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Upstairs with Sauvages

Aug09

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

Location: 2311 Cotner Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90064 Tel. 310-231-0316

Date: April 2021

Cuisine: Modern Tapas

Rating: Bright flavors and a lot of options.

ANY CHARACTER HERE

A Sauvages lunch was my “last meal” before the year+ long hiatus from restaurant life and it’s fitting to return in style.

Upstairs 2 is located just above the Wine House on Cotner. The main room serves an eclectic tapas menu, but as this was a special Sauvages du Vin lunch (always a lunch, almost always Friday) and the restaurant was still closed due to the pandemic, we took over the whole dining room. Today’s theme was 2009 vintage or older red Grand Cru Burgundies from the communes of Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St. Denis, Chambolle-Musigny or Vosne-Romanee (91+ pts. Burghound or 93+pts. Parker).

Our takeover.

Our special menu.

From my cellar: 2004 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 96. I am thrilled with the way the 2004 Comtes de Champagne continues to evolve in bottle. A few years ago, the 2004 was quite focused and linear, in the style of the vintage, but more recently, the wine has begun to fill out beautifully. The 2004 remains bright, with a full range of citrus, white flower and mineral nuances that dance on the palate. A brisk, saline-infused finish rounds things out beautifully in a Comtes that impresses for its crystalline purity. I expect the 2004 will always remain a bit cool next to the more opulent 2002, but it is still drop-dead gorgeous. (Drink between 2014-2034)

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 168eme. JG 96+. The new release of Krug Grande Cuvée “168ème Édition” is from the base year of 2012, with the reserve wines in the blend stretching all the way back to 1996. The final cépages has ended up as fifty-two percent pinot noir, thirty-five percent chardonnay and thirteen percent pinot meunier. Forty-two percent of the blend is made up of reserve wines in this beautiful iteration of Grande Cuvée. The bouquet is superb, wafting from the glass in a mosaic of apple, white peach, a touch of Clos du Mesnil-like fresh apricot, almond, a beautifully complex base of soil tones, fresh-baked bread, hints of the caraway seed to come and a whisper of buttery oak (which is particularly evident when the wine is first poured, but quickly is subsumed in the other elements on the nose). On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and very complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil signature, utterly refined mousse and a long, perfectly balanced and very energetic finish. This is one of the most effortless and seamlessly balanced young releases of Grande Cuvée in several years and is utterly brilliant wine. (Drink between 2020-2080)

Marinated crab amuse.

From the side.

Smoked salmon in pastry.

Scallop with citrus.

The wine list.

1990 Domaine A.-F. Gros Richebourg. 93 points. Lush and round, this was drinking magnificently well on the night. It started with a lovely nose, more lifted in character than most of the other Richebourgs on show, with red currants and cassis notes laced with earth, herb and sweetly citrus orange peel aromas. It was on the palate where the wine really shone though. It had a lovely fullness to it, with a plush depth and plenty of gentle power pulling away on a bed of softened tannins. I got a hint of sur-maturite on the attack, with a flavours of dried strawberries and raisin, but these were spiked by a bright citrussy energy and on the midpalate and beyond, all lending to a sense of clarity and freshness that I really liked. Unlike some of the other wines, I am not sure this has much room to improve, but it sure was showing very nicely on the day.

1991 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. BH 94. I have had this wine many times and it has always been one of my favorite ’91s. Unfortunately, a number of bottles tasted within the last 3 years were already on the decline, having lost that wonderful velvety quality that I once so much admired. While not unpleasant, it’s clear that these bottles are not what they should be as there is a toastiness that comes up on the finish and renders it ever so slightly bitter. However, a bottle tasted in Los Angeles that was air freighted from the Domaine only 3 weeks prior was simply outstanding with a wonderful nose of exotic spices and subtle yet seductive game and smoky hints followed by rich, warm and pure flavors of superb depth and length with plenty of finishing velvet. And the most recent bottle that was tasted in France was also outstanding though as my comments suggest, I have encountered significant bottle variation with scores ranging from 87 to 94.

1993 Domaine Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin. 91 points. This wine wasn’t bad but compared to the two other Ponsots CSD/CDR and also the very strong peer group it fell off. Cloudy, dark garnet. Rich and ripe palate, sour cherry, good acidity but the tannins produce a drying finish. Probably picked too late, extracted too much.

1995 Claude Dugat Charmes-Chambertin. VM 94. Brilliant ruby color. Blueberry, violet, smoky oak and floral aromas convey an almost syrupy sweetness. Dense and extremely concentrated; this shows an almost painful intensity today yet has no rough edges. Pure Pinot sap. Totally convincing grand cru. Builds and builds on the palate and aftertaste.

Roasted Mushroom Medley. Puff pastry, thyme, fennel, Burgundy mustard, parsley.

1995 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant. BH 92. Gorgeous, sexy, opulently perfumed fruit followed by medium weight, intense, backward, beautifully textured flavors underpinned by solid but ripe tannins and the same floral note that many of these ’95s display. This is really quite lovely with a really impressive purity of expression and should age well for years. (Drink starting 2010)

From my cellar: 1995 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. BH 92. Explosively spicy, still entirely primary fruit of notable complexity leads to intense, medium full, edgy and beautifully precise flavors and a long but ever-so-slightly astringent finish. This is extremely pretty as well as stylish with plenty of flavor authority, mid-palate punch and impressive length. It will probably always have a slight edge on the finish but the essence of the wine is so fine that it’s a background nuance. In sum, a terrific effort. Consistent notes with the exception of one bottle that displayed a huge amount of oak that was completely over the top; I have no explanation for it but it was so oaky that it was honestly tough to drink.

agavin: if I do say so, WOTD

1996 Denis Mugneret Père et Fils Richebourg. BH 93. Subtly complex nose of leather, earth and dried grasses with delicious yet quite structured flavors and fine length. There is good sève and muscle underlying the flavors though the tannins are completely ripe and the wine should drink well over the medium term. This is not flamboyant or especially opulent yet it delivers plenty of character and quality in a refined, discreet style. I like this very much.

1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. VM 93+. Good fresh dark red. Flamboyant nose combines blueberry, blackberry, licorice and Cuban tobacco; distinctly blacker aromas than the ’97. Great sweetness and penetration on the palate; flavors are given thrust and grip by a strong spine of acids and tannins. Quintessential grand cru intensity without excess weight. Extremely long, noble finish. Fascinating Bonnes-Mares, and likely to be very long-lived.

Duck Confit. Wild rice, caramelized shallots, baby red beets, au jus, upland cres.

1999 Domaine A.-F. Gros Richebourg. VM 94+. Ruby-red. Pure, pristine aromas of blackberry, bitter chocolate, flowers and minerals. Dense, sweet and layered, with strong spicy oak flavor and intriguing notes of wild berries. Even fuller on the back end than the Clos Vougeot, with firm but very fine tannins. Compelling wine.

1999 Claude Dugat Chapelle-Chambertin. BH 94. Quite deeply colored. This is a big wine in every respect and one that is presently no where near its apogee. There is ample oak still present on the very ripe black fruit nose that also evidences notes of earth and spice, both of which can also be found on the powerful, concentrated and moderately rustic well-muscled flavors that are supported by very firm tannins and excellent depth and length. Courtesy of Dr. Chen I have had this wine twice with one bottle being superb and the other have the finish dominated by extremely firm tannins. Tasted twice but with inconsistent notes. (Drink starting 2017)

1999 Domaine Philippe Charlopin Mazis-Chambertin. BH 90. A completely different expression of pinot noir with its sauvage, slightly animale fruit and flavors. This isn’t especially dense but the complexity it offers is beguiling. Good precision and this has a nice sense of balance and if it manages to put on weight in the bottle, my rating will be conservative. (Drink between 2006-2009)

2000 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. BH 93. Extravagant, very ripe spice aromas explode from the glass with remarkable complexity that frame superbly elegant, gorgeously textured flavors that are intense and vibrant. This is really quite powerful for the vintage and incredibly long yet remains classy and fine. It is not especially big or dense as de Vogüé Musigny goes but is tautly muscular and defined. Extremely impressive for the vintage. (Drink starting 2010)

Ground Rabbit Sausage. Butternut squash ravioli, tarragon cream sauce, baby carrots, aged gouda.

2002 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny. . Medium red. Immediately spectacular aromas of raspberry, baked bread and white truffle. Silky, thick and highly concentrated; densely packed, sappy and wonderfully sweet but seemed to go into a shell after five minutes in the glass. Finishes with a savory note of olive, almost invisible tannins and explosive length. A great showing today, although I can easily imagine this wine continuing to gain in aromatic precision and lift for another ten years. (Drink between 2016-2034).

2005 Geantet-Pansiot Charmes-Chambertin. VM 92+. Bright ruby-red. Deep aromas of blackberry and licorice; at once riper and more brooding than the last couple of wines. Then juicy, spicy and vibrant but quite closed in the middle palate, with superb energy to the dark berry and violet flavors. Finishes impressively broad, ripe and dry, with substantial tongue-dusting tannins and excellent length. This one also needs a solid six to eight years of cellaring.

Ron brought: 2007 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg. VM 93+. Bright medium red. Pungent aromas of wild strawberry, minerals, spices and pepper. Not a fat wine but classy and suave, with terrific peppery, minerally lift in the middle palate. With aeration, this classically dry wine showed a stronger soil component and mounting power. Finishes with superb breadth and an impression of weightlessness. I might have initially mistaken this for the RSV-and vice-versa-had I tasted these blind, but this is ultimately the more powerful wine.
2008 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche. VM 95. The 2008 Clos de la Roche is particularly refined in this vintage. The wine literally floats on the palate with weightless elegance in its intensely perfumed fruit. Crushed flowers and red berries linger on the silky, impossibly fine finish. This is a fabulous effort from Dujac. (Drink between 2018-2033)

Seared Lamb Porterhouse Chops. Gruyere potato gratin, buttered english peas, red wine demi-glace.

1880 D’Oliveiras Madeira Terrantez. 94 points. Powerful nose of burnt caramel, roasted nuts, and orange rind. Freshly roasted espresso, plum, and black tea notes most notable on the palate. Rich, but with piercing acidity, not cloying at all. Delicious stuff.

Brillat-Savarin & Roquefort. Toasted baguette, quince paste, cornichon, marcona almonds.

1976 Château Rieussec. 93 points. Hints of erstwhile headiness on the nose. Good balance of sweetness and acidity, with a definite bitter marmalade note. It suggested an old Bual madeira, both in appearance and flavour.

The lineup.

My notes.

Overall Upstairs 2 did a solid job with this lunch. Wine service was good and the food was good. Wines were awesome and a lot of great showings. As this was the first Sauvages in 13 months, everyone really stepped up.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, BYOG, Champagne, Gelato, lunch, Red Burgundy, Sauvages, Wine

Sauvages AOC

Apr27

Restaurant: A. O. C.

Location: 8700 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048. (310) 859-9859

Date: March 13, 2020

Cuisine: New American Wine Bar

Rating: Great lunch

Sauvages lunch is always a great time and I hopped on the opportunity to return to A.O.C. (it’s been years) with the group. One of our regulars, Albert, is an investor, and set up this awesome event. Plus it had a Bordeaux theme which always makes for a great Friday.

The interior is clubby. It used to be (at the old location) far more “Spanish”.

After opening critically acclaimed Lucques in 1998, the duo of 3 time James Beard Award winning chef Suzanne Goin (Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America 2017, Outstanding Chef 2016, Best Chefs in America – California 2006, Best Cookbook – Cooking from a Professional Point of View 2006) and James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year 2018 Caroline Styne embarked on A.O.C., the area’s pioneering wine bar that first paired an indulgent list of wine by the glass with a menu of market-driven small plates.

From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut. VM 97. The 2007 Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a total knock-out. Racy and exuberant in the glass, the 2007 wraps around the palate with stunning textural depth and resonance. The 15% still Pinot adds structure and persistence to a creamy, inviting Rosé Champagne that will leave readers weak at the knees. Hints of rose petal, dried cherry, cinnamon and dried flowers meld into the sublime finish. This is about as good as it gets. Wow!

We sat on the covered patio. It was quiet because of corona virus :-(.

Here is are huge table and the gang.

Our custom menu for today.

2012 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. BH 93. A more elegant and equally restrained nose is composed of floral and mineral reduction scents where top notes of white fruit and sea breeze hints are evident. The pure and sleekly muscular flavors possess a silky texture that continues onto the mineral-driven, intense, mouth coating and beautifully balanced finish. This is seriously impressive. (Drink starting 2020)

2008 Moreau-Naudet & Fils Chablis Grand Cru Valmur. BH 94. A discreet touch of wood does not interfere with the transparency of the notably ripe mix of citrus, stone and iodine aromas that are followed by wonderfully rich, dense, powerful and gorgeously well-detailed flavors that ooze a fine minerality and there is plenty of Chablis character to be found on the racy and tension-filled finish that seems to go on and on. This is brilliant effort that will require up to a decade to reach its full maturity but should be approachable, and enjoyable, after 5 to 6 years of cellar time. (Drink starting 2015)

2017 Kirkland Signature Chablis 1er Cru. 91 points. Medium body, good acid, good fruit, drank easily, drank with shrimp with Chinese veggies, will drink again, good value.

Hamachi, leek vinaigrette, dijon, fingerlings & camino vinegar. Really nice dish. The vegetables had tons of flavor and these was a great textural interplay between the soft fish and their crunch.

1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou. RP 96. At a charity dinner in Charleston, SC, the 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou from my cellar was the only corked bottle out of twenty-two. A subsequent tasting revealed one of the all-time great Ducrus, probably matched or eclipsed by several recent vintages (i.e., 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2008). The 1982 is still 5-8 years away from full maturity, but it exhibits a dense ruby/plum/garnet color to the rim as well as a sweet perfume of forest floor, spice box, cedar, and copious quantities of black fruits. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully pure with sweet tannins, this wine has aged more slowly than I initially expected. It is the finest Ducru Beaucaillou produced after the 1961 and before the 2003. With respect to the 1990, I do not own any of this wine, but it was the last of a series of vintages between 1986 and 1990 that were affected by the TCA-like contamination in the estate’s chai, which was completely destroyed and then rebuilt, eliminating the source of these smells. Not every bottle is affected by this, but I do not have any source for this vintage. Release price: ($140.00/case)

1982 Cos d’Estournel. RP 95-96. This 1982 is still displaying a beautiful deep ruby/purple hue as well as a stunning set of aromatics consisting of blue and black fruits, loamy earth, flowers, licorice, and spice box. The wine is medium to full-bodied with sweet tannins, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and a silky finish. It appears to have hit full maturity, but it can easily be held in a cold cellar for another 10+ years. Release price: ($115.00/case)

agavin: haha, look at that release price! $10 a bottle!

Liberty duck confit, savoy cabbage, honey & armagnac prunes. Another great dish. As good as the duck was (and it was great) the cabbage was almost better! It must have had some kind of fat (duck fat?) on it.

1986 Gruaud Larose. RP 96. Still tasting as if it were only 7-8 years of age, the dense, garnet/purple-colored 1986 Gruaud-Larose is evolving at a glacier pace. The wine still has mammoth structure, tremendous reserves of fruit and concentration, and a finish that lasts close to a minute. The wine is massive, very impressively constituted, with still some mouth-searing tannin to shed. Decanting of one to two hours in advance seems to soften it a bit, but this is a wine that seems to be almost immortal in terms of its longevity. It is a great Medoc classic, and certainly one of the most magnificent Gruaud-Larose ever made. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2035. Last tasted, 10/02.

1986 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. RP 95. Now at 30 years of age, there is a gulf between the two Pichons in this vintage that no longer exists. The 1986 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has long been one of the best wines from the estate alongside the 1982 (even if the first bottle was a little oxidized). The second bottle was representative. It has a classic pencil-lead, cedar-infused nose that rockets from the glass, a subtle floral note developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple red berry fruit, a pinch of white pepper and cedar, structured compared to coeval vintages and perhaps further along its drinking plateau than previous examples. Certainly à point, I would be reaching for bottles of this now if you cannot locate those 1982s, or alternatively seek out the superlative 1996. This still remains a fine, rather regal Pichon-Lalande. Tasted July 2016.

1986 Lafite Rothschild. RP 98. Tasted at the château, the 1986 Lafite-Rothschild continues to offer an exquisite bouquet at 30 years of age. This is beautifully defined, still full of energy, with copious blackberry, clove, leather and graphite aromas that seem to gain momentum in the glass. The palate is extremely well balanced with a crystalline quality, filigree tannin, perfectly pitched acidity, a quintessential Lafite-Rothschild with a sense of energy and focus undiminished by time. This finish displays immense purity and refinement, one of the most mineral-driven Lafites that I have encountered, whilst the aftertaste seems to linger for over one minute. It must rank as one of the finest wines from the estate. Tasted July 2016.

lamb skewers, kale, radicchio, chickpeas, charmoula, golden raisins & almonds. Also great, and I don’t even love kale.

1995 Mouton Rothschild. RP 95. Bottled in June, 1997, this profound Mouton is more accessible than the more muscular 1996. A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 19% Merlot, it reveals an opaque purple color, and reluctant aromas of cassis, truffles, coffee, licorice, and spice. In the mouth, the wine is “great stuff,” with superb density, a full-bodied personality, rich mid-palate, and a layered, profound finish that lasts for 40+ seconds. There is outstanding purity and high tannin, but my instincts suggest this wine is lower in acidity and slightly fleshier than the brawnier, bigger 1996. Both are great efforts from Mouton-Rothschild. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2030.

1996 Montrose. RP 96. Tasted at the vertical in London, I have instead used the tasting note from a bottle opened at the property when I visited just a couple of weeks later. The 1996 Montrose is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between 23 September and 6 October. It was served alongside the 1986 Montrose, however, this is a far better wine and reconfirms Robert Parker’s remarks at his own vertical at the property in 2014. For me, it is that loamy character that defines the nose—freshly tilled, damp soil that tinctures the black fruit —that takes you straight to this particular château. This is classic through and through and very well defined. The palate is wonderful with very fine delineation, pitch-perfect acidity, touches of graphite infusing the red and black fruit that dovetails into a very pretty, floral finish. This is clearly one of the great wines of the 1996 vintage and I would be stocking up as much as I could, because it will give 30-40 years of pleasure. Tasted July 2016.

From my cellar: 2000 Pichon-Longueville Baron. RP 97. The 2000 Château Pichon Baron is just getting better and better and better. Perhaps the magnum format played its part, but nevertheless…just…wow. This is a millennial Left Bank with the keys to the top drawer. It has an incredibly precise, mineral-driven bouquet with intense black fruit infused with cedar and graphite scents. It just reeks of Pauillac in an almost uncompromising, yet compelling manner. The palate is structured, stylish and effortless, extraordinarily pure and unerringly youthful. This is a Pichon Baron saying, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” You could broach this now if you wanted, but the clever people will wisely bunker this for another decade and gloat from 2025 onward. Tasted January 2016.

Braised beef cheek, scallion soubise, salsa verde & feta. Again the veggies were standout. But not your boring braised beef — really full of flavor.

2001 Léoville Barton. RP 92. Consistent from bottle (I tasted it three times), this is an outstanding offering, although not quite at the prodigious level of the 2000. Civilized and approachable for a young Leoville-Barton, it exhibits a saturated plum/purple color along with classic Bordelais aromas of damp earth, creme de cassis, smoke, vanillin, and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied and rich, with high but well-integrated tannin, and a long, 40+ second finish, it should turn out to be a brilliant effort, and one of the stars of the Medoc. However, patience is essential. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020.

agavin: ok, this one cheated on the rules a bit.

2003 Cos d’Estournel. RP 93-98. Two terrific efforts from this vintage, the 2003 Cos d’Estournel (70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc) remains one of the superstars of the vintage. It offers an opaque ruby/purple hue as well as notes of incense, camphor, licorice, creme de cassis and graphite. Full-bodied, opulent, incredibly fresh and well-delineated, it can be consumed now and over the next decade. Kudos to the team at Cos d’Estournel.
2005 Cos d’Estournel. RP 98. The 2005 Cos d’Estournel is blended of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet colored, it is still a little closed and youthfully shy. With coaxing, the nose is just beginning to offer glimpses at vivacious kirsch, red roses, violets, licorice and mocha scents over a crème de cassis, blackberry pie and chocolate-covered cherry core with wafts of chargrill, mossy bark and truffles. Full-bodied, concentrated and wonderfully complex in the mouth, the palate is just beginning to reveal the true potential of this wine, with tightly wound layers of perfumed black fruits and earthy notions bound by a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and finishing with epic persistence. This still needs 5-6 years, but I love how this beauty is shaping up!!

Bread for the cheese. They said grilled ciabatta — but this just looks sliced.

3 cheese. Walnuts, dried black mission figs and grilled ciabatta.

This might be the most complex gelato I’ve made — Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte Gelato — base is Valrhona white chocolate, vanilla, with a dash of Kirsch. Then it’s layered with house-made chocolate cake soaked in Kirsch/Cherry syrup, Kirsch soaked Fabbri Amareno Cherries, house-made 70% Valrhona Chocolate Ganache, and topped with Valrhona shavings — 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 #WhiteChocolate #chocolate #ChocolateCake #cherry #BlackForestCake

Caramel Toffee Mandorla Dolce Gelato — base made with Sicilian Noto Romano Almond and house-made caramel instead of sugar, then layered with toffee/almond chunks — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #almond #sicily #RomanoAlmond #toffee #caramel

The wine lineup.

My wine notes (not very much to them).

Overall, this was another fantastic lunch. Sauvages lunch are always great, particularly when at interesting places (A.O.C. qualifies) and with good wine themes. Bordeaux was perfect. No crappy new worlds :-). Every wine was nice. Obviously some were better than others but we had no flawed bottles and people really brought great stuff. Service was first rate and the food was terrific. Really surprisingly great. Different than I remember it from 15 or so years ago at the old location, but great.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: AOC, Beverly Hills, Bordeaux, BYOG, Gelato, lunch, Sauvages, Wine

Amphai – Northern Thai Food Club

Mar06

Restaurant: Northern Thai Food Club

Location: 5301 Sunset Blvd #11, Los Angeles, CA 90027. (323) 474-7212

Date: January 17, 2020

Cuisine: Northern Thai

Rating: Small Space, Big Taste

Asian Food Friday is always a good opportunity to try out some of the oddball and amazing corners of Los Angeles eating.

Which brings us to Amphai, or Northern Thai Food Club, which has been on my “to try” list for some time. Supposedly this is some of the best and most authentic Northern Thai in the country. It’s on a grungy Sunset corner in Thai Town.

And the interior is tiny. The staff appear to be family and are extremely friendly. Service is casual and all on disposable plates with the flimsiest of plasticware. On entering the thick pungent smell of fish sauce blankets the air and informs you that this is the “real deal.”

Much of the food is on display in a big deli/steam table — including the amazing Norther Thai Sausage (that looks like something a large dog might leave in the yard).

They also sell some random Thai snacks.

The menu is surprisingly long.

Som Tum Thai. Papaya Salad. Salted Crab Flavor. Green Papaya with Thai chilies, tomatoes, dried shrimp, green beans, fish sauce, lime jices and salted crab. Bright flavor with a hint of fishiness.

Spicy green laxative — I mean chili sauce — awesome complex flavor and hearty burn.

Sai Qua. Northern Spices Pork Sausage. Ground pork marinated with herbs and spices. Tons of flavor, very soft texture.

Cabbage and sticky rice.

Moo Sam Chan Tod. Fried Pork Belly. Deep fried pork belly. Tasty, particularly with the green sauce.

Larb Moo Kija. Minced pork northern spices salad. Pan-fried minced pork, liver pork, skin pork with fresh mint leaves, in Northern spices. Tons and tons of flavor. Interesting fishy and livery notes.

Gaeng Hang Lae. Northern pork curry. Stewed pork in Thai-Burmese curry powder and tamarind paste with ginger root. Very tender meat and lots and lots of flavor.

Gaeng Khanoon. Jackfruit soup. Spicy soup of young jackfruit chunks, Chaom leaves (Acacia) and pork ribs seasoned with tomato and garlic.

Yum Nor Nam Poo. Bamboo shoots with crab paste. Bamboo shoots with Thai chili, limes, fish sauce and crab paste juices. Lots of fiber and a very different funky flavor. Probably my least favorite dish, but still tasty and interesting. Plus it has “poo” in the name.

Kao Soi Gai. Curry egg noodle with chicken. Seasoned chicken drumstick curried with flat egg noodles, topped with crispy noodle and served with sour mustard green, shallot, lime, and thick red chili sauce.

Condiments for the Kao Soi.

Kao Soi Nua. Curry egg noodle with beef. Seasoned chicken curried with flat egg noodles, topped with crispy noodle and served with sour mustard green, shallot, lime, and thick red chili sauce.

More condiments for the Kao Soi.

With the toppings.

Special of vermicelli and jackfruit and I don’t know what. Mushy texture but tasty.

Sample of something with jackfruit. Sour, but tasty too.

A kind of strong pork curry. Very strong “bay leaf”? flavor sauce. Tasty.

Sour pork rib soup. I think Jor Pak Pung. Ceylon spinach in tamarind soup with cut pork ribs.

The kitchen is tiny.

The shelves on the way to the rest room are loaded with Thai products.

See!

And the bathroom includes its own glamorous strapped water heater — clearly not going anywhere!

Overall, this place is legit. Not your suburban strip-mall Thai by any means. Eating here on the tiny plastic stools makes you think of a little hangout in Chiang Mai. Nearly every dish is $7. Very unusual flavors, and quite spicy, but if you can handle all that well worth the trip.

After, we felt we needed some authentic Thai desserts to quench the burn.

Inside this crowded shop.

Pandan pudding being made fresh.

Pandan custard pudding. Super thick, creamy, mild in flavor but hit the spot.

Ultra light crispy crepes with coconut cream (crispy) and either yellow mango (sweet) or curry (orange)

Taro cakes.

Mystery in a banana leaf.

Cookies.

Delicious hot fried rice and coconut balls.

All sorts of yummy stuff.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: AFF, Amphai, Asian Food Friday, curry, Fish sauce, lunch, spicy, Thai cuisine, Thai Food Club, Thai Town

888 Not So Late

Feb14

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

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

Date: December 19, 2019

Cuisine: Cantonese Dimsum

Rating: good cart dimsum

We had such a good banquet dinner at 888 Seafood a couple of weeks ago that we decided to return and try their dimsum during the day. It should be noted that 888 has been around for a long while — decades — and is still a cart place. I.e. everything rotates around on the steam carts.

Har Gow. Shrimp dumplings. nice.

Shrimp and Scallop Dumplings.

Vegetable Dumplings.

XLB (Xao Lao Bao). Pork soup dumplings. These were tasty, but a bit sticky and pasty.

Shrimp and Vegetable Dumplings.
Shu Mai. Not a bad version of the classic.

Pork ribs. Ugly but delicious.

Beef balls. Also ugly but tasty.

Shrimp Chow Fun. Good for this dish.

Eggplant and Shrimp Paste. Black bean sauce. A little more unusual.

Greens with Sauce. Comes on the dedicated greens cart.

Crunchy top pork buns. A bit sweet and really nice texture.

Baked pork buns.

Shrimp paste with Green Pepper with Black Bean Sauce. Pretty good, actually.

Chewy Pork Dumpling. I always like this texture.
Tofu. Very light and delicate. Nice soft texture.
Bean Curd wrapped veggies.

Cantonese Luke Warm Roast Duck. Pretty juicy, but very luke-warm, almost cool.

Pork Hock with Bok Choy. Delicious! Several people popped their pig’s feet cherry on these.

Fatty Beef Ribs. Rich sauce and thick slabs of beef that didn’t seem so Chinese.

Chicken Feet in XO sauce.

Seafood on crispy Chow Mein. Yum!

Pineapple Buns with custard and real pineapple chunks — great. Had several even though I was very full.

Macao Tart — ok, a bit mild.

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 while they wheel around. Non dimsum dishes were more interesting. This is more like the way SGV dimsum was 10-15 years ago.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Brunch, Cantonese Chinese, Dim sum, dimsum, dumplings, hedonists, lunch, Lunch Quest, SGV

Earl Grey – Nanjing Duck House

Jan29

Restaurant: Nanjing Duck House

Location: 9961 East Valley Blvd

Date: December 5, 2019

Cuisine: Nanjing Chinese

Rating: Looks funny — tastes great

Lately, Yarom and I have been doing more lunch excursions — particularly to Chinese places that aren’t really going to cut it for wine dinners. I’ve named this series Lunch Quest.

Anyway, today it carried us to Najing Duck House which specializes in Nanjing style cured duck.

And we met up with Tony Lau, Kirk, and some others.

This is one of those tiny SGV places with no decor — although they don’t have a drop ceiling — and exactly one employee. She was taking orders AND prepping the food. Tony had to help her out by busing!

Much of the food is cold and cured and on display in this takeout deli cabinet.

Oh yes, Nanjing style cured Turkey Gizzard!

The very short menu.
Boiled peanuts.

Shredded seaweed. Pretty much as described.

Pickled cabbage with soybeans and mustard greens. I loved these. I love cabbage. I love fermented. What’s not to love?

Nanjing style beancurd. What’s brown, rich, savory, slightly sweet and has a texture like a mop sponge? All true but it was actually great. Loved it.

Turkey gizzard, Nanjing style. Sounds extreme, but once you slice this dense cured muscle with the deli-slicer it’s quite delicious with a nice firm chew and a lovely cured flavor.

Turkey liver. Foie gras it ain’t. Decent enough though, if livery.

Sliced turkey leg, Nanjing style. More deli-slicer action. This was actually a very lovely cold sliced turkey leg. Salty, but tasty.

Boiled dumplings stuffed with pork and shepherd’s purse. Great. I love these home-style dumplings.

Boiled pork dumplings. More goodness.

Wonton soup with pork wontons and egg strips. Also lovely. Reminded me a bit of a better version of the classic wonton soup I’d get in my youth.

Nanjing style meatballs. Meaty good.

Half a Nanjing style duck. Much like the turkey, but duckier. A bit of a salted ham flavor.

Beef shank noodles with bok choy. The meat was great. The soup was simple.

Pork rib noodle soup. Again the meat was great. Rich. Soup was exactly the same.

Overall, I was surprised how interesting (and good) this place was. Service was a bit slow as there was only the one lady doing EVERYTHING. And most of the food was grey, cold, and kinda sketchy looking — but it tasted pretty good. Small menu though. We had almost everything except for the seasonal corn noodles (have to try these).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chinese Food, cured meats, duck, lunch, Lunch Quest, Nanjing Duck, Nanjing Duck House, SGV, Tony Lau, turkey, Yarom

Expedition Nozomi

Dec30

Restaurant: Nozomi

Location: 1757 W Carson St # L, Torrance, CA 90501. (310) 320-5511

Date: November 13, 2019

Cuisine: Sushi

Rating: Great value, really good sushi

My friend Steven came recently to one of our Chinese dinners and wanted to “return the favor” by showing us one of his favorite sushi spots in Torrance.

Nozomi is in the heart of the vastness of little Japan that is Torrance.

This is a real deal sort of Japanese place with the tatami rooms, etc.

The menu.

Yarom brought this wine, which was good for a new world (fake) chard.

Lunch specials come with a salad.

And miso soup (of course).

Sashimi Lunch (can’t remember if it was “special” or not). Good sized chunks of very fresh fish.

Sashimi Lunch. You get the nigiri and the cut roll.

Cut Toro Roll.

Uni and Ikura (salmon egg).

Toro, red snapper (tai), mackerel, crab (kani), clam, squid, and eel. All good stuff.

Negi-Toro ball. Chopped toro and green onions.

Toro handroll — one can never have too much toro.

Spicy salmon handroll. Nice and crunchy.

Overall, very good sushi. Not the best I’ve ever had, but super good for the price. If this were near me I’d come once a week for lunch — sadly it’s all the way down in Torrance.

Next door they had this crazy chestnut and bobo place.

Chestnut donuts!

And more.

And two types of fresh roasted chestnuts.

Plus the 85C for weird Taiwanese baked goods and coffee.

Unbearably cute.

And the sea salt coffee.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For LA sushi reviews, click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: lunch, Lunch Quest, Nozomi, Sushi, Torrance

OC Viet Crawl – The Sequel

Dec23

Restaurant: Góc Ha Noi Corner

Location: 8516 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92844. (714) 867-6665

Date: November 11, 2019

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Excellent opener

Our previous OC Viet Crawl — in which we drive down and spend the afternoon “crawling” between Vietnamese restaurants — was such a success, that it spawned a mini crawl and this followup sequel — all new places!

First up is this place — 11am, almost time for breakfast.

Clearly some other kind of restaurant before it was Vietnamese.

Maybe a diner?

The counter has an altar-like aspect.

The big menu.

In case you wonder where the bodies are buried — must be in here.

Someone needed an iced tea.

Gio tai (crunchy sausages). The description made me order them. There were slightly crunchy bits inside what seemed to have a texture similar to a fishcake — spongy. Meaty taste of course.

Herb salad to go with other stuff, and some kind of sauce.

Bun Rieu Cua Lot Ha Noi. Ha Noi soft-shelled crab tomato tofu vermicelli soup. Tangy sweet and sour soup. Quite delicious.

Banh cuon thit cha nurong ha noi. Steamed thin rice paper with Ha Noi grilled pork, fresh herbs, and fish sauce. Really nice meat flavor and as ever great contrast with the herbs and soft rice paper.

Bank breaker!

We didn’t get these, but they made for a pretty photo.

Overall, nice little place with friendly service and tasty food.

Restaurant: Mai Phung Restaurant

Location: 8415 Westminster Blvd, Westminster, CA 92683. (714) 890-1155

Date: November 11, 2019

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Excellent opener

Stop two is this little parking lot side place.

We had to wait a bit as there was a crowd already at noon.

Smaller more focused menu.

They make and sell their own hot sauce here — it was hot!

Bun Cha Na Noi. Special Na-Noi style grilled pork served with vermicelli. More grilled meats on noodles.

Fish sauce as usual. Dumped over the meat and noodles this was supremely tasty.

Banh Canh Tom Cua Thit Heo. Crab, shrimp, and pork thick noodle soup. This is one of the main specialties here. Both the broth and the noodles (like udon) were thick. Mild, but delicious and great texture.

Another crushing blow to the wallet.

Overall, small place, small menu, but it was tasty — and popular.

Restaurant: Quan Hy Restaurant

Location: 9727 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92683.

Date: November 11, 2019

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Excellent opener

Place three is a bit larger and more upscale.

Their was also a line, both inside and out — and on a random Monday!

The inside is more upscale.

With a cool fish pond in the floor.

Which Yarom somehow didn’t notice until he stepped right into it!

The menu.

A bit of wine — it’s afternoon after all.

Banh beo. Steamed rice cakes with shredded shrimp etc.

Gratuitous zoom. You put a bit of fish sauce on these and slide them down. Soft gooey texture.

Mi Quang doc biet co sura. Yellow noodles with shrimp, pork, vegetables, and jellyfish. Jellyfish! Yay.

Cam suran ram. Grilled ribs and vegetables served with steamed rice. Lots of grilled meats today!

Oooh, $10 more! What shall we do?
Overall, they had a slightly bigger menu, but not huge — still I’d like to try some other dishes.

Restaurant: Hien Thanh Restaurant

Location: 9741 Bolsa Ave #108, Westminster, CA 92683

Date: November 11, 2019

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Excellent opener

Our penultimate place is just around the corner from the last so we hoofed it.

This is even more mom & pop.

Tiny really, without much decor.

But a huge menu.

Not much English on the menu, but this was a kind of steamed eggplant. Texture was like fish, or perhaps jackfruit, but it tasted great.

Carmel Fish. Scrumptious. A bit of an oily thing flavor, but in a good way.

A kind of stuffed tofu in tomato sauce.

The usual.

Overall, a surprising place. It was a bit old school so I was wary — but the food was great, particularly the fish.

Yarom and kirk pose at the mall entrance.

Restaurant: Tan Cang Newport Seafood Restaurant

Location: 10541 Bolsa Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92843. (714) 554-3996

Date: November 11, 2019

Cuisine: Vietnamese Chinese

Rating: More of a Chinese restaurant, and pricier, but great lobster

Yarom has been wanting to come here for a while since we go all the time to the SGV location.

This is the original — and clearly it’s a bit “Vietnamese.”

But it also looks like a Chinese restaurant — and basically is a Chinese restaurant.

Lobster tank.

From my cellar, some sparkling rose.

Clams in basil sauce. Savory and delicious.

House Special Lobster on garlic noodles. This was a big 4 or 5 pound lobster with tons of meat and a fabulous sauce — although they billed it as a 6.5lb lobster. ha!

The noodles were thick and eggy but particularly delicious under the lobster — still I like Garlic and Chive’s version a hair better.

Pea Tendrils sautéed with garlic. The usual tasty colon sweeper.

Oranges.

The price here was considerably higher — particularly because of the lobster. The owner was incredibly nice and hung out with us for awhile. If she was a touch younger Yarom would have proposed (again)!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: crawl, Góc Ha Noi Corner, hedonists, lunch, noodles, Orange County, Vietnamese cuisine, Wine

Noodle Harmony

Dec20

Restaurant: Noodle Harmony

Location: 735 W Garvey Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91754. (626) 656-6562

Date: November 8, 2019

Cuisine: Szechuan Chinese

Rating: Pretty good — I love me some Szechuan

My AFF group (Asian Food Friday) wanted to go to Korean but I steered them to the SGV to try out a new Szechuan place that’s been on my “list.”

Noodle Harmony. I always like to try new Szechuan places.

It’s in the mini mall at one of my favorite corners: Garvey and Atlantic. Right next to Capital Seafood.

Decor is that new casual style. No big tables. The place was pretty empty.

The menu.

My “notes” for ordering. I did it in waves so we could control the order and pacing.

Cucumber Salad. This was a nice garlicky (but not spicy) take on this classic opener. Always refreshing.

Jellyfish Salad. Some great jellyfish with that really nice chew/bite. Tangy spicy sauce.

Mung Bean Cold Noodle. I love this dish in general, but this version was a bit heavy and needed a more tangy sauce.

Green Onion and Chili Paste Cold Tofu. Loved this dish. Great salty/tangy flavor and really nice silken tofu texture. TONS of garlic.

Szechuan Spicy Chicken. Cold. Not a bad version. Lots of flavor. Bone sucking good.

Szechuan Style Dumplings. Very nice version. Lots of tasty pork inside, a bit of chili oil outside. Good dumpling skins.

Steamed Beef with Rice Paste. This is a Szechuan classic. Tender (I mean really tender) soft beef coated in rice paste which has this interesting carby and toasted quality. Very nice version.

Dan Dan Mein. The classic Chengdu street food. This was one of the better versions I’ve had in the US recently. It had lots of flavor and that mixed mala, meaty, a bit of nutty taste.

Traditional Tri-Delight (rice) Noodle Soup. Cuttlefish, pork stomach, pork, mushrooms. This soup showcases a fish cuttlefish. Very interesting. Quite delicious too.

I brought a bunch of gelato in honor of AFF.

Cran-Cherry Cassis Sorbetto — French Cranberries and Amareno Cherries with a bit of Crème de Cassis — tart! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Currents from Avignon, blended with Creme de Cassis –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #cranberry #cherry #current #cassis

Ruby Chocolate Gelato — base made with Callebaut Ruby Couverture Chocolate and a Stracciatella of ruby chocolate mixed with berriy puree — this isn’t a flavored chocolate but a special “ruby” cocoa bean Callebaut has bred with a natural pink color and fruity finish — 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 #Callebaut #chocolate #RubyChocolate #ruby #berry

Matcha Almond Latte Gelato – Ceremonial Matcha Green Tea and Sicilian Noto Romano Almond gelato base — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #almond #matcha #GreenTea #Sicily

A new “dessert reinterpreted” gelato — German Chocolate Cake Gelato — Valrhona Chocolate base with house-made coconut pecan praline “icing”! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — oh my! — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #chocolate #valrhona #GermanChocolateCake #Icing #coconut #praline #pecan

Overall, service was great. We were pretty much the only people there and they were extremely friendly. Food was good, but not the best Szechuan I’ve had by any means. Menu is pretty limited. Definitely a lunch place. Everything was fine. Nothing too sloppy or anything, but most dishes just fine. A few were standouts though. Dan Dan, tofu, jellyfish, maybe the steamed beef.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: AFF, lunch, Noodle Harmony, SGV, Sichuan, Szechuan Chinese

Shandong Dumplings

Nov18

Restaurant: Shandong Dumplings

Location: 80 N Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103. (626) 578-9777

Date: October 8, 2019

Cuisine: Shandong Chinese

Rating: Great home-style dumplings

Another of these small lunch outings with Yarom and I, this time also joined by Tony L.

There aren’t a ton of Shandong specific places in LA.

And this one is in the heart of old town Pasadena.

The homey interior.

They make them here.

The menu.

Peanuts, celery, cucumbers, shredded potato. Cold appetizers.

Hot and sour soup. I love this old school classic.

Lamb with fennel dumplings. I adore this boiled kind and the lamb ones have a lot of flavor.

Dry shrimp with egg and leek dumplings. Yeah, they look the same, but they don’t taste the same.

Chicken and celery. Nice celery flavor.

Ginger and spiced cabbage juicy steamed dumplings. These were among my favorites, with very delicate skins.

Pan fried pork bun. Yum!

Pan fried pork dumplings. Pretty much the Shanghai style kind. A bit bready, but the crispy bottom is fun.

Fried chicken bones. Not to the American taste, but full of flavor.

Pork. Boney, but there was lots of meat here.

Overall, this is a tasty place. The dumplings were way better than the couple meat dishes we had, and were great for casual homestyle dumplings. I really do love all dumplings, particularly the boiled and “juicy” soup dumpling kinds.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: dumplings, lunch, Lunch Quest, Pasadena, Shandong Dumplings

Jiang Nan Spring

Oct25

Restaurant: Jiang Nan Spring

Location: 910 E Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801. (626) 766-1688

Date: September 11 & November 3, 2019

Cuisine: Shanghai Chinese

Rating: Very good, but probably not the best in the SGV

Yarom and I set out on another small party SGV adventure and chosen Jiang Nan Spring (which we hadn’t been too because of this review from the LA times which asked “Does Jiang Nan Spring have the SGV’s best Shanghainese food?”

After our reconnaissance lunch (9/11/19), we returned (11/3/19) for a big group dinner.

They have a newish storefront on Main in the heart of Alahambra.

Interior is clean and free of the usual wall menus, TV’s etc.

For our 11/3/19 dinner we dined in this private side room (2 tables). This made for one of those giant 2 table CF dinners — I do much prefer my Chinese dinners to keep to one table.

The menu.

Boiled peanuts on the table.

Shanghai Duck (9/11/19). This cold marinated duck is flavored a lot like pork.

Cold Drunken Chicken (11/3/19). Nice for this kind of cold bland chicken. It had some good flavor, very nice (if cold) texture, and was quite moist.

Cold Smoked Fish (11/3/19). Classic Shanghai style cold fried fish. Smokey flavor.

Pork belly slices in garlic chili oil (11/3/19). Very tasty pork as the spicy/garlic sauce was excellent.

Chili oil.

Scallion pancake (11/3/19). Fine for what it is, but I usually find this a boring dish.

XLB (11/3/19) pork soup dumplings. Decent version of the always fabulous pockets of steamed pork. Not amazing house-made versions like at Juicy Dumpling, but still good.

Beef Roll (11/3/19). Not usually my favorite dish either, but a pretty good version of it.

See the inside.

West Lake Beef Soup (9/11/19 and 11/3/19). A mild goopy soup with tofu and beef, it was actually delicious. I had several bowls. I’m not sure what was so good about it — certainly texture — but it was very addictive.

Spare Ribs in Lotus Leaf (9/11/19 and 11/3/19). I’ve only had this dish once before, at another West Lake / Shanghai style SGV place, Chang’s Garden.

Inside is a sticky-rice coated pork spare rib. Delicious. Succulent, and lotus flavored. Rich and delicious. Very soft.

Sautéed Shrimp (9/11/19). I asked them if they had the green tea version, and they said they did, but we got the more regular Shanghai version. The shrimp were super succulent and with the vinegar quite delicious. Still, I wanted to try the tea version again.

Shanghai Style Pork Hock (11/3/19). Classic Shanghai dish.

This was a controversial dish. Among those of us who love “real” Chinese food, we LOVED this dish. It was moist, fatty, jiggyly (yes), but had tons of fabulous porky flavor. The other table, with lots of lightweight Chinese eaters found it “too fatty.” Of course, it’s supposed to be fatty!

Peking Duck (11/3/19). Even though it’s not a Shanghai dish, they do offer peking duck. The meat itself was solid but not the best ever or anything. Good flavor, but the skin wasn’t the crispiest possible.

And with pancakes — which were good but a bit large.

Hoisin and green onions.

David L, as always, demanded the “bones” from the duck. Sometimes there is meat on the bones, not really here. But I won’t be critical, as that means it just went into other dishes.

Yarom gnaws on one anyway.

Vegetables, soy beans, and bean curd (11/3/19). Very interesting dish. Nice crunchy texture.

Salted Egg with Chinese Squash (9/11/19). Like Zucchini with salty egg. Ick. I didn’t like this dish at all. Yarom did, but I’m not a fan of this sort of vegetable.

Seaweed fried fish (11/3/19). Crispy moist “fish sticks.”

Walnut shrimp (11/3/19). The classic, tasty, but lots of mayo.

Fried Tofu & Ground Pork with hot sauce (9/11/19). Or maybe it was Hunan Tofu. Not sure. This was actually pretty hot. Not exactly MaPo or Szechuan in style, but quite good.

We special pre-ordered Beggar’s Chicken (11/3/19).

The chicken is inside this pastry and they wallop it open with the mallet!

Inside it’s very moist, with tender meat, sweet Shanghai-style sauce, chestnuts, and other fruits and vegetables. Very interesting, if a touch rich.

Shanghai Purple Rice. Starchy!

Chocolate Peppermint Gelato — Chocolate base made with Valrhona 62% Satilla Chocolate and melted in peppermints, mixed with Mint Oreo Cookies — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #oreos #peppermint #mint #ChocolateMint #MintOreos

Pistachio Lemon Cookie Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with a custom blend of two Pistacchio di Bronte DOGC sources to produce an intense pistachio base, with layers of Southern Italian Lemon Cookies — 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 #LemonCookie

Overall, Jiang Nan Spring has a good kitchen and most dishes were really tasty. I think the chef (or the menu) leans toward Hangzhou (the old Southern Song capital just south of Shanghai). I don’t really agree with the Times — I think Shanghailander is slightly better, but this was certainly a very good place, in the top 3 LA Shanghai places I’ve tried no question.

Our big two table CF dinner was polarizing as all the people who like adventurous Chinese food (including myself, Yarom, and the AFF) all loved it and the people who like their Chinese more “American” found it a bit over some magic textural or fatty line. They can head back to PF Changs!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Chinese cuisine, Gelato, hedonists, lunch, Lunch Quest, SGV, Shanghai Cuisine, Yarom

SGV Adventures – Ruby BBQ

Oct21

Restaurant: Ruby BBQ Food

Location: 9561 Garvey Ave Ste 1&2, South El Monte, CA 91733. (626) 279-6854

Date: September 20, 2019

Cuisine: Southern Chinese

Rating: Tasty, if a little “downscale”

Lately, because Yarom and I are diehard Chinese Food fanatics and it’s hard to find others willing to drive all the way to the SGV during the week for lunch, the two of us — with occasional extras — have been sampling some of the more casual eateries on our list of new places to try.

Enter Ruby BBQ Food — yes they actually include the word food in their name — just in case BBQ wasn’t clear enough. This is a very casual Southern Chinese place in a more Vietnamese section of the SGV.

It’s real casual, with a takeout counter and menu on the wall.

But it was crowded. We had to wait 15-20 minutes for a table.

They have roast ducks and the like to go too.

Now just to give you a bit of the flavor of the place, and these downscale SGV joints, ignoring Yarom’s protests I include this photo. This particular lady was at the counter ordering/waiting right in the middle of the lobby. This did not, however, stop her from clipping her nails and leaving them on the floor of the restaurant. Very local crowd. Still, bear in mind, I ate here right after and I’d happy eat here again. They actually have an “A” too.

The menu.

Free vegetable soup. Kinda boring.

Besides the soup, Yarom and I ordered 10 dishes for just the two of us — that’s just how we roll.

Eggplant Szechuan Style. Delicious. Soft eggplant dripping in tasty garlic sauce. Not particularly spicy.

Dry sautéed string beans. Also good. Nice crunchy beans.

Ruby BBQ Rib. Cold with great piggy flavor.

Golden pork. This and the next dish were pretty similar, both not too different than a panda express type dish. This one had less bone, I think, but the sauce was sweeter and a bit more overwhelming.

Pork chop. This one was more chew it off the bone and was very slightly better. But both were good.

Bamboo duck. Unusual heavy brown gravy with those rolled bean curds. The duck meat itself was dark and boney but the overall flavor was excellent.

Egg with shrimp. Surprisingly delicious shrimp omelet.

The owner of the restaurant just could not believe that we ordered so much so she gave us the last few dishes “to go.” She insisted. We opened them and ate them at our table anyway.

Ruby steamed chicken. My least favorite dish. Basically Hainan chicken. Fine for what it was, but it’s steamed chicken.

With a bit of garlic sauce.

Mapo tofu. Not spicy, but nice texture.

BBQ Duck. Quite good, particularly juicy and delicious dunked in the sauce below.

The duck sauce.

Apparently everything comes from “dept 01” but as you can see, it’s not an expensive department. Even the signature meaty BBQ dishes like the duck were barely $11!

Yarom with the owner and his leftovers.

Overall, while the atmosphere is “amusing” the food (particularly for the money) is pretty tasty. This is like working class real Cantonese/Chiuchow and while the Chinese equivalent of a greasy spoon, like many American greasy spoons, it’s also delicious. Service was gracious.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

Now just to continue to paint the complete picture of this colorful little corner of Los Angeles — and part of what I think makes our great city great — I did photo the classic “old school Monterey Park bathroom.” It’s quite a looker. Again, not bashing Ruby BBQ. I like it and find it’s “unrefined” quality genuinely charming. Just painting the full unvarnished picture.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BBQ Pork, Cantonese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, lunch, Lunch Quest, Ruby BBQ, SGV, Yarom

Ring in Tang Gong

Sep30

Restaurant: Tang Gong

Location: 111 N Atlantic Blvd #350, Monterey Park, CA 91754. (626) 888-5188

Date: August 14, 2019

Cuisine: Cantonese Dimsum

Rating: Great new made to order Dimsum

Our friend Derek has been the manager variously at Elite Seafood, World Seafood, and China Red.

Now he’s helping open up Monterey Park newcomer, Tang Gong.

In an era when the Cantonese Palaces are closing, it’s rare to have a new one opening up — including all the glitzy Hong Kong style trappings. These places cater (haha) to big Chinese weddings.

And a huge private room (where we were located).

Derek posing with Yarom.

The dim sum menu. Like most Cantonese places, there is banquet at night. They had just opened a few days before when we arrived.

Chicken Feet with House Sauce. Sometimes this is called XO sauce. It’s not exactly the same as regular XO sauce.

Beef Tripe with Scallion and Ginger. Sounds gross. Looks gross. Tastes great. Chewy, yes. But delicious.

Steamed Pork Ribs with Garlic. These also aren’t the best looking items in the world, and there are the little knuckle-like bones in there, but the meat taste was fantastic. Very juicy and full of pork flavor.

Har Gow. Shrimp dumpling. Classic, straightforward, and enjoyable as always.

Pork and Shrimp Shui Mai. I always order the classics when checking out a new place. These were solid, much like Elite’s.

Fried Pork Dumpling. These have that chewy fried mochi shell and delicate pork inside. Really delicious.

Sea Cucumber and Dried Scallop Dumpling. I hadn’t realized this was “in a soup” (should have looked at the pictures better). This makes it hard to share but it was scrumptious. Lots of interesting umami flavor.

Pan Fried Leek Cake. There is some shrimp or something in here too. I love these for their greasy shell texture. Pretty much a “Beijing Pie.”

XLB (Juicy Pork Bun). Soup filled lovelies. Solid renditions of these. Not the great kind you get at a specialty house where they make them constantly fresh, but still very enjoyable with the vinegar.

Baked Crispy Pork Bun. 10/10. Light slightly sweet crispy shell, airy interior, and sweet BBQ pork. Awesome.

Shredded Duck and Seat Pea Rice Roll. Interesting. The peas are either an interesting or distracting textural element alongside the chewy soft chow fun.

BBQ Pork and Corn Rice Roll. More straightforward and I think I enjoyed a bit more.

Seafood Salad Roll. Fried with a creamy “seafood salad” inside. Delicious though.

Baked BBQ Pork Pastry. The buttery pastry version with the same BBQ pork.

House special lobster. Good, typical.

Peking Duck. The meat itself was good, although maybe it could have been a touch crispier. I prefer the pancakes to the buns, but the hoisin was good.

Crispy BBQ Pork. Interesting pork pretty. Quite delicious.

BBQ Chicken. Super succulent chicken.

Traditional Beef Chow Fun. Pan fried noodles with beef.

Braised E-Fu Mein. I liked these crispy noodles even better. Tons of flavor and very addictive (viva la grease!)

Canton Style Steamed Greens. Very tasty.

Beet Greens (you can see the purple color) steamed with garlic. These were more bitter and I didn’t like them as much as the straight up greens.

White Chocolate Peanut Gelato — I hadn’t made a White Chocolate base in a while so in light of my rent “experiments” in chocolate took another pass at it — came out awesome, using all Valrhona Ivoire chocolate layered with house-made Peanut Dulcey Ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #peanut #WhiteChocolate #valrhona #ganache

Hpnotiq Blue Hawaiian Sorbetto — like a frozen cocktail — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Thai Coconut Milk, Pineapple, Lime, and Hpnotiq liqueur –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #Hpnotiq #BlueHawaiian #pineapple #coconut #lime

Overall, very solid new place. Service (thanks Derek) was of course perfect. We loved the big private room. Dimsum was “typical good” very much like Elite or Derek’s time at World Seafood. We didn’t have too much that was really novel, but the execution on all the typical dishes was excellent. I want to see how they settle into the rhythm of things in a couple weeks and return.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Dim sum, dimsum, Gelato, hedonists, lunch, Lunch Quest, Monterey Park, SGV, Tang Gong, Tony Lau

Cali Pinot Kali

Sep25

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

Location: 5722 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 871-4160

Date: August 9, 2019

Cuisine: New American French

Rating: Fake Pinot is still Fake

It’s been a while since I made it to Kali to visit my friend Chef Kevin Meehan — doesn’t seem like so long but time flies — and so with him having earned a Michelin star and our Sauvages group heading there for gasp… fake pinot (New World Pinot Noir) I figured I’d join in.

The interior is more or less the same, but I don’t remember the lovely bright blue — maybe because I’ve never been here during the day before.

NV Pehu Simonet Champagne Grand Cru Face Nord Rosé. JG 90. The Pehu Simonet “Face Nord” non-vintage Brut Rosé is composed of a blend of seventy percent pinot noir, six percent still red pinot noir and twenty-four percent chardonnay. Like all of David Pehu’s wines, the vins clairs here do not go through malo, including the still red wine in the Rosé blend. As the last disgorgement (January 2016) was base year 2012, I am assuming this is base year 2013. The wine offers up a lovely nose of tangerine, discreet strawberry, the steely minerality so typical of Verzenay, rye bread and a delicate touch of spice in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still quite racy, with a good core, pinpoint bubbles and very good length and grip on the still quite youthful finish. This is still tight on the palate and will be far more generous with another year’s worth of bottle age. Good juice that should age very well indeed.

2016 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas. VM 93. Pale straw-gold. Intense, mineral-accented Meyer lemon, nectarine and pear skin aromas are complemented by a deeper honey nuance. Tightly wound citrus and orchard fruit flavors unfurl slowly with air, picking up a suave floral character and a hint of chalky minerality. The impressively long, incisive finish shows outstanding clarity and leaves behind lively citrus zest and honeysuckle notes.

Pacific Gold Oysters. Cucumber Mignonette.

2012 Jean Bourdy Chardonnay Côtes du Jura. 92 points.

2016 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin Le Banc. VM 88. Palish, green-tinged yellow. Aromas of pear, minerals and wild herbs reminded me a bit of Benedictine. On the lean side but boasts lovely juicy cut to its lemon and lime flavors. No shortage of acidity here.

agavin: even though the rating is lower (because of the strange new world inflation) this was by far the best white. By far.

Uni toast — love uni!

2008 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard. VM 92. Bright red. High-pitched aromas of raspberry, strawberry liqueur, dried flowers and Asian spices. Silky, bright and precise, but with good depth and power to its red berry and cherry flavors. Really expand with air, finishing with sweet tannins, tangy minerality and impressive length. If your impression of the K-B wines ossified around the 2004 vintage, you should check this one out.

2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard. VM 93. Vivid red. Spicy black raspberry and cherry skin aromas are complicated by smoky minerals, anise and a suave blood orange quality. Fleshy, sweet red and dark berry flavors display liqueur-like depth and power, picking up candied rose on the back end. The refreshingly bitter finish leaves tangy berry skin notes behind. Along with the Kanzler, this is the most energetic of this year’s line-up.

2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Amber Ridge Vineyard. VM 90. Glass-staining ruby. Powerful nose combines cassis, boysenberry, rose and smoky minerals. The deepest and most brooding of this set of releases, with palate-coating dark berry liqueur flavors and good back-end cling. Finishes with a strong echo of cassis. Fans of powerhouse pinots will go for this, and it does make an impression, but I prefer the vivacity of the other single-vineyard bottlings.

Black barely risotto. Black garlic, Fiscalini cheese. A very nice whole grain with a creamy garlic herb vibe. This is a Kevin classic and he’s been making it as long as I’ve known him.
2010 Marcassin Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard. VM 91. Crushed flowers, herbs, dried cherries, tobacco and anise abound in the 2010 Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard. I am a bit surprised by how forward the flavors are. A distinctly floral/savory character dominates, while fruit expression, freshness and textural richness are much less evident. It’s hard to see the 2010 drinking well for more than a handful of years based on the bottle I tasted.

2007 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir West Block. VM 91+. Deep red. Black raspberry and cherry on the nose, with complicating notes of potpourri and smoky minerals. Weighty dark fruit flavors coat the palate, turning more tangy with aeration. The finish is broad, sweet and impressively long but not as defined as the other pinots. This was the slowest to open of this set, and should benefit from another few years of patience.

2008 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvée Elizabeth Bodega Headlands. VM 95. Lurid ruby. Complex, deeply spicy aromas of raspberry, fresh flowers, white pepper and Asian spices; showing a really exotic character. Then impressively concentrated and rich, but with energetic lift to its sweet red fruit preserve and floral pastille flavors. Wonderfully suave and high-pitched pinot with a vibrant, very persistent finish that refuses to let up.

agavin: hot, too much alcohol for my taste.

Duck Breast. Liberty Farms/ Whole Wheat Spatzle / Black Mission Figs.
2008 Pisoni Pinot Noir Estate. VM 90. Vivid ruby. Lively aromas of crushed red berries, spicecake and cracked pepper. At once velvety and firm, with energetic black raspberry and cherry flavors accentuated by pepper and herbs. Smooth and sweet on the finish, which features fine-grained tannins and a kiss of candied rose.

2007 Rhys Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard. JG 93+. This was the first opportunity I had found to taste the 2007 Skyline pinot and it is a lovely bottle in the making. The first class nose offers up a complex mélange of cassis, cola, woodsmoke, a great base of stony soil tones and a nice touch of spicy oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full and just starting to blossom, with excellent mid-palate depth, lovely focus and balance, moderate tannins and excellent length and grip on the bouncy and beautifully poised finish. I would still try to exercise a bit of restraint and let this wine fully start showing off its secondary and tertiary layers of complexity, but would also understand those who cannot defer gratification any longer and would like to drink this lovely bottle today! But, this wine is emphatically still climbing, and as good as it is to drink right now, it will still improve if left alone in the cellar just a bit longer.

2007 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Coastlands Vineyard. VM 94+. Inky ruby. Potent aromas of blackberry, boysenberry and dried rose, with exotic Indian spice and gingerbread nuances adding complexity. Deep, fleshy dark berry flavors show liqueur-like depth and intensity, with slow-building tannins adding grip and structure. Develops more vibrancy and red fruit character with aeration and finishes with outstanding clarity and sappy persistence. This is another ’07 from Williams-Selyem that calls for patience.

Dry Aged Rib Eye. Potato Confit / Baby Leeks / Charred Onion. Traditionally Kevin has used Flannery beef.

2004 Marcassin Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard. VM 95+. Deep red-ruby color. Initially reticent nose opened spectacularly to show raspberry, mocha, minerals and smoke, along with sexy underbrush and forest floor elements. Began broad but closed and hiding its sweetness but with aeration showed outstanding volume, a seductively spherical texture and a restrained but nonetheless compelling sweetness of raspberry and underbrush flavors. Denser and finer-grained than the Blue Slide Ridge bottling; not obviously superior today but will probably surpass it five years down the road. Finishes with outstanding length.

agavin: woah, if the online price is right, you could just swap this out for a Romanee St Vivant or something! (and have a much better wine)

2004 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvée Catherine. VM 93. Dark violet. Intensely aromatic nose offers powerful blackberry and plum compote aromas. Very fresh in the mouth (the pH is 3.4, Kistler says), with vibrant red and dark berry flavors and taut minerality. Dry, focused and pure on the finish, with outstanding persistence and lingering dark berry flavors. Serious pinot: a great marriage of sweet fruit and soil tones

2006 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Melville Vineyard. VM 93. Hazy, medium red. Intensely flora bouquet of dried red berries, smoked meat, minerals and musky herbs. Strawberry and cherry flavors are complemented by floral pastille and Asian spices, with silky tannins adding support. Already showing impressive complexity, not to mention excellent finishing lift and cling. The most elegant of these pinots.

2003 Gryphon Pinot Noir Reserve. 93 points. Wow! Pinot on steroids. I don’t know what to make of this. A tannic beast of a Pinot with a nose to die for. I much preferred breathing this than drinking it. Not that it was offensive, but the fruit was muted. Beautiful nose.

agavin: apparently very rare.

American cheese plate. Very pretty.

I made and brought these of course:

White Chocolate Peanut Gelato — I hadn’t made a White Chocolate base in a while so in light of my rent “experiments” in chocolate took another pass at it — came out awesome, using all Valrhona Ivoire chocolate layered with house-made Peanut Dulcey Ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #peanut #WhiteChocolate #valrhona #ganache

As an interesting aside, after the meal John and I went over to Salt and Straw Ice Cream (just down the street) and sampled 5 flavors. Interesting just a few minutes after having my own “work.” And while S&S is some good ice cream, and despite the theoretically interesting flavors they offer, it was all so creamy and mild without the distinct intense rendition of the target flavor that my gelato has. Probably this is mostly due to the colder temp, higher fat content, lower flavoring ratio, and ingredient choices.

Anyway, just tooting my own horn.
Back to Kali, my wine notes.

And the lineup.

Overall, this was a fun lunch, and the food was as usual extremely well executed. I was just disappointed that it was so few courses (really only 3 savory courses) and that all of them were “old favorites” I’ve had many times before. Now don’t get me wrong, they were all pretty delicious, but I crave variety and I’ve certainly had more off the beaten menu meals from Kevin.

The wines were okay. Not going to convert me away from Burgundy or anything, and in fact I don’t really “get” New World Pinot. At best, they are like juicier versions of a lesser young Red Burgundy. There just isn’t that earthy tone from the more complex soil in the grape’s native homeland. And they aren’t really cheap either. But there was some pleasant berry notes here, particularly it being a lunch and all.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, California French, Gelato, Kevin Meehan, lunch, Melrose, Sauvages

Tim Ho Wan – Dim Sum Pedigree

May16

Restaurant: Tim Ho Wan

Location: 2700 Alton Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92606. (262) 888-8828

Date: May 15, 2019

Cuisine: Hong Kong / Taiwanese Dim Sum

Rating: Solid, new format, but not amazing

Tim Ho Wan, the Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant from Hong Kong, opened last week in Irvine at the Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center.

It’s the first Southern California location of Tim Ho Wan, which has 47 outposts in nine countries, with U.S. restaurants in New York City, Las Vegas and Hawaii. The restaurant earned worldwide acclaim when it opened in 2009 as a 20-seat dim sum restaurant in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, earning a Michelin star a year later. The restaurant has continued to earn a star for nine consecutive years.

Tim Ho Wan is best known for its baked BBQ pork buns, made with a sweet, sticky char siu (barbecued pork) encased in a cloudlike fluffy bread with a sweet, crunchy top. In addition to the buns, there are the usual dim sum favorites, including har gow (steamed shrimp dumplings), siu mai (steamed pork dumplings with shrimp), braised chicken feet with abalone sauce, congee with pork and preserved egg, steamed egg cake and fried turnip cake.

And the restaurant is known as much for its long wait times.

Mid week, Yarom and I, dedicated Chinese eaters that we are made the full on 1 hour+ pilgrimage to the OC just to try the new “hot” dim sum place.

It’s one of those newish maxi-malls (10 years or so) — a bit nicer than a traditional strip mall but cheesy construction. There were all the usual suspects like 85 degrees, hai di lao, etc.

11:15am — 3 hour wait! Yep! The buzz is a-buzzing. We were lucky though and were only 2 people (we had a third join us mid meal), so we got seated in about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile we went next door and got some 85 degrees coffee.

Besides the regular tables there is a bar, but it’s not open yet. This will make coming in by oneself easier/faster eventually.

The main dining room is attractive, with some build out, but it’s quite casual. Even more downscale maybe than Din Tai Fung and set up for smaller 2-4 person parties (younger audience) and not the traditional giant round tables of a big Cantonese banquet house. More on this later at the end.

The menu is small, and everything (pretty much) is pictured on the placemats.

The older sheet. Today about 1/4 of the items were not available, as they haven’t come “online” yet. It’s still in soft opening.

Tea.

Steamed Rice Roll with Shrimp and Chives. As I always mention, in my family, when I was a kid, this was called “shrimp slime.” We liked it then, I love it now. This particular one had nice fluffy texture, but the taste was a bit reduced. Maybe less grease? (which is a good thing in dim sum). The sauce was a bit mild too, not as sweet as it usually is.

Braised Chicken Feet with Abalone Sauce and Peanut. Nice abalone sauce and good texture on the little chicken claws.

Foot fetish (not everyone loves a good chicken foot).

Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf. A dim sum classic.

Inside the meat and sausage bits of the rice were good, but it also tasted a bit under-seasoned. Not salty enough? Texture was pretty good though.

Braised Beef Brisket with Turnip. Just like mom’s Rosh Hashanah brisket with potatoes! Actually pretty close. Beef was excellent. Soft and full of flavor.

Braised Beef Brisket with Thin Rice Noodles in Soup. Soup was delicious. The meat was the same as with the turnips — and just as good. The noodles are a bit thin and soft, which is traditional with this soup, but I like more al dente noodles in general. The bowl size, which is hard to tell here, is single person small. It’s not the bigger bowl that most Chinese places use. More on that later too.

Pan Fried Noodles. Very simple, classic pan fried egg noodles. Nice taste and light texture though. A bit less greasy than the most traditional version. I’m thinking they use a different (or less) oil than traditional Chinese.

Steamed Pork Spare Rib with Black Bean Sauce. Bone in. The usual sketchy looking pork niblets, but great flavor. Also maybe a touch lighter than usual at most dim sum places.

Deep Fried Spring Roll with Egg White and Shrimp.

You can see inside the fluffy egg white. Very nice light roll. Good crispiness, good texture on the filling. Slightly lighter grease though so I think the flavor was a bit muted. The sauce is more a slightly sweetened soy. I kinda like the sweet sauce for this kind of fry. This may be a Taiwanese influence?

Deep Fried Bean Curd with Avocado and Shrimp and Golden Chives. It’s bean curd, but fried up like a spring roll. The inside with the avocado was interesting and flavorful, adding a bit more heft than the fluffy Spring Roll. Again a sweet sauce would have worked.

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings. Nice texture on the skin and chunky vegetables inside. Light skin too which I like. Still a touch under salty/greasy?

Steamed Dumplings with Shrimp and Chives. Great texture again for the skin, but soft on the inside and muted in flavor.

Har Gow. Steamed Shrimp Dumplings. Nice skin, big chunk of meaty shrimp. This was the best dumpling and fairly classic.

Steamed Beef Ball with Bean Curd Skin. Nice soft meat ball with a good beefy flavor.

Siu Mai. Steamed Pork Dumplings with Shrimp. Small like I like them, and very good texture, but again had that slightly muted flavor.

Steamed Rice with Minced Beef and Pan Fried Egg. Rice less sticky than typical Chinese rice (on purpose). Pretty much a flat layer of the same meat as the beef ball on the rice, with a fried egg and the sauce from the Rice Roll. The whole thing was pretty great. The beef on the rice, with the richness of the egg, and the sauce soaking into it all.

House Special Baked BBQ Pork Buns. Soft crunchy outside. A good bit of sugar.

Inside was delectable sweet pork. This was a great pork bun. As good as I’ve had. It’s of the slightly crunchy type. There are several other types like the steamed white ones, or the baked syrup glazed ones. I probably like this and the glazed ones best.

Tim Ho Wan is interesting. They are clearly making a play at becoming (expanding?) a little empire of fine casual focused dim sum eatery. It’s very new generation. Very millennial. The table layout is for 2s and 4s instead of the giant round tables of the big old Cantonese palace. The decor and format are more casual. The menu is smaller, maybe 1/4 the size and focused only on the dim sum greatest hits. Also importantly there is no “second chef” and giant banquet menu. It’s all the same focused small set of dim sum.

Service, particularly for being in soft opening, was excellent. They kept checking on us. They were speedy. Some confusion but they were on it double checking and made sure everything was perfect in the end. They are clearly very dedicated to improving and doing a good job. There were some minor quirks, like they had no chili oil (only chili sauce) — but they promised to get some by next week!

Plate/order size is smaller than a tradition dim sum house. I actually like this as it allows more dishes. They don’t have any large plate items. This is more consistent with the likes of DTF (Din Tai Fung). It works better with parties of 2.

Food wise, the textures were consistently good, which is the standard thing that many dim sum places mess up. Food was pretty fresh and very hot and not soggy. Problem for me was that on many dishes the flavors felt muted or light. I think it’s under seasoning. Maybe there isn’t so much salt (MSG?). Maybe they use a lighter oil. There is this standard dim sum oil taste that I really like and it wasn’t present or at least was very much more reserved. That oil and salt thing is one of the things I love about dim sum. As I mentioned, the menu is fairly small. We ordered every dish available the day we went and all are pictured above. There were about 6 or so on the menu that weren’t online.

So in terms of actual dim sum quality, places like Elite and Grand Harbor are a notch better at current. I can hope that Tim Ho Wan tunes up a bit, but it’s also possible that they are deliberately going for a lighter less coma-inducing style. It has this new faster/more casual format too, but with a long wait, that’s offset. Eventually though, it probably will be easy to get in on a weekday — it’s always going to be a long wait on weekends. Of course, there is always 85 degrees while you wait. And for me the long drive. I hope one opens on the Westside up here!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Dim sum, dimsum, dumplings, Har Gow, Hong Kong, lunch, Lunch Quest, Orange County, pork buns, sticky rice, Tim Ho Wan, Yarom

Sauvages Chinois

Feb11

Restaurant: Chinois On Main [1, 2]

Location: 2709 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 392-9025

Date: January 11, 2019

Cuisine: Asian Fusion

Rating: Still good decades later

When I first moved to LA 25 years ago, Chinois was already a vibrant pillar of LA’s hot high end dining scene. It represented the kind of cool “fusion” of east/west cuisines that was so novel at the time, and almost never seen (by me) back on the East Coast.

The interior has been kept up, and still has that funky late 80s hip modern style. And while this is a long way from the starker more “rustic/urban” decor that is popular now, I still think it looks good.

For today’s Sauvages lunch — which is the annual Tête de cuvée Champagne lunch — we set up “next door” in the private room. I’d no idea this was even here, but it’s huge.

This is a newer Chablis producer I’m very fond of:

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

2017 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont. JG 94. The 2017 Sec bottling from the Le Mont vineyard is another gem from Domaine Huët. The bouquet is bright, pure and nascently complex, offering up scents of lemon, apple, quince, bee pollen, chalky soil tones and a topnote of spring flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and more closed in personality than the Le Haut Lieu Sec, with a bit of the backend dustiness of shutdown young Vouvray already starting to throw its weight around, but with excellent depth at the core and impressive focus. The finish is long, beautifully balanced and intensely flavored, with great energy and grip. This is dynamite wine in the making but unlike the Le Haut Lieu Sec, I would be tempted to tuck this away in the cellar right away and not drink any bottles during its first couple of years, as I have the sense that this is going to shut down quite briskly and it will be pointless to waste bottles early on, particularly given how much potential there is here for down the road! (Drink between 2028-2060)

Champagne chilling.

Today’s special menu.

Passing appetizers:

Slightly spicy/sweet toro cones. This has been a puck staple for decades and it’s still fabulous.

Same with the Jewish Pizza, which is creme fraiche and lox. Delicious!

Sweet and sour scallops. Very nice.

Wagyu with asparagus. An amped up version of the cocktail classic.

Mini crab cakes.

Flight 1:

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

1988 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97. After the lackluster 1990, things get back on track quickly with the 1988 Salon, a wine that is absolutely peaking today. From one of the all-time great vintages in Champagne the 1988 Salon exudes power and explosive intensity, with superb balance and pulsating acidity that gives the wine its drive. A host of candied lemon peel, hazelnut, smoke, licorice and anise overtones meld into the super-expressive finish. Disgorged à la volée, with no dosage.

1996 Ployez-Jacquemart Champagne Liesse d’Harbonville. JG 95. The Réserve Liesse d’Harbonville is Ployez-Jacquemart’s Tête de Cuvée and it is a fantastic example of the 1996 vintage. The wine is barrel fermented four to five year-old Burgundy barrels and does not go through malolactic fermentation. It is made from a blend of seventy percent chardonnay and thirty percent red grapes, and then is aged a minimum of ten years in the cellar prior to disgorgement and release. The bouquet on the 1996 is deep, complex and truly stunning, as it soars from the glass in a blaze of apple, nutskin, tangerine, brioche, beautifully complex minerality and a topnote of citrus zest. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite intensely flavored, with a great core of fruit, refined mousse, snappy acids and great length and grip on the complex and very intense finish. A terrific bottle of bubbly that is still on its way up and should prove to be one of the reference point wines of this great Champagne vintage.

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.

Potato and leek soup with crostini topped with black caviar. Really nice rich (creamy) soup that paired perfectly with the champagnes.

Flight 2:

2002 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 96. The 2002 Cristal (Re-Release) is just as arrestingly beautiful as it has always been. Exotic, powerful and sensual, the 2002 is just starting to show all of its cards. The 2002 was magnificent when it was first released. Since then, it has only grown in breeding. In this vintage, Cristal is silky, sensual and open-knit, with enveloping fruit and striking textural resonance. It’s great to see the 2002 showing so well. I had high expectations when it was first released, and those expectations now appear to have been more than justified.

1999 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 93. Bright yellow-gold. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes fresh pear, iodine, white flowers and toasted brioche, with gingery spice and mineral notes adding vibrancy. Rich and weighty but quite lithe and focused, offering sappy orchard and citrus fruit flavors and a chalky mineral nuance on the back half. Closes on a smoky note, with excellent focus and lingering floral character.

2000 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses. BH 95. This is more mature than the 2001 with a beautifully layered nose of yeast, lemon rind, brioche, dried flowers and spice hints. There is excellent volume and superb intensity to the firm mousse that despite the firmness exhibits a very fine bead. This is exceptionally impressive in the mouth with the same striking complexity of the nose coupled with positively gorgeous length. A knockout that could be drunk now with pleasure or held for a few more years first; personally I would opt for the latter but either way, this is a classic Clos des Goisses.

2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 96. A wonderfully layered and nuanced nose features an intense yeasty character to the maturing fruit that displays interesting phenolic characters, in particular petrol, along with aromas of apple, pear and soft citrus hints. In contrast to the nascent maturity expressed by the nose the flavor profile is still tight and backward with a genuinely gorgeous texture, all wrapped in a strikingly persistent and highly complex finish. For my taste the 2000 Brut is at an inflection point as the nose does offer enough maturity so that it’s really quite pretty whereas the palate impression is substantially younger. As such it really just depends on how you prefer your Champagne because I suspect that the nose will be very mature by the time the still very youthful flavors attain their majority. For my taste preferences it would be no vinous crime to begin enjoying this now but be aware that this will age for a very long time. The best approach is probably to buy 6, or even 12, bottles and enjoy them over a longer period of time.

Seared Blue Fin Tuna with fresh Santa Barbara Uni. This was an insanely delicious dish — it was all about that uni sauce.

Flight 3:

2004 Dom Perignon Champagne. VM 97. A wine of nuance, precision and understatement, the 2004 remains all grace. Time has softened some of the contours, but the flavors remain fresh and vibrant. Medium in body, the 2004 can be enjoyed now or cellared for several decades. This is a gorgeous showing from the 2004, a wine that has been captivatingly beautiful from the first time I tasted it years ago. There is something effortless about the 2004 that is hard to capture with words. The 2004 doesn’t quite have the obvious breeding of the 2008 and 2002, nor the obvious power of the 2003 or 2006, and yet it is harmonious, sublime and totally sensual.

2006 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 97. Broad, ample and resonant on the palate, the 2006 Cristal dazzles with its pure richness and volume. Readers need to give the 2006 another 4-5 years in bottle, perhaps longer, as the wine appears to be shutting down a bit. Tasted next to the 2002, today the 2006 is a bit less opulent but just as intense, layered and deep. This is a fabulous showing. 10,000 cases imported in the US.

2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. 93 points. nother great 2006 Tete’ level champagne. I’ve drank other people’s btls of this from prior vintages but this was the first plunge on my own with the 2006. Good idea! Specifically bought this with our 40th Anni in mind but was tempted by a Tait Comte & Dom P too. Said to be 60% Pinot Noir mix of Premier & Grand Crus from Montagne de Reims / Grande Vallée de la Marne along with 40% Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs. This was killer tonight and uniquely different from the more feminine Comte I often go to for special occasions. This showed tremendous power and intensity while still delivering refined elegance. The palate is a zesty, bright & driven mix of; mineral dominated citrus, trace stone fruit, spice and brioche. Racy & intense and at the same time richness and expansive fruit. And,not remotely oxidative, yea! Ultra fresh and alive. Just fantastic!

2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare. BH 91. The very fresh and nicely complex nose reflects notes of green apple, yeast, pain grillé and plenty of citrus characters. The clean, succulent and fleshy medium-bodied flavors are shaped by a moderately firm effervescence while offering good depth and length on the vaguely sweet finish that some may find more than they prefer as I did. To be sure this is a lovely wine with fine depth but I prefer a drier style.

Loup de mer wrapped in won ton skin atop sauteed vegetables in Riesling sauce. Really nice textural play with the soft fish and the crispy wonton.
Our hostess presides.

Flight 4:

2008 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. 93 points. Pale straw color.pastry dough aromas. Notes of fresh lemons and limes with a fine minerality. Solid bead. Give this plenty of time. 92-93+ points.

2008 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée. VM 96. The 2008 Coeur de Cuvée (magnum) is positively brilliant. It is also likely to require quite a bit of time to be at its very best. Even so, the 2008 shimmers with tension, energy and polish. Lemon confit, chalk, chamomile and white flowers are all finely cut in this chiseled, super-expressive edition of the Coeur de Cuvée. The 2008 boasts incredible fruit density and structure, with distinctly mineral and graphite notes that develop in the glass. In a word: dazzling! Unfortunately, there are just 395 magnums to go around. Disgorged November 2016. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. (Drink between 2018-2028)

2008 Dom Perignon Champagne. VM 98+. The 2008 Dom Pérignon is fabulous, but quite remarkably, it was even more open when I tasted it a year ago. Bright, focused and crystalline in its precision, the 2008 is going to need a number of years before it is at its best. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint and white pepper give the 2008 its chiseled, bright profile. Several recent bottles have all been magnificent. What I admire most about the 2008 is the way it shows all the focus, translucence and energy that is such a signature of the year, and yet it is also remarkably deep and vertical. In other words, the 2008 is a Champagne that plays in three dimensions. (Drink between 2020-2058)

2009 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 96. Rich, creamy and radiant, the 2009 Cristal captures all of the natural generosity of the vintage while also retaining a good bit of freshness and aromatic intensity. Immediate and totally sensual in its allure, the 2009 will drink well with minimal cellaring. All things considered, at this stage, the 2009 comes across as relatively restrained for a wine from a warm year.

Stuart felt he needed a red:

2003 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée. VM 94. Deep red. Strikingly complex nose offers powerful scents of red berries, spicecake, cured meat and potpourri. Velvety red berry and kirsch flavors stain the palate, picking pick up candied lavender and fruitcake nuances with air. The spiciness builds on the finish, which echoes the cherry note. This wine was most noteworthy for its power in the early going (I rated it 92-94 shortly before it was bottled) but has become more graceful and now conveys a stronger impressive of pure, spicy fruit.

Braised short ribs sake soy glaze, truffle oil drizzle and potato puree. A big chunk of nice soft osso-bucco-like beef.

My cryptic notes.

Dessert

From my cellar: NV Drappier Champagne Rosé Brut Nature Dosage Zero. VM 90. Pale orange. Mineral-accented red berries and citrus fruits on the nose, complemented by hints of candied rose and white pepper. Stony and precise, offering lively strawberry and orange zest flavors that expand slowly with air. Closes spicy, stony and tight, with very good clarity and floral persistence.

A simple dessert by the house with a bit of cake, whipped cream, (boring) ice cream, and fruit sauce.

Torta di Frutta alla Mandorla Siciliana Gelato (Sicilian Fruit & Almond Tart) made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — toasted Sicilian almond base with Homemade Sicilian Marzipan Cake and Candied Sicilian Lemons & Oranges — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #almond #ToastedAlmond #Mandorla #lemon #orange #cake #AlmondCake #CandiedFruit

Blackberry Passionfruit Amaro Sorbetto! — like a frozen aperitivo — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #blackberry #passionfruit #amaro #cocktail #sorbet #sorbetto

My BYOG streak continues!

Overall, Chinois still has a sharp kitchen and great service. This was an atypical meal for Chinois in that everything was custom, nothing off the menu. It was less “fusion” or less “Chinese” than the menu food with more subdued flavors (to pair with the Champagne). But I think they did a bang up job and every dish was delicious.

The Champagnes were amazing. Not a bad bottle in the group and both the older and younger ones were delicious in their own rights.

I think the decor has aged great and is actually more unique now.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

To see all the Sauvages posts, click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Champagne, Chinois, Gelato, lunch, Santa Monica, Sauvages, Wolfgang Puck

Goodbye Valentino

Jan28

Restaurant: Valentino Santa Monica [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Location: 3115 Pico Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 829-4313

Date: December 14, 2018

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: My last meal here!

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of the venerable and classic Valentino in Santa Monica. It’s been around for nearly 40 years and was at one time (in the 90s) the best Italian Restaurant in LA, if not the country, being one of the first American Italian places to offer extremely Italian, highly refined, ingredient focused food. Now it’s been a bit long in the tooth for some time now, and the cheffing not what it once was, but I’ve been there for so many wine dinners it’s like a second home.

So for our final Sauvages lunch of the year — oddly Bordeaux themed rather than Italian — we celebrate the legacy of the grand dame of LA Italian Fine dining.

Starting with some Champagnes.

There were so many wines this afternoon that I’m feeling too lazy to write them all up.

Now the passed appetizers:

Crocchette of polenta stuffed with egg and cheese?

Crostini with burrata.

Shrimp wrapped in bacon.

Arancini cheese balls.

Pizza Bianca.

Decorated for the holidays.

Or special menu today.

Whole Calamari Stuffed with Lobster and Braised in Light Tomato Broth and Oregano. I didn’t love this dish. A touch fishy.

I Tortini Gemelli di Melanzana e Fungi. Twin flans of eggplant and wild mushroom. These I liked because I’m partial to the soft baked texture of flans.

Spaghetti al Cipollotto with pancetta, mild onions, cherry tomatoes, parmesan & buffalo blue. Nice pasta. I always love some good pancetta with my pasta.
Duet of Stuffed Rabbit and Quail. Very meaty.

I forgot to take the picture of their dessert which was Budino alla Vaniglia e Croccante and Italian Praline-Caramel Pudding. My gelato (below) was plated next to it and was better, of course :-).

Excellent dessert wine.

The holiday flavors continue — Traditional Cassata di Siciliana Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Sicilian Christmas cake as a gelato, with a ricotta almond base mixed with candied fruit and dark Valrhona chocolate chunks — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #Cassata #Valrhona #CandiedFruit #fruit #chocolate #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese CassataSiciliana

The holiday flavors continue — Eggnog Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — pure traditional eggnog made as a gelato with a real rum/sugar/egg zabaglione core — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #eggnog #rum #nutmeg #cinnamon #egg #zabaglione

Macchiato.

The filled room.

The afternoon served as a sort of parting function for owner, host and restaurant luminary Piero Selvaggio — and somewhat by coincidence Wolfgang Puck was there and joined in.

Everyone cheers Stuart on as he toasts his friend Piero.

The whole lineup of Bordeaux.

There was a ladies table at this event. Kinda a bit funny with its own wines, and they ordered off the menu rather than having or set lunch.

Piero and Wolfgang taste and drink.

Service was great as always, as Valentino really takes care of us — we are, after all friends of the owner, some for many many years. Sommlier/wine director Paul was in the house and handled all the wines to perfection.

The food itself was fairly typical of recent Valentino set menus with some nice dishes and a few more ho-hum ones. Piero is such a fine host that I really wish he had kept both the food and decor a bit more up to date. Spago has actually done a much better job of this and is still quite busy (and expensive).

To see more Sauvages lunches, click here.

Below is the long parade of Bordeaux. There were some seriously excellent wines in the bunch including the 1990 Margaux and 1982 Haut Brion!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bordeaux, BYOG, Dessert, Gelato, lunch, Piero Selvaggio, Santa Monica, Sauvages, Valentino, Wine

Sauvages 71Above

Dec17

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

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

Date: October 26, 2018

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Awesome in all ways

71Above is one of my favorite LA restaurants and I’ve been many times. Today the location plays host to a special aged Cabernet Sauvignon lunch with our Sauvages group with a special menu prepared by chef Vartan Abgaryan and a number of guest chefs.

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

The main dining hall is gorgeous but we were in the private room for today’s lunch.

Here the crew is gathering in the private room — same view, different quadrant.

Our special menu, designed custom by Emil and Vartan.

2016 Domaine Pernot-Bélicard Beaune 1er Cru Pertuisots Blanc. 90 points.

1995 Kalin Cellars Chardonnay Cuvée CH. JG 94. The 1995 Kalin Cellars “Cuvée CH” Chardonnay is a beautiful bottle of wine that has reached its apogee of maturity, wafting from the glass in a pure and classy bouquet of pear, a touch of passion fruit, delicate notes of browned butter, hazelnuts, beautiful, salty soil tones, gentle smokiness and a very deft framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and perfectly balanced, with a fine core of fruit, bright framing acids, lovely complexity and a long, vibrant and very classy finish. A beautiful example sourced from the Charles Heinz vineyard, the 1995 Kalin Cuvée CH is at its apogee today, but will have no trouble cruising along for many years to come.

Amazing bread and butter.

2003 Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille. VM 90+. Deeply pitched aromas of dried apricot, baked apple and vanillin oak, with a suggestion of tropical fruits. Broad and dry in the middle palate and not yet expressing itself. A bit edgy and phenolic on the finish, with slightly aggressive alcohol. Morlet says this is better than the 2002, but today it’s very closed.

Roasted Okinawan Potato. Za’atar, pomegranate, lebneh, lime. Super bright and zesty with nice Mediterranean flavors.

1968 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. I don’t know exactly which bottling.

1973 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County. VM 94. Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County is a real oddity. Not to be confused with the more famous 1973 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the Sonoma County is a different wine, but very much compelling in its own right. Still remarkably fresh and beautifully layered in the glass, the 1973 impresses for its brightness and purity. Sweet red berries, crushed flowers and savory herbs add naunce on the sculpted finish. What a revelation this is.

1975 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection. 88 points.

Steak Tartare. Red onion, ginger, lime, toasted rice, mint, potato chips.

1981 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection. 92 points. Impeccable, almost unbelievable bottle condition. Cork looked brand new, with the penetration of a wine that was 2 years old, not 36 or 37… Caymus was misprinted on the cork and chants of “Rudy!” ensued….we started to wonder if this was fake. Lovely old California, with soft woody notes, and black tea.

1984 Sullivan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Rutherford.

1984 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23. 95 points. Aromas of candied cherry, funk, earth and dried blackberry. Still quite young on the palate with flavors of cherry, dried blackberry, earth and a touch of mint. Ends with a big fruit filled finish of 40 seconds. A great bottle of wine.

Agnolotti. Cacio e pepe with puffs of delicate cheese inside. I could have eaten 6 plates of these!

1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Buckeye Vineyard.

1995 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley. VM 87. Full ruby-red. Crushed blackberry, bitter cherry, dark chocolate, licorice and oak spice on the nose. Bright, intensely flavored and juicy, with penetrating fruit and hints of leather and fresh herbs. But rather small in scale, finishing with decent length and a faint greenness.

1996 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow. VM 89-92. Very good deep ruby color. Penetrating nose of cassis, minerals and violet; offers an almost sappy sweetness. Fat and sweet in the mouth, with nicely integrated acids and a lively hint of mint. Finishes with rather suave, tongue-coating tannins. Very nicely balanced and stuffed with fruit.

1996 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace. VM 87-89. Deep ruby. Aromas of spicy, crystallized dark berries. Supple and lush, with good concentration and enticing sweetness. Minerally suggestion of graphite. Finishes with dusty, even tannins and a slightly edgy quality. An expressive wine that should give early pleasure.

Young chicken. Smoked eggplant, za’atar, olive, pickled raisin, walnut basil.

1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate. VM 93. Bright, dark red with ruby tones. Mellow aromas of currant, raspberry, smoke, spices and earth, complemented by sexy oak-spicy perfume and emerging notes of leather and pungent minerality. Utterly pliant and fine-grained, with inviting currant and cherry fruit accented by fresh herbs, menthol and licorice. Like a traditional Médoc wine in the way its subtle green components add complexity and lift. This energetic midweight spreads out to saturate the entire palate with a fine dusting of serious tannins. Very strong juice!

1997 A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon Terrace Select. 95 points.

1998 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. VM 97. Ironically, the 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain from a much weaker vintage than 1997 on paper, is a much more interesting wine. Huge and explosive on the palate, the 1998 boasts serious depth and concentration. Iron, smoke, anise and dark red/blackish fruit all swirl around in the glass in a striking, nuanced Cabernet that is among the wines of the year in Napa Valley. If there is a dark horse in this tasting, the 1998 is it. Beautiful.

1999 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon. VM 93. Bright, saturated medium ruby. Very ripe, sweet, aromatic nose combines bitter cherry, currant, chocolate, espresso, baking spices and licorice. Expansive, sweet and mouthfilling; almost shockingly large-scaled for this wine. Velvety and seamless, with ripe acids giving the wine shape. Subtle notes of currant leaf, maple syrup and game. Finishes rich and long, with sweet tannins. Seems riper and more textured than recent vintages of this wine. After 24 hours in the recorked bottle, this showed cassis and bitter chocolate flavors, an even firmer structure and compelling sweetness.

Pork. Parsnip puree, charred shishitos, grapes, tarragon.

Emil just “had” to have some steak too, so some hanger steak.

2018 Valdespino Manzanilla Deliciosa en Rama. Very dry sherry — not my thing despite the fact that I LOVE PX.

Cheese. Domestic selections with seasonal accompaniments.

Bread for said cheese.

Macchiato.

Wine with a view.

My bad notes.

Half the gang.

And the other half.

Left to right: Emil, chef Vartan, and one of his assistant chefs.

Sommelier Catherine Morel with Albert in foreground photobomb.

The view of Glendale.

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 here 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 — despite the fact that I don’t really love California wine — the wines. It’s clear that past about 30 years these wines were really nice. The 80s in particular are in a really sweet spot. Too bad so many of them now are made in the giant extracted style.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Cabernet Sauvignon, DTLA, Emil Eyvazoff, lunch, Sauvages, Vartan Abgaryan, Wine

Capital Dim Sum

Dec03

Restaurant: Capital Seafood Beverly Hills

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

Date: October 10, 2018 and August 1, 2019

Cuisine: Chinese Dim Sum

Rating: Good for this far west

Finding great Chinese west of the SGV has long been a problem, but the “great wall” between east and west has been cracking with lots and lots of new openings closer to (my) home.

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

The space looks pretty Chinese, even in Beverly Hills.

Coves. Gotta have the coves!

The made to order dimsum Menu.

Sauces were great. The chili sauce and XO both awesome.

Cold Spicy jellyfish (8/1/19). Nice chew and great Szechuan-style spice flavor.

Shrimp and pork shui mai. Classic, but well done versions.

Spinach Mix Veggie Dumplings. We had a vegetarian in the house.

Shrimp Har Gow. Very nice, not too sticky either and kept together.

Tofu Skin Roll with shrimp. I like these bean curd wrapped thingies. The goji berries were a different touch.

Beancurd stuffed with shrimp (8/1/19). Great spongy textural play.

XLB (steamed pork dumpling). Solid versions of this amazing dish. A touch pasty, but oh so good.

Shrimp, scallop, and peanut dumplings. Dumplings always rule.

Baked BBQ Pork Pastry. Super rich lovely pastry and sweet BBQ pork.

Baked Honey BBQ Pork Bun (8/1/19). This is my favorite of the pork bun styles with the sweet bread stuffed with delicious sweet BBQ pork.

Stuffed Shrimp and Scallop Ball (8/1/19). The inside of this fried fellow is a shrimp and scallop cake/paste. Delicious with the provided mayo.

Steamed Cilantro Rice Noodle (Chow fun). I’ve never had it with just cilantro. A little bland but the rice noodle texture was excellent.

Minced Beef Rice Noodle (8/1/19). Tastier than the cilantro version.

Taiwanese Shrimp Egg Roll. I really liked these super hot, ultra fried, mega crispy cigarette-like spring rolls.

Deep fried mushroom egg roll.

Rice Noodle with XO Sauce. I loved these chewy rice cakes smothered in spicy XO sauce. Very soothing texture and a lot of salty umami XO flavor.

Lotus leaf wrapped sticky rice (8/1/19). Classic and filling.

Dried Shrimp and Pork Dumpling. The chewy fried bomb shaped dumplings were excellent.

Shrimp and chives dumpling (pan fried). Also greasy fried flavor.

Steamed Chinese Broccoli (8/1/19). Pretty tasty.

Roasted half duck (on the house). Really succulent and moist. Delicious.

Salt and pepper eggplant. Fried and salty and very hot (temperature) but delicious.

Seafood with Pan Fried Egg noodles (8/1/19). I’ve loved this dish for over 40 years!

On my 8/1/19 visit I brought these home-made (by me) gelati:

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

Cioccolato Fondente Torrone Gelato — I’ve been working to squeeze the most chocolate humanly possible into a dairy gelato. This is 70% cocoa Valrhona and 100% Callebaut Chocolates — a total of 22.5% cocoa by weight — extremely intense — offset slightly by Italian soft nougat (torrone) — 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 #peanut #chocolate #valrhona #Callebaut #torrone

Overall, Capital Seafood is middling level dimsum for the SGV but excellent for Beverly Hills. Almost certainly the best west of the SGV. One of the only rivals is The Palace, which is good, but still the cart format. The manager/owner was awesome. Service was very attentive, but a little weird in that a few of the girls hovered uncomfortably close. They were trying though.

On our second visit service was clean and unobtrusive. Food was fresh and tasty. Really quite good. Not the BEST dimsum in the known world but still first rate.

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

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beverly Hills, Brunch, Cantonese cuisine, Capital Seafood, Dim sum, dimsum, dumplings, hedonists, lunch, XLB

Sotto Rossoblu Mashup

Nov17

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

Location: 9575 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035 310.277.0210

Date: September 27, 2018

Cuisine: Sicilian and Sardinian Italian

Rating: Bold flavors, off to a great start!

This was a peculiar lunch, the annual Chevalier’s “Grand Cru” lunch which was supposed to be at Rossoblu — but they had a kitchen fire and so it was relocated to their sister restaurant Sotto.

Sotto has a nice location on Pico underneath Beverly Hills.

I’ve never been here in the day and it looks far less bar-like.

And there is a big bar.

With live music, which is a typical Chevaliers thing.

I forgot to photo all the bottles today, but I did manage the opening white.

And the champagne.

Parmesan Crisps.

Wood grilled oysters, brown butter, sage, parmigiano-reggiano, lemon, breadcrumbs.

Crescentine Fritte, Burrata, Caviar.

The special menu for the day.

Wood grilled bread.

Marinated Big Eye Tuna. Blood orange, hazelnuts, white bean.

Handmade Garganelli, lobster, peas, morels. I always love pasta — and lobster, so a very nice dish.

Braised Veal Cheeks. Chestnut Gremolata, cauliflower stracotto, carrots.

Chef’s selection of cheeses.

Crispy bread for the cheese.

While it ended up being located at Sotto, I think they used the same menu they had intended at Rossoblu so it’s definitely a hybrid. Food was very good though.

Wine was sort of typical for Chevaliers. Medium quality Burgundy, mid range producers, too young. A lot of wines I would not buy myself — they just wouldn’t individually draw me in for either quality, rating, value ratio etc. Like I never buy Morgon or Beaujolais. If I buy random 1re Cru Chassagne or Puligny wines I buy from much better producers than Chevaliers does. I’ll only slum the producers a bit with Grand Cru wines — and not that much either. Chevaliers also often buys funny vintages (not this particular lunch).

For my first review of Sotto, click here.For my another of my reviews of Sotto, click here.

Or for a review of Drago, another Sicilian restaurant.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chevaliers, Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, lunch, Rossoblu, Sotto

I Luv2Eat

Aug11

Restaurant: Luv2Eat

Location: 6660 Sunset Boulevard P, Los Angeles, CA 90028. (323) 498-5835

Date: June 26, 2018

Cuisine: Thai

Rating: Awesome LA Thai

Luv2Eat has been on my “to eat” list for years — largely because people said they had to die for crab curry — but given that it’s at the other end of the city it took me a long time to fit it in.

But now I have. It’s located on Sunset in a mini-mall not far from Jitlada.

Clearly the Chef’s are Fern and Pla. Apparently, like me they Luv2Eat!

The inside is recently done, but fairly “minimal.” Definitely has a lunch feel.

The menu is big, but not nearly as big as the tome at Jitlada. I think this is more Northern focused too.

Tasty spring rolls.

Papaya salad with shrimp. Always a great sweet/tangy flavor.

The much lauded Phuket Crab Curry. You eat it in a bowl with the accouterments in the rear.

So as you can see in this curry close-up, it’s a rich yellow coconut milk based curry. The crab shell was impossible to break into, but that didn’t matter as the meat had pretty much all cooked out.

You put this stuff (noodles and some herbs and veggies) in your bowl and then add the curry on top. Makes a nice curry noodle soup. Delicious light coconut flavors. A good bit of heat (at medium) but not overwhelming.

Pineapple Duck Curry. Another favorite curry of mine, the red curry based slightly sweet duck curry. A solid version but maybe not as good as at Jitlada.

Jade noodle with pork belly, roast pork, and more. Quite pleasant in flavor. A bit reminiscent of the Vietnamese noodles commonly found in central Vietnam.

Crying Tiger Beef. The classic Thai marinated beef. Very tasty.

Unfortunately, they were out of khao soi which is one of my favorite Thai dishes and a northern speciality. But this was some very good Thai at great prices. Bright and on the lighter side as it goes. And they can get very spicy on request (as I like it). I probably prefer Jitlada’s more “intense”, richer style, but Luv2Eat is a really solid lunch option and I want to go back and try more.

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