tiffin unboxed

Fooding Around LQ@SK Pop-Up

This past Monday I attended one of the 2 soft openings nights of an unusual Pop Up event with acclaimed French Chef Laurent Quenioux at Starry Kitchen in downtown L.A.

Chef Laurent Quenioux in kitchen

The event description indicated that the amuse bouche (first mini-appetizer) of the meal would contain imported escamoles, a Mexican delicacy also known as "insect caviar" (ant eggs). So that set the tone for this thoroughly amusing meal.

This unlikely collaboration, as Chef Quenioux wrote on his broadcast email, resulted in the love child, a new signature LQ dish. But more about that later.

Having tried both LQ's modern French fine dining and inventive SK Chef Thi Tran's bold Asian dishes a number of times, I took a trip down taste bud memory lane to think about each entity before tasting the fusion of the two.

So before we get to the meal at hand, some brief background.

LQ

My first taste of LQ fare was last year's 2nd Annual Gold Standard event, where Bistro LQ (Chef Quenioux's former restaurant, recently closed) served up multiple dishes.

Bistro LQ table at the Gold Standard event 2010

Upon tasting their savory uni tapioca dish (on top tier of table in the photo), it was love at first bite, and I knew a visit to Bistro LQ was imminent. In my opinion, it was the best dish of the whole event.

Bistro LQ - uni tapioca

Inevitably it was on to Bistro LQ where I savored their famous, heavenly uni tapioca pudding with kumamoto oysters, lobster gelee and yuzu. It's the best of seafood all in a symphony of a couple of perfect bites.

Bistro LQ - cheese cart

Our whole table gawked at the monumental cheese cart. Another work of art.

I've also dined at Vertical Wine Bistro where LQ is Executive Chef, which presents a blending of their previous menu with LQ's additions.

SK

As Starry Kitchen owner Nguyen Tran pointed out to me on Monday, I've been to every incarnation of Starry Kitchen, from their word of mouth underground setup at their North Hollywood home to the LA Street Food Festival (and other events) to their stint at Test Kitchen and to their current location.

While the food is delicious, their infectious energy (like showing up in the infamous banana suit) adds to the experience. The first time I met Nguyen he already knew my name since I had been following SK on Twitter. Very impressive.

My first dish at underground SK was the Malay Ayam, a comforting Malaysian chicken curry banh mi.

Starry Kitchen at Test Kitchen - Crispy Tofu Balls and Pandan Chicken

But my favorite is the Crispy Tofu Balls (aka Game Changer 2), where you do not miss the meat.

Starry Kitchen (downtown) - Spice "crack" crab cakes

And the spicy crab ("krab") cakes which Nguyen refers to as "crack-tacular". I agree.

LQ@SK

This union definitely piqued lots of peoples' interest and curiosity. Upon being seated I recognized the familiar silver and glass pitchers from Bistro LQ containing citrus water.

For the soft opening, they offered bread by Bread Lounge and inclusive paired wines by Domaine LA - a Croatian white, Spanish Cava, California/French/Spanish roses, reds, sparkling and a white port wine after dessert.

I've left off the details on the wines since they are not offered during the pop-up's regular run. However, they will offer free corkage.

On to the meal....

Amuse bouche: Escamoles

Amuse Bouche - Escamoles

Insect caviar (ant eggs) was not high on my list of things to try, but I am willing to try almost everything at least once. Since this is a Mexican delicacy, and were "smuggled" in from Tijuana, all the more reason to honor their efforts and try it.

Escamoles - detail

Escamoles are actually ant larvae harvested by hand from the roots of the agave or maguey plants, from which tequila and mezcal are made.

The taste once they were sauteed and placed in a taco was surprisingly mild, slightly nutty and buttery. I definitely couldn't place the taste if nobody explained what they were. The outer wrap of nasturtium leaf, from the chef's own garden, added a peppery, fresh component.

The mini glass of spiced, lime Sapporo beer contained the flower blossom. All of it was edible except the stem.

1st course: Oxtail Compote, pickled spring vegetables, mustard tapioca

Oxtail compote, pickled spring vegtables, mustard tapioca

The mustard tapioca brought back wonderful memories, and served as a great condiment. The tapioca with the slightly sweet, tender oxtail and sour pickles balanced well with the fresh tarragon, although I would have preferred a stronger mustard taste.

The mustard tapioca also will make an appearance in the LQ Boudin Noir Starry Kitchen lunch special.

2nd course: Tai snapper, citruses, zucchini, tomatoes, kohlrabi, smoked black sea salts

Tai snapper, citruses, zucchini, tomatoes, kohlrabi, smoked black sea salts

The pea pod with attached peas was the star of this presentation. I loved how the shape of the citrus segments and even of the fish mirrored its shape.

The New Zealand Tai snapper, also known as red sea bream or porgies, was moist and peppery. Everything tasted good on its own but it didn't all come together for me mixing the components together. A solid but perhaps too mildly flavored course.

Event Organizer Allison Reynolds, pouring the wine pairings and greeting guests

3rd course: Teriyaki rabbit albondigas, teriyaki foie gras, miso, green garlic tempura

Teriyaki rabbit albondigas, teriyaki foie gras, miso, green Garlic tempura

A tableside pouring of the miso broth added even more excitement to this dish.

Teriyaki rabbit albondigas, teriyaki foie gras, miso, green Garlic tempura

Veal sweatbreads, morels, chanterelles, shisito peppers, yuzu kosho

Chocolate chipotle mousse, lime serrano gel, cinnamon soil

Starry Kitchen Owner Nguyen Tran