Brunch for 2 @ Huckleberry: Bring Your Standing Shoes!

Breakfast is J's favorite meal of the day, but we rarely every wake up for it. So, the one Saturday we woke up before 10 AM, I decided we needed to go somewhere delicious for brunch. I've heard great things about Huckleberry, so I decided to try it out.

I was expecting a line outside the front door and when I saw what appeared to be a no-line, no-wait situation I was confused. But, as soon as we stepped inside, we realized the line was going out the back! Tricky, tricky... Since they don't take reservations and seats are a first-come, first-serve basis, the wait staff at Huckleberry don't let you wait for a table while the other person in your party stands in line to order. Instead, your whole party must stand in line and they scope out the seats for you. I must admit that they do a pretty good job at turning these tables around.

chocolate croissant

J chose this chocolate croissant and I have to say, it was a good pick. The croissant was light and flaky, not dense at all. The chocolate was sweet, but not overpowering. This would've been great with a cafe latte.

bacon biscuit

I always heard positive reviews about the bacon biscuit and it did not disappoint. When I took a bite of this, I immediately said, "MONEY!" hahaha... This bacon biscuit was MONEY! It was the perfect amount of sweet and salty. The caramelization on top gave it great contrast in texture to the soft, doughy-ness of the biscuit inside.

fried egg sandwich, sunny side up eggs, niman ranch bacon, gruyere, arugula and aioli on country bread

This was J's choice and it was your standard fried egg sandwich. He loves bacon, runny eggs and arugula, so this was the perfect dish for him. Although he thought the bread was too hard, he still enjoyed this very much. I had a bite and thought it was good, but nothing spectacular.

green eggs and ham, La Quercia prosciutto, pesto & arugula on English muffin

I picked the green eggs and ham, which comes with pesto and prosciutto. The prosciutto was a bit dry and tough to eat. The runny eggs and pesto masked the dryness of the prosciutto, but it didn't mask the tough texture of the english muffin. The muffin became too hard for me to cut with my knife and fork! Despite this minor setback, I thought the flavors were good especially with the arugula that cut the heaviness of the dish.

I think some items are a bit over-priced, but overall it was a good meal, the pastries being the highlights. Next time I go, I will definitely be stocking up on these babies. The line and wait to order wasn't that bad, but only if you had your full night's rest. I wouldn't suggest this place for those of you who have been out partying all night. I wouldn't want to be standing in line to order while hungover and smelling like my last drink. But, hey, whenever I'm hungover I always go eat some pho... but, that's another review in the waiting!

Huckleberry

1014 Wilshire Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90401

(310) 451-2311

www.huckleberrycafe.com

Orris

A lot of my most recent blogs have been from my birthday dinners, and this is one is no different. I have great friends who love me and know me well enough to buy me dinner instead of gifts. My favorite married couple (also, soon to be parents - CONGRATS!) took me out to Orris for a belated birthday dinner. Orris, sister restaurant to Restaurant Shiro is Chef Hideo Yamashiro's (Shiro for short), is a small restaurant on Sawtelle that almost all westsiders know and love. Since they don't take reservations, I suggest you go there earlier as they tend to fill up during the dinner rush. The tables are really close together, so if you want a little more privacy I suggest sitting at the bar or dining outside.

2006 Pinot Noir, Tantara, Santa Maria Valley

We got a bottle of medium bodied  pinot noir with both earthy and fruity notes to sip along throughout our meal. It was strong on the palette at first, but had a smooth finish.

bruschetta

The bruschetta was pretty standard but good. The bread was hard, but since they were bite size they were pretty easy to eat.

special of the day: seafood salad

We ordered two specials of the day and and they both turned out to be fabulous. The first to come out was the seafood salad. It was full of an assortment of seafood from octopus to shrimp which was soaked in a wonderful citrus dressing. This ceviche-like dish was quite refreshing and light.

special of the day: fried anchovies

Fried anchovies was the other special of the day and our favorite dish of the night. The lightly battered anchovies were deep fried and served with a side of seasoned salt. These tasty fish chips were salty and wonderfully oily, making it an ideal snack food.

shrimp mousse ravioli, shitake mushroom sauce

This has to be the one dish that I always order whenever I dine at Orris. There are no surprises, you know each bite will be heavenly. The rich mushroom sauce can somewhat overpower the shrimp mousse in the ravioli, so I tend to eat the ravioli on its own leaving the excess sauce inside the bowl. The shrimp mousse is mild but wonderfully seasoned. I finish the excess sauce with the bread they give you; crispy on the outside and so soft on the inside, it is perfect to scoop up every last drop of this earthy goodness.

foie gras and japanese eggplant, sweet soy

The foie gras was heavenly and just melted in your mouth. The sweet soy was a bit too sweet for me, but the eggplant certainly balanced it out.

potato dauphinois

I love potatoes! I loved them baked, fried, roasted and in this case smothered in creamy goodness. I always recommend this dish (and the shrimp mousse ravioli) to first time diners at Orris. If you order a meat dish, I suggest getting this as a side, but if you're a potato lover like me, I just eat this as its own course.

saute of seasonal mushrooms

Our last dish of the night was the saute of seasonal mushrooms, perfectly seasoned and cooked; it was a different kind of "light" way to end the meal.

We opted out of dessert even though they have an amazing apple tart that I usually get. We were really full and these small plates really started to add up. As a girl who loves to eat but quickly gets tired of eating the same thing, I adore small plates. I am able to try several dishes without getting too full and overwhelmed. Where Orris lacks in venue space and decor, they make it up in their service and quality of food. If you ever find yourself on the westside and craving something smart and tasty, give Orris a visit.

Orris

2006 Sawtelle Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 268-2212
http://www.orrisrestaurant.com/

Echigo

If you love the infamous warm rice of Nozawa but do not want to empty out your wallet, I highly recommend Echigo. I was introduced to Echigo years ago by a friend who swore it was just as good as Nozawa or Sasabune without the high sticker price. And since then, Echigo has been one of my favorite sushi restaurants in the city. Despite my fondness for Echigo and close proximity to the location, I do not frequent this place as much as I would like to. While omakase usually runs from $45 to $50, they serve you around 8-10 pieces of sushi that are generally small in portion size. Every bite is delicious and I never leave feeling stuffed. It is a great place for a light dinner, but Echigo wouldn't be on the top of my list if I was starving and looking for value.

With that said, my most recent visit here was right before I went out to La Descarga for my birthday. I told J that I wanted a light but delicious dinner and naturally, he suggested Echigo.

snapper sashimi

 The staple starter for dinner omakase at Echigo is the snapper sashimi. I love the green onions which give a very mild onion flavor to the snapper and coupled with the ponzu makes a great starter.

toro

The melt-in-your-mouth toro was just that... it literally melts in your mouth. Give your teeth a rest from chewing and just your tongue to mash up the goodness!

halibut

The halibut was soft and I really enjoyed the contrast between the cool ponzu sauce and the warm sushi rice. The onions also added great flavor to the mild fish.

 

scallop

Having had scallops in many different forms, scallop sushi has to be my favorite. And this scallop was ah-may-ZING. It was so fresh and absolutely delightful!

 

bonito

I think I've had bonito almost every time I've had omakase here and it is delicious every time.

 

kanpachi

The kanpachi was your standard sushi and something I usually enjoy. However, J didn't care for this too much. I assume it's because the jalapeno bits and citrus flavors don't mesh well with him.

 

baby tuna

While J didn't like the kanpachi, he really enjoyed the baby tuna as did I. It was so soft and tender, quite tasty.

butterfish

Ah... one of my favorites! The butterfish is always one of the highlights for me and something I always look forward to in Echigo's omakase. The miso-based sauce on top does a great job in mellowing out the spicy wasabi under the fish.

blue crab handroll

The mark of the end of our omakase, the blue crab hand roll was as delicious as ever. The ratio between the warm rice and the cool crab was perfect - with more crab meat of course! I can eat this every day, no joke.

sweet shimp eggs

Not feeling very full after our omakase was over, we decided to order a few more items to satisfy our appetites. J ordered another round of baby tuna and his favorite, sweet shrimp. They asked if we would like the eggs with it and my immediate response was YES! When they handed the eggs to J, he immediately moved the plate over to me without even blinking an eye. Oh... how well he knows me... The eggs weren't particularly fishy in taste as one would think, but flavor was quite nice due to the ponzu sauce. The texture of the eggs was crunchy, which I think anyone would prefer over mushy.

sweet shrimp

I was told that the sweet shrimp was just as good as the other sweet shrimp sushi he's had. The only thing he would note is the small portion size. Who can blame him? We all would want a big serving of sweet shrimp!

orange clam w/ scallop

I really liked that the scallop accompanied the orange clam, although it didn't need to. The contrast in the crunchy texture of the clam and the softness of the scallop was superb.

uni

Save the best for last? Yes. The uni was so creamy and was full of that wonderful sea urchin/ocean flavor. Please don't associate ocean flavor with fishy-ness! It is so far from being "fishy" as it was fresh and on the sweet side.

Despite Echigo's small portions, it will always hold a special place in my heart as I've dined here with old friends and new friends. It holds a lot of good memories for me and for that alone, I'm sure I will always be back to relive them. The chefs and waitstaff are always friendly and the sushi is consistently fresh. In a city with many wonderful sushi restaurants, Echigo holds up well to the competition and continues to be a strong contender.

Echigo
12217 Santa Monica Blvd. Ste 201
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 820-9787

Hatchi 8 Series with Kuniko Yagi and Ramon Perez: A Burning Sensation

While Chef David Meyers was expanding his name internationally, Chef de Cuisine Kuniko Yagi and Pastry Chef Ramon Perez were holding down the forth at the critically acclaimed Sona restaurant. Unfortunately, due to Chef David Meyers' vision of global expansion and lack of physical presence at his flagship restaurant in the U.S., Sona will be closing next month and will be reopening in 2011. I feared that I won't have a chance to dine at Sona one last time before they close their doors. But as if the foodie gods have answered my prayers, I saw that Chef Kuniko Yagi and Chef Ramon Perez were both showcasing their talents for the Hatchi 8 series!

aviation (gin, lemon, maraschino, lime)

I'm sure a quite of few of you can understand how wonderful a really good cocktail is after a long day at work. This was one of those days where I needed to drink away my day. My first cocktail was the Aviation and it was delicious. It was sweet at first, but finished with lots of citrus flavor - very refreshing.

yellowfin tuna, smoked eggplant puree, mitsuba sauce

Tuna being your standard go-to fish, I was looking forward to the smoked eggplant puree to set this dish apart from all the other different raw tuna dishes we have all seen. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough of the puree to make this dish special. I also thought that the bread was unnecessary and didn't understand it's presence on the plate. However, I thought the sauce was delicious and probably would have eaten the tuna and the sauce alone, anyway.

New Zealand spinach creme, almost-burnt caramel, cauliflower

Two words: spinach flan. Don't let that turn you off now! The spinach flavor in this flan-like dish was strong, but not overwhelming. The creaminess in the "flan" fits the natural bitterness of the spinach perfectly. My favorite part of the dish had to be the peas and cauliflower on top, giving the dish great contrast in texture.

yogurt marinated chicken, burnt shishitou puree, maitake mushroom

The chicken was wonderfully cooked and the mushrooms were flavorful, but the dish overall, for me, was too salty. It wasn't a horrible dish, but it certainly was a disappointment for my high expectations.

miso marinated hanger steak, Tokyo negi soubise, chino radish

The meat was seasoned really well and soubise sauce with the onions was divine. The radish gave a cool effect which was a nice contrast to the warm meat.

Gordon's Cup, lime, gin, salt, cucumber

By this time, I was done with my first drink and ready to move onto the second. I chose the Gordon's cup, which basically consists of lime, gin, salt and cucumbers. I forgot to snap a picture of this and didn't even realize I forgot until I started writing this review! Oh.. let the good times roll... I love a Gordon's Cup or a Cucumber-Mint Gimlet because I like cucumbers. I think they are refreshing and light. However, my dining companion though the my drink was too "cucumber-y" and he's not the only one. I've heard from several other people that they don't enjoy drinking cucumber juice or cucumber water. *shrug*

harissa marinated cod, sunchoke puree, crispy pigs' feet

The cumin really came through in the harissa sauce which marinated the cod. The cod was delicious and the sunchoke puree, creamy and sweet, went superbly with the flavors of the harissa.

geoduck clam and charred veggie salad, 5 kinds of grain, salmon roe

I really enjoyed this dish because of all the different dimensions of texture and flavor Chef Yagi showcased. The briny clam had a nice bite to it while the salty salmon roe just popped right in your mouth. The grains and veggies also had great crunchy texture.

soft chocolate, charred pineapple, alpine strawberry, burnt milk ice cream

Since my dining companion is not a dessert person, I negotiated with him that we should share at least one dessert. We opted for the chocolate one and it turned out to be his favorite dish of the night! The soft chocolate was decadent and fabulous, a true chocolate lover's dream. The charred pineapple gave a nice citrus touch while the "crumbs" underneath the soft chocolate provided the perfect amount of saltiness. But, my favorite part of the dish was the burnt milk ice cream! My friend's favorite part? The delicious alpine strawberries.

We didn't leave too full since the portion size was clearly for one and having shared every dish we left feeling satisfied but not overly stuffed. Since I've had dined at Sona before, I was honestly expecting a lot more from this Hatchi series. I was expecting to be blown away, but there was more than one dish that left us feeling underwhelmed. However, I do appreciate and respect all of Chef Yagi's skills and vision in each dish. You can clearly see the care and thoughtfulness that was put in the food.

Hatchi 8 Series @ Breadbar

10250 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90067
310 277 3770

Jae Bu Do: A Look Into Korean Seafood Grill

This was my first Korean seafood grill experience in the U.S. and it very much reminded me of the seafood grill restaurants in South Korea. Even though the ingredients might not be as fresh and as diverse as one would find in South Korea, I was still very much satisfied with this seafood lovers meal.

Jae Bu Do is a small, hole-in-the-wall type of place where the Korean menu with the different types of combos are listed on the walls. I did not see an English version of this anywhere, so if you have any questions you should definitely ask. Or, just take your Korean-reading friend with you!

After you tell the waitress which combo you would like the banchan comes out, kimchi to cheese corn. I liked the cheese corn with bell peppers in it. It wasn't the best cheese corn I've had, but it was good enough! The kimchi looked deceivingly spicy but was on the sweet side.

pahjeon (Korean scallion pancake)

The pahjeon was crispy and thin, just like how mama makes it. It was your simple scallion pancake with no frills and it was delicious. 

clam soup

 

The salty broth of the clam soup was a great precursor to the loads of clams, mussels and oysters to come. Having a definite ocean-y taste, I immediately pictured myself eating this at a restaurant by the shore in Busan, Korea on a rainy day. How dramatic... I guess it's the Korean in me.

egg-jeem

I think there is a special connection between this dish and Korean females.... I say this because a lot of my Korean-American girlfriends really love this dish, myself included. The egg-jeem at Jae Bu Do had nice consistency and it was perfectly seasoned. Nothing ruins an egg-jeem like having too much water or not enough seasoning.

assorted seafood platter

clams

Before the grilling began, we were given gloves to wear on our dominant hand since we will be taking the goods right off the grill. Even with gloves, I still managed to burned myself... The clams were the first to go and they cook extremely fast. You should take them off the grill as soon as they pop open or else you'll be eating overdone rubbery messes the entire time.

clams, mussels, oysters, scallops and live abalone

After the first batch of clams were eaten, the waitress came and did the honors of putting whatever she thought fit on the grill. The result was an impressive array of assorted seafood items waiting to be popped and eaten! Although we left the abalone on too long and became too chewy to eat, the clams and scallops were delicious and probably the favorites of the night.

shrimp

The shrimp were the last ones on the grill and the hardest to eat. Trying to peel piping hot shrimp with one bare hand and another, nestled in a working man's glove, is quite the challenge. But after all the work, the end result is a quite satisfying one.

cuttlefish

The cuttlefish was the last item to hit the grill. After it's grilled for a couple of minutes, it is cut into bite size pieces. The perfectly cooked cuttlefish was tender and went great with gochujang.

kal gooksoo

 In usual Korean grill food fashion, the end of the meal is not the end until they break out the rice or the noodles. In this case, it was the noodles - kal gooksoo, to be exact. Kal gooksoo is handmade, knife-cut noodles served with different vegetables. It is usually served plain so you can add your own condiments to your liking. The serving portion, as you can see above, was quite large and our party of 4 could not finish this. But don't let the massive bowl scare you! The broth, by itself without the condiments, was so flavorful and delicious; it was one of the better kal gooksoos I've had in Koreatown. I forgot to mention that before this over-sized bowl of noodle goodness was put on the grill, the waitress put our dessert, sweet potatoes wrapped in foil, under the grill with the charcoal to cook. This is done so that by the time you finish your noodles, the sweet potatoes are cooked and ready to be enjoyed. I love how they wrap it in foil so that you can literally take these to-go and eat them in your car.

Jae Bu Do definitely exceeded my expectations, in terms of quality and quantity of food. While the seafood wasn't the freshest nor the best, it more than satisfied my seafood fix. The hole-in-the-wall atmosphere added to the whole experience of dining here - It took me back to the couple of weeks I spent in South Korea a few years ago. If you are looking for a new dinner spot in Koreatown and do not want to succumb to the many, many Korean BBQ restaurnts, I recommend coming here and knocking back a few sojus while grilling some clams.

Jae Bu Do

474 N Western

Los Angeles, CA 90004