Animal (Los Angeles, CA)

Animal
435 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90048
323.782.9225
www.animalrestaurant.com
Tue 09/29/2009, 08:45p-11:35p



The story of Animal, one of 2008's most highly-lauded restaurant debuts, is the story of 2 Dudes: Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook. The dynamic duo met on their first day of class at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale--a classic case of love at first sight. After graduation, Dotolo and Shook worked on the lines at Michelle Bernstein's The Strand in South Beach, and continued to make their way around top kitchens in Florida: Mark Militello's Mark's, Oliver Saucy's Café Maxx, and Doug Reese's River House. The pair then headed west, stopping at Ray Roach's Wildflower Restaurant in Vail, before landing at the now-defunct Chadwick in 2001. At Chadwick, Dotolo and Shook were able to work with Govind Armstrong and Ben Ford, and it was Ford's celebrity connections that helped the dudes launch their catering company, Caramelized Productions. The success of the company led to a stint on the Food Network (2 Dudes Catering), and paved the way for a cookbook deal (the seemingly "Two Girls, One Cup"-inspired Two Dudes, One Pan) and the opening of Animal restaurant in June 2008 (apparently, with partner Benedikt Taschen). Animal quickly achieved widespread fame, and Dotolo and Shook were heralded as the Best New Chefs of 2009 from Food & Wine magazine, in addition to receiving a Best New Restaurant nomination from the James Beard Foundation.

Given Animal's eminence, I'm surprised that it took me this long to get here. The restaurant had been on my to-eat list for a while, but I finally went thanks to Selina, one of my readers. She'd organized this dinner with me, her friend Darryl, her brother Peter and two of his friends, as well as Danny of Kung Food Panda and Wesley of Two Hungry Pandas (with all this panda lovin', perhaps next time we should get Pandalicious and ilikepandas as well!).


Animal has no exterior signage, with the chefs preferring to spend the $5000 or so it would take to get a suitable sign on food-related wares. Look for Canter's Deli; Animal is four doors up in this largely Jewish neighborhood (all the more ironic given the restaurant's heavily porcine menu). Valet parking is available for $5.50, though nearly-impossible-to-find street parking is gratis after 6:00p.


Inside, Animal is a small restaurant indeed, accommodating under 50 guests. Spots can be hard to come by, so the small 7-seater tea-stained and copper-topped bar is available on a first come-first serve basis (the full menu is served here). The space is minimalist--bare concrete floors, stark off-white walls, uncomplicated beech tables and ash chairs--but yet is strangely warm and comforting. After conversing with Shook after dinner, we found out that nearly every part of the interior was thoughtfully placed, from the hostess stand to the banquets (off a yacht) to the retro light bulbs.


The seasonal menu is fairly large, and changes often, though there are a few mainstays, such as the infamous loco moco and bacon chocolate crunch bar. The result is a fun, interesting, casual comfort food experience. As for wine, Shook is in charge here, rotating the eclectic mix regularly, available by the glass, carafe, or bottle. Click for larger versions.


Selina and I are fans of the bubbles, while Darryl desired something "red," so we went with a bottle of the Cremant d'Alsace, Lucien Albrecht Brut Rose, NV Alsace [$53] to start. A fairly standard rosé, it showed fresh berry and apple flavors over a light, fizzy, crisp body--a fitting way to kick things off.


chicken liver toast [$3.00]
When our server brought this dish out to us, he indicated that the liver was topped with saba (grape must syrup). Upon mentioning this to Shook after dinner, the chef told us that the topping was in fact balsamic, and that the server "should've known better!" Getting back to the dish at hand, the essence of liver was strong in this one, but not overwhelming. The balsamic actually provided a sweet temper to the liver, while the bread also added a mitigating element, as well as a nice textural variation. A brazenly simple, yet profound dish.


pig ear, chili, lime, fried egg [$10.00]
Next was one of my favorite dishes--I could've snacked on the crisp, savory, delectable pig ears all night. However, I really appreciated the use of lime to counter the power of the pork, and the application of egg, which provided an overarching, luscious creaminess and richness to the whole dish. Perfectly balanced and superb.


barbeque pork belly sandwiches, slaw [$10.00]
And now, the first of two preparations of pork belly. The belly was exactly what I expected: unctuous, oozing oil, fatty, gelatinous, uncommonly heavy, breaking apart upon mastication. It was everything that pork belly should be, with a great sweetness as well. However, though the coleslaw was instrumental in moderating the gravitas of the meat, I felt that the sandwich needed much more of it.


pork belly, kimchi, peanuts, chili soy, scallion [$12.00]
Pork belly. Number two. The belly itself was very similar in consistency and body to that above; however, it's flavor was far more savory than sweet. Here, instead of slaw, the counterweight to the pork was the kimchi, its tart tanginess effectively and vitally cutting the richness of the belly. The peanuts, meanwhile, added a great crunch and nuttiness to the dish. Nice.


poutine, oxtail gravy, cheddar [$15.00]
The Saturday prior to this meal, at Crazy Hook in K-Town, after we consumed multiple 5-litre cylinders of Bud Light, Christine warned us about the poutine at Animal. Undeterred, we went ahead and ordered it anyway. Her main issue with the poutine was that it was overly salty, and indeed, the oxtail was suitably savory, heavy, and luxurious, but not overwhelmingly so in my opinion. Though the cheddar didn't play as much of a role I as I wanted it to, the surprisingly-crisp fries did form a superb complement to the gravy, providing a fitting base on which to consume the oxtail. Think of this as a high-class version of chili-cheese fries!


foie gras, biscuit, maple sausage gravy [$22.00]
I was a bit wary of this dish, as in general, sweet foie gras and I do not get along terribly well. Fortunately however, it wasn't nearly as sugary as I thought it'd be. The sapor of foie was strong on the attack, which then gave way to the mild, savory sweetness of the gravy, finally finishing with a strong blueberry note. I felt that this was one of the weaker courses of the meal, and though some swear by it, the dish just didn't work out for me.


At this point, I was thirsting for some beer, and decided to order up a bottle of the Ommegang Abbey Style Ale [$9], a Belgian Dubbel-style ale out of Cooperstown, NY. It was a tasty brew, with prototypical spicy, malty, slightly caramel-like flavors. After tasting the Ommegang, Danny and Wes were convinced to order their own brewskies: the Abita Amber [$6] from Abita Springs, Louisiana and Cooper's Sparkling Ale from Leabrook, Australia.


quail fry, grits, chard, slab bacon, maple jus [$28.00]
I could eat a bucket of this! Seriously, the quail was one of the highlights of the meal for me. The bird was suitably juicy and lip-smackingly flavorful, with tender flesh and a lovely layer of crispy fried skin. As good as the quail was on its own, I liked the use of chard, providing a nice bitter vegetal tang to things, as well as the grits, quite possibly the best version I've had anywhere. The only thing that seemed a bit out of place was the sweet and savory bacon, which was superfluous.


foie gras loco moco, quail egg, spam, hamburger [$35.00]
A uniquely Hawaiian delicacy, a traditional loco moco consists of hamburger (or sometimes Spam), topped with a fried egg and gravy, over rice. Animal's take on it, perhaps the restaurant's signature item, adds foie gras into the fray. Ironically, I liked everything except the foie. The burger was cooked rare and delicious, while the Spam proved to be suitably scrumptious as well. The rice, at the same, was somewhat of a mitigating factor. The foie, while deftly prepared, just seemed a bit out of place given the context.


tres leches, dulce de leche [$7.00]
Arguably my favorite type of cake, a tres leches ("three milk") is a sponge cake that's saturated with three kinds of milk. The example here was heightened by a very sweet, very dense frosting, as well as dulce le leche, giving the cake a caramel-tinged finish. Excellent.


panna cotta, saba [$7.00]
Panna cotta usually has a gelatin-like body, so we were somewhat baffled at this presentation, which was uncommonly creamy. We wondered if the dessert didn't set properly. In any case, despite the custard's unique consistency, the flavor was indeed intact, with mild notes of vanilla, accented by the tart saba syrup.


bacon chocolate crunch bar, s&p anglaise [$7.00]
Our final course of the night was the ever-popular bacon chocolate crunch, which Shook admitted was originally inspired by a Kit Kat bar! Despite the allure of bacon, its presence here was actually pretty slight. The tasty chocolate-nut complex was what came out strongest, with the bacon only adding a subtle salty counterpoint. Very good, though the anglaise wasn't particularly apparent.


After dinner, we were invited into the smallish kitchen to chat with chef/owner Jon Shook (Dotolo was in Italy at the time). Shook seemed quite affable, yet very serious and very passionate about his work at Animal, and we were able to garner some insights into his culinary philosophy, the story behind Animal, and his future plans. Interestingly, Shook mentioned that Animal was getting an ice cream machine in the near future. Naturally, I had to inquire about bacon ice cream, but Shook indicated that his preference is actually for more traditional flavors--we'll see what they come up with!

Before dining at Animal, I had a discussion about the place with a fellow foodie, who described the eatery as "definitely not fine dining." And indeed, the restaurant in comfy, cozy, casual. But at the same time it's ambitious, daring even. It sort of straddles the line for me. Though some of the flavors were a bit overzealous, a bit over-the-top, the experience overall was quite positive, and I can definitely see why the place is so popular. The Dudes have talked about opening a sandwich shop, a BBQ joint, a seafooder, a breakfast place even. Though Jon wouldn't elaborate, expect "something" by the end of the year--I can't wait.

Ashoka the Great (Artesia, CA)

Ashoka the Great
18614 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701
562.809.4229
www.ashokathegreat.com
Fri 09/25/2009, 07:05p-08:20p



Readers who have been following my tweets might have seen that I was planning on dining at Stonehill Tavern down in Dana Point this evening. Those plans, however, were subsequently foiled. With Stonehill out of the picture, my dining companion and I decided on Indian, something that we hadn't done in a while.

Ashoka was opened by a Punjabi immigrant, Darshan Singh. Singh arrived in the US in 1985, and worked in the Indian restaurant biz for two years prior to opening his own restaurant, named after Ashoka the Great. Ashoka (born Ashok Bindusara Maurya) was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled over the bulk of the Indian subcontinent in the second and third century BC. Somewhat ironically, the restaurant serves meat, despite the fact that Ashoka the Great was a noted proponent of vegetarianism.


Ashoka is located on the stretch of Pioneer Blvd in Artesia known as Little India (a.k.a. the "International and Cultural Shopping District"). Note the "A" from the Department of Public Health, which also appears prominently on the restaurant's web site (in <marquee> text no less--at least it's not <blink>). The reason why this is important is that, at one point, Ashoka was "C"-rated, much to the chagrin of the owner.


The decor is typical Indian restaurant chic, with booths lining the walls, tables in the middle, and the buffet station to one side. An interesting artifact, near the entrance, is a large board covered with photos of various Bollywood celebrities who have eaten at Ashoka.


Here we see Ashoka's menu, fairly prototypical for a Northern Indian restaurant; click for larger versions. In addition, Ashoka is well known for its $7.95 lunch buffet.


Upon being seated, we were quickly brought papadum, basically thin crispy wafers typically made from lentils. Ashoka's was actually one of the better versions I've had, with a nice bit of peppery spice and a lingering heat. Following the papadum came two jars: one with mint chutney, the other with pickles.


I started with my usual Mango Lassi [$1.99], a sweet mango- and yogurt-based drink.


Beer in India began with the British importing it to the country during the early 1700's. The English even created the famous Indian Pale Ale (IPA) style, a highly-hopped brew designed to withstand the long voyage to India. The Brits eventually set up breweries in the country to brew their IPAs, but ironically, most breweries in India ditched the style in favor of lagers during the 20th century, and to this very day, no major brewer in the country produces an IPA.

Getting back to the beer at hand, we first ordered up a Taj Mahal Premium Lager [$5.75], from giant United Breweries Group out of Banglore. UB has a roughly 50% market share, and also produces India's best-selling beer, Kingfisher. The Taj Mahal was fairly nondescript by itself, with light carbonation and not much in terms of flavor, but went decently with the food. The next beer was much more interesting: the Old Monk 10000 [$5.75] from Chennai's Mohan Breweries & Distilleries Ltd. It was easily the most interesting Indian beer I've had, with a flavor that reminded me of watered-down whiskey! The brewery also makes Golden Eagle, a more mainstream lager.

Ashoka actually had the most interesting selection of Indian beers I've encountered, and had we not been so full from the food, we would've certainly ordered up more bottles. Perhaps the Haywards 5000 and Royal Challenge from Mumbai's Shaw Wallace & Company Ltd (now part of SABMiller)? Or maybe India Special from Yuksom Breweries out of Sikkim (they also make Himalayan Blue, Yeti, and Dansberg)? Definitely Manav Breweries' Karma from Ghaziabad. Next time.


Vegetable Samosa [$1.99]
I usually like to start my meals with some samosas, basically fried pastry tetrahedra stuffed with potatoes and peas. The examples here were some of the better ones I've had, with particularly crisp shells, lovely spice on the potatoes, and great use of peas. Though they could've easily stood on their own, the samosas came with a tamarind chutney, which provided a sweet counterpoint to the savory turnovers.


Chicken Pakora [$3.25]
A popular snack food, pakoras consist of a main ingredient, in this case chicken, battered in chickpea/gram flour and deep fried. Though the chicken was a bit dry, I did appreciate its delicately spiced flavor, heightened by the application of mint chutney.


Fish Pakora [$3.99]
For pakoras, fish is a less common filling. The examples here were good enough, but the essence of the fish was overpowered somewhat by the batter, resulting in a rather monolithic eating experience. I much preferred the chicken version, though once again, the mint chutney did help things.


Basmati Boiled Rice [$2.95]
Garlic Naan [$1.75]
To go with our mains, we requested the typical accoutrements of basmati rice and garlic naan. Disappointingly, the Cheese Kulcha [$2.25] we ordered failed to make an appearance.


Chicken Tikka Masala [$7.99]
When trying out an Indian restaurant for the first time, I invariably get the chicken tikka masala, which I use as a sort of gauge. The irony is that it isn't even a "true" Indian dish; rather, it was created in Great Britain by a purportedly Pakistani chef. Nevertheless, the dish is immensely popular, and I've seen variations of it at every Indian restaurant I've been to. Chicken tikka masala is made from chicken tikka (spice- and yogurt-marinated chicken chunks baked in a tandoor), served in a creamy tomato-based masala, or mixed spice, sauce. The example at Ashoka was certainly a tasty preparation, though the chicken could've been more tender. I enjoyed the sauce, which was somewhat lighter and less tart than usual, allowing the chicken to take center stage.


Lamb Palak [$7.99]
Palak refers to a style of curry dish made with spinach and an assortment of spices (the distinction between "saag," I believe, is that saag curries have mustard leaves in addition to spinach). The most popular variant is palak paneer, a cheese and spinach curry. Meat can also be used, with chicken and lamb being the animals of choice. We chose lamb this time, and noted that the meat was robust in flavor, a bit gamy in fact--very distinctly lamb. This wasn't a problem though, as the spinach effectively tempered the power of the meat, leaving a long, vegetal finish on the palate.


Matar Paneer [$5.95]
Finally, we have a dish of mattar (peas) and paneer (cheese) in a tangy, spicy, savory sauce. This was actually my favorite dish of the night, with the firm yet yielding consistency of the paneer, as well as its mildly tangy flavor, being especially notable. The peas were just as important, with their vegetal smack providing a key counterweight to the gravity of the dish.


Gulab Jamun [$1.75]
Despite being ridiculously full at this point, I saved room for dessert (which seems to occupy its own separate compartment in my stomach). We went with the gulab juman, spheroids of khoya (a cheese product) garnished in a sugary rosewater syrup. It was one of the best I've had: hot, buttery, sweet, rich, delicious.

In the end, though Ashoka doesn't really bring anything new to the table, it's still a nice place to get tasty, dependable preparations of classic North Indian fare; I would have no qualms about coming back. Look at it this way: if Ashoka's good enough for the likes of Sanjay Dutt and Satish Shah, it's good enough for me.

A.O.C. (Los Angeles, CA)

A.O.C.
8022 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048
323.653.6359
www.aocwinebar.com
Sun 09/20/2009, 06:45p-09:00p



Regular readers may recall that early this year, I ventured to Madison, WI to attend the graduation of my former Berkeley roommate, who'd just finished medical school at UW-Madison. While there, we dined at the City's most vaunted restaurant, L'Etoile. Well, my former apartment-mate is starting at UCLA this fall for his PhD, and just moved out here to Los Angeles. I wanted to take him out for his first real meal here in the City, hence this dinner at A.O.C. I chose the place not only for its menu, but for its chef, Suzanne Goin--Goin started her career at Chez Panisse, the very place where I'd had my first fine dining experience during my undergrad years at Cal, an experience that I shared with this same roommate.

But the A.O.C. story starts much further back than that. Goin grew up in Southern California as part of a well-to-do, foodie family. Her parents planned their vacation itineraries around restaurants (sounds like me), and regularly took the young Goin to LA's finest establishments, places like L'Ermitage and Ma Maison (for her senior project, in 1984, Goin even spent three weeks here working in pastry), thus cementing her passion for food. Goin attended Brown as a history major, and during that time, worked at Al Forno Restaurant in Providence, RI. After graduation, she started a small restaurant in the area, but yearned for something bigger; that's when she applied to work at Chez Panisse. Alice Waters recognized Goin's talents quickly, and the young chef worked upstairs at the iconic Californian for two years, an experience that would have a profound impact on her developing culinary style. After Chez Panisse, Goin moved to France, where she was able to work at Alain Passard's legendary eatery L'Arpège. Following, Goin made a stop in Boston at Todd English's Olives before landing at Mark Peel (another Chez Panisse alum) and Nancy Silverton's Campanile in 1995. In 1998, Goin teamed up with partner Caroline Styne to open up Lucques, which became wildly successful, allowing Goin to write a cookbook (Sunday Suppers at Lucques, with a forward by Alice Waters) and open A.O.C. at the end of 2002, also with Styne. In addition, Goin and Styne recently opened Tavern in 2008, and Goin also co-owns The Hungry Cat (2005) with husband David Lentz.

The inspiration for A.O.C. stemmed from two sources. First, Goin and Styne noticed that the small bar at Lucques was turning out to be quite popular; the pair wanted to create an entire restaurant that would duplicate the atmosphere at Lucques' bar. Second, both women were fond of grazing on appetizer plates and sipping interesting wines for dinner; wouldn't it be nice if there were a restaurant catering just to that? Thus, A.O.C. was born. The name is short for Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, a French term meaning "controlled term of origin." It signifies a certification given to certain geographically-defined agricultural products, including alcohol (e.g. Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Calvados), cheese (from Roquefort to Reblochon to Rigotte de Condrieu), and other such items (Lescure Beurre des Charentes, Poulet de Bresse, Lentilles du Puy, Miel de Corse Châtaigneraie). Though A.O.C. is most definitely small plates, don't you dare call it "tapas." The food here is meant to be much more, with each dish designed to be complex and interesting enough on its own. Diners can decide to nosh merely on a slice of Tomme de Savoie, or they can create their own multi-course "degustation."


A.O.C's space previously housed L.A. Trattoria, and retains its wood-fired oven, which once churned out some of the City's only official Neapolitan pizzas. Compared to Lucques, A.O.C.'s Barbara Barry-penned interior is more urbane, less rustic, more monochromatic, less cozy, sparer, but more elegant. Above, we see a 180-degree view of the space, starting with the charcuterie and fromage counter to the left, moving along the dark shelves hugging the walls, past banquets and tables in the main dining space, before ending at the 16-seater bar, home to the 50-wine Cruvinet dispenser.


The menu is shown above; click for a larger version. Note that an entire page is dedicated to cheese.


A.O.C's selection of 25 whites and 25 reds (by the glass or carafe), along with two flights, is large but manageable; click for larger versions. Naturally, there's also a considerable list of wines by the bottle as well.


Upon being seated, a small plate of bread appeared without hesitation. It was competent, but what was much more interesting was its accompaniment, described as our server as harissa, basically a North African condiment made from ancho chilies, garlic, and cumin, among other ingredients. It had a smoky/spicy/sweet flavor that went surprisingly well with the bread.


Being a fan of the bubbles, I started with the Flight of Sparkling Wines [$25], consisting of the Cremant de Bourgogne, Parigot & Richard, Rosé NV; Bouzy, Camille Saves, Grand Cru NV; and Moscato d'Asti, Elio Perrone "Sourgal", Italy '08. Though the glasses were individually numbered, really such markings were redundant. The three sparklers couldn't have been more different: the citrus tang and vermilion tinge of the rosé; the dry, toasty notes of the Champagne; and the juicy, sweet savor of the Moscato.


Gulf Shrimp, Smoked Tomato Butter and Cornbread [$14.00]
Upon arriving at the table, the dish gave out an aroma reminiscent of the Indian standby murgh makhani, or butter chicken; must've been the butter and tomato! The shrimp themselves were deftly cooked, firm, plump, with their natural flavor still intact. The crustaceans' sweetness was countered by the inherent tanginess of the sauce, as well as its marked richness. They were served with the shells still on, and though my dining companion meticulously de-shelled the shrimp, I devoured them shell and all. I must admit though that I didn't quite "get" the cornbread; it was tasty enough, having soaked up all the goodness in the sauce, but seemed a bit out of place.


Halibut, Salt Cod Gratin, Sorrel and Garlic [$17.00]
I always appreciate a good halibut, and this was no exception: firm yet yielding, mildly flaky, and uncommonly juicy, with an excellent crust, accented beautifully by sorrel and garlic. The star of the show for me, though, was the salt cod gratin. Supremely savory, yet not overpowering, it formed a fantastic foil to the comparatively delicate halibut. Delish.


Brioche with Prosciutto, Gruyère and Egg [$14.00]
With these ingredients in one dish, it'd be pretty hard to screw things up--think a classy Egg McMuffin! You have a base of toasty brioche, which is complemented by the salty ham and heavy, rich cheese, while the egg adds further creaminess and heft. This whole complex, however, is mitigated by the frisée, which adds a lightness and levity to the whole course. I'd like to see this dish with asparagus substituted for the frisée; I think its bitterness would make for a nice contrast.


Arroz Negro with Squid and Saffron Aïoli [$14.00]
Arroz negro is a classic Catalonian/Valencian dish of rice flavored with squid ink, served with squid. Here, the use of ink gave the rice base a slightly tangy, somewhat briny flavor, which was superb. The rice was tasty enough on its own, but the squid rings added a distinct sweetness, as well as a chewy textural element. I also much appreciated the use of onions and garlic, which gave the dish a certain bite and buoyancy. Excellent.


Lamb Sausage, Orecchiette, Peppers and Ricotta [$14.00]
When ordering this dish, we expected the sausage to come out in traditional tubular sausage form, not in bits. Nevertheless, the morsels of lamb present were indeed quite delicious--immensely flavorful and backed with an herbal tang. I wanted more of it! As good as the lamb was, I did appreciate the use of orecchiette (ear-shaped pasta) here, their mild flavor balancing the substantial sapor of the sausage.


Barbecued Pork Spareribs with Coleslaw [$14.00]
And for our last savory course, we have a classic BBQ presentation of pork spareribs. Though a standard preparation, it proved nonetheless delectable, with a sweet yet savory smack and a consistency that was nearly falling-off-the-bone. Gimme a whole rack please! The coleslaw, meanwhile, effectively tempered the weight of the meat, and was scrumptious in its own right.


At this point, we were presented with a small selection of desserts and dessert wines; click for a larger version.


To drink, I went with the Amontillado, La Cosecha 15 Year [$11], a dry sherry with a sensational lingering nutty finish.


Ibarra Chocolate Cake with Spiced Pepitas and Dulce de Leche Ice Cream [$10.00]
Ibarra refers to a brand of chocolate from Mexico, commonly used to make hot cocoa. Because of that perhaps, the resultant cake here was actually quite mild in sugariness. Most of the sweetness, thus, came from the superb dulce de leche ice cream (which I wanted more of). The combination of cake and ice cream made for a great pairing, one that was accented expertly by the spicy pepitas and tangy mascarpone.


Peach Ice Cream Sandwich with Graham Cracker Cookies, Bourbon and Pecans [$10.00]
Who can resist an ice cream sandwich? I certainly couldn't. The peach ice cream was "peachy" indeed, imbued with the saccharine essence of the fruit. The cookies, thus, were a great complement, countering the peach's sweetness with a wonderful cinnamon-y spice. I didn't get much from the Bourbon, however.

I love the concept here: small plates of Cal-Med, reasonably-priced wine, how could you go wrong with that right? The key for me though is that the fare at A.O.C. is actually quite swell: a menu based on fresh, local, seasonal California ingredients and rustic Mediterranean flavors. The dishes at A.O.C. are almost always bold, honest, simple yet complex, familiar yet exciting. Nearly everything sounds good and everything that I had was good; it's a system that encourages trying, and sharing. No wonder the place is so popular--A.O.C. gets an A-OK from me.

Dal Rae (Pico Rivera, CA)

Dal Rae
9023 Washington Blvd, Pico Rivera, CA 90660
323.723.4427
www.dalrae.com
Sun 09/13/2009, 07:20p-09:30p



In the restaurant business, where eateries open and close with seemingly reckless abandon, Dal Rae, founded in 1958, must seem positively prehistoric. Brothers Ben and Bill Smith opened the restaurant in May of that year, and despite being in business for over half a century, the menu, and the vibe, have remained largely static. Ownership of Dal Rae was eventually passed to Ben's sons, Kevin and Lorin, who'd grown up immersed in the family business. They've successfully continued to secure Dal Rae's status as an iconic, "old school" eatery, and pride themselves on the restaurant's personalized service and long-time customers and staff, some of whom have been dining at or working at the restaurant for over 30 years. As an interesting aside, there was once another Dal Rae, located in Fullerton at the intersection of Harbor and Bastanchury--it had a "colorful" history.


The interior, renovated most recently in 1999, is pretty much what you'd expect: classic trimmings, lots of dark wood, and some big-ass booths. Lighting, however, was considerably brighter than I'd anticipated. In addition to the main dining room pictured above, there's also a bar/lounge replete with live entertainment, as well as a patio area (where smoking is permitted). There's even free WiFi, just in case you have the urge to live tweet a meal!


With over 100 items, the menu is vast to say the least, with nearly all your favorite continental classics represented. Steak Diane? You bet. Veal Oscar? No problemo. The wines by the glass list, disappointingly, is largely focused on typical American producers, with a French and an Italian sparkler representing the only international flair. Click for larger versions.


A relish tray, containing two types of peppers, pickles, radishes, carrots, and celery, was quick to appear on the table.


The relish was followed up rapidly by the bread basket, filled with three types of bread: sourdough, sesame breadstick in plastic, and a spicy crispy flat bread. Later on, a delicious cheesy garlic bread was also presented.


We began with bubbles: the Gloria Ferrer Brut NV Carneros California [$9.75], basically your prototypical dry California sparkler, and the Castello Banfi Brachetto d'Acqui "Rosa Regale" Piedmont Italy [$9.75], a very sugary, very viscous libation that was reminiscent of the FRV100 I'd had at LudoBites and Church & State.


Oysters Rockefeller [$15.95]
Sure, I've had "oysters Rockefeller" before, but I believe this was the first time I'd had the real deal. The dish, first developed in 1899 at Antoine's in New Orleans, consists of oysters on the half-shell, baked with chopped bacon, spinach, Pernod, Parmesan, and Hollandaise. It was indeed named after the one-and-only John Davison Rockefeller, because, as with Rockefeller, the oysters too were very "rich." Getting back to the dish at hand, the oysters' flavor was very subtle, appearing mostly on the finish, and the mollusks were there mostly for texture; I wonder what type of oyster was used, definitely not Kumamoto that's for sure! Taste-wise, things were dominated by the complex of cheese and bacon, a delectable duo--savory, salty, and suitably stout--with a slight smack of spinach as well, and perked up by the optional application of lemon. All in all, I quite enjoyed this.


Cottage Fried Potatoes [$8.95]
For our side, we were debating between the creamed corn and sautéed spinach, but settled on these potatoes at the urging of our server. It was a great recommendation; served with onion and jalapeno, the dish was delicious indeed--I especially appreciated how the potatoes still had a bit of a crunch to them. The taters were mild in flavor on their own, but went beautifully with the cheesy sauce, accented by the tang of onion and pepper.


Now, for white wines, we went with the prototypical Beringer Chardonnay "Private Reserve" Napa Valley 2006 California [$12.50] and the very light Francis Coppola Pinot Grigio "Bianco" California [$8.25]. And a red to go with the steak: a single glass of the surprisingly good Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon "Estate" Alexander Valley 2006 California [$14.00].


Lobster Thermidor, Dal Rae [$44.00]
Dal Rae Famous Pepper Steak, Prime New York (16oz) [$37.95]
It was now time for our mains, which our server conveniently split up into two plates. First up was the Lobster Thermidor, named for Victorien Sardou's play of the same name. A French dish, it was created in 1894 at the Parisian restaurant Marie's. Here, it consisted of sautéed lobster with mushrooms, onions, cream sauce, Hollandaise, and Parmesan, browned, served in a shell. Again, this was a very weighty dish, with the creamy, luscious sauce taking center stage. However, despite this gravitas, the lobster was still apparent, both texturally as well as on the finish--decadent, and quite delicious.

The steak, however, wasn't quite as ambrosial. Perhaps I've just been spoiled by CUT-level steak, but I found the meat somewhat tough, and weak on flavor. However, the course was saved somewhat by the topping of pepper, scallion, bacon, and bell pepper, which proved a lovely accoutrement to the strip. The classic combination of steak and lobster, our own version of surf & turf in a sense, also came with green beans, which were unexpectedly good; I'd imagined something very mushy and limp, but these had a nice, light snap to them.


Entrées at Dal Rae come with your choice of side, and we went with nicely-lumpy garlic mashed potatoes and a surprisingly tasty, not tired, rice pilaf.


Though we were sated at this point, we always save room for dessert. The dessert menu, with all your usual suspects, is shown above; click for a larger version.


Ahh, the joys of tableside preparation...something that's becoming rarer and rarer these days. Who doesn't enjoy a good flambé? It's like dinner and a show.


Banana Flambe for 2 [$8.50 per person]
Though not explicitly named on the menu, this was basically Bananas Foster, a dessert created in 1951 at Brennan's in New Orleans. Here, it consisted of bananas sautéed with butter and brown sugar, which were then flambéed in a concoction of Amaretto di Amore, DeKuyper crème de banana, and Ron Antigua rum. The bananas were thus served with nuts and peach, over vanilla ice cream. I quite liked the end result, with the ice cream proving a great base and temper for the caramelized bananas, accented deftly by the use of almonds. The once piece that seemed out of place was the peach, which was overly sugary compared to the rest of the dish.

Though I came into Dal Rae not expecting much, I must say that I liked my time here for the most part. Sure, there's not anything new brought to the table, but given the modern, molecular, avant garde, intellectual fare that's all the rage these days, perhaps sometimes it's good to step back and return to these straightforward, comforting classics, which never seem to go out of style completely. Obviously, there is a place for ostensively anachronous institutions like Dal Rae; it's been around for 50 years--they must be doing something right! Just go in knowing what to expect, and you'll be fine.

BondSt (Beverly Hills, CA)

BondSt
9360 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
310.601.2255
www.bondstrestaurant.com
Wed 09/09/2009, 08:20p-12:35a



Things were not looking up for BondSt: Trendy hotel location...check. Ubiquitous miso-marinated cod...check. "Beautiful" clientele...check. Pricey cocktails...check. "Scene-y" vibe...check. Attractive AMW waitstaff clad in black...check. Mediocre Asian "fusion" fare...well, not so fast.

Had I been here a year earlier, I'm sure that the last box would've been checked as well. BondSt started out, well, on Bond St, in New York that is. The place opened over a decade ago, and quickly established itself as one of the premier spots to go to for hip, trendy, Asian-inspired fare, thus paving the way for future outposts in Miami and here in Beverly Hills (opened in early 2008). But owners Jonathan Morr and Steven Durbahn made a grave miscalculation in simply importing the original BondSt to Los Angeles, largely unchanged--they even kept the same chef: Hiroshi Nakahara. But we Angelinos, raised in the birthplace of the Nobu empire--the sushi capital of the United States--were not impressed with the dated vittles, which apparently would've been considered cutting edge about ten years ago when the first location opened. The capstone of the duo's misstep here was arguably the gleaming zero-star review from The Notorious S.I.V.

Enter Brian Redzikowski, November 2008. The Long Island native comes from a family of chefs, and broke into the biz at the tender age of 15, working as a plongeur alongside his brother (the chef) at The Hollowbrook Inn in upstate New York. Redzikowski was eventually promoted to working the line, and subsequently enrolled at the CIA in 1999. He graduated in 2001 with honors, and had the opportunity to work at such leading NY restaurants as Le Cirque, Alain Ducasse at Essex House, Le Bernardin, and Christian Delouvrier's now-shuttered Lespinasse. Redzikowski then ventured south to Orlando, Florida to work as a sous chef at Epcot Center's Bistro de Paris, before embarking on a trip throughout Southeast Asia, an experience that would greatly shape his cooking style. Upon returning to the States, he landed at Matsuhisa's second location in Aspen, Colorado, where he spent two years learning the art of Japanese cuisine.

Joël Robuchon opened his eponymous restaurant in Las Vegas in 2005, and Redzikowski was eager to work for the French master. He successfully garnered a spot at Robuchon, and under the tutelage of Chef de Cuisine Tomonori Danzaki, achieved sous chef status in two years. Redzikowski's next move would be just up the Strip, to the Bellagio, where he would helm the kitchens at Yellowtail for one-and-a-half years. It was here that he would meet his future employers, Durbahn and Morr, who recruited him to revitalize the ailing BondSt. At BondSt, Redzikowski has focused on blending his classical French roots, modern cooking technique, and his passion for Asian cuisine to create a market-driven, seasonal, local, product-centric menu targeted toward the sophisticated LA palate. So far, it seems to be working.

But even with its new toque and revamped menu, BondSt probably wouldn't have appeared on my culinary radar had it not been for burgeoning restaurant review site FoodDigger, which sponsored this TastEvent. I was joined by a nonet of local food bloggers: Caroline of Caroline on Crack, Christine of Folie à Choisauce, Danny of Kung Food Panda, Evelina (sans Wes) of Two Hungry Pandas, H.C. of L.A. and O.C. Foodventures, Holly of The Michelin Project, Jackie of Citynitz, Liz of Food She Thought, and Sarah of The Delicious Life/TasteSpotting. Brian, Eddy, Marshal, and Will from FoodDigger were also in attendance. Given Redzikowski's pedigree, I was eager to see if he really had turned things around here. And if you've been following his Twitter, you'd know that Redzikowski himself had perhaps been even more excited, tweeting anxiously about the dinner for weeks prior to the event.


BondSt is situated in the 107-room Thompson Beverly Hills, a luxury, "lifestyle" hotel that was known as the Best Western Beverly Pavilion in its past life, before it underwent a $10 million dollar renovation (on top of the $24 million price tag) at the hands of Dodd Mitchell Design and (fer) Studio. You can struggle with street parking, but I'd go for the valet, at $7. Though the 130-seat BondSt is located on the Thompson's ground floor, we were instead whisked away to the hotel's roof, home to the pool, private cabanas, the fitness center, and the guests-only ABH (Above Beverly Hills) bar/lounge. We were seated in ABH's 12-person "tasting room," where we were treated to gorgeous views of the BH as well as free wi-fi (so Caroline could get her live tweet on!).


Almost immediately upon being seated, this cocktail was thrust before me. It was a Lemon Saketini, comprised of Belvedere vodka, sake, and lemon sour; it was actually surprisingly palatable, with the sweetness and weight of the sake proving a great temper to the power of the vodka.


The meal began with a discussion of FoodDigger's revised Flavor Match algorithm, which strives to match the food preferences of the site's users to create more meaningful restaurant review results. The newest results are shown in the matrix above; click for a larger version. I've summarized the matches in the table below, and have also reprinted the relevant results from the last event at LudoBites.

Evelina

Liz

Will

Brian

Danny

Eddy

Caroline

H.C.

Holly

Jackie

Marshal

Christine

Current Match

V High

V High

V High

High

High

High

Med

Med

Med

Med

Med

Low

Previous Match

79

n/a

79

73

97

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

61

n/a

Note that Sarah is conspicuously absent, as she did not answer the Flavor Match questionnaire in time. Note also the correlation between new and old matches--I'd say that the new version is a bit more true-to-life.


Above, we see the special 12-course FoodDigger degustation--click for a larger version. Apparently, Redzikowski is working on incorporating a daily tasting menu into BondSt's carte. Wine pairings were graciously provided by the FoodDigger staff, with Brian specifically taking the lead as sommelier.


Amuse Bouche: Prosecco Sangria | edible
We started with a course that Redzikowski had been developing the week prior to the event. It was a reimagined sparkling wine sangria, made from Rainier and Bing cherries, along with yuzu and lemon. The "sphere" itself was expectedly saccharine, and slightly creamy in fact, with a fascinating soft, dense consistency. It was balanced nicely by the light, tart citrus granita, though I would've preferred a stronger tinge of Prosecco to counter the abundant sweetness. Liz thought that it'd make a great intermezzo, a pre-dessert or palate cleanser, and I'd agree with her.


1: Quail Egg | canadian chanterelles, parsley, prosciutto
Theo Minges 2007 Riesling Germany
Next was one of the table favorites: chanterelle mushrooms in chanterelle foam, on quail egg, with Prosciutto di Parma, on top of parsley purée. It was a multilayered, multifaceted affair, with the parsley coming in on the attack, which then gave way to the saltiness of the ham and earthiness of the mushroom, before leading to the creaminess of the egg, finally finishing with the bracing herbaceous tang of parsley. The key here was the vegetable, which effectively cut the gravity of the Prosciutto and chanterelles, though perhaps it was a touch too strong. Interestingly, Christine mentioned that the dish reminded her of the escargot at LudoBites.


2: Foie Gras | spiced rice crispy treats, yogurt in three forms
Palari Faro 2003 Spain
Overly-sweet foie gras is a bane of mine, so I was naturally concerned when this came out: caramelized and seared foie gras over a Rice Krispies square, with lemon pepper, cacao, basil, and a yogurt three-way (plain, powder, and chip). It was quite sugary in fact, but I think that it was so sugary that it actually made the dish work! The Rice Krispies treat, with its subtle spice, was a superb accompaniment to the foie, both in terms of taste and texture, seemingly simultaneously supplementing, yet subduing it. The course was almost dessert-like initially, and it was only on the late midpalate that the essence of liver began to show its face, resulting in a long, lingering finish of foie.


3: Alaskan King Crab | in its butter, preserved meyer lemon
Zuiyo Junmai Sake
This was one of my favorites: king crab cooked in crab butter (innards), with meyer lemon. After enjoying the crab's heady bouquet, I first tasted the natural sweetness of the crustacean, which then gave way to an intense, briny savoriness, accentuated by the citrus. Superb texturally as well, with the crab's flesh firm, yet yielding, breaking apart upon mastication.


4: Santa Barbara Spot Prawn | ravioli, beets, ultra mini onion, red pepper jus
Le Grand Vallon Condrieu 2007 France
Another strong course. Here, I first tried one "raviolo" by itself, and appreciated the natural sweetness of the shrimp, along with the pasta's crispy skin. Next, eating everything together, I enjoyed how the prawn's sapor was finished by the marked spiciness of the chili jus, and how the onion provided a distinct levity and tang to the dish.


5: Halibut | parsley, garlic, beurre rouge
Louis Latour 2006 Montagny Premier Cru France
Next was a lovely halibut, prepared sous vide, doused with Cabernet sauce, and served with compressed eggs and parsley/garlic chips. I quite liked the fish's flaky, somewhat buttery texture, as well as its mild, delicately briny smack. The egg yolks were great in adding creaminess and weight to the halibut, while the parsley formed a fitting vegetal contrast.


At this point in the meal, we took a brief intermission as Will took us to see the "kitchen," which Redzikowski described as a "closet." It couldn't have been more than 200 square feet, but utilizing the the main kitchen, on the ground floor, just wouldn't have been feasible. Two turntables and a microphone? More like two induction burners and an immersion circulator.


6: Japanese Bouillabaisse | lobster, squid, uni rouille
Le Galatin Rose Bandol 2008
Here we have one of the restaurant's most vaunted dishes: a Japanese-style bouillabaisse with shrimp, squid, lobster, whitefish, and quenelles (a term that humorously flummoxed one of our servers) of sea urchin rouille, in a red pepper-based broth. I loved the dish's positively intoxicating aroma, saturated with the essence of the sea. This continued onto the palate, where I was able to enjoy the flavor of each of the various types of seafood presented, all deftly cooked. Furthermore, the rouille and broth created a fantastic, fiery foil to the other ingredients, and I eagerly drank down the left over soup, imbued with the briny essence of the seafood. I also appreciated the presentation, with the use of sand, stones, and other tchotchkes reminiscent of some of the plating I've seen at Joël Robuchon


7: "Vietnamese Sandwich" | baguette, pork, pickled carrots
Singha Beer
If you've been following the chef on Twitter, you'd've seen that this was a dish he'd been working on for some time. It was also the item that I was most looking forward to. Basically Redzikowski's interpretation of the classic Vietnamese banh mi sandwich, it consisted of soy-cured pork, hoisin, daikon, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and serrano chile, all on a housemade mini-baguette. The meat itself was robust indeed, and further elevated by the sweet and spicy hoisin. However, it was superbly contrasted by the tart, crunchy pickled veggies, and the cilantro especially. Though Redzikowski's banh mi didn't stray too far from the original, it was nevertheless quite delicious; my only quibble was that the baguette could've been softer.


Before our final savory course, we took a quick trip to the bar, where I ordered up my classic Mojito (10-Cane Rum, Fresh Lime, Sugar, Mint & Club Soda), a solid though not stellar version. Holly had The Cartel (Belvedere Orange, Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Muddled Jalapeno, Sugar Rim), which was much more interesting, with a rather intense fire that persisted on my palate for nearly a minute.


8: Sonoma Lamb Shoulder | potato puree, carrot-ginger "cappuccino"
Txakoli Xarmant Spain
And now, lamb shoulder, over potato purée, topped with a ginger-carrot foam. The lamb itself was superb--tender and supremely flavorful, it was reminiscent of a braised preparation. It easily stood on its own, but I also liked the sweet-spicy counterbalance provided by the foam, as well as the tempering effect of the potato.


9: Mochi Donuts | candied rhubarb, yogurt, coconut ice cream
Domaine de Piaugier Sablet 2007 France
And now, for our first dessert: Redzikowski's famous mochi donuts. Their fame is well deserved; the mochi was heavy, dense, chewy, with a sweet, rich, delectable sapor (must be the ricotta in there). They were fun to eat alone, but even better with the coconut ice cream and yogurt, which formed an effective counter to the gravitas of the mochi. Excellent.


10: "Mango Lassi" | traditional flavors
Apparently, the mango lassi is one of the chef's favorite libations. It's originally a South Asian concoction, a yogurt-based drink mixed with cream and mango. Redzikowski's version uses mango chip, mango gelée, and mint oil, along with a yogurt sponge. The end result recalls the classic lassi, a refreshing blend of sweet and tart, though I would've liked a bit more yogurt to balance things out.



11: "Bazooka Joe" | on the rocks
We finished with a troika of treats. First up was the vermilion-tinted Bazooka Joe shot, made with strawberry, rhubarb, and Veev (and acai-based spirit); it mimicked the flavor of bubble gum, reminding me of Big Red soda in fact. Next was the curry popcorn, which was superb: think popcorn, but with a subtle curry kick; Christine went through several bags! Last was the strawberry bonbon, wrapped in an origami-inspired paper box.


After the meal, Chef Redzikowski came out to chat with us for a while, also handing out and signing the menus.

With Redzikowski at the helm, I expected a unique, fun dining experience, and I got just that. With his considerable pedigree and experience, Redzikowski has successfully managed to blend French, Asian, Californian, and even molecular techniques here, creating dishes that are a departure from the norm, exciting, and even a bit avant garde, though I think he's still maturing as a chef, still defining his style, with room to grow. Since taking over the kitchens at BondSt, Redzikowski has made significant progress in erasing the mistakes of years past, and from what I've read, has been able to nearly double the number of reservations made at the restaurant--I can see why. After being panned by foodies and critics alike, let's hope that BondSt can survive and prosper under Redzikowski's newfound leadership.