Rock Some Sugar On Me!

Last night we found ourselves at Century City Mall in search of food.  We ruled out the food court, so that left a handful of restaurants.  We decided to give RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen a shot.  Pan Asian means that it represents all of Asia and I would say that was accurate as there were dishes that were Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian and other Asian countries represented on the menu.

The decor of the restaurant is fantastic - it definitely has an Asian feel.  You will initially walk through an open patio with tables that have their own enclosed fire pits.  The main dining room is a little loud, so I was relieved when we were seated on the covered patio with a view of Santa Monica Boulevard.  We each ordered a tasty cocktail from the vast selection - there were four of us and no repeat drink orders.

After given our choice of water (tap, flat or sparkling), an interesting starter was placed on the table.  Our best guess is that it was a sesame papadum.  It was served with a tasty chutney that looked like a salsa, but wasn't spicy.  The best part of this starter is that it wasn't filling the way most complimentary bread and butter or chips and salsa dishes are.

Not sure what this is, but came with a yummy sauce

We decided to start with an appetizer and selected the pork belly buns.  Our server told us they usually come three to an order, but offered to increase the order to four for a small fee.  I've never had a server or restaurant make such an offer before - usually four people have to draw straws on how to split the serving of three, or you have to order a second order and then you have six for four people.  Kudos to RockSugar for making this easy for us.  As for the bun, it was yum.

Glazed Pork Belly Buns (Kurobuta pork, pickled red onions, shallot mayo, chilies and cilantro)

Our server explained to us that all menu items are served family style, so we each picked a dish for the whole table to share.  I once saw a recipe in People Magazine for ginger fried rice and it was one of the tastiest side dishes I have ever made, so when I saw ginger fried rice on the menu, I thought it would be the same plate of heaven.  I was wrong.  When the server brought the plate to the table he offered to break up the fried egg that was on top and I should have asked him to wait a moment so that I could get a picture, but I was too embarrassed.  So the picture below is after his expert egg breaking and mixing.  I barely tasted any ginger or crispy garlic.  The Chinese sausage was cut so thinly and in such small portions that I could barely taste it as well.  It was just bland, and for something labeled with ginger in the name and presumably as the main ingredient, it was sorely disappointing.

Ginger Fried Rice (Chinese sausage, leeks, egg, sesame and crispy garlic)

My friend picked the snapper, and it was probably the best dish we had.  The snapper was lightly breaded and perfectly pan-fried.  The sauce was an excellent compliment to the fish, but the fish was the star.  And my peanut-loving friend was in heaven with the ample supply of peanuts left on the serving dish. Cha ca la vong is a speciality of Hanoian people. Cha ca means "grilled fish" and in the restaurant that originated the dish is a statue of La Vong (an ancient Chinese poet and revolutionist) fishing by a stream.  This statue symbolizes a talented and patient man who knew to wait for the right moment to come. And this dish was worth the wait.

Hanoi Snapper (Cha ca la vong style, rice noodles, cilantro, dill and peanuts with nuoc cham)

My husband selected the pork dish even though the description mentioned peas.  I assumed he didn't realize peas were part of the dish, so when it arrived covered in the green spheres I thought for sure he would be upset.  But instead, he just dug in.  The dish was tasty, but perhaps a little too sweet.

Singapore Hainan Pork (fried crisp, sweet onions, peas and spicy chili sauce)

I had debated ordering the Princess Chicken before I realized we were ordering family style, but instead my friend got the opportunity.  The tempura was tasty and the chicken itself was tender.  The sauce left a lot to be desired, but again, my other friend was in peanut heaven.

Princess Chicken (tempura chicken, roasted Thai chilies, peanuts and palm sugar glaze)

All in all it was a good meal.  Fun, vibrant ambiance.  Good food at reasonable prices.  Helpful servers.  And plenty of peanuts for the peanut lover in you.  Nothing to complain about here.

Zen Chi Part IV

Just 'round the corner from Tujunga Village is a little restaurant that can't ever seem to stay in business.  Eight years ago it took two years of construction for it to open as Zen Chi.  That lasted for maybe six months before it rebranded itself Nick's Grill.  That again only lasted six months before it closed and construction began again for Taverna 8 1/2.  Taverna seemed successful, but they apparently walked out on their lease after only 1 year in business.  Now almost two years later it has again reopened as Girasol starring Top Chef Seasons Three and Ten contestant C.J. Jacobson as executive chef.  When signage first appeared for the new restaurant it read that it was a "farm fresh eatery."  For some reason that made me think of eggs and vegetables, so I was thinking it might be a nice cafe style restaurant serving all three meals.  When it finally opened on July 1st I learned I was wrong - it was only open for dinner and they hope in the future to offer Sunday brunch.  On a positive note, the dress code is casual, so I didn't feel bad when I walked in wearing shorts and flip flops even though the decor didn't seem to match my attire.

We went on their seventh day of business and were asked by the waiter if we had dined there before.  Huh? Not likely.  Our best guess is that the waiter was simply seasoned and was used to asking that question.  Or, perhaps, there are people who have been there more than once within the first week.  My biggest, and probably only, complaint about the restaurant is that the tables have legs that are essentially a big box.  They are metal and quite beautiful and actually look like branches extending between the legs which is quite lovely with the overall decor of the restaurant.  That said, beauty doesn't equal function and you can't place your legs under the table, so you have two options: (1) sit with your legs wide open so that the table is remotely close to your body or (2) sit with the table a good distance from your body resulting in either you hunching over the table or dropping food on your lap.  Your choice.

We decided to stay away from the burrata this time and try some other appetizers.  First up was the hamachi.  Look how beautiful the presentation was.  And most importantly, it tasted as wonderful as it looked.  I had to Google nasturium before we ordered and just to let you all know, its essentially just watercress.

Hamachi with Citrus (mandarin, macadamia nut, nasturium, preserved grapefruit, verbena)

Next up was the beet salad.  Again, a gorgeous dish that I wish I didn't have to share.  Everything on the plate was equally portioned out so that you had enough beets to go with the goat cheese and a berry if you so chose.

Beets and Berries (whipped goat cheese, leafy herbs, hazelnuts)

My husband, not surprisingly, went for the whole fried snapper.  The way the fish is scored allows for the diner to easily portion himself a bite for dipping into the scrumptious sauce.  My husband was respectful and didn't start picking up the carcass to get more meat, but that didn't stop me!

Whole Fried Snapper (crispy greens, fermented fresno chili, sauce of kumquat, sorrel and citrus)

I decided for once to go with the simple chicken.  The chicken itself, while beautifully browned with the skin nicely crispy, was just that: simple.  But once you dipped it into the rich au jus, it was out of this world.

Roasted Mary's Citrus Chicken (stone potatoes, baby carrots, au jus)

They don't have a dessert menu that you can peruse and discuss with your date.  Instead the waiter reads the choices off to you and waits for you to decide.  I allowed my husband to choose and he picked the olive oil cake, so imagine my surprise when a plate full of peaches arrives with the tiniest piece of cake.  When I took the picture from directly above the plate, you couldn't even see the cake which necessitated this angled shot.  The cake was tasty and did go well with both the crème fraiche and the peaches.  I'm not sure if what was off to the side was indeed fruit leather as I had to borrow the plate's description from another review, but it seemed to us to be some sort of candied fennel.  The dish was yummy, but I wouldn't advertise it as "Olive Oil Cake."

Olive Oil Cake (peaches, crème fraîche and house-made fruit leather)

We will definitely go back to Girasol.  It's a good restaurant with good food made with fresh ingredients that makes you not feel guilty for eating out.

Victory Motorcycles?

I had heard about Black Market Liquor Bar for some time, but despite how many times I drove up and down Ventura Boulevard, I couldn't find it.  Then a friend of ours even recommended it, so I knew for sure it existed, but where?  Next to Jumping Java on the north side of Ventura Blvd just west of Carpenter under the faded sign reading Victory Motorcycles is where you can find it.

I'm not sure why an established gastro pub wouldn't publicize its name, but once you find it, you will want to go back.  Black Market follows the trend of a lot of restaurants lately where they serve small plates for the diners to share and recommend 2-3 plates per person.  While I appreciate this style of dining as it allows me to try many items on the menu, I also find it quite frustrating as I need to make sure I select a balanced meal.  I also never know what order the food will come in, and have often found that the food either comes 2 plates at a time or with long gaps in between.

That said, the food was quite enjoyable and the service was great.  If you are a picky eater, this place is not for you as the menu reads "We respectfully decline substitutions & modifications."  We started with the Crispy Squash Blossoms.  There were only two burrata stuffed blossoms and a large helping of salad.  The salad also seemed to contain chunks of parmesan cheese which was not listed on the menu.  I love squash blossoms so I was pleased with the item - I just felt that the ratio of salad to blossom was off.

Crispy squash blossom, burrata, zucchini, fried  herb vinaigrette, walnuts

Brussel sprouts - yum!  I can't really say that the almonds or grapes made a difference, but the brussel sprouts were amazing.  They were served slightly cooler than I would have liked, but it could be because they were served before I finished the squash blossom salad and cooled while they waited.

Charred brussel sprouts, almonds, grapes, parmigiano-reggiano

When we got the bill this item read Peaches and Cream.  I do think that is the best description for it.  The sushi lover in me silently hoped that the saba was Japanese mackerel, but yet was thankful that it wasn't as that would not have been a good flavor combination.  Instead saba is like a balsamic vinegar.  Much like the burrata dish we had the other night, the ratio of burrata to crostini was off, but the burrata was so creamy I just didn't care.  Well, actually I wish the empty plate would have been around for when I got the garlic baguettes with my mussels and there was too much yummy olive oil and saba at the bottom of the plate going to waste.

Burrata, roasted peach, speck, saba

This next dish was the most disappointing of the six that we had.  I can't even say much about it.  It was just okay and with Take A Bao across the street competing for bao business, you would think that Black Market wouldn't even bother to try.  The other issue with this dish is that it was difficult to share as once I cut it down the middle it sorta fell apart.

Chicken bao, pickled shrooms, scallion, carrot, savoy cabbage

I love Korean food and I love kimchi, so this dish was a hit.  Plus my husband had been craving chicken wings, so this satisfied that need as well.  The wings were the perfect combination of crispy, savory and not too spicy.  The kimchi, however, was HOT.  I only had one bite of it and left the rest for my husband who informed me that based on his experience, cucumber kimchi is always hotter than the traditional cabbage kimchi.

Spicy korean chicken wings, cucumber kimchi

Mussels.  These were my husband's choice.  I'm not a mussel girl, originally because of how they look, and then because they just can't compete with clams or crab.  Admittedly, I was not fond of the broth they were cooked in, but it did work well with the tasty garlic baguette.  I just basically ate the baguette and let my husband dine away on his beloved mussels.

Mussels, fennel, chili, garlic baguette

All in all Black Market was a good dining experience and exactly what we needed on a casual Friday night.  I just wish they had a sign - it really bothers me.

You Vill Lose!

Perhaps my husband and I are the only ones who think of Rocky IV whenever we hear the name Drago, so you can only imagine how many times we said "You will lose!" in our best Dolph Lundgren impersonation when dining out at Drago Centro the other night.  When they called to confirm the reservation I was surprised by the pronunciation, so I'm sharing it with you so that you are prepared.  It's drah-go ken-tro.

One big positive of the restaurant is that its just a couple of blocks away from the 7th Street Metro Center subway stop, so it was quite convenient to get to.  The menu offers either a relatively inexpensive tasting menu ($55) with optional wine pairings or an à la carte menu full of options for a starter, salad, pasta, and entree.  I wanted to go with the tasting menu, but one of the items was made with gorgonzola and while I like gorgonzola, it does not like me.  So instead I was faced with the daunting task of picking my meal.

But first, our waiter asked us what we would like to drink and when I said iced tea, he replied "Black? Green? Or Long Island?"  I liked having the options, including the alcoholic option, and selected Green which was frequently refilled with an individual pitcher instead of a large bulky picture dripping with condensation.  The waiter was quite helpful with the menu explaining to us which items were the house specialties  but also letting us know that many of the dishes could be halved.  

Ultimately we decided to go with the burrata appetizer which is a house specialty.  I assumed it would come on one plate and placed in the center of our table, so I moved aside the complimentary bread and olive oil.  I assumed wrong.  The kitchen split the appetizer into two individual servings so that we each had our own beautiful portion.  And I mean beautiful.  The balsamic was arranged on the plate in a beautiful formation of minute drops.  The burrata was creamy and the artichokes were delicate portions from the heart.  If I had one criticism it would be that there was not enough crostini as I found myself using the complimentary table bread.

La Burrata (burrata, artichokes, tomatoes, balsamic, crostini)

For our pasta course, my husband and I decided to share the pappardelle, another house specialty, mostly due to our desire to try pheasant.  The fresh egg pasta was delicate and full of flavor.  It had the nuttiness and creaminess of Parmesan cheese.  And the pheasant and sauce complimented the pasta so well that I wished I wasn't sharing with my husband.  I should also point out that again the kitchen halved the portion so that my husband and I had our own plates.  The downside of the halving is just that - I only had half. 

Le Pappardelle al Fagiano (pappardelle, roasted pheasant, morel mushrooms)

For our entrees my husband and I went our separate ways.  He decided to go with the halibut which as you can see was the perfect spring/summer course.  The plate was gorgeous and according to my husband, the meal was quite tasty.  I was too busy chowing down on my entree which I referred to only as "the pig" when I ordered it.

L' Ippoglosso (halibut, potato gnocchi, fava beans, corn, pea tendrils)

As soon as my husband saw "the pig" he was jealous.  As much as his dish reminded me of spring, mine made me think of winter.  The fennel salad was warm and tasty.  A delicate compliment to the luscious pig. The gnocco made me think of beignets from Cafe du Monde that were missing their powdered sugar.  And the pig was tender slices of heaven.  Initially I shared a bite of pig with my husband and his eyes closed as his mouth smiled when the pig touched his tongue.  When I couldn't finish my plate I decided to give the rest of the pig to my husband and he looked as if he was in heaven.  He commented that it was definitely the best item on the menu.

Il Maialino (suckling pig, fennel salad, gnocco fritto, cherry gastric)

Since my husband's company was sponsoring our dinner, dessert was definitely in order.  My husband does not like chocolate, so he selected what he deemed to be the one item on the dessert menu that does not contain chocolate.  He was exaggerating as there were a couple of other items, but they were simply the cheese plate and the madeleines.  I'm not going to criticize the restaurant for not having enough non-chocolate options as other diners should not have to suffer for my husband's deficiency.  He truly enjoyed his panna cotta while I was busy easy chocolate.

La Panna Cotta (vanilla panna cotta, black mission figs, rosemary puff pastry)

I have to say I was slightly disappointed by the tiramisu.  I knew by the description that it was not a traditional tiramisu, but I thought the brownie would be softer.  I did love the presentation of the dish and the mascarpone was delish.  Overall it was just okay.

Il Tiramisu (tiramisu coupe, espresso brownie, amaretto mascarpone)

I would highly recommend Drago Centro for either a nice night out or a special occasion dinner.  The service was great.  The ambiance was nice.  And the food was delicious.  And in the end, we did not lose.