Intelligentsia - Abbot Kinney

February 14, 2016

To continue on with celebrating John's Birthday, we went to Intelligentsia after our brunch at Gjelina. I find the location in Abbot Kinney much more sophisticated than the one is Pasadena when it comes to flavor. Cappuccinos are always our go-to at a roaster like this. I love the dairy ratio here compared to what I received in Pasadena. I wouldn't say I am a connoisseur, but I am confident to say I am pretty close to one. There were days when we used to have nothing to do but hit up local coffee shops in Los Angeles. Those days of drinking caffeine for fun is something I truly miss... so this was definitely a treat not just for John, but for me as well.

Walking in, you will see a glass filled with baked goods. Go ahead, pick something.

Step up to a barista when you are ready to order and they will be more than happy to get your drink on the way. The smell of fresh ground coffee beans just does something to me that I can't explain. I always find the smell to be intoxicating. I love getting into a car that has the smell of hot coffee sitting in the cup holder. Or that first brew you make when you are trying to get breakfast ready. It's kind of like, potpourri that wakes you up. I love every bit of it.

I like to add a little raw cane sugar to enhance the espresso. Watch it get swallowed up and sucked in like a black hole.

Stir. Love. Enjoy.

1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

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GJELINA - Abbot Kinney

February 10, 2016

GJELINA is the first restaurant I've tried when visiting Abbot Kinney for the first time. On Abbot Kinney, there are a few blocks congested with little stores and restaurants to check out. I don't remember why we chose GJELINA that day, but I am happy we did.

GJELINA is one of those places where you might see a celebrity walk in. I've seen a few, but I'm pretty infatuated by their brunch menu to even care. I forget how good the food is here. Though I never had dinner, I can honestly say GJELINA is one of the best breakfast-brunch restaurants you can ask for. Not only is it pretty freaking delicious, but the items are priced fairly.

It was for John's Birthday that I decided to take him here to celebrate with a good brunch meal since we had to spend time with family that evening to celebrate Chinese New Years. There are a good variety of items to select from, but there are some dishes that are too hard to pass up.

I'm just going to dive right into this.

Duck Confit Potato Hash

*Potato hash, duck egg and grainy mustard*

Duck confit is very hard to find executed well. Most of the duck confit has I've had in my days were either too dry or not confit enough. And, the potatoes are so flavorful. Almost if they were based in the duck fat. There's nothing more to say I love you than a beautiful yolk with a nice tart grainy mustard to cut through the richness. Do I need to say more?

Moroccan Baked Eggs

Merguez, Chili, Tomato Sauce, cilantro & Spiced yogurt

I highly recommend this as well. A beautiful tomato sauce with chilies and lamb sausage cooked in, baked on top with 2 eggs. The spiced yogurt is everything you need to bring out the beautiful flavors of the merguez. The toast looked intimidating at first because it's fairly large, but just enough to finish this dish.

But wait, there's more.

Pizza Pomodoro

Nothing beats a good Neapolitan Pizza than from GJELINA. They do it well. The crust is insanely thin, crispy, nice cushion crust, and that beautiful yeasty tang we ALL love about a Neapolitan pizza.

Comes out piping hot with some fresh basil tore on top, a dash of oregano and some more condiments on the side for you to play with. Yes, I dipped the crust into my Moroccan eggs.

Is it Christmas already because everyone is say Hallelujah up in here.

Happy Birthday John.

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Little Beast - Eagle Rock

February 9, 2016

Little Beast

1496 Colorado Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90041

I've heard about Little Beast for quite some time now and having had lived in Eagle Rock for over 10 years, it definitely feels like home every time I am back in the area. Little Beast was highly recommended by friends all over. This just felt like the right place to celebrate John's birthday. He didn't want a big party or dinner so I promised him I wouldn't throw him a surprise birthday party like I had the past few years (whooops).

Little Beast is located on the corners of Colorado and Loleta Avenue. There is valet parking as well as street parking on Colorado if you are lucky. We arrived 10 minutes before our reservation, but there wasn't any trouble at all to seat us. We were seated outside in their patio which was lovely. There is a canopy outside to shield you from the rain if any, and heat lamps to keep you warm if chilly. Glancing through the menu, I already knew I wanted the Crudo and the Octopus from their small plates.

First things first, drinks.

Beer for my brother and I, and Stumptown coffee for John (french press).

It wasn't long at all before our small plates came flying out from the kitchen.

California Sea Bass Crudo

The crudo is composed of blood orange, cucumber, radish, yuzu vinaigrette, crispy wonton in between and topped with a frisée poof. This was definitely a palate opener. It was pretty hands down that this was the best rendition of this dish we had. As simple as it sounds, I think the most important part of a crudo is having an extremely balanced acid ratio which was beautifully balanced by the yuzu and the slight spiciness of the fresno chiles. I'm sure we can order 2 of these next time.

Indian Butter Octopus

To be honest, we didn't expect the octopus to come out like this. The "Don't judge a book by its cover" is playing hard on this one. That first bite I took, I felt my eyes roll back. The spices were beautiful and complimented the octopus so well. The fingerling potatoes seemed roasted or fried before it was tossed into the sauce, the flavors were harmonious. The brussell sprouts were also drizzled lightly with a simple vinaigrette which cut through the slight richness of this dish.

Charcuterie

Charcuterie is always a fun item to order. The meats were beautifully laid out on a wood board with delicious pickled condiments like caperberries (one of my favorites, great on carpaccio) and cornichons. We also received a plate of bread to go with out meats and I can't believe how much of it we actually ate.

Hickory Smoked Spicy Pork Meatballs

Ok. So you might not believe it, but I think these are the best tasting meatballs that I've ever, EVER put in my mouth. Let me tell you that the sauce on it's own is dynamite. I've never had smoke executed so perfectly like they did with these meatballs. I could have this in a jar. Buy it frozen. If I lived across the street I would be here for this a few times a week and THAT WOULD BE DANGEROUS. I think this was the best thing we had that night. And the reason why I say that is because it's a meatball. How can one meatball taste so different from another? I think, that if you can make one item that is extremely universal to our tastebuds, and then slug a curve ball like "WTF that was not what I was expecting!" it deserves to be the best thing of the night. They were moist, smokey, spicy little balls and I guarantee you will love it.

Mains

Roasted Mushroom Rissoto

The mushrooms used were king oyster, maitake, and porcini. The risotto also included thyme, black truffle, and parmesan. The flavors were creamy with a sharp roasted mushroom funk you would expect in any mushroom risotto dish. Black truffles always leave a nice touch to any dish no matter what it is. It's totally necessary.

Braised Short Ribs

The polenta was nice and creamy that balances the saltiness of the sauce that was used to braise the short ribs. The short ribs were also a good portion considering all the items we've had so far. It was definitely fork tender with nothing much for you to do but to spoon the meat around the polenta into your mouth. The veggies were carrots, turnips and asparagus.

Caledonia Prawns

The Caledonia Prawns were served over fried wild rice with porkbelly, edamame, carrots, cilantro and a honey soy vinaigrette. This was from their special items menu. The flavors were definitely different from what we had all night. John and David weren't too fond of the wild rice, but I loved the texture. Also, the honey soy vinaigrette was money. I can totally see this sauce glazed over a roasted pork belly. UGH!

I HiGHly recommend Little Beast whether you are from the area or visiting. Little Beast definitely made a bold statement to the neighborhood that you don't need to travel an hour through traffic to have fantastic food. They definitely know what they are doing, you just better make your reservations to find out.

1496 Colorado BoulevardEagle Rock, CA90041 (323)-341-5899

Instagram: @littlebeastrestaurant

Twitter: @LittleBeastEats

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GD Bro Burger

February 5, 2016

First of all. GD Bro Burger has been breaking the internet with their gnarly looking red freaky bun burger. With that said, it looks like one hell of a delicious gnarly red freaky bun burger. A lot of you know me by now, as a burger porn whore. I love my burgers. And what I love about a burger is the unexpected flavors you may find. It's amazing to think, a meat patty, between a bun, can be innovated in so many different ways.

I am delighted to share with you, my burger experience at GD Bro.

1798 East Willow Street, Suite B. Signal Hill, CA 90755

I was lucky to be invited today by Andy Nguyen (Co-Founder/Investor) for a friends and family preview night. You better get there on time or early. Because those pictures you see on social media is real. That long line either wrapping the restaurant or literally invading someone else's backyard.

There was a good selection of burgers to try from. But, I had my eyes set on one.

The "Juan & Only".

This was their specialty spicy burger. As much as I absolutely love spicy foods, there's also a slight hesitancy on how much I could actually tolerate. Will my #Buttfires be too extreme tomorrow? Who knows. But, let me tell you that this burger is well balanced. Yes, it's slightly spicy, but not overpowering where it destroys every sensor on your tongue. This burger consisted of : Meat, Jalapeno Cream Cheese stuffed, Pico de gallo, avocado, chipotle mayo. The chipotle mayo, was the best I've had. SO creamy, perfectly spiced, and rich with the avocado and meat. I would get this again. The burgers were also pretty decent sized.

All American

Of course, John had to order a burger that is least frightening to him. John is normally the western burger type of guy, or the straight up In & Out lettuce-tomato-onions-special sauce dude.

It's pretty decadent huh? Before I forget, these are raspberry buns. I forgot to mention that to John.. he actually thought it was red velvet and freaked out because it didn't taste like it. The All American has good ole American and Swiss cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, lettuce, homemadeBBQ sauce, and kettle chips. Bobby Flay would be proud.

The best for last, KBBQ Kalbi Poutine Fries

These were out of the world. The short ribs were fatty and full of flavor, not overly sweet. Perfectly pickled onions, gravy, shredded mozzarella, sesame and green onions. Call it heaven or sweet baby Jesus. Every bite of my burger I took a big forkful of this. The only thing is, you better eat it quick before the cheese congeals. Would love more gravy next time I come. And, the kalbi had a beautiful smoky black pepper flavor that tasted very familiar. Love it all.

Everything was a thumbs up. I know I am going to pay for it tomorrow. Cheese never sits will in my stomach. This guilty pleasure is always worth it. I don't care what day it is. I am always up for a good burger.

Check them out on:

http://www.gdbrotruck.com/

https://www.instagram.com/gdbroburger/

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DTLA Dinner Club - Arnold Myint

January 30, 2016

If you don't live in Downtown LA, now you will really want to. DTLA has really evolved over the past few years. From catching the metro before sundown (more like before the crazies come out), to now, staying out after a few drinks, roaming the streets passed midnight with friends searching for food. DTLA has definitely become the next hot spot as well as home for passionate LA residents. With the perks to live in LA, there comes a little gem with big time chefs rocking it out amazing food for the community. All you need to do is sign up, and RSVP for the next dinner (you better be quick). All that is asked in return, is to bring a bottle of wine or of course a beverage. This is the DTLA Dinner Club.

Previously, DTLA dinner club was hosted by Josh Gray-Emmer, but has passed down the torch to Arnold Myint as he takes a big, beautiful leap, to Bali.

I was lucky enough to get invited to be able to share with y'all the wonders of this night. And of course, what the DTLA Dinner Club has to bring to their neighbors.

So. Arnold Myint. That name sounds extremely familiar. But from where? All I knew was he was a contender on Top Chef. Without looking into this further, I headed out to NCT lofts in DTLA. As I walked into the loft, the first person that greeted my was this man, with the biggest warmest smile. And for a minute, I told myself "I know this guy" but I just don't remember where. Or, if we grew up together. It gave me a weird yet nostalgic feeling in my gut, but it made me feel comfortable with my surroundings instantly.

This was the face, (taken from his website: Arnold Myint):

Before going into his passions, a brief history of Arnold Myint besides being the contender on Food Network Star that I wanted to win. Arnold is just the sweetest guy from good ole Nashville, Tennessee.

From his own words taken from his site:

"I was born in Nashville, TN, spending a majority of my childhood climbing 100 pound rice bags at my parents' market and traveling to their homeland of South East Asia for summer break. Having toured as a competitive and professional ice skater, attending the Institute of Culinary Education, and working in Jean Georges Vongerichten’s culinary empire, I returned to Nashville for my own pursuits."

-Arnold Myint

There's more to his life, but we can talk about that in a bit.

So going back to walking in and instantly falling in love. Arnold is extremely comfortable in the kitchen. He had no trouble asking one of us for help. And I had no trouble assisting him as long as I have my glass of Cabernet in my hands.

It wasn't long before the first course was flying out from the open layout kitchen.

Here is the Roasted Garlic Panzanella:

As beautiful as it looked, it tasted even better. I almost crapped my pants knowing that he is serving this with crispy baked chicken skin. Where the skin is pressed between 2 sheet pans. And yes, cooked in it's own fat. Scream till no one can hear anymore. I am dying. Such a fantastic thought out dish. The brightness of blistered tomatoes is exactly what you need to cut through the richness of the egg and hummus. I'm salivating as I am describing this. The tartness of the mustard seed, the roasty smokiness of the garlic, and the light touch of dill and mint.

Ok you want to see the yolk right? Here is some yolk porn bitches:

I feel like I get extremely vulgar and poopy mouthed the better the food gets.

Yes, I had seconds of the chicken skin. I am not ashamed. I can eat a big bowl if that any day.

Next up? A surprising twist to family style. I love family style just because, hey I am Chinese and that's what we do growing up. Just sit near what you want to eat the most. But in this case, everything was within my reach.

So let's start with the Eggplant Rollatini:

This was a classic twist with the red pepper jam. I loved the sharpness of the feta, but it was balanced by the creaminess of the ricotta. The peaks of caramelized onions made each bite sweet and savory. Meat was not missed. The eggplant also played a part in texture. Cooked to perfection.

Oven Roasted Carrots:

Such a simple dish, but looks and taste decadent. To wow every party, this is a great idea to harvest seasonal veggies from your grocery store. Make it bright and fresh by topping a handful of pomegranate seeds. I will definitely think of this when hosting spring BBQs.

Arnold Meatballs

So, I think key to a good meatball is the quality of the meat. These lamb meatballs were fantastic. It wasn't seasoned too much where you can't taste the meat, but it was perfectly balances. I dredged these balls with the cilantro yogurt as well as on the carrots. It was heavenly. Also, these meatballs was something that Arnold made in Food Network Star. So these pretty much were home to him. When no one looks, just take 5 more for yourself. Or just drop them in your purse to take home. Just saying. Wouldn't this be fantastic on a sandwich? Good gracious.

My first plate to start off. Classy and elegant. What I did afterwards, you don't need to know.

Are y'all ready for dessert?

Arnold recently bought an ice cream machine. So we were definitely in for a treat.

Arnold getting ready to serve this ultimate Orange Olive Oil Cake. More like I love you Olive Oil. The final touches before it gets crowned with ice cream. Sit back an relax.

Orange Olive Oil Cake

That cardamom ice cream was everything. The cake was so moist, but had a nice density to eat with the ice cream. I've never had flavors like this before, so besides omg this is f*cking good, I don't even know how else to explain this.

So after wining down, we got to speak with Arnold a little bit about himself.

Arnold has an Alter Ego. One that I don't think you can handle. That's pretty much how fabulous she is.

I only have one word to describe her: Queen.

If you don't know the tails of the original Suzie Wong, it's basically a romantic love story found in a what ifs of 2 different worlds. One American man, falling in love with a prostitute in Hong Kong hotel brothel.

Arnold as Suzy Wong. I can't picture anything else that suits him.

Ms. Boss Lady running a brothel in Tennessee. I'm sure walking in the restaurant, you would feel the naughtiness creep up your neck. Oh yes, you are naughty.

Arnold was also inspired a lot by his culture and of course, family. Arnold talks highly of the memories he had growing up with the flavors of his heritage. Which brings up my next question. What are you going to serve next for DTLA dinner club. And I already had a gut feeling it was going to be home. Thai food. Now, if you aren't living in DTLA, you have time to do so now.

Click here to find out details.

So. This leaves me in an awkward departure. I would love to get invited again and document the wonders of different chefs that whips up their spin. Arnold is also working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand WHICH by the way, teamed up with William Sonoma. Arnold will be making a debut in William Sonoma here in Southern California so stay tuned for updates.

Until then, au revoir.

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Wine & Dine

Intelligentsia - Abbot Kinney

GJELINA - Abbot Kinney

Little Beast - Eagle Rock

Little Beast

Mains

GD Bro Burger

DTLA Dinner Club - Arnold Myint