NYC Bestie Trip - Day 1 - cont

There's not even a line at the TKTS booth as we approach only an hour before the box offices close. The booth is a trip down memory lane, and we score some last-minute tickets to Hadestown. 

Watching beloved Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) rise from the dead…or rise to rule the dead...in his portrayal of Hades was a treat - who knew the soft-spoken CSI could sing in a deep, booming voice that fills the entire theater? 

Orpheus has the voice of an angel...the kind that is sweet and pure but only hits half the notes. Eurydice's story hardly sticks with the original myth, and I cringe that a snake bite is spun into a scandalous story. It is implied that she indulges in all the vices and Orpheus tries to pull her from a hell of her own making, unable to undo her deal with the devil. 

Plot points aside, the music is mesmerizing; 33 songs and all of them big. The whole production is beautiful, and there's a reason they've stayed put for 7 years. 

We return to our hotel in time to catch the final minutes of Game 5, as the Knicks narrowly beat the San Antonio Spurs to win the series. Watching them fight for the coveted title is intoxicating, as they end a 35 year-long drought.

The streets are wild, and our proximity to Times Square gives us front-row seats to all of the antics, a gathering of collective joy. 

...And we've only been here 7 hours.

NYC Bestie Trip - Day 1 - Xi’an Famous Foods - New York, NY

A perfectly punctual flight is followed by two rather tense taxi rides. The careless finger of our cabbie hits google maps with no one the wiser and lands us in the middle of Queens. There's nothing to do but to pay for another ride, after which we arrive.

We are famished despite the in-flight snacks, and we venture out to Xi'an Famous Foods. One of few decent options in the area, this affordable food stall-style eatery entertains the taste buds with its fast-casual style of service and simply delicious food. 

A haw berry hibiscus tea is just what post-flight dry-mouth needs, cold and refreshing with a flavor that is sandy and tart. Sour contrasts the spicy food, and the sweeter notes are soothing.

They make a proper Liang Pi here, thick, almost-gelatinous chilled noodles with cukes for extra cool and porous seitan cubes for contrasting texture. A vinegar-forward sauce cuts through the humidity of the city that hangs upon your skin.

The Stewed Pork Burger is incredibly juicy and soft, with belly cuts stewed long and slow in soy sauce and (I suspect) five spice seeping soup between the bread. The mo bun is thin but dense, and the seared sides keep it crispy. 

Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles make mouthfuls of utter bliss. Wide as a gentleman’s belt and just as thick, these doughy ribbons spiral around slices of savory lamb. If you only try one thing, this should be the one. 

If you were to say our food looks a little bit bland, I would say you're right. We select mild spice on every option despite the recommendation for more, out of fear that our pre-theater, post-flight, 40 year-old stomachs will make us suffer during the show. Still, there is flavor without the reflux, and if the blander version is this good, I must return to try the flavors full force.

Baby Bistro - Los Angeles

Move over Baroo, and make room for Baby Bistro. Now sharing the podium for my favorite restaurant in LA, this cottage-esque, open-kitchen establishment is the epitome of all things LA. 

The menu is 6 hand-written items with the option to add on something else +/- bread. It's designed to be a tasting for two that preserves the diner's ability to opt out with dignity and grace. Whether for reasons of appetite, allergy, budget, or personal preference, you do you with no explanation required. 

We did us so we did it all. The signature Onion Bread, Foxglove that tops every menu places a cold concoction of green bean and tomato with a stripe of creamy cheese upon a hot, fluffily-dense chewy-crumb slice. 

Unbeknownst to us, we just happened to hit their one-night guest-chef collab with Heritage, and for that we got the Cannonball Cabbage, Anchovy. It's a signature from the Long Beach farm-to-table, a sweet and crunchy slice with charred edges and anchovy cream to add umami. As expected from Heritage, the cabbage itself is stellar, I just wish the portion were a little lot bigger. 

The Scallop, Basil belongs to Baby, a citrus-bright slurp of the sweetest, most tender-textured scallops bolstered by basil. Dehydrated basil seeds add earthiness, and a substantial sprinkle of Aleppo chilies permeate with smoky sophistication. 

The supplemental Salad of Frying Peppers is a play on textures with tenderly-rubbery little-cap mushrooms that make the peppers a bit more playful. Curry leaves set a serious tone, adding dark and earth for cohesion and refinement. 

Baby's Blue Prawns, Cucumber are a close second to the scallops on the list of best things I've ever eaten. Chilies give sweet flesh sass, best consumed with the gooey contents from the head. Cooling cucumber is covered in a clingy, creamy "green goddess"-type sauce, and there's a bed of fat couscous for a hit of acid as well. 

Heritage makes a medium rare King Salmon, Green Garlic with a skin so crispy there's an audible crunch when you cut and flesh that melts in your mouth.

Dessert has Yogurt, Herb Tea with a yogurt most creamy and panna-cotta thick coated by a cool-cuke granita in a tea jelly lake. 

If I had to give a concise description of Baby Bistro (because, let's face it, nothing I describe is concise), I would say it's "LA fine dining", casual fine dining done right. The ambiance is California-casual, friendly service with plenty of chill. They serve what they want, cook what they like, and curate a wine list that contents but doesn't overwhelm. Each dish is exquisite, every ingredient highlighted, not a single flavor wasted. It stands up to anything on the east coast minus the side of stuffy serving, and it sets the standard to which LA fine dining should aspire. 

Old Fashion Deli & Market - Glendale

A deli that caters the kabob, the kind that hosts real Armenians, cranking out the kind of food that makes us the rest of us wish we were Armenians. 

There's a Luleh that's super tender that finishes not as heavy as you'd think. 

Racing rivulets of savory soup stuff and surround savory chunks of chicken thigh, the most boring meat made most enticing. 

I've had my fair share of kabob, but this stuff is something special. The marinades go all the way through the meat, and there's a flavor you just can't easily find. I never thought I'd go to Glendale just for a deli, but this one is worth every mile. 

Kimukatsu - Torrance

Tokyo Central's in-store, sit-down, stop-when-you-shop, super-specialist Kimukatsu really only serves one thing. 

The Special Pork Millefeuille Katsu Set is the sole reason to sit and savor every slice. The science of the layers seals in all the flavor.

Squint at this cross-section and you can just barely see the juices shine. 

There's also unlimited rice and cabbage as well as a flavor-packed miso soup with tender slices of belly-pork. 

Don't dismiss the side salad - the sesame dressing is delish. 

The chicken katsu is solid as well, though not quite as stellar. 

Fantastic food, small selection, just make sure the special pork is on your plate. 

Torikizoku - Torrance

Japan's most popular chain came to Torrance and changed its hours to include times I can make. 

Stuff on sticks with some sides is all you see on this menu, though they have a few daily specials as well, like this Tako Karaage. Chewy, spectacular, tentacular bits breaded by a batter that stays crispy throughout your meal. Surprisingly fruity yuzu salsa not needed. 

Skewers include a Chicken Heart makes me happy, 

Harami Beef has special sauce. 

Chicken Thigh with green onion is nice and tender, and Meatball is just minor.

Gotta love grilled Quail Egg,

and palate-cleansing cabbage and onion salad with lots of bonito flakes for flavor. 

Don't skip dessert - the Melon Soda Float is magnificent. Served in a sizeable stein, it's best for sharing but either way, it'll supply all the sugar you need in a month. 

They serve an exceptional Hochija Pudding here. The roasty-toasty tea notes are the star, not overshadowed by sweetness. Ice cream is unnecessary, and it almost feels like a filler for a standout that should be a standalone. 

Good food, good fun. Nice for a little lunch or a later night nosh. 

Kuya Lord - Los Angeles

For me the food at Kuya Lord was indescribable...or maybe just unpronounceable. 

Because I have a lot of words for the string-tied, herb-filled Lucenachon, a Filipino porchetta with skin that cracks like a splintering plank of wood when you break it and makes melty crunchies with the liquid fat at meat beneath.

Inihaw Na Sugpo Sa Aligue is a mouthful...of beautiful blue prawns with such gooey, spicy heads still on, just oozing with garlic chili sauce. 

Lechon Kawali is lovely, all belly, good skin. Dip in vinegar for best results.

All trays come with Java Garlic Rice, which pairs well with any protein. The ropy noodles of the Pancit Chami have a fantastic texture and a fragrant sweet n' fishy finish. Housemade Achara is best between bites to break up the big meats.

Everyone's had a little lechon, but Kuya Lord goes above and beyond. The porks are perfection, the prawns are a marvel, and the sides are satisfying as well. I dare say this is the best Filipino barbecue in LA, one I'll be frequenting in pursuit of porchetta.