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Archive for BYOG – Page 3

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.

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Lovely night out on the patio.

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The menu.
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Bistecca chilling out.
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Rocco in the kitchen.
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The dead and dying shrimp section (they had just been split open).
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Amuse of burrata and prosciutto.
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Amuse of caviar, creme fraiche, and blinis.
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Carpaccio di Tonno. Tuna Carpaccio. Super salted — in a good way — the sea salted offset the olive oil nicely.

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Bronzino alle Vongole. Bronzino with Clams in Cherry Tomatoes. Interesting take on things. Quite nice though. Drank the entire (delicious) broth.
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Risotto ai Calamari. Calamari Risotto. Salty and delicious. Way better than the risotto I had the night before at Mistral.
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Cozze con Guanciale. Mussels with Pork Cheek. Who doesn’t think that Guanciale makes everything better?
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Pasta di Granchio. Crab Pasta. A very matured, incredibly savory, tomato and probably anchovy etc based crab sauce. Delicious with great texture.
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Pasta di Granchio. Crab Pasta. A very matured, incredibly savory, tomato and probably anchovy etc based crab sauce. Delicious with great texture.
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Bistecca alla Florentina. Wood-fired Florentine Steak. This was one of the better Rocco steaks. Medium rare and with a salty crust.
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Verdure Grigliate. Roasted vegetables. In this case little baby potatoes.
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Verdure Grigliate. Roasted vegetables. In this case rapini.
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My partial plate.
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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
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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
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Bowled up.
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The wines.
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Another amazing meal at Roccos. I think I might prefer the seafood (or mostly seafood) dinners.

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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.
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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.

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Related posts:

  1. Rocking Roccos
  2. More Uni at Roccos
  3. Sauvages Roccos
  4. Truffles at Roccos
  5. Hayato Redux
By: agavin
Comments (2)
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.
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Tonight was a hybrid of Hedonists and George who has been going here for decades.
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We had this lovely patio table.
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They turned the parking lot into patio during the pandemic.
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Bread.
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Gougères. Always yummy.
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Tartar of “Sushi Grade” Ahi Tuna, Toast Points, Cucumber Rounds. Solid.
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French Fries. Great crispy thin French style fries.
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Ketchup and mustard.
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Shrimp “Scampi” in a Beurre Blanc sauce. Really great lemon butter white wine sauce and fresh shrimp. Quite nice.
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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.
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Crab Cake. Lovely soft crab cake with leeks and another (different) butter sauce. Quite delicious.
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Moroccan Cigars, Green Yogurt with Fresh Mint, Salad of Cucumbers and Greens. Little beef rolls. Delicious with the yougurt based sauce.
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Salad of Mixed Greens with Warm Goat Cheese Croutons.
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Classic French Onion Soup “Gratinée”.
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A very nice rendition of the classic. Totally the “classic way” — which is how it should be.

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Crisp Duck Confit, Orange Grand Marnier Sauce. Chives Whipped Potato, Roasted Brussels sprouts. Very nice confit. Slightly sweet reduction was excellent.
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New York Steak, Sliced Garlic, Parsley and Butter. 14 oz. USDA Prime, French Fries and Green Salad.
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Steak au Poivre with the sauce on the side.
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Au poivre sauce — delicious.
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Lamb shank with risotto. Not as good as the confit or steak. Risotto wasn’t creamy enough.
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Grilled Lamb Chops, Thyme, Rosemary, Garlic and Bread Crumbs. Potatoes au Gratin, Green Beans, Rainbow Carrots.
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Fresh Peach & Strawberry Cobbler, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
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Berries and cream.
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Chocolate Soufflé. House Whipped Cream.
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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
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Overall, a very fun evening. Food was surprisingly good. Slightly dated class “LA French”, but it was very fresh and well executed.

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For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Tai Siu is New
  2. Gaja at Charcoal
  3. So Can Though
  4. Thai Tour – Night+Market Song
  5. Favori Dinner
By: agavin
Comments (0)
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

_

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.

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Image 7-31-23 at 4.15 PM
Image 7-31-23 at 4.15 PM (1)
Image 7-31-23 at 4.15 PM (2)
Image 7-31-23 at 4.15 PM (3)

This is the regular menu.
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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.
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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.”
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Soy Sauce for the geoduck.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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

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Butter-fried bread for sopping up the garlic sauce.
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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.
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Char Siu. Super sweet and tender. Great BBQ pork!
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Braised Tofu with Mushroom / 杂菌烧豆腐.
Braised tofu with assorted mushrooms. Very nice mushroom/tofu. Great texture and flavor.

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

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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.

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Related posts:

  1. DimSumQuest – Colette
  2. Tang Gong at Night
  3. Big Night at Capital
  4. Late Night Longo
  5. Thai Tour – Night+Market Song
By: agavin
Comments (0)
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.

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The menu.
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Amuse of potato leek soup. A bit too “carby” for my taste.
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Pretzel bread.
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CAST IRON JOHNNYCAKE. Maple Butter. Like dessert cornbread.
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WHITE SHRIMP “COCKTAIL”. Cocktail Sauce & Charred Lemon.
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PORK BELLY. Vietnamese Flavors, Pickled Vegetables, Herbs, Nuoc Mam, Lime. Nice tangy & fatty flavors. Rich. Some reach crunch to the pork.
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6 INCH SPLIT ROASTED BONE MARROW. Chimichurri Sauce, Grilled Ciabatta.
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HAND ROLLED CAVATELLI PASTA. Périgord Truffle Sauce, Potatoes, Parmesan, Fine Herbs.

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CAESAR SALAD (w/ anchoives). Romaine, Parmesan, Grilled Ciabatta. Oddly sweet dressing.
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PINK LADY APPLE SALAD. St. Agur Blue Cheese, Arugula, Shallots, Candied Pecan.
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“Tomato salad” (made up by Yarom).
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A simple green salad.
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NEW ZEALAND LAMB. Chanterelle Mushroom, Farro, Artichokes, Black Truffle Butter.
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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.

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Rabbit | Miso Mash | Baby Carrots | Balsamic Onions
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Sweet Potato Bison Short Rib | Smoked Miso-Potato | Blistered Asparagus
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Red Wine Jus Elk Tenderloin | Braised Bacon | Morello Cherry | Celery Root
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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”.
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BRUSSEL SPROUTS. (sweet, sour & salty).
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Spinach.
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ASPARAGUS
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MASHED POTATOES
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The dessert menu.
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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
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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
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The wines.

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The gang.
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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.

Related posts:

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By: agavin
Comments (0)
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?

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

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The menu.
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Crudo plate.
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Tuna Tataki. Honey, citrus, habanero. More sweet than spicy.
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Yellowtail special crudo. Kinda bland actually.
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Dungeness Crab Salad – ginger, melon, asparagus. Nice, with a sweet and tangy flavor. Very crabby.
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Bing plate. This pita-like bread is spread as desired with the ordered condiments.
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Lady Edison Country Ham. Very tasty ham. Like American prosciutto.
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The actual bings (very addictive).
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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.
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Smoked Eggplant & Pine Nut. Tasty.
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Butter, Honey, Black Truffle. Delicious combo — although sweet, of course.
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Heirloom Tomatoes – sherry vinaigrette, stone fruit, sesame.
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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.
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Clam Lo Mein – garlic, thai chili, lemon. A nice pasta.
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Fried Shrimp – salsa seca, walnuts, honey. Really delicious shrimp. I had like a third of a plate. Quite sweet, garlicky, and a touch spicy.
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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.
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Smoked Half Bo Ssäm – (feeds 4-5) ssam, condiments, rice.
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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.
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Rice.
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One of these snuck in.
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Whole Plate Short Rib – (feeds 5-6) ssam, condiments, beef rice.

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

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Various condiments for the beef. Pickles, spicy Korean chili paste etc
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Veggie wraps.
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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.
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Beef rice. Very tasty — rich of course.
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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.
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Horseradish.
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BS fries. Very good, particularly with the sauces.
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Béarnaise sauce.
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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).

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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.
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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
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Wines for the night. Thank the lord we ditched all those over-saturated SQNs.
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Yarom dual wields the bones.

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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.

Related posts:

  1. Thirds at Majordomo
  2. Hedonistic Majordomo
  3. Is Majordomo a Major Deal?
  4. Major Major Major
  5. Spanish Sauvages 2023
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: bbq, BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Majordomo, Meat, Wine

Brothers Dom

Mar10

Restaurant: The Brothers Sushi Santa Monica [1, 2, 3]

Location: 1008 Montana Ave #1, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (424) 330-0270

Date: June 6, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Sushi

Rating: Awesome (and close)!

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Our Foodie Gang has been going to the incredible “The Brothers Sushi” in the valley for some time now, and it was with much glee that we welcomed in the brand new (and somewhat delayed) Montana Santa Monica location. Now it’s become a bit of a staple spot for us.
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The space used to be the repulsive Louise’s Trattoria, serving not exactly Italian for decades. But Brother’s has given it a major new makeover.

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The build out is gorgeous. Here the bar is for omakase only and the tables are for à la carte only.
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Chef Mark Okuda on the left and his chef de cuisine Moriyuki Kanamaru.

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Oyster with yuzu, shiso, and sea salt. Bright and lovely.
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Firefly squid, basil udon, and tomato. The basil udon (more a spaghetti) was amazing.
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Sea bream with transparent shrimp, lotus root. Steamed with seaweed dashi. Very light and delicate.
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Smoked baby bluefin tuna with wasabi. Strong smoke flavor (which I like).
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What is Larry learning?
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Chawanmushi with hairy crab, Hokaido uni, shiso, and sweet corn. Soft and delectable.
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Maryland soft shell crab. Very zesty and lovely miso dressing.
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Saba. Nice and oily.
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Cherry Salmon. Super soft and lightly smokey. Cured in kelp.
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Fan clam with Hokaido uni and salt. Very unusual and delciious.
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Tuna. Superb balance of soy and tuna flavors with a long briny finish.
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Goldeneye snapper.
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Dry aged o-toro. So good. Just incredible.
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Wagyu truffle.
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WOTN — haha.
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Shima aji.
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Uni risotto with sea perch, ikura, and wasabi. Unique and wonderful.
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Another o-toro — had to do it!
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Sea Eel.
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Negi toro handroll. Incredible.
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Clam miso.
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Uni crab handroll. Lots of uni!
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Strawberry Jam Gelato — an awesome dairly 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
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Sweet milk strawberry gelato with Harry’s Berries and a jelly.
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Roasted Tea.

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Overall an incredible night of incredible eats and some really fabulous wine. Lots and lots of P2! These were all so young, even the 96s! The 2008 1996 had a little age on it, but still.
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Overall, another perfect night of sushi and champagne!

Instantly Brother’s Santa Monica has leapt into the top tier of westside sushi bars along with Miyagi and Shunji. It’s combination of perfect nigri and very refined “other dishes” are really great. It’s slightly different from woodland hills in personality, with some dishes in common and some specific to each — just enough to keep things interesting.

For more Sushi dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Coche In at Brothers Santa Monica
  2. Brothers Sushi Two
  3. Food as Art – The Brothers Sushi
  4. Let’s Go Again
  5. Sasabune – Dueling Omakases
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Brothers Sushi, BYOG, Dom Pérignon (wine), Gelato, Montana, Santa Monica, Sushi, Wine

Spanish Sauvages 2023

Feb23

Restaurant: Teresa Montana [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: Flintridge

Date: May 26, 2023

Cuisine: New American

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Today’s Sauvages lunch is a lunch in honor of  late Co-Poobah Steve Levin. It’s graciously hosted by Paul at at his beautiful home in Flintridge. This event is held outdoors in memory of the Zinfandel barbecues that Steve would hold for our group every summer at his home (it being Paul’s idea to maintain this fine tradition). To that end, we always enjoy a few Zinfandels at this lunch in addition to the theme wines for the lunch. The annual lunches at Paul’s home always rate very high on the scales for ambiance, camaraderie and food quality.

The main wine theme has evolved to a tour of some of the best Spanish wines to go along with Spanish food by chef Teresa Montana.
This California style building isn’t the house itself, but the amazing top of the integrated cellar.

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Trying to give you a sense of the mid century space.
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This year (2023), we sat on the other side of the main house at a single large table.
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Here the chef can be seem working the kitchen.

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Starting with some champ.
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Our special menu.
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The chef gives the speil.
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Spanish whites.
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Sicilian Crudo. Yellowfin tuna, fluke, pugliese olive oil, olives, lemon, flowers, caviar. This generous crudo was flavored strongly by the grassy (and lovely) olive oil from Southern Italy and the hefty dose of sea salt. Very pleasant.
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Riojas.
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Chicharro y Tonnato. Charred snap peas, tonnato sauce, garrotxa cheese, bonito. These fresh veggies tasted great with what was essentially a thick “lemon-less” cesar dressing. Very rich, savory, umami sauce and ridiculously delicious.
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Unico!
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Pizza al Pistachio. Stracciatella, pistachio, parmesan, mortadella. The toppings were great. The dough was a touch heavy. It was still a very nice pizza, but it wasn’t the super light and chewy dough of the very best pizzas. Still good though and the mortadella and added pistachio was great.
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Priorats.
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Txuletas de Iberico. Grilled montaraz Iberico pork chops, charred spring vegetables, xato sauce. Really yummy pork chop with bone and great meaty flavor. The romesco-like sauce was awesome as well.
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Older Riojas.
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Chef’s Special Cheeses. Selection of handpicked cheeses, fruit and honey, with housemade walnut raisin sourdough.
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Pretty!
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Bread.
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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
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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
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A bit of wine!
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Overall, a delicious afternoon — food and wine both! An awesome range of Spanish wines and some great Spanish food.

We did have WAY too much wine for the number of courses. We could have used an easy 2 or 3 more courses to stage it out. A couple years ago we had one more course and we could really use that as there is that extra Zin flight.

The setting really is magnificent. The weather was perfect, if a little cloudy. Just an ideal afternoon in the yard!

Related posts:

  1. Sauvages Bordeaux
  2. Heroic Spanish
  3. Sauvages Carousel
  4. Sauvages AOC
  5. Sunny Sauvages
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, lunch, Paul Wools, Sauvages, Spanish, Teresa Montana

Superb Shoku

Feb12

Restaurant: Shoku

Location: Private

Date: May 20, 2023

Cuisine: Japanese influenced Ultra Comfort Food

Rating: Incredible — and priced that way

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Shoku is a team of hyper talented chefs who whip up some incredible high end interpretations of comfort food with incredible ingredients.
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Tonight’s special dinner was hosted at the industrial chic DTLA appartment of a friend.
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Shoku is an exclusive Private Dining Concept with a very talented team of chefs who come to a place of your choosing and cater an insane meal of mostly American comfort foods reinterpreted in an Asian-esque style with crazy high end ingredients. This was my first time and from their IG I was very excited.
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Here are just some of the luxury ingredients including Hoikaido Uni, the very best Japanese Toro and A5, Umbrian truffles, and Astrea’s top caviar.
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Gratuitous zoom!
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The staff show off some of our live shellfish minutes before their demise.
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Hokaido Tarabagani King Crab!
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Hokaido Hairy Crab.
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Don’t eat me!
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Just because I’m a Champagne guy doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate its “distilled” variety — a tasting of Louis XIII !
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In these amazing bespoke crystal glasses with the sunflower pattern.
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Our special menu tonight.
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The welcome cocktail is presented.
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A vanilla, orange, strawberry, Don Julio 1942 beverage in this insanely pretty flask.
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Onion “Soup” Ring. This fried ring contained caramelized onions and was served with a caviar riddled mustard sauce. It was so meaty that it invoked both hamburger and onion ring vibes. This sauce would make the best burger sauce too. Really fabulous.
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Toro Nigiri. Yamayuki toro. 48 month barrel aged kombu. Sumidaya rice. An incredibly delicate and etheral (two) bite(s) of sushi. Incredibly soft and uniform with a light sweetness, salinity, and a hint of acidity.

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Wagyu Chalupa. A5 Kobe strip. Chipotle lime crema. Charred tomatillo. Lots of flavor and great textural contrast in this one. Rich, soft, and crunchy, and the fat factor was offset by the crema. The Chalupa itself was light, crispy, and airy.

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Black Pepper King Crab. Live Hokkaido tarabagani. Zanzibar black peper. Fermented white pepper. The crab itself was delicate and moist but the intense pepper sauce was so good! Of course this evokes the Singapore style Black Pepper Crab but at a much less messy, much more refined level. Needed evil bread and a bucket of the sauce. It’d be an amazing steak sauce too.

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Astrea’s top caviar just for a bump. Grand Selection Oscietra. Russian Oscietra (aka Osetra or Ossetra) are from sturgeons originated in the Caspian Sea. This world-famous caviar is delicate and refined in taste, perfect for special occasions. A truly luxurious indulgence. It might not be a 4lb tub but the quality was very high.
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King Crab Po’ Boy. Hokkaido Tarabagani. Old Bay remoulade. Private Reserve Ossetra. This was one of my picks because of the awesome video and it didn’t dissapoint — except perhaps for being tiny (although I did manage to get a second). Just the best little “fried fish” sandwhich I’ve had. That buttery bread and the remoulade alone would have been worth it.

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Uni Bucatini. Hokkaido Bafun uni. Calabrian chili butter. Private Reserve Ossetra. Arguably my favorite dish. The bucatini had a nice chew and thickness and the uni, once mixed in, was ultra creamy. The caviar just upped the savory ante and the bit of chili really just made it zing without overwelming the delicate flavors. Bravo!

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This beef has a certificate from the cow and the owner!
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Tournedos Rossini. A5 Kobe chateaubriand. Seared Hudson Valley foie gras. Sauce Rouennaise. Presented before being covered in truffles.

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Now you can barely see it. Sorry Heroic, this version is richer! Very rich, well balanced, soft, and delicious. The sauce was amazing.

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Now time for the little crabs to do their thing.
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Ooops, it’s shellfish Hannibal Lector.
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Ridiculous butter sauce.
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And crab meat IN the sauce. We snitched a few.

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Kegani Donabe. Hokkaido hairy crab. Dashi butter. Private Reserve Ossetra. This was like the ultimate crab fried rice. Plus caviar, plus truffles (comming in a second). Both the body and leg meat was here, in that butter sauce.

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On come the truffles again.
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Bit of citrus to cleanse the pallate.
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I shouldn’t have eaten this much rice but it was just too good. It was almost dessert sweet from the crab and so buttery. Just a to-die-for crab rice.
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Cookie and Cream. The “cream” was sphereized and exploded, making a bit of a mess.

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Burnt Basque Brie Cake. Madagascar vanilla. Triple Creme Brie. DOP Mascarpone. Rich, soft, with a bit of firmness. This was the best BBCC I’ve had outside of Northern Spain.
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New Flavor — Cherry Bakewell Tart Gelato — While watching every episode of the Great British Baking Show I was introduced to the Bakewell Tart, which I liked it enough to make a gelato — Sicilian Noto Romano Almond Custard Base is layered with house-made Honey Almond Graham Crackers and Cherry Preserves. For extra fun I made an Almond Icing and glazed the Grahams with it in the traditional pattern (first time trying it) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Sicily #Almond #Cherry #GrahamCracker #BakewellTart #tart #bakewell #jam #icing
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I thought this would play nicely with the cheesecake. They plated it up in a bowl on the side. Definitely one of my best flavors. That almond rules.
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Strawberry Shortcake Bar. Harry’s Berries. Tahitian vanilla. Valrhona white chocolate. This was very nicely made and delicious, but the Ivoire dominated the strawberry, so it was like a crunchy white chocolate bar with a bit of strawberry. The ice cream texture wasn’t very obvious.
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Strawberry Jam Gelato — an awesome dairly 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
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I’d made this for my son, but I chose to bring it to “test myself” against the strawberry shortcake. It delivered. Texture and light stawberry and cream flavor was perfect — if I do say so myself.
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Overall, this was a stunning meal and a great evening. Fun meeting lots of new people, plus Louis XIII, great wines (which we paired nicely), and some really amazing food. I knew it’d look good and have amazing ingredients, but I was pleasantly surprised how great everything tasted and how technical the preparation was — all executed at a very high level of skill. Not cheap, but pretty epic.
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For more dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Szechuan Impression Tustin
  2. Astrea Caviar + Heroic Wine Bar
  3. 888 Seafood – Banquet
  4. Wolfing it Down
  5. Capital Lau
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Caviar, cognaq, Gelato, popup, Private dinner, Shoku

Gaja at Charcoal

Feb09

Restaurant: Charcoal Venice [1, 2, 3, 4]

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

Date: June 14, 2022

Cuisine: New American Grill

Rating: Some great meats

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Our second Gaja dinner of the Spring (there were rival factions). Back to Charcoal, a favorite.
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The menu.
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Bread with Beurre De Baratte
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smoked paprika mustard chimichurri, red wine chipotle bbq sauce, J-1 steak sauce, and charcoal marinade.
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Yellowfin Tuna, Pickled Cucumber, Avocado, Citrus Vinaigrette. Classic, but good. Kinda sweet.
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Sweet potato chips.
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Oysters on the Half Shell. Garnished Traditionally and Creatively. Nice small oysters.
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Very nice, tasted like Sav Blanc with a lot of petrol.
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Super hot, flabby, and tending toward sherry.
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Smoked Mushroom and Beet, Crème Fraiche, Currants. Tastes like liquid smoke, but really nice actually.
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Grilled bread.
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California Avocado Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes,Fresh Tagliatelle. Bright and enjoyable, but not as sexy/rich as a “normal” (very good) pesto.

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Some kind of shrimp special, with a salsa-like sauce.
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Gorgeous.
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Grilled Lamb Chops, Cilantro Mint Emulsion. Well cooked, very tender, and tons of flavor.
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Smoky Grilled Chicken Wings, Oregano, Chili, Vinegar. Good, but I like Vietnamese wings better. Still, these had a really great char flavor.
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21 Day Aged Half Liberty Duck, Honey, Coriander. Amazballs. Sweet but very ducky and delicious. Pretty stupendous tasting, if bad for the blood sugar.
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Cabbage Baked in the Embers, Yogurt, Sumac, Lemon Zest. Really great veggie.
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Coal Roasted Carrots, Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, Herbs, Honey, Black Pepper.
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Boneless ½ Chicken Salsa Verde. Some of the best straight chicken I’ve had in a while.
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Little Gems, Shaved Market Vegetables, Bread Crumbs, Grilled Scallion Vinaigrette. WIth the breadcrumbs on the side this was a very enjoyable bright salad.
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16 oz Prime Ribeye. Nice meat. Not overcooked at all 🙂
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Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Parsley Breadcrumbs, Fermented Garlic Dressing. Yum — and fiber too!
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Steak Fries with Ketchup, Mustard.
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Probably a bit cooked, but grapey and enjoyable to my taste.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake, McConnell’s Double Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream. Really nice.
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Apple Crumble, McConnell’s Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
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Nocciola White Gelato — Nocciola (hazelnut) base made with Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste mixed with house-made Valrhona White Chocolate Hazelnut Bark — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — one of my signature flavors –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #nocciola #white #Chocolate #bark
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Overall, a super fun evening. I liked the Gaja’s slightly better tonight than at the previous Gaja dinner. They were more differentiated. The San Lorenzos were my favorite actually, which makes sense, as they are softer.

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We became friendly with this mother/daughter pair at the next table.
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For more dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Charcoal Checkin
  2. Gaja at Locanda
  3. No. 1 Charcoal Really Is
  4. On Fire at Charcoal
  5. Charcoal – First Foray
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Charcoal, Gaja, Gelato, Wine

Rocking Roccos

Jan30

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

Location: Santa Monica

Date: May 11, 2023

Cuisine: Italian influenced gourmet home cooking

Rating: Awesome

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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.

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Lovely night out on the patio.
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Rocco and gen prepping.
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Some big tomohawks at the ready.
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Tonight’s special feature was a whole saddle of lamb on the spit!

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Our menu tonight. Some new dishes and some old favorites.
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Cozze con Guanciale. Mussels with Pork Cheek. The sauce on this mussel dish was essentially like a all’amatriciana except that it was also saturated with mussel-juice. Pretty awesome actually, particularly the crispy little guanciale chunks.

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Tartra di Manzo. Beef Tartare. Very good straight beef tartare. I like the capers — classic.

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Quaglia Ripiena. Stuffed Quail. 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.

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Pasta all’ Oliva. Olive Pasta. This is like a Pasta Puttanesca without the anchoives. Actually it was one of the best olive pastas I’ve had. It had that fresh olive flavor, and lots of it, but it wasn’t offputting at all. The texture was perfect and the oily caponata-type sauce. Really good.

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Yarom gets “just the sauce.”
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Sella di Agnello a Legna. Wood-fired lamb saddle. Impressive, but I can’t say I adored this lamb. It was very smoky, but it had just a touch too much lamb “funk” for my taste and a texture more like steak. I really like roast lamb when its falling off the bone, more middle eastern style. These are nitpics though.

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Bistecca di Tomahawk Cotta a Legna. Wood-fired Tomahawk Steak. Very rare! Great steak, but I’ve liked some of his other steaks a bit better. I like it a little more “medium rare” and a bit more bark. Plenty of salt though. Rocco does like his salt.
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Midollo Osseo. Wood-fired Bone Marrow. The bone marrow was great for “juicing” up bites of steak and lamb. Too bad there wasn’t more.
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Polenta. This stuff is always amazing. Lots of butter or something.
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Aglio Broccolini Arrostiiti. Garlic Roasted Broccolini. One of my favorites of his vegetables. Really nice crunch. Salty though. Really salty. But tasted amazing.
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Cannoli and Baklava’s Evil American Lovechild — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Base crafted from Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta and Sicilian Toasted Noto Romano Almond Paste with a touch of the sugar subbed out for Sicilian Honey. Mixed in is Malibu Honey, California Pistachios, and house-made Gluten Free Honey Graham Crackers (almond flour and so good you can’t tell them from the wheat flour version)! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #Sicily #honey #GrahamCracker #pistachio
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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
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Snickerdoodle Gelato NSA — A cinnamon vanilla base, but this version is No Sugar Added and formulated with Allulose — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #snickerdoodle #cookie #cinnamon #vanilla #nsa #allulose
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Rocco works my gelato.
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Epic wine lineup.
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The gang at the table.

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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.
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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.

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Related posts:

  1. Truffles at Roccos
  2. Sauvages Roccos
  3. More Uni at Roccos
  4. Akbar Pasadena
  5. Dinner at the Borgese’s
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, Italian cuisine, Rocco Borgese, Roccos, Santa Monica

Northern Cafe Temple City

Jan26

Restaurant: Northern Cafe

Location: 9608 Las Tunas Dr, Temple City, CA 91780. (626) 286-5288

Date: May 5 & July 23, 2023

Cuisine: Northern Chinese

Rating: Great private room experience

_

Normal Northern Cafe is a solid but casual fast casual spot but…
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Northern Cafe in Temple City sure is a bit different than the ones in Century City or West LA as we shall see in this special dinner organized by Eve and another I put together myself.
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The normal dining room is fairly normal NC.
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But they have 5 private rooms, a smaller one being shown here.
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We set up in this larger one.
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It’s pretty big.
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It even has a bit of a lounge area, perfect for organizing our wines.
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I think this is the “regular” menu.

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And this epic tome is the special menu!

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Spicy Cucumbers. Nice garlicky cucumber salad.
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Cold Flavored Pork Head. Very chewy texture that was offputting to some with a lovely, but highly porcine, flavor.

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Up first came this big installment of Geoduck sashimi. This is the body meat and it was served on ice with Astrea Caviar that Eve brought. Turns out geoduck is excellent with caviar! And this was some very fine geoduck with a very clean mild sea flavor and a nice chewy texture.

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It was served with soy sauce and (faux) wasabi.

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We had pre-ordered several large live lobsters and the tails were served as sashimi. Probably the best “Chinese” lobster sashimi I’ve had. Quite lovely and subtle.
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Eve also brought her own King Crab! They sell it on the menu, but she BYOCed.
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King Crab Salty Egg Yolk. The crab might have been a touch overcooked in this prep but the yolk batter, which is not normally my favorite, was quite good as it wasn’t too salty or too pasty.
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Bamboo Shoot with Shredded Pork. I loved this dish. It was a pretty classic brown sauce, but very tasty, and the crunchy bamboo was delightful with that bit of porky flavor (classic Chinese velveted slivered pork).
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Pork Spareribs with Garlic. Chewy, salty, and very tasty.
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Pork and Scallion Pancake. This is a kind of classic Beijing meat pie with a filling that is probably the same as standard dumpling filling: pork, ginger, green onions. They were super greasy, but great.
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House Special Smoked Duck. It was served with a bit of hoisin and some Northern style pancakes. The meat was really flavorful, but VERY salty, almost to the Smithfield ham level. Speaking of that, because it was salted, smoked, and cured, it tasted not unlike ham — just ducky ham.
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This are the flaky pancakes for the duck.
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Next they brought out this lovely Cloisonné hot pot.
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This is the basic broth, but Eve ordered it as “mushroom chicken” and so…
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They added a mess of mushrooms and…
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Some raw chicken.
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This mix was allowed to boil for 20-30 minutes (covered).
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Here is the result.
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First we were served cups. The broth was incredible, with a very deep woodsy and comforting chicken and mushroom flavor. The short boil had extracted a lot of flavor.
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For extra things to add to our hot pot we kept it fairly simple, enjoying the legs of our crab. Boiled for 20-30 seconds they were incredibly sweet and succulent.

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These lobster “bits” were chopped up and reason to be tossed into the pot.
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Also some tofu.
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And greens. We kept drinking this broth (with the stuff) throughout the evening as it was delicious.

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As was this incredible delicious of live Grouper.
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The grouper meat cooked in a bout 30 seconds and was subtle and delicious.
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Rib Eye and Lamb Shoulder to boil in the pot. These meats, alone of what we had tonight, is better (IMHO) with the spicy broth served at various Sichuan hot pots.

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Some extra fish was also fried up “salt and pepper” style — aka MSG style.
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Clams with Basil. This is the classic Chiuchow dish that’s a bit Vietnamese/Cambodian. Some nice basil flavor and a good number of succulent clams. I enjoyed this, even if the clam meat was a bit evasive.
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Sauteed Cabbage. I always love this classic and it didn’t dissapoint. This was a simple rendition with a lot of garlic and oil, but cooked perfectly. It didn’t have either the ham (and its nice lardy flavor) or dried shrimp or chilis that some versions of the dish have, so it wasn’t the most flavorful I’ve ever had, but the crunchy texture on the oily cabbage was lovely.
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French Chopped Beef with snowflake. Chunks of filet with black bepper sauce. I don’t generally love this dish as I consider it a bit boring, but this one had a real black pepper kick which in combination with the onions was quite enjoyable.
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The geoduck neck came back fried. Quite nice, but not nearly as delightful a fry as the Longo version.
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Eve also brought not one but two Turbot!
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Turbo steamed with ginger, garlic, spring onions, and soy. This fish is best done this way, simply, so that the soft mild flesh and generous cartilage can be enjoyed “as is.”

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Crab Custard. This is the third dish from our King Crab.
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The custard was a bit stiff, and while still delicious, didn’t have that silken texture I really love.
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Yang Chow (or everything) fried rice. Absolutely awesome fried rice with big whole shrimp and chunks of fried pork.
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Walnut Shrimp. Fu ordered this guilty pleasure classic, joking that it was for the white guys, but this was a first rate example. The shrimp were succulent and the fry nice and crispy, perfectly offset by the sweet mayo and walnuts.
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Fried fish with green batter. This is a Hangzhou dish. There green tea is added to the batter. I’m not sure it was tea here or some other variant, but it was a nice tempura-style deep fried fish. Right out of the frier too as it was very hot and juicy.

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House Special Smoked Duck. Very salty, but very good. With that smokey cured pastrami-like flavor. Lots of “flavor.”
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Pea Tendrils with Garlic. Great version of this basic dish.
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MaPo Tofu. Not a bad version at all. Some Ma and a bit of meat.
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Beef & Scallion Roll. Awesome version of this with some hoisin and cilantro. Quite lovely.
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Boiled dumplings. Probably pork. Delicious for sure. I didn’t (finally) manage to get some black vinegar for them. Really I like a proper dumpling sauce, but vinegar will do.1A4A9212
XLB. Solid versions.
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Scallion pancake. Bready, but really tasty — particularly with some black vinegar.
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Inside.
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Pan fried dumplings. I’m not sure if this was the same filling. It was late, but they were also good. Skin was a little thick on these, not like the amazing You Kitchen variants, but like all decent dumplings they were hot and delicious.
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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
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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

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Cannoli and Baklava’s Evil American Lovechild — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Base crafted from Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta and Sicilian Toasted Noto Romano Almond Paste with a touch of the sugar subbed out for Sicilian Honey. Mixed in is Malibu Honey, California Pistachios, and house-made Gluten Free Honey Graham Crackers (almond flour and so good you can’t tell them from the wheat flour version)! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #Sicily #honey #GrahamCracker #pistachio
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Cap’N Crunch Gelato – Smooth Peanut Base with house-made White Chocolate Coated Crunch Berries! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — oh my! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #peanut #cereal #CrunchBerry #CapNCrunch
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Fu makes off with a bit of booty for the family.
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Meal 1 (May 2023), was a super fun night. Awesome wines — and only one red thank Dionysus (given the food). Company was amazing too and the food really stood out. I enjoyed this slightly northern twist and they seem to have an excellent and very flexible Chinese kitchen and great private rooms. Who would have thought at a Northern Cafe? Service was super friendly and excellent too. We did get too many dishes too fast because no one gave them the “one at a time” instructions and fast is the Chinese default. Still, an awesome time and awesome food. That broth was really amazing!
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Meal 2 (July 2023).

For more dining reviews click here.

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Just a bit of great wine!
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And some fire water.

Related posts:

  1. Westwood Chinese – Northern Cafe
  2. Northern Chinese
  3. Hot Pot Longo
  4. Century City Heat
  5. Happy Table 2X
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Babykillers, BYOG, Caviar, Chinese cuisine, Foodie, Foodie Club, Gelato, geoduck, hot pot, Seafood, SGV, Wine

Spring Crustacean

Jan11

Restaurant: Crustacean Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

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

Date: April 4, 2023

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Awesome as always

_

Crustacean is one of our regular haunts and one of the few places with the stems, food, and service to handle a serious wine dinner. This was a return to Hedonist form with a mixed dinner of all new traditional Vietnamese food inspired Crustacean creations.

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Back in our “usual” private dining room and patio.
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Yarom, always posing with owners and the ladies. In the print dress is Elisabeth An.
Menu
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Our special menu.
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Served on this cute wooden toadstool is:
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King Crab “Banh Khot”. Royal Kaluga Caviar, dungeness crab, coconut bechemel. A tiny but delicious bite. Great champagne pairing too.
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A trio of traditional rolls. Filet Mignon “Bo Nuong” Roll (right). Lemon grass, Ho Fun Rice Noodle. “Cha Gio” Roll (center). Jidori Chicken, crispy rice paper, black mushrooms, jicama, lemon chili. Fresh Langoustine “goi cuon” roll (left). Taito, rau ram, carrots, roasted peanut bean sauce. These were some great spring rolls. Each was just ever so slightly “elevated” from its usual version.
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Another trio, this time with sambal, chili oil, and siracha. I was particularly fond of the sambal.
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Vietnamese “Banh Xeo” Crepes. Rice batter, organic beech mushrooms, prawns, dice chicken, bean sprouts, pickles. The only thing missing on this wonderful classic Vietmamese dish was the sweet fish sauce.
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Escargot “Bun Oc” soup. Escargot, fresh tomatoes, tamarind, ginger chili broth, angel hair rice noodle. I’ve never had this dish before. Both the tender snails and the flavorful snail sausage were awesome. The broth was tangy and a little bit spicy. Delicious!
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This was for dipping the snails.
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Tasting of An’s Famous Garlic Roasted Dungeness Crab and An’s Famous Garlic Noodles. Roasted garlic and An’s Secret Sauce. The classic never fails to dissapoint. The noodles were “fortuantly” a tiny portion (good given my carb avoidance).
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These came smoked.
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Lemongrass Cramelized “suon rang” pork spare ribs. Lemongrass, soy, shallot, fish sauce. Very distinct smokey flavor and lots of meat. Yum!
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Salt block pork belly for the fried rice.
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Rich and flavorful.
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XO Garlic Fried Rice. Poached egg, pork belly, XO, Vietnamese Sausage. Awesome rice. Can’t hate on the Vietnamese sausage (which is pretty much like Cantonese sausage).
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The icky flight.
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Wagyu “Bo Kho”. Snake River Farms Wagyu, su su “Buddha’s Palm,” heirloom carrots, garlic rice. My least favorite dish. It was fine, but mostly beef stew and rice.
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Kung Pao Eggplant. Thai Basil, Thai red chili gastrique. Crispy and delicious.
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Coconut Tapioca “Che.” Exotic Fruits. A really pleasant mix of the soft and silky textures with the potenent coconut notes offset by the zingy fruit.
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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
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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
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We had a few wines.
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Overall, our best dinner at Crustacean yet — and that is saying something given how many great ones we’ve had. I really like the slightly elevated traditional Vietnamese. It’s a nice change of pace from the fusion, which is quite good as well. They really executed on all levels tonight. Elisabeth joined us and supervised. Her mother was supposed to do all the cooking, but she got sick and ended up spending hours with the cooks over zoom giving them instructions. Obviously she is a good teacher because everything came out great. Wines were awesome and I like a nice progression like this. The cabernets were — as I suspected — too much. The Colgin was the most drinkable but the 2016 — oh my! Service was flawless.
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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 particularly during these last two dinners have really knocked it out of the park.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Quicker Crustacean
  2. Crustacean Again?
  3. Dirty Dozen Crustacean
  4. Crustacean Cru
  5. Sauvages Crustacean
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Crustacean, fusion, Gelato, hedonists, Vietnamese cuisine, Wine

A Spice Affair

Jan01

Restaurant: Spice Affair

Location: 50 N La Cienega Blvd #120, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. (310) 400-6800

Date: April 20, 2023

Cuisine: Upscale Indian

Rating: Cream de la Cream

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Our friend George organized this visit to A Spice Affair, which being on La Cienaga’s “Restaurant Row” has that fancy vibe, prices, and slightly old school formality that makes it a sort of “Indian Mr. Chows.”
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He arranged this private dining area and a sort of “all you can eat” prearranged meal where we could just order as much as we wanted but the price was fixed (at $150 all in a person). Interesting. I’m going to try to capture some of the zany rhythm of this dinner as they just brought certain dishes and we orderd some. Overall it was a strange order and slightly repetetive locally, but plenty of variety in the long run.
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Dahi Kabab. Deep fried Crispy medallions of Hung Yoghurt with onions and mild spices. These were like croquettes as the interior was very soft and “creamy” like a bechemel.
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Mint & tamarind sauce. Very purreed, which will be a bit of a theme tonight.
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Coco-li Cauliflower V. Crisp Cauliflower florets in coconut sauce. You cannot miss this. NOTE: I’m going to keep the “flavor” text from the menu because it’s very amusing. After that, I’ll include my comments. This dish was rich and very tasty, fried then drowned in (rich) coconut milk sauce.
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Chili Cauliflower. Tangy and spicy cauliflower chunks in soy garlic sauce and green chili. This duplicative version was similar, but spicy.
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We were a party of 12, and the oscillated between bringing out one small plate for the whole of us and the opposite extreme of 3 or more of any one thing. When they did undershoot, they followed up 10 minutes later with a redoubled giant wave of at least 3 of the undershot item, resulting in crazy excesses.
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Tandoori Shrimps G. BBQ Smoked Shrimps. A tiny bit dry, and mild, but very tasty.
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Chicken Breast Tikka G. Chicken breast cubes skewered in the tandoor. Note: more lean meat. Extremely succulent. Again mild, but great flavor.
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Paneer Tikka G. Smoked tandoori Paneer chunks. These were actually my favorite. But notice how not only did we have 2 cauliflower dishes right off the bat, they hit us with 3 nearly identical tandori dishes all at once. These won’t be the last tandori dishes either!
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Lamb Chops G. Ginger-infused chunky lamb chops. A succulent sizzling delight! Haha. They did have great flavor but had been yogurt marinated to oblivion so were very “well” done and tender.
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Flash Grilled Sea Bass G. Sea Bass, Kashmiri chili, turmeric. Flash grilled in Tandoor. A house delicacy. Excellent, but same tandori flavor.
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Stuffed Naan (Kulcha) | Potato & peas OR Onions & Chili. I think we had all of the above, probably 3 different types of stuffed naans.
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Mozzarella Cheese Naan and/or Garlic Naan. And even more Naans. Must have been at least 4-5 types on the table.
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Cumin Seed Papadums (g, v).
Oven baked lentil flour crunchy flats served with tamarind and mint chutneys. Our host had been asking for Papadums for an hour and finally they came. Very light and crispy.
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Gilafi Seekh Kebabs G. Skewered minced lamb, juicy, scrumptious and alluring. Again amusing flavor text. These were very tasty, but SUPER “soft” — they almost fell apart. After this, it should be noted there was some kind of giant delay for any curries to arrive. Like an hour. We ordered a mess as a group. None came. I ordered a few more interesting ones and those came in like 5 minutes (before the “main” ones).
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Numbu Lashun Murg Curry. A home style affair. Chicken curry with tangy lemon sauce and garlic. It might have been a Korma. It was very good. Almost sweet, cashew flavored, very mild, but extremely rich and delicious. Most of the curries were LOADED with cream. Or maybe cream, butter, and yogurt. They were very rich and creamy and extremely smooth, like cream soups.
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Shrimp & Scallops Moilee G. Kerala style yellow coconut curry tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Also great and also extremely rich. But I “drank” about 2 bowls of this sauce. The scallops were tiny bay scallops.
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Papadum’s with toppings.
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Because they only brought one each of the two pale curries and they didn’t get around, they followed up with 3-4 MORE of each before any of the other curries hit.
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More curry.
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Kaali Dal Makhani G. Black lentils and kidney beans slow simmered overnight and cooked to perfection.
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Saag Paneer. A traditional blend of creamed spinach and fenugreek leaves with Paneer cubes. Smoothest Saag I’ve ever had, like a steakhouse creamed spinach with Indian flavors. But tasty. Not as much paneer as one might like.
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Butter Chicken: Spice Affair Special G. Shredded Tandoori chicken in our irresistible signature tomato sauce. An all-time favorite! It is a favorite for a reason as it was very good. Rich, a touch sweet, but with a lot of flavor. Not even slightly spicy (nothing was).
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Raita.
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Tandoori Chicken G. Whole tandoori BBQ Chicken, with bones, an all-time favorite from Punjab, India. With bones. In case we hadn’t had enough tandoori chicken before — and it won’t be the last.
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Lamb Rogan Josh. Dark. Tasty. Not very spicy.
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Lamb Vindaloo G. Lamb chunks in spicy Goan vindaloo sauce. Good flavor, but not spicy at all.
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Onions with cumin.
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Paneer Tikka Masala G. Soft cottage cheese cubes drowning in our irresistible signature tomato sauce. An all-time vegetarian favorite! Another great sauce, although not quite as punchy or thick as Akbar’s. This time there were lots of big paneer slabs.
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Tandoori chicken.
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Plain Basmati Rice.
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Delhi Dhaba Chicken Curry G. Boneless chicken chunks in traditional medium spiced brown curry. This was ordered “max spicy.” It wasn’t spicy. Maybe a hair more.
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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
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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
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Overall, a super fun evening. The format was interesting. Service was incredibly nice and attentive, although perhaps pacing was a bit weird. Food ended up being great. I think I still like Akbar better, but I can tell A Spice Affair is way more consistent and it is “fancier” as everything is super rich and smooth.

For more dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Akbar Pasadena
  2. Hills of Gold and Spice
  3. Posh Spice
  4. Spice Up Your Life Szechuan Style
  5. Cui Hua Lou – Authentic Spice
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Beverly Hills, BYOG, Gelato, Heavy Cream, hedonists, Indian cuisine, Spice Affair

Sauvages Rhone

Dec14

Restaurant: Jonathan Club

Location: 850 Palisades Beach Rd, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (310) 393-9245

Date: April 14, 2023

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Surprisingly good for a club

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Fellow Sauvages have been swearing that the DTLA Jonathan Club isn’t serving up that boring club food — and in the interest of full disclosure, I usually loath club food.
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The Jonathan Club maintains a very high standard of build out.
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The restaurant dining room.
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We have this awesome private wine cellar room all to ourselves.

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The epic table.
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Plenty of glasses.
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Condrieu for the white flight.

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A few bubblies.
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Our custom menu for the afternoon.
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Champs.
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Wagyu beef tartar crostini.
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Blini & caviar. Caviar and toppings two days in a row!
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Salmon cornets. Tasty little bite.
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2020 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. 92 points.
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2019 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. 93 points.
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2015 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. VM 95. Brilliant yellow-gold. Powerful orange, nectarine and honeydew aromas are complemented by suave floral, vanilla and chalky mineral accents. Supple and expansive in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated, smoke-tinged poached pear and peach nectar flavors that pick up honey and iodine qualities as the wine opens up. Lush and seamless but surprisingly energetic in style, showing superb closing thrust and lingering suggestions of buttery brioche and candied pit fruits. (Drink between 2019-2025)
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2012 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. VM 93. Bright yellow. Assertive aromas of nectarine, violet and smoky minerals, with a gingery nuance adding lift. Broad and silky on the palate, offering densely packed orchard and pit fruit flavors that become spicier with air. The mineral note comes back strong on the finish, which lingers with excellent tenacity and building smokiness.
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Pan-seared Diver Scallops. Holland leeks, astrea caviar, champagne beurre blanc. This was a very rich dish. Not only are scallops rich, but the beurre blanc (with caviar) was pretty awesome. Tons of rich flavor. I’m not sure the condrieu was the perfect pairing as it’s a very rich wine with little acidity and given all this butter the dish could have used some acid — but still it was very enjoyable.

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2001 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon. VM 95. Medium ruby-red. Pure nose combines blackberry, cassis, spices, pepper and a floral topnote. Fat, dense and sweet, with excellent volume for the vintage and firm balancing acids. Very fresh and nuanced on the back end, which features noble tannins. Today, this wine, from a low-yielding parcel of 65-year-old vines, seems more complete than the house’s other Hermitages.
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2003 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal. VM 94. Red-ruby color. Rich, dense and powerful on the nose, with aromas of mineral-laced cassis and smoky tobacco. Deep, velvety and lush, but with compelling focus and precision to the flavors of cherry compote, redcurrant and cassis. Finishes suave, silky and unflagging, with serious heft and weight.

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2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 98. “Now we take the monster out of his cage,” Jean-Louis warned me before pouring this. Inky, almost black in color. Elemental, hugely concentrated and powerful on the nose, which slowly unveils aromas of dark cherry liqueur, blackberry, cassis, espresso and a deep note of sweet tobacco. Impossibly rich and dense on the palate (the yields in 2003 were off by two-thirds), showing myriad dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors, with a suggestion of tapenade and an intense licorice quality. Remarkably, this takes on a mineral tone on the finish, which has the effect of further drawing out the amazingly powerful finish.
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2007 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 95-96. From Peleat: A real fruit bomb, with sexy aromas of red berries, cherry and cassis. Lithe and precise on the palate, with tangy mineral lift and very good cut. From Beaume: Exotic, intensely floral aromas of violet, lavender and magnolia. Sweet red fruits and spices on the palate, with the floral quality repeating. Again from Beaume: Spicy and mineral-driven, with sappy red berry flavors and gentle tannins. Less wild than the previous barrel. From L’Hermite: Musky cherry and dark berry aromas are complicated by minerals and underbrush. Fleshy dark berry and cherry pit flavors cling nicely to the palate. From Meal: A very rich sample, offering powerful cherry and cassis scents and a suavely smoky mineral note. Sappy and broad on the palate, displaying sweet kirsch and smoked meat qualities. From Bessards: Deep, strongly perfumed bouquet evokes cherry, cassis, cured meat and licorice. Firm and chewy, with deep dark berry flavors and slow-building tannins. “This will provide the spine of the final wine,” Chave told me. Again from Bessards: Hypnotic aromas of raspberry, candied cherry and incense, with a fresh lashing of minerals. Brisk and focused, with wonderfully pure red fruit flavors and silky texture. Impossibly pure and long on the finish. The final wine will be a riot of red and darker berry fruits, with excellent freshness and clarity.
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Wild mushroom risotto. Acquerello rice, beurre de baratte, preserved black winter truffle. Awesome risotto and very nice and creamy. The truffles were, however, a touch muted. They were “preserved” with a bit of sherry as these truffles are off season.

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2001 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 94. Deep red. Wilder, more earthy and more powerful on the nose than the Mouline, with aromas of bitter cherry, creme de mure, fruity dark chocolate, licorice candy, espresso and pungent violet. Dense and broad on the palate, the cherry compote and blackcurrant flavors complicated by dense, dark tones of coffee, high-octane chocolate and black truffle. Quite solid but also lush, sweet and broad on the finish, with hints of complex flowers and herbs. Packs a real tannic punch, but the tannins are thoroughly buffered by the wine’s material. Definitely the most sauvage of the trio of ’01s right now.
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2001 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. VM 95. The 2001 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline from Guigal is splendid and reaffirms my preference for this single vineyard over Landonne and Turque. Powerful and sensual on the nose, the multi-layered black fruit is laced with crushed rock, pressed violet, potpourri and autumn bonfire. The palate is beautifully balanced with more weight than the La Turque, seamlessly integrated oak, melted tannins with irresistible garrigue notes lending complexity on the finish. This is going to be a gorgeous La Mouline, but it needs another decade in bottle. (Drink between 2035-2065)
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2003 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée. VM 93. Deep red. Vibrant scents of raspberry, redcurrant and strawberry jam, tinged by a note of smoked meat. On the palate, nervy acidity lifts and sharpens the impressively concentrated red berry flavors. A beautifully textured Cote-Rotie that shows excellent verve for the vintage.
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2004 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 95. Deep red. Flamboyantly perfumed nose offers a gaudy display of cherry, cola and fresh flowers. Deep, sweet and fleshy, with concentrated cherry/berry flavors, nervy minerality and a broad, expansive finish. While this will no doubt warrant a long rest in the cellar, there’s a seductively open quality to it that will make for wonderful early drinking.
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La Belle Farms Duckling Breast. Sunchoke, pepper-maple gastrique, pear. Extremely nice bit of rare duck with perfect accompaniments.

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1996 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. VM 91+. Saturated ruby-red. Brooding aromas of cassis, spice and woodsmoke, along with port-like notes of chocolate and damp earth. Thick, silky and a bit roasted in the mouth, with chocolate and game flavors. Still in a rather oxidative phase, as this wine often is in the year or two following the bottling. But has the acidity and strong tannic structure for a long, slow evolution in bottle. Very long, chewy finish.
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1998 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. VM 92. Roasted aromas of black cherry and smoke. Less fat but more spicy in the mouth, with superb richness. Superripe suggestion of beefsteak tomato. More firmly built than the ’97, but nearly as rich. Finishes with huge, palate-coating but ripe tannins and outstanding length.
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2000 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 92-95. From Beaume: Full ruby. Raw red berries, leather and pepper on the nose. Thick and silky but bright; youthful and primary. Boasts good power for the vintage. Peleat: Bright deep ruby. Complex, stony aromas of tobacco, mocha, brown spices, pepper and iris. Smooth and vinous, with terrific class and delicacy more than power. Already offers lovely detail. Finishes firmly tannic and persistent. Very expressive of the vintage. L’Hermite: Saturated ruby. Explosive, quintessential Hermitage aromas of raw currant, leather, game, minerals and cedary spice. Supple and silky but quite unevolved. Here the tannins come off as a bit tough. Bessards: Deeper, more medicinal aromas of black fruits, cassis leaf and leather. Quite powerfully constituted but not yet sweet. A very serious, tannic lot that will provide the spine for the ultimate blend. Bessards from a new barrique: Sexy aromas of black raspberry, licorice, espresso and bitter chocolate. Sweeter in the middle than the last sample, then tough on the back end, with strong oak tannins showing. Bessards yet again: Aroma of raw crushed currant. Sauvage and minerally in the mouth; supple texture nicely framed by integrated acidity. A lovely blend of sweetness and tannic structure. Peppery on the back end. Very much a wine from granite soil. Meal: Sappy aromas of redcurrant, minerals and brown spices. Less fresh in the middle than the Bessards, with tannins a bit tough. Meal again: Roasted redcurrant, smoke, minerals and game on the nose. Silkier and more pliant in the mouth; this offers much better balance and more finesse than the last mouthful. Here the tannins are less rigid. The tougher sample was from a parcel that yielded just 25 hectoliters per hectare, while this parcel produced 35, noted Jean-Louis. Should make a lovely drink, though it’s hard to believe this wine will equal the ’99.
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2000 E. Guigal Hermitage. VM 90+. Bright medium ruby. Very ripe aromas of cassis, gunflint, roasted herbs and spices. Expressive and mouthfilling; a very rich wine that’s amazingly supple for such a young Hermitage. But also broad-shouldered and solidly structured. Finishes very long and ripely tannic.
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Quartet of American Wagyu Beef. Ribeye, cheek, short rib, tail, parmesan polenta, foraged mushroom. A lot of beef types. I liked it quite a lot. Certainly the main part was sous vide. I liked the richer extra bits, particularly with the cheesy polenta.

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1996 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 93-95. Very good deep ruby-red. Crystallized red fruits, woodsmoke, leather, game and iron on the nose. Sweet, round and fat, with wonderful fruit and texture for the year. Spicy and gamey in the middle palate. This has a serious tannic structure for ’96 but is also far less forbidding today than the La Landonne ’95.
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1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 97-100. Saturated dark ruby. Flamboyant, wild aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, leather, smoked meat, tar, minerals, animal fur and brown spices. Silky, thick and huge; less subtle than the Turque but a wine of extraordinary texture and thrust. Finishes with huge ripe but chewy tannins and great persistence. This is 13.2% natural alcohol, vs. 13.5% for La Turque and 13% for La Mouline.
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1998 Pierre Gaillard Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Unique Côte Rozier.
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1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 97-100. Saturated dark ruby. Flamboyant, wild aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, leather, smoked meat, tar, minerals, animal fur and brown spices. Silky, thick and huge; less subtle than the Turque but a wine of extraordinary texture and thrust. Finishes with huge ripe but chewy tannins and great persistence. This is 13.2% natural alcohol, vs. 13.5% for La Turque and 13% for La Mouline.
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French Cheese Plate. Comte, roquefort, brie de meaux, epoisses, grilled bread, fruit compote, raw nuts.

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Interesting!
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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

One of my earliest Signature Flavors —Tiramisu Gelato — The base is a highly technical Zabaione of Egg Yolk, Fresh Mascarpone Cheese, and Sweet Marsala with Fresh Brewed Espresso. It’s dusted with Valrhona Cocoa powder and layered with house-made Vanilla Rum Espresso syrup-soaked Lady Fingers — the final result is totally Tiramisu — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Tiramisu #Espresso #coffee #chocolate #Marsala #Zabaione #Eggyolk #Rum #Mascarpone1A4A9337

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Overall, an absolutely fabulous Sauvages. I had low expectations for the food, and while it wasn’t exactly the most innovative in the world, execution was excellent. Wine service from Paul Sherman was as good as it gets and the room was perfect. The wines were a touch disapointing considering how great Northern Rhones could be — and they were a bit more middling — but a first rate “lunch” all things considered.

For more dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Throwback Sauvages
  2. Sauvages Tesse
  3. Sauvages Roccos
  4. Sauvages 2 at Upstairs 2
  5. Rhone & the Goat
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, DTLA, Gelato, Johnathan Club, Rhone, Sauvages

Gaja at Locanda

Dec12

Restaurant: Locanda Veneta [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 8638 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048. (310) 274-1893

Date: April 13, 2023

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: fun night w/ retro 90s Italian

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I’m not historically a big fan of Locanda Veneta. It’s okay, and the owner is super nice, and execution on the food quite good, but the meal is always the same (maybe that’s Yarom’s ordering) and it’s very 90’s. I like a more modern style of Italian, frankly. This feels similar to Toscana or other good but slightly dated places. And we always end up eating steak — which just doesn’t feel that Italian — although actually it is in Tuscany — but I hate that kind of steak.

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Anyway, last fall I decided after many years of rejection to try it out again — and somehow I got roped into AGAIN this spring.


The location is Los Angeles classic, Locanda Veneta, a Beverly Hills Italian with several decades of history. Above, Chef Andre in the kitchen.

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A too narrow shot of the frontage.
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Champ.
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I need to spend more time getting shots of the interior. This one is crappy. And the people at the “other” table complained about being photoed (which they really weren’t) and so have taken on a demonic aspect.
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Just a few Gayas!

LV. Catering Menu for Yarom 04-13-23
Tonight’s menu.
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Bread.
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A “pesto” of parsley, olive oil, lemon juice etc. I ate it plain.
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Bonus white I brought.
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Insalata di Cariofi. Finely chopped baby purple artichoke with chopped arugula and mixed baby green in a house vinaigrette, topped with shaved “imported” Parmigiano. Fine salad, although not exactly Gaja compatible so we had my Trebbiano.
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Champ.
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“Beluga” Sturgeon Caviar (1lb.) Sturgeon Roe (Imported Real Fine Black Caviar) served with Fresh Made Blini, Chopped Egg Yolks, Spanish Red Onion and Crème Fraiche. This wasn’t exactly Gaja compatible either! The caviar itself is middling, but it’s very tasty with the Crème Fraiche.
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Carpaccio di Antilope. Very thin slices of marinated “Nilgai” Texas Antelope served with arugula in a lemon vinaigrette. The less carby option.
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Risotto al Tartufo Nero. “Carnaroli” rice simmered with a shaved Tuscan Fresh Black Summer Truffles. This was good tonight. The risotto wasn’t quite creamy/buttery enough, but the truffles were great — and smelled great.
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Gnocchi Bianchi e Neri d’Aragosta. Homemade black & white gnocchi sauteed with Fresh Lobster Meat and our Famour Lobster Sauce. Really a very lovely pasta. Gnocchi were soft and the sauce was perfect. However, it had these (proper) seafood notes that were totally a clash with the Gaja.
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“Tomahawk” di Manzo. USDA Prime Beef Tomahawk charbroiled to perfection, rubbed with Kosher Sea Salt, Black Pepper and our Secret Fresh Spices. They served us three of these, cooked at different levels. This was more on the medium side. One was very rare. It’s a solid steak, but perhaps underseasoned, and it was cooked on gas and missing that charcoal taste.
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Roasted Rosemary Garlic New Potatoes. These were as good as roast potatoes get, really tasty.
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Garlic Green Beans. Overcooked and a touch mushy, but they tasted amazing because of all the garlic.
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Roasted Carrots. Overcooked and a touch mushy.
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Panna Cotta. Italian vanilla custard served on a strawberry coulis. Lovely and soft.
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Flourless chocolate cake. Pretty much what you’d expect.
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Cheesecake with berry sauce.
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Cannoli and Baklava’s Evil American Lovechild — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Base crafted from Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta and Sicilian Toasted Noto Romano Almond Paste with a touch of the sugar subbed out for Sicilian Honey. Mixed in is Malibu Honey, California Pistachios, and house-made Gluten Free Honey Graham Crackers (almond flour and so good you can’t tell them from the wheat flour version)! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #Sicily #honey #GrahamCracker #pistachio
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Overall, a super fun evening. Food is a bit dated, like a throwback to 1998, but the place is very fun and cozy and the wines rocked. Problem is (as it often is) that we really needed either a menu crafted for all Niebbiolo instead of the same same menu or a split of half whites and half reds. All that Gaja was smashed into two courses and a lot went to waste. We even had the “dessert gayas.”
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Our chef is super nice and a great host.

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The kitchen.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Related posts:

  1. Aussie at Locanda Veneta
  2. Locanda Portofino – In the Neighborhood
  3. Eating Cervia – Locanda dei Salinari
  4. Dirty Dozen – Locanda Veneta
  5. Eating Assisi – Locanda del Podesta
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Barbaresco, Barolo, BYOG, Gaja, Gelato, Italian cuisine, pasta

Thai Tour – Can Coon

Dec08

Restaurant: Can-Coon Thai Restaurant

Location: 9349 Alondra Blvd, Bellflower, CA 90706. (562) 925-0993

Date: April 11, 2023

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Awesome (but far)

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Thai Tour often drags us far and wide in search of Southern California’s best Thai.
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Can-Coon is FAR, all the way in Bellflower, and not exactly “fancy.”
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See above comment.
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The huge menu.
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Nam Kao Tod. Ground pork mixed with green onion, fresh chili, ginger, peanuts, cripsy rice, and lime juice. Crispy, vaguely larb like (but with crispy). Nice.
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Soup Nor Mai. Bamboo shoots mixed with green onion, chili, and lime juice. Super funky fermented shrimp paste smell (and to a lessor extent taste) and fibrous texture. A hardcore dish.
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Sai Eua. Thai sausage made from pork, mixed with curry paste, lemongrass, and galangal. Great sausage with a lot of flavor.
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Koi Soi. Raw beef mixed with red onion, dried chili, and lime juice. Somewhat slimey texture with that shrimp paste taste, although not as strong as the bamboo.
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Crispy rice. Intended to be put on the raw beef — which helped it a lot.
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Beef Larb. Cooked with chopped onion, green chili, and lime juice. Served with fresh cabbage. Like a salty ground beef cooked version of the raw. Hint of shrimp paste.
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Tom Kah Seafood. Spicy and sour coconut soup with mixed seafood, lime juice, and lemongrass. Very nice, slightly spicy, slightly sweet coconut lemongrass soup. Lots of flavor and quite excellent, although not quite as good as the coco lotus soup or the incredible Palms Thai spicy bomb soup.
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Shrimp Panang Curry. The color and flavor of fresh and dried chili makes this curry a unique dish. Cooked with coconut cream, sweet basil and chili. Very nice panang. Top notch actually.
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Green Curry with Fish Ball. Spicy and delicious with a bit of shrimp paste funk. Really great and “authentic” green curry. Nice bamboo shoots and soft fish balls/chunks.
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Sticky Rice.
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Pork Leg Stew. Soy sauce pork with five spices. A bit sweet, slightly chinese, and very stewed. Delicious.
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Moo Yang. Marinated charbroiled pork, served with spicy sauce. Very sweet and quite delicious.
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Tom Sab Baby Back Ribs. Tangy soup with pork niblet ribs (like at dim sum). Great pho-like broth.
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Nuah Yum Kra Tiem. Char-broiled beef, topped with fresh garlic and spicy sauce. The waiter pitched this which was like a salty strip 3rd version of the beef salad.
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Crispy Pork stir-fried with Basil. Super crispy, a bit sweet, and incredibly delicious. Awesome fried pork nubs.
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Crispy Mussel Omelet. Fried Thai omelet with mussel until crispy, topped with sauteed bean sprout and green onion, served with house sauce. Salty but great. Really nice pancake/omelet. Seemed like it had batter in it.
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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
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Overall, a really tasty, if slightly rustic Thai. Very “authentic” with a lot of shrimp paste flavor. Almost every dish was great. We could have used at least 1 less beef salad, however. The drive was also killer. Almost two hours there and a lot of traffic.

For more dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Thai Tour – Palms Thai
  2. Thai Tour – Pailin Thai
  3. Thai Tour – Spicy BBQ
  4. Thai Tour – Sri Siam
  5. Thai Tour – Night+Market Song
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Can Coon Thai, Gelato, Thai cuisine

OOToro Spring

Dec01

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

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

Date: April 1, 2023

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi (with slight nod to China)

Rating: Ends of the earth, but very good

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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!

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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.

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

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They put up this weird curtain recently.

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We ordered the $250 Omakase.
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First course of various little morsels.
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Marinated Baby Squid. Soft and juicy!
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Baby Japanese Sea Snail. Quite tasty.
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Shirako (aka cod sperm sac) with a bit of soy/ponzu. Awesome.
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Steamed Abalone. Very tender, but not the strongest (or most intense) abalone I’ve had.
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Fried Potato Wrapped Shrimp “Tempura.”
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Sashimi course. OToro in the back (super soft). Needlefish in the middle. Squid with bad caviar in front with Uni blobi and Half a Live Octopus sucker with sour plum sauce (great).
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Special house-made soy sauce that was actually incredible. I kept it all evening. It was so good it made me eat all the garnish and seaweed (with the soy). Even the shiso flower!
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Live shrimp in front with wasabi and oyster with uni and ikura. They took head away for later.
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Cooked belt fish.
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Parfait of Uni, terrible truffle caviar, some kind of jelly, and crab salad. Once the bad caviar with its truffle oil taste was gone the jelly and crab salad was wonderful.
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From the side.
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Aji (Spanish Mackerel) Tataki. Lovely!

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We went out and looked at the wine cabinet and low and behold there were some Leroys. Turns out they were cheaper than retail!
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Duo of whitefish sushi, snapper specifically. The left was Red Snapper and the right Goldeneye Snapper.
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Awesome ginger.
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The “money plate” with OToro on the right and Kama Toro (collar) on the left. So good!
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Skipjack Tuna with garlic and numbing chili crisp! The chili crisp was a new twist and actually kinda delicious.
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Uni Toast! So good.
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Turns out they had a whole tuna collar “in stock” tonight (the kama part) and we were able to order it.
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An hour or so later out came 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.
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Yarom flintstones the bone.
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Flaming Sea Snail with mushrooms. Creature alert!
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Chawanmushi (egg custard) with shrimp, ikura (salmon roe), and hairy crab. This was wonderful and it was also presented with a leg of hairy crab.
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The beef dish came out in these cute covered cooking boxes.
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Inside was A5 Wagyu they cook tableside.
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A5 Wagyu. Super tender and melt in your mouth.
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The return of the heads.
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Shrimp head miso.
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Fried shrimp head for brain sucking fun.
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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
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Two of us grabbed these Leroys.
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Overall, this was one of the best OOToro’s ever. Every dish was great — only exception being that gross caviar, but it didn’t ruin any dishes — and the preparation (hard to say cooking) was very on point. The collar as always really took it up a notch. Plus we had a great group with some first timers and a lot of very good wines.
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The epic wine lineup.

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After dinner we returned to the always fun valley view parking lot. Big plus over that miserable hotel across the street from Ootoro. Only problem was that it was cold and that on the way home an accident had the 60 closed for over an hour — so I got home almost at 1am.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

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Related posts:

  1. OOToro Holiday
  2. OOToro Double
  3. OOToro Five O
  4. Post OOToro
  5. O OOToro
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, ootoro, SGV, Sushi, toro, Tuna, Uni, Wine

Hot Pot Longo

Nov29

Restaurant: Longo Seafood Restaurant [1, 2, 3]

Location: 7540 Garvey Ave, Rosemead, CA 91770.  (626) 280-8188

Date: March 30, 2023

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Great Meal, Good Deal

_

I’ve been to Longo MANY times, both for lunch and dinner, but one of our friends who knows the owner set up this special off menu hot pot dinner — normally they don’t have hot pot at all.

Longo is on Garvey right next to the Longo Toyota. Lol.

IMG_6093It’s one of these big formal Cantonese places.

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Tanks with live seafood.

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Our private room.
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Peanuts (with sugar underneath).
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Chicken Feet. Yarom has to order them whenever he can.
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Cucumbers with a spicy bean paste / oil.

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Yarom and the owner.
The owner hung out with us for a bit — she was supposed to actually eat with us, but her kid needed her at home — still, she did bring us a 2012 Unico as a “substitute!”
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Tonight’s dinner centered around Longo’s off menu special hot pot.. Each of us had one of these individual pots.
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Here is the mild but delicious broth.
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The main dipping sauce was this spicy garlic soy.
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It could be “juiced up” with garlic, chilies, green onions etc.
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Geoduck. Both parts of the giant clam were served raw and could be eaten either as sashimi or dipped in the hot pot to be cooked. I tried the body both ways, but the neck seemed much better cooked. It was pretty delicious this way.
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King Crab. We had an entire live king crab who was hacked up into parts. These were cooked in the hot pot for 2-3 minutes and then became extremely juicy and delicious. Could have used some garlic paste too.

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Red Rock Cod. This delicious fish was also served raw and was cooked in the pot where it was moist and delicious.
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Glass or rice noodles were also served on this platter.
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Deep Fried Cod. The head of the cod was hacked up and deep fried. It tasted like Longo’s usual clam neck fry and was delicious.
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Scallop. Whole scallops were cooked in the pot and also delicious.
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Silken Tofu. This soft tofu was awesome. I must have cooked about 5-6 of these in my pot.
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Carby Veggies. Some kind of yams and taro. I didn’t bother with.
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Greens. Two kinds of greens, incudling an endive-like thing.
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Pork Meat Balls. These were basically sui mai innards that had to be cooked for 10 minutes. They were pretty awesome.
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A5 Wagyu Beef. Supposedly. But in any case, it was fatty wagyu and really delicious when briefly cooked — incredibly soft and melt in your mouth.

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Velveted Beef. Thicker, but also tender and delicious when cooked. Perhaps more “beefy” flavor than the wagyu.
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Cantonese Roast Duck. Juicy.
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Fried Squab. Super delicious with crispy skin and very dark rich meat.
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Macau Style Pork Belly. Piggy with nice crispy skin. Good stuff.
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Sliced Pig Leg. Yep, Yarom couldn’t resist another marinated foot. But the full slices were pretty tasty.
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Beef. Just a meh beef. Not bad, but not exciting.
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New Flavor — Cherry Bakewell Tart Gelato — While watching every episode of the Great British Baking Show I was introduced to the Bakewell Tart, which I liked it enough to make a gelato — Sicilian Noto Romano Almond Custard Base is layered with house-made Honey Almond Graham Crackers and Cherry Preserves. For extra fun I made an Almond Icing and glazed the Grahams with it in the traditional pattern (first time trying it) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Sicily #Almond #Cherry #GrahamCracker #BakewellTart #tart #bakewell #jam #icing

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
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Chinese Baklava?
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Chinese Sweet Bean Soup.

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Overall, it was nice to have a bit of a “different” Longo experience and this was a super fun night. This was some of the best hot pot I’ve had. It was different than the super spicy ones, but the broth wasn’t bland like the typical pork or bone broths. Basically it really worked with the ultra fresh seafood. Lots of fun and very tasty.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

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Related posts:

  1. Late Night Longo
  2. Long Lunch at Longo
  3. Lots more Longo
  4. Silk Worm Road – Guan Dong Da Yuan
  5. Chengdu Impression
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Chinese cuisine, Gelato, hot pot, Longo, SGV, Wine

Akbar Pasadena

Nov02

Restaurant: Akbar Cuisine of India – Pasadena

Location: 400 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, CA 91105

Date: March 20, 2023

Cuisine: Indian

Rating: Far, but still one of my favorites

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We’ve been friends with the Akbar owners forever — hell I’ve been eating their food since 1996 or 97. So I trekked out to the new Pasadena location (and it is a trek for me).
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Bright colors.
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Huge gang bang table.
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Chutneys. I particularly love the spicy veggie mix on the right.
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Mango Habanero Sauce. This is a new concoction that Chev Avi whipped up. Leathally hot and super delicious. When used sparingly, quite awesome.
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Naan. I avoided the regular naan just for calorie/carb reasons. Later I succumbed to the cheese version. sigh.
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French Fries. The kitchen isn’t really geared for our 25+ person party so these came out to sop up some appetite. I skipped, however, because of the obvious carbs.
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Shrimp Bhuna. Really delicious and quite spicy. Succulent shrimp and TONS of flavor.
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You can see all those tasty onions. Which given that the first couple of these landed at the other side of the table is all I got for a while. Eventually more came and I loaded up on shrimp.
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Tandoori Chicken. Succulent and flavorful as always.
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Gobi Manchurian. Really tasty with that sweet and spicy flavor. However, small containers for 25+ people and the cauliflower itself was toasted instantly.
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Chicken Tikka Masala. One of my two classic flavors at Akbar and still the best CTM around.
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Basmati Rice.
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Garlic Naan. Stepping up in the naan world. Freshly baked and covered in garlic.
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Goat Curry. Very nice, classic “brown curry” with tons of flavor. I do really like the goat meat, although there are a lot of (sometimes sharp) bones.
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Bhindi Masala. One of my favorite veggies and nicely salted. I ate about a whole plate of this with the curry sauce.
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Lamb Sliders. I haven’t actually had these before. They have a mint chutney and some greens on them lending them a flavor like classic Indian lamb kabobs.
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Cheese Naan. Now these made me break my carb diet — wow I love these cheese stuffed naan. So cheesy good.
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Saag (sans paneer). I think it was supposed to be Saag Paneer, but someone forgot the cheese. Still, spinach never had so much flavor (and a whole lotta fat) mixed in.
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Oxtail Masala. This was the sleeper hit of the evening. Tons of bone you had to chew around, and oddly, while we constantly got new plates someone had taken everything but our spoons, so I was using two spoons to try to pry the meat out. Still, the masala sauce was to die for and it was an incredible dish.
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Salty Pistachio Gelato – Pistachio di Bronte DOGC produces an intense pistachio base to which I added just a touch of salt — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pistachio #sicily #nuts #salt

Cannoli and Baklava’s Evil American Lovechild — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Base crafted from Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta and Sicilian Toasted Noto Romano Almond Paste with a touch of the sugar subbed out for Sicilian Honey. Mixed in is Malibu Honey, California Pistachios, and house-made Gluten Free Honey Graham Crackers (almond flour and so good you can’t tell them from the wheat flour version)! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #Sicily #honey #GrahamCracker #pistachio

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Overall, food was great as always. For me personally, given that it’s pretty much the same as the Marina branch, and that’s like 10x closer, I’ll go there. But if you live east side there isn’t any better Indian food!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Akbar – Curry not so Hurry
  2. Loire at Akbar
  3. Akbar Reborn
  4. All Things Akbar
  5. Ultimate Akbar
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Akbar, Avi Kapoor, BYOG, curry, Gelato, Indian cuisine, Pasadena, Wine

Cheval Crustacean

Oct29

Restaurant: Crustacean Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

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

Date: March 15, 2023

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Awesome as always

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Crustacean is one of our regular haunts and one of the few places with the stems, food, and service to handle a serious wine dinner. For this particular night some of my friends organized an epic Cheval Blanc tasting covering many of the most iconic vintages of the last 40 years.

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Our private area.
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A magnum of 2010 Dom.
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Fried potstickers.
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Little dumplings that were partially steamed and pan-fried to get a bit of that crispy bottom.
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Tonight’s special menu.
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A flight of P2!
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2000 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. VM 96. The 2000 Dom Pérignon P2 is striking. More importantly, it is absolutely delicious right now. Baked apple tart, brioche, spice, vanillin, ripe pear and crushed rocks all flesh out. Creamy, layered and inviting, with soft, voluptuous curves, the 2000 offers a lot of sheer pleasure. Although, perhaps not quite as complex or structured as the very best P2s, the 2000 is wonderfully alluring. Interestingly, in 2000, the Blanc and P2 are not as different as they typically are. The P2 has a bit more volume and freshness than the Blanc, but both wines share a distinct toasty, slightly reductive character. (Drink between 2019-2040)
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2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. VM 97+. The 2002 Dom Pérignon P2 is wonderfully open in its aromatics, but a bit less giving on the palate, especially next to the regular release. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and white pepper open up first, followed by hints of apricot, honey, chamomile and light tropical notes. Interestingly, the P2 is quite a bit less tropical than the original release. Chef de Caves Vincent Chaperon told me he thinks the original release shows more of a buttery character because of the combination of the ripeness of the vintage and the natural evolution of the wine post-disgorgement under crown seal, as opposed to the P2 which stayed much longer on its lees. It is hard to know if that is an exact explanation, but the reality is that the two 2002s are quite far apart stylistically. (Drink between 2019-2032)
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2004 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. VM 97. The 2004 Dom Pérignon P2 is precise and wonderfully refined, just like the first release. There’s a hint of reduction from extended time on the cork as well as a feeling of effusiveness that is so appealing. Readers will find a super-classic DP. Dried flowers, brioche, apricot preserves, sage, mint and chamomile are seamless in the glass. The 2004 can be enjoyed now or cellared for another decade plus. Some editions of the P2 series have been pretty austere in the early going; the 2004 is not among them. (Drink between 2022-2034)
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Tuna Cigars. Instant smoke, feuille de brick, avocado silk, vidalia onion, tobiko caviar. I’ve had this before and really liked it, but tonight it tasted a bit too much of faux cigar smoke.
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Zoom.
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The white flight! This is necessary to pair with a lot of the food!
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2017 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Bouchères. VM 93. A cool, pure and airy nose is exceptionally pretty with its various white orchard fruit, hazelnut and citrusy wisps. The lilting and ultra-refined middle weight flavors possess a lacy mouth feel before terminating in a sneaky long and well-balanced mineral-inflected finale. This isn’t especially complex at present but my sense is that more depth will almost certainly develop if it’s allowed 6 to 8 years of bottle age. In a word, lovely. (Drink starting 2024)
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2017 Olivier Leflaive Montrachet. VM 94. The 2017 Montrachet Grand Cru is much more closed on the nose and demands encouragement. There is a slight menthol aroma that emerges with time; a little exotic, perhaps. The palate has good extract and fine acidity, not quite as precise as the Montrachet from Marc Colin, but there is a lovely spiciness and just the right amount of bitterness on the finish. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Drink between 2027-2050)

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2013 Château de la Maltroye Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 95. This is very much like the Grandes Ruchottes in that the nose is reticent to the point of being almost dumb and even aggressive swirling reveals very little. By contrast the big-bodied and tautly muscular flavors possess superb mid-palate density along with terrific intensity that continues onto the palate coating and massively long finish. This is nothing short of brilliant and could very well be the Bâtard of the vintage. Note well however that plenty of patience will be required. (Drink starting 2023)
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2018 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers. BH 90. Here too there is just enough reduction to push the underlying fruit to the background but it’s not so heavy as to obscure the fact that it’s ripe with white fleshed fruit and just a touch of oak. The super-sleek, delicious and vibrant flavors are presently relatively compact on the agreeably dry finish that flashes a touch of warmth. The oak does reappear, and this is mildly awkward today so I would suggest allowing this at least a few years to integrate its wood and better harmonize. (Drink starting 2026)
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2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc.
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Colossal Tiger Prawns. Served with An’s Famous Garlic Noodles. This is the shrimp version of the classic Crustacean crab dish. Smaller, but great. These noodles never get old with their sweet garlicky bit.
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Zoom.
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Big Glory Bay King Salmon. Market vegetables, Saffron Nage. Very crispy and with a great little saffron broth, but kinda tiny.
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This flight rocked!
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1982 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 95+. Saturated deep red, with a hint of development at the rim. Roasted nose dominated by toffee and tobacco. Wonderfully silky but without quite the exotic ripeness of the ’90. Still, this offers uncanny retention of primary fruit. Expands inexorably on the finish and goes on and on. A wonderful bottle that still improving. (The bottle in the blind flight was slightly less impressive: Good full red, with a hint of amber at the rim. Slightly medicinal aromas of red fruits, cedar and tobacco leaf; comes across as distinctly cooler than the ’90. Dense but penetrating and still a bit closed in on itself. Less sweet and generous today than the ’90, less exotic. But finishes firm and long, with a hint of dryness. I rated this bottle 93(+?).) Drink now through 2020.
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1983 Château Cheval Blanc. JG 95. Along with Ausone, the ’83 Cheval Blanc has long been one of the greatest wines of this vintage and it is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. The wine has gone through periods of glorious drinking, followed by much more closed cycles over the years, but it seems now at age thirty to have finally reached the start of its plateau of maturity and I would be very surprised to see it shut down ever again in its lifetime. Today, the deep, pure and vibrant nose wafts from the glass in a youthfully complex blend of mulberries, menthol, black cherries, a touch of chocolate, tobacco leaf, lovely soil tones and a nice touch of toasty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very elegant on the attack, with a superb core of fruit, great focus and complexity, and a very long, balanced and modestly tannic finish. The tannins today have fallen away to the point where this wine is very enjoyable to drink, and yet I still have the sense that the wine is relatively adolescent in its stage of development and more fireworks will still be unveiled if one can exercise a bit more patience. This is a great vintage of Cheval Blanc! (Drink between 2013-2050)
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1985 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 95. The 1985 Cheval Blanc has always been one of the picks of the vintage for what was a fecund decade for the Saint-Émilion. This example shows similarly to previous bottles. It has a fragrant bouquet with sandalwood, clove and chestnut, maybe here even a touch of brettanomyces? It is only slight. The palate is beautifully balanced with melted tannin. The Cabernet Franc in full flight – hints of bell pepper and cedar, a surfeit of fruit. Maybe it lacks the precision of more recent vintages but how can you resist its charm. Impossible! It is a wonderful wine, but I wonder…was its heyday around the turn of the millennium? Tasted blind at Chez Brunce lunch. (Drink between 2018-2040)
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1989 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 95. The 1989 Cheval Blanc is a vintage that I have not encountered since 2010. One bottle opened was rustic and fatigued, and Pierre-Olivier Clouet opened a second that was much better. It has a gorgeous bouquet of ample red fruit, morels, black truffle, cigar box and hints of brown sugar, all very well defined and charming. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin and approaching full maturity; brown spices, bay leaf and clove infuse the red berry fruit. At 30 years of age, I suspect this 1989 will not improve further, but its robustness suggests that any decline will be graceful. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château. (Drink between 2019-2045)
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1990 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 98. The 1990 Cheval Blanc is a vintage that once upon a time I drank regularly, although I had not seen it since March 2016. Poured against the 1990 Lafite-Rothschild, this is the clear winner. Still youthful in color with modest bricking. The bouquet explodes from the glass with kirsch, mulberry, antique furniture and black truffle scents. With aeration it becomes more savory, the Cabernet Franc wanting to see more of the olfactory action. The palate is medium-bodied and comes equipped with a stunning velvety texture. This Saint-Émilion feels spherical, conveying a sense of controlled decadence but avoiding any ostentation. This is as good a bottle as I have encountered over the years. Brilliant. Tasted at Noble Rot’s “Xmas” dinner. (Drink between 2019-2045)
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Rabbit Dumplings. Rabbit Confit “Money Pouch”, leeks, dijon caviar creme. These were great, probably the best of our three dumpling types.
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Chicken Satay. Grilled over Binchotan Charcoal with House Pickles. There was a choice of chicken or beef satay. It seemed pretty small and it was because…
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They realized they were supposed to serve two skewers so a second came out 5 minutes later for each person.
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Filet Mignon Beef Satay. Grilled over Binchotan Charcoal with House Pickles. The pickles were rather microscopic as well.
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And here is the second beef skewer.
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1995 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 93+. Good full red. Profound, multidimensional nose combines redcurrant, plums, raspberry, cherry, mocha and humus: really quite singular. Wonderful sweetness and depth of flavor; lush but with a firm spine. Already offers compelling inner-mouth perfume, but I suspect this wine will soon close down. Finishes with terrific length and very suave, sweet tannins that coat the teeth.
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1998 Château Cheval Blanc. JG 98+. While the money-changers in the temple promote Pavie and Angélus to the bureaucratic summits of Saint Émilion in the classification of the commune’s wines, tastings such as this one definitively show that Cheval Blanc no longer has any real rival for quality. The 1998 Cheval Blanc is an utterly brilliant wine, delivering a refined and very complex aromatic constellation of black cherries, sweet dark berries, menthol, gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke and a suave framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and full-bodied, with a velvety palate impression beginning to develop, a sappy core of glorious fruit, marvelous soil signature, fine-grained, seamless tannins and a very, very long, complex and effortless finish. The ’98 Cheval Blanc is certainly a very, very enjoyable glass of wine today, but it is still climbing and I would try to leave it alone for at least a handful more years. Sheer brilliance. (Drink between 2030-2100)
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2000 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 94. The 2000 Cheval Blanc is a wine that I have encountered more than a dozen times. Now at just over 20 years of age (how time flies – I remember tasting this from barrel), it has a lovely, quite beguiling bouquet of brambly red berries, iron rust, Provençal herbs and clove, powerful and somehow enveloping. The peppery palate is medium-bodied with quite firm, stocky tannins and good backbone, though coming after a vertical of recent vintages, it feels more rustic and feral. As Pierre-Olivier Clouet noted, there are fewer “pixels” in this millennial Cheval Blanc, but you can’t help falling for its charms. Ready to drink now but will age for the next 20–30 years. Tasted at Cheval Blanc. (Drink between 2021-2040)

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2001 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 96. The 2001 Cheval Blanc has a slightly more expressive and less feral bouquet compared to the 2000, perhaps better defined, although I miss the menthol aspect that develops on the previous vintage. But give it an hour’s aeration and it coheres magnificently, gaining more intensity as it manifests dark berry fruit mixed with potpourri. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, quite firm and (for this estate) quite austere and strict, though yet again, after an hour it mellows, gaining more rondeur and sensuality. Whereas initially I leaned toward the millennial Cheval Blanc, the 2001 has its nose in front by the end. Tasted at Cheval Blanc. (Drink between 2021-2040)

2005 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 100. The 2005 Cheval Blanc has been nothing less than magical on two separate occasions. A wine of breathtaking nuance and sophistication, the 2005 Cheval dazzles right out of the gate. With a few hours of aeration the aromatics blossom and the wine is explosive in every dimension. Espresso, rose petal, mint, blood orange and incense all open as the 2005 shows off its magnificence and pedigree. Bright saline underpinnings convey energy, tension and brilliance. Cheval Blanc is perhaps not as immediately seductive as some of the other top 2005s, but its all there. In spades. I would give it a few more years to unwind. (Drink between 2025-2055)

2009 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 98. The 2009 Cheval Blanc has a rambunctious nose with copious red fruit, meat juices, sage and crushed stone aromas, ineffably complex. This is so refined, constantly mutating in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannin. There is a mixture of red and black fruit, hints of cassis, cardamom and allspice. Immense depth and grip towards the finish expresses ripe Cabernet Franc. This is an outstanding 2009 destined for long-term ageing. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. (Drink between 2021-2060)
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Mongolian Lamb. Chargrilled, market vegetables, twice-cooked potatoes. I’ve had this before too, and it’s a nice lamb chop, just a bit sweet. It’s also not exactly enormous.
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Steamed Truffle Cream Dory. Steamed in Papillote, black summer truffle, leeks, romanesco, ginger, shaoxing. This John Dory dish is great, very light and moist with a strong ginger flavor.
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Prime Rib Eye with XO Bechamel. Remy Martin XO Wagyu Salt Block Steak, White Cheddar, XO Emulsion. Another petite bite.

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Orange Old Fashioned Sorbetto — Cold Pressed Orange 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
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Warm Beignets. Vietnamese Coffee Creme Anglaise. A single Beignets into which was injected the Creme Anglaise. It was served with:

Yar! Ghostly skeletal praline pirates are marauding — Pecan Pirate Praline Gelato — An eggy Texas Pecan base layered with my creepy skull-shaped New Orleans style Vanilla Bourbon Pecan Pralines and Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Pumpkins — 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
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Overall, The wines and company were incredible, and the food itself was great. It wasn’t the “largest” meal, but that’s okay given my diet, and it was most Crustacean “staple dishes”, which are awesome — but I’m a novelty junky. Still, it sure was one hell of an evening. Cheval is really an incredible wine.

And boy did the Ans treat us right, amazing service, and great wines. Every dish is always superb tasting and perfectly executed. Although their menu is perhaps not the “perfect pairing” choice for Bordeaux, Crustacean does such an incredible job, it doesn’t matter.

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 particularly during these last two dinners have really knocked it out of the park.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Crustacean Again?
  2. Crustacean Cru
  3. Sauvages Crustacean
  4. Dirty Dozen Crustacean
  5. Kings at Crustacean
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: An Family, Bordeaux, BYOG, Champagne, Cheval Blanc, Crustacean, Gelato, Wine
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