Mendocino Farms Media Tasting Event

I was invited to a pre-opening media event at Mendocino Farms in Marina Del Rey by Fiona of Gourmet Pigs and was extremely excited. Since I've heard such great things about their downtown location, I had high expectations. Expectations that were met! The food was great! It was a full house with high energy, everyone seemed excited about this grand opening. When you first arrive, you stand in line and are instructed to take a look at the massive menu plastered on the wall. A waitress waits while with clipboard in hand ready to write down your order as soon as your ready. Everything sounded so delicious, but I had my heart set on the pork belly banh mi. So you can imagine my disappointment when the first words out of the waitress's mouth was, "Just to let you know we are out of the pork belly banh mi." BLAST! (Please repeat in Stewie from Family Guy's voice.) I decided to get the braised lamb sandwich and then the fun began....

sides

After you place your order, you mosey on down the line to a glass case full of some yummy sides. Ranging from beet salad to curried orzo, there was something for everyone.

blood orange lemonade

If you know me, you know I am a lemonade fanatic. If I weren't watching what I drank and ate, I would order lemonade everywhere I go. Only if water tasted as good as lemonade... The blood orange lemonade at Mendocino was quite delicious. It was sour and sweet with a hint of the blood orange flavor. I would have liked a bit more of the blood orange flavor, but still very good.

curried orzo

This is only a sample size of the curried orzo, which is definitely not enough. I would've gotten an actual pint size, but I didn't because I was eyeing the potato salad... In my attempt to be healthy, I just got a sample size of one while I got the regular "small" for the other. The curried orzo was fantastic. The curry wasn't overwhelming and the orzo texture was really nice. I'd defnitely order this again.

potato salad

Potato salad is a nostalgic dish for me because it reminds me of all the fun BBQs my friends and I always have during the summer. It is one of my favorite side dishes, summertime or not. This one was quite good, not too mayo-y or too tangy.

braised lamb sandwich, mint pesto, Cypress Grove’s goat cheese spread, pickled red onions, arugula, toasted ciabatta

After I grabbed a seat I dove right into the lamb sandwich. The lamb meat was soft and flavorful, as expected. My favorite part of the sandwich was the tangy goat cheese and the pickled onions, strong flavors that stood up to the lamb.

bite-size Kurobuta pork belly banh mi, housemade pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro, cucumbers, jalapenos, chili aioli, panini grilled ciabatta

Since their best selling pork belly banh mi was all out and couldn't be ordered anymore, as a consolation these bite size versions were passed around for everyone. Man, this was one amazing bite! It made me wish for an entire sandwich. If this is available when you visit Mendocino Farms, I highly recommend it.

all white albacore tuna with citrus aioli, green apple, organic farmer’s market greens, tomato, red onion, buckwheat bread

Honestly, I was good after half of my lamb sandwich but if someone wants to try another sandwich and asks me if I want some I say YES. The tuna was good, not great. What do you expect? After following the lamb and the bahn mi, the tuna sandwich was just average for me. I liked the big chunks of tuna with the citrus aioli, but the stars of the night were the lamb sandwich and the bite-size banh mi.

dessert tray

This lovely dessert tray was being passed around after we were about halfway into our meal. We were told that Chef Judy bakes the cookies herself daily. Yum.

carrot cake

I recently discovered that I really love carrot cake. I've always liked it, but never had it enough to really love it. After eating J's mom's carrot cake, I realized how delicious they really are. So, naturally, I opted for the carrot cake out of all the tempting dessert items. The carrot cake was moist and just plain delicious. I would definitely get this again. I was told that the cookies were amazing as well.

I am rarely in Marina Del Rey. It's too south for me. Haha. However, I would definitely make the drive (like it's long *rolls eyes*) for my second visit to Mendocino Farms. I'm happy to report that they lived up to all the hype and I am so glad I got a chance to preview this place before their opening day (Thanks Fiona!). Some time has passed since they opened and I am still hearing great news and reviews for this Marina Del Rey location. I'll have to stop by for a very long lunch during the week sometime. Anyone care to join? ;)

Mendocino Farms

4724 Admiralty Way,

Marina del Rey, CA 90292

(310) 822-2300

http://www.mendocinofarms.com/

Robata-Ya

Living walking distance from all the restaurants on Sawtelle or "Little Osaka" is definitely a plus, but at the same time I've become so dependent on the convenience that I feel like I have tunnel vision. Sawtelle has become the "back up plan" for awhile. Nonetheless, I found myself dining at Robata-Ya for dinner on a typical Friday evening. Typical being I was exhausted from the week, so instead of cooking I wanted to eat out but not drive anywhere far: ingredients for Sawtelle dining.

I always want sake over beer, so naturally I got the bottle of cold sake and J ordered the beer. Originally he had asked for Asahi Black, his favorite beer at the moment, but it is such a rarity that restaurants carry this beer. It was worth a shot. The waitress suggested the Ginga Kogen Beer instead. She didn't know if it was dark beer and didn't really know how it tasted, but J ordered it anyway. The beer was really light and quite delicious - very easy to drink. J said it was good, but the man originally wanted dark beer so I know it's something he wouldn't order again. The sake was cool and refreshing. I'm developing this bad habit of drinking before the food comes. Drinking on an empty stomach not only speeds up the "buzz," but speeds up the red coloration in my face. By the time the food came out, I was bright red and giggly. Teehee.

edamame

One of J's favorite snack foods, we almost always get edamame to start if we see it on the menu. These were your standard soybeans, nicely salted and warm.

dynamite

The dynamite was a bit watery, but still had a lot of flavor. It didn't seem spicy at first, but the lingering heat will sneak up on you. I tend to shy away from dynamites because the seafood is almost always over cooked and usually masked by the heavy dose of mayonnaise. But, in this case, the seafood was tender and enjoyable. J really liked this dish.

shitake mushrooms

I love mushrooms, but this didn't work for me. It was under seasoned and quite oily.

chicken liver

A lot of people are turned off by liver due to taste and texture, but I happen to really like it, especially when it's robatayaki. The wasabi gives it the perfect kick to balance out the dominating flavor of the liver - delicious!

chicken skin

Next up was one of J's favorite dishes: chicken skin. The skin was really crispy and perfectly seasoned. It goes great with beer.

bacon wrapped asparagus

Always a popular dish, the bacon wrapped asparagus was next and did not disappoint. It was solid. The bacon was salty and the asparagus had a nice bite to it. I hate overcooked, mushy asparagus.

short rib

The short rib was a bit chewy for me, but still had good flavor. I prefer my beef to be more on the rare side, however it was nicely seasoned and enjoyable.

beef tongue

As regular readers know, beef tongue is one of my absolute favorites. So, I have to say I was thoroughly disappointed to find that this time around, the tongue was too tough and chewy. Overcooked tongue is automatic demotion for me. Boo hoo.

chicken cartilage

Another favorite of J's, the cartilage was definitely chewy and crunchy. Definitely not one of my favorites. However, it was seasoned perfectly and J really loved it.

chicken special heart

The texture of the heart was lovely. It was soft and tender. While the flavor was milder than the liver, the heart had a significant taste which was delicious.

tsukune (chicken meatball)

The last dish to come out was the chicken meatball, basically ground chicken on a stick. It was a bit too salty for me, but still good. I had a good buzz going by this point, so I really couldn't complain.

I think Robata-Ya serves up good food, but I think some of their items are over-priced. The service is always great here, but the food is inconsistent. My last meal at Robata-Ya was just average and my most recent visit was good, not great. Since I love Sawtelle, I'll probably be back sooner rather than later. I just hope my next meal will be ridiculously fabulous!

Robata-Ya

2004 Sawtelle Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 481-1418

Mo-chica: Upscale Peruvian in Downtown

Mo-Chica serves upscale Peruvian food inside Mercado La Paloma in Downtown Los Angeles. Mo-Chica is only one of the dining options in this food court and I'm assuming the most popular one. My reservations was for 9 p.m. on Saturday night and the place was still packed with patrons. We had to wait around 5-10 minutes for a table, which isn't a long wait but for a restaurant that closes at 10 p.m., I wasn't expecting to wait at all. Nonetheless, we got seated and I already knew what I wanted, of course. J and I were pretty full from a really late lunch so we just decided to order light and share everything.

chica morada (purple corn tea)

It really tastes like corn tea! I can't say it was a  refreshing drink, but it was quite tasty.

seabass ceviche

J and I absolutely love ceviche, so when we see one on the menu it is a must-get. The ceviche of the day was a seabass that came with sweet potatoes and seaweed. This dish had great citrus and the red onions on top were perfect in adding that extra depth of flavor. I liked the texture of the seaweed, which I think went well with the big chunks of fish. I didn't really think the sweet potatoes were necessary, I just wanted more fish.

crab causa

This was my favorite dish of the night! The crab and creamy avocado go hand in hand in making this dish such a success. I thought the sweet tomatoes made this dish bright, while the potatoes had a nice spice that reminded me of nacho cheese - not kidding. It was delicious!

lomo saltado

The lomo saltado was good, but I've definitely had better. I like the fries in my lomo to be drenched in the sauces with lots of red onions. But, the proportion for this dish was perfect for me and I loved the corn that came in the rice, it reminds me of the way my mom cooks rice.

*Side story: My mom used to cook rice three ways since we all had our preferences. My dad loves beans with his rice while my mom loves potatoes with hers. My brother and I just eat plain steamed white rice. So, in the rice cooker she would put potatoes one one side and leave the other side plain. She would then cook another batch of rice with beans in a stone hot pot for my dad, since he loves eating the crispy burnt rice at the end. Talk about SUPERWOMAN. Did I mention how much I love my mom? She did this every day after working a 10 hour work day.

Even though I was slighly disappointed with my lomo saltado, the crab causa and the seabass ceviche more than made up for it. I would come back just for that crab causa alone! I heard a lot of great things about the lamb so I'll need to come back for that. Living on the Westside really hinders my quest to dine at Downtown/Eastside restaurants, but I was glad that I got a chance to make it out to Mo-Chica as it was well worth the trip. One more downtown eatery I can finally cross off the list!

Mo-Chica

3655 S Grand Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 747-2141
http://www.mo-chica.com/

Musha & Bodega Wine Bar

Musha, musha, musha. Everybody loves Musha.

If you don't love Musha, then you still kinda, sorta like it, right? Well, I'm not head over hells in love and committed with Musha, but I sure have a lusty love affair on the side with this little izakaya. I frequent the Santa Monica location once in awhile, like you would for an ex-lover that you think of on your lonely nights - great for comfort, but not something you'd fall back into and commit to on a daily basis (Mr. Right Now vs. Mr. Right). Now, my most recent rendezvous was made memorable by great company, unforgettable conversations and of course, good eats.

tuna dip, spicy tuna on rice cracker

We started off with one of their most popular items, the tuna dip. The tuna had a nice kick to it, spicier than what I've had before. The rice cracker and the spicy tuna was a nice play on chips and dip. I still prefer my spicy tuna over crispy, sticky rice. What can I say... I like food that sticks to my teeth!

Nigori Sayuri

This milky sake was sweet, smooth and did a great job of cooling my tongue after the tuna dip.

aburi saba

This is one of my favorite dishes at Musha, the presentation is impressive and the dish itself is amazing. In my opinion, I don't think the mackerel is too fishy since it is only seared on top and still raw in the middle. The "fishy" flavor is not overpowering, especially when eaten with a little bit of the wasabi or hot mustard.

tofu fries

I think I like regular fries way too much. The tofu fries were okay, but it doesn't beat the real thing. However, if you're on a diet and need to satisfy that fried foods craving, get this and you won't feel so bad.

beef tongue

I love beef tongue. It's my absolute favorite. The tongue here was good, not the best of cuts, but definitely hit the spot. I like my tongue medium rare so that each bite is soft and tender, overcooked tongue is probably the worst for me. Dealbreaker, for sure.

prime beef

The beef was a bit tough for me and the sauces were a bit underwhelming. I've had much better yakiniku at other places so my expectations are always high.

Musha Fried Chicken

The M.F.C. was crispy and flavorful, but not greasy or oily. I guess that's a good thing, but when I eat fried chicken I want the oil and grease. If I'm going to cheat on my diet, might as well do it with something really bad, right?

musha risotto

This was one of the dishes I've always wanted to try, but never got a chance. Thank goodness one of my dining companions really wanted to test this dish out! As the server mixes the risotto inside a big block of parmesan cheese, I drooled at the impressive presentation. Unfortunately, I was mildly disappointed with the lack of flavor and cheese. I did appreciate the texture of the perfectly cooked risotto.

Bodega Wine Bar

After dinner, my dining companions and I decided to sip on some wine at Bodega in Santa Monica. I haven't been here in a couple of years, but the vibe was cool as ever.

2008 White Knight Viognier

The aroma of the viognier was floral at first, but after the first sip the fruity and sweet notes really come through at the end.

2008 Baroncini Pinot Grigio

The pinot grigio was easier to drink, but was a bit too thin for me. Everyone seemed to enjoy this one over the viognier.

The night started off well with a solid meal at Musha and ended, just in time, with lots of storytelling and "cheers-ing" to different occasions. Musha is a solid izakaya and one that I would frequent more often if I lived in Santa Monica. But, for now, I will maintain my casual relationship, a secret love affair that only needs to be revisited once in awhile. I'll have to say the same for Bodega... While its cool and hip atmosphere will probably bring me back, I hardly ever drink in Santa Monica and can't say when my next visit will be. All in all, it was an eventful Monday night and a great way to start off any week.

 

Musha Restaurant

424 Wilshire Blvd

Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-6330
http://www.musha.us/

Bodega Wine Bar
814 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 394-3504
http://www.bodegawinebar.com/