August 2020 Rundown

PorkyBelly · August 16, 2020, 10:52pm

all day baby x ototo x 715 sushi x prd x now serving x antico

all day baby

Thanks for the rec @attran99 and @noddles, I liked it, a bit sweet.
mini strawberries and cream pie

ototo
Just realized ototo is a palindrome typing this out.
Checking out the wagashi from new pastry chef gemma matsuyama, formerly of n/naka. Favorites were the mochi. @Starchtrade

chino farms fig daifuku #fuckingfigonaplate

chino farms strawberry vanilla cream puff

BYOHB(harry’s berries)

warabi mochi, kinako, kuromitsu syrup

chino fig bar, tehachapi grain project sonora wheat cookie crust, sake-stewed chino farms fig jam

715 sushi

futomaki - ebi (shrimp), unagi (eel), tamago (egg), kyuri (cucumber), koyadofu (dried tofu), kanpyo (gourd), shiitake

battera

pearl river deli

char siu riblets

gai yang (thai bbq chicken)

now serving
All sold out of mei lin’s umamei XO sauce so settled for max boonthanakit’s
boon sauce batch #14
They still have some chili crisp @TheCookie

antico

beefnoguy · August 16, 2020, 11:17pm

Thanks so much for the first ever report as well on Kaneyoshi (and for the tasting notes on the sake)!

That Yamahai Junmai sounds like a winner, I bet it was fabulous towards room temperature and made for great pairings with anago, chutoro, and that aged marinated OG Edo style bluefin (looks a bit chutoro ish too, nice). I love spicy notes in the finish for sake, but not many I can think of out there that do that…Senkin for sure but they’re a bit too sweet and yogurty tart at times on the front.

Yoshi san must have been figuring out the unique individual style on the side, and saving it for Kaneyoshi, versus cloning Inaba collaboration. Kinmedai is kind of not as fatty now compared to winter, but lately I’ve been noticing up here the good places that have kinmedai have been getting really top quality (Chiba prefecture), and significantly better than last month when it was a bit more lean and mean.

Is that New Caledonia blue shrimp bottom left? Two types of uni, very nice.

Given that it was obon this past week in Japan where fish market was closed, so not as much fish made it here (don’t know for sure about LA), the fact we still get to enjoy a spread like this (specifically for this very weekend) is much appreciated.

Very happy for you guys that Yoshi is now in place! I’m definitely going to go support when I visit next!

moonboy403 · August 16, 2020, 11:41pm

Looks good. How was it?

How were the new riblets?

TheCookie · August 16, 2020, 11:41pm

You don’t stop… And we thank you!!!

foodshutterbug · August 17, 2020, 2:18am

Thank you so much for your post and tips @paranoidgarliclover re: Melisse’s lobster menu, I picked up my meal today and modified the risotto nuking based on your experience.

My lobster jelly was melted by the time I got it home (less than 10 min away) so I put it in the freezer to reset it. Lacked the caviar I saw in your pix, but still enjoyed it.

For the risotto, I took out the lobster claw to start, nuked rice in 2 intervals of 30 sec, mixed rice with spoon after each interval, reheated another 15 sec, mixed, added claw for last 15 sec. Reheated sauce, removed claw again, added sauce, stir, then finally plated w claw on top w some leftover sauce.

In case peeps are curious, below is a pic of the brioche roll w lobster coral butter (nice ocean briny funk!) and my attempt to plate the risotto.

Chowseeker1999 · August 17, 2020, 2:57am

Thanks for the report @foodshutterbug @paranoidgarliclover. Did they offer reheating instructions for stovetop as well?

For our meal with Melisse x Citrin Takeway they provided both (microwave or stovetop). We did stovetop for everything since I’m not a fan of microwaving and it came out quite nice. Thanks.

paranoidgarliclover · August 17, 2020, 4:18am

No alternative instructions that I saw (which was weird b/c the intro paragraph mentioned that there would be alternative instructions).

@foodshutterbug: your risotto looks way better than ours did! That stinks about the caviar. Glad you still enjoyed (and, TBH, I don’t think the caviar added a ton, flavor-wise).

NYCtoLA · August 17, 2020, 6:31am

A bit Asian food heavy this time around…

Bun bo hue at Nong La - no chunks of blood or anything but pretty tasty

Thanks to @mchen and @fish_n_rice for the encouragement to revisit a local fave - Sushi Tsujita. Agreed that the appetizer box + bara chirashi are a great combo, and QPR (for this type of food) is fantastic.

Also got the Hokkaido Kaisen Don

Pearl River Deli BBQ combo (was outstanding that day!)

Finally tried the wonton noodle soup

PRD X Needle Collab

Char siu chow fun - always outstanding wok hei

Lien Hoa BBQ in Chinatown - the skin is not at the level of Ruby BBQ, but the meat itself was tasty and fragrant

Banh Cuon at HP Pho Ga Bac Ninh the skin was a little thicker and tougher than I like, but I devour banh cuon whenever I can

Siu mai siu mai everywhere… from Lucky Deli - these were ok, just HUGE

Various desserts at Thach Che Hien Kanh in Rosemead - nothing more to say other than the emojis

This che bap (sweet corn pudding), particularly, was an explosion of flavor

Banh Mi Saigon Bakery Shoulda gotten that large size…

The limited edition Calabrese from La Morra

Like @J_L also had the pleasure of getting takeout from Sushi Kaneyoshi

Due to @PorkyBelly’s bad influence, I also asked if they would make any makis, and they said they could do a raw fish futomaki (kitchen not fully up, so limited cooked dishes). Not sure which one I liked more, the nama chirashi or the futomaki. The rice was absolutely outstanding. A nice vinegar punch, but everything was really well balanced. Discrete pieces, fantastic texture - I ate this about 25-30 minutes after they gave it to me, so I’m really, really impressed with how it tasted after that amount of time. The neta was delicious too, but the rice is what lives in my memory. For the nama chirashi, I started at the bottom right and worked my way up and to the left

P.S. I got a quick tour, and agreed, the restaurant looks gorgeous. I can’t wait to dine in it properly at some point in the future.

J_L · August 17, 2020, 6:34am

That’s great eatin’!

PorkyBelly · August 17, 2020, 7:01am

I like to refer to myself as a good encourager.

hungryhungryhippos · August 17, 2020, 7:06am

Avoided fancy eats this past week or so in Honolulu. Been eating tons of poke!

Guava smoked- sorry for the blurry picture but smoked salmon collar and smoke pork. Some of the best cheap eats on the island.

Fresh steamed “look fun” which is cheung fun for the rest of us - Chee look fun factory. Delightfully fresh and springy -mushroom and bbq pork

Uncle clays mango shave ice with real fruit purée for shave ice flavors

Bakers box from senia. Peanut butter and chocolate babka, cinnamon and orange canele, traveler cake with red bean and summer berries, vanilla rusk not pictured pandan rhubarb strawberry swirl ice cream. Their pastry chef was a James beard finalist and really brings it with the desserts.

End of mango season but still ginormous juicy Hayden mangos

TheCookie · August 17, 2020, 8:10am

I say this all the time. But he likes to think of himself as a good encourager. Delicious eating @NYCtoLA!

J_L · August 17, 2020, 9:09am

That all looks ridiculously good. Still enjoying the view from the penthouse?

TheCookie · August 17, 2020, 9:09am

Gaah!

beefnoguy · August 17, 2020, 1:40pm

Takeout won ton noodles from Hing Lung Bistro, operated by the same family that ran Hing Lung SF Chinatown. A bit bare bones but sometimes something is better than nothing and the effort is appreciated.

The same restaurant carries the legendary Canto fried carb trio that’s super rare to encounter. Other than the ubiquitous you tiao / yau za gwai, there’s the sweet cow tongue pastry (ngau lei so) and the supposedly savory but is on the sweet side called ham dzeen beng. Personally prefer the cow tongue pastry (by name and shape only, no tongues were used) over the HZB.

Sunday dim sum brunch with Chablis. The pandan egg tarts were surprisingly delicious. HL Peninsula South San Francisco

Japanese Chinese restaurant Yu Raku does killer stir fry bento. The humble cashew chicken is elevated by crazy ass wok hay and a chili oil infused miso.

Hing Ling Cafe’s pan fried noodles with pork strips and bean sprouts is one of the best in the area. One of my top favorite renditions.

Ocean trout zuke, ikura, matako donburi from Sushi Shin in Redwood City

My once in a blue moon indulgence.

CiaoBob · August 17, 2020, 2:00pm

I am a little confused - is Kaneyoshi on Robertson or DTLA?

JeetKuneBao · August 17, 2020, 2:15pm

Hing Lung has/had some of the best porridge ever. I distinctly remember getting breakfast there than afterward heading over to Golden Gate Bakery. I was so happy and content in that moment. Glad to hear they are still around and in South City.

Dude those Pandan tarts! Normally I jump straight on the BART at the airport but those look worthy of a detour!

How do you like Ming Tai for that wonton noodle soup itch?

(Also for those reading not too be confused with Hing Lung roasties shop, which from my eyes looks like some of the best roasties in Chinatown)

PorkyBelly · August 17, 2020, 2:21pm

111 San Pedro

Sushi Tama is on Robertson

TheCookie · August 17, 2020, 2:24pm

Thank you from those of us not in the know.

Ns1 · August 17, 2020, 2:38pm

Wait what