Category Archives: Events

Inside The All-Star Chef Classic: American Masters Dinner

Posted on by

Tanayas Table All Star Chef Classic - Wine Glass Logo

Last night, the All-Star Chef Classic turned the L.A. Live event deck in downtown Los Angeles into an epic restaurant stadium. Thanks to Tastemade, who sent me to cover the event, I got to experience the exquisite five-course dinner menu for myself!

I was planning on going to my regular MMA kickboxing class, up until a few minutes before I was about to leave for the gym. Then, I found myself quickly getting ready for a fancy fine dining event and rushing to downtown L.A. for a night to remember! I’m very grateful for the opportunity.

Not only did we witness live demos from five of the immensely talented top chefs in America, but I also got a chance to speak with them about their food! It was a memorable evening, for sure:

Sitting in the restaurant stadium is an amazing feeling. It feels larger-than-life but also has an intimate vibe, as there aren’t a ton of rows so that no one feels too far from the action. Everyone in that room had one thing in common: we are all passionate about high caliber food.

Each of our five courses were paired with wines, and each plate looked so pretty I had to admire it (and pay homage by taking lots of photos and videos!) for a considerable amount of time before taking a bite. Hey, I was just doing my job! 😉

A breakdown of what was served:

Tanayas Table All Star Chef Classic - 1 Santa Barbara Spot Prawns Michael Cimarusti

First course, by Michael Cimarusti of Providence

Santa Barbara spot prawns roasted in salted butter, with citrus and nori. Paired with a 2012 Sauvignon Blanc.

Having recently developed a very slight (and majorly unfortunate) allergy to crustaceans, I was unable to taste the prawns, but the accompaniments were delicious… and the noises my fellow dining companions made after eating this course gave me reason to believe that this dish was every bit as good as it looked.

Tanayas Table All Star Chef Classic - 2 Daniel Patterson Coi San Francisco Vegetables

Second course, by Daniel Patterson of Coi Restaurant

Spring vegetables in a honey-lemon broth, with herbs and flowers. Paired with a 2012 Sauvignon Blanc.

It was indeed “springtime on a plate,” as the San Francisco chef described his own dish. The herbs and the honey-lemon broth brought this delicate dish together. Hooray for healthy, pretty food!

Tanayas Table All Star Chef Classic - 3 Nancy Silverton Roasted Cumin Carrots

Third course, by Nancy Silverton (always one of my favorite chefs to talk with!) of Mozza

Roasted carrots with ceci and cumin vinaigrette. Paired with a 2012 Pinot Noir.

The warm notes from the cumin and the perfectly roasted carrots gave such great flavor and texture… and the yogurt on top brought a cooling element and balanced the entire hearty vegetarian masterpiece.

Tanayas Table All Star Chef Classic - 4 Lamb Loin Black Garlic Wylie Dufresne

Fourth course by Wylie Dufresne of Alder, and previously WD~50

Lamb loin with black garlic romesco, pickled ramps and dried soybean. Paired with a 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon.

The lamb was perfectly succulent, the ramps added some acidity, and the black garlic romesco gave the entire dish such a deep, rich umami flavor. Holy moly.

Tanayas Table All Star Chef Classic - 5 Miso Butterscotch Apple Pie Christina Tosi Momofuku

Fifth course, by Christina Tosi of NYC’s Momofuku Milk Bar

Apple pie cake with miso butterscotch, sour whipped cream and pie crumble. Paired with a 2012 Moscato… & (unofficially) Stella Cidre.

Oh man, where to start. The cake was moist, with the crumble adding the perfect crunch. The miso added more savory umami, and complemented the flavor of the apples so well. The sour whipped cream brought it home with a delicious tanginess to balance the sweetness of the cake. This is what dreams are made of, people.

Tanayas Table All Star Chef Classic - Momofuku Milk Bar Crack Pie

Petit Fours by Christina Tosi

Momofuku’s famous “Crack Pie”

We ordered a full-size pie (yes, I had it shipped!) from NYC a few years ago, and it was pretty incredible. This was a nice bite-size version, but I do wish it had more of the addictive filling. Oh Christina, how you always leave us craving more and more! With how good her desserts are, no amount will ever be enough, I think.

Tanayas Table All Star Chef Classic - Red Carpet 2

Moral of the story: Not that I’m saying to always choose eating over working out, but when the right opportunity presents itself, being a little spontaneous and saying “yes” more than “no” can truly do wonders for how much you get out of life. Trust me on this!

Find out about upcoming All-Star Chef Classic events this weekend by visiting the official site. You can join Tastemade and follow me here. Cheers!

 

VIDEO: Celebrity Chefs + Highlights from LA Weekly’s “The Essentials”

Posted on by

Tanayas Table LA Weekly The Essentials Logo Wine

Where do you go to interview top-tier LA chefs of celebrity status, all in the same room? How about the likes of Curtis Stone, Roy Choi, Michael Voltaggio and Sang Yoon?

Well, this past weekend, LA Weekly hosted The Essentials, an annual food event produced in honor of the recently unveiled 99 Essential LA Restaurants list. This is where I got to chat with all of the aforementioned immensely talented chefs!

Check it out here, along with some of the amazing bites offered by 50 of the 99 restaurants honored on the list:

Here are some of the highlights from what we tried at the event:

Roy Choi’s Kogi served its classic short rib tacos, while Top Chef winner Michael Voltaggio of Ink served a bagels & lox-inspired dish featuring rye pasta with smoked trout roe, bagel crumbs and dashi brown butter.

Michael Voltaggio of Ink served up a pasta play on bagels & lox

Michael Voltaggio of Ink served up a pasta play on bagels & lox

Plan Check served their famous (and heavenly!) cruller donut holes with caramelized goat cheese, coconut sugar, almond sauce, white chocolate and candied rosemary.

Plan Check's all-star cruller donut with candied rosemary, caramelized goat cheese

Plan Check’s all-star cruller donut with candied rosemary, caramelized goat cheese

This little ball of rich complexity was definitely one of my ultimate favorite bites, as the donuts were crispy on the outside and light, airy and slightly custardy on the inside. The caramelized goat cheese was the perfect balance of sweet and savory, and the candied rosemary added the right amount of aromatic essence.

A savory favorite of mine had to be Little Sister’s banh hoi with chili braised beef shank and tendon, herbs, sprouts and fried peanuts. Great balance of hot and cold, sweet and salty, and the perfect amount of heat and acid.

Little Sister's banh hoi getting some finishing touches

Little Sister’s banh hoi getting some finishing touches

Alimento’s escolar crudo was also excellent, plated with eggplant, wild fennel and mollica. The succulent yet firm white fish absolutely melted in the mouth along with its Mediterranean-inspired components. It was a very cohesive plate indeed, with deep flavors.

One last donut that stood out was Hinoki & The Bird’s miso donut with honey caramel. It was a perfect umami and sweet combination in one fluffy bite!

Spago served an interesting “Vietnamese style banh mi” with pork belly, but somehow it didn’t taste as good as it looked for me. Still, it was pretty to look at, with all its brightly colored veggies.

Spago's take on the banh mi

Spago’s take on the banh mi

Tar & Roses’ steak tartare was delectable, as was its popcorn with bacon, brown sugar and aleppo pepper. Petit Trois also served a steak tartare, while Park’s BBQ served the flavors of Korean BBQ in one bite. There was also some great Ethiopian food, and a lot of deep-flavored moles served at the event.

Korean BBQ in one bite, by Park's BBQ

Korean BBQ in one bite, by Park’s BBQ

I only heard that chef Curtis Stone of Maude’s white asparagus pain perdu with foie gras mousse, pickled pearl onions & mustard seed was amazing, since we didn’t get to try before they ran out. Still, he talks to us about it in the video above… which kind of makes up for it!

Here’s Roy Choi cracking jokes and plugging Kogi, by the way:

Joking around with Roy Choi

Instagram video: Joking around with Roy Choi

Szechuan Impression’s spicy noodles were hot and flavorful, and had just the right bite. The variety of food, from authentic international street fare to refined European-inspired dishes was a pretty accurate reflection of so much that LA has to offer.

Spicy noodles by Szechuan Impression

Spicy noodles by Szechuan Impression

Although they didn’t exhibit at the event, I was pretty proud to learn that Surati Farsan Mart was recognized as one of the 99 Essential Restaurants!

Wine, cocktails and spirits also flowed at the event, and there was even vodka made from sweet potatoes. Oh, and how could I forget shouting out Philippe The Original and their OG French dip sandwich? There was so much food and drink to try, such little time!

The original French dip by Philippe The Original

The original French dip by Philippe The Original

I do wish some of the fine dining restaurants hadn’t run out by the time we got to them, but overall we definitely left stuffed and satiated with some of the most essential bites LA has to offer.

It was a good time talking food with some very well-respected chefs, as well.

Roy Choi & Tanaya's Table talking food

Cheers from Roy Choi & Tanaya’s Table… peace out!

Check out the full list of stellar vendors here. Until next time, cheers!

VIDEO: CREAM Opens In Downtown Los Angeles

Posted on by

Backstory: Went to Berkeley back in 2013 for a few hours to visit a friend. Heard of CREAM, the Berkeley-based ice cream sandwich place that always has a huge line. Pressed for time, we bypassed the line, hoping to try it someday.

Flash forward to present: CREAM has opened in Downtown Los Angeles, right near USC on Figueroa. The line for free ice cream sandwiches wrapped around the block, but I had to bring you guys the “scoop” (pun totally intended), right?

Here’s what we got, and a word from Hector, the owner of CREAM (which stands for Cookies Rule Everything Around Me, by the way):

Check out the one-minute rundown on CREAM, the newest ice cream sandwich on the block.

Check out the one-minute rundown on CREAM, the newest ice cream sandwich on the block.

The final verdict for me is that it’s worth a try, but they will never come close to what Diddy Riese has done for UCLA and Westwood (which CREAM is said to be trying to do with the USC area).

I have attended both schools and yes UCLA is my alma mater so there is a slight bias by default, but nothing beats Diddy Riese in its history, charm, authenticity, and just the OG experience in general.

Their cookies also go better with the ice cream, in my opinion, but I will say that when the CREAM cookies get soaked in melting ice cream, they have a delicious texture and flavor that makes me very very happy.

They also have ice cream made in-house & vegan options… but what I really love are the toppings you can add to your ice cream cookie sandwich. Everything from Oreo pieces to sprinkles and gummi bears.

However, I wish they had a few more unique flavors, and that their salted caramel had more saltiness to it. I wasn’t mindblown for all the hype, but it was a very solid and satisfying ice cream sandwich. Plus, the service was great.

Go check CREAM out for yourselves in you’re in the downtown area, and share your verdict!

SCUBA And More At The L.A. Travel + Adventure Show

Posted on by

The L.A. Travel & Adventure Show was a blast, and the highlight for me was the SCUBA experience they had, right inside the Long Beach Convention Center!

Below is the video with expo highlights and my spontaneous decision to try SCUBA for the first time.

I’ve been whitewater rafting, ziplining, rappelling down a 240-foot waterfall in Costa Rica and much more… but one thing I’ve been anxious about trying is SCUBA, and the whole idea of breathing underwater and feeling okay. No idea why, but that’s pretty much the reason I haven’t gotten around to trying it yet.

So when my friend Sumita – who shared my trepidations about breathing underwater – and I discovered the 15,000-gallon heated SCUBA pool staring us in the face, we decided to just go for it. The folks from Be A Diver were so wonderful, encouraging us and making it fun the entire time.

Mind you, we were not prepared whatsoever to go underwater… but we just looked at each other and knew instantly that we couldn’t pass up this opportunity, so we just made it work!

Tanayas Table LA Travel Adventure Show Tastemade Video Pic

Got an impromptu SCUBA lesson… right inside the travel expo!

The guys at Be A Diver provided the wetsuits and all SCUBA gear, so it was an easy process from changing, gearing up, learning to use the equipment and getting to swim underwater for extended periods of time.

A ton of dazzling popular and under-the-radar travel destinations exhibited at the travel show, and you can find out more on the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show website.

The travel bug has always kept biting at me since an early age, but it bit me real good again after this expo! It got me wondering if I should visit New Zealand, Morocco or South Africa first… or another one of the countless possibilities out there.

Like I’ve said before, my philosophy is, don’t just wait until “someday” to do the things you really and truly want to do. I’m in my 20’s, and I’ve already traveled to all these places around the world, and more.

So if I can do it — from backpacking through Europe on a budget, to working in Hong Kong, to doing a volunteer and adventure tour in Costa Rica — so can you! Stay tuned for more travel and adventure posts from around the world over at Tanaya’s Travels, and more new and unique food coverage right here. Cheers!

Giveaway: Win Tickets To The L.A. Travel + Adventure Show

Posted on by

Los Angeles Travel Adventure Show Tanayas Travels

Ever wanted to travel the world, but didn’t know how to start putting it into action? I hear it all the time, with people telling me they really wish they’d traveled more, and that they’ll do it someday.

Well, if you know me, I’m not one to wait until “someday” to do the things I really and truly want to do. I’m in my 20’s, and I’ve already traveled to all these places around the world, and more.

So if I can do it –– from backpacking through Europe on a budget, to working in Hong Kong, to doing a volunteer and adventure tour in Costa Rica — so can you!

While it can be intimidating to start the process of planning and executing the trip of your dreams, I’m here to tell you it’s not as hard once you take the initial steps to get started. And travel is one of the best teachers, on a deeper and more personal level than any classroom or job can ever teach you.

I’ve found that the toughest part for most to get started is deciding where to go, and figuring out how they’ll be able to put their plans into action. But luckily, you can jumpstart your travel dreams now instead of waiting for “one day” that may never come.

There’s actually a place you can go to get a taste of a ton of different countries around the world, and experience adventure sports, entertainment, travel tips and cuisine from those countries… all under one roof, right here in town!

… it’s all at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show, and I’ve got a pair of tickets to give away!

Tanaya's Travels Logo

Here are two ways to win your ticket:

Instagram

  1. Follow me on Instagram so I can direct message you if you win (@tanayas.table)
  2. Post your dream travel destination (any interpretation of it… food, clothing, actual landscape) using the hashtag #TanayasTravels + tag @tanayas.table so I see it
  3. Wait for the winner (chosen at random, to keep it fair… since I want you all to win!) to be announced on Saturday, February 14 (my Valentine’s Day gift to you!)

Twitter

  1. Follow me on Twitter so I can direct message you if you win (@TanayaG)
  2. Tweet your dream travel destination, with the hashtag #TanayasTravels + tag @TanayaG so I see it
  3. Wait for the winner (chosen at random, to keep it fair… since I want you all to win!) to be announced on Saturday, February 14 (my Valentine’s Day gift to you!)

I’ve covered many travel shows in the past, but this one is now the nation’s largest travel show, going on its 10th year with a bigger all-star lineup of keynote speakers than ever before.

Notable travel personalities include Rick Steves, CBS Travel Editor Peter Greenberg, Josh Gates of Travel Channel’s Expedition Unknown, Pauline Frommer, Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown, PBS’ Joseph Rosendo, The Amazing Race host, Phil Keoghan, and New York Times Bestseller author, Patricia Schultz.

There will be chef demos of global cuisines, and you can experience rock climbing and an intro to scuba diving, plus Segways and Bubble Rollers. It’s fun for the whole family, like that one time I convinced my parents to zipline with me.

The 10th Annual Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show is set to feature over 450 exhibitors, 3,000 travel experts over the weekend of February 21st and 22nd at the Long Beach Convention Center.

You can get your tickets here, or share your dream destination on Instagram or Twitter with #TanayasTravels & tag me (see above for entry rules) to win!

This would be a good time to give you guys a heads up that I will be launching the Tanaya’s Travels section of my site soon!

Check out what you can expect to come by visiting the travel section here or in the left-hand navigation bar. Cheers!