Splurge on Luxury Sushi at "Asanebo" in Studio City

I was craving Sushi and since I was in the Valley I decided to google Sushi in Studio City. Asanebo was the first name that appeared. The first thing I did was scroll down to see how many stars the restuarant had.
I read one Yelp review and someone said it was "Rilly Rilly good". For someone to deliberately misspell really, I thought to myself, It must be REALLY REALLY GOOD!
Let me say this first... Asanebo has two Michelin awards
and second... be prepapred to pay $$$$ (Top dolla, baht, Euro, dinero, yen)
As I have mentioned twice on previous blogs that Maru is my favorite sushi in all of California. Well Asanebo has pretty much taken over the reigns.
I don't know about how most people judge their sushi or sushi chefs but I am very critical before I casually eat at a sushi restaurant.
First, the sushi chef has to be Japanese. Second, if I am sitting at the sushi bar and if the sashimi is sloppy or too thick, I won't order from the bar. There is nothing more annoying than chewing a large portion of raw fish. The sashimi must be delicate and the sushi chef must take pride in their food.
Okay... back to my review ( I went on a rant there for a while :0) )

I called to make a reservation and they were completely booked but the sushi bar was open. When I sat down, I sat next to a guy that frequents the restaurant every Friday. He was able to make a few suggestions before paying his bill. He said everything is good and he spends 1/3 of his paycheck here at the restaurant. lol!
Before leaving he gave me a good tip, most of the dishes can be half orders which can save you a lot of money if you plan to try everything on the menu. In my case I can't help it.
If I am visiting a restaurant for the first time I do like to taste a lot of things so I know what to order for my next visit.
Unfortunately everything I tried (which was a lot) was exquisite. When I do return for my second visit I won't know what to settle for.
Asanebo has a lobster and black truffle sushi pairing that is so delicious that you plainly want to luxuriate in it.
I ordered a spinach salad with portabello mushrooms and I really didn't think much of it at first until I tasted the vinaigrette. (Lets just say I learned a little secret to my new dressings). I will no longer use olive oil.
I also tried the Sea bass with a creamy pink peppercorn sauce. I am now a new fan of Pink peppercorn. It explicitly heightens the flavors of any dish. It's almost like a light mint note.
They have also united kumoto oysters with caviar. How could that not be good?

I'm pretty sure by now you realize that this isn't your average sushi restaurant with Philadelphia Rolls, California Rolls or Spider Rolls.
The sushi at Asanebo is lavish, deluxe and rightfully splendid!

5 stars and two thumbs up!

Top Chef All Stars

I'm so excited about the season. Tonight I was able to watch tonights episode and noticed everyone bragged about who had the best season. Hands down Season 6 was the best. I was a little disappointed with season 7 after seeing all of the talent on season 6.
I am rooting for Tiffany, Carla and of course Fabio. Fabio is hilarious. He always makes me laugh because of his brutal honesty. However, the girls went really far and doubted themselves in the end. I hope they can prove their natural skills.
I can't wait to see what this season brings. (Hope they beat Jamie... didn't care for her attitude)
One of my biggest dreams is sit in Padma's seat and be a judge on the show

Hatfield's

My friend Chef Ryan recommended this place several months ago but I wasn't able to fit the visit into my schedule until recently. I also saw the owners of Hatfield's on television last week which really compelled me to check out their establishment.
First and foremost the restaurant itself is simple and beautiful. Its not too small and not too large. The decor is really nice, simple and comfortable. There isn't a bad seat in the house. I love restaurants where you can see into the kitchen and watch everyone cook.
We ordered from the appetizer menu and I really enjoyed the croque madame (yellow tail sashimi, prosciutto, sunny side up quail egg on grilled brioche. The brioche was the most perfect brioche I have had. It was crispy but melted in your mouth. I hope that they keep this on their menu.
For dinner I decided to order from their prix fix menu so that I could enjoy multiple dishes instead of one.
Unfortunately I didn't write down all of the dishes. When I looked on their website I realized that the menu has already changed.

My first course was crab wrapped in a crepe. It was really savory but needed a touch of acid. They paired it with beets (not a personal favorite food of mine) but it seemed to work for the most part.
My next course I wasn't a fan of. I decided to be adventurous and try Skate Wing for the first time. I decided to google it and it looks like its apart of the Sting Ray family. Unfortunately it wasn't done right. I'm uncertain on how they prepared it but it tasted like it was boiled in water. It was overdone and mushy. It lacked texture, acid and flavor. They did however pair it with fried oysters but it didn't work for me. There was too much going on. I noticed it wasn't on the menu tonight. I'm hoping the next time I try Skate Wing that it will be prepared differently.
However, I enjoyed the short ribs. The short ribs were spoon tender and packed a lot of flavor in the entire dish. The potatoes were silky smooth and creamy.
For dessert they had a chocolate and peanut butter crunch. Awww so delicious.

A must try: Passion Fruit Pisco sour with egg white cocktail

Overall I had a great experience my waiter David was awesome. He made a lot of fantastic suggestions for wines and cocktails. He also suggested my appetizer, dessert and main entree. Thumbs up to the David who made my overall experience enjoyable.

What to do with all of your left overs

Turkey you can.....

Make turkey and cranberry sandwiches with Dijon mustard and romaine lettuce. Choose a nice artisan bread such as ciabatta, rosemary herbed french roll or an onion roll.

Make Turkey soup. Just add chicken stock, carrots, sweet white corn, broccoli, dry basil, peas and a little butter. Garnish with cotija cheese and Italian Parsley

Make Split Pea Soup if you had Ham for Thanksgiving.

Make a Turkey Panini with Fresh Basil, red onion and brie cheese

Make Turkey pot pies

Don't let food go to waste!

Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving! I sure did. I visited my family in Minnesota and had one of the best Thanksgivings in years. All the food turned out perfect. I even received more Holiday praises on my youtube site for my Holiday Ham. If you are looking for an alternative for Christmas check out my Holiday Ham.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wNOk-Tgx2k

Flat Matea Goes to the Filling Station- Culver City

Since 2008 I have been loving Culver City. Culver City was once a quaint little town that my cousin and I would walk 5 miles to go see a movie. We loved going to the theatre in Culver City because it was quiet and we didn't have to come home as early. We loved walking for miles and talking and having fun. I could honestly say that Culver City was one of those places that brings back special childhood memories.
Yesterday I didn't want to eat near my home and was looking for something different. I kept saying, "I want to eat at a Gastropub". Yes, it the new "thing" here in Los Angeles and yes its "food trendy" but I am happy that Los Angeles is finally getting on the bandwagon. Don't get me wrong I love my food trucks and hole in the walls but going to the Filling Station has the make and feel of a gourmet pub (I guess essentially that's what it is for all of us chic ladies).
HMMMMM HMMM HMMMMMMM.
We ordered the breakfast flat bread that had smoked apple bacon, over easy egg, tomato and argula salad on top. Look at the picture it's fantastic! How could Matea and I pass on such a delicious meal. We also ordered the Hanger Steak and Eggs with Herbed butter. The steak was juicy and flavorful. The salted crust was music to my ears. The Argula salad tossed with lemon juice gave the savory meal its balance. Not to mention the home potatoes that were simply seasoned with salt, pepper and butter. The potatoes reminded me of something my mom would make.
I was also a little curious as to why someone would have deviled eggs on the menu, so I ordered that too. It was tasty but a little dry. I think I will skip the eggs next time. To finish off a great meal we ordered fruit with ricotta cheese and honey. It was slices of heaven in my mouth. Never knew Ricotta cheese and honey mixed well.
Opps I am sorry, I didn't tell you who Matea is....
I'm sure you're probably wondering why I am taking a picture with "Flat Matea". If you're not familiar with the story "Flat Stanley", "Flat Matea" is on vacation here in California and I have been her chosen to be her chaperon. Yesterday we had a fun packed day. We went to Magic Mountain, the Filling Station and the Santa Monica Pier. For the next few weeks you will see more and more pics of "Flat Matea" and I eat our way through each town in Los Angeles.

Bird Pick- Tea & Herb

As some of you know I love tea and visiting tea houses. For the past few weeks I have been on a "tea kick". Tea is my coffee when I wake up in the morning.
Tea is a great source of caffeine and is good for detoxing.

Bird Pick- has many different teas you can choose from. Perusing around the store was fun. I was able to see all kinds of teas that I have never seen before such Chrysanthemum, milk teas, lavender and Pu-erh teas in their natural form.
One of my friends purchased a Pur-erh tea from Bird Pick and I have been addicted. Since I can't work out at the present time this tea has kept me energized throughout the day.

Bird Pick has every type of tea you can imagine. It's a Tea Lovers Heaven. However, you will pay a pretty penny for this great find. 1/4lb bag of Pur-erh will set you back $30. Not sure how many cups I will get out of it but I do not plan to waste one leaf.
Bird Pick has several locations. The one I visited is in the new Santa Monica Mall.

Tea Lovers you will ADORE this place.

Wine Cheese and Cracker Night- Wine of the Month

Peju Winery is one of my favorite wineries in Napa Valley. The last time I went wine tasting I was able to pick up a bottle of their 2006 Zinfandel.
The Zinfandel was very peppery but not as bold as a lot American wines you get in Napa. It's straight to the point and goes down smoothly. What I like most about Peju's wine is that I am never disappointed.
I went to Wholefoods last night and picked out a local Salami mixed with wine, an Italian dry salami (piccante), an aged (gouda) "houda" cheese and a truffle tremor cheese. The truffle tremor cheese had a double layer of brie and goat cheese. It was absolutely beautiful!
My favorite crackers are made by LA Panzanella. What I like most about their crackers is that it doesn't take away the flavors of the cheese or meats you are eating. Its light and crispy and not too doughy. You can find these crackers in your local Wholefoods or Oakville Grocer in Napa Valley.

Roasted Halibut w/Dijon Mustard Creme Sauce

Looking for a dish less than 30 minutes to make and delicious?
This recipe is for you :-) I give it 4.5 Stars. I substituted the red snapper for halibut. Since I am not a lover of capers I added a little lemon instead.
I followed the instructions to the T and it came out perfectly flaky.
Thank you Ina Garten!!


4 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces creme fraiche
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons drained capers
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

Crumbs Bake Shop

A friend of mine suggested I try Crumbs. Since it was my girl friends birthday I decided to buy an assortment of different flavors. To be honest I was really excited about trying Crumbs because they have locations in Los Angeles as well as NYC.
To say the least, I am still a Sprinkles fan and no other cupcake compares. Crumbs is very dry and the cup cakes are huge. Their frosting are elaborate and definitely makes your mouth water when reading the descriptions.
I tasted
Crumbs classic red velvet, cookies n cream, dulce de leche, baba booey and chocolate strawberry.
I wasn't happy at all. The cupcake itself as mentioned before were dry and lacked flavor. I felt like I was eating a grocery store cupcake that you bring to a Halloween office party. I wasn't impressed with the frosting flavors. I prefer to buy store bought frosting (Betty Crocker) and add my own cookies :-)
Unfortunately $36 dollars wasted.

agave nectar- natural sweetener

A friend of mine recently introduced me to agave nectar which I have been using in my teas. I have been reading in recent articles that its healthier and a lot of vegans will substitute it for honey.
In my honest opinion a little goes a long way and if you have a sweet tooth what better way to reduce your sugar intake and reduce calories.

100,000 view on Taco Video

Today we are celebrating a milestone in Jasmine's Kitchen. Yesterday we hit 100,000 views on our taco video! Thanks everyone for their support....


cut and paste the video to your browser


http://www.youtube.com/user/jasmae44?feature=mhum#p/a/u/2/KvnhUm4hkWU

Real Cajun- Donald Links

Donald Links Cookbook- Real Cajun is a must buy! Just made his pork pot roast. DELICIOUS!!!

Katana's Hollywood- The Ultimate Japanese comfort food

Last week was my girlfriends Annie Bday and what better place to celebrate your birthday in Hollywood. Its right across the street from my favorite Hotel, The Mondrian and the Sky Bar.
Our party sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the beautiful evening weather. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me but I did happen to have my cellphone which caught the highlights of the evening.
I have never been disappointed at Katana's. The food is solid and yummy. I have tried pretty much everything on the menu. Here are some of my favorite dishes just so you can have an idea what to order when you go ;-)
~Kobe Beef Tataki with Garlic Ponzu Sauce
~Miso with Clams
~Tuna Carpaccio with wasabi soy truffle oil
~Lamb chop marinated in soy garlic

You never have to worry about this place having a lack of seasoning.

New Orleans and whats new in Jasmine's Kitchen

Hi Everyone! Its been a while. I apologize that I haven't blogged pretty much most of the summer. A lot has happened since then. In July I got really sick and it lingered for more than 2 months. During my recovery I started a new job and needed to get situated. As soon as I was back on my feet I was in a car accident that has had me on bed rest. Go Figure I had a stroke of bad luck!!

I hope you all enjoy the slide show. I was lucky to had scored tickets to the opening game of the NFL season in New Orleans. As you can tell I enjoyed a lot of good food. I also came home with a Slamming recipe on BBQ Shrimp and its to die for. If you're interested in the recipe you can always email me at jasmineskitchen@gmail.com



xoxoxo
Jasmine