Gelato :: Page 3 :: All Things Andy Gavin

Just a bit of great wine!

And some fire water.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Babykillers, BYOG, Caviar, Chinese cuisine, Foodie, Foodie Club, Gelato, geoduck, hot pot, Seafood, SGV, Wine

Spring Crustacean

Jan11

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

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

Date: April 4, 2023

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Awesome as always

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

Back in our “usual” private dining room and patio.

Yarom, always posing with owners and the ladies. In the print dress is Elisabeth An.

Our special menu.

Served on this cute wooden toadstool is:

King Crab “Banh Khot”. Royal Kaluga Caviar, dungeness crab, coconut bechemel. A tiny but delicious bite. Great champagne pairing too.

A trio of traditional rolls. Filet Mignon “Bo Nuong” Roll (right). Lemon grass, Ho Fun Rice Noodle. “Cha Gio” Roll (center). Jidori Chicken, crispy rice paper, black mushrooms, jicama, lemon chili. Fresh Langoustine “goi cuon” roll (left). Taito, rau ram, carrots, roasted peanut bean sauce. These were some great spring rolls. Each was just ever so slightly “elevated” from its usual version.

Another trio, this time with sambal, chili oil, and siracha. I was particularly fond of the sambal.

Vietnamese “Banh Xeo” Crepes. Rice batter, organic beech mushrooms, prawns, dice chicken, bean sprouts, pickles. The only thing missing on this wonderful classic Vietmamese dish was the sweet fish sauce.

Escargot “Bun Oc” soup. Escargot, fresh tomatoes, tamarind, ginger chili broth, angel hair rice noodle. I’ve never had this dish before. Both the tender snails and the flavorful snail sausage were awesome. The broth was tangy and a little bit spicy. Delicious!

This was for dipping the snails.

Tasting of An’s Famous Garlic Roasted Dungeness Crab and An’s Famous Garlic Noodles. Roasted garlic and An’s Secret Sauce. The classic never fails to dissapoint. The noodles were “fortuantly” a tiny portion (good given my carb avoidance).

These came smoked.

Lemongrass Cramelized “suon rang” pork spare ribs. Lemongrass, soy, shallot, fish sauce. Very distinct smokey flavor and lots of meat. Yum!

Salt block pork belly for the fried rice.

Rich and flavorful.

XO Garlic Fried Rice. Poached egg, pork belly, XO, Vietnamese Sausage. Awesome rice. Can’t hate on the Vietnamese sausage (which is pretty much like Cantonese sausage).

The icky flight.

Wagyu “Bo Kho”. Snake River Farms Wagyu, su su “Buddha’s Palm,” heirloom carrots, garlic rice. My least favorite dish. It was fine, but mostly beef stew and rice.

Kung Pao Eggplant. Thai Basil, Thai red chili gastrique. Crispy and delicious.

Coconut Tapioca “Che.” Exotic Fruits. A really pleasant mix of the soft and silky textures with the potenent coconut notes offset by the zingy fruit.

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

Hojicha Latte NSA Gelato – Ceremonial Hojicha Roasted Green Tea base with No Sugar Added (Allulose) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #matcha #Hojicha #GreenTea #Allulose #NSA

We had a few wines.

Overall, our best dinner at Crustacean yet — and that is saying something given how many great ones we’ve had. I really like the slightly elevated traditional Vietnamese. It’s a nice change of pace from the fusion, which is quite good as well. They really executed on all levels tonight. Elisabeth joined us and supervised. Her mother was supposed to do all the cooking, but she got sick and ended up spending hours with the cooks over zoom giving them instructions. Obviously she is a good teacher because everything came out great. Wines were awesome and I like a nice progression like this. The cabernets were — as I suspected — too much. The Colgin was the most drinkable but the 2016 — oh my! Service was flawless.

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

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Crustacean, fusion, Gelato, hedonists, Vietnamese cuisine, Wine

A Spice Affair

Jan01

Restaurant: Spice Affair

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

Date: April 20, 2023

Cuisine: Upscale Indian

Rating: Cream de la Cream

Our friend George organized this visit to A Spice Affair, which being on La Cienaga’s “Restaurant Row” has that fancy vibe, prices, and slightly old school formality that makes it a sort of “Indian Mr. Chows.”

He arranged this private dining area and a sort of “all you can eat” prearranged meal where we could just order as much as we wanted but the price was fixed (at $150 all in a person). Interesting. I’m going to try to capture some of the zany rhythm of this dinner as they just brought certain dishes and we orderd some. Overall it was a strange order and slightly repetetive locally, but plenty of variety in the long run.

Dahi Kabab. Deep fried Crispy medallions of Hung Yoghurt with onions and mild spices. These were like croquettes as the interior was very soft and “creamy” like a bechemel.

Mint & tamarind sauce. Very purreed, which will be a bit of a theme tonight.

Coco-li Cauliflower V. Crisp Cauliflower florets in coconut sauce. You cannot miss this. NOTE: I’m going to keep the “flavor” text from the menu because it’s very amusing. After that, I’ll include my comments. This dish was rich and very tasty, fried then drowned in (rich) coconut milk sauce.

Chili Cauliflower. Tangy and spicy cauliflower chunks in soy garlic sauce and green chili. This duplicative version was similar, but spicy.

We were a party of 12, and the oscillated between bringing out one small plate for the whole of us and the opposite extreme of 3 or more of any one thing. When they did undershoot, they followed up 10 minutes later with a redoubled giant wave of at least 3 of the undershot item, resulting in crazy excesses.

Tandoori Shrimps G. BBQ Smoked Shrimps. A tiny bit dry, and mild, but very tasty.

Chicken Breast Tikka G. Chicken breast cubes skewered in the tandoor. Note: more lean meat. Extremely succulent. Again mild, but great flavor.

Paneer Tikka G. Smoked tandoori Paneer chunks. These were actually my favorite. But notice how not only did we have 2 cauliflower dishes right off the bat, they hit us with 3 nearly identical tandori dishes all at once. These won’t be the last tandori dishes either!

Lamb Chops G. Ginger-infused chunky lamb chops. A succulent sizzling delight! Haha. They did have great flavor but had been yogurt marinated to oblivion so were very “well” done and tender.

Flash Grilled Sea Bass G. Sea Bass, Kashmiri chili, turmeric. Flash grilled in Tandoor. A house delicacy. Excellent, but same tandori flavor.

Stuffed Naan (Kulcha) | Potato & peas OR Onions & Chili. I think we had all of the above, probably 3 different types of stuffed naans.

Mozzarella Cheese Naan and/or Garlic Naan. And even more Naans. Must have been at least 4-5 types on the table.

Cumin Seed Papadums (g, v).
Oven baked lentil flour crunchy flats served with tamarind and mint chutneys. Our host had been asking for Papadums for an hour and finally they came. Very light and crispy.

Gilafi Seekh Kebabs G. Skewered minced lamb, juicy, scrumptious and alluring. Again amusing flavor text. These were very tasty, but SUPER “soft” — they almost fell apart. After this, it should be noted there was some kind of giant delay for any curries to arrive. Like an hour. We ordered a mess as a group. None came. I ordered a few more interesting ones and those came in like 5 minutes (before the “main” ones).

Numbu Lashun Murg Curry. A home style affair. Chicken curry with tangy lemon sauce and garlic. It might have been a Korma. It was very good. Almost sweet, cashew flavored, very mild, but extremely rich and delicious. Most of the curries were LOADED with cream. Or maybe cream, butter, and yogurt. They were very rich and creamy and extremely smooth, like cream soups.

Shrimp & Scallops Moilee G. Kerala style yellow coconut curry tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Also great and also extremely rich. But I “drank” about 2 bowls of this sauce. The scallops were tiny bay scallops.

Papadum’s with toppings.

Because they only brought one each of the two pale curries and they didn’t get around, they followed up with 3-4 MORE of each before any of the other curries hit.

More curry.

Kaali Dal Makhani G. Black lentils and kidney beans slow simmered overnight and cooked to perfection.

Saag Paneer. A traditional blend of creamed spinach and fenugreek leaves with Paneer cubes. Smoothest Saag I’ve ever had, like a steakhouse creamed spinach with Indian flavors. But tasty. Not as much paneer as one might like.

Butter Chicken: Spice Affair Special G. Shredded Tandoori chicken in our irresistible signature tomato sauce. An all-time favorite! It is a favorite for a reason as it was very good. Rich, a touch sweet, but with a lot of flavor. Not even slightly spicy (nothing was).

Raita.

Tandoori Chicken G. Whole tandoori BBQ Chicken, with bones, an all-time favorite from Punjab, India. With bones. In case we hadn’t had enough tandoori chicken before — and it won’t be the last.

Lamb Rogan Josh. Dark. Tasty. Not very spicy.

Lamb Vindaloo G. Lamb chunks in spicy Goan vindaloo sauce. Good flavor, but not spicy at all.

Onions with cumin.

Paneer Tikka Masala G. Soft cottage cheese cubes drowning in our irresistible signature tomato sauce. An all-time vegetarian favorite! Another great sauce, although not quite as punchy or thick as Akbar’s. This time there were lots of big paneer slabs.

Tandoori chicken.

Plain Basmati Rice.

Delhi Dhaba Chicken Curry G. Boneless chicken chunks in traditional medium spiced brown curry. This was ordered “max spicy.” It wasn’t spicy. Maybe a hair more.

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

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

Overall, a super fun evening. The format was interesting. Service was incredibly nice and attentive, although perhaps pacing was a bit weird. Food ended up being great. I think I still like Akbar better, but I can tell A Spice Affair is way more consistent and it is “fancier” as everything is super rich and smooth.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beverly Hills, BYOG, Gelato, Heavy Cream, hedonists, Indian cuisine, Spice Affair

Sauvages Rhone

Dec14

Restaurant: Jonathan Club

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

Date: April 14, 2023

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Surprisingly good for a club

Fellow Sauvages have been swearing that the DTLA Jonathan Club isn’t serving up that boring club food — and in the interest of full disclosure, I usually loath club food.

The Jonathan Club maintains a very high standard of build out.

The restaurant dining room.

We have this awesome private wine cellar room all to ourselves.

The epic table.

Plenty of glasses.

Condrieu for the white flight.

A few bubblies.

Our custom menu for the afternoon.

Champs.

Wagyu beef tartar crostini.

Blini & caviar. Caviar and toppings two days in a row!

Salmon cornets. Tasty little bite.

2020 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. 92 points.

2019 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. 93 points.

2015 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. VM 95. Brilliant yellow-gold. Powerful orange, nectarine and honeydew aromas are complemented by suave floral, vanilla and chalky mineral accents. Supple and expansive in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated, smoke-tinged poached pear and peach nectar flavors that pick up honey and iodine qualities as the wine opens up. Lush and seamless but surprisingly energetic in style, showing superb closing thrust and lingering suggestions of buttery brioche and candied pit fruits. (Drink between 2019-2025)

2012 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. VM 93. Bright yellow. Assertive aromas of nectarine, violet and smoky minerals, with a gingery nuance adding lift. Broad and silky on the palate, offering densely packed orchard and pit fruit flavors that become spicier with air. The mineral note comes back strong on the finish, which lingers with excellent tenacity and building smokiness.

Pan-seared Diver Scallops. Holland leeks, astrea caviar, champagne beurre blanc. This was a very rich dish. Not only are scallops rich, but the beurre blanc (with caviar) was pretty awesome. Tons of rich flavor. I’m not sure the condrieu was the perfect pairing as it’s a very rich wine with little acidity and given all this butter the dish could have used some acid — but still it was very enjoyable.

2001 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon. VM 95. Medium ruby-red. Pure nose combines blackberry, cassis, spices, pepper and a floral topnote. Fat, dense and sweet, with excellent volume for the vintage and firm balancing acids. Very fresh and nuanced on the back end, which features noble tannins. Today, this wine, from a low-yielding parcel of 65-year-old vines, seems more complete than the house’s other Hermitages.

2003 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal. VM 94. Red-ruby color. Rich, dense and powerful on the nose, with aromas of mineral-laced cassis and smoky tobacco. Deep, velvety and lush, but with compelling focus and precision to the flavors of cherry compote, redcurrant and cassis. Finishes suave, silky and unflagging, with serious heft and weight.

2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 98. “Now we take the monster out of his cage,” Jean-Louis warned me before pouring this. Inky, almost black in color. Elemental, hugely concentrated and powerful on the nose, which slowly unveils aromas of dark cherry liqueur, blackberry, cassis, espresso and a deep note of sweet tobacco. Impossibly rich and dense on the palate (the yields in 2003 were off by two-thirds), showing myriad dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors, with a suggestion of tapenade and an intense licorice quality. Remarkably, this takes on a mineral tone on the finish, which has the effect of further drawing out the amazingly powerful finish.

2007 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 95-96. From Peleat: A real fruit bomb, with sexy aromas of red berries, cherry and cassis. Lithe and precise on the palate, with tangy mineral lift and very good cut. From Beaume: Exotic, intensely floral aromas of violet, lavender and magnolia. Sweet red fruits and spices on the palate, with the floral quality repeating. Again from Beaume: Spicy and mineral-driven, with sappy red berry flavors and gentle tannins. Less wild than the previous barrel. From L’Hermite: Musky cherry and dark berry aromas are complicated by minerals and underbrush. Fleshy dark berry and cherry pit flavors cling nicely to the palate. From Meal: A very rich sample, offering powerful cherry and cassis scents and a suavely smoky mineral note. Sappy and broad on the palate, displaying sweet kirsch and smoked meat qualities. From Bessards: Deep, strongly perfumed bouquet evokes cherry, cassis, cured meat and licorice. Firm and chewy, with deep dark berry flavors and slow-building tannins. “This will provide the spine of the final wine,” Chave told me. Again from Bessards: Hypnotic aromas of raspberry, candied cherry and incense, with a fresh lashing of minerals. Brisk and focused, with wonderfully pure red fruit flavors and silky texture. Impossibly pure and long on the finish. The final wine will be a riot of red and darker berry fruits, with excellent freshness and clarity.

Wild mushroom risotto. Acquerello rice, beurre de baratte, preserved black winter truffle. Awesome risotto and very nice and creamy. The truffles were, however, a touch muted. They were “preserved” with a bit of sherry as these truffles are off season.

2001 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 94. Deep red. Wilder, more earthy and more powerful on the nose than the Mouline, with aromas of bitter cherry, creme de mure, fruity dark chocolate, licorice candy, espresso and pungent violet. Dense and broad on the palate, the cherry compote and blackcurrant flavors complicated by dense, dark tones of coffee, high-octane chocolate and black truffle. Quite solid but also lush, sweet and broad on the finish, with hints of complex flowers and herbs. Packs a real tannic punch, but the tannins are thoroughly buffered by the wine’s material. Definitely the most sauvage of the trio of ’01s right now.

2001 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. VM 95. The 2001 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline from Guigal is splendid and reaffirms my preference for this single vineyard over Landonne and Turque. Powerful and sensual on the nose, the multi-layered black fruit is laced with crushed rock, pressed violet, potpourri and autumn bonfire. The palate is beautifully balanced with more weight than the La Turque, seamlessly integrated oak, melted tannins with irresistible garrigue notes lending complexity on the finish. This is going to be a gorgeous La Mouline, but it needs another decade in bottle. (Drink between 2035-2065)

2003 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée. VM 93. Deep red. Vibrant scents of raspberry, redcurrant and strawberry jam, tinged by a note of smoked meat. On the palate, nervy acidity lifts and sharpens the impressively concentrated red berry flavors. A beautifully textured Cote-Rotie that shows excellent verve for the vintage.

2004 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 95. Deep red. Flamboyantly perfumed nose offers a gaudy display of cherry, cola and fresh flowers. Deep, sweet and fleshy, with concentrated cherry/berry flavors, nervy minerality and a broad, expansive finish. While this will no doubt warrant a long rest in the cellar, there’s a seductively open quality to it that will make for wonderful early drinking.

La Belle Farms Duckling Breast. Sunchoke, pepper-maple gastrique, pear. Extremely nice bit of rare duck with perfect accompaniments.

1996 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. VM 91+. Saturated ruby-red. Brooding aromas of cassis, spice and woodsmoke, along with port-like notes of chocolate and damp earth. Thick, silky and a bit roasted in the mouth, with chocolate and game flavors. Still in a rather oxidative phase, as this wine often is in the year or two following the bottling. But has the acidity and strong tannic structure for a long, slow evolution in bottle. Very long, chewy finish.

1998 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. VM 92. Roasted aromas of black cherry and smoke. Less fat but more spicy in the mouth, with superb richness. Superripe suggestion of beefsteak tomato. More firmly built than the ’97, but nearly as rich. Finishes with huge, palate-coating but ripe tannins and outstanding length.

2000 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 92-95. From Beaume: Full ruby. Raw red berries, leather and pepper on the nose. Thick and silky but bright; youthful and primary. Boasts good power for the vintage. Peleat: Bright deep ruby. Complex, stony aromas of tobacco, mocha, brown spices, pepper and iris. Smooth and vinous, with terrific class and delicacy more than power. Already offers lovely detail. Finishes firmly tannic and persistent. Very expressive of the vintage. L’Hermite: Saturated ruby. Explosive, quintessential Hermitage aromas of raw currant, leather, game, minerals and cedary spice. Supple and silky but quite unevolved. Here the tannins come off as a bit tough. Bessards: Deeper, more medicinal aromas of black fruits, cassis leaf and leather. Quite powerfully constituted but not yet sweet. A very serious, tannic lot that will provide the spine for the ultimate blend. Bessards from a new barrique: Sexy aromas of black raspberry, licorice, espresso and bitter chocolate. Sweeter in the middle than the last sample, then tough on the back end, with strong oak tannins showing. Bessards yet again: Aroma of raw crushed currant. Sauvage and minerally in the mouth; supple texture nicely framed by integrated acidity. A lovely blend of sweetness and tannic structure. Peppery on the back end. Very much a wine from granite soil. Meal: Sappy aromas of redcurrant, minerals and brown spices. Less fresh in the middle than the Bessards, with tannins a bit tough. Meal again: Roasted redcurrant, smoke, minerals and game on the nose. Silkier and more pliant in the mouth; this offers much better balance and more finesse than the last mouthful. Here the tannins are less rigid. The tougher sample was from a parcel that yielded just 25 hectoliters per hectare, while this parcel produced 35, noted Jean-Louis. Should make a lovely drink, though it’s hard to believe this wine will equal the ’99.

2000 E. Guigal Hermitage. VM 90+. Bright medium ruby. Very ripe aromas of cassis, gunflint, roasted herbs and spices. Expressive and mouthfilling; a very rich wine that’s amazingly supple for such a young Hermitage. But also broad-shouldered and solidly structured. Finishes very long and ripely tannic.

Quartet of American Wagyu Beef. Ribeye, cheek, short rib, tail, parmesan polenta, foraged mushroom. A lot of beef types. I liked it quite a lot. Certainly the main part was sous vide. I liked the richer extra bits, particularly with the cheesy polenta.

1996 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 93-95. Very good deep ruby-red. Crystallized red fruits, woodsmoke, leather, game and iron on the nose. Sweet, round and fat, with wonderful fruit and texture for the year. Spicy and gamey in the middle palate. This has a serious tannic structure for ’96 but is also far less forbidding today than the La Landonne ’95.

1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 97-100. Saturated dark ruby. Flamboyant, wild aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, leather, smoked meat, tar, minerals, animal fur and brown spices. Silky, thick and huge; less subtle than the Turque but a wine of extraordinary texture and thrust. Finishes with huge ripe but chewy tannins and great persistence. This is 13.2% natural alcohol, vs. 13.5% for La Turque and 13% for La Mouline.

1998 Pierre Gaillard Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Unique Côte Rozier.

1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 97-100. Saturated dark ruby. Flamboyant, wild aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, leather, smoked meat, tar, minerals, animal fur and brown spices. Silky, thick and huge; less subtle than the Turque but a wine of extraordinary texture and thrust. Finishes with huge ripe but chewy tannins and great persistence. This is 13.2% natural alcohol, vs. 13.5% for La Turque and 13% for La Mouline.

French Cheese Plate. Comte, roquefort, brie de meaux, epoisses, grilled bread, fruit compote, raw nuts.

Interesting!

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

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

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

For more LA dining reviews click here,

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, DTLA, Gelato, Johnathan Club, Rhone, Sauvages

Gaja at Locanda

Dec12

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

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

Date: April 13, 2023

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: fun night w/ retro 90s Italian

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

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

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

A too narrow shot of the frontage.

Champ.

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

Just a few Gayas!

Tonight’s menu.

Bread.

A “pesto” of parsley, olive oil, lemon juice etc. I ate it plain.

Bonus white I brought.

Insalata di Cariofi. Finely chopped baby purple artichoke with chopped arugula and mixed baby green in a house vinaigrette, topped with shaved “imported” Parmigiano. Fine salad, although not exactly Gaja compatible so we had my Trebbiano.

Champ.

“Beluga” Sturgeon Caviar (1lb.) Sturgeon Roe (Imported Real Fine Black Caviar) served with Fresh Made Blini, Chopped Egg Yolks, Spanish Red Onion and Crème Fraiche. This wasn’t exactly Gaja compatible either! The caviar itself is middling, but it’s very tasty with the Crème Fraiche.

Carpaccio di Antilope. Very thin slices of marinated “Nilgai” Texas Antelope served with arugula in a lemon vinaigrette. The less carby option.

Risotto al Tartufo Nero. “Carnaroli” rice simmered with a shaved Tuscan Fresh Black Summer Truffles. This was good tonight. The risotto wasn’t quite creamy/buttery enough, but the truffles were great — and smelled great.

Gnocchi Bianchi e Neri d’Aragosta. Homemade black & white gnocchi sauteed with Fresh Lobster Meat and our Famour Lobster Sauce. Really a very lovely pasta. Gnocchi were soft and the sauce was perfect. However, it had these (proper) seafood notes that were totally a clash with the Gaja.

“Tomahawk” di Manzo. USDA Prime Beef Tomahawk charbroiled to perfection, rubbed with Kosher Sea Salt, Black Pepper and our Secret Fresh Spices. They served us three of these, cooked at different levels. This was more on the medium side. One was very rare. It’s a solid steak, but perhaps underseasoned, and it was cooked on gas and missing that charcoal taste.

Roasted Rosemary Garlic New Potatoes. These were as good as roast potatoes get, really tasty.

Garlic Green Beans. Overcooked and a touch mushy, but they tasted amazing because of all the garlic.

Roasted Carrots. Overcooked and a touch mushy.

Panna Cotta. Italian vanilla custard served on a strawberry coulis. Lovely and soft.

Flourless chocolate cake. Pretty much what you’d expect.

Cheesecake with berry sauce.

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

Overall, a super fun evening. Food is a bit dated, like a throwback to 1998, but the place is very fun and cozy and the wines rocked. Problem is (as it often is) that we really needed either a menu crafted for all Niebbiolo instead of the same same menu or a split of half whites and half reds. All that Gaja was smashed into two courses and a lot went to waste. We even had the “dessert gayas.”

Our chef is super nice and a great host.

The kitchen.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Barbaresco, Barolo, BYOG, Gaja, Gelato, Italian cuisine, pasta

Thai Tour – Can Coon

Dec08

Restaurant: Can-Coon Thai Restaurant

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

Date: April 11, 2023

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Awesome (but far)

Thai Tour often drags us far and wide in search of Southern California’s best Thai.

Can-Coon is FAR, all the way in Bellflower, and not exactly “fancy.”

See above comment.

The huge menu.

Nam Kao Tod. Ground pork mixed with green onion, fresh chili, ginger, peanuts, cripsy rice, and lime juice. Crispy, vaguely larb like (but with crispy). Nice.

Soup Nor Mai. Bamboo shoots mixed with green onion, chili, and lime juice. Super funky fermented shrimp paste smell (and to a lessor extent taste) and fibrous texture. A hardcore dish.

Sai Eua. Thai sausage made from pork, mixed with curry paste, lemongrass, and galangal. Great sausage with a lot of flavor.

Koi Soi. Raw beef mixed with red onion, dried chili, and lime juice. Somewhat slimey texture with that shrimp paste taste, although not as strong as the bamboo.

Crispy rice. Intended to be put on the raw beef — which helped it a lot.

Beef Larb. Cooked with chopped onion, green chili, and lime juice. Served with fresh cabbage. Like a salty ground beef cooked version of the raw. Hint of shrimp paste.

Tom Kah Seafood. Spicy and sour coconut soup with mixed seafood, lime juice, and lemongrass. Very nice, slightly spicy, slightly sweet coconut lemongrass soup. Lots of flavor and quite excellent, although not quite as good as the coco lotus soup or the incredible Palms Thai spicy bomb soup.

Shrimp Panang Curry. The color and flavor of fresh and dried chili makes this curry a unique dish. Cooked with coconut cream, sweet basil and chili. Very nice panang. Top notch actually.

Green Curry with Fish Ball. Spicy and delicious with a bit of shrimp paste funk. Really great and “authentic” green curry. Nice bamboo shoots and soft fish balls/chunks.

Sticky Rice.

Pork Leg Stew. Soy sauce pork with five spices. A bit sweet, slightly chinese, and very stewed. Delicious.

Moo Yang. Marinated charbroiled pork, served with spicy sauce. Very sweet and quite delicious.

Tom Sab Baby Back Ribs. Tangy soup with pork niblet ribs (like at dim sum). Great pho-like broth.

Nuah Yum Kra Tiem. Char-broiled beef, topped with fresh garlic and spicy sauce. The waiter pitched this which was like a salty strip 3rd version of the beef salad.

Crispy Pork stir-fried with Basil. Super crispy, a bit sweet, and incredibly delicious. Awesome fried pork nubs.

Crispy Mussel Omelet. Fried Thai omelet with mussel until crispy, topped with sauteed bean sprout and green onion, served with house sauce. Salty but great. Really nice pancake/omelet. Seemed like it had batter in it.

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

Overall, a really tasty, if slightly rustic Thai. Very “authentic” with a lot of shrimp paste flavor. Almost every dish was great. We could have used at least 1 less beef salad, however. The drive was also killer. Almost two hours there and a lot of traffic.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Can Coon Thai, Gelato, Thai cuisine

OOToro Spring

Dec01

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

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

Date: April 1, 2023

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi (with slight nod to China)

Rating: Ends of the earth, but very good

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

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

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

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

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

They put up this weird curtain recently.

We ordered the $250 Omakase.

First course of various little morsels.

Marinated Baby Squid. Soft and juicy!

Baby Japanese Sea Snail. Quite tasty.

Shirako (aka cod sperm sac) with a bit of soy/ponzu. Awesome.

Steamed Abalone. Very tender, but not the strongest (or most intense) abalone I’ve had.

Fried Potato Wrapped Shrimp “Tempura.”

Sashimi course. OToro in the back (super soft). Needlefish in the middle. Squid with bad caviar in front with Uni blobi and Half a Live Octopus sucker with sour plum sauce (great).

Special house-made soy sauce that was actually incredible. I kept it all evening. It was so good it made me eat all the garnish and seaweed (with the soy). Even the shiso flower!

Live shrimp in front with wasabi and oyster with uni and ikura. They took head away for later.

Cooked belt fish.

Parfait of Uni, terrible truffle caviar, some kind of jelly, and crab salad. Once the bad caviar with its truffle oil taste was gone the jelly and crab salad was wonderful.

From the side.

Aji (Spanish Mackerel) Tataki. Lovely!

We went out and looked at the wine cabinet and low and behold there were some Leroys. Turns out they were cheaper than retail!

Duo of whitefish sushi, snapper specifically. The left was Red Snapper and the right Goldeneye Snapper.

Awesome ginger.

The “money plate” with OToro on the right and Kama Toro (collar) on the left. So good!

Skipjack Tuna with garlic and numbing chili crisp! The chili crisp was a new twist and actually kinda delicious.

Uni Toast! So good.

Turns out they had a whole tuna collar “in stock” tonight (the kama part) and we were able to order it.

An hour or so later out came the awesome “BBQ Kama Toro” plate. It’s like ducky tuna and fishy smoked duck and is incredibly rich and delicious. Great with that special soy too.

Yarom flintstones the bone.

Flaming Sea Snail with mushrooms. Creature alert!

Chawanmushi (egg custard) with shrimp, ikura (salmon roe), and hairy crab. This was wonderful and it was also presented with a leg of hairy crab.

The beef dish came out in these cute covered cooking boxes.

Inside was A5 Wagyu they cook tableside.

A5 Wagyu. Super tender and melt in your mouth.

The return of the heads.

Shrimp head miso.

Fried shrimp head for brain sucking fun.

Pure and Concentrated Evil — Kentucky Mud Pie Gelato — Expresso Knob Creek Bourbon Custard Gelato base with layers of house-made Crushed Oreo Valrhona Fudge Ganache, and house-made Vanilla Coconut Cream Cheese Icing — The Plaid Mode of Gelati and includes a hefty Caffeine kick — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #expresso #bourbon #custard #oreos #icing

Two of us grabbed these Leroys.

Overall, this was one of the best OOToro’s ever. Every dish was great — only exception being that gross caviar, but it didn’t ruin any dishes — and the preparation (hard to say cooking) was very on point. The collar as always really took it up a notch. Plus we had a great group with some first timers and a lot of very good wines.

The epic wine lineup.

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

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, ootoro, SGV, Sushi, toro, Tuna, Uni, Wine

Hot Pot Longo

Nov29

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

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

Date: March 30, 2023

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Great Meal, Good Deal

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

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

It’s one of these big formal Cantonese places.

Tanks with live seafood.

Our private room.

Peanuts (with sugar underneath).

Chicken Feet. Yarom has to order them whenever he can.

Cucumbers with a spicy bean paste / oil.

Yarom and the owner.
The owner hung out with us for a bit — she was supposed to actually eat with us, but her kid needed her at home — still, she did bring us a 2012 Unico as a “substitute!”

Tonight’s dinner centered around Longo’s off menu special hot pot.. Each of us had one of these individual pots.

Here is the mild but delicious broth.

The main dipping sauce was this spicy garlic soy.

It could be “juiced up” with garlic, chilies, green onions etc.

Geoduck. Both parts of the giant clam were served raw and could be eaten either as sashimi or dipped in the hot pot to be cooked. I tried the body both ways, but the neck seemed much better cooked. It was pretty delicious this way.

King Crab. We had an entire live king crab who was hacked up into parts. These were cooked in the hot pot for 2-3 minutes and then became extremely juicy and delicious. Could have used some garlic paste too.

Red Rock Cod. This delicious fish was also served raw and was cooked in the pot where it was moist and delicious.

Glass or rice noodles were also served on this platter.

Deep Fried Cod. The head of the cod was hacked up and deep fried. It tasted like Longo’s usual clam neck fry and was delicious.

Scallop. Whole scallops were cooked in the pot and also delicious.

Silken Tofu. This soft tofu was awesome. I must have cooked about 5-6 of these in my pot.

Carby Veggies. Some kind of yams and taro. I didn’t bother with.

Greens. Two kinds of greens, incudling an endive-like thing.

Pork Meat Balls. These were basically sui mai innards that had to be cooked for 10 minutes. They were pretty awesome.

A5 Wagyu Beef. Supposedly. But in any case, it was fatty wagyu and really delicious when briefly cooked — incredibly soft and melt in your mouth.

Velveted Beef. Thicker, but also tender and delicious when cooked. Perhaps more “beefy” flavor than the wagyu.

Cantonese Roast Duck. Juicy.

Fried Squab. Super delicious with crispy skin and very dark rich meat.

Macau Style Pork Belly. Piggy with nice crispy skin. Good stuff.

Sliced Pig Leg. Yep, Yarom couldn’t resist another marinated foot. But the full slices were pretty tasty.

Beef. Just a meh beef. Not bad, but not exciting.

New Flavor — Cherry Bakewell Tart Gelato — While watching every episode of the Great British Baking Show I was introduced to the Bakewell Tart, which I liked it enough to make a gelato — Sicilian Noto Romano Almond Custard Base is layered with house-made Honey Almond Graham Crackers and Cherry Preserves. For extra fun I made an Almond Icing and glazed the Grahams with it in the traditional pattern (first time trying it) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Sicily #Almond #Cherry #GrahamCracker #BakewellTart #tart #bakewell #jam #icing

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

Chinese Baklava?

Chinese Sweet Bean Soup.

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

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Chinese cuisine, Gelato, hot pot, Longo, SGV, Wine

Akbar Pasadena

Nov02

Restaurant: Akbar Cuisine of India – Pasadena

Location: 400 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, CA 91105

Date: March 20, 2023

Cuisine: Indian

Rating: Far, but still one of my favorites

We’ve been friends with the Akbar owners forever — hell I’ve been eating their food since 1996 or 97. So I trekked out to the new Pasadena location (and it is a trek for me).

Bright colors.

Huge gang bang table.

Chutneys. I particularly love the spicy veggie mix on the right.

Mango Habanero Sauce. This is a new concoction that Chev Avi whipped up. Leathally hot and super delicious. When used sparingly, quite awesome.

Naan. I avoided the regular naan just for calorie/carb reasons. Later I succumbed to the cheese version. sigh.

French Fries. The kitchen isn’t really geared for our 25+ person party so these came out to sop up some appetite. I skipped, however, because of the obvious carbs.

Shrimp Bhuna. Really delicious and quite spicy. Succulent shrimp and TONS of flavor.

You can see all those tasty onions. Which given that the first couple of these landed at the other side of the table is all I got for a while. Eventually more came and I loaded up on shrimp.

Tandoori Chicken. Succulent and flavorful as always.

Gobi Manchurian. Really tasty with that sweet and spicy flavor. However, small containers for 25+ people and the cauliflower itself was toasted instantly.

Chicken Tikka Masala. One of my two classic flavors at Akbar and still the best CTM around.

Basmati Rice.

Garlic Naan. Stepping up in the naan world. Freshly baked and covered in garlic.

Goat Curry. Very nice, classic “brown curry” with tons of flavor. I do really like the goat meat, although there are a lot of (sometimes sharp) bones.

Bhindi Masala. One of my favorite veggies and nicely salted. I ate about a whole plate of this with the curry sauce.

Lamb Sliders. I haven’t actually had these before. They have a mint chutney and some greens on them lending them a flavor like classic Indian lamb kabobs.

Cheese Naan. Now these made me break my carb diet — wow I love these cheese stuffed naan. So cheesy good.

Saag (sans paneer). I think it was supposed to be Saag Paneer, but someone forgot the cheese. Still, spinach never had so much flavor (and a whole lotta fat) mixed in.

Oxtail Masala. This was the sleeper hit of the evening. Tons of bone you had to chew around, and oddly, while we constantly got new plates someone had taken everything but our spoons, so I was using two spoons to try to pry the meat out. Still, the masala sauce was to die for and it was an incredible dish.

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

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

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Akbar, Avi Kapoor, BYOG, curry, Gelato, Indian cuisine, Pasadena, Wine

Cheval Crustacean

Oct29

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

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

Date: March 15, 2023

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Awesome as always

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

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

A magnum of 2010 Dom.

Fried potstickers.

Little dumplings that were partially steamed and pan-fried to get a bit of that crispy bottom.

Tonight’s special menu.

A flight of P2!

2000 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. VM 96. The 2000 Dom Pérignon P2 is striking. More importantly, it is absolutely delicious right now. Baked apple tart, brioche, spice, vanillin, ripe pear and crushed rocks all flesh out. Creamy, layered and inviting, with soft, voluptuous curves, the 2000 offers a lot of sheer pleasure. Although, perhaps not quite as complex or structured as the very best P2s, the 2000 is wonderfully alluring. Interestingly, in 2000, the Blanc and P2 are not as different as they typically are. The P2 has a bit more volume and freshness than the Blanc, but both wines share a distinct toasty, slightly reductive character. (Drink between 2019-2040)

2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. VM 97+. The 2002 Dom Pérignon P2 is wonderfully open in its aromatics, but a bit less giving on the palate, especially next to the regular release. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and white pepper open up first, followed by hints of apricot, honey, chamomile and light tropical notes. Interestingly, the P2 is quite a bit less tropical than the original release. Chef de Caves Vincent Chaperon told me he thinks the original release shows more of a buttery character because of the combination of the ripeness of the vintage and the natural evolution of the wine post-disgorgement under crown seal, as opposed to the P2 which stayed much longer on its lees. It is hard to know if that is an exact explanation, but the reality is that the two 2002s are quite far apart stylistically. (Drink between 2019-2032)

2004 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. VM 97. The 2004 Dom Pérignon P2 is precise and wonderfully refined, just like the first release. There’s a hint of reduction from extended time on the cork as well as a feeling of effusiveness that is so appealing. Readers will find a super-classic DP. Dried flowers, brioche, apricot preserves, sage, mint and chamomile are seamless in the glass. The 2004 can be enjoyed now or cellared for another decade plus. Some editions of the P2 series have been pretty austere in the early going; the 2004 is not among them. (Drink between 2022-2034)

Tuna Cigars. Instant smoke, feuille de brick, avocado silk, vidalia onion, tobiko caviar. I’ve had this before and really liked it, but tonight it tasted a bit too much of faux cigar smoke.

Zoom.

The white flight! This is necessary to pair with a lot of the food!

2017 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Bouchères. VM 93. A cool, pure and airy nose is exceptionally pretty with its various white orchard fruit, hazelnut and citrusy wisps. The lilting and ultra-refined middle weight flavors possess a lacy mouth feel before terminating in a sneaky long and well-balanced mineral-inflected finale. This isn’t especially complex at present but my sense is that more depth will almost certainly develop if it’s allowed 6 to 8 years of bottle age. In a word, lovely. (Drink starting 2024)

2017 Olivier Leflaive Montrachet. VM 94. The 2017 Montrachet Grand Cru is much more closed on the nose and demands encouragement. There is a slight menthol aroma that emerges with time; a little exotic, perhaps. The palate has good extract and fine acidity, not quite as precise as the Montrachet from Marc Colin, but there is a lovely spiciness and just the right amount of bitterness on the finish. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Drink between 2027-2050)

2013 Château de la Maltroye Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 95. This is very much like the Grandes Ruchottes in that the nose is reticent to the point of being almost dumb and even aggressive swirling reveals very little. By contrast the big-bodied and tautly muscular flavors possess superb mid-palate density along with terrific intensity that continues onto the palate coating and massively long finish. This is nothing short of brilliant and could very well be the Bâtard of the vintage. Note well however that plenty of patience will be required. (Drink starting 2023)

2018 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers. BH 90. Here too there is just enough reduction to push the underlying fruit to the background but it’s not so heavy as to obscure the fact that it’s ripe with white fleshed fruit and just a touch of oak. The super-sleek, delicious and vibrant flavors are presently relatively compact on the agreeably dry finish that flashes a touch of warmth. The oak does reappear, and this is mildly awkward today so I would suggest allowing this at least a few years to integrate its wood and better harmonize. (Drink starting 2026)

2020 Le Petit Cheval Blanc.

Colossal Tiger Prawns. Served with An’s Famous Garlic Noodles. This is the shrimp version of the classic Crustacean crab dish. Smaller, but great. These noodles never get old with their sweet garlicky bit.

Zoom.

Big Glory Bay King Salmon. Market vegetables, Saffron Nage. Very crispy and with a great little saffron broth, but kinda tiny.

This flight rocked!

1982 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 95+. Saturated deep red, with a hint of development at the rim. Roasted nose dominated by toffee and tobacco. Wonderfully silky but without quite the exotic ripeness of the ’90. Still, this offers uncanny retention of primary fruit. Expands inexorably on the finish and goes on and on. A wonderful bottle that still improving. (The bottle in the blind flight was slightly less impressive: Good full red, with a hint of amber at the rim. Slightly medicinal aromas of red fruits, cedar and tobacco leaf; comes across as distinctly cooler than the ’90. Dense but penetrating and still a bit closed in on itself. Less sweet and generous today than the ’90, less exotic. But finishes firm and long, with a hint of dryness. I rated this bottle 93(+?).) Drink now through 2020.

1983 Château Cheval Blanc. JG 95. Along with Ausone, the ’83 Cheval Blanc has long been one of the greatest wines of this vintage and it is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. The wine has gone through periods of glorious drinking, followed by much more closed cycles over the years, but it seems now at age thirty to have finally reached the start of its plateau of maturity and I would be very surprised to see it shut down ever again in its lifetime. Today, the deep, pure and vibrant nose wafts from the glass in a youthfully complex blend of mulberries, menthol, black cherries, a touch of chocolate, tobacco leaf, lovely soil tones and a nice touch of toasty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very elegant on the attack, with a superb core of fruit, great focus and complexity, and a very long, balanced and modestly tannic finish. The tannins today have fallen away to the point where this wine is very enjoyable to drink, and yet I still have the sense that the wine is relatively adolescent in its stage of development and more fireworks will still be unveiled if one can exercise a bit more patience. This is a great vintage of Cheval Blanc! (Drink between 2013-2050)

1985 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 95. The 1985 Cheval Blanc has always been one of the picks of the vintage for what was a fecund decade for the Saint-Émilion. This example shows similarly to previous bottles. It has a fragrant bouquet with sandalwood, clove and chestnut, maybe here even a touch of brettanomyces? It is only slight. The palate is beautifully balanced with melted tannin. The Cabernet Franc in full flight – hints of bell pepper and cedar, a surfeit of fruit. Maybe it lacks the precision of more recent vintages but how can you resist its charm. Impossible! It is a wonderful wine, but I wonder…was its heyday around the turn of the millennium? Tasted blind at Chez Brunce lunch. (Drink between 2018-2040)

1989 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 95. The 1989 Cheval Blanc is a vintage that I have not encountered since 2010. One bottle opened was rustic and fatigued, and Pierre-Olivier Clouet opened a second that was much better. It has a gorgeous bouquet of ample red fruit, morels, black truffle, cigar box and hints of brown sugar, all very well defined and charming. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin and approaching full maturity; brown spices, bay leaf and clove infuse the red berry fruit. At 30 years of age, I suspect this 1989 will not improve further, but its robustness suggests that any decline will be graceful. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château. (Drink between 2019-2045)

1990 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 98. The 1990 Cheval Blanc is a vintage that once upon a time I drank regularly, although I had not seen it since March 2016. Poured against the 1990 Lafite-Rothschild, this is the clear winner. Still youthful in color with modest bricking. The bouquet explodes from the glass with kirsch, mulberry, antique furniture and black truffle scents. With aeration it becomes more savory, the Cabernet Franc wanting to see more of the olfactory action. The palate is medium-bodied and comes equipped with a stunning velvety texture. This Saint-Émilion feels spherical, conveying a sense of controlled decadence but avoiding any ostentation. This is as good a bottle as I have encountered over the years. Brilliant. Tasted at Noble Rot’s “Xmas” dinner. (Drink between 2019-2045)

Rabbit Dumplings. Rabbit Confit “Money Pouch”, leeks, dijon caviar creme. These were great, probably the best of our three dumpling types.

Chicken Satay. Grilled over Binchotan Charcoal with House Pickles. There was a choice of chicken or beef satay. It seemed pretty small and it was because…

They realized they were supposed to serve two skewers so a second came out 5 minutes later for each person.

Filet Mignon Beef Satay. Grilled over Binchotan Charcoal with House Pickles. The pickles were rather microscopic as well.

And here is the second beef skewer.

1995 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 93+. Good full red. Profound, multidimensional nose combines redcurrant, plums, raspberry, cherry, mocha and humus: really quite singular. Wonderful sweetness and depth of flavor; lush but with a firm spine. Already offers compelling inner-mouth perfume, but I suspect this wine will soon close down. Finishes with terrific length and very suave, sweet tannins that coat the teeth.

1998 Château Cheval Blanc. JG 98+. While the money-changers in the temple promote Pavie and Angélus to the bureaucratic summits of Saint Émilion in the classification of the commune’s wines, tastings such as this one definitively show that Cheval Blanc no longer has any real rival for quality. The 1998 Cheval Blanc is an utterly brilliant wine, delivering a refined and very complex aromatic constellation of black cherries, sweet dark berries, menthol, gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke and a suave framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and full-bodied, with a velvety palate impression beginning to develop, a sappy core of glorious fruit, marvelous soil signature, fine-grained, seamless tannins and a very, very long, complex and effortless finish. The ’98 Cheval Blanc is certainly a very, very enjoyable glass of wine today, but it is still climbing and I would try to leave it alone for at least a handful more years. Sheer brilliance. (Drink between 2030-2100)

2000 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 94. The 2000 Cheval Blanc is a wine that I have encountered more than a dozen times. Now at just over 20 years of age (how time flies – I remember tasting this from barrel), it has a lovely, quite beguiling bouquet of brambly red berries, iron rust, Provençal herbs and clove, powerful and somehow enveloping. The peppery palate is medium-bodied with quite firm, stocky tannins and good backbone, though coming after a vertical of recent vintages, it feels more rustic and feral. As Pierre-Olivier Clouet noted, there are fewer “pixels” in this millennial Cheval Blanc, but you can’t help falling for its charms. Ready to drink now but will age for the next 20–30 years. Tasted at Cheval Blanc. (Drink between 2021-2040)

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

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

2009 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 98. The 2009 Cheval Blanc has a rambunctious nose with copious red fruit, meat juices, sage and crushed stone aromas, ineffably complex. This is so refined, constantly mutating in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannin. There is a mixture of red and black fruit, hints of cassis, cardamom and allspice. Immense depth and grip towards the finish expresses ripe Cabernet Franc. This is an outstanding 2009 destined for long-term ageing. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. (Drink between 2021-2060)

Mongolian Lamb. Chargrilled, market vegetables, twice-cooked potatoes. I’ve had this before too, and it’s a nice lamb chop, just a bit sweet. It’s also not exactly enormous.

Steamed Truffle Cream Dory. Steamed in Papillote, black summer truffle, leeks, romanesco, ginger, shaoxing. This John Dory dish is great, very light and moist with a strong ginger flavor.

Prime Rib Eye with XO Bechamel. Remy Martin XO Wagyu Salt Block Steak, White Cheddar, XO Emulsion. Another petite bite.

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

Warm Beignets. Vietnamese Coffee Creme Anglaise. A single Beignets into which was injected the Creme Anglaise. It was served with:

Yar! Ghostly skeletal praline pirates are marauding — Pecan Pirate Praline Gelato — An eggy Texas Pecan base layered with my creepy skull-shaped New Orleans style Vanilla Bourbon Pecan Pralines and Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Pumpkins — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #vanilla #bourbon #pecan #praline #candy #halloween #spooky

Overall, The wines and company were incredible, and the food itself was great. It wasn’t the “largest” meal, but that’s okay given my diet, and it was most Crustacean “staple dishes”, which are awesome — but I’m a novelty junky. Still, it sure was one hell of an evening. Cheval is really an incredible wine.

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

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: An Family, Bordeaux, BYOG, Champagne, Cheval Blanc, Crustacean, Gelato, Wine

Super Sauvages

Oct25

Restaurant: Laurent Quenioux at the Villamalka for Sauvages

Location: The Villamalka

Date: March 10, 2023

Cuisine: Contemporary French Californian

Rating: Awesome

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

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

Our special menu.

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

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

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

NV Duval-Leroy Champagne Femme de Champagne.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deserves a second pic.

The gang.

And the ladies table.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1996 Louis Latour Chambertin Cuvée Héritiers Latour. 92 points.

1996 Domaine Maume Charmes-Chambertin. 91 points.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the plate.

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

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

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

I went all out on the gelato:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chocolate truffles.

pâte de fruit.

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

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

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

More Monterey Palace

Oct19

Restaurant: Monterey Palace [1, 2, 3]

Location: 1001 E Garvey Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91755. (626) 571-0888

Date: March 5, 2023

Cuisine: Cantonese Banquet

Rating: Great dinner!

The DimSumQuest continues with Monterey Park classic Monterey Palace.

It’s right there on Garvey with that classic 90s look.

And the classic Monterey Park dining room.

Hanging roast meats.

Our private room.

Peanuts. Super salty but actually some of the best salted peanuts I can remember.

Suckling Pig. Perfect juicy pig with crispy skin and just that right amount of porcine funk.

Hoisin and Sugar for the pig.

Geoduck Sashimi. Very fishy, but in a really good “eating the sea” kind of way. Nice chewy texture.

Soy and faux wasabi for the geoduck.

Fried geoduck neck. Super great fry, as good as Longo’s.

Yarom mans the crab.

Steamed King Crab Legs with Garlic. Super moist, tender, sweet, and garlicky. Great.

Typhoon Style King Crab Body. Very nice fry with excellent garlic crunch.

Steamed King Crab Egg Custard. Enjoyable as always, although not as silken as the best of these.

Roast Pigeon. Nice A- version of the crispy pigeon.

Scallops and Mushrooms. They were coated in a sweet but delicious sauce.

Lamb Chops. Tasted like pork chops. Very tender and mild flavored.

Fried Egg Tofu and Mushrooms. Goopy but enjoyable dish with nice textures.

Beef with Mushrooms. A little sweet but pretty tasty.

Candied Walnuts and Peanuts. Yummy.

Hainan Chicken. The chicken was moist and the garlic/ginger sauce amazing.

Garlic Greens. Good version.

Egg Yolk Breast Buns. Hmm.

Sickly Sweet Tapioca Soup. Ick.

Experimenting with “ketoesque gelato” — NSA Vanilla White Gelato — a very simple and elegant Tahitian Vanilla Bean White Base but I’m working on new NSA formulations, this one uses Allulose — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #vanilla #nsa #allulose

Cremino al Siciliana Gelato — The base made with Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta and Sicilian Acacia Honey laced with house-made Bronte Pistacchio DOCG “Fudge” — 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 #ricotta #honey #pistachio #pistacchio #fudge

Overall, a very solid top notch Cantonese meal with great service and great food. Dishes ranged from B+ to A with many great ones and no duds.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Cantonese cuisine, Gelato, hedonists, Monterey Palace, SGV

Inside Asanebo

Oct15

Restaurant: Asanebo [1, 2]

Location: 11941 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604. (818) 760-3348

Date: March 1, 2023

Cuisine: Japanese

Rating: Very good creative Japanese

Asanebo has been a high end valley classic spot for a long time and we come periodically to enjoy the omakase. The previous meal is detailed here.

Chef Tetsuya Nakao came to America in 1982. Him and his younger brother, Shunji, were the original chefs that helped start Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills. After establishing the restaurant as one of the best in Los Angeles, the Nakao brothers ventured out to start their own place. “Asanebo” opened in September 26, 1991. Over the years, “Asanebo” was recognized as one of the top Japanese restaurants from Zagat, LA Times, LA Weekly, and more.

“Asanebo” also accomplished one Michelin Stars in 2008 and the other in 2009. It is part of chef Tetsuya’s standards to provide the best quality fish, meat, vegetables, and other ingredients possible to his customers. Not only is the food so great, but it is his warm character that brings in new customers from all over the world.

Post pandemic they have this nice outside tend/patio in the parking lot.

The menu is big with a mix of traditional and that style of late 1990s and 00s LA Japanese that is heavily Matsuhisa influenced but not focused on the style over substance greatest hits (Katana and Sushi Roku I’m looking at you). It’s much closer in both period and style to Takao.

Chawanmushi. Santa Barbara uni. Wasabi. Ikura. Strong Dashi flavor. Lovely.

Carrot Salad. Ruby and Gold Carrot, arugula, portabella mushroom, seared Hoikido Scallop. The texture was nice, although the salad itself lacked acidity. The scallop was great though.

Seafood stick. Shrimp, White Fish, Shitake Mushroom, Shiso, Citrus Pepper Paste, Sweet Onion Salsa. Really great dish. That salsa would make anything taste amazing.

Lemon Basil King Salmon Sashimi. New Zealand King Salmon, Marinated Ikura, Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Garlic, and Lemon Basil Dressing. This was incredible, and very zesty. Probably my dish of the night.

Halibut. Italian Truffle. Sweet ponzu. Pickled cherry tomato. A bit too sweet and distracting.

Albacore, garlic, ginger, and ponzu sauce.

Sazae on Fire. Japanese Conch, Quail Egg, Shimegi Mushrooms. Nice little “clam soup” in the creature’s shell. Disturbing if you think abot it.

A5 wagyu with heirloom tomato and peach. Very sweet classic Japanese flavor.

A5 sizzled with enoki mushroom, truffle butter, and truffles.

Small flight of sushi. Mackerel, Blue fin tuna, Snapper, and Chu-toro.

White fish sushi and crab battleship.

Toro Takuan Roll (awesome).

New Flavor — Cherry Bakewell Tart Gelato — While watching every episode of the Great British Baking Show I was introduced to the Bakewell Tart, which I liked it enough to make a gelato — Sicilian Noto Romano Almond Custard Base is layered with house-made Honey Almond Graham Crackers and Cherry Preserves. For extra fun I made an Almond Icing and glazed the Grahams with it in the traditional pattern (first time trying it) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Sicily #Almond #Cherry #GrahamCracker #BakewellTart #tart #bakewell #jam #icing

The full wine lineup.

Sadly a little advanced, had to open the PYCM as backup.

A little advanced as well, heavy with no acid.

Very nice and surprisingly young.

Great.

Awesome.

Asanebo has been around since 1991 and as he was an early chef at Matsuhisa (along with his brother Shunji) the food very much reflects that. Like Takao (also at Matsuhisa) it’s positioned somewhere between a classic broad menu 1980s style sushi place and the more Peruvian influence Nobu style. But it’s definitely got strong California influences from the 1990s in a way I never saw in Japan during that period. While the style here is a bit 1990s (unlike Shunji who has massively “updated” recently) the execution remains excellent. I myself do slightly prefer either the very updated traditional or modern styles at the top end right now but there is no question that Asanebo is a great place and thoroughly enjoyable. It’s also not as expensive as the painfully bleeding edge places at current like Kaneyoshi.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Asanebo, BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Japanese, Sushi

In the Mood for Moodaepo?

Oct12

Restaurant: Moodaepo

Location: 3014 7th St, Los Angeles, CA. (213) 381-9990

Date: February 28, 2023

Cuisine: Korean BBQ

Rating: Actual place is just a AYCE joint

Okay — this was a strange dinner. Originally, Jeffrey, Erick, and I were supposed to go to Teleferic — but in classic Jeffrey fashion he jumped the gun, went a few days earlier, then wanted to do a big gang bang instead in order to make a show for his Instagram buddy — so we ended up going with Bovon to Moodaepo.

Now, normally, Moodaepo is just a big chaotic KTown AYCE KBBQ joint. I never go to that sort of place as I’m not price sensitive and you just have an odd format and lower quality in service of a perceived lower price. It also misaligns the resteraunt incentives in a way that I really dislike.

Others obviously don’t feel that way, because the place was packed.

The typical multi-tier AYCE format. Not relevant for us because Bovon brought most of the proteins — including ones that weren’t on the menu. So this was sort of BYOM (Bring Your Own Meat) as well as BYOG and BYOB.

Banchan bar. This wasn’t for customer’s directly, but the staff were using it to refill banchan dishes.

Kimchee, macaroni, etc.

Fish cakes (my favorite), glass noodles, bean sprouts.

Potato salad.

Veggies for the grill and spicy miso sauce.

A different (slightly sweet) spicy sauce, salt, and yummy sweetened spicy soy.

Rice wrappers and pickled daikon.

Salad. Neither my most or least favorite Korean salad. Just ok.

The wine was as gang bang as the food.

Caviar bump!

Bovon going all Salt Bae.

Too much filming. I may take pictures but I kinda loath video at dinners. Gets in the way of being a hedonist.

White rice. duh!

Fresh scallops marinated in tumeric sauce. Delicious, particularly when lightly cooked.

Scallop with its own caviar bump.

Sliced prime rib.

Cooked up thinnly.

A4 Short rib. Much more fat and flavor.

Garlic sizzling in sesame oil. The beef was great “cooked” in this!

More meat!

Rip cap and porterhouse.

Juicy!

Giant bone marrow!

First cooked on the grill, but when that was going too slow…

into the oven it went. We scraped this out, some people on rice, me myself on rib cap!

Posers. hehe.

Tomahawk!

So juicy. The sizzling rip cap parts of this were some of the best steak I’ve had.

A5 slices.

Very juicy.

Elk Tenderloin. Lean and flavorful.

On the grill.

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

Overall, a very crazy big “mass market” AYCE KBBQ with a huge crowd of the young and the hungry (or at least plus size). But we took over a huge triple table and Bovon (who supplies to the owners) brought all his own premiem proteins, none of which are actually on the menu. I think as to actual restaurant food we only had the banchan/sauces etc and the sliced Prime Rib. This was a fun (if chaotic) and tasty meal, but it’s not really reflective of Moodaepo on a normal night.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: beef, BYOG, Foodie Club, Gelato, KBBQ, Ktown, Moodaepo, Wine

Pavie at BOA

Sep16

Restaurant: BOA Steakhouse [1, 2]

Location: 9200 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 278-2050

Date: February 13, 2019

Cuisine: Steakhouse

Rating: Okay food, no wine service

Certain parties like to put dinner at BOA for a number of reasons: distance (or lack-there-of), it’s half willingness to do no corkage (but NO wine service, including stems), and it’s classic steakhouse cuisine. I’m not a particular fan as it’s just meh in about all ways — except it’s pretty easy to get to.

This dinner has a Pavie theme.

Innovative Dining, always has a style-over-substance approach and medium service. On the plus side they do waive corkage, but this has some costs (more on that later) and they are huge, mobbed, and not super attentive.

We had a nice outside table, but it wasn’t a private room and was quite loud.

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

The menu.

2019 Château Pape Clément Blanc. 93 points. The 2019 Pape-Clément Blanc has an attractive and complex nose with yellow plum, lanolin and light smoky scents, very well-defined with neatly assimilated oak. Noticeable SO2 here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine acidity, lacking a bit of mid-weight density and thereafter it just seems to lose complexity with a tinned pineapple and Golden Delicious finish. This bottle may have suffered light strike. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

Tuna Tartare. Avocado, Wasabi Oil, Furikake, Crisp Wontons. Just ok.

Hamachi Tartare. Yellowtail, yuzu ginger marinade, avocado, crisp lavosh. Better, but weird that they basically have two tuna/avocado tartares.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake. Remoulade, Fennel Frond Salad, Fried Capers. Decent.

Chilled Saffron Prawns. Cocktail Sauce, Atomic Horseradish, Lemon. Nice shrimp but I didn’t detect either Saffron or Atomic Horseradish.

Goat Cheese Baklava. Pistachios, Black Truffles, Frissee. Didn’t try because of the carbs.

Jeff Leve’s Caesar Salad, no longer made table-side and without tasbasco.

Not what it once was — definitely not legendary.

Caesar Salad — their “lengendary” recipe. A bit mustard forward.

2007 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère. VM 94. Peach, spices and minerals on the nose. Dense and creamy but quite dry in the mouth, with deep, nuanced flavors of yellow peach, apple and spices. Is this as brisk and fresh as the Perrieres? (A second sample was every bit as rich and offered a bit more inner-palate tension.)

The Classic Wedge, chopped.

The Classic Wedge. Crisp Iceberg Lettuce, Applewood Smoked Bacon. Not bad, but nor was it a truly great wedge. Definately not enough dressing and not cold enough.

1998 Château Pavie. VM 92. The 1998 Pavie was Gerard Perse’s second vintage after buying the property and it was actually matured in 200% new oak. Now at two decades, it continues to be attired with a fresh and very attractive bouquet, blackberry, mulberry, clove and bay leaf, just a touch of Italian delicatessen in the background. I like the definition here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation and a keen thread of acidity, quite classic in style with tobacco and a light seaweed influence towards the persistent finish. This is ageing supremely well and you can another 10 to 15 years of drinking pleasure here. Excellent. Tasted at the château. (Drink between 2018-2032)

1999 Château Pavie. VM 92. The 1999 Pavie shows very similarly to another ex-château bottle encountered a few months earlier. It has an attractive bouquet that has mellowed in recent years, notes of bacon fat and mint infusing the red and black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, red fruit, a touch of hung game and a tarry finish that does not convey the same level of freshness and delineation as the 1998 and 2000 do nowadays. A seductive Pavie, though less turbocharged than subsequent vintages. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate. (Drink between 2019-2032)

Wagyu Meatballs. Not bad, but maybe a lot of filler. Good sauce.

Rosie’s Farm Half Chicken. Had a weird grilled flavor. Didn’t love.

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

2003 Château Pavie. VM 92+. Ruby-red. Superripe nose features port-like black fruits, violet, truffle, coffee and minerals. Superconcentrated, rich and layered, conveying a powerful impression of solidity. High-pitched flavors of blackberry and violet pastille along with lower tones of mocha, coffee and smoked meat. Finishes with big but noble, palate-dusting tannins and great persistence. The wine’s aftertaste saturates every square millimeter of the mouth. Ultimately more exotic, more roasted and heavier than the young 2004; a quintessence of the 2003 harvest.

Marinated Skirt Steak Frites.

2002 Château Pavie. VM 92. Saturated ruby-red. Sexy aromas of blackcurrant, black raspberry, plum, mocha, minerals, game and nutty oak. Superripe, rich and chewy, with a higher pitch than the 2001 owing to its firm acids. Quite suave and fine-grained but youthfully backward. Finishes with building, ripe tannins that coat the teeth, and lingering notes of plum, leather and chocolate. This will need a good eight to ten years of bottle aging, and should last for two decades or more.

2003 Château Pavie. VM 92+. Ruby-red. Superripe nose features port-like black fruits, violet, truffle, coffee and minerals. Superconcentrated, rich and layered, conveying a powerful impression of solidity. High-pitched flavors of blackberry and violet pastille along with lower tones of mocha, coffee and smoked meat. Finishes with big but noble, palate-dusting tannins and great persistence. The wine’s aftertaste saturates every square millimeter of the mouth. Ultimately more exotic, more roasted and heavier than the young 2004; a quintessence of the 2003 harvest.

21 Day Dry Aged Tomahawk for Two (or 8). We ordered it medium rare, came medium. Got another which was actually rare. Bearnaise sauce on the side.

Lobster Mac N Cheese. Too many carbs. Ate a bite of lobster.

Creamed Spinach with Crispy Onion. Excellent.

Brussels Sprouts & Bacon. Had a balsamic glaze which made it a bit sweet.

2004 Château Pavie. VM 93. Bright ruby, less black than the ’04 Pavie-Decesse. Sexy aromas of black cherry, violet, minerals and oak. Very suave on entry, then superripe, fat and rich in the middle and evolving slowly. Like the Pavie-Decesse, this benefits from substantial ripe tannins and lovely flavor definition, but today this shows a bit less vibrancy than either the ’04 Pavie-Decesse or the ’05 Pavie. But this very deep wine appears to be in a closed phase.

2005 Château Pavie. VM 97. Six years have passed since I last tasted the 2005 Pavie. In that time, the wine has moved into its first plateau of maturity. Heady and explosive, the 2005 possesses tremendous richness right out of the gate. An infusion of inky dark fruit, chocolate, leather, spice, menthol and espresso greets the palate as the 2005 shows off its considerable charms. The style of the era is evident in the wine’s rich, extracted feel and strong oak inflections. My preference is to drink the 2005 now, as early signs of aromatic maturity are starting to set in. Tasted two times. (Drink between 2021-2030)

2006 Château Pavie. VM 95. Good full medium ruby. Blackberry, black cherry, licorice and minerals on the nose. Suave on entry, then cool and minerally in the middle palate, with brooding black fruit flavors. Today this comes across as less fleshy than the 2007, with the result that the tannins seem a bit tough. But there’s plenty of sweet fruit lurking and a very solid spine for aging.

Porterhouse Brooklyn with garlic and rosemary. Again ordered medium rare, again came way too cooked — but we were too lazy to send it back again.

Sauteed Mushrooms.

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

The wine.

Food was ok. It’s not nearly — not even close to — as good as The Royce, but it’s better than more hack steakhouses like Del Friscos or terrible ones like Taylor’s. The place is gigantic and a bit of a factory. It was very crowded and the like. Service was friendly but a bit distant — and wine service non existant.

They did waive corkage. But on the minus side, and perhaps because of this, they didn’t touch the bottles (maybe a good thing), so we did everything. AND they very strictly limited us to THREE glasses each (up from two last time). They directly told the staff not to give us any more. This is mostly the fault of certain parties who just aren’t willing to pay for corkage (which covers stem cleaning/washing).

The group has learned to break up the courses which is good, but of course really there should be more of a red/white balance. It’s hard to know if the food has changed or my taste has but it seemed lamer than it was a few years ago. Not terrible or anything, but just sloppier and a bit blander. Execution is just so-so. They can’t even do salads that well.

The wines, however, were excellent!

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BOA, Bordeaux, BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Pavie, steakhouse

All Day at 888

Sep11

Restaurant: 海珍大酒樓 888 seafood restaurant [1, 2, 3]

Location: 8450 Valley Blvd, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 573-1888

Date: February 12, 2023

Cuisine: Cantonese Dimsum & Banquet

Rating: good not great, but awesome room and a lot of fun

As has become a bit of a tradition, Superbowl Sunday hedonist style is an all day affair at 888 Seafood. Not one but two meals!

The frontage.

Nothing like hanging out in the hall with the hanging meat!

Jeffrey’s sauce bar.

We have been in this giant private room both with a single monster table and with the current two large table configurations.

Overall, dim sum here was very “meh.” It was certainly the worst I’ve had recently in the SGV (as I’ve been going to good places), but solid enough to be enjoyable. In general, skins were too thick and things were a bit overcooked. They do have a lot of variety but the “banquet” side of 888 is way better than the dim sum side.

Jellyfish. Pretty meh jellyfish with a decent texture but no flavor. Jellyfish needs an acidic sauce/marinate.

Cold meat plate. The pork was excellent, the duck solid, the chicken fine, and the pink pork “wurst” stuff incredible. Great “cured meat” quality.

Steamed Chicken Feet in Brown Sauce. People said they were gross.

Sparerib in Black Bean Sauce. Very piggy and unpleasant version of this typical dish. Texture was okay but the flavor was terrible.

Premium Har Gow. These weren’t so premium. The skins were a little thick and over-steamed and the interior, while fine and full of solid shrimp, was bland and under seasoned. Still not bad or anything, but bland.

Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai. A touch oversteamed but savory enough, so reasonably tasty.

Chiu Chow Style Pork & Peanut Dumpling. These had a heavy wrapper but the filling was delicious with a mix of peanuts, meats, and various veggies.

Shrimp & Chives Dumpling. Again the wrapper was a little thick and the inside okay but a touch underseasoned.

XLB. Pretty decent actually for dim sum XLB. The pork itself was very tasty but there wasn’t really any juice.

Bean Curd Skin Rolls in Brown Sauce. Actually one of the better dim sum here with a nice texture and decent flavor. Not as nicely white peppered as the best versions, but certainly enjoyable.

Steamed Rice Noodle Roll with Shrimp. Solid Chow Fun with good texture and lots of shrimp. Sauce wasn’t sweet but did work.

Steamed Rice Noodle Roll with BBQ Pork. Again, a pretty good Chow Fun as the BBQ pork here is good.

Pan Fried Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll. I think I actually tried to order the Red Rice Noodle Roll and got this instead. It was pretty good though, being basically a dried shrimp and chive Chow Fun that was pan fried. Tasty in a greasy way.

Steamed BBQ Pork Bun. THe pork inside was very sweet but there was a good amount of it. The dough was over steamed and soggy.

Baked BBQ Pork Bun. Decent but sweet filling, so-so bun.

Contents.

Pan Fried Dace Fishcake. Dense and very fried with an interesting flavor. Not to everyone’s taste but I kind of liked it.

Deep Fried Shrimp Spring Roll. Solid enough version of this with a heavy but crispy shell and lots of shrimp.

Pan Fried Water Chestnut Cake. We didn’t know what to expect from this, and certainly not what we got, but it did turn out delicious. It was gelatinous and vaguely sweet — quite yummy.

Eggplant with Shrimp Paste. The fried fish ball was good, but this kind of straight up baked or steamed eggplant not my favorite texture.

Egg Tofu with Fish Paste in Brown Sauce. I like the soft egg tofu texture and the fish paste (which might have been shrimp paste?) was good, so this was a pleasant dish. Could it have been better with a stronger peppery brown sauce and a more seasoned fish cake? Sure, but it was pretty good anyway.

Steamed Beef Ball. Solid and chewy version of this classic. Very stuck together.

Mushrooms and vegetables.

Sticky Rice Wrapped with Lotus Leaves. I didn’t get a chance to try.

Custard Egg Tart. Very meh version. Eggy, and certainly not offensive, but not great.

Wines.

The coma.

BBQ Suckling Pig. Absolutely awesome and probably one of the best Chinese pig’s I’ve had. It was porky in the best way with a crispy skin and that “sizzling pork fat” thing going on. Really delicious.

100 Flower Chicken. Nice version of this relatively rare dish with the crispy skin and the luscious shrimp paste. Could have been a touch more seasoned but still delicious.

Hot and Sour Soup. Just okay with a decent texture but wasn’t really hot or sour.

Beef Brisket in Chili Oil. Tasty but not amazing.

Crab in Salty Egg Yolk. I don’t love the salty egg yolk prep as it’s kind of heavy and has a grainy quality, but this was one of the best crab’s I’ve had with it. The shell’s were very tender and there was a lot of meat so one could crunch through and really enjoy the sweet meat.

Lamb, onion, cilantro, and mushroom stir fry. I guess this was a variant on cumin lamb (without much cumin). It was soft but quite enjoyable.

Typhoon Style Garlic Lobster. Really nice lobster with lots of meat and crispy garlic.

Eggplant and String Beans. Okay but not my favorite.

Cauliflower with Southern Chinese Sausage. Yum, that sweet porky sausage makes any vegetable good.

Yang Chow Fried Rice.

Kung Pao Fried Rice. Interesting.

Piggy!

New Flavor — Cherry Bakewell Tart Gelato — While watching every episode of the Great British Baking Show I was introduced to the Bakewell Tart, which I liked it enough to make a gelato — Sicilian Noto Romano Almond Custard Base is layered with house-made Honey Almond Graham Crackers and Cherry Preserves. For extra fun I made an Almond Icing and glazed the Grahams with it in the traditional pattern (first time trying it) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Sicily #Almond #Cherry #GrahamCracker #BakewellTart #tart #bakewell #jam #icing

Out in the main hall!

Dimsum at 888 was solid, but not particularly interesting or super fresh. Definitely a notch or two down from the made to order places. Shells were a bit “sticky” which indicates they have been sitting in the steamers for a bit. Also, because we were starting at 2pm the dim sum kitchen was closing and so they brought EVERYTHING out all at once.

The banquet food was better, pretty good actually. It’s not the best Cantonese restaurant in the SGV for dinner, but it’s certainly way way better than anything further west and really quite good. Service is very nice and good for the SGV. And that mega banquet room rocks. They have a couple of them too but ours is the best. Really great private party space even if a little garish.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: 888 Seafood, BYOG, Cantonese Chinese, Chinese Food, Dim sum, Gelato, hedonists, SGV

Monarch Madness

Aug27

Restaurant: Monarch

Location: 1212 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007. (626) 596-2818

Date: January 29, 2023

Cuisine: Hong Kong fusion

Rating: Very good, but I like Chifa better

The Leon family knew within the first week of opening their Peruvian Chinese restaurant Chifa in late 2020 that a sophomore effort was in the cards. Though no one in the family was especially well-versed in food service or hospitality, the tenacious squad that includes Humberto Leon, the co-founder of fashion brand Opening Ceremony; his mother, Wendy Leon; sister, Ricardina Leon; and brother-in-law, John Liu; navigated pandemic-related hurdles and ultimately found success. Now they’re ready to do it all over again with Monarch, which opened on South Baldwin Avenue in Arcadia on Saturday, January 14.

Dressed up diner outside is totally SGV.

Super cool dining room.

8 is THE number for these round tables!

Bead screen of Iguazu Falls!

Jeffrey with Mama.

The menu.

Accidental grab as this was a $495 wine for Chinese!

Michael Kaplan’s son’s home-made chili oil (excellent).

Trusting the manager, I put in the entire menu organized into 4 flights. This 3rd flight item came out first but he graciously took it back, sorted it out, and sequenced near perfectly after that.

Silken Steamed Egg. delicate steamed egg with monkfish liver. The texture on the egg was great. However, the monkfish liver was a bit underappreciated in this (very cooked) context.

Decadent Spiced Okra. wok stir-fried okra in a Szechuan spice. Not particularly spicy, but very very pleasant with that goopy and crunchy okra texture.

Filet Mignon Tartare. Westholme Australian Wagyu filet mignon with pickled snow cabbage, chili crisp and quail egg. We mixed this all up and the result was an extremely flavorful tartare.

Shrimp chips for the tartare.

Slippery Egg Crab Fried Fun. Cantonese wok fried rice noodle with egg, crab and salmon roe add Uni. The “Fun” was basically rice sticks but this thick starchy dish was awesome with that old school “lobster sauce” flavor + uni. Really lovely.

Steamed Seabass Olive Tapenade. slow steamed chilean seabass topped with Chinese pickled olive tapenade. Olives are an unusual feature of southern Chinese cooking, probably courtesy of the Portuguese. They certainly worked in this night light seabass preparation.

Black pepper lobster. This special order prep was absolutely to die for. This 5ish pound lobster was super juicy and the black pepper sauce on of the best stir-fry sauces ever. Putting it on those thick al dente noodles was absolutely to die for. Once the oily pepper sauce soaked into the noodles… oh yeah!

Again, just because.

The gang.

Monarch Bolognese. simmered pork and tomato ragu with Chinese egg noodle. Even on their return in proper sequence this was a contentious dish. The porky Bolognese, while a touch dry, was quite lovely. But the noodles tended to clump.

Addicting Curry Noodle. fragrant and spicy curry squid ink noodle with scallop, calamari and shrimp. We all much preferred this unusual noodle dish with its grainy yellow curry flavor. Really was addicting.

Garlic Sweet & Sour Pork. crispy fried pork with Popo’s sweet & sour sauce, onions and kiwi. Like a high end Panda Express Sweet & Sour Pork! Very fried and drowned in this sweet and jammy sauce.

Black Pepper Lobster Tail. Whole lobster tail wok tossed in sweet and spicy black pepper sauce — noodles added. The lobster (and its noodles) were so good that we ordered two tails worth of lobster with MORE noodles. However they were out of the thick round ones and substituted this linguine. The tail meat was easier to eat and I enjoyed its lobster flavor, but the shell had one up on it for being finger licking good. The new noodles were good, and if we had had them first would have been great, but they just weren’t as chewy and amazing as the larger noodles.

Our special order Tomohawk came at first “well done” but again they graciously took it back and swapped for…

Tomahawk, rare. Now this was an amazing steak and really delicious with its warm deep pink/purple center. I particularly enjoyed with the sauces.

Black Pepper Cognac au Poivre sauce. Roasted Garlic Red Wine Reduction sauce. And special Chifa Cucho Sauce. My favorite was the black pepper.

Braised Curry Lamb Shank. tender braised lamb shank in fragrant tomato curry with cauliflower puree. Great that this was on a cauliflower puree (low carb) and the meat was super tender and drowned in delicious sauce.

Trinity Fried Rice. garlic, ginger, scallion trinity fried rice with egg, shirmp and fish roe. Nice large shrimp.

Celery & Red Chidori Kale (V). simple wok tossed celery and kale with fresh garlic. This was a surprise stand out for me. I very much enjoyed the crisp crunch of the celery.

Dessert menu, but we had better:

Cremino al Siciliana Gelato — The base made with Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta and Sicilian Acacia Honey laced with house-made Bronte Pistacchio DOCG “Fudge” — 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 #ricotta #honey #pistachio #pistacchio #fudge

Overall, this was an amazing meal. It’s sort of an interesting fusion, as it’s essentially Chifa — both the restaurant and the cuisine. Specifically this is a Hong Kong Peruvian hybrid fusion. It’s good and the decor and service are fabulous. But it’s also more expensive than almost all SGV Chinese. And I’m not sure it’s exactly better, just different. I actually like my Chinese very Chinese. I don’t even love Hong Kong “style” Chinese as much as most mainland restaurants because of the European (aka British) influence.

My favorite dishes here at Monarch were many of the ones that were at Chifa as well, like the lobster and steak. I do have to say, however, that the black pepper lobster is INSANELY GOOD. Best Chinese style lobster I’ve had. It’s also pretty expensive, but worth it. And the version we had was off menu, as the on menu one is lobster tail (which is also really good and we also had).

My recommendation would be that anyone very into SGV Chinese, or Chinese food in general, try out Monarch and see what they think themselves. I imagine many people will love it. I’ll certainly be back.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Black pepper, BYOG, Chifa, Chinese cuisine, Gelato, Lobster, Monarch, Wine

Can there Bee too many Tacos?

Aug20

Restaurant: Bee Taqueria

Location: 5754 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016. (323) 452-9575

Date: January 25, 2023

Cuisine: Mexican Taco

Rating: Delicious, but a lot of tacos

Bee Taqueria was opened and operated by Alex Carrasco. He’s worked in the kitchen at some notable restaurants such as Viceroy, Joe’s Restaurant, Paiche, Mo-chica, Red Medicine, and Mozza. Carrasco caught the attention of LA foodies with LA’s first taco omakase menu — which is what we shall be trying tonight.

Normally, Bee’s is a delicious modern taqueria with casual seating.

And a colorful “shack” style.

The menu changes a bit daily.

You order from here.
However, they also have this lounge and Omakase space!

And a big charcoal grill.

So we set up in the “private dining” room.

Some Champagne to kick things off.

Jeff brought another pound of caviar!

Caviar bump.

7 musketeers!

And Jeff M with the chef.

From my cellar: 2012 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Sketch. VM 93. Pale gold. Expressive, orchard fruit, honey and mineral aromas pick up hints of quinine and white flowers with air. Bitter pear skin and Meyer lemon flavors gain weight, with the wine maintaining vivacity and focus thanks to juicy acidity. Closes on a tangerine note, with serious, mineral-driven thrust and lingering floral character.

From my cellar: 2013 Veyder-Malberg Grüner Veltliner Liebedich. VM 93. Sourced from Bruck, Schön, Buschenberg and Hochrain, and bottled under the mock site name “love you,” this cuvée delivers a wonderfully cooling and succulent amalgam of green herbs and ripe honeydew melon in undulating interaction with stony, alkaline, subtly smoky and mouthwateringly saline mineral elements. The feel is polished and the overall effect delightfully buoyant. Crunch, bite and piquancy of cress, pepper, iodine, dark leafy greens and walnut oil add depth as well as energy to a palate-clinging finish. (Drink between 2015-2030)

2010 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Rubis. VM 93. A classy, understated wine, the 2010 Grand Cellier Rubis offers striking depth and nuance. Now, nearly two and half years after its disgorgement, the 2010 is just starting to open up aromatically. The Rubis is deceptively medium in body, yet it possesses notable drive. There is plenty of depth in the glass, but it is more implied than overtly stated. The Rubis is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged November, 2014. (Drink between 2017-2025)

The chef introduced every dish with its (extensive) personal story.

Nuts. Roasted peanuts/ chile de arbol/garlic/ roasted chulpe/ sea salt. Spicy peanuts and cornnuts with lime. Pretty tasty with a bit of burn.

Every dish!

Lobster aguachile. Kombu serrano broth/ ikura/ cilantro criollo. Very zesty ceviche with nice thick chips with excellent corn flavor.

Added some caviar!

Bugambilia mole taco w/ Queso fresco, Bugambilia chicken mole/onion/fried bugambilia leaf. Smoky meat and cheese taco. Delicious.

Chicatana & ahi tuna tostada. Wakame sesame tostada/chicatana rub /soyu/heirloom tomato pico de gallo/garlic oil. Fish and tomato taco with crispy fried tortilla.

Huitlacoche empanada/ Truffle Cream. Pipiche Salsa verde/Truffle carpaccio/epazote Truffle oil. Delicious! The sauce was incredible. The whole thing incredible actually.

Fish taco w/ Squid ink tortilla. Yellow tail/ house made ponzu/ Morita aioli/fried rice/ furikake/ caviar/ fried charales. Yellowtail, anchoivy, and caviar taco. Very interesting textures and the cool raw fish and salty fish flavors.

From my cellar: 2003 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 93. The 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is a super-ripe, opulent wine that resembles the 1997 in its generous, full-bodied personality. The tannins are surprisingly well-balanced within the context of this challenging vintage. The 2003 should drink well relatively early for this Riserva. All things considered, this is a superb effort. Production was down sharply in 2003. The estate bottled just 13,000 bottles of this wine compared to the typical 23,000 bottles. (Drink between 2013-2023)

2006 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura. VM 92. Good medium red, a bit less bright than the classico. Deeper and earthier on the nose, showing more oak and less lift today. Then sweet, silky and lush on the palate, broader and weightier than the basic Brunello. This initially displayed less clarity and definition but seemed to gain in energy and depth as it opened in the glass. Finishes with sweet tannins and serious weight and length.

Some monster.

And more monster.

Pork taco. Cecina/aciento/guacamole/Salsa borracha/ prosciutto/speck chips. Pork X ways taco with prosciutto and crispy pork rind. To die for great.

Bistek Con huevos taco. Blue corn tortilla/dry aged rib eye/brie cheese/Truffle roasted sauce/Lobster veal demi glaze/ sunny side up quail egg. Steak and egg taco.

Churros w/ Dulce de leche. Mezcal sugar/ Mezcal oaxacan hot chocolate/amaranto. Churros filled with delicious cream and mezcal coffee liquour. Really great churros.

Pure and Concentrated Evil — Kentucky Mud Pie Gelato — Expresso Knob Creek Bourbon Custard Gelato base with layers of house-made Crushed Oreo Valrhona Fudge Ganache, and house-made Vanilla Coconut Cream Cheese Icing — The Plaid Mode of Gelati and includes a hefty Caffeine kick — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #expresso #bourbon #custard #oreos #icing

Added some of the mezcal sauce.

The wine lineup.

Overall, each dish was super super yummy. As a meal however, there were a few too many “tacos.” It didn’t feel exactly like a progression of dishes but a series of tacos (which it was). Some of these dishes would have been better served in a slightly different form favor, perhaps without the tortilla.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Alex Carrasco, Bee Taqueria, BYOG, Caviar, Foodie Club, Gelato, Mexican, Tacos, Taqueria, West Adams

On Fire – Wasn’t

Aug12

Restaurant: On Fire Hot Pot

Location: 500 N Atlantic Blvd Ste 201 Monterey Park, CA 91754. (717) 966-6666

Date: January 15, 2023

Cuisine: High End Hot Pot

Rating: Evidently golden toilets don’t bring luck

This high end hot pot joint in located in a hard to find spot upstairs near Atlantic Seafood.

Lots of cheap marble.

The main dining room.

Golden urinal.

Golden toilet!

Cheesy bling by the sink.

Our 8-10 person private room with two pots. Very undecorated.

Snacks and the “sauce bar.”

Green onion, cilantro, lime, garlic/ginger paste, chilies, chili oil.

Peanuts and jicama. Not sure what the jicama was for.

Sesame paste was available on request. This is just straight sesame paste.

The menu.

Some starter wines.

On the left, Pepper with Hog Maw and Chicken Soup. On the right, Tom yum soup. The Tom Yum was nice and included a couple of shrimp, but the “hog maw” had lots of pig stomach in it and that lent it that stinky smell (which permeated the room) and funky taste. Okay, but a bit stinky.

On the left, Golden Soup Fish Maw Chicken Pot. On the right, Taiwanese Spice Abalone Duck Blood Pot. The maw was added later to the maw pot and was very tender and delicious. This pot was mild but good. The Spicy pot was medium spicy and had great tofu in it to start as well as a tiny number of duck blood slabs, which were good. But I only saw 1-2 small abalone. Very different from the picture where it was loaded with abalone.

The fish maw for the golden broth. At least there was plenty of this and it was fabulous.

The big seafood platter with two lobsters, shrimp, scallops, oysters, clams, a few abalone, and salmon.

Get in close.

Angus Sirloin Steak.

Snowlake Short Ribs.

Premium Ribeye. This was one of the best cuts. We also had a wagyu in here somewhere but not sure which one it was or if I missed the photo. It was definiately softer.

Premium Lamb Shoulder.

Beef Tongue. Always like some tongue.

Pork Neck. This was porky, soft, and super delicious.

Assorted balls and fish tofu. Some of these were beef and some were fish and there were two were roe “dumplings.”

Beef Balls.

Luncheon Meat (aka spam). Always one of my favorites.

Pork Sausages. Very tasty.

Assorted tofu plate. The fried tofu balls were particularly delicious.

Assorted green vegetables.

Spinach and glass noodles. I’ve never had wide glass noodles like this.

Yin yang.

Vickye at work as hot pot mom.

Truffle Rice. This got dumped in the spicy broth and simmered down to form a gumbo-like bowl of yum.

The rice and broth.

Pure and Concentrated Evil — Kentucky Mud Pie Gelato — Expresso Knob Creek Bourbon Custard Gelato base with layers of house-made Crushed Oreo Valrhona Fudge Ganache, and house-made Vanilla Coconut Cream Cheese Icing — The Plaid Mode of Gelati and includes a hefty Caffeine kick — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #expresso #bourbon #custard #oreos #icing

Overall, a very fun night. This is an interesting hot pot format. It’s more seafood focused and there is more emphasis on the different pot flavors. Some were good, like the abalone one, and some not so good, like the pig ass flavor. The place clearly has a lot of competition. There are tons of much cheaper and easier to find hot pot places. It was deserted and that obviously took its toll — as they seem to be out of business. It’s a shame though because it was on the different side and I like variety.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Chinese Food, Gelato, hot pot, On Fire, SGV

Champagne Sauvages

Aug10

Restaurant: 71Above [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

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

Date: January 13, 2023

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Awesome in all ways

71Above is one of my favorite LA restaurants and I’ve been many times. In fact there are 10 previous write ups! Original Chef Vartan Abgaryan has moved on to his own new place, Yours Truly (which the pandemic has sadly done in), and 71Above is now seamlessly helmed by his disciple, Chef Javier Lopez. Today the location plays host to a special Sauvages lunch — the “infamous” January Champagne Lunch.

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

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

Gorgeous build out upstairs for the main event.

Look at the crazy view and the crazy fog on this weird spring night.
The pre-lunch crowd.

2018 Dönnhoff Roxheimer Höllenpfad Riesling im Mühlenberg Großes Gewächs. VM 92. This bottling from the stand of very old vines in Höllenpfad is full of juicy white peach fruit that I hadn’t expected from this site – but after all, we are talking about fruit-dominated vintage 2018. That’s not to say that certain elements conducive to austerity are absent: peach kernel piquancy, ash, crushed stone. On top of which, there is only one lone gram of residual sugar. The feel is full and firm, the minerally concentrated finish persistently pithy but juicy, and there is a welcome, saliva-inducing hint of salinity. “This is my new favorite child,” quipped Dönnhoff, “but it still has to finish school,” meaning not that these old vines need to be taught anything, but rather that he and Cornelius are still learning how to best channel this site’s and those vines’ potential. (For extensive background on this bottling and its site designation, consult my review of the inaugural vintage 2017 installment.) (Drink between 2020-2027)

2019 Domaine de Chantemerle Chablis La Chantemerle.

2014 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. BH 93. A spicy nose grudgingly liberates notes of citrus, floral, wet stone, oyster shell and iodine. There is a fine blend of power and finesse with outstanding punch, complexity and balance on the beautifully lingering and markedly dry finish. A classic Montée de Tonnerre of refinement and grace. (Drink starting 2022)

From my cellar: 2016 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Cuvée Nicholas et Mathis. 92 points.

Crispy Chicken Bites. Mustard Emulsion, Dill. Crispy with just a touch of heat.

Caviar. Brioche, Dashi Gelee, Chives.

Truffle eggs.

Our private room.

Chilling out.

Today’s special menu.

1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires. VM 95. The 1995 Brut Blanc des Millenaires shows just how compelling this often overlooked vintage can be. Layers of lemon, pastry spices, crushed rocks and savory herbs literally jump from the glass in this exquisite, perfumed, beautifully delineated Champagne. The 1995 shows lovely flavor complexity and nuance from its extended time in bottle, yet it also retains plenty of freshness, verve and acidity. This is a great showing from Charles Heidsieck. The 1995 was made before the tenure of the house’s current team, headed by CEO Cécile Bonnefond. It will be very interesting to see what develops at this historic property over the coming years. (Drink between 2013-2022)

1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. BH 97. A distinctly reticent but elegant nose with a purity of expression that is truly impressive to experience as it’s relatively high-toned and while the yeast comes up with air, it’s relatively muted at presence, combining with intense, precise and superbly detailed and complex flavors that culminate in an explosive and wonderfully long finish. This may very well rival the sublime ’90 in time even if it’s not quite as concentrated. This is still a baby so there is absolutely no rush whatsoever.

1998 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil. VM 97+. The 1998 Blanc de Blancs Clos du Mesnil has developed beautifully since I last tasted it. What a wine. For the first few years of its life, the 1998 seemed to lack personality, then, suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, it blossomed. Today, the 1998 is rich, powerful and explosive, none of which was a few years ago. Layers of textured fruit, pastry, spices and crushed rocks jump from the glass. Still an infant, the 1998 promises to drink well for two to three decades. This is without question the best bottle of the 1998 I have ever tasted. Time to do another complete vertical? (Drink between 2013-2038)

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)

Hiramasa Crudo. Passion Fruit, Mandarin, Avocado, Jicama, Furikake, Cilantro, Habanero. Super fabulous crudo with a really zining sweet, spicy, savory, tangy marinate. 71 Above often has these really interesting complex flavors.

2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne. VM 98. I remember the first time I tasted the 2002 Dom Pérignon with then-Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy at Hautvillers. It was the upcoming release at the time. As was his custom, Geoffroy served the 2002 in a flight that included a number of previous releases. The bouquet was immediately stunning for its audacity. I had never tasted anything like it. Two thousand-two was a year marked by extreme ripeness in the Chardonnays, and that opulence has always been a big part of the wine’s profile. Today, what strikes me most about the 2002 is its timelessness. That youthful opulence remains, yet the 2002 is still vibrant, almost shocking in its freshness. Apricot, ripe peach, tangerine oil, butter and dried flowers all build towards a captivating crescendo of aromas and flavors that saturates the finish. Readers can look forward to another two decades of exceptional drinking. (Drink between 2022-2042)

2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare. JG 94. It is funny how often I drink the 2002 Rare from Piper-Heidsieck, given that I cannot get a sample out of this Grande Marque of the 2008 Rare or any other recent releases these days. In any case, the radio silence has not soured me on the beauty of the 2002 Rare, which remains one of the finest wines I have had the pleasure to taste from Piper. The bouquet is complex, deep and refined, offering up scents of apple, lemon, fresh-baked bread, chalky minerality and a nice touch of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a fine core, lovely balance and grip, elegant mousse and a long, focused and still vibrant finish. At age twenty this wine is cruising along beautifully at its plateau of peak maturity and still has plenty of life ahead of it. (Drink between 2022-2045)

2012 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. VM 96. Pol Roger”s flagship Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is fabulous in 2012. Rich, open-knit and seductive, the 2012 will drink well right out of the gate, although it certainly has the pedigree to age well for decades. Lemon confit, chamomile, dried flowers, mint, spice and a kick of brioche infuse the 2012 with notable textural richness and resonance. Time in the glass brings out gorgeous aromatic lift to round things out. The 2012 is classy and polished all the way. (Drink between 2022-2037)

Crispy Octopus. Smoked Paprika, Morita Chili, Fingerling Potatoes, Celery, Lemon. Very nice crispy octopus.

2007 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare. 93 points.

2004 Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Annonciade. 92 points.

2003 Dom Pérignon Champagne. VM 95. The 2003 Dom Pérignon is in a gorgeous place right now. To be sure, it is a powerful Champagne that reflects the personality of a year marked by frost, that took out 70% of the Chardonnay, and then record heat and drought over the summer. The 2003 is just starting to head into its first plateau of maturity. Brioche, baked apple tart, lemon confit and marzipan build into the rich, layered finish. (Originally published in May 2021) (Drink between 2021-2038)

2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs. VM 98. We started with the 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, which is every bit as racy and seductive as it has always been. It’s a great, great vintage for Comtes. (Drink between 2022-2046)

Lettuces, Market Vegetables, Labne, Cumin, Cilantro, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Very nice interesting cumin notes. Good texture.

Risotto Milanese. Saffron, Crispy Bone Marrow, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Perfect risotto, if very rich. I only had a bite as I was saving my blood sugar.

NV Jacques Selosse V.O. Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut. VM 95. The NV Extra-Brut V.O. (Version Originale) (2015) is super-expressive right out of the gate. It marries richness with translucence in stunning style. Dried flowers, mint, pine, spice, baked apple tart and brioche add gorgeous aromatic presence. In this release, the V.O. is so compelling. As always, V.O. is a blend of parcels on the upper slopes of Avize, from vintages 2015, 2014 and 2013 in this release. Disgorged: April 5, 2021. (Drink between 2023-2033)

2008 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare. 93 points.

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)

2008 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. 92 points.

Murray Cod. Little Neck Clams, Celadonian Prawn, Celery Root Chowder, Fennel. Very nice seafood flavors. The Cod was perfectly moist and flakey. Excellent seafood dish.

Sweet champ!

Mignardise. Choux au Craquelin, Pate de Fruits, Madeleines. My diet only allowed me a nibble of each, but the pastry cream Choux seemed awesome.

Pure and Concentrated Evil — Kentucky Mud Pie Gelato — Expresso Knob Creek Bourbon Custard Gelato base with layers of house-made Crushed Oreo Valrhona Fudge Ganache, and house-made Vanilla Coconut Cream Cheese Icing — The Plaid Mode of Gelati and includes a hefty Caffeine kick — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #expresso #bourbon #custard #oreos #icing

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

The gang.

The chefs and to the right, our awesome Somm, Katherine.

Heading down!

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

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

Today’s lunch excelled on all counts. Service, food, company, and of course the wines. Years ago I used to complain about too much Champagne… no longer!