Izayoi (Los Angeles, CA)

Izayoi
132 S Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
213.613.9554
www.fooddigger.com/RestaurantDetail.aspx?id=20900 (FoodDigger, restaurant has no web site)
Wed 08/26/2009, 07:50p-10:50p



Izayoi's story begins with its owner and head chef, Junichi Shiode, who previously helmed Sushi Ryo, a well-regarded, but not particularly bustling place in Hollywood. Though a favorite of those in-the-know, Shiode-san shuttered Sushi Ryo and reincarnated the place as Izayoi in June of 2005. Izayoi is considered an izakaya, basically a Japanese restaurant primarily focusing on small plates, or "tapas"-style food meant to be eaten while drinking (alcohol). It's a relatively uncommon concept here in the States, but has been catching on in recent years.


Located in the heart of Little Tokyo, Izayoi is situated along a row of modern-looking storefronts, right next to a Quizno's. Catty-corner is infamous yakitori-ya Kokekokko, which just happens to be one of Shiode-san's favorite restaurants. Parking is free in the nearby Office Depot lot. Note the "B" rating, par for the course for Chinese joints, but rare among Japanese eateries.


Inside, the room is split between a large, open kitchen-cum-sushi bar and table seating. It's a fairly austere, but comfortable, environment.


To drink, we started with the Harushika Junmai Daiginjo sake, which was brought by Dason, a reader of mine whom I'd met the previous night at Providence. Harushika means "spring deer," and is a 50% seimaibuai sake from Nara Prefecture. It was soft, smooth, and easy-drinking, with a light fruitiness over a backbone of sweet rice--quite delicious. I'd had Harushika's namazake previously at Urasawa, and their junmai at R23; both were positive experiences.


1: Mozuku
This was my first experience with mozuku, a type of seaweed primarily from Okinawa. It had a very fine, very stringy consistency with a bit of crispness to boot, and was served here in a transparent, slimy, gelatinous mass. Flavor-wise, the mozuku was sweet and briny, with a delightful finish of ginger. A nice start to the meal.


2: Mixed Green Salad
We moved on to a light, refreshing salad. I appreciated its slightly bracing tang and crunchy texture, along with its simultaneously sweet and savory flavor. The most interesting part of the dish, though, was the use of slivers of you tiao, or Chinese-style fried breakfast doughnuts, which added a palpable weight to the salad.


3: Idako
This was fried baby octopus from Japan. Initially, I tasted the crisp, rich, savory, oily crust, but this then gave way to the chewy, subtly sweet flesh of the octopus, which was immensely satisfying. Superb.


4: Beef Tataki
A presentation of seared beef filet sashimi, accompanied by onion and daikon oroshi. The meat itself was actually quite mild, so the key was to experience the contrast between the tangy onion and sweet daikon over the canvas of beef.


5: Sazae Tsuboyaki
This was a first for me: sazae, or turban shell, a type of sea snail. Here, it was done tsuboyaki-style, grilled in its own shell with kombu. I'll admit that it was a rather intimidating-looking dish when it was brought out, and note the large calcareous operculum "door" to the shell, removed in the second photo. The sazae's flesh was snappy, sweet, and slightly briny, with a bit of savory char flavor as well. I also had the snail's innards, which were mildly bitter; the entrails' strong taste was tempered by the use of kombu, which lent a great, vegetal tang to the entire dish.


6: Ebi-Jalapeno Spring Roll
Taken by itself, the shrimp was sweet, soft, and nicely contrasted by the roll's crunchy wrapper. However, the key here was the jalapeno and the hot dipping sauce, both of which accented the shrimp's sweetness beautifully with a distinct spiciness. One of the best egg rolls I've had.


With our sake dispensed with, it was time to move on to the harder stuff: shochu, specifically the Kakushigura Mugi barley shochu from Hamada Shuzo brewery in Kagoshima [$42]. Aged in oak, which explains the drink's golden tinge, it had a woody, smoky, earthy aroma that was distinctive yet smooth, almost reminiscent of whiskey in fact. Here, we had it on the rocks, as well as mixed with oolong tea.


7: Cold Chawanmushi
Just in time for summer was this refreshing chawanmushi, served cool, containing egg, chicken, shiitake, uni, kamaboko (fish cake), fresh wasabi, and nori. It was definitely one of the better chawanmushis I've had, with the chicken adding a superb textural play and gravity to the dish, while the wasabi provided an excellent counter to the creaminess and weight of the egg.


8: Spicy Tuna
The following bite was spicy tuna tartare, topped with scallion, atop a crispy rice cracker. A seemingly pedestrian dish, it was nonetheless delicious. I first was able to experience and enjoy the mild creaminess of the tuna, with the heat coming in only later on the lingering finish. The rice cracker, meanwhile, proved a superb textural contrast.


9: Ankimo
Ankimo, or monkfish liver, accompanied by scallion, momiji oroshi, kombu, and cucumber. This "foie gras of the sea" was noticeably milder than most, with a slight brine that was countered by the cool, crisp cucumber.


10: Chilean Sea Bass
Though I'm not a huge fan of Chilean sea bass, I did enjoy this preparation, marinated in miso. This gave the fish a slightly sweet flavor to go along with its unctuous, oily savoriness and supremely flavorful skin. At the same time, the tart pickles were key in balancing the weight of the soft, tender flesh. It actually reminded me a lot of Nobu's world-famous miso-marinated black cod.


11: Mussel, Croquette, Shrimp Head
Our last course before the sushi gauntlet was this troika, served with two condiments: a tonkatsu sauce and a ketchup/mayo/honey sauce. I started with the mussel, baked in tomato sauce. The sauce added a significant gravity to the mollusc, tempering its brine with a marked sweetness. Next up was the shrimp croquette, my favorite of the trio: creamy, sweet, soft, with lovely chunks of shrimp interspersed within. Finally, we had shrimp heads, briny and sweet, with the body to be served next.


12: Amaebi
We had the head, now we have the body. This was basically your archetypical amaebi--snappy translucent flesh, lightly salty, subtly sweet, heightened by a finish of wasabi. Quite good.


13: Sazae
Remember the sazae above? Before, we ate the body of the snail, now we'll consume the rather funky-looking foot. It was exceedingly crunchy, almost rubbery in fact, and had a very briny, ocean-y flavor that was fortunately countered by wasabi.


14: Sanma
A.k.a. pike mackerel, this is something I'd only had before at Urasawa. However, while Hiro-san "grills" the fish with a hot, long rod, the sanma here was served completely raw. It was delicious, with a prominent, yet delicate fishiness.


15: Toro
This looked quite dark for toro, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found that it was super soft, melt-in-my-mouth almost, and quite unctuous, though it wasn't as rich or as oily as the best toros I've had. Still, it was rather tasty.


16: Awabi
Though the awabi here looked like that from Go's Mart, it didn't have Go's divine texture, being quite a bit crunchier. Nevertheless, it did have a brackishly sweet flavor to it, and went superbly with the rice.


17: Engawa
Engawa is a relatively rare item, one that I've only had before at Sasabune and Sushi Zo. It's basically halibut fin muscle, normally a tougher cut of the fish. This preparation, however, was surprisingly tender, with a great sour/salty tang thanks to the yuzu kosho. Impressive.


18: Kanpachi
Up next: kanpachi, or amberjack. In terms of taste, it was fairly typical, with a clean, mild flavor accented by the fire of wasabi. It was more impressive texturally, with a creamy, yet subtly snappy body.


19: Saba
This was mackerel from Japan, topped with kombu. Though saba can often times be an assertive-tasting fish, it was tempered significantly here by the seaweed, which resulted in an almost sweet flavor to the sushi.


20: Shiro Sake
Now here was a first for me: "white salmon" from Alaska. Also known as "ivory salmon," it's a type of King salmon with an extra enzyme that can process the carotene that normally collects in and colors a salmon's flesh. It was quite a different beast indeed, with a much heavier, heartier complexion, but blunter, milder taste.


21: Tamago
Tamago in the middle of the meal seemed a bit strange, but we went with the flow. It was a cold, dense version, with your prototypical sweetness, but also possessing a great seaweed tang.


22: Uni, Ikura
Ikura and uni--egg and egg. Apparently, the combination originated from Hokkaido's famous uni ikura don rice bowl, and took off from there. I first tried the uni, from Santa Barbara, which was cold and briny, not quite as sweet or as creamy as I'd prefer. Next, the globules of salmon roe hailed from Alaska and exploded in my mouth with a pleasant pop, a burst of intense saltiness--not bad.


23: Mirugai
Next was mirugai, a.k.a. giant clam or elephant trunk clam. It was a bit crunchier than usual, but not too tough, still satisfying. In terms of flavor, it had a mildly briny smack, backed by a pleasant sweetness, finished by the flavor of the sushi's nori wrapper.


24: Kohada
Kohada is also known as Japanese gizzard shad. It was an oily, bold, robust fish, with an aggressively-flavored skin, and great, firm consistency. Note the beautiful cross-hatch pattern on the skin.


25: Aji
Aji, or Spanish mackerel, with the typical accoutrements of scallion and ginger. They're typical for a reason though--they provide a perfect balance to the flavor of the fish.


26: Maguro
Tuna, from South America. This was basically your standard maguro--it was certainly enjoyable, with a beatiful carnelian color, but didn't stand out in terms of taste.


27: Ika
Next was squid from Japan. This had a creamy, sticky consistency that I expect from squid, along with a mild, soft flavor that was heightened by wasabi.


28: Hamachi
Our final piece of nigiri was yellowtail, perhaps the most common sushi ingredient out there. It used to be my favorite, back when I was a sushi neophyte, but has steadily fallen out of favor. The example here was heavy, dense, with a mild, indistinctive flavor.


29: Fish Cake
With the sushi dispensed with, it was back to the cooked dishes, starting with this lovely selection of three different types of fish cake, paired with three accompaniments: daikon/wasabi, lemon, and a spicy dipping sauce. Given that I'm a fan of fish cake in general, I quite enjoyed their subtle sweet, yet slightly varying flavors. My favorite was the one in the lower-left, with its delightful vegetal tang finished with a touch of sour lemon.


30: Kurobuta Kakuni
Following was Kurobuta pork belly, simmered in an admixture likely containing dashi, mirin, sake, soy, and sugar. As a result of the dish's long braising time, it was expectedly tender, rich, fatty, and flavorful, with a sweet yet savory smack mitigated by the lightness of the paired vegetables.


31: Ikura-Sake Chazuke
For our last savory course, we were given chazuke (or ochazuke), basically tea poured over a mix of ingredients--rice, seaweed, salmon, and salmon roe in this case. The salmon was fantastic when eaten with the seaweed, while the ikura provided a counterbalancing briny tang. Overall, a hearty, heartwarming dish that formed a fitting close to the meal.


32: Goma Pudding
Our first dessert was this sesame pudding, served with black tea syrup. Eating the pudding alone, I noted a very strong, very pure essence of sesame. Pouring on the syrup elevated the sugar factor significantly.


33: Matcha Aisu Kurimu
And now, for some green tea ice cream. This particular example was housemade, and was quite sweet on the attack, with the tinge of tea coming in only on the midpalate. Very good.


34: Mochi Aisu Kurimu
Finally, the ubiquitous mochi ice cream, here in chocolate, mango, and vanilla versions.


I couldn't make sense of the bill, but the bottom line was that the omakase here came out to $150 per person, higher than I expected, but not too bad given the Urasawa-level length of the meal.

Overall, I came away pretty satisfied with Izayoi. It's a fun place, with competent sushi to be sure, but the real excitement comes with the diversity of fare here: traditional izakaya-inspired food with Shiode-san's unique touch. Give it a shot if you're looking for something else besides mere sushi.

Providence (Los Angeles, CA) [5]

Providence
5955 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.460.4170
www.providencela.com
Tue 08/25/2009, 07:00p-01:30a



After my first visit to Providence with H.C. of L.A. and O.C. Foodventures, where I had the nine-course tasting, I vowed to return and tackle the 16-course Chef's Menu. Well, I came back a second time for a 5x5 event, ordered a la carte on meal three, and then paid a fourth visit for another 5x5. I was thus determined that there would no more messing around this time: my fifth trip would be for the Chef's Menu, end of story. And actually, I did it one better: Dason, one of my readers, arranged a special 22-course degustation, which would end up being the longest meal I've ever had (edging out my fourth Urasawa dinner), clocking in at an astounding 6.5 hours!


Above we see the list of courses that we had; click for larger versions. The bill was almost indecipherable, but after a series of specials and discounts, the tab came out to about $360 per person, inclusive of tax, tea, tonic, tip, and tipple.


We were seated at the Chef's Table, which provided us a superb view of the dynamic, yet strangely tranquil kitchen. One of my dining companions spotted a young man (right photo) whom she swore worked at Urasawa previously. I was feeling a bit incredulous of that claim, so we made a bet--the loser would treat the winner to the $95 omakase at Wakasan. Of course, I lost. It turns out that the lad, James, was indeed our server at Urasawa. He'd left the restaurant in December of last year to work at Kuru-Kuru Sushi in Burbank (where he'd been prior to his stint at the "U"). James came to Providence in order to gain more exposure to Western cooking techniques, and is currently working as the garde manger. Interestingly, we were also told that when Urasawa-san himself dines at Providence, he always sits at the Chef's Table.


A troika of bread was presented: nori focaccia (my favorite), bacon brioche, and plain white. As usual, salt and butter were also provided.


Amuse Bouche 1: greyhound & gin and tonic
An amuse bouche at Providence almost always includes some sort of spherification. This time is was a Greyhound cocktail, which I'd also had at the last 5x5. A Greyhound is a vodka- or gin-based cocktail enhanced with grapefruit, and this time around, the spherification was somewhat richer in flavor than before, with the tart quintessence of grapefruit artfully captured and exploding in my mouth upon mastication. Along with the Greyhound came a "Gin and Tonic" in gelée form. We were told to squeeze lime juice onto the translucent, oblong cuboid, which in turn activated a distinct, tingly effervescence, simulating the carbonation of tonic water. It was a tart, fizzy experience, like a G&T with very little alcohol.



Amuse Bouche 2: soy wasabi marshmallow, cured trout, gougers, carrot soup/vadouvan
We were told to eat from left to right, so I first tried the cured Tasmanian trout with ginger crème fraîche, crispy rice, and shimeji mushrooms. I quite liked this one, with the mushrooms adding a certain weight to the delicate nature of the fish, while the rice lingered on the close, while also providing a fantastic crunchy textural element to liven things up. Second was the gougère, made with Gruyère and Parmesan. When I bit into it, the cheese puff exploded, coating my palate with its contents--a hot, gooey, salty liquid that was quite in-your-face, thanks to the use of that second cheese. Next I had the soy marshmallow, coated with wasabi-green pea dust. The marshmallow itself was incredibly soft, almost ethereal, but packed a biting punch, an amalgam of salty and sweet and spicy, with a lingering pea-tinged finish. Finally came the chilled carrot soup with vadouvan and crème fraîche. The spice blend was apparent on the fiery attack, but was tempered somewhat by the creamy crème fraîche; the carrot only came to the fore on the late midpalate, and was the main component I tasted on the finish.


Amuse Bouche 3: hokkaido scallop | nasturtium blossoms, crispy rice cracker
The final amuse was also the best. The key here was how the nasturtium and wasabi countered the scallop's innate sweetness with an admixture of peppery and spicy notes, thus forming the perfect foil to the mollusk. Meanwhile, the rice added a fantastic crispness to an otherwise creamy dish, taking things up a notch. Superb.


1: kanpachi sashimi | endive, summer truffle vinaigrette, soy crème fraiche
txakoli, txomin etxaniz 2008
Our first "real" course was comprised of kanpachi, served with sous vide endive, yuzu, soba, soy crème fraîche, and black truffle. What made this dish for me was the interplay between the kanpachi and the truffle, with the truffle adding a profound earthiness and gravity to the otherwise subtle fish. Texturally, things worked out perfectly as well, with the bits of soba adding a fantastic crunch to things, while the endive had a very pleasing, snappy consistency as well. Arguably my favorite course of the evening.


2: santa barbara sea urchin | served in a farm fresh egg, champagne beurre blanc, fines herbes
crémant de bourgogne blanc de blanc, domaine parigot & richard m.v.
Next we have Cimarusti's take on the classic "egg cup" dish: slow-cooked yolk, Santa Barbara sea urchin, Champagne butter sauce, toasted brioche croutons, fines herbes, and American caviar. I appreciated how the salty caviar cut the rich, monolithic creaminess of the yolk, but the egg-on-egg action was the ticket here, with the yolk tempering the brininess of the uni considerably. Some, however, would've liked the uni to have been more apparent, and I can definitely understand that point of view as well.



3: grilled santa barbara spot prawns | served simply with french olive oil and lemon
friulano, sirch 2007
Now for some tableside presentation: a cart was wheeled in, on top of which sat a pan containing five beautiful salt-grilled spot prawns. Providence Co-Owner and Maître d' Donato Poto proceeded to serve the shrimp, separating the head and tail sections, then splitting the two pieces before plating. The natural sweetness of prawn was deftly balanced by the salt, while the lemon added a great sour tang to spice things up. Most of my dining companions actually preferred the more flavorful head portion.


4: unagi | summer truffle, crushed potato, quail egg
riesling spätlese, "alte reben" kaseler nies'chen, erben von beulwitz 2007
Here was quite possibly the best preparation of unagi (freshwater eel) I've ever had. Though some thought that it was overly fishy, I appreciated the eel's strong, heady savor, as well as its exceptionally crisp, oily skin. The cruces of the dish for me was the potato, which did a great job in mitigating the unagi's overt fishiness, as well as the quail egg, which added a moderating creaminess to the dish. Again, as with the first course, the application of summer truffle worked beautifully here as well.


5: wild turbot | matsutake, sake, rosemary
bourgogne blanc, françois mikulski 2006
Following up my best ever unagi was perhaps my best ever turbot. What did it for me was the use of rosemary; pairing it with the turbot was genius, with the pungency of the herb complementing the hearty, buttery fish superbly. I especially enjoyed the crispy, super-saporous skin. The matsutakes, at the same time, mixed things up texturally, while providing a subtle veil of earthiness.


6: pasta alla chitarra | italian black summer truffles
anjou, "les 4 pépinières" domaine jo pithon 2005
A specialty of the Abruzzo region, alla chitarra refers to pasta that has been formed by forcing flat pasta through a chitarra, a grid of finely spaced strings. The pasta was dressed simply with olive oil and set before us, unadorned. Donato then stepped inside with a basket of truffles, and proceed to give each of us a generous shaving. The fungi's heady aroma was intoxicating, but its flavor was actually tempered by the heavy, al dente noodles, as well as the olive oil.


7: niman ranch pork belly | carrot-orange purée, pickled ramps, mizuna, carrot-ginger butter
coteaux de layon, "les 4 villages" domaine jo pithon 2006
I've been liking pork belly more and more as of late, and this course just continued the trend. The pork itself actually reminded us of pastrami, with its distinctive brine and pepperiness. It was also quite fatty, but not overwhelming so, with a delightfully crunchy skin to boot. The belly's weight was simultaneously balanced by the sweetness from the carrot sauce and the pungent bitterness of the mizuna and ramps.


8: columbia river king salmon | kumquat, peas, jurançon
rosé, château de pampelonne 2008
The salmon was a point of contention for us. The salmon itself couldn't be faulted, but some thought that the kumquat was far too tart, overshadowing the natural savor of the fish. For me though, that wasn't an issue, and I really appreciated the vegetal tang and finish imparted by the peas. We all, however, agreed on the brilliance of the stupendously unctuous and flavorful skin.


9: loin of colorado lamb | eggplant, artichoke, celebrity tomato
grenache, domaine de la pertuisane 2005
The lamb had the honor of inspiring the best quote of the night: My lamb has more game than my date! This seemingly Delicious Life-inspired line had some merit though; the lamb was more robust than most, and though it was too overbearing for some, I appreciated its rank, as well as its delicate body. But it wasn't just about the lamb, the tomato compote added a distinct weight, a marked sweetness to counter the slight sourness of the meat, while the artichoke accented things with a bit of bitterness. The best accoutrement, though, was the basil sauce, with a bold pungency that greatly tempered the lamb.


10: japanese wagyu beef (gunma, japan) | roasted asparagus, wild mushrooms, bacon parmesan risotto
I think we were all blown away by the beef here. Magnificently marbled, tremendously tender, supremely sapid, with a splendid, savory crust--it was as good as any you'd find in a high-end steakhouse, and that includes CUT. It was so good, in fact, that I preferred to eat it completely devoid of any trappings. The asparagus, mushroom, butterball potato, beef jus, even the risotto--they were fine, but unnecessary in my opinion.



11: cheese selection
gewurztraminer, "brand" domaine stirn 2001
Providence has always had one of the best cheese carts in the City, from which we were given a select sextet of fromage, accompanied by figs, candied walnuts, apricot-black pepper jam, apple jam, and nut bread:

• Capriole Sofia - My second favorite of the bunch, this was a delicate, slightly sweet, lightly flavored goat cheese from producer Capriole out of Greenville, Indiana.
• Tomme de Chèvre des Pyrenees - Tomme is a term that generally refers to cheese produced in the French alps; however, this example was from a different mountain range: the Pyrenees. It was a goat's milk cheese, with a mild, subtly salty character.
• Ossau-Iraty - Next was another cheese from the Pyrenees, though this time one made from sheep milk. The Ossau-Iraty had a creamy, medium-firm body and lightly nutty sapor.
• Gubbeen Cheese - From Ireland comes this surface-ripened, semi-soft cow's milk cheese with a pleasant, soft earthiness and lovely nuttiness.
• Grès de Vosges - This was a soft cow's milk cheese from Alsace, notable for its gooey consistency and pungent, sweet flavor (from the use of kirsch in the production process). Easily my favorite of the set.
• Rogue River Blue Cheese - A cheese plate just wouldn't seem complete without a bleu, so here we had one from Rogue Creamery of Central Point, Oregon. Made from raw cow's milk and wrapped in grape leaves, the cheese was sharp, herbaceous, and a bit sweet.

Dessert Amuse Bouche: cantaloupe soup
And with that, we were on to dessert. Though our menus listed the "Mojito" spherification as the pre-dessert, we were instead given this (due to the similarity between the Mojito and the Greyhound): a cantaloupe soup with blackberry gelée, vanilla ice cream, lime granita, and mint. It was a great substitution. The cantaloupe was ever-present, a base on which the sweet berry, sour lime, and creamy vanilla could play, while the mint gave the shot an overarching lightness.


12: kalamansi gelee | white chocolate coconut soy milk soup, litchi-shiso sorbet
ume blanc, choya nv
First up was a dessert with a distinctly Thai-influenced tinge, thanks to the coconut and the pandan-esque flavor of the sorbet. It thus had a sweetness reminiscent of Lod-Chong Nam Ka-Ti, a dessert of pandan noodles in coconut milk, but was balanced by the tartness of the kalamansi, or calamondin, gelée. Overall, a light, refreshing course to kick things off.


13: mud creek blackberries | yuzu curd, blackberry-jasmine sorbet, meringue, warm almond cake
jurançon, "clos urolat" charles hours 2006
Next, an interesting study in the interaction between sweet and sour. We have a meringue tube, filled with a tangy yuzu curd, atop an almond cake. The curd-cake complex was rather nondescript on its own, but was countered beautifully by the sorbet, imbued with the saccharine essence of blackberry, and the blackberry fruit itself.


14: harry's strawberries | basil ice cream, balsamic marshmallow, pistachios
late harvest chardonnay, levendi vineyards, napa valley 2006
Surprisingly, the bracing, pungent smack of the basil proved a superb complement to the cloying sweetness of the strawberry--a fanciful, yet fabulously fitting foil. The pistachios, meanwhile, provided a countervailing nuttiness, as well as a great crunchy textural ingredient, while the heavy, toasty balsamic marshmallow seemed a bit out of place, though it did add a distinct gravity to the dish.


15: miso cheesecake | masumoto peaches, black sesame, white peach sorbet
moscato d'asti, "riveto" dante rivetti 2008
This next dessert was easily the most controversial of the series, due to the miso cheesecake. The cake was actually quite savory, especially when taken in concert with the black sesame; one of my dining companions even likened its flavor to Cheez Whiz! As a result, it was a bit disconcerting to eat, though fortunately it was tempered significantly by the sugary peach (from Masumoto Family Farm in Fresno) and peach sorbet.


16: chocolate ganache | peanut butter, "these pretzels are making me thirsty", chambly noir ice cream
banyuls, joseph nadal 1996
Given that I'm not a fan of peanut butter, it's not surprising that this dessert wasn't a hit with me. Nevertheless, the ganache did do an admirable job in covering its sapor, while the pretzels contributed a bit of saltiness, while adding a great crunch to things. The best part of this, though, was the ice cream made from Unibroue's Chambly Noire dark ale, with its unique bitterness, smokiness, and toffee notes. FYI: "these pretzels are making me thirsty" is a reference to the Seinfeld episode "The Alternate Side," in which Kramer is slated to utter the line in a Woody Allen movie--yes, I'm a Seinfeld fan.


17: a café in bordeaux | coffee mousse, canelé ice cream, chicory caramel and hazelnuts
vin santo del chianti classico, castello di meleto 2005
This was actually a dessert that I had on my last visit. A canelé is a type of pastry from the Bordeaux region of France; however, the "canelé" here was merely a shell, filled with a cold coffee mousse center. The canelé's delectable rum- and vanilla-tinged flavor was thereby moved to the ice cream, with the hazelnuts providing a lovely, nutty finish. A great interplay of tastes and textures--I can see why this is the restaurant's most popular dessert.


18: white chocolate, mango and cardamom lollipop
And now, Providence's infamous lollipop. Despite being made with mango, we all thought that it tasted of banana, with a spicy savory accent on account of the cardamom. Humorously, we were warned not to shoot the glass of sugar!


With the menu proper devoured, we were given the requisite plate of mignardises. I first tried the crunchy Almond Praline Truffle, the most conventional of the trio, tasting of Ferrero Rocher with an Amaretto tinge. Next was the Ras el Hanout Gelée, which had an interesting sweet and savory interplay going on, thanks to the use of the Middle Eastern spice blend. Finally we have the Bacon Caramel, which I instantly described as tasting "like breakfast" upon consuming. It was eye-opening, and actually a bit uncomfortable to eat, with a flavor not unlike bacon dressed in maple syrup!

Without a doubt, this was my strongest Providence meal to date. While my previous visits were certainly enjoyable, it's only now that I was able to realize the full extent of Michael Cimarusti's talent. What I experienced clearly demonstrated a masterful grasp of ingredients, combined with plenty of innovation, creativity, and a touch of "molecular" technique, all together creating what I consider the most exciting seafooder in the City--it is clear to me now why Michelin chose to bestow two stars here.

Mo-Chica (Los Angeles, CA)

Mo-Chica
3655 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90007
213.747.2141
www.mo-chica.com
Mon 08/24/2009, 07:20p-09:00p



Peruvian cuisine is widely thought of as one of the most celebrated, most diverse in the world, thanks to a confluence of factors including Peru's Inca and pre-Inca heritage, the influence of immigrant cultures, as well as the country's unique geography and openness. The capital city of Lima has historically been the center of immigration, and thus has a developed a food culture greatly supplemented by various Asian, Spanish, African, and European factors (in case you didn't know, Nobu Matsuhisa's food is largely influenced by his time spent in Lima).

It is this central coast cuisine that Mo-Chica focuses on. Named after the ancient language of the Moche people, Mo-Chica is the brainchild of Owner and Executive Chef Ricardo Zarate, a Limanite with considerable experience in Japanese-inspired fare (Wabi-Sabi, Zu Robata, Sai Sai, Zuma, Roka, Tetsuya), and his Chef de Cuisine Mario Orellana (Gjelina, Lot 1, Zu Robata).


Somewhat interestingly, Mo-Chica is housed in the "food court" of Mercado La Paloma, a former warehouse turned bazaar near USC. Other eateries in the space include Chichen Itza, Oaxacalifornia, and Taqueria Vista Hermosa. Note the sign: alcohol is not served here.


The menu is short and sweet, a smattering of Peruvian favorites augmented by one or two daily specials. Click for a larger version.


Three small jars of condiment were provided. One was the omnipresent aji amarillo, while I believe the others were green and red aji sauces, with the green one reminding me a bit of mint chutney.


We started with two beverages. First was the Maracuya [$2], or passion fruit juice, which was sweet and delicious as it should be. The Chica Morada [$2], or purple corn tea, was much more interesting. It's made from boiled purple corn, intermixed with fruit and sugar, and had a fruity, slightly spicy flavor, with an unidentifiable tinge.


Ceviche del Dia [$5.00] | Ceviche of the day
Ceviche, or cebiche, is arguably Peru's most famous dish, a fusion of white fish, marinated in lime juice, served here with aji, onions, seaweed (yuyo), sweet potato (camote), corn, and toasted corn (cancha). The fish utilized was kamasu (written kamazu on the menu board), which our server identified as "sea bass," though barracuda is the proper translation, at least according to Google. In any case, the fish was fairly benign, a base on which the other ingredients made themselves known. The ceviche was a great way to start, a bracing kick to the palate--light, refreshing, unabashedly tart, and a bit spicy to boot. Texturally, I appreciated the soft jumbo-sized kernels of corn, and loved the crunchy toasted kernels, which reminded me of CornNuts!


Causa del Dia [$4.00] | Peruvian potato salad of the day
I rarely turn down an opportunity to have potato salad, so this dish was a no brainer. It was, however, not quite what I'd pictured in my mind. Causa is a concoction of finely mashed yellow potato, cylinder-shaped, over crab salad and avocado, topped with tomato, aji sauce, and cilantro. The end result was delectable, with the overt sweetness of crab on the attack, tempered by the mild potato, all finished with a distinct heat from the aji.


The next round of libations started off with Inca Kola [$2], Peru's iconic carbonated beverage. Given the name, I was expecting a cola-like drink, but instead, the antifreeze-colored Inca was surprisingly sweet, tasting almost like bubble gum. Finally, we have the Cebada [$2], a barley ice tea with herbs and ginger root. Its taste was perhaps the most distinctive of the four beverages, with a mildly sweet, floral sapor, backed by a hint of herbaceousness.


Aji de Gallina [$10.00] | Shredded chicken, walnuts, aji amarillo bread sauce
Moving on to our mains, Ají de Gallina is basically a dish of shredded chicken in a creamy, mildly spicy ají amarillo sauce. Eating it, I couldn't help but think of curry. I quite enjoyed the chicken, balanced by the simple weight of chunks of potato, and how the slices of hard-boiled egg tempered the power of the dish. Not surprisingly, I could've done without the walnuts, given that I'm not a fan of them; they are, however, a traditional accoutrement.


Lomo Saltado [$13.00] | Beef filet, salsa criolla, fried potatoes
The Lomo Saltado was a dish that I just had to try. It's a distinctly Chinese (chifa) influenced item, made from vinegar-, soy-, and spice-marinated beef tenderloin, stir-fried with salsa criolla, or Creole sauce, containing tomatoes, onions, peppers, and parsley. It came stacked with thick French fried potatoes. I really enjoyed the spicy, intensely flavorful smack of the beef. The use of the various veggies and herbs provided levity to an otherwise heavy, monolithic dish, while the potato proved to be a fitting foil. The dish was fantastic over rice; my only complaint was that the meat could've been tenderer.


Algarrobina Mousse
Algarrobina is a syrup made from the algarrobo, or carob, tree, a varietal mainly grown for its seed pods, which were a major source of sugar in earlier times. Here, the algarrobina made for a rich, butterscotch-y, caramel-like mousse that my dining companion likened to pumpkin pie, with a slightly spicy, nutmeg-esque finish. Quite good.

Given my limited experience with Peruvian cookery, I can't comment on the authenticity of the preparations at Mo-Chica (described by the restaurant itself as both "traditional" and "modern"). However, I did appreciate the focus of the food, the careful control of the various elements in each dish, as well as the very reasonable prices. Given the somewhat tepid food selection around the USC campus, Mo-Chica is definitely worth a try if you're in the area.

LudoBites at Breadbar (Los Angeles, CA) [2]

LudoBites at Breadbar
8718 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048
310.205.0124
www.ludolefebvre.com/ludo-bites/
Sat 08/22/2009, 08:00p-11:00p



Ludo's Last Stand: August 22 marked the end of chef Ludovic Lefebvre's "guerilla style pop-up restaurant" concept LudoBites, which aimed to serve haute cuisine at everyday price points, bringing Rue Varenne to Main Street, in a sense. The series ran from May 19, and over the past several months, has proven to be an unmitigated success, winning the hearts and minds of legions of LA bloggers and Twitterers. Given LudoBites' immense popularity, I figured that the last dinner would sell out, and thus made sure to make reservations early. Joining me in my party were Christine of Folie à Choisauce, Danny of Kung Food Panda, Fiona of Gourmet Pigs (along with her beau Sam), and Ryan of Only Eat What Feeds Your Soul. Other notables in attendance included: Connie of Hey Hey Scenesters!, H.C. of L.A. and O.C. Foodventures, Jo of My Last Bite, Sam of LAist, Sarah of The Delicious Life, Sook of Yutjangsah, and The Active Foodie. I also spied Eli Sussman of Freshman in the Kitchen, well, in the kitchen. To read more about and Ludo and LudoBites, please refer to my first post about the place.


The restaurant upon arrival: Overestimating traffic, I ended up coming 30 minutes early. The place was still relatively serene at this point, but would turn absolutely buzzing by the end of the night.


There was even a camera crew on site, capturing the drama of the last night of service.


LudoBites is strictly a BYOB experience, and although corkage is officially $5, we've never been charged for it. This time, we brought, in the order consumed: NV Dibon Brut Rosado (Christine), 2008 La Chiripada Riesling (Fiona), 2005 Château de la Liquiere Faugères Vieilles Vignes (Ryan), 2005 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five (me), NV Domaine des Terres Dorées FRV 100 (Danny, had this one at Church & State as well).

LudoBites' menu has always been ever-changing, ever-responsive to local ingredient availability, customer feedback, even Ludo's mercurial whimsy. And yes, in true kevinEats fashion, we just had to order everything on the menu, save for two items that were sold out: Lobster Medallions Honey Sherry Vinaigrette Rosemary [$18] and Fish & Chips with Peanut Crust Kimchee Honey Beer [$20].


Chorizo Cantaloupe Cornichon [$11.00]
On my first visit here, I had a similar dish called Chorizo Onions Cornichon. It was one of my favorites of the meal, and again, the version this night proved to be a strong start as well. It was a cold Spanish chorizo soup, replete with cubes of cantaloupe and an island of cornichon granita. The soup itself was something else, absolutely imbued with the essence of chorizo--its smokiness, its savoriness, its lingering spiciness. The "gazpacho" perhaps would've been too overpowering on its own, so I appreciated how the tangy "slush" and sweet melon mitigated the unabashed saltiness of the sausage.


Green Beans Salad Peach Coconut Apple Horseradish & Lemongrass [$9.00]
The first word that came to mind upon tasting this dish was "bracing." I liked the snap, the crunch of the green beans, their innerving vegetal tang. On the midpalate, their flavor was joined by the lightly spicy horseradish mousse and sweet peach, while the finish was distinctly tinged with the smack of lemongrass.


Veal Tartare Oysters Almonds Lemon Avocado Tonnato Sauce [$12.00]
I'm a big fan of tartares, but I don't think I'd ever encountered a veal version before. In a sense, this was Ludo's reimagination of the traditional Italian dish vitello tonnato, a preparation of sliced veal in a tuna-flavored, mayo-like sauce, served cold. As usual, the veal was quite mild, so I appreciated how it was tarted up by the application of the briny oyster, creamy avocado, tart lemon, and of course, the rich tonnato sauce. The almonds, meanwhile, provided a great crunchy textural element.


Chicken Liver Mousse Green Apple Gelee Onions Brioche [$9.00]
Next was a dish that everyone seemed to enjoy. Looking somewhat like a quenelle of ice cream was a delightful chicken liver mousse, which had a flavor not unlike that of foie gras--rich, distinctive, a touch gamy. The brioche was instrumental in balancing out the liver's intensity, while the green apple added a bit of sourness to things.


Marinated Heirloom Tomato Red Onions Feta Mousse Olive [$14.00]
This was basically Ludo's take on a Greek salad. It was fairly straightforward, with a base of sweet, luscious pieces of tomato, tangy onion, tart olive, all dressed in a salty, vinegar-y marinade. The key to this, thus, was the feta, reinvented here in a mousse form. This made for a creamier, milder cheese, one which I preferred to standard feta.


Fried Liquid Foie Gras [$12.00]
Tucked in a napkin came these six innocent-looking cuboids. They were far from innocuous though, as each one burst instantly upon mastication, releasing a wave of liquid foie gras in the process. The foie's flavor was actually surprisingly mild, and was mitigated by the crunchy, savory exterior layer. A fun course.


Homemade Boudin Noir Terrine Potato Puree Banana Passion Fruit [$10.00]
Ludo once tweeted that no one was ordering this dish; given that boudin noir is pork blood sausage (a somewhat scary description perhaps), I can't say that I'm too surprised. But really there was nothing to fear. Though it looked like a soft chocolate pudding cake, its flavor was just like sausage initially; it was only on the finish that the slightly metallic tinge of blood made itself known. And if that's still too much, the potato and banana were there to simmer things down. Makes me want to have some soondae!


Creamy Polenta Cantal Cheese Black Truffle [$9.00]
Polenta is pretty much boiled cornmeal mush, and it and I have never gotten along; as such, I was a bit surprised when I actually liked this dish. The first thing that struck me was the texture, which was creamy, smooth, yet gritty enough. Flavor-wise, I enjoyed the use of Cantal, a semi-hard cow's milk cheese from the Auvergne region of France. It had a strong, cheesey flavor that really complemented the mild polenta beautifully. The use of truffles took things to an even higher level, though I would've liked even more.


At this point, we got an infusion of booze. First, Jo brought over some Effen Vodka, mixed with fruit juice. Next was the NV Barefoot Cellars Zinfandel, courtesy of Sam Kim's table (I later found that this, too, was originally from Jo). Thanks guys!


Foie Gras Black Croque Monsieur with Ham Cherry Amaretto [$20.00]
Now this is one dish that has been all over the blogosphere. A standard croque monsieur is basically a grilled ham and cheese (Lamb Chopper sheep's milk cheese, in this case) sandwich; Ludo's interpretation, however, adds duck foie gras and a cherry-amaretto compote, while soaking the brioche in squid ink. I was a bit afraid that the foie would dominate here, but rather, I was able to appreciate the ham and cheese elements, while the foie actually tied everything together, providing an almost supporting role. I could've gone either way on the jammy sauce though.


Lacquered Pork Belly Mustard Ice Cream Vadouvan [$18.00]
For me, pork belly can be very hit-or-miss; fortunately, this was mostly a hit. The belly itself was a bit fattier than I prefer, with a delightfully crunchy skin, while the flavor was quite sweet, with a somewhat Asian-inspired sapor in fact. It would've been overwhelming on its own, but the frisée and tangy ice cream worked wonders in cutting the gravity of the belly.


Our lovely server, Daria. Note the dangling "Hottie Whistle," provided by Jo.


Grilled Duck Breast Carrot Cake Coulis Baby Carrots Ginger [$22.00]
Ludo's ducks and I do not get along, apparently. During my last LudoBites meal, I noted that the duck was far too sweet; I'm afraid that I had to come to the same conclusion here. Almond was the offender last time; this time around it was the carrot cake coulis, which stole attention away from the duck's intrinsic savor. Fortunately, the veggies did temper the sugariness somewhat.


Grilled Beef Tenderloin Black Sesame Miso Smoked Eggplant [$24.00]
No surprises with the beef: it was cooked to a lovely medium-rare temperature, suitably tender, with a nicely charred crust. The smokiness of the eggplant really made itself known, but I didn't get much of the sesame.


Marinated Fried Chicken in Duck Fat Brown Butter Potato Salad [$18.00]
Duck fat rarely disappoints, and this was no exception. It may have been the best fried chicken I've had in fact: juicy, tender flesh with a rich, hearty, positively delectable flavor, perfectly accented by its crispy herb-encrusted skin. The potato salad, meanwhile, was properly tangy, a fitting foil to the bird. Gimme a whole bucket please!


Cheese Plate [$12.00]
The fromage course has been downgraded significantly from the five-selection, $35 plate previously offered. Unfortunately, given the hectic pace of the evening, I wasn't able to catch exactly what cheeses were presented, though I do recall mention of a goat cheese and a mozzarella, served with date butter. The line of ash in the cheese in the foreground does make me think of Morbier (usually made with cow milk), however.


Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta Caramel Caviar [$15.00]
Our first dessert was a dish developed by Ludo during his stint at Bastide: crème fraîche panna cotta, topped with a quenelle of caviar, in a sea of caramel. The amalgam of caramel and caviar worked surprisingly well, resulting in a sensation not unlike that of the Butterscotch Budino at Pizzeria Mozza. The panna cotta, thus, took more of a supporting role here, with the caviar-caramel complex stealing the show.


Chocolate Cup Cake Foie Gras Chantilly Candied Bacon Almonds Maple [$12.00]
Now here's another item that's been all over our blogs and tweets. The cupcake alone was strictly by-the-book: dense, sweet, moist, chocolate-y; the items of interest were clearly the toppings. The experience of eating this, quite simply, was a touch disconcerting, with sugary and liver-y flavors vying for my palate's attention. I'm not sure which won out, but the monolithic nature of the cup cake was justly accented by the luxurious Chantilly. The candied bacon and almonds did tie things together, making for a dish that straddles the line between a sweet and savory course.


Peach Curry Mascarpone Verbena [$10.00]
Following was another dessert that also had some marked savory components to it. Here, I initially tasted the lush, juicy sweetness of the peach, but this then transitioned to the delicate, ethereal creaminess of the mascarpone, accented by a light tang from the verbena. The curry was the most intriguing element here, and made itself known on the late midpalate, giving things a bit of fire in the process.


Strawberry Soup Marshmallow Ice Cream Wasabi [$9.00]
This was arguably the most conventional of Ludo's desserts. The soup was thick with the saccharine essence of strawberry, so the application of the marshmallow ice cream really lightened things up, tempering the overt sugariness of the berry. I couldn't really taste the wasabi, however.

So with that, we come to the end of an era in LA dining. Fans need not fret however; the Ludo saga isn't over yet, as it seems that he and Krissy are working on finding a permanent home. It'll be interesting to see how and if "LudoBites" will change when it's no longer "pop-up," but I do have high hopes for Ludo becoming a fixture on Los Angeles dining scene--we're ready this time around. With any luck, he'll be able to achieve in his own place what he never could at Bastide, surely securing more than a singular star from Sherry in the process I would hope. Bon courage M. Lefebvre!

Urasawa (Beverly Hills, CA) [5]

Urasawa
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.247.8939
www.fooddigger.com/RestaurantDetail.aspx?id=11155 (FoodDigger, restaurant has no web site)
Sat 08/15/2009, 07:00p-12:10a



This post documents my fifth visit to Urasawa, which was actually gratis to me, thanks to a little bet I "won" from a friend and former colleague of mine (thanks James!). As such, I'll skip the pleasantries and get right into the amazing experience that is Urasawa.

As usual, I booked the entire bar (10 persons max), and joining me this time were Ann of Menu Taster, Jasmine & Jeff of Recipe Mama, Ryan of Only Eat What Feeds Your Soul, as well as other non-bloggers. For my previous visits, see March 2009, October 2008, May 2008, and November 2006.


Left: Here we see the fish case for the night, which would be nearly emptied by the time we were through with it. Can you identify all the various items? Click for my attempt.
Right: Assistant Ken-san shows off a massive chunk of beautifully-marbled wagyu beef from Kagoshima Prefecture. A rib eye cut perhaps?


A dinner at Urasawa requires libations that will pass muster with the victuals. Thus, for this outing, we brought the "Three Wise Men" of Champagne: Vintage Krug, Cristal, and Dom Perignon (provided by James, myself, and Bruce, respectively)...


...But we also knew that three bottles of bubbly wouldn't be enough to completely wet our whistles. We thus requested to see the drink list, shown above; click for larger versions. I always appreciate Urasawa's sake list, and on this visit, I noted the addition of two sakes from Miyagi Prefecture: the Hakurakusei Junmai-Daiginjo and the Katsuyama Junmai-Daiginjo. Gone is the Horeki-Daishichi Junmai-Daiginjo from Fukushima, previously the most expensive bottle on the list; that spot is now taken up by the "cult" favorite Juyondai. The note about the "special sake" we had last time was also removed. No changes in terms of Champagne or red wine, though there were a couple new Chardonnays from Peter Michael and Kistler. And unfortunately, no new beers, just the "big three" Japanese macrobrews of Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo (which is why I've never had beer at Urasawa!).


I've been liking namazake more and more as of late. The term refers to unpasteurized sake, which requires refrigeration and has a short shelf life, but which is also greener, more rustic, more in-your-face. The namazake rotates regularly at Urasawa, given that the beverage is somewhat seasonal, and the example tonight was the Watari Bune, Shiboritate Namazake Genshu, Junmai-Ginjo from Ibaraki Prefecture [$80]. Watari Bune is the name of the rice strain used to brew this sake, a varietal that was popular in the early 1900's for its quality, but which fell into obscurity thanks to the rise in prominence of the hardier Yamada Nishiki type. The old school rice was reintroduced by Takaaki Yamauchi of Huchu Homare brewery when he planted some seedlings in 1988, subsequently introducing the Watari Bune brand in 1990. In any case, getting back to the sake at hand, I found it sweet, viscous, and bright, with subtle melon notes and a bit of fire on the finish. Quite refreshing.


Here we see Hiro-san prepping our first course of the night.


1. Toro Tataki - Hiro-san usually likes to start with a light toro tataki dish, and tonight's iteration had seared toro wrapped around an amalgam of shrimp, uni, and shiso, topped with radish, scallion, and shiso flower, garnished with yuzu juice and skin, soy, vinegar, and sweet sake (mirin). The attack was a mixture of sweet and tangy, a somewhat bracing sensation that eventually gave way to the sweeter, creamier midpalate, thanks to the uni and ebi, no doubt. The finish was flush with citrus and it was here that the flavor of the fish finally came to the fore. The shrimp, meanwhile, provided a pleasing snap and crunch that livened up the dish texturally.


2. Ikura Chawan Mushi - Next up was an egg custard with shiitake mushroom and shiro ebi, covered with ikura and topped with mitsuba and 23-carat gold. Dipping into the silky chawanmushi, I noted a fantastic contrast between the briny, salty roe and the rich, luscious egg custard. The mitsuba gave the dish a sharp tang while the mushroom and shrimp added a palpable weight and provided a bit of textural variation as well. Very good.


3. Wagyu Tartare - I loved the presentation of this one: a big wooden spoon heaping with chopped wagyu beef, pickled radish, caviar, scallion, and shiso, all topped with uni. A luxurious dish, I first experienced a tangy attack on account of the radish, which really tempered the decadence of the beef. At the same time, the uni acted as a moderating element, while the generous dollop of caviar was relegated to a supporting player. The long, lingering finish was dominated by the admixture of beef and pickles.


With our sake dispensed with, it was time to break out the bubbly. First up was the 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé. I'm a sucker for pink, so I reveled in the DP's balanced, subtly sweet commixture of citrus, floral, and mineral notes, along with its fresh, florid, alluring structure--gorgeous.


Ken-san helps with the sashimi.


4. Sashimi - The sashimi course is one of the constants at an Urasawa dinner. Placed in a hand-carved block of ice were:

• Toro from Boston - This was arguably the best toro sashimi I've had in all my Urasawa visits. It was incredibly unctuous and oozed oil upon chewing, but yet, at the same time, it remained light, delicate in flavor. It was delicious on its own, but even better when balanced by the wasabi and soy.
• Tai from Kyushu - A clean, crisp cut of snapper, this was textbook tai, with a mild flavor that was good with the wasabi, but superb with the tart red cabbage.
• Uni from Hokkaido - Perhaps the perfect uni: unabashedly sweet, yet kissed with the briny essence of the ocean. Even better when paired with the seaweed.

Garnishes include the aforementioned freshly-grated wasabi (from Shizuoka I believe), soy (from Wakayama), red cabbage, and seaweed, as well as carrot, white daikon, and green daikon. The flowers (not sure what type) are usually garnered from local flower markets.


5. Fukahire-ni-Ichigoni - Ichigoni refers to a type of summer soup, typically made with awabi and uni. The name means "wild strawberries," and refers to the strawberry-esque appearance of cooked sea urchin. Here, we were treated to a more upscale version: served in a tagine-like vessel were abalone from Chiba, shrimp, Japanese shark's fin (fukahire), and the Hokkaido uni. I started with the awabi, which was tender, yet satisfying to chew, with a uniquely gelatinous consistency that wasn't what I was expecting. I then had the abalone entrails, which were sweet and gamy, a stark contrast to the mild flavor of the mollusk's adductor muscle. The shrimp was plump, snappy, and satisfying, but the standout here was the shark fin: gossamer, ethereal, imbued with the flavor of all the other ingredients. It reminded me of why it's considered such a desirable delicacy.


A now, a bit of pyrotechnic action: for the next course, Hiro-san poured sake into our pots, thereby releasing enveloping clouds of steam as the sake evaporated upon contact with the pots' sizzling stones.


6. Sake-Steamed Beef - The pot contained Japanese beef wrapped around shrimp, shiitake, and uni, steamed with sake; it came with an oroshi ponzu (ponzu with daikon radish) dipping sauce. What struck me about the dish was the temperature contrast between hot and cold--the interplay between warm beef and its cool fillings--fantastic. Flavor-wise, the morsels were sweet initially, with the richness of the wagyu coming in afterwards, while the ponzu provided a tart complement. The finish, meanwhile, was uniquely uni-tinged while the ebi did wonders texturally.


7. Anago Tempura - It's hard to go wrong with tempura, and here we had a fine example of anago, or sea/conger eel, from Tokyo Bay (the top spot for eel I'm told). This was actually my first time with anago tempura, and I really appreciated its delicate white flesh, mild flavor, and crispy, savory battered exterior. As usual, the tempura was paired with a tentsuyu dipping sauce and a mound of grated daikon and ginger. The sauce elevated the dish, adding a sweet/tangy component to the anago that really made for a great pairing.


Our second sake was the Hiroki, Special Classic, Tokubetsu Junmai from Fukushima [$90], which I'd had at Hachi previously. As I understand it, Hiroki is part of a "new school" style of sake that's become very popular as of late. The president of Hiroki Brewing is also its toji (brew master), and interestingly, he's apparently never formally studied sake-making. This gives him an unconventional, unorthodox style that leads to the creation of the bold, distinctive sakes that the company is known for. A 55% seimaibuai sake made from Yamadanishiki, the Hiroki was floral, fruity, light, crisp yet full-bodied, and most importantly, delicious.



8. Seared Toro - The stone-seared toro is always one of Urasawa's most highly anticipated courses, and for good reason! Upon touching the stone, the toro released a cloud of rich, savory smoke that whetted our appetites even more. Eating the toro was almost like eating a ridiculously-marbled piece of beef--it pretty much broke apart in my mouth upon mastication. I absolutely adored the unabashedly unctuous consistency of the fish, and how the fat, flesh, and char interacted in my mouth. The paired ponzu, meanwhile, did its part in cutting the decadence of the toro, but the fish's sapor lived on in a ridiculously lingering finish.



9. Shabu Shabu - Next to the seared toro above, the shabu shabu course is also one of the most sought after dishes at Urasawa. There are always slight variations in the assortment of shabu items, and this time we were given the following:

• Hamo - The king eel had a surprisingly rich flavor, as well as a soft, spongy texture. It went superbly with the sweet ponzu.
• Hotategai - Next to go was the scallop--firm and unconscionably sweet.
• Kagoshima Wagyu - My favorite of this set, this had the perfect amount of fat, giving the beef an absurdly pleasing texture, and a flavor that was deftly offset by the use of scallion.
• Foie Gras - Cooked the longest, the foie had a firm, yet yielding texture and a subtle, sublime sapor that just lingered in my mouth. Even James, who wasn't previously a fan of the liver, enjoyed this.
• Kombu - I made sure to eat the kombu separately this time, and it was some of the best kelp I've had. It was from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, and possessed a sweet, satisfying smack and a wonderfully crisp consistency.

10. Shabu Shabu Broth - The resultant shabu shabu broth is always a treat to imbibe. The key here is the foie gras; note how the liver's fats are visible on the soup's surface. This provides for a heavy, hearty stock absolutely saturated with the pure essence of foie gras. Yet, it was not overwhelming, thanks in part to the light, vegetal tang of the scallion.


And with that, it was time to move on to the sushi portion of the meal. The gari signals the start of the nigiri gauntlet, and Urasawa's is probably the best I've had, with a certain sweetness you won't find in the mass-market variety--this taught me to appreciate ginger.


Above, we see Hiro-san crafting and serving the first piece of sushi. Nigiri is served with all the accoutrements applied already--a brush of soy, a sprinkle of grated sudachi, a splash of yuzu juice--all that's required of the diner is to chew and savor.


11. Toro / Fatty Tuna - Unlike at just about every other sushi place, Urasawa's omakase starts with toro, and that's perfectly fine with me. The fish was certainly deserving of the moniker melt-in-your-mouth, enveloping my palate with its luxuriousness. The fat was mitigated by the application of wasabi, resulting in something decadent, yet delicate. Superb.


For our next potable, we decided to tap the 2002 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. Though the wine was still quite floral and citrus-y, it was a bit more austere than I remembered, with a pronounced dryness backed by subtle toasty notes. Still very good--light and bright. Note the different flute used here vis-à-vis the Dom Perignon and Krug; this was, I'm sure, due to the fact that the Roederer was a much younger wine (2002 vs. 1996/1995).


12. Seared Toro / Seared Fatty Tuna - Given how good the toro is, you'd think that you should just leave well enough alone. However, lightly searing the tuna yields wondrous results, making the fish even more unctuous, even more profound, with the taste of the char contrasting beautifully with the toro's natural succulence.


13. Kanpachi / Amberjack - Flavor-wise, the kanpachi wasn't terribly distinctive--clean, mild, and nicely accented by the wasabi. What wowed me here was the impeccable texture, a stunning combination of snap and yield.


14. Aji / Spanish Mackerel - Aji's arguably my favorite sushi fish, and this quintessential example merely reinforced that notion. The flesh was firm, a satisfying chew, while the taste was very fine, not fishy at all. Note the lovely scoring of the skin.


15. Tai / Snapper - From Kyushu island comes this belly of tai. Snapper is a fitting nomenclature for the fish, given its snappy texture! Truly a paragon of tai, the combination of soy and sudachi was perfect, and note the crosshatch pattern on the fish's top surface.


Hiro-san and tuna: a winning combination.


16. Hon Maguro / Bluefin Tuna - Regular tuna can be a bit boring, but this was just about the softest, most buttery piece of maguro I've ever had, more buttery than many pieces of toro I've eaten in fact! In terms of taste though, it was very mild, so the texture was key here.


17. Shima Aji / Striped Jack - On my May 2008 visit, the shima aji was my favorite piece of sushi, and though it didn't reach quite the same lofty heights this time around, the shima aji was nevertheless quite tasty, with a light, refined flavor accented by a sharp wasabi finish. The best part about the fish was its firm, crisp texture.


18. Ika / Squid - From Japan comes this creamy, palate-coating squid that gave my mouth quite the workout. Taste-wise, the ika was subtly sweet, aptly accented by the grated sudachi and salt.


19. Shiitake / Mushroom - I've had shiitake nigiri on every visit here so far, yet Urasawa remains the only place where I've seen it done. The preparation really brings out the smoky, woody, earthy nature of the mushroom, balanced by the rice and wasabi.


Our final bottle was this 1995 Krug Champagne Brut. I noted a bit of citrus on an otherwise oaky nose, but on the palate, this was quickly overcome by intense notes of caramel, toast, and stone. Brazenly dry, with a silky body, laser-tight focus, and a protracted, prolonged finish. Very typical of the Krug style, and reminiscent of the 1990 I had at Sasabune.


20. Uni / Sea Urchin Roe - I must say, this was some of the best uni I've ever had. Delicate, sweet, and super-creamy, it was a model of what sea urchin should be. And the wasabi kick at the end? Beautiful. It even managed to convince James, who'd previously had an uni aversion.


21. Chu-Toro / Medium Fatty Tuna - I've had plenty of toro and plenty of maguro at Urasawa, but amazingly, this was the first time that chu-toro was served. As expected, it had a richer, fattier flavor than the standard tuna, though it obviously wasn't up to the level of toro. What surprised me however was that the texture was a bit more unyielding than the standard hon maguro.


22. Shiro Ebi / White Shrimp - Urasawa remains the only place where I've been served nigiri made from shiro ebi, small white shrimp gathered off the coast of Toyama Prefecture. Given their small size, about a score of shrimp was needed to construct a single piece of sushi, and the mass broke apart instantly upon mastication. Their flavor was mildly sweet, and very creamy, with a gelatinous body.


23. Awabi / Abalone - From Japan came this abalone, with a subtle sweetness that was perked up by the application of tangy grated sudachi and fiery wasabi. Texturally it was firm, though somewhat supple, not overly crunchy. Note the scoring on the surface of the awabi.


24. Mirugai / Geoduck - The award for crunchiest item of the night would be taken by this mirugai, a.k.a. giant clam or elephant truck clam. It was a very pleasing crispness though, not tough at all, but satisfying. In terms of flavor, it had an intense, briny smack, backed by a bit of sweetness.


25. Toro / Fatty Tuna #2 - At this point, Hiro-san asked us if we'd like more toro. The correct answer is, of course: "yes please!" It was much the same as the previous one: scrumptious.


26. Kohada / Japanese Gizzard Shad - Kohada is also known as Japanese gizzard shad, or Japanese herring as Hiro-san likes to call it. It was an oily fish, with a strong yet slightly sugary taste, lovely skin, and a uniquely firm consistency. Quite nice.


27. Negi-Toro Maki - Containing chopped toro, negi (leek), and takuan (pickled daikon, which aids in digestion), this is just about the only maki roll you'll see at Urasawa. What struck me was the texture of the pickle, which gave the roll a wondrous crunch and sour flavor. The leek, meanwhile, providing a bracing tang that tempered the lavishness of the toro. The roll is shown here sitting in soy sauce.


28. Gyusashi / Beef - Of the nigiri, the gyusashi is one of the ones that I look forward to the most. It didn't disappoint this time either, with an incredible beefy sumptuousness balanced by the mitigating tang of citrus. One of the tastiest bites of the night!


29. Uni / Sea Urchin Roe #2 - Another round of uni. What happened was that Hiro-san accidentally got more uni than he needed, and thus had to "get rid of it," which was fine by us! I've only had Santa Barbara uni on my previous visits, so it was nice to have the Hokkaido version this time, considered the finest in the world I understand, with a season running from May to October. What I'd really like to do is compare Santa Barbara and Hokkaido back-to-back and see if I can discern a difference.


Hiro-san then surprised us by bringing out live shrimp from tanks beneath the counter. Here we see him and Ken-san breaking them apart.


30. Amaebi / Sweet Shrimp - This was pretty much the acme of amaebi: sweet yet briny, creamy yet crunchy. It was heightened by the use of a sauce made from the shrimp's innards, which gave the amaebi a distinctly sweet-metallic tinge. One of my dining companions called it the best amaebi he's ever had, and I can see why.


31. Amaebi Sashimi / Sweet Shrimp Sashimi - Here's something I didn't know: at Urasawa, you can request sashimi versions of the nigiri sushi, as we see here. Instead of entrails sauce, the amaebi is accompanied simply by a dollop of wasabi. The end result is a very different experience than with the sushi: the texture was even more apparent in this case, and the flavor was much milder, with the sweetness accentuated.


32. Aji No Tataki / Chopped Spanish Mackerel - Here we have another item that I've only seen at Urasawa--an amalgamation of chopped aji, Kyoto miso, scallion, shiso, and ginger. This is one that I always look forward to, as it has a great base of aji to begin with, which is then accented by the sweetness of the miso and the invigorating savor of the shiso-scallion-ginger complex. Excellent.


33. Chu-Toro / Medium Fatty Tuna #2 - Our second round of chu-toro here. Think of a fattier maguro. Delish!


34. Shima Aji / Striped Jack #2 - Compared to the first, I liked the texture of this one even better.


35. Anago / Sea Eel - I usually tend to favor unagi over anago for its more unctuous nature, but this version would give unagi a run for its money. It was suitable fatty, suitably lush, and well-accented by the included sweet sauce (we told the newbies that it was chocolate sauce!). I think this might've been the best anago I've had yet at Urasawa.


36. Tamago / Egg - Unlike most places' tamago, the example here resembles a cake more than an omelet, perhaps even resembling datemaki in that regard. Dense, heavy, and moist, its flavor was an intriguing interplay of sweet and savory.


37. Peach Gelée - And with that, we were on to desserts. The first was this gelée of peach, topped with goji berry (a.k.a. wolfberry) and gold foil. The gelatin had a surprisingly unyielding consistency, and a taste that was like eating liquefied peach. Chunks of the fruit made for a nice textural variation.


38. Goma Aisu Kurimu - Urasawa's sesame ice cream always satisfies. We asked Hiro-san what was in it and he responded that soy milk, cream cheese, and honey were used. No matter, the result was an ice cream absolutely infused with the pure quintessence of sesame. I wish I could take a pint or two home!


Using a chasen, Hiro-sans whisks up some matcha tea to serve with the desserts. Note the decorative place mat employed; does it carry any significance?


39. Matcha - Matcha is a variety of powdered green tea, often used in Japanese tea ceremonies. The tea's texture was frothy, gritty, and grainy, with a strong, bitter flavor that cut right through the sugariness of the desserts.


40. Hojicha - The second tea was a roasted green tea. Mild and easy-drinking, it was a nice way to close out a meal and Urasawa, and I always find myself having multiple cups of it.


As has become Urasawa tradition, we now present the sum of the night's damage. Though not as heinous as last time, it still came out to $500 per person.

What can I say about Urasawa that hasn't already been said? Though this is now my fifth visit, I can say that the place never disappoints, and that I look forward to and treasure every meal I have here. James described the experience as a "symphony of food" in terms of a progression of flavors, and I think that the phrase sums things up nicely. During the meal, Hiro-san and I discussed how the vaunted Michelin guide was leaving LA, and the reasons behind the move. Urasawa may never get its third star, but if there's any place in the City that deserves it, this'd be the spot.

Stefan's at L.A. Farm (Santa Monica, CA)

Stefan's at L.A. Farm
3000 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404
310.449.4000
www.stefansatlafarm.com
Tue 08/11/2009, 07:45p-10:50p



OK, I admit it, I never really watched Top Chef. All I knew about Stefan Richter was that he was the bald, cocky, European guy who was arguably the best cook on the show. Despite his skills though, Richter ended up, along with Carla Hall, as a mere runner-up to eventual winner Hosea Rosenberg (who's still at Jax Fish House in Boulder).

Prior to this meal, I thought that Richter was German, but it turns out that he's only half--the other part is Finnish. He was born in Tampere, Finland, but grew up in Germany, where he started studying the culinary arts during his teenage years. Richter worked at numerous kitchens throughout Europe (including the two-star restaurant of Landhotel Schlosswirtschaft in Illereichen, Germany), and eventually earned a Master's level culinary degree from Fachhochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt in 1993. Richter subsequently made his way to the US, and held a number of positions around the country, even helming the kitchens of the Bellagio and Enoteca Drago. He then opened his own catering company, Stefan's European Catering, based out of Santa Monica. After his stint on Top Chef, Richter also started his own clothing line: Cocky Chef Clothing.

This new restaurant at L.A. Farm, thus, represents the latest expansion of Richter's culinary empire. L.A. Farm was originally opened in 1989 by producer Alex Winitsky and partner Arlene Sellers, on the grounds of their $50 million Lantana Center entertainment media complex. The space quickly became a hub for entertainment power dining, serving up rustic California-inspired fare in a relaxed, semi-casual atmosphere. According to Richter, the physical transformation from L.A. Farm to Stefan's at L.A. Farm was completed in only about a month. In fact, the place opened up so quickly that Richter was able to win a $5,000 bet with Top Chef Season 2 winner Ilan Hall hinging on who's restaurant would open first (Hall's restaurant in Downtown, The Gorbals, is set to open soon, but not soon enough).


Above, we see the restaurant's main dining room; apparently, Richter purchased all the furniture before the site was even secured. Perhaps more interesting is the patio, replete with fire pit. There's also a bar area and a private wine cellar with room for 20.


Here we have Stefan's menu, split by small plates, appetizers, and mains; click for larger versions. The most interesting items are found in the small plates selection--I mean, who can resist something called "Like a Big Mac?" A word of warning though, small plates really does mean small in this case (as we'll see below).


Bread service consisted of olive bread and two types of grissini: sesame and poppy seed.


We decided to start things off with some beer from the Farm's short selection: Eel River Brewing's Certified Organic Porter [$6] and Deschutes Brewery's Green Lakes Organic Ale [$6]. For you hipsters out there, PBR is also offered, along with Richter's favorite, Milwaukee's Best (a.k.a. "Beast"). In addition, an abbreviated wine list is available, and we followed up the brewskies with a duo of 2007 Chardonnay: Napa Cellars [$8] and Coppola's Votre Sante [$12].


Sweetbread Schnitzel with Potato Salad [$3.00]
When most Americans hear the term schnitzel, we tend to think of the infamous hot dogs of fast food chain Wienerschnitzel (which, ironically, doesn't actually serve its eponymous dish). A schnitzel is, in reality, a breaded and fried meat cutlet, and Richter's version substitutes sweetbreads for the traditional fillings of veal, pork, or chicken. The sweetbread was firm, dense, with a mild initial flavor leading to a richer, gamier finish. The tart, tangy potato salad, thus, was a superb complement, effectively cutting the considerable gravity of the schnitzel. My favorite item of the night.


Truffle Arancini with Lemon Aioli [$3.00]
A dish of Italian origins, an arancino is a rice ball, typically filled with a meat ragù and mozzarella cheese, that's been breaded and fried. Richter's take adds shaved truffle into the mix. The result is a delicious cube of creamy, cheesy rice, though the truffle essence could've been more pronounced. Texture-wise, the crisp, crunchy exterior was a fitting foil to the creamy insides, and I enjoyed the tartness of the lemon in tempering the arancino's weight.


Kumamoto Oyster with Absinthe Jello and Fennel Vinaigrette [$3.00]
Kumamotos are my favorite variety of oyster, and here again, I loved its crisp, clean, briny sweetness and snappy consistency. The use of absinthe and fennel added an extremely subtle anise tinge to the bivalve, but I wish that flavor would've been more manifest.


Sonoma Foie Gras with Cracked White Pepper, Smoked Salt and Griddled Brioche [$3.00]
The foie actually turned out much nicer than I'd expected, with the salt and pepper proving to be a great accent to the flavor of the liver. Meanwhile, the brioche really tempered the foie, mitigating its intensity while giving the dish a bready finish and lovely complexion. Very good.


Like a Big Mac [$3.00]
With such a provocative nomenclature (and being a fan of the ubiquitous sandwich), how could I not order this? This was like a mini-mini-burger, a half-slider, a one-bite wonder (though it wasn't the smallest I've had). It was filled with a beef patty, a Swiss-like cheese, red onion, caramelized onion, and some sort of green vegetable (lettuce? arugula?). At first, I thought that the burger was tasty, though not particularly similar to a Big Mac; it was only on the finish that the resemblance made itself known to me. I would say that the beef could've been done rarer though.


Tater Tots with Hidden Valley Ranch [$3.00]
Tater Tots were a favorite of mine during my adolescence, when I would fare them regularly at the school cafeteria. The Tots here, done extra crunchy, thus made for a somewhat nostalgic eating experience. As for the rationale behind the sauce, Richter mentioned that Hidden Valley Ranch was a staple of his when he first came to the US. Amazing, the dipping sauce actually uses real Hidden Valley Ranch (notice that the phrase is not quoted)! A simple but satisfying dish, with the tanginess of the ranch offsetting the monolithal potato nicely.


Beef Tartare with Poached Quail Egg and Breadstick [$5.00]
Our final taste of the small plates spread was this tartare (I have a hard time not ordering tartare if it's on the menu). This was certainly a nice example--lightly flavored meat, a tinge of mustard, a bit of creaminess from the egg, bracing greens, and a subtly acerbic finish. I would've liked to have seen a different breadstick though, as it was identical to the ones in our bread basket.


Sliced Pigs Head with Champagne Chive Vinaigrette, Radishes and Frisée [$12.00]
Now, a singular dish from the appetizer selection. Think of this as head cheese, basically a cold cut made with pork cheek and other ingredients in an aspic-like gelatin. It had a marked saltiness, with a pleasing tanginess thanks in part to the vinaigrette, and the radishes and frisée worked well in balancing the meat. However, I would've preferred thicker slices, to better appreciate the texture and flavor of the head, though Richter later advised against this, saying that the resulting dish would be too rubbery.


Lobster and Scallop Risotto with English Peas, Dill, Champagne and Dandelions [$20.00]
As I've mentioned before, if risotto's on offer, then I pretty much have to order it. This was a solid example, with rice that was near al dente--creamy, yet still with some bite--it was slightly too soupy however. Flavor-wise, the initial attack was quite rich, cheesy in fact, while the peas came into the fore on the midpalate, balancing things out with their vegetal tang. The seafood, meanwhile, gave the risotto an enjoyable, briny finish.


Braised Pork Cheek and Caraway Sausage with Sauerkraut, Pretzel Dumplings and Beer Sauce [$19.00]
An unabashed nod to Richter's Germanic heritage, this next dish is also among the most oft ordered, at least according to our Kurdistani server Furkat. The pork itself was braised to a tender, but still somewhat firm texture. My dining companion thought it overly tough and dry, but I appreciated the bit of bite that it still had. My favorite element here, though, was the housemade sausage. I'm a big fan of cased meat, and this was a particularly fine example, with a fantastic sweet-spicy interplay and rich flavor. The dumplings (klöße or knödel), made from pretzel bread, were also quite enjoyable. Finally, the acidic sauerkraut went a long way in balancing the heft of all the other elements here, though I would've liked the cabbage a bit crisper.


Nutmeg Crusted California Halibut, Braised Baby Fennel, Sunchokes and Lobster Broth [$24.00]
We were pretty much ready for dessert at this point, but decided to order this last savory for the hell of it (deciding between it and the veal chop, actually). The main issue we had with this dish was that the nutmeg crust was too thick, too tough, thus taking attention away from the actual flesh of the halibut, which was indeed quite delicious. I would've also appreciated a thinner broth, with a more delicate application of lobster essence. Though my dining companion would disagree with me on this point, I enjoyed the use of fennel here, which provided a lightening vegetal foil to an otherwise hearty dish.


Of course, I almost always save room for dessert. Click for a larger version.


Red Wine Ice Cream Lollipop [$3.00]
Though these lollipops recalled those from Providence in appearance, they were a completely different animal. Rather than getting an explosive burst of liquid upon mastication, you first get a tart, creamy exterior imbued with the essence of red wine, which then leads to a crunchy, chocolatey center. Great fun.


Nutella Crème Brûlée [$3.00]
Nutella and crème brûlée--it'd be pretty hard to go wrong with this combination. And indeed, this was a tasty little morsel, nutty, yet chocolatey; think crème brûlée, but one that tastes like Ferrero Rocher (or gianduja, according to my dining companion). The whole presentation is reminiscent of a cigarette and ash tray, no? Richter is a smoker after all.


Mousse au Chocolat with Baumkuchen [$8.00]
A baumkuchen ("tree cake") is a kind of layered cake traditionally made by brushing layers of batter on a cake rotating on a spit. Since LA Farm lacks such a contraption, the version here is made by layering horizontal strata of batter in a baking pan. In any case, it came sliced very thin and topped with chocolate mousse. The mousse itself was quite appetizing, and the cake provided a nice moderating contrast to the sugariness of the cream. However, I would've preferred a more substantial portion of the baumkuchen.

It seems like Richter has done a fine job in revamping the old LA Farm. His cuisine certainly draws upon his Continental roots, but is intentionally eclectic, and still influenced by the Farm's Californian roots to be sure. The menu is bold, brash, reflecting the Chef's somewhat larger-than-life persona; Richter's still tweaking it, adding and dropping items, hopefully refining things based on early feedback, so it might be fun to revisit the place once things have settled down. Stefan's is a welcome addition to the Westside, and though Richter didn't prevail on Top Chef, perhaps he may just have an even bigger prize here on the Farm.

Hatfield's (Los Angeles, CA)

Hatfield's
7458 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.935.2977
www.hatfieldsrestaurant.com
Fri 08/07/2009, 08:10p-11:15p



When I tweeted that I was going to Hatfield's for the first time ever, @twohatfields responded back: "@kevin_Eats @mylastbite FIRST TIME? Where have you guys been?" Indeed. Hatfield's was one of those restaurants that I'd wanted to try for seemingly forever, but, for some reason or another, just never got around to. Given that the restaurant would be serving its last meal on August 8th, before reopening in another location in November, I felt it fitting and felicitous to finally fare here on its penultimate night of service. Joining me were Mike of Right Way to Eat, Sook of Yutjangsah, and Sook's friend Lisa.

The story of Hatfield's begins years ago, when Karen and Quinn Hatfield first met while employed at Spago. The pair worked at a number of restaurants around the country before landing at Cortez in San Francisco in 2003. After cooking there for a few years, the duo moved back to Los Angeles to open Hatfield's in 2006, taking over the space of a former Chinese restaurant down the street from Angelini Osteria and Grace. The restaurant has consistently been ranked among the City's best, even garnering a Michelin star in 2008.

But with success came a desire to expand, and in May 2009, the Hatfields confirmed that they were moving to a new location at 6703 Melrose at Citrus, the site formerly occupied by Tim and Liza Goodell's pan-Asian eatery Red Pearl Kitchen, and before that, the Goodell's small plates concept Meson G. Go back even further, and you'll find that the space was Alex Scrimgeour's Alex, and prior, home to Michel Richard's legendary restaurant Citrus. This new locale places Hatfield's a stone's throw away from Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza, and a half mile from Providence. As for the old Beverly site, Mark Gold, former Executive Chef at Leatherby's Cafe Rouge, plans to transform it into Eva restaurant.


Hatfield's is a smallish restaurant, seating around 50 patrons in both indoor and outdoor settings. Inside, the decor is spare, with its barren white walls, yet intimate. Things are a bit more rustic outside on the wrap-around terrace, where you get a good dose of the hustle and bustle of busy Beverly Boulevard. For photographers like myself however, lighting left much to be desired; at ISO 800, wide open at f/1.8, shutter speeds were in the 1/8s range, and as a result, my photos turned out marginal at best.


Quinn helms the kitchen while Karen creates the desserts and runs the front of the house. À la carte selections are always a option, but obviously we went for the seven-course tandem tasting menu [$85], with included wine pairings [$44]. Click for a larger version.


To begin, we were served an amuse bouche of sweet corn soup, deviled quail egg, and smoked trout. I first tried the soup on its own, and it was intensely sweet, a bit too much so for me in fact. I then tasted the egg, and absolutely adored its smoky/creamy flavor and briny aftertaste. I then finished up the corn soup, and it was then, paired with the egg, that the soup finally made sense.


Only a singular type of bread was offered, but we were all raving about it, quickly devouring our first servings. The bread reminded me of Gruyère gougères in terms of flavor, though the cheese in this case was actually Emmental, another Swiss variety. Butter was mild, yet slightly sweet, and came topped with chive and salt.


1a: Warm cuttlefish salad | sautéed maitake mushrooms, sunchoke purée, baby arugula, crispy artichoke
2007 Sylvaner, Domaine Ostertag, Alsace
We started the meal proper with a lovely cuttlefish salad. I really appreciated the gravity and richness provided by the maitake (hen of the woods) mushroom, and how it accompanied the mild sweetness of the sunchoke, with the bitterness of the arugula adding a great accent. Flavor-wise, the artichoke didn't do much for me, though it did contribute a crunchy textural element. Ironically, the cuttlefish itself could've been a bit more apparent.


1b: "Croque Madame" | grilled brioche, hamachi, prosciutto, quail egg
2007 Sylvaner, Domaine Ostertag, Alsace
Traditionally, a croque madame is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich (a croque monsieur) topped with an egg. Hatfield's' version adds hamachi and substitutes prosciutto for mere ham to create the restaurant's signature dish. For me, the delicate yellowtail was a base for the rest of the ingredients. The toasted brioche added weight and unctuousness to an otherwise light, mild fish, while the prosciutto contributed a marked salty component, and the egg a rich creaminess. All the various components worked in unison beautifully, making the dish my favorite of the night.


2a: House made corn agnolotti | Dungeness crab, cherry tomatoes, hon shimeji mushrooms, fava beans, sherry beurre fondue
2008 Chardonnay, Alma Rosa, Santa Barbara County
Agnolotti are basically small ravioli, and tasting this dish, I first noted a notably tart attack, leading to the sweet richness of the corn, which was then accented by the tang of the cherry tomatoes. The hon shimejis, meanwhile, added weight and a great crunch. I would've liked the sweet brininess of the crab to have been stronger though, and the fava beans weren't all that apparent either.


2b: Charred Japanese octopus | ginger chermoula, stewed carrots
2008 Chardonnay, Alma Rosa, Santa Barbara County
I really enjoyed the octopus here, which was simultaneously sweet, smoky, with a bit of brine on the finish, reminiscent of the octopus I had recently at Angelini Osteria actually. The cephalopod was deftly balanced by the vegetal carrot and sweetly pungent ginger chermoula (a type of marinade oft used in North African cookery). Very nice.


3a: Olive oil poached Alaskan halibut | herbed asparagus, hon shimeji mushrooms, pickled ramp vinaigrette
2008 Rosé, Domaine Tempier, Bandol
This was really a quintessential example halibut: lean, clean, delicate, with a firm, flaky consistency. The fish was tasty enough on its own, but the use of asparagus gave the dish a great vegetal counterpoint, while the ramps provided a lovely, onion-y sapor.


3b: Hemp seed crusted hamachi collar | roasted and charred bok choy
2008 Rosé, Domaine Tempier, Bandol
Vis-à-vis the halibut, the yellowtail couldn't have been more different--it was a richer, fattier fish with a much finer, tenderer texture. Here, I appreciated its bold flavor and how it was offset by its lovely, peppery hempseed crust, while the bok choy gave the hamachi a nice vegetal finish.


4a: Buttermilk steamed chicken breast and foie gras | sautéed corn and chanterelles, tarragon sauce
2007 Zweigelt, Ecker, Austria
Thanks to the use of buttermilk, the breast here was one of the best preparations of chicken I'd had in a while--incredibly tender, moist, and flavorful. The foie gras, on the other hand, was a bit too sweet for my tastes, though I did appreciate its texture and how it was tempered by the bracing smack of peas and tarragon.


4b: Squab breast and foie gras with squab leg schnitzel | cipollini onion, celery root purée
2007 Zweigelt, Ecker, Austria
I quite liked the squab here, as it was immensely flavorful, heightened by the sweet cipollini, and softened by the celeriac purée. Interestingly, the bird was actually much more strongly flavored than the foie, and eating the two together, I noted the liver only on the finish.


5a: Pan roasted hanger steak and slow cooked horseradish dusted short ribs | smoked potato purée
2006 Merlot, Barnard Griffin, Washington
Here we have a duo of beef: steak on the left, short rib on the right. I first tasted the short rib, which was tender as expected, but still possessing a bit of bite. Flavor-wise, the rib was robust, but not overwhelming, and I liked the use of horseradish and potato in tempering the beef's potency. Next up was the hanger steak, which I found quite flavorful, yet surprisingly tender for the cut; it was even better when taken with the included onion.


5b: Slow cooked pork belly | breakfast radish, sautéed spinach
2006 Merlot, Barnard Griffin, Washington
The pork belly was one of the standouts of the meal for me, and one of the strongest preparations of pork belly I've had in recent memory. The pork was comprised of a good ratio of fat and flesh, making it notably decadent, but not overpowering. It was delicious on its own, but fantastic when mitigated by the vegetal, bitter spinach and subtly sweet, crisp radish.


6a: Baked lemon custard tartlet | blueberry compote, shortbread sablé, lemon verbena ice cream
2008 Moscato d'Asti, Tintero, Piedmont
Now moving on to the first dessert, the key here was the interplay between the sourness of the custard and ice cream and the sugary sweetness of the blueberry compote. Texture-wise, I also enjoyed the light, ethereal meringue topping and the use of a crumbly sablé cookie crust.


6b: Buttermilk panna cotta | lime gelée, Meyer lemon sorbet
2008 Moscato d'Asti, Tintero, Piedmont
Here, we had a similar interaction of sweet and sour components. The dominant player in this case was the strawberry, which was foiled by the tart lemon sorbet, and both elements were tempered by the relatively mild, creamy panna cotta. The tuile, meanwhile, gave the dessert a much-needed crunch.


7a: Sugar and spice dusted beignets | Venezuelan chocolate fondue, vanilla malted milkshake shot
2008 Moscato d'Asti, Tintero, Piedmont
I've never met a doughnut I didn't like, and this was no exception to the rule. I loved the beignet by itself, with its rich, friend dough complemented by alternating flavors of sugar and spice. The chocolate fondue, meanwhile, added a further layer of luxuriousness to the dessert. The best part, though, was the milkshake, a perfect amalgam of vanilla and malt--I wanted a whole cup of it! Susie seemed to agree with me, and she unceremoniously downed nearly the entire shot, not leaving much for Lisa. But not to worry, we actually ordered an extra serving of this dessert!


7b: Chocolate and peanut butter truffle cake | salted caramel ice cream, roasted peanut toffee
2008 Moscato d'Asti, Tintero, Piedmont
This dessert did not bode well for me, given that I have a strong disinclination to peanut butter. And in fact, eating the truffle cake by itself was not particularly pleasant. However, everything else on the plate was superb. The salted caramel ice cream was especially tasty, and I loved the crunch of the peanut toffee. Eating everything together did temper the peanut butter, making for an overall enjoyable experience.

On explaining the move, Karen stated that they "wanted to expand to a larger space and take Hatfield's to the next level, with a larger restaurant, larger menu, lunch and dinner, seven days. We were trying to find ourselves a home for the next 20 years." While I understand this rationale, I sincerely hope that the Hatfields can translate the current restaurant's honest, intimate feel and top-notch cooking to a larger venue (the new space doubles capacity to around 100). In any case, I wish the Hatfields the best of luck, and look forward to visiting the restaurant in its new digs. I can finally see why so many people rave about the place--Hatfield's is the real McCoy.

Hatchi at Breadbar (Los Angeles, CA) [2]

Hatchi at Breadbar
10250 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90067
310.277.3770
www.breadbar.net
Thu 08/06/2009, 08:00p-11:00p



Despite some spotty service, I nevertheless enjoyed my experience at the last Hatchi at Breadbar event, featuring chef Michael Voltaggio of The Dining Room at The Langham. As such, I was quick to reserve a spot for this following event, featuring chef Roberto Cortez. Though Cortez is relatively unknown, he's actually a well-regarded "boutique private chef," specializing in intimate, food-driven events of up to 20 guests.

The Texas-born, (mostly) French-trained Cortez has served as personal chef to such influentials as Paul Allen, Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, and Eddie Murphy, and has cooked for an even longer roster of business leaders, musicians, and actors. Furthermore, he runs the so-called Billionaire Dinner Group, an "underground restaurant" in Santa Barbara. Cortez combines his classic foundations garnered from his studies at institutions such as Le Cordon Bleu and Ecole Lenotre with his extensive travels to create cuisine that has been described as design-focused, contemporary, and artistic.

For the uninitiated, Hatchi is a series of one-night-only dinners at Breadbar Century City, wherein a guest chef prepares a suite of eight dishes, priced at $8 each. Future Hatchi dinners include Remi Lauvand on September 24, and Eda Vesterman on October 29.



The night's menu is seen above; click for a larger version. Cortez titled his set of dishes "Unfamiliar Conflict," a provocative nomenclature that seems to describe Cortez's seemingly unconventional flavor combinations quite nicely. Given the $8 per dish limit, Cortez reveled in the chance to demonstrate his creativity while respecting the low price of each course: Sometimes within the restrictions does inspiration soar.


Chef's Welcome Cocktail Drink [$8.00]
To begin, we ordered up a couple "welcome" cocktails, comprised of spiced rum, OJ, ginger, and basil. The effect was a slightly disturbing interplay of sweet, spicy, and herbaceous, all backed by a marked alcoholic tinge. One of my dining companions even likened it to a screwdriver.


1: WHITE ASPARAGUS CAPPUCCINO | grapefruit, mint, ginger ravioli, set of two
Hitori Nusume, Nigori Sake, Junmai Nigori
Given that I'm a fan of asparagus, this was a nice way to start things off. The soup was imbued with the rich essence of asparagus, and made for an interesting foil to the ravioli, stuffed with a mixture of grapefruit, ginger, and mint. Thus, the pasta, with its spicy/sweet smack, proved a somewhat jarring, but satisfying contrast. I'm curious as to why we were served two glasses though, given that they were identical (why not add some spice to one to mix things up?). I imagine that it was because it'd be hard to justify $8 for a single glass.


2: LIQUID ONION RING | rye crisp, sesame gribiche
Tripel Karmeliet, 3 Grain Ale, Belgium
The first thing that I thought of when the liquid hit my tongue was "Funyun soup!" Seriously though, the soup did mimic the essence of onion rings, really capturing their sweet-salty interaction. It was accompanied by a piece of rye bread, topped with a sauce gribiche. Now, gribiche is a cold mayo-like sauce, made with chopped hard-boiled egg with a commixture of ingredients including capers, pickles, and mustard. The result was a tart, tangy amalgam, but I'm not sure how it was supposed to complement the "onion rings." The whole course was almost Moto-esque, and one of my dining companions even described it as "egg salad and French onion soup.


3: HERB STAINED SALMON | whipped jasmine rice, pickled cucumber paste, passionfruit chili noodles
2006 Croatia, Grasevina Grape
Though the salmon was a bit too firm in body, I really enjoyed its flavor, "stained" with a concoction of herbs that gave the fish a slightly Thai tinge. As interesting as the fish was, I think we were more fascinated by the whipped jasmine rice. Jasmine rice (a.k.a. Thai fragrant rice) is a sweet-tasting rice, and here it functioned almost like Ludo's Sushi Rice Ice Cream in tempering and balancing the power of the fish, giving the salmon a sweet lingering finish, with a hint of mint. It also recalled Michael Voltaggio's Jasmine "Rice Cream" that we had at the last Hatchi event; a smaller portion would've been better though. Unfortunately, I didn't see the "passionfruit chili noodles" that we were supposed to get; one of my dining companions theorized that the noodles didn't form properly, and thus were not served.


4: SMOKED SHITAKE TERRINE | white corn velouté, Indonesian cinnamon butter, arugula
2007 Croatia, Plavac Grape
By itself, the velouté was far too sweet, too corn-y; and by itself, the terrine was far too salty. Together though, they worked themselves out well enough, really holding true to the night's theme of "unfamiliar conflict." The use of cinnamon was perhaps a bit much for me however, and I would've liked a more pronounced bitterness from the arugula.


5: LEMON LAQUERED CHICKEN | hot aerated potato, soy gelée, almond corianders oatmeal
2006 Oregon, Broadley Pinot Noir
This was my favorite course of the night, thanks to the chicken, which was juicy, tender, fantastic, with a distinctive cilantro finish that I loved. I also enjoyed the oatmeal crust, which gave the bird a bit of sweetness, while adding a great crunch to the dish. The potato was good enough, tasting just liked mashed potatoes, but I didn't think that it was quite necessary here. The chicken easily stood on its own.


6: VEAL SHORT RIB | cauliflower cocoa butter, vadouvan, grape edamame shallot confiture
2007 France, Arrogant Frog Cab Merlot
Though this was veal short rib, it really reminded me of pulled pork. The meat was delicious on its own, a good mix of sweet and savory, with a slightly South Asian bend thanks to the use of vadouvan (an Indian spice blend), and I liked the moderating effect of the greens. The confiture, however, was too sugary for me, stealing attention away from the veal.


7: SPARKLING LEMONCURD MOUSSE | strawberry water caramel, mint oil, crêpe crunch
2006 Germany, Riesling, Dr. Loosen "Dr. L"
Upon tasting the lemon curd mousse, one of my dining companions exclaimed that it tasted like a "lemon Starburst!" Keeping with the candy theme, another likened the intense sourness of the "crêpe crunch" powder to a Mega Warhead. Notwithstanding, the key to this dish was the pleasing interplay between the sweet strawberry and sour lemon curd, interspersed with a bit of mint to boot.


8: 8C MANJARI CHOCOLATE CREAM | thai spice cherries, frozen malt, guinness pearls
Anderson County, Brut, Roederer Estate
Manjari is a chocolate from Valrhona that's made from Criollos and Trinitaros cacao beans from Madagascar; the end result is a bittersweet chocolate, with a bit of fruitiness. Tasting the chocolate, served at 8°C (46°F), with basil was a somewhat disconcerting experience for me at first, but I eventually came around to it, finding the herb to be a fitting counterpoint to the decadence of the Manjari. I also appreciated the malt (actually I wanted more), though the Guinness pearls were too subtle for me; I think that the smoky flavor of the beer would've been a great accoutrement here. But my main complaint with this dish: way too many cherries!

In terms of bloggers, the turnout this time around wasn't nearly as large as that of last week's event--not surprising given the recent buzz surrounding Voltaggio. Nevertheless, in attendance were Christine of Folie à Choisauce, Jo of My Last Bite, Mike of Right Way to Eat, and Ryan of Only Eat What Feeds Your Soul. I was also able to meet Rich and Christina, two readers of this blog. And we can't forget the most humorous moment of the night: one of my dining companions, Minh, was mistaken for Danny of Kung Food Panda--twice!

As lacking as service was last time, the service this time was arguably worse--at least I didn't have water spilled on me last week! To be fair though, after some initial problems, wine pairings were more on point, and service improved markedly when our table got the attention of Rogelio Marhx, Breadbar's Executive Chef, who was playing the role of server on this particular night. All the service foibles did, unfortunately, detract from the overall experience and Cortez's cooking, which was clearly creative, whimsical, and yes, even a bit "unfamiliar." Cortez is talented, but I wish there were a better venue to experience the full extent of his cuisine. Chef: when are you going to open your own place in LA?

The Dining Room at The Langham (Pasadena, CA)

The Dining Room at The Langham
1401 South Oak Knoll Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106
626.568.3900
www.thediningroom-langham.com
Sat 08/01/2009, 07:55p-12:20a



This week was a double-dose of Michael Voltaggio, a chef who's been making headlines as of late, thanks to his recent, well-publicized move from José Andrés' The Bazaar/Saam to The Dining Room, as well as his stint on the new season of Top Chef (where he'll be competing against older brother Bryan). Just two days earlier, I'd experienced Voltaggio's cooking at Breadbar's Hatchi dinner series, and my positive experience there definitely whetted my appetite for this more formal, more complete examination of Voltaggio's culinary aspirations here at The Dining Room. Early in his career, Voltaggio worked at The Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida, so his return to The Langham, previously a Ritz-Carlton property, seems somehow appropriate.


The Dining Room's decor is comfortable, classic, albeit a bit staid, and seems almost antithetical to Voltaggio's contemporary cooking. However, I've been told that next year, the entire room will be renovated to better reflect the restaurant's revamped cuisine.


The Dining Room's highly-anticipated new menu is shown above; click for a larger version. It represents a stark change of pace from the carte of former chef Craig Strong (who's currently at Studio at The Montage). Voltaggio presents a collection of small plates, ordered from light to heavy, that blend tradition with ultramodern flourishes, highlighting local, seasonal ingredients while simultaneously embracing global influences. The recommended way to experience the cuisine is to order four courses per person (three savory, one sweet), but obviously that wouldn't be enough for moi. Given that I'd had several of the menu items at Hatchi at Breadbar just two days earlier, Chef Voltaggio prepared a special tasting menu [$110], paired with an intriguing selection of beverages chosen by Sommelier Matthew Lathan [$70].


The three types of bread on offer were a country white, a truffle brioche, and an olive bread.


Amuse Bouche: Jasmine Rice Sorbet | Salmon Roe
We began the meal with this demisphere of sorbet, made from jasmine rice, accompanied by ikura. Also known as Thai fragrant rice, the jasmine rice lent a distinct, ricey sweetness to the sorbet that definitely perked up my taste buds, especially when accented by the briny roe. The greenery, meanwhile, gave the amuse a lingering minty finish.


1: Pacific Yellowtail, Sashimi Style | Soy-Watermelon, Sea Sponge, Smoked Egg Yolk
Paringa, Sparkling Shiraz 2004
This was the only repeat from my meal at Hatchi, and given that it was identical, I'll just repeat what I said two days ago: "Here, we have a fascinating study in the interplay of sweet and savory. There was a lot going on, but the focus for me was the complex of hamachi, melon, and sea sponge (an admixture of dashi and gelatin). The yellowtail, in a sense, was a canvas; on one hand, it was kissed by the fruity essence of (compressed soy-) watermelon, with just a hint of rice, while on the other, the sponge and yolk provided a foil to an otherwise saccharine crudo, giving the whole amalgam a lingering, salty finish. Furthermore, the wasabi was instrumental in contributing a piquant tang, offsetting the gravitas of the rest of the dish. Finally, the wild rice gave things a delightful crunch, adding a bit of fun to a complex, contemplative dish."


2: Rougie Foie Gras | Grapefruit-Campari Puree, Parsnip, Soy
Crios de Susana Balbo, Torrentes 2008
Upon seeing this dish, I was expecting a distinctly sweet preparation of foie, something like the cranberry gelée-topped Foie Gras Terrine at Michael Mina's XIV. Rather, it was the savoriness of the soy that stood out to me, with the bittersweet grapefruit-Campari coming only in the finish. This approach emphasized the weight, the flavor of the foie, really forcing me to examine the richness and complexities of the liver. The parsnip "bark," at the same time, added some well-placed textural variety.


3: Langoustine Tempura | Vanilla Mayo, Rice Vinegar Pickles, Tomato Seeds
Cote du Tariquet, Chardonnay/Sauvignon 2006
Here, we have prawn, done tempura-style. The use of vanilla really emphasized the natural sweetness of the langoustine, which would've been too monolithic had it not been for the tart, tangy pickles (which had a great crunch) and "sexy tomato seeds." Both were instrumental in cutting the weight of the tempura, taking the place of tentsuyu, in a sense. I would've liked things done a bit crisper, however.


4: Pastrami Pigeon | Rye infused Jus, Brussels-Kraut, Puffed Gruyere Cheese
Trois Pistoles, Dark Ale on Lees
Apart from Saul's Pastrami (named after Saul Cooperstein, head of business development for SBE), this is Voltaggio's other signature pastrami dish. It consists of brined and marinated pigeon (Voltaggio makes it a point to emphasize pigeon, not squab) breast, crusted in spices, sliced thin. The "pastrami" is then served with puffed Gruyère, which lends an excellent weightiness to the bird, and brussels sprouts, which add a tangy vegetal component while providing a nice crunch. Finally, the pigeon is doused in a rye jus; the overall effect, which recalls the deconstructivist cuisine of Moto, is reminiscent of a Reuben sandwich.


5: Halibut Cheeks | Scrambled Cauliflower, Lemongrass-Scallion Froth
Biohof, Gruner Veltliner 2006
Taken from near the head, halibut cheeks are distinct from other cuts of halibut, being sweeter, richer, and more buttery. Here, I loved the cheek's flaky, supple texture and mouthwatering flavor. I would've been happy just eating the halibut by itself, but the tart notes of lemongrass elevated the dish even further, providing a fitting foil to the fish. And the cauliflower? Wonderful. A standout for me; I wanted a bigger piece!


6: Suckling Pig | Pistachio Beans, Onions, OJ, Coriander
August Kesseler, Pinot Noir
A suckling pig is a young hog that's only been fed with its mother's milk, and the example here was arguably my favorite course of the night. It was immensely flavorful, as expected, with a tender, fatty consistency to boot, heightened by the sweetness of cipollini onion. The key though was the cilantro, which effectively cut the gravity of the pork while leaving a long, lingering finish of coriander on my palate. I also appreciated the pistachio, which added a nutty, crunchy element to the dish.


7: Lamb Chop Confit | Vadouvan, Pickled Tongue, Eggplant-Raisin, Fresh Hummus
Margerum M5 2006
Vadouvan is a spice blend commonly used in Indian cookery. Its application here was subtle, but profound, and upon tasting the dish, I instantly recalled the sensation of eating a lamb curry. However, further layers of complexity were provided by the eggplant-raisin, which gave the lamb a sweet-smoky complement, and the sprouts, which provided a bracing tang that tempered the weight of the meat. Excellent.


Pre-Dessert: Lemon Verbena Sorbet | Raspberry Segments
Before dessert, we were presented with this intermezzo, a sorbet infused with the quintessence of lemon verbena. It had a powerful, herbaceous, lemony smack that formed a great interplay with the sweet bits of frozen raspberry.


8: Warm Peach Cobbler | Coconut Streusel, Thai Basil, Brown Butter Sorbet
Hana Hou Hou Shu Sparkling Sake
A peach cobbler is basically a baked amalgamation of peach and batter, but that's only half of the equation here. What made this really work for me were the basil seeds, which lent a pungent, minty tinge to the dish, forming a great interplay with the sugary peach. The sorbet, meanwhile, added depth and a nutty potency to the dessert, while the coconut made itself known on the finish. Very nice.


9: Chocolate-Vanilla | Baked Honey, Avocado Ice Cream, Lime
Max Ferd. Richter Graacher Himmerlicht, Riesling Spatlese
The meal proper ended with a rather innocuous-sounding "Chocolate-Vanilla." And indeed, the chocolate, and the vanilla, were fairly standard preparations. The focus here for me, thus, was strictly on the avocado ice cream. Tasting somewhat like a smooth, mild, cool guacamole, the avocado was a tad disconcerting at first I'll admit. Once it settled in though, I began to appreciate its lush, vegetal, nutty flavor and how it balanced the sweetness of the chocolate (especially when taken in concert with the mint-tarragon sauce). The baked honey crisp, meanwhile, mixed things up texturally.


Mignardises
I first tasted the strawberry pâte de fruits, replete with edible sugar wrapper, which was akin to eating a rectangular hexahedron of strawberry jam. More interesting was the "chocolate brick" with marcona almonds, apricot, and a "surprise," which turned out to be Pop Rocks! The resulting popping, tingling sensation in my mouth made for a fun end to the evening.

On my Hatchi post, I wrote that service "left something to be desired," so I'm glad that I was able to experience Voltaggio's cuisine in an environment where it wasn't a detractor. Coordinated by Robert Hartstein, service was nearly faultless, and certainly up to the level that I expected of The Dining Room. As for the food, Voltaggio's new menu is clearly a breath of fresh air, daring but not over-the-top, an inventive blend of traditional and modern, of the foreign and the familiar. Based on this experience, I think that The Dining Room is well on its way to becoming one of the most exciting restaurants in greater LA, and I look forward to what Voltaggio and his team have in store.