burumun's Recent Activity
Chowhound Post
Office Holiday Party
What is considered "not outrageously expensive"? :) Under $100 or under $50?
I've held / been to holiday parties for abt 20 ppl at Lucques, Fraiche (we sat outside, pretty nice - might be good for ur group), Napa Valley Grille (cheapest out of previous), La Terza (now Minestraio Trattoria - $50pp).
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Romantic, mid-priced anniversary spot?
Church & State was very loud the two times I was there though, and tables are packed together in typical french bistro style, so I wouldn't really call it romantic ...
The ones that come to my mind would be FIG, RH, Lucques, and such.
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Spago dineLA Review. One of DineLA's Best Deals.
Just last week LAist released tips on how to get the most out of dineLA and one of their points is to not go for restaurant week menu offering dishes not originally on their regular menu.
At Spago, none of the dishes (minus desserts) offered are on the regular menu.
Does this mean Spago dineLA is not a deal?
Let me see here. Burrata fig salad with jamon serrano and either poussin or kurobuta pork chop+dessert seems worthy of a $45 Spago meal to me.
If you actually look at their regular menu, you'd notice that their cheapest entree offered is $38. A $45 3-course Spago meal? That would be impossible without restaurant week!
Fig salad with burrata and jamon serrano.
Great figs, great burrata, great jamon. I am not sure about the combination of it all though. I certainly loved the burrata with the jamon and the greens, but not with the figs. I ended up eating the figs separately.
Kurobuta Pork Chop.
Smaller portion? I think not. This pork chop was so big I managed to take leftovers home. It was a very good pork chop, quite tender and moist, well seasoned. Great flavor and very complementary sauce and garnish.
The desserts offered actually do come from the regular menu. I got the Apple Cider Upside Down Cake.
The cake had a great flavor but it was a bit too dry for my taste. I should've remembered these types of cakes are generally too dry for my palate. A lot of people seemed to like this though.
PepsiMonster got the Dobos, 12 layer chocolate and praline cake with nutella gelato.
I like his dessert much better, the chocolate buttercream layer was very smooth but you get just a teeny crunchiness. Great taste and texture.
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Foodie Landmarks in Ubud, Bali (Indonesia) - Reviews
I saw *some* locals although not that many at Ibu Oka. They have also tuned down their spiciness level, probably due to the amount of tourists. I heard there's a popular place called Chandra now that my friends seem to like. But yeah, I was taking my friends from the US who have all watched the Bourdain episode, so Ibu Oka was a must try. Still tasty though I must say :) Of course the last time before that that I went to Bali was 6 yrs ago so I expected the prices to go up.
Bebek Bengil is yes, terribly expensive for Indonesia. the portion was pretty small too. But I did love the ambiance. Luckily I am now making US income :p
Chowhound Post
Banana Leaf
Banana Leaf is just ... ok... this is my review of their laksa: http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/2008/...
Not that it's "inauthentic" per se, but just .. not great. Since you grew up in Singapore, I would guess you won't be wow-ed. It's like eating at a so-so hawker place in S'pore.
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Foodie Landmarks in Ubud, Bali (Indonesia) - Reviews
Not to be outdone by Anthony Bourdain, our first meal in Bali was perhaps Bali's most famous dish - at its most famous restaurant, suckling pig aka Babi Guling Ibu Oka.
Tourists and locals alike flock to this place. Most of the seats are lesehan, which means you sit on the floor (on a pillow), barefooted. Even then we had to wait 20 minutes or so to get seated.
The "babi guling special" comes with rice, suckling pig's meat, crispy skin, deep fried skin, blood sausage, and urap made with green beans.
This Rp.25,000 (~$2.50) plate is satisfaction incarnate. What makes Balinese suckling pig so special is that it had been stuffed with herbs and spices and cassava prior to roasting over an open flame, making it so full of flavor. The meat is still rightfully tender, and the meat is only the start of it. There's the oily crispy skin, and the delightfully crunchy fried skin, not to forget the chunky and flavorful blood sausage and the spicy vegetables.
Photos: http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/2009/...
One last meal in Bali took us back to Ubud. This time we visit the famous Bebek Bengil restaurant, a.k.a Dirty Duck Diner.
Bebek Bengil offers the option to dine on the balai-balai, the wooden sitting platforms available around the restaurant. You can, and probably should, reserve these platforms beforehand. We didn't, but after waiting a few minutes managed to score the best seats in the house, a small balai right next to the rice paddies.
We all got the famous crispy duck, Bebek Bengil, which was rather heftily priced by Indonesian standards at Rp.67,000 (about $6.70) a plate. Then again it is Bali and one always pays for great ambiance.
The duck was fried to a crisp in palm oil, after being seasoned with bay leaves, lime, ginger, galangal, coriander, and other herbs and spices.
Under that deliciously crispy skin was lean, but tender and full of flavor duck meat.
This was served with some urap made with green beans and bean sprouts cooked in coconut milk, galangal, and chili.
The urap had a nice flavor that accompanied the duck perfectly. We were also served some amazing house-made chili sauce made with chili, shrimp paste, onions, and other good stuff. Even I could not avoid dipping everything in that sauce.
Photos: http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/2009/...
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Saturday Indonesian Food Fair in Duarte Shut Down
ckoui: I was there in March shortly after they reopened (http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/2009/... )
So they have definitely reopened and I haven't heard of them closing down again, so it should still be there.
But I don't think they were ever at Wilson High School. PKL is at the Duarte Inn (1200 Huntington Dr, Duarte, CA 91010) and open from 10-2.
Chowhound Post
Truffle Dinner at Minestraio Trattoria - Oct 19!
Last year I enjoyed an all-truffle prix-fixe meal at Gino Angelini's former La Terza, to the dismay to some who said the would definitely have gone if only I had let them know in advance! (Here's my post on last year's dinner, to those interested: http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/2008/...
So here goes my advance notice. La Terza is now replaced by Minestraio Trattoria but Chef Gino is still throwing a truffle extravaganza.
Here's their full menu for the night:
First Course
Pure of Leeks with Scallop and Summer Truffles
Second Course
Ossobuco Agnolotti with White Truffles
Third Course
Beef Tenderloin Tagliata with Parmigiano Sauce and Summer Truffles
Fourth Course
Black and White Chocolate Mousse
Menu $90
Exclusive of tax, gratuity and beverage
Reservations required 323/782-8384
Chowhound Post
Give me a second (or third) thing to order from a place that is basically known for just one thing…I’m still gonna order the specialty of the restaurant but sometimes I need a second thing on the table (or in the take out bag)…
Beverly soon Tofu: Get some galbi or bulgogi (or get the combo)
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Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival
I've been to Redondo Beach and Port of LA but Port of LA is a better value.
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HELP! I Need Suggestions for an Unconventional Bachelor Party Dinner!!!
"that weird lodge restaurant with moose heads on the walls"
Could you possibly mean Saddle Peak Lodge? It's not weird though but a very good restaurant, lots of game meats, rustic atmosphere. Not really in the "strange" vein but is close to Malibu.
If you want moroccan with the vibe and belly dancers, Koutoubia in Westwood is closer to your final destination than Moun of Tunis - easier parking too.
Chowhound Post
Checking out BoHo [review w pics]
Many many foodbloggers told us to get the Oyster Po' Boy sliders so we listened.
Fried Oyster Po'Boy Sliders (gougeres, tartar sauce, applewood bacon, arugula - $9)
Best dish of the night, for sure!! There were four sliders per order, 4 hot and crunchy fried oyster in puffy gougeres. The juicy fried oysters were so addicting! We wanted to get another order but we have so much food coming still ...
Ratatouille (baby summer squashes, eggplant, roasted peppers, tomato - $8)
The ratatouille was not at all like what I thought ratatouille should be like, to say the least.
Rather bland and uh .. "healthy tasting", none of us actually digged this.
Hot oven-roasted beets (goat cheese, lemon-onion confit - $8)
The beets were your standard beet/goat cheese dish
Baked Fennel pizza (applewood bacon, caramelized onion, gruyere - $14)
The fennel pizza was actually pretty good although Choisauce said the one at Church & State was inarguably better.
Beef Short rib Shepherd's Pie (baby carrots, mushroom, red wine, Yukon potato mash, Vermont white cheddar - $16)
Another dish that didn't look anything like what it's supposed to be -- a pie, in this case. Not a bad dish - solid and comforting on a cold night.
Pile o' Ribs (applewood smoked baby back ribs, Belgian fries, bbq sauce - $19)
The ribs themselves were not bad at all, pretty tender. What we were confused about is the sauce in the metal container. It wasn't ketchup for the fries. It wasn't quite your typical BBQ sauce either ...
Besides the awesome oyster sliders, the rest of the dishes were pretty good but not particularly notable. But then the desserts came .... Oh, those desserts!
Summer Peach crisp (almond streusel, vanilla bean ice cream - $8)
I love peach crisps, and this was a really good one, with a great scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to boot.
Brown Butter Blueberry Tart - $8
We all had a hard time choosing which dessert was our favorite ... I believe this one ended up being Choisauce's favorite though.
Chocolate cake bread pudding, vanilla bean ice cream - $8
The heaviest of the dessert, so rich and decadent. That's not necessarily a bad thing, I love this dessert! Among the three, I was having a real hard time deciding too ... maybe the crisp after all?
It's too bad BoHo is no longer offering 50% Tuesdays, but even without that I would go any night for the oyster po boy sliders and the desserts. The rest (so far) I can do without, tho I heard the burger was good.
Photos: http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/2009/...
Chowhound Post
Melisse 10-yr Anniversary - The Ten Classic Dishes
I also feel that inventiveness or mole-gastro to be a requisite for a place to be great or Michelin-worthy. Well-executed classic french fares or steaks can be up there for me. I find it interesting that people expect creative inventiveness with these types of restaurants these days while demanding more and more tradition at sushi places.
That said, even though the a la carte menu at Melisse may stay constant (if they're tried and true dishes, why take it off?) let's not forget that Melisse does have a seasonal menu that changes.
Before this 10-yr anniversary dinner (and yes, it's a 10-yr retrospective so of course you've seen them before), I had the $65 4 course spring menu just a few weeks before that was completely different.
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Melisse 10-yr Anniversary - The Ten Classic Dishes
Melisse's 10-year anniversary special features ten classic dishes - favorites of the last ten years. I was very curious what these ten classics are, and how good they are. The ten course meal goes for $150 per person. But that's not all. Corkage is a mere $10/bottle up to two bottles per table, AND each person takes home a $50 gift card.
Egg caviar
lemon creme fraiche, American caviar
Naturally a 10-course meal consisting of what's considered to be Melisse "classics" would include the egg caviar. Here American sturgeon caviar is used. Get all the layers in one bite - half-boiled egg, creme fraiche, and caviar. It's a delectable combination.
Tuna tartare
Pickled cucumber, avocado mousseline, Yuzu vinaigrette
A very refined dish. The avocado mousseline was amazingly smooth. Tuna tartar with avocado just did not excite me at first but this one was above and beyond others. It brought me back from all the excitement of "adventurous" dishes to perfection of a classic dish.
Mandarin Tomato Soup
Tomato tartare and sorbet
The juxtaposition of the warm tomato soup with the cold sorbet was quite interesting (though I think it sent my mouth into mild heat/cold shocks :P ). What was intriguing to us was how the sorbet does not melt during the time we were eating.
Seared Rougie Foie Gras
Black Mission Figs, Pain d'epice, Banyuls Reduction
Perhaps because it was preluded by such refined and wonderful dishes, in a rare but I guess not impossible occasion, I found the seared foie gras the weakest dish of the night. While the pain d'epice was great, I found the foie gras itself a bit 'stringy' and not particularly flavorful.
Lobster Bolognese
Fresh Cappelini, Truffle Froth
Even though Melisse is known as a French restaurant, their food is not purely French and Italian influences can be found in dishes like this one or the gnocchi that I had on a previous visit.
With that said, the lobster bolognese was my favorite dish of the night. The thin pasta strands were so delicate, and do I need to tell you my love affair with truffle?
Dover Sole "Goujonettes"
Sweet white corn, Chanterelle mushrooms, toasted almonds, Scallions
Moist fish with crispy skin and delicate sauce. Though I'm not sure about the transition from the boldly flavored bolognese to this delicate dish where the boldest flavor comes from the Chanterelles- the dish in itself was excellent.
Cote de Boeuf Roti
Potato Leek Torte, Summer Pole Beans, Wild Mushrooms, Herb Jus
Of course the heaviest dish had to come last when I was most full ... the two bites that I did have was excellent though. The beef was juicy and flavorful, pretty tender and actually a bit "gamey". I loved the creamy potato leek torte with crispy crust.
ReBlochon Tart
Honey Pepper Gastrique
Because of the word "tart" I expected a dessert dish similar to a cheesecake, but instead this was a nice creative twist on the cheese course. Apparently ReBlochon is best between May and September - perfect timing. Instead of a cheese board with condiments, here you have the rich creamy and smooth ReBlochon cheese with pastry crust, and your sweet/spicy gastrique.
Vanilla Yogurt
Strawberry Sorbet
So simple but done so well. A wonderfully tart and refreshing first dessert works very well as a palate cleanser. And yes we cleaned the plate.
Chocolate Souffle
Banana Mousse
I love chocolate souffle. And I love Melisse's chocolate souffle. Airy and fluffy souffle, the way it should be, filled with rich chocolate ganache. Heavenly.
After this meal I couldn't help but think my first mediocre visit to Melisse was an off-meal. The quality of the dishes put out tonight were excellent, service was spot on - they deserve their 2 Michelin stars even if Michelin won't bother coming back to LA next year. This ten course meal is a worthy experience - and hey we came home with $100 gift card and a most excellent leftover for lunch! Don't miss out.
All photos: http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/2009/...
Chowhound Post
One Solo Dinner in DC. Where to?
Looking at their website I think I'll try making res at Komi tomorrow *crossing fingers*!
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One Solo Dinner in DC. Where to?
oh also, I'll be going straight from DCA, so nothing too far .. Thanks again!
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One Solo Dinner in DC. Where to?
I'll be coming to DC for a weekend next month for a wedding, but I will have time for one solo dinner (not wedding-y activity).
I called Minibar this morning and got waitlisted, so ...
is there any other must-eats in DC? I considered Table 21 at VOLT also.
I'm coming from LA where we have The Bazaar, where Michael Voltaggio is, so I'm not looking for anything too similar unless it's promised to be much better like minibar is ...
Thanks!
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Reservation Impossible
For Italian, how about Ado? I absolutely loved it when I went.
http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/2009/...
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The Renovated Petrossian: More than Just Caviar
It has been open for years but was recently expanded and renovated. They also hired the sous chef of L'atelier de joel robuchon in Vegas.
foodgps has uploaded a menu online : http://www.foodgps.com/wp-content/upl...
and as revets2 noted, it's pretty casual and single diner would feel comfortable. They also have a communal table that you might go for.
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Pasadena Recs
Daisy Mint
Green St Restaurant
Europane
Pie n Burger
Arroyo Chop House
Yujean Kang's
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New restaurants in West LA?
Also Westside Tavern in the Westfield Mall.
Chowhound Post
Best place for loose leaf tea?
If Chado is close to you, then how about Bird Pick?
They seem to have a great selection when I went and my friend loves it even though he also said it's a bit pricey.
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The Renovated Petrossian: More than Just Caviar
My server was very pleasant and attentive, got my friend's restriction correct (no onion), etc.
We didn't ask many questions except regarding the soups, which he answered knowledgeably but I don't know how far his knowledge extends and if it would meet your needs.
Maybe they were all new to the scene a month ago? Again, not sure, as I didn't ask many questions and already knew what I wanted.
Chowhound Post
Best Duck Confit in LA?
Agreed, the one at Church & State was pretty succulent.
http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/2009/...
Chowhound Post
The Renovated Petrossian: More than Just Caviar
Petrossian is famous for its caviar, but its West Hollywood outpost has had a cafe attached to it for many years. This has recently been renovated to a spacious modern space.
Besides the a la carte menu, they also offer a 3-course champagne brunch for $35. I opted for this and got a glass of Louis Roederer Brut Rose.
The first course was a choice of soup selection and I opted for the White Asparagus Veloute.
The veloute was smooth and creamy while maintaining the foaminess of veloute. It was outstanding, with a nice little onion kick. Highly recommended.
For the main course, I went with the Paris Croque Madame (Ham, gruyere on brioche with Bechamel sauce, sunny side up eggs)
Croque madame is the perfect breakfast for me. Eggs, cheese, ham, toast ... Not to mention Brioche toast here. Perfect. Runny sunny side up, nicely toasted brioche, lots of gruyere. Even a bit of salad to cut all that richness so you can go for another bite, since the first bite was immensely satisfying.
Classic Panna Cotta, white peach espuma, with an extra addition of caviar ($6 extra)
Beautiful layering here: panna cotta, white peaches, topped with the espuma.
The second time I had panna cotta with caviar in a week. That bit of saltiness does give it a nice touch, but it isn't the point here.
The panna cotta was very dense and rich, more so than the usual. The white peaches were sweet and crisp, and everything was complimented by the light peach foam on top. An excellent and very memorable dessert, I would recommend this to anyone and would definitely get it on future visits.
My first visit to Petrossian was such a pleasant surprise. The newly renovated space had a clean and spacious look, and the food was excellent. I hope they'll keep up the performance.
Photos: http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/2009/...
Chowhound Post
Ado in Venice: Amazing Al Dente Homemade Pasta!
They have a small selection of wines by the glass (like 4-5 choices each for red/white/dessert), a small selection of whites by the bottle, but a big enough selection of reds divided by regions.
Chowhound Post
Ado in Venice: Amazing Al Dente Homemade Pasta!
While looking for a place to eat in Venice, I remember reading about Ado, a small new Italian eatery on Main St, the brain child of Paolo Cesaro (formerly of Via Veneto) and chef Antonio Mure (formerly of Locanda Veneta).
As I walked up to the two-story yellow building, my first thought was "How cute!!"
The menu had a small but satisfying selection of antipasti, paste, and secondi. The homemade pastas caught my eye in particular.
We started out with Insalatina Tiepida di Carciofi, Granchio e Vin Cotto (Warm Baby Artichokes Hearth with Dungeness Crab Meat, Mache salad and Grape Must Reduction - $14)
A great light and clean start. The baby artichokes are sliced and mixed in with the dungeness crab meat - a great texture and flavor combination. Lightly doused with olive oil and vinaigrette, a great dish.
Tagliolini Rossi con Ragu di Quaglia in Fonduta di Taleggio (Home-made Red Beets Tagliolini pasta in a Marsala Quail Ragu served on a bed of Taleggio cheese fondue -$15)
Even the smell of it already made me so happy. Ahhh, cheese. Al dente beet pasta, savory quail ragu, and rich cheese fondue all mixed together. If this doesn't "hit the spot" I don't know what will. For me this is a must-get and a must-get-again dish.
Pappardelle al Coniglio, Porcini e Prugne (Home-made Pappardelle served with Rabbit Ragu, Porcini Mushrooms and Dried Prunes -$17)
A much more subtle dish than the previous, but again very well done. The pappardelle was again perfectly al dente, the flavor of the ragu was subtle but pervasive, and the sweetness of the dried prunes was quite a nice touch.
Agnello domestico Ripieno al Pesto (Grilled Colorado Lamb Chop stuffed with Pesto and served with a Red Wine and Mustard Sauce - $32)
The lamb was very flavorful as it was stuffed with pesto. The meat was quite moist and tender, although the lamb did have quite a bit of fat.
There was no written dessert menu, but one of the two knowledgeable waiters will spill out what's in store for you. After much debate and tiramisu being out that night, I went with the recommended Pasteria (ricotta cheese cake) This was denser and richer than I had expected, perhaps a bit too rich with nothing to cut it.
Semifreddo torrone (ice cream cake with hazelnut)
Also not what I had in mind for "ice cream cake" :P Think of it as a thick ice cream with chocolate chips and hazelnut bits. I liked this one better though, rich and sweet but not too thick.
Oh, those lucky Venice dwellers. If Ado was in my neighborhood, I'll definitely be there quite a bit. We had a great first impression (cute building, cozy space, great service, great food), so even though it isn't in my neighborhood, I'll still keep coming back.
Crappy underexposed photos here: http://tinyurl.com/ldub9z
Chowhound Post
Places with Great Drinks
Beet/Cantaloupe Agua fresca from STREET.
Passionfruit lassi from, yes, alas, Rock Sugar.
Milkshakes at Grace during burger nights (for example, the mexican chocolate shake!)
And the cocktails from my list of best cocktail bars:
http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/2009/...
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Totoraku-open on Sundays?
yup as ldodb said. I don't speak Japanese and I called. I don't think anyone can say if they're open "on Sundays" as they live pretty far and just come in and open when they have worthy reservations.
