Bar Bouchon

Bar Bouchon just gets better and better – the food is delicious, the service perfect and the ambiance on a late Saturday afternoon absolutely delightful.

BYO White Wine

Misty Point and Kusshi Oysters

Thon a la Nicoise- yellowfin tuna, bibb lettuce, haricot verts, potato, radish, egg sauce gribiche – this was a half portion – we always do one dish for two – the tuna was as good as you would get in a first class sushi restaurant

BYO Red Wine

Tartare de Boeuf – prime steak tartare with a quail egg yolk, confit garlic, caperberries and black pepper,  lavash – absolutely perfect

Boudin Blanc – white sausage with pommes aligot and pickled medjool dates – we are nut cases and order soft scrambled eggs on the side

Soft scrambled eggs

It just doesn’t get better than this – run don’t walk to Bar Bouchon!

Urasawa

I have posted many times about Urasawa and each time we go it is as perfect as always. Urasawa is an experience; it is so much more than just the food. The ambiance, the service, the ever gracious Hiro, the exceptional quality of the ingredients, the emphasis on seasonality all make Urasawa unique and worth every penny. My Japanese is non-existent so I might make some mistakes as to the exact Japanese terms. Each dish was an A level dish! As usual we brought our own wine.

The wonderful Hiro

The lovely flower arrangement

BYO Champagne

Shiro toro, monkfish liver, shiso, scallion wrapped with turnip, sauce of ponzu with radish and chive water

Soy milk skin, Hokkaido Uni, 23 carat gold leaf, wasabi, bonito flavored sauce mixed with kudzu, sweet sake and mirin

Winter/Spring Vegetables Kyoto style – black bean, red pepper, bamboo,lotus stem, lillybud, mountain root, water chestnuts, herring roe, sea cucumber intestine

BYO White Wine

Sashimi – red snapper marinated with seaweed. Inside was Santa Barbara uni, shiso leaf and Myoga. On the side was daikon, nori, red cabbage, red pickles, wasabi

Tochigi Beef tartar, Russian Caviar, Bell Pepper on the  side to be eaten as a chaser to the tartar

Hasami Age- tempura sandwich with bamboo and shrimp paste

Hoba Yaki – on a giant Hoba leaf was Miyazaki Wagyu beef, shrimp and scallop. This sat on top of a puree of Kyoto miso sauce that is made by mixing egg yolk with miso, sweet sake, regular sake, sugar and soy sauce. The dish was being lightly roasted in the Hoba leaf for a couple of minutes over the coals on the brazier.

Beef for the Shabu Shabu

Foie cooking in Shabu Shabu

Shabu Shabu broth. John forgot to take an actual picture of the full Shabu Shabu plate. Foie Gras, the beef and red snapper were the ingredients to be added to the broth. It cooks in the broth and eaten when done. The broth is then consumed as a separate course.

BYO Red Wine

Now sushi – my notes aren’t very good so please forgive any inaccuracies.

Toro

Fish Collar Toro

Spanish Mackerel

Red Snapper from Southern Japan

Shitake

Blue fin

Skip Jack

Abalone

Giant Clam

Toro

Not sure

More toro

Toro Roll

Uni

eel

Dessert

An absolutely wonderful meal!!!!!  A++++

Vin Bar/Valentino

I have been raving about Valentino for years, but now I absolutely recommend Valentino as a destination restaurant as Valentino is unequivocally the best Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. By choice we eat at the casual Vin Bar but you can have an elegant dinner at Valentino; whether casual or elegant you will have a wonderfully orchestrated meal with superb service and cuisine. At most restaurants we BYO, never at Valentino. Piero’s wine list is extensive and extraordinary and we just let Piero choose the wine. Chef Nico has just introduced a new menu and it is off the charts superb. We just let Chef Nico choose our tasting menu and he always “blows us away.”

New Chef Nico special menu – you can order Valentino classic dishes but do try the inventive and contemporary creations of Chef Nico

Champagne to start

Shrimp and Zucchini Fritter on a bed of peach sauce – a one bite wonder

White wine – one of the best white wines I have had at Valentino

Crustacean “Spezzatino” ( stew of crab, scallops and calamari) with seaweed calamari salad and sea urchin dressing – each element was executed perfectly with both taste and texture a delight

2nd white wine

Tortino Ragusano – A Sicilian Vegetarian Dish – Zucchini, Kale, Abalone Mushrooms with a Pomodoro sauce of red and yellow tomatoes greatly reduced – no cream. This also made me want to become a vegetarian!

“Ragusano is an Italian PDO protected cheese made exclusively in provinces of Ragusa and Siracusa, Sicily. It is one of the oldest cheeses in Sicily with evidence dating as early as 1500.  Originally known by the name of Caciocavallo, it lost its historical name after it acquired the recognition of PDO. A hard cheese from the pasta filata family, Ragusano is made with whole milk from Modicana breed of cows fed on fresh grass or hay.”

Calamari stuffed with whitefish and calamari heads topped with fresh tomato and oregano in a seafood broth – this is serious food from a very talented chef – the seafood broth was wondrous and the calamari cooked perfectly

Red Wine

Crudo of Kobe Beef Tongue Carpaccio with Maui Onions and Black Truffle Emulsion, Arugula – OH MY!!!!!! A+++

Crespelle (crepes) stuffed with wild mushrooms, shaved black truffles with a saucing of truffle fondue – this dish reflects Valentino’s concept — “It is our philosophy and inspiration to use Italian cuisine as our canvas. Our palette consists of only the freshest, most natural and delicious ingredients available.”

2nd Red Wine

Sweetbreads Agnolottti with Pear Puree, Parmigiano Spuma, Candied Roasted Walnuts, Ricotta Cream Sauce – I sound like a broken record but another winner

Elk with Porcini Mushrooms, Roasted Walnuts and a sauce of the porcini mushrooms and parsley – the meat was fork tender and seasoned to perfection. The mushrooms were the perfect foil for the meat.

This was a spectacular meal from beginning to end with A+ everything — wine, service, cuisine – just perfect. I urge everyone to run not walk to Valentino and make it one of their regular haunts. It is more than worth it.

ROC – Sawtelle

Sawtelle Blvd is bursting with new restaurants. ROC is one of the newest and certainly worth a trip. It is open continually for lunch and dinner.  If you stop by around 4 you miss the crowd and can be assured you will get a table. Greg, our server, was fantastic – knowledgeable plus fully committed to making our dining experience fun and pleasurable. There is no liquor license so be prepared for soft drinks and tea. We did make one mistake and ordered everything at once.  It is best to order one dish at a time so you aren’t  rushed and overwhelmed by a table loaded with dish after dish.

The room as you enter

The room by the open kitchen – notice the light fixture

The open kitchen

The chef making dumplings

Shanghai Soup Dumplings with Shrimp and Pork (Xiao Long Bao) – Greg had to teach us how to eat this.

First you carefully remove the dumpling, dip it in the ginger sauce and  put it on your soup spoon. You then gently pierce the top skin of the dumpling and the wonderful soup spills on the spoon mixing with the sauce. Then you just pop it into your mouth. I would say I got a C doing this – it does take practice!

Sauteed String Beans with Garlic – we asked for a medium amount of garlic – delicious

Scallion Pancake with Gingered Soy Dipping sauce – another winner and a large portion for two (We did end up taking quite a bit of food home)

ROC Rice Cake with Chicken, Napa Cabbage and Spinach – my least favorite dish

Crispy Shrimp and Pork Dumplings with Ginger Chili Dipping Sauce – The dish is presented as a crisp pancake. You then carefully cut the pancake and turn it over.

Underneath the pancake are the shrimp and pork dumplings – 8 pieces in all – another winner dish.

We will definitely return to ROC, order one dish at a time and practice how to eat the soup dumplings.

Milo and Olive

If it’s Thursday we will be at Milo and Olive. We love going – the staff treats us like family and it becomes one big party. Chef Jason is beyond terrific; he is a wonder and every dish is exquisite with regards to seasonality with A+ ingredients, sensational seasoning, exact execution and inventiveness. We never know what Jason has in mind for us and that is half the fun. We just let him cook and we have the pleasure of just reveling in one exciting dish after another. We bring our own wine and share with everyone.

The wonderful Jason

On the right GM Katie and on the left server Lexi – Both are A+ at everything

Champagne to start

Albacore tuna and cured salmon tartare, curry creme fraiche, English peas, watermelon radish with a sauce of lemon marmalade- this was absolutely stellar. The fish was pristine, the seasoning wondrous and the lemon marmalade outstanding – we didn’t leave a drop!

Roasted Golden Beets, Blood Orange, Hummus, Pistachio Aillade, Ricotta Salata, Arugula - Aillade is the name used in southern France for a garlic based vinaigrette. The hummus was a combination of chick peas, tahini, cumin, raw garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. The golden beets reminded me of a Hershey Kiss with a tail – in looks only! This was a wondrous combination of taste and texture.

Etoile Rose

A savory crostata (tart) of Swiss chard, ricotta, Nueske’s bacon and raisins surrounded by a sauté of swiss chard, bacon, cauliflower, pine nuts, capers and pulverized anchovies with splashes of 12 year old balsamic vinegar – another winner

Goia Farm Burrata, American proscuitto, Brussel sprouts, Marcona almonds, Bagna Cauda – Jason is a master at putting seemingly diverse ingredients together into a delicious, perfectly structured whole

White wine

This was off the charts superb! Crimini, Oyster, Honshemeji Sauteed Mushrooms on Toasted Brioche, Poached Farm Egg, Shaved Black Winter Truffles, Mustard Vinaigrette – it doesn’t get any better than this.

Red Wine

Pork Cheeks, Pork Cheek Confit, Stewed Lentils (French lentils with rice, piquillo peppers, cumin), Shallot, Arugula – a perfect ending to a perfect meal

I have said this before but I need to say it again. Milo and Olive is a fine dining restaurant in a casual setting. Headed by the talented and creative Chef Jason this is great food with an equally gracious front of the house staff. Highly recommended.

Chinois

We have been going to Chinois for years. What is amazing about Chinois is its consistency – the staff has been there for years and with Chef Rene Mata at the helm the food is consistently excellent. The wait staff has also been there for years and service is always A+.

Tom and Hoel – absolutely terrific.

I have said this before but it needs repeating. We don’t treat this as a regular Chinese restaurant and order a whole bunch of dishes at one time. We order one dish at a time and split each order. We also bring our own wine and gladly share with the staff.

Champagne to start

A gift from Chef Mata – Tuna Tataki –  The tuna, served rare, was briefly seared in a hot dry wok with garlic and ginger and sat on a sauce of ponzu. On the side was a mixed green salad with plum dressing and topped with crispy onions. Delicious.

Warm sweet curried oysters with cucumber sauce and salmon pearls – a Chinois signature dish and one of our favorites

White Wine

Moo Shu Shell with pork belly and julienne vegetables in a hoisin oolong tea sauce

Red Wine

Crispy Glazed Quail with grilled pineapple – absolutely superb.

Roasted Cantonese Duck with fresh plum sauce served with

A Steamed Bao filled with Stir Fried Vegetables  - the duck was roasted to perfection and the bao a nice addition

A wonderful meal at one of our all-time favorite places. Food to go is equally delicious. We ordered barbecued baby pork ribs with soy honey sauce, Chinois chicken salad, Duck Fried Rice and another order of Crispy Quail for next day’s football game fare. What a treat!

Vin Bar/Valentino

Valentino/Vin Bar just gets better and better. It is our favorite Italian restaurant in Los Angeles – no one does it better in all of Los Angeles. Chef Nico devises a tasting menu for us and Piero chooses the wines. Our only responsibility is to sit back and enjoy. I am not only endorsing Valentino/Vin bar, I am urging everyone to just go.

Lousy picture but wonderful start – Crab Cake with Dijon Sauce

First wine

Santa Barbara spot prawn tartare with caponata, black olives, capers, pine nuts – absolutely delicious

On a crostini cod fish mousse with raddichio salad – another perfect starter dish

2nd wine

Wagyu beef meatballs with truffles, “broken” tagliatelle pasta, castrated chicken broth, parmesan. This was sensational. In looking up a castrated chicken broth I found the following – “The meat from capons (castrated roosters) is rich and flavorful and makes an exceptional broth.  In Italy, cheese rinds are often added to a simmering pot of soup for added depth of flavor.”

Third wine

Cotechino – pork sausage and green lentils, barley, tomato sauce, parmesan – “The cotechino is an Italian charcuterie product, similar to salami but must be cooked; usually it is boiled at low heat for about four hours. Its name comes from cotica (rind), but it may take different names in the different production areas. According to tradition, it is served with lentils on New Year’s Eve, to bring luck for the coming year.”

Busiati pasta, speck, zucchini, pear cubes, butternut squash, candied walnuts, gorgonzola cheese – Flour, eggs and oil are mixed into a dough that is called “busiato” in the Trapani area and then it is quickly rolled around the “busu” (or knitting needle) to obtain a sort of “fusillo.” – This was off the charts perfect.

4th Wine

Lamb Belly on a bed of sunchoke puree – we were getting quite full and didn’t do this dish justice. We will tonight!

A great meal with sensational staff – what more could one ask for?