Random Photo: Mandarin Oriental - Twist by Pierre Gagnaire Entrance

Random Photo: Mandarin Oriental

Random Photo: Mandarin Oriental

Starbucks Bearista Photo 8: Christmas!!!

Christmas Bearista Vladimir says:  

Hey, I'm on top of the tree!! 

(cuz Alan can't frickin get a topper he likes)

Random Photo: Seafood Laksa Curry @ Mariposa

Random Photo: Waikiki Sunset

How Soy Sauce Came To The United States

Side Street Inn @ 1225 Hopaka St, Honolulu

In every city, you will find that one 'landmark' restaurant that's loved by locals and revered by visitors; the 'must' go to venue.  It has the best (insert dish here) the comfort food that is quintessentially specific to that locale and it is worth every 'foodies' effort to pilgrimage and bow to it's culinary alter....

So in Honolulu,  Side Street Inn has such a veritable reputation; great Asian comfort food and great for late night dining (probably after consuming copious amounts of liquor)..... And if you ask yourself, why is Alan saying this?


then continue below and you will see....

Japanese Curry Zen @ 5020 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas

Curry!  OMG do I love Curry... Indian Curry, Thai Curry, Japanese Curry-it's all good.. The amalgamation of spices, creating that distinct, deep, rich, umber slurry, with heavenly wafts filling my nostrils; you literally taste it through your olfactory senses like an emotion or a memory (Curry is my Pavlov's dog)..

Curry is a favorite from my childhood; just before spending the Summer vacation in Japan, My Mom would make batches of Curry and hundreds of Fried Dumplings for my Dad to eat while we were gone.  I loved hanging out in the kitchen, helping her cook these dishes, and it is distinctly home cooking.

The video below best shows what I feel inside when I'm near Curry.....just think of me as the cat.....

SmashBurger @ 9101 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas

Okay, so let's be honest here; I've pretty much f*^ked my diet and thrown in the garbage..... then taken it out of garbage, shoved it down my throat then crapped it down the toilet.....okay scratch this introduction......start over...

On my occasional sojourn towards the Western hemisphere of Sin City, I have a list of places where I want to eat to review, but about the time I've reached the front doors of those yet-to-be-ventured dining establishments I scrap it, turn myself around and go to Smashburger- the best brick and mortar burger joint in town.

Mo-Chica @ 514 W. 7th Street Downtown, Los Angeles

There's a great, energetic, urban vibe in the DTLA with the hustle of the street; sirens honking, trucks barreling down narrow corridors and people moving with a sense of non discriminant urgency.  Here, there's no blatant visual cues that you're in movie land, the streets have that gritty composition, the diversity of people have made me feel ever so comfortable and fit right in it urban anonimity...

And so continues my journey through LA's promising restaurants; this time, I venture into 

Mo-Chica, a Peruvian eatery by Chef Ricardo Zarate, based on Peruvian comfort food with a modern twist.  With the accolades to follow, it was imperative for me to investigate what Peruvian food was all about....

Umami Urban @ 1520 N Cahuenga Blvd. Los Angeles

For me, Umami Burger has now become my  all time favorite comfort food, a consistently awesome, soul nurturing Burger with a signature flavor housed in an inviting, casual atmosphere; current and hip enough for the clientele without the physical discomfort of the zeitgeist, aka  'prison cafeteria design'.

Umami Urban is located inside Space 15 Twenty, a boutique like modern day outdoor mini-mall offering mostly archaic, specialized yet unpragmatic knick knacks, (although I love Hennessey + Ingalls Bookstore and could spend the afternoon there). Very pretty and a good attempt at mimicking a Euro urban streetscape.

The Spice Table @ 114 S. Central Ave, Los Angeles

Cranking along with my LA food marathon, I had a chance to stop by one of my favorite haunts, Little Tokyo - an area in downtown that fascinates me.  It's like Japanese Food Disneyland, I can get any food I want there in obnoxiously decorated stores in close proximity....  Interestingly, there's a Singaporean/Vietnamese venue in the area that's received a lot of attention in the F&B world, The Spice Table by Chef Bryant Ng, who has been identified by Food & Wine Magazine as one of America's Greatest New Cooks.

















The restaurant is housed in a gorgeous building; it's an open warehouse interior with high ceiling, exposed brick walls with giant bird cage lighting fixtures and interior touches creating a incredibly romantic atmosphere.

Ink Sack @ 8360 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles

So, ever since that first season of 'Top Chef', there's been just an overflow of the 'larger than life', 'Chef as Rock Star/Foodie as Groupie' mentality which, as a willing participant, has the ability to transform even the most passionate gastronome into a jaded and effected Valley tween (btw...if we're so technologically advanced, why can't we TASTE what's on the TV...huh?) Apple, I presume you're on top of this....and please, spare me the entire olfactory spectrum, I do not need to know how fecund the garbage smells...just the yummies...

Baco Mercat @ 408 S. Main St. Los Angeles

Wow...listed in multiple publications as one of the 'Top Ten Best New America's Restaurants', as well as located in the every most food trending DTLA, I knew I had to go and check it out- it was the first stop on my gastronomical tour of glutton and excess..

Located in the Downtown Historic Bank District,  Baco Mercat has snatched some major primo real estate for it's digs; huge twenty foot high windows with an illustrious renovated interior, it oozes portent and delirious hipster vibe,  (cue to the tall, lanky, dandy dad in shades, feeding his baby micro greens with one hand and galaxy tableting in the other.....)   this is gonna be fun....

Kale...or be Kaled!!!!!

Kale or Be Kaled - watch more funny videos

Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin @ 255 Beachwalk, Honolulu

In Honolulu, there's an never ending opportunity to have Japanese comfort food; and what's always on my mind...Tonkatsu.  This breaded and fried pork cutlet is most definitely my favorite food in the world; it probably stems from my summers in Japan and seeing my grandparents will always be the fondest of memories.

My Grandmother was a excellent chef and a wizard in the kitchen, it's where I spent many a hot, muggy day with her in that ramshackle of a toolshed making and baking the most wonderful dishes; from Curry Stew and Yakisoba to French Pastries and Meat Pies, I was first introduced to
another world of flavors and thus began my passion
for knowledge and food. It was the inception of my palate.




Which is probably why I am a food blogger, I'm just ecstatic over the prospect of a meal. Because it's more than just nourishment, greater than it's entertainment value; to me, it's a celebration of interaction and an expression of love.  And for those who know and understand me inherently get it's importance.  So, I take from her a long family tradition; a service of taking care of family that I hope to pass onto my family and loved ones.  I feel sympathy for those who did not get to experience this love growing up, for it is the hearth that warms the soul.

My Grandma never used cutlets, instead she bought a whole Pork loin for her Katsu, marinated in her own secret recipe, it would come out like nuggets, extra crispy and delicious. I would make my own secret Tonkatsu sauce (which was just Tonkatsu, Ketchup and Mayo)  and we would sit down and have a real, multi-generational family meal, my most cherished memories of my childhood.

Rest in peace, Grandma.  We didn't always see eye to eye, but I love you nonetheless.  You will always be a part of me.

Video: Can Food Bring Happiness? From farm to table, Udon from Japan

From Daniel Klein, 'The Perennial Plate'

Fukumimi Ramen @ 4680 S Eastern Ave, Las Vegas

So another Japanese Ramen-Ya has graced this city and this time, it ain't in Chinatown! (in mini-mall Tokyo)  No this one is on East side by UNLV, where most of the students hang out. In any case, it just opened and once in a while, it's good to break away from the usual haunts (I still love you the best, Monta, but I wanna see what the others have to offer). Monogamy has no place in the F&B world when it comes to this glutton.

Fukumimi means 'Lucky Ear', and when I arrived at an off peak time period, the place was crawling with Japanese people (first good sign).  And the interior had a cheery and warm environment (aka, it actually looked like someone put some thought into it's design...I appreciate that)....good sign #2


Click below to read more...

Meat and Three @ 10940 Eastern Ave, Henderson

Whenever there's an opportunity to support a local business, I'm all in...and in this case, it's a no brainer; Chef Chris Herrin who has blessed us with 'Bread + Butter' has recently rolled up his sleeves and produced another F&B concept that is culinary dynamite.  'Meat & Three' is his latest creation, a new take on an American classic: Barbecue and sides, a concept resembling a modern gourmet picnic spread, evolving traditional comfort food with sophistication and quality (it reminds me of the food I used to get from my hometown NYC).  I couldn't be more excited about this new arrival for locals community!



Click below to read more...

Trailer: 'Fifty Shades of Chicken' Cookbook

Do you trust me???

One More Video About Bacon....

........because you can never have enough of it......

Starbucks Bearista Photo 7: NYC

This is for my hometown: New York City...

You can't see it, but Joe is giving you the finger....Sandy!!!

The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong @ 1450 Ala Moana Boulevard Honolulu, HI

The first stop on the culinary journey, I decided to try out a local celebrity chef's restaurant the Pineapple Room by Alan Wong.

The famous and most prolific chef to have emerged from Hawaii is Chef Roy Yamaguchi of the Roy's.  Not to be outdone, Chef Alan Wong has a just as big of an international name with the love of hawaii locals; with numerous accolades, he has captured the essence of Hawaiian regional cuisine with a contemporary twist and has received numerous prestigious awards including a top ten ranking in the fifty best restaurants in America.


Click below to read more...

Pizza Arte @ 69 W 55th St, NYC

I love Pizza, it must be from growing up in the city; the wafts of baking crust and tomato sauce haunted me as I walked home from school.  My friend Danny and I would walk a block away to Broadway and get a small pie with Pepperoni and Sausage,  I would go cray cray with the condiments: Oregano, Chili Flakes, Parmesan and Garlic-I would be walking home with red blistering lips and breath of death...

Pizza has changed since then, often more authentic and 'gourmet', but it will always be a childhood comfort food.


Click below to read more...

Japanese Food Porn:

                                

From Daniel Klein, 'The Perennial Plate'

Nanzan Giro Giro @ 560 Pensacola St, Honolulu Hawaii

The food in Honolulu is exciting; there's such a variety of food and culture.  A lot of it is Japanese influenced, which makes me pretty happy because there's nothing better than good Japanese food for me!  And after having a great dining experience at Giro Giro Hitoshina in Kyoto, it was fortuitous that they have another venue located right in the heart of Honolulu; near the Alan Moana Shopping Center, we were able to just stroll over to the restaurant friendly section where a lot of new and upcoming venues have popped up right next to some old favorites!

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Aloha from Hawaii!!!

Click below to see more....

Cosmopolitan Food Crawl @ Cosmopolitan Resort, Las Vegas

Being a resident in this surreal city, (think adult Disneyland) we have so much available at our fingertips; it can be overwhelming and after a while, one can get jaded over the constant barrage of overstimuli pounding at you like a sobakawa pillow repeatedly beating your face.  But, you gotta take advantage of what's available to you, so we regularly don our armor, spray ourselves with tourist repellent and trek on over to the strip (consequently we have to burn our clothes from all the smoke)... We don't normally drink so we come up with other amusements...
So instead of a Pub Crawl, we do a Foodie Crawl; where we go to several restaurants, dine on their signature dishes and enjoy multiple ambiences... which turns out to to be an entertaining nite!!

The Cosmopolitan is the perfect destination for such a night; there's dedicated restaurant floors so each venue is in close proximity, they are as diverse in cuisine as well as ambience and there's exists a perennial, 'hipper than thou' vibe that makes it conducive people watching and casually hopping in and out of venues sans guilt...

Click below to read more...

Short Film: "Sushi Masters vs Sea Monsters (Sushi)'

Love the production value!!!!

Starbucks Bearista Photo 6: Hawaii!!!!

Mahalo!!!

41 Degree Experience by Albert Adria, Barcelona Spain

                     

Giro Giro Hitoshina Kyoto, Japan

If you ever make you're way to Japan, the one city that you must visit is Kyoto; a breathtaking city where time stood still...it's rich in history and spirituality and wherever you go, there will always be beauty that catches your eye.  Kyoto is world renown for it's cuisine; and on the top of the list is Kaiseki: a set course dinner which incorporates traditional Japanese dishes coordinated beautifully in earthenware dishes that's artistic and experiential.

















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How to Make Sushi.....out of candy?!?!

Downtown3rd Farmers Market + Great Bao Food Truck @ Casino Center, Las Vegas

We've reviewed Downtown3rd Farmers Market before and it's worth repeating, mostly because it's another integral component of revitalizing Downtown and bringing a sense of community to the area. The Farmers Market is housed in a former Bus Station, an ingenious recycling and reuse of existing structures making it all the more reason to go and check it out.  In addition, there's a slew of food trucks parked outside for lunch and nibbles.

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Trattoria Nakamura-Ya @ W Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas

In the depths of Chinatown west of The Strip, there's a small commercial center that has sprouted several Japanese restaurants that have gained major notoriety around town.  It's become a growing 'Little Tokyo' right before our eyes which is pretty exciting to see in real time.

This restaurant hub has been a favorite place to get our Japanese 'fix', what with all the variety: Monta for Ramen, Kabuto for Sushi and Raku for Kushiyaki and late nite bites.  And we also have Italian-Japanese Hybrid cuisine: Trattoria Nakamura-Ya.  Much like here, (we have Italian American food) Japan's love for Italian has developed a hybrid, where Japanese ingredients are incorporated into the dish; the flavors are geared towards a Japanese clientele where texture and and Umami sensibilities create a 'fusion' (hate that word, but yes...) that is pretty evolved.  And while not 'authentic', it's creative and essential in a city that is continuously developing its own culinary identity.  Plus I grew up on Japanese Italian, so in a way, it's familiar and nostalgic and feels like home.

Click below to read more...