Launch Party for dtownLA.com and Taste of dtownLA

There's a new online magazine in town and it goes by the name of dtownLA.com and last July, I was invited to attend their launch party, which was co-sponsored by Yelp LA. dtownLA.com caters to downtown residents and they bring a fashionable element to restaurant coverage and downtown activities. Their focus is on high fashion as well as swanky night spots and generally capturing the essence of downtown LA's lively spirit. As for Yelp, it was founded in 2004 to help people connect with and talk about great local businesses Currently, more than 21 million people have visited Yelp and Yelpers have written over 6 million local reviews.

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At the launch party that was aptly called The Taste of dtownLA, over 800 people were in attendance and it was a palate pleasing event that featured a food tasting from downtown restaurants that included Magnolia, Provecho, Maria's Italian Kitchen and more. Since I'm not much of a drinker, my main focus was on the food, but for those who had a Bacchus bent, they could sip on POM cocktails featuring Rain Organics Vodka as well as an Italian beer from Peroni Nastro Azzurro. I do admit; however, to falling in love with the Coke in the aluminum bottles, which are never sold in public, but instead, used only for special events.

In regards to the food, given that this party was held in the 7,000 square foot historic Brunswick studio, there was only enough room for 9 restaurants to be in attendance; however, they represented themselves well. The nice thing about attending a tasting event like this is that sometimes you'll be introduced to an unfamiliar restaurant. Such was the case with Gram and Papas. Their table was my first stop and had my absolute favorite food of the evening. Simply, their mini chicken salad pretzel bread sandwich was amazing. I could have eaten at least 2 or 3 more, but I didn't want to be greedy.

Next door to Gram and Papas was Takami Sushi and Robata and their offering was a tuna tartare on a won top chip which was a cool yet crispy bite of tuna goodness.

Our next stop was at Magnolia's table and being a cheesehead, I appreciated every spoonful of their baked macaroni and cheese.

Provecho has actually been on my radar for awhile and their octopus and fish ceviche was so good that I'm even more interested in dining there in the near future. Their tuna tartare and mini red velvet cupcakes also hit the spot.

When it came to desserts, Urth Caffe definitely took the cake and then some. Teenage Gluster and Food Blogz, my companions for this event, shamelessly shared 5 or 6 between us with the Tiramisu coming out on top.

The remaining restaurants included The Daily Grill, Maria's Italian Kitchen;

Wokcano;

and Rock 'n Fish.

Overall, this was a nice event. It was fun mixing and mingling with the Downtown LA crowd and as more restaurants make their way downtown, the Taste of dtown could be an annual event that can only get bigger and better.

Click Here to See all the Pictures!



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Sushi Masters Competition 2009

Sunday, September 20, 2009, 2:30-6:00 pm

Aratani/Japan America Theatre
244 South San Pedro St. (Little Tokyo), Los Angeles, CA 90012

The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) is pleased to present the SushiMasters competition in partnership with the California Rice Commission (CRC). JACCC is the largest Asian American cultural center in the U.S. and CRC is a non-profit organization that represents the growers and handlers who farm and process premium quality rice used in sushi and many other dishes. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit JACCC cultural programs.

Finals competitors include winners of the three SushiMasters Regional Competitions held earlier this year, including Randy Noprapa of Tara Thai Restaurant in Washington, D.C., Toshi Furihata of Moshi-Moshi Restaurant in Miami Beach, Florida and Hyun Min Suh of Sushi Ran in Sausalito. A fourth competitor will be 2008 SushiMasters State Finals Champion, Tomoharu Nakamura of Sanraku Four Seasons, San Francisco.

Attendees of the Finals Competition will not only be treated to a live, 45 minute professionally judged sushi making competition, there also will be the JACCC Food and Sake Festival, including cultural entertainment, a reception-style sample of cuisine from Southern California’s best Japanese and Asian restaurants, as well as sake tasting.

• America's finest sushi chefs compete to become the 2009 SushiMaster in an “Iron-Chef” style competition featuring celebrity judges and emcees
  
  
• JACCC Food & Sake Festival showcasing cuisine from local restaurants, caterers, food purveyors, as well as a selection of premium sakes
  
  
• Live cultural entertainment and much more

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Tickets:

Advance Sales - $125 VIP / $60 general admission
JACC Members - $100 VIP /$52 general admission
At the Door - $130 VIP / $65 general admission

Promo Code: Use LAFOODIE (all caps) and pay only $112.50 VIP / $55 general admission.

Tickets on Sale Now at Box Office or online at www.jaccc.org.

For more information on SushiMasters, please contact Box Office at (213) 680-3500 or visit www.SushiMasters.com.

Gourmet Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich Tasting with Coolhaus

Growing up as a kid, it was de rigeur to run after Mom and Dad for spare change once we heard the familiar sound of the ice cream truck coming from down the street. Once it stopped, we'd wait in line anticipating when we could get to the window and order our favorite icy treat whether it be a strawberry cheesecake bar, the creamsicle bar, the fudgesicle, the pushups or the always popular ice cream sandwich. These ice cream trucks are still around, but today, one ice cream truck in particular has upped the ante and goes by the name of Coolhaus.

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Coolhaus is the first project by Freya Estreller and Natasha Case under their umbrella organization that they call Farchitecture, which is shorthand for food + architecture. Natasha, who's an architect, came up with this concept of marrying food and architecture while in grad school and finally fully realized it in the form of an ice cream sandwich and edible wrapper at a craft fair while working for Walt Disney Imagineering. Her roommate Freya, who's a real estate broker, soon came on board and after much experimentation, they launched Coolhaus in a 1984 renovated postal truck at the Coachella Festival this year. If you'd like to find out more, please click here to read the LAist interview.

My first experience with Coolhaus happened as a result of one of my Assistant Organizers from my dining group, arranging a private tasting with Coolhaus on a sunny afternoon in July. Our sampling was going to include halves of 6 different ice cream cookie sandwiches. It started with Freya giving us a little background about Coolhaus. She also further explained how the ice cream cookie sandwich was a perfect representation of architecture because it had a floor, a roof and four walls and as such, each of them were named after a well-known architect. After that short talk, we were ready to begin.

The first one up was the Mintimalism, a chocolate cookie with mint chip ice cream. That chocolate cookie was quite rich and almost had a cakey brownie quality to it. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the cookie wasn't so hard to bite into. Unfortunately, the Mintimalisms were prepared ahead of time, which meant they had time to sit in the freezer and harden. Freya did mention that in the future, they might steer clear of preparing ice cream sandwiches too far in advance, noting that they aren't as enjoyable to eat.

Up next was the Frank Behry which was a sugar cookie with strawberry ice cream. It was a nice pairing of sweet and tart and it doesn't hurt that I love sugar cookies, but like the Mintimalism, it was still a little bit too frozen. One suggestion though? Why not take the sugar cookie to the next level and have one ice cream cookie sandwich with snickerdoodles instead? I'd be first in line.

The Richard Meyer Lemon Ginger was third on the rotation and was my favorite of the whole tasting. By this time, Freya and Natasha were putting together the cookie sandwiches to order, which meant the cookies were nice and soft. The spice of the ginger and the tartness of the lemon really did it for me. My palate shies away from the bland so this particular ice cream cookie sandwich is one I'd definitely order again plus it wasn't too sweet.

Next on the agenda was the IM-Peinutbutter which was a double dose of peanut butter in both cookie and ice cream form. When it comes to peanut butter, I've been known to eat a spoonful or two right out of the jar. In this case, it was just too much of an overload for me. I would have preferred one or the other, but not both. I did seem to be the minority of the group since a lot of people were digging it.

Next to last was the Mies Vanilla Rohe, chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream. Simply, this was a classic and like most classics, it didn't fail to please.

To end this prolonged sugar rush that probably lasted the rest of the day, we were treated to the Renzo Apple Piano, which was an oatmeal cookie with an apple pie ice cream. This particular sandwich is usually sold exclusively at Wurstkuche, so this was an unexpected treat. What made this one stand out was that it was wrapped in an edible rice paper with an image printed using food coloring of Bergamot Station, the location of an event they were going to later that night. Again, I think I was in the minority because for me, this sandwich was way to sweet. The oatmeal cookie itself was fine, but the ice cream was a little too much for me. One thing to mention is that all the ice cream is now coming from Milk in Los Angeles.

Overall, Coolhaus did put a smile on my face and the quality of the cookies and the ice cream is definitely not something you'd find on your local music tinkling ice cream truck. Not that I still wouldn't be perfectly happy with a creamsicle or a strawberry cheesecake bar when the mood hit me, but it's nice to see how Coolhaus did such a glamorous makeover on the simple ice cream sandwich and I look forward to seeing what else comes from the melding of food and architecture.

By the way, as mentioned, our samples were ice cream sandwich halves, but look below for a photo of a whole sandwich.

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Savoring My Way Through Project by Project's Plate by Plate Event

In early August, thanks to Project by Project, I received a press pass to attend their Seventh Annual Plate by Plate Event to benefit the Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program. Project by Project is a national volunteer organization made up of entrepreneurs whose goal is to serve the needs of Asian American non-profits. Each year, local chapters will select a different underrepresented community-based organization and will tailor a year-long campaign to help that non-profit with its fundraising, community outreach and public awareness efforts. 2009 has been the year of the Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program (API SBP). Since 1999, the mission of API SBP has been to assist low income immigrants in the Chinese, Korean, Japanese Thai and Filipino communities start their own small businesses. For more information about Project by Project, visit www.projectbyproject.org and if you'd like to learn more about the Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program, go to www.apibsp.org.

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As for the Plate by Plate event itself, it was a fun evening with around 40 different food and beverage stands for attendees to eat and drink from. Most of the food was Asian-inspired and drinks included everything from wine to sake, beer to rum, etc. Great eats abound but I definitely had my favorites, starting with the Crab Quiche with Lobster Sauce from Maison Akira. It's hard to resist rich offerings from the sea, especially when they're as delicious as that dish.

A few tables down from Maison Akira was Michel Cordon Bleu and the Sweet Temptation Company and they came together to make a Smoked Salmon Mille Feuilles. Basically, the smoked salmon and either cream cheese or creme frache was in between layers of pastry that was light and flaky. The addition of the caviar added just that much more to this tasty treat.

I've been hearing a buzz about Mo-Chica Peruvian Restaurant for awhile now, so I was quite interested in tasting what they had to offer. One forkful of their Sea Bass Ceviche with red onions and Peruvian corn and I was hooked. I really enjoyed the kick of spice that hit my palate from start to finish. Mo-Chica has now made it to the top of my restaurant to go list.

Seafood was the name of the game because at an adjoining table to Mo-Chica, Wabi-Sabi Sushi was serving up Pan-Fried Oysters with a Tomato Yuzu Salad. I really liked the tartness and acidity of the salad when eaten with the oyster.

One dish that was a perfect two-bite appetizer came from Maitreya Bar and Grill and it was their Ahi Tuna Taco in a crispy shell. I've never had ahi tuna in a taco before and that crispy shell was the perfect vehicle. Texturally, this taco was fun to eat because of the firm-softness of the tuna and than the light crispiness of that taco shell.

The last savory dish of the night that was a hit with me was the cold soba noodles from Roy's Hawaiian Restaurant (the downtown LA location). It wasn't a fancy dish by any means, but it was nice to end with something uncomplicated before sampling from the dessert stations.

Of everything I had that night, the "dessert" that surprised me the most was the Ice Cream Beer Floats from Scoops. I've been reading about them from various food blogs, but this was my first time having one myself and it amazed me how much I enjoyed it. They had to different floats, but the one I liked the best was the Lemon and Lychee Ice Cream with Berliner Weisse made from a 3% ABV sour beer from The Bruery. Matt who writes the food blog Mattatouille was helping to man the Scoops table and he mentioned that the beer being used was a sour beer. It definitely went well with the ice cream choice.

Other desserts that I enjoyed included the Mango Coconut Truffle from The Restaurant at the Getty and the Taro Cake from Vanille.

The MC for the evening was James Kyson Lee, from Heroes and along with live entertainment, a dozen celebrity sous chefs helped to man some of the tables so that attendees would have the chance to meet them in person. They included reality tv stars like Ruthie Alcaide from Real Word and Jerrell Scott from Project Runway, actors like Dante Basco from Take the Lead and Hook and Archie Kao from CSI: Las Vegas and more. Also in attendance was Debbie Lee who was third place in the The Next Food Network Show.

There was also a silent auction going on, but I completely forgot to check it out, but I heard the gift packages were pretty nifty. To end, it was a wonderful evening with the proceeds going to Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program, a organization truly worth supporting. I'm sure that the 8th Annual Plate by Plate event will be just as fabulous, so be sure to keep an eye out for it in 2010.

Click here to see all my photos!

See what my fellow food bloggers thought of this event:

Food GPS
Food Marathon
Food, She Thought
Seeking Food
Thirsty Pig



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Make it a Julie and Julia Night at Cezanne at L'Merigot

On August 15th, French cooking master and American culinary trailblazer Julia Child would have been 97 years old. As Francophiles across the country hit the theaters for the new movie Julie and Julia based partially on Child’s memoir My Life in France, why not make it a dinner and a movie on August 15th as Le Merigot’s Cézanne restaurant presents a three course prix fixe menu straight from Child’s seminal book– Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Based on recipes in the cookbook, the menu offers crowd favorites including Beef Braised in Red Wine and a Caramelized Apple Puff.

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Cost: $40 per guest (service and tax not included)

Dinner Menu

Appetizer
Coquilles St. Jacques À La Parisienne
(Scallops and Mushrooms in Wine Sauce)

Main Course
Pièce De Boeuf Braisée
(Beef Braised in Red Wine with Parsley Potatoes, Leeks, Glazed Turnips and Carrots)

Dessert
Tarte Tatin served with Crème Fraich
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Saturday, August 15, 2009 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Cézanne at Le Merigot
A JW Marriott Beach Hotel and Spa
1740 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

To make reservations, please contact (310) 395-9700
For more information visit www.lemerigothotel.com

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No Bacon in Sight at Fukagawa for a Traditional Japanese Breakfast

Traditional Japanese breakfast definitely strays from the Western tradition of bacon and eggs, pancakes and waffles and in fact, is more like a meal you'd have for lunch or even dinner. In doing research to find out what restaurant serves a Japanese breakfast in the LA area, one place came up over and over and that was Fukagawa in the city of Gardena. So one early morning, a few members from my dining group made the trek out with me to this South Bay restaurant.

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Fukagawa is in a large shopping plaza and was a little difficult to find because it couldn't be viewed from the parking lot. It was literally tucked away in the corner at the end of the walkway, which started at the super market. Once you walk in and are seated, the entire breakfast menu can be seen in a small plastic holder.

Basically, you have A through D choices. If you choose A, you get a bowl of rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, a seaweed sheet and a raw egg. What wasn't mentioned was a small bowl of cold tofu as well as tamagoyaki, a sweetened rolled omelet that was also included. Choice B was everything you got with choice A, but with Natto. Choice C was A + broiled fish or beef steak. Choice D was A + B + C. I opted for Choice D with the grilled fish, which turned out to be a salmon.

One thing that I wish I did beforehand was to get some more information about how to enjoy some of the various components that were on my tray like which I found here and here. First, let me mention something about Japanese etiquette. Apparently, it's custom to have the bowl of miso your right and the rice to your left. I don' t know why, so if any of you know the reason, please leave a comment. When it came to the dried seaweed, I knew that it was to be eaten with the rice. What I didn't know was that if you swirled the seaweed in your miso soup or dip it in soy sauce, it'll soften; hence, it'll be easier to wrap around the rice and eat it that way. That makes perfect sense now.

When it came to the natto, I was actually dreading it. I've tried it 3 different times at 3 other restaurants, but just can't seem to get over the "slimy" texture, but I thought I'd give it one more try. One spoonful and it still turned me off; however, one of my dining partners tried eating it with rice and she said it was better that way. I gave it a go and while it was a bit better, I can still say without a doubt that natto is just not for me. However, my dining buddy was on the right track. I later read that one way to enjoy the natto is to season it with soy sauce and karashi mustard and yes, place some on your steamed rice and eat them both together.

One thing I did know about ahead of the time was what to do with the raw egg and I actually read that as part of a Yelp review. Someone else in our group decided to go the raw egg route and here's how it works. Simply, break the egg in a bowl, add soy sauce, mix and then pour over your rice. Be sure your rice is really hot because it's that heat that help to cook that egg so that it's not completely raw and then enjoy.

If you happen to order the fish, it can be eaten on its own or it can be cut in pieces and added to your rice bowl or even mixed in the rice before you wrap it with the seaweed wrapper. Last, the tamagoyaki can be eaten with or without soy sauce or grated daikon. Of course, these are all just suggestions, but if you're going to eat a meal traditional to a certain country, you might as well go all out.

The breakfast at Fukagawa was a definite departure from what I normally have in the AM, but other than the natto, I could see myself enjoying this type of meal on a more regular basis. Although there are a lot of components, the food seems lighter and not as heavy as standard eggs and bacon fare nor is it as mundane as cereal and milk. Given that Fukagawa is way across town from me, it's doubtful that I'll be having a traditional Japanese breakfast as much as I would like. However, armed with the knowledge I have now, I think the meal will be even better, if I ever make a trip back.

Fukagawa
1630 Redondo Beach Blvd.
Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 324-4306

Click here to see all the pics!




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