tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-254423522012-01-23T10:37:39.341-08:00mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.comBlogger2621100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-10369519320651488362012-01-04T02:18:00.000-08:002012-01-09T14:45:14.348-08:00

The first time I hit Genwa, I talked about the remarkable selection of banchan that they feature, along with the great ambiance.  After another visit there last week, I can say unequivocally that it's one of the best Korean barbecue restaurants in Los Angeles, which would then make it one of the best Korean restaurants in the world, period. If you want to talk about the Korean barbecue game,

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-77072997095297090472011-11-30T15:48:00.001-08:002011-12-01T13:16:01.620-08:00

It's been hard to keep this food blog going for the past year, but I've tried my best to keep you readers apprised of the delicious things I've been eating. Admittedly, getting out and eating the latest and greatest has been more difficult after running a food business, but I've still had some great meals. First of all, I wanted to take this time to reflect on the past 364 days. After one year

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-84216796103270856702011-11-02T16:28:00.000-07:002011-11-02T16:28:52.710-07:00

If Koreans have learned one thing about cold weather, it's that nothing warms you up better than food. A huge part of Korean cuisine is comprised soups and stews that warm the soul. Probably the best part of Korea that we rarely see in the U.S. is the wonderful variety of street food (as might be true of all of Asia's street food culture). I remember growing up our family would drive across

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-39953960797674808122011-11-01T13:14:00.000-07:002012-01-04T02:06:40.920-08:00

The Korean beef barbeque format is as trite as burgers at a gastropub. Back in the day, the cool kids used to hang at Soot Bul Jeep (where I've never been), driven by its Zagat guide entry and the legendary smoke-stack of a space along a dingy cooridor along 8th Street. Soju bottles would run amok, sided by their taller brethren of Hite and OB beer. My family used to reside at either the James

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-77344436748546003702011-10-24T14:25:00.000-07:002011-10-24T14:31:54.932-07:00

I was sitting outside with my friend on a hot day late last spring, the sun beating down on this formerly anonymous strip mall in Palms, wondering if we could sit inside the newly formed eatery that was built out of an ethnic market of sorts. We were rebuffed and chose to walk away rather than wait for the place to open. We were admittedly early. They weren't ready to open, but the afternoon

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-68707840413418773392011-10-04T16:10:00.000-07:002011-10-06T18:19:14.666-07:00

It seems that every time I go to New York I end up meeting randomly with my friend Rose, with the last occasion at the famous Spotted Pig in West Village (love the burger and gnudi!). During our meal, Rose was going into detail about how she's been cooking a lot and pondering a career in the food business. I spent most of the time convincing her how difficult it was going to be. I should have

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-4848864679911516832011-09-21T17:08:00.000-07:002011-09-22T02:36:01.527-07:00

Back in the day (as they say), I used to come to Mu Dung San for the easiest all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue in the city. The rather barbaric, almost primal methodology of grilling a countless amount of meat was instrumental in helping me achieve some of my highest weights ever. College made it easy to justify the incredible consumption, plus the cheap prices. The space has been revamped

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-7177624985629743322011-08-22T16:16:00.000-07:002011-08-23T18:24:44.762-07:00

A restaurant space often takes form in the unlikeliest of places. I remember first dining at Osteria La Buca when it was a tiny nook, no bigger than 20 seats, dark as night with translucent windows that looked out to the urban rush of Melrose Avenue. Now the space is completely transformed and modern, ready for the next decade and century, with plenty of exposed brick, a nice bar in the middle

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-2602355886279528302011-08-01T17:33:00.000-07:002011-08-01T17:45:02.925-07:00

There's a ton of great coffee places in L.A., but the place I frequent more than any other is Cognoscenti Coffee at Proof Bakery in Atwater Village. It helps that I'm friends with Yeekai, who's often there pulling shots and brewing pourover coffees to order. Yeekai was formerly an architect (who still has his own private design firm, miL Studios) that just loves coffee as a beverage. He's

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-16004267997402491022011-07-28T17:25:00.000-07:002011-07-29T15:27:03.577-07:00

Jonathan Gold writes this week about Palsaik Samgyeopsal, a place that extols the healthful virtues of pork belly, of which I am certain there are close to none except for the psychological (those who love to consume the stuff are inexorably more delightful and pleased with life as a result). Gold makes such a point at the end of his excellent post. He also points out the greater movement of pork

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-60611112262263846302011-07-27T16:26:00.001-07:002011-07-27T17:48:06.044-07:00

A few years ago I was contemplating working in a restaurant, thinking about the front of house or back of house, when I got a rather glaring look into what culinary school really means for the restaurant world. For most people in the industry (and as portrayed in the article), culinary school isn't very important. In fact, most great cooks and chefs don't even go to culinary school. I never

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-89579915004352681572011-07-13T21:01:00.000-07:002011-07-13T21:20:45.137-07:00

Nice piece by Linda Burum in the Los Angeles Times Food Section for Jun Won. Linda goes through most of the dishes, some of which I've gotten to try during subsequent trips since my first visit. Jun Won is truly a special restaurant, with a commitment to quality ingredients in a Koreatown restaurant landscape of BBQ joints. If you have a small gang, get the bossam with oysters and any one of the

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-27956325693230819772011-07-07T00:48:00.000-07:002011-07-07T01:39:01.784-07:00

I generally don’t care about any sort of stinky ethnic food that might show up at Scoops Westside. I remember my dad telling me early on that it’s not nice to have that kind of atmosphere at an ice cream shop. I stopped caring about, oh maybe week two, when my friends realized Chego (with all of its olfactory-busting aroma), was a block up Overland Avenue. One of the more interesting meals that

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-53899817198908491812011-06-25T10:41:00.001-07:002011-06-30T16:23:19.748-07:00

Photo thanks to Zach BrooksThere are just some days when you want to duck into a bowl or plate of something familiar, something that you hope will restore your faith in the world, or perhaps give you the energy to get through the day. Or perhaps get over one of the longest, most tiring, and most exciting days you've had in the whole year, despite the odd pangs of food poisoning that might be

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-90331389274661631352011-06-22T14:14:00.001-07:002011-06-22T14:21:00.296-07:00

It's always a curious reaction when I tell people that Koreans like to eat a super-hot bowl of samgyetang, ginseng chicken soup, on the hottest day of the year, usually some time around June. They also like to eat naeng myun, cold noodles in a beef broth or tossed in a spicy-sweet sauce, on the coldest days of winter. O Jang Dong is the rebirth of a restaurant of the same name that used to occupy

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-50938791214693120702011-05-23T12:11:00.000-07:002011-05-27T15:38:28.986-07:00

I was nearing the end of one of the busiest weeks in Scoops Westside's short six-month history and Josh was savoring the end of one chapter in his professional career while looking forward to the next. The world was supposed to end at midnight. It took a late-night dinner at Keungama, one of the old-school joints in Koreatown that's neither flashy nor refurbished for the modern era. Instead it's

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-13569721856977442592011-05-02T17:50:00.000-07:002011-05-02T19:00:52.582-07:00

Korean barbeque runs in my veins, if you could possibly strap an IV to smokey, meaty goodness. The great thing about Koreatown is the endless variety of DIY tabletop barbeque, ranging from the uber high-end to the super ghetto. We have the incredible luxury here in the United States to be able to eat beef and pork in near limitless quantity, through the All-You-Can-Eat barbeque that was

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-4995753735253469332011-04-28T13:06:00.000-07:002011-04-28T13:38:55.357-07:00

I haven't had much time to blog, or maybe I'm just content with letting this website just fade away into the sunset. I guess I could sort of share some of the delicious things I've had despite being locked down at the shop for most of the day. Korean BBQ at GenwaThe banchan selection is just astounding. Something like 25-some banchan on any given day, and they're more than happy to refill them

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-18776941171632392872011-04-13T12:19:00.000-07:002011-04-13T12:25:12.036-07:00

There's a great silent auction going on for the upcoming Magnum Pop-up at Royal/T this coming weekend. Check out the items here on Magnum's website. I'm doing one of the auction items, a special private ice cream tasting at Scoops Westside. The proceeds of the silent auction will go toward a sake brewer whose facility was devastated by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami. You can read about the

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-7176759002874771812011-02-04T21:03:00.000-08:002011-02-08T20:06:37.549-08:00

I'm not usually one to get to a place early on and try to write about it - generally restaurants take a little while to get into the rhythm of things, perhaps a few weeks, maybe a month or so, before the kitchen and service staff are syncing well. I just couldn't help sneaking over to Lukshon (pronounced luck-shawn), which is Sang Yoon's new pan-Asian concept right next to his Culver City

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-70210948974392683932011-02-01T13:15:00.000-08:002011-02-01T13:59:04.127-08:00

Early morning at Pal Cabron in KoreatownI don't think David was too fond of me after I said I was going to bring ice cream to the last Magnum pop-up at Biergarten, and I didn't. I was afraid that the only flavors I had left - coffees and chocolates wouldn't pair well with any wines. That kind of underestimation is the kind that can get you in trouble with David, as he's known to pair anything and

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-1065132753126722132011-01-29T17:54:00.000-08:002011-01-29T18:58:27.960-08:00

Is there a more butchered (sorry for the bad, early pun) taco ingredient than the humble carnitas? Seen across all Chipotle burrito menus and dingy faux Mexican joints across the Southland, carnitas is so incredibly misrepresented that I’ve honestly never thought to seek out some of the best stuff that might be hiding right in my neighborhood (or in this case, city).It had been a while since good

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-83863663263225743462011-01-20T14:34:00.000-08:002011-01-20T14:50:43.550-08:00

Get your Gold (Jonathan) on at the Third Annual Gold Standard event this year on Sunday, March 6th. Ever get overwhelmed with these "roving food events" as I like to call them? Well I would say that most of them are completely overblown and useless - most of the time you end up with about 5 of the same dishes but slightly redone by a whole bunch of name-brand chefs who aren't always at their

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-42392676107832888702010-12-14T17:16:00.000-08:002010-12-23T15:20:00.414-08:00

"It never ends!..." Tai Kim always gives me that wonderful valediction after I pick up the ice cream every morning from Scoops on Heliotrope. The creator of all Scoops ice cream knows the daily routine of making dozens of gallons of ice cream, with a continually changing selection of flavors that spans hundreds of combinations. His final words also remind me that the grind of working in the food

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-56247545923305757192010-12-10T00:33:00.000-08:002010-12-10T00:33:00.432-08:00

A question I'm rarely able to answer is where I get my sushi fix. It seems that every normal foodie has their favorite spot, whether it's neighborhood hole-in-the-wall or the otherworldly temple of fresh fish that garners the adoration of aficionados. I have neither place, mostly because I'm dissatisfied by how far my money takes me in the world of sushi. It's not that I don't love sushi - I

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-39030122760706547792010-12-03T19:21:00.000-08:002010-12-03T19:28:47.483-08:00

I've had a little bit of time to reflect over the past few months, while my shop has been in construction, thinking about the reason why I decided to leave my job as a commercial bank analyst to a full-time proprietor of a small ice cream shop in West Los Angeles. The move was by no means immediate - it was a confluence of factors that occurred in my life and around. All I know is that I'm in

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-63265873092858239772010-11-15T12:17:00.001-08:002010-11-15T13:15:58.372-08:00

I wouldn't be the pizza acolyte that I am today without the guidance of my friend Josh Lurie. He's led me to places like New Haven's Sally's Apizza and Frank Pepe and Phoenix's Pizzeria Bianco. We have lengthy discussions about what makes a good pizza and whatever I do, I can't seem to top his incredible knowledge and passion pizza.Up until a very good pizza meal we had in Albuquerque a few

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-64385475001682447462010-11-08T18:13:00.000-08:002010-11-08T18:27:05.386-08:00

Beer and Wine Menu at Intelligentsia PasadenaIn an attempt to make the best use of all of its culinary resources, as well as feature a visionary coffee farmer, Intelligentsia Pasadena is putting together a coffee and wine pairing dinner on Friday, November 19th. The 8-course dinner will be hosted by Camilo Merizaldo, the owner of Santuario Farm in Columbia. His coffees have "consistently

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-69212648564045164492010-11-07T21:43:00.000-08:002010-11-07T22:23:48.242-08:00

It's no secret that Canele is one of, if not my favorite, restaurants in L.A. Although a visit I made for dinner a few months ago was perhaps less than stellar, a fact mostly attributable to the pasta alio e olio that was a holdover from the previous osteria, I still consider Canele's brunch my favorite in the city. I've taken some foodie friends there over the years but now that I have church in

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-3838865767290640572010-10-20T00:02:00.000-07:002010-10-20T00:19:03.100-07:00

If you haven't been over to Huntington Park for some awesome cemitas and clayudas, have no fear. You won't have to make the long drive to the middle of nowhere for much longer. Pal Cabron, the brainchild of Bricia and Fernando Lopez, is opening in the former Guelaguetza location on 8th Street and Normandie. The change seemed logical - Pal Cabron is a much more approachable concept for people

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-35354728316361604042010-10-13T10:58:00.001-07:002010-10-13T11:10:40.333-07:00

Although new and compelling ramen joints seem to hit Midtown Manhattan with frequency, L.A.'s ramen places only live on the fringes. Think of places down in South Bay or San Gabriel Valley, such as Mottanai or Foo Foo Tei. Of course there's Daikokuya (highly overrated in my opinion) and Chin Ma Ya (which I prefer) in Downtown, but neither is what I consider to be in the "great" category.

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-48961375858359381922010-10-01T14:24:00.000-07:002010-10-08T19:56:53.190-07:00

If you're trying to beat the heat this weekend, check out the L.A. Beer Float Showdown II at Verdugo Bar on Sunday afternoon. Last year, Golden State and Scoops combined to take the win. This year, expect to see the likes of Boneyard Bistro, Ladyface Alehouse, Simmzy's, and Tony's Darts Away, a great spectrum of beer bars from all over Los Angeles (and greater L.A.). Each team is going to make

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-30829194349854954752010-09-30T11:08:00.000-07:002010-10-01T11:38:26.887-07:00

My experience with Jamaican food is admittedly limited, my first serious encounter with the food coming from a recent lunch with Josh Lurie at Natraliart on Washington Blvd after a writing stint at Paper or Plastik. We ordered a chicken stew and jerk chicken in the dining room (if you can call it that) that resembled something straight out of a shanty house in the outskirts of Kingston. I don't

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-20277221319210704412010-09-28T10:59:00.000-07:002010-09-28T12:07:37.985-07:00

Fresh ice cream from ScoopsYou might have noticed in the past few posts that my photography is looking squarer and more vintage-like. I only wish that these photos were really film, such as 120 or even 35mm from a toy camera such as the Holga or Diana. Instead they were taken with the very popular iPhone app, Hipstamatic, which is essentially a simple program that automatically resizes photos

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-17431184696488030762010-09-27T00:09:00.000-07:002010-09-27T01:08:13.205-07:00

I'd like to think that I can appreciate any kind of cuisine, however bizarre or foreign it might seem to me. I like to think of myself as an enlightened gourmet who seeks the pleasure of good food from any culture or source. I also know that I'm a hypocrite because I didn't always feel this way.I admit that my knowledge of Filipino cuisine was once myopic, not necessarily because good examples

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-90231273213083452312010-09-25T02:31:00.000-07:002010-09-25T03:11:12.981-07:00

I remember growing in up Glendale I'd swing by this small burger joint called The Great White Hut, nestled on a corner along Orange and California street, a stone's throw from the busy thoroughfare of Brand Boulevard. It was a joy to sit perched on one of the stools, ordering directly from one of the cooks. The problem was that the food was often ordinary, as if the current operator hadn't

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-79462410427076007462010-09-08T16:06:00.001-07:002010-09-08T16:57:00.337-07:00

Good coffee is finally becoming city-wide reality, with places like Intelligentsia Venice and Pasadena marking the western and eastern boundaries. In between you can find places such as Cognoscenti in Eagle Rock, Café De Leche in Highland Park, Cafecito Organico in Silver Lake, Intelligentsia Silver Lake, La Mill in Silver Lake, Spring for Coffee in Downtown, Commissary in West Hollywood and

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-32014934033020648152010-09-01T16:46:00.001-07:002010-09-01T16:51:10.851-07:00

Look forward to my exploits in the new coffee wave in Los Angeles.A great example here with a cappuccino made by Tony (twitter.com/tonx or tonx.org) at the new Paper or Plastik Cafe on Pico Blvd just east of Fairfax. Mid-city needed a coffee place like this.

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-19087606838293757202010-08-16T11:02:00.000-07:002010-08-16T11:17:28.900-07:00

I adopted coffee drinking near the age of 12, after figuring out that it doesn't really stunt one's growth. I came to that conclusion after asking my dad when he first started drinking coffee. He started drinking coffee every day at 8 years old, a product of their family's growing and roasting the wonderful bean in Brazil. I should mention that he's six feet two, very tall for an Asian man in

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-4931136758101513422010-08-13T13:44:00.000-07:002010-08-13T13:49:46.134-07:00

I guess now that I'm in the ice cream business, it makes sense to highlight what's going on in that world. To celebrate the nationwide launch of the Poketo for Target accessories collection, Poketo is throwing a bicoastal ice cream meetup in Los Angeles and New York on August 14th, with additional gatherings in cities across the US. Meet the founders, Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung; connect with a

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-35984796152636709282010-08-06T17:07:00.000-07:002010-08-07T05:24:17.463-07:00

I'll have to be brief, but here's a snap I took of two lucky people trying Intelligentsia Pasadena for the first time. It's already one of my favorite places in the city, if only because it shines so much brighter than anything along Colorado Blvd. in Old Pasadena. I'm looking forward to their incredible, market-fresh and local ingredient-based menu from Matthew Poley of Heirloom LA. I'm also

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-55634314642952745142010-08-06T10:37:00.000-07:002010-08-06T10:54:33.764-07:00

The trail to Santa Fe travels north from Albuquerque up into the mountains. I’m still baffled as to why the Spaniards chose to inhabit these hills 400 years ago, but one might credit the stunning natural beauty surrounding the area, from the pine-filled forests to the wandering, majestic clouds that you could almost pick like soft-peak egg whites. As someone who thinks photographically, I tend

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-87903859263450309022010-07-23T14:24:00.000-07:002010-07-23T14:55:24.100-07:00

photo by Joshua LurieIf you haven't had Ricky's Fish Tacos, you're missing out on some of the best fish tacos this side of the border. Of the many places that I've had in L.A. it is hands down the best, probably the closest thing to Ensenada I've tasted. If it doesn't convince you enough, consider that the Taco Task Force declared Ricky's the Best Fish Taco in the city. What was previously a

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-5929135385000309282010-07-18T14:16:00.000-07:002010-07-18T14:46:54.439-07:00

Someone once said the two great American inventions were jazz music and barbecue. While I happen to be a huge fan of jazz, I can't say that I'm as diehard a fan for barbecue. The only reason I'm not as much of a fan of barbecue is because I haven't had the ability to try some of the best examples of American barbecue in its natural state: the briskets of Texas, the vinegar-based pulled pork of

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-90350346888745842672010-07-16T00:55:00.001-07:002010-07-19T13:03:16.051-07:00

There's nothing quite like Los Angeles' Union Station, a tribute to the great train stations of the Midwest and East, but tailor made for our city's sensibilities and architecture. The main waiting room might be one of the most breathtaking places in the city, the din of the voices and clicking of heels imparting the ideal soundtrack for a stroll down the long hall, the auburn light of the

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-896232698653342812010-07-14T01:01:00.000-07:002010-07-16T00:43:23.450-07:00

My friend and food buddy Joshua Lurie is hosting a special FoodGPS walking tour down Beverly Blvd, which holds some of the best eats in the L.A. area. Knowing Josh, I am certain that you will get some great, unique dishes and foods that you wouldn't otherwise be able to experience if you were on your own. On Sunday afternoon, July 25th, you can experience dishes from Eva, BLD, Milk, and Golden

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-85541700049929808852010-07-14T00:51:00.000-07:002010-07-14T10:30:41.224-07:00

It's been terrific watching the World Cup during this summer, where instead of trying to peek at the score through my desktop screen at work, I'm able to record the games on DVR and watch them shortly after I wake up. And to me, the World Cup means rooting for Brazil. Brazil, you might say? My love affair with Brazilian football started in the summer of 1994, when my greater family descended

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-60302047000235771192010-07-02T14:28:00.000-07:002010-07-06T12:22:24.789-07:00

Rivera's Indian Butter with Tortilla at Taste of the Nation LA.I get invited to a good number of what I call "roving food events," many of which benefit a charity or particular organization. I twice went to Project by Project's Plate by Plate event held at the California Science Center during the heat of summer, but I found it a bit uninspiring. Two years ago there were many chefs in attendance

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-51506972037924365102010-06-27T21:23:00.001-07:002010-06-27T21:51:50.948-07:00

The first time I ever took an airplane, I was 9 months old. Yeah, I was probably one of those babies that everyone hates because he's crying on takeoff and landing. But other than those moments, my parents tell me I was a rather easy-going baby. My family flew over to Boston where my father was doing business. My mother and I got to tour the Boston area - the Tea Party boat and (obligatory

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-69890915639564123272010-06-10T01:01:00.001-07:002010-06-14T01:34:44.043-07:00

I want to invite all my readers (all 3 of you) to VOTE on which flavors of ice cream you'd like to have for Eat My Blog, the bi-annual fundraiser that Cathy Danh of GastronomyBlog and Diana Hossfeld of Diana Takes a Bite put together to support the L.A. Regional Food Bank. I really didn't feel like sitting around and making 4 batches (and failing with two of them) of Mozza's butterscotch budino

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-28556185889239872262010-06-07T17:32:00.000-07:002010-06-07T17:50:34.008-07:00

Next Monday night at Guelaguetza Restaurant on Olympic (the big one, near Normandie), expect to see a battalion of foodies, bloggers, writers and friends of Bill Esparza, the nonpareil gastronome and expert of all things Mexico, on Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. The show broadcasts at 7PM, but we'll be getting together at 6PM for a slew of Mexican-inflected cocktails and Oaxacan bites.

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-73931487054077184342010-05-27T13:29:00.000-07:002010-05-27T14:41:21.779-07:00

There's no shortage of backlash against the ubiquitous food truck in Los Angeles these days. Kogi BBQ, the truck that launched a thousand others, wasn't so much an innovator as it was a poster boy, mostly because it successfully incorporated Twitter as the perfect social media companion for such concepts. However, there's also a huge following and demand for food trucks and street food in

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-37483567983551563652010-05-22T20:46:00.000-07:002010-05-23T21:53:10.313-07:00

In the halcyon days of the mid-eighties, I grew up in the ivy-clad streets of Cerritos, with its concrete walls shielding children like myself from the long boulevards that intersect the suburban bedroom community. Dining in this area wasn't spectacular, the few dingy strip malls leftover from lame attempts to develop the area providing the only respite from chain restaurants. Orange County is

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-63067795898409194092010-05-17T22:17:00.000-07:002010-05-17T23:45:04.118-07:00

Of many things that I like to cover on this blog, the area that I most neglect is probably Korean restaurants. It's a shame because I think I could probably cover the Korean restaurant scene quite well. The problem is that I tend to stick to the places that I grew up with and go there with frequency rather than seek out new restaurants. There are a slew of compelling new Korean restaurants

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-74029434972731773052010-05-13T16:48:00.000-07:002010-05-15T02:29:19.352-07:00

"You have to come try my restaurant!" said the incomparable Bricia Lopez, the heiress of the the Guelaguetza restaurant empire and co-manager of Cemitas y Clayudas Pal Cabron along with her super-fly brother Fernando (or is it Lernando?). Over the past few months, I've had the pleasure of hanging out with this wonderful sister-brother duo that loves to live life to the fullest extent. I'd heard

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-34842722339256311822010-05-12T11:48:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:07:50.981-07:00

The stark streets on the edge of northern Koreatown and the eastern fringe of Hollywood are no place for a discerning bon vivant to wander in the middle of evening. Only the errant glow of a yellow neon rising above the western part of Western gives a hint toward something secret. And yet it's the worst kept secret in this part of town.I've been to La Descarga enough times that the door man,

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-57142705987587899902010-05-10T15:52:00.000-07:002010-05-10T21:13:59.599-07:00

To celebrate Natural Wine Week in Los Angeles, a number of restaurants, wine shop, importers, and wine bars are featuring natural wines. I'm at Silver Lake Wine right now drinking a nice bottle of Pfneiszl Kekfrankos Wine, a Hungarian wine that's just superb sipping in the afternoon. Silver Lake Wine is featuring natural wines this during with their tastings, starting with Blue Monday tonight

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-89566114993417948482010-04-29T20:46:00.000-07:002010-04-29T20:57:21.956-07:00

I recently discovered last week that I have a passion for playing darts. I was hanging out at The Black Boar in Eagle Rock when I came upon a chance to take on a fellow who was quite good at darts. Well, I nearly beat him, but I realized that I could still hang with a very good darts player. It just so happens that a very good beer bar by the name of Tony's Darts Away opened recently in

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-21643715481812263762010-04-25T22:01:00.000-07:002010-04-26T12:42:29.521-07:00

The following is a review by my good friend and fellow food writer, Joshua Lurie, who writes for Feast NBC Los Angeles and founded his nearly encyclopedic blog, FoodGPS.by Joshua LurieDining at LudoBites has become imperative among a certain set of L.A. food cognoscenti. Racking up reservations in order to document the meals via tweets, photos and words has become increasingly fashionable. Many

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-23227129736783589792010-04-18T02:02:00.000-07:002010-04-19T10:39:06.393-07:00

People might wonder where all my photos have gone. It just happens that right now I don't have a camera that I like to use on a regular basis. Since I gave away my previous SLR, I haven't replaced it. I have a Nikon D5000 in my sight as a replacement, mostly because the body is very small. I know it will go nicely with a 35mm F1.8 lens. But really, why have I given up food photography? I

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-86689655263353358312010-04-17T12:02:00.000-07:002010-04-17T12:17:12.456-07:00

I’ve had the pleasure of driving down to the South Bay to experience some of the best Japanese cuisine this city has to offer. There are wonderful late-night izakayas such as Otafuku and Bincho that do wonders to the gastronome looking for an authentic experience. There are great soba noodles at Ichimiann, delicious ramen (on good days) at Asa and Chin-Ma-Ya, and splendid okonomiyaki at

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-63416741804462626902010-04-08T02:28:00.000-07:002010-04-10T02:36:37.297-07:00

To be honest, I never really considered the merits of a good palate, or what it takes to have one. I figured that I knew what I tasted and that more often than others, I could distinguish flavors pretty well. The more I've been spending time with restaurant professionals and avid gastronomes, the more I hear how a good palate makes all the difference.Of course I knew that certain people were

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-78634901684525285312010-03-28T15:22:00.000-07:002010-08-12T14:57:55.162-07:00

When I finally had the chance to come to the East Coast after a 6 year hiatus, I jumped on the opportunity to tour some fabled (and some celebrated new) pizza establishments. I happen to love pizza more than any other food in the world, with the slight exception of some Korean dishes (grew up with them, so they don’t count). I grew to love good pizza when I ventured to places like Joe’s in

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-77545869297097875052010-03-27T00:35:00.000-07:002010-03-27T01:10:55.167-07:00

Since leaving his post in Pasadena at Vertical Wine Bistro, David Haskell has been working toward his next project, an Italian wine bar concept that Joshua Lurie covered recently in Feast. In the meantime, Haskell is busy reaching out to the greater food and wine public with pop-up gigs here and there. The first one lined up is a burger and wine pairing at the new Umami Burger, which is opening

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-24163153543456837622010-03-26T05:54:00.000-07:002010-03-27T01:37:36.028-07:00

It seems that nearly every Asian person has told me that David Chang’s cuisine, which is displayed in a triad of restaurants in East Village (the Milk Bar is desserts, and adjacent to Ssam Bar), falls short of expectations. And close to every non-Asian that has been there has liked the food. I’ve only read about David Chang and his Japanese-Korean inflected food in numerous accolades from James

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-4296051201000986462010-03-18T02:02:00.000-07:002010-03-18T02:19:41.082-07:00

In what might be the most anticipated opening, or re-opening of 2010, Quinn and Karen Hatfield took over the former Citrus space on Melrose Avenue, repainting the wretchedly red façade (that was once Red Pearl Kitchen), and instilling an air of elegance to the expansive room. Josh and I were invited to the restaurant and chose to dine on their tasting menu with a full wine pairing from Peter

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-32397404201396973262010-03-08T11:01:00.000-08:002010-03-08T11:45:04.799-08:00

Among the places I've visited in my travels, I've had the privilege of visiting Nagoya, Japan a number of times. The reason is because my church has a partnership with a ministry there that does a lot of good work. Last November I spent the longest period there, about 3.5 weeks, mostly confined to a small apartment in the which is as bustling as any major Japanese city. As a culinary

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-65315618011602247532010-02-22T16:54:00.000-08:002010-02-23T02:33:58.629-08:00

I spend the better part of the Monday mornings and the early afternoons glued to my computer, reading my way through various emails, blog entries of my friends, and summaries of the weekend's NBA games. I generally disregard any pangs of hunger until the sun starts to wane, after I've rummaged through my DVR to catch up on shows, and just enjoy the fact that I won't be having such freedom after

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-27176674227196768022010-02-20T10:32:00.000-08:002010-02-20T13:47:59.331-08:00

Another week immersed in the restaurant world, sipping gorgeous wines, noshing on excellently-prepared cuisine, taking in a suave cigar room in L.A.'s most popular speakeasy, relaxing with a glass of cognac at 4 in the morning after a glorious evening with similarly-minded people. Guess what, I'm only 25 years old, probably 15 to 20 years too young for this kind of behavior. But what tips me

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-24380246739395417282010-02-16T23:18:00.000-08:002010-02-17T00:19:33.992-08:00

I remember visiting the Raymond Restaurant, a hidden cottage along Fair Oaks Ave that used to be the caretaker's house for the Raymond Hotel, a grand old-world institution that once burned down, was rebuilt, and then met its end with the Great Depression. The cottage that remains resembles a quaint Arts and Crafts home with dark wood accents, period appointments, and a homey feel. Back when I

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-26091642009434502032010-02-12T11:42:00.000-08:002010-02-12T16:45:17.592-08:00

Food trucks. They've exploded. It seems that you can't drive two blocks before running into one strategically parked next to an office park or retail strip. Well if ever the quasi foodie, or perhaps the genuine one, wanted an orgiastic collection of food truck mania, look no further than LA Center Studios, tomorrow February 13th from 11AM to 5PM. I honestly thought there was a limit on the

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-87736871092391973962010-02-09T15:18:00.000-08:002010-02-10T12:54:43.974-08:00

I wanted to highlight a certain aspect of service that I touched on briefly in my review of Vertical, but will expand upon after seeing it in action. David Haskell learned the intricacies of proper tableside service during his days at the famed Le Cirque (what I consider to be the quintessential New York restaurant, though it may have lost its luster lately). These days, we might see some

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-45327215357483799372010-02-08T00:06:00.000-08:002010-02-08T00:30:53.241-08:00

IntroBirria is one of those foods that hit the exact note you're listening for, the kind of meaty, gamey, spicy, soulful dish that's at once comforting and intriguing. Like many braised or roasted meats, when cooked well, birria does a masterful job of taking on the subtle complexity of certain spices such as clove, dried chilies, and cumin, and then piecing together the meat into an amalgam of

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-64868384441228104872010-01-29T12:58:00.000-08:002010-02-08T14:01:40.076-08:00

I was born in Orange County, that unloved, over-corporate, cookie cutter younger sibling of Los Angeles. During the days of my youth, I was a mall rat, albeit mostly in a stroller roaming around the department stores of the Cerritos Mall and sometimes, South Coast Plaza, which has always been the epicenter of the fashionable in Orange County. These days it has steady competition from Fashion

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-3346433718509376112010-01-27T17:13:00.000-08:002010-01-29T12:47:58.622-08:00

Though it seems almost diluted now, where with Top Chefs popping out of Bravo's hit show every few months, and now with Top Chef Masters coming online, who's to keep track of so many of these culinary stars? L.A. was blessed with its first Top Chef winner (well, at least one that was working here when he won) in Michael Voltaggio, a sharp tack of a cook who was portrayed as a man who would do

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-71641345111383068982010-01-23T18:09:00.000-08:002010-01-26T23:28:46.055-08:00

The Fio-Lolita at Vertical Wine Bistro (not one of our special cocktails, keep reading!)You may have already heard, Fiona Chandra of Gourmet Pigs, Matt Robold of Rumdood, and myself will be mixing cocktails for Haitian Libations, a charity event that will be held at Vertical Wine Bistro. We've spent weeks planning this event as a charity fundraiser until the earthquake hit Haiti. We quickly

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-56640439201604405242010-01-20T16:49:00.001-08:002010-01-22T10:59:25.057-08:00

For the most part, there's an incredible divergence of wine knowledge. I would venture to say that a mere fraction of people truly understand wine, knowing how to master its flavors, aromas, and pairings with food. Anthony Bourdain recently wrote that with the utter explosion of foodie culture in this country, there's been an ever increasing number of food professionals whom consumers have begun

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-54415514047196244062010-01-13T11:26:00.000-08:002010-01-13T11:52:18.993-08:00

Check out my latest piece of the Pantheon of Animals, my rundown of the ten greatest animals for eating on this planet. It's posted on FoodGPS, which you can get to directly HERE, or from the link on the right column. I know I've been lagging with this, but this post is timely, as the Taco Task Force visited 6 different goat birrierias (pronounced bir-riEHr-ia, with a roll on the first set of "

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-48511693614108013112010-01-07T23:21:00.001-08:002010-01-07T23:49:02.996-08:00

I snapped this photo at Coffeehouse Northwest in Portland. I haven't been to this city in more than three years, since my friends and I took a 4 hour detour here on a roadtrip from L.A. to Seattle. This time around, it wasn't sunny. The skies were overcast, much as they are for ten months out of the year. It was a welcome sight for me, the crisp wind and the damp streets a departure from the

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-8277161717184329532010-01-02T23:53:00.000-08:002010-01-03T01:06:45.524-08:00

I came back home on New Year's Day, tired, ravaged from a ridiculously early flight from St. Louis to LA (via Houston). My mother put a few cute daisies on my desk in a small vase, with a nice note welcoming me home. I looked and saw that the large easy chair that occupied a good third of my room was now gone, opening up a nice section for...open space.I was also pleasantly surprised to see that

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-75415756033004677812009-12-23T14:13:00.000-08:002009-12-23T22:29:40.423-08:00

Some of you may have read my previous post on the ultimate kimchi fried rice. I read recently on Molly Wizenberg's twitter that she could go the rest of her life eating only kimchi fried rice. This dish truly has that kind of perfect mix of comfort and complexity, with the endless variations of preparation, ingredients, and presentation. At least that's my opinion because I see it almost like

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-61925720262739061752009-12-23T00:09:00.001-08:002009-12-23T01:08:03.452-08:00

Pasadena might have the most vibrant wine bar offerings at the moment in L.A. area, with Noir Food & Wine on N. Mentor getting a solid 2-star nod from Virbila, and celebrated wine "guru" David Haskell overseeing the wine program at Vertical Wine Bistro. However, for something a bit more casual, but still impressive, Pasadena wine drinkers will relish the new Wine Detective, a small wine bar with

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-36286560525184526482009-12-15T02:06:00.001-08:002009-12-15T11:35:45.977-08:00

If you look at Dean Sin World from the outside, there's no sign that would indicate that you're at the correct establishment. It's a generic stripmall joint that exudes absolutely nothing of the drab interior or the delicious cuisine to be revealed inside. Since being discovered not more than a few years ago, Dean Sin World, a supplier of many xiao long bao to nearby restaurants, has been

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-76769217968074495162009-12-10T23:58:00.000-08:002010-08-30T04:15:02.057-07:00

I'm asking the questions to myself. If this seems to postmodern for you, well, I'm sorry in advance. How did you get into food?This is invariably the first question I am asked as a "foodie" or rather, someone who's into food. I guess a discussion about the merits (or demerits) of the term "foodie" might be in order, but maybe I'll talk about it at later point in this interview. Back to the

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-71224928818803963272009-12-09T22:39:00.001-08:002009-12-09T23:54:44.936-08:00

We've all had to take friends or family over to Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade at one point or another in our lives, and the toughest thing to do there is to get a decent bite to eat. The area around Third Street Promenade has some good places like Border Grill, but often times chain restaurants are the law of the land. When Keith Fox and Amir Ohebsion, who along with chef Jason Travi

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-43435149467110639282009-12-05T05:08:00.001-08:002009-12-06T11:30:15.106-08:00

On December 6th, from 10AM to 4PM, we had dozens of different desserts made by various bloggers from around town. All the proceeds went to support L.A. Regional Food Bank. Here's a few photos from yesterday:Word was that we raised over $3,000 for the L.A. Regional Food Bank! What an incredible effort! Thank you everyone for coming to support us, hope to see you again (within the next six

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-59293747391857206412009-12-04T02:33:00.000-08:002009-12-04T02:43:17.183-08:00

I think every serious foodie thinks about two questions: what will their last meal be, and what would the dinner of their dreams be? Those two answers could either be the same, or completely different. I was given an opportunity to live out the second question on a chilly, quiet evening in north Chicago this past October.I still remember the better part of that day with vivid memory, where I

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-90012597156848816672009-12-01T10:00:00.001-08:002009-12-03T12:28:52.937-08:00

Though Blackbird might be Chef Paul Kahn's flagship restaurant, the adjacent Avec, whose tiny kitchen is helmed by Chef Koren Grieveson might be receiving more national acclaim at the moment. I'm not as familiar with Kahn's Chicago-based restaurant group, but I have heard more than a few things about Avec in the national food media. If anything, I feel like Avec has stolen Blackbird's thunder

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-38375870901767002802009-11-19T16:49:00.000-08:002009-11-19T17:50:30.772-08:00

If there's any chef that's universally well known in the U.S., it might be Rick Bayless. The tireless champion of authentic Mexican cuisine, he's made inroads as the nation's authority on Mexican food. I'm encouraged to hear that my friends Bill of StreetgourmetLA and Javier of Teenage Glutster are supporters of Rick Bayless despite his being of non-Mexican heritage. I remember watching

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-42863479946855681682009-11-18T17:20:00.000-08:002009-11-18T21:42:00.325-08:00

I've always been a fan of deli food. In fact, one of the first things I had to have when I returned from Asia was Langer's Deli. To me, there is nothing as supremely delicious as Langer's hand-cut pastrami. Since David Sax's new book Save the Deli debuted a few months ago, there's been more interest in the urban deli and why it's been fading away over the years. I'm happy to say that Sax

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-47030456948860145542009-11-16T19:56:00.000-08:002009-11-16T20:40:43.990-08:00

Foie gras dog with duck fat friesMy friend Cheryl, with whom I stayed during my travels in Chicago, lives within walking distance of a culinary beacon, an outpost of delicious and might I say, "encased" proportions. Hot Doug's reached the mainstream with Anthony Bourdain's rousing endorsement on a recent episode of No Reservations: Chicago, but it didn't need that support to be recognized as

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-30755890729091897382009-11-14T14:51:00.000-08:002009-11-14T15:18:54.888-08:00

Like many businesses running along or underneath the Chicago “L”, there’s a gentle rumble from the trains crossing overhead at Belly Shack, a new urban Korean-Latino “meld” (wouldn’t say fusion) from Chefs Bill Kim and his Puerto Rican wife Yvonne Cadiz-Kim. Gangster rap or authentic Latina tunes belt through the speakers while hipsters nosh over paper-lined trays. The bright autumn sun

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-1813826717654569662009-11-12T14:38:00.000-08:002009-11-12T15:12:37.174-08:00

My friends Cathy Danh of gastronomyblog and Diana Hossfeld of Diana Takes a Bite are putting together a wonderful bake sale fundraiser on December 5th at Zeke's Smokehouse in West Hollywood from 10AM to 4PM. To help support them in the cause (100% of proceeds will be donated to the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank), I will be baking my share of the 600 some baked treats that will be on sale at the

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-89077287019352734542009-11-10T21:26:00.000-08:002009-11-10T21:45:29.142-08:00

If you ever have the means to travel about an hour outside of Jakarta, to a locale called Bogor, you can find a placed called Warung Doyong on a dusty street corner. Once there, you can see a crumbling shack, a beleaguered hut with Ruffle-like aluminum ceilings and concrete floors so filthy I’m loath to even look down. Old food bits, cobwebs, paint chips, and splotches of dirty water manage to

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-66781904281123457382009-11-07T22:43:00.000-08:002009-11-07T23:01:31.221-08:00

King of Fruits. Few things in the world claim and relish such titles. For Budweiser to consider their factory-made swill the King of Beers is both a travesty to the title and a dilution of its significance. The world of fruit is vast and varied, spanning every known culture and continent (with perhaps the exception of the icy South Pole's Antarctica). Very close to the belly line of the world

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-60134578710469549272009-11-05T10:43:00.000-08:002009-11-05T15:59:41.308-08:00

In the food truck zeitgeist of 2009, if you mention the words "Korean taco", you generally won't be met with a set of curious eyes. I was surprised to see Chef Roy Choi, an acquaintance of mine, featured in this week's Time Magazine about the future prospects of the state of California. I'm not quite sure if Kogi BBQ and Chef Roy really encompasses the exuberance and willing-to-fail attitude

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-51159202861038384662009-10-31T06:33:00.000-07:002009-10-31T06:45:47.900-07:00

I'm back in the comfort of my home, in the delicious and soft blankets that I've yearned for in those dark, cold days of my travels. In this place, in this town where I was both born and bred, I'm finally here again.I spent many hours poring over many different publications and blogs and tweets. It's so easy to lose a step or ten if you're away, and the last two months have been no exception. I

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-41255057716632145742009-10-21T02:15:00.000-07:002009-10-21T02:24:40.811-07:00

If you've seen this announcement before, please read this version. I've peppered in my own comments :)If you missed Bike Bender #1 in May, that was a big mistake. I was one of those people who made this mistake since I had previously made engagements, but I did pick up that last part of the Bender through the Eastside at Verdugo Bar. Though I wno't be in LA this coming Saturday, you all have

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Sometimes the simplest recipes are the most difficult to make. Think of that perfect omelet or the hollandaise you’re stirring gently over the double boiler. Thomas Keller spent two years trying to make the perfect hollandaise sauce. For me, the recipe I always practiced, other than risotto, was kimchi fried rice. I always thought about new ways to improve the recipe. One version I made a

mattatouillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18362025149586532212noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25442352.post-44507987465603115622009-10-07T08:17:00.000-07:002009-10-07T08:41:43.664-07:00

The Second Largest City in IndonesiaThe average outsider, or at least foreigner in the eyes of an Indonesian, might say something like, “hm, I don’t know where Indonesia is, but I know where Bali is,” or they might say, “Hm, isn’t Indonesia IN Bali?” You’ll rarely get someone who’s not familiar with world affairs to proclaim that they know even an ounce about a major world city like Jakarta (one

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