food

Sushi’Thon

~ yvonnepearl ~ Leave a comment

We decided to try out every sushi place in town to share with other sushi lovers.

I called it the Sushi-Marathon also known as the “sushithon”.

As I already said in an earlier post, LA sushi are the best. There is no comparison allowed with French Japanese restaurants. I could eat Japanese food for lunch and dinner everyday. It’s fresh, healthy and amazingly tasty.

#1:  Hama Sushi in Venice

For the quality of the fish, freshness, originality (rolls/fish selection), friendly Japanese chef . The best spot, especially if you want an experience sitting at the sushi bar (cf. post “dinner at Hama“)

#2: Kushiyu in Tarzana 

Price is good for the quality. I’d recommend the HAMACHI CILANTRO to start (Yellowtail sashimi w/cilantro and jalapeno, garlic olive oil ponzu sauce). It awakens your senses.It was my first time trying sea urchin. I’m not a big fan but the people say it’s very good there. My favorite rolls were the CORN CRUNCH ROLL (Shrimp tempura roll with corn tempura outside) and the SWEET CRUNCHY ROLL (Sea eel tempura w/cucumber inside, avocado outside w/crunchy green onion & eel sauce on top) Don’t forget the tastiest sushis: MEBACHI MAGURO TORO (Big Eye Tuna Belly / NJ) and the KANPACHI (Premium yellowtail / Hawaii)

What I loved about this place is that they tell you the provenance for each fish on the menu. Best for a party of four or more. I forgot to take pictures since it was so enjoyable!

#3: The Izaka-Ya by Katsuya West Hollywood 

The menu is similar to Katsuya but the spot is way more relaxed and laid back. I prefer this kind of atmosphere to eat sushi.
We got the Salmon Sashimi w/ Black Caviar to start which in my opinion was a mistake. It was soft, not much taste and pricy. I’d get the Seared Salmon Sashimi w/ Truffle Sauce if you’re looking for new experiences. Don’t miss on the Crispy Rice w/ Spicy Tuna,  the Halibut Carpaccio w/ Yuzu Vinaigrette, the Seared Crispy Salmon Tempura and the famous Creamy Rock Shrimp Tempura roll yum! 

#4: Sugar Fish (many locations) 

This place is not the most original. If you want to get an extraordinary experience, new flavors and awesome creations it’s not the spot. Nevertheless, I have to admit the fish is pretty good, smooth, fresh. I specify that because I had bad experiences in other Japanese Sushi restaurants with the fish not being easy to cut with your teeth. It shouldn’t happen  if the chef knows what he is doing and the product is fresh. I usually go either for the “Trust me menu” (30 dollars) or the “Trust me lite” (20 dollars). I love these names for sushi menus.

It is really true that the number one thing you should do when going to one of the places listed on this post, is to TRUST. Yes, trust the waiter/chef and just go with the flow. Just specify what you dislike, your allergies, … It’s an amazing experience each time for me. Thanks to this place, I discovered all the different sauce you could put on your fish to make it taste way better (ponzu, onzu ponzu …) I take out a lot from this place now, it’s a bit cheaper too.

Bon Appétit

Thanksgiving thanksreceiving

~ yvonnepearl ~ Leave a comment

It is thanksgiving and I am in Los Angeles.
The funny thing about this holiday is that everyone or almost everyone seems to be thankful for what they have, who they share their lives with and so on.
You will notice that most of the Facebook status are “I’m thankful to have such an amazing family”,”to be healthy” … What does it mean?
Is it because we know that today since it’s thanksgiving, we must be or feel thankful? Are we forcing ourselves? Do we feel good about it?
What I’m trying to understand is how people can be nice, kind, devoted and thankful on that particular day and forget about it the next morning.

The human brain is complicated we are all aware of that. How can you possibly explain that after watching an amazing romantic comedy you feel the need to say nice things to people or you want to find someone to love?
Are we in control or do we get affected by small little things without noticing?

Thanksgiving is a great holiday. Everyone gets together to share a nice meal to share their thoughts to laugh …
It’s usually pretty simple. It all boils down to a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, gravy, pecan pie, pumpkin pie and good wine. That’s the way I’ve always celebrated it. The food can be incredible if the spirit of thanksgiving is not present, you will not experience the true meaning of this holiday.
Everyone should be grateful for what they have everyday, all year round. When you wake up in the morning take a second to appreciate your heated home, your breakfast and maybe your life will make more sense. I realized a lot lately that’s why I’m bringing this up.

It is yet so simple to say nice things to the people around us, is it easy to act in that respect? I bought Christmas cards so I can send my greetings to people I love. Why? Because I feel it is essential to make others happy, content, loved. It is not much but little details, small actions as a whole, combined, can create an extraordinary strength within you …  A kindness and mindful heart. Now let’s change chapters and move on to Hanukah and Christmas, shall we?

YP

Hama Sushi Dinner

~ yvonnepearl ~ 2 Comments

Great spot in Venice, sitting at the sushi bar . Let the chef take care of you and you’ll be surprise. If you enjoy white fish and lemon just get the Chiso Lemon Roll it’s delicious. 

We do not have anything similar in France. Japanese places are usually held by Chinese people. They serve exactly the same which is sashimi combo (salmon, tuna and white fish) usually not so fresh and not tasty at all.

We also have these chains of sushi take outs which are getting there (step by step) it’s more of a revisité (revisit) japanese food. A lot of different rolls with ingredients which are not at all japanese (cream cheese roll, lox, even nutella rolls with eggs) I wouldn’t say this is fine japanese cuisine but when you’re starving in Paris and need a light lunch it’s enough.

SushiShop is doing an awesome job lately, hiring French chefs (Thierry Marx) to “revisit” their menus, adding foie gras dishes/sushi, caviar and French style tartares. You guys can already check it out in NYC, they just opened a location there.

I’ll never trade any French japanese place for an average LA one though!

http://www.hamasushi.com/

This is the best (in my opinion):

Shiso Lemon Roll Yellowtail, green onions and tempura shiso leaf inside, with thin slices of Halibut, and lemon on top with yuzu juice, chili oil, and salt  19.00

(you can also order half rolls)

First LA Bfast

~ yvonnepearl ~ Leave a comment

I decided to go for the frozen waffles at Wholefoods. They do not have so much taste but with a little butter and honey it’s actually okay. I cut some apples and cooked them in a pot for a few minutes (add three spoons of water, honey and cinnamon)

Yogurt in LA is really good if you buy it in a glass container. Greek yogurt can be delicious. I miss my French dairy products though I have to admit.

Peets coffee is delicious, we have a machine that requires coffee beans. This was new for me. I was used to the Nespresso machine which was usually only expresso shots. I love the smell of the coffee that comes out from this machine and I love the whole process of making it happen. The fresh beans that finally end in your cup with a little milk …