seeing as how spring has hit LA like a rock in the face (god i’m dramatic), what better way to spend a warm and sunny friday than eating a shi shi lunch w/miss d?
after mucho press on daily candy, thrill list, and urban daddy over the last few months, i decided to book a reservation at akasha. until recently, the restaurant had only offered dinner. and seeing as how i’d have to get there and back on the bus, i’d never wanted to risk waiting around for the bus at night. so when the restaurant started to offer lunch, i thought PERFECT. i’d originally made a reservation for one, but when i found out miss d was interested in the akasha experience, i invited her along for yet another fine dining adventure.
first things first, the front door is HEAVY. no, i’m serious. this thing is big and metal and HEAVY. so make sure you’ve done your bicep curls prior to getting here.
as soon as we walked in, we were greeted by this amazing bakery. you couldn’t help but look and smell and stare. mmm.... so much sugar, so little time. (who’d ever believe i was on a low-carb diet for five years?!) needless to say, it was difficult to drag ourselves away.
as the hostess walked us into the main dining room, i looked back and caught a glimpse of the wine wall (as i like to call it) behind the bar. this isn’t the first time i’ve seen one, but it’s always amazing to look at. to be honest, the whole space was amazing to look at. we were seated at a table for two in the middle of the room. an absolutely incredible space with open construction, high ceilings (which i love), and visible rafters. behind me was a great view of the open kitchen. in front of me was a lovely view of the patio. there was lots of light that made the room seem even bigger. and very little decoration. i was utterly impressed with the size of the space as well as the minimalist design.
to be honest, i hadn’t heard *too* much about the food at akasha, except that it was more local and organic – which is totally the *in* thing right now, but more importantly, really helping to support the farmers. taking a look at the menu, you can’t help but think how akasha is yet another great restaurant to spring up in support of folks eating lower on the food chain. and with all of their interesting flavor combinations, i dare say that they’ll be able to recruit quite a few more.
while it was a bit warm for soup, the special for the day – a vegan split-pea mint soup – sounded absolutely delicious. too bad for us that it wasn’t a few degrees chillier!
for my entree, i chose the red quinoa & edamame w/market veggies & lemongrass tofu. if i couldn’t have the vegan soup, i was definitely going for the vegan bowl. and if i’d been more hungry, i’d have gone for the black lentil-pumpkin seed burger, which sounded soooo good (and was even recommended by the hostess). unfortunately, i was still stuffed from the night before. (is this a trend or what?) regardless, my entree was DELICIOUS. especially when the waiter came over w/a bit of paprika mayo, which he said would go perfectly w/the dish – and it SO did. OMG. even de’sha liked it – and she’s a self-proclaimed condiment-hater!! i mixed in a little bit at a time and it totally made the dish that much more scrumptious. so much so that i had to ask for a second serving! yup, that waiter deserved a hefty tip for that suggestion. mmm....
FYI that de’sha had the spiked turkey burger (which was also recommended by the hostess) and specifically said that it was THE best turkey burger she’d EVER had. (mind you, she’d placed a few swipes of paprika mayo on her bun!) and she thought her fries tasted just like mcdonald’s fries! (which was a compliment i think.) so as you can see, we were both utterly amazed by the food.
considering how we were salivating in the bakery, we couldn’t leave w/o dessert! especially since the hostess had also recommended the salty chocolate tart at the start of the meal – and we’d obviously left room for it. as w/everything else, the tart was a perfect blend of flavors and textures – not too sweet, just a tad salty, very creamy, w/a little bit of crunch. a perfect ending to a perfect meal.
the rest of the dishes and desserts looked amazing, so i was ready to go back before i’d even left! but one thing i did make sure to do before i left was pick up some sweets from the bakery. everything looked amazing, so i just picked out a few cookies this time (which obviously means there will be a next time, right?) for eri. but FYI that i hate it when i bring stuff home for her and she’s not around to eat it right away (or chooses to take her time), b/c i end up not being able to resist and eating the stuff before she even gets to it! isn’t that horrible? *sigh* well, i bought three cookies, and i’ve already eaten one. so i’m glad i told her i bought her *some* cookies b/c *two* can still mean *some*, right? i know, i need help.
akasha
9543 culver boulevard
culver city, ca 90232
310.845.1700
http://www.akasharestaurant.com/index.html
Friday, March 21, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
tengu
i was really glad when mel mentioned that she hadn’t been to tengu yet, b/c it’s one of my absolute *favorite* places in the neighborhood. and i absolutely *love* taking people there. if it weren’t as pricey as it was, i’d totally consider eating there ALL the time. but alas, one can only do so much on a poor grad student budget. (IIPE)
seeing as how mel had *just* finished her dissertation, i thought she deserved to treat herself to a nice fancy meal. and seeing as how i could get 1000 points on open table (!!), we made an early dinner reservation for a weeknight. i must admit to enjoying early dinners, especially since there are fewer customers making me feel claustrophobic. and with fewer customers to wait on, the staff gives you much more attention, and the kitchen gives your food much more attention. plus, i’m a firm believer in giving you and your food as much time as possible to digest before bed. i mean, who hasn’t passed out on a full stomach and felt totally gross the next day? (if you say yes, you’re lying. otherwise, you’re really young and/or have total self-control, neither of which makes me want to converse with you any further.)
as the hostess escorted us in, she shouted out something in japanese, and all the chefs at the sushi bar shouted something back in unison. i must admit to having *no* idea what they said, but it was totally cool. i’ve heard it before at musha down in santa monica, and i believe eri said it was some sort of greeting, but even *she* couldn’t really make it out. i guess i’ll just have to ask next time. *sigh* at any rate, they did the greeting every time a new party entered the room and it made the whole experience *very* authentic (whatever the heck that means these days).
even though i was stuffed from lunch at the faculty center (!!), i wanted to make sure mel had the full tengu experience. so we ordered a whole bunch of different dishes to try. (i know, i’m such a martyr.) we ordered the kurama yama (since i don’t like rice), the avocado and grapefruit salad (citrus sounded nice), and the filet-wrapped asparagus (b/c mel found that super appealing online). we also decided to keep one of the menus in case we weren’t full from our three dishes (which is always a good idea when you’re eating tapas-style).
as the dishes rolled onto the table, i couldn’t help partaking, even though i was seriously uber full. the kurama yama was delicious. (btw, even though i love the soy paper, i always find it a little bizarre. i mean, how did anyone think to come up with that? a serious culinary innovation, i tell you.) i love any sort of contrast b/w temperatures and textures and flavors. so i loved the contrast b/w the slightly warm and crispy shrimp tempura and the slightly chilly and mushy spicy tuna. and the soy paper just kept it all together.
the avocado and grapefruit salad was a bit acidic for me, but definitely helpful after a bite of filet-wrapped asparagus. while it was yummy, i gave mel free reign to enjoy the bulk of the beef, especially since i’ve been eating less and less red meat over the last few years. i suppose being vegetarian for a month shifted me even further away from my prior bovine tendencies. but it’s not that i don’t enjoy the beef, it’s just that it weighs down a bit more in my tummy. so i only have it a little at a time – and rarely at that. needless to say, mel was a bit shocked, though that simply meant more beef for her.
seeing that she was still hungry, we decided to order the coconut shrimp as well. which was definitely the best decision, since that was the best dish of the night (from my perspective at least). after finding the shrimp tempura in the kurama yama quite delish, we decided to get another shrimp dish. even though (and maybe because) coconut shrimp is so typical, we decided to test it out here. and i was happily surprised b/c this was one of the most well-done coconut shrimp dishes i’ve ever had. granted, i’m pretty much comparing it to my most recent panda express coconut shrimp experience, but still! the shrimp was jumbo-sized and nicely butterflied (do we not love how that rhymes?). they were perfectly covered in just enough coconut. and they were perfectly fried to a lovely crispiness. totally and completely satisfying. mmm....
we were about to attempt dessert when i realized that it was 10 min before VC! total bummer. but alas, work is work. even with the meal cut short though, the food was yummilicious. and having been several times before, i’d recommend this place to anyone who wants to splurge. for everyone else, the happy hour at the bar is GREAT (janet, make sure to comment!) AND i just noticed the lunch specials online.
last but not least, i’ve totally eaten here alone and it was AMAZING. i asked for a corner booth (so i could talk on my phone and not be rude) and i treated myself to a full meal of appetizer, entree, and dessert. it was fabulously self-indulgent and the service was AMAZING. i’d seriously recommend it to anyone who needs a luxurious *me* day.
tengu
10853 lindbrook dr
los angeles, ca 90024
310.209.0071
http://www.tengu.com/
seeing as how mel had *just* finished her dissertation, i thought she deserved to treat herself to a nice fancy meal. and seeing as how i could get 1000 points on open table (!!), we made an early dinner reservation for a weeknight. i must admit to enjoying early dinners, especially since there are fewer customers making me feel claustrophobic. and with fewer customers to wait on, the staff gives you much more attention, and the kitchen gives your food much more attention. plus, i’m a firm believer in giving you and your food as much time as possible to digest before bed. i mean, who hasn’t passed out on a full stomach and felt totally gross the next day? (if you say yes, you’re lying. otherwise, you’re really young and/or have total self-control, neither of which makes me want to converse with you any further.)
as the hostess escorted us in, she shouted out something in japanese, and all the chefs at the sushi bar shouted something back in unison. i must admit to having *no* idea what they said, but it was totally cool. i’ve heard it before at musha down in santa monica, and i believe eri said it was some sort of greeting, but even *she* couldn’t really make it out. i guess i’ll just have to ask next time. *sigh* at any rate, they did the greeting every time a new party entered the room and it made the whole experience *very* authentic (whatever the heck that means these days).
even though i was stuffed from lunch at the faculty center (!!), i wanted to make sure mel had the full tengu experience. so we ordered a whole bunch of different dishes to try. (i know, i’m such a martyr.) we ordered the kurama yama (since i don’t like rice), the avocado and grapefruit salad (citrus sounded nice), and the filet-wrapped asparagus (b/c mel found that super appealing online). we also decided to keep one of the menus in case we weren’t full from our three dishes (which is always a good idea when you’re eating tapas-style).
as the dishes rolled onto the table, i couldn’t help partaking, even though i was seriously uber full. the kurama yama was delicious. (btw, even though i love the soy paper, i always find it a little bizarre. i mean, how did anyone think to come up with that? a serious culinary innovation, i tell you.) i love any sort of contrast b/w temperatures and textures and flavors. so i loved the contrast b/w the slightly warm and crispy shrimp tempura and the slightly chilly and mushy spicy tuna. and the soy paper just kept it all together.
the avocado and grapefruit salad was a bit acidic for me, but definitely helpful after a bite of filet-wrapped asparagus. while it was yummy, i gave mel free reign to enjoy the bulk of the beef, especially since i’ve been eating less and less red meat over the last few years. i suppose being vegetarian for a month shifted me even further away from my prior bovine tendencies. but it’s not that i don’t enjoy the beef, it’s just that it weighs down a bit more in my tummy. so i only have it a little at a time – and rarely at that. needless to say, mel was a bit shocked, though that simply meant more beef for her.
seeing that she was still hungry, we decided to order the coconut shrimp as well. which was definitely the best decision, since that was the best dish of the night (from my perspective at least). after finding the shrimp tempura in the kurama yama quite delish, we decided to get another shrimp dish. even though (and maybe because) coconut shrimp is so typical, we decided to test it out here. and i was happily surprised b/c this was one of the most well-done coconut shrimp dishes i’ve ever had. granted, i’m pretty much comparing it to my most recent panda express coconut shrimp experience, but still! the shrimp was jumbo-sized and nicely butterflied (do we not love how that rhymes?). they were perfectly covered in just enough coconut. and they were perfectly fried to a lovely crispiness. totally and completely satisfying. mmm....
we were about to attempt dessert when i realized that it was 10 min before VC! total bummer. but alas, work is work. even with the meal cut short though, the food was yummilicious. and having been several times before, i’d recommend this place to anyone who wants to splurge. for everyone else, the happy hour at the bar is GREAT (janet, make sure to comment!) AND i just noticed the lunch specials online.
last but not least, i’ve totally eaten here alone and it was AMAZING. i asked for a corner booth (so i could talk on my phone and not be rude) and i treated myself to a full meal of appetizer, entree, and dessert. it was fabulously self-indulgent and the service was AMAZING. i’d seriously recommend it to anyone who needs a luxurious *me* day.
tengu
10853 lindbrook dr
los angeles, ca 90024
310.209.0071
http://www.tengu.com/
Saturday, March 15, 2008
academy of motion picture arts and sciences
seeing that i love movies (and culture), i was THRILLED when de'sha invited me to a northwestern event at the academy of motion picture arts and sciences. especially when the event was a gallery talk about alfred hitchcock and his films! i LOVE alfred hitchcock, especially north by northwest, which i remember watching when i was really young and absolutely loving the ending. oh so dramatic and romantic!
the gallery talk was actually being given by will schmenner, the motion picture curator for the block museum at northwestern, who'd curated the hitchcock exhibit. let me just say that this guy was BY FAR the most well-spoken, intellectual, and yet self-effacing guy i've interacted w/in LA. and of course, he's from CHICAGO. and worst of all, he's WAY cute. *sigh*
the exhibit was fairly small, but really amazing. and with the academy being known mainly for its connection to the oscars, this was a great opportunity to find out what else it had to offer. per will, the key message of the exhibit was that, despite being portrayed as a solitary artist, hitchcock was intensely collaborative. and both the exhibit and the gallery talk were structured in such a fashion as to show off all the different areas and ways in which collaboration occurred on hitchcock's films.
FYI that i'm the kind of museum-goer that enjoys looking at a piece for a long time and figuring out what i see in it and really experiencing it, rather than reading the fine print on the little placards (like jerry). given that, i think will did quite well in terms of incorporating different forms of media into the exhibit, especially the i-pods w/recordings of hitchcock's production meetings and the projection of various scenes from hitchcock's most well-known films. plus all of the design sketches were absolutely AMAZING. the kind of work that makes you wonder how all of these artists were able to translate their visions onto paper.
at any rate, the exhibit and the gallery talk just made de'sha and i want to have a hitchcock movie night. especially since neither of us have seen a LOT of his films. first up: the birds. considering that the movie completely messed up tippy hedren's attitude toward birds, i'm thinking a theme night may make this adventure a little easier to bear. this will most likely include some roast chicken, buffalo wings, turkey breast, and whatever else we can drum(stick) up. (c'mon, i had to say it!)
if you're in LA prior to april 20th:
http://www.oscars.org/events/hitchcock_exhibit/index.html
the gallery talk was actually being given by will schmenner, the motion picture curator for the block museum at northwestern, who'd curated the hitchcock exhibit. let me just say that this guy was BY FAR the most well-spoken, intellectual, and yet self-effacing guy i've interacted w/in LA. and of course, he's from CHICAGO. and worst of all, he's WAY cute. *sigh*
the exhibit was fairly small, but really amazing. and with the academy being known mainly for its connection to the oscars, this was a great opportunity to find out what else it had to offer. per will, the key message of the exhibit was that, despite being portrayed as a solitary artist, hitchcock was intensely collaborative. and both the exhibit and the gallery talk were structured in such a fashion as to show off all the different areas and ways in which collaboration occurred on hitchcock's films.
FYI that i'm the kind of museum-goer that enjoys looking at a piece for a long time and figuring out what i see in it and really experiencing it, rather than reading the fine print on the little placards (like jerry). given that, i think will did quite well in terms of incorporating different forms of media into the exhibit, especially the i-pods w/recordings of hitchcock's production meetings and the projection of various scenes from hitchcock's most well-known films. plus all of the design sketches were absolutely AMAZING. the kind of work that makes you wonder how all of these artists were able to translate their visions onto paper.
at any rate, the exhibit and the gallery talk just made de'sha and i want to have a hitchcock movie night. especially since neither of us have seen a LOT of his films. first up: the birds. considering that the movie completely messed up tippy hedren's attitude toward birds, i'm thinking a theme night may make this adventure a little easier to bear. this will most likely include some roast chicken, buffalo wings, turkey breast, and whatever else we can drum(stick) up. (c'mon, i had to say it!)
if you're in LA prior to april 20th:
http://www.oscars.org/events/hitchcock_exhibit/index.html
step up 2
to save all the movie snobs out there from groaning too much, i'll keep this review short. however, i'd like to say UP FRONT that i thought this movie was GREAT. and if chiara and i could see the 10:15PM show after my super long day running on 7 hours of sleep and her super long day after an all-nighter and a 1-hour nap, then this movie was SUPER GREAT. aight? aight.
i'll be honest and say that i saw step up 1 by myself b/c 1) i like to see movies by myself and 2) i don't want to have to drag people to see something that i know they don't really want to see. and so i saw it on my own and LOVED it. channing tatum is HOTNESS personified (albeit w/a bit of a 'duh' expression). the love story was appropriately cheesy. and the chemistry b/w him and jenna dewan was totally evident on-screen. but most importantly, the dancing was AMAZING. an awesome fusion of ballet and modern w/a hip-hop twist. it's rare to be able to see that kind of combination of dance forms live (i mean, what dance company promotes itself that way? if you're in the know, tell me!!), so it was amazing to see it coming across the big screen.
step up 2 is actually a pretty good follow-up to step up 1, though less interested in combining dance forms and more focused on showcasing modern street moves. the opening scene on the subway was absolutely incredible b/c it was totally unexpected and atypical. and gave you just a snippet of what was to come in terms of the dancing. the plot line was similarly cheesy, though the male/female roles were reversed. (just to keep you on your feet, right?) actually, the female lead bore a faint resemblance to the female lead in step up 1. (or perhaps they were just both brunettes?) but the male lead in step up 2 was an OC pretty boy w/blond highlights and a deer-in-headlights expression. regardless, he still struck me as slightly better-looking than channing tatum. (maybe he was a little less broad?) at any rate, the movie was good in that there wasn't a ton of making out going on. b/c obviously the point was to show off the DANCING.
which was...AMAZING. and the idea that dance could bring together a bunch of random people, both in the context of the MSA crew and the streets competition, was pretty inspirational. to be honest, this was a fairly kid-friendly movie, especially for parents who want to take their kids to see something that's not dr. seuss (though i heard 'horton hears a who!' is pretty darn cute). yes yes, it's bizarre for me to say all this, but i'm just making a point. and particularly in this day and age, when there are so many stupid reality shows about dancing and dancers (and their looks, egos, and drama), something like this is totally refreshing and focused on what dance can do for conveying a message with depth and meaning.
at this point, i'll step down from my little soapbox to say again that the dancing was...AMAZING. from the opening scene to the partner dance at the party to the face-off at the end. while the rain coming down at the end was a little bit distracting at first, it totally did the trick in terms of dramatic effect. you couldn't have asked for tighter choreography. i mean, if sheba and samahang ever came close to this, i'd never leave school. (but alas, they don't.) it's this level of dance that makes you want to get up and take dance lessons -- or go clubbing.
needless to say, now i want another dance marathon. *sigh*
http://www.myspace.com/stepupmovie
i'll be honest and say that i saw step up 1 by myself b/c 1) i like to see movies by myself and 2) i don't want to have to drag people to see something that i know they don't really want to see. and so i saw it on my own and LOVED it. channing tatum is HOTNESS personified (albeit w/a bit of a 'duh' expression). the love story was appropriately cheesy. and the chemistry b/w him and jenna dewan was totally evident on-screen. but most importantly, the dancing was AMAZING. an awesome fusion of ballet and modern w/a hip-hop twist. it's rare to be able to see that kind of combination of dance forms live (i mean, what dance company promotes itself that way? if you're in the know, tell me!!), so it was amazing to see it coming across the big screen.
step up 2 is actually a pretty good follow-up to step up 1, though less interested in combining dance forms and more focused on showcasing modern street moves. the opening scene on the subway was absolutely incredible b/c it was totally unexpected and atypical. and gave you just a snippet of what was to come in terms of the dancing. the plot line was similarly cheesy, though the male/female roles were reversed. (just to keep you on your feet, right?) actually, the female lead bore a faint resemblance to the female lead in step up 1. (or perhaps they were just both brunettes?) but the male lead in step up 2 was an OC pretty boy w/blond highlights and a deer-in-headlights expression. regardless, he still struck me as slightly better-looking than channing tatum. (maybe he was a little less broad?) at any rate, the movie was good in that there wasn't a ton of making out going on. b/c obviously the point was to show off the DANCING.
which was...AMAZING. and the idea that dance could bring together a bunch of random people, both in the context of the MSA crew and the streets competition, was pretty inspirational. to be honest, this was a fairly kid-friendly movie, especially for parents who want to take their kids to see something that's not dr. seuss (though i heard 'horton hears a who!' is pretty darn cute). yes yes, it's bizarre for me to say all this, but i'm just making a point. and particularly in this day and age, when there are so many stupid reality shows about dancing and dancers (and their looks, egos, and drama), something like this is totally refreshing and focused on what dance can do for conveying a message with depth and meaning.
at this point, i'll step down from my little soapbox to say again that the dancing was...AMAZING. from the opening scene to the partner dance at the party to the face-off at the end. while the rain coming down at the end was a little bit distracting at first, it totally did the trick in terms of dramatic effect. you couldn't have asked for tighter choreography. i mean, if sheba and samahang ever came close to this, i'd never leave school. (but alas, they don't.) it's this level of dance that makes you want to get up and take dance lessons -- or go clubbing.
needless to say, now i want another dance marathon. *sigh*
http://www.myspace.com/stepupmovie
chan dara
the first time i went to chan dara, it was for jenn's non-bachelorette party -- a girls' night out to celebrate her upcoming nuptials. it was perfectly located, especially w/the arsenal just two doors down. (who could EVER forget the do-rag guy? O. M. G.)
this time i went w/amanda who actually said that she'd never really had thai food. i'm thinking, in all four years that you've been in school -- AT UCLA AND IN LA -- you've never had THAI food?! and you have asian friends?! if so, then they've totally done you a disservice, they're not your true friends, and you should dump them RIGHT AWAY.
the reality is that thai is one of the most ubiquitious asian cuisines on both coasts. so to not have tried it by the time you're a senior in college is just absolutely ridiculous. (unless you're from the midwest or you grew up in a bubble.) and simply put, you've been shafted. needless to say, it was time to get amanda caught up to speed.
i gave her the option of eating cheaper thai food elsewhere, but she decided to splurge on chan dara for her first real thai experience -- which totally earned my seal of approval.
walking in, we stepped into a room full of twinkling lights. (you'd think it was cheesy, but it really wasn't.) and we got seated promptly at a table under a skylight! it was pretty cool and i was quite impressed. i'm a big fan of natural light, so the more i get, the happier i am -- and the better the review, right?
for some reason, i thought amanda knew her food, but apparently she pretty much just knows italian. (which is kinda sad since i'm not the biggest fan of italian. *sigh*) so i took on the task of ordering for us. and considering that the menu was pretty extensive, this definitely wasn't the easiest thing to do. eek.
after furrowing my brows for quite a while, and consulting w/amanda (which did NOT prove fruitful -- yes, amanda, i still love you), i decided on the peking duck rolls (b/c peking duck is in and of itself an absolutely amazing culinary creation -- as derek will attest to), the chicken pad thai (which is a total thai staple that had to be ordered even though i don't like noodles), and the seared onaga w/lemon grass-ginger cream sauce (which had to be ordered simply b/c it was encrusted w/macadamia nuts).
as we were waiting, i got to check out the other customers in the restaurant. and i must say that it was a really good mix of dressed-up and dressed-down. like some of my other faves, palomino and nook, chan dara comes off as a place where locals (and newbies alike) keep coming back, simply b/c the food and atmosphere are just that fabulous. there's something refreshing about eating somewhere that people from all walks of life go to for great food.
the first thing that came to the table was the peking duck rolls. again, i was blown away when amanda said she'd never had duck before. i mean, are you KIDDING ME?! duck is, simply put, THE most amazing fowl on the planet. talk about amazingly succulent. mmm.... and these rolls totally lived up to their name, w/the roast duck pre-wrapped in the just-thick-enough flour tortillas. unfortunately, we couldn't *quite* figure out what the sauces were -- a circle of yellow on a pool of brown. i'm pretty sure the brown was the usual hoisin sauce that traditionally comes w/peking duck. the yellow, however, tasted like a really spicy mustard. i'm wondering whether it's the usual stuff that's on every table of every chinese restaurant.... at any rate, it had *quite* the kick, so we had to scrape it off and dip our rolls in the hoisin sauce underneath. needless to say, it was absolutely THE best way to start the meal. mmm....
we moved on to the pad thai, which was certainly yummy for pad thai, though not my favorite dish of the night, considering that i don't really like noodles. this was pretty much a staple that amanda had to try for the sake of educating her palate. the onaga, however, was certainly memorable. i mean, how often do you have something macademia nut-crusted?? while the fish was ever so slightly dry, it was perfect when eaten w/the skin and the sauce underneath. amanda flipped when she saw me eat the skin, but as top chef devotees know: if it shouldn't be eaten, then it shouldn't be on the plate. seeing as how the skin was on the plate, then it was meant to be eaten. and it was GOOD i tell you. as was the spinach and the mushrooms that came with the dish. the potatoes were totally unnecessary (seeing as how i hate them).
for dessert, i ordered the mango w/sticky rice, which is another staple that amanda had to try. while the mango could've been riper (which is difficult in the winter season, i suppose) and the mound of sticky rice could've been smaller (since it was HUMONGOUS), the combination of the two flavors was quite interesting (as always). to be honest, i think that both the mango and the rice could've been sweeter, considering that we were having dessert. but the contrast b/w the slightly sweeter mango and the milder rice, plus the variation in textures, was an interesting note to end the meal on. like a question mark lingering in the air. is it savory? is it sweet? are you sure it can be both?
the combination of atmosphere and food was decidedly well-done. so this is definitely a returner. as in, a place worth returning to. over and over and over and over....
chan dara
11940 w. pico boulevard
west los angeles, ca 90064
310.479.4461
http://www.chandarawestla.com/
this time i went w/amanda who actually said that she'd never really had thai food. i'm thinking, in all four years that you've been in school -- AT UCLA AND IN LA -- you've never had THAI food?! and you have asian friends?! if so, then they've totally done you a disservice, they're not your true friends, and you should dump them RIGHT AWAY.
the reality is that thai is one of the most ubiquitious asian cuisines on both coasts. so to not have tried it by the time you're a senior in college is just absolutely ridiculous. (unless you're from the midwest or you grew up in a bubble.) and simply put, you've been shafted. needless to say, it was time to get amanda caught up to speed.
i gave her the option of eating cheaper thai food elsewhere, but she decided to splurge on chan dara for her first real thai experience -- which totally earned my seal of approval.
walking in, we stepped into a room full of twinkling lights. (you'd think it was cheesy, but it really wasn't.) and we got seated promptly at a table under a skylight! it was pretty cool and i was quite impressed. i'm a big fan of natural light, so the more i get, the happier i am -- and the better the review, right?
for some reason, i thought amanda knew her food, but apparently she pretty much just knows italian. (which is kinda sad since i'm not the biggest fan of italian. *sigh*) so i took on the task of ordering for us. and considering that the menu was pretty extensive, this definitely wasn't the easiest thing to do. eek.
after furrowing my brows for quite a while, and consulting w/amanda (which did NOT prove fruitful -- yes, amanda, i still love you), i decided on the peking duck rolls (b/c peking duck is in and of itself an absolutely amazing culinary creation -- as derek will attest to), the chicken pad thai (which is a total thai staple that had to be ordered even though i don't like noodles), and the seared onaga w/lemon grass-ginger cream sauce (which had to be ordered simply b/c it was encrusted w/macadamia nuts).
as we were waiting, i got to check out the other customers in the restaurant. and i must say that it was a really good mix of dressed-up and dressed-down. like some of my other faves, palomino and nook, chan dara comes off as a place where locals (and newbies alike) keep coming back, simply b/c the food and atmosphere are just that fabulous. there's something refreshing about eating somewhere that people from all walks of life go to for great food.
the first thing that came to the table was the peking duck rolls. again, i was blown away when amanda said she'd never had duck before. i mean, are you KIDDING ME?! duck is, simply put, THE most amazing fowl on the planet. talk about amazingly succulent. mmm.... and these rolls totally lived up to their name, w/the roast duck pre-wrapped in the just-thick-enough flour tortillas. unfortunately, we couldn't *quite* figure out what the sauces were -- a circle of yellow on a pool of brown. i'm pretty sure the brown was the usual hoisin sauce that traditionally comes w/peking duck. the yellow, however, tasted like a really spicy mustard. i'm wondering whether it's the usual stuff that's on every table of every chinese restaurant.... at any rate, it had *quite* the kick, so we had to scrape it off and dip our rolls in the hoisin sauce underneath. needless to say, it was absolutely THE best way to start the meal. mmm....
we moved on to the pad thai, which was certainly yummy for pad thai, though not my favorite dish of the night, considering that i don't really like noodles. this was pretty much a staple that amanda had to try for the sake of educating her palate. the onaga, however, was certainly memorable. i mean, how often do you have something macademia nut-crusted?? while the fish was ever so slightly dry, it was perfect when eaten w/the skin and the sauce underneath. amanda flipped when she saw me eat the skin, but as top chef devotees know: if it shouldn't be eaten, then it shouldn't be on the plate. seeing as how the skin was on the plate, then it was meant to be eaten. and it was GOOD i tell you. as was the spinach and the mushrooms that came with the dish. the potatoes were totally unnecessary (seeing as how i hate them).
for dessert, i ordered the mango w/sticky rice, which is another staple that amanda had to try. while the mango could've been riper (which is difficult in the winter season, i suppose) and the mound of sticky rice could've been smaller (since it was HUMONGOUS), the combination of the two flavors was quite interesting (as always). to be honest, i think that both the mango and the rice could've been sweeter, considering that we were having dessert. but the contrast b/w the slightly sweeter mango and the milder rice, plus the variation in textures, was an interesting note to end the meal on. like a question mark lingering in the air. is it savory? is it sweet? are you sure it can be both?
the combination of atmosphere and food was decidedly well-done. so this is definitely a returner. as in, a place worth returning to. over and over and over and over....
chan dara
11940 w. pico boulevard
west los angeles, ca 90064
310.479.4461
http://www.chandarawestla.com/
Monday, March 10, 2008
boston eats
so i've had just about THE best boston trip ever w/THE best food ever w/THE best people ever. needless to say that i'll have some endless blogging to do in the next few days/weeks. but hopefully i'll get to share all the delicious details of my lovely eating adventures w/you soon. for now, here's what i've had to partake of in the last few days...
HONG KONG EATERY W/GLENN & MEL:
- roast pork (ordered half fatty & half lean, which is the *only* way to have it - OMG so fabulously delicious - and pretty much the only semi-authentic thing at panda express!)
- chinese broccoli w/oyster sauce (not my favoritest "choy" in the world, but a girl's gotta get her fiber, and that's what was available - plus anything's good covered in oyster sauce)
79 harrison avenue, boston, ma 02111 - 617.423.0838
(it's a hole in the wall so having a website would be ridiculous)
BROWN SUGAR CAFE W/GINA:
- scallion pancakes (just about the only thing i liked fried - perfectly crispy and not greasy - and just what i needed after not eating very much the whole day)
- paradise garden w/veggie ham (nothing too impressive, just a plate of veggies b/c i needed veggies, but the ham was quite interesting and surprisingly dense - anyone know what that stuff is made of?)
1033 commonwealth avenue, boston, ma 02215 - 617.787.4242
http://www.brownsugarcafe.com/index.html
FINALE DESSERTS W/MOI:
- whoopie pie (a light cream cheese filling squished b/w two uber decadent though surprisingly hard chocolate cookies - totally amazing even when eaten in the freezing cold w/no gloves)
1306 beacon street, brookline, ma 02446 - 617.232.3233
http://www.finaledesserts.com/index.php
DUNKIN' DONUTS W/MOI:
- iced latte lite (pretty much the most amazing coffee on the east coast HANDS DOWN - who ever talks about their donuts?)
- glazed munchkins & glazed chocolate cake munchkins (when you won't let yourself indulge in full donuts)
(they're everywhere so picking a location is pointless)
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/
CAMBRIDGE 1 W/SOON:
- salad w/bresaola, arugula, shaved parmigiano, olive oil, and lemon (super thin cured beef - what more could you ask for?)
27 church street, cambridge, ma 02138-3715 - 617.576.1111
(there's no website from what i can tell, but it might be b/c it's so low-key and/or new?)
LA BURDICK CHOCOLATE CAFE W/SOON:
- hot chocolate w/dark chocolate (oh so amazingly & deliciously decadent, even w/nonfat milk)
- lavender & coffee luxembourgers (like meringues to the umpteenth power, light w/an ever-so-slight chew)
52-D brattle street, cambridge, ma 02138 - 617.491.4340
http://www.burdickchocolate.com/
TAPEO W/JENN:
- garlic shrimp (cute little shrimp sitting pretty in LOTS of garlic and olive oil - OH YEAH)
- boneless pheasant w/mushroom & serrano ham (oh so moist plus i had to hold myself back from licking the sauce off the plate)
- roasted duckling w/berry sauce (a big ole hunk w/tons of flavor)
- broiled herb & garlic quail stuffed w/bacon (a tiny bit dry but covered in garlic - YUM)
- beef tenderloin w/pimento on toast (a thin slice that was perfectly medium rare - no need for the toast)
- baked goat cheese w/tomato & basil (we needed veggies, right? oh, but tomatoes are fruit!)
- lamb & serrano ham meatballs (the moistest meatballs ever - thank god for minimal breading)
- berry-filled dessert crepe accented w/chocolate sauce & orange liqueur (i've had way better crepes in paris, but the fruit made us feel *slightly* less indulgent)
BTW, CAN I SERIOUSLY CONVEY HOW MUCH I LOVE TAPAS?!?!?! mmm....
266 newbury street, boston, ma 02116 - 617.267.4799
http://www.tapeo.com/home/
TEALUXE W/JANICE:
- roasted veggie & pepper jack cheese panini (totally tasty, except for the big oily chunk i let fall on my nice conference slacks - thank god for hand soap!!!)
- blue flower earl grey tea (delicious, especially after janice realized she'd gotten my tea order and passed it back to me)
- pear & green tea (delicious, even after i passed it back to janice who'd actually ordered it)
108 newbury street, boston, ma - 617.927.0400
http://www.tealuxe.com/index.html
SORELLINA W/DAVID:
- langostino (i don't even like crustaceans, but this looked too yummy to pass up - and thank god i didn't!)
- bass (this wasn't on the online menu, but when i saw it on the live menu, i had to scrap my original plans to order all veggie sides for dinner - OMG it was the perfect dish [crispy skin, moist meat, cauliflower puree] except for a nondescript side of grapes & stuff that totally didn't make sense on the plate)
- eggplant gratinata (i mean, it's eggplant w/crusties on top, who couldn't love that?)
1 huntington avenue, boston, ma 02116 - 617.412.4600
http://www.sorellinaboston.com/
THE IVY W/SOON & MICHELLE:
- raspberry marscapone (perfect contrast of slightly sweet and really creamy - if only i hadn't been so full from dinner, i would've had a few more bites! plus the rest of the menu looked PHENOMENAL, especially the three-cheese mac and cheese w/truffle oil and the cabernet-braised short ribs w/creamy gorgonzola polenta - YEAH, BABY, YEAH)
49 temple place, boston, ma 02111 - 617.451.1416
http://www.ivyrestaurantgroup.com/
THE POUR HOUSE W/MONIQUE & LIZ:
- coffee (apparently they didn't have anything but whole milk, so i took the half & half instead - better to have some heavy cream than all whole milk - ick)
- pumpkin pie pancakes (um yeah, so i was going to order something w/egg whites, but seeing where i was, i decided on my fave pancakes instead w/whipped cream - a bit thin i must say, but pretty darn pumpkin-ey)
FYI that this place totally smelled like a frat basement, thereby bringing back ever-so-fond memories of sophomore year - eek!
907 boylston street, boston, ma - 617.236.1767
http://www.pourhouseboston.com/
SUMMER SHACK W/MOI:
- lobster bisque w/cream & sherry (even though the bisque itself was a little salty, that was offset by the slowly melting whipped cream and the mild flavor of the little lobster chunks)
- jw's famous grilled clams (perfect w/a nice squeeze of lemon)
- ipswich fried whole belly clams (just lightly battered, and even better dipped in yummy tartar sauce)
- arnold palmer (1/2 iced tea, 1/2 lemonade - the perfect combo)
- stuffed crab i named "boston" (which i got for only 10 bucks!!!)
logan airport, terminal A, boston, ma - 617.520.9501 (headquarters)
http://www.summershackrestaurant.com/index.asp
HONG KONG EATERY W/GLENN & MEL:
- roast pork (ordered half fatty & half lean, which is the *only* way to have it - OMG so fabulously delicious - and pretty much the only semi-authentic thing at panda express!)
- chinese broccoli w/oyster sauce (not my favoritest "choy" in the world, but a girl's gotta get her fiber, and that's what was available - plus anything's good covered in oyster sauce)
79 harrison avenue, boston, ma 02111 - 617.423.0838
(it's a hole in the wall so having a website would be ridiculous)
BROWN SUGAR CAFE W/GINA:
- scallion pancakes (just about the only thing i liked fried - perfectly crispy and not greasy - and just what i needed after not eating very much the whole day)
- paradise garden w/veggie ham (nothing too impressive, just a plate of veggies b/c i needed veggies, but the ham was quite interesting and surprisingly dense - anyone know what that stuff is made of?)
1033 commonwealth avenue, boston, ma 02215 - 617.787.4242
http://www.brownsugarcafe.com/index.html
FINALE DESSERTS W/MOI:
- whoopie pie (a light cream cheese filling squished b/w two uber decadent though surprisingly hard chocolate cookies - totally amazing even when eaten in the freezing cold w/no gloves)
1306 beacon street, brookline, ma 02446 - 617.232.3233
http://www.finaledesserts.com/index.php
DUNKIN' DONUTS W/MOI:
- iced latte lite (pretty much the most amazing coffee on the east coast HANDS DOWN - who ever talks about their donuts?)
- glazed munchkins & glazed chocolate cake munchkins (when you won't let yourself indulge in full donuts)
(they're everywhere so picking a location is pointless)
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/
CAMBRIDGE 1 W/SOON:
- salad w/bresaola, arugula, shaved parmigiano, olive oil, and lemon (super thin cured beef - what more could you ask for?)
27 church street, cambridge, ma 02138-3715 - 617.576.1111
(there's no website from what i can tell, but it might be b/c it's so low-key and/or new?)
LA BURDICK CHOCOLATE CAFE W/SOON:
- hot chocolate w/dark chocolate (oh so amazingly & deliciously decadent, even w/nonfat milk)
- lavender & coffee luxembourgers (like meringues to the umpteenth power, light w/an ever-so-slight chew)
52-D brattle street, cambridge, ma 02138 - 617.491.4340
http://www.burdickchocolate.com/
TAPEO W/JENN:
- garlic shrimp (cute little shrimp sitting pretty in LOTS of garlic and olive oil - OH YEAH)
- boneless pheasant w/mushroom & serrano ham (oh so moist plus i had to hold myself back from licking the sauce off the plate)
- roasted duckling w/berry sauce (a big ole hunk w/tons of flavor)
- broiled herb & garlic quail stuffed w/bacon (a tiny bit dry but covered in garlic - YUM)
- beef tenderloin w/pimento on toast (a thin slice that was perfectly medium rare - no need for the toast)
- baked goat cheese w/tomato & basil (we needed veggies, right? oh, but tomatoes are fruit!)
- lamb & serrano ham meatballs (the moistest meatballs ever - thank god for minimal breading)
- berry-filled dessert crepe accented w/chocolate sauce & orange liqueur (i've had way better crepes in paris, but the fruit made us feel *slightly* less indulgent)
BTW, CAN I SERIOUSLY CONVEY HOW MUCH I LOVE TAPAS?!?!?! mmm....
266 newbury street, boston, ma 02116 - 617.267.4799
http://www.tapeo.com/home/
TEALUXE W/JANICE:
- roasted veggie & pepper jack cheese panini (totally tasty, except for the big oily chunk i let fall on my nice conference slacks - thank god for hand soap!!!)
- blue flower earl grey tea (delicious, especially after janice realized she'd gotten my tea order and passed it back to me)
- pear & green tea (delicious, even after i passed it back to janice who'd actually ordered it)
108 newbury street, boston, ma - 617.927.0400
http://www.tealuxe.com/index.html
SORELLINA W/DAVID:
- langostino (i don't even like crustaceans, but this looked too yummy to pass up - and thank god i didn't!)
- bass (this wasn't on the online menu, but when i saw it on the live menu, i had to scrap my original plans to order all veggie sides for dinner - OMG it was the perfect dish [crispy skin, moist meat, cauliflower puree] except for a nondescript side of grapes & stuff that totally didn't make sense on the plate)
- eggplant gratinata (i mean, it's eggplant w/crusties on top, who couldn't love that?)
1 huntington avenue, boston, ma 02116 - 617.412.4600
http://www.sorellinaboston.com/
THE IVY W/SOON & MICHELLE:
- raspberry marscapone (perfect contrast of slightly sweet and really creamy - if only i hadn't been so full from dinner, i would've had a few more bites! plus the rest of the menu looked PHENOMENAL, especially the three-cheese mac and cheese w/truffle oil and the cabernet-braised short ribs w/creamy gorgonzola polenta - YEAH, BABY, YEAH)
49 temple place, boston, ma 02111 - 617.451.1416
http://www.ivyrestaurantgroup.com/
THE POUR HOUSE W/MONIQUE & LIZ:
- coffee (apparently they didn't have anything but whole milk, so i took the half & half instead - better to have some heavy cream than all whole milk - ick)
- pumpkin pie pancakes (um yeah, so i was going to order something w/egg whites, but seeing where i was, i decided on my fave pancakes instead w/whipped cream - a bit thin i must say, but pretty darn pumpkin-ey)
FYI that this place totally smelled like a frat basement, thereby bringing back ever-so-fond memories of sophomore year - eek!
907 boylston street, boston, ma - 617.236.1767
http://www.pourhouseboston.com/
SUMMER SHACK W/MOI:
- lobster bisque w/cream & sherry (even though the bisque itself was a little salty, that was offset by the slowly melting whipped cream and the mild flavor of the little lobster chunks)
- jw's famous grilled clams (perfect w/a nice squeeze of lemon)
- ipswich fried whole belly clams (just lightly battered, and even better dipped in yummy tartar sauce)
- arnold palmer (1/2 iced tea, 1/2 lemonade - the perfect combo)
- stuffed crab i named "boston" (which i got for only 10 bucks!!!)
logan airport, terminal A, boston, ma - 617.520.9501 (headquarters)
http://www.summershackrestaurant.com/index.asp
Sunday, March 9, 2008
novel cafe
so i can’t believe i totally forgot to blog about novel cafe, especially since it’s one of my fave places in westwood. seeing as how i don’t go very often, it might seem surprising to hear me say that. but honestly, it’s mainly b/c the portions are so big! i have to be seriously hungry before it’s worth going there. seeing as how leftovers usually end up in the trash (yeah, i know, so wasteful. sorry, sarah!), i don’t want to go unless i think i’m going to be able to make it through the entire entree. logical, right? right.
anyways, lunch was w/katie and i know she’s a pretty healthy eater, so i thought this would be the perfect place to head back to. (especially since i hadn’t gotten a chance to blog about it yet!) and when i saw and passed the super long line for free burritos at chipotle, i knew i was right!
there are two things that really make novel cafe AMAZING. first of all, the menu is tremendous. it goes on and on and on, and EVERYTHING looks good. there’s pretty much no wrong option. i won’t guarantee anything (for fear of getting called out for false advertising), but i’m pretty sure that you’ll find something good about whatever you end up ordering. second, they’re just really organic and healthy. on top of there being so many things to choose from, all of them are (or at least sound) totally natural. i seriously don’t think you can go wrong.
for this meal, katie and i were pretty much in synch and totally ended up choosing things the other person had considered ordering. i ended up getting the mushroom soup (one of my faves) and the goat cheese sandwich on wheat (w/eggplant & spinach). katie chose the white bean soup and the grilled cheese sandwich on wheat (w/cheddar). since both sandwiches were pretty similar, we ended up swapping halves so we could sample each of them. (personally, i’d had both before and neither failed to live up to expectations!)
my mushroom soup was totally vegan (no cream) and absolutely DELISH. it’s totally one of my faves, but i suppose the best things can go downhill if made incorrectly. to be sure, this version was awesome. and it went down the hatch super quick! especially since it was a nippy day. the goat cheese sandwich was the perfect marriage of flavors in b/w two crispy wheat slices. (i can’t believe i missed out on eggplant when i was younger, b/c this vegetable is absolute decadence when made well.) mmm.... the grilled cheese was also divine in all its melt-ey glory. personally, i could’ve done w/o the tomato (which ruins the simplicity of the sandwich), and i know paul would’ve demanded even sharper cheddar. however, given these limitations, i’ve still never been disappointed.
sitting outside is definitely the least claustrophobic, though you should certainly demand the heat lamps be turned on if you’re nippy or, worse yet, frigid. the inside lower level is ok too, but often cluttered w/people working on laptops who you may or may not want to disturb. the inside upper level is better for single parties, who just want to eat and work and not be distracted. it’s definitely more of a coffee/study area upstairs, but nice if that’s what you’re looking for.
the last time i had lunch here, i was w/jess and she loved her veggie sandwich. (i swear i’ve got to try that soon, especially while i’m on my veggie kick! that and the BLT – *IIPE*) and i think i ordered one of the two sandwiches above. i’ve also ordered the super huge cobb salad (my all-time fave salad) and various breakfast entrees, all of which have failed to disappoint. (btw, the salad list online definitely doesn’t do this place justice. you’ll just have to go check out the menu in person!) drink-wise, i’m generally prone to iced tea (if not plain water w/lemon), but i’ve had their blended green tea drink before. and while it doesn’t hold up to coffee bean’s green tea iced blendz, it was still pretty delish. then again, i think anything green tea-flavored is pretty delish.
all in all, i think we had a pretty fabulous and yummy lunch. i swear, we looked down and it’d been over two hours! thanks to katie’s fascinating storytelling abilities, of course. (kudos, katie!)
for yummy organic....
novel cafe
1101 gayley ave
los angeles, ca 90024
310.208.6410
http://www.novelcafe.com/
FYI that the link is actually for the original novel cafe in santa monica, but don't let the address fool you, the menu's pretty much exactly the same!
anyways, lunch was w/katie and i know she’s a pretty healthy eater, so i thought this would be the perfect place to head back to. (especially since i hadn’t gotten a chance to blog about it yet!) and when i saw and passed the super long line for free burritos at chipotle, i knew i was right!
there are two things that really make novel cafe AMAZING. first of all, the menu is tremendous. it goes on and on and on, and EVERYTHING looks good. there’s pretty much no wrong option. i won’t guarantee anything (for fear of getting called out for false advertising), but i’m pretty sure that you’ll find something good about whatever you end up ordering. second, they’re just really organic and healthy. on top of there being so many things to choose from, all of them are (or at least sound) totally natural. i seriously don’t think you can go wrong.
for this meal, katie and i were pretty much in synch and totally ended up choosing things the other person had considered ordering. i ended up getting the mushroom soup (one of my faves) and the goat cheese sandwich on wheat (w/eggplant & spinach). katie chose the white bean soup and the grilled cheese sandwich on wheat (w/cheddar). since both sandwiches were pretty similar, we ended up swapping halves so we could sample each of them. (personally, i’d had both before and neither failed to live up to expectations!)
my mushroom soup was totally vegan (no cream) and absolutely DELISH. it’s totally one of my faves, but i suppose the best things can go downhill if made incorrectly. to be sure, this version was awesome. and it went down the hatch super quick! especially since it was a nippy day. the goat cheese sandwich was the perfect marriage of flavors in b/w two crispy wheat slices. (i can’t believe i missed out on eggplant when i was younger, b/c this vegetable is absolute decadence when made well.) mmm.... the grilled cheese was also divine in all its melt-ey glory. personally, i could’ve done w/o the tomato (which ruins the simplicity of the sandwich), and i know paul would’ve demanded even sharper cheddar. however, given these limitations, i’ve still never been disappointed.
sitting outside is definitely the least claustrophobic, though you should certainly demand the heat lamps be turned on if you’re nippy or, worse yet, frigid. the inside lower level is ok too, but often cluttered w/people working on laptops who you may or may not want to disturb. the inside upper level is better for single parties, who just want to eat and work and not be distracted. it’s definitely more of a coffee/study area upstairs, but nice if that’s what you’re looking for.
the last time i had lunch here, i was w/jess and she loved her veggie sandwich. (i swear i’ve got to try that soon, especially while i’m on my veggie kick! that and the BLT – *IIPE*) and i think i ordered one of the two sandwiches above. i’ve also ordered the super huge cobb salad (my all-time fave salad) and various breakfast entrees, all of which have failed to disappoint. (btw, the salad list online definitely doesn’t do this place justice. you’ll just have to go check out the menu in person!) drink-wise, i’m generally prone to iced tea (if not plain water w/lemon), but i’ve had their blended green tea drink before. and while it doesn’t hold up to coffee bean’s green tea iced blendz, it was still pretty delish. then again, i think anything green tea-flavored is pretty delish.
all in all, i think we had a pretty fabulous and yummy lunch. i swear, we looked down and it’d been over two hours! thanks to katie’s fascinating storytelling abilities, of course. (kudos, katie!)
for yummy organic....
novel cafe
1101 gayley ave
los angeles, ca 90024
310.208.6410
http://www.novelcafe.com/
FYI that the link is actually for the original novel cafe in santa monica, but don't let the address fool you, the menu's pretty much exactly the same!
ami sushi
out of all the sushi restaurants in westwood, there are several things that make ami stand out from the rest. first of all, they give UCLA students a 15% off discount. (and when you’re poor, you appreciate any discount you can get!) granted, california teriyaki offers half-off dine-in sushi meals, but their rolls tend to be more rice than fish, which totally degrades the whole experience. next, they’re in a GREAT location. broxton b/w weyburn and kinross is like a little respite from the rest of the westwood bustle. lined (on one side at least – and maybe thankfully) w/several restaurants, shops, and a movie theater, it’s got just enough to keep you interested, but not make you feel overwhelmed. finally, the rolls are AMAZING. there’s a ton of them to choose from and the pics really do it for me. (can you tell i’m all about the visual appeal? i swear i was in advertising or marketing in another life.) i feel like i’ve had the same rolls at tomodachi and not really enjoyed them as much.
in any case, this most recent trip was spent w/uri who was out from hanover for the weekend. needless to say, he was pretty much in paradise just being in LA. but to make it even better, we got to have sushi outside on the patio – no heat lamps needed! at first, the staff was being a bit odd and/or slow, b/c i saw seats outside and i was a bit annoyed that they seemed to be holding back in giving them to us. thankfully, they quickly changed their minds and seated us right away. from then on, the service was quite awesome. our server checked on us several times, and our order came out fairly speedily as well. two thumbs-up on the service front!
as i’ve mentioned before, the company and the conversation really make the meal. and chatting w/uri about life’s random ups and downs always makes the meal. (thanks, uri!) seeing as how i was so entranced by the conversation, i was somewhat distracted from the food. (that, and i’d just eaten chipotle earlier in the day, so i really wasn’t too famished.) however, i will say that what i ordered was quite delish and totally satisfied me – the seaweed salad and two orders of the unagi sushi. mmm.... uri ordered the combination special w/what seemed like a lot of meat that he really enjoyed. he also ordered the spider roll, which (from the pieced i had) tasted absolutely YUM. (that’s definitely being ordered next time, especially w/the cool claws sticking out of the roll.)
c/o our alma mater, we ended the meal w/a mojito (guess who had that?) and some tempura green tea ice cream (guess who had THAT?). both were delish, though i must admit that the tempura was a bit too thick (which is probably why uri didn’t have more than two bites before i inhaled it). perhaps a lighter coating of tempura (or even panko maybe?) would’ve done the trick. at any rate, the meal was fabulous overall and i couldn’t have asked for better company on a friday night. (thanks, uri!)
as a side note, several other dishes worth trying are: the dynamite (OMG ridonculous), the salmon skin salad (one of my faves anywhere and everywhere), and the crunch roll. also, any special rolls they offer w/tempura something or other in it is absolutely to die for. plus, they always have special rolls, so you can totally order something new every time.
as another side note, the techno music and huge tv can be somewhat distracting when you’re sitting inside, but i suppose they’re going for a certain aesthetic what w/all the black leather. i have to say: it’s a bit much. which means: try to sit outside if the weather permits.
for a totally LA experience:
ami sushi
1051 broxton avenue
los angeles, ca 90024-2803
310.209.1994
http://www.ami-restaurant.com/index.html
in any case, this most recent trip was spent w/uri who was out from hanover for the weekend. needless to say, he was pretty much in paradise just being in LA. but to make it even better, we got to have sushi outside on the patio – no heat lamps needed! at first, the staff was being a bit odd and/or slow, b/c i saw seats outside and i was a bit annoyed that they seemed to be holding back in giving them to us. thankfully, they quickly changed their minds and seated us right away. from then on, the service was quite awesome. our server checked on us several times, and our order came out fairly speedily as well. two thumbs-up on the service front!
as i’ve mentioned before, the company and the conversation really make the meal. and chatting w/uri about life’s random ups and downs always makes the meal. (thanks, uri!) seeing as how i was so entranced by the conversation, i was somewhat distracted from the food. (that, and i’d just eaten chipotle earlier in the day, so i really wasn’t too famished.) however, i will say that what i ordered was quite delish and totally satisfied me – the seaweed salad and two orders of the unagi sushi. mmm.... uri ordered the combination special w/what seemed like a lot of meat that he really enjoyed. he also ordered the spider roll, which (from the pieced i had) tasted absolutely YUM. (that’s definitely being ordered next time, especially w/the cool claws sticking out of the roll.)
c/o our alma mater, we ended the meal w/a mojito (guess who had that?) and some tempura green tea ice cream (guess who had THAT?). both were delish, though i must admit that the tempura was a bit too thick (which is probably why uri didn’t have more than two bites before i inhaled it). perhaps a lighter coating of tempura (or even panko maybe?) would’ve done the trick. at any rate, the meal was fabulous overall and i couldn’t have asked for better company on a friday night. (thanks, uri!)
as a side note, several other dishes worth trying are: the dynamite (OMG ridonculous), the salmon skin salad (one of my faves anywhere and everywhere), and the crunch roll. also, any special rolls they offer w/tempura something or other in it is absolutely to die for. plus, they always have special rolls, so you can totally order something new every time.
as another side note, the techno music and huge tv can be somewhat distracting when you’re sitting inside, but i suppose they’re going for a certain aesthetic what w/all the black leather. i have to say: it’s a bit much. which means: try to sit outside if the weather permits.
for a totally LA experience:
ami sushi
1051 broxton avenue
los angeles, ca 90024-2803
310.209.1994
http://www.ami-restaurant.com/index.html
chipotle
after submitting my second proposal draft into my advisor’s office, and sitting through hours of committee meetings, all i wanted to do was relax. so i texted kel right in the middle of a meeting (yes, i’m horrible, but god help me for not screaming when everyone else is on their damn computer and/or crackberry and/or phone ALL the time) to arrange a last-minute red mango date. (and FYI that i’ve decided pinkberry and red mango are decidedly more fun when in the company of friends who totally appreciate the experience.)
as soon as i left my last meeting though, i realized that i was STARVING. which meant that food of some kind was necessary either before or after red mango. seeing as how kel had mentally prepared herself for red mango all morning, we decided to have that first. (totally delicious as always, though i chose to get a smaller size with fewer toppings, just so i could fit in real food afterwards. i know, what self-control. *IIPE*)
upon kel’s brilliant suggestion, we sauntered over to chipotle, which JUST opened last week. (and which had had a huge line for free burritos that went all the way around the corner. um yeah, i enjoyed lunch w/katie *much* better. um yeah, and i just realized that i *totally* forgot to write that review. ok ok, i’m on it. janet, you’re right. it’s ridiculous trying to keep on top of all these entries!)
ok, so FYI that i loooooooooooooooooooooooooove chipotle. ever since i had it in chicago, nothing’s been the same. and when i found out it was coming to westwood (and to broxton no less!), i was ECSTATIC. and i’ve been impatiently waiting for it to open ever since. as for why i love chipotle, i must admit that the food quality is just REALLY good for fast food. and i generally never eat fast food. and i generally don’t love mexican either. so for a fast food mexican place to get my two thumbs-up, you pretty much have to be THE BOMB. and that’s precisely what chipotle is.
the menu is simple and there aren’t many options. which, for a fast food place, is perfect. b/c the idea is to move people through as quickly as possible. the more options you have, the longer the wait. so the best approach is to make a few key items really really well. and that’s precisely what chipotle does. the place runs like an assembly line (which i’ve always found quite brilliant – thanks mr. ford!) and everyone has their specific tasks. and while newbies (like moi) can slow things down a bit, the process is pretty efficient as soon as the customer figures out what’s going on. (and no, it’s not that hard, but still overwhelming when you’re surrounded by hordes of hungry people!)
i decided to follow kel and see how she ordered, so that i could be properly schooled. unfortunately, she was the WRONG one to follow. (yes, kel, you know i had to blog about this!) b/c when my lovely friend was asked what she wanted in her burrito, she proceeded to reach over the plastic guard and point down w/her spoon. OMG. you should’ve seen the look on the dude’s face. i’m sure the gears were churning away. oh my lord, the health codes violated by THAT move. (no worries though, he proceeded to promptly tell her to keep her spoon – and her limbs – away from the food. and i’m sure he’ll be looking out for any possible delinquents going forward. so watch yourselves!) i must admit that it was the funniest thing ever! oh, especially when she tried to do it a SECOND time! talk about daring. (oh, kel, you know we love you.)
needless to say, i was somewhat distracted by all this pointing madness. but i managed to get myself a salad w/carnitas (OMG so good), black beans, roasted chili-corn, lots of cheese, and the indispensable guac. kel got the chicken burrito, and we pretty much both inhaled our lunches after plopping ourselves into some chairs outside.
when i was standing on line, i realized that their burrito must be quite iconic, because it was on all their gift cards! personally, i’m not a big fan of tortillas, so i generally don’t order anything that has them. however, i had a bite of kel’s and it was quite good. compared to the ones at rubio’s, they’re actually small in length, though they certainly make up for it in girth. (take that however you will.)
as i’m scanning their website, i’m actually quite impressed. seeing as how the internet has blown up over the past decade, it really takes a lot to keep me interested. and i must say that the website’s quite funny and quirky. (just make sure you have the sound on!)
considering how high the rents are in westwood, the big chains are probably the only ones that can keep up and stay in business. which works to chipotle’s advantage. more importantly though is the fact that the westwood location is actually called chipotle – UCLA BRUINS on the website. which hopefully means that chipotle should be here to stay! YAY!
build a chipotle and they will come...
chipotle – UCLA bruins
10777 broxton avenue
los angeles, ca 90024
310.824.4180
http://www.chipotle.com/#
as soon as i left my last meeting though, i realized that i was STARVING. which meant that food of some kind was necessary either before or after red mango. seeing as how kel had mentally prepared herself for red mango all morning, we decided to have that first. (totally delicious as always, though i chose to get a smaller size with fewer toppings, just so i could fit in real food afterwards. i know, what self-control. *IIPE*)
upon kel’s brilliant suggestion, we sauntered over to chipotle, which JUST opened last week. (and which had had a huge line for free burritos that went all the way around the corner. um yeah, i enjoyed lunch w/katie *much* better. um yeah, and i just realized that i *totally* forgot to write that review. ok ok, i’m on it. janet, you’re right. it’s ridiculous trying to keep on top of all these entries!)
ok, so FYI that i loooooooooooooooooooooooooove chipotle. ever since i had it in chicago, nothing’s been the same. and when i found out it was coming to westwood (and to broxton no less!), i was ECSTATIC. and i’ve been impatiently waiting for it to open ever since. as for why i love chipotle, i must admit that the food quality is just REALLY good for fast food. and i generally never eat fast food. and i generally don’t love mexican either. so for a fast food mexican place to get my two thumbs-up, you pretty much have to be THE BOMB. and that’s precisely what chipotle is.
the menu is simple and there aren’t many options. which, for a fast food place, is perfect. b/c the idea is to move people through as quickly as possible. the more options you have, the longer the wait. so the best approach is to make a few key items really really well. and that’s precisely what chipotle does. the place runs like an assembly line (which i’ve always found quite brilliant – thanks mr. ford!) and everyone has their specific tasks. and while newbies (like moi) can slow things down a bit, the process is pretty efficient as soon as the customer figures out what’s going on. (and no, it’s not that hard, but still overwhelming when you’re surrounded by hordes of hungry people!)
i decided to follow kel and see how she ordered, so that i could be properly schooled. unfortunately, she was the WRONG one to follow. (yes, kel, you know i had to blog about this!) b/c when my lovely friend was asked what she wanted in her burrito, she proceeded to reach over the plastic guard and point down w/her spoon. OMG. you should’ve seen the look on the dude’s face. i’m sure the gears were churning away. oh my lord, the health codes violated by THAT move. (no worries though, he proceeded to promptly tell her to keep her spoon – and her limbs – away from the food. and i’m sure he’ll be looking out for any possible delinquents going forward. so watch yourselves!) i must admit that it was the funniest thing ever! oh, especially when she tried to do it a SECOND time! talk about daring. (oh, kel, you know we love you.)
needless to say, i was somewhat distracted by all this pointing madness. but i managed to get myself a salad w/carnitas (OMG so good), black beans, roasted chili-corn, lots of cheese, and the indispensable guac. kel got the chicken burrito, and we pretty much both inhaled our lunches after plopping ourselves into some chairs outside.
when i was standing on line, i realized that their burrito must be quite iconic, because it was on all their gift cards! personally, i’m not a big fan of tortillas, so i generally don’t order anything that has them. however, i had a bite of kel’s and it was quite good. compared to the ones at rubio’s, they’re actually small in length, though they certainly make up for it in girth. (take that however you will.)
as i’m scanning their website, i’m actually quite impressed. seeing as how the internet has blown up over the past decade, it really takes a lot to keep me interested. and i must say that the website’s quite funny and quirky. (just make sure you have the sound on!)
considering how high the rents are in westwood, the big chains are probably the only ones that can keep up and stay in business. which works to chipotle’s advantage. more importantly though is the fact that the westwood location is actually called chipotle – UCLA BRUINS on the website. which hopefully means that chipotle should be here to stay! YAY!
build a chipotle and they will come...
chipotle – UCLA bruins
10777 broxton avenue
los angeles, ca 90024
310.824.4180
http://www.chipotle.com/#
beacon
after a long day of staring at my computer and willing the words to come out of my fingertips, i certainly deserved dinner out w/friends. seeing as how i hadn’t left the house all day except for my morning mocha, i showered quick, popped in my contacts, and put on my favorite casual brown dress. despite a fluke landslide on sepulveda, jenny showed up right on time. (even w/justin running late!)
***
as a total sidebar, i want to say that i love on-timers. i swear i’m always 10 minutes early and everyone’s always 20 minutes late. i mean, WTF?! for those of who can add, that means i’m left waiting THIRTY MINUTES. yes, folks, THIRTY MINUTES!! geezus christ. one would think people would be a little more considerate and have a little better sense of time as they got older. if any friend ever leaves me waiting that long (or god forbid longer) more than twice (i’m giving y’all some leeway here), you’re OFF the friend list. ok, don’t say you haven’t been warned.
***
after a long day with no live people interaction , i was busting w/verbal energy. and while i felt for jenny & justin, i must admit that they were troopers for listening to me babble on in the car.
so i’ve decided that the best thing about having foodie friends is that we always end up having the funnest conversations about the most random food topics! (a shout-out to dani, btw, for all our many email convos spent on food talk. they keep me sane!!)
for example, as we were zipping down westwood, jenny mentioned a great little place nearby that serves omikase, w/both sushi and non-sushi items. apparently you just walk in, sit down, and wait for the chef to serve you a series of small plates (approximately 10-15). for those of you who don’t know, omikase is pretty much a tasting menu, where you take what the chef gives you. so to truly appreciate this kind of experience, you need to be both adventurous and trusting. plus you need, at least for the time being, to set aside any food likes and dislikes. if you’re a really picky eater, this is simply NOT going to be fun for you, so don’t bother.
to that point, jenny told the funniest story about a friend who’d brought her boyfriend out to try this place. (and FYI that i’m waiting for jenny to read this post and comment w/the actual name of the restaurant. jenny, are you out there?) and it was apparently mayo day the day they went in b/c the chef put mayo in almost every single dish he set in front of them. and guess what? the boyfriend hates mayo! (as does justin, by the way. tsk tsk.) to be honest, i don’t feel for either of these boys. i mean, who the heck hates MAYO?! it’s creamy and tangy and goes w/EVERYTHING. (i mean, pretty much, right?) that’s seriously the worst dislike i’ve ever heard. ok, i’m lying, i’ve heard worse. but that’s pretty bad.
at any rate, this led me to mention how de’sha hates condiments. again, who the heck hates CONDIMENTS?! i mean, you’re wiping out like a bazillion yummy edibles! setting that issue aside (and yes, de’sha, i still love you), this led us to wondering what actually constitutes a condiment. justin suggested that it’s any additional item that needs to be squirted or spooned onto the main dish. like ketchup, mustard, relish, etc. and i commented that condiments tend to be gucky. (and no, this spelling doesn’t do the pronunciation justice. but gook-ey just seemed totally wrong and politically incorrect. so if someone else out there can spell it better, lemme know.) which prompted justin to smartly suggest that perhaps there’s some element of VISCOSITY that’s required. way to make my comment sound brilliant!
at that point, i was all ready to go on wikipedia and update the definition if necessary. then jenny brought up soy sauce. which totally stumped us. so we decided to wait for dorothy to weigh in at the restaurant. (who, btw, easily and breezily called soy sauce the “asian condiment,” thereby forcing us to re-think our entire working definition. *sigh*) and proceeded to discuss the questionable merit of studies showing the benefits of pomegranate juice.
by the time we showed up at beacon, dorothy was just pulling into the parking lot. so we were right on time for our reservation. (which i’m sure everyone appreciated since we were all semi-starving by that point.) we were seated right away and served by a really cute and funny waiter. (with actor aspirations, i’m sure.) who ended up waiting on us for the night (even though we weren’t his table) b/c we were so eager to order as soon as we’d skimmed the menu.
since most of the dishes were small plates, we decided to order a whole bunch and share. (my favorite kind of eating!) with recs from christine & brett, as well as from our cute and funny waiter, we decided to check out the black edamame, the crispy fried oysters, the stirfried mushroom salad, the stirfried eggplant, as well as the miso-marinated black cod, the miso-braised short ribs, and the duck confit. i must admit to being quite proud of myself for picking out a few of these dishes before the waiter even commented on them being top-notch and/or his favorites. i mean, did i call them or what? yes, i know, i’m so self-involved.
to be honest, i definitely wouldn’t have picked some of these dishes if i were on my own. (which is interesting since we ended up at some point talking about all the foods we generally never order when we eat out. my picks: chicken and salmon. if i order either of these things, that pretty much means the menu isn’t remotely close to being interesting enough for me.) then again, this is the price we pay for enjoying food w/others. you’re inevitably going to have differences of opinion regarding what you’d like to try (and definitely about what you end up enjoying), but hopefully everyone gets to order something they want. best case scenario is that you thoroughly enjoy something you wouldn’t have ordered otherwise. worst case scenario is that you get at least one dish that you picked – for better or for worse.
of the things i wouldn’t have ordered – edamame is so insubstantial that it’s definitely not worth paying for. i mean, that’s why all the sushi places give it to you for free, right? black or not, super or not (the waiter defined it as super edamame), definitely not worth two cents, much less three dollars (!!). totally uninteresting. as i’ve mentioned previously, short ribs are a total giveaway dish. seriously, who the heck messes up short ribs? (well, i suppose eri could.) i mean, it’s just a few hours of crock-potting to perfection, right? well, unfortunately, this place didn’t crock-pot theirs quite long enough. my attitude is that any short ribs that require knife pressure aren’t worth my time. the duck confit was a total last-minute addition, and again, not worth the money. maybe i’m a snob b/c french is my favorite cuisine and i’ve taken classes at the FCI (yeah, folks, YEAH), but i don’t think i’ve had really good duck confit outside french brasseries. i mean, they invented the concept, right? wouldn’t they know how to do it best? granted i didn’t get much sauce w/my few bites of duck, but i found the meat totally bland and unseasoned. i suppose that’s better than too salty, but not by much. and who lets any dish leave the kitchen w/o enough salt? you’d be knocked off top chef in two seconds!
of everything else – the crispy fried oysters (recommended by the waiter) were BY FAR the most delicious dish of the night. definitely something any of the ladies would’ve ordered more of if we’d been hungrier. (since there were only 3 of them, justin was nice enough to let us have them. that and i’m not sure he likes oysters? god forbid that’s the case. let’s just not think about that and call him chivalrous instead.) the oysters were lightly fried and sitting in small lettuce cups. i love most finger food, and this was the perfect two-bite dish. while my first bite tasted a bit too much of the sea, my second bite was AMAZING. a great contrast of flavors and textures: salty crust, fresh oyster, and crisp lettuce. i SO could’ve replaced any of the other dishes w/more oysters. mmm.... the mushroom salad was one of my picks but definitely didn’t live up to expectations. (honestly, when you’re used to absolutely perfect wild mushroom salads at palomino’s, your standards end up way high.) i had to prowl around to find the multiple types of mushrooms embedded within the salad, and when i found them, i was ultimately disappointed. even the chunks of manchego cheese (which i’d never had in chunk form before) couldn’t makeup for the measly mushrooms.
in total contrast, the eggplant was DELICIOUS. usually i find eggplant either undercooked (which prevents them from soaking up much flavor) or overcooked (which makes them soggy and sopping – think panda express). but the texture of the eggplant here was absolutely perfect. i wish i could’ve eaten more, but i was getting full and i didn’t want to be too piggish. (which is the only problem eating w/NEW friends. you can’t stuff your face the way you would otherwise!) after the eggplant, i think the cod was definitely my next favorite. to be honest, i don’t generally like cod or haddock or any other fish that’s associated with fish & chips (GROSS!). but perhaps i should ease up on these general dislikes more often, b/c the cod here was quite YUM. i’m not sure how it’s supposed to be cooked outside of fish & chips (we were talking about how ahi tuna should be raw or seared, and how swordfish should be well-done but not bone-dry), but i though beacon’s version was on point. the fish was cooked with a slightly crispy skin and just through enough that it pretty much melted in your mouth. i mean, who’d ever say that about COD of all fish? it didn’t hurt that there was a sweet layer of miso glaze on top. i must admit that the glaze was slightly sweeter and thicker than i would’ve liked, but still DELISH. i’m definitely not complaining.
and no fancy meal could end w/o dessert. so again, we ordered a few things to share: the coconut rice and mango brulee, the beacon “ring ding,” and the bento box of sweet treats. going backwards, i have to say that the bento box was my least favorite. i like my desserts to come together on a plate, so i really can’t appreciate cookies and candies when i could get those pretty much anywhere. (especially things like truffles and gummies – that’s why folks go to nijya!) the box also contained two fruit tarts (totally boring) and two fruit/meringue tarts. y’all should’ve seen the looks on jenny and justin’s faces when they bit into the meringue one! OMG. too hilarious. they had no idea what was in it. dorothy and i decided to be adventurous and split the other. we must have similar palates b/c we simultaneously decided that it had to be rhubarb! yeah, that yucky root that some bizarre baker decided to put into dessert and that everyone’s decides is ok to use in dessert. (original baker = idiot.)
for me, the ring ding was more an intriguing pastiche of chocolates than something hearkening back to hostess ding dongs. at any rate, i thought it was quite good, with the contrast b/w moist chocolate cake, thicker white chocolate filling, and vanilla choc chip ice cream (though there could’ve been more choc chips, in my opinion). last but not least, the coconut and mango brulee. OMG. i totally couldn’t get enough of it. as dorothy commented, it was kind of like a cross b/w rice pudding and creme brulee. the rice kernels were pretty substantial. and the brulee was perfect. i wasn’t quite sure what to make of it in those first few bites. but after a few more bites, i decided that it was pretty darn good. from what i could tell, there wasn’t any real mango flavor in the dish itself. but the tiny cubes of mango on the side complimented the dish perfectly in terms of flavor (tangy & fruity vs. creamy) and consistency (slightly crunchy vs. smooth & slightly chewy). also, i think the dish was slightly green, which made think that there must’ve been some green tea flavor added. and seeing as how i love green tea, i didn’t mind that at all.
for the most part, i thought the food was decent. the ambiance was nice and the service was good, but i suppose the food could’ve been better. even though some of the dishes stood out against the others, the meal as a whole didn’t make much of an impression on me. thankfully, the cost per person came out pretty fair. if it’d been any higher, this review might’ve veered negative. b/c when it comes down to it, you want to get what you pay for. and if the food doesn’t live up to what i’m paying for it, well, then the review’s definitely going to suffer. all’s fair in eating and reviewing, right?
beacon
3280 helms ave
los angeles, ca 90034
310.838.7500
http://www.beacon-la.com/index.php
***
as a total sidebar, i want to say that i love on-timers. i swear i’m always 10 minutes early and everyone’s always 20 minutes late. i mean, WTF?! for those of who can add, that means i’m left waiting THIRTY MINUTES. yes, folks, THIRTY MINUTES!! geezus christ. one would think people would be a little more considerate and have a little better sense of time as they got older. if any friend ever leaves me waiting that long (or god forbid longer) more than twice (i’m giving y’all some leeway here), you’re OFF the friend list. ok, don’t say you haven’t been warned.
***
after a long day with no live people interaction , i was busting w/verbal energy. and while i felt for jenny & justin, i must admit that they were troopers for listening to me babble on in the car.
so i’ve decided that the best thing about having foodie friends is that we always end up having the funnest conversations about the most random food topics! (a shout-out to dani, btw, for all our many email convos spent on food talk. they keep me sane!!)
for example, as we were zipping down westwood, jenny mentioned a great little place nearby that serves omikase, w/both sushi and non-sushi items. apparently you just walk in, sit down, and wait for the chef to serve you a series of small plates (approximately 10-15). for those of you who don’t know, omikase is pretty much a tasting menu, where you take what the chef gives you. so to truly appreciate this kind of experience, you need to be both adventurous and trusting. plus you need, at least for the time being, to set aside any food likes and dislikes. if you’re a really picky eater, this is simply NOT going to be fun for you, so don’t bother.
to that point, jenny told the funniest story about a friend who’d brought her boyfriend out to try this place. (and FYI that i’m waiting for jenny to read this post and comment w/the actual name of the restaurant. jenny, are you out there?) and it was apparently mayo day the day they went in b/c the chef put mayo in almost every single dish he set in front of them. and guess what? the boyfriend hates mayo! (as does justin, by the way. tsk tsk.) to be honest, i don’t feel for either of these boys. i mean, who the heck hates MAYO?! it’s creamy and tangy and goes w/EVERYTHING. (i mean, pretty much, right?) that’s seriously the worst dislike i’ve ever heard. ok, i’m lying, i’ve heard worse. but that’s pretty bad.
at any rate, this led me to mention how de’sha hates condiments. again, who the heck hates CONDIMENTS?! i mean, you’re wiping out like a bazillion yummy edibles! setting that issue aside (and yes, de’sha, i still love you), this led us to wondering what actually constitutes a condiment. justin suggested that it’s any additional item that needs to be squirted or spooned onto the main dish. like ketchup, mustard, relish, etc. and i commented that condiments tend to be gucky. (and no, this spelling doesn’t do the pronunciation justice. but gook-ey just seemed totally wrong and politically incorrect. so if someone else out there can spell it better, lemme know.) which prompted justin to smartly suggest that perhaps there’s some element of VISCOSITY that’s required. way to make my comment sound brilliant!
at that point, i was all ready to go on wikipedia and update the definition if necessary. then jenny brought up soy sauce. which totally stumped us. so we decided to wait for dorothy to weigh in at the restaurant. (who, btw, easily and breezily called soy sauce the “asian condiment,” thereby forcing us to re-think our entire working definition. *sigh*) and proceeded to discuss the questionable merit of studies showing the benefits of pomegranate juice.
by the time we showed up at beacon, dorothy was just pulling into the parking lot. so we were right on time for our reservation. (which i’m sure everyone appreciated since we were all semi-starving by that point.) we were seated right away and served by a really cute and funny waiter. (with actor aspirations, i’m sure.) who ended up waiting on us for the night (even though we weren’t his table) b/c we were so eager to order as soon as we’d skimmed the menu.
since most of the dishes were small plates, we decided to order a whole bunch and share. (my favorite kind of eating!) with recs from christine & brett, as well as from our cute and funny waiter, we decided to check out the black edamame, the crispy fried oysters, the stirfried mushroom salad, the stirfried eggplant, as well as the miso-marinated black cod, the miso-braised short ribs, and the duck confit. i must admit to being quite proud of myself for picking out a few of these dishes before the waiter even commented on them being top-notch and/or his favorites. i mean, did i call them or what? yes, i know, i’m so self-involved.
to be honest, i definitely wouldn’t have picked some of these dishes if i were on my own. (which is interesting since we ended up at some point talking about all the foods we generally never order when we eat out. my picks: chicken and salmon. if i order either of these things, that pretty much means the menu isn’t remotely close to being interesting enough for me.) then again, this is the price we pay for enjoying food w/others. you’re inevitably going to have differences of opinion regarding what you’d like to try (and definitely about what you end up enjoying), but hopefully everyone gets to order something they want. best case scenario is that you thoroughly enjoy something you wouldn’t have ordered otherwise. worst case scenario is that you get at least one dish that you picked – for better or for worse.
of the things i wouldn’t have ordered – edamame is so insubstantial that it’s definitely not worth paying for. i mean, that’s why all the sushi places give it to you for free, right? black or not, super or not (the waiter defined it as super edamame), definitely not worth two cents, much less three dollars (!!). totally uninteresting. as i’ve mentioned previously, short ribs are a total giveaway dish. seriously, who the heck messes up short ribs? (well, i suppose eri could.) i mean, it’s just a few hours of crock-potting to perfection, right? well, unfortunately, this place didn’t crock-pot theirs quite long enough. my attitude is that any short ribs that require knife pressure aren’t worth my time. the duck confit was a total last-minute addition, and again, not worth the money. maybe i’m a snob b/c french is my favorite cuisine and i’ve taken classes at the FCI (yeah, folks, YEAH), but i don’t think i’ve had really good duck confit outside french brasseries. i mean, they invented the concept, right? wouldn’t they know how to do it best? granted i didn’t get much sauce w/my few bites of duck, but i found the meat totally bland and unseasoned. i suppose that’s better than too salty, but not by much. and who lets any dish leave the kitchen w/o enough salt? you’d be knocked off top chef in two seconds!
of everything else – the crispy fried oysters (recommended by the waiter) were BY FAR the most delicious dish of the night. definitely something any of the ladies would’ve ordered more of if we’d been hungrier. (since there were only 3 of them, justin was nice enough to let us have them. that and i’m not sure he likes oysters? god forbid that’s the case. let’s just not think about that and call him chivalrous instead.) the oysters were lightly fried and sitting in small lettuce cups. i love most finger food, and this was the perfect two-bite dish. while my first bite tasted a bit too much of the sea, my second bite was AMAZING. a great contrast of flavors and textures: salty crust, fresh oyster, and crisp lettuce. i SO could’ve replaced any of the other dishes w/more oysters. mmm.... the mushroom salad was one of my picks but definitely didn’t live up to expectations. (honestly, when you’re used to absolutely perfect wild mushroom salads at palomino’s, your standards end up way high.) i had to prowl around to find the multiple types of mushrooms embedded within the salad, and when i found them, i was ultimately disappointed. even the chunks of manchego cheese (which i’d never had in chunk form before) couldn’t makeup for the measly mushrooms.
in total contrast, the eggplant was DELICIOUS. usually i find eggplant either undercooked (which prevents them from soaking up much flavor) or overcooked (which makes them soggy and sopping – think panda express). but the texture of the eggplant here was absolutely perfect. i wish i could’ve eaten more, but i was getting full and i didn’t want to be too piggish. (which is the only problem eating w/NEW friends. you can’t stuff your face the way you would otherwise!) after the eggplant, i think the cod was definitely my next favorite. to be honest, i don’t generally like cod or haddock or any other fish that’s associated with fish & chips (GROSS!). but perhaps i should ease up on these general dislikes more often, b/c the cod here was quite YUM. i’m not sure how it’s supposed to be cooked outside of fish & chips (we were talking about how ahi tuna should be raw or seared, and how swordfish should be well-done but not bone-dry), but i though beacon’s version was on point. the fish was cooked with a slightly crispy skin and just through enough that it pretty much melted in your mouth. i mean, who’d ever say that about COD of all fish? it didn’t hurt that there was a sweet layer of miso glaze on top. i must admit that the glaze was slightly sweeter and thicker than i would’ve liked, but still DELISH. i’m definitely not complaining.
and no fancy meal could end w/o dessert. so again, we ordered a few things to share: the coconut rice and mango brulee, the beacon “ring ding,” and the bento box of sweet treats. going backwards, i have to say that the bento box was my least favorite. i like my desserts to come together on a plate, so i really can’t appreciate cookies and candies when i could get those pretty much anywhere. (especially things like truffles and gummies – that’s why folks go to nijya!) the box also contained two fruit tarts (totally boring) and two fruit/meringue tarts. y’all should’ve seen the looks on jenny and justin’s faces when they bit into the meringue one! OMG. too hilarious. they had no idea what was in it. dorothy and i decided to be adventurous and split the other. we must have similar palates b/c we simultaneously decided that it had to be rhubarb! yeah, that yucky root that some bizarre baker decided to put into dessert and that everyone’s decides is ok to use in dessert. (original baker = idiot.)
for me, the ring ding was more an intriguing pastiche of chocolates than something hearkening back to hostess ding dongs. at any rate, i thought it was quite good, with the contrast b/w moist chocolate cake, thicker white chocolate filling, and vanilla choc chip ice cream (though there could’ve been more choc chips, in my opinion). last but not least, the coconut and mango brulee. OMG. i totally couldn’t get enough of it. as dorothy commented, it was kind of like a cross b/w rice pudding and creme brulee. the rice kernels were pretty substantial. and the brulee was perfect. i wasn’t quite sure what to make of it in those first few bites. but after a few more bites, i decided that it was pretty darn good. from what i could tell, there wasn’t any real mango flavor in the dish itself. but the tiny cubes of mango on the side complimented the dish perfectly in terms of flavor (tangy & fruity vs. creamy) and consistency (slightly crunchy vs. smooth & slightly chewy). also, i think the dish was slightly green, which made think that there must’ve been some green tea flavor added. and seeing as how i love green tea, i didn’t mind that at all.
for the most part, i thought the food was decent. the ambiance was nice and the service was good, but i suppose the food could’ve been better. even though some of the dishes stood out against the others, the meal as a whole didn’t make much of an impression on me. thankfully, the cost per person came out pretty fair. if it’d been any higher, this review might’ve veered negative. b/c when it comes down to it, you want to get what you pay for. and if the food doesn’t live up to what i’m paying for it, well, then the review’s definitely going to suffer. all’s fair in eating and reviewing, right?
beacon
3280 helms ave
los angeles, ca 90034
310.838.7500
http://www.beacon-la.com/index.php
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