Sensory Overload: The Urasawa Experience

If Urasawa is not what a perfect dining experience should be, then I doubt anything else in LA could be. Granted, the cost is prohibitively expensive, and if I were to come back more than once, it would weigh more heavily on my review. But for a one-time visit, I felt good dropping $540 for the six-hour dinner. I suppose the cost just didn't bother me because I knew exactly what I was getting into fully anticipated handing over my paycheck to the Urasawa Corporation.

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Hiro in intense concentration

The most common response I receive when describing my meal is always, "Was it worth it?" To most people, the idea of paying this much for a dinner is outrageous. But to them I reply that it is precisely that type of thinking that makes it so expensive. It isn't just a dinner, it's an experience. Why would you pay for a concert when you can download the song for a dollar? On the surface, if you view dinner as just a form of sustenance, you're doing yourself a disfavor. A life of subsistence is not a life worth living. People take pleasure in different ways; this happens to be my vice. But hopefully I can convey to those who don’t already know the multi-faceted pleasures of eating.

Throughout the night, I constantly found myself rubbing my palms and fingers against the silky smooth blonde wood of the bar. The attention paid to this counter was indicative of the meal to come. No varnish, no sealant, this wood was sanded daily to a soft finish. It was a theme I noticed throughout the night, elegance in simplicity. All ingredients served a purpose; the experience was sensory on all levels. Whereas most use of gold leaf is ostentatious and completely unnecessary, its effect as a visual stimulant spoke to the complete sensory arousal in this meal. Too often sushi is too flashy, especially in American rolls, monstrous creations often appropriately named Godzilla. Elegance in simplicity comes with care and expertise, not with a squirt of rehydrated “eel sauce” and hastily battered tempura. Our first course had the weighty responsibility of setting the standard for the night, but the toro senmai-maki demonstrated a graceful interplay of seared tuna belly wrapped monkfish liver, garnished with shiso, topped with caviar and dashed with ponzu. Layer after layer of flavors hit me, as each ingredient harmonized yet played its own melody. Like the successful concerto, culminating in rich euphony, this was a great way to start the meal.


First course: Toro Senmai-maki

Even if it's not his intention, Chef Hiro Urasawa is an entertainer. The fact that this is dinner and a show helps to soften the wallet blow. With your seat in front of the master himself, you are privy to watching the exquisite knifework and attention to detail. Had I not been seating in my prime spot, I wouldn't have enjoyed the experience at quite the same level. He answered our questions cheerfully, and I could tell when he took out his prime Ichigin junmai daiginjo sake that his passion is really in his craft. Our Cristal failed to impress him; he’s seen all manner of victuals over-hyped. It was Brian’s bottle of Nihonbashi 2007 Gold Medal winner sake that made Hiro’s ears perk. I would’ve scoffed at any hip hop glamorizing this bottle, but it was music to my ears to hear Hiro exclaim “so good” after a taste. That was how the entire evening felt; he was enjoying it right along with us, talking, joking, sharing.


Hiro displaying his Ichigin Sake

While there were several dishes I've never encountered before, most of the menu was fairly familiar for a regular Japanese food consumer. Of course, it was the highest quality examples of said items. I didn't mind that there was nothing so rare I would find no where else. The Saga beef, wagyu from the Saga prefecture was unique enough by itself. No Kobe here; I’m convinced now that Saga is the only way to go. The beef, whether seared lightly on top of sushi or braised for three-days with snow pea, had tenderness without sacrificing meaty flavor. Carved from the block of cow behind Hiro, the meat could be chewy in one moment, and melting the next. Texture influences so much of the sensation of flavor that we too often forget that the touch of your lips, tongue and teeth are integral to the eating experience.


Seared Saga Beef Readied for Sushi


Three-day braised Saga beef

I'm certain that the menu would be quite different coming here at another time during the year. For our early Spring dinner, the variety was not quite so extensive. One seasonal difference—the shabu shabu course of amaebi, Saga beef and foie gras came in metal bowls instead of the summertime paper. A quick dip in the broth and the shrimp was ready. Sweet as is, a splash of dashi helped bring out flavor depth. The unctuous beef and goose liver inundated the soup, making the resulting broth richer than many French stocks and so full of umami that I hesitated to swallow, lest one mouthful be gone. As indescribable as umami is as a flavor, I would direct you to Urasawa’s shabu shabu for a demonstration of its full potential.


Individual shabu shabu

The orchids along the wall are supposedly hand-picked by Hiro. I’ve heard of chefs personally picking the fish for the day, but Hiro goes beyond the food. He knows that he has staked his reputation on more than just the food; he has to make everything beautiful. While “stunning” is not usually a word used to describe Japanese food, the hand-carved ice block with Spanish toro, Kyushu tai and Toyama kanpachi flanked by a clean white orchid and bright orange slivers of Kyoto carrot was much more stunning in person than in the pictures. Colors abound, the taste almost took a backseat to visual appeal in this course…almost.


Sashimi platter

Most of the night was marked by a myriad of aromas, sometimes in front of me, sometimes wafting in from behind the curtain. The smell of the shiitake mushroom, grilling on the back-counter made me anxious for the renowned shiitake sushi, the only place I’ve heard it served before. Though the flavors of the fungus and the rice were slightly incompatible, the smell of wood permeated my nose. Yet this course paled in olfactory indulgence compared to the kani miso korayaki grilled hairy crab innards topped with uni. Each diner got his own hibachi with a simmering shell. Each bursting bubble sent waves of crab aroma into the air. My favorite course of the night.


Simmering hairy crab

We got to walk behind the bar after dinner and witness a huge kitchen for such a small front. I was somewhat dumbstruck by the massive mechanism behind the scenes, pushing forward twenty-six dishes or so to ten anxious diners. Come to Urasawa with an open mind and ready body. Hiro’s dishes hit all your senses, putting your body at ease so that your mind can enjoy. With your head floating in the Nirvana of culinary delight, you can truly forget the weight of your wallet.

Special thanks to Yoko for providing the photographs. Thanks to Kevin for his notes and borrowing his kick-off phrase. To all else who joined me on this adventure, I appreciated you sharing it with me.

For the play by play, please visit Kevin or Kung Food Panda's blogs.

Urasawa
218 N Rodeo Dr,
Beverly Hills, 90210
(310) 247-8939
$350 omakase pp

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CUT Wolfgang Puck Beverly Hills

American Wagyu steaks on top and Japanese Wagyu below

With a stack of steaks like that, who needs the obligatory exterior photo of the restaurant. My trip to CUT was about one thing--meat.

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One of my first upscale dinners was at Spago. I knew Wolfgang Puck before I was serious about food; he's in every supermarket. But I didn't choose Cut as my LA steakhouse of choice for him, I was chasing CUT's one Michelin Star.

The restaurant was designed by Richard Meier, architect for the Getty Center, but for all his renown, I thought the restaurant wasn't especially eye-catching. Clean lines and bright whites gave the place a modern look, but maybe I just don't appreciate design at a high enough level. I started with several cheese breadsticks that resembled crackers in crunch. They were narrow and heavily seasoned; I'd be much more inclined to call them crackersticks. The pretzel bread and four gougeres were also excellent starters.

Having just come from a beeftastic dinner at Totoraku, I didn't know how I could handle this much beef in such a short time. Of course that didn't deter me from ordering the veal tongue with salsa verde, artichokes, cannelli beans and basalmic vinegar. The flavor of the veal was much less pronounced than the tongue at Secret Beef for obvious reasons, but it had a tenderness that resembled a filet more than tongue. The only drawback from this dish was the awkward service temperature. The menu had called this "warm veal tongue" and it indeed came out lukewarm. I'm not sure what this accomplished besides confusing my tongue.

Veal tongue

So what steak did I choose for my steakhouse dinner? I was actually on a budget, considering this was a work-related meal, so I opted out of the Wagyu and went for the 35 day dry-aged 10 oz ribeye. Afterward, Kevin told me I should've had the Wagyu instead, but I felt like the raw beef flavor would be overwhelmed by the fat of a Wagyu cow. Especially if I'm eating a whole steak, I'd rather not eat that much Kobe beef. My steak turned out extremely well; I daresay the best steak in my life. A crispy crust of flavors surrounded a juicy interior of medium-rare. The key to the aging process is the concentration of beefiness, something I didn't want masked by fat. Knowing that however, I should've gone with a NY strip or something less fatty than a ribeye. I just can't say no to a ribeye though.

Meat isn't very photogenic

After the meat, we received two petite fours with the check. The ginger and Jack Daniels had little ginger or Jack, but plenty of indulgent chocolate. I enjoyed the cashew caramel much more, although I felt like a dog eating peanut butter as a chewed through that thing.

Cashew caramel

Ginger Jack Daniels

While I never like ordering steak at restaurants because they are typically overpriced, I'll make exceptions for places like CUT. A great steak is truly marvelous, even for $66.

CUT
Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel
9500 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, 90212
(310)276-8500
$40-80 a steak

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Don't Forgo Fogo de Chao

The Fogo de Chao line of churascarias brings Southern Brazilian barbecue to the US in style. With thirteen locations in the States and six in Brazil itself, Fogo has established itself as a decent brand. I cannot say how authentic it is; I could very well be praising the Brazilian PF Chang's, but it is worth a visit. Last night I had a chance to go to the Beverly Hills restaurant with several fellow bloggers.

I met...

Gauchos, or friendly waiters, bring around hefty skewers threaded with fourteen kinds of meats to your table. A simple green-red card lets the servers know when you're aching for some bacon bursting at the seams (there is no in between at Fogo). Since this was a blogger meet-up event, I spent most of my attention on the people over the food. I know, food is always the priority, but I've been here before so I can speak intelligently enough about the dishes.

Well, not so much dishes as heaps of meat. I passed on the sides of plantains and mashed potatoes. From the extensive salad bar, I picked up a few cucumbers to clear my palate between the meat. If you're anything like me, your first reaction hearing that there are fourteen meats is to ask for a list. Hence, here it is with my favorites bolded:
Picanha - Garlic beef sirloin
Filet Mignon - Nothing special, but make sure to get the bacon-wrapped one
Alcatra - Top sirloin
Fraldinha - Bottom sirloin
Costela - Beef ribs
Cordeiro - Lamb chops and leg. I preferred the leg
Lombo - Pork loin with parmesan
Costela de Porco - Pork ribs
Frango - Chicken legs and chicken breasts wrapped in bacon
Linguica - Pork sausage
Ancho - Ribeye

Just make sure whatever option you choose, to ask if there is a bacon-wrapped version. Even if you don't eat bacon, anything bacon-wrapped always tastes better, even fruit.

More importantly, I got a chance to meet Famished LA, Grubtrotters, Kevin Eats, Teenage Glutster, Foodie Traveler, and see Wandering Chopsticks again.


Salad Bar

Meat
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Meat--the Only Way to Celebrate: Lawry's the Prime Rib

Lawry's Cut

Lawry's the Prime Rib
(310) 652-2827
100 N La Cienega Blvd,
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
$37 for prime rib and spinning salad

Caught up in the fervor of graduation from UCLA, it didn't even occur to me that my graduation dinner would be legitimate blogging material. This explains the embarrassingly poor picture to showcase Lawry's famous prime rib. Seeing as how it was a graduation dinner of fifteen relatives, there were plenty of people with much better digital cameras who could've snapped me a picture. I guess dealing with the commencement ceremony and a throng of relatives just left me a little fried.

The price of $37 includes a 10 oz. prime rib and their famous spinning salad and mashed potatoes. A waitress in a pale brown maid's uniform comes table-side to prepare the salad, which is just a mixture of greens, beets and other miscellanea mixed with a French dressing. The spinning is in the preparation, which creates a stainless steel centrifuge to spin the leafy bits. It did not suit me. As I expected, the salad was overdressed for the occasion; it came suit and tie when I would've liked biz cas instead. As for the maid costumes, my boss T pointed out in the office that they could be hot if they were on the right waitresses. Unfortunately, sex appeal is not Lawry's strong suit; that is assuming you don't count meat as sexy, something I certainly do. But that is not to say that the wait staff was incompetent. On the contrary, they were polite and professional.

One person out of my fourteen guests opted out of the red meat and had a salmon entree instead. Seeing as how this is not Lawry's the Salmon, I will also opt out of reviewing their fish. People, please come here for their namesake. The prime rib is carted out to the table like the salad and a special carver cuts the specific portions and doneness that you request. I had the Lawry's cut, at 10 ounces, plenty of meat ordered medium-rare. In general, always order meat at a doneness below what you think you would enjoy. It can always be sent back to be cooked longer, but it can't be uncooked. The exception would be medium-rare, asking for a rare steak usually results in asking for it to be taken back as well. If you're ordering it well-done, you shouldn't be eating steak.

(Beef Digression)
Prime rib has taken on many meanings nowadays, but it supposed to refer to a standing rib roast of prime USDA quality. In the US, grading is actually voluntary by the breeder, but most tend to do it to sell their beef for higher prices. The grade is based on the amount and distribution of marbling (the presence of veins of white fats). Choice is the grade most common in supermarkets, select is the lowest retail grade. Anything lower than select is ground up and made into processed meats such as hot dogs and dog food. At the top of the ranking is the prime grade, only about 2% of beef receive this rating.
(/Beef Digression)

My beef indeed had the strong flavor of a dry-aged rib roast. It went best with Lawry's freshly made horseradish. Personally, I have grown to love the tast of horseradish on rare beef, but even those who haven't developed that taste enjoyed the creamy horseradish that was much milder in flavor. I would've forgotten completely about the mashed potatoes if it weren't for my sad photo; they were that unmemorable. The creamed corn was unbearably sweet and did not go well with the rest of the plate. I tried some of the creamed spinach too, but neither was very good to me. The beef also came with Yorkshire pudding, a fluffy treat made from the pan drippings of the roasting prime rib. Okay, maybe knowing how it was baked makes it slightly less appetizing. I had a piece of my cousin's strawberry trifle resembling a shortcake that was light and fruity.

I came out of Lawry's actually a little disappointed. I wasn't sure why; after all, it was exactly what I expected--solid prime rib, decent sides and dessert. Most of all, the high-backed chairs and aged decor made me feel like a king. Also, I'm pretty sure kings always ate large quantities of meat. When I got home, I realized what bothered me about the dinner was the name of the restaurant. What makes this Lawry's the Prime Rib? That makes it sound like this is the best prime rib available. And although I enjoyed my dinner, if this is as good as beef gets, I think I just lost faith in a carnivore lifestyle.

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Tokyo Table Sake Night - CLOSED

Last night I went out with my FoodDigger coworkers to Tokyo Table's Sake Night event. This was the third instance of a supposedly monthly event, but the turn out was relatively low. They claim it has to do with the short two-week notice, but I also wouldn't discount the $10 price increase to $45 per person. Still, $45 gets you unlimited sake and food pairings. I definitely saw groups of people emphasizing the tasting a little less than the actual downing of plastic cup after cup of alcohol.

Personally, I've been a fan of sake ever since my first cup. I have never developed a taste for wine, but beer and sake are my drinks of choice with a meal. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that sake, although frequently referred to as rice wine, is actually more similar to rice beer because of its fermenting process. Rice is fermented through the help of a specific mold instead of hops used in beer, but they are both processed from grain not fruit like wines. With my Moleskine reporter pad in hand, I ventured into the restaurant. Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera. Instead, I scanned images of the complimentary info cards they provided with most of the sakes. I will go through each one and explain my impressions of them. Frequently, my opinion will not match the descriptions on the cards, but I'm speaking as a sake newbie so I haven't developed quite such a sophisticated palette. Before I review each booth for the food and the alcohol, I will explain some terms common for sake and wine in general.

Premium class sakes have designations that let you know roughly the quality of the wine. They're primarily classified according to two major criteria: whether additional alcohol is added to extract flavor and how much the rice is milled before brewing. When pure distilled alcohol is added, additional water is also added so the alcohol content remains the same. This is called honjozo sake. In contrast, junmai sake is made with only the rice, water and fermentation mold without additional alcohol. This tends to be more expensive because of its purity and also more complex in flavor and body.

Before sake is brewed, the rice needs to be milled to remove the husk and other impurities. The more the rice is milled, the smaller the kernels and purer the drink. All junmai sakes must be made from rice milled to at least 70% of its original size. Sake from rice milled to at least 60% is termed ginjo. This process of further rice polishing is labor intensive and adds significant costs to the process. Once the polishing has reached 50% or more, the sake is now classified daiginjo.

Here is a list of terms I will use to describe each sake. They are pulled from Wikipedia's list of wine descriptors and can be used for all types of wine.
Acidic-noticeable sense of acidity or tartness
Balanced-all flavors pronounced equally
Body-sense of alcohol or feeling in the mouth
Bouquet-layers of aromas and flavors
Closed-not especially aromatic
Complex-deep flavors with combinations of aromas
Dry-lacking sensation of sweetness
Finish-perception and lingering feeling after swallowing
Hot-overly alcoholic
Sweet-sensation of sugars

Now join me for my first real exploration of this delicious Japanese spirit. I will run through each booth with my impressions of the sake, food and the combination of both.

Booth 8
Though technically the last booth, this was the bar at the front of the restaurant and so the first to greet customers. A friendly waitress poured from silver martini shakers house saketinis, fruity girl drinks that I'm not ashamed to like. They were cold and refreshing, crushed ice gave them a slushy consistency with hardly a tinge of alcohol. The first one was the Key Lime Saketini, slightly tart and acidic but tasted watered down. Second, our bartender poured out little plastic cups of Yuzu Saketinis, using the fruit of the Japanese citrus yuzu. It's not a common fruit in the States, but you'll most likely encounter it in ponzu sauce. This second martini was better than the first, the flavors more pronounced but still lacking all that much depth. The third Saketini, Geri's Berries, had all the flavor that the other two lacked. It was made of a mixture of fruit juices including pomegranate which manifested itself heavily in the drink.

Booth 1


Making my way back to the proper first booth, I came across a young waiter wearing a sponsored kimono with red, green and yellow accents. He bid me over to his table to try the three sakes with pairing of miso cod and albacore delight rolls. The miso cod was delicate, balancing well with the light miso-soy and scallions. The albacore sushi was actually quite rich and truly a delight. Even though I typically shun special California rolls labeled "sushi" I can indulge in my inner crab and avocado roll from time to time. The tuna was more of an afterthought. Initially, the waiter poured me the kanchiku. The description was not far off, I definitely tasted a fruity finish but it felt slightly too hot for me. The jun shimeharitsu did not have the overpowering alcoholic taste of the previous sake, but felt light and crisp. This was especially memorable because I distinctly remember how aromatic it was as I brought the glass to my lips. The dassai did not taste particularly complex, but it was well balanced. Not counting the first three saketinis, I handled my first three glasses pretty well. No effects yet.

Booth 7
Unfortunately, I do not have any cool collectors' sake cards for the two shochikubai sakes at booth 7. Kevin, the server, explained that these were the two house sakes that are used to make the saketinis. Under the watchful guise of the shochikubai sales rep, he explained to me how the special shochikubai organic is a draft sake. Draft meaning, in Japan, unpasteurized to maintain a smoother taste. I couldn't taste any difference, but its nice to know that the rice is organic with no preservatives or sulfites. For your information, sulfites in red wine give me the worst headache. Kevin told me this is paired best with cold or vinegar-marinated foods, but he was serving char-siu and lobster dynamite, neither of which could be considered cold or light. The char-siu, prepared in house, was deliciously fatty and would have gone well with a bowl of ramen. The lobster dynamite, a combination of lobster, broccoli and creamy dynamite sauce was mouth-watering. I actually came back for seconds of that later on in the night. The shochikubai ginjo is the house sake. I thought the flavors were transparent, very straight-forward and bold. I appreciated it for its boldness, but I typically like a more subtle wine where I have to search out the hidden flavors.

Booth 2


A hapa waiter with a cheerful disposition dispensed the next three sakes. His table featured anago tempura (deep-fried sea eel) and unagi & avocado rolls. To pair with the anago, he poured the jinyu 100 poems because of its sweetness and complex bouquet. Typically when matching sakes to food, the heavier the food, the lighter the sake and vice versa. You don't want to be overwhelmed with too many flavors, nor do you want to be underwhelmed. The jinyu 100 poems had a fruity, sweet flavor that I greatly enjoyed. It lacked the astringency of the other drier sakes. For the more flavorful unagi roll, my hapa friend selected the kurosawa kimoto and kikusui. Both these sakes felt empty or undistinguished. They felt too dry for me, even when paired with food. After another three glasses of alcohol, I waved good-bye to my hapa buddy and moved on.

Booth 6


Across the room, the waitress at booth 6 caught my eye. I wandered over, made a little idle chit-chat. Hey, I was there to socialize and plug our upcoming website fooddigger.com. "So, how long have you worked here?" Tamanohikari tasted too dry, but the pleasant finish of rice made me reconsider my first impression. I always enjoy rice flavors; when you taste it, it almost feels like a reward. Paired with the hamachi carpaccio, the sake did improve. For the life of me, I could not figure out how the hamachi was a carpaccio and not just a sashimi. The menu said it was sprinkled with a ponzu dressing, but I felt that the dressing was hardly noticeable. "So, you worked as a bartender, that's impressive." I preferred the daishichi kimoto, with its sweetness and airy body. "Yeah, I'm a food blogger. Check out my blog sometime." The yuzu pepper chicken was by far the worst dish of the night. Some parts were burnt, obviously overcooked and dry. It had not flavor beyond a protein supplement. "Well...I guess I'll see you around." I walked away, slightly more informed, but also a bit dejected.

Booth 3


Good thing booth 3 only had two sakes and some hearty food. At this point, I was feeling ten little glasses of sake and four tiny saketini shots (I went back for another Geri's Berries). The Szechuan-style spicy tofu hit the spot. Served in a cup because of its soupy consistency, the spiciness took some of the edge off the alcohol. It actually went well with the nanbu bijin, which had a sweet, soft finish. The lightness of the sake balanced the weight of the tofu sauce. I reluctantly tried one of the Philadelphia rolls. I've always been skeptical of cream cheese and salmon sushi, and rightly so. The Philly roll was cloying, stuck to my mouth with an unpleasant texture. I finished it before moving on to the shirakabegura. This sake definitely had a grainy rice flavor, but it interestingly also had a thick body that lingered in my mouth. It felt denser than the sakes before. Finishing this booth, I took a break at the water table and cleansed both my palette and my head. I wasn't drunk, but the alcohol had blunted my taste buds and I started to worry that I won't be able to fully experience the rest of the sake. Still, there were two more booths to go, including their most expensive sake.

Booth 5


Considering how much I've had to drink at this point, I still managed to maintain a pretty lucid conversation with this waitress. She explained to me the different grades of premium sake, what all the Japanese meant. I also asked her about serving the sake warm. It seems that only cheap sake is served warm because the heat masks the flavor. All the sake served tonight was slightly chilled. I think I managed to appear relatively sober speaking to her, though apparently not sober enough. The yaemon, paired with tempura roll worked nicely. A fruity flavor seemed to work together well with fried foods. The otokoyama had a medium body, nothing extraordinary. I had that with the ginger Kurobuta pork. This pork, known commonly as Berkshire pork, is known for its intense marbling. Unlike typical American pigs that are now bred lean to suit market preference, Berkshire pigs are prized for the richness of flavor. They are often compared to the wagyu beef, mostly notably from the Kobe area of Japan.

Booth 4


I saved their best sake for last. While I did agree that the kubotoa manju had all the complexity that you would expect in an ultra-premium sake, I didn't find it especially delicious. Just because it has richness of flavor, doesn't mean that those flavors worked well together. Just to make sure, I had another glass of the kubota manju. Still nothing struck me besides its smoothness. I actually preferred the lesser okunomatsu with its sweet rice flavor. At this point, I have gotten a better sense of the flavors I like to experience in my sakes. The agadashi eggplant was sadly served too cold to be properly enjoyed. The tuna tataki salad however, couldn't suffer from being cold. It tasted soft and buttery.

All in all, this was a truly gratifying experience. My boss drove me home (always have a designated driver for tastings) where I compiled the information I heard and the notes I took. I discovered that like white wine, I enjoyed sweeter sakes with long finishes. The additional pronounced flavor of rice is also a plus. I encourage you to try a sake at your next Japanese meal. Look for anything that says ginjo, daiginjo or jumai and you should be okay.

My Favorites: Jun Shimaeharitsu and Jinyu 100 Poems

Thanks to John Gauntner of sake-world.com for sake information.

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Spago

(310) 385-0880
176 North Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Adequately Fed: $90
Ordered:
Crispy Soft Shell Crap with Indian Spices****
Pan Roasted Maine Monkfish*****
Apricot Soufflé**
(Out of Five Stars)

Spago is the flagship restaurant of Wolfgang Puck, the famous Austrian freezer chef. I had heard of Spago long ago as one of those mythical Beverly Hills eateries once impossible to get a reservation, but now the hype has cooled and I managed to get a reservation on a Tuesday night.
The atmosphere and the decorations of the restaurant were tastefully done as strange ‘70s and ‘80s rock piped in around me. Our waitress came by, a little overly friendly and helpful, but she was knowledgeable of the menu and offered great suggestions. In fact, the menu is updated almost daily with different rotating entrees so each time you go, you may discover something new and exciting. The menu consists of one column of first course appetizers and one column of main course entrees. The first course dishes range from $16 for Chicken Bouillon to $135 for Osetra Caviar, and the main courses go from $32 for the famous Spicy Beef Goulash to $58 for the Prime New York Steak. Most of the dishes have elements of Italian, French, Japanese, and Chinese cooking with even a few home-style Austrian dishes from Wolfgang’s childhood.

I will admit that I have always been a sucker for soft shell crab so my eyes went directly to that appetizer. It came with a salad of marinate cucumbers, baby haricot vert, toasted almonds, argula, mint, cilantro, and a lime pickle vinaigrette. The crab was fried to be crispy, but not weighed down as most fried foods are. There was also a sauce of distinctive Indian flavors of tamarind and chutney. The crab itself was good, but nothing spectacular; however, the sauce and Indian spices did make this a dynamic taste experience.

I based my main course choice, the Maine Monkfish, on my personal failure in preparing monkfish. Last year, I had gone to Santa Monica Seafood Co. and brought home a monkfish filet. Wrapping it in bacon and sautéing it did not turn out too great. So seeing monkfish on the menu, I knew I needed to conquer the fish once and for all. For those who have not seen monkfish before, look for a picture on the Internet. It is possibly the ugliest fish commercially fished in the U.S., but the flavor of its flesh has been coined the “poor man’s lobster.” When the fish came, the first thing that struck me was the pleasantly sweet aroma. The fish had been cut into thick slices and places on a bed of little neck clams, cipollini onions, carmelized sweet corn, and Spanish chorizo. The aspect of the dish that most stood out was the sauce made of a puree of white corn and marjoram-clam emulsion. Each bite topped with that fluffy white sauce stood out with the sweetness of the corn and the soft clam flavor. This was one of the best dishes I have encountered thus far in my culinary experiences.

Each dessert was tastefully plated and garnished, but my apricot soufflé struck me as much too sweet. Although it was a soufflé, I still felt that it lacked any depth, if not in substance than in flavor.

Overall, I highly enjoyed my dining experience. Yet, the highlight of my night had to be the hand I felt on my shoulder as I waited for my entrée. To my surprise, I turned around to Wolfgang Puck himself asking me how everything was. Stunned to silence, I only managed a meek smile as he shook my hand. If anything, that one experience was enough to make my night, but it was the food that would bring me back again.

Recommended: This place is extremely pricey so only come here if you are celebrating something or if your company is subsidizing your meal.

Pan-roasted Monkfish

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