French Macaroons at Figaro Cafe

I've never met a cookie I didn't like. But if I had to pick my favorite cookie, a French macaroon would be at the top of the list. I became obsessed with these delicate delectables on a trip to France. Macaroons are a staple of French bakeries. They have a brittle outside shell and a soft gooey inside with some type of flavored jam or creme. It's difficult to find French macaroons in LA. Paulette's Macaroons (www.paulettemacarons.com) specializes in just macaroons and is run by a real French lady. But I found her cookies too overpoweringly sweet. The best roons I've had in LA are at a neighborhood brasserie and bakery in Los Felis called Figaro Cafe (www.figarobistrot.com). Their macaroons come in pistachio and strawberry and they're delicate and delicious. Figaro also has wonderful traditional pastries like croissants and truffles.

Akasha Culver City - American Grill with Indian Influence

Ron and I visited Akasha on a busy Saturday night. I loved the space- exposed beams and concrete walls. Very modern and chic. The food however, was hit or miss. The hit of the night was Ron's turkey burger. It was a hefty thick burger dotted with globs of red peppers- very flavorful and fesh. It's too bad everything else was a miss. Akasha prides itself on organic fresh ingredients. The dishes are clean and simple. But, you can still be clean and simple and tasty. The fries were dry. The table bread, although hearty with seeds, was dry. My onion and tomato tart was too much tart, not enough veges. And the arugala salad surrounding it was over-salted. My punjabi mung bean and rice bowl was fun but under-seasoned. Healthy, but bland. The biggest blunder was the mac and cheese. It is a sin to mess up such a favorite of mine. And although it looked like it should have tasted good, I could barely taste the cheese at all. Perhaps I ordered wrong. I may have to give it another shot to try some other dishes. The curried cauliflower, South Indian salmon and the scallops sound good. But if they screw that up, I'm done with you Akasha!

Eagle Rock Decent Vietnamese Food

Had a quick meal at a neighborhood Vietnamese joint. The place was pretty authentic. They had all the basic staples of the food of my people like pho, spring rolls, rice dishes, vermicelli bowls, sandwiches and even fresh squeezed orange juice and three color dessert. I ordered the vermicelli bowl with BBQ pork and crispy egg rolls. While the noodle and julienned veges were fresh, I thought the pork was over marinated and the texture was too chewy. The dessert was tasty, but they should have served it with traditional shaved ice instead of small ice balls. The spring rolls and BBQ chicken sandwich were decent. I'd recommed Lemongrass if you're in the mood for cheap decent Vietnamese.

Special Tasting Menu and Chef Tour at Roy's Los Angeles

March 20th, 2008

A meal of epic proportions. Unforgettable gastronomic orgasms. Maybe the 5th best night of my life ever. Ron and I went to Roy's downtown to meet one of my culinary heros, the owner of Roy's Restaurant chain, Chef Roy Yamaguchi. Roy's is a staple of Hawaiian fine dining, combining flavors of Asia with local farming on the islands. He is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the opening of his first restaurant. He went on a nine-city tour, and this night, he came to LA and created a divine meal. It was such a treat, a milestone in my foodie hall of fame. His kampachi sous vide was one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. Succulent, juicy, tender, melt in your mouth goodness. And the dessert sampler- the five elements of aloha, sent me into a tailspin of joy and delight. Mango flatcake, coconut ice-cream, passionfruit truffle, macadamian nut florentine cookie, banana flambe. I closed my eyes and had a dream I was on a magic carpet ride cruising by chocolate waterfalls and diving into a bed of coconut flakes. I live for experiences like this. Once in a lifetime. Blissful. Grateful to be alive. Grateful for all of my senses.

AMUSE BOUCHE
Carlsbad Aquafarm Raised Abalone
Tamago, Cha Soba, Sudachi Beurre Noisette
Perrier Jouet Grand Brut

FIRST COURSE
Kona Kampachi Sous Vide
Carlsbad Clams, Black Mussels &
Hawaiian Chile Pepper Water
Jacob's Creek Riesling

SECOND COURSE
Alaskan King Crab Duo
Greek Olive Roasted Crab Leg &
Pesto Crab Cake
Brancott Sauvignon Blanc

THIRD COURSE
Aka Miso Colorado Lamb Loin
Weiser Farms Heirloom Potato &
Oden Vegetables, Garlic Soy Jus
Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz

FOURTH COURSE
Five Elements of Aloha
Sandeman Tawny 20 Year Old Port

Bloom

I'm beginning to appreciate more the idea of a good concept for a restaurant. I last blogged that MILK was so successful because you know when you go there, you can expect that most everything's made with dairy and that everything is better enjoyed accompanied with milk. I found another restaurant with a great concept- BLOOM. (It's conveniently located across the street from my chiroprator's office. I can get adjusted and then get a good meal.) When I read the sign, I expected that the menu must pride itself on freshness and the use of seasonal ingredients. When I sat down and looked at the menu, my expectations were met. The first page on the menu consisted of smoothies and juices, many made with organic fruits. The soups and salads were also made of fresh seasonal ingredients. My friend and frequent dining partner Alex has the soup du jour- a lovely baby spinach soup. It was tasty and creamy, but the spinach was the star, not the cream. He also had the vegetarian chili, which was as good as one can make a chili without any meat. I had the Moroccan Mint lamb skewers served with a delightful lentil salad and pommes frittes, crispy on the outside but soft to the taste. The green tea chai latte was also a soft subtle delight. The hit of the evening was their ginger creme brule, a light custardy sensation with a smooth spicy after kick. We gobbled it down in record time. Overall, Bloom was a delicious experience with a well-thought out concept. Nice friendly service, fun neighborhood atmosphere. Bloom is located at 5544 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019. Check out their fun website for the menu: http://go2bloom.com/

The Best Hot Chocolate in the World

On a cold wintery day like today, nothing makes me happier than a proper cup of hot chocolate. I used to think a decent hot chocolate meant adding the contents of a fancy packet into a hot cup of milk. Boy was I wrong. I didn't even know the joy of good hot chocolate until I walked into the doors of Angelina's patisserie in Paris, France. At Angelina's, un chocolate, meant you get a petite pitcher of an ooey warm, pudding-like liquid served with a bowl of fresh whipped cream. This was not your watered down powdery drink. Drinking it required a spoon. Tasting it was like a mudslide of warm, rich, thick bitter-sweet chocolate heaven in your mouth. You could die happy and not regret a thing in your life. Angelina's is famous for their chocolate l'Africain. As if the whipped cream wasn't enough, I had to order one of their baked pastries. Needless to say, a place that makes hot chocolate this good also knows how to bake sweet breads. I tried a braided raisin roll. It was to...die...for. Light and buttery goodness. I broke off a piece of the roll, dipped it in the chocolate, and I swore I wanted to move to Paris just to experience this everyday. Angelina's also serves tea, but really, what is the point? You gotta have the hot chocolate at Angelina's.

Milk

What a unique concept! This dining experience reminds me how fun it was to eat like a kid. It's a throw-back to the yummy basic foods you had growing up. The sign on the store spells out MILK, each letter on an old-fashioned milk jar. The design is sleek and simple. Everything on the menu at Milk celebrates the wonders of dairy. I chowed down on their macaroni and cheese. Some may say, "It's just mac and cheese, how good can it be?" To that, I say "You're an idiot. Good mac and cheese is a gift to our world." They use the finest cheeses and methodically turn and roll the cheese mixture into the macaroni. This results in a light and favorfull mac and cheese. I was happy to be in a carb coma after devouring the whole bowl in the span of 4 minutes. You can't avoid the baked goods at Milk. We started with a pastry plate of chocolate madeleines, a chocolate croissant and a gooey double chocolate cookie. While they were all fantastic, my favorite pick is their good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie. It was soft and gooey, rich and flavorfull, and a little crispy on the edges. It's the perfect chocolate chip cookie. As I reflect on my visit to Milk, I can't help but think how simple everything is. It's all the classics, but done perfectly. I also had their grilled cheese sandwich, which elevates the standard. And even their lattes were better than normal. The espresso beans were so (say it with me) flavorfull. And the whole meal was very affordable for LA standards. 9 out of 10. Can not wait to go back to try their blue velvet cake, ice-cream sandwiches with french macaroons, and their home-made gelatos. Service was very attentive and friendly. If you know what's good for you, GO to MILK NOW! www.themilkshop.com