A Tale of Two Meals: Part I

I'm back in Southern California for work. It's a huge improvement with respect to accommodations. I'm staying in downtown Los Angeles at the Millennium Biltmore. As I write this, I am sitting in the club lounge on the 10th floor with a nice view of the Pershing Square fountain below. I've just snacked on a Bearclaw and some grapefruit juice. I'm slyly watching a very LA MILF with huge fake breasts in a valour and rhinestone leisure suit, go to town on a plate of pastries-- I'm not sure if she realizes she's eating trans fats, but I won't ruin the moment for her.

The last two days have been full of delicious dinners. Monday night included what perhaps is the single greatest thing I have ever tasted. Interestingly, it was risotto from Sai Sai, a Japanese restaurant in the hotel, during a meal that began with Toro sashimi. I've never had Toro before; I've wanted to ever since I read Jeffery Steingarten's article "Toro, Toro, Toro." To be perfectly honest, I liked the toro a lot, but my expectations were so high that ultimately I was underwhelmed. I thought it was going to straight dissolve on my tongue. I definitely had to tear with teeth, and my first piece had the faintest aftertaste of knife blade. Ultimately, it was a positive experience though.

The dinner itself smacked of a gluttony worse than what I claimed for Barcelona in Columbus. First up was a clear tumbler of unfiltered sake recommended by the waiter. The center of the tumbler had a cylinder filled with ice. Ordinarily I am a hot sake drinker but I liked the change-up to cold, and the presentation was particularly pleasing. The meal itself began with a selection of sashimi, the aforementioned toro, and rolls. Then followed an appetizer of sea scallops. I'm not a big scallop fan; even when they are done well, I find their texture off-putting, usually a bit rubbery at best. These were silver dollar sized and thinner, almost reminiscent of abalone, and texturally more dignified. Five of them came, each in their own little ramekins, sitting in a bath of something that was not articulated but tasted good. Then there was an Ahi Tuna Tartare, one of the most played out menu items of 2006/07. But I'll give credit where credit is due: it was VERY good. The tuna was in small dice molded into a mound sitting atop a bed of thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers. It was served with Unagi and Caviar, and thinly sliced avocado. It had notes of ginger and miso throughout. Completely delightful. Seaweed salad and edamame also made appearances in the table's first order spread. Then came the mains...(Hey fatties--slow down! Yes, you are right, it would have been the move, but we forged ahead.)

My two dinner companions ordered the Kobe Short Ribs whose meat looked notably tender. Their knives served nearly no purpose whatsoever. The ribs were accompanied by mushrooms and something else (gnocchi? calamari? it could have been any number of white cubic things) in a rich reduction sauce.(Jenais, if you intend to be a food writer you really need to pay more attention to the menu and the plates-- true-- noted.) They both agreed it was a well done dish. I ordered grilled shrimp. I understand that the shrimp were the intended stars of my dish, and I will wager no complaint against them, however, they got in the way of the GREATEST THING I HAVE EVER EATEN: vanilla, coconut, tapioca risotto. When I took my first bite, the whole world disappeared. I almost couldn't speak. I really hate tapioca, I think it's disgusting and I think the Bubble Tea trend is one of the single most offensive food concepts ever introduced into the public market. The texture is so gross, it's flooring. However, in this reincarnation it was a creation of such delicacy I can't even describe it. It was spread lengthwise along the plate. It was cream-of-wheat colored with pearly flecks throughout. Every forkful melted on the tongue and the scent of coconut and vanilla was so faint but so clear; the fragrance and flavors were interchangeable in the mouth and nose. It was--in every sense-- perfect. There were some other things on the plate, I barely noted them at the time; there was watercrest, I think, and perhaps a balsamic reduction drizzled around the plate's edge. The other things were probably noteworthy but the risotto upstaged everything that surrounded it.

When we finished our mains it was clear that no dessert would be needed. I was hurting (but not as much as I'm hurting right now watching a businessman shovel eggs and sausage into his mouth, inhaling loudly with every bite. He's sitting a good fifteen feet from me but chewing so audibly, it's unreal. Oh, new noise element: slurping coffee and licking lips...wow, really unfortunate.)

In short, if you are going to be staying in the depressing blackhole that downtown Los Angeles becomes after 4pm, you might want to think about taking yourself to Sai Sai. And while you are welcome to order the Toro, DEFINITELY order the risotto.