Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

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18 Mar 2019

Tartine Bianco – Los Angeles

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Dining at a brand new restaurant has its pitfalls, namely slower than optimal service and a kitchen working out kinks, but it also has its thrills. When a late-night OpenTable search yielded prime seating at the less-than-two-week-old Tartine Bianco, curiosity got the best of me and I immediately took the plunge. So, following lunch at Pikunico, I returned to ROW DTLA the same day for dinner. #targetdemo

The all-day restaurant inside of The Manufactory was humming along when my girlfriend Thien and I arrived. It took a while for us to be seated even with reservations, but that was to be anticipated given the circumstances.

Similar to the original San Francisco location, the menu here is largely comprised of smørrebrods and tartines served on Tartine bread. Unique to the Los Angeles location are flatbreads from Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco fame. We started with a flatbread topped with honey, ham, and rosemary that was utterly fantastic.

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Potpourri

11 Mar 2019

EMPOWER 2019: Reporting the Stories of Asians in America

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The Kollaboration EMPOWER Conference is a two day event at the Japanese American National Museum where aspiring Asian Americans of all ages and professions gather to learn directly from some of the community’s most inspirational professionals. At EMPOWER, attendees will be able to explore a variety of creative career paths, industries, and best practices to apply to making their dreams a reality. This unique experience will bridge communities, generations, industries, and innovative minds.

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Restaurant Review

07 Mar 2019

Pikunico – Los Angeles

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My 37th birthday was largely celebrated at ROW DTLA. First came lunch with colleagues at Pikunico, followed by dessert at The Manufactory, and dinner with a girlfriend at Tartine Bianco. There is no doubt in my mind that I am the target demographic for this urban renewal development, which delights and disgusts me all at once. But here we are.

In this minimally appointed and naturally lit dining room, Chef Kuniko Yagi serves up Japanese-style fried chicken in a fast-casual setting. She previously made fancier and pricier food at the now-closed Sona in West Hollywood and at Hinoki and the Bird in Century City.

Even though the restaurant was positively buzzing at this time of day, food arrived nice and fast. I ordered the combination platter, which included a thigh, a wing, and two tenders, as well as house-made pickles. On the saucy side of things was a trio of dips: a daikon ponzu oroshi, a lemon aioli, and a parsley sesame number.

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