Eating through Los Angeles

I guess there are worse places to be stuck in when Sandy messes up your New York plans.

Traveled to get my annual dose of home in New York, but first made a pit stop in southern California.  Plans changed when Hurricane Sandy hit New York, followed by a snowstorm that blew in a week later.  Stuck on the west coast this Autumn, Norman brought me to some of his favorite spots and we explored a good handful of restaurants that were new to both of us.  Suffice to say, we've both gotten visibly softer around the middle section.  Here's the list and the verdict below.

Eating machines.

(List in this post is still in progress.  More restaurants will be added over this week whenever I find a minute to pop it in!)

Vito's Pizza
846 N La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310) 652-6859
http://www.vitopizza.com

Reputation:  This joint is repudiated as one of the best pizzerias in LA, and serves some of the best NY-style pizza on the west coast.  It's been reviewed among many publications and blogs as being able to stand among the best in Manhattan.

Verdict:  I disagree.  There is nothing New York about the place.  Even the service is anything but New York -- Louis, the guy handling the cashier was probably the nicest and on-the-ball pizzeria server I've come across.  Ever.  Patient, outgoing, offering utensils, extra plates before we even thought to ask, and he sports the most genuine smile I've seen on the west coast.

Unfortunately for LA, if this is the "best" NY-style pizza this city has to offer, then I dread what the pizza must be like in the rest of the area.  After being welcomed by the likes of Louis, we started with a white cheese pesto slice -- it was an exceptional start to our pizza stop. Big dollops of sweet, creamy ricotta is generously dotted across the pie, coming together into a rich bite with swirls of pesto and olive oil.  This pizza is highly recommended.

It started to go downhill when we tucked into the fresh mozzarella slice and the Garibaldi (meatball, jalapeños).  The crust was too thin and flimsy by any standard, and it lacked any flavor.  Save for the amazing ricotta, it seems LA has yet to master the NY pizza... but I guess that's why it's called a "New York style" pizza in the first place.

Carney's Restaurant
8351 W Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 654-8300
http://www.carneytrain.com

Reputation:  It's hard to miss Carney's.  A yellow train car sits along the Sunset Strip with an enormous crossing sign advertising burgers and hotdogs.  Mr. Hartono explained how Carney's is practically a Los Angeles landmark since its opening in the late '60s and is a must-visit for any LA-noobs such as myself.

Verdict:  Skipping the burgers, we popped by just for a quick hot dog (we still had Pink's Hot Dogs and K-Town food to do next).  Call me simple or call me a New Yorker, but I like my dogs with nothing more than mustard, ketchup and sauerkraut...  or else a chili cheese dog.  It was a chilly evening and the sight of all the tall leggy aspiring-actresses strolling along Sunset Blvd made me crave the more gluttonous option of the latter.

The dog was thin, juicy, flavorful, and the outer skin had that vital snap as my teeth broke through the top layer.  I could have done with some chopped raw onions on this baby, but the addition of fresh tomato slices was a nice touch.  Maybe it's because I live in Singapore now and haven't had a good hot dog in almost two years, or maybe the hot dog really was that good.

Slap Yo Mama Food Truck, Pigs Feet Under, Rancho A Go Go Barbeque
http://SlapYoMamaTruck.com
http://PigsFeetUnder.com
http://www.ranchoagogo.com

Reputation: I hadn't gotten the chance to try any food trucks during my stay in LA.  On the last day, my flight was postponed by 12 hours.  I was so angry at United Airlines for once again screwing up my travel, but it gave us the opportunity to scout out a food truck or two in between.  Norman found a bunch of trucks on the way back to the airport, and we were drawn to the rather unusual name, "Slap Yo Mama Truck - Soul Food".

Verdict:  The woman taking orders saw what must have seen the look of indecisiveness on our faces.  With a smile, she welcomed me to California, then listed her favorite eats from the neighboring trucks, "Have you ever had Grilled Cheese Truck?  The grilled cheese at the truck next door at Pigs Feet Under is even better, hands down.  And I love Rancho A Go Go Barbeque - I've never had pulled pork better than theirs.  See that truck across?  They do a cool fusion of Japanese and Persian cuisine..."  She listed a few more before modestly introducing one of their own truck's specialties: The Snoop Dogg Crizto.

 

I've never tried Roscoe's or any other chicken & waffles place before.... and now was a good time as any.  The Snoop Dogg Crizto was named as such (renamed, actually) after Snoop Dogg/Lion himself had the dish and declared it one of his favorites.  It's serious biz when you have chicken and mac n' cheese enveloped in a thick cushion of waffles and syrup.  Don't get too excited or worried about the white dusting on top.  It isn't coke.  It's icing sugar -- which in my book, is close enough.  I officially dig chicken & waffles - I crave this dish even whilst I type this now in Singapore.  I think Norman was quite literally licking the plate clean that evening, while I was polishing off Rancho A Go Go's pulled pork.

Photo by Rancho A Go Go

The Porky Fries from Rancho A Go Go is out of this world.  Slap Yo Mama was not kidding when she said their pulled pork was some of the best out there.  The juicy, soft pulled pork was served over curly fries and topped with tangy barbecue sauce.  If we hadn't already gotten the Snoop Dogg Crizto and a bacon grilled cheese, I would have gone back for seconds (next time, I'll be trying the "Rhino" - pulled pork grilled cheese stuffed with mac n' cheese).

We finished the Bacon Grilled Cheese from Pig's Feet Under last.  I've never had a grilled cheese with so much bacon before -- and we're talking perfectly cooked bacon.  The generous portions of bacon were cooked crisp, but not till burned.  It was salty, flavorful... god, I love bacon.  The fig jam was a nice touch; its natural sweet and tartness balanced the bacon.  We were least enthusiastic about the grilled cheese in this one instance, but only because the other two dishes we ordered were heavy on the caloric richness, making the bacon grilled cheese combo seem more subtle.  It still, however, is one of the better sandwiches I've had.

Spago, Beverly Hills
176 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 385-0880
http://www.wolfgangpuck.com

Review pending.


The Spice Table
114 S. Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 620-1840
http://www.thespicetable.com

Review pending.

California Fish Grill, Irvine
3988 Barranca Parkway #B
Irvine, California 92606
(949) 654-3838
http://cafishgrill.com

Review pending.


Urth Caffe, West Hollywood
8565 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310) 659-0628
http://www.urthcaffe.com

Review pending.

Food For Thought: Fruity Art

Turkish artist and photographer, Şakir Gökçebağ, looks at fruits a little differently.

See the full works at Şakir Gökçebağ's online portfolio.

Party-Goers: A Hangover Cure

. SPONSORED POST .

Whether you're regular party royalty or just a happy-hour kinda guy, there is one thing most of us dread: The Hangover.

Earlier this year, the first time I tested out this supposed hangover cure in Tokyo.

I recently managed to involve cake in my last outing at Avalon Singapore when Steve Aoki was in town.  End result:

What is Steve Aoki talking about on his Instagram?  Check out the video clip below.

Click here to see my chance at revenge

Did that really happen? (Caked clip at 0:30)

I wish I could say this was all there was to the night, but there was much more... someone accidentally knocked one of my heels into the Marina Bay, and there was a little bit of crowd surfing (thanks to Aoki).  I guess there's a first time for everything... and everything that night was indeed a first time!  I woke up the next morning, feeling something like the guys in the movie, The Hangover - minus an actual hangover.

Kids, this is why you shouldn't do drugs.  Copious amounts of vodka and champagne can do enough damage as it is!

Mom, I swear this was all in the name of research.

At least we're keeping to the food theme, here.

As if the previous night's festivities were unbelievable enough (trust me, I do NOT do this sort of craziness on a normal basis), the lack of what should have been a raging hangover made it all the more unbelievable.  Unfortunately, seeing an empty can of Ukon and dozens of images and links of my antics being sent to me the next morning confirmed the reality of it all.
Click here to see my chance at revenge... I caked Aoki BACK.

This saved my weekend.

Ukon Power is the Japanese salarymen's lifesaver (white-collar business men).  In a culture that sees a lot of sake and beer drinking even over the weekdays, Ukon Power is sold at counters from every 7-Eleven to public vending machines.

I would not recommend doing this outside of Japan.
See more about the drunk Salaryman here.

Saying Ukon is a hangover CURE might not be the best term.  It's more of a hangover PREVENTION.  The secret ingredient is curmumin - otherwise known as turmeric.  My friends familiar with their spices roll their eyes whenever they find this out.  Places like India have been using spices for various ailments for centuries.  The curcumin "fights the free-radicals in your body caused by a heavy night of drinking that would otherwise cause you to feel like a wet mop the next morning."

I don't know about you, but I'd rather just have a convenient little canister to pop open before the night gets started rather than yellowing my fingers with a homemade turmeric remedy (this spice stains a deep golden yellow very easily).

Ukon Power is now being sold in Singapore!  While Avalon doesn't provide Ukon (yet?), the company so kindly provided me with a case of the goods to try out.  Thankfully, I decided to give a go the night I saw Steve Aoki.  Not my proudest moment in life, but I had one hell of a night... and I was still able to function the following day.  ...now I just have to explain myself to my mother.

Ukon Power is available online for SGD$55 for 12 x 100 ml canisters.  It is also sold at The Royal Room, Filter, Mink, Overeasy, Loof, Zouk, Attica, TAB, The Merry Men, and The Butter Factory.  Visit Ukon's Facebook Page for more information.

Directions:
Taken before, during or right after (not the morning after - it's too late to save you by then!).  You can mix it with vodka or use it as a chaser for a particularly heinous shot.  I personally take one right before the night begins and another right before heading home.

Food (and supplements) for thought

Saw this photo being passed around on Facebook (photo via Information is Beautiful).  The larger the circle, the higher Google search rate.  Depending on color, this photo organizes based on actual evidence of effectiveness for the conditions listed inside the bubble .  I haven't done any deep research on these items myself, so I can't verify how true all of this is.. but hey, more food for thought.

This image is a “balloon race”. The higher a bubble, the greater the evidence for its effectiveness. But the supplements are only effective for the conditions listed inside the bubble.You might also see multiple bubbles for certain supps. These is because some supps affect a range of conditions, but the evidence quality varies from condition to condition. For example, there’s strong evidence that Green Tea is good for cholesterol levels. But evidence for its anti-cancer effects is conflicting. In these cases, we give a supp another bubble.This visualisation generates itself from this Google Doc. So when new research comes out, we can quickly update the data and regenerate the image. (How cool is that??)

(Click image to enlarge)

Banh mi and Vietnamese noodles [Singapore]

Just got wind of a new Vietnamese restaurant in town.  Opened by the same folks who opened up Annam, Les Amis now presents NamNam Noodle Bar.  Unlike its sister counterpart, NamNam is much more reasonably priced, with Banh mi going for $5.90 and various Vietnamese noodles anywhere between $7.90 to $16.90.

I just came back from my first trip to Vietnam two weeks ago, where banh mi costs a buck each.  But who am I to complain?  My friends and I were whining about the lack of banh mi options in Singapore the whole trip home.

I have NOT tried out NamNam Noodle Bar yet, but it is on my ASAP-to-eat list.  Will report back soon if it's any good.  If you manage to get there before I do, please share your thoughts!  In the meantime, here is their menu:

NamNam Noodle Bar

Raffles City Shopping Centre

#B1-46

&

Wheelock Place

#B2-02

Singapore

Poppin' in Little India at Broadcast HQ [Event]

From the gents who brought you Forty Hands, the Grover brothers are celebrating the coffee joint's 2 year anniversary at their newest venue BROADCAST HQ.  I'm heading to ONE Fighting Championship (link for free tix) that evening, then heading over to this hidden bar in Little India for my free pint of beer.

This isn't any ordinary beer.  This is the Forty Hands & Archipelago Coffee Beer.  They're down to their very last kegs of this unique beer, sharing it with the masses on Saturday 6 October complimentary from 10pm-11pm.

Saturday 6 Oct, 9pm-2am
Grover bros as the evening's DJs!

Happy Birthday Forty Hands!

Broadcast HQ

109 Rowell Road, Little India, Singapore

How to unbake a cake?

In case you ever wanted to unbake a cake, here's how to do it:

via 9GAG.com

La Tour d'Argent: The History

The famed ducks of La Tour d'Argent

Written for Billionaire.com by Victoria Cheng
See the full article here.


Being one of the oldest restaurants in the world is no small feat — neither is being the establishment that popularised the use of the fork. These are both claims confidently made by La Tour d’Argent.

Opened in 1582 on a location between the River Seine and the Bernardins monastery, this  establishment became very fashionable among aristocrats and royalty — kings and their courts frequented the restaurant for elaborate feasts that featured whole ox and Heron paté. During these early years, La Tour d’Argent served the wild ducks that lived by the Seine, a favourite dish of King Henry III. The duck eventually became the speciality of the house.

In 1890, owner Frederic Delair put La Tour d’Argent’s duck on the global map when he created a new ritual, lending each duck its very own number when served. Known as Canard au Sang, or pressed duck (a complex dish, comprising duck served in a sauce of its blood and bone marrow), the dish is still the restaurant’s best-known dish, with numbers still climbing well past the one-million mark in 2003.

The restaurant was acquired in 1910 by André Terrail. He maintained its culinary traditions but sought to further upgrade the restaurant with a modernised façade, new recipes and the beginnings of what would become La Tour d’Argent’s famous wine cellar. He later moved the restaurant to the sixth floor of the building, further increasing its popularity with a stunning view that overlooks the river and Notre Dame. La Tour d’Argent continued to garner countless accolades, including three stars from the Michelin Guide.

With a history spanning more than 400 years, La Tour d’Argent also survived World War I and II. During World War II, Claude Terrail (André Terrail’s son) not only served in the armed forces, but saved the wine cellar from being purged by the occupying Germans by walling up the enormous cellar that contained a majority of its prized rare vintages.


> To read more, see the full article here.

Shark's Meat Nuggets Lor Mee (Tiong Bahru, Singapore)

The famous Lor Mee 178 at Tiong Bahru Market.

I arrived at 4:30pm - no queue and not yet sold out.  Bingo.

For $2.50, you can get a pretty darn decent lor mee here.  For $3.00 you can have that with "shark nuggets", that is, shark's meat fritters (the meat, not the fin - and no, it's not from an endangered breed of shark).  The salty fritters stay crisp even after being soaked in the gravy and the meat is moist in the center.  Shark's meat is not particularly unusual tasting by any standard.  It has the consistency of barramundi, and when the shark's meat is covered in fried batter, most of us wouldn't be the wiser.

I then waddled over to Jian Bo Shui Kueh a few stalls down.  It is hands down, my favorite chwee kueh stall in Singapore.  I got 6 pieces for $1.80 -- all for ME!

Lor Mee 178

Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre
30 Seng Poh Road #02-58, Singapore 168898
Open Daily: 6am - 930pm
(Closed on Wed)

Jian Bo Shui Kueh
Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre
30 Seng Poh Road #02-05, Singapore 168898
Open Daily: 630am - 11pm

Hong Kong tailor comes to Singapore for 3 days

Hong Kong is known for its quality tailors at better prices.  For three days only, bespoke tailor Moda Republic will be coming to Singapore from August 31 to September 2.  Moda Republic will be here to do measurements as well as taking suit and shirt orders - brand name fabrics such as Loro Piana and Ermenegildo Zegna are available.

If you don't have time to scuttle over to Hong Kong, this will be a great time to get your suits, shirts and jackets made.  Moda Republic specializes in slim fit, European cutting, though are able to customize for more traditional suit cutting styles on request.

Suits will start at SGD $390.  Shirts will start at SGD $65 and includes fully customizable linings, collars, cuffs.  Better yet, this includes free shipping from Hong Kong back to Singapore.  The prices are about 30% lower than the other premium tailors in Hong Kong, since Moda sources their fabrics directly and have their own tailors.

If you are interested, contact info@modarepublic.com with your preferred date.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2012

Location: TAB
Address: 442 Orchard Road, #02-29, Singapore 238879 Time: 5:30PM-10PM

Details: We will do a one day pop up store event at TAB (www.tab.com.sg) from 5:30PM-10PM. Come by and get measured for a shirt or suit and remember to invite your friends... first 40 customers will enjoy a free beer! 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

Location: MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL
Address: 5 Raffles Avenue, Marina Square, Singapore 039797 Time: 10AM-7PM (Appointment required, please email info@modarepublic.com)

Details: Visit us in our suite at the Mandarin Oriental to view our fabrics and get measured for a suit or shirt.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012
Location: MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL
Address: 5 Raffles Avenue, Marina Square, Singapore 039797 Time: 10AM-1PM (Fully booked already but if you can only make this day please email us and we will try to arrange something) 
Details: Visit us in our suite at the Mandarin Oriental to view our fabrics and get measured for a suit or shirt.

So what's going on with Diner en Blanc now?

As a follow up to the last post about the Diner en Blanc controversy, I've since received an email from the host, Clemen Chiang.  In his email, he wrote that he had seen my blog and sincerely apologized if he had offended me in any way.  Their Facebook page has also been taken down, and has since been updating from the Diner en Blanc Singapore website instead.

Gastronommy.com was actually never involved in Diner en Blanc in any way, blogger invitation or otherwise.  My editorial team and I were to attend Diner en Blanc on behalf of our publication (ie my paid job as professional media).  We still have intentions to cover the event, since it is our journalistic duty to cover Singapore on-goings.

Our original contact for Diner en Blanc was THOX Pte, the public relations agency handling the event.  We've since been informed that Thox has "officially disengaged [themselves] from working with the client (Diner en Blanc Singapore) as of last Friday 24 Aug 2012 due to a misalignment of views."

I will state some of my honest feelings about the fiasco. 
I'm not entirely offended by the original restriction of Singapore local cuisine.  If I was arranging for a Singapore Makan Day in France, I'd also prefer guests to bring dishes more suited for the occasion.  Same with the dress code - if a host is throwing a beach-themed party, you don't arrive to the event in a tux.  If I was going to a Slow Food pot luck, I sure as heck wouldn't bring ready-made food.

BUT... just as my previous post implies ("Major PR boo-boo"), the stupid part in all of this was how it was handled.  Huge blunder on the PR's side for bad wording... if there's one thing Singaporeans are particularly nationalistic about, it's the local cuisine!  Save for the actual Paris team, the Diner en Blanc Singapore organizers are Singaporean, or else long time residents.  I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt that they don't actually think that local food is garbage.  I'm also not sure what the Indian-Givers situation (aka taking back a gift/invitation) is all about.  Perhaps it was related to the blog post that started it all, or maybe it was something else all together.  Either way, it was once again piss poor publicity handling... whoever it was who thought of that bright idea is probably smashing his head into a wall in shame - that or his boss is doing it for him.

If anything, my sympathetic side can't help but cringe on behalf of Diner en Blanc team.  After months of arrangements and media build up, any positive hype was all blown to shit just days before the event... simply by a thoughtless email and an indignant blog post.  The force of Social Media once again shows its muscle.  That stuff can make or break you.

I too have learned something from watching all of this happen.  All-white parties in Singapore must be bad luck concerning the masses.  From the People's Action Party (PAP) to Diner en Blanc, white just doesn't fly with the public!

Dîner en Blanc makes major PR boo-boo

More details, along with my opinion to come later.  In the meantime, catch up with the gossip from these links:

France's Diner en Blanc is coming to Singapore on August 31.  The invitations to the exclusive pop-up picnic event are highly coveted.. or were, until this happened:

A food blogger was told to remove his post inviting readers to bring white-colored local food - local Singaporean food was not deemed fit for the picnic.  Subsequently, the blogger says he and his friends were uninvited to the event.  His version here: I Have Been Told to Remove My Blog Post; I have Decided I Won't

An hour ago, the organization has followed up with this announcement on their Facebook page:

 "With regards to the local food statement, we would like to clarify that Diner en Blanc worldwide welcomes local food as can be seen in many international events both passed and upcoming. Menus in Barcelona, Mexico, Kigali for instance, all include local food.
We apologize if there has been any misunderstanding at all in this matter.
To the contrary, Diner en Blanc is a celebration of food culture whereby local food should be included; what is not encouraged is "fast food" which goes against the multiple course meal concept of the event. The 3 hour duration of the event allows for guests to invest their time into preparing a 3 course meal.

As guests devote time and energy preparing for the various aspects of the event, we ask that they also devote time and energy preparing their meal as well. The statement was in no way meant to discourage participants from bringing local food. Apologies for the misunderstanding."

Taiwan: Going beyond Taipei

“My favourite night market in all of Taiwan isn’t in Taipei actually,” says my guide and friend, Paul Chen with the seriousness of a Taiwanese foodie.  “My favourite is in Taichung... Feng Jia night market (逢甲夜市) has such great atmosphere; it’s well organised, reasonably priced and the food is so yummy.”  Jessica, another Taiwanese friend agrees, “Although the food seems similar to any other night market, I think night markets like Shilin are getting more expensive and the food stall owners just don’t put heart into their craft anymore."

Like most countries with multiple seasons, there is something special about springtime in Taiwan.  In central Taiwan, the parks of Taichung are laden with flowers blossoming everywhere. It is here in Taichung where you will also find Chun Shui Tang (春水堂 http://chunshuitang.com.tw), the place where bubble tea was invented.

Catch a bus towards Monster Village (妖怪村, next to http://www.mingshan.com.tw) just outside the Sitou Forest Recreation. As the legend goes, during the early years of the Japanese occupation, a Chinese man in charge of Sitou’s forest production was victim to a landslide.  Saved by two animals, a black bear and clouded leopard, the man affectionately named them his “little monsters.”  He vowed to build a village next to the forest to honour his guardian angels.

Monster Village is quaintly decorated with statues of cartoonish looking creatures, whilst the structures have obvious Japanese influence.  Here you can snack on fresh fruits, baked sweet potato, tea eggs and savour the charm of the forest.

Neighboring Taichung is the mountainous Nantou County--the only province in Taiwan that isn’t by the water.  Through the windy paths, there is a certain tranquility in the farms and plantations in the misty mountain tops.  Nantou, famous for its Oolong and green tea plantations (a bottle of iced tea is cheaper than mineral water), is also home to major tourist attraction, Sun Moon Lake.  You’ll see numerous street side stalls selling tea eggs here--and given the county’s famed tea, the dark boiled eggs are a favourite snack.

Along your trip, you’ll cross Pu Li Restaurant (No. 236 Xinyi Road, Puli Township, Nantou County 545, Taiwan www.puli-eating.com.tw Tel: 049-2995-096), one of the most well known in the county.  The President of Taiwan has been known to dine here.

When you need a break, spend an evening at one Taiwan’s numerous hot springs.  Different types of springs are found, ranging from cold springs, hot springs, turbid springs and seawater springs.  Enjoy the therapeutic effects of the springs in the Taichung suburbs.  While it won’t help you slim down from your gluttonous trip, you’ll depart from the springs with a certain rejuvenation.