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1) WP24: The revelation that Wolfgang Puck is 61 years old (!) was a bit of a shock, but the rest of SIV's review of WP24 was as expected. The highly anticipated Asian-inspired eatery was bound to be an LA Times darling, what with its famous chef, downtown location and celebration of Chinese cuisine. Indeed, Virbs notes:
"Anyone who laments the scarcity of fine dining in L.A. these days will appreciate the amount of space between the tables, the luxurious appointments and the top-notch service. But the place isn't stuffy. Puck's restaurants never are."Arguable, that final point, but the praise continues. "A swatch of crispy suckling pig dotted with house-made black plum sauce and a dab of sweet bean paste wakes up those sleepy taste buds. I want to eat the whole pig... The praise is interrupted briefly by the recommendation to order a la carte. Apparently, the kitchen is not yet ready to execute a tasting menu at the level of Spago. And, while this Chinese food is good, it's far more rich than one would find at a traditional Chinese restaurant. But "rich" is Wolfgang's middle name, isn't it? In any case, Virbs is excited to note that "L.A.'s first superstar chef still has some juice." [LAT]
2) La Cevicheria: J.Gold hits up the Latino-Byzantine district for bloody clams, and boy does he make them sound delicious. Mingling amongst "the auto-body guys, ... the families, [and...] the indigent club DJs", Gold goes for the simple ceviche, whether shirmp, fish, or octopus. The place is owned by a couple from Guatemala, which is not a country known for ceviche, but Gold is quick to note that this "Guatemalan version may be the best single seafood dish in midtown, a mass of chopped seafood in an enormous goblet, layered with citrus and spice, plumped out with diced tomato, onion and avocado — a fresh, enormously complex creation dominated by the taste of fresh mint." But what makes Gold tingle with anticipation? The thought of those bloody clams, "chewy, plump things", oozing juices and beef bouillon, freshened with lemon juice and a dash of something hot. Yum. [LAW]
The Elsewhere: e*starLA hits up Vintage Enoteca; Gayot tastes Bouchon's Burger; Refined Palate gushes about the newest incarnation of Bastide; and sinosoul dissects two of the city's notorious burgers.
