Seasons and Transitions: Kaiseki Dinner at Ishikawa (Tokyo, Japan)

When I had an overnight layover in Tokyo, I asked drtomostyle to take me to have kaiseki, the traditional multi-course Japanese dinner. We headed to the 3 Michelin-starred Ishikawa in Kagurazaka, along with two of her friends.

We started with a course of pike eel. This was the last of the season of pike eel, which requires a lot of knife skills to prepare. The delicate eel was served with a pickled plum sauce (a classic pairing for pike eel), shiso, wood ear mushroom, and wasabi. 

It's a wonderful start that really increases our anticipation. 

The next dish marks the transitions of the seasons. There are deep fried ayu (river fish) which at the time of the meal was at the end of its season. It was served with an ingredient just beginning its season: ginkgo. They're all served atop of daikon radish jelly.

In other words, this was probably about the only time each year where you can have both ingredients together, and Ishikawa pairs them beautifully.

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The Tasting Room at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village

by: guest blogger @iam_robot

Considering how interest in all things food related has soared in recent years, many hotels have added chef-driven foods, French cooking class, wine tasting, botanical garden tour, and other culinary activities to entice younger epicureans. Surprisingly the Conejo Valley hasn’t caught on to this idea. If you’re like me, I’m sure you have noticed that Westlake Village is not exactly a hotbed for fine wines and farm to table cuisine. Having spent a chunk of my time there, I dreaded the days I can’t find good place where I can sip, nosh and disappear for a few hours.
A couple of weeks ago, I was very fortunate to attend the grand opening of The Tasting Room, located within the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village. Partnering with Malibu Family Wines, The Tasting Room will pour a variety of award-winning Semler and Saddlerock wines. Other notable Malibu Coast and California wineries will also be featured on a rotating basis. I thought the addition of The Tasting Room is brilliant not only because nearby hotels do not have high-end wine shops (let alone tasting space) in their lobby, but also because they have esteemed assortment and probably the best wine flight in the area, with surprisingly fair prices to boot. Wine flight ranges from $15 to $50.
 

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A Pavan Liqueur Fueled Lunch at Ming Tsai's Blue Dragon (Boston, MA)

This was the time I got to start my week with a toast of sparkling Pavan cocktails at Blue Dragon. Yep, a boozy lunch on a Monday. Ssh, don't tell. It's summer.

Pavan is a vin de liqueur made in France using muscat grapes accented with orange blossom water. It's a lovely liqueur with a relatively low sugar content, but still naturally sweet from the grapes. It's great to use in cocktails, or just to drink with soda water or sparkling wine!

Blue Dragon is one of Ming Tsai's Boston restaurants and is his more casual restaurant - an Asian gastropub, if you will. The decor is mostly one of gastropub with some Asian touches here and there.

The lunch menu is quite different from dinner. The lunch features many more sandwiches and banh mi options while dinner offers more larger entree items.

We all liked the spicy chicken dumplings ($8). The skin is thin and had a nice texture, the sauce has just enough heat.

Pavan is part of the Suntory portfolio, who also carries Lejay, a creme de cassis, and Mozart, a chocolate liqueur. I tasted these too, so read on!

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The Raymond's First New Menu in 35 Years (Pasadena, CA)

Chef Tim Guiltinan has been helming the kitchen at Pasadena's The Raymond for a few years now (since 2008), but it isn't until this summer - following the kitchen's renovation - that he's completed taking over the menu and making into something he's proud to launch as his. The Raymond thus announced a whole new dinner menu, a first in 35 years.

I've often been told that Pasadena diners are less adventurous, but Chef Guiltinan didn't let that stop him. On the Starters section, you'll find things like Bonito cured beef tataki, fried garlic, jalapeno salsa ($16)

Curing the beef in bonito gave it a markedly unique flavor than the usual beef carpaccio.

Wild Northwestern organic mushroom, "forest soil", salsify, "hay", smoked vinegar ($16)

An earthy dish with presentation that mimics the forest one might forage in. Seems like Chef Guiltinan is also becoming bolder with his presentation.

Octopus and bone marrow bruschetta, radish, carrot, tomato, toasted bread ($16)

We loved this one - spreading the bone marrow on toast combined with dipping it in the seafood broth. The two things bread is best for!

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Cavatina: A Hidden Gem Inside The Sunset Marquis Hotel

We oftentimes ignore hotel restaurants. In fact, I didn't even know the Sunset Marquis hotel had a restaurant - and it's gorgeous. The newly revamped and renamed restaurant, Cavatina, is tucked in the heart of the hotel. The outdoor area is naturally popular during the day, with lush greenery and a faux waterfall nearby.

Executive Chef Roger Eggleston (formerly of Ten Pound Bar) has teamed up with Boston's James Beard winner Michael Schlow for the revamped restaurant's menu. I recently came in for lunch to check it out.

To start: Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho over olive oil crouton, sweet pepper, basil blossoms 

Then we had a variety of addictive snacks: Marcona Almonds with Citrus and Curry,  Homemade Potato Chips with “sunset secret spice mix” and green-chile onion dip, Bacon and Bourbon Salted Caramel Popcorn

Could not stop munching on all of them - the popcorn in particular!

We had a beautifully plated Maine Lobster with Stone Fruit and Caviar with cherry tomato, chardonnay vinegar, sea salt

The fresh, chilled lobster was beautifully complemented by the sweet, juicy fruits. It's a suprising combination that also works perfectly for the summer weather.

Vodka-marinated Pacific Northwest Salmon, apricot, beet jus, sea beans

Another great seafood dish, the salmon's texture was silky.

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Stuff Your Own Falafel Sandwich at Amsterdam Falafelshop (Somerville, MA)

As far as cheap eats in Boston go, it's hard to beat Amsterdam Falafelshop! For a small falafel sandwich, you'd get out with under $6, or $7 for a regular size. You can get it as a bowl, too, but I think the sandwich is the way to go. First, choose between white or wheat pita, which comes toasted then stuffed generously with those crispy chickpea falafels. That's it? Not at all. Next, you can peruse the toppings and fill it with whatever you want. Whatever. You. Want.

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London, England, United Kingdom

Artesian Bar in The Langham
The Borough Market
Dishoom
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
St. John

Choctal: Single Origin Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream

As chocolate lovers, single origin chocolate bars are very desirable. The taste of the "terroir", so to speak, is distinctly noticeable. But why stop at chocolate bars? Can't we ice cream lovers have the same thing with our chocolate ice creams? Enter Choctal and their line of not only single origin chocolate ice creams, but also single origin vanilla ice cream!

To start, these are premium, creamy ice creams that are each wonderful on its own (Ruth Reichl called it "the perfect chocolate ice cream"), but I really appreciated the concept when I compare the different chocolates or vanillas back to back. For the moment, there are four flavors of chocolate and four vanillas available. 

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Lobster Wednesdays at Pearl's Sunset Strip

I admit, I tend to avoid eating on Sunset Strip, so there are a lot of places there I have not yet visited. I was pretty surprised when I stepped on the second floor patio of Pearl's overlooking Sunset Blvd. Oh, hey, this is a pretty nice al fresco dining area!

So, I was there to check out their lobster night, but first ...some oysters

On Wednesdays, Pearl's serves a whole Maine lobster dinner - with fries and sides, for only $25!

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Brunch and Tour Around Boston Harbor with Odyssey Cruise

Visiting the Boston Harbor is a must. If you want to do classy cruise around the harbor, consider a brunch cruise with the Odyssey.

The brunch is a champagne brunch buffet for $62.90 that departs on Sundays. I'm not sure how many dining decks there are, but each one is spacious and comfortable. The price includes one glass of champagne and all the food from the buffet.

Plenty of space between each white table-cloth settings. Passengers can start boarding at eating at noon, and the ship leaves the dock at 1pm.

They invited us bloggers because they just started a Bloody Mary and Mimosa cart for brunch that's available for an additional charge. Their Bloody Mary was quite good and a little spicy. I had mine with Ketel One but if you want more spice you can try the Absolut Pepper instead. For the garnish, the options include bacon, shrimp, clam, candied ginger, caper, celery, pickled ginger, and more.

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Top 10 Bites of LA County Fair 2014

by: guest blogger @iam_robot

The 92^nd Los Angeles County Fair opened last Friday, August 29^th 2014, featuring the best of greasy delights, larger-than-life Chinese lanterns, 70 carnival rides, Monster Trucks, EDM clubs, and of course, Capuchin Monkeys.

Being held in Pomona Fairplex’s 487-acre land since 1922, extreme foods (consisting of anything deep fried, wrapped in bacon, or on a stick) will always be the main attraction despite organizers’ utter resilience to display newer attractions. This year, a new nighttime exhibit, called as Luminasia, will feature larger-than-life Chinese lanterns replicating wonders of the world, LA landmarks, exotic animals, and the twelve symbols of the Chinese zodiac. Also, as an avid animal lover, I’m curious to see what Mojo’s Wild & Crazy Lagoon has to offer. This is no ordinary petting zoo - they’ll have peacocks, monkeys, kangaroos, camels, and many exotic creatures. Definitely don’t miss out Zor when you’re there, they’re fire dancers performing ancient tribal dance using flaming swords, ball n chain, and other fire manipulation tools.

Last Wednesday, August 27^th 2014, I was very fortunate to attend the media tasting of foods to be featured at the Fair.  Me and my brother had a field day. We ate so much, we could barely move at the end of the night. We wanted to try as much as we could for the blog – making sure readers are making the wisest/ informed decision in picking out their foods. Just remember, greasy food should be eaten with care – don’t eat them unless it’s worth it!

With that said, here are the bee’s knees:

1.       Ramen Burger by Keizo Shimamoto

Always been a fan of the original ramen burger. I was the fad chaser who lined up for 2 hours a year ago and I still make my regular visit to their stand in Koreatown. But if you never had one, ramen burger is terrific. The ramen is a little crisp on the outside but breaks apart easily when you bite into them. The quarter pounder patty is definitely the highest quality – it’s cooked medium rare and topped with a teriyaki-like sauce (I presumed it’s a combo of mustard, mayo, onion, and soy sauce). Then the arugula and scallion bring both sweetness and peppery to the party. Anyways, give it a shot – you don’t have to be drunk to eat this – it’s 600% percent better than many of the most overhyped burger joints in LA.

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The Bowery: Not Your Ordinary Pub

by guest blogger Brian L. @iam_robot

To be honest, Los Angeles is the mecca of overhyped burger joints and gastropubs. Is it a conspiracy to think a group of Los Angeles restaurateurs collude every week to create another gastropub? I understand public’s desire to drink peanut butter beer from a local brewery or to devour a grass-fed bison burger without the 4 hours commitment in a jacket and slacks; But when there’s too many of them, the flux of turnovers is inevitable. I mean you might fall in love with a burger joint only to realize they had closed down before you made your second visit 6 months later. That said, it's still sad to think of some of the burger joints we recently lost: Kalbi Burger, The Parish, Haven Gastropub, Hamburger Hamlet, and the utterly delicious tamago (egg) burger at Fuku. Till this day, I regard that tamago burger the same way I regard tequila – if I ate one, all of a sudden I wouldn’t be able to stop, and suddenly I’d be broke and jobless.

Initially I had some trepidation when I got the invite to The Bowery. It’s another gastropub – years of experiences have taught me I typically got bored halfway into eating the food that I over-ordered and I’d ask myself, “Is it wrong I kinda wanna cook top ramen in my kitchen rather than eating here?”  But after entering/ observing the Bowery and talking to owner George Abou-Daoud, I knew I was in for a treat.

 Here’s my reasoning: First, George is probably the pioneer of this gourmet burger movement. He’s done it since year 2005, way before we knew the juggernauts: Umami, Father’s Office, and The Counter. The most impressive part is – he did it when the odds were stacked against his favor – Tower Records and The Palladium were closing while those ritzy apartments were probably a rolled-up blue print.

 As a fellow entrepreneur, I admire his fervor. Second, looking at the menu, The Bowery is no ordinary gastropub. Granted the menu could be a smorgasbord of all things irresistible and forbidden on any sort of diet, but they didn’t neglect people who seek balance. There are so many healthier fares I can’t wait to try on my next visit: Roasted Tomato Soup, Spicy Tuna with Saffron Risotto Crostini, Chickpea Falafel, and the Vegan Burger (with Black Bean & Roasted Beet Patty…Interesting!).  

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The New Killer Shrimp at Hermosa Beach, CA

by: guest blogger @btsunoda

I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t been to Killer Shrimp in a long time. In fact, I visited them a couple of times in their original location on Washington Blvd in Marina Del Rey. Back then they had the following menu items:

Killer shrimp with rice

Killer shrimp with pasta

Killer shrimp with bread

I received an invitation to check out their new location on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach, just steps from the Hermosa Beach Strand.

The longtime resident of that location was Cantina Real and the present owners retained the front patio. The inside, however, has been beautifully transformed. Large windows were installed, two skylights were cleared and the restaurant is filled with a lot of natural light. In addition, Killer Shrimp also offers unobstructed views of the Hermosa Beach Pier and the ocean.

Killer Shrimp has an interesting history. Owner Kevin Michael’s father is musician Lee Michaels. Growing up in Venice, Lee perfected the sauce which later became their “Killer Shrimp’. They served their shrimp dish to friends and neighbors who thought that they had something special. Lee’s sons were soon seen peppering the neighborhood with flyers and were delivering up to 40 meals per evening.

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Eat for FREE at Cafe Rio [sponsored]

Want to eat for free like a food blogger? Well, now you can at Cafe Rio.

Cafe Rio is a fast casual chain serving a variety of Mexican food. The Southern California locations at Cafe Rio is offering a free meal and dessert for first-time diners who are willing to come in and give them honest feedback.

All you have to do is go there and fill out a survey of your dining experience (the survey can be found here, or you can also scan the QR code which will be posted at the restaurants). This campaign starts today while quantities last. The deal should be available all of this week, so be sure to hurry in!

This deal is only available at the following four SoCal locations: 

1800 Rosecrans Ave Suite G
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(424) 456-3800

1140 Irvine Blvd.
Tustin, CA 92780
(657) 622-3000

27510 W Lugonia Ave
Redlands, CA 92374
(909) 801-6900

24312 Rockfield Blvd.
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 334-9292

New Chef Heralds Summer at Cafe Pinot (Downtown LA)

Downtown's Cafe Pinot has announced Joe Vasiloff as their new head chef. Chef Vasiloff has worked with the Patina Group since 2011, most recently opening the Wine Bar at the Hollywood Bowl. Before that, he's also worked at Bouchon and Animal.

I recently went to a lunch tasting, sampling some of his menu offerings.
Soup du Jour: Chilled heirloom tomato soup, bluefin crab salad, old bay and cheddar crackers

Burrata salad, mixed stone fruits, honeycomb, mint, smoked sea salt, mache, marcona almonds, candied lime

There are quite a lot going on in this burrata salad! I particularly loved the addition of the honeycomb, and the almonds provided a nice texture contrast. I think I might start putting honeycomb on my salads ...

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Saint Martha: An Ode to the Patron Saint in Koreatown

An unexpected wine bar has opened in the heart of Koreatown with Tart's Chef Nick Erven (formerly Messhall) and sommelier Mary Thompson (formerly Rivera). The warm gougeres is just an amuse of the surprising and delectable dishes to come.

The appetizer puts almost all that is good on one plate - and it worked with the steak and oyster tartare and champagne sabayon, served with hot bone marrow beignets ($13)

Steak and oyster tartare: the combination of these two raw delicacies  was one of those "why didn't I think of that before?" moment.


Sommelier Mary Thompson has done a wonderful job with the wine list, and the servers know their stuff, too. I told my waitress what I liked and she recommended a lovely, crisp, 2012 Wagner Stempel Weissburgunder, Rheinhessen from Germany. This is one of the best new whites I've tried lately.

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Laurent Quenioux's New Menu at Vertical Wine Bistro (Pasadena)

It's the height of summer and Chef Laurent Quenioux has rolled out a new menu at Pasadena's Vertical Wine Bistro. I hadn't been in for a while but I'm always excited to try LQ's food, especially seeing fried quail on the menu.

Now, when Laurent Quenioux is in charge, you can't miss the cheese plate! For mine, I chose cheese that spanned the whole range: Brillat Savarin Frais (France, cow), Bucheron (California, goat), and Pecorino Foglie di Noce (Italy, sheep). Truffle honey is extra but a must try.

The cheese plate is typically served with berry jam, bell pepper mustard, roasted hazelnut, and baguette, but like I said my favorite condiment is the truffle honey! Especially with the creamy triple-creme Brillat Savarin.

I couldn't settle on a wine, so my server put together a flight instead. I asked for a rose and two reds and received: 2011 Schnaitmann Pinot Noir Rose from Germany, 2012 Boson Pinot Noir from Carneros, 2011 Le Pich Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa

Appropriate for summer, the menu features Watermelon gazpacho with lobster and mango ($11)

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Giveaway! Tickets to California Beer Festival in San Dimas, September 6

Does drinking craft beers next to a lake (ok, a water reservoir) sound good to you? If so, check out the giveaway below for the California Beer Festival in San Dimas!

On Saturday, September 6, the annual beer festival is coming to the Frank G. Bonelli Park in San Dimas. There will be over 60 beers poured at the event next to Puddingstone Reservoir, along with live music and bocce ball.

Among the breweries that will be pouring there are Hangar 24, Deschutes Brewery, Stone Brewery, Firestone Walker, Sierra Nevada, and many other smaller breweries like Ninkasi from Oregon. There will be food vendors on-site if you need to soak up all the beers.

General admission tickets are $45 which gets you all the beer samples and a souvenir glass, or you can get the VIP ticket for $70 for all that plus specialty brews, early admission, and access to the taco bar. You can purchase tickets here.

Oh, so you want to go for free? Well, luck you. They've offered up two general admission tickets ($45 value each) which gets you a souvenir glass and all the beer samples. There will be food for purchase.

To enter, just follow the directions in the widget. Remember, this giveaway ends on Tuesday, September 26!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jiro-style Ramen at Yume Wo Katare (Porter Square, Cambridge, MA)

As you exit the red line T stop at Porter Square, you will soon notice the line going towards Yume wo Katare, a place popular for the fatty pork ramen in the style of Jiro in Mita.

Buta Ra-man!

Yume wo Katare is supposedly one of the first (if not the first) US shop to serve Jiro ramen, which is a really fatty pork broth that is completely different from a tonkotsu, topped with a big pile of bean sprouts and some cabbage. With that, some thick chashu (more pork fat!)

Being from LA, I initially snuffed at the Boston ramen scene, but this small shop is one of the very few that looked promising and I was happy to see this particular style, which you can't even find in LA until Tsujita Annex opened just a couple of years ago.

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Omakase at O Ya (Boston, MA)

When I asked for sushi recommendation, the name that kept popping up was O Ya - with the warning that it's expensive. Indeed, although you can order a la carte at O Ya, the full omakase runs about $250 and the smaller tasting menu $180. But I have to try it, right? I sat at the counter where I can see the chefs at work. My friend was late so I was getting hungry watching all the foie gras sushi being fired out ...

Finally my friend came and we opted for the smaller omakase menu. As expected, it started with a fresh Kumamoto Oyster (watermelon pearls, cucumber mignonette)

Then, we proceeded with the nigiri courses. What makes O Ya different is the sauces he puts on the nigiri sushi. They're not just soy sauce or yuzu, but you can find things like Hamachi with spicy banana pepper mousse

I loved the texture of the seared hamachi and the banana pepper mousse worked well, although it slightly overwhelmed the hamachi flavor. Maybe slightly less mousse on top?

Things like banana pepper mousse doesn't mean that O Ya veers completely from the traditional, though. Our next course is a Salmon with unfiltered wheat soy moromi

Moromi is a term you may hear in sake brewing, and I believe it basically means the unrefined or unfiltered mash of grain that is undergoing fermentation. I enjoyed the earthy flavor with the fatty salmon.

The next bite is an indulgence: Santa Barbara sea urchin and Russian Osetra caviar

An unbeatable combination, of course.

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