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Causita just ’cause

Apr16

Restaurant: Causita [ CLOSED ]

Location: 3709 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026.

Date: September 8, 2022

Cuisine: Peruvian

Rating: Tasty, but issues — and out of biz

I’ve really enjoyed a long string of Ricardo Zarate restaurants, all the way back to Picca and Paiche etc. Others followed like a stint at SOS, Rosaline and Pikoh. Sadly, while the food is always really good, they do not last long. Not exactly sure why. But the Foodie Club and I were excited to try Causita, his latest in Silverlake. The past proved true of the present and it closed not too long after we went (despite very tasty food).

Located in that busy stretch of Sunset in Silverlake — hate that area because it’s just so far from my house and a real pain to park in. Maybe I’m also jealous that trendy new places open here where they are super inconvenient.

Interior is modern.

Initial champagne. We had to negotiate with them to allow any kind of corkage at all. They did yield fortunately.

The menu.

kanpachi & uni tiradito. yellow tail, coconut leche de tigre, rocoto pitaya dressing. The white sauce was basically coconut milk with lime juice and chili. Incredibly zingy almost pucker inducing, but good.

chocolatas clams. chalaca style, charapita, leche de tigre, apple criolla. The chocolate bit is just because of the color of the clam shell (milk chocolate brown). The cerviche style mix inside was also super acid forward. Pucker up baby!

Mostly we brought Spanish wine.

summer gazpacho. heirloom tomato, peach, aji limo. Almost like a salsa. Very good though with a touch of sweetness. Super refreshing.

bluefin otoro. tamari, fresh wasabi, leche de tigre, black truffle. I didn’t like this as much as I expected to. It was good, but maybe a bit too much truffle flavor. At least it was decent truffle though, not rancid.

charred snap pea. charred jalapeno oil, labneh, mint, garlic chip. Very nice with a bit of creaminess and a great snap (bite) to the peas.

lobster dumpling. charred jalapeno oil, ceviche aioli. Strong flavor from the squid ink actually. Inside was a tiny bit dry.

Always a great Spanish red.

Pan con Chicharron. Crispy Pork, sweet potato, salsa criollo. Like a pork belly slider. Bread was nice for mopping up sauce on other dishes. I enjoyed this “burger.”

lamb ragu. fromage blanc dumpling, szechuan peppercorn. Soft with a nice meaty and creamy texture. Quite nice.

octopus. octopus, goat cheese-chorizo mousse, gotija olive, ceviche aioli. The peppers had great flavors and the octopus was very crispy.

Grilled Artichoke Hearts. avocado mousse, jalapeno, popped quinoa, charapita glaze. The texture and flavor of the artichoke was great.

udon noodles. shiitake, peruvian pesto, wasabi tobiko, roasted onion jus. Pesto flavor was awesome. Noodles were thick, and maybe a touch soft, and there was a very “leafy” basil quality offset nicely by the cheese. Overall a fabulous dish.

Oh, and a Bordeaux slipped in.

crispy rice. seared steak tartare, egg, parmesan sauce. Interesting and I liked it.

The egg and soy and beef tartare was mixed in. The parmesan sauce (which was a bit punchy) was left on the side.

Mixed up.

Lomo Saltado. Steak Filet. Onion Confit. Potato Petals. Fine, but less interesting.

The dessert menu.

Churros Bomboncito. Caramel, berry sauce. These were great with caramel centers. And on the left, Tres Leches Sorbettto, which really tasted like Uni Leche Sorbetto.

The damage wasn’t so bad.

Food was actually great at Causita, some of Ricardo’s best since Paiche. It was very bright. Not every dish was perfect, and there were relatively few things that were incredibly memorable, but it was very tasty — and zesty. Corkage issues were a bit of a thing. Somehow his restaurants never last. There also seems to be a curse on this strip of Silverlake. New things open constantly, but they shuffle and close rapidly too.

Because we were right next door we decided to try out Pine and Crane for second dinner as I have been wanting to for years.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Causita, Double Dinner, Foodie Club, Peruvian cuisine, Ricardo M. Zarate, Ricardo Zarate, Silverlake, Wine

Round 2 – Hanchic

Apr07

Restaurant: Hanchic

Location: 2500 W 8th St #103, Los Angeles, CA 90057. (213) 375-7095

Date: September 1, 2022

Cuisine: Korean Fusion

Rating: Delicious!

Do for “Round 2” of tonight’s Double Dinner, after Kinn, Erick picked Hanchic which is a more casual (Izakaya style) Modern/Fusion Korean eatery.

This is a hipster mini-mall installation if I ever saw one.

The theme continues inside. Very casual, oriented toward 2 and 4 tops.

The menu is short and covers sharable comfort items.

An amuse of Korean vegetable pancake with tangy sauce.

Yukhwe with rice cracker. A kind of spicy, sweet and sour beef tartare you mixed up with the egg and ate with the seaweed crusted rice cracker. Delicious.

Mixed up and enjoyed.

Raw shrimp cured in a seasoned ‘Jang’ 간장soy sauce over “purple (bean) rice.” The marinate is similar to that used in Korean raw crab.

Chamchi toast with sweet and sour gouchujang. Really delicious. Hard to even tell it was toast, just seemed like some crispy fried shrimp + sweet and sour thing.

Risotto with bulgogi and cheese. Yummy, like a comforting beef/cheese rice.

Galbi Jjim with assorted Ssam. Super tender and smokey meat with lettuce wraps and ultra-flavorful sauces of ascending spice level. The serrano based max was VERY hot.

The sauces.

Jjapaguri with pork belly and egg. You mix it all up. “Creamy” and delicious sticky noodles with a rich quality offset slightly by the spicy/sweet pickles.

Overall, a great “second dinner” at Hanchic (first dinner was at Kinn). I really enjoyed the playful and creative take on Korean “snack” items. Between the casual atmosphere, late hours, and carby/fat forward sharable foods, this is a perfect post drinking spot. Great way to finish out a great evening.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Double Dinner, Foodie Club, Hanchic, Korean Fusion, Ktown, Second Dinner

Round 1 – Kinn

Apr05

Restaurant: Kinn

Location: 3905 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020. (213) 291-0888

Date: September 1, 2022

Cuisine: Korean Fusion

Rating: Really tasty & a great deal

Erick and I decided to visit some of LA’s top “Korean Fusion” places as just a small (the two of us) Foodie Club dinner. Since these spots are aimed at young Asian-American millennials they tend to have serve tiny tasting menus (by our gluttonous standards) and so we just booked a straight up Double Dinner (two dinners in one night)! Second Dinner was at Hanchic.

The Michelin Guide (which lists Kinn) describes it as follows:

Chef Ki Kim delivers something special with Kinn. Tucked along a main artery of K-town, the slim, modern space is fitted with a blonde wood counter and tables. Whether preparing dishes or presenting them, the chef and his team deliver an exclusive experience. Chef Kim’s experience in upscale restaurants informs his menu which features dishes retooled with a Korean bent. Case in point? The K-corn dog, made here with Dungeness crab and a bechamel filling. Confit hen of the woods mushroom conceals a briny and sweet surprise of uni, along with Asian pear. Pyongyang naengmyeon is a delightful combination that embodies the art of simplicity with beefy and savory broth filled with buckwheat noodles, paper-thin slices of brisket, cucumbers, Asian pears and radish kimchi.

We got there early (Double Dinner, round 1!) and it were the first in the door. The space is very narrow, with tables along one side and a “sushi-like” bar on the other.

Tonight’s menu. We got all the supplements, Double Dinner be damned.

2010 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Clos des Carmes Brézé. 93 points.

Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Sketch.

Steamed Abalone. Potatoes, squid ink. You slurp the contents out of the shell. Essentially it’s like a “abalone chowder.” Quite nice if a bit potato focused.

Perilla Salad. Tomatoes, Ikura, burrata, Perilla Sorbetto, Jelly. This was an amazing salad with a fantastic balance of sweet, herby, and tangy elements. The centerpeice was the Perilla (shiso) Sorbetto which seemed to be a properly formulated intensely shiso-flavored sweet sorbetto balanced with a bit of lemon juice.

Supplement of Confit Hen of the Woods Mushrooms and Uni. The mushrooms had a nice smokey “charcoal grilled” flavor and great texture.

Supplement of Spanish-Style Crispy Octopus. The sauce is a creamy aioli with Korean Chili Paste. Perfectly cooked octopus with a crispy outside and tender inside, I was able to cut it easily with a spoon. The aioli, basically a Korean inspired take on Bravos Sauce, was very thick and “creamy” with an egg, oil emulsion. Lovely take on this classic Spanish dish.

Rock Cod with a Fish Broth. The Crispy Topped fish was perfectly cooked, served with a Fennel Salad, and underlayed with a delicious Korean Fish Bone Broth spiked with Serrano Chili and Tarragon Oil. Really lovely.

Charcoal Grilled Wagyu Shortrib. The succulent beef was topped with kimchi spicy greens, a bit of potato puree and a dust made from sweet potato skins. Really lovely beef dish and I very much enjoyed the contrast with the spicy and bracing greens.

Pyongyang Naengmyeon. An iced buckwheat noodle with beef, pickles, and radish.

It’s deconstructed and you combine the elements like these toppings.

And the noodles.

To get the whole. Very refreshing, mild, and clean. Noodles had a great snappy texture. This was an “extremely” calm take showcasing the noodles unlike some of the more bracing chili paste, mustard, and vinegar Korean noodle dishes.

Corn Bingsoo with cheese. Corn and cheese in a dessert? Well this totally worked. Basically it was a shave ice with mild sweet corn flavors. It wasn’t massively sweet either but was cool, refreshing, and quite lovely.

The bill wasn’t bad at all, even with all the supplements.

Kinn was awesome. Not only was it intimate and the chef extremely friendly and interesting, but these were big bold flavors and quite novel. The cooking techniques are heavily “modern French” or “modern European” (some dishes like the Octopus are pretty Spanish) but a lot of Korean ingredients and flavors have been melded in. It’s simultaneously comforting and novel.

We immediately discussed setting up a larger format special dinner with the chef for later in the fall.

On to second dinner!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Double Dinner, Foodie Club, Kinn

Mes Ami – C’est Mort

Mar28

Restaurant: Mes Ami [ CHEF LEFT SUBSEQUENTLY ]

Location: 561541 Wilcox Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028. (323) 410-6200

Date: August 25, 2022

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Excellent — but closed

This summer a couple trendy new Hollywood places opened and of course the Foodie Club had to go try them out, tonight consisting of Erick, Jeridan, and myself.

Quoting from Eater:

There seems to be renewed optimism around Los Angeles’s robust restaurant scene, particularly as the state prepares to open up more broadly next week. The latest bit of promise for LA comes out of Hollywood, as chef Lincoln Carson makes his long-hoped-for return to the city with a brand new project called Mes Amis.

As the name implies, Carson’s newest restaurant will lean into French flavors by way of Paris and Lyon’s many cafes and brasseries — though Carson says his menu will be a more California “reinterpretation” of the classics, using Southern California produce from the nearby Hollywood Farmer’s Market. While specific dishes are still being worked out for the menu, expect Mes Amis to exude an upscale casual elegance and offer a strong dessert program, in addition to cocktails and wine.

It has a gorgeous new interior in a classic building.

Bread and butter. Bread was nice and crunchy, butter was fine, but no Normandy butter (at least as far as I could tell).

The menu is small and focused, quite French in its way.

Our wines tonight, plus the Grande Dame we bought off the list.

2008 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame.

PETITE SHELLFISH PLATEAU. 6 east and west coast oysters, 4 littleneck clams, 4 new caledonian prawns, 1 maine scallop crudo. The shrimp and oysters were great. The clams were a bit fishy and the scallop lacked the acidity I was looking for.

A zoom.

NV Krug Champagne Brut Rosé Edition 26eme. JG 95 The soon to be released Krug Rosé “26ème Édition” is from the base year of 2014. Given the long history of Maison Krug, sometimes it seems impossible that this beautiful bottling of Rosé has only seen twenty-six renditions. The blend this year includes one-third of reserve wines, running back to the 2005 vintage. The cépages is forty-four percent pinot noir, thirty percent chardonnay and twenty-six percent pinot meunier and the wine is once again its very pale, salmon color. It offers up a beautifully refined nose of tangerine, white cherries, wheat bread, chalky soil tones, a touch of citrus peel, gentle notes of brown spices and a discreetly smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is young, full-bodied and displays excellent depth in the mid-palate, with elegant mousse, lovely focus and grip, bright acids and a long, complex and very well balanced finish. Fine, fine juice, but this is still a puppy and deserves at least a few years in the cellar to blossom. (Drink between 2027-2060)

CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE NAPOLEON. puff pastry, prune gastrique. This was really lovely. It actually looked, felt, and tasted like a dessert. The pastry was a dessert mille-feuille with the foie acting more or less like a pastry cream.

DUCK PÂTÉ EN CROÛTE. black truffle, frisée, pickled rhubarb. Very nice decadant French pate.

“Everything” lavash for the pate and tartare.

PRIME CREEKSTONE STEAK TARTARE. egg yolk jam, crispy shallot, “everything” lavash. Very nice tartare with great texture.

BLACK TRUFFLE RISOTTO. ibérico ham, black trumpets, preserved truffle. Rich and subtle. Quite enjoyable.

1998 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays. VM 92. Good bright red-ruby color. Knockout nose combines cherry, raspberry, redcurrant, underbrush, licorice, flowers and earth. Penetrating and quite fine; offers a three-dimensional texture but is not really showing its underlying fat today. Intriguing note of cinnamon in the mouth. Finishes very long and complex, with dusty tannins and compelling sweetness. This should be superb with eight to ten years of bottle aging.

STEAK AU POIVRE. potato millefeuille, prime shortrib, peppercorn jus. This was a great steak. It was salty (in a good way) and very tender. The pepper was subdued but present and the crispy potatoes were awesome.

SMOKED LIBERTY DUCK BREAST. swiss chard, parsnip, wild huckleberry jus. Really fabulous duck breast. Extremely tender and full of flavor without being either chewy or gamey. The berry sauce complemented perfectly.

ROASTED LAMB WELLINGTON. pastry crusted lamb loin, thumbelina carrots, shell bean ragoût.

Quite lovely looking and tasted nice as well. Certainly not the lightest dish.

The jus.

SHELL BEAN RAGOÛT.

thumbelina carrots.

POMMES FRITES. Excellent, albiet salty. Perhaps the two are related.

Our awesome server Christian

2005 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. BH 94. This is a mild step up in overall class and elegance with a gorgeously perfumed white flower fruit nose introducing linear, precise, intense and powerful medium full flavors that remain splendidly focused on the stunningly long finish that drenches the palate in dry extract. This is a striking 1er and one to buy as it easily delivers grand cru quality. (Drink starting 2012)

The gang.

The dessert menu.

PEACH PAVLOVA. rose geranium, yellow peaches, blackberry, white verjus. Bright enjoyable peach and merignue combo.

ST. HONORÉ. pecan mousseline, pâte feuilletée, caramel. I love a good proper St Honore and this was a somewhat modernized or deconstructed variant. It did fortuantly retain the basic elements and flavors of the original. I liked it a lot, although I’m not sure it was actually “better” than the classic form.

CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ. valrhona chocolate, green chartreuse, génépy gelato. Pretty classic and lovely.

The chef, Lincoln Carson.

Overall, the food at Mes Amis was fabulous. It was sophisticated, a bit different, quite French, and delicious. Most of our foodie friends went — often several times — during the restaurant’s brief tenure. One of my friends even tried to go weekly. But it was indeed a brief tenure, maybe 6 months. The chef left and they are rebooting with a new concept and chef. At the moment they are only open for breakfast and lunch.

Even when we went there was a bit of a mismatch between the location and crowd and the kitchen. This was good cooking. But outside the restaurant was one of those “Hollywood crowds” of very young people undressed to kill. The music was loud. The default service seemed to revolve around the idea of bringing you a small number of dishes all at once — which is sort of a Hollywood mode for non-serious eaters nibbling while taking in the scene. We had to carefully produce the timing of our meal (aka slow it down and stage it). Anyway, it was an opportunity and a fine chef wasted, but I’m glad we got to go during the brief glory days.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Dessert, Foodie Club, French Cuisine, Hollywood, Lincoln Carson, Mes Ami, pate, scene, tartare

Providence Chef’s Table 2022

Mar23

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

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

Date: August 16, 2022

Cuisine: Cal French

Rating: Best meal I’ve had at Providence

I usually make it to Providence about once a year, and so we return with the Foodie Club for another Chef’s table dinner in the little back room.

The space used to be Patina in the 90s.

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

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

The Chef’s table has its own little room by the kitchen.

Le menu.

1982 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. VM 97. Both 1982 Champagnes are utterly spellbinding. It is amazing to taste these wines at 30 years of age and see that their signatures are all very much intact. Of course, the magnum format is so ideal for Champagne. The 1982 Krug Vintage is warm, toasty and totally expressive, with gorgeous exotic orange peel and white truffle overtones. This is one of my very favorite Krug vintages. Although fully mature, the 1982 is going to continue to develop at a glacial pace. The 1982 Dom Pérignon is just a little more focused and vibrant in style. Here it is the wine’s salivating minerality that really sings. It, too, is quite youthful and vibrant for its age. What a flight.

1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. BH 95. This is a wine that I know extremely well from 750 ml and it’s one that is beginning to tire though I hasten to point out that it’s still enjoyable and just beginning to show signs of fatigue. However there are no such concerns with the same wine from magnum that remains magnificently fresh and while it’s clear that the aromas are mature, that’s not at all the same thing as describing the yeasty and baked apple suffused nose as tiring. There is equally good depth and vibrancy to the beautifully delineated flavors that are supported by a fine and firm mousse that allows the texture of a well-aged Dom to be easily appreciated. For my taste this has arrived at its peak though note well that it should easily be capable of effortlessly holding for years to come. (Drink starting 2015)

Showing off the Australian Winter Black Truffles.

House cured king salmon with horseradish cream, dill, and pickled red onion on a rye toast. This was an incredible bite. It had great textures between the soft but stretchy fish and the crispy cracker. And the flavor was much like a Wolfgang Puck “Jewish Pizza.”

Hiramasa with rhubarb and avocado. This had the appearence of a crystaline tart. The falvor was mild and fruity with really interesting textures.

Super fatty Wagyu Tartare with oyster aioli and lime puree all nestled in a minature tart. Very rich but balanced by the punchy notes of the aioli. The softness of the beef was equally contrasted with the crispy/flaky tart.

A warm lobster mousse with a disc of Austrailian Winter Black Truffle a sliver of chive, and a palette shapped cracker. Another great bite!

MACADAMIA, golden kaluga caviar, caramelized shallot, nori. Very rich and mellow.

SASHIMI, heirloom tomato, shiso. The tomato made me wince a bit (raw tomato hater) but the combo was delicious. Everyone has these strong Japanese influences these days.

SALT-ROASTED SANTA BARBARA SPOT PRAWNS, rosemary, lemon, extra-virgin olive oil. Superbly cooked (and salty) prawn with a bit of roe as seasoning.

Gratuitous zoom.

2014 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Ruchottes. BH 93. The wood treatment isn’t shy, indeed today it fights somewhat with the otherwise cool and very pretty floral, pear, apple and soft petrol nuances. There is fine density to the sleek, sophisticated and utterly delicious medium-bodied flavors that possess good punch while offering excellent length on the balanced finish where the only nit is an unexpected touch of warmth. It’s sufficiently slight however and I suspect few readers would find it off-putting and with age, it may actually become less noticeable. Ramonet rarely misses with this wine and they certainly didn’t in 2014 though I would point out that this is going to need time in bottle to develop further depth. (Drink starting 2024)

From my cellar: 1985 Nicolas Potel Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. BH 91. A very fresh yet mature nose of citrus, white flower and lightly toasted nut aromas combines with round and vibrant middle weight flavors that possess a seductive and rich mouth feel, all wrapped in a sappy and mouth coating finish. This is really a lovely effort with complexity and ample finishing punch and is a wine that will continue to hold well if not improve. (Drink between 2007-2009)

Supplement of UNI EGG, sea urchin, champagne beurre blanc, brioche croutons. This is a Providence classic and for good reason. Absolutely delicious.

Cheesy Omelette with Austrailian Winter Black Truffles. Nice fluffy texture to the eggs.

NORWEGIAN KING CRAB. dwelley farms sweet corn, fermented radish. This was a stunningly good dish. Very moist bit of giant king crab.

Red fife sourdough. Great chewy bread. Particularly good with the butter.

Normandy Butter.

HOKKAIDO SEA SCALLOP, chanterelle, toro de oro pepper. Lovely scallop and I liked the texture on the mushrooms.

2008 Gaja Langhe Chardonnay Gaia & Rey. VM 91. One of the very few Italian Chardonnays that can be considered world class. The 2008 vintage, famous for very classic Barolos, has also delivered a taut, varietally accurate white that is more Chablis than Meursault in its definition, with a laser beam of mineral-inflected green banana and vanilla tones. It matched heavenly with the cotechino, by the way, and it didn’t overpower the delicate, heavenly soft carne cruda that followed my amuse-bouches.

agavin: Jeffrey swore by this Italian Chard — I wasn’t that impressed.

GOLDEN EYE SNAPPER (Kinmedai) with GEODUCK in Beurre Blanc. Fabulous fish prep. The snapper was perfectly cooked and classic with the butter sauce and the geoduck had a good bit of awesome chew.

Fresh Porcinis.

PORCINI RISOTTO, Sierra Porcini, Black Truffle. Extremely buttery in the best way.

From my cellar: 2003 Gros Frère et Sœur Grands-Echezeaux. BH 92. This too is very toasty but the spicy black fruit nose manages to transcend the wood and complements powerful, dense, borderline massive flavors of superb depth, all wrapped in dusty, firm and ripe tannins. This is a big wine and while it’s no model of elegance, one has to admire the muscle and sheer concentration. This will take its time coming around. (Drink starting 2011)

CALIFORNIA KING SALMON, black truffle, pommes allumettes, pickled ramp. Soft and delicate “rare” salmon.

LIBERTY FARMS DUCK BREAST, poached fig, fig compote, fig leaf oil. Classic and perfectly cooked. The fried confit thing on the right was of course the best.

Black Truffle Brie, rodolphe le meunier brie, black truffle, salty herb salad. The brie was very nice but I particularly liked the bright salad. Sadly the grand cheese cart is a covid casualty 🙁

Aged Comte Cheese with fresh shaved black truffles. Nice grainy texture to the cheese.

Crispy bread for the cheese.

MANGO, MINT, THAI BASIL, mango sorbet dusted with Espelette pepper, dried mango, and mango nectar. Bright and refreshing.

HOUSE-MADE HAWAIIAN CHOCOLATE, banana, barley, okinawan black sugar. Chocolate ganache inside a flourless chocolate cake with chocolate merignue, rum raisins, banana, a cacao tuile and barley gelato. Fortuantly I couldn’t detect the banana. The ice cream had nice texture. It’s probably from a pacojet.

Cacao husk tea. Bitter. There was a syrup which helped.

Peaches poached in rosé wine with lemon verbena and thyme. Like a fancy awesome version of canned peaches.

Mignardises. chocolate ganache bonbons, vanilla caramel tarts, chocolate panels with pistachio. My favorite was the caramel tart which was much like the awesome caramel tarts I found recently in Paris.

Macarons.

Jellies.

The wines. I don’t think we opened the Rhone. Can’t remember.

Granola “take home gift.”

This was probably the best Providence meal I’ve ever had, maybe even better than the one last year in the main dining room (which did have better white burg). They had just recently reopened post-lockdown and had clearly spent the time well retooling the menu. Service was exceptional as well which was very nice, particularly in contrast with so many “middle end” places that are short staffed right now. We had a ton of food tonight too with a lot of variation and many memorable dishes. The Chef’s Table is the best as it’s cozy, quiet, and we can get up to our antics (including flash photography) without interruption.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chef's Table, Foodie Club, Hollywood, Providence, Truffle, Wine

Fred loves N/Naka

Mar16

Restaurant: N/Naka [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Location: 3455 S. Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034. 310.836.6252

Date: August 12, 2022

Cuisine: Modern Kaiseki

Rating: Awesome

ANY CHARACTER HERE

The Foodie Club returned to N/Naka (again) with the (brief) return of remote member Fred. This meal is part 1 of a 3 big wine meals in 24 hour extravaganza. Woah!

The busy street corner on National.

The empty interior.
Our table — before we got to it.

Tonight’s menu.

Welcome drink. Sake mixed with juices.

Sakizuke. Hokkaido Scallop, oyster aioli, fermented asparagus gelee, scallop roe “dust”, beets, carrots, caviar, sunchoke chips.

The sunchoke chip is presented a minute after. I accidentally stuck it on “backward” so as to not maximize the sunflower and leaf motif they intended.

Zensai.

Tomato Okra Salad.

Abalone, uni, tosazu gelee, shiso.

Unagi, duck liver terrine. This had that PB&J quality that certain foie terrine creations do.

Watermelon lime “mojito”.

Shisito, minced wagyu. Very savory.

Corn, squash, yuzu ponzu, thai basil.

Homemade tofu, edamame, ginger soy. Very mild.

Modern Zukuri. Summer Tuna, pickled fennel, yamaimo, uni shoyu.

Uni shoyu for dipping. The instructions were to take some fish, a bit of pickled fennel and dip it. This was quite good. The Yamaimo yam was a bit slimy.

Owan. Shiromi, eggplant, junsai, hasu imo, ume. Very mild dashi-type soup.

Otsukuri. Traditional Sashimi. Ocean trout (looks like salmon), toro, and a white fish.

Yakimono. Binchotan Roasted Unagi, sudachi butter vinaigrette, yuzu pepper, lotus root “kabayaki.” This was actually quite “spicy” with the hefty amount of yuzu-combined pepper. This gave it an almost green coconut curry-like vibe.

Mushimono. Kegani, California Box Crab, egg (tamago), sakura mochi rice, dashi ankake.

Shiizakana. Spaghetti, abalone, pickled cod rod, truffles. The classic N/Naka pasta, double size. Awesome as always, but still small (even doubled).

Niku. A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Beef, arugula, baby corn, roasted peach, citrus fern, onion crumble. Very melt in your mouth beef.

Sunomono. Cucumber, grapes, tomato, shiso cucumber ice. Shot of yuzu juice.

While it tasted like sunomono, the ice gave it a very interesting texture and temperature factor.

Shokuji. Traditional Sushi.

Miso soup.

Blue Crab Handroll (as bonus to “fill us up”).

Mizumono. Watermelon Lime Sorbet, compressed watermelon. Very watermelony.

Peach Panna Cotta, peach sorbet, nata de coco, red beans, shiratama, anmitsu. Had that mild, soft, and sweet thing like a Filipino dessert.

Hojicha Latte Gelato – Ceremonial Hojicha Roasted Green Tea base, topped with 70% Valrhona and house-made Hazelnut Brittle — 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

Matcha.

Passionfruit yellow bean paste “candy“.

Take home blueberry muffin and tea. Muffin was very gooey and mild — not my taste.

Old Grand Cuvee.

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

agavin: Nice nose even.

From my cellar: 2001 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Caillerets. VM 90. High-pitched, high-toned aromas of peach and minerals. Quite dry following the Rougeots, with less texture and pliancy. This is very closed today (my sample from barrel a year ago was far more accessible and giving), but does not seem to have the depth of the Rougeots. Perhaps a bit rigid. This needs at least a few years in the bottle.

A touch closed and “bitter” at first, but opened up to become lovely.

1990 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. BH 93. An utterly beguiling nose of smoke, minerals and crushed herbs leads to big, muscular, rich and gorgeously nuanced palate staining flavors that offer huge length and real power plus class and breed to burn. I have had wonderful luck with this wine and while it is now fully mature and, it must be said, no longer what it used to be, it should still continue to drink well for another 5 to 10 years, perhaps even a bit longer.

Amazing!

1992 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. VM 98. The 1992 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru from Coche-Dury is a brilliant wine – period. It has a refulgent silvery hue that belies its age. The aromatics are perhaps more Puligny-like than Meursault in style: taut at first with subtle melted butter and yellow flower aromas. It is blessed with astonishing delineation and returning to my glass after 90 minutes…wow…popcorn, roasted almond, beeswax, linseed, certainly more Meursault-like in character. The palate is crisp, fresh and tensile at first, with wonderful salinity. This just gets the taste-buds going and there is tangible mineralité. Like the aromatics, it becomes more Meursault-like with aeration, gaining complexity with rondeur, hazelnut and smoke towards the mercurial finish. This is utterly sublime. Two bottles tasted at Tour d’Argent with consistent notes. (Drink between 2018-2035)

Also very fresh and nice.

2000 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses. VM 90+. Good medium red. Complex, very floral aromas of strawberry, cinnamon and rose petal. Sweet but also juicy and precise, with the strong floral character following through on the palate. A precise, perfumed wine with lovely cut but no shortage of texture. Stylish, flavorful and quite long.

Some great juice tonight!

Chef Niki comes out to say hi.

Fred and his lovely fiancé (now wife) Maria.

The setting is elegant, minimalist, and very Japanese. N/Naka really is a very special place. All the meals I had here were spectacular. Plus we even did an amazing all foie gras meal here once. The place keeps getting better and better. This is thrice wonderful because often one finds a slight bloom to come off a place on repeat meals. At N/Naka everything is seasonal and constantly rotating.

Coming back to N/Naka after the pandemic I thought they were really firing on all cylinders. This was the best meal I’ve had there since the incredible Foie meal. I think her sushi has gone from “okay” to “great” and with regard to other dishes she has toned down a bit of the “theatrics” slightly but really upped the flavor balance and intensity. There weren’t some of the more interactive dishes of years past, like cooking your own item on hot stones, but the cooking was even more on point.

Service is also spectacular, highlighted all the more by the extremely low understaffed standard currently found in LA.

Click here to other LA Japanese restaurants.

Or other Foodie Club extravaganzas.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, coche, Foodie Club, Fred, Gelato, N/Naka, Niki Nakayama, White Burgundy, Wine

Coche In at Brothers Santa Monica

Feb23

Restaurant: The Brothers Sushi Santa Monica

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

Date: July 28, 2022

Cuisine: Modern Sushi

Rating: Awesome (and close)!

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.

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.

This particular visit was during their soft opening and Chef Mark Okuda was there to personally handle our omakase.

The build out is gorgeous. Here the bar is for omakase only and the tables are for à la carte only.

More details.

Chef Mark Okuda on the left and his chef de cuisine Moriyuki Kanamaru.

2014 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Cuvée Nicholas et Mathis. 93 points. Flinty nose, but not very giving. Lemon infused palate, crisp and acidic with lemon rind elements and a chalky texture. Much more closed than the very open 2013.

What better way to inaugurate a new sushi bar than with coche night!

2008 Coche-Dury Meursault. VM 91. Peach and white flowers on the nose; a real essence of Meursault perfume. Then creamy-rich and sweet, with soft citrus flavors dominating. Finishes with lovely lingering sweetness of fruit. Ridiculously sexy village wine.

2011 Domaine & Selection Meursault Coche-Dury. 92 points.

2012 Coche-Dury Meursault. 94 points. Sexy aromas of orange oil and brown spices. Bright and penetrating, with peach and soft citrus flavors firmed on the tactile back end by saline minerality. Really excellent texture and length for village wine. (Incidentally, don’t hesitate to snap up Coche’s 2012 Bourgogne Blanc if you can find it. This ripe, fruit-driven wine, from rocky soil around Coche’s house, is as good as most Meursault village wines. The very rich, tactile, classic Meursault Narvaux, which is usually sent to the U.S., was just at the beginning of its malo, and the Rougeot hadn’t even started at the end of May.)

2013 Coche-Dury Meursault. 93 points. Pale, bright yellow. Stone fruits and a honeyed nuance on the inviting nose. Concentrated, ripe and dry, conveying a musky complexity to the flavors of peach, pear and minerals. Finishes with excellent energy and a positive phenolic edge. (Burgundy lovers who routinely snap up the Coche-Dury Bourgogne Blanc when they’re lucky enough to spot it in a retail shop or on a restaurant wine list will love the very sexy 2013 version, which offers intense white peach and lime flavors framed by lemony acidity and finishes with noteworthy refinement for its humble appellation.) (Drink between 2017-2023)

2016 Coche-Dury Meursault. 93 points. A cooler and more restrained nose features notes of spicy green apple, acacia blossom and the hallmark hazelnut wisps. There is excellent density to the finer and more mineral-inflected flavors that possess almost painful intensity on the focused, powerful and strikingly persistent finish. This too is a seriously good performance for a villages level wine that should age effortlessly for at least a decade. (Drink starting 2026)

Marinated Seaweed, Scallop, and Okra. Sunomono sweet and tangy quality with beautiful textures.

2 week aged King Salmon, Marinated Momotaro Tomato, Ponzu Jelly, and Ice Plant. Delicious.

Smoke infused dry aged medium Chu Toro with wasabi. The smokey flavor is lovely.

Chawanmushi with Dungeness Crab and Santa Barbara Uni. A very lovely sweet and briny custard.

Maryland softshell Blue Crab, lightly fried and marinated with pickles. The acidity served as a nice offset to the grease of the fry.

Spring snapper.

5 day dry aged Amberjack.

Shima Aji from Kushu Japan.

Golden eye snapper. Had a touch of char as he blow torches some charcoal over it.

Marinated Maguro (blue eye toro).

Sweet Ebi from Japan.

Special brined Ikura over rice and topped with wasabi.

Sea Perch.

O Toro. Some of the softest, fatiest otoro I have yet had.

Anago Sea Eel from Kushu. Lovely soft texture.

Another round of chu and o toro

Clam miso. Lovely briny flavor. Very satisifying.

Tamago.

Hokkaido uni “wrap”.

A5 Wagyu nigiri.

Hokkaido scallop.

Toro Takuan Handroll.

Hamachi.

Ikura.

Ngawa. Haven’t heard of this fish but it was super tender and delicious, almost unctuous.

Seared Chu Toro “Zule” with homemade soy sauce.

Matcha Cheesecake.

Leche Quemada Gelato — “burnt” some milk with Cinnamon and Vanilla and then cooked into the mix a light Water Caramel. I didn’t have any Animal Crackers so I decorated with Stroopwafel — 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 #cookie #cinnamon #vanilla #BurntMilk #stroopwafel #caramel

Chef enjoying some gelato.

Bonus!

Overall, another perfect night of sushi and white burgundy!

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 Italian dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Brothers Sushi, BYOG, Foodie Club, Gelato, Mark Okuda, Moriyuki Kanamaru, Omakase, Sushi, Wine

Camphor Cool

Feb14

Restaurant: Camphor

Location: 923 E 3rd St Suite 109, Los Angeles, CA 90013. (213) 626-8888

Date: July 14, 2022

Cuisine: Modern French Bistro

Rating: Great fusion of flavors

Camphor is a modern bistro located in DTLA’s bustling Arts District led by Co-Executive Chefs Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George. It seems to merge French style with some Indian flavors.

Jeffrey and Erick and I, collectively the Foodie Club or Bottom Feeders, set off to try it out — and of course ordered almost the entire menu (as we are wont to do).

They are located down in the Arts District — ugly location, but a nice build out. It’s the same space that used to house Nightshade, another place I liked that shut down during the pandemic. Some of the owners and/or staff have carried over.

The interior. It doesn’t look that different than Nightshade did.

The menu and our marked up version.

1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. 92 points. Best attribute is a long finish, with good balance. Notes of white flower and tree fruit.

From my cellar: 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 94 points. When they are on the wines are really incredible, this bottle was flinty and completely alive and delicious, everything you could want but the success rate is pretty much 50% on these wines for me so as long as you are comfortable with that reality they are worth seeking out, I’m not sure I’m going to be buying anymore myself. Even at 2x the average retail price on these which is basically what the cost is when you have to pour out every other bottle, they are still a relative bargain compared to any other older White Burg but it’s a frustrating experience opening them.

Amuse in the form of a light delicious foam in a chickpea shell. Very nice refreshing bite.

Saucisson with brown pepper. Tasty thin salami.

Baby shrimp “gunpowder.” Incredibly tasty little salty crunchy shrimp with a hint of curry and/or lemongrass and basil.

Clam barbajuan. Tasty, but the ratio of fry made it taste like there could have been anything in there.

Clams with garlic parsley butter. Quite tasty.

Tartare of beef with an herb tempura. This was a fabulous “creamy” tartare and particularly delicious on the crispy herbs.

Herb tempura to put the tartare on.

A5 wagyu otoro carpaccio. Also creamy. They like the sacues here.

Barbajuan of Dungeness crab. There was also probably spinach in there. I thought there was a nice (but subtle) crab flavor. The shell was great.

Sauces for the barbajuan of a creamy butter sauce and incredible pickled sweet Peruvian peppers.

Special onion tart with anchovies. This was very good, but not as good as Jeffrey wanted.

From my cellar: 1989 Daniel Moine-Hudelot Clos Vougeot. Amazing!

Special dover sole with brown butter beurre blanc with capers and bread crumbs.

The browned butter.

Breadcrumbs.

They like to sauce at the table. Very soft and rich and delicious fish.

Lobster with coral bisque. Super tender lobster tail with a sauce that was basically lobster bisque.

The lobster claws in a ridiculously rich and delicious hollandaise-like foam.

Lentils and Lamb. Under this foam was a lentil soup with a hint of curry and a touch of lambiness. Not much meat but it was delicious.

1993 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge.

Chicken with Thyme and chicken jus. This was a soft log of chicken and super delicious. The sauce was vaguely curry-like and so we called it the “curry wurst.”

Asparagus and béarnaise. Salty and good.

Special of layered crispy potato. This was great and the sauce beneath had a complex sweet and sour flavor that reminded me of chaat puri (the Indian street food).

Special of ribeye from a special source with a slightly different bearnaise sauce. Very nice meat but I was very full.

Soft sweet bread.

Chocolate and hazelnut. There was icecream and crunch underneath. Quite good.

Special of strawberry and cream in a crispy shell. Fabulous. Again, too bad I was full.

The chefs.

Little madeleines.

This was a super fun dinner, one of my favorites of the year, and I loved Camphor. First of all, I really enjoy these small Foodie Club/Bottom Feeders outings to new restaurants. They are free of drama and chaos of some larger dinners. Then I really enjoyed the food. It’s precise, and very very saucy — but I like saucy. Be prepared for it. Everything is sauced. Béarnaise, beurre blanc, reductions, it’s all there. But sauce adds fat, salt, and flavor to otherwise plain proteins. And I really enjoyed the precise French style paired with bolder more assertive Indian flavors, without getting too heavy. The DNA is mostly French.

Oh and our Burgundies turned out very well tonight. The 1989 Clos Vougeot was one of those magical wines. So lucky when those happen. Some people have complained that Camphor dish size is too small. This is actually a plus in my book and just an opportunity to order more dishes. Look at how much we got through with just three gluttons!

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Camphor, DTLA, Foodie Club, French Cuisine, Sauce, Wine

Teatime at Tata’s

Dec09

Restaurant: Tata’s Cafe

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

Date: May 27, 2022

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Great ingredients and a lot of fun

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

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

NV Henriot Champagne Brut Souverain.

Erick and I brought almost all the wines for this dinner as most of the guests aren’t collectors.

2017 Costaripa Valtènesi Rosamara.

The place setting.

Our special menu tonight.

2013 Prager Riesling Smaragd Achleiten. VM 93. Clarity and primary juiciness emerge from the present collection of Rieslings only when we get to this point. A shimmering interaction of crystalline stony suggestions with white peach, raw almond and bittersweet liquid floral perfume plays out on a subtly satin-like if also fundamentally firm palate. Bright lemon and its pips lend refreshing vivacity and piquant counterpoint on the vibrant, long finish. (Drink between 2015-2025)

Hokkaido Scallop and Uni Crudo.

1997 Verget Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes. VM 90-92. Exotic tropical fruits, apple, honey and a whiff of caramel on the nose. Superripe honey and apple flavors are almost too ripe; in a Show Reserve Australian chardonnay style. Finishes with a note of butterscotch. This has more impressive material than the above, but I’d find the regular Fourchaume easier to drink.

Toast with Egg Yolk and Caviar. Creme Fraiche, celery root puree, chives. This was really yummy.

2005 Cantina di Santadi Shardana Valli di Porto Pino IGT. VM 94. The 2005 Shardana is an awesome Carignano endowed with exuberant dark fruit, smoke, licorice, sage, rosemary and tar. This is a fairly big, masculine wine with great intensity, depth and roundness. It needs another year or two in bottle for the tannins to settle down. The Shardana is formidable, though, and a terrific choice for hearty cuisines. (Drink between 2013-2021)

Roasted Bone Marrow with sea salt and peppered crostini. I don’t really like bone marrow dishes like this. There is basically no “marrow” on the bone, so you scrape a thin layer of fat and collagen onto a toast. Not really my thing. The pickles were good though.

New world juice.

2014 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. VM 94. Pale, bright yellow. Fresh yellow peach, apricot, lemon and toast on the nose, accented by a subtle spearmint note and a whiff of oyster shell. Densely packed, intense, saline and penetrating; tightly wound yet somehow pliant, this wine offers considerable charm owing to its early balance and sweetness but is built for a graceful evolution. Superb, seamless wine with enlivening saline minerality carrying the finish and giving it terrific grip and lift. (Drink between 2020-2032)

Heirloom Tomato Salad. Compressed cantaloupe, Bulgarian feta, pine nut salsa verde. I think for tomato lovers this would have been great. I can handle the little tomatoes, but the big ones have too much “tomato gut.”

2011 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Valbuena 5°. VM 94. Inky ruby. Sexy, high-pitched dark berry and floral pastille aromas are complemented by suggestions of oak spices and smoky minerals. Shows a surprisingly light touch on the palate, offering sharply focused blackberry, bitter cherry, licorice candy and floral pastille flavors that deepen and become sweeter with air. Harmonious tannins add grip to the extremely long, sappy finish, which leaves behind notes of dark berry preserves and candied lavender. (Drink between 2021-2032)

Whole Roast Suckling Pig!

So soft he cuts it with a plate.

We each got this much meat!

2010 Domaine Lignier-Michelot Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Bertin. VM 91-93. The 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Bertin is rich, dark and sensual. Black cherries, plums, spices and minerals are some of the notes that are woven into this generous, textured wine. The Cuvée Bertin finds a higher, brighter register on the mid-palate and finish. This is a beautifully poised, elegant Gevrey. The Cuvée Bertin was made with 40% whole clusters. (Drink between 2015-2025)

Crispy Duck Breast. Cherry sauce, purple cauliflower & King Trumpet croutons. This was a good dish. The brown mushy stuff under the duck was very savory and delicious.

2014 Compania de Vinos del Atlantico Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz Vara Y Pulgar.

Porcini Crusted NY Steak. Getting full here.

Yuzu Tart. Very nice little “meringue” pie.

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

The wines.

We had a very fun time. Big group and diverse wines with a LOT of food.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Foodie Club, Gelato, Jeff Bovon, suckling pig, Tata's Cafe, Wine

Ancient Baroli

Nov29

Restaurant: Heroic Deli and Wine Bar [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Location: 516 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 490-0202

Date: May 17, 2022

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Awesome wines and time

In Spring of 2022 friend Jeffrey, owner of Heroic Italian, hosted a series of old wine dinners. This one is (mostly) old Barolo. These things are immortal and some of my favorite accessible old wines.

To complement Jeffrey prepared an almost ludicrously rich and copious amount of food. Pay careful attention as the plated courses are INDIVIDUAL.

The street view.

We situated ourselves in the back of the main dining room. This was an epic dinner. Not only were the wine’s crazy good — these last forever.

Tonight’s special menu.

From my cellar: 2015 Azienda Agricola Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. VM 93+. Good bright yellow. The pure, complex nose suggests lime, yellow apple and botanical herbs. Then very precise, intense and penetrating, if still youthfully unevolved, conveying a powerful, three-dimensional impression of extract and a deep, textured, multilayered mouthfeel. The wine closes very long and juicy, with herbal and saline elements that titillate the taste buds. Another outstanding wine from Valentini, who never misses a beat with his Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. (Drink between 2022-2033)

Jotas Jamon brushetta. Special piggy toasts.

Scallop with Uni and Caviar.

Walker manages the wines.

From my cellar: 1958 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva. Unfortunately flawed. Tasted like old dry sherry. Really really good dry sherry.

The 1958 is on the left next to another wine of similar age. Uh yeah, it’s gone. Had to open a backup 58 (below).

One old Spanish “snuck” in.

Praise Cheezus. Jeffrey concocted this whacky take on fried mozzarella served with spicy sauce, garlic aioli, and pesto.

We demonstrate how cheesy the interior is!

1947 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva. 94 points. Wild strawberries with balsamico was mentioned by one at the dinner, and I completely agree. Also the slightest hint of nail polish. Also leather, rose hip, rose petals and “old” scents like an aged book or an old style library.

1955 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo.

Lobster Claw “prequel.” Served before the main lobster event.

My backup: 1958 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva. 96 points. Very light color in the glass, but the wine got better and better with air. Overall it was consistent with my previous experience. Complex nose of dried flowers, caramel, quite a bit of red fruit, tar, and cherries. Good structure with present tannins and fruit notes that picked up weight with air. Long finish. Amazing experience.

Spicy Calabrian Sausage Pasta. This is an awesome dish with great al dente pasta and quite a lot of heat. Sort of a wine killer, but delicious all the same.

Lobster “Thermidor.” Mayhaps there is a “reaction” to this joke.

Farmer’s market asparagus.

1964 Fontanafredda Barolo. 93 points.

1967 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo. JG 94. 1967 is one of my absolute favorite vintages in the Langhe for current consumption and the ’67 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo is a stunning example of this very underrated year. The celestial nose offers up a complex and classy mélange of black cherries, licorice, pungent roses, road tar, spit-roasted gamebirds, complex soil tones and a topnote of bonfires. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and absolutely à point, with a great core of pure fruit, melting tannins, bright acids and simply stunning length and grip on the focused and impeccably balanced finish. Just a great bottle of fully mature Barolo at its zenith! (Drink between 2010-2040)

1970 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo.

Heroic’s amazing garlic bread. So good, so carby.

Pan seared foie gras “Estilo Hoffman.” Larry likes his foie.

Herbed Kurobata Pork Roll. aka porchetta.
The porchetta served with smashed potatoes, liver sauce, and creamed spinach (below). The meat was amazingly flavorful with that perfect crispy exterior. The smashed potatoes are very sexy as well.

Creamed spinach.

Old Amaro and Etrusco — cool stuff!

Holy Cannoli. Good cannoli, but the shell needs that bubbly flakey quality from adding the wine to the dough and the ricotta, while good, wasn’t made fresh that morning in a small Sicilian village.

Overall, another amazing meal. So much food and so good. And the old Baroli… Except for my dead solider there were so many good ancient grapes. I really like old baroli as they have this lovely dried fruit quality that just keeps going and going!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more Foodie Club dining, click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Barolo, Foodie Club, Gelato, ham, Heroic Italian, Jeffrey Merrihue, pasta, Pig, Wine

Slytherin Specialty

Nov22

Restaurant: Toku Unagi & Sushi

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

Date: May 12, 2022

Cuisine: Japanese BBQ Eel

Rating: D-eel-ishish

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

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

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

The interior.

Big menu actually.

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

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

Amuse of macaroni salad. Delicious, actually.

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

Monkfish liver. Great sunomono-style kelp underneath.

Cold Tofu. Nice. Great silken texture.

Ago-dashi tofu. Great.

Some of the tofu pulled out.

Yuzu Cervice. Nice and bright.

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

Unagi Chawanmushi (egg custard).

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

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

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

Unagi Yanagawa. Delicious. Some very fibrous vegetables.

Rib Eye. Not that much flavor.

Unagi (and vegetable) Tempura. Quite nice.

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

Pickles. I love Japanese pickles.

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

Special soup. More or less a dashi.

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

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

Macha Cream Brulee.

Vanilla Cream Brulee.

The wines.

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

The wines were awesome, of course.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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

Gucci Gucci

Nov18

Restaurant: Gucci Osteria

Location: 347 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (424) 600-7490

Date: May 5, 2022

Cuisine: Modern Italian

Rating: Amazing — and foamy!

Over a decade ago I had an amazing meal at Osteria Francescana in Modena, one of the most respected and highly rated restaurants in Italy. So, I was very excited, but cautious, to hear that Chef Massimo Bottura partnered with Gucci (of all things) to open a restaurant in Beverly Hills.

It has it’s own door right next to the store on Rodeo.

Here’s the main Gucci store. I can’t help but visualizing Al Pacino demonstrating some loafers.

The dining room is upstairs above the store and has a lovely and stylish greenhouse vibe. It’d be great for power lunch as well.

This is all serious tasting menus. We got the “Chef’s Experience” but added SEVERAL signature dishes off the other menus.

Erick proudly sporting the menu.

Truffle and Cheese Foam Tart amuse.

One “problem” at Gucci Osteria is that they don’t allow any corkage. But it turns out that their “regular” wine pairing is actually all interesting Italian wines, which I do love. They also have a premium pairing which has some nice Italian wines, but is corrupted by a bunch of French (fine but not necessary given how many great wines Italy has) and — gasp — new world wines. Why would they do that? Anyway, we got the (almost) all Italian set.

NV Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige Brut. VM 91. Pale straw-yellow with a strong mousse. Bright, perfumed apple and pear aromas and flavors. Closes long with very good lemony cut and bright floral lift. One of the freshest, prettiest versions I can remember of the Cuvée Prestige, a sparkler that in my experience is often a little too heavy on sweet dosage. Disgorged fall 2017. (Drink between 2018-2023)

Lavash bread and raisin/fruit bread.

Normandy style butter.

Whipped Ricotta. Really light and delicious. Cough, cough: foam!

American Breakfast. Eggs, potato foam. Really smooth and luxurious. Notice the foam / velouté thing going on, you will see it again.

2020 Passo delle Tortore Fiano di Avellino Bacio delle Tortore. Fiano is a super dry and acidic white wine from the more volcanic coastal regions of southern Italy (in this case, Eastern Sicily).
From Japan & Italy to LA. Shigoku oyster. Nice oyster.

Prosciutto consommé. Cold and mild and porky. Not my thing.

2018 San Michele Appiano (St. Michael-Eppan) Sauvignon Sanct Valentin. VM 92. Bright straw. Aromas and flavors of passion fruit, green fig, sage and rosemary. Fresh and juicy with glyceral sweetness giving an impression of residual sugar. Closes long and focused with lingering hints of gooseberry and sage. A lovely Sauvignon Blanc. (Drink between 2019-2025)

Fish Tartare – Smoked and Crispy. Rock fish, potatoes, shiso.

2016 Cantine Bonacchi Brunello di Montalcino Molino della Suga. 92 points. This Sangiovese is starting to mature- pale garnet in the glass with thick legs (14% ABV). Pronounced aromas of cherry, leather and strawberry with hints of clove, rooibos tea, garigue and dried herb. The palate is dry and quite tannic. I get lovely crushed cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, strawberry coulis and earthy leather. This wine has juicy acidity and a full body- it’s just now starting to become drinkable. It is a very young wine with great structure and potential for aging that will allow tertiary flavor development. Right now it is still relatively primal. Delicious stuff that has a long finish and rather astringent mouthfeel right now. It will drink beautifully till 2030 and pair well with Italian fare, grilled ribeye or game. 93 points from me for this $40 wine makes it a 5 star effort.

Welcome Home. Polenta, taleggio, beef ragu. Super “creamy” and delicious. More foam!

2017 Monteraponi Chianti Classico Baron’ Ugo. VM 92. The 2017 Chianti Classico Baron’Ugo is a dark, potent wine. A rush of aromas and flavors hits the palate as this full-bodied, heady Chianti Classico offers its substantial richness and pure power. A wine of density and volume, the 2017 screams with character. Red cherry, spice, mint and blood orange saturate the palate. In 2017, warm, dry weather pushed ripeness to the edge. The Baron’Ugo is decidedly eccentric in 2017, and yet all the elements are so nicely balanced. (Drink between 2022-2037)

Risotto Camouflaged as Pizza. Tomato, Basil, Stracciatella. Incredible bright pizza Margarita flavor.

Bowl licking good.

NV Dante Garuti & Figli Lambrusco di Sorbara.

Tortellino Truffle. Parmigiano Reggiano sauce. This is a Gucci Osteria classic.

2018 Cascina Fontana Barbera d’Alba. 94 points. Rich, complex aroma with elements of black fruit, dried leaves, and red hots. Sappy flavors of huckleberry and fresh oregano up front, burst of acid laced cherry fruit in the finish. Smooth by Barbera standards, but with firm acids underneath. Lovely and distinctive wine.

Cod as Milanese. Farmer’s market tomato terrine.

2016 Giorgio Pelissero Barbaresco Nubiola. VM 88. The 2016 Barbaresco Nubiola is a powerful, dense wine. Black cherry, spice, menthol, licorice and leather are all amped up in this potent, concentrated Barbaresco from Giorgio Pelissero. Nubiola is typically a bit more refined, but in 2016 it is especially powerful and clenched, with huge tannins that need cellaring to soften. Time in the glass brings out the attractive floral upper register that is typical of Nubiola, but the textural richness and depth remain. (Drink between 2021-2031)

Bollito. Wagyu, apple mostarda, warm zabaione. Again creamy and rich. Woah, more foam!

2016 Val Delle Rose Maremma Toscana Aurelio. 88 points.

Chicken Skin Fries.

Balsamic Mayo for the fries. Super aioli texture.

Pastry chef Tamara Rigo chats with us.

Mini Me. Beef ribeye, cotechino, salsa verde, balsamic mayonnaise. Super yummy mini-burger.

Chibi Zumo ‘Little Sumo’ Junmai Geenshu Sake, Hyogo Prefecture.

Cool Vibes. Pistachio gelato, lime, mint, sake.

2014 Azienda Agricola Prà “Passito Bianco Delle Fontane”. 88 points. A lot of white flowers. Acacia being the most dominant. Orange peel, overripe apricots, nectarines, yellow peaches. Full bodied; but some lift to it.

Honey comes in this cool bee!

Milk & Honey. Milk, honey, coriander.

Puff Pastry, Passionfruit Jelly, Chocolate.

The bill — for 1 — gulp!

We closed them out.

Then hung out in the kitchen with two of the chefs! They were super nice. The chef on the right is pastry chef Tamara Rigo (she’s Italian — and yes Italians can be redheads). Not pictured is Chef Mattia Agazzi who has garnered a lot of press.

Overall, this was an amazing meal. It’s really the only meal I’ve had in America that reminds me of my many many 2 and 3 star meals in Italy. Now, that being said Italy, and to a much lesser extent LA, has tons of lovely more “casual” or “homestyle” Italian restaurants. In fact it’s hard to go wrong in Italy and casual places are amazing. But these fancy places have a style unique all to themselves and Gucci Osteria really delivers on that. Its particular style is rather rich and opulent with an incredible bounty of foams, veloutés, and fatty emulsions. I happen to love these kind of smooth textures, and I can handle very rich, but not everyone does. Still, to my taste it was delicious.

Service was amazing also and I actually really enjoyed the creative and offbeat Italian wine pairings. Italy has so many stupendous wines in every possible style, so there is no reason to eat Italian food with wine from anywhere else.

The idea of going back again leaves me “foaming” at the mouth!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Beverly Hills, Foodie Club, Gucci, Gucci Osteria, Italian cuisine, Massimo Bottura

Heroic Spanish

Nov03

Restaurant: Heroic Deli and Wine Bar [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Location: 516 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 490-0202

Date: March 15, 2022

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Awesome wines and time

In Spring of 2022 friend Jeffrey, owner of Heroic Italian, hosted a series of old wine dinners. This one is old Spanish. These things are immortal!

To complement Jeffrey prepared an almost ludicrously rich and copious amount of food. Pay careful attention as the plated courses are INDIVIDUAL.

The street view.

We situated ourselves in the back of the main dining room.

In honor of the old Spanish wine Jeffrey brought in a whole pig!

He also has this interesting water pulled out of “thin air” by a machine. Quite good too.

1970 Bodegas Tradición Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Oloroso Anada. 95 points. Intense and very complex nose, nutty, dry fruit, a hint of luxurious cognac. Very rich and round, strong acidity and mineral and a long deeply toned nutty finish. My guess is an old sherry. It could also a dry style Madeira. With air, incredibly complex, sweet cognac nose. This will go incredibly well with aged comte or parmesan.

Amuse of Cinco Jotas Jabugo on Toast with Crushed Tomato.

1986 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco. VM 98. Bright yellow-gold. A hugely complex bouquet evokes dried pear, peach nectar, orange marmalade, honey, marzipan and chamomile, with vanilla and smoky mineral notes in the background. Stains the palate with sappy, deeply concentrated citrus, orchard and pit fruit flavors, plus suggestions of brown butter, shortbread and orange zest. This wine is fully mature but there’s no sign of it slowing down anytime soon. Finishes with superb persistence and energy, leaving peach liqueur, buttered toast and honey notes behind, eventually. This is one of the most remarkable white wines that I have ever had, from anywhere. (Drink between 2022-2031)

Scallop Bruschetta with Uni and Caviar. Buttery and delicious.

Foie Gras “LH” Bruschetta. Larry (LH) loves foie, so Jeffrey prepared not 1, not 2, but 4 liver courses!

House-made Vegetable Fritatta.

Served with perfect Garlic Aioli. It’s a great frittata and the intense garlic punch really knocks it up.

From my cellar: 1968 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia. VC 95. I cannot recall having crossed paths previously with the ’68 Tondonia Gran Reserva, and given how beautifully this bottle showed, I do not intend to wait a long time until having the next bottle of this brilliant wine. The bouquet is deep, pure and perfumed, as it soars from the glass in a beautiful mélange of cherries, orange zest, cinnamon sticks, lovely soil tones, a touch of nutskin and a distinct topnote of rose petals. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and spicy, with a fine core, great length and grip and still a bit of tannin to resolve on the long and palate-staining finish. A great, great bottle of Rioja. (Drink between 2008-2030)

1959 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. VM 95. Upon opening, with just a quick decant, I am blown away by the wine’s depth and overall intensity. Bright red cherry, cedar, tobacco, sweet vanillin and incense are all so wonderfully alive, with bright acids playing off the natural intensity of the fruit. Sure, there is a bit of volatile acidity, but not enough to detract from the wine’s immense pleasure. Even though the market for Rioja has changed dramatically over the last 10-15 years, older vintages still deliver exceptional value in the world of fine, ageworthy wine. Readers lucky enough to own the 1959 can look forward to another twenty years of magnificent drinking, maybe more. Longevity will ultimately be driven by the integrity of the cork, as the wine itself is basically eternal. (Drink between 2020-2040)

1954 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia. JG 54. The 1954 Bosconia Gran Reserva is at its absolute apogee and is drinking beautifully well. The bouquet is deep, complex and very refined in its mélange of raspberries, red currants, orange rind, nutskins, lovely spice tones and a fine base of Rioja soil. On the palate the wine is medium-full, round, focused and quite spicy in its personality, with lovely mid-palate depth, bright acids to keep the wine bouncy from attack to finish, and excellent length and grip on the complex backend. 1954 is a great vintage in Rioja, and the Bosconia Gran Reserva is a fittingly fine homage to the quality of the vintage. (Drink between 2008-2025)

1952 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. 99 points. extraordinary and special wine, which managed to amaze me.

1948 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Reserva Cuvée Especial.

Foie “ Hoff” Gras Agnolloti with black truffles. A “light” little foie and truffle pasta to satisfy the foie monster at the table. No butter or cream here either… look away… move along…

Garlic bread. Great crunchy bread. Not that we needed extra carbs but I smeared aioli on for even more garlic.

En Croute…

Salmon en Croute with Farmers Market Asparagus. This isn’t a light dish either and this is a single person portion! Between the pastry and the beurre blanc…

Pan Seared Foie Gras “Estilo Hoffman”. More foie!

Classic Osso Buco with Risotto Milanese. Oh and this is a single portion of a giant hunk of cow leg with a huge pile of to-die-for classic risotto!

Then there is a whole pig.

Whole Roast Pig with Liver Sauce. With creamed spinach and liver sauce. Haha. A light finish to the savories.

1994 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage. JG 94. The 1994 vintage of Taylor is a huge and powerful wine, but it does not possess quite the same vivid freshness of my very favorite vintages in the last several decades. Perhaps this is just a stage that the wine is in today, but amongst the fine troika of vintage Taylors from the 1990s, I have to give a slight nod to the remarkably refined and hauntingly brilliant 1992 Taylor over the larger-scaled 1994. The very powerful bouquet on the ’94 offers up a mix of intense cassis, plum, chocolate, licorice, tar, and a huge base of earth. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and quite closed on the attack, with a huge, rock solid core of fruit, firm, well-covered tannins, great soil inflection, and an impressive brightness on the finish that is not evident on the nose today. If this is simply a dumb stage for the wine, then my score will prove to be conservative. (Drink between 2025-2075)

Pecan Tart with Irish Coffee & Whisky Gelato and Baileys Irish Gream Gelato.

Baileys Irish Gream Gelato — New stabilized 13% Bailys Irish Cream recipe, with a touch of seasonal coloring! — Designed to pair with “Irish Coffee Gelato” — 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

Irish “Coffee” Gelato — Tullamore Dew Irish Whisky blended into a Coffee Custard Gelato base with (optional) layers of Crushed Oreo — Designed to pair with “Baileys Irish Gream Gelato” 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 #expresso #whiskey #custard #oreos #irish

This was an epic dinner. Not only were the wine’s crazy good — these last forever — but there was so MUCH food. Look at the size of those individual portions and then there is all the foie, the osso bucco, en croute etc. Wow. I’m still full half a year later writing it up.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more Foodie Club dining, click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Foodie Club, Gelato, Heroic Deli, Heroic Italian, Italian cuisine, Pig, rioja, Spanish Wine

Major Manzke

Oct28

Restaurant: Manzke

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

Date: April 1, 2022

Cuisine: Modern American French

Rating: Really good

There is no question that Walter Manzke is one of LA’s most influential chefs of the last decade or so. His Republique is iconic and I’ve eaten dozens of meals there.

Manzke is his new “tasting menu only” spot located in the former Picca space above Water’s Bicyclette. Manzke is sort of a full restaurant version of the kind of special Walter tasting menu meal I’ve been getting for years at special events in the Republique private room.

The build out is lavish, two leveled, and features a big open kitchen.

There is a full bar of course.

One of us got an Old Fashioned.

The four of us had one of the larger tables upstairs on the balcony — which is the place to be — and they are made of lovely wood. The whole restaurant isn’t that loud (unlike Republique which is super loud) but the balcony is nice and calm.

Our menu for the night.

Jacques Selosse Initial. 93 points. A lovely drop. This smelt a bit fresher, less oxidative than usual – perhaps because it was fairly newly disgorged, with a very chalky, stony mineral tones to the nose, along with some stone fruit – think yellow peach – apples, and a touch of kumquat, all ringed with a little bit of spice. A really entrancing nose. The palate too felt really fresh and linear, with a spine of lemon acidity and beautiful stony mineral strecthing its way through bright expressions of green apples and limes. As always, there was plenty of power and depth to the chapmpagnem but this was wed to lovely freshness and purity. Together with a nicely fine mousse, the wine presented itself both with a delicious open, generous fullness, as well as having at the same time a really nice sense of cut and definition, with that deep mineral structure to it. Absolutely lovely – it dissapeared from the bottle very quickly.

Potato Chips with smoked Trout Roe & Tzatziki. Lovely tangy quality to the yogurt. A bit of a take on Taramasalata.

Baja Tuna Tostada. Yummy, if tiny.

Served along side it was the “Salsa Fresca” which was a “extract” clear liquid version of the salsa which was pretty awesome and tasted exactly like said salsa.

Japanese Hamachi, Kaluga Caviar, NV, Bolieu, Fleur de Craie, Champagne. Really awesome tiny bite. Could have eaten 6.

2011 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Narvaux. 92 points. Open-knit aromatics show pretty lemon, mixed flowers, and crushed stone. As with my last bottle, I’m surprised to see this shows a bit more weight than the usual lithe Roulot, given the lighter vintage. Very good.

2005 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne. VM 98+. Wonderfully ripe, deep aromas of lime, minerals and crushed stone. An incredible mouthful of stones and minerals, with uncanny intensity, juiciness and lift. At this point in my marathon tasting with Boillot, my handwriting was degenerating and I was using exclamation marks rather than adjectives. Flat-out great white Burgundy. Incidentally, Boillot changed his supplier of Corton-Charlemagne as of this vintage; he now works with vines in Aloxe-Corton that face full south.

Mantou. Santa Barbara Uni. A bit too much bread to the uni. I was hoping for one of those delicate Western Chinese soup dumplings.

This little base has soup poured into it.

Dungeness Crab. Green Thai Curry. Delicious with a quite authentic curry flavor. Little bits of crab shell though.

Laminated Brioche. Rodolphe le meunier butter. Insanely good croissant-like bread. Butter took it up to 11.

The awesome Normandy butter.

Table-side grilled prawns.

Santa Barbara Prawn, brown butter, meyer lemon (and roe). Very tender.

European White Asparagus, Kaluga Caviar, Roasted Almond Beurre Blanc. Very much (the start of) the season for White Asparagus. The Beurre Blanc (and Caviar) are the perfect classic accompaniment.

House-baked baguette.

More butter.

Maine Sea Scallop, Abalone, Maine Lobster, Black Truffle, Cauliflower Royale. Awesome dish. Very rich, like a Lobster Newburg or something, but incredible. Had to get more bread to wipe up the sauce.

1998 Château La Mission Haut-Brion. VM 96. The 1998 La Mission Haut-Brion is the standout of the Nineties. It shows more purity and exuberance than the 1996, featuring sumptuous scents of black cherries, black olive, freshly rolled tobacco and hints of gravel, all wonderfully defined and quite precocious. The palate is likewise sweet and ripe, offering pliant tannins and layers of blackberry, blood orange, blueberry and tobacco. It tightens up toward the finish, as if to say, I’m in for the long haul. Give it a couple of hours’ decanting, or cellar it for longer if you wish. Tasted at dinner at Chez Bruce. (Drink between 2021-2042)

Dover Sole with Morel Mushroom and “smoked bacon reduction”. The smokey (tasted like bacon without having bacon) sauce really made this a red wine friendly dish — and a delicious one.

Japanese and American Wagyu Beef, potato mousseline, sauce bordelaise. Really some awesome beef. Melt in the mouth smooth. Sauce was potent but great (I love Bordelaise sauce).

1986 Château Raymond-Lafon. 92 points. Golden colored in the glass, in the bottle in appears a decade+ lighter than the vintage would suggest. Honey dipped peaches and orange on the palate with moderate sweetness and enough acidity to keep things lively. No botrytis. Drinks much younger than 34 years — it would not surprise me if this could go another 34.

Mango, Passion Fruit, Kaffir Lime Panna Cotta, and Macadamia Nuts. Great dessert. Very refreshing. Interesting textures. The kaffir lime leaf infusion in the panna cotta gave it a refreshing bitterness.

Hojicha Madeleines.

Hazelnut Hot Chocolate. Super delicious and rich.

Cassis and Kumquat Chocolates and Chocolate Chewy Cookie.

Mint Infusion. Refreshing.

Manzke is a great addition to LA’s anemic tasting menu scene. Overall the food was extremely good, very “butter forward” in that he cooks with a lot of butter. As I mentioned before it’s somewhat similar to custom dinners Walter has cooked at Republique. I’ll be very curious to see how often the menu changes. The space itself is lovely and they even have a nice (quiet) private room with a gorgeous large table. Plus the location is good. So I look forward to returning.

It should also be noted that service was spectacular. Walter really knows how to run a very good crew. I’m sure it would be an awesome place for a very high end birthday party or similar too. We even ran into one of our good friends hosting a (wine related) work dinner.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beverly Hills, Foodie Club, Manzke, Pico, Walter Manzke

Yakiniku Osen

Oct22

Restaurant: Yakiniku Osen

Location: 3503 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026. (323) 426-9455

Date: March 18, 2022

Cuisine: Japanese Yakiniku

Rating: Good, but I hoped it’d be better

Yakiniku Osen is a newish A5 Yakiniku place in Silverlake. I imagined it was somewhat like Yazawa.

It’s just street-side on Sunset in busy Silverlake.

There is a fairly tight interior.

And a small but nice set of patio tables with built in grills.

We sat outside.

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

2010 Dominique Lafon Meursault. 93 points. The 2010 Meursault emerges from the glass with notable elegance and class. This is a slightly more restrained, nervous style than fans of Comtes Lafon have become used to over the years. The 2010 is made from parcels in Petit Montagne, Charmes and Narvaux that belong to Dominique Lafon and that were once used in the Comtes Lafon Meursault. (Drink starting 2013)

1976 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. 92 points.

Decanted into a narrow/tall water beaker. Moderate sediment. Initially, watered down and a muted nose of red fruits. Two hours later, aromatics increased – the most unbelievably ridiculous nose of dried red berries . Light bodied. Moderately long finish. A gorgeous wine. I don’t know if it improves, but it held in the beaker and only improved with air.

1978 Rioja.

1997 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli. VM 92. Intense garnet with ruby reflections. Opens with wonderfully sweet tobacco scents and spicy cedar. In the mouth there are nicely delineated, fresh flavors of anise, mocha and roasted coffee, the whole supported by very soft tannins, and the rather smoky close conveying an essence of raspberry. Although there are no hard edges in this sleek and mellifluous medium-bodied wine, it does not possess quite the depth and concentration of the best Brunellos of this vintage. (Winebow, Hokokus, NJ)

1997 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill. 93 points. Dark red violet color; intense, ripe cassis, berry, plum nose; tasty, berry, cassis, plum, cedar palate; medium-plus finish.

The menu is long. We ordered almost everything!

A5 Wagyu Beef Uni. A5 Wagyu Beef Tartare with Uni, Garlic, Crispy Sea Trumpet and Caviar. Delicious. Sweet sauce on the beef pretty much hid the uni.

A5 Wagyu Gyoza. Groudn A5 Wagyu Beef, Tofu, Mixed Vegetables, Glass Noodles. So (temperature) hot that it could have been anything inside.

Chawanmushi. Japanese Steamed Egg Custard with Uni and Caviar. Fairly runny custard.

Amaebi Carpaccio. Yuzu oild dressing, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Chive. Not the greatest shrimp, but the pepper and dressing were pretty good.

Staemed Awabi (abalone) with abalone innards dressing.

Lobster Carpaccio with Caviar and Somen Noodle, Creamy Dressing. Butter-like sauce was reat on the noodles.

A5 Wagyu Tataki Salad with Spicy Citrus Dressing. Delicious strong tanyg/sweet sauce. Microgreens had a nice bite. Meat was quite cold.

A5 Wagyu Beef Diced Steak with Sweet Shrimp and Chimichurri Dressing. This is was one of the weakest dishes.

Honey Citron Sorbet.

Gas grills.

Tallow to grease the grill.

3 Kinds of sauce: salt and pepper, house-made wasabi, and yuzu-koshu

Assorted Vegetables and Mushrooms.

Veggies on the grill.

Mushrooms at the ready.

3 Kinds of Japanese A5 Wagyu. It comes on this cool tower.

On the grill.

Beef cooked.

Beef Tongue.

Cooked.

A5 Japanese Wagyu Sukiyaki.

Marinated A5 beef for the sukiyaki.

Egg to dip it in.

Truffle A5 Wagyu Beef Hot Pot. A5 Wagyu Beef, Chive, Ala Minute Dashi Rice, Fresh Black Truffle, Sesame Oil, Tsuyu, Shoyu Marinated Egg Yolk.

Smash that yolk.

Sukiyaki pot beginning to boil. For those that don’t know, Sukiyaki is like the sweet soy/dashi stock version of shabu shabu. You coat the beef in raw egg and then cook it briefly in here, or cook it then coat it with raw egg (which will cook on the hot beef).

Short Rib.

Special Alligator from the chef.

Cooked gator.

Berry Panna Cotta.

Red Bean Ball.

Sesame Ice Cream and dried fruit.

Sesame Ice Cream, Red Bean Cake, and Syrup. Like most of these very Japanese desserts, sweet without intense flavor.

Sesame Ice Cream, Cake, and Syrup.

Very fun meal and good food. Far away (Silverlake is not only far but one has to battle some significant traffic). Many of the dishes, particularly the straight up grilled A5 and the sukiyaki, were quite good, but many of them were hit and miss. The chef is trying some new things here, but not always successfully. It’s not nearly as focused nor as good as Yazawa, although it is quite a bit cheaper.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: A5, bbq, Foodie Club, Meat, Wagyū, Wine, Yakiniku, Yakiniku Osen

Amazing Angler

Oct16

Restaurant: Angler

Location: 8500 Beverly Blvd Suite 117, Los Angeles, CA 90048. (424) 332-4082

Date: March 1, 2022

Cuisine: American Asador

Rating: Very pricey, very good

Angler is a sea-life focused restaurant from Chef Joshua Skenes and Saison Hospitality located in the heart of Los Angeles. However, in 2019 Skenes seems to have “stepped back” from daily operation of his restaurants. Not sure what that means.

The location is — really oddly — in the bottom of the Beverly Center. I loathe malls and nearly everything about them, and they rarely have any kind of decent restaurant.

Angler is basically wood fired “stuff” aka an Asador (Spanish word for a wood fire grill).

The interior is like an updated version of that SF Seafood “ship’s cabin” feel.

They have live creatures. Some are staggeringly expensive like the crab who was over $2000!

From my cellar: 1992 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots. JG 93. The ’92 Coche Rougeots is totally into its apogee of maturity, and towers above ninety percent of the wines of this vintage. It has retained a degree of freshness and snap that is fairly uncommon these days with many of the 1992s, which have aged at rather surprisingly brisk paces. The bouquet is classic Coche: ripe apples, passion fruit, a touch of grapefruit, almonds, iodine and a fine framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and refined, with sound underlying acids, excellent focus, and great length and complexity on the finish. At age ten it is drinking beautifully, with no signs that it will have any difficulty cruising another decade or more. (Drink between 2002-2010)

agavin: our bottle was like a 98, just amazing.

1999 Coche-Dury Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères. VM 96. This 1999 Puligny-Montrachet Les Ensegnières perhaps sums up why Coche-Dury is so revered. How did Jean-François extract such a stupendous wine from a Village Cru? It exhibits breathtaking precision on a nose that is actually reminiscent of one of Lalou Bize-Leroy’s wines from d’Auvenay. Both the nose and the palate effortlessly convey so much energy and tension. There is the depth and length of a Grand Cru with a tangy, spicy finish that urges you back for another sip. Magus Jean-François in full effect! (Drink between 2021-2032)

agavin: our bottle drank great, but it wasn’t in the same league as the Rougeots.

2011 Coche-Dury Bourgogne-Aligoté. 90 points. Well developed, floral and perfumed aromas in the direction of Sauvignon Blanc. Some toast comes in addition. Light, tight and quite tart for an Aligoté. High class, though.

agavin: this came from the restaurant. They only had one bottle left though.

2007 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. VM 96+. Bright yellow. Subtly complex nose melds Asian pear, violet, lavender, ginger, iodine and powdered stone. Tactile and dense on entry, then creamy in the middle, conveying an impression of great volume without weight. This extremely backward, youthfully understated Clos firms up dramatically on the back end, finishing with palate-saturating citrus and talc flavors that refuse to fade. One of the longest Chablis bottlings I tasted for this issue, this truly transcends chardonnay.

2011 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Narvaux. 93 points. Punchy and broad. With most vivid palate among all village-level wine tonight. Hint of Santalum toward the end.

The menu.

Ice Cold Bivalves (aka oysters and clams). Very clean and delicious.

Tai Bream Ceviche. Unusual look with the crispy plantain on top, but extremely acidic and delicious.

Lobster Toast, Coconut, Gluten-Free While Grain Toast.

Bluefin Tuna with Tomato Jelly and Shiso. Looks weird but tasted great.

Parker House Rolls and Cultured Seaweed Butter. Lovely looking rolls. Very soft and tender.

Dungeness Crab with Garlic Aioli. This crab came from the tanks of course.

Here is the garlic aioli and drawn butter.

Whole Main Lobster. “Only” $100/lb! Simply done but gorgeous.

Spot Prawns with Harissa Butter. Small but delicious.

In case you need a weapon to slay your meat.

Here is the charcoal factory.

And the bed of charcoals they cook over.

2006 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT. VM 99. I remember the first time I tasted the 2006 Masseto. It’s that kind of wine. The 2006 is every bit as magnificent today. Dense, richly-textured and potent to its core, the 2006 is a wine for readers who can be patient. I love the brooding intensity and sense of gravitas the 2006 conveys. Tonight, it is stellar, but still so young. (Drink between 2020-2036)

agavin: brooding monster

Baby Artichoke with Miso and Spiced Butter. Delicious.

Angler Potato with Sauce from Sonoma Cheeses. Like everything else it was cooked on the grill. It was sliced into sheets and nice and crispy with the rich sauce to offset.

28 Day Dry Aged Prime NY Strip. NOT overcooked.

Whole Pastured Chicken Roasted in the Wood Oven. This was actually one of the best roast chicken I’ve ever had. The skin was crispy in a sort of Chinese style. The meat was incredibly juicy.

“Buffalo” type sauce for the chicken.

The dessert menu.

Chocolate Bar. Ganache mostly.

Soft Serve Sundae.

Caramel sauce was added. It was pretty delicious.

Overall, a stunning meal. I’d heard Angler was expensive, and it was, but the food was very very good. Simple ingredients but the charcoal cooking is precise and lends a ton of subtle flavor.

Our wines were stunning. hehe. And it was just a very fun night.

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

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Angler, Beverly Hills, Chicken, coche, Foodie Club, Seafood, White Burgundy

Midnight Merois

Sep14

Restaurant: Merois

Location: Pendry West Hollywood. 8430 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (323) 918-3410

Date: December 21, 2021

Cuisine: Modern Fusion

Rating: Excellent food

Perched atop Pendry West Hollywood, Wolfgang Puck’s Merois is a stylish rooftop restaurant where the city’s awe-inspiring landscape is the backdrop to a sophisticated menu of global flavors and creations with a decidedly Californian point of view. A simple yet stunning raw bar and sushi menu sit alongside heartier main dishes and delicate vegetables infused with flavors of Thailand, Singapore, Japan, and beyond. All finished with an indulgent menu of house made desserts and paired with handcrafted cocktails, fine wines, and more.

The lobby downstairs.

The main dining room. There are outside spaces as well.

The menu.

From my cellar: 2008 Domaine Leflaive Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d’Âne. VM 90. Bright yellow. Ripe stone fruits, grilled almond and vanilla on the nose, lifted by a spicy element. Good sweet, fleshy Meursault, conveying more precision and an impression of firmer acidity than the Puligny villages-perhaps a positive effect of the bottling. Finishes with very good length. I like this.

agavin: our bottle was a bit advanced. Sigh. 2008 Leflaives.

From my cellar: 2007 Lucien Le Moine Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Hauts-Doix. VM 89-92. Good deep red. Slightly wild aromas of dark fruits, smoky minerals, herbs, spices and crushed stone. Serious and structured wine, with pepper, spice and earth notes giving it a drier aspect than most of these 2007s. Not the smoothest wine in the portfolio but the tannins are essentially ripe and gentle.

1999 Domaine Michel Gaunoux Corton-Renardes. 93 points. Great balance with an everlasting finish. It’s a very light wine that paired perfectly with King Salmon. This is in its prime with another decade of good drinking.

Free amuse. Blue Fin Tuna Sashimi, cucumber relish.

Toro crispy rice special. Elevated version of the “classic.”

Grilled Mongolian Lamb Chops.

Baked Sweet Potato, pomegranate, pistachio-mint vinaigrette.

Kurobuta Pork Shank Confit. Crisp Chicharron, gochujang, market greens.

Crispy Peking Duck. Came out whole.

Then cut up with the Persimmon Compote.

Scallion pancakes, not quite large enough. Regular sping pancakes would have been better.

Sweet “Spicy Apricot Sauce” was a bit cloying.

Hoisin, but we had to specially request it.

The dessert menu.

Marjolaine Cake. Hazelnut dacquoise, dark chocolate ganache, pistachio ice cream.

Basque Cheesecake. Fresh passionfruit and mango.

The wines.

Overall, Merois has very good food, very much an updated version of that California/Asian aesthetic that Puck first deployed at Chinois. Service was quite good and very friendly.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Dessert, Foodie Club, Hollywood, Merois, Wine, Wolfgang Puck

Curry at Cobi’s

Sep10

Restaurant: Cobi’s at Dhaba

Location: 2104 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (424) 238-5195

Date: December 14, 2021

Cuisine: Southeast Asian

Rating: Lots of great flight flavor

Dhaba was a local Indian restaurant that was a fixture on Main St in Santa Monica for decades (50 years!). Recently it’s “rebooted” (been replaced?) by Cobi’s, a new Southeast Asian place.

It’s helmed by the team of Cobi Marsh and Lance Mueller.

The interior has been lightly updated and is rather charming.

The menu.

The have a mostly natural wine list, of course we brought our own.

2002 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Millesime Rare.

From my cellar: 2012 Veyder-Malberg Grüner Veltliner Hochrain. VM 91. Enticingly fragrant nose combines apricot, acacia honey and white pepper. A touch of vanillin oak from a new cask troubles Peter Malberg, but others will find that it adds an element of complexity. Although supple and wonderfully ripe without undue alcohol, a subtle freshness gives a filigree character to the pear extract flavor. Finishes with lingering notes of wet stone, pistachio and subtle spice.

2010 Domaine Lignier-Michelot Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Bertin. VM 91-93. The 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Bertin is rich, dark and sensual. Black cherries, plums, spices and minerals are some of the notes that are woven into this generous, textured wine. The Cuvée Bertin finds a higher, brighter register on the mid-palate and finish. This is a beautifully poised, elegant Gevrey. The Cuvée Bertin was made with 40% whole clusters. (Drink between 2015-2025)

2004 Torbreck The Factor. VM 94. Opaque ruby. Powerful dark berry liqueur aromas are complemented by a kaleidoscopic array of fresh and dried flowers, incense, Asian spices and vanilla. Suave and silky in texture, with explosive blackberry and mulberry flavors complemented by exotic spice and floral qualities. Finishes with superbly integrated tannins and outstanding persistence, leaving sexy spice and mocha notes in its wake.

2002 Shirvington Shiraz. 94 points.

Dry Aged Kanpachi. finger lime, green chili, coconut dressing. Nice bright flavors and with the coconut milk decidedly southeast asian in vibe.

Grilled Prawns (3pc). ginger & yellow bean sauce. Like prawn satay.

Curry Puffs. curried split peas & potatos, pickled onion, tamarind ketchup. Samosas basically.

Pork & Shiitake Dumplings (5pc). chili crunch, black vinegar. I think we ordered 2 of these.

Egg Noodles. pork belly, ginger relish, szechuan.

Nasi Goreng. fried egg, rice, sambal terasi, long beans. An Indonesian classic.

Roti.

Chili sauces.

Beef Rendang. chili sambal, crispy shallot, gulai, squash. I love beef rendang. This one is more classic (but not quite as good) as the Cassia version.

White rice.

Jungle Curry. thai eggplant, long beans, baby corn. Thinner and not as spicy as the Jitlada version.

Devil Chicken Curry. mustard seeds, habanero chili vinegar. Good stuff.

Butter Chicken. tomato masala, cilantro, fenugreek.

Beef Short Rib. chili & tamarind dressing, roasted peanuts.

The desserts. These were light and sweet and soothed all that curry heat.

Vanilla Soft Serve Sundae (modified version for a kid). salted caramel, milo brownie, peanuts.

Vanilla Soft Serve Sundae. salted caramel, milo brownie, peanuts.

Shaved Ice. berry granita, kiwi, passion fruit, coconut, tofu cream, basil seed.

Thai Tea Pudding. boba pearls, black sugar, lemongrass.

Overall, I really liked Cobi’s and need to get back. Execution is very solid even if many of these dishes I’ve had slightly better versions at more specialized places. But it brings together under one roof a whole host of goodies that that potent set of spice, herb, and acid forward flavors that I love. It’s also very close (to my house) and has a cute little decor.

And all of the above was just 4 of us!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Cobi's, curry, Dhaba, Foodie Club, Santa Monica, southeast asian cuisine, Wine

Ginza Onodera Checkin

Aug27

Restaurant: Ginza Onodera [1, 2]

Location: 609 La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (323) 433-4817

Date: December 7, 2021

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi

Rating: Fabulous nigiri, although expensive, not quite enough food, and minimal/no corkage

It’s been 4 years since I visted Ginza Onodera, and while I thought it was one of the best high end sushi spots I’ve been to, collecting others willing to brace the price tag is always a little challenging. But “Sushi Series” (in which Foodie Club tries all the best sushi places in LA) warranted we revisit.

Post pandemic they have put in the plastic divider. Not clear that this does anything at all, but I guess it makes people feel better.

Cute little chop stick demon.

On pulling out our wine we discovered that Ginza has recently disallowed corkage! Eek gads. Hate that. We managed to beg them into allowing us to open 2 bottles if we bought 1 from the list, so we bought this.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this <em>cuvée</em>, but with no lack of vivacity.

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

2004 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. VM 97+. Krug’s 2004 Vintage is absolutely mesmerizing. Layers of bright, chiseled fruit open up effortlessly as the wine fleshes out with time in the glass. Persistent and beautifully focused, with a translucent sense of energy, the 2004 captures all the best qualities of the year. Moreover, the 2004 is clearly superior to the consistently underwhelming 2002 and the best Krug Vintage since 1996. Readers who can find it should not hesitate, as it is a magical bottle. (Drink between 2017-2044)

Japanese halibut. Sake sauce.

Octopus. Roasted green tea marinate.

Chawanmushi. Uni. Caviar. Dashi.

Barracuda. Seared.

Bonito.

Hairy crab with thick dashi.

Monkfish Liver.

Awesome pickled ginger.

A few other pickles.

Cruet (grouper).

Japanese blue fin tuna.

Saba.

Japanese prawn.

Ingredients at the ready.

Japanese needle fish. Shiso. And shiso flower.

Red miso.

Baby White shrimp with uni.

wild king yellow tail.

Brined Hokaido uni.

O Toro.

Hok rockfish. Kinki.

Tamago.

Dark roasted green tea.

coconut milk matcha panda cotta.

Overall Ginza Onodera has a very strong distinctive traditional style. The rich is basically oozing with red vinegar and has a strong assertive quality — but it does stay together well. The fish was very aged and marinated and each piece of nigiri crafted so as to balance with the particular qualities of the fish. I can’t fault the taste, texture, or presentation of nearly any of the dishes. They were pretty spectacular. And I love straight nigiri. Individually these are much more enjoyable than the odd combinations at Sushi of Gari for example.

And service was warm, very Japanese, and excellent.

My issues with Onodera are a high price point (about $400 for food) / quantity ratio. The price itself is high, but not outrageous at all given the labor involved (and certainly not offensive like Urwasawa). But are not ENOUGH pieces for my big nigiri appetite. I could easily have eaten 2-3 times as many. They might as well have just served me pairs. I would say that for pure nigiri QUALITY in volume this is the best I’ve had outside of Japan. Still, if you want to experience the exquisite art of perfectly crafted nigiri — Onodera is one of several top sushi places right now in LA.

But we were so hungry we went afterward to Tu Madre Tacos for infamous second dinner (see below).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

The site of our second dinner.

The menu. Erick and I put away all of the following tacos AFTER Ginza. Yep.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Foodie Club, Ginza Onodera, Sashimi, Second Dinner, Sushi, Sushi Series, Wine

Kaneyoshi Take 2

Aug14

Restaurant: Sushi Kaneyoshi [1, 2]

Location: 250 1st St B1, Los Angeles, CA 90012. (213) 277-2388

Date: November 30, 2021

Cuisine: Omakase Sushi

Rating: Lean mean and awesome

Our Foodie Club “Sushi Series” continues with not one but two visits to LA Omakase newcomer Kaneyoshi. This dinner was sort of a half “Foodie Club” and half Sage Society dinner (in my mind). Mostly it’s just my serious sushi friends which happen to overlap into those two realms. This is the second dinner, and the people are pretty similar.

Kaneyoshi is tucked away in the basement of a Little Tokyo mall/garage building. It’s fairly hard to find. The first time we located the sign but it took us 15 minutes of hunting around to actually find the restaurant (you go up a sketchy stairs, enter a lobby, ask the bored guard, take an elevator down to…

This glamorous “service corridor” — they don’t let anyone in early.

Inside, however, it’s very attractive. It’s just a single 10-12 person seat sushi bar L and a some space around it.

The chefs prepping away.

This time Liz “upped the ante” with regard to the slate of wine — as if it wasn’t impressive before :-)!

2000 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil. BH 98. I have had the opportunity to try this vintage 3 times since it was released but this is the first time in large format (see the database for the reviews from 750 ml). As is often the case in magnum there is just another level of depth and freshness as the expressive, cool and restrained nose displays only a trace of secondary character to the yeasty aromas of brioche, white orchard fruit and citrus peel nuances. There is a gorgeously clean and highly sophisticated mouth feel to the middle weight flavors that are supported by an ultra-fine if notably firm mousse, all wrapped in a markedly dry but not really austere finish that possesses excellent lift that contributes to that beguiling feeling of being impatient for the next sip. Unlike this wine from 750 ml, in magnum format this is nowhere near ready and this knockout will require plenty of patience, indeed it wouldn’t surprise me if my 2025+ suggested drinking window proves to be overly optimistic. In sum, this is a wine of such harmony and balance that it really sticks in your memory as having provided one of those rare ‘wow’ experiences! (Drink starting 2025)

Not totally sure which Selosse this was.

1976 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. VM 94. Krug’s 1976 Vintage, tasted from magnum, is rich, deep and powerful, with Riesling-inflected veins of minerality that run through a core of orange peel, ash and dried flowers. A deeply Pinot leaning wine, the 1976 offers notable richness and breadth throughout. The 1976 vintage in Champagne is remembered for a hot, dry growing season with an early harvest that produced intense powerful wines. Krug’s 1976 Vintage is now fully mature. Well-stored examples should continue to drink well for a number of years, although there is no upside from cellaring bottles further. Interestingly, this 1976 magnum was aged on cork, rather than crown capsule, like the 1979 tasted alongside it. (Drink between 2015-2018)

1995 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé. VM 94. The 1995 Dom Pérignon Rosé (magnum) is absolutely stellar. Of course, the magnum format helps, especially vis-à-vis the 1996. The 1995 might fall just short of being truly epic, but not by far. Today, it is the wine’s overall balance and harmony that are most captivating. A Champagne with no hard edges and tons of pure appeal, the 1995 Rosé is wonderfully open, soft and expressive today. (Drink between 2015-2025)

2007 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots. VM 93. The 2007 Meursault Les Rougeots is consistent with the bottle encountered a few months earlier, that hint of pumpkin and dried honey still lending complexity on the nose. The palate retains the same distinctive oily texture with stem ginger and roasted walnut flavors and the fennel popping up toward the finish to lend a bit of Provençal flair. Wonderful! (Drink between 2021-2040)

From my cellar: 2011 Coche-Dury Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères. BH 91. This compares quite favorably with the extraordinarily good 2010 version (see review herein) with its impressively complex nose of white flowers, pear and quinine suffused nose. The excellent depth continues onto the utterly delicious and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that offer very fine persistence on the lingering finish. What I especially like about this wine is the mid-palate texture, which is something that Coche consistently coaxes from his villages level wines. While this will certainly reward mid-term cellaring it would be no vinous crime to open a bottle now as it’s really hard to resist! (Drink starting 2019)

2012 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots. BH 91. This is very Meursault in style with plenty of roasted hazelnut character adding breadth to the pretty and well-layered combination of freshly sliced citrus, apricot, nectarine and white peach aromas. The palate impression is one where the richness of the mid-palate buffers well the firm acid spine that shapes both the medium-bodied flavors and finish. This terrific effort is still quite young but it may very well be the best of the Coche villages wines in 2012. (Drink starting 2019)

2010 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet. BH 97. An airy, cool and ultra-refined nose displays distinct lemon-lime and acacia blossom scents include background notes of stone and saline that complement to perfection the intensely mineral-driven middle weight flavors that possess superb precision on the explosive and palate staining finish that seems to just go on and on. This is quite dry; in fact it’s arguably the driest wine in the range yet this is not forbiddingly austere. I very much like the contrast between the sense of focused power and the mouth feel which is almost delicate. This is sheer class and the balance is flawless. This should go down as a classic vintage for this storied wine. A true ‘wow’ wine. (Drink starting 2022)

2001 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet. VM 98. The 2001 Bâtard is absolutely stunning. What a wine! It’s everything one could ask for, and more. The aromatics alone are breathtaking. On the palate, the 2001 is vibrant, with the oiliness and texture of Bâtard, but no excess weight and exactly the sort of mellow patina a Grand Cru white Burgundy should show at age twenty. Orange confit, spice, almond paste, honey and a kiss of new oak all open with a bit of air. The 2001 is an emotionally moving wine of the very highest level. Magnificent. (Drink between 2021-2026)

2008 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. BH 96. This too is impressively pure and cool with an airy but reserved mix of floral, spice, mineral reduction and iodine notes merging seamlessly into gorgeously intense and almost aggressively stony medium-bodied flavors that exude a subtle sense of harmony, indeed this is Zen-like on the explosive, balanced and lingering finish that positively screams Chablis. This is simply fantastic and while I have a very slight preference for the Valmur, this is certainly an inspired effort as well. If you can find it, don’t miss this either but also like the Valmur, be prepared to be patient. (Drink starting 2020)

2007 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. VM 94+. Bright pale yellow. Soft citrus fruits and crushed rock on the musky, slightly reduced nose. Rich, perfumed and tightly coiled, with a terrific core of acidity intensifying the orange, floral and mineral flavors. Offers compelling cut and concentration but this infant will require several years of aging. Wonderfully refined Perrieres of grand cru class.

2014 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Chevalier-Montrachet. BH 92-95. Equally discreet wood sets off the beautifully layered nose that blends together notes of citrus, wet stone, rose petal and subtle spice hints. There is excellent verve to the delineated and overtly muscular yet refined big-bodied flavors that possess an abundance of acid-buffering dry extract before terminating in a moderately austere and explicitly saline-infused finish that is like rolling rocks around in your mouth. This is very clearly built-to-age and is going to require at least 5 years to unwind and develop more depth. (Drink starting 2024)

Belt fish tempura. Japanese pickle tarter. Caviar.

Japanese Surf Clam and Wild Red Snapper sashimi.

Chawanmushi with matsutake mushrooms and hairy crab.

You can see the crab here.

Scallops. Niyu prefecture. Shiso sauce.

Sea perch with nori. The open hand rolls are back (actually they never left, we just did).

Bonito. Two parts. Small one very smoked.

Monkfish liver.

Sunomono. Grilled green eyes.

Baby snapper nigiri.

Sweet shrimp.

Shimaji.

Marinated scallop.

Barracuda being charred with a hot binochan coal!

Charred barracuda nigiri.

Shirako nigiri. Not sure I’ve ever had the sperm sacks as a nigiri!

Aged blue fin.

Snow crab hand roll.

Chu toro.

O-Toro. All 3 of these tuna pieces came from the same fish.

Uni hand roll.

Sea Eel.

Monkfish liver hand roll.

Tamago. Again, this is about as much as passes for dessert here. It was top notch tamago however.

Miso soup.

The wine lineup.

Joe travels light.

The sushi at Kaneyoshi was really awesome (again). They specialize in a style of “cured and aged” sushi and it’s all very straight up showcasing the fish. The flavors are subtle and spectacular. It’s not particularly stunty or overdressed at all. And service is really good. The space, while far away and hard to find, is quite lovely once you get inside. We had the whole place taken over of course. The food is light, however, and by the glutton standards of Erick and I this is definitely a “second dinner required” meal.

Our wines were curated by Liz and therefore even more amazing than before! The company was great too.

Like almost all high end Omakase places Kaneyoshi isn’t cheap. The base was $250 back then (it’s now $300 as of May 2022). They charged a lot of corkage too. Probably at least $100 a bottle. The total was hefty.

Erick and I rolled off in search of second dinner. Thankfully no hiccups tonight.

We found a little izakaya type place.

Plastic samples.