Triple 8 China Bar & Grill - DTLA LA Live

May 9, 2016

It's nothing new that DTLA has been coming strong with the food scene. Not just old buildings are being restored to accommodate more living spaces to the DTLA endeavors, but restaurants pop ups has definitely been on the rise. Living in DTLA has also been more convenient with shops and markets that recently opened. One of the things I get asked a lot is "where can I find good Chinese food?". There's a lot. Too much to count. But everyone assumes the best Chinese food is located in 626 which I can agree for the most part here in Los Angeles County.

Triple 8 China Bar & Grill opened their doors to DTLA at the LA Live entertainment complex. With plenty of parking, validation, and tons of open tables, they are ready to feed everyone who is hungry for some Cantonese food. Though the decor is beautiful and extravagant, triple 8 really does provide some traditional Cantonese food you will find in SGV. There's nothing that you can really complain about besides the price, but you have to think about the location you are dining at. I'm sure the square footage of this place is a few more $$$$ than you would find in SGV for $.

The meal was started with a cucumber salad and jellyfish. The cucumber salad was dressed in a sesame soy vinaigrette, salt pepper, and garlic. The jellyfish is marinated in a simple sesame oil and sesame seeds. These are both classic dishes to have. The jellyfish is one of my favorite things to eat. The portions were family sized.

We had a few dim sums which we found out might be discontinued on their menu. But they were tasty and fulfilled our cravings.

The Xiao Long Bao are basically soup dumplings. I like to take a bite at the top to pour in some vinegar and ginger. Take the whole bite after, but be careful because these are hot.

Fish maw is the fishes air bladder. It doesn't have much flavor so don't freak out. This soup is a huge Cantonese dish. Served with a side of seasoned vinegar and a dash of white pepper. I'm sure there are benefits to this dish that I never paid attention to. I recommend this if you want to have a classic Cantonese soup.

Steamed garlic lobster with rice noodles

Delicious and not too gamey. Love the aromatics. I just love lamb coated with cumin and chili. Reminds me of street food. These were extremely tender.

The show stopper. Get ready because these are going fast. This garlic crab was cooked with Butter Crispy Marlin Floss. Super crispy and flavorful. The crunchy garlic goes great over white rice.

Took these into work the next day and totally stunk the whole office up.

Served with Hoisin Sauce, Cucumber and Spring Onions. The skin was very crispy. One of my favorite dishes to get.

I like my wraps with a lot of duck, but you can put less. Put all condiments to your liking, fold, wrap, wrap, fold. Eat. Lick fingers. Repeat.

There you have it. A full course fitted for a family. Though a bit pricey, I would bring my family here because the experience was great and the food is also decent. Friendly and attentive staff to accommodate tea refills with no stink eye. If I lived in DTLA I would come here pretty often.

800 W Olympic Blvd Ste A-120Los Angeles, CA 90015

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Napa Valley Grille

May 3, 2016

After closing down 3 months for a renovation costing a little over $2 million dollars, Napa Valley Grille in Westwood is now reopened. I've never seen the restaurant before the renovations, but as I walked by, I told myself "Wow! This restaurant is beautiful." John reminds me "We are eating here today..."... I wasn't embarrassed but I can't believe that just happened. The restaurant has valet if you prefer, but there's also meter parking available on the streets.

1100 Glendon Avenue, #100 Los Angeles, CA 90024

The restaurant is nothing short of its name. Right when you walk in, you first notice the bar filled with liquor. Then, the beautiful vaulted ceilings with arches and wood beams throughout the warm dining room. As you walk by, the elegant display of wines waiting to be drunk.

Our server Jaryl was great, friendly, and attentive throughout the whole course of our meal.

We started our dinner with 2 appetizers.

Prepared with crispy pancetta, sweet onions, charred tomato, and Tavistock Reserve Chardonnay. The broth was to die for. The Chardonnay was perfectly cooked out leaving a subtle sweetness that marries great with all the ingredients. I also love the utilization of fresh herbs. Must order.

Wagyu Beef, pancetta, fried green tomato, fresh herbs, and romesco sauce. This was excellent. The sharpness of the green tomato complimented the beef and pancetta. I'll be happy eating this everyday.

Love the simplicity of the pickling. I would buy this in a jar if sold in markets.

I am a huge fan of branzino. I love the meatiness and slight sweetness of the fish. Deboned, and cooked with capers, tomato, Romanesco, olive oil, parsley and other fresh herbs. Not show in the photo are a few slices of peeled limes. The fish was stunning and tasted better than it looked. The flavors were simple, but the execution was flawless. This tasted like Spring leaping towards summer. Another must order.

The Lobster ravioli was served with this shrimp, chervil and watermelon salad. Interesting concept, but the flavors worked in this dish. The ingredients were fresh with the play of herbs again. Another leap towards summer with this one.

I am not much of a fan of sweet items, but there are things I can never pass up.

It's not just a baked cookie. It's a baked cookie served with pecan nougatine and salted caramel ice cream. A great cookie with a creamy ice cream. I'm a huge fan of salted caramel ice cream. This does not disappoint.

You have absolutely no idea how delicious this was! The bread pudding was made with brioche, brown sugar sauce, and brûléed marshmallows. Super rich. Super decadent. But high comforting and highly contagious. You can't just have one bite. These were definitely the top desserts on their menu.

Don't forget to pair your desserts with an espresso.

Their Executive Cef Adrian Vela incorporated a lot of fresh ingredients from the local Farmers Market in Santa Monica. Every dish was vibrant with flavor, plated rustically but with elegance.

1100 Glendon Avenue, #100 Los Angeles, CA 90024

Great for any occasion with plenty of space and a few private rooms.

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Okumura - Encino, CA

April 28, 2016

It was Angela's 30th birthday. The great part about it was we didn't have to think hard on where to eat. The second great part about it was finding out about Okumura. Located in Encino on Ventura Blvd, you will find Okumura's restaurant wedged between Fat Stogies and a Salon. If you need further assistance locating this place, it's in the same plaza as Starbucks.

17302 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91316

We knew what we wanted coming here. And as for any fine Japanese sushi restaurant, I would highly recommend to order their Omakase. Omakase is basically the Chef's choice. Just thinking about it now, I think this is the first Omakase experience that I had. The only coursed Japanese meal that I've had was a Kaiseki in Japan (which by the way, was F***ing amazing).

We were seated right in front of the head chef and owner himself, Ryota Okumura. He was very kind and friendly, but was also very detailed to his surroundings. There was a refined delicacy to how he moved around his station. It wasn't long till he started pumping out our course.

Itadakimasu

Served with edible gold flakes, mix greens, and a soy vinaigrette. The tuna was extremely fresh. The first thing that I probably noticed was how lightly the dish was composed. Yes, it looks beautiful, but the flavors were not heavily masked. The vinaigrette just adds a nice touch to the natural flavors of the fish.

Served with crispy onions, ponzu sauce and a sliced cherry tomato. Another simple dish, but perfectly executed. The onions were simple, and not over fried to the point it over powers the fish.

Amberjack, pico de gallo, micro mix, and nihazu. Very delicious and bright. This screams spring flavors and hello summer. The pico de gallo was such a classic touch. Why didn't I think of that?

Some of the best things in life is everything you see in that bowl. The chawanmushi is a simple well balanced flavors of dashi, eggs, edamame and shrimp. Served atop with uni and ikura. One of the best tasting chawanmushi I've had. The custard was not too salty, which worked perfectly with the uni and the ikura.

Chef Ryota's recommendation. Trust him, this was pretty amazing.

Gari - The chef plated each of us with pickled ginger. Now it's time to get started.

Hotate - Scallop

Shima Aji

Halibut

Sawara

Blue Fin Tuna

Toro

Ika

Engawa with Liver

Kanpachi - with Yuzu Kosho

Seared Toro

Ikura

Uni

Hotaru Ika - Firefly Squid

Bonito, Ume, Shiso and white fish

There's no need to describe every single one because to be honest, they were all mind blowing. There wasn't that one piece that we didn't agree with. The sauces were perfect. The seasonings were right on the mark. The amount of wasabi in each wasn't dominant, but you know it's there. Each fish is prepared with expertise. The toro, for example, was deveined so that it will literally just melt in your mouth. The fishes were all extremely fresh like it just jumped out of the water and slapped you in your face.

One thing to point out. The seaweed really stood out to me. It was later mentioned, which was no surprise to me, that the seaweed was from his mother's hometown. To have great sushi, every little detail that goes into each bite matters.

If I HAD to pick one that stood out to me, I would have to go with the Blue fin tuna. Maguro is the staple fish that everyone loves in Japan. To be honest, I am not a huge fan of tuna. But this one it particular, was so simple, but the fish tasted so different as I started to chew. Towards the end, it had the slightest faint of the briny fresh sea water. To say it in one word: extraordinary.

Before dessert was served, we were all served a small bowl of miso soup.

Sweet surprise

Who would've thought that Chef Ryota would serve panna cotta at the end of an epic meal? This really reminds me of dessert in Japan. Just by presentation, it really looks like he was painting his own Zen garden. Served aside with some strawberry & vanilla mochi, this was the perfect close to take away.

I'm not sure how much the Omakase here runs. We had 1 bottle of beer and 2 small bottles of sake. 4 of us. Total was about $450. So if drinks were not included, I would just estimate around $80-$100 for the Omakase. Mind you that we came in at 6:30pm and left at almost 9. It was well worth it for the experience. It's not something to do everyday. And if it was something you can do everyday, then tell me, why are we not friends?

I am confident to put my money to say that Chef Ryota is extremely talented. The food that he serves is not only fresh, but his preparations are mastered in comparison to the restaurants I've had in Japan if not better. People talk about the best foods are in Japan. I can somewhat agree on some things, but I don't to the fact that you have to go there to have great Japanese food or in this case, great sushi. Okumura will definitely deliver.

17302 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91316

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Rice Box - Los Angeles

April 26, 2016

Rice boxes are a huge staple to the every day Chinese fast food. But calling it fast food is a huge understatement. I watched tons of Hong Kong soap operas as I was growing up and a lot of times these "Fahn Hup" were known as fast food for the working class. When we think about fast food here in America, we are familiar with McDonald's. In Hong Kong, you would find white rice, and proteins like BBQ Pork or Roast Duck with a side of gai lan.

Rice Box is a new up and coming concept coming in the near future to run with the modern approach of Cantonese BBQ. They will be at Unique Markets in Los Angeles this Saturday & Sunday, 04/30 - 05/01 from 11AM - 6PM. They will be featuring a few of their Rice Boxes. We had the pleasure to taste a few of their items before this event. I can't tell you how excited I am about how incredibly delicious the food was. It really reminded me of great comfort rice boxes when my parents would bring some home.

One of the first dishes we had was this Sesame Cold Noodle. It's made with organic noodle, house pickled carrots & cucumbers, organic tofu, sesame dressing, and house made chili oil. This was very fresh and slightly creamy from the sesame dressing.

Growing up, I hated these things. I think I disliked them because it was something my parents always ordered when I wanted egg rolls instead. But once I started getting older, and I start eating less with them, I find myself not having these as much as I used to. And now, I really really love them. The daikon cake is made with daikon, rice flour, bacon (hormone/antibiotic free), dried scallop-shrimp-shiitake, house made chili oil and garlic sweet soy sauce. The cake is normally steamed first before pan fried.

Get it? This is for the absolute mushroom funk lovers. This daikon cake is made with daikon, rice flour, dried wild porcini, oyster mushroom, wood ear, and shiitake served with house made chili oil and garlic sweet soy sauce. I could eat these during any sports game.

One of the ultimate fahn hup's I grew up eating. Rice, BBQ Pork, Gai Lan, and a sunny side up EGG ALWAYS. This organic, hormone & antibiotic free pork shoulder was not shy of any flavor. Their eggs are also organic served with some organic quinoa rice. The best parts are the burnt ends that has been caramelized in the open flame.

Soy sauce chicken is one of my favorite Cantonese dishes. It's hard to find made right. A lot of times, it's extremely dry from staying under the heat lamps for so long. People just don't appreciate this style of chicken anymore. This was perfectly executed. The chicken breast was extremely succulent and I can't say that a lot about chicken breast. The soy sauce was not too salty, but perfectly balanced with the sweet marinade. Served with house ginger scallion sauce, and charred Gai Lan with sesame seeds on organic quinoa rice.

This is for the Vegan/Vegetarian peeps. You get the same marinade as the Cha Siu pork, but with a Cauliflower Steak. Have you ever had a Cauliflower steak? It changes you.

These are for the spicy lovers. Beware because these poppers pack a lot of heat! The organic tofu is deep fried then doused in minced jalapeño, scallion, garlic, salt and pepper. I could take the heat, but I'm not going to lie that I sweated a little.

Roasted Pork belly. It's pretty self explanatory. This might be one of my top favorite ways to eat pork. It's a huge staple in our culture. Something that is served for celebratory events, holidays, or just a Friday night special. The pork belly is the best cut of the whole roasted pig. Rice Box focuses solely on the belly. Yeah, it's good.

To wrap things up, everything we had was phenomenal. To me, this is what Chinese BBQ is all about. If there was a restaurant that made food this great in a rice box, I would be there in a heartbeat almost everyday. This is also something I know a lot of older generations would love.

Don't forget to check them out at Unique Markets. Tickets are sold $10 at the door -Cash Only, but you can always purchase your ticket online by clicking HERE.

Stay tuned as Rice Box is working into becoming a brick and mortar.

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Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop - Costa Mesa

April 21, 2016

I love being in Costa Mesa even though I haven't really figured out all the go to spots. Spending your day somewhere else you are not familiar with can be challenging. It really depends on what to eat in the area. That's always the biggest question. I got the opportunity to taste some food from Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop. They do have a few locations, but why not pick one that I am more comfortable with and getting the opportunity to explore at the same time.

3321 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Chopshop is located outside the OC Mix. I've never been to this side of Costa Mesa. Just being here was exciting enough. They have a pretty wide selection of items to pick from. Luckily, they had a Sunday Brunch menu that we were able to pick from. Huevos Rancheros. Almost immediately I knew that's what I wanted. But. John also wanted it. We can't both order the same things. That just doesn't happen. I let him have it. I am always the nice one, remember that. I ordered their flat iron steak with 2 gourmet sides: Roasted Yams & Red Onion, Pomegranate Quinoa.

Steak was delicious. Perfectly medium rare. The seasonings were simple. Roasted yams with red onions, can't complain. The Quinoa, however, were cranberries and not pomegranate which was a bummer. But I did enjoy the sweetness of the cranberries. It actually complimented the yams really well. Lucky you. Lucky me.

I don't know how to say this... but this tasted like the Mexican Taco from Taco Bell. BUT, in the BEST way possible. And come on, who doesn't love the Mexican Taco from TB? The Huevos Rancheros is consisted of over easy eggs, refried black beans, chipotle sauce, pico de gallo, avocado & crisp corn tortilla strips. Ridiculously crispy, the sauce is also extremely flavorful, egg, cheese, guac! I would highly recommend this. Also, this is not as heavy as it looks. It was very light, but extremely satisfying.

After your done, make a stop at the OC mix to check out some shops.

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Wine & Dine

Triple 8 China Bar & Grill - DTLA LA Live

Napa Valley Grille

Okumura - Encino, CA

Rice Box - Los Angeles

Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop - Costa Mesa