Viewing entries tagged
downtown

The Factory Kitchen - DTLA

June 6, 2016

If you think you know DTLA, there's still a lot of little nooks and cranny for you to go through. Seems like every time you find a new restaurant, you end up discovering 5 more. It just never stops. The Factory Kitchen is one of those restaurants you kind of have to be in the know to hear about it. Luckily, this place was passed along through word of mouth, and I was fortunate to try out a few of their signature cocktails paired with a few of their tasty bites.

A few cocktails

All the cocktails had were delicious and friendly to drink. There wasn't one that I wasn't able to consume. Nothing was overly sweet and can always be adjusted if you are sensitive. Love the spicy Mezcaline.

This thing right here was pretty freaking awesome. Besides the parma prosciutto being amazing and aged for 24 months, it's served on top of a lightly fried sage dough with stracciatella cheese on top. The stracciatella cheese would remind me of a consistency like Burrata cheese, but like shreds, hence the name. Amazing quality to make this one of my favorites on the menu.

They also have a few selections of amazing Focaccina Calda Di Recco Al Formaggio. Thin dough with crescenza cheese that brings a lovely salty and briny finish. Loved all the renditions from san marzano tomatoes, capers, anchovies, oregano to foraged mushrooms, zucchini blossoms, ligurian olive oil and parsley. Crispy to eat. Makes you feel great without the guilt.

For dessert, we shared an order of bigne.

Definitely worth a shot to come by if you are looking for a destination in DTLA. Seating's were forgivable, but can be packed so get ready to wait if you don't have reservations. This just might be the birthday destination for me. Just might.

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Spear Steak and Seafood - DTLA

April 20, 2016

You know, when I think about breakfast, I think about things that I grew up eating. I wasn't that kid that got cereal or oatmeal for breakfast. In fact, we didn't eat breakfast during the weekdays at all. Even now, my breakfast is a cup of black coffee and whatever is left of my opened bag of cookies. Being a hardcore carnivore eater growing up, I find solace when I see steak on the menu. I would say 99% of the time, I would order steak if it's on the menu. And that 1% is only when I feel pressured to get something new.

Spear Steak and Seafood House in DTLA not only serves the obvious steaks, but they also do Sunday Brunch. They have 2 items on the menu that I normally gravitate towards: Steak & Eggs and Crab Benedict. During Sunday Brunch, Spear's also have $10 bottomless mimosas. With $7 parking validation, that's pretty awesome. Although I don't recommend anyone driving under the influence of bottomless mimosas.

800 W 6th St, Ste 100

Los Angeles, CA 90017

First, we coffee.

Attentive staff that keeps your cup filled. I don't know how many cups I had, but I was wired for sure.

I love Eggs Benedict. The only reason why I don't order it is pretty obvious. Butter. But, when lumps of crab meat is involved, there really isn't any reason to say now. And boy, was this delicious.

The binding of the crab was extremely simple. A slight crunch of the crust with a nice flaky bite from the crab. For $16 and the amount of crab you get, this was definitely worth it and a must order. Served with crispy fingerling potatoes. Go ahead, dip your potatoes in that ooey gooey Hollandaise sauce.

So I've been really into flat iron steaks. And if you haven't really tried a flat iron, I highly recommend you doing so. It's extremely delicious. It's much leaner than your Rib Eye or New York, but it has an incredible beef flavor. I would say... it feels like a Filet meets a New York. Served with fresh hash, sunny side eggs, ketchup & salsa verde.

Always medium rare. The steak was cooked perfectly as you can see. The salsa verde had a surprisingly spicy kick to it. I don't find salsa verde sauces to be really spicy, so this definitely caught me off guard when I dunked my first piece.

I will be back soon to taste their sushi menu. They have specialty cut rolls that I would love to try. This is a nice spot to hang out for brunch, or to follow dinner with tons of drinks. Because really, REALLY, who just has ONE drink?

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Pig Pen Delicacy - Santa Ana

March 3, 2016

Pig Pen Delicacy, located on 201 E 4th St - Santa Ana, CA 92701, inside 4th street market.

I got the chance to taste Pig Pen Delicacy yesterday, another one of Andy and his partners Kevin, Mark and Jason's creation. This place serves a few dishes that are focused in a world of pork and bacon flavors. Just the sound of that gives me heartburns. But, that's why I have Tums.

I've never been to Downtown Santa Ana, so making the trip from Pasadena was already worth it to be able to explore a city I am not familiar with. We arrived around 7. Just in time before the crowd started swarming in. Pig Pen Delicacy as said before, is located inside the 4th street market, but you would need to make your way inside as it is wrapped passed the corner. You will figure it out. Andy recommended a few dishes which we tried. So let's get it on.

I had a feeling they might've been running low on pulled pork for this tasting because the portions were really minimal. I am not complaining since I understand that they were pretty busy from the heavy crowds. But based on the pork that I was able to taste in this, it was something that I enjoyed.

The pork was cooked till tender with some pickled carrots and daikon to cut through the richness of the meat and egg. The brioche bun held the sandwich together nicely as well as soaking up the yolk lava from the eggs. Like really, what kind of world are we living in if eggs can't be cooked perfectly?

I loved this burger. I've never had a sweet and savory burger like this before. I am not a fan of western bbq sauced burgers or hawaiin burgers with pineapple. But sausage with syrup or bacon dipped in syrup is my kind of thing. I think when you really want to imagine how a sweet and savory burger would taste like, this is it. It brings a nostalgic moment from childhood. Eating pancakes and oozing your maple syrup all over everything on your plate imaginable. This is comfort food right here y'all.

I don't really need to say much about it. It's bacon with brown sugar and spices. Baked until it's finger licking good. What more do you want? Good Daisy... eat that bacon...

Again, I think they were running low on pork belly because there were only a few nibbles floating around. The flavors though were really great. I can only imagine how delicious and composed this dish would be if made with their proportions (I saw photos during the day, and this order was HUGE compared to this). Loved the fries that they use. Loved the creamy cilantro sauce with the fresh pico de gallo. Would love to try this again next time I come.

Enjoy. And always love the Dew.

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Table Crush: Simbal

December 2, 2015

I am excited to share with you another dining experience I had with Table Crush. If you haven't signed up to be on their mailing list, I urge you to do so (CLICK HERE). Not sure if you remember, I attended to a Table Crush event back in October at Gracias Madre. Let me give you a quick recap on how this works. All you do is sign up, and you will get email notifications about when the next Table Crush dinner is. The dinner is consisted of 8 people are so (you better book fast) with a special pre-fixed sampling of the menu. With that, you also get to meet the chef, a very intimate experience.

Here we go! Brace yourself as I open up my experience I had at Simbal for the last Table Crush event of 2015.

Can you guess, according to this list, when I started feeling my jeans getting tighter and tighter?

Yes. This was the tasting menu that we were looking forward to. I don't know how you feel about it, but I sure as hell was f*cking excited. I had a big lunch. But after seeing this, fireworks shot out of my ass and I was ready to eat again.

The restaurant was pretty awesome, and most importantly of all: clean. The restaurant had a welcoming vibe due to the open concept kitchen. The staff was also very kind and hospitable.

Loved these nuts. This was something I grew up eating, though not even close to being this good. There were dried/fried small fishies and seaweed mixed together. This takes beer nuts to a whole different level. This will put the nuts my dad buys to shame. Sorry dad. TO SHAME!

Minced meat relish on pineapple and mandarin orange.

As part of the opening courses, this was very refreshing and good leeway to open our palates. The fruit was very sweet which paired perfectly with the saltiness of the relish. I feel like this is the Vietnamese version of cantaloupe and prosciutto. Very simple, but the flavors married perfectly.

Pomelo and Shrimp salad, ginger, coconut, lime.

I hate how much I loved this. The pomelo was extremely ripe. The lime was just heavenly with the sweetness of the pomelo and the light poached shrimp. I would order this again, and cry that I won't be able to eat this again till I come back. It's ok, I will drink my sorrows again until we meet.. until we meet again..

Fresh Meiji tofu, tuna, ponzu, sesame seeds, scallions

A very light dish. Reminds me of Hiyayakko, but with tuna added on top. This compliments the silkiness of the tofu. The Meiji tofu paired perfectly with the mild ponzu that does not overpower the dish at all. This screams summer.

Crispy Sweet Potato, poached shrimp and fresh herbs

I've been contemplating on making a crispy sweet potato hash for a while now. This justifies how good sweet potatoes can be. Chef Pham explained to us that this was a dish that can be found in the streets of Vietnam. This was extraordinary. The fresh herbs was stellar. The light fish sauce vinaigrette added a delicate touch to cut through the oiliness of the crispy potato. The shrimp added a nice texture to balance all the crunchiness from the potato. This is a must.

This wasn't on the menu, but it was fried tofu doused in a flavorful sweet and spicy sauce. I'm assuming there is some fish sauce in this as well. I just loved how each dish has a hint of fish sauce. I'm assuming it's something renown in Vietnamese cooking, and appreciating that the chef is not intimidated to implement it in so many of his dishes.

This was my favorite. I grew up eating Banh mi since it was extremely affordable. My dad used to buy a few sandwiches for my brother and I to eat during the week. I didn't know what to expect when I saw this. Actually, I didn't think it would be that good. The first bite took me by surprise. And I just feel my cheek, slowly trembling from smiling so much. The carrots and daikon were perfectly, and I mean PERFECTLY, pickled. I know. Chef Pham said it's all vinegar, sugar and salt. NO! His ratios of each component for this pickling liquid, will blow all carrot/daikon pickles in SGV out of the water. A must order.

Prime beef hanger steak tartare, larb seasoning, sesame bread

The tartare was delicious and delicate, obviously. But again, the larb seasoning was spot on. That sesame bread? light and fluffy. Fluffier than my belly and that says a lot. Dang I need a moment to collect myself.

Hello fried sweetbreads. I know you freaked out a lot of people at the table, but don't worry sweetheart, everyone tasted you, because I told them you were like tofu. And guess what? the texture kind of was. If I told you it was tofu, you would've probably believed me. The funny part about this,? Everyone was quiet when tasting this. Seeking the "sweetbread flavor", but nothing. NOTHING. Just very yummy fish sauce glazed around with some chinese mustard greens. By the way, the crispy peanuts and mustard greens is something that is eaten in Chinese culture. It pleases me that Chef Pham acknowledges where these ingredients originated from. It's something that I, personally, appreciate. Have to take my dad here for this because he LOVES pickled chinese mustard greens.

Braised pork belly in fresh coconut juice

Looks simple right? The smell was simple as well. But the pork, was perfection. Extremely tender with the ever so slight sweetness from the coconut juice. Chef Pham mentions this was something his grandma would make at least 3 times a week. I believe him. In Chinese cuisine, we have braised pork belly stewed in soy and spices like star anise, cardamon and cinnamon. Pork belly is a cheaper meat, and back then it was even less expensive. So this was something our families definitely took advantage of. I can understand how this dish represents the Chef and his family. Very delicious, served with a side of Jasmine rice. Which was cooked perfectly exactly like how I would cook mine. (this dish is extremely important with rice).

Mussels, chili jam, galangal, lemongrass, kafir lime, Chinese doughnuts

This dish was so perfect for the weather. The chinese doughnut is dipped into the slightly spicy lemongrass infused broth. Dip then eat with mussel together. Amazing and such a crowd pleaser. The mussels were fresh and cooked perfectly.

One of those "MMMMMM" Moments. The use of turmeric was executed perfectly. Turmeric has an extremely strong flavor and can easily overpower a dish. Cod is one of those fishes that you wouldn't want to mask since the flavors are so light. This was so beautifully paired with the fresh herbs and dill. Chef Pham was gracious enough to send another one over.

Roasted Bone Marrow with grilled chili jam, chinese donuts

The bone marrow sunk into the donut with no mercy. Chinese donuts is great to dip into anything, it's literally a sponge. Just imagine the marrow, soaking up the donut through the crevices? My heart is stopping with each bite.

The beef is marinated in coriander and garlic. I would like this on skewers so I can walk around little tokyo like I'm in Vietnam. All I need is a little imagination. In no time, these bad boys were snatched out of the bowl. Love the caramelized edges on some of these.

The sauce on this was pretty heavy, so a nice bowl of Jasmine rice will do. The chicken was very tender. The scallions and ginger slices not only complimented the chicken, but added a freshness to cut through the rich sauce.

All I can say is cooked to perfection. Slight crispiness from the skin and a refreshing touch by the scallions. The duck spoke for itself, and does not need anything to justify how amazing it was.

Finally dessert. I'm partially alive guys. But the end of our extravaganza has come to an end. Closing with coconut flan, Sugared chinese donut with vietnamese coffee foam, and banana cake with whipped coconut cream. Everything we had was delicious. But. The coconut flan stole the show, and ran with it. It was amazing, and extremely refreshing especially after everything we just had. Out of many things I would come back for, this has to be one of them.

I hope this presentation is enough for you to sign up for Table Crush. They have one coming in January 2016. If I remember correctly, it might be at an Indian gastropub. I am totally down for that. Sign up now at www.TableCrush.com.

All in all, I really appreciated this dinner experience. Chef Pham was very intimate with our group, and shared a lot of his memories with the dishes that he has prepared for us tonight. His experience and love for his culture really speaks through his food. Check out Simbal if you are in Los Angeles.

Happy Eating,

Daisy

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The Perch - Happy Birthday best friend forever-ever.

September 14, 2015

On Saturday, we celebrated my Best friend, Jocelynn's birthday. I've known this chick for about 13 years. Our memories are consisted of a lot of alcohol consumption, random crying nights (NO more of those thank God), random parties, Hot Cheetos, and Starbucks.

This year, we went to Downtown Los Angeles to a beautiful restaurant/lounge called Perch.

448 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

We had reservations at 5:30 PM, which worked out better for all of us. And I honestly really hate going out late. I don't mind staying out, but starting the night late is such a waste. Think about it: I want to see the sun, feel it, and see it say goodnight. If you've never thought about it that way, I hope you will start.

Before dinner, we took a few... or was it a lot, of Jameson. It's her birthday! and Who cares, we weren't driving (please drink responsibly). There's parking across the street for $10. Remember to put all your belongings out of site. And when crossing the street, always look left and right. AND! make sure drivers see you, and acknowledge you are crossing the street. Downtown LA can be a dangerous place at night with a lot of drunk and impatient drivers.

The Perch LA is pretty strict with reservations. If you want to dine here, make sure to give notice at least 2 weeks ahead of time just to make sure. If you have a party of 6+, definitely call a month in advance. When we showed up to our reservation, we were seated pretty quickly. The restaurant was also more than half empty. More reservations at 5:30 could've been accommodated. After we were seated, without much thought, we all pretty much ordered meat.

BOEUF BORDELAISE $29 ("braised short rib, roast garlic potato puree, beets, cippolini and pearl onions") — **BOEUF BORDELAISE $29 ("**braised short rib, roast garlic potato puree, beets, cippolini and pearl onions")

The short rib was braised for who knows how long till it was literally melt in your mouth, fork tender, fat rendered-good sh*t. If you come here, I highly recommend this. I also loved the beets and the bits of citrus to cut through the fat of the short ribs.

FILET MIGNON AU POIVRE $37 ("parsnip + potato puree, asparagus, fines herbes, bordelaise, mushroom ragout") — **FILET MIGNON AU POIVRE $37**
("parsnip + potato puree, asparagus, fines herbes, bordelaise, mushroom ragout")

The filet Mignon was cooked perfectly. Not much to say besides it being another classic French dish that they offer at Perch. The flavors are not as rich or heavy as it may seem. I do wish there was more of a punch of flavor since filet itself, or at least to me, has a mild beef flavor. A little FYI, I am NOT a filet Mignon gal. I love my fatty rib eyes and new york. The portions by the way, are decent and acceptable.

Steak Frites $26("'flat iron, maitre d’ butter, bordelaise, truffle cheese fries") — Steak Frites $26
("'flat iron, maitre d’ butter, bordelaise, truffle cheese fries")

Maitre D'butter is basically compound butter. It's butter set in room temperature where it becomes softened enough to mix with whatever concoction you want. Roll it back up into a log, fridge it, and then VOILA! The bordelaise is just a red wine base sauce. The "truffle" cheese fries, however, had zero truffles in it. Not even one trace. And I never send back truffle complaining there's not enough, because in reality, if you are not paying $100 for it, then you really aren't ordering it. This is just cheese fries. Unless they really did forget to add artificial truffle oil. Who knows. Don't care, the Jameson is kicking. The flat iron was cooked perfectly and tasted pretty good actually. My friend Mark even said it was as tender as the filet, figuratively speaking.

From the 3 meat dishes, I would definitely order the short ribs again. It was just executed very well and it's always something I love to order, especially if it takes hours till it becomes fork tender.

Hey, where's our waitress? I swear she left to go home or something because she never stopped by. Not having it.

So after dinner, we headed upstairs to the lounge.

Upstairs looking down at the restaurant.

There's no food served at the rooftop lounge, but there is a bar, and a pretty beautiful, bad ass view of Los Angeles. And notice how pretty everything looks when there's still light out? Hey, and you will never know who you can run into. We ran into an Ex Senator with his family and friends. Super friendly and kind. They also offered their seats when leaving so we can enjoy the rest our evening there. How sweet is that?

What I love about Jocelynn the MOST is how reliable she is. Yeah, you can say your friends are fun, do crazy things, love to go out, whatever. How often can you actually count on someone that's within your circle? And know that every single time you are in some kind of rut, they will be there? My ruts consisted of a lot of hunger issues.. but on the real note, she is the best and I can count on her to be by my side for the rest of my growing old years. And if you do have a friend like this, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. But mine is still better.

This night was unforgettable. Literally. I'm all kinds of messed up from it. But I'll never tell.

Cheers!

Daiisies

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Wine & Dine

The Factory Kitchen - DTLA

A few cocktails

Spear Steak and Seafood - DTLA

Pig Pen Delicacy - Santa Ana

Table Crush: Simbal

The Perch - Happy Birthday best friend forever-ever.