The Bazaar by Jose Andres at SLS

A week after my DineLA inauguratory dinner at the Bazaar in the SLS Hotel, I still don't quite know what to think about the restaurant. What is it that makes it a "bazaar"? There aren't any famous bazaars in Spain. Perhaps the 24 karat golden squirrel coin bank or the $1,000 paparazzi photos that HC pointed out constituted a bazaar. I briefly contemplated the reaction my waiter would have if I tried to haggle the price of the jamon Iberico. But how is this supposed to be a reflection of the food. As I found out that night, the Bazaar is more of a description of the atmosphere than the food, which is most of the reason I'd go there anyway.

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If rich people ever shopped at a bazaar, I wonder if they'd still appreciate the bargaining and haggling as much. I sure felt like a shopper looking for the best combination that my DineLA $44 would get me. My choice of three tapas, a "Philly" cheesesteak, and a choice of dessert for $44 would only be a deal if I looked at the more expensive selections. Therefore, most of my picks, and those of my companions, were seafood heavy.

We did opt for the jamon Iberico de bellota made of acorn-fed Spanish pigs because, how could we not? Mattatouille refers to jamon Iberico as pork crack. Indeed, that sandy texture of cured meat is one I could keep in my mouth forever. Almost as good as Ore's culatello at Totoraku.

Perhaps the division of the menu into "rojas" and "blancas" was meant to reflect proper wine pairing, but I chose almost indiscriminately based on price. While that may be a terrible thing to say for a foodie, I was here for a deal and it was Chinese New Year after all. If I'm not going to get proper Chinese food, I was going to get my money's worth.

Hence the obligatory canned king crab with raspberries and raspberry vinegar, the most expensive "canned" item. While the raspberries were a refreshing touch, the crab lacked any deep flavors of its own. In fact, the fruit overwhelmed the shellfish, which made the entire dish somewhat off. Several other seafood items including kumamoto oysters, mussels and scallops were available in tin also. According to the menu, Spain is one of the foremost canning regions, and this was Chef Andres' ode to the rich tradition. However, none of the items are actually canned; they're merely served in a tin.

How would you make a fancy Philly cheesesteak? I don't know how many people would reply by filling air-bread with cheese and topping it with rare slices of Wagyu beef. Imagine biting into a savory puff pastry filled with melted cheese.

I can't say I only chose the expensive items. Having made sure the total of my selections surpassed $44, I chose the watermelon tomato skewers with Pedro Ximenez reduction for something more experimental. Pedro Ximenez is a white grape and sweet dessert wine, though the dish's flavors were dominated by the fruit. I was caught in the balance between the acidity of the tomato and the sweetness of the watermelon. Both seemed to benefit from the other, even if they were vying for my palate's affection.

Ah, by now you've probably realized that it takes just as much stamina to get through a Bazaar review as it does a dinner. Although I can't enthrall you nearly as much as Kevin can. My sea scallops with Romesco sauce were tasty, but not very particular. The Catalonian sauce derived from almonds, hazelnuts, roasted garlic and tomatoes sounds much more interesting than it tasted. I got a nutty flavor from this common Spanish sauce, but it paled in comparison to Alain Giraud's pistachio emulsion scallops.

Those were my selections for the night, but our table had plenty more visual treats.

Mini steamed uni buns

Tiny foie gras sliders

Lamb loin with foraged mushrooms and pureed potatoes

Clockwise from center: tomato and olive oil toast, jamon Iberico de Bellota, tzatziki sauce for the sweet potato chips, and an over-eager eater

Lobster medallions

And food porn picture of the year: hanger steak


Dessert was done right with just as many choices to keep things interesting.

My floating island nitro-inflated coconut puff with passionfruit syrup gradually deflated as we dug into the rest of the sweets.

A visit to the Bazaar is fairly incomplete without looking through their cocktail menu. My Jose Andres' Gimlet had an entire lime floating in the center, while my girlfriend's Magic Mojito was strained over cotton candy. Among some other unique cocktail accouterments were chocolate ice, salt foam, spherified olive juice and liquid nitrogen caipirinhas. For $16 a drink, choosing the flashiest presentation may be the best way to spend your money.

As I first mentioned, most of the fun of the Bazaar experience is in the decorations, the furniture screaming for attention. One note about the men's bathroom--the walls are all mirrors. I don't know if that does it for some people, but I don't need to see myself from three angles while taking care of business. I also don't need anyone who walks into the restroom to be privy to the aforementioned sight. There some hits, but also a few misses. For example, I'd avoid the toro nigiri on watermelon with soy foam. Still, Bazaar is quite a dining experience, full of all the commotion of a real bazaar. Just don't expect a bargain.

The Bazaar by Jose Andres
SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills
465 S La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, 90048
(310) 246-5567
thebazaar.com
$44 DineLA menu, $36 for Jamon Iberico, $16 cocktails, $10 valet

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Nanban-kan

(310) 478-1591
11330 Santa Monica Blvd
West Los Angeles, CA 90189

Adequately Fed: $30
See Below
(Out of Five Stars)

Considering the Nanban-kan is a Japanese yakitori-ya serving grilled skewers in small portions, I am doing something different for this review. Each dish will be listed with a picture and described individually before I wrap it all up at the end.

We ordered the Nanban-kan complete dinner set which comes with eight dishes plus soup, pickles, rice and ice cream. On top of that, I ordered an additional seven dishes.

Mixed Mushrooms*****

First to arrive at our tables was the mixed mushrooms skillet of shimeji (oyster mushroom), enoki and shiitake sauteed in light butter with cherry tomatoes and scallions. I found this dish to be especially gratifying. The different mushrooms had different textures that complimented each other as well as flavors that are slightly different. The tomatoes were sweet and soft but still held their shape well.



Tan*****/Shiso Maki****/Ingen Maki****

The chewy tan is beef tongue. It was a little strange to be eating tongue, but the flavor was heavenly. It was smooth and buttery, a guilty indulgence. The tender pork tenderloin of the shiso maki combined with the delicate flavor of the shiso leaf made this skewer especially notable. The ingen maki was green beans with a side of pork. I thought the green beans were slightly tough



Soboro Dan***

Ground chicken cooked with soy sauce and mirin (sweet rice wine) topped this bowl of rice. The sweetness of the wine went well with the rice, giving the sensation of sushi rice. I was initially skeptical of the ground chicken because it looked plain, but found it delicious upon tasting. However, considering all the other dishes going on, I would have preferred that the rice be simpler and not detract from the other items.



Geso****/Tebasaki***

The squid legs and chicken wings carried much of the same grilled flavors. Although I must say that the squid was not over cooked so not too chewy. With a few drops from the accompanying wedge of lemon, it tasted even better. I don't know if I would completely forgo fried calamari for the geso, but I would feel much healthier with the latter. The chicken wings did not appeal much to me. They were solid, but not much better than the fried tebasaki at Fu Rai Bo.


Yaki-Onigiri**

This was my first time having a grilled rice ball. I found that the lack of nori took away much of the flavor of the rice. The grilled flavors were too heavy and made me anticipate a cancerous future. One of these were filled with dried bonito while the other one had ume (plum). I did not try the ume one because I personally find ume's flavors to be too sour and sweet. The grilling process makes the rice too hard and dry. I would rather have plain rice in this case.


Uzura***/Yasi Yaki****

These two skewer showed how Japanese food can capture simplicity in ingredients but complexity in flavor. The quail eggs had a much tougher texture than chicken eggs and the little bite sizes make them fun to eat. The yasi yaki is just a mushroom, cherry tomato and green bell pepper. Simple and straight-forward, but sure to make an impact in your mouth.



Shiromi*****

With the beef tongue, this Chilean sea bass was the best dish of the night. The green onions and sweet sauce combined with the delicate texture of the fish melted in my mouth. I have always been a fan of Chilean sea bass and am relatively certain its very difficult to cook badly. But this skewer was so memorable, my mouth is watering as I'm writing this description. This will definitely be on the reorder list on my next Nanban-kan trip.


Kaibashira*****

U-10 scallops mean that less than ten of these sea scallops fit in a pound. The grilling process dries up much of the weight in moisture so they are not quite as large as they are raw. However, this also concentrates the flavor. These scallops were cooked perfectly to the point of doneness resulting in just the teeth resistance.




Nanban Yaki**

Considering this is their signature skewer, I found this top sirloin to be plain and unimaginative. At this point, I was tired of the overused yaki sauce. Perhaps it would have been more impressive on the first run, but by the time this came out I had no more room for the sweet and savory sauce. I would've liked to see this cooked with better beef.




Tsukunne***/Negima**

After a blizzard of dishes, these next few plates did not come until we specifically asked them to check up on them. It turns out they left them out even though they were part of a set combo. The tskukunne was a chicken meatball that was fine but nothing outstanding. The negima was dark chicken meat sandwiched with scallions. It was also not very memorable



Ginnan**

I'll admit that I do not exactly know what gingko nuts are supposed to taste like so I could not evaluate how well they prepared the ginnan. But from my perspective, they were tough and did not have the weight to be served on their own. Perhaps accompanying something else, the gingko would be more delicious.




Lychee Ice Cream****

We ended the night with a small cup of lychee ice cream. While it was good, it didn't look special or taste homemade. I may be wrong, but it was just as good as ice cream scooped from a tub. Still, it was a good way to top off a lovely meal.

Besides the food, the atmosphere was conducive to a relaxing evening. Though the exterior was under construction, the interior felt warm with good lighting over each individual table. In fact, the layout was designed to give each table a sense of privacy and space. I'm glad they did not try to pack more people into such a small place. The center grill provided a view of your food being prepared as three chefs took turns over the fire armed with sauces and skewers.

Besides the hiccup of service when they forgot a few of our dishes, the manager and waitresses were helpful and friendly. When I had a problem, the manager made me feel at ease and personally took care of everything. This kind of service makes dining a true experience and not just eating out.

Recommendation: Remember what you ordered in case something doesn't come out.

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Cobras and Matadors

Cobras and Matadors

(323) 932-6178
7615 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Adequately Fed: $30
Green Lentils Sauteed with Jamon Serrano**
Bacaolao Salt Cod Cakes with Aioli***
Roasted Game Hen in a Catalan Sweet and Sour Sauce***
Paella****
Flan****
French Toast*****
(Out of Five Stars)

As part of Los Angeles' Restaurant Week, Cobras and Matadors features a prix fixe menu for $25 a person for a three-course meal usually priced around $30. Not much of a discount, but enough to make this place a good value. For more information on Restaurant Week, visit Dinela.com.

For each course, appetizer, main course, and dessert, there are three options to choose from. My companion and I chose different items to share to try to get a small plates tapas experience. Tapas are a wide variety of Spanish appetizers that can be combined to form meals. I suppose it would be the equivalent of Iberian dim sum. Looking at our selections however, I don't think most of these are traditional tapas dishes. But I won't let that detract from my opinion of an excellent plate.

Both of the appetizers, cod cakes and lentils, exhibited the qualities I like to see in each respectively. The cod cakes had a crisp exterior with a juicy interior topped with aioli that did not overwhelm, but complemented the fish. I have never eaten lentils outside of a soup, but this dish sauteed with Spanish ham gave me quite a surprise. Contrary to what I thought, they were crunchy and not mushy. The flavor had hints of Balsamic vinegar that made these legumes tart and sweet. It was excellent in small quantities, but it felt too heavy to finish.

Cod cakes and Lentils

I once roasted a game hen brined in papaya nectar that turned out tender and sweet. Cobra and Matador's game hen reminded me of my own experiment. Though the sauce was good, with a fruity flavor of apples or pears, it was too sweet. The chicken was overcooked and relied too heavily on the sauce to convey flavor. It could have used a longer marination if it had any at all. The paella had a creamy risotto consistency with mussels, clams, prawns, chorizo topping saffron rice. I love good paella that does not feel dried out or grainy. The texture of this dish fit that description, though it was a little sour for my tastes. The chorizo gets a special commendation for taste.











Game Hen and Paella

To finish off our night, we sampled the flan and French toast desserts. My first forkful of the flan was strangely unfamiliar. I don't know if it is because I haven't had flan in a long time, or if it was somehow different. But with each successive bite, I found myself more and more enamored with this caramel custard. The whipped cream was excellent. It always pleases me when restaurants pay attention to such details as these. Bad whipped cream always seem to be a distraction from an otherwise good dessert. The French toast also came with whipped cream and a plump strawberry. It had a great flavor as well.

Flan

Overall, the amount of food was just right. I left the restaurant feeling great without being weighed down by the food or lightened by my emptier wallet. The service was friendly; the buser even offered to take a picture of us when he spot us taking pictures of the food. The venue is small but picturesque. It seemed to fill up around 8:00, but with a reservation, you should be fine. My gripe is with the tight seating, tables almost side to side. Also, the acoustics were terrible, making a cacophony of overlapping conversations. I really did not care what my neighbor thought of her pets. But even this was not enough to deter me from giving Cobras and Matadors a good review.

Recommendation: Valet is $5.50 so look for side streets. Not cheap enough to go often, but delicious enough to treat yourself from time to time.

A special thanks to my photographer, my lovely girlfriend Yoko.

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Musha

Black Sesame Ice Cream

(310) 787-7344
1725 W Carson St
Torrance, CA 90501

Adequately Fed: $20

Ordered:
Harusame Salad****
Hamachi Sashimi*****
Tofu Nuggets**
Takana Meshi (mixed rice)***
Kabocha (pumpkin dip)*****
Kurogama (black sesame) ice cream with kinako*****
(Out of Five Stars)

Japanese Tapas-- that is how this place seems to be described the most, an appropriate description of the small dish style dining inspired by homestyle Japanese cooking. With this style of dining, bring a large group of friends to try the most things. One person could probably easily finish 2-3 dishes; now multiply that by the number of friends you have and you can get a better idea of the variety of the cuisine.

We arrived at the Torrance location at 8:30 on Friday night and still had to wait 15-20 minutes for a table. We were seated at the large communal bench in the center of the restaurant. At first, I was not too keen on the prospect of sitting with so many strangers, but I realized that it was a great way to see what everyone else was ordering.

We started with a harusame salad, a glass noodle salad served on a tostada. It did not suffer from the often greasy feeling of Korean Jap chae. Considering this was not a sushi restaurant, the yellowtail sashimi was beautifully presented and wonderfully fresh. The fish was well-marbled, resulting in a buttery mouth feel. The pumpkin dip came surrounded by saltine crackers. I would not have ordered this normally, but at the request of my dining partner, I was well rewarded for taking the risk. The pumpkin was sweet and refreshing, a great party food. However, its best attribute is also its downfall seeing as how we were only two people. Eventually, it just got too sweet.

The tofu nuggets, modeled after chicken McNuggets are exactly what they sound like. They look like, and to a certain extent, even taste like chicken nuggets. It came with a sweet-sour dipping sauce and a mayonnaise sauce but after the novelty of nugget shaped tofu wore off, the dish itself did not warrant much more excitement. Takana meshi is a bowl of fried rice with nori and pickled mustard greens. The flavor was a little underwhelming, but as a rice dish, that was fine. This is an intensely Asian dish however, so those Panda Express junkies may not enjoy it as much. Dessert was black sesame ice cream, well-plated with soybean flour, strawberries, caramel, and whipped cream.

Our waiter that night was particularly friendly and helpful. I always appreciate ethnic waiters that can speak both a native language and English fluently. He reminded me of a drug dealer, in the way that he can make you feel relaxed and easily order more food.

There is also another Musha location in Santa Monica.

Recommended: Although the restaurant itself is not particularly large, this is a great place to bring large groups.

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