Profiteroles at Chaya Venice

Is your favorite dessert profiteroles? With a chocolate sauce and fresh whipped cream? Well here you go!

Gordon Ramsey at the London

Prix Fixes rock! They say if you want to sample a restaurant and get the best value, you should make a reservation at lunch time. Crowds are smaller. You'll get a table easier. My foodie friend Alex Woo and girlfriend Whitney Friedlander (I call them WooWhit) invited me to join them for lunch at Gordon Ramsey's restaurant at The London in West Hollywood.

I don't know what's going on with the ambiance and decor there. It looks like your grandmother's powder room. But who cares? The food was so flipping good. My tastebuds were screaming in delight. Add to that, the service was impeccable and it was a screaming deal! For $35, you get an appetizer, a main course and a dessert. The views of the Hollywood Hills were nice and the service was very attentive. It was the best $35 I'd spent in a while.

Our table's hits were the sea scallop appetizers, beef filet and kobe short rib entree, smoked rainbow trout and asparagus risotto with double cream and parmesan and marscapone cheese. And for dessert, the pineapple souffle with Thai curry ice cream was the standout. Although applause to the Valrhona chocolate fondant for its rich flavor and the grapefruit sorbet for its summery refreshing taste.

A Gordon Ramsey menu, views of Hollywood, great food. You can't lose here.

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/