martiniman's Profile
Sa Rit Gol closed? Suggest an alternative!
Park's is good, but you should also try Kang Nam and Seoul Garden.
http://www.chow.com/restaurants/37091/kang-nam-restaurant/reviews
http://www.chow.com/restaurants/551372/seoul-garden-restaurant
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Kang Nam Restaurant
4103 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Typical attire at fine dining restaurants in LA?
No you won't....it's far better than what can be seen. I've seen people wear T-shirts, leather biker jackets, and jeans at places like Melisse and Valentino. The worst thing I've ever seen was a guy wearing a crappy t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops at Valentino. The second worse thing I saw was a guy wearing a hoody, baggy jeans, and sneakers at Melisse.
If it were me, I'd at least wear a jacket.
Finally tried "25 Degree's" Burgers....
I've only been to the Hollywood one and my experience was positive. Of course this was like 2am on a weekday, so it wasn't exactly crowded. I wasn't expecting much but the burger was quite good. How many 24 hour joints are out there that serve decent burgers?
Recommendations in Long Beach area?
Not a whole lot in Long Beach, but I love Frenchy's Bistro (and the owners are actually French). It's not too expensive and I love their deserts, especially the pine nut tart with lavender ice cream. If you do go, call them ahead and see if you can get some of their "classic" offerings such as the duck a l'orange as they have recently changed their menu.
In Newport Beach, I usually go to Bluefin for sushi.
the bazaar, by jose andres - the good and the disappointing, a review
I've been to the Bazaar a few times and the experience can be great or bad. It really depends when you go, how you order, and who your server is. Like Lizziee said, go early (preferably on a weekday) and order just a few dishes at a time. It also depends on who your server is. There is one guy there who is absolutely terrible. I won't mention his name here, but his name starts with an R. PM me if you want to know his name. Worst waiter I've had in my life and apparently a lot of people complain about him. Don't know if he's still there.
If you have problems, what you should do is talk to the manager of the restaurant. They are the ones that have the power to immediately do something, not Jose Andres who's far off in DC and probably doesn't read his own emails. When I had a problem with the waiter named "R", I spoke to John the manager. He totally made things right and made what started off as a bad night into a terrific one.
First Look: Tony Esnault at the Helm of Patina
Many of you probably have heard that Patina has hired Tony Esnault (former exec chef at Ducasse's Adour) to be the new executive chef at Patina. Since I had tickets for a concert at Disney Hall, I decided to check it out.
Now I've been to Patina several times when Theo Schoenegger was head chef there and have had both mediocre and stellar meals there. All the mediocre meals were at the beginning of his tenure when the place just opened. All the stellar meals I've had were near the end before he moved on to his own place in Las Vegas. The best squab and snapper I've ever experienced was there. So with Tony at the helm, I decided to try the 6 course tasting menu ($100) with wine pairings ($60). Here are my brief impressions:
Amuse Bouche: Butternut Squash soup with bacon.
A small, warm, creamy soup to whet the appetite.
First course: Marinated Hamachi with Geoduck, Cucumber Vinegar, Avocado, Crostini, Green Apple Mustard.
I didn't know what to expect with this since I'm sort of a purist when it comes to raw fish and this combination sort of sounded wacky to me. But this absolutely works. The vinegar, apples, and geoduck didn't overpower the hamachi but rather complimented it. There was no overly "fishy" or "fruity" taste, but a rather clean and fragrant combination that just works.
Second course: Fall Glazed Vegetable Mosaic with Jus de Cuisson and Navet Oil.
This was a lovely looking, colorful dish to look at. It was a medley of various vegetables that was neither too bland or too rich in flavor or texture.
Third course: Butter Poached Maine Lobster with Salsify, Butternut Squash Mango, Jus de la Presse.
This was very good, buttery lobster that had 2 kinds of sauce to go with it. One made of mango and lobster jus. They both complimented it well.
Fourth course: Medallions of Millbrook Venison with Lady Apple, Celeriac, Sweet Potato, and Sauce Poivrade.
Now, I'm not a fan of venison.....I usually find it too gamy for my taste. So I was pleasantly surprised by this dish. It had the appearance and texture of seared foie gras with very little gamy aftertaste. You could tell it was venison.....but I rather enjoyed it.
Fifth course: White Truffled Brie de Meaux.
This was the cheese course that was served with a little salad. It was a large slice of brie with a truffle sauce in the middle. It was good, but the biggest flaw was that the cheese was served a bit too chilled so you really couldn't fully enjoy the creaminess or flavor that it offered.
Sixth course: Chocolate Lover's Contrast.
This was a chocolate cake served with chocolate ice cream on the side. It was good, but it didn't stand out as much as the other dishes.
Overall, I really enjoyed my meal. Especially with the wine pairings and service of the staff. The sommelier Eric Espuny did such an excellent job of pairing each dish and explaining the characters of each wine. Service was impeccable, and you also can't beat the location if you have a concert to go to. I only expect things to get even better in the future once Tony Esnault really settles in.
Musso and Franks?
Exactly, it's a classic. The only other place I know that serves it is Dal Rae.....but the Musso & Frank version is the best I've had!
Korean BBQ for beginners
I usually go to Kang Nam on Olympic/Crenshaw for my Korean food fix. They have BBQ combos that make it easy to try a variety of meats. All you have to do is look at the menu and say combo "X". Can't get easier than that.
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Kang Nam Restaurant
4103 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Musso and Franks?
I love their pork chops and lobster thermidor......it's a great old school hangout.
Patina's new chef Ducasse alum - has anyone tried?
The new menu is up on their website, I think I will try it since I've got some concerts to attend.....
Ludobites Review with Pics
I went around 6:45pm. I ended up parking a few blocks away because none of the meters were available. It really annoys me that the city doesn't do anything reasonable about parking. I try to avoid valets if possible because I don't trust them. Quite a few times my car came back with some extra dings. Despite all of that, I'm going back.
Ludobites Review with Pics
The place is fantastic. Can't say I'm crazy about the seating arrangements, but I'm definitely going back. Hardest part is finding parking, you may need to park on the street and walk a bit.
Churhc & State - MY NEW LOVE! [Review w/ lots of PICS!]
I didn't get the gougeres on my last visit. But oh well, it was a fantastic meal. Never been there on weekends. Nice blog Lizziee.
Is Asanebo a good choice....
Been there once.....not a bad place, but I thought it was overpriced and overrated. What killed it for me was the "dry" Uni that has obviously been sitting around for too long.
Churhc & State - MY NEW LOVE! [Review w/ lots of PICS!]
Went there a few days ago. They totally improved the service. Even though it was busy, all of our needs were met in a timely and orderly fashion. What a difference a couple of months make.
Sushi-imbecile desperately seeking help
I'll add that at some places, they'll put a price on the menu for their omakase so you know how much it will cost you. Other places, such as Sushi Zo, do not.....so you may end up pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised by the bill depending on how much you think the experience was worth it.
Sushi-imbecile desperately seeking help
I never said it would be under, but "around". They have set menus you can order. Last time I was there (a year ago), they had an omakase choice for like $85. You can also order stuff a la carte. So assuming she doesn't get omakase and they get an ok 300ml sake, they could probably dine there for about $200 or less including tax, tip, etc. Really depends on portions and sake.
When you go to Suzhi Zo, you are basically at their mercy. They will feed you and charge you whatever they want. Which in my case came out to $200 per person. The sushi was extremely inconsistent there too. Read Exilekiss' review.
Sushi-imbecile desperately seeking help
DO NOT GO TO SUSHO ZO. It's only omakase and it will cost you like $200 a person. Plus when I went, it was a "miss". Why not go to Kiwami in Studio City? I think that's around $100 a person and I'm sure they have other stuff you can order. But if you really want to impress your boyfriend, go Mori. You could probably do that for about $100 a person if you don't go too crazy. Their cooked fish dishes are also very good.
Isolationist Sushi (or, Good Sushi For When You Don't Feel Like Having An Itamae) - Sushi Zo [Review] w/ Pics!
When we went, we paid $200 each with tax, tip, and sake. I felt like it wasn't worth it. The fish and rice was too inconsistent. And the yuzu juice was tiny. Go to Mori instead.
Isolationist Sushi (or, Good Sushi For When You Don't Feel Like Having An Itamae) - Sushi Zo [Review] w/ Pics!
Just went there today and was sorely disappointed. I sat at the table because I wanted to just sample a few pieces, but had no choice but to do omakase. So I did and ended up spending $200 per person with tax,tip, and sake.
I was expecting to be blown away by past reviews here, but wasn't. Sure there were some good pieces such as the aji, uni ika somen, kumamoto oyster, etc. But the quality was inconsistent. Some of the rice was not well formed, cold or warm, etc. By far the biggest disappointment was the toro. It had a mildly odd aftertaste.....something I didn't expect from an "elite" sushi place.
Anyways, I'm not going back to that overrated place. For $200 I'd rather go to Mori.
Korean food for visiting Koreans who have been starved of good Korean food the last 4 months
Kang Nam on Olympic and Crenshaw. Most of the clientale there are Korean. I know for a fact that Korean politicians and diplomats go to that place when they are in LA, that's gotta say something about the place.
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Kang Nam Restaurant
4103 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Anisette's New Menu
I think the change has more to do with Joshua Smith taking over more of the duties than Alain Giraud. The waiter told me that Josh was responsible for the new menu. The waiter also said that the potatoes Lyonnaises took more time to prepare, so I think that was a factor as well. I think it's good to add different items to the mix from time to time, but you gotta have some mainstays too. All of my friends were sort of disappointed with the new menu.
Anisette's New Menu
I went there today and to be honest, was somewhat disappointed with the food. The service was friendly and good, the ambiance was the lively same, but some of the dishes I really enjoyed are gone or altered substantially.
Dishes I loved that are gone or altered:
Steak Tartare, same except served with potato chips instead of toast.
Duck Confit no longer served with potatoes Lyonnaises, now it's more dry, crispy and served with turnips and prunes.
No more seared foie gras.
No more Provencal Beef Daube.
The changes in the menu make it almost seemed as if they changed owners. I told the waiter about this and hopefully they will bring these dishes back! Until then, the incentive to go is pretty low for me.
La Cachette Closing in July
That's too bad and I understand how crappy service can ruin the experience.
That being said, what I've heard is that the place isn't as good if Meteigner is not around. I went there last year and everything was good, especially the foie gras.
La Cachette Closing in July
I think it's pretty sad that La Cachette will be closing in 2.5 months in favor of his more casual Santa Monica bistro. One of my earlier experiences of fine French food in LA was here many, many years ago. Terrific foie gras served here.
http://la.eater.com/archives/2009/05/12/switcheroos_la_cachette_to_shutter_when_bistro_opens.php
Is Patina worth it?
Yeah, Patina is not great (though I have had 1 great meal there with 4 ok ones). Basically I go there because it's convenient if I have a concert. I'm already parked there, no shuttle hassle, take my time to eat, etc.
However, I have not been there since Theo Schoenegger left so I have no idea what the quality of the food is like. But, whatever you do don't go to Kendell's Brasserie.....expensive and mediocre.
Hatfield's expanded prix-fixe menu
Thanks for the 411. I like Hatfield's because it has a "mom & pop" feel to the place. While "corporate managed restaurants" are not always bad, there are too many of them out there. I really like it when there's one owner and one restaurant.
Looking for a non-BBQ restaurant in Koreatown
What kind of food are you looking for? Usually Korean restaurants that focus on ambiance tend to have mediocre/over-priced food. A place I go to all the time is Kang Nam on Olympic & Crenshaw. It's not "fancy", but it is clean and the food makes it worth going to. You can dine in the patio. They have a large selection of non-BBQ food.
Saam: worth going over the top
Been to Bazaar, before and spent like the same amount last time. I will have to try this sometime.
