October 2016 Weekend Rundown

PorkyBelly · October 23, 2016, 5:10pm

#i-naba

Can we have a moment of silence for all my taste buds that died because i couldn’t wait for my tempura to cool off. thanks.

Thanks to @Chowseeker1999 and @bulavinaka for the i-naba rec. Their tempura is legit and reminded me of the tempura i had in kyoto and it was even better than that overpriced tempura place in BH.

a lil soba and tempura appetizer before the tempura

shrimp, eggplant, sweet potato, pumpkin, sweet pepper

squid - holy shit this was one of the highlights of the night, i thought i was eating a scallop it was so soft and tender

whiting - this was another winner, like biting into a perfect fish stick

shiitake mushroom - the hits keep on coming

onion

shiso

anago and bone - so light and flaky, if this was served with some fries it would the perfect fish n chips

flathead

shrimp stuffed shiitake

scallop

uni

squid roll - just as awesome as the squid tempura

scallop kakiage

soft shell crab

persimmon - sweet, crispy, tender, great dessert

Ns1 · October 23, 2016, 5:12pm

Fuck I gotta get me to inaba.

bulavinaka · October 23, 2016, 5:18pm

Persimmon tempura = J-fritter?

bulavinaka · October 23, 2016, 5:25pm

The squid is like scallop, but that scallop with the lemon wedging the two halves, and in that kakiage… I think the uni and scallops will soon join forces.

   #enemyofmyenemy

Nice meal!

Chowseeker1999 · October 23, 2016, 6:51pm

Hi @PorkyBelly,

So glad you liked Inaba and the Tempura there.

Chowseeker1999 · October 23, 2016, 10:27pm

A Cut Above

Thanks to @CiaoBob for the recommendation for their Cubano, we finally remembered to stop by.

A Cut Above is primarily a Butcher Shop, featuring humanely-raised, quality meats. They also turn that quality meat into a variety of Sandwiches.

There’s some seating available, so it’s not just take-out only.

Cubano Sandwich (Nueske Ham, Slow Roasted Kurobuta Pork Shoulder with Dill Pickles, Jalapeños, Caramelized Onions, Swiss Cheese, Cilantro & Mustard served on a pressed French Baguette):

This is a pretty good, robust sandwich. I’ve never tried a Cubano in Miami before, or anything as fantastic as out of the movie Chef, but this seemed to have many high points. The Kurobuta Pork Shoulder was tender and moist (and fresh), the Nueske Ham was a nice touch that complemented the Pork Shoulder. There was a great crunch from the pressed / grilled Ca’ D’ Oro Bakery French Baguette. Some sweetness from the Caramelized Onions and a nice mustardy kick.

Definitely on the heavy side, but delicious nonetheless.

A Cut Above
2453 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Tel: (310) 998-8500

Sunny Blue (Santa Monica)

Sunny Blue featured a few more specials on their board this week.

Wasabi Tsukudani Onigiri (Pickled Konbu with Pickled Wasabi), Brown Rice:

We almost forgot how huge Sunny Blue’s Onigiri are. We ordered them with Brown Rice, and the Wasabi Tsukudani was delicious! Sinus-clearing bursts of Wasabi, but balanced out with the Pickled Veggies within.

Spicy Tuna Bacon Onigiri (No Bacon - it’s Katsuobushi), Brown Rice:

While it’s listed as “Tuna Bacon,” they actually explicitly state there is no Bacon inside of this. Instead they meant to say that the Bacon-like flavor is evoked due to their use of Katsuobushi (Dried, Smoked Skipjack Tuna). And indeed, the amount of Katsuobushi that they use really does make you feel like you’re eating delicious, smoky, meaty “Bacon,” but it’s just fish. This was also excellent.

Konbu Arugula Onigiri, Brown Rice:

This was an interesting seasonal one as well: Their delicious Rice Ball with Konbu and Arugula. Like the other two, their Nori Seaweed is slightly crisp (if you eat it fresh on the spot), and the Konbu and herbs / seasoning were the primary stars. I didn’t really taste enough of the Arugula (I wish there was more).

Overall, Sunny Blue remains a great place to hop in, get some healthy Onigiri and be on your way. I love the option of using Brown Rice as well. Thanks again for the rec, @Dommy @MaladyNelson!

Sunny Blue (Santa Monica)
2728 Main St.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Tel: (310) 399-9030

J_L · October 24, 2016, 1:58am

K-towning with @CiaoBob & a certain food writer we know:

Warm-up: Suntory Hakushu 18, at Cafe Bleu…

Large order of the spicy galbi jjim (braised beef short rib stew), at Sun Nong Dan…

Ginger ginseng chicken soup & abalone porridge/egg, at Mountain Cafe…

Mandu, at Mountain Cafe…

MaladyNelson · October 24, 2016, 2:04am

Thanks, @TheCookie!

This was one time where I was thankful that I work at home. I had cream cheese and tomato smeared all over my face… It was delicious though. It’s best to eat Yeastie Boys’ bagel sandwiches in complete privacy.

MaladyNelson · October 24, 2016, 2:09am

I love your selections from Sunny Blue, @Chowseeker1999, particularly the spicy tuna bacon onigiri. I’m such a sucker for katsuobushi! Have you tried their black sesame soft serve? It’s especially good if you let it melt a little, as the sesame flavor is more pronounced.

Chowseeker1999 · October 24, 2016, 2:19am

Hi @MaladyNelson,

Ooh, I didn’t think about trying their soft serve (let alone black sesame version!). Thanks for the tip. Next time for sure.

Chowseeker1999 · October 24, 2016, 2:21am

Hi @J_L,

Nice! How does the braised beef short ribs at Sun Nong Dan compare with Soban? Thanks.

MaladyNelson · October 24, 2016, 2:26am

I wouldn’t say their soft serve merits a commute across town since their flavors aren’t always great, @Chowseeker1999. I’m looking at you, cucumber soft serve - blech. However, they’ll allow you to sample them, which I highly recommend. But the black sesame is their strongest contender.

Chowseeker1999 · October 24, 2016, 2:28am

Hi @MaladyNelson,

No worries, Sunny Blue is close for us. Not a far drive.

But speaking of which, and something @paranoidgarliclover would love, where’s the best Kurogoma ice cream / gelato / soft serve you’ve had?

I would love it if Mr. Bulgarini made his version of pure Black Sesame Gelato at Bulgarini one day.

PorkyBelly · October 24, 2016, 2:30am

#Lodge Bread

roasted tomatillo, burnt maui onions, taleggio, mizuna
this was terrible, one of the worst pizzas i’ve had in a long time. the tomatillo was so tart and sour it tasted like melted sourpatch kids. when i got a bite of the maui onion the sweetness actually balanced out the sour, unfortunately i only got about 6 bites of onion on the whole pie. the one positive is i got a great jaw workout trying to chew through the burnt doughy crust.

the upskirt

#Maple Block Meat Co.
I had to get the taste of that terrible pizza out of my mouth so i had some meat for second dinner.

beef brisket, pork spare ribs
This was okay, half my brisket was way too lean and dry.

bulavinaka · October 24, 2016, 2:32am

Please send kevin our best. He is always thought of and missed!

Like @Chowseeker1999, I’m curious about the galbi jjim at Sun Nong Dan. Thanks

Chowseeker1999 · October 24, 2016, 2:33am

Hi @PorkyBelly,

Thanks for taking one for the team! Very sad to hear about bad pizza (that’s the worst!).

And then your attempts at cleansing that bad taste didn’t pan out either (with Maple Block). Bummer. I did remember one visit to Maple Block (during Lunch) where the Brisket was very lean and slightly dry.

A5KOBE · October 24, 2016, 2:38am

Gjusta cuz prime rib

Cauliflower with some spice blend, herbs and pomegranate seeds…excellent.

Prime rib

Italian sub…tasty but some of the flavors overpowered the meat for me. I loved the spiciness from the chiles though, but somehow I did not get much meat flavor, even though there was a significant amount of it. Bread was crazy good.

bulavinaka · October 24, 2016, 2:42am

Gah! 0 fer 2? We’ve been hit&miss on Lodge pizza too. Back on July 4th weekend, it was pretty good but too much finishing salt. Two weeks later, Lodge’s char squad was out in full gear.

We’ve had orders of MB brisket where it’s either too lean, or clumped with fat. One time, I recall asking for lean and fatty, and I got too lean and big hunks of fat. Now, I always look at the brisket on the chopping board before ordering it.

Chowseeker1999 · October 24, 2016, 2:43am

That looks great @A5KOBE. Glad you had their Prime Rib Butcher. And the Cauliflower Salad looks amazing.

LAgirl · October 24, 2016, 2:48am

Bagels aren’t really sandwich bread (unless they are soft/crappy Noah’s-type bagels) because, as you’ve experienced, the insides will slide out. it’s best to stack the toppings open-faced and deal with messy finger tips vs messy everything else.