Fat Spoon: An Uni-licious lunch

Soon after I returned from my Southeast Asian trip, I started my new job. My new offices are in Downtown LA, so it was a perfect opportunity to check out the lunch dining scene in the area. My friend and I decide to check out Japanese curry house, Fat Spoon, located in Little Tokyo. I am not very familiar with the area, but already knew I wanted to come back to check out Kagaya, Spice Table, Daikokuya, Orochan and Shin-Sen-Gumi.

Fat Spoon is owned by Michael Cardenas of nearby Lazy Ox Canteen and Toranoko, and is known for their curries and pastas. The prices are reasonable at about $10 an entree. There were so many items on the menu that sounded appealing such as pork cutlet curry, pasta with salted cod roe, but I knew I had to order the uni pasta from the Specials menu.
Uni croquette was also available on the Specials menu.
The croquette had a nice panko breading that wasn't greasy. The mashed potato and uni filling was creamy and rich. I love the strong taste of uni, so I thought that the uni flavor here wasn't strong enough. I wonder if they diluted the flavor a bit to cater to more palates, or perhaps there was more potato than uni. Still a tasty dish but I longed for more of that distinct uni taste.
Uni pasta with mushrooms made up in the uni flavor department. I really enjoyed the al dente pasta that was coated with creamy sauce and mixed with earthy mushrooms and chunks of rich orange sea urchin. It was glorious! I wanted to slurp up every last drop of sauce. I loved the amount of sea urchin in the dish. Even their selection of mushrooms was spot on.

Fat Spoon is a great addition to the area. The restaurant is quaint and homey. I liked the simple menu and how comforting the dishes felt. Sure I wanted more uni flavor in the croquette, but that's a personal preference. I enjoyed my pasta and there are many other items that I'd like to try.

Hits: uni, pasta, prices
Misses: like most restaurants in the area, there is no parking
Rating: ***1/2

Fat Spoon
329 E 1st St.,
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 621-7890
www.fatspoonfood.com

Marea, NYC: Uni and Crab Pasta will forever be ingrained in my mind

I ended my trip to New York with Sunday brunch at Two Michelin Star Italian restaurant Marea. I actually didn't know much about Marea (gasp) but it came highly recommended among friends and bloggers. Their seafood and pastas are not to be missed, so I've been told.

We were one of the first guests to arrive but the restaurant filled up quickly. I liked the upscale yet modern decor with leather chairs and a lovely view of Columbus Circle.

I don't ever take photos of bathrooms, but I loved their sinks.

Their brunch menu includes 2 courses for $42. First course includes a choice from their crudo or antipasti section, and second course allows a selection from their pastas and entrees. It was a pretty easy decision for me as I knew exactly what I was going to get and had been thinking about it for days - their sea urchin and crab spaghetti.

Bread selection was a seven-grain and olive foccacia.

Assaggio Di Tre ~ tasting of three crudo (additional $9)
This is the way to go if you can't decide between their 9 crudos. I chose the sepia, octopus and razor clams. The sepia (cuttlefish) was served with soffrito and bottarga. I really enjoyed the sharpness of the bottarga. The razor clams were nicely seasoned and served with fennel and peperoncino. It was supple with an oceanic flavor. I loved the texture of the octopus which was dressed with chili oil, lemon and parsley. The flavors of the crudo were really clean and fresh.

Moleche ~ crispy soft shell crab, charred radicchio, orange, pancetta vinaigrette
The soft shell crab was uniquely breaded with polenta which resulted in a grainy texture. It was nicely seasoned. The slightly bitter radicchio was dressed with fresh citrus dressing.

Fusilli ~ durum wheat pasta, red wine braised octopus, bone marrow
This is apparently one of their most popular dishes. The wheat pasta was toothsome and the crevices really held on to the sauce. The large octopus tentacles were cut to the same length as the pasta so they almost blended into the sauce. The pasta was cooked in a rich tomato sauce that was full of flavor. Huge chunks of fatty bone marrow were mixed in the sauce and really added richness to the dish.

Spaghetti ~ fresh cut Semonlina pasta, crab, Santa Barbara sea urchin, basil
This dish was absolutely glorious. The fresh pasta was cooked al dente and mixed in completely with the creamy bright orange uni sauce. I can never get enough of pasta with uni as it has the right balance of sweetness and oceanic flavor. The fresh crab was topped on the pasta for an additional seafood touch. Crumbled breadcrumbs were added for texture and saltiness. Such a standout dish that I hope to be able to make at home.

Ippoglosso ~ herb crusted east coast halibut, broccoli rabe, sopprasetta, royal trumpet mushroom, cipollini
The halibut was perfectly cooked with a crusty coating, and was quite a generous portion. The mushroom had an intense earthly flavor and the soprasetta was sweet with a nice spice. Although the halibut dish was tasty, I think the pasta dishes resonated more with my party.

Petit fours of Pistachio Madeline, espresso and gooey salted caramel were presented. Who needs to order dessert when you can get this for free?

Brunch at Marea was exquisite. I was really impressed with the freshness of the crudo. The pasta dishes were definitely standout, perfectly cooked with hearty and comforting flavors, yet cooked with such finesse. They were also surprisingly served in rather filling portions. My only critique was that our waiter was a bit snobby and rather curt. Understandably, this is an upscale restaurant, but it was also during Sunday brunch, not a weekend dinner reservation. Otherwise, an excellent last meal to round up my New York trip.

Hits: crudo, uni pasta, fusilli
Misses: waiter a bit snobby
Rating:***1/2

Marea
240 Central Park South,
New York, NY 10019
(212) 582-5100
www.marea-nyc.com

Piccolo: Italian, in the heart of Venice (beach)

When BBE issued a special (free bottle of wine or dessert) for Piccolo Restaurant, I was game. I've been wanting to try their sea urchin pasta and I've heard many good things about the restaurant. Located just steps from the Venice Beach boardwalk in the old location of 5 Dudley Restaurant, Piccolo is a cozy Italian restaurant. It's quite an odd spot really. Piccolo is a bit pricey for the Venice boardwalk demographic.

It's relatively small and intimate inside, and filled up rather quickly. As it turned out, the BBE special was only available if each diner ordered an entree. So even though we decided on three pastas and an entree (which when summed up, the cost per person averaged over the price of an entree). It's interesting that a neighborhood restaurant was not even willing to bend on that.

Bread basket included a few options, but nothing special. Don't bother asking for balsamic vinegar. They don't offer it here. But they do serve the bread with a good quality olive oil.

Our waitress selected a reasonably priced bottle of Rosso Nottola which was smooth and light.

I was very pleased that without us asking, the kitchen had brought by our dishes in individual portions.

Garganelli Neri ai Ricci, squid ink garganelli, fresh sea urchin emulsion
I know the proper way to cook pasta is to al dente. I know what al dente is. This garganelli pasta was grossly undercooked. When we asked the waitress if this undercooked texture was normal, she said yes. It hard to believe that this is the case, the pasta tasted like cardboard and was very crunchy. Also, I was very disappointed with the sauce because I could barely taste the flavor of uni. This dish was a disappointment given that this was the reason why I wanted to dine at Piccolo in the first place.

Carbonara di Quaglia, truffle-tagliolini, roasted quail carbonara, with quail eggs, parmesan
Thankfully this pasta dish made up for the last. I really enjoyed the tagliolini which taste very fresh and homemade. The crumbles of quail were salty and gave the dish a lot of flavor. The carbonara had the right amount of egg mixture so that it wasn't overly creamy and heavy. I also liked the parmesan which added a nuttiness to the sauce.

Tortelli Zucca, ravioli with pumpkin filling, parmesan-butter and sage
Unfortunately the last pasta dish was a rather unappealing. There were parts of the pasta that were too thick and perhaps needed to be rolled out a bit more. I felt like I was eating a chunk of dough. The butter sauce also really tasted like butter, sans sage. I think it needed to be cooked down and browned a bit because it was lacking a nutty flavor.

Agnello al Porto, Risotto al Melone, boneless, natural lamb shank slow-braised in port; Tuscan melon-foie gràs risotto
As if this meal was a roller coaster, the last dish came back strong. Although the lamb preparation was a bit inconsistent- my two friends commented that one piece of the shank was drier than the other, the piece that was moist was exceptional. I liked the sweet richness of the rhubarb sauce. The best part of the dish was the foie gras risotto which was formed into a cake. The foie essence was obvious but not overpowering.

I thought dinner at Piccolo was decent. There were better parts of the meal (lamb shank, quail carbonara, wine) but there were also some fails (overly al dente and thick pasta). Also, I wished they had been more flexible on the BBE rules. I understand that they do not want diners coming in and split an entree or appetizer, but if you did the math, we spent just as much as anyone else that had ordered an entree each. I just don't think we should be penalized if we decided that the pasta dishes were more intriguing over the entrees. Despite that, I would have to say that I preferred the pasta here over Scarpetta. *gasp* I also liked that Piccolo had served our dishes in individual portions. That was a nice touch. I'm glad that I finally got to check out Piccolo, but next time, I think I'll save my Venice Beach excursions for the surf.

Hits: lamb, wine, quail pasta
Misses: cardboard pasta, not flexible on BBE discount
Rating: **1/2

Piccolo Venice
5 Dudley Ave.,
Los Angeles, CA 90291
(310) 314-3222
www.piccolovenice.com

Scarpetta, Beverly Hills ~ where the salt flows freely

Over a month ago, Scott Conant opened up another outpost of his popular Scarpetta Restaurant at the Montage Beverly Hills, across the manicured gardens from Thomas Keller's Bouchon and a couple blocks from Rodeo Drive. Conant has built a strong brand for his restaurants, with locations in New York and Ontario. He has also been all around the tube on The Food Network channel, with guest judge appearances on Chopped, Top Chef and is currently the host of 24 Hour Restaurant Battle.

When I had called to make reservations two weeks prior, the receptionist mentioned that there were no 7pm or 7.30pm slots open (only 6.30pm or 8pm were available). She said that they blocked out the hour between 7-8pm as that is their most popular time slot. When we arrived at 7.45pm, the bottom floor of the restaurant was completely empty, save for two tables. I thought that was a pretty poor reservation policy.

We decided to grab a drink at the bar adjacent to the dining room.

The dining room was modern but a bit sterile. My friend compared the beige color palette to that of a restaurant at a Hilton.

After perusing the menu, we didn't think any of the entrees really stood out. The pastas however, were all enticing so we decided to order a few starters and pastas to share.

Scarpetta's bread basket is pretty well known and loved. The selection included filone (Italian bread), foccacia, ciabatta and stromboli. The stromboli (filled with salami, smoked mozzarella, cherry tomato and basil) was the most interesting but overall, I thought the bread was quite ordinary.

The accompaniments (Herb citrus olive oil, Mascarpone butter, Eggplant caponata) however, were a nice addition.

Creamy Polenta ~ fricassee of truffled mushrooms
This was a crowd favorite. It was absolutely decadent, infused with loads of cream and butter. The mushrooms added an earthiness and saltiness to the polenta. The flavors were rich and very comforting. This is a dish that I would definitely order again.

Braised Short Ribs of Beef ~ autumn vegetable & farro risotto
The short ribs were tender but under seasoned. Thankfully the shaved Parmesan added some saltiness and nuttiness to the meat. I liked the texture of the farro and it wasn't too creamy or rich (which isn't a bad thing especially after the heavy polenta dish).

Spaghetti ~ tomato & basil
Scarpetta's signature dish. Many claim it is worth every penny of the $24. The pasta was simple, served with fresh roma tomatoes and topped with Parmesan cheese. The pasta itself was cooked perfectly al dente, the way it's prepared in Italy. The sauce clung on to every strand of the toothsome pasta. It seems that everyone raves about this dish but apart from the spaghetti itself, I didn't think the sauce was anything special. I can appreciate the simplicity in dishes, but the sauce just tasted like fresh and slightly raw tomatoes. I didn't yearn for one more bite.

Toasted Spelt Pasta alla Chitarra ~ pumpkin, porcini and asiago
Similar to the spaghetti, I also enjoyed the actual pasta in this dish. Once again, you can really taste the freshness of the pasta. Unfortunately the sauce was over salted and tasted strongly of olive oil as though the sauce wasn't reduced enough. The chunks of pumpkin did not seem to combine well with the pasta. It was slightly sweet but didn't compliment the overly salty pasta sauce. It also seemed like a garnish, an afterthought.

Duck & Foie Gras Ravioli ~ marsala reduction
I thought the presentation was elegant and the pasta petite. I enjoyed the rich and meaty duck and foie gras filling which was part creamy (from the foie) and part stringy (from shredded threads of duck meat). The filling was rightfully salty, but the marsala sauce added an overpowering addition of salt. There were three in our party (two of us love salt, the other prefers less salt) and we all thought the three pastas were painfully over seasoned.

Apart from the polenta, everything else did not seem to be properly seasoned. The short ribs was terribly under seasoned while the pastas were seasoned with a very heavy hand. It seemed to us that it must have been a mistake of the evening. Since no other reviewer/blogger/diner we knew had complained about consistently over salted pasta, we came to the conclusion that the pasta chef of the night must either love salt, or is a heavy smoker with severely impaired taste buds. Truth be told, I didn't think Scarpetta's pastas were anything special. I thought they weren't well balanced and were heavily salted. I prefer the pastas at Osteria Mozza and Fraiche which I think, are significantly better and more reasonably priced. I'll know where to go when I get my next pasta craving while avoiding high blood pressure.

Hits: polenta
Misses: salty pastas
Rating: **1/2

Scarpetta
225 North Canon Dr.,
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 860-7970

Tasting our way through Ben Bailly's new menu @ Fraiche

Fraiche Restaurant was my go-to happy hour spot when I used to work in Culver City. I've also had dinner there, as well as their other location in Santa Monica. From what I recall, the food was good but not outstanding. So when news broke that Chef Benjamin Bailly left Petrossian for Fraiche, I was excited to give the restaurant another try. Thankfully theminty secured a reservation for our party which included gastronomnom, amy, veronica and karen.

I've been to Petrossian during dinela week, and enjoyed my meal. In fact, it was that meal that restored my love for pork belly, which at the time had been on every restaurants' menu. Prior to Fraiche and Petrossian, Chef Bailly spent years at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Paris and Las Vegas. Since heading up the kitchen at Fraiche a month ago, he's steered the menu to a French focus, and has lowered prices in order to make the restaurant more accessible, and cater to a larger demographic. This is definitely a change from Petrossian, which menu boasts of caviar, foie and truffle.

The menu is categorized into appetizers, salads, potted jars, pastas and main courses. Since we were a party of six, Chef Bailly prepared a tasting menu (with wine pairing) which was served family style.

The Grape ~ Vodka, Elderflower Syrup, Grapes, Lime
This is my favorite cocktail at Fraiche. It's sweet, strong and very drinkable.

Bread to start.

Olives

Potted Meats
Quinta De Azevedo Vinho Verde - Vinho Verde, Portugal

Eggplant Caviar ~ Raisins, Marcona Almonds
Tonnato Dip ~ Tuna, White Anchovy, Capers

Chicken Liver Parfait ~ Green Apple Jelly
Piquillo Cheese Spread ~ Chorizo, Manchego

Naturally, the liver parfait was my favorite. The liver flavor was distinct but not intense. Surprisingly, the eggplant caviar was my next favorite. I thought the raisins added a sweetness to the dip and the almonds added a crunch. The tuna dip on a crusty bread was a creamier version of a tuna salad sandwich. Lastly, although I'm not a cheese fan, I found the piquillo cheese spread rather mild in cheese flavor. It also packed a spicy punch from the chili pepper. The potted jars are a great way to start a meal. It's great that we got some variety, from liver to veggie, fish and cheese.

Salad Course

Brussels Sprouts ~ Chorizo, Manchego, Dates, Almonds, Piquillo Vinaigrette
The brussels sprouts were blanched and dressed with a sherry vinaigrette. This was a more complex representation of the normal brussels sprouts and bacon dish.

Belgian Endive ~ Duck Bresaola, Bosc Pear, Pecan, Goat Cheese, Truffle Vinaigrette
I didn't dive into this salad as eagerly as my dining companions did because goat cheese was littered on every piece of endive. The truffle essence was strong in this dish, in a good way.

Frisee Aux Lardons ~ Oeuf Pane, Bacon, Blue Cheese
After I was able to pick out the blue cheese crumbles, the rest of the salad was a delight. The egg was breaded and fried, with a runny yolk that really held each bite of frisee together.

Burrata ~ Poached Pear, Broccolini, Hazelnut, Balsamic
My favorite of the salad dishes. The burrata was very fresh and creamy, and lightly dotted with tangy balsamic dressing and sweet poached pears.

Tartare course
Domaine Cherrier Sancere, Fr

Hamachi Tartare ~ Shaved Turnip, Lime, Espelette Pepper
The cubes of fresh hamachi was topped with a thin slice of turnip. This dish was paired with a citrus Sancere that was necessary to cut through the fattiness of the fish.

Vitello Tonnato ~ Veal Steak Tartare, Arugula, Parmesan
The veal tartare was tender and fresh. The meat was buttery and literally melt in my mouth. I liked that it was simply paired with aioli, peppery arugula and salty Parmesan. This was such a successful combination. Even Veronica, who shuns veal, went in for seconds.

Pasta Course
Trefethen Chardonnay, CA

Hand Cut Maltagliati ~ Pork Ragu, Scallion, Gruyere
We all commented on how fresh the pasta tasted, and that you could definitely appreciate that it's homemade. The sauce was a simple pork ragu which was very tasty and well seasoned.

Home Made Agnolotti ~ Wild Mushrooms, Mascarpone, Truffle Butter
This dish was my favorite. The little pasta packets were filled with mascarpone and wild mushroom puree. The pasta was meaty that you didn't even realize that there wasn't any meat in the dish. The truffle brown butter sauce was flavorful and rich, and really brought this dish together. This is the type of dish I could devour on my own, and would gladly run 5 miles/day so that I could order this.

Bucatini Carbonara ~ Slow Poached Egg, Pancetta, Parmesan
Another favorite. This dish is so much better than a regular carbonara. The bucatini was cooked al dente and topped with a runny yolk that coated every strand of pasta. The creamy, rich sauce and meaty pancetta made this a rich dish.

Basil Risotto ~ Escargot, Lemon, Tomato
Loved the colors of this dish. It reminded me of Christmas. The risotto was creamy but with a bite. It was well seasoned, and topped with an escargot ragu.

Seafood Course
Tablas Creek Cotes De Tablas Blanc, Paso Robles 2009

Bouchot Mussels ~ Pea, Tomato, Chorizo
Steamed mussels is a very classic French bistro dish and often can be overcooked. Thankfully, the mussels were plump and tender.

Seared Daurade Royale ~ Braised Endives, Orange, Raisins, Pine Nuts, Balsamic
I'm not much of a fish person but I can appreciate the simplicity of this dish. The endives were wilted and lost most of its bitterness. The savory dish was complimented with the sweet orange and raisins. After all the heavy pasta from the previous course, I appreciated the lightness of this dish.

Crispy Loup de Mer ~ Sunchokes Soubise, Wild Mushrooms, Crosnes, Salsifi, Bordelaise
They did a great job of cooking the fish, ensuring that the meat was flaky while the skin was crispy. The crosnes tasted like a cross between parsnip and sunchokes. My favorite part of the dish was the sunchoke soubise which was creamy and velvety.

Meat Course
Bailly-Lapierre Cremant Rose

Truffle Burger ~ Onion Fondue, Boschetto Cheese, Truffle Aioli
At this point, our whole table was extremely full. But when they brought out the truffle burger (which the chef had raved about) we had to take at least a bite. There was a unanimous vote for the burger. The beef patty was juicy and tender, but it was the accompaniments that really elevated the burger. When you throw in truffle cheese, truffle aioli and caramelized onions into a burger, you really can't go wrong.

Kurobuta Pork Belly ~ Farro, Black Forbidden Rice, Cremini, Baby Spinach
Even though I was full, I had to sample the pork belly to see if it was as good as the one I had at Petrossian. This was, in fact, very delicious. The pork belly had the right amount of fat to it and the meat was fork tender. The frisee topping added a crunch and freshness to the dish. I also liked the texture of the forbidden rice.

Dessert Course
Muscat De Beaumes De Venise
Four Vines Zinfandel Port

Pistachio Crème Brulée ~ Apricot Sorbet, Rosemary crumble

Chocolate Ganache Tart ~ Candied Pecans, almond crumble, Olive oil Ice Cream

Panetone Bread Pudding ~ Gianduja, candied hazelnuts, mascarpone gelato

Chocolate Coulant ~ Toffee, Peanut Butter Ice Cream

The desserts were all good, but I could only have a tiny bite of each. The panetone bread pudding was a crowd pleaser. We also liked the olive oil ice cream and the apricot sorbet. When Amy hinted to Chef Bailly that he should serve cinnamon ice cream for the holidays, he came back with just that. A scoop of cinnamon ice cream. Apparently there was some left over from a Thanksgiving dinner. The wine pairing of Muscat and Port was the perfect nightcap.

Fraiche is such a nice welcome (again) to the area. It's solid French comfort food that actually warms your stomach, is refined but at reasonable prices. After three hours of dining, we walked away extremely full, but very impressed with the meal. The pastas and tartare were my favorite but everything else was top notch as well. It's not just that the food was executed perfectly. It's not just that the food was delicious and left you wanting to doggie bag leftovers because you were already full. It's not just that even looking at the photos causes me to drool. It's because this is the type of meal that you just cannot forget. We were all tweeting about it all night and the following day. That's when you know that the meal, company and night was impressive and memorable.

Hits: pastas, potted jars, pork belly, burger, service, wine pairing
Misses: food coma
Rating: ***1/2

Fraiche Restaurant
9411 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 839-6800
http://www.fraicherestaurantla.com/fraiche/