Providence (Los Angeles, CA) [4]

Providence
5955 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.460.4170
www.providencela.com
Thu 04/28/2009, 09:30p-12:35a



Once again, Providence kicked off the annual 5x5 Chef's Collaborative dinner series. Now in their third year, these dinners were started in order to foster a stronger community among chefs and restaurateurs in Los Angeles. In addition to providing the chefs with a chance to network and cook some great meals, a portion of the proceeds from the dinners benefit the Southern California Special Olympics. Here's the complete 2009 schedule:

• Tuesday, April 28 at Providence (guest chef Alessandro Stratta of Alex, Las Vegas, NV)
• Sunday, May 17 at Mélisse (guest chef Gabriel Kreuther of The Modern, New York, NY)
• Monday, June 15 at Grace (guest chef Sean McClain of Spring, Chicago, IL)
• Sunday, August 23 at Water Grill (guest chef Curtis Duffy of The Avenues, Chicago, IL)
• Monday, September 21 at Angelini Osteria (guest chef Paul Bartolotta of Bartolotta, Las Vegas, NV)

In each dinner, each of the five "core" chefs and one guest chef prepare one dish in a multi-course meal; in addition, the host restaurant's pastry chef is responsible for dessert. This year's fab five are: Gino Angelini (Angelini Osteria, Minestraio Trattoria), Michael Cimarusti (Providence), Josiah Citrin (Mélisse), Neal Fraser (Grace), and David LeFevre (Water Grill). Fraser replaces Walter Manzke, who was let go from Bastide last year prior to the beginning of the 2008 dinner series; Manzke is currently heading the kitchen over at Church & State. And just in case you were wondering, the inaugural group consisted of: Cimarusti, Citrin, and LeFevre, along with Angelo Auriana (Valentino) and Christophe Emé (Ortolan).

Also present at this dinner were Brian and Will of FoodDigger, Danny of Kung Food Panda, Mike of Right Way to Eat, and Ryan of Only Eat What Feeds Your Soul. My original intent was to attend all five dinners this year, but unfortunately that won't be possible. On May 17th, I plan on returning to Alinea in Chicago--the restaurant that started it all. And on June 15th, I should be enjoying a 14-course "kaiseki" meal at Bar Charlie in Las Vegas. The last two 5x5 dinners are still open, however.


The seven-course 5x5 menu [$150] was the only menu option naturally, but we did have the choice of going with either a standard wine pairing [$65] or a premium version [$150]. One of the things I look forward to is securing a menu signed by all seven chefs (FYI: in the photo, the chefs are at the base of the Angels Flight funicular railway near Bunker Hill in Downtown LA). Click for larger versions.


The two types of bread on offer were an olive focaccia and a plain roll. As always, in addition to lovely, subtly sweet pats of butter, salt was duly provided.



Amuse Bouche: quartet of amuse bouche [by Michael Cimarusti of Providence]
We started with a selection of amuse bouches from Cimarusti. First was a sliver of Hokkaido scallop over a bed of Sriracha and mayonnaise, topped with crispy puffed rice. What made this bite was the rice, which had an almost popcorn-like savor. It complemented the sweetness of the scallop, and added a great textural contrast to the creamy mollusk as well. Next up, we had a dollop of uni over tomato. The sea urchin roe was subtly sweet and creamy as expected, but was deftly foiled by the tart, tangy tomato--quite nice. Third was a Greyhound cocktail spherification. A Greyhound is a vodka or gin based cocktail enhanced with grapefruit juice. I think that the essence of the drink was captured nicely here, with the sphere exploding in my mouth with an intensely grapefruit-y burst; very fun and refreshing. Finally, we were presented with Tasmanian sea trout over salmon skin, with soy sauce crème fraîche. The crisp, salty salmon skin was an excellent contrast to the mild, creamy trout--absolutely lovely. Overall, this was a superb way to kick things off.


1: hamachi sashimi | ton buri, asian pear, red radish and fennel [by David LeFevre of Water Grill]
taittinger, cuvée prestige m.v.
Sashimi is always a fitting start to a meal. The hamachi here had a great texture: tender, not too fatty, with a mild, slightly savory flavor. It came topped with tonburi, the dried seed of the cypress tree, which gave the fish a lovely, salty zing; the yellowtail was further heightened by the tart crème fraîche and radish sauce. The hamachi was paired with a Dungeness crab and shiso tempura, over Asian pear. The crab's natural sweetness was a great counterpart to the mintiness of the shiso, while that sweetness was further accentuated by the pear. Interestingly, the wine pairing, the Taittinger, was the exactly same wine we started off with last year. Really a quintessential expression of the style, its crisp, dry flavor was a superb complement to the sashimi.


2: shellfish "printanière" | santa barbara prawns, abalone, japanese sword squid, clams, lemongrass-shellfish emulsion [by Josiah Citrin of Mélisse]
riesling kabinett, "serrig würtzberg" bert simon 1998
The idea behind this dish was to celebrate the arrival of spring--a lofty goal, but I think Citrin did an admirable job. Rather than simply melding into a homogeneous mélange of sorts, every element here made its unique presence felt. I was able to experience different tastes and textures in each bite, and the briny, ocean-y smack of the seafood was elevated even further by the tangy emulsion of lemongrass, as well as the subtly sour sorrel panna cotta. The course was paired with a Riesling Kabinett, which was actually less fruity and grassier than I'd anticipated. It also had a blunt acidity that actually went well with the food; a sharp acidity would've overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the shellfish.


3: sautéed wild striped bass | white carrot purée, nettles, fava beans, fennel pollen [by Neal Fraser of Grace]
chardonnay, hartford court "four hearts vineyards" 2005
Here, I really enjoyed the fish's soft, flaky texture in concert with its rich, fatty flavor, intensified by the savory skin (which could've been a touch crisper). The bass would've been too monolithic on its own, so fortunately it was paired with the nettle, which provided a slightly bitter flavor contrast. The favas, meanwhile, gave the dish a fantastic crunch. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the Chardonnay initially, at first finding its grassy minerality overpowering, the fish really tempered it, bringing out the fruit flavors I was looking for, providing for a better, more multifaceted wine.


4: barley timbale | peas, artichokes, foie gras, mushroom sauce [by Gino Angelini of Angelini Osteria]
pino nero, "meczan" j. hofstätter 2007
When eating this, I immediately thought of the sault farrow dish (L'Epeautre) I had at Joël Robuchon. It was really the texture that stood out here: slightly hard, chewy, yet yielding. Think of it as barley risotto wrapped in spinach and topped with foie gras, tomato, and porcini sauce. The barley had a rich, heavy flavor with a touch of sweetness; had it not been for the astringency of the spinach and tartness of the tomato, it would've been too overwhelming. The foie gras was interesting as well; it started out very mild, but its flavor got progressively stronger on the finish; in any case, it was one of the best hot preparations of foie I'd had in a while. The wine here, an Italian Pinot Noir basically, showed nice dark berry flavors with a bit of spice and acidity--it was light, but powerful enough to stand up to the dish.


5: roasted duck "apicius" | spiced pineapple, rhubarb and celery root [by Alex Stratta of Alex]
grenache, domaine de la pertuisane 2005
Our final savory, this course pays homage to Marcus Gavius Apicius, a legendary Roman gourmand. Apicius is known for his use of seasonings made with wine, vinegar, honey, and spices, hence this roasted duck with shellfish glaze, herbs, and red wine vinegar reduction. While the bird itself was tasty, somewhat like a Chinese roast duck, its accoutrements resulted in the whole amalgam being a bit too sweet and spicy, overpowering the natural flavor of the duck. The pineapple especially was too severe, though I really enjoyed the celeriac. This intense bird needed an equally intense wine, and the Grenache was well up to the task. Apparently made from the fruit of 98-year old vines, the Pertuisane put forth a spicy, herbal, fruity profile that really stood up to the duck.


6: un café à bordeaux | canelé ice cream, coffee parfait and toasted hazelnuts [by Adrian Vasquez of Providence]
vin santo, antinori 2005
A Bordeaux specialty, the canelé is a type of small French pastry traditionally made from egg, milk, and flour. Now, instead of just a mere canelé, Vasquez fills his "canelé" cake with a cold liquid café au lait center, and moves the canelé's rum-vanilla flavor to the ice cream. To top it off, he tosses in hazelnuts and barley, giving the dessert a wonderfully nutty finish. The interplay of textures and tastes was simply fantastic, and I wasn't surprised to hear that the dish had become part of Providence's regular dessert menu. The wine we had here was a Vin Santo, a type of Italian dessert wine from Tuscany made with Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes. Its flavor was not unlike that of sherry, with a dryness and nuttiness that balanced the sweetness of the dessert.

There is a restaurant in Los Angeles called Canelé, and as an aside, I asked Chef Cimarusti, who was at the table during dessert, what he thought of the place. He responded that he visited when the restaurant first opened, and thought that it provided good, simple food. Apparently, Canelé is also the favorite restaurant of blogger Mattatouille.


Mignardises
With the meal nearly over with, we were brought a two small plates of house-made candies. Left to right, they were: white chocolate with kalamansi and mint (a nice interaction between sweet, sour, and minty); milk chocolate with coconut green tea (my favorite); and dark chocolate with coffee and erfah (a typical coffee and chocolate pairing).


Mignardises 2
After the first serving of candies, we asked for Providence's infamous lollipops. Unfortunately, they only had three left. Since I'd never had one before, I was allowed one of the milk chocolate lollys topped with cardamom. It wasn't what I expected; I was picturing an ice cream-like center (à la Michael Mina), but instead, upon mastication, I got a bracing burst of passion fruit liquid that coated my mouth! One of my dining companions found the sensation rather disconcerting. To compensate those that didn't get the lollipop experience, another plate of chocolates were given, this time: dark chocolate with coffee and erfah once again; white chocolate with hazelnut and jelly; and apricot and saffron.

The 5x5's just keep getting better. Compared to last year's event at Providence, the dishes seemed to be stronger on average, and the meal as a whole was more balanced, more cohesive. However, at the same time, the dishes still showed off the differences in style, flair, and approach among the chefs. I'm already looking forward to next year!

Brodard (Garden Grove, CA)

Brodard
9892 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844
714.530.1744
www.brodard.net
Sat 04/25/2009, 07:25p-09:00p



If there is any dining establishment in Little Saigon that deserves to be christened iconic, Brodard would be it. The restaurant's legendary reputation was build almost solely on the back of its nem nuong cuon, or grilled pork spring rolls, and it's these rolls that customers flock to the restaurant for, time and time again. Brodard was started many years ago in South Central Vietnam (near Ninh Hoa, where nem nuong was created), not as a restaurant, but as a French bakery. The owners moved Brodard to Little Saigon eventually, where it was transformed into the mainstream Vietnamese restaurant it is today.

I've been going to Brodard for years, yet this is the first time I've blogged about it (though I have written about its higher-end sister restaurant, Brodard Chateau). After Wandering Chopsticks' Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 dinner at Binh Dan, we were all feeling a bit unsated, and decided to hit up Brodard. Joining WC and I were Aaron of Food Destination, Danny of Kung Food Panda, and Mike of Right Way to Eat.


Brodard is situated in the Mall of Fortune. In the first photo, we see the mall's front entrance; enter here, and you'll have navigate yourself toward the rear of the structure to find Brodard. The preferred mode of entry, thus, is to go around the mall and enter through the rear (second photo).

Interestingly, this is actually Brodard's second location in Little Saigon. It was previously housed in Frank Jao's $3 million New Saigon Mall, an enclosed single-story bazaar situated at the rear of Asian Village Mall. Constructed in 1997, the mall was meant to draw in young, savvy shoppers but failed miserably; its location, set far back from Bolsa behind a 99 Ranch supermarket, didn't help either. The mall was subsequently demolished, and by 2002, new tract homes had been built on its former site. The only thing that remains of New Saigon is the Cultural Court and its lonesome white statues.


The interior is comprised of one large dining room, typically brimming with energy. It's a light, fun space filled with people from all walks of life.




The menu is large, but most every table will start off with at least one order of the signature nem nuong cuon. The rest of the menu can be hit-or-miss. Click for larger versions.


Ah, "33" beer, otherwise known as Ba Moui Ba. Though regarded as a Vietnamese beer, "33" was actually created by the French, for use in their colonial markets. "33" is now brewed by Heineken in France and under license by BGI Tien Giang/Fosters in Vietnam. And as for the name "33," it apparently comes from the beer having been available in 330mL bottles at a time when the 650mL format was prevalent. Flavor-wise, it's typical of the style--light, subtly ricey and floral, refreshing, and quite good with Vietnamese fare.



Nem Nuong Cuon [$7.50 for 5]
Pork Spring Rolls - grilled pork paste wrapped in rice paper with lettuce, cucumber, carrot, daikon and mint served with house special sauce. I've had the nem nuong cuon on every visit to Brodard, and they never fail to deliver. The marinated pork provides most of the flavor base for the roll, but it's perfectly accented by the various veggies involved, the mint especially; the end result is a sweet/savory contrast, leading to a slightly sweet finish. Texturally, the crisp cucumber, carrot, and daikon give the rolls a delightful crunch, a fantastic snap that is heightened even further with the addition of a crispy egg roll shell wrapper (a South Central Vietnamese touch). However, nem nuong cuon are as much about the roll as they are about the dipping sauce. The sauce is really an integral part of the whole experience, providing contrasting, complex flavors of sweet, sour, and savory, simultaneously. The sauce is light, yet meaty, pungent, yet delicate; it integrates, and punctuates the rolls. I'm a bit surprised that no one's been able to duplicate it yet.


Chao Tom Cuon [$10.00 for 5]
Shrimp Spring Rolls - grilled shrimp paste wrapped in rice paper with lettuce, carrot, daikon, mint and cucumber served with house special sauce. Besides, the nem nuong cuon, I usually order the chao tom cuon as well. Basically, it's the former with the substitution of shrimp paste for pork. This results in a similar, though subtly different experience. I find that the shrimp is slightly sweeter in flavor, and also has a crunchier consistency. They're delicious, and just as satisfying.


Binh Tom Co Ngu [$6.95]
Shrimp and sweet potato tempura served with Asian greens and lime chili fish sauce. A Northern Vietnamese dish, the way to eat this is to break off pieces of the shrimp and potato, wrap them in lettuce and herbs, and apply fish sauce. Both major elements here, the potato and the shrimp, had sweet undertones, so the tangy sauce was an excellent complement, as was the addition of turmeric spice. Furthermore, the veggies were absolutely instrumental in balancing the weight of the dish. And though I'm not usually a fan of sweet potato fries, the preparation here was much to my liking, better than any version I've had at places such as The Counter.


Banh Khot [$6.95]
Luna rice cake - seven crispy rice cakes filled with whole shrimp, mung bean and scallion flavor with a dash of turmeric powder served with Asian greens and lime chili fish sauce. A Southern specialty, these had an intensely coconut attack, one that was emphasized by the included fish sauce. It was actually too sweet for me initially. However, the sweetness was tempered significiantly when eaten with the included vegetables and tangy, crunchy pickles. Not bad.

About all I can say is that, if you're in the area and haven't experienced Brodard's nem nuong cuon, please, go ahead and give it a try; it'll be part of your foodie cred, and you probably won't be disappointed!

Binh Dan (Westminster, CA)

Binh Dan
10040 McFadden Ave, Westminster, CA 92683
714.839.7050
www.yelp.com/biz/binh-dan-restaurant-westminster (Yelp, restaurant has no web site)
Sat 04/25/2009, 06:05p-07:10p



Most of us are familiar with bo 7 mon, the famous seven courses of Vietnamese beef. Start with that, replace the beef with goat, move a few notches down on the classiness scale, and you're left with what we have here: de 7 mon (seven courses of goat) at Binh Dan in Westminster. The restaurant is well known for its goat dishes; Binh Dan sources its meat from the owner's father's goat farm in Riverside, and the kitchen is adept at mitigating goat's signature gamey flavor. The name of the restaurant, binh dan, means "commoner," and that nomenclature is glaringly evident here, from the ambiance to the people to the cuisine. Binh Dan features mon nhau, or "alcohol food," that is, food meant to be eaten with booze. In fact, goat is not typically consumed in Vietnamese cuisine, save for mon nhau-style dishes.

So...this obviously isn't the type of place I usually frequent. The impetus for my meal here was Wandering Chopsticks, who had organized her Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 meal at Binh Dan (Foodbuzz's "24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs" concept showcases posts from 24 Featured Publishers over a 24-hour period, with Foodbuzz picking up the tab). In addition to me, WC also invited Aaron of Food Destination, Danny of Kung Food Panda, and Mike of Right Way to Eat.


Binh Dan is located in a rather nondescript strip mall on the southern edge of Little Saigon. The place looks decent from the outside...


Wandering Chopsticks had chosen Binh Dan in part to mark the Fall of Saigon, which took place on April 30, 1975, effectively ending the Vietnam War. Stepping inside Binh Dan, I could imagine myself stepping inside a quan nhau drinking establishment in 70's era Saigon; the Nixon-era fixtures and furnishings were belied only by the presence of a computer and LCD monitor. I was the first one of my party to arrive, and as an "outsider," I did not feel welcomed.


Binh Dan's surprisingly comprehensive menu is shown above; click for larger versions. The de 7 mon is listed right up top at $16.50 per person; we ordered two servings and also a couple of specials (posted on the wall). Underneath the de 7 mon are the mon nhau dishes, followed by some more typical Vietnamese fare. Note that only certain items are subtitled in English; my guess is that those are meant to be the less intimidating dishes.


Since we were having mon nhau, beer was definitely in order. Not impressed with Binh Dan's pedestrian selection of Bud, Corona, and "Lite," I took the initiative to provide our own libations. Wandering Chopsticks had worked out a $1 corkage arrangement with the restaurant beforehand, but said agreement was tossed out the window once we were actually there. Fortunately, though we were warned never to bring outside beer again, they did let it slip this time. We ended up attaching the "corkage" fee in the tip. We first had the Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, really a prototypical example of the style, with notes of lemon, spice, and banana, all balanced by a nice hoppy bitterness. The other beer was the Maredsous Tripel from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat. It was a more distinctive brew than the hef, with a fruity nose, loads of apple and stone fruit on the palate, and a bit of heat on the finish. Both went well enough with the food. What was fascinating was my beer mug, which had a puck of ice lodged on the bottom. What they do is fill a mug with water, and stick it in the freezer; I'm not sure if that's ghetto or genius, maybe both?


The first plate to appear on our table was filled with Thai basil, sawtooth (ngo gai, or Eryngium foetidum), cilantro, mint, and lemon.


We were given the standard nuoc mam fish sauce as well as soy sauce. In addition, what I believe was peanut sauce was provided.


1: Tiet Canh De
The first course of the meal was also the most menacing. What we have here is goat blood pudding, basically a mixture of congealed blood and minced meat, topped with liver slices, peanuts, and cilantro. You eat this by scooping up the amalgam with the included banh trang me (toasted sesame rice cracker). The flavor of the tiet canh de wasn't particularly appealing, though it wasn't offensive either; instead, it was rather nondescript, but with a somewhat disconcerting finish.


2: De Xao Lan
The de xao lan was goat, stir fried with curry, served with rice noodles. The meat itself was surprisingly tender, and flavor-wise, was nicely complemented by the curry. The veggies (onion, bell pepper, and ngo om--rice paddy herb) provided a nice contrast, balancing the power of the meat.


Supplement: De Vu Nuong [$8.50]
Our first special of the meal was a dish of grilled goat udder, de vu nuong. I believe this was seasoned with the same curry used in the stir fry dish above, though the udder was noticeably stronger in flavor. It was balanced with a light spiciness, and well as the peanuts and scallion. Texture-wise, some pieces were indeed quite chewy, as you might expect from udder, but overall, this was actually quite innocuous.


Supplement: De Luc Lac [$8.50]
You should be familiar with bo luc lac or "shaking beef," basically cubed beef sautéed with vegetables. Substitute goat for beef, and you get this, de luc lac. This was easily the most non-threatening dish of the night, and I had a hard time identifying this as uniquely goat, save for the rather tough texture. It had a mild, subtly sweet flavor that went beautifully with the included pepper and lemon. I also quite enjoyed the refreshing selection of vegetable accompaniments.


3 & 4: De Nuong & De Nuong La Lot Mo Chai
Next, we have two courses on one plate: Grilled goat (de nuong) and grilled ground goat with wild betel leaves encased in caul fat (de nuong la lot mo chai), served with mam ruoc (fermented shrimp paste). The simply grilled goat had a nice sweet/spicy flavor contrast going, and I appreciated the light sapor of the sesame seed topping. The ground goat was more interesting, with the wild betel adding a bit of vegetal sweetness to the meat (it reminded me of grape leaves). I enjoyed both preparations.


5: De Ca Ri
De ca ri is a goat curry stew, made with Indian-influenced Madras curry powder (the only type used in Vietnamese cuisine, apparently). The goat was tender enough, but flavor-wise, it was completely dominated by the curry.


6: De Nhua Man
This was a goat stew, though even Wandering Chopsticks was unsure as to exactly what kind. According to one of her commenters, it might have been stew prepared in the style of dog meat. In any case, the dish had a distinctly tangy flavor, with cuts of rather tendinous pieces of goat. This didn't go over too well with me.


7: De Tiem Thuoc Bac
Another goat stew, this time with Chinese medicinal herbs. Unfortunately, the herbs pretty much obliterated any other flavors in the dish. Not a huge fan of this.

So...though I certainly didn't love everything I ate here, it was a unique experience to be sure. Binh Dan might be worth a visit if you're in the mood for something adventurous, a bit off the beaten path, and $2 for beers ain't a bad price either! Thanks again to Wandering Chopsticks for organizing the event, and for helping me with the proper names and descriptions of the dishes.

Pizzeria Ortica (Costa Mesa, CA)

Pizzeria Ortica
650 Anton Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.445.4900
www.pizzeriaortica.com
Fri 04/24/2009, 05:50p-08:00p



In January of this year, Chef David Myers (of Sona and Comme Ça fame) opened Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa--Orange County's culinary epicenter--situated right across the street from Mastro's, just east of South Coast Plaza (home to Marché Moderne and Charlie Palmer), and just south of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall (which houses Leatherby's Cafe Rouge). Described by many as a sort of Pizzeria Mozza-esque concept, the restaurant serves up Neapolitan-style pizzas and other traditional Italian fare. Apparently, Myers also plans to open Ortica, a higher-end Italian eatery (his take on Osteria Mozza?), in Los Angeles, as well as a second Comme Ça, down in Orange County.

Pizzeria Ortica is helmed by LA-born Executive Chef and Partner Steve Samson. Samson attended culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, and helped along by Piero Selvaggio (of Valentino fame), Samson was able to secure a position cooking at the Michelin 3-star Dal Pescatore in Canneto sull'Oglio, Italy. Upon returning to the US, Samson worked as sous chef at Selvaggio’s Valentino Las Vegas and later at the now-shuttered Posto in Sherman Oaks. He then traveled again to Italy, this time to the South (working at Il Duomo, Quattro Passi, and Torre del Saracino), before returning in 2000 to the kitchens of Valentino in Santa Monica. Samson‘s next job in Los Angeles was at Sona under Myers, hence his current position here at Ortica.

So, I'd known about Pizzeria Ortica (FYI: "ortica" means "nettle" in Italian) for some time, and was mildly interested in giving it a try, but only made it out because Aaron of Food Destination happened to be on an assignment in the area, and invited me and Ryan of Only Eat What Feeds Your Soul out to dinner after work. Interestingly, later on in the evening, we also met up with Ila of I Nom Things at the nearby Kitsch Bar.


Pizzeria Ortica is housed in the former Turner New Zealand space. Before Turner, the space was occupied by Luongo, and before that, Il Fornaio--hopefully Ortica lasts longer than its predecessors. Parking is available in the structure attached to the restaurant.


The restaurant is somewhat oddly-shaped, basically one long room. However, the space is fairly inviting, with high, arched ceilings, large, bright windows, and quaint Tuscan red tile floors.


The menu is comprised of an appealing selection of antipasti, pasta, and of course, pizza. A small but focused list of mostly Italian wines is available, but I was disappointed to find out that no liquor is served, putting a damper on cocktails. Click for larger versions.


Given the lack of liquor, our cocktails were restricted to the Prosecco-based variety. I thus started with a White Peach Bellini (Fresh Peach Purée) [$10]. A strictly by-the-book preparation, even down to the white peach, it tasted exactly as it should. Ryan went with the Cocomero (Watermelon Purée) [$10]. "Cocomero" means "watermelon" in Italian, so this was basically just watermelon and Prosecco; it had pronounced watermelon notes initially, followed by a sour finish--pretty good. Aaron ordered a beer, the Menabrea Blonde [$6], a pale lager from Birra Menabrea in Biella, Piedmont. It was a crisp, clean, easy-drinking beer, but without much flavor--very little hops, some malt, and slightly floral.


The bread was fairly unexceptional. Aaron was looking for some balsamic to go with the olive oil, but it was nowhere to be found.


Risotto con radicchio e guanciale al vino rosso [$14.00] | Carnaroli rice, Valpolicella-braised radicchio, guanciale
When this came out, we all thought that it looked like refried beans topped with Cotija cheese! The rice here, of the traditional medium-grained Carnaroli variety, was mixed with Valpolicella, a type of red table wine. The wine gave the risotto an interesting aubergine hue, but unfortunately not much flavor. The guanciale, an unsmoked bacon, was nearly invisible as well. Instead, the risotto had a blunt, cheesy taste to it, without any focused flavors. Tasty, but one-dimensional.


Pappardelle con piselli e prosciutto [$16.00] | Pappardelle pasta, prosciutto di Parma, English peas
Arguably my favorite dish of the meal, pappardelle are basically a wider version of fettuccine, with a nicely firm, al dente texture here. The peas were an excellent accompaniment, and the prosciutto provided a great, salty counterpoint. Simple, but effective.


Zuppa di cozze [$12.00] | Steamed Price Edward Isle mussels, green garlic, chilies, mint, garlic crostino
The mussels, unfortunately, were a bit of a letdown. They lacked the sharpness and crispness that we wanted, but were instead rather nondescript; the broth didn't help much either. The crostino, meanwhile, turned out a soggy, unappealing mess at the bottom of the bowl.


For our second round of cocktails, I went with the Stinging Nettle (Bitters and Sugar) [$10]. The stinging nettle is a type of edible flowering plant with a bitter flavor. I guess the name makes sense then, as the drink had a bittersweet flavor to it that was actually quite fascinating. Ryan went with the Scropigno (Fresh House Made Limoncello Sorbet) [$10], which I suspect was a misspelling of Scopigno. In any case, it was quite delicious, with the sorbet providing a acidic, lemony complement to the Prosecco, while also giving the drink an interesting textural contrast.


Margherita [$12.00] | Crushed San Marzano tomatoes, Gioia mozzarella, basil
The most traditional variety of pizza, an authentic Neapolitan Margherita is topped simply with San Marzano tomato, mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil, and cooked in a wood-burning oven. Pizzeria Ortica thus has all the necessary ingredients here, resulting in a solid interpretation of the classic. The Gioia mozzarella (from El Monte, CA) was especially enjoyable, and the basil proved a fitting contrast to the sweet tomato sauce. The crust, arguably the most important aspect of a pizza, was nicely thin, but could've been crispier. I still like the Margarita at Lombardi's in New York best.


Calabrese [$18.00] | San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, rapini, Calabrian chilies, bottarga
Named for the Calabria region of Southern Italy, the Calabrese starts with a Margherita base, but adds a few more ingredients. The rapini, or broccoli rabe, provided a great, bitter flavor contrast as well as a crisp textural element. Meanwhile, the bottarga, a type of cured fish roe in the same vein as Japanese karasumi, added a nice briny flavor. My favorite pizza of the trio.


Salsiccia e finocchio [$17.00] | House-made sausage, caramelized fennel, mascarpone, red onion, buffalo grana
This pizza sounded the most interesting on the menu, but didn't quite live up to my expectations. The sausage was actually sweet and quite mild and, combined with the caramelized fennel and red onion, gave the pizza a rather muddled flavor. Grana refers to hard, grating cheeses (think Parmigiano-Reggiano), and its application here provided somewhat of a sharp flavor contrast, but it wasn't enough to balance out the rest of the ingredients.


A meal just wouldn't be complete without dessert. Click for a larger version.


Ricotta al forno [$7.00] | Baked ricotta with mosto cotto
The baking of the ricotta cheese gave it a somewhat warm temperature and a soft, pleasing consistency. Mosto cotto is basically reduced grape juice, and here it provided a tart contrast to the mild ricotta, but I would've preferred it a bit sweeter. A decent dessert, but nothing spectacular.


Torta di cioccolato [$7.00] | Chocolate tart, vanilla gelato, candied orange peel
The cake itself was rich, decadent, and dense--it would've been quite good on its own; the gelato was simply fantastic as well. Indeed, the pairing of vanilla ice cream and chocolate cake has been done to death, but it works. The use of nuts here added a salty flavor contrast, which was a nice counterbalance to the intense sweetness of the rest of the dish.

In the end, my experience at Pizzeria Ortica left me wanting. I like the concept, it sounds good on paper, but the execution needs to be fine tuned--the place has the potential to be great. But as of now, it is merely decent; I expected more from Mr. Sona. Maybe it's time for me to check out Pizzeria Mozza?

Church & State (Los Angeles, CA)

Church & State
1850 Industrial St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
213.405.1434
www.churchandstatebistro.com
Thu 04/23/2009, 08:15p-12:10a



You can't talk about Church & State without talking about the man: Walter Manzke. Manzke brings a wealth of experience to Church & State, having hung his toque at such notable restaurants as Alain Ducasse's Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo, Ferran Adrià's El Bulli in Spain, and Joachim Splichal's Patina right here in LA (where he was Executive Chef). Our last encounter with Manzke was at Bastide, and we were shocked when Manzke was inexplicably forced out by its notoriously mercurial owner, Joe Pytka, only to be replaced by Paul Shoemaker (of Providence fame). And we were saddened once more, when Pytka decided to shutter Bastide yet again.

After his tenure at Bastide, Manzke was supposed to head up Celestino Drago's Drago Centro (now helmed by Ian Gresik), but ended up landing at Church & State. In late 2008, Manzke replaced opening Executive Chef Greg Bernhardt, who left the restaurant with some rather harsh words for owners Steven Arroyo and Yassmin Sarmadi. Though Church & State is strictly a bistro affair, Manzke has brought along his knack, his panache, his creativity, and even his old general manager at Bastide, Josh Goldman, who serves as Maitre d'-cum-Sommelier.

I'd been interested in trying out Church & State ever since I heard the news of Manzke's arrival. This desire finally came to fruition thanks to food enthusiast site FoodDigger, which sponsored this blogger dinner. In addition to FoodDigger staff (Chris, Eddie, Marshal, Will), joining me were bloggers Cathy of Gastronomy Blog, Danny of Kung Food Panda, H.C. of L.A. and O.C. Foodventures, Ila of I Nom Things, Kathleen of Kat's 9 Lives, Mike of Right Way to Eat, and Sharon of More Fun Than a Barrel.


Church & State is located on the ground floor of the Biscuit Company Lofts, which itself was once a bakery for the National Biscuit Company (now NaBisCo). Designed by E.J. Eckel and constructed in 1925, the seven-story building was conceived as the west coast headquarters of National Biscuit. The restaurant occupies the space formerly used as the building's loading dock, and is situated right across the street from the Toy Factory Lofts and it's restaurant, Royal Clayton's.


Church & State consists largely of one big dining room, with the kitchen on one end, and the bar on the other. The space has a fun, festive feel, with artwork-adorned brick walls, quaint furnishings, and strands of lights hung across the room. Unfortunately, the noise level was a bit overwhelming at times--the place was alive with energy--and at exactly 10:00, the sound system even began blasting Daft Punk's house classic, "Around the World."



We were given primo seats, the best table in the house, situated right in front of the open kitchen. From this vantage point, we could properly experience the sights, sounds, and smells (perhaps most important!) of the kitchen. It was fun to watch Manzke shouting out an order, plating a dish, or just talking to a satisfied customer.


At the beginning of the meal, Marshal from FoodDigger introduced Walter to the table. It turns out that Marshal and Walter go way back; in fact, Marshal's company, Wilshire Select Seafoods, used to supply Patina when Walter was there.


As a throwback to that former relationship, Marshal had provided Walter with some lovely lobsters this evening, which were utilized to create a special, exclusive, one-night-only dish: Asperge à la Tashiro. This dish and others from the menu were used to craft a special wine-centric tasting menu, pictured on the left; on the right is the standard menu; click for larger versions.


We started with a slices of baguette bread. Served with a subtly sweet, delicious butter, the bread was a quintessential example of the style, with a soft, fluffy, chewy interior surrounded by a wonderfully crisp crust. Some us even used the bread to sop up the aioli provided with the cod fritters (below)!


NV Château de Laubade Floc de Gascogne - Our first drink of the night was meant to be drunk with the gougères. Floc de Gascogne is an apéritif, a fortified white wine made from a concoction of unfermented grape juice and Armagnac. Here, it was served on the rocks, with a bit of orange peel. The end result was like fresh squeezed orange juice with an alcoholic kick! The presence of the fruit really neutralized the drink's 17% ABV. Delicious!


Canapé
We started things off with a plate of gougères, or more informally, cheese puffs. The cheese in question was the most traditional variety used for gougères, Gruyère, which gave the puffs a delightfully salty flavor. Very good, though I think I'd still have to give the edge to the rendition at CUT.


2008 Cave de Pomérols Coteaux du Languedoc Picpoul-de-Pinet Hugues Beaulieu - Paired with the cod and oysters, the Hugues Beaulieu is a wine made from Picpoul Blanc, a varietal which was new to me. The wine was somewhat like an Albariño in some sense, with light, refreshing notes of apple and citrus, backed by a great acidity. It was pleasingly dry, but with just the right amount of sweetness--fantastic.


1: Beignets de Brandade de Morue | Salt Cod, Saffron Aioli
These were fried fritters of salt cod, potato, and garlic--bacalao basically. Now, I was famously not a fan of this dish at The Bazaar, but I'm happy to report that the version here was much more to my liking. The fishiness of the cod was well-tempered, and the spheres had an almost sweet flavor to them, with the whole amalgam reminiscent of Chinese-style fish balls. Light, delicate, and delicious on their own, they were nicely accented by the saffron aioli.


2: Iced Kumamoto Oysters
As regular readers know, Kumamotos are my favorite type of oyster. These examples, from Taylor Bay, Washington, were crisp and briny, with a touch of sweetness, as they should be. A dash of the included red wine mignonette elevated these mollusks even further.


2007 Domaine des Persenades, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne - A blend of Ugni Blanc and Colombard, this was another new one for me, meant to go along with the herring and prawns. I rather liked its apple bouquet, sweet acidity, crisp body, light minerality, and tart finish. Another winner.


3: "Bistro Sushi" | Smoked Herring, Fingerling Potato Salad
A fanciful take on the restaurant's Salade de Harengs, this was basically smoked herring atop a slice of potato dressed with mustard and fines herbes. The result was quite nice; the attack was sweet and sour, dominated by the fingerling, while the smoky herring became apparent on the midpalate, and the whole thing finished with nice salty tang. A great interplay of tastes and textures.


4: Gambas à la Niçoise | Santa Barbara Spot Prawns, Lemon, Olive Oil
We were told that the prawns were cooked for about a minute, then dressed with olives, cucumber, tarragon, and extra virgin olive oil. The shrimp's accoutrements really accentuated its natural sweetness, but this was balanced out by a nice bit of brine as well.


NV Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Beaujolais FRV 100 - I think this wine caught everyone off guard, including me. It was a sparkling Gamay, a rosé vin mousseux that was viscous, amazingly sweet, and imbued with rich flavors of strawberry. A relatively low-strength drink at 7.5%, I liken this to a more refined version of a wine cooler--a fun, fruity wine!




5: Assiette de Charcuterie | Selection of Artisan and Housemade Pâtés, Saucisson Sec, Terrine de Foie Gras with Port-Wine Gelée, and Rillettes de Porc with Prune Confiture and Armagnac
Quite a nice spread here as we can see. From left to right, we have saucisson sec (all three types of salami were delectable, with each one having a distinct taste and composition), an unknown pâté, jambon persillé (molded cooked ham and parsley held together with gelatin--fruity yet savory), lamb with espelette pepper (lovely pepper finish), and rabbit galantine with pistachio (this had a great nuttiness complementing the meat). Moving on, we opened two canning jars. The first was filled with foie gras, which had a pure essence of liver countered by the sweetness of the port gelée. The second was a preparation of pork rillettes, or pork cooked in its own fat until tender; it was made from Berkshire pork and had a consistency not unlike that of canned tuna, with a great pork flavor balanced by the sweetness of prune. Unlike everyone else, I actually preferred it to the foie. The whole assortment was served with pickles and toasted brioche.


2007 Domaine Boisson Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne - A white Rhône blend of Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, this reminded me of a Bourgogne blanc upon first taste (which made sense given that it was paired with lobster and escargot). It was dominated by notes of minerals and smoke, with subtle hints of melon as well. The wine was rather hot on the palate, but its alcoholic tinge was tempered by the lobster.


6: Asperge à la Tashiro | Maine Lobster, Hog Farm's Asparagus
This was a special named in honor of Marshal, who donated the lobsters used in the dish. The lobster itself was luxurious, buttery (but not overwhelmingly so), with a lovely sweetness and a great crunch. The asparagus comes from Ray and Dan Franscioni's Hog Farms near Salinas, CA and was something to behold. The spears were uncharacteristically thick, but also remarkably juicy, tender, and imbued with the rich essence of lobster. Gorgeous.


7: Escargots de Bourgogne | Snails baked in Garlic and Parsley Butter
This was a traditional preparation of escargot, but the kitchen mixes things up a bit by including a puff pastry shell (like an en croute preparation). Upon puncturing the top of the pastry, I was overcome with the intoxicating aroma of butter and garlic; this decadence continued onto the snail itself, which was one of the best I've had in recent memory. The pastry was key, soaking up the richness of the butter and becoming quite delicious even on its own.


2007 Jean Maupertuis La Guillanume, Auvergne - Now this was arguably the most interesting wine of the night; the color itself should tell you that much. It was an unfiltered vin de table, or table wine, the lowest classification of French wine. Made from Gamay, it was very light in body, with a decidedly rustic flavor that was hard to pin down. What was most interesting was that its nose was reminiscent of Chinese xiang chang sausage!


8: Flamenkuche | Caramelized Onions, Bacon, Gruyère Cheese
Also known was tarte flambée, this is an Alsatian dish in the same vein as a thin pizza. I quite enjoyed the gruyère and lardons, but the caramelized onions were a tad too sweet for me. However, it did do a good job of countering the power of the La Guillanume.


2007 Domaine Boisson Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne Cros de Romet - A blend of Grenache and Syrah (80%/20%), this was actually a barrel sample according to Josh. It was a powerful wine (good thing, given its pairing with the bone marrow), with a bouquet filled with dark fruit and chocolate, leading to a tart attack and plenty of currant on the midpalate. Finishes strong.



9: Moelle de Boeuf | Roasted Marrow Bone
These were huge pieces of bone marrow, roasted and seasoned with salt and pepper. They came with crouton bread and a salad of radish and parsley. Our server told us to spread the marrow on the croutons, then apply the salad. The marrow itself was incredibly unctuous on its own, so the radish and parsley were absolutely critical in tempering the marrow's gravity with their sharp acidity; furthermore, they also added a nice crisp textural contrast to the dish. Two bites were enough for me!


2006 Domaine Etxegaraya Irouléguy Cuvée Lehengoa - Made from the Tannat grape, this was another varietal I hadn't had before. Tannat is typically planted in regions of France near the Pyrénées, close to Basque Country. In any case, it was a heavy, full-bodied wine, with loads of dark fruit, earth, smoke, and licorice, with a finish that was rather tannic and minerally.


10: Steak Frites | Frites au Lard, Sauce Béarnaise
The steak itself was seasoned simply with salt and pepper, and had a lovely taste on its own. The béarnaise sauce (butter, egg yolk, tarragon, shallot) was simply too much for the beef, overpowering the meat's delicate flavor; there was also an au jus sauce provided, which I preferred, but which was still unnecessary. Unfortunately, the steak was a bit tough, and could've been cooked rarer. More impressive were the pommes frites, which, upon first taste, reminded me of McDonald's fries heightened with herbs! They really were about as good as it gets.


2007 Julien Frémont Cidre Brut par Nature - This was an apple wine from Normandy, a major cider-producing region in France. It wasn't what I was expecting, with a rather funky nose and a dry, earthy flavor, backed by fleeting apple notes.


11: Dessert | Crème Brûlée, Cherry Tart, Apricot Tart, Croustade aux Baies, Pot de Crème au Chocolat
Our dessert spread consisted of every dessert on the menu. I started with the duo of tarts, which I ate with the dollop of sabayon (or zabaglione, a type of custard); I preferred the cherry version, soaked in brandy, for its tarter flavor. Next, I had the croustade aux baies, basically a berry crisp made with Pudwell Farm berries. The vanilla ice cream topping was a great contrast to the tangy fruit. The crème brûlée was a fairly standard preparation, though it did have vanilla beans on the bottom of the ramekin. Finally, we have the chocolate pot de crème, nicely flavored with caramel, hazelnut, and fleur de sel; the salt was especially interesting, as it gave the dish a slightly salty smack that countered the sweetness of the rest of the dessert.

Though Church & State got off to a rough start, Manzke has made his indelible mark here, and the restaurant is buzzing along just fine. Having dove in head first, he seems to have found a niche here; he's committed, totally hands-on, and after seeing him in action, Manzke just seems happy in this environment. If you're looking for French bistro-style cuisine, it's hard to go wrong at Church & State--the place truly is a welcomed addition to the Downtown dining scene.

However, as good as things are going here, I miss the old Walter, the one that turned out courses such as a bracing Kumamoto Oyster with Green Apple Gelée, Wasabi, Yuzu, and Daikon Radish Granité. The format of Church & State necessarily limits what Walter is allowed to do. This may be perfect bistro fare, but in the end, it is still just bistro fare. I still yearn for a stage where he can cook with the inexorable flair, unbridled enthusiasm, and relentless ingenuity that I know he has in him--time will tell whether or not my hunger is satisfied.

One Sunset (West Hollywood, CA)

One Sunset
8730 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.657.0111
www.onelittlewest12.com/sunset/
Tue 04/21/2009, 07:05p-10:25p



One Sunset's web site describes it as a "lounge" (a somewhat nebulous term to be sure), which instantly sets off red flags in my head. As we all know: lounge = more about the scene than the food. The place is an offshoot of One Little West 12 in Manhattan, and both restaurants are part of the One Group, which also owns the STK steakhouse franchise. Now, as you'd imagine, One Sunset isn't the type of place I'd normally frequent. So what happened? Food event planner Abby of Pleasure Palate had organized a complementary blogger dinner. In attendance were Aaron of Food Destination, Alli of Alli411, Cathy and Vernon of Gastronomy Blog, Christine of Folie à Choisauce, Danny of Kung Food Panda, H.C. of L.A. and O.C. Foodventures, Javier of Teenage Glutster, Jin of Seeking Food, Laura of Bites and Bolts, Lizabeth of Food, She Thought, Mike of Right Way to Eat, Ryan of Only Eat What Feeds Your Soul, Tara of When Tara Met Blog, Tony of SinoSoul, and Wandering Chopsticks.


One Sunset is situated on the ground floor of the Sunset Towers office building. BLT Steak is actually located immediately east of the restaurant. You can pay $9 for valet parking, or, do what I did and park in the lot behind the adjacent Sunset Plaza, for free. To avoid a ticket, just make sure their guards don't see you step off the property.


I arrived shortly after 7:00, and hung around in the Champagne Bar near the entrance for about half an hour, waiting for everyone to arrive.


While milling around, we were provided apéritifs--one of One Sunset's signatures drinks: the LUSHious Raspberry. It was a combination of Raspberries, Gloria Ferrer Champagne, and Leblon Cachaça (a rum-like liquor distilled from sugarcane juice). The raspberries made up the dominant flavor here, giving the drink a pronounced sweetness. The Champagne, meanwhile, added an effervescent body to counter the weight of the berries, while the use of cachaça provided some rum-like notes; other than that, there wasn't much heat to the cocktail at all. Not complex, but refreshing and easy to drink.


Penned by Lionel Ohayon of New York's ICrave studio, One Sunset definitely looks the part. The space is divided into different areas, each distinct, but part of an integrated whole. The main dining room is pictured above, while we were seated in the "Lower Candle Lounge."


Designed by Executive Chef Jason Ryczek, the menu serves up New American cuisine with "Spanish and North African influence." It focuses on shared plates, and we were presented with "ONE of Almost Everything," which is basically a shared tasting menu, à la XIV. Click for larger versions.

While Corporate Chef Todd Mark Miller kicked off the night, Ryczek came out to speak with us many times over the course of the meal. He told us that, although many of the items are borrowed from the New York menu, he's installing lighter, fresher fare at One Sunset, utilizing the abundance of ingredients we have access to here in California. Interestingly, I asked Ryczek what his favorite restaurants in the area were, and he named Go's Mart in Canoga Park (an unconventional choice, but one that lends instant credibility), Animal in Los Angeles, Riva in Santa Monica, and Fraiche in Culver City. Outside of Southern California, he also spoke very highly of David Kinch's cuisine at Manresa up in Los Gatos.


The drink menu is shown above; click for larger versions. In addition to the cocktails, we were provided a choice of Beringer wine (they had a promotion going on--one bottle per two people for only $1): Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Cabernet Sauvignon. We ended up getting two bottles of the 2008 California Collection Sauvignon Blanc and one 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.


We kicked off the meal with "The Master Cleanse," made from Belvedere Vodka, Fresh Lemon Juice, and Maple Syrup. It was an interesting drink, with a pronounced citrus nose, followed by a short, spicy finish. FYI: the Master Cleanse, a.k.a. Maple Syrup Diet, refers to a diet and detoxification program wherein an individual consumes only a concoction of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and pepper.


1: Breakfast on a Plate | Pancake, Bacon Foam, Apple Caviar, Maple Syrup, Crème Fraîche
The first course was actually a special off-menu item, meant to recreate the sensation of eating breakfast. The overall effect of eating this was pretty much like eating a pancake with syrup. There was definitely a clear-cut sweetness to the dish, and though tasty, I would've preferred a stronger savory counterpoint. In addition, the pancake itself could've been served a bit warmer.


2: 'Adult Candy' | Bacon-Wrapped, Blue Cheese-Stuffed Dates
Here, I first experienced the savory flavor of the bacon, before being inundated by the date. The dates themselves were quite sugary, and thus their bacon wrappers were absolutely key in tempering their sweetness, creating a pleasing contrast. The arugula was also a vital ingredient, providing a bitter foil that balanced the weight of the dates. The blue cheese was almost invisible.


3: Spicy Tuna Tartare | Tempura Eggplant, Kecap Manis
The tartare here was quite different than most versions I've had. Ryczek actually described it as a "South East Asian" teriyaki, and emphasized the use of kecap manis, an Indonesian sweet soy sauce. There was an intense sweet-sour-spicy interplay going on, but unfortunately, the flavor of the tuna was completely neutralized. The tempura eggplant, however, provided a great textural counterpoint to the fish.


4: Burrata and Strawberries | Cinnamon Bruschetta, Pistachios, Pink Pepper, Basil
One of the stronger dishes for me, the flavor of the strawberries actually went well with the soft, creamy, slightly-tangy burrata cheese. The use of pepper, basil, and cinnamon provided a nice tangy contrast the sweetness of the strawberries, giving the dish a spicy finish.


5: BBQ Short Rib Sliders | Crispy Shallots, Smoked Cheddar, Onion Rings
Sliders seem to be showing up en masse on menus these days; hell, even Burger King and Jack in the Box are doing sliders. With the example here, even though the shallots and cheddar were inconsequential, the meat itself was immensely juicy, tender, sweet, and flavorful (albeit a bit blunt)--quite delicious actually. The sliders were served with onion rings: a competent preparation, but the horseradish dipping sauce had nary any horseradish flavor.


6: Korean Chicken Satay | Barbecued, Kimchi, Cashews, Kejap Manis
Korean satay? Seems like a contradiction. Ryczek likened this to Korean BBQ, intended to serve as an "introduction" to Korean cuisine. The result had a sweet-smoky flavor going on, which was too one-dimensional for me. Fortunately, this was balanced to some extent by the kimchi (a very mild one), which Ryczek ferments for a week.


7: Salade Niçoise | Pistachio Crusted Albacore, Caper Aioli
A Niçoise salad is one that traditionally contains tuna, anchovies, capers, olives, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, garlic, potatoes, and eggs. Most of these ingredients are present here, though Ryczek purposely excludes the anchovies, a concession to One Sunset's target audience. Interestingly, Ryczek described the dish as having "three elements" (tuna, salad, aioli), but designed so that any two could go well together. The tuna itself was fairly nondescript, though the pepper crust provided a lovely relish to the fish. I did enjoy the salad, especially its tangy flavor and use of hard-boiled quail eggs. Overall, an enjoyable dish.


8: Turkey Meatballs | Marinara, Parmesan, Basil
These rather large balls contained, in addition to turkey, Parmesan cheese, bread, herbs, and mirepoix (a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery). The result was a very moist, very tasty, very good meatball.


Our final cocktail was the Tropical Sidecar, with Hennessy, Pineapple Chunks, Cointreau, and Blueberries (a traditional sidecar is Cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice). This was the most complex of the trio, and also my favorite. The attack was intensely sweet, thanks to the liberal use of fruit, but this then gave way to the sophisticated flavor of Cognac.


9: Roasted Clams on the ½ Shell | Chorizo, Chowder Sauce, Crushed Oysters Crackers
The idea behind this was to shoot the shell, creating a clam chowder-esque experience in your mouth. The effect worked fairly well I suppose, though the clam's flavor was overpowered by the saltiness of the chorizo. Texturally, this seemed a bit incongruous.


10: Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta | Raspberry Sorbet, Lavender Syrup, Poppy Seed Crisp
Moving on to desserts, the mild sourness of the panna cotta here was tempered by the sorbet's bracing sweetness, while the poppy seed crisp added a crunchy textural contrast to mix things up a bit.


11: 'Velvet Rope' Cupcakes | Red Velvet Cake, Cream Cheese Frosting
I believe Ryczek called this One Sunset's signature dessert. The cream cheese in the frosting provided a bit of sourness to offset the cloying sweetness of the cake. Tasty, but this looks like something I'd make at home and bring to a bake sale.


12: Godiva Chocolate Sorbet | Disaronno Shot
The sorbet itself was pedestrian, though it did have a very rich chocolate flavor. We were instructed to pour on the Disaronno Amaretto shot, which did liven things up, augmenting the chocolate with subtle hints of herbs and almond. What was interesting was that Ryczek pointed out that the dessert was actually vegan.

So in the end, One Sunset was about what I expected. The food is never going to compete with the likes of Mélisse or Providence, but at the same time, it isn't meant to. The focus here is on the lounge-ish aspects of the place: the bar, the booze, the babes; the cuisine merely has to be competent, which it is. If you keep that in mind, you'll be fine. You can complain that the food is dumbed down, but you know what, so is the target clientele.

Saam at The Bazaar (Los Angeles, CA)

Saam at The Bazaar
465 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
310.246.5555
www.thebazaar.com
Fri 04/17/2009, 08:05p-11:50p



Ahh The Bazaar...the source of so much acrimony, notoriety, and animosity. I visited the restaurant on opening night last November, and wrote it up on this blog, noting the presence of a few weak dishes and on overly restrictive photography policy. I caught a lot of flak for the post, and surprisingly, the news even made to José Andrés himself. Andrés contacted me shortly afterwards, and invited me to dine again at the restaurant two weeks later. That evening was noticeably better food-wise, and we had the added pleasure of hearing Andrés expound his philosophies on restaurants and gastronomy. I hadn't been back since, but was eagerly awaiting the opening of Saam (named after SBE founder Sam Nazarian perhaps?), which had its soft opening on Thursday, April 9. Saam is The Bazaar's "secret" higher-end private "tasting room," basically a small 40-seat restaurant within a restaurant, sort of like Andrés much-lauded Minibar at Café Atlantico in Washington DC.

Yelpers will be familiar with the term UYE, or Unofficial Yelp Event. Well, I'm going to dub Saam the first Unofficial FoodDigger Event--a UFE. Will had originally planned an event at K-Zo, but was very receptive to Saam after I'd mentioned it to him; after all, he was one of the people present with me on The Bazaar's opening night. Other attendees included Brian of FoodDigger, Brian's wife Jan, Javier of Teenage Glutster, Mike of Right Way to Eat, and Ryan of Only Eats What Feeds Your Soul.


Saam is located in a separate room behind Bar Centro. According to our server Carolina, the entire space, from the Murano glass sconces to the ceiling, was designed to be reminiscent of the legendary Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy. However, from the photos I've seen of the original, I don't really see the resemblance--the space looks more like Philippe Starck's reading room to me. No matter, what's important is that it's much more intimate, and much more serious, than either Rojo or Blanca of the main restaurant.


The sole dining option is a 20-course tasting menu for $120. The fare consists of original courses, dishes from The Bazaar, and even food from Minibar. As for booze, there's no traditional wine pairing; rather, you're given the option of four wine flights. This makes some sense, as it wouldn't be feasible to pair 20 glasses of wine given the nature of the menu. However, it also means that your sparkling wine will be flat well before the meal draws to a close--a pity. Click for larger versions.


Surprisingly, three of my dining companions were interested in the sherry flight, so we decided to order up a couple bottles. First was the Manzanilla La Gitana, Bodegas Hidalgo, Palomino Fino [$51]. It reminded me of the Emilio Lustau Manzanilla at Giang Nan, with crisp, refreshing notes of apple, citrus, and brine. To counter this sherry's lightness, we also ordered the Amontillado Napoleon, Bodegas Hidalgo, Palomino Fino [$54]. This was a much more intense wine, with a rich caramelized sugar structure balanced by a pronounced nuttiness.



I, on the other hand, was interested in doing a cocktail pairing, and was thus brought the Bar Centro drink menu above; click for larger versions. Yes, the prices for bottles of liquor are obscene.


1: Salt Air Margarita
Interestingly, the first course of the tasting (described as a "welcome cocktail") was actually a drink from Bar Centro. The Salt Air Margarita is basically your classic margarita, but topped with a salt air. This layer of salty foam effectively takes the place of a salt rim and gives the drink an intensely salty attack, tempering the burn of the alcohol. The cocktail's sweet/sour interplay comes shortly afterwards, followed by the woody flavor of tequila. Overall, a balanced, sophisticated, margarita.


2: Sweet Potato Chips
Served along with the margarita, what we have here are chips made from sweet potato along with a dip made from Greek yogurt foam, tamarind reduction, and star anise. We were told that the chips were indeed fried, but removed from the fryer while still soft. They then sit, letting the sugar crystallize, petrifying the chips. By themselves, the chips were nothing special; however, they were great when paired with its dip, allowing the interaction between contrasting sweet and sour flavors to sing. This is an item off The Bazaar's menu.


3: Cotton Candy Foie Gras
A popular dish from The Bazaar as well as Minibar, these lollipops consisted of speared foie gras, coated with chili, and wrapped in corn chip cotton candy. Upon eating it, I had an initial sensation reminiscent of sweet popcorn, which then gave way to the mild creaminess of the terrine. What was fascinating was that the flavor of the liver got stronger and stronger after the effect of the cotton candy faded away.


4: Olive Oil Bonbon
Taken from the Minibar menu, this was extra virgin olive oil, encapsulated in isomaltose (or isomal, a disaccharide sugar), and dusted with sumac and Maldon sea salt. Upon mastication, the bonbon exploded in my mouth, coating my tongue with rich olive oil. The sea salt and sumac then became apparent, giving the dish a contrasting salty/sour finish. I loved the presentation here, with the bonbon perched in an indentation atop a Lucite block.


5: Caviar Steamed Bun
A bun topped with paddlefish roe, crème fraîche, and lemon air. The brininess of the caviar was well-tempered by tangy crème fraîche and more importantly, the subtly sweet bun. Unfortunately, the bun was a bit too large for the amount of caviar, and became rather monolithic toward the end. Quite good, though not as good as the steamed brioche buns with trout roe I had on my second visit.


6: Bagel and Lox Cone
Smoked salmon roe, fresh dill, crème fraîche, all in a "feu de brique" (not quite sure of the name) cone. The cool, sharp brininess of the roe was deftly countered by the crème fraîche, while the cone provided a great texture contrast. This is also available in the main room, as well as Minibar.


7: Olives Ferran Adrià
These "liquid olives" are perhaps The Bazaar's most famous dish, basically olive-flavored liquid mixed with sodium alginate, put into a bath of calcium chloride to create the encapsulating thin membrane. The "olives" were then marinated in a mixture of olive oil, rosemary, garlic, and orange peel. I've had this on both my prior visits, and the effect is getting old. I'm really looking for the kitchen to do something new with this.


Our first round of cocktails consisted of a "Liquid Cherry" Manhattan [$16] for me and a Pisco Sour [$16] for Ryan. The Manhattan was basically your classic version, but with the maraschino replaced by a cherry spherification. The cherry provided a subtle, but overarching sweetness to the drink, which expertly accented the cocktail's whiskey base. The cherry explosion upon finishing the drink was an added bonus. The Pisco Sour was comprised of Pisco (a South American liquor distilled from grapes), fresh lemon juice, egg whites and bitters--a traditional preparation. I loved the light, ethereal foam and the drink's mildly sweet flavor. Very good!


8: José's Ham & Cheese
This was basically a revised version of The Bazaar's famous “Philly cheesesteak,” but made with Jamón Ibérico de Bellota and La Serena sheep's milk cheese instead of Wagyu and cheddar. I preferred this version, as the cheese, with its delicate bitterness and saltiness, really complemented the jamón without overpowering it (as was the case with the "Philly"). The ham and cheese really formed a great balance, and was set off nicely by the light, crunchy air bread.


9: Sea Urchin Conservas
This was another dish that I'd had on both my previous visits; fortunately, it was also one of the strongest. The uni was served with pipirrana (a salad of diced onion, tomato, and cucumber), which lent a lovely tang that contrasted the rich, subtly sweet creaminess of the roe. This "pico de gallo" (as described by Javier) also provided a great crisp texture contrast.


10: Boneless Chicken Wing
Another holdover from The Bazaar, the wings were served with green olive purée and ice plant. As before, the chicken itself was immensely flavorful, succulent, and tender, while its accoutrements provided a great counterpoint that elevated the dish above mere fried chicken. Great with the Amontillado.


11: Shrimp Cocktail
Known as "Just Shrimp Cocktail" on The Bazaar's menu, this was a near-perfectly cooked Santa Barbara spot prawn coated with lime juice and sesame seeds. The "cocktail sauce," replete with shrimp essence, was contained in a plastic pipette, which was squeezed at the same time that I put the shrimp in my mouth. The natural sweetness of the prawn was heightened and contrasted by the tangy sauce, though I would've preferred a bit more spice. A bit of sesame flavor even came through. Everyone seemed to love this one.


At this point, I requested a Bellini [$16], made from fresh peach juice, Japanese peach, and sparkling wine. It was a gritty, viscous example, with plenty of peach mixed in, resulting in a taste that was heavy on peach, and light on alcohol. Ryan had a Brandy Alexander [$16], with brandy, crème de cacao, heavy cream, and nutmeg. It had a strong, pure chocolate and coffee flavor, and even contained bits of what I believe was cacao bean; the amalgam of cacao, cream, and nutmeg effectively tempered the power of the brandy.


12: Nitro Gazpacho
A new dish, this was a playful take on traditional gazpacho, a cold Spanish tomato soup typically made from water, olive oil, garlic, vinegar, salt, and stale bread. The "Nitro" comes from the use of liquid nitrogen to chill the soup, resulting in a viscous, slushy consistency. Meanwhile, instead of stale bread, small pieces of air bread were utilized, providing a superb textural contrast. Taste-wise, the gazpacho had an intensely tomato flavor, which was a bit overwhelming actually; perhaps some more olive oil would've been in order.


At this point, Jan ordered up a Jalé Berry [$16], consisting of fresh blackberries, gin, Cointreau, and jalapeño. This was delicious, with nearly no alcoholic taste, but instead a sweet, herbaceous flavor with just a hint of spice.


13: Bluefin Tuna Toro
This was toro served atop compressed watermelon infused with sushi rice wine vinegar, finished with soy air, wasabi, puffed rice, and a 63°C quail egg. I felt that the sweetness of watermelon overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the toro, though others would disagree with me on this point. I did, however, enjoy the complexities provided by the soy foam and wasabi, the richness of the egg, as well as the crispy texture contrast imparted by the puffed rice. A note about the 63°C egg: we were told that 63°C was chosen because egg white coagulates at 61°C and the yolk at 65°C; hence 63°C is right in the middle of that range, allowing the yolk to remain runny.


14: Norwegian Lobster
From The Bazaar menu, this was lobster with seaweed salad, sea beans, toasted bread, and a lobster-head soup. The lobster itself was immensely rich and buttery, with its signature sweetness intact; it was nice to experience the contrast when eaten with the sea beans. The broth, meanwhile, was akin to a heady lobster bisque--very heartwarming. This whole course went well paired with the Manzanilla sherry.


For our fourth round of cocktails, we first requested a Passion Fruit Martini [$16], made with rum, passion fruit, and ginger-laurel syrup. I really don't see how they can call this a martini will a straight face, but nevertheless, it was pretty tasty, with the sweetness of passion fruit very apparent; I could barely taste the rum. The drink was also topped with passion fruit seeds, which added a bit of a sour counterpoint. We also got two off-the-menu drinks: the Uva Bella [$16] and the Cucumber Pom Deluxe [$16]. Now, they're not on the menu at The Bazaar, but they are on the menu at Foxtail in WeHo, another SBE establishment. I preferred the Uva Bella (muddled grape, Hendrick's gin, St. Germain--French elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, orange bitters), with its floral, herbal flavor balanced by the sweetness of grape. That being said, the Cucumber Pom Deluxe (Effen vodka, cucumber, mint, lime juice, pomegranate juice) was also quite good, with a mild cucumber backdrop accentuated by the mint and tangy sweetness of pomegranate.


15: "Smoked" Salmon
Salmon, tzatziki sphere, compressed cucumber, chickpea pancake, green chickpeas, olive oil, dill. This was one of the highlights of the meal for me. The natural flavor of the fish was accentuated here to great effect by the cool, creamy tzatziki and refreshing cucumber. And texture-wise, the salmon had a tender, sous vide consistency that went superbly with both forms of chickpea.


16: Not Your Everyday Caprese
A traditional insalata Caprese is made from mozzarella, tomato, and basil, seasoned with salt and pepper, along with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Here, we have a mozzarella sphere, peeled cherry tomato, sexy tomato seeds (i.e. tomato caviar), balsamic dressing, Maldon sea salt, and pesto extra virgin olive oil. So basically, we have pretty much the same ingredients, but in different forms. We were told to eat all the ingredients in one bite, and the end result was that it tasted just like a standard Caprese salad. Another holdover from the regular menu.


On the left we see "José's Gimlet" [$16], made from Bombay Sapphire gin and fresh lime heart. A fairly traditional interpretation of the classic drink, the sourness of the lime was the perfect complement to the gin--simple but very effective. On the right is the Cucumber Smash [$16], basically a cucumber martini with Effen vodka. It was nice, but was very similar to any other cucumber martini I've had.


17: Tournedos Rossini 2009
Named after Italian composer and gourmand Gioacchino Rossini, Tournedos Rossini traditionally is comprised of steak topped with foie gras and Madeira sauce. Andrés' update consisted of A5 Wagyu beef, truffle gelée, shaved foie gras, trumpet mushrooms, and dry brioche bread. The beef itself was phenomenal--tender, juicy, and fatty--but when eaten together with the various accompaniments, the natural flavor of the beef was simply overpowered.


The final drink of the night, the "New Way" Dirty Martini [$16] was a dry martini served with olive spherification (as in the Olives Ferran Adrià) and olive brine air. The olive component was thus much more apparent than in a typical martini, but it was nevertheless well-balanced, making for a solid drink.


18: Dragon's Breath Popcorn
Served tableside, this was caramel corn dipped in a liquid nitrogen bath. To eat, put one morsel in your mouth, close it, and breathe through your nose; smoke will be expelled through your nostrils, à la fairy tale dragons. The dish is more for the effect, rather than for the taste, which is just like caramel corn. Dragon's Breath gained some infamy when it was recently taken off the menu at The Bazaar, becoming a Saam exclusive. Apparently, it was only given as a treat to VIPs, which angered some of the restaurant's more plebeian clientele.


19: Chocolate Biscuit Coulant Michel Bras
Named after its inventor, French chef Michel Bras (owner of the much-lauded Bras in Laguiole, France), this was basically a molten chocolate cake topped with gold paper, served amid a vanilla and cardamom foam with candied ginger. The biscuit itself wasn't notable, though the use of cardamom resulted in a spicy, almost savory flavor component.


20: Coconut in a "Half Shell"
Coconut sorbet, liquid nitrogen chocolate-coconut shell, chocolate cocoa foam, caramelized banana, passion fruit sauce with seeds, chocolate sauce. The most interesting thing here was the shell, which provided a unique texture to augment the sorbet. In terms of flavor, the mildness of the coconut was complemented by the sharp sweetness of the passion fruit--good, but nothing groundbreaking.


Petit Fours - Tablets, Bonbons
To end the meal, we were given a plate of candied passion fruit gumdrops, saffron bonbons, and lollipops of white chocolate-raspberry and chocolate-candied orange. The most interesting were the bonbons, which had an almost alcoholic tinge to them.


We requested a tour of the kitchen, and, as can be seen in the video above, Chef de Cuisine Michael Voltaggio was happy to oblige. The restaurant was still quite busy at this time, so our tour was brief.


The requisite group photo after the kitchen tour. Clockwise from left: Jan, Brian, Will, Sous Chef Marcel Vigneron (of Top Chef fame), Ryan, Chef de Cuisine Michael Voltaggio, Kevin, Mike, Javier.

Despite a rough start at Bazaar, I must say that I was quite pleased with my experience at Saam. The food was sharper and more focused, the service more on point, and the whole experience gave me the impression of a serious restaurant, with serious food. Since the place had just opened, I accept the fact that many of the items we had were repeats from Bazaar; however, this has to change in the future. I want to see a more or less exclusive line up of dishes, something that will bring us closer to having our own Minibar in Los Angeles, which is what I originally wanted The Bazaar to be. The bottom line is that, after dining at Saam, I'm going to have a hard time going back to The Bazaar. Leave the glitz, the ostentation, and the douchebaggery to the throngs of scenesters and poseurs that fill up Bazaar on a Friday night--as far as I'm concerned, Saam is the way to experience José Andrés in LA.

Kokekokko (Los Angeles, CA)

Kokekokko
203 S Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
213.687.0690
www.fooddigger.com/RestaurantDetail.aspx?id=21202 (FoodDigger, restaurant has no web site)
Fri 04/10/2009, 06:30p-10:10p



Yakitori (literally "grilled chicken") represents a method of cooking various skewered chicken parts. Typically, the chicken is either basted with a tare (sweet soy) sauce or sprinkled with shio (salt), and grilled over charcoal. The food is common izakaya fare, and is meant to go well with beer and sake. Kokekokko would be my first foray into a dedicated yakitori restaurant, one that even raises its own chickens apparently. The place is somewhat infamous for its slow service and subpar treatment to the uninitiated, but fortunately for me, I came here with a regular.


Kokekokko is located in Little Tokyo in Downtown LA, right across the street from Japanese Village Plaza Mall. Parking is on the street if you can find it, or do as I did and spend $4 to park in the structure just west of the building.


The interior is teeming in wood, giving the place a quaint, rustic feel; even the chairs are made from logs, though this makes them rather uncomfortable unfortunately. The photo above shows the restaurant when we arrived for a 6:30 reservation. If you want to get in without a wait, it's best to come before 7:30, and in fact, reservations are only taken from 6:00 to 7:00. Apparently, the best way to experience Kokekokko is to sit at the bar, though on this particular night, the bar was pretty much booked up. In addition, there's also a private room available.



These shots show the action at the bar as the night progressed. The man in pink is Tomo-san (Tomohiro Sakata), the owner of the place. He mans the charcoal grill, and is known for his stern demeanor and his penchant for yelling at (and even physically striking, on one account) his employees, though he's not afraid to have a good time by downing drinks bought for him by customers. If you look closely at the photos, you'll notice that some patrons have black plates; these are Kokekokko's best customers; the plates are from Japan, and are customized with their names.


The menu is shown above, and I'm told there is also an English version as well; click for larger versions. Of much infamy is Kokekokko's five skewer per person minimum, as well as the "secret" items not listed on the menu (which will be revealed below). The sake selection is also quite nice.


Upon being seated, we were brought small plates of macaroni salad. These are generally referred to as otoshi (in the Kanto region, or tsukidashi in the Kansai), and are meant to be eaten with alcohol.


Shortly afterward, we were brought two condiments to go with the yakitori. The fist was karashi, a type of Japanese mustard often served with oden. Be warned, this stuff is intense! The second item was a ginger and green onion dip (negi shoga I believe) that was quite addictive; I could eat the stuff by itself.


In addition, on the table were two small bowls of spices. On the left is shichimi togarashi ("seven flavor chili pepper"), a mixture of seven spices, usually consisting of a subset of the following: red chili pepper (the main ingredient), roasted orange zest, yuzu zest, yellow and black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, rapeseed, hemp seeds, nori, ginger, and sansho. The other spice was, in fact, sansho, or ground Sichuan pepper.


Yakitori goes great with beer, so we decided to order two pitchers of Kirin Draft [$16.50]. The beer had a more apparent rice component to it compared to your typical Kirin, and given that it was on tap, we suspected that the beer might actually be brewed in Japan (sadly, most Kirin in the US is produced by Anheuser-Busch in Los Angeles).


Sasami / Breast [$2.50]
This was described as "white meat" chicken or "chicken tenders." Notice that the chicken was topped with two types of condiments. On the bottom, we have wasabi, and on top, the aforementioned ginger dip. The wasabi added a spicy tang that went decently with the sasami, but the ginger really did a great job countering the smokiness of the meat. What was interesting was that the meat was actually prepared rare, which is highly unusual for chicken (due to Salmonella concerns). As sasami can often be dry and lean, this actually gave the meat a great texture that I rather enjoyed. I've even heard rumors that Kokekokko serves up chicken sashimi!


Kamo Roosto / Roasted Duck Breast [$9.00]
As we see here, there are indeed a few non-chicken items on the menu. The roasted duck was nice enough, with the sauce providing a pleasing sweet-savory interplay to the bird. The included vegetables added a important textural contrast and also balanced the heaviness of the meat.


Reba / Liver [$2.50]
I expected the chicken liver to be somewhat like foie gras (duck liver). Rather, it was much drier, grittier, with a starchy texture. It also had a rather strong flavor, which was tempered by the application of karashi (recommended by the chef) or sansho.


Sunagimo / Gizzard [$2.50]
The gizzard is a specialized muscular "stomach" used for grinding up food. It had a unique, very crunchy texture and a flavor that was lightly imbued with the essence of chicken. The gizzards were sprinkled with salt to draw out their flavor.


Tori Gyoza / Chicken Gyoza [$6.60]
These were fantastic, some of the best gyoza I've had in fact. The dumplings were stuffed with a delectable mix of ground chicken, and the wrappers were fried to just the right consistency, providing a light, savory crunch to accentuate the meat. The soy sauce wasn't even necessary, though it certainly complemented the gyoza well.


Hatsu / Heart [$2.50]
Surprisingly, the hatsu turned out to be one of my favorites of the night. It had a great smoky flavor with a slightly spicy finish, but what I liked even more was its texture, which was simultaneously tender and crisp.


Bonjiri / Tail
Our first "secret" menu item, the tail was my favorite skewer of the meal. The bonjiri consists of the small bits of meat around the chicken's tail bone; the muscles around this part are well-used, yet the tail is also quite fatty. It was superbly flavorful, with a great crunch, and was juicy, yet not overly greasy.


Tokujo Hatsu / Special Heart
Another off menu item, this was a special preparation of heart that was done in a different kind of marinade. The result was a much more richly flavored, yet more complex hatsu, with a soft yet snappy texture. Very good.


At this point, we decided to move on to sake, with our selection being the premium Hakkaisan Junmai-Ginjo at $10 a glass (we ended up going through 16 of them). I'd had this particular sake before, and it was as dry, crisp, and delicious as I remembered. Notice how the server is overfilling the sake glass as a show of generosity. This is the first time I've seen this done, but it went a bit too far, as one overzealous pour ended up spilling on one of my dining companions!


Tori Kunsei / Smoked Chicken [$8.00]
This course actually consisted of three types of meat. The first was a smoked chicken that almost had a "hammy" flavor to it. The second wasn't chicken at all, but smoked duck, which was tougher in texture but softer in flavor. The third was a milder preparation of chicken. The poultry was served atop a bed of greens, which were dressed with a tangy sauce, effectively cutting the weight of the meat.


Tebasaki / Wing [$2.75]
Wings are known for their high fat and gelatin content, as well as their rich, smoky chicken flavor. This was a bit more difficult to eat than most other skewers, given the presence of bone. Nevertheless, it was delicious.


Nankotsu / Cartilage [$2.50]
This was cartilage, also known as gristle. Gristle can come from three parts of the chicken: knee, thigh, and breast. I'm not sure which one this was, but I believe breast gristle is the most common in yakitori. In any case, though the nankotsu didn't have a particularly strong flavor, it had a fantastic crunch. Nice!


Seseri / Neck
Another off menu item, the neck is a highly sought after part of the chicken, as there is relatively little neck meat per bird. The seseri was tender, yet had a superb crisp fattiness to it. It was served topped with yuzu kosho (a sauce made from yuzu zest, chili pepper, and salt), and the condiment's citrus tang deftly countered the smokiness of the bird. One of my favorites.


Dango / Chicken Meatball [$2.50]
Dango usually refers to a type of Japanese dumpling made with rice flour. But at Kokekokko, Tomo-san uses the term to name his tsukune, or chicken meatball. The tsukune at most places contains filler, but since Tomo-san's contains nothing but chicken, he gets offended when his version is referred to as mere tsukune! No matter the name, the meatballs were excellent--juicy, flavorful, and superb with the shichimi.


Negima / Thigh with Leek [$2.50]
Negima refers to yakitori made with chicken and negi (leek). Though the cut here was thigh, other parts of the bird can be used as well. The leek was a fitting complement to the chicken, adding a bit of bitterness to counter the chicken's flavor. This was even better when eaten with the ginger sauce.


Kawa / Skin
This was one item that I really wanted to try, and it happened to be an off menu item. Kawa is usually taken from the thigh or neck of the bird, though the neck is preferred I'm told. In any case, the skin was grilled until crispy, and had a superb flavor to it, without being overwhelmingly fatty. Very good.


Ramen [$8.00]
Once we dispensed with the yakitori, we moved onto a bowl of ramen, made with chicken stock as you'd expect. The dish had an eggy flavor, accentuated by the tang of seaweed, all over a base of chicken essence.


Tori Soboro [$7.50]
Kokekokko is well-known for its soboro gohan, basically a dish of chicken fried with soy/mirin/sake/ginger served over rice, with quail egg and nori. The chicken flavor actually took a back seat here, with the rice and seaweed really taking center stage for me. The soboro came with a cup of light chicken broth, which we eventually poured into the rice mixture, afterwards adding a dash of sansho as well.

I must say that I had a fantastic time at Kokekokko. The food was tasty, and we didn't really have any problems with the rest of the experience. At the same time though, I could definitely see how non-regulars could find issue with the service. Nevertheless, this was a great introduction to yakitori for me, and I look forward to expanding my repertoire at other yakitori-ya.

Rivera (Los Angeles, CA)

Rivera
1050 S Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
213.749.1460
www.riverarestaurant.com
Mon 04/06/2009, 12:30p-01:35p



In recent times, there's been a lot said and written about the supposed revitalization of Downtown LA. I'm not sure if I buy that line entirely, but certainly, a number of new, exciting restaurants have burst onto the DTLA dining scene in the past year, Rivera being a prime example.

Rivera is the brainchild of Santa Fe-born chef John Rivera Sedlar, the man behind Saint Estephe in Manhattan Beach, Bikini in Los Angeles, and Abiquiu in Santa Monica. Sedlar was absent from the LA culinary landscape for over a decade (travelling the Latin world) before coming back in a big way with Rivera, his temple of pan-Latin fusion cuisine. I'd been curious about the restaurant for a while, and the place had been a fixture on my "to-eat" list. I wanted to go for dinner, but since I happen to be in the area during mid-day, I decided to stop in for lunch.


The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the new Met Lofts building. Valet parking is available for $5 with validation; going south on Flower, turn left just before the loft building--I missed it my first time around.


Upon entering Rivera, you're greeted with a small bar, featuring leather and bronze chairs specifically designed for tequila tasting by co-owner Eddie Sotto. Sotto also teamed up with Italian Osvaldo Maiozzi to create the sleek, sexy space. A long row of banquettes lines the back wall, connecting this room with the rest of the restaurant...


...The rest of the restaurant being a large communal table and the ceviche bar pictured above. This was where I was seated, and the vantage point does provide a bit of a show in the form of the watching the garde manger prepare Rivera's cold dishes.


The lunch and drink menus are presented above; click for larger versions. The cocktails, inventions of mixologist Julian Cox, struck me as especially interesting. I asked my waitress what Rivera's "signature" cocktail was, and she responded with the...


...Purple Rain [$10], a concoction of Vodka, Violet, Ginger, Rosewater, and Thai Basil. The end result was definitely unique. The violet gave the drink a slightly floral tinge initially, but this was followed up by a strong showing from the basil and ginger. The two elements gave the cocktail a sharp spiciness, a lingering heat, and produced an almost tingling sensation in my mouth.


A type of Latin American fried pastry, sopaipillas are Rivera's version of bread. Served with citrus butter, they had a sweet flavor that was countered by a very sharp peppery, citric tang from the butter. I kept thinking of cornbread, and wasn't a huge fan. However, if, unlike me, you do enjoy these, do temper your appetite, as additional orders are $1 per person!


Sevillanas Olives, Progression of Stuffings [$4.00]
Sevillanos, or Queen, olives are a type of green, low-oil, brine-cured olive. They actually had a very mild flavor compared to most varieties, thus allowing the various accompaniments to shine. From front to back, we had orange zest, black bean, anchovy, jamon, and cheese. It was interesting to compare the interplay between the various stuffings and the olives; my favorite combination was probably the orange, with the sourness of the zest countering the bitterness of the olive.


Mussels Negro, Chorizo, Aji Amarillo-Pisco Broth [$10.00]
The sauce here made from a base of aji amarillo, or yellow Peruvian hot pepper; despite the name, it wasn't very spicy, but rather quite fruity. The sauce's other component was Pisco, a type of South American liquor distilled from grapes (think Brandy), which added weight and depth to the mixture. Meanwhile, pieces of chorizo contributed an unctuous saltiness to the whole ordeal. These elements did an admirable job of tempering the briny flavor of the mussels, but unfortunately, some of the mussels were just too strong and overwhelming. Texture-wise, they could've been a bit crisper and snappier as well.


Shrimp and Watermelon Mojito Salad, Cucumber, Mint [$10.00]
The three large shrimp, cooked to a wonderful, meaty consistency, were delicious, easily good enough to stand on their own. They were joined by a cool, refreshing mint sauce and a salad of cubed watermelon and cucumber. These accoutrements accentuated the shrimp perfectly, drawing out contrasting flavors of sweet and savory in expert fashion. My favorite dish of the meal.


Xnipek - Yucatan Style Charred-Habanero "Dog's Snout" Salsa, Mini Chips [$4.00]
Pronounced "schnee-peck," the salsa literally means "dog's snout," as in the salsa being so hot that it'll make your nose run like a dog's. Fortunately, it wasn't that hot, but instead had a sweet/savory/spicy interplay going on, actually reminding me a bit of chipotle salsa. The salsa was served with some too-fragile tortilla chips (whose shape made me think of duck tongue), which I promptly ran out of.


I'd about finished the Purple Rain at this point, so I ordered up a Donaji [$14], a cocktail made with Mezcal, Fresh Citrus, Pomegranate, Agave Nectar, and Chapulin Salt. I believe this was my first time having mezcal, a spirit distilled from agave (à la tequila), so I was curious as to how it'd be used in the drink. The fruit was key in mitigating the power of the mezcal, resulting in flavor that was sweet initially, but layered with the woody smokiness of the spirit. Interestingly, the "Chapulin salt" rim wasn't just salt, but actually salt mixed with finely ground crickets!


Crema Catalana, Almonds, Xerez Creme [$6.00]
Crema catalana is basically the Catalan version of crème brûlée. Flavor-wise, the custard itself was very similar. What set this apart were the almonds, which added a sweet nuttiness as well as a crunchy texture contrast, and the Xerez (Sherry) cream, which contributed a nice bitterness to counter the sweetness of the custard. Quite nice.

You know, despite a few missteps, I did enjoy my lunch at Rivera. I think that Sedler manages to successfully blend his French training (he worked under Jean Bertranou at L'Ermitage after all) with his passion for Latin cuisine, creating an amalgam that seems to work quite well. Before I pass final judgment on the place, I'd really like to return sometime to give the dinner menu a proper work out, but so far, so good.

Seol Ak San (Stanton, CA)

Seol Ak San
12140 Beach Blvd, Stanton, CA 90680
714.799.7977
www.yelp.com/biz/seol-ak-san-stanton (Yelp, restaurant has no web site)
Sat 04/04/2009, 06:20p-08:10p



You know, I think this is the first time I've written about Korean BBQ on this blog (obviously, I've had it before, but just haven't blogged about it). What happened was that Wandering Chopsticks (who I hadn't seen since Fogo de Chão) had organized a small get-together (Seol Ak San is her favorite KBBQ is Orange County), and invited me, Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, and Mike of Right Way to Eat.


The restaurant is located on Beach Blvd in Stanton, away from "Little Seoul," the epicenter of Korean activity along Garden Grove Blvd (between Beach and Brookhurst). There's a parking lot out front, but if that's full, there should be plenty more in the back. As for the name, Seol Ak San is named after the highest mountain in the Taebaek range, situated in eastern South Korea in Gangwon province. The mountain is more commonly spelled Seoraksan, and is well-known for its bucolic beauty, especially during autumn.


The interior is somewhat dated, but comfortable (I wasn't exactly expecting much). The space consists mostly of booths (four-seaters), but there are also stand-alone tables (for larger parties).


What the restaurant is most famous for it its use of stone slabs to cook the meat (heated by a gas burner, not charcoal); I don't think I've ever seen this method employed at any other Korean BBQ restaurant. Apparently, this lessens the smoke and grease imparted to the cooked meats. Two sauces were provided from the get go; I believe they were a soy sauce/vinegar/chili pepper sauce and a sesame oil/salt/black pepper sauce.



Seol Ak San's menu is shown above; click for larger versions. The restaurant is known for its duck, a rather uncommon ingredient among Korean eateries.

I'll begin with a run-through of the banchan, or side dishes, that we were given. I was hoping to see gae jang (spicy marinated raw crab, which Wandering Chopsticks had told me about), but alas, it wasn't there.


Lettuce Salad
Ok, this technically isn't considered a banchan, but we were first given a bowl of salad to start. It wasn't anything special, but did provide a light, refreshing contrast to some of the heavier dishes we had.


Buh Sut Jo Rim
The mushrooms were served with scallion, and I believe they were also marinated in sesame oil.


Kongnamul
One of the most popular banchan, kongnamul is simply boiled soybean sprouts and green onions doused in sesame oil, served cold. Nice and crunchy, as expected.


Ggakdugi
A type of kimchi, ggakdugi is made from mu (daikon) instead of the typical cabbage. I usually find it a bit milder than standard kimchi, and I really like its crunchy texture. Nice!


Cabbage with Doenjang
A simple dish of cabbage, accompanied by doenjang (literally "thick paste"), a Korean fermented soybean paste. I expected a bit more from this dish, as I found the cabbage lacking in crispness, and the doenjang a bit too overpowering.


Mu Jo Rim
This was mu (daikon), mixed with cucumber, both marinated in soy sauce. It was one of the weaker banchan of the night.


Kkaennip Jeon
I'm not 100% sure of the name here, but I believe this was a jeon (egg batter pancake) made with kkaennip, or perilla leaves. Interestingly, though kkaennip means "sesame leaf," the plant is not related at all to sesame. It was actually my favorite banchan, with the leaves adding a nice tang to the rich, delicious egg batter.


Baechu Kimchi
The quintessential banchan, we have here baechu kimchi, made with Napa cabbage. Spicy, salty, and crisp: the way it should be.


Gamja Salad
Korean-style potato salad is always something I look forward to, and this example did not disappoint.


Gut Juh Ri Kimchi
This was an unfermented preparation of kimchi, made right away and meant to be served quickly. Compared to the normal variety, it was quite a bit spicier, with a texture that was obviously more "leafy." Quite good.


Sliced Mu
Instead of dduk bot sam (rice noodle paper), two plates of sliced mu (daikon) were presented for us to wrap the meats with.


Korean Seafood Pancake [$16.99]
This was a haemul jeon, or pancake with seafoood (compared to a saengseonjeon, a pancake made only with fish), served with a sesame sauce. I really enjoyed this one, savoring the interplay between the different tastes and textures present in the pancake. Each component was apparent on its own, but the whole amalgam was well-integrated. Delicious.


With the formalities out of the way, it was time to get grillin'. The waitresses at Seol Ak San do most of the cooking for you, and in the video above, we see the first round of tongue going on the stone.


Roasted Tongue [$17.99]
The tongue had a slightly rubbery texture, which I expected, but was a bit tougher than I'd like. The flavor was actually quite strong and unctuous, slightly reminiscent of foie gras in fact. Decent, but not as good as the tongue I've had at Totoraku or Tsuruhashi (granted, those are Japanese yakiniku places, not strictly Korean BBQ).


In this video, we see our waitress cooking up some galbi and duck.


BBQ Duck [$17.99]
Seol Ak San is known for duck, so we had to try some. The duck didn't appear to be marinated, which may explain the rather weak flavor. Some sauce would really help here. I did however, enjoy its soft, tender, texture.


Marinated Beef Ribs (Galbi) [$22.99]
The meat of preference for many, galbi is basically marinated beef short ribs. Galbi, or kalbi, is typically flavored with a concoction consisting of ganjang (Korean soy sauce), garlic, and sugar. The result is a delightful flavor that pits sweet against savory--nice. The marbling of the meat was sufficient to give it a good amount of juiciness, but some pieces were overly tough.


The pièce de résistance of a meal at Seol Ak San is the making of the kimchi bokkeumbap, or kimchi fried rice. The video shows the process of cleaning the grilling surface and the mixing of the various ingredients. Beware: I hear that if you have rice along with your barbequed meat earlier in the meal, you will not get this.


The kimchi bokkeumbap consisted of rice, kimchi, lettuce, gim (seaweed), and bits of leftover galbi. We let the rice sit for a while, to have it form a nice crunchy layer of rice, à la dolsot bibimbap. The problem was that the kimchi was too tangy, overpowering the rest of the ingredients in the dish. It was tasty, but not nearly as good as the kimchi bokkeumbap at Jeon Ju.


Along with the fried rice came a complementary (if you order two rounds of meat, apparently) order of doenjang jjigae, a stew of tofu, zucchini, and chili pepper, flavored with doenjang (fermented soybean paste). Not bad, but nothing to write home about.


We ended the meal with cups of shik hye, a fermented sweet rice drink made from barley malt and glutinous rice. It was a cool, refreshing drink that was sweet, but not too sweet--a nice way to cap off the night.

All in all, I enjoyed the meal. However, as Wandering Chopsticks called this her favorite Korean BBQ in Orange County, I was expecting more--I was expecting to be wowed. Instead, I found Seol Ak San to be merely good, though I applaud them for mixing things up a bit by using the stone slab and by offering up duck meat. Oh well, maybe it's time to try Shik Do Rak...