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Super Sauvages

Oct25

Restaurant: Laurent Quenioux at the Villamalka for Sauvages

Location: The Villamalka

Date: March 10, 2023

Cuisine: Contemporary French Californian

Rating: Awesome

I’ve been wanting to host a Sauvages lunch for awhile, and finally did in Spring of 2023. For the chef, I again tapped Laurent Quenioux, one of my favorite LA private chefs.

It was pouring outside so we set the table inside. Pushing the limit of pour size, we had 17 gentleman at a single table with 8 stems each (for 5 flights).

Our special menu.

From my cellar: 2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François. VM 96. The 2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is outrageously beautiful. The ripeness of the Chardonnay is front and center in a Champagne that delivers the goods, big-time. An infusion of apricot, orange peel, crème brûlée, chamomile, hazelnut and honey give the 2002 its racy, exotic personality. I enjoy it most with bottle age, but the 2002 is undeniably beautiful right now. The 2002 is a stunning NFB. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, done partially in oak (20%). Dosage is 4 grams per liter. (Drink between 2020-2030)

1992 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3. 96 points. Effortlessly young, superbly balanced, elegant, lifted, creamy, pear, vanilla, baked goods, sweet with barely notable but great acidity. Classically done.

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvee Edition 170eme. JG 95. It had been a couple of months since I first tasted the “170ème Édition” of Krug Grande Cuvée at a pre-launch tasting for the bottling back in April. It was young and very promising then and has nicely settled in and started to blossom aromatically over the summer months. The wine is from the base year of 2014 and is a blend of fifty-one percent pinot noir, thirty-eight percent chardonnay and eleven percent pinot meunier, with forty-five percent of the cuvée composed from reserve wines. The “170ème Édition” of Grande Cuvée is really starting to become expressive aromatically, offering up scents of apple, pear, passion fruit, brioche, citrus blossoms, a beautiful foundation of limestone soil tones and patissière. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and sports superb mid-palate depth of fruit, with fine mineral undertow, refined mousse and simply marvelous balance and bounce on the very long, complex and still properly racy finish. (Drink between 2022-2065)

NV Duval-Leroy Champagne Femme de Champagne.

We had a lovely Champagne reception in the Drawing Room. Rich Weiss hit it out of the park with a 1992 P3.

Chef Laurent Quenioux in the house! Laurent has cooked at home for us before and is an amazing chef.

Growing up in Sologne, France, Bistro LQ Owner & Executive Chef Laurent Quenioux developed his love of game and wild strawberries with his parents: he would hunt duck, partridge, rabbit and hare with his father, and practice cooking his mother’s recipes at home in the kitchen. When he completed his education, he entered into an apprenticeship in the South of France where, according to Laurent, “everything is about fat duck, goose liver and foie gras.”

After working and honing his skills in some of the finest kitchens in France, Laurent moved to the United States with a team from L’Oasis at La Napoule to open The Regency Club in Los Angeles. In 1985, he introduced the celebrated and award-winning 7th Street Bistro in downtown Los Angeles, serving groundbreaking French Nouvelle California cuisine which became a favorite spot for the mayor and Hollywood celebrities. Subway construction led to the closing of the 7th Street Bistro after a decade, and Laurent spent the late 1990s as the Executive Chef for Dodgers Stadium.

In the early 2000s, he returned to his restaurant roots with the debut of the cozy Bistro K in Pasadena, earning accolades for his originality and precision with a revolutionary menu designed to open the senses and minds of his guests to new possibilities, tastes and textures. With the opening of Bistro LQ in July 2009, Laurent brought his edgy style and ingenuity to a larger & more central location in Los Angeles near West Hollywood.

Feeling a need to take new risks and expand his vision, Laurent closed Bistro LQ in Spring of 2011 for a culinary and creative sabbatical. Presently Laurent is working on a biographic book project while cooking at his popular experimental “Fooding” Supper Club @MaMaison and around Los Angeles, London, Paris and Amsterdam.

gougères. Always yummy, although these could have been a bit cheesier.

veal tartare parmesan cake. Lots of flavor as there were “sneaky” umami elements.

sweet herring roll. This was my favorite of the passing apps, as it had this delicious smoky fish.

merguez confit niçois polenta cake. Lots of flavor here too.

2010 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 95. While the Ramonet Bâtard is virtually never rustic this seems unusually refined and admirably pure with an orchard fruit and intensely floral nose that already offers impressive complexity. In typical Bâtard fashion this is quite powerful and dense with sleekly muscled big-bodied flavors that possess remarkable amounts of dry extract that largely if not completely buffer the firm acid spine on the almost painfully intense and stunningly long finish that is absolutely bone dry. While it’s not true everywhere, in particular chez Pernot for example, I often prefer Ramonet’s Bâtard to their Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet but in 2010 that is far from clear. What is clear however is that both are absolutely terrific and to the extent that you are fortunate enough to find them, and your pocketbook can stand the damage, I strongly recommend that you acquire both as the upside potential they exhibit is nothing short of remarkable. (Drink starting 2020)

2010 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton-Charlemagne. VM 95+. A statuesque, refined wine, the 2010 Corton-Charlemagne stands out for its impeccable balance and understated personality. A hint of vanillin in the bouquet leads to bright citrus, white flowers, crushed rocks and spice in a delicate, beautifully nuanced Corton-Charlemagne that emphasizes refinement over power. (Drink starting 2014)

From my cellar: 2010 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Vireuils. VM 92+. Subtle citrussy nose. At once tactile and juicy, with excellent mineral spine to support the lemon and pineapple flavors. The very long, stony finish shows the combination of sweetness and energy of the vintage’s better examples.

2012 Louis Latour Montrachet. BH 92-94. A dense and notably ripe if not exactly typical nose features notes of petrol, menthol and spice nuances that sit atop the otherwise cool scents of apricot and floral notes. There is a citrusy character to the broad-shouldered, powerful and complex flavors that ooze plenty of dry extract that really coats the palate on the markedly dry and strikingly long finish. Not surprisingly this is very backward at present and this is going to require at least 6 to 8 years to be approachable and 12 to 15 to reach its full apogee. (Drink starting 2024)

Bordier Butter and La Creme baguette. It’s all about the butter!

smoked haddock | cauliflower cream| ostera caviar | spring onion | potato. This was a great dish. Not only was it very pretty, but it had lovely flavors and interesting textures. Smoky fish (which I love), plus the caviar / cream vibe.

Deserves a second pic.

The gang.

And the ladies table.

2014 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Le Montrachet. BH 95. A background note of reduction only mildly reduces the appeal of the ripe citrus and airy white flower aromas. There is good if not massive size and weight to the rich, fleshy and mouth coating large-bodied and dense flavors that brim with a fine minerality on the almost painfully intense and sneaky long finish. This gorgeously classy effort is like a number of examples of Montrachet in 2014 in that there is more finesse than usual. Either way this powerful but silky effort is going to need a long snooze in a cool cellar to realize its full and considerable potential. (Drink starting 2026)

2017 Blain-Gagnard Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 94. A cool, pure and restrained nose that could accurately be described as elegant offers up notes of citrus zest, white flowers, green apple and pretty spice nuances. The super-sleek and intense if once again not particularly dense flavors do possess a lovely sense of delineation on the balanced, saline and gorgeously long finish. This too will need to add depth but given the structure and balance, it should progressively develop. (Drink starting 2027)

2015 Domaine Michel Niellon Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 93. A very ripe but not surmature mix of pear liqueur, spice, petrol and matchstick aromas leads to super-rich, round and palate drenching flavors that are dense to the point of possessing a borderline creamy mouth feel, indeed it is almost thick. This isn’t quite as complex as the Chevalier but as is usually the case it is more powerful and perhaps even a bit longer as well. I would make the same observation here that this isn’t a typical Niellon Bâtard but if I can find it I will buy it anyway. (Drink starting 2020)

2015 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. VM 95. The 2015 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is a powerful, dense wine. It possesses tremendous richness and tons of intensity. Radiance and phenolic intensity are two of the signatures. That’s about all I can tell you, as the 2015 is nowhere near ready to drink. It does have tremendous potential though, that is clear. (Drink between 2025-2035)

dover sole | tortilla & cilantro veloute | young zucchini. I love these intricate stuffed dishes. Very french. The sauce had light Mexican tomatillo sauce vibes, but very mild so as to not overwelm the fish. I particularly liked the soft inside “fish pate.”

1995 Domaine Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin Très Vieilles Vignes. VM 95. Deep, full red; remarkably dark for its age. Knockout soil-driven nose combines red and black fruits, flowers, spices, minerals, licorice and crushed stone, plus a whiff of cherry liqueur; this one displays all of this site’s key food groups! A compellingly sappy, concentrated wine with terrific breadth and sweetness but also strong framing acidity to its energetic flavors of dark berries, bitter chocolate, violet, spices and salty minerality; considerably deeper than either the ’96 or ’98. This densely packed, seamless wine delivers an exhilarating combination of verve and sucrosité and finishes with splendid vivacity for the vintage. In fact, this particularly bottle struck me as very young, still with a lot in reserve. A second bottle tasted chez moi in January was dark red with ruby tones. It was a bit less expressive on the nose, conveying black fruits and menthol, then sappy but not particularly fleshy in the middle palate, more dominated today by its spine of acidity and tannins. While it struck me as a bit less deep than the first bottle, it nonetheless showed terrific density and thrust and came across as equally youthful. In fact, my notes say that it could go on for another 20+ years. When I first tasted this wine in bottle with Joseph Roty in 1997, he told me that the fruit was picked with potential alcohol close to 14%. And yet the pH here is the lowest of all of the wines in my vertical tasting. (14% alcohol; 3.15 pH; 31 h/h) (Drink between 2019-2040)

1996 Louis Latour Chambertin Cuvée Héritiers Latour. 92 points.

1996 Domaine Maume Charmes-Chambertin. 91 points.

sauteed foie gras printanier | baby turnips | young carrots | snap peas | english peas | smoked duck breast | “grattons” | perigord black truffles. Awesome foie prep. Perfectly seared yet very soft and scrumptious. The truffles were used perfectly and the rich reduction was great. The smoked duck breast would have fooled me into thinking it was pancetta or guanciale.

1996 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes. BH 91. In contrast to some of the Ponsot ’96s the Clos de la Roche is really quite good with lovely aromatic complexity on the fully mature yet still vibrant and fresh red berry fruit, spice, earth, game and smoke hints. The is reasonably good density in the context of a vintage that produced any number of lighter wines and the old vines clearly show as the phenolic maturity of the remaining tannins is much better than the average ’96, all wrapped in a delicious and solidly long finish that displays only a trace of acid tang. Tasted several times with mostly consistent notes. (Drink starting 2013)

1999 Michel Magnien Clos St. Denis. VM 93+. Saturated deep ruby. Roasted plum, blackberry, licorice, mocha and bitter chocolate on the nose. Creamy and very intensely flavored, with outstanding depth of fruit. Lifted by a flavor of bitter chocolate. A wine of uncanny energy and thrust, made almost entirely from tiny millerande grapes. Very long, gripping finish. These ’99 grand crus will need at least seven or eight years of additional cellaring.

From my cellar: 1999 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes. 94 points. A combination of superb floral aroma and complex taste in this relatively old wine. Perfect for 2 hours in the glass before it started to fade. Wordless for this stuff.

2000 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin. JG 96. The 2000 Rousseau Chambertin another majestic example of the vintage, and there cannot be too many 2000 reds that are in this same league. The deep and utterly classic nose soars from the glass in a blend of raspberries, cherries, clove-like spice tones, coffee, a touch of venison, cedary wood and that magically complex signature of Chambertin soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very complex, with a great, great core of fruit, exquisite focus and balance, seamless tannins and exceptional length and grip on the poised, elegant and powerful finish. A great example of Chambertin. (Drink between 2013-2040)

pintade hen | veal tendons | chipotle | epazote | morels. Another interesting (and fabulous) stuffed dish. I loved the hen/veal roll, particularly as the tendons inside lent it a great jelly-like texture. Morels are always welcome too.

2002 Domaine Perrot-Minot Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. VM 92. Bright red-ruby. Slightly reduced but highly nuanced aromas of rose petal, mocha, dark chocolate and smoke. Sweet, round, creamy and seamless, with fleshy flavors of raspberry, iron and blood orange. Broad, lush and silky but not heavy. Finishes very long, with suave, thoroughly ripe tannins. A superb showing.

2002 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares. VM 95. Ruby-red. Flamboyantly rich aromas of blackberry, minerals and chocolate. Fat, rich and powerful; compellingly sweet and dense but with terrific thrust as well. Superripe flavors of chocolate and black plum. Finishes very long and powerful, with big but thoroughly ripe tannins. Offers great potential.

2002 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart. BH 93. The generous wood this displayed from cask has begun to integrate and no longer sticks out on the expressive and extremely ripe black fruit and plum suffused nose that is nuanced by hints of torrefaction, earth and coffee. The supple, delicious, round and textured full-bodied flavors are notably robust and underpinned by very firm tannins as well as loads of buffering extract. This is a powerful yet detailed wine that does seem to carry its alcohol well with only a trace of finishing warmth. In sum, this is a borderline massive and unbelievably long wine that bathes the palate in sappy extract though note that it is so youthful that it will require ample cellar time to arrive at its apogee, especially in magnum format. (Drink starting 2027)

bleu d’auvergne (mucida) | maroilles (foetidum) | accompaniments.lat savarin (triplex crepito)

On the plate.

From my cellar: 2013 Paolo Bea Arboreus. 90 points. sound bottle. 3 hours of air. ripe apricots and oranges on the nose. palate brings mild sherry-like oxidation with grapefruit pith bitterness. good acidity. not getting any oiliness

From my cellar: 1997 Château d’Yquem. 94 points. The 1997 Yquem comes from a season that witnessed the earliest-ever flowering (5 May) and an early picking that began on 4 September, though botrytis failed to develop, necessitating seven tries through the vineyard over 32 days of picking that lasted until 4 November. One aspect to note is how deep in colour this is compared to the 2003 that Sandrine Garbay served alongside. The nose offers marmalade and quince, hints of yellow plum and honey, not quite as precise as the previous bottle that I tasted in May the previous year, though it displays less of that adhesive trait. The palate has a lovely piquancy, very tangy with driving marmalade and Seville orange notes. The 5g/L of total acidity maintains the tension of the 1997, though maybe it is a little more evolved than I might have expected. Still, it remains a magnificent Yquem that will last many decades. Tasted from ex-château bottle in London. (Drink between 2022-2045)

From my cellar: 1988 Château Climens. VM 91. Green-edged straw color. Sweet butter, marzipan and a bright, riesling-like note of petrol on the nose. Fresh, firm and sharply delineated; the least rich and the driest of these three vintages, in the style of the year. But quite concentrated. Intriguing note of white raisin. Finishes very long and firm, with a slight sensation of disjointed acidity. Fairly dry on the back end.

I went all out on the gelato:

Birch Beer Gelato — Birch Beer flavored gelato base topped with Valrhona White Chocolate Pearls — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #RootBeer #RootBeerFlaot #Sarsaparilla #whitechocolate #Varlrhona

Nocciola White Gelato — Nocciola (hazelnut) base made with Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste mixed with house-made Valrhona White Chocolate Hazelnut Bark — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — one of my signature flavors –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #nocciola #white #Chocolate #bark

Snickerdoodle Gelato NSA — A cinnamon vanilla base, but this version is No Sugar Added and formulated with Allulose — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #snickerdoodle #cookie #cinnamon #vanilla #nsa #allulose

Salty Pistachio Gelato – Pistachio di Bronte DOGC produces an intense pistachio base to which I added just a touch of salt — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pistachio #sicily #nuts #salt

Salty Pistachio Gelato NSA – Pistachio di Bronte DOGC produces an intense pistachio base to which I added just a touch of salt — this version was formulated No Sugar Added with Allulose — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pistachio #sicily #nuts #salt #nsa #allulose

Sweet Milk Signature Flavor — Italian Lemon Cookie Meringue Pie — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor mixed with Italian Lemon Creme Cookies and Sicilian Candied Lemon and topped with house-made toasted Meringue — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #lemon #LemonCookie #cookie #Sorento #Limoncello #Meringue #LemonMeringuePie

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

Chocolate truffles.

pâte de fruit.

Overall, an amazing lunch and one of the best Sauvages yet — if I do say so myself 🙂 — but this was a thought echoed by many attendees. The food was perfect and we had so many great wines. A little crew of 4 of us did the pouring using shot glasses to measure out the pours. It worked great in terms of getting a fair pour all the way around, but was a ton of work / concentration.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, BYOG, Champagne, Gelato, Laurent Quenioux, Sauvages, villamalka, Wine

Slytherin Specialty

Nov22

Restaurant: Toku Unagi & Sushi

Location: 1106 N La Cienega Blvd #201, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 854-7285

Date: May 12, 2022

Cuisine: Japanese BBQ Eel

Rating: D-eel-ishish

Our Foodie Club / Sushi Series group decided to hit up this Unagi (Japanese freshwater eel) speciality spot.

Unagi or Japanese freshwater eel, has been consumed in Japan for centuries. Unajyu and Ohitsu are couple of the staple dishes and the recipes for these ever-popular Japanese traditional foods is said to have been around since the Edo period (1603 ~ 1868).

Their restaurant was founded in 1909 as an Unagi market in one of Japan’s renowned Unagi locations, Hamamatsu in the Shizuoka prefecture. Their special Unagi sauce has been carefully passed down from generation to generation and to this day, they continue to offer our original flavor. Toku Unagi and Sushi opened its door in the fall of 2019 on La Cienega Blvd, one of Sourthern California’s premier dining areas. Their specialty, the Unagi, are directly imported from Japan every week and continuing the legacy of their founder, Toku Unagi & Sushi is proud to offer Unagi using the same cooking method and the special sauce created over a century ago.

The interior.

Big menu actually.

2008 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année. VM 97. Bollinger’s 2008 Grande Année is rich, ample and full-bodied, with all of the pedigree of the vintage on display. Dried pear, dried flowers, chamomile, red plum and mint develop as the 2008 shows the breadth and creaminess that are such signatures of the Bollinger house style. A whole range of brighter, more floral and chalky notes appear later, adding translucence and energy. The 2008 is 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay taken across 18 crus, and it is the Pinot that very much informs the wine in both flavor and texture. More importantly, the 2008 is one of the best Grande Années I can remember tasting. Bollinger fans won’t want to miss it. Disgorged November 2018. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. (Drink between 2020-2048)

2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne. VM 98. The 2008 Dom Pérignon is a huge, powerful Champagne and also clearly one of the wines of the vintage. This is one of the most reticent bottles I have tasted. So much so that I am thinking about holding off opening any more bottles! The 2008 has always offered a striking interplay of fruit and structure. Today, the richness of the fruit is especially evident. Readers who own the 2008 should be thrilled, but patience is a must. (Originally published in May 2021) (Drink between 2028-2058)

Amuse of macaroni salad. Delicious, actually.

Sunomono. Very “prepared.” A little bit of chili heat to the marinate.

Monkfish liver. Great sunomono-style kelp underneath.

Cold Tofu. Nice. Great silken texture.

Ago-dashi tofu. Great.

Some of the tofu pulled out.

Yuzu Cervice. Nice and bright.

Unagi liver. Bitter and not that pleasant. This is a traditional dish Eel BBQ restaurants in Japan and I’ve had it there many times — still not my favorite.

Unagi Chawanmushi (egg custard).

2002 Louis Jadot Latricières-Chambertin. BH 90-93. This sample displayed heavy oak and was largely “un-Jadot-like” in style, which again makes me wonder about how the cask sample was pulled. The full-bodied flavors however are round, supple, sweet and wonderfully intense with obvious minerality and a long, pure and beautifully balanced finish. The overall impression, aside from the wood, is one of power and grace and my score offers the benefit of the doubt with respect to the oak influence. (Drink between 2009-2017)

2002 Domaine Launay Chambertin. BH 94. This is extremely ripe and aromatically forward, offering notes of game, leather, tea, spice and plenty of Gevrey earth plus big, intense, muscled and robust yet supple flavors that are structured and deep on the powerfully long finish. The tannins are pronounced if ripe and the supple mid-palate makes this wine seem deceptively approachable yet it should age for years. A great effort. (Drink between 2012-2022)

Unagi Terrine. Jelly-like texture. Not that much flavor.

Unagi Yanagawa. Delicious. Some very fibrous vegetables.

Rib Eye. Not that much flavor.

Unagi (and vegetable) Tempura. Quite nice.

Eel box. Unajyu. These eel meals come as sets with the eel, rice, and pickles.

Pickles. I love Japanese pickles.

Grilled Eel. This is the classic and it was lovely. There is a great combination of the char, the sweet sauce, and the fatty texture of the meat. The textural and flavor contrast with that great Japanese rice is fabulous too.

Special soup. More or less a dashi.

Ohitsu eel with tea. You pour the tea over the eel and rice.

Here is the eel, “pre tea.” You just pour the tea right over it, helps cut the fat.

Macha Cream Brulee.

Vanilla Cream Brulee.

The wines.

This was a super fun evening. Like most traditional Japanese restaurants Toku has great service. The best part was the eel. I always love BBQ eel and while even cheap BBQ eel is kinda enjoyable, this was some of the best I’ve had in the US. It’s nice to have a specialty shop here in town. We didn’t try anything from the sushi side tonight.

The wines were awesome, of course.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: bbq, BBQ eel, Burgundy, Eel, Foodie Club, Toku Unagi, Unagi, Wine

Mischief & Mayhem at Marino

Oct20

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

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

Date: March 3, 2022

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Superb

Marino is a favorite haunt for many of my wine groups. Tonight my friend John arranged a special dinner with the owner of “Mischief and Mayhem”, a relatively new Burgundy producer.

The amazing chef/owner Sal Marino cooks at his original family location, venerable Marino Ristorante on Melrose and continues to whip up his unique blend of amazing modern Italian. And if anything, he’s gotten even better.

Post pandemic they’ve turned the parking lot into a cute patio.

This is the main interior, or at least some of it.

But we were set up in the private room which really is private. It’s totally separate, connected to the main dining room via the kitchen and even has its own bar and bathroom.

Wines at the ready.

Various Champagnes.

Our menu tonight.

More Champagnes.

Smoked trout with roe.

2018 Mischief and Mayhem Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières.

2018 Mischief and Mayhem Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts.

A selection of starters.

Tuna. Stuffed Mexicola Avocado.

Octopus Crocce.

Razor Clam.

Snapper Tartar, Salicornia.

2017 Mischief and Mayhem Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs-Gain.

2016 Mischief and Mayhem Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs-Gain.

Bass, Salsify, Spring Veggies.

2014 Mischief and Mayhem Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras.

2012 Mischief and Mayhem Clos St. Denis.

Lamb Pappardelle.

2018 Mischief and Mayhem Clos St. Denis.

2010 Mischief and Mayhem Corton-Bressandes.

Duck.

Ancient Cheesecake Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Base crafted from Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta and Sicilian Toasted Noto Romano Almond Paste with a touch of the sugar subbed out for Sicilian Honey. Mixed in is more Honey and Chopped Pistachios! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #Sicily #honey #pistachio

Chef Sal and John.

Another awesome dinner. Food was great, I’ve had more elaborate meals from Sal, but all the dishes today were excellent. Sal’s a fabulous chef when you let him go all out and today’s lunch was very on point and paired extremely well with the wines.

I hadn’t really heard of Mischief & Mayhem before but these turned out to be lovely wines. And owner Michael Ragg was a very interesting and fun guy to hang out with so this turned out to be a great evening.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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

But, as the dinner was calibrated for mere eating mortals, Erick and went to Izakaya Sasaya for our infamous second dinner.

Toro sashimi.

Bulgolgi.

Crab rice congee.

Sukiyaki veggies

Sukiyaki pork belly. There was a Sukiyaki pot, but I forgot to take a picture of it.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Burgundy, BYOG, Gelato, Italian cuisine, Marino Ristorante, Michael Ragg, Mischief & Mayhem, Sal Marino, Second Dinner, Wine

Banging Bicyclette

Mar25

Restaurant: Bicyclette

Location: 9575 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035. (424) 500-9575

Date: August 25, 2021

Cuisine: Modern French Bistro

Rating: Bar-like space, great food

Walter Manzke is a fixture of the LA dining scene and the chef/owner of iconic Republique (which I’ve been to countless times). This dinner was organized by Liz Lee of Sage Society and features epic Burgundies.

So it was exciting when he took over the former Picca and Sotto spaces (much missed) to open a new modern Bistro.

At the time of this visit Bicyclette was just downstairs in the old Sotto space.

It’s bustling. Certainly one of the densest indoor crowds I was in during 2021.

Modern open kitchen.

Full bar.

The menu is small and focused.

Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines. VM 95. The NV (2016) Extra-Brut Les Beguines is endowed with all the tension, energy and resonance readers have come to expect from these highly singular Champagnes. Lemon confit, mint, white flowers and crushed rocks all race out of the glass in an explosive, beautifully expressive Champagne that dazzles from the very first taste. In fact, 2016 is a rare vintage where I prefer the Blanc to the Rosé. In 2016, Jérôme Prévost blended in 10-15% reserve wines from 2015 along with drops of still red Meunier. More importantly, the 2016 is a Champagne readers will not want to miss, as it is absolutely compelling. (Drink between 2020-2031)

1988 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97. After the lackluster 1990, things get back on track quickly with the 1988 Salon, a wine that is absolutely peaking today. From one of the all-time great vintages in Champagne the 1988 Salon exudes power and explosive intensity, with superb balance and pulsating acidity that gives the wine its drive. A host of candied lemon peel, hazelnut, smoke, licorice and anise overtones meld into the super-expressive finish. Disgorged à la volée, with no dosage. (Drink between 2016-2026)

Soft Egg in the Shell. Smoked Sturgeon, Kaluga Caviar. Versions of this dish are always awesome and this was no exception. Lots of caviar too.

Iced Kushi Oysters. Barrel-aged sauce mignotte.
2005 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots. VM 93+. Explosive aromas of soft citrus fruits, white peach, spices and minerals. At once muscular and fine, combining superb spicy power with great purity of fruits and minerals. This very intense young Meursault boasts an element of lift shown by too few 2005s today. Finishes with terrific length and mineral spine; really ricochets around the retronasal passage. This was aged in 40% new oak.

2006 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots. VM 91. The 2006 Meursault Les Rougeots has a thrilling bouquet with a ton of reduction, yet somehow there is marvellous delineation and penetration. The palate is powerful, spicy and dense with a waxy mouthfeel and impressive density. It feels tangy in the mouth and yet it does not convey the same detail as the 1999 tasted alongside, on the finish. Still, this is a fine Meursault considering the vintage. Tasted at La Paulée in Beaune. (Drink between 2019-2030)

Preserved Vintage 2015 Sardines. Awesome looking and tasting.

Baguette with Rodolphe le Meunier Normandy Butter. People always joke that this is the best dish at Republique — it is great.

Yellowfin Tuna “Steak” Tartare with potato chips. Very steaky actually.

Caramelized Onion Tarte Tartin. Drake’s Family Farm Goat Cheese. This was DOTN for me. It’s cooked upside down in a (usually cast iron) pan to caramelize the onions. They were perfectly tender and sweet and paired fabulously with the goat cheese.

Mediterranean Black Mussels a la Marinieres. White wine, Strauss creamery butter. Solid Moulles.

French Fries. Tarragon Aioli.

From my cellar: 2001 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. BH 93. Knockout aromas of wonderfully intense black and red cherry fruit loaded with cassis and a touch of new oak introduce medium-bodied, sweet, harmonious, very expressive and long flavors all underpinned by racy minerality and firm structure. The tannins are prominent but ripe and the density of extract is impressive and this both coats and stains the palate. As it always does, this delivers finesse with real mid-palate punch with near perfect grace. For my taste, I would hold this for another 1 to 3 years but it would be no vinous crime to be drinking this now. Note to be sure to serve this cool as the alcohol becomes noticeable if it becomes a bit too warm. (Drink starting 2013)

2014 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne. VM 94. Healthy medium red Sexy, complex aromas of strawberry, crushed stone and rose petal convey a captivating combe coolness Wonderfully concentrated and bright, combining classic 2014 salty minerality with superb fruit intensity Boasts the kind of restrained generosity of fruit that reminds me of the ’99s in the early going A compelling, saline vin de terroir but not a powerhouse The long, rising finish features very suave tannins (Drink between 2023-2034)

Burgundy Escargots en Croute. Garlic Parsley Butter. Classic. Crispy pastry and lots of butter and garlic. If anything needed more interior.

Bouillabaisse. Rock cod, clams, mussels, prawns. Very nice broth (could have used more) and lots of seafood.

Liberty Farms Duck Breast. Tenerelli Orchards Plums, Baby Beets, Barley. Good, but not as exciting.

2002 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche. VM 94. The 2002 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has a very detailed bouquet with ebullient red berry fruit, sous-bois, bay leaf and a very subtle hint of liquorice. This is a very “involving” nose, one that you easily lose yourself within. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, notes of tea leaves, bay leaf and just a splash of balsamic infusing the red fruit. It leads to a nicely grippy, earthy finish that lingers in the mouth. Excellent. Tasted at Sarah Marsh MW’s 2002 Red Burgundy tasting. (Drink between 2018-2032)

2002 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. VM 96+. Good deep red-ruby. Superripe aromas of black raspberry, wild blackberry, blueberry syrup, mocha and licorice. Large-scaled, dense and broad, but more broodingly backward today than the Bonnes-Mares. But this stunning wine shows uncanny energy and sappiness in the mouth and great breadth, solidity and lift on the finish, with explosive flavors of blueberry, blackberry, raspberry and menthol.

Beef Short Rib a la Bourguignon. Meaty.

Tarts on the offering at the beginning of the night. Half of a couple of these were still around when we were leaving (and we were the only people left in the restaurant). I asked the server to buy some to take home to my wife. The “curse” of the Republique desserts continued because the staff stole them out from under my nose (taking them home themselves) and I never got my to-go — all gone!
Cheese on the offer too.

Chocolate Tart. Creamy and decadent.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream. Not as good as mine :-).
Fig tart.

Mango sorbetto. Again, not as good as mine.

This was a great night full of great company, food and wines. I thought all the appetizers were really very very good. The mains (like the duck and beef) were good, but not that exciting. The space is fun, but loud and very crowded which is a little worrying with a pandemic raging. I look forward to returning when things are a bit calmer.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bicyclette, Burgundy, Liz Lee, Sage Society, Walter Manzke, Wine

Power Providence

Oct15

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

Location: 5955 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 460-4170

Date: June 15, 2021

Cuisine: Cal French

Rating: Best meal I’ve had at Providence

I usually make it to Providence about once a year, and so we return with the Foodie Club for a small, epic main dining room. After a long time off (for the pandemic) the core gang of myself, Erick, and Fred met up, joined by Michael Z wanted to really up the game and we focused on the awesome white Burgundy wines from d’Auvenay and Coche-Dury.

The space used to be Patina in the 90s.

While the colors are different, Providence still looks a lot like Patina to me — as the layout is basically the same.

This is the view from the chef’s special tasting room — adjacent to the kitchen in it’s own little nook.

Our special menu tonight.

One of the few places in town that still has elegant table wares.

2000 Domaine d’Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières. BH 95. Very Puligny in style with discreet white flower, pear and apple aromas with flavors that are so powerful that the palate experiences them in waves as they roll from the mid-palate to a thundering, top grand cru finish. Yet this is by no means monolithic as there is detail and subtle gradations of wet rocks, minerals, earth and an indefinable crystalline essence. I literally had to pause for a minute due to palate fatigue as this both stains and saturates the palate yet it remains perfectly balanced. For a premier cru, this is a veritable tour de force! A brilliant wine. (Drink between 2008-2020)

2000 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Caillerets. BH 93. This has now peaked and is drinking beautifully with a fully mature nose of honeysuckle, peach, apricot and very subtle spice notes that can also be found on the enveloping flavors that possess a wonderfully seductive mouth feel and ample dry extract that both completely buffers the still firm acid spine and coats the palate on the long, lingering and strikingly perfumed if ever-so-slightly warm finish. One character that Coche seems to consistently be able to achieve is how his wines are at once generous yet retain a fine sense of focus and precision and this wine certainly displays this. Lovely stuff that is perfect now. Tasted thrice with consistent notes. (Drink starting 2016)

1999 Domaine d’Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Meursault Les Narvaux. VM 92. At nearly twenty years of age the 1999 Meursault Les Narvaux is just starting to enter its early plateau of maturity now! Exuberant and powerful, the 1999 possesses off the charts intensity and a level of pure class that is far beyond the realm of most village crus. Time in bottle has started to bring out slightly tropical overtones that add complexity to the yellow orchard fruit character. Readers lucky enough to own it can look forward to another 20 years of exceptional drinking. (Drink between 2018-2038)

2005 Domaine d’Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières. VM 96. The 2005 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru has a multidimensional bouquet that delivers intense honeycomb and brioche intertwined through the mineral-rich citrus fruit. The palate displays a perfect line of acidity, a brilliantly poised and tensile Folatières from Lalou Bize-Leroy that unlike the 1999 just builds and builds towards a focused and electrifying finish that shimmers with energy. Frankly, I cannot think of many Puligny Premier Crus that have surpassed this astonishing wine. 897 bottles produced. Tasted at Carré des Feuillants restaurant in Paris. (Drink between 2018-2038)

From my cellar: 2009 Domaine d’Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Meursault Les Narvaux. 95 points. Rich quince, citrus, popcorn, crème brûlée, and minerals galore backed by abundant acidity. Fantastic wine, and will last a long time.

An amuse of crisp with seafood.

And amuse of toro tartare.

A third amuse of shellfish “tart”.

The final amuse of scallop with contrasting fruit.

With a bit of sauce. Super zingy and delicious.

Bald Point Oyster. Gently warmed, with golden kaluga caviar.

Tai Sashimi. Seville sour orange, rosemary, ogo.

Uni Egg. Sea urchin, champagne beurre blanc, brioche croutons.
Maine Lobster. Favas, daikon, ramps.

Special bread.

And French butter with salt.

Farfalle. Box and dungeness crab, uni, geoduck, basil. Amazing flavors with a strong Thai basil character.

Black Cod. Black truffle, dutch white and green asparagus.

Australian Black Winter Truffle. Porcini Cannelloni.

Australian Black Winter Truffle.

All put together it was spectacular.

A5 Wagyu. Potato, morel, watercress, bordelaise.

Fried Wagyu lump, amazing.

Rhubarb, citrus, almond.
With sauce and very refreshing.

House-made Hawaiian Chocolate. Chocolate gelato, whiskey.

Sauce for the chocolate.

Tea.

Petite Fours. I love some good fancy candies.

This was by far the best main dining room and probably the best Providence meal I’ve ever had. They had just recently reopened post-lockdown and had clearly spent the time well retooling the menu. Service was exceptional as well which was very nice, particularly in contrast with so many “middle end” places that are short staffed right now.

There was a little take home goodie too, but I forgot to photo it.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, coche, Coche Dury, d'Auvenay, Foodie Club, Providence, Seafood, White Burgundy, Wine

Upstairs with Sauvages

Aug09

Restaurant: Upstairs 2 [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 2311 Cotner Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90064 Tel. 310-231-0316

Date: April 2021

Cuisine: Modern Tapas

Rating: Bright flavors and a lot of options.

ANY CHARACTER HERE

A Sauvages lunch was my “last meal” before the year+ long hiatus from restaurant life and it’s fitting to return in style.

Upstairs 2 is located just above the Wine House on Cotner. The main room serves an eclectic tapas menu, but as this was a special Sauvages du Vin lunch (always a lunch, almost always Friday) and the restaurant was still closed due to the pandemic, we took over the whole dining room. Today’s theme was 2009 vintage or older red Grand Cru Burgundies from the communes of Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St. Denis, Chambolle-Musigny or Vosne-Romanee (91+ pts. Burghound or 93+pts. Parker).

Our takeover.

Our special menu.

From my cellar: 2004 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 96. I am thrilled with the way the 2004 Comtes de Champagne continues to evolve in bottle. A few years ago, the 2004 was quite focused and linear, in the style of the vintage, but more recently, the wine has begun to fill out beautifully. The 2004 remains bright, with a full range of citrus, white flower and mineral nuances that dance on the palate. A brisk, saline-infused finish rounds things out beautifully in a Comtes that impresses for its crystalline purity. I expect the 2004 will always remain a bit cool next to the more opulent 2002, but it is still drop-dead gorgeous. (Drink between 2014-2034)

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 168eme. JG 96+. The new release of Krug Grande Cuvée “168ème Édition” is from the base year of 2012, with the reserve wines in the blend stretching all the way back to 1996. The final cépages has ended up as fifty-two percent pinot noir, thirty-five percent chardonnay and thirteen percent pinot meunier. Forty-two percent of the blend is made up of reserve wines in this beautiful iteration of Grande Cuvée. The bouquet is superb, wafting from the glass in a mosaic of apple, white peach, a touch of Clos du Mesnil-like fresh apricot, almond, a beautifully complex base of soil tones, fresh-baked bread, hints of the caraway seed to come and a whisper of buttery oak (which is particularly evident when the wine is first poured, but quickly is subsumed in the other elements on the nose). On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and very complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil signature, utterly refined mousse and a long, perfectly balanced and very energetic finish. This is one of the most effortless and seamlessly balanced young releases of Grande Cuvée in several years and is utterly brilliant wine. (Drink between 2020-2080)

Marinated crab amuse.

From the side.

Smoked salmon in pastry.

Scallop with citrus.

The wine list.

1990 Domaine A.-F. Gros Richebourg. 93 points. Lush and round, this was drinking magnificently well on the night. It started with a lovely nose, more lifted in character than most of the other Richebourgs on show, with red currants and cassis notes laced with earth, herb and sweetly citrus orange peel aromas. It was on the palate where the wine really shone though. It had a lovely fullness to it, with a plush depth and plenty of gentle power pulling away on a bed of softened tannins. I got a hint of sur-maturite on the attack, with a flavours of dried strawberries and raisin, but these were spiked by a bright citrussy energy and on the midpalate and beyond, all lending to a sense of clarity and freshness that I really liked. Unlike some of the other wines, I am not sure this has much room to improve, but it sure was showing very nicely on the day.

1991 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. BH 94. I have had this wine many times and it has always been one of my favorite ’91s. Unfortunately, a number of bottles tasted within the last 3 years were already on the decline, having lost that wonderful velvety quality that I once so much admired. While not unpleasant, it’s clear that these bottles are not what they should be as there is a toastiness that comes up on the finish and renders it ever so slightly bitter. However, a bottle tasted in Los Angeles that was air freighted from the Domaine only 3 weeks prior was simply outstanding with a wonderful nose of exotic spices and subtle yet seductive game and smoky hints followed by rich, warm and pure flavors of superb depth and length with plenty of finishing velvet. And the most recent bottle that was tasted in France was also outstanding though as my comments suggest, I have encountered significant bottle variation with scores ranging from 87 to 94.

1993 Domaine Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin. 91 points. This wine wasn’t bad but compared to the two other Ponsots CSD/CDR and also the very strong peer group it fell off. Cloudy, dark garnet. Rich and ripe palate, sour cherry, good acidity but the tannins produce a drying finish. Probably picked too late, extracted too much.

1995 Claude Dugat Charmes-Chambertin. VM 94. Brilliant ruby color. Blueberry, violet, smoky oak and floral aromas convey an almost syrupy sweetness. Dense and extremely concentrated; this shows an almost painful intensity today yet has no rough edges. Pure Pinot sap. Totally convincing grand cru. Builds and builds on the palate and aftertaste.

Roasted Mushroom Medley. Puff pastry, thyme, fennel, Burgundy mustard, parsley.

1995 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant. BH 92. Gorgeous, sexy, opulently perfumed fruit followed by medium weight, intense, backward, beautifully textured flavors underpinned by solid but ripe tannins and the same floral note that many of these ’95s display. This is really quite lovely with a really impressive purity of expression and should age well for years. (Drink starting 2010)

From my cellar: 1995 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. BH 92. Explosively spicy, still entirely primary fruit of notable complexity leads to intense, medium full, edgy and beautifully precise flavors and a long but ever-so-slightly astringent finish. This is extremely pretty as well as stylish with plenty of flavor authority, mid-palate punch and impressive length. It will probably always have a slight edge on the finish but the essence of the wine is so fine that it’s a background nuance. In sum, a terrific effort. Consistent notes with the exception of one bottle that displayed a huge amount of oak that was completely over the top; I have no explanation for it but it was so oaky that it was honestly tough to drink.

agavin: if I do say so, WOTD

1996 Denis Mugneret Père et Fils Richebourg. BH 93. Subtly complex nose of leather, earth and dried grasses with delicious yet quite structured flavors and fine length. There is good sève and muscle underlying the flavors though the tannins are completely ripe and the wine should drink well over the medium term. This is not flamboyant or especially opulent yet it delivers plenty of character and quality in a refined, discreet style. I like this very much.

1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. VM 93+. Good fresh dark red. Flamboyant nose combines blueberry, blackberry, licorice and Cuban tobacco; distinctly blacker aromas than the ’97. Great sweetness and penetration on the palate; flavors are given thrust and grip by a strong spine of acids and tannins. Quintessential grand cru intensity without excess weight. Extremely long, noble finish. Fascinating Bonnes-Mares, and likely to be very long-lived.

Duck Confit. Wild rice, caramelized shallots, baby red beets, au jus, upland cres.

1999 Domaine A.-F. Gros Richebourg. VM 94+. Ruby-red. Pure, pristine aromas of blackberry, bitter chocolate, flowers and minerals. Dense, sweet and layered, with strong spicy oak flavor and intriguing notes of wild berries. Even fuller on the back end than the Clos Vougeot, with firm but very fine tannins. Compelling wine.

1999 Claude Dugat Chapelle-Chambertin. BH 94. Quite deeply colored. This is a big wine in every respect and one that is presently no where near its apogee. There is ample oak still present on the very ripe black fruit nose that also evidences notes of earth and spice, both of which can also be found on the powerful, concentrated and moderately rustic well-muscled flavors that are supported by very firm tannins and excellent depth and length. Courtesy of Dr. Chen I have had this wine twice with one bottle being superb and the other have the finish dominated by extremely firm tannins. Tasted twice but with inconsistent notes. (Drink starting 2017)

1999 Domaine Philippe Charlopin Mazis-Chambertin. BH 90. A completely different expression of pinot noir with its sauvage, slightly animale fruit and flavors. This isn’t especially dense but the complexity it offers is beguiling. Good precision and this has a nice sense of balance and if it manages to put on weight in the bottle, my rating will be conservative. (Drink between 2006-2009)

2000 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. BH 93. Extravagant, very ripe spice aromas explode from the glass with remarkable complexity that frame superbly elegant, gorgeously textured flavors that are intense and vibrant. This is really quite powerful for the vintage and incredibly long yet remains classy and fine. It is not especially big or dense as de Vogüé Musigny goes but is tautly muscular and defined. Extremely impressive for the vintage. (Drink starting 2010)

Ground Rabbit Sausage. Butternut squash ravioli, tarragon cream sauce, baby carrots, aged gouda.

2002 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny. . Medium red. Immediately spectacular aromas of raspberry, baked bread and white truffle. Silky, thick and highly concentrated; densely packed, sappy and wonderfully sweet but seemed to go into a shell after five minutes in the glass. Finishes with a savory note of olive, almost invisible tannins and explosive length. A great showing today, although I can easily imagine this wine continuing to gain in aromatic precision and lift for another ten years. (Drink between 2016-2034).

2005 Geantet-Pansiot Charmes-Chambertin. VM 92+. Bright ruby-red. Deep aromas of blackberry and licorice; at once riper and more brooding than the last couple of wines. Then juicy, spicy and vibrant but quite closed in the middle palate, with superb energy to the dark berry and violet flavors. Finishes impressively broad, ripe and dry, with substantial tongue-dusting tannins and excellent length. This one also needs a solid six to eight years of cellaring.

Ron brought: 2007 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg. VM 93+. Bright medium red. Pungent aromas of wild strawberry, minerals, spices and pepper. Not a fat wine but classy and suave, with terrific peppery, minerally lift in the middle palate. With aeration, this classically dry wine showed a stronger soil component and mounting power. Finishes with superb breadth and an impression of weightlessness. I might have initially mistaken this for the RSV-and vice-versa-had I tasted these blind, but this is ultimately the more powerful wine.
2008 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche. VM 95. The 2008 Clos de la Roche is particularly refined in this vintage. The wine literally floats on the palate with weightless elegance in its intensely perfumed fruit. Crushed flowers and red berries linger on the silky, impossibly fine finish. This is a fabulous effort from Dujac. (Drink between 2018-2033)

Seared Lamb Porterhouse Chops. Gruyere potato gratin, buttered english peas, red wine demi-glace.

1880 D’Oliveiras Madeira Terrantez. 94 points. Powerful nose of burnt caramel, roasted nuts, and orange rind. Freshly roasted espresso, plum, and black tea notes most notable on the palate. Rich, but with piercing acidity, not cloying at all. Delicious stuff.

Brillat-Savarin & Roquefort. Toasted baguette, quince paste, cornichon, marcona almonds.

1976 Château Rieussec. 93 points. Hints of erstwhile headiness on the nose. Good balance of sweetness and acidity, with a definite bitter marmalade note. It suggested an old Bual madeira, both in appearance and flavour.

The lineup.

My notes.

Overall Upstairs 2 did a solid job with this lunch. Wine service was good and the food was good. Wines were awesome and a lot of great showings. As this was the first Sauvages in 13 months, everyone really stepped up.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, BYOG, Champagne, Gelato, lunch, Red Burgundy, Sauvages, Wine

Vespertine at Home

Sep22

Restaurant: Vespertine [1, 2, 3]

Location: 3599 Hayden Ave, Culver City, CA 90232. (323) 320-4023

Date: September 11, 2020

Cuisine: Modern chef’s take on Japanese

Rating: Top flight takeout

Boy it’s been a long time since I made a food post. Sigh, quarantine life. I still haven’t been in a restaurant since March 11, 2020. Total record for my life as I’m sure that from my birth 4-5 weeks was the record (during summer camp in the early 80s!). Now, that being said I have been cooking up a storm but they aren’t elaborate enough to write up unless I start cooking posts. And we’ve had some good takeout but the pictures are usually ugly. But this particular dinner was a bit different and photoed fairly well.

Vespertine is a very unusual confluence of all sorts of artsy weirdness. It’s helmed by Jordan Kahn formerly of Red Medicine and currently of Destroyer across the street. I’ve generally been fond of Jordan’s unique culinary style. Since the pandemic started he’s been doing “out of the box” fancy takeout meals, and this one has a Japanese theme.

Above is the building where the restaurant is located, but I wasn’t there, Erick picked up the food and we ate elsewhere socially distanced.

Vague intro.

The instructions and menu were irritatingly available only online and referenced via QR code — true this saves on paper — but it did require me to squint at them on my phone all night.
Japanese style hand towels!

And a nice chopstick box.

Paul brought: 2011 Domaine Matrot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. VM 94+. One of the brighter wines in the range, the 2011 Meursault Les Perrières bristles with pure energy and pedigree. White flowers, crushed rocks, white peaches and graphite all take shape in the glass. Elements of razor-sharp minerality support the vivid, crystalline finish. Today, the Perrières is pretty buttoned up, but it should open up with further time in bottle.

agavin: clean and nice

The menu for the night.

Along with reheating instructions. The problem here is that while these would work okay for a couple sharing the meal by themselves it doesn’t work so great with a couple of us social distanced (in far corners of the patio not physically interacting). There is no easy way to get it heated so we just dealt with the luke-warm temp.

From my cellar: 2011 Joseph Drouhin Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. JG 94+. The 2011 Meursault “Perrières” from Maison Joseph Drouhin is also outstanding, offering up a deep and very classic bouquet of apple, passion fruit, iodine, hazelnuts, chalky minerality and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and very minerally in personality, with a rock solid core, excellent focus and balance and a very long, pure and laser-like finish. This is a stunning example of Perrières, and like the Laguiche Morgeot, it will only need a handful of years in the cellar to start drinking at its peak.

agavin: lovely

Setup for the tofu dish.

Fresh silken Tofu “Kingugoshi”. Fresh silken tofu made to order. Inspired by Tousuiro, served with a variety of Shojin Ryori accompaniments.

This was one of the less successful dishes. The tofu itself had a very nice texture but a slightly bitter taste, probably from the base used to set the tofu (sometimes ash or calcium sulfate). The vegetables were better, with that definite Japanese vegetable taste and some good textures.

It should be noted that the dish shown here, and all the dishes, were intended for two people to split. We gluttons got a “pair” each because even if we had wanted to share it would have been unsafe and complicated.

Vegetables to top the tofu with.

A salt that’s probably basically natural MSG.

Erick brought: 2007 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. JG 95. The Sauzet parcel in Combettes were planted in 1950, and these old vines have produced a magical wine in this great vintage. In fact, premier cru Puligny simply does not get any better than this! The bouquet is a beautiful and classic mélange of lemon oil, peach apple, crystalline minerality of enormous complexity, spring flowers and a gentle framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure and racy, with a rock solid core, brilliant focus and balance and a very, very, very long and racy finish. Pure liquid beauty.

agavin: sadly a bit advanced

Handmade Soba “Hourai.” Cold buckwheat noodles cooked and chilled to order. Served with traditional accompaniments inspired by Honke Owariya.

The toppings.

What’s most likely a dashi (and shiyo) broth.

This dish was much more successful than the tofu. Pretty excellent anyway. And it was cold, so the lack of heating didn’t matter. Basically it’s just good soba. Maybe not as good as at a top flight soba spot, but very impressive for a non-Japanese chef.

From my cellar: 1996 Alain Hudelot-Noellat Clos Vougeot. JG 93+. I am a very big fan of the Clos Vougeot at Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat, which I find consistently to be one of the best examples in the Côte d’Or. The 1996 is a lovely example of the vintage that hails from the plus and buffered camp, with a lovely core of pure fruit fully carrying the structure of the vintage. The bouquet is deep, complex and quite sappy in its blend of plums, black cherries, woodsmoke, a touch of venison, coffee, a great base of soil and a stylish framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and impressively pure on the attack, with a fine core, ripe tannins and a long, focused and tangy finish. This is certainly approachable today, but in terms of complexity, it is still a tad on the primary side and a few more years of bottle age should be rewarded with even greater aromatic and flavor complexity. A lovely 1996.

agavin: pretty excellent.

Black Cod “Hitsumabushi”. Black cod grilled over Japanese Charcoal, charred and lacquered with kabayaki glaze. Prepared in the style of Atsuta Houraiken Honten.

The toppings and some green tea to turn it into tea rice later.

Instructions.

More or less assembled. This is basically like BBQ eel, but black cod. Now he did a good job, but it would’ve been much better with the eel. It was pretty good with cod, but a touch blander (aka less fatty). The sauce wasn’t as sweet as usual either.

Erick brought: 1996 Camille Giroud Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux. The nose is slightly fuller than the 2000 but stylistically similar. The palate has a little extra dimension, but there is an amazing family resemblance to the 2000 – amazing considering the different vintages and elevages. I’d say they need a similar time to maturity too. Would be a great buy.

agavin: nice

Kurobuta “Tonkatsu.” Breaded Japanese cutlet with accompaniments. Prepared in the style of butagumi.

Some miso soup, tomatoes, tonkatsu sauce, ginger, and cabbage.

This was a good dish, but the batter was excellent, but it suffered from being too “cold” (reheating was hard). Additionally I wasn’t sure what to do with the cabbage as it normal tonkatsu places I always eat it with a vinegary dressing which wasn’t here. Actually love the stuff with the dressing.

Sashimi. Inspired by the preparations of Takayoshi Yamaguchi. This was very solid sashimi. Nothing complicated but very good.

Toppings.

Matcha Cream Puff. Crispy choux pastry filled with matcha cream. Inspired by the “yatsuhashi” cream puffs of Kiyomizu Kyoami. Very nice cream puffs. There was a very strong green tea note to the cream which was bracing but nice.

Fruit Sando. Japanese milk bread filled with whipped cream and fresh fruits. Inspired by the beautiful fruit sandos of Coffee Nikki. These are VERY Japanese, and I’ve had them and similar many times in Japan, but I can’t say that I love them. Like white bread with whipped cream and fruit. haha.

Taiyaki. A warm crispy waffle, shaped like a fish, filled with sweet vanilla custard. Inspired by the epic “Magikarp fluffy custard taiyaki”.

Actually kind excellent. Would have been better warm and fresh from the oven, but still good.

Our wine lineup.

Overall, we had a great evening. Great company, great wines, and great takeout.

Now in absolute terms the meal wasn’t totally epic by my standards, but it was one of the best “fancy takeouts” I’ve ever had. They really do a good job packaging it and things survived the transit and the considerable length of our leisurely evening quite well. Yeah, it would have been better there, but considering, it was about as good as you get. Trying to imagine how it would have been on site, and therefore forgiving temperature issues and the takeout plating (which is awesome for takeout plating) I’d say that some dishes would even there have some of the same issues, like the cod not being as “rich” as a great piece of Japanese BBQ eel. But it would have been even better. Still this was an incredible job for a non-Japanese chef stepping out of his comfort zone. Strongest savory dish was the soba which was excellent.

I do have a minor beef with the enforced “2 person” sizing as it only really works for close couples. These things as plated don’t split well. Given that we are huge eaters (at least Erick and I) it was okay to have 2 full meals each, but that’s not cheap.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, Champagne, Foodie Club, Japanese Food, Jordan Kahn, Sashimi, Sushi, Vespertine, Wine

Providence Chef’s Table

Sep27

Restaurant: Providence [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: 5955 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 460-4170

Date: August 12, 2019

Cuisine: Cal French

Rating: Awesome food, awesome night

I usually make it to Providence about once a year, and so we return with the Foodie Club for a small, epic Chef’s Table night.

While the colors are different, Providence still looks a lot like Patina to me — as the layout is basically the same.

This is the view from the chef’s special tasting room — adjacent to the kitchen in it’s own little nook.
Our special menu tonight.

One of the few places in town that still has elegant table wares.

Ron brought: NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 167eme. JG 96. The new release of Krug Grande Cuvée “167eme Édition” is stellar. The wine is from the base year of 2011 and utterly transcends that vintage, but, of course, it includes nearly two hundred different wines in the blend, with the oldest reserves dating all the way back to the 1995 vintage. Fully forty-two percent of the cuvée this year is made up of reserve wines. The cépages for the 167eme Édition is forty-seven percent pinot noir, thirty-six percent chardonnay and seventeen percent pinot meunier. The wine shows its lovely preponderance of pinot noir on the nose, wafting from the glass in a beautifully complex blend of apple, white peach, a touch of patissière, very complex soil tones, caraway seed and a gently floral contribution in the upper register from the pinot meunier in the blend. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and nicely broad-shouldered, with great depth at the core, refined mousse, bright, seamless acids and outstanding focus and grip on the very long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. This is simply outstanding and should age effortlessly for fifty to seventy-five years!

Yellow tomato soup shot. Bright like a gazpacho (but not so vinegary).

Rolled salmon with salmon roe on crisps — delicious!

Mussels with curry sauce. A sort of deconstructed Moules Frites dish.

Crispy seafood taco in shiso (relative). Scrumptious.

Crab tartlet.

Cucumber wrapped oyster.

Wagyu “cigar.” Like a super taquito — crispy and amazing.

From my cellar: 1993 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 93 points. From a late Domaine release. Golden color. A lot of Wows on the table from the first smells. This bouquet had it all. Orange peel, flint, lemon curd, grass, flowers, very deep and complex. The palate was crisp as well with excellent freshness and length.

Kanpachi. Nasturtium, espelette, lime. Very bright flavors, soft textures, with a creaminess. Absolutely delicious.

Bread and (fancy) butter and salt.

The bread even comes with its own “about the bread” sheet!

Coleman farms celtuce, geoduck clam, box crab, osetra caviar — amazing! One of the best dishes of the night.

Erick brought: 2006 Domaine Leflaive Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d’Âne. JG 91. The 2006 Meursault here is a bit cooler than the previous two wines, and shows no signs of alcohol poking through on the finish. The nose is very lovely, as it offers up notes of pear, apple, almond paste, flowers and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, fine and focused, with a lovely base of soil, crisp acids and an almost crystalline profile, with good length and grip on the finish. This is a very good bottle that is rather atypical in the context of this vintage chez Leflaive in its more classic profile, though the wine is still quite forward stylistically. This will make a great restaurant wine list option.

Prawns live in this tank.

Peel ‘n’ eat spot prawn, shiso, basil, nuoc cham. You just eat this with your hands, wrapped in the herbs. Gave it a slightly Vietnamese vibe. Great prawn, perfectly fresh and cooked.

Aori ika, haricots, hazelnut, ogo. Vaguely Japanese and very pleasant “salad.”

Ron brought: 2013 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 93. Pale yellow. Lovely purity to the aromas of nectarine and flowers. Sweet and fine-grained, showing a compellingly silky texture to its stone fruit and nutty oak flavors. Finishes sedate and long, with lovely balance. Really seamless for the vintage.

Black cod, artichoke, mint. Nice buttery white fish. Very “new French.”

Salmon belly, porcini, zucchini.

With the sauce. This cut of salmon is particularly rich and tender, very nice seared like this.

From my cellar: 2001 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. VM 94. The 2001 De Vogüé Bonnes Mares exhibited uncommon depth and richness in the luxuriousness of its vibrant fruit, with a personality that was delicate yet powerful. Still very much an infant, it was a privilege to catch this gorgeous wine in its youth.

Ron brought: 2003 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. VM 91. Medium red-ruby. Blackberry, violet, mocha and bitter chocolate on the slightly roasted nose. Huge, sweet and expressive, with extravagantly rich flavors of currant, blueberry, chocolate and spices. Quite velvety and sensual for this wine, thanks to its unusually fat, broad texture. Finishes with suave but serious tannins.

Duck — we added this as a supplement.

Larry brought: 1999 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT. VM 95. The 1999 Masseto is a cool, inward wine graced with exquisite finesse, but it still needs a few years in bottle to show its potential. That said, it is pretty spectacular even today. This is a vintage that will appeal to readers who enjoy firm, structured wines. (Drink between 2013-2024)

A5 Wagyu, magic myrrna potato, nori. Meat hidden under leaves.

And another supplement, because we had so much big red wine left, we got a second (different) A5!

Cheese cart. Love me the cart and you so rarely see it now.

My prep of gooey strong cheeses.

Bread for the cheese.

And a second cheese course!

Mango, makrut, finger lime. Really interesting texture, partially frozen (beneath). Delicious.

Peach, jam mousse, lemon verbena. This was my favorite of the desserts, extremely fruity and refreshing.

Ban this dessert. Harry’s berries strawberries, pistachio.

With the strawberry sauce. The pistachio was formed into a kind of mousse and felt like, and even almost tasted like, foie gras. Superb.

Crunchy pastry.

Bon bons. Chocolates, meringues, and jellies.

Parting gift of a bit of Zucchini cake or something for the next morning.

This was a great night and tons of fun. The chef’s table is by far the best way to do Providence, and the total tab wasn’t even that bad as it was no corkage monday — even with our Chef’s Tasting Menu and a bunch of supplements. With Melisse gone, this is now the only remaining 90s/00s style elegant white table Cal French spot left in LA. Good thing it’s great!

Service was (as usual) superb too tonight — as were our bevy of wines. 7 for 4 people. Didn’t feel the fastest in the morning!

For more LA dining reviews click here,

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Burgundy, California French, Chef's Table, Foodie Club, Providence, Seafood, Wine

Matsumoto Maxsumoto

Jun05

Restaurant: Matsumoto

Location: 8385 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 323) 653-0470

Date: May 10, 2019

Cuisine: Japanese

Rating: Very good, and interesting, but expensive

Erick, Larry, and I kept hearing through the rumor mill that Matsumoto in Beverly Hills had one of the best Japanese Omakases in town so of course the Foodie Club had to saddle up and go.

They are located on Beverly in a busy strip mall — like most other good LA Sushi joints. The “Beverly Hills” location is more like West Hollywood.

It’s non-assuming for sure.

The interior is pretty typical Japanese restaurant.

We had prearranged this giant special menu! It was so long, they refused to start dinner later than 6:30!

From my cellar: 2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon. VM 94+. The 2006 Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is powerful, intense and also classically austere in its make up. Crushed flowers, mint, red berries and cranberries are all finely sketched. The 2006 finishes with striking mineral-driven precision, and while it doesn’t have the opulence or exuberance of the 2002, it is still a very pretty and appealing Champagne. The Elisabeth Salmon is 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay, with about 8% still Pinot Noir. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.

1995 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. VM 94. The 1995 Krug is gorgeous. I chose it because one of my guests loves Krug and I thought the 1995 would have the right amount of complexity to pair beautifully with the smokiness in Saison’s caviar. Although the 1995 Krug is not a truly epic wine, it is in a sweet spot right now. (Drink between 2018-2023)

Appetizer plate:

Uguisu Tofu (back left). Sugar snap pea tofu.

Hotaru Ika Sumiso (lower right). Cooked firefly Squid (seasonal) with miso vinegar.

Nasu Agebitashi (back right). Eggplant cooked in sweet soy and dashi.

Wagyu Miso Zuke Negi Maki (left). White green onions wrapped with miso marinated wagyu beef.

Hotate Ebi Satsuma Age (front). Light fried fish cake made of scallop and shrimp.

Ama Ebi Ceviche (center). Diced Sweet Shrimp with home-made yuzu salsa.

From my cellar: 1993 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. BH 92. A fully mature and expressive nose of elegant secondary fruit and floral aromas introduces intensely mineral-driven, pure and beautifully well-detailed middle weight flavors that possess excellent depth and fine length. This is drinking perfectly now and should continue to do so without effort for at least another decade. Tasted only once recently.

2015 Bret Brothers Viré-Clessé La Verchère. VM 88. Pale, bright straw-yellow. Ripe peach, orange zest and passion fruit on the nose, with a touch of leesy complexity. More exotic than the Les Crays but less harmonious today, showing a more glyceral texture, then surprising acidity. The stone fruit flavors convey very good depth, plus a slight mineral edge.

Soup (Suimono). Hama Sui. Cherry stone clam in clear soup.

Kim brought this great unfiltered sake.

Sashimi (Otsukuri). Hon maguro (blue fin tuna), shima aji (striped jack), aji (Japanese grunt), sakura masu (wild cherry salmon), hotate (scallop).

Notice the fin beneath the fish.
Grilled (Yakimono). Hokke Matsumae Yaki. Grilled atka macherel marinated with kelp (overnight).

Fried (Agemono). Chi-ayu tempura & Soramame Kakiage. Deep fried young sweetfish w/ Sansho Pepper sea salt & depp fried fava beans with sea salt.

Side Dish (Naka-Zara). Kani Miso Cheese Koura Yaki. Hairy crab innards (mixed with crab meat, egg & scallions) grilled with cheese in the shell. This was a unique prep of crab guts — awesome and slightly like a Japanese crabby tuna melt.

Uni Flight. Three kinds of uni. I think all Japanese.

1987 Cellier des Samsons Fleurie!

Small Dish (kobachi). Mushi awabi. Tender cooked abalone with okra.

1978 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Grèves. BH 89. Mostly bricked through. The expressive and attractively layered nose is composed of full-on sous bois, earth and herbal tea scents. I very much like the complexity to the well-delineated and punch middle weight flavors that exhibit a subtle minerality on the linear finish that displays an acid-tang that is enough to mildly dry the finish. This is pretty and very ’78 in character though the balance isn’t quite perfect. Drink up.

We added a wagyu sushi flight.

Pretty bowl for:

Steamed (mushimono). Kinki and kabu nibitashi. Rockfish steamed with sake and turnip cooked in light soy and dashi.

And because that giant menu wasn’t enough we added some more meat — I think this was duck.

Then the sushi (shokuji) started to come:

Sumi ika (squid) and kegani (hairy crab).
Nodoguro (seared black throat perch) and toro (supreme toro).

Kuruma ebi (prawn).

Hokkaido uni (sea urchin).

Plus we wanted MORE. A final flight of sashimi!

2005 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Häuserer. VM 90. Pale straw-gold color. Aromas of orange liqueur, white flowers and minerals. Vibrant and clean, with ginger and nutmeg spice notes contributing energy to the peachy fruit. I find this brighter and more precise than the Clos Windsbuhl. It’s sweeter but also livelier, thanks to a juicy sugar/acid balance.

Bessert (mizugashi). Baked sweet potato cake and fruits.

Overall, Matsumoto was really good and we had an epic meal — their super sized omakase + a bunch of extras. Certainly we were full. The courses were all extremely well prepared, but it is a very pricey place and leans toward a highly traditional Japanese taste tonality that isn’t that splashy. Newer style places like ootoro are more flashy and crave-worthy — and Hayato, which is also very traditional, is somehow more refined and modern at the same time. So Matsumoto ends up being a lot of money and very good, but you can get more bang for your buck elsewhere. Certainly glad I tried it though.

1959 Franchino Marco Gattinara Lo Spanna. Old, old Gattinara (which is like baraolo, being a Nebbiolo, but made up in the far north of the Piedmont).

Afterward, we stopped by Kim’s resteraunt, Khong Ten and kept drinking — combining with the sake to make me very slugging in the morning.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beverly Hills, Burgundy, Foodie Club, Japanese cuisine, kanimiso, Matsumoto, sake, Sashimi, Sushi, tempura, West Hollywood, Wine

Sauvages Amarone but Not

Aug22

Restaurant: Amarone Kitchen & Wine

Location: 8868 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 652-2233

Date: FRIDAY July 13, 2018

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Great cute little place

Sauvages is a really fun group but the Friday Lunch time slot makes it sometimes a challenge to attend. Still, when Sauvages buddy John Gordon told me he was organizing this one and it was going to feature Grand Cru Red Burgundy — I had to go.

John chose Amarone on Sunset as his location. I’ve been a couple times before years ago and always enjoyed this small intimate Italian.

We had the whole upstairs to ourselves — in fact the whole restaurant because he usually isn’t open for lunch.

Amuse Course:

From my cellar: NV Drappier Champagne Rosé Brut Nature Dosage Zero. VM 90. Pale orange. Mineral-accented red berries and citrus fruits on the nose, complemented by hints of candied rose and white pepper. Stony and precise, offering lively strawberry and orange zest flavors that expand slowly with air. Closes spicy, stony and tight, with very good clarity and floral persistence.

agavin: I love this light dry rose champ.

2004 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Boudriotte. BH 89. A deft touch of wood frames citrus and earth infused ripe chardonnay fruit aromas that lead to rich, full and fleshy flavors that are robust if not especially structured, all wrapped in a delicious and easy to like finish. There is good freshness here if not great underlying tension with fine overall balance and fine length. In sum, this is a generous and easy to like effort that should repay a few years in the cellar.

Swordfish carpaccio on toast with EVOO, orange zest, and red peppercorns. Very bright and lovely.

On the left (standing) is John G or group organizer and on the right (in blue) is Amarone’s owner Sandro Oliverio who it turns out I was friendly with when he ran Palmeri, a Brentwood Italian my wife and I used to frequent.

Flight 0 (white et rose):

This flight was cobbled together out of the contents of our bags (extras) in order to make a white flight when we realized that there was a salad course — which would not work particularly well with grand cru reds.

2014 La Chablisienne Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot. BH 89-92. A wonderfully elegant nose that is cool, pure and airy with its array of essence of white flowers, citrus peel and iodine nuances, all of which is trimmed in just enough wood to notice. Once again there is good volume and concentration to the round and textured medium weight flavors that brim with minerality on the dry and citrusy finish that has a surprisingly clipped finale. This may round out but it is decidedly edgy at present and my projected range offers the benefit of the doubt.

2010 Vincent Dancer Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Tete du Clos. BH 91-93. The fresh, cool and beautifully well-layered nose exhibits white flower and lemon zest scents that give way to restrained, refined and energetic flavors that possess plenty of underlying tension on the balanced and ever-so-mildly austere finish. Like the La Romanée there is a distinct salinity to the finish and this should age well.

From my cellar: 2013 Chêne Bleu Rosé. VM 91. Bright orange-pink. Powerful, mineral-laced aromas of ripe citrus fruits, redcurrant and cherry, with a suave lavender overtone. Fleshy, seamless and broad on entry, then tighter in the middle, offering bitter cherry and berry skin flavors that gain sweetness and energy with air. Blood orange and raspberry notes cling tenaciously on the lucid, mineral-driven finish. This concentrated wine really outperforms its appellation.

Radicchio salad with Parmesan and asparagus with a balsamic must dressing. Bitter and refreshing. A great salad, but not a red wine pairing.

Flight 1:

From my cellar: 1996 Jean Raphet et Fils Charmes-Chambertin. 93 points. deeply colored; red cherry and cloves; balanced and mellow with good acidity adding freshness (and giving away the vintage). A really nice bottle!

1996 Dominique Laurent Bonnes Mares. VM 94-97. Press wine from Morey-Saint-Denis: Sappy, iron-scented nose of great verve. Supersweet and smoky in the mouth; offers great tensile strength and terrific length. A blend of Morey and Chambolle: Highly complex aromas of raspberry, game, coffee, clove and exotic spices. Fat and sweet, but with a firm mineral underpinning. Very young and powerful. Fine tannins expand with aeration. The Chambolle character dominates today. Approximation of the final blend: Very deep red-ruby. Nuanced but reticent aromas of raspberry, smoke and coffee. Dense, large-scaled and sweet, with flavors of iron, earth and brown spices. Superbly textured fruit and sophisticated, rich tannins. Very firm but harmonious acidity. Extremely long, shapely finish.

1998 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Clos Vougeot. VM 90. Good red-ruby. Lively, nuanced nose combines black raspberry, black cherry, violet, licorice and herbs. Fat, sweet and pliant; surprisingly easygoing and plump for the cru and the vintage. Finishes with dusty, fine tannins and very good persistence.

1996 Domaine Rene Leclerc Griotte-Chambertin. VM 91-94. Good deep red. Extravagant aromas of redcurrant, raspberry, tobacco and spice. Downright unctuous in the mouth, like liquid silk. Confectionary but not heavy. Distinctly sensual texture. Finishes very, very long, with suave tannins buried in fruit. If Leclerc can get 90% of this wine quality into the bottle, it will be a head-turner.

Mushroom risotto with truffles. A very simple but delicious dish. The EVOO on top really brought out the truffle too.

Flight 2:

1971 Camille Giroud Charmes-Chambertin. BH 92. Warm, rich, complex and fully mature aromas lead to big, dense, still firmly tannic flavors that display incredible vibrancy and vigor for a 30+ year old Burgundy and the finish is long a satisfying. This is a very impressive effort and while it is no model of finesse, the density and freshness this exhibits is nothing short of remarkable. First rate and this has another 20 years of life, even though I would not expect it to improve from here.

agavin: in great shape

1973 Philippe Remy Clos de la Roche. 87 points. Getting a bit on, but still decent.

1992 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux. 91 points. The DRC Echezeaux was a nice trip back to Burgundy. A lighter DRC with some strawberries and steminess to give away its identity, this bottle seemed as good as it was going to get, a good dinner wine with enough complexity to keep it interesting.

Italian Seabass, simply grilled with spinach. Well done bass, but nothing radical.

An intermezzo by moi (in my alter ego as Sweet Milk Gelato). Blackberry Meyer Lemon Gelato — milk infused with meyer lemon peels, pure French blackberries, and a touch of lemon juice.

Flight 3:

2002 Domaine Arlaud Bonnes Mares. BH 94. Nice.

1999 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. BH 93. Massive notes of blueberry and blackberry jam yet there is a certain austerity to the nose followed by flavors that are huge, firm, reserved and extremely dense and while there is a solid underpinning of tannin, they are wrapped in sappy velvet. The length is just flat out stunning and very powerful. This remains quite closed and while it presently does not possess the refinement of either the ’02 or the ’01, with time it may catch them as the underlying material is every bit as good. Consistent notes save for this most recent bottle which exhibited just a touch of finishing dryness.

2002 Domaine de la Vougeraie Clos Vougeot. BH 92. While not invisible, much more discreet notes of toasty and spicy oak highlight pungent, high-pitched blackberry and cassis notes. The flavors though are somber, youthfully vibrant and austere with superb density. This is classic in style with a very firm finish that will require time to harmonize and soften. Still, this is an elegant, relatively refined young Clos de Vougeot with plenty of character.

Veal Scaloppine with burgundy reduction sauce. Also fairly simple, and not my favorite dish. I don’t love this kind of old school Italian main.

Flight 4:

2002 Domaine Robert Groffier Bonnes Mares. VM 94. Mellow, expressive aromas of musky strawberry and spices are a bit less sauvage than those of the Clos de Bèze. Smoother in the mouth as well, offering lovely finesse and restrained sweetness to the fine-grained raspberry and strawberry fruit flavors. The slowly building whiplash of a finish really stains the palate, with firm but ripe tannins contributing to the overall impression of freshness. Lingering saline minerality adds another dimension. (Incidentally, Nicolas Groffier seemed determined to show his two grand crus; he tried and failed to remove the corks of a first bottle of each wine but the second time was the charm.).

2002 Dominique Laurent Charmes-Chambertin. 90 points. Lovely cherry , bricking at edge but long life still ahead as it has a very long finish.

2002 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Bonnes Mares. BH 93. Interestingly, the nose is not all that dissimilar from the ’03 with very ripe black fruit and violet notes that lead to intense, huge and powerful, moderately structured full-bodied flavors that deliver stunningly good length plus a finish that is wrapped in sap that coats and stains the palate. This is forward for a young grand cru but it’s so stylish and pure that you really don’t care.

Cheese plate.

My cryptic notes.

Sandro brought up this lovely 2007 Vin Santo from Tuscany.

Toasted Almond Gelato made by me (Sweet Milk Gelato) with a gorgeous Almond Coffee Cake that Sandro added — a match made in heaven. This was a stunning gelato (if I do say so myself), to a large extent because of the amazing toasted Sicilian almond paste I got from Italy.

Sauvages lunches are always great and this was no exception. John’s planning, along with excellent flighting by him and Kirk and awesome hospitality by Sandro really helped bring the lovely food (particularly the first couple courses) and the awesome Burgundies into focus.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Burgundy, BYOG, Gelato, Italian Cusine, Red Burgundy, Risotto, Sandro Oliverio, Sauvages, Truffle

Orange Afternoon — Tai Buu

Aug04

Restaurant: Tai Buu Paris Restaurant

Location: 9684 Westminster Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92844

Date: June 23, 2018

Cuisine: French Vietnamese

Rating: Old School Vietnamese

Fred and Andrew T convinced me to head down on a Saturday afternoon to Garden Grove for some serious Vietnamese. Now, despite the horrific traffic, they didn’t have to twist my arm too hard because I love Vietnamese food, as evidenced by my eating around that lovely country.

While we waited for our table to come up at Garlic and Chives (more on that later) we went to one of Andrew’s favorites, old school Tai Buu.

Like a weird Parisian/Vietnamese cafe.
As usual for Babykillers events all the wine was just popped so I’ll list it here.

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

Young reds.

This is why we call them the Babykillers!

But on to the food. You always get this stuff here. Salad, spicy salt, and soup. French dressing. lol!

Here is the soup. Like simple duck consume or something.

Beef tongue in gravy. Looks ugly, but pretty tasty. Particularly with carbs (below).

Goat curry. Yum. I love curry and this was a nice classic brown curry with excellent goat.

There was French Bread.

Fried Eggs. Yep. Apparently you eat them with the tongue, or maybe it was the curry.

And tomato rice.

Fried coconut sticky rice. I really enjoyed the texture and the mild coconut flavor.

Garlic frog legs. Really tender and full of garlicky flavor. Not so different than frog legs Aleppo style!

Roast quail. Like at a Chinese place but with greens.

French style beef. This was an old school rendition. Filet Mignon and a thinner, more garlicky sauce than I usually see.

Flan. Absolutely first rate flan. Caramel, light hint of orange maybe.

Overall, a fun place and some tasty (and really cheap) food. Friendly service too. Some of our party are native Vietnamese speakers so that helped too. After this, on to the main event at Garlic and Chives…

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Babykillers, Burgundy, French Vietnamese, Orange Afternoon, Orange County, Tai Buu Paris, vietnamese

Burgundy at Maude

Aug02

Restaurant: Maude [1, 2]

Location: 212 South Beverly Drive. Beverly Hills, CA. (310) 859-3418

Date: June 20, 2018

Cuisine: French Californian

Rating: Great Theme

When it opened several years ago, Maude was a big deal on the LA restaurant scene. For quite some time they had a unique “one ingredient, one month” theme. I had gone 4 years ago in late 2014. But that was back several chefs ago, and now-a-days they have a “season” (of 3 months I think) with a wine theme and food to match. Reversing their early hesitation about corkage, if you bring on theme — you now get free corkage. yay! And when we went it was Burgundy!

It’s still located on Beverly in Beverly Hills.

It’s still cute inside.

Quite small with an open kitchen.

Here is the Burgundy menu.

Some Bruno Paillard Champagne Rosé Brut Première Cuvée off their list.
And a plate of canapes.

An asparagus tart, some kind of foie crisp. A delicious savory macaron, and gougers. All very lovely.

2004 Henri Boillot Chevalier-Montrachet. BH 96. This is gorgeously pure and incredibly focused aromatically with an incredible breadth of aromas, from white flower to ripe orchard fruits nuanced by a panoply of spice notes. The unbelievably intense flavors are deep and strikingly transparent yet the level of dry extract this enjoys is nothing short of remarkable. The crystalline finish doesn’t just end but rather its ends with one complex wave after another and the sense of energy and drive here is palpable. Flat out terrific.

Vegetables warmed with goat’s butter. Not the kind of dish I would ordinarily order, but these were lovely vegetables, blanched probably, crunchy, and made better by the light butter sauce.

From my cellar: 1995 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 94 points. A good bottle, with lots of creme brûlée.

Escargot in herb butter. I love snails, and particularly the classic presentation with lots of garlic (and butter). These were excellent.

Brioche to complement.

Fred brought (blind): 1979 Domaine Roulot Bourgogne-Aligoté. 96 points. Fred served this blind and we thought it was old chard — amazingly it was Aligote! And Roulot. Totally gorgeous even at almost 40 years! None of us had ever had an aligote this old.

1987 Louis Jadot Montrachet. Past it’s prime (by a lot).

Prawn Bisque. Gorgeous bisque. Rich and delightful.

1955 Jacques Arnoul Freres Clos Vougeot. 93 points. Still in really good shape. Tertiary, but delicious.

Turbot, ham, parsley. Interesting prep with the ham broth and parsley pesto.

1990 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny. 93 points. Bright disc with medium red/orange robe and orange rim. Absolutely beautiful nose of ripe plum, cherry, Asian spices and light cedar. Soft tannins, good acidity, medium-bodied on palate. Similar flavors as nose, essentially exploding at the mid-palate. Long, slightly acidic finish. This wine has evolved beautifully.

Charcuterie of Rabbit. And they REALLy mean rabbit — all of the rabbit!

Fred brought: 1992 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. 90 points. In a really nice spot right now. Nice spice and earth and bright cherry aromas. A little savory. Nicely resolved and no danger of decline.

From my cellar: 1998 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. BH 93. This may be one of the finest Bonnes-Mares I have ever tasted from de Vogüé and it’s as dense as the 1991. Packed with kirsch-laced fruit and possessing an intense sappiness with an almost painfully intense flavor precision and a forceful, not to be denied, persistence on the finish. I literally asked to pause a few minutes before proceeding to the Musigny, as the finish would not stop. Positively serene in its power and quiet understatement. In short, for all its greatness, it doesn’t shout at you, it just quietly and confidently delivers a remarkable performance. While the fruit and tannins have evolved somewhat, this still remains a baby and it’s quite possible that another 5 or so years will not be enough to really see this close to its peak.

Roasted Foie Gras with Peas and Morels. Excellent dish.

1996 Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin. BH 91. An almost fully mature nose of earth and now mostly secondary red berry fruit aromas is followed by refined, succulent and balanced medium-bodied flavors of superior length. This is a successful ’96 that has aged well and has entered its prime drinking period which should last for the next decade, perhaps a bit longer. Consistent notes. One nit: the last 3 bottles that I have had were slightly cloudy and while it did not affect the nose or the texture, it could be a source of concern going forward.

Roast Lamb. Buttered Potatoes, spinach.

The lineup for the first part of the evening…

Then we moved upstairs. This is a new thing for Maude post format change and is really great. For cheese and dessert you move upstairs to the lounge.

Cheese board.

2011 Domaine Dujac Bonnes Mares. BH 94. This is highly expressive, indeed unusually so for very young Bonnes Mares, and offers up nothing short of a kaleidoscopic array of scents that include a wide range of floral, earth, stone and mostly red berry fruit aromas. There is fine if not special density and focused power to the big-bodied flavors that are overtly powerful and quite muscular yet there is no trace of rusticity or absence of refinement to the hugely long finish. This is a succulent yet formidable Bonnes Mares that should amply reward those who have the (considerable) patience to wait for its full maturity.

agavin: babykill, but we opened it anyway

Here was my cheese plate (part 1), we all got seconds!

We bought this unusual german pinot off the list — well right out of the cellar: 2007 Weingut Keller Spätburgunder Trocken ‘S’. 90 points. Could be 93 in a few years. Light red colour, cherry and rose petal nose, surprisingly strong and bold on the palate, again cherry notes and a little bit blueberry. Long finish of almost 50 seconds. Next one next year.

And we bought this too! 2002 Domaine Dujac Clos St. Denis. BH 93. A very floral and high-toned nose combines with aromas of earth, underbrush and a certain animale quality followed by rich, full-bodied, refined and notably elegant flavors that possess a subtle and understated complexity plus considerable grace. I very much like the balance here and this too is remarkably seductive yet sufficiently well structured to suggest up to a decade of potential improvement.

Now on to dessert. They have this gorgeous pastry buffet that you can help yourself too, repeatedly. Not that you paw over it. You point at stuff and the nice lady makes you a plate (or 2 or 3)!

Chocolate and hazelnut cakes.

Apple thingies.

Chocolate Tart — awesome.

A Vienna style torte.

A berry pastry thing.

Chocolate dipped Madeline’s.

Lemon Meringue Pie!

Mini macarons.

This was my first plate. I’ll be ashamed to admit it wasn’t my last!

Oh, and they have little “presents” for the morning.

I found this new format for Maude much more pleasant. The food was good. Some dishes were excellent, really good, and some just solid. The service was fabulous. We had incredible wine, a few from the list, most we brought. The whole no corkage thing is a welcome relief. I loved the 2 locations thing and the loungey location upstairs. All in all a super fun evening!

This was the first time in a while we had a near full complement of the Foodie Club, including regular members myself, Erick, Larry, and Fred but also with longtime core members like Walker and Amanda who always take it up a notch.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beverly Hills, Burgundy, Curtis Stone, Foodie Club, Maude

Is Majordomo a Major Deal?

Jun20

Restaurant: Majordomo

Location: 1725 Naud St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (323) 545-4880

Date: May 16, 2018

Cuisine: Korean Fusion

Rating: Big dishes amazing

It’s with gigantic expectation that NY restaurateur David Chang opens his first LA outpost.

Looking on the map, I was pretty skeptical of the weird between Chinatown and Dodger’s Stadium location — a totally annoying spot for me to get to during traffic!

The area is extremely warehousey, much like the “Arts District” but even newer.

The have a sort of hipster city built down here out of old warehouses.

With lots of bespoke graffiti.

And Majordomo, of course.

Which has a pretty big enclosed and outside space.

As you can see.

Inside is one of those cavernous loud warehouse spaces.

High naked ceilings. Don’t come here when it’s raining! They also have the currently hip bathroom setup with the coed shared sinks exposed out in the main room. Not my thing. What if you want to clean up in private?

The menu.

As always, Fred wanted to go all out so this is our modest wine lineup for 4.

Fred brought: 2010 Coche-Dury Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères. VM 92+. Reticent, pure aromas of white peach, hazelnut and minerals. Densely packed and urgent but youthfully tight, showing outstanding intensity and energy for village wine. The resounding, palate-staining finish displays outstanding structure and life. From a tiny crop, this almost painfully young wine should benefit from seven or eight years in the cellar.

agavin: I never understand how the pro reviewers will give a wine like this, which just sings, a lower score than some random Chablis.

There is a Korean fusion amuse cart.

Serving pickles.

Kombu Cured Diver Scallop, Pink Lady apple dashi. Very sweet.
Bing is this Korean bread thing. Pretty much like a thick crepe or pita bread. They have various “toppings” you can get with the bing.

Benton’s reserve ham bing. Put the ham on the pita.

Eggs & Smoked Roe bing. This was pretty excellent. You mash it up a bit to get the roe, egg, chips etc on the bing. I put the ham on at the same time for max effect and it was very good.

Marinated Mushroom, pistachio, radish, pea tendrils. Awesome mushroom dish. Nice flavors and textures. Good fiber too.

Special Foodie Club guest Andrew enjoys his wine.

Erick brought: 1999 Château Latour Grand Vin. Parker 93-95. A terrific effort, this sexy, open-knit, opulent effort possesses plenty of tannin, but it is largely concealed by the wine’s wealth of fruit, high extraction level, and noticeable glycerin as well as unctuosity. Dense ruby/purple-colored, with a sweet, evolved nose of black fruits (cassis, leather, and blackberries), cedar, spice box, and liquid minerals, this powerful yet seamless Latour will be surprisingly accessible at an unusually young age. Long and full-bodied, with the acidity, tannin, alcohol, and wood all beautifully integrated, it will be at its finest between 2007-2030. A classic!

Andrew brought: 2003 Haut-Brion. Parker 95. Clearly the best wine made in the Haut-Brion stable in 2003 (the last vintage of the great Jean-Bernard Delmas as administrator), the 2003 Haut-Brion is a blend of 58% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc that hit 13% natural alcohol, which seemed high at the time, but given more recent vintages is modest. Dark ruby/plum in color, with no amber or orange at the edge, the wine exhibits an abundance of roasted herbs, hot rocks, black currants, plum, and balsamic notes. Quite rich, medium to full-bodied and more complete, with sweeter tannins than La Mission Haut-Brion, this full-bodied Haut-Brion has hit full maturity, where it should stay for at least a decade. Bravo!

If you go, you must order this even though it’s $190! Whole Plate Short Rib (4-6 people). Smoked bone-in APL-style ribs. Served with beef rice, shiso rice paper, ssämjang & condiments.

The huge chunk of Texas style cow comes out on the cart with the stuff.
They carve it up into various modalities.

The “thin sliced” mode, which was amazingly flavorful.

The fattier end cap slices which were to die for tender.

And the knaw on the bone for extra flavor bones.

And some of it goes back into the kitchen and emerges as beef fried rice — crazy good.

From my cellar: 1999 Gros Frère et Sœur Richebourg. 95 points. Bright, deep ruby-red. Complex nose melds violet, bitter chocolate, earth, meat and a hint of medicinal austerity. Dense, rich and thick; a wine of compelling richness and sweetness, but also solidly structured despite its accessibility today. Finishes with lush but firm tannins and exhilarating notes of cassis and violet. Lovely pinot noir.

We also pre ordered Boiled Whole Chicken (2-3 people) rice, morels, hand torn noodles. This amazing dish has apparently changed and no longer has the fabulous noodles.

This was some absolutely first rate chicken. Pretty much Hainan chicken with the spice already rubbed on, much more Chinese than anything else.

The hand torn noodle soup was like some of the best (Chinese) mushroom noodle soup you’ll ever (not) have (as they discontinued it :-().

The dessert menu. I didn’t have the guts to BYOG (Bring Your Own Gelato) on our first trip to Majordomo.
Strawberry Trifle. Buttermilk panna cotta, chiffon cake.
Horchata Kakigori. Coffee, riche, dulce de leche. This was basically a good shaved ice.

Overall, we had a great time at Majordomo. They have some annoyances, like the custom website reservations a month or so ahead of time that book up instantly. We ignored those and scored a late (9pm ish) reservation 2 days out. I don’t do that long advance planning thing.

The service and wine service were both spectacular. I was really surprised as these loud hipster places often don’t have good wine service but we were really taken care of and this added a lot to the evening.

The larger pre-order dishes like the rib and chicken were amazing and insane. The other dishes were good but not as memorable. But I’d totally go back for either ribs or chicken, and I hope they keep mixing up the menu too.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.

By: agavin
Comments (5)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: 1st growth, bbq, Burgundy, Chicken, Chinatown, coche, David Chang, Dessert, DTLA, Foodie Club, haut brion, latour, Majordomo, ribs, Richebourg, warehouse, Wine

Foodies at Tsujita Sushi

Oct16

Restaurant: Sushi Tsujita [1, 2]

Location: 2006 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. 310.231.1177

Date: August 30, 2017

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi

Rating: Classic Fish

A couple core members of my Foodie Club who all like White Burgundy and Champagne enjoy periodically doing great sushi with the aforementioned wines. This time Tsujita Sushi came up as it’s great and easy to book (I think it’s secretly a loss leader for their noodle chain).

Sushi Tsujita specializes in traditional sushi preparations that involve a lot of subtle salting, curing, and marinating.

The interior has been jazzed up since its previous engagement as Orris.

This is just a small event with Foodie co-chair Erick and regular Fred. But we brought good stuff, just opened it all, shared with the chef, and chowed down.

Fred brought: NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 164eme. JG 95. The 164th Edition of Krug “Grande Cuvée is absolutely brilliant and one of the best iterations of this iconic wine that I have ever had the pleasure to taste. This is not surprising, as it is from the base year of 2008, though the team at Krug utilized reserve wines all the way back to 1990 in this version. The final cépages is forty-eight percent pinot noir, thirty-five percent chardonnay and seventeen percent pinot meunier, with the wine spending eight years in the Krug cellars sur latte. The beautiful bouquet wafts from the glass in a blend of apple, white peach, fresh-baked bread, very complex soil tones, white flowers, incipient smokiness and just a hint of the caraway seed to come with bottle age. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and seamlessly balanced, with a great core, utterly refined mousse, superb focus and grip and a very, very long, complex and zesty finish. The vibrancy of the exceptional base year of 2008 is very much in evidence here and this is destined to be one of the all-time great Grande Cuvées.

From my cellar: NV Drappier Champagne Brut Rosé. JG 90+. As I noted in the past, the Drappier Brut Rosé is one hundred percent pinot noir from the estate’s own Aube vineyards and is produced by the saignée method, so that its lovely cherry color is from skin contact, rather than by adding a bit of still red wine to the blend. The cuvée is aged two and a half years sur latte prior to disgorgement and has a dosage of 7.5 grams per liter. The current release in the market is really pretty and stylish on the nose, offering up a vibrantly complex mix of strawberries, a touch of blood orange, chalky soil tones, rye toast, woodsmoke and a hint of clove in the upper register. On the palate the wine is brisk, full-bodied and focused, with a good core, frothy mousse, lovely minerality and a long, nascently complex and still quite tightly-knit and youthful finish. I was surprised how youthful the structure still was here, given how open the nose is at the present time, but it is certainly approachable today and should really blossom with a year or two in the cellar.

From my cellar: 2001 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 95. Even though the 2001 Chevalier-Montrachet is five years younger than the 1996, it comes across as a bit more forward, evolved and open-knit, but that is not at all a bad thing, as the 2001 is more enjoyable to drink now. Layers of creamy, tropical-inflected fruit flesh out effortlessly in the glass. Scents of marzipan, chamomile, apricot, lemon oil and light, floral-infused honey all add further shades of nuance. Wonderfully complete and seductive, the 2001 Chevalier is a great choice for drinking today, although I would not push my luck too far beyond another handful of years at most.

Fred brought: 2004 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chevalier-Montrachet. BH 94. As one would reasonably expect, this is more elegant with a stunningly pure nose of white flower, citrus, orange peel, acacia blossom and the barest hint of wood spice that seamlessly introduces refined, complex and beautifully defined flavors that are tightly wound and impressively vibrant, particularly on the powerfully long and chiseled finish that cuts like a knife. This will be a long distance runner and will require plenty of patience.

Erick generously brought: 1996 Domaine d’Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Auxey-Duresses Les Boutonniers. 96 points. Amazing! Fred writes: Well hot damn if this didn’t run circles around the 01 Levlaive Chevalier Montrachet and 04 PYCM Chevalier Montrachet tonight. This was in impeccable balance between the acid and fruit. A much more precise wine than either Chevy tonight. My WOTN easily.

For food, we ordered the larger omakase (with more cooked dishes) and then added on pretty much every nigiri we didn’t get in the omakase.

House made tofu, vegetables, and truffle.

Smoked duck noodle soup.

With the light, delicious, dashi-based broth.

Super smoked toro.

Reveal the fish and bathe in the sumptuous smokey smell.

Really tasty bit of fish. Intense fat and smokiness.

Sashimi plate.

Ebi with truffle, some delicious tuna, and some other white fishes.

Toro tartar with caviar. The Matsuhisa classic.

Cool containers.

Eggy tofu ball?

Seared garlic wagyu — more or less tepenyaki.

I eat about 4 bowls of ginger.

Special Japanese snapper with yuzu.

Golden eye snapper.

Blue fin tuna.

Santa Barbara sweet ebi (shrimp).

The head, including roe, fried up.

Ikura (salmon eggs) and uni (sea urchin).

Squid with a bit of char taste and yuzu.

Ocean perch.

Black throat sea perch.

Amberjack yellowtail.

House smoked copper river king salmon.

O-Toro (super fatty tuna belly).

Seared scallop “roll”.
Miso soup.

Tamago (egg) with sea eel.

Marinated big eye tuna.

Sardine. I like the marinated ones.

Yellowtail belly.

Shiro ebi icy shrimp.

Toro tartar.

And a peach sorbet.

Plus a cleanser of sweetened yuzu juice.

Not only is Tsujita pretty spectacular, but for high end sushi the price isn’t too bad — i.e. it’s expensive but you get a lot relatively. I enjoyed the variety of fish and particularly the highly marinated ones. The cooked apps are very good too with a lot of flavor without heaviness. They emphasize fish and other proteins too avoiding that “veggie + dashi” thing you sometimes get with Kaiseki dishes.

Also, it should be noted that they have great lunch bowls — I go all the time.

For more LA sushi reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, Foodie Club, Sawtelle Blvd, Sushi, Sushi Tsujita, Wine

Persistent Providence

Sep18

Restaurant: Providence [1, 2, 3]

Location: 5955 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 460-4170

Date: August 7, 2017

Cuisine: Cal French

Rating: Awesome food

It’s been almost 3 years since I last went to one of LA’s few remaining “formal” restaurants and so the Foodie Club ended up back at Providence.

We chose the middle of their 3 fixed menus plus a couple of supplements. The supplements are pricey enough that it probably would have been cheaper to just go for the big tasting menu.

Providence mysteriously persists in a somewhat annoying corkage policy. They do have “no corkage monday”, which is nice, but it isn’t really no corkage, it’s “no corkage on 2 bottles but don’t bring any more.” We managed to bring a few more, but still they are sticklers with the limit. I don’t mind the corkage but hate the limits. Anyway, this wine was off their list:

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

Amuse of spherized cocktail.

Crab bites in radish.

Gougeres stuffed with foie.

Skewers of tomatoes.

Will brought: 1990 Louis Latour Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. Our bottle was very mature and subtle, but had a pleasant nutty character.

Chilled fruit “soup.”

Truffle foie bite. Best amuse, and an amazing (and rich) bite.

Fried “cigars.”

Tai snapper, daikon, ginger coriander. Very nice and bright.

Super normandy butter and salt.

I was trying to avoid the bread, but failed miserably.

Seb brought: 2005 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny. VM 90. Good medium red. Dark raspberry, coffee and spicy oak on the nose; this wine’s flamboyant ripeness almost came as a shock following the more reticent 2006s. Big, round, plush and ripe, with spicy dark raspberry and chocolate flavors and considerable density for village wine. Quite smooth and harmonious at the moment: Roumier volunteered that this is not as closed yet as he expected it would be.

agavin: very nice, albeit young.

Supplement of uni egg. Good stuff, but tiny (for $22).

Abalone, grilled avocado, tortilla, dill. Tasted like guacamole with some extra chew. A waste of the abalone and very rich.

From my cellar: 1993 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares. BH 92. Earthy, deep and wonderfully fresh fruit leads to dense, solidly tannnic, beautifully delineated and focused, rich flavors of exceptional purity and length. While the finish is firm, it is by no means hard and there is excellent buffering sève all underpinned by vibrant acidity. There is plenty of wine here but this is a wine for the patient and it should live for years to come.

Santa barbara spot prawn, summer squash, tomato dashi, opal basil. Very light and tomatoey dish. There was a very thin tomato broth poured in here later.

Vermilion rockfish, cranberry beans, buttermilk, chanterelle. Light and buttery.

Dusty brought: 2010 Promontory Red Wine. VM 95+. The 2010 Promontory is rich, powerful and intense, with a core of inner sweetness that is compelling. Today the 2010 is quite exotic in its aromatics, but is less available and forthcoming on the palate. I would prefer to cellar it for a few more years.

agavin: not a bad giant cab, but not really the right kind of wine for Providence which is more white and soft reds.

Supplement of black truffle risotto.

Black truffles from Australia.

And properly topped. A nice risotto, but could have been more mind blowing for the price.

One of the 3 entree choices:

white sea bass. Brentwood corn, pancetta, garden greens.

Another light wine:

Larry brought: 2000 Harlan Estate. JK 96+. The 2000 Harlan Estate is in a beautiful place today. Soft, open-knit and nicely mellowed by age, the 2000 is absolutely gorgeous, with soft contours to match is engaging personality. Mocha, black cherries, leather and spice are all quite forward in this succulent Harlan Estate. The 2000 might not be a profound Harlan Estate, but it is a striking wine that is peaking today and that should continue to drink well for at least another few years.

Liberty farms duck, pluot, shiso, ume.

A5 Wagyu. Maris piper potato, black truffle bordelaise. Rich and tasty.

2015 Nabor. Dusty made this wine and it was bottled roughly a week earlier!

Intermezzo of watermelon, green tomato, tomatillo, basil. A tremendous palette cleanser. Granite textures, really excellent.

The black forests of Nice. Sour cherry, cherry ice cream. Okay, but a little discombobulated. I think a straight black forest cake would have been better.

Petite Fours of pate de fruits, chocolates, and macarons.

This was a great night and lots of fun. I was so full from the butter factor and the supplements that I couldn’t handle the cheese course. Sigh.

The food was very good, but the format is long and heavy, and they do use A LOT of butter. After growing used to the more rustic and less buttery more casual places that dominate LA these days Providence does feel a bit old school. I still like the tasting format, particularly in Europe at playful top places like Azurmendi.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, Foodie Club, Providence, Wine

Sauvages 2 at Upstairs 2

Sep08

Restaurant: Upstairs 2 [1, 2, 3]

Location: 2311 Cotner Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90064 Tel. 310-231-0316

Date: July 14, 2017

Cuisine: Modern Tapas

Rating: Bright flavors and a lot of options.

ANY CHARACTER HERE

Upstairs 2 is located just above the Wine House on Cotner. The main room serves an eclectic tapas menu, but as this was a special Sauvages du Vin lunch (always a lunch, always Friday) we gathered upstairs in the private room for a special menu and flights of themed wine. This time around Grand cru Red Burgundy from the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, vintages older than 2006.
The group gathers in the private room.

Starter white:

2012 Christophe et Fils Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu. 92 points. Just a beautiful mix of salt water and citrus elements in a light to medium weight wine. Not as heavy feeling and much more lively than some 2012s. Very, very nice. I continue to be impressed by the Christophe line up for its classicism and purity.

Flight 1:

1996 Jean Raphet et Fils Charmes-Chambertin. 95 points. Medium ruby red color with a subtle 5mm bricked margin. Slow-O for 2 hours before serving. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This really was everything I had hoped for. The combination of maturity, depth and elegance is hard to beat. Great nose with cherry, earth, dried forest floor, and spice notes. The palate is resonant, with sublime red fruits of berry and more subtle cherry here, well delineated, intense forest floor, lifted, great balancing acid, mushroom, mineral, and a burst of spice on the long finish. Everything is right where I want it to be. This is at peak now. I only wish I had more left….

1996 Frédéric Magnien Charmes-Chambertin.

1995 Claude Dugat Charmes-Chambertin. VM 94. Brilliant ruby color. Blueberry, violet, smoky oak and floral aromas convey an almost syrupy sweetness. Dense and extremely concentrated; this shows an almost painful intensity today yet has no rough edges. Pure Pinot sap. Totally convincing grand cru. Builds and builds on the palate and aftertaste.

1996 Domaine Henri Perrot Charmes-Chambertin.

Grilled beef tenderloin skewers. Blue lake beans. Heirloom cherry tomatoes. Castelvetrano olives. Capers. This wasn’t the best dish at all. The salad was a bit limp and the beef tasted like “home beef” rather than restaurant beef.

Flight 2:

1996 Dominique Laurent Charmes-Chambertin. VM 92-95. Very good deep red-ruby color. Highly perfumed game, coffee and rose petal aromas; this to me is far more typical of Charmes terroir than the serie rare example from Mazoyeres. Terrific intensity in the mouth; supple, stony, powerfully structured. Again, one senses the soil behind the grapes. Fabulous authoritative finish. This will be a real vin de garde for the vintage.

1999 Dominique Laurent Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. VM 94-97. Deep ruby-red. Noble, wonderfully complex, slightly liqueur-like aromas of framboise, cranberry, blueberry, rose petal and violet. Liqueur-like fruit and velvety texture on the palate; already shows compelling inner-mouth perfume. Like an essence of pinot noir, confectionery but not at all heavy. The longest of Laurent ’99s to this point. Finishes with great verve and grip. “Like the ’96, except that the ’96 was more closed at a similar stage,” notes Laurent.

From my cellar: 1998 Dominique Laurent Mazis-Chambertin. 95 points. Showed good complexity and depth, excellent balance, and a medium finish. Flavors of black raspberry, cherry, spices, dried leaves, and forest floor all emerged after a time. The acidity held everything together nicely. Good freshness of flavor both on the nose and palate. I think this is nearly at peak or plateauing nicely.

Pappardelle pasta, wild mushroom ragu, roasted garlic & thyme cream sauce. This was the best of the dishes. Didn’t look like much, but a nice rich pasta.

Flight 3:

2002 Bernard Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques. BH 91-94. This resembles the 1er but this is a complete wine, combining power, concentration and stunningly elegant aromas and flavors into a harmonious whole. The acidity is higher as is the sense of minerality yet this retains a velvety, indeed silky quality to the round, fresh, focused flavors. This is indisputably of grand cru quality with complexity to burn. A great effort.

2001 Camille Giroud Chambertin. BH 92-95. As with the Malconsorts and Romanée St. Vivant, there is another dimension here and the complexity is nothing short of staggering and I use this word advisedly as it was frankly difficult to believe that so much nuance and depth could be crammed into the nose of an as yet unfinished wine. Very ripe, pure, blackberry fruit nose leads to massive, hugely forceful, vigorous, solidly structured flavors that epitomize what the finest Burgundies seem to do, e.g. manage to deliver power without weight and the finish here goes on and on for minutes. This should really be something to see when it attains its majority and I would not be at all surprised if my score is ultimately found to be conservative.

2002 Hubert Lignier Charmes-Chambertin. BH 91. A wonderfully exuberant, expressive and generous nose of ripe, earth and elegant red pinot fruit aromas blend into sizeable, rich, intense and palate staining flavors that are both energetic and opulent. This is quite powerful but retains an elegance and subtle reserve that is most appealing, especially on the long, exacting, classy finish. If there is a nit, it’s that this is more about pure pinot fruit than profound complexity but to be clear, this is nonetheless a beautiful and altogether elegant wine.

2002 Domaine Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin Très Vieilles Vignes. BH 95. A heavily toasted nose with spice, wood and tar nuances frames ripe but fresh black pinot fruit and cassis aromas that also display an extraordinary panoply of secondary nuances, including earth, underbrush, leather, soy and spice. The powerful, rich and utterly delicious big-bodied and very concentrated flavors coat and stain the palate and completely buffer the now softening tannic spine on the superbly long finish. In short, this is flat out incredible juice and while it’s clearly quite oaky, the wood somehow works quite well with the wine even though it’s far from invisible. As to drinkability, I would probably opt to hold the ’02 Charmes for a few more years but it could easily be drunk now with pleasure.

Spice Rubbed Pork Belly. Sauteed Baby Spinach. Creamy Polenta. Red Wine demi. Nice course. Like a rich slab of sorta bacon.

Flight 4:

2005 Dupont-Tisserandot Mazis-Chambertin. BH 95. A background touch of wood spice surrounds red, violet, animale and earth tones that are more complex still and this depth continues on the earth-inflected, sappy and moderately concentrated but gorgeously balanced flavors that possess real character and excellent power on the impressively long finish. This has both style and personality and it is very Mazis in both style and character plus it will age for decades. A classic Mazis in the making.

2005 Lucien Le Moine Mazis-Chambertin. BH 94-96. An explosive nose of red berry pinot fruit of fantastic breadth and depth features the ripe and classic sauvage and animale character that continues onto the wonderfully intense, driving and energetic big-bodied flavors that retain a beautiful sense of delineation on the layered, sweet and mouth coating finish. This is a big but balanced wine that carries the weight and power with effortless grace.

2003 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. BH 91-94. The incredibly rich, powerful and complex flavors are introduced by classy, pure, spicy and ripe aromas of dark pinot fruit notes and obvious earth nuances all framed by an interesting hint of sandalwood. There are buckets of pinot sap that coat and stain the palate and all but completely hide the very firm tannins that presently dominate the finish yet already seem perfectly integrated. The acidity is on the low side the explosiveness of the finish is more than just impressive, it has the ‘wow’ factor and this should age for two decades or more.

Grilled New Zealand Lamb Chops. Roasted Fennel & Potatoes. Natural au jus. Not bad chops.

The cryptic notes.

Our chef!

Because there was no dessert — or even cheese — I brought a pair of gelati. On the bottom is my pistachio with nuts from Bronte Sicily. On the top is coconut sorbetto (coconuts from Thai land) with home-made coconut caramel!

Overall Upstairs 2 did a solid job with this lunch. Wine service was good and the food was good, but not as good as last time we came (that salad was just so-so). Wines were awesome and a lot of great showings from Gevrey, particularly the 90s wines. Sauvages is always a great time.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Burgundy, BYOG, Gelato, Red Burgundy, Sauvages, Upstairs 2, Wine

Kali Live Octopus

Dec12

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

Location: 5722 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 871-4160

Date: December 1, 2016

Cuisine: New American French

Rating: Better every time!

I’ve known Kevin Meehan for years as a private and popup chef and have had the pleasure to enjoy many a fine meal he’s put together. But this year he transitioned into the more stationary, and possibly more hectic restaurant world by opening up his own Melrose Ave restaurant! This is our third Foodie Club visit.

With the opening of Kali Restaurant, Chef Kevin Meehan’s broad 23-year culinary career reaches its apex. At Kali, Meehan, whose deft hand was cultivated in Los Angeles’ most prestigious kitchens, joins forces with long-time friend and professional colleague, Drew Langley, previously the wine director at the iconic, Michelin-starred Providence.
For the 39-year-old Meehan, Kali represents the evolution of not just Kali Dining, his roving private dinner pop-up, but the rigorous years he spent refining his craft. The contemporary California restaurant blends the precision and hospitality of the white tablecloth kitchens where Meehan developed his culinary acumen, with the accessibility and ease of a local’s favorite neighborhood haunt.
Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Meehan’s initial foray in the industry was at a fried chicken joint when he was a teenager. While most would be turned off by working the fryer, Meehan was feeding an innate attraction to food, and, in the process, unearthing what would become a life-long love affair with the restaurant world. After graduating high school, Meehan enrolled in the esteemed Culinary Arts program at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, an education that he would test and sharpen on-the-line during an apprenticeship at the Michelin-starred L’alban Chambon under French Master Chef Dominique Michou, and, later, alongside Los Angeles’ finest chefs.
In 2000, Meehan drove cross country to assume a post at the celebrated L’Orangerie, then helmed by Chef Ludo Lefebvre. It was there that Meehan met Langley, who he would subsequently work with at the now late Bastide, where Meehan served as Chef de Cuisine, and, later, at Citrine. After Citrine’s closure in 2005, Meehan joined Patina Restaurant Group as Chef de Cuisine at Joachim Spichal’s seminal Patina restaurant in Downtown. During his three-year tenure, the restaurant received a Michelin Star for its fresh interpretation of French cuisine informed by seasonality, and Meehan was consequently promoted to Executive Chef of Café Pinot.
In 2012, Meehan parted ways with the prolific restaurant group to launch his passion project, Kali Dining. The underground operation quickly garnered critical attention for Meehan’s assertive, yet nuanced tasting menus that he prepared, dinner party-style, for Los Angeles top tastemakers, luminaries, and food enthusiasts. Kali the restaurant was birthed from the success of Kali Dining, and the passion that Meehan and co-owner Langley share for pushing the boundaries of the typical fine dining experience.

For Kali, Kevin partnered with Drew Langley.
While most known for his esteemed tenure as the Wine Director at the Michelin-starred Providence in Los Angeles, Drew Langley brings an extensive resume of experience to Kali Restaurant, a passion project born out of his 15-year friendship with Chef Kevin Meehan.
As Co-owner and Wine Director of the contemporary California restaurant near Hollywood’s iconic Paramount Pictures Studios, the 39-year-old’s near life-long matriculation in the food & beverage industry is fully realized. Kali blends the haute cuisine and hospitality of a fine dining destination with the accessibility of an everyday neighborhood haunt, and Langley’s concise, intelligent wine program is a reflection of the core philosophy that defines the restaurant.
Born and raised in a small town in south Maryland, Langley’s initial introduction to the industry was as a dishwasher at a local pizzeria at the age of 13. While his contemporaries found inspiration in the classroom, Langley was drawn to the rhythm and intensity of the restaurant world, acquiring a vast understanding of its inner workings through odd jobs that ran the gamut from line cook at regional chain Perkin’s to corporate trainer for Applebee’s openings to bar back at Solomon’s Pier, a seafood restaurant and nightclub.
In 1997, the then 20-year-old Langley leapt at an opportunity to relocate to Los Angeles, and stumbled into a position at Greenblatt’s, a beloved deli and wine shop in West Hollywood, that would ultimately pave the way for his future career. Langley furthered his three-year wine education at Greenblatt’s with a position at Dennis Overstreet’s Beverly Hills Wine Merchant, before joining the now-closed L’Orangerie in Beverly Hills as Sommelier in 2000. It was there that Langley crossed paths with Meehan, who he would subsequently work alongside at the late Bastide and Citrine.
After opening Bastide in 2002 as Commis Sommelier, and enjoying a stint as Wine Director at Citrine in 2003, Langley switched gears to lend support to entrepreneur and wine collector Jeff Smith for the launch of Carte Du Vin. His time at the local wine cellar management firm birthed and deepened relationships with prominent private collectors, relationships that inform his wine program at Kali today. In 2005, Langley joined the opening team at Providence, serving as Wine Director for Michael Cimarusti’s nationally-acclaimed seafood destination through 2015 when he left to prepare for Kali’s debut in early 2016.
An avid music enthusiast, when Langley is not refining his wine list with new finds or overseeing the day-to-day operations at Kali, the Koreatown resident can be found indulging in the local drum-and-bass culture.

A glimpse inside.

And the cool meat larder — pig head and all.

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

A delicious cracker/cookie and cheese sandwich.

Uni on polenta.

1999 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 92+. A mineral bath of a nose, with bright lemon and lime fruit notes. Youthfully austere, penetrating and sharply delineated; strong minerality currently dominates lemon and white grapefruit flavors. Bracing, near-painful finish features superb length and grip.

Live octopus — it was still twitching.

Then it was cut up into bits and tossed with tangy marinate. Chewy, but delicious.

2015 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé. VM 93. Pale orange. Lively, expansive citrus pith and red currant aromas are complemented by suggestions of chalky minerals and white flowers. Sappy, concentrated and precise, offering palate-staining red berry and blood orange flavors and a hint of spicy white pepper. Shows excellent thrust and persistence on the mineral-driven finish, which emphatically echoes the floral and citrus fruit qualities. I’m impressed by the way this wine balances the opulence of the vintage with vivacity and I suspect it will reward at least another eight or so years of patience — standard behavior for this bottling, which ages more like a red wine than a pink one.

Fish tartar with crisp.

2004 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. BH 93. A mildly reduced nose features honeysuckle and acacia blossom notes introduces sweet, rich and beautifully complex flavors of impressive purity and vibrancy with brilliant length. A terrific effort that has the hallmark softness of Pucelles while retaining a firm and tangy, indeed almost linear finish that displays more minerality than usual.

Lobster ravioli.

With this amazing broth with a rich bisque-like taste.

Rosemary bread.

1993 Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens. BH 92. For years the ’93 de Montille Rugiens was impenetrable and it’s still incredibly youthful and in fact, not a great deal has changed except to note that little by little, the wine is gradually emerging from its awkward adolescence with a gorgeous and still primary nose of red and black pinot fruit that reflects obvious mineral notes. The vibrant and firm medium full flavors are impressively complex and are underpinned by firm but integrated tannins that leave the finish with a dusty texture. This will require the better part of the next decade to come around but it should be worth the wait.

Black barely risotto. Black garlic, toasted cheese. A very nice whole grain with a creamy garlic herb vibe.

From my cellar: 1996 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley. VM 94. Deep ruby color. Multidimensional aromas of violet, coffee, dried rose, clove, rare steak and seductive oak. Huge and tactile; really implodes in the mouth today. Extremely deep and lush, with the sheer sweetness to buffer its considerable acids and tannins. Oaky. Finishes extremely long, with very fine, tooth-coating tannins. With aeration, some of the baby fat melted away, and the wine’s powerful structure was manifest. Headspinning, old-style Burgundy, and very impressive. One to buy and cellar.

1996 Faiveley Bonnes Mares.

LAMB. parsnip / date / pecan / purlane.

1999 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Echezeaux. 92 points. Complex and mature bouquet with -beside some red fruits- mostly tertiary impressions. Tar, toast, asphalt, gun powder, a bit organic and rustic. On the palate the same special impressions, minerals, volcanic, beautiful acidity, soft tannin and strawberries. Beautiful and very special wine. Drink now or in the next few years is probably a wise thing to do.

2008 Louis Jadot Grands-Echezeaux. VM 93. The 2008 Grands-Echezeaux is wonderfully expressive in its aromas and flavors. Clean, mineral notes frame an attractive melange of sweet red cherries, flowers, licorice and spices in this mid-weight, intensely long Burgundy. This is a classy effort from Jadot.

DUCK BREAST. carrot / coffee / honey / cocoa.
Meat anyone?

1952 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva. 94 points. Awesome, very Burgundian.

Flannery Beef HANGER STEAK. burnt onion jam / fingerling potato / bitter herb oil.

2005 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart. BH 96. n expressive and very ripe black berry fruit, spice, mocha, fresh coffee and earthy nose is surrounded by a generous blast of new oak that continues onto the rich, full, concentrated, powerful and sweet flavors that possess superb mid-palate density and huge length. This is an extremely rich wine and because of the influence of the wood, the detail that will very likely come with time in bottle has not yet developed but this is so concentrated yet balanced that it’s only a matter of time. This will live for ages and somewhat surprisingly, this is actually approachable now simply because it is so concentrated yet I suspect that when this finally shuts down, it will stay there for the better part of a decade. In a word, fantastic.

Toasted Meringue Gelato. grated candied yolk. This tasted like sweet cream with a dusting of salty eggy goodness. It was mild, creamy, and absolutely stunning. I ate two.

One of these hands is the one you want to get slapped with.

CHOCOLATE CREMEUX. mint / cocoa soil / bitter nibs.

Les vins.

Overall, not only was this a great meal with great friend (and wine), but Kevin’s food was really bang up fabulous. He’s always been a very talented chef but it seems to me, and I noted how in my previous visit that he’s really polished the cooking. This trend has continued, because in a few short months things have gone from great to… well greater. I don’t know anyone else in LA that’s doing this kind of ingredient focused cooking and yet nailing it with such bright pure flavors. The dishes have this balanced tension that is very sophisticated and some of them are pretty stand out amazing like the yellowtail, burrata, cod, steak, duck, and gelato — and noticed how I named a LOT of dishes because the percentage of knock outs is very high!

Service was great. We felt like family.

Really great stuff. Bravo Kevin and Drew!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, Drew Langley, Kali, Kevin Meehan, live octopus, Wine

71Above – Knights Who Say Wine

Oct03

Restaurant: 71Above [1, 2, 3]

Location: 633 W 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071

Date: September 30, 2016

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Awesome in all ways

Besides being located on the 71st floor (950 feet up!) of the US Bank building, being the highest restaurant west of the Mississippi, and showcasing the food of Chef Vartan Abgaryan, it’s owned and operated by my friend Emil Eyvazoff! And Emil also happens to be a member of my class in the Chevaliers du Tastevin, which bring’s us to this year’s annual “Grand Cru” lunch.

The Chevaliers are a sacred (to Dionysus) order of “knights.” Hehe. Knights of the grape.

And today we took over Emil’s spectacular high-rise.

Even the wine commands a view!

As does every table!

First comes the cocktail hour.

With live band.

And champagne of course.

Plus yummy fig and burrata tarts.

2013 Comte Armand Bourgogne-Aligoté. BH 86. A spicy and ultra-fresh nose exhibits notes of green apple and citrus peel. There is fine verve and delineation to the lightly mineral-inflected flavors that exude a subtle salinity on the clean, dry and nicely balanced finish. This is not especially complex but I like the clean style and delivery.

And foie gras toasts.

Today’s special menu.

Notice the committee details.

Savory Canelé. Looks just like the not so savory kind, and has the same wonderful texture, but instead offered an evocative warm taste of rosemary and maybe cheese.

2009 Domaine Larochette-Manciat Pouilly-Fuissé Les Petites Bruyeres. 91 points. Nose of acacia flowers, lemon zest and lemongrass. Extracted lemon, some chalkiness with hints Grass and stone. Very refreshing.

agavin: over performing.

2011 Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs-Gain. BH 89-91. A ripe but very fresh nose of spiced herbal tea, white flowers, pear and fennel leads to generously proportioned middle weight flavors that possess both good volume and a suave mouth feel. There is just a touch of austerity to the agreeably dry, pure and well-balanced finish that offers very good if not truly distinguished depth and length. (Drink starting 2018)

2007 Yves Boyer-Martenot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret. VM 91. Medium, bright yellow. Ripe aromas of peach, butter, clove and grilled nuts, lifted by violet and lavender nuances. Supple and pliant, offering the sweetest impression of Boyer’s crus, but with an edge of pineappley acidity giving the wine an early spiky quality. For all its texture, this shut down in the glass and will need some bottle aging.

Hamachi with apple, dill, horseradish, and preserved lemon. Really bright and delicious Japanese/herby “enchilada.”

2009 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère. BH 95. There is also a trace of reduction and sulfur remnants present on the nose though there is a brilliant purity to the refined and penetratingly mineral-driven flavors that possess outstanding precision and cut on the powerful finish that is quite dry for the vintage with almost painful intensity. A real stunner.

agavin: young and tons of reductive bandaid.

Sautéed scallop with cauliflower, raisons, and harissa. Really interesting textures and a great turmeric taste.

Halibut with a similar prep.

2006 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs. VM 92+. Good medium red. Captivating aromas of cherry, spices, minerals and flowers. Fat, broad and deeply spicy, with noteworthy depth of flavor and a tactile mouth feel. At once mouthfilling and vibrant; seamless and lively. The very long finish features thoroughly enrobed ripe tannins and vibrant spicy persistence. It will be fascinating to compare this with the 2007 version in six or seven years.

2004 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jesus. VM 90. Medium red. Black cherry and a resiny nuance on the youthfully medicinal nose. The broadest and sweetest of these Bouchard Beaune bottlings, with dark fruit flavors given definition and lift by firm acidity. This has good volume and a chewy texture. Finishes with sweet tannins and very good length, with a piquant note of grapefruit.

agavin: 90 points is a stretch for this wine which is still showing the awful ’04 meany greenies.

Roasted duck with parsnips, dates, and Szechuan peppercorns. The duck was gamey and perfectly medium rare. A really nice piece of fowl. And boldly there was a real Szechuan peppercorn tongue buzz. I’ve almost never seen these used outside of Chinese restaurants.

The vegetables were sweet and “spicy” (cinnamon, etc) with a decidedly autumn vibe.

Emil and Chef Abgaryan and crew.

1998 Domaine Michel Gaunoux Corton-Renardes. BH 92. This is markedly more complex than the ’98 Rugiens with a classic Renardes nose that is intensely sauvage and displaying moderate secondary development along with plenty of spice nuances. There is excellent energy and punch and it’s clear that the supporting structural elements are riper while supporting and shaping the impressively well-detailed and mineral-inflected flavors and finish. This is an excellent ’98 though note that while it could certainly be drunk now with pleasure that it will continue to age for years.

Selection of American Cheeses. The middle one was like a Gorgonzola dulce.
Reds in the sky.

Crazy views! The Wilshire corridor.

In full swing.

Like on my previous visits the team at 71Above really pulled ahead with great execution. As you can see above the plating is modern but approachable and highly attractive. But the flavor on the dishes is paramount, and really quite excellent, particularly considering their complexity and textural variation. There is a balanced quality between opposite forces in Chef Abgaryan’s cooking that pulls from Chinese culinary theory, while that specific flavors and combinations are largely American/European. It’s both approachable and sophisticated. Bravo!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Vertigo.

By: agavin
Comments (6)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: 71above, Burgundy, Chevaliers, Emil Eyvazoff, Vartan Abgaryan, Wine

Sauvages at Upstairs 2

Sep12

Restaurant: Upstairs 2 [1, 2]

Location: 2311 Cotner Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90064 Tel. 310-231-0316

Date: September 9, 2016

Cuisine: Modern Tapas

Rating: Bright flavors and a lot of options.

ANY CHARACTER HERE

Upstairs 2 is located just above the Wine House on Cotner. The main room serves an eclectic tapas menu, but as this was a special Sauvages du Vin lunch (always a lunch, always Friday) we gathered upstairs in the private room for a special menu and flights of themed wine. This time around Grand and 1re cru Red Burgundy from the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, vintages older than 2004.

Today’s special menu.

Flight 0

The whites are bonuses that various people brought – like me.

From my cellar: 2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros. BH 92-95. A classic Chablis nose of mineral reduction, oyster shell and green fruit aromas merges into sappy, rich and powerful flavors that possess more refinement than usual on the long, sappy and beautifully detailed finish. I’m impressed that this seems to have to rusticity and in this sense, it’s a bit atypical.

1999 Louis Latour Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets. 83 points. Our bottle was “very” advanced. Golden and oxidative.

2005 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Mount Carmel. VM 91. Light yellow. Rich pineapple and lichee on the nose, with fresh melon and fig adding complexity. A real fruit basket on the palate, displaying peach, honeydew, tropical fruits and an exotic licorice quality. Picks up sexy baking spices on the long, juicy finish. I prefer the finesse of this to the power of the Seasmoke today.

The gang gathers in the private room. Amusingly, this was the very same room in which I took my Italian Sommelier mastery class
4.5 years ago!

Flight 1

1999 Domaine Rene Leclerc Griotte-Chambertin. 92 points. Bright ruby. Very seductive and perfumed nose of first roses, then cherry, raspberry and a touch of roast. Somewhat tight on the palate, yielding some cherry and flowers. Gritty tannins with medium acidity and body. Sappy finish with medium to long persistence. Needs at least another 3-5 years to come together.

1990 Serafin Père et Fils Charmes-Chambertin. 90 points. Black fruit with earthy hints, overall a bit firm and rustic. Nice fruit, length and balance, but I was surprised this was from 1990 given the wine’s firm structure and seemingly modest ripeness.

1996 Geantet-Pansiot Charmes-Chambertin. VM 94. Saturated deep ruby; one of the darkest ’96s I saw in November. Multifaceted nose combines black fruits, violet, licorice, espresso, smoke, gibier and sweet butter. The class of the cellar in terms of concentration, sweetness, finesse and length; in fact, today this wine makes Geantet’s ’95 seem almost heavy in comparison. Lovely roundness and clarity of flavor. Really explodes on the palate-staining finish.

1996 Dominique Laurent Chambertin. VM 92-95. Much deeper red-ruby color. Brilliant sauvage perfume of dark fruits, mocha and Chambertin earth. Very intensely flavored but folded in on itself; currently showing less texture and volume than the Clos de Beze. But explodes and expands on the finish, which features powerful, chewy tannins. A musclebound wine that will need at least seven or eight years of bottle aging.

Foie Gras Terrine. Burgundy-Pomegranate Reduction. Pretty straight up duck liver goodness!

Flight 2

From my cellar: 1998 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Petite Chapelle. 93 points. Lots of cherry fruit and good structure. Quite delicious.

1998 Claude Dugat Chapelle-Chambertin. VM 89-92. Dugat vinifies two barrels of Chapelle-Chambertin juice owned by Philippe Livera and Butterfield & Robinson, keeping one barrel for himself.<BR> Higher-toned aromas of iron, earth and game. Penetrating and rather powerful, but a less fruit-driven style than the wines from Dugat’s own vines. Not quite as much material or nuance here. Soaking up the oak more quickly, and thus a bit drier on the finish. But still impressive.

1997 Domaine Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin Très Vieilles Vignes. VM 93. Deep red. Perfumed, nuanced aromas of cherry, faded rose, woodsmoke and bacon fat. Tighter and less showy than the last two bottles, but displayed sappy, intense red fruit flavors with aeration. A rarity: a ’97 with real finesse. Finishes very long and juicy, with unusually supple tannins for this wine, from some of the oldest vines on the Cote de Nuits.

agavin: voted WOTD (wine of the day)

1998 Hospices de Beaune Mazis-Chambertin Cuvée Madeleine Collignon Louis Jadot.

Flight 3

Pan Seared Quail. Roasted grapes, poltry reduction, celeriac choucroute. A nice small game bird dish.

1999 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. BH 91-93. Roasted ripe fruit that has a mix of red and black fruits, especially black cherry with wonderfully spicy, complex flavors that are both rich and dense. This is very ripe but the acidity is more pronounced which does a better job of balancing off the richness. Clos St. Jacques is almost always the finest Gevrey 1er chez Jadot and 99 is no exception. Grand cru quality and because of the richness, this will be approachable young but drink well for a long time.

1999 Domaine Joseph Roty Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fontenys. VM 91. Full red. Expressive aromas of raspberry, woodsmoke, tobacco and game. Sweet and pliant, with very ripe flavors of meat and tobacco. Showing more personality today than the Brunelle or Clos Prieur. Lovely ripe, harmonious acidity. Finishes very long, with fine tannins. This was delicious since the beginning.

2000 Domaine Joseph Roty Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fontenys. VM 90+. Red-ruby. Floral aromas of red cherry, licorice and tarry oak. More perfumed than the foregoing wines; tightly wound but very aromatic in the mouth, with dark fruit and licorice notes. Pure and fresh for the year but in need of aging.

2001 Domaine Joseph Roty Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fontenys. VM 91+. Full ruby-red. Pure, vibrant aromas of berries, cherry, minerals and flowers. Sweet, stony, minerally and quite firm, with refreshing framing acidity. ?A mix of old vines and very old vines from a very hot part of this vineyard,? says Philippe, adding that the fruit here came in with a relatively high 12.5% potential alcohol in 2001. Structured finish features firm acids and serious but supple tannins.

agavin: our bottle was slightly tainted

Pan roasted Duck Breast. Cauliflower Puree. Duck Demi-Glace. Some perfect bits of medium rare duck breast. Very juicy.

Flight 4

The partial flight lineup.

2002 Claude Dugat Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques. VM 94+. right ruby-red. Deeply smoky aromas and flavors of black and red cherry and violet. Less nuanced and expressive today than the 1er cru, but also boasts terrific freshness of fruit. Brilliantly primary wine, finishing with slow-building, extremely persistent flavor and superb grip. Give the 1er cru six years in the bottle, but hold off on this one for seven or eight. (Incidentally, Dugat opened a bottle of the ’92 Lavaux, no doubt to make the point that his wines age better than some critics believe. It was a knockout: at its peak right now, and more stylish and complex than 99% of Burgundies from this relatively early-maturing vintage.)

2001 Domaine Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. BH 93. This is much like the ’02 in style with a sterner and less elegant character but a good deal more power and the same masculine quality. Earthy, robust and slightly austere minerality and a mix of red and black fruit aromas introduce precise and brilliantly intense flavors that deliver outstanding length and simply incredible complexity. I rarely prefer big over fine but the additional complexity and depth of material make this a better wine and this is just flat out wonderful.

2002 Domaine Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. VM 92. Good deep ruby-red. Knockout nose combines black fruits, minerals and coffee. Richer and more tactile than the Charmes but not sweeter; more massive and powerful. This boasts very strong fruit without coming across as overly sweet or heavy. A wine of compelling length, with the well-buffered tannins coating the entire palate.

2002 Louis Jadot Chapelle-Chambertin. VM 90-93. Good bright ruby-red. High-toned roasted fruits, licorice, violet and sweet oak on the nose. Sweet, supple and creamy, with fruit currently dominated by an exotic coconutty oak quality. A second barrel showed even riper aromas and superb richness.

2002 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. VM 92. Ruby-red. Wild, musky aromas of strawberry, minerals and smoky oak. Wonderfully silky on entry, then suave and aristocratic in the middle palate. Very subtle flavors build impressively on the sweet finish, which features very fine tannins.

Grilled Alpine NY Strip. Gratin of Root Vegetables. Haricot Verts. Truffle Jus. I loved the meat and “potatoes” quality of this dish — particularly that the potatoes were rich and cheesy.

Expresso Ice Cream. A nice creamy bit of ice cream clearly made with real expresso beans.

The lineup.

Overall Upstairs 2 did an awesome job with this dinner. Wine service was good and the food was a fowl collection of tasty morsels. Sorry, couldn’t resist. We had only 1-2 flawed wines and a lot of great showings from Gevrey, particularly the 90s wines. Sauvages is always a great time.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, Gevrey-Chambertin, Red Burgundy, Sauvages, Upstairs 2, Wine

Yamakase Summer

Jul18

Restaurant: Yamakase [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: You wish you knew!

Date: July 8, 2016

Cuisine: Japanese

Rating: Best yet!

Yamakase is just hands down one of the most fun evenings in LA. Not only is the “modern” Japanese cuisine incredible, but the convivial nature of the place is just great. It’s not very big and as usual we took the entire sushi bar (we had 10 this time, but you can squeeze in 11 or 12).

The location is in a good neighborhood, but something about this particular strip mall is a bit sketchy. Maybe it’s the 7/11. There are a lot of strange characters hanging about.

Inside, chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto rules over the sushi bar.

In the back there are a couple of small tables — but the bar is really where it’s at!

Have a little tuna/toro!

2000 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses. BH 95. This is more mature than the 2001 with a beautifully layered nose of yeast, lemon rind, brioche, dried flowers and spice hints. There is excellent volume and superb intensity to the firm mousse that despite the firmness exhibits a very fine bead. This is exceptionally impressive in the mouth with the same striking complexity of the nose coupled with positively gorgeous length. A knockout that could be drunk now with pleasure or held for a few more years first; personally I would opt for the latter but either way, this is a classic Clos des Goisses.

agavin: our bottle was delicious, but perhaps a touch advanced.

Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée. VM 94. The NV Grande Cuvée is absolutely stellar. This is one of the very best Grande Cuvées I can remember tasting. The flavors are bright, focused and beautifully delineated throughout, all of which make me think the wine will age well for many, many years. Lemon peel, white flowers, crisp pears, smoke and crushed rocks race across the palate in a vibrant, tense Champagne that epitomizes finesse. This release is based on the 2005 vintage and was disgorged in winter 2012/2013.

2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 96. A wonderfully layered and nuanced nose features an intense yeasty character to the maturing fruit that displays interesting phenolic characters, in particular petrol, along with aromas of apple, pear and soft citrus hints. In contrast to the nascent maturity expressed by the nose the flavor profile is still tight and backward with a genuinely gorgeous texture, all wrapped in a strikingly persistent and highly complex finish. For my taste the 2000 Brut is at an inflection point as the nose does offer enough maturity so that it’s really quite pretty whereas the palate impression is substantially younger. As such it really just depends on how you prefer your Champagne because I suspect that the nose will be very mature by the time the still very youthful flavors attain their majority. For my taste preferences it would be no vinous crime to begin enjoying this now but be aware that this will age for a very long time. The best approach is probably to buy 6, or even 12, bottles and enjoy them over a longer period of time.
Homemade tofu, Momotaro tomato, and uni. A “typical” Yamakase tofu dish. Great interplay of textures and flavors. I could even handle the tomato!

Persimmon butter sandwich with marcona almonds. This is an odd one, but delicious. The orange stripes are dried persimmon which has been hung to dry for months. This is a traditional Japanese New Year preparation and very highly prized. The lighter stripe is frozen high end butter! Almost like a little petite four.

1994 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Heimbourg Vendange Tardive. 93 points. Burnt creme brulee, dried apricot, carmelized peach/apricot in the pie tin; rich, creamy, full bodied with medium sweetness. Slight petrol-botrytis evident here (although not supposed to override varietal characteristics, I believe it does in this case); round, soft, but with overwhelming apricot notes; long finish.

From my cellar: 2009 Weingut Knoll Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg. VM 92. Medium green-yellow. Seductive aromas of ripe peach, subtle blossom honey and mandarin orange. Becomes more exotic in the mouth, adding papaya and lime to the mix. Sweet peach and papaya fruit is lifted by extraordinarily elegant lemony acidity. Finishes with palate-staining fruit and intense wet rock minerality. Wonderful to drink now, but should be even better between 2014 and 2024.

From my cellar: 2004 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune. VM 95. Pale, bright yellow. Ripe pineapple, liquid stone and exotic honey on the nose, with a spicy lift that suggests an oak influence this wine does not possess. On entry, this is sweeter and creamier than the Frederic Emile, but it livens up quickly in the middle, showing powerful minerality and sharply delineated flavors of liquid stone, pineapple and citrus peel. Still, this conveys a distinctly glyceral impression that suggests more sweetness than its 5 grams of residual sugar, no doubt a function of the 20% or so botrytized berries (in contrast to the Frederic Emile, which included no botrytis). Communicates an impression of power with elegance, finishing minerally and long but not austere. Pierre Trimbach compared this wine to the estate’s great 1990. This is already showing more Rosacker terroir than riesling character. About 9,000 bottles were made from 1.5 hectares of vines.

Abalone with eel sauce. The crunchy chewy mollusk simply served and delicious.

Mantis shrimp, baby peach, scallop, orange clam, and seaweed. I loved the sweet/tangy sauce too. Very lovely.

1996 Domaine Bernard Morey et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets. VM 93. Knockout nose combines herbs, white flowers and spiced pear; at once oily and precise. Rich-bordering-on-thick but given clarity by juicy limey acidity. Very long, palate-staining finish. The yield here was a good 50 hectoliters per hectare, says Morey. Yet this is so much more fleshy and pliant than so many ’96s.

2004 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Boudriotte. BH 89. A deft touch of wood frames citrus and earth infused ripe chardonnay fruit aromas that lead to rich, full and fleshy flavors that are robust if not especially structured, all wrapped in a delicious and easy to like finish. There is good freshness here if not great underlying tension with fine overall balance and fine length. In sum, this is a generous and easy to like effort that should repay a few years in the cellar.

Oyster, uni, quail egg, caviar. One of these super Yamakase spoons of crazy umami-rich ingredients.

Roasted unagi with eel sauce and bamboo shoots. This was very fresh, light, and seasonal.

2006 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. VM 96. Pale, bright yellow-green. Knockout nose combines ripe pineapple, dried fruits, lemon, lime, crushed stone, minerals and mint. A wine of outstanding intensity, power and thrust, with sappy mineral and toasted bread flavors saturating the palate. Most impressive today on the explosive, mounting, tactile finish, which leaves the mouth vibrating. This called to mind Corton-Charlemagne-or a great Austrian riesling. Winemaker Seguier loves this but feels that the 2004 is in the same quality league. And the 2007 is even more chalky, he adds.

From my cellar: 2002 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. VM93+. Musky aromas of chicken broth, lime and crushed stone; quite austere and slow to open. Then less fruity but more important on the palate, with bracing flavors of lemon and apple and an impression of minerality I can only describe as creamy. A very rich, dense wine with a strength of material that belies the normal-for-Raveneau yield of about 50 hectoliters per hectare.

2009 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. VM 93. The 2009 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre is super-impressive. There is a level of detail, nuance and energy to the fruit that is quite rare in 2009. The Montée de Tonnerre possesses dazzling purity all the way through to the finely articulated, chiseled finish. This is yet another superb effort from Raveneau. I have a slight preference for the 2010 here, but the 2009 will offer fabulous drinking while its younger sibling ages in the cellar.

Shrimp with tomatoes and parmesan. A new dish, and a delicious one. The tangy tomato/parm sauce was quite lovely.

Chef Yama works on his next course.

2001 Marc Colin et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. 92 points. Beautiful from the get go showing honey, roasted hazelnuts, some white chocolate, and a little tropical fruit. Reminded me of an Aubert Chardonnay in many ways. Nice mid weight…not a blockbuster but at the low end of outstanding.

2002 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne. VM 92+. Very subdued nose hints at apple, minerals and nutty oak. Then intensely flavored, penetrating and youthfully backward, with bracing flavors of apple, spiced pear and powdered stone. Very densely packed, spicy wine that’s currently dominated by its powerful spine. This needs a good five or six years to blossom in the bottle and may well merit a higher score.

Frozen toro, uni, and blue crab on toast. This toast and rich toro/crab combo is so good. Like a super high end version of a tuna sandwich.

Truffle, crab, quail egg, salmon egg, uni parfait. Classic Yamakase greatness. White truffles apparently this time of year. In December it was black.

From my cellar: 2001 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 93. While understandably tighter, this is still drinking much like the same wine in 750 ml format (see herein). An expressive and still quite fresh nose includes white flower, pronounced honey and exotic fruit aromas nuanced by spice hints flow seamlessly into a similar flavor profile on the thick, powerful and vibrant middle weight flavors yet that possess more than sufficient acidity to buffer the weight and richness. Overall, this is beautifully balanced, long and offers superb intensity and has everything it needs to continue a graceful evolution. As one would expect from magnum, this isn’t quite ready for prime time and while it could be drunk with pleasure, if you wish to see the wine at its optimum point of development, it will be necessary to wait for a few more years first.

2008 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 91-94. A subtle touch of pain grillé highlights citrus notes that, like the Pucelles, exhibit hints of honeysuckle and fennel nuances that complement perfectly the textured, rich and sweet medium plus weight flavors that are quite supple yet remain detailed, energetic and strikingly long on the explosive finish. This is a relatively powerful Bienvenues. In a word, terrific.

Orange clam and scallop in a dill sauce. A new treatment of some familiar ingredients. The dill sauce make for a different (and tasty) take on things.

Bluefin tuna, caviar. Some of the best chunks of tuna I’ve had.

From my cellar: 1985 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet. A little oxidized. Not premoxed, just getting old.

From my cellar: 2002 Louis Jadot Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. VM 96. Taut, vibrant aromas of grapefruit, apple, pear, and powdered and wet stone. A great expression of rocks in the mouth, with extremely pure flavors of grapefruit and lemon. Conveys a powerful impression of sweetness allied to sheer energy. Fabulous, consistent wine with near-perfect balance and extraordinary length. As penetrating as it is today, I would not describe this wine as austere.

1999 Henri Boillot Chevalier-Montrachet. 94 points. Light yellow in color. A bit of hazelnut to start but also some wood and bitterness. About 6 hours later, the wood resolved and the wine expressed some pear, honey, and hazelnut. This was supported by plenty of lemon acidity. Still very young.

Foie gras, toro, quail egg, truffle cheese, blue crab. Wow! This dish was absolutely out of this world. Just crazy rich and delicious. You wouldn’t think it works, but it’s amazing.

King crab, steamed. Simple steamed fresh crab.

1998 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart. VH 95+. Bright ruby. Highly complex nose melds black raspberry, Indian spices, gunflint, tar and smoky oak; seemed to grow fresher and more vibrant with aeration. Dense, thick and highly concentrated, with brilliantly defined but still rather backward fruit flavors. Finishes with great length and extremely fine tannins that dust the entire mouth.

2002 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart. VM 95. Bright red-ruby. Highly nuanced, expressive nose combines strawberry, raspberry, minerals, lavender, chocolate, underbrush and fennel. Superconcentrated, silky and sweet in the mouth but with superb definition and energy. The wine’s sheer density of material completely buffers its 14+% alcohol. Finishes dry and classic, with explosive rising fruit and terrific thrust. The tannins are buried in fruit and soil tones. A great Burgundy

The chef is working on his ramen. Bright yellow eggy noodles.

Ultimate ramen bowl. This foie gras based seafood broth was topped with truffles and filled with yummy seafood bits. Underneath are the ramen noodles. There was crab, beef, oyster, and who knows what else in here. Absolutely stunning. So rich. So good. The broth had quite a white pepper kick too which was amazing.

1986 Joseph Drouhin Grands-Echezeaux. 94 points.

1996 Denis Mugneret Père et Fils Richebourg. BH 93. Subtly complex nose of leather, earth and dried grasses with delicious yet quite structured flavors and fine length. There is good sève and muscle underlying the flavors though the tannins are completely ripe and the wine should drink well over the medium term. This is not flamboyant or especially opulent yet it delivers plenty of character and quality in a refined, discreet style. I like this very much.

1953 Remoissenet Père et Fils Richebourg. 95 points. Domain release. Must have been reconditioned as it tasted crazy young (for a ’53).

Miyazaki beef with truffle pepper sauce. Melt in your mouth with a bit of pepper kick.

Some amazing sake!

Blue fin sushi. Bordering over to chu-toro. Just a lovely bit of sushi.

Amberjack. Amazing.

Sea bass. To die for.

Chu or O toro. Lethal. We had several pieces of this each.

Uber handroll. Uni, king crab, toro, shiso. You’ve never had a handroll quite like this powerhouse! Had two of these.

A small taste of baby peach sorbet. Super light and refreshing.

“Only” 25 bottles of wine. 10 people. Great stuff tonight too. No bad or spoiled wines. Stuff was great in all 4 categories: champ, white burg, red burg, and sake. Just some really stellar drinks.

There are different was to experience Yamakase, depending on you number, but all but one time I’ve taken the whole bar. On a night when the bar is split between a collection of smaller parties it might be more staid. But when we take over, it’s certainly not. We do the wine service ourselves for the most part with a little aide from the accommodating servers. It feels like a “private party with Yama.”

Food-wise, this was one of my best meals this year — really quite excellent — and regular readers know I have more than my share of great meals. A really great format. A total blow out and Yama’s cuisine keeps gaining in strength and power. Really quite incomparable. He is unquestionably a genius. Yama has a tremendous range within Japanese cuisine, first rate ingredients, and a savvy palate. He is quite skilled at very traditional more subtle Japanese as well, but has tuned up the typical Yamakase meal with high end ingredients and bolder combinations for a more contemporary wow factor.

Oh, and that toro cheese dish and foie gras “ramen” are just to die for.

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