Best Restaurant Award 2008: Grace Restaurant

Having two weeks off from work is fabulous, but having two weeks off with no motivation to get your ass out of bed can be a real disaster. I had things I wanted to do during the holidays all planned out – wake up early and go for a run, do a full-blown winter clean up around the house, catch up on reading, and maybe knit a sweater or two – everything I couldn’t do easily with the 8-to-5 obligation. But instead, I’ve spend the week and a half of vacation mostly in bed (I hate being sick!), doing nothing truly productive, and just watching meaningless television shows just so that I can kill some more brain cells. But watching The Food Network is worth destroying my brain cells for because I just can’t get enough of my favorite home cooks / professional chefs whip up delicious meals few feet away from my bed.

I generally enjoy most of the shows on Food Network but the worst show to ever hit the airwave was something like Dishing with, or Wasting Time or rather, with Rachael Ray, where she sat down with celebrities in their favorite restaurants to talk, or just talk over the guests who, unlike Miss EVOO herself, actually have something important to say. She may be able to whip up somewhat edible meals in 30 minutes, but she sure didn’t know how to interview people (she doesn’t seem to like to listen). I’m glad it’s no longer on the air, but then again, she was rewarded with a national daytime talk show … I just don’t get it. I will admit that she is adorable and somewhat inspirational … I just wish she came less annoying!

But one good thing that came out of the show was that I was introduced to Grace, my Best Restaurant Award 2008 winner. The restaurant was featured as guest Aisha Tyler’s favorite restaurant in Los Angeles and has been mine as well ever since I saw her devour the doughtnut for dessert! I love the food and the ambience of the restaurant so much that I celebrate special occasions here – my birthday, my sister’s birthday, and Christmas dinner with my boyfriend … you name it, I’ve held it at Grace! If you’ve never been to this place, please check it out and enjoy the beautiful, clean, seasonal and absolutely graceful dining experience.

Here are some pictures from my last outing with the Epicurious Threesome

Three Soups: Tomato & Piquillo Pepper Soup, goat cheese monte cristo, Roasted Chestnut & Squash Soup, duck confit, toasted pistachios and Thai Lobster Soup. Please, please try the soup, and try all three if you can … you will NOT be disappointed

Salad with proscciutto-wrapped peaches

Fried zucchini

Grilled scallop with risotto

Grilled salmon

Pouched halibut

Doughnuts … please try these too .. they are absolutely to die for.

Well, I guess this is it for me for 2008. Thank you so much for vising my blog and there will be many, many more great foods to come in 2009. Please have a safe new year celebration and wishing you and your loved ones a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2009. Bon appetite!

Grace Restaurant
7360 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
★★★★★

Best Culinary City Award 2008: Portland, Oregon

Over the last couple of years, Portland, Oregon, has become my culinary sweetheart, charming me with its beautiful and soul-satisfying Pacific Northwest cuisines. Thanks to the resident foodie Tiffany (who is also the one-third of the Epicurious Threesome) and my best friend, Maya, for their expert advice, I’ve been able to sample some of the best tasting cuisines this city could offer

And therefore, my Favorite Culinary City recognition goes to Portland, and I’m sure this doesn’t surprise many, as I rave about it frequently here on this blog. I’ve decided to post some pictures from my recent trips to the city as a tribute, as well as for your viewing pleasures!

Mother’s Bistro and Bar
212 SW Stark Street, Portland, OR

This place is the ultimate place for weekend breakfast or brunch. Just take a look at the beautiful Belgian Waffle with fresh berries I ordered! I can’t think of a better way to start the day! The regular menu is pretty impressive too and I can’t wait to visit there for lunch or dinner next time I’m in town!

Papa Hyden
701 NW 23rd, Portland, OR

Here are some pictures from my favorite pastry shop in Portland, Papa Haydn, that specializes in decadent desserts. Maya and I found this place by accident a while back when we stumbled into the Jo Bar next door (and serves its desserts there) and has been our favorite since. Maya loves this place that she takes her visiting friends here and enrich their lives by having some sweets. God bless her and Papa Hayden

Cassata, Kahlua and espresso-soaked sponge cake with bittersweet chocolate-ricotta filling.

Baked Alaska

Strawberry cheesecake with rubarb

Jo Bar
715 NW 23rd, Portland, OR

After Tiffany and I completed the Portland Marathon, we, along with Maya and my boyfriend, went to Jo Bar to celebrate. We intended to stuff ourselves with desserts from Papa Haydn next door (after running 26.2 miles in the rain, I think we’re entitled to this level of gluttony!) but it was too crowded so we decided to go next door. Jo Bar and Papa Haydn are connected and you can order desserts from there even at Jo Bar.

Baked Mac n Cheese with Garganelli pasta with cheddar cheese and Ranch House Red ($13.00).

Cubano Sandwich, Pork shoulder slow-roasted in honey, chiles and lime juice, layered on demi-baguette with Swiss cheese, pickled jalapenos, prosciutto and garlic aioli ($11.50).

Chimay Burger, House ground filet with roasted onions and Chimay brie, on a Grand Central brioche bun ($11.00).

Salumi Pizza, with artisan salumi, rustic herbed tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella ($12.00).

Higgins Restaurant and Bar
1239 SW Broadway, Portland, OR

These are from Higgins Restaurant and Bar, one of Portland’s favorite restaurants. I was there earlier this year when we had the team meeting here for work.

Park Kitchen
422 NW 8th, Portland, OR

… and last but not least, Park Kitchen. Park Kitchen comes in close second, just after Paley’s, as my ultimate favorite restaurant in the city. Although I’ve only been to this popular eatery once, I was absolutely smitten by the food and the atmosphere the moment I walked into this small but cozy resaturant. Every Portland foodie I know recommends this place and there’s no question why. If I can find a way to pluck this place and plant it in Los Angeles, I would! I was so into the food that I forgot to take pictures except for this fried bacon appetizer. Yes, you heard it right – these bacon strips are deep fried in more oil. We ordered it as a joke but it turned out that the joke was on us. They were absolutely delicious … although this is probably a culinary equivalent of injecting a chunk of lard directly into your artery.

Thank you to the city of Portland by giving me so much fun and joy! I look forward to more good times in 2009

Biggest Surprise Award 2008: Mesa Grill, Las Vegas

My family and I took a mini-vacation to Las Vegas a few weekends ago, something we’ve always talked about but haven’t been able to do until now. It was the weekend of the De La Hoya fight, as well as the Las Vegas Marathon, so needless to say, we wanted to avoid MGM and other high-traffic areas as much as possible.

My idea of the Vegas trip is a little different from everyone else’s. I typically spend my time shopping or relaxing by the pool, instead of going crazy with gambling and partying the night away. Luckily, my sister and I shared the same philosophy and we ended up spending most of our time in the hotel gym and spa, sweating a little on a treadmill and relaxing a little with the decadent massage. I even sat in my hotel room with my knitting project while enjoying a delicious piece of pastry from downstairs patisserie. I love this side of Vegas, where I can actually take the memories back home

I was in charge of arranging the dinner for the family, and since we didn’t want to drive or go anywhere far, I decided to give Bobby Flay’s Southwestern restaurant, Mesa Grill, in Caesar’s Palace a shot.

I must admit that although I know that he’s a wonderful and extremely talented chef, I think of Flay as a bit of a prick. He comes across a bit cocky and over-confident on television … but we were in Vegas afterall and what better place than this to take a gamble!

I was able to secure the 9:00 p.m. reservation at the restaurant on a Saturday night. We got there a little early so we killed time by playing some slots and I lost $40 in about 30 seconds (this is why I don’t gamble)! Even at this hour, the place was packed with patrons grabbing something to eat after a day of gambling, and others getting ready to begin the night. I was a bit surprised to see the vibrant color that surrounded the place because I think of Flay’s taste as a little bit more subtle and mature, but the primary colors somehow worked and gave the restaurant a very playful vibe.

Our waiter, Richard, was, as expected, a “professional” waiter. In the culinary world, there are the regular waiters and there are “professional” waiters. The former are those who’s waiting table just to make extra money. The latter are the gastronomic advocate, with expertise in wine and food, and serves to make each guest’s dining experience one to remember.  I wasn’t surprised to see this breed of service staff in this upscale restaurant and Richard was great at helping us decide what to order.  It was him who convinced my sister, who usually stays away from anything pork, to order the pork tenderloin, one of Mesa Grill’s most popular dishes.  To everyone’s surprise, she ended LOVING the dish!

My parents weren’t familiar with Flay’s work on television but they immediately figured out who he was when I told him that he was the one who got on top of the kitchen counter with his shoes in the original Iron Chef series.  We Japanese people are still bothered by his disrespecting action … haha.

If I was lukewarm about Bobby Flay before this, I was red hot for him after tasting his mouth-watering Southwestern cuisines! Forget the shoes and the counter — he walked right into my heart with his masterful cooking!  I knew the food would be delicious but I certainly didn’t except them to be THIS good. I hate to say this, but this was one of the best tasting food I’ve had, ever. Take a look at what we ordered and imagine how good they are – and multiply that by 50! This restaurant definitely deserves the “The Biggest Surprise” Award, and possibly the “Best Restaurant of 2008″ nomination (to be announced later)!

We shared the TIGER SHRIMP + ROASTED GARLIC CORN TAMALE with Corn-Cilantro Sauce ($16).

We also shared the SPICY TUNA + SALMON TARTARES with Red + Green Hot Sauces, Crispy Plantains+ Blue Corn Flatbread ($16).

I ordered the 22 OZ BONE IN CHIPOTLE GLAZED RIB-EYE with Red + Green Chile Sauce ($46). OMG, it was juicy and absolutely delicious.

My father ordered the BLACK ANGUS NEW YORK STRIP STEAK with House-Made MESA Steak Sauce ($48).

My mother’s COFFEE RUBBED FILET MIGNON with Mushroom-Ancho Chile Sauce ($44).

My sister, who usually don’t eat pork, loved the NEW MEXICAN SPICE RUBBED PORK TENDERLOIN in Bourbon-Ancho Chile Sauce Sweet Potato Tamale + Crushed Pecan Butter ($36).

We definitely got the jackpot with Mesa Grill!  The experience was worth the million bucks!

Mesa Grill
In Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas
★★★★★

Best Customer Service Award 2008: Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion

As I prepare the end of another gastronomically blessed year, I created a list of some of the most memorable dining experiences of 2008. I dined in, as well as out, a lot this year and while most experiences were delightful, some were simply extraordinary – and they deserve a little mention here.

My first kudo goes to Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisines in Woodland Hills for the Best Customer Service award. In today’s often pretentious restaurant scene where the great customer service is becoming a lost art, the expert advice are handed out like a complementary bowl of edamame here at Roy’s, and they come with a dash of smile and a sprinkle of humor

I usually like to avoid expensive chain restaurants because most of those places turn out to be a disappointment, but Roy’s is something else. Although there are multiple locations across the country (and at least three that I know of in the greater Los Angeles area in Downtown LA, Pasadena and Woodland Hills), each Roy’s restaurant has its unique specialties only available at that location. Some of the signature dishes like the Roasted Macademia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi are available in all Roy’s restaurants (under Roy’s Classic), but you can enjoy unique menus prepared by the local chefs, which makes you want to visit all locations! All executive chefs are trained by the founder Roy Yamaguchi himself to ensure that each dish represent his Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine philosophy – of utilizing the flavors of Japan and Hawaii while incorporating European cooking techniques.

My last Roy’s outing was in the summer, when we took my mother out for her birthday. It was my second time dining here but was the first for my parents, as well as my sister, and they fell in love with the friendly, tropical atmosphere of the restaurant instantly. When we were seated, we were greeted by an energetic service staff, who was so helpful with us deciding on a bottle of red wine to start. After a few minutes, we decided on a bottle of Pinot Noir from Erath Oregon that was very warm and light, and went perfectly with all the dishes we ended up ordering. I wish I had his name because he was extremely knowledgeable, charming and helpful and made our dining experience one of the most memorable in a very long time. We could just listen to the way he explained the menu for hours and salivate every time he talked about the braised ribs or a chocolate soufflé for dessert! And let me tell you, its world famous soufflé is simply unbelievable.

For appetizer, we shared a plate of Maryland Style Crab Cake (Li Hing and Spicy Sesame Beurre Blanc, $15.50) and my favorite, Hawaii “Style” Ahi Poke (Fresh Avocado and White Truffle Inamona Jus, $12.50), pictured above.

For main courses, we ordered:

Tender Braised Hawaii Kai Beef Short Ribs and Natural Braising Sauce. This was only available as one of the selections on Seasonal Fusion Prix Fixe Menu, but it can be made into an entrée at request, which is what I did here.

Grilled 8oz Filet Mignon with Crispy Pancetta Bordelaise Sauce & Sour Cream Chive Mashed Potatoes ($31.95) for mother.

Roys’ Classic Trio of Hibachi Grilled Salmon, Roy’s Original Blackened Island Ahi & Hawaiian Style Misoyaki Butterfish, a sampling of our three Classics in their traditional preparations ($29.95) for my sister.

Shellfish Combo, U-10 Diver Scallops & Dynamite Crusted Tiger Shrimp Spicy Sesame Rayu Butter & Lemon Truffle Nage ($ 29.95) for my father.

Unfortunately, we forgot to save some room for the chocolate soufflé this night, but when you go to Roy’s, make sure that you do order it because it’s going to be one of the best desserts you’ll experience! And make sure that you order it when you order your entrée since it takes a while to bake it.

In addition to the Best Service award, this place deserves the “chain-restaurant-that-definitely-does-not-suck” kudos. Food here, is definitely fusion, and not confusion.

Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine
6363 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91367
★★★★★

Guilt-Free Slack Time: Honey Glazed Ham Christmas

For the first time in my working life, I have the rest of the year off. I have worked in the industry in the past where we had to burn the midnight oil to meet the year-end numbers and ended up working overtime on Christmas and New Years eves (can you say, sweatshop?) … so you can imagine my surprise when my company encouraged all employees to take time off from Christmas to the new year to relax and spend time with the loved ones. I took it a little further and applied my remaining floating holidays on Monday and Tuesday, so I can have two solid weeks of pure rejuvenation. I’m on my fifth day of my guilt-free slack time and although I’m nicely relaxed, I’m being reminded every hour how quickly time flies – especially when you’re having a great time.

We usually have family Christmas dinner on the 24th, but we moved it to the actual Christmas day this year due to some schedule conflicts. It worked out perfectly because I got sick on the 24th and ended up spending the entire day in bed. I recovered well enough to stand in the kitchen to cook for the family but I decided to take it easy this year and go with the trusted family favorites, instead of flipping through the books and magazines for inspiration. We had honey-glazed ham from Honeybaked Ham as our main course.  (Thanks to the $60 gift certificate we got from our dear friend, I was able to keep the cost low! The total, with ham and three condiments, came out to $58 and some change. Talk about the Price is Right!), and side dishes were pretty much the sequel from the Thanksgiving dinner.

(By the way, my boyfriend kindly pointed out that I was suppose to serve the ham upside down, with the bone showing, instead of the way it’s shown on my table … oops!)

It seemed like our favorite was the Potato Leek Soup I made as the first course by sautéing three large leeks and three Russet potatoes, pureeing the mixture in a blender, and adding a splash of soy milk for silky smoothness. It was simple but satisfying – a great accompaniment of more simple side dishes of grilled vegetables, sautéed Brussels sprouts, mashed yam and miso-flavored kale. We had Green Tea Panna Cotta for dessert, which is always a great alternative to much heavier confectionaries like cakes and cookies (not that there are anything wrong this those heavenly morsels).

My boyfriend had to attend his family’s party so he couldn’t make it to ours this year and from the sound of it, his party was a kick ass. (His family knows how to throw wonderful parties, I tell you.)

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!