Batali and Silverton Reign Supreme: Osteria Mozza April 21, 2008

I have always known that he cooked great, authentic Italian meals, but I was never a huge fan of Mario Batali (of Motto Mario and more famously, Iron Chef America on Food Network).  But after experiencing the mouthwatering dishes at his restaurant, Osteria Mozza, I was ready to put on a pair of orange Crocks and join his fan club.

Osteria Mozza is one half of Batali’s joint venture with the master bread maker Nancy Silverton of the popular  La Brea Bakery (aka my Goddess), and is a more fancy and upscale eatery to its counterpart, Pizzeria Mozza, located next door. Of all the celebrity chef-owned restaurants that I’ve been to in Los Angeles and Vegas (Emeril’s Seafood, Delmonico, Spago, Nobu, and the usual), this was, hands down, the most impressive. All the bourgeois elements where there – the glitz and glamour, fancy zip code, stylish decor, a valet parking that costs my entire paycheck – but one thig that was missing from Osteria Mozza, and gratefully so, was the pretentiousness that’s usually attached to LA hot spots. The service here was down-to-earth and very friendly, and our server blessed us with great recommendations that certainly hit the hungry spot for all of us. 

We were seated in a little room in the back of the restaurant which reminded me of a cozy Bed and Breakfast you can find somewhere in a little town in England. We were the first group to arrive but were surprise to see the tables fill up quickly with patrons of all kinds – the young, the old, the casual, the suit-and-ties.

The menus were a bit confusing because they were pretty much all written in Italian but our server lady helped us decided on a wonderful bottle of red, appetizers to share, primi and secondi for all three of us, and of course, desserts. 

While we waited for our first dish to arrive, another friendly server brought us a complementary plate of crostini with fresh goat cheese and olive tapenade which showed great promised to how the night’s dining experience would turn out. 

 

Mozzarella tasting: burrata, fior latte & bufala mozzarella
My goodness – who knew that there were so much depth and complexity in mozzarella cheese? Each cheese was so different in texture, flavor, and the way it melts in your month.  One even tasted like fresh, silky and buttery tofu that I ate in Japan (which tastes nothing like the ones you buy at a supermarket here). This dish demonstrated the pride Batali has in cheeses, and these little balls, accompanied by Silverton’s out-of-this-world toasts, made us crave for more. 

Grilled Octopus with potatoes, celery & lemon
Please excuse the cliché, but this grilled octopus really tasted like chicken. But not one of those cardboard chickens, this tasted like a wonderfully grilled poultry that falls apart perfectly in your mouth. The celery and lemon added a refreshing touch to this northern Italian staple.

Fresh Ricotta & Egg Raviolo with browned butter
This is not your ordinary ravioli in browned butter. Check this out – there’s an egg yolk in the middle that greets you on the first bite!

 

Beef Brasatowith polenta & horseradish gremolata
We all expected this dish to be slightly sweet but that wasn’t the case. It was simple and more on a bland side but the sprinkle of horseradish coupled with grainy polenta made this dish memorable. Yes, you caught me, I ate a little bit of meat, but it was worth every bite.

Tortellini e brodo

Sorry, I forgot what this dish was called but I hope this is the correct name.  These little tortellinis were filled with blend of sweet meats. Don’t worry, single order is not this tiny – the server lady was kind enough to split the dish into three separate plates.

 

Torta della Nonna with honey & pine nuts
Just talking about this dessert makes me squeal in delight. The torta was fluffy and surprisingly light, and these three different kinds of money were so unbelievable that I had to try really hard to restrain myself from licking the plate.

Almond Cornette with tangerine and blood orange compote & yogurt gelato
The blood orange compote and yogurt gelato were so refreshing, they were the perfect end to our wonderful night of great wine, delicious food and a wonderful company.

 

Osteria Mozza
641 N. Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036
★★★★★

Paris in Your Backyard: Little Next Door April 3, 2008

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When I walked into Little Next Door for desserts and a cup of warm cappuccino the other night, I felt like I was suddenly back in Paris. The smell of freshly ground coffee beans, the menu written on a chalkboard, and the colorful macarons in the glass showcase took me back to a neighborhood café in Paris, where I spent hours writing postcards to friends back home.
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Little Next Door is a little sister of the lovely The Little Door located … well, you guessed it, next door, and although it’s more of a café than a restaurant, its charm is undeniable. Just like the cafe in Paris, Little Next Door is one of those alluring places where you can sit for hours with friends – and that’s frankly what we did that night, while enjoying late night desserts of Madame Framboise, Macaronade, Éclair, a colorful arrays of delicious French Macarons … with a side of laughter.
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Madame Framboise, chocolate genoise, chocolate mousse, & raspberries
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Macaronade, almond dequoise with pastry cream and raspberries
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Eclair, choux puff filled with vanilla or chocolate pastry cream
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Little Next Door
8164 West Third Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
★★★★★

Changing the Dessert Landscape: Beard Papa November 17, 2007

Certain events in history make me feel incredibly proud of my Japanese heritage. For instance …
The moment Kurara Chibana was crowned Miss Universe Runner Up in 2006, although she should have won the title, in my humble opinion (photo courtesy of this site, thank you!) …

The day Yutaka Fukufuji became the first Japanese-born player to debut in the National Hockey League the same yaer with my beloved Los Angeles Kings no less  (and I was there to witness this momentous occasion!) …

And the day Beard Papa came to town and changed the cream puff landscape forever.  Desserts like éclairs and profiteroles used to house exclusively in fancy French patisseries, but the emergence of this Japanese-born bakery franchise made these sophisticated pate a choux desserts more accessible and less intimidating to us all.  Now, that’s a history-changing event! 

Beard Papa successfully replaced donut shops as the source of quick sugar rush by McDonalizing the way cream puffs are made. The assembly line is formed behind the glass-window counter to create each cream puff in flawless sequence: ① select the choux (plain or chocolate-covered), ② insert the choux with custard cream, ③ sprinkle powdered sugar, ④ place the cream puff in a yellow, logo parchment paper, and finally ⑤ carefully place it in a bag or a box. The result is a perfectly soft and airy dough filled with lightly sweetened custard cream that melts in your mouth.  Boy, I love my papa! 

Available flavors vary by location. The original vanilla flavor is available in all locations, but consider it your lucky day if you can get a hold of green tea (subtle yet delicious), Earl Gray tea (too good for words), or strawberry (tangy, just the way I like it), among other delicious flavors. 

I frequent the one in Hollywood and Highland the most because, contrary to its busy location, the store is relatively quiet. This minimizes the wait which, in a popular location like the one in Sawtelle, can add up to a whopping 15-20 minutes. One mistake I made was to go right before the closing time and they were all out of cream puffs, so go as early as you can.

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Beard Papa’s Fresh’n Natural Cream Puffs
Hollywood and Highland
6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
(Click here for list of locations)
★★★★★