ShopEatSleep

Caulfield’s, one in what seems like a growing string of literary-themed bars and eateries (Hemmingway’s, Writer’s Room), is the Catcher in the Rye-inspired restaurant that took over the Bond Street space inside the Thompson Beverly Hills hotel. Now, I’m not sure how you get a French bistro out of the Holden Caulfield character, but I guess that’s neither here nor there. What would be significant is the food and drink; unfortunately, some of the menu here misses the mark. While some dishes are really good, others are kind of boring. The good thing is, nothing I tried here recently was actually bad.

The good:

We started and ended well. The appetizers Toad in a Hole, with the traditional egg cooked into a piece of toast and as well as a side of smoked trout salad, and the Pan-Seared Crab Cakes served with planks of corn were mighty tasty. These dishes were seasoned well and prepared nicely. The Banana Terrine dessert, which was really more like a trifle with layers of banana, wafers, chocolate and rum custard, was a delightful way to end the meal.

The not-so-good:

Our first Frisée Bacon-Lardon salad arrived sans bacon and with an overcooked poached egg. Our second salad was better, though there wasn’t much in terms of seasoning on it. Same goes for our mains: the chicken pot pie and the beef short ribs lacked pizazz, and by that I mean salt and pepper. This was unfortunate as the dishes could have been much better, though I could have done with some kind of starch to go with my huge plate of short ribs.

As for the cocktails…I don’t remember much about them other than whatever whiskey-based drink I ordered was very strong. Obviously these didn’t make much of an impression.

If Caulfield’s would step it up a notch and make some small adjustments, this could be a great place for an upscale-yet-unpretentious meal, which I would find welcoming in shi-shi Beverly Hills.

Note: This meal was hosted.

I love Japanese candy. I love the unique flavors and the cuteness of it. So when a friend from Japan recently gave me these Japanese Kit Kats, I was overjoyed! Now, I know strawberry and green tea aren’t that exotic, but the red bean toast (toast!) flavor was definitely something new…and I’m not sure I liked it. I love red (azuki) bean, but the toast component just made it taste a little burned, which isn’t my cup of tea, so to speak. I also didn’t love the green tea flavor — too matcha-y for me. I did really like the strawberry, though. I know, that’s so boring! But it had a perfect strawberries-and-cream flavor. I believe you can find some of these flavored Kit Kats at Japanese supermarkets in the United States, such as Mitsuwa. I wonder if you could find some of the weirder flavors, such as grilled corn, Royal Milk Tea or soy sauce (yes, soy sauce!). Have you tried any of these flavors before?

Further reading:

Japan’s Strangest Kit Kat Flavors by Weird Asia News

Kit Kat Kaleidoscope: Far-Out Flavors from Japan by NPR

Bäco Mercat, the new downtown Los Angeles restaurant from Chef Josef Centeno (of Lazy Ox Canteen fame) centered around his flatbread sandwich/pizza/taco creation, is a restaurant years in the making. Centeno first introduced the hybrid bäco as a staff meal at Meson G in Hollywood, where he was executive chef, and later put it on the lunch menu at Lot 1 in Echo Park. It occasionally shows up at Lazy Ox, too. Now the bäco has a home of its own, and it’s settling in nicely.

Keep Reading

Mohawk Bend, Echo Park’s new restaurant in a converted movie theater with an impressive 72 beer taps, is a great place for a drink and light meal. Appetizers and salads, as well as a nicely curated beer list, are the stars here, and the atmosphere is lively if a bit crowded. But where Mohawk Bend excels, it overreaches in other areas, especially when it comes to burgers and pizza.

Dining room at Mohawk Bend

...and behind the curtains, the back room

Keep Reading

Gonpachi's courtyard

Restaurant Row on La Cienega Boulevard has been long known for its large, overly expensive eateries — Lawry’s The Prime Rib, Benihana, Woo Lae Oak, The Stinking Rose. But the Row’s Gonpachi Beverly Hills, though large, is one of the best values on that strip with its incredibly fresh-tasting sushi-grade fish and satisfying hot dishes, including robata.

I was recently invited to dinner at Gonpachi to try out its new menu. I hadn’t been to the restaurant for years, and only for happy hour, so I was excited to go back. The courtyard is lush with foliage and a koi pond, and the interior is reminiscent of the film Kill Bill (which was filmed at the Tokyo location of Gonpachi). All this really sets the scene for the fine meals served here.

Keep Reading

Mango Strawberry Shaved Snow at Class 302

Class 302, a little Taiwanese cafe in a Rowland Heights strip mall, offers some of the best Asian dessert I’ve ever had. While there’s also a savory food menu, the star here is the shaved snow. Yes, shaved snow, not shaved ice. Where traditional Chinese shaved ice comes in tiny chips with all the flavors piled on top, Taiwanese shaved snow comes in big sheets with flavor already frozen in the ice. Sure, you can still get all kinds of goodies on top, such as the mango, strawberry and condensed milk shown above, but you’ll also get milk frozen in the ice. This makes for a creamy texture not normally found in shaved ice. It’s really unique.

I recently tried a bunch of shaved snow combinations at Class 302 with a group of foodies, including Esther of estarLA, Danny of Kung Food Panda and Josh of Food GPS, and my favorites were the Mango Shaved Snow with mango-flavored ice topped with mango, mochi and condensed milk, and the Green Tea Red Bean Shaved snow with green tea-flavored ice topped with red beans, mochi and condensed milk. The flavors were so rich yet not too heavy. They were perfect for a hot day.

Mango Shaved Snow at Class 302

Green Tea Red Bean Shaved Snow at Class 302

On a weekend afternoon, you may have to wait a while — we waited about an hour — for a table. And like many Chinese restaurants, Class 302 takes only cash. But these desserts are totally worth it.

Chili Cheese Fries at The Veggie Grill

Just when you thought you had The Veggie Grill figured out – it’s tasty, but no, the meat isn’t real – The Veggie Grill surprises you. There’s a secret menu!

As with many secret menu items, these dishes are variations of items already on the menu. The one we tried were the chili cheese fries, which uses the restaurant’s signature sweet potato Sweetheart Fries topped with the Bean Me Up chili, vegan cheese and sour cream, and garnished with chopped tomatoes and parsley. This is a huge dish, so be prepared to either share it or to bring at least half of it home. The chili cheese fries are tasty but heavy. Who knew vegan food could be so substantial?

Keep Reading

The new kid on the block in Culver City, MoKo, quietly slipped in to town in late April when it took over the former Gyenari space. The switch happened in a matter of about two weeks, when a truly modern Korean (get it?) restaurant replaced one that tried to be forward-thinking but ended up being stagnant. That’s why Gyenari owner William Shin made the change, along with partner Chris Heyman (Table 8, 8 Oz. Burger Bar) and Chef Gary Robins (formerly of The Biltmore, The Russian Tea Room and Aja in New York), who created a menu that’s contemporary without being overwrought.

We were recently invited to check out the new menu, which features updated versions of Korean ban chan, ssam, jeon and many other traditional Korean favorites. Don’t worry — the grills from Gyenari are still in place, so you can get your barbecue fix, too. And the cocktail list includes some nicely crafted drinks, too.

Keep Reading

Milkshake in an Alice cup at Max Brenner

Yes, I’m writing this post a month and a half late. But I wanted to document my bachelorette party on this blog in some way, so I’m going to tell you about my meal at chocolate heaven-on-earth Max Brenner in The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. This may not have been the best meal in terms of food, but it was definitely the most fun.

The best part of the menu was the variety of drinks. My friends and I ordered the Mexican Spicy Hot Chocolate (red chili, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper), the Melting Marshmallow Hot Chocolate (hot chocolate with tons of mini marshmallows on top), what I think was the Hazelnut Cream Chocolate Milkshake (vanilla bourbon ice cream, dark chocolate truffle and whipped cream) and the Chocolate Chai (chai spice blend infused with white chocolate). All were very good, but my favorite was the chai, which was enhanced by the white chocolate, not overpowered as I had feared. The presentation of the drinks is noteworthy, too, as Max Brenner has created his own cups for different drinks (the Hug Mug for hot chocolates, the Alice for milkshakes, a tea pot that dispenses when you place it on top of your cup).

Keep Reading

Like ice cream? Keep strictly kosher? Then Chozen All Natural Ice Cream may just be the dessert for you.

Now, I’m not Jewish, but I do love ice cream and I enjoy the food of the chosen (get it?) people, so when I was offered samples of ice cream with flavors such as Rugelach, Chocolate Babka, and Apples and Honey, I said, “Sign me up!”

I was sent two pints: one of Coconut Macaroon made with almond ice cream and toasted coconut flakes mixed in, and one of Matzoh Crunch made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate- and caramel-coated matzoh crackers. The Coconut Macaroon got me right away since I’m a sucker for anything with almond and coconut. The Matzoh Crunch didn’t wow me at first, but it grew on me as I found the texture of the chocolate- and caramel-covered matzoh nice to munch on. My only real complaint is the texture of the ice cream itself — it’s a bit icy for my taste. You can see in this photo how it doesn’t really stick together when you’re scooping it and gets melt-y quickly:

Coconut Macaroon (left), Matzoh Crunch (right)

The ice cream is all-natural, though not certified organic, per its website, which means it’s made without chemical gums or stabilizers. That probably explains its texture. Its kosherness comes from being “100% kosher certified by experience rabbis,” though it’s not kosher for Passover.

Chozen is sold in stores in New York and New Jersey, so if you want some here on the West Coast, you’ll have to order it online. Don’t worry — the dry ice and insulated package keeps the ice cream nice and frosty. However, it looks like the only flavors available for shipping are Coconut Macaroon and Matzoh Crunch, which explains why I got those two. Overall, I enjoyed the flavors of the ice cream but didn’t love the texture. Rugelach and Chocolate Babka sound good, though…