“Are you bringing the cream puffs?,” Cliff asked hopefully. Then drolly, “Don’t bother coming if you’re not.”

So prized are the cream puffs of Patisserie Chantilly that I believe my dinner party stock value has tripled because of them. (But I want you to love me for who I am!) 

——-
Open the door to the chic bakery and ZAP! You’ve stepped over the threshold to Shinjuku or Ginza. Suddenly, everything FEELS different.

You walk up to the case and peer inside. Jeweled edibles present themselves and you wonder whether it would be too embarrassing to order one of everything. But, being in the know, you know there is only one thing to order: The Cream Puff.

In the past few years, Los Angeles has been living through something of a cream puff boom, spearheaded by the arrival (invasion?) of Beard Papa, the Japanese chain.  Beard Papa is the Toyota Corolla of the cream puff world–high volume, flabbily non-descript and perfectly fine for those with low thresholds for gastronomic satisfaction.  

Sometimes, however, the grass IS greener on the other side of the fence. In this case, the greener side is in Lomita and takes the form of a taut, disciplined confection handcrafted by Keiko Nojima, the reigning master of the Los Angeles cream puff. 

There are three forms that temptation can take–vanilla custard, black sesame and the newest–chocolate. Black sesame is the most original flavor with kinako sweet soybean powder sprinkled on top and honey swirled into the black sesame cream. It is simultaneously earthy and transcendent. Custard, their bestseller, is refined, adult and completely addictive. Comparing it to the Beard Papa version is like putting an elegant geisha next to a gum-chewing bar girl. No comparison. Chocolate is high quality and a welcome addition to the trio. But somehow not as original as black sesame or as satisfying as the traditional custard. 

No matter what, these are glorious things and your dinner parties will never be the same. 

Patisserie Chantilly
2383 Lomita Blvd
#10
Lomita, CA 90717
(310) 257-9454
www.patisseriechantilly.com

Hey everyone - I was just at Leda’s Bake Shop (Sherman Oaks) on Friday and found out that Ledette is planning to close down and re-think her bakery. She mentioned re-opening in the New Year and *no more cupcakes*!!! (too labor intensive)

SO - the very last day you can walk in and get a Leda’s Bake Shop cupcake will be

Saturday Oct 18th.

NB - they recently changed their hours of business:

After observing recent business trends, baker Ledette is devoting Tues, Wed and Thursdays to catering and pre-orders. You’ll need to place your order the day before and there is a 24 cupcake minimum per flavor, but no minimums on their outstanding cookies, macaroons and delectable scones.

On Fridays and Saturdays, Leda’s Bake Shop is open for that spontaneous mini-cupcake craving, 10.30am ’till 6pm.
13722 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, just W of Woodman,
(818) 386-9644
Go to their website for a full range of their flavors:

Leda’s Bake Shop

Go here for my previous report.

A friend and I arrived before the rest of our party. Seating is a bit scarce at sugarFISH. Even though there were a few tables available (mostly for two), the staff asked if they could seat us after the rest of our party arrives. (Note: they asked if we would mind waiting, not tell us we had to wait.)

I had had a very long, difficult day prior to meeting up at the restaurant. I asked if we could just sit at the bar first, which wasn’t a problem. The bar is not a sushi bar. No one makes sushi here in front of you. All the sashimi and sushi are sliced and arranged in the kitchen. As soon as I sat down, I ordered some sake. First up was tomaju, a sweet sake ($39). I wasn’t sure if I should get this one, but one of the patrons who was sitting next to me was quick to recommend it. He and the other 2 people with him each had a bottle. It really was extremely lovely and the perfect remedy to my bad day. As I snacked on the complimentary edamame and whined about my day to my friend, the server came by several times to refill my glass to make sure it was never less than half full. Before our bottle was finished, the rest of our friends arrived, and we moved to a table.

We all quickly decided on Trust Me Two. You don’t all have to order the same set, but it just so happened that we all wanted the same thing. Shortly after we placed our order, a plate of tuna sashimi arrived at our table. I remember when I went to Sushi Nozawa, that’s how my meal started, too. I truly enjoyed the tuna sashimi there, and I enjoyed it at sugarFISH just as much. It had that melt in your mouth feeling.

Next up was another bottle of sake ($18). Unlike the tomaju, this one isn’t sweet, but it was still pleasant. As for sushi, the albacore and salmon sushi came next. These are your standard sushi, but they taste much better. I think it’s the combination of quality fish and wasabi. I didn’t need to mix any soy sauce with the fresh wasabi at sugarFISH . The sushi was great with just the wasabi alone. One of my friends ordered an additional item, yellowtail, which arrived at this time. After that, next up were the crab and toro cut rolls. It is really hard to say which one of these were better. The toro was so rich and also had the melt in your mouth texture. Even though I was already fairly full at this point, I wished that I had more. The blue crab tasted fresh, but that’s not what appealed to me the most about this cut roll. The texture was fairly coarse, as crab rolls typically are, but there was a contradictory fineness to it as well, which caught me off guard.

The last plate of our set was the Nozawa shrimp and halibut sushi. The shrimp is way better than typical shrimp sushi. I really think that most sushi restaurants use frozen shrimp for this, but I doubt that’s the case at sugarFISH . There was a slight sweetness to the shrimp, something I usually only find with fresh shrimp. The toasted sesame seeds on top added a nice flavor to this one, too. Also a minor note: I like the fact that the tail shell was removed. It’s not a big deal that other places leave it on, but I always wonder what’s the point in leaving that bit of shell on? (If anyone has a theory to this, feel free to let me know by leaving a comment.) The halibut was very good, but I can’t say it was my favorite item out of the evening. It was a light sushi, so it was probably meant as a way to conclude the meal.

I don’t know if sugarFISH offers any type of dessert, but the staff was great to allow us to bring our own in. As we were celebrating a birthday, we brought in a fruit pie from Susina’s Bakery. The amiable staff at sugarFISH stored the dessert for us and brought it out as we all bellowed the “Happy Birthday” song at the top of our lungs. Then they took it back to the kitchen and sliced it for us and brought plates and forks for us. I can’t imagine us getting away with this type of stuff at Sushi Nozawa.

Miscellaneous:

Again, I reiterate that tax and tip is already included in your bill. I would have loved to leave an additional tip to the staff for their outstanding service.

sugarFISH is located in a plaza, the same one as Ralphs, Pinkberry, CPK, White House Black Market, etc., so there is tons of parking.

sugarFISH
4722 1/4 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Phone: (310) 306-6300

Mon - Sat: 11:30am - 10pm
Sun: 12pm - 9pm

Step inside this restored 1928 Spanish mission-style cottage, located on Riverside in Toluca Lake, and you might think you’ve been transported to somewhere in the exotic Spanish or Latin American countryside. D’Caché is a lively restaurant where they serve modern Latin-fusion cuisine, tapas and fine wines and great drinks. Try a fresh Columbian mojito made from Aguardiente and fresh mint or raspberry, melon and strawberry mojitos and margaritas.

The converted house has medium-sized dining rooms and secluded patios with comfy sofas to lounge on underneath white draperies. The back patio also has a pretty fountain. Out there, the two-seater tables are made from huge, polished discs of wood, hand-hewn from a large tree they had to lop down in the backyard. These beautiful tables are remarkable!

D’Caché also has a smoking patio and inside there is a small private room with a ‘U’ shaped couch and a TV. Perfect for a laid-back board meeting.

Before I get to the outstanding cuisine, one feature of the experience is the Rumba Gipsy and world music performances every night. The live entertainment starts at 7pm and goes until 9.30pm or so, Tuesday ’till Saturday evenings.

I went on a Wednesday evening and the musicians were incredible. Bandidos de Amor, a talented trio of flamenco-style guitarists and singers, sounded a lot like the Gipsy Kings and played plenty of boisterous music of that flavor.

So, to start with drinks, any Spanish restaurant worth their salt had better offer sangria. At D’Caché they concoct an exotic blend of three wines with gin and perfume it with cinnamon and brandy infused apples. Also their wine list is fairly extensive and features wine from Chile, Argentina and Spain as well as domestic varieties, all priced at around $8-9 per glass, bottles also available.

We started with the soupe du jour – wild mushroom soup ($9). This was unctuous and incredibly rich and delicious; a caramelized-sweet, smooth soup that was fragrant with truffle oil. Just fantastic!

With only twelve appetizers and eight entree dishes on the menu, you can tell the kitchen does it all well. We started with a serving of three large empanadas ($12) filled with slow-cooked shredded pork and dressed with a confetti of mango salsa. Lovely! Other appetizers to snack on include tapas such as Patacones con Cerviche – shrimp cocktail over fried plantains – or a variety of pizette.

Main courses include Spanish classics such as a smoky and seafood-packed Paella ($32) and Pollo Catalan. They also offer seared blue fin tuna with a cilantro crust and a warm salad of asparagus and greens.

Brazilian-style Lamb chops, crusted with pistachio pesto ($42), were perfectly cooked. The basil and truffle oils almost gild the lily, but the red wine reduction cuts through the rich sauce like Zorro!

Everything was very rich, so order wisely, but like a siren’s song, the best flavors of all Latin cultures at D’Caché will call you to return again and again.

Valet and street parking available.

D’Caché Restaurant, 10717 Riverside, Toluca Lake, between Lankershim and Cahuenga.
(818) 506 9600.
Open 5pm ’till midnight, Tues - Sat.
Sunday and Monday – only open for special events.

First of all, we were initially disappointed because their famous orange cheesecake was out. The staff did recommend the Oreo cheesecake as an alternative. They said they make it exactly the same way, just with a different filling and crust. The cheesecake was delightful. We were all impressed with how it has the same rich flavor as other cheesecakes but without the heaviness. I’m usually not a fan of an Oreo crust because I find it to be too dry for my taste, but the crust of this cheesecake was just right. We also really enjoyed the raspberry chocolate cake. We were pleasantly surprised to find actual raspberries in the cake, not raspberry filling. The raspberries were fresh and not drowned in sickening sweet syrup. This was one of the best cakes I’ve had in a while. Our last selection was the apple tart. I’ve eaten a lot of apple tarts, and the trend seems to be making apple slices as thin as possible and layering them. Susina’s apple tart, however, was topped with a generous amount of thick slices. Each bite is filled with a very strong apple presence. As we were leaving, I decided to buy something to go to give to my mother. I picked a blueberry custard tart and some Italian cookies. My mother started off intending to have just a bite, just to taste. She finished the whole thing in one sitting. She did offer me a taste, and just like the three desserts my friends and I shared, this one was absolutely wonderful. The blueberries were fresh, the custard was creamy, and the crust was crispy but not dry. The cookies were also a nice little treat. The cakes and tarts were approximately $5, while the cookies were $20 per pound. (I spent about $2 on a handful of the bite-size cookies.) We all felt that Susina’s price is very reasonable for a taste of heaven.

You can purchase whole cakes and pies and even place orders in advance. Susina is more than just sweets and pastries though. I haven’t had anything other than beverages and desserts here, but Susina also offers soups, salads, sandwiches, quiches, and lasagnas. The staff is incredibly friendly and amiable. There is parking available in the parking lot behind the building, but be careful of where you park. Not all the spaces are for Susina, and the spaces are stacked, so you may be blocked in (or be blocking someone else in).

Susina Bakery & Cafe
7122 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 934-7900
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-11pm, Sat-Sun 8am-11pm

If you’ve lived in Southern California anytime in the 80’s, chances are, you tried a dish of  Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt.  This chain was the king of yogurt during that decade.  There seemed to, literally, be one on every corner. 

What you may not have known, (I didn’t) was that Dannonactually created the first frozen yogurt back in the 70’s.  It was frozen yogurt on a stick, called “Danny”.  To bad for Dannon, the idea of frozen yogurt as a dessert, didn’t take off until years later.  After the rise of the ubiquitous frozen yogurt shop, there was a period in the late nineties and into the new millennium, where the desserts’ popularity took a real nose dive.  Then, in 2005, along  came a little thing called Pinkberry…(is this where the Heavens part and the angels sing?  For some, I suppose this is true.)  It was a simple concept that really took off.   Fast forward to 3 years later and there seems to be, once again, a yogurt shop on every corner. 

But what sets these yogurt shops apart?  Does Pinkberry still reign supreme?  Of course, as with all food,  is there really such a thing as an objective opinion?  That’s a debate for another day.  In the mean time I set out to check out some of the Valley yogurt shops and get the “scoop” on “fro-yo.”

You really can’t do a frozen yogurt review without including Pinkberry, the chain that got this craze going again. 

Their shops definitely get top marks for first impressions.  From the large yellow banquet, to the colorful chairs and outside tables with adjustable heights, this chain hits the mark on design.  As for the yogurt, they offer three flavors, the original plain, coffee and green tea. 

The original flavor, I have to admit, is really delicious, but between you and me, PureNaked in Encino, tops it in my opinion (more on them in a moment.) The coffee flavor is also quite tart, and yummy as well.  Then there’s the green tee.  Let’s just say, for me, it’s an acquired taste.  They have a nice selection of toppings and their fresh fruit choices were top shelf.

Find the Pinkberry nearest you…

Then there is PureNaked Yogurt,  which opened up about a year ago. 

The original name of the shop was to be BareNaked, and you know, maybe they should have stuck with that name since it seems to really fit the bill.  The space itself has a very bare feel, as though no thought was put into the decor.  And then there are the yogurt choices, no wait, the yogurt choice, there is only one, plain, a la Pinkberry.  The good news?  The yogurt was delicious. 

It was tart, refreshing with bright tangy flavors. 

17499 Ventura Blvd.  Encino, 91316.  818-461-0346.

Yum Yum Yogurt has a very different feel then some of the newer yogurt shops.

I was reminded of a mom and pop burger shack, complete with wood paneled walls.  Along with eight different yogurt offerings, including the ubiquitous plain, they also had about 20 different kinds of toppings.

If yogurt doesn’t strike your fancy, they also have a full menu of salads, sandwiches, burgers and dogs.  I found the yogurt to be quite good.

16545 Ventura Blvd.  Encino, 91316.  818-783-5931

When you enter Hollyberry (Formerly Snowberry) it’s like walking into a little jewel box.

Peach and green walls, blown glass light fixtures and chrome chairs give it a “ladies who lunch” kind of sensibility.  Their menu consists of four regular flavors: plain, peach, vanilla and pomegranate, along with a small selection of gelatoes.  The plain yogurt was very good, but oddly, the peach tasted almost exactly like the plain.  Oh yeah, and toppings, here you get about 20 to choose from.

14425 Ventura Blvd.  Sherman Oaks, 91423.  818-817-2350

I felt like I stepped into a full fledged ice cream shop upon entering Humphrey’s. 

My first impression was how friendly the service was.  It’s the kind of place you’d take your kids on a hot summer day.  Along with ice cream, frozen dipped bananas, a full sandwich and salad menu, they carry three frozen yogurt flavors:  tart vanilla, sweet vanilla and chocolate.  I tried a combo of the vanillas and couldn’t really tell the difference between the two.  While the yogurt was okay, it was certainly not stellar.  They get huge points for their toppings which include real chocolate chip cookie dough bits.
4574 Van Nuys Blvd.  Sherman Oaks, 91403.  818-906-2490.

Limelite felt a bit different the the other shops. 

There was house music playing, a big graphic print on the main wall, colorful resin chairs and a large green leather couch to kick back on.  The yogurt, on the other hand, was pretty standard.  Three choices:  plain, mango and chocolate along with a selection of about 30 toppings.
15030 Ventura Blvd.  Sherman Oaks 91403.  818-728-8358

If you feel like you’ve stepped back into the 80’s, you might be at Studio Yogurt. 

Of all the shops I visited, this one felt the most like an old Penguins.  Not so much in the decor but in the yogurt flavors and topping choices.  On the day I visited there wasn’t a plain/tart yogurt in sight.  Instead there was a selection of 10 flavors including Irish Cream, Cake Batter and Cheesecake.  There are fat free/sugar free option, and for those less calorie conscious, there’s ice cream too. 
12050 Ventura Blvd.  Studio City, 91604.  818-508-7811

Menchies sets itself apart by being 100% self service, which is just fun, I don’t care if you are seven or 70. 

There are four machines, each with two flavor choices.  And you get the option to swirl the two flavors together, fancy!  There are more than 40 toppings and for $1 they’ll hook you up with a waffle cone bowl.  Since it’s self service, they charge you by the ounce, 39 cents to be exact, including toppings.

I thought the topping quality was a bit better than the yogurt, but at the end of the day the yogurt and the experience were both pretty darn good.

4849 Laurel Cyn. Blvd.  Valley Village, 91607.  818-985-9150

If you are a “fro-yo” aficionado, and you know who you are, then you’ll find that perfect spot and stand by it ’till the end.  But for the rest of us who just want a cool spot to sit and enjoy a frozen yogurt on a hot summer day, we’ve got it made.  With a shop on every corner you are sure to find one serving up something that will satisfy your yogurt craving.

The only caveat is that if you plan to separate your pickings into different bags, make sure to use different buckets in the first place. The lady who weighed and tallied up our costs was cranky and gave someone in our party a hard time because she wanted her cherries split into two bags and even offered to pay for the cost of the second bag.

Also, make sure to pack sun block and a hat. While the orchard was shady, there were still some patches of sun and it was at least 95 degrees outside.

Red Mango differs from the other popular frozen yogurt places in one very important fact. It really is frozen yogurt. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration doesn’t appear to really have a definition for frozen yogurt, so the National Yogurt Association stepped in and developed its own Live & Active Cultures seal. The live and active cultures are what converts pasteurized milk to yogurt, and they are the source of the benefits to eating yogurt. For a frozen yogurt manufacturer to get the seal, there must be at least 10 million cultures per gram at the time the frozen yogurt is made. For a while, Red Mango was the only one of the popular chains that had the seal. It seems Pinkberry may have changed its recipe because about 2 months ago, it was also awarded the seal.

So why do I prefer Red Mango over Pinkberry? They offer similar toppings, such as mango, strawberry, coconut, granola, and various cereal. The difference is definitely in the frozen yogurt itself. Red Mango’s frozen yogurt is a little tarter than Pinkberry’s. It is also much creamier. In fact, it was creaminess of Red Mango’s frozen yogurt that actually made me a fan. While I enjoyed the strawberries, mangoes, and honey with my original flavored frozen yogurt, I think I could have eaten it without any toppings because the texture was close to ice cream. Pinkberry, on the other hand, makes frozen yogurt that is slightly gritty. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I much prefer the creamy texture. I am a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I will go ahead an confess that I like Red Mango so much that I actually joined its fanpage on facebook. In all fairness, I haven’t been to Pinkberry since their recipe changed, so I’m just making a comparison to my past experiences there. I hear from a couple friends that they don’t taste a difference between the old and new Pinkberry recipes. In fact, they weren’t even aware that Pinkberry has now been awarded with the National Yogurt Association seal. If any readers can taste a difference, please leave a comment about your thoughts on the current recipe. Of course, Red Mango fans are encouraged to comment.

Red Mango
Locations can be found on their website

Electric Karma
8222 1/2 W Third St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Phone: (323) 653-2121

Speaking of Karma … I am writing a new blog called KarmalizedLife. Feel free to check it out!
With gratitude for great Indian food - FoodFlirt90210

In a rather savvy cross-promotion (actually, a no-brainer, when you think about it…) the delightful ice-cream parlor and café on Beverly, Milk, teamed up with the Got Milk? people (namely, the Cali Milk Processor Board) to host an open house last night.

I spotted a handful of fellow bloggers, including the gorgeous Kristy of Best of LA and met Javier the teenage glutster who is going to have to change his blog name any day now, once he ‘comes of age’ - lol

I met the gal who writes Mikey Hates Everything and she even came with two - uh - robot dudes in biz suits…

I also got to catch up with the dashing and daring Eddie Lin of Deep End Dining fame.

A few people asked after you, Jonah, but the words ‘new baby’ and ‘Westside’ seemed to explain your absence (!)

Over the past year, Bret Thompson (former Corporate Executive Chef of the Patina Restaurant Group, Michelin trained, and now owner and executive chef of Milk,) has been tantalising the palates of Angelinos with his delectable treats at Milk. Through this unique partnership with the Got Milk? campaigners, Thompson has adapted and now shares the secret recipes to some of Milk’s most divine sweet desserts – from the ever-so-popular Milky Way Melt (which I did not sample) to the pan-Latin-inspired Berry Tres Leches, which was out of this world!

Bret’s recipes can now be found on their really cool little site.

Other yummy desserts that were being passed around were:
mini ice-cream cones with a fantastic banana & dulce de leche filling and dipped in crisp caramel;
a petite meringue ice cream sandwich;
malted milk shake with teeny choc-covered malted balls within;
a feather-light cornbread cake with raspberry filling and kernels of corn that was truly sensational
also an elegant plastic goblet of a creamy, dreamy and lightly spiced pumpkin squash soup with smoky toasted pepitas on top;
and of course the Berry Tres Leches, which has to be hands down the best version of this classic Mexican dessert I’ve ever tried.

The cake is infused with berries until it is purple-blue and then layered with white cake. The custard parts are not too sickly sweet at all (as is sometimes the case) - it’s simply perfect. Topped with fresh berries and you have a winner. I got to chat with Bret about his Berry Tres Leches dessert, by the way. He explained that it was tough to perfect the genoise or French-style sponge cake part of this delectable dessert so that it doesn’t collapse under the weight of all the three milky ingredients, namely evaporated, condensed and fresh milk.

I also talked to Steve James, the head honcho of the (actually two-person) Got Milk? team and learned how the Got Milk? campaign was created, about fifteen years ago. Legend has it that apparently some creative minds from the advertising firm Goodby, Silverstein and Partners – who they’ve been with ever since – were waiting outside the conference room door, ready to make their pitch. They’d surreptitiously filmed people in their own office reacting, with varying degrees of frustration and anger, to deliberately minuscule amounts of milk left in almost empty containers. They had the campaign and strategy all worked out but no punchy, hooky catch phrase. The team were brainstorming right outside the door, saying, ‘But we need something really simple, like, I dunno, ‘Got Milk?’

Such goes the legend of one of the most enduring food-related ad campaigns you can name.

It was a really fun event.

TIP:

Feast on superb Italian fare at Angelini Osteria across the road, then walk to Milk for dessert.

Milk
7290 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 939-6455