Eat Like Ushi

One of the great South-East Asian breakfasts is pho in Vietnam. It isn't common to have a boiling hot bowl of noodles for breakfast in the western world, but living near a bunch of Vietnamese pho restaurants in Abbotsford means we can do it occasionally too (like for New Year's Day first meal of the year 2022).

After trying Naga Cafe Khmer Street Food noodles the day before, being able to visit PPNS for breakfast at 8am before the drive to Death Valley was very welcome. We definitely weren't the only people with this in mind and it was surprising to see the place so full for a Tuesday.

Cheap prices also with Mo's Special Noodle Soup (ground pork, sliced pork, beef balls) and Rice porridge both large servings for USD8.95. Cha quai USD1.25 and nom sa-kieu (meat bread) USD2.25 rounded out the meal. The food was all warming, hearty, flavoursome and delicious. Once again the noodle soup's pork base was prominent, in comparison to the herb/spice/beef version of pho.

Perfect before for preparing to drive into the hot desert.

I've had a bit of Taiwanese food in London (mainly delicious noodles and flattened fried chicken) and in Taiwan too (although it was less memorable after lots of food in China). My cousin recommended we meet at this place for something modern, popular, ethnic and also catering well to his vegan partner.

In the warm humidity of LA in July, we sat outside with tables setup along the pavement which was pleasant as the sun slowly set.

- Egg rolls (cabbage, onions, carrots) USD6;
- Cucumbers (red chili, soy sauce, sesame oil) USD7;
- Mapo tofu (Sichuan spices, dry chili, mushrooms, tofu) USD18 - average with too weak flavour considering how strong this dish should be;
- Chinese BBQ pork (pork shank, coleslaw, bao, Chinese mustard, hoisin) USD38 - excellent caramelised pork although salad quite average;
- General Tso's Cauliflower (jalapenos, sesame seeds) USD16;
- Vegan Fatty Noodles (rolled chow fun, beansprouts, garlic chives, ginger, sesame) USD16 - thick noodles like rice cakes;
- Taro icecream (house sesame balls, coconut cream, coconut flakes, lime zest) USD14.

A nice meal with a lot of other options for next time.

I haven't had a lot of Khmer food, even during my short visit to Cambodia in 2007 I can't quite remember what I ate (other than a deepfried tarantula).

We'd had a good amount of Vietnamese food around Houston but it was good to see some lesser popular Asian cuisines to break up the food trip.

Phnom Penh Noodle House Special (slice pork, ground pork, liver, pork meat balls, chicken, crispy duck, shrimp) USD11 and Shrimp Noodle Soup USD8 garnished with fried garlic, cilantro, scallions. A clear warming delicious soup, with a simpler flavour than pho but no less delicious with it's pork base, rather than beef.

In an unexpectedly ideal location in Santa Monica along Ocean Avenue facing the beach is a restaurant that served me some of the best seafood dishes I had in the Los Angeles and USA. I was lucky enough to be staying in an apartment around the corner from Airbnb (not the best place, but a great location with a window directly out to Ocean Avenue and the water.)

I saved this place for my last night, and between 4 of us raided the menu of their seafood joys.

- Raw bar combo (oysters, ceviche, prawn cocktail, clams) - fresh raw oysters and clams, mixed shellfish in a tangy sour marinade;
- Ceviche Peruvian - fish ceviche, from memory using the same marinade as that in the raw bar combo;
- New England clam chowder (cherrystone clams, light cream broth, bacon) - good, but not as great as the one from Boudin in San Francisco;
- Lobster Mac & Cheese (Maine lobster, gruyere, herbs, truffle oil) - best version I've tried, with the legendary flavours of chunky Maine lobster riddled throughout;
- Mussels (rosemary, lemon, garlic, red curry)
- Fish & Chips (ling cod, homemade tartar sauce, malt vinegar)
- Pesto Shrimp Pasta - thin pesto, good prawns;
- Bouillabaisse (shellfish, baguette croutons, rouille, gruyere cheese) - rich tasty recreation of the Marseille classic using shellfish (which I prefer) rather than fish.

What a fantastic meal of seafood flavours in different cooking methods and combinations.

Next time I would order the Lobster Mac & Cheese and Bouillabaisse particularly of the dishes I tried. I'd order one ceviche since they had the same marinade base (whether you prefer the more traditional Peruvian fish or the mixed shellfish version). The a la carte
has plenty of other options that would be worth feasting on - baked clams, crab dip, Main soft shell clam steamers, fish tacos, lobster roll, and if you're up for meat, even the kobe beef dog could be a winner.

 

Jose Andres trained under Ferran Adria at El Bulli. That in itself was reason enough to eat at his tapas bar in Beverly Hills. The previous year The Bazaar had been named one of the top 10 new restaurants in USA. Another reason to eat there. There was also good reputation from his restaurants in Las Vegas and Washington.

Even though I never managed to be lucky enough for a spot at El Bulli, I'm glad to have tried a sample of what I expect the food would be like, as well as some great classical cooking also.

Within The Bazaar, there are a few different rooms to select from. Rojo y Blanca seemed the best option offering a combination of modern and traditional tapas to select something experimental and new and wash it down with something classic. If that doesn't tickle your fancy, the Saam section is an expensive degustation with a menu I haven't seen before. Otherwise for a more limited tapas menu in a more informal setting, there are a few "bar" areas to relax in.

Modern Tapas
- Olives (modern & traditional) - an El Bulli classic with normal olives and my first taste of spherical globules filled with intense olive-flavoured liquid;
- Sweet Potato Chips (yogurt, tamarind, star anise) - delicious sweet potato crisps either on their own or with a slightly tangy dipping sauce;
- American sturgeon caviar cone - small cone, nice caviar, enough said;
- Not your everyday caprese (cherry tomatoes, liquid mozzarella) - brilliant salad creation using pesto, basil, liquid balls of tomato and an even more wonderful small ball filled with warm mozarella liquid similar to the olives;
- Foie Gras Cotton Candy - thick slab of foie gras covered with sugar floss. Not a good combination in my opinion with the cold foie gras not great;
- Sea urchin, avocado, steamed buns - a play on the new-age pork buns crossed with sliders. Salty uni as it is meant to be (compared to the version nearby at The Hungry Cat);
- Your life will change Dashi linguini (parmesan, quail egg, basil) - dashi-stock turned into pasta with cheese, eggs and basil turning a play on Italian;
- Tuna ceviche & avocado roll (jicama, micro cilantro, coconut) - average combination of avocado wrapping small tuna pieces. Couldn't taste coconut nor cilantro;
- Just shrimp cocktail "yeah right" - nicely boiled prawns served with a pipette filled with cocktail sauce;
- Philly cheesesteak (air bread, cheddar, Wagyu beef) - an unexpected brilliant dish of crispy thin air bread filled with liquid cheddar and topped with wonderful Wagyu slices;
- Smoked yellowtail w/ yoghurt, grapes, capers, radish and fried rice crackers - nice ingredients, a lot of strong flavours.

Traditional Tapas
- Braised Wagyu beef cheeks (California citrus) - outstandingly soft tender beef cheeks with citrus to cut through the meaty taste. But I was happy with the meat by itself;
- Seared scallops (romesco sauce) - the biggest, juiciest, tastiest scallops I've eaten. Phenomenonal. So good I don't remember the sauce.

One of my most favourite meals. Highly recommended.

Next time I would order any of the dishes I tried except the Foie Gras Cotton Candy (as I didn't like it) or the caviar cone (as it was simply caviar on a cone). Everything else was fantastic and there are plenty more options I didn't get to try.

Known to be one of the best breakfast places in Santa Monica (although not particularly walkable from the beach area) and rightly so.

While in the USA, I missed the fantastic cafes of Melbourne which serve wonderful coffee and other morning drinks as well as good combinations of breakfasts. I was very happy to come here and experience some of that familiarity and relaxing culture.

The Green Eggs & Ham (with La Quercia prosciutto, pesto, arugula on English muffin) was fantastic. An exceptional combination of fried eggs, salty prosciutto, peppery greens and rich pesto. Equal to the best breakfasts I've had at home.

House Cured Salmon Platter (with sliced red onion, arugula, cucumber, cream cheese & country toast) had an incredible amount of delicate smoked salmon that went well layered on top of the cream cheese and toast. The options of onions, arugula and cucumber meant you could make a variety of sandwich flavours to keep the meal interesting.

I wish I had more breakfasts available to come and try the rest of their menu. Bakery good line the front to make easy snacks and takeaway.

Next time I would order Green Eggs & Ham - the staple at this cafe. Any of the other choices (whatever they may have changed to) would be a great way to start your morning. Wash it down with a coffee of your choice.

One of the great things I really enjoyed about staying in Santa Monica was the selection of quality cafes in the area. A visit to Venice Beach allows the opportunity to brunch in this place along a nice selection of shopping street.

I came here mainly for reputation of their Pretzel burgers (with Swiss cheese, caramelised onion & french fries). The meat is fresh, without being spectacular, but the main draw is the pretzel "bun" which was baked to a light, crisp and tasty form. Also famous are the Avocado Fries (with fire-roasted salsa) which are nice slabs of avocado, crumbed and fried - certainly different and worth trying.

I visited on two separate occasions, trying a few of their other menu items. Shrimp & Crab Tater Tots (with orange-horseradish jam) and Nicoise Salad (with seared albacore, egg & tater tots) both of which were good dishes.

There is nice coffee to be had here and also down the road. Come here before heading off for a shopping browse and a beach visit.

Next time I would order the Pretzel burger and Avocado Fries just because they are the reputed selections from here. Like all good cafes and bakeries, there are a multitude of selections which I'm sure would make you happy.

Attended the Santa Monica location after reading some reviews of the quality of the seafood here. In particular I was interested in trying what is reputed to be the best sea urchin (uni) in the world, from Santa Barbara.

It is a slightly difficult restaurant to get to - the roads have strange turns and barriers making direct access not as easy as it seems on GPS. Not a big deal, just give yourself time to get there.

As much as I would have liked to order The Hungry Cat fruits of the sea platter, it was a little too imposing for just two of us. A one tier platter came with lovely fresh oysters, clams, mussels, boiled scampi and grilled prawns. We added the Santa Barbara sea urchin as a central masterpiece.

Sadly the sea urchin is quite disgusting. I've eaten uni in Japan, Melbourne, Morocco, London and New York - thus I know the creamy texture and sweet ocean flavour well. The Santa Barbara version unfortunately had a disturbing aftertaste I can only compare to the time I accidentally ate a millipede. The restaurant was gracious enough to open another one for us to sample, with similar taste. With great courtesy, the restaurant took it away and removed it from the bill.

The rest of the seafood was very tasty, no complaints about quality.

To supplement the meal, the Local Squid (stuffed with pine nuts & currants, spiced kabocha, farro verde, saffron aioli) was a nice combination of sweet and salty, crunchy and soft textures. We topped this off with a nice creme caramel dessert to complete the meal.

Next time I would order another fruits of the sea platter, and any of their delicious fresh seafood dishes. Be aware that the prices are reasonably high and that the main reason I came here was specifically for Santa Barbara sea urchin (which should be avoided). You may find similar quality seafood around Los Angeles at a lower price, but without the lovely atmosphere and the faultless service.