Andy Gavin's Blog, page 29

Pure Lafleur

Restaurant: The Aster

Location: 1717 Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028. (323) 962-1717

Date: February 25, 2023

Cuisine: Modern French

Rating: Great food, amazing wines

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Sage Society always do some of the most incredible wine dinners. Tonight’s was a rare treat: Chateau Lafleur!

It was located at the Aster, a hotel and private club in Hollywood. Above is the bar.

The club’s view of the city.

Getting a short tour before the dinner, I check out the club caberet.

A sky bridge between the buildings...

Thai Tour – Palms Thai

Restaurant: Palms Thai Restaurant

Location: 5900 Hollywood Blvd b, Los Angeles, CA 90028 | (323)462-5073

Date: February 22, 2023

Cuisine: Thai

Rating: Delicious and super spicy

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In Feb and March we had a renewed Thai Tour (which we do every few months). This round brought us first to Ruen Pair and then to Palms Thai.

Large oddly modern interior.










Usual giant Thai menu.

The gang.

And Thai Elvis.

Champ for spicy.

Roasted Duck Salad. Sliced roasted duck mixed with tomato, red onion, ...

Again-a-Guelaguetza

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Botana Oaxaqueña. Assorted tasting platter of the best of our grilled Oaxacan meats. Includes chorizo, tasajo, cecina, chile relleno, carnitas, Oaxaca cheese, grilled onions and cactus. Served with guacamole, frijoles de la olla with nopalitos, and 14 memelitas. Serves 4 (this is the half size, the “full” size serves 8!).

Return to Ruen Pair

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Coconut Chicken Soup. Chicken, mushroom, lemon grass, lime leaves, galangal and lime juice in coconut soup. A tasty soup with lots of chicken. Not nearly as good as the Jitlada “Coco Lotus Soup” but still enjoyable.

Orsa & Winston

Restaurant: Orsa & Winston

Location: FARMERS AND MERCHANTS BANK BUILDING, 122 4th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013. (213) 687-0300

Date: February 16, 2023

Cuisine: Modern American Italian Japanese

Rating: light and very interesting

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Orsa & Winston is inspired by Italian and Japanese flavors, connected by the creativity of chef Josef Centeno. They were awarded a Michelin star in 2019 & 2021 and chosen as L.A. Times restaurant of the year in 2020.
Interior is small and intimate.

Open kitchen (of course...

DimSumQuest – Happy Harbor

Restaurant: Happy Harbor [1, 2]

Location: 1015 Nogales St, West Covina, CA 91792. 626-965-2020

Date: February 14, 2021

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Great cantonese

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I went here for dinner in 2021 and had a great meal — so I had high hopes for our dim sum visit.

Happy Harbor is a medium sized Cantonese located right next to Mandarin plaza, a “far east” (Hacienda Heights ish) area we have eaten at again and again.

The interior is classic Cantonese.

The infinite corridor.

Grungy tanks.

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Pavie at BOA

Restaurant: BOA Steakhouse [1, 2]

Location: 9200 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 278-2050

Date: February 13, 2019

Cuisine: Steakhouse

Rating: Okay food, no wine service

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Certain parties like to put dinner at BOA for a number of reasons: distance (or lack-there-of), it’s half willingness to do no corkage (but NO wine service, including stems), and it’s classic steakhouse cuisine. I’m not a particular fan as it’s just meh in about all ways — except it’s pretty easy to get to.

This di...

All Day at 888

Restaurant: 海珍大酒樓 888 seafood restaurant [1, 2, 3]

Location: 8450 Valley Blvd, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 573-1888

Date: February 12, 2023

Cuisine: Cantonese Dimsum & Banquet

Rating: good not great, but awesome room and a lot of fun

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As has become a bit of a tradition, Superbowl Sunday hedonist style is an all day affair at 888 Seafood. Not one but two meals!

The frontage.

Nothing like hanging out in the hall with the hanging meat!

Jeffrey’s sauce bar.

We have been in this giant private room...

DimSumQuest – Lunasia

Restaurant: Lunasia [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 500 West Main Street Suite A, Alhambra, CA 91801. (626) 308-3222

Date: February 23, 2023

Cuisine: Cantonese Dim Sum

Rating: Excellent

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The DimSumQuest group continues to scour San Gabriel Valley dim sum restaurants. I’ve actually been to Lunasia many times before, but this is my first trip here for dim sum in a long time, so I figured that instead of updating the old post (it’s almost a decade old) I’d do an entirely new report.

Pretty menu.

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Rhone & the Goat

Restaurant: Girl & the Goat [1, 2]

Location: 555-3 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90013. (213) 799-4628

Date: February 8, 2023

Cuisine: Modern American

Rating: Very tasty, some service “issues” with large parties (no private space)

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This is my second time here.  Food is really good, but generally when Yarom returns he opens a bunch of SQN — blech.  However, tonight as a top flight Rhone dinner, which is perfect with goat and more my style.



They are located in a fairly cute offshoot area of downto...