All photos by Andy Gavin
Palisadian Andy Gavin is a best-selling science fiction novelist and a video game designer—his bonkers marsupial Crash Bandicoot returns in the Activision title “Skylanders: Imaginators” next month. Yet he is also a passionate and knowledgeable gastronome and will soon reveal plans for his first restaurant. He has been blogging about food since 2010 and, as a nod to his new venture, the Palisadian-Post is proud to present a few bite-sized reviews from his monumental food archive, which is available through his website, andy-gavin-eats.com.
Bon appetit!
See next week’s edition for part two of Gavin’s archives.
The Palace Seafood & Dim Sum | Brentwood Place Shopping Center, 11701 Wilshire Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA 90025 · (310) 979-3377
The Palace is not the best dim sum in Los Angeles. That would be Elite Restaurant on Atlantic Boulevard in Monterey Park. But unlike me, most of you probably won’t drive 25 miles for Chinese food. I do weekly, and if you feel likewise, consult my Chinese food list. Barring that, the Palace is the best dim sum west of DTLA and for Brentwood, startlingly good. Their Cantonese banquet food is solid too, including Peking Duck. Really, this is by far the most serious Cantonese restaurant on the westside. They offer dim sum service every day—and on Christmas, New Years and the like!—using the traditional cart format. Higher end places like Elite steam to order, but carts are a fun experience. Most of the Palace’s classics are pretty good: Pork Shu Mai, Har Gow (delicate shrimp dumplings), a sticky rice in lotus leaf, rice crepes, and even a decent version of that most sacred of dumplings, the XLB (Xiao Long Bao, or soup dumpling). So if you like dim sum, or haven’t tried it, head on over. Prices are very reasonable.
Tsujita Ramen | 2057 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025· (310) 231-7373
Ramen is all the rage these days, but you owe it to yourself to try the Tsujita Artisan Noodle Char Sui Tsukemen. Tsujita really only has two dishes on the menu. Vegetarians, forget it. Sure there are a couple variants and the pointless Chirashi bowls (fish on rice). Not that the fish is bad—probably excellent—but I wouldn’t know because, despite having been there dozens of times, I’ve never ordered one. Why would you when the ultimate “pig in a bowl” is to be had? The first of the two real dishes is the “regular” Tonkotsu Ramen, a breed of rich pork broth soup hailing from Fukuoka, Japan (where I, like many others, slurped it up at 2 a.m. post-sochu drinking). The Tonkotsu is a rich bowl of pork broth, thin noodles and sliced BBQ pork. But the real champion is the Tsukemen, where thick, eggy noodles are served separately from a bowl of unctuous 60-plus hour simmered pork broth that smells of pig sty (in a good way). You wouldn’t want to face this bowl after it congealed, but dipping your noodles into it hot—with the fat perfectly emulsified in slippery harmony—is pure belly-coating pork heaven.
Nobu Malibu | 22706 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, CA 90265 · (310) 317-9140
My wife and I enjoyed the old, quainter Nobu Malibu, but the new beast of a location is a different animal entirely. It’s even rumored to be one of America’s top-grossing restaurant spaces. Acres of sea-view Japanese gardens and hip lounges are woven around room after room of stunning wood. This place is booked for weeks and turns hundreds of tables a night. Somehow it’s taken Nobu Matsuhisa’s ground-breaking combination of Japanese and Peruvian flavors—really Lima street food amped up and refined on La Cienega twenty years ago—and scaled it to monstrous proportions. An army of chefs churn out plate after plate of Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeño and Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce but somehow, like the prices, the quality level remains sky high. Execution is spot on and quality control as steady as a rock fish. Customer service, too. They once made a custom tempura fish and chips for a kid in the party. And if the scene and the sheer precision of this vast clockwork edifice isn’t impressive enough, the kitchen continues to innovate, turning out new dishes that have a Malibu style distinct from other Nobu locations like Kanpachi Basil with Roccoto Soy and Lobster (and vegetable) tempura with black truffles. So, yeah, Nobu Malibu is commercial, but it delivers big time.
Gladstones | 17300 Pacific Coast Hwy., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 · (310) 454-3474
I’ve always had mixed feelings about Gladstones. On the plus side, it has a great location, not only close by, but with lovely views of the Pacific and fresh sea air. And it offers a wide variety of seafood—I do love my seafood. On the balance, the prices are high (someone has to pay that rent), the menu is unimaginative and the execution is sloppy. Up for debate are the enormous portions. At least they offset the cost, but I actually prefer a variety of tastes. With one or two people, you can easily stuff yourself on just an item or two. In all this I detect an air of exploitation, or just perhaps a touch of indifference. The breeze by the sea is great, but a fixed “shield wall” (designed to protect against hurricane winds?) sometimes lends to stifling heat. The staff is friendly, but sometimes so rushed I suspect strict turnover policies are in place. And even more fundamentally, kitchen quality control leaves you never knowing exactly what you’ll get. I’ve had favorite dishes like the Curried Coconut Shrimp come out anywhere from fabulous to flabby. So if you have guests in town, and the evening favors the view over value, it can be a fun place to overfill the belly.
Sushi Don/ Sasebune Express | 970 Monument St., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 · (310) 454-6710
Our little village isn’t exactly long on dining options (something that will hopefully change soon), and while I’m a sushi snob, and very particular about my food in general, I also like convenience. Sushi Don isn’t the ultimate LA sushi spot by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s two minutes from my house, pretty darn tasty and really fast. I can be in and out in 20-30 minutes no problem, and there is rarely any kind of wait involved. You can sit and start eating within two to three minutes. The service is attentive and they offer the usual slate of Nigiri (fish on rice), Sashimi, Hand rolls, Chirashi (fish on rice in a bowl) and even a few “extras” like Udon. I typically order the Sugarfish-style “combo” meals to spare my brain cells the task of choosing. Thankfully too, the Don doesn’t emphasize the cloying and overzealous stunt rolls that many Angelenos seem to love. Instead we are treated to the Kansai-style (warm rice) sushi popularized by Sushi Nozawa and his many disciples—including Chef Nobi Kusuhara of parent restaurant Sasebune—dappled with generous doses of tangy ponzu and the like. I like vinegar, and if it covers up fish that is not quite up to the standards of Sushi Zo, Shunji, Yamakase or Urwasawa, then I, like most people, am not always in a mood for three digits after the dollar sign. Net result is that I snarf up some Sushi Don on a weekly basis.
Maison Giraud | 1032 Swarthmore Ave., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 (closed August 2016)
In June of 2004, I was blown away by the perfect texture of a lavender strawberry meringue at Bastide, prepared by chef Alain Giraud. Years and restaurants later he somehow landed in our little village. And for the last several 12 months, Maison Giraud held a special spot in the hearts of many a Palisadian. A spot bolstered not only by its role as the only real breakfast, lunch and dinner fine dining establishment in town, but also most certainly by its superb bakery. And while the Maison didn’t offer a big menu or a plethora of baked choices, in both cases its classic French selections were impeccable. The buttery croissants and pain au chocolat were lovingly layered with Normandy butter, lending them that subtle perfect Gaulic texture—perhaps the best in the city. They, the food, and the staff will be missed until the eatery (hopefully) reopens in the new Palisades Village come summer 2018. Other delectable and traditional French favorites included perfect French Toast, fabulous fries (did I taste duck fat?), rich Croque Madame, excellent lamb chops, Lobster Bisque, Beef Bourguignon and the like.
The Bazaar | 465 S La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 · (310) 246-5555
I have a not-so-secret fondness for José Andrés’ cooking and Spanish modernist food in general. My parents discovered him back in Washington, D.C. 20 years ago and I’ve been numerous times to most of his restaurants, including all three of his Los Angeles variants (The Bazaar, Saam and Tres). We often take out of town guests to The Bazaar; it never fails to please. For the most part, this is traditional Spanish tapas put through the filter of José’s particular whimsical take on his stint at the (former) world’s greatest restaurant, elBuli. The modernist cocktails, like the Nitro Caipirinhi, are pure theater (and delicious). The cuisine is incredibly bright and flavor forward, and the presentation boldly playful. Dishes like Not your Everyday Caprese, Sweet Potato Chips & Yogurt,” and the Foie Gras Cotton Candy are amazing. Really everything is pretty fabulous. The tasting menu is the best way to go and a great (high-end) value. The Deconstructed Philly Cheesesteak, an air-puffed bread filled with liquid cheddar, is alone worth the price of admission. Once at a wine auction catered by The Bazaar, I ate 25 of them. I could have had more.
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