Amandine: Last Goodbye

Leaving LA meant leaving a lot of good friends and I spent the last few weeks trying to jam in as much “meeting-up” time as possible with people. On this particular day, I met up for the last time with two very important friends of mine – my food and HK film Buddy, B and my Japanese baked goods lover, Amandine.

Being nostalgic, I ordered the same thing from my first day at Amandine – the caramel banana tart ($4.35). The tart was as good – if not better – than the first time I had it. The crumbly cookie crust encased a smooth and light cream filling; the sweet pastry cream and the ripe, sliced bananas complimented the slight bitter twinge of the caramel cream topping. In other words, the tart is a perfect balance of textures and flavors and is both satisfying yet not overly heavy. This perfection paired with a large coffee and good company and conversation – yes, there are some things in LA I’ll miss.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

Amandine Patisserie ($)
12225 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 979-3211
http://www.amandinecafe.com

Amandine: Standards have Changed

(Too soupy: Omelette Ratatouille)

Now that I’m a graduate (I will never tire of saying that), I’ve had a lot of free time on my hands. I mean, just in this past week alone, I’ve been to the cinema three times! And what better way to spend all the free time than to grab brunch and the New York magazine crossword puzzle?

So, on Tuesday, I headed out to Amandine with NY mag tucked under my arm. I ordered the Omelette Ratatouille ($8.95) which came with a side of fresh fruits, two slices of toast and potato gratin. The fruit side was a little random – five chunks of banana, honeydew melon and cantaloupe? Very Asian indeed. The potato gratin was pretty good but I would have preferred it warm/hot instead of cold. And the omelette? It was only ok. The eggs weren’t light and fluffy enough and the ratoutille made the omelette a little too “soupy.” Flavor was good though but I probably wouldn’t dole out close to $9.00 again for that.


On top of the omelette, I ordered two cinnamon croissants ($2.25/each) to go. Right now, I’m on a “trying to find a croissant in LA that can match Bouchon’s” and I heard that Amandine is supposed to have a pretty good almond croissant. They were all out by the time I got there though which is absolutely ridiculous since I got there at 10am. What the hell? Anyways, the cinnamon croissant was only ok. Flaky? Yes. Melt-in-mouth like Bouchon’s? No. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to keep searching.

So yes, now that I’ve tried Amandine’s savory stuff, I guess it’s safe to say that I’m keeping this little favorite café of mine as a sweet-stuff-only location.


FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

Amandine Patisserie ($)
12225 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 979-3211
http://www.amandinecafe.com

[NYC '09: Dessert, day 5] Dessert Club Chikalicous: Cute Desserts in a Not-So-Cute Place

After dinner at the Stanton Social, we hailed a cab to try Chikalicious, the dessert place endorsed by New York magazine's Adam Platt. We were still too full from brunch so we nipped into the Dessert Club for individual dessert portions instead of the prixe-fixe three course dessert bar across the street. I have to say, the place was totally different from what I had expected. For a place praised for its dainty Japanese-styled desserts, I had imagined a bright, cutely decorated place only to find that the space was the size of a shoebox, had minimal decorations and had two bulking Mexican guys working the counter.

Oh well, at least the desserts are still pretty damn good. Their take on the New York cheesecake (4.95) is served in a small plastic cup. The balance between sweet and zesty tartness is spot-on and the cheesecake manages to be satisfying without being overly heavy. I got the banana custard ($4.95) which was served in similar cup as the cheesecake. The custard had a strong banana flavor which made me all-smiles and the texture was wonderfully smooth and creamy. The pudding tasted best when eaten in a bite mixed with the crushed graham cookies. The mix of textures was wonderful. The desserts at Chikalicous are decent – great, even – but definitely not something to rave about. I heard they were famous for the bread pudding but they were all out by the time we got there. Oh well, maybe next time…

FOOD: 3.75/5
SERVICE: n/a
ATMOSPHERE: 1/5

DESSERT CLUB CHIKALICIOUS ($)
204 E 10th St.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 475-0929
http://www.dessertclubchikalicious.com

Sushi Masu: Returning to an Old Crush

(THAT'S what I'm talking about)

After the Indonesian extravaganza in East LA, I headed back to the Westside in preparation for an “end of Shakespeare” celebration dinner with Reno. Reservations for two at one of my favorite LA joints – Sushi Masu.

I first fell in love with Masu and his Westside eatery after a kick-ass omakase lunch last year. It was absolutely stellar. Piece upon piece of melt-in-your-mouth goodness was presented to me on small mounds of rice. Needless to say, I was stoked about my “reunion” with Chef Masu.

I opted for ordering a la carte this time around. And, for convenience’s sake, I’ll do a picture by picture run through of my meal. The prices listed are per 2 pieces:

Monkfish Liver ($4.00). Thank God I started with this piece because it was a little disappointing. I’ve actually never had monkfish liver before but I was expecting a kind of deep, rich foie gras-esque flavor. The flavor was actually really mild – it was difficult to actually taste the liver over the rice and nori.

Spanish Mackerel ($4.00). This was one of the specials of the day so, needless to say, it was super fresh. Again, a little on the mild side (which makes it a good opener to the later, more intensely flavored pieces). One thing I love about Masu’s nigiri is the almost perfect fish to rice ratio. Chef Masu is right on target with creating bite-sized nigiri pieces.

Albacore ($4.50). This was a huge, FATTY piece of albacore. I didn’t realize it would be slightly seared. Oh well. This piece was pretty awesome. The taste of the fish really shone through and it was a real jolt of flavor, especially after the earlier, milder tasting pieces. A.W.E-SOME.

Ikura ($4.00). I never used to like ikura. Tobiko was always my favorite sushi but, for some reason, I neglected the tobiko and checked off an order of salmon roe instead. The ikura tonight didn’t “pop” like little flavor bombs but the wonderful saltiness was still there nonetheless. Just, instead of having the flavor bursting out (I had been dreaming of a gastronomic equivalent to the starting riff from The Stones' “Brown Sugar”), the flavor just sort of slowly melted onto my tongue. Not what I had expected but it was good nonetheless.

Seared Salmon ($4.50). THIS was the seal-the-deal piece during my first meal at Masu’s. I had never had seared salmon that was so well done before – it was a perfect balance between super fresh raw salmon and smoked salmon almost. This time around, the seared salmon was still good but nowhere near the first time I had it. It was probably because I left it to the very end and, since food keeps cooking itself even after it’s been removed from the heat, the salmon was a little too much on the seared side by the time I got around to eating it.

The meal was absolutely amazing. Reno also ordered a whole bunch of fish (ten pieces in total, including tuna, salmon, eel, albacore and seared salmon) and the total came out to be $47.00 sans tips. I really can’t think of another place that can compare to Masu’s in terms of quality and value! The meal was almost a steal. On top of that, service was great (as usual). The atmosphere at dinner is definitely a lot better than at lunch. The place is still small and a little cramped though – if you’re planning to go during the weekend, reservations are highly recommended.

I was a little sad that amberjack wasn’t being offered on the menu. I’d also have to make one complaint – Chef Masu was really laying on the ponzu and scallions. Out of the pieces I had, only the ikura didn’t have a splashing of ponzu sauce and chopped scallions. While the little additions helped bring out the fish flavor, by the time I was on to my fifth piece, my tongue was beginning to become overwhelmed especially by the strong scallion taste.

Still, my heart is still married to Chef Masu’s creations. I have less than a month left in LA and hopefully I can fit in time somewhere to visit Sushi Masu one last time before I go.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3.5/5

SUSHI MASU ($$$)
1911 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 466-4368

Amandine: Sweets for my Sweet

(Amandine Cake Case = love)

Clementine yesterday and Amandine today? Oh wow, I’m reeeeeeally being self-indulgent. I must’ve gained a million pounds in the last few months. Blegh.

(Pastries for happy people)

(I love chalkboard menus)

I was surprised that Amandine wasn’t packed like a madhouse – we got there around 12ish…on a Saturday no less! We actually managed to find a parking spot RIGHT IN FRONT of the place. Maybe the recent dreary gray weather has something to do with it? Oh well, all the better for me.

(Example of REALLY good French toast, see above)

Having already tried the Amandine version of the banana cream pie (good stuff but the crust was a little too hard), I set my heart on the French toast with bananas ($6.75) this time around. Two slabs of thick, custard-soaked bread with a lightly burnt, smoky crust. Mmmmm…THIS is what French toast should be like (The Waffle could use a few lessons from Amandine). Every forkful was a bite of eggy goodness. The bananas were probably a little under-ripe though and weren’t as sweet and “banana-y” as I would’ve liked. I washed my million calorie brunch down with a “small” coffee ($1.85) which turned out to be the same size as the large cup I got at Clementine just yesterday…and about a dollar cheaper. Sunny opted for French toast as well with the cinnamon raisin with cream cheese ($6.50). And, after ordering the Hungarian meat platter last night, Debs did a most un-Debs-like thing by going with the tuna salad ($7.25).

(Tuna salad: eat your greens...and protein)

(California raisins put to good use)

Needless to say, I absolutely love Amandine. Food is consistently great and prices are reasonable. I also adore the atmosphere – it’s all so convivial. Makes me want to put on a flowery day dress and sing and dance and maybe feed a bunny. On top of that, service is always great. The old Mexican man was there again. He’s my favorite. On a not-so-great note though, my love for Amandine could be detrimental to my health…and waistline. Ugh, I really do need to go on my apple fast. Detox, detox, detox.

FOOD: 4.5/5
SERVICE: 4.5/5
ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

Amandine Patisserie ($)
12225 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 979-3211
http://www.amandinecafe.com

SugarFISH: Pretty. Good. Pretty Good.

I headed out to Marina del Rey with Reno (note: the name has NO geographical implications about his person) to check out Sushi Nozawa’s “hip” sister restaurant, SugarFISH. And how do we know its hip?

a) It’s called SugarFISH instead of some Japanese word that ends with a vowel (Nozawa, Asanebo, Katsu-ya, etc.)
b) 98% of the patrons are non-Japanese. 100% of the waitstaff are non-Japanese.
c) Wood is not a prominent feature of the interior.
d) The chef doesn’t matter.

Well, SugarFISH does and does not fulfill criteria d). I mean, it IS Chef Kazunori Nozawa’s restaurant and he DOES matter in the LA Sushi circuit. At the same time, his connection to the restaurant probably extends just to the fact that he was the one to sign the lease to the restaurant space. Usually, I veer away from “hip” sushi joints but given the Nozawa connection (regardless of how minute that connection may be) and the fact that it at least has the authenticness to forego the American rolls, I thought I’d give it a try.

The place was definitely cute. That is, minimalism with bright, happy colors. We were promptly seated and went with the flow by ordering two “trust me” sets. In understandable terms, the “trust me” is American for “omakase” but given the fact that Nozawa isn’t actually present for you to trust and the menu is pre-set and displayed on the high-tech TV screen, it’s not really omakase…oh wait, yes it is – I already said it, it’s AMERICAN omakase.

First up was the tuna sashimi. Good, not great. I’m not a fan of ponzu sauce and it was drenched in that. I didn’t hate it or anything but it wasn’t something to rave about either. Next was the salmon nigiri and albacore nigiri. Not unlike most other people, salmon is one of my favorite sushi choices…but here, it was COMPLETELY OVERSHADOWED by the albacore. Actually, everything else that night was overshadowed by the albacore. It was ohhhhh-so-good; literally melt-in-your-mouth. Plus, Reno and I weren’t crazy about the sesame on the salmon nigiri – the salmon was already a compromised size and the sesame flavor overwhelmed the taste of the fish. The waitstaff were attentive but I won’t lie – they got on my nerves a little with their enthusiasm to clear plates. I was midchew of my last piece of albacore nigiri when they swooped in and took my plate away. I mean, yes, the plate IS empty but I don’t want the staff to invade my space when I’m gnawing on a mouthful of raw fish and rice. Anyhow, that’s beside the point. The void space in front of me was promptly replaced by a plate with four toro rolls and four crab rolls.

Here’s where Reno and I differed – he was more into the crab (which reminded me too much of canned tuna and mayo) and I was alllllllll about the toro (which was “too slimy” for his taste). Well, I happen to like “slimy” foods (raw oysters anyone?) so the toro made me a happy person.

We were beginning to get full by the time we finished our rolls so I had no qualms about the next “course” being the last: two pieces of yellowtail nigiri and two pieces of “Nozawa style” shrimp. Both Reno and I don’t care too much for cooked shrimp sushi so we pretty much just glossed over that. Plus, they did the sesame thing AGAIN. Seriously, someone needs to take the sesame away from the SugarFISH kitchen…and maybe take away the all-caps ridiculousness of the second half of the restaurant name. And the hamachi? Hmmm…I think we were both conflicted about that. Reno mentioned a “sour” taste which – given the fact that it IS raw fish – freaked me out at first (and when it comes to acuteness of the senses, I trust Reno. After all, he insists on smelling his food before putting it in his mouth). I took a bite of the hamachi and, thankfully, it wasn’t the sour in the way bad fish would be. It’s a hard taste to describe but yes, it wasn’t that mild, creamy taste that the albacore had. And I was put off by the fact that I actually had to BITE into the hamachi. Yes, yes, I’ve just been too spoilt by the albacore…but who wouldn’t be after experiencing fish just dissolving by itself into a mass of loveliness on the tongue?

On specifics though, I wasn’t feeling the rice. It fell apart easily and that, combined with my feeble chopstick skills amounted to a small mountain of rice in the soy sauce dish (I lie. I’m actually quite fantastic with chopsticks…but just not, for some reason, when it comes to sushi). Reno mentioned that it could be because of a lessened amount of rice vinegar. Most probably. After all, the rice had none of that tart taste I like so much. Oh well, they ARE catering to the 98% white/”AZN” clientele. On top of that, the wasabi was mild as hell (again, the clientele explains this). I could eat an ice-cream scoop of that and not feel a thing.

The “trust me” was $26 sans tax and tips. Not bad at all given how much food there was. Would I go back? Probably not. It’s a cute place and the food is good but not stellar. But I’m on a tight schedule (less than THREE MONTHS LEFT!!) and there are too many other places to try. But even without the time-constraint, I think I’ll stick with places like Sushi Masu. I’ll leave SugarFISH to the i-Phone toting generation.

FOOD: 3/5
SERVICE: 3/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3.5/5

SugarFISH ($$)
4722 1/4 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 306-6300
www.sugarfishsushi.com

*Note: I just realized I’ve been having a massive, UNINTENDED seafood+rice fiesta. Seafood fried rice, paella, and now sushi? Just thought I’d share that information.

Sushi Masu: The Best Thursday Ever

I hit it lucky again this term and managed to get two days off school. Seriously, having school FIVE days a week last term was waaaaay too much and I don't think I could ever handle that again. But that also means I have 7 hours of back-to-back classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday...but we don't like to talk about that.

Anyhow, I've decided to make good use of my two days off a week and dedicate the time to a new "project". That's right...a new project. Right off the top of my head, I'll label this project "Eating Beyond Wilshire". It sounds very all-expansive but really, without a car, all it really entails is eating down Westwood Blvd and extending down Pico. But that alone should take me a good amount of time anyways.

So, as an informal beginning to my project (after all, I have eaten at several restaurants "beyond" Wilshire already), I went to Sushi Masu. I've read such great things about this place and, more importantly, it's really been a long while since I've been to a REAL sushi joint. You know, places that aren't fusion or called "California Roll" and the likes.

Sushi Masu is a small place. Personally, I prefer small sushi joints...they remind me of the restaurants we'd go to in Japan and I like the relaxed atmosphere that comes in the small package. Plus, I don't know what it is, but the best sushi always seems to come from the tiny hole-in-the-wall places, which Sushi Masu was.

(Amberjack and Seared Tuna Sushi...SO FRIGGIN' GOOD!)

I grabbed a seat at the sushi bar and already, Chef Masu smiled at me and asked "first time here?" I told him I came ESPECIALLY to try this place and his smile grew even bigger as he semi-bowed his head. I fell in love with him already in those 2 minutes. I glanced over to the hand-written daily recommendations and the first thing that caught my eye: LIVE sweet shrimp.

"Live? It's still moving?"
"Yes. You like?"
"That sounds really interesting. But I've never tried..."

Shrimp in hand. Flick of knife. Live sweet shrimp sushi on my plate.
SOOOO good. It's been a long while since I had something THIS fresh.

"Good?"
"VERY good."

Well, the shrimp was the perfect introduction to what this place had to offer...within 5 minutes of meeting him, Chef Masu had already won over my complete trust:

"Give me whatever you think is good today"

A piece of amberjack sushi appeared before me. Into mouth. Melt. Literally. I looked up at Chef Masu, eyes glimmering almost and told him how good that was.

"Next piece even better."

The thing I love about Chef Masu is that he doesn't lie. The next piece - the seared tuna - WAS even better. This was followed by 5 other pieces of the "best sushi I've had in LA so far" (including white tuna and abalone, among others) and a perfectly sweet eel and cucumber hand roll. Every piece I plopped into my mouth induced a huge smile on my face.

My favorite was definitely the seared salmon sushi. I could smell it when Chef Masu was searing it behind the counter and was already excited. Then he placed it in front of me...the way he seared it made it look like a mini piece of art! My excitement rose. Now, the actual eating of it. WOW. I'm still thinking about it right now. The outter part of the fish tasted almost like smoked salmon (which I absolutely love) and just when I was thinking that it was the best thing ever, I was introduced to the melt-in-your-mouth texture and taste of fresh raw salmon. Two of the best forms of salmon in one bite - what more can you ask for? Want to know what love is? It's Chef Masu's seared salmon sushi!!

(Fried Shrimp Head)

And remember that live shrimp I had at the very beginning? They took the head back into the kitchen, fried it, took it back out. Better than fried calamari!! At the end of the meal, I told Chef Masu that the seared salmon was my favorite, to which he replied,

"OK, next time I give you thicker piece".
I'm so looking forward to "next time".

(Rounding off a perfect meal. Chef Masu is an artist!!)
Everything together (including a huge tip for Chef Masu and the friendly waitress) came out to about $45. Like Chef Masu said, I had a "big lunch" today...but it was worth every cent. I was a VERY happy camper.

So yes, that was my "first time" at Sushi Masu. And that's the "first time" to a WHOOOOOOOLE load of more times!!!!

And, to make today even better, after the meal, I nipped into Pink Orchid bakery next door and got a mini tub of Mashti Malone's pistachio ice cream. And, unashamedly finished the whole thing by myself. I rock.

FOOD: 4/5
SERVICE: 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: 3/5

Sushi Masu ($$$)
1911 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 466-4368