Winter 2020
still my favorite place to dine in la. i think what makes it so special (besides the food and hospitality), is the fun interaction with chef go and his team and depending on how much wine and sake are flowing your fellow dining guests too.
reservations for march open up this saturday (2/1) at 10am @attran99, @TheCookie, @Chowseeker1999, @Bookwich, @Sgee
welcoming sake
notorious B.H.G
(new) sakizuke - santa barbara spiny lobster, lobster dashi, head roe, ginger
seared over binchotan and finished in the steamer to a medium-rare. the lobster had a nice chew and i loved the addition of the roe.
(new) agemono - satsumaimo (japanese sweet potato), shirauo (icefish from lake shinji-ko in shimane prefecture)
chef go mentions the best icefish come from the brackish waters of lake shinji-ko. the fish is first steamed and then expertly fried.
the fries have eyes
shinogi - saba zushi, sesame, pickled myoga (japanese ginger)
cured in salt and vinegar just long enough to keep the insides raw. this bite elicited several audible “wows” from the counter, including me. insanely delicious.
owan - live dungeness crab suimono (clear soup), baby japanese turnip
the soup was lightly seasoned to highlight the main ingredient; a huge ball of steamed dungeness crab glued together with kanimiso (crab brains). Another wow inducing moment.
that drape…
sashimi tai (kagoshima sea bream), aji (hyogo prefecture spanish mackerel), salt, soy sauce, wasabi, raw nori, myoga, shiso
loved eating this with a dab of wasabi and a touch of salt to bring out the sweetness.
sake steamed abalone, abalone stock cubes, abalone liver sauce, wasabi
excellent as always. it’s crazy how much flavor is in those little cubes.
(new) a5 omi beef, fresh bamboo shoots
my favorite beef prep from chef go so far. the beef was buttery soft, like eating velvet, and the first of the season bamboo shoots might have been just as good as the beef. wow #4 @A5KOBE, @chinchi, @NYCtoLA
binchotan grilled nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), lotus root
the clean, rich, and oily fish has to be my favorite cooked fish in the city. silly how good this is with just salt and smoke. fourth “wow” moment from the peanut gallery.
and if somebody can point me to a place in la that serves grilled nodoguro similar to this, so that i don’t have to wait months to try it again, my offer of one-million PorkyBelly credits still stands.
komochi wakasagi (freshwater female smelt with eggs), turnip greens, japanese turnip puree
pregnant smelts > nonpregnant smelts. i said it.
nabe - amadai (tilefish), shiitake mushroom, fresh wakame (seaweed)
the amadai had a nice firm and springy texture similar to monkfish. loved how much umami was in the broth.
chinmi - karasumi (dried mullet roe)
rich and briny like a fish cheese. excellent with sake.
gohan - buri (wild winter yellowtail), daikon
chef go uses uonuma koshihikari rice for this dish.
fun fact #1 mori-san hates the texture for this particular rice for some reason.
fun fact #2 i love it
bethany is crushing the BOH and providing some of the warmest hospitality in la
x3
fun fact #3 chef go is on #teamdeltaco @JeetKuneBao, @aaqjr
k&j orchard nashi pears, sake jelly
cara cara oranges (lee farm, fresno, ca)
fin
