wasabica's Profile
ex Jersey girl looking for a restaurant (not sub shop) that has NJ food or NJ chef
thanks!
ex Jersey girl looking for a restaurant (not sub shop) that has NJ food or NJ chef
Oh - sal's brother's place - good idea! ty
Kanpai Sushi on Lincoln in Westchester.
If you have a frank discussion with them and convince them you know your stuff you can get a fantastic, authentic omakase with many exotic and unusual fish options. Let them go nuts on a sashimi platter and it sometimes comes presented on an ice platter. This place is a secret gem that manages to look like a standard izakaya that appeals to families early in the evening and the loyola college drinking parties at night...and also true sushi aficionados who know how to order. Note to do it right is not cheap - it can easily run $100-$150 per person, but it is worth it.
ex Jersey girl looking for a restaurant (not sub shop) that has NJ food or NJ chef
We want to enjoy a NJ-themed dinner before the Springsteen concert. Anyone know of a good restaurant with a NJ expat chef? Or maybe an authentic NJ style southern Italian restaurant? I guess there is Matteos, but *yawn*. No to Dinah's. No subshops, we want a real restaurant - fine dining. Ideas? Location needs to be on the West Side or not that far from the sports arena.
Best Philly (style) Cheese Steak in LA?
I lived in the area in the late 80's and agree completely with your recollection. The pizza steak was ok to order but the mushrooms caused glares. My friends refused to ever order for me. Peppers on the steak? no way.
Best Philly (style) Cheese Steak in LA?
Arthur, the photo on the home page was for marketing. The peppers are very pretty. But if you look close, the provolone cheese is not even properly melted on the bread (although provolone is perfectly acceptable) and the onions are not well-distributed. If you click on the page "how to order like a local" http://www.patskingofsteaks.com/ordering.html no will note there is no mention of peppers or mushrooms nor do you see them pictured. When I used to go there I had to whisper that I wanted mushrooms; locals in line scoff when you order mushrooms or peppers.
Best Philly (style) Cheese Steak in LA?
Blasphemy!! LOL. You can have a hot cherry pepper on the side, but no peppers on the sandwich. If you are a purist, that is. I actually like what they call Pizza Steaks, which means that add some tomato sauce. Shhhhhhh
Best Philly (style) Cheese Steak in LA?
I have just been to the one in Long Beach. I haven't been there in about a year, but in the few times I went it was consistent. Again, not great - but acceptable.
Best Philly (style) Cheese Steak in LA?
Lived in Philly for decades making many a trip to South Philly. I still go back when I can. Except for this one hole-in-the-wall in Medford NJ, I found Geno's to be the best. (Sad the owner died.) Whiz is gross. Most locals (and everyone I hung out with all got Provolone. Whiz is for tourists & kids. And I got mushrooms. So with that context, I haven't found any place in LA better than Philly's Best. It is a chain, there are a few.. There used to be a better place in Pasadena but it closed about 5 years ago. That is not to say PB is that great, it is not. But it is the best I found. And it is WAYYYYYY better than that awful SPE truck that I went to great lengths to hunt down...and even gave them a second chance. Lacks depth of flavor. And they do not assemble it well - the cheese needs to be melted on to the bread using meat grease. Then the meat, then the onions even distributed over all. As other posters mentioned, the steak and onions need to be cooked in the rendered fat of the steaks that came before it. They probably clean the grill way too well and lose the flavors. http://www.eatphillysbest.com/locations/
Are you a Supertaster?
I realize this post is 2 years old but if this is still an issue you want to try things that stimulate the salivary glands, namely acid (lemon/citrus juice, acidic white whine) or something with a lot of umami (soy sauce, asian mushroom flavors, even msg)
Any quality restaurants in MDR?
Vu. Gayot just named it one of top 10 molecular gastronomy restaurants in the country. Plus, it is right on Mother's beach, amazing view thus the name.
Unknown and Amazing Molecular Gastonomy Experience in Orange County: AnQi
It is a different chef and a completely different menu. Think of it like a restaurant within a restaurant. I have been to Crustacean and also did not care for it.
Unknown and Amazing Molecular Gastonomy Experience in Orange County: AnQi
A little while back Gayot came out with a list called the "Top 10 Molecular Gastronomy Restaurants." This immediately caught my attention. Alinea in Chicago was the impetus for me to create this blog. I adore the creativity, science, and ingenuity that goes into using molecular gastronomy techniques to produce dishes that amaze you visually, texturally, and of course with flavor. As I scanned the list, I saw all the classics. I eyed the cities in hope of seeing something new, something that would not be too far for travel. And then I see "Orange County." For a second, I thought it was a reference to Florida. But no, it was Orange County California. At a place called AnQi, from the same An family who created Crustacean in Beverly Hills, home of the best garlic noodles in LA.
I tried to research it, but found little information. If there are blogs out there with pictures, please email me as I could not find any. In contacting the restaurant, I learned why. The molecular gastronomy experience is not something one can get by just coming into the restaurant and ordering it. They handle the dinner as a private party. It is presented in a private room with dedicated staff. I had to set it up weeks in advance and sign a contract. It requires a minimum of eight people, and runs $160 pp (+tax and tip) for 16 courses.
The young chef is Ryan Carson. He is completely self-taught and quite talented. What he presented that night was brilliant. The flavors, textures, temperatures, colors were extraordinarily well-thought out and well-balanced. Every dish was remarkable.
The only other experience in LA that even comes close to this style of dining is, of course, Bazaar. But while I have been to Bazaar 4 times and have always enjoyed it, it is just not on the same level as what they are doing at AnQi. Certainly from a high-tech standpoint Bazaar is impressive. I love the foie gras lollypops, the air-filled philly cheesteak, and their famous liquid olive. But it all feels somehow gimmicky. It is a place you take people so you can say "Isn't this cool?" AnQi is certainly cool. But it is also something else; it is delicious.
Molecular Tasting Menu - Pix are available on my blog, link at bottom
Champagne & Caviar
nicolas fueillete gelee, american sturgeon caviar
A great way to start the night.
Re-Constructed Beet
sweet & sour salt
Think potato sticks but beet. But more intense beet-ness then the veggie chips you might be picturing.
Kumomoto Oyster
yuzu lemonade air, jalapeno-white soy mignonette, pop rocks
Probably the course of the night. The pop rocks and oyster mouth sensation was so memorable. It was as if the poprocks actually made the oyster more oyster-ry.
Hiramassa Crudo
sweet & sour tangerine sheet, beet sorbet, avocado silk
The white stuff was like bacon dippin dots - liquid nitrogen treatment. Another great study in using not just flavor and texture but also temperature in creating a unique mouth feel and taste.
Ahi Tuna Nicoise
kalamata „olives‟, 64*C quail eggs, butter lettuce granita
That is a duckfat fried potato on top. This dish, like the others, is complex, but complex like a mature Bordeaux or Burgundy. Come to think of it, that 86 Volnay paired quite well with this.
Kurabota Pork Belly
kimchee consommé, freeze dried banana, peanut butter powder
No, not sweet. The banana and peanut butter embraced the pork in almost a Caribbean style, and the kimchee had just enough heat and acid to cut the fattiness.
“Looks Like Tartare”
compressed watermelon, mango egg, dehydrated caper
Wicked cool presentation. Vanilla syrup accented the flavors. Anise was in the "egg." The saltiness and crunch of the caper was a perfect foil to the dish.
Foie Gras Torchon
cherry-yuzu gel, bacon dust, iced celery, 'instant' ginger-pineapple brioche
Another great study of texture; silky foie gras with snow-like smoky bacon dust with the "instant" brioche flakes that were kind of reminiscent of panko meets sponge cake. Yes, he reused the bacon. But I really liked it so I am not complaining.
Jidori Chicken Confit
himalayan black truffle, butternut squash, chanterelles, hazelnut brittle
This is the kind of dish that would do well on Iron Chef - very seasonal, local ingredients combined in an extraordinary style
Misoyaki Black Cod
garden vegetables a la greque‟, suspended foie gras miso broth
While I appreciated all the elements of this dish, this one was my least favorite of the night. It was too close in flavor to the typical cod in miso I have had at various Izakayas.
Pineapple Sorbet
coconut-lime emulsion
You put your lime in your coconut This was not typical sorbet. The mouth feel was closer to hand-whipped cream. Fluffy and creamy but yet still "dense" with flavor more like a gelato.
Filet Mignon
burnt carrot, shitake mushroom demi-glaze, wasabi tater tots
Amazing caramelization on the carrot. The fillet was sous vide. And MUCH better than all of Michael Voltaggio's sous vide meats I have had at the Langham, Sashi, and Breadbar.
wasabi tater tots (served with Fillet, above)
Everybody loves tater tots.
Heirloom Melon Gazpacho
compressed heirloom melons, orange soup, yuzu salted mango sherbert
The compression added a certain dimension to the melon that intensified the flavors. Like what you might get with compressed homemade tofu. Yes, he reused watermelon. But it was a completely different presentation so again, I forgive the repetition.
Elderflower Parfait
tangerine tapioca pearls, rose meringue, jasmine sorbet, thyme fluid gel
Fun and whimsical. Like being inside a children's book.
De-Constructed Carrot Cake
saffron crème anglaise, carrot jellies, cream cheese ice cream
Every molecular chef I have encountered seems to loves dessert best because with all the sugars, fruit enzymes, etc. the opportunities for scientific creativity appear to be boundless. This dish certainly exemplifies that. Ryan did not actually make this dish or the next, he had a special pastry chef make them. I will add his name to this post once I get it.
Chocolate Twist
hazelnut praline, star anise-orange emulsion, popcorn ice cream
This is the only dish that I can say reminded me of something I had at Alinea. I was happy to experience it again.
In closing, to be able to have this kind of foodie experience in Los Angeles was mind-blowing. I strongly recommend you get a group together and try it, as who knows how long it will last.
http://www.anqibistro.com/
South Coast Plaza
Bloomingdales
3333 Bristol
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 557-5679
For pix, please visit my blog: http://foodandwineblog.thefoodietraveler.com/2010/11/27/unknown-and-amazing-molecular-gastonomy-experience-in-orange-county-anqi.aspx
Rosh Hashanah Dinner in LA
Confirming this is still accurate and that I thoroughly recommend this dinner. Excellent quality and value. Note they are only doing it Wed, not thurs
Best Happy Hour for Big Foodie Group in Downtown Culver?
We are going to Ford's today, and Waterloo in a couple of weeks. Thanks!
Best Happy Hour for Big Foodie Group in Downtown Culver?
Who has the best food, do you think?
Best Happy Hour for Big Foodie Group in Downtown Culver?
does waterloo have a happyhour? Last I checked, you can only order off the regular menu - $25 entrees, etc
Best Happy Hour for Big Foodie Group in Downtown Culver?
I have about 6-8 people from my office looking for a good happy hour tomorrow (tuesday.) It has to be in downtown Culver. My fallback has always been Fraiche, but I think we want to try something new, considering all the recent openings in the area.
This is a foodie group that is also into wine. Also, the place should have seating and not be so crowded and loud that we can't talk to each other. It does not have to be cheap, but it would be nice to have happy hour discounts to take advantage of. I heard Ford's Filling Station, maybe Father's Office might be good? Does Waterloo do happy hour specials?
Any recommendations? Thanks
Passover Dinner in Los Angeles?
Yes - Chez Melange is doing a Sephardic passover menu, which I have never seen before. FYI, you didn't say if you require it, but the restaurant is not Kosher.
Here is a link to the menu: http://chezmelange.com/events
I REALLY recommend the chopped liver, it is better than my mom's. (don't tell...) I think they must put chicken fat or something in it, it is soooo goood. Pair it with a Pinot.
unique only in LA regional specialty
Authentic specialized Japanese like what you would get in Tokyo and other geographic regions of Japan. (Beyond Sushi) Go to Torrance and you will find japanese restaurants just focused on doing one thing well, whether it be soba, ramen, tempura, kaiseki, oden, yakiniku, yakitori, etc. Search the boards to read more. Besides LA, You would have to go to Japan to get this kind of quality and specialty.
Kosher/Veggie friendly in Venice/Marina del Rey?
I am not a vegetarian but I like to go here primarily for the veggie dishes. The rest is great as well, but their veggies are amazing
Chinese New Year Banquet Suggestions?
What looks good in Chinese New Year Banquets in SGV this year? I am looking for something fairly high end, authentic, but my group will be under 10 people. Definitely would like a place that includes fresh fish/seafood from the tanks. Any recommendations? This will be dinner, not lunch.
I am still blown away by our Holiday Party at Chez Melange last night. WOW they are good
Sorry, that is confidential. (company policy) Suffice to say, it was far less than comparable restaurants on the west side.
Looking for good store-bought kimchi
Marukai in gardena has a small refrigerated section next to the sushi fish with a number locally sourced kimchi options that tastes homemade. I like the napa the best.
I am still blown away by our Holiday Party at Chez Melange last night. WOW they are good
I generally prefer to have our annual holiday party on the West Side, as our office is in Culver City. But I am a big fan of Chez Melange in Redondo and have had fabulous tasting menus there in the past, so I thought it would be great to have our holiday party in their private "Side Room." We are all a bunch of foodies, so our parties always have great food and wine. This is not a beer and pizza crowd.
First impressions are the room itself. Soft lighting, soft woods, a tastefully decorated tree in the corner. It elicited an elegant and yet festive feel. There was plenty of room for the 12 of us to have standing appetizers/cocktail hour on one side of the room, and then move to the long table for the sit down dinner. The room itself is closed in by glass doors, (so it doesn't feel claustrophobic or like a hotel conference room in the least) so you can see the rest of the restaurant but we are protected from sound pollution. Or perhaps it is the restaurant that is protected from us. Either way, the feel is intimate but yet the room is spacious.
The food was all amazing, but I will get to that in a second. Of almost greater importance was their willingness, heck their embracing, of all the accommodations I required for my group Of my 12, one is Orthodox Kosher, and two are "fin-fish-eterians." (only fin fish and veggies, no other meats.) And yet I still wanted a tasting menu for everyone - and they did it. Also, a few of us are serious wine connoisseurs, and they were able to source some fabulous wine not on their list JUST for us. I also wanted appetizers from Bouzy, their gastropub, but wanted the dinner to be Chez Melange. So that meant multiple chefs had to work on our party.
They did all of this without complaint. Actually, they took it one step further, and went to a lot of trouble to make sure the "exception" diners had whatever supplement they requested throughout the evening.
And at one point, some of us got to talking about their new homemade hot chocolate on the menu. I asked if we could all have a tiny portion before dessert and they brought us all little expresso cups with the hot chocolate and a marshmallow in each one. OMG one of the highlights of the night, and completely unplanned. But I am jumping ahead...
For our cocktail hour, we had mini chez burger sliders, truffle fries served in little cups, mac and cheese with bacon in little cups, crab salad mini-sandwiches, and Giant cajun shrimp on skewers. All accompanied by a beautiful sparkler and a variety of styles of beer on tap.
So after everyone was completely stuffed, we sat down to a 6 course tasting menu. Some of the "tasting" courses were larger than what I have gotten as mains. I am not listing the actual wines here as they were special ordered for us, but if anyone really wants to know I can name them.
First item was a perfectly cooked foie gras paired with a Muscat with just the right amount of sweetness.
This was followed up by gnocchi with sage (Riesling Pinot Blanc Gewurtz Blend, very special) then Butterfish with a beautifully caramelized skin (exceptional Rhone Viognier), then the most incredible NZ lamb chops (3!) prepared in a Moroccan style over couscous, (Gorgeous lively Burgundy) and finally Steak Diane with spinach grown by local special ed students as part of a "seed to plate" program. (Vintage Bordeaux) It is worth noting that lamb chops were perfectly medium rare - how they did this for a whole group was amazing. During all this, our fish-a-tarians were offered beautiful vegetarian/cheese substitutes for the meat items, and they made many an ooh and ahh over them.
Then there was the show-stopper hot chocolate, and then...yes more...huge dessert platters with homemade desserts: pumpkin cheesecake, panna cotta, flourless chocolate, and others I can't even remember. Dessert was accompanied by a choice of a port or a 12 year old scotch.
The food rocked our world. The pairings were so incredibly thought out. Daniel, the wine manager, simply nailed it. But above all of this was the service. It was like being in a 2 star Michelin in France minus all the stuffiness. They were attentive to our every need. My water glass was never less than half-full (literally, I am not making a philosophical statement). Paul was our maître d’, butler, and beyond. He was always there and came over if I did so much as briefly look in his direction. But never intrusive. Daniel introduced every course and wine pairing, but had an excellent instinct on waiting for just the right pause in our conversation to jump in. And Michael, one of the owners, kept popping just to make sure everything was perfect.
As far as cost, we got incredible value for the buck. Prior parties that I have run on the west side have run far more and we got far less in food and wine quality. And quantity. And service and atmosphere.
The entire experience was just perfect. At work today we already started discussing what we want to eat and drink next year for our holiday party. (Less Food was mentioned a few times. ;) But the most important requirement above all is that we do it at Chez Melange. I am going to email them now to hold the date for next year.
Burger - high end in South Bay area?
I don't think BFD's burgers fit the definition of "high end" based on quality of the meat. They say they use black angus but maybe it is frozen/defrosted or maybe it is their blend, but to me they taste like the burgers you get at chains like Friday's or whatnot. They are not bad, but just nothing special. I guess if you dress it up with Foie Gras then that makes it high end? The best comparison I can think of would be saying that the lobster at Red Lobster is high end just because it is lobster. It might be lobster but the quality is so poor the taste and texture is not what you would expect.
Burger - high end in South Bay area?
I concur. I am not even into burgers that much but I really like theirs. I think for me it is a texture thing. I like burgers medium rare, and they really nail the carmelized sear on the outside with the juicy (and not mushy!) center. The flavor is meaty but not gamey. They have a "Pancho" burger with large chilis as well that all my friends like. For me, I like the plain one. My gf once got their foie gras burger - she went nuts for it, but I haven't tried it.
Best Omakase (L.A.)
I am usually not one for "fusion" style sushi (Despite trying almost every sushi place Miami Beach has to offer ;) , but this does sound compelling. It is going on the "Must try" list for sure. Thanks J.L.!
Best Omakase (L.A.)
Private room at Matsuhisa? Please...tell us more...? What is different from their regular Omakase? I only went once, spent a bzillion dollars, and really did not love jalapenos on my Hamachi (this is back when this was a cutting edge thing to do) Is it Urasawa priced? Can anyone get in?
