Where's the Beef? At the Ramen Bull Pop-up at Breadbar

Ramen is traditionally made with a pork broth, but at Ramen Bull, the pop-up restaurant at Breadbar, beef takes center stage.  Whether corned beef, ox tail, spicy beef, short rib or beef tongue, the ramen options at Ramen Bull are pork-free, beef focused and have no MSG. The menu was created by Chef Noriyuki Sugie, the consulting chef at Breadbar who is best known in the US for his role as opening chef at Asiate in New York City.

The meal begins with an amuse of fried ramen noodles with vinegar.  This may be a pop-up restaurant but Sugie is known for his precision and elegance and the touch of an amuse showed the promise of what was to come with the rest of the meal.

In addition to the soups, the meats featured in the ramen can be ordered as sides or toppings.  The ox tail ($6) was an irresistible order and it was served as a first course rather than a side.  The portion was generous and the meat was tender and falling off of the bone.  The ox tail meat had been imbued with the flavor of the sauce and was very rich.  It was worth the effort with my chopsticks to get every last morsel.

The Spicy Ramen ($14) also arrived in a large white bowl.  Like all the ramen choices, it was served with a marinated poached egg, fungi mushrooms and scallions.  The ground beef was legitimately spicy, but not overwhelmingly so.  With this soup, every spoonful had something to enjoy, whether mushrooms, scallions, beef or even simply the beef broth.  The ramen noodles themselves are key to the success of any ramen and these noodles were tender and soft, without too much chew.

With the beef tongue and corned beef ramen still yet untried, I suspect that I will be back soon to explore the rest of the menu.  Where else in LA can you get this level of cooking from a name chef with entrees at only $14-16?  Ramen Bull is only available at dinner Monday - Saturday and only at the 3rd Street location of Breadbar.  The vibe is decidedly casual, befitting a ramen restaurant, so if you are looking for a white tablecloth experience, be advised.  Sugie and his team also have created five house-made sodas including pineapple and hibiscus tea, each at $4.

I just received word that beginning on Monday, Sugie is adding Cold Ramen Consommé ($15) to the Ramen Bull menu. This cool soup is made with shredded beef short rib, beef consommé, sliced cucumber, radishes, peanut, arugula, coriander, and shishito peppers.  Now you can have your beef both hot and cold.

Ramen Bull at Breadbar: 8718 W. 3rd Street, just East of Robertson.  Phone: (310) 205-0124.  Website: www.breadbar.net

Julian Cox Hatchi Mix: Tequila in 3 Magical Acts

On July 1, Julian Cox brought his considerable bartending talents to BreadBar in Century City, as the host/chef of Tequila in 3 Magical Acts, the latest edition of the continuing Hatchi Mix, a monthly event bringing different guest bartenders each month to create a menu of eight innovative cocktails offered for $8 each. Cox was the third bartender following Devin Espinosa, who curates the series, and Joel Black, formerly of Cana.

Cox, the head bartender at Rivera and the force behind the launch list of cocktails at mezcal mecca Las Perlas and the upcoming R26, developed a menu of eight drinks divided into three acts, representing appetizers, entrees and desserts. The menu which included items such as Roasted New Potatoes with Brown Butter, Crispy Sage and Truffle Oil, initially confused some patrons who thought they were looking at a food menu, not a cocktail menu.

The Vote for Pedro, with Pedro Ximenez Sherry, Rye and Aperol was my favorite of the evening, a nicely balanced aromatic cocktail. The truffle oil in the Roasted New Potatoes drink made it hard for me to drink, although eStarLA commented that she enjoyed the savoryness of it.

Overall the evening went smoothly and Cox and his fiancée Kristina Howald tended to stay behind the bar and mixed drinks quickly, getting them out to thirsty punters who were excited to try the unusual flavor combinations. Another personal favorite was the Assortment of Green Chiles with Mint and Tequila, while the Jamon Iberico Old Fashioned (which I did not sample) was a hit with pork lovers including FoodGPS.

Soup for You: Yatai Ramen Twist @ Breadbar 3rd Street

A stretch of Third Street near Robertson has been transformed into Shibuya for the duration of Yatai Ramen Twist, the pop up ramen bar at BreadBar Third Street in the evenings now until July 24. Yatai is a collaboration between Chefs Nori Sugie and Kazuo Shimamura, both of Sugie's Ironnori Concepts, featuring both traditional and modern/twists on ramen.

The door to Breadbar is festooned with a bright red noren (Japanese door covering) with the word Ramen on it. The menu is short and simple. Just four types of traditional ramen, four "twist" ramen options and either pork or vegetable gyoza (potstickers). Yatai is BYO, so feel free to bring a bottle of wine, beer or sake.

The menu is not meant to be complicated as Yatai is named after the term used for mobile roadside food/drink stands in Japan. They are popular with salaryman for an afterwork bite to eat and drink and typically have limited menus, with ramen being a staple.



I began my meal with the kale gyoza (pictured above). They were served with the traditional dipping sauce made with soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. The gyoza had a nice crunch to them from the kale and absorbed the tasty dipping sauce nicely. They come 5-6 to an order and are $8.

Although it was hard to choose between the oxtail and the foie gras ramen, I opted for the oxtail ramen (pictured above) which included "rich oxtail soup, truffle oil, marinated poached egg." The broth was rich and hot and the truffle oil taste came through. The oxtail was rich and fatty and there were large chunks of it attached to the bone and floating in the broth. The ramen noodles were al dente and a bit chewy and very long. This dish was $14 and quite filling. A sheet of nori, the thin dried sheet of seaweed, jutted out of the bowl (on the right in the photo), perhaps as a nod to Chef Nori who had been the opening chef at the luxe Asiate restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the Time Warner Center in Manhattan before moving to Los Angeles to collaborate with BreadBar.

The full menu is here, courtesy of Thrillist. The traditional ramen options are $10 - $11, while the twist ones, range in price from $12 for the vegetarian tomato ramen to $18 for the foie gras ramen.

On Tuesday evening they sold out of ramen shortly after 8 pm, so come on the early side to ensure that you will not leave empty handed after being told "no soup for you." If you would like to sit indoors, reservations are essential. Reservations are taken on Open Table. Be sure to select BreadBar 3rd Street, not Century City.

Breadbar is located at 8718 W 3rd Street, just East of Robertson. Phone: (310) 205-0124. Website: www.breadbar.net

Joel Black: Rum Amok Hatchi Mix

On Thursday night, Joel Black of Cana Rum Bar, was the guest bartender at the second Hatchi Mix at the Breadbar in Century City. Hatchi Mix is a monthly guest bartender series curated by Devon Espinosa of Venice's The Tasting Kitchen and Black's evening was titled Rum Amok.

Joel is the GM at Cana Rum Bar was previously the GM of the Doheny (in the same space as Cana) and worked at Comme Ca prior to that. Cana is known for its sipping rums and both classic and original rum cocktails and Black brought that mix with him to Breadbar.

Black (shown above with Cana head bartender John Coltharp and bar-back Derek) brought several members of his Cana team with him, which enabled him to execute the program seamlessly and at a high level. Cana has a deep bench of bartenders, not something most bars are fortunate to have (and fund).

The Blind Lemon Jefferson (above) included: Sazerac 6 Yr, Lemon Wedge, Angostura Bitters, Lemon Juice and Simple Syrup. It was refreshing and while not a rum drink, earned its place on the eight drink Hatchi menu. (The menu included eight drinks for $8 each, as well as four pizzas, each also $8.)

The Blood and White Sand (above) included White Rum, Pineapple, Cherry Heering, Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth, Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters and is a take on the classic Blood and Sand, replacing Scotch whiskey with white rum (hence the white sand).

One of my favorites of the night was the Ginger Mistress (above) which included White Rum, Apricot Liqueur, Lemon, Honey, Ginger Float of Laphroag Cask Strength. The float really made the drink. It was a rum drink but was not too sweet; it was well balanced but had a kick.

This event went smoothly and it was great to have Joel and his team making the drinks for the customers. When I got there on the later side, the event was winding down and ended by midnight but the team was enthusiastic until the last drink they made (which was for me.)

The next Hatchi Mix will be on Thursday July 2, when Julian Cox of Rivera showcases his tequila and mezcal cocktails.

Breadbar Century City is located in the Century City shopping center and takes reservations at (310) 277-3770. Website at www.breadbar.net

Hatchi Mix debuts at Breadbar Century City

On May 6th, the new monthly Hatchi Mix cocktail series debuted at Breadbar Century City. On the first Thursday evening of each month a guest bartender will present eight cocktails at $8 each and there will be food available both from the Breadbar menu and some special dishes. The first Hatchi Mix was hosted by Devon Espinosa (pictured above), from the Tasting Kitchen, who will be curating future editions by finding other leading bartenders to bring their shakers and recipes to Breadbar for a one night stand.

The premier Hatchi Mix, entitled Vive Le Cocktail, featured classic cocktails such as the Manhattan, Sazerac, Last Word, and Hemingway Daiquiri. Chef Nori Sugie created three dishes to be served with the cocktails. (He was not there so others executed his recipes.)


My drinking companion and I tried four of the cocktails. We began with the Hemingway Daiquiri and the Manhattan. The Hemingway was served in a highball glass rather than the traditional coupe. This drink was not my favorite due to the amount of ice in it and the method of serving it as if the theme of the night was traditional classic cocktails it made no sense to serve this in a different way as it didn't add to the drink. However the Manhattan was tasty and a nice beginning to the evening.


We moved onto the Last Word and the Sazerac (pictured above). They were both better than the first batch of two, perhaps because Devon mixed them. The Last Word, a Chartreuse based cocktail, was especially good and nicely balanced.

Devon did a good job of working the room and managing the bar, but I would have preferred it if he had been behind the bar more of the time. When the drink list is composed of classics, part of what is being showcased is the bartender's drink making skills, as opposed to recipes.

The restaurant and bar area were full while we were there, especially the outdoor seating. Hatchi Mix takes reservations, which are recommended as these special events are each for one evening only.


I sampled two of the three food dishes, the bone marrow and the chicken wings. The bone marrow (above) was successful but it would have been helpful if they had the narrow spoons often provided with marrow bones to get at the marrow deep in the bone. The chicken wings (below) were mushy and unappetizing and are not something I would recommend. Soft texture is not an attractive quality for chicken wings.



The next two Hatchi Mix events will feature bartenders Joel Black from Cana Rum Baron June 3rd and Julian Cox from Rivera on July 1st.

For more information on the Hatchi Series, check out the Breadbar website.
Breadbar is located in the Century City Shopping Center, directly beneath the movie theaters. Phone: (310) 277-3770.

Hatchi - Burning Sensation - Kuniko Yagi @ Breadbar

Breadbar Century City hosted the latest edition of its Hatchi series of guest chef pop-up dinners last Thursday night with Kuniko Yagi, the chef de cuisine at Sona, David Myers acclaimed flagship restaurant (which is due to close soon), for a dinner themed and titled as Burning Sensation.

The meal offered 6 savory courses and 2 dessert courses (by Sona pastry chef Ramon Perez) for $8 each. Guests were required to purchase a minimum of 4 courses or 3 courses + a drink, per person. The idea behind the Hatchi series is laudable - offer a chef the opportunity to cook whatever they want, and at the same time provide a wider public access to these chef's cuisine, at an approachable price point. The "one night only" nature of the events have frequently led to full houses and chefs being more experimental.

My dining companion and I tried all the dishes, with the exception of #4, as we do not eat clam.

The menu was:

1. New Zealand Spinach Creme, Almost Burnt Caramel, Cauliflower

2. Yellowfin Tuna, Smoked Eggplant Puree, Mitsuba Sauce

3. Yogurt Marinated Chicken, Burnt Shishito Puree, Maitake Mushroom

4. Geoduck Clam and Charred Veggie Salad, 3 Kinds of Grains

5. Harissa Marinated Cod, Sunchoke Puree, Crispy Pigs Feet

6. Miso Marinated Hangar Steak, Miso Marinated Soubise, Chino Radish

7. Burnt Orange Consomme, Meyer Lemon Creme, Sushi Rice Sorbet

8. Soft Chocolate, Charred Pineapple, Alpine Strawberry, Burnt Milk Ice cream

Favorites:

The first dish was a disc of new zealand spinach, much less aggressively flavored than the usual variety formed into a dish with a creme brulee like consistency, only slightly more solid. Not so jiggly. The dish was garnished with flowers and hazelnuts. Beautiful presentation, a hallmark of the evening and of Sona's dishes in general.

The harissa marinated cod had a hint of spice/heat. The waitress had warned us that it was the spiciest dish. No need to worry, Jitlada this was not. We had this dish without the pigs trotters. The sauce had penetrated the chicken and it was flavorful. This was also the most sizeable dish. Most were tasting menu portioned if that - delicate morsels.

Least favorite:

The yellowfin tuna dish was bland. The sushi quality tuna was served seared but did not have much flavor. Presented attractively.

Overall the meal was enjoyable but as a calling card did not compel me to make a reservation at Sona for a return visit. My last visit to the restaurant was nearly 3 years ago. The Sona style has a large degree of emphasis on presentation, almost like in a Japanese kaiseki meal. Much of the meal felt very ephemeral in nature, like it could float away.

Chef Yagi is charming and she is off to Japan and then to Europe once Sona shutters in the next couple of months. I look forward to trying the next iteration of her cooking.

Photos (in descending order) are of: Breadbar, Chef Yagi, Spinach Brulee, Tuna, Chocolate Dessert