LA Times Food Bowl

LA Times 2nd Annual Food Bowl has begun. Guys, this is not a drill. It is really here!

On April 28th, Los Angeles Times Food Bowl kicked off its month-long celebration of food with a star-studded celebration in downtown Los Angeles.

The night begins with an all-star lineup of selected chefs serving Things in a Bowl. Guests were greeted warmly with bowls of delicious food and hospitality from chef Steve Samson; Shibumi, the downtown L.A. izakaya; Night + Market, Kris Yenbamroong's Thai restaurant; Chengdu Taste, which features spicy, complex Sichuan cuisine; fried chicken from Honey's Kettle; Antonia Lofaso from Scopa Italian Roots.

Some of the big winners that night are Carlos Salgado, who received the Restaurant of the Year award for his restaurant, Taco Maria. Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken received the Gold award for their restaurant, Border Grill.

See more of the photos from that night below.

https://jenniferjohnsonphotography91.pixieset.com/latimesfoodbowl-1/

Photo Credit: Jennifer Johnson

Los Angeles Times Food Bowl is an annual, monthlong festival celebrating the city’s dynamic food scene. Spanning the entire month of May, Food Bowl features many of the chefs and restaurants that have helped put Los Angeles on the map as a premier dining destination alongside world-renowned chefs in rare local appearances at hundreds of extraordinary events. The festival also supports food access, sustainability and waste reduction through charity partners and participating events. Los Angeles Times Food Bowl 2018 charitable partners are L.A. Kitchen, Food Forward and Midnight Mission. Citi® is the festival’s founding partner and sponsors include Nissan, Maker’s Mark, Hornitos and the Italian National Tourist Board.
For more information, please visit lafoodbowl.com and connect on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ LAfoodbowl (#LAfoodbowl #31DaysOfFood).

Sapporo Ramen & Noodle Bar

Sapporo Ramen & Noodle Bar

317 Mac Ave
East Lansing, MI 48823
517-580-4251

About the restaurant:

Located in the heart of downtown East Lansing and across from Michigan State University campus. This newly opened ramen joint is becoming the hottest joint in town.

I recently had the privilege of dining at this new ramen restaurant with a few of my friends. All of us are fans of Japanese ramen and we've been to Japan, Chicago, and New York City eating ramen so expectation was high.

Atmosphere and Service:  

Space was small and cozy. The decor was appealing to the eyes and feels homey. I felt "at home". The service was great - we were served quickly and the guys on the other side of the bar were fun to watch! I love that the kitchen area is open for the customers to see behind the scene of how their food is being prepare.

Review:

Compared to several places I've had in Chicago and New York, each broths was great in flavor The presentations of the bowls were beautiful. I love to eat with my eyes first, so I appreciate the effort in that. The noodles was cooked well. Pork was delicious, I'd would come back just to eat a bowl of the pork only. Overall, I recommend eating at the restaurant for some good ramen. I can tell the chefs did their research and try to make it authentic as possible. Of course, there are room for improvement, but I believe they will continue to improve on their skills.

Orochon Brave Ramen:

Buttercorn Shoyu Ramen:

Tokyo Shoyu Ramen:

Hakata Modern Ramen:

See more photos below
 

Atrio Wine Bar & Restaurant - Conrad New York

Atrio Wine Bar & Restaurant - Conrad New York

102 North End Avenue, New York, NY 10282
Reservations (646) 769-4250
ATRIO.Restaurant@hilton.com

About the restaurant:

Located in the center of Conrad Hotel NYC bold 15-story lobby, ATRIO serves up Mediterranean-inspired cuisine from a dramatic open kitchen. The restaurant is run by Executive Chef Antonio Cardoso and his team. Visit today and see him and his prepares delicious dishes created with local, seasonal produce with a dash of passion.

Photo courtesy of Conrad Hotel

I had the honor of dining at one of New York City finest Mediterranean restaurant this week. The restaurant have such an elegant and sophisticated space for a romantic dinner or a business dinner if you want to close a deal with a big client.

Upon entering I was amaze by the beautiful natural light shining into the dining area. Atrio is designed with a modern feel and clean look. Perfect for anyone who loves that simple and classic dining atmosphere.

I started my mid-lunch with a simple drink. It was very refreshing and summer-y. Perfect way to start the dinner as the drink opens up my appetite.

Appetizer:

Fried Zucchini Squash Blossom (ricotta cheese, crispy summer vegetables, watermelon radishes, and green goddess dressing).

"The presentation of this dish was divine. When people say "you eat with your eyes first" this is the kind of dishes that they were talking about. Everything was seasoned well and all the flavors just worked so well together. It is a great dish to start."

Entree:

"Ashley Farms" Brick Oven Roasted Half Chicken (root vegetables, yellow polenta, crispy garlic gremolata).

This is a great dish if you are a fan of poultry. I actually quite enjoyed this dish. The chicken was cook nicely, it was very juicy and simple. Seasoning wasn't too overwhelming but left me wanting more. The side dishes were great. You can eat it together with the chicken or by itself.

Prosciutto Pizza (la quercia prociutto, arugula, roasted cipollini onions, truffle oil).

"This pizza was amazing. You can never go wrong with adding prosciutto to a pizza topping. The arugula was a great touch for some color and something healthy to balance out this pizza. The ratio of the ingredients were good. Truffle oil wasn't too overwhelming that I couldn't taste nothing else."

All in all the service of the restaurant is friendly. The atmosphere is elegant. The restaurant had a delightful ambiance. I suggest you get the full "Conrad" experience by booking a night at the hotel. Check out the Loopy Doopy Rooftop bar as they serve Contemporary craft cocktail with an amazing views s of the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor.

Hotel Chantelle

Hotel Chantelle

92 Ludlow Street

NY, NY 1000

(212) 254-9100

About the restaurant:

Named after a French World War II safe house, Hotel Chantelle is an eatery, parlor and occasion space situated in the always thriving south of Delancey segment of the Lower East Side.

Holed up behind a somewhat common veneer, the inside of Hotel Chantelle offers path to a 1940s Parisian-style bar, a housetop eatery and greenery enclosure with perspectives of the Williamsburg Bridge and an underground move sanctum that oozes no one important is watching vibe.

Lodging Chantelle's flexibility permits them to oblige a substantial mixture of occasions, including motion picture debut parties, philanthropy occasions, pop-up shops and corporate occasion parties.

Last week I had the honor of dining here, but don't be fooled by the name, as it is not a hotel but a restaurant! It was a great way to celebrate the end of NYFW, and to have a few drinks (we both needed it).

Upon entering the rooftop we were warmly greeted and seated to our table. I particularly loved the ambiance of the rooftop lounge. Here are the appetizers we started of with:

Appetizers:

Tuna Tartare Cigar (crisp wonton wrapper filled with raw sesame and soy marinated sushi grade tuna, wasabi dipping sauce).

"The presentation was perfect, it actually does looks like a cigar. The first bite into the cigar was everything. Hearing the crunch from the crisp wonton wrapper means it was perfectly cooked. I could taste the tuna with each bite; it was very flavorful. The wasabi dipping sauce was not needed, but it did help if you wanted some spice."

Jamón, Jamón (dried and cured thinly sliced Spanish ham, hung and served with tomato chili jam, smoked paprika dusted crisps).

"Okay, I do not even know where to begin with this presentation. I mean it looked so beautiful I almost didn't want to eat it, but just take photos and show it off. The Spanish ham was cured perfectly and it just melted into your mouth. Pairing the Spanish ham with the chili jam and the crisp added so many flavors; it just exploded in my mouth. I loved every bite."

Grilled Octopus (blistered tomato, capers, olives, diced crisp potatoes, pickled onions, parsley, grilled lemon vinaigrette).

"This grilled octopus was massive. I couldn't believe that this wasn't an entrée. The octopus was extremely succulent; it was grilled perfectly. How I knew it was grilled perfectly was the fact that it wasn't tough or chewy, but rather it melted in your mouth. The vegetables were a nice addition to the octopus as it added extra layers of texture, flavor, and acidity."

Tomato Watermelon Tower (sliced beefsteak tomatoes & rounds of seedless watermelon, crumbled feta, athena & balsamic vinaigrette).

"This salad is such a great summer dish; it is so fresh and colorful. The flavors go so well together. I am not a fan of tomato unless it is cooked, so me eating something with raw tomato meant that the dish had to be amazing and yes, this dish was amazing. I love watermelon and eating it with the tomato and the vinaigrette really brought the dish together."

Entrée:

Pan Roasted Halibut (atlantic halibut, corn broth reduction, micro greens, dehydrated corn powder.)

"First of, the presentation of this dish makes it looks like the Halibut was swimming in a pool of water (corn broth) and it was beautiful. Kudos to Chef Seth Levin, for choosing this plate to showcase the entrée. The Halibut itself was nicely cooked. Halibut is a very delicate fish and can be overshadowed if seasoned too much. The corn broth worked very well with the Halibut, since it helped the fish from drying out. The Halibut soaked up all the deliciousness of the broth and made it taste like butter. It was perfection; a simple dish with explosive flavors."

Waffle Crusted Fried Chicken (waffle crusted fried chicken, topped with maple syrup cotton candy, served with pomme frites & chili syrup drizzle.)

"This dish brought out the kid in me! Waffle and cotton candy for dinner? I mean...did I die and go to heaven? I love fried chicken and this dish was everything I wanted for dinner. The waffle batter added so much crisp and sweetness to the chicken; it was mouth-watering worthy. The frites were the perfect side dish to this meal. It was seasoned to perfection and the maple syrup was the perfect dipping sauce for this meal."

Sides:

Roasted Mini Corn (shaved cotija cheese, lime-mayo, paprika dusted.)

"Corn+cheese=Everything. I don't think there is anything to be said about this except that you need to order it."

Blistered Shishito Peppers

It is not spicy to eat and a great side to munch on with drinks.

Desserts:

Chocolate Flower (chocolate dirt, brownie, ice cream)

"This dessert was too pretty to eat. The presentation of this was out of this world; so delicate and complex with flavors. The layers of ice cream, chocolate brownie, and chocolate "dirt" was life! Getting all of that in one spoonful is how it should be eaten."

Stuffed Cannois (stuffed cannois with maple infused mascarpone & ricotta, and fresh strawberry).

"The shell is crisp and dusted with powder sugar so sweet, which cracks open to give a softcream filling. I can eat a bucket of the filling, as it is light, sweet, and full of flavors."

Drinks:

Pineapple Express (jalapeño-infused tequila, pineapple, pomegranate).

Kir Yvette (vodka, blackberry liqueur, lemon, sparkling rosé),

Essex Rose (spring 44 gin, st. germin, raspberry, ageve.)

Skinny Berry (veev vodka, balsamic reduction, strawberry).

Libertine (gin, cucumber, saffron liquer, lime.)

Smart Blonde (vodka, st. germain, limoncello, lemon)

Cain & Able (jack daniels honey, rye whiskey, raspberry, grapefruit.)

Gold Standard (russian standard, passion fruit, maraschino, ginger beer).

I would rate this restaurant a 10/10 as the service was just as great as the food. I felt very welcomed and accommodated to all my needs. All in all, go for the ambiance (as well as the food and cocktails!) because it is worth the experience. It's a fun and relaxing atmosphere with a beautiful view. Also, on some nights there is a live band playing. I suggest checking out their website for a schedule of events and many other great specials.

I heard that their brunch menu is out of this world. So I will have to come back for that!

Flat Top

Flat Top

1241 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027
(646) 820-7735

Last week,  I met up with my good friend, Julia Lang, founder of JML Journal. She is a fashion influcencer from New York City. We met only just last year and It is so crazy how quickly we clicked through our passion for fashion, writing, and food. I remember the day that I first met her. It was through our mutual friend, Toni Tran. He had just came to New York City for business and was staying at my apartment for the time being. Toni had planned to meet up with Julia for a shoot and he invited me along to meet her. When I first saw, she has this aura around her. She was beautiful and after just talking to her I can see how driven and independent she is. Just like me, She moved to New York City from Germany to jump-start her career in fashion.

So fast forward to the present, after multiple tries we finally able to meet up for brunch because of our busy schedule it is hard for us to sit down and just have a full on heart to heart conversation. Julia asked me to pick the restaurant and I choose this little restaurant in Harlem called "Flat Top". The reason I choose this place is because I remember the first time I went here last summer with my friends (thanks to yelp for suggesting this place for us) and they have one of the best smoked salmon benedict and ginger beer. I haven't been back there until now.

I ordered the Smoked Salmon Benedict (Poached Eggs, Hollandaise, Spinach, Salmon Roe & Dill, On Home Made Focaccia) and the New Orleans Iced Coffee w/ Chicory while Julia got the New England Lobster Roll (Cold Lobster Salad , Chives On A Butter Toasted Potato Bun, Served with ShoeString Fries ) and Iced Americano. My egg benedict was as good as the first time I had it there. The eggs were perfectly cooked and runny. I loved that they used focaccia bread for their eggs benedict and the hollandaise sauce was on point. The New Orleans Iced Coffee was refreshing and sweet. It was Julia first time trying a lobster roll and she didn't like the texture of the lobster. She said it was a bit chewy but still good nonetheless.

Flat Top is slowly becoming one of my favorites restaurant to go for brunch. The restaurant has great atmosphere. It is warm, rustic, and homey and with all the mason jars and daisies you'd think we were in Brooklyn and not Harlem! The restaurant is small, and the tables are very close together.  If you are sitting along the tables with bench seating, you will have to have the table scooted out so you can be seated on the bench side.

 If you are ever in Harlem or go to Colombia University, make sure you give this restaurant a try. I promise you will be back again soon.

Rowster Coffee

Rowster Coffee

632 Wealthy St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616) 780-7777

Over the years I have grown to love coffee and its culture, so during my recent trip back to my home state of Michigan, a good friend of mine recommended I stop by a local coffee shop in Grand Rapids. So, of course I had to set out to find the best coffee shop in Michigan. One of them being Rowster Coffee.

Before heading up to Grand Rapids from Lansing, I emailed the shop owner, Stephen to ask him if I could stop by to check out the shop and take some photos for this write up. To my surprise, he emailed me right away and was extremely welcoming in his email. I

And so I made my way to the Wealthy Street District of Grand Rapids where Rowster Coffee is located. Upon seeing the cafe for the first time, even from the outside, I fell in love with the natural light shining into the shop through the window. I knew I was going to have a blast taking photos. Inside, I was greeted by Stephen and his sweet employees. They were kind enough to give me a tour of the shop and let me watch how latte art was made. They made it looks so easy and flawless! I wanted to try it myself, but was too scared I would make a fool out of myself in front of the baristas!

“A barista (/bəˈristə/ buh-REE-stuh; from the Italian for “bartender”) is a person, usually a coffeehouse employee, who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks.”

I had my first coffee of the day at Rowster. It was their signature iced coffee made in a large beaker then poured over a glass cup filled with ice. The presentation of a simple iced coffee method was everything, I never expected such an elaborate show. And of course, the coffee was divine. The flavors were just right in richness and bitterness, plus the aroma enhanced each sip.

The art of coffee making boils down to a science; different coffee shops use different brewing methods. Rowster, uses a more alternative method to their coffee brewing like the automatic drip brewer. This method has a monopoly on most imaginations when it comes to a pot of morning coffee, but there are many more brew methods that bring out different sides of the both the bean and of the brewer themselves.

“Even if given the same beans, you would be no means get the same cup of coffee out of a French Press that you would from a Glass V60, or the vacpot pictured above.”

— Rowster Coffee

Aside from being a coffee shop owner, Stephen is also in the soda making business. He helped create these two line of sodas, Hibiscus Soda and Hop Soda. I had the privilege of trying them and they got my stamp of approval. Make sure you stop by the shop and get yourself some and try their signature coffee soda (third picture shown above). I promise you will leave satisfied and wanting to come back for more.

You can read more about their brewing method on their blog; where they give a more in depth look on its nuances and the benefits of using this method.

Chalait

Chalait

224 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014
(212) 929-0266

Since opening their cafe in December 29th, 2014, in the heart of West Village. Chalait is the go to cafe for all your matcha, coffee, and light food needs. At Chalait, they are committed to bring the best quality of ingredients to serve you the best in food and beverages.

Last week, I have the chance to check out this cafe with my good friend, Jennifer Camejo, who is like myself lovers of avocados and green tea. After weeks of planning out this trip we are finally able to go and the place is a photographer heaven. Great interior and amazing natural light shining in the cafe. We are lucky enough to come at a not busy time and was able to sit on the marble table.

I ordered myself the match latte and avocado delight (toast, avocado, tomato, arugula/spinach, with a poach egg and pesto sauce drizzled on it) while Jennifer just got water and the classic avocado toast (toast, smashed avocado, radish, hard-boiled egg, and house vinaigrette).

Our first bites of the avocado toast was pure lust. The richness of the avocado paired with the toast is everything. Each bites is on point as the first. As for the matcha latte, it was my first time trying and I love it with each sip. I really did not now much about what matcha is and how it would taste like but it is divine. The taste of green tea and the cream was like drinking green tea ice cream. Everything was delicious. We will definitely will be making many trips back here.