Nozomi (Torrance, CA)

Nozomi
1757 W Carson St, Torrance, CA 90501
310.320.5511
www.sushinozomi.com
Tue 12/29/2009, 05:30p-08:20p




In a strip mall in the heart of Torrance's Japanese community (and just a stone's throw away from Torihei), you'll find a restaurant that was, in its previous life, known as Kazan. Back in its day, Kazan was a solid, though somewhat unremarkable eatery, and thus, in July 2007, it was sold and rechristened Nozomi. Nozomi has, for the most part, stayed fairly low-key, remaining a locals-only type of joint, garnering its share of mixed reviews in the process. In fact, I wouldn't even have known about the place had it not been for one of my dining companions, who'd eaten here previously. The restaurant generally receives shipments of fish from the Tsukiji and Fukuoka fish markets on Tuesday and Friday, so we decided to visit on a Tuesday, figuring that we could grab the full attention of the kitchen on a typically "slow" night.



Inside, it's about what you'd expect, with seating for about 40 people in a main dining area as well as two private rooms. We, of course, sat at the bar, front and center before the more senior sushi chef, Yasu-san (the other, off to the side, was Taka-san).

Nozomi offers a fairly extensive menu of dishes, both cooked and raw, including such insipid items as California Rolls (see the complete menu on the official web site here), but the best way to dine at Nozomi is to toss the carte aside, and simply let the chef do his thing. During our meal, Yasu-san even mentioned that he was having fun, as he normally doesn't get to show off the extent of his abilities.


Above, we see Nozomi's drink menu; click for larger versions. The restaurant offers a sundry selection of beer, wine, sake, and shochu, all at reasonable costs. Recently, I chided Torihei for their ridiculous sake prices. Fortunately, things are much more down to earth here; the high-end Kubota Manju that sold for $240 at Torihei is an affordable $100 at Nozomi. Interestingly, the premium sake list (the two photos on the right) was only brought out later, after the staff deemed us "worthy."


Though we would indulge in sake later on, we started simply, with frosty mugs of Kirin Ichiban on draught [$4].


1: Edamame
Once we sat down, bowls of edamame were immediately brought before us. The soybeans were as they should be.


2: Sashimi
Following was a sextet of sashimi. Counter-clockwise from bottom-right, we have:

• Aji - Great use of scallion and ginger to counter the strength of the mackerel at first, with the aji's characteristic flavor coming through at the end.
• Itoyoridai - From Kyushu came this type of seabream (Nemipterus virgatus), which I'd never had before. Also known as golden threadfin bream or hung sam in Chinese, it was soft, creamy almost, with a delectably mild flavor.
• Maguro - Two slabs of textbook tuna: clean, lean, with a lustrous cardinal-hued sheen.
• Kanpachi - Amberjack, delicately flavored with a lovely texture that seemed to transform from firm to creamy.
• Madai - Red seabream snapper from Kyushu. Softly supple and subtly saporous, this went beautifully with the zesty sprouts.
• Aoyagi - Also known as orange clam, hen clam, and round clam, the aoyagi had a snappy, yet somewhat squishy consistency, with a marked brininess typical for the clam.

As mentioned before, we were deemed worthy of the premium sake list, and the most premium (and most expensive) of the bunch was Takagi Shuzo's Juyondai Junmai Ginjo [$220], from Yamagata. Its name means "14th generation," a nod to the current company chief, the 14th successive owner of the brewery. Although the kura dates all the way back to 1681, Juyondai's popularity has increased dramatically only recently, over the past decade. Despite this, Takagi Shuzo hasn't significantly increased prices or production, making bottles of Juyondai rather difficult to find. In fact, the only other place I've seen it is Urasawa. Tasting the sake though, I must say that its reputation is well-deserved. I noted an intense, heady bouquet bursting with green apple and tinged with a hint of floral character. The palate similarly exploded with apple essence, along with notes of melon and rice, with just a touch of heat on the finish. The sake possessed incredible finesse and complexity for "just" a junmai ginjo--one of my dining companions even likened it to a Bourgogne Blanc.


3: Sawara Teriyaki
Here was sawara, or mackerel, grilled in a sweetish soy- and mirin-based sauce, garnished with daikon oroshi and yamagobo. I really enjoyed how the tare sauce was presented here, adding just the right amount of sweetness to the dish, all while preserving the natural fishy savor of the mackerel. Meanwhile, the yamagobo, a type of pickled burdock, mixed things up with its delightful crunch and tangy smack.


4: Sashimi
And now, our second set of sashimi. Clockwise from left, we have:

• Houbou - A new one for me, this was red gurnard (Chelidonichthys spinosus), also known as the blue fin sea robin. I loved its delightfully snappy texture and mild flavor, which went beautifully with the included ponzu dip.
• Masaba - Masaba, also known as hirasaba, merely refers to a specific type of mackerel: the chub or Pacific mackerel. The fish had a fantastic, firm, "meaty" body as well as a satisfying, "tangy" fishiness.
• Sawara - Compared to the aforementioned masaba, this mackerel had a much softer consistency as well as a surprisingly delicate flavor. It was superb with the grated ginger.
• Tako - Gorgeously soft, yet springy texture on the octopus, backed by a slightly sweet sapor with a hint of brine.
• Mirugai - Although it's usually quite crunchy in consistency, the geoduck here had a surprisingly soft bite, with just enough of that characteristic ocean-y brine on the close.

5: Arakabu
Now began our gauntlet of sushi. First up: from Kyushu comes this arakabu, which I've also seen called kasago or mebaru in Japanese, and scorpion fish or rock fish in English. No matter the name, it was new to me. Served here with Himalayan salt and yuzu, it had a markedly firm texture, with a subtle flavor that was beautifully accented by the citrus.


6: Mejina
Yet another unprecedented fish for me was the mejina (or kuro or gure), a.k.a. black fish or nibbler in English. It came here topped with grated kyuri and myoga. I loved how the cucumber added an overarching coolness to the nigiri, while the myoga contributed a distinct zestiness. Very good.


7: Iwashi
Iwashi, or sardine, is a fish that you don't see all that often offered as sushi. As you might expect, it demonstrated a rather pronounced fishiness, but its savor was beautifully balanced by the application of ginger and scallion (as you might find with aji).


8: Kohada
As we can see here, due to its silvery, shiny, scintillating, spotted skin, gizzard shad is usually one of the most visually striking fishes to been seen as a sushi topping. Its flavor was quite striking as well, with a pronounced brininess backed by a firm, dense, yet very pleasing texture. After eating the nigirizushi, I remarked to one of my dining companions how this was easily superior to the kohada I'd had recently at the new Bar Masa in Vegas. In fact, it was one of the strongest versions I'd had ever.


9: Hirame Konbujime
Konbujime is a technique that's virtually unseen here in the States; in fact, I've only experienced it once previously, at Natori in Tokyo. It's a type of treatment in which fish (sole, in this case) is placed inside wet kombu in order to become infused with the kelp's flavor. In the process, moisture from the fish is also transferred to the kelp, resulting in a more concentrated taste, enhanced with a tinge of kelp. Such was the case here. However, Yasu-san went a step further, adding a slice of hirame roe on top of the fish. This lent a palpable weight to the sushi, making the hirame so much more complex, and so much more enjoyable.


By this point, we'd run dry of the Juyondai, so we ordered up a bottle of our old trusty standby, the Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo [$70] from Niigata.


10: Aoyagi Himo / Uni
Here was an interesting combination, a duet of aoyagi himo and uni. The himo refers to the fringe of the orange clam, the flaps of flesh around the main muscle. It had all the flavor of the clam, but in a somewhat suppler body. I loved the interplay between the creaminess of the urchin and the great briny crunch of the aoyagi, all moderated by the vegetal tang of the accompanying greens.


11: Sawara
Here was mackerel, lightly seared, and topped with kombu and shio (salt). The searing seemed to bring out the oiliness of the sawara, but at the same time, it tempered its fishy sapor, resulting in a mildly flavored, but unctuous experience, finished with the briny touch of seaweed. Niiice.


12: Tokobushi
Tokobushi refers to a particular type of awabi: the round abalone, a tiny member of the family that usually grows to lengths of under three inches. It had a fantastic texture that was simultaneously crunchy, yet yielding, as well as a lovely, briny sapor that went superbly with the wasabi. The best part of this, though, was the sliver of liver up top, which added a wondrous weight and astringency to the sushi.


13: Magurozuke
This wasn't your typical tuna, but rather, maguro that had been marinated in a soy-based sauce. The process added a noticeable depth of flavor to the otherwise mild fish, while the avocado served as a marked creamy, fatty complement.


14: Surume Ika
Surume ika refers to a specific type of squid, the Japanese common squid, or short-finned squid. Immensely chewy, creamy, and mouth-coating, the squid was subtly sweet in sapor, tinged by a light brine. The key here, though, was the squid's "hat," basically a gelatinous disk composed of the ika's innards. It added a profound gravity to the sushi that really took it to the next level for me.


15: Uni
Nozomi is particularly proud of its uni, which is harvested off the Santa Barbara coast, home to some of the finest sea urchin in the world. Unlike much of the other uni out there, it's preserved not by the addition of chemicals, but rather by submersion in a saltwater solution. The resultant uni was characteristically creamy, but with a noticeably brinier flavor compared to most. Very nice.


16: Otoro No Tataki
Here was toro, seared "like a steak" according to Yasu-san, meaning that is was cooked with garlic as well as salt and pepper. The tuna, thus, was undeniably unctuous in body, with a heavy, heady, unconscionably rich savor deftly accented by a touch of bitter char. And the garlic chip? Fantastic.


17: Kohada No Hone Senbei
These were the bones of the aforesaid kohada, deep fried into crispy, salty, delectable "crackers." I'll take a whole bag please!


18: Sake
Salmon, capped with yuzu zest, battera kombu (pickled seaweed), and goma (sesame seeds). The various accoutrements added a much-needed complexity to the fish, imbuing the salmon with a nice tartness from the seaweed, along with a wonderful, overarching, earthy nuttiness courtesy of the sesame.


19: Ikura
Upon mastication, these tiny, tawny-tinted globules of salmon roe burst forcefully, with a mouth-coating, briny quintessence of the sea, subsequently tempered by the relative austerity of the nori seaweed wrapper.


20: Yaki Ebi
Shrimp harvested from the Red Sea, grilled by blowtorch, garnished with masago. When Yasu-san was cooking the ebi, I breathed in the heady aromas emitted, and could hardly wait to try the shrimp. And indeed, the yaki ebi was delicious, sweet at first, but tinged with a touch of char. Yet, the crustacean's intrinsic brininess was preserved, making itself known on the close.


21: Mentai Yamaimo Maki
The advent of the hosomaki signaled the end of the meal. The first was a roll comprised of red pepper-infused cod roe from Kyushu, yamaimo (mountain yam), and shiso. The roe, expectedly, was a commixture of spicy and salty flavors. It would've been overwhelming on its own, but was nicely tempered here by the juicy crispness of the yam, as well as the minty tang from the shiso.


22: Kanpyou Maki
Next was the kanpyo roll, made from dried shavings of the calabash gourd. Think tart and crunchy, with a bit of heat from the wasabi.


23: Tamago
And finally, we closed with the tamago--delightfully fluffy and airy in body, with a subtle sweet "egginess."


24: Suika
Dessert consisted of succulent, sugary watermelon. Watermelon season's long over, so I wonder where this came from...

The tab came out to only $89.50 per person sans alcohol, which is a fantastic value. More importantly though, the food itself was shockingly good. I can't fault the quality of the raw ingredients, but what really sets the meal apart is the creativity and technique at play here. There was just so much going on that I'd never seen before, and which I absolutely enjoyed. This is a place that can cater to the California Roll crowd (the WASP-y couple behind us was keen on ordering Crunchy Rolls), but when you let the kitchen do what it's best at, I reckon that Nozomi can take on pretty much anything that the Westside can dish.

LudoBites at Royal/T (Culver City, CA) [3]

LudoBites and Royal/T Get In Bed Together
8910 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
310.559.6300
www.ludobites.com
Tue 12/22/2009, 09:00p-12:40a



December 22 marked the end of the third iteration of Chef Ludovic Lefebvre's "guerilla style pop-up restaurant" concept LudoBites. This latest series debuted on December 2, and over the past month, despite some drama in the kitchen, has proven to be another smashing success, further entrenching Ludo in the hearts and minds of LA's culinary cognoscenti. It was almost a foregone conclusion that I'd be attending LudoBites' final night--the only question would be: with whom? It turns out that the Two Hungry Pandas, Wesley and Evelina, had secured a reservation early on, so I ended up joining their party of eight, which also included Danny of Kung Food Panda, Holly of The Michelin Project, Twitterer extraordinaire Remil, Ryan of Epicuryan (formerly Only Eat What Feeds Your Soul), and Will of FoodDigger.

But since this was LudoBites after all, a restaurant that, according to Mr. Gold, sometimes seems as if it is run for the sole benefit of food bloggers, we were hardly alone. Here's the roster of attendance: Arnold of Inuyaki (who came all the way from NorCal), Caroline of Caroline on Crack, Esther of e*star LA, Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, Jo of My Last Bite, Lindsay and Sam from LAist, Noelle of Drink 'n' Dive, Patricia of Life With a Whisk, and Twitterer Tin. Also present were Jill Donenfeld, founder of private cheffing company The Dish's Dish; Rachael Narins of private supper club Chicks with Knives; and Brian, Pleasure Palate Assistant Organizer and aspiring underground dinner impresario.


Above, we see the final night's menu; click for a larger version. Note that only one item--the tourte--remained completely unchanged from the opening carte. We ended up ordering multiples of every item, save for the cod (which the kitchen had run out of).


Though this incarnation of LudoBites did offer a very reasonable wine list, we ended up supplying our own tipple (we were not charged corkage). Specifically, FoodDigger's Will did most of the heavy lifting, graciously providing four bottles, including this vintage 1975 Château Montrose, a dry, austere, slightly herbal, currant-tinged Bordeaux with a hint of funk on the finish. Surprisingly, it actually went quite well with the lighter dishes that we had to start.


To kick off the dinner, a round of the Montrose to all. Cheers!


Tuna, Sushi Rice Ice Cream, Soy Sauce Gelee, Smoked Ginger Oil [$16.00]
We began with one of Ludo's most "classic" creations, dating back to his tumultuous tenure at Bastide. It's a dish that I'd had on my very first, and my most recent, LudoBites visit. The one tonight, fortunately, was arguably the most successful version. The dish starts with four generous slabs of cardinal-tinted maguro. Taken alone, the tuna was tasty enough, but really, it functioned as a base on which the other ingredients could really sing. As before, the "rice cream" was absolutely key, integrating the other factors at play--I especially appreciated the use of crispy onion and sprouts this time around--while conveying the essence of sushi rice. Eating everything together, you get a interesting sensation of seemingly disparate textures, tastes, and temperatures, all different, yet somehow working together in one unified whole.


Here we see Ludo doing what he does best, besides cook: laying on the charm to the ladies (note the use of jazz hands)!


Caramelized Endive, Orange, Grapefruit, Gingerbread Croutons [$10.00]
Next up were some caramelized endives, showing plenty of their characteristic bitterness. The citrus provided some countervailing sweetness and acidity, resulting in a sort of bittersweet character, but I would've liked more from the accoutrements in balancing out the endive.


Krissy Lefebvre, seen here directing service in the dining room.


Celery Root Soup, Black Truffle, Parmesan [$15.00]
Here was a hearty celeriac soup, with Parmesan cheese and black truffle. The base of this dish was strictly celery root, but the interplay between the rich Parmesan and earthy truffle clearly took center stage here, instantly grabbing my attention. The notes of celery flavor from the soup acted as a lightening element, becoming strongly apparent only on the finish.


While we were photographing the soup, a lady in red walked in and got in on some of the soft box action. As we can see in the second photo, she was positively astonished when she found out that we were all bloggers, and that we were all Asian.


Slowly Sauteed Monterey Wild Squid, Chorizo Oil, Kimchi Puree, Black Olive [$14.00]
One of the constants on the LudoBites 3.0 menu has been this beautifully-cooked squid, delightfully chewy and teeming with the unbridled briny quintessence of the cephalopod. Though tasty by itself, the squid was made even better by the spicy chorizo and the piquant purée of kimchi in particular. I loved the light, bright, acidic flavors here--clearly one of the highlights of the meal.


Jo of My Last Bite is, of course, one of Ludo's most ardent supporters. I wonder what she's showing the Chef here...


Will's next wine for us was the 2006 Nicolas Joly Savennières Les Clos Sacrés, from France's Loire Valley. Made from Chenin Blanc, it was a lovely wine, showing loads of sugary stone fruit and honey on the palate, with just enough spice and acid to make it interesting.


Egg "Meurette," Red Cabbage, Lardo Toast [$14.00]
A table favorite, this was Ludo's version of the classic French country dish Oeufs en Meurette, or eggs in red wine. Naturally, the key here was the wonderfully poached egg. Still runny, it added a great creaminess that deftly complemented the acidic tang of the red cabbage. The toast, meanwhile, adding a palpable weight to the dish. Very good, and even better than last time's.


"Uncle Ludo Wants You"


Foie Gras Beignet, Saffron-Dried Apricots [$17.00]
Ahh yes, Ludo's infamous foie gras beignets. As before, the beignets themselves were the pinnacle of luxuriousness, sweet at first, but imbued with the decadence of a full two ounces of fatty liver. However, instead of the céleri rémoulade he used before, this time Ludo paired the foie with an amalgam of apricot and saffron. This, I felt, resulted in a dish that was overly sweet for me; I think that it would've been more effective had the astringency of saffron been more pronounced.


For our third wine, Will chose the 2006 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Yamhill Cuvée, which comes to us from Oregon's Willamette Valley. Rife with dark berry and a bit of licorice, the wine also had a great minerality; tannins, meanwhile, were very soft.


Here, Krissy enjoys some of the pinot with us. Cheers!


Shrimp, Udon, Kombu-Ginger Dashi, Baby Carrots, Vadouvan Butter [$16.00]
On my first visit, the veal and udon dish was one of the standouts. Unfortunately, the version tonight wasn't quite as successful, as I felt that the broth was overly saccharine, resulting in a sort of monotonous sweetness that hid the individual characteristics of each ingredient. I think that the dish would've been more balanced had the vadouvan been more apparent.


The puma photographer.


Fried Chicken, Cantal Polenta, Baby Corn, Mole [$19.00]
And now, we come to the most widely-anticipated item of the night: the LFC, Ludo's Fried Chicken. As I've stated before, this is definitely some of the best fried chicken I've ever had--with tender, juicy flesh, imbued with a profound depth of flavor, all encased in a delightfully crispy, savory skin. The chicken stood on its own, but surprisingly, the application of the polenta took the bird to an even higher level with its subtle, tempering cheesiness. I also loved the baby corn, still in husk, while the mole provided a lingering sugariness to the whole dish. Superb.


Will liked the chicken so much that Krissy brought out an extra plate for him (which he subsequently shared)--just look at that mischievous grin!


We'd run out of dry wine at this point, but it turns out that Will just happened to have another bottle of the '75 Montrose in his car, which he generously opened for us--steak and Bordeaux, a classic pairing to be sure.


Marinated Hanger Steak, Eggplant, Goat Cheese, Shallots, Radish [$22.00]
Ludo scored big with his hanger steak the first time around, so I was looking forward to this. Though the steak wasn't overwhelmingly tender, it did have a pleasing, "toothsome" texture and was immensely flavorful, absolutely steeped in "beefy" savor--I could've easily eaten it alone. What really made this special, though, was the use of goat cheese, which added a fantastic, luscious, creamy, moderating flair to the beef that was utterly heavenly.


Peter and Jo, with Esther and Sam.


Yes people, that was none other than Fred Savage in the kitchen! Savage actually had little professional cooking experience prior to LudoBites, and was staging here simply for his love of the art. From what I've heard, he was super eager to learn, willing to do whatever it takes.


Another notable chef in the kitchen was Austin Szu (and here), of Austio's Catering and the blog Living to Eat (also Yelp). A graduate of CSCA's Le Cordon Bleu program, Szu previously held various pastry chef positions at restaurants across the Southland, including the now-shuttered Mirabeau in Dana Point, Zov’s Bistro in Tustin, and Scott’s Seafood in Costa Mesa. Recently, the Chef also staged at such LA mainstays as BLT Steak, Craft, and Grace.


Remil kindly contributed a bottle of Port to go with our desserts. The Smith Woodhouse Porto Lodge Reserve was pleasantly light in body, but still imbued with those signature Port flavors of dark berry, cassis, and plum. Quite nice.


Fourme d' Ambert Tourte, Red Pear, Honey-Balsamic [$12.00]
This is one item that, as far as I know, has always been on the menu here at LudoBites 3.0. And with good reason: the tart did a great job in conveying the cheese's characteristic savoriness, moderated by layers of delectable pastry, while the pear provided a fitting, saccharine counterpoint.


Brian brought a bottle of 23-year old Ron Zacapa rum, which he gleefully shared with everybody. It was certainly one of the best rums I've had, with delicious notes of vanilla and molasses over a smooth, slightly spicy body.


Vanilla Crème Brulee, Rose Ice Cream [$10.00]
This was crème brûlée, but at the same time, so much more. The custard was astoundingly complex, a pastiche of various sweet and sour flavors (someone mentioned that there was even lychee inside) that somehow managed to meld together into a singular, coherent flavor profile. Very good.


Holly gingerly spoons the crème brûlée.


Jalapenos Chocolate Mousse, Green Tea Soy, Extra Virgin Olive Oil [$10.00]
We closed with a seemingly harebrained dessert. Chocolate and jalapeños, with olive oil? Somehow, it manages to work. At first, it tasted like a chocolate mousse, but then the weight of the olive oil made itself known, adding a perceptible gravity to the dessert--interesting. The heat from the peppers continued to build, leaving a linger, piquant sensation in my mouth.


And with that, the food was done. Here, we see Krissy tweeting a sigh of relief.


Jo shows off her favorite page in Ludo's cookbook, Crave: The Feast of the Five Senses.


Veteran LudoBites server Daria looks adorable in her cosplay maid uniform.


Krissy enjoys a much-deserved glass of Cremant de Bourgogne Rosé from her after service meal.


Daria, still cute in street clothes, with Patricia and Tin Tin.


Wes and Will get in on the action.


LudoBites cutting boards are now available. Annoyingly, I forgot to take mine home.


The requisite photos of the dynamic duo.

Once again, we come to the end of another rousing round of LudoBites. The question thus becomes, as always: what's next? Ludo has said that he'd love to bring LudoBites to different locales across the country, or perhaps even across the world. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but the Chef has stated his intention to "pop-up" again in the first quarter of next year. And yes, finding a permanent home is still the end goal. So with that, I'll see you in 2010!

Torihei (Torrance, CA)

Torihei
1757 W Carson St, Torrance, CA 90501
310.781.9407
www.fooddigger.com/25527/restaurant/ca/los-angeles/torrance/torihei (FoodDigger, restaurant has no web site)
Sun 12/20/2009, 07:00p-08:35p




The South Bay has firmly established itself as a bastion for Japanese cuisine in Southern California, and over the past year, perhaps no other eatery in the area has garnered as much fame and acclaim as Torihei. I was long overdue for a visit, so I jumped on the chance to go with Christine of the now-inactive blog Folie à Choisauce, Danny of Kung Food Panda, Nathan of Binary Taste Buds, and Christine's friend-slash-Elite Yelper Liz. Interestingly, this was their last stop on a mini South Bay marathon, which also saw the likes of Izakaya Bincho and Bludso's BBQ in Compton.

The tale of Torihei begins with chef/owner Masataka Hirai, who previously ran his family's yakitori joint, also called Torihei, in Yokohama, Japan; in fact, Hirai's parents still operate Torihei, as well as the restaurants Tsuki No Ne in Yokohama and Hirai in Ginza, Tokyo. In the spring of 2009, Hirai and his partner, oden master Masakazu Sasaki, opened Torihei in the heart of Torrance, a stone's throw away from old standby Musha. Torihei quickly gained in popularity for the quality of its food, as well as for its unique dual-faceted yakitori-cum-oden focus.


Torihei's 30-seat space is small, centered around the open kitchen, and often jammed to capacity. Long waits are not uncommon unfortunately--get reservations if possible.


Above, we see Torihei's menu; click for larger versions. Though the restaurant began with only grilled items and oden, it has since expanded the menu to include sashimi selections and some izakaya-type fare. It is interesting to note that, although oden is typically a one-pot dish with multiple ingredients, here at Torihei each item is served individually.


As for the tipple, Torihei offers up a small selection of beer, wine, sake, and soju; click for larger versions. Unfortunately, sake prices can border on ridiculous. Take for example, the high-end Kubota Manju, which sells for an astounding $240 here. At Sushi Wasabi in Tustin, I paid $75. Hell, even Urasawa only charges $160 for the privilege!


We skipped all that sake nonsense and made do with biru, ordering up a pitcher of Sapporo Draft for $10.


Fried "Jidori" Chicken [$6.95]
We began, simply, with karaage, deep-fried soy-marinated chicken, served with mayonnaise and lemon. Made from "jidori" (free range) chicken, the karaage was profoundly flavorful, imbued with the inherent savor of chicken, but with darker and sweeter flavors thrown in as well. I'd wager that this would compare favorably to just about any other fried chicken out there (yes, even LFC).


Liver [$1.80]
Our first yakitori item of the night was liver, or reba, which I'm generally not a huge fan of. As expected, it was somewhat dry, gritty, with a chalky texture and a very pure, "livery," slightly metallic sapor.


Home-Made Chicken Liver Putty [$4.95]
Though I wasn't enthralled with the liver above, I absolutely adored this version, basically a chicken liver pate, served with honey and toast. The liver here was so much more delicate, refined, with an almost foie gras-esque luxuriousness. I was afraid that the honey would render the reba overly sweet, but instead, it was a perfect complement, highlighting the liver's essence with its sugariness.


Chicken Thigh [$1.80]
Perhaps the "safest" skewer of the night, here was thigh, or momo. Tender, tasty, and succulent, it was something that everyone could appreciate, and something that I could munch on all day!


Limited Special Heart [$2.30]
As was the case with Kokekokko, Torihei also offers up its "special" preparation of chicken heart, or hatsu. Normally, I believe that the heart here is grilled simply with salt (shio). This version, however, uses a special marinade and augments the skewer with garlic, adding layers of complexity to the dish while preserving the heart's delightfully chewy texture. I would've liked to have had the "regular" heart for comparison, though.


Gizzard [$1.80]
Next up was gizzard, or sunagimo, a special muscular "stomach" in the chicken that's used for grinding up food. As suspected, the sunagimo possessed a subtle sapor but a gritty, crunchy consistency. A bit of lemon was used to drawn out the gizzard's flavor, but this one's more for the texture than the taste.


Seasoned Omelet with Grounded Chicken [$5.95]
What we have here is akin to a tamagoyaki, or Japanese omelette. The chicken contributed a weight and depth to the otherwise mild, tender egg, while the grated daikon added a pleasing vegetal contrast.


Half Raw Egg with Salmon Roe [$1.95]
Here was our first oden item of the night: hemispheres of runny egg, filled with ikura and topped with scallion, all in a seaweed-dashi broth. This is Danny's favorite dish, and I can certainly see why. The interplay between the silky, creamy egg and the briny roe was fantastic, while the tinge of seaweed in the broth took things to an even higher level.


"Torihei" Meat Ball [$1.80]
Another highlight for me was Torihei's version of the venerable chicken meatball, or tsukune. Juicy and succulent, they were immensely flavorful, full of chicken sapor yet accented by the tang of shiso leaf. I believe there was some mushroom in there as well, which gave the tsukune a delightful crunchiness.


Beef Tongue [$2.30]
Moving away from chicken, we have here grilled beef tongue, or gyu tan, paired with dollops of wasabi. Nicely fatty, with a distinct "beefy" savor and a firm, but supple consistency, the gyu tan was absolutely lovely, and even more so when paired with the wasabi, which functioned to cut the richness of the tongue.


Fatty Pork [$2.30]
Our second kushiyaki selection was the fatty pork. Though it didn't possess the sheer decadence of pork belly, the cheek was still considerably unctuous and oily, bursting with porcine sapor. And because it was leaner than belly, it had a distinctly firm, satisfying texture that I appreciated.


Chicken Tail [$2.30]
And now, my favorite skewer of the night: chicken tail, or bonjiri, the bits of meat around the chicken's tail bone. We're talking a lipsmackingly delectable flavor, fatty but not overwhelmingly so, paired with a tender, succulent consistency, perked up by a great char component. We should've ordered more of this!


Whole Tomato [$2.80]
Our second oden item, and our last savory, was the whole tomato, stewed in dashi broth, enveloped in a commixture of potato and soy milk. The sauce really reminded me of mozzarella cheese, and combined with the sweetness of the tomato, the amalgam was slightly reminiscent of pizza topping!


Blanc Manger aux Amandes "Annin-Tofu" [$4.50]
Torihei offers up a quartet of desserts, so naturally, we had to get one of each. First up was this blancmange, a type of pudding that really was like an almond-flavored jelly. Mildly sweet on its own, it was nicely tarted up by the saccharine bits of fruit.


Baked Cheese Cake with Blueberry Sauce [$4.50]
The cheesecake was actually quite austere, and a bit dry, on its own. Thus, its accompaniments were absolutely key: the whipped cream added a palpable weightiness, while the blueberry sauce contributed a much-needed sweetness.


Green Tea Mousse [$4.50]
The mousse really did possess an intense, in-your-face matcha flavor--it was a bit much for me. However, the green tea was tempered somewhat by the sweet earthiness of the red (azuki) bean and mild mochi globules.


Pudding Alamode [$7.95]
Finally, this was basically a block of flan, done à la mode, or topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. It was about what you'd expect: a sweet custard, with the fruit adding a nice touch of tart sweetness.

Torihei's eminence seems to be well-deserved. Though I felt that the yakitori at Kokekokko was a bit stronger in general, Torihei is much more approachable, a place where you don't have to be a VIP to get the goods. And let's not forget the great selection of oden here, which further sets Torihei apart. I'd love to come back and give the menu a more thorough work out.

Julian Serrano (Las Vegas, NV)

Julian Serrano
3730 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
877.230.2742
www.arialasvegas.com/dining/fine-dining.aspx
Sat 12/19/2009, 11:20a-12:50p




After dining at Bar Masa and Sage the previous two nights, it was time to end my tour of Aria's new restaurants with Julian Serrano. Serrano, of course, is best known for revolutionizing high-end dining in Vegas with his restaurant Picasso at Bellagio. Unfortunately, my last visit to Picasso fell short, so I was excited to give Serrano a chance to redeem himself with his new eponymous eatery.

Born in Madrid, Serrano graduated from the Escuela Gastronomie P.P.O. hotel management school in the city of Marbella, on Spain's picturesque Costa del Sol. Following, he worked at some of Europe's most vaunted establishments: Lucas-Carton in Paris, Hôtel de France in Auch, Chez Max in Zurich, and L'Aubergine in Munich; he even had a brief stint with Alain Ducasse. Serrano then relocated to the United States, and after a couple years, the Chef moved to San Francisco, where he began cooking at Masa's in May of 1983. After being personally groomed by owner and Executive Chef Masataka Kobayashi, he took over the kitchens in 1984, following Masa's untimely death. Based on the strength of his contemporary French cuisine, Serrano quickly established a name for himself, garnering numerous awards in the process. Serrano even captured James Beard's "Best Chef of California" trophy in 1998, but it was in that year that the Chef would leave Masa's to open Picasso in Las Vegas. The debut of Picasso heralded in a new era in Las Vegas dining, opening the doors for the likes of Joël Robuchon and Guy Savoy. In 2002, Serrano received his second James Beard award, for "Best Chef in the Southwest."

At Picasso, Serrano put forth a menu of French fare, accented with Spanish touches. Here, however, Serrano is able to, for the very first time, explore the essence of his native Spanish cuisine: the food of his childhood. Specifically, Julian Serrano focuses on tapas, mostly traditional, but with a few "molecular" flourishes and a touch of international flair thrown in as well. For his Chef de Cuisine, Serrano has tapped Madrid native Jose Picazo, a protégé of José Andrés (he worked with Andrés at Jaleo for six years). Prior to landing in Las Vegas, Picazo was Executive Chef at tapas-sushi hybrid Perrys in DC, and before that, headed the kitchens over at Kyma in Annapolis (early on, he also worked at Kyma's sister restaurant Mie N Yu in Georgetown).


Julian Serrano was penned by famed Spanish design group Gente de Valor, and is the company's first project in the US. The bold, splashy, convivial look complements the vivacity and energy of the food served, with brash colors, beguiling avant garde touches, and an inviting, exciting, 45-seater bar. According to Serrano, the space is designed to make you feel "happy." With a capacity of 196, the restaurant is segmented into a bar/lounge section, a main dining area, and a private dining room.


Above, we see Julian Serrano's menu; click for larger versions. Expectedly, it's vast, consisting of about 50 to 60 items, mostly small plates, great for sharing. Upon reviewing the carta, I immediately noticed its similarity to that of José Andrés' The Bazaar, even down to the "Air Baguettes."


Here, we have Julian Serrano's drink menu, consisting of wines by the glass, specialty cocktails, beers, and spirits; click for larger versions. In addition, there's also a 500-bottle wine list, focused, naturally, on Spanish varietals.


To begin, we decided to go with some cocktails. My dining companion chose the Manzana Deliziosa [$14], with Hendrick's Gin, Green Apple Purée, Lillet, and Fresh Thyme. I quite liked the interplay between the citrus-y Lillet and the gin, as well as the hint of apple on the finish. Meanwhile, I went for the Dulce y Picante [$14], comprised of Spanish Brandy, St-Germain, Strawberry, and Cayenne Pepper. This one was slightly bitter on the attack, transitioning to marked strawberry notes on the midpalate, and finishing strong with a lingering heat from the pepper.


Flat Calamari [$14.00] | Lemon E.V.O.O. Sauce, Caramelized Onion
We started with my favorite dish of the meal. At first, the presentation surprised me a bit; I was expecting the calamari to be cut up, but instead, these small spear squid were served nearly whole. They had a wonderful aroma of the sea, and biting in, I loved how the squid's inherent brininess was preserved, while at the same time, the char and the olive oil added a certain depth of flavor.


Traditional Spanish Chicken Croquetas [$8.00] | Chicken, Béchamel
It's hard to go wrong with these tasty chicken and béchamel fritters. I appreciated the crisp golden brown exteriors, yielding to warm, oozing, creamy centers, imbued with the quintessence of chicken. Very nice.


Brava Potatoes [$8.00] | Spicy Tomato, Alioli Sauce
Patatas bravas is a traditional Spanish dish consisting of fried potatoes, topped with tomato sauce, and sometimes alioli (garlic and olive oil). At The Bazaar, I felt that the tomato sauce overpowered the potato, but here, the patatas stood their ground. Nicely fried to a crisp yet creamy consistency, the potatoes formed a base on which the tomato and alioli could really sing.


Wrinkled Potatoes with Mojo Picon Sauce [$8.00] | Spicy Canary Sauce
Next up were papas arrugadas ("wrinkled potatoes"), basically potatoes cooked in salt water and served with their skins intact. The potatoes were delightful on their own, with a gorgeously supple texture, though they could've been a touch saltier. They were served with a mojo picón sauce, which is a spicy condiment originating from the Canary Islands. The interplay between the mild potato and piquant mojo was immensely enjoyable. It would've been nice, however, to have the other famous mojo, the cilantro-based mojo verde, to accompany the papas as well.


White Ceviche [$10.00] | Corvina Fish, Red Onion, Jalepeño Pepper, Cilantro, Lime Juice
Here was a nearly textbook ceviche, which, unlike most of the menu items, is actually not Spanish in origin (being from Peru)--remember, Serrano fully intends to incorporate global influences here. In any case, the fish itself was dense, heavy, with just a touch of ocean. It was deftly countered by the punch of the citrus as well as the bitter, vegetal tang of the onion, leading to an amalgam of light, bright flavors with a great acidity.


Lobster-Pineapple Skewer [$12.00] | Lobster Tail, "Molecular" Pineapple, Sesame Oil
This was one of the "new style" tapas on the menu, and just by looking at the photo, it's not hard to see the influence of José Andrés. The cubes of pineapple made their sugariness very apparent at first, but this then led to the more delicate sweetness of the lobster, while the finish turned distinctly salty. Texturally, it was great compare the almost jelly-like consistency of the "molecular" pineapple with the firm, dense, snappy body of the crustacean.


Creamy Risotto [$10.00] | Wild Mushroom, Manchego, Natural Jus
Though my dining companion thought that the rice was a bit tough, I appreciated its firm, "al dente" texture. Pairing mushroom and cheese in a risotto is nothing new, but nevertheless, I enjoyed the hearty interplay between the luscious, creamy Manchego and earthy mushroom, all over a backdrop of rice. This was so much better than the sea urchin risotto I had days earlier at Bar Masa!


Time for our second round of cocktails. I went for the Café con Leche [$14], made from Spanish Brandy, Obsello Absinthe, Espresso, and Cream; it had a lovely herbal, absinthe-tinged attack leading to a lingering coffee-hued finish. The Ginger Pear Julep [$14], with Grey Goose L'Poire, Domaine de Canton, Mint, and Soda, was my dining companion's pick; it had great notes of ginger and mint over a strong background of pear--quite nice.


Tuna Tiradito [$12.00] | Ahi Tuna, Ponzu Sauce, Seaweed, Rocoto Pepper Sauce
Like the ceviche above, tiradito also originates from Peru, and bears a strong semblance to Japanese sashimi. The tuna itself was as it should be: clean, mild, supple. I did feel that the ponzu was a bit too domineering here, drowning out some of the fish's inherent character. However, the sauce was countered nicely by the brine of the seaweed (which also added a great crunch to the dish), as well as the sharp heat from the pepper.


Mediterranean Stew in Deconstruction [$12.00] | Prawns, Bronzinni, Sofrito
What we have here are the individual components of a Mediterranean-style seafood stew. The fish used was bronzinni, better known as branzino, or European seabass. It had a subtly sweet taste along with a supple texture--good, but unexceptional on its own. The prawn was a similar story. The key here, thus, was to eat everything together in one big bite, experiencing the seafood, puréed potato (which I mistook for sorbet!), and sofrito (an olive oil, tomato, onion, and garlic sauce) all at once--now it makes sense!


And of course, a meal just wouldn't be complete without dessert. Click for larger versions.


Arroz con Leche [$8.00] | Merengada Foam, Lemon and Orange Jelly
First up was a sort of rice pudding, tarted up with merengada (meringue) foam and citrus gelée, topped with a sprig of mint. The flavor of the rice was predominant, as expected, but it was aptly set off by the sweetness of the citrus fruit and the slight spiciness from the meringue. It reminded us a bit of horchata!


Torrija [$8.00] | Brioche, Aromatic Cream, Citrus, Caramel Custard
We ended with a torrija, basically a sort of fried cream-soaked bread, typically consumed during Lent. Julian Serrano's version had an eggy sweetness to it, with almost a cheese-like flair. This was accented by the pronounced sugariness of the caramel, and moderated by the tangy citrus.

The meal was a resounding success. Serrano seems to have a good grasp of traditional Spanish tapas, but just as importantly, I really appreciated some of the more global, contemporary touches that he's incorporated into the menu. Though I could identify minor issues with some of the food, I must say that he appears to be doing great, especially considering that the restaurant had only been open for two days. Given more time, as well as more stomach capacity, I'd love to return and give the menu an even more thorough workout. In the meantime, think of this place as a less douchey, more down-to-earth version of The Bazaar.

Sage (Las Vegas, NV)

Sage
3730 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
877.230.2742
www.arialasvegas.com/dining/fine-dining.aspx
Fri 12/18/2009, 06:30p-10:00p



After a somewhat tepid experience the previous night at the brand spanking new Bar Masa, I was looking to Sage to kick things up a notch.

Sage is the creation of a Shawn McClain, chef and owner of the Chicago eateries Spring, Green Zebra, and Custom House (he has however, relinquished his stake in Custom House--Aaron Deal is now Executive Chef there). The San Diego native started his culinary career after high school, taking a dishwasher position at a restaurant in order to meet a girl that he was interested in! In 1990, after transferring from Miami University, McClain graduated from Kendall College's School of Culinary Arts in Evanston, Illinois. Following, he spent two years at The Boulevard at the InterContinental Chicago with Chef Stephen Junta. In 1992, McClain opened Bêtise in the city of Wilmette, but left after two years to serve on the opening team at Trio, under Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand. McClain was promoted to Sous Chef in January 1994, with the moniker of Chef de Cuisine coming the following year, and Executive Chef soon after that. In the span of seven years, McClain was able to establish a strong reputation for himself, both locally and at a nationwide level.

However, in 2001, wanting to start his own place, McClain left Trio, and was subsequently replaced by none other than Grant Achatz. Taking a cue from Paul Kahan's Blackbird, he partnered with Sue Kim-Drohomyrecky and Peter Drohomyrecky to open Spring in Chicago, an Asian-tinged modern American seafooder. Spring was met with considerable success--it was nominated for James Beard's "Best New Restaurant" award, and McClain was deemed Esquire's "Chef of the Year"--which allowed McClain to start Green Zebra, a vegetarian restaurant, in 2004. The next year, McClain did a 180 and opened Custom House, a New American eatery with a focus on artisanal meat products. 2006 saw McClain win the "Best Chef Midwest" title from the James Beard Foundation, and in late 2007, McClain began consulting on the menu for The Drawing Room at Le Passage (which is run by McClain's protégé Nick Lacasse). In 2008, McClain was able to begin work on Sage at Aria CityCenter, his globally-influenced contemporary American concept and the subject of this post.


Aria's top three restaurants--Sage, Bar Masa/Shaboo, Julian Serrano (which we'd be visiting the next day)--are all clustered together near the hotel's registration desk.



Inside, we get some reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the hotel lobby. Sage is divided into two sections, the bar/lounge space out front (where we were seated), and the main dining room in the back. Both areas are similarly-styled, sensuous and subtle, with shades of indigo abound.


Above, we see Sage's straightforward carte, divided simply into starters and mains; click for larger versions. There is no degustation option, so we opted to build our own by sampling half the menu!


Here we have Sage's selection of wines by the glass, cocktails, and beers; click for larger versions. To mix things up, we requested a beer pairing with the meal, and the sommelier Mike Shelter was more than happy to oblige.


But before the brewskies, cocktails. My dining companion wanted something with cucumber, so the bar came up with a refreshing Cucumber Collins. I, on the other hand, requested that the mixologist "surprise me;" a Ginger-Infused Cosmopolitan was the result. It was definitely one of the better Cosmos I've had, a light, subtly fruity libation with an intriguing hint of ginger--I likened it to ginger ale.


The amuse bouche consisted of a salad of artichoke, bacon, and date, garnished with a grape foam. The base of the amuse was definitely dominated by the vegetal tanginess of the artichoke, while the date added a touch of sweetness. The bacon, meanwhile, served as more of a crunchy textural element, as its saltiness was muted.


The sole bread on offer was a delightfully delicate bacon baguette, served with puce-hued Murray River (Australia) sea salt and house-whipped butter.


Our first beer of the night was the Chimay "Cinq Cents" Trappist Ale, Belgium [$12], which is served on draught. Also known as Chimay Blanche (White), it's done in the tripel style, and showed characteristic hoppy, sour, and spicy notes to match with the lighter seafood starters.


Kumamoto Oysters [$19.00] | Piquillo Pepper and Tabasco Sorbet / Aged-Tequila Mignonette
I love to begin with oysters, and just my luck, they happened to have Kumamotos, my favorite, in stock. The light brine of the oysters was apparent on the attack, while the Tabasco added a bit of heat in the middle, with the tequila providing an earthy weight. The best part, though, was the finish, imbued with the vegetal tang of pepper. Excellent. These reminded me of the "conchas" I had recently at Rivera in DTLA.


Black and Blue Tuna [$16.00] | Charred Bluefin Tuna / Black Olive Vinaigrette / Crispy Anchovy / Confit Artichokes
Taken alone, the black pepper- and fennel-crusted tuna was tasty, but unexciting. This was a case where the fish really served as a blank canvas for its accoutrements. First and more important was the quail egg, which contributed an overarching creaminess to the mildly-flavored fish. The olive vinaigrette, meanwhile, added heft, and the artichokes, a distinct tanginess. I really appreciated the anchovy, which accentuated the tuna's natural fishiness.


Smoked Columbia River Sturgeon [$17.00] | Honey Crisp Apple / Smoked Bacon / Fromage Blanc
Here, the interaction between the sturgeon and fromage was instrumental, with the cheese providing a certain richness and weight to the fish that really allowed the other ingredients to sing. I liked the crunch, and more importantly, the salt imparted by the bacon, while the sweet crispness of apple was also very welcomed.


Pacific Yellowtail Crudo [$19.00] | Shaved Trumpet Mushrooms / Black Winter Truffles / Toasted Pine Nuts
Next, we have one of my favorites of the night. The yellowtail itself was expectedly clean and mild in savor--it'd make for a fine sashimi. The truffle added a touch of earthiness into the fray, but the trumpet mushrooms were simply superb, adding a profound, and delicious, gravity to the hamachi. Rounding things out was the pine nut espuma, which contributed a lovely nuttiness to complete the dish.


For the more substantial courses of beef and foie gras to follow, we were given the Dogfish Head Midas Touch, Delaware [$8]. Fascinatingly, the brew is based off of a chemical analysis of residues found in clay vessels buried in King Midas' tomb. Thus, it makes use of barley, Muscat grapes, honey, and saffron, resulting in a very "grape-y" aroma. The essence of Muscat continued onto the palate, where it was joined by spicy citrus flavors and honey, making for an overall heavy, heady concoction.


Wagyu Beef Tartare [$16.00] | Crushed Caper Aioli / Slow-Poached Egg / Pickled Mustards Seeds / Crispy Chocolate
The tartare in and of itself was fairly traditional: tarted up by the capers, with the egg adding a permeating weightiness. Certainly, the arugula and radish salad tossed some levity into the mix, but the best part of this was the chocolate, which contributed a delightful bittersweet element that really did a great job offsetting the tartare. My dining companion, however, felt that the beef could've used more salt.


Foie Gras Custard 'Brûlée' [$25.00] | Moro Blood Orange / Toasted Cocoa Nibs / Salted Brioche
As regular readers will know, I don't like my foie gras too sweet, so I was a bit wary of this dish. Fortunately, my fears turned out to be unfounded. Light and ethereal in body, the custard--with Grand Marnier, brandy, orange, and cocoa--was wonderfully imbued with the delicate quintessence of the liver, with only a touch of "eggy" sweetness. It was like eating a savory crème brûlée. Very good.

Our next beer was the Dogfish Head Raison d'Etre, Delaware [$10], which, unfortunately, I forgot to photograph. Brewed with molasses and green raisins, it offered up delicious dark fruit notes that would pair well with the hefty dishes coming up.


Escargot and Pork Belly Agnolotti [$16.00] | Smoked Bacon / Black Garlic / Parsley Sauce / Lemon Oil
Set in a red wine sauce, the agnolotti were tasty enough, but I would've liked a bolder, more aggressive sapor--pork belly should've been more assertive. I felt that the pasta really took a back seat to the rest of the plate, the bacon in particular. At the same time, the snails were a nice touch, and the citrus did an admirable in counterbalancing all the heavy elements at play.


Charred Baby Octopus Caponata [$17.00] | Rosa Bianca Eggplant / Golden Raisins / Rocket Lettuce
The term caponata refers to a Sicilian eggplant salad dressed with a tangy sauce. Sage's version adds some superbly done octopus--beautifully charred, with a wondrous bitterness offsetting the cephalopod's natural sweetness. I really enjoyed eating the supple bits of octopus alone, though the smack of its sweet and sour accompaniments was enjoyable as well. Ironically, the eggplant was the least successful part of the dish for me.


Roasted Sweetbreads [$17.00] | Glazed Bacon / Creamy White Polenta / Chanterelles
Sweetbreads can be hit or miss--this was definitely a hit. I loved how the chanterelles added a another level of earthy richness to the already saporous sweetbreads, while the greens (spinach?) provided a wonderful countervailing bitterness. My favorite part here, though, was the polenta; mild and creamy, it did a great job tempering the other elements at play. The bacon, however, was a bit superfluous.


Grilled Rib-Eye Cap Steak [$21.00] | Roasted Beets / Pistachio Salsa Verde / Sage Honey / 10-year Balsamic
Our last item from the list of starters was this sort of "beef salad." Served cool, the ribeye itself was nicely done, not too heavy, deftly balanced by the tangy salsa and bitter greens. Though I'm not a huge fan of beets, they worked well enough here; I did feel, however, that the honey was a touch strong.


For our mains, we were given a goblet of Duvel, the definitive Belgian Strong Pale Ale, and one of my favorite beers overall. Far more interesting, though, was the second selection, Birrificio Di Como's Baluba Malthus from Italy. This is one that isn't on the menu, but instead came from the sommelier's private stash. It was an absolutely fascinating brew, showing a tart yet sugary maltiness along with an almost Port-like character and flashes of balsamic vinegar--brilliant!


Slow-Poached Organic Farm Egg [$16.00] | Smoked Potato / Shaved Black Winter Truffles / Toasted Country Bread
Here was our sole selection from the "Vegetarian" section of the menu. Pairing egg and truffle isn't novel, but when it works, the results can be profound. Such was the case here. The heady, lingering perfume of the truffle was a flawless complement to the gently creamy egg. Meanwhile, the toast, with its you tiao-esque sweetness, provided a perfect moderating element.


Grilled Pacific Cobia [$34.00] | Butter Clam Chowder / Heirloom Marble Potatoes | Shaved Iberico Ham
For our solitary main course, we chose the cobia, which is not often seen on menus. The fish demonstrated its characteristically firm, strongly savory flesh--it made me think of a more intense version of John Dory. The ham further accentuated the fish's saltiness, while the potatoes acted as a mitigating factor. My favorite accompaniment, though, was the clam chowder, which provided a lovely brininess to go along with the cobia, as well as a chewy textural contrast.


And now, it was time for the sweet stuff. Sage's dessert menu (click for a larger version) is crafted by Pastry Chef Lura Poland. A New Hampshire native, Poland worked at numerous restaurants on the East Coast (including Italian Farmhouse in Plymouth, NH) before relocating to Las Vegas, where she was most recently the assistant pastry chef at Charlie Trotter's Restaurant Charlie. In fact, she may have even had a hand in the desserts that I enjoyed earlier this year at Bar Charlie!


To go along with dessert, the sommelier paired one of Sage's specialty cocktails: the European Union [$14], made from Reserva Spanish Brandy, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, and Lindemans Framboise Lambic. The result was expectedly sweet, with the raspberry notes of the Lindemans taking center stage--think Raisinets.


Roasted Winter Pear Tarte Tatin [$10.00] | Red Wine Caramel / Blue Cheese Ice Cream
Our first dessert was like a deconstructed and reimagined iteration of LudoBites' Fourme d’Ambert Tourte! The sweetness of the pear was tempered by its pastry container, while the ice cream really captured the spirit of blue cheese, creating a sharp, countervailing component. Quite nice.


Warm Almond Financier Cake [$10.00] | Moro Blood Orange Marmalade / Licorice-Fennel Ice Cream
A financier is a small, spongy cake, typically flavored with almond, originating in France. Here, the cake's light body and subtle sweetness were heightened by the blood orange (resulting in an almost fruitcake-esque flair), with the almond slivers contributing a marked nuttiness. The ice cream, meanwhile, served as a pungent, spicy contrast.


Canelles de Bordeaux [$10.00] | Winter Spices / Aged-Rum Sabayon / White Chocolate Sorbet
Lastly, we have some canelés, small French pastries originating in Bordeaux. Traditionally flavored with rum and vanilla, they're known for their tough, caramelized crusts and soft, spongy, custard-like interiors. The canelés' heavy, eggy sweetness was further heightened by the sabayon, and went beautifully with the comparatively light sorbet.


To close the meal, we were provided cups of citrus-infused chocolate syrup. Drinking the syrup was just like sipping hot chocolate initially, with a light but lingering citrus flavor coming in only on the finish.


Chef McClain came out to meet us at the end of meal, and we were able to chat with him for a few minutes regarding the food, plans for Sage, as well as the state of gastronomy in Chicago.

Overall, I left Sage very satisfied. Service was pretty much spot-on, and though I could certainly identify nits with what I ate, the food was largely on point, and tasty--pretty impressive for only the second night of service. From what I gathered, McClain's cuisine at Sage effectively balances complexity with approachability and sensibility--my dining companion even made a comparison to Pierre Gagnaire--and I have high hopes for the restaurant in the future.

Bar Masa (Las Vegas, NV)

Bar Masa
3730 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
877.230.2742
www.arialasvegas.com/dining/fine-dining.aspx
Thu 12/17/2009, 08:00p-11:40p



Despite having just visited Las Vegas for the debut of Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, I was subsequently lured back by the promise of Masa. For the uninitiated, I'm talking about Masayoshi Takayama, chef/owner of his eponymous eatery in New York, widely regarded as the most expensive restaurant in the United States.

Masa was born in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, the second son among a family of five children. He was exposed to the restaurant industry at an early age, cooking and learning in his parents' catering company and fish shop. After graduating from high school, Masa moved to Tokyo, where he apprenticed at the legendary Ginza Sushi-Ko, starting as a dishwasher but eventually rising to the position of sushi chef. In 1980, Masa relocated to Los Angeles, finding employment at various sushi joints (Arado and Saba-Ya, according to Ritz Bites) before opening his seminal restaurant: Ginza Sushi-Ko (he had permission from the original to use the name).

Masa's fame and reputation grew to immense proportions as the years flew by, and by 2003, the chef was ready to begin a new stage in his career. He sold his restaurant to his Sous Chef, Hiroyuki Urasawa, and moved to Manhattan, opening up Masa and Bar Masa at the Time Warner Center in February 2004. Interestingly, Masa opened up right next to Thomas Keller's Per Se, and anecdotally, it was Keller who finally convinced Masa to move. Masa quickly established a reputation as the top spot for Japanese in the City (as well as for its wallet-busting prices), garnering a four-star review in the New York Times, as well as a three-star Michelin rating.

Bar Masa at Aria CityCenter, thus, is the chef's first expansion outside of Manhattan. For his Chef de Cuisine, Masa tapped New England Culinary Institute alumnus Drew Terp; Terp previously filled a similar role in New York, and has also toque'd at Alain Ducasse, Auberge du Soleil, and was head chef at Port O' Call Restaurant in Bermuda. The lead sushi chef is Takahiro Sakaeda.

The space, not surprisingly, is far larger than what Masa had in New York (by a factor of about three). It's the setting for an ambitious undertaking--of bringing Masa's intimate style to a significantly larger stage. However, if it's intimacy that you seek, you can have that here, too. In addition to Bar Masa, there will also be a smaller dining room within called Shaboo. As the name implies, Shaboo will offer an omakase-only menu (the $500 price tag will surely frighten away the hoi polloi) featuring Masa's famous interpretations of shabu-shabu "hot pot" cookery, among other dishes. We'd originally planned to do Bar Masa and Shaboo back-to-back, but scrapped the plan upon finding out that Shaboo would only be opening toward December's end--perhaps we'll save it for next time.


Set between the restaurants Sage and Julian Serrano, Bar Masa lies behind an intimidating set of massive, monolithic doors. A menu posted outside functions to further scare away the riffraff.



Bar Masa's space is absolutely cavernous, colossal, cold. Beige leather banquets snake their way around the restaurant, punctuated by spare wood-metal tables. Copper and teak abound, while the ceiling sports an arched stairway contraption. A bar occupies one end of the room.


Off to one side, we see the space reserved for Shaboo, featuring tables set with individual induction burners, underneath hovering ventilation hoods.


Past Shaboo lies the massive kitchen. Note that there is no sushi bar (which I find somewhat strange, given that this is Bar Masa after all).


The menu features Masa's interpretations of Japanese comfort food, as well as some of his more fusion-focused creations. A selection of à la carte sushi and sashimi rounds out the menu. Omakase is not currently, and may never be, an option unfortunately. Click for larger versions.


We began our meal with a nigori sake, basically unfiltered sake. The Crazy Milk, Oimatsu Shuzo, Nigori, Oita (300ml) [$16] was a prototypical example of the style: delightfully viscous, "rustic" even, with a pronounced sweetness.


Tai Sea-Bream with White Truffle [$48.00]
Our first course comprised five slices of sea bream sashimi, dressed in a tangy sauce, garnished with bitter greens, and topped with white truffle. It was fantastic, with the fish itself crisp, snappy, fresh, wonderfully balanced by its accoutrements. After I inhaled the heady aroma of truffle, the essence of the fungus made itself known in a big way on my palate. This then gave way to the mild, delicate sea bream, while the finish was delightfully tangy. A perfect amalgam of disparate tastes and textures.


Ohmi Beef Tataki with White Truffle [$120.00]
Ohmi is a type of wagyu beef, and expectedly, it was rich, fatty, tender, and unconscionably unctuous. Taken alone, it was quite flavorful, with a nice peppery tang on the midpalate. Eating the Ohmi with the truffle, I first noticed the immense gravity of the meat, which was then followed up by the distinct earthiness of the truffle in a long, lingering close. Very good.


Our next tipple was the Kiminoi, Emperor's Well, Junmai Ginjo-Yamahai, Niigata (300ml) [$35]. A much more refined sake than the aforementioned nigorizake, it showed a lovely, bright acidity that really helped counter the richness of some of the heavier dishes.


Sushi Canapé [$48.00]
We then moved on to some sushi "canapés," basically a cut cucumber maki roll topped with various accompaniments:

• Kanpachi and Truffle - A strong truffle essence on the attack led to the crisp, fresh, essence of kanpachi. Very nice.
• Scallop and Shrimp - The shrimp and scallop combined to form a creamy, soft, subtly sweet admixture, while the finish possessed a great vegetal tang and crunch. My favorite.
• Salmon and White Onion - Here was a creamy tartare of salmon, with a soft smoky flair, effectively balanced by the pungency of onion.
• Tuna Tartare and Caviar - We finished with a luscious purée of tuna, mild in flavor and deftly accented by the briny tang of caviar. The roe was really the key here.

Seasonal Sushi Tasting [$98.00]
We, of course, had to sample some nigirizushi, and felt that the Seasonal Tasting was the most effective way to do so. Everything was served with two types of hosomaki: a light kappamaki (cucumber roll) and a richer tekkamaki (tuna roll). From back to front, left to right:

• Toro - Fatty Bluefin Tuna from Boston, Massachusetts. For some reason, the tasting comes with two pieces of toro, though I wasn't complaining too much. As expected, it was suitably fatty, oily, breaking apart easily upon mastication. Tasty, though not all that distinctive.
• Kanpachi - Amberjack from Shikoku Island, Japan. Firm, snappy flesh with a mild beginning but a much stronger close. My dining companion described this as "buri-esque."
• Tai - Sea Bream from Kyushu, Japan. We have that characteristic delicate natural of the tai, with a surprisingly robust finish. Nice.
• Kinme Dai - Snapper from Chiba, Japan. Supple and mild, with a wonderful, subtle sweetness.
• Hamachi - Young Yellowtail from Kyushu, Japan. Prototypical moderate hamachi character, with a nice spicy finish. Very good for hamachi (which I'm generally not a huge fan of).
• Hirame - Fluke from Wakayama, Japan. Creamy and mild. A strong example of hirame; note that it's not advertised as "halibut" like usual.
• Saba - Mackerel from Miyagi, Japan. The essential fishiness of mackerel was beautifully countered by the tang of shiso and heat of wasabi.
• Kohada - Herring from Chiba, Japan. Very fishy, with that distinctive, firm kohada consistency.
• Amaebi - Sweet Shrimp from Ishikawa, Japan. Mild and creamy, with a marked wasabi finish. I would've liked a bit more snappiness though.
• Shimaaji - Island Jackfish from Wakayama, Japan. A beautiful cut of fish with its silvery skin, this was quite good, with just enough brininess and a pleasing texture.

Overall, the sushi was of high quality, but unfortunately we didn't get to try it under optimal conditions, as the fish sat for ten minutes and subsequently dried out somewhat--definitely no 10-second rule here. The reason for this wait, depressingly, was that the various fishes served on the platter could not be identified. We asked our server, who was able to recount most, but not all, of the nigiri. He then called in the "experts," basically three older Asian women who were also servers at the restaurant. Unfortunately, they weren't much help, and the four staff members couldn't agree, bickering amongst themselves: Is this hamachi or kanpachi? Are you sure that's not mackerel? Do we have aoyagi in there? It was embarrassing, and sad. In the end, we made our own judgments as to what was what.


Calamari with Jalapeño Salt [$18.00]
It's pretty hard to mess up fried calamari, and certainly this tasted as it should, with a crispy outside leading into a nicely chewy interior. The slight heat from the pepper, meanwhile, was a great foil to the mild sweetness of the squid. Tasty and good for snacking.


Uni Risotto with Black Trumpet Mushroom [$48.00]
I had high hopes for this dish, but was let down. The sweet, briny essence of sea urchin was unfortunately muddled and lost here. And while I appreciated the earthiness and weight imparted by the mushrooms, they weren't enough to save the dish. I also felt that the rice was overly soft, and wanted a more "al dente" consistency.


Popcorn Shrimp with Romesco Sauce [$24.00]
You can't really go wrong with popcorn shrimp, and this was no exception. I liked how the shrimp were crisp on the outside, but still had soft, creamy interiors, preserving the essence of the crustaceans. The sweet tanginess provided by the romesco (a pepper-, garlic-, and tomato-based sauce) was nice, but the key was the bitterness imparted by the greens.


Our final sake was the Ginga Shizuku (Divine Droplets), Takasago, Junmai Daiginjo-Shizuku, Hokkaido (300ml) [$65]. A shizuku style sake, it's made by allowing sake to drip freely from fermented rice solely under the influence of gravity. Indeed, it was a cleaner, lighter, more delicate libation, with appealing floral and fruity notes, backed by tinges of minerality.


Naked Oyster in Citrus Sauce [$26.00]
Next up were some of the largest oysters I've seen in a while--plump with a nice meaty consistency. They were mildly flavored, delicately briny, with their subtle sweetness accented by the tart citrus dressing on the attack, which led to a nicely tangy, slightly bitter finish.


During the middle of the meal, Chef Masa came out briefly to greet us and sign menus.


Akamutsu [$10.00]
Fatty Deep-Sea Snapper from Chiba, Japan. Here we have our first à la carte sushi selection, a soft, mildly-flavored, but surprisingly oily fish. My dining companion even compared it to a hybrid of tai and hamachi.


Yari Ika with Salt and Yuzu Zest [$14.00]
Spear Squid from Kyushu, Japan. Gorgeously soft, chewy texture, with a light flavor accented by the tang of sea salt and the zest of yuzu, finished by the heat of wasabi. Very good.


Tako with White Truffle Sauce [$11.00]
Octopus from Chiba, Japan. I quite liked the octopus here--sweet, supple, a canvas on which the earthy truffle could really sing. Lovely.


Yari Ika with Salt and Yuzu Zest [$7.00]
For some reason, the kitchen sent out an additional, singular serving of squid to our table. We were not charged for it.


Grapefruit Granité [$7.00]
Obviously, we still had room for dessert, but unfortunately, only one was on offer. It was basically a grapefruit granita with grapefruit juice, Cointreau, and Grand Marnier: jarringly cold, but immensely fruity and refreshing, imbued with the pure quintessence of grapefruit. Taste-wise, it reminded me of Urasawa's excellent grapefruit gelée. I didn't get much of the alcohol, though.


An interesting item of note is the wooden box used by the servers (designed by Masa himself, apparently), in lieu of standard serving trays.

Food-wise, everything was mostly on point, save for the uni risotto. Despite getting somewhat desiccated amidst the confusion, the sushi was clearly of high quality, and generally quite good. A few items--I'm thinking the sea bream with truffle--were superb. My concern isn't the food though; it's the concept. The original Masa works--it's special--because the restaurant is a reflection of the chef himself. It's intimate, personal; it's supposed to let Masa's personality, his passion, his raison d'être shine through. This simply can't translate to Las Vegas--there's none of that here. Bar Masa in New York manages to straddle a middle ground because of its smaller scale, but what we have here feels like an upscale Nobu.

Bashan (Glendale, CA)

Bashan
3459 N Verdugo Rd, Glendale, CA 91208
818.541.1532
www.bashanrestaurant.com
Wed 12/16/2009, 08:00p-11:20p




Bashan restaurant is the brainchild of chef/owner Nadav Bashan, an Israeli native who, while in college, decided to act on his longstanding interest in cooking and pursue a culinary career. After graduating from Pasadena's California School of Culinary Arts, Bashan worked under Allyson Thurber (opening chef at The Water Grill) at The Lobster, her new restaurant situated on the Santa Monica waterfront. Bashan spent just under two years with Thurber before taking a Sous Chef position at Michael McCarty's eponymous Michael's, also in Santa Monica. He spent three years there, and was promoted to Executive Chef by the end of his tenure. Later, Bashan moved to Providence, where he sous'd for none other than Michael Cimarusti (who, like Thurber, also headed the kitchens at Water Grill previously).

After his experience at Providence, Bashan felt ready to open his own restaurant, and did exactly that in September of 2007, partnering with his father Ram, brother Yaniv (who designed the interior), and wife Romy (who also runs the front of the house). They purchased the space that used to house Michael Ruiz's Bistro Verdu, which shuttered at the end of June that year (Ruiz, meanwhile, recently opened and closed--after two weeks--Fork). As Bashan is situated in a locale where higher-end eateries are somewhat rare, the restaurant brings a welcomed addition to the dining scene--a casual neighborhood eatery that just happens to be fine dining. The food is market driven and seasonal, based in classic French technique with healthy doses of Californian, Mediterranean, and Asian influences. The "Asian," by the way, is largely due to the handiwork of Bashan's Sous Chef Jonathan Kim, who started in August 2008. A graduate of CSCA's Le Cordon Bleu program, Kim previously worked at Providence, Taste on Melrose, and Water Grill (where he met his future employer).

This dinner was organized by Jane and Selina, both readers of kevinEats. Jane, it turns out, staged at Bashan at one point, and still kept in touch with Chef Kim, who served as our point of contact at the restaurant.


Inside the smallish (less than 1000sqft) 40-seat dining room, designed by co-owner Yaniv Bashan, things are awash in tones of beige and brown. Meandering staves of driftwood adorn one wall, while the other is enrobed in a sort of grassy cloth, and boasts a large mirror. A custom walnut wood wine rack shields the dining room from the kitchen. Meanwhile, up above, starbursts double as chandeliers. The whole mélange is a bit stark, minimalist, bare even, but the overall effect is comfortable enough, and focuses your attention on what's on the plate.


Above, we have Bashan's dinner and dessert menus; click for larger versions. Due to the limited space in the Lilliputian kitchen, Bashan's carte is tight, focused, comprised of about a dozen savory courses and a smattering of desserts (there's no pastry chef, so Bashan himself must handle the sweets as well). Going à la carte is of course a possibility, but you might want to step up to a tasting menu. We did the seven-course at $85, augmented by two extra courses for $10 each. Wine pairings were an additional $40.


As for the tipple, you'll find a reasonably-priced wine list and a handful of beers; click for larger versions.


One of the few items that isn't made in-house, sourdough bread comes courtesy of La Brea Bakery.


Amuse Bouche 1: Cauliflower Soup | Marcona Almonds, Dates, Olive Oil
An amuse bouche was quickly brought before us, and we were instructed to pour the shot glass of soup into the small bowl of accompaniments. Before I did so, I first tasted the potage, and found it rich, creamy, hearty, and heartwarming, imbued with a subtle essence of cauliflower. After mixing the two elements, I found the resultant commixture lighter, brighter, with contrasting sweet and nutty notes coming into play.


Amuse Bouche 2: Prince Edward Island Mussel | Chorizo, Smoked Paprika, Japanese Chive
NV, LaMarca, Prosecco, Italy
Our second amuse was just about the smallest PEI mussel I'd ever seen. Though it was decidedly diminutive, it was big on flavor, with the brininess of the mollusc coming in strong on the attack--tinged with the heat of paprika--while the finish was all about the salty chorizo.





1a: Gioia Burrata and Bresaola Salad | Baby Lettuce, Sundried Tomato Relish, Figs, Aged Balsamic
2007 Max Ferd. Richter "Zeppelin" Riesling, Germany
Burrata (a cheese made from mozzarella and cream) has almost become clichéd on menus these days--how many times have I seen burrata and heirloom tomatoes?--but Bashan manages to breathe new life into the ingredient. The key was the bresaola, a type of Italian air-dried, salted and spiced beef. It contributed a delightful savory tang to counter the creaminess of the cheese, while the use of tomato relish and fig added the requisite saccharine notes. A beautiful composition of tastes and textures.


1b: Tahitian Squash and Roasted Garlic Ravioli | Leeks, Carrots, Truffle Foam
2007 Max Ferd. Richter "Zeppelin" Riesling, Germany
Regular readers will know that I often find squash overly sweet, a fact that did not bode well for this course. Indeed, taken alone, the raviolo was a bit sugary; however, its sweetness was nicely countered by the vegetal smack of the leeks and carrot. Overall, they made it work--nice texture too.


2: Roasted Atlantic Monkfish | Roasted Sunchokes, Peppadew Pepper, Baba Ghanoush, Picholine Olives, Artichoke
2009 Zolo, Torrontes, Mendoza, Argentina
Next we have an appealing preparation of monkfish. By itself, the fish demonstrated its signature soft, spongy body and fabulously savory flesh. That wouldn't be enough on its own, however, so the various accoutrements were absolutely key. The dots of spicy pepper sauce provided a deft accent to the weight of the fish, while the piquant olives and artichoke also served as effective foils to the heft of the monkfish. The sunchoke, meanwhile, acted as a mitigating element. I wasn't as sold on the smoky baba ghanoush, however.


3: New Bedford Scallop | Rice Beans, Piquillo Pepper, Bacon, Squid, Aged Pedro Ximenez Sherry Vinegar
2008 "Mirth" Chardonnay, Owen Roe, Washington
Sitting atop a stack of rice beans, the sole, singular scallop, masterfully cooked, showed characteristic sweet flavors, leading to a splendidly briny close. It was beautifully accented by the earthiness of the beans, as well as the tang of the piquillos. My favorite part of this course, though, was the squid, which did an absolutely fantastic job of highlighting the natural brininess of the bivalve. I did find the PX a bit superfluous, however.


4: Braised Pork Belly Asian Style | Daikon 2x, Pickled Ginger and Garlic Puree, Charred Shishito Pepper
2007 Ramsay, Pinot Noir, Central Coast
Bashan's Asian tangent, courtesy of Mr. Kim, is clearly evident in this next dish. It was an almost kakuni-esque preparation, falling-apart tender, imbued with a fatty, permeating, sweet yet savory flavor, with a hint of spice. The daikon, then, was absolutely crucial in moderating the meat. First, we have the braised version, expectedly mild, which acted as a mitigating element, lessening the decadence of the pork. The pickled variant, on the other hand, balances the belly's power with a piquant zest. This was definitely one of the better pork bellys I've had in a while, and Selina seemed to agree--she took an order of it to go!


5: Crispy Veal Sweetbreads | Guacamole, Crispy Shallots, Tomato Compote, Quail Egg
2006 Line 39, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County
Next we have my favorite course of the degustation. If done right, sweetbreads can be positively heavenly--these were. Texturally, a succulent, moist interior was enveloped by the wonderfully crispy outside, while the taste was an amalgam of varying savory notes, with a very subtle sweet flair to boot. The creamy yet tangy guacamole lightened the dish, while the tomato added a marked sugary character. After Selina tasted the sweetbreads, she added it to her to-go order!


6: Seared Rougié Foie Gras | Persimmon, Brioche Crouton, Baby Tatsoi, Pickled Guava
Château Lamothe, Sauternes, France
Knowing my entrenched disrelish for sweet preparations of seared foie gras, I was very wary of this dish. I first sampled the liver by itself, and found it actually quite good, nicely seared, appropriately savory, imbued with that signature foie gras verve. When I added the persimmon purée, the admixture was, as expected, too sugary for my tastes. To counter this, I made use of the tatsoi (spoon mustard), which provided a great pungent, bitter balance to the dish.


7: Maple Leaf Farm Duck Breast | Baby Korean Radish, Shitake, Japanese Chives, Mizuna, Satsuma, Walnuts, Sweet Miso Gochujang Vinaigrette
2007 Vavasour, Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand
Another very Asian-inspired dish, we have here a beautiful rectangle of seared duck breast, just bursting with "ducky" savor. It was almost too flavorful on its own, if such a thing is possible. I loved the shiitake here, as the mushroom added a world of depth and earthiness to the bird. I also appreciated the radish, which contributed an offsetting bitter, vegetal element (though Jane found it a bit overwhelming). To finish, we had a delightfully piquant gochujang (a spicy Korean condiment) sauce, adding a bit of heat into the fray.





8a: Grilled Prime Hanger Steak | Cipollini Onion, Roasted Parsnips, Mango Chutney
2008 Alamos, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina
Our final savory course was a triplet of beef, presented à la Michael Mina. First up: though hanger steak isn't known for its tenderness, it is known for its "beefy" flavor, which was present here in spades. A juicy, succulent, salty cut of beef, I loved eating it just by itself. It was also quite tasty paired with the roasted cipollini, but the mango made the dish a touch sugary for me.


8b: Niman Ranch 21 Day Dry Aged New York Steak | Pomme Fondant, Carrot, Veal Jus
2008 Alamos, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina
Vis-à-vis the preceding skirt steak, the sirloin was noticeably subtler in flavor, with a more refined body as well--it was great to compare the two. What was interesting was that the New York almost had a nutty flavor on the midpalate, an unexpected, but not unwelcomed sensation. Further weight was added by the pomme fondant (sort of a potato cake), while the carrot provided a lighter touch.


8c: Braised Prime Short Ribs | Okinawa Yam Mash, Brussels Sprouts, Chimichurri
2008 Alamos, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina
The last of the trio was also my favorite. It's hard to go too wrong with braised beef, and certainly this was no exception. According to our server, the short ribs were braised in veal jus for eight hours, resulting in a stupendously tender consistency, but one with just enough bite to make it interesting. As expected, the flavor was dark, heavy, but the use of Brussels sprouts really brightened things up. Very good.





9a: Peanut Butter Banana Sticky Toffee Cake | Toffee Sauce, Home Roasted Peanuts
Quady Winery, "Electra", Orange Muscat, California
Since I'm not a fan of peanut butter, I wasn't exactly looking forward to this dessert, but lo and behold, it turned out to be my favorite of the troika. The key was that the PB was subtle, and it was really the sweetness of the toffee that took center stage, balanced by just a hint of nuttiness. I also appreciated the cake's light, fluffy consistency--very nice.


9b: Chocolate Bread Pudding | Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Sauce
Quady Winery, "Electra", Orange Muscat, California
Though this looked positively decadent, it was actually a fair bit lighter than I expected, with the bread providing a sort of a tempering element. The pairing of vanilla ice cream with chocolate is a classic one, and worked well enough here.


9c: Crème Fraîche Cheesecake | Dulce de Leche, Graham Cracker, Walnut Streusel
Quady Winery, "Electra", Orange Muscat, California
Finally, we have Bashan's cheesecake, which makes heavy use of crème fraîche, resulting in a characteristically rich flavor, but with a touch of levity. The dulce de leche added a marked sugary component to the dessert, while the graham cracker crumbles mixed things up texturally.


After dinner, we were invited back into the kitchen. At around 200sqft, it's positively tiny, and may give LudoBites a run for its money for the title of smallest kitchen in the Southland. It's hard to imagine more than four or five cooks in here.


Executive Chef Nadav Bashan, ex-stagiaire Jane Kim, Sous Chef Jonathan Kim.

I had high hopes going in to Bashan, and I'm happy to report that I wasn't let down. It's sort of the perfect neighborhood eatery--ambitious, but not pretentious, sophisticated, yet approachable. High quality, seasonal ingredients are combined with honest, unfussy, confident technique to create a refined, understated, yet truly enjoyable dining experience. If only Bashan weren't so far away!

LudoBites at Royal/T (Culver City, CA) [2]

LudoBites and Royal/T Get In Bed Together
8910 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
310.559.6300
www.ludobites.com
Wed 12/09/2009, 07:00p-09:35p



At the beginning of December, LudoBites 3.0 at Royal/T debuted with considerable fanfare. Originally, I was planning on bookending the limited 13-day engagement--visiting on the first and last days--in order to experience the evolution of the menu over its brief run. Thus, this return visit came unexpectedly, and was at the request of one of my long-time readers.

This meal is particularly notable, however, for occurring on what Krissy deemed the "worst night ever." The kitchen had started the evening one cook down, which was crippling enough. But then, at approximately 7:30, the unthinkable happened: Ludo's Sous walked out in the middle of service, apparently after getting into a spat with the chef. This plunged the kitchen into disarray, with Ludo and company scrambling to scrap the regular à la carte menu and replace it with a five-course prix fix.


And here we see the menus: before and after; click for larger versions. Fortunately, we had gotten in our selections from the full menu just prior to the kitchen chaos, and were served pretty much everything that we wanted save for the duck. From what I gather, the people who arrived half-an-hour later fared far worse, as even the prix fix was up in the air: the squid was superceded by scallop; the bass vanished as well, replaced by a duck and mole dish; the Fourme d'Ambert Tourte turned into actual Fourme d'Ambert; and the Riz au Lait transformed into a chocolate mousse.


As previously reported, this iteration of LudoBites now offers a reasonably-priced wine list. Fans of the bubbly stuff, we chose the Domaine des Roches Cremant de Bourgogne Rosé [$36]. Made from 100% Pinot Noir, the sparkler was a pleasant surprise to both of us: weighty yet effervescent, with lovely strawberry flavors over a firm mineral base, finishing with a touch of toastiness. Quite nice.


Scallop, Brown Butter, Pineapple & Black Powder [$12.00]
We started with a repeat course from my last visit. Compared to before, the scallops here were more substantial, "meatier," and more pronounced in flavor. They really took center stage, strongly interacting with the sweetness of the fruit, while the squid ink powder provided a tempering element.


Tuna Sashimi, Sushi Rice Ice Cream, Soy Sauce-Yuzu Gelee, Wasabi [$16.00]
Next up was an item that recalled a similar dish that I had on my very first LudoBites visit. The dish starts with four slabs of carnelian-hued maguro, dressed in a soy-based glaze. Taken alone, the tuna was clean, delicate, and supple, but overpowered by the sauce. Thus, the "rice cream" was absolutely key; it took on the role of shari in nigirizushi, simultaneously moderating and countering the other elements in the dish to form a harmonious, unified amalgam of tastes and textures.


Egg "Meurette", Red Cabbage, Shallots, Lardo Toast [$14.00]
Here's a take on the classic French country dish Oeufs en Meurette, traditionally poached eggs in red wine. Expectedly, the star of the show here was the deftly poached egg. Still soft and runny, it added a nice creaminess that offset the tart acidity of the red cabbage soup. The two pieces of toast, meanwhile, were topped with pork fat, adding a palpable weight to the dish.


Poached-grilled Striped Bass, Leek Salad, Capers, Yogurt "Corsaire" Powder [$19.00]
Next we have one of my favorites of the night. The bass itself was beautifully cooked, to be sure. However, what elevated the dish was the use of curry powder, specifically the Poudre Curry Corsaire, created by noted spice expert Olivier Roellinger. An appealing commixture of coriander, fenugreek, ginger, and turmeric, among other spices, the powder lent an overarching piquancy to the dish that did a great job in setting off the flavor of the bass. Nearly as important as the curry was the use of leeks, which contributed a sharp, bitter vegetal tang.


Fried Chicken, Walnut-Hazelnut Sabayon, Potato Cake, Baby Corn & Baby Bok Choy [$18.00]
Perhaps the most hotly-anticipated item of the night was the return of Ludo's fried chicken (affectionately known as "LFC"). Note that none of the advertised accompaniments were present--a result of the aforementioned Sous Chef walking off without doing his prep work. Naturally, Krissy assured us that the course would be comped. Absent accoutrements notwithstanding, this was clearly some of the best fried chicken I'd ever had: succulent and heady, with a lovely chicken-y sapor, all wrapped up in a crispy, crunchy, stupendously sapid skin. I'll take a 12-piece bucket to go.


Fourme d'Ambert Tourte, Red Pear, Honey Balsamic [$10.00]
The Fourme d'Ambert tart has been one of the few constants on the new LudoBites menu it seems, and we weren't even supposed to have it tonight. See, we didn't actually order the tourte, but it ended up arriving at our table anyway, a result of the aforesaid pandemonium. Once again, Krissy reassured us that we would not be charged for the dish; and in fact, the entire meal was subsequently comped as a result of the kitchen nightmares on this night. In any case, last time, I loved its flaky crust and characteristic blue cheese flavor, as well as the sweet contrast provided by the pear. Such was the case again, though the tart itself was somewhat "fluffier" tonight--not a bad thing, mind you.


Riz au Lait, White Chocolate, Clementine Caramel [$10.00]
Our first dessert consisted of a simple rice pudding, tarted up with chocolate and caramel, and topped with clementine segments. I enjoyed the fruit, but felt that the rice didn't quite complement the sweet yet tangy citrus. The caramel helped, but wasn't enough for me.


Warm Chocolate Soup, Banana Rum, Wasabi, Sesame Seeds [$12.00]
Finally, we closed with a most fascinating dessert. Taking a large swig of the soup, I first noted plenty of bittersweet chocolate on the attack, but the midpalate turned much weightier, imbued with the fruity essence of banana. The finish was spicy with the burn of wasabi, and the heat seemed to only to get stronger with the passage of time. And if it wasn't already interesting enough, the sesame added a bit of nuttiness into the fray, and gave the potage an additional textural element.

Despite the clutter and confusion, the muss and mix-ups, the meal turned out surprisingly well--the food was mostly on point, while service and pacing weren't really too bad either. It was a far from perfect night, but Ludo and Krissy did do an admirable job in trying to save a sinking ship. Word is that the LudoBites team is already working on getting a replacement chef, so hopefully everything will be in place when I return for a final meal on the 22nd.

The Hat (Alhambra, CA)

The Hat
1 W Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801
626.282.0140
www.thehat.com
Mon 12/07/2009, 10:10p-10:40p




After the blogger dinner at Newport Seafood, some of us still weren't satiated. Somehow, the topic of The Hat came up in discussion--I think because Ryan had never been--and it was decided that we'd go there for the after-party. Joining Ryan and I were Cathy and the "three pandas:" Danny, Wes, and Evelina (who ended up wandering across the street to get dessert at Crepe Luv).

For the uninitiated, think of The Hat as a Los Angeles fast-food institution, an iconic eatery on par with the likes of Tommy's or Pink's. Founded in 1951, The Hat specializes in pastrami sandwiches--the pastrami dip--and to a lesser extent, burgers. We were at the original, the very first outpost, situated at the corner of Valley and Garfield. From here, The Hat eventually expanded outward, opening up another nine locations throughout Southern California. Currently, the chain is owned and operated by C & J Food Company, which is run by the Conzonire family of San Marino. During the 1950s, Ronald H. "Corky" Conzonire and wife Marilyn used to meet at this original Alhambra location. The place held a special place in their hearts, and in 1981, when Corky heard that the store was marked for demolition, he bought the place with his brother Joseph. The rest, they say, is history.






The menu is about what you'd expect, with the Pastrami Dip clearly taking center stage. Click for larger versions.


Chili Fries with Tomato & Pickle [$4.99]
Originally, we were just going to order the Pastrami Dip, but at Newport, Christine insisted that we try the chili-cheese fries, which she described as "a brick." And indeed, it was suitably massive, unabashed in its considerable corpulence. I quite enjoyed the chili, which I even found superior to that of Tommy's--I appreciated its richer texture, its "meatier" sapor, and how its gravity was cut by the tangy pickles and juicy tomatoes. The frites themselves were also quite nice, crisp but not overly so, demonstrating that classic French fry flavor. Overall, the chili fries here compared very favorably to those from my chili fries benchmark: my old high school haunt, Volcano Burgers. One thing though: Volcano does use onions on their fries, and I think that incorporating them here would make the fries even better.


Pastrami Dip [$6.99]
Christine had warned us of getting the Pastrami Dip, saying that the version at Langer's was much superior. Be that as it may, we just had to get the World Famous Pastrami, especially since Ryan hadn't had it before. The meat, a half-pound of it, comes with mustard and pickle, and is served on a French roll. However, as we can see here, the pastrami was clearly too much for the piddly bread to handle. As for the flavor, it tasted as it should--delightfully salty, with a tinge of smokiness, finished with a slight herbal tang. The sandwich wasn't earth-shattering, probably not as strong as the pastrami at Carnegie Deli either, but I certainly enjoyed it. Hint: for an extra special treat, sprinkle some of the pastrami on top of your chili fries!

And so there we have it--some greasy, fatty, downright insalubrious junk food--a perfect way to cap off the evening perhaps. As the sign says, it's "Just Good Food."

Newport Seafood (San Gabriel, CA)

Newport Seafood
518 W Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776
626.289.5998
www.newportseafood.com
Mon 12/07/2009, 08:00p-10:00p




Newport Seafood, or Newport Tan Cang, was started in 1989 down in Orange County. The restaurant is Chinese at its core, specializing in seafood, but gladly incorporates influences from Thailand, Cambodia, and most importantly, Vietnam. This point of distinction proved to be wildly successful, and Newport eventually opened up another outpost in San Gabriel in 1996, at the intersection of Las Tunas and Mission, near Golden Deli and a stone's throw from Luscious Dumplings. A third restaurant followed in Rowland Heights. The original Santa Ana location was subsequently sold, though it still exists under different ownership (apparently, there's also Newport Seafood To Go in Garden Grove). Most recently, the first San Gabriel location was shuttered and replaced by a larger space down the road, the site of a former Marie Callender's. The old spot at 835 West Las Tunas was then replaced with Lu Din Gee (a.k.a. Duck House).

Given Newport's rave reviews, I'd been curious about trying it out for some time. Danny of Kung Food Panda was supposed to organize a blogger dinner here, but kept dropping the ball apparently. Christine of the now-dormant Folie à Choisauce was subsequently forced to step in and regulate. Joining the three of us were: Cathy of Gastronomy, Connie of Hey Hey Scenesters, Evelina+Wesley of Two Hungry Pandas, Jenni of The Next Big Ng, Kate of Princess Kitty's, Mike of Right Way to Eat, Remil (who, supposedly, is starting a blog soon), and Ryan of Only Eat What Feeds Your Soul.



Inside, the owners have done a fairly good job at getting rid of any semblances of the restaurant's former occupant. The top photo shows the main dining space and live seafood tanks, while the semi-private rooms (where we were seated) are shown below.




As is par for the course for most Chinese eateries, Newport's menu is vast. Since the carte cannot be found on the restaurant's web site (or anywhere else, for that matter), I've chosen to include it here for future reference despite its unwieldiness; click for larger versions. We went for the $238 fixed menu (enough to feed 10 to 12 people), and tacked on a couple of supplements: the Beef Loc Lac and the Deep Fried Tofu.


In addition to the usual selection of American macrobrew lagers, Newport also carries a smattering of imported brews, the most interesting of which were my Spaten Oktoberfestbier Ur-Märzen [$3.25] and Ryan's Fischer Tradition Amber [$5.25]. Also, Remil was gracious enough to bring a bottle of Riesling for us to share; corkage is $15 per bottle.


1: Crab Meat Shark's Fin with Asparagus Soup
Ahh, the infamous shark's fin soup, a mainstay of Chinese banquet meals and one of the three "jewels" of Chinese cookery (the other two being abalone and bird's nest). Really though, shark's fin doesn't have much flavor on its own, so here it was more of a textural element, and a minor one at that. The crab was much more integral to the soup, which I found nicely savory, with a hint of piquancy.


Supplement: Beef Loc Lac (French Style) [$11.95]
Next, we have Newport's version of bo luc lac, one of the restaurant's most popular dishes and an obvious nod to its Vietnamese influences. The dish comprises cubed beef tenderloin, dressed with a tangy black pepper sauce and served over onions and tomatoes. It is, according to Jonathan Gold, "probably the best version of this dish in San Gabriel." I'm not sure if I share Mr. Gold's enthusiasm, but it was still quite good, with the beef suitably tender, buttery even, nicely accented by its peppery accoutrement and balanced by the levity of the veggies.


2: Sea Cucumber with Black Mushroom
A type of slug-like marine animal, sea cucumbers are widely regarded as a delicacy in Chinese cuisine, ranking just below the three "treasures" mentioned above. As with those three ingredients, the sea cucumber itself doesn't have much flavor, but is instead usually prized for its gelatinous, slippery consistency. That was certainly the case here, as it was the black mushrooms that stole the show. The shiitakes added a weighty, earthy, umami-tinged note to the dish, which was nicely countered by the snow peas.


3: Newport Special Lobster
And now, what we were all waiting for: Newport's oft-lauded lobster, normally $15.95 a pound. This is one dish that you'll find at nearly every table in the house, and is clearly the restaurant's masterpiece, its magnum opus, its pièce de résistance--it's to Newport what the Pastrami Dip is to The Hat. The crustacean is fried in a garlic sauce, broken up and plated in a rather impressive looking mess, then covered in a pepper- and green onion-based sauce replete with the lobster's innards. Eating it was a tasty, though not mind-blowing, experience. I appreciated the lobster's snappy yet supple flesh and how its accompaniments complemented, but did not overwhelm the crustacean's natural sapor. The problem with the dish, though, is that it is rather difficult, and messy, to eat--I think I went through three napkins on this course alone!


Supplement: Deep Fried Tofu [$9.25]
Another popular dish is the deep-fried tofu--golden bricks of goodness, crisp on the outside, yet soft, fluffy even, inside. Superbly textured, but mild in flavor, they must be eaten with the included chili-soy dip for maximum pleasure.


4: Crab Baked with Salt and Pepper
It was interesting to compare the crab with the preceding lobster. I'll describe it as less sweet, less spicy, but brinier in flavor, with a similar onion-based topping. I also found it easier to eat, though the crab's texture wasn't as enjoyable as the lobster's.


5: Yang Chow Fried Rice
A Chinese meal just wouldn't seem complete without some sort of rice, so here we have the popular yeung chow variation of fried rice, a Cantonese preparation recognizable for its use of cha siu pork and shrimp. I didn't expect much, but the dish actually turned out to be one of the better fried rices I've had, with an abundance of varying flavors at play.


6: Kong Pao Shrimp Chicken & Beef
Newport's kung pao (not sure why they spell it "kong") mixes things up by including shrimp and beef in along with the usual chicken. It's hard for me to get too excited about the ubiquitous dish, but this was certainly one of the stronger versions I've had.


7: Steamed Whole Fish
When the menu states "steamed whole fish" yet doesn't mention exactly what type of fish is used, that is a cause for concern for me. Nevertheless, the dish turned out quite alright, exactly what I'd expect for steamed fish, in fact. The fish itself was appropriately mild in flavor, so the onion topping and soy-based sauce were absolutely crucial.


8: Peking Style Pork Chop
Think of this as your standard sweet & sour pork. It was a bit sugary for me, and I found that the sauce overwhelmed the natural sapor of the meat.


9: Clam with Spicy Hot Sauce
This was another one of Newport's best-known dishes, and one of my favorites or the night as well--think clams sautéed in a basil, ginger, and garlic sauce. The tanginess of the sauce was a great complement to the brininess of the bivalves, and I rather liked the slightly chewy texture of the mollussks.


10: Sauteed Peasprout
We closed strong with this seemingly simple dish, a tangle of young pea sprouts cooked with a ginger- and garlic-based sesame oil sauce. I loved the sprouts' crisp snappiness, and their flavor was a breath of fresh air, bracingly vegetal with a bit of pungency.


Oranges comprised the sole sweet course--the Chinese aren't known for their desserts.

Going in, my expectations for Newport were impossibly high given all the praise surrounding the place. Thus, it wasn't surprising that the meal wasn't quite as life-changing as expected. That being said, it was still a good meal, especially considering that the $238 prix fix works out to about $20 per person. I'd go back.


Have most "serious" food bloggers moved to DSLRs?

Restaurant Guy Savoy (Las Vegas, NV) [2]

Restaurant Guy Savoy
3570 Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
702.731.7110
www.caesarspalace.com/casinos/caesars-palace/restaurants-dining/restaurant-guy-savoy-detail.html
Sun 12/06/2009, 06:30p-11:00p



After an epic, opening night meal at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, we still had time for one more dinner before leaving Las Vegas. Given the over-the-top nature of Gagnaire, I was thinking something lower-end: Raku, Rosemary's, Lotus of Siam, even Hash House a Go Go. My dining companion, however, had had Guy Savoy on the mind ever since reading my first post on the place. I wasn't eager to return though, as much of the menu hadn't changed since June. Obviously, since I'm writing this post, I was eventually convinced--what did it was that the kitchen agreed to customize the tasting menu so that there would be no repeat courses.


The first two photos above show the standard menu, while the third lists some seasonal specials; click for larger versions. À la carte selections are ridiculously priced, so it's a good idea to choose one of the prix fix options here. Naturally, we had to go with the 10-course Menu Prestige, which, apparently, is ordered by roughly 40% of diners (as reported in Nation's Restaurant News). Had we had more stomach capacity, it might've been interesting to try something from the "La Chasse" ("the hunt") menu, which features game dishes.


Above, we see the customized degustation that I enjoyed, signed ("Amitiés Gourmandes," or "Gourmet Greetings") by Executive Chef Eric Bost; click for a larger version. Half of the Menu Prestige was replaced by courses from the à la carte selection; these are denoted "a" below, with the standard items marked "b." The cost of the menu remained the same, at $290, while wine pairings for the decet of dishes added an additional $150 per person.


Upon being seated, we were presented with a selection of Champagnes from a rolling cart. My dining companion had the R&L Legras, Guy Savoy Blanc de Blancs, Chouilly, Brut, MV [$29]; don't let the "house" moniker fool you, this was some good, powerful tipple. I was in the mood for something sweeter, and thus went with the Bruno Paillard, Rosé, Reims, Brut MV [$22]. It's a wine that I'd quaffed before, notably at Joël Robuchon and Alinea, but it seemed fruitier this time around, showing pronounced citrus notes.


Canapé 1: Parmesan Waffle
The food then began to arrive. First, we were brought the smallest waffles we'd ever seen. The bits of Parmesan added a slight cheesiness and depth to the otherwise straightforward, nicely textured waffles.


Canapé 2: "French Sandwich"
Next was the so-called "French Sandwich" (which I'd also had on my previous visit), consisting of toast, foie gras, and black truffle. Initially, its flavor was quite mild, dominated by the brioche. However, upon mastication, the foie began to become more and more apparent, leaving a long, lingering finish imbued with the essence of liver.


Canapé 3: "French Burger"
Our final snack was the "French Burger," which was also present last time. It's a micro-burger basically, made from beef seasoned with black pepper, salt, parsley, chervil, onion, and finished with Dijon mustard. Its savor was simply stupendous: superbly beefy with a striking herbal smack and peppery conclusion, with the Dijon providing a fantastic piquant tang. It made me want to try the full-sized burger on the bar menu!


At this point, a large loaf of black pepper-rosemary country bread was presented before us; it was delightful, with a pleasant, perky, peppery close. Bread was served with salt, pepper, and unsalted and salted Échiré butters.


Amuse Bouche: Root Vegetable Cream Soup
An amuse in two parts: the first comprised small cubes of green apple and celery, covered in a root vegetable cream soup, with a bit of mushroom powder on the side. The hearty, rich attack of the soup belied its delightfully tangy, crispy finish--quite nice, though the mushroom was nearly invisible. The second part of the amuse came when I lifted the cup. What I found was a sort of "chicken salad," but one made with capon (a young, castrated cockerel--male chicken) meat. A capon's flesh is known for its tenderness, and the result here was just about the most refined chicken salad you could imagine.


1: Oysters in Ice Gelée | Huîtres en Nage Glacée
Roland Tissier et Fils, Sancerre, 2006
Seaweed Ciabatta
Our meal proper began with oysters--always a good decision. What we had here were Kushi oysters from British Columbia, sandwiched between an oyster crème fraîche and an oyster gelée, garnished with spinach and carrot. The natural flavor of the mollusks was heightened by the jelly, which seemed to be composed from the liqueur of the bivalve itself, while the crème fraîche added palpable weight on the palate. Very nice with the bread, which had a lingering nori-esque finish.


2a: Mosaic of Milk Fed Poularde, Foie Gras and Artichoke, Black Truffle Jus | Mosaïque de Volaille, Foie Gras et Artichauts, Jus à la Truffe
Lucian Albrecht, Cuvée Cécile, Pinot Gris, Alsace, 2005
Miche Bread
This next item was one of the highlights of the meal for me. What we have is an amalgamation of poularde, foie gras, and artichoke, accompanied by truffle sauce, salt, and pepper. The key here was the poularde (basically a young hen spayed for fattening, sort of the female version of the capon above), which perfectly captured the pure quintessence of what chicken is all about. The foie, meanwhile, added a marked gravity to the dish, perfectly accentuating the relatively leanness of the chicken. The artichoke, on the other hand, provided a lightening contrast. The end result was a fantastic interplay of the three elements, with the smack of the poularde alternating with the foie and artichoke. I liked it well enough by itself, but the truffle jus added an extra dose of luxuriousness that made it even better. Easily one of the best chicken dishes I've ever tasted.


2b: Marinated Lobster, Salad and Gelée of Carrots and Autumn Herbs | Homard Mariné, Carottes en Gelée et Salade
Marc Brédif, Vouvray, 2006
Seaweed Ciabatta
Here were two pieces of expertly cooked lobster tail, nicely snappy and crunchy, and quite delicious on their own. The crustacean was paired with carrots and various herbs, which provided a vegetal depth to the dish that nicely balanced the sweetness of the lobster. The most interesting facet here, however, was the use of tiny tapioca balls, which added a superb chewiness to the dish that really complemented the lobster's supple flesh. The bread pairing, a seaweed ciabatta, was a superb complement, with its briny flavor underscoring the lobster's natural savor.


3a: John Dory "à la Plancha", Ginger and Sunchokes "Toutes Saveurs" | Saint Pierre « à la Plancha », Topinambours et Gingembre « Toutes Saveurs »
Les Plantiers du Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan, 2001
Lemon Bread
Cooked, apparently, à la plancha (meaning on a flattop grill), the Dory was definitely one of the better variations I've had. I enjoyed its firm, flaky consistency, as well as its unabashedly savory smack. The fish's flavor was augmented by the aggressive balsamic and olive oil sauce, while the sunchokes and ginger especially gave the dish a key mitigating contrast. The lemon bread paired with the fish was interesting, as it added a distinct sourness that countered the savoriness of the Dory.


3b: Crispy Sea Bass with Delicate Spices | Bar en Ecailles Grilées aux Epices Douces
Joseph Drouhin, Meursault, 2007
Lemon Bread
One of Chef Savoy's signature dishes, we have here sea bass, cooked skin side down for crispness, with a ginger-vanilla fish stock foam, served with seaweed and Swiss chard, and garnished with an admixture of spices including black pepper, fennel, and Sichuan pepper. Texture-wise, I had no complaints about the sea bass, as the flesh was rare and tender, replete with a wonderfully crisp, savory skin. In terms of flavor, last time, I felt that the vanilla was a bit overpowering, but I'm glad to report that the dish was better this time around. Overall, it was a more savory, more natural presentation of sea bass I felt, and I loved the contrast between the fish and the brininess of the seaweed.


4a: Scallop Carpaccio, White Truffle Pasta, Poached Quail Egg | Carpaccio de St. Jacques, Pâtes à la Truffe Blanche, Œuf de Caille Poché
Marc Brédif, Vouvray, 2006
Plain Ciabatta
Given the ingredients at play here, there was almost no way that this dish could've turned out poorly. And indeed, it did not disappoint. I first noted the lovely al dente texture of the pasta (orecchiette perhaps?), which nicely countered the consistency of the scallops. The bivalves themselves were delicate in flavor, yet weighty. Their mildness eventually led to a distinctly truffle-tinged finish, while the midpalate was dominated by the overarching creaminess of the egg. In order to not overwhelm the flavors of the dish, the bread server paired a simple, plain ciabatta with the course.


4b: « Colors of Caviar »
Domaines Schlumberger, Grand Cru Saering, Riesling, Alsace, 2006
Plain Ciabatta
Next was one of M. Savoy's most decadent creations, a multilayered, multitextured amalgam of caviar vinaigrette, caviar crème fraîche, golden Ossetra caviar, haricot vert purée, and hot egg sabayon. This was a fascinating study in the interaction of textures, tastes, and temperatures, with each bite yielding a different flavor progression than the one before it. I especially appreciated the relationship between the salty roe and the creamy, eggy sabayon.


5a: Roasted Monkfish, Salsify Confit, Hazelnuts and Watercress Jus | Queue de Lotte Rôtie, Salsifis Confits dans sa Peau, Noisettes et Jus de Cresson
Joseph Drouhin, Meursault, 2007
Chestnut Bread
For this next course, our server brought to the table a tray holding a large chunk of monkfish tail, which had been roasted on the bone for maximum flavor. Afterwards, it was brought back into the kitchen, where it was subsequently filleted and plated. This was definitely a very strong preparation of monkfish, and I quite liked the fish's supple yet spongy consistency, as well as its markedly savory flavor, nicely accented by the brown butter and salsify. The watercress, meanwhile, contributed a slight bitterness to the dish, while the hazelnuts added a sweet nuttiness as well as a crunchy textural element.


5b: Foie-Gras "en Papillotte" and Radish Bouillon | « Radis-Foie »
Lucian Albrecht, Cuvée Cécile, Pinot Gris, Alsace, 2005
Caramelized Onion Bread
When I had this last time, I declared it the best hot preparation of foie I'd ever had thanks to the bitterness at play--I still stand by that claim. We have Hudson Valley Moulard duck foie gras, which is pan-seared, then cooked en papillote ("in parchment"). This means that the foie is sealed in a plastic pouch and cooked, steaming in its own juices, with cherry vinegar and pink radishes. The radish did a great job at tempering the gravity of the foie gras, which I believe would've been too overwhelming on its own. In addition, the radish leaves added a bitter, vegetal, piquant smack that further countered the liver.


6a: Pumpkin Soup, Poached Egg and Alba White Truffles | Soupe de Potiron et Citrouille à l'Œuf et Truffe Blanche d'Alba
E Guigal, Condrieu, 2006
I loved the presentation of the soup here: ladled from a bowl inside of a rather large pumpkin. I was a bit concerned, however, that the concoction would be overwhelmingly sweet. Fortunately, it wasn't. The essence of pumpkin was preserved, but the egg really provided a depth and creaminess that prevented the soup from being overly sugary. The tinge of white truffle certainly helped as well, giving the potage an earthy bouquet. Very nice with the lush, florid, floral Condrieu.


6b: Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup, Toasted Mushroom Brioche, and Black Truffle Butter | Soupe d'Artichaut à la Truffe Noir, Brioche Feuilletée aux Champignons et Truffe Noire
Domaine Marchand Fréres, Vielles Vignes, Chambolle-Musigny, 2004
Next up was Guy Savoy's best-selling appetizer, which, according to the same NRN report mentioned above, 70% of diners order. It's, in essence, an artichoke soup, topped with shaved Parmesan and sliced black truffle. The bouquet of the soup was as heady as you'd imagine, imbued with the aroma of truffle and cheese. This continued on to the palate, which was absolutely saturated with flavor, held back tenuously by the relative levity of artichoke. I can see why this is the restaurant's most popular dish.



7: Roasted Veal Chop, Black Truffle Potato Purée, Young Vegetables Braised in Veal Jus | Côte de Veau Juste Rôtie, Purée de Pommes de Terre à la Truffe Noire, Légumes Braisés au Jus de Veau
Moillard, Crozes-Hermitage, 2007
Whole Wheat Bread
And now, for our "main" course, our server brought out a tray containing a rather intimidating-looking veal chop, replete with bone. After proudly displaying it, he subsequently brought it back for slicing and plating. Regular readers will know that I'm not a fan of veal (finding it rather boring), so this was a pleasant surprise. The meat was expectedly tender, but its flavor was quite astounding for veal--an accomplishment indeed--while the vegetables provided a nice counterbalance to the meat. As good as the veal was, it was perhaps outshone by its accoutrement: the black truffle pommes purée. Smooth, creamy, brazenly decadent, these were the same potatoes that warranted a fist pound from Christine (she dined here a week earlier).


8: Sélection de Fromages Affinés
Sandeman 20 Year Old Tawny, Porto, NV
Raisin and Fig/Pine Nut Bread
For cheese, we left it up to our server to pick out a septet of fromage for us to share, paired with raisin and fig-pine nut breads. Clockwise from lower-left:

• Crottin de Chavignol - A goat's milk cheese from the Loire Valley, the Crottin was slightly tangy and a bit nutty, with a lovely, somewhat soft body.
• Sainte-Maure - Sainte-Maure is an unpasteurized cheese made from whole goat's milk, known for its log-like shape, ashy rind, and straw through its center (to help keep its shape). It had a fine, nutty, tangy flavor that I quite enjoyed.
• Morbier - This was a semi-soft cow's milk cheese named after the village of Morbier, best known for its layer of black ash separating the morning milk from the evening milk. Nice, with a good weight, balanced by a bit of astringency.
• Comté - One of the most popular French cheeses, Comté is made from unpasteurized cow's milk in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France. Sort of an archetypal semi-hard cheese, it demonstrated mild, ever so slightly sweet flavors.
• Saint-Nectaire - From Auvergne comes this semi-soft, washed rind cow's milk cheese. Nice and weighty, with some grassy notes to boot.
• Ossau-Iraty - A French cheese made from sheep's milk, Ossau-Iraty is produced in the Pyrénées. It's a medium-firm cheese with a nicely smooth texture and delicate flavor, with a tinge of sweet nuttiness.
• Fourme d'Ambert - This was a semi-hard French cow's milk blue from Auvergne, a prototypical blue really, with salty, pungent notes and a bit of nuttiness.

Intermezzo: Tangerine "Ménage à Trois"
To transition to the sweets, we were given tangerine in three forms, fruit, sorbet, and chip, all accompanied by a mint foam. The tangerine, expectedly, was refreshingly tart, while the mint gave the pre-dessert a lovely minty finish.


9: Coconut « Six Ways » | Noix de Coco
Château de Fargues, Sauternes, 1998
I loved the starkly white presentation of the dessert here. What we have is coconut done six ways: straight, tapioca, cake, emulsion, granité, and chip. The end result was a great interplay of various textures and intensities, all leading to an overarching coconut flavor.


10: Chocolate Fondant, Crunchy Praline and Chicory Cream | Fondant Chocolat au Pralin Feuilleté et Crème Chicorée
M. Chapoutier, Banyuls, 2006
In contrast to the ethereal nature of the coconut six-way, the chocolate dessert was darker, richer, more powerful. The fondant provided most of the chocolate-y goodness, while the praline gave the dessert a fantastic crunch and nutty close. The chicory cream, meanwhile, countered the chocolate with a slight bitterness. Very nice with the paired wine, which we facetiously likened to "adult grape juice."


Mignardises
Despite being quite satiated at this point, we decided to do the unthinkable: request one of everything from the dessert trolley! I won't try to describe each item, but I will list all that we ate. On the topmost plate, we had Lime-Coconut Sherbet, Pear Sorbet, and Apple Compote with Crumble. The first compartment of the second plate held Candied Macadamia Nuts, a Passion Fruit Marshmallow, a Dark Chocolate with Ginger, a Milk Chocolate with Pumpkin, a White Chocolate with Egg Nog, and finally, a Green Apple Paté De Fruit. Filling out the second plate were a Lemon Tartlet with Italian Meringue, a Chocolate Tartlet, a Chocolate Macaron, and a Pecan Macaron. The final plate held Brown Butter Ice Cream. The four little pots on the right, top to bottom, were Chocolate Mousse, Vanilla Rice Pudding, Pink Praline Rice Pudding, and Caramel Flan. Yes, we finished everything.


Don't I look content? (Stuffed, really)

After dinner, we were invited back to the kitchen to speak with Executive Chef Eric Bost. Bost has been with Guy Savoy ever since the restaurant opened in May 2006, working his way up from a Sous Chef position. However, Bost won't be in the house much longer, as he'll be moving to Singapore early next year, to head the kitchens at M. Savoy's latest venture at the Marina Bay Sands (Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud, Wolfgang Puck, Santi Santamaria, and Tetsuya Wakuda will also be opening there--an incredible slate for a single hotel). Bost will be handing over the reins to his Sous, Hugo Coudurier, who we also met briefly.

Going into this dinner, I kept telling my dining companion that it probably wouldn't live up to the expectations from my first visit. Well, guess what, it did. Previously, I'd deemed Savoy worthy of consideration for an upgrade to three Michelin stars. Sadly, the Guide has decided to leave Sin City, but I still stand by my prognostication. It'll be interesting to see how the restaurant changes once Coudurier formally takes over next year.

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire (Las Vegas, NV)

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire
3752 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
888.881.9367
www.mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas/dining/twist/
Sat 12/05/2009, 09:00p-01:45a



I mentioned a few weeks back that Bouchon Beverly Hills was the most widely-anticipated opening of the year in Los Angeles. Well, Twist Las Vegas might be the most widely-anticipated opening of the year in the country. Twist by Pierre Gagnaire is, of course, the only place in the US where one can experience the cuisine of the iconoclastic chef, and despite having a constellation of seven other restaurants, Gaganire has trailed his contemporaries--Alain Ducasse, Joël Robuchon, Guy Savoy--in establishing an outpost here in the desert, bringing the heart of Rue Balzac to the glitz and glamour of The Strip. Gagnaire's cookery has been described as experimental, whimsical, inspirational, unpredictable even, a study in going just over the edge of what's acceptable. Upon hearing that the Chef was to open in Las Vegas, how could I not put my name down for a reservation, opening night, of course? Joining me were Eric, Holly of The Michelin Project, Minh, Ryan of Only Eat What Feeds Your Soul, Will of FoodDigger.

A brief biography of Chef Gagnaire: he was born April 9, 1950 in the Apinac commune of the Loire department of France. The oldest of four children, Gagnaire had little choice but become a chef, given that his father Jean-Claude ran the restaurant Le Clos Fleuri in Saint-Priest-en-Jarez. In 1965, at age 14, he started as a pastry apprentice at Chez Juliette in Rhône-Alpes. Then, in 1968, Gagnaire spent a summer working for the legendary Paul Bocuse. Later, he obtained a commis position at Tante Alice in Lyon, and in 1969, became a roast cook (rôtisseur) at Charbonnières les Bains. Gagnaire's next step, military service in 1970, would take him to the French Navy, where he was cuisinier admiral on the Surcouf D621, a T 47 class destroyer. Following, in 1973 at the age of 23, Gagnaire entered the kitchens at the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris, where he was a commis. Lucas Carton beckoned in 1974, and the chef spent a brief time there before traveling for two years, learning all that he could from the new world.

In 1976, he returned to Saint-Étienne to run his father's Clos Fleuri, and maintained its macaron Michelin the next year. The time spent here was not pleasant, however, as the Chef struggled to cook what he wanted under the shadow of his father. The restaurant shuttered once Jean-Claude retired, but interestingly, it appears that it's still around. Gagnaire started his own restaurant on St.-Étienne's rue Georges Teyssier in 1981. Named Aux Passementiers, it quickly garnered a Michelin star, as well as an 18/20 rating in the Gault Millau in 1984. The second étoile Michelin came in 1986, but the restaurant was soon replaced by Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire on rue de la Richelandière. Three stars came in 1992, as did a Gault Millau rating of 19.5/20, but the restaurant struggled financially and fell into bankruptcy in 1995. As to the cause of the failure, "Gagnaire blamed Michelin, whose standards had forced him to borrow millions to buy and restore a spectacular Art Deco house in Saint-Étienne," wrote Jeffrey Steingarten in The Man Who Ate Everything.

In April 1996, the Japanese cult cooking program Iron Chef aired a "France Special" featuring Gagnaire, who fought Iron Chef French Hiroyuki Sakai in an homard lobster battle. After triumphing over the Iron Chef, Gagnaire seemed rejuvenated, intent on putting his bankruptcy behind him and starting anew. And that he did. Later that year, Gagnaire bounced back in a big way, debuting his eponymous eatery in the Hotel Balzac on Paris' Champs-Elysées. Two Michelin rosettes arrived in 1997, while another made its way the following year. At this point, Gagnaire had cemented his place in the culinary world, and in 2001, he began collaborating with physical chemist Hervé This, one of the progenitors of molecular gastronomy, in the process adding various avant garde and intellectual flourishes to his style.

It was also around this time that Gagnaire started to build his empire. The first expansion came in 2002, when the Chef partnered with restaurateur Mourad Mazouz to open Sketch in London. As an aside, it was at Sketch where Gagnaire would meet his current wife, Sylvie Le Bihan, who was a customer (à la Ludo). The two married on Bastille Day in 2007 and currently reside with Sylvie’s three children in Paris, near the Bois de Boulogne. The Chef also has two grown children from his first marriage (which ended in 2005), and his first wife, Chantal, is still involved with the restaurants. Getting back, Gagnaire then ventured to the low-end, taking over Gaya Rive Gauche bistro in Paris and turning it into Gaya par Pierre Gagnaire in 2004. Asia was next, with Pierre Gagnaire à Tokyo in 2005, Pierre à Hong Kong in 2006 (also at the Mandarin Oriental), and finally Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire Dubai and Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul in 2008.

This brings us to the present, to Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, a $7 million restaurant on the 23rd floor Sky Lobby of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in the $8.5 billion CityCenter development. The place had been in work for three years, but unlike most of Gagnaire's other satellite operations, Twist will not be a true "gastronomic" restaurant, nor a bistro like Gaya either. Instead, it will be somewhere in the middle, but also something that's intended to be uniquely American in character. Gagnaire is, of course, a pioneer in French fusion cuisine, a master of weaving together seemingly disparate tastes and textures, and at Twist, as with his other restaurants, diners will be presented with familiar French flavors, done up with a "twist" of genius by the Chef. And though Gagnaire will be here for the first few weeks after opening, he will eventually yield control over to his Chef de Cuisine Pascal Sanchez, who previously headed the kitchens over at Sketch.




As for the physical space, awash in subtle tones of silver and gray, it is the handiwork of the ubiquitous Adam Tihany, who also designed the rooms and public spaces. Twist seats 72 and offers guests a stunning view of the Vegas skyline through 20-foot windows, accented by 300 suspended, shining spheres and a "floating" wine loft.


While waiting at the bar for the rest of the party to arrive, Chef Gagnaire happened to walk by, and we grabbed him for a quick photo opp. We also presented him with a gift from Ludovic Lefebvre, a signed copy of his cookbook Crave: The Feast of the Five Senses. Ludo, at one point in his career, worked under Gagnaire, who encouraged him to experiment with unconventional taste, texture, and ingredient combinations, a facet that would greatly influence Ludo's own burgeoning style. Ludo had wanted to visit Twist on opening night, but was tied up with other obligations.

I also ran into Bobby and Stephanie from Gourmands Review. I previously met them at Bouchon, where I mentioned that they should make the trip out to Vegas for Twist's grand opening (lo and behold, they took my advice!).



As it stands now, the menu consists of a six-course tasting menu for $160, backed up by a number of à la carte selections; click for larger versions. We, naturally, went for the tasting, with supplementary courses consisting of two orders of each appetizer. Expect the menu to evolve as Gagnaire and company better discern the American palate.


A trio of bread was on offer, served with seaweed butter and a fantastic cow's milk unsalted butter from the Isigny AOC in Normandy. From top to bottom, we have a wheat molasses with raisin and walnut, a country rye, and a French ciabatta. All were quite delectable.


There is no set wine pairing offered, and given that we had a party of six, we decided to go with a few bottles, chosen by Wine Director-slash-Sommelier Julie Lin (formerly of RM Seafood and Rao's). The only constraints were that the selections would be capped at $500, and that there would be Champagne to begin. With that in mind, we started with the Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Premier [$150]. It was a fairly prototypical Champagne, showing lovely fruity notes of citrus and stone fruit, with a nice counterbalancing minerality and great acidity.


Canapé 1: Irish Gelée Perfumed with Guinness and Jack Daniels
Our first bites consisted of cuboids of gelée, imbued with a distinct alcoholic essence. Interesting.


Canapé 2: Salad of Cuttlefish, Haricot Vert, Red Bell Pepper, Celeriac
This next canapé was also my favorite, with the base of cuttlefish forming a platform on which the various veggies could really sing. A perfect amalgam of light, bright flavors.


Canapé 3: Yukon Gold Potato Chip, Smoked Sardine, Golden Raisin
Next, we have a your basic potato chip, topped with smoked sardine. The depth of flavor was profound here, with the intense smack of sardine only mildly tempered by the sweet raisins and earthy potato.


Canapé 4: Flax Seed Garlic Cracker, Bluefin Chantilly
Also superb were these spears of savory, slightly spicy flax seed and garlic crackers. They were delicious on their own, but even better when paired with the creamy, smoky, salty, subtly fishy Chantilly.


Canapé 5: Pecorino Soufflé, Spinach Velouté
A simple, savory, cheesy, buttery bite, accented by a tinge of spinach. Ryan likened this to a Cheez-It cracker!


Canapé 6: Toasted Almond Sablé
Some cute rabbit-eared butter cookies, with a lovely accent of almond.


Next, Lin chose the 2008 The Terraces Chardonnay [$85], a light, mineral-driven, subtly fruity Chard with a crisp, focused, refreshing acidity. Very nice, considering I'm not usually a fan of California Chardonnay.


1: SEA SCALLOPS
Squab Breast, Foie Gras, Black Olive Gelée
Sake-Apple Marmalade, Pomegranate Seeds
The complexity of this dish really set the tone for the evening. I first tried each of the three main elements alone: the scallop was nicely caramelized, with a firm yet supple texture; the squab, meanwhile, was very savory, very apparent; finally, the foie gras possessed a pure, unmitigated essence of liver that was quite enchanting. Mixing things up a bit, I really appreciated the interplay between the scallop and the sweet marmalade, and the relationship between the luxurious foie and the bitter greens was fantastic.


Supplement: SANTA BARBARA SPINY LOBSTER [$21.00]
Liebig and Champagne, Mushroom, Mango, Spring Onion
Capellini, Green Pepper, Celeriac
Cauliflower Velouté, Nutmeg-Turmeric
Here we have beautifully cooked lobster, with a crisp, snappy body highlighting a delightfully sweet sapor. It was paired with a sauce that was undeniably complex, with simultaneously sweet, herbal, spicy, earthy, tangy, and bitter flavors in an intriguing, indescribable commixture. I also enjoyed the use of capellini noodles, lightened up by the application of green pepper.



Supplement: SCALLOP AND MELANO SPORUM TRUFFLE [$19.00]
Carpaccio, Chestnut and Artichoke, Truffled Vinaigrette
Pascaline, Green Asparagus, Parmesan Mousse
Roasted Scallop on top of Truffled Biscotte
A recurring theme throughout the night, Gagnaire's appetizers would utilize multiple plates, with seemingly incongruous flavors on each: First, I loved the tangy artichoke here, set off by the weighty truffle vinaigrette, but the key for me was the interaction between the piquant vegetable and the smooth, creamy, delicate scallop. Next, the asparagus was perfectly cooked, and its pungency was accented wonderfully by the rich, creamy Parmesan. Finally, we have easily one of the most approachable items of the night. The pairing of mild, subtly briny scallop with the earthy decadence of truffle is a classic, but immensely effective, pairing.



Supplement: KING SEA BREAM [$20.00]
Tartelette, Libanese Taboulé
Snow Crab, Aoyama Sauce
Bonito-Shellfish Gelée, Mozzarella Ice Cream
I really enjoyed the sea bream, with its wonderful, tender texture and supremely delicate flavor; it was absolutely fantastic with the tangy vegetables in the tabouleh. The "cookie" underneath, meanwhile, added a palpable weight and textural contrast into the mix. As good as the sea bream was, the king crab "salad" was even better, refreshingly replete with sweet chunks of crab, dressed in a soy-, dashi-, and mirin-based sauce. I did get some linkage between the crab and the super savory bonito-shellfish gelée, but I didn't quite get the rationale behind the gelée's presence.


2: JOHN DORY FILLET
Poached in Malabar Black Pepper-Citrus Butter
Cannelloni Beans, Marin Velouté, Crunchy Sauce
This was probably the best John Dory I've ever had. It possessed a nicely firm consistency paired with an unabashedly savory flavor, with just the slightest peppery tinge. As delicious as the fish was, its accoutrements really made the dish for me. The use of clams provided a fantastic chew and a beautiful brininess, while the beans added a superb earthiness and gravity. At this point, the dish was complete for me. I didn't quite understand the "crunchy sauce," which was a grapefruit and tomato sauce with an almost salsa-like savor, topped with a crunchy cover that we were instructed to break and mix into the amalgamation.


For our continuing gauntlet of seafood, we were provided the 2008 Leth Grüner Veltliner Lagenreserve Steinagrund Wagram [$75]. GVs generally sit well with me, and this was no exception, showing tart citrus notes balanced by a superb mineral flair. Quite good.



Supplement: MUSHROOM BROTH "ZEZETTE" [$16.00]
Chicken Chiffonade, Vegetable Gnocchi
Kombawa Cod Cake
Bloody Mary Sorbet, Ratatouille Bavaroise
Here we have one of my favorite courses of the night. The chicken chiffonade (strips) were perfectly cooked, and went beautifully with the broth, with the entire commixture being slightly reminiscent of Thai green curry. The three types of gnocchi, meanwhile, added texture and weight. This elevated chicken to another level for me. The cod cake was just as good as the bird, with its crispy exterior hiding a wonderfully sweet, savory, juicy interior. Finally, we have gorgeous, creamy, refreshing sorbet, perked up beautifully by the ratatouille vegetables. All three elements here were simply fantastic, but taking everything together in one bite was even more so.



Supplement: SHELLFISH ROYALE [$18.00]
Toasted Beef Gelée, Oyster Cocktail with Shallots
Smoked Red Beet Purée, Country Bread and Comté
Marinated Clams, Whelks, Razor Clams, "Lee" Baby Spinach
Next was Gagnaire's "royale," which is traditionally a layered dish. We had some beautiful oysters, appropriately briny alone, but wonderfully sandwiched between the contrasting flavors of the sweet beet and bitter popcorn greens (microgreens from actual germinated popcorn!)--they really set off the mollusks perfectly. The toasted bread, served with Comté cheese and red cabbage, seemed a bit incongruous at first, but its gravity actually complemented by the oysters nicely. Finally, we have my favorite component here, a "seafood salad" of sorts, with three types of shellfish tossed with spinach. It demonstrated the profoundly pure, deeply briny quintessence of the sea. Holly even mentioned that it was like eating a "tidepool," which of course made me think of "Autumn Tidal Pool" dish at Manresa.



Supplement: SONOMA VALLEY FOIE GRAS DÉGUSTATION [$29.00]
Terrine, Dried Figs, Toasted Ginger Bread
Custard, Green Lentils, Grilled Zucchini
Seared, Sweet and Sour Duck Glaze, Fruit Marmalade
Gâteau, Trevicchio Purée, Pickled Red Onions
One of the courses that we were most excited about was this quartet of foie gras. We started off with the terrine, which was fairly prototypical, with the essence of foie gras accented by the sweetness of fig; the interesting point here was the slight spice of ginger. I really enjoyed the second preparation, which consisted of a very delicate--ethereal almost--foie gras custard. Given its considerable lightness, the gravitas provided by the lentils was simply superb, while the zucchini added some textural variation. Third was a seared preparation, which was surprisingly to my tastes, with the unctuous character of the liver on the attack, along with a bit of sweetness on the finish. They saved the best for last apparently, as this foie gras "cake" was simply one of the strongest preparations of foie I've ever had. The interplay between the subtly sweet red onions and bitter greens was magical.




3: LANGOUSTINE FIVE WAYS
Seared, Iberico Ham, Bell Pepper
Grilled with TTB Sauce, Avocado
Mousseline Perfumed with Sherry Manzanilla
Gelée with Kombu Seaweed Seasoned with Lobster Coral
Tartar, Campari Turnip, Baby Greens
The quintet of langoustine is one of Gagnaire's signature dishes. We were instructed to eat the five plates in the order above. First was a seared tail of langoustine. It had a great, toothsome consistency and was beautifully accented by the salty ham, while the pepper left a fascinatingly hot finish. Next was a lightly grilled version, with a wonderfully light texture and delicate flavor; it went well with the creamy avocado. Then we had the mousseline, nicely textured with a lovely zesty counter from the Manzanilla. My favorite out of the five was the gelée; made with lobster innards, it represented the absolute quintessence of langoustine. We finished with the tartar, which was light with a distinctive citrusy tang, marvelously set off by the sweetness of pomegranate.


4: CUCUMBER, TOMATO AND PINEAPPLE
Kirsch Brandy, Rhubarb Mousse, Grapefruit Granité
Next, before our main savory course, we were presented with a palate cleanser, a concoction of sous vide vegetables, sweet with a slight bitterness, finishing with the weight of the kirsch.


Our final wine, and the only red, was the 2006 Ca' Marcanda (Gaja) Promis Toscana IGT [$165]. As expected from this Italian blend (55% Merlot / 35% Syrah / 10% Sangiovese), I noted a pleasantly tart tannic character, with plenty of dark berry flavor balanced by earthy, herbal elements.



5: LOIN OF VENISON
Red Cabbage-Black Currant Jam, Tamy Potato
Pear-Celery Gratin, "Grand Veneur" Quenelle
For our "main course," we were treated to a filet of oven roasted venison treated with thyme and juniper, with a red currant and red wine sauce. Though the meat wasn't distinctly venison-like, it was still absolutely delectable, with the meat showing a lovely, tender body flavored with a perfect combination of seasonings. The meat easily stood on its own, so I didn't feel that the gratin and quenelle (a huntsman's sauce, basically a pepper sauce augmented with game essence) were necessary.




6: GRAND DESSERT PIERRE GAGNAIRE
Nelson Sablé, Meringue, Citrus Sorbet
Quince Gelée, Bavaroise, Chartreuse Parfait
Fruit Biscuit, Seasonal Coulis
Cachaça Granité, Cucumber Marmalade, Green Apple
Ganache, Ginger, Chocolate Ice Cream
As with the savory courses, dessert with Pierre Gagnaire is never a simply affair, consisting of five distinct sweets inspired by traditional French pastries. First up was a sablé cookie, accented by a subtle citrus meringue and a bracingly cold, sour citrus sorbet; I loved the chewy, heavy nature of the cookie. The gelée was next, with a sweet yet tangy flair finishing with a fascinating, herbal alcoholic tinge. The third treat was my favorite, basically a fruit biscuit topped with a tropical fruit salad; think of it as a high-class fruit cake--very nice. Number four was described as a palate cleanser by our server. The sweet tang of apple was strong on the attack, while the finish was imbued with the cool nature of cucumber. The mozzarella, meanwhile, added depth and weight--refreshing! Rounding out the fivesome was a chocolate ganache and chocolate sorbet, set off by candied ginger. It was a nice bittersweet bite, with a lovely crunchy texture to boot.


We closed with some petit fours. First, we each received our own bowls of frozen lemon, topped with Spanish olive oil; the result was incredibly tangy, but with a savory finish. We then shared plates of assorted meringues, cookies, and green tea "leafs" with toasted pine nut.

If this post has seemed somewhat more disjointed than usual, there's a reason for that. I don't think that I've ever had this much difficulty putting together a review. Pierre Gagnaire's food is unconventional, surprising, jarring even, with some truly unique combinations of tastes, textures, temperatures, and ingredients. It is challenging, sometimes confusing, and often times intellectual. This is one of those rare instances where I felt that some of the food was truly beyond me--the cuisine must be approached with curiousity, playfulness, and a keenly open mind. If this is the inimitable style of Gagnaire, replete with dangerous juxtapositions and astonishing oppositions, teeming with unexpected but not unwelcome sensations, then I say: bring it on, I look forward to the challenge.

LudoBites at Royal/T (Culver City, CA)

LudoBites and Royal/T Get In Bed Together
8910 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
310.559.6300
www.ludobites.com
Tue 12/01/2009, 07:30p-11:30p




August 22nd marked the last day of the second iteration of Ludovic Lefebvre's widely-lauded "guerilla style pop-up" restaurant LudoBites. For the uninitiated, the concept aimed to create a "bistronomy" of sorts, by marrying the seemingly antithetical objectives of haute cuisine, intimacy, and democratic pricing. LudoBites at Breadbar ran from May 19th, and despite its short lifespan, proved to be a smashing success, a turning point in LA's culinary landscape, even.

Before the doors even shut at Breadbar, patrons were already speculating as to where Ludo would end up next--would he find a permanent home, or would he continue to "pop-up" at various establishments in the Southland? Though rumors and tweets were plentiful in those final weeks of August, it was eventually announced that LudoBites, the third, would run from for 13 days in December. The location would not be Breadbar, however, but cosplay café-cum-retail shop-cum-art gallery Royal/T in Culver City. LudoBites and Royal/T Get In Bed Together (a rather unwieldy nom, I must say) thus represents an intersection of food and art, with LudoBites running in conjunction with Curator Jane Glassman's exhibit "In Bed Together."

LudoBites at Royal/T began taking reservations on November 3rd, via email only. I, of course, jumped on this with ferocious velocity (the event sold out within days), and was able to secure a reservation for six on December 2nd, opening night...or is it? It turns out that upstart food enthusiast community web site FoodDigger played a pivotal role in getting the word out for the last LudoBites, and because of this prior relationship, was able to convince Ludo and company to open one night earlier, to serve a small party of 16 guests in a FoodDigger-sponsored dinner.

Though I'd attended previous FoodDigger TastEvents before, this was arguably the most exciting one ever--you only had to consider the fact that our very own Jonathan Gold was invited (Gold, however, had to decline unfortunately, as he was going to be in Guadalajara eating tamales, or something like that). Though we didn't get Gold, we did get a dozen of Los Angeles' most well-regarded food writers: Caroline of Caroline on Crack, Cathy of Gastronomy, Danny of Kung Food Panda, Elina Shatkin from the LA Times, Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, HC of LA and OC Foodventures, Javier of Teenage Glutster, Josh of Food GPS, Lindsay William-Ross from LAist, Liz of Food She Thought, and Sonja of The Active Foodie. Rounding out the group were Brian, Marshal, and Will from FoodDigger, as well as Rachel Hirschfeld, a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier (a society for women in the restaurant and hospitality industries) and founder of Petriarch.com.





This was my first time at Royal/T, which was opened by philanthropist-slash-art collector Susan Hancock in April 2008. The space is housed in long, thin, 10,000sqft building, broken up into various exhibition areas, a VIP lounge, retail store, and restaurant.


The art at Royal/T rotates regularly, with this latest exhibition being ARTeamLA founder Jane Glassman's "In Bed Together." The collection debuted on November 20th, and represents Glassman's vision for a collaborative art exhibit, featuring 50 works by 50 artists selected by 50 art professionals. The idea, thus, is to draw attention to how each specific role, each person in the art world is somehow dependent and interconnected with one another. Examples of the art are shown in the collage above.


Royal/T is, of course, known for its cosplay servers, and here we see LudoBites veteran Daria decked out in a maid's outfit!




While waiting for dinner to begin, the group was left to mill around, polishing off a bottle of the 2006 Santomas Big Red and a magnum of Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Brut Millésimé Merfy in the process.


Once we sat down, Marshal spoke briefly about FoodDigger and the concept behind it. He highlighted the site's Flavor Match algorithm, a unique feature that aims to match the food preferences of users, in order to create more meaningful restaurant review results.


Above, we see the night's menu, comprised of a whimsical selection of small plates; click for a larger version. As for the libations, Domaine LA has created a small, focused wine list of about a dozen bottles for the restaurant, priced very reasonably at roughly $15 above retail. I will note that, although the previous versions of LudoBites were known for their lax BYOB policy, Royal/T does have a liquor license, and thus corkage will be enforced at $15 per bottle. On this night however, wine pairings were graciously provided by the FoodDigger staff.


Here, we see Krissy showing off her brand new soft box. At my last LudoBites meal, I struggled with the lighting at Breadbar, and facetiously suggested that she consider setting up a soft box in the restaurant's next incarnation. Little did I suspect that Krissy would actually take the suggestion to heart!


Before the meal began, Krissy poured us glasses of Bernard Remy Champagne Grand Cru. Then, Ludo came out to say a few words and joined us in a toast. He was duly impressed by the bubbly, as seen in the last photo!




We were invited out to watch the preparation of the first course...


1: Scallop, Brown Butter, Pineapple & Black Powder
2008 Telmo Rodríguez Rueda Basa Blanco
Ludo explained that the scallops were initially raw, but were then topped in the beurre noisette to be "cooked." I was afraid that this would impart an overly heavy flavor to the bivalves, but fortunately, that wasn't the case. Rather, the scallops remained delicate in flavor, and their sweetness was deftly accentuated by the use of pineapple, which also contributed a great tanginess to the dish. The so-called "black powder" (really squid ink powder), meanwhile, added an interesting finish to the mollusks.


2: Bread Soup with Gruyere Marshmallow
2008 Telmo Rodríguez Rueda Basa Blanco
Upon reading the description of this dish, I was expecting a soup with some chunks of bread within. Rather, what I got instead was a homogenous potage imbued with the very marrow of bread (the actual loaf, from Breadbar, is shown in the second photo). Javier summed it up nicely by stating that it was like "sipping on pure toast." As you'd imagine, the soup was a bit austere on its own, so the key for me was the poached egg, which added a lovely creaminess to the dish. The Gruyère, meanwhile, was surprisingly mild, and provided a nice cool temperature contrast.


3: Foie Gras Beignet, Celery Roots Remoulade
2003 Château Charmail
The beignets themselves were pure decadence: a sweet attack leading to the pure, sensuous essence of a full two ounces of rich, decadent liver. The inspiration for this dish came from Parisian restaurant Citrus Étoile, which Ludo visited in September. The Chef tweeted twice about the brilliance of the beignets, and here at LudoBites he presents his own interpretation of the dish. Along with the red Port glaze, he pairs the pastries with his céleri rémoulade, or sliced celeriac with a tangy remoulade. Its piquant, vegetal, even curry-tinged flavor was a superb counter to the luxuriousness of the foie (I wanted more of it!). I remarked that a smaller size would make the beignet easier to eat, but according to Ludo, if you go too small, you risk overcooking the foie.


4: Squid, Chorizo Oil, Kimchi Puree & Red Onions
2003 Château Charmail
The squid itself was deftly cooked, imbued with the pure, briny soul of the cephalopod. It was definitely kicked up a notch by the savory chorizo and the fantastic, pungent kimchi in particular. The onions, meanwhile, adding a bracing bitter tang, while the eggplant paper contributed an earthy smokiness. This was a great way to pique the palate after the sheer opulence of the preceding foie gras.


Throughout the night, Krissy helped ensure that service went off without a hitch.


5: Veal, Udon, Kombu Dashi, Mushrooms & Sesame Seed Miso
2006 Domaine Jo Pithon Savennières La Croix Picot
2007 Joseph Swan Vineyards Pinot Noir Cuvée de Trois
Regular readers will know that I'm generally not a fan of veal, finding it a bit boring compared to beef. Thus, the meat's accoutrements are absolutely crucial in making or breaking a dish for me--this definitely made it. The veal was marinated in a commixture of French spices, giving it a rather prodigious taste for veal. Ludo then proceeds in a Japanese-inspired direction. I loved the mildness of the udon (as well as its texture) and how the noodles matched the richness of the meat, which was heightened by the umami-heavy broth. The scallions then offset the weightiness of the dish with a beautiful vegetal tang, completing the course. The sesame miso provided a lovely piquant smack, but wasn't necessary in my opinion. This is something I could just eat a big bowl of!


6: Wild Striped Bass, Garden Vegetables, Aioli
2007 Joseph Swan Vineyards Pinot Noir Cuvée de Trois
The bass was cooked to a firm, yet supple texture. Alone, it was pleasantly tangy, yet a bit monolithic, so I really enjoyed how the various vegetables (the cauliflower especially) balanced out the gravitas of the fish. Interestingly, upon seeing this, I thought that Ludo might've been inspired by the classic Provençal dish Le Grand Aïoli, which consists of fish, veggies, and eggs, paired with aioli--it wasn't.


7: Marinated Hanger Steak, Crunchy Escargot, Baby Corn, Bok Choy & Black Olive Mole
2005 Domaine Tissot Poulsard Arbois Sans Soufre
An oft overlooked cut of beef, the hanger steak, or onglet, is known for its beefy savor, which was apparent here in spades--sweet and smoky, I could've easily devoured it alone. The steak's accompaniments, however, mustn't be overlooked. I first paired the beef with the bok choy, and then the baby corn (in its husk, which I've never seen before), and greatly enjoyed the mitigating effect of both vegetables. The crux of this course, though, was the mole, which was Ludo's take on the mole Zacatecano that he learned to make from Javier's mother. Simultaneously sweet, savory, and spicy, it was complex, fascinating, mysterious even, and went absolutely beautifully with the beef. My favorite course of the night.


8: Fourme d’ Ambert Tourte, Red Pears, Honey-Balsamic
2005 Domaine Tissot Poulsard Arbois Sans Soufre
A positively ancient cheese, Fourme d’ Ambert is a semi-hard French cow's milk blue from Auvergne. I've had it a few times before (at XIV and Guy Savoy, notably), but here at LudoBites, it was baked into a tourte, or tart, form. The tart was marvelous, and demonstrated the cheese's saltiness, as well as its characteristic bleu finish. As good as it was, it was made even better by the pear, which provided a stupendous, sugary contrast. Very, very good.


9: Chocolate Cake, Coconut Sorbet, Caramel Coffee
2005 Domaine Tissot Poulsard Arbois Sans Soufre
2007 Dönnhoff Riesling
We ended with a single, seemingly straightforward dessert. The chocolate cake, not surprisingly, was pure decadence. The liquid sorbet, thus, was instrumental in tempering its gravity--so far, a pretty standard pairing. The beauty here, however, was contained within the bits of pink peppercorn, which conveyed a profound pungency that I absolutely adored.


After dinner, Ludo came out to say a few words and thank us, and we applauded him for a job well done.



We were then provided a tour of the kitchen, which is actually smaller than the one at Breadbar. It also doesn't help that LudoBites has to share the kitchen with Royal/T's own in-house cafe.

Though LudoBites and Royal/T Get In Bed Together is advertised as a confluence of food AND art, based on what's on the plate, I must begin to think of the experience as food AS art. As with his previous restaurants, Ludo again serves up a playful selection of seemingly incongruous dishes, not always entirely successful, but invariably interesting. In his reimaginations of French fare, we get to see Ludo's commitment to creativity, his ode to the rigors of classical technique, his interpretation of the quintessence of bistronome, the heart and soul of a chef. The question, now, is whether or not Ludo is actively seeking a traditional brick & mortar space to call his home. He likes the freedom, the simplicity, the low-cost structure, the personal relationships that are inherent in a "pop-up" context. Given what's he accomplished so far, there's no rush, in my view, and I've even heard chatter of an upcoming LudoBites, Version 4.0, to open early next year...

Thanks again to FoodDigger, Ludo, Krissy, and the entire LudoBites team for an incredible evening!