OMG or Oh My Ganesha

My friend April and I had an amazing meal at Jitlada Restaurant last week. April had been reading about it in various magazines and on internet sites for months and was anxious to try it out. I, on the other hand, hadn't heard of it--and had sort of written off thai food for a bit because I couldn't convince my husband that thai food is good.

He's not a fan.

But he hasn't been to Jitlada-land

Surprisingly we walked into a nearly empty restaurant, just before noon, on a Thursday. Apparently the best kept secret is Jitlada, just before noon, on a Thursday. Review after review, talks of having to wait for a table and a constantly packed dining room. Tip of the day---go there for lunch.

The only other occupied table was a group of LA County Sheriffs.

 Hot diggity---good food and men in uniform...could a better day be had?

The menu is enormous. And not in a Cheesecake Factory way...where there are pages and pages of random stuff...and really only 2 things you want to eat. This menu looks like the best dinner party I ever attended--pages and pages of unbelievable treats.

 Authentic, spicy treats.

I couldn't wait to order...but how to decide?

April had done her research, so had a general idea of some items that were a must. Also...Jitlada helped us out a bit by pointing out some of the Chef's specials both on the menu and a framed notice of really special specials. Thank goodness, because it will take me a very long time to get through the whole menu.

I might even be tempted to try lamb here...the food is that good!

The owner...Jaz is adorable.  I just want to hug her.  It was like we had entered her kitchen at home. She is dedicated to serving fresh, authentic Thai food. She is also dedicated to making sure each customer has a delicious meal and a great time.

 There is no compromising.

We ordered 4 dishes....

Chef's special-special-- Morning Glory Salad--fried watercress salad with shrimp. Eventhough the watercress was battered and deep fried..it was crispy and very fresh tasting. It was, in a word, amazing. I can't do the salad justice here, believe me...it is worth trying...and then eating the entire plate. *this photo is courtesy of jitlada restaurant's website.

Our waiter recommended the rice salad. He felt it would go well with the other dishes we ordered, so we went with it. I am so happy we did. It might have been my favorite dish of the afternoon. It was a cold salad and very simple. But it had a flavor that I can't quite get my finger on..but I am almost certain there is lemongrass in there somewhere. Lemongrass and a melange of goodness that is unnmistakably yummy. Yes...words are currently escaping me. I mean really, how many times can I say good without it becoming an ineffective adjective?*this is a photo i hastily took before polishing off the entire plate of rice.

Based on recommendations from YELP we ordered the crouching tiger hidden dragon beef. Actually, that wasn't it's name...let me check my notes..
ah yes, the crying tiger beef. You know what...i am crying too...crying that I can't eat it every day.

 This is the dish that I am convinced will turn my hubster into a Thai Tippler. Seriously delicious.

Our final and most serious dish was the Spicy Brown Sugar Chicken. This dish is not sweet at all. But I imagine there is a bit of sugar to assist in the spicy aspect. This dish will get ya coming and going... in a good way. SBSC is spicy. without hiding the appeal.

It is a real skill to be able to create a dish so spicy that it cures nasal congestion, but doesn't mask the amazing flavors.

During our meal, Jaz flitted in and out...sharing stories and generosity.  She offered beer to match the food, a dessert of warm coconut pumpkin custard that melted in my mouth (something else I know hub will love), and a not very subtle thai coffee that kicked me into top gear.  I am hooked.  Coffee, coconut, beer, spicy food....AND men in uniform.

 Call the medics, I feel a swoon coming on.

*some photos are from the jitladala.com website (the good ones!)

** while at Jitlada we met Jo, a food enthusiast/blogger and Jitlada-fan. She eats here quite often and has very good taste, so if you don't believe me, believe her! You can find her here.

Jitlada Restaurant

5233 W Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027

(323) 663-3104

Mon. 5:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Tue-Thu. 11:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

eighteen dishes, nine courses, three hours, one happy me

Last night my husband and I stepped up our culinary prowess. I love a well cooked, beautifully presented meal. I love learning about new ingredients and finding new ways to use old standards. I love a fancy meal in a fancy restaurant. And I love, love, love a digustation menu. If the chef thinks its his/her best work, then I want to taste it.

Bring it on

We had a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable dinner at Sona. The Chef, David Meyers, is very accomplished with numerous awards and accolades, and an impressive resume. His plates are a real work of art....and I felt that most of them were sheer brillance.
Along with the food, our beverage of choice was wine. We opted for the wine pairing menu, to match our food selection. I am not a great oenophile.I know what I like, and I know what I don't like. I can't tell a good pairing, but I can suss out a great pairing and and poor pairing. I like the professionals to do the legwork for me.

Our first sommelier (they appear to have several on staff) was adorable. He was charming in a sort of awkward way. I asked for light pours, waste not want not, and he was very conscious to ensure i had enough for my course, but no more. Our second sommelier was dead to conversation, humor or personality. No back story, no charm, no nothin'...just here's your wine...
...a bit of a bummer, but his wine choices were good...and one of them was absolutely great. He paired a tokaji with a sublime offering of olive oil parfait with jammy kumquat. When I tell you it was perfection, know that I am a tough customer...it was perfection. I intend on creating my own version of this wonderful dessert and will keep you posted on the results.
Although we were each treated to 9 courses, we were eating different menus. This gave Mike and I an opportunity to try everything on the menu. We swapped dishes--most of the time...

Like my new favorite show Top Chef Masters, I am going to run down the menu and give each a star rating...

0 to 5 stars

9 Course Spontanee

amuse

poached shrimp vietnamese roll with tempura quail egg 3 1/2 stars

course no. 1

marinated big eye tuna w/smoked eggplant puree, and pickled beets 3 1/2 stars

heirloom tomato salad with cilantro puree 1 1/2 stars

uninspired

course no. 2

braised pork belly w/chino farm corn soup 4 stars

diver scallop w/red plum, muzuku seaweed and potato chip 3 1/2 stars

The scallop was cooked perfectly, but the seaweed was a bit strange in the mouth

course no.3

alaskan halibut w/pickled lima beans & braised shitake mushroom 2 1/2 stars

fish was a bit dry and a little boring...lima beans were amazing

sake-harissa marinated black cod w/roasted cipollini & sunchoke puree 5 stars

perhaps the best thing I ate--unexpected and delicious

course no. 4

seared foie gras w/siberian roll, strawberry vinaigrette and burnt milk ice cream 4 1/2 stars

i have to be honest here..it was delicious, but a if I can look a gift horse in the mouth, it was a bit too big of a portion--i felt bad leaving some on my plate, but i didn't want to have a gallbladder attack before the meal was completed

course no. 5

kasuzuke duck w/braised shitake mushrooms and artichoke puree 4 1/2 stars

one of mike's favorites--he could have eaten an entree portion of this

poussin w/celery root puree, and crispy artichokes 3 1/2 stars

My piece was undercooked--kinda freaked me out and felt a bit over seasoned. Mike loved his

course no. 6

marinated venison w/fennel apple pudding, apple caramel and roasted fennel 4 stars

sonoma summer lamb w/madrus curried carrot risotto 4 stars

palate cleanser

red plum sorbet with watermelon, licorice toffee and lime gelee 3 1/2 stars

when the 'food caller' told us what this was we thought he said red clam sorbet, so we were pleasantly surprised to find it not fishy

course no. 7

miso custard w/hearts of palm, coconut sponge, vanilla curry ice cream 3 stars

overworked and a disappointment. the custard was good and so was the ice cream

black sesame sponge with black sesame praline, lemongrass and passion fruit sorbet 2 stars

see above--again frozen aspects are good

course no. 8

olive oil parfait with kumquat and coriander flower 5 stars

course no. 9

ivorie ganache w caramelized white chocolate, potato chip praline ice cream 1 star

the ice cream was disgusting ruined the entire dish for me

caramelized white chocolate with apricot, chocolate and tobacco ice cream 4 stars

mignardise

this was adorable such a beautiful presentation. my favorite was the marzipan diguised as a cherry. adorable and tasty

Would I go back to Sona? In a word, yes. I am anxious to try entree portions of some of the tastes we enjoyed. I also appreciated the atmosphere and subtle decoration. This restaurant is not inexpensive and with the wine pairing, it will hurt the purse a bit. But it is a treat, and if you have a special occasion or a budget to allow, i suggest giving it a try.

Poor Service, Really? {balsamic short ribs}

I am questioning where the media is getting their information. While I may flippantly say, " I thought we were in a recession", every time I can't get a parking space at the mall, a reservation at a restaurant, or a return call from a service provider, I am starting to wonder what the heck is going on.

Because I work from home, I am spared the issues with traffic and busy grocery stores, lunch lines and crowded banks. But alas, never spared the recession proof, poor service. So here's my beef...jobs are scarce...businesses are closing every day...wouldn't it be obvious that if someone stumbled into your business, you would at the very least provide good service?

Customer service has always been a beef of mine. I remember being young, probably 10 or 12 and in a store in Palm Desert. I was shopping with my mom and one of her friends. The clerk was a man, probably in his 20's and he was on the phone. My mother was trying to buy something and he was VERY rude. He turned his back and continued his obviously personal call. We waited about 10 minutes and then my mom put the item down and walked out the store. She was fine, I was outraged and stayed behind. When he finally hung up the phone, I gave him the what for. I was puffed up like a rooster, he was laughing. I'm happy to report that shop no longer exists.

The other night, Mike and I and two friends went to a fancy dinner at The Water Grill in downtown Los Angeles. From the moment we were seated, we knew this would be a wonderful dining experience. Our waiter came right away to offer us cocktails. We declined the cocktails but did ask for the wine list. Well, that must have been the kiss of death, as we didn't see him again for about an hour. A bus boy was kind enough to bring a wine list..then ply us with bread and water. Good bread, cold water...fancy indeed! We got our wine and more bread. Finally our waiter appeared...unapologetic and actually a bit rude. I didn't let it go. I offered explanations for him...we thought you quit, we htough you died, we thought there would be mass first...but he didn't bite. "Order please" was all I heard. Oh and the ever patronizing "excellent choice!". God, I hated him.

End of story...food was wonderful, I had a starter of seared scallops with pear and celery root puree and foie gras ravioli that satisfied my soul. I followed with a wonderful piece of fish. One of our dining companions ordered a fillet and short ribs. He was unhappy with the short rib...you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him eat fish.

I make short ribs. I created a recipe that is wonderful in the cold dark of winter. However, with the exception of the 2 days after Christmas, Los Angeles doesn't have winter. What a wonderful memory I have of those 48 hours! Point being, I hardly make them. But in the gloaming of a great meal, I was inspired to make short ribs.
Although these are not difficult to make, I do like to make them in advance so I can skim the fat.

Balsamic Short Ribs

4 Lbs short ribs (with or without bones--trimmed)

black pepper

kosher salt

1 large onion--finely chopped

2 large carrots--finely chopped

3 ribs celery--finely chopped

3 cloves garlic--thickly sliced

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 bottle cabernet (make it a decent bottle)

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar (not expensive)

1 can tomato paste

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1-3 Tbs Brown Sugar---to taste really..

once you pull the ribs out of the oven, put a bit of brown sugar a bit at a time until you balance the vinegar flavor

Season short ribs with salt and pepper and place on a sheet pan. Place in a 425 oven and cook for about 15-18 minutes. This process sears the meat. If you would prefer to sear them on the stove top, you may, in a bit of olive oil. But this saves time and allows you to do other things. I stole this part of the method from Ina Garten..just recently. It's a real time saver and produces great results. What you are looking for is the meat to begin caramelizing on the outside. Don't put too many short ribs on one sheet pan. They should not touch and they should have plenty of room between them. Otherwise you are steaming the meat, rather than baking it.
Meanwhile, continue with the recipe. In a large dutch oven heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When hot, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Let cook 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to sweat and soften, but not brown. Add tomato paste, thyme, wine, and chicken broth and give it a good stir. Put short ribs in the pot and top with balsamic vinegar. Put top on the pot and palce in 350 oven for 2 hours. Remove top and cook for additional 45 minutes. Transfer the meat to a baking dish and discard the bones as they fall off. Place the sauce in a bowl and refrigerate both overnight, separately. The next day, skim off the fat and pour sauce over meat. Reheat in hot oven.
Enjoy with freshly mashed potatoes, creamy polenta or cauliflower puree.