lunasia

lunasia
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

here's a tip. if you're a hardcore dim sum lover, you arrive early. I'm talking 9am or whenever the restaurant opens. it's never too early for dim sum. besides, doesn't the early bird get the worm? our large group of 8 had no problem getting a table because we arrived early. no fuss. no wait. they even started seating us before the entire party arrived.

i'm surprised to see this place received such poor reviews. after trying 25 or so of their dishes, i found the food to range from good to excellent. there was only one dishi didn't think was good, the xiao long bao, but this is not a dim sum specialty, so i'm not surprised. ordinarily, i wouldn't order this at a dim sum restaurant, but we love dumplings so much we couldn't help ourselves.

excellent:
tofu with abalone sauce - fried tofu, softened by a flavorful sauce stuffed with a seafood ball
pork & shrimp siu mai - large, plump, juicy
vegetarian rice noodle - crunchy, tasty vegetables rolled into sheets of rice
shrimp rice noodle - delicious, springy freshness to the wrapper
salt and pepper chicken wings - crispy, slightly spicy & so good
salt and pepper tofu - the vegetarian version consists of super crunchy small cubes of tofu
green onion pancake - crispy
roasted pork belly - crispy strip of skin, nice balance of fatty flavor with lean meat
roasted duck pie - a flaky pastry filled with sweet, marinated duck
wolfberry jello - light, refreshing

good
har gow - plump shrimp dumplings in a glassine skin
cilantro rice noodle - not as strongly flavored, but good
bbq pork buns - perfectly cooked, sweet and juicy
pumpkin pie - sweet pumpkin dumplings filled with red bean & sprinkled with sesame seeds
sticky rice wrap - sticky rice with a filling of pork & mushrooms, wrapped in a banana leaf
steamed rice noodle with pork spare ribs - nice flavor to the meat
sauteed eggplant - sweet, spicy glazed stir-fried fresh japanese eggplant
chinese broccoli with oyster sauce - fresh greens, rich oyster sauce
fro gura (foie gras) dumplings - a little strange to be eating a dumpling filled with foie gras, but it was good, though kind of rich.
mashed dumpling - typical
pork meatball

don't recommend
xiao long bao - lacking in soup, and kind of dry
taro cake with chinese sausage - kind of dry

one of the nicer, cleaner dim sum places i've been to in sgv, lunasia's dim sum was solid. although the carts can be fun, ordering from a menu means the food is hot and fresh when it gets to the table. you can also get what you want right away instead of hoping it will show up on the next cart. service was pretty good.

azuma

azuma
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

in a section of gardena where most signs aren't in english, the warm glow of azuma invites you into a cozy diner-esque japanese restaurant whose authenticity and down-to-earth feeling is almost startling. we sat at one of the two seat tables huddled against the wall beneath vertical strips of paper with kanji and numbers. i really should learn some japanese as i often feel like i may be missing out on some special morsel reserved only for those in the know or who can read the signs.

there is one small eraserboard of specials in english and menus come in both english and japanese. how nice that you get a small dish of EDAMAME to snack on while you wait for your food. they are perfectly seasoned, where the salt has been absorbed into the beans themselves.

their AGEDASHI TOFU was a little disappointing. although i enjoyed the lightly toasty skin encasing delicate silken tofu insides, i thought the broth needed more flavor. luckily, everything else we had was quite good. the GINDARA, a piece of broiled black cod with miso, was the highlight. it was sweet, salty and full of flavor infused into the buttery flakes of white fish. the skin was lightly crispy. some parts were a little more burnt than i liked, but overall, very tasty.

the CREAM CROQUETTE-an oval ball of shrimp, vegetables and cream that has been deep fried--was standard, good.

somehow, i ended up ordering quite a few deep fried dishes without really noticing until the food came out. the EBI-FRY, is a dish of panko crusted deep fried whole shrimp prepared well.

i think i like the YAKI ONIGIRI here better than at torihei. you have a choice of salmon, fish eggs, bonita flakes, seaweed or plain, which is nice. the salmon adds a lot of flavor to where they could have cut back on some of the soy.

glad i discovered this place. the main sign is in japanese, and you can just make out the lit green Azuma sign in the window, so you have to be on the lookout to find this place. there's a lot of variety, and even the combination dinners look good, which i usually steer clear of. i'll definitely be back to try other dishes soon. the place is small, and the staff seems limited, so service was mostly ok, but sometimes slow. it wasn't slow enough to bother me though.

torihei

torihei
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

torihei specializes in yakitori and oden dishes. the lightness and warmth of the oden pairs well with the fat and smokiness of yakitori. though you can easily find good yakitori at several places in the area, i'd never had oden until torihei.

we started with the daikon oden, a delicate section of braised daikon topped with seaweed and a generous helping of bonita slivers waving about in a light broth. the subtle sweetness of daikon spoke comfort and reminded me of some of the squash and melon soups my mom use to make. some people seem to think this is bland, but i think it is in the nature of this dish to be subtle and accent the more natural flavor of the daikon. a strong broth would have overpowered it.

then came the beef tongue, which was surprisingly tender and juicy. of the izakaya places i've eaten, i think this is the best preparation of beef tongue. so simple. so good. it didn't need any seasoning. just the flavor of beef with a hint of wasabi.

in terms of flavor, the fish cake oden, was stronger than the daikon, being sweet with a slightly chewy texture and subtle hints of the sea. this one definitely tastes homemade.

i recommend the chicken thighs--also tender, juicy, and the not surprisingly flavorful half raw egg with cod roe. eggs are delicious. also excellent are the petite tomatoes, which consist of grilled cherry tomatoes bursting with sweetness and slathered with sauteed garlic. the shitake mushrooms, which come with bonita flakes, are one of the better preparations i've had. some places burn it, and it ends up being bitter.

i liked the combination of crunchy and soft rice in the "robata" rice ball, a fried triangle of onigiri seasoned with soy sauce. the whole shrimp on skewer, was probably my least favorite. i enjoyed the grilled flavor of the shrimp, but it was not especially exciting for the price compared to the other dishes.

overall, i found torihei to be skilled in preparation of the foods. i like the yakitori at shinsengumi and kappo honda, but sometimes, some of the skewers have partly burnt bits which add bitterness. i was impressed with how even the cooking was on the skewers here. the whole restaurant has a refined air to it even though it's not particularly fancier than any other japanese restaurant in the area. service was friendly and good. if you get there early, there may be little to no wait.

marked5

marked5
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

the recent spate of food trucks spurred by the success of kogi has brought about some interesting portable food creations. the whole east meets west burger on a rice patty intrigued me, so when a friend arranged a tasting of all of marked5's offerings, i had to check it out. i liked their aspirations of stimulating the five senses as being the inspiration for their concept. good food does that. everything was good, but i didn't find any of the burgers distinctive.

the first burger we tried, the PORK KATSU, which had a sweet spicy sauce and came with cabbage, turned out to the the group favorite of all the burgers. comparatively speaking, it was one of the better ones. i think everyone, myself included, really liked the sauce. the problem for me though was that mine was overwhelmed by it. i didn't get any of the crispyness of the katsu nor the flavor of the pork. all i could really taste was sauce. the katsu didn't have a strong enough personality neither in the meat nor the light batter. i did like the grilled rice buns which had a nice smoky flavor.

supposedly, the BEEF TORAKKU, made with a less sweet sauce than that on the pork, is a favorite among customers. the disc of meat was too well done for me and a little chewy. the idea of wrapping it with seaweed was interesting in thought, but the flavor didn't work that well. also, the problem with seaweed, and in handrolls, is if it soaks up liquid as it did with the sauce, it gets chewy and hard to eat. that's why with handrolls, you eat them quickly. this is much harder to do with a burger. the best part of this burger were the caramelized onions, of which there weren't enough.

the CHICKEN CURRY was ok, though a bit boring. nothing about it really stood out. the chicken meat could have used a little seasoning. i was thinking that this would have been so much better with a fried white fish. maybe they will add a fifth burger with fish.

the last burger, the TOFU TORAKKU, was pretty good. the tofu had some smokyness to it, and in this case, the seaweed flavor with the tofu and rice paired well.

along with the four burgers, marked5 offers two sides, SHRIMP ROLLS and FRIED SHRIMP & LOTUS CHIPS. the shrimp rolls were basically shrimp egg rolls with nothing but shrimp. the lotus chips were a little more chewy but interesting, and you can't beat those puffed shrimp chips. both sides were great for snacking on.

i liked the rice patty, but i found that only the first burger tasted grilled. not sure if it was because of our large group and their feeling rushed to get the food out to us quickly, so i don't fault them for that, but i liked it when the rice was more grilled. i also didn't care for the cabbage, which didn't add anything except texture. lettuce or some other veggies would have been better. my favorite turned out to be the tofu as none of the meat options were tasty enough to warrant the death of the animal.

the guys and gal organizing the tasting were all very personable and kept the food coming at a steady pace. i wish i had liked the food more, but it did not blow me away.

hatchi - unfamiliar conflict: roberto cortez

smoked shitake terrine
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

the genius of breadbar's hatchi series removes the fluff of fine dining, leaving the substance and offering a great opportunity to sample inventive culinary creations at affordable prices. the words "unfamiliar" and "conflict" are not what you'd want associated with your food, but roberto cortez has cleverly assembled contrasting flavors in such a way as to inspire a hyper-awareness to the sensual experience of eating. the best part is that these conflicting tastes mostly work well together.

we began our journey with a carribbean inspired cocktail consisting of orange juice, ginger, basil oil and spiced rum. the flavor intensity sat in the foam that topped this drink. i couldn't really make out the basil, but the rum was strong, and as i worked my way down, it became more subtle. if you like tropical rum drinks, you'd probably like this one. i found the rum and the drink too syrupy sweet for my taste.

it was not long before the white asparagus cappuccino arrived in a set of two glasses, complete with undeniably cappuccino-esque foam atop a creamy divine soup. the comforting essence of asparagus, this soup came with a surprise in the form of a firm little ravioli that burst through the alkaline warmth with a tart and aromatic liquid of grapefruit and mint. the experience was so fleeting, it left me wanting. the perfectly timed explosion of tastes was like a punchline delivered at just the right moment.

soups must be the chef's forte because the liquid onion ring, a shot glass of onion soup separated from crispy crunchy onion bits sprinkled on top by a layer of foam almost as thick was amazing--salty sweet onion flavors. the rye bread with cheese and sesame seeds that came with it added some body though it couldn't really compete in flavor with the onion.

prepared well and delicate to the tongue, the herb stained salmon was the epitome of light, summer fare. the saltiness of the stacked slivers of salmon over a viscous and refreshing cucumber sauce, contrasted with the pops of tartness with a slight zing in the circles of passionfruit chili decorating the plate as well as the creamy whipped jasmine rice, which was like whipped cream with the nuttiness of fragrant rice.

next up, one of my favorites of the night, the smoked shitake terrine transformed the word veloute into a magical thing in my mouth of sweet, creamy market fresh corn, now and then accented with a fragrant and sweet cinnamon oil surrounding a disc of earthy flavorful mushrooms with a crunchy crust. little leaves of microgreens added some lightness to an otherwise thick soup.

the lemon lacquered chicken put the "unfamiliar conflict" concept to the test. the surprisingly strong lemon flavor in the trio of the sweet, salty, super tart of the gravy that acted as a glue for the texture of crushed almonds blended with coriander seeds and oatmeal gave every bite a punch. in contrast, the foam balanced out the acidity with some creaminess, while the cubes of soy gelee added more meatyness.

the mesh of flavors in the sweet dishes didn't work as well as in the salty. i enjoyed the texture of the malt with the rich chocolate cream in themanjari chocolate dessert, which was delicious, but ultimately all was drowned by a sea of sweet cherry sauce that reminded me too much of cough syrup. the cherries were fresh, but i didn't like them with the chocolate, and though they looked interesting, i couldn't taste the guinness in the guinness pearls. the basil didn't pair well with the other parts of the dish either.

the other dessert, the sparkling lemoncurd mousse was much better, though more novel for the effervescent white powder concoction that fizzed and reacted on the tongue with mouth puckering tartness. the lemoncurd was good, not great. the strawberry water with mint oil was an interesting mix.

entrees were phenomenal. dessert was ok & good. service was inconsistent, with problems figuring out what table ordered what. our server was nice, but kind of a space cadet, at one point, returning to our table to ask if we wanted dessert after taking our dessert order 7 minutes earlier. service is nowhere near what you'd get at a fine dining restaurant, but i didn't expect it to be.

hatchi series @breadbar: michael voltaggio

hatchi series @breadbar: michael voltaggio
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

breadbar started a series of single night dinners by different chefs in which they would prepare 8 dishes for $8 each at their century city location. i was impressed but not blown away by the ludobites meal we had in june, so was excited but not expecting to have my socks knocked off. as it turns out, my feet may be a little cold tonight.

we ordered 7 of the 8 available plates, some of which turned out to be wonderful not only in flavor combinations but curious experiences in perception. the first dish to hit the table, the crispy chicken thigh was more like a rectangle of tender meat with a crispy crust topped with the most delicately, perfectly soft, chewy cuttlefish, yummy mushrooms with a dab of sweet and sour sauce and some olive oil garnish. having watched a program on cuttlefish a few days earlier, i was feeling guilty about eating it, but the preparation of this arthropod was so divine, i feel it did not give it's life in vain. it's such a travesty when animals die to make crappy food.

our wonderful meal continued with the japanese tomato tartare, which turned out to be a tromp l'oeil. what arrived appeared to be an egg overeasy, whose yolk spilled out when split, sitting on top of ripe chopped tomato bits, but after taking a bite, i realized that the yolk was a flavorful yet light yellow puree of what i think was parmesan and tomato that looked convincingly like an egg yolk. the bits of tapenade powder added some complex saltiness, while the basil added some fresh flavor.

i liked the balance in sculptural qualities of the artichokes "barigoule" and enjoyed the flavors, but this dish was one of the lesser favorites. the salmon belly and smoked salmon roe stacked and sprinkled on the plate were excellent, but the flavors overwhelmed the simple preparation of minimally seasoned artichokes. however, the powdered philly cheese, which looked like powder yet transformed into a wonderful creaminess in your mouth, was a nice surprise.

what looked like tuna in the stack that was the hamachi crudo turned out to be sweet watermelon. the sweet and salty flavors along with rich spots of egg yolk worked well together. crispy puffed wild rice added texture.

the wagyu beef, cooked perfectly medium rare, was amazing. even better, though, the paper thin pastrami underneath which could easily be forgotten, so hidden was it, but once i put it into my mouth, its moist juiciness melted into my tongue an array of complex fatty flavors. the broccoli textures and horseradish "styrofoam" was not only amusing in concept but equally rich in flavor. florets had been cooked to intense sweet broccoli flavor and crunchiness. along the plate, a thick stroke of creamy broccoli puree. i couldn't really taste the horseradish, but it was an interesting texture and not unlike styrofoam in appearance. luckily, it didn't taste like it.

for dessert we had the miso cake with jasmine "rice cream", strawberry, yuzu and the fool's gold, consisting of layers of hazelnut praline and salty carmel accented by a large creamy ball of nitro coffee mousse. the miso cake was good, and the spoon of ice cream did taste like rice, while the glazed strawberries were sweet. but i thoroughly enjoyed the fool's gold which had crispy cookie flakes dusted with gold. i enjoyed the coffee flavors in the nitro constructed ball, but also found some unexplained tartness.

adding to my lovely food experience was the introduction to deus beer, a belgian beer full of complex fruit flavor. fermented with two yeasts and following a process similar to champagne in the champagne region, it possesses a bubbliness not unlike a champagne. my palate wasn't partial to its sweetness, but i could appreciate it's richness.

service was great until it slowed at the end, when it got busy. even though it was in a mall, we forgot about the location once we started eating.

ramen california

ramen california
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

ramen california looks like your typical ramen house, but it's not. you'll not find the heavy, salty pork broth here. if that's what you want, go to santouka or shinsengumi or one of the many restaurants in the greater los angeles or orange county that offers traditional ramen. ramen california offers a different experience, one that basks in the abundance of local, fresh produce that us californians are so lucky to have. despite the unorthodox approach to ramen, the noodles are still perfectly al dente with a nice springiness characteristic of quality ramen noodles.

their namesake california ramen has a light broth and is piled high with a variety of brightly colored vegetables that included cauliflower in three colors, beets, and wax beans. with a simple broth, this particular bowl is a celebration of the natural flavors of the ingredients. the heirloom tomato ramen is a fusion of italian flavors which include a delicious olive oil, fresh sweet tomatoes and basil with a light broth accented by tiny fragrant flowers. the rich, earthy broth of the curry ramen may be what you're looking for if you want something a little heavier. it will be a good option when the weather cools.

one of the pluses here is the option for three different sizes of ramen bowls, so you can have more than one kind or stick with the favorite in a large or medium sized bow. to my disappointment, they didn't have the cheese tofu ramen on the day we visited, and the selection of small plate appetizers which sounded like intriguing izakaya type dishes is only offered for dinner.

a couple weeks later, i returned. ramen california called to me with it's fresh, local produce in a bowl. rarely do i visit a resto within six months much less one, but i wanted to try some of their appetizers and sample ramen bowls missed on previous visits. while we waited, they brought us complimentary bread rolls. though simple, these were not ordinary rolls. they had a lightly oiled, thick skin with bits of sea salt and a soft chewy center.

the snapper kanpachi, which was delicately sliced and sprinkled with black sea salt, was simple and delicious. the lobster ravioli with mushroom sauce, sounded more interesting than it was. flavor-wise, it was fine, but the mushroom sauce consisted of little more than sauteed mushrooms. i like mushrooms, but i thought more could have been done with the sauce. the other dish we ordered, the mushroom saute was just that, and after already getting something similar with the ravioli, it was a little disappointing. for some reason, i thought they would be different based on the descriptions. i really do love mushrooms and the natural flavors of ingredients, but these were a tad boring.

the much-touted cheese tofu ramen was indeed rich and evidence that fat does indeed equal flavor in this case. it added a slight creaminess, but i also found that i was reluctant to eat an entire bowl of it. this is probably the closest you'll get to the traditional pork broth. i also enjoyed the smoky flavor of the chicken, which was juicy and seasoned well, in the grilled chicken ramen.

the pescetarian bf is happy he can enjoy ramen with me. even though the appetizers didn't wow me, i still found that i really enjoyed the freshness and lightness of the broths. we're headlong into summer finally, and call me crazy, but the thought of eating a hot, heavy bowl of pork broth doesn't appeal to me as much as having a refreshing bowl filled with lots of vegetables. those cute little flowers that they throw in there are a nice reminder of where the food comes from. so for get for a moment what you think you know of ramen. their enjoyable bowl of soup won't leave you feeling heavy and will lighten your carbon footprint.

service was good, although the place is not large and fills up quickly.

proof

proof
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

proof is the kind of restaurant you take someone to for some wining and dining. i'm no wine expert (yet), but with the three different options for pours-- 2, 6 or 8.5 oz--you could quickly become one if you are a regular here. it's a warm, dark environment where the noise level is low enough such that you can carry on a conversation with your dining partner, although too dark to easily stare into his or her eyes. however, if you need to break the mood (or read the menu), a branded LED light source is provided.

made from fresh, quality ingredients, the food is not revolutionary but prepared well and delicious. the bf & i were not super hungry so split several first courses, a small selection of cheeses and a second course. one of the first courses was a GRILLED EGGPLANT SALAD, which had a lovely smoke flavor, although the eggplant needed some seasoning. i enjoyed the combination of sweetness from the peppers, texture of the pumpkin seeds, and tangy saltiness from the dressing. the YUKON GOLD POTATO GNOCCHI was also tasty, with earthy wild mushrooms, sweet corn and spinach in a thick broth sprinkled with cheese. the gnocchi was very soft, almost too soft, but the flavors were good.

the cheeses we shared tended to the mild spectrum as far as cheeses go, and included MAHON--a cow's milk dry spanish cheese-, GARROTXA--a goat's milk soft spanish cheese, and DANTE--a sheep's milk cheese from wisconsin. i liked the dryness of the mahon and the depth of flavor from the garrotxa, but found the dante pretty straightforward.

on recommendation from our server, we had the VADOUVAN SPICED ALASKAN HALIBUT as the second course. i didn't really taste much of the coconut in the broth, but liked the crunchy texture on the surface of the fish, and the flavors of the spices. the fish was perfectly cooked.

our server was quirky, but prompt and helpful. coming from california, i found that attire is dressier, and dinner was a little more formal than i'm used to for a wine bar, but it seems like a great place for a date.

rasika

rasika
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

encountering a contemporary take on indian food is a rarity, especially one that remains true to the essential flavors of indian cuisine, so when i heard about rasika, i had to experience it for myself on a recent trip to DC. the food didn't completely deconstruct indian cuisine for me, but i was reminded that done well, food can be both new and traditional and good.

the four course tasting menu offers an opportunity to sample a broad range of dishes at a reasonable price, especially when sharing between three people, and as i found out, a lot of food. we started with the famous flash fried spinach (PALAK CHAAT), a dish of crispy leaves mixed with fresh tomatoes, red onions, cilantro and yogurt, combining a medley of sweet, salty, tangy flavors. between the first and second courses, came the ASPARAGUS ROLL--sections of asparagus spears rolled in a delicate pasta sheet, sitting in a tangy, mint chutney and sprinkled with mustard and fennel seeds. i didn't care as much for the pasta texture, but the flavors were good, and the chutney had a kick to it.

second courses included the CLAM CALDINE, simmered in a coconut and chili sauce with a slight kick, CRISPY TAWA FISH, a white fish crusted with crunchy rice and accented with a creamy cilantro mayo, and TAWA BAINGAN, consisting of a stack of eggplant and mashed spiced potatos. all were excellent.

the meat entrees, which included CHICKEN MAKHANI and LAMB GUCCHI KORMA, were more reminiscent of traditional indian food. both had thick sauces perfect for dipping the paratha and naan that accompanied the meal. with a tomato based sauce, the chicken was more tangy and sweet, while the lamb was creamy. i liked the appetizers a little better than the entrees. i was so full, i didn't get to try the garlic naan, but found the mint flavor in the paratha refreshing.

the vegetarian options included MAKKI SHIMLA MIRCH--a sweet combination of fresh corn and red peppers-, VEGETABLE TAMATAR RASSA-stewed vegetables in fragrant spices, and an earthy DAL MAKHANI. All were tasty, but I found the corn & vegetable dishes most flavorful.

i found the dessert, APPLE JALEBI with CARDAMOM ICE CREAM, to be a too sweet for my taste. the jalebi consisted of a slice of apple thickly battered and deep fried, which was kind of oily. the donut hole like cake ball that came with it was good, but also very sweet. my favorite on the dessert plate was the rich and creamy cardamom ice cream with hints of ginger.

besides offering a unique twist on indian food, rasika is an elegant, upscale restaurant where service was prompt and friendly as expected. if you like indian food and are open to new experiences, rasika is worth a try.

beverly soon tofu

beverly soon tofu
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (53/143)
a friend recently introduced me to beverly soon tofu, mentioning that she loved this place for their banchan, and after eating here, i have to concur that the banchan stands out for being fresh and tasty, definitely better than most i've had in my limited experience with korean food. you can tell they put some heart into it, that it's not just about the tofu soup, their specialty.

one of my favorites was the tofu with nori & scallions, which consists of soft tofu in a dashi-like soup with strips of seaweed. it was really light and refreshing with hints of sesame. other items included some crunchy bean sprouts, tangy, sweet lightly pickled cucumber, fresh celery, a super vinegary daikon kimchee, cabbage kimchee, potatoes in a sweet brown sauce.

you can get a combo meal that includes a tofu soup with galbi, which is what i did. i was amazed by the delicious galbi. tender, sweet, juicy, it was quite good. with our combo, i ordered the shrimp and vegetable tofu soup. except for needing some salt, i thought the flavor of the shrimp really came through, and enjoyed it overall.

my friend ordered the bibimbap, which comes in a large bowl with dried seaweed, cucumber, chopped pork, tofu, carrots and a fried egg. i didn't try any of it, but it looked really good. i'll have to next time.

honey's kettle fried chicken

honey's kettle fried chicken
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (52/143)
every now and then, i crave fried chicken, one of the few chicken dishes i crave. it's not one of those things i can indulge in very often due to the whole fried thing and lack of healthy sides, but the chicken here is worth the extra exercise (or weight). i wasn't very impressed with roscoe's but after walking by the honey's kettle chicken in culver city and hearing good things about the chicken at the compton location, i had to check it out.

sure, it's a little ghetto, but seems more like one of those places that's been around for a while, so mostly just worn around the edges. don't be fooled by the exterior. their chicken tastes more homemade, is worlds above KFC and far better than Roscoes.

there are two qualities that make their chicken so good. number one is the crust--a crunchy, perfectly crispy and flavorful crust. i could almost just eat the crust. the second thing is the meat. i'm more of a dark meat person, but i mixed it up by getting a breast and leg. the breast was surprisingly moist. most fried chicken breast or breast meat in general often turns out dry in the cooking process. i'd like to know if they brine their chicken to get it so moist. my chicken came out hot, almost too hot to start eating right away.

you can get three different dipping sauces: a hot sauce, a spicy bbq-like sauce, and honey. the chicken is so delicious and well seasoned, you don't even need a sauce. sides include fries and a super buttery and tender biscuit.

ludobites @ breadbar

ludobites @ breadbar
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (51/143)
i've never been to breadbar, but on the recommendation of a fellow foodie i had to check out ludobites. this review primarily is for our sampling of tastings at ludobites, which is in breadbar, but not really a part of breadbar. chef Ludovic Lefebvre takes over tues - saturday evenings offering an eclectic menu. my experience of the flavor combinations ranged from good to great, but nothing was boring. if you're interested in creatively and intricately prepared chef's tastings at tapas prices, ludobites is worth checking out. the concept is that you build your own tasting from a menu that changes nightly.

we snacked on crusty olive bread with a sweet lavendar honey butter, while waiting. it was hard not to fill up since the bread was so good. our first course, an HEIRLOOM TOMATO SMOOTHIE with celery granite and basil turned out to be one of my favorite selections of the evening. a cold, thick soup with celery flavored shaved ice, basil oil and fresh basil, it combined tangy, salty, herbaceous flavors that likened it to a cross between a bloody mary and a gazopacho.

next up was a POACHED EGG 65 DEGREES with chorizo, saffron. the process for cooking the egg rendered it creamy, and tasty with the tangy, salty, smokey chorizo. the tart side of pickled cornichons helped to make it less heavy.

the CALAMARI, AVOCADO, EXOTIC FRUITS, almonds, lemon combined some unusual ingredients and gave the dish a tropical twist. the battered and fried calamari was straightforward, but made a little unusual with the salty avocado, sweet banana, and tart passionfruit seeds as garnish as well as variations in texture from soft to crunchy.

the KING SALMON CUBE with WATERMELON, oranges confites, and sesame oil arrived with some instructions for the order of tastes. i thought the sweetness of the watermelon after the saltiness of the salmon cube and roe was interesting, but subtle and not as huge an impact flavorwise as it sounded, maybe because the watermelon was a little bland and not as sweet as i thought it would be to provide a huge contrast in flavor.

of course, simple can be quite good too, but even simple here is not so simple. the MARINATED GRILLED BELL PEPPER and mozzarella ice cream combines sweet peppers with fresh cherry tomatoes and a creamy cheese.

our last savory dish, the SAUTEED DIVER SCALLOP with curry-yogurt, spinach was another unusual flavor combination. i don't think i've had scallops with curry before, but this was pretty good.

we ended with the CHOCOLATE MOUSSE with COFFEE SAUCE and CHERRY CHANTILLY. the chocolate mousse had more of a gooey, thick sauce texture to it than a light mousse as i was expecting, but it was plenty rich. i found the intense tart and sweetness of the cherry a nice accent.

the meal made me feel like i traveled to different countries for each course, with the diversity of spices, seasonings and flavor combinations. service at first was a little overly helpful, which made me nervous, but relaxed as the restaurant filled up. ingredients and freshness were all top notch. it's too bad this only goes through the summer, but maybe the chef will find a permanent home. i would definitely go for more.

bottega louie

bottega louie
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (50/143)
when it came time to go out for the m's birthday, i picked bottega louie because--he wanted something casual, we hadn't been before and they have two of his favorites, pasta and pizza. this place is so casual that they don't take reservations, but luckily, we didn't have too much of a wait, about 10-15 mins on a saturday evening. even though it's casual, it still feels upscale, so you feel like you're getting a nice meal without worrying about what piece of silverware to use.

we started by sharing the basic arugula salad with red onions in a lemon vinaigrette with shaved pecorino that was spicy from the fresh arugula and prepared well--light on the dressing. m chose a napoli pizza, which i thought was ok, not great. he enjoyed it. toppings include mushrooms, red onions, and olives with a tomato sauce. i liked that they put two of my favorites together--mushrooms and kalamata olives.

our waitress recommended the tagliatelle bolognese. i love bolognese, so couldn't argue with it. it was tasty, but not as good as i had imagined due to the expectations set by the waitress. i liked the delicateness of the pasta. we also shared a couple sides, including the lightly battered portabello fries and some arancini arrabiata, which are these fried rice balls. the portabello fries consist of portabello mushroom slices deep fried. the crispy breading added some texture, and it was yummy with the pesto aioli. i enjoyed the smokiness and crunch from the bits of bacon in the arancini. they have quite a selection of sides, so if you didn't want to fill up on an entree, you could get a few sides. another plus is the amount of wine you get, when you order by the glass. you get a half glass typical of most places, then extra in a small carafe to refill the glass. etiquette is often such that you only get a partial glass even though you are supposedly ordering a glass. it was nice that wasn't the case here.

for dessert, i had an eclair from their pastry shop. it was ok as far as eclairs go, but the peanut butter terrine the m picked was excellent. the combination of slightly salty peanut butter with rich chocolate was so good.

overall, i think the meal was enjoyable, and found the ingredients to be fresh and high quality, but the ambiance lends itself to being more of a fun place to go as a group where you don't have to worry about being loud. they have plenty of large tables, and the place gets pretty loud due to the carpetless flooring and high ceilings no matter how quiet people are. we weren't too bothered by the noise, but it's definitely not the place to go if you're looking for a romantic evening. service was fast and friendly. they have a great selection of deli and dessert items for quick take out, too.

my only complaint was the cost. though i thought the food was tasty, i don't think it was special enough to warrant how much they charge. it seems that you could get similar offerings cheaper elsewhere.

pizzeria delfina

san francisco
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (47/143)
a juxtaposition of crunchy and chewy textures in a smoky crust as well as fresh toppings make for delicious pizza. pizzeria delfina's style is distinctively neapolitan, and while they serve authentically italian style pizza, it's with local flavor. i first had their pizza shortly after they opened, but since i no longer live in the area, have only dreamed about it.

i finally made it back, and it's still as good as i remember it. the margherita is classic. we tried one of their specials--a porcini mushroom pizza with panna, thyme and val d'aosta--which was very rich and creamy from the panna. not exactly traditional, but i loved the earthy mushrooms and fragrant thyme. photo: http://www.flickr.com/...

the casual environment is great. we have a similar resto in LA - pizzeria mozza -- that doesn't quite have the same relaxed atmosphere. delfina is gourmet without pretensions. good food, prepared well with quality ingredients.

tea room cafe

petaluma
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (46/143)
during our stay in petaluma, we discovered this cute cafe near the hotel on our search for breakfast. tea room cafe is a clean, casual cafe not too big, not too small that serves an excellent breakfast. it's the kind of place with good lighting that makes you feel like you're in an old house with a large screened porch. you order at the counter, and they bring it to your table. breakfast is typical fare with gourmet touches.

i had the french toast, which was a nice combination of crispy edges, tender bread with a little sweetness and hints of cinnamon. they lather it with butter, no syrup necessary. the fruit cup was a light addition, filled with fresh strawberries, apple slices, grapes and some melon. the bf had an omelet with goat cheese and avocado, super creamy and filling but not heavy. you can get fresh squeezed orange juice, and the usual coffee, tea offerings. they also start serving lunch around 11am.

the environment is relaxing, and food preparation took about 15 mins. not super fast, but not slow, either. service was friendly.

big mista's bbq @ watkins farmer's market

big mista's bbq @ watkins farmer's market
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (52/143)
i'm slowly making my way through the bbq offerings in the LA orange county area, in search of tasty cue. still haven't found anything as phenomenal as the best i've had in texas, which generally has more smokey flavor, but the bbq here is pretty good. thanks to a foodie friend for arranging this event, i was able to sample a large variety of their offerings, all of which were delicious.

my absolute favorite were the thick slabs of BRISKET. slightly fatty, tender, moist with a seasoned crust to accent the natural flavor of the meat, it was good with the vinegary bbq sauce, which was more a kansas style liquid sauce than the thick sauce i'm accustomed to, but had a slight kick and was good nonetheless. the RIBS were another favorite. they really know how to cook the meat so it stays moist. the rub gives it a peppery coating of spices.

they offer two varieties of SAUSAGE. the hot links didn't really blow me away, but it was good. the "fatty," a rich breakfast sausage had a lot of flavor. i don't think i could eat more than a couple pieces though, since it was so rich. the TRI-TIP looked like a good, lean piece of meat, although not as moist compared to some of the others, and better with the bbq sauce.

their CHICKEN, tender and sufficiently moist, is also slathered with similar combination of spices. in fact, most of their meats are well-seasoned with a nice crust, so you don't need a heavy bbq sauce, and the sauce becomes more of an accent to the natural flavors of the meat.

i loved their COLLARD GREENS. not oily at all, it tasted freshly made, with just the tiniest bit of vinegar. i'm not a huge coleslaw fan, but i liked theirs. it was crunchy, not too sweet, with a light tanginess. the potato salad has a kick, and the beans are sweet, a little too sweet for my taste, but they seemed fresh and nicely spiced.

for dessert, i enjoyed their red velvet. not phenomenal, but good. cobbler was a little inconsistent. some of the dough didn't seem fully cooked.

big mista's can be found at various farmer's markets, including the one we went to on saturday at watkins memorial park. i recommend checking them out. they're like one of those hidden food gems. the bbq here is much better than that at any of the chains like johnny rebs or lucille's. big mista's wife organized the food, and it was nice of her to give us some history on how they got started bbq-ing.

veggie grill

veggie grill
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (53/143)
i'm pretty skeptical of gimmicky food places at the mall that tend to be more style than substance, but the food here is pretty good, and a much needed healthy reprieve from a week of sausage tasting, bbq, and fried seafood.

whoever says healthy food doesn't taste good should try veggie grill's portobello burger. it definitely rivals the one at native foods, but is not so hardcore (vegan). the combination of flavors from the smokey grilled portobello mushroom, sweet caramelized onions, flavorful pesto and spicy chipotle ranch makes for one delicious burger. you don't need any meat or extra fat.

i substituted a mixed green salad for the coleslaw that comes with. it's a nice mixture of baby lettuces, chopped tomatoes. some quinoa to help with regularity, corn and wispy curls of carrots. the citrus vinaigrette didn't have much citrus flavor, but it was a tasty vinaigrette.

the bf got the stack, which consists of their "steak", tomato, onion rings. i thought the onion rings added some interesting texture, but the steak was kind of bland. it had a meat texture, but little flavor. the portobello burger was definitely better tasting. the sweet potato fries are quite good and actually taste like pure sweet potatoes.

they give you three options of iced tea, including a regular and two fruity ones. i had two glasses of the strawberry lemonade, it was so good. tasted like it was made from real fruit and not high fructose corn syrup. you could see the little strawberry seeds floating in there.

my only complaint was that it is a little pricey after all the substitutions. it would be nice if the burgers came with fries, because i am not into coleslaw. native foods' burger comes with fries. still, i hope there will be a veggie grill close to home because it's tastier than most of the chain dining establishments out there.

lal mirch

lal mirch
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (49/143)
who knew there was excellent indian food in studio city? even though the name is unusual, lal mirch looks like many other generic indian restaurants--nice, but somewhat outdated decor with a buffet for lunch. the experience however, stood out. for me, it was love at first bite. everything we had was so good. it's the kind of indian food i crave--a rich mixture of spices in a thick sauce paired with tasty starch you eat with your hands.

the vegetable samosas, which come with a cilantro chutney and a tamarind chutney, are a perfect starter. crispy outside, spiced potatoes, corn, peas and beans. most places only have two ingredients in their samosas, but you could tell these had something extra.

the entrees we ordered, the shrimp tikka masala and vegetable korma, fueled my butter addiction. they were so amazingly crispy, perfectly spiced and creamy. i kind of wished we received more shrimp in our tikka masala, but it was fine because the sauce was a meal in itself slathered on some buttery parathas (in case all that ghee in the sauces weren't enough). i couldn't decide between naan and paratha, but either way would have been great. the parathas are like butter soaked tortillas, but with a slight crunch to them. they seem so simple at first, but the more you eat the more you want to keep dipping them in sauce and consuming until you explode.

the vegetable korma consisted of cauliflower, peas, carrots, potatoes in a turmeric yellow coconut curry. i liked the added texture and subtle nutty flavor from the coconut. i haven't tried their chicken tikka masala, which seems to be the thing to get, but judging by their shrimp tikka masala, i'm sure it's good too. tangy, sweet, salty and creamy, it brings together some fragrant spices and delicious flavors. their vegetable biryani had similar vegetables to the korma, and was also tasty and hearty--equal parts vegetables to rice.

oh, and the mango lassi i had was one of the best i have tasted. there was something much more complex here than i have had at other places. the bf doesn't like mango or yogurt, but he could appreciate the flavors.

service was so friendly and fast. this place is worth driving far to get good food.

bouchon

bouchon
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (45/143)
though the cuisine at bouchon appears so straightforward classic french bistro, you can taste the craft and precision of expertise that went into it. what i came to appreciate here was not the inventiveness of the menu, but how good good technique can be. with all the craze over molecular gastronomy these days, it's easy to get distracted.

our meal began with bread from their bakery and butter and a white bean dip. the white bean dip was fabulously creamy with hints of the herbaceous olive oil that was drizzle on top. excellent with the toasted mini sourdough rounds. we shared a beet salad with mache, rhubarb, and asparagus. good but not exciting.

the entrees from the list of specials we ordered ended up being the highlight of the meal. the bf had the salmon sous vide on ratatouille. sweet tomato-y vegetables. this is the one of the few instances when i like vegetables mushy. salmon was delicate and flavorful. i had the pork shoulder which was shiny from a sweet glaze and laid on top of a ragout of corn and arugula accented with sweet currents. pork was wonderfully tender. the glaze was perfect. the zippyness of the arugula, the slight sweetness of the fresh corn and the more intense currents were all excellent.

i would recommend bouchon for a solid meal. the hostess was a little stand-offish, but our waiter was great--amicable and responsive. fine restaurant with a somewhat more casual atmosphere. it was a lovely evening for dinner on their patio. even on a weeknight, it was packed. we didn't have reservations, but were able to get seating immediately.

coi

coi
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (44/143)
at first glance, i didn't recognize many of the ingredients on the menu at coi, which are sourced from local producers. unusual descriptions which apply more to things found on a nature walk than food, combined with the distinct presentation of mostly vegetarian, minimalist food intrigued me, serving to slow and enhance the experience of eating.

our AMUSE BOUCHE consisted of milk & honey packaged in a transparent membrane. a nectar of milk and honey oozes comfort and some sweetness into your mouth. not sure about it being room temperature though.

with the first course, PINK GRAPEFRUIT (ginger, tarragon, black pepper), which looked like a small white cloud atop smaller pieces of grapefruit, comes with a drop of essential oil which is applied to the wrist for comparison. dominant flavors were fragrant citrus tartness from the grapefruit & tarragon. the combination of taste and aroma were nice- with aroma being the foreplay to the more intense flavors. by itself, i wonder if the flavors would have been more subtle.

the martian landscape that was our third course, called EARTH AND SEA (new harvest potatoes, cucumber, borage, sea beans, ice plant flowers), was almost too pretty to eat. the tiniest potatoes i've ever seen cooked to creaminess were huddled against greens, pink flowers atop a vinegar-y squid ink dyed chunks of cucumber. drizzled with grassy olive oil. fragrant, simple flavors, tasty!

an investigation of architecture, INVERTED ANDANTE DAIRY GOAT CHEESE TART (black olive, vadouvan, preserved lemon, wild arugula) consisted of a canti-levered wonton made from black olive atop creamy goat cheese and littered with bits of preserved lemon & arugula.

haiku-like, WINTER INTO SPRING (chilled english pea soup, buttermilk snow, mint), pairs simple, natural flavors--sweet, fresh peas, tart buttermilk & aromatic mint--with a twist on temperature. all i want to know is how you turn buttermilk into snow.

taking all that is good about fried chicken and packaging it in small tater tot-like cubes of intense flavor, the FRIED CHICKEN CONSOMME (artichokes, fava beans, radish, green garlic) is a good thing if it makes me feel like i don't need to work out after eating it. crunchy on the outside, with a gravy-like inside. garnishes added texture. the bf doesn't eat meat, so they made him roasted mushrooms with mayo. i definitely got the better option.

the SAUTEED MONTEREY BAY ABALONE (escarole, caper berry-sea lettuce vinaigrette) was a little hard to slice, but not as chewy as i thought it would be. it sits atop some cooked escarole and an emulsified vinaigrette. seasoned well, with slightly caramelized skin.

a bite of the MORELS (burnt rice, ash, smoke, pine) is like a walk in the forest. earthy, fragrant green, slightly salty. i overheard one of the servers explain the molecular evolution of this dish. even if i remembered, you'd be thinking huh? as well. if you like mushrooms, this dish refines them for a delicately flavored course. plenty of interesting textures as well.

slightly rare, the MARIN SUN FARMS GOAT (sprouted seeds/nuts/beans, wheatgrass) was surprisingly healthy (and not gamey at all) for a meat dish. tender meat, delicately prepared, with crunchy nuts and beans. a combination of perfectly runny yolk and buttery foam, the bf's SLOW COOKED EGG (farro, chard, brown butter)--a meatless sub--was quite good too!

after the previous courses, the few slices of COMTE with lightly coated lettuce leaves was a bit underwhelming, although the cheese was good.

the intercourse of BEET juice puree atop a creamy powder was sweet, slightly tart and salty

couldn't taste the olive oil in the OLIVE OIL SHORTCAKE (strawberry-rhubarb, lemon balm, long pepper), but the combination of fruits were prominent in flavor--sweet, tart, salty

the WHITE CHOCOLATE SEMI-FROZEN (brooks cherry, lime thyme) is a creamy white pillar accented by soft little thyme leaves, tangy sweet cherries in syrup, and crumbly cake

the crunchy cookie crumbles coating the CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES were the dominant texture and flavor. texture was more interesting than flavor. along with the truffles, we ended our meal with OLIVE OIL VANILLA bean milk shake. the olive oil added another layer of creamy complexity.

healthy, light, earthy, the cuisine at coi seems the kind of food forest elves would eat. some looked strange, but the flavors were familiar, often combining savory with sweet and tartness. some flavor combos were better than others, but none were off. each course delicately crafted.

they only offer a tasting menu-no a la carte & small portions. for me, grazing on ten courses over three hours was sufficiently filling, but i don't recommend coming here starving. kudos for cloth towels in the bathroom & interesting artwork on the walls, which appeared to be photograms of cross-sections of food in black and white. excellent service. more silverware than you know what to do with.

elements kitchen

elements kitchen
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (43/143)
fresh, locally grown produce. quality ingredients. reasonable prices. a beautiful sunny day, we found ourselves on a late saturday afternoon at elements kitchen starving for some good eats. we almost missed the place as the door and "resto" faces a side street instead of the street address. judging from what other diners were having, i was anticipating a beautiful meal at least.

they have a specials menu, from which we ordered a couple items, including a shrimp chile lime ceviche. fragrant, refreshing and perfect for the warm weather, it was one of the best ceviches i've had. sometimes simple is best. the tangy lime juice with the shrimp and little bits of fresh tomatoes, cucumber and avocado were perfect. shrimp is so good as ceviche. partially cooked, it takes on a tender juiciness not found in fully cooked shrimp.

for entrees, we shared the salmon red coconut curry, also from the specials menu, and a quiche filled with mushrooms and caramelized onions. i enjoyed the crunchy exterior texture of the seasoned and seared piece of salmon as well as the sweet and salty, spicy creamy curry with vegetables. it was topped with an eggroll filled with creamy potato. though the dish didn't blow me away, it was prepared well and tasted great. the quiche was excellent. i loved the sweetness of the onions and the texture and meatiness of the mushrooms. it came with a salad of mixed greens with so much variety and a light, sweet vinaigrette.

everything was perfect including service until the end, when our waitress disappeared, and we sat around for a while, waiting for our check. i asked another person working their for the check, and we waited some more. i had no idea where our waitress went. when i had gone inside earlier to find a bathroom, there were no people at the tables inside, and there were maybe 5 other occupied tables outside. finally, the bf had to go inside to retrieve it. i really enjoyed the food, and hope the service improves. the servers are nice, but inconsistent.

bamboodles

bamboodles
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (42/143)
the main attraction for bamboodles is for their freshly made noodles, which they prepare the same day, and the novelty of watching them do it through the big fish bowl window, but you would probably have to go early to catch the show. we were there for dinner, so no show. the restaurant is clean, bright and modern.

as far as their noodles, i could tell that it was fresh, much firmer than most places with a springiness to them. the spinach, translucent green with little flecks, was more interesting than their regular noodle. the one soup i had--the shrimp wonton noodle soup--was pretty dull. i liked that the delicately skinned wontons consisted mostly of shrimp stuffing that was tasty--flavored with sesame oil, and the broth was light and healthy, but as far as broths go, it was a little bland.

the bf had the garlic shrimp noodles, which are pretty much what they sound like--regular noodles and shrimp sauteed with garlic. garlic flavor was good, though preparation was not very creative.

i also tried their seafood delight dumplings, a thick skinned, light (not oily) dumpling that satisfied my craving, but definitely not the best dumpling you'll find in the area. however, shrimp dumplings seem to be less common than the pork variety, so i would say it is a plus here. overall, i enjoyed our dinner and may come back to try different soups, but wasn't overly impressed. the one waitress we had was very personable. one perk is that they offer uncooked noodles, wonton wrappers and premade dumplings for very reasonable prices for those who wish to prepare them themselves.

marche moderne

marche moderne
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (40/143)
marche moderne offers a 3 course prix fixe--$20 during the week and $25 on the weekends--seven days of the week, which is a great deal on some good gourmet food. their prix fixe changes out almost every day.

i came here with a few other foodies. some of us ordred the prix fixe, while a couple ordered off their lunch menu. everything looked amazing and fresh. the prix fixe came with a butter lettuce, pine nuts, watermelon salad. the sweetness of the bits of watermelon as well as the crunchiness of the pine nuts were paired nicely with the lettuce and simple vinaigrette. my only complaint was that they may have mixed the salads with a little too much dressing, so everything was super wet.

the options for the entree were roasted sand dab with sweet peppers, cilantro emulsion and preserved lemon salad and braised pork belly with sauteed rapini and frisee salad. the fish could have been seasoned more, but it was cooked to flaky perfection, and the sweet peppers were a nice complement that added some flavor. the braised pork belly was so tender and moist, a little bit sweet from caramelization and salty. the rapini was a little overcooked but tasty with a simple preparation. one person in the group ordered the maine scallops tagine, which was excellent. the combination of the tender scallops with the earthy, spicy tomato based harissa worked well.

for dessert, i had an espresso gateau with mascarpone cream and tahitian vanilla ice cream. the cake, which was airy and infused with espresso, reminded me of a refined tiramisu, and was made decadent with a little sweet cream and ice cream.

udupi palace

udupi palace
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (39/143)
its a good sign when you're the only non-indian at an indian restaurant. granted, i've only started eating south indian food last year, but the spinach cheese dosa i had here is the best i've had in my limited experience. dosas are delicate but large crepes usually filled with some combination of potatoes, vegetables and/or spices. what makes the dosa and other dishes we ate here so great is how well spiced and balanced the flavors are. sporting a crispy chewy outside and only available on weekends, the spinach was well seasoned with wonderful curry and great with bits of cheese.

bf & i also shared the thali to try a little of everything, which comes with 2 veggie options--that day it was chana masala and gobi masala (both were good; the gobi was sweeter, while the chana had a tangy tamarind flavor)--, a delicious daal (one of the better i've had--most are usually a little bland--lentils with fennel and mustard seeds), sambar (a tasty lentil soup), rasam (broth cooked from lentils), poriyal which was spicy, turmeric-y cabbage, tomato rice, raita which is yogurt with chunks of cucumber, and payasam which appeared to be a sweet coconut milk flavored with saffron and chopped almonds.

we should have stopped there, but we had to have some baigan bartha, a slow cooked eggplant curry dish with some kick. i was eyeing our neighbors' poori, which are these puffed bread things, and paratha, which are thicker tortilla like bread, and was intrigued by the coconut rice, so will have to return to try other things. everything tasted great, and though there was some heat, it wasn't unbearable, especially if you have a sweet and creamy mango lassi.

service was friendly and fast. utensils are optional.

good girl dinette

good girl dinette
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (38/143)
walking up to good girl dinette, i could smell something baking. i couldn't tell you what that was, but the aromas were warm and inviting. for me, vietnamese food is comfort food. modernizing it by commingling of a little americana is an intriguing concept. the resto itself is casual and bright, at least during the day. the large windows along the front let in lots of light, but no direct sunlight. i loved all the quaint little touches in the interior design, from the vintage modern comfy chairs to the bright orange chopsticks.

we started with the mushroom imperial rolls. first, i was impressed they were made with traditional vietnamese wrappers. even in little saigon, it's getting harder to find eggrolls made with these wrappers, which have not only a great crunch, but a certain chewyness that feels good when you're eating it. the ones that seem to be more prevalent these days are made with wrappers commonly found on chinese eggrolls. those are brown and made from wheat flour rather than semi-translucent wrappers made from rice flour.

balanced out with pickled veggies and lettuce, these mushroom rolls were the best vegetarian eggrolls i've had. the mushrooms gave the rolls umami so much so that i wasn't missing the pork. the dipping sauce that comes with the rolls is a sweet, salty and tangy concoction that is reminiscent of nuoc mam. although it is probably more vegetarian friendly and tasty, i was still wanting the more intense flavor of nuoc mam.

the cauliflower curry pot pie, which had a lot of flavor and a slight kick, came piping hot to our table. a great vegetarian alternative, it had comfort food written all over it.

i had the slow-roasted pork baguette. the french bread was perfectly crunchy and lathered with a light mayo, buttery spread, pickled veggies that added another layer of crunch and fresh cilantro. overall, it was surprisingly light, which was nice. some pieces of pork were a little dry, while fattier bits were perfect. overall, i enjoyed the combination of flavors. i thought there was going to maggi on it, but i didn't taste any. eating this sandwich, i was really craving the taste of maggi as it was a new take on the banh mi. the baguette came with a side of spicy fries, which actually weren't too spicy, more like garlic and jalapeno rubbed fries. they were delicious.

the almond custard with kumquat sauce looked promising, but was a miss for me. the almond part was super creamy, which i liked, but almost too rich in almond flavor, which would have been fine, but the kumquat sauce ended up being overpowered by bitterness that left a bad aftertaste in combination with the strong almond.

one of the standouts about this place is how vegetarian friendly it is. there's a non-meat option for just about every meat option on the menu, and there didn't seem to be any sacrifice in flavor as is often the case. some restos offer vegetarian options, but much of the focus is on the meat, while the veggies come across bland and treated as an afterthought. i didn't get that here. the veggie dishes were equally composed as the meat dishes.

the people who waited on us were friendly and eager to please. when we went for a saturday lunch, it was quiet, and we had a lovely meal. the menu seemed minimal, but it hasn't been open for very long, so i'm hoping the chef, diep tran, will add specials and more items to the menu. some flavors could be intensified, but this place has a lot of promise.

spain restaurant

spain restaurant
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (37/143)
religiously watching episodes of "made in spain" and having a love for tapas may not make me an expert (after all, i've never even been to the country), but i get the feeling this place is authentic. at the end of a nondescript strip mall near the entrance to the freeway, spain restaurant isn't quite a dive, but it's far from trendy or pretentious, and makes me think of comfort food, the kind perhaps my grandma would make if she were spanish.

even if you've had little experience with spanish food, the dishes have familiar elements. take for example, the tortilla de papas. it's basically a thick omelet with potatoes--a classic pairing that's not just for breakfast. they have a variety of tortillas with different ingredients. we enjoyed the one with shrimp. the tortilla is prepared well, with the potatoes being soft, and the eggs being moist on the inside.

we also enjoyed the champignones al ajillo, which are mushrooms sauteed with wine and garlic, and the tomate relleno, tomatoes filled with tuna and topped with flavorful spanish olives.

their tarantela is worth trying if you like sweet desserts and never had it before. it's a combination of two tasty desserts--flan and bread pudding--which has nothing to do with the dance as far as i know.

though all the food was tasty, i wasn't blown away by the few dishes i had, but i would like to return and try their empanadas and paella. they also sell a variety of imported flavored sodas and other spanish products in a little mini-mart section of the restaurant, including chorizo, jamon, rice, saffron and pimenton. Service was friendly and fast.

pho 79

pho 79
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#57 and #25 (35/143) on my 101 in 1001 list
the first meetup event i organized, which was at pho 79, turned out quite well. everyone was excited about the food and the experience.

one of my many gastronomic missions is to find some damn good pho. this place has been on my list. that list is a long one, so it's taken me some time to finally try the pho here. the broth is not as sweet as i like it, but it's pretty good.

they have a large variety of options as far as what you can get with your pho. my favorite combination is the pho tai nam gan, which includes rare beef (theirs is thinly sliced and tender), well done flank and tendon. i went with a group, and after seeing my neighbor's bowl of pho with the fatty brisket, i was wishing i'd gotten that too. what's good about the pho here is not so much the broth, which was fine, but the natural flavors of the meat that comes through. although they offer other vietnamese food, i would recommend sticking to the pho, which is what they're known for, unless you really need or want something else. we shared some spring rolls made with shrimp and bbq pork, which were ok not great. i prefer the roasted pork in my spring rolls rather than the bbq pork, which was cold.

be prepared to wait some, as this place is very popular. at 11:30 am on a sunday, there was already a 15 min wait for a table, but luckily, the service is quick. it's a typical pho joint, and not one of the newer ones, but sanitary enough.

crab zone

crab zone
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (34/143)
at first sight, crab zone looks like your stereotypical beach town seafood resto catering to the tourists. i quickly realized there was something unusual about their vietnamese-inspired the menu that consisted of some interesting sounding asian fusion dishes like garlic noodles, tamarind crab, and cassava in addition to more typical fare.

in the end, after a long day, i was really craving a shrimp po-boy, so that is what i ordered, along with a mixed green salad, gumbo and curly fries with cajun spices. green salad was fresh and included slivers of crunchy jicama and delicate fried wonton skins. i doubt the dressing was made in-house, but it did not taste like your typical cheap, cisco, comes in a large vat variety. gumbo was not memorable, but the warmth was nice. the po-boy really hit the spot and took me back to one i had in galveston, texas, another seaside town. shrimp were crispy on the outside, fresh with a snap on the inside. cajun spices were fairly subtle, but the fries were great.

the resto feels casual, but serves up quality food which has some attention to detail. definitely a step up from the usual tourist trap. plus, the prices are very reasonable, especially in this part of laguna where many things often feel superficial and overpriced. i would eat here again if i were in the neighborhood craving seafood.

mi la cay

mi la cay
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (33/143)
i've only tried their signature dish, which is mi kho dau hao - dry egg noodle with oyster sauce, bbq pork, fried shrimp, chicken. you can get it with broth mixed in or on the side. mine was on the side. the dish is a little salty due to the thick oyster sauce without the broth, but i like to get it on the side to maintain the firmness of the noodle and pour it in myself or eat a little noodle and drink some broth depending on my mood.

the noodles, the star of the dish, are perfectly cooked, both soft and firm, with a bit of snap. you can get a variety of different options with your noodle. as i mentioned, the signature dish has all kinds of meat, but the best is the bbq pork, which has a nice, natural flavor with simple seasonings. the piece of chicken i got was a little on the dry side, but otherwise, tasty. it's a typical vietnamese place. service was fine.

canadian pizza

canadian pizza
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (32/143)
it was one of those nights. i had been working all day in my studio, otherwise known as my small apartment, when i realized it was 9pm, and i hadn't eaten dinner. i usually order from pizza hut (there's one a few blocks away), but thought i would try some place new and support a local business, so canadian pizza fit the bill.

we ordered two vegetarian pizzas and a side of breadsticks, and all were tasty. most pizza dough is lacking in flavor which is more concentrated in the toppings. the standout for both was really the dough, which tasted fresh and toasty. the fact that it tasted like anything was a big plus. covered in garlic, parmesan and oil, the breadsticks were so good, i could just eat that all night. i also liked the puffed up crust on the pizza, too.

their pricing is suited to getting two pizzas for close to the price of one. although, it costs more for a little variety, you can get a pretty good deal on a lot of tasty pizza. delivery was surprisingly fast.

lucky devils

lucky devils
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (31/143)
maybe my expectations were set high from reading reviews or their enticing menu descriptions, but i was not impressed by their burgers. first, they no longer had the grass-fed beef burgers, which i was hoping to try. second, many of the burger options were very similar, including some variation of their secret sauce otherwise known as thousand island and hot sauce. at least that's what it tasted like.

i ordered their basic burger with cheddar and fries. the burger had a faint smoky flavor which was good, but once i got to the meat of the burger, it was bland. though their secret sauce gave the burger a little kick, there wasn't much of the meaty flavor i love about burgers that comes from the blood, fat and other meat juices, and it was in need of some seasoning. it wasn't a bad burger. the quality and taste is better than the average burger joint, but i much prefer the burger at the counter, and it's not in the same league as the one at father's office.

their fries were ok. again, it was missing a little something to make it a 4 star place. the bf liked the veggie burger, as it tasted like it was made from scratch rather than just a gardenburger patty (although i love gardenburgers) and had a lot of texture. according to the menu, it's made from 23 different ingredients.

bacaro LA

bacaro LA
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

bacaro is the kind of place you want in your neighborhood--a casual, unpretentious wine bar with delicious small bites. i sure wish it were in mine. the beauty of italian food is its simplicity, and though the food here is more mediterranean-inspired meets gourmet pub grub, it leaves you with the same comfort food satisfaction.

except for the leeks that came with the seared scallops being overly salted, i'd recommend most of the cicheti that we tasted. they include:

bruschetta w/ roasted red peppers & white beans - you get a choice of two different bruschetta from their selection. classic, tangy vinegar marinated toppings on crispy bread. they were as good as they looked

crostinis: chevre w/ dill, ricotta w/ olive tapenade, & mascarpone w/ sun dried tomato pesto - all were great creamy, soft cheeses paired with a salty and/or sweet spread on slices of crunchy french bread.

artichokes, parmesan - fresh artichokes topped with parmesan and and browned.

estancia grass-fed beef burger - bacaro's version of a burger. a quality piece of juicy, smoky meat on a thick slice of toast with sweet carmelized onions, heaped with a creamy sauce with a slight kick. thank goodness i could eat it with a fork.

i will definitely come back to try their vast, ever-changing selection of wines, cicheti and their sunday all you can eat steak special. for the quality of food and drink you get, this place is also a great deal, especially compared to what they charge at other restaurants for similar food. even the wine is reasonable.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

catching up to the new (lunar) year

tet (lunar new year) '09
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

last week, post-inauguration, i was feeling tired and under the weather, partly due to a work-related deadline and general uncertainty over the economic climate. mike & i have been busy with projects up until now, but the future is looking rather scary. on the positive, he will be getting fridays off. hopefully, it will be temporary. i suppose if freelance work starts to dry up, i'll have more time to work on a new website.

we spent our saturday cleaning for the new (lunar) year. i must say that we made considerable progress. except for the daunting garage, which seems to have no beginning or end to the chaos and freaks me out every time i look at it, our apartment is looking pretty good. mike wasn't too thrilled about all the cleaning, but he went along with it. he's much more thorough than i am.

dinner with my family that night was really nice. we had fresh steamed dungeness crab, which i've been craving all season! sunday night, i was tired and not up to the games and gambling, so sat with my grandmother watching tv, while mike engaged with the rest of my family and their friends.

2009 is the year of the ox--my brother's year. interestingly, barack obama was born in an ox year. steady, and trustworthy, the ox achieves prosperity through hard work.

elite restaurant

elite w/ jason & kelly
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (19/143)
my friend jason is in the area teaching at caltech for a semester, and his wife was here visiting. we had to go out for dim sum, since she had never had it before. there are so many dim sum places in san gabriel, and plenty of good ones to choose from. i had heard good things about elite, so we ended up going there on a sunday morning.

except for a few misses, the dim sum here is quite tasty and fresh. there's a homegrown comfort with lots of flavor quality to the food here. some of the classic dim sum is quite good, but the more unusual items stand out. overall, this place is near the top of my dim sum list.

MISSES
egg custard - had some burnt spots, and the crust tasted day old

har gow - looked big and plump, but was a little fishy, and i never complain of fishy. i like fishy, but there was something off about it.

seafood fried rice - the rice was dry

OK
chinese broccoli w/ oyster sauce - crisp greens with a thick sauce

sticky rice in lotus leaf - mostly ground meat filling

shrimp w/ almonds - a tad bland

HITS
roasted pork - crispy skin, a thin layer of fat, and lean, just the right amount of saltiness meat

xiao long bao - succulent, only complaint is not getting enough ginger

shrimp rice noodle - one of the better i've tasted. with large pieces of
shrimp, crunchy greens. what made this great was the wrapper

fried turnip cake - buttery, with a crispy edge and slightly spicy

pork & shrimp shui mai - great chewy texture and flavor

it's not a huge banquet hall like some places, and due to popularity, there's usually a wait. the earlier you go, the better. we went around 10:30am, and waited about 15 min. i was a little annoyed at having to sit in an awkward area where there was lots of foot traffic, but we quickly forgot once the food started arriving. the service is pretty good. you order from a picture menu rather than carts. i'm guessing it's because the resto is small, and it would be difficult wheeling carts around in this place.

mulberry st. pizzeria

mulberry st. pizzeria
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (18/143)
i love thin crust pizza, but wasn't wowed by the pizza here. as far as flavor, it's ok. others recommended the white spinach as their specialty, but that turned out to be my least favorite. the sauce had gelled into a solid mass that wasn't exactly cheesy, more of a tofu texture, and lacking in any flavor.

the most interesting pizza was the combo half lasagna, half eggplant we ordered. the slices of breaded eggplant stayed crunchy and was good with the tomato sauce, while on the lasagna half, the acidity of the tomato sauce broke up the heaviness of the ricotta.

we also had a half cheese, half cheese with sausage, meatball and mushrooms, which were good. the meat added a lot of flavor to the tasty cheese pizza. they put the right amount of cheese so it wasn't too goopy, and the crust was nice and crunchy.

i wouldn't drive far for their pizza, but if i lived in the neighborhood or happened to be in the neighborhood craving pizza, i would recommend it for that. it's a very traditional pizzeria, typical of what you would find in new york. however, i wouldn't say it was among the best here or in new york. i find it interesting that it maintains it's casual dining and traditional (and authentic) new york pizza by the slice persona in spite of being in beverly hills.

bon marche

bon marche
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (17/143)
my mother's not chinese, but this strikes me as food she would make if she were. it's good chinese comfort food prepared simply with fresh ingredients. their toasted duck is tender and juicy from braising with hints of five spice. the salty shrimp in claypot actually wasn't very salty and could have had more flavor, but we thought it was prepared well.

the sauteed ong choy with garlic is a must to balance out the meal with some healthy greens. our favorite and most flavorful dish was the baked scallop and egg, which was like an omelet but not so fluffy with chunks of scallops, delicately covered with an emusilfied, sweet and salty soy based sauce and green onions.

the dinner menu is a single side of a two-sided sheet, but there are sheets of colored paper hanging on the walls with additional offerings, many of which is in chinese. there's also a note on the menu that you can request anything and they'll cook it if they can. the service was friendly and fast, even when the restaurant is full.

favorite eats from 2008

favorite eats from 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i think it's obscene how well i ate last year, but then i look at the photos and get hungry. we try to keep our food outings to two times a week, making those memorable experiences. sometimes i cheat, and we go over our quota. the rest of the time, i cook, trying new recipes when i can. it's not easy with a busy schedule, and some nights i need to just make something quick to stave off the hunger. the best meals are shared with friends or a loved one.

mr. pizza factory

mr. pizza factory
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (16/143)
koreans know how to make decadent pizza. i wonder what it says about the the rest of the year that i begin it by eating a generous helping of starch, cheese, and cream in addition to typical and not so typical pizza toppings. reading the menu, you'd think you would be eating some strange bastardization of east west comfort food, but the flavors aren't as strange as you think. it's imaginative, yes, and it works. don't expect run of the mill or traditional pizza though. if you want that, go elsewhere. and be forewarned that you will leave on the verge of a food coma.

i came here with a group, and here is what we sampled:

potato gold - yes, potatoes are good on pizza! salty bacon (freshly fried, not the dried overcooked kind either) and ground beef are balanced by sweet nuggets of corn, onions and drizzled with sour cream, and even with all those toppings, you can still taste the sweet & tangy tomato sauce buried underneath. finish that off with a crunchy chewy crust filled with soft, pureed, slightly sweet, sweet potato reminiscent of starchy asian desserts. the overall favorite of the group.

shrimp nude - this shrimp may be nude, but it comes with plenty of accessories, including ground beef, cream cheese mousse, salsa, corn, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, blue cheese, bacon. phew. that was a mouth full.

bulgogi - of all the pizzas we tried, this seemed most akin to traditional pizza as the bulgogi was like a sweet sausage, and it was minimalist compared to the others.

gesal montand - most rich, this alfredo sauce covered pizza was thick with cheese, bell peppers, corn, crab meat and featured the sweet potato pureed crust

fresh, high quality ingredients and prompt service make for a great meal. with newish and festive interiors, it's a fun place to gather with friends, have some beers and watch the pizza guys launch those pizzas into the air.

orris

the view from my mouth as it starts from one end of the plate
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (15/143)
a fusion of japanese & french cuisine made from fresh, high quality ingredients, the food at Orris may not be all that inventive but it's tasty and made with care. everything we had was good, although some things could have been more inspired. It's a typical bistro-sized restaurant that's very popular and doesn't take reservations, so if you come with a large group, i suggest arriving early.

here is what we enjoyed:
oysters on the half shell w/ salsa - the tomato chunks & cilantro was a nice addition that made eating these fresh, light oysters ceviche like

tuna tartare on chips - standard tuna tartare with little bits of apple which were non-descript; very garlicky, the tuna was the dominant flavor

salmon croquettes - these well-prepared little croquettes were crunchy on the outside and had a strong smoked salmon flavor inside, accented with salty roe on top

grilled veggies w/ goat milk cheese - again, simple, but done well, veggies included meaty mushrooms, sweet bell peppers and smokey zucchini

scallops with mushroom and mustard sauce - perfectly seared and tasty scallops with a dollop of minced mushroom in a tangy, horseradish-y mustard sauce

ravioli with shrimp mousse & mushroom sauce - delicate ravioli stuffed with pureed shrimp in a rich, buttery, sweet mushroom sauce, which was almost too much for the ravioli, but we enjoyed dipping bread into it

creme brulee with fruit - this was our least favorite item; the custard was a bit runny, and there was too much of a caramelized sugar top. there was also fruit in the custard, and the ratio of custard to fruit was off--too much fruit. the star of this should really be the custard, and it wasn't.

prices are typical and reasonable for small plates dining, but the portions are on the smaller end compared to other places we've been. i was just full, but my bf could have eaten more with what we ordered and shared between the two of us. the waitstaff was responsive and friendly.

l'express

shaub xmas montreal 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (13/143)
This may not be the best place to eat in montreal, but the preparations are consistent, made from fresh ingredients and flavorful. We wanted to eat characteristically canadian french on our visit and were looking for a delicious lunch. A casual, but elegant restaurant, this place fit the bill. With your meal, you get complimentary cornichons, tart and crunchy, along with warm, well-made french bread.

Here is what we ate:

Soupe Poisson (fish soup) - thick & flavorful, with a creamy tomato base that complements the seafood flavors, it comes with a side of cheese crusted toast

Brandade - a salty fish & potato puree dip that is great with bread

Country Soup - a hearty vegetable soup with clear broth with lots of flavor, warmth and is good for you too

Croque Monsieur - i didn't try this, but it comes with a salad, and was tasty according to my bf's sister who had it.

Lobster Risotto - rich, creamy, delicious with chunks of lobster

Duck Confit w/ salad - moist, seasoned duck meat is balanced by a nicoise type salad of lettuces & green beans and sprinkled with bits of bacon

Crème Caramel à L'orange - a flan-like custard in a sweet, light caramel with hints of citrus

Chocolate Tart - rich, dark chocolate; like eating a tart made of truffles

The waitstaff was friendly and not annoyed we spoke english. Then standard menu offers translations in six different languages, and our waitress helped with the specials, which are on an insert.

los compadres

los compadres
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (14/143)
last week, i realized how lucky i am to live close to good mexican food when i finally made it to los compadres for dinner. within biking distance, they have a parking lot, good, fresh food in a full restaurant and a variety of tasty margaritas. being from texas, i can be picky when it comes to mexican food, so i'm usually a bit skeptical about authenticity. i am by no means an expert, but this place feels like the real deal, offering a variety of interior mexican specialties along with familiar favorites.

enchiladas michoacanas - cheese enchiladas made with corn tortillas in a light red sauce, topped with cabbage & avocada, choice of meat and spiced potatoes & carrots. the enchiladas were very good, partly owing to the cheese and flavors of red sauce. the white meat chicken was in need of some salt, but the skin was more flavorful.

molcajete de camarones - a hot pot full of shrimp, cactus, pieces of chorizo, chilis, string cheese marinating in a thick salsa. comes with a side of beans & rice and homemade tortillas. you can taste the smokey without heat chili in the chorizo, and the shrimps are on the spicy side from the salsa. tortillas are tender and fresh, not like the dry ones you get from the grocery store.

the margaritas are on the sweet side, but made with quality tequila. i had the patron margarita, which was made with patron silver, patron citron, orange juice and sweet and sour. so good on the rocks with salt and you get a beer mug's worth! service is friendly and fast.

bollini's pizzeria

bollini's
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (11/143)
so the best pizza i've had to date is still one made by dom at di fara pizzeria in brooklyn, but this pizza is pretty damn good, almost 5 stars good, maybe even better than fancy mozze good, but i'll have to return to try the others.

it's a small, warm shop with a wood-fired oven where they make thin crust neapolitan pizza, my favorite kind of pizza. they were out of a few items, including the stuffed mushrooms which sound fabulous, and the arugula salad we wanted. they instead prepared a mixed green salad the same way as the arugula, with corn, cherry tomatoes, smoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms & goat cheese. it was a substantial and delicious salad.

for the pizza, we tried one of their signature pizzas, the cal twist. made with tomato sauce, basil pesto, shrimp, sun dried tomato, roasted peppers, mozzarella, herbs and parmesan, it was a flavorful combination of fresh ingredients. i liked how the ingredients were concentrated in areas rather than evenly distributed across the pizza so that as you ate from the point you get pesto, sweet peppers, then sweet tomato sauce and finally a firm piece of shrimp.

we are definitely coming back. the service was excellent. waitress was really nice, and one of the guys making pizzas kept coming by to check on us. seating is limited, but so worth the wait.

ao dinner @ moun of tunis

ao dinner @ moun of tunis
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (10/143)
moun of tunis is a great place to go for food with friends. they have several combinations of shared dinners centered around typical moroccan/tunisian or lebanese dishes. i went with several assistant organizers and abby of pleasure palate, and we were able to get our own room in the back with small tables. the casual and relaxed atmosphere is conducive to conversation and general revelry, especially when the belly dancer comes out, usually introduced with the sudden change of music.

we started by snacking on the complimentary hummus, olives and pita bread and decided on the moroccan feast, a set menu which includes brik-- a fried crepe-like dish filled with an egg, potatoes, capers and parsley, four salads with choice of grilled shrimp or lamb, b'stilla--a puff pastry sprinkled with cinnamon & powdered sugar, and filled with egg and chicken, an entree choice of salmon, lamb or lemon chicken, hot black tea and almond cake dessert.

the brik reminded me of a breakfast burrito, except fried crispy on the outside. the capers in mine tended to one side, so i didn't get the benefit of flavor until the end. there were four salads which consisted of a salsa-like mixture of tomatoes and cucumbers, a bbq'd version of the salsa which was more intense in flavor, thick cut, sweet carrots, and finely minced fragrant carrots & orange blossoms.

it was really, dark, so the b'stilla was more of a textural experience between the flaky exterior, chewy egg & meat. it's usually made with pigeon or squab, but theirs is made with chicken. our group was divided into four smaller table, and each table selected a different meat entree that is shared among the table. the entire meal was shared by table actually.

our table had the salmon, which was braised in a tomato broth with vegetables. the broth was nice, but the salmon was a little dried in parts and for some reason hadn't absorbed much of the flavor of the broth. the chicken & lamb had a bit more flavor, but i thought they were both surprisingly mild. both lamb and chicken were tender and juicy.

i found the couscous with braised vegetables and meatballs that came with the entrees to be more flavorful than the entrees. the almond cake was a densely soaked in liquor and sweet dessert. the hot tea helped to wash it all down.

overall, the food was tasty, although some things were a little bland. our service was excellent. we had a group of about 15 people. our waters were regularly filled, and i didn't notice any long wait times for food. the waiter was friendly and helpful in recommendations.

jazz cat cafe

jazz cat cafe
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (8/143)
i'm a soup fiend, and now that the weather finally appears to be cooling, it's a great excuse for a nice hot bowl of soup, especially one filled with lots of good stuff--vermicelli glass noodles, meat, shrimp, an assortment of fish balls, tofu, bok choy, egg, squash, radish. this is what you'll find at jazz cat cafe when you order your choice of broth that ranges from sea-flavored premium kelp broth to spicy thai to creamy corn.

it's great that they offer a variety of broth choices. the kelp broth i had was more straightforward than i thought it would be, featuring the natural flavors of the ingredients with little added seasoning, but i found it healthy and tasty, and especially liked one of the seafood balls that was stuffed with crab roe.

overall, the hotpot was not as good as it could be since they don't allow you to cook it at your table , which means losing out on the whole experience of cooking your own hotpot. the food suffered for it, too! they serve a hard-boiled egg instead of a raw one with the soup, which was very odd and annoying as i like how the flavor of the yolk mixes with broth, and meats get overcooked sitting in the steaming broth. i tend to like my beef just this side of cooked with a tinge of pink, so i was not happy at getting overcooked meat. the shrimp was almost to the mushy state.

i sampled a couple of their appetizers--the fried tofu and sausage--that were pretty good. the tofu has a light crispy outside and soft inside. the sweet and savory sausage was tender and moist, unlike some dried ones i've had. although a tad sweet for my palate, the hokkaido premium milk tea is worth trying. more milk than tea, it reminded me of breast milk. i know that sounds weird, but it was strangely comforting!

our waitress was very helpful in answering our questions about the various broths. she explained that the reason they started precooking the hotpots was due to all the heat generated (and i guess lack of ventilation), but will be moving into a bigger space which will allow them to return to diners cooking their own hotpots. i don't think i'd want to come back otherwise.

kogi korean taco truck

kogi korean taco truck
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (7/143)
there's a new taco truck in town, & it's serving up korean bbq. using quality ingredients, something not always equated with cheap taco trucks, chef roy choi creates a balance of sweet, savory, spicy & tart that excites the taste buds.

tacos and burritos come in four protein varieties--beef shortrib, spicy pork, chicken and tofu--, and each with its own spicy sauce is topped with a lettuce and onion mixture and sprinkled with sesame seeds. tacos run $2, and burritos are $5.

the caramelized sugars of the beef shortrib, the sweetest of the bunch, has fused with the meat, giving it a rich flavor. this was my favorite. in contrast, the dominant flavor of the pork, which is also slightly sweet and equally rich, is smoky chili. a small wedge of lime or orange that comes with the meat tacos adds some acidic citrus to help break through some of the fat and heaviness. for a lighter alternative, i recommend the chicken, which has a fresh grill flavor accented by the nuttiness of the sesame with just the subtlest of spiciness. for vegetarians, there's the tofu, a light, softly textured taco. compared to the others, this one could have benefited from more marination or a more flavorful sauce. they're still working some things out, so hopefully, this will improve.

chef choi unveiled a new menu item--kogi sliders--bbq shortribs with mayo on a king's hawaiian dinner roll. i liked the idea, although the additional sweetness of the roll, which, if you've never had king's hawaiian bread, is quite good, but very sweet was a little cloying. i'd be interested in seeing other proteins on the sweet roll.

i hope this truck is here to stay. Los Angeles is known to be blessed with ethic diversity, and with it, plenty of good, authentic eats as well as fusion fare that you would be hard-pressed to find in other parts of the country. this truck combines two favorites, and after tasting them, you wonder why no one ever thought of it before as it makes so much sense.

their current favorite spot is next to Green Door and Cabana Club, but regular twitters on their site--www.kogibbq.com will keep you apprised of their whereabouts.

sea harbour dinner

sea harbour dinner
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

because i found the dim sum at sea harbour in rosemead to be one of the better ones in the san gabriel valley, i was looking forward to a big dinner there and wanting to find out if it would be on par. with a large group, i sampled what we thought would be characteristic cantonese style dishes.

sea harbour hand-ripped boneless chicken recommended by the waiter, this consisted of pieces of shredded chicken meat and skin that tasted like it had been cooked in a light soy sauce and was accompanied by a white pepper, salt & oil dipping sauce. the chicken was tender and had plenty of flavor so actually didn't need the dipping sauce, although the white pepper went nicely with the meat.

fresh prawns sauteed green scallions the name says it all, and though the shrimps were plump, fresh and tasty, this dish was one of the more boring of the ones we tried.

braised egg tofu w/ dried scallops in abalone sauce a delicate soft tofu made with egg and fried such that the outside was crispy while the yellow inside remained soft, sauteed in a flavorful light brown sauce with bits of scallops, this was my favorite dish of the evening. you could taste the care that went into the preparation of this dish, and the lovely sauce is good ladled over white rice.

braised rock cod, mushrooms, pork slices, & bean curd from the live seafood menu, this fresh fish was cooked in a gigantic clay pot with an interesting assortment of delicious ingredients that were great at absorbing the flavors in the broth used to braise the fish. however, the balance of fish and accompanying sides was off. though tender, the fish meat was scarce, and i felt like we were picking through the bones, which were difficult to see since they were smothered in stuff. i like whole fish, but i couldn't taste much of it here.

stewed eggplant w/ spicy fish sauce eggplant is like a sponge, and here, it sucks up the subtle smokiness from the chilis of the spicy fish sauce. the bits of pork were a nice accent that added to the flavor.

braised bamboo pith w/ greens the light broth and fresh greens were a nice contrast to some of the more earthy flavors of the other dishes. i love the crunchy texture of bamboo pith.

stewed pork belly w/ greens not worth the life of the pig, this dish was too sweet. the lack of typical flavorful fat and slight dryness of the meat was disappointing.

assorted seafood fried crispy noodles a typical dish, the sauteed seafood and veggies over pan fried noodles was on the bland side. it wasn't bad, just not very flavorful.

with the exception of a few uninspired or off dishes, the food was tasty, though flavors overall tended on the subtle. i don't think the dinner equals the dim sum. with the fancy damask table cloths and place settings and higher than usual prices, they seem to be aiming for elegant dining, but i didn't think the quality of the food was quite there for the price. another disappointing thing about the price was in regards to the amount of food. it looked like plenty, and we ordered one entree for each person, but that barely seemed like enough. most chinese places, you order that much, and there are plenty of leftovers. it seemed like each dish had about 20% less food than what is typical of these places. not sure if i'd come back for dinner.(3.5 out of 5 stars)

tasca

tasca
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (6/143)
after our mediocre meal at cafe sevilla a few weeks ago, i was still craving spanish tapas, so we ate here. we arrived early on a saturday night without reservations, and were promptly seated, which made me a little nervous about the quality of the food because any good restaurant in LA would not be empty on a saturday night, but it turns out maybe we were just a little early, as people didn't start filling up the restaurant until 7pm.

have you ever ordered a good burger seared so it gets that smoky flavor on the outside but is still juicy on the inside, then the juice flavors the lettuce. well, the ceasar salad--a special--we ordered reminded me of that. it consisted of a heart of lettuce that had been grilled and thus infused with a nice, smoky aroma and drizzled with a tart, lobster flavored dressing and plated with a single grilled shrimp. the only complaint i had was the shrimp was a little overcooked and mushy.

in addition to the salad, we also ordered two similar, but different tapas--bunuelo de bacalao, which were salted cod fritters in salbetxada sauce and arancini, which were wild mustroom risotto fritters. both had a light crispy shell like a japanese croquette. the tender cod had a light texture that reminded me of canned tuna and a subtle flavor. the accompanying tomato relish, however, was very garlicky and slightly tart from a vinaigrette. in contrast, the arancini had a creamy, earthy flavor that was further enhanced by the creamy sauce that came with it. both were tasty.

they offer both tapas and entrees, although the entrees aren't full entree size, and the tapas are a little bigger than typical tapas. we shared the pasta special, which was a tagliolini pasta with chanterelle & shitake mushrooms with shaved black truffle. if you like mushrooms, this is earthy, nutty dish is for you. the mushroom sauce is creamy and rich as well.

we ended our meal with a pot de creme, a sizeble cup of chocolate mousse with cardamom infused whipped cream and copious amounts of shaved chocolate topping. the mousse was a little more sweet than rich like i like it, but it was still good. i loved that they give you lots of bits of chocolate, and the cardamom in the whipped cream enhanced the dessert.

we tried two different wines that were specials that night--a french bordeaux (chateau sorbey) rich in tannins & an earthy chilean syrah (bayo oscuro--and a sweet, oaky meritage from mendocino. the first two were ok. i liked the last the best, as i thought it had a richness that had a strong finish.

our waiter was very attentive, although service slowed towards the end of our meal as more people filled the restaurant. a good meal overall. i would come back to try other things on the menu.

xinjian bbq

xinjian bbq
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (5/143)
if you like skewered meat and are looking for something off the beaten path, xinjian bbq is worth a visit. the food here represents a certain variety of street food found in the northwest part of china. dusted with cumin & and chili spices, skewered and grilled, these snacks will satisfy. i went with a group, and we shared a number of appetizers and bbq'd meats. though all i had were tasty, some tended on the dry, overcooked side. here is what we had:

gouba soup: tortilla like pancake pieces in a five spice flavored thick gravy. some people liked it better than others.

oil pancake: like a buttermilk biscuit--good as a side to the meats rather than an appetizer

beef pancake: same pancake except filled with marinated beef with cilantro & green onions. the marinade was flavorful.

cucumber salad: i couldn't taste much beyond the copious amounts of garlic

vegetables: blanched vegetables flavored with sesame oil--pretty good and a nice balance to the heavy meats

pork & chives dumplings: these were juicy and flavorful, but they are on the big side, and the skin is rather thick

lamb chop: you can either get the lamb or lamb chop. others in my group got the lamb and really liked it. i got the lamb chop, which was a little tough, but the combination of cumin & chili went well with the meat.

chinese sausage: sweet, salty & spicy, this was good skewered as the fat kept the meat from drying out.

chicken wing & pieces of chicken: the skin and fattiness of the dark meat on the wing make for some good flavors. i recommend it over the chicken by itself

quail eggs: i like quail eggs. these needed a little soy sauce

corn: can't beat sweet grilled corn

yellow croaker: tender white meat inside, crispy skin on the outside

beef: these look like short rib slices and were on the tough and dry end. i wouldn't get them again.

mussels: i didn't taste these, but were told they were dry and overcooked.

it's a small place, and little english is spoken, but the prices can't be beat. also, the rub is spiced but not super spicy. each table has a variety of spices including white pepper, cumin, chili paste and red pepper flakes which you can add if you want more.

8 oz

8 oz
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i can't remember having a burger that i could actually taste the meat without really focusing all my attention and searching out the sanguine juices with my tongue. amazingly, i didn't have to with 8 oz's estancia grass-fed beef burger. some people think there is a difference in taste between grass-fed and corn-fed and that the latter is better. i agree that there is a difference, but grass-fed is better, not only for the environment and your health, also for your palate and the respect of the animal. how sad and disrespectful is it to kill something only to make mediocre food?

if you've never had grass-fed beef, you may forget that all the other stuff on the burger is only an accent. sure, the heirloom tomato ketchup is tasty, but the meat flavor in this burger is more prominent than anything else, and that was good. it reminded me of an excellent pho broth that has been cooking for 8 hours and absorbed all the great flavors from the marrow and the bones. i felt like i had been asleep for years and woken up realizing how much i'd missed out. my only complaint was that the bottom bun soaked up a lot of juices and became mushy. they need a more substantial bun or do something about excess juices.

i wish i could say their onion rings were as good, but i thought they were ok. i like my onion rings with a little texture, and the ones here were thick and kind of oily. the chorizo stuffed fried olives are as good as they sound and definitely worth trying though. not the healthiest thing to eat, but at least they're small.

they have a lightly pan-fried filet of fish that's moist and tasty as well if you're looking for something leaner. i haven't tried any of the other entrees, but would come back to.

what burger meal is not complete without a chocolate malt--thick and yummy with just a hint of nuttiness. it's a casual gourmet burger place where ingredients are high quality, many locally produced. prices are on par with other gourmet burger places.

shinsengumi yakitori

shinsengumi yakitori
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (4/143)
steph & i checked this festive yakitori joint out on monday. from the start, workers welcome you by shouting in japanese and bowing. we sat at the bar where we could watch the griller cook up a variety of the skewered items we ordered. all were tasty and made from quality ingredients served by friendly and attentive waitpeople. we ate:

chicken livers: i love pate, but have never been a fan of liver. theirs didn't completely sell me, but it was the best that i've had, and if i were to eat liver, i would recommend theirs. marinated in a slightly sweet, salty marinade, they were fresh, dark pink and plump.

quail eggs: i love quail eggs, and grilling them adds a smoky flavor

chicken thighs w/ salt & chicken thighs w/ special sauce: both were good, but i would recommend the special sauce, which is slightly sweet, over the salt.

bacon-wrapped enoki: the flavor of the bacon soaked into chewy bundles of enoki mushrooms wrapped inside which makes for a great combination of earthy, sweet and smoky flavors.

fried chicken: this one is quite tasty. lightly crunchy with a batter similar to that typically found on the fried soft shell crab, it was not at all oily or heavy.

scallop special: you get two whole large scallops, uncut, and seared. a little pricey, but i thought it was worth it for the flavor.

green chilis: these remind me of shiso peppers, though not as bitter. good if you like chilis.

smelt: these 3-4 inch whole fish come two on a skewer and are filled with tiny, cream colored eggs. they taste like the sea. i think they're less fishy when deep-fried.

shitake mushrooms: tasty.

they offer quite a variety of desserts, including creme brulee and ice cream. we had the green tea ice cream, which was a little on the icey side, but had a good, strong earthy flavor.

the service was really top notch and fun. we didn't drink this time, but seems like a great place to wind down with some beer or sake and some good food.

king's hawaiian restaurant

king's hawaiian restaurant
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on 101 in 1001: 3/143
saturday, i went with fellow knitters to the torrance spinning & weaving fiber festival. unfortunately for the lack of space in our little apartment, i undid the stash busting from the yarn swap a month ago, but discovered a great lunch at king's hawaiian.

the restaurant with adjoining bakery is diner-esque with a splash of hawaiian flavor and familiar comfort food. i went here with a large group for lunch, and it seems very popular among families. they offer typical breakfasts with a twist. you can get a side of spam, portuguese sausage or char siu with your omelet. if you get a burger, you have the option of one with pineapple and teriyaki sauce.

we shared an order of the macadamia nut encrusted onion rings which were awesome. i liked the textured, crunchy, nutty batter covering thick slices of onions. yum! i had the fried rice with egg over easy. the fried rice, although a little more moist than i like it, tasted homemade, with bits of char siu, imitation fish, green onions and egg. the fried egg on top is good, although mine was a little more cooked (not as runny yolk) than i liked. the bowl of fruit i had was freshly chopped and a good balance for an otherwise heavy meal. oh, and their rolls are sweet and buttery good.

everyone's food looked great, and no one had any complaints. i highly recommend it for kids, especially if they may be picky eaters. there's something for everyone.

Animal

Animal
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on 101 in 1001: 2/143
if you didn't get a clue from the name, Animal caters to meat-eating foodies. even though the meats were surprisingly lean, you could easily fill up on meat-heavy appetizers alone. i went with a group, and most of us shared, so i was able to sample a broad range of appetizers and entrees on their single sheet menu.

appetizers
i found the appetizers to be more interesting than the entrees, though no less heavy on the protein.
house smoked pork belly, lentil & butterbean salad- one of the better choices of the evening, the pork belly was a shockingly lean piece of meat with a section of fat. marinated in a thick bbq sauce, it was sweet on first bite and ended with an almost too salty finish. thankfully, the tangy vinaigrette from the beans cut through some of the intensity of the sauce.

pork ribs, balsamic, delicata squash & rocket salad, pecans- smothered in a dark balsamic sauce, the meat was tender and easily came off the bones. thank goodness for the spicy rocket salad with sweet slices of squash to balance all the pork. the sauce was somewhat generic.

poutine, ox-tail gravy, vermont cheddar- theirs is a gourmet version of a canadian specialty that consists of french fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. the gravy on this had pieces of ox-tail in it. without much to compare it to, all i can say is that french fries do taste good with gravy on them. the cheese was a little scarce on this one.

entrees
flat iron, sunchoke, lobster & chanterelle mushrooms, hotel butter- this is a quality, thick piece of meat. another diner in the group thought their medium rare was a little too rare, but i found it to be just right. the steak was tender, simply prepared and mostly focused on the natural meat flavor. personally, i would have preferred more mushrooms, less meat.

halibut, king crab, tabasco butter, gold rice succotash, cipollini- one of two fish dishes on the menu, this one consisted of a piece of halibut that has been pan seared and covered with a good amount of king crab, plated with a mixture of beans and sweet corn and a butter sauce. i love crab, and it was good with the butter, so nothing to complain here.

although the preparations are straightforward, and the flavors are a little uninspired, overall, i thought the food was tasty. the ingredients, fresh, high quality, mostly organic and locally produced/grown, were good. our waiter was attentive and friendly, answering the various questions from our large group. though it's definitely not a place for vegetarians, but they do have fish and vegetarian salads, so if you wanted to eat a little lighter, it is possible.

musha w/ steph

musha w/ steph
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

steph and i had plans to check out a yakitori place in gardena--torimatsu--that i had heard was really good. my excitement was dashed upon arrival as we learned that they are closed on sundays. doh! i suppose i could have checked their schedule, but no where on yelp is it listed, which would have meant calling them. so we tried to go to shin sen gumi, another yakitori place nearby. i think i got the wrong address and ended up at a little tiny place that didn't look right and had just closed.

musha happened to be in the same strip mall parking lot, and steph hadn't been there so we went there instead. everything we had was excellent, and i thought our meal was quintessential izakaya. good small plates of food with beer and friendship.

snow crab w/ daikon salad: fresh pieces of snow crab with slices of slightly bitter daikon over mixed greens. healthy and good.

beef tongue shichirin grill: chewy, salt and pepper crusted thinly sliced beef tongue. comes with a buttery, tangy dipping sauce.

buta kimchee: thin sliced pork stirfried with kimchee - smokey, spicy, salty

ebi yuba shinjo: shrimp dumpling wrapped with tofu skin. then deep fried & served w/ tentsuyu dipping sauce -- crunchy on the outside, tender inside

takotama: two layers omelette w/ chopped octopus, tokyo leek, red ginger & tuna broth -- very interesting combination. the octopus was sparingly used and mostly textural. there were a bunch of noodles sandwiched in between the two layers and cooked in a thickish sweet worcestershire-like sauce.

one of the waiters spilled some of the dipping sauce that came with the shrimp on steph, which sucked, but they gave us free ice cream in the end, which was nice.

petrillo's pizza

petrillo's pizza
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

Petrillo's, a mom & pop pizzeria that also serves italian favorites, makes good old fashioned pizza. Their tomato sauce is sweet and salty, and they load their medium thick pizzas full of hearty ingredients. Though I prefer thin crust pizza, i thought this pizza was tasty, and like the proportion of the ingredients to the crust.

I went with a group, and we tried several of their pizzas, including the petrillo specialty, which is a supreme pizza with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, italian sausage, pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, onions and green bell peppers. They don't skimp on the toppings, especially the meat, on this one, which was the group favorite. The sausage was quite tasty with bits of fennel seeds that added a lot of flavor.

We also had a half pepperoni & black olives, half canadian bacon and pineapple, which they loaded up with toppings. Both were hearty and good combinations of flavors. The bianca, which has no tomato sauce, but is topped with mozzarella and romano cheese, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil, was the least favorite of the pizzas. It wasn't bad, but it was a little bland. The fresh basil was a nice touch, but with no tomato sauce or meat, it was on the cheese-y side. I think if they added pesto, it would be perfect.

In addition to the pizzas, we tried the antipasta salad, which consisted of italian cold meats, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, roasted peppers, black olives and pepperoncini over lettuce. The salad was a good balance, and quite large--enough to feed at least four people. We were tempted by another table's order of spaghetti and meatballs, which comes with several huge meatballs. The pasta was ok. I thought the sauce was good, and overall, the dish was typical of a mom and pop place.

I haven't tried any of the other dishes although the owner recommended the lasagna, but I felt that of the things we had, the pizza really was the star.

musha

musha
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

izakaya is japanese comfort food for me, and though the food here is not traditional but has western influences with regards to certain ingredients and preparations, the subtle and refined flavors and heavy use of cream and cheese will not only send you into a food coma, but leave you feeling quite satisfied. here is what we had:

baguette gratin: imagine a crispy, french baguette stuffed with bay scallop, onion & creamy white sauce and covered in melted cheese oven-baked. can't complain about the richness, but they could have had more scallops in the filling.

aski: an assortment of shitake & oyster mushrooms are sauteed with asparagus and garlic in a butter soy sauce. ok, they had me at butter soy sauce, but i love mushrooms, so that was a bonus. i could probably make this at home, but it beats doing dishes.

eringi mushroom: since they don't really have yakitori, the shichirin grill is a fun way to eat grilled food. the bf doesn't eat meat, so we ordered these exotic mushrooms, which were chewy and had a subtle, earthy flavor. don't forget to smear them with the butter before grilling. i'll have to come back to try the beef tongue. served with ponzu sauce.

negitoro menchi katsu: a disc of minced tuna with chopped tokyo leek, garlic, ginger, pepper & heavy cream is breaded and deep fried. ours looked to be slightly overfried, so extra crunchy on the outside. the flavorings were a little on the bland side, and i prefer my tuna a little raw so not one of my favorites of the night, but if you like katsu or anything fried, it doesn't seem to disappoint other diners. served with grated daikon mayo sauce.

maple syrup creme brulee: de-licious! creamy and just the right consistency, richness and sweetness with hints of maple. interestingly, it is accompanied by cornflakes and one of those cylindrical cookies with chocolate inside that i used to pretend was a cigarette when i was a kid.

the food was tasty and had some interesting combinations of eastern and western ingredients, but the thing that really impressed me was the service. considering how small the place is, and how packed it was, and how few servers/cooks there were, we never waited very long for anything. we didn't have reservations, and though they told us it would be 30 min, it only took 15. the food all came out in a timely manner. they seem very efficient and friendly in their work ethic. we sat at the bar, and i was amazed watching the one cook (there were two that i could see) preparing most of the food. i'll be back to try some of the other creative sounding dishes they have.

eating close

rasraj, little india
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i haven't made as many plans in LA as to avoid driving, what with the high gas prices. besides, there's plenty of good food in the neighborhood. this past weekend found me in artesia and nearby hawaiian gardens.

friday, i was craving dumplings and so we went to canaan for the crab meat xiao long bao, which, incidentally, is stuffed with crab meat & pork. the bf is a pescatarian, so couldn't help with eating them, which meant that i gorged on dumplings. you think this was a good thing, but i paid for it with being painfully overfull with a bit of heartburn an hour later. the dumplings here are ok. some have soup, but appear haphazardly thrown in, so often found stuck together with soup gone. still, they were moist and satisfied my craving. the dish of slivered ginger that comes with it is a nice complement.

although seemingly authentic and tasty, the dishes we ordered were mild in flavor. they included the rice cakes with salted vegetable (leek), which are discs of rice flour steamed and then sauteed in oil with strips of pork and bits of green vegetables that tasted more like mustard greens than leeks, and ginger scallion fish fillet with snow peas. the fish was sauteed and covered in a thickened broth-like sauce with strong flavors of ginger and white pepper. i think they could have thrown in more snow peas.

while waiting for our food, i noticed them bringing this dish of large shrimps scrambled with egg that looked amazing to the next table. i'll have to come back and try other things, including the 3 for $23 dinner special. i'm sure it won't be long before i'm craving dumplings.

saturday, i went to sport chalet to pick up some tennis gear. it's been 18 years since i played, which was in high school, but i am desperately needing some kind of exercise regimen. yoga & pilates can be expensive when you consider the per class cost. i signed up for a tennis class at LBCC for $10. this should insure that i at least start. it wasn't until i was picking out a racket that i remembered that the better quality rackets don't come strung. i had some time to kill while they strung my racket, so tried a nearby viet resto--vietnam flavor. i had driven by this place that looks like a diner built in the 80s many times, and didn't realize their pho is actually pretty good.

although i am a person who likes the stability and familiarity of routines, i can't help but be swayed by my impulses and cravings. maybe it is because of the latter, that i appreciate the former. well, sunday, it was all about indian food. even if you've eaten indian food before and have your favorites, eating at rasraj, a restaurant in little india, is an adventure. a casual "deli"-style place with photos along the walls and a list of somewhat unfamiliar names behind the counter where you order await a willing palate.

the thali, which looks like an indian bento and consists of two vegetable options, a dal, chutney, spicy cornbread, basmati rice, dessert, and choice of starch that includes naan, tortilla, puri, is a great choice for sampling a few items in smaller quantities. the ones i ordered mine with were a spinach paneer & a benghan (eggplant) dish. the spinach was salty with strong flavors of turmeric and fennel and cubes of cheese. the eggplant, which appeared to be stewed in a tomato sauce with some peas, was sweet, salty and slightly spicy. the puri, a round, puffy bread-like but more light and airy, starch thing we selected was great for dipping into and scooping up the thick vegetables. highly spiced with green chilies, their cornbread was very intense with corn flavor and dotted with poppy seeds. in the tray, was a bright orange-red, dessert ball that tasted like a moist coconut cake.

along with the thali plate, we also tried the dahipuri, which are discs a little over an inch in diameter, that are puffed, fried little dough balls whose tops had been cracked open and filled with a combination of chilled, sweet yogurt, a spicy green chutney as well as red chutney, small potato chunks, beans and onions. it was an intense explosion of sweet, sour, salty and spicy in your mouth.

i really enjoyed the masala dosa, which is a huge crepe, filled with turmeric & poppy seed spiced potatoes and accompanied by two dips. one was a coconut puree, and the other was a red chili, whose flavor was initially chili pepper before the spiciness starting making its way to the surface of your tongue. i found the spiciness of the food experience to be one of a delayed response. first, you experience the combination of flavors, then zings on spots all over your tongue, which didn't stay in one place. it wasn't painfully spicy, but a nice enhancement that made you super-conscious of the many flavors in your mouth.

at the end of the meal, i cooled down with a mango kulfi, a sweet, creamy, milky mango-flavored ice cream popsicle. they also have this cola, called thums up, that is like an indian version of coke that really tastes like there are some dark spices in there if you can't get enough from the food.

i wish i had taken some notes when the nice guy at the counter went through the list of veggies i had to choose from for the thali and translated what they were. prices are great for the amount of food you get. we'll definitely return to try other dishes. excellent place for vegetarians and vegans.

uncle alan visits, dinner at la creperie

uncle alan visits
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

mike's uncle alan was driving through, and stopped in long beach for a brief visit. we decided to go to dinner at la creperie.

a casual, french-inspired resto in the trendy belmont shore strip of 2nd street, la creperie cafe offers vegetarian-friendly food made from good quality ingredients--mixed greens versus iceberg lettuce. not all crepes are created equal, but most are pretty tasty. because of its popularity, there may be a wait, depending on when you go. i've never had to wait too long (over 30 min) though.

they could be a little more understated with the french bistro decor, but it's nice that they have live jazz. conversation can be challenging, if you're seated close to the band. dishes i've had include:

garlic fries: you can't go wrong with a combination like this. along with the shoestring fries, they give you three different dips--ketchup, aioli, & some creamy orange concoction that tasted faintly of horseradish.

garden salad: mixed greens with cucumbers, a big slice of tomato, onions, green bell peppers, balsamic vinaigrette. the dressing balanced the right amount of sweetness with a touch of salt & vinegar.

ratatouille: eggplant, squash, tomato, pesto - eggplant takes a while to cook, and though our food arrived in a timely fashion, the eggplant was undercooked. flavorwise, it was ok. definitely, not the better of the options.

zorba: Spinach, tomatoes, caramelized onions, Kalamata olives, feta cheese in a vegetable broth - the salty broth has a tasty, tomato-y cheese flavor to it, almost like a classic pizza.

al mare: Jumbo shrimp, sun-dried and plum tomatoes, Shitake and button mushrooms, shallots in a lobster basil cream sauce - this is my favorite thing to get. everything works well together. the creamy sauce alone is quite delicious but with bursts of sweetness from the sun-dried tomatoes and a lovely seafood flavor, it's quite divine. photo:

moules mariniere: mussels are steamed in a white wine broth with leeks, shallots and garlic. quite good either as entree or appetizer, and they come with the garlic fries.

croque madame: similar to the croque monsieur, which is a ham & cheese sandwich frenchified and made extraordinary with a bechamel sauce. this one is topped with two poached eggs and tomatoes--extremely decadent and for lovers of all things creamy. i couldn't eat the whole thing.

napoleon: strawberries, creme brulee custard, carmelized sugar - we all love nutella, and there are a number of variations of crepes with nutella. if you want to venture into something a little different, try this equally rich and sweet dessert crepe. it's stuffed with strawberries & custard (thicker and heavier than creme brulee, but still tasty).

royal: nutella and strawberries - can't go wrong with this.

la traviatta: caramelized apple and cinnamon with brown sugar and apple brandy - this is the french cousin to american apple pie.

when we went last night, i noticed they updated their menu since we last went. they seem to be venturing beyond the european-style fillings. i haven't tried the texan or the curry crepe, and am curious. it's great that there is good, interesting food that's not overly expensive. uncle alan seemed to really enjoy the food.

chang's garden

chang's garden
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

though not mind-blowing, chang's garden was a good and authentic introduction to specifically shanghainese food. i came here with a large group, sat with 8 other pleasure palateers and we sampled 11 dishes, some better than others.

boiled peanuts: this is a nice little snack while you wait. it tasted faintly of allspice.

pork ribs in lotus leaf: consists of a good-sized pork spare rib that has been wrapped in sticky rice with spices and then a lotus leaf. the lotus leaf imparts an earthy flavor to the rice and pork. the rice had a slight red chili zing, and the meat was so tender and moist it came easily off the bone.

bamboo fungus with chinese squash: the squash was light and tasted faintly of rock but not much else. not exactly earthy, but of the earth. the bamboo fungus had a crunchy texture, and soaked up the tasty broth this dish was sauteed in. it was a little sparse on the fungus, which although it doesn't sound appetizing, was tasty and the better of the two.

greens and bean sheets: don't remember exactly the name, but this dish had largish, green shellbeans with a diced green vegetable and thinly sliced tofu sheets. it was more interesting for the novelty. the bean sheet tasted like the way raw, freshly made tofu from an asian market smells. there really wasn't any sauce or strong flavor. it had more natural vegetable and tofu flavors.

seaweed fried fish: chunks of fish are battered with strands of seaweed and deep fried. it tasted freshly of the sea. my boyfriend liked it a lot.

five spice beef pancake: beef is thinly sliced and well done, wrapped in a fried pancake with green onions, cilantro and bits of cucumber. between the fragrant green onions & cilantro, i really couldn't taste the five spice. other people liked it. i thought it was interesting, but the beef itself was not overly flavorful.

xia long bao: the pork filling was moist but not overflowing with soup as i had expected and had hints of ginger.

rice cakes: round discs of chewy rice starch are sauteed with pork, greens and scallions. it reminded me of chow fun, except chewier. i liked the slightly smoky taste.

steamed fish: can't remember exactly which steamed fish it was, but it was cooked in a dark, sweet and salty sauce with scallions. the fish had absorbed what sauce there was. it was flavorful, but i wished i had more sauce to drip over the white meat inside.

tea-smoked duck: i was surprised by the tastiness of the duck. any hints of tea were subtle, but the skin and meat were good and neither dry nor too fatty. it would have been great if they had taken out the bones, though as it was a little hard to eat with the dough cakes.

tung po pork: i'm a pig. i can't help myself. this was my favorite dish. although the inside meat was a little on the dry side, i enjoyed the dark, sweet and salty braising sauce with hints of allspice and loved the pork fat floating atop and melting in your mouth as you envelop it with your tongu. it was like butter, but less creamy and more concentrated with pork flavor.

chicken hot pot with water chestnuts: the sauce was sweeter, saltier and thicker than the pork. it really needs to be eaten with the steamed rice. the chestnuts were a nice texture contrast to the chewy chicken. my pet peeve though was pulling out the little bits of bone.

the service started out a little rocky. they brought out the wrong pork dish--mu shu pork--and it took about five minutes of chaotic "arguing" with the waitress that it was neither what we ordered nor what we wanted. her english was a little rough, and she kept insisting it was good, which was beside the point. this was righted, and the rest of the evening was fine, with the food being brought out quickly and us getting attentive enough service at our large table.

mayura restaurant

mayura restaurant
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

with a recommendation from jonathan gold, we had to try mayura. it's one of those modest hole in the wall mom & pop places that are easily missed jammed into a little strip mall in the lesser polished part of culver city. it was exactly what we were looking for, inexpensive and flavorful food!

we started with the vegetable samosa, which was pretty standard. it had a good crunchy exterior and was filled with potatos, peas and subtle peppery spices. i really enjoyed the two main dishes we ordered. the kerala special avial, a vegetarian dish consisting of what appeared to be potatoes, carrots, and green beans cooked in coconut sauce, stood out. i wasn't sure about some green stalks in the dish which seemed too hard to chew and didn't impart any flavor as far as i could tell, otherwise, it was quite tasty, with turmeric and coconut flavors and mildly spicy. one of the sides that came with it--some kind of super tart and fragrant pickled red fruit had an intense flavor.

we also had the paneer bhurji dosa, which is a crepe stuffed with indian cheese, onions and spices--also quite good. an excellent place for vegetarians and vegans. they cook their meats separately from the veggie dishes. the service was attentive and friendly. they seem to have a lot of pride in their food. i'm looking forward to trying more of it.

the counter

the counter
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

some fellow knitters & i went to wild fiber in santa monica to check out their sale. it was difficult to make our selections, since we had so many choices and a budget, and pull ourselves away from all the lovely yarn, but we did eventually, and made our way to the counter for lunch.

diy burgers can make or break your tasting experience depending on what you order. the hardest but funnest part is deciding what you want. i try to keep it simple.

today i had the 1/3 lb beef burger medium rare with gruyere, grilled onions, roasted red peppers, tomato, mixed greens, roasted garlic aioli. if you thought this sentence was a mouthful, try taking a bite of one of their burgers. next time, i might forgo the mess that ensued and go for their breadless or "salad" version.

the meat itself doesn't have a strong flavor, but i could taste the meatiness like you would from a bloody steak. if you put a lot of toppings on it, you'll have a hard time singling out that one flavor, but that could be the whole point--tasting the whole of it. i enjoyed my combination of toppings and meat, and i enjoyed the process of imagining how good it would be as i assembled the fresh, high quality ingredients in my mind. everyone else equally enjoyed their burgers.

the fries are pretty good too. though not the best i've had (i like the garlic-y ones at bouchees & father's office better), the sweet potato ones were more interesting in flavor than the regular fries. my favorite side was the fried onion strings, which were subtly spiced and not overly battered.

bangladeshi lunch @ little dhaka & exotic ice cream @ saffron spot

bangladeshi lunch @ little dhaka & exotic ice cream @ saffron spot
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

this was my first time having bangladeshi food and my first introduction to what will be one of my favorite starches..paratha, which is a big homemade tortilla served warm, soft and buttery from the oven. little dhaka really is little but boasts a lot of flavor as well as groceries for those venturing into southasian cooking.

i sampled the beef curry, which was cooked in a yellow sauce spiced from some well-hidden green chilis that could easily be mistaken for green beans. i also had the chicken curry, in a similar more liquidy sauce but not as sweet as the beef. you could really taste the chickenness of the chicken curry, like the fat in a good chicken noodle soup. to balance out all the meat, we had a tasty vegetable dish that consisted of cauliflower, peas, potatoes & carrots.

the guys working here were so nice and happy to repeat for the zillionth time what all the dishes are. the food is so cheap. for $10, you get two entrees, a huge plate of basmati rice or naan, a drink and dessert. the dessert they brought us looked unusual, but tasted good. i'm not sure what it was but i would describe it as balls of cake in a coconut yogurt
sauce. it's one of those hole in the wall discoveries you really have to check out.

Afterwards, we went for ice cream at saffron spot, which has some unique flavors. you won't find rose & saffron ice cream or kulfi kreme ice cream anywhere else. i ate the badam pista, which had almonds and pistachios mixed into a saffron infused ice cream, and the kulfi kreme, which was very sweet and had strong vanilla flavors.

click here for photos from our visit.

food, food & more food

glacier ice cream & gelato
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i'm trying to figure out where all my time is going, but the hundreds of photos of food of late seem to have been lost on me. i've been convincing myself that i am not eating out all that much, although my growing belly says otherwise. i still bring my lunch to work every day. compared to other people, i don't eat out that much. i think i may have to cut back though. *gasp*

we're trying to save money. that was the whole point of my bringing my lunch every day. although still cheaper than in europe, gas is ridiculously expensive. i was reminded of this while driving up to alhambra from long beach for dim sum on sun at 9am.

what i should do is focus more energy on a less expensive hobby like reading. i am so behind on my reading. i have a huge stack of recent books that i want to get through, some of which will need to be returned to the library soon.

maybe if i make a reading to do list. i am in desperate need of goal-setting.

+ sync by stephen strogatz
+ the omnivore's dilemma by michael pollan
+ deep economy by bill mckibben
+ stumbling on happiness by daniel gilbert
+ the art of possibility by rosamund stone zander & benjamin zander
+ the sea by john banville

geez. the list could be much longer, but this is a good start. i find it interesting that most of them are non-fiction. i used to read primarily fiction in college. you could say the same thing about my movie-watching habits. there are more documentaries in the mix. am i less of an escapist or is non-fiction just more easily digestible in smaller chunks in a busy life?

i love reading. i'm not sure why i haven't done much of it lately. i blame it on knitting. it's been too interesting lately. i'm on sweater knitting frenzy. i've got two sweaters on needles and dying to cast on more.

well, this has got to qualify as a pretty random post, which is what happens when one is too lazy to do anything but blog on a mon evening. think i'll go partake of one of my many recreational activities that doesn't directly involve the internet.

providence full tasting menu

providence full tasting menu
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

providence was celebrating their 3rd year anniversary and offering special prices for their tasting menus a couple weeks ago, and it happened to be mike's birthday, so we decided to go for their full tasting menu which consisted of nine courses. i have to say that i really love this place. the interior design is modest yet refined, and the service for us has always been excellent. the whole experience was so well orchestrated with the preparation of the silverware and prompt removal of courses staggered in timely succession. i wouldn't suggest dining here if you're in a hurry. it's all about savouring.

though i have yet to try all the high-end restaurants in LA, compared to the many i have been to here and in other urban cities, the prices are reasonable, and what makes this place great is the food is consistently good. on this visit, we started with some fancy cocktails. mine--the ruby slipper--was concocted from herradura silver, lychee liquer and grapefruit and lime juices.

amuse bouche: i look forward to seeing what special surprise and inspired delicacy the chef starts our meal with. thus i anticipate the amuse bouche. i was disappointed (and this was only minor and the only thing disappointing of the whole meal) to see that it was the same as we had on our previous visit. it was interesting though to compare. it consisted of three small pieces. the first, a creamy fennel soup and saffron oil was much more flavorful than i remembered. the second was a small, white cube--a gin & tonic gelee--lightly dusted with sugar which fizzed when i squeezed lime juice on it. the last and still most unusual was a mojito ravioli, which came in the form of a translucent skin filled with mojito liquid and a small sprig of mint embedded in the skin.

japanese kanpachi: i've had hints of the pieces that make up this dish at various japanese restaurants, but the combinations of flavors here was amazing and delightful. the fish was fresh and perfectly moist and delicious. the cucumbers were slightly salty and light. the flavored ice was an interesting juxtaposition of temperature with the tangy sweetness and salty, concentrated plum dabbed across the plate. this was one of my favorite courses of the evening.

bobby's block island sea scallops: i love scallops, and this one was perfectly seared and accented with a sweet glaze richly reduced sherry. combined with smoky, roasted asparagus and tasty shiitakes, it was another favorite. the almonds added a crunchy texture, while the almond milk added a bit of delicious fat.

point judith calamari: the calamari was the best i have ever tasted. it was so perfectly tender and firmly crunchy. not at all chewy. it was served in two different preparations. some tendrils were coated and fried while others sat naked and tender like freshly cooked noodles. there was a zing to the tomato-based marinara-like sauce. simple and oh so good.

lobster risotto: instead of the veal, we requested all seafood and were not disappointed. the chef was very accommodating, and substituted a lobster risotto. little slivers of meyer lemon added not only zest but a nice texture to the creamy risotto. a bit of lobster foam sat atop, while a reduced balsamic vinegar rounded out the dish.

wild day-boat halibut (nova scotia): the tangy sauce that glazed this white fish was a nice contrast yet complement to the herbaceous squash puree. meyer lemon slivers and delicate chive blossoms accented the fish.

wild king salmon: by the time we made it to this course, i was beginning to get full and was surprised by how much fish they gave us in this dish. it came with shimeji mushrooms & crunchy radish and was topped with cinnamon espuma, which reminded me of cappuccino foam. as a whole, the dish was reminiscent of the icelandic char we had on a previous visit. tasty, but not a favorite. i really liked what they did with the crispy, curled skin, where the flavor of the fish was concentrated.

market cheeses: we were filling up fast when the cheese steward brought out his cart of cheeses, prompting us both to start drooling over the feast of dairy before us. he asked what we liked. i'm more of a hard cheeser, while mike likes the soft. our cheese guy picked out a goat cheese from spain (gurocha?), a sallie jackson cow's milk cheese with walnut leaves and a sheep's milk nutty basque. predictably, i initially liked the basque best, but the sallie jackson grew on me. with the cheese, we also had dried figs, candied walnuts, apple compote, black olive preserve, & small slices of some dense bread with nuts.

persian cucmber, orange flower water, mint: this was a perfect follow up to the entrees. it was a light, refreshing, cool and fragrant way to cleanse the palate.

blackberries & corn tortilla: they really are creative with the desserts. i would have never imagined pairing corn tortilla flavors with ice cream. though i would not necessarily seek it out, i really enjoyed the concept and the experience, and was amazed by how well the flavor was incorporated into the ice cream. and how curious were the bits of jalapeno that added zing?

petits fours: chocolate hazelnut truffles, five spice caramel, olive oil gelee -- yum! the olive oil gelee left this tasty coat of oil on the inside of my mouth that was kind of comforting.

once again, we enjoyed everything. i feel like we partook of a work of art. some of it was more heady. some of it was pure visceral pleasure. i highly recommend one of the tasting menus to truly experience the depth and breadth of the food. it's a pretty good deal for the quantity, quality & variety, and i find it preferable to ordering individual entrees. it's not an all-you-can-eat buffet as each course is portioned so you can have that many tastings. i came here starving and left completely satiated.