. Deep red-ruby. Extravagantly rich aromas of blackcurrant, pepper, smoke and tar. Large-scaled, deep and very sweet; explosively fruity and impressively tactile. Chewy tannins are buried under a wave of finishing fruit. A knockout Clos Vougeot truly worthy of its grand cru status.

koshihikari rice congee, xo, pork floss, onsen egg. We mixed this all up. It was one of the best dishes with both a homey carby quality and a delicious umami flavor from all that goodness including the XO sauce.

squid ink bucatini, cuttlefish bolognese, gochujang. Always love this kind of seafood / ragu type pasta.

lasagna, pork ragu, tofu cream, prickly ash. Very interesting light delicate texture made from many layers of wonton wrapper pastry! Quite nice, but we needed two of them and they closed the kitchen on us early and wouldn’t give us any more (more on that later).

Erick brought: 1996 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses. VM 93+. Saturated ruby-red. Supersweet aromas of raspberry, currant, graphite and sweet oak, plus an exotic suggestion of citrus fruit. Silky and sweet, if rather unforthcoming in the middle palate; offers great concentration and a near perfect sugar/acid balance. Firm tannins are covered by fruit. Great whiplash of a finish. This has considerable early appeal but will be even better after seven or eight years of additional bottle aging.

prawn toast, cantonese curry. Really good. Nice firm texture to the “toast” and great curry sauce.

szechuan hot quail, japanese milk bread, house pickles. This is a variant of the fried chicken bits in piles of aromatic chilies — the classic Szechuan dish that I order all the time. Nice, with moist larger meat and a good bit of heat. Although I would have liked the giant chili pile. I probably enjoy a great version of the classic slightly better — partially because it’s bigger!

coconut mousse, lime coconut granita, pineapple, nata de coco.

Check out inside. The faint white cubes were coconut jelly. The mouse is the white, the green the lime, and the pineapple inside. Weirdly deconstructed but absolutely fabulous flavors. Great, great dessert. Refreshing too.

guava, cream cheese, white chocolate. You break the (white chocolate) top. The guava and cream-cheese are below. Nice too.

almond sorbet, tangerine ice. Also really nice and refreshing. Interesting textures with the soft chocolate-textured sorbet rings and then the ice underneath.

silkened tofu, rhubarb, shiso, basil seeds. The weirdest of the 4 weird desserts, but tasty too.

I have to say that the desserts were excellent. But they aren’t a balanced set as all 4 were frozen, and sort of light fruits. All very refreshing but nothing in the cakey/bready or chocolate families. All technically very interesting though, and individually delicious with great texture factor.

Tonight’s crew, minus me.

Overall, this was a great meal. Often these small Foodie Club affairs are more enjoyable than large format dinners. We had a good little crew, ordered everything at the restaurant (minus the pre-orders, more on that below), brought excellent wines, and had a fabulous time.

Food was very good. I like that it’s upscale fusion with Chinese (and some other Asian) influences but not just special plated forms of Chinese dishes. Many dishes were very good: onion, scallops, tartare, congee, shrimp toast, pasta, lasagna, quail. That’s a high percentage! They weren’t super big and even with all that (the complete menu) for 4 people we could have eaten a couple more (more on that below).

Desserts were EXCELLENT. Really good. But not a wide ranging set. All too similar in form and profile. They need some chocolate etc.

Which brings me to a couple service points: Server was friendly, but there was some confusion going on (they are very new) and they weren’t super attentive. They did (mostly) follow my instructions of bringing the dishes one at a time. We also asked about 2/3 through to double up some of the courses that were ALREADY COMING (some time away, not anywhere near done) and they told us the kitchen was closed. But they never warned us about “last call”, and we could see the guys working in the kitchen making dishes. There was no cleaning up going on. And our remaining savory dishes kept on coming for 20-30 more minutes. So they easily could have done it. They hadn’t closed up. This is an example of not putting the customer first. Not that we went hungry, but we were peeved. Not a good thing for a restaurant. I’m still a bit peeved 3 weeks later!

Also, we kept seeing these really awesome looking big duck and steak dishes. We asked before we ordered and were told they are pre-order. But it’s not even mentioned on the menu (and we looked online) so how were we to know? They ought to list them like Majordomo does. We would have liked the larger dishes and they were needed on this menu that barely has formal mains — and no red meats (other than the tartare).

We handled the wine service (opening and pouring) but they let us open four bottles (and they pocketed the corkage, good deal by them but as long as there isn’t an enforced bottle limit I’m fine with it).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more crazy Foodie Club dinners, click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Arts District, Asian Fusion, Chinese cuisine, Chinese Fusion, DTLA, Foodie Club, Nightshade, Wine

Montrachet Central

Apr10

Restaurant: Drago Centro [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 525 S Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90071. (213) 228-8998

Date: March 14, 2019

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Great high end Italian

This dinner is the second part of the annual White Burgundy Premox test series, hosted by Burg-meister Don Cornwell. This dinner covers 2011 Bienvenues-Bâtard, Criots-Bâtard,Bâtard-Montrachet, and Chevalier-Montrachet.

This particular dinner is at Drago Centro, which is the new home for these big dinners after the closing of Valentino. I’ve been a Drago fan (and friend) for years. Celistino Drago has even cooked at our house a bunch of times.

Located on busy Flower in DTLA.

Drago!

There was a private party outside and the place was packed.

Fortunately, this time, we were in the vault room which is separate and quiet.

Our special menu.

Flight 0: Champagne

2004 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée. VM 95. The 2004 Coeur de Cuvée has gained considerable weight, richness and resonance over the last few years. Brioche, almonds, marzipan, anise and dried flowers are some of the notes that flesh out in a radiant, super-expressive Champagne built on texture and class. The 2004 is every bit as impressive as it has always been. At eleven years of age, the Coeur de Cuvée is just entering an early plateau of maturity that is likely to last for at least a handful of years. Disgorged May 2012.

Mini crab cakes.

Sweet breads with caviar. Not my favorite as I don’t love offal.

Hamachi cones with roe and gold. A little mild in flavor. Could use a bit of spice or something.

Don imported (former) Valentino Wine Director Paul Sherman to mastermind the wine service for who-knows-how-many-years-in-a-row.

My friend, chef Celestino Drago checks to make sure everything is in order.

Grisini.

Fresh baked bread (Drago has its own bakery for the restaurant group).

Flight 1: BBM & Criots

2011 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 93+. ale, bright green-yellow. Precise, high-pitched aromas of lime, white flowers and crushed stone. Then juicy and supple on the palate, with enticing sweetness to its pure, sharply delineated flavors of lime and orange. Impeccably balanced Bienvenue with nothing fat or warm about it. Really sparkles on the powerful, mounting finish.

From my cellar: 2011 Etienne Sauzet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 95. Mint, lime, lychee, jasmine and white pear notes abound in the 2011 Batard-Montrachet. This is an especially tense, vibrant Batard that stands out for its energy, distinction and pure class. Super-finessed throughout, the 2011 impresses on the finish, where its crystalline brilliance dazzles. The style is very much built on precision, energy and minerality, rather than opulence. Today the 2011 is understandably a bit tight, but it should be superb in another few years. What a beautiful wine.

2011 Domaine Jacques Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 95+. arillon’s 2011 Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru is total silk on the palate. Subtle, layered and exceptionally polished, the 2011 is all about texture. Exotic white truffle, mint, smoke and Chamomile notes are just starting to develop in the glass, but the 2011 has a long time to go before being ready. Riesling-inflected petrol notes add nuance on the finish. This is a seriously beautiful wine from Jacques Carillon.

2011 Henri Boillot Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 92-95. Bright yellow. Vibrant nose combines smoke, honey and sexy minerality. More concentrated and sweet than the Criots but with the verve–not to mention the saline density–of Boillot’s Pucelles. Lovely creamy old-viney texture and length. The minerally finish leaves the taste buds quivering.

2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. Light color, smells young and reductive but the palate is smooth doesn’t taste as young as it smells. Interesting wine that’s in a good spot and should remain here for at least a couple of years.

2011 Hubert Lamy Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 97. There is little doubt Olivier Lamy’s 2011 Criots-Batard-Montrachet is one of the truly great wines of the vintage. Utterly vivid and constantly changing in the glass, the 2011 captivates all of the sense – both hedonistic and intellectual – with a captivating mélange of exotic white flowers, crushed rocks and pears. The bright, crystalline flavors blossom beautifully in the glass in that sweet, perfumed, ethereal style that is the signature of Criots. What an utterly moving, delicious wine this is.

2011 Louis Jadot Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 94. The 2011 Bienvenues Batard-Montrachet is huge. Rich, voluptuous and layered, the 2011 flows across the palate with stunning depth and richness. With time in the glass more subtle hints of almonds, hazelnuts, baking spices and mint emerge, albeit with great reluctance. There is plenty of energy in the glass. It will be interesting to see if the 2011 acquires more polish in bottle. Regardless, there is plenty to admire in a succulent, generous Bienvenues that is likely to offer a broad window of drinkability.

2011 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 92+. Pale yellow. Youthfully imploded nose hints at peach and smoky lees. Closed in the mouth as well, showing a slight bitter edge to the flavors of herbs, flowers and crushed stone. Best today on the juicy, echoing finish, which shows a subtle saline character.

2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 94-96. Exotic white flowers, ginger, white pepper and lychee are some of the many notes that emerge from the 2011 Criots-Batard-Montrachet, a wine that dazzles from start to finish. The 2011 is pure seduction. Captivating aromatics, beautifully layered fruit and fabulous persistence are the hallmarks. Colin-Morey thought the 2011 needed a little more time in cask, and planned to bottle the wine later in the summer.

Jumbo scallops crudo, potato cream, onion jello and truffles. Very light dish and attractive plating. I was glad the scallops were raw — as I prefer them that way.

Flight 2: Bâtard-Montrachet

2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 97. The 2011 Batard-Montrachet boasts serious richness, depth and structure. A wine of pure brawn and intensity, the 2011 impresses for its exceptional balance and harmony, but it is also very reticent and nowhere near ready to show the full breadth of its personality. The finish alone is simply sensational. Readers should give the 2011 at least a few years in bottle to settle down. The Batard is imposing, sensational and regal in every way.

2011 Domaine Bachelet-Ramonet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet.

2011 Domaine Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 95. Boillot’s 2011 Bâtard-Montrachet is striking. Pear, almond and spice notes open up in the glass, leading to bright fruit and expressive floral notes. In 2011 the Bâtard is linear, powerful and intense. This statuesque Burgundy is best left alone for at least several years.

2011 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 94+. Pale bright yellow. Sexy perfume of lemon, lime, clove and white flowers. A step up in weight and power from the Bienvenue, but still with lovely lift to the generous flavors of ripe peach and spices. Wonderfully energetic, tactile wine with terrific rising length and grip, and a late mineral character that contributes finesse. But this big, rich, backward Batard will need time to express itself.

2011 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers. VM 92. Pale, bright yellow. Subtle, pure nose offers pear and white flowers. Suave on entry, then juicy and sweet in the middle, with a minty lift contributing to the impression of inner-mouth perfume. Sappy, minerally, sharply delineated Chassagne with a positive iodiney character. This lively wine really coats the palate and lingers, without leavening any impression of undue weight.

2011 Etienne Sauzet Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 96. Gently spiced notes open into lemon oil and subtle yellow stone fruits in the 2011 Batard-Montrachet. The style is surprisingly weightless for Batard, in fact, this is one of the more refined, introspective 2011 Batards I tasted. The long, persistent finish along is striking. There is no shortage of nuance or finesse in this exceptional wine from Sauzet.

2011 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 93+. Good full medium yellow. Musky aromas of yellow peach, apricot and minerals lifted by a floral topnote. Boasts impressive volume and palate-saturating breadth but comes across as more closed than the Bienvenue in spite of its richness of texture. Finishes very long, though, with lingering notes of spices and smoke. Pernot recommends waiting three years before opening this.

2011 Pierre Morey Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 94. The 2011 Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru blossoms in the glass with light, floral-infused honey. Chamomile, tangerine and hazelnut notes. Rich and voluptuous all the way through to the finish, yet never heavy, the 2011 is a model of finesse. This is another superb showing from Pierre Morey.

Rigatoni Kamut, swordfish and eggplant ragu. An unusual pasta dish. The texture (al dente) on the pasta was incredible. Really these seemed closer to a picci (but not exactly). Very nice soft mildly rich flavor.

Flight 3: Chevalier-Montrachet part 1

2011 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 96. A wine of pure texture the 2011 Chevalier-Montrachet captivates all the senses. Mint, lime, white flowers and Chamomile all vow for attention in a pliant, expressive wine of the highest level. The 2011 has a level of inner richness that is simply waiting in reserve. Another few years in bottle should unlock all of that potential.

2011 Louis Jadot Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. VM 97. Honey, almonds, white flowers and nectarines all take shape in Jadot’s 2011 Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles. Exotic white truffle, orange peel and spice notes appear later, adding dimensions of complexity and nuance to this pedigreed Burgundy. The flavors continue to blossom in all directions as the wine opens up in the glass. Simply put, the 2011 Demoiselles is a stunner.

2011 Domaine de Montille Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret. VM 92+. Lemon, lime, crushed stone and some noble herbal high notes on the nose. Citrussy and penetrating, with a hint of youthful bitterness to the lime leaf and chalky mineral flavors. Very pure, juicy, mineral-driven wine with sneaky depth and a persistent, vibrating finish. This is 12.7% alcohol following about 0.3% of chaptalization, notes Alix de Montille.

2011 Francois Carillon Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 95+. The 2011 Chevalier-Montrachet is drop-dead gorgeous. Hints of light floral honey, almonds and lemon oil are just beginning to develop, but the Chevalier-Montrachet is mostly a wine of texture and shape. Not a huge wine, the 2011 impresses for its incredible class and nuance. With air, slightly more exotic and tropical notes emerge, providing a hint of what waits for those lucky few who will be able to source this jewel of a wine.

2011 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 93+. Good bright, pale yellow-straw. Perfumed aromas of peach pit and vanillin oak, lifted by spicy high notes. Rich and concentrated but light on its feet. Shows sweet stone fruit flavors and very good breadth on the front half, then turns firmer and more saline on the back end, finishing dry and brisk, with lingering notes of citrus peel and white peach. Boasts a lovely core of sweet fruit but this will need patience.

2011 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 95+. Subdued but pure aromas of pineapple, crushed rock and white flowers; less fruity today than the Bienvenue or Batard. Then fat and ripe but with terrific verve to the mineral and spice flavors. With a few minutes in the glass, this highly concentrated, electric wine came across as more tightly coiled, with its energy and cut becoming more apparent. Most impressive today on the extremely long, perfumed back end, which leaves the palate vibrating under a layer of mineral dust. Winemaker Remy says he wouldn’t start drinking this wine for 12 years.

Cioppino, assorted seafood, lobster broth. Fabulous seafood soup. Really a lobster bisque with various extremely fresh seafood.

Flight 4: Chevalier-Montrachet part 2

2011 Domaine Marc Morey & Fils Chevalier-Montrachet.

2011 Domaine Michel Niellon Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 95. Exotic white flowers, lychee, mint and lime blossom in the glass as the 2011 Chevalier-Montrachet shows off its compelling personality. Impeccably pure and layered throughout, the 2011 impresses for its exceptional balance and class. There is plenty of Chevalier richness and honey, but no excess weight or sense of heaviness at all.

2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 94+. Pale yellow. Slightly sullen, medicinal aromas of pineapple, menthol and crushed stone. Then taut and powerful in the mouth, with little early pliancy to the penetrating flavors of fresh pineapple and crushed rock. All in reserve today and in need of at least several years of cellaring. Classically dry on the high-pitched, echoing finish, which leaves behind piquant notes of dusty pepper, ginger, wild herbs and crushed stone. In the same bracing, mineral-driven style as Colin’s superb Meursault Perrieres and Corton-Charlemagne.

2011 Domaine Ramonet Chevalier-Montrachet.

2011 Vincent Dancer Chevalier-Montrachet.

2011 Etienne Sauzet Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 94+. Good pale yellow. Ripe, highly perfumed nose combines pineapple, flowers, mint and humid fern. Less obviously powerful than the Batard but offers insidious intensity and a more pliant texture to its yellow fruit and mineral flavors. Tightens up considerably on the back end, finishing subtle and long, with fresh minerality and a strong chalky character.

Pan roasted breast of duck, kumquat sauce. Great duck. Perfectly cooked and I loved the kumquat sauce (which was an interesting take on the orange duck thing). The forbidden rice was just there.

Appendix Flight: dessert

2002 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Eiswein. VM 93. This drinks like a pure and incredibly fragrant Normandy cider laced with lemon, vanilla and fresh strawberry. Weightless in feel, effortless gliding down, yet with incredible tenacity of grip.

Dark chocolate cremeux, cocoa almond, milk chocolate chantilly. The cake and its cream top was amazing. Really nice contrast of textures and strong chocolate flavors. The ice cream is gelato made by me (Celestino had it plated with the dessert):

After my advanced gelato class, trying a slightly new pistachio formulation — Pistachio Madeline Gelato — base uses my same awesome Pistachios from Bronte Sicily but also a small amount of egg yolk for extra body. I baked the Madelines from scratch and soaked them in hand made Grand Mariner syrup — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — oh my! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #Pistachio #lemon #orange #Sicily #GrandMariner #Madeline #cookie #baking

This one is also by me:

Getting whacky — Thai Peanut Coconut Lime Chili Gelato — Salty peanuts, Thai coconut cream, lime zest, and serrano chillies — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — almost too spicy! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #chili #spicy #thai #peanut #coconut #lime #SavorySweet #Serrano

Have a few glasses!

The reveal sheet.

And the full lineup.

Don’s notes on the wines:

It was interesting to “watch the race” for the top wine as I compiled the votes. The group’s top overall wine was the Bernard Moreau Chevalier Montrachet, which won despite getting fewer first place votes than the number two finisher, the Colin-Morey Chevalier (which was my favorite wine). Both were spectacular and easily the equal of the best 2010s (and I thought the PYCM Chevalier was clearly superior to his 2010 Chevalier.) Finishing third was the Jadot Demoisselles, which was easily the best version of that wine we’ve had since at least the 1996.
The huge difference in the number of oxidized and advanced wines between night one and night two was disconcerting. It demonstrates the risk of judging a vintage based on wines from a limited number of appellations. We had a large percentage of premox on night two, but with almost no premox on night one, at this point the cumulative statistics are right about even with 2010. (Hard to figure….)
The flight of Criots/BBM was maybe the best overall flight of those wines ever. Carillon was again the favorite of the flight as it usually is.
PYCM – Solid performance again, and the Chevy was spectacular, and probably the best he’s ever made. The Criots, Bienvenues and Batard, while all very good, were not as exciting.
Jadot — Three wines out of the four included finished in the top three over the first two nights. Jadot will go back on my “buy” list for their top wines starting with 2011. DIAM will probably restore their reputation, but the Bienvenues proved that you can still make bad wine despite DIAM.
The ringers – the Montille Puligny Caillerets (tied for No. 5 overall) was spectacular in context and nobody identified it as an obvious ringer in a flight of Chevaliers, which is what I had hoped. The Pillot Clos St. Marc (tied for 11^th), which comes from 100 year old vines in the best part of Vergers, also seemed to compete with the Batards, although it didn’t quite have the weight of the top ones. Maybe matching it with Bienvenues and Criots flight would have been a fairer fight. Finding really good ringers to include is one of the fun elements of this.
Leflaive – amazingly, all three wines were very good to excellent and not advanced or oxidized, though the style isn’t remotely the same as it used to be.
Ramonet – Obviously the least impressive showing for Ramonet since the premox disaster vintages in 1996 and 1999. I’m hoping that the Chevalier was an off bottle, but clearly that was the worst example of a Ramonet Chevy I’ve ever tasted.
Pernot – Both wines were again advanced. These wines seem to have notably declined since the 2007 vintage and are too often advanced.
Dancer – An enigma. Capable at time of producing spectacular wines (e.g. 2010 MP, the overall night one winner), yet also capable of producing horribly flawed, or in the past oxidized wines. Two disasters in 2011.
Boillot – On the second pass I concluded the Batard with the “blood orange” aroma was indeed advanced. Pretty underwhelming showing. Really hard to justify the insane pricing for the Boillot grand crus given the consistently poor premox performance.

Overall another highly education and fun evening. The wines were incredible and it is always amazing to taste so many great White Burgs side by side.

The food was a big step up from Valentino. Much better plating and more modern, sophisticated style. It’s still a touch plain by design as Don likes to keep it understated compared to the wines (while I, myself, am a bit more forgiving in the name of flavor). Service was excellent.

There is a lot to say about this tasting. The wine service was impeccable, and this is a difficult task (pouring lots of big blind flights). Overall service is absolutely first rate. It’s a large quiet room, and the staff was highly attentive. Celistino is a great host and his menu paired spectacularly.

Don has so many wines that the flights were too large. The first was 9 wines! And several were 8. Really this dinner could use 6 flights, no bigger than 5 wines each and about 6 savory dishes. But it’s a long evening as is, so I can understand why that might be pushing it. We debated going to Killer Noodle or KTown after but we were just a little too tired and full.

A great evening.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: 2011 White Burgundy, Bâtard-Montrachet, BYOG, Celestino Drago, Chevalier-Montrachet, Don Cornwell, Drago Centro, DTLA, Gelato, Paul Sherman, White Burgundy, Wine

On Fire at Charcoal

Apr05

Restaurant: Charcoal Venice [1, 2]

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

Date: March 3, 2019

Cuisine: New American Grill

Rating: Some great meats

Josiah Citrin’s (owner/chef of Melisse) newish more casual eatery has been open for a while — and although I bike past it weekly and went once for brunch, this is my first official dinner visit — and it’s a doozy having been invited by one of the owners for a blow out wine fest.

It’s located on Washington Blvd about 2 blocks in from the ocean.

Inside at night. By the middle of dinner service it was hopping.

2007 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. VM 96. Taittinger’s 2007 Comtes de Champagne will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and soft contours give the 2007 its alluring personality. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, chamomile and green pear add brightness and freshness throughout, with a persistent, clean finish that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Today, the 2007 comes across as a slightly more open version of the 2004, with freshness that makes that wine so appealing, and a touch of textural richness that recalls the 2002. Although the 2007 does not have the explosive energy or verticality of the profound 2006, it will drink better earlier. The 2007 has been positively brilliant on the three occasions I have tasted it so far.

The menus.

From my cellar: 1985 Nicolas Potel Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. BH 91. A very fresh yet mature nose of citrus, white flower and lightly toasted nut aromas combines with round and vibrant middle weight flavors that possess a seductive and rich mouth feel, all wrapped in a sappy and mouth coating finish. This is really a lovely effort with complexity and ample finishing punch and is a wine that will continue to hold well if not improve.

2014 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Clos de la Chateniere. JG 91. The 2014 Clos de la Chatenière from Domaine Lamy is another really lovely bottle in the making, wafting from the glass in a blend of apple, a touch of grapefruit, pastry cream, chalky soil tones and a topnote of orange blossoms. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely complex, with a good core, fine focus and grip and a long, nicely reserved finish that closes with a youthful note of citrus peel. Olivier Lamy noted “that we picked this on the earlier side to maintain freshness, as the exposition is plain sud.” A lovely wine.

Sandy, who was with us, is a very “narrow” eater so she added this item, which we otherwise wouldn’t have. Chopped Salad. Tomato, Havarti, Bacon, Grilled Onion, Kalamata Olives, and Jo-Jo’s Vinaigrette. It was fine, but I’m not a chopped salad fan — at least there were no beans.

Oysters on the Half Shell garnished Traditionally and Creatively. I’m not sure what the creative was — or maybe we didn’t have it — but they were good oysters.

Big Eye Tuna Tartare, Avocado, Yuzu vinaigrette.

This is a classic with 25 years of omnipresence on menus in some form or another. Maybe a little too much avocado for my taste (hiding the tuna).

It came with sweet potato chips.

1994 Joseph Phelps Insignia. Parker 98. The 1994 boasts an inky/purple color along with a glorious nose of black raspberries, blackberries and black currants that is still somewhat primary despite nearly 18 years in bottle. The Phelps team kept this cuvee in 100% new French oak for 28 months. Its magnificent structure, intensity and purity of fruit, ripeness, balance combined with authoritative power and the magnetic appeal of this full-bodied, Bordeaux-styled wine are extraordinary. This amazing effort is just coming into its best years, and should drink well for at least another 15-20 years.

VM 93. Healthy bright, dark red. Captivating aromas of raspberry, tobacco, truffle and smoke are distinctly darker than those of the 1990. Wonderfully suave, fine-grained wine with superb intensity and retention of dark fruit flavors. Harmonious acidity and a firm tannic spine give this wine noteworthy thrust and extend the finish. The wine’s 10% Merlot component was partly from the cooler Hudson and Hyde vineyards in Carneros. This impeccably balanced wine remains remarkably fresh.

Yarom brought: 1995 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb. VM 97. The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb is a bit juicier and more overt than the 1997 tasted alongside it in this flight. Forward, juicy and supple, but not at all over the top, the 1995 is a gorgeous wine from this late-ripening site on Howell Mountain. At twenty years of age, the 1995 Herb Lamb is fabulous. Its only real fault is following the 1997 in this tasting.

Smoky Grilled Chicken Wings. Oregano, Chili, and Vinegar. Nice wings. Lots of good meaty flavor.

Smoked Lamb Ribs. These were AWESOME. I don’t have lamb ribs that often but these were some of the best ribs period I’ve had. Tons of savory flavor.

Ron brought: 1995 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. Parker 99+. One of the treats when tasting through the profound Côte Rôties made by Marcel Guigal was the opportunity to taste all of the bottled 1995’s. Reviewed in previous issues, they are even better from bottle than they were during their upbringing (a characteristic of many Guigal wines). The 1995 Côte Rôtie la Landonne is the stuff of legends and is every bit as compelling as readers might expect. This single vineyard wine will have at least 2 decades of longevity.

M 97+. Deep ruby-red. More sauvage aromas of black raspberry, blueberry, tar, mocha, minerals, mace and roasted game. Superconcentrated and powerful, with a near-solid texture. One of those rare wines that seems almost too big for the mouth. Finishes with huge, toothfurring-but-ripe tannins and great persistence.

From my cellar: 2003 E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto. Parker 100! Another perfect wine is the 2003 Hermitage Ex Voto and it’s the most over-the-top, decadent and hedonistic Ex Voto ever produced. From Les Bessards, l’Hermite, Greffieux and les Murets and aged 4 years in 100% new French oak, it offers off-the-charts concentration and texture as well as layers of creme de cassis, smoke meats, licorice, spice-box and spring flowers. Voluptuous, sweetly fruited and yet, like all great wines, still lively, fresh and graceful. It will have half a century or more of life.

VM 96-97. Bright, full, saturated ruby. Explosive aromas of black raspberry, blackberry and licorice, with a suggestion of medicinal austerity. Then raw and primary but incredibly thick, with a richness verging on port-like. Almost too big for the mouth. Actually more of a fruit bomb on the nose today and altogether more serious on the palate. If the 2003 La Landonne is an essence of syrah, this is an essence of Hermitage. Truly a black hole of a wine: there’s virtually no sign of the new oak, and the wine has a sappiness that belies its pH of close to 4. 0. Philippe says the Guigals were the first to harvest Hermitage in 2003, and yet this wine is a whopping 15. 5% alcohol!

2003 M. Chapoutier Ermitage l’Ermite. Parker 100! More youthful and backwards, the 2003 Ermitage L’Ermite has additional minerality, as well as the focus and purity that’s always imparted by this tiny lieu-dit. Inky purple in color, it offers up spectacular creme de cassis, blackberry, charred meats, graphite and toast as well as a full-bodied, massively concentrated profile on the palate. It’s a prodigious, insanely good wine that should be given another 2-3 years in the cellar, and enjoyed over the following two to three decades.

VM 97. Medium ruby. Dense, powerful, imploded aromas of blackberry, creme de cassis, coffee liqueur, pipe tobacco and smoked meat. The texture of this wine is impossibly lush and velvety, and the superconcentrated, sweet essence-of-dark-berry flavors are also incredibly lively. Wonderfully sweet, lush and endless on the finish. You’d need a squeegee to remove this from your palate.

Special Quail. I don’t think this was on a menu. Everything was in this incredible (and rich) reduction sauce. There were potatoes and root vegetables too. Delicious!

Coal Roasted Carrots. Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, Herbs, Honey and Black Pepper. Very nice carrots and I liked the cheese too.

2002 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch. Parker 96. The 2003 Madrona Ranch, which is largely Cabernet Sauvignon, possesses a freshness that almost belies the vintage character. Its dense purple color is just beginning to reveal some garnet. The nose exhibits abundant floral notes intermixed with notions of blueberries, black raspberries and licorice-infused cassis. Graceful, elegant, and close to full maturity, it is drinking beautifully, displaying secondary nuances, a supple, full-bodied texture and a lush, layered mouthfeel. There is not a bit of aggressiveness, and the tannins, wood and alcohol (14.5%) are all beautifully integrated. As one might expect, this is one of the vintage’s superstars. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

96 points. Deep ruby, dark fruit, med. tannins, long finish; delicious, but out shone by the 05 Spottswoode, possibly related to a longer decant. I suspect this wine is still evolving & it needs more time or a longer decant; delicious!

2002 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard. Parker 100! The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard is medium to deep garnet colored with Black Forest cake, plums preserves and crème de cassis bursting forth from the glass with hints of blueberry compote, hoisin, espresso and star anise with wafts of potpourri and oolong tea. The palate is full-bodied, rich and beautifully plush, with tons of spicy fireworks lifting the sexy black fruit, finishing with amazing length and depth.

VM 94. Bright red-ruby. Very ripe aromas of chocolate, saddle leather, cigar tobacco, earth, truffle and tomato. Fat and warm but with a solid mineral underpinning to the flavors of plum, mocha and spices. Large-scaled, plush and seamless but not heavy, this deep wine finishes with substantial dusty tannins. For all its ripeness, there’s sound acidity here. Still, this huge wine would be best paired with winter fare. The brooding finish features lingering notes of cherry and cooked meat and building tannins.

2002 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard. Parker 100! One of the greatest young Cabernet Sauvignons I have ever tasted is the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard (which I also rated 100 when it was first bottled). This wine has hardly changed since its release. Still incredibly youthful, it reveals a blue/black color along with notes of black currants, camphor, graphite, high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, blackberries and a touch of oak. Full-bodied and multilayered with terrific texture and richness as well as a 60-second finish, this young, exuberant, slightly flamboyant classic offers an interesting contrast in style with other top producers (such as Schrader Cellars) that also farm parcels of the Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard. Like most young Cabernets, this wine can be drunk now because of the sweetness of its tannins, but it is a good decade away from full maturity. It should last until 2040-2050. Bravo!

VM 93. Good saturated ruby. Superripe aromas of cassis, black raspberry, bitter chocolate and licorice; less herbal than this producer’s other cabernets from this vintage. A fine-grained fruit bomb, with a captivating sweetness. This really expands on the back half yet dances on the palate. The lush tannins reach the incisors.

21 Day Aged Half Liberty Duck. This was insanely good. Probably the best non-Chinese duck I’ve had. Crispy skin, but a tangy/sweet flavor too.

Cabbage Baked in the Embers. Yogurt, Sumac, and Lemon Zest. Great cabbage. Nice char flavor and interesting texture. Paired perfectly with the yogurt.

This giant (very young) Salt also doesn’t get a write up because it again lamely omits the year.

2015 Sine Qua Non Syrah Trouver l’Arene. VM 97. A real head-turner, the 2015 Syrah Trouver l’Arène is every bit as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. Rich, sumptuous and exquisitely layered, the 2015 possesses magnificent concentration as it builds in the glass. Inky dark blue/purplish berry fruit, graphite, smoke, licorice and spice are some of the many nuances that develop in an arrestingly beautiful, vivid Syrah that will thrill those fortunate enough to find it. The blend is 80.5% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah, 7% Mourvedre, 2% Grenache and 3.5% Viognier, done with 34% whole clusters and aged for 22 months in 48% new oak.

I have learned to photo the back of SQN — even though, again, it’s totally lame of them not to put the vintage on the front.

Giant bone in rib eye. This was good, but not as good as most of the other meat dishes.

Steak Fries with Ketchup, Mustard.

Charred Brussels Sprouts. Wheat Berries, Portobello, Calabrian Chili, Duck Egg. Nice sprouts, particularly for not having bacon.

Roasted Wild Mushrooms. Parsley Bread Crumbs, Fermented Garlic Dressing.

The dessert menu.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake. McConnell’s Double Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream. The cake was awesome. Really nice moist cake. I’m just so spoiled with ice cream (it’s not gelato) that this would have been incredible with a straight up “salty peanut gelato” from Sweet Milk.

Lemon Meringue Tart. Awesome. I love LMT and this one was great.

Apple Crumble, McConnell’s Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Don’t love oats.

Apple Turnovers. Like Strudel.

The wines tonight were big, but incredible. For what it’s worth, we had five Parker 100s!

Our host on the left with Sandy.

I was impressed by our meal here. Not everything was perfect, but some of the dishes: duck, cabbage, lamb ribs, and quail were exceptional and most of the rest really good. A couple were a bit flat (like the chopped salad or tuna, but how exciting is a chopped salad anyway?). The name, Charcoal, implies wood cooked, and they deliver on that promise with an experience that has a bit of a non-Spanish Asador feel.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: beef, Charcoal, Dessert, hedonists, lamb, Rhone, Venice, Wine

Molten Lava Goodness

Apr01

Restaurant: Shancheng Lameizi

Location: Mandarin Plaza. 18932 Gale Ave, Rowland Heights, CA 91748. (626) 581-8808

and 1530 S San Gabriel Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 766-1700

Date: March 7 and March 26 and May 7 and June 22 and December 27, 2019

Cuisine: Szechuan Hot Pot

Rating: Best Hot Pot restaurant I’ve been to

On the middle night of my 3 day class trip to the SGV Yarom made the trek out east to join me for what Erick and Skylar said is the best new Chongqing style hot pot.

They describe themselves on their website thusly:

Our secret recipes of the soup base all come from Chongqing, so that our customers can taste the authentic flavor of hot pot from that mountain city. Apart from that, more than twenty kinds of free special snacks also attract many diners and lead to our good reputation, making the company prosper in the dining industry for more than twenty years. Our tenet of providing quality and comfortable service also makes every one of our customers “come with joy and leave with satisfaction”. Our specialties are delicious, rich-flavored and good for your calcium supplement. Their functions of skin care and regulating Qi and blood are also good for your health. Our soup is daily fresh-made.

This branch (there are a couple) is located in busy Mandarin plaza. There are like 15-20 Asian places out here and we are returning in the summer for a crawl.

There is even a bit of outside decor.

Check it out, they spent some actual money.

There is even an outside hot pot patio! (the tables have the built in hot pots). I’ve never seen this before.

Inside has a cute bit of decor, and tiny Chinese girl sized booths. We were initially offered a 2 person booth like the near one on the right — Yarom and I, being neither a couple nor particularly petite waited for a four person sized table.

Then 2 weeks later I was out in the SGV by myself picking up some gelato equipment and decided to try out the Alhambra branch. Similar elaborate building — I didn’t see the patio, but friends say it’s there. I went back again 5/7/19 too because this place is just that good.

Inside has another of these “fancy” Chinese decors that would cost an American 3 million but probably only cost them $300,000.

They have the best “sauce bar” I have ever seen, although you have to pay $1.50 a person for it. It includes more than just sauce like these snacks (which I didn’t eat).

More snacks.

Dessert. Very Chinese. Bean stuff sesame balls. Kinda dry and not worth the carbs.

More snacks. Peanuts, dried lima beans, etc. These were good. Shrimp chips.

Not sure what all these were. Some red beans. Some weird mysterious sweet things. Like those sperm on the left. Kinda gelatinous and sweet.

This is the main sauce components (there were a few others, not pictured, like garlic, peanuts, etc. This stuff was awesome. So many different super Chinese fermented spice flavors.

Very detailed pan across of all the sauce components!

Various toppings to add into your sauce mixes. The soy sauces, vinegar, oils are separated out.

Never heard of this oils, which makes it cool.

You fill out the menu while waiting.

From my cellar: NV Philipponnat Champagne Royale Réserve Rosé Brut. BH 92. A moderately fruity nose reflects notes of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, yeast and a subtle citrus nuance. There is a really lovely sense of energy to the delicious, round and nicely voluminous flavors that are shaped by a moderately fine effervescence that carries over to a lingering and solidly complex finish that is drier than the 9 g/L of dosage would suggest. One of the aspects that I particularly like here is that unlike many examples of rosé that tend to be prettier than they are deep, there has very good depth. Like the Royale Réserve, this could easily be held for further aging but it is so attractive now that there is no particular reason to do so.

agavin: perfect hot hot pot pairing

I developed 3 sauce blends. This is the “light” blend with a lot of vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and various fermented flavors. Trying to be vinegar heavy.

This is the “meat” blend with a lot of peanut, sesame, and other spicy fermented flavors. Very thick and and heavy but delicious with the meat.

A different day’s sesame based blend.

This was a “fermented” flavor. Tons of peppers and every weird fermented chili thing I could find. Interesting and delicious.

And another take on fermented flavor of death. I added every type of chili oil and everything fermented.

Sauce refills.

Crispy Pork Appetizer. I really wanted to order some pork rind like things I saw on another table, but ended up with these, basically like the fried pork chunks that are in a good version of the sweet and sour pork. Pretty delicious actually. Like pork tenders.

We got the hot pot split with bone broth and super spicy Szechuan hot pot (the slurry of melted ox fat, chilies, and peppercorns). I asked for max heat. They also have a 9 way split but it’s more so people can have their own area. They only have 2 broths.

Starting to heat up.

Furious boil (on the left).

Video of it boiling.

On request, you can even get a branded bib — I highly recommend you do!

Certified Angus Beef Short Rib. Very nice meat.

On top was Lamb Shoulder. Also really good.

Fatty Beef Belly — richer!

Some other meat.

Streaky Pork. Thicker and full of flavor.

Meatball Combo (beef? and a fish ball).

Tofu Combo. Lighter and heavier tofu.

Rice cakes. Carby but great texture.

Vegetable combo. Various cabbage and greens. These are really good sauce vehicles and helped wash things down.

Some root vegetables.

Yarom brought this Cab from the night before — still in awesome shape and strong enough to overcome the heat.

On top, Special Luncheon Pork (spam). So good we had three orders! Below was Mini Sausage which have a lot of flavor and open up when cooked.

Raw Pig brain! Yeah, it’s really scary. I made sure to cook it really really well.

Chicken gizzard. Very very chewy. Can’t say I would recommend.

Spongey mushroom with shrimp. Surprisingly delicious. Interesting spongey texture too.

Fish Filet. Chunks of thick deboned whole fish that you drop in — in my case into the spicy side — to get that Szechuan boiled fish effect.

Mushroom combo to add even more fiber to the mix — plus one of our extra luncheon meats.

Wood ear mushroom. I love these guys.

Special baby bamboo shoot (5/7/19). On one of my return trips they had added LOTS of specials, including all sorts of intestines. I skipped those and got this sheet of delicious fiber — along with the mushrooms and chili oil keeps one fully regular. Notice that I again ordered the baloney.

Lotus root. Always add some nice texture to a hot pot.

You can order fried or white rice if you like.

The girls next door ordered quite differently with quail eggs, bean curd, and PIG BRAIN!

The bill is 100% in Chinese!

Overall, this was probably the best Szechuan style hot pot I’ve had, up there with my friend Wendy’s epic home cooked New Years hot pot (which isn’t spicy, but had really good stuff). I think Shancheng Lameizi was actually better than the place we went in Chengdu and definitely a little better than my local favorite Hai di Lao. The atmosphere was very Chinese, the ingredient quality was excellent, service good, they allowed us to open our wine ($10 corkage, which they might not have even charged), the broth, particularly the spicy broth was insanely good, and the sauce bar was unparalleled for blending weird intense Chinese flavors. Now, do bear in mind, that given the super spicy soup base, and my thick chili laden slurry of sauces that what goes in the pot is largely about texture. lol.

Apparently there is a branch at Valley and San Gabriel, right near the Crack House, Shaanxi Garden, etc. When I went 2 weeks later it was just as good! Very crowded at lunch too (and this is a HEAVY lunch!). I’ve now been at least 5 times and it’s always great.

Oh, and do bear in mind that hot pot like this is a form of high fat “cleanse.” As they say at Killer Noodle, “mind your bottom!”

For my catalog of Chinese restaurant reviews, click here.

This minimall is hilarious. Tons of different places. Don’t know what this kind of BBQ is (appears to be a Chinese take on Yakitori), but the slogan is amusing.

This old school 50s or 60s place has become a Benihana clone — but more Chinese.