Category Archives: Downtown

July 25, 2014 · 9:38 am

The Pecking Order

In the world of proteins, chicken usually ranks well below beef and pork in the eyes and bellies of carnivores. Seen as the healthy but boring choice, a chicken entree is generally selected by those watching their cholesterol or budget, not the thrill-seeking food adventurers and hedonistic gourmands that read this blog. However one small restaurant in Little Tokyo is challenging this perception of chicken as an inferior meat.

Kokekokko is a traditional Japanese yakitori house. Appetizers aside, they serve basically one thing: skewers of exceptionally good charbroiled chicken. Every part of the bird is used. There are skewers of breasts, thighs, gizzards, livers, hearts, wings (my favorite!) and skin. Each are perfectly seasoned and grilled in the middle of the restaurant on top of special imported charcoal. There are also tasty skewers of tsukune (Japanese meatballs) and uzarago tamago (quail eggs). Even the vegetables (pictured above) are wrapped in thin pieces of chicken. I recommend sitting at the bustling bar surrounding the grill and ordering a five or ten skewer combo so you can try a bit of each.

While the food is phenomenal, don’t expect much in the way of service. Unless you’re a Kokekokko regular, chef Tomohiro Sakata, who presides over the culinary festivities, will not give you the time of day. He reserves his attention and special off-menu items for only his most loyal and sycophantic customers who are served their yakitori on personalized black plates instead of the generic white plates given to the rest of us. This blatant show of favoritism doesn’t seem to have hurt Sakahata’s business; the dinner-only restaurant is always packed.

Kokekokko is located at 203 S Central Ave, Los Angeles (Downtown, in Little Tokyo).

Gyoza

Broccoli Salad Appetizer

House Salad

Chicken Breast

Chicken Gizzard and Chicken Liver

Quail Eggs and Chicken Heart

Chicken Thigh

Chicken Meatball

Chicken Wing

Soup comes at the end

Grilled on a charcoal grill right in front of you

Charbroiled right in front of you

Chicken rules the roost at this Little Tokyo hotspot

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Tagged as best yakitori los angeles, kokekokko, kokekokko chef, kokekokko menu, kokekoko, tomohiro sakata, yakitori dtla, yakitori little tokyo, yakitori los angeles

June 6, 2014 · 11:52 am

Chocolate Fried Chicken

Although it sounds like a name for one of Hello Kitty’s friends, ChocoChicken is actually a bold new high-concept restaurant from Umami Burger founder Adam Fleischman and former fellow food blogger Sean Robins. It features a breakthrough culinary creation — Chocolate Fried Chicken. This is not chicken in mole sauce, but rather a tasty version of Southern fried chicken that has bittersweet chocolate infused in the batter. The chocolate taste is subtle, but definitely there.

There are also Duck Fat Fries dusted with Chocolate Seasoning, White Chocolate Mashed Potatoes which have been infused with Chocolate Chive Butter and, on the lighter side, Fresh Cut Vegetables served with Miso Ranch Dressing and dusted with Chocolate Spice. There is even sweet Chocolate Ketchup, which is particularly good with the fries. Pretty much the only things that are chocolate-free are the Monkey Bread Biscuits, which come in two varieties: Flakey Butter and Caramelized Bacon. Both are insanely delicious. As you might guess, their full bar features Chocolate Martinis, Chocolate Whiskey and Chocolate Tequila.

ChocoChicken is located at 403 W. 12th Street, Los Angeles (Downtown, near Staples Center). A second location will open shortly in Santa Monica.

Caramelized Bacon and Flakey Butter Monkey Bread Biscuits

Cup of Raw Crudite with “Miso Addicted Ranch”

Chocolate Fried Chicken

White Chocolate Mashed Potatoes

Crispy Duck Fat Fries dusted with Choco Seasoning, and served with Chocolate Ketchup

Electric Chocolate S’mores Whoopie Pie

“Frying 58” Cocktail with Gin, Grapefruit and Pineapple

Just a stone’s throw from the Staples Center

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Not Your Routine Poutine

Canada is the home of gold medal winning female bobsledders, an incorrigible rapscallion/pop star known as “J-Biebs,” and a corpulent crack-smoking mayor that bears a striking resemblance to the late great Chris Farley. But foodwise, the greatest achievement of our neighbor to the north is poutine.

For the uninitiated, poutine is Canadian fast food that originated in Quebec. It’s fries with a brown gravy-like sauce and cheese curds. A good plate of poutine is salty and unctuous, and perfect for late night binging, noshing at a hockey game, and consuming while listening to the song stylings of French-Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion.

LA chefs, especially those at local gastropubs, have been obsessed lately with poutine and have lovingly put their own spin the dish. Below are some of my favorite non-traditional poutines served around town, with a couple of more classic ones thrown in for good measure.

Chicken Tikka Poutine

1. Chicken Tikka Poutine from Badmaash (108 W. 2nd Street in Downtown Los Angeles).

Bahn Mi Poutine

2. Bahn Mi Poutine from The Gorbals (501 So. Spring St. in Downtown Los Angeles)

Galbi Poutine with Pickled Kimchi Onions

3. Galbi Poutine with Pickled Kimchi Onions from Seoul Sausage (11313 Mississippi Ave, Los Angeles in West LA)

Pastrami Gravy Fries (with Beef Tallow Fries, Pastrami Bits Pastrami Gravy, Melted Swiss Cheese and Chopped Pickles)

4. Pastrami Gravy Fries (with Beef Tallow Fries, Pastrami Bits Pastrami Gravy, Melted Swiss Cheese and Chopped Pickles) from Plan Check Kitchen + Bar (1800 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles in West LA and 352 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles in Mid-City)

Truffled Poutine Burger

5. Truffled Poutine Burger from Umami Burger (Locations in Santa Monica, Studio City, Los Feliz, Mid-City, Hermosa Beach, Downtown, Burbank, Hollywood, Thousand Oaks and Pasadena)

Gravy Fried with Roast Brisket and Cheddar

Gravy Fries with Roast Brisket and Cheddar

6. Gravy Fries with Roast Brisket and Cheddar from The Bowery (6268 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles in Hollywood)

Poutine with Ground Beef and Sauteed Onions, Peppers & Mushrooms

7. Build your own Poutine (this one has Ground Beef and Sauteed Onions, Peppers and Mushrooms) at Jay’s Bar (4321 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles in Silverlake)

Smoked Meats Poutine with Curds and Gravy

8. Smoked Meats Poutine with Curds and Gravy from Little Fork (1600 Wilcox Ave., Los Angeles in Hollywood)

Poutine, Oxtail Gravy, Cheddar

9. Poutine, Oxtail Gravy, Cheddar from Animal (435 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles in Mid-City)

Poutine ÃŽle-du-Prince-Ã‰douard with Mussels au Gratin

10. Poutine ÃŽle-du-Prince-Ã‰douard with Mussels au Gratin from Soleil Westwood and P’tit Soleil (1386 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles in Westwood)

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Filed under Burbank, Downtown, Hermosa Beach, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Mid-City, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Silver Lake, Studio City, Thousand Oaks, West LA, Westwood

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February 21, 2014 · 9:16 am

Love at First Bite

When it comes to LA restaurants, I am a serial dater. A new eatery may capture my fancy one weekend, but invariably my attention quickly turns the next weekend to the even newer and more promising place on the block. Like a gastronomic lothario, I run from establishment to establishment in search of a seemingly unobtainable dining ideal. So it is quite surprising that lately all I can think about is one restaurant; a place with which I am hopelessly, head-over-heels in love.

The object of my affection is The Factory Kitchen. It recently opened in the Downtown Arts District and has a cool industrial chic interior with a large open kitchen and an atmosphere abuzz with fervid excitement. It has superb service, a fun cocktail menu and a thoughtfully curated wine list. But, most importantly, the food is phenomenal. The cuisine is Italian and the menu is full of all kinds of awesome.

Every dish I’ve had there has been excellent so it’s hard to recommend just a few. The Pancotto (Duck Egg, Red Potato Vellutata Sauteed Greeens, Semolina Bread Crostone and Speck; pictured above), the Peparu (Soft Cheese Stuffed Sweet and Spicy Peppers, Grana Padano and Arugula Oil), and the Proscuitto di Parma on lightly fried Sage Dough (kind of like a savory donut) with Stracciatella are not to be missed. It would also be a travesty to not get an order of the Focacinna Calda de Recco al Formaggio, an insanely delicious flatbread which is crispy on the outside and stuffed with gooey melted cheese. One or more of the handmade pastas are also must-haves, especially the unique and amazing Mandilli di Seta (Handkerchief Pasta with Ligurian Almond Basil Pesto). For dessert, I highly recommend the Cannolis with Ricotta, Pistachios and Orange Marmalade; they’re the best I’ve ever had.

The Factory Kitchen is located at 1300 Factory Place, Los Angeles (Downtown).

Peperu (Soft Cheese Stuffed Sweet and Spicy Peppers, Grana Padano and Arugula Oil)

Prosciutto (Parma Prosciutto 24 Months, Lightly Fried Sage Dough and Stracciatella)

Frittura (Baby Leek, Beer-Batter and Chickpea Fritters)

Focacinna Calda de Recco al Formaggio

Schiaffoni (Gragnano Pasta, Swordfish, Red Onion and Spicy Tomato Puttanesca)

Mandilli di Seta (Handkerchief Pasta with Ligurian Almond Basil Pesto)

Cappe Sante (Pan Roasted Sea Scallops with Cabbage Salad, Aromatic Bread and Bell Peppers)

Cannolis with Ricotta filling, Pistachios and Orange Marmalade

Cannoli with Ricotta filling, Pistachios and Orange Marmalade

Vanilla Gelato and Chocolate Sorbet

Sweet Jane (Barrel Aged Genever, Rhubarb and Lavender Honey)

In the Downtown Arts District

Chef Angelo Auriana and colleague making pasta

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Tagged as Almond Pesto, Angelo Auriana, best restaurants downtown los angeles, chef Angelo Auriana, Factory Kitchen, factory kitchen downtown la, Factory Kitchen dtla, Factory Kitchen Los Angeles, Factory Kitchen Menu, handkerchief pasta, The Factory Kitchen, the factory kitchen downtown los angeles, the factory kitchen los angeles

December 30, 2013 · 1:11 pm

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2013

2013 was a year of unrestrained action and fervid movement; a year of twerking and not treading lightly. We experienced the exuberance of the Harlem Shake, the fury of the Red Wedding and the whirlwind of Sharknado. And the Los Angeles restaurant scene was no exception. 2013 saw the continued meteoric rise of Los Angeles as one of the dominant food cities in the world. Of all of the offerings from LA culinary movers and shakers that I wrote about in 2013, the following are my ten favorites.

10. Tendon (Tempura Rice Bowl) with Fresh Salt Water Eel from Hannosuke. This stand in the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Mar Vista is the only place in LA that serves the kind of tempura that you would find in Japan. Their Tendon is a glorious pile of golden brown, crispy, salty and unctuous tempura with a slightly sweet sauce piled high on a bed of rice. Plus there’s a tempura soft-boiled egg to break open and mix with your rice. Need I say more?

9. Spicy Albacore Tuna Tartare from Fishing with Dynamite. I wouldn’t normally get that excited about tuna tartare, but Chef David LeFevre’s unusual version of the dish at his fun new South Bay seafood joint is exceptionally good. It has complex layers of flavor, a nice kick of spice and it’s served with two giant crispy shrimp chips.

8. Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich from Roadside Eats. This unexpected discovery in Hollywood is my favorite new sandwich of the year. It’s overflowing with a mixture of crispy, tender and sweet shredded pork, vinegary coleslaw and pickle chips.

7. Mushroom and Truffle Pizza from Stella Barra Pizzeria. This is hands-down my favorite pizza in the city. With Stella Barra’s new second location in Holllywood, Eastsiders who won’t schlep to Santa Monica can now experience umami pizza greatness.

6. Chocolate Soup from Tagine. This is the only dessert to make my list and it’s incredible. Served with vanilla ice cream and baklava, this “soup” is the crescendo of an incredible meal of modern Moroccan cuisine. Its rich flavor reminds me of Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity in NYC.

5. Chubby Pork Belly Rice Bowl from Chego. Roy Choi is a genius at elevating street food and the rice bowls at Chego are no exception. My favorite thing to order there is the comforting yet complex “Chubby Pork Belly,” an insanely good combination of kochujang-lacquered Kurobuta pork belly, fried egg, pickled radishes, water spinach, Chinese broccoli, cotija cheese, peanuts and steamed rice.

4. Grilled Octopus with Roasted Potatoes and Jalapeno Sauce from Mo-Chica. This is my favorite of all the new dishes introduced by chef Ricardo Zarate when he moved his Modern Peruvian eatery to its new location on 7th Street Downtown. It’s a sublime mix of savory flavors and textures, and easily the best octopus dish I’ve ever eaten.

3. Chicken Liver Toast and Date Jam from Alma. There are so many dishes I love at Alma, but if I had to pick just one, this would be it. I love the combination of sweet and savory, and this pairing of the most delicious chicken liver mousse I’ve ever tasted and toast covered in a delectable date jam is total perfection.

2. Potato Pulp from Trois Mec. Trois Mec was the most anticipated restaurant opening of the year and the incredible food and intimate dining experience I had there certainly lived up to the hype. The Potato Pulp has quickly become the restaurant’s signature dish and combines potatoes, brown butter, onion soubise, Salers cheese and bonito flakes into a plate of transcendent awesomeness.

1. Lamb Neck with Creamy Oats from The Gorbals. Tender, juicy, incredibly flavorful and falling right off the bone, this is the best lamb dish I’ve ever eaten. Uber-talented chef Ilan Hall serves it atop a risotto-like bed of deliciously creamy oats. It’s wonderfully rich and decadent and it’s my favorite dish that I wrote about this year.

Category Archives: Downtown

The Pecking Order

Chocolate Fried Chicken

Not Your Routine Poutine

Love at First Bite

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2013

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