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.

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