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

In the Meantime...

Meantime IPA 7.50% ABV, an English India Pale Ale,  it comes in a beautiful bottle with a Champagne cork,  pours orangy amber, has a huge bubbly head about three to four fingers and decent retention and lacing.  The nose is citrusy and hoppy sweet that is a little toned down compared to American IPAs.  The taste is a slightly caramel sweet, grassy, orange zest, hops, with some mint and anise undertones, and medium bitterness.  The mouthfeel is medium creamy, smooth with some carbonation.  My favorite English IPA.  Absolutely drinkable.  What I like about this beer is the way the taste lingers in your tongue, and lets you discover the depth of the flavor in stages.  Made with over 2 lbs of hops per barrel.   According to the makers: "Jam packed with English Fuggles and Goldings, the beer is brewed with as many hops as we can physically get into the copper."

Pliny in the Corner

Finally, a more than worthy brewpub in the Los Angeles area. The Blue Palms Brewhouse, located in the Hollywood and Vine vicinity right next to the Music Box Theater. My hats off to these guys who have the balls to turn a deaf ear to those clamoring to have Budweiser or Miller on their tap. Respect, Respect. Great beer selection on tap and a Firkin tapped each week to boot. The bartender is very knowledgeable about beers and very engaging once you start talking about beers. You can feel there is passion for beer in this place, and I like that.

To start I had to try their Firkin beer, Stone Smoked Porter with American Oak  5.90% ABV, an American Porter.   Served at celler temperature a little warmer than usual with very little to no carbonation.  And pumped at the bar directly from the cask to your glass.

The rich robust beer goes well with my  Brew Burger, Kobe beef patty with  Gruyere and some onion rings.  Delicious but I had mine cooked medium and the burger turned out a little drier than what I wanted.  

Next I got their Oktoberfest special, Schönramer Gold Fest Beer 6.00% ABV, a German Märzen, served in a majestic looking bottle emblazoned with metallic gold tones and a coat of arms.  The beer pours golden color with a billowy head that easily subsides.  The nose is citrusy, hoppy, and a little grassy.  The taste is a strong hoppy floral taste in the beginning then with a lemony sweetness in the back and very little bitterness.  Mouthfeel is between light to medium,  and with good carbonation.  This beer could be drank all night on Oktoberfest.

To finish I had some Pliny the Elder 8.00% ABV, an American Double IPA, this is from the private growler of the owner.  The beer pours light orange with a decent white head that subsides easily but clings to the glass with very nice lacing. The nose is sweet citrusy hops and huge floral notes.  The taste is like an MMA match strong bitterness up front that give you a kick followed by a punch from the hops, just when you are back in you corner you are doused with bucket full of orange peel,  pine, and malts that is smooth and silky.   Ding-ding.  You go back in cause you want some more of that!   My favorite Double IPA.

Blue Palms Brewhouse

6124 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, CA, 90028
phone: (323) 464-2337

Monks and Mussels

The Bowery is located in the heart of Hollywood around Sunset and Vine, accross the street from the newly updated Palladium.  I went there with a "Belgian Beer" friend.  I love the white ceramic tile facade in front.   Inside, it is cramped and very cozy, where you would literally be rubbing elbows with the young trendy crowd,  the shiny tin roof is a stand-out.   

Moule Frites, Steamed mussels and French fries .  The mussels are cooked with leeks, garlic, white wine, tomatoes and saffron.   So I ordered some to pair with a Trappist Ale, Chimay Red.   What a disappointment,  the mussels were not fresh, there was a fishy sardine taste and smell to it.  Mussels are not supposed to smell like that.  And to make matters worse that the mussels were pathetically small, and the  meat inside was shriveled.  Well, at least I had a really good beer on hand and some really good Shoestring French fries.  

Chimay Red is a Dubbel Trappist Ale 7.00% ABV,  only a few Belgian beers can be called Trappist, meaning it is brewed within a Trappist monastery.   A Dubbel is when double the normal amount of sugars is added to the beer making process, more sugars for the yeast means more alcoholic by products.  The beer pours in the chalice a turbid coppery orange color with a creamy head that easily subsides.  The nose is sweet malty, fruity apricot, and spicy with hints of cloves.  The mouthfeel is light medium creamy, smooth on the tongue, with little carbonation.  The taste is complex subtle malty sweetness, doughy yeastiness, fruity astringence with some floral undertones in the back,  and light bitterness in the end.  A very drinkable beer.  

My friend got the Charcuterie Plate,  two kinds of cheeses, chicken liver mousse,  three types of cured meats,  crusty baguette slices, preserved olives, and some almond nuts.  Suffice to say, I was envious.  Despite the outstanding service we got,  I shant be back soon.  The next day, it was on the news that, someone got shot a block away at past 2 am.  Luckily, we were already home by then.

The Bowery

6268 Sunset Blvd. (@ Vine)

Los Angeles, CA 90028

(323) 465-3400

Jitlada

My brother and his family were visiting from Visalia.   He mentioned that he was looking for good seafood.  So I took him, his wife, and a friend to Jitlada, a Southern Thai restaurant in Thai Town.  The story is that they use to have their menu in Thai until a Chowhound from Chicago, Erik M., spent several days with the owner to translate the menu into English and the rest is history.  You can read more of the whole story here.  

It is located near the Sunset and Western junction of Hollywood, in a nondescript strip mall they share with several other businesses and right next to an Armenian dance club.    It is my second time to Jitlada, the first time, I was there with a couple of friends and we were very well taken cared of by Jazz, the Owner and the Chef's sister.    This time she only said "Hello" and let us explore their menu.

The Steamed Green Mussels,  fresh and delicous mussels, the broth is simply amazing, well spiced with just the right amount of heat you can feel going down your throat.   There are times I simply crave for this.  Even as I write this entry my mouth is watering just thinking about this.

Spicy Salmon Roll,  light and crispy, the mildest tasting of everything we ate.

Flambe Prawns.   On my first visit there, Jazz showed us how to properly eat this by adding a scoop of plain steam rice and stuffing it into the head of the prawns.  She then continued to say  "Best tasting rice you've ever had".   A tall claim,  but you know what, she just might be right.  Everyone knows that all the flavor of the prawns is concentrated in the head.  This plus that wonderful sweet and spicy Chu Chee sauce and coconut milk . . .  OMG!

Grilled Pork, Southern style with papaya salad and sticky rice.   The way to eat this, per Jazz, is you take a small amount of sticky rice from the little basket,  add some papaya salad over it, then add some pork over the salad, and drizzle the whole thing with the spicy sauce.   This stuff is delicious,  amazing mouthfeel,  soft sticky rice, crunchy papaya and savory pork.

Deep Fried Sea Bass and Lobster Tails with the Spicy Sweet Chili and Mango Sauce.   The fish and lobster were fresh delicious by itself without the sauce.  When these came to the table the girls were like "Ooo  mango!"  thinking it would be sweet and a little spicy.  Only to find their Ooo's replaced by silence and an "about to cry" look on their faces.   If you are like me who would rather taste their food than have their taste buds incapacitated by the heat.  You must specify to the waiter to keep the degree of heat to mild, and that is "Thai mild" which is about medium.  And for you wussies out there :) . . .  yes, there is super-mild.   If the heat is too much,  you can always douse it off with some Singha or Chang Beer.  You can ask Jazz for her special stash of almost frozen beers.

To end the meal we shared some Sticky Rice and Mango, sweet sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and sweet mango go perfectly well together.   Excellent food and even better company makes this a great meal.  

Jitlada

5233 Sunset Blvd.,

Los Angeles, CA 90027 

(323) 667-9809

Taste Buds Fatigue

If you can get over the ever confusing San Vicente Blvd. in the Mid-Wilshire area , you can find a nice Spanish restaurant called La Paella.  Almost everyone in our group had to go around the block at least once to find this place.  Inside, the place gives a very homey vibe, candle-lit tables, lots of hand painted ceramic plates on the wall, very colorful and vibrant.  A woman singing Spanish songs was playing in the background.  

We got a few tapas: Calamares a la Plancha (Grilled Squid with garlic and parsley), Mejillones Costa Brava (Steamed mussles with white wine), Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp sautee with garlic and chili pod), Vieras al Ajillo (Scallops sautee with garlic and chili pod), Callos a la Madrileña (Tripe stew with sausage and garbanzo beans), Boquerones en Vinagre (Marinated anchovy filets), and Jamon Serrano from Spain.  I really enjoyed each and every tapa,  the seafoods were clearly fresh and deliciously cooked lightly, making it soft and savory.  The Mejillones,  steamed mussles, were so good we ordered another one, the wine broth made excellent dipping for the crusty bread.  The Callos had a creamy texture that felt like butter on the tongue and the savory mix of chorizos, garbanzos and tomatoes makes you forget it is tripe.   I expected the Boquerones to be salty and fishy, so I was delightfully surprised to find it fresh, sweet, and tart, reminds me of pickled Herring.  The Jamon Serrano from Spain was also so good we had to order another one.  The paper-thin slices of ham looked deliciously smooth and glossy, the bite is firm not soft, and the taste is unforgettable, nutty and sweet, with a wonderfully floral hint.  

We had two huge pans of paellas, what a magnificent sight,  Paella Valenciana Mixta (lower)  and Paella de Montaña con Chorizo (upper).   

The Paella Valenciana is made with rice, seafood and vegetables with saffron and rosemary.  The dish is pure eye candy.  I think Paellas are the best looking dishes.   In terms of taste, this is sensory overdrive with so much going on in your palate.  Delicious but a little salty.  The Paella de Montaña con Chorizo is made with rice, chicken, in-lieu of the traditional rabbit, pork chorizo, green beans and lima beans with saffron.  Also delicious,  I must have had some form of "taste buds fatigue" because I swear both paellas tasted the same!  Except for the distinct seafood flavor in the Valenciana and the robust flavor of chorizo in the Montaña.  These were still superb dishes that I would come back for.

Unfortunately, they did not have any Txakoli, so I had some Estrella Damm beer to go with my food, a Spanish pilsner beer from Barcelona, light crisp and refreshing, goes very well with Spanish food.   I took this picture with my iPhone before the tapas were served.  I looked at the picture and decided to bring out the camera.  

La Paella

476 S. San Vicente Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90048

Lucky Lucky Lucky

Located in Old Town Pasadena is simply the best place to sample Belgian beers in Los Angeles, Lucky Baldwins .  Twice a year they have a Belgian Beer Festival where everything on their 50 plus beer taps is Belgian.   Even in Belgium you can't get that much Belgian beers on tap in a single place.  They also have hundreds of Belgian beers in bottles.

My friend and I were lucky enough to snag a couple of spots at the bar.   I like sitting at the bar,  that way I can see what beers I am having next and talk to the bar keep as well.  The food is so-so here, British pub grub, fish and chips, meat pies, hot wings, burgers etc.  During Belgian Beer Festivals they do offer some specialty foods, I was able to go last February and had some Flemish carbonades (Beef Stew) in Maredsous 8, absolutely sublime.

To start I had some Gulden Draak Tripel 10.50% ABV a Belgian style strong ale.  A friend of mine, who has been to many beer tastings with me,  introduced me to this beer.  This is probably the first Belgian beer I tasted and got me hooked for good.  The bottle and even the tap handle for this beer evokes an image of a Golden Dragon when in fact Gulden Draak translates as "Golden Duck".

The beer pours a cloudy deep dark brown with a reddish hue,  the head is thin with little or no lacing.  The nose is hops, malts, sweet and fruity, like mixed dark berry jam.  The aroma carries on with the taste that is sweet caramel and fruity, with raisins, and some chocolate undertones.  It is not sour, but sweet with some bitterness that lingers in your mouth.   The mouthfeel is creamy almost syrupy with little natural carbonation.   Easy to drink despite it's 10.5% ABV, a deadly combination.

Then I had some Scotch Silly 8% ABV a Scotch Ale type of beer.   I never had this before.  The beer pours deep dark copper with a nice foamy head and excellent lacing.  The nose is malty caramel reminiscent of toffee and some dried fruits.  I get the same metallic taste as with Double Enghien Blonde in the beginning which rapidly disappears, then some malty toffee sweetness and tea-like bitterness.  I also get some complex flavors of butterscotch, cherries and dates.  The mouthfeel is medium creamy with good carbonation.  This beer is easily dinkable and might go very well with some nice warm beef stew.

To finish, I had some (maybe a couple) Hoegaarden 4.9% ABV a Belgian Witbier (wheatbeer or white beer).  One of my favorite beers.  It is made with wheat, flavored with coriander seeds and orange peel.  This is the standard to which I hold other Witbiers against.  I would describe this beer poured in a glass as "a light golden cloud of beer under a billowy white head".  The cloudiness is because it is unfiltered and still has some yeast suspended.  The nose is unmistakably distinct,  citrusy, with strong wheatiness and a hint of coriander.  The taste, mirroring the nose, is a masterclass in balance and subtlety,  not too sweet,  not too bitter, not too citrusy, and not too spicy.   The mouthfeel is light with excellent carbonation making it crisp and refreshing.  A very drinkable beer specially during summer, and SoCal weather ;) .   This beer is great with spicy foods.    

Lucky Baldwins Pub

17 S. Raymond Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91105

(626) 795-0652

Lucky Baldwins

DELIRIUM PUB

21 Kersting Ct.

Sierra Madre, CA 91024

(626) 355-114

Tall Ships and Clams

I had time to have lunch on Friday, but had to get back to work.  I knew the Port O'Call was having their annual Lobster Fest,  I didn't want to deal with the crowd, and opted to go to Fisherman's Seafood for lunch.

 

Surrounded by aquariums of live seafood the people working in the place were all busy chopping onions and potatoes.  I managed to distract one of them to order some Steamed Clams.  He took a bunch from the aquariums to cook.   I also got some French fries and a beer.  The whole spread looked delicious.

The Steamed Clams were so fresh and delicious I had to ask for a spoon to get all of that wonderful clam juice.  He added some ginger, when he steamed my clams, which I did not ask for.  I was glad he did.  The clams came with some lime wedges, butter, and chili sauce, which I did not use.  I liked it "as is".  I did use the lime wedge on my Corona.  The fries went really well with the clams, crunchy and buffered the briney saltiness of the clams.

Everything cost me around $ 18 and change.  Kind of pricey.  And here is the view from where I was eating.  I can even see some of the Tall Ships in the distance.  Makes you want to eat more.  Too bad I could not stay longer,  had to get back to work.

Fisherman's Seafood Restaurant

950 Sampson Way 

San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 519-7333

Naja's Place: 88 Beers on the Wall

If you know what cerevisaphile means you probably know about Naja's Place in Redondo Beach. A mecca for beer lovers in LA, the place is located along the International Boardwalk.

There are about 88 beers on tap and more selection in bottles.



To start I had some Green Flash West Coast IPA 7% ABV. When the Brits started sending beer to India as a colony they found that the Pale Ales did not travel very well in the train or ship going there. Even now, the Bass Pale Ales in the US is not as good as in the UK where it is brewed. So they created the IPA's (India Pale Ale) with a generally a higher alcohol and hops content, a brewers weapon against spoilage in lieu of refrigeration.

This is a very good IPA, nice foamy head and dark amber color very lacy; the nose is hoppy, citrusy, floral, with hints of pine; the mouthfeel is medium with low carbonation, the taste is strong on hops with some sweetness that balances the bitterness.

Then I had some Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale 6.2% ABV. My brother intoduced me to this beer when we had a beer tasting at his place.

The beer pours brown with a nice white head and nice lacing. The nose is definitely hazelnut, and tasted of sweet malty caramel with hazelnuts, and a little bitterness. Delicious. The mouthfeel is medium with some carbonation. An easy to drink beer especially with dessert. This is one of my favorite brown ales.

To finish I got some Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier 5.4% ABV.

This is a wheat beer, yeasty and turbid, with medium golden color and foamy white head with very little lacing. The nose is citrusy, with wheat malts and a hint of fruitiness and cloves. The taste is definitely on the sweeter side with doughy yeastiness and lemony tones. The mouthfeel has some good carbonation and some creaminess. A very drinkable beer specially for summer and with spicy foods.




Great bar and great beers to enjoy with some conversation and a nice view of the sunset in the backdrop of the marina.

Naja's Place
154 International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 376-9951