Magnum: A Little Taste

With the recent proliferation of pop ups and underground restaurants in the Los Angeles food scene, it's easy to think that the whole concept has jumped the shark. However, I believe in 'evolve or die' as nothing should stay too static, or interest will be lost. When Joseph Mahon of Bastide announced his departure a few weeks back, there was widespread curiosity over what he would be doing next. We didn't have to wait long. Last week it was confirmed that Joseph would be doing a two day pop up with the 'Wine Pimp' David Haskell in Korea Town at Biergarten. I immediately jumped on the reservation as Biergarten is one of my favorite new places, and I am already familiar with the expertise of David's wine pairings. Joseph was the only variable in this equation, but if I was to believe what everyone has been saying, it was pretty well guaranteed. This first pop up of the MAGNUM Crew is a precursor to a 3 month stint (location pending).



I invited my friend Summer, The Catty Critic and the prettier half of I Flip for Food to join me on my culinary adventure. What took place was a 3.5 hour excursion through a taste bud safari. 3 of us went for the supplemental courses, and one wine pairing was split 3 ways as we had a non drinker, a driver and two people with small children at home. Hangovers need not apply.

We began with the Carrot Pudding which was a creamy, curry carrot pudding with orange granita and shaved peanuts. The pudding was perfectly light, with just a touch of the curry. The orange granita was a nice accompaniment and the peanuts did much to add just a bit of texture. David paired the pudding with a champagne, which is always a nice way to start a meal. NV Jules et Michel Beauchamp is a rosé blend of 3 grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. This champagne is on the sweeter side and a little fruit forward, but not overwhelmingly so. It was lovely with the curry.

If I were to only eat one thing, every day, for the rest of my life, I would choose what came next. The Coconut Soup. The base was a cilantro pistou, that was ever so softly caressed with coconut. The effect was that the cilantro wasn't the focus. In my opinion, a great thing as I'm not the biggest cilantro fan. I generally find that it takes away from the other flavors. At the bottom of the bowl were several mussels sitting on a bed of tapioca. YUM! And floating in the middle was a tempura fried mushroom. It was agreed by the ladies who dined that we wanted to drink straight from the bowl. And ask for seconds. David chose to pair this course with Sake. The Wakatake 'Onikoroshi' Junmai Daiginjo from the Shizuoka Prefecture was silky smooth, and delicate on the finish. This particular sake is only served chilled, which, in my humble opinion is the only way to enjoy good sake. Save the hot stuff for sake bombs.

Next up was the first of the supplemental dishes that were priced at a nominal $10 (for both and included the pairing!). The wild mushrooms were in a bearnaise mousse with dashi and pork cheeks. Covering the whole was a crispy dome made of rice. I loved that Joseph went with pork cheek over pork belly. My only gripe was that the rice paper, while initially crunchy, soon became gummy and got stuck in my teeth. The entire table was trying to surreptitiously pick their teeth, which was kind of entertaining. The wine for this course was a lovely Chenin Blanc: 2006 Domaine Jo Pithon 'Les Blanches Bergeres' I got tropical fruits on the nose and palate. Some acidity, but not unpleasantly so.

It seems every chef in LA has his/her take on fried chicken, and Joseph certainly had some followers of his fried chicken at Bastide. This version was boneless dark meat with a non greasy crispy skin. I am, as a rule, not big on fried chicken. Joseph converted me. Served alongside an arugula salad with dried tomato, radish and crunchy lardons with a buttermilk dressing, this chicken was the talk of the evening. David's pairing, he said, was designed to be like a jam, and jammy it was. Bold and darkly fruity, the 2007 G. Moulinier 'Les Sigillaires' was round on the tannins and not overly complex. David's choices in reds worked for me as I don't like reds high in tannin.

Butterfish and Belgium Beer. Who would have thunk it? David paired BEER with fish. Fish that wasn't deep fried and served in a newspaper. Joseph threw a little of the Korean influence into this course, and seeing as we were in KTown, it was appropriate. Served on a bed of pickled cabbage, cucumber and daikon radish, with a kimchi broth, the fish had just the hint of the kick of kimchee. I love butterfish for it's delicate texture and almost sweetness of the meat. The Brouwerij Bosteels 'Tripel Karmeliet' (Triple Caramel) was smooooth for a beer. Just a bit fruity/citrusy. Here is a beer that I could drink regularly.

The second of the supplemental dishes was the duck confit with black vinegar sauce on a bed of lentils and Swiss chard. The lentils were perfectly cooked, which is somewhat rare. I'm used to them being underdone, but they were almost caviar-like in their perfection. David's description of the pairing for this course was funny. First, he had us smell the wine, and it smelled promising: hint of animale, with a stony/smoky edge. Then he had us take a sip, without having any of the duck first. The 2008 Pithon-Paillé Bourgueil Gravier was super sour on the tongue, and almost a painful disappointment. Then he had us take a bite of the duck, making sure the lentils were included, and take another sip: ahhh, there it is. A few emotionss: sad that the wine needed that much help, and happiness that David found the help it needed. It's definitely not a wine that I would drink on it's own, which means that it's not one I will be purchasing. However, it was an educational experience, and went a long way to showcase an expert sommelier.

We finished our meal with a fried ginger bread waffle, liberally sprinkled with sugar, served on clover honey and topped with cranberries and creme fraiche. I think it was a bit too sweet for me with the added sugar. And the clover honey is such a strong honey. But I love dessert in all forms and would have eaten more if it had only been available. This last course was paired with Jinro 'Chamisul Soju'. Soju and waffles. Soju is usually a bit on the rubbing alcohol side. I don't know anyone else even attempting to pair soju. Kudos to David for pulling it off.

Anyone who knows me knows my general distaste for tasting menus as one tends to both arrive and leave hungry. This is, of course, a blanket statement and does not include all circumstances. Needless to say, I left stuffed to the brim and in something of a post Thanksgiving dinner coma. This was just a preview of what's going to take place, which means Los Angeles is about to get lucky. And I mean lucky in the sense that we won't be doing a dingo gnaw the morning after. Bastide's loss is David's gain. I can't wait to see what the Magnum Crew has in store for the future. I also need to give Neil of Biergarten a lot of credit for letting these 'pimps and gangstas' take over his place for a spell. I can only imagine the shenanigans taking place behind the scenes. Well done Joseph and David. Félicitations et bonne chance.

Photos courtesy of The Catty Critic