FROM BEST THING I EVER ATE AND BEST WINGS IN AMERICA
3239 helms ave. culver city, california 90232
This place is great and inventive and a culinary experience and a delight. The head chef, Sang Yoon, is the same guy who brought you Father's Office gastropub, which is next door to this place. You know, the place with the insane burger that was voted one of the best burgers in the world by Esquire magazine. You know, the place with the insane burger that has a very strict non-modification policy, which prohibits substitutions or additions such as ketchup. There also is no-hostess or kids allowed. This is that Chef Yoon's Asian concept. It was wonderful. The concept is to share a bunch of different items among a group of people (they recommend three items per person to share), but Albert doesn't share (well), so I went alone, and got the three items I wanted. The lobster bahn mi roll, the blue crab fried rice, and the reason for coming, the spicy chicken pops.
I was able to sit at the diner style table overlooking the open kitchen. I watched as my bahn mi was prepared no more than a few inches from me. I watched as my fried rice was prepared in a wok just a few feet beyond that while my spicy chicken pops fried to perfection behind that. A wonderful atmosphere and environment.
The lobster bahn mi roll was exactly like the traditional lobster roll from the northeast crab and lobster shacks. Lobster meat, tossed in mayo, on a butter roll. However, the wonderful twist with this dish is that the pig ear terrine ( French forcemeat loaf similar to a pâté) added to the sandwich and the slaw added was of a spicy green papaya. Delightful and refreshing…and demolished in one bite.
The blue crab fried rice was your classic fried rice in a bowl with a hearty and healthy portion of shredded blue crab added in. It was exactly what I had imagined it would be and it was exactly what I wanted to it to be, and many times that is reassuring, reaffirming, and comforting. It is what I wanted and it was what I wanted.
The spicy chicken pops. The reason for my culinary adventure to this diner table. The title of the dish is perfection as is the dish itself. These are not wings in any sort. They are actual pops, like a lolipop. You hold the bone like a stick and eat the "pop" of chicken meat off the top, taking minutes for each one to ensure you get every piece of delicious meat. It begins with marinating wings in a mixture of ginger, garlic, scallions, onions, Chinese light soy sauce and kecap manis, an intense, dark, sweet Indonesian sauce. The marinated wings are dusted with flour, deep-fried twice in peanut oil and tossed in a sauce made with kecap manis and soy sauce, black vinegar, ginger, garlic, scallions and onions. The fantastically sticky wings are then finished with Yoon’s own spicy Sichuan salt. It is a wonderful "labor-intensive reinterpretation of the buffalo wing glazed with sweet Indonesian soy sauce and Sichuan peppercorns." (Jonathan Gold).
Lukshon is great. I highly recommend not being an anti-social freak and going alone out of fear of not being able to get in or get a good seat or get the dish you want out of a unwarranted fear they may run out, and go with friends. Everything on the menu is delicious, so do as they suggest an try a bunch of different things, but makes sure the spicy
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