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Specials at Sands

Sep05

Restaurant: Sands Chinese Restaurant 金沙中餐館

Location: 15706 Arrow Hwy, Irwindale, CA 91706. (626) 338-6686

Date: December 30, 2023

Cuisine: Southern Chinese

Rating: Very good and lots of interesting dishes

Sands is a a newish Hong Kong / Cantonese place that Keong and Sklar really enjoy. Keong setup a very extensive custom banquet here on the second to last day of the year. Only problem is that it’s so far east — but at least there wasn’t much traffic.

This is a smallish mom & pop place, but they do have “fancier” food available for advanced order. The owner was the chef at some famous restaurant in Macau.

Double Boiled Winter Melon Soup. Interesting textures. A touch sweet and bland for me, but with some white pepper was quite pleasant. Had a lot of the tasteless but vaguely sweet melon. Some fish maw, mushrooms, and shrimp.

Lobster Salad. I’ve had this at least 2 times before. It’s like ambroisa salad, the Chinese lobster edition. Not to my taste as it’s sweet and the mayo and sweet fruit overwealm what was a very nicely cooked lobster.

Lotus Leaf Rice. Over-steamed, bland and heavy. This was my least favorite dish of the night and the most carbacious.

Steamed Cod. Lovely delicate cod. Hard to pick up with chopsticks as it was so delicate, but great taste and texture.

Sichuan Cold Chicken. Yarom ordered this because he didn’t want the rice. Turned out to be quite good. The sauce was full of “flavor” and delicious. Chicken was juicy.

Mushrooms with Shrimp Paste and “Lobster Sauce.” A delicious silky bite. The broccoli, as we shall see, was a stable for the night.

Crispy Fried Chicken. Great crispy fried chicken as described. They also debuted what was to be one of many little figurines made out of pressed flour and/or sugar or something.

Pipa Tofu. More broccoli and these “oyster-like” tofu fried balls. Delicious actually. Better than the real oysters (a few dishes later).

Sweet and sour sauce for the fried stuff.

Steamed Tofu with Minced Shrimp. Silky and delicious.

Deep Fried Oysters. The real oysters which were a touch heavy and fried — but I never love fried oysters. Did have a cool dragon head.

A5 Beef. Very soft.

Braised Stuffed Duck. Interesting duck. Very rich and quite delicious. It was stuffed with a LOT of stuff, known as the 8 treasures. List comming up.

The 8 treasures!

Beef Cube with Sichuan Sause (spelling intentional). Felt a little pork-like and was in one of those Panda Express type sweet and sour sauses (hehe).

Braised Pork Belly. Very decadent.

Oatmeal Shrimp. Never had this before. Actually pretty good!

Lettuce with Fermented Bean Curd. I prefer with cabbage, but this was pleasant too.

Chicken Skin Spread with Shrimp Paste. Another crispy chicken, this time sort of a version of 100 flower chicken. Hot and delicious.

Deep Fried Taro Tossed with Sugar. These actually weren’t bad for a weird Chinese dessert.

And it included yet another cute figurine.

Yar! Ghostly skeletal praline pirates are marauding — Pecan Pirate Praline Gelato — An eggy ultra-smooth Texas Pecan base layered with my creepy skull-shaped New Orleans style Vanilla Bourbon Pecan Pralines — 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 #vanilla #bourbon #pecan #praline #candy #halloween #spooky

Overall, a great and very interesting meal. There were lots of new dishes here, which I love, and lots of great ones. Interesting Southern Chinese style, simutaneously fancy and home style. Lots of fry. Not every dish was sucessful. Despite my comments, they mostly worked. The Lotus Leaf Rice was the only true dud. I just have issues with the sweetness of some of the others. But I absolutely love trying new things and this was chock ful of them. The staff were incredibly nice and really cared. As of 12/30/23 they were still applying for their Liquor Liscense.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Chinese, Chinese cuisine, Gelato, hedonists, SGV

Emperor Yamamoto

Aug30

Restaurant: 鮨やまもと / Sushi Yamamoto

Location: N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Date: December 14, 2023

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi

Rating: One of the best meals of the year

And so we come to the Foodie Club’s epic End of Year Blowout!

At one of LA’s most elite sushi spots, up stairs on Rodeo in the old Ginza Sushiko spot.

The sushi bar

Our special menu.

Ginger. I had about 10 of these.

Kichiji-rock fish in dashi. Mild and delicious. Super soft and tender.

Astrea caviar of course.

Kyoto fresh bean curd with caviar. Very grassy soy flavor. Texture like very fresh burrata.

Kinmedai-goldeneye snapper sashimi. The peppery yuzu-kosho was awesome.

Tri of tunas.

Taka’s chu-toro.

Taka’s o-otoro.

Taka’s maguro in a tiny handroll.

Benny’s shrimp.

Buri (wild yellow tail).

Saba (mackerel).

Hokkigai (surf clam)

Sekogani (female snow crab) with crab sauce. Super succulent with that deep crab flavor and lots of roe. The soft silky sauce really took it up a level too.

Hokkaido uni (sea urchin).

Astrea Caviar Toro roll.

House-made buckwheat soba noodles.

Shrimp soba (hot). Perfect soba with that awesome slightly soggy perfect tempura shrimp.

Cold soba with caviar. Also great, but I preferred the hot.

Unagi (fresh water eel). Super soft.

Tamago (sweet egg).

A tro of birthday cakes!

Satsuma Tangerine Ice Cream. Very mild.

A tro of Sweet Milk Gelato (Choco-mole, Orange Old Fashioned, and Bakewell Tart).

Basque Cheesecake with Caviar and Stawberry Cake.

Tea.

Uh. Wow! Pretty incredible evening, although I got home at 1am!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Beverly Hills, BYOG, Caviar, crab, Eve, Foodie Club, Fu, Gelato, Japanese Sushi, Sushi, Wine, Yamamoto

An Array of Goodness

Aug24

Restaurant: Array36 – 36宴

Location: 5449 Rosemead Blvd, Temple City, CA 91776. (626) 866-0623

Date: December 2, 2023 and May 5 & July 21 & Nov 11, 2024

Cuisine: Shanghai Chinese

Rating: Great new “high end” Chinese

I was eager to find out about Array 36, another new “high end” Chinese resteraunt in the SGV — most similar to Orange County’s Chang’an.

We booked a private room for 14 and pre-ordered a number of dishes. I did the menu planning.

The service was very nice, although they did make us wait about 30 minutes while the previous occupants of our room finished up.

Pressed Japanese yuzu-infused jellyfish head. Very tasty with nice texture. Of course the jellyfish itself has next to no flavor, but the slightly sweet sauce was great.

roasted chili sauce century egg with avocado. Very nice, if unconventional, century egg dish. I do love century egg.

Century Egg with Sea Cucumber. Very interesting blend of the soft and bitey and the chewy textures. A bit of kick and tons of umami. Really quite good. They changed this up as it used to have avocado. This was arguably better.

Mung Bean Noodles with Chili Oil. A very sesame take on these. Not bad, but not the best I’ve ever had.

sichuan style spicy and numbing chicken. A very solid version of this with one of those addictive spicy sauces. Chicken itself was nice and juicy.

Couples Sliced Offal (honeycomb tripe). Solid version of this Chengdu classic, but I’ve had better.

36 feast smoked pine pork. These tiny morsels tasted like Shanghai smoked fish, just pork.

Pork Neck with Japanese Yam. Kind of like spam with pineapple!

Bovon brought another tin of caviar!

hand-made crab golden noodles. I love crab roe and I love noodles so I had to try these.

They were actually very pleasant but a little bland — nothing a huge dollop of caviar didn’t fix!

House special shrimp. They were out of scallops so we got these sweet crispy shrimp.

I “fish egged” mine up but it was very nice. Extremly crispy and mildly sweet.

Shanghai crab stewed with its roe and tofu in a clay pot. I love this dish and it didn’t dissapoint. Super soft. I ate a mess. With caviar too.

Typhoon style lobster. The lobster itself was very well cooked. The garlic had a bit too much bread crumbs in it, but was still delicious.

6lb lobster with ginger and scallions. Excellent version of the wet lobster prep.

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Soup. Several people insisted on this dish and it was incredible! This was the abalone version and was full of so many weird seafoods cooked down into a super intense seafood demiglace. It had incredible silky texture and density. Marvelous.

The version in 2024 was like a consommé. It had all the chewy seafood bits, but not the unctuous thick demiglace texture that it had in Dec 2023.

Braised cold abalone. Chewy!

Shanghai smoked fish. Very nice crispy version of the fish.

Shrimp with Garlic. LOTS of garlic.

Grouper steamed with soy sauce and ginger. Very nice fish. Lots of bones. Great sauce flavor. Some people LOVE this dish. I like the flavor, but the bone factor always leaves me a bit disintered in engaging with it fully.

Steamed Cod. Lots of meat on this one. Really excellent sauce.

Pickled chilis and spicy bean sauce.

Shanghainese sautéed eel. I really loved these garlicky sweet rich eels.

Abalone with Garlic. And that’s — again — LOTS of garlic.

northeastern-style marinated beef. Very tender and a bit sweet.

Grandmother’s pork belly. Extremely fatty and juicy. Great version of this Shanghai dish.

Super rich Shanghai Pork with Quail Eggs. Great version of this very fatty dish.

Secret Sizzling Lamb. Pretty good actually.

Prime Beef Ribs. The V’s ordered this secretly knowing I thought it would suck — it did. No one liked it. Very overcooked meat with slightly odd sauces and a sort of steakhouse creamed corn. Really weird non-Chinese dish.

Finally, about an hour late, our Peking duck arrived. They do it like Chang’an.

Lighting it on fire with Baiju.

Then carved tableside.

Just the skin. It was good, but not quite as crispy as it should have been.

Meat itself was delicious and juicy.

Some of the meat was smoked.

This added more (smoky) flavor, of course.

Super thin pancakes, but they had a little clumping issue.

Oodles of caviar for the duck.

The condiments were solid. But overall the Peking Duck was a bit of a disappointment. It was good in the way that any real Peking duck is, but the skin could have been crispier. Part of the problem was also that both ducks came WAY at the end of the meal. We didn’t want them instantly at the start, but I had asked for them at 8pm and they came at more like 9:20 — and we were very full.

The May 2024 version of the duck was excellent, first rate really. Moist with crispy skin.

hand pulled cabbage. Delicious dish as always.

Seared string beans. Very nice sear and good flavor.

Garlic greens. Very well done, but a little on the “boring” side. Always good to have some greens but I like the cabbage.

Stone pot fried rice.

yangzhou egg fried rice. Very nice fried rice.

shanghai shepherd’s purse and pork dumplings. These XLB were super juicy, delicious, and had some kind of seafood, maybe even more crab roe.

Spicy XLB. Shells were ok and these were juicy, but they had quite a better — numbing and white — kick. I kind of liked them but many didn’t.

shanghai pan-fried buns. They looked a bit soggy but the pork was great.

The pan fried pork dumplings were better in May 2024, this time with a great pork filling.

Duck #2. We asked for it crispier. They flammed it longer, but it just ended up tasting a bit more “burnt.”

We also asked for the bones and got tons of meaty bones.

Baked papaya dessert. Sweet and kind of tasteless.

Variant on — Sultan’s Delight — Iranian Saffron and Sicilian Pistachio Base, with Rose-Water Turkish Delight — Saffron from the Istanbul Spice Bazaar — 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 #saffron #pistachio #TurkishDelight #Türkiye

Baileys Irish Gream Gelato — Stabilized 13% Bailys Irish Cream recipe, with a touch of seasonal coloring! — I have trouble resisting these once a year flavors — 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 #expresso #whiskey #baileys #StPatricksDay #cream #green

St Agur, Fig, Walnut Gelato.

Jellyfish head with grapefruit. Great “crunchy” firm texture to the jellyfish and a nice sweet and tangy sauce.

This century egg and sea cucumber dish is amazing.

Mung Bean Noodles with Chili Oil. A very sesame take on these. Not bad, but not the best I’ve ever had.

Couples Sliced Offal (honeycomb tripe). Solid version of this Chengdu classic, but I’ve had better.

Here comes one of our two ducks.

Drenched in Baiju and ignited.

Crispy Duck Skin with sugar.

Sliced Duck Meat.

Condiments.

Pancakes.

The duck spread.

T

T

Smoked duck meat.

Lobster with Ginger and Scallions. Excellent and juicy version.

Steamed Cod. Lots of meat on this one. Really excellent sauce.

Shrimp with Garlic. LOTS of garlic.

Tofu with Crab Roe. This is one of my favorite dishes here and didn’t dissapoint again. Great texture and great umami flavor.

Shanghainese sauteed eel. I really loved these garlicky sweet rich eels.

Abalone with Garlic. And that’s — again — LOTS of garlic.

Secret Sizzling Lamb. Pretty good actually.

Prime Beef Ribs. The V’s ordered this secretly knowing I thought it would suck — it did. No one liked it. Very overcooked meat with slightly odd sauces and a sort of steakhouse creamed corn. Really weird non-Chinese dish.

XLB. Not so great this time. Soggy skins.

The first lobster was so good we ordered a secrond, this time Typhoon Style.

Gianduia gelato.
Awesome Armenian pistachio cake.

Dec 2024: This was an awesome meal. Array 36 is one of the best Chinese “fancy” places I’ve been to in California. It’s not quite as polished as Chang’an, but it does have a varried menu. The general style leans toward the Shanghai region, although they have some other dishes. Chang’an is a little Xi’an inflenced and has a few more spicy dishes. Many dishes here were excellent, but fell slightly short of Shanghai Tang level execution. But there were lots of interesting and delicious dishes.
May 2024: Really great night. First rate in every way. The food at Array has stepped up, particularly the duck. The Buddha soup went from best to one of the worst dishes but everything else really improved. Service was great and the room cosy but prefect. They did rush the food a bit. Not that the overall length of the meal was too fast, but too many things came at once in a number of waves. But it’s really hard not to have that happen at Chinese unless you also want to gamble that you won’t have long waits. And we had A LOT of food. Jeff really helped set things up nicely. I would have ordered a couple more interesting things and left off the regular greens, shrimp, and the fish. But others LOVED the fish so they were crowd pleasers. Overall, a totally banger night.

July 2024: Another great night. Private room again and a slightly smaller (in terms of food) dinner with very successful but tighter ordering. Again the duck was fabulous. They also finally had the awesome river shrimp in stock. Even the pig’s ear was great.

November 2024 was another super fun and delicious night. Not every dish was perfect, but mostly it was our ordering. In general, the food is very slick and balanced and the dishes vary from good to amazing.

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: Array 36, BYOG, Chinese cuisine, Foodie Club, Gelato, SGV

Harlan part 2

Aug22

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

Location: 9500 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. (310) 276-8500

Date: November 28, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Steakhouse

Rating: Amazing special meal

Michael Palmer arranged this incredible Harlan tasting dinner in two parts. Not only did he procure the wines, but he organized with Piero Selvaggio our total takeover of the Cut lounge and a custom menu.

Classic Spago Tuna cones with that crispy/sweet shell.

Wagyu beef rolls.

Uni yuzu toast. The ingredients were great but I didn’t think the yuzu worked well with the rich uni.

For the second night (odd vintages) of our 2 part Harlan tasting we returned to Cut. This time they put us in the private room instead of the bar. Nice and quiet, but very bright and didn’t have quite the ambiance.

Tonight’s menu was again a completely custom awesome menu by the very talented team at Cut.

Comte Cheese Custard. Dungeness crab, red wine shallot chutney, black truffle.

With the truffles. This was an awesome dish, rich, creamy, with a hint of red wine sweetness and surprisingly, for a crab dish, and excellent pairing with the big cabs.

The Spago bread selection

Red Wine Poached Maine Lobster. Japanese potato, bacon lardons, beurre rouge. Again you wouldn’t think that lobster went with big cab, but between the bacon flavor and the rich red wine butter sauce it totally did.

Wolfgang just straight up joined us for the dinner.

Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto. 36 month aged parmigiano reggiano, red wine essence. An absolutely first class risotto, very creamy and cheesy, with a perfect mancurata.

Roasted Loan of Venison. Sautéed Brussel sprouts, red wine poached pears, cipollini onion jus. First of two red meats!

Australian Wagyu New York. Cream of sunchoke, ricotta gnocchi, whole grain mustard jus. This one was even better.

He brought out this incredible Italian cheese.

Briacacio Cheese. Grilled fruit & nut bread, cream of shallot, market blackberry jam. Really just an awesome blu cheese. Like a super gorgonzola.

My son’s favorite — Quad Chocolate Cloud Gelato – The base is made this time with Valrhona 70% Guanaja Chocolate and then layered with Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Ganache, Nestle Buncha Crunch, 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 #nestle #crunch

This was another incredible meal. Everything was perfect. Wines were interesting and the food was amazing. Company was the best of all. Thank you Michael and Pierro for organizing!

The chef and team.

The gang.

Puck is very full.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cut, Gelato, harlan, Piero Selvaggio, Wine, Wolfgang Puck

Drive for AnQi Bistro

Aug04

Restaurant: AnQi Bistro

Location: 3333 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. (714) 557-5679

Date: November 19, 2023

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Really great, but really far

Because we are good friends with the An family we hauled down all the way to South Coast Plaza for a special meal at their OC bastion, AnQi.

Located in the South Coast Plaza mall by the Bloomingdales and the Paradise Dynasty.

AnQi.

We had this gorgeous private room.

Welcome cocktail of Grapefruit Martini.

With a Grapefruit bubble!

Tonight’s special menu.

Passing Amuse of Pork and Beef Meatball with a bit of fish sauce.

And Mini Tuna Tacos.

Our host tonight!

Amuse Bouche. Asian Shrimp Ceviche. Mint, kaffir lime leaves, sesame rice cracker.

Intro. Kaluga caviar, salt cream, fresh baked Japanese cheesecake. Really lovely soft fluffy mild sweet cheesecake with that bit of caviar. Quite nice.

Aburi Blue Fin Toro Tasting. Akami, Chutoro, Otoro. Torched. I should have just had them not torch mine. They were cute and I could tell the fish was excellent but…

The cooking made them all taste the same.

Anqi Signature Dim Sum Flight. Shrimp & lobster, filet mignon, chives. I loved the two outer ones. The seafood one in the center was a touch too sweet (it was in the sauce).

Special Foie Gras Nigiri.

Famous Garlic Chicken Wings. Thai chili, ginger, thai basil. These were plump, so juicy, so sweat and tangy. Really great.

An’s Famous Roasted Crab & An’s Famous Garlic Noodles. Roasted garlic and An’s Secret Sauce. This shell-less version is fabulous.

Had to get some extra garlic noodles.

Lemon Truffle Snapper En Papillote. Cooked en papillote, shiitake mushroom, leeks, kaffir lime, mint scallion sauce. Super moist and tender white fish.

Inside.

Anqi Ultimate Wagyu Tasting. Japanese kagawa A5 olive fed ribeye (right), Japense miyazaki A5 NY (left), and Australian sher wagyu NY (center). The miyazaki was the best by far — but all great!

Hot salt rock to cook stuff on.

Like these too-die-for garlic mashed potatoes.

Chinese-style greens.

Chef Dessert Plater — pretty over the top!

Hojicha Latte NSA Gelato – Ceremonial Hojicha Roasted Green Tea base with No Sugar Added (Allulose) — 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 #matcha #Hojicha #GreenTea #Allulose #NSA

Some really awesome food and a great night. They treated us like pharohs. Long drive though!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: An Family, Anqi, BYOG, Crustacean, French Vietnamese, Gelato, hedonists, Wine

OOtoro 2023 part deux

Jul31

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

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

Date: November 4, 2023

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.

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!

Look how clear it is after the rains (and snows).

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.

They put up this weird curtain recently.

Uni, crab, caviar and some kind of ponzu jelly. Nice chunky crab but that cheap non-sturgeon caviar.

The yellow stick was a bit of crunchy fish roe, then proceeding right we have tender Abalone, Shirako (cod sperm sacks and always a favorite of mine) and some kind of fish tempura.

Zoom.

Wagyu tartar, fried seaweed, uni, truffle, and avocado. A great tartar bite with nice textural contrasts.

Tri of oysters: Caviar, uni, and Ikura (salmon roe). All great.

Hokkaido live scallops with caviar (more real this time) and Hokaido uni. A bit of fresh yuzu juice really “juiced” this up.

Sashimi plate of Shima Aji, Blue fin tuna, and Otoro with two slices of Monkfish liver.

Spanish Mackerel. Oily and delicious.

Golden Eye Snapper nigiri.

Skipjack Tuna with a bit of spicy ponzu.

Kama Toro. The always butter-like richest bit of tuna!

Seared Ruby Snapper Nigiri with some sweet miso. They called this the Queen of the Whitefish.

Charcoal grilled crab leg.

The awesome “BBQ Kama Toro” plate. It’s like ducky tuna and fishy smoked duck and is incredibly rich and delicious. Great with that special soy too.

Flaming sea snail with mushrooms. Chewy.

A5 Wagyu Tataki. Seared with a bit of pepper. Supper rich and fatty and melt in your mouth.

Clam Miso. Awesome clammy flavor.

Cheesecake with strawberries.

Strawberry Jam Gelato — an awesome daily Strawberry base swirled with Strawberry Jam — 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 #strawberry #jam

Perfect pairing!

Another great meal at ootoro. A bit of an overlap with last time but every dish was great.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Champagne, Gelato, Hacienda Heights, Japanese cuisine, ootoro, Sushi, Wine

Tata’s Two

Jul26

Restaurant: Tata’s Cafe [1, 2]

Location: 12627 Hawthorne Blvd, Hawthorne, CA 90250. (424) 675-4168

Date: October 20, 2022

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Great ingredients and a lot of fun

My good friend Jeff Bovon owns and operates this unusual restaurant in Hawthorne. He’s part chef, part food importer and supplier, being a purveyor of super high quality seafood and meats and he basically took over this little cafe and turned it into a very unusual destination. Chevy setup a big custom group dinner.

The interior is basically a little Hawthorne cafe that’s been mildly scaled up.

60 day dry aged Tomohawk — too old — but ambitious.

Giant lobsters

Cold Seafood plater. Very nice. The red sauce on the scallop (a sweet chili sauce) was pretty good too.

Steamed Littleneck Clams. With a mild curry flavor.

Seared Branzino. The fish was nice, but the green spicy tomatillo sauce was amazing!

Leering at us.

Seared A5 Wagyu. Super tender and probably the best “main.”

60 day dry aged Tomohawk. I actually didn’t like it at all, too “cheesy” and funky.

Baked Lobster Tails. These, however, were awesome. I think I had three.

Creamed spinach — rich but great.

Sautéed mushrooms. Nice.

Brussels. Also good.

My personal plate.

Cheese plate.

Dessert plate.

Pure and Concentrated Evil — Kentucky Mud Pie Gelato — Expresso Knob Creek Bourbon Custard Gelato base with layers of house-made Crushed Oreo Valrhona Fudge Ganache, and house-made Vanilla Coconut Cream Cheese Icing — The Plaid Mode of Gelati and includes a hefty Caffeine kick — 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 #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #expresso #bourbon #custard #oreos #icing

Summertime calls for — Yuzu Meyer Lemon Sorbetto — Japanese Yuzu Juice, Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice — 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 #yuzu #meyer #lemon

We had a very fun time. Big group and diverse wines with a LOT of food. I mean a LOT of food, even by our standards!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: A5, BYOG, fish, Foie gras, Gelato, Jeff Bovon, Seafood, Steak, Tata's Cafe, Wagyū

No Balcony, but Excellent

Jul22

Restaurant: Juliet

Location: 8888 Washington Blvd Suite 102, Culver City, CA 90232. (310) 643-5853

Date: October 17, 2023

Cuisine: French

Rating: Very good modern French Bistro

Walker invited me to a Champagne themed dinner, so of course I had to go.

Juliet is a new restaurant in the heart of Los Angeles, serving bright, thoughtfully composed dishes with a seafood focus.

An ode to the way Parisians are dining now, We applY classic French techniques and global influences to west coast seafood and seasonal produce.

We take A lot of pride in our wine program, showcasing hundreds of hand-selected wines from regions across France. we also offer cocktails and select wines by the half glass.

Located near Platform.

Le menu.

Huîtres / daily oysters / cucumber / trout roe. Bright flavors.

Poisson Cru / sliced amberjack / meyer lemon ponzu / serrano oil. Very strong zingy taste with a bit of heat and nice firm but soft texture.

Tartare et Caviar / sea bream tartare / kaluga caviar / herb crème fraiche. Quite excellent with a bit of smokiness.

Mousse au Foie de Volaille / chicken liver tartlet / apple gelée. Delicious and rich.

Carpaccio de Thon / bluefin tuna / preserved pepper / mustard seed. Also bright.

Courgettes / summer squash / labneh / chimichurri / hazelnuts. I don’t even like squash and this was pretty good.

Risotto au Mais / corn / sungold tomato / sage. First rate rissoto texture with a delicious bit of sweetness from the corn balanced with a bit of acidity from the tomatoes.

Coquilles Saint-Jacques / seared scallops / meyer lemon butter / trout roe. Very lovely with a great caviar beurre-blanc.

Cigares de Confit de Canard / duck confit “cigars” / sauce valois. Super crispy with a deep “fried” flavor. Awesome creamy sauce.

Côtes d’Agneau / lamb rib chops / chickpea puree / olive tapenade. Straight up but excellent.

Assiette de Fromage. Cheese plate / honeycomb / sourdough bread.

Pineapple Ginger Sorbetto — Fresh Pineapple infused with Fresh Ginger — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — nice little ginger ale like kick — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pineapple #ginger #GingerBeer #sorbetto

Eclairs Maison. dark chocolate / sea salt. Nice.

Gâteau au Fromage. crème fraîche cheesecake / passion fruit gelée. Lovely.

Madeleines au Beurre Noisette. Brown butter madeleines / salted honey chantilly. Extremely soft. Not the most typical Madeleines but absolutely delicious. No hint of citrus.

Overall, the food was really good bright modern French “Paris cafe” food. Quite excellent.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Champagne, French Cuisine, Gelato, Hoffmans, Julient, Walker, Wine

El Patio at Taito

Jul16

Restaurant: Tiato Kitchen + Garden

Location: 2700 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90404. (310) 866-5228

Date: Oct 4, 2023

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Great food, funny location

The An family — of Crustacean fame — has this unusual spot in Santa Monica, right down the street from Naughty Dog’s office.

It’s a weird office park location with a pretty courtyard.

Mostly the food is fairly casual, but we had a custom menu.

Tuna “tacos.” With that classic Vietnamese sweet chili sauce.

Goat Cheese and Walnut puffs.

Chicken liver on toast with berry sauce. A bit livery for my taste — like shades of Rosh H.

Black Truffle & Parmesan Tapioca with toasted bread crumbs, uni & toasted butter bread roll. Very creamy, rich, and airy. It had a mild and pleasant flavor. Not strongly uni with a foamy and crunchy texture. Interesting and I really enjoyed the texture.

The roll was pretty awesome.

Coconut Shrimp Roll with red lettuce, fresh herbs, toasted coconut & peanut crumble. Very fresh and pretty awesome. A super fresh/Californian take on the Vietnamese spring roll (the fresh, not fried, style).

Jidori Chicken Dumpling with porcini mushroom broth. The dumplings were awesome, like a great tortelini, and the mushroom broth was first rate.

Filet of Sole with a white wine saffron sauce, heirloom tomato & roasted corn. Very nice with bright acidic flavors.

Wagyu Steak & Potatoes with fermented creama & smoked habanero salmon roe. This was the worst dish by far. Weirdly sweet and tangy at the same time. Just not that savory. The potato balls didn’t have much flavor either.

Sesame Crusted Lamb Roulade with a white peppered yogurt and fresh carrots. Stuning! This was kinda spicy actually, with very strong flavors reminiscent of the Western Chinese style of roasted chili lamb. I really enjoyed it and much to my surprise it actually went with SQN.

Awesome house-made cookies.

Matcha Almond Latte Gelato – Ceremonial Matcha Green Tea and Sicilian Noto Romano Almond gelato base — 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 #almond #matcha #GreenTea #Sicily

Overall, this was a super fun night. I very much enjoyed the wines because there were a mix of styles. I didn’t actually drink much of the post-Burgundy reds. Just a bit of the Euro ones. And I did have some SQN with lamb. I didn’t even try the QC or the Ridge — not my thing. Food was great (except for the beef which was just fine) but all the other dishes were really excellent. And the atmosphere, service, and setting were A++. The location (7 min from my office) was A+++.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, garden, Gelato, hedonists, patio, Vietnamese Fusion, Wine

Sauvages – LQ goes Italian

Jul14

Restaurant: Laurent Quenioux

Location: Pasadena

Date: September 22, 2023

Cuisine: LQ Franco Italian

Today’s Sauvages lunch was graciously hosted by Tim at at his beautiful home in Pasadena. This event is held outdoors and features Cru Baroli, 2007 & Older. We enjoyed a Northern Italian inspired menu prepared by Chef Laurent Quenioux.

Gorgeous ridge-top setting.

So we hid under the shade and cracked some champagne!

Grilled peppers bruschetta with prosciutto.

beef meatball. with a bit of a yellow curry vibe.

The menu.

Bordier Butter and La Creme baguette.

SEARED COD. Lightly breaded | basil beurre blanc with lemon zeste.

CHANTERELLES TAGLIATELLE. Sautéed Chanterelles | Garlic | olive oil | Parsley | aged reggiano. Mushrooms were great. Pasta was quite nice, but could have used a touch more emulsion of the sauce to bring it all together.

Braised Oxtail in cabernet | caramelized onions | soft polenta. Carby, but a fabulous dish with an onion soup vibe, believe it or not.

Stuffed veal scaloppini | braised with tomatoes marinara style | herbs. Very flavorful, packed tightly, and extremely “LQ.”

COW: CAMEMBERT WITH BUFFLONNE MILK ITALY – EWE: MOLITERNO AL TARTUFO – COW: PARMIGIANO REGGIANO – plum jam. Perfect cheese plate.

My son’s favorite — Triple Chocolate Cloud Gelato – The base is made this time with Valrhona 70% Guanaja 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

Gelato all’Amarena — a very simple and elegant Tahitian Vanilla Bean White Base (no egg) with Amarena Cherries in syrup — 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 #vanilla #amarena #cherry #syrup

Expresso.

Overall, an extremely fun lunch and a good way to “pause” on my weekday lunch festivities for a bit while I concentrate on work. Every wine was fabulous! Really just a fabulous setting and great company. Thank you very much to Tim for hosting!

Barolo was generally great as well :-).

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Barolo, BYOG, Gelato, Laurent Quenioux, LQ, Sauvages, Wine

Bistro 1968 at Night

Jul11

Restaurant: Bistro 1968 [1, 2]

Location: 402 S San Gabriel Blvd Ste A, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 766-1968

Date: January 4, 2024

Cuisine: Chinese Dim Sum

Rating: One of the current best

Bistro 1968 opened with considerable fanfare (for the SGV) at the tail end of 2022. It serves up a large but focused menu of Cantonese dim sum and unusually is not two restaurants in one like most of the Cantonese places. Instead they have the same (dim sum focused) menu for both lunch and dinner.

This visit involves a Foodie Club Sunday Chinese dinner with combined dim sum and other.

The underground parking lot here sucks. Upper level was full and the lower level had this mechanical gated “resident only tow zone” that was poorly labeled and easy to get trapped in.

Escaping the parking lot involved this endless corridor.

Peanuts and Candied Walnuts.

The menu.

They have moderately fancy tea service.

Chili paste and mustard.

Egg Tofu with Abalone Sauce. I love this soft silky tofu. Although we got it more or less twice.

Seafood Dumpling with pumpkin.

Shrimp Har-gow.

Seaweed and Shrimp Paste Cake.

Chili Oil.

XO Sauce.

Pork & Shrimp Siu-Mai.

Selections.

Shrimp Rice Noodle.

Supreme Beef Balls.

Jumbo Sticky Rice Wrap.

Seafood Chow-mein w/ Crispy Noodle. Solid version of the classic with nice noodles and sily seafood.

Pan Fried Seme Cicoria w/ Duck Meat. This “orzo” with bits of duck was awesome. Very much like a fried rice.

Barbecued Iberian Pork w/ Honey. Too lean and too sweet, so while it had good flavor it was a bit chewy.

Egg Tofu with Mushrooms and Vegetables. Delicious dish. This is my kind of “veggie.”

Peking Duck. This was a rather lame Pseudo Peking Duck. Kinda dry and the cleavered style of Cantonese roast duck with the buns.

No cucumbers but there were scallions.

They served both the more “real” hoisin and the standard thin Cantonese type that usually goes with PPD.

Poached Tofu Skin w/ Pork Bone Broth.. Soup was a pork bone broth and pretty delicious. Rest of the dish was meh.

Pan Fried Mix Mushrooms with Egg White. Kinda boring dry version of this dish. It was much better at Colette.

Curry Rice with Baked Eel. The eel was really good. The curry rice was a touch dry and very much that English yellow curry.

Poached Watercress with Fish Ball. Bland this time around.

Strawberry Jam Gelato — an awesome dairy Strawberry base swirled with Strawberry Jam — 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 #strawberry #jam

To the right was an Almond Zab blend. It was pretty old. Tasted great but had some ice cystal formation. Could easily have been almost 2 years old from the label.

Flavorless sweat bean puffs.

Mango “soup” was actually pretty good.

Overall, Bistro 1968 was interesting at night. It was a Sunday night and deserted. The kitchen didn’t feel particularly on point but the dim sum was still great and most of the dishes very enjoyable. They seem to be floundering, as more recently (early summer 2024) they have switched to $20/pp AYCE dim sum — which will doom them. No way they make money on that.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Bistro 1968, BYOG, Foodie Club, Gelato, Wine

Sichuan Modern – 19 Town

Jul09

Restaurant: 19 Town

Location: 18065 Gale Ave, City of Industry, CA 91748. (626) 669-7089

Date: September 3, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Sichuan Chinese

Rating: Very tasty, unusual modern style

19Town is the new modern fusion Sichuan place by the folks that brought us Sichuan Impression.

Tucked away in the corner of a giant parking lot with a Home Depot.

It’s going for a more bar-like feel.

There are a couple of private rooms.

We had this large table in a nook at the back of the resteraunt.

The menu.

Small cold drinking “snacks” are traditional in Chengdu.

Spinach Ball with Black Sesame Paste. Bonito Flake. Tightly packed in there.

Wasabi Edamame. Soybean sauce. Good for edamame.

Assorted Pickles. Bell pepper, lotus root, pickles, cauliflowers. Really crunchy, really hot, and really vinegared. Loved them.

Oil Bath Mushroom. Shiitake mushrooms, termite mushrooms. Nice little mellow mushrooms.

Bamboo Shoots Salad. Cordyceps flower, sesame oi. Crunchy with a bit of heat.

Shisito Numbing Tofu. Avocado, roasted green chili sauce, green Sichuan peppercorns. Delicious. Nice soft texture and some good heat and flavor from the salty sauce.

Cucumber with Sesame Paste. Elegant.

Dry-aged Salmon Tartare. Avocado, fennel, pickle capers, crisp wonton chips. A bit sweet, but very interesting flavors.

Slow-cooked Beef Tongue. Salt and spring onion sauce, red onions, garlic. Really tasty with some nice zing.

Scallop Ceviche. Shallots, yuzu sauce, pickles. Had that limey sour quality and I really enjoyed.

Grilled Octopus. Lime, vinegar, sauce of sous vide egg with black truffle. Pretty much like classic Spanish octopus.

Jiaoma Steak Tartare. Medium-rare ribeye steak pickled egg yolk, green onion, capers, peppercorn powder, rice crackers. Texture like a western tartare, but there was a very distinct Sichuan peppercorn flavor which I really enjoyed.

Sichuan Style Spicy Bullfrog. Chili oil, orange peel, dried chilis, baby arugula. One of the best Chinese frog dishes I’ve had. Yeah there were still the bones, but it had this nice flavorful spice to it.

Fire Belly. Kurobuta Pork, Butterhead lettuce, shisito peppers, dried chilis. Some good heat, but not overwhelming. Nice porky flavor.

Flaming Pork Jowl. Fresno Pepper, peanut butter, Everclear 120 Moonshine. Not spicy, with a distinct rich porcine note. Quite lovely.

Sauced Crispy Shrimp. Eggplant, garlic, green onions, roasted peppers, white flour. Really delicious and very fried.

Cheese Mapo Tofu. Roasted peppercorn powder, mozzarella cheese, baguette. The cheese really works. They do, however, chop up the tofu very fine in this version and I prefer the larger silky cubes.

Jasmine Tea-smoked Duck Leg. Cantaloupe, lavender, rosemary, thyme. Perfectly cooked. Both cured and juicy. Nice crispy skin as well. Interesting “alchohol” flavor? Delicious.

Farm-fed Silkie Chicken with Spicy Sauce. Chili oil, konjac knots, green onions. Great dish. Closely related to bang bang chicken and spectacular.

Slow-cooked Beef Ribs. Roasted pineapple, Fresno peppers. Well done, but tender.

Grilled Turbot with spices. Interesting like this with all the spices. But Turbot is best simply steamed.

Gnocchi con le Cozze. Mussel, garlic, pickled pepper, mozzarella cheese. Quite enjoyable.

Slow-cooked Oxtail. Dried-pickled Chinese mustard greens, dried chili pepper, rice, quinoa. Lots of bones as usual straight up.

Mixed up. Really nice and comforting when mixed up (without the bones).

Creamy Seafood Stew Noodle. Mussel, squid, shrimp, scallop, dairy. Interesting. Mild. Not my favorite dish of the night but certainly fine.

Waffle Fries with Salted Egg Yolk. Waffle fries!

Grilled Dry-aged Duck Breast. Sweet and sour vegetables. Cooked almost the same way as the leg — also fabulous.

Lamb Shank Paella. Carrots, peas, bell peppers, mushrooms, sugarcane, saffron. This was very addictive too, particularly the rich with the rich and flavorful meat.

served with pickles.

Black Sesame Cheese Tart. Barley.

Lemon au Courant Sorbetto and Mud Pie Gelato.

The wines.

Overall, 19 Town was REALLY good. It’s the most unusual Chinese cooking I’ve had in a while and is very fusion and hybrid, but instead of just making me want some “real” Chinese food, mostly these dishes were just excellent unto themselves. Occasionally I like the traditional versions better, like with the texture on the Mapo Tofu — and I love my traditional Chinese. But this was delicious and very interesting. It doesn’t replace traditional at all, but is a great compliment. Service was excellent too.

Yarom and the chef.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: 19 Town, BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, SGV, Sichuan Cuisine, Sichuan Impression, Wine

Harlan part 1

Jul07

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

Location: 9500 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. (310) 276-8500

Date: September 5, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Steakhouse

Rating: Amazing special meal

The special menu.

A5 Wagyu on Chicharrones! Delicious.

Tempura fried oysters with caviar. I don’t normally love fried oysters, but these were great.

Blue fin tuna on wonton crisps.

The chef.

Black Trumpet Mushroom Chawanmushi. Crispy 36 month aged Prosciutto di Parama. Very unusual egg custard with a smoky rich “thick” top and a definitive bacon flavor.

Long Island Black Bass. Creamy eggplant, roasted figs, red wine reduction. Normally you wouldn’t think fish would go with Harlan but the smoky eggplant and the incredible sweet cabernet reduction really brought it together. I licked the plate clean!

Chanterelle Mushroom Risotto. 36 month aged parmigiano reggiano. Fabulous risotto with a perfect texture and mancurata. It was mild, with no pepper and not as much cheese as I would have liked on its own, but it did pair great with the wines.

Roasted Liberty Duck Two Ways. Really nice duck breast and confit leg bits. The breast had a hammy gamey quality and the leg meat was braised with a bit of black pepper — really fabulous.

Australian Wagyu Westholme New York Strip. Bone marrow custard, sauce bordelaise. Very tasty meat amped up by the addition (and I spread it on top) of the bone marrow flan.

30 Month Aged Comte. Grilled fruit & nut bread, market blackberry jam. Really spectactular cheese dish. Sweet, but I ate the entire bread and jam because the 3 way pairing was divine.

Pure and Concentrated Evil — Kentucky Mud Pie Gelato — Expresso Knob Creek Bourbon Custard Gelato base with layers of house-made Crushed Oreo Valrhona Fudge Ganache, and house-made Vanilla Coconut Cream Cheese Icing — The Plaid Mode of Gelati and includes a hefty Caffeine kick — 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 #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #expresso #bourbon #custard #oreos #icing

Overall, this was a really special dinner. The wines were incredible, even if California isn’t my favorite, and the food was out of this world. The special room — aka full longue takeover — and hyper attentive service under Pierro made it a one of a kind evening!

The gang.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cut, Gelato, harlan, Piero Selvaggio, Wine, Wolfgang Puck

Iki Ramen Insanity

Jul01

Restaurant: Iki Ramen

Location: 740 S Western Ave #115, Los Angeles, CA 90005. (424) 419-2772

Date: August 24, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Japanese

Rating: Big fun!

Michael K organized this omakase buyout at Iki Ramen.

Dreams do come true for these 4 best friends. 👏
Jeffry Undiarto (former n/naka GM), childhood friends Sabastian Karyadi (owner of ramen nagomi in New Jersey and formerly work at Mori sushi in LA) and chefs Hiroyuki Masato (formerly owner Poke Tendo, chef and manager at sushi chain sushi Mac) and Andy Juliady (owner seafood company based in downtown LA), together they co-founded Iki Ramen.
Giant shoutout to Michael organizing this private dinner to create more fantastic memories with new & old friends 🥰 Mary A Chevy Bonnie Joe Andy Erick Larry Brent Sebastian Aedyn Brad Gordan Conrad David Emily Fred Danielle David Linda Jio Jovi Jordan 🥂🍾🍷

The interior before we swamped it out.

A salad of white fish sashimi, greens, yuzu koshu, and pear. Very zesty and delicious.

Just a few of the bottles.

Tuna with truffle and a sweet soy. Delicious.

Incredibly tender octopus with sunomono.

Miso glazed cod.

White fish “custard” (more a thickened stock)?

Uni and squid ink pasta with truffles. This was an incredible pasta with a great chewy texture and absolutely delicious briny flavors.

Scallop, burrata, and tomatoes. Who would have thought this would have paired — but it really did.

Salmon, Tai, and crab sushi.

Toro, uni, and wagyu sushi.

Ginger.

Yuzu Shio Ramen. Yuzu citrus + sea salt seasoned organic chicken broth+house dashi. slow-braised niman ranch pork belly, hanjuku tamago, menma, nori, scallions. Really awesome and complex flavor.

Soft Shell Crab Bao. fried soft shell crab bao, cucumber, spicy mayo, chili garlic.

Cucumber Cut Roll.

Hand rolls.

Uni Sushi.

Toro sushi (chopped).

Truffle Butter Tonkotsu. Rich, shoyu seasoned pork bone stock, with truffle butter, pork belly, egg, kikurage, sweet corn, scallions, nori. Very rich.

Toro Uni Ikura don. Sushi rice, toro tartare, sea urchin, dashi ikura.

Crispy Japanese dessert. The shell wasn’t sweet at all, but it was crunchy.

Coconut Crunch Gelato — Coconut dairy custard base with Strawberry Wafers and house-made White Chocolate Coated Crunch Berries — 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 #crunch #crunchBerries #WhiteChocolate

Almond Gelato and Chocolate Expresso Sorbetto

Just a few bottles — the whole front row were ours!

Overall, this was a crazy fun evening. 23 people, very chaotic, over 30 wines, and tons of food. We had the whole place to ourselves so it was just a bit of a party. There were so many wines that things didn’t really run out either. Good times — except for the next morning.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, Japanese cuisine, ramen, Ski Ramen, Sushi, Wine

Tony Lau Colette

Jun23

Restaurant: Colette [1, 2, 3]

Location: 975 N Michillinda Ave, Pasadena, CA 91107. (626) 510-6286

Date: October 29, 2023

Cuisine: Contemporary Chinese

Rating: Weird Tony Lau dinner

There is a lot of buzz about Colette, which is part of the “next generation” of LA Chinese restaurants. They opened in a cafe-like space and are serving both Cantonese-esqe and dim sum. From their website:

Colette is a Cantonese-based creative Asian restaurant that welcomes people from all walks of life for all occasions. Our goal is to provide you with an inviting experience whether you’re joining us for a fine new Asian cuisine, after hiking, a friend or family gathering, a business meeting, a date, or other special occasions.

Whatever the occasion, our ambiance, and setting at Colette will serve your needs. Whether you are on the go or want to bring your pets to relax and hang out with friends, our indoor seating area and the outdoor patio are designed to offer you a cozy and comfortable space for you to enjoy your meal. In addition, our food is cooked to order and is prepared with quality in mind. Whenever it is possible, our food is prepared using ingredients from local farmers’ markets.

At Colette, we believe dining is an experience involving all senses, not just taste. Therefore, we try to ensure that our guests will enjoy the service provided by our staff and our decor, in addition to the excellent quality and taste of our menu items. We want to offer a memorable experience to each guest so that you will return with your friends and family.

Our special menu for this Tony Lau Chinese dinner series.

Bonus dish (on the house) of Salt & Pepper Squid. Very delicious, highly fried, crunchy calamari prep.

Lettuce cups with shrimp, pine nuts & jicama. These had a mixed soft and crunchy texture and a nice mild flavor. Good in the lettuce with a bit of chili oil etc. I think this is off-menu as Tony has a list of dishes he often “makes” resteraunts cook and this is one of them.

The lettuce itself.

Deep fried baby abalone. Very tasty, as they were fried with bits of mild Jalepeno. The abalone itself wasn’t that strong.

Char Siu. Super sweet and tender. Great BBQ pork — but controversial as they were so sweet and so fatty.

Crispy stuffed Chicken / 脆皮百花鸡.
Deboned air-dried chicken, shrimp paste. Crispy skin on shrimp paste — was isn’t to love? Could have used perhaps a touch more “flavor.” Some people added salt.

Baked Crabmeat with cheese inside Crab shell. Very gooey Bechemel-like texture. Quite delicious though.

Branzino Fillet Rolls. This is another Tony dish, and one that is excellent at Embassy kitchen. The fish is rolled around ginger and fried. Tasty, but the ginger was too mild or there wasn’t enough of it — it helps balance the heavy fry.

Stir-fried sliced conch with XO sauce. This is another Tony dish. Nice chewy texture and crunchy veggies.

Pan fried pork patty with salted fish. Like a slightly fishy Southern pork sausage (the kind that goes inside an Egg McMuffin). Delicious.

Stir-Fry Steak Cubes with Macadamia Nuts. Yup, a version of the Gweillo Beef. Super tender chunks and nice veggies, but still a slightly boring dish.

Off menu Singapore Chili Crab. Two whole Dungeness crabs drowned in sweet and slightly spicy eggy chili sauce. Delicious. Not exactly exactly like the one I had in Singapore, sweeter perhaps, but still super delicious.

Stir-Fry Asparagus — also with some squash and mushrooms.

Funny but delicious Chinese dessert. Sort of a gooey sesame ball.

Yar! Ghostly skeletal praline pirates are marauding — Pecan Pirate Praline Gelato — An eggy ultra-smooth Texas Pecan base layered with my creepy skull-shaped New Orleans style Vanilla Bourbon Pecan Pralines — 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 #vanilla #bourbon #pecan #praline #candy #halloween #spooky

Colette continues to show that it’s an excellent Cantonese dinner place. I think I like their menu stuff a bit better, as here Tony was making them do a bit too many of his favorite dishes and they don’t show off all their strengths being more classically Cantonese, still it was a very enjoyable meal — even if I was hit hard by all the “flavor” (MSG).

Our mostly order off the menu meals were considerably better.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Chinese Food, Colette, Gelato, Pasadena, Tony Lau

Roccos Redux

Jun21

Restaurant: Dinner at the Borgese’s [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Location: Santa Monica

Date: August 2, 2023

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 was another Hedonist dinner featuring whole lamb.

Lovely night out on the patio.

The menu.

Bistecca chilling out.

Rocco in the kitchen.

The dead and dying shrimp section (they had just been split open).

Amuse of burrata and prosciutto.

Amuse of caviar, creme fraiche, and blinis.

Carpaccio di Tonno. Tuna Carpaccio. Super salted — in a good way — the sea salted offset the olive oil nicely.

Bronzino alle Vongole. Bronzino with Clams in Cherry Tomatoes. Interesting take on things. Quite nice though. Drank the entire (delicious) broth.

Risotto ai Calamari. Calamari Risotto. Salty and delicious. Way better than the risotto I had the night before at Mistral.

Cozze con Guanciale. Mussels with Pork Cheek. Who doesn’t think that Guanciale makes everything better?

Pasta di Granchio. Crab Pasta. A very matured, incredibly savory, tomato and probably anchovy etc based crab sauce. Delicious with great texture.

Pasta di Granchio. Crab Pasta. A very matured, incredibly savory, tomato and probably anchovy etc based crab sauce. Delicious with great texture.

Bistecca alla Florentina. Wood-fired Florentine Steak. This was one of the better Rocco steaks. Medium rare and with a salty crust.

Verdure Grigliate. Roasted vegetables. In this case little baby potatoes.

Verdure Grigliate. Roasted vegetables. In this case rapini.

My partial plate.

Back from Türkiye with a new flavor — Sultan’s Delight — Iranian Saffron base with house-made Pistachio Cremino, Chopped Pistachios, and Rose-Water Pistachio Turkish Delight — many ingredients from the Istanbul Spice Bazaar — 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 #saffron #pistachio #cremino #TurkishDelight #Türkiye

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

Bowled up.

The wines.

Another amazing meal at Roccos. I think I might prefer the seafood (or mostly seafood) dinners.

Very fun night with an awesome (and typical) crew and great great wines. Food was really fabulous as always, and there was tons, although I’ve had Rocco’s meals where I liked the mains more. Tonight’s standouts were the clams, quail, and pasta.

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.

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.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Foodie Club, Gelato, Rocco Borgese, Roccos, Wine

Feel the Mistral

Jun18

Restaurant: Mistral

Location: 13422 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. (818) 981-6650

Date: August 1, 2023

Cuisine: French

Rating: Old school, but good

I haven’t been to Mistral in a long long time. It’s an old school Sherman Oaks French place, common in the 90s but now a nearly vanished breed.

Tonight was a hybrid of Hedonists and George who has been going here for decades.

We had this lovely patio table.

They turned the parking lot into patio during the pandemic.

Bread.

Gougères. Always yummy.

Tartar of “Sushi Grade” Ahi Tuna, Toast Points, Cucumber Rounds. Solid.

French Fries. Great crispy thin French style fries.

Ketchup and mustard.

Shrimp “Scampi” in a Beurre Blanc sauce. Really great lemon butter white wine sauce and fresh shrimp. Quite nice.

Wild Burgundy Escargots “A la Bourguignonne”. These were served on a bit of risotto. I prefer them in the classic manner, good for bread dipping. I think that’s what you normally get when you order then here, but they did this little variant given our large table size.

Crab Cake. Lovely soft crab cake with leeks and another (different) butter sauce. Quite delicious.

Moroccan Cigars, Green Yogurt with Fresh Mint, Salad of Cucumbers and Greens. Little beef rolls. Delicious with the yougurt based sauce.

Salad of Mixed Greens with Warm Goat Cheese Croutons.

Classic French Onion Soup “Gratinée”.

A very nice rendition of the classic. Totally the “classic way” — which is how it should be.

Crisp Duck Confit, Orange Grand Marnier Sauce. Chives Whipped Potato, Roasted Brussels sprouts. Very nice confit. Slightly sweet reduction was excellent.

New York Steak, Sliced Garlic, Parsley and Butter. 14 oz. USDA Prime, French Fries and Green Salad.

Steak au Poivre with the sauce on the side.

Au poivre sauce — delicious.

Lamb shank with risotto. Not as good as the confit or steak. Risotto wasn’t creamy enough.

Grilled Lamb Chops, Thyme, Rosemary, Garlic and Bread Crumbs. Potatoes au Gratin, Green Beans, Rainbow Carrots.

Fresh Peach & Strawberry Cobbler, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Berries and cream.

Chocolate Soufflé. House Whipped Cream.

Pistachio Chocolate Fudge Gelato – a new high nut and no egg formulation with Pistachio di Bronte DOGC produces an intense pistachio base, mixed with Valrhona 70% Chocolate Ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pistachio #Sicily #nuts #Valrhona #Chocolate #Ganache

Overall, a very fun evening. Food was surprisingly good. Slightly dated class “LA French”, but it was very fresh and well executed.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Wine

Colette at Night

Jun16

Restaurant: Colette [1, 2]

Location: 975 N Michillinda Ave, Pasadena, CA 91107. (626) 510-6286

Date: July 30, October 29, 2023 and March 03, 2024

Cuisine: Contemporary Chinese

Rating: Pretty great for dinner if you order correctly

Colette is a Cantonese-based creative Asian restaurant that welcomes people from all walks of life for all occasions. Our goal is to provide you with an inviting experience whether you’re joining us for a fine new Asian cuisine, after hiking, a friend or family gathering, a business meeting, a date, or other special occasions.

Whatever the occasion, our ambiance, and setting at Colette will serve your needs. Whether you are on the go or want to bring your pets to relax and hang out with friends, our indoor seating area and the outdoor patio are designed to offer you a cozy and comfortable space for you to enjoy your meal. In addition, our food is cooked to order and is prepared with quality in mind. Whenever it is possible, our food is prepared using ingredients from local farmers’ markets.

At Colette, we believe dining is an experience involving all senses, not just taste. Therefore, we try to ensure that our guests will enjoy the service provided by our staff and our decor, in addition to the excellent quality and taste of our menu items. We want to offer a memorable experience to each guest so that you will return with your friends and family.

This is the regular menu.

Deep fried baby abalone. Very tasty, as they were fried with bits of mild Jalepeno. The abalone itself wasn’t that strong.

Winter Melon Soup. Full of pork, chicken, and the soft melon chunks. Good, but could have used a touch of white pepper.

Off menu Geoduck sashimi. This was cut from the body of the giant clam. Great version of this dish. Very fresh, not too chewy, but with a nice bite, and with that pleasant “taste of the sea.”

Soy Sauce for the geoduck.

The neck of the clam was fried. This was a fabulous “salt and pepper” fry with a very crispy delicious batter.

Golden Yolk Shrimp. Hot and rich.

Szechuan style Chicken Salad / 川味口水鸡. Chicken drizzled with chef-special chili oil. Not super hot but the “bang bang” style sauce was delicious and addictive.

Faux Gras Shimeji Mushroom /鹅肝酱抓菇.
white beech mushroom with faux gras sauce. Super crispy yummy fried mushrooms with this “hint” of fois in the batter. It wasn’t a sauce per se, but more a livery quality to the pasty coating of the fry. Well seasoned (salty) and delicious.

Golden Yolk Fried Pumpkin /金沙南瓜绦.
Pumpkin fried with salted egg yolk. Surprisingly delicious. Nice fry.

Seafood Scrambled Milk/ 海皇炒鲜奶.
Scrambled milk and egg white with assorted seafood. Light and creamy and very enjoyable with some vinegar.

Off menu live Turbo, steamed with garlic and ginger. A perfect rendition of this fish with the fabulous soft juicy texture of both the meat and collagen — plus the “sauce” was very subtle and addictive.

Off menu “faux shark fine.” A similar egg white dish with bean sprouts and I’m not sure what, but a really nice crunchy and soft texture.

Off menu Singapore Chili Crab. Two whole Dungeness crabs drowned in sweet and slightly spicy eggy chili sauce. Delicious. Not exactly exactly like the one I had in Singapore, sweeter perhaps, but still super delicious.

Butter-fried bread for sopping up the garlic sauce.

Fried Cabbage with Bacon / 培根炒高丽菜.
Sauteed cabbage stir-fried with house bacon. I always love this dish when it has the pork — and tonight was no exception.

Char Siu. Super sweet and tender. Great BBQ pork!

Braised Tofu with Mushroom / 杂菌烧豆腐.
Braised tofu with assorted mushrooms. Very nice mushroom/tofu. Great texture and flavor.

Crispy stuffed Chicken / 脆皮百花鸡.
Deboned air-dried chicken, shrimp paste. Crispy skin on shrimp paste — was isn’t to love? Could have used perhaps a touch more “flavor.” Some people added salt.

Cheese Lobster Noodle. Weird but hyper addictive.

Laksa Seafood Spaghetti / 喇吵海鲜意粉.
Homemade Laksa sauce (a spicy soup from South-East Asia) with spaghetti, mushroom, and Seafood (Scallops, crab, shrimp). I was very full but I loved this. Strong laksa flavor, not as strong as Cassia or anything, but still strong. Noodles were almost like thin ramen noodles and there was lots of lump crab. Delicious.

Yangchow fried rice.

Funny but delicious Chinese dessert. Sort of a gooey sesame ball.

Summertime calls for — Yuzu Meyer Lemon Sorbetto — Japanese Yuzu Juice, Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice — 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 #yuzu #meyer #lemon

Lemon Cookie and St Agur Fig Walnut.

Overall, a very fun night and I was quite impressed with Colette’s food this time around. I think their dinner menu and execution are better than with the dim sum, which was also pretty decent. Skipping the nasty Pork Trotters also helped. Service and wine policy were great. The only problem is the location. Pasadena is actually a good 15-20 min FURTHER than the SGV. It’s noticable. And it doesn’t have handy foot massage (or at least I haven’t looked for it there).

Best ever!

Overall, this is a weird place. It feels like an American breakfast cafe, but it’s Chinese. The food is mildly fusion. It’s partially dim sum, partially other Chinese. Dishes were hit or miss but nothing really stood out as amazing and it’s not actually “better” in any way than most SGV restaurants. But that’s just the dim sum. A follow-up dinner here turned out an absolutely first class meal. So while I think Colette is nice enough at lunch, it really rocks for less dim sum oriented Cantonese — more on that in another post.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Chinese Food, Colette, Gelato, Pasadena

Home on the Grange

Jun12

Restaurant: Saddle Peak Lodge [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Location: 419 Cold Canyon Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302 (818) 222-3888

Date: July 27, 2023

Cuisine: Modern American

Rating: Great ambiance and terrific game oriented food.

Ever year, both in the summer and winter, we Hedonists return to Saddle Peak Lodge. It’s pretty much the perfect venue for both a winter or summer food and wine blast, with gorgeous lodge patio, game driven food, and awesome wine service. For those of you who don’t know, Hedonist events have amazing wines (each diner brings at least one bottle).

Tonight’s dinner was Penfolds Grange themed.

Saddle Peak Ranch used to be a game lodge back in the early part of the 20th century. The rich and famous used to come up and hunt Malibu’s finest, such as this poor fellow. Now the deer are just served up on the menu.

The menu.

Amuse of potato leek soup. A bit too “carby” for my taste.

Pretzel bread.

CAST IRON JOHNNYCAKE. Maple Butter. Like dessert cornbread.

WHITE SHRIMP “COCKTAIL”. Cocktail Sauce & Charred Lemon.

PORK BELLY. Vietnamese Flavors, Pickled Vegetables, Herbs, Nuoc Mam, Lime. Nice tangy & fatty flavors. Rich. Some reach crunch to the pork.

6 INCH SPLIT ROASTED BONE MARROW. Chimichurri Sauce, Grilled Ciabatta.

HAND ROLLED CAVATELLI PASTA. Périgord Truffle Sauce, Potatoes, Parmesan, Fine Herbs.

CAESAR SALAD (w/ anchoives). Romaine, Parmesan, Grilled Ciabatta. Oddly sweet dressing.

PINK LADY APPLE SALAD. St. Agur Blue Cheese, Arugula, Shallots, Candied Pecan.

“Tomato salad” (made up by Yarom).

A simple green salad.

NEW ZEALAND LAMB. Chanterelle Mushroom, Farro, Artichokes, Black Truffle Butter.

CHEF’S GAME TRIO. Rabbit | Miso Mash | Baby Carrots | Balsamic Onions | Red Wine Jus Elk Tenderloin | Braised Bacon | Morello Cherry | Celery Root | Sweet Potato Bison Short Rib | Smoked Miso-Potato | Blistered Asparagus | Spicy Pepper & Apple Salad.

Rabbit | Miso Mash | Baby Carrots | Balsamic Onions

Sweet Potato Bison Short Rib | Smoked Miso-Potato | Blistered Asparagus

Red Wine Jus Elk Tenderloin | Braised Bacon | Morello Cherry | Celery Root

2LB BONE-IN WESTHOLME WAGYU BEEF TOMAHAWK FEAST. Westholme Australian Wagyu Beef Ribeye (Marble Score A5-7) | Cooked in herbs & butter over charcoal with Seasonal Accompaniments Served Table Side | Spring Accompaniments: New Potato Puree, Asparagus Cooked 3 Ways, Mushrooms “Bordelaise”.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS. (sweet, sour & salty).

Spinach.

ASPARAGUS

MASHED POTATOES

The dessert menu.

Nocciola Crunch Gelato — Nocciola (hazelnut) base made with egg yolk and Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste mixed with Nestle’s Buncha Crunch — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — new higher fat base formulation — #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 #Chocolate #Nestle #crunch

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

The wines.

The gang.

Fun evening, and the wines were incredible. But I do remember Saddle Peak’s food being better than this. Both menu and execution getting a touch tired. Service was awesome though.

Click here for more LA restaurant reviews,
Or for Hedonist extravaganzas.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, game, gealto, hedionists, Meat, Saddle Peak Lodge

Majordomo 2023

Jun06

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

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

Date: July 17, 2023

Cuisine: Korean Fusion

Rating: Big dishes amazing

It’s with gigantic expectation that NY restaurateur David Chang opened his first LA outpost last year and since then it’s become a regular foodie and wine destination among my friends. Tonight is my sixth visit, and my third time with the Hedonists. It’s pretty much a summer tradition now.

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

The area is extremely warehousey, much like the “Arts District” but even newer. This particular time, dropping off at night, we joked about our life expectancy.

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

With lots of bespoke graffiti.

And Majordomo, of course.

Which has a pretty big enclosed and outside space (which we ate in this third time). Have to say, the outside space was actually preferable. Less crowded and quieter.

As you can see.

Inside is one of those cavernous loud warehouse spaces.

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

But we setup outside on the patio at a large table (actually the 2022 pic).

The menu.

Crudo plate.

Tuna Tataki. Honey, citrus, habanero. More sweet than spicy.

Yellowtail special crudo. Kinda bland actually.

Dungeness Crab Salad – ginger, melon, asparagus. Nice, with a sweet and tangy flavor. Very crabby.

Bing plate. This pita-like bread is spread as desired with the ordered condiments.

Lady Edison Country Ham. Very tasty ham. Like American prosciutto.

The actual bings (very addictive).

Whipped Ricotta, Jam, Chili Crunch. This was a really tasty blend of soft cheese, aged strawberry jam, and the chili. Very interesting blend and quite effective.

Smoked Eggplant & Pine Nut. Tasty.

Butter, Honey, Black Truffle. Delicious combo — although sweet, of course.

Heirloom Tomatoes – sherry vinaigrette, stone fruit, sesame.

Grilled Yu Choy – yogurt, plum, chickpea. I didn’t actually try the veggies (they were gone) but the yogurt had a delicious and very interesting flavor.

Clam Lo Mein – garlic, thai chili, lemon. A nice pasta.

Fried Shrimp – salsa seca, walnuts, honey. Really delicious shrimp. I had like a third of a plate. Quite sweet, garlicky, and a touch spicy.

Crispy Potatoes – garlic, chili, lemon mayo. These were awesome. The potatoes were incredibly crispy and coated in a very “Buffalo Wing” style sauce. The sea of lemon mayo was extremely ranch-like and so the overall vibe was like a much better, much crispier, “Buffalo Wing” kind of thing.

Smoked Half Bo Ssäm – (feeds 4-5) ssam, condiments, rice.

Condiments for the pork. Hoisin and pickles. You make a lettuce wrap (I didn’t use the rice). Some argued that the pork was a little dry, but I didn’t think so if you loaded enough moist pickles etc in there. Very rich and satisfying.

Rice.

One of these snuck in.

Whole Plate Short Rib – (feeds 5-6) ssam, condiments, beef rice.

The short rib all sliced up. Awesome thin slices and great tasting, but a bit chewy meat on the bone.

Various condiments for the beef. Pickles, spicy Korean chili paste etc

Veggie wraps.

An example of a “taco.” Then the ribs themselves are added on. Overall this is scrumptious meat, particularly when wrapped in lettuce with all the condiments. Like a great BBQ Brisket.

Beef rice. Very tasty — rich of course.

Smoked Prime Rib – au jus, horseradish, BS fries. This was the best prime rib I’ve ever had. So so much better than regular prime rib with that fantastic smoked flavor. Super tender too.

Horseradish.

BS fries. Very good, particularly with the sauces.

Béarnaise sauce.

Boiled Whole Chicken – rice, domojang, ginger scallion, hand torn noodle, soup. Very tender and delicious. Some fabulous moist chicken breast with a lot of flavor (both types).

Hand torn noodle, soup. Actually pretty awesome — even if we were all very full — with a great pepper flavor. Like the peppery version of classic chicken noodle soup.

Back from Türkiye with a new flavor — Sultan’s Delight — Iranian Saffron base with house-made Pistachio Cremino, Chopped Pistachios, and Rose-Water Pistachio Turkish Delight — many ingredients from the Istanbul Spice Bazaar — 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 #saffron #pistachio #cremino #TurkishDelight #Türkiye

Wines for the night. Thank the lord we ditched all those over-saturated SQNs.

Yarom dual wields the bones.

Overall, we had a great time at Majordomo. You do need a decent sized party for the awesome large dishes and you need to preorder. Tonight we had 8, which is perfect as the big dishes easily go around 8 ways and the smaller ones you can order two of. The prime rib was amazing too.

The service and wine service were both spectacular. I was really surprised as these loud hipster places often don’t have good wine service but we were really taken care of and this added a lot to the evening. We had a great (large) table in the back corner of the patio and a huge unused table next to it for our gear, wines, etc. They were super attentive. Really unusually good service for this level.

The larger pre-order dishes like the rib and pork and chicken are amazing and insane. We planned on also getting the chicken, but we were so stuffed we had to cancel it. Tonight the food seemed the best yet, even if we did have a lot of (delicious) carbs. Pastas and the fried rice were amazing too. Really liking everything about Majordomo other than the distance to get there — well and maybe how I felt trying to sleep later after all that fat, salt, and massive red wine.

So good to not have the SQNs and return to some decent wines.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.