N/Naka: eat/give/hope Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Benefit Dinner

As something that is a necessity for survival, food and consumption in its basest form is primal instinct.  At the other extreme are chefs who perhaps over-intellectualize in attempt to elevate the culinary arts.  Somewhere around the pivot point, in perfect balance - is N/Naka. Chef Niki Nakayama takes the Japanese tradition of kaiseki (seasonal small exquisite dishes in perfect balance) and seeks to create an experience, a 'narrative', for her guests that is artistic and accessible.

I'd always wanted to experience N/Naka, but they offer tasting menus only, and the lowest priced one that isn't vegetarian costs $110 - though 9-courses are involved, it was still out of my price range.  Then N/Naka announced that they were doing a series of Sunday dinners at $55, 6-courses, to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and I knew that was divine intervention: finally a price point I can afford, and all to go towards a good cause.  Yes, dineLA is still happening, and I'm still recovering from a long holiday trip - but there was no way I was going to miss this event at N/Naka. 

As soon as my friend Teach and I set foot in the space, we fell in love with it immediately - it was small and cozy with a mere handful of tables - but had a very serene, soothing vibe with minimal but tasteful decor, including a zen pebble garden in the middle of each table.

What's clear from the menu for the night, is the thought Chef Nakayama puts into her concept and execution - while at the same time taking care to make everything very accessible and enjoyable. It's not about ego or show-womanship here, but genuine passion that goes out with each plate.  The first course, Sakizuke is described as "(a pairing of something common and someting unique) bigeye tuna, avocado dashi, jalapeno, cilantro, tempura soy paper".  Fish and avocado are a common match in sushi, but this execution is refreshing and new - I don't want to use the word 'deconstruct' which is implicitly obnoxious and that is not what Chef Nakayama's food is about, but this is sort of a new way of preparing and pulling together elements normally found in a sushi roll.  I liked the balance of different textures flaky, creamy, crunchy, density (fish) and levity (accoutrements) and the bit of heat and herbaceousness added by the jalapeno and cilantro. A nice tease for the rest of the meal.

Zensai: (main seasonal ingredient presented as an appetizer) "san ten mori" pan seared beef teres major, mixed baby greens, miso pepper dressing; baked fanny bay oyster, sesame aioli; hamachi carpaccio, sweet sesame ponzu.  Loved every bite on this plate - I normally like my oysters naked so I can taste pure ocean in them, but the sesame aioli was light enough in flavor and consistency that it worked with the oyster, and did not overwhelm it  Loved the brush of wasabi aioli to go with the beef as well - the Japanese take on horseradish cream served the American way with steak.

Mushimono/Agemono: (steamed dish/fried dish) steamed lobster chawanmushi, black prince tomato, lobster glaze; vegetable "kaki-age" tempura with gobo, maitake, carrots and onions. You know that scene in Runaway Bride where Richard Gere's character accuses Julia Roberts' of not knowing who she is, so much so that she doesn't even know what kind of eggs she likes, and so she spends a morning with plates of every possible preparation of egg to taste test until she can determine which is her favorite?  Yeah so that's not me at all.  I KNOW I love eggs in multiple forms, in this order: 63 degree, soft boiled, scrambled, AND as chawanmushi (steamed). I haven't encountered too many places that serve it steamed (FarmShop, Torafuku, The Coop pop-up, and now N/Naka are the only ones I know...)

So I was excited to see N/Naka serve this.  And of course with their own touch - topped with rich tomato based lobster sauce and a tender, juicy piece of the crustacean, plus crumbled pieces of what I thought was ground beef for textural contrast.  Here's a gratuitous close up of the steamed egg - super light and smooth.  I loved the tempura on the side too, as a sort of foil for the smoothness and levity of the chawanmushi.  Everything in balance. I'd read that Chef Niki grows her own vegetables in her organic garden - and though not a big fan of veggies in general, preferring seafood or better quality cuts of meat, I appreciated the freshness of the veggies used for the tempura, which came through clearly even past the batter.

Shiizakana: (chef's choice dish not bound by tradition) mentaiko pasta with italian summer truffles.  I love Japanese style pasta, which is generally much lighter on sauce and sweeter.  Chef Nakayama breaks tradition beyond the Japanese style of handling pasta, by adding mentaiko (marinated pollock roe), usually served in rice balls or on its own as a side dish, into the sauce for the pasta. Then topping it with Italian summer truffles so fragrant it turned heads the minute it left the kitchen.  So in a way, a sort of Japanese meets Italian interpretation of 'surf and turf', with fish and fungi instead of traditional proteins, in a bowl. One of my favorite dishes of the night.

Shokuji: (rice dish- sushi) "chirashi-zushi" a beautiful jewelry box-like presentation of gems from the sea.  There is nothing ground breaking about this chirashi course - just amazing cuts of incredibly fresh and flavorful fish over rice.  But as sushi lovers will tell you, the rice is just as important as the fish - and N/Naka gets a perfect 10 for the quality of their rice - it's at a perfect consistency where each grain is distinct but meld into a coherent whole.  Perfectly balanced sweetness with just a little bite from mixed in vinegar.  Fresh grated wasabi on a shiso leaf takes this over the top as possibly the best affordable chirashi I've ever tasted in LA (i.e. Urasawa and others of that several hundred $$$ per head class will certainly beat this, but I wouldn't know as that's completely not affordable for me)

 

Mizumono: (dessert): sesame panna cotta, okinawan black sugar syrup, black sesame paste, sesame tuille.  A gorgeous and dynamic, yet very simple dessert gave a photogenic finish to the fantastic meal.

Chef Nakayama is offering two more of these benefit dinners, Sunday February 3rd and 10th.  At last check she is already completely booked, with long waiting lists, but you can always try your luck for cancellations or see if she will offer more dates.

 

Can't make it to dinner but still want to make a donation?  Go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society site or give to Team in Training.

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark for this special menu)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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N/Naka
3455 S. Overland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90034 
Ph: 310.836.6252

Parking: Valet $5 at restaurant, or street parking (hard to find at dinnertime, check signs)

Website: n-naka.com
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The Saban Free Clinic: Extravaganza for the Senses - One of my Fav Events in LA

The Saban Free Clinic's annual fundraising event, Extravaganza for the Senses, is one of my favorite food events in LA.  Maybe because it's a fun night out in a setting that's 'glamourous' as it's a studio in Hollywood, making you feel like you have behind-the-scenes access, while small and intimate enough that you don't feel like you're getting swept up in the wave generated by some marketing machine in overdrive.  Maybe because organizers are fantastic in providing entertainment (DJs, photo booths, fortune tellers, henna artists, massages...) as well as the AYCE and AYCD. Definitely because you get delicious bites of some amazing food from some of the top restaurants in LA - and you get to be selfish in your indulgence and magnanimous at the same time - with 100% of proceeds from the event going to a great cause: providing healthcare and social services to those who cannot afford it.

Last year I was a volunteer, and event organizers were kind in letting us wander and enjoy the event after we had finished our shifts!  This year organizers very generously provided a media pass - and they let me have VIP access too, I was superexcited to check out what the VIP lounge had to offer!

The event is basically set up along a main 'street' at the Sunset Gower Studios, with tables on either side offering all kinds of deliciousness for foodies and wine lovers alike.  I'm really not a big wine drinker but it must have been heaven for those who are: there were tables of freely flowing vino as far as the eye could see, and they poured all night.  I mainly flitted between restaurant tables - one of the first that drew my eye was Soleto, a newly opened "trattoria an pizza bar downtown" that I still need to try.  As it was a hot and humid summer evening, they wisely brought cold foods - and a lovely spread of it!  Salads in shot glasses: sauteed shrimp, salumi and olive, and salmon potato, and samplers of tiramisu and strawberry shortcake - all delicious.

Last year one of the most popular booths was Chaya, and I made sure to hit it early this time before they ran out.  LOVED the mojito-infused compressed watermelon, served in refreshing bite-sized cubes on a pick - the perfect summer treat. 

Chaya's other offering was just as great - shrimp ceviche with yuzu.  Love the beautiful colors and hit of crisp, bittersweet citrus for an Asian twist.

Another cold serve item I was impressed with, was the cucumber dill gazpacho from Upstairs 2.  It was like the Goldilocks of gazpacho - not too thick, not too weak - just right.  And super refreshing. 

Upstairs 2 also served a duck confit with wild mushroom ragu and baked polenta.

A restaurant I was pleasantly surprised to see was D'Cache, a cute little hidden gem of a Mediterranean place in Toluca Lake.  It's one of those places that transport you, and make you feel like you're on vacation for a hour or two or three.  And the food is pretty good as well!  At this event they brought red wine braised short rib empanadas - I loved the rich, flavorful filling and the presentation on these.

Their second bite was a cucumber round stuffed with salmon ceviche.  I loved the flavors and textures of the stuffing!

Aside from food there is also a silent auction and select booths offering different accessories - bags, scarfs, jewelry.  I truly madly deeply wanted these paper thin gold filigree, subtly crystal studded earrings - but unfortunately they were over $100 and out of my price range.  So back to coverage of the food it was...

The brightly colored, whimsical yet elegant displays at the Sweets & Treats Inc. booth caught my eye.  They were offering vanilla cake pops with a sugar coating that reminded me of gumdrops, in really fun colors.  These were more pretty than tasty though...

Quickly running out of stomach space, I knew I had to hit one more super popular booth that also ran out last year:  Jar.  With their dynamic duo of chocolate or butterscotch budino.  So smooth, creamy and delicious.  Wish I had room for 10 more of these.

Saving the mythical VIP lounge for almost last - I happily made my first stop there at the cocktail counter.  They were serving this PAMA cocktail, a version of the mint julep using the pomegranate liquer and I think bourbon or whiskey (can't remember which...oops, yeah I had a good time).  It was a bit strong for me but I loved the gorgeous presentation with the huge leaves of mint!

There are also two food stations within the lounge, one of which was AOC!  You could watch chefs cook up pork belly and serve them hot off the grill with ricotta and a juicy slice of peach.

Bliss Spa sponsored massage, facial and nail stations at the event too!  Some of these were offered outside, but within the VIP lounge the line was shorter and I was able to slide in one of each!  They did a quick color change on my nails (and I discovered I love Essie ChinChilly, a mocha color tinged with purple), gave me an oxygen mini-facial (kind of cool with this little plastic gadget blowing a mist onto your eye areas to hydrate it), and a 10-minute massage.  Genius idea to have this at the event...

One of the cool things about this event too is that everyone is here for a good cause, so people tend to be just really nice overall, it's less of a 'scene' though it vibe is very high energy and fun. Towards the end of the night people kind of let loose on the impromptu dance area by the DJ outside the VIP lounge and vendors start giving away bottles they didn't end up finishing etc. or trading others for food they missed while working - so great to see the bonding and comraderie that happens among vendors as well as total strangers connected by food for the body and soul.

Thanks for another wonderful experience and caring for those who are in need.  Looking forward to the next one!

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Extravaganza for the Senses
Saturday July 21, 2012 7-10pm (VIP early entry at 6pm)
Sunset Gower Studios
1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, CA 90028
Event Website: thesabanfreeclinic.org
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Your 'donation' is tax deductible:
For those who attended / are planning to attend next year: Know that not only does the price of admission goes towards a good cause - health care for those who cannot afford it - it's also tax deductible for you. According to the event site: The price you pay over and above the fair market value of the ticket is a charitable contribution and is tax-deductable to the fullest extent of the law. See site for more details.

The Saban Free Clinic - Extravaganza for the Senses Feeds Body and Soul

With all the 'Carmageddon' warnings for the masses to keep their vehicles off the streets last weekend, most of Los Angeles heeded the doomsday style appeals - making it Autopia for those of us senseless daring enough to venture out.

There was lots going on in the city that weekend, and I was not going to miss out just because of the possibility of traffic (disclaimer: yes, it might have been easier for me to say as I live in the Valley and can either detour via more eastern routes to get down to Hollywood / mid-city or park & ride the Metro down). 

The first event I was glad to be able to make it to, was Extravaganza for the Senses, a food and wine focused event benefitting The Saban Free Clinic, which has been providing free health care to the Los Angeles community since 1967.  Forty mid to high end restaurants and dozens of wineries gathered at the Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood for the event, to the tune of $100 for General Admission and $225 for VIP early entry, valet parking and access to the exclusive VIP Lounge. 

I attended not as guest, but contributed as a volunteer working with a friend I'd made at another event - and this turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of the year for me all around.  I got to see behind-the-scenes, of strangers coming togehter for a good cause, pouring their efforts wherever it's needed to get the venue set up, whether it's manual labor (like transporting 10 pound bags of ice down the backlot in golf carts!) directing traffic or putting plates and glasses together to hand to guests.  I also loved seeing the comraderie between vendors as they came together on a Saturday night to offer their wares, generously donated to the cause - some even shared their supplies with others who had forgotten service items.


The event itself was aptly named - a true extravaganza for every sense: delicious eats from Street's Burmese Melon Salad to Michael's Gazpacho with burrata to The Sky Room's Maine Lobster Roll, to Pizza Antica's Pork Cheek and Pork Belly with Sweet Creamed Corn, to Jar's signature Chocolate Pudding  - it was a visual and savory/sweet feast.  Wine purveyors from Jeio to Far Niente were on hand to pour samples of their wines.  'Mystics' let guests get in touch with their playful/spiritual side, with quick readings set up just outside of the VIP lounge, while a henna station appealed to guests to get in touch of their artistic side with ornate (and temporary) tattoo designs. Burke Williams was on hand to provide complimentary massages.  Polite in Public provided a fun photo booth with LA backdrop for those who wanted to commemorate the occasion.  All to a fun soundtrack for the evening emanating from the DJ booth that spanned the 80's to date, with such classics from Rob Base "Joy and Pain" that take those of us who, shall I just say, are older than the millenial generation, back to carefree school days. (VIPs were also treated to exclusive offerings in the lounge like Veev cocktails)

There was also a silent auction with everything from travel packages to bottles of wine donated by vendors. 

After our volunteer shift ended, event organizers were kind enough to release us to enjoy the event as guests (after of course changing out of our volunteer tees).  It was so much fun hanging out with new friends we'd made, sampling the food we'd been eyeing all night, interspersing that with wine and cocktails, checking out the Gilt City cart for fresh spun cotton candy, to getting our henna tattoos and souvenir photo. One of the best things that added to the success of the event was of course the guests - for the most part they all seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves, and even when it would get a bit cramped with people trying to get through to stalls for food/wine - most people were nice, courteous, relaxed and there to have a good time (which you can't unfortunately always say of all events!)

All in all, a great event that I will personally look forward to making an annual outing.  New friendships were forged as everyone pulled together to make the event a success, all ultimately to give back to the community. It was a moving display of selflessless, that served as such a positive counterpoint to all the negativity of a car-centric city that had been made irate by the 'threat' of individual inconvenience that weekend.  Next year, Carmageddon The Sequel or not (I say bring it on, this year's Carmageddon was the best ever for those of us willing to risk getting behind the wheel) - I most definitely will consider this an event not to be missed.
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Extravaganza for the Senses
Saturday July 16 7-10pm (VIP early entry at 6pm)

Sunset Gower Studios
1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, CA 90028
Event Website: thesabanfreeclinic.org
_________________________________________________________________________

Your 'donation' is tax deductible:
For those who attended / are planning to attend next year: Know that not only does the price of admission goes towards a good cause - health care for those who cannot afford it - it's also tax deductible for you. According to the event site: The price you pay over and above the fair market value of the ticket is a charitable contribution and is tax-deductable to the fullest extent of the law. See site for more details.