Linden "The Pussy Whisperer" G.'s Profile

Drinking is like dating.

When you're young, you'll try it all. Just to see how it tastes. How it makes you feel. Just for the experience.

But after enough dubious nights, blurred memories and regretful morning afters, you get to know what you like.

Me, I'm a bourbon, rye and gin man. Throw in some bitters and Italian aperitifs and I'm as happy as a man in a brunette threesome.

Do I really care what tequilas you have behind the bar? Your rums and vodkas? Not really. I'm just not that into them.

Which is why I love Harvard & Stone. Serving craft American spirits, it focuses on the spirits I love. No foreplay. No talking about my feelings. Just straight to the good stuff. Brown liquors and complex botanicals.

Throw in bartenders who really know their craft, guys at the door with a no douchebag policy, and a gorgeous WW2 industrial inspired space, and it's a bar I could go to every week.

In fact, I have. Every week since they've opened.

And I haven't even mentioned the R&D bar in the back. It's a test kitchen for cocktails, focusing on one spirit from one distiller for one night only. Four or five cocktails never to be repeated with a different mixologist nightly. Think of it as the United Nations of one night stands.

I drink here during the week. Sure, they have live music and factory girl burlesque dancers on the weekends. But it gets crowded. Not the canyons and freeways crowd yet. Thankfully.

But I like to get to know my drink and the person behind it. Call me old fashioned. Or just pour me one.

I think Harvard & Stone may actually make an honest man of me. It's a keeper.

Until the next keeper comes along.

What is it about eating black foods that's so sensuous and exotic?

Caviar. Black truffles. Squid ink pasta.

It almost dares you not to eat it. Nature's way of warning the timid eater.

My black indulgence is Osteria Mamma's squid ink pasta. Bigoli neri. Thick, long, handmade and perfectly al dente. Murky, slightly briny and mysterious.

Order the Bigoli Neri alla Bottarga. Black squid ink bigoli with organic cherry tomatoes, shrimp and bottarga (cured fish roe). It's like a freshly raised fishing net on a plate.

Or, when it's offered, the Bigoli Neri al Granchio, which comes with generous chunks of crab meat. Even more briny without the acid of the tomatoes to cut it but a rare treat.

Sure, they offer antipasti, salads, pizzas and a small selection of steak, chicken, veal and fish. I've tried many and they're good, not great. They don't transport me to somewhere on the Veneto coast and thrill my palate the way their pastas do.

As they say, once you go black...

Sometimes you take the best things for granted.

I lived in LA for seven years before I visited the Getty. I lived in Sydney for 25 years and I never climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I even left my iPad sitting in its box for two months before ever turning it on!

And I didn't drink at the Library Bar until two weeks ago.

Sure, I knew its reputation. Sure, I'd had many of Matt's cocktails at Test Kitchen. But it was at the Roosevelt. In Hollywood. That place 10 minutes down the hill from me that I try to avoid.

But I've decided to drink closer to home. Perhaps it's the possibility of leaving Hollywood that's made me appreciate it. La Descarga, the new Les Deux Estates, Big Bar, and now Library Bar and Spare Room.

On the face of it, Library Bar is not much to look at. A small bar in an inconspicuous corner of the Roosevelt. A crowd of regulars, hotel guests and cocktalians. But it's not about the space. For that, go upstairs to the Spare Room.

No, the Library Bar is about Matt Biancaniello. Scratch that. The Library Bar *IS* Matt Biancaniello. Just as he wouldn't make a cocktail from ingredients that weren't farmers market fresh, I wouldn't drink there when he wasn't working.

Which is a good thing. Other bars need to survive!

Don't expect a cocktail list at the Library Bar. Think of it as cocktail omakase. Look over the farmers market selection on the bar, tell Matt your alcohol of choice, maybe a couple of adjectives. Smokey, tart, bitter, vegetal. And then just leave it in his hands.

From there, your job involves simply lifting the glass to your lips and enjoying.

I know you can manage that.

I'm starting to really like the Hollywood cocktail scene.

Besides memorable nights at La Descarga and the odd visit to Tar Pit (but not for happy hour -- I like to drink with adults...), my cocktail dollar has been going Downtown into Cedd Moses' pockets.

A while the W postures for the douche crown, the Roosevelt is quietly debuting classy bars like The Spare Room.

Yes, it's a speakeasy feel. Subtly marked entrance. You could walk straight past it if not for the guy in the black suit out the front. Hidden rooms. "Prohibition style" cocktails.

Oh, and a bowling alley. And board games.

And it's still relatively quiet, at least during the week. That's when the dedicated drink anyway. Weekends in Hollywood is still canyons and freeways.

So how are the cocktails? Well constructed, made with care, and good. If not for the knowledge that Matt's downstairs in the Library Bar, I'd say very good.

Which is a double edged sword. I love this space. It's absolutely gorgeous. But, unless I was coming for the atmosphere, I'd still drink downstairs anytime Matt was mixing. As beautiful as it is, it's still a fallback.

I guess that's why it's called The Spare Room.

Food trucks have become the cable television of the food world.

And I don't mean that disparagingly.

Remember when cable TV was the last resort of the waning actor? Now it's common to see big name film stars headlining shows.

And so it's become with food trucks. From roach coaches that few Angelenos dared eat at to the darlings of the LA food scene. And now, it seems, you increasingly need TV celebrity to launch one.

Susan Feniger (Top Chef Masters) and Mary Sue Milliken have their Border Grill truck, Ludo Lefebvre (Top Chef Masters) has his fried chicken Ludo Truck and now Debbie Lee (Next Food Network Star) has her Korean pub grub Ahn-Joo truck.

Ahn-Joo has been serving the streets of LA for six weeks now but, way back in June, I was invited to their soft rolling. Serving a fusion take on Korean pub food with nary a Korean taco in sight, the menu is broken down into categories of small grub, medium grub, large grub and sweet grub.

Housemade kimchee of the day and spicy pickled cucumbers ($3). Lesson for the day: northern Korean kimchee tastes different to the more common southern Korean kimchee.

Spicy chilled buckwheat noodles with fuji apples and Korean veggies ($5). I think this would be great for breakfast. Or for a hangover. Fruit, veges, carbs, protein and sauce. All your major food groups in a plastic takeout container. Is sauce a recognized food group?

Seoultown spuds: garlic fried potato wedges, chile sauce drizzle ($5). Combine with the Korean Fried Chicken for a K-spin on the Colonel's fried chicken and potato wedges.

Modern mandu: Korean potstickers ($5)

Korean fried chicken with garlic glaze and pickled daikon ($7). I'll take this KFC over the Colonel's any day. Does it come in a bucket?

Mama Lee's meatloaf: ground rib eye, soy onion demi, crispy shitake ($7). Certainly not my mom's meatloaf. If she made meatloaf, that is.

Korean nachos: fried rice cakes, smoky chile queso, soy braised pork, kimchee salsa ($7). Nacho regular nachos!

I loved Ahn-Joo's take on Korean nachos with fried rice cakes taking the place of tortilla chips and soy braised pork, chile queso and kimchee salsa replacing their more familiar counterparts.

Their Korean fried chicken was also very good as were the spicy chilled buckwheat noodles, which I took to go and ate as an afternoon snack. The crunch of the fuji apples, radish and carrots played well off the chilled noodles. I didn't get to sample the fuji apple eggroll with ginger mascarpone, which I subsequently heard rave reports about, but I'll save that for next time.

And there will be a next time.

If nothing else, it's refreshing to see a Korean food truck not serving tacos!

Most people come to Vegas to gamble, to party and to sin.

Truth be told, I don't gamble and I can party much harder and sin far worse in my hometown of Los Angeles than I can in Vegas.

My sin in Vegas is gluttony. Add to that worshipping at the temple of Michelin, whose bright stars cast a long shadow over Vegas, and idolizing the three French gods of cuisine who have set up outposts here (Robuchon, Savoy and Gagnaire), I'd say I have my fair share of penance to pay.

So it's surprising, then, that the best meal of my recent trip was neither Michelin starred nor devised in France.

It was at Sage, Shawn McClain's contemporary American ode to the farm-to-table/artisanal/sustainable/seasonal ethos.

Now, let me be clear, those terms hold no particular draw for me. I'm just as happy for my produce to be exotic, my fish to be endangered, and my truffles to be out of season. And this is Vegas, a neon outpost in the desert, a place where money trumps ideology and possibly the least sustainable city in America.

No, what brought me to Sage was that, after the buzz had quietened and the dust had settled on the new CityCenter's more talked about restaurants -- Gagnaire's first US outpost Twist and Bar Masa/Shaboo's $500 hot pot -- Sage emerged as the most interesting new restaurant in Vegas.

Not that Shawn McClain doesn't come with accolades. Esquire magazine's "Chef of the Year", James Beard winner for "Best Chef Midwest" but it's safe to say he's not a household name outside of Chicago.

Yet.

The restaurant space itself is everything you'd expect in Vegas from the newest Dubai-funded casino on the Strip. Opulent, expansive, classy and swathed in plum and gold. This is not a restaurant you wander into from the casino floor.

This is a destination.

And the service there was impeccable. Probably the best I've received in ANY restaurant. Ever. Friendly without being intrusive, knowledgeable without being pretentious, and generous.

Vancouver Island Kusshi Oysters | Piquillo Pepper and Tobasco Sorbet / Aged-Tequila Mignonette
I love kusshis by themselves but the piquillo pepper and tobasco sorbet was stunning. A perfect cold and hot complement to the briny oyster. With a nod to Mexico, the mignonette sauce was made with aged tequila rather than vinegar.

Heirloom Beet Salad | Duck Prosciutto / Point Reyes Blue Cheese / Roasted Walnuts / Celery Vinaigrette
One of my favorite dishes of the night. Simple in its preparation, the beets were soft and flavorful, the vinaigrette perfectly balanced, the blue cheese creamy, and all sitting atop slivers of duck prosciutto.

Foie Gras Custard Brulée | Bing Cherries / Toasted Cocoa Nibs / Salted Brioche
One of the best mouthfuls of food I've enjoyed in '10. I love foie gras, I love creme brulée, and I can honestly think of nothing better than combining the two. Except perhaps shaving a torchon of foie gras onto it and serving it with a sweet and salty salted brioche. Absolutely craveable and made all the better by the complementary glasses of sauternes paired with it.

Crescenza Cheese Mezzaluna | Grilled Mushrooms / Braised Black Kale / Parsley Emulsion
Of the two pasta dishes we tried, this was the stronger although nothing extraordinary. Still, the pasta was pillowy and well made, the mushrooms adding a nice, meaty texture to the dish.

Roasted Sweetbreads | Glazed Bacon / Creamy White Polenta / Marinated Chanterelles
I'm a big fan of sweetbreads. The breading on the sweetbreads here was less crispy than I would have liked although the polenta it sat on was very good, having soaked up all the juices of the sweetbreads and bacon. Bacon is one of those things I'm really getting over although, thick cut like this and glazed, it was a welcome addition to the dish.

Maine Lobster Ravioli | Lemon-Olive Oil Puree / Baby Spring Peas / Mascarpone / Fresh Mint
This dish was a disappointment. The sauce overpowered the taste of the delicate lobster to the point that I wouldn't have known I was eating lobster if I hadn't read it on the menu. Overall, oversalted and rather leaden.

Smores
Remarkably beautiful and satisfying at the same time. Did it remind me of childhood s'mores? I don't know. I didn't grow up here. But the bruléed marshmallow was suitably sweet and sticky and the gingerbread crisp a great savory counterpoint.

To finish the meal, the kitchen sent out cups of hot chocolate infused with citrus. A fun and whimsical way to end the meal and the citrus finish was a nice touch to the chocolate.

So there you have it. Yes, there were a couple of missed steps but whether it was the gorgeous space, the opulent and classy ambiance, the wonderful service or the company of great friends, this meal transcended its faults and was definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

Possibly the meal of the year so far and definitely the dish of the year for the foie gras custard brulée.

For me, Sage is the best bet at CityCenter.

And, as I said, I don't like to gamble.

I'm the antithesis of a meat and potatoes guy.

Which explains why I haven't set foot in a steakhouse for as long as I can remember.

So it wasn't until I received an invitation to Fleming's to try the new additions to their menu that I ended my self-imposed exile.

Now, I've always considered Fleming's the epitome of the steakhouse. But in May of this year they tweaked their menu to offer smaller portion sizes of two "New Classics" (a porcini rubbed filet mignon and a peppercorn steak), two new seafood offerings (a Tillamook Bay petrale sole and a salmon nicoise salad), two new apps (roasted mushroom ravioli and lump crab lettuce wraps), and two new sides.

An attempt to provide more variety, healthier choices and smaller portions, the new menu targets the demographics the steakhouse has lost ground in - women, business people with shrinking expense accounts, and the "not meat and potatoes" crowd.

Which would be me.

Roasted Mushroom Ravioli: portobello and shiitake mushrooms, porcini butter sauce. Simple, earthy and satisfying. Umami + fat + carbs = happiness.

Lump Crab Louis Lettuce Wraps: butter lettuce, avocado, bacon, egg, tomato, chives. It's a lettuce wrap, I'm a carnivore. Maybe I'd order this "for the lady".

Tillamook Bay Petrale Sole with crab beignets and lemon butter sauce. When I saw crab beignets, I was understandably excited. They were unfortunately not the best part of the dish.

Salmon Nicoise Salad. A filet of Scottish salmon, truffled deviled eggs and individually prepared vegetables, topped with a kalamata olive aioli on a rosemary crostini. Pretty much a deconstructed nicoise salad.

Peppercorn Steak. Prime New York strip, cracked black and white peppercorns, served with a shotglass of Fleming's "F17 steak sauce. Served here with sauteed French green beans, shiitake mushrooms and porcini essence. Classic steakhouse fare kicked up with a great, spicy steak sauce. Big, bold flavors. We've left salad and seafood territory far behind here.

Roasted baby carrots tossed with golden raisins and California mission almonds.

Chocolate Lava Cake served with vanilla ice cream and chopped pistachios. Kinda 2005 but, to be fair, this wasn't part of Fleming's new menu but one of their long standing favorites. Incredibly rich, if you're a chocoholic, you'll love it. I'm not. But I do love a good creme brulée.

Tahitian vanilla bean creme brulée topped with fresh, seasonal berries. What's not to love?

The highlight of the new menu for me was the roasted mushroom ravioli. Its simplicity allowed the umami of the roasted portobello and shiitake mushrooms to shine through, complemented by a porcini butter sauce and just the right amount of sharpness from the cheese.

The peppercorn steak was another standout. A classic prime New York steak au poivre, it was well executed. But what made it shine was the "F17 sauce served in a tall shot glass with it, so named because it's a secret blend of 17 ingredients, which gave the steak a real kick. It's no secret that one of the main ingredients is a healthy dose of chipotle peppers!

As for the seafood dishes, sure, I enjoyed them but I'm probably not coming to Fleming's for seafood. And as for dessert, well, I'm not one to pass up a good creme brulee.

With so many new restaurants in Downtown LA, Fleming's may not be my first call. It's not really a "destination" restaurant. But, having said that, it's good to know they are evolving with their diner's tastes.

And if I was looking to eat at LA Live, I'd definitely return.

For the meat and, err, ravioli.

Hatchi with Walter Manzke

One of my regrets at Church & State was that, on the two occasions I dined there during Chef Walter Manzke's tenure, he wasn't in the kitchen.

And on the second visit, I felt that it showed in the food.

Now I've eaten at many restaurants with absentee chefs (e.g. John Besh's August, Tom Colicchio's Craft, Hubert Keller's Fleur de Lys, Gordon Ramsay at the London, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Michael Mina's Nobhill Tavern, Jose Andre's The Bazaar, etc) and had no problem with it because I knew the name on the door wasn't the man behind the stove. But Church & State under Walter Manzke was never intended to be that.

So when Walter Manzke surfaced at Hatchi after he left Church & State, I jumped at the chance knowing he would definitely be in the kitchen.

In a departure from his French bistro fare at Church & State, Chef Manzke decided instead to take diners around the world in eight dishes.

Given that we were at Breadbar, dinner began with the now familiar epi bread but this time with foie gras butter. Relatively subtle, the foie gras imparted a gentle livery-ness, punctuated by the honey gelée on top, which was flecked with gold leaf.

The first cocktail of the night was barman Michel Dozois's Untamed Cherries, made with freshly squeezed lemon juice, cherries, yellow chili peppers and organic rum. Sweet to begin, this cocktail soon became about the heat of the chili peppers. Perhaps too much heat.

To whet our appetites for our around the world trip, the amuse bouche was a deconstructed shrimp cocktail. Essentially a skewered grilled shrimp atop a shot of ceviche sauce, which provided the acid.

Our journey began in Mexico, with a Yellowtail Ceviche with Jalapeno and Tomatillo Sorbet. One of my favorite dishes of the night, the yellowtail was fresh and plump but what made this dish sing was the jalapeno sorbet, which added both heat and a refreshing cold bite.

Leaving Latin America, we travelled next to Thailand with a White Corn Curry Soup with Mussels and Coconut Tapioca. The mussels were well cooked but the soup was exceptional, with the sweetness of corn playing nicely off the subtle curry and the tapioca balls adding an interesting textural counterpoint.

Next up was Spain with a Santa Barbara Spot Prawn with Garlic and Sherry. I love Santa Barbara spot prawns, which is lucky given their appearance on menus all over town, but mine unfortunately came out overdone. I also found the tapenade on top slightly heavy handed.

Moving on to Vietnam, we were presented with "Banh Mi" Pig's Feet Sliders. I can't say that these reminded me of banh mi except for the picked vegetables, but what's not to like about panko breaded pig's trotter patties?

Back to Europe, this time to Italy via an English Pea Ravioli with Soft Egg and Parmesan. Whilst I'm usually a sucker for a perfectly poached egg, this dish underwhelmed me. The English pea ravioli seemed bland, especially after the big flavors of the banh mi pig's feet sliders.

Next to France, Chef Manzke's usual stomping ground, with an old favorite from Church & State, the Tarte Flambe with Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Gruyere. Essentially a flatbread pizza, perfectly crispy, sweet with caramelized onions, salty with bacon and rich with gruyere. Perhaps a safe choice for Manzke, he's had plenty of time to perfect this dish and it showed. My favorite dish of the night, which perhaps says to me that he's best when working within his French roots.

The second cocktail of the night was the Hidden Secret, a concoction of freshly squeezed lemon juice, grape tomatoes, maraschino cordial and True organic gin.

Onto dessert, we move to the Philippines with a Pandan Leche Flan with Coconut Sorbet. I love a good flan and this one did not disappoint. Rich and eggy, this flan brought me back to my childhood with the floral taste of pandan, and nicely balanced with the sweetness of the coconut sorbet and foam. This, to me, was Chef Manzke's most successful Asian inspired dish and a dessert I would return for over and over again.

The journey ended in Japan with a Chocolate Fondant with Bing Cherries, Black Sesame Ice Cream and Green Tea. Try as I might, I couldn't find a way to enjoy this dessert. This was the only course I failed to finish and I HATE to leave food on my plate, so that speaks volumes.

Like any around the world trip, I came home with some great memories and experiences, a few missed steps and lots of photos. Chef Manzke definitely showed his range with this menu and proved he's happy to venture outside his French roots at Church & State and Bastide before that.

Is this a sign that his own highly anticipated restaurant will feature an international menu? Probably not. I think this was more about mixing it up and flexing his chef muscles.

But, whatever his next dining concept may be, I'll be there, hopefully on opening night, to support one of the most talented chef's currently working in LA.

This is for Makoto Okuwa's tasting at Hatchi.

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Chef Makoto Okuwa first came to my attention when I heard about a six course tasting he was presenting at his Manhattan Beach restaurant, Sashi.

Six chefs were each presenting one course in this "All Star Culinary Experience" and the talent in the kitchen that night was stellar. Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Top Chef champion Michael Voltaggio, Sonny Sweetman (Exex Chef, Wolfgang Puck), Waylynn Lucas (Exec Pastry Chef, Patina), Noriyuki Sugie (Exec Chef, Ironnori) and Makoto Okuwa himself. Of course the dinner was sold out.

Who was this guy?

Turns out he was Morimoto's protégé for six years, helping him open restaurants in Manhattan, Washington DC and Tokyo, and also served as Morimoto's sous chef in 13 episodes of Iron Chef. And the dinner was to coincide with his very own Iron Chef Battle Uni against Michael Simon.

I watched that episode and was immediately impressed by his inventive treatment of the mystery ingredient, uni. Now uni can be an acquired taste but rather than mask it like Michael Simon did, Okuwa put uni front and center and I wanted to reach through the television and devour his plates.

As luck would have it, I had my own opportunity to taste Makoto Okuwa's cuisine when he guested at Hatchi at Breadbar soon after that episode. Rather than uni, the secret ingredient for the night was miso and every course contained it, from bread through to dessert.

The meal started with epi bread with three varieties of miso butter of varying strengths. I enjoyed the strongest red miso butter, with the other two tasting rather mild in comparison.

The first course was a Miso Butter Poached Loch Duart Salmon, with Feta Cheese, Micro Basil, Tomato Foam and Pesto Powder. The salmon was beautifully butter poached and the rather odd combination with the feta cheese really worked for me surprisingly. The tomato foam lent a refreshing acidity to the dish although I did feel the pesto powder unnecessarily complicated the dish.

Next up were Asian Donuts Peach "Tacos" with Smoked Lobster, Miso Frozen Yogurt and Paddle Fish Caviar. Dried yam shells replaced the usual tortillas, making these bite sized "tacos". Taken as a single mouthful, the sweetness of the miso peach yogurt totally dominated the dish and had I not known that it contained smoked lobster, I would have been hard pressed to identify its presence, but for the texture it lent.

This was followed by California Baby Squid and Tuna Sashimi "Nuta" style, with Pickled Scallion and Wakame Seaweed Chips.  One of my favorite courses of the night, the squid was stuffed with blue crab and sliced. The squid ink miso was, in my mind, the best application of miso of the night and perfectly briny, salty and bursting with umami.

Next was the Taiwan Miso Ramen Soup, Ground Steak, Bean Sprouts, Red Hot Chili and Crispy Egg Noodle. What came out was actually a slider between noodle "buns" and a separate soup. For me, the slider exhibited good flavor but the egg noodle "buns" lacked structural integrity, making it a messy bite. The broth didn't quite stand up to the bolder flavors of the slider and the overall dish lacked cohesiveness.

The fifth course was Sushi Rice Salad "Shikai Maki" Cucumber, Prosciutto, Tuna, Fontina and Miso Emulsion. Another fish and cheese combo that threw me but it was an exceptionally beautiful plate. And the accompaniments to the shikai maki - a wonderful miso emulsion and the prosciutto - made this dish.

The final savory course was a Dengaku "Trio" of Braised Wagyu with Summer Truffle, Crispy Tofu with Kinome, and Polenta with Chorizo. The miso glazed wagyu was the single best bite of Okuwa's whole menu. Rich, gamey, with a one-two umami punch of miso and truffle.

The first dessert was the Caramel Miso Cream, Almond Cinnamon Crumble, Apricot Sorbet and Butter Milk Foam. One of the highlights of the meal, the saltiness of the miso paired perfectly with the sweetness of the caramel to create a umami-heavy salted caramel ice cream.

The final dessert course was the Pliable Yuzu Curd, Candied Raspberry, Chocolate Sponge, Dry Miso Powder, Sweet Miso Chips and Coconut Sorbet. Looking almost like string cheese, the yuzu curd was bitingly citric and sour, offset by a more calming coconut sorbet. The raspberry provided sweetness, the cookie pieces textures, the miso chips crunch and the miso powder flecks of flavor.

So did Chef Makoto Okuwa live up to my Iron Chef sized expectations? There were certainly high points, and points for creativity and plating design. I did feel there was a tendency to add a few too many elements to each plate and, while inventive, this tended to cloud the clarity of his vision. The sum of the parts was sometimes greater than the whole. But still, a challenging, creative and bold exploration of the different tastes and textures of miso and a great showcase of its versatility.

And I'd challenge Michael Simon to do a better job with miso.

Test Kitchen : Top Sous Chef

"It's Top Chef, not Top Sous Chef."

Tom Colicchio loves to run that line every season or two on Top Chef. But tonight at Test Kitchen, it was Top Sous Chef.

Three rising sous chefs took center stage tonight to deliver a meal that was Executive Chef-worthy. Dan Moody, Ludo's sous at LudoBites; Amanda Baumgarten, of Top Chef fame and sous at Water Grill; and Dylan Hallas, ex-chef at the plagued Barbarella/Ursa space, and previously of The Tasting Kitchen, Bazaar and Osteria Mozza.

Contributing two courses each of a six course tasting menu, they delivered a meal that was surprisingly cohesive.

Joel Black knocked out great cocktails as usual and Top Chef alum and now ex-Cafe Wa s chef Alex Reznik dropped by to expedite service.

The meal started with Chef Dan's Foie Gras Powdered Donuts with Shallot Jelly Filling. Definitely influences of Chef Ludo here. This was the same infamous foie gras powder at LudoBites 4.0. Rendered foie gras and tapioca maltodextrin. The donut itself was a comforting start to the meal, the shallot jelly dressing looking like a sweet jelly filling but surprisingly meaty in taste. I would have loved to have tried these hot but unfortunately ours came out room temp.

Accompanying this was Joel's first cocktail of the night, the What a Jerk. Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum, Appleton 12 yr Jamaican Rum, St Elizabeth Allspice Dram, fresh lemon and honey, this was a smoky, heady, enveloping cocktail. All that was missing was a Cuban cigar.

Next up was Chef Amanda's Soft Shell Crab with Corn Relish, Tomato, Bacon and Vinaigrette. Now, viewers of Top Chef probably remember her as the "cute one" but often criticized by certain other chefs. I've got to say, editing probably didn't do her justice as she knocked this dish out of the park. The soft shell crab was meaty and crispy, her corn and bacon relish both sweet and smokily salty, and overall a beautiful looking plate. Inventive? Maybe not. But a satisfying, comforting dish I could eat again and again.

Dylan's first dish, the Tartine of Chanterelle Mushrooms, Bone Marrow and Herb Salad was 86ed by the time we ate. Unfortunate, as I would have liked to have tasted it but that's the vagaries of a one night pop-up.

We returned to Chef Dan's next course, the Pan Seared Striped Bass, Vadouvan Beets, Yellow Coconut, Curry Hollandaise and Fried Spinach. The vadouvan bore the hallmarks of Ludo but the dish was all Dan's. The striped bass was well cooked, the puree of vadouvan beets below adding sweetness and spice, the curry hollandaise taking us to the Subcontinent, and the fried spinach a textural counterpoint. But what made this dish was a wonderful frozen red beet, sherry vinegar and bacon fat sorbet that sat atop the whole dish, imbuing it with heat, acid and a refreshing iciness. A standout dish and one to keep in his repertoire.

Time for another cocktail, this time the Internal Affair. Tequila, fresh lemon, prickly pear, and cherry bomb jalapeno syrup. Tasting like a cherry magarita with a kick, the prickly pear added a greeness to it that I'm not sure I liked.

Amanda's next dish was her Wild King Salmon with Sauce Soubise, Leek and Date Compote, and Sherry Reduction. A great story of small catch pre-spawn salmon by a rustically named fisherman in Alaska, but my salmon was rather dry. Still, the skin was nicely crisped and the accompaniments on this dish elevated it. A flavorful and smooth soubise, the sweet leek and date compote, and cubes of a lemon mousse fritter.

Finally, dessert and my first taste of Chef Dylan's cuisine. A sweet and savory Burrata with Peaches. Made from imported Italian cream, the Di Stefano burrata was expectedly creamy and exhibited a smokiness. But the addition of honey and peaches, and the sparing use of sea salt added layers to the dish.

Of course, there was another cocktail to accompany dessert. This time the Trinidadian Ice Cream. Zaya 12 year rum, vanilla ice cream, Angostura Bitters, caramel and flowering basil. I liken this to an adult float. Sweet, alcoholic, satisfying and potent. Definitely a dessert cocktail.

We migrated to the bar for drinks and industry gossip with Chefs Dan, Amanda, Dylan, Alex, master mixologist Joel, Test Kitchen brains Brian, Bill, and Stephane, and the assorted blogger barflies.

The "boards of fame" came out in the kitchen for signature too. These have been signed by all the guest chefs at Test Kitchen.

Everything from simple signatures to the more flowery prose of Neal Fraser, "Grab your dicks and eat some food", signed "Kenny Mother Fuckin' Powers".

Oh, and of course a final drink. A refreshing whisky and blackberry syrup potion whipped up by Joel.

Tomorrow, these sous chefs might return to the shadows of their executive chefs but, for tonight, the spotlight was all theirs.