Friday, July 27, 2007

So Busy...

It's been really busy at work...due to the fact that a lot of different magazines have covered us. We are rated on citysearch, zagat and gayot. Gayot rated us as one of LA's top ten hottest restaurant. So it's been non stop since my last post. We've added a few new desserts and also changed some of the plating around.

One of the new dessert is Peach Citrus. It's a warm peach salad tossed in a sweet balsamic reduction with different citrus fruits like Grapefruit, orange and blood oranges. It is served with a martini glass that is layered with Lychee Gelee, Mint Gelee, Vanilla Yogurt mousse and topped with an Apricot Spiced Caramel sauce. On the side is Peach sorbet with a citrus tuile!

Another is Cherry Mon Cheri...flourless chocolate cake with layers of Dark chocolate mousse and white chocolate mousse. A shooter of Cherry smoothie and some flambeed Cherries in a Cherry Sherry sauce. For ice cream is a Ciabatta Bread ice cream.

Our newest addition is the Hazelnut Caramal soup served with vadouvan foam. On the side is a slice of traditional Breton Cake from the French region of Brittany. A french macaroon with Hibiscus gelee and a banana marshmellow. The ice cream on this plate is Guinness Ice cream.

I've always felt that the ice cream is the star of the plate...but that's just me. I love the different flavors that we play with...

Monday, June 18, 2007

From The Other Side

I've admired the cuisine for so long and it was time to be viewing and enjoying it from the other side! Last week I went to dine at Abode with my friends. We decided to have the tasting menu and my chef did an amazing job. It blew our minds away!!

Since I work there, I kind of knew what to expect but wow, I guess Chef changed it up for us because I had an unexpected fabulous experience!

We started off with an amuse bouche of cilantro lychee sorbet. Next up was Carrot soup with a sea urchin carrot emulsion. On the side was a fried blue cheese and fennel ball. Great combination!

The langostine course was so tasty. I wasn't expecting a dish I hadn't seen. It was amazing. We had started on our 2nd bottle of wine by now...our table was happily enjoying every minute. Next course was the Halibut. It was also prepared in a way I had never seen. The fish was perfectly cooked. So juicy and moist. Every portion was just perfect.

My favorite course was the beef tenderloin. Oh my gosh...so tender, cooked to perfection. Served with a sweet red pepper jus and squid stuffed with paella. Wow. My friends just couldn't stop talking about this course. Our red wine was the perfect balance and we savored each bite!

Before our dessert course, Chef brought out a plate of cheese and we opened a bottle of sweet dessert wine. We were so happy that I think we giggled thru the entire cheese course with a lot of wow and hmmmm. I love the lavender compote and candied pecans that came with it. I love cheese and wine so it was the perfect dessert for me...then the dessert course came out. Our famous chocolate souffle egg, rum gelee with coconut lime creme, banana mango croquette and the bacon & thyme ice cream. I asked for some of the pink peppercorn ice cream with the candied pink peppercorns so that my friends could try it. It was so good!

Overall we had such a great time and I was so happy my friends love the restaurant as much as I do. Chef was great, visiting us and making every guest feel like a VIP. It was definitely one of the best meal I've ever had in LA. It's no wonder that Gayot.com voted Abode as one of LA's hottest restaurants!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Playing with Ice Creams

I feel like I have an obsession with trying out different flavors of ice cream. I see it as a blank canvas which you can create anything you want. I'm so glad that Chef encourages us to try out our recipes. Every time I find a new interesting recipe, I want to try it out. When it turns out the way I imagine I feel so great. There are times when it doesn't come out quite the way I had envisioned so I try again. If it still doesn't taste or the texture isn't what I'm looking for then I'll try to modify it until it works. Keeps the brainstorm going!

My recent play was a bacon & egg ice cream. I wasn't sure about it at first since it's so far out there but after I made it, the initial tasting of the ice cream was AWESOME! I can't believe how good it is. Given it is kind of weird for some people to comprehend but for the adventurous, it's one of the best ice cream flavors out there! Sweet & a little salty. Delicious!

Sunday, May 13, 2007

New Dishes!

Mother's Day has just passed. Now we can all breathe a little. Abode has picked up a lot since my last post and it's been very busy. New menu items in both savory and dessert has certainly kept everyone busy. The best part of new items meant we get to try it as well. yummy!

I love how most of the dishes are fish instead of meat. Barramundi, Halibut and Black cod. Arctic Char is served at lunch and Brunch. I love seafood and I love to eat fish. The barramundi is one of the best fish dish to eat. For a fish, it's very meaty and it is prepared so well.

The halibut is great. Crusted in crispy Prosciutto and served with white asparagus. My favorite still is the black cod. It just melts in your mouth and the sea urchin carrot foam sauce is just so perfect with the fish.

I admire my chef's creativity and the plates are always beautiful. The cuisine isn't something you see everyday and each dish is made with so much detail. I'm so impressed by the flavors them.

With Desserts we have 3 new dishes. Pain Perdu is like french toast served with strawberry syrup and thyme praline with a side of Lemon Gelato. Coconut soup with lemongrass panna cotta, banana cake croutons, passionfruit syrup, shiso ice cream and cilantro caviar. Chocolate Ginger cake with chickpea cream and fennel ice cream.

My friends who ate there said it's been one of their best meals in LA. They all mention that it's been so long since they had such an amazing meal. I know for a fact they haven't stop talking about it for about 2 weeks now! Every chance they get, they describe to their other friends the meal at Abode. When they introduce me to their friends, I get the introduction of, "she the one that works at Abode, you know, the restaurant I told u about...the one where we should all go. You have to try it." Of course, they also say the dessert is mind blowing!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

What Abode is Really About

I know I've only really talked about what's going on with the restaurant and the food and I think I touched on the subject of what concept our restaurant is but didn't really go into it. I think I finally have a little time to explain.

I think with so many restaurants and so many new "trends" or "concepts" people are not really sure what they really mean. The first time I mentioned organic to my friends, they had initially thought it meant vegetarian. They think of bland vegetarian dishes. But Organic is describing how the produce is grown. The reason why it is so expensive is because the growers have so many regulations to follow and many years of investment to get that federal organic stamp. Most products are now described as "sustainable".

Nowadays another way of being green is being responsible. We are a restaurant that strives to be responsible. We are not a miracle worker that can save the world but we are one of many restaurants that is trying our hardest to be responsible to our community and to the environment. I want to be correct on my definition of Sustainability so I got it from Answers.com : "Sustainability is an attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future."

From what I know, we buy our produce from the farmer's market in Santa Monica. Our suppliers for Meat and Fish and Produce are all companies that is known for being sustainable. We donate our used oil for old diesel cars that have been converted to burn oil. During the restaurant's renovation the owners didn't want to waste any of the materials. They used left over wood to make a motif on the wall. That's the kind of restaurant we are.

I am so proud to be part of something like Abode. It is hard to make people aware of what's going on in the world. I'm glad that we are a group of people who is trying to do our part to help.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Our Desserts

So far we have 5 desserts on the menu. I know we will be adding at least one more. I think we are also planning on some Mignardise but haven't decided on what yet. Hopefully by next week we'll decide on what petit fours to make and serve.

So far I think our most popular dessert is the Chocolate Study. 5 different chocolate desserts that incorporate the different texture, taste and temperature. Definitely the best dessert for any chocoholic....like me!

I love our Pina Colada Float, it's is such a unique dessert and people never expect it. The tastes combined is unbelievable.

The citrus dessert is great for everyone, it's light and delicious. Different citrus are served in a sweet and sour sauce with vanilla yogurt mousse. Of course there is a delicious ice cream on there too!

Our take on the chocolate tart is so innovative. The ice cream that is paired with the tart is my favorite. The chocolate is so decadent. I can eat it all day!

The Banana Mango Croquettes are great...I love how everything looks on the plate. I love all the ice cream and sauces we've made that pairs so well with each dessert.

These are not your usually desserts. It's art on a plate. It's like a journey thru taste. I love it.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Opening Day!

Wow...it's great how well things are running so much smoother with 2 days of practice. Although I know everyone is still a little stressed and of course very tired, but the vibe is picking up even more. The line is running very smoothly and much faster than the first day. Since we are desserts, we all have a little bit of time before our course is plated so I have been enjoying watching the line work and it's amazing to see how a plate comes together.

The plates are amazing from the appetizers to the entrees to the cheese plates and of course the desserts too! Every plate that goes out is like a work of art.
I hope every customer can taste and enjoy the combination of flavors and textures of each dish. So much thought, energy and care went into them!

It's great to have guidance in the pastry area. We played around with different plating and finally decided on what plate to use and how each dessert should look. The effect is wonderful. The plating is fabulous and I think very impressive.

We all want clean plates coming back to the kitchen...we all want everyone to say wow when dessert arrives at their table. We all want everyone to enjoy their entire dining experience. I know it's something we can achieve easily. That's how great our team is.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Stressed = Desserts

Today was a tough day for me, personally. I was sick the first couple of hours at work...it took 3 painkillers before I felt better. I wasn't sick with the flu kinda sick but just in pain. I usually hate taking painkillers too but I was feeling weak and sluggish. I'll be better tomorrow.

Then of course there are the worries and stress. I knew my mom was going into surgery and I waited most of the night/morning for my sister to call with an update. I guess the operation was longer then I expected because I didn't get any call before I went to work. Thru out work I had that in the back of my mind but I was so busy that I even forgot to eat! After work I finally was able to check my voicemail. My sister just said to call back since mom was awake. That's good news. Now I can breathe easier.

Our station was very busy trying to get things done since most of the ingredients arrived today but some were delivered too late to finish certain items. I'm sure we'll finish everything tomorrow before the opening day on Wednesday. I was very stressed about getting things done. I think I wasn't confident enough to just do it so I wanted to ask both Chefs for advice before actually making anything. Especially since we hadn't made any of these desserts before. Some instructions were misinterpreted and we messed up on a few things. I feel so bad about it. I'm going in earlier tomorrow to correct those mistakes. I feel disappointed with myself. I know, it's the first day but I've always pushed myself to do things perfectly and when it doesn't happen I feel awful.

I saw some plating from other stations and everything looked great. I think everyone is doing a good job. I know a few are a little stressed out and nervous. It's all so new...where things are, how we all work together, how things go together, how everything is plated, how everything is suppose to look and taste. It's all very exciting but stressful as well. I know everyone is nervous about the opening day but I believe we are glad it's finally here. Once we get into the grove of things, it will just flow.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Excitement

We are scheduled to open to the public on Wed. We were busy today prepping for the opening. It's a big deal because there are reservations already and I think some are for big name celebrities. It's all very exciting.

Eliot and I have gone thru the updated menu and we were trying to prep all the things that needs time to do. I think people forget how much sugar and eggs dessert needs because we ran out of eggs only after a few items. There were a lot of ingredients that hadn't been delivered so we weren't able to make everything we wanted to. I really really wanted to make at all the desserts from the menu but I guess we'll do our trial runs on Monday and Tuesday. So far we've touched on different components from each dish. I want to make sure we got everything perfect and that everything we make taste the way it should. If it can be better, I would love to figure out what needs to be tweaked.

This past Wednesday was a little hectic. We did a lunch tasting menu for a website review and at night we did another tasting menu for Dr.90210. The E! TV crew came in to film us again. It was great, they microphoned Chef and it was great to see her work as they filmed. What was funny to us was that the kitchen was calm as they filmed. They wanted some craziness but I think people just presume all kitchens to be like Top Chef or Hell's Kitchen or Iron Chef...people running around frantic to get everything done. We are a prepared kitchen. I know once we are open to the public, it might get a little crazy but I'm sure with our team, we will be as prepared as we can be.

Since I work pastry and dessert is always the last course, I have had time to watch my co-workers do their magic. I've enjoyed watching them work. I see the passion and dedication with each of them. I've come to admire all my colleagues. Where else can you a group of people who loves their job so much that they are happy to go to work everyday? I look forward to going to work like people who look forward to the weekends. I believe that in this profession, those who truly excel are those who live and breathe culinary.

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Gala Opening!

I am completely exhausted...after many many hrs at work and on my feet all day...my body is not used to it yet. After 1 week of work, my body will adjust...it always does! Right now I am too happy to sleep. The restaurant's gala opening was a HUGE success. My chef and the owners of the restaurant told us at the end of the night how great everything was. We had 5 different magazines there...along with countless celebrities. Too bad we were too busy in the kitchen to see who they were...I'm sure we'll find out via gossip magazines! I did hear that some of the cast of Grey's Anatomy was there!

The E! crew came in and filmed us preparing for service with Chef giving us a prep talk. It was really great. Everyone worked so well together, we were so happy to be working for such a great restaurant and with Chef D and Chef C as our leaders...what more can we ask for. I'm feel so lucky to have this job because of the people I'm working with.

One co-worker gave me a great complement tonight. We were talking about 1st kitchen jobs and he was surprised this was my first kitchen job. He told me I was great tonight...he was really shocked that I hadn't worked in the kitchen before...I felt great.

Once service started it was like we were on productive excellency mode. Since desserts didn't need to go out until at least 9:30pm....I helped out with the line. I can now talk about the menu. Everything was bite size...Eggplant Churizo, Oyster shooter with Yuzu gelee, Lamb lollipop with Mint caviar (I helped with that, I was happy to learn how make them...I really wanna use it in a dessert someday) Steak braised in butter with a mushroom truffle sauce...it was to die for! The scallops was my favorite. Lastly a gourmet Ham & Cheese sandwich. Of course none of these are as simple as it sounds. I wasn't part of preparing these dishes so I can't really explain them in detail. I know a lot of work was involved with preparing each dish. The spices and the detail that went into each dish is like love!

Ok...now to something I know...desserts. We had Saffron Chocolate Mousse which is one part of our Taste of Chocolate Dinner Dessert. It was a rich chocolate flavor with a hint of saffron. One of the best chocolate mousse I've ever had. Then comes our glory dish. Pina Colada Float topped with a pineapple chip. It is innovative and one of the best desserts I've ever had in my life. The flavors go so well together and it's surprising to people when they see how cool it looks! I love every minute I was working...helping each other out...plating, creating and just enjoying being part of this amazing restaurant.

After we were all done, Chef came in to talk to us. Gave us a great talk...talking about our success for the night and our future successes. Our goal is to get 4 stars from LA times and at least 1 Michelin star! Pressure? Nah...I know our team can do it. We are all dedicated to the success of this restaurant.

Friday, April 6, 2007

First Day as Abode Pastry Chef

So today I went to work. It was great, it was really good to be working. The entire team was so happy to actually be cooking again. Since all of us has been waiting for Abode to open, we all have been unemployed and bored at home.

As soon as I got to work I started to snap away. I wanted to document the first day of work at Abode. It was fun. Since there was an AM team and a PM team, I think I might have missed some people. It's ok, more pictures will be taken tomorrow!

We got our uniform. My chef coat is so nice, a little big but it's Egyptian cotton. Unbelievably comfortable

We finished 1 dessert and prepped the 2nd dessert. So far, it taste terrific. I can't wait to plate it and see the final result. It's going to be HOT!!

One More Day...

I start my real first day of work tomorrow! We are going to prep for the Gala Grand Opening which is on Saturday. It will be Eliot and me alone for the Gala. Pressure is on again! I am very excited. We estimate making about 150-200 for each dessert. We are doing two desserts. Miniature size of the 2 from our menu. I won't write what they are until I've tasted them so that I can describe them.

Another piece of exciting news is that E! will be there filming the Gala. I think it will be part of "Dr. 90210"'s show. He is one of our investor! The buzz about Abode is swarming around LA and it's getting bigger. Expectations is at an extreme high. I'm sure we will live up to it since our team is amazing.

Abode has so much vibe for creativity that will make our menu shine. It will be refreshing for LA's culinary scene.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

A Change

Today we were at the restaurant to start cleaning some of the new equipments and get ready for the restaurant's opening. The restaurant is coming along beautifully. The decor is ultra cool. Everything is natural. They chose to use wood, marble and leather as the theme thru out the restaurant and it is really amazing.

I had a private meeting with my chef today. I was on a natural high to know what she thought of me. I think one of the best compliment I've ever received was when Chef said I reminded her of herself when she first started out. I am also honored that she wants me to be part of the team for years..for the long run. Esp. for the next restaurant they want to open. It's such a big honor for Chef to believe in me like that. By that I know I have to change the way I think and trust myself...I just need to boost my confidence which I know will come with experience. I know I will give Chef everything I have, not to impress her but to show her my respect because she believes in me and my abilities.

I'm super excited about the restaurant and really can't wait for it to be open.

Friday, March 23, 2007

1st Round!

So it was the first time I made anything that my chefs were going to eat/taste hence my stress to succeed. When I told her I made something she was very excited to try it and I had described it as not my best....just because I know it wasn't my best work. It's was pretty good but not my best. I've done so much better in other desserts. So I brought out the green tea cheesecake for her to try and when she tasted it she liked it. It was a win for me. Our Chef de Cuisine liked it too so I was very happy with it. They both said it was good. I know that Chef was disappointed I didn't say it's the best thing I made but I'm only honest about what I create and I definitely intend to stay humble about my work. I think she wants me to express more confidence in myself and my food.

One of my peeves is that a lot of Chefs I've met are really arrogant. Some I have to say can be but there are those out there that just thinks WAY too highly of themselves. I know to be a good chef one must completely believe in and stand behind what they make. They also must have a lot of confidence in themselves but...it doesn't mean you have to become an arrogant ass. I'm so excited and happy that my chef is nothing like that. She is so down to earth and so passionate. I'm very excited to be working for her. I can't wait anymore....I should be in the kitchen by Tuesday!!! Fingers crossed.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Thursday Desserts!

We have a staff BBQ tomorrow and I wanted to bring some desserts. I have spent all day making them. Unfortunately it wasn't what I had expected. I started by making mini tofu cheescake. I expected a smooth texture but the recipe had called for firm tofu. I should've used soemthing else. The firm tofu made the texture too lumpy. I think the recipe is ok...just need to be tweaked. Next I tried an Asian dessert. Sago with a coconut pastry cream filling. That didn't turn out right either. I think my problem was overcooking the sago. It was too gooy. So I screwed up 2 desserts. I started to stress that I didn't have anything to bring to the party.

So after thinking a little I decided to just do what I know best. The desserts I've already done before. I made mini Green tea cheesecakes. They turned out fine. Light green tea taste. It is good. I'm happy with it. I didn't really want to do something that heavy but....really didn't have much choice. I had no clue where I could get mini ramekins like the ones I had in HK. Otherwise I'd probably do my signature creme brulees. I just hope that everyone will be ok with what I bring...maybe I ought to bring alcohol instead.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

1 More Week...Hopefully.

Today was very exciting. We had a meeting and I met everyone from the restaurant. The entire Kitchen team. It's was great to finally meet everyone. The feeling was light and happy. I think everyone of us were really excited and glad to be apart of Abode. I personally can't wait to get into the kitchen. I think it's a wonderful idea to have a dinner together before we open. Next Thursday we are all meeting up for dinner and drinks. It's going to be fun. I think if we are all sorta friends, the kitchen will work together a lot better.

I think by next weekend we should be able to get in and start organizing where all the equipment should go. Labelling and just work out our space. It's going to be great. Just waiting for the health department to ok the kitchen.

There is a dry opening planned where we can invite friends and family to the restaurant. The grand opening is still scheduled for April 7th. Pressure is on!!! All my friends have already started asking me about "getting on the list" for the opening. I think I've created a lot buzz within the few friends I have here. My landlords Kelly & Patrick are so excited about it. We've become really good friends. Roger wants to bring Wendy & also his sisters. There are others but I'm not going to list everyone!

The interior design of the restaurant is amazing. The furniture and decor are all natural material. I think the chairs and tables are all handmade. They cost a fortune and I'm so glad the investors are really serious about this restaurant and want the best all the way thru.

At the meeting, Chef talked about the high expectations since our restaurant is almost classified as super fine dining! It makes me nervous but at the same time very excited. I am nervous because I don't have alot of experience in the kitchen but I am excited to see how much I can push myself to succeed. I want to be able to meet the expectations of Chef and I want the restaurant to be known for the entire meal. I mean most restaurant reviews talk about the highlight of a meal...usually the entree or the dessert stands out. Our goal is for the entire meal to stand out and be balanced. I want to make sure the dessert is going to be as fabulous as the main course. I do not want to disappoint Chef in any way. This will be the pressure I put on myself to make sure I succeed.

To add to the pressure, the James Beard Foundation has a newsletter which will talk about the opening of Abode as well. The PR firm hired to promote the restaurant is one of the best. They are sending out press release packages, etc. Therefore, the pressure is starting to stress me out and I'm not even in the kitchen yet!! People who knows me well knows how anal I can get with making things as perfect as possible. I think my chefs at school knows how much pressure I put on myself for everything I make to be 100% perfect. At least this anal side of me will aid me with making sure I can live up to the standard of Chef.

We worked out the lunch menu and I'm dying to learn the steps to making the entire dinner menu. Lunch menu is stemmed from Dinner...just to start and make it easier for us. I don't know the Petit Fours or the pre-desserts yet. I'm sure Chef will let us know very soon. She also told us that the tasting menu will be different everyday which means that the dessert for the tasting menu will be different everyday. Which means a HUGE challenge for us. I'm really excited about that! Where is there a job that will push your creativity to the limit? I still can't believe that I am part of something so special.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Getting Ready

Before the resturant opens, we have meetings about menus and equipment and of course ingredients. So here is what the pastry department is responsible for: Lunch dessert menu, Dinner Dessert menu, desserts for tasting menus, mignardises, pre desserts, cheese plates and also some of the savory items. I can't believe how much different types of desserts will be on the menus!!! Lunch and Dinner menu desserts are going to be different. The will probably be at least 4 different types of petit fours. There are like a dozen different flavors of sorbets and ice cream for both dessert and savory. I have no clue how many different type of sauces we are going to be responsible for and the brainstorming of different types of desserts have already started. I finally decided I should start reading about molecular gastronomy. Since we are going to be playing with foam sauces and Xanthan gum...I think we are prepping about 1 week before the restaurant opens. It is so exciting.

The types of equipment we are getting is amazing. Total state of the art stuff! I am going to be so spoiled in this kitchen...we are basically getting everything we want! The chef also came up with the idea that maybe the Pastry Chefs should have a different style of chef coats. We are so special!! haa haa!

The Grand Gala Opening is April 7th. I can't wait!!!!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Back in LA with a J-O-B

I know I haven't been writing about the food much and I really should talk about my China trip. However, at this moment.....it's all about the JOB. I landed my so call Dream Job. A job that will allow me to create and serve my own desserts with full support from the exec chef! I am now a Pastry chef with work!!! Abode Restaurant & lounge is really a very excited restaurant since the Chef's vision and mine are pretty close, so I understand her concept completely. It's a restaurant that I would've wanted to open if I had that much money. It's delicate and clean. I'm looking forward to this because I know there is so so much to learn. It will be a fun environment no matter how crazy it gets in the kitchen. I know it will be so busy and I'm looking forward to working again. I realised I hadn't work for an entire year!!! I will definitely be posting up my menus and pictures.......stay tuned!