Tuesday Wing Nite at Delphine (Hollywood)

Dining at the W Hotel in Hollywood doesn't have to be stuffy. Now you can eat with your fingers after that Pantages show with Delphine's Tuesday Wing Nite.

Fried chicken wings with spiced honey

All night on Tuesdays, you can get an order of chicken wings for just $4.50 (4-5 wings per order) and choose from a variety of flavors, not just your usual spicy buffalo wings or fried chicken wings, although naturally they have those also.

Among my favorites was the grilled chicken wings with Honey Sriracha sauce, sweet and spicy! Don't forget to lick your fingers after.

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A Taste of Korea: Gala Dinner, Fashion, and Dance Show

I recently had the privilege of attending "A Taste of Korea" gala dinner in celebration of the Korean Chuseok holiday (Korean thanksgiving, kind of) and the launch of Cathlyn's Korean Kitchen show on PBS (earlier this year I was one of the judges for their Top Chef Korean Food Challenge). The dinner was part of the Korean government effort to promote Korean food and culture in the US.

Held at a hotel in Koreatown, we had a lavish spread of traditional Korean food, some of which I wasn't very familiar with - like this vibrant "roll" of vegetables wrapped in squid!

A whole tray of marinated pork belly served with spicy noodles and lettuce wrap ...

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Modern Kaiseki at n/naka

My first kaiseki experience was at Wakuriya in San Mateo, and I was very excited when I found out that Chef Niki Nakayama from Inaka had opened up her own spot in Palms and was serving modern kaiseki.
While there is a seasonal menu posted online, Chef Nakayama may change a few dishes any day depending on what looks good in her garden that day. The restaurant was a little hard to find, sitting in a dark corner of Overland Ave. There's no sign, just the number. On my visit, we opted for the 9 course Chef's Tasting ($110) with wine pairing ($55).

Saki Zuke (a pairing of something common and something unique)

Chef's garden eggplant puree, Scottish smoked salmon, Osetra caviar, creme fraiche, chives
The dish was paired with a sparking wine: Jean Philippe Cuvee

This was one of those item the chef decided to put on after seeing what looks good in her garden that morning, and indeed the eggplant puree was excellent. The combination of eggplant and smoked salmon is not one I would've expected, but it worked wonderfully.

Zensai

Blue crab stuffed sword squid, mushroom sautee, bacon powder, balsamic reduction
Paired with 2010 Morgadio Albarino, Rias Biaxas, Spain

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