Friday, June 5, 2009

Smell that Coffee. Intelligentsia Roasting Works Tour

The roaster's and barista's job is to bring the natural flavors of the coffee beans to the customers, without messing up the steps in between. This was (rephrased per my memory) what Nick Griffith from Intelligentsia (also recent Western Regional Barista Champion) told us during our tour of their roasting facility in Glassell Park.

Thanks to blogger friend Mattatouille, I was able to tag along on this tour with other foodbloggers Choisauce, Diglounge, LA&OC Foodie, and Teenage Glutster. If Los Angeles is having any sort of 'coffee movement', Intelligentsia is undoubtedly in the forefront. If it isn't, Intelligentsia is definitely working hard to change that.

The roasting facility is pretty noticeable with the Intelligentsia logo painted on the wall and their trucks parked outside.
Naturally our initial focus is drawn to their roaster - a beautiful vintage (from the mid-century) contraption attached to a giant vacuum (to suck out nails or whatever else that might've accidentally made their way into your beans).
Even though it's a vintage, it's been outfitted with modern technology to fit their needs here at Intelligentsia. It can roast up to 40 kg of coffee.
The roasting machine, along with many other things there, is decorated with the Intelligentsia logo.

Right near the roasters were the green coffee beans that Intelligentsia uses for its Black Cat Espresso blend, which now has become a standard for espressos at many restaurants and establishments.
The Black Cat blend is not a fixed blend of beans - they are modified depending on what high quality ingredients are available (since all produce is seasonal!) at the time to ensure high standards.

We also got a sneak peek at the individual barista's "station" which will be operational at the new Intelligentsia Venice on Abbott Kinney.
The idea behind these stations are individualized attention for each customer, and Nick Griffith likened it to choosing your hair stylist when you go get a hair cut. The stations have adjustable height to accommodate each barista. I'm definitely excited about checking this out when they open - I just hope this doesn't make the wait even longer :P

The tour ended in their training room a.k.a the lab, which is equipped with a La Marzocco espresso machine from the 1970's. La Marzocco has been producing handmade espresso machines since 1927, and while as of late there are quality competition entering the market, this Florence-made machines have pretty much been regarded as the top-of-the-line (at a price, unfortunately. Their home machine, the GS3, runs around $7500 ... ).
Trainees and also the baristas who are preparing for regional/national competition practice here. This Marzocco machine has a programmable water temperature to ensure proper brewing of different types of coffee blend - how fancy! I wish I can afford one (and know how to use it properly).

At the very end we huddled around a white board where they have left a graph of roasting temperature - you have to modulate the temperature properly so as not to bring out the best flavors. The conversation at this point became quite scientific (starch break-down, acid, caramelization, etc). We'll leave it to the experts here at Intelligentsia to do the proper roasting and brewing :)

I'm pretty much a coffee amateur but this tour was very interesting and educational. I can see why Intelligentsia has the reputation that it does. Thank you Nick Griffith for taking the time to show us around!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Checking out Ludobites (Twice in a Week)

The second time I went to Ludobites, the waiter stared at me and said "Weren't you just here ...?" Hey, that was 5 days ago! It's not like I come every day ...

The first time I checked out Ludobites with LAist's Sam Kim, they were still offering their 3-course prix fixe for $39 and a small selection of appetizers you can order separately.

We started with an order of Gougeres with Mornay Sauce ($4)
Cheesy puffy pastry with creamy mornay sauce. Yum! I've had gougeres that ended up falling flat or became soggy, but these as you can see from the photos, weren't like that at all.

Next, we ordered the Foie Gras Miso Soup and Radish ($10)
Yes, it worked! I've been very curious as to how this would taste. Well, it tastes like miso soup! The cubed foie gras only made a much richer and denser "tofu" and giving it more body.

After the soup. we started with our prix-fixe meal.
Appetizer choice #1:
Sauteed Diver Scallop, Curry-Yogurt, Spinach (on a la carte menu: 2 scallops for $12)
This was one of my faves from the first night and I ordered it again when I went back. The yogurt curry is not overwhelming and pairs well with the fresh scallop.

Appetizer choice #2:
Tuna, Multi-Color Beets, Watermelon, Balsamic Pearls (on a la carte menu: $12)
This was a very pretty-looking dish with bright red, well, everything! Quite an interesting dish although towards the end I think it was too sweet for me. Both appetizers were good, but we ended up preferring the scallop.

Entree choices were black cod (which neither of us ordered) and
Braised Lamb "Seven Hours", Black Curry, Rosemary Polenta
Overall a good dish, although I expected a more tender lamb considering it was braised for "seven hours." The curry flavor was definitely there but not dominant - mostly we were tasting the lamb.

For the dessert options you can also get a cheese plate. Sam Kim ordered the cheese plate which consisted of three cheeses. The one I remember the most is the creamy, rich, oh-so-deliciously-pungent black-truffled goat cheese!

Strawberry Soup, Rhubarb, Hibiscus, Marshmallow Ice Cream (on a la carte menu $7)
I really enjoyed this strawberry soup. The soup by itself is sweet and thick enough that I won't drink it on its own, but along with the light and cold marshmallow ice cream, it was perfect. The ice cream's coldness cuts the sweetness just right and you end up with a refreshing bowl of dessert.

During my first trip I wasn't able to try the famous duck-fat fried chicken, so naturally I made my way back (5 days later). Especially after hearing they changed their concept from prix-fixe to small plates to share. And yes, the duck fat fried chicken was on the menu.

The menu was largely the same with some changes here and there. It's time for me to try thins I didn't get to try before!
Poached egg, Mayo, Black Olive bread ($5)
The poached egg was fairly well done - I like it better that way, less messy. A nice starter which I'd love to have for breakfast too.

Cheesy Rosemary Polenta, Oxtail Beef, Yellow carrots ($10)

The oxtail was buried within the cheesy polenta:
The cheesy polenta was delicious - rich and aromatic with a nice slightly-gamy taste from the oxtail. The oxtail was pretty tender but could be more tender for my taste, but definitely flavorful. Overall, a dish worth getting.

Calamari, Avocado, Lime, Fresh Almonds ($9)
This was one of those good-but-not-memorable dishes.

And last but not least, I made sure to get the now-famous Fried Chicken in Duck Fat, Basquaise Vegetables ($13)
Not just because 'everything fried is good', but because anything fried in DUCK FAT must be that much better. First of all, this was dark meat chicken, which in my not-so-humble opinion just tastes waay better than white meat. And fried. And fried in duck fat. From the crispy skin you can taste the richness of duck fat but it wasn't overwhelmingly fatty or greasy. The meat itself was tender and juicy and very flavorful.

The dessert choices were the strawberry soup (as above) and chocolate mousse with bell pepper sauce. The chocolate mousse was rich and delicious, but I'm not so sure about pairing it with bell peppers. Others might enjoy it but I personally am not a big fan of spicy and all this capsaicin stuff, so while it was definitely interesting, I tried to eat as little of the sauce as I could.

On both occasions Ludo comes out to greet the customers and asked how our meals were and we talked a bit about how often he's going to change the menu (about every 2 weeks or so).

As I was leaving the waiter waved and shouted out "See you next week!"
Not next week, I'll come in 2 weeks, when you change the menu :P

Ludo Bites (@ Breadbar)
8718 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 205-0124
www.ludolefebvre.com
Ludo Bites (@ Breadbar) on Urbanspoon
Ludo Bites at Breadbar in Los Angeles

Saturday, May 30, 2009

NYC: Gramercy Tavern

I've been making my Michelin rounds in NYC. Gramercy Tavern was another amazing dinner from my last NYC trip back in November. With a much more casual ambiance than Jean Georges or Le Bernardin, this was the perfect choice for our big group dinner, as we can all talk and enjoy ourselves.

Gramercy Tavern only had one big table (bigger than 6) so the only time we were able to snatch a reservation for 8 was at 5:45 pm since there was another party coming later that night. We stayed waaay late and felt bad for the incoming party, but they didn't rush us at all. Instead of the tasting menu, we went with the prix-fixe $86 for 3 courses.

As usual, some of the first courses made it around the table so we can all sample.
Veal Cappelletti (Cauliflower and sage)
Tender and flavorful veal with al dente pasta. I liked the slightly herb-y sauce due to the sage. In a cold night in NYC, this was one satisfying comfort food. This was a good start and a good intro to the Gramercy Tavern meal. Simple, flavorful, well-executed.

Black Tagliatelle (chorizo, mussels, and calamari)
The black tagliatelle is typically made black using squid or cuttlefish ink, which also adds another layer of flavor. I only had a bit of this dish but really enjoyed it. The calamari was nice and chewy and went very well with the pasta.

Lamb Pappardelle (Olives, lemon confit, swiss chard)
This was another great dish with shreds of tender lamb. It was very flavorful, if not a tad salty. As a warning, the last two pasta dish was definitely a little on the salty side, but not overwhelmingly so.

For my second course, I ordered the Sea Bass (spaghetti squash, sherry sauce)
This is rather unlike me to order a fish (instead of my usual red meat), but boy was I glad I did! In my opinion, this was the best dish of the night! The fish was very moist and had a great texture, and I absolutely loved how it paired with the spaghetti squash! Compared to the first courses, the sauce here is slightly more delicate but still has a lot of flavor. This was definitely a hit.

As far as desserts go, there were two that stand out. The first stood out because it's unique and interesting:
Coconut Tapioca (Passionfruit and coconut sorbet, passionfruit caramel, and cilantro syrup)
I thought this was a creative and well-executed dessert. The flavor is fairly light. I like the flavor combination - the cilantro added a refreshing kick for me (though I know some people don't like cilantro).

The second stood up simply because of how awesome it was:
Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding (Cacao Nib ice cream)
It was warm. It was a gooey rich chocolatey goodness. It was comfort food dessert to the max. Simply put, it was an amazing chocolate bread pudding.

We finished off with a nice little plate of petit fours.
Gramcercy Tavern was a no fuss meal. No foam, no spherical liquid. Just straight-up a delicious and satisfying meal you enjoy among friends. It's a total comfort food for me back in that freezing New York "fall".

Gramercy Tavern Reserve Now!
42 E 20th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 477-0777
www.gramercytavern.com
Gramercy Tavern on Urbanspoon

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