ink

Los Angeles, CA

For one of our few trips into LA, we ventured to Top Chef Winner Michael Voltoggio's new, highly anticipated, restaurant, ink. They have a 15 minute policy on reservations, so we arrived early at 7:30 for our 7.45 reservations.

tequila serrano, lime, grapefruit, soda & triple maredsous, denée, belgium

The bar area was crowded but we found a couple seats to order our cocktails. The cocktail menu is very creative and unique. Chu-Toro ordered the tequila serrano, which like it's name, tastes like a spicy serrano chili. It was a good thing we liked our cocktails so much, because we sat at the bar for an hour. Thankfully the manager Whitney appreciated that we were patient and covered our first round of drinks. I also weaseled my way into requesting a signed menu. So despite my usual frustrations with wait times, especially when having reservations, Whitney made our wait bearable with her kind offering and acknowledgment. 

vodka lime, ginger, soda

When we were seated, Chu-Toro had another cocktail, a vodka lime with ginger and soda. Our server Adam was aware of our long wait was very expeditious with our orders and service throughout the evening. He also explained that the concept of the restaurant was still changing and it was the first night that the multiple course offering was recommended as opposed to sharing all dishes as they were available as it had previously been for the first month since opening.

kale, burrata, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin preserves, yuzu

We started with the kale salad which was excellent. My favorite part of salad were the pumpkin seeds which added great texture to the well balanced dish. A definite must order.

octopus and hiramasa, romaine hearts, fried caesar dressing  

There's something that turns me off to raw fish in modern restaurants because it never meets the quality that I have learned to expect from a sushi bar. The fried caesar dressing was the best part of the dish making an overall bite decent, but the hiramasa was a little fishy while the octopus was cut too thin. The presentation was nice, but I would pass on this dish next time.

butternut squash risotto, chicken wings, egg yolk, toasted wild rice, aromatic broth

The surprising best dish of the meal was butternut squash risotto which was unlike anything I've ever had before. It was creamy, sweet, savory, and delicious. I seriously considered ordering another. The deboned chicken wing was juicy and flavorful while the egg and butternut squash played off each other perfectly. This is the kind of stuff we saw on tv that made us want to eat chef Voltaggio's food.

spaghetti, giant squid, squash, hazelnut-ink pesto, piment d’espelette

The spaghetti was one of those inventive, creative, unique dishes that tasted good, but I was not overwhelmed with. I did like the hazelnut-ink pesto but didn't leave me craving more like the risotto. 

skate wing, red pepper dashi, shishito peppers, kelp pasta, fennel 

Chu-Toro's skate wing was another pallet challenging dish. She thought it was good, not great, but I actually really appreciated it. I'm not sure everything meshed together perfectly, but there was definitely great potential in this dish. The skate wing itself was extremely flavorful. The mixture of the other ingredients masked the excellence of the fish. The red pepper dash and shishito peppers were a struggle between spicy and bitter. The kelp pasta, although beautifully done in thick ribbons, was not needed and incorporated distracting flavors. But I love trying food that makes you think and this dish did just that.

veal cheek, red curry, nante carrots baked in salt, fried and sticky rice 

While the skate wing was unique the veal cheek was simply excellent execution. The veal cheeks were amazingly perfectly cooked, melt in your mouth tender. The red curry provided a noticeable thai element that mixed well into the carrots and veal. I was torn between this dish and the Berkshire pork, but Adam informed me that this was chef Voltaggio's favorite item on the menu. How can you go wrong with the chef's favorite?

apple, crème caramel, burnt wood sabayon, walnut

stumptown coffees costa rica torres

We shared the apple dessert per Adam's recommendation and it was delectable. Sweet delicious cream caramel atop a graham crust, yummy.

Quick pic with chef Voltaggio

We drank coffee and sat around for a half hour but Whitney didn't forget about us, and asked if we would like to meet the chef instead of getting a signed menu. We didn't want to bother him since he was still in full cooking mode, but figured we should take advantage of the offer. Although very busy, he was cordial and appreciative, we shook hands and he posed for a pic. There's still some kinks to be worked out from a service perspective, but chef Voltaggio's food is creative, challenging and surprisingly affordable. I think we'll check it out again in a few months when he rolls out the omakase menu. It's worth the effort to get a reservation to check out the very good food at ink.

Rating 7.5/10

October 26, 2011

Dean Sin World

Monterey Park, CA

Where as Din Tai Fung is probably the most well known dumpling house in the LA area,  Dean Sin World is one of those hole in the wall places with four tables and really cheap prices. 

Steamed pork dumpling 

Xiao Long Bao (steamed pork dumpling) is one of those items that is beloved when you find a place that makes them perfectly. They're not perfect at Dean Sin World, but they're pretty good and really cheap. They don't speak English or Cantonese here, so communicating may be difficult, but the owner always has a smile on her face.

Beef Noodle Soup

Pan Fried Bun

The shengjianbao (pan fried bun) combines a soft steam bun thats been pan fried on the bottom making it a nice textural contrast. Filled with a pork meat filling, its quickly becoming of my favorite things to order.

Beef Roll

We ordered beef roll because I'm in love with it ever since having them at 101 noodle express. This one wasn't as good as the one at 101, but it was still yummy. 

Dean Sin World is cheap, we got out of there for about 20 bucks, and filling. It's small and may be difficult for you to communicate, but it's a good time.
Rating 6.5/10
October 27, 2011

Pasadena Move - Part 2

We also had a couple other quick local dining experiences where we didn't take pics, but with the new phone, we will make sure that doesn't happen again. 

Luggage Room - The pizza place right downstairs of our building, the luggage room is an extension of Le Grand Orange restaurant. It has outdoor seating and allows dogs in the one corner table closest to our apartment. We went down for a Sunday lunch and shared a chopped salad (very good) and the fallen angel pizza (homemade sausage, shaved fennel, red bell peppers and red sauce). The crust is a sourdough crust which is unique because we've only had that one other time at Arizmendi's in Berkeley, which we later found out makes sense because the chef is from Berkeley. A convenient place for us to pop into and get a solid gourmet pizza. Rating 6.5/10

Shaddy Approved

Lucky Baldwins - A popular pub that is well known for its fish and chips. It came with two monstrous sized fish pieces atop a serving of fries. We also had bangers and mash which I found to be very tasty. An easy walk away from us with a large variety of beers and outdoor seating and Monday night football made it a good time. Rating 6.5/10

Shaddy Approved

101 Noodle express - Just south of Pasadena is the Alhambra/Monterey Park area otherwise known as Asian central where we have access to more Chinese food than we've ever had. It made us feel we were back in China. Good thing about it, the food is delicious and cheap. No exception at 101 Noodle express where I was introduced to something called a beef roll which is my new favorite appetizer. Its like a burrito/quesadilla concept, but with a Chinese fried pancake filled with tasty beef. Just awesome. We also had beef noodle soup and pork dumplings which were good. Rating 6.5/10 

Cafe Bravo - Although we didn't dine here, my cousin picked it up for a small family dinner in Burbank so I figured I'd mention it because the food was pretty tasty. I like Armenian food and especially ground beef kabobs which were a standout during this meal. Rating 6/10


Le Grand Orange - We had Sunday lunch with my sister (who also just moved to LA for law school) and dined downstairs from our apartment at LGO. People love this place on yelp so we figured we give it a try. For 1:30, the place was packed and we even had to wait for a table. The service was a little spotty since it was busy and the food, while solid was overpriced for what you get. We had the prime rib hash (small but decent) and the short rib tacos (good but not worth $20). We'd probably come back on Tuesdays when they have buy one entree, get the second entree for $7, but I doubt it'd be a regular stop for us. Rating 5.5/10


Tasty Kitchen - Chu-Toro thinks I'm such a FOB because this is my new favorite place. My mom raved about it last time they were in LA visiting my aunt, so we knew about it. Little did we know how awesome it is. We only came for tea time (3-5 PM), basically like a Hong Kong happy hour, but it was memorable. First off, you can get a dish and drink for like $6. It's not a smaller portion either, but a full plate of beef chow fun and bottomless drink (lemon tea or milk tea) for only $6 bucks. And it's good. We also had Lo mien with braised beef and wontons which is my father in law's favorite. I think he may visit us just to get that dish and endless warm milk tea. I'm sure this place will become a staple for us as our goto Chinese restaurant. Rating 7.5/10

Sushi Kimagure

As a sushi lover, my dream has been to live next to a good neighborhood sushi joint that Chu-Toro and I could enjoy on Friday nights to end a long week. For the past couple years, our choices in Davis were Zen Toro and Mikuni's, decent but nothing you would ever crave. Sushi Kimagure isn't exactly a neighborhood place since they only selectively accept walk ins  (if they're not too busy) but its a sushi lover's dream. High quality fish, reasonable omakase prices ($60 - $80 per person) in an intimate setting with great service. We did a bit of research before dining on a Tuesday evening, learning that Ike-san has a large following from Sushi Ike in Hollywood. He opened Kimagure just a month before we moved in and we're glad he did. We didn't take pictures our first round but here's the list of what we had.

Pasadena, CA

Butterbur, a rhubarb like plant, served as short thinly sliced sticks for the amuse bouche. An interesting lemongrass like texture.
Maguro and Blue Fin Toro nigiri - Both great quality, thick slices of fish which set the tone of the kind of sushi we were in for. Chu-Toro immediately commented on the rice, which she thought was perfect.
Red Snapper with Shiso leaf nigri - The red snapper was impeccable, one of the best bites of the night with the minty fresh shiso leaf. 
Halibut and Kanpachi nigiri were both good and satisfying.


Amaebi was the best I ever had. Period. I usually order the ame ebi for the fried heads, but the nigiri was crunchy, sweet and not really that gummy like it usually is. That's probably because the shrimp was killed right before our eyes, the head still moving after being removed. Ultimate freshness. 
As if the amaebi wasn't enough, the charcoal ebi head was equally amazing. It was the first time having the head charcoaled instead of fried and we became instant fans of the smoky and crunchiness goodness.


When i thought I couldn't have anything to top the ami ebi, Ika 's special salmon was up next. It was the best salmon I've ever had. It was quickly placed over the charcoal grill, then immediately served as a nigiri with special sauce. We were asked to eat it instantly and not let it sit for a second. It had the smoky charcoal flavor while it melted in our mouths. Literally melted. It was amaze-balls.


Our chawanmushi was good, served piping hot with small bits of fish, shrimp and chicken buried underneath the savory, light, eggy yumminess.
Hotate, Ikura and King crab were up next, like the halibut and kampachi, good and satisfying while the king crab was extremely sweet. 
The Wild Spanish Mackarel and Uni were standout nigiri being extremely fresh and flavorful. 
We received boiled eel nigiri next, which was quickly brushed with his house made sweet soy paste. Another unique preparation taking the eel up a notch.


We finally ended our meal with a cod egg hand roll, which was a little bitter with a unique grainy texture. Not my favorite, but an interesting thing to try.
Our dessert was a fruit plate (Watermelon, Apple, Pineapple) and red bean jello in which the fruit had been marinated making it sweeter and juicier. During our meal we noticed that not everyone gets the same dishes and the sashimi omakase looked amazing. So of course, we made plans to come the following week and continue to build our relationship with Ike and become regulars.


On our second visit, we brought Chu-Toro's new iPhone as our camera so that we weren't too much of a pain taking pictures at the sushi bar. We were seated in the best seats of the bar, right in front of Ike san to get the full on experience.

Tamago in yuzu and lemon zest

We started off with tamago in yuzu and lemon zest, a interesting variation to the classic tamago that we are used to finishing our sushi meals with. It was light and refreshing.

Kumamoto oysters

Next up were Chu-Toro's favorites, Kumamoto oysters which were amazing. The creaminess and sweetness of the oyster was a perfect combination reminding us why we started to became such oyster fans a few years ago when having our first Kumamoto sitting at a sushi bar.

Tuna, Snapper, Halibut marinated in kelp, Mackerel and Bonito

The sashimi plate is a beauty to behold, with large thick classic unaltered slices of tuna and bonito, while mixing in special bites of halibut marinate in kelp, snapper wrapped in kelp and thin slices of mackerel. We were also given a special garlic soy just for the bonito which took it to another level. The quality of each item on the plate was good, but the halibut really stood out to me, while Chu-Toro preferred the bonito, which has never happened.

Amaebi

We must have missed the amaebi show earlier in the evening, because we did not see the shrimp killed before our eyes. Although it was still an excellent bite, not as life changing as our first visit. I guess it really does make a difference eating it seconds after it's de-headed.

Amaebi charcoal head

The smoky, charcoal amaebi head was again very good, and Ike explained it was the preferred way in Japan to have this course.

Special Salmon

Another couple at the bar received their special salmon and as they did, Ike heard me raving to Chu-Toro how that was my favorite from the previous visit. So of course, when he began to prepare ours, I had my camera out to take the shot immediately. It was once again perfection. Unsurprisingly, another patron at the bar saw it and requested it too, but unfortunately as it was on its way to being served, the delicate fish fell apart. There was only one piece of salmon left in the back, but as Ike began to slice it, he was upset about the quality of fish and ended up throwing the entire chunk away. Chu-Toro almost shed a tear, but it gives you an example of how seriously fish is treated at Sushi Kimagure.

Ankimo

We shared a generous portion of ankimo which was surprisingly light and creamy without any heavy liver aftertaste. Even Chu-Toro liked it.

Geoduck

Kampachi

Uni

The geoduck was tender and sweet. The kanpanchi was an extremely generous cut and even better than the time before, melt in your mouth delicious. The creamy, ocean flavored uni was mild and smooth. Ike also cuts nigiri in half for the ladies so they don't have to stuff the sushi in their mouths. We've never had that before and Chu-Toro really liked it.

Hotate

Squid marinated in squid liver

In a small, clear, tea sized cup, we were served squid marinated in its own liver, a first for us. It was different, very creamy, a little bitter, filled with tender thin strands of squid.  

Tako

It seems like each time we dine here, we're destined for a new favorite, which we found in the charcoal tako. We saw it served to another couple and it looked delectable. When Ike was explaining the key to making it tender, the secret was to soak it in green tea, red beans and boiling the tako. When we received our large cut of tako consisting for ten thick pieces with charred octopus suction cups, it was the most tender, delicious octopus, either of us had ever tasted. Simply amazing.

Fruit with Pumpkin jello

Ike

After two memorable dinners at Sushi Kimagure, its easy for me to say that it's one of my go to favorites. I'm sure that we'll be dining here at least once to twice a month for as long as we're in Pasadena. In comparison to our other best sushi dinners of all time (Sushi Zo and Sushi Mori, both in LA), Kimagure is just a smidge below in terms of quality, but five times better in terms of value. I'm just glad I live nearby and will finally have a sushi restaurant where we'll be regular patrons. I'd recommend it for anyone who wants great food from a sushi master.

Overall 8.5/10 
October 18, 2011
October 28, 2011

Pasadena Move - Part 1

Although we haven't had a new Fatty Shaddy post in nearly six weeks, there hasn't been a lack of dining. It has just been a whirlwind month in which Fatty Shaddy has moved down to Pasadena in Southern California. Because of our chaoitc schedule, we really didn't get to complete our bucket list in Northern California before we left. But we did get to dine at Manresa the night before driving down to Pasadena, which wasn't as amaze-balls as it usually is, maybe because of the newly redesigned noisy dining room. But it's still Manresa and of course we had a couple awesome highlights.

The dining scene in Pasadena is completely different from what we're used to, mainly because we're two blocks from Old Town Pasadena and have been able to walk to most of our dining ventures. Unfortunately though, our point and shoot camera is broken and I didn't want to lug the DLSR for our first few days in the area. So for now, Fatty Shaddy is on a minor hiatus. But here's a rundown of the places we've been since moving and the highlights. We look forward to starting it back up full force soon.

Euro Pane Bakery - Almond Brioche (good but not as good as Baker and Baker in SF), Ham and cheese Quiche (good buttery crust) and a fresh squeezed OJ. We also went back for lunch the following weekend and had an egg salad sandwich on brioche and meatloaf sandwich on rosemary, current bread (both tasty).Rating 6.5/10

Shaddy Approved

Quadrupel Brasserie - Duck Confit Sandwich, Red onion & cranberry chutney on grilled sourdough (tasted like Thanksgiving, but cold shredded duck was just okay) and The Nordli Burger, Dry aged beef filled with fontina and parmesan cheese, topped with Grilled red onion, tomato, smoked gouda, and bbq sauce ( a small burger, but was very good). The fries also stood out, crisp, maybe cooked in duck fat and the iced tea was freshly brewed with a floral accent. Rating 6.5/10

Matsuri - 7 piece sushi lunch (Maguro,  Sake, Hamachi, Ebi, Spanish Mackerel and spicy tuna) Chirashi bowl (which had all of the above including ika, surf clam, Japanese tuna salad, eel, and seaweed). Both were affordable lunch specials and good quality fish for a neighborhood joint. The regular dinner prices and the a la carte items from the sushi bar seemed pretty high though ($16 for ame ebi). It's the preferred Sushi place on the Cal Tech side of town so I'm sure we'll be back. Rating 7/10

Choza Mama - We got this order to go and dined at my aunt's home just a few blocks away.We had the Loma and Pollo Saltado, Steak sautéed with onions tomatoes and french fries and the chicken version also. We also had an order of Seco de Carne, beed stewed in green cilantro sauce. When it says with french fries, that doesn't mean that its on the side, it means its stir fried with the rest of the ingredients. Basically, it was Peruvian stir fry that you eat with rice. An interesting first for us and a unique change of pace. Rating 6/10

Din Tai Fung - One of the most exciting reasons we couldn't wait to get to in So Cal was DTF in Arcadia. It's because the best dumplings we've ever had when we dined here in Beijing. The menu is slightly different than Beijing, but same concept overall. We ordered the pork and shrimp dumplings and an order of crab and pork ones. They were good, but not as good as in China. We also had a  beef noodle soup. It's a pricey experience and we'll probably end up searching for a good hole in the wall place that serves these at half the cost. But if you're taking out guests, this is the place to go. Rating 6.5/10

Vince's Deli - A local deli within walking distance, Vince's comes highly recommended as a value deli. We completely agreed with this assessment as we were able to get two "regular" sized sandwiches (one pastrami, one turkey, roast beef, avocado) both on french rolls, and a medium fountain drink for $13, about the same as a trip to Subway. The soft, fresh bread, and fresh veggies and pastrami were far superior to any visit to a chain sandwich shop and we really enjoyed it. My pastrami sandwich was a bit more loaded than Chu-Toro's, but both were great. If you're looking for sandwiches in Pasadena, definitely a place you should check out. Rating 7/10

Shaddy Approved

Mulvaney's B&L

Sacramento, CA

For our 3rd anniversary on a Tuesday evening, we decided to stay close to home and try Mulvaney's, a popular fine dining restaurant in Midtown. When we received our menus, "Happy Anniversary" was printed at the top, a nice personalized touch.

Potato Skin Amuse Bouche

We started with an amuse bouche of a fancy looking potato skin which I was super stoked about since I love them. Unfortunately, this one was cold and hard and unappetizing. 

Marinated Trombocino Squash "Linguine" - Chili Marinated Prawns, Cherry Tomatoes, Basil

Chu-Toro's ordered the squash "linguine" as her appetizer, which was like a papaya salad. It was the most flavorful dish of the night, bringing together a spicy combination of prawns, squash, tomatoes and basil with the crunchy textures of the squash making it a memorable dish.

Heirloom Tomatoes with Hand Pulled Mozzarella, Corto Olive Oil, Maldon Salt

Our other appetizer was homemade hand pulled mozzarella with fresh heirloom tomatoes sources locally from the area. Everything on the plate was extremely fresh and tasty.

Seared Sonoma Foie Gras with Roasted Mushrooms, Farout Ranch Frisee, Red Wine Vinagrette

My next course was recommended by our server, the seared Sonoma foie gras with roasted mushrooms. Although it was a small portion of the foie, it was well cooked and delicious. The roasted mushrooms added a strong earthy flavor and although they didn't seem to incorporate that well, they were tasty nonetheless.  

Hand Cut Fettuccini al Olio with Braised Chicken, Garlic, B&L Bacon, Fiscalini Cheddar

Chu-Toro had the hand cut fettuccini with braised chicken which I found to be the most bland dish of the meal. Chu-Toro didn't seem to mind it and the large serving ended up leftovers the next day. 

28 Day Dry Aged Niman Rib Eye with Tuscan Salsa Verde, Uncle Bob's Potatoes

We shared the rib eye which was well cooked, but not a premium cut of meat, so it ended up not being anything special.

Valrhona Ding Dong, Devil’s Food Cake, Mousse, Ganache 

For dessert, we shared their popular Valrhona Ding Dong, which is exactly what its name describes, except kicked up a notch with premium ingredients. Overall, the meal was good, not great. We enjoyed the meal at Ella better the week before, but glad we tried out Mulvaney's to compare some of the best places that Sacramento has to offer (which isn't much). But the entire staff very kind and they must have wished us a happy anniversary at least a half a dozen times which is a credit to their excellent service. 

Rating 7/10

August 30th, 2011

Gott's Roadside

Napa, CA

For a quick and easy lunch in Napa, Gott's Roadside (what will always be known Taylor's to us) is a convenient choice. Albeit a bit on the pricey side, there are a wide variety of burger options and outdoor seating for Shadow.

Spicy Tomato Soup and Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Chu-Toro opted for the spicy tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. A simple but classic combo. The tomato soup was creamy with a little kick. The grilled cheese was perfectly toasted and crunchy and Chu-Toro and Shadow both enjoyed it.

Sweet Potato Fries

Western Bacon Blue Ring Burger

I ordered the bacon blue ring burger which had a strong blue cheese flavor combined with a thin burger patty, onion ring atop a toasted egg bun. A tasty Californian style burger from a Napa area classic. A good choice for an outdoor dining joint that's extremely dog friendly.  


Rating 7/10
August 28, 2011

Shaddy Approved