How chefs are adapting, the best food in Las Vegas, Cake Boss' dessert tour, Beyond Meat's struggles and why Gordon Ramsay is jealous of Carmy from “The Bear.” And is it okay to pick fruit from someone else's tree? This week's Tasting Notes are brought to you by Laurie Ochoa, General Manager of LA Times Food.
Use your creativity
Wagyu beef tartare with Asian pear, salted egg yolk, shiso and seaweed crackers served at chef Debbie Lee's Joson in November.
The situation in the food and beverage industry seems to be very tough these days. Stephanie BrajoAccording to a recent report on the issues facing restaurateurs in Southern California, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that Los Angeles still attracts some of the most creative and dedicated chefs, bringing new ideas and stretching the spectrum from fine dining to casual dining.
Consider Debbie LeeFrench restaurant (San Francisco La FolieLos Angeles' Le Dome) But throughout his ever-changing career, he's cooked in food trucks and kiosks. Americana In Glendale, he made a name for himself with his style of Korean gastropub cooking, launched a meal delivery service and published a cookbook (“Seoul Town Kitchen) and found her place in the high-stakes world of chef competition TV shows.The next Food Network star“she”Chopped Allstars” and last year “Morimoto's Sushi Chef. ”
Recently, Lee Koreaan elegant tasting menu pop-up that opened in a vacant space in Silver Lake last year. Ricardo Zarateof CowshitaHer idea is to offer a modern take on the royal cuisine served during Korea's long Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), but she also works hard to keep her menu affordable, offering a seven-course plus dessert menu for $99 and a five-course plus dessert menu for $79.
I had the chance to try one of her tasting menus in November and loved the flavors and textures of the dishes (mandu with ginger and pork rillettes, wagyu beef tartare with pear, salted egg yolk, shiso and crispy seaweed crackers).
Lee recently introduced a new seasonal menu, but I haven't tried it yet because they brought in two guest chefs this week and last week in celebration of Asian American Heritage Month. Dara YuGordon Ramsay's “chef,” and Duyen HaExperience working in France Alain Passardof ArpegeMauro Colagreco's Mirazur and Gregory Marchandof Frenchie He then established his own wine brand. Bondlestarted out specializing in magnum bottles and has evolved into a kind of curated wine department store, serving as a distribution label for innovative French winemakers (many of whom are women) looking to make it into the US.
At Jo Son this week, Ha blended her experience in fine dining in France with traditional Vietnamese cooking, and one of the most memorable dishes was her take on pho, a rich oxtail and brisket broth scented with Thai and lemon basil, served with wide, silky handmade rice noodles.
“I really wanted to do this to help the next generation of women,” Lee said of hosting Yu and Ha. “When I started working in the kitchen, that wasn't an option. I was the only woman in the kitchen.”
Chef Debbie Lee (left) and guest chef Duyen Ha of Joseon, a pop-up restaurant in Silver Lake.
(Laurie Ochoa/Los Angeles Times)
Lee is also working on his next project. EechaIt's a sequel to the gastropub cuisine she first pioneered. Ange The food truck, set to open later this year in Highland Park, is another way Lee is pivoting and adapting to the changing restaurant industry.
Vegas, baby…
The first time I flew on a plane was to Las Vegas to watch my mother and stepfather get married, and the first time I ate in a restaurant without parental supervision was at the Original Las Vegas Restaurant. MGM Grand (Currently Horseshoe Las VegasThe first time I had club sandwiches, I was around 11 or 12 years old. My sister and I were given permission to go out to lunch, and I think I ordered a club sandwich. With three layers (and extra toast for extra crunch!) and a bold placement that allowed the layers to be seen, this fancy triangular sandwich seemed pretty sophisticated to me back then.
Back then, all-you-can-eat buffets were king, but today buffets are just one part of a vast range of dining options for visitors to Las Vegas. Bill Addison And many others Wolfgang Puck He opened his second restaurant in Las Vegas and sparked the era of star chefs. Spago In 1992 Forum Shop Caesars. (Currently BellagioIt's so common these days for world-class chefs to appear in Las Vegas; of The World's 50 Best Restaurants Selected Wynn Las Vegas This year's awards ceremony will be held on June 5. Wynn has decided to make the most of its chefs' powers and create its own food festival. FestivitiesFeaturing an array of LA chefs, The Feast will feature a stroll through the venue with a tasting experience on June 8th, as well as a masterclass and tasting on June 7th. Yakitori Guy.
Hoping to attract many of the world's greatest chefs, Addison wrote food columnist Jen Harris Deputy Food Editor Betty Hallock We embarked on an epic quest to find the best places to eat in Las Vegas. This is part of a larger series to help you plan your next Las Vegas trip. They chose the $500 12-course omakase restaurant. Ito In Fontainebleau Until late at night Tacos El GordoAccording to Addison, the most underrated fine dining restaurant is Marc VetriRestaurant on the 56th floor Vetri Cucina in Palms Casino Resort. Peking duck is plentiful in high-end Chinese restaurants in Las Vegas. Wing Lei At Wynn.
But if what you're after is a nice, upscale buffet with plenty of hearty options, Hallock says: Enjoy a seafood spectacle at the Wynn buffetIt took the buffet throne with a 60-pound Wagyu beef “steamboat” and endless servings of crab legs. Bacchanale in Caesars Palace.
Dessert tour with Cake Boss
“Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro holds a banana cream pie at Cut by Wolfgang Puck at the Venetian in Las Vegas.
(Hannah Rushton/The Times)
During her research in Las Vegas, Jen Harris Buddy Valastro,alias Cake BossThe reality TV star has a family base Carlos Bakery At the Venetian Resort, the pair embarked on a food tour focused solely on dessert. Dominique AnselValastro, who runs Caesars Palace's Key lime pie and many other sweet treats, told Harris about his growing empire of bakeries and cake vending machines that, combined, go through 20,000 pounds of cake batter a day.
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