Archive for the 'French' Category

Má Pêche – New York City

Published by Gastronomer on July 28, 2011 in Banh Mi, French, New York City, Restaurant Review and Vietnamese. 16 Comments

Every time I visit New York City, I try to squeeze in a meal at a cutting-edge Vietnamese restaurant. It brings me great pleasure to experience the cuisine I grew up on in fresh and innovative ways, even if it means dropping more change than usual.

On our previous visit to the city, The Astronomer and I lunched on the most delectable banh mi at Chef Angelo Sosa’s Xie Xie. We were hoping to experience the same kind of midtown magic at Má Pêche, the latest restaurant in Chef David Chang’s Momofuku empire.

Opened in 2010, Má Pêche is located in the basement of the Chambers Hotel in midtown Manhattan. The windowless room is minimally appointed and feels something like a sterile cave. Here, Tien Ho, the former chef at Momofuku Ssäm Bar, dishes up his brand of French-Vietnamese cooking.

While I wanted to try the restaurant’s upscale rendition of bo bay mon (beef seven ways), which is priced at $450 for parties of four to eight, my dining companions weren’t up for throwing down a Benjamin for the experience. So, we came here for lunch instead.

Every table was outfitted with menus, napkins, chopsticks, a squeeze bottle filled with Sriracha, and Maggi seasoning sauce. If you haven’t experienced the umami bomb that is Maggi, you must get your hands on a bottle. It tastes like a dream atop sunny side up eggs.

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Ludo Truck – Los Angeles

Published by Gastronomer on April 6, 2011 in French, Los Angeles, Meals on Wheels, New American and Restaurant Review. 17 Comments

Chef Ludo Lefebvre of Ludo Bites fame (II, III, IV, V, VI) is currently traveling across America starring in a reality show about pop-up restaurants for the Sundance Channel. As a big fan of the chef, I am extremely proud that he’s been given this opportunity to share his inventive and delightful food with eaters outside L.A. The good folks of North Carolina, Alabama, New Mexico, Baltimore, Colorado, and Texas are in for a real treat!

As happy as I am for Chef Ludo, a small part of me (mostly my stomach) wishes that he would ditch his commitments, hurry back to the town that adores him most, and pop-up with something delicious for us to eat. It’s been a long couple of Ludo Bites-less months.

Until Chef Ludo returns home and orchestrates the next installment of Ludo Bites, the second best option is dining aboard the Ludo Truck. Chef Ludo launched the Ludo Truck following the tremendous success of his fried chicken balls at the inaugural LA Street Food Fest.

The Astronomer and I chased down the truck last month at downtown’s Art Walk. The line for the chef’s famous fried chicken was the longest in the lot. Thankfully, service was quick and efficient, and we had our food in less than fifteen minutes.

We ordered a two-piece serving of the Provencal Pepitte ($6). The first batch that we received was over-browned, so we exchanged it for a less overdone set of balls. The chicken was served with homemade barbecue sauce and “Ludo Slaw.”

It takes three whole days to prepare Chef Ludo’s rosemary- and Herbes de Provence-infused fried chicken. Each ball is comprised of juicy, boneless dark meat magically bound together by a crisp and golden batter. Both the meat and batter are so flavorful and well-seasoned that sauces aren’t really necessary. The “Ludo Slaw,” a mix of savoy cabbage, celery, red onion, chives, and Italian parsley, offered a hit of freshness in a sea of deep-fried goodness.

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Dorie Greenspan’s Beggar’s Linguine – Pasta with Brown Butter, Dried Fruits, and Nuts

Published by Gastronomer on February 6, 2011 in French, Pasta + Rice, Recipe, Vegetarian and Vegetarian. 9 Comments

I dropped so many hints that I wanted Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table this past Christmas that I wound up receiving two copies. This post is dedicated to my sister-in-law Rosalind and my cousin Kristine—Thank you, gals!

I’ve been a tremendous fan of Ms. Greenspan’s ever since delving into Baking: From My Home to Yours [See: World Peace Cookies, Orange Berry Muffins, and Mango Bread]. Her writing is truly superb, while her recipes are interesting and inspiring. Whenever I prepare one of Ms. Greenspan’s creations, I can totally trust that she will not lead me and my stomach astray.

I chose to make Linguine Mendiant (Beggar’s Linguine) for my first foray into French home cooking. A mendiant is a traditional French confection composed of a chocolate disk studded with nuts and dried fruits—here’s a photo of the confection from my travels in Spain. This pasta dish, which Ms. Greenspan originally ate at a Parisian bistro called La Ferrandaise, replaces chocolate with linguine, creating a sweet and savory dish that’s completely unique.

A healthy dose of brown butter, a generous grating of Parmesan, and a hit of fresh parsley rounded out the flavors and kept the sweetness in check. Who would’ve thought noodles and fruit would pair so well?

1 pound (16 ounces) linguine
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter
1/3 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
8 plump dried mission figs or 3 dried kadota figs, finely diced
1/4 cup plump, moist raisins (golden raisins are nice here)
1/4 cup dried apricots, sliced into thin strips
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (more or less to taste)
Grated zest of 1/2 orange (or more to taste)
Minced chives and/or parsley leaves, for serving (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the linguine according to the package directions. When the pasta is cooked, drain it well, but don’t rinse it.

About 5 minutes before the pasta is ready, melt the butter over medium heat in a large high-sided skillet or casserole. (You’re going to add the pasta to this pan, so make sure it’s large enough.) When the butter is melted, hot and golden, stir in the nuts, figs and raisins. Allow the butter to bubble and boil – you want it to cook to a lovely light brown, or to turn into pan beurre noisette, butter with the color and fragrance of hazelnuts.

When it’s reached just the color you want, add the pasta to the pan. Stir the pasta around in the butter to coat it evenly and to tangle it up with the bits of fruit and nuts.

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Mix – Las Vegas (Mandalay Bay)

Published by Gastronomer on January 10, 2011 in French, Las Vegas and Restaurant Review. 15 Comments

The Astronomer and I had a quintessentially Vegas evening on our final night in town. First, we attended a mesmerizing Cirque du Soleil show at The Mirage, and then we dined at a trendy restaurant at Mandalay Bay. After taking most of our meals in low-key spots off the beaten path, we were looking forward to experiencing all the glitz and glam The Strip had to offer.

Located at the top floor of THEhotel, Mix is the vision of Alain Ducasse. The restaurant serves contemporary and classic French and American fare, as well as signature dishes from the chef’s restaurants in Paris and Monte Carlo.

I was inspired to dine at Mix after reading a glowing review from fellow L.A. food blogger Weezer Monkey. It wasn’t until I made the reservation online that I learned the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2008 and 2009. [The red book abandoned the city in 2010.]

A stunning 24-foot chandelier made of 15,000 hand-blown glass spheres was the highlight of the thoroughly modern and stark white dining room. As we walked toward our booth near the window, I secretly wished that I had reserved one of the hooded pods for novelty’s sake.

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Fraîche – Los Angeles (Culver City)

Published by Gastronomer on January 3, 2011 in Culver City, French, Italian, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review. 14 Comments

Ben Bailly, one of my favorite chefs in Los Angeles, recently left his post as the executive chef of Petrossian in West Hollywood to helm the kitchen of Frîache in Culver City. Chefs move up the ranks and change jobs every day in L.A., but rarely do I feel compelled to check out their new digs straightaway. However, with Chef Bailly things were markedly different.

Chef Bailly is something of a culinary darling among me and my food blogging comrades. Aside from being a very good chef, he always goes above and beyond to make us all feel like our sites, photos, and commentaries are more than just silly hobbies. This mutual respect between diner and chef has garnered him a fiercely loyal following, myself included. It’s kind of amazing how far a little kindness will go on the Internet. [Take note, Red Medicine.]

The Astronomer and I, along with the lovely Diana Takes a Bite, dined at Fraîche a month after Chef Bailly took over the kitchen and revamped the rustic French and Italian menu. Diana arrived moments before we did and was sipping on a cool glass of wine when we greeted her at the table. She was careful not to nibble on the bread, butter, and olives until I had taken a proper photo. Whatta gal!

Even though we were planning on a booze-free meal, sommelier Paul Sangoletti insisted on providing cocktails and wine pairings for our party. We started off with three market-driven libations featuring (left to right) beets, red grapes, and basil. The grape-infused concoction with vodka and elderflower syrup was too strong for me, but the ones with beets and basil were just right. Sipping on seasonal cocktails makes drinking feel so virtuous!

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