The Princess Gourmet

LE PETIT CHATEAU: North Hollywood, CA

 

I have been a frequent patron of Le Petit Chateau (or "LPC" as I affectionately call it). Located on Lankershim Boulevard not far from the 134 freeway, you can't miss it. The building looks like it's something out of a Grimm's Fairy Tale, a little castle-like cottage on busy Lankershim. 

When you walk in to the restaurant, you will be greeted by owners Andy and Christiane. The decor is old world in style, dark wood and a throw back to days gone by. The food is very good here, their desserts excellent and service is prompt, friendly and courteous. They have a full bar and I usually come here to meet up friends (an interesting mix; we're definitely a motley crew for such a fine establishment) for drinks and partake in their shrimp/salmon cakes or crab cakes, "off the dial" fries (I have mine with a side of their gravy instead of ketchup) and their chocolate creme brulee or profiteroles! Every once in a while we will have dinner and on most nights, end up walking out with the service staff and closing the place down. They have valet parking in the back of the restaurant on Hortense or you can find street parking on the same street or on Lankershim.

My last outing there was just this past Friday with a group of friends and we sat in the main dining room in our usual corner spot by the fireplace. Our favorite wait staff was working that evening--John, Laura and Paris. We started out with a round of drinks (we finished off two bottles of Arrogant Frog, a French white wine) and placed two orders of their french fries, two orders of their shrimp and salmon cakes with a side salad and their mushroom caps. Of course, I was kicking myself because I had forgotten to take a photo of the fries! Oh well, looks like I'll have to schedule a return visit. LOL!

 

For entrees, we ordered the short ribs in a merlot reduction sauce over fetuccine and steamed vegetables, a full order of the shrimp and salmon cakes, and salmon filet over corn with grilled vegetables.

 

 

 

For dessert, we decided to share a trio of desserts: their oh so decadent Chocolate Creme Brulee with extra whipped cream on the side, their Cappuccino Crunch Ice Cream (our first time ordering it and was enjoyed by all) and the Profiteroles with Vanilla Ice Cream drizzled with a bit of chocolate sauce (another favorite of ours).

 

 

 

 

I encourage you to come out and experience Le Petit Chateau for yourself. It's a little gem, an unsung French restaurant that I guarantee will not disappoint.

LE PETIT CHATEAU
4615 Lankershim Boulevard
North Hollywood, CA  91602-1801
Phone: 818.769.1812

GENWA - KOREAN BBQ & CUISINE: Los Angeles, CA

 

Anyeong hasayeo! I didn't become a fan of Korean cuisine until very recently. I think I was perhaps intimidated by the menu items which were in romanized Korean that were unfamiliar. I know that the staple food item in Korea is Kimchee, however, I have not yet had the courage to bring myself to try it and as of this writing, still shy away from it. I don't know why I'm adversed to it and God knows I've eaten my fair share of strange and interesting foods. 

That being said, Genwa is on the top of my list and is currently my favorite Korean restaurant. This recent find was thanks to my husband and recommended by his co-worker Ji Won. Located on the corner of Wilshire and Mansfield just west of Highland Avenue (and across from Burger King which is my husband's marker), this beautiful restaurant is a great place to gather family style and share "Banchan" (Korean side dishes) and many of the items on the menu due to its generous portion sizes, enough to share with 2-3 people per dish. 

I've been to Genwa twice in a one week period. The first time was with my husband and a family friend for dinner on a Friday night and then again just a few days ago for a "Girls Night Out" to celebrate my birthday and my friend Lisa's birthday (I spotted a couple of celebrities--not there together but dining there separately with family and business associates). My friends are now fans of Genwa too. LOL! 

 

The restaurant itself is very stylish and modern, dark woods, bamboo, decorative touches here and there, beaded pendent and mod-style lamps. Each place setting includes your own metal/aluminum chopsticks and a spoon. The Koreans use a spoon to eat their rice, not their chopsticks (I used my chopsticks anyways to eat my rice dish). You have the option of either cooking the BBQ items yourself (there is a grill in the center of every table) or having the restaurant cook it for you so that it's delivered to your table ready to eat. The staff is very friendly and will take the time to explain its menu if there is something you have a question on (i.e., what is it? what does it taste like? what is the texture? how hot is it? etc. etc.). They do serve alcohol and have sake and soju available if you want to add to your asian dining experience. I'm going to co-mingle both of my recent visits to Genwa in this one post.

 

To get our Korean adventure started, we ordered a bottle of Sayuri, a Nigori sake, served cold. It is creamy and naturally sweet and is enough for about 6 shots. I loved the bottle it came in, a beautiful light pink glass bottle with a beautiful rice paper label (I saved the bottle to use as a flower vase!)

 

We also ordered hot tea. I loved the pots they served their tea in.

 

 

 

I was amazed at the number of banchan or Korean side dishes that were brought out to the table. I was a bit adventurous and did try a number of items and they were very good but sadly, I steered clear of the kimchee (although friend Lisa happily enjoyed it). They also brought out a small stone pot of steamed eggs to share--custard-like and light since it's steamed in water. I like to add two spoonfuls of this egg mixture to my bowl of Bibim Bap for added flavor and texture. A bowl of green salad was also included and a small bowl of rice wrappers and radish wrappers (a beautiful honeydew melon green color), sliced thin, cool and refreshing and can be filled with any of the banchan items or bbq meats and salad to create a Korean "taco" if you will. You are only limited by your imagination!

 

Everything on the menu sounded so good. Since their portions are generous we decided to pick 2-3 items that we can all share family style.  We opted for the Sizzling Bibim Bap, which is rice with beef and vegetables and egg mixed with chili pepper paste and served in a sizzling stone pot (in short, fried rice--see below photo). I love bibimbap and had it for the first time when I was in Tokyo (of all places). It's a great dish and all the ingredients are mixed at your table and served in individual bowls (if you choose to share), otherwise, you can eat it right out of the stone pot! They even ask how hot you want it and for me, I opted for medium heat so they adjusted the amount of chili pepper paste to suit my taste (thanks, Francis for remembering how I like it!). They also serve Bibim Bap with Vegetables, Chicken, Kimchee, Shrimp, and Nakji (calamari).

 

 

 

We also chose the Neng Myun, a buckwheat noodle dish served in a cold beef broth topped with beef slices, pear and vegetables. This was highly recommended by our server Francis and is one of his favorites. It was very good and the pear just added the right amount of sweetness to the soup, perfect for a warm summer-like evening. Thank goodness we decided to share--they came out with three big soup bowls and I wasn't able to finish my share of it! I can only imagine what a full serving was like! My one-third share was very filling. In the photo below, Francis cuts the buckwheat noodles so they can be easily managed with chopsticks (it was pretty funny though trying to pick up the noodles; they kept slipping off the chopsticks!).

 

 

Our main entree was the Prime Galbi (you may know it as Kalbi Ribs). Prime Galbi is prime short ribs marinated in their special house sauce. You can cook it at your table or have the kitchen prepare it for you (we opted for the latter). The meat was so tender and it sat on a bed of carmelized onions. It was cooked to perfection!

 

We also tried their Shrimp & Scallop entree--seasoned black tiger shrimp and scallops also atop carmelized onions. The shrimp was butterflied and generous in size and the scallops delicately prepared and succulent!

 

Since my second outing at Genwa was to celebrate my birthday and my friend Lisa's birthday, we shared an ice cream dessert--chocolate and raspberry ice cream dusted with cocoa powder. It was beautiful and yummy and they sang "Happy Birthday" to us--in English and not in Korean (we asked them to sing to us in Korean but they didn't know how to)!

 

 

I highly recommend Genwa and for my friends out there--if you'd like to try this place out, I'll be happy to join you! I think the next time out, I'm going to try the Sam Gae Tang, a whole cornish hen filled with sweet rice and herbs and simmered in broth and the Yuksu Bulgogi, beef and vegetables marinated in their house sauce, served with glass noodle and seasoned broth. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

 

Above: With new friends (left to right) Newton, Sara and Francis. Below: Our lovely server (whose name I didn't get but I will on my next outing), Sara and Francis.

 

Kampai! Below with friends Lisa and Conjie.

GENWA
Tabletop Korean BBQ
5115 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (323) 549-0760

Parking is on Mansfield; go into the Retail Parking entrance. You may be able to find street parking on Mansfield and Wilshire as well. Kamsahamnida!

OLE - SPANISH RESTAURANT & TAPAS BAR: Studio City, CA

 

Ole is a Spanish restaurant and tapas bar located in Studio City on busy Ventura Boulevard between Fulton and Coldwater Canyon (cross street is Longridge). I've driven by Ole many times and have only recently become a regular patron. It's a great place to meet up with friends after work for drinks and tapas (small plates of either hot or cold appetizers). They also have a great wine list as well as sangrias and dinner entrees on their menu.

 

I love the ambiance of Ole. You can dine al fresco on the patio or inside, with comfy couch seating and lots of pillows. You can also hang out at the bar and catch the latest scores of whatever sporting event is showing on TV. Ole does host mixers so it does draw crowds on occasion but I've never had trouble being seated within a few minutes of arriving. The walls are painted in vivid dijon or tomato and are graced with unframed paintings of Spanish bull fighters and toreadors, the woods are dark, the low lighting casts a warm glow throughout the restaurant and gives it a romantic yet mysterious ambiance (so bring a regular camera with a flash if you want to take pictures; your iPhone will not be able to take clear pictures). The service staff is very friendly and they also offer up live flamenco entertainment on occasion.

Ole serves up wonderful and tasteful cold and hot tapas (appetizers). I am partial to the hot appetizers and I recommend the fried goat cheese drizzled in honey (Queso de Cabra Frito con Miel), grilled rosemary flatiron steak with anchovy butter (Filet a la Plancha), any of their Empenadas or, if you want a variety of tapas to share with a small group of friends, then the Placa Caliente is your best bet. The Placa Caliente is an assortment of hot appetizers and includes sauteed shrimp, sauteed mushrooms and artichokes, fried goat cheese, fried calamari, roasted potates, serrano ham, onion with tomato sauce and aioli. Enjoy with either a white wine or red wine sangria or any of their unique signature drinks and you've got perfection!

 

Above: (1) Queso de Cabra Frito con Miel (fried goat cheese drizzled with honey); (2) Filet a la Plancha (grilled rosemary flatiron steak w/ anchovy butter; (3) Vieiras de Peregrino Chamuscadas (seared scallops with saffron cream sauce); (4) Chicken Empenada and (5) red wine sangria.

DINNER ENTREES (ENTRADAS): I decided that I wanted to have my birthday dinner this year at Ole. I've never tried any of their dinner entrees and my husband and son have never been to Ole so this was going to be a treat for all of us. We started out with a pitcher of red wine sangria to share and ordered the Queso de Cabra Frio con Miel (fried goat cheese) as our appetizer. Trenton wanted to try the Sopa de Cangrejo, a hot crab soup with brandy and soft shell crab! It was served with croutons on the side and the flavor reminiscent of lobster bisque--just absolutely delectable. I was surprised at the generous serving of soft shell crab in the soup.

Ole's dinner entrees include steak, chicken, seafood, including the traditional Spanish dish, paella. I chose the 8 oz. Lobster Tail which was grilled and accompanied with garlic butter, a delicate seafood risotto and steamed vegetables. The lobster was perfectly cooked and the risotto creamy. Carlo decided to have the Paella Ole, a saffron rice dish with chicken, chorizo sausage and a variety of seafood. Flavorful, smoky and colorful, it is a feast to the eyes as well as the palate. Trenton opted for the Cordero al Ajo, grilled garlic lamb chops with truffled mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. It was a hearty serving, the chops tender and the mashed potatoes creamy with the perfect hint of truffle.

 

 

 

 

Above: (1) Sopa de Cangrejo (hot crab soup with brandy and soft shell crab); (2) 8 oz Lobster Tail; (3) Paella Ole and (4) Cordero al Ajo.

What's a birthday celebration without dessert? Since we were all full from dinner, we decided to share one dessert--the Crema Catalana, a rich flan dessert infused with orange and topped with chocolate shavings. 

Your dining experience at Ole is an adventure in taste and a wonderful place to gather with friends and family. It's warm, open and inviting, the staff friendly and the menu is varied to suit a wide variety of tastes. The restaurant offers valet parking, however, there is parking in the back of the restaurant and street parking on Ventura.

OLE SPANISH RESTAURANT & TAPAS BAR
13251 Ventura Boulevard
Studio City, CA 91604

The restaurant is open 7 days a week and is only open for dinner. Hours are 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm Sunday thru Thursday (bar closes at 11:00 am) and from 6:00 pm to 11:30 pm Friday and Saturday (bar closes at midnight).

CAFFE TRIESTE: San Francisco, CA

Whenever I am visiting the Bay Area, I make it a point to visit one of my favorite coffee houses, a San Francisco institution really, in the North Beach area just off of Vallejo called Caffe Trieste.  Serving espresso drinks for over 50 years, Caffe Trieste also serves up a variety of pastries and baked goods, sandwiches, salads, pizzas and decadent desserts.

We dropped in on an early Sunday morning to get our caffeine fix and plan our last day in the city. It's a warm, friendly atmosphere, complete with murals painted on the walls and framed black and whites, with jazz playing in the background reminiscent of the 60's beatnik era. They have cafe tables outside for those of you who like to linger over your coffee and people watch or simply read the newspaper. We were able to secure a table inside and soak in the atmosphere and enjoy our coffee.

I ordered the Caffe Mocha Bianca and a bagel, my son ordered the Ciocolatta Fantasia and his friend ordered an iced coffee.  Drinks are made to order and served in a glass if you plan on enjoying your coffee on site. My Caffe Mocha Bianca was perfect and hit the spot. The Ciocolatta Fantasia is a flavorful balance of coffee, chocolate and hazelnut with a touch of whip cream.

Caffe Trieste has several locations in the Bay Area; I just happen to love this particular one due to its close proximity to the wonderful little shops in the area and restaurants, many of which are Italian. It's not far from the Transamerica building and Washington Square is just a short stroll away. Many of you movie buffs will probably recognize Caffe Trieste in the Reese Witherspoon/Mark Ruffalo 2005 movie, "Just Like Heaven".  

If you're ever in San Francisco, forego Starbucks and check out Caffe Trieste. You'll be a fan too!

CAFFE TRIESTE
601 Vallejo Street
San Francisco, California
(415) 392-6739

Opens at 6:30am. Closes at 11pm on Sundays thru Thursday; closes at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Cash Only

A WEEK LONG CELEBRATION (and then some)...

First of all, a shout out to my niece Channa who celebrates a birthday today--her 24th! It seemed like it was only yesterday when she was just a fiesty little girl, being a big sis to my sons Trenton and Nick. Now Channa has two kids of her own. Hard to believe. Where did all that time go?

Seems kind of odd to be taking a break after I started this blog with a bang! LOL! It was my birthday week last week and I've been celebrating since October 19! I think I've gained 10 pounds and I'm afraid to step on the scale. I was craving Starbucks' Java Chip Frappuccino Ice Cream (I have an unopened pint in the freezer). It's calling my name big time--but through willpower, I was able to talk myself out of it and instead, I am having Sugar-Free Strawberry Jello! 

I'm excited about the next upcoming entries to The Princess Gourmet and need to organize my thoughts (and photos) before I can upload. Looking through my iPhoto Gallery, I realize that I do eat out...a lot! Which is why the blog was such a great idea (thank you friends and family who encouraged me and gave me the inspiration to do this)!

I'm excited to be featuring my very first guest blogger...Mr. & Mrs. Cannolihead, who I will affectionately call, "MMC". Their identities will be kept a secret...for now. Hehehe! MMC is from Northern California and Mrs. Cannolihead and I not only used to work together, but we are both HR professionals. They will be regular contributors to my blog (until they decide to go on a diet). LOL!

Back to my birthday week. Seems like I ate through the entire week! On Monday, it was dinner at Cafe Des Artistes in Hollywood with friends. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me, only my iPhone. I did take a photo of the Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Mango & Mint Coulis and a scoop of French Vanilla Ice Cream that was to be my birthday dessert. It was light, airy and very French! I promise to take my camera with me on my next outing to CDA. It is one of my favorite places to dine in Hollywood.

 

On Tuesday, I celebrated my birthday with my husband and son Trenton at Ole, a Spanish tapas restaurant located in Studio City. I normally go there with friends after work to decompress and enjoy a drink (or two) and their wonderful tapas caliente. This was the first time I was going there with my family and actually ordering an entree! I'll save the details of the dinner and spotlight Ole in a separate post but the dinner was amazing. They even had live flamenco as entertainment that evening. My birthday dessert was their Orange-infused Flan topped with chocolate shavings. It reminded me of the Filipino dessert, Leche Flan.  It was just as rich, just as heart-healthy (I'm kidding here) but really good.

 

Wednesday night, my co-workers and I headed to nearby Sierra's Mexican Restaurant in Canoga Park, about 10 minutes from the office. I go there for lunch on occasion. They have an extensive menu, their prices are reasonable and the food is good. This was my first time going there for Happy Hour. We had two rounds of drinks and shared appetizers. It had been a long day for all of us and we were happy to get out, relax and enjoy each other's company. We each had something to celebrate--a belated birthday, my birthday, a welcome back and a promotion. Sorry to say, I was too slow on the uptake and did not take any photos of this outing. Oh well...

Thursday night was dinner with my friend Conjie at Ole...again! Conjie had never been to Ole or had Spanish tapas so this was a new experience for her. I didn't mind going there again since it is one of my favorite places. We both ordered the raspberry mojito and shared a variety of appetizers. Needless to say it was filling! We were so full, we had no room for dessert! I'll share the details of the meal in a separate post but if you're ever in the San Fernando Valley, you have to try Ole!

Which now bring us to last Friday night...we weren't celebrating a special occasion but after the meal we had, I felt like we were celebrating a new find! Conjie had suggested going to Koreatown after work to check out Music Plaza at the Koreatown Plaza Mall. Music Plaza is where I get my Korean fix on dramas, movies and music. Since we were going to be in K-town, I asked her if she wanted to grab dinner at a Korean restaurant (whose name escapes me at the moment) that I had recently gone to for lunch a few weeks ago. It's one frequented by celebrities and if I can remember what it's called, I'll be sure to blog about it! Anyways, she said sure and I told her that I'd call hubby and see if he wanted to join us since he works nearby. Hubby was open to meeting us for dinner and instead of going to the "restaurant whose name I can't remember", he suggested another Korean restaurant that was introduced to him by his co-worker Ji Won which he thought I might like. I thought to myself, great! Another restaurant for me to review and add to my blog! I was looking forward to it. 

Conjie and I never made it to Music Plaza (it closed at 8:00pm and Conjie arrived at my house too late for us to try and make it over there before closing time). We went straight to my hubby's office in Hollywood instead and then headed in one car to the Genwa restaurant in the mid-Wilshire area. I've been to a few Korean restaurants and this one is now my favorite. I'm very excited about sharing this find with you and will do so in a separate post. This place gets a five-star rating in my book!

 

Look out for future dedicated posts on each of the following restaurants:

• Cafe Des Artistes, Hollywood
• Ole, Studio City
• Genwa, Mid-Wilshire

And, Mr. & Mrs. Cannolihead's first blog post!

Till next post,

The Princess Gourmet

KABUKI: Woodland Hills, CA

KABUKI is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles. Part of a chain that is based mainly in the greater Los Angeles area, Kabuki offers an inventive menu as well as great sake offerings. I frequent the location in Woodland Hills, which is conveniently down the street from my office and will have lunch there with co-workers and friends when the sushi craving strikes or dinner with the family.  One of my favorite sushis is their Alaskan Roll--a baked salmon-topped California roll. I also enjoy their sashimi sampler, king crab miso soup, and their oriental chicken salad.

I recently joined their Red Mask Club which allows you to earn one point for every dollar you spend when you dine at any of their restaurants. You just have to remember when paying your bill to also submit your card.

Here are a few of my favorites to share (all photos taken by me with my iPhone):

Above: Sashimi Sampler

Above: Oriental Chicken Salad

Above: Grilled Shrimp Risotto

Above: Alaskan Roll

KABUKI
Woodland Hills Location
20940 Ventura Boulevard
Woodland Hills, CA  91367
818.704.8700

  

HASH HOUSE A-GO-GO: San Diego, CA

Recommended by Bernadette Ferrer, San Diego:

"There's a quaint little breakfast place in San Diego (Hillcrest area) called Hash House A-Go-Go and everytime I've gone there it's always packed so usually a good sign for great food. They make a scrumptious banana and brown sugar pancake that's the size of a medium sized pizza and their applewood bacon omelettes are to die for."

HASH HOUSE A-GO-GO
3628 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, California  92103
619.298.4646

www.hashhouseagogo.com

"Awarded Best Breakfast in 2009, People's Choice Award, San Diego Magazine"

SEAFOOD COVE: Westminster, CA

Recommended by Alan Figuracion, New Mexico

"If you get the chance and love Dim Sum...there's a place in Little Saigon that I make the effort to go to whenever I'm in SoCal. Dragon-Phoenix Palace has recently changed its name over to Seafood Cove and is located at 9211 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92683. It's always crowded, there's a line and you have to take a number like at the Post Office to get served. ;)"

SEAFOOD COVE RESTAURANT
9211 Bolsa Avenue
Westminster, California  92683
714.893.1976

www.seafoodcove.com

OOKA SUSHI & HIBACHI STEAK HOUSE: Riverside, CA

My husband Carlo and I had to drive our son back to UC Riverside on a Sunday and decided to eat lunch in Riverside before stopping at Target to pick up a few items he needed (miscellaneous school supplies, dorm stuff, etc.). We didn't want fast food so we headed over to Riverside Plaza, an open air mall about 15 minutes from the UCR campus. We were planning on dining at California Pizza Kitchen but Ooka Sushi caught our eye and Japanese sounded pretty good so we decided to try it.

At first glance, Ooka Sushi looks like a more upscale Japanese restaurant and is situated right near the movie theatres so they must get a lot of the date crowds and after movie-goers. The restaurant is clean, modern and not only has a general restaurant area and sushi bar, but also a hibachi area for their Benihana-type service. We opted to be seated in the general restaurant area. It's a restaurant that you would most likely see in Pasadena, Studio City or Woodland Hills rather than Riverside and when studying their menu, their prices reflect it too. A bit on the medium to high side, it does offer a more inventive menu and their sushi menu has a lot of variety.

Carlo settled on the Bento Box which included slices of Teriyaki NY Strip Steak wrapped with scallions, shumai, shrimp tempura, fried rice and a Japanese sweet treat. Salad and miso soup was also included.

Nick settled on the "Morning After" roll and the Gyoza. I don't recall what was in the Morning After roll (I think there was lobster in it) but I do know that it was very good.

I decided on the Seared Salmon w/ Basil Pesto drizzled with olive oil and the Nabeyaki Udon, a noodle soup with shrimp tempura, fish, chicken, clam, vegetables, egg and fish cake. I was expecting the soup to be full bodied and full of flavor and it fell short of my expectations. The Salmon, however, was excellent and unique in flavor and taste.

Overall, we had a positive dining experience and will go back for a return visit. Ooka Sushi also three other locations but they are all located in Pennsylvania (who knew?) so if you're ever in the Riverside area, check it out.

OOKA SUSHI & HIBACHI STEAK HOUSE
3525 Riverside Plaza Road, Suite 200
Riverside, CA
951.779.0099

www.ookasushi.com

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD

You're probably asking yourself, what exactly is this blog all about? To put it simply, it's all about the food. For those of you who know me, especially my Facebook family and friends, I love to eat out. I enjoy being served and look forward to whatever culinary masterpiece awaits me, whether it be from a 5-star restaurant, to a food cart or attending an event or special occasion. I also enjoy entertaining for family and friends at home and there are always recurring favorites requested by the family, especially during those times when we do get together for a home cooked meal. I want to share my favorites with you and hope that you'll get to experience these places for yourself. Don't forget to share your own culinary adventures with me--let's make this fun and interactive!  Bon Appetit!

The Princess Gourmet