Hamasaku: One Who Creates Food from the Sea: Smorgasbarachirashi and Uni Udon Carbonara Extraordinaire

Sushi lovers on the Westside have plenty of great options, many of them on or near Sawtelle Japantown.  So when I first heard about Hamasaku a few years back, that it was owned by Hollywood mogul Michael Ovitz, and a 'celebrity hotspot' complete with rolls named after stars who frequent the place - it immediately became associated in my mind with 'probably overpriced', and 'probably packed with trendy over-sauced rolls with playful names'.

But one visit to the secluded, surprisingly serene spot in the back corner of a strip mall on Santa Monica, and I became a fan in spite of that all. 

The heavy rustic double doors shield the bustle of two of the busiest thoroughfares in LA (the mall is located by Santa Monica and Sepulveda) away from a peaceful, bright, airy space inside.

Though the menu is indeed full of specialty rolls, yes, one even named Rick Castle, after Nathan Fillion's character on the namesake TV series - they are actually good quality, clean and tasty, and prices are affordable.  Sashimi dishes are gorgeously plated.

But the thing that really sealed the deal for me: they also offer elegant, inventive takes on Japanese dishes, raw and cooked - that are some of the most creative and beautiful I've seen and tasted.

Let's start with the visual smorgasbord that is Bara Chirashi ($34) - served at lunch only, this is Hamasaku's beautiful take on the classic chirashi, where cuts of fish and other seafood are 'scattered' (the literal meaning of the word chirashi) with veggies and egg over a bowl of sushi grade rice.

And it's not all looks - there are treasures to be found with every bite from sea urchin to briny bursts of salmon roe, to yellow tail, snapper, bits of tamago (egg omelette) and other deliciousness.

The portion may not look gigantic, but an average sized person would definitely leave satiated without ordering anything else for lunch.

Then there is the unique dish I dream of and now crave on the weekly: Uni Udon Carbonara ($20) udon, uni, butter, shallots, shiso, seaweed, lime zest, egg white.  Definitely a contender for Best Drama of the year in terms of presentation - waves of sea foam like egg whites awash over a half sea urchin shell, crested by two orange tongues of uni for powerful contrast.

I love the skillful balance of levity and decadence here: the airy egg white counters the substantive bites of fresh, springy udon noodles in rich, creamy yet somehow still light and clean tasting carbonara sauce below. 

Definitely one of my new favorite uni dishes in LA, and one that I wish would be served not only at dinner (as I would happily feast on this three meals a day if I could).

As mentioned earlier, Hamasaku's specialty rolls are not ones that sushi lovers would find unpalatable: the Asylum roll ($25) for example, with toro, lobster, avocado, asparagus, cilantro aioli was fresh, only lightly sauced and delicious.  Is it the best sushi roll I've had in the area?  Not by a long shot - I would head to Kiriko down the street if looking for high grade rolls - but I would say Hamasaku exceeded expectations, and is a good option for client or group meals, where you need the whole experience package of upscale ambience, good variety of options for people who may have different levels of preference for level of raw / austerity in their sushi.

And speaking of variety, Hamasaku also offers charcoal grilled skewers at affordable prices: I'm a fan of the Duck breast robata yaki ($4) with yuzu kosho, and they also have everything from chicken to salmon skewers. 









Many Japanese restaurants focus more on the savory, so that when it comes time for dessert you are often faced with standard mochi  or ice cream or some combination thereof. 

I love that Hamasaku offers a delicious Green Tea Budino, that is so smooth and flavorful, I would count it amongst the reasons to return to Hamasaku soon.

One other thing of note, they do have counter seating, and I appreciate that the staff are very solo diner friendly, as someone often in need of places to have dinner while waiting for rush hour traffic to die down.  And you never know who you're going to meet the next seat over, and I don't just mean celebs: on my last visit, I met an awesome UCLA doctorate professor who often dines there solo as well, and had an enlightening conversation about chemistry and diet.

All in all, a great spot for power lunching, and solo dining. Despite the stars.

On a 7 point scale:

Flavor - 6 bites  
Presentation - 6.5 bites
Originality - 6.5 bites
Ambience -  6 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 

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Hamasaku

11043 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025
Ph: 310.479.7636

 

Website: hamasakula.com  
Parking: valet, in attached strip mall open air parking

Look for reservations, and points, at OpenTable
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Sushi Tsujita: from Ramen to Riches of the Sea

To ramen fans, Tsujita (and its subsequent Annex) represents a pilgrimage-worthy temple of tsukemen, worth any amount of time spent in line any day of the week.  It's been so successful with its signature super rich pork broth and dip-in noodles, that the announcement of the latest in their restaurant ventures would be that ubiquitous (in LA anyway) sushi - it was met with much skepticism.  What would ramen masters know about sushi?

The space is a very conscious, extreme departure from the lunchtime hotspot from the outset.  An exquisite chandelier presides over Sushi Tsujita's chic and orchid-adorned outdoor patio, boldly stating in no uncertain terms: "upscale". 

And then I enter the serene, jewelry-puzzle-box interior, intimate yet expansive feeling at the same time, and realize that it is instantly one of my favorite restaurant designs in LA.

I had read about the special lunch deal at $15, another reason to love the place - but I knew that at the limited supply of 15 lunches at that price, first come first served, that I would not be able to make it out of work in time.  But, looking at the lunch menu got me excited again - there were various rice bowls topped with fish for the still affordable $18-$35 range.  And one of them involved my favs uni & salmon (I read things in order of personal importance...)!

To get a better sampling of their sea creature offerings though, on this first visit I opted for the Special Assorted Bowl ($35).  It's a set lunch that started with chawanmushi (steamed egg) presented in a lovely tea cup.  As a pleasant surprise, the silky smooth, melt in your mouth egg was served chilled - and punctuated with generous bites of seafood and mushrooms.  On the side: deep fried fish with pickled veggies, and fresh ginger to cleanse your palate.

The attention to detail was evident in the miso soup, which tasted like they made it from scratch to order, and was carefully served at a pleasingly hot temperature - you'd be amazed how big of a difference this makes to your experience of the soup, that I wonder why others don't take the care with this (you can still see the steam rising in the photo!).

The main attraction: Special Assorted Bowl, was also artfully presented - and contained lovely, fresh and unexpectedly generous pieces of sea urchin (4 pieces to be exact!), salmon roe, eel (thankfully not drowned in sauce), shrimp (total of 1 but cut up into pieces and spread throughout), and various pieces of tuna, yellowtail, mackerel and the always lovely savory-sweet, chilled tamago (grilled omelette).  A pretty good deal for $35 given the quality and quantity of food you get.  (Though I have to note that the iced green tea is made of matcha - and while refreshing, delicious and markedly higher quality than other iced teas you can get in the area, cost $7 - so don't make assumptions on price when you place your drink order!)

While not the most exciting fish I've had in LA for lunch (I am possibly a Shunji fan for life, for being introduced to new cuts of fish at lunch for their $40 13 piece special!!)  - Sushi Tsujita definitely exceeded my expectations, the quality of fish is excellent (I've read that it's cut and cured the traditional way, though all but the shrimp tasted deliciously fresh to me) for the $35 set, and I can't think of a more gorgeous space for sushi lunch in West LA! 

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6.5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 7 stars
Service - 6.5 stars
Overall experience - 6.5 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Sushi Tsujita
2006 Sawtelle Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90025
Ph: 310.231.1177

Website: sushitsujita.com

Look for reservations, and OpenTable points, here

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Freddy Smalls Bar & Kitchen: Bedeviled, and the Addictive New Menu

It's such a great time for food lovers to be in LA. There are new and exciting restaurants opening every week - it makes it easy to overlook reliable neighborhood gems that deserve just as much attention, like Freddy Smalls. When I first fell in love with the place, it involved giant splits of bone marrow with a carnivore's dream platter of fixings called Reuben's Gluttony.  But, like the aggravating Keith in Some Kind of Wonderful, totally got sidetracked by other distractions and forgot about the one who'd always been there, Watts.  Recently, when I was invited in to Freddy Smalls to check out their new Winter menu, it was like rediscovering an old friend and seeing them with eyes anew.

My first bites reminded me why I need to put Freddy Smalls back into my restaurant rotation asap: Buffalo Deviled Eggs ($4) crisp chicken skin, point reyes blue cheese, CP's hot sauce, celery.  These were easily the best deviled eggs I've had in LA that I can remember.  The egg yolks had a whipped, super creamy yet lovely, light consistency, balanced by the crunch of crisp chicken skin, punctuated by flaming dots of chef Charlie Parker's instantly addictive housemade hot sauce (which may just be our salvation from #srirachapocalypse), and lent a light, delicious funk with the point reyes blue cheese.  At $4, these signature (available year round, not just on seasonal menu) perfect bite-sized bar grub are ones I could easily eat dozens of at one sitting.

Fried Brussel Sprouts ($8) smoked goat cheese, apple cider glaze - as you know, dearest reader, like a child still at heart, I no like vegetables.  However, these brussel sprouts (also available year round) struck a great balance between savory, smoky, sweet, and sour.

Daily Special: Short Rib Terrine with romanesco, burrata, pine nuts, radish. Chef Charlie Parker is really into charcuterie, and makes his own in house. Once in a while, you'll find his creations worked into daily special plates.  The short rib terrine somehow reminded me of the texture of corned beef.  But for me somehow the sides upstaged the main attraction: the accompaniments were to me, food art: the alien/microbiology experiment-looking romanesco always make for fascinating points of visual interest, and added a nice crunch here in perfect counterbalance to the creamy burrata underneath all the greenery. I usually hate the shape and texture of pine nuts but they worked really well here.

Along with charcuterie, chef Parker makes his own pickled veggies, and those fresh, delicious juices made it into an unusual cocktail: The Brine ($ ) vodka, house pickle juice, olive. A cure for the case of common cocktail boredom, for West LA folks.

Aside from charcuterie, there are seafood plates to be had as well on the focused but well curated menu: Seared Scallops ($15) sunchokes, cara cara orange, green olive. Loved the sunchoke cream especially here with the cara caras adding sweet juicy acidity to cut through it all.
 

To finish: Rocky Road Namelaka ($8) toasted meringue, almond praline, murray river salt. In a mason jar.  Loved this dessert, kind of a study in contrasts: rocky road would have suggested rough hewn / bumpiness while namelaka is a Japanese term for creamy texture. Essentially it's a light, chocolate ganache crowned by deliciously toasted meringue, and bit of saltiness to add dimension to the sweet.

The rediscovery of Freddy Smalls reminded me that this level of care and craftsmanship with bar fare is a rarity in this particular stretch of West LA, and I'm making a mental note to make my way back again soon (especially for those deviled eggs!!!).

 *Disclaimer: This meal was hosted.

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Freddy Smalls Bar and Kitchen

11520 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 

Ph:  310.479.3000

Website: freddysmalls.com

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Hide Sushi: A Gem of a Sushi Lunch Special

Hide Sushi is a not-so-hidden neighborhood gem for locals in the know.  It took me a year of working in the area to make it here and I'm kicking myself for losing all that time that I could have been having awesome affordable sushi for lunch!

An old school, cozy little place without any obvious signage outside, the best way to locate the restaurant is to head just across Sawtelle from the modern complex currently housing lunch hotspots Tsujita, Nongla and ROC Kitchen, then look for the traditional-style Japanese house facade, white-washed with brown tiled 'roof'.

It can get crowded at lunch, and when my co-worker and I went they did not have tables for us, but we were happy to slide up to the counter - you get faster service there anyways as the chef is right in front of you! We of course skipped the cooked foods (teriyaki, noodles) section of the menu, and dove straight into the lunch specials.

We both got the Nigiri special ($12.80) which had very generously sized rolls of mackerel, salmon, yellowtail, tuna, shrimp, egg, and (impressively considering the price and instinct of most other restaurants to cater to  the lowest common denominator with their lunch packages) surf clam and octopus.

Every piece was good quality for the price (obviously you're not getting Tsukiji quality in this price range - but it's very good compared to others in this tier).  I really loved the portion size as well - definitely a filling lunch for average sized ladies!

Though the special was satisfying in itself, I can never pass up ankimo (monkfish liver) - especially now with the foie gras ban in effect, this is kind of like my sea creature substitute (they do say ankimo is like foie of the sea!).  It was cool to see the chef's eyes light up when I ordered it too - perhaps the usual office lunch crowd doesn't always venture into this area of the menu. Hide Sushi does have a full a la carte menu of nigiri and hand rolls - unfortunately I was so excited I didn't take notes on pricing for the ankimo - but if memory serves correctly, these two massive rolls were under $5 total. 

All in all, a fantastic lunch spot - that, even with all the newer options constantly popping up on Sawtelle - we'll be coming back to often!!! (We'll just have to remember to bring cash, as they don't take credit cards - though there is an ATM machine right inside the entrance.)

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5.5 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 5 stars
Service - 5.5 stars
Overall experience - 5.5 bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Hide Sushi
2040 Sawtelle Blvd., West Los Angeles, CA 90025
Ph: 310.477.7242

Parking: free valet on Missisippi west of Sawtelle (behind Tsujita...for that complex ;))

Note: CASH ONLY
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ROC Kitchen: Taste of SGV in WLA

Let's address the proverbial elephant in the room, right now: ROC is not Din Tai Fong.

But it's damn good XLB of a quality that is hard to beat, for Westsiders unable or unwilling to trek to the SGV (before you get all up in arms, yes, there are in fact people whose offices are on the Westside who cannot take 3 hour excursions in the middle of the work day to eat in the SGV - it is not always a matter of ill-informed choice or 'poor value judgment' of traffic avoidance vs amazing authentic eats for cheap). 

For us pitiful, 'real Chinese food' deprived, Westside-bound souls - ROC Kitchen is a g*dsend.  Yes, it is. Their metal steamers full of every-flavor-Xiao Long Baos (aka XLBs or Shanghai Dumplings) are plump, souped up, with meat/seafood fillings are smooth, tender and well portioned, enfolded in nice, fresh, not too chewy dough wrappers.

They arrive with the requisite shredded ginger and vinegar.  They're so juicy they squirt on cue when you bite into them.  Mims and I had the Pork XLB (8 pcs. for $7) and Shrimp & Pork XLB (8 pcs. for $9) - both were excellent. Next time we need to try the ones with Dungeness Crab & Pork, and Fish (I've never seen XLB with fish filling before, but apparently those who have had it at ROC Kitchen love it)

For variety, there are other dishes besides the Shanghai Dumplings like shao mai (dim sum dumplings with shrimp & pork or pork & rice), scallion pancake, noodles, and rice cakes.  We tried the ROC Rice Cake with Chicken, Napa Cabbage and Spinach ($10) which had a self-explanatory name.  I would NOT recommend this dish - it was pretty single note in flavor (like the generic "brown sauce" too often used in westernized Chinese take-out quality food), and the rice cakes were rubbery.  And the fact that it cost more than the far more delicious XLB honestly kind of pissed me off.  It's possible that the kitchen was just having an off day, but at $10 I'm just not going to risk it again.

As another signature dish, ROC puts their own spin on jiao zi (aka potstickers or gyoza), with the Crispy Shrimp & Pork Dumplings with Ginger Chili Dipping Sauce (8 pcs. for $9.75) - which is essentially 8 whole dumplings, which are usually pan fried individually, fried on top of a wafer-thin disc of dough so that they become attached to the crispy circle: the whole thing is then served with the dough disc side up for maximum drama.

Everyone at the next few tables turned to see (and ask) what that dish was as our waitress brought it over...

I flipped it over halfway so we could see how it looks underneath - the dumplings are fried whole, fully formed.  You might think this is just a gimmick, which it is, and it's funny that no one else has thought to do this before - but the dough disc doesn't just add to the theatrical presentation - it's pretty tasty as well, and adds crispness and crunch as you're eating the dumplings.  The only thing to note on this dish is that it's marked "Limited" on the menu, and you have to allow 25 minutes for them to make it for you.  We put our order in right away, but for some reason they took so long to bring it out that we almost overshot our lunch hour.  But, it was delicious, we did make it back in time, and it was all worth it. 

All in all, the dumpling dishes were all very tasty and well crafted. True, it's very expensive compared to most SGV eateries (but pretty much on par with Din Tai Fong in terms of price) - after drinks, tax, tip were taken into account Mims and I each paid close to $30 each, which was painful.  But, remember that the restaurant has to deal with Westside rent, which is much higher than SGV.  So, the price we pay is for the convenience of having close access to at least authentic and good quality XLB and dumplings.  Will I be coming back every day for lunch?  No, I can't afford it.  But when I get that inevitable craving during a week day?  I'm very glad ROC Kitchen is there.

So, is it a destination, say - on the weekend? I live in the SFV, almost equidistant from West LA/ROC Kitchen and Alhambra/Monterey Park. On any given weekend, when I'm not working - would I drive back to West LA just to go to ROC Kitchen? It's a no-brainer - I would drive to the SGV.

But on a weekday, when I only have an hour for lunch on the Westside? Bring it on, ROC Kitchen - as in, another steamer or two full of XLB, please.


On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5.5 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 5.5 stars
Service - 5 stars
Overall experience - 5.5 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark)
Probability of return visit - 90% 
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ROC Kitchen
2049 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles,CA 90025
Ph: 310.235.2089

Parking: free valet on Mississipi Ave.

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/ROC-Kitchen
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SushiStop: Best Kind of Affordable Prix Fixe Sushi in WLA

Happy New Year!

Fresh back in LA from an amazing trip with the fam, I have so many places and stories to share that I don't even know where to start!!

So I'll begin the year with a practical post: more of a reminder to myself - a place I will need to frequent as what's left of my bank account recovers from our 2 week vacation.

SushiStop is a place that serves every food item on the menu for $2.75. Yes, it's true. It's part of that hopping complex on Sawtelle Blvd packed with ever buzz worthy concentrations of fantastic small business restaurants - the same one that houses Tsujita, Nongla and Seoul Sausage.

There has been so much attention recently on the exciting expansions of more diverse offerings from Korean (Seoul, Seoul Sausage) to Vietnamese (Nongla) to Chinese (ROC Dumpling House) to American (Plan Check) where Sawtelle north of Olympic had been for the most part focused on Japanese before 2012 - but Sushi Stop is a noteworthy pre-expansion spot for those who live/work in the area and looking for an affordable lunch/dinner option without Tsujita-length waits.

How do they control for more expensive ingredients vs less expensive ones with this fixed price system? By varying the number of pieces you get per order - so for example, an order of Salmon Sushi consists of 2 pieces, while the Uni (yes they have this too for $2.75!!) will only feature a single piece.

On a filling visit a few months back (I am seriously behind on posts!), Mims and I got:

Tofu Seaweed Udon - not a big fan of udon in general, but this is a nice option on a cold day. They also have mini-bowls with tempura udon.

Uni (Sea Urchin) / Ikura (Salmon Roe) with Quail Egg (!!!)

Salmon Belly flame seared salmon belly with caviar and ponzu and White Tuna flame seared albacore tuna with yuzu kosho and 'hint of truffle oil'

Salmon, Tuna and Scallop

Baked Green Mussels 4 pieces in 1 order - lots of mayo and cheese, which I usually don't like with seafood in the shell, but these were delicious (especially for the price :P)

And something I can't remember the name of now, but was a special.

The Ikura with raw quail egg was probably my favorite of the meal.

SushiStop is not a trailblazing, mind-blowing high concept destination dining kind of place, but a cozy, neighborhood spot that offers decent, not all run-of-the-mill sushi for an affordable price (so manage your expectations accordingly).

Seating is counter only, first come first served - if you arrive before or right at noon usually you should have no problem securing a seat as long as you don't have a huge group.

Also, they keep costs low by only accepting cash for payment, so be sure to bring some or you'll have to run to the ATM or try to get cash back at Nijiya market closeby.

Glad to have this life saver close to work - will be seeing you again soon, SushiStop!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 4.5 stars
Service - 5 stars
Overall experience - 5 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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SushiStop
(West LA location - check website for others in LA)
2053 Sawtelle Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025
Ph: 310.473.3999

Parking: Free valet on Mississippi

Website: sushistopusa.com

***Cash only***
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Nongla Cafe: Soul Soothing Vietnamese on Sawtelle

One of my favorite things about getting to work in West LA this year are the fantastic lunch options - having just come from Burbank, I was in absolute heaven.  Especially to be so near to Sawtelle Blvd, which has continued to expand its diversified Asian offerings beyond Japanese.

A Vietnamese place that has become a favorite for me is Nongla Cafe - I know I can always rely on them for good, clean, soul-soothing noodle soups. It's received some flak for not being completely authentic - but it makes a lot of sense from a business perspecitve - afterall, part of having good business sense is knowing your audience - and on the Westside, people are adventurous 'to a point'.  Office workers close by may consider themselves fans or even knowledgeable food lovers of ethnic cuisine, but they don't necessarily want to go 'full fear factor' during their lunch break.  All things considered, it's fantastic to have their version of classic Vietnamese dishes so accessible - of course you can get more 'authentic' versions in the SGV, but if you work in West LA and only have an hour for lunch, where else are you going to go to get a good bowl of pho or bun bo hue?!

So, while the Bun Bo Hue here doesn't have any pigs blood or pork knuckles - it is a perfect balance of layered, complex yet light and clean flavors: fragrant lemongrass beef soup served with vermicelli noodles, pork patty and beef, topped with red onions, green onions and cilantro.  I get this 'mild'ly spicy as I belong to that group that can't handle my spice (and disclaimer: I haven't had a lot of Bun Bo Hue before so I don't really have any good frame of reference).  But I do love that everything tastes super fresh, addictively delicious here and healthy as a bonus benefit with no MSG.

Chicken Pho - free range chicken and noodles in chicken broth.  This is my coworker Mims' favorite - again clean, light and beautifully complex flavors, simply served.   

 

Nongla also offers Vietnamese spring rolls, bahn mi (sandwiches) and rice dishes, which we haven't even gotten to yet since we love the noodle soups above so much and it comes in generous portions which arevery filling for lunch. 

As for the decor in the restaurant - it is also clean and modern, with counter as well as table seating inside and on the patio.  It does get airly crowded at lunch so service can be spotty just due to the limited staff trying to keep up with all the tables.  (Including all the spillover from Tsujita - those who can't stand the long wait there often opt for Nongla instead) They are super friendly and obviously trying their best though - and the whole space has a very cozy neighborhood vibe.

East Coast transplants often say they miss distinct seasons and varied weather - and I usually beg to differ. Beautiful weather most of the year is the way I like it.  But, Nongla's noodle soups almost make me welcome rainy days, just for yet another reason for a return visit.

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 5.5 stars
Service - 5.5 stars
Overall experience - 5.5 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Nongla
2055 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles,CA 90025
Ph: 310.268.1881

Parking: free valet on Mississipi Ave.

Website: Nonglacafe.com
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Freddy Smalls Bar & Kitchen: Does Size Really Matter? It's What You Do With It, Right?

I'm learning to be a Westsider again, after years of living to be around work in the SFV.  Love my new co-workers who I've discovered to be fellow foodies and adventurous eaters.  They've introduced me to so many great places and we're discovering others together.

On a weeknight, Ms Fab and I decided to check out Freddy Smalls Bar & Kitchen for drinks and apps.  It was a tiny space, but cozy and familiar, like a modernized version of the Cheers bar.  It felt like everybody that walks in are regulars, and love it there.

We strolled past a smattering of tables, and sidled up to the bar, where you really do get to know the 'community' based on sheer proximity to your neighbor - you're almost literally elbow to elbow - order too many plates and you're going to spill over into someone's personal space.  Good for those who want to make new friends, not so fun for us who were trying to have a conversation without having to cater to our solitary neighbor who decided it was his duty to 'host' us that entire evening, commenting on our menu choices and plates as they arrived.

Anyways, that's the setting.  Let's get on to what they do with it.  The food is FANTASTIC.  We got excited just looking at the menu, not your run of the mill bar grub - and even more excited to hear that we had made it in time for Happy Hour pricing (on select items). We jumped at the Chicken Liver Mousse on Toasts ($4 regular price / $3 during Happy Hour) caper berry marmalade, frisee, radish.  Loved the beautiful balance of creamy, earthy chicken liver mousse with the clean crunch of radish slices, frisee and sweet/tart caper berry marmalade - on a slender slab of artisan toast.  We were going to share, so we can taste other food, but ended up ordering a second round immediately after the first bite.

Our friendly bartender asked what kinds of drinks we were into: when I said craft cocktails, layered - he recommended the 5-Star Sidecar ($11) Mexata Star, fresh orange, fresh lemon, Jerry Thomas bitters. I loved this light and refreshing drink, that almost felt healthy.  Bitters can sometimes be overpowering but this one was perfectly balanced.

Next up for grub: Pork Belly and Charred Squid ($18) cranberry beans, eggplant, new onion.  Big price jump on this one, but loved the offering of charred squid, at a bar!!!  It was a dream pairing of gourmet surf and turf.  I don't think I've ever seen eggplant used with squid either - kind of an ingenius combination, as evidenced by our rapid inhaling of the entire dish. If we weren't so close to our office (big risk of co-workers coming in, and in fact, one did as we were settling inwith our food) - we would have picked up the bowl and licked it clean.

Time for another drink. There are two things I particularly love in cocktails: cucumber, and some sort of element that brings heat into the mix.  So the bartender whipped up a Westside Eastside ($12) Fidencio Clasico mezcal, fresh lime, agave syrup, cucumber, jalapeno - probably my fav drink of the night.  I could drink these all day like they were Pressed Juicery concoctions. 

I was so occupied with my drink I didn't really take good notes on Ms. Fab's unfortunately.  So I think this pic is of Swedish Island ($9) Kanon Organic Vodka, lime, coconut water, orange blossom simple syrup.  Ms. Fab liked hers but if memory served correctly, wished she had ordered the Westside Eastside instead. 

Last but definitely not least - the dish that made us want to 'jump the bone': Reuben's Gluttony ($24) corned beef, bone marrow, yorkie pudding, carmelized kraut.  We didn't really expect this giant platter of insane deliciousness.  There was a gigantic bone with gorgeous, buttery marrow inside, topped by finely chopped carrot and I think celery bits for flavor and counterbalancing crunch.  There were 'yorkie puddings' that were like giant popovers.  Addictive *sweet* sauerkraut.  Amazing corned beef that was more like carvings of steak, perfectly cooked. With house made mustards on the side that we wanted to lick off the board. 

I know, I know, enough with the innuendos...we are still talking about food here.  But us two single ladies definitely left satisfied and ready to come back for more at a moments notice.  Freddy Smalls, you've won our hearts through our stomachs.

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 5.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Freddy Smalls Bar & Kitchen
11520 West Pico Blvd, Los Angeles,CA90064
Ph: 310.479.3000

Website: freddysmalls.com
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BLVD 16: Commuters' Refuge at the Hotel Palomar

Raise your hand if you knew of the existence of a hotel on that stretch of Wilshire between Westwood and Beverly Glen?  Yeah, me neither.  Even after over a decade and a half of living in LA.

So it was that when I received an invite to a media tasting - to check out the new drink and food menu at Blvd 16, located inside the Hotel Palomar - I was intrigued. Hidden in plain sight on busy Wilshire Boulevard, the hotel sort of gets lost among the towering glossy condos on the row.  But once I stepped inside I wondered why it took me so long to make it there.  With its modern, chic yet relaxed interiors, it's kind of a perfect pitstop for those with long commutes, like me, looking for refuge from LA's notorious road congestion during rush hour.

We started off with a round of cocktails mixed in the lounge for us: The Lyder Side ($14), made with Bols Genever, hibiscus liquer, fresh lemon juice, splash of orange juice and agave nectar was balanced and refreshing.  An expensive drink for sure on the regular list. But love cocktails that use fresh ingredients and treated with culinary care - paying attention to how flavors work together. And love restaurants that see cocktails as an integral part of their dining experience.  Hoping some of the Happy Hour 'well cocktails' that are actually affordable will be pretty good quality as well.

Then came the food: starting with a giant bowl of hummus and pita chips. 

Then a vibrant, beautifully plated Crudo ($10) tuna, compressed watermelon, pickled chilies, ginger aioli. In the flurry of activity, none of us really caught what the callout of ingredients when the plate was set down, and when swooping to grab bites from the communal plate, were surprised when our forks met with resistance where we expected them to make easy passage through soft fish.  Turns out the whitish bits under the avocado were albacore tuna, and the pink pieces underneath, which we all assumed to be the tuna, was really compressed watermelon! I LOVED this dish and its pairing of creamy, buttery avocado with savory, tender fish, with crunchy, juicy, sweet watermelon. And those lovely colors! Not sure if this is the size offered during regular service but if so, I would definitely come back for this on my way home one night.  

They were generous with the pours that night and all cocktails were full sized! I could barely make my way through them - such a lightweight. But I really liked the Pisco Sour ($14) Kappa pisco, fresh lemon juice, egg white and Angostura bitters. Something in the way the 'bouquet' of this drink hits the nose reminded me of those Coca-Cola candies from Haribo that I used to have as a kid - yes, a sophisticated analogy, I know - but I loved this drink for that reason.  

Then came the Flat Bread ($7) - toppings change daily according to the "chef's daily creation".  The first we tasted was with asparagus, salmon and feta cheese - this was fairly good, though I wanted more fragrant bread that had more resilience to it.

The second flat bread had more unusual toppings: squash blossom, stinging nettle pesto and burrata cheese. I liked the creativity and risk-taking...but something in this flatbread was a little too pungent for me. Same comments on bread flavor and texture as above. The flat breads are both offered as "Bar Bites", but at the same price as full menu.

Next up: Short Rib Slider ($3 each regular or 2 for $5 / 3 for $8 / 4 for $10 at Happy Hour) robbiola cheese, crispy onions.  Everyone loved these little sliders, with the cute cornichons speared with a bamboo pick at the top.  These sliders were juicy, flavorful with buns that held up nicely, and crispy onions for textural contrast.  Not bad, and you can fill up on a bunch of them with drinks at Happy Hour.

The last savory dish was the Fish Taco ($4 each regular menu or 2 for $5 / 3 for $8 /4 for $10 at Happy Hour) - corn tortilla, pickled habanero, shredded cabbage, creme fraiche. Most of the other tasters seemed to like this, but it was way too spicy for me - I had to gulp down all liquids within reach to stop my tongue from burning.  So not a fun one for me - but those who enjoy heat in their food may like these.

For the sweet finish: Meyer Lemon Creme Brulee ($8) I think these were created for the media tasting, so while I loved the presentation on spoons, I would think the $8 charge on the regular menu gets you a bigger serving - the menu does mention that it comes with lavendar cookies.  I really loved the creamy, fresh flavor and carefully controlled amount of torched sugar on top (sometimes people overdo it and it's a too hard/crunchy sugary slab instead of a delicate crust!).

A note for those into live music: when we had just started the tasting, two random looking guys came in playing acoustic guitar and wandering through the clusters of guests.  The music actually was pretty good, but they were 'plain-clothed' (if memory serves correctly, in sporty looking shirts and shorts or cargo pants) and with the wandering we thought at first that they may have been UCLA students looking to pick up a few bucks - and just haven't been kicked out by hotel staff yet, due perhaps to initial surprise at their boldness.  Turns out, they are officially sanctioned performers who will play there Thursdays 5-6:30pm.

All in all, drinks are on the pricey side, but a nice spot to provide reprieve from the madness of LA roads if this is on your commute route - there are a few nice bites that I would come back for, perhaps during "Rush Hour" to catch drink and bar deals.
                
[Deal alert:
"Rush Hour" (Happy Hour)
Daily, 4pm - 7pm
Bar Bites menu daily, 4-10:30 PM
Fab $5 Well Cocktails, $4 Selected Beers, and $3 House Red/White Wine Bar Bites served daily 4pm - 10:30pm
Saturday and Sunday bottomless mimosas]                

*Disclosure: This meal was hosted.

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BLVD 16
10740 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood,CA 90024
Ph: 310.474.7765

Parking: Valet $7

Twitter: @blvd16
Website: blvd16.com
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