El Dia De Los Reyes Is Tomorrow! Where Will You Be Getting Your King's Bread?

Savoring the Holiday Foods Season To The Last Crumb! Dia De Los Reyes Magos


Its kind of hard to believe that the two best food-tradition days of the year are already over. Well...if you weren't raised hardcore Catholic or are Mexican that is!



Rosca De Reyes: The Forgotten Holiday Treat


I'm just hyping up for it now to be honest. And, its not too late! To be honest, I don't really know much about the actual history (could Wikipedia it and give you the whole blogger-typical spiel but naaaah). I'll just give you my mom's version.

(translated)

"Well, the celebration takes place every 6th of January of the year. Since cute, baby Jesus has already been born. You pray, sing and make a festive dinner of some sort. Colaciones, colorful, sugar candies with an anise-seed center are given to little kids. You then look for a godmother to buy the baby Jesus doll a fancy wardrobe makeover that includes open-feet Mexican Huarachitos and a gold-linked crown."

"In Mexico, you would do it during the late evening before the actual day. So on the offical day of celebration, the baby would wake up surrounded with candies and little gifts. And then, during dinner, we finally get to eat the Rosca de Reyes. There could be up to 4 teeny-tiny baby Jesus's baked right into it so be careful not to eat Jesus! You are to cut it up in small pieces and share the cake. Whoever is blessed with the baby-stuffed piece is the lucky recipient of a Tamale-Atole based dinner on the 2nd of February thrown in their honor. And that is all about the 3 Kings!"

She then continues to add, "and SOMETIMES...there are people who hide the baby doll, or even eat it! All to not have to throw a party!"

Well, there you have it. Straight from the source!

What about the bread?! Well, think of one continual, oversize piece of typical Concha (the most common form of Mexican Pan Dulce. If not a concha, then a piece of Filipino PandeSal braed. Still no? Well, ok...some King's Hawaiian bread then! Except a bit denser and richer, the bread is usually yeasted and made with whole or condensed milk and lotsa butter. There should be some sort of spice flavor to it. Most places use crushed pieces of cinnamon, kind of like the more popular Pan De Muerto? And then topped with the sparse stripes of sweet, crunchy strudel and extra chewy, dried pieces of prettily-colored fruit like figs, cherries and quince!





It's So Pretty When Its All Dolled Up With Egg Wash!


And of course...all in the shape of a huge 2-3 foot oval. With a piping hot cup of thick, Chocolatito Caliente to dunk it in? ...dayuuum.

I know down South during Mardi Gras, they also celebrate with something like this. They call it Kings Bread (direct translation even!) but don't know how they are connected. All I know it is equally bomb to eat. Although, there's of the more fluffy--cinnamon roll like--variety, glazed, sugared, then stuffed with maple, brown-sugar cream cheese filling.



Compare/Contrast: Mardi Gras Kings Cake Overflowing With a Cream Cheese-Maple-Brown Sugar Filling


I had the most exemplary of ones when I joined the SAVEUR Magazine offices for a staff lunch last year.

You can get these bad bready boys at just about any Mexican, South, or Central American bakery anywhere not in West L.A. They usually advertise with huge banners or opaque window drawings so just look for a cartoony king.

My mom has grown fond of the extravagantly buttery ones at La Favorita bakery. They have a couple of locations but I like to go to the one on Whittier Blvd. in front of Salazar Park aka. my old hoood yo! I literally lived in the neighboring storefront for a large part of my adolescence, well at least long enough to not get asked "Where you from!" from the local L.P.V'sters. Well, except one cold, metall-y time, but that is a different story.

But fear not Westsiders, La Monarca Bakery just opened a new Panaderia in Santa Monica a few weeks ago. The Rosca de Reyes will be available here all day tomorrow. you will pay a little more but at least you will get the jizz of it (ha, ha). Although, I will say that my mom went to La Monarca to give them a try and still ended up getting La Favorita. (She even brought back the sample piece they were giving out to rub it in my face!)

Ahhh Raaaaaaza!

La Favorita Bakery
3865 Whittier Blvd.
Los Angeles,
CA 90033
ph: 877-231-8168
(Inside Strip Mall)

http://lafavoritabakery.net/

La Monarca Bakery
1300 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 451-1114

http://www.lamonarcabakery.com/

Mariscos Chente: Sneak That Snook Baby

Chente Signage

I remember when Bill of Street Gourmet L.A first told me about this place. He would tell me about how Sergio, the Sinaloan cook was doing some damn complex sauces like no other chef in town. He would tell me how Magdalena, the Nayarit born owner and mother in Law of Sergio would go a couple of times a month all the way to Mazatlan just to get the utmost freshest seafood, since they both simply did not like what was readily available here.

And I remember the first time he brought me there, maybe half a year ago, and being blown the hell way. It must of been the first time I pleasurably ate shrimp since an unfortunate Charroleada incident in San Pedro (Ports-O-Call) where I had eaten a WHOLE tray of their "you buy we fry" Shrimp Fajitas, followed by a condensed-milk-stuffed Churro and then popcorn and then ugh.

These Mazatlan shellfish are somehow meatier and sweeter, rather than snappy and blandish like the associated rest. Of course, masterful sauces only elevate these properties such as Camarones Borrachos where the emulsified sauce is elaborated with a couple dashes of some Tequilita, even the basic ground pepper preparation en pimienta conjured deep feelings of swoon.

A couple of months back, they had unveiled a couple of new tricks up their sleeve:


Albondigas De Camaron: Shrimp Meatball Soup

A seafood rendition of the Mexican soup meal classic of Albondigas, the rustic broth is loaded with celery, carrots and aromatic of shrimp shells. A pleasant sting is courtesy of ground Jalapeños, tomatoes and cilantro. The shrimp-only meatball's are bound only by egg yolks and nothing more, which results in a firm, snappy bite.

Taco unveilings always excite me, here, the shrimp and fish varieties were decent if I hadn't been spoiled by the ones we had in our Taco Task Force: Fish Taco Edition, a different style here with a thin breading, thinly shredded cabbage and a homemade 1000 dressing.


Fish Taco: Love Me That Mayonnaise

The taco to behold here was the Taco Gobernador, fire grilled satchels of joy filled with chopped shrimp, sauteed onions and oozy Monterey Jack cheese.


Tacos Gobernador: To Govern The Rest

More soups that were showcased included a a nuanced Halibut soup filled with bone and skin on hunks of fresh, meaty Halibut.


"Soup Is Good Food"-The Dead Kennedys

A Mixta brought forth more of that on shrimp, this time head on though, along with chewy octopus and more of that thick cut whole halibut. The broth here was also tomato based but without the Jalapeño heat.


See Food, Lotsa Seafood

But all this only digresses from what I think is the restaurant's real star, the Pescado Zarandeado.


The Sneaky Snook Effect: Zarandeado

The Robalo (Snook) Fish is also some "the goods" that Magdalena sneaks in, and when rubbed with Sergio's emulsified fruits of labor, tis' like no other fish in town. Soy sauce, mayonnaise, chilies, Maggi Sauce, Salsa Inglesa (Worcestershire Sauce) and sauteed onions blended into a alternate reality of Umami. Its an ugly fish and skinny at that, with a Piranha-like stare, but looks aren't everything; an unparalleled, committed flavor is priceless nowadays.


Paloma en Jarrito

A Paloma (Mexican Squirt, Rock Salt, Grapefruit, Tequila) is Mexico's unofficial national cocktail, after one sip you can't stop (literally, salt only makes your thirsty for more!) And here, its served virgin and with the dirt taste notes of a Jarrito De Artesania, a handmade clay pot found commonly around Mexico in county fairs and events.

Snook and Tequila, the good things in life.


Mariscos Chente
4532 S. Centinela(at Gilmore)
Mar Vista, CA 90066
310-390-9241

also in Inglewood
10020 Inglewood Ave
Inglewood CA 90304
No Pescado zarandeado at the Inglewood location and different chef.

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

It's Ahh-ssshhhheeeyy not Axe

I wanted to try Joe's but their Prixe-Fix Menu for the day didn't agree with my stomach. So i decided to try Axe just a couple of paces next to it. With a name like that, i was already expecting something. The place was pretty happening for a Wednesday lunch, we had to wait like 15 minutes.

The menu was pretty weird, it offered this "standard rice bowl" that had the same things as a vietnamese rice bowl and a couple of salads along with make-it-yourself salad option. The featured salads didn't sound too appealing, so i just ordered the DIY salad and chose Hummus, Lentils and Roasted Beats as my ingredients.

My Salad was O.K, the Hummus was nothing special. The Lentils were just cooked with no special flavor. The Beets were pretty good though. When i was done, the messy tint of the Roasted Beets made my plate look like somethng the weird girl next to us could of drawn. My dad's Spicy Chicken Rice Soup was alright if you were craving chicken. And my brothers Chicken Apple Salad was o.k also.

I guess i went in with the wrong expectations. It seems like they are just concerned with delivering the best, possible beautiful, organic produce available, without thinking too much about how they deliver it. Don't get me wrong, it's nothing bad. It does give you the oppurtunity to taste the real flavor of the produce. Axe Restaurant is a good restaurant once you know what their goal is, but don't expect anything amazing.

Axe
1009 Abbot Kinney
Venice, Ca
90291

Roses Are Red, Violet is...Blue.

Roses Are Red, Violet is…blue.



Still mesmerized by my experience at Orris, I certainly was looking forward to try out the much raved-about Violet that I have heard and read so much about. Both these places serve their food in Tapas style, having to order several small plates in order to experience more food and “more enjoy your dining experience”. Too bad they couldn’t live up to their hype. Sometimes I think reviewers take it a little bit too far with these type of things, I mean I love tomato as much as the next foodie but paying like 7 dollars for miniscule proportions of food such as the Japanese Tomato Salad which was literally just a sliced tomato with a little lemon and Whipped Goat Cheese? Like my dad says, “no mas es el lujo!”.



Normally, I wouldn’t of let such a small setback keep me from liking a place but no other thing seemed to really stand out, and we tried out several plates. I will admit that the Z’atar Spiced Fries or something like that were pretty addictingly good as far as fries go, chip like in texture, tiny crispy things with mixed in aromatic herbs that were also fried with them. The occasional little specks of grease here and there in the little half paper bag that they were actually served in could make you forget that they were actually fried. Any French fry Connoisseur should really give these a try. But sadly, that was about it.

The Daily Special Salad was OK. Today It happened to be some sort of Endive salad with a little bit of Caramelized onions, bacon bits, Avocado Slices and some sort of Goat Cheese. New concept for me, but was also just OK with no flavor really standing out.



The Lamb Meatballs were probably the most disappointing. Three little dry and overcooked spheres on a bed of White Corn, I’ve really been into lamb lately and know that lamb does NOT have to be that dry.



The cheesy Mushroom Ravioli were perfectly Al Dente and the browned butter added a nice nutty richness to them. But still, not enough to get me to change my mind.



After all these, I wasn’t expecting anything great for dessert neither. Of course, we tried out the Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Gelato which tasted like a whole chocolate cake somehow compressed into one little slice! Although 1/4 the size of any other slice of anything, the richness and chocolate level was only something a true chocolate FreaK(*cough, cough* ROY!) would really enjoy. It was even a little too much for me!



Too Bad…



Violet restaurant
3221 pico blvd
santa monica, CA. 90405

Blue Marlin

Aww...Sawtelle, where the hipsters come out and play. Colorful, young "cool" people killing time sipping their bobba and conversing about the latest whatever. This place has certainly been given a lot of attention lately. The restaurants leading the Japanese revolution, fusing it with such techniques as complex as French or as comforting as Italian.


I still dream about Orris, blending Japanese and Italian. So i thought i would try another place around there, Blue Marlin.

Italian and Japanese? Under one roof? Wow right?...Wrong.
I really had high hopes for this place, but too bad they will remain as just that.

I hate it when i am the one that suggests somewhere to go and it turns out to be crap, it makes me feel it's all my fault and makes me feel bad. When i first walked in, i thought for sure it was going to be good, having that abating aroma that we all know and love of garlic & olive oil.


Being the carbaholic that i am, i find it really pleasing when any restaurant brings fresh complimentary bread before any meal, it keeps me from going ravenous and makes me savor every bite of the main course even more. But for some reason the waitress did not bring any to our table. At first i did not notice, but then i saw that everyone else was enjoying them, everyone except us.

Looking at the meny, they had a bountiful amount of both Japanese and Italian plates. Me and my brother decided on the most interesting sounding plates in the menu. Our entrees came with a small salad and a bowl of soup. The salad was pretty good, although the fluorescent soy/citrusy orange dressing did need some getting used to, i managed to like it. The bowl of "soup" was just a bowl of Miso Soup, which i don't like so passed it along to my dad. Savoring the people next to us as they gorged their bread, i hoped the entree would be worth it.


After a couple of minutes, my Sauteed Jidori Chicken and Organic Vegetable-Salty finally arrived. Although they were extremely generous with an abundance of vegetables and a whole oval plate stacked with white rice, The chicken was overly dry, i mean i had to drown it in Ponzu sauce in order to make it somewhat acceptable. The selection of vegetables were nice though; broccoli, cauliflower and the root end of a carrot? Oh well, i didn't really care about that but did mind that on both my brother's dish of Stuffed Pork Cutlet with Demi-Glace Sauce and my dad's Vegetable Tomato Risotto there a slice of what seemed to be some sort of fried squash that was really good. Why am i always the victim of unlikely odd's such as these? The Stuffed Pork Cutlet was probably the best dish of the night(again my brother's). Very moist and not greasy oozing with Demi-Glace Sauce and Mushrooms It came with a little shredded cabbage salad and a scoop of potato salad that none of our plates had. I wonder why? I also noticed that they used the same type of rice that they used for the white rice in the Tomato Vegetable Risotto. This was very similar to mexican fried rice but with enough garlic to feel it the next day.


After this, i was really looking forward to the oddly interestingChocolate Caramel Pyramid with Vanilla Ice Cream that I've had my eye on it ever since we walked in, But of course, they were all out. So we settled with a typical Chocolate Souffle that was nothing out of the ordinary. I was going to take pictures, but didn't feel it was worth the walk to the car and get it. Maybe it's just me but oh well.


Blue Marlin
2121 Sawtelle Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90025

Orris: My first encounter with Food

When I was first discovering my newly found love of food, I remember my brother’s friend mention “Orris” as a recommendation for a unique tapas style meal. We did not go but the mystery of the name still lingered in my mind. It wasn’t until recently that upon my daily browsing of other Los Angeles Food Blogs that I decided to make it a goal to experience this place for myself.

Actually making up my mind about something I decided to try to find it and hopefully be able to experience it. And there it was, the blue sign like an answer to a question that I thought I would never get.

Reading the menu, I noticed that this place was unlike any other place I had dined before. I knew I was going to remember this day. As usual I could not decide what to get, but with the help of my dear brother we were able to decide on four small plates.

First we received the anomalous Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Shrimp Mousse fried tempura style with Olive Salsa. Anything that is deep fried always tends to be good and although I am not a big fan of shrimp or olives, I liked this quite well. The shrimp mousse was very fluffy and not too fishy. The olive’s acidity countered the shrimp very nicely. I found the bitter root ends of the squash more to my liking. We devoured this in an instant.


Second, we received a array of what should be the standard of anything that is grilled vegetables that consisted of a duo of really red sweet peppers, Chinese eggplants and Shitake mushrooms flavored with oregano and topped with a mild feta cheese. The sweet peppers natural sweetness were brought out intensely by the perfect caramelization, and evened out by the creamy feta, The chewy eggplants were intensely flavored with smoke absorbed by it’s flesh and also evened out, but the best of all had to be the thick meaty Shitake Mushrooms that even fooled my dad as a piece of steak. It made my brother consider ordering another order of pure mushrooms!


Third, we were served a petite piece of Basil-Marinated Black Cod that was beautifully displayed on a small bed of mashed potatoes next to three little silver dollar- sized pieces of grilled zucchini. This was one of the highlights of the night, the fish was so tender and buttery and tasted like it too, with the crunch of the skin in your mouth. It’s hard to believe this fish was not caught minutes prior. It was leaking with what I thought was a mixture of olive oil and butter.


And lastly (so we thought) came the Lamb Loin Carpaccio infused with garlic and rosemary topped by bitter Aragula leaves and shavings of robust Manchego cheese made from high quality sheep’s milk. Nervous about the blood red shade of the meat, I did not know what to expect. Although it was a new concept for me, I bit into my first piece confident that like everything else that night, was going to be delicious. Everything worked out perfectly as if every flavor was meant for each other, the chewy, natural gamy taste of the lamb, the bitterness of the Aragula and the nuttiness of the sheep’s milk was like a some twisted form of a salad.

Thinking and feeling bad about the bill, I thought that was going to be it for the night. Then daaada,da,da,da,daaaa!! My dear brother pulls me from my depressed thoughts and sets me straight by ordering his Berkshire Pork Medallions with Blue Peppercorn Sauce that he had his eyes on since the beginning. He did not want to leave without trying them and damned he was going to be if he left without tasting them.

After a couple of minutes, the waiter brought us out some warm crusty baguette that I had been craving since the beginning that tasted too much like a Mexican Birote that I’ve had all my life. I was curious as too why he brought it(although I didn’t mind at all) since it only came when you ordered a specific plate. It was then that I realized that the chef had forgot to make the Medallions. And because he probably noticed how fast we engulfed the first couple of plates, he wanted to keep us busy in the meantime and keep us from going crazy.

After that short delay we received our long-awaited Medallions. The smell made me reminisce in my younger years and all those times I would indulge in the artificiality of “Macaroni & Cheese with my secret ingredient…pepper. Remember right before you added the “cheese” and had that aromatic mixture of butter-flavored margarine and 2% milk? yeah, that one. I never thought an animal that has gotten such a bad reputation could be that tender and soft.

Of course, after such a good meal, we had to give in to our hereditary sweet tooth’s and challenge our hereditary fast metabolisms by ending it with the perfect ending. And since I was with my brother, that was going to be anything with chocolate. I did not even put up a fight once I saw Flourless Valhorona Chocolate Soufflé with Coffee Gelato but I did show a huge interest in the ultra-exotic sounding Fresh Fruit Wonton with Yuzu Cream and Caramelized Poached Pear. That was something I would only read about other people enjoying but never experiencing myself.


When the waiter came, my brother ordered his usual indulgence and since we usually share the dessert surprised me and insisted on ordering the Fruit Wonton that I only dreamed of eating. “Fucken Roy” was what I said. Again, he surprised me and just wanted to make me happy. But this time, I did not feel bad. He has made me see that everything that i overthink about was all… just… in my head.


My fantasy dessert came beatifically displayed with the fresh fruit mixed with the citrusy Yuzu cream and the crispy wontons sandwiching them. With the caramelization of fruit that I only saw on T.V. I couldn’t believe I was actually going to partake in this work of art. The fruit was nothing like what I’ve had before. The perfectly ripe blueberries, the perfect sweet strawberries, the crisp poached pear, it was probably one of the best desserts I have ever had in my life. Like usual I couldn’t help myself from tasting everything, so I tasted my brother’s indulgence. It was hard to believe it was not flourless, so fluffy and chocolaty, not sweet…chocolaty. I can’t think of any better combination of the combinationn of ice cream (in this case, Coffee Gelatto) and a pastry (chocolate soufflé).



“I think I just made up my mind about what I am going to do in life.”

-me

“This is the way to eat” were my dad’s words exactly.

Orris
2006 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 268-2212