Good, if Not Spectacular, Filipino Dining at Gerry's Grill

For awhile now, I've been hearing about a Filipino restaurant in Artesia that's supposed to be pretty good. Finally, I decided that I had to investigate. By the way, if you want to read my take on Filipino Food in general, click here! For now, let's focus on the highs and lows of the 16 dishes that my dining group and I shared at Gerry's Grill, which is a restaurant chain that started in the Philippines and is now starting to gather steam in Southern California.

The first dish to arrive was the Kilawin Tuna, which is similar to a Tuna Ceviche. This is the first time I've ever seen any type of Kilawin dish on a restaurant menu. It brings me back to the days when my Dad was still alive and would bring his catch back from his fishing trips. The fish was either smoked or made into Kilawin by marinating the fish overnight with vinegar, red onions, chili peppers, garlic and kalamansi juice. His recipe was very similar to what we had at Gerry's Grill, but like any kind of "home cooking", Kilawin recipes vary and in some instances cooked pork is used in place of fish. Gerry Grill's version was actually pretty good, although I don't think it had kalamansi juice, which would have added some lovely tart citrus notes.

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Next up was the Adobo Shreds, which were shreds of pork adobo fried crisp. This must be a restaurant specialty because this is the first time I've ever had this item. It reminded me of jerky and being a jerky lover, I enjoy every chewy bit.

Instead of steamed white rice, we went for Garlic Fried Rice, 5 large scoops of rice on a plate topped with fried garlic. Nothing else to it, but I did think it needed more garlic.

Pinakbet hit the table next and this restaurant version was sauteed in garlic with a touch of shrimp paste, at least that's how it was written in their menu. There wasn't enough variety in vegetables and not having enough shrimp paste was disappointing. My mom's pinkabet is chock full of squash, green beans, okra and more plus you can actually see little bits of shrimp paste dotting the surface of the veggies and more important, you could taste all that salt- shrimpy goodness. That's what pinakbet should be like.

Our next dish was Kare-Kare, which is a stew of oxtail and vegetables in a peanut butter sauce. It's best eaten over rice with bagoong (shrimp paste) smeared on both meat and veggies. Although the sauce was a little thicker than I would have liked, this Kare-Kare was pretty tasty.

Unfortunately, the Adobong Spinach, which was spinach and shrimp cooked in adobo sauce was something I wouldn't order again. The adobo sauce was really thick, almost as if they added corn starch to it. I would have preferred more of a light saute as opposed to the glops of sauce that were on this dish. Also, there was no mention of the shrimp in the description of this dish on the menu. Not that I'd usually turn shrimp away, but if someone was looking for a strictly vegetarian meal or they were allergic to shrimp, this dish would have not been received well.

On the other hand, the Chicken Inasal which was grilled chicken marinated with vinegar, garlic and annatto oil was a hit. The chicken skin had a wonderful char to it and I loved the chicken's slightly vinegary flavor. A major plus was that the chicken breast was juicy and tender as opposed to being dry.

Crispy Pata, better known as Deep Fried Pork Knuckles, is a staple at most Filipino restaurants and when done well, is both juicy and crispy. Unfortunately, the Crispy Pata here wasn't done well. It was deep fried to the point that the meat was too dry and skin was a little hard.

More than halfway through and now we're up to the Pancit Palabok, which consisted of rice noodles topped with shrimp based sauce, ground pork, smoked fish, crunchy pork, boiled egg and served with lemon. Other than wishing I had calamansi instead of lemons, this noodle dish was fine as it was.

Surprisingly, at least to me, one of the favorite dishes of the night was the Tortang Kapampangan, an omlette with sauteed ground pork, minced vegetables and raisins, served with banana ketchup. I think with all the unfamiliar dishes that the group had experienced so far, this was one that at least was both familiar and also delicious. The banana ketchup was also a first experience that paired well with this egg dish.

I've never met a Fried Bangus (e.g. Milkfish) that I haven't liked and the one we had with our meal was no exception. Fried with soy sauce, lemon juice and garlic, this delicate fish absorbed all those wonderful flavors and also seemed to be liked by all.

The last of the three savory dishes included Sizzling Pork Sisig (crackling pork meat sauteed with onions and spices), Ginataang Hipon (stewed whole shrimps and mixed vegetables in coconut milk) and Lumpia (egg rolls). It's hard to not appreciate fried pork so the Sisig was definitely a hit. The Ginataang Hipon wasn't very memorable, but the lumpia was fried for too long, so the meat filling was a bit dry.

14 dishes down and now it's on to dessert and I ordered two different kinds. First to arrive was the Buko Pandan which is pandan flavored coconut milk, young coconut and jellies. It was a cool and refreshing dessert that almost served as a palate cleanser for all the strong flavors that followed before it.

Our finale of the evening were Banana Lumpias ala Mode in Caramel Sauce known in the Philippines as Turon and with the Turon came a scoop of Ube (Purple Yam) Ice Cream. This was sweet and crunchy way to end this veritable feast.

Overall, there were more hits than misses when it came to the meal at Gerry's Grill, so it is a restaurant I'd go back to again if I were in the neighborhood, but not necessarily go out of my way for. While the food was generally good, it wasn't necessarily spectacular and the food that I didn't like really failed in one way or another. Plus it lacked that home cooking feel to it that I've been able to get elsewhere. So for me, Magic Wok in Artesia and Barrio Fiesta in Eagle Rock are still my top 2 go to places for Filipino Food. After all, if I can't get my Mom's cooking, I want a restaurant that can come close and I just didn't get that as much from Gerry's Grill.

Gerry's Grill
11710 South Street
Suite 107-109
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 403-1000
www.gerrysgrill.com



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The Park's Finest BBQ Lives Up to its Name!

This past summer, I've had my share of BBQ from Bludso's BBQ to Big Mista's BBQ to Porky's BBQ and much more, so based on all these tastings, I can say without bias that my favorite BBQ comes from The Park's Finest BBQ. What's even better is that TPFB is owned by Johneric Concordia, whose BBQ and BBQ sauce is based on flavors from the Philippines, where I'm from.

I first experienced TPFB in late September as part of a BBQ series hosted for my dining group, by one of my Assistant Organizers, Robert. Currently, Park's does not have a retail restaurant space. They only do catering for now so lunch was at a Filipino gallery, Remy's on Temple and outside the gallery was where the smoker was parked from the wee hours cooking our meal.

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Before we dug in, Johneric, gave us a little history about his company. He talked about how his father, "Big Tony", was a Navy cook and how he had developed the Concordia BBQ sauce as a way to appeal to both the crew's palate, but still stay true to his roots. The base flavor of his sauce came from the combination of the natural sugars from sugar cane and pineapples simmering with soy sauce, peppers, and spices. This secret recipe was passed to his children and grand-children. What's unique about this sauce is that it still allows for experimentation so that there can be variations to the Concorcdia sauce that can suit any palate.

After learning more about The Park's Finest BBQ, it was time to dig in. Check out what was on the menu starting with their Ligaya Veggie Medley which were marinated and grilled zucchini, squash and green onions. I loved the peppery flavors.

Their Compostila Pork Tender Loin was smoky and tender.

The Mt. Malindang Pork Rack of Ribs had a beautiful char and the spice rub was very flavorful.

I couldn't find any flaw with their Taal Manok (Chicken). Even the white meat was juicy, which was amazing since BBQ Chicken Breast can often times be dry.

Their Rib Eye Roast and Batangueno Beef Ribs were also tender and juicy and would make any BBQ lover very happy.

We also partook in another Ligaya Veggie Medley, which was made up of grilled asparagus and green onions and there was also Pulled Pork and Mt. Mayon Hot Sausage Links for the taking.

I wish I could be more descriptive about all the various BBQ meats we ate, but I was too busy eating and not taking any notes Usually, I don't like to over-hype anything, especially, when it comes to food, but I just found Park's Finest BBQ to be mind-blowing good. By the way, while the BBQ could really just stand on its own, the addition of the BBQ sauce took it over the top. The BBQ sauce variation that Johnerico prepared for us was both sweet and spicy and flavored with coconut. That sauce was quite addicting.

As for dessert, there was an interesting twist on a Filipino dessert called Bibingka, which is usually made with rice flour and coconut. Based on the name, Park's version called Ann’s Cornbread Bibingka probably contained cornmeal. I wish someone thought of that earlier. The addition of the cormeal made this bibingka a little more dense, but also a little sweeter. What an awesome variation to something so traditional.

Overall, even months later, I still can't forget The Park's Finest BBQ. I hope that they eventually do get a retail restaurant. I'll certainly be a good customer. As it is, I might just have to plan party just so I can get more of their BBQ or if any of you are planning on having them cater an event, I certainly wouldn't turn down an invitation to chow down on what I think is the best BBQ I've ever had.

The Park's Finest BBQ
theparksfinest213@gmail.com
(213) 247-4909
http://theparksfinest.com



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Honey-Inspired Tasting Menu at Rivera Hosted by National Honey Board

Last November, I was invited by the National Honey Board to attend a honey-inspired 4 course tasting menu at Chef John Rivera Sedler's Rivera Restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles. This event was one of a 3 part series held across the country where the National Honey Board decided to focus on Latin Cuisine and tapped 3 celebrity Latino chefs to create honey-infused gourmet dishes. The other two chefs that participated including Chef Michelle Bernstein of Miami, Florida and Chef Aaron Sanches of New York, New York.

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The dishes prepared by Chef Sedler was a fusion of Spanish influences and the American Southwest and started with a cocktail, a Pineapple and Serrano Licuado with Honey Infused Tequila. It was a refreshing cocktail that didn't initially give you any heat, but as you continued to drink it, you could feel a little bit of at the back of your throat. The spiciness definitely snuck up on you.

As we were enjoying our cocktail, Chef Sedler came out and shared some stories of how as a child, smearing honey on bread was one of his favorite sweet treats. Throughout the tasting event, he'd also come out to explain the ingredients for each course as well share any antecdotes. He also mentioned that clover honey was the honey used for all dishes we were going to sample that evening.

Our first tasting of the night were Crostinis of Queso Cotija with Hierbabuena, Pink Pepper Berry Infused Honey and Figs. Honey on its own can oft times be too sweet. By mixing the honey with the pink pepper berries and letting it sit overnight, the sweetness was cut back plus the honey had a nice peppery flavor to it.

Second to to arrive were Spanish Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Honey Raisins, Serrano Ham and Manchego Cheese. In this dish, the raisins were soaked with honey and sherry vinegar overnight. The honey was more subtle, but those honey raisins balanced well with the saltier ham and cheese to create a good balance of sweet and savory flavors.

Our third dish was the Jicama and Tomatillo Salad with Burrata Cheese and Honey Lime Vinaigrette. When Chef Sedler came out to talk about this dish, he specifically mentioned how his aunt used to cook for artist Georgia O'Keefe and how this particular recipe is based on one of O'Keefe's recipes. This was my favorite item of our tasting menu. I loved the textures of the soft chewy cheese with the crunchy jicama and the tart-sweet-peppery seasoning was spot on.

Last, but not least were the Blue Corn Quesadillas of Goat Cheese with Chorizo and Habanero Infused Honey. For this particular dish, the habanero was the star because there was definite heat when I ate into that quesadilla. When it came to this dish, Chef Sedler mentioned that the honey's role in this dish was to cut into the heat of the habanero, but to also lessen the pungency of the goat cheese. Both were accomplished, although as a goat cheese lover, I say "Bring it On."

To end, we were treated to a Mexican Ice Cream Sundae, which had scoops of vanilla ice cream, cinnamon, almonds, dulce de leche and also a little bit of honey. What a sweet ending!

Overall, it was a fun tasting event and as a honey lover, I really enjoyed learning ways honey could be used in Latin cooking. If you'd like to try out any of the recipes yourself, look for them below.

Rivera Restaurant
1050 S Flower St
Los Angeles, CA 90015-5100
(213) 749-1460
www.riverarestaurant.com


Click here to read about my past dining experience at Rivera!

Pineapple and Serrano Licuado with Honey Infused Tequila (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

For the honey infused tequila:
12 liquid ounces of reposado tequila
9 tablespoons honey

For the pineapple chile juice:
1 ripe pineapple peeled, cored and cubed
5 serrano chiles stemmed, seeded and deveined

Preparation:

Combine in a mixing bowl the tequila and the honey and stir vigorously until blended. Set aside.

In a juicer or blender, place the pineapple and three chiles adding a little water if necessary to make a juice. Slowly add more chiles until you reach desired spiciness.

Fill 6 double old fashioned glasses to the top with crushed ice. In a pitcher mix the honey tequila with 30 ounces of the pineapple juice and pour into each glass over the ice.

Crostinis of Queso Cotija with Hierbabuena, Pepper Berry Infused Honey and Figs (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

For the pepper berry infused honey:
1 ½ tablespoons honey
1 ½ tablespoons pink pepper berries (also known as pink peppercorns)

For the crostinis:
1 fresh crusty French baguette
½ pound cotija cheese
12 large spearmint leaves
2 fresh figs thinly sliced

Preparation:

Combine in a mixing bowl the honey and the pink pepper berries. Macerate overnight.

With a sharp serrated knife slice the baguette diagonally about ¼ of an inch thick. Brush the crostinis with a little olive oil and toast lightly in the oven until golden brown.

Place the crostinis on a platter topping each one with a little more than ½ teaspoon of the cotija cheese, a small slice of fig, a mint leaf and a generous drizzle of the pepper berry honey over the cheese.

Spanish Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Honey Raisins, Serrano Ham and Manchego Cheese (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

For the honey raisins:
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1.5 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (jerez vinegar)

For the peppers:
12 canned Spanish piquillo peppers for stuffing
2 cups grated manchego cheese
2 ounces sliced and cubed Serrano ham
1 shallot coarsely chopped

Preparation:

A day before serving the peppers, combine in a mixing bowl the raisins, honey and vinegar and macerate in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove the peppers from the can and drain on paper towels. In a mixing bowl stir together the cheese, ham, shallots and the honey raisins.

Carefully stuff each pepper with the mixture then line up the peppers in rows on a sheet pan.

In a cast iron skillet on medium heat and brushed with a little olive oil, sear the peppers until the cheese is melted and there is a light black char on the out side of each pepper.

Serve 2 peppers per guest topped with light vinaigrette of your choice and a few chopped chives.

Jicama & Tomatillo Salad with Burrata Cheese and Honey Lime Vinaigrette (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

For the vinaigrette:
6 ounces extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
2 ounces honey
Sea salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

For the salad:
6 cups jicama cut into very thin 2 inch long bite size matchsticks
6 medium tomatillos, husks removed, washed and sliced thin, about 1/8 of an inch
3 cubes, 6 or 8 ounces each, of burrata cheese cut in half

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl combine the lime juice, honey and the salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil.

In a large mixing bowl toss together the jicama and tomatillos and ¾ of the blended vinaigrette. Divide the mixture onto chilled salad plates and carefully place the burrata on top. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the cheese and season the cheese with a little more sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Blue Corn Quesadillas of Goat Cheese with Chorizo and Habanero Infused Honey (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

For the habanero infused honey:
3 habanero chiles stemmed, seeded and deveined finely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

For the quesadilla:
12 blue corn tortillas
6 ounces grated manchego cheese
4 ounces goat cheese
½ white onion finely chopped
4 tablespoons finely chopped Spanish Chorizo

Preparation:

One day before serving the quesadillas prepare the habanero infused honey: in a mixing bowl combine the habanero chiles, honey and the vinegar. Refrigerate overnight.

Lay out 6 of the tortillas on a sheet pan. Evenly distribute the cheeses, onion and chorizo over the surface of each tortilla. Evenly drizzle about a ½ to ¾ teaspoon of the habanero infused honey onto each tortilla. Top each one with another blue corn tortilla. Press and cook in a cast iron pan until the cheese is melted and the surface of the tortillas are slightly charred and blistered. Cut each quesadilla like a pizza into about 6 pieces.

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Seafood Feast at Bultaneun Cheongdamdong Jogae Gui

One of the things I enjoy about dining at Korean restaurants is that some of them offer tableside cooking where you either cook it yourself as in Korean BBQ or they'll cook it for you as in Octopus Fried Rice or Spicy Crab Soup. So after reading an LA Times article about a Koreatown restaurant that specializes in a multi-course tableside prepared seafood meal, I knew that this was one place I had to visit and soon. The name of the restaurant is Bultaneun Cheongdamdong Jogae Gui, which translates to Flaming Clam Grill of Cheongdamdong and it's in the Chapman Market Complex.

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One key thing you should know right away about this restaurant is that there is no English signage. The name of the restaurant is in Korean and the street number is difficult to read at night. I actually ended up across the street and the valet there pointed me in the right direction. While there's street parking, there's also valet parking behind the restaurant for about $2 if you get your ticket validated.

Another thing to know is that the menu is only in Korean. Thankfully, I got that info from that LA Times article I read, so that wasn't a surprise. After we picked the $59.99 option, the feasting began.

The first two things to arrive were beaten eggs in a covered pot and Dukboki, a dish that consists of rice cakes, enoki mushrooms, cabbage and some kind of chili paste or sauce. It didn't take long for the eggs to cook with a soft steamed-like consistency, but the Dukboki wasn't ready until much later.

Each person also received individual portions of congee and a salad, which were soon followed by small bowls of edamame, veggies and boiled quail eggs to share. The congee was plain, but there were a couple of chili sauce bottles to choose from if you wanted to add some spice to it. I loved the quail eggs. There was just something about peeling these mini eggs and popping them into my mouth that was just appealing.

The food kept coming in the form of thick spicy cold noodles, battered sweet potatoes, a Korean pancake and cheese melted over peas and carrots in an aluminum covered shell. Those noodles were a home run. The flecks of pepper along with the spicy sauce it was sauteed in really made my tastebuds happy. A bowl with Mussels and a broth also arrived, with the server occasionally spooning some of that broth over the seafood as it was cooking.

Soon, a seafood fiesta on a plate arrived. On that plate were all sorts of ocean goodies that included geoduck clams, more clams, conch, scallops, oysters, baby octopus and shrimp and that's when the real work started at least by our server.

Our server first cut both the geoduck clams and the baby octopus into smaller pieces before placing them back in the shells and then he removed the scallops from their smaller shells and grouped them into a larger shell. There was already a shell filled with other clam meat that didn't need any other prep work. Then he laid the smaller shells down on the grill as a base for the 4 shells to lean against so that the seafood wouldn't get too much heat from the grill. Also on the grill was the conch and a few more clams that were cooked in their shells.

As the seafood was ready to eat, our server would pull them towards the side of the grill and would encourage us to eat them right away so that the meat wouldn't get too chewy. To add flavor, he'd add the broth from the mussels soup that came earlier.

At one point, the unopened clams were cooked enough to be opened by our server and ready to be eaten. He also removed the conch meat from its shell, sliced it and presented it on one of the empty shells. Things were moving so fast that I didn't even notice when he made some kind of fried rice with nori until I saw it on the grill, again in a shell.

As the shelled critters were ending up in our stomachs, foiled covered oysters and shrimp soon showed up on our grill. When the oysters were done cooking, their shells were quickly dispatched and the oyster meat was placed on top of the fried rice and the cooked shrimp were placed in a spiral mode around the grill.

One would think that this would be the end of the meal, but that wasn't the case. Instead a small pot of soup with clams and noodles was our finale. The soup had a nice light broth and I left just enough room to finish off a small bowl of that soup.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable dinner. Our server was really attentive and any attempts for us to try and cook any of the food ourselves was met with the tongs being taken away us. Granted, it wasn't very busy the night we went so everyone was quite attentive. On busier nights, you may be more on your own. What really impressed me, other than the service, was just the quality of the seafood. Everything tasted really fresh and was prepared well by our servers. This is definitely a meal worth repeating.

Bultaneun Cheongdamdong Jogae Gui

3465 W. 6th Street, Unit 20
Los Angeles, CA 90005
213-388-6800

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Asian Mexican Fusion at Red Hot Kitchen

For the past year, food trucks serving fusion cuisine have been the talk of the town. After having had my share of food from some of these trucks, I decided to take a break from all this mixed culture food for awhile. That lasted until Robert, an Assistant Organizer from my dining group posted an outing to Red Hot Kitchen, which serves Asian-Mexican Cuisine. A fusion food experience at a brick and mortar restaurant was definitely a change of pace, so I thought I'd give it a try.

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Upon our arrival, a few of us planned our lunch attack and ordered items from both their regular menu and their specials menu to share while others ordered on their own. To keep things separate, I'll get into the specials first, starting with their Kalbi (Short Rib) Burger which came with a side of salad. The burger had a coarse as opposed to a fine grind, and the meat was juicy with a hint of sweetness to it. I'm not sure whether that sweetness came from the meat being marinated or because of some kind of glaze on top of the burger. Regardless, the flavor was pretty good.

Unfortunately, the Chicano Dog with Kimchi Slaw was disappointing. There was just too many toppings. I found the addition of lettuce, red cabbage and tomatoes a little too overwhelming. It was hard to find the hot dog and the kimchi under that barrage of salad. Taking a bite, all the ingredients were falling around your mouth and to the table and the bun was falling apart at the same time. All you got out of that effort was a too salty hot dog and little slivers of kimchi. This is one dog I'd pass on.

The Kimchi Quesadilla was my absolute favorite of the entire meal both from the Specials Menu and the Regular Menu. What I liked was that they weren't shy when it came to the cheese. Looking at the side of a quesadilla slice, you could see the thick layer of cheese. Other ingredients also included kimchi and ground beef. Of the various kimchi quesadillas I've had in the past year, this one had the most kick to it and the most flavor. I should also mention that this is the only kimchi quesadilla that had meat added to it. Perhaps that's one of the things that made a difference.

There were a couple of specials that were ordered that I didn't sample, but I thought I'd show you the photos anyway. First, there was the Korean Taco Saam which was basically a lettuce cup with romaine lettuce, rice, ground beef and red pepper sauce. The second item was a Kalbi Bowl that I ordered to go for my Mom.

Now let's get to their regular menu. Again, there were a couple of dishes that I didn't try, but wanted you to see pictures of them anyway with one being the Mushroom Poppers filled with Crab Meat and Green Onions. It looked pretty tasty and got a some good comments. I'll have to save it for a return visit. The other dish was a Chicken Teriyaki Bowl.

From the regular menu, one of the things we ordered was the Sumi Salad with Sesame Dressing. Simply, it's a mix of cabbage, red cabbage, carrots and red peppers topped with sesame seeds. The veggies were fresh and crunchy and I liked that the sesame dressing wasn't too tart or too sweet, but just right.

We also enjoyed their Spicy Chicken Wings which was very similar to Korean Fried Chicken and the same heat and garlicky goodness to it.

Of course, the meal wouldn't be complete without checking out what they refer to as their Red Hot Kitchen Tacos. There were five to choose from, but we went for their short rib taco and their spicy pork taco. Neither really did it for me. The short rib meat was a little bland and while the spicy pork had good flavor, there was a texture to the sauce the pork was cooked in that felt grainy to my palate. Also, just like the hot dog, the tacos were overwhelmed by just too much stuff that didn't add much value. Even at just $2.00 each, I wouldn't spend that on either of these tacos again.

The final item from the regular menu was their Chorizo Fried Rice which I also brought home for my niece's lunch. There was actually some left over the next day, so I heated it and had it for lunch and man, was it good. If I had known how good it was, I may not have given it away so casually. You actually taste the chorizo in every spoonful of rice and I liked the addition of the green onions and bean sprouts which added some Asian flavors to this dish.

When we made our selections, we tried to choose those items that had that fusion food element to it, but we also had foods that were pretty straightforward like the spicy chicken wings and the sumi salad. Other things on their menu include things like Beef Fried Rice, Chicken Cutlet Teriyaki Bowl and California Rolls.

Fusion or straightforward, there were hits and misses, but considering that there was nothing over $6.00 on the menu, there's definitely a lot of room to experiment and try different things. Overall, I liked Red Hot Kitchen and while it's not a restaurant I'd go out of my way for, I wouldn't mind stopping by if I were in the neighborhood.

Red Hot Kitchen
4625 Valley Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90032-3831
(323) 222-8900




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LA Cupcake Tour Powered by Chevy

When I got an email from Tara of When Tara Met Blog inviting me to join her LA Cupcake Meetup Group for a tour of 4 cupcake shops in LA, I was pretty stoked. When I learned that we would also be chauffeured in a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and 2010 Chevrolet Camaro convoy courtesy of Chevrolet and @BestOfTours, how in the heck could I say no to that? On the day of the actual tour, there were gray skies and imminent rain, but I wasn't going to be deterred by a little bit of water. Our meeting place was at the Pacific Design Center, to which I happily drove to.

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Once I arrived, I saw the Camaro and the Equinoxes waiting to whisk us away. After a group shot was taken of the Cupcake Crew, off we went to our first stop. By the way, photo credit for the Group Shot goes to Tara.

Crumbs Bake Shop was our first stop on the tour and soon after we arrived, we were met by the owner of Crumbs, Harley. I have to say that of all the stops we visited that day, Crumbs was the most gracious. We were offered free water, coffee or whatever beverage we wanted. Our cupcakes were pre-packed in larger plastic containers, but when we asked for individual plastic containers and bags, Harley graciously complied. First cupcake of the day was a Vanilla Cupcake with Raspberry and it was my second favorite one of the day.

Our second stop was at Sprinkles Cupcakes and since it was so close, we simply walked on over there. When we arrived, it was pretty crowded inside, but our cupcakes were prepared in boxes ahead of time. We had a choice between chocolate, vanilla and red velvet. I zeroed in on the Red Velvet Cupcake and it was moist, delicious and was my number #1 favorite of the entire cupcake tour.

Susie Cakes was our third stop and was all the way in Brentwood. By that time, it was really starting to pour, but with a great driver and a comfy ride, all was still well with the world and the cupcake tour. One small regret as we were driving to SusieCakes is that we couldn't make a stop at Compartes, one of my favorite chocolate shops and just around the corner from Susie Cakes. Maybe, a Best of LA Chocolate Tour should be next? Hint. Hint. There is a no photo policy rule at Susie Cakes, but the Owner relaxed it just for our visit. Though known for their strawberry cupcake, I went for their seasonal Gingerbread Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting. It was even topped with gingerbread men shaped sprinkles. Unfortunately, while I liked the flavor, the cupcake was a bit too dry for my liking.

Our last and final stop was at Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica. Our group arrived a little later, so we missed the commotion of the manager demanding that no one took pictures of anything inside the store. Since I didn't hear the request, I went ahead and took pictures anyway. From Vanilla Bake Shop, I tried their Spicy Carrot Cupcake. Unfortunately, it was my least favorite cupcake of the day. For one thing, calling this cupcake spicy was a total misnomer. I was expecting a little heat, but didn't get any. Also, it was even drier than the Gingerbread Cupcake from Susie Cakes. A couple of bites were enough for me and I was done.

After four cupcakes and many miles of being driven around, we finally ended up back at the Pacific Design Center where we were presented with a gift bag of goodies. Overall, it was a fun few hours of Cupcakes, Chevrolet Cars and hanging with the Cupcake Crew. You can follow future Chevy Best of Tours on Twitter via @BestOfTours

Click here to see all 65 photos taken that day!

Crumbs Bake Shop
9465 S Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 550-9811

Sprinkles Cupcakes
9635 Santa Monica Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 274-8765

Susie Cakes
11708 San Vicente Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 442-2253

Vanilla Bake Shop
512 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401-1404
(310) 458-6644


Other Posts About the Event:

Happy Go Marni: Scavenging Los Angeles Cupcakeries in Chevy Camaro and Equinox with Best of Tours

LAist: Tuesday is National Cupcake Day. So Who Has the Best?

LA/OC Foodventures: Special Foodventures #147: Thankfulness for Cupcake Tour around L.A.

Let Me Eat Cake: Cupcake Coma

Pretty Sandy Feet: Cupcakes and Wedding Dresses

Tara met Blog: Best of LA Cupcakes Tour with Chevy

Edmunds.com’s Inside Line Straightline blog: Chevrolet Goes on Cupcake Tour in L.A.

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Making a U Turn for Cafe Antigua Guatemala

You know how you have one of those days when you rush to get to an appointment only to find out that you got the times mixed up and are actually early? So now you have time to kill and then you realize that you're also hungry? What's a girl to do, except look for some place to have lunch, so I decide to take a drive and tell myself to stop at the first place that looks interesting. I'm cruising down Santa Monica Boulevard and of course, a small Guatemalan restaurant with a red facade catches my eye and I proceed to drive right past it. Unfortunately, the street was pretty busy, so it took me awhile, but I managed to do a U Turn and was soon on my way back.

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Part of the appeal of this restaurant laid in the fact that I've never had Guatemalan food before and feeling a little adventurous decided that day was the day to check it out. Walking in, I noticed that this was indeed a small hole in the wall restaurant with only about 6 tables in the space. The menu was also quite limited, so I just asked the Owner for a recommendation. One dish she mentioned was a stew, but the weather was just too warm for that, so I went for her other suggestion, the Chili Relleno Plate. While waiting for my food arrive, I tried one of their Guatemalan Soft Drinks. The company is Tiky and I went for the pina flavor. Two words. Super Sweet. Letting the ice melt actually helped a little bit.

The tortillas arrived first. and I loved how thick and pillowy they were. If I had some butter, I could have just eaten them on their own.

Finally, my Chili Relleno Plate arrived. Now with this dish, it comes with black beans, sour cream and rice and your choice of 1 of 2 different salads. I had asked if I could have a small portion of each salad and the Owner was fine with my request.

Since I'm not familiar with the Guatemalan cuisine, I was surprised at some of the foods that were served. One of the side salads was Pickled Cabbage, Beets and Carrots, which I absolutely enjoyed, but it's a dish that seemed to me, more Eastern Enropean in nature.

The other salad option was a mayonnaise-based Beans, Carrots an Potato Salad. First, I've never had green beans as part of a potato salad before, let alone carrots, but in general, I wouldn't think to associate mayonnaise with South American or Central American cooking. So if anyone has information on how these two particular salads would have made it in a Guatemalan restaurant, I'd love to know. As for the salad itself, it was tasty.

I absolutely fell in love with the side of black beans that came with the Chili Relleno. The best way I could describe it is that the texture was silky smooth and it had a sweet-earthiness to it that I really enjoyed.

As for the Chili Relleno itself, it was killer, except for one little thing. I've only had Mexican chili relleo dishes where the peppers were usually poblano peppers. For this Guatemalan version, a sweet red pepper was used instead and its filling consisted of ground pork, beans and carrots. One thing I found interesting was that though this pepper was deep fried, it was soft.

I'm not sure if these were prepared ahead of time and just heated or it's just the nature of this particular pepper to have a softer texture or maybe, the particular vegetables used for the fillings are more watery in nature. I don't really know. Although I would have liked a firmer pepper, I still absolutely enjoyed this Chili Relleno. It was hearty and the sweetness of the pepper really went well with the sweetness of the carrots. I also liked the addition of the green beans and overall, this could have been a meat intensive dish, but the veggies added a nice texture and balance.

I was pretty full by this time and wasn't sure if I could fit in dessert but once the Rellenito was described to me, my wall of resistance came tumbling down. Not that the wall was that strong in the first place. Simply, the Rellenito is a plantain stuffed with black beans, deep fried and than sprinkled with a little sugar. Now who could say no to that? I certainly didn't. It was a perfect end to the meal. Sweet, but not too sweet and not too greasy either, considering the plantain was deep fried.

Overall, Cafe Antigua Guatemala was a wonderful find and with the weather getting cooler, I look forward to returning and trying out the pepian stew recommended by the Owner. So if you're driving along Santa Monica Boulevard, Cafe Antigua Guatemala is definitely worth a stop for a delicious meal.

Cafe Antigua Guatemala
5421 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 465-0755



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Media Dinner at the Dining Room with Chef Michael Voltaggio's Menu

If you know the Los Angeles dining scene and/or a fan of the Top Chef Show, you've more than likely heard of Chef Michael Voltaggio. After weeks of competition, he's currently part of the final four contestants which includes his brother, Chef Bryan Voltaggio. The finale hasn't aired yet, so we are all waiting with bated breath to see who's going to end up on top, but before becoming a part of the reality tv world, Chef Voltaggio was Executive Chef of the Bazaar and is now the current Chef de Cuisine in the Dining Room at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena.

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Last August, I was invited to check out Chef Voltaggio's food via a Media Dinner hosted by the Langham Hotel in Pasadena and put together by their PR company, Weber Shandwick. At the time, Top Chef hadn't aired yet, so I really didn't know what to expect. Once we were all served the amuse bouche, which was Blue Fin, Hibiscus Air and Porcini Mushroom, I knew it was going to be an interesting meal. Each course was paired with wine, except for one that was paired with beer. Since I'm not much of a drinker, while I will tell you what the pairings are, I'm going to focus just on the food.

After our amuse bouche, which had subtle tart and earthy flavors, we went straight into our first course which was the Pacific Yellowtail, Sashimi Style with Compressed Soy-Watermelon, Sea Sponge and Smoked Egg Yolk. It was paired with a glass of 2008 Crios de Susana Balbo, Torrontes, Cafayate. The yellowtail was wonderfully fresh and I liked how the sweetness of the watermelon played against the smokiness of the smoky egg yolk puree.

Our second course was an Octopus dish and was paired with a 2005 Peter Howland Maxwell Vineyard Chardonnay. The octopus itself was a little chewier than I would have liked but it came with some very interesting ingredients. First, it sat on a buttered popcorn puree and than it was topped with a Piquillo Confetti and Cilantro. I wasn't too sure about the popcorn puree, but I loved it. The saltiness of it went well with the tartness of the piquillo and the spiciness of the Cilantro. By the way, the piquillo confetti had the texture of a fruit roll up.

The Pastrami Pigeon with a Rye-Infused Jus, Brussels-Kraut and Puffed Gruyere Cheese was our third course. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite dish of the entire meal. I enjoyed the light crispiness of the puffed gruyere cheese, but I found the pigeon too gamey for my taste. As for the pairing, it was matched up with a Unibroue 17 Strong Dark Ale. This was the one course that the only way I could tolerate this dish was when it was washed down with a sip or two of the ale.

My favorite course of the night was the Turbot and the ingredients of this dish included Artichoke, Tomato Granola with Olive Oil and Champagne Vinegar. It was paired with 2007 Saleway Henkenberg GG Pinot Noir. This was the only dish that was modified from the printed menu. Originally, the dish was flavored with lime and vanilla, but was replaced by olive oil and champagne vinegar. The flavors were subtle, but I really liked the delicate, mildness of the fish and the grainy texture and tartness of the tomato granola.

Next was the Suckling Pig with Pistachio Beans, Onions and an Orange Juice and Coriander Reduction. The pork was sous vide in duck fat for 40 hours, which made it quite tender and I really liked dipping it into the OJ and Coriander Reduction which added a nice spiced citrusy flavor to the meat. Paired with the Suckling Pig was the 2000 August Kesseler Pinot Noir.

The last savory dish of the evening was the Lamb Confit which had Lamb as well the Pickled Tongue with Vadouvan, an Eggplant-Raisin Puree and Fresh Hummus. This dish didn't really make an impression on me, good or bad, so I don't have much to say about it and unfortunately, my photo of it came off quite blurry, too. It was paired with a 2006 Villa Creek Avenger Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache.

Next came dessert and the first to arrive was a dessert amuse bouche which was a Jasmine Rice Sorbet with Sake Gelatin. This dessert was a total hit with me. It was cool and refreshing and after all the meat in the previous courses, it was nice to have something light.

The last course was Chef Voltaggio's take on Coffee Cake and consisted of Baked Honey, Espresso Mousse, which was made with liquid nitrogen and Lemon Curd. That baked honey was really awesome and was like a thin wafer. What I liked was that the Espresso Mousse wasn't that sweet, but got its sweetness when it was eaten with the baked honey.

We thought our meal was over until we were served one last treat, a plate that included Chocolate Bark with Pop Rocks and Passion Fruit Gelees. I wasn't sure if I had room but the little kid in me couldn't resist Pop Rocks and Chocolate.

Overall, except for one miss and one so-so dish, I really enjoyed Chef Voltaggio's food at the Dining Room. Since this meal, I've been avidly watching him on Top Chef and have found him to be crazily creative when it comes to his food. I certainly got a preview of that from this particular meal. Come on. Butter Popcorn Puree? Tomato Granola? You'd have to have an interesting culinary mind to come up with that kind of stuff. Based on this meal and what I've seen from this show, I am definitely looking forward to enjoying even more of his food in the future.

For those of you who have yet to visit the Dining Room, you may want do so soon. They will be closing for renovation in January 2010, so you may not have very many opportunities left to enjoy Chef Voltaggio's cooking at least at the Dining Room.

The Dining Room
The Langham Hotel and Spa
1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue
Pasadena,, CA 91106
(626) 568-3900

Click here to read about my previous Dining Room experience.

Click here to read about the Chocolate Afternoon Tea at the Langham.





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If I Could Cook....Pumpkin

If I could cook aka if I had the patience in general and I was in the mood for pumpkin, below are some recipes that might actually get me in the kitchen, courtesy of images I saw on TasteSpotting!

Pumpkin and Mushroom Pasta with Gorgonzola
- Closet Cooking

Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup
- About.com: Thai Food

Pumpkin, Spinach & Goat Cheese Tart
- Let Her Bake Cake

Black Bean Pumpkin Chili and and Pumpkin Bread
- Meet Me in the Kitchen

Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Brittle
- Never Enough Thyme

Bon Appetit!

Heating it Up at Henyang Chili King

One major perk of living in the San Gabriel Valley is the sheer availability of Chinese restaurants representing various regional Chinese cooking. I've eaten my way through Shanghainese, Sczechwan, Cantonese, Yunnan foods and more. For one particular outing, I took my dining group to Henyang Chili King to check out Hunan Cuisine. My last experience with Hunan food was at Hunan Seafood Restaurant in Rosemead, which definitely had its hits and misses, so I was looking forward to what this other restaurant would bring to the table. Literally! To learn more about Hunan Cuisine in general, click here and click here for more info.

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I first found out about Henyang Chili King from a Jonathan Gold article, so I based our menu around the dishes he highlighted. Since then, I also came upon a blog posting by Sinsoul and wished that I was able to incorporate some of his mentions as well, but that'll just have to be for a return visit. Anyway, to start our meal, we were served a complementary appetizer of boiled peanuts and pickled veggies. It was nice to start off with something with more neutral flavors, especially since Hunan cuisine is known for its bold flavors.

My group shared a total of 11 dishes that evening, but considering that there's over 170 dishes to choose from on the menu, we only had a small fraction of what was offered. The first plate to land on our table was the cauliflower cooked in “pork oil” and crunchy lardons, which are basically cubed pork. Cauliflower is a bland vegetable on its own, but in this dish, it absorbed a lot of porky goodness from the oil and was simply irresistible.

Following the Cauliflower came the Cumin Lamb. The meat was tender and the flavors of the cumin, the garlic and the cilantro came together and danced on your taste buds.

Arriving with the Cumin Lamb was the Bangly with Chicken dish. Bangly refers to chestnuts. This particular item had a brown sauce that had a hint of sweetness to it and went perfectly with the slight, starchy sweetness of the chestnuts. Also, if you have one or two people who can't handle spicy food, this is a good option to order for them.

Unfortunately, the Shredded Squid with Bamboo Shoots was disappointing. First, the dish name was off since the squid wasn't actually shredded and were more akin to chopped tentacles that seemed more octopus than squid-like. Also, those tentacles were very, very chewy. I don't mind mind a chewy texture, but that was just too much. Another thing to note was that while the bamboo shoots did make an experience, I think celery really was more present than the latter and in the end, the flavors were just really bland.

Flavor wasn't a problem with the Spicy Whole Fish that we had ordered. In fact, the sauce that was poured over the fish did have a fiery kick to it, which was balanced with a little sweetness and tasted quite nicely poured over some of my steamed rice. The only issue I had was the fish itself. It was really bony and was more bone than actual meat. Interestingly enough, this was the same problem I experienced at the last Hunan meal I had at Hunan Seafood Restaurant.

The Dried Cucumber tossed with shredded fresh shiso was solid and I appreciated the fact that cucumber itself weren't overcooked and still had a slight crunchy texture.

Both the Hot and Spicy Tofu and House Special Spicy Over Spicy dishes supplied a nice hit of heat to our palates, but I do have a question to those of you who have been to Henyang Chili King before. Do any of you actually know what type of meat was used in the House Special Spicy over Spicy dish? Although we ordered and enjoyed eating it, we weren't quite sure what we were eating at time. We tried asking our waitress, but her English was limited and she couldn't tell us. Ground pork and cubed pork was my best guess.

I was one of the few of my dining partners who enjoyed the Bitter Melon sauteed with Chinese sausage, but that can be attributed to my growing up eating this particular vegetable. However, I should mention that I would have liked the bitter melon to be a bit more bitter than it actually was, but if it was, that may have been an issue with the rest of the group.

The Sauteed Preserved Meat dish was okay. Not a fav, but not bad either. My only issue was that the preserved meat, which was pork, was a little too salty for me personally, but eating it with rice helped cut down that saltiness a bit.

Our final dish of the night was Stewed Wild Pumpkin. Although this dish was called Wild Pumpkin, I think it's actually more of a butternut squash. I liked the sweetness of the squash, but the entire dish was over cooked to the point of mushiness. Mushy is just not that appealing.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Henyang Chili King and for me, it's a much better Hunan restaurant option than the last one I went to. I would definitely make a return visit and considering that there are over 150 items still left on the menu to try, at least, I know there'll always be variety with every meal.

Henyang Chili King
138 E. Garvey Avenue, #C
Monterey Park, CA 91755
(626) 573-9258




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