Ludobites at Royal-T Fooddigger Preview Dinner: He's Back

The Berzerk French Chef

Ludo Lefebvre is back at it yet again, this time going with the Japanese feel of his new venue Royal-T, an Akihabara fangled art space and--gorgeous maid served--cafe located in the center of the continuously restaurant booming epicenter of Culver City.





Thanks to the food enthusiast folk over at Fooddigger, a set preview dinner for a few fortunate bloggers was set to take place a day before the highly anticipated opening night of Dec. 2. An esteemed position indeed, given how he will be slinging his skills for only Fourteen day's hereafter this event, I heard some rezziez were even being sold on ebay or something?

I myself just couldn't wait to taste how his rendition of my families Mole would turn out and what the hell he was going to with it, after the day-long Cabral Mole Boot Camp Session, I knew he had the technique down, but knowing Ludo's unruly approach? I had no idea...

Keeping with the Fooddigger passion for good food, good drinks and good times, the early birds were greeted with a couple of splendid liquid ice breakers, boy they smelled good!


San Tomas: Slovenian and Smooth


Chartogne Taillet: Dry and Crispy

In a matter of minutes, I was socializing around and got to see which other foodblogger homiez were around:
Caroline on Crack
Gourmet Pigs
Food She Thought
Kevin Eats
LA-OC Foodventures
Active Foodie
Kung Food Panda>
Gastronomy Blog
LAist
FoodGPS
Elina Shatkin from The Los Angeles Times
Rachel Hirschfeld

Not wasting too much time, we were showed to our designated eating quarters and the French-Japanese Fusion was to shortly begin.

Before anything started, I was personally lured away by Chef Ludo into the small kitchen, actually smaller than what he had to work with over at his Breadbar series before.


Kitchen Confrontation

And then...there it was! In all it's sweet, rustic and frenchified glory: A black olive enhanced rendition of my Mom's Mole. Keeping ENTIRELY old school, keeping the rustic texture, its sweet and spicy balanced dominance over only the subtlest of subtle notes of fruity olive. My mom would be proud.


Mexican-French Mole

Back at the table, Ludo's significant other, Krissy, made every foodblogger realize what they really wanted for Christmas and actually got a professional food photography artificial light box. No more complaints about incandescent lighting in restaurants anymore! She said the box will be available everyday for the patrons food immortalizing pleasures.


All The Better to Look At You My Pretty...

But enough of this required ambiance stuff already, on to the food finally!

1st

Creamy and Buttery

Scallop, Brown Butter, Pineapple & Black [Squid Ink] Powder
Just when I thought the natural creaminess of a good, raw scallop couldn't get any better, its highlighted even more with the aid of the nutty, smooth brown butter and the naturally protein-tenderizing bromelaine of the pineapple. Squid ink powder was only my palates suspicion for its dull, and characterless flavor, and turned out to be true after inquiring, did not do much more other than adding a stunning visual appeal though, nonetheless, genius.

Was totallly harmonious with the accompanying white, a light and oaky '08 Spanish Nava.




2nd

This Can’t be Carbs..or Could it?

Bread Soup [and Rare, Coddled Egg] with Gruyere Marshmallow
Like shaving all the deep, dark crust off an artisan winter bread and eating it--buttered of course--in liquefied form. For the crust oriented, this will be great. The Gruyere marshmallow turned out to be fluffy and super light, not what you would expect. Best part was the hidden egg within the soup, yolk caught right before the stage of soft-boiled, a congealed, lipid induced swoon!


2 oz. of Foie a Pop! : Almost knocked Out The Glutster Even

Foie Gras Beignet [w/ a Port Glaze], Celery Root Remoulade
Just when you think the Ludo-meister couldn’t get any more animated with his Foie Gras antics, he busts out with this, probably the premiere epicurean indulgence of L.A at the moment, elegantly brimming with two unctuous ounces of the high quality stuff. This is only my third time having the stuff, so it's still an acquired decadence I have yet to master, yes I couldn't finish it. Like eating duck flavored butter...straight up!

The next flight of wine was a dominating, tannic and beefy 2003 Chateau Charmail: Haut-Medog Bordeaux that tamed that rich duck and rekindled my appetite for fat yet again.


3rd

Lean Squid to The Rescue!

Squid, Chorizo Oil, Kimchee Puree & Red Onions
Lean squid was like a godsend after the richness assault of the previous course, Chorizo oil was everyone's favorite, Red Onions and the Kimchee puree cleaned up our palates with their spicy zing.

4th

Veal Stock meet Udon

Veal, Udon, Kombu Dashi, Mushrooms & Sesame Miso
This dish best captured what Ludo was going for in this edition of Ludobites, melding his incorruptible French upbringing with this venues theme. The Broth was beautiful with those caramelized onions, the Udon noodles were kept in tact, with that signature snap and slurp. Veal itself was a bit tough and stringy but that wasn't the point here.

5th

Wide Flaked but Still Tender

Wild Striped Bass, Garden Vegetables, Aioli
At this point, I'm realizing Ludo is pretty much always solid when it comes to Seafood. The Aioli picked up in richness where the fish leaves off. Vegetables were also something to go home and write about with such an elegant texture on their own.

6th

What You Guys Have All Been Waiting For

Marinated Hanger Steak, Crunchy Escargot, [Grilled] Baby Corn, Bok Choy & Black Olive Mole
Ludo definitely had his way with it (Crispy Escargot?!) that's for sure, demoting it to a supporting role in the plate with that meager smear of it, instead of the exuberant star, which it always is--and should be. But then again, it was a lot sweeter and unrefined. Nonetheless, it was fine for a first time attempt from a guy that's never had it before other than the time I taught him, it'll due Ludo, it'll due. The grilled baby corn--husk and all--was an awesome touch, purveying that deep, sweet corn taste that fresh, handmade Tortillas deliver when one is eating it. Don't know what the Bok Choy was doing there though?

7th

Like a French Cheesecake

Fourme d' Ambert Tourte, Red Pears, Honey-Balsamic
Creamy, sweet, nutty french cheese encased between two really flaky puff pastries...need I say more? Red Pear slice finished faster than the tart. Balsamic was sweet and sour--

8th

Mmmmm....Spicy and Chocolaty

Chocolate Cake [w/pink peppercorns], Coconut Sorbet [soup], Caramel Coffee
Ethereally creamy and flourless-like in texture, the simple addition of crispy and spicy peppercorns is what makes this stand out, creating this stimulating feeling of wanting more! Coconut soup was nice n' coooool.

With such experimental food, the humble and always curious Ludovic Lefebvre is the living example that not all French Chefs are snobby.

To many more infinitely progressive Ludobites and perhaps a permanent spot soon!

And thanks again to the food-serious people at Fooddigger, for making the effort to make spectacular events and dinners like these happen and finally providing a effective measure for all to reliably find out about Los Angeles restaurants.

LudoBites and Royal/T
8910 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
310.559.6300

Real Rio: Rio Brazil Café

Regional fare of whatever country I think is the main fuel of most food enthusiasts. How food changes via the climate, the terrain, the beliefs, etc. never fails to endlessly fascinate me. Oh, how great it feels to discover a sub-cuisine within a wider known cuisine that caters to your edible whims!

My personal whims happen to be those of the tropical persuasion, EXOTIC, I guess is the more accepted food adjective. Bold, rich, pungent, intense! Things with coconut, fish byproducts, obscure vegetables, exclusive fruits, rare fats…for some reason the food from humid places by the sea. Again, this proved true with the exciting food of the Rio De Janeiro region of Brazil. The preeminent use of the unique-tasting Dende oil (palm seed) is commonplace thorough out its cuisine, along with an elevated love of salt, the food here is definitely not like that of a Churasqueria, the stereotyped Brazilian food here in the U.S.



Rio Brazil Café is located in the newly burgeoning “Little Brazil” district of West L.A, a little area that spans between Culver City and Santa Monica and a little neighborhood known as Palms. In a strip mall, it is actually the 3rd reincarnation of a Brazilian restaurant in the same place and hopefully the last…



Luciene Peck offers her specialty dishes daily but even the foodiest of eyes would have trouble spotting the meek whiteboard outside that nonchalantly flaunts these extrinsic dishes.



Inside, a tropic hue of green welcomes you in, and it’s only a matter of time until your head starts to bob to the easygoing beats of the Samba dancers tooting on the widescreen TV.




Malagueta

To start off, Salgadiñhos are the Brazilian answer to convenience foods, fried savory pouches filled with things that range from spiced shredded chicken (Coxinha) to straight up fried molten cheese (Boliño’s), when moderated, all the better to vastly enjoy with some of that palate stimulating Malagueta Pepper sauce that she makes in house. Now is the perfect time to introduce the drinks, Jugo de Caju (Cashew Apple Juice) is sometimes a bit bland but the tart and zippy Jugo de Maracuya will do just fine.




Feijoada

Aside from the best restaurant rendition I’ve had of Brazil’s more acquainted national dish of Feijoada, a thick stew full with al dente black beans, various salted pig parts and Lincuica sausage, Luciene prepares other Rio standards such as Muqueca, the coconut milk and Dende oil concoction with sweet peppers, onions, garlic and always a little extra love. Here she makes two versions, one with wide flaked Red Snapper fillets and another with tender, bright-tasting Hearts of Palm, both rich in their significant ways.


Heart of Palm Muqueca

She serves all three of these with another personal favorite staple: Farofa, dehydrated Yucca (Cassava) meal that is lightly fried up…starch in its purest, no-frills form. It adds a humble crunch.


Farofa, Rice, Collard Greens & Oranges: Traditional accouterments to Feijoada

Bobo de Camarao is another rare dish, plump shrimp braised with a dende and herbs enhanced puree of that super creamy Cassava root.



Abobora con Carne is another home-style typical plate amongst Carioca families, an exceptionally salty mash up of pumpkin, salt-cured Carne Seca (dried beef) that she prepares herself and more of that illustrious Lincuica sausage. Here, she adapts it by using Butternut squash in place of Brazilian pumpkin unavailable in the U.S. A compromise I don't mind.



If you’re really lucky, you’ll spot Casquinha de siri scribbled on the whiteboard, if you do…GET IT. Who would pass up a Carioca version of a Crab casserole baked in a clay dish?



Sweets get an equal amount of love. A silky, sharp Passionfruit Mousse is presented beautifully, dotted with a couple of crisp whole encased seeds on top and served on a shot cup angled on the bias.



Her Flan de Coco topped with Blackberries would rival even the smoothest of Panna Cota’s, droopy and creamy in texture unlike the more Angeleno-associated molded and stable Mexican Flan, nonetheless equally satiating for the sweet tooth inclined.



And if that still is not enough…she makes her own Brigadeiro, milk chocolate truffles.




A few month’s ago, Rio Brazil Cafe was about to close its doors. But thanks to a steady stream of coverage due to the efforts of the Brazilian enamored Street Gourmet LA, who even started a Twitter account for them, this place has been able to slowly turn around.

And I surely hope that it stays like that.

*Call before for availability of Feijoada, might only be on weekends.

Rio Brazil Cafe
3300 Overland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 558-3338

The Taste of the Nation, The Taste of Alhambra: A day of Conquest and Passion (not for the sqeamish)

In my goal in life to one day, get paid to eat, today was a milestone.

When people find out how profound my passion for food is, they tend to treat me differently. Most, just brush me off as some sort of weirdo, some reply with the automatic "why are you so skinny!?" and of course, the imminent envious non sequitur of "just wait until you get older..." is sure to follow.

In this case, for the first time ever, it got me on the "comped" list for an event of such massive proportions, The Taste of the Nation.

Can anyone imagine the degree of my anticipation? I almost couldn't sleep, these were all the restaurants I only dream of eating at, the places where the closest I get are the countless hours spent revering over their online menu's.

And...oooh, did I seize the day.

I tasted almost every single thing from every single booth, and still went back for seconds after those appalling feelings of utter disgust occasionally popped up.

From my first encounter with Foie Gras in the form form of a "foie gras nutty buddy" ice cream cone from Sunset Restaurant (flavor reminded me of some distant cast-off cousin of bologna) to the ambrosial richnesses of Melisse's meltingly tender "Liberty Duck Breast" with buttery, creamy polenta and the season's first sweet cherries, I saw just how beautiful life can be.

I can't obviously list all of them, so here are some of my most venerated.
(To make sure I got to sample everything, I tasted whatever was offered by the booth at the time I went to them. So, I would swith radically between "entree" and "dessert", I'm not such a stickler for for that kind of structure yet, but I noticed a lot of people their were):
Simon L.A: An extremely light and refreshing "Jumbo Lump Crab Salad".
Napa Valley Grille: Niman Ranch "Braised Short Ribs" with Polenta.
Ciudad: Vegan "Watermelon and Ca. Avocado Ceviche w/ Agar-Agar Jelly cubes"
M Cafe: Vegan Carrot Cake, Macademia Nut Brownie, Pistachio Macaroon.
Providence: Luscious "Valrhona White Chocolate Saffron Cremeux, Apricots, Black Olive Nougatine", oh my god.
Sona: "Braised Pork Belly, Smoked Eggplant puree, Celery Root-Shiso Salad"
Ford's Filling Station: "Smoked Trout Brandade", silky.
Joes's Restaurant/Bar Pintxo: "Passionfruit Tapioca with Coconut Granita"!
Little Dom's: "Pistachio Cannoli"!
Fraiche: "White Gazpacho with Marcona Almonds and Scallops",mmmmmm.
Angeli Caffe: "Riccota gnocchi", voluptious.
K-ZO: "Spicy Tuna on Brown Rice Cracker", crispy!
AK: "Cognac Salmon Gravlax, Pumpernickel Crostini, Expresso Honey Mustard"
Citrus at Social: "Kit Kat Bar" (Hazelnut Wafer with Dark Chocolate Ganache)
Boa Steakhouse: 12 Hour Smoked Kobe Brisket, dissolving.

These were only SOME of the ones I liked the best, and this was without all the free booze (damn those staunch utopian protestants!)

As you may have noticed, I have still much practice due to merit the art of "pacing myself". Especially since The Taste of Alhambra happened to also be on the same day, and I was not going to let the little fact of both being on the same day ruin either experience for me, so...I went to both. The black hole which is my stomach had trouble accepting that decision, but like my great guru Jonathan Gold enlightened me with at the event, "you get used to it".

Since my self-esteem was at an all time high, I managed to get in to this free as well (just said I was on the "press list" and "walked in like I owned the place") fortunately for me but unfortunate for Alhambra, it was the exact same thing as last year. A corporate, franchise bonanza teeming with dull, bland, pedestrian, flavors biasly aimed for the masses: sickly sweet things from "Tony Toma's", "T.G.I.F Fridays", "Red Brick Pizza"...need I say more.

In fact, the best thing I had was this Phyllo pastry cup filled with whipped goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes, courtesy of the culinary art class at San Gabriel High School, I am serious. Aside from that, the only other thing that really stood out were the Collard Greens from Angelenas Southern Food, just like last year.

If it makes anyone feel better, I enjoyed every single thing I ingested today, oh yeah, and I walked all the way home, to still live to tell the tale (from Alhambra to East L.A: 2 1/2 hrs).

A day full of conquest and fueled with nothing more than cheap, sustainable passion.

Missing "The Point": Culver City

Is it weird if you say the exact same thing that Mr. L.A Food Guru himself said about a place...even before you read this week's Weekly?

Well, I somehow made my way into The Point to help me out in deciding whether I really want to do this for a living (see if my intuition would match with Mr. Gold's himeself) And what happened? Well, it was a hybrid of TenderGreens and The Counter(just how i stipulated) but where you could pay $10 for a great Salad, freshly pulled from the ground or even a couple more to get your naughty way's with a burger, who would want to come here?

The greens are fresh, but not as fresh as the former salad slingers. And if you stay within their price guidelines ($7.50 for 3 additional ingredients not counting any protein; tuna, chicken, tofu=$2.50-3.25) you end up with a pretty lame salad that leaves you thinking "I could of done this at home". If you decide to "get crazy" as I did (still slap myself for getting Manchego and Seared Tuna at the same time, but I was starving!) you'll end up paying $14-$15!

And for the reputation of the chef, is it too much to ask for some sort of flair to differentiate? Maybe some marinated veggies here and there or good quality ___________ Farms produce? My supporting companion--the only reason this blog is still alive--slashed of the little Carrot checkbox and all he got were these woody, irregularly sliced orange slabs that were barely edible. The Tuna was good though, almost as soft as it's Sashimi counterparts. But that was about it, the Manchego chesse dangerously looked like the pre-grated Kraft stuff, and it was missing that profound nutiness that could only be acquired from sheep's milk, I don't knooowwwww.....

I just don't get "The Point"

The Point
8522 National Blvd
Culver City, CA
90232
ph: 310.836.8400

Fasting For Fassica

Ethiopian food has been one of the few cuisines that I had not tried yet, and I think it is one of the few foods that I am not yet ready for. I hope it was just the restaurant. I had read about this little place a while back but never realized that it was so close to our dining range.


I didn’t really know what to expect, at all. The place itself was pretty empty, just us and some other table, but then again, it was a Tuesday night. I was pretty starving, like usual. I knew they were known for their vegetarian options so of course chose the Vegetarian Combination, which came with several different stews and their salad. But since I’m still trying to gain a little weight, also ordered the “Alicha Wot”(Mild Lamb Stew delicately seasoned with garlic, ginger, and other spices) and an additional “Yeshiro Alicha”(Powdered peas sauce, seasoned with assorted spices) since it wasn’t offered with the latter combination.


The order came pretty fast. Everything we ordered served on one huge platter with an abundance of the Injera just about everywhere, stacked on the side and underneath all the food serving it as a plate and eating utensils for everything. Thin, spongy and sour in taste and texture with a crepe-like appearance, this is what Tortillas are for Mexicans bur times 100. (I thought I had it bad).


Never having tried this before, I wasn’t sure if it was just I or it was the food. Everything kind of had that unsatisfying “buffet taste”; you know the one when something has been kept alive by heat lamps for several hours taste? Yeah.that one. The lamb had an extremely gamy taste since the meat contained many small bones almost in every bite, only allowing me to eat very little of it. Very tough and dry. The Cabbage Stew (Atkilit Alicha) your usual combination of potatoes and carrots but this one tasted excessively starchy that still did not compare with the overpowering taste of paprika in it. The Collard Greens (Gomen Wot) was very reminiscent of spinach and being that I don’t like cooked greens, couldn’t past this neither. The two lentil stews were probably the highlight of the night. Although still dry, the tastes were not too strong for me. I couldn’t take the Alicha Wot at all. Since the peas were dried, the taste was so concentrated. It was like eating a whole bowl of peas in one injera-full. The salad wasn’t great neither, tomatoes and onions and bagged romaine lettuce all in some Italian-like dressing.


Half ways through the meal, the lady/chef came over and instructed us on eating everything with the injera only. I must have eaten a yard of this stuff. Even though it was weird in taste and texture, I still couldn’t stop myself from eating it. Ethiopian food is one of the few cuisines in the world was not influenced, fused or blended with any other culture. So maybe it was just my weak modern palate that couldn’t handle the ancient, rustic flavors of this unique cuisine. But with all this, I am still looking forward to trying it again. But next time maybe somewhere different.
Fassica

10401 Washington Blvd,
Culver City, CA
90232
(310) 815-8463

Inspirating Tender Greens

Appearing to be part of Ford's Filling Station and unbelievably hard to find, this little unheard of place turned out to be just what i was craving for. Being grilling season and all i've been having a hankering for just about anything charred and smoky but since i'm not a hardcore carnivore, i knew that it wasn't going to be easy to find a place were they not only focused on meat but also on veggies.


As soon as i walked in, i knew I was going to like it. It runs kind of like a Sbarro or Subway(c'mon don't pretend you've never been to any of those places). You order first and you watch them make your salad of choice right in front of your eyes. The first thing i liked is you know how in most places you happen to be interested in both an entree salad and an entree? Well here, you get to choose both! so you could have your Baby Spinach with Goat Cheese and Roasted Hazelnuts and the rare Line Caught Ahi Tuna with Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and a little slice of Garlic Crouton.

And to satisfy my picky cravings even more, i even added some nice, blackened slices of Roasted Veggies on top of my salad. So i get what would of probably been 3 different plates in any other restaurant all in one! For only 10 bucks! for dinner! on the Westside! Simply amazing, why can't every restaurant be like this.


And although that little mountain of greens, the little scoop of potatoes and those 4 little thin slices of Tuna doesn't look as filling as the thick slabs of meat or seafood you might find anywhere else, don't worry! The restaurant is just doing you a favor by filling you with their amazing salad and providing you with more of those rising necessary servings of Fruits and Vegetables.


I decided to get the "Fresh Line Caught Ahi Tuna Hot Plate" with Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and the "simple salad" for which the restaurant got it's name for, Tender Greens with Sherry Vinagaraitte and to add some "hot stuff" which in this case was the grilled veggies. The Tuna was perfectly seared, completely pink on the inside, just how i had been craving. Although it was kind of cool by the time we sat down and ate, i didn't mind since it was so perfect, especially when you forked it up with a big dallop of creamy mashed potatoes. The salad greens were fresh and tender, hence the name but i don't know why i don't seem to like vinegar in it's almost pure form, must be the smell. That still didn't stop me from eating it, but i enjoyed my dad's goat cheese salad better, the Hazelnuts somehow tasted exactly like Nutella.


They had many interesting choices for dessert of course revolving around chocolate such as Aztec Cocoa Brownies but unfortunately they were already out today so we tried the Devils Food Cupcake with Toffee Frosting(the last one might i add) but since i'm not a diehard choco-holic like the rest of my family, i got the Carrot Cake With Frosting. We usually share one dessert but since it was so cheap, i decided to try it. The Carrot Cake was shaped like a cookie but had the texture of a cake. It was moist not dry like in most places, and filled with Walnuts and little shreds of carrot. Very good. The cupcake was well chocolate but the frosting, which was was also on the carrot cake was the best, creamy and rounding out the little dryness of both confections.


"Summer Cuisine" if there ever such a label.