Ludobites 6.0 @ Max - Round 2

I was lucky enough to be invited by Fellow Blogger Darin from DarinDines to taste the Ludo's Dish. After going on the beginning day, I have a certain expectation of what I'm getting, and I would have to say, Ludo always prevail and surprise.

As always, the LudoBite menu is always a good description of what to anticipate for my belly. 

Warm Baguette, Baratte Smoked Butter, Sardine - Laughing Cow Cheese

As always, the bread at LB is warm and fresh, with the addition of Sardine Cow Cheese, which carried a bit of fishy taste, is always an excellent start of the night. 

Hamachi, Vietnamese Style

This Hamachi is actually the same one I've eaten on the first day at LB 6.0. Same dish, great flavor. Yet, I like this dish better this time because it has less concentrated taste from the fish sauce and a little more focus on the Yellow Tail and it's excellent texture. 

Escargots, Brussell Sprouts, Red Mole, Corn Ice Cream, Marinated Tofu

This is actually my very first time having Escargots and I have to admit, it has a funky texture and taste. It's soft but chewy, and the taste of the sauce reminds of a nice bbq curry sauce. My taste bud is definitely playing games with me.

Marinated Mackerel, Leche Del Tigre, Baby Leeks, Verdolagas Leaves

This well cooked Mackerel comes with a thin crispy skin, combined with a drizzle of fish sauce. Also noted is the texture of the meat, it's actually really moist. This definitely created a little party in my mouth.

 

Salmon "a l'huile" Somen Noodles, Carrots, Red Wine Vinaigrette, Grilled Salmon Roe

This dish is definitely complex, yet elegantly. With salmon Roe bringing in the salty flavor, combined with a drizzle of vinaigrette and Somen noodle, brings a horde of hard to distinguish flavor in your mouth. Another interesting dish coming from Ludo.

Scallop, Celery Root Remoulade, red Port, Walnuts, Dried Fruits

One of the dishes I didn't get to try in my last adventure here. This perfectly seared Scallop, with a tiny bit of crisp on the skin, definitely didn't disappoint me. It is nicely seasoned, perfectly crisp on the outside, combined with a nice red port sauce, creates a great combination of flavor and taste. The most surprising component is the celery root. A bit crunchy and chewy and the red port sauce made it even more appealing. 

Hot Boudin Noir Pudding "Parmentier", Apples Mustard Tapioca

The coolest thing here is that the sausage is turned into a pudding or a moose (it's located at the bottom, the brown stuff). You can still taste the flavor of the sausage, combined with sliced of apple. It definitely doesn't leave me thinking I'm fat. A very creative dish.

Oriental Mussels Veloute, Heirloom Tomato, Small Fries

This dish is actually the same as last time, yet, the color of the soup is yellow in this one. Prompting a suspicion of what's in it. Yet, after digging in, the flavor of the mussel soup is still here. It's creamy, flavorful and you can taste the mussel in it. The fries is also great, whether dunk it in with the soup or by itself, it serves as a nice compliment.

Poached-Roasted Foie Gras, Acacia Honey, Autumn Fruits, Rose Flowers

This dish is an excellent combination of the two styles of cooking Foie Gras: Poaching and Roasting. The outside of the Foie Gras seems fairly typical, but once you bite into it, the poaching Foie Gras flavor is right there. Combined with the mildy sweet honey and an assortment of fruit. It brings in a fruity flavoring with the Foie and a new sensation of flavoring is created. Definitely one of the most original dish from Ludo tonight.

John Dory, Potato, Herbs, Brocollini Flowers, Green Jalapenos Nage

This is also the same dish I had a few weeks ago. The earthiness of the broth brewed from the herbs and Brocollini flowers carry a nice earthiness and draws out the natural flavor of the John Dory. This time, however, I can really taste the Jalapenos, which to my delight, is an excellent addition to this dish.

Half Chicken, Poached Egg, Chanterelles, Chorizo

This chicken is very hyped up by one of my friends, who claimed this is one of the BEST chicken she's had thus far. After tasting it, I can understand why. This chicken is marinated with chorizo, which brings a nice salty flavor to the chicken. On top of it, the chicken is perfectly cooked, thus, the meat is moist. Combined with a nicely cooked 68 degree egg, this dish is definitely dreamy.

Marinated Korean Steak, Crispy Kimchi, Bone Marrow, Shiso

This nicely cooked steak, combined with a young Kimchi, definitely brings a little bit of sour and spicy flavoring to the meat.The bone marrow on top is also a good compliment to the protein.

Carrot Cake, Coconut, Thai Curry, Mango Sorbet, Kaffier Lime Oil

I'm usually not a carrot cake fan and I have to say, I'm surprised by how much I like this carrot cake. The cake is infused with a little bit of coconut (which brings in a little chewiness in the cake), and the addition of lime oil brings a nicely mildy sweet flavor and lime onto the cake. Eat with the mango sorbet. Definitely a nice dessert to have.

Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta, Caramel Caviar

This Creamy Panna Cotta brings a refreshing, yet, creamy flavor to the dessert. Combined with the saltiness of the Caviar and the sweetness of the caramel. Definitely a great way to end the night!!

Even though I have a certain expectation before coming in, Ludo still brings in a nice surprise to my dining experience. The creativeness that is needed for the foie gras is definitely mind blowing, along with all his other dishes. All in all, I left very satisfied, very happy and a bit of anxiousness to see what Ludo can bring in the future. I vaguely remember reading an article comparing dining at Ludobite to a dream date that comes only once a year, or two. Well then, that sort of sums up what I think Ludobite this time around.

The Ludo Crew.

Ludobites 6.0 @ Max

So here's the story....Just like most people...I DIDN'T get a reservation.

But mother nature + good friends are on my side that night, I got a tip from my friends saying that walk-in  had available space on opening night. So I drove about 100 mph (at least i think I was) + weaving through traffic from the big I to Sherman Oaks..and my compulsive & dangerous behavior was rewarded.

It was that kind of night..Insane? No...Hungry? Definitely.

(Just saying this in advance, I didn't have my camera and these are iphone pictures as that was the only camera I had with me. Both KevinEats & DarinDines have the better picture. Please refer to them)

As always, Ludobite have their very original, cute design menu. I really like this format. 

Mexican Mojito

This Mojito is gorgeous. Not too sweet, not too mild. It has the right mix of Tequila and mint flavor. 

Black Trumpet Mushroom Cappuccino, Creamy Butternut Squash

The soup has an excellent creamy squash flavor with "cold" black trumpet mushroom paste, which creates an interesting mix of flavor. The most interesting thing about this dish is that the mushroom paste is a bit cold, combined with the warm soup. As such, it creates a nice sensation in your mouth. Excellent start for the night.

Hamachi, Vietnamese Style
This Vietnamese style Hamachi is best described by thinking of what a nice Vietnamese Eggroll is without the lettuce and, instead of eggroll, a nice thick slice of Hamachi sushi. Nice Asian flavor combined with an excellent texture of the fish. My favorite is the lotus root. It provides that little bit of crunchiness. Another very successful dish from Ludo.

Barely Cooked Squid Noodles, Pad Thai, Prawn, Tofu
The squid is nice and tender, with a mix of grounded peanut. The flavoring is just flawless. The most interesting thing about this dish is the little white Miso paste. It doesn't carry too much flavor but it carries a "hidden" heat in which it hits you about 3 seconds later. Leaving you wonder where the heat comes from.( I actually spent some time digging for the heat)  - definitely one of my favorite dish of the night.

Poached Foie Gras, Green Lentils, Miso Broth, Turnips & Radish
This is actually my first time having Poached Foie Gras and it's definitely a different experience for me. My very first bite impression of this dish was totally different from my very last bite. And here's the story - The Foie Gras, just by itself and on my first bite, was really gamy. However, as I take more bites, the mixture of lentils, miso broth, radish and turnips creates a whole different set of flavor. I couldn't taste the gaminess at all as the Foie Gras blends in with the other ingredients. At the end, I really enjoy this dish. bon travail!

Mussels Velouté, Green Peppercorn, Pineapple, Fennel, Potato Paille
This is actually a very interesting dish as the mussels is turned into a soup with chunk of peppercorn and pineapple. The soup itself is creamy, yet light, but very flavorful. My seldom bite of pineapple with the peppercorn creates a very complex flavor inside your mouth. With the addition of the potato Paille (think of it as super thin potato fries) creates a nice complimentary flavor and texture in your mouth.

John Dory, Potato Herbs, Brocollini Flowers, Green Jalapenos Nage
The well cooked John Dory with the very earthiness flavor from the broth creates a semi-mommy's cooking and refined natural flavor in my mouth. My every bite of this dish reminds me the fresh ingredients and the great nature we have. Although I couldn't taste the Jalapenos, it is still a great dish in the absents of it. Absolutely delicious. Definitely one of the strongest dish of the night.

Pear, Hot Chocolate, Matcha Green Tea Broth, Mint
The poached Pear mixed really well with the Matcha green tea and mint. A bit light compared to the other dishes but serves a very good ending to this dinner. A very precise ending to such a great night of food.


Although I wasn't able to try the other dishes, however, judging from the dishes I've had, it serves as a very convincing evidence that Ludo has, once again, met & exceed some of my expectation. I'm looking forward to another visit and sample Ludo's creation. But for now, I'll need to run a couple more laps in preparation for that.

Bastide

Bastide is one of the hidden gems in west hollywood. Located at a tiny street off from La Cienega near Melrose. Bastide is hidden from the very busy street, yet, close enough to all the big Hollywood scenes. This place is a bit small, yet, it has this friendly ambiance to it. Dining at Bastide is like Dining at a friend's house. 

Executive chef Joseph Mahon, after having trained in New York, France and the OC, now he's bringing his food to LA for us to savor.

Malpeque Oysters with Watermelon Mignonette
The fresh oyster combined with cucumber and melon creates a very nice balanced flavor. Definitely a great way to start off the night.

Charcuterie - Chicken liver mousse, Duck Rillette & Smoked Suckling Pork
 - The chicken liver mousse is creamy, rich and flavorful, with a hint of saltiness to go with it.
 - The Duck Rillette was light and savory, extremely well made.
 - The Smoked Suckling Pork was juicy and well balanced with the mixed greens.

Inside the Duck Rillette.

Chestnut Apple Soup with pomegranate puree 
The soup is mildy rich with chestnut flavor and is a little bit sour. Yet, with the lightly cooked apple, it mixes the sourness of the soup with the sweetness of the apple, creating a nice combination of sweet and sour.

Mushroom Tart 

With fresh buff pastry on top with the mildly creamy mushroom underneath it, this mushroom tart is a very unique dish. The mushroom was a bit creamy and the puff pastry is definitely a nice mix to go along with the mushroom.

Fresh Shrimp with Arugula and fresh Avocado

Although this dish seems simple and the flavor is what you expect it to be. This is actually a very fun dish to eat because who would've thought the rich texture of avocado would actually create this nice "meaty" texture for you.     

Grilled Octopus with Chorizo and parsley Purée with fennel
This nearly perfectly grilled Octopus is juicy, a perfect chewy texture and with the combination of chroizo, brings in the nice saltiness to the dish.

Leek Risotto with Poached Egg and Prosciutto
This Risotto brings in the mild creaminess of a classic risotto, combined with the poached egg and prosciutto creates a nice blend of rich, yet not overwhelming. Though the risotto is a bit salted, the prosciutto brings in the little extra salt into the risotto, making it a really well balanced dish...and you wouldn't want to pass out after eating it since it's actually quite mild for a risotto dish.

Baked Salmon with Beluga Lentils and wine sauce
This perfectly cooked salmon with the great complementary of wine sauce. The wine sauce is a bit sweet and salty, which brings in the needed flavor for the salmon. This dish is light, cute and definitely a great bite.

Beef Duet - Prime New York Strip & Shortrib
This is actually the most interesting dish of the night. Having a nice juicy new york strip placed next to a juicy shortrib, it creates a huge difference of texture in my head. The New York Strip is juicy, tender and the wine sauce brings in a nice flavor to the meat. And although the shortrib is also very juicy and nice, however, since the memory of the juicy steak in imprinted in my head, it made the shortrib "appeared" to be less juicy than what it's supposed to be. (I playfully called this "cute vs hot cheerleader" effect). Both meat were great. However, for Chef Mahon to mess with my head like that is definitely fun, yet, not fun.Overall, a very successful dish.

Chocolate Soufflé, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Plum Sorbet

The Soufflé is mildly chocolate rich, with a nice sponge texture. With the combination of Vanilla Bean ice cream and cleaning our taste bud with the Plum Sorbet. This combination definitely give my sweet tooth its night.

Overall

Bastide has developed some of the best chef known, such as Alain Giraud, Ludovic Lefebvre, Walter Manzke, Paul Shoemaker, Well now, we have Joseph Mahon. I definitely enjoyed my night here, especially the mushroom tart and chicken liver mousse and I will, hopefully, return soon for another tasty night.

Welcome to my Bites!

I'm an amateur eater who loves food. Bites for Me is my journey in the food world and this is the best way for me to remember every bite that I've had.

Sam