Dude, Where’s My Food? Nobu Los Angeles March 27, 2008

 

(Excuse me, may we eat these peanuts? We’re still hungry.)

My mother always told me that Japanese food is meant to be savored with the eyes first, then the stomach. She certainly practices what she preaches because everything she prepares (even a little bento box she packs for father daily) is vibrant, playful and charming — a total visual and gastronomic treat.

My pals and I — craving something new and interesting – made a trip over the hill to check out the buzz surrounding Nobu in Los Angeles.  Located only a few blocks from the original restaurant that started the sushi revolution in Los Angeles, Nobu is the newest member of the Matstuhisa empire — and a perfect epicurean getaway for us foodies looking for a little fun in the city … or so we had hoped. 

We ordered several dishes to share as suggested by our server, and when plates arrived to our table one by one, I remembered the wise words of my mother.  Dishes at Nobu were definitely a feast to the eyes.  Just a quick glance at the beautiful Toro Tartar that resembled an abstract artwork proves the pride chefs put into presentation. 
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Toro Tartar with Caviar
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However, what Nobu forgot was the second part of the philosophy, that it should also be enjoyed with the stomach. I understand that the majority of the clienteles in a trendy restaurant like Nobu are size 2 models and actresses, but are you kidding me?  These dishes were way too tiny!  Especially for the price we’re dishing out for these plates, we would have loved to see something with a little more substance, than just a sprinkle of chopped fish for a full order of ceviche. We ended up ordering a couple bowls of steamed rice just so that we didn’t have to make a beeline to a nearby fast food drive thru after dinner.  I was even tempted to eat those peanut-looking lights hanging from the ceiling!

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Ceviche Nobu Style
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King Crab Tempura with Amazu Ponzu Sauce (the best dish of the night!)

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Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno
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Black Cod with Miso
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Mixed Vegetable with Truffle Butter (the only dish with real substance, I thought.)
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Make no mistake about it – everything served at Nobu is fresh, tasty and fabulous, and the service is absolutely out of this world (I think there were more servers than customers there!).  And Nobu Matsuhisa is pretty much a culinary God.  His ability to use traditional Japanese ingredients like yuzu and mixing it up with South American (Peruvian) touches like jalapeno is nothing less than magical.  However, the magic was lost a bit by an unsatisfactory portion. Maybe it’s just me, that I don’t have much of an appreciation for trendy, pretentious, anorexic-portion-serving dining spots, but I think I would choose the generous portion of my mom’s bento box over this fancy meals any day, thank you very much.

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Nobu Los Angeles
903 North La Cienega Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
★★★☆☆

But the food alone gets ★★★★★

Friendliest Place to Dine: Daphne’s Greek Cafe March 18, 2008

I don’t ususally eat fast food. I’m not a health nut by any means (you probably figured that one out by now), but I just think they are evil (with exceptions of sub shops).  The only time I would eat at a place like McDonald’s is if it is the absolute last place I can grab something to eat before I die of starvation. After I watched Morgan Spurlock nearly kill himself by only consuming items purchased at the Golden Arches for a month in his documentary, I began asking myself if I wanted to keep putting that kind of junk in my body. And the answer was a big, fat, greasy, supersized ”hell no.”  Sure, I eat food that are not good for me all the time (more than I care to admit), but I don’t have any desire to pollute myself with artificial, chemical-laden food like the ones served at fast food joints. (But I must say, those cocaine-laced French Fries still taste pretty darn good.)

What I’ve noticed in the last few years is the emergence of places that I call “semi-fast food” – restaurants that serve delicious, relatively-healthful food quick, and I’m so thankful of these places.  One of my favorite “semi-fast food” establishments is California Chicken Café that offers a generous portion of rotisserie chicken, salads and other comforting sides for people on the go (although the place specializes in chicken, it is very vegetarian-conscious). Another one of my favorites is Daphne’s Greek Café that features a colorful array of affordable Greek food.

I love everything about Greek food – spanakopita, falafel, dolmas, hummus, feta cheese, pita, everything. I also love the fact that Greek food in general is very friendly to people with particular dietary needs — whether it be no meat, low carbohydrate or low fat  – and we can all still have good, satisfying eats.

For lunch, two vegetarians ordered Vegetarian Plates …
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And one Adkin guy ordered a steak salad (the spicy feta cheese here is amazing!) and we were all very, very happy (so happy that we had to force ourselves to return to work). 
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Daphne’s Greek Café
1781 N. Victory Place, Burbank, CA 91502
★★★★☆

Vegetarian Feast for My Sister’s Birthday! March 18, 2008

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I’ve been meat-free for more than a month now and I’m happy to report that I haven’t cheated yet. I thought I wouldn’t last a week on this new diet but it seems like semi-vegetarian lifestyle actually suites well with me (I call it “semi” because I still eat fish. Come on, I can’t be that good!).
I hosted a birthday party for my sister the other day and presented a meat-free dinner to a skeptical crowd. Although we had a couple of meat-and-potato guys, dishes were a hit. Even the manly men enjoyed a fresh Nicoise Salad …
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Insalata Caprese …
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Crimini Mushroom with Gorgonzola Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes …
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baked pasta with cream sauce and Greek Salad.
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Happy birthday, Saori!