Takami and Mazzy

Last night we went out to celebrate Chad's birthday. We went to a very cool restaurant in downtown LA called Takami, which has to be one of LA's most attractive and unique venues. Located on the corner of Flower Street and Wilshire Boulevard, it is 21 floors above LA's financial district with amazing views of the city and beyond. We sat outside on the patio, which was perfect. I loved the rooftop atmosphere. Our server was from Maine and was so friendly, he definitely added to the enjoyment of the evening. He recommended a bottle of Kikusui sake, which I think is a common sake since I recognized the pretty blue bottle it came in. I am surely not a sake connoisseur, I actually cannot make any distinction between different cold sakes, but it was very light and refreshing.You can see the rooftop bar at "The Standard" in the background of the photo.

We had “Takami Edamame,” soybeans sautéed in garlic butter and soy sauce. These were very tasty.

Poki Martini, Spicy Tuna Poki with Finely Chopped Mild Red Onions Fresh Wasabi, garnished with Thinly Sliced Lemons & Cucumber on a seaweed salad. Somewhat bland, not spicy at all. I would say this wasn't anything spectacular.

Oysters on the Half Shell, Fresh Seasonal Oysters served on Ice. Big and juicy. Tasted great. Came with three sauces, which were fun to try, but I have to say horseradish, lemon, and cocktail sauce is still my favorite with oysters.

Soft Shell Crab, Fried Soft Shell Crab with Sweet & Spicy Soy Dressing. Spectacular!

Sashimi plate. Fresh and delicious with a nice assortment.

There were so many other things we wanted to try, so we will have to go back again! The manager, Andrew, came by to check on us, and he was also an east coaster from Annapolis and super friendly. Chad and him exchanged favorite hangouts there.

Afterwards we decided to venture out into the city of LA, which I don't think we've ever done, and checked out the Golden Gopher. On the outside it looks plain jane but then you walk in and you're like "wow, it's cool in here". The music is good, dark atmosphere, old school video game tables (Ms. Pacman, Centipede and Asteroids), urban cocktail lounge vibe. We recognized the bartender from a bar he used to work at in Pasadena. He made us good drinks. They have a photobooth in the bar, and yes, we used it. It also has a unique liquor "to go” counter on the way out, thanks to its still valid 1905 liquor license, issued when Teddy Roosevelt was Commander-in-Chief.

I had a great lesson on Mazzy this morning. She is really coming along. This week she got back shoes on for the first time and that seemed to help support her hind end. Her trot is relaxed and fluid, and her canter is feeling much more solid and controllable. We are working on getting her to step up underneath herself more instead of the strung out, legs going in every direction feeling. It is hard work for her due to her young age, undeveloped muscles and huge size (almost 17 hands at age three), but she is trying really hard to do what is asked of her. We are also working on getting her to travel straight without loosing her haunch to the outside. She is really fun to ride. I am so excited with all the progress she has made and grateful to have such a great trainer. It is such a fantastic feeling to get on her the day after a schooling session and feel a big difference. Makes you really appreciate the professionals!

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Blog Carnival - My Favorite Food

Thanks to Stormy Designs for hosting the EtsyBloggers August 28th Blog Carnival!

I would have to say sushi is my favorite food, at Katsu-ya in particular. I don't go there very often, it is a bit far, it is always packed to the gills with a long wait, the parking situation is terrible and there about 100 sushi restaurants between my house and Katsu-ya, but on special occasions, that is the place. It is by far my favorite. I am going there next week and I am am so looking forward to it!

They have some unique concoctions. Here are some of my favorites....

Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice with Jalapeno - Hands down the best sushi creation ever made! Honestly it is a celebration in your mouth!

Baked Crab Hand Roll - Baked snow crab lightly kissed with Chef’s signature sauce wrapped with rice in soy paper... One taste will leave you wanting more.

Honey Hand Roll. Baked crab, spicy tuna, creamy avocado wrapped in a black sesame-flecked soy paper. Luscious.

Spicy Albacore with Crispy Onion. Packed full of flavor, the textures meld together well.

Crispy Sesame Tuna. Spicy tuna and creamy avocado on a crispy wonton.
Seared Tuna With Japanese Salsa - Seared tuna sashimi served with fresh tomatoes, cilantro and avocado
The weird thing is I don't think I've ever ordered traditional sushi here, thier specials are so delicious I never have room for sushi I can get anywhere else.

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Ai's Sushi / Fair Oaks Pharmacy

After a mentally exhausting day dealing with Kylie's vet appointment, we met the Bagan's for sushi in South Pasadena at Ai's. Since I have cut out most carbohydrates from my diet, I am running out of things I can or want to eat. Sashimi is one of the only things that really appeals to me right now, so I am always more than happy to have it. Chad and I have been to Ai's many times, and it has its pros and cons. The service is never very good, especially when they get busy which they do on the weekends. Everyone's food arrived about 20 minutes before mine, but that didn't really bother me last night, they gave me a free beer while waiting (yes I know that has carbs :-)). The sashimi was fresh and tasty and the company was enjoyable.
We then walked over to the Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain to browse the interesting gift store. They have a large selection of Retro Memorabilia and gag gifts (as you can see from the picture).

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The Americana at Brand

The third Katsuya born from SBE Restaurant Group's partnership with master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi and super-star designer Phillippe Starck. Chic, modern design meets inventive sushi in a nouveau-mall environment that rivals the Grove. The sushi was as good as the Katsu-ya in Studio City that we go to, however, it was a completely different experience. The two story restaurant is beautiful (very trendy) and the service was great. They had an interesting twist on sushi bar seating, which was perfect for the four of us. Little tables jetted out from the sushi bar to accomodate more sushi bar seating. It is also much better for group socializing. It was a great dinner, but very pricey, of course! Pete, Kim, Chad and myself indulged in Seared Tuna w/ Japanese Salsa, Spicy Albacore Sashimi w/ Crispy Onion, Crispy Rice w/ Spicy Tuna, Special Katsuya Roll, Blue Crab Hand Roll, Salmon Sushi, Crispy Sesame Tuna, lots of Cold Saki!

We didn't have much time to explore the "Americana", but walking down the paved pathways, you almost feel as if you're strolling Boston's Newbury Street or Georgetown in Washington D.C. Or the main drag in Vegas. A 2-acre grassy knoll features an 80-foot "dancing" fountain, the centerpiece of the project, with stores and a playground curving around all sides. Some stores include: Calvin Klein, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Lacoste, Martin + Osa, Free People, H&M, Juicy Couture, Custo Barcelona and XXI from Forever 21, Kiehl's, Beard Papa, Barneys New York Co-Op, Kate Spade and Tiffany & Co. Can't wait to go back!

We stopped at the retro-Polynesian restaurant Damon's on the way for dangerously potent mai tai. They make a good string drink there!

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