Jenn Harris

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Los Angeles Times’ The Taste 2018, the annual event celebrating flavors of the world prepared and hosted by acclaimed L.A. chefs and bartenders, lived up to its promise.  But the evening adds up to so much more than the sum of its parts, special in a city where there are three food events a week.  Here are ten reasons why:

(1) The promise was that Paramount Pictures Studios backlot over Labor Day weekend (August 31-September 2, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM) would be transformed into a block party.  And you cannot get more neighborly than the Paramount crew and the LA Times staff.

And glammed up it was from the time you walked “the red carpet” to the entrance.  This year the evening events happily took place in the backlot minus the old former front area with a deep iron stairway that went up and then down into it.

The  Los Angeles Times’ The Taste 2018 site is party perfect. The small CBS event lot feels like a backyard; the universal lot like a huge field of hills; the Paramount lot is just the right size with enough walking (1.5 miles) between the street sets to feel light and easy.

(2) Each ticket grants access to unlimited tastings citywide pop-ups, collaborations, plus pairings from chefs and restaurants.  It was also exciting that no restaurants duplicated any other.  Six cocktails and the ticket is paid!

And there are more high-end craft cocktails plus wine and beer to come after that all evening.  Here is our old friend Clos Du Bois, favorite of talented LA chef Toribio Prado who would drink nothing else. We toasted to him!

(3) Meet DTLA chefs to taste why their restaurants are destination dining worthy.  We have always loved the food of Baltaire and Otium for years.  The plan is to live in DTLA for a month and just go through the entire enticing menus.

Church and State in the Arts District served a refreshing Green Gazpacho with garden fresh cucumber, tomato, garlic, celery, cilantro, and EVOO reminding us that simple can be the utmost in elegance and taste.

 

(4) Meet up with Studio City Chefs in new and long-time restaurants.  Second-generation owner Christy Vega’s welcome was so warm it is worth a drive over the hill.  Her mini-sweet corn tamales with crema tasted of Indian summer.

 

We still miss Ted Hopson on the westside.  But he looks so relaxed it’s clear that Bellwether agrees with him.

(5) Meet old friends and see what they are up to.  Hamasaku opened casual seafood izakaya and sushi offshoot, Umi by Hamasaku in El Segundo from partners Jesse Duron, chef Yoya Takahashi and owner Michael Ovitz.  Japanese-American Chef Takahashi is his old party self, serving refined, rich sushi.

Second generation Chao Krung Restaurant (Casa Vega is also one) brought both beautiful mom and daughters to the show.

(6) Original thoughtfully created demos: Friday’s stage was hosted by Times food editor Jenn Harris.  It was fun to introduce the welcoming Miss Harris to Chef Cecilia de Castro, Director of ACE, Academy of Culinary Education, celebrating its tenth birthday this year.  

Below Ricardo Zarate (Rosaliné) and Jonathan Yao (Kato) share secrets of creating classic dishes, doing two version of the same dish.  Jon hails from the Walnut in the San Gabriel Valley.

(7) See how the city chefs work as a team.  When Chef Ludo was unable to attend because of illness, Chef Timothy Hollingsworth stepped in for him.

 

(8)  See what the fuss is about with rising chefs in town, here from our neighborhood:  We looked forward to tasking the food of  Taiwanese-American chef Jonathan Yao (Kato) Food and Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef awardee, nominated for Rising Star from the James Beard Foundation. We were not disappointed.

See what the fuss is about with fried chicken at Gus’s.  Generous portions, tender, and moist inside and crunchy on the outside, served by a friendly staff.

 

 

(9) See what is new locally:

 

(10) See what is new internationally.  This year Taiwan and Korea had displays with cultural and travel information, along with food samplings.

A complete lesson in Korean “pat-bing-su” with a poster, staff to explain this and other foods plus a sampling.

The little Korean Pavilion served Korean Shaved Ice with Red Bean Topping, and the signage explained that other ingredients can also be used, such as fruit, rice cake, misutgaru(10)

And did we mention how friendly the Paramount staff was? Here is another reminder as we were leaving the show and discovered it was 10:30 p.m.

Friday Evening alone included Samplings from restaurants include: Otium, The Bellwether, Hinoki & the Bird, Pacific Dining Car, Ocean Prime Beverly Hills, FARMHOUSE, Highly Likely Café, Nerano, Michael’s Santa Monica, Poppy & Rose, Paramount Coffee Project, Yarrow, Pearl’s BBQ, Woodley Proper, Bone Kettle, Mainland Poke, Mexicali Taco & Co., Wanderlust Creamery, Umu by Hamasku, Casa Vega, Baltaire, Chao Krung, Puesto, Pop’s Bagels, Amor y Tacos, Bar Garcia, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill.

Samplings from restaurants on Saturday includes: Granville, Coni’Seafood, The Exchange at Freehand LA, Herringbone Santa Monica, Kali Restaurant, Prawn Coastal, Gus’s World-Famous Fried Chicken, Jaffa, Cento Pasta Bar, Winston Pies, Trois Mec, Melody, Tumbi Craft Indian Kitchen, Rappahannock Oyster Bar, Sichuan Impression, Citizen Beverly Hills, Roe Seafood, Komodo, Maple Block Meat Co., Madre Oaxacan Restaurant and Mezcaleria.

Sunday evenings Samplings from included: Banh Oui, Luv2Eat Thai Bistro, Inko Nito, Holtville Chicken, Jitlada, Wolf, Guisados, Commerson, 71Above, Brack Shop Tavern, Faith & Flower, Bulgarini Gelato, The Arbour, Lao Tao, Manuela, Bourbon Steak, Avec Nous, Momed, The Arbour, WOOD, Lao Tao,  Kobee Factory, Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, Meals by Genet.

 

For a detailed description of each event and a full lineup of participating chefs and restaurants, visit//extras.latimes.com/taste/

Friday, August 31^st,  Saturday, September 1st, Sunday, September 2^nd General Admission (7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.) – $115. Tickets are available at //extras.latimes.com/taste/