Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a vegetarian restaurant/yoga studio owned by Chef Jeremy Fox. Meat Meat Meat...I love my meat, bacon, and pork...I was skeptical about dining at Ubuntu, but I heard a lot of great things about this place despite the odd combination that it was also a yoga studio. They focus on local and seasonal ingredients, like many other restaurants in Napa. Additionally, you may find unique vegetables from their bio-dynamic garden. Keep in mind that the menu is probably different by the time you read this posting.

The atmosphere gave a studio/rustic/artistic feel. And it seemed to cater to the trendy and semi-casual diners or a good place to take someone out on a date. I found that the host stand being at the back of the restaurant to be a peculiar place to first welcome customers.

I was sold the first time I ate here for lunch, so I ate there 2 other times...so I pretty much tasted almost the whole menu by now. If you plan on getting full after one of their salad dishes, good luck with that.











Artichoke, Miner's Lettuce, & Parmesan Salad miso bagna cuada, black olive caramel, macadamia: For the little amount of ingredients in this salad, the parmesan really shined in this dish. It was simple and light, while the addition of the black olive caramel dots made it just a tad more complex.














Beets W/ Fork Crushed Avocado pistachio soil, chickweed, ruby grapefruit, beet tartare: I was really drawn to the whimsical plating of this dish. It was so colorful and vibrant that it took me back to spring. I can see the utilization of the beet...after cutting the perfect medium dice roasted beet, they take the scraps and turn it into the "beet tartare" and the rest pureed into a sauce. This dish lended towards the delicate and sweeter side with the roasted beets and toasted pistachios and the "fork crushed" avocado.















Crunchy Radishes, Local Chevre, & Nori mustard banyuls vinaigrette, hong vit, black salt: I felt like a rabbit eating a first class meal. I didn't like the rawness of the radishes, but I did like the variety and color. I found the mustard to be too overpowering and it didn't help bring out the taste of the radishes. I guess the radishes were just plain crunchy radishes. The quenelle of goat cheese was nothing special.
















Organic Asparagus, Mushrooms, Toasted Brioche faux egg, asparagus puree, shaved asparagus, toasted brioche: The dish would have looked better on a white plate to bring out the bright green of the asparagus. Once again, all the uses of the asparagus was put to use. The asparagus puree didn't just taste like another form of asparagus, but offered a well seasoned and earthy spice to it. It was then complemented with the minced, earthy mushrooms. I really wish there was more brioche because I really like the crispy texture that it brought to the dish. The faux egg was suprisingly delicious. It tasted like an egg sandwich but in a different form. It was like a creamy bubble, but not one that exploded, but was just creamy, like a light mayo.












Rustic Rancho Gordo Yellow Bean Soup It tasted like minestrone. It wasn't bad or good. It was a good soup that would be nice during a cold winter night, but light enough that it could be eaten on a sunny spring day.
















Carta De Musica Black Trumpet Mushroom If you love mushrooms, you will love this dish. It's hard to make mushrooms look bright and pretty even if you put it on a nice white dish. The mushrooms were juicy and tender. The crunchy thing was kind of bland, but it was a good texture element to the dish.











Grits & Brussel Sprouts I've got a soft spot for grits, especially when they are creamy and buttery. It tasted very much like polenta. I'm usually not a fan of brussel sprouts because they can be bitter, but when you fry them, you end up with kind of a bitter burnt from frying them...but in a good way. I don't really know how to explain it, but anything fried usually tastes good. I got a great sense of outdoor BBQ from the smoky apple puree. And then to freshen up the palate there was a side of apple salad. I love this dish. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.










Cauliflower In A Cast Iron Pot Ubuntu is known for this dish and I would say it's a must try. Who ever thought that making cauliflower into a cheesy, heavy casserole dish would be so tasty? It was the perfect portion that made me full, but not too full. Of course, that didn't stop me from ordering other things.















Carrot & Ginger Gnochetti It was a forest of carrots. You had carrot pureed as a sauce, made into a pasta, roasted on the side and a taste of raw baby carrots. This dish didn't just taste like all carrots though. it was like a carrot mac & cheese. I would like to think that I was being health concious by eating carrots, but with the creamyness of the cheese and the al dente pasta...there wasn't really anything healthy about it.















Sauerkraut and Emmentel Pizza Pizza is just pizza. It was a good pizza and a nice crust. It definately gave you your cheese fix, but I wouldn't go to ubuntu to order pizza. Try the other unique dishes.















Cheesecake In A Jar This dessert was so cute. It was such a friendly food presentation and I was reminded of being on a farm eating...cheesecake in a jar. It was almost like eating cheesecake batter before you bake it, but not as heavy or overly sweet.



Kiwi Citrus Float After trying this drink/dessert, i felt very Asian. I think it was the use of the tropical fruits and you normally don't see the use of kiwi in a dessert menu. If you want a dessert that's light and refreshing and would send you back to the tropics, get this dessert.

A Bowl of Frosted Feuilletine This is the adult way to eat cereal. Feuilletine is kind of like cornflakes, but sweeter. It was served with a warm malted milk and caramelized bananas. You feel like a kid, but this way of eating cereal was way more fun and entertaining.

Lastly, if and when you go here, you can expect a colorful, fresh and earthy menu. It wouldn't hurt to make a reservation. I'd expect to pay about $35 - $45/person. For all you meat lovers, hold the craving for that filet mignon and explore the vegetables! There's more to veggies than just a salad. I guess it would be a great way for your kids to eat them veggies!

Ubuntu Restaurant and Yoga Studio
1140 Main St.
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 251-5656

www.ubuntunapa.com

Quanh Hy

Vietnamese food -- I love it. I grew up eating pho @ Golden Deli in San Gabriel thinking it was the best thing ever. That is, until I packed up and moved down to the OC. During the first few weeks down here, I was really at a loss for good food. That was until a family friend recommended I try this place out, and I've been back 10+ times since in the last year. Mind you, I have to drive a solid 20+ minutes to get here, so it's a sign that it's actually well worth my time.

Quanh Hy...man I've been wanting to write a review about this place for quite some time. Truthfully, this should have been my first post on this blog. The only reason it isn't is because everytime I go there I always forget to bring a camera. And even when I do, I'm too excited to get down to business that I forget the camera is there altogether. This place is located in Westminster in the heart of Little Saigon. There are a lot of great Vietnamese restaurants within a 1/2 mile radius, but this one is definitely one of the best, and certainly takes the cake in my book.

The food here isn't your typical pho/egg roll/spring roll-type joint. The majority of Vietnamese places out there serve Southern Vietnamese food, which is definitely good in its own right, and certainly makes a great name for Vietnamese food in general. Quanh Hy rolls a little differently. Here they serve up central-Vietnamese style cuisine. I like it much more than your typical bowl or pho or rice dish, because they tend to incorporate a greater variety of ingredients, as you can see from some of the pictures below. It just reminds me a lot of Thai food -- it definitely has similar characteristics, which I think is why it appeals to me that much more.

As you can see from the descriptions below, after coming here so many times, I still don't know the names of the dishes. All I can remember are the numbers. As long as you order #1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and perhaps 14 or 23 (noodle dishes) you're solid. You don't even have to ask.

#1 Banh Beo

#7 Goi Mit (Jackfruit salad)

#3 (postickers)

#4

#14 (Vermicelli noodles w/ charbroiled pork and shrimp cakes)

Whenever someone asks me what's good to eat in OC, this is the first place that ALWAYS pops into my mind. It's that good. The only complaint I have for this place (and a big complaint it is) is the complete lack of service. Keep in mind this is a Vietnamese joint. I don't want to make over-generalizations, but yo shit, it's all about the cash money at these places, and they want you in and out as quick as possible. And in that respect, the servers here are usually on point with their game.

First of all the majority of them don't speak English, which makes your dining experience slightly more difficult straight off the bat. Extra plates or more water? Good luck. My biggest peeve there is how they NEVER clear your table. It doesn't matter how much you order. The only thing that's going to change is how high up you'll have to reach to grab your food. I'm really not exaggerating. If you ain't down with the plate stacking, this place is not for you. Food -- A+. Service -- F-. But as long as they aren't spitting in my food, with an A+ I'm not really here for the service anyway right?

Quanh Hy

9727 Bolsa Ave

Westminster, CA 92683

Cheers,
Opie

Joan's on Third

Since this past weekend was rained out = no work for me, I decided to take a daytrip up to LA to visit my friend Candice. For lunch, we were both in the mood to try something new, but it seemed as though the only suggestions we could offer each other were to places that either she or myself had already been to.

Since we were on our way to LACMA (which inevitably was cancelled) we decided to cruise 3rd St. to see if we would come across anything interesting. There were the usual spots such as the 1-hour wait Toast, and my all-time favorite Doughboys, which seems to have been shut down for the time being. Fortunately we came across a little place called Joan's on Third.

Perhaps Joan's on Third is an institution in LA - I sure as hell didn't know that stepping in. But once I had a chance to walk around a little bit and had a chance to enjoy my food, I wondered why I've never been here before. Best way to describe Joan's on Third is that it's a small and quaint gourmet marketplace with a solid selection of cheese, wine, sandwiches, salads, and all those tasty-looking packaged goods that you would only find in an overseas market.

Here's a look at some of the food we had for lunch:

Beet salad w/ Walnuts and (...)cheese i forget.

VENETIAN COPPA SALAME with provolone & olive paste

PRESSED CHICKEN, BACON & BRIE with carmelized onions on French baguette

Scallion Pancake w/ Hoisin Sauce

We finished our meal with a coconut cupcake, which was good but couldn't compete with the Affogato (vanilla bean gelato w/ a shot of chilled espresso). Definitely a winner in my book.

Joan's on Third

8350 West 3rd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90048

www.joansonthird.com

Cheers,

Opie

Angelini Osteria - Picture Update

To add to Teddy's picture-less post awhile back, here are some snapshots of my latest visit to Angelini. We got there for a relatively late seating at 9pm, as most everything on the daily specials menu was sold out except for the pastas. Nevertheless, Angelini always fails to disappoint.

Grilled Lamb Chops allo Scottadito w/ Arugula salad -- some of the best I've had



Clockwise from top-left -- Black squid ink [pasta], papardelle w/ duck ragu, veal agnolotti

Angelini Osteria

7313 Beverly Boulevard

Los Angeles, California 90036
323-297-0070

http://www.angeliniosteria.com/

Pitfire Pizza Company

For those of you who hang out in Downtown LA and Little Tokyo a lot, I know you've seen this place. Pitfire Pizza is the type of restaurant that always looks tempting, but can never take the place of your true purpose for being in the area: Japanese food. I'm not going to say it is, but this review might make you think twice before passing it by as always.

Located on the same block as Edison, Pitfire Pizza is that new-looking restaurant on the corner of 2nd and Main. What I initially assumed was a sit-down service was instead more of a high-end fast-casual environment, where you place your order at the front, take a seat, and they bring you your food when it's ready. Not that I really care.

The pizza isn't quite Mozza, but moreso CPK-like. And it was good. We got this deal where you order a 12 or 14 inch pizza and get a pitcher of beer for less than $20 if I remember correctly. Not a bad deal at all. Throw in salad and you got more than enough to eat for two people. They also have daily/weekly specials based on what's fresh in the markets. They even have some organic pizzas for you hippies out there.

So if you happen to frequent the Little Tokyo area quite often and aren't really feeling sushi, Pitfire Pizza could be a good change of pace/taste for you. I would rate this place 7/10.

Pitfire Pizza Company

108 W 2nd St

Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 808-1200

Cheers,

Opie

San Francisco Trip Part 3: Bocadillos

For the 3rd and final installment of my trip to San Francisco, I've saved the best for last -- Bocadillos, a spanish tapas and wine bar where the financial district and Chinatown converge.

This place is the shit. Modern, somewhat minimalist decor combined with warm lighting really sets the mood for a really great dinner. In attempts to keep to its Spanish roots, seating is offered at bar-style, on high-tables w/ stools, as well as a large communal table in the center of the restuarant. Small place but very cozy and comfortable, sort of like the feel you get at Angelini Osteria.

I personally love tapas. The small dishes give you the chance to try several different items on the menu, not the mention that each dish, in order to make up for its size, is packed with flavor. Here are some of the dishes we ordered, which I think actually made up about a quarter of the menu. I know. I love food.

Selection of Spanish artisianal cheese

Bocadillos -- 18-month serrano ham w/ tomato rub, chorizo w/ walnut spread and parsley, Catalan sausage w/ arugula and shave manchego

Fois gras roll w/ serrano ham, mango & aged balsamic

Sauteed mushrooms (can't remember this one)

Pigs trotters w/ fresh herbs and chopped egg salad

Tripe basquaise braised w/ onion, garlic and peppers

Flat iron steak w/ chimichurri

Macaroons "luzien" w/ pistachio ice cream & "arm of a gypsy" w/ hazelnut mousse

Bocadillos is certainly a gem in the bay area and a definitely must try if you're in the area. The pictures speak for themselves. Special thanks to Kathy for introducing me to such a great place.

Bocadillos

170 Montgomery Street

San Francisco, CA 94111

http://www.bocasf.com/

Cheers,

Opie

Angelini Osteria

Enjoy super authentic Tuscan cuisine here with the non pretentious décor and staff. This place is all about food and won't be as impressive in presentation like a Valentino. But you can't argue with the quality. I’ve never had a bad meal here and have almost had every thing on the menu, for real. It feels like the food gets better each time: the Branzino is sweeter, the pork chop more tender, the pasta perfectly cooked. It’s the perfect size restaurant with very minimal décor and busy almost every night so make reservation ahead of time.

When you look at the menu, it might be overwhelming because there’s so many things that you looks appetizing. If you want the perfect meal, do exactly as I say. When you first sit down, order the Italian cold cuts to start- it’s something you can eat while you look at the menu and wine list. Order a bottle of Seasmoke Southing Pinot, and enjoy with your prosciutto and fresh salami. For your starter course, order a pasta. I prefer the seafood pasta, a tagliolini cooked al dente with fresh lobster, clams and mussels in a non invasive red sauce. Take a sip of wine. To finish if you’re hungry get the pork chop or steak. If you’re into something lighter, then definitely try the Branzino which is a great and tasty fish that is incredibly tender and juicy. Finish your wine. End dinner with a lemoncello if you’re ambitious or a latte. Kiss your date. Enjoy life.

Guaranteed to be a memorable dinner; you can contact me directly if you are unhappy and I will slap you thoroughly and tell you don’t know a damn thing about eating. Highbrow for real.

Pictures to come!

Pizzeria Mozza

The much anticipated arrival of Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton’s collabo restarant is, as with most things in LA, over hyped. Although most human beings wouldn’t eat at 10pm, I was taken in with the ridiculous buzz of this restaurant and decided to try it out.
At first glance, Mozza seems like a relaxed neighborhood restaurant. However, upon further review, I realized that most of the people in there were young Hollywood hipsters who were on the latest craze in Los Angeles.

Batali’s pizzas are supposed to have the quality and flavor from his teachings with an old woman who he lived with while training in Italy as a youth. I learned this from reading Heat by Bill Buford which was an over detailed story about Batali’s culinary training. And indeed, the pizzas were met with very distinct Italian recipes and ingredients. The dough which is always the key part to making a great pizza is Silverton’s recipe and definitely the best part of the pizza. The dough was light yet crunchy enough, probably due to her expertise from her first restaurant, Campanile. The toppings, which I’m guessing was Batali’s contribution to the pizza was less than inspiring.

The wine list was very good, as it had a lot of options with younger, drinkable Italian wines. Pizza and booze, I guess you really can’t go wrong with that.

The best thing about the restaurant was the fact that Silverton was still putting the final touches on the pizzas which gave me some more reason to go back a second time. It gave me hope the Silverton and Batali weren’t simply in it to sell there name brand. The chicken liver bruschetta and the squash blossoms are the things to try for appetizers and probably the lardo pizza. If he was thinking about an expensive pizza joint with high quality ingredients, why not go all the way? Why not serve a duck confit with truffle cheese pizza? Why not have the seasonal truffle pizza like Angelini Osteria? When you end up serving sausage pizza with fennel or eggplant pizza, you lose the credibility from charging $10 pizzas. In all honesty, I prefer Angelini Osteria’s pizzas more than Mozza’s. People might try it once, but with the impossible reservation list, I would wait until the buzz dies down. Batali’s first trattoria in LA opening right next door in the next few months might be worth the wait though.

Cut

Trust me when I say that you should enjoy every meal that you eat. Never rush through dinner and always have a little wine with a meal. Learn to enjoy food and go to restaurants that you like and not because Los Angeles magazine and US weekly are telling you that it’s the hottest restaurant in Hollywood now. That is why we will never review restaurants like Dolce and Geisha House on this website. We’ve eaten there several times and don’t go there for the food. Anyhow, let’s talk about Cut. Now this is a serious steakhouse with top quality steak in a very unsteak like setting. Décor is designed by Phillipe Stark. If you like real Japanese Wagyu beef this is one of the few placest you can get it in the United States. It is definetly something to try, but I would recommend sharing a piece with people at your table. If you’ve never had Wagyu before, it is Japanese hand fed and hand massaged beef which creates an extremely marbled cut of beef. For me, a whole piece of Wagyu beef is too fatty and oily and it will almost melt into your mouth. I like some texture in my steak so try to Rib Eye or New York when you’re there. You’ll probably never get a reservation at this restaurant for a couple of months because the celebrities in LA are still working through the tables. However, if you are into high quality steak this is a place to try and is actually better than the other LA steak standard Maestro’s.

Toast Bakery Cafe

Taking a break from the SF eats, I thought I'd talk about my little excursion over to Toast this morning for brunch with my buddies Ryan and Joy. A little pre-game before our hike up to Griffith Observatory. Sunday is Funday after all.

If you've ever heard anything about Toast, you know this place is THE place for celebs/LA to eat breakfast. You always see someone "famous" here. At least I do. I mean shit, the guys from Entourage eat here all the time. Gotta be poppin'. I think it's one of the few places that has a valet service on a Sunday morning as busy as a club from the night before.

With all the hype this place gets, don't expect to eat here without paying your dues. Normally the wait is at least 30-45 minutes long, which is why you'll always see a horde of people hanging on the corner. We lucked out this time and only had to wait 15 minutes. Definitely a first here.

Yet along with all the hype, this place is, I believe, worth the wait. We did breakfast this time around, and this is what we had:

The Open Face - An opened face croissant is topped wth smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, scallions and hollandaise sauce

Eggs Benedict - Poached eggs and Ham served on a toasted English muffin covered in hollandaise sauce

Eggwich - Eggs over-hard with lettuce, tomato, avocado, turkey bacon and mozzarella on toast

So if you're around Beverly Center or Third Street Promenade, you definitely have to do breakfast at Toast if you haven't already. However, if it's already lunch or you're not feeling like breakfast food, cruise a block down to Doughboy's (read past review) for a much better lunch menu in my opinion.

Btw, I saw Katherine McPhee this time around. Slammin'.

Toast Bakery Cafe
8221 W. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA
www.toastbakerycafe.net

Cheers,
Opie