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.

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.

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!