Archive for the 'Mexican' Category

28 Hours in Tijuana with Bill Esparza: Tacos, Buches, Menudo, Churros, and Tortas

Published by Gastronomer on May 17, 2011 in Mexican, Restaurant Review, Street Food and Tijuana. 14 Comments

Following Sunday brunch at Scarpetta, I took a little jaunt down to Tijuana with my friend Bill. While escaping to Mexico for a day might be too hurried for some, it’s these impromptu getaways that I absolutely live for. After Bill picked me up in Beverly Hills, we hightailed it to the border, and not too long after, we were living large on Revolución. It had been well over a year since my last Baja eating tour, so I was beyond ready for another gluttonous spree.

After dropping off our bags at the hotel and freshening up a bit, it was time to cruise the streets for delectable Mexican eats.

At my request, our first stop was at Tacos Salceados. I ate here on my first Baja culinary tour, but wasn’t able to enjoy it to the fullest since it was the eighteenth and final stop of a two-day eating blitz. I always hoped to return because even though my palate was beyond spent at the time, I remembered that the tacos totally rocked.

The little taqueria was bright and bumpin’ when we arrived. We started off with a small plate of blistered blonde chilies and young spring onions dressed in a tangy Maggi-based sauce.

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La Super Rica Taqueria – Santa Barbara

Published by Gastronomer on March 18, 2011 in Central Coast, Mexican, Restaurant Review and Santa Barbara. 9 Comments

The Astronomer and I haven’t been spending very much time at home these past couple of weeks. Following our jaunt to The Bay Area, we jetted to the Central Coast to spend the weekend with our friend Lang—a professional cyclist from Seattle who is training in the area during the off season. Even though I was a bit exhausted from our earlier travels, I was super stoked to see my old friend and to visit a new part of my beloved state.

Before arriving in Buellton, The Astronomer and I made a quick stop in the beautiful coastal town of Santa Barbara for lunch. Los Angeles residents really have no business traveling to Santa Barbara for Mexican food, but we couldn’t help but line up for a taste of the famous La Super Rica Taqueria. Hype is a powerful force, one stronger than rationality and logic combined.

This unassuming taco shop on the corner of Alphonse and Milpas is best known as Julia Child’s favorite Mexican restaurant. The family-owned restaurant has built a loyal following throughout the years, as evidenced by the heaps of positive press it has garnered and the lines snaking out its doors.

Nearly everything is prepared to order, which meant a twenty minute lull between placing and receiving our order. The smells emanating from the grill teased us as we waited.

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Xoia Vietnamese Eats – Los Angeles (Echo Park)

Published by Gastronomer on January 24, 2011 in Banh Mi, Curry, Echo Park, Los Angeles, Mexican, Mi Quang, Restaurant Review and Vietnamese. 8 Comments

If The Astronomer and I were to combine our culinary heritages, we might come up with dishes like toasted ravioli filled with lemongrass pork and collard greens braised in fish sauce. Sounds intriguing and even a little tempting, wouldn’t you say? This sort of whimsical marrying of cuisines is exactly what the husband and wife team of Jose Sarinana and Thien Ho are doing at Xoia Vietnamese Eats in Echo Park.

Opened last summer, Xoia serves a mostly Vietnamese menu with a handful of inspired dishes that bring together elements from both Vietnamese and Mexican cuisine. The cultures collide most successfully under the “Taco” section of the menu. I really enjoyed the anise and cinnamon spiced phở tacos that I sampled at the restaurant’s soft opening and couldn’t wait to try another mash-up during my subsequent lunchtime visit.

My easygoing dining mate Nastassia was game for just about anything, so I ordered the mì quảng-inspired tacos ($5.75). The three tacos were served on warm corn tortillas with fresh cilantro, diced red onions, and a side of house-made red salsa. The tender pork was richly spiced with paprika and shallots; I added a squiggle of Sriracha for good measure.

The tacos’ flavors were brighter and more robust than a bowl of mì quảng. Concentrating the spices and upping the oomph allowed the protein to work terrifically as a taco filling. Next time, I’m going to sample the chicken curry tacos.

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Ludo Bites 6.0 at MAX – Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks)

Published by Gastronomer on December 7, 2010 in Asian Fusion, French, Los Angeles, Mexican, Molecular Gastronomy, Restaurant Review and Sherman Oaks. 13 Comments

Three days before the sixth iteration of Ludo Bites came to a close, The Astronomer and I finally scored a table due to a last minute cancellation. It was a bit of a nightmare driving from Pasadena to Sherman Oaks during rush hour, but a little traffic couldn’t stop us from experiencing Chef Ludo LeFebvre’s latest creations.

We arrived a little frazzled, but on time for our 6:30 slot. Krissy seated us immediately and presented us with the evening’s menu and a wine list. The tables were packed quite cozily in the dining room, but I didn’t mind because my neighbor to the right was the incomparable Jo of My Last Bite—I love how she brings good cheer wherever she goes. My neighbor to the left was sporting a DSLR camera and a little cell phone light, which helped to forge an instant bond between us too.

With so many enticing dishes on the menu, we decided to forgo adult beverages to save precious real estate. I was also thinking about forgoing bread, but thankfully, The Astronomer talked some sense into me. To start, we shared a warm baguette served with smoked butter and sardine-Laughing Cow cheese ($5). The bread and butter were both solid, but the highlight upon the wobbly plank was the sardine-laced Laughing Cow cheese. Fishy flavored cheese? Yes, please!

About midway through the bread course, the Vietnamese-style hamachi ($15) arrived. The presentation was reminiscent of the confit pork belly with Thai-style choucroute from Ludo Bites 5.0. However, the flavors and ingredients in this dish were much lighter.

Tucked underneath the jicama slaw were the most pristine slices of hamachi. Lightly dressed in a nuoc cham-like dressing, the plate was brimming with fresh, clean, and bright flavors. This was definitely one of my favorite dishes of the evening.

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José Andrés Washington D.C. Restaurant Tour: Minibar, Café Atlántico, Oyamel, Jaleo, Zaytinya

Published by Gastronomer on August 30, 2010 in Media Event (this meal was free), Mexican, Molecular Gastronomy, Small Plates, Spanish and Washington D.C.. 14 Comments

A tour of D.C.’s food scene wouldn’t be complete without examining Chef José Andrés‘ restaurant empire. The Think Food Group owns five highly lauded eateries in the metropolitan area: Minibar by Jose Andrés, Café Atlántico, Oyamel, Jaleo, and Zaytinya. Located within walking distance of one another in Penn Quarter, each restaurant has a different vibe and a distinct culinary viewpoint.

On our second day in the city, we enjoyed a progressive lunch at Chef Andrés’ restaurants. My feelings were lukewarm at best after dining at The Bazaar by Jos é Andrés in Los Angeles, so this tour offered the perfect opportunity to experience the chef’s cuisine on his home turf. I was hoping to be wowed.

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Minibar by José Andrés

With Minibar tucked into the second floor of Café Atlántico, our first two stops turned out to be one in the same. The six seat Minibar (yep, just six seats!) serves an avant-garde tasting menu with upwards of 30 courses. “This is food that owes as much to art and science as it does to gastronomy, food that is as much about the brain and eye as it is about the tongue and stomach, food that forces the diner to rethink food and its presentation,” states the restaurant’s website.

As a tremendous fan of Spanish molecular gastronomy, I was most excited to experience Minibar. Unfortunately, we were only given a taste, literally and figuratively, of what the restaurant had to offer.

“Olives Ferran Adria” arrived on a porcelain spoon in a shallow pool of olive oil. The spherified green olive encompassed all the qualities of a great olive, minus the proper texture. I’ve experienced these spheres dozens of times, but the sensation of the thin membrane popping and unleashing a flood of flavored liquid never gets old. [Watch Ferran Adria and José Andrés explain the spherification process here.]

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