Pasadena Archives - Local Food Eater

Melting Pot Tours “Old Pasadena” Gift Day

April 24, 2024 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) The fun food and culture-rich “Old Pasadena Food Walking Tour” feels like minutes even though it covers over two miles and two hours of walking and food tastings. That’s because of the careful planning and expertise of Tour guide and Melting Pot Tours owner, the exuberant Jodi Flowers. By the end of the tour new friends are made, both local and out-of-towners alike and tummies filled.

Exuberant **Melting Pot Tours** owner and tour guide extraordinaire, **Jodi Flowers** welcomes a group to Old Pasadena

This expertly curated food tour features some of Pasadena’s independently owned restaurants, many family-run and in business for decades. All that is required to bring are comfortable walking shoes and water. Our tour included:

Tea Tasting at Chado Tea Room to start off the tour
Regional Mexican Cuisine at Tortas Mexico
Sweets at Mignon Chocolate
Cupcakes at the DOT shop
Indian cuisine at Tibet Nepal House
We Olive Oil and Wine Bar
Amara Chocolate and Coffee for South American savories, sweets and specialty hot chocolate and coffee – and to linger before leaving

Warming Tea Tasting at Chado tea starting off on this **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour**

Woven into food tasting sit-downs are stops at historic and architectural. Here visitors from Minnesota (left), who were joined by their local family and Washington, DC (right) join Jodi.

A stop at one of the historic and architectural sites on the **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour**

One of the most surprising parts of the Old Pasadena’ tours are restaurants with spiffy, standard store fronts and also private, back “alley” dining areas. Tortas Mexico fits the bill perfectly.

Tortas Mexico restaurant’s historic front on the **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour**

This family-owned business is known for its authentic Mexican food with recipes from the owner’s hometown, San Juan Yuicuita, a small pueblo in the Nochixtlán district in the state of Oaxaca, renowned for its extraordinary cuisine.

Tortas Mexico restaurant’s back dining area on the **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour**

Steps away from Tortas Mexico is Mignon chocolate with fascinating ethnic ingredients blended into the refined chocolates. On our tour, Faloodah (rose water) refined chocolates was offered.

Faloodah (rose water) refined chocolates to try on this **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour’s** visit to from **Mignon Chocolate**

Who would have thought that this passage way led to a remarkable alley! The interior courtyard was a gathering place for artists in the company a century ago when it was created.

Who could imagine that this alleyway on the **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour** leads to a courtyard

A surprise Lunar New Year seasonal gift on this **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour** in a hidden courtyard

Place Vendome, a jewel box of a store, in the hidden courtyard on this **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour**

Serving the authentic Himalayan cuisine of Nepal, Tibet and India since 2001, Tibet Nepal House offered familiar, popular dishes: Chicken Tikka Masala, naan, saag paneer and samosas. The warm welcome and satisfying food kept us at table for a while!

**Tibet Nepal Hous**e on the **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour**

At “dots” cupcake shop, the presentations and the takeaway boxes are as charming as the cupcakes are delicious in unusual and classic flavors. We savored one when we got home!

Connecting the DOTS of this sweets shop **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour**

Connecting the **DOTS** in this charming cupcake shop on the **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour**

The passion and elevated quality of We Olive‘s classic store and top tasting events with sublime local products didn’t surprise us on the Old Town Pasadena Melting Pot Tour. We already met these dedicated, passionate local olive oil and wine supporters at Masters of Taste.

**We Olive’s** sumptuous store and local products on the **Old Town Pasadena Melting Pot Tour**

**We Olive’s** take on classic, local product on the **Old Town Pasadena Melting Pot Tou**r

Another surprise ” back dining room” at **We Olive** facing Green Street on the **Old Town Pasadena Melting Pot Tou**r

Our last stop was at Amara Chocolate and Coffee, a wildly popular Venezuelan café specializing in espresso and coffee (roasted by Jones Coffee), arepas, cachapas and Spanish churros. Amara Chocolate and Coffee’s breakfast, brunch, lunch, and desserts are appealing as a snack or combined to make up any main meal. Even with the SRO outside in a tented area, tour guests lingered, reluctant to go!

**Amara Chocolate and Coffee’s** empanadas on the **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour**

**Amara Chocolate and Coffee’s** cappuccino on the **Old Pasadena Melting Pot Tour**

“Old Pasadena Food Walking Tours” are offered Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30 am – 2:00 pm. Book online; call +1 (323) 664-4472; or email info@meltingpottours.com.

“Dinner is ready!” Guests can order food to be picked up after the tour rom one of the friendly tour eateries. Bringing an ice chest with a cooling element for transportation is recommended.

Convenient public parking structures near the meeting location have surprisingly low fees, generally free for the first 90-minutes, then $3 for each additional hour, $9 daily maximum. We love Pasadena for these structures!

The Metro Gold Line‘s Memorial Park Station is a block from the meeting location — guests who ride the Metro to the tour receive a $5 discount.

Melting Pot Food Tours offers four other signature tours: East LA Latin Flavor Tour; Pasta Pasta Pasta Tour in Old Pasadena and the Maritime Long Beach Tour (East Village Long Beach Tour); Original Farmers Market Tour

Must-Visit Chef Tony Dim Sum In Pasadena

October 3, 2022 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Dim sum dates back to the 10^th century when commercial travel elevated the city of Guangzhou (formerly Canton) to star dining status. (Please see the mind-boggling Michael Woods’ documentary, THE STORY OF CHINA). The leafy, spiffy neighborhoods of Guangzhou reminded me of spiffy, tree-lined Greenwich when I visited, apparently unchanged in feeling since ancient high trading times. Elegant, table service, Chef Tony Dim Sum, in Pasadena’s magnificent 1929 Bear Building earns this star-status as well.

Spiffy, elegant Chef Tony Dim Sum in Pasadena

The Chef Tony Dim Sum Menu offers the classic and the contemporary something for everyone featuring twelve delectably delicious sections including –Starter, Dim Sum Steamed, Dim Sum Rice Noodle Roll, Dim Sum Baked and Fried, Seafood, Meat, Soup, Congee, Noodle, Rice, Vegetable, and Dessert.

Chef Tony Dim Sum in Pasadena, dining room on one side, bar and kitchen on the other

All dishes are made-to-order fresh right out of the Chef Tony Dim Sum kitchen. Signature Dishes include Sliced Chinese Broccoli with Black Truffle Sauce, Squid Ink Shrimp Dumplings with Gold Leaf, Sticky Rice Ball with Lava Salted Egg York.

The dramatic lobster salad sChef Tony Dim Sum in Pasadena

Traditional Chinese cruller Youtiao turns up as a starter, cut into bite-size pieces and stuffed with shrimp paste. On the menu, it’s called a savory deep-fried Chinese donut.

Traditional Chinese cruller Youtiao at Chef Tony Dim Sum, Pasadena

Moving on to more substantial courses there were lovely white wines to accompany the food. The staff is always happy to help with choices of food and spirits, then disappears when guests are dining.

A selection of white wines at Chef Tony Dim Sum, Pasadena

Shrimp and Pork Dumplings with Black Truffles Chef Tony Dim Sum, Pasdena

The pan fried lamb chop with basil looked more like a work of art. The full-bodied sauce and the Thai basil were outstanding although the meat was not the tender lamb chop you would expect.

The pan fried lamb chop with basil at Chef Tony Dim Sum, Pasdena

Everyone table in the room seemed to have the playful, bunny-shaped coconut jelly on the table. The jelly was light and delightful, not too sweet. It proved to also be a refreshing to punctuate our meal.

Coconut jelly dessert bunnies at Chef Tony Dim Sum, Pasadena

Historically, travelers went to teahouses which served two pieces of delicately made food items – sweet or savory – to go with their tea; the second is dim sum, the term used for the small food portions. Teahouse owners later added a variety of snack pieces to their dim sum offerings, like these playful desserts.

Green Tea Custard dessert option at Chef Tony Dim Sum, Pasadena

It was during the latter part of the 19^th century that this practice of having tea with dim sum evolved into what’s called yum cha, or brunch. Originally based on locally available food, chefs introduced influences from regions outside the Canton province and the dim sum culture flourished.

The tradition lives on here.

Chef Tony Dim Sum, 2 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105. open Wednesday- Monday, 11:00 am to 9:00 pm. For more information about Chef Tony Dim Sum or to make reservations, please call 626.803.0028 directly or visit Chef Tony Dim Sum Pasadena.

Masters of Taste 2022 Preview Promises!

March 13, 2022 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) The invite that arrives this year signaled the transition of lockdown to a party!

The invite two years after the last preview party to the **Masters of Taste 2022** preview party!

The festive and fun 5^thAnniversary Masters of Taste preview promises the L.A.’s premier outdoor, luxury food and beverage festival will be the welcome back public event after two years. The Sunday,April 3^rd, 2022, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm takes place on the field of the iconic Pasadena Rose Bowl!

VIP tickets are already sold out for the Masters of Taste 2022

The food at the preview, in the locker room of the historic Rose Bowl. In the locker room! (due to threat of rain). This is the ultimate behind-the-scenes experience and you get the same exhilarating feeling at the Masters of Taste event itself.

Love at first bite: Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery’s the Cornbread Cupcakes with almond, chicken liver mousse, luxando cherries and chive sprinkles are alone worth coming to the **Masters of Taste 2022**! “That’s why I am the head cheese! says Agnes.

Horrible glare lights, a camera in a hurry and the most refined, decadent cornbread cupcakes in the world by Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery at the **Masters of Taste 2022** preview party!

Gabi James’ Albondigas lush Chimayo at the **Masters of Taste 2022** preview party

Gretchen’s festive southern Jambalaya from Georgia’s Restaurant at the **Masters of Taste 2022** preview

Cru winery’s 2017 Vineyard (@cruwinery) Montage Pinot Noir Noodle, is a natural pairing with Ayara Thai’s (@ayarathai) Chef Vanda Asaphahu’s Boat Beef Noodle Soup

Masters of Taste is introducing Chef Vanda Asapahu as it’s first-ever female Host Chef of Masters of Taste, which also happens to mark the 5^th Anniversary of this celebrated event. This year, Masters of Taste falls in April, during which Thai New Year, Songkran, is also celebrated. Chef Vanda has invited 3 other L.A. Thai restaurants, to participate in the SongkranThai SELECT Pavilion, a celebration spanning the Rose Bowl’s end zone.

**Masters of Taste** 2022 happy media, here Jose Martinez of LA

The special pavilion will feature traditional Thai sundry general store and Songkran festival. As a culinary challenge, each Thai restaurant will prepare a dish, dessert, and/or cocktail using a common paste, sahm kler (which translates to “3 buddies”), and comprises white peppercorn, garlic, and cilantro root. This aromatic mixture is used in a variety of Thai dishes and is quite possibly the reason why Thai food is so special.

100% of the proceeds from Masters of Taste 2022 will directly benefit Union Station Homeless Services, a nonprofit organization committed to providing permanent solutions to end homelessness and rebuild lives. Headquartered in Pasadena, CA, Union Station has served the community for nearly 50 years. Today it is the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency assisting homeless and very low-income adults and families.

Cheers! **Masters of Taste** has raised over $2 Million in support of Union Station Homeless Services life-saving programs.

Union Station Homeless Services’ mission is guided by the belief that everyone deserves a life of dignity and a place to call home. In the last four years Masters of Taste has raised over $2 Million in support of Union Station Homeless Services life-saving programs.

VIP tickets are sold out. It was so touching to hear the Mission representative tell the story of how he thought to give the event a chance five years ago as an alternative to the more tried-and-true methods of fundraising. And how phenomenal it was to see the successful response.

And to go from **Master’s of Taste Preview Party 2022** is everyone’s regional favorite: a Brownie, this one from Bertha Mae’s Brownies with Sea Salt & Caramel

This year Masters of Taste 2022 will partner with Careers Through Culinary Arts Program, Los Angeles (C-CAP LA) to bring high school volunteer assistance at the event. Named a National Apprenticeship Program by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2021 , he non-profit Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) provides culinary, job, and life skills to over 20,000 middle-and-high school students in seven regions across the United States: New York City, Newark, Philadelphia and Camden, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C.,Maryland,Northern Virginia, and Arizona, including 7 Navajo Reservation schools.

The **Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP**) team headed up by Gail Carney, Lisa Fontanesi and Lori Wessell are professional-level volunteers at the Masters of Taste 2022

Masters of Taste Celebrates Ethnic Fare “Live” in 2022!

March 13, 2022 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) “They had me” at the Rose Bowl Event site. “They had me” at the free parking. And that’s even before reading the Masters of Taste 2022 of over 3,000 food and beverage enthusiasts together for one afternoon. This exhilarating festival 100- plus Culinary Masters and restaurants, along with a huge variety sweets prepared by L.A.’s top Sweet Masters and Beverage Masters.

We are at the Rose Bowl! Masters of Taste 2022 coming up

The very top Beverage Masters Vendors will be featuring signature handcrafted cocktail tastings from over 25 spirit brands and bars, along with select wineries, local craft breweries, cold-pressed juices, cold brew coffee, live entertainment.

We are at the Rose Bowl arriving in the tunnel! ! Masters of Taste 2022 coming up

The most amazing thing about Masters of Taste is that 100% of the proceeds go directly to benefit Union Station Homeless Services and not many food festivals can say that. Union Station Homeless Services is committed to ending homelessness in Los Angeles.”

Masters of Taste2022 will take place on Sunday, April 3^rd, 2022. A VIP Power Hour will be held from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm and General Admission will be from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Tickets to this event are only available for guests 21+ and over. For more information on Masters of Taste 2022 or to book your tickets directly, please visit//mastersoftastela.com/tickets/.

Down the stairs in the Rose Bowl ! Masters of Taste 2022 coming up

You are able to check out the individual restaurants by pressing on their website below:

The A-List of eateries at Masters of Taste 2022

Ayara Thai 2022 Host Chef Vanda Asapahu – Westchester 786 Degrees Chef Ali Haider – Pasadena, Sun Valley 1212 Santa Monica Chef Luca Maita – Santa Monica Agnes Restaurant and Cheesery Chef Thomas Kalb – Pasadena Alexander’s SteakhouseChef Richard Archuleta – PasadenaArth Bar + KitchenChef Sagar Ghosh – Culver City Bone KettleChef Erwin Tjahyadi – PasadenaCelestino RistoranteChef Calogero Drago – Pasadena Champion’s CURRY Chef Yoya Takahashi – Downtown, Los Angeles Drago Centro Chef Celestino Drago – Downtown, Los Angeles Five 55 Chef Austin Lee – Monterey Park Gabi James arah Gabriele & Adam Aros Redondo Beach Georgia’s Restaurant Nika Shoemaker-Machado – Anaheim, Long Beach

Georgia’s Restaurant ***Nika Shoemaker-Mac***

Gracias Madre Chef Justin Haefler – West Hollywood, Newport Beach Granville Mark Dix – Studio City, Burbank, West Hollywood, Pasadena Gus’s World-Famous Fried Chicken – Burbank, Long Beach, Los Angeles

Hank’s Chef Isaias Peña – Pacific Palisades Holy Basil Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat & Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon – Downtown, Los Angeles Iron Teapot Dim Sum & Bar Sally Chan – Los Angeles Kye’s Feel Good Food Jeanne Cheng – Santa Monica La Bohéme Chef Atsushi Kenjo – West Hollywood Little Llama Peruvian Tacos Chef Jean Valcarcel – Downtown, Los Angeles Lunasia Chef Lee Han Fu – Pasadena, Alhambra, Cerritos Luv2Eat Thai Bistro Chef Somruthai “Fern” Kaewtathip & Chef Noree “Pla” Burapapituk – Los Angeles Mercado Chef Jose Acevedo – Hollywood, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica Mi Piace Chef Gille Saulnier – Pasadena Open Face Food Shop Chef Lene Houck – West Adams, Los Angeles

Otus Thai Kitchen & Coffee Chef June Intrachat – West Hollywood Pez Cantina Chef Bret Thompson – Downtown, Los Angeles Poppy + Rose and Poppy & Seed Chef Michael Reed – Downtown, Los Angeles, Anaheim Qué Padre Chef Isaias Peña – Pacific Palisades Ramen Tatsunoya Chef Ryuta Kajiwara – Pasadena, Silver Lake Ruam Mitr Kwanklao Disbanchong & Benchawan Phoungtai – Los AngelesSantuari Chef Seth Greenberg – Toluca Lake Stand-Up Burgers Chef Kajsa Alger – Berkeley, Los AngelesTaishi Hainan Chicken Chef Theo Shio – Redondo Beach, Long BeachThe Colony Club and SO.PA Chef Michael Hung – Palm Springs The Raymond 1886 Chef Gabriel Cappelli – Pasadena

True Food KitchenChef Stephanie Nguyen – PasadenaVegan Sunday Supper Richard Klein – Los AngelesWe Olive Ervin Galvan – Pasadena World EmpanadasChef Matthew Hirtz – Burbank Yardbird Chef Eduardo Osorio – Los AngelesY uca’s RestaurantS ocorro “Mama Yuca’s” Herrera – Pasadena

Food Trucks: KabobaholicAli Pooya – Los Angeles, Orange CountyOkamoto Kitchen Gerald Abraham – Los AngelesThe Tropic TruckLauren Saravia – Los Angeles VCHOS Wendy Centeno – Los Angeles Wings N Waffles Jontae Vinson – Los Angeles, Orange County

Sweet Masters: A select group of Los Angeles Top Sweet Masters will showcase an assortment of delectable desserts such as Bertha Mae’s Brownies, unique Indian treats from Banana Leaf, handcrafted pudding from Better Together Sweets, custom cakes and desserts from Butter Cake Shoppe, French macarons and gourmet cookies from Etoile Filante Patisserie, deliciously scrumptious scratch baked custom cakes and cupcakes fromFantasy Frostings, Lark Cake Shop, Chocolatier Mignon Chocolate, Nomad Ice Pops, homemade premium sorbets from Pop’s Artisinal Creamery, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and more.

Bars & Spirits: 2022 Masters of Taste Platinum Sponsor Beam Suntory will be premiering their House of Suntory Tiny House on the 50 Yard Line along with a Maker’s Mark Lounge, and more. Some of L.A.’s top bartenders and cocktail bars will be creating first-rate craft cocktails, including Maxwell Reis ofGracias Madre and Miguel Perez of 1886 Bar at The Raymond.

Top brands showcasing their finest spirits at Masters of Taste will include American Born Whiskey, Dulce Vida Tequila, High Road Spirits serving Lucky Dog Sake Juice Boxes, Knox & Dobson, Krafted Spirits, Nosotros Tequila & Mezcal, Pomp & Whimsy, Smoke Lab Vodka, Ventura Spirits, Veso Aperitifs, Wild Roots Organic Vodka, Xoloitzcuintle Tequila, and Woodford Reserve will be exclusively featured in the Rose Bowl Court of Champions.

Wineries and Sake: A specially curated collection of Wine Masters will be showcasing their finest varietals including premium boutique winery Ascension Cellars, CRŪ Winery,Ferguson Family Wines, Golden Star Vineyards & Winery, Hitching Post Winery, Kikusi Brewery (Sake), Obvious Wines, Anderson Valley’s Navarro Vineyards, Seisyu Akagisan Sake,Tobias Glen Vineyard, and more.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages: A variety of premium non-alcoholic Beverage Masters will also be on hand for those who wish to hydrate, caffeinate or regenerate, such as Yerba Mate from Erva Brew Co., Humm Kombucha, distilled and elegantly blended non-alcoholic beverages from Optimist Drinks, boba milk tea from Sunright Tea Studio and Bearology, natural ginger beer from TrueRoots Brewing Co., handcrafted beverage starters from The Base Co., and more.

Cinderella Story Bartender at Raymond 1886 Bar

July 17, 2017 Comments Off

(Jose Martinez) Everybody loves a Cinderella story—rooting for the little guy. So, when someone starts at the bottom and works their way to the top we just have to cheer them on. But I fear calling Luis Nava a bartending star on the rise is a bit misleading since he’s technically not even a bartender. OK, is that misleading or just missing the mark entirely? Either way, this “bartender” at The Raymond 1886 in Pasadena has made two of the best new cocktails you’ll have this summer in-and-around, Los Angeles. So yeah, maybe he is a bartending star on the rise.

(to read Luis Nava’s story, please see: //www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/luis-nava-1886-secret-weapon-bar-star-on-the-rise_us_5965b5a6e4b0deab7c646ccc

I’ve championed The Raymond 1886 bar program and its bartenders for years as I think it’s easily the best cocktail bar in town. And hands down this summer’s MVP is Luis Nava. So just who hell is Luis Nava?

Luis Nava is a veteran of The Raymond for 16 years. He’s a jack of all trades who work in the kitchen doing whatever needs to be done like AV setup for events and parties, and handyman work yet manages to create killer cocktails. He’s also an extremely shy guy who stands firm at attention and is beyond polite.

“Luis has been the backbone of our bar program for so long,” says 1886 head barman Peter Lloyd Jones. “Luis has a very refined palate and his preparation and his familiarity with ingredients is a major strong point. He is constantly working with seasonal ingredients and finding new ways to engineer more efficient ways to prepare ingredients for cocktails.”

Two people who know Luis well described him to me as the bar’s “secret weapon.”

“Luis is a man of few words but I think that is because he is a man of action,” says Jones. “Luis has been at The Raymond 1886 for 16 years. It’s not realistic to categorize what he does for us into one role. If I had to choose one phrase I would say he’s ‘the gatekeeper’. This man literally covers all bases by creating the fabric of our restaurant and bar and applies himself as the glue. Luis seems to have just one motive; maintain consistency in operations; service; upkeep. He knows every inch of the whole property and can notice the slightest change or imperfection only to be quickly fixed without anyone’s notice. The story is literally endless in terms of what Luis has done for this bar and restaurant.”

He also likes mountain bikes (daredevil racing downhill at speeds beyond 40mph), trucks and guns in addition to a well-balanced and boozy drink. Originally from Zacatecas, Mexico, Luis, the oldest of five children, moved to Los Angeles with his family at the age of nine. Raised with the desire to be a good role model to his siblings, Luis started working at The Raymond (where his father worked as a cook) at the age of 18.

“I started at the bottom,” Luis says. “I was a dishwasher then moved up to busser then running the line and bar prep; doing little jobs here and there. Now it’s my home away from home.”

Looking back at past 1886 cocktail menus I realized I have liked Luis’ drinks for some time now. This “secret weapon” was even a secret to me. His previous winter cocktail the Helen of Troy was a wonderful mix of Pisco Portón, Velvet Falernum, mixed berry shrub, lemon juice, and black sugar garnish resulting in a pleasing drink that was sweet yet subtle. And his Shag Party—a tea-ki cocktail made with fresh lemon juice, Jamaican, Trinidadian and spiced rum with black tea syrup with pineapple, cinnamon, and anise notes, served over crushed ice with freshly grated nutmeg—played like a tiki drink and was so well balanced.

And his two new summer libations on the bar’s Cartoons & Cocktails menu made me ask, no demand, who the hell is Luis Nava?

His Woody Woodpecker cocktail is booze forward but balanced and is hands down my favorite drink on the new cocktail menu. A mix of Vida Mezcal, Angostura and Peychaud’s Bitters, cedar syrup, and a double citrus peel is a winning take on an agave-based Old Fashioned.

And proving that lightning can strike twice, Luis’ The Quagmire is sweet, boozy and balanced and just works to perfection. Made with Larceny Bourbon, homemade fig syrup, tiki bitters and figs used for syrup re-used for garnish, the bar likes to call this Old Fashioned style “figgitty”.

New Contemporary Japanese DELICATESSEN BY OSAWA Opens in Pasadena

May 25, 2017 Comments Off

Sayuri Tachibe of Osawa (Photo Credits: acuna-hansen) New Delicatessen by Osawa, a contemporary Japanese style delicatessen in the heart of Pasadena is officially open. Owner and Executive Chef Shigefumi Tachibe and wife, Sayuri Tachibe of Osawa (pictured above) are the forces behind this first contemporary Japanese deli-style restaurant in the Los Angeles area. The couple has been envisioning the casual, high-quality concept for some time now. Distinguished Executive Chef Tetsuya Osaki, Chef Tachibe’s apprentice, is again at his side.

Revered Chef Tachibe, as foodie insider’s are aware, created the ubiquitous Tuna Tartare, now considered a classic, when he headed up the CHAYA restaurant Group and M Café kitchens for over thirty years. Chaya Brasserie was the “it” place from the moment it opened. And it always exceeded all expectations in food and in its high-energy, airy ambiance. In fact, a friend hosted a surprise birthday party for me there that we still talk about today.

While Chef Tachibe’s momentous career includes his chef knife on display at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian //amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_931.html, we more closely relish his Chaya Brasserie dinner menu, each item so alluring that we happily worked our way through every single dish on it. We also have the indelible memory of Chef Tachibe handing over his incomparable hamburgers through the kitchen pass at Chaya Venice and coming back for every one of his magnificent special Venison Menu dishes (among other special menus). “Seamlessly integrated universal ingredients, exquisite and effortless prepared” defines his cuisine.

Chef Osaki‘s distinguished career spans over three continents including Japan, Europe and The United States and includes the kitchens of chic JiRaffe, Chinois on Main and the CHAYA Restaurant Group.

The fresh, exclusive selection of Delicatessen by Osawa offers such Japanese classics as the Organic Mixed Seaweed and Hijiki & Soy Beans. Chef Tachibe’s unique, creative touch is most evident on selections, such as Potato & Edamame. Russet potatoes are at the heart of the salad but it also stars snap peas, edamame & hearts of romaine. Topped with micro wasabi, the salad is seasoned with wasabi mustard sauce.

The now ever-popular Panko is the coating-for-crunch in the lightly fried mix of mashed potato in the Potato Croquette and the Crab Cream Croquette and the Kushi Pork Katsu.

Japanese classics Other original, tempting dishes include Sweet & Spicy Marinated Tofu; Kinboshi Daikon; Ginger Cucumber, Nanban Zuke (Japanese Escabeche) and Assorted Inari Sushi. Gobo, Renkon Kinpira is a mix of fresh burdock roots, lotus roots, konnyaku, mizuna, carrot, onion & celery dressed with spicy sesame sauce.

Organic Chicken Karaage, Japanese style fried chicken, is served with spicy sriracha sauce. Soups, salads and rice bowls, or (Donburi) and a selection of vegetarian dishes round out the menu.

Delicatessen By Osawa - Grab & Go section The Grab & Go section offers pre-packaged selections such as the Delicatessen By Osawa daily Bento Boxes.

Fresh Sushi is notable because it features the American-influenced items such as the Spicy Tuna Roll, California Roll and the Cucumber Avocado Roll.

Interior - Delicatessen by Osawa A minimalist interior is offset with warm wood and a special touch of Omotenashi, Japan’s exquisite art of hospitality that sets Osawa apart. Almost all the items in the to-go section will be available to in-house diners for example. And familiar faces will be on hand to bridge the experience from Osawa to Delicatessen by Osawa.

Delicatessen by Osawa is open every Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. For more information, please visitwww.DelicaByOsawa.com or call Delicatessen by Osawa directly at 626.844.8788.

The Raymond 1886’s New Cocktail Menu Honors International Inventors, Innovators

December 15, 2016 Comments Off

Editors note: We are featuring the new winter cocktail menu of the The Raymond 1886 as much because American regional inventors, innovators and legendary pioneers inspired it, as its creative team provided the most creative and tasty drinks of 2016. The program was established by original Cocktail Consultant and Barman Marcos Tello and currently lead by Head Barman Peter Lloyd-Jones.

Peter Lloyd-Jones explains the rules. “We stay true to our set ethics and systems with a rigorous “5 palate rule” test: Once a cocktail has a name and story, it must be approved by five people that have been through the 1886 bar program in order for the cocktail to appeal to a wide audience.

Casey Levental honors two turn-of-the-century American pioneers for their revolutionary ideas, though their genius is separated by one hundred years.

The Ice King, a Julep variation, which features Rhum J.M. Gold Agricole, Solerno orange liqueur, Clement Canne Sirop, muddled mint, and sprinkled coffee grounds, is dedicated to Frederic Tudor, founder of the Tudor Ice Company and nicknamed the Ice King.

Reed Hastings, whose $40 video late fees ignited the fires that that would revolutionize home entertainment and quickly put video stores into the grave, is commemorated with Netflix and Chill, a mulled wine toddy variation made of Glenfiddich 14yr Single Malt Scotch whisky, homemade mulled wine with a torched proprietary winter spice blend, vanilla syrup, and orange peel garnish.

Three cocktails represent advances in the medical field. Saluting Christopher Wren, one of the fathers of the modern day syringe, is honored with Wren’s Remedy by Marcos Tello, a Negroni variation with Beet-infused El Silencio Espadin, Carpano Antica Formula vermouth, and Campari, while a sour variant.

Second is the Blackwell by Adam Vaughn and Pastry Chef Raymond Morales, which pays tribute to Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to graduate from an American medical school in 1849. It is comprised of Fennel-infused Rittenhouse 100 proof rye, honey, ginger, lemon juice, turmeric, and a brown-sugar brûléed Serrano pepper.

American in the sense that matcha has proven to be the “hottest” ingredient of 2016 and that Americans use the concept of honoring the soul as well as the body to bring about healing, such as the practice in the Kaizen school of thought. The Raymond 1886 team came up with a hot toddy variant, The Improvement created by Cameron Masden, featuring Akashi Japanese whisky, Matcha green tea , layered condensed milk cream, and honey.

American botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in agricultural science, Luther Burbank is honored with The Burbank Flip, a Flip variant. It is a combination of Camus VS cognac, Rittenhouse 100 proof rye, Cynar, Allspice Dram liqueur, Demerara, whole egg, and a croissant chip garnish.The Burbank Flip was created by Peter Lloyd-Jonesand brilliant Pastry Chef Raymond Morales (above).

Marcos Tello also pays homage to John Chapman, the American pioneer nurseryman known as Johnny Appleseed, who introduced apple trees across several states, the fruit of which could be used only for cider. A variation of the toddy, the drink features Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy, heated Samuel Smith cider, Grade B maple syrup, Barspoons Apple Butter, Angostura bitters, side of apple chips, and a cinnamon stick garnish.

Four modern day innovators churn out three avant-garde interpretations of the Manhattan, starting with the brainchild of Peter Lloyd-Jones and a new technique called “Accelerated Esterification,” wherein a combined cocktail is exposed to partially charred wood (and other ingredients) inside a vacuum; the Burning Bridges, a nod to Elijah Craig and his alligator charred whiskey barrels, features Elijah Craig bourbon, Campari, Jammy vermouth, and a scorched maple coaster.

Elijah Craig is a premium brand of bourbon whiskey produced by the Heaven Hill distillery company in Kentucky. It is known for its “Small Batch” and 18-year-old “Single Barrel” bottling, touted as the older Single Barrel Bourbons in the world.

The second concoction, That Caribbean Funk created by Jesus Gomez, pays tribute to the legendary Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, better known as “Don the Beachcomber,” who traveled back and forth to the Caribbean since and gave birth to the Tiki movement in 1933 Los Angeles. This tropical ingenuity is comprised of Hamilton Black Rum, Wray and Nephew Jamaican Rum, Lillet Blanc vermouth, Giffard banana liqueur, pecan bitters, and banana chip garnish.

Happy Hour with an extensive bar snack menu designed by our favorite Executive chef, Tim Guiltinan from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm every Tuesday through Friday

The Raymond 1886 is open for Lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, for Dinner every Tuesday through Sunday from 5:30 to 10:00 pm and for Brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. 1886 is open every Tuesday through Thursday, 4:00 pm to 2:00 am every Friday and Saturday, and 4:00 pm to 12:00 Midnight every Sunday. 1886 Happy Hour is every Tuesday through Friday from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. For more information or reservations, please visit www.theraymond.com or call The Raymond 1886 directly at 626.441.3136.

Best Historic: The Raymond Restaurant and 1886 Bar in Pasadena

August 29, 2016 Comments Off

(Roberta Deen with Gerry Furth) From the starting explosive cocktails to the decadent desserts, the new seasonal menu under the direction of Executive Chef John , at the historic The Raymond 1886 in Pasadena turns lunch into both a festive party and a culinary education. Pasadena-born and bred chef Julia Childs favorite saying fit here: “A party without cake is really just a meeting.“ It was a party. Pastry Chef Jose Morales alone was worth the trip.

Drop the Beet (by Casey Level) and ($12) and The Blue Steel (by Adam Vaughn) need nothing more than their descriptive names and a list the uncommon ingredients in them (violet liqueur, pickle juice, pickled beets) although the over-the-top descriptions on the Cocktail Menu “showed the work” that went into the creations. Dill and cucumber-infused Stoli Vodka, lemon juice, Mikey’s home-made pickle juice and Pickled beet make up a savory martini of Russian ingredients that are “anything but orthodox.” The interplay of flavors They pour liberally so choose carefully.

As a shared appetizer the “Colorado Lamb” and the Bourbon Bacon Burger burgers under the Sandwiches and Other Things “The Burgers” section are served with a choice of French Fries, Potato Chips, Sweet Potato fries or Side Salad.

Medium raw to perfection, the patties are juicy and hand-shaped, well-seasoned and generously portioned with creative toppings (baconaise, bourbon-bacon jam, spicy grilled onions and cheddar on the beef and feta, garlic aioli, mint pesto and peppery arugula on the lamb). Chef Tim told us that he used to grind the meat in the kitchen but then when the kitchen got too busy, “we tried a number of things. Finally we found what we were looking for through our meat vendor – who hooked us up with a company that sells exclusively to Las Vegas high -end venues. We are his only client in the LA area and it is a very special burger because we want to give our customers the best.”

Brioche buns, pillowy but firm enough to stand up to the weight of such abundance.

IMG_1045 (1) The catsup for the fries is based on the original recipe from Asia.

Blackened Salmon Salad ($16) gave a new meaning to the lunchtime favorite with a crust of seeds and spices well charred never invoking charcoal or with the usual spiceness. Flaky, moist, tender – and served on a bed of baby spinach and greens, with hazelnuts, tomatoes, haricot vert and marinated beets. The poppyseed dressing provides a balancing acidity to the rich ingredients.

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The chef’s new summery Blueberry and Grilled Corn Salad is dotted with tender, crispy chunks of Southern-style fried chicken breast tossed with red and yellow vine-ripened pear tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella, a touch of red onion, tossed with the traditional Raymond house dressing. $15

Ol’ Time Raymond Classic Chicken Curry is the most ethnic of the choices. Tender large diced breast of chicken in a gently curried cream sauce, a lovely fan of grilled assorted vegetables of the season, toothsome white long grain rice and a dish of toppings – roasted peanuts, raisins, coconut, and very light, fresh in-house mango chutney.

Stunning both in flavor and presentation, desserts by very young, very serious, very friendly pastry chef, Raymond Morales truly crown a meal. Chef Raymond came out and us relating his remarkable path to the station he holds at The Raymond 1886. His remarkably sophisticated creations are intricately layer and dimensional.

The “High on Fire” consists of many but belonging flavors – a rich, dense ganache, applewood-smoked salted caramel mousse, deep dark chocolate sorbet, caramelized Arlette (paper thin cookies of puff pastry weighted so it cannot rise, brown butter powder (my favorite flavor surprise!). There was only a smear of the dessert left on the plate.

The Peach and Destroy dessert lived up to its name as well with Forage Blanc Cheesecake, Roasted white peaches, Charred Peach and Buttermilk Sherbet, Macadamia Nougatine Buckwheat Graham Cracker and lovely edible flowers.

Chef Raymond served two of the ice creams, coffee and mallow, as delicately shaped quenelles in a gleaming bowl on a bed of the brown butter powder. The Raymond also pulls classic double espresso shots as one, both caffeinated and decade. Not only did his dessert turn the meal into a party

And as for the proverbial “frosting on the cake,” when we asked Chef Morales what he’d like to see on a dessert menu he answered with our exact same wish, ” I wish that people would finally recognize and know Caneles!” Not only did his desserts turn the meal into a party, but he proved to be a most favorite host, too!

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The Raymond 1886 is open for Lunch Tuesday – Friday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm; Dinner every Tuesday – Sunday from 5:30 to 10:00 pm and Brunch Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 am to 2:30 pm.
For information on 1886 Bar or reservations, please visit www.theraymond.com or phone 626.441.3136.

Pasadena