Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood

Gordon Ramsay is the signature restaurant of it's namesake Chef.   Known for his potty-mouthed eccentricities on the TV shows Hell's Kitchen, and Kitchen Nightmares.  Chef Andy Cook is at the helm.  The restaurant which opened last year already received a Michelin  Star.   Quite an achievement, LA is sparse of Michelin Star restaurants and not one with three stars.  

We had reservations on a Saturday for lunch during the DineLA week.   The restaurant is located inside the London Hotel at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and San Vicente.    Parking is strictly valet at $10 a pop.  Unless you can find street parking,  which is almost impossible in the evening.  Sunset has bumper-to-bumper traffic from 7 pm 'til 3 am.  It was lunch and we were lucky, we found a street parking spot.   

The ambience is very upscale with a classical sophistication,  mirrors the sharp gold-rich decors of the London Hotel.   The restaurant was sparse,  for a Saturday lunch, and on a Dine LA week.  I wonder what it's like on a regular day.  Makes me think if I'll see it in one of the Chef's "Kitchen Nightmares" show.  The staff was dressed in gray suits,  I couldn't help but tell our waitress how the suits made them look very "masculine".  I like a little sexiness or is that amuse-oeil?

To start, I had a glass of 2005 Pinot Noir from the Bien Nacino Winery,  one really good California Pinot from the beautiful wine growing area of Santa Maria.     

We were given some complimentary amuse bouche of Crostini and Hummus.   Light and tasty to wet the appetite.

They served the crusty bread with two types of butter, the sea-salt and the seaweed butter.  I thought this was a delightful surprise,  like a sign of what was about to come.

Rabbit and Smoked Bacon Ballottine - with vegetable piccalilli and toasted brioche.  This was my appetizer.  I like the presentation of the whole dish.  The cold rabbit meat, wrapped in bacon, mildly tasted of rabbit.  The smokey bacon taste was overpowering.   I thought the dish was delicious.

Carpaccio of Wild Mushroom, balsalmic reduction, pine nuts and aged parmesan.  I don't know if paper-thin slices of wild mushrooms is my thing.  The dish for me was too subtle.  

Chilled almond soup, sautéed spot prawns, glazed almonds and balsamic reduction.  The prawns were very fresh and perfectly cooked.   The soup had a very mild almond flavor to it.

Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto, with artichoke chips, black truffle and sherry caramel reduction.  This was absolutely heavenly.  Risotto was perfectly cooked with a hint of truffle taste.  I could eat another plate of this.  I would come back just for this.

Braised Ox Cheek with port wine, horseradish creamed potatoes, glazed turnips and braising jus.  This was my main entrée.  The dish looked delicious.  The braised ox cheek was very tender, with a little gelatinous texture that was really good.   It went really well with the horseradish creamed potatoes.  I absolutely enjoyed this dish.

Chilled Coconut Tapioca with candied ginger, passion fruit and milk chocolate-star anise ice cream.  This was my dessert.  There was a flavor burst in my mouth when I tasted this.  Simply delicious.  I love the blending of creamy tapioca, coconut, ginger, chocolate, and anise flavors.   This dessert has that salivary gland factor.  Another reason for coming back.

Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with brown butter caramel and vanilla ice cream.  I had a taste of this.  Rich creamy decadent chocolate taste, served warm and compliments the stark contrast of the cold vanilla ice cream. 

Pistachio Soufflé with Cherry Sorbet.  I also had a taste of this.   The pistachio taste was definitely there but subtle.  The cherry sorbet melting in the middle of the warm soufflé was delicious.   It added a different texture and flavor to the soufflé.

Double Chocolate with Truffles and Ginger Candy.  We got this as a complimentary post-dinner treats.

We enjoyed our lunch at the restaurant.   Service was impeccable, food was great.  The highlights for me were the Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto, the Braised cheeks and the Coconut Tapioca.   Since, it was during the DineLA week, it was a bargain at $34 per person, excluding drinks, taxes, and gratuity.  Looking back,  perfect would have been the Risotto for appetizers and Braised cheeks for main, and tapioca for dessert. 

Gordon Ramsay at The London

1020 N. San Vicente Boulevard, 

West Hollywood, CA 90069 

(310) 358-7788

Ciudad

Ciudad (which means "city" in Spanish) is the restaurant of the "Two Hot Tamales",  Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger.  Located in downtown LA at the corner of Fifth and Figueroa.  There is ample parking for $5 flat rate for dinner with validation.   The restaurant features an amalgam of Latin-inspired cuisine.  We went there during the DineLA week.

To start, I had some Palma Louca Beer, a Brazilian pilsener type of beer.  Light and crisp and highly carbonated, nice for spicy foods.

Shrimp Tamale Negro black corn masa tamales filled with sweet shrimp, peppers, scallion, and aji amarillo chile sauce.  This was really good, with just a bite of spiciness.  I would come back to Ciudad just for this.  

Spinach Empanada with pine nuts, raisins, and manchego cheese; served with salsa verde.  The empanada casing was light and flaky and the filling was delicious.  

Pan Seared Artic Char with five herb creamy pearled barley, wild mushrooms, pine nuts, smoked tomato sauce.  I didn't order this one and wasn't able to taste it either.  From the looks of it,  ay caramba!  Both my dining companions said it was delish.

Niman Ranch Pork Carnitas slow roasted niman ranch pork with spiced spaghetti squash, braised black kale, cranberry salsa, fried plantains,and creamy poblano sauce.  I had this for my main dish,  the pork was so tender you barely need any effort to break it apart.   The savory pork goes well with the sweet spaghetti squash, as well as the fried plantains.   The cranberry salsa added a tartness to the dish which I wasn't totally into.  The whole dish to me was like a Cuban Thanksgiving.

We then ordered each of the three desserts offered.   I love it when there are more people in your group, you get to sample a lot more.

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake spiced rum glaze, cranberry compote, maple whipped cream.  Imagine a pumkin pie but firmer with cream cheese.   Delicious, specially with the maple whipped cream.  I think I was the one who finished the cake.

Barcelona Chocolate Cake rich, dark chocolate cake  topped with sweet crema and chocolate sauce.  This was a really dense chocolate cake,  something a chocolate monster would go wild about.  I only had a couple of bites and that was it for me.

Torta Tres Leches with passion fruit and prickly pear sauces.    The cake was really light and sweet.  The sauces were somewhat tart.  I liked this dessert.

We had an excellent time at Ciudad,  I really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere,  somewhere between casual and fine dining.  The service was impeccable.  Since it was DineLA week,  it was a bargain at $34 per person for a three course meal, excluding drinks and tips.  The DineLA week was originally scheduled from Jan. 25 to Feb. 6,  they have since extended it for the whole month of February.  Muy excellente!

Ciudad

445 S. Figueroa Street

Los Angeles, CA 90071

(213) 486-5171

La Dijonaise

I'm sooo backed-up on my blogs!  We went to La Dijonaise on a Friday before the DineLA week.  The French bistro is located in the old Helms Bakery Building on Washington Boulevard in Culver City, right around the corner from Father's Office.   The decor is simple clean and inviting,  the atmosphere is casual with a very friendly staff.  We started by ordering some drinks and appetizers.

Grimbergen Blonde Ale  6.7% ABV,  a Belgian Pale Ale.  The beer pours golden blonde with a white billowy head with little retention and decent lacing.  The nose is mild fruity caramel.  The mouthfeel is light-medium creaminess with light carbonation and a little dry at the end.  The taste is on the sweet side, yeasty, fruity with some spiciness.   Very drinkable but nothing outstanding.

Escargots de Bourguogne,  half dozen escargots with garlic butter sauce.  This was surprisingly good and the garlic butter sauce makes excellent dipping for the bread.  We ordered another one later.

Moules Marinieres, mussels in white wine cream.  The mussels were very fresh and tasty,  the light smooth creamy broth was mild and clean tasting with a subtle wine taste.  Nothing special but good.

Pork Loin with Au Gratin Potatoes and Veggies,  my friend had this and I only had a taste.  The pork loin was moist and tender.  The blue cheese sauce added some good omph! to the mild tasting pork.

Confit de Canard,  crispy duck leg confit with flageolet beans.  This was my main entrée,   the skin wasn't as crispy as I would like and the meat was a little on the dry side.  The beans were soft and flavorful.   The portions were very generous.  

Chocolate Tart,  we had this to end the meal.  They had a glass showcase where you could pick your desserts.  This looked delicious.   However,  the chocolate mouse was a little tough to break into and really chewy.  

All in all, we spent around $80 before tips for three courses and two drinks each.  The prices were very reasonable.  The food was OK,  not bad, not great either.

La Dijonaise

8703 Washington Boulevard

Culver City, CA 90232

(310) 287-2770

Animal Appetite

I first heard of Animal , the restaurant by the dynamic duo Dotolo and Shook, from one of  potatomato's  posts.   Since then, it's been on my short list of places to go.  I went there last Friday with a friend hoping to bag some seats at the bar.  They have seven seats at the bar for walk-ins and everything in the menu is served there.  

La Fin Du Monde, 9% ABV, a Golden Ale Tripel.  We got this beer to start while waiting for a seat at the bar.  The beer pours golden orange and the head is billowy white and huge with exellent retention and good lacing.  The nose is yeasty lemony with hints of spices.  The mouthfeel has a champagne-like effervescence when the beer first hits your tongue and tingles as it goes down you throat, light-medium creaminess, and a little tart with dryness at the end.  The taste is malty sweetness with citrussy tartness and some hints of spices.   Not something you would expect coming from Canada.  I could drink this beer all night.  If it was the "End of the World" as the name translates I'd be a happy cow drinking this beer.  If only I could get that REM song out of my head while drinking this beer.

Burrata, olive oil, sea salt, crostini 10 .   Burrata is now officially my favorite cheese,  the creamy subtle buttery taste that melts on your tongue is exquisite.  Mmmm.  The olive oil and sea salt drizzled over the burrata only enhanced the flavors.  The dish is served cold with some nice thin crostini.

Melted petit basque, chorizo, garlic bread 10.   In contrast to the burrata, the petit basque has a more robust punch-in-the-face cheesy flavor, salty and nutty, and served baked and piping hot with chorizo.   I think the chorizo pushed this dish to the saltier side.  I'm glad I had some La Fin Du Monde to wash down the saltiness.

Rabbit & kale stuffed ravioli, truffle butter, parmesan 22.   This was absolutely delicious,  I love the creamy truffle butter and parmesan combination.  The rabbit was subtle in taste adding a savory meaty component to the dish.  I could eat another plate of this.  This and the burrata was my favorite dishes of the night.

Quail fry, grits, maple jus, long cooked chard, slab bacon 24.   We wanted to try the pig trotters but they ran out so we chose this instead.  There is a downside to eating quail and it is dealing with the minute bones of the bird.  If you can get over this, you can truly enjoy this dish.   The bird was cooked well, light, crunchy and delicious.  The slab bacon was thick, smoky, and went well with the grits, chard and maple jus.  

We should have stopped after the main entree. We worked up such an appetite and were still hungry for more. So we pushed through and got some more food and of course beer.

St. Peter's English Ale 4.5% ABV, an English Pale Ale.   My friend had this beer I only had a taste of it.  The beer is served in an unusual oval green bottle.   It pours orange amber color with a small head that quickly dissipates leaving minimal lacing.   The nose is slightly fruity and slightly malty very little hop aroma.  The mouthfeel is  light medium creaminess with good crisp carbonation.  The taste is not what I would expect of an English ale, it is mild smoky, lemony and yeasty with some hopiness and  bitter in the end.  Very drinkable.  

Flying Dog Doggie Style Pale Ale  5.5 % ABV, an American Pale Ale.  The beer pours amber with an average creamy pale flesh colored head with good lacing and medium retention.    The smell is definitely hops, citrusy, and piney with malty caramels.  The mouthfeel is medium creaminess with some carbonation.   The taste is hoppy, piney, with grapefruit-like citrus taste and bitterness which stays on your tongue throughout,  there's also a hint of malty sweetness.  

Pork belly, kimchi, peanuts, chili soy, scallion 10.   This is an asian fusion dish,  Thai-Korean.   The kimchi topping was not made of the traditional cabbage, I think it was a mix of long papaya juliennes and some other vegetables.   The pork belly was crunchy outside and melt in your mouth good.

Poutine, oxtail gravy, vermont cheddar 14.   Poutine is a Canadian comfort food made with French fries topped with cheese curds and brown gravy.   This variation was made with oxtail gravy and Vermont cheddar.   Deliciously filling.  

Joe’s doughnuts, apple, caramel 8.   The donuts didn't live up to the hype for me.  We ordered this because almost all of the staff were raving about it.  We had the last serving.  The couple next to us was almost angry because they ran out of this and after all of the hype, they really wanted to try it.    These were small round donuts covered in crunchy brown sugar and and cinnamon and soaked in apple caramel sauce. 

We left the restaurant stuffed to the brim.   Since their menu changes daily, I don't know when we will be able to try the pig trotters.  I hope the next time they will be on the menu.

Animal

435 N. Fairfax Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 782-9225

Bulgogi Sunrise

Hodori is a 24/7 korean restaurant in the corner of Olympic and Vermont.   A staple to a lot of late night clubbers wishing to let the spicy foods sober them up closer to a lucid state. The service can be really awful when the place is busy but terrific when there are only a few customers. 

The array of banchans served.   The seaweed soup is served hot and very welcoming on a cold winter morning.

One of the things I love about Los Angeles is the immense diversity of food at anytime of the day, and any day in the week.  In Koreatown,  you can have bulgogi anytime even for breakfast.  Hot steamy and sizzling on a bed of onions served in an iron skillet.   Delicious.

Hodori

1001 S Vermont Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90006

(213) 383-3554

All Porky Goodness

Named after the traditional Filipino hat, Salakot, is a Filipino restaurant located just outside of DTLA along Beverly blvd.  We saw the place driving along Beverly on our way to some other place after being turned down at Colori Kitchen in DTLA.   We decided to try the place.  It has it's own parking lot with ample space.  Inside is spacious with bright lighting and very nice paintings on the wall.  

Baked Mussles,  we had this for starters, the mussels weren't quite fresh, I think they used the frozen on a half shell stuff.  

Dinugoan,  pork cooked in blood,  traditionally the dish is cooked with the entrails, this however, they only used deep fried pork meat with the skin on.   This was a delightful surprise and spin on the dish.  I enjoyed the crunchy pork skin bathed in the creamy blood sauce.  This was my favorite dish of the night.

Sizzling Sisig,  traditionally the dish is made from parts of the pig's head with a spicy, salty, and vinegary taste.  This was made from pork belly.  It was missing the gelatinous texture that the pig's head brought to the dish, and I didn't think it was spicy nor vinegary enough.  It wasn't even sizzling when they brought it to the table.  I didn't like it.

Inihaw na Liempo,  grilled pork belly and ribs,  this is delicious, smoky, salty, with sweet caramelization, dipped in some garlic vinegar, yummy.

Crispy Pata , deep fried pig knuckes,  this was done to perfection ,  I love the crunchy pork skin with the contrasting sticky almost melted soft tendons beneath, dipped in the garlic soy sauce.  After this dish, I think I could feel my heart beating to rally my cholesterol level higher.

Talking to the owner during dinner, we were surprised to find out that it was their opening day. Hey! for a change, I get to blog first about a restaurant.   I squirmed though when he proudly stated turning the second floor into a karaoke.  All in all we spent about $ 58.00 for everything including rice and drinks but before tips.   I would go back to this place, specially for the Dinugoan and before he gets that karaoke going.

Salakot

2122 Beverly Blvd., 

Los Angeles, CA 90057

(213) 483-0303