Epicure Imports Warehouse Sale: Why I Don't Really Want to Tell You About It (CLOSED)

I love my new job.  In West LA. Love the new friends I've made. Hate the commute from the SFV though, and was intending to move. Until now.

A friend who doesn't consider herself a 'foodie' but knows good food like nobody's business, told me about this gourmet warehouse sale, right near my 'hood - that is amazing: Epicure Imports. After checking it out this weekend, I want to stay right where I am, yes, to be as close to this awesome little warehouse as possible.

Epicure Imports' primary business is selling gourmet goods to hotels, higher-end grocery stores and specialty retailers.  Once in a while, they open their treasure trove warehouse to the public in two day sales, Friday and Saturday (the September sale was 9/14 and 9/15).  Yesterday, I got up at an ungodly hour of morning to beat the crowds - the warehouse sale opens at 9:30am and I managed to get over there by 9:40 (pat myself on the back). I am SO not a morning person, so it will take something major on a weekend to get me out the door that early - and it was a good thing I did as I got the very last spot in the small parking lot. 

Inside, the set up really was as others have described, like a miniature Costco with towering racks of goods in a no-frills space  - *except that the food will not just blow your mind in terms of price, but quality and selection*.  And, hearing French accents everywhere (from customer reps to the shoppers around me) - I knew this place was going to be legit. I died several times strolling through it.

There were two sides to the warehouse; let's start with my favorite - the refrigerated side: I almost got whiplash from trying to take in all the deliciousness on offer at once (and trying to make sure I spot and grab popular items before they sell out) - but almost "foodgasmed" on the spot when I saw a table of amazing butters: Echire Butter ($7.37) Urbani Truffle Butter (white: 3 oz $10.07 6 oz $19.61 black 6oz $16.43).  I haven't seen any other place open to the public that sold Echire butter - supposedly the best butter in the world, so much so that it's protected, like champagne - only butter from that region in France can be sold under that name.  Joel Robuchon uses it (in amazing oysters that I had at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon on my last trip to Vegas).  So I was ecstatic to be able to pick up a bar at just a few bucks more than mass produced, grocery store butter.  Also, the price on that black truffle butter is also amazing, especially for Urbani (designer truffle brand) - a 'regular' tub of truffle butter normally goes for around that same price at retail.

The Fabrique Delices brand was also well represented at the sale - there were tons of products in the refrigerated area from them.  One of these, for those into bacon products of all sorts, was Bacon Butter ($6.36).  I'm a bacon fan, and could imagine this butter being great in a sandwich, but I am MORE of a truffle and duck fan and decided that's where I was going to focus my shopping spree this time round.

One of the exciting things about Epicure Imports is that they carried lots of brands/things I'd never seen before: one of these was the Tartuflanghe Perlage di Tartufo truffle pearls ($21.15) - these were basically black truffle juice in caviar form. 

This one was a necessary splurge.  For someone who doesn't cook much, this was an ingredient that could add an instant, effortless touch of luxe to ordinary foods.  I made some soft scrambled eggs this morning for brunch, topped with a dollop of this truffle caviar - and it was amazing.

Then there were the mouth-watering imported cheeses: including one of my favorites of all time, a triple cream cow's milk cheese from France called Brillat Savarin (small 200g $9.38 large 500g $15.64) - you can sometimes find these at Whole Foods or artisan cheese stores, but the large one will run you closer to $25.  Score! (They also conveniently have a cart full of baguettes in the other section of the store for $2.50 so you can go home and enjoy your cheese with bread right away - very thoughtful!)

A cheese I hadn't seen before came in a cool package wrapped in leaves: Banon de Chalais cow's milk cheese ($4.19) at that price I thought it was worth 'experimenting' - will let you know how it tastes once I've tried it!

There were other cheeses - some are domestic from Vermont Creamery ones - including Boschetto (with black and white truffles!) - but as a single household I didn't want to overdo it and end up wasting some.  Very happy with the Brillat Savarin and Chalais cheese already, and will grab some others on my next trip to Epicure Imports!

Oh actually, I lie.  I did pick up some DiStefano fresh made local Burrata as well, at $2.65 each. I skipped the smoked salmon and anchovies etc. even though they looked beautiful...as I was on a mission.  Truffles, cheese, duck.

The full rack of Fabrique Delices charcuterie called my name.

The first thing I picked up was the Fabrique Delices Boudin Blanc aux Truffes pork and chicken sausage with truffles ($10.12/lb) - keeping this in the freezer for a nice weeknight breakfast for dinner meal. 

Oh, did I mention that while you shop - like Costco, Epicure Imports gives out tons of samples so you can try before you buy?  Sausages on the grill filled the space with an intoxicatingly delicious sizzle and char.

There were also beautiful slices of salami and other cured meats for sampling.

As well as pates - even one that has truffle in it (of course my fav!)  And everyone was super friendly and welcoming - it really felt like you were at the local farmers market versus a warehouse.

On the non-refrigerated side, they have several aisles of shelf-stable gourmet goods from imported olives, to flavored olive oils, nut oils to fruit and balsamic vinegars. 

I love the packaging on some of these items too - perfect for gifting to food-loving friends.  This balsamic vinegar made me think of an old school ink pot - it just needs a quill-shaped re-stopper to complete the set.  Putting this on my list as a gift idea for food-writer friends (oops did I just ruin the surprise?!)

There was a whole aisle of spices and condiments - I picked up a box of Smoked Maldon Sea Salt Flakes ($4.93) and Camargue Fleur del Sel ($9.81).  A girl can never have too much salt, right?

Then at last, the truffle aisle. I was in heaven flitting from shelf to shelf of things that sound insanely good. Urbani which really has the market cornered on truffles and truffle products - was everywhere: White Truffle flavoring, Truffle Honey, and White Truffle Salt ($30.05).

Urbani Truffle Sauce ($7.37) and Truffle Carpaccio (!!!)

I loved the branding on these tins: "Truffle Thrills" - that's the kind of culinary adventure I'd sign up for.  Got a tin of White Truffle and Porcini ($12.67) even though Urbani's site lists it for $9.95 and LAFunghi sells these at local farmers markets - I was just in the mood.

There were other ingredients that I hadn't seen before, like Crimson Lentils...

...and Green Peppercorns in a can. 

Also available are ethnic goods that you can probably find cheaper at markets focused on the respective cultures (like I'm not going to get Sriracha from here when I can buy at Ranch 99) - but for those who don't know of or want to drive out o specialty markets, Epicure Imports carries things like Cortas Rose Water / Orange Blossom Water ($2.97).  I love orange blossom anything and can't wait to try this - maybe in panna cotta? Do share if you have any recipe recommendations!

I skipped over chocolates and sweet things for the most part, as I still have a stash of Max Brenner and Compartes treats I'm working my way through - but Epicure Imports had some awesome offerings like Valrhona chocolate bars ($4.50) and Le Caramel, a CA produced Sea Salt Caramel Cream that would be amazing over ice cream (I had to get a jar of this after tasting their sample - incredibly light and smooth, perfectly balanced between salty and sweet - not at all dense with sickly sweet sugar like most other caramel - I am not normally a caramel fan but loved this one!!!) There were also lots of fruit preserves and jams.

They had a tin of Gavottes but it was over $48!  So I went for another brand that I hadn't seen around town: La Mere Poulard cookies ($13.20) - love the design of the tin!

After stacking my cart as much as I dared (I already know even with the savings I'm gonna have to stay in for a while to recover budget-wise), it took about a half hour to go through checkout. The long lines are definitely justified - so happy with all my purchases!  So, seems that this is already a popular event with those who know - and I struggled selfishly with whether to post about it - it was already packed when I went early on that second day of the sale (and I know I mostly won't be able to hit up the first days, usually Fridays, as I'll be at work in WLA).  And, its local small business vibe is so perfect I kind of don't want it to change as word spreads.  But, it's too good not to share - afterall I also only did make my way there at the generosity of a friend - and also I truly hope that Epicure Imports continues to expand and be super successful!!!

Looks like they hold these a few times a year.  Next warehouse sale is November 16 & 17!  Sign up for their free newsletter to get updates! (And remember to bring an insulated bag with ice pack when you go!)

[For more pictures from my visit to Epicure Imports, check out my album on Facebook.]


UPDATE October 2015: Unfortunately, Epicure Imports has announced that they have closed for business.

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Epicure Imports
6900 Beck Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91605
Ph: 818.985.9800

Parking: Free in attached lot or on street (of course, double check street signs before parking)

Website: epicureimports.wordpress.com

Next warehouse sale: November 16 & 17, 2012
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626 Night Market: Second Chances: Taste of Asia in Pasadena

626 Night Market: I had a feeling it might be a bad idea when I saw the date for the inaugural event: April 14th.  What self-respecting and accordingly superstitious Asian would endeavour to hold the first of what might be a very significant event on a date containing not one, but two number fours? (The word for "four" in Chinese sounds like the word for "death" - hence two fours equal double death.  Alternatively, Cantonese may read "four one four" as daring death or taking a gamble.) But there was at the time, nothing else I was aware of like it in LA - an event that ambitiously attempted to recreate the experience of outdoor markets filled with delicious street food and vendors peddling their wares in the streets of the 'far east' (aka 'home' for the sizeable population of Asian immigrants in LA).

The concept that held so much promise was an epic fail - it was a miracle no one got seriously hurt. Usually large turnout is a good thing, but when as poorly executed as that first time - with an estimated 30,000 people showing up for an event that felt like it was planned for hundreds - there were some serious risks of anything from a stampede to fire hazards. I'm not going to rehash the grievances here, if interested check out my recap of what went wrong

But organizers saw, between the firestorm of largely angry feedback, the huge demand for an event of this type - and to their credit, pulled themselves up off the ground quickly to give it a second run: in a matter of months they were to fix all the major things that went wrong the first time - and to launch a PR campaign letting everyone know that they heard the feedback and have really addressed every key issue.  For most, it was too late - they'd been burned badly once and weren't going to stick their hands on the stove again.

Though I absolutely hated the way the first event was run, I did want the concept to succeed - especially after finding out that this was a passion project started by a small team of three, a husband, wife and friend, not some faceless corporation that failed to meet basic standards of public safety. And the second time round they had a smart social media strategy, with clear postings of event info to reassure people it was safe to give them another try.  There were maps of the vendors this time, showing thoughtful design to spread food-seekers out, clear directions to the event, including public transportation (the Metro was just a block away!) and where to park.   

Since admission was again free - and given the changes that they've said/shown they've made - the only possible risk in my mind was massive crowds again to test my patience.  And I was ready to give them one more chance - deciding that I would go early to try to avoid reenactment of that insane sea of humanity.

I arrived around 15 minutes before the official start time in late afternoon - while vendors were still getting set up.  It felt like the calm before a possible storm of the century - everything seemd to move in slow motion, with graceful fluidity.  I was able to do a quick round to check out all the stalls of food on offer, and come up with a game plan of which I wanted to hit once vendors were given the ok to start serving.

There were volunteers teeming everywhere you looked - in very visible red t-shirts - presumably to conduct crowd control as needed.  Yes they were high school/college kids, but at least they had plenty of identifiable 'staff' to help as needed vs zero that we could see last time. So far so good.

There were hard to find foods that I really wanted to hit up last time, but didn't get to, so I made a beeline for those booths this second time.  At the top of my list?  Dragon Whiskers candy - a cocoon like candy from ancient Chinese times, made by a shi fu on site live, pulling the silk-like threads made from honey and glutinous rice flour, and wrapping them around stuffings of peanuts, sesame and/or coconut, the traditional way. Loved these and bought two packs of the mixed kind with all three stuffings in one. (Shi fu is sometimes at Hawaii Super Market in San Gabriel - he didn't have a set schedule to share but I guess next time you're in the area it's worth checking to see if he's there:

Hawaii Supermarket 120 E. Valley Blvd.San Gabriel, CA 91776)

During my hunt for Hong Kong street treats, a lady firing up skewers of lamb Xinjiang style with cumin and chili over a coal trench stopped me dead in my tracks.  At three juicy, flavorful and fresh grilled skewers for $5, these were a great deal and definitely added to that street food vibe. I also loved supporting indie cooks like these folks, who take these as opportunities to showcase their stuff in hopes that they will be able to gain a following and eventually pursue their dream to have their own restaurant!  Plus, part of the coolness night markets is that element of in-the-moment-discoveries, checking out foods/things you might not normally have access to.  So, I loved this and many of the other stalls at this second 626 Night Market for those reasons.

Then I found my favorite stall of the event!!!  "Hong Kong Street Snacks" - another independent food producer without a current shop.  They were Mandarin speakers, and I didn't get to ask where they were from, but they had a pretty good grasp of classic Hong Kong street foods! 

Their Curry Fishballs (no, not gonads, but fish meat shaped into spheres) served on skewers out of a communal pot - took me back to my carefree grade school self, back when people had no issues with eating food from hawkers selling them from carts literally on illegal street corners - and health, hygiene, food safety were secondary to food that tasted the more delicious, the more it flew in the face of possible serious illness.  They sold from carts so that they could quickly roll away when they see a cop.  I used to love 'poking fish balls' from these carts on my way home from school.  It'd been so long since I'd had these - the ones at 626 Night Market tasted authentic, though legal, and definitely brought back happy memories.    

At the same stall they also served "Pig Rice Noodle Rolls".  These are rice noodle segments in a hoisin and chili sauce.  I wasn't impressed with the flavors or textures of these so much.

Another favorite Hong Kong street snack is the Gai Daan Jai - Hong Kong Egg Waffle: basically a special batter put in a hexagonal waffle mold with egg shaped compartments vs the more familiar squares in American ones.  In Hong Kong, these are usually served from illegal carts by street hawkers - and every child of the 80s grew up with these - another afterschool snack fav - and love them to death.  The ones at 626 Night Market were a little soggier than I liked and could have been a little more sweet, but delicious in the context of you can't really easily find these around LA proper! Apparently you can get them at Tasty Garden in the SGV - so that's been added to my To Do list.

There were also some interesting drinks served at the market: Momocha had a great iced tea with longan (a tropical fruit much like lychee), goji berries.

Though I was hyper focused on food, I think everyone who was there that afternoon stopped to admire this ginormous, gorgeous dog that was walking its owner round the event ;).  It's the biggest dog I'd ever seen with an Asian!

Of course, no Asian night market would be complete without stinky tofu.  I know it's blasphemy, but I'm not a fan - so skipped this stall.  It was amusing seeing non-Asians who enter within a 2-mile radius of this booth get instantly hit with a "WTF?!?" look on their face.

I was also getting full, and sad not to have room to try some of the booths like Mama Musubi (love spam musubi!) - though I figure spam musubi is relatively easy to make at home, even for someone who doesn't really cook all that much (i.e. at all, these days).

Other things I didn't get to try: red bean cakes, fresh grilled on-site.

To cool off in the crazy Pasadena heat, I had to try an iced treat that I'd never heard of before: Tofu Fa in iced ginger syrup with peanuts and dates.  It was like a cross between shaved ice, Chinese dessert soup and the traditional Chinese dessert of silken tofu in simple syrup - with toppings of peanuts and dates for crunch / bursts of sweetness.  Loved.

Though I was cautious in attending during the earlier portion of the event (in the afternoon), so that it wasn't technically a 'night' market experience, I definitely had a great time and left satisfied. The event has a lot of potential - you can never of course fully capture something as in their home country, but this is a great option for a 'staycation' activity at a fraction of the cost.  Could you get a lot of these foods in the SGV?  Yes, but this is like Asian focused food fest / street fair - where you get to sample many things in one place.  And it was a collection of good food at an event that didn't charge me admission - what more can an Asian ask for?

The turnout didn't reach the levels of insanity of the first event - but Round 2 was largely considered a success.  And organizers are already back with Round 3 - venturing soon further east to Arcadia, and expanding to two days: October 20 & 21st (as reported by LAWeekly).  Venue is Santa Anita Park.  Save the date(s), and if you were turned off by that first event - judging by the comeback in July: give the event a second chance!

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626 Night Market  
July 28, 2012
Pasadena City Hall, Pasadena, CA

Website: 626nightmarket.com

Next event:
October 20 (3pm-12am) & October 21 (3pm-10pm)
Santa Anita Park infield
285 W. Huntington Dr., Arcadia, CA 91007
(Enter through Gate 5 or 6 off Colorado Place)

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Towne: Upscale 'Neighborhood Hangout', Wood-burning Deliciousness

The minute I set foot in Towne, it literally took my breath away: with what I can only describe oxymoronically as casual grandeur, and the heady fragrance of wood-burning oven infusing the entire space.

Towne had been diligently promoting their fine dining offerings in a space that is sophisticated yet comfortable - positioned as a neighborhood hangout in an area of newly developed hi-rise condos (the restaurant is on the ground floor of the Watermarke tower). They had been holding several media dinners in past months to spread the word.  I had been drooling over pics other bloggers were posting on Instagram, and was excited to be invited to a media dinner recently to check it out for myself.

A meal at Towne starts with pretzel bread and mustard butter.

It was hard to choose from the list of delicious sounding craft cocktails, but I finally settled on the Eastern Mule ($13) Russian Standard vodka, lime, house 5-spice ginger beer.  The 5-spice was what intrigued fellow blogger LAOCFoodie and I.  The presentation was great in a lovely copper mug, which keeps the drink cool - but to be honest I couldn't really taste much of anything - there was a lot of ice...LAOCFoodie made much better choices, I actually loved the drinks he ordered, which were farm fresh and nuanced as I usually like 'em - you can read about his take on the food, drinks and whole experience here. 

The food was what intrigued me - many seemed like unique blends of different cultures' cuisines.  The first to arrive were the Kampachi "Tacos" ($12) avocado, hijiki, aji amarillo, creme fraiche.  Tortilla shells filled with chopped up sashimi, topped with aji amarillo (South American yellow chile pepper) infused creme fraiche and pickled radish. A tasty starter that uniquely blends Japanese, South American and Mexican cuisines.

Next up was a classic with a twist: Bone Marrow Matzo Ball Soup ($9) shiitakes, beef consommé. This is like a French chef's elevated take on the Jewish staple comfort food.The photo doesn't do it justice - it was pretty insanely delicious. First of all, why has no one else (that I'm aware of) ever switched up the good ole chicken broth for beef consommé? And the addition of fatty bone marrow and earthy shiitake mushrooms to the matzo ball soup makes it instantly addictive.  I also loved the balance of the rich flavors in the concentrated, yet clarified savory broth, with the spongey comfortingly mild flavors of the matzo ball, and sweet meatiness of the mushrooms. I've always been a matzo ball soup fan, but this takes it to a whole other level - loved it and would go back just for this dish (and some others, see below ;)).

 

Another favorite of the meal was the Wood Grilled Octopus ($16) roasted tomato puree, crips artichokes. The Spanish octopus had a perfect smokey char - and sometimes perhaps due to the texture of this seafood it doesn't really absorb flavors that well, but somehow this one seemed to be very evenly infused with amazing flavors from the tomato, artichokes, celery root, purple potato etc. I would have wanted the plate to be kept cleaner though, with less of a pile-up of veggies - and allowing the gorgeous octopus to take center stage, with veggies put back into their place as secondary accompaniment (ok maybe my own bias against veggies is at play here...but the octopus was so delicious it seemed a shame to bury it under all that...extra stuff...)

 

Another dish that arrived with an unexpected combination of ingredients: Seared Dayboat Scallops ($18) fig, pickled radish, coconut broth. Maybe it was the coconut broth, but to me this made me think of Thai food, though it wasn't at all spicy. The scallops were skillfully seared to be crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. The fig was an unusal pairing with scallop that kind of helped bring out its sweetness - it was a little disorienting at first but grows on you. The bok choy was another uncommon touch. This one was like a French Thai Chinese Mediterrenean mashup.

With that wood-fired oven practically transforming me into the Froot Loops toucan ("just follow your nose!") - I was glad that we got to try the Whole Roasted Branzino (Market Price) from that spectacular smelling oven. Loved that it was served skin on, tail pretty much on, stuffed with herbs - deliciously smokey outside, sweet and super tender inside - laid on a bed of Sardinian cous cous.  We're not sure what makes the cous cous Sardinian, but it was smart to lay it out under the fish so that all the rich flavors from the fish are soaked up by the grains, making for an all-round delicious plate. 

Carrying over that same concept, but with a land animal: Glazed Beef Cheek Pot Roast ($18) sourdough gnocchi, roasted root vegetables, popover. The red-wine braised beef cheek could get you food-drunk with its incredible flavors, and make you cry with its tenderness - and the sourdough gnocchi sat below it to catch all those flavors. The only thing I didn't like about this was the popover - which wasn't as fluffy as I would have liked, and didn't have that fresh-baked bread flavor.

Another best of dish was the Spaghetti ($20) crab, sea urchin. The pasta was perfectly al dente, elevated with umami from added sea creatures.  And I think toasted parmesan.  Another dish I would go back for, though $20 is a bit steep - the portion is fairly generous.

An interesting veggie side was the Roasted Brussel Sprouts ($7) with tamarind, bacon, apple.  Crisped brussel sprouts seem to pretty much be on every restaurant's menu nowadays, usually with bacon, or pancetta, or some equivalent pork ingredient - Towne puts their own twist on it by adding tamarind and apple.  To me the sweetness and textures made the dish remind me of earthy, juicy shiitake mushrooms, cooked the chinese way in a starchy sauce.  Not that photogenic and kind of sticky, but very delicious.

 

And for the piece de resistance: Crispy Pork Shank for 2 ($18 per person) sweet & sour cabbage, whole grain mustard spatzle, mustard jus.  If Chris Harrison were here he would adapt his signature phrase to say: "In the most draamatic (pork) ceremony ever...".  Our server brought out a gigantic piece of pork (shank is I think the 'forearm' or 'calf' of a pig), with beautifully crisped skin...I'm talking caveman's dinner sized - the platter made me feel instantly primal.

Apparently they portion it for two people, but the shank we got could have easily fed four average sized Asians, I think.  When our server...um...knifed the shank...steam came out in its path and the meat fell away easily.  This one is definitely an experience, and given the generous size - just going by what we were served - I'd say it's a fairly good deal at $18 per person.  And again the spatzle underneath, to catch all the juicy goodness.  Yum.

 

Though I was about to burst out of my wrap dress at this point, there was still dessert to to come, and Towne boasts the pastry chef from Bottega Louie, so we were looking forward to tasting those pastries.  We got a S'mores Donut and three macarons (pistachio, chocolate peanut butter and jelly, and lychee).  The donut had a melty marshmallow center and was glazed with chocolate - I loved the concept but wasn't impressed with the taste or texture - it didn't taste fresh made to me.  Of the three macarons, lychee was my favorite, but I felt like none of them had the levity and crisp exterior with airy interior that the ones at Bottega Louie has.

We also tried the Peanut Butter Crunch Bar - made with choolate ganache and peanut butter cream - which I wanted to be less dense and sticky...

All in all, a great experience at Towne and I can see that it's a nice addition to the area - another beacon of light in the gentrification of downtown LA.

I was impressed with some of the creative risk-taking and overall most of the savory dishes we tried were delicious. Prices are not outrageous given the quality of the food and most of them are very generously portioned.  Definitely a nice place to go for dinner, especially for those in the area - and you can decide whether to dress up or not and still be comfortable either way.

*Disclosure: This meal was hosted.

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Towne
705 W 9th St., Los Angeles, CA 90015
Ph: 213.623.2366

Website: towne-la.com
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