The Taste: Flavors of LA (Los Angeles, CA)

The Taste 2012: Flavors of LA
Paramount Pictures Studios
5555 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Dining date: 9/2/12

Day 2 of The Taste brought two more events: ‘Flavors of LA’ during the day and ‘Dinner & Drinks’ at night. I went to the daytime session, featuring an eclectic mix of LA’s food scene. Some of the main highlights, to me, were the cooking demonstrations on this day. A very strong lineup of chefs would be showcasing their talent including Ludo Lefebvre (LudoBites), Kris Yenbamroong (Night + Market), and Ricardo Zarate (Mo-Chica, Picca).

Like the rest of the weekend’s events, all food, drink and seminars/demos were included in the price of admission ($65 in advance, $75 at the door, $50 via LivingSocial promo).

The Glendon Bar & Kitchen bourbon buffalo wings

Valerie Confections brown derby grapefruit cake; blum’s coffee crunch cake

Ombra Ristorante vitello tonnato

Wurstküche mango jalapeno sausage, caramelized onions; rattlesnake and rabbit sausage, sweet peppers

Saffron Spot tutti frutti and saffron ice creams

Schulzies Bread Pudding assorted bread puddings (salted caramel and earl grey pictured)

Tamarind of London tangy semolina shells; mango-passion lassi

Mayura butter chicken, aloo palak, garlic naan

Bulgarini assorted gelati

Sam’s By the Beach artichoke souffle, roquefort cheese, chives

Susan Fenniger’s STREET paani puri

Waffles de Liege liege waffle

Coupa Café beef empanaditas; arepas

Locando del Lago farro ai funghi

CHAYA watermelon mojito; tuna burger

Gottsui okonomiyaki

Lukshon sichuan pig ear terrine; kimchi bloody maria

Picca/Mo-Chica unagi causa roll

La Casita Mexicana mole poblano chicken

bashi/Terranea caramelized shrimp, green papaya salad

Plan Check smokey fried chicken, smoked milk gravy, yam preserves, spicy pickled okra

Farmshop heirloom melon gazpacho, sweet corn, la quercia speck ham, opal basil, za’atar

Sushi Roku halibut, yuzu vinaigrette

The Cake Mamas chocolate salted caramel, good witch, churro cupcakes

Carvel 90210 custom dipped ice cream cones

Coolhaus assorted ice cream sandwiches

Of course, alcohol was plentiful at the event (as well as some non-alcoholic options!).

I also caught a glimpse of Jonathan Gold, Sang Yoon, Gustavo Arellano and Evan Kleinman discussing the state of the LA food scene.

And Ricardo Zarate talking about and preparing his highly regarded Peruvian ceviche.

I thought this was another successful event. Similar to the prior day, I didn’t find too much of the food to particularly stand out, but the overall variety of events was more than enough to pique my interest. Food-wise, perhaps my favorite bite of the weekend was Valerie Confections’ coffee crunch cake. Moist and light, it had just the right amount of coffee flavor and textural crunch, reminding me of the cake I had so many times growing up in San Francisco. Plan Check served a generous portion of their smokey fried chicken, a dish that’s quickly becoming a notable one around town. Exceedingly juicy, the chicken had a nice crust and paired well with the smokey milk gravy. Waffles de Liege served their namesake liege waffles hot off the iron – delicately crispy yet fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness. Lastly, Bulgarini served up some excellent gelato, including a refreshing jasmine flavor.

Note: This event was hosted.