Gordon Ramsay at The London - West Hollywood, California

Address: 1020 N San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Items Ordered (DineLA):

• Lamb belly w/ Spanish chorizo, stewed gigante beans, jalapeno sauce
• Chanterelle mushroom risotto w/ sauteed scallop & quail egg
• Short rib served w/ Yorkshire pudding & bacon wrapped asparagus
• Tai snapper w/ coconut milk, shrimp curry broth over jasmine rice
• Lemon tart
• English sticky toffee pudding w/ mascarpone cheese & brown butter ice cream

Items Ordered (Afternoon Tea@Boxwood Cafe):

• Teas - rose w/ French vanilla & Mediterranean Mandarin teas
• Freshly baked scones w/ devonshire cream & lemon curd
• Sandwiches -black brioche w/ smoked salmon & cucumber, hummus w/ crisp shallots, curried chicken w/ golden raisins, roast beef w/ red onion marmalade
• Cakes - honey madeleine, L'opera cake, apple crumble, lemon meringue bar, fresh fruit tart

I tried to limit myself to only one DineLA restaurant in January, and luckily Gordon Ramsay's restaurant at The London did not disappoint. I thought every dish tasted amazing, except the lamb belly since it was a little too fatty, and I'm not a huge fan of lamb anyways. We should've gotten 2 orders of risotto instead. The creamy risotto was flavorful, the scallop cooked perfectly, and the quail egg added some richness--this was probably the best risotto I've ever eaten! The short rib entree was tender, and my tai snapper had a nice crispy skin, not to mention the Jasmine rice was fluffy and went well with the curry broth. I wish I could recreate this dish at home, it was so comforting and flavorful. The desserts were good, but definitely not the most memorable part of the meal. If you visit, definitely try the risotto option and Tai snapper--I'm still salivating over those dishes now!

Since we received $20 off a return visit, I thought it'd be a good idea to try their afternoon tea the 2nd time around. The scones had just the right amount of sweetness and weren't too dense. They were delicious with the lemon curd and cream. The savory sandwiches were interesting, but the breads were a little dry. The cakes were ridiculously cute, and my favorite from that plate was definitely the apple crumble since it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet. However, I wasn't impressed with the fruit tart since the cream tasted a little artificial and resembled something I could've purchased at the grocery store. I learned a lesson after having afternoon tea with my boyfriend...don't bring boys to tea, they will still be hungry after the miniature offerings! I guess Gordon Ramsay is a little warranted in his tirade against other chefs since I was pretty impressed with the dishes at The London. Try it and let me know if you agree.

--y

Chifa - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Address: 707 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Items Ordered:

• Peruvian ceviche - leche de tigre, sweet potato, mote, ricoto aioli, pickled onions
• Pork belly bao buns - hoisin glaze, pickled daikon & carrot, togarashi mayo
• Duck taco - duck confit, house kimchi, sliced radish, flour tortillas
• Mushroom broth w/ udon noodles - red miso, wakame, scallions, pickled enoki mushrooms
• Chaufa - shrimp, stir fried rice, chorizo,  mango, edamame
• Vegetarian curry - jasmine rice, tofu, eggplant, coconut
• Humita - charred corn, tamale, bacon, mushrooms, aji cream
• Bien me sabe - coconut cake & cream, guava ice cream
• Suspiro - lemon custard, meringue, alfajores

Gong xi fa cai! Happy New Year everyone!

What does Iron Chef Jose Garces have to do with Chinese New Year's?? Well, his restaurant Chifa in Philly is actually a Peruvian and Asian fusion restaurant. All the dishes we tried were inventive and absolutely amazing. The pork belly buns had just the right amount of fattiness with a great sweet glaze, the duck taco was well-balanced with the kimchi, and the chaufa was like a cross between paella and fried rice that really worked. I won't hesitate to say that Chifa is one of the best restaurants I've ever visited since starting this blog. I'm so impressed by Jose Garces that it makes me actually want to watch Iron Chef America. If you live in or visit Philly, I highly encourage you to make a reservation...STAT!

--y

Susan Feniger's Street - Los Angeles, California

Address: 742 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

Items Ordered:

• Kaya toast - Singapore toast w/ coconut jam, soft egg, dark soy, & white pepper
• Potato samosas - tamarind date chutney, cucumber chile, & mint yogurt
• Shaved kale and brussels sprouts -goat cheese & lemon picada
• Rickshaw rice bowl (rotating) - shrimp, eggs, & Chinese broccoli w/ chili sauce
• Mediterranean chicken wings - tzatziki ranch & pickled radish

Who doesn't like papaya salad eaten off the streets of Thailand, Japanese ramen for cheap in Tokyo, and rice bowls in practically any Asian country? Well, Susan Feniger's Street tries to recreate those inspiring dishes, but in a nice, clean restaurant setting in the great city of L.A. (with upgraded prices to match). The dishes at Street were fantastic. I liked how the plates were shareable and that there were so many options from different countries to choose from. You should definitely get the kaya toast, the blend of sweet from the kaya jam and salty from the soy sauce and egg makes for a delicious bite each time. The samosas were crunchy, and the chicken wings were fall off the bone tender. I love my veggies--and even more so when they're mixed with cheese so I would recommend the shaved kale & brussels sprouts as well. The only disappointment was the rice bowl, which was meant to be homey, but probably too literally so. I could make this dish myself at home, have it taste the same, and feed 2-4 for less than $12. Maybe I was just expecting something more like fried rice or requiring more technique/assembly since it's supposed to be fancier street food. Overall, I was impressed with the recreation of classic street food dishes, and I'd still definitely return to Street and try the rest of their menu items.

--y