Claustro

Brian Redzikowski Claustro

@ the BreadBar Century City

10250 Santa Monica Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90067

tel: 310-277-3770

I've been trying to understand the underlying meaning behind the name "Claustro." Apparently, "Claustro" is Latin for "barrier" or "lock"--something Redzikowski is trying to eliminate in the restaurant dining experience. The idea is that there would be more of connection between the kitchen staff and the dining guests. Was this "barrier" overcome at Brian Redzikowski's recent night at the BreadBar's Hatchi event? While some dishes were "finished" at the table, was it really any more interactive than at any other restaurant? Not noticeably so to me...

I've noticed that Redzikowski's creations tend to start with classical French traditions but end with a slight Japanese influence--a cultural combination that seems to be popular. Currently executive chef at The Thompson, Redzikowski used this opportunity to be a little more technically daring and to experiment with dishes he'd want to serve when he opens his own restaurant. For more info, read this interview. With some more experimenting, this concept could be promising...

Tuna

watermelon, tomato, pistachio, soy

The best part of this dish was the similar visual appearance of the cubed raw tuna and fresh water melon. The transparent cherry tomato water film and the tiny pieces of pistachio didn't really add much for me. What stood out was the contrast in texture and flavor between the sweet, crunchy watermelon and the soft tuna with "umami" droplets of soy sauce. The idea was smart and playful, though the flavor combination was nothing new.

Squash Blossom

uni, salsa verde

I really wanted to like this dish. I love fried stuff fried squash blossoms and I LOVE uni. Sadly, it did not live up to my expectations. What stood out immediately was the creamy mouth-feel of the stuffing, then taste of oily fried batter, and finally at the end you get a slight hint of the uni flavor...and I mean slight. The salsa verde added a nice slightly spicy component to the dish.

Unagi

fuji apple, foie gras, potato

This dish was interesting because I've never had unagi with potato. I have to say, it's a good idea. The potato made the eel taste creamier and even fattier. I've also never had shaved frozen foie gras. A large block of frozen foie was "zested" with a microplane onto the dish at the table. The little sprinkling of foie added another rich, unctuous layer of flavor when mixed with the creamy sauce underneath. I can't say I really noticed the thin slices of apple, though it was a nice idea.

Langoustine

rancho gordo beans, chive

I was not impressed by this offering of langoustine. In fact, I was pretty disappointed. The texture of langoustine was off--instead of sweet and snappy, it was more mushy than anything. Mushy is not a word you want associated with seafood. At first glance I thought the beans were boiled peanuts and I got excited. Turns out, they weren't peanuts and they weren't particularly exciting.

Halibut

artichoke, hoji blanca

The halibut was severely under-seasoned and actually kind of dry. The olive oil three ways--powder, pudding, and foam--is the only thing worth noting in this dish. Even so, the powder had no flavor and the foam was just there, but thankfully, the strip of olive oil pudding was fairly interesting.

Wagyu

spring garnish

Beautiful presentation of marbled steak with dainty accompaniments of morel, asparagus, carrot spherification, a French onion soup chip, pearl onion, a cute miniature twine-tied bouquet garnis, and a giant clove of roasted garlic. We were instructed to break open the carrot spherification and use the carrot purée inside as a sauce. Sadly, the beef wasn't as tender or melt-in-my-mouth fatty as I was expecting, but the sweet caramelized onions hidden underneath beef were deliciously sweet. The whole dish had flavors of a French onion soup, and it's safe to say, the vegetables out-shined the meat.

Float

Asahi, acacia honey

This beer float was hand-down, my favorite of the night. Frosty, light and refreshing, it was ridiculously addicting. I wanted an entire glass of it to myself. I imagine this would be perfect in the summertime while lounging by the pool. Now I just have to figure out how to recreate this...

Caramel Popcorn

preserved cherries

The second dessert of the night was also very good. Redzikowski clearly excelled in the dessert department that night. The caramel panna cotta was delicious and reminded us of cereal milk. The popcorn foam and actual pieces of caramelized popcorn were very pleasant--thankfully, the popcorn wasn't soggy. The caramel powder stuck together and reformed into a sticky blob of sticky sweet goodness. The preserved cherries went surprisingly well with the rest of the flavors. I loved everything about this dessert.

My dining companion Helen and I both agreed that the desserts were better than the savory plates offered that night. Although I didn't enjoy some of the dishes, I still found the menu as a whole to be interesting. Also, I would love another one of those Asahi beer floats right now :)

Saul Cooperstein Deli 2010

Anyone who did not attend the Deli 2010 Hatchi event at the BreadBar Century City missed out. It was an orgy of refined-deli foods, all presented beautifully and seductively whether it was steaming hot soup served in a double-walled glass soup bowl or thin, succulent slices of pastrami piled-high on a piece of rye. The only downside was knowing that all those delicious creations would be available for that one night only.

At $8 a plate, this was one of the best and most memorable meals I've had in LA recently. Perhaps it was the novelty of recreating traditional deli foods in non-traditional ways that piqued my interest. Perhaps it was simply my love for good pastrami. All I know is, as my friend Denise and I shared our way through each of the 8 offerings, we were continually enthralled and delighted by the dishes placed before us.

It seemed appropriate that Saul Cooperstein, SBE's Managing Director Business Development, would now take a turn in the BreadBar kitchen. SBE's Restaurant division is responsible for bringing some of the biggest names in the culinary industry to Los Angeles. These include Michael Mina with XIV by Michael Mina and José Andrés with The Bazaar at the SLS Hotel--restaurants where I've had wonderful experiences. More than a third of the guests chefs previously featured in the BreadBar Hatchi series, including Michael Voltaggio, Marcel Vigneron, and Waylynn Lucas were veterans of The Bazaar. For more info and an interview with Saul, visit Food GPS.

With flavors closely associated to traditional Jewish delis, Saul created dishes that provided the comfort of deli foods while transforming them into something never seen before. This he dubbed Deli 2010. He drew obvious inspiration from his friends in the restaurant industry--from what I could tell, namely José Andrés with the spherifications and tomato-melon skewers (just to name a few).

Everything was executed perfectly. The level of attention that went into the event--from menu-planning to menu-printing--was obvious. The 8 dishes progressed from lighter fare to more robust and hearty dishes. I overheard the table next to us (people who worked with Saul) talking about how Saul went to a specific store to find the specific kind of paper he wanted to print his menu on...a little hardcore but the paper did feel nice :)

Saul Cooperstein Deli 2010

@ the BreadBar Century City

10250 Santa Monica Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90067

tel: 310-277-3770

We had a 6PM reservation and was the first table seated thus it was still quiet and calm in the restaurant. While the ambiance of the BreadBar is nice, it does get a little loud once all the tables are full. The sun was still out when we began our meal and the lighting was perfect for taking pictures of the beautiful dishes. As the evening progressed, the tables started filling up in the blink of an eye (most of the patrons seemed to be acquaintances of Saul) and my pictures became a little less pristine by dessert.

Matzo Ball Soup

Clarified Chicken Stock, Smoked Matzo Ball, 'Chicken Noodles', Soup vegetables, Horseradish and Fresh Dill

A steaming hot bowl of matzo ball soup is not easy to photograph. My pictures don't do it justice. The glass soup bowl that the soup was served in was beautiful. I would love a set myself. The soup itself was just as good. Texturally, the 'chicken noodles' were exactly like noodles found in chicken noodle soup. Flavor-wise, it was simply the pure essence of chicken. Pretty pleasantly surprising. The matzo ball, however, was of the denser variety. The mini root vegetables in the soup were also delicious. Look how cute that baby radish is! or is it a baby turnip?

Bagel with Lox 'Nigiri'

Puffed Rice, House Cured and Smoked Wild King Salmon, Dill Cream Cheese, Smoked Salmon Roe and Red Onion

This was another gorgeous dish served in an interesting plate. I couldn't stop snapping pictures of it. While it wasn't big on substance, it was big on flavor. My friend D looked at me and said, "This taste exactly like lox!" The smoked salmon wasn't excessively salty at all and the salmon roe provided nice pops of richness. I'm sure we could've both eaten like 10 of them and still craved more.

Reuben Croquettes

Japanese A-5 Wagyu Rib Cap Corned Beef (Saul's Corned Beef), Béchamel, Gruyere, Jalsberg, Sauerkraut and Toasted Caraway Seeds all Coated and Fried in Rye Bread Crumbs with Thousand Island

One of the richer courses we encountered, it was still very well-balanced. While it was deliciously creamy inside, the bread crumb crust still managed to be so delicately thin and crispy. The little dollop of thousand island dressing on top completed the reuben flavor profile.

Lamb Pita

Deboned Rack of Lamb, Cured and Smoked with Vadouvan and Traditional Spices, Toasted Pita, Cole Slaw 'Tzatziki'

--Served with a Melon and Pickled Tomato Skewer

The transition from the rich croquette to this lamb pita is a perfect example of how well thought out the menu was. The tzatziki was incredibly refreshing with the flavors of greek tzatziki but the texture of cole slaw. The vadouvan cured lamb was tender and slightly sweet. The toasted pita folded up into the perfect mode of transportation from plate to mouth. The pickled tomato and melon skewer completed the bright-tasting dish.

Sky High Sandwich

Warm Veal Pastrami Stacked High on Pumpernickel with Sweet and Hot Mustard

--Served with Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips

This pastrami sandwich was ridiculous! It was so good. I'm drooling just thinking about it right now. The veal was sliced so thin and spiced so wonderfully. It was sweet and juicy and perfectly salty. I've never had pastrami this orgasmic. Each bite of the tender meat almost brought tears to my eyes. The salt and vinegar chips, on the other hand, literally brought tears to my eyes--some were way too vinegary! However, they were interesting because the potatoes themselves were sliced so thin and fried to such a crisp that it was like eating salt and vinegar air.

Saul's Pastrami Sandwich

Japanese A-5 Wagyu Rib Cap Pastrami (Saul's Pastrami), Served Warm on Jewish Rye with Deli Brown Mustard

--Served with a Half Sour Pickle Spherification

Saul's Pastrami is cooked sous vide to medium rare instead of being steamed to well-done like traditional pastrami made from brisket. Although this is his signature dish, it was a little bit on the fatty side for me. Obviously the flavor is in the fat, but it was just a little too much. And had I not just inhaled the beauty and perfection of the veal pastrami minutes before, I might've enjoyed this sandwich more. Still, it was without a doubt, a formidable pastrami sandwich, and I didn't leave a single scrap behind--not even a sliver of fat. The sour pickle spherification tasted like a freshly-made pickle when eaten with the disk of cucumber underneath and was a nice foil to the richness of the sandwich. Obviously this was one part of the dish Denise and I couldn't share. Spherifications are meant for personal enjoyment ;) Thus, our server graciously brought out another one for us.

Babka

Cinnamon Babka French Toast, Vanilla Bourbon Maple Syrup, and Orange Blossom Ice Cream

By this point, we were more than ready for dessert. Traditional babka is a yeast dough baked in a loaf pan with cinnamon or chocolate and topped with streusel. This take on babka did not disappoint. It reminded me of bread pudding--but bread pudding to the hundredth power. It had crunchy edges of caramelized cinnamon sugar and a gooey, sticky sweet center. This was the best french toast/bread pudding I'd ever had. The orange blossom ice cream reminded us of a orange creamsicle but in a very good way. Our only wish was that the quenelle of ice cream had been larger!

Rugelach

Cream Cheese Ruguelach, Passion fruit "Apple Sauce" and Crispy Passion fruit Meringue

Sadly, the rugelach were unmemorable. Merely pieces of what tasted like puff pastry. At least they were warm. I love the flavor of passion fruit and meringues are one of my severe obsessions. I had such high expectation for this dessert. The passion fruit "apple sauce" was the only thing that made this dish worth eating. The meringues I prefer to pretend didn't exist on the plate. They were soggy and sticky--not anything like a meringue should be.

Even with a slightly disappointing parting dessert, Denise and I still left completely satisfied and raving about the food. I've said this before and I'll say it again--it is ALWAYS infinitely more enjoyable to eat with people who also enjoy food. Luckily, she was also very accommodating and didn't mind me snapping a few pictures :)

If Saul's approach for Deli 2010 was to have fun while presenting approachable deli flavors using both techniques and products that would not likely be found in your average corner deli, he more than succeeded. My craving for a veal pastrami is almost unbearable right now. Too bad the pastrami at the corner deli can't even compare.

Peru, Mucho Gusto!

Translation: Peru, nice to meet you!

Thursday night I met chef Ricardo Zarate. He introduced me to Peruvian food for the first time, and it was a very nice meeting indeed.

This meeting took place at the BreadBar in Century City during one of their Hatchi events. "Hatchi" which translates to the number eight in Japanese, refers to the six savory dishes and two sweet creations in an original, one-night only suite of plates that a different guest chef prepares at the BreadBar every month. Usually serving "good-enough-to-be-gourmet" Peruvian dishes at his restaurant Mo-Chica in downtown L.A., this was his night at the BreadBar. I'm so glad I got to experience it.

After getting the last 10PM reservation on the day of and after finding a willing dinner companion to eat dinner at 10PM, we made my way down to the BreadBar in Century City to experience Ricardo Zarate's creations. The restaurant itself is located inside a nice mall, which at 10 pm is completely dead. We had no idea where exactly the BreadBar was located so we just followed our ears towards the only sound in the entire complex. We made our way there and realized that the place was still packed, with live music and lively chatter. The ambiance was lovely and I realized I was almost giddy with excitement. I think I vainly tried to conceal this giddiness since my dining companion was nowhere near the level of obsessed foodie that I am. I couldn't conceal it.

We sat down and were handed menus and cute keepsake Mo-Chica keychains. I hungrily read the menu (even though I admit I had already read it numerous times online beforehand) and we decided to share all 8 courses between the two of us. I then saw the chef in his white and red-striped track jacket, emblazoned with Peru on the back, chattering with his happy customers. He stopped by and talk to us for a few minutes, inviting us to visit his restaurant in downtown LA. Chef Zarate was completely unpretentious and incredibly warm and welcoming as he wished us a nice dinner.

Ricardo Zarate of Mo-Chica

@ the BreadBar Hatchi Series

10250 Santa Monica Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90067

(310)277-3770

SOPA DE COLIFLOR

cauliflower soup, crispy pancetta, croutons, feta cheese dressing

This soup was a beautiful purple color, warm, thick, and rich, but slightly too salty for my tastes. The feta cheese dressing was nice and tangy but I feel like the salty bits of prosciutto would've been better appreciated if the soup itself was less salty. I also felt like I wanted something other than the crunchy croutons to dip in the soup but I couldn't tell you what...

CAUSA TRIO

trio of peruvian potato salad: (from left to right) spicy blue fin tuna, rocoto aioli; blue crab, mayo, huancaina sauce; scallops, menatiko sauce

Easily my favorite dish of the night, and not just because of how pretty it looks. My favorite within my favorite was the middle salad. The deliciously creamy yellow potatoes contrasted so well with the sweet blue crab meat. YUM. I wish I could have more without having to go all the way downtown!

CEVICHE MIXTO

tairagai, uni, sea bass, aji amarillo leche de tigre sauce

There could not have been a more perfect ceviche for me. I love anything that comes in a shell, I love sea bass, and I LOVE uni. All three together was just perfection. The uni coated the tairagai and sea bass pieces in a lovely dressing of the sea and I even found a few surprise pieces of whole uni. Even my dining companion--who does not like uni--liked this dish. Chef Zarate came by and told us that he had found these clams at the last minute that morning. They were freshly flown in from Japan. Simply delicious. Last but not least, the presentation was beautiful--with the ceviche served in the shell of the tairagai.

TIRADITO DE PESCADO

yellow tail tiradito, sundried tomato yuzu dressing

This dish was light and refreshing. I loved the dressing. He said lemons. I said limes. Turns out it was yuzu! Figures. The yellowtail, sliced sashimi-style reflects Japanese influences on the tradition ceviche.

CARAPULCRA

peruvian sun dried potatoes, pancetta, roasted black cod, chimichurri sauce

This dish was also perfect. We both love black cod. In fact, I don't think I would ever be able to resist black cod. The fish was perfection--not overcooked so it was still moist. The slightly fatty cod went so well with the intensely savory potatoes underneath and fresh chimichurri sauce on top. I have no idea how Chef Zarate cooked those potatoes but they were amazing.

SECO DE CORDERO

stew lamb shoulder in black beer and cilantro sauce, canario beans, red onion salsa

This was the filling, warm, dish we had been waiting for. The beautiful wooden bowl it was served in added to the earthiness of the lamb dish. It was rich and flavorful with nice creamy beans.

SELVA NEGRA

flourless chocolate cake, lucuma ice cream, tamarillo sauce

This dessert course was okay. The cake was a little dry--nothing spectacular. However, I loved the ice cream. Lucuma is a flavor that I have never encountered because so it was interesting trying to figure out what it tasted like. We came to the conclusion that, despite being a fruit, the lucuma ice cream almost had a maple syrup-like flavor. I could've eaten another bowl of just the ice cream.

KIWICHA CON LECHE Y ESENCIA DE MAZAMORRA

kiwicha coconut pudding, purple corn essence, mixed nuts

I'm always a little nervous when I invite people to eat out with me. I always worry that they won't enjoy the food. However, when my friend took his first bite of this dessert and I saw the delight on his face, I knew this dinner was successful. Neither of us knew what to expect when we took our first bites, but after that first bite, our spoons kept going back for more. I loved this dessert mainly because it was not overly sweet. The texture of the mini quinoa-like grains of kiwicha in the subtly sweet coconut milk was perfect. It was a great way to end the meal.

Thank you Ricardo Zarate! I love Peru! I can't wait to visit Mo-Chica soon!