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Drago Centro Champagne

Sep26

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

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

Date: January 21, 2022

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Great high end Italian

Back to Drago Centro for “another” Sauvages Champagne lunch. Historically this series has been located at Chinois, but this year it has been relocated east.

Located on busy Flower in DTLA.

The reception was held around our large square table — big group this time including a separate ladies table.

Multiple buckets were needed to ice all the champagne.

2012 Christophe et Fils Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu. 92 points. Medium yellow. Quite ripe fruit but a whiff of seashell behind this. Pretty plush feel-you definitely sense the wood influence. More pear and yellow apple than citrus fruit character, some spice (unusual for Chablis), late iodine and limestone, lowish acidity. The wood plus ripe fruit plus low acidity make it veer in the direction of more southerly climats, but there is just enough Chablis character to identify it as such. To be drunk over the short term, that’s for sure.

2014 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir. JG 94+. Out of the blocks, the 2014 Domaine Fèvre Vaudésir seems just a touch more accessible than the top couple of structured premier crus and the Bougros. The beautiful, zesty bouquet delivers scents of pear, fresh pineapple, lemon, beeswax, chalky soil tones, a touch of licorice and a topnote of spring flowers. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and a bit more tensile than the wide open nose suggest, with fine mid-palate depth, bright acids and really superb cut and grip on the long, vibrant finish. Another superb wine, which I may be underrating a tad, but I had to leave room for what was to follow! (Drink between 2017-2050)

2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros. VM 93. Good pale yellow. Restrained aromas of fresh apricot, pineapple and spices; showed riper stone fruit notes as it opened in the glass. Sweet, tactile and elegantly styled, with strong acids framing and lifting the intense peach flavor. Already boasts a lovely fat texture and considerable pliancy but this wine really needs three or four years to express itself.

2014 La Chablisienne Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu. 92 points. Pale yellow in color. Very precise aromas of sea-spray, yellow florals, , green apples, herbs, green citrus leaf on the nose. Palate shows sweet, tart lemon curd, good mid palate sap, savory sea shell broth and a long saliva inducing mineral finish. Lovely.

2017 La Chablisienne Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot. 95 points. Superb.

Beef and truffle.

Crab Toast, Lemon and chives.

Seafood Arancini al Nero, saffron aioli. I’ve never had a squid ink risotto arancini before.

Celestino Drago in the house!

Our special menu.

2006 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare. VM 93. Piper-Hiedsieck’s 2006 Cuvée Rare is racy and polished to the core. Baked apple tart, apricot, lemon confit, vanillin and brioche infuse the 2006 with striking aromatic intensity and creaminess that builds with time in the glass. Sumptuous and forward, the 2006 offers tons of near and medium-term appeal. (Drink between 2019-2028)

2006 Gosset Champagne Brut Grand Millésime. VM 93. The 2006 Brut Grand Millésime offers more near term appeal than many Gosset Champagnes as the flavors show a good amount of complexity, while the contours are nicely mellowed. Hazelnut, savory herbs, anise, mint and dried pear meld into the generous, inviting finish. The typical Gosset energy is nicely balanced by the weight and soft, relaxed contours of a wine that is now nearly ten years old. Lightly honeyed and toasty notes round out the close. In 2006 the blend is 56% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay from vineyards in Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Trépail, Vertus, Ambonnay, Avenay, Aÿ, Chigny-les-Roses and Louvois. (Drink between 2015-2021)

2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne Legacy Edition Label. 95 points. This wine was served to celebrate the legacy of my in-laws 50th anniversary while in St. John’s. I think time, place, people, and meaning can deeply impact how wine is remembered or appreciated. This was the best bottle of 2008 Dom that I’ve had to-date. There was a deep and complex nose that shifted each time the glass was lifted for a sip or a sniff. The wine was bright and focused, with a mid-palate that seemed to shift like the tides. While we served this with food, this wine, tonight was spectacular with the food and without. I don’t think the bottle lasted us more than 2 hours, but it was a pleasure to drink this from start to finish.

2008 Doyard Champagne Grand Cru Les Lumières Grand Cru Extra Brut. VM 93. The 2008 Extra Brut Les Lumières Grand Cru is a blend of 65% Chardonnay (from Avize and Mesnil) and 35% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ) that spent ten years on its lees before being disgorged and given just the smallest touch of dosage. Creamy, resonant and expressive, the 2008 has so much to offer. Even so, it clearly needs at least a bit of time in bottle to be at its best. Tropical accents provide a hint as to where the 2008 will go over the next handful of years. (Drink between 2020-2030)

Onion Panna Cotta, Scallops Tartar, Caviar. Lovely.

2005 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. JG 95+. The 2005 Comtes de Champagne is a stunning young wine. The bouquet is deep, pure and youthfully complex, as it offers up a very classy blend of pear, delicious apple, fresh almond, incipient notes of crème patissière, chalky minerality, brioche and just a whisper of vanillin oak in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and rock solid at the core, with exquisite balance, refined mousse, crisp acids and simply superb length and grip on the seamless, youthful and oh, so promising finish. The style of the 2005 vintage gives this some early accessibility that was not evident with the more tightly-knit 2004 out of the blocks, but this wine has the structure to also age long and very, very gracefully. It has been a year since I last tasted this wine and it has started to show more precision to go along with its early generosity and is a classic in the making. My gut feeling today is that it will be superior to the 1989 version, to which I compared it to a year ago. Brilliant wine. (Drink between 2015-2045)

2006 Dom Pérignon Champagne. VM 96. Powerful, dense and tightly wound, the 2006 Dom Pérignon is fabulous today. To be sure, the 2006 is a broad, virile Champagne, but I find it compelling because of its phenolic depth and overall intensity. Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy adds that August was quite cold and wet, and that ripening only happened at the very end of the growing season. Although numbers alone can never explain a wine, I find it interesting that the 2006 has more phenolics than the 2003. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2006 is easily the most reticent Dom Pérignon in the years spanning 2002 and 2009. I am confident the 2006 will have its day, but in its youth, it is not especially charming or easy to drink. (Drink between 2026-2056)

2005 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses. VM 94. The 2005 Clos des Goisses is easily one of the wines of what turned out to be a complicated vintage. Just beginning to show the early signs of aromatic complexity, the 2005 graces the palate with the essence of candied lemon, almonds, chamomile, apricot and wild herbs. The 2005 is not the most complex or pedigreed Goisses, but it drinks beautifully today and should continue to deliver pleasure for another 15-20 years, perhaps more. (Drink between 2016-2031)

2006 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses. VM 96. The 2006 Clos des Goisses is stellar, but it is also going to need quite a bit of time to come into its own. Powerful and ample in the best of the Goisses style, the 2006 hits the palate with serious intensity. Orchard fruits, lemon oil, white flowers and almonds are some of the many notes that open up in the glass, but, as is often the case with young Goisses, it is the wine’s gravitas that is front and center. Even with all of its overtness, though, the 2006 retains striking, crystalline purity. I imagine the 2006 will reward Champagne lovers with many decades of truly exceptional drinking. The only thing the 2006 needs is time. The question is: How much? (Drink between 2020-2046)

Seafood Panzanella, Sea Urchin, Salmon. Quite deconstructed with chunks of the seafood and fluffs of bread on the plate.

2002 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. VM 95. The 2002 Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is wonderfully open, expressive and resonant. The richness of the vintage comes through nicely, yet the more overt elements are very nicely balanced by a good deal of freshness. Baked apple, pastry, candied lemon, dried flowers and warm, toasty notes shape the generous, resonant finish. With time in the glass, the 2002 takes a on a striking, vinous character. Readers might want to consider opening the 2002 a few hours in advance, as it really blossoms with air. (Drink between 2016-2032)

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

2005 Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Aÿ Vauzelle Terme. 94 points. The 2005 Aÿ-Vauzelle Terme is the most polished of Jacquesson’s 2005 single-vineyard Champagnes. Silky and nuanced on the palate, the Vauzelle Terme highlights the more understated side of the vintage. Hints of chalk, red cherry, plum, mint and wild flowers are laced into the highly expressive finish. Today, the Vauzelle Terme comes across as a bit weightless to the point of being a bit on the ethereal side. It will be interesting to see if the wine acquires a bit more depth in bottle. Disgorged October 2014. Dosage was 2.5 grams/liter. (Drink between 2015-2022)

2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare. JG 95. It is funny that I have to “pull teeth” to get current releases from Piper-Heidsieck’s importer here in New York, but out in the real world of wine, I keep having people serve me the maison’s beautiful 2002 “Rare” Brut Millesime and thank me for alerting them to its excellent quality by writing it up in the newsletter several years ago! Such is the state of the world in 2021. In any case, this wine continues to evolve splendidly in bottle and is drinking with great style and breed at the present time, offering up a fine bouquet of apple, pear, warm bread, a fine base of chalky soil tones, caraway seed, a touch of citrus peel and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, crisp and shows off excellent mid-palate depth, with refined mousse, lovely focus and a long, complex and impeccably balanced finish. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2021-2050)

Black and White Tagliolini, Langoustine, Lemon Zest. Great pasta dish. I always love a lobster/langoustine reduction.

1999 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. VM 93. These four vintages of Dom Pérignon provide a fascinating snapshot of how the house has performed in recent years. The 1999 Dom Pérignon is a little flabbier than the 2000. Smoke, toastiness, tar and ripe fruit emerge from the glass in a generous, expansive style. The 1999 offers more body than the 2000 but the aromas and flavors are less well-articulated. This is a relatively simple Dom Pérignon, yet the wine possesses outstanding balance and plenty of harmony. According to Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy the warm vintage also resulted in relatively high yields, and the low-acid style is most reminiscent of the 1976. (Drink between 2013-2024)

2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. VM 94. This is perhaps the best bottle of Krug’s 2002 Vintage I have tasted. Expansive and creamy on the palate, with lovely finesse and brightness, the 2002 is quite expressive today. I don’t see the depth or pedigree that might place this wine among the best examples of the year. Instead, the 2002 Vintage continues to be an underwhelming wine by Krug standards. (Drink between 2017-2037)

2002 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97. Another highlight in this vertical, the 2002 Salon is also fascinating to taste after the 2004. Rich, opulent and intense, yet also very classic in the Salon house style, the 2002 possesses superb persistence and depth. The radiant vintage has softened the contours and given the wine fabulous depth to match its decidedly powerful personality. At the same time, the 2002 remains quite youthful. Next to the brighter and more finessed 2004, the 2002 offers more of a baritone-inflected expression of Chardonnay. (Drink between 2016-2036)

2000 Philipponnat Champagne Brut L.V. Clos des Goisses. VM 96. The 2000 L.V. Long Vieillissement, a recent re-release, is a fabulous choice for readers who enjoy Champagnes with a bit of bottle age complexity. Hazelnut, dried flowers, orchard fruit, herbs, mirabelle and lightly honeyed notes are all beautifully delineated throughout. The 2000 offers the weight and slightly more mature notes of a mature Champagne, but with the freshness that comes from impeccable provenance and a relatively recent disgorgement. If that sounds appealing, well, it is. The Brut L.V. Long Vieillissement offers a quintessential Goisses experience from the first taste until the last. This is an absolutely pristine bottle. Dosage is 4.5 grams/liter. Disgorged: May 2015. (Drink between 2016-2036)

Truffle Crust Breast of Chicken, Truffle Cream Sauce.

1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. VM 93+. Pale color. Youthful aromas of lemon, quince, pear, toast, spice, chalk and red berries. Big, sweet and seamless, if a bit clenched in the early going. A powerful, very young wine whose fruit builds slowly in the mouth and explodes on the finish. A charry note contributes to its complexity. Possesses amazing depth of fruit, but the high quality of this wine can most easily be seen today on the extraordinary finish. May ultimately merit a 95+ rating.

1996 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. VM 95. Pol Roger’s 1996 Winston Churchill is fabulous. One of the most expressive, complete 1996s today, the Winston Churchill is in a great spot. Butter, spice, almond and lemon oil notes meld together effortlessly in the glass. In 1996, the Winston Churchill is a clear overachiever. Best of all, it remains reasonably priced vis-à-vis its peers. (Drink between 2014-2024)

1990 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. VM 97+. Full copper-gold color. Initially restrained, brooding nose exploded with aeration, showing apple, orange, apricot, honey, iodine, smoke, hazelnut, macadamia and a suggestion of dry oloroso sherry. Dense, full, chewy and rich; an extraordinarily solid Champagne with an intriguing suggestion of Calvados. Broadens toward the back and goes on and on on the echoing aftertaste, with rich, mellow notes of toffee, brown butter and marrow. Like the ’92 Clos du Mesnil, this displays its powerful underlying acidity with aeration (Krug’s wines never go through malolactic fermentation) and should be long-lived.

1995 Krug Champagne Clos d’Ambonnay. VM 98. Thrown in as a ringer, the 1995 Clos d’Ambonnay is a real treat to taste next to the 1996. In particular, tasting both vintages together shows that that 1995 is the more complete of these two first releases of Krug’s single-vineyard Champagne from Ambonnay. Finely-cut fruit, expressive aromatics and exceptional textural finesse are the signatures. This is another fabulous showing from the 1995 Clos d’Ambonnay. (Drink between 2014-2024)

Breast of Duck, Kumquat Sauce.

Chef’s Selection of Assorted Cheeses.

Château Tirecul La Gravière Monbazillac Cuvée Madame.

Cherry Gelato – a blend of Morello Cherry and intense Amarena Cherry fruit make this dairy gelato really pop — topped with Candied Amarena Cherries — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #amarena #morello #cherry

Dulce Vanilla Gelato — a very simple and elegant Tahitian Vanilla Bean White Base (no egg) ribboned with house-made Dulce de Leche and Valrhona Dulce Pearls — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — sugar time! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #vanilla #dulce #DulceDeLeche #leche #caramel

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

All the champs.

The main table.

And the ladies table.

Overall another great lunch. Drago did an incredible job handling the challenging logistics of this lunch. First of all, the custom menu was carefully paired to all that Champagne. Then they managed to actually serve so much bubbly to so many people. And the square table, despite being large, did enable us to all talk to each other.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Celestino Drago, Champagne, Drago Centro, DTLA, Gelato, Italian cuisine, Sauvages

Quicker Crustacean

Sep20

Restaurant: Crustacean Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 468 N Bedford Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 205-8990

Date: January 11, 2022

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Awesome as always

Crustacean is one of our regular haunts and features a great patio in these “outside is better” days. Tonight’s meal was a Hedonist wine dinner — but for some completely inexplicable reason I totally forgot to photo all of the wine. I have no idea why and I’ve never done that before. Wine was good though.

We’ve had a couple awesome meals here in the last couple of years.

For extra caution in these uncertain times we ate on one of their fabulous patios.

Our menu tonight.

Diver Scallop & Green Apple Sashimi. Earl Grey, Thom Yum Calamansi, Kaffir Lime, Ancient Grains. This looks like a bit of fruit or cucumber or something but was a mix of scallop and apple. It was actually incredibly delicious with a briny, sweet, spicy vibe and a contrast of soft and crunchy. Very bright too and unique.

A5 Wagyu Tartare. Rau Rum Salsa Verde, L’Amuse Gouda, Quail Egg. Another great dish. In fact, one of the best tartare’s I’ve had, but very unusual.

Roasted Bone Marrow. Escargot Brunois, Garlic Baguette, Rau Ram. I don’t normally like Bone Marrow (and it’s a total Yarom pick) but this was an amazing dish. It didn’t really come off as that bone marrow-like, but more like escargot with the snails and all that garlic butter.

Asparagus Soup with Langoustine and Black Truffle. Another unexpectedly excellent dish.

Smoked Pork Belly with Roasted Acorn Squash, Hazelnut and Vietnamese Caramel with Winter Truffle. Sounds too sweet and heavy but it was great.

Rib Eye Salt Block Steak.

With An’s Famous Garlic Noodles — can never have too many of these!

And Kung Pao Eggplant. Thai Basil, Thai Red Chili Gastrique. Pretty much just great friend eggplant.

Raspberry Sorbetto — French Raspberries, a touch of lime juice, and a splash of Amaro — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — I had to add a bit of Amaro for my “art” otherwise it would have been too simple — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #raspberry #amaro

Hazelnut at the Ritz Gelato — Nocciola (hazelnut) custard base made with Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste then mixed with house-made caramel and crushed Ritz Crackers (for that salty offset) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #nocciola #caramel #caramello #ritz #crackers

Overall, this was an awesome evening. Boy did the Ans treat us right and we had an incredible menu, amazing service, and great wines. A was initially skeptical of tonight’s particularly menu, as it had less dishes than usual and none of the “favorites” (except the noodles) but they turned out to be home run unique dishes that really knocked it out of the park.

Wines were great — if only I had taken pictures of them.

Discussing the food analytically. Very good, and most dishes varied from good to great. The Vietnamese influence is far more subtle, less heavy handed, then at most newer fusion places like Little Sister / LXSO or the more contemporary small plates style Khong Ten. Definitely more roughly 2000 in formal fine dining style — which I don’t mind at all. In some ways it feels like a millennium event fine dining place with Vietnamese — and to a lesser extent Thai and Chinese — notes. It’s a pretty fancy place, and priced accordingly — but they do knock it out of the park.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beverly Hills, BYOG, Crustacean, Gelato, hedonists, Seafood, Wine

Chifa Rulez

Sep18

Restaurant: Chifa LA

Location: 4374 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041. (323) 561-3084

Date: January 9, 2022

Cuisine: Peruvian Chinese (Chifa)

Rating: Amazing

Jeffrey had the hookup here at this awesome Peruvian Chinese fusion place in Eagle Rock. Yeah it’s far, but it seems to be one of the only Chifa (Peruvian Chinese) places in LA that’s middle/high end. Most just serve on styrofoam.

The jazzy interior.

A huge patio.

Our table.

The grill.

The menu.

Brûlée Char Siu . Wood fired pork toro marinated in house made Chinese BBQ sauce. Insanely good (and sweet).

The caramelization is gotten via blow torch.

See it in action.

Tiradito. Fresh Japanese sea bream chilled in a peppery orange and lime sauce. Hint of garlic and yellow chili topped with salsa criolla, sweet potato, and toasted Peruvian corn.

Anticucho (GF). Peruvian street style skewered beef heart with cilantro & serrano chili sauce. Beefy!

Mapo Tofu (VG). Wok cooked tofu and OmniPork Ground in fermented bean sauce with Szechuan peppercorn, garlic, scallion.

Braised Spare Ribs. Caramelized in soy sauce, shaoxing wine, golden sugar, ginger, garlic.

Dan Dan Mian (VG). Fresh noodles with spicy Szechaun sesame sauce tossed with pickled radish.

Lomo Saltado. Filet Mignon, wood grilled and sautéed with cherry tomatoes and onions.

Green sauce.

Black Pepper Lobster. Lobster wok tossed with sweet and spicy black pepper sauce. This was perhaps the best stir fried lobster I have ever had, like a lobster version of black pepper crab.

Meat on the grill.

Cowboy Steak. Delicious with an incredible smokey flavor.

Marinated Jalepenos for the steak.

Garlic and Scallion whole Crab.

Black Sesame Cheesecake Tart. Smooth black sesame cream cheese Chinese almond cookie crust.

I love this flavor — Peppermint Bark Gelato — Base is pure peppermint milk (subbed the sugar with crushed peppermint candies) and it’s laced with house-made double-sided peppermint bark, Valrhona Dark Chocolate and Ivoire White! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — The Peppermint Bark recipe was developed by a famous pastry chef and author, the mum of a Naughty Dog Alum @nancy_baggett — this year I added the two layer thing which is awesome — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #peppermint #bark #Valrhona #chocolate

Chevy with the owner.

Chifa was really awesome. Basically super zest latin flavored Chinese food, so what’s not to love?

Service was great and the outside patio was nice and huge. Did end up surprisingly pricey though, particularly the lobster.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

We weren’t really hungry, but there was a “famous” taco place across the street…

Al pastor. Aka Mexican gyros/shawarma. Looking it up, I read that it’s ACTUALLY based on shawarma which Lebanese ingredients brought to Mexico! But it uses the “other white meat” instead of lamb.

They fry the tortillas with cheese.

Sauces. Street tacos are not a neat food.

Taco al pastor. Tasty.

A beef taco of some sort.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: al pastor, BYOG, Chifa, Chifa LA, Chinese Peruvian, Gelato, Lobster, Peruvian cuisine, pork, Tacos, Wine

So Can Though

Sep16

Restaurant: Sáu Can Tho Vietnamese Kitchen [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: 8450 Garvey Ave #103, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 307-8868

Date: December 26, 2021

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Excellent (and so full)!

Every December my Hedonist club goes to this awesome SGV Vietnamese place — which used to be named Phong Dinh and is now Sáu Can Tho. This authentic Vietnamese/Chinese continues to serve up interesting stuff — plus they’re happy to take some of Yarom’s “do it yourself” meats, like his recently shot wild boar.

The new logo.

Our menu for tonight.

Shrimp and Pork Papaya Salad. Mild but nice.

“Dressing” for salad (fish sauce).

Grilled Squid and Mango Salad. A bit of fish sauce. Nice char on squid.

Wild boar sausage (Yarom’s boar). A bit spicy and ridiculously good. Ate way too much. We had a bit of a pacing problem where there was a lull in dishes and I kept eating these.

Spring-rolls with herbs. Delicious.

Goat ribs with beancurd marinate. Good flavor but VERY chewy. Hard to even chew through.

Coconut Snails. Barely any snail meat but the sauce was as good as its ever been.

Famous Baked Catfish. Super soft and tender this time. Delicious. Had 2 which was too much (full later).

Condiments for the fish.

Sauce for the fish. garlic!

Noodles, ostensibly to go in the “fish tacos” but I like it with the curry.

Noodles with coconut curry sauce. So good, but certainly contributing to my over-stuffed state.

Lamb chops. Delicious, lots of char.

Alligator curry. The curry was amazing. Super rich and delicious.

Crisps for the curry.

Garlic butter quails. Very tasty and crunchy. Lots of garlic.

Salt and lime for the quail.

Vietnamese Rotisserie Squabs. Bit of a sweet sauce. Now I was getting lethally full and could barely taste.

Wild boar curry. Again curry was delicious but the boar was too chewy to even get through.

Pepper beef. Tender.

Goat Beancurd Hot Pot. Broth flavor was amazing. Too full to even try more than a taste. Lots of taro and beancurd.

Greens for the curry.

I’m sure the curry would have been great with the noodles, but I didn’t dare.

Jelly dessert.

I love this flavor — Peppermint Bark Gelato — Base is pure peppermint milk (subbed the sugar with crushed peppermint candies) and it’s laced with house-made double-sided peppermint bark, Valrhona Dark Chocolate and Ivoire White! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — The Peppermint Bark recipe was developed by a famous pastry chef and author, the mum of a Naughty Dog Alum @nancy_baggett — this year I added the two layer thing which is awesome — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #peppermint #bark #Valrhona #chocolate

Passion for Pistachio Gelato — Sicilian Pistacchio di Bronte DOP custard gelato base with just a touch of Grand Mariner, ribboned with bits of Valrhona Dark Chocolate Passionfruit Ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pistacchio #bronte #Sicily #Valrhona #Chocolate #Passionfruit #GrandMariner #Ganache

Overall, Sáu Can Tho is a delicious place, and most of the dishes were great — particularly the catfish, boar sausage, snails etc. This is pretty spot on California style authentic Vietnamese, similar to many places in Garden Grove / Westminster. I suspect these are mostly Saigon style places reflecting the 1970s exodus of many Vietnamese to America and are part of our great Los Angeles cultural melting pot! I didn’t pace correctly and was so full by the end — painfully full. But I really do love this kind of full service Vietnamese restaurant. A lot of places are small and specialized but for a really epic meal it’s hard to beat Sáu Can Tho!

More crazy Hedonist adventures or
LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Phong Dinh, Sau can tho, vietnamese, Wine

Sebi Mastro’s 2021

Sep12

Restaurant: Mastro’s [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Location: 246 North Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, Ca 90210. 310-888-8782

Date: December 18, 2021

Cuisine: Steak House

Rating: Once a top LA Steak joint

For the fifth year (sort of, ignoring pandemic years) in a row, my friend Sebastian picked Mastro’s for his birthday dinner so we all hauled out the wines and headed across town. Wine theme: First Growth Bordeaux, focusing on early 80s and Margaux.

Usually we are in the Penthouse, but this year we were on the second floor of the main restaurant. It was jammed with the oncoming holidays, Omicron be damned.

I didn’t photo the 2021 menu, so this is a 2019 Penthouse one. It’s similar.

2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 99. The 2008 Cristal is one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted. A stunning wine from any and all perspectives, the 2008 simply has it all. Spherical in construction, with superb persistence. The 2008 takes hold of all the senses and never gives up. One of the many things that makes the 2008 special is a combination of ripe fruit and bright, piercing acidity. Marzipan, lemon confit, dried flowers and orchard fruit all build into the explosive, resonant finish. “We learned from the mistakes of 1996, when we picked more on acid than ripeness, as was the norm in Champagne back then” Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon told me recently. “In 1996, the best fruit turned out to be the last picks, where the fruit was physiologically ripe. Today, we aim to pick all our fruit with that criteria.” (Drink between 2020-2050)

1996 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 97. As good as the 1995 Cristal (Late Disgorged) is, the 1996 may be even a touch better, as it has a bit more volume and also more layers of intensity. Taut yet wonderfully explosive, with fabulous energy, the 1996 captures all the best qualities of the vintage. In most 1996 retrospectives, Cristal makes a case for itself as one of the wines of the year, so it is not so surprising to see the Late Disgorged version show so well. Readers who can find the 1996 are in for a real treat. (Drink between 2015-2030)

2004 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 97. The 2004 Cristal is superb today. Bright and focused, the 2004 shows all of the tension and energy that has always been one of its signatures. The first hints of aromatic maturity are starting to develop, but the 2004 remains quite young and full of energy. I have always admired the 2004 (along with the best wines of the vintage) for its focus. In this bottle, the interplay of freshness from the recent 2018 disgorgement and richness gained through added time on the lees (which also results in lower dosage of 7 grams per liter) opens another window into the personality of Cristal. In 2004, the Pinot Noir is 57%, or a bit lower than normal, while the Chardonnay at 43% is correspondingly a touch higher. (Drink between 2019-2039)

Pretzel bread — gotta love it.

Mustard, cocktail sauce, atomic horseradish.

A seafood tower. The quality of the seafood here is impeccable! Amazing shrimp, claws, king crab (didn’t taste frozen), crab cocktail, and oysters. This year’s tower was a bit skimpy.

1981 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. 93 points. Loads of freshly roasted coffee and coffee stout with notes of camp fire, damp earth, cigar wrapper, roasted almonds and faint notes of plum and black currant. The mouth is full, dense and compact, very layered and long. Still a bit tannic. Tons of sweetness on the attack, still a good amount of blackberry fruit left. Still drinking so well.

1981 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. 92 points. Dark fruit with some good meaty spice on the nose. Still quite primary for its age with good density and power. But this didn’t show much complexity near the end, and only had a moderate length.

1981 Château Margaux. 92 points. Just a wonderful mature Margaux explosive aromatics with hints of herbaciousness mixed with flint and cedar notes. Palate is more subtle, lean, but a wonderful expression of mature bdx lengthy finish. Doesn’t have the “power” and concentration of the “big” vintages — but this is a classic year probably at peak maturity.

The birthday boy and his lovely wife.

Bone marrow and toast — have a bit of fat! Actually not my favorite as I don’t love the texture of bone marrow straight up.

Bigeye tuna tartare with avocado and spicy Sriracha.

Steak Sashimi.

Salad with shrimp.

Chopped iceberg wedge. Way worse for being chopped and underdressed at that.

Caesar salad. A bit too mild for my taste.

1986 Château Mouton Rothschild. VM 99. Philippe Dhalluin served the 1986 Mouton Rothschild to wrap up our vertical. The 1986 remains one of my favorite Moutons. A dark, powerful wine, the 1986 is endowed with a vertical sense of structure that is a marvel to behold. Dark stone fruit, smoke, graphite, mocha, soy and licorice are fused together in a marvelously intense, deep Mouton that promises to drink well for another few decades. Tonight, the 1986 is absolutely stunning. The blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Harvest started on October 2nd and wrapped up on the 16th. (Drink between 2016-2036)

1998 Château Haut-Brion. VM 96. The 1998 Haut Brion has long been a favourite vintage of mine and consumed with pleasure several times. Now at 20-years of age I feel it is one step ahead of the 1998 La Mission: there is great fruit intensity with almost precocious blackberry, raspberry coulis, pastilles, tobacco and hints of olive. It has exquisite delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with fuller in the mouth than the La Mission: deeper fruit (blackberry, mulberry and a touch of strawberry) intermingling with sage, cedar and a touch of hung game. It is not quite as precocious or as glossy on the finish as I remember previous bottles, but it is certainly turning into one of the finest wines of this vintage. Tasted at the château. (Drink between 2018-2045)

Fries.

1983 Château Margaux. VM 95. Deep ruby-red. Exotic aromas of cassis, meat and smoke, plus a whiff of funky wood. Then remarkably sweet, lush and suave, with a flavor of raw berries. Pure Margaux silkiness allied to firm structure. Finishes very long, with rich, sweet tannins. Remarkable wine, particularly considering that the bottle was not perfect. Pristine bottles of this wine are just now embarking on their period of peak drinkability, which should last another 20 years or more.

1986 Château Margaux. VM 98+. The 1986 Chateau Margaux was even more emotionally moving. Still incredibly youthful, it showed incredible focus and depth, all backed up by considerable structure. As hard as it may seem to believe, on this night the 1986 appeared to still be some years away from peaking. It was striking in every way.

Rack of lamb.

Bone in Ribeye.

Norwegian Cold Water Salmon.

Rosemary Garlic Sautéed Button Mushrooms.

White Cheddar Lobster Mac & Cheese.

Creamed corn. My wife loves this (and so do I).

1982 Château Margaux. VM 98. The 1982 Château Margaux was the best bottle that I have tasted and I have been blessed with this wine over twenty times over the years. This boasts wondrous blackberry, raspberry and crushed stone scents that like recent bottles, suggesting a touch of Pauillac at its heart. The palate is defined by its filigree tannins, heavenly balance and scintillating tension that prefer not to convey the warmth of that season, not the high yields it produced. Again, that Pauillac leitmotif continues throughout, conveying a sense of linearity and focus that is unmatched by any previous bottles. On this showing, best-preserved bottles will give another 30 years of drinking pleasure without any problem. Tasted at the International Business & Wine First Growth Dinner at the Four Seasons. (Drink between 2018-2035)

1982 Château Mouton Rothschild. VM 98. The 1982 Mouton-Rothschild continues to be the extravagant Pauillac that it has always been. This has an irresistible, exotic bouquet of precocious kirsch, hoisin, graphite and blueberry scents that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is a little headier than previous bottles, sensual and almost glossy, presenting a glycerin-rich smorgasbord of dark cherries, black currant, crème de menthe and mint that almost knocks you off your feet. Fabulous. Tasted from an ex-château jeroboam at the Palace of Versailles charity dinner. (Drink between 2019-2040)

From my cellar: 1982 Château La Mission Haut-Brion. VM 94. The 1982 La Mission Haut-Brion is a vintage that I have tasted several times. This bottle has a gorgeous, eucalyptus-tinged bouquet of black fruit plus hints of clove and bay leaf; a light marine scent emerges with aeration. The palate has a ripe pastille-like quality, dark cherries commingling with blackberry and cranberry. A lovely saline undertow lends sapidity on the harmonious finish. This does not equal the 1982 Haut-Brion and may have reached its peak in the late 1990s, but it remains the best La Mission Haut-Brion since the 1978. Tasted at the La Mission Haut Brion dinner at Amuse Bouche in Hong Kong. (Drink between 2021-2035)

More bone in steaks.

More bone in steaks.

More bone in steaks.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Wild Mushroom and Black Truffle Gnocchi. This dish was drastically worse than it usually is and very dry.

Sautéed Spinach.

The all important Butter Cake. This is “Mastro’s signature warm butter cake ala mode.” Basically a pound cake with an extra four sticks of butter or something. It’s really sweet and really good. Goes well with the magic whipped cream (see below).

Looking a bit more tipsy and full.

This year, while the wine and company were great, the food and service at Mastro’s had declined precipitously. Many dishes just felt flat, or dry, or half hearted. Then there were the service problems…

We had a very late reservation (9pm) and a large party. The place was very busy when we came, but everyone was getting toward the end of their meals. They made us wait (a while, maybe 30 min or more) then chose to jam us in at a tiny and inconvenient table when they could easily have chosen a larger space given the openings. They then pretty much ignored us both front of house and in the kitchen until everyone else was done. For most of the meal we were the main then only active table in the huge space. Yet they continued to act like the restaurant was jammed (it clearly wasn’t anymore). A table this size needs a couple people, but they left us way understaffed, even after we were the only ones left.

When we finished up, well after midnight, and it came time to close out the check, they complained that their POS (Point of Sale) system was down and so they couldn’t generate the bill. They told us they would need 90-120 MINUTES!!! to generate one. Target for this was like 2:30am. I was incredulous. They could easily have hand calculated it in 10 minutes. Yes there were a lot of items, but not more than 30. Someone there should be capable of adding 30 numbers using a hand calculator or phone app! We were the only people left in the place (and had been for a long time). They seemed impervious to any suggestion to speed up. Most of us, including myself, just left and the “lucky” birthday boy had to wait it out (we Venmoed him the next morning). That was pretty unforgivable, no way was I going to wait around for that long, exhausted, while they tinkered with their computers. I’m not sure I’ll ever return on that basis alone — the lamer food didn’t help either.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: beef, Beverly Hills, BYOG, Gelato, Mastros, Steak, steakhouse, Wine

OOToro Holiday

Aug31

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

Location: 1569 Fairway Dr, Walnut, CA 91789. (909) 598-8299

Date: December 11, 2021

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi (with slight nod to China)

Rating: Ends of the earth, but very good

Chef Kaz of Totoraku, an occasional hedonist, sent us far east to this Sushi restaurant in 2016 and it was such a fun time that we had to return again for a sixth visit — it’s now become a twice a year thing. This is my second return since the pandemic — although some in the group went once in the middle for a meal that was supposedly not quite up to snuff. Because a bunch of us have engaged in a special Sushi Series this fall (tasting all the best LA sushi places) I figured I’d include OOToro in the mix.

And by far east I mean REALLY REALLY far east — to Walnut California. 40+ miles from my house. 20 miles past Alhambra (which most people consider to far to drive for food). It took an hour and twenty minutes on a Saturday night!

The slick looking location is in the heart of the affluent Chinese American San Gabriel Valley. But yes, it’s Japan, if perhaps catering to Chinese taste. This photo was shot at about 10pm after everyone else had left.

Here is the private room — the only way to go.

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvee Edition 169eme. VM 94. Krug”s NV Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition is brisk and finely cut, with terrific energy driving the citrus, floral and light tropical notes. Even with all of its energy, the 169 balances the vibrancy of the late-ripening 2013 vintage it is built on, with the depth that the reserve wines added to the blend. The 169 drinks well now but clearly has the potential to age. The 169 is a blend of 146 separate wines back to 2000. Krug ID: 120003. (Originally published in May 2021) (Drink between 2022-2042)

2004 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée. VM 95. The 2004 Coeur de Cuvée has gained considerable weight, richness and resonance over the last few years. Brioche, almonds, marzipan, anise and dried flowers are some of the notes that flesh out in a radiant, super-expressive Champagne built on texture and class. The 2004 is every bit as impressive as it has always been. At eleven years of age, the Coeur de Cuvée is just entering an early plateau of maturity that is likely to last for at least a handful of years. Disgorged May 2012. (Drink between 2015-2024)

Edamame.

Two oysters. Uni ikura. Radish ponzu.

Abalone.

Grilled Japanese blue fish with yam.

2012 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses. VM 95+. Bright yellow. Aromas of elderflower, ginger, quinine and fern, plus a hint of petrol. Densely packed, dry and backward; hints at superb sucrosite on the vibrant middle palate, but the tight, chewy finish is dominated by menthol and wet stone. Not as expressive today as it was from barrel a year ago but built for a long and glorious evolution in bottle.

2013 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses. VM 94. Vincent Dauvissat’s 2013 Chablis Les Preuses is one of my favorite Chablis of all, as I have a particular soft spot for the Les Preuses Grand Cru. Less massive than Les Clos or Valmur, Les Preuses usually offers the most chiseled, precise of all great Chablis drinking experiences, and in the hands of a master like Vincent Dauvissat the experience is most often unforgettable. In fact, the only problem with this Grand Cru is that there isn’t much of it made. (Drink between 2022-2032)

2016 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses. JG 96+. The 2016 les Preuses chez Dauvissat is again, absolutely classical in profile, which means it is already delivering kaleidoscopic minerality in its vibrant nose of lemon, green apple, beeswax, layer upon layer of chalky minerality, spring flowers and a nice touch of orange zest in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full and properly reserved in personality out of the blocks, with a great core, stunning mineral drive, great, snappy acids and a very, very long, focused and complex finish. A great, great Preuses in the making! (Drink between 2022-2060)

2014 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons. VM 93. Very pale yellow. Lemon oil, flowers and a lightly lactic yeasty nuance on the nose. Tight, upright and penetrating, with brisk lemony acidity intensifying the dense flavors of white peach and almond flower. Shows terrific grain and palate presence and finishes with explosive mounting length. A very serious Vaillons. Dauvissat noted that as these vines have aged, they are yielding consistently more mineral wines. (Drink between 2020-2030)

A pair of lovely spoons.

Nama Octopus (Taco) with Japanese uni.

Lobster Salad with Truffle Caviar.

Japanese Conch.

Marc’s ass inn blanc.

Shirako with ponzu (on request). The cod sperm sacks are so good!

From my cellar: 2002 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts. VM 92+. Deep red. Enticing aromas of minerals, flowers, red licorice and earth. Impressively glyceral on entry, then sweet and silky in the middle, with noteworthy energy and grip. Impressively concentrated and dense wine, with an explosive, rising finish and terrific cut. This should be at its peak between 2010 and 2017, says Grivot.

Toro and o Toro sashimi. Special (sweet) soy sauce.

Golden eye snapper.

Yellowtail belly.

Marc’s ass inn rouge.

Kama toro. The special signature cut of tuna collar from the giant hunk of meat above.

2011 Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses. 93 points.

Seared ruby snapper.

King crab.

Pasta with crab and caviar.

Second Kama Toro — because it had to be done.

Grilled A5 Japanese Wagyu.

Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Marconnets (forgot the year).

Fish head miso.

Chunks of fish in the soup (under the head).

Toro steak.

Because the cheapos in the group always want to order a smaller omakase, I feel obligated to treat the group to several plates of Ootoro’s awesome seafood tempura (including lobster).

Oo-Toro ramen. Hadn’t tried this before. Was pretty awesome. Rich seafood miso broth.

Cheesecake.

Strawberries & Mascar-Creamy Gelato — A base infused with Mascarpone Cheese then blended with house-made Strawberry Curd — created by me for @sweetmilkgelato — my vain attempts to pipe a pretty decoration on top were uttery foiled by timing –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #cheesecake #mascarpone #cheese #strawberry #cream

Overall, OOToro — while always good — showed again that the private room is really the way to go. This was a great meal and much more subtle and sophisticated than some of the front room fare. Really great stuff — although we should have gotten the largest omakase for max variety, but even one down I was more than full (mostly because I ordered a couple extra tempura plates). The kitchen tonight was as good as ever despite the pandemic, however, we didn’t have a few of the more interesting items like the shabu shabu or roated/grilled tuna collar. Gotta get them to do the big one some time but I despair as there are too many without the guts (or stomachs) to go all out!

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, ootoro, SGV, Sushi, Sushi Series, walnut california, Wine

Sauvages Tesse

Aug29

Restaurant: Tesse

Location: 8500 Sunset Blvd Ste B, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 360-3866

Date: December 10, 2021

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Food was a miss, wine was great

Sauvage’s series of awesome 2021 lunches continues unabated into December in which case we brought oodles of Chateauneuf du Pape to enjoy.

This is the main dining room.

And the regular menu.

But being anything but regular, we Sauvages convinced them to open for lunch and setup at this giant table in a private room to the side.

Our special menu.

2006 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Millesime Rare.

From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 96. Taittinger’s 2007 Comtes de Champagne will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and soft contours give the 2007 its alluring personality. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, chamomile and green pear add brightness and freshness throughout, with a persistent, clean finish that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Today, the 2007 comes across as a slightly more open version of the 2004, with freshness that makes that wine so appealing, and a touch of textural richness that recalls the 2002. Although the 2007 does not have the explosive energy or verticality of the profound 2006, it will drink better earlier. The 2007 has been positively brilliant on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. (Drink between 2018-2047)

An amuse of yellowtail and some fruit.

Now begins the white CDP flight:
2016 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. VM 95. Light bright yellow. Expansive aromas of ripe nectarine, pear liqueur, candied fig and pungent flowers, along with a smoky mineral nuance that builds in the background. Palate-staining, impressively concentrated citrus and pit fruit flavors show superb clarity and become more energetic with air, picking up a touch of lemon curd. The mineral and floral qualities come back emphatically on the extremely persistent, penetrating finish, which shows a suave blend of power and finesse. (Drink between 2020-2026)

2017 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc. VM 96. Translucent yellow. An intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe pear, yellow plum, orange zest, smoky minerals and jasmine, along with a deeper suggestion of honey. Honeysuckle, energetic, sharply delineated citrus, orchard fruit flavors stain the palate and become weightier with aeration. The mineral note expands as the wine opens up and drives an impressively long, chewy finish that features lingering floral, brioche and saffron notes. (Drink between 2027-2036)

2019 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes. 98 points. Wow…just wow! Light golden yellow in the glass. Scents of juicy fruit bubble gum, yellow apple, & tropical fruits. On the palate ripe tropical fruits, nutmeg, and clove…just a long, long finish. Wow…Extraordinary!!!

Scallop Carpaccio, ice plants, pine nut emulsion, black truffle. The scallops themselves were good but the pine nut emulsion was a really bizarre complement. It was somewhat tahini like, and good by itself, but I didn’t think the overall dish worked at all. It was drastically lacking in acidity as well.

1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. VM 93. The 1990 Châteauneuf-du-Pape has a compelling bouquet of plump red fruit, oxtail, leather and morels, all well defined and full of chutzpah. The palate is smooth in texture and, at 29 years old, has certainly mellowed. There is a core of sweet fruit here, but it has softened with age and delivers a smorgasbord of second flavors: meat juices, clove and touches of fennel. It does not possess the audacity of the Hommage à Jacques Perrin, yet it has retained effortless charm. (Drink between 2019-2036)

2000 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes. VM 93. Dark red-ruby. Distinct surmaturite on the nose: roasted red fruits, roasted herbs, chocolate, earth and minerals. Lush, sweet and layered, with classic superripe grenache flavors of chocolate and spice cake. Very smooth wine, finishing with toothcoating tannins and the quintessential warmth of a wine from the South. “In an outstanding vintage like 2000, I tried to preserve freshness of fruit and finesse, and thus did not try to do a big extraction,” noted Sabon.

2000 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul. VM 93. Good deep red. Superripe, smoky, roasted aromas of liqueur-like dark fruits, minerals and game; distinct surmaturite from the sandy soil near Chateau Rayas. Fat, sweet and lush; has the texture of liquid velvet. Wonderfully rich flavors of dark fruits and game. This captures the fat of this vintage in spades. Finishes with compelling aromatic quality and big, thoroughly ripe, spreading tannins. Has just enough acidity to maintain its balance. Very impressive.

2001 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou. VM 96. Saturated, bright ruby-red. Knockout nose of black raspberry, meat, minerals, spices, chicory and espresso. Like liquid silk in the mouth; an incredibly concentrated, nearly confectionery wine, with compelling flavors of blackberry, violet and game. As creamy as a molten Valrhona chocolate cake. The oak component serves to frame and intensify the flavors, enabling this wonderfully thick wine to retain a sappy character. Finishes with intriguing garrigue notes and a repeating espresso element.

Ravioli. Butternut squash, hazelnuts, shaved parmesan, bordelaise jus. The ravioli and sauce were good, but the butternut squash just made the dish too heavy.

2001 Xavier Vignon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Ange. 92 points. Medium ruby fading to pale ruby off center and a bit orange around the rim. On the nose, after 15 minutes dark cherries / kirsch lept out of the glass, however this openness was short lived and in another 30 min (and through day 2) the nose was a lot more subdued (which may have been this shutting down) however some cherry, spice, pepper, licorice persisted when we went looking for it. On the palate some cherry (not a lot of fruit), acid, something a little funky but pleasant (I thought mushrooms my wife said earth), some tannin, finish wasn’t all that long.

2003 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes. VM 95. Saturated dark red. Explosively aromatic, highly complex nose offers kirsch, raspberry liqueur, blueberry, tarragon, baking spices, smoked meat, espresso and hot asphalt. Lush and hefty but suave, with rich flavors of sweet dark berries, framboise, candied chocolate and licorice that build and deepen with aeration. A brisk mineral note keeps the fruit in check and adds focus and lift to the knockout, silky finish.

2004 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée. VM 93. Ruby-red. Spicy red fruits on the nose, complicated by tapenade, lavender and espresso. Very fresh and sweet, with energetic red and dark fruit flavors, suggestions of garrigue and supple tannins. Finishes deep and sappy, with a lingering cherry pit note clinging tenaciously.

2005 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. VM 94. Ruby-red. Blackberry and cassis on the nose, with a complex set of earth, herb and floral qualities adding complexity. Deep and sweet, with bitter cherry and candied licorice flavors and youthfully firm tannins but no hardness. Turns more lively on the finish, picking up a spicy red berry character and leaving a long, pungent herbal trail behind. This needs time. “It’s the opposite of a bimbo wine,” Perrin offered.

Quail “Valle D’auge”. Arkansas apple beignet, calvados, stuffing. Again the main element (here the quail) was good, but the overall dish was a bit heavy with cloying sweet “Thanksgiving dessert” notes.

2003 Domaine de la Charbonnière Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. RJ 92. Lovely ripe cherry and framboise nose; tasty, tight but yummy kirsch and plum palate with mineral notes; elegant medium finish

2003 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo. VM 95-97. Deep, dark red. Multidimensional bouquet of kirsch, cassis, red plum, pipe tobacco, grilled meat, licorice pastille and roasted coffee; this has nearly all of the Chateauneuf food groups. Utterly mouthfilling in its richness, with tremendous concentration of red and dark berries, garrigue, bittersweet chocolate and aged beef. Finishes with a velvety lushness, round tannins and palate-staining persistence. A simply remarkable wine: it finished at 16.2% but the alcohol only shows in the wine’s unctuous, almost oily palate feel.

2004 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. VM 96-98. Saturated ruby. Remarkably deep nose combines cherry, raspberry, licorice, smoked meat and mineral notes, all lifted by an intense floral quality. A stunning example of freshness and precision married to power, with deep cassis, bitter cherry and candied licorice flavors enlivened by zesty minerality and framed by firm but harmonious tannins. “This is not about extraction,” notes Perrin. The endless finish echoes the mineral and floral tones, showing a persistent lavender note. This was not yet bottled when I tasted it.

2003 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. JG 92+. Given the mantra at the domaine that the Hommage à Jacques Perrin is only made in the finest vintages, I hardly expected to encounter a 2003 version, but the wine is really not bad at all and is now into its apogee. This is surprisingly low in octane for the vintage, coming in at the same 13.5 percent as the 2001 and 2004 iterations. The bouquet is really quite fine, wafting from the glass in a classy blend of dark berries, new leather, tree bark, woodsmoke, espresso and a lovely base of dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and wide open on the attack, with a good core, impressive soil signature and just a bit of backend tannin perking up the long and complex finish. A very pleasant surprise! (Drink between 2016-2025)

2004 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. VM 96-98. Saturated ruby. Remarkably deep nose combines cherry, raspberry, licorice, smoked meat and mineral notes, all lifted by an intense floral quality. A stunning example of freshness and precision married to power, with deep cassis, bitter cherry and candied licorice flavors enlivened by zesty minerality and framed by firm but harmonious tannins. “This is not about extraction,” notes Perrin. The endless finish echoes the mineral and floral tones, showing a persistent lavender note. This was not yet bottled when I tasted it.

From my cellar: 2005 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve. VM 92. Bright red. Fresh raspberry and wild strawberry scents, with suave floral and baking spice qualities adding seductive complexity. Medium-bodied red fruit flavors boast superb balance and sweetness, picking up silky tannins on the long, sappy finish. There’s really lovely perfume, finesse and clarity here, reminding me of a high-end Chambolle or Volnay.

Venison Two Ways. The filet poached in red wine, the legs in stew, pear poached, “Grand Veneur” sauce. Also pretty heavy and sweet. Why we have stone fruit AGAIN with meat is highly questionable.

From my cellar: 1989 Château Suduiraut. VM 90. The 1989 Suduiraut has always shown better than the 1990. The bouquet is quite vivacious with quince and frangipane, hints of pear and crème brûlée, certainly responding to aeration. The palate has similar weight and texture to the 1990 although, there is slightly more tension here with orange rind and marmalade imparting Barsac-like notes towards the finish. It lacks the sophistication of 21st century vintages but there is joie-de-vivre here. 89gm/L residual sugar. Tasted at a private dinner in Switzerland. (Drink between 2019-2029)

Sticky Toffee Pudding. Medjool dates, toffee sauce, vanilla ice cream. This massive brick was like a giant log of Sticky Toffee! It was the best course actually because here the sweetness was expected — but even for a dessert this was on the maximum sweet size and speaking of size, it literally was the size of a construction brick.

Passion for Pistachio Gelato — Sicilian Pistacchio di Bronte DOP custard gelato base with just a touch of Grand Mariner, ribboned with bits of Valrhona Dark Chocolate Passionfruit Ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pistacchio #bronte #Sicily #Valrhona #Chocolate #Passionfruit #GrandMariner #Ganache

Peach Rose Sorbetto — A blend of White and Blood Peaches from Avignon with a bit of Persian Rosewater! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — I’ve tried variants of this flavor several times and am at 1/8 the rosewater I started with, still titrating down! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #BloodPeach #rose #rosewater #peach

My notes.

Fun afternoon, and the service was great here at Tesse, but the food was a touch heavy, disjointed, and nearly every dish was cloying and sweet. There was plenty of food, but the rich and sweet without much acidity vibe was fatiguing.

Wines were fantastic. Chateauneuf du Pape is a great wine and a bit under-appreciated.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Chateauneuf du Pape, Gelato, Grenache, lunch, Sauvages, Tesse, Wine

Capital Lau

Aug24

Restaurant: Capital Seafood [1, 2]

Location: 755 W Garvey Ave. Monterey Park, CA 91754. (626) 282-3318

Date: December 5, 2021

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Great Banquet

This is the first official Tony Lau dinner since the pandemic and Tony took us back to Capital Seafood in the SGV. The first time we were there with him the place was mobbed and hosting a huge Chinese wedding. This time the main dining room was completely deserted — maybe 1 table.

But we had our own two table private room.

I do have to stop for a moment and “show off” the decoration.

Peanuts.

Suckling pig. Tough, chewy, and with a very piggy taste.

Lobster with ginger and scallions. The noodles underneath were delicious soaked with the sauce.

Lettuce cup with minced shrimp.

The lettuce and hoisin.

Roast goose. Really awesome with the sweet sauce.

Stir fried squid with shrimp paste (shrimp paste has a very pungent n strong flavor, either you love it or think it’s awful, just like people hate blue cheese)

Roasted Squab.

Stir fried chives and crispy taro. Delicious. The taro reminds me a bit of potato sticks.

French style beef. Super tender. Not sure why Tony always orders this.

Salty crab fried rice. Also delicious.

Almond soup. Chinese desserts are always a bit weird.

Almond Cardamom Gelato — Sicilian Noto Romano Almonds with Cardamom and Cinnamon infused milk — Incredible! — 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 #almond #cardamom #cinnamon

Party in full swing.

The wines. I was too lazy to photo them all and write them up.

This was a nice meal, except my hand hurt because I had fallen on my bike the previous day and “contused my thumb” — but that has nothing to do with the food, which was quite good. Pretty classic ordering from Tony, but it was all tasty and we had a fabulous time in our rowdy private room. Big two table gang. I’m not a huge fan of two tables but if you have to have them they are better in a big private room like this as it’s easy to move around.

Capital is a sort of “old school” (for the SGV) type of place with a bit of an 1980s or early 1990s vibe, but it still turns out very solid Cantonese banquet food.

For my catalog of Chinese restaurant reviews both here and in China, click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Cantonese Chinese, Gelato, Tony Lau, Wine

Truffles at Roccos

Aug21

Restaurant: Dinner at the Borgese’s [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Location: Santa Monica

Date: December 1, 2021

Cuisine: Italian influenced gourmet home cooking

Rating: Awesome

Dinner at the Borgese’s is a special house dinner in Santa Monica cooked by the stunning pro-level home chef Borgese couple. Tonight’s dinner is another truffle themed dinner!

The dynamic Borgese team consists of Rocco, his lovely wife (and the main kitchen chef), and his daughter (helping out with service).

Their house has not only a wine cellar, but a cheese and meat larder!

Plus all this incredible wood fired oven set up.The wine lineup. Not too shabby.

Our outside table.

Tonight’s special menu.

2006 Dom Pérignon Champagne. VM 96. Powerful, dense and tightly wound, the 2006 Dom Pérignon is fabulous today. To be sure, the 2006 is a broad, virile Champagne, but I find it compelling because of its phenolic depth and overall intensity. Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy adds that August was quite cold and wet, and that ripening only happened at the very end of the growing season. Although numbers alone can never explain a wine, I find it interesting that the 2006 has more phenolics than the 2003. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2006 is easily the most reticent Dom Pérignon in the years spanning 2002 and 2009. I am confident the 2006 will have its day, but in its youth, it is not especially charming or easy to drink. (Drink between 2026-2056)

Truffle!

Rocco with said fungus.

2013 Louis Latour Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles. 94 points. Ready to go this is singing. A classic Montrachet, this has a perfect balance between clean linear notes and a wonderful buttery palate. This just emphasizes how Louis Latour competes against the prestigious label brands. This more than holds its own at a lower price.

2016 Vin Blanc de Palmer. 89 points. I had slightly older versions of this that I liked more. found it a bit new-world style with strong pineapple hints. perhaps in need of more time.

2013 Domaine Rémi Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières. VM 93. Pale-medium yellow. Bright aromas of lemon, lime, peach skin and nut oil. Densely packed and tactile but with lovely minty lift and energy to its lightly saline fruit salad flavors. Tactile and slightly phenolic but still shows a lovely light touch. Finishes with resounding minerality. Half of this wine is from vines between 25 and 30 years of age, the other half from 85-year-old vines. (Drink between 2020-2029)

Carpaccio di Filet Mignon al Tartufo Bianco. Filet mignon Carpaccio with White Truffles. Thin, delecate, and delicious.

1996 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb. VM 93+. Saturated ruby. Penetrating aromas of cassis, black cherry, licorice and shoe polish; essence of Napa cabernet. Superb purity of dark berry flavor, complicated by mineral and spice notes. The wine sweetness is quite restrained owing to its firm spine of tannins and acids. A classic rather than exotic style of cabernet, in spite of the vintage’s tendency toward roasted ripeness. Extremely long on the aftertaste; the somewhat tough tannins will require at least a few years of bottle aging.

1961 Château Gruaud Larose. VM 95. The 1961 Gruaud Larose from bottle curiously shows better than a magnum that was poured around the same time elsewhere. There is more flamboyance on the nose, a mixture of red/black fruit, pressed flowers and a sprig of mint. The palate is sorbet fresh on the entry with a fine bead of acidity. There is something almost sanguineous about this Gruaud Larose with a vibrant, perfectly balanced and structured finish that is pure class. Funny how this shows much better than the magnum – there you go. Tasted at the 1961 dinner Chairman Miaow’s in Hong Kong. (Drink between 2019-2040)

Midollo Osseo con Tartufo Nero. Bone marrow with Black Truffles. This is a Yarom dish as he loves bone marrow. This was a good bone marrow, but it isn’t my thing being pure fat without much specific flavor.

2007 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne. VM 94. Bright deep red with ruby highlights. Knockout nose combines dark raspberry, smoked meat, minerals and crushed rock. Tactile and chewy as a solid yet almost magically light on its feet, with terrific definition and lift to the palate-staining red berry, smoke and floral flavors. This superbly ripe wine boasts an outstanding core of dense, sappy fruit. Finishes with great length.

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.

Quaglia Ripiena su Polenta. Stuffed quail over polenta. Now this is a to die for dish. The polenta is nice and juicy and the stuffing is amazing.

1989 Château Palmer. VM 97. The 1989 Palmer has vied with the 1983 as the highlight of the decade, so it is fascinating to revisit it at 30 years old. It has a wonderful bouquet of degraded red berry fruit, singed leather and hints of game and mint, beautifully defined and still so fresh, yet undeniably old-school in style. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and still brimming with vigor, delivering a fine bead of acidity and a touch of cracked black pepper. A very detailed, engaging finish urges you back for another sip. A brilliant Palmer, and judging from this showing, it has another two decades of pleasure to give. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château. (Drink between 2019-2045)

1989 Château Montrose. VM 98. The 1989 Montrose is a magnificent wine and this represents one of the best bottles I have encountered – one that was purchased on release and not moved from Berry Brothers’ cellar since. I have encountered perfect bottles of the 1989, and this flirts with that magic figure. It is blessed with a captivating bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, sous-bois and black truffle, the veins of blue fruit just toned down a little compared to previous bottles. The palate is supremely well balanced with those filigreed tannins that in some ways are atypical of Montrose. It delivers silky-smooth texture and an intense finish that glides across the senses. I cannot give a perfect score on this occasion, but without question, this is one of the great Montrose releases. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. (Drink between 2019-2050)

2000 Château Pavie. VM 96. The 2000 Pavie was tasted on two occasions. The first was from bottle at the château, where I felt it was quite sauvage and displayed more brettanomyces than I remembered. It was a peculiar showing. Then I tasted a magnum back in the UK, and this chimed more with previous bottles. Blackberry and crème de cassis feature on the nose, which is precocious and modern in style, though the new oak that once dominated this Saint-Émilion is now subsumed. The palate is full-bodied and dense, yet it does possess an alluring, silky texture. A sweet, precocious finish lingers extremely long in the mouth. (Drink between 2023-2045)

Pasta al Uovo con Tartufo Bianco. Homemade egg pasta with White Truffles. Very simple, very excellent.

2002 Abreu Madrona Ranch. 97 points. Just superb and plenty of life left, at least 10 years. A strong core of fruit enveloped by silky tannins. Everything you would want in a Cali Cab.

2005 Colgin Cariad. VM 97. The Cariad is the most severe of the 2005s. Early signs of aromatic development are just starting to appear, but the 2005 remains quite backward, dense and brooding. There is an element of explosive energy in the 2005 that I find especially appealing. Hints of rose petal, mint, cherries, smoke and white pepper gradually unfurl in the glass, but 2005 still hasn’t hit its stride. (Drink between 2017-2027)

2012 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “Old Sparky” Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard. 97 points. Classic ripe new world style, massive black and blue fruits, spice box, vanilla, great balance and texture. I’ll be honest, it’s lacking a bit in complexity and I was expecting more given the scores. It’s very very good however, so don’t get me wrong… I just expected more.

Bistecche alla Fiorentina Cotte a Legna. Wood fired Florentine Steaks. Awesome steak — not over cooked!

Verdure cotte a Legna. Wood fired vegetables: in this case eggplant.

Carrots.

Extra polenta and gravy.

1967 Château Suduiraut. VM 93. Tasted on several occasions, the 1967 Suduiraut is inconsistent from bottle to bottle. Like the previous bottle it has a strong Barsac-inspired nose that, as I have remarked before, might dupe you into thinking Climens. The palate is balanced and underpinned by a wonderful line of acidity that slices through the marmalade and quince notes. This is one of the few Suduiraut vintages from this era that improves with aeration and stands as one of the best wines of the decade. However, due to inconsistent showings over the years, you should cross your fingers and hope yours is good one. 70gm/L r.s. 14.8% alcohol. Tasted at a private dinner in London. (Drink between 2019-2028)

Passion for Pistachio Gelato — Sicilian Pistacchio di Bronte DOP custard gelato base with just a touch of Grand Mariner, ribboned with bits of Valrhona Dark Chocolate Passionfruit Ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pistacchio #bronte #Sicily #Valrhona #Chocolate #Passionfruit #GrandMariner #Ganache

Peach Rose Sorbetto — A blend of White and Blood Peaches from Avignon with a bit of Persian Rosewater! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — I’ve tried variants of this flavor several times and am at 1/8 the rosewater I started with, still titrating down! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #BloodPeach #rose #rosewater #peach

Overall, this was an amazing dinner, and the Borgese’s just keep amping up the quality.

First of all, the Borgese hospitality was awesome, the house lovely, and the food absolutely incredible. One of the best “home cooked” meals I’ve had. Maybe ever if you restrict it to chefs cooking in their own home kitchen. Just amazing. Every dish was great. Rustic but extremely delicious style. Superb homemade pastas. My gelato was darn good too :-).

Service was handled by the youngest Borgese (teen daughter) and was better than most restaurant staff. Super friendly and you can tell they do this a lot.

Wines were, as you can, pretty darn impressive! It should be noted that tonight’s meal had less distinct dishes than some of our previous meals, probably because of the “all truffle” theme, and as such I probably entered the steak course with more room than I might have — however it didn’t take very many slices of steak and spoonfuls of polenta to become stuffed to the gills so all good.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: beef, BYOG, Gelato, hedionists, Italian Cusine, Santa Monica, Truffle, Wine

Tasty Duck X 5

Aug17

Restaurant: Tasty Duck [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: 1039 E Valley Blvd. Ste B102. San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 572-3885

Date: November 28, 2021

Cuisine: Chinese

Rating: Great Duck — rest is a touch boring

Tasty Duck is a regular spot with my Hedonist food and wine club. We used to come here all the time. There are other duck places and it’s always the same so it’s less frequent, but as we went here post pandemic I figured I’d give them a new write up.

The interior is jammed and the turnover is high. There isn’t even a space inch to stand while waiting for a table as the serves need what little space there is to reach the tables. Although tonight being Sunday, the crowds died down by 8pm.

The current menu. Like many places right now reduced to take out format.

Cold plate with Poached Chicken, Jellyfish, Sweet Bran Cubes, and delicious Processed Meat Slabs.

Squirrel fish. This is the super fried fish in the super sweet red sauce.

Walnut shrimp. Always a favorite. I don’t dig the pineapple.

Spicy Razor Clams with Cucumbers. Delicious with a bit of mala. One of the best dishes.

The main event: Peking Duck. Not only was this delectable, with fantastic crispy skin and delicate meat, but it’s artfully arranged. We had two plates of these per table and it was a feeding frenzy!

Here are the traditional accompaniments, starting with excellent pancakes. One mystery question I must ask: why do Chinese restaurants insist on putting far too few pancakes and too little hoisin sauce on the table?

Scallions and cucumber.

Hoisin. It is good here.

A pancake in the making.
Bean Sprouts and Duck. Good for what it is.

Cumin Duck Bones. Lots of flavor.

Cumin Lamb. Nice and spicy.

Pork hock. Some kind of crazy pig leg. Some serious fat here and the skin was a bit mushy, but the meat fell off the bone and was incredibly tender and delicious.

Pork Meat Ball Soup. Like Matza Ball Soup, but with porky meat balls. Same texture. Super delicious but seething with MSG.

Mixed Vegetables. Terrible. Weird taste.

Chocolate Butterfinger Crunch Gelato – The base is made with Valrhona 62% Satilla Chocolate and then layered with Dark Chocolate Peanutbutter Cream Cheese Ganache and chopped Butterfingers! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #creamcheese #ganache #icing #peanut #butterfinger

Overall, another fantastic meal. Tasty Duck isn’t the most adventurous SGV place, but they do an excellent job. They were super friendly and willing to serve us the dishes one at a time over a long period. Tonight was better than on some of the overcrowded Saturday’s when they don’t have as much bandwidth for us.

The duck was first rate, as good as Peking duck gets — more or less. Although I have been disappointed in the hoisin sometimes. Some other dishes, like the pork hock and razor clams are very good too. A few others just so so, like the shrimp. Tasty Duck is all about the duck. But I do think Ji Rong is quite a bit better at this current moment in time.

For more Hedonist adventures or

For more LA Chinese reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Peking Duck, SGV, Tasty Duck, Wine

Capital Sauvages

Jul28

Restaurant: Capital Seafood Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 50 N La Cienega Blvd #130, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. (310) 855-1234

Date: November 12, 2021

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Not their best meal

Sauvages has been on a fantastic (and “sold out”) tear since resuming in 2021. This lunch is a return to Capital Seafood in Beverly Hills with a (fake, AKA American) Chardonnay and Pinot Noir theme.

Capital is the latest SGV place to move west, occupying the Newport Seafood Beverly Hills location that failed to work out. Not that I love even the original Newport, but Capital is fairly straight up banquet / dimsum Cantonese.

The space looks pretty Chinese, even in Beverly Hills.

Coves. Gotta have the coves!

This particular lunch had the annoying 2 table and double wine format. We were set up in the bar area.

Champs to begin:

These were (in my mind) the “real wines” before all that buttery chard came in.
Candied walnuts.

Peanuts.

Our special menu.

The double table wine menu.

Some various sauces.

Smashed garlic cucumbers.

Pickled jellyfish.

Stuffed scallop with shrimp.

Tony, who organized the menu, had them individually plate everything. This looks great and is a bit easier but it just doesn’t work well at Chinese restaurants. They aren’t used to it, and the time it takes them to do it means that everything is a bit cold by the time it hits the table. Plus, I’m a glutton and then I can’t take seconds :-).

Steamed egg and lobster.

Steamed live fish.

Plated.

Dum sum platter. A bun, a little rabbit dumpling (cute!) and a (single) hargow.

So cute!

Whole suckling pig.

Plated. Notice how they have to stick some random vegetables on the plate so it doesn’t look empty. Fortunately, they didn’t plate the whole thing so there were fairly unlimited seconds of it available.

French style filet mignon and String Beans. Tony just can’t resist ordering this dish. It’s tender but boring.

Braised Tofu & Pea Leaves with Garlic.

Fried Rice with Red Chicken Sauce and Shrimp Cream. This is the “classic” yin yang rice.

Macau style egg tart.

Baked Crispy Pastry with Almond milk. Cool but a bit odd.

Fresh fruit.

Overall, Capital Seafood is quite solid SGV-style Cantonese banquet (as well as dimsum). I’d say that the food quality is about on par with middle of the road SGV Cantonese. Price is higher, but still not bad. They lean heavily on the MSG too. But today’s lunch was probably one of my least favorite meals here. The two table and individual plating thing meant that portions were small and the food was a bit cold.

Also, the whole two table thing is just not as fun as a single (even large) table. Having half the wines at one and half at the other is very chaotic.

I didn’t really like the white wine. There were a couple that were decent, but they are so heavy. I’d happily drink $20 2019 Fevre Chablis Villages over almost any of these, so I’m not even gonna bother to write them up. Some of the Pinots are pretty nice. Not like a great red burg, but at least like an enjoyable young red burg.

For my catalog of Chinese restaurant reviews in China, click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Capital Seafood, Chardonnay, Chinese Food, Gelato, lunch, Sauvages, Wine, wine lunch

Chengdu Impression

Jul21

Restaurant: Chengdu Impression

Location: 21 E Huntington Dr, Arcadia, CA 91006. (626) 462-9999

Date: November 7, 2021 and May 1, 2022

Cuisine: Sichuan Chinese

Rating: Great kitchen, terrible service

I wanted to go here for years but a combination of distance, the pandemic, and the challenge of getting Sichuan groups together made it a bit hard. Finally I got here in late 2021 and the kitchen was so good we swore to go again.

It’s located in the North SGV, more Arcadia, on a busy street.

The interior is modern and deserted. Both times almost no other customers. They have 2 privates rooms as well.

This is the upstairs. The first time we ate up here.

The second time we had the large private room.

This is the menu — however, both times, despite my attempts in advance to pre-order stuff, they were “out” of a mysterious range of items. I think it’s staff shortages in the kitchen honestly.

Cold Tossed Cucumber. The second time we tried to order this (on the second visit) they were “out” supposedly because the chef declared that the sauce was “too complicated.” This has to be some kind of staff shortage.

Hot and Sour Jelly Noodle. Good, but could have used a bit more sour to my taste. Texture was on point. Notice the take out container. They really wanted to service us everything in these crap containers with plastic forks and spoons. I went and had a talk with the manager and only by playing up the blog card managed to get them to use real plates. I think they have returned their rental dishwasher or something.

Sliced Pork Belly with Spicy Garlic Sauce. The sauce in particular was incredible. Really awesome and on the second visit when we tried to reorder, again the chef declared the sauce “too complicated” and wouldn’t serve it. Weird!

Boiled Pork Dumplings. Because they were out of the wontons on the first visit. These were basic.

But on the second visit we managed to get wontons! Numbing Spicy Wonton. Nice soft wrapper, very intense numbing sauce (almost a soup).

Couples Sliced Beef and Tripe. Good sauce, beef was a bit tough.
Chinese bread for the beef.

Pungent and Spicy Chicken. Sauce was full of chilis and quite excellent. I particularly liked the bamboo shoots in here.

Chicken in Chili Sauce. Different, less “oily” variant than I usually find.

Cold Chicken Noodles. Really excellent noodle dish with that sweet and tangy quality.

Pickled garlic!

Sliced Sole Filet and Tofu in Sichuan Peppercorn Sauce. Delicious and perfect rendition of the dish. Super moist and soft fish with lots of numbing. Not as spicy as Sichuan Impression.

Kung Pao Shrimp. Delicate and almost floral. Incredible version. There might be some lychee in here for sweetness.

Spicy Lobster (preorder). Nice tender meat and good flavor. They did charge a LOT for this, however. Pre-ordered and brought too early because they can’t resist bringing the pre-order stuff.

Bullfrog Dry Pot with Sichuan Vegetables. Awesome version of this dish, particularly the crunchy lotus root and soft potato.

Braised Sea Cucumber with Minced Pork. The pork was awesome. The cucumber was a bit chewy (and not so strong on flavor).

Bullfrog Stewed with Spicy Ginger Broth. One of the classic Sichuan Bullfrog variants. Quite nice meat.

Beef Tendon. Very jiggly, but nice.

Shredded Beef with Sour Sauce. Interesting.

Chengdu Style Beef Jerky. Very dry but a lot of flavor.

Honey Roasted Duck (Pre-order). Really excellent, super jucy sweet duck. Polarizing as Yarom and David didn’t like the sweet. The rest of us loved it.

Country Style Sliced Pork with Shisito Peppers. Excellent meat with great salty flavor.

Angus Beef Ribs. Interesting. Very fatty, but quite a lot of flavor.

Crispy Spciy Diced Chicken. Fabulous version of this dish with plenty of aromatic chili vibe and a very darkly 2-3 time fried chicken.

Wok Fried Cabbage with Garlic and Minced Pork. Super delicious with a nice crunch and good pork flavor.

Twice Cooked Pork. Perfect. Leeks were great.

Dan Dan Mein.

Mixed up. The flavor was quite good, if a touch sweet.

Mapo Tofu. Very good version of the dish. Not that hot, but lots of numbing and deep flavor.

Raspberry Sorbetto — French Raspberries, a touch of lime juice, and a splash of Amaro — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — I had to add a bit of Amaro for my “art” otherwise it would have been too simple — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #raspberry #amaro

Hazelnut at the Ritz Gelato — Nocciola (hazelnut) custard base made with Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste then mixed with house-made caramel and crushed Ritz Crackers (for that salty offset) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #nocciola #caramel #caramello #ritz #crackers

My son’s favorite — Triple Chocolate Cloud Gelato – The base is made with Valrhona 62% Satilla Chocolate and then layered with Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Ganache and chopped Oreos! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #oreos #ganache #icing #NestléCrunch

So in summary:

I think the actual Sichuan kitchen here is great, maybe the best I’ve had in the greater LA area. But there are serious problems with the operation.

They are clearly “barely in business.” The restaurant is empty and given how crowded most SGV restaurants are this is hardly a good sign. They tried both times to serve on plastic wares. The front of house staff, while friendly, lounged around a good deal of the time. They didn’t replace plates, clear stuff very often, or bring napkins etc. We had to constantly go out to find them to get things and to order — only to discover them chatting with each other in the hall. The kitchen was out of items both times. Oddly out of stuff. We also had a third “failed” dinner between these two where they canceled it on us because they were “doing renovations.” I suspect they were just short staffed or had some permitting issue. The unavailability of basic dishes like cold cucumbers because the sauce was “too complicated” was laughable. Even in the private room where they will give you real plates they gave us mostly plastic silverware.

Additionally, the second visit was oddly expensive. It seems they priced the pre-order dishes (like the lobster and duck) really high. Maybe $200-300+ for just the lobster!

Anyway, it’s really a shame that they have these logistical issues because the subtlety of the cooking is for the most part very good and they do have a lot of interesting items on the menu (when they are in “stock”).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Chengdu Impression, Chinese cuisine, Chinese Food, Gelato, hedonists, SGV, Sichuan, Sichuan Cuisine, spicy, Wine

Loire at Akbar

Jul14

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

Location: 3115 Washington Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292. (310) 574-0666

Date: November 4, 2021

Cuisine: Indian

Rating: Bold and balanced flavors

ANY CHARACTER HERE

It’s time for my my Hedonist group to return to LA’s best Indian restaurant, Akbar (Santa Monica branch). Too many Indian places focus on low cost buffets of very over cooked food, but Akbar cooks everything to order — even baking their own Naan when you place the order. They are more focused on the cuisine of the Punjab (Northern India), with very good curries and kormas. You can get anything from extremely mild to blow the top of your head off. Once I had the “pepper lamb” on 5 (max heat) and my scalp sweat for hours.

Tonight’s event is a Dirty Dozen blind tasting focusing on Loire wines, both sweet and dry.

Fellow Hedonist Chef Avi commands the kitchen!

NV Henriot Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 91. Pale yellow-gold. Fragrant melon, white peach and tangerine aromas are complicated by smoky lees and floral honey. On the palate, supple melon and pit fruit flavors are energized by smoky minerality. Shows a gently sweet touch and finishes with excellent cut, clarity and persistence.

2009 Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Réserve Brut. VM 93. The 2009 Vouvray Pétillant Réserve is dry and bracing. A wine of substance and power, the 2009 has a lot to offer. Today, I especially admire its breadth. Yellow orchard fruits, plum, dried flowers and chamomile abound, but the 2009 remains a wine endowed with tremendous palate presence. It is very much a wine for the dinner table. (Drink between 2020-2027)

Tonight’s special menu. It was custom designed to “try” to pair okay with the Loire wines, which is a bit of a challenge considering how strong and flavorful (in an entirely good way) Akbar’s food is.

Gobi Manchurian. Cauliflower breaded, fried, and tossed in a super spicy super delicious Chinese inspired sauce.

A non spicy variant.

Shrimp Makhani Cocktail.

2018 Didier Dagueneau Sancerre Les Monts Damnés. 90 points. Quite tight at first, air coaxing out an herbal profile, dried hay, perhaps the slightest bit of tropical fruit such as kiwi. Acidity is more balanced than expected. Give this time. Peter 91. This started out quite stinky and herbal and smoothed out after 15-20 min. slight kiwi here as well, high acidity, very nice, taught. Guessed ’18 Dagueneau. Very young. Will improve with 2-5 years+. Although I haven’t had any Dagueneau’s so far that have aged well past 10-12 years. DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites.

2014 Didier Dagueneau Sancerre Les Monts Damnés. Peter 93. Like yellow with green hints; nice citrusy notes, slight herbal, kiwi flavors, clean, great concentration but balanced and silky mouthfeel. Really superb. My #1, came in 8th/12. DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites.

2008 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Silex. Peter 89. Golden color, waxy note, honied, nutty; This was really dark and seemed like it had a lot more age on it than it did. Would have been ok for a 1998, not a 2008. Prematurely aged. DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites.

2018 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Silex. Peter 92. This was very pale in color; neutral nose at first, closed. Really blossomed after 20 minutes or so. Rich nicely textured silky body with nice balancing acidity, deep but quiet at first. Light herbal quality, ripe grapefruit blossom. clean minerality. Very nice and ended up first place out of the 12 Loire whites. DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites. Try again in 2-3 yrs.

Kerala Shrimp.

Chilean Sea Bass Tandoori style.

Naan.

2015 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Clos du Bourg. Peter 92. Dark orange; lots of apricot, aged kind of peach pit, honey, molasses, sauterne sweet. This was delish, but thought it had 20 more years on it than it did! (guessed ’96 Quart de Chaumes). Probably b/c the color. Very good, but curious about the color. Could have been a storage issue that did not significantly affect the quality (for a ’15 I’m pretty sure it should have shown brighter and a bit fresher). DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites.

2015 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Le Mont. Peter 92. Gold-amber; minty note, apricot juice, herbal note with floral honey thing going on, med. sweet (not like 1er Trie); bright, clean for a Vouvray, high acid. Very cool, interesting to compare with the ’15 1er Trie side by side. DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites.

2016 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg. Peter 89. Med. gold, slight orange; almond, honey, med.- sweetness (as far as sweet wines go), a little bitter finish, wheat bread aspect, lower acidity on this. OK, but a top Chenin must have good acidity in my opinion. Not my fav. Interestingly enough, this came in 2nd place. DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites.

2016 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Le Mont. Peter 89. Medium dark orange, slightly less than the ’15 1er Trie. Not sure why these are showing so dark so young. Like the ’16 Clos de Bourg Moelleux, med. acidity, and slightly nutty, just a slight hint of age/oxidation? So far not a fan of ’15 or ’16 in Vouvray, unless these have bottle issues. This got 11/12th place, with no votes. DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites.

Chicken Tikka.

House favorite Chicken Tikka Masala. Another perfect batch of this amazing dish. The chicken itself is all super tender chunks of white meat. The sauce has this snappy tang and complex flavor.

Chicken Akbari. Milder creamy sauce.

Mushroom Pillau (rice with veggies).

1989 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Le Mont. Peter 91. Medium gold-orange; almonds, minty, herbal, old nutty aspect but just as it should. Med+ acidity. Nice stuff. Aged well. DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites.

2002 Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance. Peter 93. Dark orange, very sweet, nutty, honied, with great lifting acidity, complex and tasty. DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites.

2002 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru. Peter 90. Darker golden-orange; honey, nuts, excellent structure and acidity. NOtes lacking on this one. Interesting next to ’89 Vouvray Moelleux Le Mont. DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites.

1996 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru. Peter 93. Dark brown, pecan, botrytis notes, orange liqueur, orange peel, quite sweet but with good supporting acidity making it light on its feet, slight bitter phenolic finish, really good stuff. Like this vintage, sailed above the ’02. DD at Akbar blind–Loire Whites.

Rack of lamb.

Gosht Lazeez. Mutton Lazeez. Literally translates to delicious mutton, it is a dish of melt in mouth mutton cooked in mild spices, mixed in yoghurt and cream.

Saag (spinach).

Eggplant Bharta.

2019 Domaine Luneau-Papin Terre de Pierre.

2005 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre.

2015 La Source du Ruault Saumur-Champigny Clos de la Côte.

2016 Domaine de la Haute Olive Chinon.

2003 Kalleske Shiraz Greenock.

Hazelnut at the Ritz Gelato — Nocciola (hazelnut) custard base made with Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste then mixed with house-made caramel and crushed Ritz Crackers (for that salty offset) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #nocciola #caramel #caramello #ritz #crackers

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The outside setting was really fun.

Akbar has long been my favorite LA Indian, and this meal was probably my best yet — and very different than usual. Chef Avi really turned out a lot of unique things tonight as he tried to adapt to the wines. And the wines were really great too. However, I’m not sure the amount and strength of the food made for a perfect “fair” tasting. And also not sure how much the mix of sweet and dry in the same blind tasting works — but who cares when it’s this much fun?

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Akbar, BYOG, Dirty Dozen, Gelato, Indian cuisine, Loire Valley

Happy at Happy Harbor

Jul08

Restaurant: Happy Harbor

Location: 1015 Nogales St, West Covina, CA 91792. 626-965-2020

Date: October 30, 2021

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Great cantonese

Yarom discovered this place during the day (for dim sum) not too long ago and as it was really great in that mode we decided to hit it for Sunday dinner.

Happy Harbor is a medium sized Cantonese located right next to Mandarin plaza, a “far east” (Hacienda Heights ish) area we have eaten at again and again.

The interior is classic Cantonese.

With the tanks.

And the over-decorated private room which was where we set up shop.

On table to start, cucumbers. A bit sweet.

Peanuts.

The show off the live “creatures.”

Cold plate. Roast Pork, Roast Duck or Chicken, Jellyfish, Macau style pork belly.

Tofu with preserved egg. Oddly sweet and not one of my favorite versions.

Lobster with garlic and ginger. Very tender.

“Spot prawns” in a crunchy very fried Typhoon style. Not immensely garlicky but the prawns themselves were very well cooked.

Quail. Excellent version.

Peking duck skin. Not enough, but good. Buns unfortunately instead of pancakes.

Peking duck meat/bones. Lots of meat here, more should have been cut onto the other plate.

Duck letuce cups (from same duck). Good but no hoison at the time. Radically insufficient hoison.

The actual lettuce.

Chicken “Knees.” Great flavor!

Beef ribs and egg plant. Nice.

Vermicelli pancake with beef and eggy sauce. Delicious “pizza.”

Pork chops. Very friend. Ok.

Tripe.

XLB. A little under-seasoned.

Free custard buns. Nice.

Pistachio Cardamom Gelato — Sicilian Pistachio di Bronte with Cardamom infused milk — pretty awesome new flavor! — 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 #cardamom #sicily

Happy Harbor was quite seriously good, definitely in the top tier of Cantonese kitchens (of the many) in the SGV. A bit further than most, but excellent.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Cantonese cuisine, Chinese Food, duck, Gelato, Happy Harbor, hedonists, SGV, squab, Wine

Rockin’ Ten Raku

Jun20

Restaurant: Ten Raku

Location: 4177 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90020. (213) 380-8382

Date: Oct 21, 2021

Cuisine: KBBQ

Rating: Solid old school KBBQ

Chevy setup tonight’s dinner and he chose KBBQ because he loves meat and any excuse for big red wines. Not that I’m complaining too much.

Ten Raku is a classic KTown KBBQ place place.

It’s kinda old school, and given the state of the pandemic was fairly quiet.

The menu has a decent number of options. This is good, sometimes I feel that some Korean places are too focused.

1995 Perrier-Jouët Champagne Cuvée Fleur de Champagne. VM 88+. Strong mousse. Restrained aromas of lemon rind, lime, honeysuckle and chalk. Tightly wound, firm and quite refined; almost hard today and distinctly backward. Finishes long, brisk and dry, with bracing lemony acidity. (I also tasted a far less fresh bottle, which showed tired aromas of apple and pear.) There’s been a change of importer since last year, so ask your merchant for this fall’s shipment. (Allied Domecq Wines U.S.A., Healdsburg, CA)

From my cellar: 2018 Azienda Agricola Valentini Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. VM 92. Bright pink. Minerals, fava beans, pomegranate and violet on the bright nose. Then very harmonious in its acid-fruit-tannin profile, with lively balanced acidity nicely extending the flavors similar to the aromas on the long back end. Strikes me as a rather refined, sneakily concentrated Cerasuolo. (Drink between 2019-2025)

Typical “free” salad.

Banchan.

Bean sprouts.

Mac Salad.

Pickles.

Spicy pickled cucumber.

Kimchee.

My personal favorite the chewy fish cake.

Another spicy something.

Seafood pancake. Egg batter with flour, green onions, belly peppers and octopus served with a soy vinegar dipping sauce.

Fluffy egg soufflé.

Besides beef, Ten Raku specializes in octopus, so of course we had to get some. This is some kind of Jeon Gol, a Korean Stew with octopus and various vegetables and noodles.

It all gets cooked down and then…

Served up like this for some chili flavored deliciousness.

Then they dump a bunch of rice into the broth and fry it up into spicy fried rice (with a lot of flavor).

1994 Château Haut-Brion. VM 93-95. Fabulous smoky, roasted, black fruit and tobacco nose, with a sappy urgency. Like liquid velvet in the mouth; gives a saline impression of extract. Very fresh and bright, with uncanny sweetness. Explosive finishing fruit buries the uncommonly fine tannins. One of the very few ’94s that truly stains the palate.

1996 Château Cos d’Estournel. VM 93. The 1996 Cos d’Estournel has a fragrant, Pauillac-tinged bouquet with the melted tar and graphite leitmotifs that I remarked upon in previous encounters. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy-textured tannin. I feel that the 1996 shows a tad more maturity than a few months ago, with undergrowth and peat-like notes surfacing with aeration and then a dash of white pepper streaking across the finish. However, it evinces fine persistency and embraces the classic tropes of the 1996 vintages. Though not a top tier Cos d’Estournel, it remains an excellent Saint-Estèphe. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical at the property. (Drink between 2018-2035)

1997 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon. VM 94+. Bright deep ruby. Blackberry, violet, tar, shoe polish and game on the nose, plus a light floral note; at once vibrant and surmuri. Superconcentrated, remarkably intense flavors of crystallized black cherry, cassis and licorice. An extremely persistent wine of noteworthy finesse, yet also one with a powerful structure for aging. One of the standouts of the vintage.

1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 93-95. Full, saturated ruby, by a wide margin the darkest of these ’97s. Spicy, high-pitched aromas of cassis, black cherry, licorice, flint and tar. Densely packed but currently tightly wound and dominated by its structure. Shows a restrained sweetness and complicating hints of leather, flint and tar. More tannic than the Mouline or Turque but here, too, the tannins are quite fine. Very long on the palate. A lovely expression of syrah from a very ripe year.

1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia. VM 94. Full ruby. Supersweet aromas of blackberry, cassis, bitter chocolate, espresso and tobacco. Thick and seamless yet bright and sharply defined. Very long and spicy on the aftertaste, with excellent grip. Sweet tannins coat the teeth. Williams says the selection for Insignia is based on quality and concentration rather than on a particular flavor profile.

1995 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. VM 89. Healthy dark red. Plum, coffee and chicory on the nose. Savory redcurrant fruit is complemented by well-integrated oak notes of coffee and chocolate. With good salinity and energy, there’s nothing heavy about this Cabernet. Finishes with firm, fine-grained tannins that avoid dryness. No easy sweetness but nicely ripe and persistent. À point right now. (Drink between 2016-2020)

1997 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso. VM 94. What a treat it is to taste the 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pianrosso on this day. Medium-red in color, it offers an expressive, ethereal nose with notes of roses, tar and tobacco that float out of the glass along with soft, perfumed fruit in a delicate, captivating interplay of sensations and aromas. Although this bottle had been decanted for three hours prior to my visit to the estate it nevertheless appeared somewhat closed. Still fresh, it promises to provide memorable drinking for at least another decade although my guess is that the wine’s structure will ultimately outlast the fruit. Regardless, it is utterly irresistible right now. Anticipated maturity (Drink between 2013-2014)

Cold mustardy noodles with beef and veggies. They actually put ice in here that melts.to get it nice and chilled. They are both spicy, tangy, and mustardy.

Korean style beef tartare. Always a great take on beef tartare as it has bits of pear and a sweet and tangy marinate.

Our full spread of uncooked meat! This is the core KBBQ deal.

Some close ups of all that beef. KBBQ doesn’t actually photo that well as it’s really tedious to remember all the different cuts and show them cooking and then cooked.

Some cut on the grill.

And a few minutes later.

The big rib eye.

More meat.

Daikon slices in case one wants to wrap up the meat.

Pickles, garlic, and chiles.

Spicy bean paste. You can add all the elements and some meat together to make a delicious Korean wrap.

Pork belly on the grill.

And more cooked.

Strawberries & Mascar-Creamy Gelato — A base infused with Mascarpone Cheese then blended with house-made Strawberry Curd — created by me for @sweetmilkgelato — my vain attempts to pipe a pretty decoration on top were uttery foiled by timing –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #cheesecake #mascarpone #cheese #strawberry #cream

This was a fun and solid meal. Some of the beef was a bit too “straight up” for me — aka not marinated — but there were a bunch of interesting extras like the noodles, pancake, and octopus stew. Quality was high. Service good. If you want the classic 80s/90s KBBQ style (ignoring AYCE which I always do as it’s pointless), this is a great place. There are newer glitzier places like Gwang Yang which have a much hipper vibe, but the actual meat isn’t much different.

Our wines were generally great even if there were a couple new worlds in there. Unfortunately one of mine was a bit corked. Sigh.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: beef, BYOG, Foodie Club, Gelato, KBBQ, Ktown, Meat, Ten Raku, Wine

Sauvages Bordeaux

Jun08

Restaurant: Private Chef, David Slatkin

Location: Bel Air

Date: October 15, 2021

Cuisine: American

This particular entry in my series of Friday afternoon wine themed Sauvages lunches was set at…

Member Jeff’s lovely backyard and features food by private chef David Slatkin.

We dined at this lovely table — it would be romantic except this is about a dozen old winos :-).

Getting the wine going.

1808 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé Rosé.

Salmon from Jose. Great, but very salty.

Korean Short Rib Taco — sweet but great.

2018 Château Cos d’Estournel Blanc. VM 92. The 2018 Cos d’Estournel Blanc is showing nicely in bottle, partly because of the increased proportion of Sémillon in the blend. That lends complexity on the nose, which displays gorgeous honeysuckle and yellow plum aromas, if perhaps more oiliness than I found from bottle. The palate has tightened up a little, feeling less rounded than before, with intense orange pith, apricot and tangy marmalade toward the finish. A lovely Cos d’Estournel Blanc that I am intrigued to see age in bottle. (Drink between 2021-2032)

2019 Château Brane-Cantenac Blanc. 90 points.

Miso Potsticker — a bit salty.

Mango and burata toast.

BBQ pork belly.

2000 Château Angélus. VM 92. The 2000 Angélus (which, incidentally, was the first vintage where the bottle was embossed with the château name) is one that I have tasted many times, though not recently. Showing minor degradation at its rim, it displays a core with a healthy deep hue. The bouquet is concentrated and intense, plenty of red fruit mingling with melted tar and leather, and perhaps a little more gourmand/animally than I was expecting. The palate is medium-bodied with a slight bitterness on the entry, and delivers good weight and girth, though compared to recent vintages it is patently clear that there is not the same clarity or tension. Quite ferrous, especially with aeration. (Drink between 2021-2032)

2000 Château La Mission Haut-Brion. VM 97. The 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion is a vintage that I have not tasted for several years. At age 21, it has retained its youthful nose of vivid black cherries, wild strawberry and iodine, and shows less of the black olive tapenade element that I noticed in its youth. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins that belie that backbone of this La Mission. Beautifully balanced and quite peppery, with fine salinity, it is less sauvage than many other millennial Bordeaux, leading to a succulent, sensual finish. This is only just beginning to show what it is capable of. 13.4% alcohol. Tasted at the château with Jean-Philippe Delmas. (Drink between 2022-2050)

2000 Château Magrez Fombrauge. VM 88-90. Saturated ruby. Musky aromas of black raspberry, violet, game and burning tobacco. Intensely flavored, firmly structured and tightly wound, but seems a bit dried by the extraction. Seems rather tough today and not showing its personality. But undeniably concentrated. Finishes with somewhat gritty tannins.

Fish with cous cous and lobster.

1989 Château La Conseillante. VM 97. The 1989 La Conseillante is one of the top performers in Pomerol and arguably now one of the best values. This bottle confirms that exuberance and joie-de-vivre on the nose, displaying the telltale crushed violets in bloom, with precious but controlled red and black fruit underneath. The palate is sumptuous from the start, presenting cashmere tannin and perhaps a little more glycerine in this bottle. The bravura finish leaves you grinning from ear to ear. Stunning, and it will remain on its plateau for many years. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. (Drink between 2019-2040)

1989 Château Montrose. VM 98. The 1989 Montrose is a magnificent wine and this represents one of the best bottles I have encountered – one that was purchased on release and not moved from Berry Brothers’ cellar since. I have encountered perfect bottles of the 1989, and this flirts with that magic figure. It is blessed with a captivating bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, sous-bois and black truffle, the veins of blue fruit just toned down a little compared to previous bottles. The palate is supremely well balanced with those filigreed tannins that in some ways are atypical of Montrose. It delivers silky-smooth texture and an intense finish that glides across the senses. I cannot give a perfect score on this occasion, but without question, this is one of the great Montrose releases. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. (Drink between 2019-2050)

1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron. VM 95. The 1989 Pichon-Baron repeats its performance from the vertical tasting in May 2018. It storms from the glass, bearing copious blackberry, cedar and perhaps a little more mint than I noticed on the previous bottle. There is so much youthful zeal to this harmonious, refined Pauillac that you would barely guess it is 30 years old. Long and tender with a graphite-infused finish, this bottle might be even better than the ex-château example. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. (Drink between 2019-2038)

Duck confit with egg.

1996 Château Lafite Rothschild. VM 97+. The 1996 Lafite-Rothschild is consistent with the bottle shown at the Hong Kong vertical. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry, cedar and a pencil box of graphite. The adjective I use whilst writing this note is that the aromas are “cool”. Perhaps given its provenance, this is one of the most backward bottles of 1996 that I have tasted. There are those fine but rigid tannins that lend this Lafite such beguiling symmetry, copious cedar and graphite with vein of brine and oyster shell. I love the precision of this wine and the sappiness on the finish. At the moment, maybe more impressive than enjoyable, so if you can, cellar it for another 5 to 8 years. Tasted at the Lafite-Rothschild 150th anniversary dinner at the estate. (Drink between 2025-2055)

From my cellar: 1996 Château Haut-Brion. JG 94. The 1996 Haut Brion is less hermetically sealed than the 1998, and is beginning to hint a bit at its secondary layers of aromatic complexity, though it still remains a very young wine. The bouquet is deep and classic, as it jumps from the glass in a mélange of black cherries, dark berries, Cuban tobacco, incipient notes of the black truffles to come, and a fine base of Graves earth. I assume that the 1996 saw the same amount of new oak as the 1998, but there is little sign of the wood at the present time. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and very intense, with a quite powerful profile for Haut Brion. The wine is rock solid at the core and very tannic, though the tannins are ripe and well-integrated into the wine. The finish is very, very long and soil-driven, and this will clearly be one of the most powerful vintages of Haut Brion to emerge since the 1959. It will be superb, but one will require plenty of patience. (Drink between 2025-2075)

1986 Château Léoville Las Cases. VM 97+. Saturated dark ruby. Cassis, shoe polish, camphor and rose petal on the nose; this reminded me of a great vintage of Latour. Dense and extremely concentrated; explosive yet totally backward. There nothing playful about this infant claret. Finishes with extraordinary, slow-building persistence. Very serious juice; one of the great Bordeaux of the 1980s. Drink 2010 through 2035.

Lamb ravioli with truffle. Yum!

1990 Château Montrose. VM 95. Full ruby-red. Wild, exotic aromas of crystallized redcurrant, leather, tobacco and minerals; distinctly exotic, even overripe. Then lush, sweet and opulent, with an atypically velvety texture for Montrose. But extremely young and structured, finishing with powerful tannins and great grip and length. Almost California-like in style; in Bordeaux, they’d refer to the fruit expression of this wine as “original,” which is not necessarily high praise. Drink 2008 through 2030.

1990 Château Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse). VM 91. Deep ruby to the rim. Extravagant aromas of black fruits, violets, and toffee. Voluptuous and sweet; this has outstanding concentration but with so much baby fat there’s little delineation on the palate. Finishes with a kick of alcohol and substantial ripe tannins. Very dense, but while a flight of other top right-bank wines were sending off fireworks in the glass, this chunky wine sat like a lump of coal.

1982 Château Mouton Rothschild. VM 98. The 1982 Mouton-Rothschild continues to be the extravagant Pauillac that it has always been. This has an irresistible, exotic bouquet of precocious kirsch, hoisin, graphite and blueberry scents that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is a little headier than previous bottles, sensual and almost glossy, presenting a glycerin-rich smorgasbord of dark cherries, black currant, crème de menthe and mint that almost knocks you off your feet. Fabulous. Tasted from an ex-château jeroboam at the Palace of Versailles charity dinner. (Drink between 2019-2040)

Beef.

1995 Grande Maison Monbazillac Cuvée Madame.

1998 Alois Kracher Grande Cuvée TBA #10 Nouvelle Vague. 95 points. The fat and soft fruit of chardonnay are here perfectly allied with the freshness and spice of welschriesling. Caramel and pungent botrytis augment aromas of honey and tropical fruits. In the mouth, this is the most dynamic of any of Kracher’s ’98s, with insistent fruit acid and firm expression of wood allaying its formidable thickness. Flavors of quince and apple jelly, with musky notes from the welschriesling and a chardonnay-typical caramelization of tropical fruits. Mandarin orange and brown spices join the fruit parade in a formidable finish. 2 stars.

Persimon Souflee.

Chocolate Chip Cookies.

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

Apricot Amaro Passionfruit Mango Sorbetto – I like blending compatible fruits together — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #amaro #apricot #passionfruit #mango

Epic cheese plate.

No comment.

Overall, a great lunch with really good food and amazing wines — all of which were drinking in great form. I don’t buy too much Bordeaux anymore, but they are really great when you give them a few years.

After the dinner proper a couple of us hung out on the lovely terrace and sipped our vast array of wines (and munched on the cheese plate).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bordeaux, BYOG, Gelato, Jeff Leve, lunch, Sauvages, Wine

Old California at 71Above

Jun04

Restaurant: 71Above [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

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

Date: October 12, 2021

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Awesome in all ways

71Above is one of my favorite LA restaurants and I’ve been many times. In fact there are 10 previous write ups! Original Chef Vartan Abgaryan has moved on to his own new place, Yours Truly (which the pandemic has sadly done in), and 71Above is now seamlessly helmed by his disciple, Chef Javier Lopez. Today the location plays host to a special old California dinner owner Emil Eyvazoff organized with an equally special menu. This dinner is the spiritual sequel to a much older Old California dinner back in 2015.

Besides being located on the 71st floor (950 feet up!) of the US Bank building, being the highest restaurant west of the Mississippi, it’s owned and operated by my friend Emil Eyvazoff!

On one of these visits, Emil gave me a quick tour of their new “patio” on the 70th floor below where they are serving up Mezzes and drinks.

Gorgeous build out upstairs for the main event.

Look at the crazy view and the crazy fog on this weird spring night.

We set up shop for this evening in the private room.

Just a few glasses at the ready.

Our special menu.

The wine list.

Bread and butter.

1984 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay.

1985 Kalin Cellars Chardonnay Cuvée L. JG 93+. The Cuvée L chardonnay hails from a warmer section of Long Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, where the sun in principally of the afternoon variety, and like the cooler section where the “Cuvée LD” comes from, this is planted with Wente clones. The 1985 Cuvée L is a lovely bottle, with a slightly more fruit-driven personality from the predominance of afternoon sun in this section of the vineyard. The bouquet delivers a fine blend of fresh apricot, baked peaches, a nice touch of soil, a bit of citrus zest and a topnote of toasted walnut. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and seamless, with a lovely core, a very refined personality, great balance and a very long, refined finish. This is more elegant than the 1986 Cuvée LD served alongside of it (differences in vintage character?), but the 1986 Cuvée LD is the slightly more complex of the two wines today. (Drink between 2016-2035)

1985 Kistler Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard.

Yellowfin Crudo. Mango, avocado, passionfruit, daikon, cucumber, habanero, Thai basil. Bright and full of flavor.

1987 Hanzell Chardonnay.

1989 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay. 92 points.

1985 Kalin Cellars Chardonnay.

Charred Avocado. Sungold Tomatoes, uni, trout roe, za’atar, lime, mints. 71Above excels at this sort of unusual combo. Totally worked.

1961 Hallcrest Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. 91 points.

1966 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon California Mountain.

Crispy Octopus. Shishito, almond, sprouting cauliflower, polenta, meyer lemon gastrique.

1968 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. VM 98. Medium-deep red with a greenish-amber rim. Highly complex aromas of raspberry, cherry, mocha, dark chocolate, celery seed and balsamic cedar, with a hint of volatile acidity contributing personality and lift. This legendary wine still boasts bulletproof fruit and a compellingly juicy texture, with a sexy hint of truffle adding interest with air. A wine of great class and balance, finishing subtle, fresh, firm and very long, with sweet, fine-grained tannins. André Tchelistcheff called 1968 his greatest vintage and this wine is still going strong a half century later, with no end in sight. Its balance of sweetness and acidity is stunning. This wine was full-bodied in the early going, in contrast to the initially austere ’69, according to current winemaker Trevor Durling. (12.5% alcohol) (Drink between 2019-2038)

1973 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Alexander Valley. 88 points.

1974 Beaulieu Vineyard Red Blend.

Cavatelli. Poblano Mascarpone, corn espuma, ramps, pepita breadcrumbs, squash. Awesome.

1974 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Cabernet Sauvignon. 92 points.

1974 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. JG 94. The 1974 cabernet from Merry Edwards’ first vintage at the helm at Mount Eden is drinking beautifully out of magnum today, and though it is a bit more powerful in personality than the 1973, it is still a superb example of the vintage. The bouquet is deep, complex and now wide open, offering up scents of cassis, pomegranate, a touch of mint, cigar ash, chipotle peppers, dark soil tones, a touch of spice (vaguely reminiscent of nutmeg) and cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a rock solid core of fruit, fine focus and grip, tangy acids and a long, complex, still gently tannic finish. This is a beautiful wine with decades and decades of life still ahead of it (particularly in magnum). (Drink between 2016-2050)

1973 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. VM 96. The heady, full-bodied style was unmistakably Napa Valley. The 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Eden was equally brilliant. It was perhaps a touch richer, deeper and more powerful than the Sterling, but what stood out most was the wine’s intense, brooding personality.

1978 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. JG 86. Of all of the great cabernet producers of this era, Beaulieu Vineyards was probably one of the few wineries that did not really capture all of the potential of the vintage. I have been drinking this 1978 since the mid-1980s and while many bottles were quite tasty back in the day, I have never hit a truly exceptional example. Back in this era, I have always found that BV was more successful in the vintages of 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976 and 1980 than they were in the more famous years of 1978 and 1974. The only caveat one needs to mention about the great wines that Andre Tchelistcheff fashioned at BV in the decade of the 1970s is that their style has not proven to be quite as ageworthy as many of their contemporaries, and most of these beautiful wines are now in varying stages of decline. This most recent bottle of the ’78 Georges de Latour was okay, but starting to get fairly oxidative and was a bit past its best, offering up scents of black cherries, plums, chocolate, a nice touch of Rutherford dust and coconutty new oak underneath the touch of cookie dough-like maderization. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and plush on the attack, with a solid core and still a touch of backend tannin on the long and moderately oxidative finish. The oxidation here is not yet so bad that the wine is undrinkable, but it is ever present on both the nose and palate and detracts a tad from the enjoyment of the wine. (Drink between 2016-2025)

1982 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. JG 92+. It had been at least a dozen years since I last tasted the 1982 Dunn Howell Mountain, and the wine remains still a tad young for primetime drinking, but it is getting closer to its apogee and has been progressing very nicely in the right direction over the last decade. The wine has dropped most of what was a fairly formidable wall of tannin while retaining its substantial core of brambly mountain fruit. The bouquet is quite complex and is now blossoming very well, as it offers up a complex mélange of black raspberry, red currant, stony minerality, woodsmoke, gentle notes of fresh sage and a bit of petroleum jelly in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and quite soil-driven, with a lovely base of minerality, still a touch of tannin to resolve and a long, complex finish with fine grip but with a slight edge of austerity. This is a very good bottle that may even move up a bit in score as it fully blossoms. If the wine eventually loses the slight edge of austerity it currently displays on the backend, then my score will seem conservative. But a fine bottle in any case. (Drink between 2009-2035)

From my cellar: 1984 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. VM 88. Healthy full red. More reticent on the nose than the ’83, showing a touch of cardboard and an earthy quality, if not an obvious TCA smell, along with its cherry, redcurrant, plum and earth aromas. A step up in texture from the ’83, but less juicy in the middle palate and even drier on the finish. This doesn’t have the personality of the ’83 and it turned drier with aeration. (I’ve had better bottles of the ’84 in the past, although I hadn’t sampled this vintage in at least five years.) (13% alcohol) (Drink between 2018-2024)

1986 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. 89 points.

1986 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Signature. 89 points.

Grilled Ribeye. Charred Broccolini, crispy shallot, date puree, jus.
With the jus.

Cheese Plate. Julianna, 1655 Gruyere, Ameribella, Seasonal Accompaniments.

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

The extensive wine lineup.
And the gang.

Heading down!

Overall, 71Above is just a seriously well conceived and executed one-of-a-kind restaurant. Really, it’s more like a NY, Singapore, or Tokyo kind of concept. First of all, the view is just awesome. I can’t wait to come back on a really clear day. Particularly once they begin brunch service, a nice winter day will offer an observation deck like panorama.

But then Emil and crew built out such a lovely space to capture the drama. It’s modern, but welcoming. Not too loud, you can hear the conversation and the music both. And from when you enter off the double elevator ascent it folds from one experience to another: lounge, dining room, more intimate corridors, chef table, quiet and romantic view areas in the back, and a series of two adjustable private dining rooms. The attention to architectural detail is amazing.

Today’s dinner excelled on all counts. Service, food, company, and of course the wines. I’m not normally a California wine guy, but these older wines are much softer, nicer, and more Bordeaux-like.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: 71above, BYOG, California Cabernet, DTLA, Emil Eyvazoff, Foodie Club, Gelato, Wine

Banquet Style — Flame International

May21

Restaurant: Flame International

Location: 11330 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. (310) 444-0045

Date: September 30, 2021

Cuisine: Persian

Rating: amusing and vast place, solid food

This was a peculiar dinner. Jeffrey Merihue organized it, set the menu and then was suddenly out of town on the day of so Yarom picked up the organization (such that it was).

I’ve passed by Flame about 1000 times (on Santa Monica Blvd) and even eaten next door at Nanbankan. I’ve long wondered about Flame.

Turns out it’s one of those Persian large scale “event space” restaurants. Probably it’s used for weddings and other similar functions. I forgot to take good pictures of the inside so I have to use some (bad ones) from the web.

It has that Persian “overbuilt” look. Lots of marble and curtains and chandeliers, but really cheap (looking) construction.

Big space though.

And outside they had this HUGE patio/tent which was even odder. Initially they tried to put us here even though we were the only people in the entire restaurant but the problem was that the floor slanted quite considerably so one side of your chair would be about 2 inches lower than the other. We moved inside (took a bit of convincing to get them to do it though).

Hummus. I find Persian style hummus too thin.

Yogurt with cucumber (and some herbs).

Plain yogurt. Cucumber one was much better.

Shirazi Salad. The classic.

Lavash bread.

Roast Eggplant with crispy onions and tahini. Warm and delicious. This stuff was totally crack. I probably ate 1.5 plates of it myself.

A different salad, same basic ingredient except this one had lettuce.

Trout and salmon. Trout was nice and crispy.

Three kinds of rice.

Crispy rice with lamb. I liked this.

Lamb chops and koobideh.

Succulent game bird.

Fessenjoon given reluctantly at the last minute and with no protein — just the sauce. It was on our menu, but despite (or perhaps because?) we were the only guests they seemed in hurry to move us on threw. We had to request this, even though it was on our menu, and then they just brought a minuscule portion of the sauce alone (no chicken). It was tasty though.

Ghormeh Sabzi with nothing in it — just the stew. Same deal as above.

Blood Peach and Ume Sorbetto — Blood Peaches from Avignon with a bit of Joto Umeshu “Ume” (Japanese plum) Sake! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #BloodPeach #Ume #peach #plum #sake

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

Mint tea.

Food was actually pretty good, and if one wanted to do a cheap banquet with solid Persian food this place might be interesting. Service sucked though and the space was giant but odd. I found it had it’s particular charms.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

We had lots of wines, but I don’t bother to photo them (except for my own) at this kind of casual dinner anymore.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Flame International, Gelato, hedonists, Iranian cuisine, Jeffrey Merrihue, Meat, Persian cuisine, Wine

Sauvages Brunello at Marino

May08

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

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

Date: September 9, 2021

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Superb

Marino is a favorite haunt for many of my wine groups, including the Sauvages lunch group featured in today’s report. The theme today for Sauvages was Brunello di Montalcino, plus we had intro champs and a flight of Italian whites.

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

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

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

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

Our special menu.

And the wine list.

2013 Georges Laval Champagne Premier Cru Brut Nature Cumières. VM 92. The 2013 Brut Nature Cumières exudes depth and creaminess. A host of dried pear, licorice, lemon confit, orchard fruit, brioche and spices flesh out in the glass. The Cumières is a blend of equal parts Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay, but it is the weight and texture of the red grapes that gives the wine much of its signature feel. This is another stellar showing from Vincent Laval. Disgorged January, 2016. (Drink between 2017-2025)

2009 Dom Pérignon Champagne. VM 94+. The 2009 Dom Pérignon is open, seductive and radiant, as it has always been. Soft curves, mid-weight structure and tons of plain allure make the 2009 impossible to resist in its youth. This bottle, the best I have tasted so far, offers a distinc citrus and floral-driven profile that adds a good deal of brightness. Above all else, the 2009 is a gorgeous Champagne to drink now and over then next few decades. This is the first time in the house’s history that a vintage was not released sequentially. (Drink between 2018-2049)

Salmon Tartar with caviar.

2014 Marisa Cuomo Costa d’Amalfi Furore Bianco Fiorduva. JG 93. The 2014 Fiorduva from Marisa Cuomo is a beautiful wine that is drinking at its peak today, but shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The cépages is thirty percent each of Fenile and Ginestra, coupled with forty percent Ripoli. The wine is barrel-fermented and raised in stainless steel tanks. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a refined blend of pear, tangerine, green olive, salty soil tones and a topnote of orange peel. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied and quite complex, with a fine core of fruit, lovely mineral drive and grip, zesty acids and a long, classy finish. This is a truly lovely wine at its apogee, but still with plenty of life in it. (Drink between 2020-2025)

2016 Grosjean Petite Arvine Valle d’Aosta. VM 92. Straw-green. Bright aromas of white orchard fruit, white flowers, mint, sage and thyme. Enters fresh with green fruit nuances (mostly apple) complicated by building notes of apricot and thyme. Finishes long and suave, hints of banana and riper fruit emerging at the back. (Drink between 2019-2024)

2017 Tiberio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Fonte Canale. VM 94. Vivid pale straw-yellow. Penetrating, multifaceted nose of white peach, nectarine, minerals, chamomile and jasmine. Conveys an almost saline sense of extract in the mouth, offering steely, harmonious and high-acid flavors of white peach, minerals and anise. Steely and mineral notes linger on the long floral-accented finish. Once again, the magic of the Fonte Canale 80-year-old vines shines through in a year that saw almost seven months without rain in the Casauria subzone (where the Tiberio estate is located); the roots of these old vines dig deep and are always close to the underlying water table. The 2017 Fonte Canale strikes me as more perfumed and more open-knit than usual on the nose (especially compared to the 2016), but more lemony on the palate. (Drink between 2022-2029)

2018 Castello della Sala (Antinori) Umbria Cervaro della Sala. VM 92. The 2018 Cervaro della Sala is a blend of 92% Chardonnay with a splash of Grechetto, showing a rich and alluring bouquet, leading off with a hint of vanilla bean and giving way to peach, a dusting of confectioner’s spice and dried yellow flowers. On the palate, silky textures flesh out across the senses, carrying flavors of ripe apple, apricot and sweet herbs, as minerals and acids mingle toward the close. The finish is long and almost salty, buzzing with energy and making the mouth water for another sip. The balance here is impeccable, as is the use of barrel fermentation to create such textural richness. (Drink between 2020-2028)

Crudo. Tuna and avocado.

2009 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova. VM 93. Vivid red. Multidimensional nose offers captivating aromas of raspberry, sour red cherry, redcurrant, brown sugar, cinnamon and minerals, lifted by a strong note of fresh citrus fruit. Vibrant flavors of red and black fruits, pink peppercorn and sweet spices are wonderfully pure and juicy. This sneakily concentrated yet refined wine shows a rare blend of power and delicacy and finishes extremely long, with very fine-grained tannins and truly mind-blowing purity of small red fruits and violet. Impeccable balance only adds to its star qualities. One of the best young Tenuta Nuovas I have ever tried and it’s also one of the two or three best Brunellos of the vintage.

2010 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino. VM 93. Dark red cherry, smoke, plum, wild flowers and cedar are some of the notes that flesh out in the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino from Castelgiocondo. Ripe, soft and textured on the palate, the 2010 impresses for its silkiness and early approachability. Sweet floral and spiced notes reappear on the finish, adding considerable lift and perfume. This is a lovely showing from Castelgiocondo and the Frescobaldi family. (Drink between 2015-2025)

2010 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino. VM 95+. One of the stand outs of the vintage, Lisini’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino fleshes out in all directions with gorgeous, expansive richness. The flavors are dark, bold and incisive, yet backed up by notable freshness. A crescendo of incredibly pure dark red and black stone fruits builds on the huge finish. The 2010 is dazzling, but readers will have to be patient. (Drink between 2018-2035)

2010 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne. VM 95. Giancarlo Pacenti’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne is another superb wine. The contours are more modern and the fruit leans towards the darker end of spectrum, yet all the elements are wonderfully in balance. Surprisingly open and expressive for a young Brunello, the 2010 is sure to improve with a little more time in the bottle. All of the Pacenti signatures are in place, though, and the house style is unmistakable. (Drink between 2018-2025)

Tartar di Manzo al Tartufo. Prime Filet Tartar, shaved winter truffle.

2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova. VM 93. The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova has a dark and brooding shade of deep garnet. It bursts from the glass with a mature, sweetly-scented bouquet of crushed plums and blueberries complemented by balsamic tones, smoke and worn leather. It takes a turn toward elegance on the palate with ripe, citrus-tinged wild berry fruits and purple inner florals. It seems almost creamy in texture but well-balanced by vibrant acidity. Seamlessly smooth and harmonious, this finishes long with nuances of residual tannins under an air of warming autumnal spice and inner earth tones. The 2001 Tenuta Nuova has peaked, yet well-stored bottles should be in no fear of decline. Sampled from the winery’s cellar. (Drink between 2021-2026)

2001 Casanuova delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino. VM 88. Good full red. Spicy aromas of plum, red licorice, marzipan and nutty oak. Sweet and pliant, with nicely integrated acids and somewhat unforthcoming flavors of red berries and spices. Could use a bit more clarity and cut. Finishes with slightly drying tannins and a late note of leather. (Distillerie Stock U.S.A., Woodside, NY)

2001 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Ripe al Convento. VM 90. The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Ripe al Convento is a richly-flavored, full-bodied offering loaded with dark cherries, vanilla, smoke, cola and sweet toasted oak. It may not be the most complex Brunello out there, but it does offer an attractive, easygoing personality, outstanding length and sweet, silky tannins on the finish. (Drink between 2013-2017)

2001 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. VM 94. A deep dark red with orange hues, the 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva makes an impactful statement from start to finish. There are depths of crushed black cherries, plums, strawberries, sweet spices and mentholated herbs which rise up effortlessly from the glass. Further coaxing adds notes of cedar, dusty rose and hints of animal musk. It’s silky in feel yet quickly firms up through a mix of tart red berries, minerals, zesty acids and an unbelievably youthful coating of tannin which mounts toward the close. The 2001 Riserva is still on a steady path to its peak, structured and primary, as it tapers off with a grippy feel under an air of inner florals. Sampled from the winery’s cellar. (Drink between 2022-2034)

Flan di Cavolfiore al Tartufo. Cauliflower flan, truffle sauce, shaved truffle. Great dish!

1999 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. VM 93. Bright, dark red. Flamboyant aromas of red cherry, dark berries, plum, chestnut and game. Sweet in the mouth, with densely packed, superripe flavors of red cherry, smoky plum, licorice and milk chocolate. A concentrated, powerful wine, boasting impressive youthful energy thanks to firm, lively acidity. Finishes very long, but can’t quite match the overall balance and grace of the 2001. Another outstanding vintage in Tuscany, 1999 was very warm but with well-timed rains, and, above all, cooler nights and less heat than the vastly overrated 1997 vintage.

2001 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. VM 96. Showing so youthful and perfumed, the 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva starts out dark and inward yet gains in volume and depth the longer it sits in the glass. Dried black cherries, crushed stone, dusty rose and minty herbs create its dazzling bouquet. It is pure silk, with an amazing density to its dark red fruits, as rich balsamic spice and licorice drench the palate. This is elegant yet poised, with just a hint of sweet tannin, along with a buzz of residual acids and earthy mineral tones that mix with its inner sweetness to create a tense and contrasting feel on the slightly chewy finish. Collectors with the 2001 Riserva in their cellars will be very happy to know that it still has five to ten more years of positive evolution in store for them. Purchased from the Il Poggione cellar and held in professional storage. (Drink between 2021-2030)

2003 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli. VM 95. One of the great surprises of my tasting this year wasn’t a 2005 or 2004 Riserva but rather Il Poggione’s 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli, which has developed spectacularly since I first reviewed it last year. This awesome, deep Brunello is endowed with gorgeous dark fruit that emerges from the glass with superb richness and power while retaining a traditional sense of structure. There is more than enough fruit to balance the firm tannins that are typical of this hot year. I was blown away by the combination of opulence and classicism present in the 2003 Riserva. If that sounds appealing, believe me it is. The 2003 Riserva is drinking beautifully today and should continue to offer great pleasure for several decades. The estate’s 1975, from a very hot vintage at the time, was in great shape when I last tasted it a few years ago. Readers interested in older vintages will find plenty of notes on our database. Given the soft market for fine wines and the general disdain for 2003s, I would be shocked if savvy readers aren’t able to pick this wine at a favorable price at some point in the near future. (Drink between 2013-2032)

2004 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli. VM 95. The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli has also developed impeccably. Dark, ample and broad, the 2004 is built on a core of serious power. Layers of dark stone fruits, leather, spice and tobacco build into the rich, intense finish. (Drink between 2016-2034)

Maccheroncini con coda e Guanciale. Pasta, oxtail, smoked guanciale, pecorino toscana. Superb smokey “porky” flavor to this pasta and nicely al dente.

1999 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 96. The 1999 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is everything a great wine should be. This is an expansive, spectacularly ripe wine endowed with layers of perfumed dark fruit, sweet tobacco, new leather and spices. A brooding, structured beauty, the wine needs some serious bottle age to show at its best, but it is already pretty stunning. According to Abbruzzese 1999 represents another step up in quality as the estate’s vineyards had begun to acquire some age at this point. Certainly this seems true in the Riserva, but I don’t perceive as marked a difference from previous vintages in the regular Brunello (see below). (Drink between 2009-2021)

2001 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 93. The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano Riserva was tasted from a half-bottle. The 2001 is seductive, with a rich and alluring display of crushed black cherries, plums, balsamic spices, cocoa and sweet pipe tobacco. It is opulent and velvety-smooth in texture, with extremely ripe dark fruits, sweet herbs and zesty acids keeping them all in check. A subtle tug of tannin lingers, as this closes off to hints of mocha and inner earth tones. You can sense the 2001’s maturity mostly through its fruits, almost Port-like in nature, along with just a hint of dank earth. That said, larger formats may perform even better. Keep in mind that this is a large style of Brunello. Tasted from the importer’s reserve cellar. (Drink between 2021-2026)

From my cellar: 2004 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 95+. The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is powerful, deeply colored and still carrying a considerable amount of tannic heft for a twelve year old wine. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco, scorched earth and licorice give the wine much of its distinctive virile personality. The Madonna del Piano is one of the bigger, brawnier 2004s readers will come across. As such, it needs to be served alongside similarly rich, hearty cuisines. (Drink between 2016-2026)

2007 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 96. The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is another super- finessed wine. Subtle floral notes meld into expressive red berries in a sumptuous Brunello that captures the essence of the vintage. The style is rich and deeply textured, but the 2007, as outstanding as it is, needs at least a few more years in bottle. Once again, finesse rules the day. (Drink between 2017-2027)

2008 Luce della Vite Brunello di Montalcino. VM 91. Luce della Vite’s 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Luce is one of the most powerful wines of the vintage. Mocha, espresso, licorice, smoke, super-ripe black cherries and plums literally jump from the glass. A Brunello seemingly made for Napa Valley Cabernet drinkers, the 2008 has plenty of richness and depth. It is also impeccably made from a technical standpoint, even if it bears little resemblance to the rest of the wines of the appellation. (Drink between 2013-2020)

Agnello. Windrose farms lamb ossobuco.

Orange Old Fashioned Sorbetto — Cold Pressed Orange and Tangerine Juice, Knob Creek Bourbon and Angostura Bitters! Topped with cherries — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Really tastes like an Old Fashioned –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #orange #tangerine #bourbon #KnobCreek #bitters #Angostura

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

My bad notes.

The gang.

The wine.

The small but elite group of ladies at the ladies table.

Another awesome lunch. Food was great, I’ve had more elaborate meals from Sal, but all the dishes today were excellent. Sal’s a fabulous chef when you let him go all out and today’s lunch was very on point. I enjoyed all the dishes and there was a hefty “truffle emphasis.”

Wines were great as well. Brunello is a bit of an “unsung hero” in the world of major Italian reds. Yes it’s generally not as complex as a good Nebbiolo, but it has a combination of fruit and acidity that makes it go exceedingly well with most Italian food.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Brunello, BYOG, Gelato, lunch, Marino, Marino Ristorante, Sal Marino, Sauvages, Wine

Brothers Sushi Two

May04

Restaurant: The Brothers Sushi [1, 2]

Location: 21418 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364. (818) 456-4509

Date: September 14, 2021

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi Kaiseki

Rating: Really wonderful modern style Kaiseki

This dinner is part of a “Sushi Series” (the others being here) in a vast array of epic Japanese sushi and/or Kaiseki dinners post lockdowns that all included myself, Erick, Joe and Bonnie — and often Larry, as is the case tonight. Herein we “endeavor” to visit or revisit most of the top sushi spots in LA.

Larry has been coming to Brothers for years, but in 2018 recently Chef Mark Okuda took over and totally transformed the place into one of the Valley’s — and LA in general’s — top omakase destinations. Larry took us on a foray a couple weeks ago, but we immediately set up a giant even longer one for more people a few weeks later (this meal).

But the inside is attractive and there is a large patio and this interior with an extensive sushi bar and a few tables.

1990 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. VM 94. The 1990 La Grande Dame is a shock to the palate after all the older wines in this tasting. Candied lemon, rosemary, dried flowers and spices are all super-expressive in the glass. The 1990 retain a good bit of brightness, especially for its age. The citrus flavors have still not moved into realm or more orangish tonalities, as is likely to happen over time. The 1990 can be enjoyed now and for the next 20 years or so. (Drink between 2015-2034)

From my cellar: 1996 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97. Taittinger’s 1996 Comtes de Champagne is another highlight. The flavors are only now beginning to show elements of complexity, a great sign for aging. Gently spiced and buttery notes suggest the 1996 is about to enter the early part of its maturity, where it is likely to stay for another decade or so. (Drink between 2014-2026)

1995 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. VM 95. Wonderfully subtle, complex aromas of white flowers, acacia honey, minerals, nuts and mushroom, with musky and leesy nuances. Oily, rich and smoky but with terrific verve and lift. Quite substantial and chewy for a young D.P. but not at all heavy. Yellow plum and strong soil tones in the middle and on the palate-staining finish. Offers a rare combination of richness and finesse. (Schieffelin & Somerset, New York, NY)

2009 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. BH 93. Subtle wood sets off aromas of flowers, oyster shell and tidal pool that complement perfectly the racy, pure and strikingly well-detailed medium plus weight flavors that brim with minerality on the delicious, mouth coating and impressively long finish. This beautifully vibrant and concentrated effort should drink well young and age well too plus it’s more classic in style than many wines from this vintage. (Drink starting 2016)

2010 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre. VM 92. Fruit-driven aromas of peach, apricot, pear and flowers. Then juicy and tight in the mouth, with strong citrussy acidity leavening the wine’s mid-palate sweetness. The long, peachy finish shows lovely finesse for this bottling.

2011 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne. VM 96. An utterly mesmerizing wine, the 2011 Corton-Charlemagne conquers all of the senses with its grace and harmony. Lemon oil, white flowers, pears and crushed rocks are some of the many notes that are woven together in the glass. The 2011 is perfumed, sublime and drop-dead gorgeous from the very first taste. With time, though, the wine blossoms beautifully as it fills out its broad-shouldered frame with tons of style. (Drink starting 2018)

Marinated Jellyfish from Okinawa.

3 Week Dry Aged King Salmon, Marinated Tomato and Burgundy Truffle.

Smoke!

Smoked Dry Aged Amberjack Kanpachi.

Sautéed Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Ikura and Mango. Amazing texture difference with the crunchy shell and soft interior.

Sweet Corn Chawanmushi with Santa Barbara Uni and Japanese Watercress.

Japanese Milk Bread, Toro, Takuan, Sweet Onion, and Caviar.

Black Abalone with wasabi.

Risotto (with the abalone).

Monkfish Liver with a very sweet glaze.

Steamed Hairy Crab from Hokkaido.

Sweet and tangy sauce for the crab.

Fried River Crab (eaten whole).

Ginger.

Hokkaido scallop and shimiaji dry aged 1 week from Japan.

Japanese sea perch and golden eye snapper.

Otoro and chu toro from Spain.

Uni. Santa Barbara, Hokkaido, and Red Sea urchin from Japan

White shrimp from Japan and Wagyu.

Green tea cheesecake.

Tea.

Blue Cherry Gelato – a blend of Morello Cherry, intense Amarena Cherry, and Blueberry fruit make this dairy gelato really pop — topped with Candied Amarena Cherries — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #amarena #morello #cherry #blueberry

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Gelato — Milk steeped with Tahitian Vanilla Beans and Valencia Orange Peels and then blended with Cream-cheese and Egg Yolks, layered with house made “burnt” Caramel and topped with house-made Caramel Brittle, finished with the torch! — created by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #basque #cheesecake #caramel #brittle #orange

The wine lineup.

Some of the gang with Chef Mark in the mask.

I was really impressed by Brothers. Not only was the fish superlative and the dishes every inventive, but Mark has a really refined sense of balance to his flavors. Nothing was overly sweet, or overly salty, or overly tangy — but instead hovered in that lovely space where all of the flavors hang in proper harmony.

Bravo! I’d highly recommend Brothers as one of the best “modern style” Omakase places in the city.

This second (even bigger) dinner was just as good, if not even better, than the first visit. Really really great place. I’ve been back a couple times for lunch since but have been waiting (for six months since this dinner) for their long awaited Santa Monica branch to open!

For more LA dining reviews click here.
Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.
Or for more Sushi Series dinners, click here.