Los Angeles | The Food Ledger

Echo Park (Los Angeles, CA) – LA’s Not NYC…But It’s Close

July 6, 2010

I’ve been missing Manhattan like you wouldn’t believe but seeing that it’s currently 100 degrees with over 50% humidity over there, I *think* I can deal with Los Angeles for a little while longer. Plus, ever since I found out that all my NYC firsts are also easily accessible in LA (specifically Echo Park), I’ve been trying to convince myself that I can satisfy my New York urges in LA. (It’s not a very convincing argument, but that’s another story…)

For example, the novelty of hand shaved shaved ice originally experienced at People’s Pops in Chelsea Market?

(Check it out – Shaved ice, shaved by hand!)

It may not be made from fresh, natural fruit flavors but this cup of sugary goodness may be just as good. The shaved ice man called it vanilla flavored, which basically means it tastes like liquid flan. He even topped the whole thing with condensed milk!

As for my love of Cafe Habana‘s Mexican corn?

(Picture taken by Jin N.)

Not quite as sweet as my first, but it hit the spot. Plus, that monstrous corn on a stick was only $2! (I bought it from a woman grilling corn out of a shopping cart…Oh LA, so resourceful, you are…)

Now if I can just find an LA substitute for the 53rd and 6th Halal Cart…

Petrossian (Los Angeles, CA) – Pictures Are Easy When Food Looks This Good

June 20, 2010

(For my first two Petrossian reviews, refer here and here.)

I feel a little guilty writing this review because this is my third review of Petrossian. I have 30+ reviews still sitting in my backlogs (including two New York trips and now an Atlanta trip too!), waiting to be written. Is it fair to write yet another Petrossian review while so many other restaurants have been sitting for months in queue, waiting to be typed onto screen?

No, it’s not really fair, but it’s just so easy to write Petrossian reviews. The food inspires me to write and the aesthetics behind Chef Ben’s food translate from plate to picture so effortlessly.

(Picture taken by Liz of Food, She Thought.)

Unlike my previous visits to Petrossian, which were basically planned to satisfy my hunger for fine dining, this visit was for a special occasion – this meal was the one that would later be featured on ABC7′s “Food Paparazzi” segment for both local and national broadcast. (I was very excited.) Given the occasion, Linden the Gastronomnom requested a small tasting menu and, as usual, Chef Ben did not disappoint.

Course 1: Caviar Surprise with King Crab and Apple Cider Jelly

We began our meal with a glass of hibiscus champagne, with its distinct vibrant rose color, and a hearty portion of “caviar surprise”. I was happy to finally taste the surprise, which I had seen on many a food blog, and enjoyed the sweetness of the crab and apple cider jelly against the saltiness of the caviar.

Course 2: Salmon Tartare, Caviar, Quail Egg

The salmon tartare was also delicious, as tartare and caviar have been known to do. (Another example: the steak tartare and caviar referenced in my first review.) As the course was perfectly seasoned, I found myself directly putting fork into mouth, completely ignoring the toast points provided on the side.

Course 3: Crispy Egg, Cipollini Onion Soubise, Pressed Caviar

My favorite component of this dish was surprisingly not the crispy egg but instead the onion soubise. Although a soubise is defined as a bechamel based sauce, I found the consistency to be more similar to a puree or a very thick soup. The runny yolk of the egg spilled into the soubise, making it even richer than originally plated.

Course 4: Skate, Brown Butter Foam, Crushed Potatoes, Sherry Vinegar Gelatin, Capers, Croutons

My first ever taste of skate will not be my last as I’ve never had anything similar in texture; it seemed to flake away in distinct layers. (To borrow an apt description by Ruth Reichl, it has a cordoroy-like texture.) The sherry vinegar gelatin was like a punch of flavor in the face (I mean that in a good way) and, surprisingly, did not distract from the rest of the dish. A complete bite of fish and accoutrements was salty and tart and buttery all at the same time – simply delightful.

Course 5: Sweetbreads, Baby Spinach, Maitake Mushroom

Our last course is typically not found on the menu, although I wish it was. As a lover of sweetbreads, I appreciated the simplicity of the dish because the natural taste of the sweetbreads was allowed to shine.

As mentioned previously, this meal was for a special occasion and Chef Ben outdid himself with this menu. Looking back now – the caviar in excess, the flutes of champagne, the TV crew – it feels a little surreal. This is, in no way, “normal” in my life…but I could get used to it. I just have to find a camera crew to follow me around and I’ll be set!

(Note: Since I’ve had people ask: ABC7 did NOT cover any part of this meal. I don’t think they would have let us splurge on caviar and champagne if they had…)

Petrossian Paris Boutique & Cafe
321 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 271-6300
Website: http://www.petrossian.com/
Twitter: @petrossianweho

McDonald’s – Killa Kali McGangBang

June 11, 2010

Before the KFC Double Down there was…the McGangBang. Two items from the McDonald’s, sandwiched within one another to create a sandwich where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. We’re talking about a McChicken inside a double cheeseburger, chicken inside beef, McDonald’s inside McDonalds. This sandwich is NOT messing around.

I first read about this monstrosity on folie à choisauce, who personally recreated the McGangBang and lived to tell the tale. She even added her mark on the sandwich by adding fries to the mix, and dubbed it the “Killa Kali” McGangBang (i.e. the KKMGB).

From the moment I read that post, I never forgot about the KKMGB…ever. It was like the thought of the KKMGB was lurking in the back of my mind, jumping out whenever a McDonald’s came into sight. Sooner or later, I had to give in.

I wish I could say that I’ve only tried the KKMGB once but, sadly, that’s not the case.
I wish I could claim I was drunk but, sadly, that’s also not the case.
(If this totally kills my credibility as a food blogger, I completely understand.)

My first time was accidental. I was working in the office and had rushed downstairs to grab a quick bite for lunch. Halfway through my meal, I realized I had all the components for a KKMGB. Did I dare? I dared.

My second time was premeditated. Somehow, during a normal conversation at work, I had convinced others to join me in trying the KKMGB. We made plans to build it the following day at lunch, with one slight adjustment: The original McGangBang was based on two items from the $1 menu, coming together to create something worth more than $2. As double cheeseburgers are now $1.19, we agreed to use a McDouble instead to keep that original spirit alive.

($3.19+tax later, I found myself with all the tools to make a KKMGB.)

With a crowd starting to form in the office lunchroom, eyeing our goods and whispering of the events to come, we built our KKMGBs and took a bite. (Yes, I actually ATE it.)

(“What does it taste like…?”)

If McDonald’s had a generic flavor, the KKMGB would taste like that. The flavor of fake chicken was dwarfed by the flavor of burger. It was a little dry and needed more ketchup, some BBQ sauce, or maybe sweet and sour sauce…SOMETHING.

Afterwards, I felt disgusted. I was completely unproductive the rest of the afternoon. We looked up the nutritional facts – 1040 calories, 47 grams of fat. I told myself I wouldn’t eat dinner that night. (Sadly, I did eat again.)

Note to self: I am NOT doing this again.

McDonald’s
330 S Hope St
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 626-0709
Website: http://www.mcdonalds.com/
Twitter: @mcdonalds

Gloria’s Cafe (Culver City, CA) – Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

May 11, 2010

This spring must be the season for TV appearances! Yes, yours truly has hit the small screen again! This time, I’m not plugging myself but one of my favorite Mexican/Salvadorian restaurants in Los Angeles – Gloria’s Cafe.

If you’re wondering if my 5 seconds in the spotlight influenced my glowing review, then you’ve never had Gloria’s sopa de 7 mares. I wasn’t lying when I said it was my favorite thing on the menu; I would bathe in that broth if I could. The seafood overflows from the bowl, the octopus and the squid are soft and never chewy, the scallops are succulent…

…I think I just made myself hungry.

So here’s my huge congrats to Gloria’s Cafe! You deserve all the publicity you get!

(Read my original review on Yelp.)

Gloria’s Cafe
10227 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 838-0963
Website: http://www.gloriascafela.com/
Twitter: @gloriascafe

Nakkara (Los Angeles, CA) – A Feast for Food Bloggers

May 7, 2010

When Kevin of kevinEats invited me to a food blogger/PR dinner at Nakkara last week, I was ecstatic. The opportunity to meet and mingle with Kevin and other Los Angeles food bloggers in person seemed like a fun experience. Plus, I was on vacation – what better way to relax than to eat a good meal with individuals of similar interests?

Of our party of six, I was last to arrive (I’m usually very prompt! I blame my lateness on the lack of metered parking in the area). I walked into the dining room and recognized a few familiar faces – Danny of Kung Food Panda and Diana of Diana Takes A Bite, both of whom I first met through Yelp, and Kevin and Christina of Food Je T’aime, whom I recognize from their online accounts. The last member of our party was Amy of The Roaming Belly, whom I got to know throughout the course of the night.

For this dinner, Nakkara organized a special 13-course Thai inspired meal that showcased a variety of their dishes, both on and off menu.

Nakkara Mieang Kum – Toasted coconut, cashew nut, dried shrimp, diced lime, ginger, Thai chili, red onion, mieng sauce.

We started with the light mieang kum, a lettuce wrapped bundle of coconut, cashews, dried shrimp and lime. They recommended eating it one bite; however, I just couldn’t do it (surprising, I know – I do have a pretty big mouth). Therefore, I think I was table to taste each flavor more distinctly. The bite with the tiny wedge of lime was my favorite – a sharp tart citrus to offset the pile of toasted coconut.

The next two courses – the filet mignon skewer in a green curry sauce and the garlic lamb – were particularly tasty because of the preparation of their respective proteins. A simple dish is so easily ruined by poor meat preparation, but there was nothing to worry about here – both were moist and tender.

The fourth course, a duck spring roll, was reminiscent of Peking duck, especially due to the inclusion of the hoisin sauce.

Big Surprise! – Shrimp, squid, crabmeat, coconut milk, red curry paste.

The Big Surprise had a table consensus of being one of the favorites of the night. A custom created metal serving plate from Thailand was used to serve individual sized balls of crab, shrimp and squid. The red curry and coconut milk were flavorful and helped keep the shredded crab meat moist.

We continued our 13-meal course with two soups for our 6th and 7th course. Similar in taste, the tom kha soup included coconut milk while the tom yum soup was a clear hot and sour broth. Both were typical of soups one would find at any standard Thai restaurant.

If you’ve never had green papaya salad, I would say that the one at Nakkara is a good representation of what a Thai green papaya salad should taste like. I liked the crunch of the green beans with the unripe papaya. Plus, the salad had just enough heat to get your tongue tingling but not overwhelm you with spice.

Crying Tiger – Flame grilled rib eye steak, dried chili pepper sauce.

The Crying Tiger was my other favorite dish of the night. The steak was cooked medium rare (the only way to cook a steak!) and topped with a tangy, peppery sauce. I distinctly remember the dish being served cold, although I’m not quite sure if it was supposed to be that way or if we just spent too much time photographing it.

The last four entrees of this 13-course meal came out, family style, around the same time as the Crying Tiger. The catfish was moist and flaky. The soft shell crab was paired with a rich red curry sauce. The fried rice had just enough beef and shrimp for each member of our table. The seafood pad thai was overflowing with seafood.

Mango and sweet sticky rice.

We ended our meal with mango with sweet sticky rice. Seeing that I haven’t seen many mangoes at the market (granted, I don’t go to the market all that often), I was hesitant about the ripeness of the mango. I shouldn’t have been – these were soft, juicy and sweet, without any gristle or stringiness. It was perfect with the sweet sticky rice.

As you can tell, I had a great time at my first official food blogger/PR dinner. Thanks again to Kevin for putting it together and thanks to all my fellow food bloggers for their delightful company!