Mother’s Day Celebration: Kushiyu May 11, 2008

Every year, a Mother’s Day celebration is a toss up between Kushiyu and a few other Japanese restaurants but the yakitori house in Tarzana won out this year.  And I’m glad it did.

I like the playfulness of yakitori, the Japanese skewers. It’s like eating fondue, expect contents of vegetable and protein are a little more nutritionally dense than a melted cheese and a piece of bread. These yakitoris are more of a casual eat in Japan – perhaps something you munch on while enjoying ice cold Sapporo at izakaya (Here’s the 411 on yakitori) – but Kushiyu, a popular Ventura Blvd. joint, somehow turned the Japanese pub food it into a chic, trendy staple of an upscale Valley community. It’s not uncommon to run into some celebrities here dining at a sushi counter.

But unlike those celebrities, I like to go straight to yakitoris and a few appetizers when I’m at Kushiyu (we don’t mess with sushi here), and I’m glad my family was up for it as well.

Oyster in curry sauce (front) and fried crab and shiitake mushroom (back)

.

Crispy tuna (crispy rice topped with spicy tuna)

.

Chicken and Vegetable Yakitori Combination
.

Vegetable and Seafood Yakitori Combination

.

Renkon (our favorite!)

Happy Mother’s Day, mom!  Thanks for everything and we love you! 

Kushiyu
18713 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, CA 91356
★★★★★

Best Sushi during Hibernation: Kobe Sushi January 28, 2008

I blame everything on the rain –  the traffic (which takes an hour to travel mere three miles); decrease in productivity (cold weather makes me absolutely lazy), unexplainable hunger (well, maybe that’s everyday for me)… everything. Thanks to the weeklong rain-fest in Los Angeles, I consumed extra 50 cups of hot chocolate (just to stay warm and cozy), spent extra few bucks on takeouts for dinner (who wants to go grocery shopping in pouring rain?), and spent the entire weekend in my pajamas (I can’t remember when was the last time I took shower … sorry, too much info there). It was a total unproductive, completely useless weekend for me.
What kept me alive was this lovely and friendly (and virtually unknown) Kobe sushi restaurant that I can dash to and bring food to go. Without this place, I would have just stayed in bed and starved to death. I had absolutely no desire to stand in the kitchen to cook, or put on clothes to go out to eat, so the takeout was the only option to keep myself adequately nourished as I hibernated like a bear in winter snow. 
Here’s what I brought home and enjoyed at a comfort of my own home as I listened to the rain drop from the window: saba (mackerel), salmon, yellowtail and ika (squid) sushi, and a spicy yellowtail hand roll (The usual. I’m a creature of habit). I’m not a huge fan of their rolls (say no to mayonnaise!) but the nigiris are simply amazing. Although noone seems to embrace this tiny, cozy place hidden in a corner shopping center as much as I do (maybe people just can’t find the place?), trust me when I say that it offers one of the best sushis around.

Okay, time to go back to bed now.

Kobe Sushi
22984 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91367
★★★★☆

Best Friends Forever: La Frite December 18, 2007

My best friend and her family recently relocated to a place far, far away, and although I’m really happy for her and her new life, the move has left a tremendous void in my heart … and my stomach. Not only was she my best friend, she was also my epicurean soul sister, and there was nothing we cherished more than spending time together over a glass of wine and fabulous food. And boy, did we eat over the years (but she never gained weight whereas I gained at least 20 pounds from hanging out with her! Man, what I do in the name of friendship! : - P ).
One of the places we frequented was a little French cafe called La Frite in our neck of the wood because we both loved affordable, friendly, low-key places. The restaurant offered good food and relaxing atmosphere, and although I never thought it offered the best French food in town by any means, the experience certainly hit the spot whenever we were looking for a place to unwind after a long day at work.
The last time we were at La Frite, we spotted a lady eating a cheesy, casserole dish at a table next to us and I had to have whatever it was that she was having. The casserole turned out to be a Ratatouille Crepe. I ordered it out of curiosity and while the idea of having a ratatouille on top of a crepe and baked in cheese sounded heavenly, the whole thing was just a little tad too much for me. But it sure was interesting and I’m glad I tried it (I’m sure Remy will be proud of me). 

Crepe Ratatouille

On the other hand, what my best friend ordered, I thought, was out of this world. It was a daily special of lamb smothered in garlic sauce. I though the meat was cooked to perfection (a little on the rare side which I prefer) and the garlic sauce made my eyes roll backward.

Rack of lamb with garlic sauce

And of course, what’s a French café experience without a platefull of perfectly golden French fries and …

…. cream burle to share?

I guess the reason why La Frite holds such a special place in my heart is because this was (along with other places all over town) our place where we shared laughter and, of course, food coma, together. 

La Frite
22616 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91364
★★★★☆

Place of Your Own: Marmalade Cafe November 4, 2007

I would have to say that my favorite supper is brunch, or perhaps even lun-ner. I like eating meals at odd times (the non-conformist that I am). I like going out for brunch on a weekend, around 11:00 a.m. so I can sleep in and still feel productive during the day. Having “lun-ner” between lunch and dinner, around 4:00 p.m. is wonderful too because you can overeat a bit and still have good several hours to digest them all before going to bed.
Today was my relaxing Saturday where my best friend and I went shopping at noon and stopped by Marmalade Cafe in Calabasas for a very late lunch and cocktail, around 3:00 p.m. Because we avoided the traditionally-busy weekend lunch traffic, we were able to enjoy the meal in peace and quite, without feeling rushed. There’s always a risk of having to share a space with loud baby or bridal shower crowd around this time, but if you can handle the overly hyper yuppies in floral dresses ooooo-ing and aaaaa-ing over a baby bootie, an in-between meal is the perfect place for good food and company.
We shared three appetizers, which coincidently turned out to be all the edibles from the sea.

Calamari Fritto, calamari dusted with our special coating, fried to a crispy golden brown & accompanied with spicy cocktail sauce.
.

Steamed Mussels & Clams, fresh mussels & clams steamed in a white wine garlic broth.
.

Maryland Crab Cakes, two crab cakes served with a lemon-caper remoulade & a mixed green salad.
.

Sourdough — what a delight!
.

Marmalade Café is definitely one of those rare chain restaurants that doesn’t suck. I usually frequent the Sherman Oaks location, but we checked out the Calabasas branch in Commons Way, and both locations have yet to disappoint me (by the way, the lemon champagne vinaigrette they make is absolutely to die for).  I absolutely loved the fact that we had this wonderfully cozy place almost all to ourselves this afternoon. 

Marmalade Café: 4784 Commons Way, Calabasas, CA 91302
★★★★☆