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 ★★★★★

What Do You Mean You Don’t Eat No Meat? Lawry’s Prime Ribs February 24, 2008

Dear My Best Friend Maya,

There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you but I just didn’t know how. I knew that this news would disappoint you, and even upset you, and I was searching for the perfect way to tell you without hurting your feelings. But I can no longer hold a secret of this magnitude to myself. Please don’t hate me when I say that … I gave up eating meat.
No, it’s not a typo. It’s true … I gave up eating anything that once moo-ed, oinked, crowed or quacked (and let me not forget “baaaa”ed). I know that this would come as a total shock since you and I dual-handedly kept the beef industry alive by consuming a shit-load of meat. Please don’t think that our weekly run to Grandma Kim’s for sizzling Korean BBQ for lunch (and risking being socially unacceptable at the office with the garlic stink oozing out of our pores) and our regular visits to Lawry’s for prime ribs (and passing out on the way home from food coma) were all a ruse. They were all real.
Don’t you worry, girlie, I won’t be gone forever. I’ll be back in a month or two, I promise. I just want to see what it’s like on the other side of the world for a bit. And when I return, we’ll take on Flemmings, Ruth Chris and Gyu-Kaku in style again. And yes, our ploy to hijack the silver cart at Lawry’s is still on. Until then, I leave you with these images from our last prime ribs outing (which has the same affect as men drooling over sexy centerfolds in Playboy magazine). 

XOXO,
Hirono

Lawry’s Prime Ribs
100 N. La Cienega, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
★★★★★

Who Knew?!? Delicious Vegan Lunch at Real Food Daily February 9, 2008

I never thought I would put words like “vegan” and “love” in a same sentence — being the hard-core carnivore that I am. But I’ll say it.  I love vegan food!  And I’ll say it again and again.  I also love Ann Gentry’s Real Food Daily restaurant in West Hollywood for opening my cow-obsessed eyes to the infinite possibilities of fresh, organic, natural ingredients that make vegan dishes one of a kind.
My sister took me to this vegan joint she frequents, located a few blocks from the Beverly Center on restaurant-packed La Cienega.  It was a Super Bowl Sunday and although neither of us are girly girls, we just don’t have much appreciation for football, so it was a perfect day for us to get out for a “healthy” day out — while the entire nation sat home and indulged in beer and junk food.

I love all kinds of vegetable and incorporate plenty of them in my daily meals but there was something very foreign and frightening about “vegan” food that completely omitted everything that once had a mother or a head. I was definitely intimidated to try non-dairy cheese and a tofu molded in a shape of a turkey (and mysteriously tasted like one).  I wondered — how tasty can these creations be?

But may I just say … WOW. Everything I had was a touchdown – one of the best food I’ve had in months. My sister and I started out with a tall glass of spinach/celery/carrots/apple/ginger juice. At first, I wasn’t sure about the combination of putting vegetable in a drink. Yes, I’ve seen Jack LaLanne rave about how delicious these juices are (at 2:00 in a morning), but the idea of putting stinky celery and spinach in a juice sort of grossed me out. Well, I guess the good old Jack knew what he was talking about because the juice was smooth, refreshing and delicious. Sweet apples and spicy ginger mellowed out the strong scent and the aftertaste of celery.  It was a pleasant surprise. 

I ordered a Portobello Sandwich and although this was no different from a vegetarian sandwich you would order at regular restaurants as far as ingredients (Portobello mushroom, tomato, leafy greens and red onion), it was fresher, more flavorful and satisfying than anything I’ve tasted. The pesto spread made the sandwich out of this world.

My sister ordered a bowl of Fettuccini Alfredo with (non) meatballs. Believe it or not, the vegan version of the meatball was more dense and juicy than any of the ones I’ve had at Italian joints, and I absolutely could not believe they contained no meat products! She also ordered a side of kale, which was very simple but delicious nonetheless.

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We ate so much but we didn’t feel gross at all. Because everything was made out of fresh, organic ingredients, we felt great for the rest of the day. I highly recommend this place to anyone who’s curious about vegan cooking, or anyone who just wants to experience an unbelievably delicious food that makes your body jump in joy.  

Real Food Daily
414 N. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048
★★★★★

P.S. We headed to Korean Spa after lunch and got our entire body scrubbed. We soaked in hot baths and sweated all the toxins out in steam rooms. Talk about a healthy day, I tell you … well, so we thought … until we went to Korean BBQ for dinner that night and put all the gunk back into our body!