Hi Everyone
Please click diary of a Mad Hungry Woman to get to the new website
Don't forget to save the new URL in your bookmarks
Thank you
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Cocoa Lounge Opens Tonight!!
 |
| chocolate caramel tart |
What could possibly be better than having a love affair with food? February has always been a month of indulging your sweetheart with displays of you love. Cute stuffed animals, red roses, a glorious meal somewhere, and chocolates -- tons and tons of it!
If your significant other is a dessert fiend -- no, let me rephrase that -- a CHOCOHOLIC dessert fiend, then here's your opportunity to shine. Cocoa Lounge, a pop up dessert lounge at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach is where you'll want to make a reservation at to impress your sweet-toothed sweetheart.
 |
| vanilla custard filled eclairs |
Showcased in a romantic set up in the lounge at the back of the hotel's Palm Terrace restaurant, the incredible spread includes an array of over 20 desserts including:
- Chocolate Caramel Tarts
- German Chocolate Cake
- Snickers Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Chocolate Fudge Cookie S'mores
- Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
- Milk Chocolate Cheesecake
- Manjari Obssession
- Pot Au Creme
- Vanilla Custard-filled Eclairs
- Chocolate Lollipops
- Peanut Caramels
 |
| chocolate fudge cookie s'mores |
The bread pudding won hands down -- it was definitely my favorite along with the pot au creme.
Dessert buffet is $18 and guests who are dining at the Palm Terrace Restaurant ordering two or more courses will receive complimentary entrance to Cocoa Lounge.
If you are not planning to dine at the restaurant, please make sure to make reservations. Cocoa Lounge is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays from 6pm until 10pm.
Cocoa Lounge
690 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
949-760-4920
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Cafe Pinot -- a perfect evening in downtown LA
Looking for a romantic spot which also offers some fantastic food? Look no further than the Patina Group's Cafe Pinot in downtown Los Angeles. In between the offices and business towers sits an unassuming restaurant which you would easily drive right past if you weren't looking for it.
We had reservations at 7.30pm and were already running a few minutes late. Valet parking was right there and for $7, it was a no-brainer. Plus, I was wearing heels which makes me very reluctant to walk several blocks, especially if I decide to have a glass of wine or two (or three!) with my meal and then have to make the trek back to the car later. Yes, valet parking is definitely highly necessary!
 |
| duo of sea: tuna tartare |
We were led to a really lovely table in the back and from this vantage, I could see the entire restaurant including the kitchen which was visible through a large window. Our vivacious server, Guillermo, a charming Spaniard was chatty and friendly and I immediately took a huge liking to him. Throughout our meal he would become not only a great wealth of knowledge, but also, a welcomed source of entertainment.
Chef Kevin Meehan stopped by the table and asked if we'd like to order off the menu or just have him cook for us. We agreed to allow the maestro to work his magic and left everything in his hands. Guillermo then took charge of pairing our meal with his wine selections and that was how our marvelous culinary journey began.
 |
| duo of sea: octopus |
Our first course was "Duo of Sea" which arrived on a plate with two compartments. One side was sliced octopus with vanilla, grapefruit slices and a nice flavored oil. The other was a tuna tartare with avocado puree and crispy shallots. I love octopus so I favored this over the other while my dining companion loved the tartare. It worked out well because we swapped half way and each of us devoured the other's. I liked how the flavors lifted our palates and tantalized our palates for the next dish to arrive.
 |
| wild mushroom risotto with truffles |
Wild mushroom risotto was the second course and I'd heard about this dish from Marian the Foodie and my heart skipped a beat when I saw Chef Meehan standing there with a basket of black Perigord truffles and his handy truffle shaver in hand. As he deftly ran the truffle over the instrument, thin slices of aromatic truffles dropped onto the risotto like leaves falling off a tree and my mind was suddenly left drifting into an olfactory cyclone of pure ecstasy.
When I took a mouthful of this creamy, heady, fragrant delight, I found myself at a loss for words. Neither of us spoke or looked at one another as we spooned this sheer decadence into our gullets and only when we had finished did we look up, me, letting out a sigh of indescribable satisfaction. It was then we ate the parmesan tuille which adorned the plate -- and I'm glad I ate it at the end because its intense flavor would've masked my tastebuds before I'd even experienced the risotto.
 |
| crispy skin salmon |
 |
| filet mignon |
Our fourth course was a tenderloin of filet mignon, again, a cut of meat I ordinarily would not order. I was floored by how tender and flavorful the meat was. Chef Meehan's technique of using filet mignon sous vide, then seared, gave it a texture which would've been lost had it just been grilled. Served with broccolini and fingerling potatoes, an accompanying au jus and chive oil not only decorated the plate, but also, added another flavor dimension to the dish.
 |
| chocolat gateaux |
We ended on a high note, a dessert of chocolat gateaux with a hazelnut crust and caramel ice cream. The gateaux had a sea salt finish which completely appealed to my senses. I love the salty sweet combination in desserts and finding it in this sinful, yet not-too-heavy chocolate symphony was a perfect end to a perfect evening.
I always suggest allocating at least two hours when planning a dinner out, especially if it's a meal you want to savor and remember. I never believe in rushing excellence whether it be the Chef creating your meal, or you, as a diner experiencing it.
Of course, a great meal paired with great wine also requires great service and great company to make it all the more memorable. My dinner at Cafe Pinot encompassed all of that -- and much, much more!!
Of course, a great meal paired with great wine also requires great service and great company to make it all the more memorable. My dinner at Cafe Pinot encompassed all of that -- and much, much more!!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Bread Crumb Ohana Cafe -- be part of the family
 |
| Loco moco |
As you all know, I like to support mom and pop businesses and when I came to Breach Crumb Ohana Cafe with Priscilla of She's Cookin' for breakfast one morning, I knew that even if the food didn't blow me away, I would walk away feeling some sort of endearment in my heart.
Bread Crumb Ohana Cafe has been serving customers since 1983, not always at this location, but always in Huntington Beach and always, a family-run business. I am always skeptical whenever I go to some restaurant which touts itself as a Hawaiian place because having lived in Hawaii, I know that although the sentiment is there, the quality of the food or that aloha spirit isn't always there.
Priscilla has been here before, many times actually. She introduces me to the owner's son who now runs the joint. She remembers him as a teenager and now, he has a family of his own. He tells me a little bit about his story and how his family is actually from the islands and the food is always created from the heart.
 |
| Island Special |
I peruse the menu and Loco Moco ($10.95) immediately caught my eye. Loco Moco is one of those things which can either be very tasty or just plain nasty and trust me I've had my share of nasty Loco Moco. I tend to stay away from Loco Moco when I'm on the mainland, but after hearing that these folks are actually from the islands, I decide to order it.
Now, I've had my share of loco moco and it's all in the gravy. I don't like mine too thick or with too much flour so it becomes a light brown color. I like mine brown, dark brown! The darker the better and they do it right at this place!
Although you have your choice of hamburger, spam or Portuguese sausage there was no way I could ever away from the traditional style, and that's with hamburger! White rice, hamburger, poached eggs and everything drowning with brown gravy! BLISS!
Priscilla's Island Special ($7.95) was a big portion of scrambled eggs with green peppers, avocado, mushroom and cheese, served with hash browns and toast. It's only $2 more to add sausage, chicken, bacon or ham to your order.
Everything's delicious and what impresses me the most is the array of chili/hot sauces they have available. Notice the range from Sriracha to Tapatio to Tabasco.
I'll be back again for some more Loco Moco when the craving hits, or when I'm wanting to feel a little bit of that island hospitality they so easily dish out here.
Bread Crumb Ohana Cafe
19079 Beach Blvd
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
714-960-5051
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The Bazaar Part One -- a disappointing birthday celebration
For some reason, traffic was horrific that evening and it took us about 2 hours to get from OC to Beverly Hills so our guests arrived sporadically. While waiting, several of us ordered some drinks, including Passion Fruit Up! ($16) which comprised of orange rum, passion fruit and ginger-laurel syrup, topped with passion fruit foam. It was like drinking a dessert, aromatic with a perfect combination of sweet and tart flavors.
 |
| Passion Fruit Up! |
Holly and Mahesh decided to go all out and partake in the table side service drink Caipirinha ($20). A guy comes around with a cart and starts concocting this drink consisting of Brazilian cachaça, fresh lime and sugar and freezes it as you watch, using liquid nitrogen.The Caipirinha was good but was it really worth the $20 price tag? I'll let you be the judge of that.
Our party is finally seated at a round table and as we squeezed into the small space, our server comes over to tell us about the $75/8 course tasting menu we were 'encouraged' to order due to the size of our party -- (there is a $55 one for 5 courses as well). We queried about the offerings and decided to order a few extra items not on the tasting menu as well. **I've added the a la carte pricing for convenience**
We start with a yogurt tamarind star anise dip ($10) served with sweet potato chips in a paper bag. A few serves were placed on the table and everyone was to share. However, we quickly ran out of the sweet potato chips and I asked for more.
 |
| yogurt dip with sweet potato chips |
We joked about the size of the portions and how we may have to just keep asking for chip refills if we were to fill up and I sarcastically said "yeah watch, they'll be charging us for the chips and we'll have end up eating $200 in chips". Yes it was funny, but at the end of the meal, they charged us $5 for every bag they gave us -- *guess it wasn't a joke after all*
Our next course arrived in the form of American caviar cone ($9/per person) -- we were each presented with a baby cone filled with caviar and a lovely foam.
 |
| caviar cone |
Jamón Ibérico Fermin (2 oz) $28 was definitely a hit with everyone. Perfectly salty dry cured, free-range Ibérico ham served with Catalan roasted bread and a tomato spread. This is very traditional and one of my favorite Spanish tapa. For the longest time, flesh of the black pig was not allowed to be imported into the USA and I knew people who would try to "smuggle" it in their luggage from Spain. Boy was I glad when they lifted that ban!
 |
| Jamon Iberico |
Our next item was mussels in vinegar, olive oil and pimenton ($8) served in a tin. I know this is traditional and served at tapas bars across Spain, but I didn't enjoy this at all. Neither did I like the King crab, raspberries in a raspberry vinegar ($18), also served in a tin. The raspberries completely masked the sweetness of the crab which was a real shame!
We were all perplexed as to why we were eating tuna ceviche and tuna roll ($15) because it reminded us of something we'd eat in a Japanese restaurant.
 |
| tuna ceviche |
We just couldn't understand Catalan spinach, apple, pine nuts, raisins ($8). It reminded us of frozen spinach -- tasteless and bland. The apple, pine nuts and raisins just made a strange pairing for the vegetable. Nobody at the table liked this. But the worse was yet to come.
Boneless chicken wings with green olive purée ($9) was just mind-boggling. We couldn't even figure out what it was until one of my friends (who absolutely abhors chicken) proclaimed that it was chicken. We were thinking it was something a little more exotic, like pigeon perhaps, or even quail. But alas, the server informed us it was boneless chicken wings. There was laughter of disbelief from some of the people, but the consensus was mutual -- everyone disliked this dish tremendously!
 |
| braised Wagyu cheeks |
Ironically, we had chicken again and we were told that it was seared chicken sous vide with dates, mustard caviar and spicy mustard greens ($10). After the beef, I was very skeptical about another sous vide item. Although it was better than the Wagyu, the chicken was so-so despite the pleasant acroutrements.
 |
| Chipirones en su tinta |
After four disappointing dishes, we were not looking forward to a fifth, but luckily, Chipirones en su tinta ($10) arrived. Baby squid with own ink was nicely flavored, but Holly, who has lived in Spain for 6 months commented on how these were the biggest baby squid she'd ever seen. We laughed it off to how everything is bigger in America and let it go at that. I enjoyed them even though they weren't as delicate as they should've been.
Papas Canarias, salty wrinkled potatoes served with a mojo verdé ($8) was tasty but wasn't unique in any way.
By now we were all dying to finish up our meal and move on to dessert, but we had a few more courses yet to come.
Next on the list was the Tortilla de patatas “new way” * ($5/per person). This was one of the items we ordered in addition to the tasting menu. This is served similarly to the caviar egg at Melisse except it was potato foam, egg cooked to a perfect 63 degrees and caramelized onions.
Thank god this was pretty good. Those of us who ordered this supplement were pleased with the result. Not caviar egg, but still, decent enough after the string of shockingly disastrous courses we had to endure.
 |
| not your every day Caprese |
One of my favorites of the night was Not-your-everyday Caprese, cherry tomatoes, liquid mozarella ($12). Little balls of cherry tomatoes and mozarella were filled with an air pocket, if you will, which created a perfect sensation in your mouth when you bit into them. I loved it so much I took the one remaining portion left on the plate. This is one of my top 5 items of our 18 course meal.
 |
| asparagus tempur |
Sautéed wild mushrooms ($12) with hazelnut praline topped with micro chives was a strange dish. I'm not sure I liked the hazelnut praline although I liked the wild mushroom medley. However, again, someone pointed out that sauteed mushrooms was something all of us have had elsewhere, so it wasn't anything unique.
 |
| Philly cheesesteak |
 |
| cotton candy foie gras |
We moved to the "dessert" room for our desserts -- which I'm not going to go into. We had ordered some champagne which didn't arrive until towards the end of the meal. I think our server was perhaps not the most well-trained, nor was she knowledgeable about our questions. Each time we asked her something, she had to go "find out" the answer, sometimes, not returning with a reply.
Our evening was not what we had hoped for and I tweeted our experience the entire evening. Still, I was very shocked and humbled when Chef Jose Andres himself tweeted me back apologizing for our evening and personally inviting me back as their guest. Therefore, Holly and my second visit to The Bazaar will be featured in Part II of my Bazaar experience to be posted at a later date.
SLS Hotel
465 South La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)