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Bovon Holbox v1

Sep22

Restaurant: Holbox [1, 2]

Location: 3655 S Grand Ave c9, Los Angeles, CA 90007. (213) 986-9972

Date: January 20, 2024

Cuisine: Mexican Seafood

Rating: Private room shenagigans

I’ve been meaning to try Holbox for a while — years even. Recently (summer 2024) they earning a Michelin Star!

One of just eight restaurants inside Historic South Central L.A.’s Mercado La Paloma, Holbox (from the Mayan-named island of Holbox – pronounced “hole-bosh” – off Mexico’s northern Yucatán Peninsula) is a Mexican seafood restaurant that focuses on fresh local ingredients, vibrant flavors, and unpretentious presentation. The menu features specialties from coastal regions of Mexico, seen through the lens of its southern California and Baja California ingredients. We offer a casual order-at-the-counter service in a food hall setting and also host weekly 8-course tasting menu dinners on Thursdays and Fridays.

Holbox emerged from the Mercado, where Chef Gilbert Cetina cooked alongside his father at the still vibrant neighboring stall, Chichen Itza. Holbox opened in 2017 and has continued to garner awards and recognition, including 1-Star Michelin 2024, Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019, 2021, and 2022, LA Times Restaurant of the Year 2023, and ranked #5 on the 2023 LA Times 101 Best Restaurant list. Chef Cetina was a 2023 James Beard Finalist for Best Chef California.

Food court!

The actual space.

Typical line just about all the time.

Bovon setup this special dinner in their large but unglamorous “private room.”

Tonight’s menu.

All you can eat oysters.

And scallops.

These were served with a variety of toppings — hot sauce and vinegar.

Sea Urchin & Halibut. Live Santa Barbara Sea Urchin and local halibut ceviche.

Scallop Aguachile.

Bluefin Tuna Tostada. Baja bluefin tuna, avocado puree, arbol-peanut sauce.

Wagyu Taco. Miyazaki wagyu striploin, guacamole, handmade tortia, pico de gallo. Very tender.

Tomahawk. Grilled prime Tomahawk steak, roasted fingerling potatoes. This is not on their normal menu.

Rice and beans

Kanpachi al Carbon. Omega Azul Baja kanpachi cooked whole over mesquite, handmade tortillas, pico de gallo, avocado.

Tortillas.

Grilled lemons.

Cheesecake.

Almond Ricotta and Orange Old Fashioned Gelato.

The wines.

Very fun night. Food was good, although in some ways similar to Bea’s Tacos. The zesty seafood was better than the meats, as the steak was a bit overcooked. It’s not one of their normal things, only being available at this special private dinner.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, Holbox, Jeff Bovon, Mexican, Seafood, Steak, Wine

Eating San Fran – Delfina

Sep15

Restaurant: Delfina SF

Location: 3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110. (415) 437-6800

Date: January 16, 2024

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Modern Rustic Italian

Second work dinner of this January SF trip.

Delfina, San Francisco’s beloved James Beard Award-winning trattoria, has been pioneering Cal-Italian cuisine for over 20 years. Owners Craig and Annie Stoll opened the classic eatery in 1998 to immediate success, with Food & Wine naming Craig Stoll Best New Chef in 2001. Over the years, Delfina has earned a James Beard Award and expanded operations to include Pizzeria Delfina, serving up some of the best Neapolitan-inspired pizza and seasonal dishes with four locations across the Bay Area. With warm hospitality, excellent service, and memorable dishes that are rooted in Italian flavors and driven by the Bay Area’s seasonal bounty, Delfina has solidified its reputation as a true San Francisco classic. In October 2022, Delfina reopened with a gorgeous renovation by Fucinaro Architects and Roy Hospitality, reimagining the restaurant’s interior.

The menu.

Fryer Creek Deviled Eggs. smoked whitefish mantecato, horseradish.

Mortadella. Rovagnati.

Warm Castelvetrano Olives.

Insalata di Campo. chicories and greens, Delfina pancetta, walnuts, parmigiano, balsamico.

Parm on the side.

Fryer Creek Squash Sformato. parmigiano fonduta, chestnuts, aceto balsamico tradizionale.

Mezzalune Val d’Aosta. fontina, almonds, white truffle butter.

Kuri Squash Tortelloni. sage-brown butter, cavolo nero.

Spaghetti Pomodoro.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina. 2lb dry-aged prime.

Umpqua Valley Lamb Leg Marocchino. spiced yogurt, olivata, butter beans da Delfina.

Fryer Creek Tokyo Turnips. bagna cauda, breadcrumbs.

Butter Beans da Delfina. garlic, sage, xvoo.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta. passion fruit. A touch sour.

Cocoa Nib Pavlova. caramel gelato, warm chocolate sauce, hazelnuts.

Very solid semi rustic Italian.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Delfina, italian, pasta, Pizza, San Francisco, Wine

A Different Duck House

Sep11

Restaurant: Duck House [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 501 S Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754. (626) 284-3227

Date: January 7, 2024

Cuisine: Chinese

Rating: Good duck

Duck House is a staple SGV restaurant for my gang. The food is good, it’s on the closer side, and the owner is incredibly nice. I’ve even housed a birthday dinner here. But this is my personal first return after the pandemic.

This was a slightly different Duck House crew, a bit more open to exotic ordering.

Gift from the house – chili bamboo shoots. I’ve had this dish, but these were marinated/fermented with salt and something and had this delightful crunch and woody smell and taste. Quite strong on the woody so not eveyone liked it.

Cold jellyfish. Nicely crunchy thick jellyfish “noodles.” Some, but not overwelming vinegar.

Crack Chicken. As always this cold chicken with the mildly creamy, spicy, numbing sauce is amazing. It’s all about the sauce which I got to go.

Fried fishcake and roe balls. Interesting, a bit like some of the ones that are offered with hot pot. Pretty tasty though.

Corn and Shrimp Bird’s Nest. The nest is just a fried noodle of sorts. This was actually a very plesant dish with all that corn in white supreme sauce.

Chinese greens with Egg and Crab Meat sauce. One of those goopy yellow sauces but quite pleasant.

Sea Cucumber and Abalone. More a lot of mushroom. There wasn’t that much of the rare chewy sea creatures but the unctuous mushrooms sauce was kinda delicious.

Peking Duck.

Condiments.

Pancake.

Scallion Lamb. Very tender and not gamey at all.

String beans. Duck House makes a great (and slightly sweet) version of this dish.

Crispy Deep Fried Cumin Duck Tails. Super salty, fatty, and delicious.

Noodles with scallions and beef. Worth the carbs.

Shanghai Style Red Sauce Pork. Super fatty but tasty.

Sweet Bean pancake. Yup, odd Chinese desserts.

Egg and Sesame Ball Soup. This was one of the better versions of this oddball (bada bing) sweet soup.

This was probably my favorite Duck House meal — in no small part because of the better ordering. Service was absolutely first rate as always. So fun as always and I’d definitely say that Duck House is a great SGV gateway drug place for those who need to baby into the more extreme and different stuff.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chinese Food, Duck House, Foodie Club, Peking Duck, SGV, Wine

Emperor Yamamoto

Aug30

Restaurant: 鮨やまもと / Sushi Yamamoto

Location: N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Date: December 14, 2023

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi

Rating: One of the best meals of the year

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

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

The sushi bar

Our special menu.

Ginger. I had about 10 of these.

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

Astrea caviar of course.

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

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

Tri of tunas.

Taka’s chu-toro.

Taka’s o-otoro.

Taka’s maguro in a tiny handroll.

Benny’s shrimp.

Buri (wild yellow tail).

Saba (mackerel).

Hokkigai (surf clam)

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

Hokkaido uni (sea urchin).

Astrea Caviar Toro roll.

House-made buckwheat soba noodles.

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

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

Unagi (fresh water eel). Super soft.

Tamago (sweet egg).

A tro of birthday cakes!

Satsuma Tangerine Ice Cream. Very mild.

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

Basque Cheesecake with Caviar and Stawberry Cake.

Tea.

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

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

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

Harlan part 2

Aug22

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

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

Date: November 28, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Steakhouse

Rating: Amazing special meal

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

Classic Spago Tuna cones with that crispy/sweet shell.

Wagyu beef rolls.

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

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

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

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

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

The Spago bread selection

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

Wolfgang just straight up joined us for the dinner.

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

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

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

He brought out this incredible Italian cheese.

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

My son’s favorite — Quad Chocolate Cloud Gelato – The base is made this time with Valrhona 70% Guanaja Chocolate and then layered with Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Ganache, Nestle Buncha Crunch, and chopped Oreos! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #oreos #ganache #icing #nestle #crunch

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

The chef and team.

The gang.

Puck is very full.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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

ThanksGavin 2023

Aug15

The 2023 Thanksgiving spread. More limited and fewer people.

A bracing raddicio salad.

Wild rice.

The infamous spicy cranberry chutney.

My mom’s lighter take on green bean casserole.

Our BBQ turkey. Pretty much as excellent as always. Nice and smokey.

Sliced

Bits.

Stuffing.

I made the gravy. A bit livery and at first it was too thin.

And as there was no corn starch in the house I had to make a traditional roux.

That did the job right quick.

The 2023 ThanksGavin plate.

The 2023 ThanksGavin plate.

The oven broke so no pies 🙁 Just some Haggen Daas.

and fruit.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine

Eating Tysons – Patsy’s

Aug09

Restaurant: Patsy’s American

Location: 8051 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182. (703) 552-5100

Date: November 22, 2023

Cuisine: American (duh)

Rating: Solid

My parents (or maybe my Dad) are a bit obsessed with this small Virginia chain. It’s like the more modern, more commercial variant of all the small American restaurants we used to eat at in the 1970s — but stripped of the soul.

Actually this interior space was once a Chesapeake Bay Seafood House, a place that served AYCE seafood and that was popular with my friends and I during High School.

Ozzie Rolls. Like donuts, but about half as sweet. Sugared butter.

Seafood Platter. 6 oysters, 6 midneck clams, 3 jumbo shrimp, smoked mussels & blood orange mignonette.

Shrimp Cocktail. 6 jumbo shrimp, fresh lemon & cocktail sauce.

Field Greens. grape tomatoes, sun dried cranberries, dates, pine nuts, garlic croutons & champagne vinaigrette…blue cheese or Laura Chenel goat cheese.

Crab & Corn Chowder.

Short Smoked Salmon Filet. marinated and smoked, then hickory grilled with fresh asparagus, mashed potatoes & creole mustard sauce.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs with fresh, hand cut fries & traditional cole slaw.

Warm White Chocolate Bread Pudding. bourbon custard sauce, vanilla ice cream & caramel.

It’s not bad, but it’s so “white bread.”

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: American Cuisine, McLean Va, Patsys, Seafood, ThanksGavin, Wine

Drive for AnQi Bistro

Aug04

Restaurant: AnQi Bistro

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

Date: November 19, 2023

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Really great, but really far

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

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

AnQi.

We had this gorgeous private room.

Welcome cocktail of Grapefruit Martini.

With a Grapefruit bubble!

Tonight’s special menu.

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

And Mini Tuna Tacos.

Our host tonight!

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

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

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

The cooking made them all taste the same.

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

Special Foie Gras Nigiri.

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

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

Had to get some extra garlic noodles.

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

Inside.

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

Hot salt rock to cook stuff on.

Like these too-die-for garlic mashed potatoes.

Chinese-style greens.

Chef Dessert Plater — pretty over the top!

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

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

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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

Tin Time – Saltie Girl

Aug01

Restaurant: Saltie Girl

Location: 8615 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 734-7296

Date: November 9, 2023

Cuisine: Seafood

Rating: Quite different with all that conserva

This was a Erick and I duo foodie night.

Salty Girl in West Hollywood offers a cozy yet vibrant dining experience, merging a relaxed atmosphere with sophisticated seafood dishes. This eatery stands out with its emphasis on fresh, high-quality ingredients, showcasing a range of oceanic delights from rich, buttery lobster rolls to expertly shucked oysters. The menu, thoughtfully curated, features inventive yet comforting options like clam chowder fries and tuna crudo. The interior’s rustic charm, accented by nautical decor, complements the laid-back but polished service, making it an ideal spot for both casual dinners and special occasions. Salty Girl’s commitment to flavor and freshness leaves a memorable impression, ensuring it’s a must-visit for seafood enthusiasts.

The menu.

The have a whole book of conserva.

Chilled Florida Stone Crab Claws. Tasty, but expensive at $42 a claw and hard to get out of those thick shells.

TORCHED SALMON BELLY. avocado / apple / cucumber / miso glaze. Very rich and satisfying with a subjective sweetness.

WARM SPICY KING CRAB ROLL. avocado / soy paper / ponzu. Mild and pleasant.

SANTA BARBARA UNI TOAST. tomato jam / mangalica ham / quail egg. Good mix of briny and salty flavors.

CHARRED OCTOPUS. coco beans / chorizo / piquillo peppers / fingerling potato chips. Really really tender. Not chewy in the slightest.

Our selection of tins. They have the largest seafood tin list in the country!

served with trio of salts / crunchy butter / pickled piparra peppers / piquillo pepper jam / french bread. I liked all the accompaniments — other than the salt which I didn’t try (didn’t need MORE salt).

Bread for the tins.

Cockles in brine. Very succulent and delicious.

SPICED SARDINES IN OLIVE OIL. Porthos / Portugal / 4.4oz. Nice sardines, but fairly straightforward.

HAKE CHEEKS IN OLIVE OIL. Alalunga / Spain / 4.72oz. Delicious and tender.

SMOKED EEL. Gulf of Maine Conservas / New Hampshire / 6oz. Great smoky flavor. Pretty salty.

GRILLED VENTRESCA (TUNA BELLY). Güeyu Mar / Spain / 5.29oz. We were hoping for richer. This was excellent tuna, but nothing that exciting.

SALTIE GIRL LOBSTER ROLL. served warm. house made salt & vinegar potato chips. Quite nice lobster roll.

FRENCH DOVER SOLE. lemon / capers / butter / parsley. Fish was perfectly cooked so it had a great texture. Beurre blanc was silky rich. The only problem was the sauce was a touch salty without enough compensating lemon.

Beurre blanc sauce.

Overall, an interesting place ina very cute space. Service was good. It was loud and crowded and there was a lot of seafood on this menu. It was salty and not exactly cheap. But I’d come again at some point. Unfortuantly they do have a 2 bottle limit although a reasonable enough $40 corkage.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: conserva, fish, Foodie Club, Seafood, West Hollywood, Wine

OOtoro 2023 part deux

Jul31

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

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

Date: November 4, 2023

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi (with slight nod to China)

Rating: Ends of the earth, but very good

Chef Kaz of Totoraku, an occasional hedonist, sent us far east to this Sushi restaurant in 2016 and it was such a fun time that we had to return again for a sixth visit — it’s now become a twice a year thing.

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

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

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

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

They put up this weird curtain recently.

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

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

Zoom.

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

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

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

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

Spanish Mackerel. Oily and delicious.

Golden Eye Snapper nigiri.

Skipjack Tuna with a bit of spicy ponzu.

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

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

Charcoal grilled crab leg.

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

Flaming sea snail with mushrooms. Chewy.

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

Clam Miso. Awesome clammy flavor.

Cheesecake with strawberries.

Strawberry Jam Gelato — an awesome daily Strawberry base swirled with Strawberry Jam — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — sugar time! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #strawberry #jam

Perfect pairing!

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

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

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

Yes to Yess

Jul28

Restaurant: Yess

Location: 2001 E 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021.

Date: October 25, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Japanese

Rating: Good, but restrained

From a bright orange sashimi food truck to a haven for smoky wood-grilled dishes, this Arts District spot from lauded London chef Junya Yamasaki fits right in with the buzzing neighborhood. Order something from the ever-changing menu, grab a drink, and then expect to order at least another round.

Modern build out of this warehouse, although my photos suck.

The small menu.

Fresh Water Kimchi with Market Vegetables and Fruits. Very mild flavor. Joe loved these. I prefer a much more vinegar forward pickle flavor as these were very pleasant, but subtle.

Boiled Peanuts. Surprisingly excellent.

Bluefin “Akami Zuke” with Mustard-Pickled Eggplant and Wasabina. Clean straight up tuna with a nice zesty mustard.

Halibut Fritters with Fresh Peppers, Spring Onion, and Ponzu. Delicious fried fish with this strong, and pretty spicy, topping.

Monk’s “Chirashi-Sushi.” This autumn vegetarian version of a chirashi bowl was actually incredible. It was sweet, with varied textures, a smokey autumn vibe, and some subtle vinegar.

Grilled Fig and Cacao Miso Soup. Gorgeous winter style miso with a bit of sweetness.

Tuna Tartar with Soy Cured Egg Yolk and Mixed Vegetable Crisps. Awesome “toro” tartare with great soft texture and extreme richness.

Grilled Miso Black Cod and New Season Turnips.

Grilled Pork Collar. Grilled Peads and Barnetts Pork Collar with Ripe Peppers and Cannellini Bean Mash. Tasty.

Grilled Lamb Loin Chop with Spinach, Mint, Beet Chips and Apple Salad. The lamb itself was nice, but the really great part was that herby salad. Loved the mint etc.

Grilled Beef and Matsutake Mushroom. Stemple Creek Strip Loin and Matsutake Mushroom with Roasted Bone Marrow and Soy Egg Yolk. A pretty “healthy” portion of very solid steak and gorgeous mushrooms. It played nicely with the soy egg and when topped with bone marrow.

Soy Egg Yolk.

Peering at the bone marrow. Erick blew his out and a huge snot globblet of marrow fat landed on his plate!

Hanging with the chef.

This was a very interesting meal. Very different take on modernizing Japanese cuisine in a lovely build out — located in a sketchy DTLA location.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: DTLA, Foodie Club, Japanese cuisine, Wine, Yess

Final Kinn

Jul24

Restaurant: Kinn [1, 2, 3]

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

Date: October 19, 2023

Cuisine: Korean Fusion

Rating: Really tasty & a great deal

After Erick and I had such a great “Round 1” of our double dinner at Kinn and then a “real” Foodie Club dinner (seen here), we decided to come back for a third epic meal — sadly, it closed very soon after this particular feast which is a real shame as it was fabulous and innovative.

Not so crowded this time around :-(.

Kimbap. Cured and seared escalar, Bugak shell, Shari, Myoga, Wasabi, Scallion paste, Perilla leaf. Delicious. The soft meaty fish played off the interesting flavors in the base.

Oyster. Marinated Santa spot prawn, Uni, Oyster, Smoked trout roe, Hanaho, Lime zest. Excellent jazzed up oyster.

Abalone. Steamed abalone, Squid ink, Potato sauce, Chive sauce. The Kinn classic.

Tomato Salad. Perilla sorbet, Tomato, Burrata, Basil oil. I was hoping this would return — it’s not exactly the same — but for the second time the Perilla sorbet was incredible!

Crispy Octopus. Octopus, Potato, Gochujang SC, Parsley, Chervil, Tarragon, Compressed Radish. A new format was perhaps even better. So crispy and so tender.

Dry Aged Beef, Flannery beef, Market vegetables, Dashi, Dipping sauce. Tasted like shabu shabu. I drank the whole broth.

Soup of Delicacies. Chicken soup with xiao xing, Dried sea cucumber, Matsutake & Lion’s mane mushroom, Egg custard with salted shrimp, Deer tendon. Basically a fancy Korean ingredient Chawanmushi — delicious.

Caviar Noodle. Handmade noodles, Oyster cream, Lime zest, Flower, Astrea Caviar. This was good, but a bit blander than most of the dishes (it is a carb).

N’duja mandoo, N’duja filling, Scallop, Brown butter. Bunch of intense dumpling flavor — awesome.

Carabinero & Tilefish. Crispy tilefish, Charcoal grilled shrimp, Spinach puree, Brandy Sauce. Lovely.

Stuffed quail. Mushroom cream sauce. Incredible dish. The quail was super crispy, yet juicy, and the creamy sauce was incredible.

Mussel rice. Rice cooked in mussel stock, Saffron, Tomato, Pickled onion. Very much like a great paella-risotto hybrid. It wasn’t crispy, but it had awesome flavor.

Perfect iced grapes.

Corn. Shaved corn ice, Cheese foam, Green Tea powder. A very soft and subtle dessert.

Bonus of foie gras terrine.

Caviar.

And, as we sat for 2 hours chatting with the chef, a Flannery steak!

Really incredible meal.

The chef.

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

This larger dinner was more “filling” and we certainly didn’t need second dinner. Great stuff and great wines.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Foodie Club, Kinn, Korean Fusion, Wine

No Balcony, but Excellent

Jul22

Restaurant: Juliet

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

Date: October 17, 2023

Cuisine: French

Rating: Very good modern French Bistro

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

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

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

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

Located near Platform.

Le menu.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eclairs Maison. dark chocolate / sea salt. Nice.

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

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

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

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

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

El Patio at Taito

Jul16

Restaurant: Tiato Kitchen + Garden

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

Date: Oct 4, 2023

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Great food, funny location

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

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

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

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

Goat Cheese and Walnut puffs.

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

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

The roll was pretty awesome.

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

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

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

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

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

Awesome house-made cookies.

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

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

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

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

Sauvages – LQ goes Italian

Jul14

Restaurant: Laurent Quenioux

Location: Pasadena

Date: September 22, 2023

Cuisine: LQ Franco Italian

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

Gorgeous ridge-top setting.

So we hid under the shade and cracked some champagne!

Grilled peppers bruschetta with prosciutto.

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

The menu.

Bordier Butter and La Creme baguette.

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

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

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

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

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

My son’s favorite — Triple Chocolate Cloud Gelato – The base is made this time with Valrhona 70% Guanaja Chocolate and then layered with Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Ganache, and chopped Oreos! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #oreos #ganache #icing

Gelato all’Amarena — a very simple and elegant Tahitian Vanilla Bean White Base (no egg) with Amarena Cherries in syrup — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #vanilla #amarena #cherry #syrup

Expresso.

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

Barolo was generally great as well :-).

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

Bistro 1968 at Night

Jul11

Restaurant: Bistro 1968 [1, 2]

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

Date: January 4, 2024

Cuisine: Chinese Dim Sum

Rating: One of the current best

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

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

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

Escaping the parking lot involved this endless corridor.

Peanuts and Candied Walnuts.

The menu.

They have moderately fancy tea service.

Chili paste and mustard.

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

Seafood Dumpling with pumpkin.

Shrimp Har-gow.

Seaweed and Shrimp Paste Cake.

Chili Oil.

XO Sauce.

Pork & Shrimp Siu-Mai.

Selections.

Shrimp Rice Noodle.

Supreme Beef Balls.

Jumbo Sticky Rice Wrap.

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

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

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

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

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

No cucumbers but there were scallions.

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

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

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

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

Poached Watercress with Fish Ball. Bland this time around.

Strawberry Jam Gelato — an awesome dairy Strawberry base swirled with Strawberry Jam — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — sugar time! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #strawberry #jam

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

Flavorless sweat bean puffs.

Mango “soup” was actually pretty good.

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

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

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

Sichuan Modern – 19 Town

Jul09

Restaurant: 19 Town

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

Date: September 3, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Sichuan Chinese

Rating: Very tasty, unusual modern style

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

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

It’s going for a more bar-like feel.

There are a couple of private rooms.

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

The menu.

Small cold drinking “snacks” are traditional in Chengdu.

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

Wasabi Edamame. Soybean sauce. Good for edamame.

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

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

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

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

Cucumber with Sesame Paste. Elegant.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Waffle Fries with Salted Egg Yolk. Waffle fries!

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

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

served with pickles.

Black Sesame Cheese Tart. Barley.

Lemon au Courant Sorbetto and Mud Pie Gelato.

The wines.

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

Yarom and the chef.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

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

Harlan part 1

Jul07

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

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

Date: September 5, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Steakhouse

Rating: Amazing special meal

The special menu.

A5 Wagyu on Chicharrones! Delicious.

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

Blue fin tuna on wonton crisps.

The chef.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The gang.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

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

Iki Ramen Insanity

Jul01

Restaurant: Iki Ramen

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

Date: August 24, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Japanese

Rating: Big fun!

Michael K organized this omakase buyout at Iki Ramen.

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

The interior before we swamped it out.

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

Just a few of the bottles.

Tuna with truffle and a sweet soy. Delicious.

Incredibly tender octopus with sunomono.

Miso glazed cod.

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

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

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

Salmon, Tai, and crab sushi.

Toro, uni, and wagyu sushi.

Ginger.

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

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

Cucumber Cut Roll.

Hand rolls.

Uni Sushi.

Toro sushi (chopped).

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

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

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

Coconut Crunch Gelato — Coconut dairy custard base with Strawberry Wafers and house-made White Chocolate Coated Crunch Berries — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #crunch #crunchBerries #WhiteChocolate

Almond Gelato and Chocolate Expresso Sorbetto

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

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

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

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

Roccos Redux

Jun21

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

Location: Santa Monica

Date: August 2, 2023

Cuisine: Italian influenced gourmet home cooking

Rating: Awesome

Dinner at the Borgese’s is a special house dinner in Santa Monica cooked by the stunning pro-level home chef Borgese couple. Tonight’s dinner was another Hedonist dinner featuring whole lamb.

Lovely night out on the patio.

The menu.

Bistecca chilling out.

Rocco in the kitchen.

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

Amuse of burrata and prosciutto.

Amuse of caviar, creme fraiche, and blinis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdure Grigliate. Roasted vegetables. In this case rapini.

My partial plate.

Back from Türkiye with a new flavor — Sultan’s Delight — Iranian Saffron base with house-made Pistachio Cremino, Chopped Pistachios, and Rose-Water Pistachio Turkish Delight — many ingredients from the Istanbul Spice Bazaar — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #saffron #pistachio #cremino #TurkishDelight #Türkiye

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

Bowled up.

The wines.

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

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

First of all, the Borgese hospitality was awesome, the house lovely, and the food absolutely incredible. One of the best “home cooked” meals I’ve had. Maybe ever if you restrict it to chefs cooking in their own home kitchen. Just amazing. Every dish was great. Rustic but extremely delicious style. Superb homemade pastas.

Service was handled by the youngest Borgese (teen daughter) and was better than most restaurant staff. Super friendly and you can tell they do this a lot.

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