No. 209: Venison Fair @ Chaya Venice

In LA, it's a rather tricky affair when restaurants decide to put game meats on the menu. Sometimes it gets so buried with other flavors and texture you wonder why even bother with an exotic meat, and at the opposite end of the spectrum there are dishes that so unapologetically, unctuous and gnarly you kinda regret ordering a whole entreé size portion of it. Basically, you would feel jipped for that premium price.

So I was quite pleased to report back from a media dinner @ Chaya Venice that their Venison Fair (going on until Dec. 11) have something for every palate on the foodventurous-ness spectrum, from innocently curious to the full "Game On!" 

As such, I'll start with the most innocuous dish and go progressively wilder, so hold on to your palates.

Of the four dishes featured in this fair, the mildest one is definitely the venison meatballs with marinara sauce with pappardelle & shaved parmesan. I would've guessed veal if I tasted these meatballs blind, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, considering the herbs & spices in the meatballs themselves and the vibrant tomato sauce. And overall, this was a hearty and satisfying course, but if you are looking for more of an "Oh, deer!" factor - I'd vye for one of the three below.

Such as the venison chili con carne - given how spice-heavy this was I thought the venison-ness of this would be pretty mellow too, but the meat's gamey flavor and leaner texture does shine through here since venison steak chunks (as opposed to grounded up in the meatballs) is used. While the menu disclaimed this was 'spicy' - for me it was totally tolerable amount of heat, more of a 4 or 5 on a 1 to 10 scale.

If you are looking for a distinct venison flavor, go for the Texas-spiced venison burger. Yes, the meat is grounded up, but it's a whole big solid patty of it that really let its flavor and texture (that I place as a hybrid of bison & lamb) shine through. Of course, you can always pick apart the burger to taste the venison alone, but I personally loved its accompaniments of peppery, crunchy arugula, mildly-hot pepper jack cheese, the sweet-and-hot combo of spicy mayo and red pepper chutney, and of course, the crispy fattiness of thick-cut bacon. (Note that these were special slider versions served at this particular media dinner, on a regular order it would just be one normal-sized burger.)

And for those gung-ho about tasting deer in all its glory, go for the roasted venison tenderloin with blueberry peppercorn sauce. If you don't care for fruity sauces on your meat dishes, you might want to ask for it on the side, but I had no problem with it drizzled on top, the berries and peppers added a playful complexity and balance to the venison slices. Combine that with the haricots verts, mushrooms and chestnut puree and you got quite a forest-themed main course on your plate.

And at the server's suggestion, for all these deery dishes we shared "The Ball Buster", a 2009 Australian Red Blend from Tait Wines that proved to bold enough to hold up to more spice-heavy courses, but with a fruit-forwardness and soft-enough tannins that makes it sippable on its own too.

Also surprising is the number of "hard coffee" drinks they have on their menu (always a fond reminder of my days on the East Coast, where these are more prominent -- presumably so people can warm up and get buzzed in two different ways!) The Cafe L'Orange I got was just citrusy & liquored enough to add a delightful zing to the coffee without compromising its smoothness (unlike say... poorly made Irish coffees that just uber-bitter and burns going down the throat.)

Finally, no worries if deer isn't your thing -- their regular menu is still available for your dining pleasure. If nothing else, their all-night happy hour is worth a checkout too.

For other takes on the Venison Fair, check out the posts by my dining compadres that evening: TreasureLA & Savory Hunter. 


Chaya Venice 
110 Navy Street (cross: Main St)
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 396-1179
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Eat and Drink Great for Less (or Just Eat and Drink More): My Faves to Check for Deals

'cause steals like getting around $40 worth of delicious food for $12 at Roy's only happens so often...

In times like these, everyone's looking for a good deal whereever they can. Of course an indulgence like dining out is no exception, which is probably why the restaurant weeks of OC and dineLA became so popular that many participating restaurants decided to extend another week. But what to do for the rest of the year?

Not one with a plushy bank accounts or meals I can just expense away, I try to keep an eye out for good dining and drinking deals around town too, but it is a Sisyphean task to keep track of which restaurant's night of the week will feature free corkage, prix-fixe specials, etc. or what time and days bars have their happy hours or the limited time specials where mentioning this or that will get you a free drink, appetizer, dessert or whatever.

And almost as much as I love saving money (and be able to eat more meals) I love to keep things simple, so here's a few sites that offer great deals to the city's eats minus all that research-related stress.

Newly debuted BlackboardEats, offering "unreal deals at the best restaurants," is one of my favorite recent finds. About once or twice a week, they send their members e-mails of their specials at some of LA's eating hotspots, which members can then sign up for (and you can even have the special deal-landing code sent to your phones to save the printer ink, not to mention the "where's that coupon?" conundrum when the check arrives.) Recent specials included a free salumi & formaggi plate at Cube, 30% off the bill at Joe's Restaurant and a free appetizer with a burger order at 8 oz. Be sure to check their "Side Dish" sidebar on the site too, which highlights some recurring specials going on at neighborhood restaurants.

If you don't mind committing a credit card to a special, GrouponLA has also got some nice hookups to fun to-dines in town. A few times a week, they e-mail members about a limited-time "GroupOn" (a portmonteau of Group and Coupon, btw) that requires a certain number of members to participate to activate. This is usually offered as a gift certificate sold at a fraction of face value, such as $35 at Orris for only $20, or $70 for $35 at the Foundry on Melrose. And it's not restricted to just dining/drinking deals either, they got some pretty swank GroupOns to shops and events around town too! Of course, if the GroupOn doesn't get the requisite number of sign-ups, it's a no-go (and no charge to your card, either) though that had never been a problem with the GroupOns I get. So log on and get your GROUPON!

And of course, good ole' Goldstar - again, not strictly food-related, but they generally offer ~50% discounts to some of the hottest events around town, many of which do involve food and drinks. On top of tastings such as The Food Event, there are also the likes of murder mystery dinners and neighborhood exploration tastings. And of course, lots of concerts, live performances and shows too -- some even for free (+ a nominal service charge.) So sign up and get a gold star on your budget for all that you're gonna save.

(Disclosure: yes, I get a referral fee if you use the GrouponLA and Goldstar signup links in this post -- but both are services I use regularly and maybe even too frequently, and I was going to endorse them anyways before finding out about their referral programs; obviously, your support is much appreciated!)

And last but certainly not least, if you feel like scanning for deals that you don't necessarily want to commit to:

Eater LA's dealfeed has a great rundown of specials going on all over town

FoodGPS have an extensive Weekly Food & Drink calendar that highlights specials going on every day of the week

And LA Decostified has some super food & drink deals, including many freebies

Of course, for the above listings it's always wise to call the place and confirm first (esp. for the older postings.) If you know of other great sites and blogs for food/drink deals -- feel free to comment or e-mail to let me know!

Special Foodventure #119: Jitlada (Hollywood)

Thanks to an invite from Mattatouille, I was able to check out the L.A. (possibly U.S.) gold standard of Thai food in late March, Jitlada, for free! After doing a little homework and reading up on them, I knew I was in for a foodventurous treat -- provided my tastebuds don't get seared to a crisp.

Situated on the southern edge of Thai town on Sunset between Normandie and Western, from the outside Jitlada looks like a very typical, and very packed, Thai restaurant. Cloth-covered tables topped with a glass pane, lots of gold embellishments and assorted Buddhist-centric items (yes, including the waft of the incense.)

Not-so-usual was the menu, particularly the last pages with there were over a hundred items listed under the "Southern Thai Specialty" category (apparently, this was a step up from years past -- when this part of the menu was just written in Thai, and had way fewer dishes -- and only natives or the curious would get to taste.)

Now should folks be so inclined, there is the "regular" menu with more familiar and ubiquitous (insert color) curry, pad thais and pad see ews, but truly appreciate what this place has to offer, you gotta talk the owner, Jazz, and just trust the dishes she suggest. On our excursion, that's certainly what we did and our meal was nothing short of spectacular.

Practically every course Jazz dished out was a delight, with a vibrant explosion of assorted aromas, flavors and textures that's wonderfully layered upon one another. It's hard to pick out one favorite dish because many of them are uniquely tasty, but here's some of the highlights for me:

- Fried-morning glory and shrimp salad: It took me a while to figure out whether "morning glory" was a descriptor or actual ingredient in the dish (turns out it's the latter.) Nonetheless, this simple starter was bright, fresh and beautifully balanced, combining crunchy greens, plump shrimp and lightly-fried morning glory with a dressing that's a little spicy, a little sour, a little sweet and plenty intriguing and addictive.

- New Zealand mussels in Thai-style broth: despite how I feel about foods shipped from far away, these mussels were totally worth the carbon footprint. Tender-yet-meaty minus any of that off-flavor I get with substandard mussels, it was wonderfully enhanced by the light broth, with a subtle bouquet of ginger, basil, lemongrass binded the warmth of chilies.

- Deep-fried soft-shelled crab with sweet mango salad - who knew it would be so good to be burned. This deceptive little number starts out sweet, fruity and crunchy -- but rapidly gave way to a wave of spiciness that left me going OMGWTFMYMOUTHISONFIRE!!! (kudos to Food, She Thought - who was there on a separate visit - for inspiring this very accurate, if non-journalistic, description) A good ten minutes, two cups of iced water and nearly a full glass of Thai iced tea later (i.e. an eternity in hell) the heat finally dissipated. Not sure if it was the rush of endorphins following the capsaicin attack, but I was left pleasantly numb, and almost wouldn't mind if this was the only dish served in hell. Almost.

- "Pork Jerky," slightly chewy, fairly savory and plenty caramelized. While the flavor profile it didn't ring particularly Thai to me (especially after the other dishes that wildly darted all over my palate) it was a very comforting bite ~ reminiscent of the Chinese/Taiwanese-style fried pork chops, only more finger friendly.

Overall, it was certainly a lovely adventure discovering new dishes, expanding my palate and, of course, enjoying great company (other dinner companions included Choisauce, Food Marathon, and Scoops' owner Tai Kim) in a casual, relaxed setting. It may not have the uppity-fine-dining panache that's typical of other LATimes reviewed places (which only gave this place a paltry two stars recently) but it's definitely a must-try-if-you-are-in-LA in my book.

More photos of other courses here, and of course, here's what a few others have to say about their Jitlada trip:
- Of course, Mattatouille's glowing post and full rundown of every dish
- Sinosoul is utterly addicted to the scoville smackdown here
- EatingLA braved this place on a packed weekend, but still mostly enjoyed the dinner
- FoodGPS havs some great notes on this place's history and rise to stardom

Jitlada
5233 1/2 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(213) 667-9809
*P.S. Reservations highly recommended, heard it's packed even on weekdays!

Being a Sugar Junked Out Judge at the Cupcake Challenge

When Dan Silberstein, the man behind Drink.Eat.Play, invited me to judge the sold-out 2009 Cupcake Challenge today - my 'yes' reply was almost immediate. Even if cupcakes aren't my preferred form of desserts (more of a chocolate, pastry and pie person myself,) it's still sugar -- and my sweet-tooth-driven body of Congress voted almost unanimously (pancreas held out like Jeannette Rankin.)

With approximately 18 LA/OC cupcakeries representing and over 30 varieties being served, it's a nice event for cupcake lovers to compare the various names in the city and decide on their favorite without having to do all the driving around town.

Of course, as with any tasting event -- it's a no-brainer to arrive early and beat the crowds and potential lines, though that wasn't a particular issue here, all the tables were pretty prepared to dish out their cupcakes to the onslaught of sugar seekers.

Thankfully, I got to check out the event venue half an hour before the official start time and had a chance to snap shots of almost every booth before they're pounced upon. (My flickr set of the setup and showdown here.)

The event itself flowed pretty smoothly, tables were regularly bussed and thankfully there was no shortage of fluids to cleanse the palate and wash the cakes down. Should one be so inclined, beer, wine and a few select themed cocktails are available to order from the bar.

As for the tasting/judging itself, I try to base my opinion on taste and presentation, but found myself having a few pet peeves.

- please please please don't bring regular-size cupcakes; I already feel guilty-wasteful enough for just eating one out of two bites in a mini cupcake, let alone a 10-15 bite version. Thankfully, I was able to split the larger ones with fellow judge Lindsay from the LAist, but a lot still wound up on the plate and eventually, the garbage can.

- figured I didn't care much for major crunches in cupcakes; subtle texture changes like toasted coconuts or slivered almonds are OK -- but harder stuff such as candy sprinkles just makes the overall cake seem sandy-gritty and unappetizing. Just realized how old that made me sound, watch next year I'll demand my cupcakes to be strained, pureed, and partly-digested before I can enjoy them.

- noticed some cupcakes are less hand-friendly than others, which kind of defeats their original purpose -- to be portable, no-utensils-needed dessert on-the-go.

That being said, I was impressed by the creativity in presentation and flavors in many of the bakeries and ultimately, I had a hard time picking out my 1st / 2nd / 3rd places in traditional / original / overall categories, but here are a few outstanding ones:

I was floored by the lemon-blueberry-mascarpone version made by the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel itself (where the event was held at); the blueberry sauce did make it less finger-friendly, but I just love the lightness of the lemon chiffon cake and the flavorful but not-too-sweet frosting and sauce. Now, would this be actually available post-Challenge at the hotel?

I loved both the "traditional" raspberry red velvet and white chocolate macadamia cupcakes at Two Parts Sugar. The former features a wonderful juxtaposition between the bright, almost-tart raspberry and the rich, sweet cream cheese frosting (great since I find most red velvets too sweet) and the latter taste like a cakier version of my favorite cookie.

Oinkster/BoHo's chocolate brioche bread pudding cupcake also stood out for me since it was more like a bread pudding in cupcake shape; moister and denser than the average cake and I love the rich chocolate flavor too.

Don't be too worried about my sway, this year, the judges' votes only count as five regular votes, and given the hundreds of peeps there - I'm more like a loose-cannon, wildcard superdelegate that's not worth the time or energy in appealing to.

Nonetheless, it was a worthwhile experience not only tasting all these carb-laden treats but to meet the passionate, enthusiastic faces behind the bakeries as well as fellow foodie media folks When Tara Met Blog, Happy Go Marni and Elina Shatkin from LA Times. Results weren't ready yet Update: Winners have been announced! They are:

Best Traditional:
1st: Susie Cakes: Red Velvet
2nd: Two Parts Sugar: Raspberry Red Velvet
3rd: Blue Cupcake: Chocolate

Best Original:
1st: Polkatots: Dulce De Leche
2nd: Sugar Jones: Blackberries and Cream
3rd: Southern Girl: Sweet Potato Pie

Best Overall:
1st: Polkatots: Dulce De Leche
2nd: Sugar Jones: Blackberries and Cream
3rd: Sugar Jones: Casanova's Kiss

For everyone else, looking forward to your comeback next time! But not too soon, Jeannette is quite the vocal one...

Friday Quickies #42: Wrapping Up 2008 and Early 2009 Deals

Given the events that took place over the last 12 months, 2008 is definitely a year I have mixed feelings about; but foodwise I am definitely thankful and blessed to be able to taste so many more places, meet and reconnect with wonderful faces, and learn a whole lot more about all that I consume.

And of course, what is a new year without some resolutions? I won't bore you with the entire list and explanation since it's pretty typical list (eat healthier, be more explorative and open-minded with foods and drinks, improve my photo/writing skills, etc.) but it's definitely stuff I'll try to work on. And hopefully, this year I can overcome the summer blogging lags/fatigues that I've had in the previous two years.

Year in Eater series: After all is said and done, what are the local eats that are in everyone's minds? From the most memorable meal to biggest dining surprises and neighborhoody trends, Eater LA has a nice little series with responses from big timers like LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold to chefs like the Animal's co-owners Vinny and Jon to even humble bloggers like me. A nice reflection on the year that was.

Early 2009 Deals: With everyone's purses and wallets still cinched tight, eateries and bars are still strong on the specials -- a few that are on my radar include:

--- blue on blue's New Year Special: from now till January 9, pop in with their facebook page print-out (or display on your phone/PDA) and you'll get drink specials with pricetag corresponding to that day (example, $2 today for Jan. 2nd, $3 tomorrow, and so forth...) from 3 to 7 p.m. Oddly enough, everyone has to order at least 2 (and at most 4) drinks for this special but hey, sounds like a steal esp. early on given their regular prices are more in the $12-16 range. Thanks to LATime's Daily Dish blog for dropping the word on this one. (Update, Caroline on Crack posted the original release -- you may have to prove yourself be a facebook fan to land the deal; but nothing really prevents you from de-fanning afterwards...)

-- Newport Beach Restaurant Week: from January 18-22, prix-fixe menus with $15/20 lunches or $20/35 dinners. Though menus have yet to be posted, there are few places on the participating list that interests me include Bluewater Grill and the Palm Terrace restaurant, or maybe even a revisit to Sage or Tradition by Pascal.

And of course, DineLA Restaurant Weeks during last week of January and first week of February. I'll have a more extensive post on my planned course of attack soon; some posts on last year's DineLA meals here and if any of you is interested in joining me, feel free to drop a word :)

Special Foodventure #95: Full of Bull Event at Breadbar (Los Angeles / Mid-City)

In my foodventures with others, I've learned that most foodie folks can be divided into ethnic purists and fusion thrillseekers, I tend to think of myself as falling in the latter camp -- even though I've appreciated many an authentic cultural meal, I also love it when the kitchen get creative and blends different influences together for something distinctively unique. Why not take the best of both (or more) worlds?

And that's what I had in mind when I booked myself for Breadbar's CRUSH event, where Adam Sobel of Full Belly Group (who had cheffed at Vegas' Guy Savoy and Bradley Ogden, among others) put together a special $55 menu showcasing global street food with influences from all over with dishes like marinated bay scallops with young coconut and kaffir lime vodka (I presume Hangar One?), liquid center potato gnocchi with fontina cheese and chanterelle mushrooms, and a curiosity-beckoning pineapple in all forms.

Alas, that wasn't meant to be -- since the day I was available to swing by Breadbar, they decided to showcase his other restaurant concept, Full of Bull, a more casual-Americana restaurant showcasing roast beef, burgers and other diner fare with a Sobel signature. I was slightly disappointed, but also considerably pleased that the meal will now be $20/person and there's no corkage.

Arriving a little earlier than my dining compadres, including newly born foodblogger behind Binary Tastebuds, I decided to take advantage of the just-informed no-corkage policy and headed two blocks down to pick out something go with. Daniela, Breadbar's marketing star, suggested beer (obvious) or a more eclectic pairing with sparkling wine. So that's exactly what I picked out -- an affordable bottle of Blanquette de Limoux from the southwestern region of France.

It was not bad, good citrus and apple notes with some distinct flinty mineral characters, as if a Chablis had intermingled with a sauvignon blanc. Alas, it was better as an opener or a palate cleanser than something to pair sandwiches and fries with -- but definitely an interesting wine I'd consider checking out again.

So my two friends arrived and the waitstaff wasted no time getting us started, beginning with steak fries. Thinner than most other steak fries I've encountered but considerably more flavorful (would love to find out what seasoning salt mix were used on these), these fries were pretty good though I wished they were a little crispier, these had a slight limpness suggesting that they weren't fresh out of the fryer.

While we were still noshing off our large bowl of fries, the waitress delivered the trio of small sandwiches, which were somewhere between the size of the average slider and the McDonald's hamburger.

The first one I tried was the Original: thinly-shaved rare roast beef with their F.O.B. famous sauce on an onion Kaiser roll. One bite of this succulent sandwich and I'm glad this event didn't take place during Lent - rich beefy flavor (and I believe it was dipped in au jus to further sharpen that) and meltingly-tender. The sauce, which tasted like a subtle thousand island dressing with a horseradishy zip, and the onion roll were good complement to the roast beef, taking the edge of the savoriness which may have resulted into a sodium overkill otherwise.

Next up, the No Bull: slow roasted turkey with crispy turkey skin and garlic mashed potatoes on onion Kaiser. I am not sure what Adam did to the turkey skin, but that definitely made this sandwich the star of the meal. While it's not particularly crispy, the skin possessed a bacon-like, fatty quality that really binded the flavors of the delightfully-moist turkey meat, the garlicky (but not overly so) taters, the peppery seasoning and the bun.

Lastly, Adam's Fish Sandwich: with a guiness battered fish with cheddar and mayo and lettuce. This one didn't turn out so well. On top of being not crispy (though that may have been because we had this last), it was a clash of overwhelming tastes from the oniony tartar sauce, the sharp cheddar and the pointedly pungent fish, the combo of which left a unpleasant, lingering aftertaste lasting well after the final bite. But hey, two great sandwiches out of three ain't bad -- and in crystal-clear hindsight, I really should've eaten the fried sandwich first.

We also had soda floats, available in root beer, orange cream or vanilla cream, which Adam brought out. The floats were decent, but the conversation was definitely golden as we chatted about his experiences and his upcoming plans, which includes a Full of Bull eatery opening up off the strip in Vegas (close to Firefly on Paradise,) and hopefully seeing his CRUSH conception coming into fruition (and he's open to having this either in the City of Angels or Sin.) So far, both his concepts sounds solid, the execution just needs a little tweaking (particularly the fish sandwich) and I can definitely see great things coming from this rising young chef. And I'll raise a sparkling Limoux toast to that, while eagerly awaiting for my next fusion thrillseeking foodventure.

For my friend's fantastic and humorous take on the same meal, click here; and also here for my other foodventure, a chocolate tasting menu, at the Century City Breadbar.

Breadbar
8718 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
310.205.0124
http://www.breadbar.net

Coffee Talk with Author of "God in a Cup" and Book Giveaway!

One of funnest aspects of being a food and drink blogger is all the doors that have opened and the people I am able to connect with, and all the wonderful conversation we can carry on and the things we can learn from each other. Case in point, my brunch and discussion last week with Michaele (pronounced "Michael") Weissman, author of "God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee," a wonderful book about specialty coffee owners (think Intelligensia, LA Mill, etc.) and their quest to find that flawless brew -- whether it means traveling to isolated villages in Africa and Central America to negotiate with directly with farmers, holding cupping ceremonies for hours at a stretch to evaluate 60+ samples for the best brew and, of course, getting the best equipment (yes, the Clover machine was mentioned) to extract the purest flavors.

Being a daily caffeine addict and an enthusiast of good coffee in general, it was great to talk to Michaele about coffee culture, trends she has seen and coffee-related travels she's experienced (her drinkventures make mine look paler than an espresso-free latte). And of course, I am thankful to her and her publicist (a similarly named Michael Weisberg -- yes, I was confuzzled a bit in my correspondence) for generously providing me with a copy of the book (a gift I will pass along, see end of post). Here's some of the highlights of our discussion:

Given the focus of my blog, we started off talking about local coffee culture, to which she replied that, "I think L.A.'s coffee culture is fascinating, like the cuisine, it's always putting on new hats, happily explorative and very image-oriented," noting how that's reflected not only in the drinks themselves but the design and aesthetics of the coffee houses and even in how the employees and regulars project themselves (I particularly loved the skinny, androgynous hipster image that she painted of the typical indie Angeleno barista and clientele). She also loved Los Angeles' low-rise retail scene, and independent coffee shops fit beautifully into the boutique, boho-chic atmosphere in neighborhoods such as Venice and Silver Lake, where the populace is sophisticated with their tastebuds but casual with their vibe.

What specialty coffee purveyors are looking for: "There's over 60 countries circling the equator that coffee can grow in, so that are many relatively unexplored regions that can yield really wonderful coffee such as Peru, Rwanda and Burundi and even Indonesia" And Michaele notes that while the coffee buyers are definitely keeping an eye out for the next Hacienda la Esmeralda, they are mostly looking for farms that consistently produces high-quality beans to sell directly or incorporate into their blends.

Speaking of coffees like the Hacienda (which fetches $150 a pound, or $22 for a 16 oz. cup at the local Intelligentsia), what gives?: Michaele notes the high prices are due to a combination of factors, from the high quality of the beans (in cupping competitions/ceremonies it consistently holds an unheard of mid-90s out of a 100), the limited quantity produced due to size of the farms, a dash of good marketing, and ultimately -- supply and demand as specialty coffee buyers auction bid to snap up the best of the best.

What does she see in the future for coffee?: Michaele notes that with the current economy the specialty coffee sector will definitely be challenging, but hopes the three companies she profiled and followed in her book (Intelligentsia, Stumptown and Counter Culture) weathers it through. As for further down the line, she really hopes that the restaurant market picks up on the craft of serving fine coffees at restaurants as well. "Too often, coffee is an afterthought at eateries, and that's a pity." She's not necessarily advocating for coffee-paired menus or even a selection of brewed coffees, but that the coffees are least serve with the same care as other beverages. Just like one wouldn't let a wine sit out in the open air, one shouldn't have coffee continually burning and losing flavors in the auto-drip maker.

And for making good coffee at home, her advice rang loud and clear: "Get rid of that automatic coffee maker and invest in a good bean grinder instead!" noting that auto-drips usually don't get the water hot enough and that the burner plate, obviously, ruins the coffee flavors; with a cheapy manual coffee maker that costs as little as $6, you have much better control of the water temperature and the extraction process -- yielding a better cup. As for bean grinders, lower-quality ones tend to be inconsistent, making some grounds that are too coarse and fine that consequently gets under- and over-extracted and again, producing off-flavors in the final brew. Other tips are pretty obvious, such as using beans and especially grounds quickly and buying from a quality source. Finally, Michaele notes (and I agree) that one doesn't have to spend a lot for good coffee, specialty purveyors sell great-tasting blends and even single-origins at around $12-15 a pound, which is comparable to what the national chains are selling at.

And so, as we finished the last of our German apple pancakes and weisswurst at 3 Square Café (along with a cup of deep, smoky Meinl coffee from Austria), I asked her for a must-try coffee in L.A. After a few feeler questions to see what I like in food and drinks, she pointed me to try the Clover-brewed Esmeralda at L.A. Mill ~ so after dropping her at the airport, that's exactly what I did.

A little more learned and a lot more curious and aware of the nuances, I definitely enjoyed this $5 cup. Very smooth and citrusy, a little floral and almost tea-like in bouquet and a rounded body, and definitely none of that burnt, bitter, super-acid taste of the standard office (and even sub-par diner) coffees. A beautiful brew indeed.

"God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee" is out and available right now at all the major bookstores -- great for the coffee-lover in you or any that you know. To find out more about her coffee adventures, check out her God in a Cup of Coffee blog here.

And also, I also have one gently-read, signed copy to give away! If you are interested in receiving it, leave a comment and I'll draw a name / spin a carrot / roll a D&D die around noon Pacific Time Thursday, December 18.

Special Foodventure #89: Jungle Food Marathon (LA&OC)

The foodventure this past Saturday was truly a food adventure, with eight food lovers and me trekking over thirty miles to dine on "exotic jungle cuisine" throughout the day. Since there were six other foodbloggers taking meticulous notes, providing insightful commentary and snapping vivid shots (what I call a 'photo gangbang', with multiple cameras aiming at the same dish simultaneously), I will avoid my usual blow-by-blow coverage only gloss over our five-stop jungle journey.

Our original first stop for Nigerian/West African cuisine was Saaris, which Man Bites World checked out for his Nigerian Day. Unfortunately, we discovered that place closed so we detoured to nearby Nkechi African Café, which offered similar foods. The restaurant was totally empty and relaxed looking, and frankly I think we scared the sole front-of-house staffer there when nine of us (none of us African-American) bursted into this otherwise empty restaurant. Nonetheless he was friendly and accommodating despite the fact that we're sharing only one beverage and three dishes: first came the fermented palm juice/wine emu, with a slightly offputting smell (a hybrid of freshly-mowed-lawn and milk-just-turned-sour) but tasted considerably more pleasant: a little green, somewhat yogurty. Then came jollof rice with "mixed meats" that was the most palatable and familiar of all our orders, with the chicken-y meat (clichéd, I know) on top of a bed of tomato fried rice and a side of fried plantains.

Then we also had the egusi soup with goat meat (pictured above) and ogbono soup with fish (below), both accompanied by large balls of starch -- a cassava-derived fu fu for one and a made-from-yam eba. Both stews were frankly hard to pin down in terms of words, particularly the ogbono, which tasted like "a rubber ball" and had the slithery viscosity "of a loogey" while the "mealy" egusi had "blue cheesey notes" and depending on your take, looks either like a tikka masala curry or vomit. Food Marathon and Teenage Glutster, ever the culturally sensitive epicurean diplomats, just noted that we had tried some very "distinct" and "intense" dishes that were very "authentic". My car mates definitely can agree to the distinction and intensity while ravenously sucking down the breathmints I brought along (and still commenting their breaths smell like rubber hours later).

But despite its off-putting flavors, it did lead us into some thoughtful discourse about the cultural relativism of food and how it should taste... one of us even pointed an example of a friend who tried to spice up some otherwise super-bland foods in Uganda, only to find that the natives hated the extra flavoring. So it gave me a greater appreciation and open-mindness on trying ethnic cuisines, even if I personally don't care for how they tasted -- and I had multiple servings of egusi and ogbono in me to attest to that.

Next stop, the more innocuous El Rocoto for less intimidating Peruvian foods, though we were still fairly daring and ordered their more-exotic dishes, a cau cau (beef tripe stew) and a seco de cordero (cilantro-lime lamb stew) combo plate (pictured below) along with saltado de mariscos (assorted seafood sautéed with onions, tomatoes and potatoes over rice), a ceviche mixto and, paying homage to their Peruvian-Chinese portion of the menu, a pollo enrollado (chicken rolled up with pork, shrimp and asparagus served with veggies in a brown sauce). The waitress at first was surprised at how little our group of nine ordered, but I think her eyes even bugged out more when she found out about our four-and-a-half stops food journey.

In short, the dishes here are a lot less "distinctive" than Nkechi's, and I think the group had a collective sigh of relief at that. All the flavors and textures we expected from the respective dishes were there, everything was a nice balance of savory, spicy, salty and meaty though I was a bit weirded out by the chicken, whose pounded-and-rolled-up mouthfeel reminded me of surimi. We all also liked the complimentary red and green salsas a lot, which had a contrasting spicy-hot and mellow-cool effect.

Next came Cambodian, and we drove to Siem Reap Asian Cuisine for that (Asian because it also offers Chinese and Thai Food). Thanks to a easy-to-read picture menu and Teenage Glutster's advice, we were able to order the authentically Cambodian dishes including beef lak lak, fish and baby shrimp hot-n-sour soup, Cambodian pork curry, Cambodian fish paste, beef and anchovy salad (pictured below) and a sadao leaves and fish salad along with tastings of fresh young coconut juice & meat and durian and jackfruit shakes (whose orders got mixed up, resulting some funny moments "that's the mildest durian shake I've ever had, I guess I don't hate it that much anymore!" followed shortly by "wait, this jackfruit shake . . . tasted like sewage!") And for the record, I'm only mildly uncomfortable with durian's smell, enough so that I won't order it for myself, but will taste others' if they do get it.

The dishes here were mixed in terms of gnarlyness, from the familiar lak lak tasting like sautéed cubed steak and the mellow, comforting fish soup typical of Chinese restaurants to the strange and hard-to-describe fish paste and the very bitter sadao leaves salad, the latter of which led us into a discussion of who's a supertaster. But the wait staff here is very friendly, bordering on pushy . . . I felt bad for Mattatouille who had to decline the waitress' multiple offers of white rice refills (a big no no in food marathons) and at least once with his mouth full. But everyone came out of this stop slightly amused -- the staff at our photo gangbangs, us at the Cambodian Pop karaoke music videos, highlighting the very best of choreography, fashion and hairstyles from the 80s (thanks to Food Destination for finding this).

Our final full meal stop was at Quan Hop in Westminster, a more upscale, refined Vietnamese where we were assured the portions would be small, even though we abandoned the "% of stomach full" test in favor of the "how many double doubles can you still eat at In 'n Out?" for gauging fullness.

While they have the ubiquitous pho (made with filet mignon here), the specialty here are their various Hue cuisine dishes, which has an emphasis on delicate-yet-complex flavors and careful presentation. For our last meal, we dined on regular and vegetarian banh beos (small bowls of glutinous rice paste topped with small bits of meats and vegetables) banh hoi thit nuong (lacey flat cakes made from rice noodles served with marinated-grilled pork with assorted fresh vegetables and its own dipping sauce) banh it ram (pictured below) (partially fried glutinous rice flour dumplings stuffed with shrimp, pork and mushrooms) tu tiu hop dai (cooked, dried rice noodles with with aromatic herbs, pork slices and shrimp) and goi cuon nem nuong lu (rice sheet spring rolls with shrimp cakes and assorted veggies and herbs) and jackfruit salad (pictured above), almost all of which came with their own fragrant, refined sauces for dipping/mixing.

In most of these dishes, the pasta acted like the canvas and the sauces were like the base coat for a vibrant painting of all the vivid flavors and textures in the respective courses from the aromas of the herbs to the crunch of the vegetables and the savoriness of the meats against rice flour backdrop and the sauce binding it all together in harmony. Everything definitely tasted as great as it looked, but we couldn't say the same for service. Multiple requests (for utensils, water) got ignored, we had a missing dish and also got a wrong dish, followed by the staff's insistence that we did order it. It was just slightly annoying.

Concluding our excursion was a stop at a Vietnamese mini-mart Nuoc Mia Vien Tay, where they serve freshly-squeezed sugar cane juices with kumquats mixed in. Not being a fan of the wheatgrassy taste that plain sugarcane juice tends to have, I was skeptical when ordering but quickly converted with my first sip. The kumquats definitely changed the flavor profile here -- it tasted more like a fresh tangerine smoothie than anything else! An absolutely delightful way to end the day.

Despite the ups and downs we had in our various eats, it was definitely a wonderful Saturday spent in the company of open-minded, good-humored food enthusiasts, and by the day's end we are already planning another two food marathons in the coming months. I'm already looking forward to that, though like any good athlete I probably need some recovery time before doing another run.

DigLounge, Food Destination and Food Marathon have already posted on this foodventure, others who partook included Mattatouille, Teenage Glutster and Gourmet Pigs so keep an eye out for their posts too! For more of my photos of this foodventure, check out my flickr set.

Nkechi African Cafe
2912 W Century Blvd
Inglewood, CA 90303
323.834.1704


El Rocoto
1356 W Artesia Blvd
Gardena, CA 90248
310.768.8768


Siem Reap Asian Cuisine
1810 E. Anaheim St
Long Beach, CA 90813
562.591.7414


Quan Hop
15640 Brookhurst St
Westminster, CA
714.689.0555


Nuoc Mia Vien Tay
14370 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA‎
714.531.9801

Special Foodventure #88: Tradition by Pascal (Newport Beach)

With Thanksgiving around the corner, there's no better time to post about some grateful experiences I've had recently, one of which is being invited to check out dinner, for free save for tipping, at Tradition by Pascal (yes, the same place that Man Bites World's Noah checked out for his France Day, except I didn't have a camera crew following me around -- for better or for worse). It all came together pretty quickly, one moment I was reading a press release about a media dinner that I couldn't make due to conflicting schedules and the next, *poof*, an invite to Pascal's, literally days after I read Noah's post. After reading about that gorgeous experience and seeing all the lovely food photos, how can I refuse? After a few more email tagging, my plus one and I settled on checking them out in early November.

Thankfully, we planned on an early arrival because we wound up needing that extra time backtracking and finding our way to the restaurant. It's not terribly hard to find, but street it's on is kind of easy to miss. Nonetheless, we got there just in time. Phew.

I checked their menu online and for a place that serves such traditional French fare, I'm pleasantly surprised that it's a fairly casual atmosphere (though a slight dressing-up, esp. for Californian standards, is in order). The mood is pretty relaxed but still elegant, like a mix between a bistro and someone's living room/den converted for a dinner party.

Chef Pascal Olhats came out to greet us and asked us what we'd like to try. Being novice to traditional French foods and not allergic to anything, we decided to let him choose our courses for us. And with a knowing, ingenius smile and nod, he soon headed back into the kitchen. Meanwhile, the bread service arrived.

I don't really make a point of blogging about bread, but I found the spread most interesting. It's a chunky, garlicky eggplant spread that reminds me of a cross between salsa verde and baba ghanouj. Definitely an eclectic spin from the traditional butter.

About ten minutes later, the floor manager/sommelier came over and poured our first wines - a light, minerally Pinot Gris - followed by the waiter come out with the first courses, mussels in a white wine broth with shallots and tomatoes. As I've noted before, I'm a particularly hard sell with mussels, but these definitely passed my muster. Very clean and fresh tasting, and the broth was wonderfully aromatic and not too wine-y, which tends to happen in this preparation. Delicious enough for me to take some bread to soak up the extra broth!

Alongside the mussels came the escargot in garlic butter with a pesto topping. After all the mussel prying and plucking, I'm glad these came already out of the shell (or I might have a Pretty Woman re-enactment). The escargots tasted pretty good, meaty but not gummy, and the sauce sealed the deal; hard to go wrong with the crunchy pine nuts and the fragrant garlic and basil butteryness. And though the pinot gris wine went with the mussels considerably better since the escargots were considerably heavier and richer, but it still worked OK here.

Next came a duo-color beet salad with lemon-flavored goat cheese, roasted hazelnuts, microgreens and some well-aged balsamic vinegar (I guesstimate at least 10 years, given the syrup-like viscosity). It tasted as colorful as it looked and worked on a few levels, with the contrast-yet-balance of the different flavors and textures, from the sweetness of the beets to the tangy goat cheese and the crunchy nuts with the balsamic binding everything together. And it's so simple it lets the natural, fresh flavors come through (and I'm definitely going to try to emulate this for a future potluck.)

Alongside the beets is the seared foie gras with poached fruit. My friend, tasting foie gras for the first time, practically moaned eating this, and I agreed it was one of the better specimens I've had. It had firmness, texture and flavor before practically dissolving into fatty richness in your mouth (To quote the articulate OC foodblogger Elmomonster by way of Fifth Deadly Sin, who also dined here before, "The pleasure of eating foie gras is sanguineous and carnal. It's like pornography for the palate, and you feel naughty for loving it.") So true...

The fruit (pear? nectarine?) mixed well with the foie gras juices and this time it was my friend who was sopping up the liquid with the bread. (and it was also here that my French amateurism came through, totally unaware that foie gras' natural wine pairing is a Sauternes, which, like everything else, made sense in hindsight; rich heavy dish, rich heavy wine whose honey-fruity flavors blends well with the poached fruit).

Luckily I redeemed myself somewhat when a Napa fume blanc is poured next and already can tell that some seafood dish is coming (OK, not *that* amazing a guess, but definitely an improvement compared to my earlier wine-food faux pas). Sure enough, we were served a pan-roasted whitefish filet with a tomato beurre blanc and a tomato-herb risotto with capers. An interesting take on the more classic lemon-butter preparation, but still the same idea with the acid making the sauce less heavy and complementing the flaky fish with the crispy skin and the briny capers gave it a nice little extra zing too. The risotto here is well-made and creamy, though personally I like my risotto a little bit firmer.

We were both getting pretty full, but I know there's at least another round of savory courses since land meats have yet to made a presence. As if on cue, a pinot noir is poured and a plate of sliced, roasted duck is served. I can't quite ID the sauce but it's a wonderful sweet-savory combo that blends well with the succulent, flavorful meat. I actually commented to the waiter about how the duck tasted "ducky" and he kind of freaked out, which made me embarassed since I meant it in a good way (like beefier beef, as opposed to fishy fish -- if that made any sense) but I guess I should've been more articulate. Though in my defense, we were on our fourth glass of wine.

Accompanying the duck is the rabbit stew with wild mushrooms and a side of roasted potatoes. And at the risk of being clichéd, it tasted like a blend of chicken and lean pork with a little gameyness, but the sauce of mushroom, wine and some sort of truffle (oil? essence? maybe even actual flakes?) made it work. The colorful taters were tasty too.

Alas, given all we have eaten and as delicious as these dishes were, we couldn't finish the bugs 'n daffy. But we did make pretty good work on them by the time they were bussed away.

Of course, me being me, I couldn't refuse desserts and we're in for some pretty special sweet treats as we were served coffee and a glass of 20 yr old port (which I could sniff all day, it smelled wonderfully of butterscotch, pecan pie and rich vanilla!)

First up is the chocolate-chestnut torte, with whole pieces of chestnuts nestled within! It was dark and intense, but the lighter texture of the chestnuts made the dish less heavy and rich, so we had little guilt spooning to the very last bite.

Alongside that is lavender creme brulee in a little pumpkin; so cute! Like mussels, I'm wary of lavender since it has a tendency to be an aromatic overkill, but here it's nicely subdued by the rich custard. There's a slight perfume of the buds, but it wasn't as if I walked into a fragrance/body care shop with every bite. Needless to say, we at this to the very last spoonful too.

Of course, after nine wonderful courses -- we wanted to thank the chef and ask him a few questions, but it turned out he already left since he had to prepare/staff a charity event... but wait, he's going to drive back to talk to us anyways. Words couldn't describe how bad we felt that Chef Pascal, who's been slaving all day in the kitchen and probably ready to plop into a hot bath, or just the bed, is going to drive all the way back to talk to two Francophile poseurs (and we felt worse with every passing minute and sip of our coffees.) He showed up within 25 minutes, but our guilts said forever, and we apologized profusely before starting conversation.

And just like with Noah, Pascal was a perfect, charming man who definitely has a passion for the cuisine, showing enthusiasm for everything from intimately knowing your foods to keeping generations-passed cooking traditions alive (though he admits to modernizing the cuisine by making it lighter here than what would be served in France.)

He also spoke fondly of the 20 years he's spent here in Newport Beach (moving here after living and cooking all over Europe) and thankfully, he still looks forward to having a presence in the restaurant and plans on staying hands-on at Tradition for many years to come while hoping to expand Pascal Epicerie, a fast-casual takeout/catering offshoot offering breakfast, lunches, and prepared dinners for folks entertaining or on-the-go. We also talked about his annual cruise seven years in the running, where he and his guest sail through various regions of the world with him creating and tasting meals based on what's locally available (this year they traveled from Greece to Croatia to Italy!) And on and on we chatted, barely noticing that the rest of the place is closing up.

Not wanting to keep Pascal or the rest of the staff any longer, we left our tip on the table and made a quick departure with a full stomach, satisfied palates and plenty of stories to share and tell. My friend already can't wait to return (esp. for the foie gras) and the same goes for me, should I ever want to taste France w/o having to fly over there.

Tradition by Pascal
1000 Bristol St N
Newport Beach
(949) 263-9400
http://pascalnpb.com/