Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Now Closed

13 Nov 2009

Mo-Chica – Los Angeles

Filed Under:

Mo-Chica is a temple of contemporary Peruvian cuisine housed in the Mercado La Paloma, a former warehouse converted into a vibrant marketplace and community center. Of the 100+ restaurants I’ve had the pleasure of dining in during my first year living in Los Angeles, it’s Mo-Chica that surprised and impressed me the most. I knew going in that the food would be stellar based on Sir Jonathan Gold’s glowing review, but the meal I experienced exceeded all of my expectations.

Lima native Ricardo Zarate, Mo-Chica’s chef and proprietor, churns out food so beautiful and delicious that it could be easily served in a fancy pants establishment at twice the price. The restaurant’s warm service, kick back atmosphere, and overall quality redefine food court fare, and the city’s dining scene is all the richer for it.

Once a month, Mo-Chica pulls out all the stops (and the linens) for a six-course pre-fixe dinner. I’ve been wanting to attend one of these events ever since reading Ravenous Couple’s enthusiastic write-ups [1] [2], and finally had the chance the third time around. I attended the tasting dinner along with Hong of Ravenous Couple, Danny of Kung Food Panda, and Abby of Pleasure Palate.

Mo-Chica was packed to the rafters when we arrived; Hong thought it was the largest turn out he’d ever seen. I perused the marketplace while we waited for our table to open up. The Dia de los Muertos display caught my eye…

…while the soulful musicians caught my ears.

Before the first course arrived, we sipped on aguas frescas. Abby chose the chebada—barley ice tea, ginger, and herbs ($2), while Danny and Hong went for the maracuya—passion fruit juice ($2). I chose the chicha morada—purple corn ice tea ($2). The chicha morada was tart, refreshing, and a deep shade of royal.

The six-course dinner was priced at $35, but all four of us dined this evening as guests of Chef Zarate. We started with a locro soup made from Japanese pumpkins. Locro is a hearty thick stew popular along the Andes mountain range. The mildly sweet soup was drizzled with cream and topped with crisp croutons.

The second course was a causa, a popular dish along the Peruvian coast. The beauteous creation consisted of a layer of creamy diced avocado topped with a layer of chunky yellow potato mash. A luscious pile of dainty scallops smothered in a mentaiko (caviar) was perched atop the potato mash. This dish was seriously phenomenal.

The third course was a tiradito, a Japanese-influenced dish similar to ceviche. The slices of sushi-grade yellowtail rested in a pool of yuzu, tomato, and leche de tigre. The gorgeous cuts of fish married merrily with the tangy sauce.

It pleased me to no end when the tiradito was followed by another raw fish course—I love raw fishes because they’re so delicious! The fourth course consisted of seared bluefin tuna served with a camote (sweet potato) quiche and purple corn reduction. The delicately composed quiche offered the perfect textural and flavor contrast to the buttery slices of tuna.

The final savory course was a homey dish of braised oxtail with barley huancaina (a cheesy sauce made with aji amarillo peppers) risotto. It was rich, creamy, and stick-to-your-bones good.

Lastly, a plate of picarones (Peruvian pumpkin doughnuts) with a side of chancaca (unrefined cane sugar) honey dressing. I thoroughly adored the one picarone I ate, but had to pass the other two to Hong and Danny due to lack of stomach capacity.

At the end of our meal, Chef Zarate stopped by to say hello. After thanking him for the outstanding feast, we learned a bit more about the talent behind Mo-Chica. Chef Zarate spent years working in London, but eventually moved to Los Angeles after falling in love with the city’s ethnic diversity during a short visit. He began working in Los Angeles at The Biltmore Hotel downtown and currently divides his time between Mo-Chica and Wabi-Sabi in Venice, where he serves as executive chef.

UPDATE: I attended the November 19 tasting dinner and left hugely disappointed. The food was nowhere near as fresh and delicious as the one I wrote about and the portions had shrunk dramatically. The tasting featured two fried items, a dried-out halibut, and worst of all, chicken strips! I won’t be back for another tasting, but I would like to return to sample Mo-Chica’s regular menu. Ricardo Zarate, you’re breaking my heart with your inconsistency.

UPDATE UPDATE: I have since dined at Mo-Chica two more times for their regular menu offerings and it’s one of my favorite spots in the city. I love the daily ceviche special, quinoa mushroom risotto, and the seafood with rice. The prices are reasonable and the food is so, so good!

—

Mo-Chica
3655 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Phone: 213-747-2141

Restaurant Review

12 Nov 2009

Miss Myra's Pit Bar-B-Q – Birmingham

Filed Under:

11 Comments

Before departing home to Los Angeles, The Astronomer and I once again consulted the Barbecue Bible for noteworthy lunch options. “Miss Myra’s does many things well, but it’s the mayonnaise and vinegar-based white sauce that keep people talking,” touted the guide. The idea of a white barbecue sauce definitely piqued our interests, but it was Raymond Sokolov’s poetically penned piece, “Where Ribs are an Art Form,” for the Wall Street Journal that really convinced us that Miss Myra’s was a worthy last meal.

The protocol at Miss Myra’s was similar to other casual barbecue restaurants in Birmingham. The bill of fare was posted toward the front of the restaurant and orders were taken from behind the counter. Lunch was delivered upon plastic plates and trays soon after ordering. Miss Myra’s level of customer care was efficient but indifferent. After five visits to Alabama, I’m fairly convinced that Southern hospitality is a myth.

We tucked into an empty dining area adjacent to the restaurant’s main room. Even though The Astronomer and I were the only diners in the section, we didn’t feel alone with the likeness of Bear Bryant staring down at us from every angle. After amassing six national championships and thirteen conference championships for the University of Alabama, the man has become a legend in these here parts. Roll Tide.

Miss Myra also boasts an incredibly vibrant and varied collection of pig statuettes. Mr. Sokolov described it as “a veritable museum of swine art consisting of hundreds of effigies of the genus Sus in all its pink, piggy majesty” in his article. I told you the man was a poet.

The Astronomer ordered beef brisket with green beans and a bag ‘o chips; a steamy roll and limp pickle spear was included with every platter ($7.65). The beef was great on its own, but even better doused in Miss Myra’s peppery and tangy white sauce.

I ordered a pulled pork platter with green beans and deviled eggs ($7.65). The meat was served in small chunks rather than shreds, but I didn’t mind because it still provided a fine vehicle for saucing up. The white barbecue sauce was admittedly intriguing, but I favored the classic red one on my pulled pork.

Miss Myra’s green beans were prepared in typical Southern fashion, overcooked and mushy as can be. When I’m south of the Mason Dixon, it feels so right eating sickly-colored vegetables. The deviled eggs weren’t pretty, but they sure were tasty.

For dessert, The Astronomer dug into a slice of lemon cream pie ($2.75). The graham crust was superb, as was the tart and sweet filling.

I went for a slice of peanut butter cream pie topped with mini chocolate chips ($2.75). Cream pies go down especially easy after consuming heaps of savory meats. Even though the filling was light and airy, I couldn’t manage to finish my slice; into a box and onto the plane it went.

—

Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Q
3278 Cahaba Heights Rd
Cahaba Heights, AL 35243
Phone: 205-967-6004

Restaurant Review

10 Nov 2009

Edgar's Old Style Bakery – Birmingham

Filed Under:

11 Comments

Lately, I’ve been spoiling my appetite by consuming rich desserts moments before sitting down to dinner. I don’t mean to disrupt the natural order of things, it’s just that bakeries tend to close up early, and keeping my hands off freshly purchased sweets is nearly impossible. Gluttony and lack of self control seem to compromise my usual good sense.

The latest episode of appetite spoilage occurred while visiting Birmingham. The Astronomer and I were on our way to the Cajun Steamer for a family dinner when I spied a branch of Edgar’s Old Style Bakery a few doors down. Even though we were minutes away from breaking bread, I insisted that we step inside to quickly peruse the selection. After oohing over the goods, I unsurprisingly walked out of the shop with a red velvet cupcake in hand. The sensible move at that point would have been to save the sweet until after supper, but where’s the fun in that?

I’ve indulged in many red velvets in the past, but this was my first truly authentic Southern one. The dainty crimson cupcake was topped with a neat swirl of cream cheese frosting and dusted with cakey crumbles. The mildly flavored cake was moist, yet firm, while the well-portioned frosting teetered tastily between sweet and tangy. The size of the cupcake was also just right—we finished off the final bite right as we walked through the restaurant’s door.

Full disclosure: I ate another dessert after dinner at the Cajun Steamer, deep fried cheesecake to be exact.

—

Edgar’s Old Style Bakery
180 West Main Street
Hoover, AL 35244
Phone: 205-987-0790