East Meets West in Pasadena at Bistro Mon Cheri. Tucked upstairs in a strip mall overlooking Pasadena's East Colorado Boulevard sits Bistro Mon Cheri, the newest restaurant by Chef Kimmy Tang. I first met Kimmy years ago in Beverly Hills at 9021Pho where Vietnamese cuisine was met with a California flair. Now at Bistro Mon Cheri, Vietnamese cuisine gets a European touch. The European influence was immediately apparent with the first dish placed on the table - Paté de foie de canard, a duck liver pate served with Vietnamese baguette. Creamy and rich, it was more French than any other culture. Next up was a more traditional Vietnamese dish - Sakura shrimp salad with carrot strips, cucumber, walnuts, fried shallots and sesame seeds on thin rice noodle crackers. I loved the freshness and lightness of this dish.
06 July, 2017
Work took me to Boston recently. I had not been to Boston in more than five years and in that time, especially in the past two years, the Boston food scene seems to have exploded. On my two day trip to Boston, I found three restaurants that are must eat-ats if you are heading to Bean Town. Committee Boston 50 Northern Avenue Boston, MA 02210 Located on the waterfront in Boston's Seaport District, Committee Boston is a large, 5,500-square foot restaurant. The open space is a mix of materials, including wood, stone, leather and metal. Wooden wine crates line the walls and ceilings and lighting fixtures are urban funky.  A Mediterranean theme, Committee features a menu of small plates, an interesting wine list featuring a good selection of Greek wines and cocktails. Having traveled to Greece a couple times over the past few years, I was impressed by the authenticity and flavors of the dishes. I hosted a Madeira wine event at the restaurant and the small bites paired perfectly with the sweet fortified wines.
29 June, 2017
I like cucumbers. What is not to like about cucumbers, those long crunchy green members of the fruit family who are related to gourds and melon? Cucumbers add a refreshing crunch to our salads, they are a fat-free conduit for dips and they are wonderful to infuse in water. Cucumbers are also very healthy, fight inflammation, freshen breath, full of vitamins that manage stress and help digestive health. But other than putting them on a crudite plate, in a water glass or on top of your eyes after a long night, are cucumbers really that interesting in flavor? In Maude's June menu, cucumbers were the featured ingredient. As I reached out to friends to join me, many seemed unexcited by the featured ingredient. They wondered aloud, jokingly, if the meal would be cucumber crudite, tzatziki, raita and cucumber water. In general, I heard a few tell me they did not think it would be very interesting. Boy did those friends miss out! The team at Maude proved how diverse cucumbers are with a menu that was one of the best so far this year! As we sat down for our meal, we were surprised with a bottle of Champagne Aubry Brut Rose that was a gift for one of my companions for her birthday.  As we toasted the birthday girl and enjoyed our first sips, the first two bites of the night were served.
20 June, 2017
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