Archive for April, 2010

Hatfield’s Restaurant in West Hollywood – Los Angeles

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

By Sandy Driscoll

Hatfield1The beautiful open kitchen!  (All images on this post ©2010 by restaurantdiningcritiques.com & Sandy Driscoll)

6703 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, California 90038
Tel. (323) 935-2977
Opening Hours:
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:45-2:15
Dinner: Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm; Friday & Sat 6pm-10:30pm

In food-laden Los Angeles, where the restaurant du jour is always changing, Hatfield’s is a current top contender. Just last week, both the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Magazine came out with exciting and very favorable reviews, three and four stars, respectively.

Quinn Hatfield (chef/owner) and his wife/partner Karen (pastry chef) have been in Los Angeles for several years. They have cooked at Spago and prior to that, at Jean-Georges and Gramercy Tavern, to name a few.  This new and much larger location (formerly Citrus, then a succession of not-as-notable restaurants) has been open only three months.  It seems perfect for them and particularly for those of us who love watching the action of an open kitchen while we eat.

When my friend Susan Beyrle was in town this weekend from NYC, we wanted an interesting place to dine and this seemed to be it. We were seated directly in front center, with a closeup full view of the open kitchen . . . action central!

The option of a prix fixe, four course menu (with several choices for each course) for $59 was the most intriguing, so we went for that.   With a plethora of reviews, food websites, commentators, etc., detailed food descriptions are easily available elsewhere.  Suffice it to say, we really enjoyed everything.   The portions are small and flavors distinct and well managed.   Between the main course and dessert, we were still hungry.  However, we were quite comfortable after the generous and truly delicious desserts.  Service was professional and well-timed.   The excellent wine list provides some interesting wines by the glass.  I particularly liked the 2003 Serie Magno, a Malbec/Tempranillo blend from Argentina’s Bodega Fantelli, paired with the beef.

Personally, I was struck by the unusual texture of the short ribs.  I read somewhere that the cooking method was “sous vide”, so it was not the usual consistency one expects from short ribs however, the flavor was certainly there.  Early on, I found myself taking mincing little bites of everything (particularly the Squid Salad) so as to prolong the flavor bursts in my mouth and to savor each taste and lengthen each delightful course.

At the end of the meal, the waitress invited us into the kitchen to meet the chef!  Chalk it up to serendipitous luck!   It was a fine and fun evening.

Hatfield2Amuse Bouche . . .Tuna on Shaved Celery Root

Hatfield3Roasted Sunchoke & Rocket Salad, French Feta ‘falafel’ crumble

Hatfield4Monterey Bay Squid Salad … Sauteed Blue Lake & Yellow Wax Beans, Ginger Chermoula

Hatfields6Sugar & Spice Beignets, Venezuelan Chocolate Fondue, Preserved Ginger Milkshake Shot

Hatfields7Hot Chocolate Souffle Tartlet with Chicory Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Hatfield5Mocha Caffe

Hatfield8Chef Hatfield (right) carefully inspects each plate and adds finishing touches

Annie Féolde, Guest Chef at Le Normandie, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, May 10-15 2010 – Bangkok

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Annie Feolde5 copy

Enoteca Pinchorri, Via Ghibellina, 87, I-50122 Firenze (Toscana) Italy, Tel. : + 39 055 24 27 77, Fax : + 39 055 24 49 83, E-mail : enoteca@relaischateaux.com, Owners: Giorgio Pinchiorri and Annie Féolde, Maître de Maison: Alessandro Tomberli, Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux: Annie Féolde, Weekly closing: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday noon and Wednesday noon, Annual closing: August, Christmas and January 1st

Imoya Honten Izakaya, Sachayan Mansion, Sukhumvit Soi 53 – Bangkok

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Imoya11Entrance to Imoya

Imoya Honten at Sachayan Mansion on Sukhumvit, Soi 53 is the main branch and a true Izakaya, in the sense that you may drink sake, shochu, beer or other popular drinks while sharing small plates with friends or family at your table, in a casual, old-style atmosphere where service is performed graciously. The company operates 6 branches within Bangkok, Chonburi & Prajinburi:

Imoya Soi 24
3 F Terminal Shop Cabin
2/17-19 Sukhumvit 24 Lane,
Klongton Sub-District,
Klong Toey District
Bangkok, 10110
Tel. 02-663-5185-6

Imoya 304
280 304Plaza Thatoom, Srimahapote
Prajinburi 25140 Thailand
Tel. 03-741-4267

Honjin Imoya
36-38 Srirachanakorn Soi 6
Sriracha, Chonburi 20110 Thailand
Tel. 03-832-2174, 03-832-2601

Imoya Shokudo
Emsquare Plaza 49/53 Moo 5
T. Thungsukhala, A. Sriracha, Chonburi 20110 Thailand
Tel. 03-840-0037

Poteto Club
332 304 Plaza Thatoom, Srimahapote
Prajinburi 25140 Thailand

Imoya 1Right side dining room with tatami rooms off to the side. At the rear on the right is a passageway leading to additional tatami rooms

Imoya2Left dining room with bar counter quite visible in the rear with tatami rooms on the left

Imoya3One of many colorful painting of times past in Japan

Imoya4Antique bells made from mud (clay), hanging on the wall

Imoya5A pit in the table where at one time in old Japan, certain types of food were cooked

Imoya6

You will appreciate that prices are commensurate with the surroundings and the home-style cooking, although selectivity is important, either by intuition or trial and error, as some dishes fare better than others. This restaurant is always busy due in part to the friendly atmosphere and favorable pricing, and is open every evening from 6pm – midnight.

Imoya 7Sake cooling down

Imoya 8Okonomiyaki