Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

03 May 2010

Nickel Diner – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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After binging on Seattle‘s superb doughnuts in early March [See: Top Pot, Dahlia Lounge, Frost], I arrived home with a keen interest in finding Los Angeles’ choicest deep-fried morsels. While attempting to relive the past usually ends in disappointment, I had faith in my dear city. After all, with independent doughnut shops occupying every other block, there are bound to be some delicious finds, right?

The great doughnut hunt began at downtown’s Nickel Diner, home to one of the city’s most beloved doughnuts. The Astronomer and I brunched here with my gal pals Bex and Laurie days after pastry chef Sharlena Fong announced that she would be leaving the establishment. Even though Chef Fong was no longer in the kitchen when we dined, every sweet had her down-home and quirky stamp on them.

While The Astronomer and Laurie ordered sensible brunch items like huevos rancheros and French toast, Bex and I went hog wild over doughnuts. The infamous maple-bacon was the first to arrive. Coated in a sweet glaze and studded with bacon crumbles, the doughnut looked absolutely delectable. While I was hoping for fireworks at first bite, all I got were a few measly sparks. The icing and bacon were a winning combination, but the doughnut’s texture sat awkwardly in between fluffy and cakey. A lighter and more delicate doughnut would’ve sealed the deal for me.

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Restaurant Review

30 Apr 2010

Daikokuya – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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Have I told you lately how much I love L.A.? Well, I do. A lot. I feel giddy every time I discover a new part of the city, especially one that’s nice to my wallet and even nicer to my taste buds. The Astronomer and I were recently introduced to Little Tokyo by our friends and long-time Angelenos Andrew and Miri. After a recent religious experience with a bowl of Daikokuya‘s tonkotsu ramen, Andrew insisted that we meet there for dinner. Upon hearing that piggy back fat was the key ingredient in the broth, all I needed to know was when to show up.

With a firm no reservations policy, Daikokuya is notorious for having tortuously long waits. We hedged our bets by showing up somewhat early on a Sunday night. After twenty minutes of chilling under the restaurant’s yellow awnings, our party of five was led to a plushy red booth. The dingy dining room was warm and humming with happy slurpers.

A ramenya experience is incomplete without a few plates of gyoza ($5.95) to start. The ones at Daikokuya are filled with pork and vegetables, wrapped in thin papers, and pan fried. An order includes five dumplings that arrive in a raft-like mass, accompanied by a mild dipping sauce on the side. After carefully peeling a dumpling from its mates, Andrew declared the gyozas the best he’s ever tasted. I would’ve shouted out in agreement, except that my mouth was occupied by a plump little dumpling.

For our main course, The Astronomer and I shared one of Daikokuya’s combination options that included a cabbage slaw, a bowl of ramen, and a small teriyaki eel bowl ($12.95). Daikokuya’s broth is made using simmered kurobuta pork bones, as well as extra back fat (kotteri) upon request. The broth was thick, milky, and luxurious, while the noodles were curly and springy. A couple spoonfuls of finely minced garlic and florescent pickled ginger balanced out the bowl to perfection.

The unagi bowl was straightforward and delicious. Truly, what’s not to love about buttery eel painted with a sweet glaze?

And because The Astronomer was feeling extra hungry, we also ordered a tuna sashimi bowl ($10.95). The slabs of fish were just thick enough and unquestionably fresh. We enjoyed having the tuna’s clean flavors to contrast the ramen’s avalanche of porkiness.

It took a while for The Astronomer and me to make our way to Little Tokyo, but now that we’ve had a proper introduction, there’s little doubt that we’ll become regulars.

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Daikokuya
327 East 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-626-1680

Now Closed

28 Apr 2010

Tiger – Los Angeles (Beverly Hills)

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When The Astronomer’s friend and high school classmate Sara heard that sushi ranked near the top of our favorite foods list, she immediately hooked us up with the former corporate general manager of Nobu Matsuhisa‘s empire, whom she met a few years ago while working at Nobu in New York City. Luis Decasas recently opened Tiger in Beverly Hills. Thanks to our friend in common, The Astronomer and I were invited to swing by Tiger for a lovely dinner on the house.

After walking past the slew of swanky eateries along Canon Drive, we arrived at the former Lucky Fish space. I loved how the restaurant had two distinct and equally appealing vibes. Tiger’s main dining room was sleek, cool, and subtly glamorous. The brightly lit kitchen gave eaters full view of the chefs slicing and dicing. The outdoor space was more laid back; the abundance of wood furniture and accents brought a Zen-like quality to the room.

Tiger’s kitchen is headed by yet another Nobu alum, Jon Maza. The former Nobu Bahamas chef was born in Hawaii and began apprenticing with a Japanese sushi master at the age of fourteen. Chef Maza showed so much promise at Nobu that Luis wooed him away to work his magic at Tiger.

Our evening began with two tall and skinny cocktails. The Tiger Saketini ($6) with rock sake junmai, thyme, and rosemary was wonderfully fragrant, but a little on the sweet side. The spicy grape number ($6) was more to my liking. Made with soju, freshly pressed grapes, habanero, and vanilla, the cocktail packed a lot of deep heat.

The chef sent out four “cold dishes” to start. Clockwise from top left—seared kampachi with yuzu soy, chantrelle mushroom, and fried shallots ($16), tai umami jime with thai basil and dried miso ($14), hirame ceviche ($14), and kinmedai sashimi with ume shiso ($18). Each sliver of fish was fresh and fabulous. The tai was our favorite due to its salty and herbaceous accompaniments.

An array of tempura-battered items arrived soon after. Each of the four bites was paired with sauces that enhanced its flavors and textures. Clockwise from top left—hirame tempura with apple aioli ($12), unagi tempura with buttermilk sauce ($12), lobster gyoza with Korean sauce (daily special), and shishito tempura with edamame sauce ($6). The lobster dumpling paired with gochujang surpassed the crisply coated trio by a hair.

From the “hot dishes” menu, the chef sent out a bubbling short rib stew ($22) with cigar leaf and pearl onions. The meat was luxuriously tender and heartier than anything I’ve ever eaten at a Japanese restaurant. The Astronomer would’ve appreciated a bowl of rice to eat with it, but I was happy with the chef’s vision.

To cleanse our palates, the chef sent out a watermelon sorbet with diced mangoes and lychee foam. It was just the thing to transition from savories to sweets. To finish, a trio of excellent desserts. The Astronomer went gaga over the goat cheese doughnuts ($8), while the awesomely salty amaretto white chocolate mousse with praline pear cookie crunch ($8) had me smiling. The passion fruit yuzu cheesecake with creme friache ($8) wasn’t too shabby either!

Tiger is exceptionally well priced given its neighborhood and level of quality. Even though we sampled a lot of different menu items, there’s still so much left to taste. Next time around, the strip loin and foie gras robatta will be mine.

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Tiger **CLOSED**
338 North Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: 310-274-3200