Nirvana: Bratwurst, Truffled Fries, and Beer

Wurstküche is a bustling hothouse of top-notch gourmet sausages with beer and fries to match.  Yup, it is a slice of heaven in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA).  And the secret is out, notwithstanding its hipster, underground rave-like location, where you almost seem to need to know a secret password or, in the least, hand over a can of peas.

Unless you luck out, lines are generally long.  Fortunately, they do not move like molassas, and once you are inside, the staff take your order and ameliorate waiting pains by bringing you your chosen beer while you are still standing in line.  Winning policy, Wurstküche!  To add beam and gleam to win, beer arrives in designated glasses, each bearing the company label of the beer (all the better to properly repeat to yourself as the night becomes beauteously blurry).  Once you reach the cashier, you pay for your order, then with number in hand (staff bring you your food), you walk down a corridor and enter a room with communal bench seating rimmed by less communistic but just as community-friendly tables and chairs.  I love it.  I think it is appropriate that I am immediately taken back to San Francisco, where I, in fact, tried my first bratwurst (at Gestalt Haus in the Mission).  With the weekend DJ spinning music just loud enough, the whole room has a just industrial enough feel that recalls casual cool, laid-back venues in S.F.

I love the simple but impossibly perfect bratwurst.  This is not a case of shying away from the exotic.  The bratwurst stands tall like an unsung hero with an unexciting name.  It possesses a casing of great, porky resistance that you lovingly sink your teeth into for a series of crispy-chewy scrumptious bites that you will not want to end.  I am always a little sad when I have less than half a sausage left.  My bites get smaller so that I can savor it longer, coupled by increased interspersed reaches for the Belgian fries (which naturally are coated with truffle oil glaze, just call me a brat).

As far as the more enticingly named, they are well-cooked, flavorful, and unique.  Gourmet sausages include mango jalepeño (chicken and turkey, nice, mildly sweet), green chilles & cilantro (chicken and turkey polka-dotted with hints of cilantro flavoring), and the Filipino Marharlika (sweet pork, natural seasonings, haven't tried yet, but nice name).  The exotics include rattlesnake & rabbit with jalapeño peppers (tasty, give it a try), alligator & pork with smoked Andouille sausage (wanna try), and the duck and bacon with jalapeño peppers (lasciviously juicy, oh my).

You have your choice of two toppings (caramelized onions, sauerkraut, spicy peppers, sweet peppers).  Do not snub the whole grain mustard in squeeze bottles (fantastic).  Add Belgian fries with a choice of two dipping sauces (among the ten offerings, I like curry ketchup, buttermilk ranch, and pesto mayo).  Make sure to double-dip those fries in truffle oil.  They are incredible.  Why do they even ask?  I am at a sausage-eating warehouse nursing my beer belly.  Do you really think I am going to deprive myself of French Fry Nirvana?

Speaking of nirvana, Wurstküche has a legit selection of Belgian and German draft.  What I like to start with is La Chouffe, a golden ale at 8% ABV.  This is the consummate starter, one that goes down with smooth grace, perfect to take the edge off of a long Friday.  Then I like to graduate to the Houblan Chouffe, an even-keeled hoppy IPA at 9% ABV.  Of course, they have always reliable Chimay White on tap, as well as Chimay Blue and Chimay Red in bottles.  If you don't like Belgian/German beer, try the Old Rasputin.  I know a certifiable beer snob who shuns Belgian/German (I know, isn't that like a sushi fiend who disses blue fin?  *baffled*) and he likes Old Rasputin, which tastes deep and woodsy, like an 80% cacao quality dark chocolate.  For the designated drivers, they offer a gamut of interesting sodas, including sweet blossom elderflower soda.  Gee wiz, I might try that next time... spiked.  Unfortunately, they're missing Orangina.  Oh well, nobody's perfect.

My main dilemma when I come here is, "To bratwurst or not to bratwurst."  I honestly don't feel the need to try everything when I know I have a winner, one that has met the test of sweet returns.  That said, I enjoy trying new things; if anything it usually reinforces my confidence in the winners.  But, it is hard to part from a sure thing, and with a line of whole grain mustard, the bratwurst, my friends, is a sure thing.  Thus, what I do is make sure somebody in my group gets it (so that I can mooch a bite, of course).  I almost solved this dilemma all by my lonesome the last time I came here because I was shamelessly starving.  I relayed to my friends that I am thinking of ordering two and naturally, one of them would be the bratwurst.  My girlfriend's kneejerk reply was that I could eat half of hers.  Apparently, two whole sausages is a greedy no-no?  My heart sank when I saw her boyfriend eat her half later.  I wanted to cry out, "Noooooo!"  Followed by a wounded whimper, "Mine... "  Thank goodness I, in fact, had ordered and promptly inhaled the bratwurst.  Otherwise, I might have clawed his eyes out with an uncoated Belgian fry (wouldn't wanna waste a truffly one).

Street parking requires a vigilant eye.  May the parking karma gods be with you.

Wurstküche
800 E. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 687-4444
http://www.wurstkucherestaurant.com/

Top 20 Dinners of 2009

From New York to Los Angeles to visiting my old haunts in San Francisco, this piggie ate a lot of good food in 2009.  The end of the year invites all kinds of lists.  Best Books, Best Movies, Worst Movies, Man/Woman of the Year, and so forth.  Without further ado, here are my top 20 dinners of 2009.

Disclaimer:  Stress on "dinners," which means that this is not a list of Best Restaurants of 2009.  The list is not comprehensive and does not cover a wide spectrum of restaurants.  As blog title and subtitle indicate, I eat a lot of French, new American, Japanese, and Korean food.  Why are Korean dinners missing from this list?  As much as I love Korean food, and I eat it several times a week since moving back down to L.A. in the autumn/winter of 2008, eating stellar soon tofu is not the same as having an amazing tasting at Providence.  Just this piggie's opinion.  Lastly, a lot of the restaurants represent L.A. and S.F.  I had less work trips in NYC this past year, which created less opportunities to eat The Big Apple.  :)

20) Angelini Osteria (L.A.) - Lovely dinner, but one serious pasta mistake:  the bombolotti for the amatriciana sauce was undercooked.  Even so, I was impressed.  Great place for rustic Italian food.

19) XIV (L.A.) - A lot of thought went into the elaborate, somewhat chichi decor of Michael Mina's L.A restaurant.  If you have visited the SLS Hotel and somebody told you The Bazaar and XIV are both the work of famed industrial and interior designer, Philippe Starck, you will probably nod your head, recognizing the common denominator.  At the same time, I will say I prefer XIV because it is simply gorgeous.  The inside is all about making a great first impression.  Everything and everyone is swathed in firelight, manufacturing a mood of romance that should go in the play book of any guy out to wine and dine the girl of his dreams.  Dinner was good with some juicy hits, but a serious flaw.  While the dessert was a looker, it did not taste that good.  The ice cream was half melted (and I am one of those people who like my ice cream as hard as granite) and the fudge was thick without tasting sinfully rich.  I could not finish it, and I ALWAYS clean my dessert plate.

18) Stefan's at The LA Farm (L.A.) - Dinner was great and apparently, Stefan is a celebrity chef having been on Top Chef (which I do not watch; I don't watch any tv lately).  The man has showmanship and is a character.  I can see him eating up the screen.  I ate up his food just fine that night.  My scallops dish was the best main.  I was not that impressed by the "Big Macs" but they were tasty just the same.

17) AOC (L.A.) - I always have a good time at AOC.  I really like the lively and sophisticated vibe.  I had a fabulous dinner here a couple nights before Christmas.  I started with an unbelievable Sancerre at the bar, one that I would love a crate of.  Company was stellar.  Service was charming.  I love pate.  The goat cheese salad was wonderful, as was the lemon tart.

16) LudoBites 3.0 and Royal T Get "In Bed Together" (L.A.) - We ordered everything on the menu.  I had food coma that lasted for roughly 1.5 days.  The confit pork belly was my favorite savory dish and the Fourme d'Ambert tourte with red pear and honey-balsamic was my favorite dessert.

15) Lucques (L.A.) - Salad of the year for me goes to the heirloom tomatoes salad with burrata that I had at Lucques this past summer.  It was recommended by the waiter who stated that the tomatoes taste sublime due to them being in season.  Our waiter was terrifically on-point.  I cannot stop thinking about how amazingly fresh and naturally sweet perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes taste.  Wow.

14) Gary Danko (S.F.) - A delightful birthday dinner, the staff at Gary Danko gets the award for Best Overall Service.  From the cellarist to the sommelier to every member of the wait staff, not a personality was missing and all forms of mannerisms and manners simply put us at festive ease.  The chestnut mousse that accompanied the lobster salad was eye-opening.  Chestnut mousse is incredible!

13) Cafe Jacqueline (S.F.) - After years of wanting to go, I finally made it and I loved it.  Souffle for your main and dessert.  We chose lobster for the savory and lime for the sweet.  Oh my word, lime souffle is out of this world.  Tart but not sour, it tastes like freshly shaved lime zest.  It is beautiful in the mouth.  Pretty to look at, too.

12) La Folie (S.F.) - Friends and I all had the 5-course tasting.  Portions are humungous for a fancy-pants, Michelin-starred French restaurant.  I am lucky to be back to my original size.

11) Aqua (S.F.) - Interview dinner that went well.  Thank goodness I had the presence of mind to not steal bites of interviewer's rose-raspberry almond tart shell filled with rose cream, raspberries, lychee granite, and pistachio creme anglaise when she excused herself to visit the ladies' room.  I REALLY wanted to because I polished my plate off rather quickly, followed by a search for bits of pastry shell and filling to pick up with my fork.

10) Restaurant Nishimura (L.A.) - Chef Nishimura knows fresh fish.  I was very happy with the line-up he presented that day.  Portions are practically microscopic, but they are bites of sashimi heaven.

9) The Modern (NYC) - A fantastic dinner in a quintessentially Manhatten sleek, urbane atmosphere.  I had roasted Maine lobster with chanterelles.  I love mushrooms, especially chanterelles, thus I was on cloud nine.

8) Jewel Bako (NYC) - The experience was really cool because the venue is one of the most unique I have experienced.  Omakase was very nice as well, although it does not best Sushi Yasuda, in my opinion.

7) Zinnia (S.F.) - Really nice set-up, Zinnia is sophisticated but not stuffy at all.  The octopus and scallops were excellent.

6) Asanebo (L.A.) - Third tier omakase was a real treat.  The lobster sashimi had my eyes rolling.

5) Daniel (NYC) - French food at one of the best will definitely make it on my top five.  Sauteed fois gras, sauteed fois gras, sauteed foie gras.  It will change your life.

4) The Bar Room at the Modern (NYC) - I love the MOMA, so I especially love that The Bar Room is an excellent establishment with secret views of the captivating sculpture garden.  Nothing but the best for our MOMA.  We had superb tapas style plates with outstanding awards going to the foie gras torchon and tarte flambee.  I cannot wait to go back!

3) LudoBites 2.0 at Breadbar (L.A.) - Chorizo Cantaloupe Cornichon arrived at the table and I was surprised it was not some kind of sausage, but a soup.  This was my soup of the year.  Brilliant stuff.  And the oxtail polenta was the warmest panda bear hug.  It would make a grown lumberjack of a man cry for more.

2) Providence (L.A.) - Over the course of 4.5 hours, seventeen dishes were graciously delivered to our table, including a cheese cart.  Service was impeccable and marvelously fun.  So many mushrooms, including chanterelles.  I almost broke out in song.

1) Quince (S.F) - Impressed, I never knew pasta could taste this good.  It was seriously "wow."  Ravioli so scrupulously stuffed with all kinds of concoctions that were savory with a hint of dessert-sweet.  Not one less than stellar note, everything was divine and my taste buds cannot forget.

NOPA at Midnight

For those of you unfamiliar with San Francisco, NOPA stands for North Of the Panhandle.  Thus, they can claim some geographic legitimacy to the neighborhood acronym, although it sounds a wee bit try-hard if you ask me (think Soho, Noho, TriBeca... not).  :P

I remember the advent of NOPA.  Suddenly, Zuni was easier to get into.  Why is this significant?  They are two of the few places in the city where you can get a nice square meal at after hours.  I will come out and say it.  I am on Team Zuni.  I think of NOPA as similar, but not as good.  That said, variety is the spice of life.

NOPA is an oasis in the San Francisco fog, a beacon of good food for the night owls.  I am never surprised when I enter the doors at a quarter to midnight and find it to be a packed house thriving with activity.  After all, S.F. is a major city with much to do at night.  People get hungry after 10pm.  It is baffling and irksome that restaurants close so early (for major city standards).  I have had this conversation with friends a million times, both sober and definitely not.

Enter NOPA.  It is the answer for late night diners who groan at the idea of Osha or Chinese food (yet again).  The food here is pretty good, but nothing that will change your life.  (But, they get extra credit for being open until 1am.)  The emphasis is on organic, local ingredients, thus they change/mix up the menu frequently.  For instance, every time I order the flatbread (essentially, pizza), it comes with a different combination of toppings (some better than others).  Two stellar combos comprises of 1) spicy fennel sausage, broccoli, and pomegranate seeds and 2) smoked bacon, gruyere, garlic, and arugula.

Regulars on the menu are the rotisserie chicken and the Moroccan tagine.  They are also one of the few eateries that offer grass-fed burgers.  Paired with gruyere cheese and a dollop of harissa aioli, it is not a bad way to end the night, although it does not compare to Zuni's burger to my taste buds.  The pork chop is probably their best main.  Cooked to juicy perfection, it slides off the bone with slippery ease.  Always.

I love the desserts, which include pecan tart with "smoke & whisky" ice cream, warm bread pudding with cinnamon ice cream, and ginger cake with Nocino cream (cream made from an Italian liquor with an aromatic, bittersweet taste, bellissima!).

The cocktails are a lot of fun and, like the rest of the menu, change with the seasons and availability of ingredients.  Their list of spirits can send people over the edge.  From high quality rum to bourbon and rye to single malt whisky, NOPA has it.  The wine list is sure to please, as it ranges from classic West Coast reliables from Napa, Bonny Doon, and Willamette to Chianti Classicos and French cab franc.

As for the interior, it matches the cuisine to the "t":  refined yet rustic, open with high ceilings yet warm and inviting with its neighborhood-themed murals and solid oak tables and benches.  If it is too busy--and it often is even at midnight--sit at the bar where you can watch the cooks hustle in an open kitchen that adds fire (literally, to some extent, since you can watch them insert flatbread and meats into the wood-fired ovens) and life to an otherwise casual but sophisticated meal.

NOPA
560 Divisadero St.
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 864-8643
http://www.nopasf.com/

Tongue-Tied for Tongdak

Great tongdak is ungreasy, poultry bliss.  OB Bear's tongdak (Korean whole fried chicken, different from Korean fried chicken wings/drumsticks) is fantastic.  The skin is fried to a beautiful, flaky crisp and the chicken meat pulls apart like a freshly baked loaf of bread.  Eat it with plenty of the crunchy cubed radish sweetened by vinegar.  They go together like peas and carrots.  The chicken comes with a side of shredded cabbage topped with what is probably Thousand Island dressing (practically the official national South Korean dressing).  Thousand Island is not my dressing of choice on most occasions, but for some reason, I like eating it at OB Bear with their tongdak.  In any case, do not even bother ordering anything but the large size.  I can eat practically a whole chicken, two bowls of the cubed radish, and a serving of the Korean-style cole slaw all by myself.  I try not to come often because otherwise I would become enormous.

Tongdak means "whole chicken" in Korean and is a traditional pub dish offered at soju bangs (soju bars).  Served with little dishes of salt, pepper, chili sauce, and crunchy cubes of mu (pickled radish), it usually comes with a side of Korean cole slaw topped with either a house dressing, some version of Thousand Island, or Thousand Island straight out of the factory tub.  Like Korean fried chicken wings/drumsticks, the skin is deep-fried to an audible crunch, but because it is a whole roasted chicken or cooked on a rotisserie, there is a significant meat to skin ratio difference.  With wings, especially, you are enjoying only bits of meat with deliciously seasoned skin.  In contrast, with tongdak, you are getting a substantial amount of protein.  Best of all, the chicken meat is not greasy at all, thereby healthier than Korean fried chicken wings.  I love tongdak.  It is heaven with a glass of beer (Hite, please).

Thanks to my kumdo masters and fellow classmates, I discover OB Bear's fabulous dak dori tang (whole pieces of chicken, potato, rice cake cylinders smothered in a spicy sauce).  The gochujang sauce is on-point spicy, the kind of spicy that makes you smack jung shin cha ryuh (translation: wakes you the eff up!), yet gives you the warm fuzzies where it hurts, i.e., slight heartburn.  Koreans love this kind of uhl keun hahn food (spicy, spicy, spicy!  The kind of "spicy" that makes your mouth literally water; your nose conjure oh-so-attractive sweat beads; and your backed-up sinuses request extra napkins).  It goes with the culture.  The need and throbbing impulse to do everything all the way, I-don't-care-if-it-kills-me-or-I-kill-you (I kid, I kid!).  :P  We are a hard-core, passionate folk.  And we like our cuisine to match our ethnic temperament.

Another popular pub dish that OB Bear does well is nakji bokkeum (sliced squid cloaked in a spicy sauce).  It comes with plenty of squid, along with zucchini, dduk (slivers of rice cake), scallions, green onions, and other seasonings that make it as red as lava and ultra spicy.  It is way too spicy for me, but I cannot handle really spicy food, though I love it (I am a Korean mutant with my less-than-ironclad stomach; go on, laugh, but extremely spicy food is not good for long-term health *sticking out tongue*).

They also offer soondae (Korean blood sausage with intestine and other lovely innards), but it is not a house specialty, so I would forego it.  There are plenty of places in Koreatown that specialize and soondae is something to have at a place with a great reputation because when it is good, oh-man-oh-man, it is delicious. 

My mother and her friends rave about the golbaengi (sea snails mixed with seaweed and julienned vegetables), but I am a relative wuss.  I will not eat it.  *hangs head*

They also offer spicy chicken wings and drumsticks, but the seasoning is not to my liking.  Too sweet with skin that is not ideally deep-fried to a crisp; it is kind of bubbly.  Reminds me of KFC.  Pass.  For fried chicken wings, my go-to is Kyochon, but be warned.  To describe how little meat is hanging on these teeny-tiny things, "Honey, I Shrunk The Chicken Wings" is apropos.  You have to eat a lot of them to build up a nice sweat.

Although the list of Korean pub food at OB Bear is impressive, when I come here, my eye is on the ball:  the tongdak.  Since I am often with my kumdo class when I come here, we order plates of tongdak, dak dori tang, and pitchers of Hite.  The masters drink shots of soju like water and I watch on with awe (seriously, like water!)

The place is a far cry from fancy.  The decor and cumbersome set-up reminds me of the kind of kitschy, old places tucked in some alleyway in Myung Dong or Shin Chon in Seoul.  Clearly, not a lot of thought went into aesthetics.  Plasma screen televisions tuned to ESPN are everywhere.  They have Hite on tap (but not OB, go figure).  They also have Coors, Corona, and Heineken.  The service is fine, albeit a bit slow, but it is almost always a full house.  If you press the plastic buzzer and they do not show up, just catch the attention of a server and they will address your concern.

Last note:  If you call in an order for the tongdak, eat it RIGHT AWAY and hope for the best.  I did this once and did not enjoy my take-out AT ALL.  It makes sense, since tongdak is Korean pub food and pub food, for a gamut of reasons, is not well-suited for to-go.  At any rate, if you stubbornly must, do not forget to ask for extra cubed radish.  It is peas and carrots, I tell you.
 
OB Bear
3002 W. 7th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 480-4910

Angelini Osteria: A Neighborhood Gem

It has taken me too long to visit this neighborhood gem.  Angelini Osteria is located on Beverly Blvd., a street that I have traversed with great frequency (the Beverly Center was my designated shopping mall when I was a tween and teen).  It is a street that I know very well.  Ten years ago, Beverly Blvd. was a bit of a wasteland, but now wonderful restaurants line the streets interspersed by small label designer boutiques and avant-garde furniture shops.

The restaurant is compact and bustling.  There is an outdoor patio that would be a lovely place to have dinner in the summer or for sunny SoCal winters.  From my window seat, I have a view of Milk, diagonally across the street.  Angelini Osteria is a place about eating good food, enjoying a nice red, and sharing bites and conversation with your neighbors (whose table will possibly be, literally, less than one foot away, so unneighborly people, be warned!)

The complimentary bread basket is filled with anything but filler.  The thin crispy flat bread is amazingly tasty.  With every bubbly crunch, you get nips of salt and hints of toasted butter.  I am pretty sure I love it more than my friend.  I cannot resist chomping on it until they are all gone.  A quick glance at our neighbors' bread basket makes me realize that you start with a generous pile of crisps to begin with.  eep!  No matter, it does not ruin this trooper's appetite.  :P

Ever since having the salad of the year for me--Lucques' heirloom tomato salad with burrata--when I see this veggie/cheese combination, I hear "ding ding ding!"  Angelini Osteria's caprese with heirloom tomatoes and burrata does not disappoint, but it does not best Lucques' by any stretch of the imagination.  Salads come and go, but Lucques' made an indelible impression.  But, I digress.

The heirloom tomatoes are not as ripe as they could and should be.  Because when heirloom tomatoes are perfectly ripe, they achieve the perfection of preternatural fresh sweetness, a taste that you cannot get sick of, the flavor of your ideal breath mints, chewing gum, cough syrup.  You want to replicate it until you emit it from your own breath.  This all said, Angelini Osteria's is very nice and the burrata has a lovely coolness and cuts easily with a butter knife.

caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes and burrata

My friend relays to me that the lasagna verde is a favorite.  She is right on the money.  With a wonderful homemade taste, it has a fabulous meat to tomato sauce ratio, creating a perfect square that cuts with moist ease.  Veneered by a layer of nicely browned, crispy-chewy cheese and showered with spinach leaf crisps, it is remarkably filling.

lasagna verde "Omaggio Nonna Elvira"

For pasta number two, we select bombolotti alla amatriciana for some flavor contrast.  It is a ribbed tubular pasta coated with a deep-flavored tomato sauce prepared with guanciale (unsmoked dried pork cheek) and hot peppers for a dash of spice.  The sauce is a savory win, but the pasta, unfortunately, is unevenly cooked (some of the tubes are frankly hard, too much resistence "to the tooth"; al dente literally means "to the tooth").

bombolotti alla amatriciana

At this point, I am feeling the takeover of carbs in my ballooning belly.  I sip my wine and sink into my chair, dreaming about dessert.  However, instead of the desserts menu, what should appear before me, but a beautiful arranged plate of the secondi.

branzino roasted in sea salt with vegetables and mashed potato (split into two plates)

I completely forgot about the branzino!  The waiter breaks the salt crust and filets it onto your plate, but I either missed it (due to becoming a bleary-eyed beluga) or we missed out.  I will explicitly ask for this tableside performance next time because I love tableside shows.  *clap clap clap*

The fish is clearly cooked to moist perfection, breaking apart with the ease of your nondominant hand.  Flavorful flakes take turns joining green beans, broccoli crowns, and cauliflower on my fork, all seasoned with palatable expertise.

My friend is game for the panna cotta.  Whenever I see it on the menu at a reputable place, I like to give it a go, wanting to compare it to my benchmark.  Angelini Osteria's is a vanilla bean panna cotta served with blackberries and strawberries.  Vanilla bean is always such a delight and Angelini Osteria's is ultra welcoming with its beauteous flecks of black.  Although it does not best Delfina's in S.F., my benchmark, and is more watery than what I am used to, the vanilla bean flavor comes through and, all in all, works as a great palate cleanser.

vanilla bean panna cotta with blackberries and strawberries

The one misstep of dinner is the undercooked bombolotti.  But, the authentic vibe and aromas of the restaurant hit me on the head as soon as I walked in, followed by a rather awkward hovering at the small entranceway while they set up our table.

In short, Angelini Osteria is a warm, lovingly traditional, and intimate restaurant that can get loud and with not much leg room to spare.  If that is not your speed, maybe try Gino Angelini's other restaurant on W. 3rd St.  I went to the now closed La Terza, also owned by Angelini, and I was not impressed; I MUCH prefer Angelini Osteria.  Personally, I think the cozy set-up suits the rustic Italian menu and I love a nice neighborhood restaurant that can get neighborly.  The fact that this exists in L.A., far from being a city of neighborhoods let alone being neighborly has me a little flummoxed.  :)  A winning experience for me, I will be back for the spaghetti alla carbonara and crostata di Marmellata.

Angelini Osteria

7313 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 297-0070

www.angeliniosteria.com

KyoChon: A Gochujang Kick in the Butt

I am not one to really suck on chicken bones.  Chicken feet offered at dim sum freaks me out.  Please do not take offense!  I eat steamed octopus tentacles dipped into sweetened gochujang like an ahjusshi (middle-aged man).  I am sure this is WEIRD to a lot of people.  Different strokes for different ethnically raised folks.

So, I don't really suck on chicken bones, but, oh my heavens, gimme a box of KyoChon spicy hot wings any day and I'll practically make slurping noises as I gnaw on the wittle bones with efficiency.

I don't stop by KyoChon because I'm interested in the uber meager bit of chicken meat hanging on these teeny-tiny wings.  It's the perfectly deep-fried skin that is polished with this AMAZING spicy seasoning!  It's got so much spicy gochujang kick that just makes you jung shin cha ryuh (translation: wakes you the eff up!).  Marvelous stuff.  I need this in the afternoon around 2pm instead of a jolt of Joe.

I tried the garlic soy flavor once.  I remember it being okay, kind of bland and yawwwwwwwwnnnnnn.  Oh, sorry.  Only the spicy for me.  I love how it snaps me back to my senses, like an adrenaline rush.

KyoChon offers all sorts of combinations with their wings.  You can have half garlic soy, half spicy, wings, drumsticks, with bulgogi, chicken fried rice, dduk bokki (spicy rice cake), fries, cole slaw, cheese sticks... hmm... did I leave something out?  I cannot comment on anything else because when I come to KyoChon, I know exactly what I want.  Spicy, spicy, spicy.  Wings, wings, wings.  Only, only, only.

But, if you want some mu (cubes of pickled radish) to offset the heat of the spicy flavor, hand over an extra buck.  This seems to get a lot of Asians--Koreans, in particular--who view free banchan as some sort of entitlement, all bent out of shape.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, banchan is supposed to be free.  Who cares?  It's an extra buck!  Sometimes I get the mu, but frankly, they give me so much mu for one dollar that I usually forego it.  I go through twenty spicy wings at breakneck speed.  I don't have time to pick up floating and sinking cubes of mu with my chopsticks when my fingers are a gochujang mess from manhandling the wings.

Last note:  Korean fried chicken wings are different from tongdak.  Tongdak means "whole chicken" in Korean and is a traditional dish served at bars with beer and soju.  Served with little dishes of salt, pepper, chili sauce, and cubes of mu, it comes with a side of Korean cole slaw topped with Thousand Island dressing.  Although the skin is similarly deep-fried crispy, because it is a whole roasted chicken or cooked on a rotisserie, the meat is not greasy at all, thereby healthier than Korean fried chicken wings.  I don't care what KyoChon says on their crazy Engrish-riddled website ("Putting a true heart considering customer's taste and health, it is like the heart of our mom."  Err... okie dokie.)  After I plow through twenty of their greasy wings, I don't feel that great.

However, every once in a while I get a nagging craving.  I submit and I never regret it.  I love that deep-fried skin brushed with spicy gochujang kick that makes an audible "crunch" with every bite.  It's as though the wings are talking to me, coaxing me back every time.

KyoChon
3833 W. 6th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 739-9292
http://kyochon.com/usa/index.asp

Delfina: You Always Remember Your First

Delfina was my first San Francisco restaurant, and although it is no longer the consistent delight of yesteryear, I can still count on it for a lovely northern Italian meal.

First and foremost, no restaurant has even come close to the perfection of their buttermilk panna cotta.  It strides the perfect line between sweet and tangy.  Accompanied with seasonal fruits (I have had it with kumquats, pomegranate, strawberries, fresh berries), it is a deceptively simple dessert that is difficult to get just right.

One of my favorite desserts of all time, Delfina's buttermilk panna cotta.  Here served with seasonal kumquats.

Their profiteroles are great as well, but I have had just as great at many other places (Chapeau! and Capannina come to mind).  But, their panna cotta... I get lost in reverie when I think of the panna cotta.

My favorite dishes at Delfina are the very simple ones.  The spaghetti with nothing but plum tomatoes, pepperoncini, garlic, and extra virgin oil is simply perfect.  Clearly an elementary dish and something that I can make at home, so not an item I will normally order, but it is just soooooo good and satisfying.  The house-made pasta is cooked perfectly al dente and all you taste is the freshness of the ingredients.

spaghetti with plum tomatoes

The balsamic vinegrette drizzled salad of bitter greens, pancetta, and walnuts is mystifyingly flavorful and aromatic, like being showered with fresh herbs from Provence.  The iceberg lettuce with gorgonzola is crisp and crunchy accompanied by a perfect punch of pungency.  One of the best I have ever had, the house-pulled mozzarella is so soft, creamy cool with just enough elasticity.  It is simply amazing.  With a growing reputation, their grilled calamari sits on a bed of warm baked beans and is absolutely to die for.

grilled calamari served over baked beans

Seasoned just right, the delicate-sized roasted chicken with Yukon potatoes provides tenderloving bites.  Their sweet breads are wonderful as well.  Nothing tastes as fresh-off-the-hook as the albacore with cranberry beans and salsa verde when it is in season.

For those of you who like tripe, their tripe alla Fiorentina is supposed to be excellent.  As my foodie friend says, she loves that she can have tripe at a nice restaurant.

The wine list is small and selective.  Service is friendly, prompt, and always helpful.  They are always busy and the tables seem to get closer together every year, so definitely make reservations.  You can eat at the bar, but even then, expect to wait at least thirty minutes for weekend dinner.  Weeknights are relatively busy, too.

I have lost count as to how many times I have been here.  Apart from Korean and Japanese food (which I grew up eating), Delfina is the restaurant that I cut my taste buds at.  It will always remain one of my personal favorites.  Once I jaunted over here after dinner at The Blue Plate because ending dinner with their perfect buttermilk panna cotta sounded ideal.  'Twas.  A neighborhood restaurant within walking distance of Dolores Park, Delfina is part of the holy trinity of piggie heaven (Tartine, Bi-Rite Creamery, Delfina).  Call me a little sentimental, but I always have gastrointestinal room for my first.
 
Delfina
3621 18th St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 552-4055
http://www.delfinasf.com/

Shopping at the Movies

"Some people dream of swimming pools.  I dream of closets!"
-Audrey Hepburn

I have a furious love of films and fashion.  If I view a film as excellent, I can watch it repeatedly, like a treasured book.  But, there are those movies that limp lamely on a threadbare plot with a slam-bam-what-on-earth-is-she-wearing moment.  Suddenly, the scene seizes my attention and I get a mad craving to try it on immediately, like a cute Nanette Lepore dress or beautifully cut jeans.

I love clothes.  I do not subscribe to any fashion magazines because I know I would waste too much time flipping through them.  Besides, the only ones I really like are British Vogue and Korean and Japanese magazines.  I have never given Lucky a serious glance.  Why?  I do not care if skinny jeans are out or in.  I like them, thank you very much.  Until I am pregnant, they remain flattering on me.  While I keep my eye on what looks current, I do not pay attention to trends.  Never have.  From my tween to high school years, I was a capital preppy.  Besides, I remember leggings.  I did not like them back then and I certainly do not like them now.  I do not care if Anna Wintour herself gives the clarion call.  She can wear them!

During a summer when I had planned a wardrobe overhaul, I kept my eyes peeled at shopping centers and diligently thumbed through fashion magazines, but it was to no avail.  I could not find anything that I wanted to wear.  There I was in search of pieces like the white halter that Grace Kelly wears with the pale green suit in Rear Window, or the black sweetheart-neckline dress with the full white tulle skirt.  Honestly, there is no fashion misstep in that film down to the tiny Mark Cross purse from which Kelly pulls out a negliglee.  *sigh*

Presently, it is the holiday season, and here I am again, both bewildered at how Jennifer Beals' Flashdance off-shoulder uniform has made a fierce comeback, and crestfallen that I cannot locate a black dress with a tulip skirt like the one Audrey Hepburn dons as she ringingly hails a taxi in Breakfast at Tiffany's.  Then it hits me:  I love fashion.  I love films.  What could be better than going through the film archives for fashion ideas?  With New Year's Eve around the corner and the decade coming to a close, I really need a slamming dress.  So here is what I came up with.

Rear Window:  Try as I might, I cannot find a white halter exactly like this one.  One of these days, I will find a seamstress to just copy it for me.

Rear Window:  Grace Kelly epitomizes grace and elegance.

Rear Window:  Grace Kelly is perfection.  From that simple pearl choker to that incredible dress.  Edith Head outdid herself.

Bonnie and Clyde:  Another case of sartorial excellence.  I never tire of admiring Faye Dunaway's looks in those classic berets, sweaters, and scarves.

Pandora's Box:  Louise Brooks smolders in all kinds of flapper fashion creations.

Anna Christie:  Garbo speaks, "Gimme a whiskey with a ginger ale on the side.  And don't be stingy, baby."

Letty Lynton:  Joan Crawford in one sexy number by Gilbert Adrian.

The Women:  Fabulous movie, fabulous fashion by Gilbert Adrian.

Gone With the Wind:  Vivien Leigh makes a jaw-dropping entrance in gorgeously festive garnet designed by Walter Plunkett.

The Blue Dahlia:  A publicity photo of Veronica Lake.  Just a lovely frock with pleats and ruching in all the right places.

The Thin Man:  Myrna Loy is perfectly patrician.

After the Thin Man:  I love this coat.  It will go to the seamstress along with the Rear Window white halter.

Song of the Thin Man:  Myrna Loy, you are simply divine.

You Were Never Lovelier:  Rita Hayworth dons a dazzler while in Fred Astaire's arms.

All About Eve:  Marilyn Monroe looks every bit the ingenue as she makes her debut on film in a sweet and sexy ruched strapless gown.

The Seven Year Itch:  Marilyn Monroe is unforgettably adorable and sexy in this iconic shot that probably hung in every teenager's room in the '50s, '60s--heck, probably the '90s and beyond.

Funny Face:  This looks like a page from a 1950s fashion spread.  Hepburn and Astaire look so genteel and Thompson could not ooze more chic.

Sabrina:  Isn't she just dreamy?

Breakfast at Tiffany’s:  This film showcases my favorite Hepburn/Givenchy collaboration. Everything is just jazzy and marvelous.

Annie Hall:  Diane Keaton in what will become her signature style.  Diane Keaton, the sartorial George Sand of our time

Heathers:  Haven't seen Mean Girls, but no need to.  There is no way it will trump my favorite vicious fashionistas.

The Age of Innocence:  I love Edith Wharton.  I love this book.  While I do not love the film adaptation, I love this purple gown worn beautifully by Winona Ryder.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula:  This is a wildly campy film, but the costumes are among the most gorgeous I have ever seen--absolutely ravishing, decadent, and lush.

The Wings of the Dove:  Dark, mood-procuring costumes expertly designed by Sandy Powell.

Chungking Express:  The original wuxia ballbuster, Brigitte Lin makes a supercool return to the big screen, charmingly clad in a cool trench and pristine satin white Blahniks.

House of Yes:  The hippest Jackie O ever, Parker Posey rocks the classic pink suit and hatbox hat.

Anna Karenina (1997):  Beautifully garbed, Sophie Marceau looks stunning in this shallow, lifeless adaptation of Tolstoy’s great novel.

In the Mood for Love:  Wong Kar-Wai slips Maggie Cheung into a stunning procession of cheongsams.

Hero:  Digitally created notwithstanding, this green shade shows off cascades of flowing fabric uniquely.

Gosford Park:  Jenny Beavan designs draping crushed velvets and shimmering silks for the upper echelon of English society.

Casino Royale:  One of my favorite on-screen dresses, Eva Green makes a heads-spinning entrance in ravishing purple designed by Roberto Cavalli.

The Devil Wears Prada:  Anne Hathaway is a Vogue fashion plate, modeling a montage of pitch-perfect, fully accessorized stylish ensembles.

Lust, Caution:  Ang Lee takes Wong Kar-Wai's cue (or outright copies, take your pick) and slips Tang Wei into a parade of seductive cheongsams.

Atonement:  Jacqueline Durran's scene-stealing emerald green dress will hang in the closet of some of the most memorable gowns of cinematic history.  I love a great green dress.

Hors de Prix:  Not since Rear Window and The Thin Man series have I wanted every item on-screen. Audrey Tautou's petite frame sports slinky after slinky after slinky.  Simply perfection.

Coco Before Chanel:  I adore Audrey Tautou.  I adore Chanel.  Instant film fashion love for moi.  A very apropos place to end as well.

Providence Fulfills Its Promise

Dinner was epic.  No exaggeration, it lasted 4.5 hours.  It began at 6 PM and I got home at 11 PM.  Afterwards, he fell back in his chair and sighed, "Ji chyuh suh (exhausted, no more!)"  I just beamed, smiling from ear to ear.

He asked me where I wanted to go and I timidly relayed that number one on my wish list was Providence.  He told me that it sounded good.  I replied that it was too expensive; I told him to take his mom.  He bellowed, "My mom would hate it!"  She is Korean, as is mine.  My mom would love it, but I can understand what he meant because my dad would hate the formality, the much-ado-about-food, the complexity of simply eating for sustenance.  He declared, "We'll go to Providence."  It was a first date.  :)))

This is how I got treated to the chef's tasting menu, which required me to use all ten fingers and seven toes to keep track of everything that came out of the kitchen with amazing aplomb and delightful yet unobtrusive attention.  Service was 10 stars.  They know how to treat you like a lady and make one blush something marvelous.

Providence serves some of the best bread I have ever had at a fancy establishment.  Warm brioche with baked-in bacon bits.  It is amazing with the house-churned butter.

1) Amuse bouche trio - The signature now famous mojito gelee that bursts into your mouth with true mojito flavor, gin and tonic cube that you drizzle with lime juice to get it to fizz like a science experiment, and a mini beer mug of lovely carrot soup.  Awesome, tasty start that made me excited for more culinary fun of the first order.

2) Kanpachi - Accompanied by crispy rice crackers, sitting artfully in a pool of whipped smooth soy creme fraiche, the julienned kanpachi was top-notch with perfect firm texture.  Delicious.

3) Scallop with black truffle and shimeji mushrooms - Great mushrooms and the best scallop I have ever had in my young epicurean lifetime, it was of pristine quality and here is the kicker: they actually cooked it right.  It was not overcooked, which is so often the case, a good sign for sure that the kitchen was in talented, expert hands.

4) Fois gras ravioli - Oh. My. Word.  I love fois gras, black truffle, and cheese, so this unison had my eyes rolling, the legacy of which is my now incredibly attractive lazy eye.  :P

5) Halibut with balsamic - With a wonderfully moist texture, again, just perfectly cooked.

6) Turbot - Paired with burdock roots and aromatic shiso, this dish betrayed a distinct Asian influence and had a beautiful balance to it.

7) Salmon with matsutake mushrooms and sake foam - The stop-in-your-tracks brilliant mushrooms outshined the flavorful salmon and crispy skin.  The hints of sake in the sauce were a nice touch.

8) Lobster with shiitake mushrooms - I loved how Chef Cimarusti turned to mushrooms (and truffle) all night to accessorize.  Succulent and juicy lobster with super tender mushrooms.  Definitely memorable.

9) Tenderloin of veal with chanterelles - Accompanied by a celery root puree, the veal was amazingly cooked sous vide.  It truly disintegrated in my mouth and the gorgeous chanterelles performed an aria in their wake.  Outstanding, I was on my feet chanting, "Encore!"

10) The cheese cart - Our cheese expert could not have been sweeter and he supplied us with pungent slices of heaven.  Very nice selection of blues, gorgonzola dolce, goat, brie, raclette, and gruyere paired with jams, candied hazelnuts and walnuts, and dried fruits, including fig which I love, this was a lovely intercession separating the entrees from the desserts.

delivered from cheese cart

12) Kalamansi gelee with litchi-shiso sorbet - Marvelously inventive and uber delectable, lychee jelly underpinned shiso-flavored sorbet, both of which sat in a moat of white chocolate coconut soy milk with tapioca pearls.  The different textures (cool sorbet, bouncy jelly, chocolate soup, chewy tapioca) and different flavors collided deliciously in my mouth.

13) Basil ice cream with marshmallows and candied pecans - Reminiscent of basil, this was paired with fresh strawberries and a playful mix of house-made marshmallows and candied pecans.  My taste buds were giddy.

14) Milk chocolate panna cotta with Kahlua sauce - I had something similar to this at La Mill Coffee House, where the menu is, in fact, designed by Cimarusti and Adrian Vasquez (pastry chef at Providence), too.  For whatever reason, it tasted better here.  Panna cotta accompanied by coconut strands and glazed, toasted almond slices and everything was impeccably embellished by a divine Kahlua syrup.

An exceptional dinner experience, I was impressed.  However, I would redecorate.  While the outside takes the classic road with neat lines of lights, weird tortellini-looking attachments are suction-cupped all over the inside walls.

Tell me that does not look like tortellini.

Great airy space, otherwise.  First-class service, first-class experience, Providence is one of only four restaurants in Los Angeles with two Michelin stars (the others are Melisse, Spago, and Urasawa).  I cannot wait to come back!  Incidentally, at the moment, my sweet tooth is having a staring contest with the 8-course dessert tasting.  O_O

Providence
5955 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
http://www.providencela.com/