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DineDelish https://www.dinedelish.com Los Angeles Food Loving Food Blogger Eats LA Mon, 10 Aug 2020 03:55:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.7 Saffron and Rose Ice Cream – Persian Ice Cream For All https://www.dinedelish.com/2020/08/08/saffron-and-rose-ice-cream/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=saffron-and-rose-ice-cream https://www.dinedelish.com/2020/08/08/saffron-and-rose-ice-cream/#respond Sat, 08 Aug 2020 07:13:00 +0000 http://www.dinedelish.com/?p=21073 #Icecreamtuesdays is over, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ice cream anymore. The beauty of living in LA is getting to have ice cream in the fall and winter. This was my first time trying Persian ice cream, and for the most part, it was pretty awesome. Walking into Saffron and Rose Ice Cream, […]

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#Icecreamtuesdays is over, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ice cream anymore. The beauty of living in LA is getting to have ice cream in the fall and winter. This was my first time trying Persian ice cream, and for the most part, it was pretty awesome. Walking into Saffron and Rose Ice Cream, I couldn’t help but notice all of the exotic flavors.

The saffron and pistachio was amazing. The saffron had a strong flavor and the mistakable sweet, yes savory essence was playful on the tongue. Pairing it with the very sweet date ice cream was quiet nice. The cut up dried dates were very flavorful and had a nice texture to it. The texture of the actual ice cream though, may not be for everyone. It is a bit on the “stringy” side and not like a traditional ice cream. It pulls away, kind of like taffy but is ice cream nonetheless. At first, it is a bit alarming, but the unique flavors take over.

Saffron and Rose Ice Cream was a nice pit stop. The small unassuming shop in Westwood had a lot to offer. The fresh ice cream in their unique flavors was enough a reason to give it a try. Did I miss my regular double chocolate caramel ice cream? Not really. Once I finished my ice cream, I had that yearning for that unique flavor again. Even now, I can imagine the flavors, but can’t quite grasp it completely. That is the draw here. The textures and flavors of the ice cream is like no other.

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Raku – Japanese Cuisine to a Higher Level https://www.dinedelish.com/2018/07/23/raku/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=raku https://www.dinedelish.com/2018/07/23/raku/#respond Mon, 23 Jul 2018 13:52:07 +0000 http://www.dinedelish.com/?p=13126 I came across Raku from Andrew Zimmern. I was watching a random Youtube video about Las Vegas eats, and Mr. Zimmern swears Raku as an anti-Vegas destination with some of the best Japanese food around. I immediately dropped everything and headed off the strip. Raku, located in a dismal looking strip mall in Las Vegas’ […]

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I came across Raku from Andrew Zimmern. I was watching a random Youtube video about Las Vegas eats, and Mr. Zimmern swears Raku as an anti-Vegas destination with some of the best Japanese food around. I immediately dropped everything and headed off the strip. Raku, located in a dismal looking strip mall in Las Vegas’ very own Chinatown, concentrates on good quality Japanese cuisine. More of a Japanese “tapas” bar, most of their items are shared amongst the table. Most people associate Japanese cuisine with sushi. Chef and owner, Mitsuo Endo showcases a menu with Japanese cuisine as an all-inclusive whole. There is no sushi on the menu, though there is raw fish and sashimi. Everything is masterfully prepared and they use only the best ingredients.

We started things off with the uni soup. This was a simple dish that was so refreshing. The broth was soy sauce based and had a subtle seafood essence. Filled with seaweed and a few slivers of uni, it was an interesting soup. The uni was flavorful and mellow — the warm soup made it more toned down and silky. I don’t it that is a good thing, but it was delicious. This was a great start to an awesome late night eat.

We ordered the pork belly to feed the carnivore within. It wasn’t necessarily special. The quality and bite of the pork belly was a lot better though. Most places will just put some thinly sliced pork belly on a stick, grill it and call it day. Raku’s was thicker, and more meaty. All in all, it was a deliciously cooked yakitori — no sauce needed.

Some of the best things I have ever eaten was Raku’s Agedashi Tofu. It is probably the best tofu I ever had. Some sad days, I would be home alone. I’d open up a tub of tofu, microwave it, make some kind of soy sauce concoction, and pour it over the tofu. For what it was, it was tasty and I was happy. This agedashi tofu really changed my life. The tofu is made daily, in house. The fried exterior had a little crispiness with a hint of chewiness. Inside, it was completely different — smooth and silky, and custard like. The broth in itself makes this dish so good. I don’t know what was in it, but soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and dashi was definitely in the mix. There was a smudge of red pepper puree on the bowl for a bit of spice. Topped with ikira (salmon roe), scallions, and nori, the tofu dish was complex, yet perfectly balanced.

We ended things with one of my favorite chicken dishes of all time. The juicy deep fried chicken, as they call it, was exactly what the name suggests — It was juicy. It was deep fried, and it’s…chicken. The thigh meat is rolled up skin on, battered, and then fried. The roll is cut up into slices and then served on some vinaigrette dressed spinach. The vinaigrette on the spinach helped with the fatty chicken. As the picture shows, the chicken is a bit pink in the center — might be a little alarming for sensitive types. For me though, the chicken was so juicy and flavorful — probably achieved from this near “medium well” cooking. It was an exceptional dish in both flavor and texture.

If you want to eat at Raku, make reservations. I was given the stink eye when I walked in and said I didn’t have reservations. Luckily, I was seated within 10 minutes as long as we ate “quickly.” Most likely, that won’t happen to you unless you make a reservation for this small 48 seater restaurant. I was very impressed with the food at Raku. The ingredients are of the highest quality and simply prepared. Even the water is treated with respect, filtered with a giant charcoal log. Details like this, with a passion for perfection makes Raku very special. It’s not just some Japanese restaurant off the strip. It’s possibly one of the best in the country.

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Humble Potato – Hambagas and Fries https://www.dinedelish.com/2018/07/12/humble-potato/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=humble-potato https://www.dinedelish.com/2018/07/12/humble-potato/#respond Thu, 12 Jul 2018 21:24:24 +0000 http://www.dinedelish.com/?p=18430 Humble Potato has a simple concept. It puts a Japanese twist on American comfort food. This fast casual has an identity crisis. I initially thought they were a French fry shop– you know, kind of like a create your own French fry bar with your choice of toppings. I was surprised this place has no […]

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Humble Potato has a simple concept. It puts a Japanese twist on American comfort food. This fast casual has an identity crisis. I initially thought they were a French fry shop– you know, kind of like a create your own French fry bar with your choice of toppings. I was surprised this place has no real emphasis on potatoes, but more on burgers. Good thing!

I ordered the Battle Royal– “Organized chaos!” Towered high is fresh Angus beef, “fried egg-splosive” egg sprinkled with seasoning salt, avocado, romaine, thick cut tomato, onion, Applewood smoked bacon, and HP spicy sauce. This burger was taller than it was wide. It was difficult to eat. Honestly, the burger gets an “A” for effort, but the is about it. The bun was off, and the beef was cooked all the way through. No medium rare or even medium here. The avocado gets lost in everything and all the ingredient come through individually. The burger fails to bring everything into one cohesive meld of things. It was an interesting burger.

The Shichimi & Garlic Parmesan Fries was quite the contrary to the burger. The potatoes themselves were fried to a crisp. It was the crunchiest and most solid French fry I ever had. The plastic fork had such a hard time poking at the fries. Think potato chips in the form of thick fries. This made for some awesome crunchtastic fries. The shichimi seasoning was a nice touch, and the Parmesan just created that extra depth. Of course, the garlic was welcome immensely, and everything came together quite nicely. I’m telling you, the crunch was insane and nothing like I ever had before.

The Humble Potato was an interesting experience. I getting he concept of Japanese American fusion, but I don’t quite understand the restaurant name. Nonetheless, the food was interesting. The burger, s let down, and the fries, an interesting surprise. Come here only slightly hungry. Get the fries — the hot dogs are next on my list.

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Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival 2017 https://www.dinedelish.com/2017/10/05/newport-beach-wine-and-food-festival-2017/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=newport-beach-wine-and-food-festival-2017 https://www.dinedelish.com/2017/10/05/newport-beach-wine-and-food-festival-2017/#respond Fri, 06 Oct 2017 01:51:14 +0000 http://www.dinedelish.com/?p=23014 The 2017 Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival was such a great event. Live music, a meet and greet with Fabio Viviani, some sips of wine and awesome food tastings made the afternoon a fun time. The 3 day even has something special for each day, and I had the opportunity to try the last […]

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The 2017 Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival was such a great event. Live music, a meet and greet with Fabio Viviani, some sips of wine and awesome food tastings made the afternoon a fun time. The 3 day even has something special for each day, and I had the opportunity to try the last and final day of the tasting. It a was a perfect Sunday afternoon, and the crowds of people were enjoying everything the chefs had to offer.

The octopus and pork belly salad from Aveo Table and Bar was a good pairing. One of the most refreshing bites that day was the hamachi mango jalapeno sorbet by Florent Marneau of Marche Moderne. The fresh fish with the kick of the cold mango sorbet really cooled me off a bit. Chef Pablo at The Dock surprised us with his salmon caviar bite with cucumber. Ceviche at A+O Kitchen came in a pull apart tin and the insides were so delicious with their tortilla chips. I know a lot of my favorites were seafood inspired, but my favorite bit of the day was the spinach cavatelli from Andrea Ristorante of the Pelican Hill Resort. The cavatelli was cooked perfectly and the saltiness from the sausage was a perfect pairing.

The Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival is such a great even in the heart of Newport Beach. I am excited to see what they will have next year!

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The Taste 2017 – Burning Sun and Rain https://www.dinedelish.com/2017/09/09/the-taste-2017-burning-sun-and-rain/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-taste-2017-burning-sun-and-rain https://www.dinedelish.com/2017/09/09/the-taste-2017-burning-sun-and-rain/#respond Sat, 09 Sep 2017 22:28:47 +0000 http://www.dinedelish.com/?p=22966 When the LA Time’s The Taste rolls around, you know it’s Labor Day Weekend. I made it to the Field to Fork event and the food was superb. Despite the heat reaching nearly 100 degrees, I was able to find some shade and enjoy the different selections. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go to the […]

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When the LA Time’s The Taste rolls around, you know it’s Labor Day Weekend. I made it to the Field to Fork event and the food was superb. Despite the heat reaching nearly 100 degrees, I was able to find some shade and enjoy the different selections. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go to the other events due to rain. Yeah, 100 degrees one day and rain on the next — I don’t do neither.

My favorites included the crème brûlée doughnuts from Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken. Restauration in Long Beach delivered an oxtail doughnut that was so savory and delicious. Other than doughnuts being the star, octopus really the theme for the chefs. From octopus ceviche to charred octopus, the selection was massive.

The heat got to my head and had to take rests in the shade with a nice cold Bai. Hopefully next year we won’t get this funky weather with 100+ degrees and rain back to back. It was a lot of fun, and hope to see what’s in store next Labor Day Weekend.

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