Dish of the Month (DoTM) – APRIL 2016 – VEGETABLE(S)

Hi @PorkyBelly,

Looks delish! :slight_smile: How was the Lamb Shank overall? Worth it?

At $34 the pork shank is definitely worth it. It can easily feed two, but because I’m a glutton i ordered it for myself… plus supplements :pig:

2 Likes

Tea leaf and chickpea tofu salads from Daw Yee Myanmar Cafe.

Mushroom taco from Loqui.

6 Likes

DTLA Bar Ama - Tex-Mex, hot, spicy, good. Cheesy Queso w/Avocado, Salsa & Sour Cream - Jicama Salad w/Mango, Cucumber, Radish & Fish Sauce - Patatas Gravas w/Chipotle Crema, Grapes & English Peas - Snakes Blood Cocktail.

Pardon my errors. Still learning to upload :slight_smile: We had a lot of other non-vedg stuff: Fried Chicken, Duck Confit Mole Enchiladas, etc., yum, etc., yum!

4 Likes

Commissary at The Line Hotel in K-Town. Lovely space, great service, beautiful place settings & thoughtfully prepared food. We had really good NY Strip. But honestly the vegetable was the star.

Charred Carrots w/Green Sauce & Parmesan. Deviled Eggs.

6 Likes

evidently the man created a vegan “chirashi” for coachella that he’s bringing back to ktown after weekend 2.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5543d9a4e4b0e11ffa85f163/t/570d593e07eaa013d70dcd93/1460492762156/?format=1000w

4 Likes

@Ns1 - Menu looks like a vegetarian’s dream.

Gjusta

Organic Spinach, Goat Cheese, Pine Nuts Salad:

This might sound kind of plain, but… wow! The Organic Spinach they had was so fresh! Seriously nothing like the taste of packaged “Spinach” you get at the supermarket. There was a really pure, “fresh picked from the ground”-type of vibrancy. Really, really fresh Spinach. That really made the salad. :slight_smile:

And the Goat Cheese was fabulous, as were the fresh toasted Pine Nuts. :slight_smile:

Gjusta
320 Sunset Ave.
Venice, CA 90291
Tel: (310) 314-0320

6 Likes

Behold… The Victory Garden from Yummy.com. Haute Cuisine.

3 Likes

Lettuce, cucumbers, mint, sprouts, rau ram, sawtooth herb at golden deli

7 Likes

Broccoli, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage at luv2eat

4 Likes

Gargantuan and mighty tasty veggie tlayuda from Tlayuda L.A. in East Hollywood.

7 Likes

LE COMPTOIR in K-Town. This will be long.

I’m not really a tasting menu kind of girl. In my younger days we made fun of fussy food - insert scene from L.A. Story. Now… maybe because I’m a better cook and from SoCal where sourcing and preparations are important… Or, maybe because the chefs look like they came to work on a skateboard, instead of wearing an obscenely pretentious, tall white hat - I’m digging it more. Anyway, you have to appreciate a guy who puts it all on the line at a 10 seat counter, 2 seatings, 4 nights a week, while sourcing most of the product from his own small farm.

It is theatre. You show up front at the precise time, a greeter escorts you to the lounge in the restored Hotel Normandie, later returns to escort one party at a time thru the back door to The Counter.

…Theatre doesn’t end there. The dialogue, descriptions, preparations, music, even the pre-med student “apprentice” is all calculatingly planned.

We just wanted to enjoy the evening and didn’t take pictures. But here’s a menu and photos very similar to what they prepared.

Kale Chips w/Aioli

Our Velouté was made with Castelfranco and was green. I wanted to lick the bowl then jump over the counter and demand a Viking size serving.

The different preparations and flavors that went into the "Vegetable Fruit Plate " and watching it prepared was a revelation.

Poached Egg, Beurre Noisette

Similar to the Fava Bean, Shroom, Pommes Purée… Delicious.

Squash & Farro

Sweet Potato Fed A5 Wagyu Beef

Orange flavored Sourdough Donut

Cheese!

We tried all of the supplements and the wine pairing… Why not? Don’t ask me about the wine - really not my area. But, the guy next to us shared some tasty Keller dessert wine.

Great evening!

13 Likes

Superb Food+Bread Venice Brussel Sprouts…

6 Likes

Beet Tartar (Mustard Greens, Almond, Preserved Lemon):

Visually it’s playful and stunning. It looks like a “Beef Tartar” dish, even with the “Egg Yolk” on top. But upon closer inspection and biting into it, it’s clear that this a fresh Chopped Beet Salad LOL, earthy, delicious, with the Beets’ sweetness countered by the Preserved Lemon Sphere (definitely some molecular gastronomy here), and the slight bitterness but amazing vibrancy of the Mustard Green Frills. I’d say this is a true celebration of California produce. It was a fantastic salad! :slight_smile:

Asparagus and Nettle Soup (Chantilly, Potato Chip):

As @LAgirl said, it is a beautiful presentation because it starts out with the dry ingredients in the soup bowl, wonderfully and artfully presented, fresh California Asparagus, edible Flowers and a Housemade Chantilly Cream. They then pour in the pureed Asparagus and Stinging Nettle Soup over the ingredients.

This is a celebration of Asparagus and it is almost great: The Asparagus Soup is fresh and interesting, but the the Chantilly Cream is too tart. If they provided maybe 50% of the amount of that cream, it would’ve been spot-on, but with the full amount they provided the tartness started to overtake the Asparagus. It wasn’t bad (it was tasty), but undermined by the sour notes.

Cavatelli Pasta (Arugula, Creme Fraiche, Local Peppercorn):

Really delicious! :slight_smile: The Housemade Cavatelli Pasta had a more satisfying mouthfeel than Knead & Co’s version, but it was their subtle Creme Fraiche mixed with the Fried Arugula that elevated this dish. The Arugula was so delicious! Crisped, maintaining a touch of the inherent bitterness and the Peppercorns give it a nice little peppery punch. Wonderful! :slight_smile:

Kali is one place I’d be glad to return to. I can’t wait to see what else Chef Meehan is cooking up.

Kali
5722 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Tel: (323) 871-4160

http://www.kalirestaurant.com/

7 Likes

Pok Pok

Yam Samun Phrai (can be pure Vegetarian upon request) (Chiang Mai Thai Herbal Salad - White Turmeric, Carrot, Parsnip, Betel Leaf, Basil, Lime Leaf, Lemongrass, Sawtooth, Fried Shallots, Cashews, Peanuts, Sesame Seeds, Dried Shrimp, Ground Pork & Thai Chilies, Mild Coconut Dressing):

I’ve been avoiding Pok Pok for a while, but had a friend who really wanted to go, and I heeded @Porthos warning and stuck to some recommendations. :wink:

This Salad was actually the best thing we had that night. It was salty, tropical, nutty, piquant and umami and a touch sweet. The vegetables and herbs were really well-combined. Really liked the combination of Carrot, Parsnip, Betel Leaf, Basil and Lemongrass in particular. And the Fried Shallots and Sesame Seeds were delicious. :slight_smile:

Little Sister (Downtown L.A.)

Myanmar Okra Curry (Fried Egg, Tomato, Tamarind, Cilantro, Six Spice):

Loved the Okra, and the Tomato, Tamarind pairing was fine. The Myanmar Curry sauce was unique, but I think it overpowered the dish a bit. Overall a good Vegetable Curry dish if you’re in the mood for something different, but I wished they let the veggies sing a bit more.

(Recap from other thread)

Hungry Cat

Curried Cauliflower (Pine Nuts & Raisins):

Curried Cauliflower seems to be popping up on a lot of menus, but The Hungry Cat’s version is solid. Aromatic curry spicing, the distinct Pine Nut scent hitting you with the sweetness of the Sauteed Raisins. Great veggie side dish.

Aburiya Raku

Asparagus with Bacon:

Another classic Yakitori skewer, Asparagus wrapped with Bacon and slowly roasted over their Binchotan charcoal. Excellent.

5 Likes

@Chowseeker1999 - My God. You’re a food pornographer. I say that affectionately!

1 Like

Beautiful!

Behold the 'Shroom Burger and crinkle cut fries from Shake Shack. Warning, graphic content: vegetables were battered in the making of this meal.

4 Likes

Beef muchim @ Gonjinam. Salad comprised of minari/water drop wort, onions and scallion. The minari adds a nice herbaceous brightness

5 Likes