Barcelona, Spain

Just some random photos during my time in Barcelona, Spain.

Look what I found doodled on the walls of the towers in La Sagrada Familia!

The best yogurt parfait

I’d like to think that I’ve had my fair share of yogurt parfaits in my life. My favorite by far is from Coffee Bean – yes, Coffee Bean.

Seriously, has anyone ever had the yogurt parfait at Coffee Bean?! I’m not even talking about the ones they make to order at the yogurt bar (those taste completely different, by the way). I’m talking about the pre-packaged ones they keep in the open refrigerator with the non-coffee beverages and cottage cheeses. I know it’s not the best looking yogurt parfait, but don’t judge a book by its cover.

These parfaits have 4 layers – blueberries, yogurt, strawberries, and granola. I love that the berries are not too sweet (If only they were fresh…). The yogurt is sooo freaking creamy, with the perfect hint of vanilla. The granola is crunchy and so tasty.

Next time you stop by a Coffee Bean, try the yogurt parfait. If you know of one that tastes better (note that I said “tastes better” not “looks better”), let me know!

Animal Restaurant: What to order, What they should bring back

The first time I had dinner at Animal, I fell in love. Now, it’s become somewhat of an unborn child to me. It has a soft place in my heart that no other restaurant can replace.

Animal, Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook’s first restaurant which scored them Food & Wine’s 2009 Best New Chefs award, is located along North Fairfax, north of Canter’s Deli. FYI – the place doesn’t have a sign (because, according to Shook, “it costs more money” hahhh). If you are an adventurous eater and you like all kinds/parts of meat, this is the place for you. Their menu is always changing, but they do keep some of their signature dishes throughout the year. As such, I’ve listed out the top 5 staple “must haves”. No explanation of dishes necessary. Just order them and judge them yourself.

1. melted petit basque, chorizo, grilled bread

2. barbeque pork belly sandwiches, slaw

3. poutine, oxtail gravy, cheddar

4. foie gras, biscuit, maple sausage gravy

5. tres leches, dulce de leche (I do admit that when I last had this, it wasn’t as good it used to be. I mean, I think it still tastes really good, but it’s not as saturated in the milky awesomeness.)

There are also some dishes Animal used to have on the menu but no longer does, which sucks because they freakin’ rocked.

1. the old sweetbread dish: While they do currently have a sweetbread dish on the menu, it’s not as good as the OLD sweetbread dish. The old veal sweetbreads they served was alot heartier and more like late-night comfort food. Unfortunately I don’t have a picture that I can share (which is really upsetting), but I have a picture of the new sweetbread dish, which is good too, but like I’d mentioned 15 times already, not as good.

2. burrata with tomatillo salsa and olive oil: this was definitely one of the best burrata dishes I’d ever had. SO refreshing, and good. dayam. Bring it back!!

3. panna cotta: melt-in-your-mouth-effing-good. Bring it back, guys!!

Random Tip: I loveeee sitting at the bar, and peeking through the small opening into the kitchen in the back wall.

Animal
435 N. Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Call for reservations: (323) 782-9225
sun-thurs 6pm-11pm
fri & sat 6pm-1am

Michael Voltaggio’s ink.

Yes, this is another post on something Top Chef. Sorry, can’t help myself. I’d been reading (like maaaannnnny others) about Michael Voltaggio’s long anticipated restaurant, ink. since last year.

ink. is located on Melrose in West Hollywood, just a few steps from its casual sandwich shop sibling, ink.sack. Faintly lit and somewhat hidden behind a metal gate on the corner of Kings Road, the restaurant is only really identifiable by the valet parking sign out on the sidewalk. Inside, you are immediately hit by the only substantive source of light coming from the Josie-esque open kitchen. The chef himself bobbing in and out of sight, looking focused as hell. Minimalistic tables and chairs. Also, I just want to mention that I don’t think Michael Voltaggio believes in light. Maybe he purposefully set up his establishment to spite people taking pictures of his food, in which case, the joke’s on me. I just had such a difficult time getting good shots.

Among the four of us, we ended up ordering almost everything on the menu. The portions seemed small at first, and we were starting to get flashbacks of our experience at Son of a Gun, but they got bigger as dinner progressed.

1. dungeness crab . smoked mayo . bok choy “kimchi”: Crab was a bit flaky, wished the kimchi had more of a kick to it, but all in all was good.

2. young turnips . radishes . coffee-cardamom soil . nasturtium . frozen yogurt: Cardamom was very pronounced. Frozen yogurt was good – tasted like goat cheese. I was like “WTF is nasturtium??” Looked it up. It’s the name of the “flower” in the dish, except it’s not a flower. It’s a type of watercress. Definitely an interesting dish.

3. hamachi . parsnip-sesame cream . grapefruit . jalapeno: We were actually so close to not getting this dish, because “all hamachi dishes are the same”. Dayam we were so wrong. I LOOOVED IT! I was extremely surprised at how well the components went together. One humble piece of advice though – have the hamachi WITH the sesame cake. It’s crazy.

4. spaghetti . giant squid . squash . hazelnut . ink pesto . piment d’espelette: I’m sure everyone knows this by now, by the  ”spaghetti” is actually squid strips, not pasta. Good, but something was missing. Can’t really pinpoint what it was though.

5. sea bass . lemon . caper . brown butter . romanesco . black olive oil . anchovy: Solid dish. Very good.

6. bay scallops . cream of dehydrated potato . potato skins . buttermilk-shellfish broth:  A friend commented on the cream of dehydrated potato – “Isn’t that just mashed potato made from the potato flakes?”. Haaaaaaha. But the dish was good, especially the potato skins.

7. octopus . butter popcorn . piquillo pepper . spinach: If you are looking for the butter popcorn in the picture, it is the base of the dish (that mushy part). Solid dish.

8. halibut cheeks . red pepper dashi . shishito peppers . kelp pasta: Can we talk about how AWESOME this dish was? Taste-wise, it was one of the best of the night. The sauce was so good. The kelp pasta was so cool.

9. beef tartare . horseradish . hearts of palm . sea bean chimichurri: This is a horseradish lover’s dream. You basically press on the ingredients with the back of your spoon to fuse it all together before eating. I am not a huge fan of horseradish, but I definitely appreciated the dish.

10. quail . banana polenta . beet juice . sorrel salad: OMGGGGGGG BANANA POLENNTTTTAAA. Hands down the best thing that entered my mouth this entire dinner. Apparently, MVolt had served this when he was at the Langham. This should be served on its own.

11. seaweed mashed potatoes . sea grass . sea beans: Mashed potatoes with a seaweed aftertaste. I think it would have been better served with the quail. Seriously. The banana polenta should have been the standalone dish.

12. berkshire pork tenderloin . charcoal crust . macaroni and cheese . leeks: Sauce was smoky and amazing. Pork was perfectly prepared. Pasta was good too. Great dish.

 

13. veal cheek . red curry . nante carrots baked in salt . fried sticky rice: I loved this dish. The veal cheek was good, and I’m such a sucker for anything sticky rice.

14. wagyu hanger steak . ras el hanout yogurt . black garlic . mushroom chicharron: The chicharron was the highlight of this dish – wished there were more on the plate! (Apparently ras el hanout is a Morrocan spice blend.)

15. grapefruit curd . avocado . cilantro sorbet . charred maple-lime: Really good dish, cool flavors. The cilantro sorbet was interesting and very sweet in a good way. The grapefruit curd was so yummy. My favorite dessert of the three.

16. chocolate . coffee . spice: My least favorite of the three desserts but it was still good. Basically a coffee/chocolate dippin-dots-esque dish. Look at the cold steam!

17. apple . creme caramel . burnt wood sabayon . walnut: REALLY good. Reminiscent of an apple tart, with creme caramel meringue and a light custard at the bottom, surrounded with syrupy apple balls.

I am definitely going back for the omakase!

ink.
8360 melrose avenue
los angeles, ca 90069
(323) 651-5866
open tuesdays-thursdays 6pm-11pm & fridays-saturdays 6pm-12am (closed mondays & sundays)
reservations

Girl & the Goat: Stephanie Izard’s restaurant

During Season 4 of Top Chef, I’d never really rooted for Stephanie Izard since I was, like the rest of the world, such an avid Richard Blais fan. But when I heard of Stephanie’s new restaurant opening in Chicago, IL, I’d wanted to try the place. She did, after all, win Top Chef. We ended up in Chicago for Lollapalooza, so I wanted to take the opportunity to stop by Girl & the Goat. The place was fully booked for months out (soooo crazy), but we were told that we’d have a very good chance of scoring a table if we went at opening (4:30pm).

1. spence wheat bread . peanut butter butter . honeycomb: Bread was super warm. Spreads were good together.

2. pan fried shishito peppers . parmesan . sesame . miso: Good dish to munch on. Wasn’t anything super special though.

3. chickpeas fritters . eggplant-tomatillo caponata . crave brother’s mozzarella: I really liked this dish. Would definitely recommend. Very clean taste.

4. hiramasa crudo. crisp pork belly. aji chili. caperberries: I definitely could have done without this. I’ve had many dishes like this before, with the same kind of seasoning.

5. grilled baby octopus . guanciale . wax beans . radish . favas. pistachio-lemon vinaigrette: Verrrry solid dish. Recommend!

6. escargot ravioli . bacon . tamarind-miso sauce: This dish was one of the favorites of the evening. Just rich enough, but not at all overwhelming.

7. ham frittes. smoked tomato aioli . cheddar beer sauce: I guess we should have known that this would just be… fries… with dipping sauces, but we were all like “ooooh ‘ham frites’ wonder what that is…” The “ham” part totally threw us off. Fries could have been crispier. I thought the aioli and cheddar sauce was good, but some might think it’s too heavy.

8. goat chorizo flatbread . ajvar . peppers . green tomato . apricot . fresh ricotta: Again, a very solid dish. But nothing crazy.

9. wood oven roasted pig face . sunny side egg . tamarind . cilantro . potato stix: Lots of talk about this dish. It was very good, but I’m not sure if the egg really added anything to the dish. I couldn’t really taste it.

10. braised beef tongue . masa . beef vinaigrette . salsa verde: This was my least favorite meat dish (of the three).

11. confit goat belly . bourbon butter . lobster n’ crab . fennel: This was my favorite meat dish.

12. goat cheese bavarois . brown sugar cake . citrus blueberries . marcona caramel: Definitely not a “safe” dish – everyone at the table hated it. I was the only one who liked it. The goat cheese grows on you the more you try it. The cake was moist. 

13. chocolate bouchon . foie fluff . salted toffee . milk chocolate  sorbet . gooseberry compote: Definitely the obligatory chocolate dish on the menu

14. pork fat doughnuts . honey yogurt . carmelized figs . lemony eggplant . ham streusel: Good, but one bite was enough. Love figs.

In short, I admit that Girl & the Goat may have been hyped up in my mind a tad bit… but my experience was still very pleasant. One can expect a very solid dinner here with good food, the cool decor, and a friendly staff, as long as one has the right expectations.

Girl & the Goat
809 W Randolph St
Chicago IL, 60607
(312) 492-6262
www.girlandthegoat.com

ink.sack: Michael Voltaggio’s new sandwich shop

Tatted up badass and Top Chef Season 6 winner, Michael Voltaggio, recently opened a hole-in-the-wall gourmet sandwich place, ink.sack,  just steps away from his long-awaited restaurant (ink, which is rumored to open up shop in September). Located on Melrose Avenue, ink.sack can easily be spotted, from the small crowd of people perpetually congregated outside the eatery. All I can say is, Sweet Lady Jane (the dessert shop next door) must be ecstatic about all the foot traffic this new place is bringing to the area.

With two standing tables outside and the wooden wall-mounted “tables” inside the eatery (they look more like bookshelves), ink.sack is definitely a eat-real-quick-and-go type of place. The walls are made of chalkboard with colorful scribblings and empty golden frames. The menu is written in chalk as well – gives it  a personal taste to the whole place. I really like it. Very cooool.

We order all seven sandwiches, the potato chips, BBQ pork rinds, mexican chocolate chip cookie and the peanut butter & sea salt cookie. The food is reasonable in price ($5-6 for a 5-inch sandwich and $2-3 for each snack), and service is very quick. We grab a free spot inside to feast.

1. Cold Fried Chicken (House -Made Ranch Cheese, Gindo’s Spice of Life): I think I realized today that I don’t really like the texture of cold fried chicken. But it was a hit with the others, so to each his own.

2. Spicy Tuna (Miso-Cured Albacore, Sriracha Mayo): The key to making this sandwich really shine was the nori that was sprinkled on top of the tuna. Really awesome.

3. Bahn Mi (Pork Cheek, Chicharrones, Pickled Vegetables): From previous reviews, I knew this dish was very popular. Rightfully so. Loved the tang from the pickled veggies, together with the meat and the crunch from the chicharrones. Full of flavor! My second favorite sandwich of the seven.

4. The Jose Andres, aka “The Spanish Godfather” (Serrano, Chorizo, Lomo, Manchego): This sandwich is also really PACKED with flavor. Kind of reminded me of the sandwiches I used to make for lunch in high school – salami, cheddar and sweet peppers (remember C? hehe). This was the most “basic” of the 7 sandwiches, but still really good. My third favorite sandwich of the seven.

5. C.L.T. (Chicken Liver Mousse, Curried Chicken Skin, Lettuce, Tomato): MY FAVORITE!! I must say, I was very curious about this one, since it sounded and looked the most unique. I’d also read that it can be a bit on the heavy side. I don’t know if there was just less than usual amounts of liver mousse on my sandwich, but I didn’t think the sandwich was too much at all. Perfectly creamy. Loved the crispiness of the skin. Loved the freshness of the tomato. Really great sandwich. Would definitely get it again.

6. Maple-Pepper Turkey Melt (Camembert, Mustarda, Arugula): This was another simple but tasty sandwich. Definitely for those who aren’t as adventurous of an eater.

7. “Reuben” (Corned Beef Tongue, Appenzeller Cheese, Kraut, Russian Dressing): I normally don’t like reubens / corned beef, but this was pretty good.

8. Potato Chips (Salt, Pepper, Vinegar)

9. BBQ Pork Rinds

10. Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookie + Peanut Butter & Sea Salt Cookie: I preferred the PB & Sea Salt Cookie over the chocolate chip by a long shot.

They have a bunch of cool drinks available including this cucumber soda that T got, which was sweet but not too sweet.

I had a great time eating at ink.sack. It could have had to do with the fact that MVolt himself walked into the shop while I was busy taking pictures of the food. The guy just walked past me and I didn’t even notice. Haha. B asked why they don’t have ice cream sandwiches anymore, and he said their freezers were making his ice cream too hard (…). Maybe they will bring it back. Or not. Next time, I would probably get a couple of sandwiches, grab a PB cookie for later, and then head over to Sweet Lady Jane for some tea and a slice of their triple berry shortcake, which is pretty damn good.

P.S. You can only order 4 sandwiches per person.

P.P.S. I freakin love that “ink” tattoo.

ink.sack
8360 Melrose Avenue #107
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Open Wednesday-Sunday 11am-4pm (or until they sell out)

Lollapalooza: Good Food, Great Music

CHOWTOWN!  The stuff I tried:
Franks ‘n’ Dawgs Truffle Fries (Good, but heavy) / Grilled Cheese on a Stick (THE BEST! Had this more than once – the jalapeno was awesome) / Grahamwich Lobster Corndog (totally overrated…) / Grahamwich Parmesan Truffle Popcorn (super soggy) / The Gage & Henri Scotch Egg (Spicy pork sausage wrapped egg, breaded and fried. Sounded good but was actually pretty tasteless) / Kuma’s Corner Gates of Slumber Pretzel Burger (Meat was slightly overcooked but still very good) / Lou Malnati’s Pizza (SO GOOD, and I don’t even really like deep dish) / Wow Bao Hot Asian Buns (Had a bite of this cold, but it was still tasty)

Tapas in Madrid, Spain

Traveling in Madrid alone and with very limited knowledge of the language, I knew I’d be best served joining a guided tapas tour to get a good grasp of the food in the city. The word “tapas” is derived from the Spanish word “tapar” – to cover. I’ve been told that “original” tapas were plates of bread or meat that were used to cover glasses of sherry to avoid fruit flies from getting in. After some research (gotta love the internet), I decided to try Gourmet Madrid. EUR70 for 2-3 hours of awesome tapas at 4 or 5 different eateries in Old Madrid with a madrileño - a bit steep but in hindsight, it was the best decision I could make. Hollerrr.

I met my guide, Jaime, in Santa Ana Square along with four others that had signed up for the “Wine and Tapas” tour: a friendly wine-enthusiast father-and-son pair from Canada as well as two tired ladies from Hong Kong who had just come back from a winery tour earlier that day. It was off to eating and drinking on foot.

1. Casa Alberto - c/ Huertas, 18 – Apparently, the bright red exterior signifies an authentic “taberna”. Casa Alberto is an old school venue with an antique hollow zinc bar that used to double as a glass washing apparatus. Jaime ordered us glasses of vermouth on tap. Vermouth is a dark drink made with an herb used in absinthe; it smells and kind of tastes like licorice. We also sampled pork rinds (awesome), bull’s tail (taste like oxtail - double awesome), and the croquetas (ham + béchamel sauce = triple awesome).

2. Casa González - c/ León, 12 -  The cheese place where you are served by men with super cool moustaches. This restaurant, which seems to dual as a meat and cheese shop,  is a bit tacky looking at first (think checkered walls and cluttered decor) but it grows on you. We had a nice plate of jamón ibérico (Iberian ham) – Spain’s pride and joy. (The general rule is that the quality jamón is judged by the color of the nail on the hoof of the pig -  a black nail indicates good quality meat.) We also had a sampling of different cheeses – goat, manchego, a type of blue cheese, and a type of cow cheese from Northern Spain, with quince jelly. The quince jelly was SO yummy. My recommendation would be to sit in the front where two animated moustached men play the tuba and piano accordion.

3. El Lacón - c/ Manuel Fernández y González, 8 – Brightly lit, and with a bunch of plates of food laid out along the bar, the place looks like an unofficial buffet. We had tastes of Caldo Gallego, a comforting broth made with tripe and chickpeas also known as the “hangover” soup. We also tried a plate of Cazon en Adobo (marinated fried fish).

4. La Trucha - c/ Núñez de Arce, 6 – By now, the two ladies from HK left early, and I was starting to get full and tipsy from all the food and wine we’d been consuming, but I still wanted more. Named The Trout, this Andalucía-influenced eatery is known for… yes, you guessed it! Seafood. Lovesit. We stood by a bar in the corner to sample some stuff. Everything I had here was freaking amazing – the fried squid (perfection), the baked mussels (ohmuhgawd), the tortilla española (so light and fluffy), and the pimientos de padrón (typical Spanish tapa – small green peppers fried in olive oil).

As we stepped out of La Trucha, Jaime informed us that our next stop would be our last – La Casa Del Abuelo, to which I instinctively (and very loudly) squealed in excitement like an idiot schoolgirl. This was one place I’d wanted to try. But then he abruptly turned to us and asked “Have you had Spanish cider?”. We hadn’t. He made a quick turn into Sidrería La Creación.

5.  Sidrería La Creación - c/ Núñez de Arce, 14 - Famous in the northern region of Spain, sidra, is an apple cider that looks like beer and tastes NOTHING like your everyday American apple cider. It’s carbonated, vinegar-y, refreshing and definitely an acquired taste. We were told that sidra must be poured as far away from the glass as possible to capture the best taste. After a quick demonstration and with some guidance, I got to pour my cup of sidra the proper way – standing up, with the bottle tilting over my head, and the glass low by my side.

6. La Casa Del Abuelo - Multiple locations (c/ nuñez de Arce, 5) – If you like garlic and shrimp, DO NOT skip La Casa Del Abuelo. The  Gambas al Ajillo (baby shrimp drowning in garlic and olive oil) defines the word delicious (or should I say, delicioso? hah). Dip some bread in the oil, spoon some of the shrimp on top, and pop it in your mouth – complete HEAVEN. If there was one dish that I can still clearly remember, this would be it. I think that a testament to the tastiness of a dish is if you are willing to finish it on a full stomach. Done. We also tried some of their namesake wine, El Abuelo, which comes from Alicante. Very sweet, but worth a try.

 

The tapas tour was THE highlight of my time in Madrid (with the Museo del Prado being a close second), and I’d highly recommend it to any food-loving traveler visiting Madrid. Jaime was a delight to be with, and I could not have asked for a better guide.

Gourmet Madrid holds its Wine and Tapas Tours on Sundays and Wednesdays at 8:30pm. You can reserve a spot online or via email (info@gourmetmadrid.com).

Tasty reading!

Córdoba, Spain

If I had to cut out one of the three Southern Spain cities, Córdoba would probably be it (Don’t stop reading though!). That said, if you are traveling to Madrid from Sevilla (or vice versa),  you can easily take the train and stop by for a couple of hours before heading to your destination. If you have a couple of hours to spare, the Mezquita is DEFINITELY worth the trip. A former mosque with a 16th century church built within it, the Mezquita is truly a piece of work.  From the train station, you can easily get to the old town via Bus #3. Just let the bus driver know you are going to the Mezquita (or just get off on Calle San Fernando). I actually spent over EUR30 for a tour of the synogogue, Jewish quarter and the Mezquita – be warned – TOURS ARE TOTALLY NOT WORTH IT. Just get yourself the Rick Steve’s guide, and you’ll get more than your money’s worth.

I was fortunate enough to witness some of the cool patios for Córdoba’s annual patio contest, which is apparently taken very seriously. Every first week of May, the people of Córdoba decorate their patios (a common feature of Andalucían homes) with roses, geraniums, jasmine and other bright, colorful flowers in pots. Some of the residents on Calle de San Basilio and Calle Martin Roa kindly opened up their patios for me and I was able to snap a few photos. Score!

Dinner at the nearby Bodegas Mezquitas. There are two of them surrounding the Mezquita, which is kind of odd. Great food though. Had the Salmorejo Cordobés con Jamón y Huevo (Creamy tomato dip with cured ham and egg), Berenjenas Califales Rebozadas con Reducción de Vino Dulce Pedro Ximénez (Fried aubergines in Pedro Ximénez sweet wine sauce), and for dessert, the Pastel Cordobés, Hojaldre Relleno de Cabello de Angel con Azúcar y Canela (Puff pastry with sweet squash filling, topped with cinnamon sugar). The Salmorejo and aubergines were amazing, but the dessert was honestly a bit tasteless. Service was great – I got a free shot of sweet, dark alcohol at the end of my dinner! Would definitely recommend.

Next stop – Madrid!

Sevilla, Spain

People from other parts of the Andalucía region claim that Sevilla doesn’t have that one signature monument that embodies the city itself. Granada has the Alhambra, Córdoba has the Mezquita. While Sevilla’s Cathedral, Giralda Tower and Alcázar are admittedly less impressive than the Alhambra and the Mezquita, the city still has a great culture on a holistic level and I had a great time there. The food in Sevilla seemed a bit lacking, but I COMPLETELY fell in love with Flamenco, which more than made up for it. Sevilla is Flamenco’s alleged birthplace, and as such, it’s a definite must see here. There are many places you can go to watch Flamenco dancing.  I’ve really come to appreciate cultural dancing over the years, so despite the steeper prices, I ended up choosing the venue rumored to have the best dancing – Tablao El Arenal – Totally worth it. I’d recommend eating beforehand (the food is mediocre at best), and paying EUR37 for just the show (includes an alcoholic beverage woohoo!). The dancers were all AMAZING. I loved the dancing so much, that I ended up visiting the Flamenco Museum the next day.

The day I arrived in Sevilla was the first day of Feria de Abril. This week-long celebration usually falls 1-2 weeks after Easter, and much of Sevilla is dressed up in traditional Sevillian attire. I’d liken it to the Rodeo in Houston, TX – The private party tents, a ginormous adjoining carnival, and an abundance of food and drinks. I unfortunately couldn’t stay long enough to see the parties in full force, but I’m glad to have gotten a glimpse.