Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

28 Nov 2018

Cindy’s Noodle Land – Arcadia

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A recent date night took The Astronomer and me to beautiful Arcadia. Following a sneak peek of the Moonlight Forest exhibit at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, we made our way to Cindy’s Noodle Land, where Shaanxi- and Henan-style noodles and lamb dishes reign supreme.

As soon as we walked into the restaurant, simply appointed with a mostly neutral color palette, I made a beeline for the cold appetizers in the case upfront. I have my priorities straight.

From the available selection, I honed in on the seaweed, tofu skin, and spongy wheat gluten (choice of 3 for $7.49). All three were solid, especially the lattermost, whose tang-forward flavors brought me back to the random street stall in Beijing that The Astronomer and I frequented over a decade ago.

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Restaurant Review

15 Nov 2018

Ms. Chi Cafe – Los Angeles (Culver City)

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Chef Shirley Chung serves up “progressive Chinese American cuisine” at Ms Chi Cafe, her newly opened all-day restaurant in Culver City. With dreams of pastrami-stuffed scallion pancakes and cheeseburger potstickers dancing in our heads, my colleagues and I endured the long trek across the city for a distinct take on Chinese American fare.

Prior to opening Ms Chi, Chef Shirley competed in seasons 11 and 14 of Top Chef and spent time in the kitchens of Thomas Keller’s Bouchon and Jose Andres’ China Poblano. There’s another Ms. Chi outlet at The Fields downtown, but she considers the Culver City location the flagship.

After placing orders at the counter, our group nibbled on mochi doughnuts ($2.50) while we waited for food and drinks to arrive. All three varieties—black sesame, matcha green tea, and chocolate—boasted admirably chewy textures and true-to-form flavors. The dusty black sesame was tops.

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Now Closed

08 Nov 2018

Simone – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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Here at Simone Restaurant, one of the newest and handsomest dining rooms in Los Angeles, Chef Jessica Largey serves a vegetable-centered menu starring California’s unparalleled produce. The Astronomer and I came in for dinner in early October, a month or so after Simone opened its doors, and both the food and service were impressively polished.

Prior to opening Simone, Chef Largey was the chef de cuisine of Manresa and the recipient of the James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year award in 2015.

The cocktails coming out of Duello, the ambitious bar inside Simone, were as thoughtful as the dishes coming out of the kitchen this evening. I sipped the booze-forward “Kimchi Gibson” ($18) made with gin, kimchi and dry vermouth, while The Astronomer selected the “Mamacita Mole Blanco” ($17) with tequila, mole grenadine and lime oleo saccharum.

First up were hearty slices of sesame seed-crusted sourdough served with house-cultured butter ($10).

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