LudoBites 8 (@ Lemon Moon on 02.01.12)

So we did not get a rezzie this time for LudoBites 8 @ Lemon Moon on the West side. They did away with OpenTable and opted for Urbanspoon instead and rezzies were determined lottery style.  Yuck...I do not like this new system.  Urbanspoon opened up a 24 hr period during which everyone could submit their reservation requests...1 per valid text-enabled phone number and if you were a lucky recipient you would receive a text which you had to respond to within 24 hrs to secure your rezzie.  Well, unfortunately, we did not get a rezzie.  Turns out the odds were only 5%.  Luckily...like always...there were cancellations and we managed to snag one.

This time they did have wine service and a pretty small but decent selection.  We opted to bring our own pinot for which there was a $18/bottle corkage fee.

Ludo had a new fleet of servers this time (some familiar faces but more new ones).  Our waitress was nice but unfortunately not very knowledgeable which was kind of disappointing.  She asked if we got our rezzie on OpenTable and I was thinking "really?  how could you not know which reservation system you're using now?"  She said everything on the menu was good but her lack of knowledge about the rezzie system really made us question her reliability.  Anyhow...onto the food!

We wanted to try everything on the menu but alas with only 2 of us, that would be way too much food not to mention the cost would be a little outta control.  We had already done 4 dineLA meals within a week and half span so we were trying to minimize the hit.

Brioche Seaweed Yuzu Butter - The brioche was as buttery and soft and lightly crumbly as a brioche should be.  The addition of the yuzu butter made this so so so decadent!  We knew the butter was bad for us but that didn't stop us from taking bite after delicious bite.  It was a thick slab of brioche with a nice helping of delicious butter on it.  The smell alone of the buttah was enough to elicit a Pavlov reaction as our salivary glands starting juicing up!  Delish!

Chicken Tandoori Crackling - Two pieces of crispy crackly chicken skin topped with chicken liver mousse.  The mousse reminded us of the wonderful pate de campagne we had while in Paris (picnic @ Versailles).  The chicken skin was not enough.  There was enough mousse left over that we smeared it onto some of the brioche and enjoyed that delicious rich liver-y mouthfeel.  This was one of our fave dishes of the meal.


Uni Creme Brulee - ZOMGosh...this was THE dish of the night!  So creamy and deliciously uni-ful.  It was a work of art in your mouth!  The ikura (salmon roe) was fresh and burst with that distinctly salty, sweet, oceany flavor of the sea with each bite.  The light sugar crust from the brulee was not overly sweet.  It gave just enough contrast to each savory creamy spoonful of the uni creme.  This was so good that we wanted to take it to-go so our foodie friends could try it but Ludo said no.  He felt that the quality of the dish would be compromised so no go.

Day Boat Scallop, Leek, Potato, Black Truffles - You know that when you have truffles on a dish it is usually that very distinct truffle-y scent that makes you swoon in anticipation.  Well this dish was a definite let down.  Being the most expensive dish of the evening and having read other bloggers' reviews right before our meal made us order this.  The scallop was good and fresh and did have that sweet scallop taste to it but the truffles fell short.  There was no delightful aroma, no swooning in anticipation.  If anything the truffle was kinda like a cereal flake just a little less hard.  I was really looking forward to this dish and was disappointed in it.  Oh well...c'est la vie!

Razor Clam, Avocado, Yuzu Cream, Apple, Lavender - We had mixed feeling about this dish.  We had had razor clams before that were very fresh.  So fresh that we had dug them up ourselves while clamming in OR and had gotten stuck in the sand (that's a story for another time!).  Anyway...the razor clam was fresh but not as sweet as the ones we had before.  Definitely loved the yuzu cream and the lavender in this dish.  You had to smear some of the cream and the lavender foam on the razor clam for each bite and it really made the clam sing in your mouth.

Raw Beef, Radish, Beets, Eel - This was American wagyu chopped into small pieces.  Raw like the name of the dish said.  This dish fell short as well.  It was missing something.  We weren't exactly sure what it was missing but it was definitely missing something.  Maybe some oil or salt or both oil and salt!  We asked our waitress where the eel was because we thought maybe that was what was missing and she couldn't even tell us which part of the dish was eel.  Turns out it was an eel sauce but we still didn't see the sauce.

Foie Gras, Tamarin, Turnips, Daikon - For those of you who know us, you know we love Akasaka.  It's a little hole in the wall place in City of Industry that has gotten insanely popular now.  Well, Akasaka does an incredible ankimo (monkfish liver).  Their ankimo is usually in a ponzu sauce and topped with green onions and sriracha.  Well this preparation reminded us of Akasaka's ankimo just no green onions or sriracha.  The dish had cubes of foie gras steeped in a tamarind broth with a few slices of turnips and daikon.  The tamarind broth was thin and flavorful.  We had to let the foie cook in the hot broth for a while because eating cold cubes of kinda raw foie was not very tasty.  This was a different prep method than we had expected.  Not bad but not great either.

Monkfish Liver, Cucumber, Cornichons, Mustard Seeds - This dish really stood out!  The hubby had not wanted to order this initially because monkfish liver is nothing new but boy was he glad we ordered it.  The flavors were bright and stood out with each bite.  The mustard seeds were sweet and really brought out the flavor in the liver.  The cornichons had just enough acidity to counter the sweetness of the mustard.  All in all just a well rounded dish.  A definite surprise.

Veal, Black Olive Tapenade Crust, Orange Caramelized Endive, Clementine Beurre Blanc - We ordered this one main dish only as all the preceding dishes had filled us up.  That plus we really thought we should at least try one main dish.  The veal was tender.  Hubby thought there was too much black olive (he's not a fan).  Endive was good...crisp and sweet and the clementine beurre blanc was instrumental in tying all the flavors together.  Not a bad dish but I don't think we'd order this again because of the excessive olives.

We did not order dessert this time around but the waitress did say that the Lemon Meringue dessert which was kind of a deconstructed lemon meringue tart was really good.  But then again she did say that about every dish so I think we'll save this for our next visit if we're lucky enough to get another rezzie.  Until the next meal...

Ludobites 007 Round 2 (08.17.11)

Our usual LudoBites crowd reassembled again and was part of our Round 2 at 007. We had gone to our first LudoBites (5.0) with them and again at 6.0 when we managed to snag a rezzie after a cancellation. We were all excited to meet up again and of course we knew the drill...each couple brought 2 bottles of vino!

We again ordered everything off the menu plus the new additions that Ludo had added since our last visit.

Onion Tart, Bottarga - This was just as good as the first time we had it. Flat bread with creme fraiche, caramelized sweet onions and bottarga (cured fish roe). The entire table loved it.

Jamaican Fried Chicken Wings - The order came with 6 wings and they were served piping hot. To add to the ambience (?), they were served along with a set of gloves. Yes, you read right...gloves. Half of our group consisted of chemists so they all joked about not having worn gloves in the lab since ... well, it had been so long that they did not remember! The wings had a nice spice to it...not overwhelming...just the right amount of heat and lots of flavor!

Bouillabaise Milkshake - This received mixed reviews. Our dining companions were all over the age of 40...actually, I think they were all over 50 but who's counting? The men most definitely did not care for it. The faces they made were priceless! As were their vocal cues when they tasted the milkshake. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. It was definitely interesting. On first sip you could detect fishiness but the more you sipped (it was served with a straw) and the more wine you paired with it (we paired with a Trecini Sauv Blanc), the more it grew on me.

Dorade Ceviche, Cucumber Water, Cornichons, Borrage Flower - This time they toned down on the lemon. Which was a good thing because I was seriously going to have to make an effort to stop the nasty pucker face I make when I have lemon. Same as last time, the fish was very fresh and the cucumber water very refreshing.

Ludo took out the Tomato Soup with Carrots and Squid and replaced it with a much better dish. Squid, Ash, Chorizo - This definitely appealed to my palate a lot better than the tomato soup. Ludo always does squid right. It had just the right snap when you bit into it and the chorizo gave it the salt and spice it needed. We found out that Ludo loves, Loves, LOVES chorizo while watching the Redondo Beach episode of LudoBites America.

Raw Beef "Flambe" Japanese Whiskey, Rainbow Carrots, Shallots - This was a good dish. I tasted more lemon in this dish than I did in the ceviche. I only managed to get a couple of small bites in. It was good but I felt it needed some bread or some sort of carb to go with it. Not my fave dish of the night but it wasn't bad. Maybe it was because I didn't taste any whiskey in the mix.

Salt Cod Panna Cotta, Whipped Fingerling Potato, Smoked Tapioca, Black Olive Bread - This time around the panna cotta was a lot more to our liking. The hubby and I both agreed, the texture was a lot creamier and was more panna cotta-like than the last time we had it. That definitely helped.

Pig's Head Compressed and Cheddar, BBQ Gelee - We ordered this but opted to not have it again so our dining companions could have a bit more of it. We weren't overly impressed with this dish the last time around so we opted to pass and save room for the other savory dishes.

Egg, Sea Urchin, Caviar, Champagne Beurre Blanc - The dish seemed to be better prepared this time around. The mixture was creamier and more refined. I definitely liked it more this time than last.

Plancha Tandoori Octopus, Yogurt, Cauliflower, Grapefruit - Again, Ludo did not fail with the octopus. This was no different. The tandoori flavor wasn't overwhelming. The yogurt and cauliflower added some texture to the dish and per my hubby, the grapefruit complemented the octopus really well and brightened up the dish.

Foie Gras "French Dim Sum," Crispy Kimchi, Sake-Black Truffle Cream - This dish was so memorable for us that we recommended each couple get their own order! So our greedy little group ordered 3 plates of this wonderful dish. It did not disappoint and everyone enjoyed it immensely! I tasted more of the kimchi this time in the ravioli and the foie's fatty taste was heightened by the crunch of the kimchi.

Duck, Cherry, Spicy Saucisse, Beets, Radish - This had been another memorable dish for us. We paired this with a Provenance Cab Sauv and it went great with it! I tasted more of the spice in the saucisse this time and more salt. Overall still a solid dish.

Poached Ribeye, Horseradish Cream, Green Beans, Dried Mole - Ludo changed it up a bit this time. Still his take on roast beef fut instead of having just roast beef like before, he did ribeye. Great flavor. I thought the horseradish cream was awesome and the dried mole was unique. No one else had tried the dried mole before and were very impressed with it.

Epoisse Cheese Risotto, Hazelnut, Egg Yolk, Herb Salad - Again, the risotto was Treally good. Not too heavy at all! Almost as if it were a "light" risotto. The herb salad was much better this time. Not too acidic like the last time.

Ludo swapped out the Peach Melba Vacherin, Lavender with a Lavender Tropezienne Tart, Lychee. - Another great dessert. It looked like either a giant whoopie pie or a mini cake made of cookies with a great filling...take your pick. I definitely tasted the lavender but the lychee was not very apparent to me.

Lastly, we ordered the Smoked Vanilla Bacon Creme Brulee, Strawberry Gazpacho. The hubby and I loved this dessert! Our dining companions didn't care for it, not did Jonathan Gold in his review, for that matter. But we sure enjoyed it. It was savory and sweet and perfect!

We have one more rezzie left for this run of LudoBites and I can't wait to see what he'll add to the menu next week.

Ludobites 007 (08.04.11)

As every foodie in LA knows, LudoBites is the hottest ticket in town. This time around rezzies sold out in under a minute on opentable.com. Seriously...under one minute! We were lucky enough to snag a rezzie. We had tried when the reservation lines opened up for 6.0 but no luck and then we lucked out when someone cancelled and we managed to get a 6 top for our fine dining crowd.

This time, we were prepared...we had 3 people at computers ready to click and book.

We snagged a rezzie for the 2nd night of service and were super excited for it.

Lavender Ginger Lemonade - This drink did not have very much lemon in it...at least, none that we could really taste. I think they had used the lemon on all the other dishes and run out by the time they got around to making the lemonade! The lavender was very apparent in this drink but not annoyingly so. Normally I gag when the lavender is overwhelming but although it was apparent, it was not so strong that I'd hurl when drinking it. I just need to remember to bring my own addition for this lemonade next time since LudoBites @ Gram & Papa's does not serve alcohol.

Onion Tart, Bottarga - This was a flat bread with creme fraiche, caramelized sweet onions and bottarga (cured fish roe). This was a real hit with the table. Our waiter had recommended that we order one only since it would give all 6 of us a chance to get a taste with a couple of strips left over so a couple of us would have seconds. Well...we liked it so much we ended up ordering 2 of these.

Dorade Ceviche, Cucumber Water, Cornichons, Borrage Flower - The fish was very fresh and the cucumber water very refreshing. The taste of lemon was very strong. My dining companions who like lemon thought so too. A very clean and fresh tasting dish. The cornichons gave it the salt it needed. It could have used less lemon in my opinion.

Tomato Soup, Carrots, Squid - A good soup...again, a bit tart for my taste but the sweetness in the chunks of carrots and the squid gave it more substance than just regular ol' tomato soup.

Salt Cod Panna Cotta, Whipped Fingerling Potato, Smoked Tapioca, Black Olive Bread - This dish was a little strange for me. I always thought panna cotta would be "jigglier" and this version was a bit too solid for my idea of panna cotta. I couldn't taste the smokiness in the tapioca either.

Pig's Head Compressed and Cheddar, BBQ Gelee - Everyone was excited to try pig's head. It was really just head cheese but a lot fresher than any head cheese that you'd find in the "hood." Again, I think someone went a little too crazy on the lemon here. The acidity was very strong from the first bite. I think that really turned me off.

Egg, Sea Urchin, Caviar, Champagne Beurre Blanc - I'm not sure how to describe this dish. It was like a soup but not really. It was like a risotto...again, not really. It was like oatmeal, but not really. I enjoyed it but I was confused. The caviar was great with everything else combined. If you had everything else without the caviar it was just plain boring but the caviar livened the entire dish up.

Plancha Tandoori Octopus, Yogurt, Cauliflower, Grapefruit - Ludo does a great job with octopus. This was no different. The tandoori flavor wasn't overwhelming. The yogurt and cauliflower added some texture to the dish and per my hubby, the grapefruit complemented the octopus really well and brightened up the dish.

Foie Gras "French Dim Sum," Crispy Kimchi, Sake-Black Truffle Cream - This was by far one of the best dishes of the night. Very rich and decadent! The foie gras raviolis were great and the kimchi gave it the right amount of salt. The sake-black truffle cream was decadent.

Duck, Cherry, Spicy Saucisse, Beets, Radish - This dish really shone! I think everyone agreed on this one. The duck was prepped perfectly. The saucisse was supposed to be spicy but I could not taste the spice. The beets made a good sauce and the radish were merely garnishes on the platter. The duck was cooked a perfect medium rare and was one of the best preparations of duck that we'd ever had.

Roasted Beef, Horseradish Cream, Green Beans, Dried Mole - This was Ludo's take on roast beef. The beef was nice and medium rare. The horseradish cream not obnoxious and overpowering. Green beans had a nice texture to them and I'm not sure why the dried mole was there. That really didn't do anything for me.

Epoisse Cheese Risotto, Hazelnut, Egg Yolk, Herb Salad - This was a really good risotto. Not too heavy at all! Almost as if it were a "light" risotto. The herb salad was very acidic though. Again, I think someone just went all crazy with the lemon and decided that the dish needed to have it.

Peach Melba Vacherin, Lavender - There were 2 desserts that night; however, we decided to try one only since 2 of our dining crowd had left (parent duties) and the 4 of us were getting pretty full. The peach was very fresh and peachy. The lavender was not overwhelming. A nice, light dessert to end the meal.

Not sure why there was so much acid on the meal. I enjoyed the duck and raviolis most and cannot wait until we try them again next week. I hear that Ludo is adding new menu items as we go along so I'm looking forward to trying those too.

Ta Bom (Brazilian Food Truck)

A bright yellow and green rectangle rolling down the 10 freeway...I followed one day with curiosity as I'd never seen this monster before. I'd heard of a Brazilian food truck in town but had never seen it and knew that I had to try it. I didn't manage to try it that same day but a few weeks after that, they announced that they were going to be close to my workplace...yay!

The foodie crowd, consisting of a couple of coworkers and I, decided we'd hit Ta Bom up since it was in the vicinity. Boy, were we excited! By the time we ordered, I think we managed to thoroughly confuse the poor lady!

Salpicao - Chicken salad wrapped in a spinach tortilla. I hate to start the review with this but this was the worst item we ordered...so let's get it out of the way. Bland and nothing special at all.

Coxinhas (Spicy & Regular) - These were potato balls (shaped like a drop of water) with a chicken, cream cheese mixture inside. I enjoyed the spicy coxinha a lot! The regular was ok but the spicy one was definitely worth it.

Tacos (Chorizo, Steak, Chicken) - Just regular ol' tacos. Nothing too special...no special sauce. Just good tacos. The chorizo was quite greasy but that's how chorizo normally is.

Fruki (Guarana Soda) - Guarana soda imported from Brazil. Made with real cane sugar and just plain tasty. Very pricey but tasty.

Hamburgao - This burger was loaded! Burger patty, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, bacon, cheese, corn, thousand island dressing, potato sticks and an egg. Very tasty and will be a definite reorder the next time we hit the truck.

A great addition to the LA food truck scene.

Hong Kong Palace, Rowland Heights (06.21.11)

We were invited to join a special meal by a family friend. It was a birthday celebration with 8 courses. The restaurant was running a special offered on all days except Saturdays and holidays. Now, we hadn't been back to HK Palace for at least 5 years and we wondered if the food had gone downhill. Nope...true to form, it's stayed pretty consistent.

Course 1...Veggie Dish - Stir fried baby bok choy with king oyster mushrooms, bunashimeji, shimeji and stewed oyster mushrooms.

Course 2...Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry - Very peppery...so peppery, in fact, that our hosts had to wash their beef pieces in their tea to wash off some of the black pepper. It was just fine for the hubby and I (we love spice) but a tad too much for our friends.

Course 3...Traditional Chinese Soup - A very tasty soup made with pork, silkie hen (black chicken), and Chinese herbs. This was when I was reminded that soup is very nourishing and I should make it more often.

Course 4...Broccoli with Chicken & Squid - American broccoli topped with stir fried strips of chicken and squid in a clear sauce. A solid dish. Nothing too special.

Course 5...Peking Duck - Nice fluffy and soft buns with a well prepped Peking Duck. The skin was nice and crisp (not too fatty) and served on a bed of prawn crackers. This place always has great duck.

Course 6...Suckling Pig - This was a deliciously, porky preparation. Perfectly crispy pig skin and nice tender meat underneath. Served with a cucumber salad and hoisin sauce. This place makes the best tender piggy!

Course 7...Yang Chow Fried Rice w/ Crispy Shrimp - This was a basic fried rice but what made it super special were the hundreds of tiny head-on shrimps which were fried and sprinkled on top. The shrimps were almost dried but not really and were absolutely delish! The hubby really enjoyed this dish as did I.

Course 8...Lobster Yee Mein - This was a dish with 2 lobsters served on a bed of super buttery yee mein. The noodles were delicious on their own with all that butter but the lobster added a nice element to the dish. Most people would say that the lobster was the highlight of the dish but, for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the noodles. Probably because I'm a carb loving biotch but to me, the noodles really were awesome!

All this food for $198...serves 8 to 10 guests and they kinda do require you have at least 8 people there. Otherwise the deal is different but not a bad deal for the price.

Yummy World, San Mateo (06.20.11)

My lazy ass is finally getting around to posting on meals we had a couple of months ago.

So...let's talk about Yummy World. Yummy World has been the must-hit place for the hubby every time we go up north. He loves loves loves one of their fish dishes (well...it's fish prepped 2 ways) and I agree it's a good dish.

Fish Two Ways is our must order dish so we ordered it yet again. The first preparation of the fish is "ching-chow." Stop trying to speak Chinese, people! Translated literally it means "clearly stir-fried." It's a simple preparation, really. There's a bed of steamed yu choy and on top of that are chunks of the fish stir fried with red bell peppers. A nice, clean-tasting dish. No heavy sauce...just clean bright flavors.

The second preparation is "fish in clay pot," which had tofu, scallions and fried, breaded pieces of the fish in a brown sauce. I like this prep because of the huge chunks of tofu...this is Chinese comfort food. This is the stuff you crave on a cold rainy night...it just warms and fills you up!

We were in a rush so we only ordered 2 dishes. The second dish was one which we hadn't been able to try in past visits. We ordered the Spare Ribs Chow Fun in Crab Sauce. This dish was a little disappointing to the hubby but I liked it just fine. The dish was served very very hot so a little hard to enjoy given my lack of patience. In fact, I think I did manage to scorch my tongue. Good flavors with huge chunks of eggplant and chunks of what else? spare ribs! Yes, crunchy, chewy, porky spare ribs. Very yum!

I have no doubts that we'll be hitting Yummy World up again on our next trip north.

Bistro Jeanty (06.18.11)

I have to start by saying that I can't write a fair review on Bistro Jeanty as I was a bit under the weather that night. An allergy attack earlier in the day had left me all sniffly and congested so I have to put that out there.

Creme de tomate en croute was good. The puff pastry very flaky and the soup had a nice tartness to it that cut the heaviness of the creme.

Escargots were buttery and buttery and utterly delicious! I love me some butter and I love love love garlic so this was a perfect combo for me. The bread they brought was perfect for the garlic butter left over from the escargot.

Terrine de lapin was good but not outstanding.

Epaule de porc was very tender and a good size portion for the price. This dish did not disappoint. I didn't want anything too heavy and it was just right. The brussel sprouts added that nice bitter tinge to it that really brought out the sweetness in the pork.

Flat iron steak was the special of the day served on a bed of risotto. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare with a pat of butter on top and a very generous serving of risotto.

Daube de boeuf featured a very nice tender portion of beef with mashed potatoes, carrots and peas. My hubby ordered this and he loved the beef. Didn't care for the potatoes so he left those for sicky me who loves the taters.

Entrecote frites was your standard preparation. Great french fries. The meat was cooked just right but nothing special enough to write home about.

A good meal...I will have to return to try again when I'm feeling better.