Katz's Delicatessen - Pastrami Heaven! (New York City)

Katz's Deli

When you're in New York City, there's just certain place you HAVE to visit. Katz's Delicatessen would definitely fit that bill. Heck, if you don't believe me, I'm sure you'll trust him. What do you order here you ask? Well, I'm sure the sausages and the various other products are delicious, but you should only order one thing here: Pastrami on rye!

Complimentary Pickles



Dr. Brown's Black Cherry

Since I had the cherry soda in Montreal to go with my smoked meat sandwich, it's only appropriate to keep it the same deal here.

Now for the main event!

Pastrami!

There's really nothing better than a pile of tender pastrami, along with some hot yellow mustard between two pieces of bread. I can see why Katz's has earned the numerous acclaim over the years, it's really that good. While I personally prefer the smoked meat at Schwartz's just a tad bit more, Katz's pastrami sandwich definitely hit spot. While I planned a quick stop at Russ and Daughters post Katz's, I quickly squashed that idea. Do what the Nike slogan tells you: Just Do It!

BoA!

If you don't trust me, you can trust BoA!

One thing to note though, I've yet to try Langer's here in Los Angeles, so I'm curious how does Langer's stack up to Katz's!

Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston St
New York, 10002
(212) 254-2246
Website

Fraiche Culver City - A New French Sheriff Is In Town (Culver City)

Fraiche Culver City

A little over a year ago, I met a young French chef named Ben Bailly at a dinner hosted by Jo of MyLastBite at Petrossian in West Hollywood and was immediately hooked to his cooking. At first, I honestly didn't think much could come out of the kitchen of a caviar specialty shop, but boy, was I wrong! Fast forward a year from that dinner, the news of Chef Bailly's move to Fraiche in Culver City began to spread amongst the Los Angeles food community, I was excited by the move. While I'll miss his cooking with caviar, I was truly excited to see what Ben can do when he's able to form his own menu. In this post are my two recently dinners at Fraiche Culver City. Just a note, Chef Bailly is in the midst of changing some menu items, so some items seen here might not be available when you visit the restaurant.

Top: Complementary Olives. Bottom: Champagne

Olives are always given gratis when seated, and while I don't eat olives, my dining companions always seem to enjoy these. What I do enjoy are champagne and the various cocktails Fraiche's Bartender Kiowa Bryan churn out for my trips there. Just a few recommendations on my part. I thoroughly enjoy Ben's Breakfast, Poison Ivy, The Grape, and citrus drink (I cannot remember the name) with an absinthe rinse. Also, just to note, the Happy Hour cocktail drinks are $6 and beers on draft I believe are $3. What a great deal for Culver City!

Various Rillettes

The rillettes have become a staple during my visits here. There are 6 rillettes available, but during my last visit, I was able to try the new pate rillette that's likely to replace the chicken liver version. The smoked trout has always been my favorite, as I've enjoyed the flavors of the trout. Also, the piquillo cheese spread was also a winner, as the spicy flavors of the cheese complement with the bread exceptionally well.

Hamachi Tartare - Shaved Turnip. Lime. Espelette Pepper

Here, we have a dish that we're probably more used to at a Japanese restaurant, but I quite enjoy the version served by Chef Bailly. The hamachi was accented well by the use of the lime and the slight heat of the espelette pepper. Using the turnip as a sandwich-like device was a nice touch that added a nice refreshing element to the dish.

Vitello Tonnato - Veal Steak Tartare. Arugula. Parmesan

There was definitely a change compared to the beef tartare with carviar that I was used to having made by Chef Bailly. The veal tartare was tender and the tuna based tonnato sauce added a nice contrast to the dish. A definite enjoyable dish.

Brussel Sprouts - Chorizo. Manchego. Dates. Almond. Piquillo Vinaigrette

This is probably my favorite salad at Fraiche. I enjoy the flavors of the chorizo, manchego cheese, dates, and the piquillo cheese vinaigrette all meshed together with the brussel sprouts. The flavors are strong, but it complement well together.

Belgian Endives - Coppa. Apples. Pecan. Goat Cheese. Truffle Vinaigrette

This was another salad dish I adored. I enjoyed the flavors of the coppa, the apple, the crunchy texture of the pecan, and of course, the strong flavors of the truffle vinaigrette all combined together with the refreshing endives. This was definitely a winner for my dining mates as well.

Frisee Aux Lardons - Oeuf Pane. Bacon. Bleu Cheese

Bacon and crispy soft boiled egg, what can go wrong with that? Though I don't eat bleu cheese, the rest of the ingredients were delicious!

Bouchot Mussels - Fava Beans. Tomato. Chorizo

This was the first time I had mussels served this way and I'm a bit indifferent on it. Although I did enjoy the taste of chorizo in the dish, I did think the tomato was slightly too overpowering. Though it might be more of a personal bias towards too much tomatoes in a dish.

Seared Foie Gras - Frisée. Rhubarb. Pomegranate. Speculoos

Next, we have a perfectly cooked foie gras with a sweet/sour flavors of the rhubarb and pomegrante. To balance the richness of the foie gras, the use of a sweet ingredient is vital and I thought it's used wisely here. It's hard to go wrong with a foie gras dish in my book.

Basil Risotto - Escargo. Lemon. Tomatoes

Here we have a basil risotto, which was quite noticeable with its neon green color from the basil. The risotto itself was well cooked and delicious. The addition of the escargot added a nice flavor and texture element to the dish.

Sunchoke Risotto with Truffles

I'll be honest here, I really liked this dish. Maybe it's the addition of the truffles? That probably didn't hurt, but this was definitely a hit at our table. As of right now, it's an off menu item, but I hope Chef Bailly would make the addition to the menu soon. The risotto had wonderful flavors with or without the truffles, so try it!

Taglierini Neri - Maine Lobster. Cherry Tomatoes. Basil

This is another delicious dish. Here we have squid ink pasta topped with Maine lobsters, basil and a lobster foam. It was definitely a favorite with most of us at the table. If you're coming to order an a la carte dish, this is definitely one to consider.

Lamb Papardelle - Tomato. Olives. Onetik Goat Cheese

Chef Bailly definitely cook up some damn tasty pasta dishes, and this was no exception. The hearty flavors of the lamb went exceptionally well with the tomatoes and goat cheese. Of course, the papardelle was cooked well and the flavors of the sauce went with the pasta perfectly.

Bucatini Carbonara - Slow Poached Egg. Pancetta. Parmesan

This bucatini carbonara was definitely not a light affair. To say the flavors were rich would be an understatement. The rich flavors of the soft poached egg and the parmesan went well with the bucatini pasta. In addition, I loved the flavors of the pancetta, though who would really have a problem with anything with bacon or pancetta added to it?

Truffle Spaghetti - Wild Mushrooms

Again, truffle spaghetti, can one get enough truffles? The answer would be a definitely No! The flavors of the sauce, highlighted with the mushroom and the truffle was definitely heavenly. The smell of this sauce was worth the order alone. Again, this dish is not yet on the menu, so I'm not sure if it would be offered down the road by Chef Bailly.

Pea Ravioli - Ricotta Cheese

I think I'm running out of adjectives here. I'll take one from Amy of theroamingbelly. These raviolis were "sweet little pockets for my big mouth." Delicious!

Rabbit Garganelli - Leffe. Mustard. Prunes. Tarragon

I love rabbits. I love eating them even more. Sorry animal rights activists, wherever you are. I'm Chinese, and I don't care about your fight. Animals are great, especially if they're a tasty one. This above dish was actually from one of Chef Bailly's father's recipes. The use of prunes, and mustard to combine with the rabbit and the garganelli pasta was genius. What a great dish! Just ask for the rabbit pasta when you're at Fraiche next time!

Hand Cut Maltagliati - Pork Ragù. Scallion. Gruyère

This is the last pasta dish of this post and it's definitely another flavorful one. The scallions came across as an important element to cut the richness of the pork and gruyere. Surprisingly, I thought it tasted even better the next day when I had it for lunch.

Seared Daurade Royale - Braised Endives. Orange. Black Rice. Farro

Onward to meat and seafood courses! Here we have a perfectly cooked daurade with flavor complements from the oranges, black rice and endives. A perfect blend of tastes and texture. Very nice!

Seared Scallops - Cauliflower Puree. Roasted Cauliflower

The scalloops were seared perfectly and I really enjoyed the cauliflower puree with the addition of the roasted cauliflowers. A well executed dish to say the least.

Crispy Loup de Mer - Sunchokes Soubise. Crosnes. Salsifi Mushrooms. Bordelaise

The loup de mer is probably my favorite dish outside the pasta menu. The three times I've had this fish were always cooked perfectly. The skin has been crispy, the fish itself was flavorful, and the accompaniment sunchoke soubise and the mushroom added a nice flavor to the dish. Another highly recommended course.

Duck Confit - Farro. Black Rice. Wild Mushroom. Baby Spinach

I like rabbits and I like ducks. I especially love eating both of them. The duck confit at Fraiche was fantastic. If only I wasn't stuffed that night, I would have grabbed the darn thing by its bones and gnawed on it. I also enjoyed the bed of farro the duck was placed onto of. A pretty delicious dish I have to say.

Braised Beef Cheeks - Celery Root Puree. Horseradish Gremolata. Barolo Sauce

Tender, beef cheeks. Quite a good way to end the meat and seafood portion of the menu. The star of this dish surprisingly was the celery root puree. I truly adored it. This was definitely a flavorful dish.

Truffle Burger - Onion Fondue. Boschetto. Truffle Aioli. Egg

The truffle burger is something found on the bar menu, but I'm glad to have tried this at Fraiche. The burger itself was truly trufflicious, if there's such a word. I loved the fried egg option here and also enjoyed the onion fondue added to the burger. The only suggestion I'd have to say, which wasn't a problem on my first visit here was the fact the burger might be slightly overcooked. I definitely prefer my burger medium rare, though it really doesn't hurt the flavors of the burger in anyways. This burger cost $12, a steal in my opinion. This definitely has to be one of the best burger I've had here in Los Angeles.

Soft Polenta - Wild Mushrooms. Slow Poached Egg

This will be the last savory course of the night, the soft polenta. The mix of creamy polenta, wild mushrooms, and a soft poached egg, what can really go wrong with this combination? Not much from what I could tell, it was delicious!

For the sake of your reading convenience and my writing sanity, I'm going to post the pictures of the dessert and a final summary in the end.

Caramel Pot De Crème. Meyer Lemon Pot De Crème

Manjari Chocolate Pot De Crème. Chestnut Tiramisu



Pistachio Creme Brulee - Apricot Sorbet. Rosemary Crumble



Panettone Bread Pudding - Gianduja. Hazelnut. Mascarpone Gelato



Chocolate Coulant - Toffee. Peanut Butter Ice Cream



Chocolate Tart - Tres Leches Gelato. Almond Crumble



Apple & Pear Clafoutis - Brown Butter. Candied Brioche. Salted Caramel Ice Cream



Key Lime Tart - Grapefruit Sorbet

In terms of the desserts I've had at Fraiche, there were definitely a few that stood out. While I did enjoy all the varieties of dessert I've tried here, I definitely have to say the key lime tart was fantastic. I also enjoyed the various pot de crème, especially the caramel one. Also, the pistachio creme brulee I've always enjoyed since Chef Bailly's stint at Petrossian. Finally, the chocolate coulant was definitely one for chocolate lovers. You can't really beat warm chocolate lava cake with a peanut butter ice cream. In addition, Chef Bailly will be bringing back his pop rock panna cotta to Fraiche, so I'll hopefully try that out on my next visit.

In the end, I'm impressed with what Chef Ben Bailly has done to transform the menu at Fraiche in Culver City. While I know there are definitely a few people who yearn for the old Italian menu that was available in the previous regime, I say give Chef Bailly a chance to show you what he could do. I'm loving the rustic French menu that's available here, and I'm really happy that he's willing to change some dishes on the menu due to seasonal ingredients, as well as to the tastes of his clientele. While I've probably tried most of the dishes here, there are more stuff to be discovered. Come by for happy hour, lunch, dinner, or hell, even for brunch during the weekend. I enjoyed my first brunch experience recently as seen here from cattycritic, and I can't wait to go back a second time for brunch. Trust the Panda, check out Fraiche!

Fraiche - Culver City
9411 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 839-6800
Website

Top Meals In 2010 - A Quick Look Back

It looks like quite a few bloggers are reliving some of their best eats in 2010, and while I have done the same back in 2009, I'm going to take a real concise approach this year. Let's look back at my top 5 meals of 2010.

*Note: It's sad that only 1 of the meal actually made it on my blog thus far

5) 七十二牛肉麵 aka 72 Beef Noodle Soup (or NRM for short) - Taipei, Taiwan

In all reality, any of the NRM I've tried and consumed over the years here in the United States are forgettable, if we're comparing to the bowls of noodles I tried on my recent trip back to Taiwan. The beef broth are cooked for 72 hours (thus, the name 72 NRM) creating a rich, white, an almost milky color to the NRM broth. It's simply wonderful bowl of beef noodle soup. It was so good, I had to get back for a second helping the day before my flight back to Los Angeles.

七十二牛肉麵
72 Beef Noodle Soup
台北市大安區建國南路一段188號‎
Taipei City, Da An District, Jin Guo S. Rd, 1st Section #188

4) Per Se - NYC

The famous blue doors. Wait, are we in the countryside of Napa Valley? No, instead we're on the 4th floor of the Time Warner Center, home of 3 Michelin Star restaurants Masa and Per Se. While the scenery may not be as majestic as the famous French Laundry in the Napa Valley, the food on the other hand was truly amazing. While I was able to secure two separate tasting menus that night (one of the standard tasting, while the other was an winter offal selection), each dish tasted amazing. While the room and service was slightly stuffy for my tastes, the meal was truly a spectacular 3 Michelin Star affair.

10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10023

3) Le Bernardin - NYC

Ah, the legendary Le Bernardin headed by the famous Silver Fox himself, Chef Eric Ripert. My final meal of my NYC trip in 2010 and it finished off with a bang. Memorable would be an understatement. Every dish was presented with care, thought, and cooked to perfection. I don't think I've tasted better seafood than dishes that came out of the kitchen of Le Bernardin that night. Truly, it deserves all the acclamation it has received over the years.

155 West 51st Street
New York, NY 10020

2) Eleven Madison Park - NYC

Wow, a place I actually blogged about this past year. And did I really just put Eleven Madison Park ahead of Per Se and Le Bernardin? The answer to that is YES! While I don't need to go into detail about the food since my views are already on the blogged post, the meal was fun and memorable. Though not casual, the attire was slightly less formal, creating a non-stuffy environment. The servers were friendly and most importantly, the food was amazing. Chef Daniel Humm and team has created a new menu concept late into 2010 and I'm looking forward to trying it for myself in February of 2011. From what I've seen and heard, I shouldn't be disappointed.

11 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10010

1) Alinea - Chicago

This is the post I really want to blog about, but yet I've been procrastinating on. The meal of the year for me without a doubt was my meal at Alinea, during my trip to Chicago this past July. The 26 course tasting menu offered all kinds of surprises, tricks, and most importantly delicious concoctions along the way. The only thing I could say about Chef Grant Achatz is that he's a genius. The trip itself was planned solely for Alinea and the meal was truly beyond my expectations. While the food scene in Chicago is extraordinary, Alinea is truly the pinnacle of a fine meal. I can't wait to get back to Chicago and eat at Alinea and Achatz's other two restaurant concepts!

1723 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60614

There you have it, a brief look back at my favorite meals of 2010. While I do plan on blogging these places more thoroughly, it was good to look back at some of those fine meals. I don't know what places would make the list in 2011, but I'm ready for them!