Eat. Travel. Eat!

Pearl River Deli- Los Angeles (Chinatown), CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 17:16:00 +0000

Opened at the start of 2020, Pearl River Deli (PRD) is a burgeoning Cantonese food concept operated by chef Johnny Lee, located next to Howlin Rays in Los Angeles' Chinatown's Far East Plaza. Extensive forum posts on Food Talk Central (1, 2) and articles published by Eater, Los Angeles Times, amongst other outlets, have highlighted the innovative cooking going on: a focused menu of Cantonese classics with the volume turned up alongside weekly specials featuring cuisines not limited to Thai, Vietnamese, Yunnan, and more. Hence, on a recent outing in Los Angeles, I had to make a stop here to experience PRD for myself.

I phoned my order in via phone, and got an expected wait time of 20 minutes. The estimate was correct, with my order just about to be boxed up when I arrived. Notably, pickup was rather safe, with payment done at the doorway entrance (hand sanitizer available), a vinyl shield protecting the employees from the outside, and all employees wearing masks. Outdoor seating is available during the COVID-19 pandemic, but I took my order to go and ate it at home.

I did experience a minor technical issue with my order, in that what electronically went into the order queue (wonton noodles) didn't match my actual order of Charsiu Chowfun. Surprisingly, the staff members were extremely nice about this, with the kitchen immediately directed to cook the Charsiu Chowfun. Even more surprisingly, when they signaled that my order was ready, they included the wonton noodles on the house.

The Charsiu Wonton Noodles (14 USD normally) was quite pleasant with a unique twist. Notably, the broth had its own signature, being light and delicate with some vegetable undertones, as opposed to more traditional shrimp-heavy or meat-focused broths. There were plenty of veggies to make the noodle soup a balanced meal, and the egg noodles were bouncy. The wontons were plump and fresh with a filling of shrimp and minced pork, and the pork neck charsiu was extremely meaty, with a hint of sweetness and alcohol fragrance, some underlying smoky flavor, and a perfect balance between fat and lean meat.

For even more nuance from the charsiu, I would probably advise ordering it on its own or on a rice plate, but we felt even more depth of flavor from the charsiu in the Charsiu Chowfun (12 USD). Here, the sweet charsiu glaze further accentuated the porcine flavors. Meanwhile, the chowfun noodles itself had its own unique twist. These noodles were peppery, with a nice wok hei and hint of sweet soy flavor. The noodles were wider than your typical chow-fun noodle, closer to that used in pad see ew, and were chewy (they stayed chewy even reheating them as leftovers later that day!). Meanwhile, the vegetables--onions, green onions, and yellow squash--provided some textural contrasts, with the squash being a rarely seen addition.

Although everything was quite tasty, the dish that elicited the strongest reaction was the Soy Sauce Chicken Legs (10 USD, also available as a rice plate with one chicken leg for 9 USD/ two chicken legs for 13 USD) at PRD. For the most part, soy-sauce chicken in Southern California has been middling at best, especially after our former favorite, Red Ant Cafe closed. What I am on the lookout for is supple, taut pieces of chicken which have been enriched with soy-sauce flavor, a sauce sweet yet complex with seasonings, and jello-like chicken skin.

Hence, I was pleasantly surprised when opening the box, the chicken smelled of complex seasonings, reminiscent of soy-sauce chickens that I would have to fly to Asia for. A taste of PRD's soy sauce chicken leg revealed use of multiple spices, like sichuan peppercorn (happened to get a piece and it was very fragrant), five spice powder and sugar, on top of dark soy. The chicken was a bit on the firm side yet still tender, but most importantly, the soy sauce's flavors seeped into the chicken meat. Wow! In an ideal sense, I wish the chicken could be even more tender/supple, and that the dark soy was used less heavily. However, I will be back for seconds of this in the future.

In short, my experience supports the raving reviews about PRD, and I look forward to being back to try out its other offerings and weekend specials (which were all out by Sunday afternoon when I visited). The food is authentic with a modern lens, and is made with care and quality ingredients. The staff is upbeat and enthusiastic. I can only imagine how the food might have tasted even better had I eaten it on the spot!

Hope you are all staying safe and healthy!

Pearl River Deli (Instagram)

727 N Broadway, Unit 130

Far East Plaza

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tel: (626) 688-9507

Open Wednesday-Saturday 11am-7pm, Sunday 11am-6pm

Tangzhong Milk Bread

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 18:39:00 +0000

Lessons learned while making a loaf of tangzhong milk bread:

1. Patience: Let the dough come together for a while before deciding whether you need to adjust the recipe.

2. Gratitude: Putting a number of ingredients together and after some proofing and you get a shiny, soft, and elastic dough. Note that the dough is really soft and might be a tad sticky. Don’t be too tempted to add additional flour or else you may not get as tender/soft bread. [story of my 2nd attempt]

3. Amazement: After baking your kitchen might just smell like a bakery! The bread is also soft, fluffy, and fragrant (thank the combination of milk, eggs, butter and sugar). Gasping and being happy like @scottloitsch did in a recent @nytcooking video on making bread for the first time? Not unexpected.

Thanks @kirbiecravings for the recipe! Finally (almost 10 years later) came around to trying it.

View this post on Instagram

Lessons learned while making a loaf of tangzhong milk bread: . 1. Patience: let the dough come together for a while before deciding whether you need to adjust the recipe. . 2. Gratitude: Putting a number of ingredients together and after some proofing and you get a shiny, soft, and elastic dough. Note that the dough is really soft and might be a tad sticky. Don’t be too tempted to add additional flour or else you may not get as tender/soft bread. [story of my 2nd attempt] . 3. Amazement: After baking your kitchen might just smell like a bakery! The bread is also soft, fluffy, and fragrant (thank the combination of milk, eggs, butter and sugar). Gasping and being happy like @scottloitsch did in a recent @nytcooking video on making bread for the first time? Not unexpected. . Thanks @kirbiecravings for the recipe! Finally (almost 10 years later) came around to trying it. https://kirbiecravings.com/milk-bread-take-2/ #tangzhong #kirbiescravings #yvonnechen #65degreestangzhong #milkbread #bread #instantyeast #loafpan #baking #whatbakingcando #saferathome #stayhome #f52grams #nikond750 #eattraveleat

A post shared by Eat. Travel. Eat! (@eattraveleat.blog) on Jul 4, 2020 at 10:56am PDT

Rajdhani Restaurant- Artesia, CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Mon, 21 May 2018 13:55:00 +0000

Recently brought to my attention was thali. Literally, it describes a metal plate in which is used to serve food. But, it also be an eating experience--where food comes in an all-you-can-eat format. Unlike a buffet however, the employees at thali restaurants serve the food directly at your table, refilling your thali as you progress through your meal.

A friend of mine noted Rajdhani Restaurant in Artesia, CA as a good example of such experience in the Los Angeles area. Known for its vegetarian thali, the restaurant is quite popular. Indeed, we waited for around 10 minutes before getting a seat.

The menu on our visit was as follows (check their website prior to visiting to see the menu for the day):

Menu
Fyrums
Dhokla
Potato Bhajiya
Chaas (Butter Milk)

Potato & Mix Veg
Tomato Muthiya
Dal Makhani
Roti
Puri

Rice
Khichdi
Dal
Kadhi

Meanwhile, the restaurant was quite active, with servers walking around with various breads, entrees, soups, and desserts. But soon enough, we were brought to our table, where very quickly, our thali experience started.

Our visit started with water and chaas, a butter milk drink that tasted like salted and spiced yogurt. As we were first timers, our server told us what to expect and introduced the three containers already on our table-- a sweet tamarind sauce, mild mint chutney, and spicy pickles.

(Thali: Items Prior to Rice Courses (except for the potato bhajiya)

The next item that arrived was fryums, which is a fried snack (here, shaped like wheels, tubes, and chips) that were light and crisp, like shrimp or cassava crisps.

We then received two soups, which was described as a yogurt soup and a tomato soup. The yogurt soup was quite spicy, while the tomato soup was quite savory.

Next came three vegetable entrees: potato and mix vegetable, tomato muthiya (described as a tomato and dumpling entree), and dal makhani. Eaten on their own, these were extremely flavorful and savory dishes.

We next got some potato bhajiya, potato slices dipped in batter and fried (these were quite tasty), and puri, a puffy bread. Roti, available plain as well as lightly brushed with ghee, was noted as the main bread to go with the entrees. It served its purpose, being a good carrier to the flavorful entrees.

Dhokla, a rice and chickpeas based cake, topped with jalepenos and mustard seeds, came served from its own platter. Slightly sweet, this went well in between the entrees.

After a few refills on everything listed before (except for the fryums, which somehow only came once), we were asked if we were ready for rice dishes. which consisted of rice and khichdi. The khichdi is a green lentil and rice porridge, commonly eaten when people are sick. These also served as good palate cleansers and sides.

We closed with dessert, which unlike everything else, is not unlimited. We chose the dudhi ka halwa and the mohanthal. The halwa is typically made with carrots, but on our visit, it was made with squash and hence green colored. The mohanthal, made with roasted gram flour simmered in milk, sugar and cardamom, was extremely rich, thick and gooey.

(Muhwas- after meal mouth freshener)

Overall, Rajdhani provided quite an pleasant experience with the service and range of dishes we tried. The only qualm? Some of the servers could be more careful with serving their food. We noticed that occassionally, their serving utensils would touch our existing food/plates. This could potentially be a health hazard if anyone they served happened to be ill.

Rajdhani Restaurant
18525 Pioneer Blvd.
Artesia, CA 90701

Tel: (562) 402-9102

P.S. Want to see more frequent posts? Follow me on Instagram @eattraveleat.blog.

Maccheroni Republic- Los Angeles (Downtown), CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Maccheroni Republic specializes in "artisan handmade fresh organic pasta" at an affordable price point, and is quite popular in the city, having long waits (now made more convenient, with a Yelp waitlist feature). We decided to check it out for lunch during their DineLA week earlier this year.

Stopping by at its opening time for lunch (11 AM), we didn't need to wait long for a table, as the waiters quickly brought a small queue of customers waiting outside to their seats both inside and outside of the restaurants. The interior was rather cozy with tables located quite close to each other, so we opted to sit outside, which was kept warm in a rather cool morning with several heaters.

Alongside each table was bottles of oil (both olive and chili) and vinegar to accompany the bread, which was crusty outside and soft inside.

We all decided to order from the DineLA menu (15 USD per person), which is replicated below:

1st Course

BRUSCHETTA DI PANZANELLA

Grilled ciabatta w/tomatoes, cucumber, basil, mozzarella and onion

2nd Course, choice of:

PAPPARDELLE AL CINGHIALE

Pappardelle pasta with wild boar ragout

BIANCHI & NERI

Black and white pasta thin vermicelli, shrimp, mushroom & roasted pancetta in a creamy bisque

PENNE DI MAIS ALLE MELAZANE

Gluten free penne pasta, sautéed eggplant, garlic, organic tomato sauce (gluten free/vegan)

RIGATONI POM'AMORE

Rigatoni with creamy organic tomato sauce, Burrata

3rd Course, choice of:

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (gluten free/vegan)

TIRAMISU
PANETTONE PUDDING

Given that some of the individual pasta dishes featured on this menu could over 15 USD by themselves on the regular menu, this was quite a good deal. Our waiter placed through our orders via his iPad--quite a nice touch.

The first course of bruschetta di panzanella was quite refreshing, with the mix of small pearls of fresh mozarella with vibrant tomato, cucumber, basil, and onion on a lightly grilled piece of ciabatta that was still soft in the interior. Light on the seasoning, the flavors of the veggies really shone through.

Moving onto our second course, my pappardelle al cinghiale felt quite robust, with thick, chewy, wide pappardelle and substantial pieces of wild boar in the ragout. Rougher textures and meaty flavors were the highlight of this dish.

In contrast, the bianchi & neri felt smooth and refined, with thin yet chewy black and white verimcelli pasta and shrimp, mushrooms, and pancetta combined in a creamy bisque sauce. The sauce coated the noodles just right, and soaked up the flavors from the other ingredients. We really liked this course; it happens to be one of the most popular pasta dishes here.

The penne di mais alle melazane was meant to be a healthier gluten free option, and that motivation definitely showed in the dish itself. It was rather light, with the tomatoes and veggies (eggplant, garlic, tomato) ever so lightly coating the gluten free pasta, which felt much less substantial than the regular grain based pasta.

Interestingly enough, two of the three desserts were plated in plastic cups and lids; we were even given plastic spoons and forks to enjoy the dessert! Nontheless the convenient packaging (we ended up taking some of the mousse and tiramisu to go), the desserts were all quite decent.

If you hadn't told me the chocolate mousse was gluten free and vegan, I wouldn't have known, for it was quite creamy and chocolate-y. The tiramisu was a solid rendition with espresso soaked ladyfingers and marscapone and cocoa topping. And the panetonne pudding was like a bread pudding, but with the bread substituted for sweet, fruity panetonne that was pleasantly accented by the chocolate sauces and powdered sugar.

Delivery Vehicle at Maccheroni Republic, Downtown Los Angeles, CA. @maccheronirepublic . . #vehicle #car #italian #downtown #dtla #losangeles #california

A post shared by Eat. Travel. Eat! (@eattraveleat.blog) on Jan 22, 2018 at 9:01am PST

Overall, a well-priced and tasty meal, especially with the dineLA deal. Maccheroni Republic also has many other creative creations on their menu, so I'll likely be back to try other items.

(The iPad came back for billing too, only to glitch out at the very end, not allowing us to give tips. Make sure to have some cash, just in case.)

Maccheroni Republic
332 S Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Tel: (213) 346-9725

P.S. Parking validation is available for the large structure behind the restaurant, reducing the parking charge to 9 USD.

Kobunga Korean Grill- Los Angeles (University Park), CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 23:34:00 +0000

Kobunga Korean Grill, a fast-casual Korean barbecue restaurant, is opening its first brick-and-mortar outlet at the USC Village, a multi-use residential, dining, and shopping complex located adjacent to the University of Southern California's University Park Campus. Funded by Kickstarter, Kobunga aims to make Korean barbecue accessible to the larger population. They recently soft-opened (this Wednesday) and will be having their grand opening this Saturday.

Housed in a small storefront, no seating is available inside the restaurant, although ample outside seating is available. Ordering is done at the counter, and one can wait on the side for their order.

Menu options include a "Build Your Own Plate" option as well as a salad driven option where two types of greens can be paired with a choice of dressing and protein. The Build Your Own Plate option includes a choice of protein (Short Ribs, Bulgogi, Pork Belly, Marinated Chicken, and Soft Tofu), base (brown rice, white rice, kale and perilla salad or mixed greens), and choice of two homemade sides:

Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Cucumber Kimchi Pickles
Honey Roasted Carrots
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Soy Sauce Pickles
Pickled Jalepenos
Korean Cabbage Slaw
Sauteed Corn

Regular soft drinks and homemade beverages (lemonade, iced matcha green tea) are also available.

@kobunga Build Your Own Plate: Slow Roasted Short Ribs (13 USD) with White Rice, Cucumber Kimchi Pickles and Roasted Sweet Potatoes. (I added some Sweet n Spicy Sauce on the side) You can choose between rice (brown or white) or salad (kale or mixed greens) for the base, and from a selection for the 2 sides. Would have been nice to get both rice and salad, and for the roasted sweet potatoes side to be warm and fully cooked, but the short rib was tender and savory and cucumber and rice were solid. Grand opening this Saturday at @uscvillage! #kobunga #korean #fastcasual #kbbq #riceplate #plate #cucumber #kimchi #sweetpotato #grandopening #losangeles #uscvillage #eaterla #foodphotography

A post shared by Eat. Travel. Eat! (@eattraveleat.blog) on Feb 23, 2018 at 8:05am PST

Pricing is on par with other food options in the complex, e.g. in the 10-20 USD category including tax. The protein and bases are solid and are of good quality; some of the roasted options on the sides however, have been not fully cooked, hence having quite hard texture to them. It still is a nice addition to the USC Village, and now complements the currently open Wahlburgers, Casa Barilla, Cava, Baked Bear, Sunlife Organics, Greenleaf, Trejos Tacos, and Rance's Chicago Pizza.

Kobunga Korean Grill
929 W. Jefferson Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90089

Lao Xi Er Noodle House- Arcadia, CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Sun, 31 Dec 2017 19:22:00 +0000

Lao Xi Er Noodle House (老西兒面馆) is a recent entrant to the San Gabriel Valley noodle scene, specializing in Shanxi style noodles. Located in the southern part of Arcadia, Lao Xi Er adds a different perspective to a mélange of varied dining options located less than one block away from one another, not limited to Italian (Alex Di Peppe's), Vietnamese (Pho-licious), Japanese (Mako Sushi), Mexician (Cabreras), Taiwanese (Cafe Fusion), and Chinese (Fishing Boat Chinese Cuisine).

After hearing about Lao Xi Er from Clarissa Wei's post on Eater, we visited and since then, Lao Xi Er has become one of our go-to places for noodles. Within its small, humble surroundings (there are around 10 tables in the restaurant), the husband-wife duo and their team serves up a small selection of noodles, soups, dumplings, and a handful of appetizers and entrees that are quite well-executed.

To start off one's meal, Lao Xi Er offers a varied selection of appetizers. One page of three in their menu is dedicated to cold appetizers (凉菜), where one can choose three items (including vegeterian, pork, and beef options) to make a larger platter for sharing.

We've had the Salad of Wood Ear (凉拌木耳), Cucumber with Hot and Sour Sauce (酸辣黄瓜条), Salad of Sliced Potato (凉拌土豆丝) and Dried Bean Curd Salad (凉拌腐竹) from the vegeterian items, all of which have been solid renditions--quite freshly prepared, and not over-seasoned. The wood ear, cucumber, and potato salads were nicely vinegary, while the bean curd sheets and cabbage were savory and coated with a light layer of oil. Lao Xi Er's Pig's Ear Salad (凉拌猪耳朵), on the other hand, is quite neat in that the pig ear comes in thick strips, which emphasizes the pig ear's crunchy white cartilage and chewy, jelly like exterior.

A few of their House Special items (特色菜) also serve as good starters. The "Ping Yao Wan Tuo" Delicacies (平遥碗托, 4.75 USD) has sliced, steamed dough mixed with sesame sauce, chili oil, garlic, and sesame seeds. The dough pieces were chewy and tender, and provided a nice canvas for the rich sesame and spicy oil.

More well known and commonly ordered is the "Hun Yuan" Cold Jelly (渾源涼粉, 5.75 USD), which has steamed potato flour jelly also mixed with sesame sauce, chili oil, and sesame seeds (and sometimes, wasabi too), with some julienned cucumber providing a lightness and texture contrast. The jelly is thickly cut and is quite soft and chewy. Likewise, it pairs well with the sauces, which are great paired with some of other Lao Xi Er's dishes when you want a flavor boost.

One of the unique items offered at Lao Xi Er is the Wife's Special Noodle with Fried Pork (He Lao Style) (老婆小炒肉河撈面, 9.25 USD), which has three different toppings--ground pork mixed with fermented soy, braised pork belly, and tomato and egg-- mixed with helao noodles --河撈面-- and some greens that varies from time to time.

Together, you get a tasty pairing of sweet, savory, meaty, and bright flavors coming together. The thick, extruded, round noodles are helpful, as the extrusion provides a light texture that helps the noodles grab on to the sauces.

A hearty item on the menu is the Noodle in Lamb Soup (Mao Er'duo Style)(羊湯貓耳朵, 8.99 USD). Mao Er'duo, or cat ears, are small pieces of dough that are shaped by pressing one's thumb forward, lending to the slight curl of the noodle. Wood ear, white button mushrooms, and lamb cubes provide additional depth to the lamb soup, while some cilantro and green onions provide some needed brightness. Some glass noodles provide some additional texture contrast.

Lao Xi‘er Special Beef Noodle Soup (老西兒特色牛肉面, 9.99 USD) is also hearty, if a bit simpler. Thin noodles are paired with tender beef cubes and cilantro in a clear beef broth that is not too imbued with seasoning.

A more complex, richer noodle soup is the Whole Lamb Soup Noodle (全羊汤面, 11.99 USD), which comes with various lamb parts and the thin noodles in a milky lamb broth. Do note that it is possible to switch the noodle type, if desired.

In contrast to the relatively lightly seasoned noodle soups, Lao Xi Er's House Special Fried Noodle with Fried Boiled Pork (Dao Xiao Style) (過油肉炒刀削面, 8.99 USD) is a deeply seasoned, flavorful stir fried noodle dish. Chewy knife cut (also known as dao xiao) noodles are paired with guo you 過油 pork, which can also be ordered individually as an entree. Slices of pork loin are sautéed with plenty of oil, wood ear mushrooms, leek, onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and black vinegar. The pork loin is prepared so that it is soft and tender, and flavored deeply with the soy and black vinegar, which cuts through the carbohydrates and oil quite well.

Given that you can order the previous dish with dao xiao noodles, one can also order it with mao er duo noodles if desired. The mao er duo noodles act like sliced rice cakes, and the smaller nature of the noodles makes this preparation easy to scoop and eat. The sesame sauce from the cold jelly pairs well with the noodles in either case, if you want additional flavor.

To go along with the noodles and side dishes, the Lao Xi'er Fried Vegetables Mixed with Flour (Bo Lan Zi, 老西兒撥爛子, 7.25 USD) is an intriguing veggie option. Potato slices are coated with flour, providing a noodle like texture. After those are cooked, they are stir fried with carrots, wood ear, onions, eggs, and some chili peppers for a lightly salted vegetable side.

Dumplings (水饺, 8-8.99 USD, 12 per order) can be ordered with pork and leek, pork and napa, or lamb fillings on the standard menu. Occasionally, other flavors pop up on the menu too, such as pork and fennel. Their dumplings are on the smaller side, with lighter seasoning compared to most restaurants, but the fillings are of good quality and the skins pliant.

Lao Xi Er provides well prepared Shanxi cuisine, with plenty of noodle types and dishes offered to satisfy the palate. The surroundings may be simple, the service friendly, albeit sometimes slow during busy periods, but the food has been consistently well-prepared.

Lao Xi Noodle House (Yelp)

600 E Live Oak Ave Ste A
Arcadia, CA 91006

Tel: (626) 348-2290

***Closed Mondays

P.S. Lao Xi Er also occasionally offers special items on a blackboard menu, if you would like to try non-regular menu items.

One example of this was this dish of of spicy intestines, which unlike the fried version on the menu, is boiled and pan fried with a spicy sauce. These intestines were quite rich but not too fatty, with the onion providing some additional sweetness.

Dumplings, noodles, and other meats occasionally pop up on this menu too.

Previously on their menu was also this Crispy Onion Pancake (4.25 USD), which hit the flaky and tender marks of a good scallion pancake. I do wish there was more green onion in their rendition, however.

State Bird Provisions- Fillmore District, San Francisco, CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 22:29:00 +0000

State Bird Provisions is an "adventurous, inventive, delicious, thoughtful contemporary American restaurant" that has received major praise, and happens to be one of the hottest spots for dinner in San Francisco. So when I found out we could secure a late night reservation here on a recent trip, I put it on our to-do list.

State Bird Provisions has pioneered a small plate, multi-pronged approach to service. The first comes via a set menu for the evening, where diners can order individual items. The second comes from employees serving items (also known as provisions) dim-sum style, going around tables with plates labeled with price tag, describing the item, and allowing patrons to obtain said item with approval, or ignore the item by saying no. They log how many of these items you order in the open boxes below the set menu, and to calculate one's bill, they aggregate both data points together and a per person service charge.

This allows for flexibility on their end, and for the diners, a unique dining experience as you get to see in person all the different provisions being cooked up for the evening--quite the educational experience. The varied pricing for all items--from 3 USD to 30 USD-- allows one to try many items while not hitting too hard on the wallet.

After providing us an initial introduction to the menu and some recommendations, our dining experience began with some items served dim-sum style. This Steak Tartare (12 USD) was an Asian-inspired dish, with sesame, scallion, mushroom, and soy notes accompanied with crisp nori crackers. The bits of arugula leaves and scallion helped to counter the beef and savoriness of the dish.

The Liberty Duck Breast with Beet Kimchi Puree, Mini Cucumbers (8 USD) looked and sounded quite interesting, and tasted the part too. The lightly gamey, tender slices of duck breast were cut by the slightly spicy beet kimchi puree and those especially cute looking cucumbers.

The Hog Island Oysters (3 USD per oyster), already prepared and placed copiously on a large platter on the cart, were topped with spicy kohlrabi kraut and toasted sesame. The toppings didn't over accentuate the oyster, which was briny and smooth.

We especially liked the Duck Liver Mousse with Cheddar Biscuits (8 USD). The smooth, rich mousse went well with the soft, warm, savory, and pillowy biscuits and the sprinkle of salt and pepper made things ever so more enjoyable.

We also ordered a Garlic Sourdough Bread with Buratta Cheese (11 USD) from the roving trays. The crunchy, fried exterior and soft, chewy interior went well with the seasoned, rich cheese. It was a pleasant combination of simple ingredients and varied textures coming together, but I wished for more garlic.

For some vegetables, we added the Shishito Peppers with Goat Cheese and Garlic Aioli (7 USD). These were lightly charred, with a smattering of sesame and the creamy, garlicy sauce on the bottom that paired well with the peppers.

The Chanterelle-Yuba 'All'Amatriciana' With Jowl Bacon, Percorino, and Basil (18 USD), which was one of the commandables from the main menu, was quite the inventive and fun dish. Yuba, an asian ingredient also known tofu/bean curd skin/sheets, is commonly used in braised dishes or to wrap other ingredients. But here, the pliant, tender sheets, generated from the surface of soymilk, were used like italian noodles, with acidic, woody, savory, salty, and verdant notes coming in from the other ingredients. It came recommended by our waitress and it was quite a good decision.

The creativity of the kitchen continued to shine in the Cumin Lamb 'Stir-Fry' With Dates, Squid and Shishito Peppers (28 USD), also from commandables section of the regular menu. More commonly seen in Sichuan cuisine and with very thin slices of lamb, State Bird Provisions' version came with meaty slices of lamb paired with fried squid, shishitos, and dates. A mild, peppery cumin and soy based sauce tied everything together. It was quite a pleasant and balanced take on a traditionally spicy dish.

From the provisions side of the menu, the Fried Pork Belly with Pluot (9 USD) had a pleasant combination of richness and brightness. The crispy on the outside, fork tender and melting on the inside pork belly was decadent and was nicely offset by the greenery and tangy pluot.

Likewise, the Sweet Corn Polenta (7 USD) paired differing flavor and texture profiles, with the sweet and rich polenta being contrasted with black sesame tahini, sweet tomatoes, and a tangy tomato jam.

Closing off our savory part of the meal were two items from the main menu. First was the CA State Bird with Provisions (Large, 30 USD), which came with a bed of lightly carmelized onions and topped with pecorino cheese. These were juicy, crispy, and delightful bites of fried quail, with the cheese providing some extra saltiness and the onions some sweetness.

Meanwhile, the Red Trout with Toasted Hazelnut-Mandarin-Garum Vinaigrette (18 USD) continued the balance of savory and tangy flavors. The trout had an extra crisp skin, and was very soft, tender and flaky, and the vinaigrette, greens, and citrus providing sweetness and acidity.

We closed off the meal with the Olive Oil 'Ice Cream' Sandwich, Anise Seed Macaron, Blackberries, Manchego (11 USD), which was strikingly presented and quite unique. Sweet and salty met yet again, with the rich ice cream being offset by the anise, blackberry, cheese, and lightly crisp macaron. I could have easily had the whole plate!

State Bird Provisions bills itself as a "adventurous, inventive, delicious, thoughtful contemporary American restaurant", and I would agree with that statement. With enjoyable flavor and texture combinations and plenty of creativity mixed with quality ingredients, we had a worthwhile dining experience.

State Bird Provisions

1529 Fillmore St

San Francisco, CA 94115

Tel: (415) 795-1272

Mesa Verde- Santa Barbara, CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 06:43:00 +0000

Having enjoyed vegan/vegetarian focused restaurants in the past (Cafe Gratitude, Real Food Daily), we started off a visit to Santa Barbara by visiting Mesa Verde for lunch. It had been positively reviewed on multiple websites, and its own website showcased beautifully crafted vegetarian cuisine.

Housed in its own quaint grey and green building, parking is a tight, only having a few dedicated spots in the parking lot. Although we arrived relatively late for lunch (around 2pm), we still had to wait more than 10 minutes for a table. The restaurant was near capacity, and employees were busy in the kitchen and serving customers seated indoors and outdoors. The environment was still relaxed, with locals enjoying a wide number of items from the menu.

The owner happened to serve us that day, and apologized for the wait. After ordering and asking for his input on recommended lunch items-- the Patatas Bravas Tacos and Picadillo Empanadas came highly recommended--he provided us complimentary samples of Helios, a cold-pressed juice composed of carrot, strawberry and lemon. This was quite light and refreshing, with the hint of lemon accenting the carrot and strawberry pleasantly. I loved the mason jar cups too. (A regular order of the juice would come in a glass bottle)

Avocado Bowl (13 USD)
quinoa. green tahini. hazelnut. mint and cucumber puree. pickles. radishes. carrot. herbs. V GF

Quite a number of tables ordered the avocado bowl, and it wasn't hard to see why. This cool, colorful bowl was both visually appealing and healthy. Moreover, it was quite crunchy, with black quinoa popping and crunching in the mouth and fragrant hazelnuts scattered on top. The mint and cucumber puree and green tahini smoothed out the textures and meshed the dish together with a light, bright creaminess. It was enjoyable in the winter and would be perfect on a summer day.

Falafel Sandwich (14 USD)
hummus. mixed greens. cucumber. mint. red onion. pickled beet. Radishes. Dill. lemon. tahini. V

This was probably the most creative plating of a falafel sandwich I've ever seen, with the warm, soft house made bread, falafel, and vegetables taking up two-thirds of the plate in a straight line. The organically shaped orbs of falafel were crispy on the outside and tender and flavorful on the inside, while the vegetables added crunch and complexity. Both the tahini and hummus served as helpful, creamy condiments to mesh the elements together.

Picadillo Empanadas (13 USD)
cashew cheese. cacao black beans. chimichurri. harissa. pickled savoy cabbage and carrots. V GF

Countering the other two dishes, these empanadas were served piping hot. A generous base of tender cacao black beans supported the two crispy empanadas, which were topped with a verdant chimichurri (not pictured), pickled veggies, and spicy harissa. It proved to be a pleasant blend of hearty, savory, spicy, and tart flavors.

Baklava (12 USD)

Vanilla ice cream. Pomegranate molasses. Pistachio. Mint. Sumac V GF

After paying our bill, the owner told us not to leave, as he wanted us to try their dessert. This baklava tasted as good as it looked. It was sweetened just enough, with the puff pastry still crisp and the nut and cinammon flavors shining through. The tart pomegranate molasses and the light and creamy vanilla ice cream served as perfect compliments. The ice cream was actually soy based, but we never noticed!

Mesa Verde is a vegetarian restaurant worth driving to enjoy. The food doesn't just look stunning, but also tastes great, and is coupled with a friendly and calm environment. Definitely a must visit for those interested in plant-based cuisine!

Mesa Verde
1919 Cliff Dr.

Santa Barbara, CA 93104
Tel: (805) 963-4474

L'Etoile- Madison, WI

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 08:01:00 +0000

L'Etoile, located on the Capitol Square, is a fine-dining establishment in Madison, Wisconsin, focused on local and seasonal offerings. Arguably Madison's most renown restaurant, I couldn't have skipped a trip to Madison without trying this place for myself.

L'Etoile provides an air of simple elegance. Housed in a building with floor to ceiling windows, with an interior that has understated neutral tones, the scene warmed up with the extensive wine cellar, candlelight, and flower arrangements.

At our table, we received custom printed menus for the evening. It was here that the attention to detail came about. When making the reservation, we had noted the occassion that presided our visit, and our menus had a small message to reflect that note. Moreover, the employees also were aware of the occassion--a very nice touch.

Brazilian Holiday (13 USD)

Pitu gold cachaça, makrut lime-infused vodka, Pierre Ferrand dry curaçao, lime juice, lavender syrup -- served on the rocks with a sparkling wine float

We began the evening began with a drink. The aptly named Brazilian Holiday had a festive vibe, with lime notes coming from the juice and vodka, complemented by the citrusy curaçao and sugar-cane based cachaça, sweetness from the lavender syrup, and carbonation from the sparkling wine.

Both of us ordered the 7 course tasting menu (125 USD), which changes throughout the year to focus on seasonal ingredients. This was quite fun, for we were able to see items being featured often at the Dane County Farmer's Market being put in place in our menus.

Before starting the 7 courses, we first received two amuse-bouche. The first was a cheese puff, accented with goat cheese and lemon. This was an extremely small, but pleasant bite, with the warm, flaky cheese puff complementing the cool, creamy, lemon-scented goat cheese very well.

Throughout the evening, I loved how our waiter went through in detail how each ingredient came to play in the making of a single dish--noting its origin, but also where it was located on the plate if it was obscure. Utensils also changed throughout the evening. We were in for a closely orchestrated experience, with us only waiting a few minutes between courses after we had finished each one.

After finishing the cheese puff, our waiter brought us a blackberry, accented with a basil puree and coconut in the form of coconut cream and toasted coconut. This was a pleasant flavor combination, with the bright berry accented with the verdant basil, but then smoothed out with the creamy coconut.

Coming alongside these amuse-bouche was also the bread offering for the night, house-made epi baugette with butter. This was delicious, with a crisp exterior and chewy, soft interior that went well with the softened butter. More bread was generously offered as we finished pieces.

Snug Haven Heirloom Tomatoes

Tamworth ham, arugula, cucumber

After enjoying the amuse-bouche, our next course quickly arrived. What was described simply as tomatoes with ham, arugula, and cucumber came out as a gaspacho terrine and foam. This was delightful, with the gaspacho jelly providing some savoriness and pepperiness to the vibrant tomato. The savory ham, peppery arugula, and cool cucumber developed the flavors further.

La Belle Farms Foie Gras

apricots, lavender, pain d'epice

Our second course was a super soft, buttery, lightly seared and scored piece of foie gras, topped with lavender and accompanied with arugula flower, apricot, and the pain d'epice. Our waiter had to specially point out that the lavender was placed just atop the foie gras; this was hard to spot to the eye.

This was my favorite course of the night. The foie gras was cooked just right so that there was no gristle, but seared for maximum flavor. Meanwhile, the accompaniments complimented the richness well--from the bright apricot, to the floral lavender and soft spiced bread. I wished there was more!

Langoustine

popcorn, blueberries, violets

Third was the langoustine course, which came with popcorn, blueberry and blueberry puree, violets, and a lemon butter and corn based soup. The langoustine was lightly poached and extremely tender, lightly briny, and sweet; the corn based soup and blueberries added to the sweetness. Meanwhile, the airy, crisp popcorn provided a texture contrast to the soft langoustine.

My friend and I polished every spoonful using both our spoons and the bread--and our waiter was very happy to see that!

Blue Valley Gardens Duck

eggplant, basil, balsamic

Our fourth course was more substantial, with a seared duck breast, duck confit leg, eggplant ravioli cooked in tomato butter, a chantrelle puree that meshed the plate together, and some balsamic gel for additional brightness. Here we saw yet another interplay between rich and bright flavors, with the tomato and balsamic providing contrast to the duck. The duck breast was cooked to a medium, lightly gamey, with a crisp skin, while the confit was crisp on the outside but extremely tender on the inside. I really appreciated the ravioli however, which were bright from the tomato butter, and came with a creamy eggplant filling. Very pleasant.

Pinn Oak Ridge Lamb

ground cherries, cranberry beans, carmen peppers

Our last major savory course of the night came in the form of lamb, which came topped with salt and carmen pepper, and served along with an auj jus, arugula flowers, ground cherries, and cranberry beans. Here, creamy, peppery, and meaty flavors joined together, with the cranberry bean puree and pieces rounding out the little dots of pepper relish, the lightly sweet ground cherries, and the tender lamb. By this point in the night, both of us felt quite stuffed, and although this course was good, it didn't impress like the earlier courses.

Dream Farm Goat Cheese

oats, alfalfa hay, goat salumi

Our cheese course came with a similarly artsy presentation, with the goat salumi, goat cheese, brown sugar oats, oat milk, and alfalfa puree and sprouts dispersed throughout the plate. The gameiness of the goat was accented nicely by the oats and alfalfa, and the salumi provided some nice savoriness to the rich cheese, sweet oats, and creamy milk and bright sprouts.

Burnt Honey Torrijas

poached cherries, black tea ice cream, chai spices

We reached our last official course with torrijas--described by our waiter as a Spanish bread pudding. The rectangular piece of brioche was fried and dusted with cinammon sugar, before being plated with macerated cheeries and reduction, chai tea ice cream, and bee pollen with honey. I liked the interplay between flavor profiles here again, with the creamy, smooth ice cream complimenting the sweet, crispy brioche and countering the bright cherries. Tea worked surprisingly well with these other flavors!

Just because we were at the end of the meal didn't mean that we were finished with the food, however. After almost three eye-opening hours of tasting great food, things officially closed off with L'Etoile's own fiddle faddle--caramel popcorn with peanuts--and berry gelee candies. A nice mix of causal and classy.

This was both my friend and I's first experience at L'Etoile, and suffice to say, we were impressed. L'Etoile was expensive, but was also quite the experience. You didn't just enjoy food that looked like art and was expertly prepared, but also the friendly employees who were informative and conversational, and the pleasant view of Capitol Square. L'Etoile is food, education, and atmosphere, all in one place.

L'Etoile

1 South Pinckney Street

Madison, WI 53703

Tel: (608) 251-0500

Javan Restaurant- Los Angeles (Sawtelle), CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 07:32:00 +0000

Established in 1986, Javan Restaurant is a Middle Eastern restaurant located on the Westside focusing on Persian food.

Inside, the environment was decidedly upscale, with a bar, a white grand piano, stone tables, wood accents, and plenty of pictures adorning the walls. All the waiters, moreover, were dressed quite formally with dress shirts and ties.

While we were perusing the menu, we noticed many people ordering a yogurt drink, and our waiter was kind enough to bring over for us a sample. The drink--Javan's Dough-- was light, slightly savory, and flavored with herbs. The savoriness took some adjusting to, but it was an refreshing drink nonetheless.

After perusing the menu, our meal began with some complimentary, homemade lavash. There were two varieties-- a normal wheat lavash and a whole wheat version--both of which were served warm. To accompany the soft, lightly crispy lavash, a whole onion, as well as mint leaves and pats of Rockview butter, were provided. This was a very generous serving--we barely polished off the bowl by the end of the meal.

For our appetizer, and as a condiment for the upcoming meal, we ordered a large Must O’ Kheyar (6 USD)-- yogurt with cucumber and herbs. This had a flavor profile very similar to the Javan's Dough with the herbs and creamy yogurt, but in comparison was much thicker and studded with lots of cubed cucumber. It went well with the lavash, as well as the flavorful meats and stews later on in the meal.

All of our entrees arrived together and quite timely after we made some headway into enjoying our appetizer and lavash. The Baghala Polo with Lamb Shank (16 USD) featured an entire lamb shank stewed in tomato sauce, herbs, and onions and was served with basmati rice flavored with dill and fava beans. This was very flavorful and enjoyable, with the lamb shank cooked to fork tender and having gained a lot of the sweetness from the tomato and onions and depth from the herbs; the dill scented rice provided a herb-y contrast to the tangy sauce and meaty lamb.

The Bademjan (15 USD), which featured sauteed and cooked egg plant with lamb shank served in tomato sauce, was like the preceding lamb shank dish, but with no bone, and a sweeter flavor with the addition of tomato. I found it interesting how even the eggplant stems were cooked whole and served in the dish--there were quite a number of them! It went really well with the soft, tender and pillowy basmati rice.

One can order combinations of meats, and so that's what we did with this Rack of Lamb Kabob / Koobideh Combination. The rack of lamb was expertly grilled, and was perhaps one of the most tender and juicy rack of lambs that we've had before-- it was browned so nicely (but not charred black), and the meat was just so flavorful and seasoned just right to accentuate the meaty flavors. The koobideh was likewise very juicy and flavorful, with a heavier emphasis on the spices. Paired with a juicy grilled tomato and some herbs, this was a very pleasant dish.

Our waiter recommended from the poultry side of the menu to try the Chicken Barg Kebab (19 USD)--pounded, marinated, skewered and broiled chicken breasts served with tomato sauce, lime, grilled tomato, parsley, and basmati rice. It was really impressive to the the meat so flattened; the chicken was flavorful, but a bit drier compared to the other meats, and thus really required the lime and the perky tomato sauce for flavor and additional moisture. The tomato sauce on this dish was a lot lighter as well--much brighter and simpler in flavor, given that it wasn't cooked with lamb or other meats.

Moving onto dessert, we ordered two to try out. The House Special Persian Ice Cream (6 USD) featured rose water, saffron and pistachio ice cream served with a cherry condiment. This was quite unique-- the ice cream was served very hard, and had a texture like that of Indian ice cream-- icy, but creamy when melted in the mouth. Pleasantly sweet and creamy, the tangy cherries provided a nice counterpoint to the ice cream.

The Faloodeh (6 USD) featured iced starch noodles in sugar and rosewater, and was served with the same cherry condiment as well as a half of a lime. This was quite intriguing, for the texture of the icy noodles changed as the faloodeh melted-- they were very light and crisp when frozen, but were more limp and flexible when melted. The rose water and cherry flavors were on the stronger end, but the lime helped to provide some contrast and balance--we appreciated this dessert much more with the inclusion of the lime.

Overall, a delicious meal at Javan Restaurant-- they do a great job in providing a quality, authentic Persian meal in a pleasant environment. You'll find quality meats and ingredients, professional service, and sizable portions in response to the higher prices on the regular menu (weekday lunch specials more reasonably priced, with smaller portions too).

Javan Restaurant
11500 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Tel: (310) 207-5555

Cafe Gratitude- Los Angeles (Arts District), CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 06:08:00 +0000

We've greatly enjoyed our past visits to Larchmont's Cafe Gratitude, and so we were glad to hear that Cafe Gratitude has also opened up in Downtown's Art District--making a for a shorter drive to enjoy their creative vegan and organic foods.

The Arts District location takes more of a light colored approach (instead of an emphasis on turquoise), with white chairs and benches, grey walls, yellow chairs, green plants, and woods throughout the entire location. It's also much larger than the Larchmont location--we made reservations, given Cafe Gratitude's general popularity and dineLA, but found out that the restaurant was less than half full when we entered.

Unlike some of the Yelp reviews about this location, service was great right from the moment we entered the restaurant. We were happily guided to our table, our waiters noted the dineLA menu and dinner specials, checked up on us to make sure we were ready to order (took a while given the many options!), and noted their "question of the day," for which our visit was, "What inspires you?"

We started with some appetizers that came with the dineLA dinner menu, which offered a choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert for 30 USD. I ordered the Flourishing (normally 8 USD, 5 USD extra for an additional arancine), a braised asparagus arancine composed of arborio rice, braised asparagus, cashew mozzarella, gremolata (lemon zest, garlic, parsley), and a side of basil hempseed pesto oil and arugula. This was very pleasant, with the warm arancine being crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, scented with lemon and spices, and with tender pieces of asparagus. Its richness was supplanted by the verdant pesto and arugula, which was very lightly bitter and dressed with a sweeter savory dressing and topped with some salty brazil nut parmesan. I didn't miss any of the dairy that would have been in the dish!

The other appetizer we had was a coconut ceviche tostada named Yo Soy Feliz (normally 1 for 8 USD, 2 for 14 USD). Starting with a bed of a thin and crisp tortilla, black bean puree, coconut ceviche, mexican coleslaw, roasted tomatillo sauce, cashew queso fresco, spicy pepitas, cilantro, and avocado were added. This, like a regular ceviche, was light and refreshing, with some added creaminess coming from the queso fresco, coconut meat, and avocado. It was extremely neat to see the fresh coconut meat being used--just lightly marinated to accent its original flavors--and to see the balance between all the ingredients-- crunchy, creamy, smooth, bright, spicy all in one bite.

All our entrees came together on time. The DineLA's exclusive entree--Accepting-- was a sushi grain bowl with blackened tempeh, shredded kale, nori, wakame, avocado, cucumber, scallions, cilantro, basil, sprouted probiotic brown rice, gomasio (sesame seeds), sunflower sprouts, and served with a sesame wasabi dressing on the side. It was a rather light and verdant bowl-- lots of vegetables served as is, and thus the dressing and the warm tempeh and rice served a critical role in meshing everything together.

The other dineLA entree we tried was the Warm-Hearted (normally 16 USD), which featured two grilled polenta triangles with braised summer squash, sauteed kale, roasted tomatillo sauce, salsa verde, cashew queso fresco, spicy pepitas, chopped scallions, and cilantro. The polenta was quite unique--not only was it creamy on the inside and lightly crisped on the outside, it also featured white corn kernels which added additional texture contrast. Everything was nicely accentuated with each other-- creamy polenta, spicy tomatillo, salsa verde, and pepitas, creamy queso fresco, verdant kale, scallions, and cilantro, and rich, braised summer squash--this was quite delicious and filling.

From the summer dinner specials menu was the Inspiring (13 USD), an asparagus risotto made with arborio rice, gremolata (garlic, parsley, and lemon zest), cashew creme fraiche, and brazil nut parmesan. This was like the flourishing, but in a large portion, more fluid and creamy, and with the gremolata seasoning more pronounced. In either dish, the arborio rice wasn't as rounded as in other risottos--a bit more loose, long grained than the usual. A bright, creamy, and simple dish.

Lastly, we tried out the Happy (15 USD), a mediterranean raw wrap consisting of a sun-dried tomato wrap, raw falafels, zucchini cilantro hummus, spinach, red onion, tomato, cucumber, harissa sauce, garlic tahini dressing, and a side of hemp seed tabbouleh. This was quite flavorful, with the sauces playing a major role in binding all the various greens and mediterranean flavors together.

For dessert on the dineLA menu, we had three options: Remarkable, which was either a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake or cherry black forest cake, or Sweet, a three chocolate sampler. We picked both Remarkable options. This white chocolate raspberry "cheesecake" had a cocoa nib and almond crust, a creamy cashew almond milk white chocolate filling, fresh raspberries, and a coconut cream topping. The filling was a bit more like a mousse than a cheesecake in consistency, but overall the cheesecake was pleasantly creamy, fruity from the fresh raspberries, and chocolate-y with the cocoa butter and cocoa nibs. We liked this quite a bit.

The black forest layered cake, likewise, made some alternatives for its vegan status. The cake was swapped with a sticky, cocoa flavored date paste that had a texture similar to a brownie, and was layered with cherries and cherry flavored cocoa cream. Dark chocolate, coconut cream, and a fresh cherry rounded out the dessert--very rich, and a bit on the moist side.

Overall, yet another creative and quality visit at Cafe Gratitude-- as we always feel at the end of each meal, it's great how Cafe Gratitude makes such creative dishes with their quality ingredients. And with this particular location, there is more room to do so-- more seating, and even a small market of goods are available for sale. Service was so top-notch--everyone was so happy, caring, and interested in discussing and sharing the food, and we were checked up upon throughout the entire meal. We'll be back.

Cafe Gratitude
300 S Santa Fe Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Tel: (213) 929-5580

Pizzeria Mozza- Los Angeles, CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 04:37:00 +0000

Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, Lidia Bastianich, and Nancy Silverton's Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza have been extremely popular restaurants in Los Angeles, commanding queues that were hours long. So when we were recently in the area and found out on OpenTable that we could reserve seats for lunch at a time just less than a half an hour prior to arrival, we took the opportunity.

Pizzeria Mozza is a relatively small restaurant, located adjacent to the larger Osteria Mozza (open for dinner only) and Mozza2Go. Inside, light toned woods and yellows set the tone--a skylight, which was filtered with a yellow skin, provided most of the lighting. A friendly vibe was immediately set with the upbeat employees, who immediately seated us and went through the menu in detail once we told them it was our first time dining here. We found out popular items, and also some notable differentiations--pizzetta meant a smaller pizza, and that any pizza that didn't list "tomato" on it came without tomato sauce. They were extremely detail oriented, eagerly describing the preparations of daily specials and vegetables.

To start, we began with the bone marrow al forno, which came with three split pieces of bone marrow, roasted garlic, sea salt, parsley, and two pieces of crostini.

It came out so quickly from the kitchen that our waiter had to separately bring us the third piece of bone marrow, which was bubbling hot from the oven.

To enjoy the bone marrow, we tore part of the crostini, mashed a piece of roasted garlic on top, added the bone marrow, and topped the marrow with sea salt and the parsley. With everything together, the otherwise purely greasy, rich, beefy, and tender bone marrow came into full blossom, with the crusty bread, sweet garlic, salt, and bright parsley tempering the richness of the marrow and complementing its existing flavor. Make sure to enjoy this as quickly as possible--before the fats become solid, that is.

Mozza's lasagne al forno (Sunday Piatti Del Giorno, 21 USD) was also extremely delightful. Served piping hot and consisting of layers of spinach pasta, bolognese, bechamel sauce, broiled, melted cheese, and topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese, the lasagne wasn't particularly large portion-wise, but was grand in flavor. The verdant, pliable noodles paired well with the deep, meaty bolognese, creaminess of the bechamel sauce, and flavorful cheeses--all while not being dense. Every bite was pleasantly crafted and simply enjoyable.

Moving onward, we enjoyed two pizzas. First was a pizza with lamb's quarters & salame, with cacio di roma (18 USD), which was also baked with spinach. We ordered this for the inclusion of lamb's quarters, which provided some rich gaminess to the pizza, but the larger emphasis was on the peppery salame, savory cheese, and verdant spinach. The crust, meanwhile, was very crisp, puffy, and chewy--quite intriguing.

I had meant to order the premium prosciutto, rucola, tomato & mozzarella di bufala pizza, which is also made with organic tomatoes, but we got at our table instead the proscuitto di parma, rucola (arugula), tomato and mozzarella pizza (17 USD) instead. I appreciated the interplay between bright and sweet tomato, peppery arugula, fruity olive oil, and meaty prosciutto, which went well with the equally crisp, puffy, and chewy crust. This pizza, as with the other pizza, were a bit dry for my taste-- make sure you have a drink to go along with it.

After seeing Cindy of Food Makes Me Happy's strawberry gelato pie at Pizzeria Mozza and other customers' gelato pies while at the restaurant, we had to order the strawberry gelato pie with toasted spiced almonds and saba (10 USD) for dessert. Starting off with a base of freshly whipped cream and an almond biscotti crust, the pie was then filled with firmly set, naturally fruity strawberry gelato and topped with fresh strawberries marinated in saba (a sweet syrup made from grape juice), more whipped cream, and the said toasted spiced almonds. Everything was just so pleasantly combined together, yet also so simple-- a bit expensive, but tasty for sure.

Overall, simple but quality ingredients and great execution can be found in the fare at Pizzeria Mozza, alongside an immersive Italian-styled environment. If you're looking for an authentic, quality Italian meal, it's a great place to be, and is deserving of its place in the Los Angeles restaurant spotlight.

Pizzeria Mozza
641 North Highland Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tel: (323) 297-0101

Real Food Daily- Pasadena, CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 05:13:00 +0000

I've recently gotten an interest in healthier foods and restaurants that specialize in healthy eating, such as Cafe Gratitude. Having greatly enjoyed Cafe Gratitude, I thought it wouldn't hurt to explore and try out a fellow restaurant chain also in the same organic, plant-based segment--Real Food Daily.

While Cafe Gratitude likes to "provide inspired service, honest and transparent communication, and express gratitude for the richness of our lives", Real Food Daily prides itself on being a destination where "community happens around education, connection and hospitality, over delicious, accessible food that’s real."

And indeed, there were parallels in both restaurants. The service was extremely friendly, the environment upbeat, natural, modern, and friendly, and people were enjoying a wide assortment of plant-based items--drinks and juices, appetizers, rice bowls, salads, and dessert.

For us, we decided to try items from the seasonal special, salad, "real food and basics" sections of the menu. These Carribean Quesadillas (16 USD), from the Seasonal Specials, had "coconut lentil purée, spinach, caramelized onions, pepperjack cheese, whole wheat tortilla with coconut cilantro cashew crème, mango salsa, guacamole, and grilled plantains." Served with two different organic hot sauces--one chipotle jalapeno and the other habanero-- this was an interesting fusion take on the quesadilla. The quesadilla itself was quite coconutty and full of vegetables with the spinach and onions--not too savory but creamy and rich--and the fresh mango salsa helped to provide some needed brightness. An intriguing fusion item.

In contrast, all of our other items were extremely filling and generous in portions. This Mediterranean Bowl (16 USD) had "Wild arugula, tomato, avocado, lemon herb Za’atar dressing, cucumber kalamata salsa, white bean basil salad, red quinoa tabouli, almond feta, and whole wheat Za’atar flatbread." It was a great medley with the variety of veggies and textures, creamy almond feta and the herbaceous, bright, and sour lemon dressing tying everything together. Meanwhile, the toasted flatbread was tender on the inside and crisp on the outside--a pleasant textural carbohydrate to snack on between bites of salad. There was so much that we had leftovers of this! Certainly a balanced meal--plenty of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables to go around.

I ordered the Real Food Meal (15 USD), which came with "brown rice, beans, daily greens, land and sea vegetables, pressed salad" and house dressing (sesame tahini watercress). It was served with a shaker glass of gomasio--roasted sesame seeds with sea salt.

This was a really clean bowl of vegetables, carbohydrates, and protein--the kale, cucumbers, squash, beans, and carrots were all simply steamed and unseasoned, the beans seemed to just have been boiled and seasoned, the pressed pickled cabbage slaw and seaweed lightly marinated, and the long grain brown rice just simply cooked. As such, the extremely flavorful, creamy, and slightly savory house dressing played a crucial role in meshing these simply prepared ingredients together, and the gomasio helping in the lines of crunch as well as seasoning. Enjoying this item felt like a cleanse from oily and greasy foods, and it also happened to be very filling as well.

Pleasant execution, quality organic ingredients prepared simply, and a modern, friendly environment--you'll find all of these at Real Food Daily.

Real Food Daily

899 E Del Mar Blvd

Pasadena, CA 91106

Tel: (626) 844-8900

Yi Mei- Monrovia, CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 16:49:00 +0000

A local Taiwanese restaurant chain specializing in breakfast and pastries, Yi Mei in recent years has also expanded to Monrovia, California, with a revamped, modern look.

The Monrovia location takes on a modern, fast-casual concept, with the menu displayed on large television displays and ordering done at the counter. Condiments, like garlic soy sauce, chili oil, and vinegar, and utensils are located on a side table, and frozen items and pastries are located at another wall of the restaurant. Though breakfast is the main attraction--think a pastry, bread item, or rice item with soymilk--Yi Mei also offers a full lunch and dinner menu with various noodles, rice plates, and other Taiwanese specialties--that's the topic for today's post.

Our meal began with one of the simplest dishes on the menu--minced meat rice. It came out almost right after we ordered! Besides the fluffy, fat kernels of steamed rice and the tender, soy marinated minced pork, the dish also came with some sauteed greens, corn kernels, pickled radish, preserved vegetables, and a marinated egg.

Next were the leek dumplings, which seemed to have been overcooked as there were some holes in some of the dumplings, and also were doused with some sauce. These had very chewy wrappers and a pleasant filling, but were a bit on the small size. Had they not been overcooked, they'd be better too.

Usually chive boxes (韭菜盒子 – Jui Cai He Zi) aren't fried, but Yi Mei (who calls these "leek pies") fries them on all sides so that the entire exterior is a golden brown. These were decent, other than being slightly greasy, especially on the edges, due to the frying. The chive to glass noodle ratio was very balanced, and thus the chive flavor wasn't as strong due to the other ingredients in the filling.

We were a fan of Yi Mei's Oyster Pancake, which was thin, and was layered with egg, napa cabbage, and oysters. It really demonstrated the multiple textures and flavors--chewy rice flour pancake, crunchy lettuce, soft, briny oysters, crispy edges from frying, sweetness from the accompanying tomato sauce.

The Pork Trotter Noodle Soup was also notable with the pork trotters, which still had a bite to them instead of being fall of the bone tender. With plentiful amounts of the gelatinous trotters, napa cabbage, a lot of thin, chewy noodles, and a broth that had a slight heat in the background, it was a pleasant noodle bowl.

Lastly, the Pork Chop Rice was like the minced meat rice plate, but with less minced meat and a meaty, fried pork chop. This pork chop was tender and lightly crisp, with the exterior binding nicely to the seasoned pork meat.

Overall, a reasonably priced and tasty Taiwanese meal at Yi Mei. The frozen and refrigerated options and various buns and pastries are also worth a look for bringing the experience back home from the restaurant.

Yi Mei

943 W Duarte Rd.

Monrovia, CA 91016

Tel: (626) 275-8785

Trattoria Amici (The Americana At Brand)- Glendale, CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 16:55:00 +0000

Trattoria Amici is a small, local, two location Italian restaurant chain (the other being in Brentwood) focused on fresh ingredients, handmade pastas, and wine. On a recent visit to the Americana at Brand, we decided to visit it for lunch.

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Inside, Trattoria Amici presents multiple seating areas and options, whether it be a covered patio or indoor seating with different setups. We were seated close to the main entrance, with plenty of sunlight flowing in from the windows.

As we perused the regular menu and seasonal menu (spring) our waiter, who regularly checked up on us throughout our meal, brought us some warm, crust bread with fruity olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The soft interior and crusty exterior of the bread paired very well with the accompaniments, and were great to snack on while waiting for our main entrees.

In curiosity of what handkerchief pasta would be like, I ordered the Fazzoletti Al Pesto, Gamberetti e Menta (19.95 USD) from the seasonal menu, which has "homemade fresh handkerchief pasta dressed in light pesto sauce with shrimp and fresh mint." Here, the quality ingredients stood out-- the shrimp was firm with a crisp bite, the homemade pesto sauce and mint bright and not overbearing, the wide, flat, lightly chewy pieces of pasta binding everything together. The portion size could have been larger, but what was on the plate was extremely enjoyable--it's no wonder why they pride themselves on their pasta!

Likewise, we greatly enjoyed the Linguine al Salmone (17.50 USD), which consisted of "homemade linguine pasta in pink sauce with fresh sauteed salmon and peas." Here, the homemade linguine pasta was very chewy and al-dente, which played an interesting contrast to the buttery, flaky, soft salmon and bright, fresh peas. The pink sauce, which was both tomatoey and creamy at the same time, binded the whole dish together--its creaminess and sweetness went well with the chewy pasta, fresh vegetables, and rich salmon.

This was just a lunch of two pasta dishes and bread, but everything, from the food to the service, was extremely well curated and executed--we'll be back for more.

Trattoria Amici
889 Americana Way,
Glendale, CA 91210
Tel: (818) 502-1220

Tim Ho Wan (MTR Hong Kong Station)- Central, Hong Kong

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 22:22:00 +0000

A visit to Hong Kong entails a list of places to visit--Tim Ho Wan, a Michelin starred dim sum restaurant chain also widely known as the cheapest Michelin starred dim sum, was on that list. We found one outlet conveniently located at the MTR Hong Kong Station, nestled beneath the large IFC Mall in Central, Hong Kong, and checked it out during a weekday lunch.

The caveat of the weekday lunch, however, is that the office workers nearby head down towards IFC Mall for many delicious eateries. Tim Ho Wan, as a result, was packed, with long queues for sitting inside the restaurant. Unwilling to wait, we decided to order to-go, and enjoy the food at our hotel room instead. After filling out a menu sheet, paying for the items, and waiting for only a short period of time, we were on our way to enjoying some dim sum.

We first began with Steamed Egg Cake (香滑馬拉糕, 15 HKD). Sweetened with brown sugar, the light, pillowy cake had plenty of egg fragrance and depth from the molasses involved in the brown sugar.

Next, came the Pan Fried Green Pepper filled with Mixed Fish and Pork (煎釀虎皮尖椒, 16 HKD). These were extremely flavorful, with the savory, seared mixed fish and pork filling and slender, snappy, and occasionally spicy green pepper.

One of Tim Ho Wan's signature items is their Vermicelli Roll stuffed with Pork Liver (黃沙豬潤腸, 21 HKD), and given that I hadn't had a rice noodle roll with pork liver, I was really looking forward to this. It was a very enjoyable dish, with the vermicelli noodle layers thin, smooth, and pliable. Meanwhile, the bouncy, just cooked, soft pork liver was accented with ginger and cilantro. Tied in with some sweet soy sauce, this was a tasty treat.

Arguably Tim Ho Wan's most signature item, however, is the Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (酥皮焗叉燒包, 20 HKD). It's no regular barbeque pork bun--first, there's the crispy cookie layer outside the bun, which lightly crackles and provides additional sweetness. The bread layer, moreover, is thin, to maximize the amount of filling inside.

Inside, the filling is premium; instead of shredded barbequed pork or tons of filler, cubes of tender BBQ pork swim in a sweet and savory BBQ sauce. Sweet, savory, tender, crispy--these buns were extremely memorable.

It's no surprise why Tim Ho Wan attracts crowds--it's quality ingredients and execution at a reasonable price tag. Looking forward to future visits!

Tim Ho Wan, the Dim-Sum Specialists 添好運點心專門店 (Openrice links)

Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall), Central, Hong Kong

中環香港站12A鋪(IFC地庫一層)

Tel: 2332 3078

Savoy Kitchen- Alhambra, CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 22:30:00 +0000

A famous restaurant for Hainan Chicken Rice, Savoy Kitchen is a very small restaurant on Valley Boulevard that draws large crowds. But it isn't merely an Asian restaurant, but rather it serves both Asian and Italian options--you'll find pizza, pasta, bread, curry, and other options.

As we ordered from both elements from the menu-- Asian and Italian-- we received a plate of pizza bread to start. Made with potato, the crusty, lightly sweet bread went well with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

The Conch and Proscuitto Pasta (8.95 USD), cooked in a garlic, white wine, olive oil, and butter sauce, was as described, with plenty of al dente linguine, smoky minced proscuitto, and chewy pieces of conch. The light sauce was pleasantly accented with the seafood and meat flavors from the conch and proscuitto, and the sauce went well not just with the pasta, but with the bread as well.

Curry Beef Stew (6.95 USD), on the other hand, was a very slow-cooked dish, with the beef stew falling apart when touched. The deep curry sauce base, which had coconut milk, many spices and herbs, and over a dozen fruits and vegetables, was quite greasy and flavorful, which made for a great mixing with the steamed white rice topped with fried shallot. However, being greasy, it was also very filling, and we could not finish the dish in one sitting.

There are several options to get Hainan Chicken at Savoy, including white meat and dark meat options, and the choice to get seasoned chicken rice, salad, or neither. In our case, we ordered the dark meat only version of the Hainan Chicken Rice (9.30 USD), which came with plenty of strips of poached Hainan Chicken, the chicken rice, and condiments of dark soy sauce, minced ginger and scallion in oil, and a creamy chili sauce.

Not adulterated with MSG, the chicken rice thus only featured the intrinsic chicken flavors and wasn't overseasoned. The chicken was poached to tender and taut, and the rice fragrant, soft, lightly accented with chicken broth, ginger, and garlic, with the kernels separated. With the light chicken flavors, the side accompaniments were crucial in accenting the dish with additional flavor-- we used a lot (and asked for extra) of the minced ginger condiment, which unlike other restaurants focused primarily on the ginger and not the scallion. The dark soy, meanwhile, provided additional depth and savoriness, while the creamy chili sauce provided some acidity, heat, and brightness to the dish.

Overall, a pleasant meal at Savoy-- good fare, and thankfully, a non-existent wait for our visit, since we came near the end of the dinner hours. I wouldn't want to wait in the long queue that normally is associated with eating here!

Savoy Kitchen

138 E Valley Blvd

Alhambra, CA 91801

Tel: (626) 308-9535

Cafe Gratitude- Los Angeles (Larchmont), CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 03:32:00 +0000

A growing 100% organic, plant-based restaurant chain, Cafe Gratitude offers healthful vegetarian foods in a positive, modern, and friendly ambiance. I was recommended to visit it by a friend, who lauded the positive atmosphere, and was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the vegetarian fare was.

Inside, Cafe Gratitude is happy, positive, and clean, with natural tones and casual furnishings. The mood is set by the positive adjectives not only listed on the menus ("I am...") and boards, but also the employees, who are content and wear shirts that say "love" and other terms. Mindfulness, health, and wellness permeate the entire environment.

The first time I went to Cafe Gratitude, we began with the Connected (9 USD), an appetizer composed of guacamole and handmade crackers. The creamy, lightly seasoned guacamole went well with the nutty, crunchy flaxseed cracker and a slightly acidic, sprouted cracker.

I also had a drink of Luscious (8.5 USD), which was composed of almond milk, figs, date, raw cacao, and vanilla bean. With the raw cacao, the large smoothie was quite fragrant and chocolatey, and was naturally sweetened by the figs, date, and vanilla bean. Creamy, with some slight grittiness and texture from the figs and raw cacao, it was a very filling and intriguing drink.

And for my entree, I had the Whole (14 USD), a macrobiotic bowl with sea vegetables, braised Garnet yams, adzuki beans, sauteed kale, homemade kimchee, sea whip, black sesame seed gomasio, garlic-tahini sauce, teriyaki almonds, sunflower sprouts, and local brown rice or quinoa (you can pick both as well). It was truly a hearty bowl, with healthful ingredients and a slight Asian twist which helped to combine all the disparate ingredients together. I especially liked liked the teriyaki almonds, which provided some savory crunch, and the sea vegetables, which had a pleasant bite and were accented nicely with the other ingredients in the bowl.

On another visit, we tried the Mucho (14 USD), a Mexican bowl composed of black beans, guacamole, seasonal pico de gallo, nopalitos, fresh corn, cashew nacho cheese, toasted pepitas and chopped romaine. For the base of the bowl, we picked both local brown rice and quinoa. This was yet another filling bowl of quality ingredients that went very well together--crunchy, soft, creamy, sweet, salty, spicy, tangy, nutty all in one bowl.

And I had the Fabulous (14 USD), a raw lasagna composed of squash blossoms, heirloom tomatoes, cilantro pumpkin seed pesto, fresh corn, summer squash noodles, cashew queso fresco, salsa verde, and raw cacao mole. Although this dish was completely raw, the dish itself melded very well together, with layers of different flavors and intensity--creamy, smoky, bright, green, sweet--coming from the varied ingredients. I felt the portion size was a bit small, but the dish was enjoyable nonetheless.

Cafe Gratitude's organic, creative dishes and cozy, fresh atmosphere make it a great place to visit for the health-conscious or just someone willing to try a fun spin on vegetarian food. I was quite surprised, and new seasonal specials only continue the innovation.

Cafe Gratitude
639 N Larchmont Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Tel: (323) 580-6383

Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa- Marina Del Rey, CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 20:56:00 +0000

Part of the Waterside in Marina Del Rey, California, Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa opened its first location here. A collaboration between Kazunori Nozawa, Jerry A. Greenberg, Tom Nozawa, Lele Massimini, Cameron Broumand, and Clement Mok, Sugarfish aims to provide Sushi Nozawa style and quality sushi at a larger and more accessible scale.

Such accessibility means that there are no sushi chefs or sushi bar viewable to the customers; rather, all the sushi is prepared in the kitchen and presented on tempo when one is ready to receive more food. Inside, it is sleek, and the menu is simplified-- although there are a la carte sushi, handroll, sashimi, and drink options, almost everyone, according to the menu and our server, orders one of the three Trust Me's: Trust Me Lite (17 USD), Trust Me (25 USD), and Nozawa Trust Me (35 USD). For simplicity's sake, we ordered one of each.

As such, we began with plates of organic edamame (2.50 USD), which were also presented with the sushi ginger (gari) and wasabi that we would be able to use later in the meal, alongside a small ceramic container of soy sauce.

These edamame were cooked in saltwater, and thus were nicely seasoned, and each of the green soybeans inside the pods were pleasantly chewy and well cooked.

We then moved onto plates of Tuna Sashimi (7.50 USD). Here, we had multiple slices of big eye tuna covered with house made ponzu sauce and very thinly sliced green onion. The clean, meaty tuna was nicely accented with the crisp green onions and the citrusy and salty ponzu.

After finishing up the tuna sashimi, our sushi courses began arriving. Here was the entire Trust Me Lite sushi selection, consisting of one piece of sweet shrimp, salmon, and albacore tuna respectively.

Meanwhile, for the Trust Me and Nozawa Trust Me, two pieces each of albacore and salmon arrived.

It's important to note that Nozawa claims to eat the sushi immediately after it is placed at the table, for each piece of sushi was made just in time for you to enjoy it at the table. Doing so allows you to experience the temperature contrast between the very warm sushi rice and the cooler piece of sushi on top.

The albacore sushi (5.25 USD) were served simply as is (no searing on the edges), and dressed with the same ponzu sauce and green onion on top. This was heavier in flavor versus the first tuna sashimi course, and the albacore simply melted in our mouths along with the rice when bit into.

A Nozawa specialty is to have the rice loosely packed, and in this case it did help with that melt in the mouth feeling. It did make the sushi hard to handle, however, but the small pieces remedied that a little bit--these were truly one bite morsels.

Meanwhile, the salmon pieces (5.25 USD) were velvety, fatty, and intrinsically oily, with the sesame seeds providing some additional nuttiness. A little bit of added wasabi and soy also benefited the fish.

After finishing the first course of sushi, for the Trust Me, one piece of yellowtail and halibut came to the table.

And for the Nozawa Trust Me, two pieces each of the daily special (large scallop), halibut, and yellowtail sushi came together on one platter.

The yellowtail (5.75 USD) was full bodied and nicely marbled, and went well along with a little bit of soy and wasabi.

Meanwhile, the halibut (5.75 USD) was very clean and was brightened with the applied yuzu ponzu, which provided a lot of additional flavor.

And the daily special of large scallops (instead of small bay scallops) was creamy, sweet, and briny, with the yuzu ponzu providing some brightness to the scallop.

One Toro Tuna Hand Roll (4.75 USD) for the Trust Me Lite arrived at the same time as the 2nd sushi course for the other two Trust Mes, and two more followed after we finished up the 2nd sushi course. Here, we could see the care put into making each handroll-- the seaweed was extremely fragrant and crisp, while the rice was still warm, and the mashed up toro was creamy and very soft.

The last course for the Trust Me and Nozawa Trust Me, the Blue Crab Hand Roll (4.50 USD)--a signature item of Nozawa's, was equally impressive, with the briny, creamy, sweet crab mixture pairing well with the warm rice and crisp and fragrant seaweed.

Sugarfish was an intriguing experience-- receiving sushi at the table in small courses for one to enjoy the freshness, just in time preparation of each item, quality ingredients, and a modern atmosphere. The restaurant policies are well laid out, and the food is simple so that one gets to focus closely on the taste and textures.

Sugarfish Marina del Rey
4722 1/4 Admiralty Way
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Tel: (310) 306-6300

Chichen Itza Restaurant (Mercado La Paloma)- Los Angeles (University Park), CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Thu, 28 May 2015 00:43:00 +0000

Mercado La Paloma, a local community gathering place, is also home to a fine hodgepodge of quality restaurants--Thai, Ethiopian, American, Mexican, and Yucatecan cuisine can be found here. Chichen Itza, the restaurant that consistently has the longest queue of all the restaurants, specializes in Yucatecan cuisine (southeastern Mexican cuisine)--the menu is filled with unique regional specialties.

After ordering in person at Chichen Itza's counter, one receives a wooden stand with a number (for the employees to keep track of where to bring food to). Prior to the arrival of the food, an employee will bring over beverages as well as Chichen Itza's house Habanero Hot Sauce. It's a potent, fruity, extremely spicy, and slightly acidic hot sauce.

During my first visit, I had the torta de cochinita pibil (7.25 USD), a sandwich made with house-made baguette stuffed with the said cochinita pibil, banana leaf wrapped braised pork marinated with achiote and sour orange, and pickled minced red onion. It came alongside a scoop of potato salad, and some tortilla chips, both of which served as strong accompaniment to the sandwich-- one sweet and creamy, the other crispy and lightly salted. The sandwich itself, more importantly, was also tasty--the crusty and soft bread paired nicely with the tender, tangy, rich pork and bright pickled onion.

What I wished I had more of in the torta though, was the cochinita pibil marinade. Thus, on another visit, I ordered the full cochinita pibil (9.99 USD) entree, which came with a lot more of the pork, a habanero pepper, several corn tortillas for taco making, and a side of white rice and black beans. Here, the flavors of the pork really stood out, given that it was well sauced-- the acidic marinade and rich pork flavors really came out fully. The accompaniments, all hot and warm, served as welcoming canvases for the cochinita pibil.

Chichen Itza offers a wide variety of drinks, from chilled chaya, horchata, guanabana, and jamaica, to hot drinks like coffee, and occasionally, atole de coco. On another visit, we began with a cup of jamaica (1.99 USD), a hibiscus flower tea drink that was pleasantly acidic and lightly sweetened.

We also tried out the papadzules (9.49 USD), which consisted of "four hard boiled egg stuffed corn tortillas topped with pumpkin seed sauce." This dish was quite rich and creamy, with the minced hard boiled eggs and rich pumpkin seed sauce, and balanced by the achiote sauce and salsa that lightly applied on top.

The pescado playa lancheros (16.99 USD, whole grilled branzino), came with a butterflied whole branzino that was served with salsa, avocado, lime wedges, pickled red onions, and rice and black beans. Lightly grilled, the branzino offered a crispy skin, and a very tender, flaky flesh.

To go along our protein heavy meal, we ordered a side of vegetales al carbon (3.50 USD), or wood grilled vegetables. In this case, we got four large spears of grilled asparagus served with a creamy, spicy sauce. The asparagus were nice and tender, and the chefs took care to strip away the fibrous areas near the stem of the asparagus.

On yet another visit, I tried the tikin-xic (10.49 USD), grilled basa fillet served over rice with achiote sauce, pico de gallo, tortilla strips, a side of tortillas, and a side of citrus jicama salad. This was a balanced meal, with carbohydrates, protein, and plenty of vegetables. The basa filet was meaty and tender, although the pieces I got were a bit overcharred. The tangy, slightly spicy achiote sauce served together-- the meaty fish, rice, and bright and crunchy salad.

On one weekend, I happened to bump into a special event of sorts--Chichen Itza set up a special booth outside of their storefront for lechon al horno, or roasted pork. They certainly were not kidding-- they had roasted large sections of pig on the counter, and the chef was individually preparing tacos, tortas, and entree plates of the pork to order.

After I ordered a taco, the chef heated a tortilla, took some shreds of the pork, dressed it with some of the pork's own juices and lime juice, and topped the pork and tortilla with pico de gallo and a large piece of chicharron. For 1.50 USD, this was quite a deal! The pork was extremely rich, porky, and fall off the bone tender, and the pico de gallo nicely balanced the soft tortilla and flavorful pork. Meanwhile, the chicharron, fried pork skin, was an enjoyable crunchy snack.

I had originally wanted a meal with more vegetables, but Chichen Itza also had a chalkboard special of mondongo a la andaluza (9 USD), a soup comprised of tripe, chorizo sausage, vegetables and hominy, and so my meal suddenly became a protein packed one instead. The spicy, deep, and sour broth had plenty of pieces of tender tripe and other ingredients, all in bite-sized pieces. With so much flavor, the soft and crusty bolillo bread served as a chaser between bites of the soup.

Tasty Yucatecan cuisine at a place where different cuisines come together and people are happy-- what's not to like?

Chichen Itza Restaurant
Mercado La Paloma

3655 S Grand Ave #C6,

Los Angeles, CA 90007

Tel: (213) 741-1075

Jeon Ju Restaurant- Los Angeles (Koreatown), CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Tue, 26 May 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Widely known as a bibimbap specialist (their website is "bibimbap.webs.com," if it wasn't already understood), Jeon Ju is a venerable place to visit for a Korean meal. Not only is their bibimbap well done, but so are lots of their other items.

As we perused the multi-paged menu, cups of smooth, weak barley tea were provided at the table.

After ordering, we were presented with a wide array of banchan. There were six common items for the whole table--bean sprouts, marinated potatoes, sweetened, dried shrimp, daikon kimchi, a green pajeon, and napa cabbage kimchi. For each individual was a bowl of noodles in a lightly spicy broth and napa cabbage water kimchi. We found everything to be nicely done, and found the dried, crispy shrimp really fun to snack on.

A condiment of green onions, sesame seeds, peppers and soy sauce was also provided for a larger haemul pajeon and yeong yang dolsot that we ordered.

First to arrive was the famous galbi dolsot bibimbap (12.89 USD). Filled with a bed of steamed white rice, it was topped with soybean sprouts, zuchinni, sliced shittake mushrooms, napa cabbage kimchi, shredded daikon, spinach, julinenne carrot, a sunny side up egg, cubed pieces of galbi, sesame seeds, and seaweed. Later, our waitress also presented a side dish of a fibrous root to be added to the dish.

This was quite tasty--everything simply melded together very well, alongside some additional gojuchang (hot pepper paste). There was a balance between rice, meat, and vegetables, it was pleasantly seasoned, and the rice itself was heated long enough so that when it was presented at the table, the rice crust at the edge of the hot stone bowl was a light golden brown color. It also wasn't excessively oily, something which can happen with dolsot bibimbap.

Miyoek guk, or wakame seaweed soup, accompanied the bibimbap, as well as all the rice dishes we ordered. The clean, refreshing soup cleansed the palate between bites of the heavier, flavorful rice.

Next was the ugeoji tang (6.89 USD), one of the options available on the lunch menu. Although described as a beef and cabbage soup on the menu, it is more specifically a dried napa cabbage and beef soup. As a result, the soup had a much deeper vegetable flavor and exhibited the qualities of dried vegetables.

A very enticing photo of the yeong yang dolsot (12.89 USD), a earthenware pot filled with black and white rice, chestnuts, ginkgo nut, bean, jujubes, and frozen vegetables, enticed us to order it. It was a very packed bowl of healthy ingredients; being a mix of just those items, additional seasoning and pairing with the banchan made it more flavorful and enjoyable. We used plenty of the green onion, sesame, pepper, and soy sauce condiment on this.

Last but not least was the haemul pajeon (15.65 USD), a large, sizzling seafood pancake. There was much more to this pancake than just the mixed seafood (shrimp, squid, octopus) and green onion; there were also carrots and jalepenos dispersed throughout the pancake. Tied together with plenty of batter, the pancake didn't fall apart when separated to pieces, and was very enjoyable with the green onion, sesame seed, pepper, and soy sauce condiment.

Overall, a solid meal at Jeon Ju. We'll be back for more, and next time we also plan on ordering the eundaegu jorim, which many customers enjoyed for their meal while we were there.

Jeon Ju Restaurant
2716 W. Olympic Blvd Ste 101
Los Angeles, CA 90006
Tel: (213) 386-5678

Ma Dang Gook Soo- Los Angeles (Koreatown), CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Mon, 25 May 2015 05:47:00 +0000

After looking at Ma Dang Gook Soo's handmade noodles and acorn noodles featured on Gastronomy and Buzzfeed / The Actors Diet respectively, it didn't take much more to make our own visit to Ma Dang Gook Soo.

When we visited on a Sunday evening, Ma Dang Gook Soo was operating at system capacity. The restaurant was full, but it didn't take much for us to wait in line before getting an open spot.

Seated down, lots of people were enjoying the noodle options, seasoned spicy rice cake (tteokbokki), and bibimbap. Moreover, the friendly waitresses were eagerly serving the customers. When I wanted to learn more about some items which were only written in Korean on the wall (it was actually soy broth noodles), the waitress took her time to answer, and when I asked her about the soy broth, she even brought a small bowl for me to sample before deciding whether to order it.

After ordering, we were presented three banchan: napa cabbage kimchi, and pickled daikon and napa cabbage. These were very light on the palate. In addition, a condiment made of green onion, garlic, soy, and chili sauce was provided for seasoning the dishes to come.

We started the meal with handmade Steam Dumpling (5.95 USD), or mandu. These 8 mandu were very enjoyable, and not too heavy in flavor. Seasoned lightly and composed of a filling of green onion and pork, these were well liked.

Out of the handmade noodle options (available in chicken, anchovy, clam, and kimchi for 7.85 USD) which our waitress strongly recommended, she preferred the chicken version the most. This was a large, pleasant bowl of noodles, with thick, toothsome, wide-cut handmade noodles, a cleanly flavored chicken broth that was thickened by the noodles' starch, zuchinni, green onions, egg strips, and seaweed. The noodles were very on-point--it's no wonder why it's the first item on the menu!

Likewise, the anchovy version of the handmade noodles were also well done, with the slightly thick broth instead accented by the briny sea flavors coming from the anchovy involved in the dish. The bowl overall was still piping hot, large, and full of ingredients.

In contrast to the hot handmade noodles, the "Acorn" Soy Bean Noodles (8.25 USD), were served chilled, in a metal bowl that was slightly smaller than that of the handmade noodles'. The acorn noodles were bouncy and very chewy, while the broth was creamy, with plenty of soy flavor and a hint of sesame; the broth even had the pulp of the soy beans, so it was good to stir around the broth to get a even mix of liquid and pulp.

The dish, like all the other dishes, was not heavy on seasoning, and thus adding some of the green onion chili sauce or alternating bites of noodle with kimchi was a good way to get more flavor, if desired.

From the homey comfort food to the friendly service, Ma Dang Gook Soo makes a pleasant dining experience for its customers.

Ma Dang Gook Soo

869 S Western Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90005

Tel: (213) 487-6008

California Fish Grill- Irvine, CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Sat, 23 May 2015 05:23:00 +0000

Having read Edwin Goei of Monster Munching's positive review of California Fish Grill and a recent feature on its poke on Stick a Fork In It of OC Weekly and being in the mood for poke and cooked fish while in Irvine, we finally visited California Fish Grill, a fast-casual seafood joint.

During our weekday visit at lunchtime, it was packed, with local employees and families coming in for lunch. Both indoor and outdoor seating were packed except for the bar near the kitchen, people were ordering both take in and take out, and the kitchen's grill was completely filled with fish filets. Talk about good business!

We began our meal with the New England Clam Chowder Bowl (4.49 USD), a large bowl for a very reasonable price. It was not jam packed with clams, nor was it very heavy on the clam flavor (instead favoring the cream instead), but it was freshly made, with the potatoes cut into sharp cubes, and veggies cut into small pieces. We also liked that it came with oyster crackers--overall, a positive start to the meal.

Next, came the Ahi Poke (6.99 USD) appetizer. Here, the ahi tuna was cut into miniscule cubes--just slightly larger than the accompanying minced onions and scallions--dressed with soy sauce and Huy Fong's chili sauce and topped with black sesame seeds. It was rather lightly flavored to be coupled with the flavorful, fresh-fried, warm tortilla chips, and I wish the tuna pieces were larger so its flavor could be more discernible. Make sure to grab some house made salsa from the accompanying bar (which has lemon, cilantro, two types of tartar sauce (New England and house made), cocktail sauce, and salsa) for the extra chips remaining after finishing the poke.

(side note: the tartar sauces went well with our entree items and the chips)

California Fish Grill's charbroiled fish items come with rice or parsley garnished shoestring fries (or a mix of both), bread, and a choice of coleslaw, grilled zucchini, or beans, and can be prepared with a garlic butter sauce or cajun spice. We requested for our Cajun Pan Seared Mahi (9.99 USD) to come with white rice and coleslaw. While the fish was enjoyable with its light spice, firm flesh, and intrinsic oils, we didn't care too much for the rice, which were rounded, elliptical orbs. The coleslaw, meanwhile, was light and crisp, and the bread soft in both exterior and interior.

We greatly enjoyed the Trout (8.99 USD), which was extremely tender, flaky and soft, and the creamy garlic butter sauce which further accented the softness of the fish. We also liked that our piece of trout wasn't too charred--though we didn't request it to be so, it might be a good request for we saw some other fish fillets being quite charred coming off the grill. On the other hand, the grilled zucchini was a bit too charred for our taste.

Reasonable prices, fine quality, large servings of everything seafood, and quick service make California Fish Grill as solid go-to option for lunch or dinner. It's no wonder why it was so packed when we visited at the lunch rush hour.

California Fish Grill
3988 Barranca Pky #B
Irvine, CA 92606
Tel: (949) 654-3838

Jook Hyang- Los Angeles (Koreatown), CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Sat, 23 May 2015 00:09:00 +0000

In search for some healthful Korean food--soups and porridge--I found out about Jook Hyang, a standalone Korean restaurant on Olympic in Koreatown.

An abalone, chicken soup, beef bone soup (cooked for a week), porridge specialist, Jook Hyang offers a wide range of offerings dedicated to the three items--abalone sashimi, abalone porridge, abalone and chicken soup, and a page full of different porridge items. Walking into the restaurant, you'll see an abalone tank and bucketfuls of cornish hens.

All these quality items and work spans throughout the restaurant and offerings, which also includes bamboo rice entrees, korean barbeque and seafood, banchan, and other items. It also translates into slightly higher costs--lunch is slightly cheaper if you order the sets, but otherwise, expect to spend around 15-20 USD per person, if not more.

(Visit 1)

Part of the higher prices at Jook Hyang are the quality banchan items that one receives. During our first visit, we already got eight items (sweetened marinated daikon, green onions and onions in soy sauce, cucumber kimchi, napa cabbage kimchi, japchae, daikon kimchi, chilled tofu and broccoli, and wakame seaweed with gochujang) , a soft korean pancake, and individual servings of water kimchi.

What's more, during the meal, more banchan items may be presented. Our first visit, we got an additional dish of sweetened, marinated potatoes. We especially enjoyed the potatoes, pancakes, broccoli, and wakame seaweed, although all of them were excellent in general.

(Visit 2)

In our second visit, we were presented with even more items, this time with perilla leaf kimchi, sauteed zucchini, daikon radish leaf kimchi, and sesame sauced celery amongst some of the additional items presented. Moreover, we received a velvety egg omelet and soybean sprouts later in the meal.

Jook Hyang's beef bone soup is simmered over the course of a week, and a taste of the soup immediately reveals that. It is extremely creamy, and leaves a oily feeling in one's mouth. Unseasoned, the side saucer of pepper and salt enabled us to season the soup as much or as little as desired. As it was served, our friendly server cut up the beef (not cooked for as long as the soup) into bite sized pieces; they went well with the spicy green onion soy sauce that also came along with the dish. The collagen heavy pieces of beef were very gelatinous, smooth, and meaty.

(first: chicken porridge, second: abalone porridge)

Jook Hyang's porridges are quite simple. Starting off with a base of short grain white rice and barley tea, requested items are then added to the porridge (chicken, abalone, vegetables, et cetera) and then the porridge is topped with toasted sesame seeds and seaweed strips. They're a bit bland by themselves, and thus a side dish of cubed soy sauce marinated beef is provided for one to season the porridge as desired.

Jook Hyang's wakame seaweed and abalone soup was another soothing dish. Piled with lots of seaweed, some abalone slices, and a few glutinous rice bowls, it was a simple, hot broth that was very enjoyable on a cold day.

The Grilled Fish Bamboo Rice Combo came with not only some pleasantly grilled fish-- tender in the middle and crisp on the exterior--but also grilled pieces of tofu, a sweet dried marinated fish, a vegetable pancake, and most specially, the bamboo rice, which had a mix of different grains and vegetables.

Haemul Pajeon (seafood pancake) was likewise enjoyable. Instead of being full of batter, Jook Hyang's version focused on the other ingredients--lots of shrimp, squid, octopus, green onions and carrots were in the batter. Dipped in the savory soy sauce, it was a tasty treat.

Our favorite item that we've had here so far though is the Eundaegu Jorim (cod fish with daikon radish simmered in a seasoned soy sauce), a large platter of cod fish, stewed radish, sliced onions, and long, chewy, rice cake cylinders all cooked in a spicy, red pepper flake flecked soy sauce. It's just a great mix of ingredients--soft, tender, juicy pieces of cod fish (with bone), juicy and sweet daikon radish, bright onions, and extremely chewy rice cakes--that go great alone as well as with rice. As a large and expensive entree, it's best split amongst multiple people.

Go to Jook Hyang for a focus on healthy eating, quality ingredients, and homestyle cooking.

Jook Hyang (Healthy Zone 52)
3177 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90006
Tel: (213) 383-5252

Pa-Ord Noodle #3- Los Angeles (Thai Town), CA

noreply@blogger.com (EatTravelEat) — Wed, 20 May 2015 15:34:00 +0000

After visiting Bhan Kanom Thai, we decided to follow along with dinner at Pa-Ord Noodle, which has been famous for its noodle soups.

Inside Pa-Ord Noodle was a homey atmosphere, with a small marketplace of imported and locally made snacks and desserts, several warming stations with food, and festive Thai decorations. The staff were extremely friendly, smiling happily and welcoming to offer suggestions and advice on the menu.

We began with a Thai Iced Tea (2.50 USD, extra charge for no ice), which was quite fantastic and flavor-packed. It was both very creamy and extremely concentrated in terms of tea flavor.

Given that Pa-Ord Noodle is famous for noodle soups, we began with the Tom Yum Noodle Soup (6 USD) with vermicelli, barbeque pork, pork liver, pork ball, ground pork, fish cake, dried shrimp, fried garlic, scallion, and bean sprouts. With the cold weather, this was extremely comforting and delicious--hot, slightly spicy and acidic, and clean on the palate.

The Boat Noodles (6 USD), which we had with thin rice noodles, on the other hand, was rich and very meaty. Composed of a fragrant meat broth thickened with pork blood, and topped with crispy pork rinds, pork slices, pork balls, scallions, and fried garlic, this was deep in flavor, quite spicy, and very satisfying. Do watch the heat on this though!

Pa-Ord's Pad Thai (7 USD, additional charge for shrimp) was a strong preparation, with wok-kissed rice noodles sauced just right, thin strips of scrambled egg, bean sprouts, green onion, and carrot. The lime wedge provided extra brightness to the caramel, tamarind, and fish sauce notes from the noodles.

The Pad See-Ew (7 USD) was likewise another very competent rendition. Everything involved--the scrambled egg, chinese broccoli, wide flat noodle, and meat--were redolent of wok flavor, high heat searing, and meshed together with the black soy sauce. Very nicely done.

As to the Crispy Pork with Chinese Broccoli, Pa-Ord's version was quite intriguing. Here, the crispy pork belly wasn't only hard and crisp on the exterior--when you bit in, it melted in the mouth, and was extremely easy to chew--soft and tender. The chinese broccoli, meanwhile, was crisp and sweet, seasoned with the dark, garlicy soy sauce. This was quite unique and tasty--there may have been a bit too much sauce, so we wished we had ordered a side of rice to go along with it.

(a mock up of the food display, next to the actual food display)

Overall, a great meal at Pa-Ord Noodle. It is no question why their name includes the term "noodles"--all noodles, whether they be noodle soups or stir fried noodles, are expertly created, and the food overall is well-done. Now, time to also visit Sapp Coffee Shop.

Pa Ord Noodle #3
5269 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles CA, 90027
Tel: (323) 466-4281