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.