fish – Unrivaledkitch

04/16/2016

Mizumi Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas…. what a crazy, interesting, evocative, and mischievous place to visit. It’s one of my favorite places to people watch and remember why I am where I am now and not where I used to be. Brandon’s grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousin live in …

attractions, Chef plates, chef theory, cocktails, dining out, Food Photos, Las Vegas, Menu's, Travel Eats

by unrivaledkitch

11/14/2014

Nobu LA

Brandon and I have been to Nobu Malibu, Matsuhisa and just recently Nobu LA. Needless to say, we are big fans of these amazing restaurants and since our first trip, back in 2007, Brandon’s mom, Lyz, has wanted to go to one of Nobu’s restaurants. …

Chef plates, chef theory, cocktails, dining out, Food Photos, hollywood, Los Angeles Eats, Menu's

by unrivaledkitch

05/20/2013

Lala’s Argentinean Grill

Lala’s is located in the trendy area of Ventura Blvd in Studio City. A hip little area of sushi, bars, small plates and burgers gives variety to the valley locals. On a very special evening with my sweet friend Bryn, we decided that we would like to dine at Lala’s Argentinean Grill. Both of us had passed it many times throughout the years, but never stopped to try it. On Monday night the outdoor patio of the warm spring evening was packed with people. Families celebrating special occasions, special events, couples out to dinner and large parties all enjoying the modern atmosphere, plates of food and good company.

Lala’s is modern in its appearance with subtle ambiance and plenty of seating. The menu is very large with many different options for diners. As we sat to share in a bottle of wine, our waiter was pleasant, but absent for water refills and the finer details of excellent customer service. The service wasn’t terrible, but just not something to really write home about.

As we looked over the menu, Bryn decided on Mahi Mahi and mashed potatoes and I decided that I would try an appetizer sampler of empanadas with one cheese, one spinach and one beef; a tortilla de papa and grilled chorizo; and an arugula salad. As we discussed celebratory events and enjoyed food, wine, and each other’s company, I found the food to be interesting and delicious. The empanadas had a wonderful crust and each of the fillings was piping hot. I liked the addition of deliciously garlicky chimmichuri and tomato salsa. The tortilla de papa was very different. It was a wedge of seasoned potatoes that were cooked till just tender, but still able to hold their shape. The chorizo was a little underwhelming, but the sausage had good texture—I just wish it had a bit more flavor. Bryn’s fish was cooked well and she seemed to enjoy her food. My salad had a light dressing, but was more lettuce than anything else. Overall, the experience was nice. It was good to have a different sample of Argentinian food with great company.

Congratulations on your new job, Bryn. I’m so proud of you and excited for your new journey!

Cheers

-Unrivaledkitch

dining out, Food Photos, Los Angeles Eats, valley

by unrivaledkitch

04/18/2013

Aburiya Toranoko‏

Pressed under an apartment building high-rise in Little Tokyo is Aburiya Toranoko, a Japanese restaurant scattered amongst countless others in the downtown L.A. region. I hadn’t heard much about this place before my sister gave me a bloomspot certificate for my Christmas present—she saw the …

Chef plates, chef theory, dining out, downtown, Food Photos, Los Angeles Eats

by unrivaledkitch

01/05/2013

Oshogatsu and Osechi–Ryori 2013

I’ve been writing now for three years 2011 and 2012 about Oshogatsu, which is traditional Japanese New Year celebrations. Of course my family is American so we do things probably very different than in Japan, but I love these customs and I hope to keep …

Catering, Chef plates, chef theory, family food, Food Festivals, Food Photos, Parties/caterings

by unrivaledkitch

10/15/2012

Channel Island Harbor Farmers Market in Oxnard, CA

On a beautiful Sunday morning, Brandon, Lyz (Brandon’s mom) and I decided to go to the Channel Island Harbor farmers’ market to see what we could find. The freshness of fall produce entangles through the various booths and stands of fresh vegetables just picked from the earth. There are different types of fall root vegetables, lots of delicate lettuce, string beans, pears, and the last of the end-of-california-summer delicious plums, peaches and nectarines. Fall gourds and pumpkins start to show themselves in preparation for the holidays, just around the corner. As the last bits of summer start to vanish from the gardens, the air turns crisp and something warm and hearty to eat, after a long hot summer, sounds divine. Fishing boats line the harbor bringing in some of the freshest prawns and other local surf.

The stalls are lined with people looking for the best products; something special to take home for the week on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. I’ve been to this market a couple of times and it always has something that brings me back.

Address

Farmers Market – Channel Islands Harbor
(Every Sunday 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M)
3600 S. Harbor Boulevard – adjacent to Marine Emporium Landing Shopping Center
Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard
For further information call (805) 985-4852

cheers

-Unrivaledkitch

farmers market, Food Photos, Los Angeles Eats, ventura county

by unrivaledkitch

08/25/2012

My Birthday Celebration at Matsuhisa, Beverly Hills

Matsuhisa As Brandon and I made our way down to Beverly Hills from Ventura, my birthday dinner seemed to be well anticipated. We’d eaten together years ago in Malibu at Nobu, and to say the least, that was an unforgettable meal and dinner, but Matsuhisa …

Beverly Hills, Chef plates, chef theory, dining out, Food Photos, Los Angeles Eats

by unrivaledkitch

02/18/2012

Valentines Day Dinner

I guess I never really understood all the hoopla about Valentine’s Day. Maybe the romantic memo missed me somewhere along the lines. My childhood memories of Valentine’s Day involved receiving some kind of yummy red cupcake from my mom and a card with a box of …

Chef plates, chef theory

by unrivaledkitch

01/28/2012

Las Vegas: TOOL, Va Bene Caffe and Estiatorio Milos

I don’t know how to explain the magic that is TOOL live. It’s a complete experience that transcends me beyond what I think is honest and real, into the purest sense of reality without hesitation. My best friend, Virginia, and I traveled from the center of downtown Los Angeles to Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas, NV 1/15 Sunday afternoon, just in time to see our 8:00 p.m. show. Pressing our luck with time, nothing would stop us from getting to our destination to have our souls shattered open by the vast depths of the music that is TOOL. I’ve been listening to TOOL for a huge portion of my life and have seen them in concert once before in ’07 in Los Angeles. I was completely open and in the whole experience for those precious moments that never fail to show me something I’ve never felt before. There’s no way I could tell you how much this meant to me and what it’s done for my mental sanity.

Set List

Hooker With A Penis

Jambi

Stinkfist

Ticks & Leeches

Pushit

Schism (Extended Intro)

Intension

Forty-Six & 2

Lateralus

The Pot

Ænema

While in Vegas, of course we had to partake in at least one amazing meal or else it would have been a loss of a great culinary experience. I love Vegas; not for the other sin city attractions, but for the food. My first after 21 Vegas experience was the most amazing time filled with lots of brilliant food and great menu scouting all up and down the strip. My favorite part of Las Vegas is the food and the amazing ideas that come along with it. Virginia and I roamed the strip looking at all the gorgeous attractions that make up Vegas. All the glamour and glitter worked up quite an appetite.

As we walked through the Bellagio, The Cosmopolitan, and Aria, we found ourselves taking extra time in The Cosmopolitan looking at the beautiful chandelier bar and in between window shopping we decided to stop over to Va Bene Caffe for a coffee and a sweet snack. I had a cannoli and Aranciata, which is an Italian orange beverage that I’ve loved for years now. The cannoli was a little sweeter than I normally like, but the texture of the ricotta and the slight citrus flavor in the creamy center, with a perfectly crunchy shell and chocolate dipped sides with pistachios made my mouth water–a delicious decadent snack. After walking around taking in the vast and lavish sights that are sin city, we decided to finally stop for lunch.

Virginia found a teleprompter, which gave us listings for restaurants in The Cosmopolitan and we decided to check out Estiatorio Milos. Milos is a stylish and classically chic restaurant with a beautiful color palate of woodsy browns and beige tones. The architecture of the restaurant is something to be seen; the center dining room overlooks the main focal point, the open kitchen in the corner, which has a large display of fresh vegetables and fruits, then on large piles of crushed ice, is the freshest fish that you could ask for, all decoratively placed with precision. The style of food that Milos offers is the freshest fare possible, with Greek influences and Mediterranean flavors. My passion for Mediterranean flavors is an ever expanding bank of culinary knowledge. I find it fascinating, elegant, truthful and pure in so many of its forms. This was probably the highest form of elegant Greek food I’ve ever had and that in itself was an amazing experience.

We eagerly perused the menu, which was in the set of a 3-course prix fixe, where you have the choice of one, amongst a wide variety of each: appetizer, entree and dessert. Virginia is a pescatarian and there were plenty of amazing options for her to eat. She chose the Greek Meze Plate for her appetizer, which came with three varieties of spreads, pita, kalamata olives, and cherry tomatoes. All the spreads were topped extra virgin olive oil from Greece and were very fresh and delicious.

Htipiti: Red pepper spread – a chunkier, fire-roasted red pepper flavor with bold notes of garlic and lemon

Tzatziki: cucumber and herb infused white cream spread – completely smooth and pure white, which tasted just of cucumber and perfect seasoning

Tarama: Fish roe with caper spread – slightly fish fragrant flavor spread with salty capers

Seared scallop with a salad of orange, fennel, red onions and Greek olive oil

The scallop was seared to perfection–that still opaque center with perfect grill marks and the best seafood flavor and texture possible. A slight seasoning highlights the true flavors of the scallop in a perfect way. This dish was a simple and to the point scallop preparation with scrumptious results.

Entrée

Tuna Burger with fried zucchini and aioli

The tuna burger was not your run-of-the-mill option. The tuna was high quality and masterfully seasoned with Asian flavors such as soy sauce, ginger, and orange. The burger was topped with small ribbons of red onion and fennel with a toasted sesame seed bun. A wonderful run of textures concluded on your pallet when biting into this whole concoction.

Lavraki: Grilled Mediterranean Sea Bass

This bass was a flawlessly prepared whole fish. The seasoning was a triumph and the expertly cooked flesh of the bright flavorful fish was beyond explanation. One bite and that kind of sigh of happiness comes over your body as you realize you have a whole plate to go. There’s something about whole fish that just makes sense; it takes the simplest idea and perfects it with capers, olive oil, and the brightness of lemon. I thought to myself, ” I could eat this my whole life”, as I finished the body of the fish, combing over the crunchy collar pieces and plucking out the succulent cheek flesh for the last bites as a savage carnivore. I found myself in the presence of collective genius.

Dessert

Walnut cake with mint sorbet

A moist brown cake with lots of walnuts, seemingly light and dense both at the same time, was placed in front of us for our enjoyment. The mint sorbet cleaned the pallet and added a refreshing element to the cake.

Yogurt Martini

Sweet, creamy yogurt topped with passion fruit preserves, offering a mouth-watering and luscious way to end a fantastic meal.

Throughout our meal, we shared sentiment and quiet moments with delicious food, not to mention phenomenal service from wait staff and kitchen staff at the top of their game at a moment’s notice. Though we were in for a late lunch, we were taken care of as if we were the first guests to arrive–with precision and grace. I’m so glad that we were able to experience this incredible meal together. Virginia is a gift in my life and I’m so blessed to be able to share these phenomenal moments with her.

attractions, dining out, Food Photos, Las Vegas, Travel Eats

by unrivaledkitch

01/12/2012

Tuna Salad Sandwich with Fuji Apple, Cucumber, Red Onion and Hummus Greek Yogurt Sauce

Sometimes we just need something to eat on the go, but with our crazy lives it gets a little tough. I understand–it happens to me too–the days when I can’t get four hours in the kitchen for all the insane ideas I’d love to commit to, but just can’t. …

Recipes, sandwiches

by unrivaledkitch

Tag: fish

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