Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
BLD Restaurant - LA
We decided on brunch for the final meal of my trip down South. I love breakfast - any time of the day. We also met up with my friends Erhan and Shirin whom we learned live two blocks away from Miki and Joel. Small world !
Grapefruit Brûlée - warm throughout, juicy, delicious
Brioche French toast, Blueberry compote, Crème fraîche - this was a bit overcooked on the outside. Also, the brioche wasn't soaked thoroughly with the custard. It was sort of like cutting through toast and dipping it in syrup. Not bad though.
Ricotta blueberry pancakes - heavenly !!! Some of the best pancakes I have eaten !
Ode to Butterfields - poached eggs, sliced flat-iron steak, Cabernet Sauvignon hollandaise, home-made muffin, and really good potatoes.
Andrew, Joel, Miki
Erhan, me, Shirin
Very nice place for brunch, nice ambiance. Those pancakes are a MUST-try. Will be back for those.
BLD Restaurant
7450 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036-2701
(323) 930-9744
Grapefruit Brûlée - warm throughout, juicy, delicious
Brioche French toast, Blueberry compote, Crème fraîche - this was a bit overcooked on the outside. Also, the brioche wasn't soaked thoroughly with the custard. It was sort of like cutting through toast and dipping it in syrup. Not bad though.
Ricotta blueberry pancakes - heavenly !!! Some of the best pancakes I have eaten !
Ode to Butterfields - poached eggs, sliced flat-iron steak, Cabernet Sauvignon hollandaise, home-made muffin, and really good potatoes.
Andrew, Joel, Miki
Erhan, me, Shirin
Very nice place for brunch, nice ambiance. Those pancakes are a MUST-try. Will be back for those.
BLD Restaurant
7450 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036-2701
(323) 930-9744
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Mozza Pizzeria
It's time for second dinner !
Mozza caprese and Bruschette of Chicken livers, capers, parsley & guanciale. Both were fantastic. I'm not a big fan of chicken livers but this was absolutely delicious.
I told Miki and Andrew to order for me. I was surprised with this: Squash blossoms, tomato & burrata. The burrata is so good here. And I love squash blossoms !
Miki's pick: White anchovy, tomato & Fresno chiles. Anchovies were very nicely done. Another recommended pizza.
One of their signature pizzas: Fennel sausage, panna, red onion & scallions. This was probably my favorite of the night. The home-made fennel sausage is so delicious. Everything went very well together. I totally forgot what wine we ordered, but it seriously was a match made in heaven.
Last, but not least, dessert!
Caramel copetta with marshmallow sauce & salted Spanish peanuts
Butterscotch budino, Maldon sea salt & rosemary pine nut cookies
The butterscotch budino was fantastic. I was expecting it to be overly sweet, but it wasn't at all. It was a perfect balance of a dessert. Had I not eaten the entire day away, I could have eaten this all by myself. The rosemary pine nut cookies were fabulous as well.
Despite 3 out of 4 pizzas being a bit overcooked, everything was very good. The flavor combinations worked, and I loved their use of ingredients. Great way to end the night.
Mozza Pizzeria
641 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036, USA
(323) 866-5300
Mozza caprese and Bruschette of Chicken livers, capers, parsley & guanciale. Both were fantastic. I'm not a big fan of chicken livers but this was absolutely delicious.
I told Miki and Andrew to order for me. I was surprised with this: Squash blossoms, tomato & burrata. The burrata is so good here. And I love squash blossoms !
Miki's pick: White anchovy, tomato & Fresno chiles. Anchovies were very nicely done. Another recommended pizza.
One of their signature pizzas: Fennel sausage, panna, red onion & scallions. This was probably my favorite of the night. The home-made fennel sausage is so delicious. Everything went very well together. I totally forgot what wine we ordered, but it seriously was a match made in heaven.
Last, but not least, dessert!
Caramel copetta with marshmallow sauce & salted Spanish peanuts
Butterscotch budino, Maldon sea salt & rosemary pine nut cookies
The butterscotch budino was fantastic. I was expecting it to be overly sweet, but it wasn't at all. It was a perfect balance of a dessert. Had I not eaten the entire day away, I could have eaten this all by myself. The rosemary pine nut cookies were fabulous as well.
Despite 3 out of 4 pizzas being a bit overcooked, everything was very good. The flavor combinations worked, and I loved their use of ingredients. Great way to end the night.
Mozza Pizzeria
641 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036, USA
(323) 866-5300
Intelligentsia Coffee
Naturally, we headed over to grab some coffee.
Bonee and Diki
Machiato at Intelligentsia
Intelligentsia Coffee
3922 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 663-6173
Bonee and Diki
Machiato at Intelligentsia
Intelligentsia Coffee
3922 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 663-6173
Ord Noodles - Hollywood
Next stop was Ord Noodles in Hollywood. One of their specialties is Hoy Kha - which means "dangling feet noodles". It's a local style noodle where you literally dangle your feet while you eat in a noodle shop along the rivers in (Northern) Thailand. It consists of flat rice noodles, ground pork, BBQ pork, pork balls, and dried shrimp in a clear broth. (Thx, Miki!) The broth was a bit sweet, but nonetheless, this was a nice dish. And I'd like to mention that they make it spicy like in Thailand, so opt for mild.
They also have this amazing fried pork belly dish with basil, Thai peppers, and a fried egg over rice. OMG this was so good. Next time I am ordering this! Umm Ummm Ummm crispy pork! It had the perfect amount of spice to it.
Andrew and Joel
Jeni from Oishii Eats, and Miki. Jeni's husband Dylan also joined us for dinner.
Although the noodle soup was nice, I definitely want to come back and devour that pork dish. The spice level here is awesome.
Ord Noodles
5401 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 468-9302
They also have this amazing fried pork belly dish with basil, Thai peppers, and a fried egg over rice. OMG this was so good. Next time I am ordering this! Umm Ummm Ummm crispy pork! It had the perfect amount of spice to it.
Andrew and Joel
Jeni from Oishii Eats, and Miki. Jeni's husband Dylan also joined us for dinner.
Although the noodle soup was nice, I definitely want to come back and devour that pork dish. The spice level here is awesome.
Ord Noodles
5401 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 468-9302
Little Bean - Rowland Heights, CA
After California Ramen, Miki drove us to Little Bean, a Chinese boba/pearl tea shop. This is the only place Miki likes to get her balls. And it took an hour to get here. Must be good. =)
It was pouring rain, so I opted for a warm, hong do nai-tsa, or milk tea with red beans. The milk, tea, and sugar were nicely balanced. The red beans were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The balls were nicely cooked and delicate; not as chewy as you may find in the Bay Area. Good flavor to them as well.
Miki opted for the lychee pearl tea, and the regular milk tea.
I happened to walk by the kitchen and see them just drain freshly blanched taro root. I have a huge love for taro. I came out and mentioned the wonderful smell of taro that I had just witnessed. Andrew decided to try the taro smoothie. I was a bit hesitant of having a blended, iced taro drink, but...
It was GREAT. So great that Miki bought a third one. hahahah.
In addition to great ingredients, and a clean kitchen, the Chinese ladies here are so nice! AND they will remake your drink if you don't like it without any hesitation. I mean, that is unheard of. At a Chinese place. Really! What a pleasure it was to get balls here.
Little Bean
18902 Norwalk Boulevard
Artesia, CA
(562) 860-8843
It was pouring rain, so I opted for a warm, hong do nai-tsa, or milk tea with red beans. The milk, tea, and sugar were nicely balanced. The red beans were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The balls were nicely cooked and delicate; not as chewy as you may find in the Bay Area. Good flavor to them as well.
Miki opted for the lychee pearl tea, and the regular milk tea.
I happened to walk by the kitchen and see them just drain freshly blanched taro root. I have a huge love for taro. I came out and mentioned the wonderful smell of taro that I had just witnessed. Andrew decided to try the taro smoothie. I was a bit hesitant of having a blended, iced taro drink, but...
It was GREAT. So great that Miki bought a third one. hahahah.
In addition to great ingredients, and a clean kitchen, the Chinese ladies here are so nice! AND they will remake your drink if you don't like it without any hesitation. I mean, that is unheard of. At a Chinese place. Really! What a pleasure it was to get balls here.
Little Bean
18902 Norwalk Boulevard
Artesia, CA
(562) 860-8843
Ramen California - Torrance, CA
Flew down to Los Angeles this weekend to hang out with Miki, Joel, and Andrew. Miki kindly worked on a "meal plan" as I'd like to call it. Since I was really only there for a day and a half, we had quite a lot to eat.
First stop after the airport, Ramen California. 32 year-old Shigetoshi “Sean” Nakamura is the creator of this joint - he is considered one of the top four ramen gods in Japan. Pretty cool!
Rosemary bread that reminded me of fried Shanghainese bread. Different, but good.
Halibut carpaccio - the usual.
Charcoal cha-su pork
The great thing about this place is that they sell small bowls for $5,50 which gives you the option of trying different flavors. We all shared the following which was their version of shoyu ramen. It was a mix of fish broth, chicken broth, and shoyu. It had a nice dense flavor, closer to traditional ramen. The pork was nicely cooked, and the egg was perfectly cooked. I wish all ramen joints in the US would cook their eggs like this.
I opted for one of their signature ramen's - Ramen California. Nice, clean chicken broth, freshly made noodles, and 30 different types of seasonal vegetables. The vegetables were cooked just the way I like - al dente. This was definitely far from traditional, but I enjoyed it very much. Nice and light.
Andrew ordered another signature ramen - Reggiano Cheese Tofu Ramen which is seen in the spoon. This was also served with chicken broth. The combination of the broth with the tofu cheese was fantastic.
I'm such a hardcore traditional ramen fan, but I really enjoyed this place. It's great to have the option of a light soupy ramen versus a heavy, ramen. Will definitely return. Good choice, Miki !
Andrew and I are reunited once again
Ramen California
24231 Crenshaw Boulevard
Torrance, CA
(310) 530-2749
First stop after the airport, Ramen California. 32 year-old Shigetoshi “Sean” Nakamura is the creator of this joint - he is considered one of the top four ramen gods in Japan. Pretty cool!
Rosemary bread that reminded me of fried Shanghainese bread. Different, but good.
Halibut carpaccio - the usual.
Charcoal cha-su pork
The great thing about this place is that they sell small bowls for $5,50 which gives you the option of trying different flavors. We all shared the following which was their version of shoyu ramen. It was a mix of fish broth, chicken broth, and shoyu. It had a nice dense flavor, closer to traditional ramen. The pork was nicely cooked, and the egg was perfectly cooked. I wish all ramen joints in the US would cook their eggs like this.
I opted for one of their signature ramen's - Ramen California. Nice, clean chicken broth, freshly made noodles, and 30 different types of seasonal vegetables. The vegetables were cooked just the way I like - al dente. This was definitely far from traditional, but I enjoyed it very much. Nice and light.
Andrew ordered another signature ramen - Reggiano Cheese Tofu Ramen which is seen in the spoon. This was also served with chicken broth. The combination of the broth with the tofu cheese was fantastic.
I'm such a hardcore traditional ramen fan, but I really enjoyed this place. It's great to have the option of a light soupy ramen versus a heavy, ramen. Will definitely return. Good choice, Miki !
Andrew and I are reunited once again
Ramen California
24231 Crenshaw Boulevard
Torrance, CA
(310) 530-2749
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Monk's Café
Belgium style mussels. At a bar. And really good fries!
The mussels were nicely cooked - good balance of garlic and a hint of white wine. Had a very good pumpkin pecan tarte as well. Not too sweet. Yum. However they don't make them in-house. They buy them from a tarte bakery. Casual comfort fare @ at a bar/pub. Nothing fancy at all. Mussels mussels and more mussels. Pas mal.
Monks Belgian Café
626 South 16th Street
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 545-7005
The mussels were nicely cooked - good balance of garlic and a hint of white wine. Had a very good pumpkin pecan tarte as well. Not too sweet. Yum. However they don't make them in-house. They buy them from a tarte bakery. Casual comfort fare @ at a bar/pub. Nothing fancy at all. Mussels mussels and more mussels. Pas mal.
Monks Belgian Café
626 South 16th Street
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 545-7005
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Day by Day - Philadelphia
Baked apple pancake. Delish.
Awesome place for breakfast/brunch. Last time I was here I had the pumpkin filled french toast. Very good. I <3 breakfast any time of the day !
Day By Day
2101 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 564-5540
Awesome place for breakfast/brunch. Last time I was here I had the pumpkin filled french toast. Very good. I <3 breakfast any time of the day !
Day By Day
2101 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 564-5540
Friday, December 04, 2009
Coffee and Cannolis in SoHo
Me, Lindsey, and Lyndsay
Rainbow cookies and cannolis
Rocco's Pastry Shop and Espresso Café
243 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 242-6031
Pio Pio - Upper West Side
Self-explanatory.
Perfectly seasoned and roasted chicken with aji sauce
Perfectly cooked (and ripened) maduros
Perfectly blanched and fried macaxeira/yuca. Probably the best I've had thus far.
My favorite Peruvian restaurant.
Pio Pio
(There are a lot more scattered around Manhattan)
604 10th Avenue
Manhattan, NY 10036
(212) 495-2929
Perfectly seasoned and roasted chicken with aji sauce
Perfectly cooked (and ripened) maduros
Perfectly blanched and fried macaxeira/yuca. Probably the best I've had thus far.
My favorite Peruvian restaurant.
Pio Pio
(There are a lot more scattered around Manhattan)
604 10th Avenue
Manhattan, NY 10036
(212) 495-2929
Nussbaum & Wu - NYC
Took another day trip to NYC today. This time with Raf. We went to our favorite bagel shop near Columbia University.
Sun-dried tomato cream cheese
Veggie cream cheese
It felt so good to eat a scrumptious bagel and cream cheese, especially since we didn't eat breakfast. Oh god NY bagels !!!
NUSSBAUM & WU
2897 Broadway & 113 str
New York, New York 10025
PHONE: 212-280-5344
Sun-dried tomato cream cheese
Veggie cream cheese
It felt so good to eat a scrumptious bagel and cream cheese, especially since we didn't eat breakfast. Oh god NY bagels !!!
NUSSBAUM & WU
2897 Broadway & 113 str
New York, New York 10025
PHONE: 212-280-5344
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Má Pêche - (Momofuku - Midtown, NYC)
HELLO FROM NEW YORK CITY!
Took a trip to NYC today to visit a few friends. My friend Aaron just started a gig at Má Pêche. Decided to stop by for some grub with Tanya and Sean. (Sorry about the poor quality of the photos)
Goi Calamari - Squid salad with fish sauce, Thai basil, and veg. Really good stuff. Refreshing
Bun du riz - sauteed rice noodles with lots of pork, saw-leaf herbs.
This dish was tasty as well. The noodles were crispy on the outside, but were nice and chewy on the inside. The pork had a ton of flavor, and this dish was very well seasoned. I would have liked more noodles though.
The cold weather here on the east coast has really gotten my craving for warm chocolate chip cookies at an all-time high. I couldn't resist.
YUM YUM YUM. Warm, thick, chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk. YUM.
We spent a good 3,5 hours at Ma Peche, lounging, and catching up.
Je vous aime !
Má Pêche
15 W 56th St
New York, NY
(212) 555-1212
Aaron's shift was over so we decided to go get ramen at Ippudo ! hahahaha
Look at the awesome counter at the bar!
Aaron and I
Sadly the photo of the delicious bowl of ramen I ate disappeared. The broth was delicious and fatty. The ramen here is a bit different than the traditional ramen found in Japan (still freshly made in-house). They add different types of garnishes as well. Nonetheless, this sh*t is good! I will be back.
Ippudo NY
65 4th Avenue
New York, NY
(212) 388-0088
Took a trip to NYC today to visit a few friends. My friend Aaron just started a gig at Má Pêche. Decided to stop by for some grub with Tanya and Sean. (Sorry about the poor quality of the photos)
Goi Calamari - Squid salad with fish sauce, Thai basil, and veg. Really good stuff. Refreshing
Bun du riz - sauteed rice noodles with lots of pork, saw-leaf herbs.
This dish was tasty as well. The noodles were crispy on the outside, but were nice and chewy on the inside. The pork had a ton of flavor, and this dish was very well seasoned. I would have liked more noodles though.
The cold weather here on the east coast has really gotten my craving for warm chocolate chip cookies at an all-time high. I couldn't resist.
YUM YUM YUM. Warm, thick, chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk. YUM.
We spent a good 3,5 hours at Ma Peche, lounging, and catching up.
Je vous aime !
Má Pêche
15 W 56th St
New York, NY
(212) 555-1212
Aaron's shift was over so we decided to go get ramen at Ippudo ! hahahaha
Look at the awesome counter at the bar!
Aaron and I
Sadly the photo of the delicious bowl of ramen I ate disappeared. The broth was delicious and fatty. The ramen here is a bit different than the traditional ramen found in Japan (still freshly made in-house). They add different types of garnishes as well. Nonetheless, this sh*t is good! I will be back.
Ippudo NY
65 4th Avenue
New York, NY
(212) 388-0088
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