2009 December | The Food Ledger

Best of 2009

December 31, 2009

My love for restaurants is fickle.

“I love you, LudoBites 2.0!”
“No, I’m sorry L’Atelier, I didn’t mean it. You’re #1 on my list. Promise.”
“Le Bernardin, forget them all – I just want to be with YOU.”

Yeah, just like that.

This year was monumental, in relation to both the volume and quantity of food I’ve consumed. I’m a girl of extremes – from hole in the wall to the creme de la creme, I’ve really had a little bit of everything. I’m extremely fortunate to be able to have tried all of these in a matter of a year and can only hope that 2010 will be just as fruitful as 2009.

That said, without further ado, I bring to you…

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The Food Ledger’s Best of 2009

(Note: The following only contains restaurants I’ve eaten at for the first time in 2009. First excursion in 2008? Too bad, you can’t be on my list.)

Fine Dining Rocks My Socks

(And the grand prize goes to…)

Le Bernardin (NYC) – Was there any doubt about what I would name as #1 for the year? Please.
LudoBites 2.0 (LA) – Foie gras croque monsieur. Oxtail polenta. Caviar panna cotta. LudoBites 2.0 at Breadbar causes me to salivate every single time I mention its name. Just thinking of it now causes my mind to wander to a happy place…
Hatchi at Breadbar: Michael Voltaggio (LA) – The service? Sucked, big time. The food? Phenomenal. If you’re ever wondering if his food tastes as good as it looks on TV – it does (e.g. the sweetbreads in pea consomme causes me to do that salivating thing again). Not only was the food delicious but hearing Michael himself explain how items like horseradish styrofoam were concocted was quite the treat.

One Bite and I’m Yours

(So close, yet not quite.)

L’Atelier de Joel Roubuchon (LV) – Didn’t quite make it on the fine dining list (its Discovery menu wasn’t consistent enough to stand up against the big boys) but L’Atelier’s foie gras ravioli deserves a list of its own. They’re like little pockets of happiness floating in pure bliss…
Animal (LA) – Animal’s foie loco moco is composed of a hamburger, spam, foie gras and a quail egg, stacked on a pile of golden rice and surrounded in a sweet pool of soy sauce and sriracha. It’s the reason I eat meat. It’s also the reason I could never date a vegetarian.
Masan (LA) – Eating live octopus is fun. It squirms on your plate, saucing itself as it wriggles through the oil, salt and pepper, and then suction cups to the roof of your mouth as you chomp down. Sashimi doesn’t get fresher than that! (NOTE: pictures and video on Flickr)

Almost…But Not Quite

The Bazaar (LA) – A very close #4 on my Fine Dining list, the final decision came down to the flip of a coin (Not really…but it was close!). Without doubt, The Bazaar boasts the best DineLA menu ever and makes me that much more excited to try out Saam in the next year. (Maybe a 2010 contender?)
Caracas Arepas (NYC) – The wait staff won’t divulge the secret of their hot sauce, and with good reason – it’s ridiculously tasty. Now that I’ve had that first nibble of a Venezuelan arepa, how will I be satiate the craving if/when it arises? (I’ve been told that there are no good Venezuelan arepas in Los Angeles, someone please prove me wrong!)

I Can’t Live Without

Beverly Soon Tofu (LA) – Someone tell me how I ever survived without Beverly Soon Tofu?! It’s my home away from home, where I go when I’ve had a bad/good/ordinary day and just just need a big ole bowl of pipping hot tofu and rice. More often than not, you can find me tucked away in a corner by myself at 10pm at night, recuperating from a long day of work. I want it, I crave it…Again, I have no idea how I lived without it.

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And thus ends 2009.

Happy New Year everyone! See you in 2010!

Hatchi with Marcel Vigneron (Century City, CA) – I’m a Froupie

December 28, 2009

froupie
/’fru pi/ [froo-pee]
- noun informal
1. an ardent fan of a chef or of a particular style of cooking
2. a food groupie

I don’t quite know when but, at some point, I think I’ve turned into a Marcel Vigneron froupie. Whenever I hear the name “Marcel”, part of me wants to squeal like a teenage girl at the premiere of a Twilight flick.

Maybe it’s his engaging on-screen personality that makes my heart skip a beat or his iconic Wolverine-like hair that makes me melt? …No – it’s his food that brings out my inner froupie.

(“OMGAhhhhh!!! It’s MARCEL!”)

I was very excited for the December Hatchi event at Breadbar as this was my first chance to taste dishes by Marcel and Marcel alone (i.e. sans José Andrés, at the Bazaar). I was also hoping he’d bust out the molecular gastronomy and he did not disappoint – spherifications, foams and liquid nitrogen, we got it all.

Amuse Bouche

To begin, his amuse bouche was a simplistic spherification of pomegranate juice with a single blueberry tucked inside.

Course 1: Hamachi Sashimi

His first course (my favorite course of the night) was a fantastic hamachi sashimi. The composition of the dish – the fresh fish, the citrus of kumquats, the sweetness of the momo chan (i.e. little green baby peaches), the texture of seaweed – was thoughtful; each bite was enjoyable.

Course 2: Dayboat Scallop

The second course was a dayboat scallop, sitting atop cauliflower couscous and seaweed. The molecular portion of this dish wasn’t blatantly apparent until I overheard him explaining the dish to the diners next to me: the puree on the plate (the pink, purple and yellow) are all the same. In order for him to obtain the different colors, an acid is added to the mixture that causes the colors to bloom from purple to pink.

Course 3: Langoustine Ravioli

The third course was a tad confusing to me, only because I seemed to enjoy the avocado wrapped mango more than the langoustine ravioli. The ravioli, on its own, was reminiscent of har gao that had been steamed in a dim sum cart for a tad too long; however, when tasted with the avocado and mango, it picked up a little bit of flavor and life. (Note: I was happy to see a foam make an appearance on the menu – What is a meal with Marcel without foam?!)

Course 4: Misohoney Black Cod

The fourth course was another simple, clean dish – a miso honey black cod sitting in broth. Although I had just come off of a seafood high at Le Bernardin the Saturday prior, I still thoroughly enjoyed the buttery texture of the cod and the lightness of the broth.

Course 5: Lyonaise Salad

The fifth course was a salad with bacon and a breaded egg. Not bad, but nothing impressive.

Course 6: Vadouvan Lamb

The fifth course may have fallen a bit flat, but the sixth course was a surprising tender rack of lamb with a deconstructed tzatziki. My piece of lamb was a tad too fatty for my preferences but what meat I was able to scrounge off the bone was succulent and delicious.

Course 7: Grass Fed “Corned Beef”

The seventh course, a gigantic chunk of short rib, was daunting in size (I just can’t eat that much anymore!). I didn’t eat the entire piece but the bit I did devour was also very tender. The three types of corn (e.g. the baby corn, the pureed corn and the popped corn) were fun and did exactly as described – they added texture to the dish, keeping you interested as you made your way through the mountain of meat.

Course 8: Souffle

Marcel’s last course was a green chartreuse souffle. I tried the green chartreuse in one of the cocktails for the night – the herbaceous flavor was a bit strong for my taste. However, the flavor mellowed out in the souffle, making it a nice ending to the meal.

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I almost made it through the entire night without any froupie tendencies but I caved in last minute – I may not have screamed his name across the Breadbar dining room but (as you can see above) I got a picture with Marcel in the end.

I’m such a froupie.

Hatchi with Marcel Vigneron
Twitter: @MarcelVigneron

Ippudo (Manhattan, NY) – Noodling in NY

December 26, 2009

(Did the above catch your attention? Good.)

I love my ramen broth rich. None of that salt-based stuff for me, I love slurping pure liquid porkiness.

However Ippudo’s akamaru modern ramen, with its tonkotsu broth made from boiling pig parts (mmm…pig parts), is more than liquid porkiness – it has a different dimension that I haven’t tasted in a bowl from Los Angeles yet.

Perhaps it’s the addition of the miso paste and garlic oil that makes Ippudo’s broth so tasty. Or, maybe it’s the braised chunks of pork belly (a supplemental topping) that made this bowl of ramen seem so fatty and delicious.

All I know is that I dread craving Ippudo. Busy season’s coming up and there’s no time to fly to NYC for another bowl…

Ippudo NY
65 4th Ave
New York, NY 10003
(212) 388-0088
Website: http://www.ippudo.com/ny/

Holiday Party 2009 – An Early Xmas

December 25, 2009

Christmas Day is a day filled with presents, with tables overflowing with food, with family and holiday cheer…

…Well, not quite. Strange as it sounds, my family hasn’t really celebrated Christmas for past ten years or so. No Christmas tree, no gift exchange, no feasts – we just treat it as another day at home. This year was no exception; especially since we spent most of this week in Vegas for a family reunion, today is a day of recovery rather than festivity.

Although today may not be as eventful for me as it is for you, don’t worry – I got my holiday cheer on last week. One of my managers was nice enough to invite us over to his house for a little holiday get together and his wife put together one of the most impressive spreads I’ve seen in a while.

(Gingerbread men and gumdrops – oh my!)

Everything was basically made from scratch, from the crispy wonton skins filled with savory sausage to the perfectly decorated tiramisu cheesecake. The mac and cheese was cheesy, the shrimp were coated in a lick-your-fingers spice rub…There was a lot of good grubbing going on.

So like I said, I already got my holiday cheer this December and I hope all of you are getting yours now too!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!

Le Bernardin (Manhattan, NY) – A Fishing Story

December 17, 2009

Seeing that Le Bernardin is arguably the best seafood restaurant in the nation, it seems fitting to begin this review with a fishing story of my own. Like most stereotyical fishing stories, my story starts with an outrageous claim and ends with no proof that what I claim ever existed…but trust me, it’s true.

I was at Le Bernardin on Saturday night and was *THIS CLOSE!* to…*dramatic pause*…ERIC RIPERT.

Yes, you read that correctly, I SAW ERIC RIPERT. I watched him wander from the bar to the dining room, stopping by and chatting with the patrons at each table. I watched him walk from the dining room to the kitchen, disappearing behind the swinging doors. However, I did NOT see him drop by my table and, by the time I thought of asking to meet the chef, he had left for the night. No picture, no proof…all I have is disappointment and regret for not jumping him when I had the chance.

*sigh*

Luckily, that was my only disappointment that night.

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It’s times like these that I absolutely hate my inability to write eloquently. How do I describe my 3-star experience at Le Bernardin beyond “Just…WOW.”? Where do I begin to describe the dishes we were served, how can I convey to you the thoughts that ran through my head with every bite? I can only hope that pictures do more justice than words – there are so many words one can use; I can only use the ones within my reach.

Of the three prix fixe options at Le Bernardin (4-, 7- or 8-courses), my dining companion Jenn and I both ordered the 8-course Chef’s tasting menu, complete with wine pairing. After completing our meal, both of us agreed – the wine pairing was a MUST. Some dishes were amazing with or without the pairing but others were elevated to that next level (to the level one would expect from a restaurant like Le Bernardin) because of that one sip. Highly recommended.

Amouse-Bouche: ?

Unfortunately, I forgot to write down what we were served for the amuse-bouche but it wasn’t a standout dish in any fashion so I’m not sure if it matters. There was something odd about the texture of the dish – it was little mushy and I couldn’t quite figure out if it was from the seafood or from the accompanying puree underneath. The foam (made of mushrooms, if my memory serves me correctly) complemented the other flavors well; however, the texture was still very distracting.

Course 1: Smoked Yellowfin Tuna “Prosciutto”; Japanese Pickled Vegetables and Crispy Kombu (Pairing: Muscadet ‘Clos des Briords’, Pepiere, Loire 2008)

The smooth smokiness of the tuna played well against the crisp sweetness of the Japanese pickles. I admit, I did without the crispy kombu (a type of seaweed typically used in Japanese cooking); it may have added a hint of saltiness to each bite but it was also a battle to break it into pieces.

Course 2: Poached Pastured Egg; Osetra Caviar; Mariniere Broth and English Muffin (Pairing: Krug, Grande Cuvee)

When first looking at the menu, there were three dishes that caught my eye and ultimately resulted in my choosing the Chef’s tasting over the Le Bernardin tasting, this being the first. The egg, perfectly poached, floating in a pool of broth, rich with the flavor of white wine and mussels – it was divine. The dish just asked to be sopped with the two strips of lightly toasted English muffin (and I, of course, gladly obliged, sopping the running yolks and the broth as daintily as I could).

Course 3: Seared Langoustine, Mache, Wild Mushroom Salad; Shaved Foie Gras; White Balsamic Vinaigrette (Pairing: Gewurztraminer, Cantina Tramin, Alto Adige 2007)

The second of my three must haves, this was a prime example of a good dish elevated by an excellent wine pairing. The course, by itself was a solid dish – the langoustine was tender and the there was just enough foie to add a hint of flavor to, but not overwhelm, the other components of the dish. However, the wine brought out the sweetness of the langoustine, creating a very pleasant taste all together.

Course 4: Pan Roasted Monkfish; Hon Shimeji Mushrooms; Turnip – Ginger Emulsion; Sake Broth (Pairing: Chassagne Montrachet, 1er Cru Chenevottes, Bernard Moreau 2006)

Typically, I’m not a huge monkfish fan – I enjoy some of the flakier fishes and monkfish tends to be a bit too dense for me. However, I polished off the fish, along with everything else, in order to taste as much of the sake and miso broth as possible. (Le Bernardin may be known for seafood but their sauces and broths are what really make the dish and compliment the natural flavors of the seafood.)

Course 5: Crispy Black Bass; Braised Celery and Parsnip Custard; Iberico Ham – Green Peppercorn Sauce (Pairing: Rioja, Reserve ‘Vina Ardanza’, La Rioja Alta, Spain 2000)

A psuedo Top Chef groupie (I’m not a true groupie as I missed most of seasons 3-5), I was excited to see a dish featured in the Le Bernardin challenge of season 5. It was suggested that we enjoy the creaminess of the parsnip custard (served separately) in between bites of the bass, a welcome change from the saltiness of the ham and peppercorn sauce and the braised celery.

Course 6: Baked Lobster on a Bed of Truffled Foie Gras Stuffing; Brandy Red Wine Sauce (Pairing: Chateau Haut-Bages Averous, Pauillac Bordeaux 2001)

Lobster with foie and truffles – this could be the definition of luxury. The fattiness of the lobster against the foie was fantastic, although I actually could have done without half the lobster (the portion size was rather large in comparison to the other courses and it just got heavy after a while).

Course 7: Creamy Goat Cheese Spheres, Concord Grape, Candied Walnut, Black Pepper (Pairing: Torrontez Sparkling-Deseado Familia Schroeder, Patagonia Argentina)

The third of the three, this was easily my favorite course of the night. The goat cheese popped in my mouth and mixed in with the sweetness of the walnuts and grape – not quite a sweet and savory but more something perfectly in the middle. With a sip of the paired sparkling wine, I was in heaven.

Course 8: Caramelized Corn Custard, Hazelnut Praline, Brown Butter Ice Cream, Popcorn Tuile (Pairing: Ron Zacapa Rum, Guatemala)

Another not quite sweet, not quite savory but perfectly in between dessert, this was another favorite, partially because of the novelty of the popcorn tuile. At first glance, it appeared to be a simple piece of sugar; however, it tasted exactly like a freshly popped kernel of corn.

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…There’s really nothing left to say besides that.