Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Now Closed

21 Nov 2009

Lomo Arigato – Los Angeles

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I love the Los Angeles mobile food scene. Sure, the food can be hit or miss and the lines can be alarming, but I’m a sucker for entrepreneurial ventures, especially of the edible variety. The only beef I have with the movement is its extreme bias toward The Westside of the city. Those of us who dwell east of the 5 must hoof it across town to partake in the fun or resign ourselves to weeping over our Twitter feeds. I’d willingly give up the Rose Parade in exchange for some meals-on-wheels affection!

On the second Thursday of every month, something downright magical happens—all of the city’s gourmet roach coaches roll into downtown Los Angeles for the Art Walk. Downtown isn’t exactly Pasadena, but it is definitely closer to home than Venice, so I’ll take what I can get.

The first truck that The Astronomer and I visited on a recent Art Walk venture was Lomo Arigato. Eric Nakata, the truck’s chef and owner, dishes out Peruvian cuisine with a Japanese flare. According the Chef Nakata, the food is Peruvian while the spicing is Japanese (i.e. Kikkoman soy sauce). The name of the truck is a combination of its signature dish—lomo saltado, and the Japanese word for ‘thank you very much’—domo arigato.

What’s special about the Lomo Arigato truck is its “open kitchen.” While waiting for our food to be prepared, we were entertained by a pyrotechnic display.

Lomo Arigato’s menu is only three items long—lomo saltado, chaufa (Peruvian-style fried rice), and tallarin saltado (Peruvian-style spaghetti). Each dish was priced at $7.

The Astronomer and I went with Chef Nakata’s suggestion and ordered the signature lomo saltado, which was comprised of tri-tip steak, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and french fries sauteed in red wine and soy sauce, and served over white rice. Aji sauce, also known on the truck as “the green sauce,” was served on the side.

The generously portioned lomo saltado was seasoned simply and well. The aji sauce stood out as the star of Lomo Arigato show. Its complex spiciness and addicting creaminess kicked all of the ingredients up several notches. Our only complaint with the lomo saltado was that the onions weren’t cooked well enough. A gentle caramelization would’ve made the entire dish a lot more appealing. Next time around, I’ll specifically request for the onions to be well done.

Follow Lomo Arigato on Twitter @lomoarigato.

POWER RANKINGS

India Jones Chow Truck > Dim Sum Truck > World Fare Bustaurant < Border Grill Truck > Cool Haus > Lomo Arigato > Don Chow > Kogi > Marked 5 > Dosa Truck > Phamish

Products I Love

19 Nov 2009

XT Patisserie

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XT Patiserrie‘s eye-poppingly beautiful chocolates and macarons first caught my eye back in October at the Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon. I was casually roasting some marshmallows at the Plush Puffs booth when I glanced over to my right and spied the most gorgeous array of sweets. I was instantly seduced by the shiny jewel-toned chocolates resting in their precious little boxes. I quickly downed my unevenly browned marshmallow and scooted over to XT’s table to steal a taste.

I showed commendable restraint and only sampled two varieties, Saigon cinnamon and kalamansi. Each vibrantly flavored bite melted away smoothly and luxuriously on my tongue. After satisfying my urge for truffles, I simmered down and chatted with Tuan Trinh, the “T” in XT Patisserie. We instantly hit it off because he was Vietnamese-American and a @GastronomyBlog Twitter follower—two of my favorite qualities in a person (ha!).

I learned from Mr. Trinh that his partner, chocolatier Xuan Ngo (the “X” in XT Patisserie), was born in Da Nang, Vietnam and grew up in Les Baux de Provence, France. Chef Ngo spent the summers of his childhood in the kitchen of Oustau de Baumaniére, a two-star Michelin restaurant owned by his adopted father Jean-Andre Charial. Upon graduating high school, he went to work for Pâtisserie Lenôtre, a renowned Parisian bakery.

Chef Ngo came to the United States to work at Daniel Boulud’s restaurant Daniel in New York and later moved to Los Angeles to work at Spago, Sona, and Boule. He currently works at the Belvedere Restaurant in the Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel.

After our chummy conversation, Mr. Trinh sent me on my way with a 12-piece box of chocolates ($24) and a colorful tray of macarons ($12). I couldn’t believe my luck! The box of chocolates included exciting flavors like coconut, Earl Grey tea, ginger, hazelnut, honey, and vanilla. My favorites were the caramel vanilla fleur de sel, passion fruit, and coffee, along with my old standbys Saigon cinnamon and kalamasi. I made a conscious effort to eat only one to two pieces each day to prolong the goodness for as long as possible.

The quality of the macarons was on par with the chocolates. Each bite was incredibly airy and daintily flavored. The vanilla, passion fruit, coffee, and hazelnut macarons made me swoon just a little more than the others.

Having hand-crafted chocolates and macarons available at home meant that all of my meals for an entire week ended with fancy mignardises. What a pleasure! Everyone on my Christmas list is getting something sweet and beautiful from XT Patisserie this holiday season, because expertly made desserts shouldn’t be reserved only for meals out on the town.

For additional information, contact XT Patiserrie by email at info@xuanpatisserie.com or by phone at 714-686-8512 or 714-366-4331.

Restaurant Review

18 Nov 2009

Mario’s De La Mesa – San Diego (La Mesa)

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If it’s wrong to take one’s current flame to an eatery that was introduced by an ex, then I just don’t want to be right. I believe that good food is meant to be shared under all circumstances, even somewhat awkward ones. Plus, they don’t call it the past for nothin’!

Back in high school, my boyfriend and I used to frequent Mario’s De La Mesa a couple times a month for casual Mexican fare. Curious to see if it could still stack up as one of my favorite restaurants, I returned recently with the squeeze to shame all other squeezes, The Astronomer.

Not much has changed at Mario’s since I last visited sometime back in 2000. The plastic booths were eerily familiar, as were the brass parrots hanging from the ceiling and the faded Diego Rivera posters plastered on the walls. The place was bumpin’ on a Saturday night.

The Astronomer started off with an ice cold Dos Equis Amber, one of his all-time favorite beers. I sipped some ice cold water and dabbled in complimentary chips and salsa.

The Astronomer ordered a fish taco platter. The battered and fried nuggets of white fish were sauteed with onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Fresh corn tortillas, crema, coleslaw, and a plate of beans and rice were served on the side. On the authenticity scale, Mario’s fish tacos ranked fairly low. However, on the tasty scale, it was just what The Astronomer was craving this evening.

My standby dish at Mario’s is the machaca platter, which is served with rice, beans, and a wicked ranchero sauce. Machaca, which comes from the verb machacar (to pound or crush), is comprised of stringy bits of beef that have been seared and seasoned along with bell peppers and onions. It’s an extremely flavorful dish that is usually eaten for breakfast with eggs, but I prefer to have it for lunch or dinner. I like to eat my machaca wrapped up in a warm flour tortillas with a bit of ranchero sauce and a slathering of guacamole (Mario’s house-made guacamole is fantastic). Machaca is the polar opposite of a tender steak, and I love it for that very reason.

Even after exploring the tremendous Mexican cuisine available in Tijuana and Ensenada, there’s still a very special place in my heart (and gullet) for Mario’s De La Mesa and its seemingly timeless machaca platter.

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Mario’s De La Mesa
8425 La Mesa Boulevard
La Mesa, CA 91941
Phone: 619-461-9390