Bowl Thai Grill

This restaurant is right across from Sweet Rice, owned by the same owner, Angela. She was happy to see the four of us since we promised her the last time we were at Sweet Rice that we would come back. 

The four of us decided we would all order something different to taste each other's dish. Amy ordered the Kai Yaang; Chicken thigh meat in "3 buddies marinate" served with papaya salad and blue rice. We had a choice of sticky rice or Jasmine rice which was blue. Angela explained that the blue coloring was from the butterfly pea flower, which apparently is extremely rich in antioxidants called ternatins. We were delighted by the color but not as intrigued as Amy, who couldn't stop talking about the blue rice. I ordered the Pork Satay with cucumber salad and peanut sauce. Angela suggested having a bite of the pork with the salad. Something I would have done anyway, but it's always good to hear how things should be eaten for total enjoyment. I liked my pork, but I ordered the sticky rice only because everyone had the jasmine. It was good, though. I might order the jasmine next time and leave the sticky rice for dessert with mango.

Sujata had the Grilled Tilapia with the 3 buddies marinate. Though she had some of her fish, she did not totally care for the flavor, so I was happy to take it home since I did like it. She did enjoy the papaya salad. Sandi was also pleased with her dish, which was Chicken Satay with cucumber salad. The portions were generous. You do leave the restaurant no longer hungry. 

Bowl Thai Grill has a liquor license, serving wine and beer. They do not have the Sticky Rice with Mango, our favorite dessert, but that was not a problem. We just went a few steps to Sweet Rice and got an order for Sandi and me to split as soon as we got home. We did devour this wonderful dessert shortly after we arrived home.

Bowl Thai Grill is located at 1630 W. Redondo Beach Blvd. in Gardena, California.

 

Limoncello Gouda Cheese

Sounds a bit odd, but I was excited when Zohreh served this cheese from Trader Joe's. I absolutely loved it, so I bought some. 

Yesterday was a warm day, and I wanted to experiment and make Moscow Mules for Sandi and me. I don't have copper mugs, so the next best thing was serving them in Waterford scotch glasses. I chilled the glasses and the vodka before mixing the drink.

The drink called for some hors d' oeuvres, so I opened the package of the Limoncello Gouda and served it with tiny crackers. We also had truffle fries from Trader Joe's, cashew nuts, some wood-fired grilled olives, and salted cashews. 

Everything was perfect. The Moscow Mule was refreshing; vodka and ginger beer with fresh lime. Sandi enjoys champagne now and then, but an hour later, I found her on top of her bed, her head on the foot part and her arms hanging out of the bed! I asked if she was taking a nap and her response was, " The drink made me really tired." It was a funny sight to see; I should have taken a picture!

HIHO Cheeseburger

I had this cheeseburger a long time ago in Santa Monica and remembered that it was good. How good? I could not remember so it was time to refresh my memory. Gari, Sandi and I visited the location in Marina del Rey. Before I talk about the burger, here's some information on Hiho Cheeseburgers. 

They pride themselves in serving 100% grass-fed Wagyu beef. Their beef comes from First Light Farms; a collection of 85 farms committed to sustainable ranching. The beef they produce is certified humane, halal and raised with no antibiotics, GMO, or hormones. The grass-fed beef is supposedly rich in omega-3 and omerga-6 fatty acids shown to improve cardiovascular and brain health. They claim to be the healthiest meats you can eat. So there....you can eat guilt free! 

They don't have many choices but enough if you crave a good healthy burger. We all had their special Cheeseburger. Aside from the beef patty and cheese, they add ketchup, onion jam, lettuce, house-made pickles and mustard. They also have a Vegetarian Burger which is gluten free served on their vegan patty.

The burger was quite delicious with the hand-cut twice-fried French fries. I had forgotten how delicious and juicy these burgers are! Don't let the "healthy" fool  you. They don't sacrifice taste for health.

They only have a few locations and none of them nearby. So the next time you are in Sta. Monica, Crescent Heights or Marina Del Rey, look for a Hiho Cheeseburger; you'll be glad you did.

Providence

I was so excited about writing this blog and yet I've been dreading it because I just didn't know what else to say about this restaurant that I've dined at multiple times in the past years. Sandi and I decided to treat ourselves for our birthdays at Providence.  In the past, they offered 3 different prix-fixe menus, now they have one 8-course meal. We were first to arrive as we were greeted warmly by the maître d. I was surprised to hear that they will be closed for a week for renovations. Their dining room still looks as inviting and elegant as ever.

We were handed a special menu with our names on top which was a nice touch. The Manager, Sarah came by our table. I had a previous conversation with her when I made the reservation and she was very nice on the phone so I told her I wanted to meet her and she made it a point to say hello. Our server Martin was great as well as the rest of the staff. They were all well informed on the dishes. 

Before our main entrée, they presented us with 4 amuse-bouches; the first one was yellow tail tartare with avocado and crème fraîche, salmon between rye crackers, wagyu tartar with something oysters served on a wooden block, and lobster roe with truffles. 

We were now ready to start our 8-course meal. The first one was the North Pacific Oyster, with 8 ounces of Kaluga caviar. My eyes were bulging and I prayed Sandi would not touch hers as she dislikes oysters unless fried and never liked caviar. My prayers were not answered. She loved it and ate the whole thing! I guess I should have started a 9-day novena prior to dining at Providence.

The second course was the Tai Sashimi beautifully presented with different powders and sauces which I cannot recall. Our server suggested dipping the sashimi in all of the sauces. I can only tell you that this was MAGICAL! They served a small loaf of bread wherein the wheat came from Tehachapi! This was served with Norweigan butter and sea salt and it was hard not to eat more than one piece since the bread was nice and crusty and soft inside. The third course was Norweigian King Crab with sweet pea (and boy were they super sweet), sea urchin with aged ham broth. I lucked out this time, Sandi had one bite of the sea urchin and did not care for it so I happily did her a favor of consuming it. 

The fourth course was the Hokkaido Scallop with artichoke, carrots, and bronze fennel; which melted in our mouths. This was followed by the Black Cod with Dutch white asparagus, in jaune, and nori. This was delicious as well with the nice crispy skin.

We had a choice for our main entrée: Troll-Caught California King Salmon with black truffle, turnips from their garden pickled ramps, or the Liberty Farms Duck Breast with cherry, beet, and duck rillettes. The third choice was an a5 Wagyu with porcini, zucchini, confit tomato for an additional charge. I have had that several times and it was wonderful but I wanted to expand my horizon and try something new. I opted for the Salmon and Sandi ordered the Duck.

My Salmon was so beautiful it was hard to take a bite. It was truly luscious. Sandi enjoyed one piece of her duck breast only because she thought she couldn't eat anymore even if she totally enjoyed it. She had to make room for dessert. She also had eaten an extra piece of bread which occupied part of her storage bin. Though mine was filling up by this time, I had an extra bin for dessert.

The seventh course was Raspberry, with shiso and elderflower. This was very nice and refreshing. We both enjoyed that. Our eighth course was the main dessert; House-made Hawaiian Chocolate with banana, barley, and Okinawan black sugar. They had included a candle for us both to make a wish. We had no difficulty eating all of it. I have to mention that upstairs on their deck, they have an assortment of herbs and flowers. All the little edible flowers on the food come from their garden. They even have a beehive! 

Just as we started relaxing and thinking what an incredible evening we'd had, a staff member arrived with a plate of petits fours. We forced ourselves to consume every last bite. The last surprise was a demitasse cup of chocolate tea served with honey from their beehive of course! The tea had a beautiful chocolate aroma and after adding the honey, it was exquisite.

Sarah came by our table again. I asked if Chef Michael Cimarusti was there. Unfortunately, he was not but she offered to show us the kitchen and introduce us to the chef de cuisine, Tristan Aitchison. We felt very privileged to be invited and it was a pleasure meeting Chef Aitchison who was very gracious and charming. We were most impressed with the kitchen that it reminded us of the precise movement of a Swiss watch.

Thank you Sarah for making our dining experience extra special. I also want to thank Stephen, Sandi's son who apparently planned all along to treat the two of us for our birthdays. That is very much appreciated. You will have to dine at Providence the next time you are in California. 

Providence is located at 5955 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles, California.

Forma in Venice

I have been to Forma on Montana in Santa Monica numerous times before, and I have asked Mario, the owner when he would open one closer to home. Though it is still not close to Palos Verdes, he finally did but it is still closer than Santa Monica. His new location in Venice is bigger than the one in Sta. Monica l and it looks more lively.

Sandi and I love the Crispy Artichoke Salad; fried artichokes, arugula, fennel, snow peas, walnuts, and aged goat cheese. It is almost a meal in itself. We both ordered one, and we were not about to share this incredibly delicious salad. The proportion of all the ingredients is just perfect! I usually do not like fennel, but the right amount makes it work.

We could not dine at this restaurant without ordering a pasta dish. Among our favorites are, Cacio e Pepe, Tortellini, Fettuccini Bolognese, and Pappardelle Wild Boar Ragu. We settled for the Tortellini; mushrooms, light cream, truffle oil, tossed with bella lodi cheese, also known as black Parmesan. We figured this would be easy to split between the two of us. After the first bite, we both looked at each other and had that look of love! I keep forgetting how good everything is at Forma and that I really should keep refreshing my memory. 

The dessert had to be the Banana Pecan Tart with Chocolate which was divine. Our server Liza was attentive and sweet. 

 

It was nice to see and visit Mario. Mario, your next project is to open a Forma in Palos Verdes or Torrance District. I'll keep my fingers crossed! 

Meet in Paris

I finally got to take advantage of $1.00 Oyster Day at  Meet in Paris, which they offer every Wednesday anytime after 4:00 p.m. Sandi could not share my enthusiasm since she dislikes raw oysters. She ordered the Grilled Artichoke. The artichoke was not to her liking nor mine. By grilling the artichoke, there was not enough meat left to eat. She had 3 pieces and I tried 1 and agreed with her. Our server, Alice, apologized and was quick to offer something else. She ordered the Calamari which she thought was one of the best Calamari she ever had. It was definitely delicious, especially with some shaved parmesan cheese. My Oysters could not have been better though I think I should have ordered a dozen because I just inhaled the six pieces. They were served with lemon which was totally divine; just the taste of the sea without any other distractions from any sauce.

Before we had our appetizers, we were served their freshly baked French Bread which we enjoyed.

For our entree, Sandi had the Steak Frites. She gave me a piece to try which was so flavorful along with the fries. I ordered the Mussels with Truffle and Mushrooms. They used to have many other sauces which they have now narrowed down to six. It took me a while to consume mine because I had to free the mussels from their shells and dump them back into the soup. There were about 25-30 mussels!!! When it was all done I thought it was time to add some of Sandi's fries into the soup and only then was I ready to start eating. I was in heaven once again.

I usually always have room for dessert but this time, I ran out of room. Sandi did not complain about not ordering dessert. She was in the same boat as I. 

Alice, our charming Italian server was on the ball and we loved her. A young guy who just started working there was also attentive and cleared our plates as soon as we finished. He even asked us if we wanted more bread. Sandi and I looked at each other because we did want more but decided not to order so we could enjoy the rest of the food.

Meet in Paris is located at 9727 Culver Blvd. in Culver City, California.