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Eastern Promises – BBQ Joint

Jul15

Location: 216 East Dover Street, Suite 201. Easton, MD 21601. 410-690-3641

Date: May 24, 2014

Cuisine: BBQ

Rating: Some of the best BBQ I’ve had

The Eastern Shore of Maryland is usually considered a seafood zone, being known for its awesome blue crab, but local residents don’t turn their nose at any Southern American favorites.

Located in quaint old Easton.

The menu.

The house made sauces (mostly a choice of sweet or spicy).

Sawdust floors.

Some sides, like applesauce, mac & cheese, and cornbread.

A pulled chicken sandwich and collard greens.

Salad. I like the “paper” plate.

This side plate has a roll and slaw.

Part of our BBQ sampler. featuring ribs (wet), BBQ chicken, chopped beef brisket, and pulled pork.

A pulled pork sandwich (front right). The pulled pork is a Carolina style. In the back are ribs “dry” and in the front baked beans (with pork of course).

The BBQ joint is as described, pretty straight up BBQ, but wow, was it tasty. This was some darn good smoked meat!

For more Washington dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Barbecue, Barbecue chicken, bbq, BBQ Joint, Easton Maryland, Maryland, Meat, Pig, pork, Pulled Pork, ribs

Eastern Promises – Brightwell

Jul11

Restaurant: Brightwell

Location: 206 North Washington St. Easton Md. 410-819-3838

Date: May 23, 2014

Cuisine: American

Rating: Tasty Gastro-comfort, hint of Spanish

The Eastern Shore of Maryland is home to all sorts of great seafood, particularly the famous blue crab. And it’s a place that time seems to have left untouched… well almost.

There is an aura of gentrification and the infiltration of national trends, in this case the “brasserie” concept. Restaurants are all moving down the formality scale and lately, after the whole “osteria” thing peaked, it’s back to French — not fancy French but Gaulic comfort food.

Le menu.

Back porch lemonade. A tasty concoction of vodka, lemonade, and I think a bit of cranberry thrown in.

Black and tan.

Some other cocktail.

Cream of crab soup. The other typical version, what vegetable crab is to Manhattan, this is to New England.

Beet salad. Rocket, burcheron, sherry vinaigrette.

Caesar salad.

Grilled Sausage. Potatoes Vinaigrette, smoked tomato, pickled mustard seeds. Very Catalan and quite tasty.

Jamon Iberico. Spanish Ham, manchego, almonds, grapes, frisee, balsamic. Yum.

Crispy Vietnamese Spring Rolls. Chili sauce. Tasty enough, but not terribly like Vietnamese spring rolls.

Spaghetti, pomodoro sauce, and cheese.

Grilled Duroc Pork chop. Brussels sprouts.

Grilled whole trout.

Wood-fire grilled rib-eye. House-made fries.

Mussels & Frites. Red curry. Spicy chili, cilantro, scallion, candied ginger. There was some serious heat hear — and salt.

Chocolate ice cream.

Brightwell was solid. Not mind blowing in any way, but the food was bright and tasty. The infusion of Spanish influence livened up the otherwise tedious bistro/brasserie factor.

For more Washington dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Brightwell, Easton Maryland

Eastern Promises – Holly’s

Jul08

Restaurant: Holly’s

Location: 108 Jackson Creek Rd Grasonville, MD 21638. (410) 827-8711

Date: May 23, 2014

Cuisine: American

Rating: Solid modern Gastro-comfort

My family has been stopping at Holly’s (a greasy spoon a few minutes east of the Bay Bridge) for almost 40 years.

This establishment is old school Americana at its best. Nothing has really changed here since the 70s, and probably for 20 or so years before that.

Classic decor. As a kid they even had one of those “Have a Coke and have a smile” machines that was a top opening cooler! Served bottles of course.

The menu is pretty classic too.

But it does have Eastern Shore specialities like Crab and Vegetable soup. This Eastern Shore variant on Manhattan Clam Chowder (blue crab instead of clams) is delicious, sweeter, and altogether amazing.

Tuna sandwich.

Catfish sandwich. They don’t skimp on the portions.

Pancakes.

And one of their specialties, straight up friend chicken. No chocolate. No waffles. No tempura batter. Just homemade American fried chicken. And it’s still great.

Another regional specialty, the crab cake sandwich. Filled with blue crab!

It’s nice that some things, especially simple good things, don’t change. As much as I’m a food modernist, I can also really appreciate well cooked classics, sort of the culinary version of folk music.

Oh, and they have crazy good pies too, including the famous apple “dumpling.” Plus, the prices are crazy cheap. Adding a fried chicken breast to anything costs $2.59!

For more Washington dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: crab, Crabcake, Eastern Shore of Maryland, fried chicken, Holly's, Maryland

Banana Split Redefined

Jul06

Restaurant: Central by Michael Richard

Location: 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 (202) 626-0015

Date: May 22, 2014

Cuisine: American

Rating: Solid modern Gastro-comfort

Michael Richard used to be an LA chef, and I went a couple of times to his Citrus years ago, but quite some time ago he moved to my hometown of Washington DC. Central represents him following the national trend of “bistrofication” or the general movement of fancy restaurants down the formality curve.

The fancy Pennsylvania Ave frontage.

The interior is more sleek and with a more expensive build out than most gastropubs.

The menu is a hybrid between French and American comfort food, all updated a bit with modern sensibilities.

Gougeres. I.e. French cheese puffs. These had a perfect fluffy lightness to them.

Roasted beets, arugula & warm goat cheese.

Side salad.

Fish and chips. The green (cilantro?) aioli was bright and tasty.

Crabcake. Washington area staple, and never too bad.

Fried chicken. In the background brussels sprouts and bacon. The chicken was boneless and breaded like a Japanese Tonkatsu cutlet!

Banana Split. Certainly the best Banana split I’ve ever seen. Slightly deconstructed (ice cream on the side). The ice cream was homemade.

Flourless chocolate cake.

Michel’s Chocolate Mousse. Deep and chocolately, with those fun crunchy things.

This was a tasty place. The savories were good but it was really the desserts that stood out.

For more Washington dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BANANA SPLIT, Central, Dessert, Michael Richard, Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC

Eight Legs at Il Grano

Jul04

Restaurant: Il Grano [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Location: 11359 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. 310.477.7886

Date: June 16, 2014

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Modern Italian to die for

After my stellar birthday meal at Il Grano, and with the closing of Drago, Il Grano has become one of my favorite westside Italians. You can tell by the number of reviews (up to 8!) I also frequently bring out of town guests here, like tonight.

The sleek interior space.

We didn’t order off the menu but instead asked Chef Sal Marino to make us a 9 course tasting menu. He through in a couple of bonuses!

From my cellar: 1990 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. A truly wonderful nose of simply knockout complexity features notes of yeast and baked bread along with now fully mature aromas of a variety of floral notes and spice hints that gives way to mineral-suffused, round, intense and detailed medium full flavors that also offer outstanding depth on the sappy and mouth coating finish. This is drinking perfectly now and I wouldn’t hesitate to open one anytime as there is no further upside to be had. A beautiful effort of real style and grace.

Spoons of Tuna Tartar as an amuse.

Crudo. Chef Sal Marino is famous for his crudo. From left to right: big eye tuna/toro, yellowtail, snapper, Hokkaido scallop with cherry, and octopus.

Arugula and porcini salad. With parmesan.

Arugula, endive, and salmon salad.

Burrata and grilled peach. A lovely summer combination.

Pizza Del Re. white truffle crema, fontina, shaved white truffle. Yum!

Beef tartar with olive oil and caper. I love beef tartar. This one was good, but perhaps a bit too much of the caper.

From my cellar: 1995 Elia Pasquero Barbaresco Sori Paitin. Parker 90. A terrific 1995, this complex, fully mature, multidimensional Barbaresco is a beautiful wine. The color is deep ruby with some lightening at the edge. The knock-out nose consists of cherry liqueur intertwined with aromas of tobacco, wood fire, dried herbs, and roasted meat. Deep and lush, with no hard edges, a plump, succulent texture, medium to full body, and layers of glycerin and sweet, jammy fruit, this hedonistic, seductive Barbaresco.

There were two large parties tonight, one of Japanese gentlemen diving through a 21 course tasting menu. One was this giant stewed octopus done Southern Italian style. This big boy was cooked for a long time.

Here the chef is snipping off bits.

Octopus. My slice of tentacle. It was chewy, but fully of great flavor.

Lobster risotto. I love a good risotto and this definitely qualified!

Cheese ravioli. Not your everyday version, but a lovely homemade variant.

Spaghetti funghi. Mousserons, chanterelle mushrooms, mushroom stock. A very smokey flavor.

Spaghetti Octopoda. The octopus juice and bits were used to make a delicious briny pasta.

Wild salmon with pea puree, kale, and asparagus. Very soft and delicate.

Halibut crusted with squid ink with farmer’s market cauliflower.

Anatra. duck breast, caramelized maui onions, greens, pomegranate reduction, candied fig.

Apricot crumble. Warm, soft, and very apricot. Delicious.

If you like higher end Italian cooking (and who doesn’t?) you should absolutely rush over here. Make sure you get a tasting menu. I don’t think appetizer and entree selected off the regular menu would do the place the justice it deserves. I’m sure the dishes would be great, but this cuisine is about more than just two notes. I’m not sure why Il Grano isn’t always mobbed, as folks flock to overpriced mid-quality trattorias. I guess people are just clueless.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or experience my gluttonous month-long journey through Northern Italy.

Sal treats his tomatoes like family

The wine list is top notch, with a real depth in Burgundy

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Barbaresco, Burgundy, Burrata, Crudo, Il Grano, italian, Italian cuisine, Los Angeles, Sal Marino, Truffle

Third Republique

Jul01

Restaurant: Republique [1, 2, 3]

Location: 624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036. (310) 362-6115

Date: May 13, 2014

Cuisine: Modern Bistro French

Rating: Nice (loud) space, tasty hip food, great service

Republique is certainly one of LA’s most anticipated recent openings. Taking over the gorgeous old Campanile space, this replacement is helmed by Walter Manzke and Margarita Manzke (of Church & State and Milo & Olive). As you’ll see, while the core cuisine marries Brasserie with neo-tapas, this is a place that draws intensely on the current (2013-14) trends. LA Zeitgeist for sure.

On this particular night, I was invited again by Liz Lee of The Sage Society. She’s a friend of mine, wine dealer, and overall awesome foodie. She sure organizes an amazing evening. This one was mostly top flight Burgundy, and 13-14 bottles for 7 people! (Good thing I never drive to wine dinners)

The building is an interesting fusion of pre-war factory…

The main interior is nearly church-like. It’s been all opened up and looks great, but it’s big, tall, and covered in hard surfaces. That means loud!

The bar is packed and setup with all those fancy little fixings that are the hallmark of the fancy mixologist style of expensive yummy weak drink making. Being a wine guy, I don’t much care.

Along with the hard (read loud) surfaces, open kitchen, mixologist and the like, our obligatory aged wood communal tables are graced with this paper menu.

As we sit we are offered some yummy bread sticks (a.k.a. grissini). The bakery here is clearly first rate, although there was nowhere to really put them and half of mine ended up tumbling to the floor.

Our Sommelier for evening, Taylor Parsons. Unlike my mostly more chaotic Hedonist Dinners, he opened and poured the wine properly in flights, and even ordered up food to match.

NV Pierre Gerbais Champagne L’Originale. 90 points. Pinot Blanc, single vineyard planted 1904. Lovely purity, floral note of camomile, some mineral notes, freshly cut fennel and dill Strong mineral notes and back bone, floral, fennel, clay, pear, yellow plums with long finish.

Mixed oysters on the half-shell.

Asparagus and pepper tempura.

Warm Baguette with Normandy Butter. A completely first rate piece of bread. Utterly classic and unadorned. The taste reminds one of France.

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Chips & Dip. Scottish king salmon tartare, cucumber, mint, yogurt, crispy pork rinds.

For vegetarians there were potato crisps.

And the tastier chicarones.

2009 Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve. 88 points. No formal note. This had a reasonably complex, smoky peach nose, with a hint of orange rind, was full bodied and plump on the palate, reasonably attractive stone fruit with creamy notes and low acidity. Paired fabulously with the pasta below.

English pea Agnolotti. Fresh blanched peas. Really a great pasta.

1996 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur. Burghound 91. Moderate but still very fresh secondary notes that reflect nuances of bee’s wax and the first hints of sous bois lead to intense, vibrant and mineral-driven flavors infused with ample citrus, all wrapped by a firm, edgy and pure finish. While this has plenty of legs left, it has arrived at its peak though as noted, it should be capable of holding for another two decades. From another bottle affected by a touch of premature oxidation – The color is a more advanced gold than I expected and certainly more so than the bottle of ’96 Blanchots tasted a few days earlier. The nose reveals a trace of oxidation and while it’s by no means enough to kill the enjoyment of the wine, it does detract as well as give one pause as to how this will evolve over the next few years. The flavors are classic Valmur with its incredibly precise and mineral-laden, moderately austere flavors and laser-like focus. As is the case with so many ’96s, the nose is out in front of the structure and while I certainly liked this wine, it’s not clear that this is going to reward further cellaring.

Live Santa Barbara Spot Prawns. Romanesco cauliflower, brown butter, lemon capers, almonds.

1990 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 93. This is one of those whites from the ’90 vintage that is trapped in a time capsule as it remains unusually youthful for a 20 year old wine even if no longer young as the nose displays the first hints of sous bois along with dried flower and citrus aromas. The delicious and highly mineral-infused middle weight flavors are racy, intense and beautifully delineated before culminating in a lingering and pure finish. This is in extraordinary condition if well-stored and should continue to drink well for years to come. In a word, impressive.

Hamachi Crudo. Pineapple, fresno chili, cilantro.

From my cellar: 1996 Maison Leroy Meursault 1er Cru. Burghound 92. This is still very fresh with only the initial hints of development to the airy white flower and hazelnut aromas that give way to rich, pure and gorgeously precise flavors that culminate in a mineral-infused and impressively linear finish that lasts in the mouth for several minutes. A stunner of wine that is still improving.

agavin: I was disappointed, nothing too obvious wrong with it, just too closed and reserved.

From my cellar: 1996 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet. Burghound 96. Classic white burg aromas of immense breadwith and depth with white flower notes, minerals and knockout complexity. This is a big, rich yet delineated wine that has near perfect balance. In short, this is flat out superb with an intensity, complexity, depth and stony minerality that is something special to behold. The length lasts for minutes and for my taste, this has finally arrived at its full maturity though there is certainly no rush to drink up as it should maintain this level for years. Consistent notes.

agavin: sadly, and I cry as I write this, the wine was heavily premoxed (oxidized) and not really drinkable. The finish had promise. 🙁

Fresh white Asparagus and black truffle butter sauce. Just in season and fabulous.

From my cellar: 1990 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. A truly wonderful nose of simply knockout complexity features notes of yeast and baked bread along with now fully mature aromas of a variety of floral notes and spice hints that gives way to mineral-suffused round intense and detailed medium full flavors that also offer outstanding depth on the sappy and mouth coating finish. This is drinking perfectly now. A beautiful effort of real style and grace.

agavin: a third fail for me tonight. This bottle was pretty oxidized. I’ve opened around 20 of this wine (all from the same source) and about 2/3 of them are fabulous, but a few are kinda oxidized.

Black Stripped bass with a butter sauce and vegetable puree. Perfectly crispy.

1993 Domaine Leroy Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Narbantons. 93 points. Mme Bize-Leroy makes the best wines in the world. At least this was my hypotheses when we drank this wine. Domaine Leroy is superior to DRC and her wines are as a consequent also more expensive. When she dies, the prises will soar and eventually exede Henri Jayer’s. This Sauvigny is perfectly mature now, with smooth concentrated red fruits. My guess was an Echezeaux from the 90ies. More or less everything she does is of Grand Cru quality.

1996 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes. Burghound 90. The nose on the ’96 Clos des Ruchottes is stunningly elegant with really dazzling purity of fruit and leads to relatively supple though barely medium weight flavors underpinned by moderate structure and healthy acidity. As it usually is, this is quite earthy and I suspect it will come around over the mid-term as the tannins are completely ripe and integrated. I would give this 3 or 4 more years of cellar time and then probably drink up whether or not the tannins are fully resolved as the lack of full phenolic maturity suggests that the acidity may come to dominate the finish.

agavin: great, but retained a surprising amount of oak/spice.

Mary’s Organic Rotisserie Chicken. Red russian kale, roasted fingerling potatoes. The rotating spit was right in front of me and all night I watched a procession of these tasting fowl orbiting. Just classic roast chicken en jus but absolutely perfectly cooked. All good.

1988 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts. Burghound 92. Still quite reserved on the nose but the flavor profile is dense, rich and wonderfully complex with terrific length. As with the Boudots, the buffering extract is more than sufficient to envelope the substantial tannins though there is a touch of finishing astringency.

agavin: a lovely mature burg.

Liberty Duck Breast. Cherries and Brussels sprouts.

1970 Louis Latour Romanée St. Vivant Les Quatre Journaux. agavin 94. Stellar wine. All that I love in old Burgs. Lots of fruit, acidity and long berry finish.

A selection of cheeses. Always good with so much wine.

Pistachio and Strawberry ice cream. Refreshing.

Overall, Republique is a first rate place. It updates the classic French fare in a way that is contemporary without being ultra modern. And the whole everything here is so painfully (and I don’t mean in a bad way) contemporary. It just couldn’t be more “in” with the current dining trends. Not that I actually have a problem with that — in fact, my only problems with the restaurant was the volume (almost too loud for conversation) and a seeming total lack of large square or circular tables (I eat out in large groups and hate long skinny tables for more than 6). Most importantly, not only are these fresh takes on the classics, but the cooking is really on point. Even only being three months old this kitchen is executing very well.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Brasserie, Foodie Club, Los Angeles, République, Sage Society, Walter Manzke

Sea Harbor Dim Sum

Jun29

Restaurant: Sea Harbor Seafood Restaurant

Location: 3939 Rosemead Blvd. Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 288-3939

Date: June 11, 2014 & January 2, 2015 & May 17, 2021

Cuisine: Cantonese Dim Sum

Rating: In the top 5 SGV Dim Sum

This is a compilation of both a birthday trip my brother and I made to Sea Harbor Dim Sum, the latest in our crusade to visit all the best Dim Sum joints in the San Gabriel Valley, and a in force 20 person assault on the place later with my hedonist group.

I think Sea Harbor has been around for a long time and is one of the mainstays.

The interior is pretty typical.

On 5/17/21, not long after the lockdowns, they were also serving outside on the patio.

One of these nice color photo menus. The paper “checklist” you order with is only in Chinese, but we just use the numbers. This is made to order dim sum, which is much fresher than the cart style.

The sauce plate (like everything else, on request).

Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Brut Grand Rosé. AG 92. The Brut Rosé Grand Cru is bold, richly textured wine that literally bursts from the glass with impressive concentration. This shows gorgeous inner perfume yet remains a decidedly extroverted, singular wine. The weight of the Pinot comes through in spades. Readers who want to understand why the Grand Cru vineyards of Bouzy are so famous for Pinot and Rosé should start here.

Cucumber with garlic and spicy sauce.

Jellyfish with GongCai. Apparently the green stuff is “tribute vegetable.” I thought it was bits of asparagus or something. Jellyfish was good.

2013 Liquid Farm Chardonnay White Hill. 93 points. No real sign of oak although it is fermented in mostly neutral oak with a bit of stainless steal. Wonderfully balanced, I want oysters with my next bottle! Great alternative to so many oaky Cali chards out there.

Chicken feet with Angelica in Meat Broth.

Spareribs in black bean sauce. Hideous, but they taste great.

From my cellar: 2012 Tenute Sella Coste della Sesia Majoli. 90 points. Deep red in the glass. This is a rosé with some weight, quite different from some of the nimble, mineral driven rosés from France. Dominant cherry tones, with a touch of Luden’s cherry drop. Clean finish. Potentially this could stand up to a more medium bodied dish, outside of the typical realm for other rosés. This is an unusual bottle, not often encountered – I’ve never seen Tenute Sella rosé for sale, anywhere.

Har Gow. A top version of the classic.

Siu Mai. Pork and shrimp dumpling. Also classic. These are the “normal” (non jumbo size) and tasted great.

Siu Mai with Truffle. I think the truffle is actually a negative.

196x August E. Anheuser Riesling Spätlese Kreuznacher. 78 points. Fallen in cork. A color light like muddy oily rainwater, but surprisingly still sweet and vaguely drinkable.

Bean curd skin roll with seafood. These always look ugly, and they have a funny texture, but I tend to like them.

Ginger chicken & pork bun. These are stuffed with a meat ball that has a very pronounced ginger flavor. Interesting and quite good.

1979 Morandell Grüner Veltliner Trockenbeerenauslese Ruster. 98 points. Not totally sure of the year, certainly from the 70s, but this amber bit of syrup knocked our socks off. Spectacular nectar.

Fish roe with scallop dumpling. A very elegant seafood dumpling.

Steamed shrimp paste with corn and pea dumpling. The two of us were split on this fellow. I liked them, as they had a dense texture and a nice corn/pea taste. My brother wasn’t a fan.

2002 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett. 89 points. Delicate scents of fresh strawberry, lemon, honey and vanilla. Bright and tingling in the mouth, with the sensation of fresh strawberries right down to their tiny whiskers. Quite refreshing yet adamantly slatey in the finish.

Pork, peanut & celery dumpling. Interesting. A little mild, with steamed peanuts.

Juicy pork bun (XLB). A nice version of this most awesome food.

2011 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese. IWC 90. Elegant aromas of cherry, acacia blossom and pine nut. Succulent and creamy on the palate, tinged with nuances of herbs, nuts and vanilla. With fine balance, this spatlese finishes with an underlying sense of slate.

France style baked BBQ pork bun. I have no idea what is “France style” about these, but they had a delightful, light, and crispy outside (slightly sweet) and were filled with a yummy sweet BBQ pork mix flavored with cilantro. Very unusual and very good.

Thai Style Tofu with Chicken Broth. Awesome soft fried tofu with a sweet and tangy sauce.

2009 A.J. Adam Hofberg Riesling Kabinett. IWC 90. Delicate aromas of peach, candied lemon and nut oil. Glossy and quite full-bodied but elegant, this riesling tastes crisp and pure. The clean finish features lime and discreet slate. A textbook kabinett and one of the finest of the vintage.

Beef ball in superior soup. These reconstituted beef balls had a spongey texture that I liked, and a very nice beefy flavor.

Deep fried pork dumpling. Tasty, but as usual for this type, too little filling.

2012 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brulees Vieilles Vignes. Burghound 91-93. A strikingly complex nose features notes of Vosne spice, black cherry, plum and sandalwood. There is first-rate intensity and verve to the beautifully well-detailed medium weight flavors that display plenty of minerality and dry extract on the firm and austere finish that delivers marvelous length. This is also an exercise in harmony allied with finesse.

Ginger Chicken & Pork Bun.

Classic steamed pork bun.

Pan grilled spinach pork bun.

Never seen this one before, but it was pleasant.

Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce.

2008 Rhys Pinot Noir Family Farm Vineyard. Burghound 92. An attractively layered and fresh ripe red berry fruit and overtly floral nose offers excellent complexity that continues onto the rich but elegantly rendered medium-bodied flavors that possess a seductive texture and perfect balance on the lingering finish. This should age extremely well as everything is in perfect proportion.

Sautéed sichuan runner beans with minced pork. A decent version of this classic. The beans were crunchy and the pork tasty, but it was hard to get on the chopsticks!

Steamed rice noodle with BBQ pork (aka “pork slime”). Almost certainly the best pork slime I’ve had — and I’ve had a lot.

Steamed rice noodle with shrimp.

2006 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Precious Mountain. Burghound 90. The nose possesses very impressive aromatic complexity with a lovely mix of both red and blue berry fruit notes, spice hints and a gentle touch of wood toast that does not continue onto the supple, round and vibrant flavors that display good mid-palate density on the slightly dry and tangy finish that does not really detract significantly from the overall sense of balance. We’ll see how this turns out but it appears to have the dry extract to round out the finish in time.

Crystal noodle with fresh shrimp. The shrimp were tasty. This dish was fine, although not outstanding. The noodles had this worm-like slippery quality.

Sticky rice wrapped with lotus leaf. An okay (but not spectacular) version of this. The rice additives could have used more flavor.

Sticky rice with preserved meats. Awesome salty and complex flavor.

Fried rice with dry scallop and egg white. A nice salty rice.

2013 Opolo Vineyards Zinfandel Mountain Zinfandel.

Assorted seafood fried crispy noodle. I love this dish, and this version didn’t disappoint. It was probably a 8 to Elite’s 9, but still great.

Deep fried durian puff. Not for everyone, but interesting all the same. Inside, lots of durian with the texture of rotten banana and the flavor of… petrol? Seriously long and complex finish. Weird!

Steamed Preserved Salty Egg Yolk Bun.

A house specialty. Eggy goodness inside. More sweet and sticky than salty. Mostly. Very tasty.

Overall, Sea Harbor was very satisfying, but perhaps a tiny notch below some of the others we have been trying recently like Elite or King Hua. Except for a couple stellar dishes like the pork slime or france style bun are so good, it makes you wonder. Certainly this place is great and you can’t lose.

An update from May of 2021 shows that Sea Harbor, even post pandemic, still has a top notch dim sum kitchen. The interior is in a bit of disarray, and they were out of a few things, but the food quality was still excellent.

They also might have laid on the MSG because I got an outsized dim sum coma that lasted for hours. Granted, dim sum always gives me a head buzz, but this was a little more than usual.

For more LA Chinese reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Cantonese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Dim sum, dimsum, hedonists, Hong Kong, Rosemead, Rosemead California, san Gabriel valley, Sea Harbor

Untimed, Unheard no More

Jun25

Seventeen months in the making, the Untimed audiobook is finally ready!

The complete unabridged book is available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes for MP3 download to your phone or ipod. It’s narrated by producer Steven Barnett.

A bit about the production

I started way back in January 2013, and like most Independent authors considering an audiobook edition, decided to use Amazon’s ACX service. This is a marketplace for connecting authors with voice and production talent as well as an automated mechanism for delivering the finished books to the big online markets (Audible, Amazon, and iTunes). This makes it easy to post descriptions of what your looking for and a section of the book to read. I listed both The Darkening Dream and Untimed. Lo and behold, over the next couple of weeks a pile of auditions started to come in.

Untimed is a tricky novel from a recording standpoint. Like all my books it features a lot of accents. The two most important characters are Charlie, a modern 15 year-old boy from Philadelphia, and Yvaine a 16 year-old girl from 16-18th century Scotland. It’s also a first person narrative, so it needed to be read in Charlie’s voice. Therefore, I wanted to cast a man who sounded fifteen, but also could pull off a passable falsetto. Steven Barnett’s audition was the one that fit the bill. He sounded young, and he proved great with accents.

Steven Barnett in the studio

It important to prepare detailed notes on all your characters. Untimed doesn’t have the biggest cast, but the characters are from all over the world (and time!) with varied accents and histories. Given my lean prose style and my use of whitespace to delineate dialog instead of extensive tagging (see below), the voices needed to be distinct enough for the listener to distinguish who is talking. After Steven studied my character sheets and we discussed them on the phone, we created a number of voice tests for the major parts. I listened and then gave feedback. This is a broad pattern that continues through the process. Prep -> Record -> Listen -> Feedback -> Repeat.

As I’ve experimented in many mediums: video games, novels, screenplays, and now audiobooks, it’s worth noting some of the differences. The physical placement on the page (as dictated by white space) is useful in novels. I separate dialog spoken by different people on different lines, and I make sure to place tags (he said, she said) and beats (small action queues like “Yvaine shifted in place” or “Donnie smirked” in the same paragraph as the speaker’s dialog. In an audiobook, you can’t hear the white space, but differences in voicing can make up for who is speaking. Still, you lose this spatial grouping. The tags also stand out more when spoken, as the eye tends to ignore them.

Another thing I hadn’t thought about is how long it actually takes to listen repeatedly to an entire novel. Untimed is over ten hours and every few weeks I’d get an hour or two of recordings, need to listen — usually twice (paying attention!) — and write up notes. And my side of the work was a lot easier than Steven’s. I can only imagine how long it took to record multiple takes, audition them, edit, then proof.

A final thing I decided to do was to add sound effects (sfx) to Untimed for the time travel aspects. I wanted the mysterious Tick-Tocks to have a creepy otherworld quality, so I thought to underscore them with an antique ticking noise. They never talk, but they do CHIME. In the books, I just write it like that, but having Steven read out the word “chime” sounded lame, so I replaced it with the sound of a deep resonant clock tower. Likewise, to help sell the mechanics of the time holes and the frequent (and complex) travel, I engineered unique sounds. This harkened back to my days as “assistant” sound engineer on Crash Bandicoot (I process and installed all the sounds that the real engineer, Mike Gollom, made for me). I found a source of royalty free sfx and combined and pitch shifted various ones until I got what I wanted. For example, the Tock ticking is a layered sample combining 4-5 different clocks and watches to reach suitable complexity.

Then, as the months rolled by, chapter by chapter, the book came together brilliantly. I’ve listened to it 2-3 times — although not all together at once. I’m curious at the psychological effect, but after reading various drafts countless times and a couple listens, I’ll leave that to you guys!

Listen to a free sample if you like:

Or buy the Audiobook at:

Amazon, Audible, or iTunes

Buy Sample Characters Reviews Reviewer Info

By: agavin
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Posted in: Untimed

Tagged as: Amazon.com, Andy Gavin, Audible, audiobook, iTunes, Philadelphia, Scotland, Steven Barnett, Untimed

Lunasia Dim Sum

Jun23

Restaurant: Lunasia [1, 2, 3]

Location: 500 West Main Street Suite A, Alhambra, CA 91801. (626) 308-3222

Date: April 29, 2014

Cuisine: Cantonese Dim Sum

Rating: Excellent

My brother and I continue our epic quest to sample all the top San Gabriel Valley dim sum restaurants. I’ve actually been to Lunasia before, for a big Cantonese Banquet, but this is my first trip here for dim sum (which is really their specialty).

Pictures are helpful, even for a dim sum veteran.

Jumbo shrimp har gow. As good a version as I’ve had.

Jumbo pork siu mai. Perhaps more succulent and tender than many.

Spinach shrimp dumplings. I’d swear these also had scallops in them. Interesting (and tasty). A different mealier texture to the skin.

Baked chicken bun. Full of meat and flavor, probably a bit better than at King Hua.

BBQ pork buns. Excellent rendition. Shanghai #1 might have the best of these.

Pork dumplings. This is the sticky fried mochi variety. They are slightly sweeter and have a wonderful texture.

Shrimp rice noodles. Great sauce and a nice version of this dish too.

Crispy Shrimp Roll. These have a lovely light crunchy texture. They came with a mayo! But I thought they went better with the sweet duck sauce.

Shanghai pork dumplings (XLB). The inside of these favorites (and we got 3 tins) were filled with really solid little pork balls. They tasted great, but Elite’s were certainly better (with a lighter thinner skin).

Hong Kong Roasted Duck. Tasty, but a little boney.

Duck sauce for the duck.

Sticky rice wrap. The classic lotus leaf wrapped sticky rice.

Here is the inside. I know it’s not the loveliest, but it was good.

Pan-fried vermicelli Singapore Style. My brother and I got this dish as kids — and it’s still just as good.

Egg yolk buns. Like Chinese Cadbury Eggs!

Sweet yolk inside! Kinda different, and very sweet.

Macao Egg Custard. This version was a little eggy.

Overall, another fabulous dim sum place. It’s hard to say which is best among Shanghai #1, Elite, King Hua, and this, as each has certain dishes they do better. Really just an embarrassment of riches.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Alhambra California, Cantonese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Dim sum, dimsum, Har Gow, Lunasia, san Gabriel valley, Shanghai, Steamed Pork and Shrimp Dumplings (Shao Mai)

More Awesome Dimsum – King Hua

Jun21

Restaurant: King Hua

Location: 2000 W Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801. (626) 282-8833

Date: April 14, May 15, and August 2, 2014

Cuisine: Cantonese Dimsum

Rating: Maybe the best yet in town

My brother and I continue our epic quest to find the best dimsum in Southern California. King Hua was one of our top picks so I also brought my Hedonist friends by. This post combines several meals for an epic review of the cuisine. Wines are from the August 2 Hedonist lunch.

The menu (with photos!)

2002 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millésimé. Burghound 91. A relatively high-toned nose of green apple, baker’s yeast, floral and citrus peel hints precedes the distinctly effervescent, even slightly foamy flavors that possess good depth on the bone dry finish. This is clearly still on its way up as the focused finish is still compact and while this is certainly refreshing and there is enough depth present to make for an interesting drink, it will be better in due course. In sum, there is good development potential and will especially please those who prefer very dry vintage Champagne.

BBQ pork. I like this kind with the sweet soy sauce.

Roast chicken. Moist and succulent.

Jelly fish. Crunchy texture and a bit of a kick. What isn’t to love. Check out the jiggle below.

[youtube http://youtu.be/esxmqs0adz0]

Chicken salad bun. One might wonder what’s in here exactly:

Chopped up chicken and stuff. Tasted good though. The outside was sweet.

From my cellar: 2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru en Remilly Cuvée Nicholas et Mathis. 93 points. I’ve been drinking a lot of this wine. Really fabulous young 1re cru. Lots of acid and strong vanilla notes.

Baked BBQ pork pastry. Pretty much flaky bun stuffed with sweet BBQ pork!

Steamed shrimp and scallop dumpling.

Sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf.

Poached mustard green. Good thing Foodie Club co-founder Erick’s wife was there to order a vegetable.

2012 Gilbert Picq Chablis 1er Cru Vosgros. Burghound 90-92. A beautifully well-layered nose features notes of mineral reduction, green fruit and ocean breeze nuances. There is impressive scale to the concentrated and powerful medium weight flavors that are both intense saline and mineral-inflected on the mouth coating and lingering finish. As is usually the case this is less refined than the Vaucoupin but there’s better underlying material.

Shrimp and Pork Dumpling (Shu Mai). Erick’s 4th grade daughter dubbed these “meat popsicle” (she eats them impaled on a chopstick).

Chicken feet in black bean sauce.

Pork dumpling supreme. With a title like that, who could refuse. Both the dumplings and the broth were delicious.

Here is a bowl of it.

Pan Grilled Pork Bun w/ dried scallop.

Mixed filling in here.

2004 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese. IWC 89. Apricot, lemon oil and a hint of flint on the nose. The succulent tropical fruit flavors are nicely balanced and framed by mineral salts. More appealing than complex on the finish, but makes for excellent drinking.

Shrimp dumpling (har gow). Excellent classic.

Steamed dumplings with pork, peanuts, and veggies. Yummy.

Another dumpling, not sure what was inside, but it was good.

Steamed dumplings with chestnut and shrimp. Really awesome, with a nice crunch.

Steamed shrimp and pea tips dumplings.

Lobster and shrimp dumpling. Really tasty.

Pork & Shrimp dumpling in broth. Very tasty, but hard to split.

Interesting seafood and mushroom inside.

2003 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel. 90 points. Apricot preserves, gardenia, quince and honey in the nose. On the palate, quince and honey are accented by brown spices. Fat and creamy but buoyant and elegant. Long and refined on the finish, with its high residual sugar admirably buffered.

Steamed pork dumpling (XLB). Add vinegar and happily burn one’s mouth. These are the bomb, although perhaps the ones at elite are a hair better.

Deep fried durian puff. Hmmm.

Steamed Chinese sausage bun. Like Chinese pig in a blanket.

Baked BBQ Pork Bun. Awesome classic.

Shrimp rice noodles. Good version.

Rice Crepes with Steamed Spareribs. This was different than I expected. The meat is pretty hideous, and quite fatty, but boy, did it taste good. Really succulent. The rice crepes rolled this way feel a bit thick, and not as soft and pleasant as the enchilada style.

Deep fried shrimp roll w/ seaweed. Pretty awesome, like a fried shrimp California roll.

1976 Hugel et Fils Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive. 94 points. A testament to what a great vintage 1976 was for the top alsacians. This wine has kept all the fruit flavours but is now no longer sweet, more off dry. Super complex and just perfectly balanced. Really hard to put the glass down as the fantastic nose lures you back. Notes of honey, nuts and exotic fruit.

Deep fried pork dumpling. Delicious almost sweet interior with a chewy outside.

Here you can see the porky inside.

Sticky rice on lotus leaf with shrimp and XO sauce. Pretty awesome actually.

Bean curd with vegetables. Delicious.

Fried tofu. Hot, soft, and tasty.

Deep fried tofu in abalone sauce. I like the sauce. This was a bit heavier, but tasty.

Deep fried dumplings with shrimp. Sort of an amazing shrimp empanada!

1996 Champalou Vouvray Trie de Vendange. 93 points. Rich gold and really nice.

Fish balls in curry sauce. The squid-like things are noodles. The sauce was very strong.

Fried Noodle & Vermicelli with XO sauce. An excellent version of this Singaporean classic.

Fried Spareribs. Really, really amazing. Gross looking, yeah, but tasted oh so good. The fried balls on the left were some kind of fried custard. Bizarre but yummy.

Roast pork belly with jellyfish. Odd combo, but the jellyfish are good and the pork nice and moist.

Mango pudding. Weird thick texture, but very mild and refreshing.

Coconut and almond jelly. I like this stuff, kind of like cookies and cream jello.

Custard egg tart. Yum again.

King hua coconut roll. Like a sweet roll stuffed with coconut custard. Awesome.

I have to say, King Hua was awesome, even by the competitive standards of the SGV. I’ve tried lots of good places, but on average, this might be one of the best so far. There is real variety here, and everything is very fresh. If you like dimsum, don’t fear the drive. What we have in LA proper just can’t compare.

For more LA Chinese food reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chinese cuisine, dimsum, Foodie Club, hedon, King Hua

Lucky Ducky

Jun19

Restaurant: Beijing Duck House

Location: 6420 Rosemead Blvd. San Gabriel, CA 91775. (626) 286-5508

Date: June 14, 2014

Cuisine: Beijing Chinese

Rating: Tasty stuff

This is my third time this week out to the SGV for scrumptious Chinese. My mother apparently ate a lot of Chinese when she was pregnant with me (true) and I’ve loved it ever since I was a kid.

Tonight’s entry is Beijing Duck House which is funny enough, a Beijing style restaurant specializing in… you guessed it… Peking Duck!

The room is typical enough.

2002 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millésimé. IWC 92. Pale yellow-gold. Fresh citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complicated by notes of gingerbread, white flowers and sweet butter. Toasty lees and mineral qualities gain power with air, adding depth to the wine’s gently sweet pear, honey and tangerine flavors. At once rich and lively, finishing with excellent clarity and alluring mineral and floral character. This Champagne, which I’ve tasted from three different disgorgements now, is proving that it’s built for the long haul.

Marinated cucumbers, mushrooms, and boiled peanuts. This dish had an almost Vietnamese flavor too it with the slightly sweet sauce and the strong cilantro notes. Yummy.

Beef tendon. A cold dish, the tendon was chewy and the meat parts some kind of cured beef. The beef was delicious and there was a good bit of heat to the dish, plus the cilantro.

1999 Forey Père et Fils Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Gaudichots. Burghound 88. Less expressive and open than the ’99 Les St. Georges without the forbidding firmness of the Petits Monts. This still has plenty of the pinot baby fat and the substantial tannins are completely wrapped though there is sufficient structure to permit this to improve for a decade. Pure, long and pretty.

agavin: needs a little more time to open.

The duck comes up early. Our professional carver gets to work.

Beijing Duck. The meat itself served with the pancakes in the background.

And the condiments: spring onion, cucumber, jicama/radish, and the plum sauce.

All elements are combined into the pancake. Delicious and greasy as always!

2009 Maison Roche de Bellene Savigny-lès-Beaune Vieilles Vignes. BH 86-89. Here the nose is bursting with Savigny-style earth on the ripe and pretty red pinot fruit nose that introduces nicely rich, round and fleshy middle weight flavors that are also admirably delicious and while there is a touch of rusticity to the supporting tannins, the overall impression is a straightforward wine that should drink well relatively early.

agavin: surprisingly drinkable for being so young.

Duck second way. Bits of duck meat and vegetables in lettuce wrap.

Add a little plum sauce and one is good to go. PF Changs eat your heart out.

2005 Longoria Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Vineyard. Burghound 92. A really lovely nose of beautifully complex and deeply pitched red berry fruit complements the rich and ripe medium full flavors that display a fine sense of restraint and underlying reserve as well as a gamy hint, all wrapped in a moderately structured finish and fine balance. This will clearly be capable of mid-term aging and as I say, this is indeed ripe but it’s the restraint and focus that really sets it apart from the typical pinot. Recommended.

Duck Soup. This is the third way. Boney bits of duck (with meat) are cooked up in a duck version of chicken soup.

It looks normal enough in the bowl. And it basically tastes like slightly rich chicken soup.

A neighboring table featured all sorts of unusual goodies so I took a few shots.

Like duck feet and wings!

1999 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee. Parker 92. A powerful, concentrated 1999 Chateauneuf du Papes was produced at Chateau Pegau. The dense ruby/purple-colored 1999 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee boasts a powerful bouquet of pepper, garrigue, black fruits, and earth. Full-bodied and expansive, with sweet tannin giving it a more open-knit, accessible style than most young vintages of Pegau, this is a wine to drink while waiting for the 1998 and 1995 to become fully mature. Like all of this estate’s red wines, it was bottled with neither fining nor filtration.

agavin: This had a barnyard quality. It went well with the lamb below, but got to me after a bit.

Cumin lamb. Skewers of tasty lamb loaded with cumin.

2004 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Riesling Clos Hauserer. Parker 87. The many insufficiently attentive wine aficionados who can be heard lamenting a supposed absence chez Zind-Humbrecht of dry wine should have their mouths rinsed out repeatedly with the 2004 Riesling Clos Hauserer! (And, by the say, it is the Humbrechts, not I, who have re-introduced the Umlaut.) Mint, boxwood and lime zest on the nose suggest a Sauvignon. Firm acidity, peach pit bitterness, adamantly chalky minerality, and almost explosive acidity in the mouth make for a brash and relatively spare impression, despite palpable thickness of extract and sense of amplitude. Humbrecht imagines that if he planted Riesling in the Goldert, this is the sort of wine it would become. These grapes were very ripe – “turning blue- in fact, he says – but the deeper the roots go into the mother chalk (and these vines now average thirty years of age) the longer, he claims, the wine requires to unclench, even in a less acid-retentive vintage than this. Plan not to even revisit this wine for two or three years.

agavin: disappointingly austere

Dumplings. Standard Beijing dumplings with vinegar. Shanghai XLB are better, but these are certainly tasty too.

1994 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Heimbourg Vendange Tardive. RJ Wine 95. I love extremely young ZH wines for their youthful vigor. As they age, some gets a bit to heavy and cloying showing a hint of alcohol. Also the beauty of a great desert wine is the airy/cotton candy like palate. This was an exceptional showing. Nicely focused nose displaying yellow peach, dry mango, apricot and sweeten ice tea. Lovely airy palate. The wine remains quite fresh and precise despite the dense fruit a la D’Yquem. Lovely showing.
I highly recommend.

agavin: awesome!

Corn. The sauce here had some added sugar and I found it too sweet. Otherwise, it was basically succotash.

BBQ Pork. Can anyone say bacon? I picked off most of the fat/skin later but the meat was sweet and super tasty.

2007 Nikolaihof Riesling Reserve Steiner Hund. RJ Wine 93. So serene, delicate and understated; this is a wine that really needs time and air to show its best. It’s utterly compelling though with an amazing purity to the fresh fruit flavours, greener herbal and leafy accents and a base of pure stone beneath the fruit.

Sweet and sour fried fish. Super awesome version of this typical dish.

1994 Grgich Hills Zinfandel Sonoma County. 92 points. Dark fruit, prunes. Very lively.

Spicy eggplant. In a delicious garlic sauce.

1995 L’Ecole No. 41 Merlot Seven Hills Vineyard. 91 points. Immediately greeted by the rich unbelievably ripe cassis perfume which sets you up for a fruit bomb, but instead the wine was very poised and restrained on the palate. Tannins are fully integrated at this stage which rewards with a velvet mouthfeel. High quality fruit here which showcases the brilliance of Seven Hills. These should be drank now. For me I’m beginning to understand L’Ecole now because they are shy, backwards and sometimes austere in youth as they reward so much with age.

Pig’s feet. Not my favorite.

Mixed fried rice. Simple and delicious.

Cabbage and glass noodles. This Chinese hot coleslaw is rather delicious.

Frog hot pot. Probably close to the Wuman dry hot pot, this had a bit of heat. It was fine, but not the best dish of the night.

Overall, another highly enjoyable Chinese meal. The duck was on par with Tasty Duck and the other dishes were arguably better. I like the Beijing style and some of these dishes were fabulous. Perhaps Beijing Restaurant is a little better within this style, but then again, there is the duck!

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beijing, Beijing Duck House, duck, hedonists, Peking Duck, poultry, Soups and Stews, Wine

Melisse Madness

Jun17

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

Location: 1104 Wilshire Blvd.Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 395-0881

Date: June 12, 2014

Cuisine: California French

Rating: Awesome in all ways

It’s always a challenge to come up with a new spot for my birthday dinner. I tried a couple new places and after struggling with annoying policies and restrictions came back to proven slam dunk Melisse. They have the private room. They have the food. They can handle all the wines effortlessly.

I brought a lot of good stuff and so did my friends.

Liz set the tone with this mag of 1995 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Brut. IWC 93. Medium straw, with a powerful mousse. Dense and earthy on the nose, with strong toasty and buttery tones layered on ripe apple and pear fruit. This is both very ’95 in a positive sense and very Pol Roger. Fat and round in the mouth, with extravagant flavors of buttered toast, ripe orange and poached pear, complemented by subtle notes of cinnamon and mace. A lush, velvety Champagne that completely fills the mouth with flavor and creamy texture. This would go wonderfully with absolutely anything-or on its own.

Oh, and then this 1988 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Brut. IWC 94. Classic, subtly complex Champagne aromas of toast, toffee, citrus peel, and yeasty fresh apple. Rich, full and ripe, with great depth of flavor and truly insinuating intensity. Complex notes of butterscotch and toasted nuts. Ripe, harmonious acids give this remarkably smooth wine excellent backbone for further aging. Extremely long. I rated this wine 93(+?) a year ago, and it has certainly delivered on its early promise. A pinnacle of the ’88 vintage.

Tomato two ways. Usually the initial amuse at Melisse is grapes, but this time, it’s tomatoes, both goat cheese and pistachio crusted and sphereized.

The white Burgundy flight!

1979 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Chassagne-Montrachet. 85 points. The wine has seen better days, and had strong notes of sherry. But it wasn’t totally without virtue. As it sat in the glass for an hour or two it rounded out a bit.

1989 Bouchard Père et Fils Montrachet. 93 points. Soft and with classic Montrachet terrior this was a really delicious example of fully mature great white burg.

From my cellar: 1993 Maison Roche de Bellene Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières Collection Bellenum. 90 points. Other than the 79 this was the least complex of our whites, but it was still very MP and quite delicious.

Naked Cowboy Oyster. Apricot Lane Avocado, lemon cucumber, meyer lemon granite. A truly delicious and bright flavored oyster prep. The granite in particular was lovely, standing in for a squirt of lemon.

And a version with no oyster.

Have a few white burgs!

Egg Caviar. Soft Poached Egg, Lemon creme fraiche, american Osetra. Delicious as always. As Larry commented, “I could have eaten 3-4.”

The amazing Melisse bread, including bacon bread!

And really really rich butter.

Wild Japanese Snapper. Wild radish pods, cilantro and apple milk. Soft and bright flavored again.

Sweet Pea Veloute. Whipped Black Truffle. This is the inside of the soup.

And with the soup itself.

From my cellar: 1998 Jacques Prieur Montrachet. Burghound 92. Quite closed and borderline austere on the nose with reticent aromas of fresh cut citrus followed by powerful, almost painfully intense flavors. This is completely unevolved and quite angular just now though it stops short of actually being hard. However, there is terrific sève and such solid underlying material that this should mature into a marvelous Montrachet but it will require a few years before the steel backbone softens.

agavin: 96 points. Outstanding, and oh so Monty.

From my cellar: 2000 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Chevalier-Montrachet. IWC 92. Complex, subtly perfumed aromas of apple, pear, minerals and nutmeg. Dry, steely and penetrating, with brisk acidity giving the wine an almost painful firmness today. Extremely closed, even dry-edged, but very long on the back end.

agavin: 93-94 really grew and grew in the glass with serious grand cru complexity.

2001 Coche-Dury Meursault. Burghound 90. Relatively deep golden. A pretty and fully mature nose of really lovely complexity, especially for a villages level wine, dissolves into intense, round and utterly delicious medium-bodied flavors that offer exceptionally good Meursault character and an abundance of minerality on the long finish. This still vibrant effort continues to pack plenty of flavor authority and one that has arrived at its peak of maturity. I would suggest drinking this up over the next 5 to 7 years or so as there is no additional upside development potential. In sum, this is a simply terrific wine for its level. Tasted twice with consistent notes.

agavin: 96 points. Meadows never gives these village Coche’s their due. Pretty much the whole table found this to be the best white Burg of the night. A lot of reduction and a long finish really sold it.

Forbidden Fruit. Apricot and Date. This is not the fatty liver of a water fowl. Definitely not.

Wagyu Beef Tartare. Black Olives, capers, cornichon and smoked tomato. Here one smeared some meat on a crisp, and then added some of the aioli-like orange stuff. Delicious!

We began to run low on white so Liz opened this! 2011 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. Burghound 93. This is also highly perfumed with a pronounced floral component dominating the other aromas that are composed of citrus, seaweed, iodine and mineral reduction while leaving no doubt that this could be nothing other than Chablis. There is excellent size, weight and muscle to the overtly powerful and well-concentrated flavors that exude a fine minerality on the extract rich finish. This explosive effort is almost aggressively saline and should improve for up to a decade in bottle.

Santa Barbara Spot Prawn. Fava beans, morel mushrooms, young garlic.

And with a bit of “jus.” Delicious!

The red Burgundy line up.

From my cellar: 1969 Maison Roche de Bellene Volnay 1er Cru Santenots Collection Bellenum. 86 points. Interesting but the fruit was pretty faded and it had this vegetal menthol red pepper taste that wasn’t very pleasant. Bummer. The 66 I had of same was awesome.

From my cellar: 1983 Domaine Clair-Daü Bonnes Mares. John Kapon 94. The 1983 Clair Dau Bonnes Mares was excellent, and another solid 1983, which I have been enjoying here and there over the past couple years. Black licorice dominated initially, opening up into nutty, Burgundian fruit. The flavors were also licorice, and the wine was fleshy and tasty with a nice finish, in a good spot and a good showing for this oft forgotten vintage in Burgundy.

agavin: This was my third bottle of this wine, and while it was still good, it didn’t have nearly as much fruit as the others.

Lobster Bolognese. Perfect, just so small!

t

From my cellar: 1985 Joseph Drouhin Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. Burghound 91. Pale ruby but not yet bricking. A lovely and expressive mix of now mostly secondary aromas yet with traces of primary and still fresh fruit, spice and subtle earth aromas that are very Vosne in basic character. The sweet, rich and still quite precise middle weight flavors offer a mouth coating and culminate in a still somewhat firm finish that suggests ample minerality just below the surface. This is an impeccably balanced and understated wine that is classic Drouhin and classic ’85 that is drinking perfectly now and should continue to do so for another decade, perhaps a bit longer.

agavin: 90 points. This wine had a touch of funk or unbalance to it, but was still very vosne and quite enjoyable.

From my cellar: 1990 Georges Lignier et Fils Clos de la Roche. Burghound 88. A pretty cherry-fruit infused nose that is still relatively fresh leads to rich and vibrant medium full flavors that are bit edge and tannic on the now slightly astringent finish. While the mildly rustic tannins are not resolved, I would be drinking this anyway as it risks drying out with extended bottle age. No other recent notes.

agavin: 93 points. Lots of fruit, fully mature, delicious.

Oregon Porcini. Asparagus, young garlic and parsley

And with a bit of green foam.

Sockeye salmon. with mushrooms and beure blanc.

Stonington Maine Halibut. Courgettes and Lemon basil.

1994 Domaine Jean Gros Richebourg. 92 points. Nice.

1996 Bouchard Père et Fils La Romanée. Burghound 93. Medium ruby color. Fresh and still entirely primary, elegantly perfumed violet and black fruit aromas introduce round, sweet, brilliantly delineated middle weight flavors of considerable breed and class deliver a racy, long and stunningly pure finish. The basic character here is interesting as the strikingly seductive nose is wonderfully expressive yet the flavors, and especially the finish, are somewhat somber and reserved though notably less so than they used to be when I last tasted this four years ago. While with 60 minutes or so of aeration this can be enjoyed now, it’s clear that several more years of cellar time is in order first. Tasted thrice with consistent notes.

agavin: 94 points. Deeper colored than the other red burgs and really fab.

Aged liberty duck. The meat had that gamey aged quality and was delicious.

With the serious meats, a few “beefier” reds.

1990 Lafite-Rothschild. Parker 96-97. Medium garnet-brick colour. Earthy, Provence herb seasoned aromas of warm cassis and stewed plum with nuances of smoked duck, cracked black pepper and dark soy. The palate leads with structure – medium to high, finely grained tannins and medium to high acid. Plenty of complex fruit to flesh out the mid-palate with a long, layered finish.

1982 Leoville-Las Cases. Parker 100! Still stubbornly backward, yet beginning to budge from its pre-adolescent stage, this dense, murky ruby/purple-colored wine offers up notes of graphite, sweet caramel, black cherry jam, cassis, and minerals. The nose takes some coaxing, and the decanting of 2-4 hours prior to service is highly recommended. For such a low acid wine, it is huge, well-delineated, extremely concentrated, and surprisingly fresh. Perhaps because I lean more toward the hedonistic view of wine than the late Michel Delon, I have always preferred this to the 1986, but the truth is that any lover of classic Medoc should have both vintages in their cellar. This wine has monstrous levels of glycerin, extract, and density, but still seems very youthful, and tastes more like a 7 to 8-year-old Bordeaux than one that is past its twentieth birthday. A monumental effort.

1982 Penfolds Grange. Parker 97. The 1982 is another superb example of that. One of the jammiest, most precocious Granges when it was released, it has never gone through a closed stage and continues to drink beautifully. A full-bodied, opulent Grange, it reveals an inky/purple color to the rim as well as a beautiful nose of crushed blueberries, blackberries, smoke, toast, roasted herbs, and road tar. This dense, plush, expansive, seamless, seductive 1982 has not changed much since I had it nearly a decade ago.

agavin: awesome!

Prime beef rib eye cap. Young leeks and Chanterelle mushrooms.

With the jus.

Egg, grains, and beans.

Ron felt we needed some more white Burg, so he pulled out this 2000 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. Burghound 90. Interesting notes of fennel, green Chablis fruit and straw introduce medium weight, slightly austere, understated, precise flavors that deliver plenty of complexity and length but lack the same density as the 2001 Montée. To be sure, this is an excellent wine and Raveneau may have been a bit too modest in his comments about the vintage as this is really lovely if not genuinely incredible.

Tartiflette. Reblochon, smoked bacon, and potato. A delicious bacon version of potatoes Lyonnaise. Sort of.

And Stewart really wanted to open his Champagne! 1985 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. JK 96. A quick glass of 1985 Krug got me ready for the trip back home. Full of vitamins, spice and intense game, this fresh and perfect bottle of 1985 was great with a spicy and long finish, still young!

Strawberry. Balsamic, Sheep’s yogurt, graham cracker, and black pepper. Sharp and delicious!

Ron brought this crazy 115 year old port that came in a cool box.

Here’s the bottle.

And the port. Check out the viscosity. Like motor oil! But delicious.

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate. Soufflé, mouse, and tarte.

A different chocolate dessert.

White Nectarine. Boysenberry, ginger, and vanilla. Like a miniature fruit ala mode.

Petite Fours. Gels, peaches, chocolates.

Cookies, macarons, cannelles.

Most (but not all) of the wines!

All in all, a rather amazing birthday. An embarrassment of great wines, company, and food!

Melisse has two Michelin stars, and it deserves every ounce of them. The service is amazing too. The setting is not as fully formal as some French three-stars, or the service quite so orchestrated (that level is more amusement than actually pleasant), and there are no zany carts for teas and sugars, but the food and creativity demonstrate Melisse’s deserved position as one of America’s top kitchens. I ‘ve gone several times a year for a decade and it keeps getting better and better!

For another Melisse meal, click here.

Or for other Foodie Club meals, click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bouchard Père et Fils, Champagne, Chassagne-Montrachet, Foodie Club, Maison Joseph Drouhin, Melisse, Montrachet, Pol Roger, Wine, Winston Churchill

Game of Thrones – Episode 40

Jun15

Game of Thrones

Genre: The Children

Watched: Episode 40 – June 15, 2014

Title: The Watchers on the Wall

Summary: Great ep, sad to be done for the year

ANY CHARACTER HERE

This episode has a lot to wrap up. Pretty much every story line is in flux and it would make sense to visit them all and close out (or at least position) their position. I’ll break them down thread by thread for convenience.

Jon and the wall – picking up where last week ended, Jon wanders out through the field of corpses (including the giant being picked apart by crows). He wanders into the woods and surrenders in front of Mance’s tent without even being searched. They have a fairly civil discussion about his loyalty and Ygritte, and even toast to her and other dead companions. Mance wants to pass through the wall. Also, in variation from the books we never see Mance’s wife or child. Jon is contemplating making a suicidal bid at Mance when–

Stannis’ army appears out of nowhere, a giant sweep of cavalry. Where he actually got all these troops we may never know, but he pretty much lays waste. Stannis and Davos show and take Mance captive.

Later, Maester Aemon says the prayers for the dead Black Brothers and they burn the bodies. Stannis and family watch on, and so does Melisandre, peering at Jon through the flames. After, Jon goes and talks to Tormund. He doesn’t threaten him but asks if he wants to say anything over his bodies. They talk of Ygritte which leads to Jon taking her body north of the wall and burning it.

His name was Mak the Mighty

Bran – and crew trudge through a Blizzard. Jojen isn’t doing well but then Bran sees the tree. It is an impressive sight sunlit, red leaves the only growth in the forbidding Icelandic landscape. They approach and animated skeletons burst through the snow and attack them. That’s new! (at least by my reckoning). This results in a tense but slightly Sinbad battle in which Bran possesses Hodor again for some half-giant on skelly pummeling and Meera tries to defend Jojen. But the poor boy is stabbed by a wayward skeletal hand and the gang is saved by a fireball tossing little girl (apparently a Child of the Forest). They rush into the cave minus Jojen. I appreciate throwing in a little more action, but I have slightly mixed feelings about the scene (and particularly the fireballs). Inside, it’s covered with roots and bones, and is almost as creepy as that other HBO 2014 finale that included a rooty lair (True Detective). There, hidden in the roots is the three-eyed crow / root guy. Certainly he is related to The Green Man (a celtic mythological rendering). I’m not sure I felt he was “grown into the tree” enough, but the final exchange was good: “You’ll never walk again, but you will fly.”

Watch out for hidden skeletons!

Dany – Concluding her season of doing very little, Dany is in her throne room holding audiences. One old slave tutor wants to go back to being a slave, then a peasant comes in with a charred little corpse and claims Drogon lit up his kid like a torch. Dany discusses with her advisors and then lures the two smaller dragons (Drogon being missing, off on a joy flight) into the catacombs and chains up her wayward reptilian children. The catacombs, by the way, for those of us well versed in ancient buildings, are easily recognizable as the basement of Diocletian’s Palace in Split Croatia. Normally, this is full of tourist vendors, but they clearly emptied it out for the shoot. This is a cool place, and one of the better preserved structures from (late) antiquity.

Poor babies

King’s Landing – The Mountain lays dying, victim of not only a good stab or two by Oberyn but of “Manticore blood,” a horrible poisoning. Grand Maester Pycell pronounces him a goner, but Qyburn is all too happy to “experiment” with “cures” on Cersei’s behalf. I think Cersei allowed this in the books, but I can’t remember if it came to fruition (and Qyburn has some kind of Gregor Frankenstein monster).

Cersei is feeling the man of the hour, because she takes on Tywin over the issue of her marriage to Loras. When he insists, she threatens to tell the world about her incestuous relationship with Jaime. It’s not even clear if he believes (her or the incest), but he is certainly shaken. Charles Dance is fabulous as always and the hidden shake in his hand is great.

Next, Cersei and Jaime argue of Tyrion and she kisses him, claiming to chose “him.” They sleep together on the table in the Kingsguard meeting hall.

Jaime may have accepted Cersei’s illicit love, but he isn’t buying her judgement of their brother, because he lets Tyrion out of his cell, offering him a way out to Varys and a ship. But after a heartfelt goodbye, Tyrion is drawn away from escape and up the secret passage to the tower of the hand. There he finds Shae in his former (and now his father’s) bed. She goes for a knife and he ends up strangling her. As usual, Peter nails it, and the expression on his face and his postmortem apology is perfect. This scene always bothered me in the books. Here they manage to make Tyrion’s role in it perfectly in character and reasonable. He is caught with something unexpected, and reacts out of passion and in self defense. Now what I don’t and never did understand was Tywin’s role here. Shae maybe, feeling betrayed and out of options would sleep with Tyrion’s father. Maybe. But Tywin? He just doesn’t seem the whore type. And, to sleep with Tyrion’s whore? The idea would just gross him out.

Anyway, Tyrion grabs a crossbow and heads to the privy. There is Tywin apparently having skipped his Konsyl (because he’s in the bathroom a long time). Tywin as usual, tries to talk the situation down, but when he uses the “whore” word a second time, Tyrion puts a crossbow quarrel in him. Then another. Returning to the door, he finds Varys, who seals him into a crate and loads him on a cargo ship. In the background, bells toll out for Tywin’s death.

Brienne and Pod – loose their horses as they near the Eerie then come across Arya practicing with Needle. This is a new development from the books. They ask after the location of the Bloody Gate then when the Hound shows up, and Pod recognizes him, Brienne puts it together and recognizes Arya. Verbal sparring between Brienne and the Hound leads to a real battle. The dialog about “safety” is priceless. I think the Hound is actually trying to do what he thinks is right (protect Arya). This is a tough fight, and well matched. First with swords, then when Brienne gets the better of him, with fists and teeth and rocks. Eventually, the Hound takes a dive off the cliff. But Arya is nowhere to be found, and Breinne and Pod wander off looking for her.

Hound, we shall miss thee

Arya – hiding, goes down to the Hound. He’s funny (in his houdy way) as always. “Killed by a woman.” And to Arya at the idea of her going off alone, “You won’t last a day.” “I’ll last longer than you,” she retorts. Great stuff. He asks her to kill him. Tries to incite her to anger to do it, then begs. In the end, she takes his money and wanders off, leaving him to die.

Arya, having drummed up a horse? Rides up to a costal town where they make salt. She asks the Bravosi accented captain of a ship for passage to the Wall. He isn’t going there, only to Bravos, and has no time for her. Then she pulls out Jaqen H’ghar’s coin and says the magic words “Valar morghulis” (All Men Must Die). This buys her a cabin and passage. She is last seen sailing out to sea.

Valar morghulis

All in all, a great episode, with a lot going on. The writers took their time with the stories they had, and this has relatively few cuts and a lot of extended time in one or another view point. We do miss out on a few, like Sansa, who’s wrap up occurred in Episode 38. Other characters like Theon or Margaery are just left wherever they were last visited. Like in the book we never really get the scoop on how/why Stannis came to the wall. There are also a lot of changes from the books. The whole bit with the skeletons was slightly over the top. The new fight between Briene and the Hound makes sense. His book death is sort of senseless and her journeys seemingly pointless. This draws them together in a structurally more coherent way that is typical of TV (where avoiding new characters is a major concern — paper characters are much cheaper than actors). As usual, the body count was high among regulars: The Hound, Tywin, Jojen.

It’s been a great season. The problem from season 1 of “too small” has been fixed by production efficiencies and bigger budgets. The rushing problem of season 2 by the division of book 3 into two seasons. If I had any complaint, and it’s minor, it would be that structural issues between the threads have led to somewhat uneven emotional pacing. A major example would be the season long wait between Jon and Ygritte’s “breakup” and her death. But these are challenges brought forth by the source material and logistic considerations. Now the question is can the show runners make sense of the incoherence of book 4 and 5 and by reordering and welding them together make season 5 better than A Feast of Crows?

Oh, and what happened to Lady Stoneheart?

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My novels: The Darkening Dream and Untimed

or all my Game of Thrones posts or episode reviews:

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

Season 2: [11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20]

Season 3: [21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30]

Season 4: [31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40]

Season 5: [41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50]

Season 6: [51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57]

By: agavin
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Posted in: Television

Tagged as: a game of thrones, Episode 40, Game of Throne, Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin, HBO, Season 4, Season 4 Episode 10, Season 4 Finale, Tyrion Lannister

Hedonists at Shanghailander

Jun12

Restaurant: Shanghailander Palace [1, 2]

Location: 1695 South Azusa Ave. Hacienda Heights, CA 91745. 626-839-7777

Date: June 7, 2014 and December 9, 2018 and July 25 & September 11, 2021

Cuisine: Shanghai Chinese

Rating: Excellent – best Shanghai food I’ve had in the US

Hedonist trips to the SGV and its requisite Chinese adventures are among my favorite dinners. Shanghailander specializes in Shanghai style cuisine (obviously). On the downside, it’s far — in Azusa — almost 40 miles from my house! But it’s so good it’s really worth a once a year visit. Unfortunately, it was 4.5 years between my first two, but I’ve been back a number of times since.

The atmosphere may not be the fanciest, but these big communal dinners are great fun.

2005 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese. IWC 90. Pale yellow. Rich aromas of lichee, lemon oil and pine.Luscious yet piquant tropical fruit flavors accented by smoke. In spite of the wine’s substantial depth, subtle acidity brings spice and finesse to the finish.

Peanuts (12/9/18) to start.

Real Chinese always begins with cold appetizers. Smoked fish (2014 & 12/9/18) is a classic Shanghai dish. Sort of like sweet crunchy fish chicken mcnuggets.

Marinated radish. A little sweet with a delightful crunch.

A different kind of slightly sweet marinated vegetable.

Cold chicken (2014).

Hainan Chicken (12/9/18). I think this was different than the above cold chicken from 2014. It was perfectly cooked and came with a garlic sauce.

Lamb in jelly. Tastes better than it sounds.

A slightly different “meat jelly” on 12/9/18.

Marinated lima beans.

Shanghai style bran curd. Love this stuff. It has a sweet taste and spongy texture. It’s made from bran or wheat gluten or something.

Dates. Never had dates in a Chinese restaurant before.

Greens with a peanut sauce. Not the most exciting.

Spinach. Kind of like spinach or broccoli soup — but not a soup.

Three cup chicken. Basically chicken with soy sauce — but boy, it was delicious. The sauce was sweetened and thickened perfectly.

2000 Mestre-Michelot Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières. 91 points. Lots of reduction (which I like).

Sautéed shrimp (2014 and 12/9/18). Simple but tasty. I’ve had this dish dozens of times at many Shanghai restaurants and this was for sure one of the best versions I’ve had in the US.

Fried fish with herbs (12/9/18). Lovely fried fish actually.

1984 Gros Frère et Sœur Clos Vougeot Musigni. 95 points. This is a great wine (good location in the vineyard and top winemakers) from a very off year — and it’s 29 year-old pinot noir. But somehow (and I’ve had 3 bottles) it’s still in great shape. Really quite lovely with a complex tar and cherry thing going on. I happen to find it fabulous.

Shanghai style braised pork in brown sauce. A huge hock of pig that falls off the bone. This is about as good as roast pork gets.

Grandmother’s BBQ pork belly (12/9/18). Perfect version of this rich, sweet Shanghai dish. Amazingly tender.

Meatballs stuffed with egg (12/9/18). Very unusual dish (here, typical in Shanghai). A kind of fried meat ball with a gooey duck egg yolk INSIDE!

Crab with rice cakes and ginger sauce. This was also delicious. We ordered two and I couldn’t resist the soft chewy rice cakes in that sauce.

Crab in a salty yolk sauce.

Tofu soup. Basically chicken broth with tofu and a bit of ham. Actually very tasty.

Sea cucumber with shrimp roe (2014 & 12/9/18). Sea cucumber, the white stuff was roe, shrimp and fish. Weird soft textures but very pleasant. Not exactly a looker, but quite tasty.

West-like style whole fish.

Squirrel Fish. Similar fish, but deep fried and in the super thick, super sweet and tangy sauce.

2009 Anderson Oaks Pinot Noir. 90 points. They weren’t kidding about the oak.

Tasty frogs. Bull frog Schezuan style in chili oil and peppers. Had some heat.

Shanghai steamed dumplings (XLB) (2014 & 12/9/18). Always one of my favorites. The dough was great, the meat needed a hair more flavor, but I still ate about 6.

Shanghailander pan fried buns (2014 & 12/9/18). A fried version of same. So hot they were hard to eat, but oh so tasty.

2003 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Primus Reserve.

Shanghai duck (2014). Like Peking duck but… well not quite as good.

Same dish 12/9/18. Prep was more elaborate and I think it was better.

Here on 2 plates.

Stir fried duck (2014 & 12/9/18). Delicious.

Three cup chicken. They have a perfect version here, even if this isn’t my favorite dish.

Cumin lamb with pancakes (12/9/18). Different and quite nice in the pancake.

French style beef. This gets order too often (not by me!)

Vegetables. Some kind of greens, mushrooms, and bamboo.

Stir-fried green beans.

Spicy eggplant with garlic and fish sauce (12/9/18). Fish sauce is just the name of this kind of sauce. This was a great version. Nice soft texture and TONS of garlicky flavor.

Eggplant in sweet soy sauce. A very different take on eggplant.

1997 Greenock Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. 93 points. Pretty dark purple color, showing some sign of age towards the rim. Very expressive nose of dark fruits (black currant/cassis, blackberries and blueberries), some elderflower berries, a touch of green bell peppers, some cedar wood and some sweet spices. Hits the palate with a full body, medium-low silky tannins and medium (to medium-low) acidity. There is tons of dark fruit on the palate, cassis and some sweet spices again. This is a pretty massive wine with good length. There is a touch of heat, but it’s not really disturbing since the fruit is very generous. Not the most complex wine, but powerful, balanced and totally mature now. It’s drinking really beautifully.

Glass noodles with egg (12/9/18). Very pleasant.

Pepper rib eye with lettuce (12/9/18). Fine, but not my favorite. Not as typically Chinese somehow either.

Shanghai style eel in pot. This was delicious. Soft and rich in a savory slightly sweet sauce. I tried to order it on 12/9/18 and our (very nice) waitress kept dodging the order under the theory that we white folk wouldn’t like it!

Oftentimes a soup comes right before dessert, in this case a cabbage and pork meatball soup.

The meatball was amazing and thee broth was tasty.

Shanghai Noodles. Wokked with soy sauce.

The the Chinese desserts like these deep fried red beep spring rolls (12/9/18). Chewy in texture.

Fresh fruit.

Sesame ball in wine soup. This is one of those odd sweet Chinese “soups.”

You can see the boba-like sesame balls. They were squishy and had a pleasant sesame taste. All very sweet and mild.

The first of many large batch holiday flavors — Peppermint Gelato (12/9/18) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — peppermint candy base laced with peppermint bark! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #peppermint #candy #holiday #winter

A new variant on an old flavor — Cold Pressed Expresso Gelato (12/9/18) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — cold pressed expresso base (usually I hot brew it) with Valrhona Dulcey Stracciatella! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #expresso #Dulcey #Valrhona #Stracciatella #ColdPressed #ColdPressedCoffee #coffee

Grapefruit Aperol Tarragon Sorbetto (9/11/21) — Cold pressed Fresh Grapefruit juice from my garden, Aperol and fresh Tarragon! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Unique and bracing — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #grapefruit #aperol #tarragon

Coconut Cream Pie Gelato (9/11/21) — Coconut dairy custard base, house-made GF Graham Crackers, and house-made Coconut Caramel — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #caramel #grahamCrackers #cookies

Yarom and the owner on 12/9/18.

All in all, our 2014 was a fabulous Chinese banquet. Perhaps it is slightly better even than the similar Shanghai #1 Seafood village. The drive is killer though, as it’s 15 miles PAST our usual SGV haunts.

On our 12/9/18 return the meal was insanely good. Almost every dish was on point and many were unusual. Food was really really good. Service was great too but this was certainly the best Shanghai style food I’ve had outside of China — and this is just a couple months after my most recent visit to Shanghai and incredible means like Shanghai Tang. Shanghailander has an Arcadia branch too and we will also have to try that — although it’s not clear if that’s really closer as it’s so far north off the 10.

For more LA Chinese reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Some members of our party posing in front right before foot massage — 2014.

Wines from the 12/9/18 dinner:

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chinese Food, hedonists, Shanghai, Shanghailander

Naughty Dog at E3

Jun10

What would E3 be without a Naughty Dog trailer?

Oh, and there’s another one too, The Last of Us remastered!

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Games

Tagged as: E3, Naughty Dog, The Last of Us, Uncharted, Uncharted 4

Sauvages – East Borough

Jun10

Restaurant: East Borough Fraiche Vietnamese

Location: 9810 W Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232. (310) 596-8266

Date: May 9, 2014

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Fantastic Modern Vietnamese

In recent months I’ve had quite the education in Vietnamese food — centered around a two week trip to Vietnam (and the lengthy catalog of my dining adventures). But East Borough isn’t so far afield, being located in busy downtown Culver city.

This is a casual spot, presumably mostly taking advantage of the lively Culver City lunch trade. But let’s see how they handle the influx of 11 Sauvages du Vin members and a lot of wine!

This is the regular lunch menu — but we had our own set lunch designed to pair with the wines.

2005 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Mont. 90 points. Light yellow to yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of brown spices, peach cobbler and carmalized apples. Flavors of spice soaked pears, apple pie and fresh peaches. Medium to bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold. No rush. Should be long lived.

agavin: really nice semi-oxidized vibe going on.

2005 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Hengst. IWC 93. Bright yellow. Mirabelle, marzipan and nutmeg on the expressive nose. Sweet, dense and highly concentrated, with real generosity and freshness to its fruit flavors. There’s a spiciness here from botrytis. Finishes tactile and powerful. With its 14.4% alcohol and 48 g/l r.s., this could hardly be more different in its balance from the dry and somewhat topheavy 2004, which is 16.2%, with just 4 grams of sugar. It would be a shame to drink this too soon.

agavin: great semi sweet Alsatian

Tilapia Cerviche. Wonton crisp, cilantro, red onion. Bright flavors. The cerviche itself doesn’t seem so Vietnamese, but the herbs do.

From my cellar: 1990 Zind-Humbrecht Tokay Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal Vendange Tardive. 94 points. Brilliant. This was clearly one notch up – a fine example of how good a ZH Pinot Gris can be when given enough time in the bottle. Opened a couple of hours before serving, it had a lovely nose that was classic late harvest Pinot Gris – honeysuckle and orange peel, sweet fruit oils, some nuts, a toss of earth, a little layer of yellow plum aromas – all very subtle, especially when compared to the exuberantly exotic Gewurztraminer, but really pretty nonetheless. It was on the palate where the gulf in class showed up though. This was simply lovely. There was great depth to its delicious flavours of orange peel and marmalade, dried longans and apricots sprinkled with baking spices, yet it was so wonderfully balanced and integrated with beautiful clean acidity that it was always graceful, elegant almost in the way it skimmed across the palate in spite of its weight and complexity. Immensely drinkable, yet classy and intellectual at the same time, the wine ended with a lovely detailed finish where a halo of sweet spice ringed its yellow fruited flavours. This should improve even more in the next few years, but it was a beauty of a wine even now.

1975 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 88. This wine reached full maturity early and has taken on an increasing amount of amber/orange. It exhibits a dusty, herbaceous side as it sits in the glass. Although the wine is beginning to dry out, it is still an excellent claret, with classic, cedary, curranty fruit, combined with herbs and spices. Medium-bodied, with some sweetness on the attack, the wine narrows out and tastes more compressed and compact after it sits in the glass for 5-10 minutes.

Spring rolls. Lemongrass chili tofu, peanut sauce, grilled pork sausage, spicy tomato sauce. Extremely yummy spring roll. Bright fresh tastes and a very spicy sauce. Plus that sausage was awesome.

1995 Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Parker 95. Another unbelievably rich, multidimensional, broad-shouldered wine, with slightly more elegance and less weight than the powerhouse 1996, this gorgeously proportioned, medium to full-bodied, fabulously ripe, rich, cassis-scented and flavored Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a beauty. It should be drinkable within 4-5 years, and keep for 25-30. This classic Pauillac is a worthy rival to the other-worldly 1996. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2025.

1996 Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Parker 93. This is unquestionably a profound Grand-Puy-Lacoste, but it is excruciatingly backward. It reveals an essence of creme de cassis character which sets it apart from other Pauillacs. The wine is displaying plenty of tannin, huge body, and sweet black currant fruit intermixed with minerals and subtle oak. Massive, extremely structured, and with 25-30 or more years of longevity, this immensely-styled Grand-Puy-Lacoste will require 7-8 years of patience, perhaps longer. A superb, classic Pauillac. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030.

agavin: a little more sour and tannic than it’s younger brother, but birds of a feather. You can really taste the terroir here.

Green papaya salad. Green papaya, duck jerky, cucumber, rau ram, cashews, red onion, spicy nuoc mam. This was the weakest dish — not that it was bad — but the dressing on the papaya was a little flat compared to these delicious ones in Vietnam. The duck however was amazing.

2003 Leoville-Poyferre. Parker 98. I have had this wine three times out of bottle, rating it 97 once and 98 twice. It is a colossal success and a potential legend in the making. Its saturated, dense inky/blue/purple color offers up notes of crushed rocks, acacia flowers, blueberries, black raspberries, and creme de cassis. A synthesis of power and elegance, this multi-layered wine has spectacular concentration, sweet but high tannin, and low acidity A stunning effort that showcases this legendary terroir, it is a brilliant, brilliant success. The quintessential Leoville Poyferre? Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030.

2000 Lynch Bages. Parker 97. Beginning to open magnificently, the still dense purple-colored 2000 reveals a blossoming bouquet of blackberries, cassis, graphite and pen ink. Full-bodied with velvety tannins that have resolved themselves beautifully over the last eleven years, this wine is still an adolescent, but it exhibits admirable purity, texture, mouthfeel and power combined with elegance. One of the all-time great examples of Lynch Bages, the 2000 is just beginning to drink well yet promises to last for another 20-25+ years.

Daikon rice cake & egg. Shiitake mushroom, cilantro, spicy soy. Seems simple and could be bland, but far from it. The spicy dressing had a real vinegar kick with I loved.

2003 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 95. The brilliant, opulent, fleshy 2003 Pichon Lalande (65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot) possesses a high pH of 3.8 as well as 13% alcohol. Reminiscent of the 1982 Pichon Lalande (which never shut down and continues to go from strength to strength), the dense plum/purple-colored 2003 offers gorgeous aromas of blackberries, plum liqueur, sweet cherries, smoke, and melted licorice. Fleshy, full-bodied, and intense, displaying a seamless integration of wood, acidity, tannin, and alcohol, this beauty can be drunk now or cellared for 20 years or more.

Belly & Egg. Star anise braised pork belly, poached egg, pickled mustard greens over ginger jasmine rice. Wow! Wow! You mix it up and eat. An amazing dish, rich and delicious. The egg looks sous vide.

Our young chef/owner, Chloe Tran did an amazing job.

From my cellar: 1995 Chapoutier Ermitage le Pavillon. Parker 99. The 1995 Ermitage Le Pavillon is magnificent. The wine is more accessible than the 1996 (due to lower acidity and more immediately accessible glycerin and fruit), with a magnificent black/purple color, and layers of cassis fruit, smoky, roasted meat, and mineral characteristics that are the result of barrel fermentation and high extraction of fruit. It is huge, but not heavy, gorgeously proportioned, and dazzlingly well-defined. A monster Hermitage of immense proportions, it somehow manages to keep everything in balance. This backward Pavillon will require 10-12 years of cellaring. It should age well through the first half of the next century.

agavin: incredible grapy nose and flavor to match. This is clearly a big unfiltered wine.

Hanger steak. Pepper, spicy sauce, and greens. Fantastic as well. Some heat here, but delicious.

F. X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibner Loibenberg. 95 points. nose; gun metal, white peaches, cigar tobacco, and pine sap. palate; bay leaf, white pepper, peat, and strawberry-rhubarb pie. full bodied.
medium plus acidity. 60 plus second finish. everyone should be drinking more gruner veltliner.
and with wines like this one, it’s a no brainer. this wine clearly show’s why F.X. Pichler is regarded as one of the best in Austria. any serious wine drinker should try one.

1990 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume. RJ Wine 95. Medium apricot color; most unusual lime cream, lime honey, mineral, green apple, pear nose; tasty, elegant, pear, lime cream, green honey, green apple, mineral, lime honey palate; long finish 95+ pts.

Chocolate pot du creme. Creme fraiche, salt, coconut. This was a flawless dessert. I happen to love any custard based dessert, and this one was delightfully creamy. The coconut and hint of salt really spiced it up too.

Vietnamese coffee. You mix up the sweetened condensed milk then pour over ice. Really as good as coffee gets.

Overall this was a fabulous lunch. The restaurant is a bit loud (hard surfaces), and the menu is small, but the food is absolutely top notch. Having just come from Vietnam the flavors are authentic but it’s interpreted through the modern LA lens — not such a bad thing. Our wines were great, although the big Bordeaux didn’t pair with the food (they were still good wines). This is a meal that really begs for more German and Alsatian wines. But that’s a minor quibble. Company was top notch too, so really nothing to complain about.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: East Borough Fraiche Vietnamese, Sauvages, Wine

Game of Thrones – Episode 39

Jun08

Game of Thrones

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Watched: Episode 39 – June 8, 2014

Title: The Watchers on the Wall

Summary: Awesome fight, awesome ep

ANY CHARACTER HERE

Episode 9 is always a doozy in Game of Thrones. First it was Ned’s head attachment problem, then Blackwater, then the infamous Red Wedding. This week isn’t quite so shocking (even compared to last week), but for only the second time (since Blackwater) we have an episode with only a single main arena of conflict: in this case, Castle Black and the wall.

I have to admit, I had my trepidations. In the books the whole book 2-3 Jon Snow narrative was among my favorites (along with Arya), but in the show it just hasn’t resonated as well. Plus, after last week’s evil fun the idea of two weeks off from Tyrion and crew was a tough pill to swallow.

The episode opens with a big establishing shot of the fortifications atop the wall and the forest beyond. We’ve come a long way from the tight and static constructions of season 1. The camera nimbly points out the giant horn used to alert the castle of approaching invaders. Sam and Jon share a watch and the big guy gets to asking Jon about Ygritte, vows and all that. This is some delightful dialog, particularly as delivered by Sam. His little legal analysis of their vows and the technical omission of other activities is good fun and good character building. A telltale owl is joined to…

Bonding time

A white eyed Thenn back in Tormund’s camp. Again, even after about 5 reminders I wonder if the noobs understand the whole Warg thing. Tormund is telling Ygritte about the “bear he fucked” and she’s not in a good mood. She goes a long way to emphasize her zeal for killing Crows and Big Thenn takes the opportunity to question her loyalty. She gets right in his face and lets everyone know that killing Jon Snow is her privilege alone. On the ridge above, Gilly creeps by.

Sam talks to master Aemon in the library. He’s clearly obsessed with Gilly and the ancient Maester knows it. Both these actors are excellent and Aemon says the same thing to Sam that he did to Jon, “Love is the death of duty.” But he admits he had a tryst when he was young. Sam goes outside and hears Gilly at the gate, forcing Pyp to let her in. He swears to stay by her side and keep her safe — but then they hear the horn.

The Warg owl hears it too and lets the Thenn/Tormund party know it’s time. Mance is coming. Atop the wall, Jon and the brothers watch the whole forest burn. They hastily man the defenses, dragging barrels into place. Thorne admits to Jon that he should have sealed the tunnel. This is typical of GOT, in that Thorne’s little speech shows a good side to an unlikeable character. Throne may be an ass, but he’s a patriot too, loyal to the Watch. Jon is respectful too. He’s grown up.

Jon really comes into his own

Sam hides Gilly in the larder and she tries to stop him from fighting. But Sam too has come a long way from the cowardly fat boy. He has a duty he needs to serve, even if that means leaving her — but he does leave her with a kiss (we knew that had been on his mind). He then joins Pyp in manning the South Gate. They discuss fear. Sam has found his place. He’s a brother now, and that buffers him from his terror.

Outside, Ygritte is watching, and then sneaks back to camp. She knows it’s a thin crew and tells Tormund. They arm up and charge. This is told in an awesome areal shot that establishes the field of battle, rolling past the castle, up and over the wall. This is a complex battle with several main locations: the gate, the courtyard of Castle Black, the top of the wall, the wall and its approach (including the outer gate) and then tunnel to said gate. The direction in the episode does an excellent job setting this up and conveying the dynamics between.

North of the wall Mance’s army emerges from the woods. They hired a lot of extras, and grafted in 2-3 giants and a huge mammoth. Does it feel like a truly enormous army? Well… close but not quite. But for TV, this is as good as it gets. The giants and mammoth (singular) look good.

Thorne oversees from above, giving a rousing speech. He’s a dick, but again, you can’t help but admire his commitment and courage. In battle, he’s a solid leader. But the crew makes a few errors (dropping a barrel, etc). He yells them into shape and they fire arrows at the oncoming army.

Below Ygritte and company storm the gate, charging into the light arrow fire, then lay siege to the gate with grappling hooks.

When it’s clear the castle below is bing attacked, Thorne gives another good speech, puts Slynt in charge and heads down the elevator. Below it’s total chaos. Tormund breaches the gate and a big melee ensues. Sam flees the gate tower just before it’s overwhelmed. The castle and the fight look good. They built a serious set and put it to good use. No easy feat given all the night shooting!

On top and over, as the Mammoth charges, Slynt falls apart and the gang tricks him down below. Jon takes over, marshaling the defense. Arrows are loosed and guys are hung out out to shoot down on climbers below. This all looks pretty defensible until a giant with a monster arrow starts picking off guys at the top.

Thorne does a great job fighting until he runs into Giantsbane. They duel for a while until Thorne is wounded and escapes. Slynt arrives below to find the Thenns (and a sharp shooting Ygritte) laying waste to the defenders. Unlike Thorne, he doesn’t have a likable bone in his body and instantly flees, finding his way into the larder with Gilly… uh oh.

Pyp and Sam snipe with crossbows from above until Ygritte puts an arrow through Pyp’s neck. This episode takes out a lot of regular characters and Pyp is the first. Soon Jon won’t have any friends left :-(. Sam flees toward the elevator and a Thenn comes after him, at the last minute, he pulls it together and puts a crossbow in the bad guy’s face.

The giants and their mammoth are setting up to pull the outer gate out of its socket. They might look dumb, but they know their business. Jon sends Grenn down to “hold the gate” and proceeds to fire bomb the giants with some success taking out one and the mammoth. But the other is pissed, and starts lifting the gate himself. Plus, a jammed firebomb goes off up top and leads to the death of several defenders.

Sam has come up from below to warn Jon, so he passes command to Edd (his last core friend up top) and heads down.

Grenn’s crew is in the tunnel, but so is the giant. Despite their terror, they hold fast, reciting their oath as the giant charges. As always when the oath is pulled out, it’s an emotional moment.

Jon and Sam arrive below and Jon tears into the invaders. The camera pans about revealing the scope of the melee — and Ygritte nearby. Plus Tormund and Big Thenn going to town. Sam, on orders from Jon, releases Ghost, who starts ripping throats. Giantsbane takes an arrow but barely slows. Big Thenn hones in on Jon and they too get into one of those duels. I might say that’s Hollywood, but actually this kind of thing happened in ancient warfare at least. At the battle of Granicus Alexander the Great was said to have dueled several Persian noblemen in the center of the field.

Jon is man enough now, he can even handle a sub-boss!

Anyway, Jon is getting his ass handed to him by Big Thenn until he manages to grab a hammer and bash in the ugly scarred skull (exit another minor character). But Ygritte is waiting, bow drawn. When it comes time to shoot, she can’t — or at least doesn’t get the chance, because the elevator boy Olly puts an arrow through her heart. Now this next is all Hollywood, or at least subjective direction, as the battle fades and they have their final emotional moment. She tells him they’ll always have Paris — oops, I mean they should have stayed in the cave. He says they’ll get back there. And here it comes: “You know nothing, Jon Snow” -> blank stare of death. I guess in this case “duty is the death of love.” I’ll step aside for a second to comment that the structure of the show and watching it as it’s released mutes the emotionality of this parting. We haven’t seen them together since last year, and we haven’t seen any soft Ygritte (except maybe saving Gilly) at all this season. It’ll be interesting to see how it feels watching them all back to back of blu-ray or the like. More painful for sure.

But he doesn’t get the girl (more than once)

Back on the front of the wall the men atop take out the climbers with some well timed avalanches and a giant hook that sweeps through their ranks. This episode has been pulling out a lot of BIG SCALE shots. And the tide is turning.

Below Jon and crew round up a trapped Tormund acting very much like the cornered bear he described at the beginning. Jon, still in charge, throws him in chains. In further mop up, Sam rushes into the larder to check on Gilly to find her find — and a pathetic Slynt cowering in the corner. Jon and Sam take survey and Jon announces a crazy plan to confront/challenge/assassinate (it’s not clear) Mance before he can attack again.

He and Sam enter the tunnel and find everyone dead, including Grenn and the Giant. I had been hoping we would see the Giant fight in more detail, and probably for cost reasons they left out the blow by blow — still the book ends we got were emotionally effective. Sam lets Jon out into the great white beyond.

Wow, all in all, this was a different but massively successful episode. It managed to effectively capture a large scale multi-theatre battle both effectively and emotionally — and make it feel big. Plus it delivered fairly well on character, motivation, and all that good stuff. The team is pretty amazing as this would have been a tough episode to write, even tougher to direct, and probably crazy hard to orchestrate.

If you liked this post, follow me at:

My novels: The Darkening Dream and Untimed

or all my Game of Thrones posts or episode reviews:

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

Season 2: [11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20]

Season 3: [21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30]

Season 4: [31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40]

Season 5: [41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50]

Season 6: [51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57]

By: agavin
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Posted in: Television

Tagged as: a game of thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire, Episode 39, Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin, HBO, Jon Snow, Season 4, Season 4 Episode 9, Ygritte

Eating Hanoi – Green Tangerine

Jun05

Restaurant: Green Tangerine

Location: Hanoi

Date: March 30, 2014

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: A tad too experimental

Our final meal in Vietnam. Cry.

Green Tangerine serves what its website calls “French food with a Vietnamese twist.”

The usual big menu.

Shrimp salad.

Duck pastry mixed with eggplants, tomatoes, curcuma, onions on a red berries sauce.

Sliced beef cooked in oven topped with 2 kinds of chutneys: red pepper and pineapple in curry, served with homemade pastas and Gouda cheese.

Fish in saffron rolled with bacon served with rice noodle: “Cha ca” style, Green Tangerine way.

Chicken in mango, rum and cardamon sauce served with a tart of spinach enhanced with mango slices.

Lasagna of fishes cooked in white wine served with vegetables and a trio of mousses: red fruits, parmesan cheese, and basil leaves.

Mango stir fried with passion fruits sauce, in crumble served with vanilla ice cream.

Only some of the dishes here “worked.” They all looked pretty, but a few of them had weird flavor combinations that just didn’t quite get off the ground. They weren’t bad, just the truth is, none had the intensity and liveliness of good straight-up Vietnamese. Sometimes you can get too experimental — or perhaps lack the skill to pull it off.

For more Vietnam dining reviews, click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: eating-vietnam, French Cuisine, Green Tangerine, hanoi, Mango, Vietnam, Vietnamese cuisine

Eating Hanoi – Madame Hien

Jun03

Restaurant: Madame Hien

Location: Hanoi

Date: March 29, 2014

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Excellent neighborhood Italian

For our final dinner in Vietnam we head out to another “high end street food” restaurant, this time part of a group of establishments run by Didier Corlou a French chef who married a Vietnamese woman.

The chef says:

This restaurant is a dedication to my wife’s grandmother and to all Vietnamese women of the past and the present. It is also a tribute to their way of cooking, their ancestral culture and the artisanal and regional knowledge of over one thousand years. The rich diversity of Vietnam, found in its two deltas, fifty four minorities, three thousand kilometers of coastline and many natural resources (rivers, forests, mountains and oceans) is reflected in its cuisine.

The location is in a lovely colonial courtyard.

Fresh spring rolls.

Banana flower salad. These salads are amazing. I think this one had chicken and believe it or not, mortadella!

Pupu platter. Well, for lack of a better name this appetizer sampler comes with all sorts of good stuff. Fried spring rolls, fresh ones, pickles, softshell crab, omelet.

More spring rolls, tofu sticks.

This is a fried softshell crab and crab salad.

And steamed Chinese broccoli with garlic.

Duck breast.

Sliced lamb, I think. Like most Vietnamese meats, scrumptious.

Overall, this was the tastiest meal we had in Hanoi, and probably in the top three of our trip. The chef had a great palette and the execution was very sharp.

For more Vietnam dining reviews, click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: eating-vietnam, French Cuisine, hanoi, Madame Hien, Vietnam, Vietnamese cuisine

Game of Thrones – Episode 38

May30

Game of Thrones

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Watched: Episode 38 – June 1, 2014

Title: The Mountain and the Viper

Summary: Wow, what a finish!

ANY CHARACTER HERE

Joff bit it (or drank it) in episode 33, but we’ve been waiting half a season to see how this all falls out for poor Tyrion. Then we even had to wait an extra week without an episode. Now the moment is at hand.

As usual, I’ll break down the threads into their sub plots for discussion.

At the wall – The moles town brothel might be loud, but the girls have nothing on Littlefinger’s places down south. These are some seriously ugly whores. And mean too, as we learn when a drunk one harasses Gilly about her baby. But they aren’t long for the world, Gilly recognizes the wildling warcries. Soon, Giantsbane, the Thenns, and Ygrite are pretty much killing everyone — until Ygrite notices Gilly and her baby and lets her go. Still, they make a point of showing her massacre a good number of men and women alike.

Back at Castle Black, Sam thinks Gilly is dead and the others reassure him she’s tough. Jon knows Mance is close and they contemplate how grim the odds are for the defenders. I.e. setup for next week’s invasion!

Sure he betrayed her, but that was a long time ago.

Dany – We’re treated first to a bit of book free love story between Grey Worm and Missandei (the translator). The Unsullied are bathing near the female servants (opportunity for nudity!) and he “spies” on her (overtly). Later, she tells Dany about this and they discuss eunuchs (I guess reminding the non-dorks that Unsullied have no parts). Pillar and the stones. Anyway, Grey Worm comes to apologize and they have a little “moment.”

A boy (I wonder if it’s the same one from season 1) brings Ser Barristan a letter. It’s the pardon letter Jorah got for spying on Dany years ago. Barristan goes to Jorah straight and tells him first. Then Jorah approaches Dany on her throne to plead his case. He’s honest with her, but she gives him no chance to explain himself. If there is a theme this week, it’s all about reversals, and so Jorah is banished from the city and the woman he loves. For the second time, stripped of everything he cares for. But us viewers are treated to an awesome shot of Meereen as he rides off.

Being queen can be tough

Ramsay and Reek – Ramsay and his army are parked outside Moat Cailin. We can see it’s a swamp, but only in the distance. He gives Reek/Theon a combined pep talk and scare. Theon rides in under the white flag, past dead and rotting soldiers. Inside, the Iron Born aren’t doing so well. Most are dead, all are sick (sieges suck). Alfie Allen does a great job as Reek playing at being Theon. He offers the chance to surrender and live. The leader mocks him, but another kills him (ironically, just like he himself was taken out back at Winterfell). His exact words were “treat you honorably like he did me” and Ramsay is a man of his word, as the poor guys end up flayed.

Later, Ramsay brings his army back to Roose and gives him the banner from Moat Cailin. Roose shows him the North all around them and officially recognizes him as a Bolton (as opposed to Snow). If he wasn’t such an evil dude it might be an emotional moment.

Arya – is finally approaching the vale with the hound (return to the Bloody Gate or whatever it’s called). They have one of their hilarious conversations. We are reminded of the Hound’s infected wound, and treated to more of Arya’s interesting view point about “proper” killing. “I’d kill Joffrey with a chicken bone if I had too.” And when they find out her aunt is dead, Arya cracks up (which actually gives a glimpse of the old more childish Arya).

I’d kill Joffrey with a chicken bone if I had too

Sansa – her older sister is being anything but childish. Littlefinger is being interrogated by the grey-clad lords and lady of the Vale about Lysa’s “suicide.” When they bring Sansa in, she tells a carefully constructed story riding the line between fact and fiction. In fact, she clings decidedly close to the truth, revealing her identity and spinning the crucial parts (the nature of her kiss and the murder itself) to Littlefinger’s benefit. Both sisters have grown. Littlefinger is let off. He works the lords pushing them toward war with the Lannisters and getting Robin out of the Eerie to “tour” the Value.

Someone has finally learned how to play the game

Later, Litlefinger visits Sansa to ask her why she helped him. She looks at him coyly. And as Littlefinger ushers Robin off on his “adventure” she appears in a striking feather shouldered dress. It’s been awhile since I read her parts in the novels, but this all feels decidedly more overt and adult than in the source material. Not that that’s a bad thing — particularly on TV.

Tyrion – And finally, the man of the hour. Jaime vists Tyrion one last time and they have one of those wry conversations, discussing duels, methods of execution, and words for different kinds of killing. Then Tyrion launches into this long story about his moron cousin Orson the Beetlesmasher. It’s a credit to Peter Dinklage that he makes it so spellbinding, and great writing that it turns out the beetle smashing is probably an allegory for human violence. In the end, Jaime wishes him luck.

Taking a moment at Pycell’s expense

And he moves on to the arena. This is a glorious set. Notched somewhere on the water in Dubrovnik the half circle of spectators looks out on the sea, and they’ve matted in a love Red Keep looming above. Oberyn is taking the whole thing lightly. Light armor and getting his buzz on. But the man is fast. He really does the grace and speed of The Viper credit — and the Mountain is huge. It is so George R R Martin that his character ultimate does him in. His need to toy with the Mountain and get the truth about his sister from the man leaves an opening for a huge last minute reversal. Oh it would be great to be a GOT virgin and experience it for the first time again.

Oh, and that is one seriously bad way to check out! Ouch!

They don't call him the Viper for nothing

They don’t call him the Red Viper for nothing

All in all, this was a fabulous episode, probably my favorites of this season so far — mostly due to the Tyrion scenes and the fight, but there is lots of good stuff going on. George R R Martin has a real talent for reversals. His basic mode of operation is to make you fall for the characters, even painting the villains sympathetically, and then jerk their fortunes up and down unpredictably. It’s a damn effective dramatic strategy.

If you liked this post, follow me at:

My novels: The Darkening Dream and Untimed

or all my Game of Thrones posts or episode reviews:

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

Season 2: [11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20]

Season 3: [21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30]

Season 4: [31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40]

Season 5: [41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50]

Season 6: [51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57]

By: agavin
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Posted in: Television

Tagged as: Episode 38, Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin, HBO, List of A Song of Ice and Fire characters, Season 4, Season 4 Episode 8, Television, The Mountain, Viper, World of A Song of Ice and Fire

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