MAMA D'S (NEWPORT BEACH, CA)

Mama D's
3012 Newport Blvd
Newport Beach, CA 92663
www.mamadsnewport.com
Tel: 949.675.6262
$$ ($15-$30)
Sat, 05/21/2016, 8:00pm Walk-In
    (4 Piglets)

Mama D's is an Italian restaurant located in beautiful Newport Beach. The mother of 7 children, Mama D utilizes her Italian grandmother's recipes to share good Italian home cooking to Southern Californians.

The restaurant has been ranked as "Best Italian Restaurant in America" on Yelp 2016. Mama D's doesn't take any reservations. The wait time can be fairly long if you're not there when it opens. During your wait, you can expect them to roam around the waiting premises offering bread and other goodies to keep you company.

The restaurant itself looks nothing fancy. It's packed, full of people waiting to get a taste of the very popular pink sauce. When you step foot onto the premises, you feel you've been dining here for years...a sense of a neighborhood Italian kitchen mixed in with a beach house vibe.  

The interior

The kitchen

The garlic oil dipping sauce for the delicious complimentary bread

Complimentary homemade raviolis for our wait

The focaccia bread...so good!

MAMA D'S FAMOUS HOMEMADE MEAT FILLED RAVIOLI ($15.00): Beef and Pork. The ravioli is definitely homemade. The filling was soft and delicate. The actual pasta itself was thin and had a strong resemblance to a wonton wrapper. I ordered this dish with the pink sauce and it just made it that much better. I can see why everyone loves this red sauce. It's almost similar to a vodka sauce, creamy and not too acidic.

MY FAVORITE DISH. MAMA D'S PASTAS-DANE'S DISH ($16.00 + $3.50 for Pink Sauce): Fresh Mushroom, Roma Tomato, Onion, Garlic and Basil with Penne Pasta in Pink Sauce. So the way this place works is you pick what type of pasta you want and the type of sauce and the ingredients to go along with the dish. We chose something pretty simple with the Pink Sauce and it was super delicious. The pasta isn't homemade, rather they use DeCecco pasta (which I approve of). The portion sizes are big and we had plenty of leftovers for the next day. It's definitely a must order. 

TIRAMISU WITH COOKIE CRUMBLE AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE: This is not your traditional tiramisu. It was delicious but definitely a bit too rich and sweet. It's a lot saying that coming from me but I was so overwhelmed by the sweetness that I couldn't finish it. It looked amazing though!

Overall, Mama D's is pretty darn good. I wouldn't say it's my favorite Italian restaurant. The feeling you get when you leave is that you just tasted some good homemade Italian food. The large portions make it easy to share. The pink sauce that is infamous at this establishment is like crack! I seriously started craving it a week later. If you want something chill, not too pretentious, and some good ol' home cookin', this is a go-to spot. Oh and expect some chocolate chip cookies at the end of your meal...






Notable Dishes: Mama D's Pastas in Pink Sauce

KATSUYA (BRENTWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CA)

Katsuya
11777 San Vicente Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90049
www.katsuyarestaurant.com/
Tel: 310.237.6174
$$$ ($35-$45)
Sat, 05/07/2016, 6:00pm reservation
    (3 Piglets)

Katsuya Brentwood is the Diners Choice winner for OpenTable of 2015. Located on the popular San Vicente Blvd, the restaurant offers traditional sushi along with contemporary Japanese dishes. It is the first restaurant expansion of the Katsuya group since Master Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi partnered with SBE.   

The restaurant's décor is sleek and modern. The menu is slightly similar to the original Katsuya in Studio City but a tad unequal in terms of taste. It is a combination of Japanese fare meets Californian cuisine.

Interior

BURNING MANDARIN ($15.00): Absolut Mandarin Vodka, Hand Crushed Serrano Chili, Fresh Lemon and Orange Juice, Splash of Cranberry. This was a delicious drink. It was slightly sweet with a hint of spiciness to cut through the sweetness. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

MY FAVORITE DISH. CREAMY ROCK SHRIMP ($18.00): Crispy bite-size rock shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce. This is by far one of my favorite appetizers. The shrimp is perfectly fried to a crisp texture while maintaining a succulent piece of shrimp. The sauce is creamy, not overly spicy and definitely mayo based. I could eat this as a snack all the time!

CRISPY RICE WITH SPICY TUNA ($14.00): Our most flavorful dish on the menu and the one Katsuya is most famous for. I always order this every time I pay a visit to Katsuya. This time, I'm a tad bit disappointed. The rice was crispy, but it was super stale. The highlight was the spicy tuna. It was creamy and the jalapeno on top added a spicy and crispy texture to the dish. It's quite small, but it's worth getting if the rice was fresh.

SPICY ALBACORE SASHIMI WITH CRISPY ONION ($17.00): A Crunchy Twist on Albacore Sashimi. I always seem to find myself ordering this dish. It's mild in spice and I love the texture of the crispy onion. The albacore's texture was slightly off. I still enjoyed it though.

CORN ROBATA ($4.00): I actually loved this. Yes, its simple. Just mere grilled corn with some sauce on it. Seriously, I could eat those. The robata bar is actually pretty affordable if you want some small bites. Its a good way to fill up without spending so much money!

BRAISED PORK BELLY ($26.00 BUT WAS OVERCHARGED TO $32.00): Twice-cooked Pork Belly, Caramelized Fuji Apples and Asian Pears, Plum Wine Gastrique. Good thing I'm blogging or I wouldn't have noticed that I was overcharged on the receipt for this dish. The pork was nice and tender. The Apples gave the dish texture with a slight crunch to them. The sauce was sweet. I felt like I needed something to soak up the sauce. Additionally, I don't like garnishes that you can't eat. Putting long stems of green onion on the apples and pears is kinda pointless in my opinion.

NUTELLA CHEESECAKE ($14.00): Nutella Cheesecake with Fresh Nutella Whip Cream with a Mixed Berry Compote Sauce. It sounds amazing right? Who doesn't love cheesecake and nutella for that matter? I was hoping that it would be mind blowing, but it wasn't. The cheesecake actually had a very grainy consistency and lacked the smoothness I was hoping for. Additionally, the flavor of the nutella wasn't that strong. I appreciated the ice cream on the side though!

Overall, Katsuya is decent but lacked consistency. I actually think the original Katsuya in Studio City is better. I also wasn't too happy when I learned that I was overcharged for the dish. Would I come back? Sure. It's not bad and it's not amazing either.It's just ok. I would probably stick with the robata bar and maybe the creamy rock shrimp. For the price, I would probably check out other restaurants in the area. 


Notable Dishes: Creamy Rock Shrimp, Corn Robata, Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice

SAUSAL (EL SEGUNDO, CA)

Sausal
219 Main Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
www.sausal.com
Tel: 310.322.2721
$$ ($15-$30)
Fri, 05/06/2016, 8:00pm reservation
    (3.5 Piglets)


Named after a ranch that once embodied El Segundo and the South Bay, Sausal offers a blend of Mexican cuisine with a Spanish touch. Techniques are inspired by Rancho style of cooking, bringing such elements as smoking, wood-burning and slow roasting. Anne Conness, the chef and co-owner of Sausal, tries to put forth food that is bold in flavor with the use of Hispanic ingredients.

The interior

The restaurant offers a casual setting. The large bar is the main focus of the restaurant, while the decor seems to try to resemble a ranch. The seats could be a bit more comfortable, but it works in terms of establishing the ambiance. 

FRESH STRAWBERRY MARGARITA ($12.00): El Jimador Reposado, Triple Sec, Muddled Driscoll Strawberries, Fresh Citrus, Salt. Mmm....I loved this drink. It was absolutely marvelous. It was sweet and refreshing and you definitely could taste the strawberries. One of the better margaritas I've had in awhile. 

GUACAMOLE WITH CHIPS ($8.00): The guacamole was super fresh. It was creamy, well-seasoned, and had a bite to it. The chips were fried whole tortillas. Everything tasted great, but the guacamole to chips ratio was way off. We had about 2 full tortillas left when we finished our guacamole. 

A closer look at the guacamole. 

CARAMELIZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS ($9.50): Red Chili butter, Sourdough Croutons, Smoked Cashews, and Cilantro with a Sprinkle of Dried Shrimp Powder and Lime. On paper, this dish sounds freakin amazing! So many ingredients to put together a simple dish. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish but to me, they just tasted like any other caramelized brussels sprouts I've had in the past. Nothing really special in my opinion. 

ICE COLD OYSTERS (1/2 DOZEN: $18.00): Kumiai Oysters from Baja California served on the Half-Shell with Cocktail Sauce and Thinly Sliced Jalapenos. I absolutely love oysters. These definitely were good and fresh. The cocktail sauce was just okay to me. I've never had jalapenos with my oysters so that was a bit unique. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. PORK CHILI VERDE WITH SWEET CORN ELOTE ($21.00): Monterey Jack Cheese, Chipotle Cream, Fancy Pico de Gallo, Lime and House Blue Corn Tortillas with Butter. Alright, this was a pretty good dish. I love elote and anytime I see it on the menu, I order it. The dish was rustic and definitely had a kick to it. The chili came out. The "fancy pico de gallo" wasn't all that fancy. It didn't do anything for me. 

The tortillas that came with the chili verde. Good and tasty. 

SAUSALITO BURGER (BEEF-$14.00): Pepper Jack Cheese, Tomato, Avocado, Bacony 1000 Island, Cilantro Onion Relish, Sesame Roll, Sweet Potato Fries. The burger was moist and juicy and downright messy. The sauce was good but I didn't think it reeked of bacon. I didn't like the roll. It just didn't work well with the burger. Change the bun, and you quite possibly could have a good burger. Oh, and the sweet potato fries were good. 

ANGRY MUSSELS ($18.00): House Chorizo, Chili Cream Broth, Hominy with Grilled sourdough. This was probably my least favorite dish. The broth had absolutely no flavor to it. It fell short of richness and depth of flavor that I was hoping for. The mussels were cooked well but that was probably the only good thing about it. The chorizo was almost non-existent in this dish. 

SPANISH DATE CAKE WITH SPICED PECANS AND VANILLA ICE CREAM ($8.00): This was a pretty good dessert. The cake was moist and the caramel sauce was good. I didn't think that the fruit went well with the dish, but a friend of mine thought it was pretty good. The ice cream was a nice touch and so was my birthday candle! 

Overall, Sausal is an option for a casual dinner and if you want food with a Mexican twist. The drinks were good and the food was ok, but I felt the dishes lacked boldness and complexity that you often find in Latin and Mexican cuisine. Additionally, the bar setup could be improved a bit. We waited at the bar for our table (which took a bit of time) and we were practically getting knocked back and forth by the servers walking pass us. Would I come back here? I probably wouldn't go out of my to venture to this restaurant when there are so many other restaurants to check out. 


Notable Dishes: Pork Chili Verde with Sweet Corn Elote and Spanish Date Cake

OTIUM (DOWNTOWN, LOS ANGELES, CA)

Otium
222 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
www.otiumla.com
Tel: 213.935.8500
$$$ ($35-$45)
Sat, 04/30/2016, 8:45pm reservation
     (4 Piglets)

In the middle of gorgeous Downtown Los Angeles sits a fairly new restaurant constructed next to the very popular Broad museum. Otium is chic, contemporary and manifests itself like an exhibit. Clean lines, an open kitchen and modern décor makes the restaurant worth checking out.

Chef Timothy Hollingsworth (who had stints at the French Laundry) brings ingredients grown in the restaurant's garden and creates a menu that is rustic and innovative. I celebrated my birthday here and you can be damn sure I ordered multiple dishes, including a birthday drink (cocktail menu is created by Julian Cox).

The interior

The ceiling

UNFILTERED SAKE ($13.00): Yuzu, Green Chile, Ginger, Japanese Cucumber, Vodka. My absolute favorite drink. Why? I'm not a fan of ginger and the ginger in this drink wasn't overpowering. It was slightly sweet and refreshing.

BIG EYE TUNA ($18.00): Rice, Ginger, Smoked Soy. The tuna was fresh and melt-in-your mouth goodness. You could definitely taste the smokiness from the soy. I thought this dish was good, but nothing really spectacular.

LARDO ($15.00): Brioche, Egg, Truffle. This dish was definitely one of my favorites. The creamy and fatty lardo was soft like spreadable butter. The egg was created into a powder form. Unfortunately, the truffle was light which I was thoroughly disappointed. On a high note, the brioche was buttery and crispy. If you like subtle flavors, this is a good dish.

MY FAVORITE DISH. FOIE GRAS ($26.00): Funnel Cake, Strawberry, Fennel, Balsamic. Who would've thought foie gras on a funnel cake could taste so good. The idea was pretty innovative. The funnel cake with the balsamic was sweet and the fennel gave the dish some freshness and acidity. I appreciated the creamy foie gras, which was enough for each bite with the funnel cake. I guess the sweet and savory combination really does work.

BACON TART ($18.00): Peas, Carrots, Crème Fraiche, Lola Rosa. Surprisingly for a bacon dish, this was lighter than what I expected. The bacon wasn't greasy, but still super crispy. The peas and carrots along with the greens added lightness to the dish. It was acidic, savory, and good. This was one of my favorites.

LAMB ($36.00): Pine Nut, Pole Beans, Tomato, Yogurt. I felt like this lamb was just ok. The meat itself needed a bit more seasoning, as did the vegetables. The yogurt was smeared on the side, which was nice, but would have rather had a dollop of it on top. I would have much preferred a big rack of lamb versus slices of lamb.

AGNOLOTTI ($22.00): Green Garlic, Peas, Radish, Pistachio Gremolata. This definitely was one of my favorites and a must order. The agnolotti was pillowy soft and the vegetables were delish. I felt like I was eating a true "farm to table" dish. It wasn't overly heavy, which I appreciated for a pasta dish.

CHOCOLATE TORT ($14.00): Cherry, Peanut Butter, Olive Oil. This was a chocolate made in heaven type of dessert. It was crispy and smooth and a perfect way to end my birthday meal. It definitely is rich, so if you're not a fan of rich desserts or chocolate, you may want to skip on this one.

ICE CREAM ($9.00): This definitely was one of my favorites. I probably am a bit biased since my favorite food is ice cream. The ice cream itself was creamy and not overly heavy. It had floral hints and coated my palate nicely.

Overall, Otium is a beautifully constructed restaurant. The food was definitely innovative, the flavors were good, but it didn't amaze me in my humble opinion. They screwed up my reservation when I first arrived, but they quickly resolved the situation. I also appreciated that they were laid back when we called that we were running late due to road construction (you may need to leave earlier than expected because the construction is kinda out of control). Would I go again? Sure! The food isn't bad, the people are nice and the drinks were delicious.




Notable dishes: Foie Gras, Bacon Tart, and Agnolotti