Sushi Masu

I used to live walking distance from Sushi Masu, so I used to frequent this place quite often. I've only gotten omakase here and it is always such a great deal. The omakase is usually around $45-55 depending on what you get, but the cuts are so generous. The omakase usually comes with 10 pieces and I, a self-proclaimed sushi lover, will get full off these 10 pieces.

toro
I think about 90% of the time I've eaten here, I was always given toro first and this time was no different. The toro was so fatty and delicious. Honestly, I don't think I even chewed!

hamachi
Next up was the hamachi. Hamachi used to be my favorite sushi when I was a child (yes, I said child), before my love affair with uni began. This was your standard fatty yellowtail.

seared red snapper
Here we have seared red snapper. I've only had seared salmon at Masu before, so this was a first for me. Searing the fish, gave it a more "fishy" taste but it was neither offensive nor forgettable. It gave the sushi nice texture, but I couldn't distinguish the "flavor" of the red snapper.

salmon
Apparently I was so hungry that I forgot to take a picture of this before I ate it. As soon as I popped it into my mouth, I realized what I had done. It was too late! Also, it would have been rude and disgusting to take it back out to snap a photo. I'm a lady, what can I say... The salmon was really soft in texture and mild in the "salmon" flavor.

baby squid

I haven't had baby squid since my meal at Zo back in March 2009, so I was excited to see this. I've also never had baby squid at Masu so I was happy to see something new in their omakase. At Zo they give you the baby squid on its own, while at Masu it was in sushi form. I don't really know which I prefer, but I do know that I would definitely like to see this item more on the menu as it was delicious.

butterfly bream with sesame leaf and ginger
I really love sesame leaves... especially with raw fish. The size of the leaf was perfect for this cut and went well with the ginger topping.

amberjack/kanpachi
Less fattier than the hamachi I had before, I still enjoyed the wonderful oils I get from yellowtails.

beltfish with seseame leaf and ume
Ume is a pickled Japanese apricot usually eaten with rice. It is an acquired taste since it is pretty sour in flavor. When Chef Masu gave me this, I wasn't quite sure what the topping was, but once I ate it I immediately recognized that it was ume. The amount of ume emitted the perfect amount of sourness to compliment the mild beltfish.

uni
Ah, uni... my heart, my soul, my love. If you know me, you know that I am a true lover of uni. If you don't know me, well.. now you know. The uni was creamy and wonderful, as it should be.

unagi
The warm unagi had just the right amount of eel sauce, supplying the perfect amount of sweetness which was a nice balance to the vinegar in the rice.

 negitoro maki
The omakase ended with a negitoro maki, which is basically a toro roll with green onions/leeks/scallions and one of my favorites. The ratio of the toro and the rice was great and the crispy nori provided great texture. But, my favorite part has to be the green onions because its mild onion flavor goes so well with the lusciousness of the toro.

Masu-san is a charming and jovial chef who engages with the customers. It is no wonder why there are a lot of loyal locals stay true to this neighborhood gem. Don't be surprised if you find me here during the week getting my sushi fix.


Sushi Masu
1911 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 446-4368

Bond St./Thompson Hotel

Chef Brian Redzikowski has an impressive resume, one that took him to the high slopes of Aspen to the hot deserts of Nevada. From working at Nobu to Joel Robuchon (rated 3 Michelin star), Chef Redzikowski's cuisine has finally find a place he can call home at the Thompson Hotel. His experience in French cuisine and passion in Asian flavors, brought life to a once poorly rated Bond St. at the Thompson Hotel. It took me awhile to finally get to experience Chef Redzikowski's amazing food, but it was damn well worth the wait!

I was greeted by the chef upon my arrival and he had informed me that Bond St. has left the Thompson Hotel and thus, the restaurant itself was in transition. Now heading the Thompson Hotel restaurant, Chef Redzikowski was given much more freedom to execute his vision for his own menu. 

Before I dive into the food, I must warn you that some pictures have flash while others do not because I was playing around with my camera trying to find the best way to take pictures in such a dim setting. I really want an SLR - who wants do donate to my cause?? =)

vodka-infused blueberries, yuzu lemon

I originally wanted to sip on a glass of Prosecco while waiting for my dining companion, but the host sold me on this cocktail. After taking my first sip, I was elated that I made the right choice. The blueberries were infused with vodka and basically marinated in the alcohol for quite a long period of time. I cannot remember the exact time, but I want to say for about six to eight months. The cocktail came with liquid nitrogen - like spheres of blueberries which ended up dissolving. This cocktail was absolutely delicious! It was sweet at first, but after a few more sips you can really taste the yuzu and lemon. The yuzu added a nice sweetness to the sour and tart blueberries.

course 1: tuna tart, red onion, micro shiso

This pizza-like tuna tart was a perfect starter for me. The micro shiso provided a perfect amount of mint flavor, while the tangy and sweetness of the red onion played a background but much appreciated role.

course 2: bouillabaisse, lobster, squid, ama ebi, uni rouille

After reading all the other reviews from fellow food bloggers, I was really looking forward to this dish. And when the waiter started pouring out the intoxicating concoction, my excitement hit the roof! The smell alone was enough to put me in a trance. I was definitely under Chef Redzikowski's spell! All the different seafood were so tender and soft. The only thing I wish was that there was more uni. As an uni lover, I would have loved mountains of that stuff!

2007 Pinot Gris, Torii Mor

Our next course was paired with 2007 Pinot Gris, which was dry but had a buttery finish.

course 3: king crab, preserved meyer lemon

When you first taste the lemon foam, the tartness is very strong but it settles down to a very subtle finish. When eaten together with the crab, the lemon played a secondary role while the sweetness of the crab shined through. I thought that the wine pairing was quite nice, the dryness of the Pinot Gris allowed the distinct flavors of the crab and lemon to come through.

course 4: "sashimi" of Blackmouth salmon, watermelon, watermelon rind, soy dots, hamachi belly, "soy strip," tuna tataki, wasabi kizame, scallop, serrano dressing

The wasabi gave a nice kick to the tuna tataki dish. The smokiness of the salmon came through first, but then balanced out by the sweetness of the watermelon. The hamachi being a fatty fish, I appreciated the "soy strip" that provided the extra saltiness to temper the fattiness of the yellowtail. The scallop was served on a sesame leaf and when eaten together the sesame leaf overpowered the scallop very much. Being Korean, we eat a lot of sesame leaves especially when eating sashimi (think raw fish and cho gochujang - different from regular gochujang, all wrapped up in sesame leaf!). The serrano dressing was not enough to hold up against the sesame leaf, but when the scallop was eaten alone it was delicious.

course 5: black bass, artichokes, tomatoes, black truffle, olive oil three ways

First, let me say that the fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Now that THAT's out of the way, let me go on and on about how much I absolutely loved the olive oil in three ways. The powder form was sweet while the foam was salty. And the puree form was definitely reminiscent of mashed potatoes in both taste and texture. Each time I combined the fish with one of the olive oils, it added another dimension and layer of flavor to the dish. The black truffle gelatin gave it subtle earthiness, while the tomatoes added a touch of sweetness.

course 6: langoustine and foie gras ravioli, romaine, parmesan

While the langoustine looks like a lobster and/or prawn, in terms of flavor it reminds me of crab. One ravioli was filled with langoustine while the other one with foie gras and both were delicious. This dish was, overall, on the salty side for me. So, I really enjoyed the presence of the romaine lettuce which moderated the saltiness of the ravioli and the paremsan cheese. 

2006 Cadia Pelaverga di Verduno

For our last savory course, we were given a 2006 Cadia Pelaverga di Verduno. The wine is made from the rare pelaverga piccolo variety and found only in Verduno. While the wine is floral on the nose, it is a very dry red wine with some spicy notes.

course 7: wagyu beef, mushrooms, fava beans, garlic, spring garnish

This small piece of fatty wagyu beef had so much flavor and was so juicy as well as tender. I think the jam underneath was made out of bone marrow and onions, but dont' quote me on that.  Regardless, the sweetness of the jam was the perfect compliment to the savory, juicy beef. The mushrooms were seasoned well and added a nice contrast to the pungent garlic. I love garlic, so I gladly ate the roasted garlic and secretly wished for more. The spicey notes from the wine paired really well with the fattiness of the beef and the spicy sweetness of the roasted garlic.

course 8a: "mochi donuts," blood orange, strawberry, yogurt, coconut ice cream

The donuts itself were a little too dense for me, however the tartness and acid I received from the blood oranges and strawberries provided a nice contrast to the creaminess of the sweet coconut ice cream.

course 8b: strawberry sorbet, chocolate cake, strawberry glass, chocolate sponge, sour cream and raspberry sheets, soil, chocolate pudding, pinot noir/strawberry capsules

I really love sorbet and this strawberry one was especially delicious when eaten with the chocolate capsules filled with pinot/noir strawberry liquid. The strawberry glass was a nice contrast in texture and flavor to the chocolate sponge cake.

course 9a: Asahi beer float, Asahi acacia honey ice cream, Asahi "spumante," Asahi beer tableside

I was never a fan of root bear so I never really enjoyed a root beer float. I've tried coke floats when I was younger, but since I don't drink soda anymore (or try not to) I realized I can get my "float" fix only through beer floats. And, I have to say that beer floats are the way to go! The sweetness of the ice cream helped smoothe out the bitterness of the beer.

course 9b: cereal, streusel, blueberries, marshmallows, soy-vanilla milk

Our final dessert of the night was a play on cereal - and for those of you who know me, you know that cereal is one of my favorite things to eat! I know it's so simple, but I love the cold milk with the crunchy cereal - I think it's genius! With that said, this dessert was probably the weakest. Maybe because I was expecting so much and maybe because I love cereal, but while the milk was sweet with a nice touch from the soy, the dessert as a whole was just okay for me.

 goodies to take home

We were given these goodies to take home. I don't remember what they were exactly, but the bread was some kind of lemon nut bread. I heated the bread up and ate it for breakfast the next morning. :)

My expectations were high and the food surely did not disappoint. I am glad to see that Chef Brian Redzikowski has been given much more freedom in terms of his menu and creative reign. I will be back and you can count on me spreading the word about my wonderful meal.

Bond St./Thompson Hotel Restaurant

9360 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 601-2255

http://www.yelp.com/biz_redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brianredzikowski.com&src_bizid=t0XRGSlVjy-0j-qgbRXngg&cachebuster=1269930109

The Six

When I was invited to my first food blogger dinner by Kevin of kevinEats to the Six, a "gastrobistro" in West Los Angeles, I was ecstatic! I love wining and dining; I aboslutely love being out with my friends and having a great time. But there are times when I wished I had more foodie friends or blogger friends, especially when I'm taking pictures of the food and my friends are looking at me like "there she goes again..." So, as you can imagine, I was really excited about the dinner.

The seasonal menu focuses on a New American farm-to-table approach and we came in at the end of the winter items and the beginning of the spring season. Executive Chef David Gussin, formerly of Petrossian in West Hollywood and Akasha in Culver City, customized an impressive 16 course tasting for the six of us, showcasing his creativity with seasonable and sustainable products. Having had experiecne with a 16 course tasting before, I wasn't as worried about finishing the meal as I was about drinking all the alcohol AND finishing my dishes. I can eat, but I cannot drink (well, maybe if we were in Vegas at the clubs - then you now your girl can knock back shot after shot after shot), especially while eating.

We started off with some bubbly, Mumm Napa Brut Rose, before our meal began. I personally, love roses and this one was fruity and delicious.

  

  

course 1/amuse bouche: hamachi ceviche, pancetta, tangerines, pickled jalapeno, crispy red onion

The hamachi was marinated in lime juice for about 10 minutes prior to being served. The pickled jalapeno was mild, which I was happy about. I did not want to only taste "burning" in my mouth! (Ralph Wiggum reference: "It tastes like burning.") The crispy red onion added nice texture to the dish. The sweetness of the tangerines and the saltiness of the pancetta depth to the dish. The hamachi was good, but the slices were a bit oddly cut so it was a bit difficult to eat.

  

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale

Our next course was paired with Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. At first sip, I immediately tasted coffee and it finished with a slight saltiness to it. I enjoyed this one very much.

  

course 2: wild mushrooms, chantrelles, black trumpet, hedgehog, maitake, oyster, poached egg

This was one of my favorite dishes of the night. I aboslutely loved the earthiness of the mushrooms and the poached egg just added richness to the dish. It was luscious.

  

  

course 3: beet panzanella, mission figs, ricotta superfina, bacon, wild rocket, sherry almond vinaigrette

I love beets so I was really looking forward to Chef Gussin's take on the traditional Italiand dish, panzanella. The ricotta was nice and creamy and the arugula gave a wonderful spicy flavor to the dish. However, I thought the sweetness of the figs overwhelmed the beets. I wanted more "beet" flavor and perhaps this could have used bigger pieces of beets.

Stone IPA

Stone IPA was the next beer given to us. This was really too bitter for me at first, but after a few more sips the bitterness becomes less offensive and rather enjoyable. But, I must warn my ladies out there, the first gulp might just make the hair on your eyebrows grow out! Happy plucking!

 

course 4: crispy jidori chicken thigh, butternut squash hash, sage, pomegranate gastrique

I recently had jidori chicken thigh that wasn't so great - it was extremely salty. So, I was a bit wary with this dish. But, I was so wrong to do so! The crispy skin and the juicy meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The hash was a little on the sweet side due to the apple and the squash, but all eyes were on the chicken!

course 5: Prince Edward Island Mussels, spanish chorizo fumet, confit garlic, grilled ciabatta

The fumet, made from Santa Barbara halibut and spanish chorizo, was rich in butter and full of flavor from the garlic. Butter and garlic - two of my favorite things, but don't tell my hips and thighs that! Sssssh!

 

course 6: BBT pizza, applewood smoked bacon, basil, oven roasted tomato

Who doesn't love bacon? Everyone knows everything is better with bacon. And when you get applewood smoked bacon from Louisiana personally selected by the chef, you know you're in for a treat. The opal basil really complimented the sweetness of the tomato - the pairing being quite obvious. But, the bacon really took this pizza to another level - it was great bacon and a delicious pizza.

  

New Belgium's Ranger India Pale Ale

Our next beer was the New Belgium's Ranger India Pale Ale. Compared to the Stone IPA, this was a lot less bitter - much easier to drink.

  

course 7: banh mi slider, roasted pork belly, jalapeno jam, cilantro aioli, sweet pickled carrots, cucumber

This was the dish that separated Chef David Gussin from all the others who were eyeing the executive chef positon. In his take on the Vietnamese sandwich, he uses a burger patty and a roasted pork belly - this definitely makes this sandwich heavier than the original. The pickled carrots did break up the heaviness of the meat, however I was missing my most favorite part of the banh mi - the cilantro. I didn't miss the jalapeno so much since I tend to shy away from anything too spicy, but the main focus of the banh mi, for me, is always the cilantro. Other than that, the patty was good and the pork belly was deliciously fatty.

 

course 8: six burger slider, red onion rings, maytag blue, thousand island, butter lettuce, tomato

We were given the miniature versoin of the Six Burger which comes with red onion rings, blue cheese, thousand island dressing, lettuce and tomato. I have to say that I preferred this burger over the banh mi sandwich. The burger was cooked on the rare side so making it really juicy and well, finger lickin' good. The crispy onion rings added great saltiness to the burger and went so well with the tangy sharpness of the blue cheese. The butter lettuce and tomato added a perfect crunch and rounded out the burger very well.

2009 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc

Our nnxt dish was paired with a 2009 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc, crisp and really fruity. It was refreshing and delicious.

course 9: scallop, "scalloped" kennebec potato, chive jus

I absolutely adored this dish, espeically the "scalloped" potato topped with Mornay sauce. It was perfectly seasoned and the tangy and tart chive jus balanced the "cheesy-ness" of the potato quite well. The scallop was also nicely prepared, but the potato stole the show for me - is this because I've had a long love affair with the potato since I was small child?

 

chantrelle mushroom

Chef Gussin came out with this absolutely gorgeous chantrelle mushroom which was to be used in our next dish. I secretly really wanted to just pick it right up and take a bite out of it. But, I don't think that would have gone over well with anybody.... ;)

  

course 10: local halibut, truffled artichoke puree, topanga mountains chantrelle mushrooms in natural jus

The halibt was wonderfully cooked with the meat being moist and the skin cripsy. I really enjoyed the citrus from the tangy artichoke and paired well with the peppery arugula.The locally foraged chantrelle mushrooms gave a great earthiness that kept the dish very grounded. Another favorite of mine... I'm having a lot of favorites, aren't I? What can I say... I'm easy to please!

  

Lindeman's Framboise

Next up to drink was Lindeman's Framboise, Belgian fruit beer. The sweet raspberries led me down a sugary dream until I was awakened by the next dish...

course 11: broccoli rabe bisque, cheddar tuile, frambois head

The broccoli rabe bisque was too bitter for me. The bitterness of the broccoli was almost overwhelming and when I ate it with the tuile, it enhanced that bitterness.

 

course 12: Grant Achatz Hot Potato, cold potato, truffle, butter

I preferred this soup much more than the broccoli bisque. The warm soup had the gritty potato-y texture I rather enjoy, which was countered by the smooth cold potato. I appreciated the contrast in temperature and texture.

  

2007 Xyzin Zinfandel

Our final drink of the night, 2007 Xyzin Zinfandel was paired for our last savory course It was fruity but had a nice body to it.

course 13: pastrami spiced prime ny, caraway spaetzle, "fresh" sauerkraut, roasted veal jus 

This being Chef Gussin's signature dish, I had high expectations and the dish definitely did not disappoint. I was really amazed that the perfectlly cooked NY steak tasted just like pastrami. The sauerkraut did a great job in balancing out the "pastrami" meat and the spaetzle provided another texture and flavor to the whole dish. It was very good.

 

course 14: peanut butter cookie, banana foster ice cream, candied pecans

The peanut butter cookie and the banana ice cream went really well together. It reminded me of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches with sliced bananas and was my favorite out of the three desserts.

  

course 15: chocolate chip cookie sandwich, strawberry-smoked black pepper ice cream

This dessert could have been the best with its winning strawberry-smoked black pepper ice cream. I enjoyed this ice cream a lot more than the banana one, but the chocolate chip cookie was so hard that made it really difficult to eat. I really wanted the cripsy yet gooey goodness you get with chocolate chip cookies. If the cookie was softer and warm, this dish would've been a great hit.

 

course 16: beignets, powdered sugar, fig jam 

The beignets were fluffy and when eaten with the fig jam, quite good. But, this dish seemed one note for me and I was actually eating the fig jam with the peanut butter cookie and banana ice cream dish (see my peanut butter & jelly sandwich with banana slices reference!).

  

 

Overall, my meal at The Six was wonderful and so filling thanks to the wonderful staff at The Six, Chef David Gussin and to Kevin for the invite! I think Chef David Gussin is off to a wonderful start, which will eventually, I hope, lead to the Six becoming a permanent fixture in the West LA area. I definitely recommend this spot for all the locals to check out, especially because we don't have many choices when it comes to gastropubs/gastrobistros. Since I live so close, I predict this will become one of my go-to places for great beer and food to match.


The Six
10668 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 837-6662

thesixrestaurant.com