Red Medicine

Something special happened last summer between a couple of friends over jamon iberico and pitchers of sangria, and although it's been months since we've left the crowded streets of Las Ramblas and the dry heat of Madrid, that magic is still there. I like to think our friendship really developed over food, perhaps with my unyielding stance against touristy spots as the catalyst. Instead of quick meals of reheated paella at some convenient restaurant, we shared many long dinners that were rewarding not only in taste, but also in conversation. One night we wandered the cobblestone alleyways of the Barri Gotic to find ourselves at a hidden gem of a restaurant, where we played a wine-ridden game of truth or dare. In Madrid, we kept returning to a Galician tavern that served the tenderest octopus on wooden platters. We loved it so much, it was there that we celebrated our last night in Spain with a flaming bowl of boozy queimada.

It took a birthday to get us all back together for a meal, but the interesting dynamic between us was still the same. The request was "artistic" food. My answer was Red Medicine. Coincidentally and fittingly, we were still sharing "tapas" of sorts, though Vietnamese and not Spanish in nature. Yes, the food was beautiful (I'm a sucker for the careful sprinkling of little flowers), but it was the company that really made my night.

Red Medicine

8400 Wilshire Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

tel: 323-651-5500

www.redmedicinela.com

SWEET POTATO

dried chili, turmeric, beer, baby shrimp, lettuce

BEEF TARTARE

water lettuce, water chestnut, spicy herbs, nuoc leo, chlorophyll

"BANH MI"

foie gras, pate de campagne

green papaya, pickled roots, crispy taro, tree nuts, nuoc cham

early season legumes and roots (raw & roasted), virgin walnut, bayonne ham

oyster mushrooms, oyster sauce, haricot vert, brioche, espelette

LAMB BELLY

hoisin, hibiscus-onion, sunflower seeds, salsify, lady apple

BEEF CHEEK

"cromesquis", cashew, asian pear, raisin, romanesco

COCONUT BAVAROIS

coffee, condensed milk, thai basil, peanut croquant, chicory

LIME SABAYON

cucumber ice cream, cashew macaroons, white chocolate, jasmine

Lukshon

This is most peoples' train of thought:

Sang Yoon --> Father's Office --> BURGER.

now we can add on --> Lukshon, because it is not only next door to Father's Office, but also a Sang Yoon establishment.

Ironically, I had my first Father's Office burger after my visit to Lukshon, so I really had no prior expectations of Sang Yoon. I just knew I was a lucky girl to be one of the first to try out his newest venture during a "friends and family" dinner. After much speculation that Lukshon would be a noodle bar, it turns out that it is actually a modern southeast Asian restaurant. Before the dinner, I'd heard everything from "Sang Yoon is very handsome" to "Sang Yoon is the David Chang of the west coast...maybe even a better chef."

Still, I had no idea I would be in for such a treat that night. Our table of six literally got a taste of almost every single dish on a menu. I didn't get pictures of everything we ate, but trust me, I've never experienced so many positive dishes on a single menu.

Lukshon

3239 Helms Ave.

Culver City, CA 90232

tel: 310-202-6808

singapore sling

I tend to enjoy "girly" cocktails, but unfortunately, those tend to usually be on the sweet side. I started the meal with this singapore sling, and it was actually very well balanced. It was still girly and fruity with the pineapple juice, but not too sweet at all.

spanish mackerel

coconute vinegar, jalapeno, lemongrass, green papaya

Tasted exactly as it looked. I really appreciated how thinly sliced the green papaya strands were. It had all the typical flavors of a green papaya salad (which really went well with the fishiness of the mackerel), but the way the vegetables were prepped made it more delicate.

beef tartare

pickled cucumber, chiles, onion, herbs, aromatic rice powder

Loved that the tartar was served on little rounds of pickled cucumber, although they were a little difficult to pick up. Fantastic texture on the beef--not mushy at all. This was the first time I've ever had beef tartar with Asian flavors and I'll say it works!

shrimp toast

rock shrimp, cilantro, chiles, tiny croutons

I'm always a fan of shrimp toast and these arrived in the unconventional shape of a ball. The sweet rock shrimp paste was rolled in tiny croutons before being deep fried. Tasty little balls.

baby monterey squid

chiang mai pork sausage, candlenut, mint, rau ram

The sausage stuffed inside the baby squid was such a nice surprise. Juicy and slightly sweet, the pork sausage was really the star of this dish, although the squid did provide a nice tender vessel for the meat. The tentacles are always my favorite part of any calamari dish, so I loved that the tentacles were fried and piled on top.

duck popiah

cilantro stems, pickled jicama, house-made hoisin chile sauce

The skin on these reminded me of the thin pancakes you get with Peking duck. Actually I guess the entire thing was kind of reminiscent of that, with the duck meat and hoisin sauce and all, but the pickled jicama added a nice crunchy texture.

spicy chicken pops

shelton farms' drumettes, garlic, kecap manis, spicy sichuan salt

These little frenched drumettes are the perfect thing to share family style, but you won't want to! The meat is gathered into a juicy ball at the end of the bone while the tangy sweet glaze and the dusting of spicy sichuan salt made these little flavor bombs tongue-numbing, yet addictive. I'm not sure why I'm so obsessed with these. I thought the flavors were great, and I could just barely handle the heat level, but really, it must just be because they were also so adorable!

kurobuta pork ribs

spicy chicory coffee bbq sauce

These were really nicely cooked ribs and the sauce was good--not too sweet or sticky. They just weren't the most exciting dish on the menu.

lamb sausage roti canai

chana dal, cumin, mint, pickled cauliflower

Too greasy. But tasty enough for me to want some again.

foie gras ganache

carob, ceylon cinnamon, tamarind gastrique, almond, puffed rice

This is one of the only dishes on the menu I'd say "PASS" to. It really nothing special. It looked and tasted like a cube of mildly flavored foie gras mousse. I know it's hard to say no to foie gras, but this just wasn't worth the stomach space.

prince edward island mussels

green chile rempah, coconut, tapioca, thai basil, lime

Some of the best mussels and best green curry I've ever had. There were surprisingly little pearls of tapioca (the kind you would usually find in Asian desserts) in the broth that were an interesting addition, and the mussels were fat and tender. I could've mopped up that curry with bread, rice, noodles, you name it. Heck, I would drink it straight, but I'm a lady.

sonoma lamb chops

market spices, herb butter

Really well-spiced, well-cooked lamb. You can't tell in this picture, but underneath that nicely charred surface is a bright pink and tender flesh. It's the most expensive entrée on the menu but if you love lamb, it's worth it.

short rib rendang

malay spices, red chile lemongrass rempah, coconut cream

That brown smear of sauce on the plate is amazing! I have no idea what is in it or what is it, but it really made the dish. The next best thing on the plate were the little crispy rice cakes. They look like hash browns, but they're really fried rice cakes! The crispy exterior had a texture that was just like McDonald's breakfast hash browns (which I LOVE) but the interior was soft, slightly sticky rice kernels formed into a square patty. I know the meat was probably supposed to be the star of the dish (and it was a meltingly tender, well-marbled piece of meat), but I just could not get over the rice cakes.

garlic pork belly

do ban jian, rice cakes, cabbage, garlic chives

I would say this is the entrée to get if you're only picking one. The pork belly wasn't too fatty, and the do ban jian was so flavorful it was kind of ridiculous. The rice cakes on their own were a little bland (which they usually are), but with the rest of the dish, it was a nice balance. It reminded me of the Shanghainese dish chao nian gao, but so much better!

wok charred baby eggplant

panch puran, tomato sambal, mint

We tried all of the sides on the menu, but my favorite was actually the eggplant, and I don't usually like eggplant. It wasn't cooked to mush and actually retained a nice firm texture. Although I'll be honest, I was so full by the point the sides came out, I was no longer sure of what I was putting in my mouth.

chiang mai curry noodles

yellow curry, lemongrass, pork belly, prawn, rice noodles

Based on its appearance, I wasn't expecting too much of this noodle dish. However, it ended up being one of my favorite dishes of the night. Sang Yoon must know his curries, because this yellow curry was also fantastic. I didn't get any of that giant prawn laying on top, but I didn't really need it. The noodles by themselves with the curry sauce was already delicious. The little crispy bits of shallots on top were also a nice textural addition.

dandan noodles

kurobuta pork, sesame, preserved mustard greens, sichuan peppercorns, peanuts

If you're a bit of a spice wimp, STAY AWAY from the noodles! I'm still having nightmares about this dish. Supposedly the sichuan peppercorns are a mild numbing heat, rather than a straight up burning heat, but what I felt was more like a trip to the dentist. I felt like someone gave me a syringe full of local anesthesia on my tongue. It was tingling, and everything tasted weird after I had a bite of these noodles. Thankfully, it was the last dish we had. I've had plenty of dandan noodles, but I have never experienced such a peculiar sensation before. Having said that, the noodles were actually a very nice texture. I can't say much about the flavor because my tongue gave up on me after a few bites.

Eduardo, the sommelier, provided us with some fantastic Riesling pairings throughout the meal (and all the girls at the table were practically swooning over his charming manner and good looks). My family often pairs Rieslings with Chinese food, but the bottle of 2002 von Hövel Riesling Kabinett that Eduardo brought out was unbelievable. I might be in love...with the wine of course ;) It smelled of faintly of petroleum but tasted of sweet, ripe pineapple. However, he gave up on pairing a wine with the dandan noodles because of the spices and did a beer pairing instead. The beer was nice on its own, but it only aggravated my tongue more after my bite of dandan death. Yes, it was that bad for me.

Dessert is always complimentary and always random at Lukshon. That night, we got a kiwi jasmine soup with chunks of pineapple and a coconut pandan panna cotta with a sesame rice crisp. Both were refreshing and much needed after a meal of heavy flavors.

I really loved Lukshon. I really hated the dandan noodles, in fact, I might be scared of them. But really, it's the best pan-Asian, Asian-inspired, Asian-influenced, Asian fusion, straight-up Asian restaurant I've been to in a long time. It's rare for me to eat at a restaurant and then still be thinking about it days afterwards. All the flavors were really flavors that I just crave. I can't get that dou ban jian sauce out of my head, and I just want to pop chicken pops in my mouth all night. If you couldn't tell, I can't wait to go back.

Bouchon Beverly Hills

First accidental DineLA meal of this year happened at Bouchon.

I had an afternoon to spend in Beverly Hills so I started thinking about my lunch options. I'm embarrassed to say, Bouchon didn't even occur to me until I was turned down by Spago, and I found out Scarpetta was closed for a filming. I will never make such a mistake again. Bouchon is now first on my list for someplace close by Rodeo Drive. The restaurant was ridiculously busy, but the bustling atmosphere made it feel even more like a brasserie in Paris. I could not have been more content that day, eating alone at the zinc bar, pretending I was spending a day in Paris.

This was actually my first time at any Bouchon and my first time eating at a Thomas Keller institution. I was beyond impressed. That should've been no surprise. Every dish was flawless. Even the salad was the most flavorful, yet simple, salad I've ever had. The croque madame was orgasmic (and I really try to shy away from the word when describing food). The chocolate bouchons could not have been a more satisfying end to the meal.

Bouchon

235 N. Canon Drive

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

tel: 310-271-9910

The warm pain d'epi that they bring out is baked fresh every day in the Bouchon kitchen. It is, by far, the best bread I've had in LA so far with a crusty exterior and a chewy interior. The soft butter that comes with the bread was also amazing. I'm embarrassed to say how much of the butter I consumed by myself. The bartender told me she often sneaks pieces of warm bread in the kitchen. I'm jealous.

Salade Maraîchère au Chèvre Chaud

mixed greens with red wine vinaigrette, warm goat cheese croûton & herbes de Provence

This salad was so flavorful, I'm still in shock. There were plenty of herbs and chopped shallots in the vinaigrette and the warm goat cheese provided the perfect creamy touch. Loved it--and I don't usually get excited about salads.

Croque Madame

grilled ham & cheese sandwich on broiche, fried egg & mornay sauce, served with French fries

Ah the pièce de résistance. The sweet, buttery brioche, the juicy, pink ham, and the nutty gruyère carefully stacked to create an awe-inspiring tower of decadence topped with a picture-perfect fried egg and a generous drizzle of creamy mornay sauce. This was the best croque madame I've ever had, and I've had quite a few during my time in Paris. The fluffy brioche was beautifully browned in butter, and the ham had a mouthwatering cured flavor. Not to mention, it was accompanied by a glorious mound of crispy fries.

Bouchons

Valrhona chocolate brownies with chocolate sauce & vanilla ice cream [$2 supplement]

Just plain delicious. Warm and chocolaty, dessert doesn't get any better than this.

The DineLA deal is a real steal. If you haven't been to Bouchon yet, GO! This is definitely my new favorite spot for French food in LA. I just can't believe I waited this long to try it.

Wolvesmouth

Wolvesden

Who: Chef Craig Thornton (Wolvesmouth) and 12 potential strangers

What: Underground Dining with an ever-changing seasonal menu

When: Saturday, January 15, 2011 (first of the new year, but these dinners happen about twice a month)

Where: secret location (I'll be honest, I'm still not entirely sure where it was, just that it was in a spacious loft)

Why: because I'm a lucky girl (it's invite only but here's how to get on the list)

The menu for the night.

squash, cotija, crema, nopales, white onion

The first thing I noticed in the kitchen was the bright orange pot of soup on the stove. Craig kept raving about how sweet the butternut squash was. "I only added water, salt, and butter!" he kept emphasizing. Multiple spoons kept dipping in the pot as he offered tastes to those standing close enough. Finally, we sat down at a long table for 12 and this first course arrived. It was not only remarkably sweet, but also incredibly rich--almost too rich for me. From the size of this course, I knew the portions weren't going to be shy that night.

crab, malt vinegar "sabayon," old bay profiterole, mustard mizuna

Sometimes, when a dish is so gorgeously plated, I get a little trigger-happy and can't stop taking pictures even when I already have multiple good shots. This was one of those dishes. Everything on the plate was put on there to help one another. The sweet delicate meat of the Dungeness crab was delicious on its own, but with the light airy profiteroles filled with an equally delicate, light, acidic sabayon it was something else. The wisps of baby mizuna added yet another layer of textures and looked so elegant on top of the abundance of crab meat tossed with chives. Craig later described it as a very "feminine" dish, which I guess explains why I was so taken with it.

John Dory shard, sweet sour shallot

This was the only dish of the night that didn't really stand out to me. The fish was a little too firm and unremarkable when compared to what came before and after it.

snails, wild mushrooms, black walnut, crouton, pine

With an assortment of mushrooms (including blue foot and fresh chanterelle) and escargot, this was a very earthy dish. Of course the funkiness of the shrooms really got along with the snail, so the most surprising element of this dish was the drizzle of maple syrup. I've never had a sweet preparation of escargot, but this was remarkable--almost like an escargot french toast when you drag the buttery crouton through the syrup and eat it with the snail. So surprisingly good. When I asked Craig how he ever came up with such a idea, this was roughly his train of thought "snails --> earth --> mushrooms --> forest --> trees --> syrup." Crazy.

squid, 38 day dry aged steak tartar, creamed kimchi, Asian pear

The steak was quickly seared at a super high heat so that it was still rare in the middle before it was diced up into tartar. Interesting idea, but it actually reminded me a bit of leftover, chopped up steak. However, the creamed kimchi was a revelation. The usual fermented acidity and spiciness of the kimchi was tempered by heavy cream, which mellowed it out and gave it a kind of sweetness. Eaten with the kimchi, the smokiness of the charred meat really came out. The balls of Asian pear and the cute little squid were also welcome additions, but really, I just couldn't get over how good the kimchi was.

verjus, yuzu ice

Nice little palate cleanser. Sweet and sour, it would've been perfect with some vodka. Just saying.

veal tongue dumpling, trotter bacon relish

This dish really reminded me of my childhood. The pig trotter relish was made with black vinegar--a flavor that I immediately associate with dumplings. There was some five spice going on somewhere between the rich, chewy-skinned dumpling and the gelatinous, porky relish that really honed in on the Chinese flavors. Craig mentioned that he had to soak the pig's feet in water for like four days or something crazy like that to draw out the impurities, and he steamed the dumplings before boiling them to achieve the perfect texture in the skins. Sounds meticulous, but the end result really was absolutely delicious. I just wish I had more than one dumpling in that bowl.

roasted chicken home style, glazed carrot

This was intended to be a simple dish, something that Craig cooks for himself and something that anyone could recreate in their own kitchen. The chicken was roasted very simply with salt, the skin removed as the bird was resting to crisp up individually in the oven, and the white and dark meat were both then tossed in the reduced pan juices. I was not particularly taken with this dish because it really was quite simple and quite honestly, a little salty for me. I loved the accompanying carrots though--sweet and almost slightly nutty in flavor.

french toast ice cream

Basically puréed french toast in ice cream form. Rich, creamy, and the definition of decadent.

chocolate panna cotta, chestnut purée, coffee shortbread, pear ice, coffee meringue, warm pear

Almost looks like an abstract work of art, but even better because it's edible. I love that we've been getting generous portions, but this was a little much for me. I'm not a big fan of the chocolate and pear combination but there were certainly a myriad of textures in this dessert to keep one's attention.

At the end of the meal, red envelopes were passed around (how Chinese!) and the guests get to determine for themselves how much they valued the meal. A concept that only adds to the appeal and allure of a Wolvesden meal.

Strictly BYOB, Darin of Darin Dines picked out some very nice beers for us to bring. He figured correctly that everyone else would be bringing wines.

I think it's important to note that it wasn't only the food that night that was a satisfying and rare treat. Only good things can come out of eating with 11 other people who also REALLY enjoy good food. One couple actually drove all the way from Fresno (what are the chances?) just to eat this meal. Our dinner conversations ranged from deciding on an accurate description for the taste and texture of frogs' legs to the best steak tartar in L.A. Of course, as each course arrived there was also an enjoyable discussion of what was on the plate before us. This is what I live for.

After dinner, Craig came over and had a nice conversation with us. He explained his desire to remain within one cuisine for each dish whether it be Korean, Mexican, Japanese, etc. Although his menu is by no means focused on one particular cuisine, each dish remains within the constraints of one. I loved this concept. There are reasons why some flavors are consistently used together in a cuisine--they just go well together. When you go and throw wasabi on a dumpling with a side of salsa for example, it's just weird.

By the end of the meal, there was really only one word in my mind. Respect. I don't understand how Craig is able to pull this off. He does two dinner a month, not including private dinners, and never makes the same dish twice. The man shops for the ingredients, plans out the menus, does all the prep work, and manages all the cooking for over 10 courses for 12 people using only a 4 burner cooktop and an oven that's smaller than the one in my apartment. To me, that's magic.

p.s. this was my first time using my new Canon DSLR with my new 50mm f1.8 lens...tips greatly appreciated!