We made it to our hotel in Burbank to unpack and freshen up....
LA's Chinatown looked so close on the map, but traffic was going to make this "fun"...
I had made reservations here, which are a must since it fills up quickly. I wanted to make sure we got there on time...
Parking was free at the lot next door. Seemed to be unattended so we took a risk and it paid off. Lucky, our car wasn't broken in to.
I have to say that the service here was impeccable. The hostess was great as were our servers. Loved the decor (traditional Philippine decor/textiles, wood, capiz, etc). I didn't take any photos of the interior since it was dark so this is just the food and the menu descriptions...Everything was as delicious as it looked. I loved the presentations here even more than Irenia.
Rice flour chicharron with scallion and mushroom powder with complimentary rose wine
This was like a "kropek" cracker...usually made with tapioca starch and dried shrimp. This was a nice light appetizer...
Wok roasted sugar snap peas with coconut green goddess dressing, pan de sal bread crumbs and patis cured yolk
TC really liked the sauce for this dish...so light and fresh.
Halaan sa Gata - Manila clams, green garlic coconut broth, braised chayote and lemongrass chili oil
Beautiful food and simply amazing and complex broth. The chili oil gave just the right amount of heat. I love Manila clams and will order it anytime I see it, ha ha.
Our server helped us narrow down our choices. I wanted to make sure we hit up on the main areas of the menu.
Inihaw ni Hipon - Rambutan wood grilled shrimp and crispy deep fried heads with palm vinegar sawsawan (dipping sauce)
Once more with feeling...
Eat them crunchy heads with the beady eyes! I wished there were more shrimp to be honest.
XO Pancit - Canton noodles with bagoong XO cream sauce, wilted gailan leaves and pickled stems
Because it was my birthday, our server said we had to have the noodles (the pancit). Their version of XO sauce utilized bagoong and cream, which was surprisingly not as strong as I had feared. There was a lot of umami going on and lovely flavors and textures with the pickled and bitter greens.
Pork Cheek Kaldereta - roasted carrots, confit fingerling potatoes and English peas
This was a totally fancy Kaldereta. I never grew up eating it. Some friends are used to the beef version while others have had it as goat. The pork cheek was so tender and flavorful.
Kesong puti fritters with blueberries and muscovado cream
I wasn't sure if I'd like this since the fritters were made with white cheese. The sliced fruit you see were blueberries. At quick glance, they resembled tiny olives. This was an interesting flavor combination and not one I would necessarily order again. The cream sauce on the other hand, could be poured over anything, and I'd eat it!
Ginataan - seasonal fruits with fresh coconut cream, tapioca and toasted coconut, served cold
I LOVED that this ginataan was served COLD. Normally, this is served warm and very gloppy and soft. I am not a fan of traditional ginataan - the mochi pieces, soft bananas and taro and tapioca balls are a totally mush-fest for me. OMG, having it cold was a game changer for me. Ginataan should be served cold all of the fkg time. Instead of jackfruit, the fruit was strawberry. The toasted coconut was a nice and crisp counterpoint to the soft and chewy tapioca balls in there. I was so glad there were not any mochi chunks either. This dessert was so refreshing and a fitting end to a wonderful birthday dinner.
Review/Article:
Review The Infatuation (no date given but I remember reading this before April 2019)
and
"Chinatown's LASA is redefining Filipino cuisine in L.A." LA Mag, Sept. 2017
LASA LA
727 N. Broadway (in the Far East Plaza)
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 443-6163
LASA LA
Birthday weekend in review:
Day before:
Pre Birthday Highlights
Rapport Coffee"
Bonchon, Costa Mesa
Snacks at Thanh Tam Bakery, Garden Grove"
Seal Beach Pier
"Irenia Part 1 - The decor + The art exhibit, "Maiden Voyage" by Patricia Ybanez
Irenia Part 2 - The Food
Day of:
My birthday morning - Cream Pan in Tustin + Hopper & Burr Coffee in DTSA + Mexican fruit cup from vendor
Sari Sari Store at the Grand Central Market in LA
Tilt Coffee
Tatang NoHo
and this last post...
Hard to believe that I am the big 5-0!
More food adventures to follow. It is fun retroactively posting for me at least. Perhaps annoying for others, but do I give a (insert expletive here). The answer is a resounding No.
It's a good thing I kept detailed descriptions in my flickr...makes it easy since I honestly don't remember a lot, ha ha)...
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