Katsuya Glendale - Happy Hour Deal Stack x5

Happy Hours aren't going to be enjoyable if you have to stressball through rush hour LA traffic to get there. 

Well, those in the Valley who love a good happy hour with decent food and cocktails at a decent price in a relatively upscale setting can find a great place to enjoy all this without having to trek to the Westside: at Katsuya by Starck at the Americana at Brand in Glendale.

For "Ms Sassy", "Sawyer" and I, Glendale is an easy drive from the office and a great place to destress after a long day/week.  You get the ambience and menu of Katsuya without the wait, parking nightmare and the sometimes douchey crowd of the Hollywood location.


On our last outing, good times were made great with an epic (and shameless on my part...) deal stacking that led to nearly $60 saved!

We started off with my favorite cocktail from Katsuya,  Burning Mandarin ($7 HH, $13 regular) made with Absolut Mandarin vodka, handcrushed serrano chili, fresh lemon and orange juice, splash of cranberry.  Love the layers of flavor in this drink - with bold but perfectly balanced spicy / citrus, and tangy flavors, subtle heat unfolding with each sip - a perfectly controlled kick countered by a sugar rim.  We got four of these, saving $6 on each with Happy Hour pricing (for total discount of $24!)

On previous visits we'd ordered the Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna ($5/2pcs HH, $13/2pcs regular) but as Sawyer isn't so much into raw fish, and we just came from a holiday party where we'd eaten a lot already, we just got a few of their other signature roll to snack on. The Baked Crab Hand Roll ($5/pc HH, $14/2pcs regular) consists of baked snow crab in light signature sauce wrapped with rice in soy paper.  The soy paper versus usual seaweed wrap is a nice creative spin, and the crab tasted fresh and subtly sweet.  We also appreciated that it wasn't drenched in mayonnaise based sauce like some other sushi joints would tend to do with crab.

We got 5 of these total, saving $2 each for total of $10 off!

For a change of pace, Ms. Sassy wanted to check out the Chicken Karaage ($12 regular) even though it wasn't offered at Happy Hour price.  I do like fried chicken, especially Japanese / Korean style, and poked my chopsticks over initially just for a taste, but these were so good I ended up eating half of her plate (sorry Ms. Sassy!)

The chicken was fried with a fine grain panko that made for a smooth but crunchy crust - this deliciousness was taken over the top with what I'm going to just call "awesome sauce" that was a perfect mix of sweet, tart, vinegary, with slight bit of heat from chilis.

While most places will just offer a handful of drinks and bar bites for Happy Hour, Katsuya has a pretty decent selection of fan favs from their regular menu as well as their signature cocktails and other drinks - here's the full HH menu:

So I did mention epic deal stacking - what else besides Happy Hour pricing? 

While Katsuya by Starck is part of the SBE group, which just launched their own SBE Preferred loyalty program, we discovered that you actually get a better deal, if you're at the Glendale location - if you use the Americana at Brand loyalty card (15% off your total bill AND points towards a gift cert to use at restaurants in the complex!).  It's free to join either loyalty program - for the Americana one, just sign up online or in-person at the concierge desk in the lobby of the parking structure.

Use a credit card that you've linked up to an airline frequent flyer or hotel loyalty program and you'll automatically get points on top of it all. 

Use OpenTable to make your reservation and you get points when you show up, that you could put towards redemption of OpenTable Dining Cheques (earn 2000 points = $20, 5000 = $50 etc.) that could be used at any OpenTable restaurant. Reservations are typically worth 100 points each, but sometimes you'll find a 1000 point deal.

Lastly - Katsuya validates BOTH valet and self-parking, for three hours.  Validation means FREE for 3 hours. Normally Americana offers 1st hour free, 2nd hour for $3 and 3rd hour for $5.  We ended up hanging out for about 3 hours - with two cars we ended up saving $16.

The score:
1. Happy Hour pricing - total savings: $34
2. Americana at Brand Loyalty Program discount - 15% - total savings: $9.75
3. Free Valet / Self-park - total savings: $16
4. Hotel points from using credit card associated with Starwood
5. OpenTable reservation & check-in - 100 points

Total $ savings: $59.75

With the expenses that holidays bring, and the continuing bad economy, we could all use ways to save money - and our lovely little get together at Katsuya Glendale was one that helped us a lot with that goal!

The other best thing about HH at Katsuya Glendale?  It's on EVERY DAY - Monday-Friday 5-7pm, Saturday & Sunday 11am-4pm.

Katsuya, we will see you again very soon!

On a 7 point scale:

Flavor - 5.5 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 6 stars 
Service - 5.5 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark) 
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Katsuya by Starck Glendale
The Americana at Brand
702 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210
Ph: 818.244.5900

Happy Hour: M-F 5-7pm, Sa&Su 11:30am-4pm
Parking: Valet or self-park in mall structure (both free for 3 hours with validation)

Website: sbe.com/katsuya/glendale
OpenTable: Look for reservations (and points!)

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Ahn Joo - Bringing Korean 'Seoultown' Snacks to Suburbia

Ahn Joo is the latest success story of passionate food entrepreneurs pulling themselves up by their apron strings (and forward by their gourmet food truck keys) and eventually making it to brick and mortar (I'm still rooting for you to open this week, Coolhaus Culver City!).

Chef Debbie Lee has found a new home in a humble but high traffic kiosk at The Americana at Brand in Glendale (The Grove of the SFV) - a little oasis in the relatively barren (in culinary terms) lands of suburbia. 

The place just opened last Thursday, so I'll save the review for later, but since they haven't posted their menu online yet, thought I'd make myself useful and share a pic of it that I took at lunch today!

 I love the location too, it's right next to the elegant central water fountain in the complex - with patio tables set up for no fuss outdoor dining - perfect for a soul-reviving lunch hour in the sun.  And now we have a gourmet take on Korean 'Seoultown' snack food option for those of us who don't work within lunchtime driving distance of Ktown.

Also, now that the holiday decorations are up (they keep pushing that earlier and earlier, don't they?  It's not even Thanksgiving yet!) it's even more festive and lovely to sit out there (as long as you've got your winter jacket on).

They didn't have Magnolia Chile Chicken Meatballs - which I really wanted to try - when I went, but here is a quick pic of the Bacon Wrapped Rice Cylinders with Jalapeno Ponzu ($5) that I got for lunch.


More pics and review to come.

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Ahn Joo
The Americana at Brand
668 American Way, Suite fp5 (in front of Pacific Theaters, next to fountain), Glendale, CA 91210
Ph: 818.242.3793

Website: ahnjoo.com
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Gigi's Farmers Market at The Americana at Brand

Continuing my roundup of Farmers Markets in LA: Here's one for fellow San Fernando Valley peeps:  Gigi's Farmers Market at The Americana at Brand.  This is truly a Farmers Market for those already in Glendale who are looking to pickup some farm fresh produce / quick Saturday morning bites - it's no Hollywood Farmers Market nor Studio City Farmers Market in terms of breadth and diversity of offerings, but it's a nice Saturday morning, very accessible source of quick pick-me-ups for those who live/work in/are somehow visiting Glendale.  And those who see it as a convenient stop on their way to other entertainment in the area.  It's really not big enough to draw anyone else to make the trek from other neighborhoods.

With those qualifiers in place - there are still many things to be excited about Gigi's Farmers Market - here are my Top 5:

1.  Location, location, location

Gigi's Farmers Market is held in an outdoor shopping/dining complex similar to The Grove (by the same management company), which makes you feel like you're on vacation thanks to its European vibe (ok so it's like a theme park version of European vibe, but better than your average mall).  There's a fountain with water show, charming trolley tracks, and a perfectly manicured park area.  Most importantly, because it's in a location where in general no Westsider/ Hollywood folks would venture, Valley girls like me don't have to deal with traffic or struggle to find parking (see #4 on list of things I like about the market).

Love that you can also bring your Farmers Market goods from fruits to hot foods for an immediate picnic at the fountain or the park!

2. Perfect Presentation / Curated Vendors

Like the rest of its grounds, the Farmers Market is perfectly manicured, every booth and nook and cranny around it is pristine (in fact it made me think of the lyrics from the Weezer song "Beverly Hills").  Vegetables, fruits, even hot foods are lined up neatly in enticing displays. 

Though there are only a handful of produce vendors, their offerings are high quality, with surprisingly reasonable prices that are mostly comparable to other Farmers Markets around the city. 

My favorite stall is Country Fresh Herbs (who has been featured on Food Network and recently LA Times) - all of their veggies look perfect - and there are a few items that you don't see at every Farmers Markets in the area, like heirloom cherry tomatoes (2 baskets for $4) and squash blossoms.  The lady at the booth is also super friendly, and when I mentioned that the basil smelled amazing, she threw in a handful with my tomatoes!

There is also a mix n' match berry stall - strawberries, boysenberries, raspberries and blueberries are on offer in any combo you like, 3 packs for $10.  Verni Farms offers peaches and nectarines for $2/lb.

Palate Food+Wine - dineLA Wrap-up

Never thought I'd say this - but I've been eating out so much recently that it's been hard to get caught up with the reviews!

Anyways, this one is too late to affect those weighing their options for dineLA - but thought it would be worth capturing our experience here anyway.

We decided on Palate Food+Wine as we needed a venue close to work for a weeknight outing, and the place had received hearty endorsements from several foodie friends, as well as "Miss Sassy's piloxing instructor.  Unfortunately, despite the rave reviews (of their regular offerings), Palate's $34 dineLA menu and spotty service proved to be disappointing.

Located on a stretch of Brand Blvd occupied by mainly office buildings, auto and car parts dealers, Palate's exterior was not initially impressive.  However, the much talked about fun back dining room with its racks of wine and bar did have character.  We were seated directly below a window with a view into the cheese / fruit prep room with chic marble surfaces - where we could see a sous-chef, er, cutting the cheese...all night.  The menus were printed on loose leaf paper clipped into green legal folders...not sure how this fit with the theme, but we shifted our attention quickly to the wine list, eager to kick off the evening.

Of the three of us who ordered wine - two were unpleasantly surprised by the small serving size of the alleged 12oz glass, and the third received bits of cork in her 'decanter' (used to 'rest' her white wine before pouring into her wine glass, complete with cork shrapnel).  Our server made no attempt to explain the portions nor to replace the cork-filled glass.

Despite the faulty start, we were hopeful we would fare better with the food. 

Two in our party started out with the Tahitian squash soup with chanterelles, bacon, crème fraîche and chives.  The mix of ingredients sounded incredibly alluring - and aside from being a tad too salty, it was flavorful and appropriately creamy - and probably ended up being the best dish of the night.

Fancying myself a bit of a culinary adventurer, I will almost always opt for the unfamiliar dish or one that no one else wants to try.  So for my starter, I chose the Roasted Bone Marrow with grilled toast, capers + parsley salad.  Up until that evening, I had only tasted (and LOVE) stir-fried bone marrow cooked Chinese style with the pieces in white cylindrical shapes that almost resembles filled tube pasta. 

With that disclaimer, that I do not have any frame of reference or basis for comparisan, I thought Palate's interpretation was a little too oily.  The plating was interesting, with the marrow served up in two pieces of vertebrae.  I didn't enjoy the oiliness nor the consistency of the marrow, which reminded me of lard except not as heavy or solid, and is semi-transparent.  There wasn't much flavor either.  I'm told this is the way roasted bone marrow is supposed to be - so perhaps it was great, and I just didn't have the appreciation for it.

For the main dish, two in our party ordered from the regular menu - the Vegetable Ravioli - and unanimously ruled the dish 'all salt'.  No other flavors came through...at this stage, we were starting to see a theme emerge for the evening.
As a side dish, the same two people also gave the Beetroot Salad with haricot vert, ricotta salata, chickpea purée and pickled carrots a try - again only a single note came up: salty.  We must have picked the wrong night - with a chef that is heavy-handed with the one particular seasoning!
For my entree, I went with the only seafood dish available from the dineLA menu: Loup du Mer (sea bass) with cavolo nero and sunchokes.  The fish was a bit overcooked, and the filet was cut a bit too thin so that the crisp, salty skin completely overwhelmed the texture and expected fresh, natural flavor of the fish.  And this dish too, did not escape from the chef's bottomless salt grinder.


Our fourth friend ordered the Short Ribs with pomme purée, wild broccoli, baby onions and horseradish crème fraîche (not pictured as the room and dish were both too dark for photography).  So as not to break the streak - this dish was also lackluster, with the only taste that broke through, you guessed it - salt.

Thoroughly disappointed in the savory dishes, we hoped dessert would help salvage the night.  Us two dineLA diners chose the Hazelnut Panna Cotta with pomegranate and grapes.  Those who have read my previous reviews know Panna Cotta is one of my favorite desserts - and I really tried desperately to like Palate's (by this point, it was somewhat a matter of personal pride / vanity to find some good in the meal, as I was the one who ultimately pushed for us to dine at Palate!). 

Despite my best efforts, I could not bring myself to go beyond the first spoonful.  The panna cotta tasted like styrofoam-flavored Jello from a box - thin, watery and gelatinous.  It sat in a pool of what we initially thought would be some sort of exquisite emulsion made from grapes and pomegranates - but soon realized must have been recycled dishwater.  The pomegranate seeds randomly strewn on the plate, I get IN CONCEPT were supposed to add tartness and crunch to counterbalance the - in concept - subtle hazelnut flavor in the creamy panna cotta - but they served neither purpose in execution.  The 'dishwater' soaked seeds did not hold a crunch, and, like the panna cotta, were completely flavorless.

All in all, I can safely say none of the ladies in our party will return to Palate - unless someone else is footing the bill, and we have personal guarantees of the quality of the exact dishes we would be served.  I know this may be a bit hasty, as afterall we had not tried much on the regular menu, and the place comes highly recommended from food critics and friends alike...but our experience, fresh on our minds, is too difficult to get over at least in the short term.  And there are still so many other great restaurants in LA I need to try - with my meager funds, and now tainted reputation with this particular set of friends - I'd rather not take a risk on Palate again...sorry!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 2.5 bites
Presentation - 4 bites
Originality -  3 bites
Ambience - 4.5 stars
Service - 3 stars
Overall experience - 3.5 bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 20%
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Palate Food+Wine
933 S Brand Boulevard, Glendale, CA 91204
Ph: 818.662.9463
Website: palatefoodwine.com/
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