The Coop Part Two: Memorial Day BBQ Brunch

Chefs Marcel Vigneron and Haru Kishi threw a brunch so good it felt like sin, this past Easter Sunday.  So when they announced that they were doing a second holiday brunch - Memorial Day weekend - under their emerging pop-up brand "The Coop", I was excited to see (1) what they would come up with to reinterpret that classic, all-American barbecue, and (2) if they plan to 'own' holiday pop-up brunches.  Especially since we ran into each other at a recent UCLA Science and Food lecture (the chefs were also spotted at Nathan Myhrvold's talk, where he spoke specifically about modernist bbq techniques) - I wondered if they would take any inspiration from those.

Another reason I was looking forward to the event?  It was to be held again at the so-gorgeous-it-can-reduce-you-to-tears Gonpachi space. 

Gonpachi the restaurant has folded, but the space, with its authentic, imported Japanese architecture and interiors, and lush greenery surrounding a serene koi pond, that on the whole make me think "zen temple meets tea house meets spa resort" is too amazing to let go to waste - I'm really hoping that either Chefs Vigneron and Kishi, obviously fans of the space, would take it over permanently at some point, or some other high caliber chef would come in and revive it, keeping the space exactly as is but infusing it with compelling fare that will draw diners and enough profit to sustain it.  (I was so excited about this second The Coop event, with incredible guilt I reserved with the blog email in hopes it would up my odds of getting in, given how packed it was last time as well!) 

Now that I've said my piece about the space - onto The Coop experience.  This was again to be a 5-course brunch ($42 per person this time), again with cocktails by Devon Espinosa. I don't know at what point it become de rigeur for me, but now I physically cannot have brunch without a cocktail. So my friend JK and I were both drawn to the Kentucky Punch Bourbon ($12) buffalo trace, lime juice, cucumber, mint - which turned out to be light, refreshing and was a perfect accompaniment to an indulgent meal of meats and other deliciousness to come. Just to try a different drink though I had Spiked Picnic Tea ($12) for my order, made with grey goose, passion fruit tea, lemon juice, strawberries.  I wasn't a fan of this one as it was simultaneously too sweet and too bitter - and I generally don't love pink drinks and hadn't expected this one to be one. Wish I had just gone for the Kentucky Punch Bourbon as well - at least JK shared a sip so I could taste it!

When it came to food, The Coop kicked off with a simply named 1st Course: PB&J and Compressed Watermelon Wedge, but what arrived was a clearly inventive plate.  The picnic food became, in Marcel & Haru's hands, an open-faced brioche toast topped with spherified pomegranate and blueberry puree, and peanut butter crumbs that we're guessing was flash frozen and then ground up.  The textures were a delightful surprise and skillfully executed as to be perfect for the first course - I especially loved that the peanut butter, usually a heavy goop, is so light and airy yet packed with distinct flavor, and that the spherication was a refreshing, clean, crisp burst of fruit and tartness versus the familiar sugary sticky mess, all counterbalanced by the squares of toast, cut at just the right size and thickness to serve as canvas and foil for the other elements. The chefs definitely know how to announce their arrival. 

On the other end of the plate: Compressed Watermelon Wedge - these beauties were instantly addictive - they were compressed with cherry blossom infused vodka and lemon puree (so we were advised by our server).  We thought we tasted fleur de sel too, there was something crunchy on top that went perfect with the juicy slices.  Loved these too - that's 2 for 2 just in the first course! 

Onward went the march into 2nd Course: Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich, cole slaw, Hawaiian roll - there was no visible modernist wizardry here, but it was a simply freaking awesome chicken sandwich that we wanted 10 more of, immediately.  It was just so juicy and flavorful, with perfectly even breading all around, and an extra juicy crunch of cole slaw between subtly sweet Hawaiian roll buns.  So good. The Hawaii reference on a holiday meant to pay tribute to American soldiers, held in a Japanese space - could be seen as tongue-in-cheek, or equally, a respectful bridging of two formerly opposing sides, across time, with soul-healing food and its power to connect. Or it could just be that the rolls went really well taste-wise with the chicken (yeah I've been told I have a tendency to overthink everything :P)

3rd course: Binchotan Baby Back Ribs, Chorizo Baked Beans these ribs were perfectly portioned, fall off the bone tender and beautifully charred.  Binchotan it turns out is Japanese white coal made from oak, and doesn't release smoke or odours, making it a good choice for yakitori chicken.  Which the chefs used to cook the pork ribs.  Interestingly the plate came with a wedge of lemon - but I don't think we ever figured out if that was for the beans or the ribs.  I put it on my ribs and the citrus added a nice layer of tart juicy-ness. 

Then came the course inspired by Nathan Myhrvold's lecture: 4th course: "Slow and Low" Beef Brisket, Kentucky BBQ Sauce, Smoked Potato Salad chef Haru was kind enough to stop by our table to introduce this dish and explained that, inspired by Myhrvold's insights into best way to barbecue meats for maximum tenderness and retaining juices - they cooked this brisket slowly and with low heat - over, in fact, three days! To me the tender texture kind of reminded me of oxtail. Paired with the Kentucky *bourbon* barbecue sauce, it was perfection - I don't think either of us looked up til there was nothing left to lick off our plates.

Chef Haru also brought out the Smoked Potato Salad which was possibly the most dramatic presentation of the meal - the salad came with a glass cover filled with smoke, like the mysterious haze inside a movie gypsy's crystal ball, which only slowly reveals the contents below once the smoke dissipates.  And we loved and enjoyed every morsel of this salad too - with its fingerling potatoes, freshest tasting peas and ribbons of onion sprinkled with delicate leaves of green and shallots.  Interesting that they went smokeless with the meat, and instead used the smoke in the salad.

And for the sweet finish: 5th course: Corn Bread, Maple Cloud, Bacon Ice Cream, Candied Pecan this was a nice, simple, not groundbreaking but well executed dessert set.  Everything was just the right portion: I loved the little bite-sized cornbread with the maple marshmallowy dollops on top, and the candied pecans were perfect with the subtly flavored bacon ice cream.  Again I loved their attention to detail: the serving dish for the corn bread was shaped like an ear of corn!

All in all, score another coup for The Coop.

Thank you chefs for another amazing, and very memorable, holiday brunch!  Can't wait til the next one (July 4th perhaps?!)


 
On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 6.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% (whenever they have their next pop up!)
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The Coop BBQ Brunch at Gonpachi
Saturday & Sunday, May 27th 2012
134 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90211 

Twitter: @marcelvigneron 
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The Coop: Rising to the Occasion Easter Sunday

Whatever you may have thought of Marcel Vigneron, the character on Top Chef, you can't deny that he is an incredibly creative force.  Syfy's Marcel's Quantum Kitchen grew on me, for the sheer reason that there was more time to look further past that established persona - to see the inventive mind at work, to root for seemingly impossible food experiments to pull through in the 11th hour, to see the development of an individualist talent to a gradually improved team leader and chef on screen.  And the marketing geek in me loves it every time he's given a challenge and pulls off incredible dishes that are cerebral and perfectly on theme.

I was actually sad not to see a Season 2 of the innovative show, but happy to see that Chef Marcel's catering company is alive and well and thriving...and when I heard that they were doing a pop-up Easter brunch (albeit, late - like at 4:30 in the morning, the morning of the last day of the pop-up...) in one of my favorite venues in LA - the now shuttered Gonpachi - I had to check it out. 

The concept was "The Coop": a 5-course brunch focused of course on the humble - but in the hands of Marcel and event partner Haru Kishi (most recently of Chaya Venice) - limitless holiday icon, the farm fresh egg. All for the unbelievable (for fine dining) price of $38! 

And true to form the theme was meticulously carried through down to every last detail.  (Even though they only had literally 3 days to pull the whole restaurant together!) Loved the little decorative touches like a pink egg sitting in a tumbler of hay.

Devon Espinosa, mixologist extraordinaire - also last seen on Quantum Kitchen (and since moved on to .ink and now Pour Vous) - was on hand with a themed list of 'cock'tails to kick off the meal.  I couldn't resist the devilishly sacrilegous Blood of Christ ($12) on an early Easter Sunday morning...though the description of ingredients should have told me otherwise (beef eater gin, orgeat, strawberry, pastis), I think in my mind I was envisioning some variation of a Bloody Mary.  What arrived was pinkish, light and refreshing, and more of a girly drink than I expected, with a giant strawberry as garnish.  So much for my plan of devious defiance!

More sacrilege was to follow though, in the form of unrepentent gluttony.  The first course was Truffle, Gold, Egg.  Which arrived in an eggshell, with a straw.  Which would be the first time in my life I've had to suck eggs through a straw.  And I loved it.  Inside the delicate eggshell was the most ethereal scrambled egg espuma, topped by fragrant truffle infused egg white, then gold leaf.  A refreshing start to the meal, in concept, presentation, texture and taste.

I was fortunate enough to sit at the bar, where Marcel was personally preparing the dishes, and I got a front row view! Look at that concentration!   

The second course of Salmon and Fried Egg Sauce was also beautiful - and here you can see much more Japanese influence: a gorgeous slab of lush salmon, cooked and cured in lime juice and vanilla bean, sat on top of nori puree (that also contains caviar powder, Marcel remembers at the last minute), fried egg sauce with pickled daikon in the shape of cherry blossoms, with compressed kumquat and compressed radish for textural contrast and lovely bursts of tart/bitter to counterbalance the savory/sweet/sour of the other ingredients. And some micro basil and coriander flowers for garnish to evoke the spring.

Third course was another fusion dish that blossomed from Japanese roots: Tiger Chawan-mushi, or steamed egg with tiger prawns, and split pea soup on the side.  Served in an adorable ceramic box topped by a white bunny!!!  Again, loved the attention to detail. 

But, right, back to the food: the steamed egg was enhanced with dashi, a clear broth made with seafood from lobster to shrimp - and topped with deliciously fresh peas and bite sized chunks of tiger prawns.  Simple, clean and delicious. I could have done without the split pea soup, which I was advised to pour over the egg - to me it was too heavy and its taste drowned out the delicate flavors of the chawan-mushi. But, that's all part and parcel of risk-taking - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but it keeps things interesting and I'm still glad to have tried it.

Apparently the chefs saved the best savory course for last: Nesting Egg with Hay Smoked Bacon.  Suffice it to say: Mind, blown.  It's a dish of simple ingredients, but the creative execution is what makes it oustanding. With a meal of day that is not known for innovation - Chef Marcel succeeded in coming up with the most creative preparation of eggs and bacon I've ever seen/tasted.  What appears to be thin noodles are wrapped around a soft-boiled egg and fried, so that it evokes a bird's nest (pretty much like the Chinese banquet favorite).

Chef Marcel explained that he wanted to bring the egg back to the nest at the end of the meal, and that's where the concept came from.  Love the thought process that went into creating this - and it wasn't just a cool concept - it was amazing in taste as well, with a perfect contrast of smooth, liquid gold center offset by stringey, crunchy fried shell.  So good.

The bacon itself didn't have a high concept attached to it, but I was interested to know the thought behind use of hay for smoking the meat versus more familiar items like applewood...turns out Chef Marcel had just run out of mesquite, but had plenty of hay that he had bought to use as decor (remember that adorable little glass tumbler with 'bed' of hay for the pink egg?).  So he tried it - it tasted good, so he went with it.  These sorts of MacGyver moments and creative problem-solving mixed with two parts luck were elements I particularly enjoyed in the Quantum Kitchen episodes as well.

For the sweet finish: The last course was Albion Strawberry, Sabayon and Bread Pudding.  The strawberries were fresh, and perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, and the bread pudding was fairly light and airy, which was nice - but overall this dish just didn't hold any surprises and didn't make that much of an impression.  But I guess everything is relative, so perhaps if the savory dishes hadn't been so fantastic, my expectations wouldn't have been so high for the dessert..and maybe I would have enjoyed it more...

All in all though, an inspired meal, and by the time I left the place it was full house (and Gonpachi is a huge space with 3 separate wings and an upstairs). A great meal that definitely renewed my faith for culinary creativity to continue to thrive in LA outside of 'organized/corporate kitchens' - flying in the face of naysayers, whose declarations that the pop-up is dead are thankfully ruled (at least in my blog) premature.

Thank you chefs for an amazing Easter!

 
On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6.5 bites
Originality - 6.5 bites
Ambience - 6.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% (whenever they have their next pop up!)
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The Coop at Gonpachi
134 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90211 

Twitter: @marcelvigneron 
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