Korean BBQ Cookoff

On August 7, 2010 I landed the mini-me and myself at the 2nd Annual Korean BBQ Cookoff in Ktown. I wasn't really planning on being there, though I'd seen the chatter on Twitter in the prior weeks about who was judging, cooking, etc. However, I had business in LA (buying wine at Domaine LA), and figured since I had already made the trek from my little black hole that is the South Bay, I had best make it worth it. Besides the fact that Ktown was (kind of) on the way back to the freeway.


I got there promptly at noon, managed to park at a broken meter (the whole street had broken meters. Interesting...), and walked up to the parking lot where the event was being held. I lifted my nose to the air to smell the rich smells of kalbi beef cooking and was surprised that I smelled nothing but the smell of hot concrete. Apparently, from the buzz that was going around, the fire marshall had only just left, so no one had started cooking yet. The first to get going was Kalbi Burger which nearly immediately had a line going in front of it. That makes sense since burgers cook much faster than short ribs.


Sadly, I only had $20 on me in cash since I hadn't thought it out before I left the house, and each voucher was $5. And each booth was 1 voucher. So I had enough cash for 4 vouchers/booths which wasn't going to get us far.

We managed to get ourselves a delicious Kalbi burger (all burgers should be this good, but I would have liked kimchee on it), some Green Tea short ribs from Hansong and ice cream from Scoops (Westside). That's only $15 you say? Yeah well, the Sprinkles truck was there, and Mini-Me begged. She's cute, so I gave in. And if you give a toddler a cupcake... there's not enough vouchers for me to eat more delicious Korean BBQ.

Since we were there at noon, I didn't get to see the judging by Sandra Oh, Ludo Lefebvre or Jonathon Gold. Toddlers need naps and 2p was our limit in the hot, hot sun. However, if you go to the website, you can see how it played out. It's been almost two weeks now, and I still have an unfulfilled craving for Korean BBQ thanks to the cookoff, so don't be surprised to see me wandering Ktown in search of food. And make sure you say 'hi'.









Korean BBQ Cookoff
http://kbbqcookoff.com/

CotD @ Domaine LA

I needed wine for a wine party I was attending on Saturday, so I made the trek to Domaine LA on Melrose. Domaine LA is run by Jill Bernheimer whom is making a name for herself in the natural wine category, though she would tell you she's 'not a natural wine merchant'. While she does stock a few manufactured wines, the selection leans towards the more interesting natural wines. In particular, I was looking for a wine from the Jura region in France for the party. However, she also carries a particular natural wine that I've developed quite the taste for: La Clarine's White Blend. Simply scrumptious. Jill managed to help me choose my Jura wine, an '09 Labet 'Fleurs' Chardonnay, and for my colleague, '07 Corvidae "The Rook" Cab-Merlot-Syrah blend. Of course I grabbed a bottle of the few remaining LCF White Blends, AND I became customer of the day! Thanks Jill for all your help and I look forward to dropping in again soon!



Domaine LA
6801 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA, 90038

http://domaine547.com/
(323) 932-0280
@domaineLA

Jitlada - Real Southern Thai

If you use Twitter, and you happen to follow the scores of Los Angeles foodies, then you've no doubt heard the names Jitlada or Jazz, and you may have even seen their twitter handle: @jitladaLA. IF you live in LA, then it's likely that you've at one point in your life, tried Thai food. Most denizens of Los Angeles, have, at one point or another, had a pad thai (unless you're allergic to peanuts, in which case: I'm sorry). You can get pad thai at Jitlada, however, if you want to play it that safe, then you'll really be missing out. Jitlada has become known for their 'other menu'. The one in the back pages with the small print. The Southern Thai menu. The most ubiquitous dish thrown around Twitter in regards to Jitlada is their Crispy Morning Glory salad which is made up of fried Chinese water crest, topped with cold fresh shrimp and a spicy (but really more tangy) house dressing. The first time I went to Jitlada, I was still somewhat inebriated from having attended the 2010 LA Wine Fest, so this was the only dish that really struck a chord with me, and it's the reason I went back. But I didn't stop there.


Crispy Morning Glory Salad


Crab Fried Rice


Kaeng Tai Khai "Mang-Kon" - Southern curry, jicama & salted egg-yolk stuffed fish balls


Crying Tiger - grilled beef in spicy lime juice


Kob Thawt - deep fried frog legs with turmeric and garlic


Plaa-Lai Nam Tao - stir fried eel filet in a dry southern curry with pumpkin


Spicy Sugar Brown Chicken - stir fried crispy chicken and green beans in a southern curry sauce


Poo Nim Pad Pong Karee - deep fried soft shell crab sauteed with curry powder and vegetables.


Jungle Curry Lamb - tender lamb with Thai egglant in a spicy jungle curry


Sticky Rice



Green Mussels Curry - Fresh New Zealand Green Mussels in a southern curry with pineapples

Words to the wise: Jitlada is known for the fire, so if you can't handle the heat, ask them to tone it down. And, the service on a weekend night is slow and rather forgetful. What should have been a 2 hour meal at most was a 3 hour meal, with multiple requests for basic things; beverages and sticky rice. However, if you know that going in, it's not that big of an issue. Thanks to @AriannaLA @twohungrypandas @limer35 @KungFoodPanda @elyknostrebor and @TylerSaysWhat for joining me for dinner. Sorry to @chefludo @FrenchChefWife and @MyLastBite for holding up your table.

Jitlada Restaurant
5233 W Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027
@JitladaLA
(323) 663-3104

Ramen Girl

The best part of living in the South Bay, is the close proximity to Gardena and all things Asian (though predominantly Japanese). Noodles I can find in abundance, sushi on every corner and the occasional Chinese or Korean joint, just to even things out. My grandparents live in Gardena, therefore, I spent a great deal of my childhood there. When my new friend Danny (Kungfoodpanda) invited me to Mottainai the other night, I jumped at the chance.

Several reasons for my excitement; most of my foodie friends live in LA, so having someone come down to me was nice. Mottainai is in the Pacific Square Marketplace which is where the Marukai (formerly the Meiji Market of my youth) is. Also in the square is the Sanrio store my grandparents used to take me, and the though it's gone, Murata Pearl is where I got my ears pierced. The Sea Empress Chinese Restaurant is also in Pacific Square, and though it's been said that it's not as good as anything in SGV (San Gabriel Valley), it's where my family has gone for the last 20+ years for banquets. Needless to say, this particular location holds quite a bit of history for me, and it's nice to walk down memory lane, even if it's to try something new.

Mottainai has been open only for a short while. Since April 2010 actually. The first good sign was the line of people waiting to eat. The store is rather small, and tucked away in a corner. Truth be told, while I was negotiating the parking lot, I didn't even see the signage. I only knew where I was going by seeing the people waiting. We had a short wait to get in, I think maybe 15 minutes. Once in, we were seated at the bar as all the tables were full. This was more than fine since we were separated from the kitchen by a short glass partition.

The menu is short. You have a choice of 3 typles of ramen: Tokyo (Shoyu), Yokohama (Tonkotsu) and Sapporo (Miso). On top of that, you have the option of adding 'stuff'; egg, chicken, seaweed, etc. You also have a choice to add a 'Bomb', either garlic or spicy. I ordered the tonkotsu with an egg and the spicy bomb. Danny ordered the miso with egg and spicy bomb. Before we added the bombs into our broth (they came on the side), we tasted the broth. The Yokohama is your basic pork broth. Nothing fancy. But I didn't come for fancy ramen, I wanted the real deal, and I got it. I threw in about half my bomb since I wanted a kick, but didn't want to sweat my way through my meal. I tried a bit of the miso ramen that Danny ordered, and while it had good flavor, it wasn't really my speed.

If I had to do it again, I would order the same that I did, only add more seaweed. The pricing was fair, about $9 including the egg and bomb adds. Some would think that high for ramen, but it was a large portion that I simply couldn't finish. I might try to go back this weekend if I can find the time. My daughter loves ramen as well and I think this place would make her happy.


Yokohama Freaker with Egg and Fire Bomb (on the side) - Pork broth, green onions, bamboo, seaweed and char siu.




Mottainai Ramen
1630 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Ste 9
Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 538-3250
mottainairamen.com