perbacco

chef paul and i decided to try one of the new hot spots in town, perbacco. this restaurant is located on california between battery and front st, next to tadich grill (famous for its fresh, simply prepared fish) and aqua (an uber plush french establishment). i haven't tried either but chef paul raves about both.

upon arriving, perbacco's decor reminds me much of a place i'd find in soho: exposed brick walls, soft lighting, and a modern-rustic feel. it also has the faint impression of a 80's grub-n-go diner where you can get a nice slice of apple pie and a white mug of coffee yellowed with age, just gone upscale. the hostess is to your right, 3 booths line up behind her, and on the left, a long counter/bar behind which a tall glass-front fridge hints at what perbacco really is: sf's new "it spot" for italian food. it boasts several house-cured meats, salumi, hanging from a web of butcher strings.

the space is tall. there's a slight art deco feel to the lighting fixtures. it's a long way back where the gleaming stainless steel open kitchen resides. as we follow our hostess to the heart of the restaurant, she hangs a right and up a flight of carpeted stairs we go. we land on a 2nd fl terrace that opens into a low-ceilinged dining room on the right. we get seated at the back of the room, right by the noisy private party sectioned off about 5 feet away from us. probably the 3rd worst seat in the house that evening. ah well. we were walk-ins at 5:45 pm. the rest of the room was filled by 6:10.

our server was amazing. i haven't had such excellent service in a long time. after a string of mediocre, disappointing experiences lately, i'd begun to lose faith. but tonite's server was quick, informative, agreeable, and was there when you wanted him, not there when you didn't want him. what set him apart was that he knew how to read his diners and responded appropriately. anyone can get an order right, fill your water and smile. it's a whole other cheesecake to anticipate what your customer wants and needs. even sharing him with 4-5 other tables, i felt he was our personal server.

thin, long breadsticks with a small ramekin of mellow salsa verde appears. we munch on this while we ponder the extensive wine and cocktail menus. they specialize in italian wines and it's a huge selection. the by-the-glass page was just as robust, with a strong rossi section of piedmont and toscana region wines. there's also flights available for very reasonable prices (around $20 for three 3 oz glasses). and the offer by the glass, 1/4 L and 1/2 L portions. i settled on a 1/4 L barbera d'avola after inquiring the server about it. his answer was concise and pleasant. no hesitations or snotty attitude. he knew his stuff.

after chef paul decided on a campari cocktail with blood orange, we settled into the huge menu. it's broken into 6 sections: crudo (raw), cured meats, appetizers, pastas, entrees and sides. the variety within each course is amazing, as is the uniqueness of preparation and parings. after some time, we decided on the following: crudo fresh sea scallop with pomegranate and white pomelo, coppa di testa warm pigs head terrine with pickled shallots and mustard vinaigrette, garganelli hand-cut pasta tubes with lamb ragout, peas, mint and ricotta for starters. then entrees berkshire pork shoulder al latte with savoy cabbage and anson mills polenta for me, roasted liberty farms duck breast with raddichio agrodolce, cipolline onion, and roasted grapes for chef paul.

the coppa di testa and garganelli arrived. very quickly. i figured the kitchen was getting things out before the 1st seating rush began. crudo arrive a few minutes after. pacing was wrong and the order of dishes was wrong. we should've received the crudo first, then the terrine, and the warm app garganelli final. i could tell our server knew things has moved too quickly. he immediately checked in, but we were fine with it and hungry.

the warm pig's head terrine was executed beautifully. it's a dish for people accustomed to specialty cuts of meat - pig's head just screams eat me doesn't it - so toss out the lord of the flies image in your mind. chef paul proposed that the meat is ground into a sausage, then cured i imagine, and reshaped on the plate to resemble two thin, round slices of moist salami. the concoction of soft, rare red meat, white fat, and gelatinous tendon was very delicate, almost like taretar. it was marinated with a whole grain mustard vinaigrette and minced pickled shallot. the acidity cut the fattiness of the terrine extremely well. the flavor was so complex and well combined. it's hard to describe. but i kept spooning small mounds onto the accompanying rustic toast into my mouth so i knew it was good.

the next starter, the garganelli pasta, was also a hit. upon observation you realize each tube was hand-shaped and rolled. i'd hate to be that sucker in the kitchen. well-seasoned and al dente it came. the lamb ragout proved to be a fantastic, thick meat sauce with green peas and hints of mint leaves. this showed how well the chef combines ingredients creating balanced flavor; nothing was overpowering. we only had a half-order. i could've had 2.

we finally decided to dig into the crudo. i love raw scallops. i order them every chance i get - scallop hand rolls, sashimi, with black truffles - you name it. the meat is so sweet and succulent, truly a treasure of the sea to me. so i was pretty excited to try this prepartion. arriving on a thin, rectangular glass plate, there were 8 paper thin slices of scallop garnished with pieces of white pomello, pomegranate seeds, and micro greens. the whole thing was swimming in a vinaigrette of some sort. i took a bite, making sure my fork had all the components on it. bleh. something was wrong. it didn't taste right. "does it taste fishy?" chef paul asks. we try again. same thing. "maybe it's not acidic enough," he says. we try the individual components. the pomello was plenty acidic. the pomegranate sweet-tart. the vinagrette of olive oil and citrus, eh. tasting the scallop on its own revealed its true natural sweetness. somehow the pomello and vinagrette neutralized the sweetness and overpowered the delicateness of the scallop. it totally didn't work at all for me. "they used the wrong olive oil. maybe if it was hamachi instead." nope, not me. moving on.

our server asked if we'd like our entrees now or some more time; we were still debating the last bits of the scallop crudo. entrees are here already?? pacing was totally off. the server caught on without a word. he offered to hold the dishes. but we opted on having them now since they'd just end up sitting on the counter getting cold and overcooked. the busboy came out a minute later with our plates. a quick glance - portion sizes were good, not terribly big, but it's definitely one of those places you want to order an app and side or dessert to "feel complete," as are most restaurants these days unfortunately. we pick up our forks and dig in...

i had a thick slice of pork shoulder sitting on a bed of braised savoy cabbage. using a fork and knife proved overkill; the meat practically melted off the fork! braised in milk, it was tender and mild, with a good amount of silky fat and cartiledge. the savoy cabbage was also soft and very buttery. the golden polenta, a smallish pile on the right of my rectangular plate, was well seasoned and also soft and buttery. everything was well balanced. i kept eating.

chef paul's duck breast was fine. smokey meat with a sweet-sour pan sauce cut by the bitter raddichio. he liked it quite a bit, but i wasn't sold. the pan sauce tasted slightly charred to me. the duck was also a bit grainy - a result of being pre-cooked to rare and then fired to taste before plating, he said. we then spent some time reminiscing succulent chinese roast duck.

water service and bussing was excellent, as was the server's attention to refilling our glasses with the mini-carafes of rossi on our table. we decided to pass on desserts. that menu was just as robust, but nothing really stood out at the moment. there's a sizable selection of dessert wines and cheeses, alongside sweets like pistachio panne cotta, polenta cake with olive oil and blood orange compote, and chocolate torte.

our bill came to about $130 with tax/tip. we were stuffed and pretty satisfied. with the exception of the kitchen pacing and poor execution of scallop crudo, i really liked it. environment is pleasant, although upstairs lacks the character the main floor has (whoever paired the gray drapes and metal ceiling fixures was channeling hotel conference room - yuck). apparently it's only been open for 3 months and was recently reviewed in the chronicle. i haven't read that review but i know i would go again. food, overall, was strong and service impeccable. if they can tidy up a few things i think perbacco will prove to be a long-lasting success. oh, and the semi-communal restrooms have fantastic sink fixtures!

recommended? yes.

lamb shoulder tikka masala

while at trader joe's this past sunday, i picked up a package of garlic naan, the tasty indian flatbread which accompanies curry dishes. i was going to use it as a bread substitute for another dish, but walking around albertson's this evening, i decided what better way to enjoy naan than with some good indian curry. so i walked over to the international aisle to see what i could find.

my only prior experience making indian curry was a microwavable packet of spinach paneer ready in 2 minutes. not very authentic but it served its purpose. i really want to make indian curry from scratch, but i hear it's time-consuming (spices, long simmering times) and it being 6:30pm already and stomach growling, i opted for a tikka masala paste: "sukhi's one step cooking tikka masala curry paste."

"ready in minutes, just add water & cream," it boasts. so why not. i'll give it a try. i decided against chicken thigh meat and picked up 1.5 lbs lamb shoulder blade chops. i also grabbed a small bag of frozen peas.

back at home, i deboned the chops and sliced the lamb into 1" chunks and seasoned with salt. i browned the meat in 2 batches in a saucepan with evoo.

i then added, according to packet instructions, about 3/4 cup water, the paste, and the browned meat. i also added one chopped onion and a handful of frozen peas to the mixture. on went the lid and simmered did the pot for about 30 minutes.

i then added a 1/2 cup cream and let it combine for a couple minutes. plating with naan and asian rice (no time to make basmati), this is how it turned out visually...

it actually tasted pretty good, but was a bit thinner than i've had in restaurants, probably due to me adding a bit more liquid than was requested in the directions. the lamb was quite delicious, but i think another 1/2 hr of simmering would have let the meat become really tender. it was a little tough. i wonder how long restaurants stew their lamb for.

spice was mildly spicy, but tasty enough. oh, and it was great with the naan and rice. there goes carb moderation. i think that's why i tend to avoid cooking stuff like this lately. you really need a good starch like rice or bread to soak up all the tasty goodness... and a lot of it.

orange roughy with braised mustard greens and potatoes

i'm always looking for ways to cook fish. for some reason i have an aversion to cooking fish. call it a lack of confidence or whatever, but i have it stuck in my brain that fish is hard to cook.

perhaps it's how i was raised: fish is steamed whole for about 10-12 min in a large wok and a hot flash soy sauce with scallions, ginger and sugar is poured over the fish at the last second before serving. too long in the steamer and your fish is tough. too little and it's inedible. the texture must be soft-firm, slick. the sauce must be slightly sweet and complement the fish's flavor.

ugh. no wonder. all those minute details and requirements. hence i've tried to experiment with fish over the last year. it really is much easier than you think. even a simple pan fry technique using salmon or whitefish yields excellent, quick results. just don't overcook. or oversalt. or... ah nevermind. check out this great recipe i adapted from saveur magazine's classic american special issue. originally entitled "cod with braised kale and potatoes," i substituted orange roughy for cod (both are hearty, firm-fleshed, white fish) and flat mustard greens for the kale (since i had a huge bag of it sitting in the crisper).

always substitute when you can to 1) use up leftover ingredients in your fridge, and 2) avoid another trip to the store. plus substituting really helps you learn how different ingredients come together (or not).

soften 1 lb leeks (white part only, well-rinsed of dirt) and a few minced garlic cloves in some evoo over low heat in a large saute pan.

add 1 lb new potoates that have been sliced in half.

let brown a few minutes, don't let the garlic burn, and then add "a lot" of greens to the pan.

they'll cook down quite a bit so don't worry about overcrowding the pan. add a cup or so white wine to deglaze the pan and clamp a lid down for 15-20 min at low heat (you'll want to check up on the pot and stir the greens a couple of times).

during that time, slice 1 lb or so orange roughy into large chunks and season with salt. brown in a non-stick pan until golden on each side. don't overcook.

add the fish to the greens and gently combine with some freshly chopped parsley.

season the pan generously with salt and pepper and plate.

i think if i'd used a better wine this would've been even better. but as is, the greens and leeks soaked up the wine and the slight bitterness of the mustard greens complimented the natural sweetness of the leeks. potatoes were also tender and meaty. the fish itself was moist and meaty too.

very good. i'd do this again.

now that wasn't very hard i must admit. and if you think about it, the fish itself was simply pan-fried for a couple minutes and tasted great. i used trader joe's frozen orange roughy. seems a lot easier than my mom's steamed fish technique and it's a one-pot dish too which makes for easier clean up! oh and this was for 4 servings, so that means i have 3 meals left in my fridge right now. yum.

10:00 pm craving

so after a heart-wrenching, dramatic episode of gray's anatomy, my sweet tooth hit. after a couple trips to the fridge coming up empty-handed, i stumbled upon a small can of pilsbury flaky buttermilk biscuits! 20 min later 5 hot and fluffy biscuits miraculously appeared on my baking sheet. i then proceeded to split a piping hot biscuit in half and spread a spoonful of mimi's lemon curd. oh, and i took a picture before devouring it...
















oh, and i repeated this twice. sweet tooth craving cured.

chicken negra modelo

do you know what negra modelo is? if you don't, i highly advise you stop what you're doing, jump in your car, and zip over to the nearest supermarket. once there, proceed directly to the refridgerated beer aisle and pick up a 6-pack of negra modelo.

it's a dark ale imported from mexico and is EXCELLENT. smooth and rich but bright, it does a great job of picking up heavier foods. oh, and you'll need a bottle opener. this ain't no corona.

anyway, i knew i needed to get back into cooking regularly again, if not for the extra weight i've gained from my "eating out" diet the past 3 months, then for the sake of this blog and my friends who read it! so i decided to hit albertson's (not my favorite but conveniently located close to my house) and go in without a gameplan.

i started in the produce section and picked up...

including red potatoes, carrots, whole garlic cloves, and small boiling onions.

i also picked up 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and upon arriving at home, set about browning the chicken with a good dose of salt and pepper.

once that got going, i tossed in the veggies, seasoned heavily with salt and pepper, squeezed a lemon and threw in the rinds, and added a handful of coarsely chopped cilantro. after a quick stir, in went a half bottle of negra modelo.

clamping the lid, i took the entire pan (oven-safe) and shoved the heavy buster into a 400 degree oven for about 1 hr.

as i pulled the lid off i was greeted with a puff of white steam and this...


i also pulled out a pan of...

which i roasted alongside the pan for the last 10 minutes.

the result was a healthy, light but flavorful broth that kept the chicken and vegetables extremely moist.

a deconstructed stew of sorts, the great thing here was i could taste the natural sweetness of each ingredient, while the negra modela pulled everything together with a clean finish. what a pleasant surprise for something put together on a whim.


when i do this again, and i will, i'll add a little less lemon and bump up the seasoning a bit with more salt/pepper and maybe cumin or coriander. also, maybe experimenting with whole chicken legs, skin-on, would be interesting. i'd also add some fresh chopped cilantro right at the end to brighten up the dish a bit, color and flavor-wise. but in the meantime, i have 3 more to-go containers filled with this tasty, mexican beer chicken in my fridge for 2 lunches and a dinner.

back from hiatus

it's been exactly one month since my last post. shame on me. but i got busy. very busy. between work and friends coming to visit, i've basically eaten every meal out for the last 4 weeks. yipes.

during my "prepped food" splurge, i had many a good, but unhealthy fast food meal. c'est la vie.

from nations' cheeseburger made with a juciy patty, fresh, crisp iceberg lettuce and pungent white onions with a smear of tangy miracle whip, accompanied by french fries and a vanilla shake on a wednesday nite after work...

to...

where the special sauce is still special to me, i grubbed down. when i get super busy, i get lazy about cooking. thank heavens for fast food.

i took several trips to L&L's for...

gosh their hawaiian bbq chicken and pork lau lau is so good. and who can resist that macaroni salad?? no wonder they win best plate lunch of the year over and over.

when not working, i spent some quality time with friends this past month. two visits to sunflower vietnamese restaurant in the mission meant i got to feast on...

shaken beef and giant prawns with garlic noodles... twice. crepevine, just for you cafe, osha thai, san tung, los flamingos and chow were all visited by me and my friends. yum.

on my trip to LA this past weekend, at 3:30am saturday nite i gorged on...

my reun par standards are the stewed pork leg and preserved vegetables over rice and the bean sauce morning glory.

the tom gah gai...

that randy ordered was spicy, sour and creamy-ly excellent with chicken, mushrooms and lots of lemongrass.

the next day yielded 85 degree and shorts 'n' flip flop weather so i took a stroll down 3rd street promenade and decided to enjoy a...

while i lazily walked towards the santa monica pier.

making it all the way to the seacliffs, my reward came in the form of a gorgeous...

truly breathtaking. and i was still in my shorts and flip flops. in mid-february.

sunday's late lunch with the family consisted of cuban soul food. my personal favorite...

#1 cuban roast pork. the westside-famous versailles did not dissappoint, although i experienced sticker shock: the price of #1 is now $9.95!! (it used to be $6.95 in college.) my parents became instant fans as well.

later that afternoon, i joined ellen at this...

a quaint and down-to-earth cafe in silverlake.

it being chinese new year, of course i partook in my aunt's cooking...

only 6 of the 9 dishes are shown here. i had to leave early to catch my flight home to the bay area which was why not all the dishes were out yet. but i got to nibble before everyone else did.
and once back, although i was wearing shorts and flip flops no longer, something about the crisp, cold air in the wind whispered, "welcome home," and i felt happy to be back, well-rested and relaxed.

*edit - oh yes, as you might have deduced, i have replaced my poor lost camera and 1 gb memory card. back to posting!