unlike chicago (which was my former favorite city), seattle has this great blend of urban- and suburban-ness about it. even though it was cold and rainy the first day i got there, i loved that i saw green everywhere. the city as a whole was so...VERDANT. (yes, yes, please applaud my shameless use of GRE vocabulary. though this is certainly A PROPOS, considering that seattle is one of the most well-read cities in the nation, w/bookstores & coffee shops on every other block.) and even though it was painfully annoying that i was stalled twice on my ride from the airport to my hotel, i couldn't get really upset at running into a barge crossing and a train crossing -- i mean, when else would this happen to me?!
at any rate, as i reported in my previous entry, i made it to dinner just about 10 minutes late. and i was lovingly welcomed into the canlis fold. the food and the view were equally spectacular, w/the prawns being the most memorable dish of the night (and the trip), and the dessert coming in a close second for the evening. it was a great way to start the weekend!
unfortunately, my cab driver on the way back to the hotel was an idiot. and i was left grumbling on a random street corner, since i didn't have the patience to wait for him to figure out his GPS coordinates. thankfully, the hotel staff guided me back to the hotel easily, and they were all really helpful during my entire stay. the service was especially important, since they had to make up for the dreariness of the space. everything seemed dimly lighted, which made for a mildly eerie quality. and even though i knew i couldn't be guaranteed a room w/a view, i never expected to be facing a wall! moreover, the heat was on *so* high that i ended up having trouble sleeping. (that being said, i wish i'd been smarter sooner and realized the first night that: 1) i could open the windows and 2) there was a sheet of paper by the phone telling me how to turn down the heat! *sigh* fatigue breeds idiocy. and insanity, from what i hear.) on the other hand, there was a kitchenette! as well as pots, pans, dishware, and silverware! all of which i wished i'd been able to use more. but considering that i was on vacay, i really wasn't going to do more work than necessary. (next time, i say, next time.)
http://www.innatqueenanne.com/
on my first full day, which happened to be a rainy day, i decided to check out a year-round farmer's market in the university (the u district, as the locals call it). the bus system is pretty extensive in seattle, and even though the buses don't come very often, every stop has the schedules printed on it. and i was able to catch a bus straight from the queen anne district (where i was staying) to the u district -- and only a block or so from the farmer's market! this was totally convenient considering the rain and the wind. i decided to pick up some cash and a mate latte before wandering around the market. given how cold the temperature still is at this time of year, i was worried that i wouldn't find any open markets. thankfully, local growers and vendors are thoroughly committed to selling their wares, and i was lucky enough to find my way to them. in addition to being small and manageable, the market had vendors who were wonderfully open and friendly. i had the best time just talking to them about their products, and having them ask about my trip.
http://www.seattlefarmersmarkets.org/markets/u_district
after perusing through the entire market and sampling some yummy treats (including local products like salmon jerky and tayberry jam), i decided to pick up some cinnamon walnut pecan butter, which literally tasted (as marilyn, the vendor, indicated) like a cinnamon roll in a jar. it was a bit crumbly in consistency, but she assured me that it'd be much creamier at room temperature. (i mean, we were standing around in 40-degree weather!) let me say that this stuff cost $14.50 a jar (!!), so the price was pretty steep for all intents and purposes. as such, you could understand my intense dismay when i realized later in the day that the jar had gone MISSING!! i was even more upset b/c i was all ready to send a bunch of treats home to LA (b/c i didn't want to check baggage -- silly me). i emailed marilyn right away to let her know that i'd be willing to pick up another jar if i could find her in the city, and guess what?! she remembered me and offered to send me a complimentary jar! i seriously couldn't quite believe it. i was all ready to seek her out, but instead, she one-upped me (in only the best of ways) and offered me the most pleasant surprise of my trip. let's just say that this is the kind of wonderful hospitality that i found throughout my wanderings in seattle. and i really can't wait to get back for some more.
http://marilynsnutbutters.com/
in addition to my wonderful nut butter, i picked up some delicious rose petal jelly from dale, who was located a few stalls down. he had such an amazing spread of jellies, jams, and eggs (yes, eggs!) -- i wasn't quire sure where to start. but he gave me a little of this and a little of that, and i sampled to my heart's content. i find that most vendors want to stop you after awhile, but he just let me go on at my leisure. i decided on the rose petal jelly b/c it had the most wonderful smell, taste, and texture. i can't wait to put it on my toast in the morning! and because i love indulging in sweets on vacation, i picked up a lovely almond croissant and a sizeable brioche to munch on on my way out of the market. too bad it was FREEZING b/c i'm sure the pastries would've tasted much better warm.
http://woodringnorthwest.com/
as i walked down university avenue, i decided that umbrellas suck. i couldn't hold my bags, eat my croissant, drink my latte, and carry my umbrella at the same time. and when i can't eat my croissant, i'm annoyed. so i decided to stop in at the university of washington store and stock up on some college gear. (i seriously am in love w/college gear, provided that the colors aren't heinous.) i found the perfect grey huskies cap that would eliminate the need for my way too bright bruins umbrella. (oh, the betrayal!) i also picked up an XL kids sweatshirt for just $15! that ultimately kept me warm and fuzzy for the rest of my trip. i was a happy camper. and i felt like a real seattle-ite. (is that the right term?)
even though i was all ready to make a right and start heading over to the next neighborhood, i was drawn to the "u dub" campus. i told myself that i'd just skirt around the edges to take a look, but when i walked over, i realized that i had to take more of a stroll. OMG. i loved it. i'm sure i only saw a fraction of it, but what i saw was absolutely amazing. even in the drizzle (and perhaps because of it), the campus was a lovely green. and b/c i hate grass (yes, i hate grass), i thoroughly appreciated all the pathways weaving in and out of the grassy areas. i loved the architecture of the old buildings. i loved the open plaza area, which made me feel like i was on the steps of oxford in london or trinity in dublin. i even found a huge water fountain with birds taking baths. i think that's what i loved most -- this feeling that i was in europe. i also loved the fact that the campus was immense and rambling, and the buildings were varied in size. at UCLA, everything seems so tall and overwhelming and monolithic, though perhaps i'm just used to it all at this point. at any rate, i really didn't want to leave....
as i made my way towards greenlake/greenwood (what's it called?), where i was supposed to meet junghee & the fam for red mill burgers (supposedly the best burgers in seattle, though what would i know since i never eat burgers!), i passed through wallingford. while it's pretty easy to trek on seattle streets, some areas have more pedestrians than others. that being said, i'd say boston is pretty similar, especially when you consider areas like brookline and somerville that are a bit quieter and more residential. i loved hitting the busy street in wallingford, where both sidewalks were lined with cute coffee shops, restaurants, and boutiques. little did i know that i actually passed by tilth (and a number of notable eateries and dessert spots) on my trek through the neighborhood! (for my tummy's sake, this was probably a good thing.)
sadly, lily was being fussy, and gerald had to take care of her, so junghee drove out from redmond on her own to see me. after some phone coordination, she picked me up in a fabulous BMW SUV. needless to say (now that i know car brands), i was very impressed. (apparently, gerald loves cars. go figure.) i think we were both surprised that neither of us had changed all that much. she's a mom now, but she's just as carefree and laid-back as she always was. and i had to laugh in semi-shock when she told me that she didn't bother keeping the baby monitor on at night and how she let lily cry until she fell asleep again to get her on a regular sleep schedule. (of course, this is due to the fact that all my other friends are semi-obsessive moms! and if you gals are reading this, i still love you despite your neuroses. =P)
because neither of us were very hungry, junghee decided to show me around all the places that i wouldn't necessarily have been able to see on my own -- sans car. before we did anything else, i HAD to go see greenlake. jess had made it sound so lovely, and i'm infatuated w/large bodies of water. so not only did we drive over there, junghee parked the car, and we did a lovely walk around the entire lake. i think she mentioned that it was about 2 miles or so around, making it larger than the central park reservoir, and ultimately lovelier as well. there were plenty of runners, dogwalkers, and dogs -- all of which i love about seattle. especially the latter. i swear they were EVERYWHERE. and i'm so much happier seeing super fluffy dogs in seattle (where they ought to be) than in LA were they're tortured by all the heat and sun (poor things!). it was so great to just walk and talk -- one of my favorite things to do with friends -- and catch up over the last several years of random goings-on. it's really the best thing to do on a cold day. (or any day for that matter.)
after almost forgetting where we parked, we decided to drive all around seattle, passing by fremont, cutting through ballard, crossing the bridge to the east side, breezing through bellevue, and then weaving back through downtown (where pike place market and SAM are located), pioneer park (one of the oldest parts of the city), the international district (measly apparently by junghee's standards), and capitol hill. she even parked at one point to show me houseboats! it was all very cool. like a personalized tour of the city. by late afternoon, she decided that she should head back to the 'burbs, and she dropped me off at the hotel. hugs all around and an invitation to stay w/them at the their new house in july!
this gave me just enough time to drop off my bags and relax a bit before heading straight back to wallingford for dinner. i decided to hop on the bus again w/my $4 all-day bus pass, and i made it to tilth *just* in time for my reservation. unlike canlis, which was totally old school formal, tilth went w/the cozy farmhouse look -- pale green & yellow on the exterior and interior. as soon as i walked in, i was greeted by adam, who'd taken my call the night before and placed me at the chef's counter. while david had suggested that i could get a good view of the kitchen, there was a couple already sitting in the prime location, and so i ended up choosing a seat right by the window (which was pretty darn cold i must say -- i don't think insulation is very good w/seattle windows, b/c i had the same experience at purple a few days later). that being said, i'm so short that i doubt i would've been able to see over the counter anyways -- it was so high! while i got seated right way and offered the menu, my server (who was nice enough) forgot my iced tea and delivered me a dish that i never ordered. these are small details, yes, but the service really does affect the meal. and the meal certainly could've used some help.
super high expectations are never good. which is why i hate it when people say "that was the best movie ever! (e.g., slumdog millionaire)" or "that was the best meal ever! (e.g., tilth)" in my opinion, tilth was so hyped that it became so overrated. i'll keep my review short b/c: 1) this blog entry is already super long and 2) i just don't want to think too much more about this meal (since there were so many better meals). first off, i received a potato leek and fennel salad as an amuse bouche -- plain & uninteresting. next, i got the hors d'oeuvres, which were little round crackers with fromage blanc, fig, and black walnut. while the fig was quite figgy and the cracker had interesting flavor, the fromage blanc was quite crumbly and the dish seemed to need salt. based on derek & melissa's review, i decided to try the cauliflower flan, which they'd raved about. i totally missed the cauliflower and i thought it tasted like some egg dish that my mom used to make growing up. totally below expectations. b/c of the mix-up w/my order, the waiter offered me the carrot risotto to try, and i thought "why not? it's free. and i was checking it out anyways." bad decision. i don't like carrots, plus i thought it was rich beyond words, especially for a veggie dish. i felt like it went straight to the bottom of my stomach. definitely not what i was wanting at the moment. and i couldn't eat more than a few bites. when my pork cheek dish finally came, i was so glad that there was some choucroute to cut the richness. again, the dish tasted like something my mom used to make, so i wasn't finding anything creative after all i'd heard about this place. the dessert was the last straw. i went w/the special, which my server had described as "a kit kat bar" and which i so wish he hadn't done b/c it was NOTHING like a kit kat bar. the server who delivered my dish called it an open faced ice cream sandwich. (needless to say, everyone should communicate better.) i received a theo chocolate feuilletine w/chocolate toffee ice cream. it was super rich, and didn't fit the kit kat description. after all the hype, i was definitely disappointed. tilth, i hope your april menu does better by you.
http://tilthblog.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
canlis - a tribute to spontaneity
upon arriving in seattle this evening, i was feeling tired and hungry -- and late! of course, i wasn't truly late, but rather running up tight against a last-minute reservation i'd made last night. i'd originally booked crush (http://www.chefjasonwilson.com/crush.html) for my first dinner in seattle. but when i checked out their menu last night, i really wasn't feeling it. (a testament to how much mood can shape experience.) plus, i really wanted something close to my hotel in the queen anne district -- the inn at queen anne (http://www.innatqueenanne.com/). based on menus, recommendations, and reviews, i decided to go w/canlis --a restaurant that's known to be the birthplace of northwest cuisine.
in addition to being on a plane for several hours (which in and of itself wasn't heinous), walking around in high heels (which i almost never do), and misinterpreting my car pick-up location, i ended up running into BOTH a draw bridge and a train crossing during my mere 20-25 minute ride from the airport. (talk about heinous luck!) i already knew the skies would be grey, but two delays in one ride just made me grumpy. thankfully, my driver agreed to wait while i dropped off my bags at the hotel, before taking me over to the restaurant, which was a mere 10 minutes away.
as soon as i arrived at the restaurant -- w/its lovely stone facade -- a valet opened the car door. and because i was still paying the driver, he was all ready to close the door so i wouldn't get cold! i mean, isn't that considerate? better yet, as soon as i walked in, i was greeted by the maitre d' (or the director of service, as i learned from his business card at the end of the night), and i was walked to my table by the OWNER of the restaurant, chris canlis. yes, folks, the OWNER. a lovely older gentleman who commented on my "winsome" smile, and then apologized quickly in case i felt he was presumptuous. (of course, i told him i appreciated the compliment.) it was quite the treatment, i must say, quite the treatment.
as if all this wasn't enough, i was seated at an amazing table for 1, where i had the loveliest view of lake union and the twinkling lights of the city. actually, the first thing that came to my mind as soon as i walked into the restaurant was the fabulous contrast b/w the dark wood of the room and the amazing light coming through all the windows. after being seated for a while, i noticed the piano playing in the background -- a fabulous blend of old favorites (e.g., as time goes by), musical melodies (e.g., les mis), and popular hits (e.g., bruce springsteen). it was all quite entrancing.
to my delight, i was offered a drinks list that actually had THREE yummy-looking, non-alcoholic cocktails. based on my main server's recommendation, i went w/the cape doctor, which involved grenadine, egg whites, and ginger ale. it was a great blend of flavors, and thankfully not too sweet! as i'm sure i've mentioned before, receiving an amuse-bouche is a definite sign of fine dining. and tonight, i received a delicious potato and garlic soup w/a garlic chip and a bit of parsley in a sake cup. even though i normally don't like potatoes b/c they're so heavy, this soup was nice and light, and infused with yummy garlic flavor. while i was waiting for my courses to arrive, i was also offered various breads (i love choices!): pain du lait, oat bread, and rosemary bread w/sea salt. i decided on the pain du lait b/c it looked like brioche. to my surprise, it actually tasted lighter! i also picked up the oat bread b/c one of the servers suggested that it'd be good for sopping up the cream sauce on my plate. it definitely didn't taste very oat-ey, but the server was correct in his suggestion. (you could see the white of my plate.)
for my first and second courses, i decided on the canlis salad and the peter canlis prawns, both of which bear the canlis name. my main server, ryan, informed me that anything bearing the canlis name has been on the menu since the restaurant opened its doors in 1950!! and when i tasted these two dishes, i definitely understood why. the canlis salad was their version of a caesar salad, w/great lemon flavor, salty bacon pieces (WAY better than bacon bits), and itty bitty croutons. but the highlight of the night was most definitely the PRAWNS. (yes, in CAPS.) most people know that i really don't like shrimp very much. (in fact, i used to only eat shrimp wrapped in those noodles they served at dim sum!) so for me to say what i'm about to say is a BIG deal: the peter canlis prawns was THE best shrimp dish i've ever had in my entire 30 years of existence. (i'm sorry, eri, but even the best walnut shrimp couldn't beat this.) the prawns were fairly sizable, butterflied perfectly, cooked JUST through, and sitting in a delicate cream sauce. the combination was IMMENSE. the texture was spot on and totally not chewy. and the prawns soaked up the cream sauce w/o any trouble. (the rest was left for my oat bread!) the dish has totally made me re-think shrimp forever. seriously. no joke.
for my main course, i went w/the sable fish, which is synonymous with (or at least close to) black cod. i decided to go with something light so that i wouldn't be sleeping on a full belly. plus seattle is so well-known for its fresh seafood that there was no way that i'd let myself miss out! i must admit that i was a little disconcerted when my dish came out covered in foam w/very little color contrast. i mean, what would i find underneath?! that being said, i wasn't disappointed. the foam was a curry lemongrass foam, that was layered over the sablefish, that was layered over mushroom quarters and green apple cubes, sitting in green fennel puree. the fish pretty much melted in my mouth, but still retained a nice bit of chew. the mushrooms were delicious, but the apple cubes really gave the dish a great bit of acid.
to finish off the night, i decided on yet another light dish, the standing cones. once again, this dish came out extremely pale w/almost no color. i was a little concerned. then again, it was dessert. there wasn't very far to go! plus i'd already been nicely surprised by the fish. and of course, it was delicious. the dish consisted of pink grapefruit sorbet, pineapple ice cream, and coconut sorbet, each in wafer thin sugar cookie cones, which were attached to the plate w/the smallest bit of white chocolate. i went from left to right: the grapefruit was light and fresh (a great palate cleanser), the pineapple was nice and creamy (it might seriously have been my fave), and the coconut was this fascinating combo of rich coconut flavor with light sorbet texture.
and with my check came a lovely pink raspberry mango marshmallow! what more can i say?
OK, well, i WILL say that i LOVED the service. i loved the valet who opened my car door. i loved chris canlis who walked me to my table. i loved all the servers who delivered and cleared my dishes, filled my water glass, and checked on me throughout my meal. i loved ryan who swung by regularly to chat about himself, his family, and his experiences in NY, SF, seattle, etc. i loved david who gave me the name of the maitre d' at tilth. i even loved the servers who IRONED the tablecloths after guests departed. and the girl who warmed up coats by the fire before passing them off to diners on their way out! canlis's attention to detail is immaculate and impeccable -- i'm so glad spontaneity brought me to canlis for my very first seattle meal!
canlis
http://www.canlis.com/
in addition to being on a plane for several hours (which in and of itself wasn't heinous), walking around in high heels (which i almost never do), and misinterpreting my car pick-up location, i ended up running into BOTH a draw bridge and a train crossing during my mere 20-25 minute ride from the airport. (talk about heinous luck!) i already knew the skies would be grey, but two delays in one ride just made me grumpy. thankfully, my driver agreed to wait while i dropped off my bags at the hotel, before taking me over to the restaurant, which was a mere 10 minutes away.
as soon as i arrived at the restaurant -- w/its lovely stone facade -- a valet opened the car door. and because i was still paying the driver, he was all ready to close the door so i wouldn't get cold! i mean, isn't that considerate? better yet, as soon as i walked in, i was greeted by the maitre d' (or the director of service, as i learned from his business card at the end of the night), and i was walked to my table by the OWNER of the restaurant, chris canlis. yes, folks, the OWNER. a lovely older gentleman who commented on my "winsome" smile, and then apologized quickly in case i felt he was presumptuous. (of course, i told him i appreciated the compliment.) it was quite the treatment, i must say, quite the treatment.
as if all this wasn't enough, i was seated at an amazing table for 1, where i had the loveliest view of lake union and the twinkling lights of the city. actually, the first thing that came to my mind as soon as i walked into the restaurant was the fabulous contrast b/w the dark wood of the room and the amazing light coming through all the windows. after being seated for a while, i noticed the piano playing in the background -- a fabulous blend of old favorites (e.g., as time goes by), musical melodies (e.g., les mis), and popular hits (e.g., bruce springsteen). it was all quite entrancing.
to my delight, i was offered a drinks list that actually had THREE yummy-looking, non-alcoholic cocktails. based on my main server's recommendation, i went w/the cape doctor, which involved grenadine, egg whites, and ginger ale. it was a great blend of flavors, and thankfully not too sweet! as i'm sure i've mentioned before, receiving an amuse-bouche is a definite sign of fine dining. and tonight, i received a delicious potato and garlic soup w/a garlic chip and a bit of parsley in a sake cup. even though i normally don't like potatoes b/c they're so heavy, this soup was nice and light, and infused with yummy garlic flavor. while i was waiting for my courses to arrive, i was also offered various breads (i love choices!): pain du lait, oat bread, and rosemary bread w/sea salt. i decided on the pain du lait b/c it looked like brioche. to my surprise, it actually tasted lighter! i also picked up the oat bread b/c one of the servers suggested that it'd be good for sopping up the cream sauce on my plate. it definitely didn't taste very oat-ey, but the server was correct in his suggestion. (you could see the white of my plate.)
for my first and second courses, i decided on the canlis salad and the peter canlis prawns, both of which bear the canlis name. my main server, ryan, informed me that anything bearing the canlis name has been on the menu since the restaurant opened its doors in 1950!! and when i tasted these two dishes, i definitely understood why. the canlis salad was their version of a caesar salad, w/great lemon flavor, salty bacon pieces (WAY better than bacon bits), and itty bitty croutons. but the highlight of the night was most definitely the PRAWNS. (yes, in CAPS.) most people know that i really don't like shrimp very much. (in fact, i used to only eat shrimp wrapped in those noodles they served at dim sum!) so for me to say what i'm about to say is a BIG deal: the peter canlis prawns was THE best shrimp dish i've ever had in my entire 30 years of existence. (i'm sorry, eri, but even the best walnut shrimp couldn't beat this.) the prawns were fairly sizable, butterflied perfectly, cooked JUST through, and sitting in a delicate cream sauce. the combination was IMMENSE. the texture was spot on and totally not chewy. and the prawns soaked up the cream sauce w/o any trouble. (the rest was left for my oat bread!) the dish has totally made me re-think shrimp forever. seriously. no joke.
for my main course, i went w/the sable fish, which is synonymous with (or at least close to) black cod. i decided to go with something light so that i wouldn't be sleeping on a full belly. plus seattle is so well-known for its fresh seafood that there was no way that i'd let myself miss out! i must admit that i was a little disconcerted when my dish came out covered in foam w/very little color contrast. i mean, what would i find underneath?! that being said, i wasn't disappointed. the foam was a curry lemongrass foam, that was layered over the sablefish, that was layered over mushroom quarters and green apple cubes, sitting in green fennel puree. the fish pretty much melted in my mouth, but still retained a nice bit of chew. the mushrooms were delicious, but the apple cubes really gave the dish a great bit of acid.
to finish off the night, i decided on yet another light dish, the standing cones. once again, this dish came out extremely pale w/almost no color. i was a little concerned. then again, it was dessert. there wasn't very far to go! plus i'd already been nicely surprised by the fish. and of course, it was delicious. the dish consisted of pink grapefruit sorbet, pineapple ice cream, and coconut sorbet, each in wafer thin sugar cookie cones, which were attached to the plate w/the smallest bit of white chocolate. i went from left to right: the grapefruit was light and fresh (a great palate cleanser), the pineapple was nice and creamy (it might seriously have been my fave), and the coconut was this fascinating combo of rich coconut flavor with light sorbet texture.
and with my check came a lovely pink raspberry mango marshmallow! what more can i say?
OK, well, i WILL say that i LOVED the service. i loved the valet who opened my car door. i loved chris canlis who walked me to my table. i loved all the servers who delivered and cleared my dishes, filled my water glass, and checked on me throughout my meal. i loved ryan who swung by regularly to chat about himself, his family, and his experiences in NY, SF, seattle, etc. i loved david who gave me the name of the maitre d' at tilth. i even loved the servers who IRONED the tablecloths after guests departed. and the girl who warmed up coats by the fire before passing them off to diners on their way out! canlis's attention to detail is immaculate and impeccable -- i'm so glad spontaneity brought me to canlis for my very first seattle meal!
canlis
http://www.canlis.com/
Thursday, March 26, 2009
sona sona sona
after waiting patiently for literally SIX months, christine & i finally got to celebrate the end of our GSO madness. YAY! and we originally intended to check out bazaar (which i'm still dying to go to), but considering that no dinner reservations were available for the next month, i picked sona instead. and BOY WAS IT THE RIGHT DECISION. b/c i don't think i've had a better meal in months and months and months. yes, i've loved all my other foodie adventures, but this one certainly takes the cake! it may have to do with the tasting menu and the opportunity to try small bites of many dishes. so the next time i have that option, i'm taking it! which pretty much means you should too! ; )
as soon as we walked in for our 7PM reservation, we noticed how quiet and sparse the restaurant was. the decor was a cool blend of gray & white, but there were only 2-3 other parties in the restaurant when we were seated. it was quite startling, considering that i usually like to eat at 6PM, and i always think the rest of the world likes to eat at 7 or 8. for once, i thought i was eating with everyone else, and i was obviously wrong. the place picked up a little later, though it's obvious that the recession has hit fine dining pretty hard. so i'm glad we were there to do our part -- especially with the 6-course decouverte menu!
we started off with super duper long breadsticks. i swear these reminded me of the wooden dowels that teachers used to slap the wrists of bad children. i know i know, morbid thought, but just imagine it! they were too long for the table, so you really had to break them up into pieces. nice and crunchy. and i gobbled up mine in less than 5 minutes! i generally don't like bread very much, but it always seems important to a restaurant meal.
soon after, the bread guy brought around two different breads for us to try: a matcha green tea bread and a cranberry bread made with red wine. i loved the warmth of the breads b/c the butter simply melted right into the nooks and crannies. however, i must admit that i didn't taste the matcha green tea AT ALL. christine mentioned enjoying the sweetness of the bread, but i couldn't remotely make out the flavor. in fact, i thought the cranberry bread was much more flavorful. i could taste the cranberries -- and even the red wine! (no worries, i didn't get tipsy this time.) the bread guy also brought around some wheat bread later, and that was quite good though pretty basic.
before our 6 courses commenced, we received a lovely amuse bouche, compliments of the chef -- a ball of tofu-encrusted duck confit with tiny, salty, crunchy fish on top. i used to hate these teeny weeny fish, but i love the saltiness now, and so i picked up a few with my chopsticks before diving into the ball. this may not have been the best way to go, especially since i only tasted tofu and barely tasted any duck confit. i'm not sure if it just wasn't in there, or if my taste buds were overwhelmed by the taste of the fish. either way, i was a little bummed, especially since i really love duck confit!
i wasn't about to let the amuse diminish my excitement though. our first course consisted of new zealand snapper on asian pear with nori jam. this was probably our favorite light dish of the night. first of all, the presentation was light and fresh, with a few small flower petals sprinkled over the snapper pieces. the snapper on top was a translucent white with a nice chew, and the asian pear underneath was a perfect blend of crispy and juicy. the combination of flavors and textures really elevated the dish beyond its ingredients.
the next dish was the seared foie gras that i ordered in addition to the decouverte menu. christine indicated that she was politically against foie, but that it wouldn't be a problem if i wanted it. considering that i LOVE foie, that the dish came with peanut butter cream and cranberry jam, and that our server said it was the best foie EVER, i absolutely HAD to order it. and i must say that this was probably one of THE best dishes of the ENTIRE meal. i seriously don't think i've had better foie. it came in this large, silky chunk, with the most perfect sear on top. eating it alone was in and of itself AMAZING. but eating it with the peanut butter cream & the cranberry jam was simply ecstasy. OMG. i have no other words to describe the experience. one of the other servers said she's dreamed about this foie before. at this point, i seriously don't doubt it. even christine thought it was quite good when she tried a sliver!
for our second course, we received the monkfish tail wrapped around bacon pieces with an herb emulsion. this is a particularly interesting arrangement, considering that bacon is usually placed on the outside to keep the fish intact and moist. however, seeing that monkfish is a more substantial fish, it could certainly hold its shape during the cooking process. unfortunately, christine & i both agreed that one piece was quite dry and tough (both fish & pork). however, the other piece was significantly more moist, thereby redeeming the dish somewhat. i suppose monkfish just really isn't my kind of fish, especially since i'm not the biggest fan of swordfish, which has a similar consistency and density. that being said, the arrangement was quite unique, and worth some brownie points.
the duck came out as the third course, with peas, a pea emulsion, and a parmesan crisp. (and FYI that duck is my favorite fowl of all time!) the duck was cooked perfectly medium rare, and i made sure to slice the existing pieces into even tinier pieces, so that i could savor every bite. christine is a pea lover, so she certainly enjoyed the pea elements in the dish. i myself am a cheese fan, so the parmesan crisp was simply delectable. the duck had the loveliest chew, which was the perfect contrast to the super crispiness of the crisp.
what with me ordering the foie gras, christine deserved an extra item as well, and she chose the wagyu beef, which came out with a slow poached egg (that looked like it could've come out of an ostrich), bok choy, and a nice salty broth. christine gave me the chance to sample just a bit of each in a soup spoon, and it was sooooooooooooo good. i swear that our 2 extra dishes really helpd make the meal. the silky wagyu was also perfectly medium rare, and it slid down my throat almost as easily as the decadent egg. the saltiness of the broth really helped to cut through the sinful fat of the wagyu and egg, making the whole bite very well-rounded.
as our fourth course, we received the venison w/tomato paste, roasted brussel sprouts, and artichoke confit. christine & i both LOVE brussel sprouts, so we were thrilled to get them. however, we really weren't sure whether the artichoke confit was a true confit. (food lovers, please define!) nevertheless, they were good, albeit a bit crunchy for my tastes. i also wasn't the biggest fan of the tomato paste, though i found the venison quite fabulous. again, the meat was cooked perfectly medium rare. and the dish wasn't the least bit game-y, which is always a challenge w/venison.
given my penchant for sweets, i was extremely happy to find out that we had two dessert courses waiting for us. both dishes were a combination of several mini-desserts, which made the experiences that much more exciting. the first dessert course was a combination of sencha mousse w/raspberry paper, mint tea gelee with vanilla panna cotta, fresh raspberries, and one other thing which has completely slipped my mind. at any rate, my favorite was definitely the sencha mousse. i looooooooooved the bitterness of the sencha in the mousse. granted, i love everything green tea, but i definitely prefer the real bitterness over the fake sweetness of most green tea desserts. the raspberry paper was quite interesting, and the acidity certainly paired well with the bitterness of the sencha mousse. the gelee and panna cotta was more of a jelly, which was much less interesting. and i seriously have no recollection of what was at the end of the long plate.
the second dessert course was definitely the most playful course of the entire evening. the pastry chef who dropped off our plates rattled off the elements so fast that neither christine & i could recall everything he said. however, we agreed that everything on that plate was absolutely amazing. from the right, we started with the foie gras ice cream, which was sitting on a bed of cocoa/cookie nibs. the combination of salty and sweet was super satisfying. next, we moved on to the white rectangular piece on the plate, which we were totally unable to classify. thankfully, we realized that it didn't matter what it was b/c it tasted delicious w/the chocolate noodle (yes, the chocolate noodle) and, of all things, BACON POWDER. how ridiculously awesome is that?!? they should seriously patent that product. OMG.
as if all these courses weren't enough, our server surprised us with yet another dessert course, this one with several teeny tiny elements. we started w/the maccaroon, which had the most unbelievable cream filling. we then moved on to the "minnesota" oreo (which we heard incorrectly when the server said "mini-sona-oreo"). the next one was the lemon meringue dessert, which totally reminded me of the luscious lemon tart at starbuck's! the last one on the plate was a passion fruit jelly. and even though i'm not into jellies, this one had great flavor infused into it. in addition to a plate full of yummy treats, our server also gave us a bunch of deliciously warm madeleines, which had a light crust on the outside and a nice chew on the inside. i seriously had to hold myself back from eating more than my fair share.
while christine & i both thought we could handle more food, we realized that we were close to maxxing out, particularly after the first dessert course. but considering the extravagance of the meal, we made our way valiantly through our last bites. while i didn't delight in every single aspect of the courses, i was amazed at the creativity of the dishes, particularly the flavor combinations and the artistic presentations. i simply don't remember the last time i was so satisfied physically and visually. in addition, the chefs use fresh, local ingredients AND the tasting menu changes every 2 weeks. what more could you ask for?
sona
http://www.sonarestaurant.com/index.php
as soon as we walked in for our 7PM reservation, we noticed how quiet and sparse the restaurant was. the decor was a cool blend of gray & white, but there were only 2-3 other parties in the restaurant when we were seated. it was quite startling, considering that i usually like to eat at 6PM, and i always think the rest of the world likes to eat at 7 or 8. for once, i thought i was eating with everyone else, and i was obviously wrong. the place picked up a little later, though it's obvious that the recession has hit fine dining pretty hard. so i'm glad we were there to do our part -- especially with the 6-course decouverte menu!
we started off with super duper long breadsticks. i swear these reminded me of the wooden dowels that teachers used to slap the wrists of bad children. i know i know, morbid thought, but just imagine it! they were too long for the table, so you really had to break them up into pieces. nice and crunchy. and i gobbled up mine in less than 5 minutes! i generally don't like bread very much, but it always seems important to a restaurant meal.
soon after, the bread guy brought around two different breads for us to try: a matcha green tea bread and a cranberry bread made with red wine. i loved the warmth of the breads b/c the butter simply melted right into the nooks and crannies. however, i must admit that i didn't taste the matcha green tea AT ALL. christine mentioned enjoying the sweetness of the bread, but i couldn't remotely make out the flavor. in fact, i thought the cranberry bread was much more flavorful. i could taste the cranberries -- and even the red wine! (no worries, i didn't get tipsy this time.) the bread guy also brought around some wheat bread later, and that was quite good though pretty basic.
before our 6 courses commenced, we received a lovely amuse bouche, compliments of the chef -- a ball of tofu-encrusted duck confit with tiny, salty, crunchy fish on top. i used to hate these teeny weeny fish, but i love the saltiness now, and so i picked up a few with my chopsticks before diving into the ball. this may not have been the best way to go, especially since i only tasted tofu and barely tasted any duck confit. i'm not sure if it just wasn't in there, or if my taste buds were overwhelmed by the taste of the fish. either way, i was a little bummed, especially since i really love duck confit!
i wasn't about to let the amuse diminish my excitement though. our first course consisted of new zealand snapper on asian pear with nori jam. this was probably our favorite light dish of the night. first of all, the presentation was light and fresh, with a few small flower petals sprinkled over the snapper pieces. the snapper on top was a translucent white with a nice chew, and the asian pear underneath was a perfect blend of crispy and juicy. the combination of flavors and textures really elevated the dish beyond its ingredients.
the next dish was the seared foie gras that i ordered in addition to the decouverte menu. christine indicated that she was politically against foie, but that it wouldn't be a problem if i wanted it. considering that i LOVE foie, that the dish came with peanut butter cream and cranberry jam, and that our server said it was the best foie EVER, i absolutely HAD to order it. and i must say that this was probably one of THE best dishes of the ENTIRE meal. i seriously don't think i've had better foie. it came in this large, silky chunk, with the most perfect sear on top. eating it alone was in and of itself AMAZING. but eating it with the peanut butter cream & the cranberry jam was simply ecstasy. OMG. i have no other words to describe the experience. one of the other servers said she's dreamed about this foie before. at this point, i seriously don't doubt it. even christine thought it was quite good when she tried a sliver!
for our second course, we received the monkfish tail wrapped around bacon pieces with an herb emulsion. this is a particularly interesting arrangement, considering that bacon is usually placed on the outside to keep the fish intact and moist. however, seeing that monkfish is a more substantial fish, it could certainly hold its shape during the cooking process. unfortunately, christine & i both agreed that one piece was quite dry and tough (both fish & pork). however, the other piece was significantly more moist, thereby redeeming the dish somewhat. i suppose monkfish just really isn't my kind of fish, especially since i'm not the biggest fan of swordfish, which has a similar consistency and density. that being said, the arrangement was quite unique, and worth some brownie points.
the duck came out as the third course, with peas, a pea emulsion, and a parmesan crisp. (and FYI that duck is my favorite fowl of all time!) the duck was cooked perfectly medium rare, and i made sure to slice the existing pieces into even tinier pieces, so that i could savor every bite. christine is a pea lover, so she certainly enjoyed the pea elements in the dish. i myself am a cheese fan, so the parmesan crisp was simply delectable. the duck had the loveliest chew, which was the perfect contrast to the super crispiness of the crisp.
what with me ordering the foie gras, christine deserved an extra item as well, and she chose the wagyu beef, which came out with a slow poached egg (that looked like it could've come out of an ostrich), bok choy, and a nice salty broth. christine gave me the chance to sample just a bit of each in a soup spoon, and it was sooooooooooooo good. i swear that our 2 extra dishes really helpd make the meal. the silky wagyu was also perfectly medium rare, and it slid down my throat almost as easily as the decadent egg. the saltiness of the broth really helped to cut through the sinful fat of the wagyu and egg, making the whole bite very well-rounded.
as our fourth course, we received the venison w/tomato paste, roasted brussel sprouts, and artichoke confit. christine & i both LOVE brussel sprouts, so we were thrilled to get them. however, we really weren't sure whether the artichoke confit was a true confit. (food lovers, please define!) nevertheless, they were good, albeit a bit crunchy for my tastes. i also wasn't the biggest fan of the tomato paste, though i found the venison quite fabulous. again, the meat was cooked perfectly medium rare. and the dish wasn't the least bit game-y, which is always a challenge w/venison.
given my penchant for sweets, i was extremely happy to find out that we had two dessert courses waiting for us. both dishes were a combination of several mini-desserts, which made the experiences that much more exciting. the first dessert course was a combination of sencha mousse w/raspberry paper, mint tea gelee with vanilla panna cotta, fresh raspberries, and one other thing which has completely slipped my mind. at any rate, my favorite was definitely the sencha mousse. i looooooooooved the bitterness of the sencha in the mousse. granted, i love everything green tea, but i definitely prefer the real bitterness over the fake sweetness of most green tea desserts. the raspberry paper was quite interesting, and the acidity certainly paired well with the bitterness of the sencha mousse. the gelee and panna cotta was more of a jelly, which was much less interesting. and i seriously have no recollection of what was at the end of the long plate.
the second dessert course was definitely the most playful course of the entire evening. the pastry chef who dropped off our plates rattled off the elements so fast that neither christine & i could recall everything he said. however, we agreed that everything on that plate was absolutely amazing. from the right, we started with the foie gras ice cream, which was sitting on a bed of cocoa/cookie nibs. the combination of salty and sweet was super satisfying. next, we moved on to the white rectangular piece on the plate, which we were totally unable to classify. thankfully, we realized that it didn't matter what it was b/c it tasted delicious w/the chocolate noodle (yes, the chocolate noodle) and, of all things, BACON POWDER. how ridiculously awesome is that?!? they should seriously patent that product. OMG.
as if all these courses weren't enough, our server surprised us with yet another dessert course, this one with several teeny tiny elements. we started w/the maccaroon, which had the most unbelievable cream filling. we then moved on to the "minnesota" oreo (which we heard incorrectly when the server said "mini-sona-oreo"). the next one was the lemon meringue dessert, which totally reminded me of the luscious lemon tart at starbuck's! the last one on the plate was a passion fruit jelly. and even though i'm not into jellies, this one had great flavor infused into it. in addition to a plate full of yummy treats, our server also gave us a bunch of deliciously warm madeleines, which had a light crust on the outside and a nice chew on the inside. i seriously had to hold myself back from eating more than my fair share.
while christine & i both thought we could handle more food, we realized that we were close to maxxing out, particularly after the first dessert course. but considering the extravagance of the meal, we made our way valiantly through our last bites. while i didn't delight in every single aspect of the courses, i was amazed at the creativity of the dishes, particularly the flavor combinations and the artistic presentations. i simply don't remember the last time i was so satisfied physically and visually. in addition, the chefs use fresh, local ingredients AND the tasting menu changes every 2 weeks. what more could you ask for?
sona
http://www.sonarestaurant.com/index.php
Saturday, March 21, 2009
the great urban race of LA
after weeks & weeks of waiting, judy & i finally made it out to the great urban race of LA! we schlepped over to pershing square park, and we were greeted by the sight of 480 teams, some of which were dressed up in some CRAZY outfits. it was awesome and it totally got us revved up for the big day! dressed in santa monica classic t-shirts, red headbands, and red wristbands, we were SO ready to go. : )
a little after noon, we picked up our packet of clues from one of the race volunteers, and we proceeded to plop down for our strategy session. we had 12 clues (1 of which we were allowed to skip), and we picked out which ones we needed to dial a friend for. thanks to dave and my little brother (and their google prowess), we were able to figure out a whole bunch of clues. for the rest, it was all GIRL POWER!!
even with judy's bum leg, we were still able to move pretty darn quickly. and the great thing about the race was that it really got you to check out random parts of LA that you wouldn't otherwise see. (granted, i'd actually seen a lot of it schlepping around w/jenn last year to watch david during the LA marathon!) plus it was awesome to see so many folks in the orange race shirts! it really seemed to make the city a little smaller.
it also made anyone who's usually in a car realize how tragic the public transportation system really is. and with the protest in hollywood, and the enusing traffic, it was even harder to get around than usual. thankfully, judy & i were more about having fun than killing ourselves to get to the finish line. so we definitely made a point of checking out the cool architecture & design of the subway stations, and the yummy smells wafting from the street carts.
from judy's point of view, the race definitely gave you new perspective on the sights & sounds of LA. there are things you'd simply never notice from the driver's or passenger's seat of a car. on the one hand, this can be great. like the cute shops and eateries on olvera street. on the other hand, this can be sobering. like the dirty, poop-covered paths in macarthur park. as always, i can't help thinking that LA simply isn't the city for me.
that being said, it was still a great race. judy & i weren't quite sure we'd make it to our last stops in time, but we got all of our clues completed by 4:56PM, and we got checked in at the finish line by 5:15PM. WOOHOO!! the announcer indicated that the first team completed the event w/in 3 hours and 9 minutes, so we didn't feel *too* bad. (especially since we'd been told that teams completed w/in 2 hours in prior years. i mean, seriously?!) that and the fact that there were teams who came back WAY after they'd shut down the check-in tables. i'm sorry, but even though i don't need to be first, i DEFINITELY don't want to be last!
we're thinking they should've extended things by another hour, but i swear we would've died from starvation if we'd had to wait any longer to eat. throughout the entire day, we met a ton of people who hadn't eaten in the morning. and we ourselves had (somehow) thought we'd be finished w/in 2.5 hours. OBVIOUSLY, we were delusional.
so to treat ourselves, we schlepped off to sizzler's after the race. and i got to have my lip-smacking ribs. mmm.... (who remembers that infamous taste of santa monica?!) a great way to end a great day. pics will soon be posted on FB! and for those who care, i'm seriously thinking of heading back to nyc for the one in august!!
http://www.greaturbanrace.com/
http://www.sizzler.com/
a little after noon, we picked up our packet of clues from one of the race volunteers, and we proceeded to plop down for our strategy session. we had 12 clues (1 of which we were allowed to skip), and we picked out which ones we needed to dial a friend for. thanks to dave and my little brother (and their google prowess), we were able to figure out a whole bunch of clues. for the rest, it was all GIRL POWER!!
even with judy's bum leg, we were still able to move pretty darn quickly. and the great thing about the race was that it really got you to check out random parts of LA that you wouldn't otherwise see. (granted, i'd actually seen a lot of it schlepping around w/jenn last year to watch david during the LA marathon!) plus it was awesome to see so many folks in the orange race shirts! it really seemed to make the city a little smaller.
it also made anyone who's usually in a car realize how tragic the public transportation system really is. and with the protest in hollywood, and the enusing traffic, it was even harder to get around than usual. thankfully, judy & i were more about having fun than killing ourselves to get to the finish line. so we definitely made a point of checking out the cool architecture & design of the subway stations, and the yummy smells wafting from the street carts.
from judy's point of view, the race definitely gave you new perspective on the sights & sounds of LA. there are things you'd simply never notice from the driver's or passenger's seat of a car. on the one hand, this can be great. like the cute shops and eateries on olvera street. on the other hand, this can be sobering. like the dirty, poop-covered paths in macarthur park. as always, i can't help thinking that LA simply isn't the city for me.
that being said, it was still a great race. judy & i weren't quite sure we'd make it to our last stops in time, but we got all of our clues completed by 4:56PM, and we got checked in at the finish line by 5:15PM. WOOHOO!! the announcer indicated that the first team completed the event w/in 3 hours and 9 minutes, so we didn't feel *too* bad. (especially since we'd been told that teams completed w/in 2 hours in prior years. i mean, seriously?!) that and the fact that there were teams who came back WAY after they'd shut down the check-in tables. i'm sorry, but even though i don't need to be first, i DEFINITELY don't want to be last!
we're thinking they should've extended things by another hour, but i swear we would've died from starvation if we'd had to wait any longer to eat. throughout the entire day, we met a ton of people who hadn't eaten in the morning. and we ourselves had (somehow) thought we'd be finished w/in 2.5 hours. OBVIOUSLY, we were delusional.
so to treat ourselves, we schlepped off to sizzler's after the race. and i got to have my lip-smacking ribs. mmm.... (who remembers that infamous taste of santa monica?!) a great way to end a great day. pics will soon be posted on FB! and for those who care, i'm seriously thinking of heading back to nyc for the one in august!!
http://www.greaturbanrace.com/
http://www.sizzler.com/
Friday, March 20, 2009
mmm... mmm... m cafe de chaya
seeing that the quarter was finally ending, dani & i decided to treat ourselves to some yummy goodness at m cafe de chaya in culver city! after a long work week AND a long workout, a healthy meal was much deserved. and we were SO ready to dive in by the time we arrived at this adorable macrobiotic eatery.
one of several chaya restaurants, m cafe is super cute and casual. the space is brightly lit, making it all the better to see all the amazing options in the display case. as soon as i walked in, i raced over to the dessert case. everything looked so perfect. and i knew i wanted that carrot cake as soon as i laid eyes on it. (FYI that i *love* carrot cake. and the fact that it's made from veggies makes me feel that much better about eating it!)
after deciding to save room in my tummy for dessert, i wandered over to the rest of the cases to check out all the fabulous salads, sushi rolls, and inari. (mmm.... inari....) after some consultation w/dani, i decided on the 3-salad combo, the hijiki inari, and the carrot cake.
for my combo, i chose the kale w/spicy peanut sauce, the scarlet quinoa, and the dandelion greens. the kale was super leafy and scrumptious. i don't recall the peanut sauce being very spicy, but it was fabulous how you could taste it in every nook and cranny of the kale. mmm.... the scarlet quinoa had such great color and consistency. and i absolutely love love love quinoa, so it wasn't even an option not to get it. quinoa is seriously the best grain ever. and i always get such a kick out of eating dandelion greens. i mean, how inventive is that?! the greens contrasted really well texturally w/the beans, creating a lovely and memorable mouth-feel.
the hijiki inari consisted of a tofu pouch stuffed with the most delicious brown rice and topped with dried seaweed. i LOVE inari, especially when the pouch and the rice are slightly sweet. this particular inari was really good b/c the hijiki was slightly salty, which made for a great salty-sweet contrast in each bite.
and let's not forget the carrot cake. unlike typical carrot cakes, this carrot cake was suuuuuuuuuuper light. this probably has to do w/the fact that m cafe doesn't use any refined sugar, eggs, or dairy. which is AMAZING. that being said, this cake walked that very fine line b/w not sweet at all and just sweet enough. which i wasn't sure i fully appreciated, except for the fact that i kept eating AND not feeling guilty. the cake itself was nothing like the dense (and often cold) cake that one finds at most restaurants. it was airy and light, and if that wasn't enough, the frosting was even airier and lighter! dani & i were completely stumped on the ingredients. this was definitely NOT your typical cream cheese frosting. if i could have this carrot cake every day, i would. i mean, you still feel good after it's in your tummy!
before i forget, let me say that i love the set-up of this place. dani & i sat at the big wooden picnic table in the center of the room, which was totally fabulous. but all around us, there were all these nice and shiny silver tables. and there were lots of tables set up outside too. it was a lovely cross b/w modern and organic, which was reflective of the fare as well. contemporary macrobiotic is how m cafe bills itself. and i have to say, it does a REALLY good job at it.
http://www.mcafedechaya.com/index.html
one of several chaya restaurants, m cafe is super cute and casual. the space is brightly lit, making it all the better to see all the amazing options in the display case. as soon as i walked in, i raced over to the dessert case. everything looked so perfect. and i knew i wanted that carrot cake as soon as i laid eyes on it. (FYI that i *love* carrot cake. and the fact that it's made from veggies makes me feel that much better about eating it!)
after deciding to save room in my tummy for dessert, i wandered over to the rest of the cases to check out all the fabulous salads, sushi rolls, and inari. (mmm.... inari....) after some consultation w/dani, i decided on the 3-salad combo, the hijiki inari, and the carrot cake.
for my combo, i chose the kale w/spicy peanut sauce, the scarlet quinoa, and the dandelion greens. the kale was super leafy and scrumptious. i don't recall the peanut sauce being very spicy, but it was fabulous how you could taste it in every nook and cranny of the kale. mmm.... the scarlet quinoa had such great color and consistency. and i absolutely love love love quinoa, so it wasn't even an option not to get it. quinoa is seriously the best grain ever. and i always get such a kick out of eating dandelion greens. i mean, how inventive is that?! the greens contrasted really well texturally w/the beans, creating a lovely and memorable mouth-feel.
the hijiki inari consisted of a tofu pouch stuffed with the most delicious brown rice and topped with dried seaweed. i LOVE inari, especially when the pouch and the rice are slightly sweet. this particular inari was really good b/c the hijiki was slightly salty, which made for a great salty-sweet contrast in each bite.
and let's not forget the carrot cake. unlike typical carrot cakes, this carrot cake was suuuuuuuuuuper light. this probably has to do w/the fact that m cafe doesn't use any refined sugar, eggs, or dairy. which is AMAZING. that being said, this cake walked that very fine line b/w not sweet at all and just sweet enough. which i wasn't sure i fully appreciated, except for the fact that i kept eating AND not feeling guilty. the cake itself was nothing like the dense (and often cold) cake that one finds at most restaurants. it was airy and light, and if that wasn't enough, the frosting was even airier and lighter! dani & i were completely stumped on the ingredients. this was definitely NOT your typical cream cheese frosting. if i could have this carrot cake every day, i would. i mean, you still feel good after it's in your tummy!
before i forget, let me say that i love the set-up of this place. dani & i sat at the big wooden picnic table in the center of the room, which was totally fabulous. but all around us, there were all these nice and shiny silver tables. and there were lots of tables set up outside too. it was a lovely cross b/w modern and organic, which was reflective of the fare as well. contemporary macrobiotic is how m cafe bills itself. and i have to say, it does a REALLY good job at it.
http://www.mcafedechaya.com/index.html
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Q1 adventures
forgive me, readers, for i have sinned. it's been 2 months since my last blog.
so i swear i've WANTED to keep this thing up-to-date, but it's always so heinously challenging for me to start writing. this is always my excuse though, so i'm going to stop now before i start repeating myself. (which is a total pet peeve, so please avoid doing it around me.)
let's see, let's see.... so i'm trying to think back on all the things i've done in the past 2 months worth mentioning. there's definitely been a bunch so forgive me for not having everything in chronological order.
1. i quite literally spazzed out in january about my purpose in life and my potential lack of financial stability. this happens once every year or two. i don't think i'm ever seriously worried. but the anxiety seems so real at the time. i swear i was losing serious appetite and sleep over it all. i even convinced myself that i might want to do consulting. i even made it to round 2 of mckinsey's APD recruiting! i even got slapped in the face by 3 back-to-back case interviews. thank you, caroline, for telling me that consulting requires serious BS capabilities. i'm glad i failed. i'm just too honest. thankfully, i got some serious frequent flyer miles and yummy restaurant meals out of it. and i made a friend -- who has serious chefs in her family. WOOHOO!
important links:
http://www.apd.mckinsey.com/ - definitely not for the faint of heart!
http://www.printerscafe.com/ - AMAZING sandwiches and sweets
2. i realized that i can't stop working out for 30-60 days in a row. during my spaz fest, i pretty much stopped working out during the months of january and february. and i felt like crap. i lost all cardio capacity and muscle tone. gross, i know. so now that i'm back on track, i've signed up for monthly 10K's in santa monica as well as the santa monica classic. i'm still committed to doing a half-marathon this year, though i have no idea how long it's going to take for me to get into good enough shape. plus i definitely don't want to run 13 miles in the summer. that being said, fall seems like the best bet. any suggestions? (nothing too hilly, please.)
important links:
http://www.active.com/ - great for fitness freaks!
http://smboardwalk.movfitness.com/ - lightest carbon footprint
http://www.santamonicaclassic.com/ - GREAT t-shirts!
3. while i was spazzing, i did manage to make it out to phoenix to check out amy and tom's new house (AND guest casita). i swear i was staying in a mansion -- i could hear my voice echo! i mean, there were different heating systems for different parts of the house! the visit was short (friday to sunday), but definitely sweet. we got to go work out at amy's AMAZING fitness facility -- i swear this place occupies an entire city block! it's like a fitness buffet -- all-you-can-eat AND THEN SOME. i was pretty much hyperventilating after the step class on saturday (which amy thought was way too easy) but i managed to get some serious time on the rock wall w/tom. it'd been ages since i'd gone climbing -- and i LOVED it. especially the auto belay mechanisms. it's totally freeing. amy & i went back for another workout on sunday, and then hiking, and then massages. (btw, is there a reason i can't live like this all the time?) and we even managed to fit in an amazing meal at mosaic on saturday night. the food was QUITE creative -- case in point: a dish entitled "what the FOIE*!?#" -- and DELICIOUS. my mixed grill plate of duck & elk was equally fabulous. and my lemon dessert was quite memorable too. (though i much preferred amy's caramel fondue -- mmm....) besides not sleeping well enough (i've decided i don't like beds that aren't mine), it was the perfect getaway weekend!
important links:
http://www.lifetimefitness.com/
http://www.phoenix.gov/parks/hikemain.html
http://www.massageenvy.com/
http://www.mosaic-restaurant.com/
4. considering that i owe $3700 in taxes (damn fellowship!), i'm glad i booked my boston trip back in december. so for my BFF's 30th birthday, his fiancee arranged a surprise trip to boston AND got his entire groom's party out to surprise him! (melissa, you're the best secret keeper EVER.) it was AMAZING. he was totally and completely SHOCKED. after a long and rainy drive up from new york, soon & michelle were lovely enough to pick me up from logan. we drove out to stay at michelle's parents' house in lexington, and we even got to see a bit of snow and a deer in her backyard! (oh, how i miss the east coast. *sigh*) the next day, we totally surprised derek at brunch at aquitaine. this place was SO cute, and even though i didn't have much of an appetite (due to a minor cold, a long flight [where everyone else also seemed to be sick], and not enough sleep), i thought the prix fixe brunch options were super yummy and affordable.
having saved our pennies that morning, we all splurged on derek's birthday dinner at EVOO that night. again, i wish i'd had more of an appetite b/c the "duck, duck, goose" dish sounded like the perfect dish for me. however, i went w/the striped bass fillet instead and i was definitely left wanting. the fish was cooked well, but the bitter chocolate tortilla didn't do anything for the dish. thankfully, my country pate was nice and smooth, and my star anise creme brulee was apparently the best one ordered. based on my hazy recollection, i believe the specials derek ordered (all meat dishes) were all pretty fabulous, as were the warm chocolate truffle cake and the chocolate-banana bread pudding that got passed around. every other person ordered scallops, which i simply find disgusting and gross. ughhh....
while the food was definitely a highlight (as was derek's look of shock), the BEST part of the trip was the trapeze lesson that steve organized for all of us! first of all, the lesson took place in this crazy indoor complex, which was a bizarre cross b/w a furniture store (yes, a furniture store) and a las vegas mall (complete w/the bellagio water show). secondly, one of the staffers who gave us our lesson was TOTALLY cute and adorable -- and really supportive too. (YAY, don!) the other two guys were OK, but how unprofessional is it to be eating an apple while clipping me in? i mean, come ON. at any rate, the experience was AWESOME. i love heights, especially when i'm strapped in. and i love flying through the air. this isn't to say it wasn't HARD. (i got some SERIOUS bruises.) but we were definitely all smiles at the end!!
i spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with my mutually sick friend glenn in his brookline apt. (we missed you, mel!) it was really the perfect ending to my boston trip b/c snow was falling when i woke up in the morning. and it KEPT snowing ALL day. (and for those who are wondering, snow really is best when being viewed from inside a warm and cozy apartment.) glenn & i trekked through the winter wonderland for a vietnamese lunch, but we took it easy the rest of the afternoon and shot down zombies on the wii. that was SO therapeutic. i left in my new pink reefs and felt snow on my toes. *sigh*
important links:
http://www.aquitaineboston.com/index.php
http://www.evoorestaurant.com/
http://boston.trapezeschool.com/
http://www.jordans.com/
http://pholemongrass.com/
http://www.wiisworld.com/wii-games/Shooting/
5. before i left boston, i signed myself up for a 5-class package of trapeze classes in santa monica. i know. i'm crazy. i really should've checked out the place before signing up, but i was just SO excited to do it again. i couldn't help myself. at any rate, i discovered that the set-up on the santa monica pier is WAY rickety compared to boston. i mean, i had to climb up a LADDER for pete's sake! talk about a sure-fire way to bruise your knees before you even start. on top of that, the main instructor guy was so NOT professional. he didn't even KNOW me yet and he made fun of my lululemon bag. i mean, seriously?! the other instructor guy was nice, but i felt like he was rushing me. i hadn't even gotten my knee-hang down before he was pushing me to get to the next trick. too bad i don't CARE about the next trick, buddy. i'm all about taking things one step at a time and i'm all about getting my form right. otherwise, i'm just going to hurt myself. speaking of which, i must've strained a muscle b/c i can't shrug w/o a mild ache in my left shoulder. thank god for naproxen. no flying for a few weeks. doctor's orders.
important links:
http://losangeles.trapezeschool.com/
6. to see if i could work out all my muscle soreness, i checked out the student massage place that dana recommended. even though the place was cheap ($35), i must say that it definitely wasn't the best massage i've ever gotten. i think there's something about me being small & petite that keeps masseurs and masseuses from giving me the seriously deep tissue massage that i need. it's like i keep saying "MORE PRESSURE" to no avail. the girl at massage envy (in phoenix) gave me some good pressure, but she failed to flip me around. the guy at this place (in LA) gave me the full body treatment, but he failed to exert enough pressure. how long is it going to take me to find something "just right"?? *sigh*
important links:
http://www.chac.edu/
7. ever since talking to brian about his past adventures in LA (and hopefully his future adventures in NY), i've been feeling inspired to wander around LA. (it's weird how one conversation can inspire you, isn't it?) that and the fact that it's the end of the quarter and all i have to do is putz around. (whatever. don't be hatin'!) two weeks ago, i wandered into the hammer museum and saw some interesting pieces by LA artists. i have to admit that i disliked half of the exhibition, but victoria reynolds and llyn foulkes had some fascinating works to show off. last week, i trekked out to bergamot station and checked out some really cool galleries. some of my favorites: james gray, lois lambert, mark moore, ruth bachofner. i didn't have time for a sit-down meal at the cafe, but if my lemon bar and mint iced tea were any indication of the food quality, i'll definitely be back soon! for my last bit of culture in recent times, i got a last-minute invitation from chiara to check out a zocalo talk on the authenticity of food at the skirball. it was a treat to be in the presence of some GREAT chefs, but FYI that jonathan gold is THE worst moderator ever. i mean, the man just kept TALKING. plus he kept smacking his lips!! at any rate, i managed to find out about the kogi truck and the power of twitter. totally worth the excursion! that and i got to hang out w/chiara. YAY!
important links:
http://hammer.ucla.edu/
http://www.bergamotstation.com/
http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/
http://www.skirball.org/
http://kogibbq.com/
http://twitter.com/
8. speaking of food, i know everyone's probably wondering where the heck i've been eating lately. so let me share some of the highlights....
dani & i splurged on AOC a while back, but despite the fact that she & jeannine are both big fans, i didn't fall head over heels for it. i must admit that the pork rillettes and the sweetbreads definitely left a positive impression. as did the warm ham hock salad and the kabocha squash gratin. the food was definitely creative and well-done, but i'm wondering whether i had the appetite to fully savor all the flavors. hmmm.... i suppose this means another trip!
de'sha & i went back to asia de cuba in west hollywood for some delish eats during restaurant week. after viv & i had our fabulous meal there last year, i had to go back. the duck spring rolls were still AMAZING, the braised short rib was to die for, the stir-fried green beans were DELISH, and the donut dessert was simply magical. no complaints whatsoever.
atalie & i checked out flame in westwood for some persian cuisine. i believe i ordered the tahchin, which was (surprisingly for me) a rice dish that came out with the loveliest yellow color (probably b/c of the saffron), a fabulously crusty exterior, and superb flavor throughout. i must admit that it was quite dense, so make sure you're hungry when you order it.
de'sha, keith, & i went for brunch at shanghai red's in marina del rey when he was in town a month ago. as i've been typing up this blog, i've realized how much appetite really impacts eating experience. b/c once again, i was exhasuted and i wasn't really in the mood for food this particular day, so i really didn't have the best impression of this place. i mean, the spread was pretty extensive, but i didn't feel like anything was particularly good. i did have some yummy menudo (gotta love tripe), but other than that, everything else was kind of mediocre. well, except for the company!
most recently, sejal & i caught up over yummy eats at father's office in santa monica. i must admit to NOT liking the set-up. i have zero patience (generally-speaking) for waiting, so i was a bit annoyed at the prospect of having to stand around w/food while waiting for a table to open up. thankfully, a really sweet couple was nice enough to give us their table after we'd only been waiting about 10 minutes! i ordered the french sea bass and the roasted brussel sprouts, and both dishes had great flavor. i couldn't believe they didn't have arnold palmers (talk about drinks-ism), but other than that, i was quite pleased w/my meal. on the other hand, sejal didn't think her burger was worth all the hype. the saving grace was the order of sweet potato fries, which i (again surprisingly) couldn't help popping into my mouth.
for those that are following closely, i'm headed out to m cafe de chaya in culver city tonight, trying cafe elysee on sunday, headed back to craft on monday, hopefully checking out bazaar on wednesday, and headed out to seattle for some yummy northwest eats for a few days. hopefully, there will be lots to report shortly!!
important links:
http://www.aocwinebar.com/
http://www.mondrianhotel.com/default.aspx#/explore/?id=asiadecuba
http://www.flamepersiancuisine.com/
http://www.shanghairedsrestaurant.com/
http://www.fathersoffice.com/
9. on the movie front, i've been enamored with kate winslet films. i thought "the reader" was amazing. she totally deserved all those awards. her desire to hide her illiteracy was so visceral. and ralph fiennes was so committed to her. oh to have a love so deep! in a completely different role, kate conveyed serious angst in "revolutionary road." you could totally feel the vise-like grip of her suburban life. and her spirit totally being dragged out of her body. the final scenes were so intense. and the slow drip of the blood. drip drip drip. (i know, i'm horrible.) i thought "the boy in the striped pajamas" was quite the cautionary tale. the plot was simplistic, but the message was loud and clear: evil bites you in the ass. the final scene was dramatic and sad, and you could feel her maternal pain. on a totally different note, "slumdog millionaire" was quite uplifting, with a really creative plot, a super catchy soundtrack, an endearing love story, and great cinematography. some have called it *the best movie ever* which i would seriously debate, but i thought it was well worth the money. (FYI that i still can't believe eri's bf fell asleep during the movie -- talk about knowing nothing about film. sorry, mike, but it's true.) as was the case with "rachel getting married" which showed off anne hathaway's acting chops. i still thought she looked too perfect to be a druggie, but the whole cast was pretty amazing overall. the fuzzy cinematography isn't something i usually like, but it really worked in this instance. and finally, in a completely genre, was "he's just not that into you," which i literally paid FIVE times to see. yes, FIVE times. some would consider that CRAZY. but i honestly love love love romantic comedies. and i managed to cry during each and every viewing of this cheesy chick flick. wait for this line: "you're my exception." goddammit, justin long, you're not even CUTE!!
10. before i forget, i must mention my upcoming weekend adventure -- the great urban race! i seriously had the hardest time finding someone who: 1) is adventurous, 2) i'd want to spend that much time with (3-4 hours), 3) could stand me for that much time (3-4 hours), and 4) was available. plus, i realized how my independence could totally be an impediment when trying to find someone for partner activities. grrr!!! at any rate, i was super suprised that i hadn't thought of judy before she posted on FB that she wanted to do it! so i'm thrilled to see what excitement awaits us this weekend. YAY!! let's see if i love it enough to do it in new york!!
important links:
http://greaturbanrace.com/
11. before i disappear again into the ether, i wanted to send a quick shout-out to ryan & jess for some delicious eats over the past few months! i've had some delicious homecooking c/o the roberts and i'm forever indebted. top chef and st. patty's day will never be the same w/o you two!! and yes, i promise that you'll get yummilicious chocolate souffles as thanks!!
so i swear i've WANTED to keep this thing up-to-date, but it's always so heinously challenging for me to start writing. this is always my excuse though, so i'm going to stop now before i start repeating myself. (which is a total pet peeve, so please avoid doing it around me.)
let's see, let's see.... so i'm trying to think back on all the things i've done in the past 2 months worth mentioning. there's definitely been a bunch so forgive me for not having everything in chronological order.
1. i quite literally spazzed out in january about my purpose in life and my potential lack of financial stability. this happens once every year or two. i don't think i'm ever seriously worried. but the anxiety seems so real at the time. i swear i was losing serious appetite and sleep over it all. i even convinced myself that i might want to do consulting. i even made it to round 2 of mckinsey's APD recruiting! i even got slapped in the face by 3 back-to-back case interviews. thank you, caroline, for telling me that consulting requires serious BS capabilities. i'm glad i failed. i'm just too honest. thankfully, i got some serious frequent flyer miles and yummy restaurant meals out of it. and i made a friend -- who has serious chefs in her family. WOOHOO!
important links:
http://www.apd.mckinsey.com/ - definitely not for the faint of heart!
http://www.printerscafe.com/ - AMAZING sandwiches and sweets
2. i realized that i can't stop working out for 30-60 days in a row. during my spaz fest, i pretty much stopped working out during the months of january and february. and i felt like crap. i lost all cardio capacity and muscle tone. gross, i know. so now that i'm back on track, i've signed up for monthly 10K's in santa monica as well as the santa monica classic. i'm still committed to doing a half-marathon this year, though i have no idea how long it's going to take for me to get into good enough shape. plus i definitely don't want to run 13 miles in the summer. that being said, fall seems like the best bet. any suggestions? (nothing too hilly, please.)
important links:
http://www.active.com/ - great for fitness freaks!
http://smboardwalk.movfitness.com/ - lightest carbon footprint
http://www.santamonicaclassic.com/ - GREAT t-shirts!
3. while i was spazzing, i did manage to make it out to phoenix to check out amy and tom's new house (AND guest casita). i swear i was staying in a mansion -- i could hear my voice echo! i mean, there were different heating systems for different parts of the house! the visit was short (friday to sunday), but definitely sweet. we got to go work out at amy's AMAZING fitness facility -- i swear this place occupies an entire city block! it's like a fitness buffet -- all-you-can-eat AND THEN SOME. i was pretty much hyperventilating after the step class on saturday (which amy thought was way too easy) but i managed to get some serious time on the rock wall w/tom. it'd been ages since i'd gone climbing -- and i LOVED it. especially the auto belay mechanisms. it's totally freeing. amy & i went back for another workout on sunday, and then hiking, and then massages. (btw, is there a reason i can't live like this all the time?) and we even managed to fit in an amazing meal at mosaic on saturday night. the food was QUITE creative -- case in point: a dish entitled "what the FOIE*!?#" -- and DELICIOUS. my mixed grill plate of duck & elk was equally fabulous. and my lemon dessert was quite memorable too. (though i much preferred amy's caramel fondue -- mmm....) besides not sleeping well enough (i've decided i don't like beds that aren't mine), it was the perfect getaway weekend!
important links:
http://www.lifetimefitness.com/
http://www.phoenix.gov/parks/hikemain.html
http://www.massageenvy.com/
http://www.mosaic-restaurant.com/
4. considering that i owe $3700 in taxes (damn fellowship!), i'm glad i booked my boston trip back in december. so for my BFF's 30th birthday, his fiancee arranged a surprise trip to boston AND got his entire groom's party out to surprise him! (melissa, you're the best secret keeper EVER.) it was AMAZING. he was totally and completely SHOCKED. after a long and rainy drive up from new york, soon & michelle were lovely enough to pick me up from logan. we drove out to stay at michelle's parents' house in lexington, and we even got to see a bit of snow and a deer in her backyard! (oh, how i miss the east coast. *sigh*) the next day, we totally surprised derek at brunch at aquitaine. this place was SO cute, and even though i didn't have much of an appetite (due to a minor cold, a long flight [where everyone else also seemed to be sick], and not enough sleep), i thought the prix fixe brunch options were super yummy and affordable.
having saved our pennies that morning, we all splurged on derek's birthday dinner at EVOO that night. again, i wish i'd had more of an appetite b/c the "duck, duck, goose" dish sounded like the perfect dish for me. however, i went w/the striped bass fillet instead and i was definitely left wanting. the fish was cooked well, but the bitter chocolate tortilla didn't do anything for the dish. thankfully, my country pate was nice and smooth, and my star anise creme brulee was apparently the best one ordered. based on my hazy recollection, i believe the specials derek ordered (all meat dishes) were all pretty fabulous, as were the warm chocolate truffle cake and the chocolate-banana bread pudding that got passed around. every other person ordered scallops, which i simply find disgusting and gross. ughhh....
while the food was definitely a highlight (as was derek's look of shock), the BEST part of the trip was the trapeze lesson that steve organized for all of us! first of all, the lesson took place in this crazy indoor complex, which was a bizarre cross b/w a furniture store (yes, a furniture store) and a las vegas mall (complete w/the bellagio water show). secondly, one of the staffers who gave us our lesson was TOTALLY cute and adorable -- and really supportive too. (YAY, don!) the other two guys were OK, but how unprofessional is it to be eating an apple while clipping me in? i mean, come ON. at any rate, the experience was AWESOME. i love heights, especially when i'm strapped in. and i love flying through the air. this isn't to say it wasn't HARD. (i got some SERIOUS bruises.) but we were definitely all smiles at the end!!
i spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with my mutually sick friend glenn in his brookline apt. (we missed you, mel!) it was really the perfect ending to my boston trip b/c snow was falling when i woke up in the morning. and it KEPT snowing ALL day. (and for those who are wondering, snow really is best when being viewed from inside a warm and cozy apartment.) glenn & i trekked through the winter wonderland for a vietnamese lunch, but we took it easy the rest of the afternoon and shot down zombies on the wii. that was SO therapeutic. i left in my new pink reefs and felt snow on my toes. *sigh*
important links:
http://www.aquitaineboston.com/index.php
http://www.evoorestaurant.com/
http://boston.trapezeschool.com/
http://www.jordans.com/
http://pholemongrass.com/
http://www.wiisworld.com/wii-games/Shooting/
5. before i left boston, i signed myself up for a 5-class package of trapeze classes in santa monica. i know. i'm crazy. i really should've checked out the place before signing up, but i was just SO excited to do it again. i couldn't help myself. at any rate, i discovered that the set-up on the santa monica pier is WAY rickety compared to boston. i mean, i had to climb up a LADDER for pete's sake! talk about a sure-fire way to bruise your knees before you even start. on top of that, the main instructor guy was so NOT professional. he didn't even KNOW me yet and he made fun of my lululemon bag. i mean, seriously?! the other instructor guy was nice, but i felt like he was rushing me. i hadn't even gotten my knee-hang down before he was pushing me to get to the next trick. too bad i don't CARE about the next trick, buddy. i'm all about taking things one step at a time and i'm all about getting my form right. otherwise, i'm just going to hurt myself. speaking of which, i must've strained a muscle b/c i can't shrug w/o a mild ache in my left shoulder. thank god for naproxen. no flying for a few weeks. doctor's orders.
important links:
http://losangeles.trapezeschool.com/
6. to see if i could work out all my muscle soreness, i checked out the student massage place that dana recommended. even though the place was cheap ($35), i must say that it definitely wasn't the best massage i've ever gotten. i think there's something about me being small & petite that keeps masseurs and masseuses from giving me the seriously deep tissue massage that i need. it's like i keep saying "MORE PRESSURE" to no avail. the girl at massage envy (in phoenix) gave me some good pressure, but she failed to flip me around. the guy at this place (in LA) gave me the full body treatment, but he failed to exert enough pressure. how long is it going to take me to find something "just right"?? *sigh*
important links:
http://www.chac.edu/
7. ever since talking to brian about his past adventures in LA (and hopefully his future adventures in NY), i've been feeling inspired to wander around LA. (it's weird how one conversation can inspire you, isn't it?) that and the fact that it's the end of the quarter and all i have to do is putz around. (whatever. don't be hatin'!) two weeks ago, i wandered into the hammer museum and saw some interesting pieces by LA artists. i have to admit that i disliked half of the exhibition, but victoria reynolds and llyn foulkes had some fascinating works to show off. last week, i trekked out to bergamot station and checked out some really cool galleries. some of my favorites: james gray, lois lambert, mark moore, ruth bachofner. i didn't have time for a sit-down meal at the cafe, but if my lemon bar and mint iced tea were any indication of the food quality, i'll definitely be back soon! for my last bit of culture in recent times, i got a last-minute invitation from chiara to check out a zocalo talk on the authenticity of food at the skirball. it was a treat to be in the presence of some GREAT chefs, but FYI that jonathan gold is THE worst moderator ever. i mean, the man just kept TALKING. plus he kept smacking his lips!! at any rate, i managed to find out about the kogi truck and the power of twitter. totally worth the excursion! that and i got to hang out w/chiara. YAY!
important links:
http://hammer.ucla.edu/
http://www.bergamotstation.com/
http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/
http://www.skirball.org/
http://kogibbq.com/
http://twitter.com/
8. speaking of food, i know everyone's probably wondering where the heck i've been eating lately. so let me share some of the highlights....
dani & i splurged on AOC a while back, but despite the fact that she & jeannine are both big fans, i didn't fall head over heels for it. i must admit that the pork rillettes and the sweetbreads definitely left a positive impression. as did the warm ham hock salad and the kabocha squash gratin. the food was definitely creative and well-done, but i'm wondering whether i had the appetite to fully savor all the flavors. hmmm.... i suppose this means another trip!
de'sha & i went back to asia de cuba in west hollywood for some delish eats during restaurant week. after viv & i had our fabulous meal there last year, i had to go back. the duck spring rolls were still AMAZING, the braised short rib was to die for, the stir-fried green beans were DELISH, and the donut dessert was simply magical. no complaints whatsoever.
atalie & i checked out flame in westwood for some persian cuisine. i believe i ordered the tahchin, which was (surprisingly for me) a rice dish that came out with the loveliest yellow color (probably b/c of the saffron), a fabulously crusty exterior, and superb flavor throughout. i must admit that it was quite dense, so make sure you're hungry when you order it.
de'sha, keith, & i went for brunch at shanghai red's in marina del rey when he was in town a month ago. as i've been typing up this blog, i've realized how much appetite really impacts eating experience. b/c once again, i was exhasuted and i wasn't really in the mood for food this particular day, so i really didn't have the best impression of this place. i mean, the spread was pretty extensive, but i didn't feel like anything was particularly good. i did have some yummy menudo (gotta love tripe), but other than that, everything else was kind of mediocre. well, except for the company!
most recently, sejal & i caught up over yummy eats at father's office in santa monica. i must admit to NOT liking the set-up. i have zero patience (generally-speaking) for waiting, so i was a bit annoyed at the prospect of having to stand around w/food while waiting for a table to open up. thankfully, a really sweet couple was nice enough to give us their table after we'd only been waiting about 10 minutes! i ordered the french sea bass and the roasted brussel sprouts, and both dishes had great flavor. i couldn't believe they didn't have arnold palmers (talk about drinks-ism), but other than that, i was quite pleased w/my meal. on the other hand, sejal didn't think her burger was worth all the hype. the saving grace was the order of sweet potato fries, which i (again surprisingly) couldn't help popping into my mouth.
for those that are following closely, i'm headed out to m cafe de chaya in culver city tonight, trying cafe elysee on sunday, headed back to craft on monday, hopefully checking out bazaar on wednesday, and headed out to seattle for some yummy northwest eats for a few days. hopefully, there will be lots to report shortly!!
important links:
http://www.aocwinebar.com/
http://www.mondrianhotel.com/default.aspx#/explore/?id=asiadecuba
http://www.flamepersiancuisine.com/
http://www.shanghairedsrestaurant.com/
http://www.fathersoffice.com/
9. on the movie front, i've been enamored with kate winslet films. i thought "the reader" was amazing. she totally deserved all those awards. her desire to hide her illiteracy was so visceral. and ralph fiennes was so committed to her. oh to have a love so deep! in a completely different role, kate conveyed serious angst in "revolutionary road." you could totally feel the vise-like grip of her suburban life. and her spirit totally being dragged out of her body. the final scenes were so intense. and the slow drip of the blood. drip drip drip. (i know, i'm horrible.) i thought "the boy in the striped pajamas" was quite the cautionary tale. the plot was simplistic, but the message was loud and clear: evil bites you in the ass. the final scene was dramatic and sad, and you could feel her maternal pain. on a totally different note, "slumdog millionaire" was quite uplifting, with a really creative plot, a super catchy soundtrack, an endearing love story, and great cinematography. some have called it *the best movie ever* which i would seriously debate, but i thought it was well worth the money. (FYI that i still can't believe eri's bf fell asleep during the movie -- talk about knowing nothing about film. sorry, mike, but it's true.) as was the case with "rachel getting married" which showed off anne hathaway's acting chops. i still thought she looked too perfect to be a druggie, but the whole cast was pretty amazing overall. the fuzzy cinematography isn't something i usually like, but it really worked in this instance. and finally, in a completely genre, was "he's just not that into you," which i literally paid FIVE times to see. yes, FIVE times. some would consider that CRAZY. but i honestly love love love romantic comedies. and i managed to cry during each and every viewing of this cheesy chick flick. wait for this line: "you're my exception." goddammit, justin long, you're not even CUTE!!
10. before i forget, i must mention my upcoming weekend adventure -- the great urban race! i seriously had the hardest time finding someone who: 1) is adventurous, 2) i'd want to spend that much time with (3-4 hours), 3) could stand me for that much time (3-4 hours), and 4) was available. plus, i realized how my independence could totally be an impediment when trying to find someone for partner activities. grrr!!! at any rate, i was super suprised that i hadn't thought of judy before she posted on FB that she wanted to do it! so i'm thrilled to see what excitement awaits us this weekend. YAY!! let's see if i love it enough to do it in new york!!
important links:
http://greaturbanrace.com/
11. before i disappear again into the ether, i wanted to send a quick shout-out to ryan & jess for some delicious eats over the past few months! i've had some delicious homecooking c/o the roberts and i'm forever indebted. top chef and st. patty's day will never be the same w/o you two!! and yes, i promise that you'll get yummilicious chocolate souffles as thanks!!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
kicking off the year w/joe's & jin's
it's almost 1AM on the 6th day of january, and i'm happy to report that i'm almost fully updated w/this blog! so before i forget, i must comment on this weekend's yummy eats.
after much time spent scheduling, chiara & i were finally able to set up a catch-up date @ joe's (http://www.joesrestaurant.com/index.php) in venice. even though she'd already been before, she was amenable to going again. and i was thrilled to be dining at my first (i think) michelin starred restaurant in LA! plus i absolutely love abbot kinney, so it was great to spend some time down there over the weekend. FYI that joe's has one michelin star, and has already been well-received by the likes of chiara, ophella, monica & edmund -- all pretty discerning eaters i must say. ; )
the atmosphere was nice and friendly, and our server was exceptionally fun AND funny, reminding us both of marc levis (of murphy hall fame). the first plus of this meal was the lovely brioche and pound cake that came directly to the table. i pounced on my half quickly and the carbs disappeared before barely anyone knew they were gone. after that, i munched through my salad pretty quickly as well. it wasn't until i got to my entree -- an absolutely delicious piece of pork belly that came w/poached eggs on brioche, a bit of tomato jam (a.k.a. salsa), and a bit of guac -- that i had to completely slow down and savor each and every bite of food. the last time i had a piece of pork belly that good i was at musha on wilshire and i was told my meat had been cooking for hours. but OMG OMG OMG it was good here. not too salty, and just lean enough so that it wasn't toppling over on its fat layer. we ended the meal w/a creamy dark chocolate dessert that i kept inhaling since chiara wasn't diving at it fast enough. you snooze, you lose, right? awww....
before jetting back to westwood, we stopped by jin patisserie (http://www.jinpatisserie.com/) at my request in order to check out even more sweets. i swear i'd thought i'd skip joe's dessert in favor of jin's, but after thinking about it, i decided sweets at BOTH places would work out tell. to placate our tummies, we decided to grab some desserts to go -- me w/my big meringue filled w/cream, mango, and strawberry, and chiara w/her passion fruit delight. both of us texted later about the joys of stuffing our faces w/our purchases, so i knew it'd been key to stop by. mmm....
and i'm glad that this didn't take long b/c i'm totally about to pass out. needless to say, i'll do my best to get my thoughts out into the ether sooner rather than later this year!
after much time spent scheduling, chiara & i were finally able to set up a catch-up date @ joe's (http://www.joesrestaurant.com/index.php) in venice. even though she'd already been before, she was amenable to going again. and i was thrilled to be dining at my first (i think) michelin starred restaurant in LA! plus i absolutely love abbot kinney, so it was great to spend some time down there over the weekend. FYI that joe's has one michelin star, and has already been well-received by the likes of chiara, ophella, monica & edmund -- all pretty discerning eaters i must say. ; )
the atmosphere was nice and friendly, and our server was exceptionally fun AND funny, reminding us both of marc levis (of murphy hall fame). the first plus of this meal was the lovely brioche and pound cake that came directly to the table. i pounced on my half quickly and the carbs disappeared before barely anyone knew they were gone. after that, i munched through my salad pretty quickly as well. it wasn't until i got to my entree -- an absolutely delicious piece of pork belly that came w/poached eggs on brioche, a bit of tomato jam (a.k.a. salsa), and a bit of guac -- that i had to completely slow down and savor each and every bite of food. the last time i had a piece of pork belly that good i was at musha on wilshire and i was told my meat had been cooking for hours. but OMG OMG OMG it was good here. not too salty, and just lean enough so that it wasn't toppling over on its fat layer. we ended the meal w/a creamy dark chocolate dessert that i kept inhaling since chiara wasn't diving at it fast enough. you snooze, you lose, right? awww....
before jetting back to westwood, we stopped by jin patisserie (http://www.jinpatisserie.com/) at my request in order to check out even more sweets. i swear i'd thought i'd skip joe's dessert in favor of jin's, but after thinking about it, i decided sweets at BOTH places would work out tell. to placate our tummies, we decided to grab some desserts to go -- me w/my big meringue filled w/cream, mango, and strawberry, and chiara w/her passion fruit delight. both of us texted later about the joys of stuffing our faces w/our purchases, so i knew it'd been key to stop by. mmm....
and i'm glad that this didn't take long b/c i'm totally about to pass out. needless to say, i'll do my best to get my thoughts out into the ether sooner rather than later this year!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
update on hnn's m&m adventures - paris, LA, NY
so it seems like i'm always a billion years delayed getting anything up on this blog. but i blame the fact that i hate writing, or rather that i hate getting anxious about writing. (damn asian genes! damn math/science high school! damn pre-med!) HOWEVER, as i've heard that i've developed a readership (of sorts), AND as i've made a resolution to blog more regularly, this is my first attempt at catching up. it won't be pretty (as it's been MONTHS), but i'll do my best to capture my finest (and not so finest) moments of yummy eating & movie watching.
paris wanderings
so i spent my 30th birthday in paris. it was an independence trip to celebrate my free spirit and my sagitarrian sensibilities. yes, there are places where it's not safe, but where it is, i love travelling on my own. i can wake up whenever i want. i can do whatever i want. i can go wherever i want. and i can change my mind a bazillion times (haha, eri, haha) -- over and over and over. it's a beautiful thing.
i suppose it's too late to comment on every detail of this trip (though i could certainly go on ad nauseum to whoever would like to hear about it), but let's just say that i had the best time. i was a little out of it at first in my little room at les trois poussins (a cute little hotel on a side street in montmartre -- http://www.les3poussins.com/). then again, i was on a plane for hours and hours, so who wouldn't be a little off? (still, i'm forever grateful and thankful for direct flights.)
after a day and a half of getting somewhat un-jetlagged, i stopped wondering what the heck i was doing in paris and i started to really enjoy it. i walked around for hours and hours a day, and i saw all the sights that i'd never gotten to see on previous visits -- the louvre, the musee d'orsay, the musee rodin. i checked out some lesser known sights -- the catacombs, the chateau de vincennes, the musee dali. and i went back to some of my favorite places in the city -- sacre coeur, the jardin des tuileries, the jardin du luxembourg. i also checked out some new sights that have sprung up in recent years -- the ferris wheel at the place de la concorde and the holiday market down the champs elysee.
i could go on and on about the loveliness of all the sights, but the best part was being able to get to them on foot. roaming around paris, strolling along the seine, and walking all the way "home" to montmartre at the end of the day was absolute heaven for me. and doing it all in the light drizzle wasn't even too horrible. there's just something so romantic about rain in paris. even when you're all by yourself.
one of the best parts of paris is the ubiquity of crepes. i swear i had at least a crepe a day while i was there, and the best one BY FAR contained cheese and merguez sausage. it was absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS. and i'm so glad i couldn't finish it b/c i seriously could've died from the grease. but OMG was it delicious! i picked it up from this guy on the rue montmartre who kept trying to speak to me in french, and i swear i told him i thought it was hot outside when i was literally freezing to death waiting for this unforgettable crepe. thank god i survived the wait!
in addition to regular crepe eating, i allowed myself a pastry a day, and i sampled from cute little bakeries and pastry shops within a small radius of my hotel. and b/c i ate heavier at lunch, i usually just picked up small eats for dinner from the local eateries -- the cheese & meat shops, the rotisserie/butcher shops, the sushi place, and even the supermarket. i loved coming home at the end of the day and just walking around my little neighborhood. i somehow felt like i belonged there, like i'd be back soon.
last but not least, we must go into my amazing foodie experiences while i was abroad! and i must say that i had QUITE the gastronomic adventures. in my first foray into parisian fine dining, i decided to check out l'atelier du joel robuchon (http://www.joel-robuchon.com/). to be honest, i think i would've fared MUCH better at la table du joel robuchon b/c i'm simply not a fan of wraparound bar eating. even though guides say that bar eating works great for solo diners, i think it really depends on what kind of solo diner you are. i prefer a TABLE. to MYSELF. so i don't have to TALK -- at least not to anyone but the waitstaff. what i got at l'atelier was a seat by two americans (good grief) -- one who was quite lovely and the other who was quite, well, loud. needless to say, i ended up conversing w/them and it wasn't too painful. (i even got my dessert paid for! in honor of my birthday -- very sweet indeed.) but i would've preferred not feeling rushed to order and not feeling rushed to eat. in the end, i was entirely displeased with the pigeon, which came out unceremoniously wrapped in cabbage, and which tasted, well, gross. i can't even remember whether i finished it all, but it was neither pleasing to the eye nor the palate. on the flip side, the lamb was delicious. even though there was very little meat on each of the chops, what was on there was amazingly flavorful. (at 45 euros for 5 chops, it better have been good!) and the grapefruit dessert had really great acid. on top of everything, the service was excellent. all of the servers spoke just enough english to make the atmosphere pleasant and inviting. i'd love to go back -- were it not for the wraparound bar and the high chairs (where my feet couldn't touch the ground).
the next day, i decided to check out brasserie lipp (http://www.groupe-bertrand.com/lipp.php), a quintessential parisian brasserie. totally old school w/an older clientele to match. the most important thing to know about this place is that you can't be in any sort of the rush. the service is, shall we say, slow. and even though everyone was quite pleasant (including the maitre d', who looked like a cross b/w tim gunn & the shoe fetish guy on SATC), they're not looking to turn tables. here i decided to order quintessential parisian dishes -- the escargots, the duck confit, and the millefeuille. all were quite good, though nothing jawdropping.
of all the restaurants i visited while i was in paris, my ABSOLUTE favorite was spoon (food & wine) (http://www.spoon.tm.fr/public_fr/actualite/index.htm). this place is one of several spoon adventures around the world, all of which are situated in exotic locales -- paris, hong kong, mauritius, and saint tropez. and rightly so b/c the food is absolutely AMAZING. i don't remember the last time i had food THIS good. moreover, each dish was a spectacular piece of art. to the point where i simply wanted to cry when i had to sink my utensil into the dish and break it up. i wish i'd remembered that my blackberry has a camera (oh don't even say it) b/c i don't think i even came close to imprinting the beauty of those dishes in my memory. at the start of the meal, i received a lovely amuse bouche -- a mix of tofu, mushrooms, and spinach. i know it doesn't SOUND appetizing, but it was quite pretty in its tall shot glass and quite yummy in my mouth. my ceviche appetizer was gorgeous w/the sauce a perfect blend of oil & acid. my ribs entree was the tallest dish i've received to date. what gave it height was the super thin potato chips and the fluffy lettuce leaves. all went well w/the scrumptious meat. i ended the meal w/the mac 'along -- a citrus dessert that was nice & light. coffee came w/more cookies. and i realized how much i love getting unexpected things for free.
for my last restaurant meal, i had dinner at le potager du marais (http://www.restaurantsomh.com/p19.htm) -- a vegetarian spot in the marais. considering how meat-loving paris is in general, it can be tough to find good veggies NOT cooked in lard. (not that i have anything against lard of course.) thankfully, this place does a pretty good job. i had a great vegan zucchini soup to start, and i've decided that cream is so unnecessary in veggie soups. my eggplant was great with spinach, though the almond rice was really bland. however, the meal ended with a delicious pear tarte tatin. i have to admit that the crust tasted like semi-cooked dough, but the perfectly caramelized pears pretty much made up for that.
back to LA - 1
after i got back to LA in early december, i only had a few weeks before jetting to new york for the holidays. but during that time, i ran a 10K and enjoyed some lovely post-run eats w/dani. considering that i hadn't worked out since before thanksgiving, i totally surprised myself by completing the santa monica-venice christmas run in a record 1:01:28.4! that's less than a 10-minute mile, folks! (i was so excited that i ended up buying a picture of myself. which required scouring through a bazillion pics on the website. of course, this is what i get for wearing my number on the back instead of the front.) with this accomplishment, i'm now ready to attempt a halfsie. (see resolutions post.) WOOHOO!
as for our lovely post-run eats, dani & i made it over to axe (http://www.axerestaurant.com/) -- a chic spot in venice that i discovered w/the HEOC ladies way back in the day. the restaurant just opened before we got there, so we were thrilled. we decided on the ginormous 9-grain pancake, the basic rice bowl (which the waitress suggested), the apple smoked bacon, and the chicken apple sausage. the sides were completely throwaway (sadness), but the pancake was delicious and filling, and the rice bowl was quite scrumptious too. last time, the star sighting was rosario dawson. this time, hilary swank. uh huh. AW YEAH.
while i was back, i also went to see the reader and slumdog millionaire. i must operate on a totally different movie rating system than critics (with my site of choice being metacritic.com) b/c i loved the reader and found slumdog millionaire a bit overrated. i'll admit i'm a total kate winslet fan, and i've been dying to see revolutionary road as well. but i thought the reader was quite moving and i disagree w/critics who think the point was overly made. i mean, is there really just one point? and can you really overly make it? well, perhaps there is and perhaps you can, but the reader did not. for me, one of the main points was this: sometimes you make choices on impulse, sometimes you make them with thought, but ultimately you often make choices that no one can possibly understand but you.
as for slumdog millionaire, i wish that people hadn't hyped up the movie so much. i hate when people say 'that was the best movie ever!' i mean, are you kidding? how many movies have you SEEN? and do you know anything about movies? ok ok, i know i sound like a movie snob when i'm the one that pays to see HSM 3 (which was fabulous btw). but shut up already! i'm just SAYING that 'the best movie EVER' is just a bit MUCH. at any rate, i did think the movie came close to meeting the hype (unlike benjamin button -- scroll down below). i think i would've been a bigger fan had i even watched a single episode of who wants to be a millionaire, but i found the storyline quite engaging. flashbacks don't work for every movie, but the past-present switching worked really well in this film. the cinematography also had a lovely indie quality about it, including a memorable shot of latika looking up at jamal from below. the bollywood dance at the end clinched the movie perfectly. it totally made you want to get up and shake your groove thang.
i love new york
yes, it's my hometown. yes, i know it really well. and yes, i'm falling in love with it all over again. after being in LA for almost 6 years, i'm tired of southern california -- weather and all. i miss walking and i miss being in a city that's up all night -- even when i'm not.
after catching up w/my mom for a night, i moved out to jeff's apt in murray hill (thanks, jeff! hugs & kisses!). i must admit that i didn't even get to indulge in his amazing flat-screen TV b/c i literally came home every night after hours and hours of walking and promptly passed out. it was such luscious sleep. and i realized then and there that i'll only get a full 8 hours if i wear myself out earlier in the day. mmm....
on my first full day in the city, i kicked off the morning w/neena & matt in c-town for dim sum! we went to a small place down on mott street. i think it's evergreen or emerald something, but it's a place that jeff took me to back in the day. there seemed to be fewer carts, probably b/c we went on a weekday morning rather than a weekend morning. at any rate, the food was quite good, and we ordered plenty to fill us up -- spare ribs, beef balls, spring rolls, shumai, dumplings, sticky rice, roast pork buns, beef noodles, shrimp noodles, sesame balls, etc. i wish we'd had more room, but we could barely make it out of there as it was! after brunch, we drove up to rockefeller center and got a glimpse of the tree. it was more ginormous than i remembered it, and the crowds were more intense that i remembered them. thank goodness none of us needed to stick around for very long!
after that, i trekked downtown to meet up w/derek, who really wanted to see waltz w/bashir. granted, i'd never heard of it AND it was animation, but i so rarely get to indulge my BFF, so i thought i might as well. i show up and the first thing he tells me is that he's had stomach flu. GROSS. which means i spend our whole time together making sure he doesn't breathe on me -- huge germophobe that i am. so we go in and sit down. 10 minutes in, he nudges me and says "i'm bored." and i'm thinking "THANK GOD B/C I'M DYING HERE." a few minutes later, we get up and walk out. we've done this before (c/o spider -- the worst movie ever made) and i have NO qualms about doing it again. i swear i was already passing out w/in the first 5 minutes!
we decided to trek over to soho to explore 2 chocolate cafes he was looking to check out. we stopped by vosges, which i've been to, and which is way more shop than cafe. so we decided on the cacao bar at the mariebelle (http://www.mariebelle.com/s.nl/it.I/id.3/.f) instead. this place has a lovely shop in the front and a cute little cafe in the back. and derek & i both decided to indulge in some hot chocolate before dinner. derek went for the spicy, which he thought was good but not very spicy. and i went for the unsweetened, which had a nice bitterness to it. both were quite decadent, though we weren't sure whether they gave us our drinks American-style (w/water) or European-style (w/milk). (or is that vice versa?)
at this point, we were both starving for dinner, so we trekked up to nick & stef's (http://www.patinagroup.com/east/nickStef/), where i'd made a reservation several weeks ago. i was surprised that so many folks were already at dinner, especially since our reservation was for 6PM and there was already a pretty full house. (we found out from our waitress that there was a game at MSG. of course, neither of us had a clue who -- or what -- was playing!) since derek's tummy was still off, and i didn't want to gorge myself, we decided to split the porterhouse for 2 and tack on some brussel sprouts (for good measure -- and fiber). the food was AMAZING. the meat came out quickly, perfectly done (medium rare), and with several sauces for us to try. i gave derek about 2/3 of the meat (since i'm trying to watch my figure), and my 1/3 was the perfect amount. i found the bearnaise a bit too decadent, and the jus a bit too plain, but the peppercorn was a good flavor. i mean, honestly, the meat was so good that it didn't even need anything else, though the sauce did add a bit more interest. the brussel sprouts were also quite good. we decided to skip dessert since i was off to meet irene in k-town, but we were both really pleased w/the food AND the service. we even got our napkins folded whenever we stepped away! if anything, that should give this place FDE status. ha!
after dinner, i made my way to koryodong (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2872.html) -- a yummy dessert place in the middle of k-town. this is a great place to munch on sweets alone or w/friends. and i have to admit that i was here 2 nights in a row sitting at the exact same table. i guess there aren't that many dessert places in the city that are easily accessible to everyone. so i must send kudos to irene AND karen, who both trekked out to meet up w/me on consecutive nights! the first night, i went w/a ginger iced tea and a mango bomb. the tea was amazing, but i was disappointed that the bomb wasn't really your typical bomb. it was a mini-cake bomb and not an ice cream bomb. my rec: order something else. irene's creme brulee wasn't too shabby, but definitely not my favorite. the second night, i went w/a citrus iced tea (the same one that irene had gotten hot) and i thought that was delicious. (i must admit to loving acid these days.) for dessert, i chose the shaved ice w/the green tea ice cream. OMG. i ate the whole thing myself, i was super bloated, and yet i wanted another. this thing was SO good. in addition to the ice and the ice cream, there was also fresh fruit and red bean -- i was in heaven. must...go...back....
the next morning, i made my way uptown to meet up w/soon the elder. while waiting for the bus, i made the acquaintance of an older woman who works for UNICEF. at first, i was a little wary when she asked if i wanted to split a cab uptown if the bus didn't show up. i suppose i haven't lost my new york edge b/c i thought she might ditch me in the cab w/the fare. thankfully, the bus arrived and i got over my attitude. it was great hearing about the woman, her job, and her travels around the world -- all of this in a 15-minute timespan! she even gave me a l'occitane towelette and a big hug when we both got off the bus at 80th street. now isn't that a lovely way to start the weekend?
i picked up soon at his fancy schmancy digs and we trekked over to oren's (http://www.orensdailyroast.com/) for a bit of coffee before trekking through central park. my pumpkin latte was yummy, and i'm glad we got a bit of caffeine, b/c i really made soon work. we rambled along many dirt paths and covered a fair bit of the park going from east to west. we even made it over to belvedere castle, where i spotted wild turkeys! (they're on my camera phone -- i think i got a bit of their backsides.) after some huffing and puffing (dang we're old), we made it out of the park alive.
at this point, i was starving. and since we both needed to head downtown, soon suggested the jazz brunch at garage (http://www.garagerest.com/). now, i've been wanting to try this place FOREVER, so he pretty much read my mind. as we walked in, we were greeted by the hostess and the lovely sounds of live jazz. we got seated at a fabulous table on the balcony overlooking the 3-piece band and the entire restaurant. the decorations were beautiful, including an upside down christmas tree hanging over the bar! the jazz brunch is a great value, since $15.95 can buy you a full and hearty meal. i went w/OJ and the farmer's market omelet. despite not getting my egg whites, i was very pleased.
after a bit of jazz, we jetted down to soho -- soon in search of michelle's xmas present and me to catch up w/brig. soon has zero sense of time (sorry, soon!), so i had to cab it over to the movie theater where brig & i were going to watch benjamin button. of course, i was THRILLED to see brig, who's been stuck in the boonies of bloomington for months now. unfortunately, i was NOT thrilled to see benjamin button, which has been entirely overrated. not only was the storyline bland, but the chemistry b/w brad and cate was totally lacking, and the whole aging and reverse aging w/the make-up was just bizarre and un-authentic. while some of the scenes were quite beautiful, they couldn't quite make up for the movie's shortfalls. (i'm sorry, mike, but you know nothing about good movies. nothing AT ALL.)
seeing that i couldn't stick around for revolutionary road (BUMMER!), brig & i decided to trek around union square until her second movie. we made our way over to TJ's, which she doesn't have in bloomington, and we spent a good amount of time checking out all the cute guys that exist in new york, but not in bloomington OR LA. *sigh* oh, till we're back in the city again....
the next morning, i met up w/ivana & ashley for sunday brunch at david burke & donatella (http://www.dbdrestaurant.com/). well, at least that's what it was called until the end of 2008! (apparently, the partnership went splitsville in august, and the name change to david burke townhouse wasn't going to happen until the new year. shows how much i'm up on foodie news -- *sigh*) at any rate, the experience was DIVINE. at first, i was a little nervous, since i walked in (the last to show up) and the room was in a complete hush. (the last time i had to deal w/this was at town, and that was NOT a pleasant experience.) however, after a few more parties showed up, talking at normal volume wasn't a problem. in addition to lovely waitstaff, db&d had fabulous decor. it was all quite chic & festive, decked out in red & white. while some critics have grumbled that it's too feminine, i think they're idiots. i think the decor is totally cool & trendy, and i loved it.
as for the food, it was AMAZING. and seeing that is my NEW FAVORITE in the city, i'm devoting a whole paragraph to it. (that and the fact that we shared everything, so i must comment on ALL the food.) for my prix-fixe brunch (a great price for so much food), i chose the lobster-lemongrass bisque (w/yummy bits of apple), the asparagus casserole (w/perfect mini-cubes of potato), and the chocolate-gingerbread mousse. ivana went with the pretzel crusted crabcake (that came in a lovely rectangle), the reuben bendict (though she got the nova scotia benedict by mistake -- eek!), and the coconut layer cake. ashley chose the granola parfait w/the mango donuts (that sadly turned out to be singular rather than plural), a main dish that i can't remember, and the butterscotch panna cotta. out of everyone's dishes, i have to say that i loved my selections the best! the bisque was great, probably b/c it wasn't too lobster-ey. (FYI that i don't generally enjoy lobster or shrimp.) and even though i picked out most of the potatoes, the veggies in my main dish were delicious. the mousse was equally amazing and totally decadent. i thought ivana's crab cake was really yummy, and we both enjoyed the cream on her coconut cake, though we both found the cake itself on the dry side. we also enjoyed splitting ashley's single mango donut, though we missed the mango filling that was supposedly in the middle but was nowhere to be found. ashley's panna cotta was nice and creamy as well. along with our chosen items, we also got a lovely soup as our amuse bouche and delicious rosemary popovers. this was definitely my BEST meal in new york this time around.
after rolling out of the restaurant on a full belly, i trekked uptown to meet up w/nicole for another outing in the park. we both love walking, so the park was the perfect adventure. especially when we got lost and couldn't figure out what direction we were going in! i didn't mind too much, though nicole seemed somewhat concerned. thankfully, our combined powers of bad direction led us to the boathouse cafe (http://www.thecentralparkboathouse.com/sections/home.htm) for some yummy snacking. as i was still on a fully belly, i decided to hydrate instead, though i did snag a few bites of nicole's oatmeal raisin cookie. the atmosphere was really nice, though we had to sit outside since the place was so packed. the view is quite lovely, and nicole vowed to go back for a full meal sometime soon.
seeing as how it was getting dark (and both of us were directionally challenged), we decided to trek over to the guggenheim (http://www.guggenheim.org/) to check out the exhibits. the museum was closing surprisingly early (for me at least), so we managed to get discount tickets. (thanks, nicole!) while the photo exhibit left a lot to be desired, the design & space of the museum is really enough to fascinate me. the spiral walkway and the immense height are absolutely amazing. while nicole found the random phrases printed on the walls to be quite depressing, i suppose i was too enraptured by the interior design to be pulled downward. i even found the drowned body of pinocchio in the pool of the lobby to be quite amusing. (is that so wrong? ok, maybe it is.)
after lots of uptown time, i made my way downtown to meet evelyn for a stroll over to the seaport. she was w/o kikyo this time, so it was a good opportunity to catch up on the latest dish. it's always good to see her b/c she always has so much to say! i wish i could be so fluid w/my words. then again, she IS a writer. : ) so given that i'd asked for a street vendor hot dog, evelyn didn't force me to eat at nathan's, but instead purchased me a seaport dog outside pier 17. (i love you, evelyn!) then we wandered over to her favorite cafe nearby for some veggies, some coffee, and some dessert. she chose the berry tart and i went for the lemon tart. and they were just what we needed to sweeten up the night.
rather than seeing yet another film that might disappoint me, i decided to see something i knew i'd love -- let the right one in. it was playing at the angelika (to which i haven't been in YEARS), and i was in the mood to be alone that night w/a vampire love story. b/c this was probably my favorite movie of the year, i'd suggest that everyone see it rather than asking me what it's about. all i can say is that the storyline, the dialogue, and the cinematography were all equally amazing. and more than that, it won a major award at the tribeca film festival. i'm just sorry i missed it the first time and had to wait until it played at UCLA!
before i left for the airport, i was actually able to see mikisha at josie's (http://www.josiesnyc.com/) a block from jeff's apt, and debra at tisserie (http://www.tisserie.com/) at union square. it was all a bit of a whirlwind, but a great way to end the trip. i even got a chance to walk through the union square market really quick before booking it to penn station! oh, how i miss it already....
back to LA - 2
a few days after i got back, i met up w/john tam who was visiting from out of town. i'd been wanting to check out rock sugar (http://www.rocksugarpanasiankitchen.com/) for the longest time, so i made a reservation for 2 and we caught up over some yummy pan asian cuisine. i'd mentioned this place to the foodie gang way back when, but i got politely shot down by jenny who thought it might be overdone. to be honest, it was totally over the top in terms of decor, but yet everything totally worked. it's like tao having a giant buddha. i mean, is it necesary? no. then again, is it awesome? uhhh... YES. and i was totally impressed by the high ceilings and the heated patio. john commented on all the lights, which he was sure looked amazing at night.
in addition to great decor, we were met w/a great menu & a great server. considering that i don't drink alcohol, i was excited that there was finally a dedicated list of non-alcoholic options. w/some help from the server, i decided on the yuzu lemon crush, which was a wonderful blend of acidic sweetness. john went w/a thai iced tea, and we decided to dive into the menu. thank goodness for sharing b/c there were so many yummy things to try. we decided on the green mango & papaya salad and the calamari to start. i didn't really understand the salad selection, but john said that was his favorite, so i thought i'd oblige. both were good, but nothing too memorable. for the main dishes, we went w/the pork vindaloo that came w/the festive rice, and the singapore omelette. i thought the omelette was good, but the pork vindaloo was FABULOUS. it tasted so incredibly good -- great flavor, just the right amount of chew, oh so succulent. it was nice to have the rice to balance it out, though i'm dying now to try the ginger fried rice w/chinese sausage. (who's interested??) for dessert, i wanted the warm ginger cake and john chose the thai basil ice cream. both were quite scrumptious, but i really want to try the vietnamese coffee ice cream now. augh! how can i be hungry at 1 in the morning? oh how easily i get myself in a tizzy!
i celebrated new year's eve w/dr. griffin, judy, and judy's friend at beacon (http://www.beacon-la.com/index.php) in culver city. i thought i'd give this place another shot after dining there w/the foodie gang a while back, but i was once again underwhelmed. after being told that changing the size of my reservation wouldn't be a big deal, we ended up being seated at a 2-person table! i mean, seriously? i know it was partly my fault, but don't lie to me. i'm not stupid, y'know? at any rate, three of us ended up ordering salads, b/c they were out of kim's fish. i mean, how are you out of stuff on new year's eve? don't you prepare ahead of time? it was all very tiring after a while. thankfully, the night ended w/desserts. the chocolate dessert was totally melt in your mouth. unfortunately, the green tea cake was noticeably dry. bleh. no more. no more! it's time for a fresh start.
paris wanderings
so i spent my 30th birthday in paris. it was an independence trip to celebrate my free spirit and my sagitarrian sensibilities. yes, there are places where it's not safe, but where it is, i love travelling on my own. i can wake up whenever i want. i can do whatever i want. i can go wherever i want. and i can change my mind a bazillion times (haha, eri, haha) -- over and over and over. it's a beautiful thing.
i suppose it's too late to comment on every detail of this trip (though i could certainly go on ad nauseum to whoever would like to hear about it), but let's just say that i had the best time. i was a little out of it at first in my little room at les trois poussins (a cute little hotel on a side street in montmartre -- http://www.les3poussins.com/). then again, i was on a plane for hours and hours, so who wouldn't be a little off? (still, i'm forever grateful and thankful for direct flights.)
after a day and a half of getting somewhat un-jetlagged, i stopped wondering what the heck i was doing in paris and i started to really enjoy it. i walked around for hours and hours a day, and i saw all the sights that i'd never gotten to see on previous visits -- the louvre, the musee d'orsay, the musee rodin. i checked out some lesser known sights -- the catacombs, the chateau de vincennes, the musee dali. and i went back to some of my favorite places in the city -- sacre coeur, the jardin des tuileries, the jardin du luxembourg. i also checked out some new sights that have sprung up in recent years -- the ferris wheel at the place de la concorde and the holiday market down the champs elysee.
i could go on and on about the loveliness of all the sights, but the best part was being able to get to them on foot. roaming around paris, strolling along the seine, and walking all the way "home" to montmartre at the end of the day was absolute heaven for me. and doing it all in the light drizzle wasn't even too horrible. there's just something so romantic about rain in paris. even when you're all by yourself.
one of the best parts of paris is the ubiquity of crepes. i swear i had at least a crepe a day while i was there, and the best one BY FAR contained cheese and merguez sausage. it was absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS. and i'm so glad i couldn't finish it b/c i seriously could've died from the grease. but OMG was it delicious! i picked it up from this guy on the rue montmartre who kept trying to speak to me in french, and i swear i told him i thought it was hot outside when i was literally freezing to death waiting for this unforgettable crepe. thank god i survived the wait!
in addition to regular crepe eating, i allowed myself a pastry a day, and i sampled from cute little bakeries and pastry shops within a small radius of my hotel. and b/c i ate heavier at lunch, i usually just picked up small eats for dinner from the local eateries -- the cheese & meat shops, the rotisserie/butcher shops, the sushi place, and even the supermarket. i loved coming home at the end of the day and just walking around my little neighborhood. i somehow felt like i belonged there, like i'd be back soon.
last but not least, we must go into my amazing foodie experiences while i was abroad! and i must say that i had QUITE the gastronomic adventures. in my first foray into parisian fine dining, i decided to check out l'atelier du joel robuchon (http://www.joel-robuchon.com/). to be honest, i think i would've fared MUCH better at la table du joel robuchon b/c i'm simply not a fan of wraparound bar eating. even though guides say that bar eating works great for solo diners, i think it really depends on what kind of solo diner you are. i prefer a TABLE. to MYSELF. so i don't have to TALK -- at least not to anyone but the waitstaff. what i got at l'atelier was a seat by two americans (good grief) -- one who was quite lovely and the other who was quite, well, loud. needless to say, i ended up conversing w/them and it wasn't too painful. (i even got my dessert paid for! in honor of my birthday -- very sweet indeed.) but i would've preferred not feeling rushed to order and not feeling rushed to eat. in the end, i was entirely displeased with the pigeon, which came out unceremoniously wrapped in cabbage, and which tasted, well, gross. i can't even remember whether i finished it all, but it was neither pleasing to the eye nor the palate. on the flip side, the lamb was delicious. even though there was very little meat on each of the chops, what was on there was amazingly flavorful. (at 45 euros for 5 chops, it better have been good!) and the grapefruit dessert had really great acid. on top of everything, the service was excellent. all of the servers spoke just enough english to make the atmosphere pleasant and inviting. i'd love to go back -- were it not for the wraparound bar and the high chairs (where my feet couldn't touch the ground).
the next day, i decided to check out brasserie lipp (http://www.groupe-bertrand.com/lipp.php), a quintessential parisian brasserie. totally old school w/an older clientele to match. the most important thing to know about this place is that you can't be in any sort of the rush. the service is, shall we say, slow. and even though everyone was quite pleasant (including the maitre d', who looked like a cross b/w tim gunn & the shoe fetish guy on SATC), they're not looking to turn tables. here i decided to order quintessential parisian dishes -- the escargots, the duck confit, and the millefeuille. all were quite good, though nothing jawdropping.
of all the restaurants i visited while i was in paris, my ABSOLUTE favorite was spoon (food & wine) (http://www.spoon.tm.fr/public_fr/actualite/index.htm). this place is one of several spoon adventures around the world, all of which are situated in exotic locales -- paris, hong kong, mauritius, and saint tropez. and rightly so b/c the food is absolutely AMAZING. i don't remember the last time i had food THIS good. moreover, each dish was a spectacular piece of art. to the point where i simply wanted to cry when i had to sink my utensil into the dish and break it up. i wish i'd remembered that my blackberry has a camera (oh don't even say it) b/c i don't think i even came close to imprinting the beauty of those dishes in my memory. at the start of the meal, i received a lovely amuse bouche -- a mix of tofu, mushrooms, and spinach. i know it doesn't SOUND appetizing, but it was quite pretty in its tall shot glass and quite yummy in my mouth. my ceviche appetizer was gorgeous w/the sauce a perfect blend of oil & acid. my ribs entree was the tallest dish i've received to date. what gave it height was the super thin potato chips and the fluffy lettuce leaves. all went well w/the scrumptious meat. i ended the meal w/the mac 'along -- a citrus dessert that was nice & light. coffee came w/more cookies. and i realized how much i love getting unexpected things for free.
for my last restaurant meal, i had dinner at le potager du marais (http://www.restaurantsomh.com/p19.htm) -- a vegetarian spot in the marais. considering how meat-loving paris is in general, it can be tough to find good veggies NOT cooked in lard. (not that i have anything against lard of course.) thankfully, this place does a pretty good job. i had a great vegan zucchini soup to start, and i've decided that cream is so unnecessary in veggie soups. my eggplant was great with spinach, though the almond rice was really bland. however, the meal ended with a delicious pear tarte tatin. i have to admit that the crust tasted like semi-cooked dough, but the perfectly caramelized pears pretty much made up for that.
back to LA - 1
after i got back to LA in early december, i only had a few weeks before jetting to new york for the holidays. but during that time, i ran a 10K and enjoyed some lovely post-run eats w/dani. considering that i hadn't worked out since before thanksgiving, i totally surprised myself by completing the santa monica-venice christmas run in a record 1:01:28.4! that's less than a 10-minute mile, folks! (i was so excited that i ended up buying a picture of myself. which required scouring through a bazillion pics on the website. of course, this is what i get for wearing my number on the back instead of the front.) with this accomplishment, i'm now ready to attempt a halfsie. (see resolutions post.) WOOHOO!
as for our lovely post-run eats, dani & i made it over to axe (http://www.axerestaurant.com/) -- a chic spot in venice that i discovered w/the HEOC ladies way back in the day. the restaurant just opened before we got there, so we were thrilled. we decided on the ginormous 9-grain pancake, the basic rice bowl (which the waitress suggested), the apple smoked bacon, and the chicken apple sausage. the sides were completely throwaway (sadness), but the pancake was delicious and filling, and the rice bowl was quite scrumptious too. last time, the star sighting was rosario dawson. this time, hilary swank. uh huh. AW YEAH.
while i was back, i also went to see the reader and slumdog millionaire. i must operate on a totally different movie rating system than critics (with my site of choice being metacritic.com) b/c i loved the reader and found slumdog millionaire a bit overrated. i'll admit i'm a total kate winslet fan, and i've been dying to see revolutionary road as well. but i thought the reader was quite moving and i disagree w/critics who think the point was overly made. i mean, is there really just one point? and can you really overly make it? well, perhaps there is and perhaps you can, but the reader did not. for me, one of the main points was this: sometimes you make choices on impulse, sometimes you make them with thought, but ultimately you often make choices that no one can possibly understand but you.
as for slumdog millionaire, i wish that people hadn't hyped up the movie so much. i hate when people say 'that was the best movie ever!' i mean, are you kidding? how many movies have you SEEN? and do you know anything about movies? ok ok, i know i sound like a movie snob when i'm the one that pays to see HSM 3 (which was fabulous btw). but shut up already! i'm just SAYING that 'the best movie EVER' is just a bit MUCH. at any rate, i did think the movie came close to meeting the hype (unlike benjamin button -- scroll down below). i think i would've been a bigger fan had i even watched a single episode of who wants to be a millionaire, but i found the storyline quite engaging. flashbacks don't work for every movie, but the past-present switching worked really well in this film. the cinematography also had a lovely indie quality about it, including a memorable shot of latika looking up at jamal from below. the bollywood dance at the end clinched the movie perfectly. it totally made you want to get up and shake your groove thang.
i love new york
yes, it's my hometown. yes, i know it really well. and yes, i'm falling in love with it all over again. after being in LA for almost 6 years, i'm tired of southern california -- weather and all. i miss walking and i miss being in a city that's up all night -- even when i'm not.
after catching up w/my mom for a night, i moved out to jeff's apt in murray hill (thanks, jeff! hugs & kisses!). i must admit that i didn't even get to indulge in his amazing flat-screen TV b/c i literally came home every night after hours and hours of walking and promptly passed out. it was such luscious sleep. and i realized then and there that i'll only get a full 8 hours if i wear myself out earlier in the day. mmm....
on my first full day in the city, i kicked off the morning w/neena & matt in c-town for dim sum! we went to a small place down on mott street. i think it's evergreen or emerald something, but it's a place that jeff took me to back in the day. there seemed to be fewer carts, probably b/c we went on a weekday morning rather than a weekend morning. at any rate, the food was quite good, and we ordered plenty to fill us up -- spare ribs, beef balls, spring rolls, shumai, dumplings, sticky rice, roast pork buns, beef noodles, shrimp noodles, sesame balls, etc. i wish we'd had more room, but we could barely make it out of there as it was! after brunch, we drove up to rockefeller center and got a glimpse of the tree. it was more ginormous than i remembered it, and the crowds were more intense that i remembered them. thank goodness none of us needed to stick around for very long!
after that, i trekked downtown to meet up w/derek, who really wanted to see waltz w/bashir. granted, i'd never heard of it AND it was animation, but i so rarely get to indulge my BFF, so i thought i might as well. i show up and the first thing he tells me is that he's had stomach flu. GROSS. which means i spend our whole time together making sure he doesn't breathe on me -- huge germophobe that i am. so we go in and sit down. 10 minutes in, he nudges me and says "i'm bored." and i'm thinking "THANK GOD B/C I'M DYING HERE." a few minutes later, we get up and walk out. we've done this before (c/o spider -- the worst movie ever made) and i have NO qualms about doing it again. i swear i was already passing out w/in the first 5 minutes!
we decided to trek over to soho to explore 2 chocolate cafes he was looking to check out. we stopped by vosges, which i've been to, and which is way more shop than cafe. so we decided on the cacao bar at the mariebelle (http://www.mariebelle.com/s.nl/it.I/id.3/.f) instead. this place has a lovely shop in the front and a cute little cafe in the back. and derek & i both decided to indulge in some hot chocolate before dinner. derek went for the spicy, which he thought was good but not very spicy. and i went for the unsweetened, which had a nice bitterness to it. both were quite decadent, though we weren't sure whether they gave us our drinks American-style (w/water) or European-style (w/milk). (or is that vice versa?)
at this point, we were both starving for dinner, so we trekked up to nick & stef's (http://www.patinagroup.com/east/nickStef/), where i'd made a reservation several weeks ago. i was surprised that so many folks were already at dinner, especially since our reservation was for 6PM and there was already a pretty full house. (we found out from our waitress that there was a game at MSG. of course, neither of us had a clue who -- or what -- was playing!) since derek's tummy was still off, and i didn't want to gorge myself, we decided to split the porterhouse for 2 and tack on some brussel sprouts (for good measure -- and fiber). the food was AMAZING. the meat came out quickly, perfectly done (medium rare), and with several sauces for us to try. i gave derek about 2/3 of the meat (since i'm trying to watch my figure), and my 1/3 was the perfect amount. i found the bearnaise a bit too decadent, and the jus a bit too plain, but the peppercorn was a good flavor. i mean, honestly, the meat was so good that it didn't even need anything else, though the sauce did add a bit more interest. the brussel sprouts were also quite good. we decided to skip dessert since i was off to meet irene in k-town, but we were both really pleased w/the food AND the service. we even got our napkins folded whenever we stepped away! if anything, that should give this place FDE status. ha!
after dinner, i made my way to koryodong (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2872.html) -- a yummy dessert place in the middle of k-town. this is a great place to munch on sweets alone or w/friends. and i have to admit that i was here 2 nights in a row sitting at the exact same table. i guess there aren't that many dessert places in the city that are easily accessible to everyone. so i must send kudos to irene AND karen, who both trekked out to meet up w/me on consecutive nights! the first night, i went w/a ginger iced tea and a mango bomb. the tea was amazing, but i was disappointed that the bomb wasn't really your typical bomb. it was a mini-cake bomb and not an ice cream bomb. my rec: order something else. irene's creme brulee wasn't too shabby, but definitely not my favorite. the second night, i went w/a citrus iced tea (the same one that irene had gotten hot) and i thought that was delicious. (i must admit to loving acid these days.) for dessert, i chose the shaved ice w/the green tea ice cream. OMG. i ate the whole thing myself, i was super bloated, and yet i wanted another. this thing was SO good. in addition to the ice and the ice cream, there was also fresh fruit and red bean -- i was in heaven. must...go...back....
the next morning, i made my way uptown to meet up w/soon the elder. while waiting for the bus, i made the acquaintance of an older woman who works for UNICEF. at first, i was a little wary when she asked if i wanted to split a cab uptown if the bus didn't show up. i suppose i haven't lost my new york edge b/c i thought she might ditch me in the cab w/the fare. thankfully, the bus arrived and i got over my attitude. it was great hearing about the woman, her job, and her travels around the world -- all of this in a 15-minute timespan! she even gave me a l'occitane towelette and a big hug when we both got off the bus at 80th street. now isn't that a lovely way to start the weekend?
i picked up soon at his fancy schmancy digs and we trekked over to oren's (http://www.orensdailyroast.com/) for a bit of coffee before trekking through central park. my pumpkin latte was yummy, and i'm glad we got a bit of caffeine, b/c i really made soon work. we rambled along many dirt paths and covered a fair bit of the park going from east to west. we even made it over to belvedere castle, where i spotted wild turkeys! (they're on my camera phone -- i think i got a bit of their backsides.) after some huffing and puffing (dang we're old), we made it out of the park alive.
at this point, i was starving. and since we both needed to head downtown, soon suggested the jazz brunch at garage (http://www.garagerest.com/). now, i've been wanting to try this place FOREVER, so he pretty much read my mind. as we walked in, we were greeted by the hostess and the lovely sounds of live jazz. we got seated at a fabulous table on the balcony overlooking the 3-piece band and the entire restaurant. the decorations were beautiful, including an upside down christmas tree hanging over the bar! the jazz brunch is a great value, since $15.95 can buy you a full and hearty meal. i went w/OJ and the farmer's market omelet. despite not getting my egg whites, i was very pleased.
after a bit of jazz, we jetted down to soho -- soon in search of michelle's xmas present and me to catch up w/brig. soon has zero sense of time (sorry, soon!), so i had to cab it over to the movie theater where brig & i were going to watch benjamin button. of course, i was THRILLED to see brig, who's been stuck in the boonies of bloomington for months now. unfortunately, i was NOT thrilled to see benjamin button, which has been entirely overrated. not only was the storyline bland, but the chemistry b/w brad and cate was totally lacking, and the whole aging and reverse aging w/the make-up was just bizarre and un-authentic. while some of the scenes were quite beautiful, they couldn't quite make up for the movie's shortfalls. (i'm sorry, mike, but you know nothing about good movies. nothing AT ALL.)
seeing that i couldn't stick around for revolutionary road (BUMMER!), brig & i decided to trek around union square until her second movie. we made our way over to TJ's, which she doesn't have in bloomington, and we spent a good amount of time checking out all the cute guys that exist in new york, but not in bloomington OR LA. *sigh* oh, till we're back in the city again....
the next morning, i met up w/ivana & ashley for sunday brunch at david burke & donatella (http://www.dbdrestaurant.com/). well, at least that's what it was called until the end of 2008! (apparently, the partnership went splitsville in august, and the name change to david burke townhouse wasn't going to happen until the new year. shows how much i'm up on foodie news -- *sigh*) at any rate, the experience was DIVINE. at first, i was a little nervous, since i walked in (the last to show up) and the room was in a complete hush. (the last time i had to deal w/this was at town, and that was NOT a pleasant experience.) however, after a few more parties showed up, talking at normal volume wasn't a problem. in addition to lovely waitstaff, db&d had fabulous decor. it was all quite chic & festive, decked out in red & white. while some critics have grumbled that it's too feminine, i think they're idiots. i think the decor is totally cool & trendy, and i loved it.
as for the food, it was AMAZING. and seeing that is my NEW FAVORITE in the city, i'm devoting a whole paragraph to it. (that and the fact that we shared everything, so i must comment on ALL the food.) for my prix-fixe brunch (a great price for so much food), i chose the lobster-lemongrass bisque (w/yummy bits of apple), the asparagus casserole (w/perfect mini-cubes of potato), and the chocolate-gingerbread mousse. ivana went with the pretzel crusted crabcake (that came in a lovely rectangle), the reuben bendict (though she got the nova scotia benedict by mistake -- eek!), and the coconut layer cake. ashley chose the granola parfait w/the mango donuts (that sadly turned out to be singular rather than plural), a main dish that i can't remember, and the butterscotch panna cotta. out of everyone's dishes, i have to say that i loved my selections the best! the bisque was great, probably b/c it wasn't too lobster-ey. (FYI that i don't generally enjoy lobster or shrimp.) and even though i picked out most of the potatoes, the veggies in my main dish were delicious. the mousse was equally amazing and totally decadent. i thought ivana's crab cake was really yummy, and we both enjoyed the cream on her coconut cake, though we both found the cake itself on the dry side. we also enjoyed splitting ashley's single mango donut, though we missed the mango filling that was supposedly in the middle but was nowhere to be found. ashley's panna cotta was nice and creamy as well. along with our chosen items, we also got a lovely soup as our amuse bouche and delicious rosemary popovers. this was definitely my BEST meal in new york this time around.
after rolling out of the restaurant on a full belly, i trekked uptown to meet up w/nicole for another outing in the park. we both love walking, so the park was the perfect adventure. especially when we got lost and couldn't figure out what direction we were going in! i didn't mind too much, though nicole seemed somewhat concerned. thankfully, our combined powers of bad direction led us to the boathouse cafe (http://www.thecentralparkboathouse.com/sections/home.htm) for some yummy snacking. as i was still on a fully belly, i decided to hydrate instead, though i did snag a few bites of nicole's oatmeal raisin cookie. the atmosphere was really nice, though we had to sit outside since the place was so packed. the view is quite lovely, and nicole vowed to go back for a full meal sometime soon.
seeing as how it was getting dark (and both of us were directionally challenged), we decided to trek over to the guggenheim (http://www.guggenheim.org/) to check out the exhibits. the museum was closing surprisingly early (for me at least), so we managed to get discount tickets. (thanks, nicole!) while the photo exhibit left a lot to be desired, the design & space of the museum is really enough to fascinate me. the spiral walkway and the immense height are absolutely amazing. while nicole found the random phrases printed on the walls to be quite depressing, i suppose i was too enraptured by the interior design to be pulled downward. i even found the drowned body of pinocchio in the pool of the lobby to be quite amusing. (is that so wrong? ok, maybe it is.)
after lots of uptown time, i made my way downtown to meet evelyn for a stroll over to the seaport. she was w/o kikyo this time, so it was a good opportunity to catch up on the latest dish. it's always good to see her b/c she always has so much to say! i wish i could be so fluid w/my words. then again, she IS a writer. : ) so given that i'd asked for a street vendor hot dog, evelyn didn't force me to eat at nathan's, but instead purchased me a seaport dog outside pier 17. (i love you, evelyn!) then we wandered over to her favorite cafe nearby for some veggies, some coffee, and some dessert. she chose the berry tart and i went for the lemon tart. and they were just what we needed to sweeten up the night.
rather than seeing yet another film that might disappoint me, i decided to see something i knew i'd love -- let the right one in. it was playing at the angelika (to which i haven't been in YEARS), and i was in the mood to be alone that night w/a vampire love story. b/c this was probably my favorite movie of the year, i'd suggest that everyone see it rather than asking me what it's about. all i can say is that the storyline, the dialogue, and the cinematography were all equally amazing. and more than that, it won a major award at the tribeca film festival. i'm just sorry i missed it the first time and had to wait until it played at UCLA!
before i left for the airport, i was actually able to see mikisha at josie's (http://www.josiesnyc.com/) a block from jeff's apt, and debra at tisserie (http://www.tisserie.com/) at union square. it was all a bit of a whirlwind, but a great way to end the trip. i even got a chance to walk through the union square market really quick before booking it to penn station! oh, how i miss it already....
back to LA - 2
a few days after i got back, i met up w/john tam who was visiting from out of town. i'd been wanting to check out rock sugar (http://www.rocksugarpanasiankitchen.com/) for the longest time, so i made a reservation for 2 and we caught up over some yummy pan asian cuisine. i'd mentioned this place to the foodie gang way back when, but i got politely shot down by jenny who thought it might be overdone. to be honest, it was totally over the top in terms of decor, but yet everything totally worked. it's like tao having a giant buddha. i mean, is it necesary? no. then again, is it awesome? uhhh... YES. and i was totally impressed by the high ceilings and the heated patio. john commented on all the lights, which he was sure looked amazing at night.
in addition to great decor, we were met w/a great menu & a great server. considering that i don't drink alcohol, i was excited that there was finally a dedicated list of non-alcoholic options. w/some help from the server, i decided on the yuzu lemon crush, which was a wonderful blend of acidic sweetness. john went w/a thai iced tea, and we decided to dive into the menu. thank goodness for sharing b/c there were so many yummy things to try. we decided on the green mango & papaya salad and the calamari to start. i didn't really understand the salad selection, but john said that was his favorite, so i thought i'd oblige. both were good, but nothing too memorable. for the main dishes, we went w/the pork vindaloo that came w/the festive rice, and the singapore omelette. i thought the omelette was good, but the pork vindaloo was FABULOUS. it tasted so incredibly good -- great flavor, just the right amount of chew, oh so succulent. it was nice to have the rice to balance it out, though i'm dying now to try the ginger fried rice w/chinese sausage. (who's interested??) for dessert, i wanted the warm ginger cake and john chose the thai basil ice cream. both were quite scrumptious, but i really want to try the vietnamese coffee ice cream now. augh! how can i be hungry at 1 in the morning? oh how easily i get myself in a tizzy!
i celebrated new year's eve w/dr. griffin, judy, and judy's friend at beacon (http://www.beacon-la.com/index.php) in culver city. i thought i'd give this place another shot after dining there w/the foodie gang a while back, but i was once again underwhelmed. after being told that changing the size of my reservation wouldn't be a big deal, we ended up being seated at a 2-person table! i mean, seriously? i know it was partly my fault, but don't lie to me. i'm not stupid, y'know? at any rate, three of us ended up ordering salads, b/c they were out of kim's fish. i mean, how are you out of stuff on new year's eve? don't you prepare ahead of time? it was all very tiring after a while. thankfully, the night ended w/desserts. the chocolate dessert was totally melt in your mouth. unfortunately, the green tea cake was noticeably dry. bleh. no more. no more! it's time for a fresh start.
new year's resolutions
so here we are in 2009 and i've put together a set of resolutions that i've vowed to try and stick to. i'm hoping that putting them in print will make them come true. (let's keep our fingers crossed!)
FYI that nicole recently asked me how i even had time to get my resolutions on paper. and i must say that this helps answer the question: what do you DO when you're eating out by yourself? i mean, not every restaurant has interesting diners or views to stare at. and chatting on my mobile phone (the whole time, if at all) is just plain rude! so in the spirit of the holidays and the new year, i decided to jot down a few resoluations for the year. check it out and let me know if you'd like to join in the fun....
1. do a half-marathon (i already made it through several 10K's, so it's time to raise the bar.)
2. visit south america (it's time to hit another continent!)
3. cook twice a week (i need to use my kitchen aid mixer. i mean, seriously, it's been 3 years.)
4. eat salad 4 times a week (i've paid for a CSA box to be picked up on 1/7 -- YAY!)
5. work out 3 times a week (20-30 minutes of cardio a day & regular strength training)
6. read 1 (non-academic) book a month (i'm halfway through a million books -- they must be finished! no wonder i stick to short stories -- *sigh*)
7. check out 1 FDE a month (i need my regular fix!)
8. bus to more places (enough of my mass transit complaints -- must stop WHINING.)
9. blog once a week (this is for all my awesome readers out there!)
10. eat in moderation (more tasting & less gorging makes for a happier me.)
i fully expect to make these resolutions happen. so kudos to everyone who helps me succeed! : )
YAY for an AMAZING year to come!! : )
FYI that nicole recently asked me how i even had time to get my resolutions on paper. and i must say that this helps answer the question: what do you DO when you're eating out by yourself? i mean, not every restaurant has interesting diners or views to stare at. and chatting on my mobile phone (the whole time, if at all) is just plain rude! so in the spirit of the holidays and the new year, i decided to jot down a few resoluations for the year. check it out and let me know if you'd like to join in the fun....
1. do a half-marathon (i already made it through several 10K's, so it's time to raise the bar.)
2. visit south america (it's time to hit another continent!)
3. cook twice a week (i need to use my kitchen aid mixer. i mean, seriously, it's been 3 years.)
4. eat salad 4 times a week (i've paid for a CSA box to be picked up on 1/7 -- YAY!)
5. work out 3 times a week (20-30 minutes of cardio a day & regular strength training)
6. read 1 (non-academic) book a month (i'm halfway through a million books -- they must be finished! no wonder i stick to short stories -- *sigh*)
7. check out 1 FDE a month (i need my regular fix!)
8. bus to more places (enough of my mass transit complaints -- must stop WHINING.)
9. blog once a week (this is for all my awesome readers out there!)
10. eat in moderation (more tasting & less gorging makes for a happier me.)
i fully expect to make these resolutions happen. so kudos to everyone who helps me succeed! : )
YAY for an AMAZING year to come!! : )
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