LA's Girl and the Goat gets great points for almost everything (12-26-23)

 About to head home from LA where we had our last family dinner of 2023 last night at GIRL and THE GOAT which is a huge space east of downtown in an old warehouse (that seems to be the ting these days) with high ceilings exposed pipes and sadly some of the most uncomfortable rattan woven chairs I have ever placed my butt in. Everyone here is very nice, and the service is excellent as is the food. Allison was very helpful, although we could have easily ordered less. The only other bad thing was the tendency to loud rap-ish music from time to time, which of course, Samuel did not mind. Our table was in a recessed back corner, so thankfully the din was lower there. When I told Allison we prefer novel wines she was thrilled with my first choice, an obscure Vermentino 2022 from Carneros in Napa called HERS by Rhyme Cellars. The nose was as fruity as could be, but on the palate the wine was creamy with a hint of minerals and tartness that we loved with the food which had a nice spiciness. 

Naan and dips came first with a huge piece of naan bread with spices and more on top that we pulled(or cut) apart and then used the two spreads for: Tahini tofu was awesome, and the Carrot "hummus" was also impressive. Chickpea Fritters are soft and creamy with parmesan cheese sitting on a bed of goat yogurt with herb chutney, crispy chickpeas, tamarind and sev, which is a crunchy noodle(think those chinese noodles) also made form chickpea on top. It's got everything going for it with so many different elements.

The Spicy Fried Shishitos come with zesty sesame dust, cotija cheese and goat yogurt and are delish, but I managed to get the one fire-branded super spicy one in the entire dish!

Will and I moved on to a glass of red with mine being the Saviah Cellars Tempranillo Blend 2020 from Walla Walla, Washington and Will going for the lighter Birichino "Scylla" 2022 Carignan Blend from Central Valley, CA. They were both yummy with our monstrous Sticky Glazed Pork Shank which came with pickled cucumbers, mung bean sprouts, hoisin mayo, hot mustard, naan and lettuce wraps. You made your own "sandwich" which was fun, if messy and boy, were we glad we decided to split this as we still could not finish it. The yummy Sauteed Green Beans with Fish Sauce Vinaigrette and Cashews were a superb side and Allison even brought one small dish with no fish sauce for Sam as many of the dishes can be made vegan or veggie here. Sam loved his Grilled Corn which was two whole cobs cut in half and seasoned with spiced coconut caramel, cotija and tajin. He said they were a tad sweet, but yummy. He also enjoyed his Sunrise Spritz made from Lychee, Galangal and Hibiscus Soda.

There was no way we could even ponder dessert, so we headed home and dropped Sam off and I said my goodbyes as I head home today(Will follows Sunday).

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

LA's YANGBAN yearns for better service but offers up terrific tastes (12-24-23)

 I had read about Chefs Katianna and John Hong and their amazing Korean-American YANGBAN in LA and was thrilled to find out they were doing a small Xmas eve tasting menu and offered a veggie version to boot. The fact that John was part Jewish and had married Jewish cuisine with Korean, made it even more tempting.

The space is in a south LA warehouse that has been converted with an outdoor space in an alley and a huge indoor space with a glass enclosed kitchen on the mezzanine you can see into. We ordered some drinks and our server Naima, who was very helpful and sweet, said they were not sweet, The Society was indeed sweet as it has soju and is called a martini for the initiated with vodka, vermouth, toasted rice soju and savory brine. Sam loved the Dokkaebier rice kolsch Korean beer.

We ordered a bottle of white after the sommelier/manager said the one I was looking at was novel and dry: Savagnin Fumey(odd spelling indeed) 2021 from Chatelian in Arbois was a novel and fine wine and worked with all the spices and various flavors as well.

First came the BITES and the guy who placed them down put a plate in front of Sam and said it was vegetarian. He tasted it and was not happy as it was the added plate we had ordered: Golden Prawn Toast with ama ebi, brown butter, yangban makgeolli golden sauce, cherry tomato and cured egg yolk. We called Naima over and she was horrified. That guy never came back. Sam did get a Zucchini Latke which he loved, and we also got the regular tasty bite which was the Hot Smoked Trout Schmear on griddled potato bread with dill chive and fresh horseradish!

Next came the Amuse of Steamed Egg Custard which we all loved, and Sam's had mushrooms while our had smoked trout, warm chicken fat and gremolata.

One of the highlights was the Green Tea Leaf Salad which apparently chef got from a Southeast Asian place he knew in San Francisco. It reminded me of the same dish in Myanmar we had so often there ages ago. It had gem lettuce, green cabbage, buchu, seasoned spinach, cucumber, tomato, snap peas, edamame, herbs and seeds and a fabulous nokcha-lemon vinaigrette all topped with crispy shallots!! We all gobbled it down.

The next courses started with Banchan, a selection of five side dishes highlighting local produce: Grilled Cucumber, Carrots and Dates with Honey & Yogurt, Broccoli with Yuzu & Chicken Skin(not veggie), Kimchi with Habanero and the Avocado & Shinku Pear with Hot Mustard Vinaigrette. We loved them all and all of a sudden Sam's main appeared which was a gorgeous Black Bean Mole with Fried Tofu.  We waited, and waited and waited and our two mains arrived eventually but Sam was already finished with his main. The Gochujang Braised Black Cod with Joseon Radish, rice cake, kabocha squash and sylvette arugula was fabulous and we also tried the ($30 surplus) Grilled King's Cut Short Rib with potato puree, grilled king trumpet and shitakes, galbi jus, toasted bread crumb, horseradish and chive. It was also sublime and tasty. A Domaine Ogereau 2021 Cabernet Franc "Lenjouee" from Anjou was excellent, although it took forever to arrive. 

Everyone was apologizing for all the service failures, and they tried so hard offereing us more wine(we refused) and champagne (we refused), but we accepted a glass of Amaro, which is not our favorite, but we thought would be a good digestif. They also sent out an additional (extra charge removed of $32) Lobster Congee Pot Pie of which we had a bite each as it came after all the mains were done. They really tried!!

Dessert was fabulous and Sam loved his "The Works" Sundae with Double 8 Buffalo Milk Soft Serve, Nurungi Puffed Rice, Chocolate Injeolmi and Doenjang Caramel(all the fotos are on FB) and we adored the Yangban Cheesecake with coconut biscuit, brown butter crust, coconut cream and local strawberry jam!

Many items were removed from the check and we really appreciated the efforts and would go back, but not on a set menu holiday for sure. The food was fun, novel and extremely tasty so we know that is not where the issues were.

LA's Le COMPTOIR conquers again (12-23-23)

 When Samuel first moved to LA in March 2022, I was thrilled to find that there was a superb veggie tasting menu offered at LE COMPTOIR in Hollywood/Koreatown and thee two of us had a super time on our first visit there. The review is posted in this blog (March 2022) and you will see that this intimate storefront space in the Normandie Hotel is limited to 12 seats and only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights as well. The eight course tasting plus amuse is a set price paid when booked and the experience is worth every cent.

We returned again as we wanted Will to experience this unique dining treat seated at the counter facing Michelin-starred Chef Gary Menes (and on Friday, his assistant Chef Alan) at the counter bar behind which they create this journey through local ingredients that varies by season, though retains a similar feel menu-wise, so not a place you would go every week. 

We decided to do the wine pairings which are 7 smallish pours for $105, but some are rare and quite pricey wines. There are various supplements available such as the $125(!!) pasta with white truffles which Samuel did and the cheese course ($20) instead of dessert, which one of us did. The Wagyu main course runs $35 and is also worth it(we ordered one so Will and I could have the veggie main and the Wagyu to split).

The Amuse(all photos on FB) is always Kale "Chips n DIp" and our dip was a relish like ranch. Alan poured the Pouilly Fume Vieilles Vignes 2021 from Regis Minet(the same wine I had last time--different vintage) and we polished off the pour before we realized it was for the first course not the amuse! Alan did come back with some more later on. The first course was a Mendoza Farms Asparagus Veloute with a small mound of tart Cashew Greek Yogurt(vegan) and Sourdough bread croutons for a crunch. Flowers and Nasturtium leaves are on top for decoration. The rich soup was countered by the sour tart yogurt.

The second course takes quite some time for the chefs to assemble as it is called "Vegetable & Fruit" Plate and has up to 45 different ingrendients. We had 45 and it was impressive as the chefs layered on the various ingrendients each cooked differently with different styles and seasonings. There were bok choy, pea pods, celery, beans, Japanese eggplant, beets(many kinds), carrots (many kinds), squashes, onion, radishes, mushroom, cauliflowers, Brussels sprout, peppers, persimmon, orange, almond and so much more. Some were pickled, some charred, some sauteed; every which way it is a fund and tasty treat. The wine was a Jasnieres Cuvee de Silex 2022 Sauvignon Blanc that had a hint of sweetness that is negated totally when you start to taste the veggies.

The third curse "Heirloom Farm Egg 'en cocotte" is a signature dish that does not vary and comes topped with Reggiano, lettuce from our garden(the lettuce may vary), brown butter, lemon, herbs and served with a huge piece of toasted Sourdough bread (from a 29-year old starter). The egg is cooked in a miniature cast iron pan and each one topped with the cheese, lettuces and then bathed in butter! I love this dish and am so glad that nothing ever changes. Chateau Depire 2022 Grand Cru Savonnieres is a divine paring as well.

Our fourth course was a Sprouting Cauliflower Tempura served with two sauces and a confit grape tomato topped with chervil. Turnip Green Pistou gave me a great new idea for making pesto(beet greens are apparently great as well) and a Romesco Sauce was yummy as well. St. Aubin Premier Cru "Les Cortons" from Domaine LaRue was another great treat.

For the next course there were Blue Lake Beans atop Onion Rissole and Land Race Rye(berries, like wheat berries), Grape-Pistachio Vierge, Parsley and served in a Savory Broth. On its own, the broth was not exceptional, but once combined with all the ingredients, especially the crunchy rye berries, I was thrilled. 2022 Chinon "Les Beaux Monts" from Catherine & Pierre Breton was another amazing white wine.

For the next course Sam chose the Hand Cut Pasta alla Chitarra smothered in White Truffles from Alba, Italy shaved at the counter by Chef Gary (video on FB) and while rich and creamy was alas overpowered by too much salt making the truffle falvor less intense than it should have been. Final assessment: not worth the $125 price tag!

Our sixth course was Snow Peas, Japanese Mountain Yam, red Frill(lettuce), Red Plum in a divine Sauce Vin Rouge and served with a Poderi Colla 2020 Nebbiolo!

The veggie main was Chanterelle Mushrooms, Scallion, Pencil Cob Grits, Hearts of Romaine all in a Sauce Perigourdine which was delish and served with a Cune Grand Reserva 2016 Tempranillo from Rioja. The wine paired brilliantly with the American Wagyu with Pomme Pont Neuf (a potato designed to look like the famous bridge in Paris), Pea Tendrils and a Sauce Bordelaise. This was well worth the $35 supplement and the meat was as tender as it gets cooked to perfection.

The final course again remains the same and is chef's Donut Hole served with Chocolate, Chantilly Creme and Gaviota Strawberry Preserve so you can dip in all three sauces.

The cheese (for$20) varies by season as well and ours was yummy: Mt. Tam(California) triple creme, a UK Cheddar and St. Augur Blue(France) served with the Sourdough but now with almond and cherries as well as a local honey made in Long Beach.

Le Comptoir is a haven of French cuisine in LA that is a treat and not to be missed one of a kind dining experiences.

LA's Providence is near perfection and comes with a price tag too (12-22-23)

 I have always loved Providence in LA, a beautiful setting under the Relais et Chateaux banner where elegance, service and food are all at the forefront for a fabulous evening.

Whether vegetarian or not, Providence cooks up and amazing 8 course menu for $295 and then has more options and supplements such as cheese (we could not manage it), Wagyu (not needed) and white truffles (as it is the season, but wow they are soooo expensive, I went into shock!). There are two wine pairings for $145 or $290 and we chose the lesser and it was quite good for the most part.

We started with a drink called Rabbit Season which was a tad fruity and made with Pueblo Viejo Blanco Tequila, Habanada(a not spicy pepper--spicy would have been better), Red Bell Pepper, Carrots and Citrus. Sam said his Catalina Garibaldi with St Agrestis phony Negroni, orange strawberry and shiso was "alright." We marveled at the hanging metal art object above us in the 2-story atrium and Will called them metallic butts, one of the servers corrected him to metallic pumpkins; they were a tad weird. 

Multiple amuses arrived(photos of both the veggie and regular menu are on Facebbook) and they were all delish. We had Hiramasa with a shiso vinegar spray (proffered in a perfume bottle), Alderwood Smoked Salmon on Pumpernickel with Beet Gelee, Vegetarian Ficelles(crispy filled cigar pastries) with an intense mushroom filling. For the two fish amuses, Sam got veggie versions. Another adorable and yummy amuse arrived in the form of a Parmesan cracker(more like cookie) with A-5 wagyu beef tartare and a smoked mustard that served as a "glue" to hold the cracker perched on a wooden cube. Again, Sam had a veggie version. Our wine was a sparkling Schrambsberg Blanc de Blanc.

Course I was called "One potato, two potato" and was nothing what I expected. There was a potato mousse with crispy potato croutons inside and the whole dish was covered with a huge gob of gorgeous Golden Kaluga Caviar and Garden Herbs (flowers and herbs from the restaurant garden were used on every dish). Sam had onion soubise and white truffles on his potato instead of caviar. We got a tad more Schramsberg as well.

Course II was Tai Sashimi made from Japanese snapper with Celtuce(this was an odd cross between celery and lettuce), Jicama, Passion Fruit Vinaigrette and Pickled Ginger. Black Olive Oil from Portugal was poured over as well, and we loved the slight sweet from the fruit that had tons of tart from the ginger and vinegar. Sam had a gorgeous Hande-made Silken Tofu  with Gingko Nut & Celtuce as well. Our wine was a Chateau de Villeneuve 2021 "Les Corniers" Chenin Blanc from Saumur. This was a superb pairing, as were most, but this one excelled.

Course III for us was three parts and called Salt Spring Island Mussel featuring the mollusks from a small island in British Columbia. A shell had an aerated mussel broth foam which was novel and then next to this was a Gratine mussel chopped up and served like a farci or stuffing. There was a covered bowl of Chawanmushi or fermented custard that was divine and had kombu and other ingredients that I failed to capture. the wine was an Arbe Garbe 2020 Malvasia, Chardonnay and Tokai Friuli blend. Sam got a Cauliflower Mille Feuille with 50-year Balsamic, veggies and white truffle (again--glad we didn't pay the price tag for the a la carte truffles) which even the staff marveled at as it was not on the menu and was something completely new from the chef.

When the magnificent loaf of crusty Red Fife Sourdough Bread arrived with an explanation of the Tehachapi Grain arrived, we all went into a tizz and immediately were addicted. It takes 3 days to make this tasty treat and the Normandy butter and sea salt were the perfect touches.

Course IV was Scallop(from Hokkaido, Japan) with a black truffle roulade, cauliflower puree, Scallop XO sauce and an aerated scallop tea on the side! Sam had chanterelles tortellini with tomato and black truffle. Our wine was Alexander Zahel 2022 Gruner Veltliner. I seem to have lost track of Sam's course here!

Course V was Vermilion Rockfish from Santa Barbara with a matching Santa Barbara Rose of Grenache 2022 from Zotovich. The fish had Oregon Matsutake mushrooms and Carrots from "The garden of..." which is the name of the provider all in a white prt carrot sauce. Sam had an Artichoke dish with Scarlet Runner Bean Ragout and preserved Black Truffle.

Course VI was an option for us, and Will chose the Swordfish from Gloucester, Mass. with black coco beans, smoked swordfish belly and black winter truffle and ginger. The wine was a 2018 Gamay Beaujolais from Blain in Brouilly. Sam's main was the Sunchoke with Tetsukabuto Squash and Pear Vadouvan while I chose the meat option(there was also a wagyu option) of Liberty Farms Duck from Sonoma with Ground Cherry(Gooseberry), Vadouvan, Chidori Kale, Celery Root, Duck Sausage and Swiss Chard. It was divine and cooked to perfection and served with a 2018 L'Arge d'Or Grenache from Santa Barabara which was akin to an orange wine, and I quickly got it replaced with a El Rapolo 2020 Mencia red!

Concord Grape, Mint and Cognac Granita was fun with shards of apple cider candy.

and the yummy but simple dessert that followed was just right after the huge meal. House-Made Hawaiian Dark Chocolate was smoked in house and served with coconut and Indonesian long pepper in a chocolate mousse with coconut milk fig-leaf infused gelato that looked like a chocolate version of the winged victory of Samothrace in the Louvre!  A chocolate mint tea was on the side. The sweet dessert wine was a Trebbiano, Sauvignon Blanc & Moscato blend from Marche in Italy called La Montata Passito that we loved.

There were more chocolates and homemade granola to take home as we could not face another bite! What a great first dinner here over the long holiday weekend with Samuel!