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Starry Kitchen - Los Angeles (Downtown)

Published

on March 4, 2010

in Asian Fusion, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review

. 18 Comments

I, like countless others, intended to eat at Starry Kitchen when it was an underground supper club in North Hollywood. I, like countless others, kept procrastinating until it was too late. I, like countless others, now must lunch downtown in order to experience the culinary magic.

Walking through the doors of the new Starry Kitchen late last week, the first thing I noticed was Nguyen Tran’s smiling face. The line of worker bees was stretched almost out the door, and in the midst of it all was a cool, calm, and collected Nguyen explaining the drill and moving the crowd along. It’s this kind of genuine interaction and customer care that makes Starry Kitchen really special. That, and the interesting and fresh food that Nguyen’s wife Thi whips up in the kitchen.

Starry Kitchen, which is named after Thi’s favorite Hong Kong soap opera, is located in the courtyard of the California Plaza building. The place is only open for lunch at the moment, but Thi and Nguyen hope to extend service through dinner on Thursdays and Fridays in the future.

Whereas the NoHo crowd was mostly comprised of media-savvy mavens, the one downtown is made up of business-minded professionals. It’s been years since I’ve been a part of the rat race, so it was a treat to people gawk watch.

“Pick your protein, then pick your vessel,” stated the adorable chalkboard menu. Most lunch combos also include a side of something carb-related. The menu rotates each week, so I was stoked to drop in when both the beloved crispy tofu balls and the Vietnamese braised coconut pork were on offer.

The Astronomer ordered the Vietnamese braised coconut pork in a banh mi sandwich with a side of Korean japchae noodles ($7.50). The pork was shredded, moist, and heavy on ginger, while the bread was soft yet sturdy. The bevy of veggies inside were snappy and lightly pickled. The Astronomer thought that the sandwich was very tasty, but wouldn’t call it a proper banh mi due to the mild veggies. We both agreed that the pork could’ve used a heavy dose of fish sauce and plenty more chunks of blubbery fat—two essential components of the classic Vietnamese dish thit kho. The noodles were more than competent.

I ordered the crispy tofu balls in a wrap with a side of pineapple fried rice ($7.50). I wasn’t sure what to expect as I bit into the fluorescent green orb, but the flavors and textures were totally to my liking. Little kernels of corn provided a touch of sweetness and texture to the balls. The wrap and its various fresh and healthy components reminded me of the macrobiotic fare I downed at M Cafe de Chaya not too long ago. I loved the curry flavor of the pineapple fried rice.

I usually brown-bagged it during my days running in the Philadelphia rat race, but then again, my choices included the yawn-inducing Au Bon Pain and a local chain called Marathon Grill. If Starry Kitchen moved in or around my building, I’d jump on it.

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Starry Kitchen
350 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone: 213-617-3474

BBC Asian Bar and Cafe - St. Louis

Published

Gastronomer

on February 12, 2010

in Asian Fusion, Banh Mi, Restaurant Review, St. Louis and Vietnamese

. 17 Comments

As curious as I am about Vietnamese restaurants located outside of major ethnic enclaves, I rarely visit them out of fear of being disappointed. Even though St. Louis is home to a large refugee community, I’ve avoided exploring the Vietnamese establishments in the city during my last couple of visits due to my big city leanings and Midwest prejudices. Growing up on my ba ngoai’s fabulous home cooking and living abroad in Vietnam, I’ve developed an admittedly snotty attitude toward the cuisine. In my mind, there’s a right way to do things in the Vietnamese kitchen, and as a result, I have avoided eating in places that might compromise my notions of properness.

A mouthwatering spread on banh mi sandwiches in the January issue of Sauce Magazine, St. Louis’ monthly food-focused publication, convinced me to reconsider my policy. The vivid photos and sharp writing painted an exciting picture. As far as I could tell, the humble banh mi was taking over the city and I had to have a taste—authenticity be damned.

The majority of the banh mi shops featured in the article were located on or near Grand Avenue in South City. However, due to time constraints and lack of wheels, The Astronomer and I visited BBC Asian Bar and Cafe in the Central West End. The Korean-owned restaurant was formerly called BBC Banh Mi, Boba Tea & Crêperie.

Both of our sandwiches were served with snack-sized bags of Doritos. I thought the side item was a bit strange, but somehow fitting of our environs.

Based on Sauce’s recommendation, we ordered the lamb banh mi ($5.50).

One of the more noteworthy local variants of the banh mi graces the menu at BBC Asian Cafe & Bar in the Central West End. There, lamb inspires wolfish gusto over an exceptionally well-balanced, if amusingly messy, sandwich.

I was initially weary of fusing Greek gyro meat with traditional banh mi fixins, but the combination turned out to be a treat of Zeus-like proportions! I was most impressed with the baguette, which was light, warm, crispy, and the ideal thickness. Additionally, the chili infused mayo gave the sandwich an edge unlike any banh mi I have ever tasted.

We also ordered a good ‘ol banh mi dac biet ($4.95) to see how it stacked up. The sandwich contained slices of head cheese, ham, and cha lua (pork loaf), along with the usual mayonnaise, pate, pickled vegetables, cucumbers, chilies, and cilantro. I appreciated that the pate, cha lua, and head cheese were served in all their funky glory, not watered down one bit. The sandwich’s ingredients melded together impressively, save for the deli counter ham.

After such a positive Midwestern banh mi experience, I am convinced that it’s only a matter of time before the-little-Vietnamese-sandwich-that-could goes totally global.

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BBC Asian Bar and Cafe
#241-43 North Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone: 314-361-7770

Ludo Bites at Royal/T - Los Angeles (Culver City)

Published

Gastronomer

on December 2, 2009

in Asian Fusion, French, Los Angeles, Media Event and Restaurant Review

. 28 Comments

He’s baaaack! And dare I say, even better than before. After a three-month hiatus, Chef Ludo Lefebvre has returned with the third installment of Ludo Bites, his highly-anticipated guerrilla-style pop-up restaurant. [Read about the second installment here.] This time around, Chef Ludo has teamed up with Culver City’s Royal/T—the city’s first Japanese-style cosplay café.

The thirteen-day engagement officially begins tonight, but the cool cats at Fooddigger managed to arrange an exclusive pre-grand opening tasting. I was fortunate enough to snag a seat, granting me the opportunity to sample Ludo’s bites 24-hours before the general public. It’s no secret that being first feels good. Real good.

Whereas Ludo’s former haunt was a casual neighborhood eatery, Royal/T is a multifaceted space with a café, shop, and art gallery. The art-covered walls and funky maid get-ups give Ludo Bites 3.0 a deliciously different vibe.

Currently on display at Royal/T is “In Bed Together,” an exhibition curated by Jane Glassman. The collection features 50 works by 50 different artists that have been selected by 50 art professionals. “In Bed Together” showcases an array of different art forms including paintings, drawings, mixed media, sculptures, videos, photography, and performance art.

After sipping some bubbly and chatting with my blogging brethren, we were seated in a glass-walled room toward the back of the gallery. In addition to the usual tables, chairs, and place settings, the room contained a curious-looking white tent. Understanding the heartache that food bloggers experience in dimly lit dining settings, Ludo’s wife and right arm (wo)man Krissy invested in a photography light box! Amazing times a zillion.

Due to the diminutive size of the kitchen, Chef Ludo and his sous chefs plated each course within the gallery.

The first of nine courses was a pretty little dish of barely cooked scallops, brown butter, pineapple, and a mysterious “black powder.” Now, this is the kind of food I love to eat—light, refreshing, and complexly flavored. Props to “The Glutster” for figuring out that squid ink made the “black powder” possible.

Next, we moved on to a bowl of warm bread soup accented with a Gruyère marshmallow and a beauteously poached egg. Made from Bread Bar’s rustic loaf, the soup tasted toasty and familiar. The egg and “cheese” jazzed up the bowl from top to bottom.

The third course, a foie gras beignet, nearly did me in with its unparalleled richness. Fried dough is naturally quite decadent—add to it two full ounces of Hudson Valley foie gras and you’ve got a downright lethal combination. The celery root remoulade tried its darndest to reel in the dish’s intensity but couldn’t quite manage to strike a balance.

The foie gras beignet was appropriately followed by a simple squid preparation featuring chorizo oil, kimchi puree, eggplant “paper,” and pickled red onions. I ate this one with my fingers, swiping the squid in each of the sauces and biting off a piece of “paper” to finish. The kimchi’s kick and the squid’s supple texture were my favorite components.

Drawing inspiration from his new space at Royal/T, Chef Ludo created a Japanese udon dish with veal, kombu dashi (kelp stock), enoki mushrooms, and a sesame seed miso paste. The deeply savory broth enveloped the entire dish, creating an outstanding noodle soup experience. Chef Ludo’s talents aren’t limited solely to French and modern American cuisines; this man can do Asian cooking too!

For the fish portion of our meal, we were served a delicate fillet of wild striped bass with garden vegetables and aioli. Whereas Chef Ludo’s creations are usually quite bold in the flavor department, this one was subdued. The only item that really popped on the plate were the florets of purple cauliflower.

The final savory course of the evening was a superbly tender hunk of hangar steak coupled with crunchy escargots, baby corn, bok choy, and a black olive mole. Everything on the plate tasted fantastic, but it was the parsley-crusted escargots that I was particularly fond of.

Instead of a traditional cheese course, Chef Ludo prepared a tart using Fourme d’Ambert, one of France’s oldest cheeses with pungent notes similar to blue. The flaky tart was paired with pears bathed in beet juice and a swathe of honey balsamic.

The final course of the evening was a chocolate cake floating in an ocean of frothy coconut sorbet. While I’m usually not a chocolate dessert lover, this one managed to woo me in with its refreshingly light flavors and textures. Pink peppercorns and a coffee caramel provided the finishing touches.

Thank you to FoodDigger (Brian, Marshal, and Will), Ludo, and Krissy for an amazing feast! And thank you to my fellow gastronomers for providing great company: Caroline of Caroline on Crack, Kevin of Kevin Eats, Danny of Kung Food Panda, Elina Shatkin from the LA Times, Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, H.C. of LA and OC Foodventures, Javier of Teenage Glutster, Josh of Food GPS, Lindsay William-Ross from LAist, Liz of Food She Thought, Sonja of The Active Foodie, and Rachel Hirschfeld, of Les Dames d’Escoffier and Petriarch.com.