full house in chinatown

seafood tofu hotpot
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (28/143)
i happened to be in the area for a workshop and needed a quick bite. the dish i ordered, a seafood tofu hot pot was prepared well with a very tasty soy based sauce. it included scallops, squid, octopus, fish, shrimp, tofu, bits of lettuce, and green onions. all the seafood was fresh, and the squid was tender with a bit of a crunch. not chewy at all! my only complaint is that the steamed rice was a little dry.

tofu, shitake, spinach with soba soup

tofu, shitake, spinach with soba soup
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

healthy and light, this lovely soup is easy to throw together. this loose recipe makes enough for two big bowls, and you can easily vary the recipe depending on your preference.

1/2 onion, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbs shredded ginger
spinach, coarsely chopped
1/3 rectangle of tofu, chopped into small cubes
6 oz shitake mushrooms
soba noodles
2 stalks of chopped green onions
3 tbs chopped cilantro
3 cups vegetable broth or water
1 tbs fish sauce
1/2 tsp soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste

saute the onion in 1 tbs of peanut oil for 5 mins. add garlic, ginger, celery and the white parts of the green onions and cook for 3 mins. add mushrooms and a tsp of salt and cook until mushrooms soften. add the tofu, vegetable broth, fish sauce & soy sauce. cook the broth for 10 - 15 min, then add spinach, the rest of the green onions and the cilantro, reserving some for garnish. add salt & pepper to taste.

while the broth is cooking bring to a boil some water. then add salt and soba noodles. when noodles are al dente, drain and divide into bowls. spoon soup over noodles, garnish with herbs.

gordon ramsay @ the london

gordon ramsay @ the london
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (26/143)
refined and elegant, the food and the experience at gordon ramsay surprised me after two weeks of mostly unexceptional food during restaurant week. the interiors take the luxury of old world louis iv and the hipper details of the fanciful eighties without all the excess that both are known for. what you get is this subdued dusty pink and warm place that makes you feel like you're eating at a fine restaurant but you don't have to be afraid of sitting on uncomfortable furniture or worry about which fork you're suppose to be using. it's really a cocktails and conversation over small plates of goodness kind of place.

the french bread and bacon rosemary bread were both very good, especially with the seaweed butter. the amuse bouche consisted of a shitake mushroom & bamboo shoots chawanmushi w/ soy dashi sauce. chawanmushi is a tofu custard, and although the first bite, which had a lot of sauce, was a tad salty, this dish had a nice texture and earthy flavors with bits of chewy mushrooms & bamboo shoots. it definitely whet my appetite.

rich, creamy and full of flavor, the wild mushroom veloute w/ sauteed mushrooms and chive cream appetizer was one of the best dishes of the meal. it seemed like such a simple preparation, but they really brought out the wonderful and complex mushroom flavors. i had to try the rabbit & smoked bacon ballottine w/ vegetable piccalilli & toasted brioche. how often do you get to eat stuffed meat, and one that is done so artfully. the stuffed part as well as the bacon wrapping the disc of meat were surprisingly light and not gamey at all. the pate that came with it was very intense and kind of gamey, but the tartness of the pickled vegetables provided a nice balance.

the sea trout, which is very similar to salmon, was nicely browned with a crispy exterior, and sat atop some sweet cabbage and cubes of kohlrabi. the celeriac cream was simply delicious. we also shared the creamy jerusalem artichoke risotto w/ artichoke chips, black truffle & sherry caramel reduction. although i thought it needed some other stronger flavor in there, it was a well done risotto.

the pre-dessert was a layered glass of cara cara orange in 3 preparations--orange slices w/ rose syrup, orange cinnamon cream, and orange granita, tart, sweet and creamy without being too heavy, it was a nice palate cleanser.

both the desserts we shared were excellent. the chocolate savarin w/ malted milk emulsion, salted caramel ice cream & caramel powder refines classic flavors sure to please any chocolate lover with creamy, crunchy, airy textures.

i enjoyed the balance of creamy creme fraiche with tart quince panna cotta and spicy gingerbread ice cream.

service was excellent. i will definitely be back to try their tasting menu or even their weekend brunch tasting menu.

grace (dineLA dinner)

grace (dineLA dinner)
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (25/143)
after my dinner here during DineLA, i was beginning to wonder if restaurant week was all it was cracked up to be. many of the fine dining establishments, including grace, that i tried this year and last were mostly mediocre. you would think they would pick the best items on the menu, but if this is the best, i'm not sure i would come back any time soon. it wasn't bad, but rather inconsistent and didn't live up to the quality you would expect. here is what we had:

dungeness crab salad, english peas, meyer lemon vinaigrette - i love crab, but this salad was lackluster. i could barely taste the lemon, and the crab needed something else.

shrimp cavatelli - cavatelli pasta, english peas, chanterelle mushrooms - the best of the dishes and an addition to the menu published on the website, it was a delicate balance of simple and delicious flavors. the firm, fresh shrimp, sweet bits of peas and nutty chanterelles were great together.

dayboat scallops -smoked bacon, mashed potatoes - another menu surprise, it ended up being too salty, between the bacon and seasonings, and i love scallops!

john dory - gnocchi, pea shoots, shitake mushrooms, sweet soy sauce - a sweet and salty mixture that was good. the fish was cooked well but a tad boring, and there were maybe two pieces of gnocchi, which was disappointing. pea shoots and shitake mushrooms were the most flavorful part.

mascarpone panna cotta - rum soaked cake, passionfruit, pomegranate - again, kind of lacking in personality creamy dessert thing

sticky toffee pudding - hazelnut gelato, bruleed bananas - better than the panna cotta. you can't go wrong with chocolate, although i didn't really taste too much hazelnut in the mix

service was good. the restaurant has a lovely warm atmosphere lit with candle light and warm wood surfaces.

i'm glad we went when it was less expensive. although the food was fine, and some dishes were pretty good, i wasn't blown away, and i don't know if i would want to pay regular prices for their food!

baked, mashed potato & egg

dinner
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i really enjoyed the tortilla de patata we had at the bazaar last week and was craving that wonderful combination of egg & potato, so i threw together this potato & egg concoction. basically, poke holes in some russet potatoes and microwave them for about 8 min. then bake them for 20-30 min in the oven. when they are just cooked, take them out, cut an opening, and scoop out the potato into a bowl. add butter, heavy cream, a little sour cream, salt & pepper to taste, and mash up until it gets a cream consistency. return the potato mixture to the skins, crack an egg in each potato and bake for another 5 min or until you see the whites of the egg turn opaque. garnish with parmesano reggiano, green onions & cilantro.

leftover over-ripe or wilty produce

csa
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

often, there are leftover portions or produce starts to ripen or wilt before i can cook them. trying to save them from the trash bin, i started chopping them up and freezing them. vegetables, especially celery & carrots, can be saved for soup stocks or even flavoring basis as mirepoix, and sliced fruit is perfect for smoothies.

romanesco (broccoflower)

csa box 2/20/09
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

this unusual vegetable with fractal forms is romanesco, a variant of broccoflower. i think i'll roast it, to maintain it's lovely form.

csa box 2/20/09

csa box 2/20/09
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

our produce box today included:

- red leaf lettuce
- iceberg lettuce
- red radishes
- celery
- beets
- spinach
- cabbage
- carrots
- cilantro
- romanesco (broccoflower)
- apples
- bananas

purple cabbage w/ basil & carmelized onions

dinner
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

found this easy recipe for spicing up the pretty purple cabbage we received in our last produce box

1 yellow onion chopped
1 small head of purple cabbage, sliced in 2 inch strips
4 cloves garlic, minced
basil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste

saute the onions in 2 tbs olive oil for 10 min until they have browned. add 1 tsp salt and the red pepper flakes and cook for 1 min. add the cabbage and a tbs of water and cover. let the cabbage steam for 5-10 min until cooked down. add garlic, basil and salt and pepper to taste. cook for another 5 min and you're done!

valentine dinner at the bazaar

hilly & philly cheesesteak @ the bazaar
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (27/143)
a homophonetic and conceptual play on words, the bazaar is not only delightfully strange, thanks in part to philippe stark's eclectic vision but a cornucopia of taste, texture, smell & form created by jose andre, student of ferran adria (famed chef of el bulli in spain) & passionate chef of pbs' "made in spain".

we arrived early to take in the details of moss, where you'll find an assortment of curious, sometimes beautiful, designed objects elevated in stature by their placement in glass vitrines more history museum than "gift" store, a high-end indulgent yet child-like evocation of a dessert hall with "candy" for the eye & tongue in bell jars, and the dark bar centro with various conceptual sitting apparatuses. i marveled at the plate-sized round cutouts in a communal table displaying black & white videos through the texture of wood-grain-like fabric and a pink, fluorescent light, internally lit hot pink armchair. did you know you can have your fortune told behind a curtain or get a caricature drawn on weekends for free?

rojo is dark, semi-casual, sensual and rustic. its menu, a bit heavier, classic spanish tapas, but even that is filtered through the lens of jose andre's vision. we sat in blanca--light, postmodern, contemporary. having heard positive things about the resto, and watched andre's show, i was nervous my high expectations might end in a disappointing dinner. luckily, i was not disappointed. of the thirteen dishes we sampled, all were excellent except two, which were ok, tasty in parts but did not live up to the quality of the others.

philly cheesesteak & hilly cheesesteak - kudos for offering meat & veggie versions of this tapa. the hilly has delicately sliced, tasty mushrooms with a sprinkling of chives on top, while the philly has wagyu beef. both were crunchy sea-creature-shaped bread sculptures filled with creamy, melty cheese that oozes into your mouth w/ each bite. beef had a lovely sanguine taste.

olives ferran adria old & new: liquid & traditional - a ceramic tray of porcelain spoons, each yielding earthy green spheres that explode liquid olive essence. the texture contrasts with the traditional olives stuffed with anchovies & sweet piquillo peppers, a melding of sweet, salty & pungent sea.

brussel sprout leaves, lemon puree, apricots, grapes & lemon air - one of the faves, this delicious combo tickled my tongue with sweet, salty, tart & highly aromatic flavors as well as textures. the crunchy leaves with the creamy lemon puree, the bursts of sweetness from the apricots and grapes were fabulous.

tortilla de patatas 'new way': warm potato foam, egg 63, carmelized onions - a well-composed dish. you can't go wrong with potato, egg & cream. this one hides the flavorful, poached egg with the right amount of liquid under the creamy potato. topped with nutty pistachio oil and mini-barbie sized cubes of crispy potatoes. yum!

mozzarella tomato pipettes: micro basil - you may think this is just an unconventional take on the caprese, but capreses are good. tomatoes, basil, mozzarella are proven palate mates, but the new experience of squeezing creamy, liquid mozzarella & olive oil out of a pipette while your tongue is wrapped around a skinless cherry tomato has the intended teasing effect of creating desire.

watermelon tomato skewers: pedro ximenez reduction, cherry tomatoes - fresh, sweet, salty, slightly acidic, an unusual combination of tomato seeds & crisp watermelon cubes

galician lobster medallions, olive oil, potatoes, paprika - merely ok. it wasn't so much the flavors that bothered me (those were good), but the lobster was a bit mushy in parts. the grassy olive oil, seafood infused foam & earthy paprika were all great with the potatoes and non-mushy lobster parts

tortilla de atun, tuna belly omelet, dry bonita flakes - i won't take eggs for granted. it's not just for breakfast any more. this classic dish is a little moist in the center, with chunky bits of salty tuna, topped unusually with smokey bonita flakes.

crab meat steam buns, pickled japanese cucumbers - good crab meat, though straightforward except for the tart contrasting flavor & crunchiness of the pickled cucumbers. don't expect the steam buns to be as soft & moist as the ones you find in sgv though. the other dish i thought was not up to par.

apples carlota: bread pudding w/ saffron sauce - moist cake, creamy saffron sauce, tasty

nitro coconut floating island - opaque, white "mushroom" cloud that disintegrates into airy coconut creaminess in your mouth comes balanced on short, banana pillars pillars. spots of espresso chocolate contrasts with tropical passionfruit & vanilla bean syrup.

what do i love about the food? jose andre takes simple, delicious flavor combos, deconstructs them, and re-presents them in such a way that i can enjoy food on many levels. good or bad, it's the artistry in the details of the decor, playfully embellished objects and experimentation in food forms that narrowly separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom.

service was good. our waiter seemed unsure but was responsive. i liked the pacing, with several tapas served at a time. pricing & servings comparable to an elegant tasting menu. i didn't leave with leftovers but a deep satisfaction and a hope to return soon.

creamy lettuce & potato soup

creamy lettuce & potato soup
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

our csa must grow quite a bit of lettuce. we usually get one, sometimes two heads (green leaf & iceberg) in our produce box. you would think it being somewhat of a staple food, we'd have no problem using it up, but i get tired of making boring salads with lettuce. i had some wilty lettuce so made soup out of it the other night. our last box had some russet potatoes and celery, so i threw those in there as well. here's the recipe.

8 cups lettuce, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs butter
5 cups of vegetable broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tsp thyme
2 tbs flour
1/3 cup chopped green onions (optional)
1/3 cup chopped parsley (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil

sautee onions in 2 tbs olive oil in a dutch oven or stock pan for about 8 mins, until translucent. add celery, potatoes, garlic, thyme, 1 tbs salt and butter and cook for 5 mins. add flour and whisk until incorporated and cook for 1 min. add wine and cook down for 3 min.

add vegetable broth and bring almost to a boil and add lettuce. when soup returns to bubbling, lower heat, cover and simmer for 15 min.

after lettuce has cooked down, using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the stock or pour into a bowl and little by little puree soup in blender before returning to pot. add heavy cream (or milk if you are fat conscious), green onions & parsley, reserving some of the herbs for a garnish. heat for another minute or so until cream is incorporated. add salt & cracked pepper to taste

at last cafe

at last cafe
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (24/143)
at last cafe is what a neighborhood cafe should be--fresh, delicious and affordable, and for now is my new favorite in the hood resto. it's a cute little place, and the emphasis is on "little", which means that if it continues to be popular, take heed and make reservations. we came for lunch on a saturday, and though it wasn't bustling, the majority of the tables were filled up from just two parties. if you're lucky enough to live in the hood, definitely ride your bike or walk as parking can be difficult at times.

everything on the menu looked good, but for our first visit, we opted to start off with some roasted artichokes from their specials board. it was done well, with a little red pepper sauce and sprinkled with parmesan. we also had the arugula salad, which tasted fresh from a garden. some of the stalks were a bit thick, but it was nice and peppery with some bitterness, shredded cheese & homemade croutons. i quite enjoyed it, although some people may not like bitter greens.

the mac and cheese is simple and delicious. a good balance of cheese and cream with some contrasting texture from the breadcrumbs, it is a comfort food done well. it's probably not the healthiest thing, but somehow it tastes like it's good for you!

for those who may be in a hurry, i warn that it can seem a little leisurely because the chef is cooking by himself, and there was only one waitperson when we were there, waiting on everyone, but we were fine. service was responsive and friendly. we're definitely going to return and try all the things on the menu.

la cachette (dineLA)

la cachette (dineLA)
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (23/143)
thank goodness for dineLA. we can go out for a nice meal without spending a fortune in these harsh economic times. traditional romance isn't my cup of tea, but i thought this resto has a nice ambiance and is very comfortable and unpretentious.

the amuse bouche that started our meal consisted of a sun-dried tomato with pesto rouille, a layer of olive tapenade atop a little piece of baked pastry. not sure if it was the olive or the tomato, but something was a little bitter, but otherwise, i enjoyed everything else in the combination.

for the first course, i had the compressed papaya with brandade & blinis which were more like little pancakes with a bit of cream on top. the subtly sweet and light papaya balanced out the salty, flavor rich brandade nicely, and the bit of starch from the blinis was good. my bf had the roasted bartlett pear w/ melted gorgonzola & baby arugula, sprinkled w/ pomegranate balsamic glaze. it was excellent. the sweet pear was perfect with the blue cheese and combined with the slightly bitter, slightly tart arugula, made for a tasty appetizer.

i was less impressed with the entrees than the appetizers, but the two we sampled were prepared well. i had the nieman ranch pork chop w/ apple chutney & mashed potatoes. some of the pork chop was a tad dry in parts, but i enjoyed the traditional preparation and flavors. the sweet chutney was a good complement. the other entree, the petrale sole w/ lemon emulsion, mushrooms & peas, was fine, although a little conventional. the lemon emulsion added flavor to a crisply fried, fresh piece of fish.

the desserts, which included the baba au rum and thin apple tart, were both delicious. the baba rum was a little sweet for my taste, but i thought it was done well, and my bf loved it. soft and rum-soaked with sweet sauce and sour bits of chopped pineapple. the delicate apple tart had a lovely flaky crust with super thin slivers of tart apple that was excellent with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

everything was tasty and surprisingly light for french food. my only complaint, if any, would be the lack of creativity in the entrees. i'd like to return to try their regular menu. the waitstaff were attentive and not overbearing. the chef came out to check on diners, which was nice. it seems like a great "date" place.

patina (dineLA lunch)

patina (dineLA lunch)
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (22/143)
restaurant week is a great time to get a taste of restaurants that you might not get to due to the many choices for good food and a limited budget. i came here with a group to find out if patina would be worth a return visit for one of their dinner tasting menus.

our lunch started with delicately chopped salmon with a vinegar-y, mini floret of cauliflower and a sliver of cucumber. light and refreshing, the amuse bouche had a nice balance of tartness from the little bit of cauliflower with the creaminess of the fresh salmon.

for our first course, two of us had the seared scallop, vegetable crudites & wasabi espuma. the scallop was perfectly prepared and fresh. it had a slight crunchy outside with a sweet, juicy inside. the slivers of radishes that made up the vegetable crudites was a little bland. i could taste some vinegar on a few pieces, but it was more crunchy texture, and little taste. the wasabi espuma was tasty and added some flavor to the veggies. i tasted my bf's butternut squash soup, which was creamy and flavorful. i thought it was well done, but i wasn't sure what to make of the pumpkin seeds which were still in the shell. i liked the toastiness, but thought leaving them in the shell made them chewy. i also tried my friend's beet & endive salad, which was pretty good.

three of us chose the grilled sea bass, anis polenta and carrot jus for our entrees. the fish was bland, but the polenta was creamy and flavorful as was the carrot jus, and the sunchokes were sweet. the carnaroli rice forest mushroom risotto was creamy and prepared well, but was also a tad bland. i didn't get as much of the mushroom flavor from this dish as i had expected.

for dessert, we tasted all three of the options: delice of tangerine & cinnamon walnut linzer, an assortment of cookies, petits macarons & flavored marshamallow pieces, and a selection of sorbet. all were pretty tasty. i wasn't sure what to make of the icy creamy tangerine mixture, but it was fragrant. the linzer was more of a sweet and salty granola mixture under a small scoop of orange sorbet. the sorbets were all good, and included a green tea macha, persimmon passionfruit, which tasted more of tart passion fruit, and a creamy coconut. my favorite was the variety on the plate of cookies. i liked the little macarons and cookies. we also opted for the red & white wines recommended with the lunch. the red was good, but the white tasted a little stale.

overall, we enjoyed our meal except for a few things. i am still interested in trying their tasting menu, although the cost may be prohibitive for some time. the restaurant is a lovely, bright space, and our waitstaff were attentive. even though most things were done well and beautifully arranged on the plate, i'm only giving them three stars because i expect more flavor in an entree from a restaurant that normally charges as much as they do for food.

today's csa produce box delivery

purple cabbage
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

included:
purple cabbage
celery
romaine lettuce
carrots
red radishes
green onions
cilantro
large gold potatoes
bananas
tomatoes
strawberries

johnny rebs

johnny rebs
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (21/143)
steph & i came here for lunch during dineLA to try out their bbq. it's a cute little restaurant that although strongly branded with the look of a southern bbq joint wasn't over the top. the friendly staff made the place feel down home. i'm sad to say that i was a bit disappointed in their bbq after seeing all the positive reviews. it's not bad, but overall, i thought the meat lacked the smokey flavor of good bbq. i noticed that there wasn't the smell of sweet smoke emanating from the building when we walked up. i don't know what the circumstances were of the fire that burned this place down a few years ago and if that has anything to do with how they cook their meats now, but i didn't smell or taste bbq. the sauce, sweet, bright and orange was tasty and helped some, but that was most of what i could taste of the meats. however, the quality and freshness of the food was good.

for appetizer, i had the fried green tomatoes, which were lightly breaded. the slightly tart vinegar in the green tomatoes balanced nicely with the salty bits of bacon. steph ordered the onion rings, which were made with large, fat rings of yellow onions and were crisply fried. i thought they were excellent, and some of the better ones i've had--no oiliness and the right amount of crunch.

we both had the combo. mine included brisket & hot links with sides of sweet potato fries & collard greens. the brisket was rather bland, although it looked like a quality cut of meat. the hot links were tasty, not too spicy with a uniform dark pinkish red color. the sweet potato fries tasted good but were limp, lacking the crunch of good french fries. the collard greens looked fresh. often, i find places overcook collard greens, and they get the dull, lifeless green color, but these were good. i was surprised there wasn't more flavor from the meat that was cooked with it. if you like healthy collard greens, these seem to be it.

i thought steph's combo of pulled pork & pork ribs was a little better than mine. her pulled pork was tender, but like the brisket lacking the smokiness. the pork ribs were probably the best of the meats we had. it was tender, and the natural pork flavor from the fat was good with the bbq sauce.

for dessert, we both had the peach cobbler a la mode, and we both enjoyed our desserts. i wasn't blown away by the bbq, but i thought the dineLA prix fixe lunch was a good value. i may come back to try their chicken fried steak.

mozarella caprese panini

mozarella caprese panini
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

in an effort to get mike to branch out on his usual sandwich-making of pb&j and facilitate usage of produce from our produce box--e.g. lettuce & tomatoes--i threw together some grilled mozarella caprese paninis without a panini/grill pan or press this past weekend. actually, a pot of water and some pressure for a minute on each side works great. the recipe is simple and easily modified to your liking.

ingredients
large pieces of mozarella sliced
ripe tomatoes sliced
olive tapenade (or diced black & green olives; capers also work well, but you may want to add them to some mayo for stickiness)
lettuce
basil
mayo

brush slices of crusty bread on one of the sides with olive oil. on one slice of bread, spread olive mixture. then add basil leaves, slices of tomato, then mozarella. sprinkle with olive oil, balsamic glaze (or regular balsamic vinegar), coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper. then top with lettuce. on opposite slice of bread, spread mayo and add to sandwich stack. make as many sandwiches as you need.

heat up a flat (or near flat) bottomed pan and add a little bit of olive oil. place sandwich in pan, and using another pan (or press if you have it) press down on the sandwich for a minute or two until the bottom is browned. then flip and do the same for the other side. voila! easy peasy.

guelaguetza: dineLA false start

guelaguetza
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (20/143)
i kicked off dineLA with a lunch at guelaguetza, which i've been wanting to try--at least i tried to. our waiter had no idea what i was talking about when i asked for the dineLA menu. i double checked the address, and it was correct. the hostess looked equally confused and said if i wanted the lunch special, that was only during the week.

we decided to order off the menu. i don't think i ordered the best dishes because although some were good, some were merely ok. the botana de molotes is a tasty chorizo & potato filled fried corn dough appetizer that reminded me of a samosa, but only in concept and not in taste. mike enjoyed the botana de chalupas, which consisted of seasoned veggies atop fried corn tortilas. we thought the ensalata nopalitos, a cactus salad, sounded interesting, but it was more like a plate of pico de gallo with strips of fresh cactus and crumbled cheese. the cactus, which was slightly tart and tender, tasted like a cross between a sour green chile and a green bell pepper. next time i would try it grilled with some kind of sauce.

we also sampled a tortilla stuffed with huitlacoche, a corn fungus, which had a nutty flavor and chewy mexican cheese. in retrospect, i think i should have ordered the tamale with chicken and mole because the one i did order with chile & spices was a little bland.

overall, the food was authentic and fresh, but without trying more dishes, it's hard for me to get excited about the food here. service was a little slow, and our waiter completely forgot to bring us our drinks. by the time we finally got someone's attention, we were pretty much done so just asked for the check. there's a small are by the cash register where they sell spices and prepared ingredients like chorizo or cecina for cooking oaxacan food.