StarChefs Rising Stars Magazine: Issue 33 (Los Angeles) by starchefs

ISSUE 33 | LOS ANGELES

MILK & CONCHAS

FULL ASKING PRICE

PRIX FIXE PLAYLIST

THE NEIGHBORHOOD SPOT

THE STATE OF PASTRY

DEAR LOS ANGELES

In This Issue

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63 6 8

DEAR LOS ANGELES

A message from Chef Jonathan Whitener

THE CHICKEN CAME FIRST

The chef, the farmer, and the produce hunter behind Rustic Canyon’s spring chicken dish

12 18

HOT TAKE

46 54

A special, industry-themed hot sauce from Chef Spencer Bezaire

HOW TO MAKE A PORRIDGE BOWL LIKE MINH PHAN

The chef ’s guide to building the best porridge bowl imaginable

32 36

TACOS ON THE BLOCK

Two taquerias in El Sereno have humble locations but large impacts. Here’s how they make it work.

63 66

PRIX FIXE PLAYLIST

Musicians-turned-hospitalityworkers curated a kitchen playlist.

FULL ASKING PRICE

A conversation between Chef Justin Pichetrungsi and food writer Dakota Kim about the politics of menu pricing

NEIGHBORHOOD SPOT

FAMILY STYLE

Los Angeles restaurants shape their communities, and the communities shape them. A look at two generations of restaurant success

PAIN PERDU ANEW

9,000 TO GO

LONO Hollywood stayed in the game by batching hibiscus cocktails.

CRAFT SERVICE

Kelsey Brito of Milo & Olive arranges holiday fairs to motivate her staff and engage the community.

The masterful components behind Bar Restaurant’s apple and brie confection

LETTER FROM TEAM STARCHEFS

THE STATE OF PASTRY

KITCHEN NOTEBOOK

As restaurant staffs decrease, the role of the pastry chef has arguably changed more than any other. We asked a few of them to share what it’s been like.

WE SUPPORT

I SUPPORT

RISING STARS RESTAURANT MAP

This concha puts a Japanese spin on the original inspiration.

RECIPES

ONE YEAR LATER

ADVERTISERS GUIDE

MILK & CONCHAS

We checked in with six chefs who we last visited before the pandemic.

BRING OUT THE BUBBLY

During a year of hardship, diners have never craved Champagne more.

On the cover: Camily Tsai is a Los Angeles-based illustrator, graphic designer, and art director. For the cover, StarChefs asked her to illustrate a restaurant that has shifted its model to to-go and outdoor dining, as so many L.A. restaurants did during COVID-19. In addition to this piece, she created the map on page 91.

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2021 Los Angeles Rising Stars 10

CHEFS SPENCER BEZAIRE Eszett

CHRIS CARRILLO République

CHUY CERVANTES Damian and Ditroit

JACKSON KALB Jame Enoteca and Ospi

KYUNGBIN MIN hanchic

DANIEL SON Katsu Sando

GAME CHANGER ARI KOLENDER Found Oyster

CONCEPT BRIANA VALDEZ HomeState

COMMUNITY JUSTIN PICHETRUNGSI Anajak Thai

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RESTAURATEURS OR AMSALAM & ALEX PHANEUF Hasiba and Lodge Bread Company

VIVIAN KU Joy and Pine & Crane

PASTRY CHEF GEMMA MATSUYAMA OTOTO and Tsubaki

BAKER ARTURO ENCISO Gusto Bread

BUTCHER TERESA CABANSAG Gwen

SFOGLINO FRANCESCO ALLEGRO Rossoblu

SOMMELIERS CHLOE MIRANDA Birdie G’s

SAM RETHMEIER République

BARTENDER MIKE CAPOFERRI Thunderbolt

MENTOR CHEF SUZANNE GOIN The Lucques Group

HOST CHEFS TYLER CURTIS & SAM NUCKOLS Sunday Hospitality Group

Los Angeles Rising Stars Partners Vitamix Commercial, S.Pellegrino, True Aussie Lamb, Butter of Europe, Niman Ranch, TCHO Chocolate, Vnlla Extract Co., Symrise, Steelite International, Wines from Spain, Fresh Origins, Lone Mountain Wagyu, The Montague Company, Kikkoman USA, Compass Group, Campari America, Savencia Cheese USA, California Avocados, Buffalo Trace, King Kampachi, Sunday Hospitality Group, White Oak Communications, Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP)

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Letter from Team StarChefs FROM WILDFIRES TO WILD POLITICS to an erratic sequence of restaurant openings and closings, Los Angeles has undeniably been through it this year. So it was a big responsibility for StarChefs to be welcomed by more than 100 hospitality professionals before and after the coronavirus hit.

MOVING THE INDUSTRY FORWARD FOR 26 YEARS StarChefs' mission is to serve as a catalyst for food and beverage professionals to succeed at the highest possible standard and to give them the tools they need to meet and overcome the many industry challenges they face.

Antoinette Bruno EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nicole Borden MARKETING DIRECTOR Kendyl Kearly FOOD & DRINKS EDITOR Amelia Schwartz ASSOCIATE EDITOR Julia Abanavas CULINARY AMBASSADOR Aiman Javed EDITORIAL INTERN

Will Blunt MANAGING PARTNER Erin Lettera DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Jaclyn Warren PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Olivia Hebrand MARKETING COORDINATOR Lizzie Takimoto DIGITAL MEDIA ASSISTANT Gabby Romero EDITORIAL INTERN

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Shabnam Ferdowsi, Jacob Rushing, Shelly Waldman CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lesley Balla, Dakota Kim, Rose Lawrence, Sam Rethmeier, Jennifer Shen, Jonathan Whitener, Jennifer Yee CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS & ARTISTS Spencer Bezaire, Danie Drankwalter, Jen Gaily, Jess Graham, Sarah Leituala, Hannah Li, Camily Tsai OFFICE PUP Whiskey Borden

For advertising and special event opportunities, please contact us at market@starchefsinc.com. For subscription inquiries, email subscribe@starchefsinc.com. PUBLISHED BY STARCHEFS, INC. COPYRIGHT © 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO REPRODUCE THE BOOK OR PORTIONS THEREOF IN ANY FORM WHATSOEVER. STARCHEFS 217 HAVEMEYER STREET, 3RD FLOOR, BROOKLYN, NY 11211 212.966.3775 | STARCHEFS.COM

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Our team originally landed in Los Angeles in February 2020 and was gearing up for more trips in March. Right before our third trip, Los Angeles had to be postponed a whole year. When we picked it back up again, more than a few of the people we originally met with had sadly closed their restaurants or left their jobs. (Some of them were fortunate enough to land on their feet with new opportunities; read about them on page 66.) The culinary landscape had thoroughly changed. These before-and-after views gave us more context and reflected a wide range of experiences. For example, when we asked three pastry chefs to write about their jobs through the pandemic (page 59), two of them were fighting hard to prove the worth of a crew that’s often on the chopping block. The third finally got the opportunity to start her own business. We were excited to see the increased success of neighborhood restaurants— vibey spots where the staff and clientele live nearby. Veteran food writer Lesley Balla reported on the rise of these community-driven eateries in the wake of the pandemic (page 42). Focusing on the residential El Sereno neighborhood, the “Tacos on the Block” feature (page 24) highlights two unassuming taquerias—one is a roadside stand, and the other resides in the owners’ driveway. And the “Family Style” photo series (page 46) captures local restaurant professionals who got their kitchen knowledge from parents in the industry. Despite the hardships, a lot of compelling food and drinks came out of the Los Angeles restaurant community. We sampled a cocktail that was aged for 11 months during the pandemic (page 7), a concha and Japanese milk bread hybrid (page 63), and a technique-heavy pain perdu packed with brie and apple flavor (page 54). Whether they’ve opened small, independent, neighborhood spots or have risen through the ranks of well-established restaurant groups, we couldn’t be more impressed with the 2021 Los Angeles Rising Stars. This class in particular shows a resiliency and power not easily matched. To name a few, Chef Spencer Bezaire launched a line of irreverently branded hot sauces as a COVID-19 pivot, Restaurateur Vivian Ku advocates for employee benefits, and Sommelier Sam Rethmeiter pushed through the panic of losing his senses of smell and taste. In honor of our Rising Stars—and all the industry professionals who gave us their time—we hope you enjoy what is without a doubt the most improbable of issues. We owe it all to you.

Team StarChefs

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Food banks for displaced restaurant workers opened. Community fridges popped up. Desperately needed meals were provided to underprivileged communities. Restaurants set up donations and sent food directly to hospital workers. We became our own network through which leads and resources were provided.

Dear LosAngeles, IT’S BEEN A really hard year. Actually, that’s a serious understatement. It’s been one of the hardest years of my career and even harder on us as a city. I love my industry and its constant changes. Those of us who gravitate toward the restaurant industry thrive on creativity and chaos. 2020 threw something at us that we weren’t prepared for. Stillness, uncertainty, loss. I’ve seen so many of my favorite places close, some temporarily and others forever. Watching the list of closed restaurants compile was heartbreaking. We had almost 50 percent of our small businesses close. I had to shutter one of my own restaurants last July. As a city, we experienced some of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the country. Being a hospitality worker became one of the most dangerous jobs in the state. We were in survival mode.

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Everything looked bleak. We felt abandoned by lawmakers and community leaders. It would have been easy to give up, but that isn’t our style. We like hard. We know hard. As a city, we are often characterized as shallow, vapid, and image-driven, but beneath that, there is something deeper. We are a city of resilient, hard-working survivors. Living in L.A., you get used to rejection and difficulty. We had to hustle harder than ever before. It was no longer important who you knew. We had to focus on what we knew, and that’s how to feed people. Our industry needed us. Our community needed us. Now was the time to step up to the plate and support those in need. I witnessed countless nonprofits and inhouse programs feed those who would have otherwise gone without.

We will forever be grateful to those who were there for us when we needed them most. Liquor brands made hand sanitizer and distributed masks. They provided our bartenders with bottles and swag, allowing us the ability to have takeaway and home delivery options. Hell, they even donated heaters and umbrellas so we wouldn’t have to close our doors. (Shout out to my boys Colin Coleman and Manuel De Avila. We love you guys.) Restaurants would send family meals to each other as a sign of solidarity. During this time, industry leaders found ways to lift and support our community. My partner, Lien Ta, cofounded Regarding Her (aka RE:Her), a nonprofit run by female restaurateurs. Their mission is to support and empower female-led restaurants, and they recently started a grant program. Most of all, we are grateful to our customers. To those who lined up, promoted, and ordered, thank you for your support. We could not have done it without you. This past year was designed to break us. As a whole, we have experienced a collective amount of grief. Those of us who made it, know we are the few lucky ones. Although it might have felt like it, we are not broken. We will come back. We will survive. New opportunities will arise. I am hopeful, L.A., and am looking forward to seeing you at our next service.

JONATHAN WHITENER, CHEF/OWNER OF ALL DAY BABY

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Kitchen Notebook TRANSCONTINENTAL BREAKFAST Let’s not kid ourselves—Los Angeles has a lot of things that New York City does not. But one thing L.A. is missing for sure are coffee carts on every block. When Chef Cameron Slaugh was living in Manhattan, he’d always pick up a bodegastyle bacon, egg, and cheese before a long shift at Park Avenue or Eleven Madison Park. But his morning ritual was broken once he moved to L.A. Now as the executive chef of The Attic, he incorporated his B.E.C. fix (recipe on page 92) into the menu. Slaugh swaps out the hard roll for potatoes that are fried, pressed, cut into rounds, and fried again. Using a ring mold, he cleanly layers the potato with soft-scrambled eggs laced with sharp and aged white cheddar cheese; crispy, chopped bacon; and a sprinkle of scallion greens. All that’s missing is the iconic blue Anthora that reads, “We Are Happy To Serve You.”

CAMBODIAN COMFORT FOOD

PHOTOS: WILL BLUNT

A COCKTAIL EVOLVED

During the past year, while bars stood empty, ovens remained cold, and wells were left dry, Majordōmo Head Bartender Austin Hennelly had magic brewing in the walk-in. What started as a great cocktail became an even greater one when the hiatus left room for experimentation. A banana chocolate mousse with miso butterscotch on the dessert menu inspired his Boulevardier (recipe on page 92). Hennelly clarified Suntory Toki Whisky with ripe banana and shiro miso via centrifuge before adding Campari, Vermouth di Torino, chocolate bitters, and absinthe. The drink was batched and ready for service when he found out that service would not be happening any time soon due to COVID-19. Hennelly grabbed some onggi, the slightly porous Korean earthenware, to store the Boulevardier in the walk-in for 11 months. “Unaged, the drink, like a negroni, starts out harsh and mellows after a little while, but with the time in the clay, it’s smooth right off the bat,” he says. The result of the aging was well-integrated flavors and a silkysmooth texture.

When he was a kid, Chef Hak Lonh’s parents would warm up Goya’s canned sardines in tomato sauce and eat it with a baguette. Lonh pays homage to that humble, wholesome meal at his Cambodian restaurant, Gamboge, by using fresh grape tomatoes instead. Cooked down with onion, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, oyster sauce, sugar, fish sauce, and paprika, the tomatoes are stewed with canned sardines and finished off with some lemon (recipe on page 92). A crispy bolillo from Pacific French Bakery captures the essential airiness of the French baguettes found at Southeast Asian bakeries. Bridging Lonh’s past and present, the braised sardines and tomato dish speaks to the cross-cultural population of the Lincoln Heights neighborhood.

BALANCING ACT Diving hard into Chinese food media, Chef Johnny Lee came across dried hawthorn berries. With a strong tartness, the berry is considered medicinal and crops up in Chinese teas, juices, jams, and candy. It’s also a main ingredient of traditional Cantonese sweet and sour sauce. At Pearl River Deli, Lee throws the berries into his sweet and sour pork. “I tried to incorporate an ingredient that was less commonly used here in the United States,” he says. Lee combines the berries with vinegar, sugar, and apricot and cranberry jams. While the marinated pork is coated in cornstarch and fried twice in a wok to render it crispy, the sweetness of blanch-fried bell peppers, onions, and pineapple cuts through the vinegar. Tossed in the sauce, every bite of the pork sings with the sour-apple-like notes of the hawthorn berries, striking a richer balance than the typical Americanized version. LOS A NGELES 202 1

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Chicken Came First Rustic Canyon’s spring chicken dish shows the collaboration of a chef, a farmer, and a produce hunter. BY AMELIA SCHWARTZ

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FOR CHEF ANDY DOUBRAVA,

dish composition is more than the recipe alone. The key is finding the best-of-thebest product, and in Los Angeles, a county blessed with excellent farmers markets, there’s no shortage of options. So when building a dish like his roasted half chicken (recipe on page 92), the Rustic Canyon executive chef collaborates with local produce pros and farmers in order to source ingredients that crank each flavor up a notch. Naturally, it begins with the chicken. “The chickens that we get come with head and feet on,” Doubrava says. “Sometimes, we’re like, fuck it, we’re gonna keep the feet on.” The Autonomy Farms chicken often surprises diners not only in its presentation but also in its taste—its distinct, gamey chew. “It’s not going to be as tender as a run-of-the-mill Perdue chicken,” he says. “[It has] a little more bite to it, but it’s immaculate.”

Inspired by a road trip through South Carolina and Tennessee, Doubrava’s roasted chicken packs sweetness from a carrot purée and a sharp punch from a vinegary hot honey. Doubrava’s secret weapon is radishes thoughtfully selected by Rustic Canyon’s farmers market liaison, Karen Beverlin. As the vice president of local and specialty sales for FreshPoint Southern California (more commonly known as “the produce hunter”), she is tasked with curating Los Angeles farmers markets, selecting products for local chefs, and getting the ingredients into their hands. “What I do is simple,” says Beverlin. “It’s just experiencing the product, listening to what chefs have to say about it, and finding the best one.” When choosing the perfect radish for Doubrava’s chicken, Beverlin provided him with several rounds of options. “Feedback

PHOTOS: COLLEEN SHERMAN, AMY WOLF-AITCHISON, JACLYN WARREN

Autonomy Farms is owned and operated by Meredith Bell, a corporate hospitality industry veteran. With no prior farming experience, she launched Autonomy in 2014 and bought 20 acres of Bakersfield land in 2017. “I struggled starting the farm because I lacked the self-confidence in knowing what I was doing. I wanted to do it perfectly,” Bell says. “The product now is so much better than the product we had.” Bell raises and directly sells a variety of livestock through farmers markets and delivery, but for restaurant wholesale, she zeroes in on her chickens. Twice a week, Autonomy Farms delivers the butchered chickens to Rustic Canyon, where Doubrava halves and pan-roasts them in schmaltz.

from Andy is one of the most important things because he will [as a chef ] discover things that I have not,” says Beverlin. “It’s like crowdsourcing. It’s like having this amazing, talented scout who helps me learn about the products.” So Doubrava settled on the tangy, medium-sized honeydew radishes that give the chicken an extra horseradishlike pop. He sprinkles the chicken with toasted pecans then it sends it out, feet on or off, depending on the day. Doubrava doesn’t set any strict presentation rules. Ultimately, the beauty of the farm-fresh ingredients can hold its own.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Meredith Bell of Autonomy Farms; produce hunter Karen Beverlin; Rustic Canyon Executive Chef Andy Doubrava. OPPOSITE PAGE: Doubrava’s half chicken with carrots, purple ninja radishes, hot honey, and California pecans.

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Spencer Bezaire ESZETT

SPENCER BEZAIRE STARTED cooking at the age of 8 in his L.A. home. Throughout high school, he washed dishes and delivered pizzas, and after a stint at community college, he attended Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. Six months after graduation, he was hired as sous at Cafe Stella in 2008 and became the executive chef three months later. He studied hard and met his future wife and business partner, Sabrina, who then worked at Tavern.

In 2012, he helped open L&E Oyster Bar as the executive chef and oyster director. Joining forces with Restaurateur Dustin Lancaster, Bezaire also opened El Condor in 2014 and helped out with a new outpost of Highland Park Brewery in 2018. In December 2019, the Bezaires launched Eszett in Silver Lake as a two-person team: Sabrina as the general manager and wine director and Spencer as the chef. Packed with flavor, the food puts progressive spins on classics; think koji-marinated chicken wings and kampachi crudo melts. Since the pandemic, Eszett has retailed cheeky, politically themed hot sauces like the kumquat and habanero Too Small to Bail. sbez / eszettla Tool you wish you had: I wish I had a tool to make more time in a day! I’m always running out of time! Favorite food resource: I buy a lot of cookbooks. They all have their place and time when I need to refer to something. They help me create a template for recipes, not a step-by-step guide. Most important kitchen rule: Be nice. What you eat on your nights off: Pre-COVID, mostly taco spots and hole-in-the-wall sushi joints. But now, we just eat at home mostly. PHOTOS: WILL BLUNT

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Advice to your younger self: Don’t hide behind ingredients. Make the focus of the dish be the focus.

Charcoalgrilled chicken wings Chef Spencer Bezaire of Eszett Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Salsa Macha: 1 pound morita chiles 6 dried guajillo peppers, stems and seeds removed 3 dried ancho peppers, stems and seeds removed 4 dried mulato peppers, stems and seeds removed 3 quarts canola oil 1 quart olive oil 8 large shallots, sliced thin then rough-chopped 15 cloves garlic, rough-chopped 1 cup sesame seeds

Seasoning Salt: 125 grams sea salt 15 grams monosodium glutamate 20 grams sansho pepper 20 grams urfa biber 20 grams malt vinegar powder 10 grams smoked paprika 10 grams Aleppo peppers 5 grams coriander seeds Chicken Wings: 5 pounds chicken wings, jointed with tips left on 3 tablespoons liquid shio koji Sea salt 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper To Assemble and Serve: Lemon wedge

METHOD For the Salsa Macha: In a large pot, toast all the peppers until some are almost all the way black, about 5 minutes. Add in enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain the peppers and pat dry on a sheet pan. In a separate pot, add oils and bring to 200°F. Add shallots and cook on medium heat until they start to brown, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and continue to slow-fry for an additional 10 minutes. Add sesame seeds, remove from heat, and let cool. Strain the oil into a Vitamix blender, keeping all the solids left in the strainer. Reserve in a large bowl. In batches, blend the peppers until completely smooth then add back into the shallot, garlic, and sesame seed mix. It should create a thick chile oil.

For the Seasoning Salt: In a Vitamix blender, blend all ingredients to a powder. For the Chicken Wings: Toss wings in koji, salt, and pepper. Put inside a Ziploc bag and remove as much air as possible. Let marinate for at least 24 hours. To Assemble and Serve: Grill wings on the top rack of a charcoal oven to give a nice, crispy texture or grill wings on a standard grill with charcoal. Flip often because the sugar content of the koji tends to burn. Toss wings in Salsa Macha and season liberally with Seasoning Salt. Garnish with lemon wedge. Featured equipment: Vitamix Commercial blender

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**Hot Take** WHEN WE SAW Los Angeles Rising Star Spencer Bezaire’s hot sauces, team StarChefs couldn’t wait to try the politically and culturally relevant products. The Karen Melter sizzles with roasted pineapple, habanero, and yellow peppers, and the 2020 Vision, a blend of Kentucky bourbon and fermented peaches, features a decimated Mitch McConnell on the label. A COVID-19 pivot, Sbez hot sauces allow Bezaire to retail out of Eszett restaurant, flex his illustration skills, and throw a little subversive shade. We loved them so much that we asked Bezaire to design a new, industry-themed sauce to coincide with the drop of this issue.

He came up with the Little D Energy, a tongue-in-cheek representation of toxic kitchen culture in the form of passion fruit and pink peppercorns. “The portrayal of screaming chefs throwing shit and harrassing line cooks needs to end,” Bezaire says. “It is not OK for a generation of young cooks to think and feel that enduring this type of abuse is par for the course. It’s not OK in any other profession, so why is it tolerated in restaurants? Certain people should just not be chefs much in the same way certain people should not be cops.”

The ecommerce description says it all: “Is your chef a screamer? A pan thrower? A table toucher? Does your chef make too many sexual innuendos and dream of being on cooking competition shows? Your chef may be suffering from ‘Little D Energy.’ This sauce is made with passion fruit and toasted pink peppercorns with habanero and yellow peppers. Just apply a small glob of this hot sauce to your favorite food, walk up to the chef in question, and give him a firm two-weeks notice.”

ILLUSTRATION BY SPENCER BEZAIRE

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HAILING FROM Highland Park, Chris Carrillo always wanted to go to culinary school, but a registration mistake ended up leaving him with a full year off. He didn’t intend to squander his school break; he traveled to Italy and staged around Emilia-Romagna, Colorno, and Venice at the age of 17. He attended ALMA culinary school in Italy then returned to California to work the line at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, Pizzeria Mozza, and Petty Cash Taqueria. In 2013, he started at République, and Chef-owner Walter Manzke sent him on more expeditions, such as a stage at Le Grand Restaurant in Paris and a dinner with Wolfgang Puck. Carrillo took a break from the kitchen in 2016, bought a one-way ticket to Japan, and ate constantly. When he came back to République, Carrillo was offered the role of chef de cuisine. In 2020, when the coronavirus put farmers out of work, Carrillo retailed produce boxes with the proceeds going back to the farms. To keep République going, he did takeout and developed decadent boxed dinners to show off a taste of Carrillo’s refined and technique-driven cooking style.

republiquela Favorite kitchen tool: A Rational oven Favorite cookbooks: Éric Frechon and One Day At Geranium Restaurant Most important kitchen rule: Remember that it’s just food.

Advice to your younger self: This career is not a by-the-book sort of job. It’s hard to know what you are getting into, but you certainly need endurance for your long-term goals. It’s a labor of love, and there are hard times, but ultimately, it’s very rewarding and worth pursuing.

PHOTOS: JACLYN WARREN

Places to visit for culinary travel: Visiting Japan, France, and Italy are my top culinary destinations so far. They are the pillars of incredible cuisine.

Chris Carrillo RÉPUBLIQUE

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1. Duck à la Presse: Duck Leg, Kidney, Heart, Farce, Black Truffle, Puff Pastry 2. Braised Lamb, Cabbage, Porcini, Chanterelles, Morels, Truffle, Fresno Chile, Black Garlic, Dill, Mint, Parsley 3. Dungeness Crab, Cucumber Gelée, Tarragon, Pomello, Avocado Serrano, Radish, Broccoli Blossoms

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Chuy Cervantes DAMIAN AND DITROIT

FROM HIS CHILDHOOD home of El Paso, Jesus “Chuy” Cervantes could see Juárez from across the border. The diversity of his upbringing combined with globe-spanning trips from a young age gave him a sense of how broad the world is and that food is a universal language.

Cervantes attended the Texas Culinary Academy before moving to NYC. In 2013, he landed a spot on the opening team of Enrique Olvera’s Cosme, which later earned a place on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and worked his way up to sous chef after only a year. Wanting to travel and get a new skill set, he left the group but returned to New York to work under Chef Daniel Burns at the Michelin-starred, beer-centric Luksus. After two years, Cervantes took over the food program at the attached Tørst bar. When Olvera had plans to open his first restaurant on the West Coast, he approached Cervantes about leading the kitchen. He accepted the job, and Damian opened in 2020 with Ditroit following as an attached taqueria window. At the enormous Damian, Cervantes highlights a strong nixtamalization program and the bounty of California produce in fresh Baja favorites with global influences. chuycervantes / damiandtla / ditroitdtla Favorite kitchen tool: Molino or our corn mill. The process of cooking and grinding corn is not only the foundation of our restaurant; it’s an area where we take a lot of pride in constantly pushing ourselves to learn, experience, test more. Favorite food resource: Without question, Anthony Bourdain. I took a lot from what he had to teach. Most of all is that a conversation is the greatest resource of all. Opening myself up to learning through other peoples’ experiences has been the best part of my career thus far. Most important kitchen rule: Mistakes are OK. We can learn so much by making mistakes. Place to visit for culinary travel: Mexico is where my heart really is and where I cannot wait to get back to every time I leave.

PHOTOS: ERIN LETTERA

Advice to your younger self: I’d like to tell my younger self, “Great job!” I think in our industry, positive affirmation is hard to come by. Oftentimes, we are way too hard on each other and ourselves.

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Nixtamalized celery root Chef Chuy Cervantes of Damian Adapted by StarChefs Yield: 2 servings

METHOD

INGREDIENTS Nixtamalized Celery Root: 32 grams calcium hydroxide 1 celery root Salt Aromatics (optional)

50 grams pasilla mixe chiles, stems and seeds removed 100 grams chipotle meco chiles, stems removed 25 grams chicatanas, wings and legs removed

Xnipec: 100 grams white distilled vinegar 100 grams pineapple vinegar 1 habanero, chopped 1 gram oregano 1 celery root, halved and thinly sliced on a mandoline 6 grams kosher salt

To Assemble and Serve: Grapeseed oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 sprigs thyme ½ shallot, sliced Juice of ½ lemon Lime Sea salt Olive oil Tortillas

Chicatana Salsa Macha: 200 grams grapeseed oil 50 grams morita chiles, stems and seeds removed

For the Nixtamalized Celery Root: In a nonreactive container with a lid, combine calcium hydroxide and 4 liters water. Add celery root, cover, and allow to soak 6 hours. Remove celery root, dry, then place on a saltlined metal pan. Add aromatics, cover with foil, and bake at 400°F for 90 minutes. Once fully cooked, dehydrate celery root for 1 hour. For the Xnipec: In a small pot, combine vinegars and habanero. Bring to a simmer, add oregano, and steep 5 minutes. Strain and cool to room temperature. In a bowl, toss celery root with salt and allow to soften for 15 minutes. Pour cooled vinegar mixture over it. Set aside. For the Chicatana Salsa Macha: In a large pan, heat grapeseed oil. Add chiles and fry until aromatic and slightly crispy. Strain chiles from oil, reserving oil. Let chiles and oil cool to room temperature separately. Using a mortar and pestle, grind chiles to a flake texture. In a clean skillet, toast chicatanas until fragrant. Grind toasted chicatanas using a mortar and pestle until it reaches a similar texture as the chiles. In a bowl, combine oil, chiles, and chicatanas. Set aside. To Assemble and Serve: Heat a small amount of grapeseed oil in a cast-iron skillet. Halve Nixtamalized Celery Root and place in the cast-iron face-down. Cook like you would a steak, until golden brown. Add butter, thyme, shallot, and lemon juice then baste until it is warmed through and coated. Place Nixtamalized Celery Root in the middle of a large, shallow bowl, face-up. Coat its face with Chicatana Salsa Macha. Garnish around the Nixtamalized Celery Root with Xnipec, making a flower-like pattern. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice, sea salt, and olive oil. Serve with tortillas.

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How to Build a Porridge Bowl Like

Minh Phan Six and a half years ago, the late Jonathan Gold spread the word about Porridge + Puffs, Chef Minh Phan’s dreamy, casual restaurant in Historic Filipinotown. “I spent [the next] six and a half years explaining to people what porridge is and that it’s the best food,” Phan says. “[Now that] a good portion of L.A. understands what it is, there is a demand for it.” Since the pandemic, she has collaborated with other chefs to build their own versions. Inspired by Phan’s signature velvet porridge, here’s our guide to building the best possible porridge bowl.

PHOTO: WILL BLUNT

By Amelia Schwartz

The key to Phan’s porridge/pottage base is a creamy, silky texture resembling a soft risotto. The velvet porridge is composed of brown butter, a splash of coconut milk, and a variety of roasted, heirloom squashes: blue Hubbard, butternut, kabocha—whatever is in season will work. She purées it until it’s spoonable, and sticky enough to coat the mouth.

(

( Start with a porridge or pottage )

( Add something chewy ) Throw some QQ into that smooth porridge. “Mochi is one of my favorite ingredients,” Phan says. “[We’re] using Koda Farms mochiko, which is sweet rice flour.” Phan fortifies her teeny, hand-rolled mochi balls with a green onion dashi, granting it a subtle herbaceousness.

( Add something spicy ) Phan turns to the underutilized watermelon rinds, which she braises in a savory mushroom stock with Szechuan and sansho peppercorns, orange peel, chile, chile, and more chiles. The rinds become rich with the umami-packed broth, giving every bite of Phan’s sweet porridge a hint of the Szechuan and sansho’s distinctive mouth tingle.

( Add something pickled ) Pickles bring a hit of punchiness to the porridge. Phan always has a collection of mason jars filled with colorful vegetables pickling in coriander stems, bay leaves, and garlic, but for her velvet porridge, she goes with a brassica. Phan says, “Brassica always has a teeny bit of pepperiness, which cuts through the richness.”

( Add a protein, but do it delicately ) If using a protein, make sure it isn’t too heavy, or it could overpower the porridge. Phan suggests braising red meat with fresh ingredients rather than dry, which will brighten up its deep flavors. She braises her short rib with 25 different ingredients, including jujubes, ginger, and fennel. “I really want to put a delicate hand on everything,” she says.

( Pick a flower )

(

Phan always finishes her velvet porridge with a sprinkle of fresh flora. Similar to the pickles, she looks for flowers that are particularly peppery like nasturtium or mustard flowers. But no matter the flower (or no flower at all), Porridge + Puff’s porridges are completely based around accessible ingredients. It’s porridge for the people, after all.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACKSON KALB

CH E F

Jackson Kalb JAME ENOTECA AND OSPI

WHEN 11-YEAR-OLD Jackson Kalb fell ill, he coped by binge-watching the Food Network. From there, he could put together elaborate dinners for his family. By age 12, he’d founded a catering company out of his home, which led the wunderkind to Chef Josiah Citrin. At Citrin’s Mélisse, Kalb trained throughout high school and was even sent to stage at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand Las Vegas for a summer.

When high school ended, Kalb headed to Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. During school, he worked at Grant Achatz’s Alinea and Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. Upon graduating in 2013, Kalb was hired as the culinary manager for Houston’s with the Hillstone Restaurant Group, where he met his business and life partner, Melissa Saka. Kalb felt the need for a break two years later and flew to Italy, where he really, really got into pasta. He returned to L.A. as chef de cuisine at The Factory Kitchen in 2016 then executive chef at Bottlefish in 2017. The next year, Kalb and Saka launched Jame Enoteca, featuring Italian food with a Californian twist in El Segundo. Kalb was one of the few to open a new restaurant during the pandemic; Ospi is a Southern Italian concept on Venice Beach serving hand-stretched pastas and pizzas with cracker-thin crusts. He is also a partner at breakfast burrito eatery Wake & Late. With his knack for industry success, Kalb dreams of a future as a restauranteur, hotelier, and vintner. And on his way there, he’s not holding back.

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jacksonkalb / eatjame / ospivenice Favorite kitchen tool: Salt Tool you wish you had: Chamber vacuum sealer Favorite cookbook: The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller Most important kitchen rule: Precision over speed Where you eat on your nights off: What nights off? Advice to your younger self: Don’t stress out. It’s not worth it.

Ceci e tria Chef Jackson Kalb of Ospi Adapted by StarChefs

METHOD

INGREDIENTS Ceci Purée: 6 cups garbanzo beans, dried 3 cloves garlic 1 bay leaf 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced 1 medium yellow onion, diced 3 celery ribs, diced Salt 2 cups olive oil

Crispy Tria Pasta: Neutral oil for frying Sea salt To Assemble and Serve: Yield: 1 serving Salt ⅓ cup olive oil, plus more for garnish 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced on a mandoline 2 to 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup Parmigiano, grated on a microplane

For the Tria Pasta: Sift together semolina and chickpea flour onto a work surface. Make a well in the center, add 272 grams water into the well, then whisk to combine. Let the dough rest for 2 hours.

Using a torchio, extrude the pasta into 2-to-3-inch pieces. Divide the pasta into 2 equal halves. Let half the pasta slowly dry overnight. For the Crispy Tria Pasta: Fill ⅓ of a large pot with oil and heat to 350°F. Fry remaining half of Tria Pasta in small batches until crisp and golden brown. Season immediately with sea salt. Cool to room temperature and store in a nonreactive container. To Assemble and Serve: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 150 grams of uncooked Tria Pasta and cook for 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water. In a saucier, heat olive oil and garlic over low heat. Let them infuse 3 to 4 minutes, taking care not to brown. Add ¼ cup reserved garbanzo beans, ½ cup Ceci Purée, butter, and about ¼ cup of pasta water to the saucier. Let the sauce reduce slightly, mixing frequently. Add pasta to the sauce, along with 170 grams Crispy Tria Pasta and ¾ cup of the Parmigiano. Add more pasta water or reduce to create a thin sauce. Top with olive oil and ¼ cup Parmigiano. Featured equipment: Vitamix Commercial blender

PHOTO: WILL BLUNT

Tria Pasta: 950 grams durum semolina flour 50 grams chickpea flour

For the Ceci Purée: Soak beans overnight (less than 24 hours) at room temperature. Rinse the beans then place them in a large pot. Cover beans with 2 inches of cold water, add 1 clove garlic and bay leaf then bring to a bare simmer. Cook approximately 3 hours or until the beans are tender. Remove and reserve 2 cups of beans. Continue cooking the remaining beans over very low heat until very soft. Skim any scum off the surface, adding water to ensure beans stay completely submerged. After approximately 6 hours, drain the beans and discard the bay leaf. Add 2 quarts of cooked garbanzo beans to a fresh pot of cold water with carrot, onion, celery, and remaining garlic. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour or until the garlic is falling apart and all vegetables are soft. Drain the mixture, reserving 1 cup of water. In batches, while the mixture is still hot, blend in a Vitamix blender with the reserved water, salt, and olive oil. Reserve.

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CH E F

Kyungbin Min

HANCHIC

BORN IN KOREA and raised in Los Angeles, Kyungbin “Justin” Min decided in high school that he wanted to be a chef. Although his parents disapproved at first, Min proved his dedication by paying his own way through Pasadena’s Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. After graduating, Min earned an externship with Patina Restaurant Group’s Orange County restaurants before returning to L.A. for a job on the line at Ray’s + Stark Bar. Min moved on to local Vietnamese chain Little Sister. There, he was mentored by Chef Tin Vuong, who helped him understand that running a business well is often just as important as making good food.

After six years, Min left Little Sister to stage at Kato in Santa Monica then cook at Kali, The NoMad, and Little Sister again as sous chef. In 2019, he connected with fellow hospitality pros Dustin Lee and Kevin Son, and they began workshopping a modern Korean concept called hanchic. With no investors, Min and his partners built hanchic out of an unassuming Koreatown strip mall. It began operating as a ghost kitchen with hanchic in the storefront for delivery and takeout orders while Min ran three to four additional brands in the kitchen space. Now with Min at the helm, hanchic is full-service, blending classic French techniques with bold Korean flavors and formats. kyungbin93 / hanchic.la Favorite kitchen tool: Cake tester Tool you wish you had: Combi oven Favorite cookbook: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat What you eat on your nights off: If it’s cold, something hot and soupy. If it’s hot, naengmyeon. Places to go for culinary travel: Korea, Spain, and Japan Advice to your younger self: Read a lot of books, stage, learn as much as possible, and stay humble. PHOTOS: WILL BLUNT

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Bouillabbong Chef Kyungbin Min of hanchic Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Mirepoix: Oil 100 grams diced celery 100 grams diced onion 100 grams diced carrot 230 grams diced tomato 40 grams minced garlic 100 grams diced potato 2 to 3 sprigs thyme 100 grams tomato paste Chrysanthemum greens Dashi Fish sauce 1 tablespoon capsaicin powder

Charcoal Oil: 1 piece Binchotan charcoal 1 quart neutral oil To Assemble and Serve: Dashi Wood ear mushrooms, torn Yam cake jelly, torn Shrimp Mussels Clams Fish sauce Capsaicin powder Taiwanese ramen noodles, blanched Chrysanthemum greens

METHOD For the Mirepoix: In a large pot, heat oil. Sweat the celery, onion, carrot, and tomato. Add garlic, potato, thyme, and tomato paste and cook out. Add a few sprigs of chrysanthemum and enough dashi to cover then simmer about 1 hour. Season with fish sauce and capsaicin. For the Charcoal Oil: Burn charcoal until extremely hot. Drop in oil and cover with foil. Be careful; it might catch fire! Remove from heat, let cool, and reserve. To Assemble and Serve: Scoop some Mirepoix into a pot and dilute with dashi to desired thickness. Bring to boil with a few pieces of wood ear mushrooms and yam cake jelly. Meanwhile, using a wok, flambé the shrimp, mussels, and clams with Charcoal Oil. Add shellfish to the soup then season with fish sauce and capsaicin. Add noodles to a serving bowl then top with soup. Garnish with chrysanthemum greens.

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T KTKTK

tACOS ON tHE BLOCK BY AIMAN JAVED

WHEN EVENT VENUES shut down, so did

The duo scattered flyers on the windshields of cars in the El Sereno neighborhood and rolled out the tortillas every Friday and Saturday. The high demand led to the addition of Sundays and an expanded menu including four trompos with pork, beef, vegan, or octopus. The churro, flan, and cheesecake dessert tacos are also crowd-pleasers. With metal music blaring and the staff decked out in all black, the six-person team has a good workflow that focuses on building clientele. It’s been working out: New customers line up, and the regulars keep returning with a two-hour wait to order becoming the new normal.

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PHOTOS: WILL BLUNT, ERIN LETTERA

the lifeblood of Evil Cooks. The taco concept used to serve at concerts, breweries, and small markets. Out of work for two months, “we were going crazy,” Chefowner Alex Garcia says. With partner Elvia Huerta, he began sharing their cooking videos on social media and sold mole and jam from home. But the real solution was the makeshift kitchen they built in their driveway.

TKTKTK

LONG LINES were also Chef Carlos Jaquez’s

superpower before COVID-19. Beginning as a side hustle while he cooked full-time at Otium, Birria Pa La Cruda used to be a street-style, Sundays-only tent on Lombardy Boulevard in El Sereno that would sell out within four hours. The local crowd hung around to down $2 tacos while families savored the beef birria consomé on the three tables Jaquez had set up. But the pandemic resulted in a two-month pause before he restarted as a home-based pop-up then a trailer and then a truck. Now, he’s circled back to a taco stand on Alhambra Avenue, where he’s recreating the community-focused vibe. With a team of three, Jaquez’s week is packed—the stand is open on weekends while Taco Tuesdays have launched at a separate location. As with Evil Cooks, the pandemic encouraged creative expansion, and Jaquez has introduced a complementary menu called Ome, which offers seasonal, vegetableforward dishes like papas machas with heirloom pee-wee potatoes and almond salsa macha. “It’s very traditional, yet we want to be progressive,” he says. As Birria is cemented in the taco landscape, he reminds himself of how far he’s come in just two years. “It’s a blessing,” he says. “I would never complain about it. It’s beautiful.”

Clockwise from top left: 3 From Hell tacos at Evil Cooks; Birria Pa La Cruda’s birria tacos; a cup of beef consommé, Carlos Jaquez; the whole Evil Cooks setup has to be broken down each day; Elvia Huerta cooking on a busy Friday.

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CH E F

Daniel Son KATSU SANDO

DANIEL SON STARTED in the kitchen at 14, washing dishes under his sushi chef father. A Los Angeles native, Son attended the CIA to expand his knowledge beyond sushi and staged at Spago Beverly Hills under Wolfgang Puck and Thomas Boyce. Son’s wanderlust then took him to Japan as an apprentice at the threeMichelin-starred Nihonryori RyuGin by Chef Seiji Yamamoto. Son got hired fulltime after three months and stayed for a year. One night, Noma’s Thomas Paulsen came into the restaurant and ended up offering him a stage in Copenhagen, where Son enjoyed foraging and working the snack station during service.

From Noma, Son apprenticed at San Francisco’s Umami Sushi and bonded with Chef Akira Yoshizumi over their love for dry-aging fish. But when Son’s family restaurant, Kura, was going through a tough time in 2014, Yoshizumi encouraged him to return and use what he’d learned. Son’s father agreed to give him full creative control, and Son slowly built the restaurant back up into an omakase destination. Inspired by the sandwiches he used to order after 19-hour days at Nihonryori RyuGin, he opened Katsu Sando in 2017 as a pop-up out of Kura and expanded to Smorgasburg the next year. The idea was a high-low concept featuring quality ingredients and techniques in the form of Japanese sandwiches. In late 2019, Kura’s building was being demolished and redeveloped, which shut down the restaurant. Son still grieves the loss, but Katsu Sando lives on with a new Chinatown location. Although Son is certain Kura will reopen in one form or another, his family rallies around Son’s new dream. dson__ / katsu.sando Favorite kitchen tool: Yanagi PHOTOS: WILL BLUNT

Favorite food resources: Oishinbo, Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking, and Escoffier: Le Guide Culinaire Most important kitchen rule: Make it nice or make it twice. What you eat on your nights off: Mariscos Jalisco, Torimatsu, Needle, and Mo-Mo-Paradise Advice to your younger self: Listen to everyone, but focus on your own heart for all your endeavors, and no matter what, finish strong!

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Menchieez Katsu Sando Chef Daniel Son of Katsu Sando Adapted by StarChefs Yield: 8 portions

INGREDIENTS Pickled Onions: 1½ cups Kikkoman rice vinegar 1½ cups fukujinzuke pickle juice ¼ cup salt ¼ cup honey Onions, diced Secret Takuan Sauce: ½ cup Kewpie mayonnaise 3 tablespoons ketchup ½ tablespoon Kikkoman rice vinegar 2 tablespoons honey 4 tablespoons small-diced Takuan 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard Onion Wagyu Jam: 8 ounces A5 wagyu fat 6 white onions, julienned ½ cup dry sake

METHOD 2 cups mirin 2 cups Kikkoman soy sauce 8 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper Menchieez Patties: Rice bran oil Peanut oil 32 ounces Lone Mountain Wagyu short rib and sirloin, ground Salt Black pepper 16 slices American cheese 3 cups bread flour 6 eggs, whisked well 2 quarts panko breadcrumbs To Assemble and Serve: House-made honey milk bread buns or brioche burger buns Butter

For the Secret Takuan Sauce: Combine all ingredients. Set aside.

thick). Sandwich 1 stack of cheese between 2 patties. Tightly pinch edges together and seal the cheese within the meat. Repeat with remaining cheese and patties. Heavily salt and pepper each patty on both sides and keep cold until ready to apply breading. Once ready to bread, temper each patty closer to room temperature.

For the Onion Wagyu Jam: In a rondeau over medium-low heat, render wagyu fat until it shrinks to at least 90% in size. Discard any remaining solids from pan then raise heat to mediumhigh. Once the pan begins to smoke, add onions and cook until translucent. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking onions until nicely browned and soft. Add dry sake and mirin. Cook out alcohol and reduce by half. Add soy sauce then reduce again until mixture becomes shiny and glossy. Add black pepper then remove from heat. Cool and reserve.

Line up separate containers of bread flour, eggs, and panko. Gently dredge patties in bread flour and pat off excess flour. Place dredged patties in eggs, completely coating until no dry flour spots are seen then drain as much egg wash mixture as you can. With a dry hand, grab a handful of panko and nestle a flat panko surface for patties to stick evenly on their bottom sides. Press tightly with panko for the top of the patty. Repeat the breading procedure with remaining patties. Gently drop 2 to 3 breaded patties into the oil. Cook for 8 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Remove excess bread crumbs as needed. Let rest for at least 5 minutes.

For the Pickled Onions: Combine all ingredients with 3 cups of water. Cover and let sit at least 1 hour.

For the Menchieez Patties: In a cast-iron Dutch oven, preheat the oils to 375°F. Fill only halfway to prevent overspilling. Gently combine ground wagyu and 8 ounces Onion Wagyu Jam and season with salt and pepper. Do not overmix. Form 16 thin patties, each weighing 4 ounces and slightly larger than a slice of cheese. Stack 2 slices of cheese and cut into 4 equal square parts. Stack those pieces up (should be 8 slices

To Assemble and Serve: Toast honey milk bread buns in butter. Spread 1 tablespoon of Secret Takuan Sauce on each half of the bun. Add a Menchieez Patty and ½ cup of Pickled Onions. Serve while hot and crispy. Featured ingredients: Lone Mountain Wagyu short rib and sirloin, Kikkoman soy sauce and rice vinegar

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FOUND OYSTER

S ANG

Ari Kolender

GA ME C H A NGE R

GAME CHANGER AWARD PR

Y ESENTED B

PEL

LEGRI

ARI KOLENDER SPENT HIS childhood by the water: fishing, lounging, and surfing on the shore of Charleston, S.C. At 14, a family friend hired him as a host at the nearby Hyman’s Seafood. Kolender worked at the restaurant for a few years before he landed at Pasadena’s Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in 2004. He then nabbed an externship at Michael Cimarusti’s two-Michelin-starred seafood restaurant, Providence, where Kolender reconnected with cooking and butchering seafood.

In 2009, he became chef de cuisine of the cutting-edge Red Medicine and found a mentor in 2012 Rising Star Chef Jordan Kahn. Excited by the blossoming restaurant scene back in Charleston, Kolender returned to his hometown in 2012 to open Chef Mike Lata’s The Ordinary as sous chef, gravitating toward the expansive raw bar program. After opening Leon’s Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop and Saint Alban, he felt ready to get back to the West Coast. Kolender jumped around Los Angeles with consulting and private chef gigs until opening all-day seafood spot and wine shop Hayden as executive chef. When Hayden closed in 2019, he partnered with Last Word Hospitality to fill a much-needed hole in the L.A. restaurant market: a sunny seafood shack and raw bar, Found Oyster. In addition to preparing sharp, bright dishes that highlight sustainable seafood purveyors, Kolender designs the Mexican menu at the new Red Dog Saloon in Pioneertown, Calif. arikolender / foundoyster Favorite kitchen tool: Bamix Most important kitchen rule: Bring a sharp knife to work. Place to visit for culinary travel: Rome Advice to your younger self: Do everything with purpose.

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PHOTOS: WILL BLUNT

Favorite cookbook: The River Cottage Fish Book

Lobster Bisque Roll Chef Ari Kolender of Found Oyster Adapted by StarChefs

METHOD

INGREDIENTS Lobster Stock: Salt 1 cup Champagne vinegar 12 lobsters

Bisque Mayo: 2 kilograms Kewpie mayonnaise 200 grams lemon juice 50 grams kosher salt

Bisque Sauce: 1 cup canola oil 4 yellow onions, large-diced 4 heads garlic, halved 16 sprigs thyme 6 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons sweet paprika 2 tablespoons cayenne ½ cup Cognac 4 quarts heavy cream 4 quarts carrot juice

To Assemble and Serve: Yield: 1 serving Butter 1 long potato roll Serrano chiles, sliced Chives, sliced Salt Lemon juice French fries

For the Lobster Stock: Add 20 quarts water to a large pot; bring to a boil. Add salt and Champagne vinegar and stir to combine. Drop in lobsters and cook 9 minutes. Transfer lobsters to ice water to cool. Separate shells from meat, reserving meat and 4 lobster heads. Place shells and remaining heads in a large pot, cover with water, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook until reduced to 4 quarts liquid. Strain broth from solids, let cool, then reserve in a large, nonreactive container.

carefully light it on fire. While looking away from the pot (if you care about your eyebrows), add flaming Cognac. As the flames begin to dissipate, add cream, carrot juice, and 4 quarts Lobster Stock. If you have any on hand, add lobster guts and roe. Bring pot to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Continue simmering until bisque reduces by ⅓ then strain liquids from solids into another pot. Be sure to press all juices out of lobster bones and vegetables. Return bisque to heat and let reduce again by ⅓. Transfer to a nonreactive container and let cool.

For the Bisque Sauce: Halve 4 reserved lobster heads and dry them on paper towels; set aside. Heat a large rondeau pan over medium-high flame. Add canola oil and, when oil begins to smoke, lobster heads. Sear heads until golden brown then add onions, garlic, and thyme. Reduce heat to medium and cook until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in tomato paste and spices, remaining careful not to burn the bottom of the pan. Add all except 1 tablespoon Cognac. Pour remaining Cognac into a metal spoon then, using the burner,

For the Bisque Mayo: Place all ingredients and 1.25 kilograms Bisque Sauce in a large bowl. Whisk until fully incorporated. To Assemble and Serve: Butter the inside of the potato roll then place on a flat-top to toast. Meanwhile, combine 3 ounces reserved lobster meat, some Bisque Mayo, and a handful of chiles and chives. Stir in salt and lemon juice. Fill potato roll with lobster mixture and top with more chile and chives. Serve with French fries.

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PHOTOS: WILL BLUNT; ILLUSTRATION: VECTEEZY.COM

CO NC E PT

BrianaValdez HOMESTATE

BORN IN HOUSTON and having moved around to Freeport, Victoria, Arlington, San Antonio, Clute, and Lake Jackson, Briana Valdez is a Texan through and through. The daughter of first-generation Mexican American parents, she grew up eating flour tortillas made by her mom and grandma.

After graduating from St. Edward’s University in 2000, Valdez packed two suitcases and moved to Los Angeles. Always on the hunt for good breakfast tacos to cure her homesickness, she spent some of her 20s as a massage therapist and spa manager but dreamed of opening a restaurant that honored her Texas roots. To get restaurant experience in 2009, Valdez became a host at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Los Angeles. She stayed with the restaurant group for four years to soak up everything she could, finding

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mentors in Keller, Laura Cunningham, and P.F. Chang’s founder Paul Fleming, a frequent guest at Bouchon. Meanwhile, Valdez workshopped her concept through backyard pop-ups featuring DJs and foil-wrapped tacos and queso. After she graduated from what she calls her personal “Restaurant University” in 2013, Valdez opened her first HomeState location in Hollywood—using a $5,000 loan that her mom took out from her retirement fund. Ever-growing with additional outposts in Highland Park, Playa Vista, and West Adams with Pasadena and Sherman Oaks in the works, she’s created a restaurant concept where every employee is paid a living wage and everything is made by hand. The food reflects Texas as a whole, in addition to Valdez’s own family history.

helloitsbreezy / homestate Favorite kitchen tool: Hobart mixer Advice to your younger self: Don’t be afraid to try something new. Most important kitchen rule: Clean as you go. Place to visit for culinary inspiration: I’ve never spent time in the American South (not Texas). Favorite cookbooks: The Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh and The Homesick Texan by Lisa Fain. Both were big influences and incredibly helpful when I was digging into developing this concept. So much of HomeState is about connecting to the roots of Texas culture and identity.

Lonestar Migas Restaurateur Briana Valdez of HomeState Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1 tablespoon butter ¼ cup chopped white onion 3 organic eggs, whisked Salt Black pepper ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese Crushed tortilla chips Beef brisket, cooked low and slow for 12 hours, shredded Pico de gallo Avocado Fresh flour tortillas

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Reduce heat to low then pour in eggs and season with salt and pepper. Cook eggs while slowly stirring. When they are almost completely cooked, add cheese and a handful of tortilla chips.

XA S

Transfer to a serving plate then top with brisket, a scoop of pico de gallo, and avocado. Serve with tortillas.

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PRIX FIXE PLAYLIST A well-curated playlist strikes the right balance and mood of the dining room—but that’s for the customer experience. After meeting so many musicians-turned-hospitality-workers in L.A., we asked them, “What makes you vibe out?” Rocking out to just the right song in preservice is as important as fully stocked mise; you have to finely tune your station the same way you would tune a guitar. It sets the tone for the night. Is that a mic test over at garde manger, or is someone sharpening knives? Xylophone, or is the barback stacking glasses? It’s a steady rhythm all around. This playlist is a testament to all those Fridays on the line, the early mornings at the bakery, or the drive in on the 405 (windows down, volume up). We sort of played a game of telephone to build this playlist, song by song, person by person. Each one added to the song before to either let it flow or entirely change the chi. Our recommendation: Queue this up during prep then have your team add to it.

BY E R I N L E T T E R A

To listen to the Prix Fixe Playlist – L.A., find StarChefs on Spotify.

DESIGN: JESS GRAHAM; PHOTO: JACLYN WARREN

“I AM THE HIGHWAY” — AUDIOSLAVE

“YOGA MEANS UNION” — AMBULANCE LTD

“ONLY YOU” — THEOPHILUS LONDON FT. TAME IMPALA

“BAG LADY” — ERYKAH BADU

“100%” — SONIC YOUTH

“DON’T BELIEVE A WORD” —THIN LIZZY

“WAR PIGS” — BLACK SABBATH

“CANÇAO POSTAL” — LÔ BORGES

Selected by Little Llama Peruvian Tacos Chef-owner Jean Valcarcel, who studied music in college

Selected by Trevor Faris, owner of Hank’s Bagels. Faris was a touring drummer and studied classical music.

Selected by Death & Co. Bar Manager Matt Belanger, who used to play trombone in a ska band

Selected by Arturo Enciso of Gusto Bread. The baker played guitar when he was getting his start in the industry.

Selected by Sfoglino Francesco Allegro of Rossoblu. Allegro tours around Italy as an acoustic singer-songwriter.

Selected by Gracias Madre Beverage Director Maxwell Reis, who played bass and sang in death metal bands. For a collab with The Mermaid bar, he even developed a series of metal-themed cocktails, featuring holy water and a burnt Bible, among other macabre ingredients.

Selected by Bar Director Shawn Lickliter of République, who played in the bluegrass band Copper

Selected by Christopher Lier, head baker at Bub and Grandma’s, who studied music and plays trumpet

“THIS IS THE DAY” — THE THE Selected by guitarist and Zack Hall, owner of Clark Street Bread

“WAVE OF MUTILATION” — PIXIES

“BILA MASHINI” — NEW ELVIS

Selected by Damian Beverage Manager Jun Kwon, who played drums and studied music in college

Selected by Ten Cafe Manager Kevin Snevely. He came to live in L.A. through touring in different bands and writing pop music.

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CO MMUN I TY

JUSTIN PICHETRUNGSI grew up at the family restaurant that his father, Ricky, started in 1981. Ricky would send his 5-year-old son to run food, talk to customers, and learn the language of hospitality. As Pichetrungsi grew up, he cooked at the Sherman Oaks restaurant during the summer but really wanted to be an artist. He graduated from ArtCenter College of Design in 2008 and became an art director for Disney, still working nights and weekends at the restaurant. After a trip to Italy taught him the romance of wine, he curated an ambitious wine program at Anajak, sometimes telling Disney he had a work meeting when he was really at a tasting.

In 2019, his father suffered a stroke, and Pichetrungsi’s career swerved in a different direction. He quit Disney after 10 years and took over the restaurant with a new vision. Ricky had always wanted Anajak to be the neighborhood Thai joint, but Pichetrungsi built upon the loyal base with his personal spins: a Thai omakase menu, a dry-aged fish program, and a thoughtful, mostly natural wine list. As someone who was raised by the industry, he pours his energy right back into it with lots of chef collaborations and events— catering to a bustling crowd of chefs who love what the Pichetrungsis have built over 40 years.

Justin Pichetrungsi ANAJAK THAI

justinpeachpeach / anajakthaifood Favorite kitchen tools: My wok spatula and wok ladle. I feel fast and agile when I hold them.

Most important kitchen rule: Sing with the people you cook with.

Tool you wish you had: I wish I had another deep fryer. We do so much fried chicken here!

What you eat on your nights off: I eat badass Cantonese food at Pearl River Deli. I drink sake at Tsubaki and OTOTO, which also has phenomenal food.

Favorite food resource: Anything from Now Serving, the cookbook store in Chinatown. Or just talking to my friends about dishes. My non-chef friends, too. They know a lot; their palates are excitable in a different way.

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Advice to younger cooks: Make it personal—make it only the way you can make it.

PHOTOS: ERIN LETTERA; ILLUSTRATION: VECTEEZY.COM

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Nam Jim: 1 cup cilantro stems 1 cup cilantro leaves 1 clove garlic 8 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 serrano or Thai chiles Salt

For the Nam Jim: In a Vitamix blender, blend all ingredients with 1 tablespoon of water. Add more acid or fish sauce to reach your own sense of balance.

To Assemble and Serve: 1 ounce Alaskan ikura 1 tablespoon fish sauce 2 tablespoons mirin 6 to 7 ounces King Kampachi, dry-aged for 5 days and cut into loins Hawaiian pink salt Sugar snap peas, husks removed Cilantro leaves

Dry-aged kampachi Chef Justin Pichetrungsi of Anajak Thai Adapted by StarChefs

To Assemble and Serve: Marinate ikura in fish sauce and mirin. Using a sashimi knife, cut sashimi-sized slices of kampachi against the grain. Arrange on a plate and lightly salt. Pour some of the Nam Jim into a shallow bowl. Layer 5 kampachi slices to create shape and lay into the Nam Jim. Garnish with ikura eggs and snap peas. Finish with cilantro leaves. Featured ingredient: King Kampachi Featured equipment: Vitamix Commercial blender

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In our reporting for this issue, we met several restaurant owners who struggle with how to convince the consumer that certain cuisines are worth a higher price. Rising Star Justin Pichetrungsi of Anajak Thai pushes back against the misconception that Thai food is just takeout food. Dakota Kim dug into the topic with him. Dakota Kim: Let’s talk about Thai food. It’s super popular, yet why does everyone expect it to be so cheap? There’ve been a lot of studies about how setting a higher price will make people think it’s a better product, but it’s obvious to me your food really deserves these prices because of food costs and cooking expertise. How do you work out the pricing and choices for your omakase versus your bistro side of Anajak? Justin Pichetrungsi: With the omakase, there are no choices for you—it’s really just my choice. For me conceptually, that’s my complement to the Thai bistro side of Anajak because the bistro side is the Thai neighborhood takeout side, and it’s all about what we can do for you and the choices. I probably have the most expensive pad Thai in the city at $16, but my father has been making it since he started the restaurant 40 years ago, and it’s got a lot of ingredients. Is there a process with you and your family to decide on pricing? I owned a restaurant with my family, and we argued about pricing all the time. A restaurant is not a museum where you go once and never come back. There’s an art to pricing. We hadn’t raised the prices in three years before the pandemic. But things got more expensive. The pricing of the menu was something we always went over, me and my mom and dad. We would look at how much we want someone to order this versus how much we don’t want someone to order this. We moved pad Thai to $16 to make it something we wanted people to order. I wanted to take pad Thai off the menu, like this New York restaurant Fish Cheeks that has a hashtag called #nopadthaizone. I love that. I know, it’s fucking genius. Instead, we charged for it. You’re not only paying for the time and labor of us making it, but we have to include our experience, as well. Picasso would charge $100 for a scribble. It took us 40 years to figure out how to do this pad Thai. You have every right to charge your prices. How do people react to them?

A lot of people who come to my place already think about this stuff and are already accepting that they’re about to commit to a $125 tasting menu, and I’m very fortunate that people are willing to pay the price. The margin for me is very low, but I think the point of it is to really ask a question, and I think that’s what good cuisine does. And other restaurants aren’t expected to sell dryaged fish prepared by experts for $5 or $10. If we compete price-wise with other places that have similar pricing, then the problem is that we compete. And who wants to compete? I don’t want to compete. I think the neighborhood Thai spot is viable for many people in L.A., but I know that’s not the kind of Thai food I want to eat. Market forces and cultural forces both shape the diner’s opinions and whether they’ll actually consider that food is worth $14 or $50 or $300, right? Zagat’s 2015 survey showed that a Thai meal for one person at a Zagat-listed restaurant in New York was at the bottom of the price ladder at $32.50 for one person, while Japanese was $68.94. The dry-aged fish I present on sticky rice resembles a cousin of sushi, and some historians say sushi started in Southeast Asia. I want to know when the hell will Thai cuisine meet the level of perception that sushi has in L.A., in this country, in this world? Is it a marketing problem, a branding problem, an issue of design? The way that Thais see design and package their tourism and craft—is it as fetishized as the vernacular of Japanese cuisine? I ask this question through the deepest admiration and love for sushi. I just want to know why people only want to see Mexican food and Thai food on the street. They shouldn’t have to do this, but how can restaurant owners market their cuisines so that diners will accept the message that they’re worth that price? I feel it’s not in the messaging. It’s in the bravery of just doing it and not apologizing. You can’t let the dog smell your fear. Change the price and do it with a smile.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JEN GAILY, SARAH LEITUALA

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FRESH OUT OF Le Cordon Bleu-Pasadena, Or Amsalam was determined to make his mark on the growing Los Angeles restaurant scene. He scored a role on the line at Mezze in 2010, followed by Wolfgang Puck’s Spago. An entrepreneur at heart, Amsalam founded a catering company in 2012 called LA Flavor Catering. Though he was born and raised in L.A., Amsalam’s family is Israeli and Moroccan, which led him to stints at restaurants around Israel.

His return to L.A. was met with jobs at Ink then Goldie’s, where he crossed paths with Chef Alex Phaneuf. After working for Farmshop, Atelier Crenn, TBD, and AQ in San Francisco, Phaneuf connected with Amsalam over their appreciation for freshly baked bread—a feature that Goldie’s was missing. So the pair spearheaded the restaurant’s bread program, and ideas for a bakery began brewing. In 2015, Amsalam and Phaneuf launched Lodge Bread Company, which focuses on whole-grain, long-fermented, high-hydration loaves. The original storefront expanded into a full restaurant and has since added a second location in Woodland Hills with another in the pipeline. With dreams of a new concept, Amsalam took Phaneuf on an Israeli tour, and they returned in 2018 to found Hasiba, named after Amsalam’s grandmother. The menu offers an Israeliinflected, kosher alternative for the largely Jewish PicoRobertson neighborhood, and Amsalam and Phaneuf plan to continue expanding both concepts.

Or Amsalam, Alex Phaneuf HASIBA AND LODGE BREAD COMPANY

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oramsalam1 / hasibarestaurant / lodgebreadco Or

Alex

Favorite kitchen tool: Robot Coupe Blixer 4

Favorite kitchen tools: Mortar and pestle

Favorite cookbook: I’ve been enjoying Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi lately.

Favorite cookbook: Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg

Most important kitchen rule: Keep it simple.

Most important kitchen rule: Respect your tools.

Place to visit for culinary travel: Morocco

Place to visit for culinary travel: Canada

Advice to your younger self: Never lose sight of your personal goals and aspirations.

Advice to your younger self: Being a cook is a lifelong pursuit. Truths always hide in the obvious.

PHOTOS: ERIN LETTERA, WILL BLUNT

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Restaurateurs Or Amsalam and Alex Phaneuf of Hasiba Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Pita: Yield: 10 pitas 1 kilogram flour, plus more for shaping 150 grams sourdough starter, fed 4 hours prior to use 25 grams sea salt, finely ground Amba Sauce: 2 ripe mangos, peeled and pit removed 10 Calabrian chiles ½ cup lemon juice ½ cup honey ½ cup white vinegar 3 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon dried red chile ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

METHOD Israeli Salad: Cucumber, diced Tomato, diced Carrot, diced Fried Eggplant: 1 eggplant, peeled and sliced into ½-inch coins or half-moons Salt Oil for frying To Assemble and Serve: French fries Hard-boiled egg, sliced Salt Black pepper Lemon juice Hummus Tahini Fresh herbs

For the Pita: In a large bowl, mix flour and 700 grams warm, filtered water until there are no clumps. Let rest 30 minutes. Add starter and sea salt. Mix dough for about 5 minutes or until smooth and slightly tight. Let sit 30 minutes. Fold the dough over itself 4 to 5 times to strengthen the gluten. Let sit 30 minutes. Repeat folds and let sit another 30 minutes. Once dough has doubled in size, dump it onto your work surface and divide into 10 equal-sized balls. Shape each ball into tight rounds and place them on a baking sheet. Store in fridge overnight. The following day, place a baking sheet in the oven and turn the temperature to 500°F, letting the baking sheet preheat with the oven. Flour your work surface. Place a dough ball from the fridge on the work surface and coat it in flour. Quickly roll the dough out very thin then throw it into the hot oven. Remove once ballooned and colored. Repeat for all remaining dough balls.

For the Israeli Salad: Combine all ingredients. Set aside. For the Fried Eggplant: In a large bowl, combine eggplant and salt. Let sweat at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Using a paper towel, press out any excess juice from the eggplant. Transfer eggplant to a deep fryer and fry until golden brown. Set aside. To Assemble and Serve: In a small mixing bowl, combine ½ cup Israeli Salad, Fried Eggplant, French fries, egg, salt, pepper, and a splash of lemon juice. Open a Pita and spread hummus on the inside. Add enough of the Fried Eggplant mixture to fill half of the pita. Top with Amba Sauce and tahini. Fill the Pita with more Fried Eggplant mixture then top with more Amba Sauce, tahini, and herbs. Featured equipment: Vitamix Commercial blender

For the Amba Sauce: Add all ingredients to a Vitamix blender and blend until smooth.

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Vivian Ku

JOY AND PINE & CRANE VIVIAN KU’S FAMILY HISTORY is steeped in the food industry. In 1949, during the Chinese Civil War, her maternal grandparents fled from China to Taiwan, where they began a noodle business. Taiwanese cuisine remained a part of their lives after they moved to California. Growing up in Bakersfield, she connected with food through her family’s vegetable farm and occasional visits to Taipei.

While studying economics at Harvard, her interest in restaurants motivated her to run the campus grill. She also trained at the Culinary Institute of America after college. Following an externship at Chez Panisse, she spent two years learning hospitality with the Hillstone Restaurant Group. A 2013 trip to Taiwan to master local recipes paved the way for her independent ventures.

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Ku opened her fast-casual restaurant, called Pine & Crane as an homage to her grandfather’s noodle company of the same name, in 2014. She followed it with Joy, a street-style Taiwanese food concept, four years later. By February 2020, she had plans to launch three more restaurants until the pandemic forced her to step back. Throughout this growth, providing sustainable jobs has remained one of Ku’s top priorities. She advocates for employee benefits, and despite the pandemic, Ku managed to avoid laying off any of her 100-plus employees. In November 2020, she charged ahead with a Taiwanese breakfast pop-up, Today Starts Here. Ku is looking forward to future projects that introduce Taiwanese food to a broader audience, including an altered Pine & Crane concept in D.T.L.A. to open later this year.

vivian_m_ku joyonyork / pineandcrane Favorite kitchen tool: Simple hardwood chopsticks can serve as a whisk, tongs, and a cooking utensil. Tool you wish you had: A soy milk machine that actually works well Favorite cooking resource: I often find myself searching in Chinese on the internet for recipes and food stories from Taiwan. Advice to your younger self: Ask more questions. What you eat on your nights off: My favorite meal on a day off usually involves seafood (e.g. a steamed crab, fried seafood platter, lobster roll) and an ice-cold beer.

Thousandlayer pancake Restaurateur Vivian Ku of Joy Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Pancake: 2.5 kilograms all-purpose flour 3 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning Neutral oil Pancake Sauce: 4 quarts soy paste 1 cup Kikkoman sesame oil 2 cups sugar 3 cups minced garlic To Assemble and Serve: Yield: 1 serving Neutral oil 1 tablespoon chopped scallions 6 to 8 Thai basil leaves 1 egg 1 slice cheddar cheese 1½ teaspoons chile sauce

METHOD For the Pancake: Combine flour, salt, and 1.45 liters room-temperature water into dough. Knead until smooth. Portion dough into 180-gram pieces then roll each piece as thinly as possible into a rectangular shape. Brush the top surfaces with a thin layer of oil then sprinkle each piece with ½ teaspoon salt. You should be able to stretch the dough even thinner at this point. Enlarge each rectangle by stretching out the corners and evening them out. From the bottom up, roll the pancakes into logs then bring the ends into the center, making 2 circles. Stack the circles upon each other, and press down gently. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Press each piece down and roll into a pancake. In a pan or griddle, heat oil and cook the pancakes on medium heat until each side is light golden brown and cooked through. Reserve. For the Pancake Sauce: Whisk all ingredients together. To Assemble and Serve: In a pan or griddle, heat oil and sweat scallions and basil. Crack an egg over the scallion and basil then top with cheese slice. When the egg is partially cooked, top with a Pancake so that they bind together. Once the egg is fully cooked, flip the Pancake over. Add chile sauce and 1½ teaspoons of Pancake Sauce. Fold together. Featured ingredient: Kikkoman sesame oil

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THE NEIGHBORHOOD SPOT By Lesley Balla Illustrated by Camily Tsai

——Los Angeles restaurants shape their communities, and the communities shape them

When I first moved to Los Angeles, a coworker wanted to introduce me to one of her favorite restaurants for lunch. Less than five miles away from our office, the restaurant was Angeli Caffe, a little Italian place owned and operated by Evan Kleiman since the 1980s. I had probably driven or walked by at least 50 times at that point, but I hadn’t stopped yet. Just a place you keep in the back of your head for next time.

Los Angeles is a huge expanse of community pockets that collectively beat as one, a microcosm of global cuisine, and getting out to explore a new neighborhood can sometimes feel like flying across the world. Though it sadly closed in 2012, Angeli was a place that felt particularly L.A., and restaurants today hope for the same lifespan of almost 30 years. The way it’s looking, many are poised to do just that.

The meal was sublime: Simple salads with local, organic baby greens; the pillowy purple beet ricotta gnocchi I still dream about; tiramisu for dessert. I was hooked.

CALLING IT THEIR OWN

I made Angeli Caffe one of my regular haunts. I took out-of-town visitors there, dined with friends, and went solo once or twice. It was welcoming and familial even as a stranger; Kleiman watched first dates turn into growing families over the years. It was my favorite neighborhood joint, though it wasn’t my neighborhood.

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When Rising Star Restaurateur Vivian Ku wanted to open her first restaurant, she had the concept—a fastcasual place for Taiwanese staples made with fresh ingredients—but didn’t know exactly where to put it. With UCLA nearby and a strong residential community, Sawtelle Japantown had a great walkability factor, thanks to the mix of retail, noodle shops, and tea and coffee cafes.

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But she always loved the Sunset Junction area of Silver Lake. She wanted to create something for the local community but also for anyone simply looking for quality Taiwanese food. Before taking the plunge, Ku talked to locals at the Silver Lake farmers market, located right in front of what’s now her second restaurant, Pine & Crane, showing the menu and asking what they thought about her idea. “Everyone was so nice and willing to talk,” she recalls. “The bulk of our guests are still within 5 miles of the restaurant, but we get people from outside of it. They don’t have to be an expert on Chinese food, but as long as they feel like they’re getting the same quality of service as anyone else, they call it their own.” When it came time to open Joy in nearby Highland Park, Ku was equally conscious of the community and the people and places that came before her. Although the area was predominantly Latino, Ku thought her Taiwanese street food concept jibed with the other businesses along York Boulevard, a street dotted with generations of family-owned eateries, shops, and bars. She was right. It was well-received from day one, not just because the food is stellar. It’s Ku’s way of embracing the community. The building that houses Joy once held a stalwart of the neighborhood, a bakery that lasted more than 40 years. The retired family still owns the building and leased the space to Ku. To honor them, she bakes and sells Mexican wedding cookies with all sales going to different Northeast Los Angeles charities and nonprofits.

a craving for noodles or pizza. But as the city grows more into its culinary destination status, we’ve seen a wave of independent restaurants and chefs with strong points of view garner national attention from their tiny, often hidden, corners of the metropolis. Los Angeles has always had a vibrant food scene, but it hit full-tilt dining destination somewhere around 2010. The country was just bouncing out of a recession that left many venerable restaurants closing for good. Others had to shift business models to stay alive, relying mostly on regulars and locals who wouldn’t dare see their favorite Friday night spot die. A decade later, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, we see that all coming around again. Then, like now, there’s a rise of young chefs trying new things that might or might not stick, who follow their gut more than anything and serve food that means something to them personally. They don’t always have the capital of big-investor-backed chefs, so they search for more modest locations in neighborhoods they hope will support them. They blend training from technique-driven kitchens with their cultural heritage and their love of vibrant flavors from all over L.A.. Think: Roy Choi’s Kogi Korean BBQ trucks and the ensuing food truck revolution, an explosion of Filipino and Nashville hot chicken in Chinatown, or the birth of Michelin-starred strip-mall restaurants with minimalist design and a lower price point. We’ve moved beyond just California cuisine. This is Los Angeles cuisine.

“It’s always about the new restaurant that’s exciting but fleeting in L.A.,” says Ku. “For us, it’s about being here for the long haul. And a restaurant has to have a symbiotic relationship with the neighborhood to do that.”

Everyone knows that the most successful neighborhood restaurants rely on a constant stream of regulars to maintain the status quo. Eventually, it becomes a living, breathing part of the community—a place to gather, to celebrate, to mourn, to remember, to grow. That’s how Ku felt when she wanted to open Pine & Crane and Joy.

This isn’t necessarily a new idea, to create a neighborhood spot that appeals to the masses. After all, not everyone wants to drive across town, or even a few miles, to satisfy

“We see kids go from being in the womb to being in elementary school and from elementary school to getting their driver’s licenses,” she says. “It’s really rewarding.”

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STAYING AFLOAT

TARGET AUDIENCE

During the pandemic, Chef Ryan Wong had to let the tides drive his vision for Needle, his small, Hong Kong-focused spot in Silver Lake. After working with some of the city’s top chefs like Timothy Hollingsworth, Michael Voltaggio, and Ludo Lefebvre, he wanted to get back to his familial roots and focus on the Hong Kong food he grew up eating. He knew the concept would work somewhere, but he needed a place that would support an independent small business, have a demographic that would be open to new ideas in food, and stay within budget.

When Chef Daniel Cutler and his general manager and wife, Caitlin, opened Ronan, their packed stretch of Melrose already had plenty of pizza and Italian food, but that didn’t discourage them. They tried to create something that would stand out. Everything was personalized: the decor, which they had a hand in designing; the right ambience; their music; a menu tailored for more relaxed dining, nothing formal, where you didn’t need an Italian dictionary to decipher dishes.

Not far from Pine & Crane, Needle is little more than a counter and a few tables, which dictates what and how Wong can serve. He admits that although he had the concept in mind, the neighborhood helped shape the direction the restaurant is going today. Pre-pandemic, guests ordered small plates from the counter and took a number—maybe you’d stop for a pork chop bun and sit at one of the small tables inside or on the patio. When he shifted to takeout meals, he created simple rice plates, things that were easy to reheat and traveled well. “It wasn’t really cutting it,” Wong says. “So I started to introduce things that were more thoughtful, used better ingredients, even if they were more labor-intensive. It started to stick. During the pandemic, people just wanted something different, so we made things other restaurants wouldn’t have.” For example, he tried vegan lettuce cups or a Hong Kong-style beef curry. “Our Silver Lake regulars kept us afloat during the pandemic, and we wouldn’t have made it without them,” he adds. “Fortunately, we’ve been getting new customers, probably word of mouth. More people are going out now. But we don’t want to lose our regulars.”

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Cutler says it felt like L.A. but not really L.A., and it hit big. But after the initial opening rush, things died down. They realized they had to cultivate a more local audience. The pandemic actually kind of helped find it. “We made it up as we went along,” says Cutler. “We have people come in now that say, ‘I lived three houses down and never knew about this place.’ We kind of got lucky with that stuff. We were lucky we served pizza. Now we have a regular neighborhood crowd, more local support.” Moving to the neighborhood before opening helped the Cutlersbalancetheirfamilyandfeelclosertothecommunity. “We’re seeing that people don’t want to go back to their office; they’re all working from home now. We plan on keep-ing takeout, which we didn’t do before the pandemic,” he adds. “We’re just used to doing it now, the neighborhood wants it.”

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TAKING THE HIGH ROAD

MARKET RESEARCH

The West Adams neighborhood wasn’t known as a hotbed for sit-down restaurants when Chef Keith Corbin and business partner Daniel Patterson opened Alta Adams in 2018. But the corner restaurant with its sleek, down-home vibe quickly gained a following for California soul food, healthier riffs on Southern dishes.

Rising Star Chef Jackson Kalb knew a marketplace wouldn’t work for his newest restaurant, Ospi, in Venice. During the pandemic, he sold staples like pasta, eggs, and flour at his first restaurant, Jame Enoteca, in El Segundo. If it didn’t catch at the more laid-back beach city, it wouldn’t work at Ospi. And with a mishmash of devoted locals, tourists, beachgoers, and a cluster of unhoused folks who make the boardwalk their home, Venice is a much dif ferent beast.

Like many restaurants, the pandemic meant having to morph into something the community needed, not just wanted. Alta Adams switched to takeout and delivery, served made-to-order fried chicken and pantry staples from the adjacent coffee shop, and allowed customers to pay on a sliding scale, thanks to the statewide initiative High Road Kitchens. Through all the changes, Corbin’s steadfast commitment to serving his community remained. Having grown up in Watts, his main goal has always been to make good food accessible for those who need it most. “People really engaged with us on social media, giving us suggestions about what they wanted in the shop,” he says. “We just tried to bring better and more products to the community.” As things began to reopen, including outdoor and indoor dining, the marketplace shifted to selling wine, especially those produced by women and BIPOC, and takeout will remain. It’s all in keeping with the ethos of Alta and the neighborhood.

Kalb really got to know the neighbors during construction. They were happy about Ospi coming in, even though it took over the space of the longstanding Canal Club restaurant; it was something fresher, an esoteric take on Southern Italian cuisine. But the food was still familiar and accessible. If there’s one thing the pandemic shed light on, it’s that good restaurateurs must be flexible in order to succeed. Pivoting is fine, as long as the original spark remains. Listening to the community is paramount; so is being there for it in good times and bad. It’s what makes our best neighborhood restaurants stand out. “We just wanted to be a constant, positive force in the neighborhood,” Ku says. “A lot of people just wanted part of their routine back. The comfort in familiarity with food, the friendly interaction, being thoughtful in service, it all mattered.”

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le y t S y l i Fam We heard emotional stories from chefs and restaurateurs who owe everything to parents who’ve also worked in the industry. Many of these stories came from second-generation Americans who now share their family’s food. Photographed here all together, seven hospitality professionals reflect on what they’ve learned from their parents. PHOTOS BY SHELLY WALDMAN

Sushi Chef Sonny passed down the family restaurant, Kura, to Daniel. The Son family now helps Daniel with his concept, Katsu Sando.

DANIEL SON, KATSU SANDO “I don’t have a famous father. His biggest accomplishment was likely when he earned the title of president of the Korean South Bay Soccer League, where he organized events to bring the community together during a time when there were very few minorities like him. That got his name and picture in the local paper, but that was all the fame it garnered.

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Of course, he has accomplished much more than that. For starters, he has been happily married for nearly 40 years to my mom. He helped raise three relatively well-adjusted children who have blessed him with a family restaurant that yielded memories that could compete with any family restaurant drama for many lifetimes (in the best of ways).

And while my father will never be famous, his words and–more importantly–his actions have taught me a great deal. Even when he wasn’t trying to. More than any recipe or technique, I learned that the balance between the demand of this industry and a healthy family life is actually achievable. You can love both and succeed.”

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When his father, Raphael, injured his back, Tadeh took over the family business, Dialog Cafe.

TADEH GHAZALIAN, DIALOG CAFE “When we were growing up, my father would take me and my brother to the same local coffee shop every morning before taking us to school so that he could enjoy his morning espresso. This routine of his started years back in Italy prior to my birth. During our morning walks, he shared stories of his time in Italy and why grabbing

his morning espresso was such an important part of his day. He drew parallels between espresso and the meaning of life. His philosophy on life was that success is obtained when one is consistent and patient in their business model, while providing the absolute best product. It was only a matter of time before I adapted his philosophy into my

personal core principles. Dialog has come a long way from 2007. As a family-owned and -operated cafe, we’ve integrated the core principles in which my father instilled in us at a young age. We love what we do each day and definitely share our appreciation with our customers.”

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NAKUL & ARJUN MAHENDRO, BURGERS 99 “Family is precious. Our mother and father have given us everything. Since a young age, we’ve lived the ancient Indian ideal of ‘the guest is God’—a belief that serves as the foundation of everything

we do today. Professionally, our mother is an accountant specializing in restaurants, and our father is a chef (the world’s greatest chef to us!). We’ve been fortunate to have their guidance but even more

fortunate that we get to work together as a family every day. The greatest lesson learned from our parents is to chase excellence, Thank you, Mom! Thank you, Dad!”

Nakul, Anu, Chef Pawan, and Arjun all worked on BADMAASH restaurant. When their sons wanted to start BURGERS 99, Pawan and Anu didn’t hesitate to jump into that business as well.

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Tal hand-built everything in the restaurant with his father, Davis. His mother, Hanni, helps him cook Israeli food inspired by family recipes. She used to work in her family’s bakery in Israel.

TAL ZAIET, MAZAL “Building and opening a restaurant from scratch with my family has been a challenging yet inspiring task. In the past three years, I’ve leaned on my parents heavily for advice in time management, improvising future plans based on unforeseen obstacles, and, most importantly, work ethic. They have shown me that there is no task too small, or too large for that matter, that one person (or a tightly knit team like our family) can’t accomplish on our own. If something needs to be done, you have no excuse other than learn how to do it yourself and make it happen.”

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ALEJANDRO GUZMAN, LA CHA CHA CHÁ “There was a plethora of things I learned from my mom specifically in the kitchen. The most thorough of lessons was accountability. I learned from her that every aspect of your work defines you. That we are an amalgam of our actions and the work that we put out into the world. Whether you’re wiping down a table or washing a pot, you are those actions; do it to the best of your abilities.”

Alejandro Guzman started working at his mother’s taco restaurant at the age of 12. Many of Fabby’s recipes became inspirations for the food at LA Cha Cha Chá and Guzman’s pop-up concept, also named Fabby’s.

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Forging her own culinary path, Sylvie rebranded the French Café Pierre, founded by her father, Guy, into the Italian Love & Salt.

SYLVIE GABRIELE, LOVE & SALT “I grew up in my father’s Manhattan Beach restaurant, Café Pierre, where I spent many nights of my childhood watching him work and learning my profession firsthand. Not only did I adopt his international flair and an inclusive European sense of hospitality, but I also was able to observe one of the best restaurant operators in action. The rhythm of the restaurant business was already firmly in

my blood by the time I started to officially work with him at the age of 16. There was no nepotism with him; on the contrary, most guests never knew that I was the owner’s daughter. I was fortunate to learn under him for many years and then to have him as my mentor, partner, and best friend.

WORLD’S TOP-TEN BEST-SELLING AND TRENDING LIQUEUR 1

HEART OF THE ICONIC NEGRONI 1 WORLD'S #2 BEST-SELLING COCKTAIL 1

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We Support StarChefs is partnering with Magpies Softserve and Savencia Cheese USA to benefit Careers Through Culinary Arts Program. Through culinary training, career advice, and scholarship opportunities, C-CAP fights the cycle of poverty by guiding underserved high school students toward a bright future in the hospitality industry. For every Blueberry Crumble Cheesecake Softserve ordered during Rising Stars Restaurant Week from June 16 to 30, StarChefs will donate $5 to C-CAP. PHOTOS: WILL BLUNT, SHABNAM FERDOWSKI ILLUSTRATION: SARAH LEITUALA

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ROSE AND WARREN SCHWARTZ OF MAGPIES SOFTSERVE

We were inspired by the classic blueberry cheesecake dessert. We love the idea of turning a classic dessert and spinning it into an original ice cream combination. When you combine the tart, tangy nature of the cream cheese soft serve with the sweetness of the blueberries then add in the crunchy sensation of the oats and graham streusel—Well, it tastes just like a spoonful of blueberry cheesecake down to the crust.

WHAT’S THE SCOOP?

Made with Savenia Cheese USA’s Smithfield pourable cream cheese, the cheesecake soft serve gets swirled with homemade blueberry compote and layered with crunchy brown sugar oats and a graham streusel crumble.

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—Rose Warren

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Pain Perdu Anew BY KENDYL KEARLY

L.A. diners might think they know what they’re going to get at Bar Restaurant: a lively ambiance, a lengthy wine list, an aesthetically pleasing octopus that curls around a pumpkin seed mojo. But after those pleasures, the desserts bring such an unexpected thunder that no one would know that there isn’t a pastry chef in the kitchen. Developed by Chef Douglas Rankin with Pastry Consultant and Rising Stars alum Gregory Baumgartner, the apple pain perdu (recipe on page 94), for one, is brimming with apple and brie flavor. Here, we break it down. THE APPLE SORBET THE BREAD The texture of this pain perdu goes well beyond the typical French toast. It’s more like a fluffy, brûléed pancake that resists sogginess. Brioche is the base; Rankin emulsifies the butter in three stages until the dough is glossy and aerated. After baking, the bread is soaked in apple anglaise (made with a caramellike Fuji apple juice reduction). But the secret is a thin layer of sugar dough placed overtop before the second bake. This ensures that the surface still gets a brûlée char at the end, despite the gooey anglaise permeating the brioche.

The Black Arkansas apple is small, dark in color, and tart with sweet notes resembling cherries. In a sorbet, the apples lend acid to this decadent confection, and it’s hard to imagine where the pain perdu would be without them. Though easier to source, the Fujis that go into the anglaise would pale in the overall balance of flavors. Instead, Fuji apple peels do make a reappearance in the form of a dehydrated apple powder garnish.

THE BRIE SABAYON If one element propels this dish into superstardom status, the thick but silky brie sabayon is it. Surrounding the pain perdu like a moat, the sabayon is a mix of rindless brie, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla paste, and cream cheese. It counterbalances the apple, and the mouth feel completely lives up to brie’s tangy, creamy promise. A little sugar on top means the sauce can be brûléed as well.

PHOTO: JACLYN WARREN

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BORN IN JAPAN and raised mostly in New Jersey, Gemma Matsuyama fell in love with baking at 15 when she made her first cream puff for her dad. Presenting him with a pastry after his long shift gave her a sense of joy that she hadn’t known before. The daughter of an Italian mother and a Japanese father, she enrolled in a culinary vocational high school in Abruzzo, Italy at the age of 16. Matsuyama studied and cooked at L’Opera pastry shop and the farm-to-table Ristorante Ribo until she was ready to return stateside at 20.

PHOTOS: ERIN LETTERA

In New York, she found mentors in Jim Lahey at Sullivan Street Bakery in 2010, Karen DeMasco at Locanda Verde in 2011, and Devin McDavid at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in 2013. After two years of connecting with the farmland at Blue Hill, she moved to Los Angeles and found a pastry position at Rising Stars alum Ori Menashe’s Bestia. In 2016, Matsuyama started her own whole grain food truck concept, Pico House, with a side pastry business, Heavy Cream. The truck closed two years later, but the hustle paid off when she landed the head pastry chef role at Chef Niki Nakayama’s n/naka. Now at two Echo Park sister restaurants, cafe OTOTO and sake-centric izakaya Tsubaki, Matsuyama crafts Japanese desserts with references to her Italian heritage. gemnator / ototo.la / tsubakila

Gemma Matsuyama OTOTO AND TSUBAKI 56

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Favorite kitchen tools: The rubber spatula, immersion blender, and rolling pin Tools you wish you had: I wish I had a Rational oven, sheeter, large stand mixer, Carpigiani gelato machine, and blast freezer. What you eat on your nights off: I love eating yakitori with my husband at Yakitoriya, Torimatsu, or Nanbankan. Other days, I love eating at Anajak Thai or Pearl River Deli. Advice to your younger self: Protect your happy place in your heart and surround yourself with positive people. We make better food for others when it comes from a place of love and care. As much as it seems like a competition at times in the industry, it is a long culinary journey. Be patient.

Chocolate tofu pudding Pastry Chef Gemma Matsuyama of Tsubaki Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Chocolate Tofu Pudding: Yield: 12 pints 1 kilogram medjool dates, pitted 1.35 kilograms TCHO dark chocolate 2.7 kilograms firm tofu, strained 10 grams salt 50 grams extra-virgin olive oil 30 grams vnlla Extract Co. pure vanilla extract 50 grams TCHO cocoa powder

METHOD Candied Cacao Nibs: 250 grams TCHO cacao nibs 500 grams sugar 50 grams room-temperature butter, cubed Mochi: 450 grams sweet rice flour 200 grams sugar Potato starch To Assemble and Serve: Yield: 1 serving Olive oil

For the Chocolate Tofu Pudding: Soak dates in warm water until plump. Set aside to rest at least 15 minutes. Over a double boiler, melt dark chocolate; remove from heat and set aside. Add tofu to a Vitamix blender and blend until smooth. Transfer tofu to a large bowl and set aside. Strain dates then gradually add to the Vitamix blender, blending with enough tofu to reach a smooth consistency. After adding the last few dates, blend in salt, oil, vanilla, and cocoa to emulsify. Add date mixture to remaining tofu, stir to combine, then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Add melted chocolate and mix well. Transfer to airtight containers and chill in cooler until needed. For the Candied Cacao Nibs: Evenly distribute cacao nibs onto a sheet tray. Roast in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes or until glistening. Meanwhile, add sugar to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Without stirring, let cook until sugar begins to melt and caramelize. Using a heatproof spatula, gently stir sugar until it all melts and reaches a dark amber color, adjusting heat as needed. Remove pot from heat and stir in butter, one cube at a time. Once butter is fully emulsified, add roasted cacao nibs. Using rubber and offset spatulas, spread mixture out on a silpat. Let cool until completely hardened, about 1 hour. Grind into bite-size pieces then set aside.

For the Mochi: In a bowl, whisk together rice flour, sugar, and 660 grams water. Strain mixture into a microwave-safe bowl and cover. In a 1,200-watt microwave, cook mochi for 2 minutes then stir with a rubber spatula. Repeat in 2-minute increments until sides of mochi begin to firm then cook in 1-minute increments. Once the mochi begins to solidify and gets sticky and shiny, reduce to 30-second increments until cooked through. Mix mochi well then place on a work surface coated in potato starch. Let cool about 1 minute. Dust top of mochi with more potato starch then, with the straight side of a bowl scraper, slice into strips. Then slice crosswise, making bitesized mochi cubes. Dust each cut surface of the mochi with potato starch and shake or brush off excess starch. Store mochi in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. To Assemble and Serve: In a shallow dessert bowl, place 2 heaping scoops of Chocolate Tofu Pudding then swirl the surface with the back of the spoon. Garnish with Candied Cacao Nibs, a spoonful of Mochi, and a drizzle of olive oil. Featured ingredients: TCHO dark chocolate, cocoa powder and cacao nibs; vnlla Extract Co. pure vanilla extract Featured equipment: Vitamix Commercial blender

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The State of

PASTRY

As restaurant staffs decreased during the pandemic, the role of the pastry chef has arguably changed more than any other in the kitchen. We asked a few of them to share what it’s been like.

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Jennifer Yee

PHOTOS BY WILL BLUNT, ERIN LETTERA, JACLYN WARREN

Bakers’ Bench, formerly of Konbi

Jennifer Shen

Jon & Vinny’s

MY STORY IS like many others of my time. I started my culinary journey at the height of the Food Network era and at the tail end of the culinary school bubble when the career-changers outnumbered the tattooed hipsters. I am neither. I’m quiet, committed to my craft and my people. I rarely seek attention or accolades for my work and have found such honor and pleasure contributing to my community, both in food and in building teams of dedicated, likeminded individuals. I’m writing now because we’re under fire. Obviously, you see that in restaurants. But in pastry, we are really under siege. First in, last out is how I have shaped my days for over a decade, and now, I am witness to the shrinking opportunities for my cooks. We have become victims to restaurant life-saving maneuvers—we have been first furloughed and will be last welcomed back to the table when things have mended. I fear answering another phone call from a friend looking for a pastry cook or chef position that doesn’t exist. The story is common: “I’m willing to do more for less” and “whatever it takes.” Although that attitude is something

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I feel kindred about, it’s not in a tone of empowerment right now. It’s desperation with egos set humbly aside. If you know pastry cooks, then you know that is certainly not easy. Previously relishing my daily rituals of menu and staff development, I have found a different motivation now.

I am driven to create products to keep my staff working, to keep us essential, to patronize the farmers, and to support and not burden the business with our department’s high labor costs. In the end, I know it still might not be enough.

I feel so fortunate to have what I have. I am working. But I want more. I want security for my cooks. I’m going to keep pushing, and I accept that despite all efforts, it’s not all going to be good. I promise to stay optimistic but responsible to the climate. Pressure makes diamonds. – October 2020ds. –October 2020

WHEN KONBI CLOSED indoor dining at our small, 10-seat bar, the kitchen quickly took over. And I mean quickly. Bar stools gave way for two stainless steel work tables, ceramic ware was tucked into the recesses of our sheds and homes, guest soap was replaced with fluorescent orange antibacterial soap. And because as chefs, we cannot stop cooking and creating, our menu went from one page to two. The pastry team, which normally shared work stations with garde manger or the prep team, now had its very own station in a 450-squarefoot restaurant. I went from working night shifts, taking over the bar after guests left, to mornings of baking and production. It was a bit of a baker’s dream. After all, many bakers don’t have the opportunity to carry their product through every step. Larger operations have separate teams

Yet history has shown us that sudden challenges are precisely when sudden originality and great beauty can arise. Pastry went home. We dived deeper into flavor, ingredients, method, and expression. So much blossomed. It was astonishing to see microbakeries opening across the nation, many fueled by wanting to address social justice issues.

of a.m. mixers, afternoon shapers, and overnight bakers, so whatever you touch, you never see it until the end. But here I am getting to mix, lock in, shape, proof, and bake my croissants. When the bakes are great, my fellow pastry chef and I are proud and smiling big at the 8:50 pre-shift meeting. When the bakes are bad, well, it’s bad. Closing indoor dining allowed the two-person Konbi pastry team to run the program from start to finish, so in many ways, it is a blessing. It gave me the confidence to know that I could run my own bakery as long as I started small. So now, I’m trying to shake off the weird feeling of being off on a Friday, between my stable job at Konbi and my uncertain new job as the baker/ owner of Bakers’ Bench. And it’s not just me—the pandemic gave many people the push needed to start their own micro-business. Every time I open Instagram, there is a new pop-up: vegan ube pandesals, chile oils and XO sauce, hand-sewn clothing, jewelry, backyard pizzas, house plants. Shopping small and supporting local business is probably more impactful now than it was in the past, and I love it.

I love the tenacity of a creative person, the grit of someone who goes all in on their passion, the buzzing excitement when they share their newest drop. I think for the most part, the customer reception and attitude toward small businesses cultivates warmth, understanding, and patience. Most guests are kind and gentle about their wrong orders, wait times, or sold-out items. They know that the person fielding emails is probably the same person baking bread. And it’s amazing.

We connected, we asked for more, and we supported what mattered to us. After all, baking has a rich history with social change. Rose Lawrence

Rossoblu and Red Bread

WHEREVER YOU MAY have worked—bakery, restaurant, rustic, fine dining, sliced and boxed, or plated and sauced—it’s a joke among pastry chefs that we are always marked for the chopping block. Pastry has the most expensive ingredients and is the most labor-intensive station. Pastry can feel precarious and a bit of an uphill battle, even in what has come to be known as “normal times.” That’s why everyone I know who does pastry does it for sheer love. Love of celebration, love of joy, love of the last bite that becomes the memory. When COVID-19 hit, restaurants began a dance of open, close, open, close, swing your partner, open and close. As expected, the first dancers to leave the floor were sugar workers. My peers and I grappled with what to do. Working a very physical job and coming to a sudden halt can be jarring on the body. And mentally? Every feeling seemed to come at once. How to cope with losing celebration in the face of mounting death?

We hit up our friends for their bakes and created a large, strong network. Many pastry chefs, while missing their kitchens, have no desire to return to “normal,” having found such freedom, support, and appreciation. Beyond the impressive jolt of entrepreneurship was the emergence of new styles. No longer was pastry constrained by collaborations with a savory menu; menus took in all that inspired the baker. For me, this time led to a deeper study of Italian desserts in my ongoing role with Rossoblu. It led to the relaunch of products at Red Bread. My bakery of the last 10 years, which has primarily recently focused on events and consulting, began to offer cakes and bread again. Sourdough felt essential to the human diet but also a life raft for smaller organisms in a time where bacteria was being eradicated. I wanted to do whatever I could do to help. It meant returning to the soil to grow plants and to academia to get a masters in gardening. It meant taking care of me, though health is rarely prioritized in the kitchen. As the concerns of 2020 continue into 2021, we cannot forget that we are still learning this dance. With restaurants beginning to reopen, I hope the old blindspots don’t find their way back to kitchens. We’ve come too far, created so much. I hope this strong creativity, newfound community, and nationwide organizing continue stronger than ever. Pastry is so powerful.

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Butter of Europe not only tastes better, but it also bakes better.

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THE CONTENT OF THIS ADVERTISEMENT REPRESENTS THE AUTHOR’S POINT OF VIEW ONLY AND IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE AUTHOR. THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY USE THAT MAY BE MADE OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN.

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Milk & Conchas By Amelia Schwartz

PHOTO: ERIN LETTERA; ILLUSTRATIONS: SARAH LEITUALA

TASKED WITH MAKING a pastry inspired by Chef Jonathan Whitener’s favorite childhood treat, All Day Baby’s pastry chef, Thessa Diadem, decided on a concha that’s only kind of a concha (recipe on page 94). It might look like a concha— plump with a brittle vanilla topping draped over its head— but the chewy bun hardly resembles its namesake.

It all starts with the roux, a milk and bread flour combo that Diadem credits as the tangzhong method for making Japanese milk bread. She brings milk to a simmer then adds in bread flour, whisking continuously. As soon as the mixture is homogenized, she trades the whisk for a spatula and scrapes at the bottom of her pot until it thickens into a paste-like consistency. She chills the roux overnight and uses it as the base for her yeasted dough, enriched with milk powder for added savoriness. Once baked, the milk bread bun is light with a slight QQ bounce. For this particular concha, Diadem infuses bay leaf and vanilla into milk to make a pastry cream reminiscent of horchata to fill each bun. Neatly scored like a tic-tactoe board, the crisp topping stays fairly true to the original concha and is mostly composed of shortening and powdered sugar. The sweet bun doesn't need to be dipped into cafe con leche or a glass of milk; it's got dairy packed into its very core.

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Arturo Enciso

GUSTO BREAD artudough / gustobread Favorite kitchen tool: Bench knife Tool you wish you had: Dough divider/rounder Favorite cookbooks: From the Wood-Fired Oven by Richard Miscovich and My Mexico City Kitchen by Gabriela Cámara and Malena Watrous Most important kitchen rule: Keep tidy! Advice to your younger self: Be on time and be patient with what it is you wish to learn.

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EVERY CHRISTMAS during his childhood, Arturo Enciso would travel to Mexico from his hometown of Lebec, California. With parents from Chihuahua and Mexico City, he grew up closely connected to his heritage. In adulthood, he moved to Long Beach, playing guitar in rock bands and working coffee shop jobs. In 2013, he and his partner, Ana Belén Salatino, moved to a backhouse, and the wood-fired oven in their shared garden space caught Enciso’s attention. So he bought some wood, experimented with baking, pored over cookbooks, and attended bread-making workshops. In early 2017, during a cross-country, soul-searching journey, he took a three-day bread class with Richard Miscovich that changed his life. When Enciso returned to California, he and Salatino moved to a two-story house, where they started a cottage bakery, Gusto Bread. In late summer 2020, they traded their home baking space for a Long Beach brick-andmortar to set up their panadería orgánica in the Retro Row independent business district. Today, their team is eight employees strong, and Salatino oversees marketing and operations. Customers patiently wait for Enciso’s freshly baked goods, which illustrate how far he’s come since the day he first spotted that wood-fired oven.

PHOTOS: ERIN LETTERA

Pastelito de Guayaba Baker Arturo Enciso of Gusto Bread Adapted by StarChefs Yield: 8 pastelitos

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Puff Pastry: 1 kilogram bread flour 15 grams salt 750 grams French butter

For the Puff Pastry: Mix flour and salt and set aside. Cube 100 grams butter into pea-sized pieces. Toss into flour mixture and slowly add 550 milliliters cold water, mixing by hand until it comes together and no dry flour remains. Don’t knead; that will develop the gluten. Shape dough into a ball and wrap in plastic. Let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, pound a 650-gram block of butter to soften. With parchment paper, shape into a square roughly 9 by 9 inches. Leave out for laminating with the ball of dough. Press the dough ball down and slowly roll out 1 edge to about 6 inches long. Do the same for the other end and then again for the other corners until you have a cross shape while leaving the center slightly thicker. Place your butter block in the center and fold the flaps over it so it’s completely encased. Pinch any open seams.

Whipped Cream Cheese: 8 ounces cream cheese 50 grams sugar To Assemble and Serve: Egg, beaten 12 ounces guava marmalade or jam Sugar

Lightly flour the worktable and roll the laminated block out to 12 by 18 inches. With the long side facing you, do a trifold (letter fold). Roll out to 12 by 18 inches again and do another letter fold. Cover in plastic and chill for 1 hour. This is 2 folds. Repeat these steps for a total of 6 folds. After the last fold, chill at least 1 hour before working with it or let rest overnight. Divide in half and roll out each block to 18 by 18 inches. Then cut to 9-by-9-inch sheets to build the pastelitos. Freeze extra sheets to have puff pastry for future pastelitos. For the Whipped Cream Cheese: In the bowl of a small mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed, about 3 minutes or until fully homogenous and fluffy. Place in a piping bag with a ¼-inch straight tip.

To Assemble and Serve: Carefully cut two 9-by-9-inch Puff Pastry squares to 4½ inches. Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper and transfer 4 squares per pan. Brush each square with egg then pipe a ring of Whipped Cream Cheese inside the perimeter, roughly 3 inches in diameter. Scoop ¾ ounce of the guava marmalade inside the rings. Finish each square with a sprinkle of sugar to help caramelize the puff pastry. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes then rotate and turn the oven down to 325°F. Finish baking for another 5 to 10 minutes until tops are golden brown and the bottoms are crisp. Featured ingredient: Butter of Europe

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One Year Later

To produce this magazine, our first trip to L.A. took place in February 2020, a time of excitement and growth for the restaurant industry in the City of Angels. We completed roughly half of our research before everything changed. But through all the loss and hardship, some restaurant professionals took the opportunity to reignite their careers in different ways. BY AMELIA SCHWARTZ

Pastry Chef Mitzi Reyes

A few months prior to the closure of The Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Beverly Hills, Pastry Chef Mitzi Reyes welcomed one of the biggest changes of them all: a baby girl. She also started a home micro-pâtisserie and bakery, Cakes by Zoé. “I have learned a lot—we’ve been very busy, and I’m grateful for that,” she says. But now, she’s back in restaurants as the pastry chef of CATCH L.A.

Chef Ryan Vesper

In one day, Chef Ryan Vesper went from being the culinary director of two busy restaurants (Rossoblu and Superfine Pizza), leading a team of around 50 employees, and consulting with the group to having no job at all. “You can’t just switch to takeout in five days when [Rossoblu’s concept] is all about three hours of storytelling,” Vesper says. He jumped onboard Wilderness Collective, a highend motorcycle and camping tour company: “We’re feeding 15 to 20 people every meal of the day; creating beautiful, intentional food; and cooking whole, butterflied fish on the edge of the Grand Canyon.” 66

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Chef John Taube IV

Chef Balo Orozco

When Onda closed in 2020, Chef Balo Orozco found extra time to visit his friends’ farms across L.A. county. Saddened by the wasted produce that would have been sold at farmers markets, he and his partner, Jacqui Harning, teamed up with the farmers to rescue as much as possible. “We started a company called Sunset Cultures with the idea to preserve the farmers market by making kombucha,” says Orozco. He and Harning now sell their raw, small-batched kombucha at restaurants, cafes, and zero-waste groceries around the county.

After the second wave of Los Angeles restaurant closures, Chef John Taube IV was itching to get back in the kitchen. So when his friend Chef Chris Kajioka came calling with a job in Maui, Taube seized the opportunity. He’s now executive chef of Mourad Lahlou’s newest endeavor, Waicoco at the Westin Maui. Taube’s girlfriend, Michelle Jackson, who was furloughed from her bartending role at Death & Co., works by his side as bar director.

Chef Ryan Costanza

“At the start of the pandemic, I decided enough procrastination,” Chef Ryan Costanza says. “It made sense to start a project that has been in the making for some time.” So he and his partners founded Pure Land Sake, a craft sake brewery and yakitori, set to open in Nashville next year. “Throughout the pandemic, I have rented out a space and filled it with state-of-the-art R&D equipment, took classes on microbiology, perfected koji-making, and have testbrewed about 10 batches so far. [I] also became a certified sake professional and shochu pro from the Japanese Sake Association.” For now, Costanza is back at Freedman’s, cooking charcoal-grilled souvlaki.

Chef Minh Phan

Forced to close her casual restaurant, Porridge + Puffs, for dinein, Chef Minh Phan remained busy. She continued running takeout from Porridge + Puffs, collaborated with n/naka and Alta Adams, and in fewer than five days, launched fine dining concept Phenakite. Named 2021 Restaurant of the Year by the Los Angeles Times, Phenakite serves 12 to 14 courses that tell stories of art and activism. She says, “Whether it be about the protest or the wildfires, the dishes are always a reaction and a comment.”

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B U TC H E R

Teresa Cabansag GWEN

COOKING HAS ALWAYS been a part of Teresa Cabansag’s life, but it took her a while to realize that it could (and would) be her career path. In a family of six, her parents were always enthusiastic about getting the kids together at the table through large dinners. Cabansag gained a deep interest in the science behind food and nutrition, so in her early 20s, she studied to become a registered dietitian. To pay for school, she picked up a job at a ramen joint in Los Angeles and found herself loving the challenge and tight-knit camaraderie of a small kitchen.

She worked her way through various restaurants across the city and in 2015 started cooking at the James Beard Award-winning Otium under Chef Tim Hollingsworth. The yearlong experience allowed Cabansag to realize her full potential—

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how skilled she could become and how far she could take her career. She was enthralled by any task that involved working with her hands: deboning fish, plating large-format dishes, shucking oysters, and, eventually, butchering. But when Cabansag asked a chef to teach her how to butcher a lamb, he said she’d have to learn on her own time. And so, with minimal butchery experience, Cabansag went on to work at Chef Curtis Stone’s upscale butcher shop and restaurant, Gwen. Four months later, she was learning how to cure meat and grind sausage. She took over the charcuterie program within a year. Now four years into her job, Cabansag manages six (male) employees as Gwen’s head butcher and charcutier.

esacabansag / gwenla Favorite kitchen tool: My boning knife Favorite food resource: YouTube What you eat on your nights off: I cook pretty quick and simple meals at home because I’m not home a lot. I love making large pots of soup to stretch through the week. I love versatile dishes that I can turn into other meals, like braised dishes. I do eat a lot of protein. I love saucy dishes that I can sop up with bread. Place to visit for culinary travel: Basque Country Advice for your younger self: Be fully present.

PHOTOS: WILL BLUNT

Wild Boar Toscano Butcher Teresa Cabansag of Gwen Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

22 pounds wild boar trim 3 pounds pork backfat, hand-diced to 8-by-8millimeter cubes 225 grams salt 10 grams pink salt #2 90 grams sugar 165 grams milk solids 10 grams starter culture bacteria F-RM-52, bloomed in water at 95°F 60 grams whole fennel seeds 60 grams black pepper, coarsely ground 25 grams finely minced garlic 750 milliliters Chianti 14 to 16 hog casings, size 38/42

Evenly divide boar trim in 3 equal weight amounts. Grind each amount in varying small, medium, and large grind sizes. In a large container or standing bowl mixer, combine all of the trim and backfat until evenly distributed. Add salts, sugar, and milk solids and mix well. As your mixer is turning, slowly stream in starter culture bacteria and mix well. Mix in fennel seeds, black pepper, and garlic. Stream in Chianti. Add to a sausage stuffing can with a medium-large sausage stuffing horn attachment. Pipe into the hog casing, tying each end into a loop after you’ve filled about 2 feet worth of the hog casing.

When all of the farce is stuffed into the casing, ferment the salami in an environment that is about 95°F to 98°F with a humidity of about 85% to 95% until the pH level reaches 5.4. This takes about 12 hours. When you have a pH of 5.4, hang the salami for its final drying time in an environment of 48°F to 52°F with a humidity of 70%. This will hang until the water activity reaches 0.85. This takes about 1 month.

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Francesco Allegro ROSSOBLU

ON THE WHEAT FIELDS of Canosa di Puglia, Italy under the late July sun, Francesco Allegro’s grandfather would spend his days harvesting seeds to take home, grind, toast, then form into a toasted-wheat troccoli. Today, Allegro makes that same troccoli, tossed with a fragrant combination of breadcrumbs, garlic, olive oil, and parsley, at Rossoblu. From a young age, he worked in the restaurant industry as a line cook and server, but after high school, he pursued his two favorite things: music and pasta.

While producing acoustic music with his band, Mai Personal Mood, Allegro travelled around Italy, practicing the craft of pasta at CAST Alimenti, Re Mida Ristorante, Vecchia Scuola Bolognese, and La Casa del Tortellino, known for the world’s smallest tortellini. On the side, Allegro taught Italian language classes, and in 2017, Chef Steve Samson was one of his students. Impressed by Allegro’s profound pasta skills, Samson recruited him to become the head sfoglino at his Bolognese-inspired restaurant, Rossoblu. Allegro now resides in L.A., where he hand-makes pasta for Rossoblu’s restaurant and market. In addition, he makes and delivers truffle-packed sauces and pasta through his company, Truffle Dealers, and still finds the time to travel back to Italy to share his music. francesco__allegro / rossoblula Favorite kitchen tool: Rolling pin Favorite food resource: In my job, you have to read and study every day, but the best resource is studying with people who really know what they do. Most important kitchen rule: Hands, knife, rolling pin—in order of importance What you eat on your nights off: Everything other than Italian food Places to visit for culinary travel: Sardegna, Sicily, and China Advice to your younger self: Breathe. Don’t just focus on work because it’s not everything at the end of the day, and it’s never too late to start learning how to cook, to do things just because you like them.

PHOTO: JACLYN WARREN

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Burnt-wheat culurgiones Sfoglino Francesco Allegro of Rossoblu Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Pork Filling: 400 grams Niman Ranch pork loin Butter Salt White wine 1 kilogram Yukon gold potatoes 200 grams grated Parmigiano Reggiano 150 grams grated Pecorino Romano Mint, chopped

Culurgiones: 500 grams semolina flour 300 grams 00 flour 100 grams burnt-wheat flour 4 eggs

To Assemble and Serve: Salt Butter Lemon zest Pistachios Fennel pollen

Burrata Sauce: 80 grams burrata 10 grams milk Salt

METHOD For the Pork Filling: Cook the pork in butter, salt, and wine. Grind the meat up in a meat grinder so that the pork is still chunky and full of texture then set aside. Bake, peel, then mash the potatoes. Stir in the cheeses, mint, and pork until fully incorporated. Season with salt. For the Culurgiones: Mix the flours together then start incorporating eggs and 200 grams water. When it’s a homogenous dough, let rest for 40 minutes. Rather than using a pasta machine, use a rolling pin to create a rougher texture that will absorb the sauce differently. To do this, shape the dough into a ball. Roll out into a circle by stretching, as well as pressing down. Stretch the dough by rolling a quarter way back onto the pin and gently pushing the pin away from you. Turn the disk a quarter turn and repeat. Cut into rounds for the culurgiones. Seal the Pork Filling in between two rounds. You should have a wheat-grain-like structure. The sealing must be compact so the stuffing does not fall off; it takes practice.

To Assemble and Serve: Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for a couple of minutes. Transfer the pasta to a pan with a little bit of butter and pasta water. Finish in a pan for 2 more minutes. Pour the Burrata Sauce over a serving plate and place the Culurgiones over top. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and sprinkle over top. Featured ingredient: Niman Ranch pork loin

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PHOTO: SHABNAM FERDOWSI

For the Burrata Sauce: Using an immersion blender, make a cream with the burrata, milk, and salt. Keep refrigerated until needed.

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BRING OUT THE BUBBLY During a year of hardship, diners have never craved Champagne more. BY KENDYL KEARLY THE CHAMPAGNE REGION has seen its share of turmoil through history, serving as a battlefield many times over. But somehow, the sparkling wine became the global symbol of happy days. “Historically speaking, Champagne has always been closely associated with celebration, especially in the ‘hard’ times,” says Joonas Rokka, a professor at France’s Emlyon Business School who researches Champagne marketing and consumption. He argues that Champagne truly took its place as a market phenomenon after World War I. “People were tired of the gloomy wartime and went to the clubs to dance and drink Champagne,” Rokka says. As the pandemic presents a different kind of battlefield for producers, we’ve noticed many sommeliers doubling down on Champagne pairings. “We’re at war with this virus,” says Matthew Arnall, wine director at Baltaire. “We want people to pop Champagne, have fun, and enjoy life.” For one of the restaurant’s most striking luxuries—a seafood tower of Maine lobster, Island Creek oysters, tiger shrimp, and Alaskan king crab, alongside golden osetra caviar service—Arnall of course beelined for the bubbly. He has a dream wine list at Baltaire, but during the pandemic, he chose a more affordable bottle: Demière-Ansiot Blanc de Blancs à OgerMarne 2016. “Decent Champagne can get expensive really fast,” Arnall says. “People who have been buying $1,000 wines probably made money during the pandemic. But the average consumer isn’t.” A less expensive bottle (still wholesaling for $135, mind) can offer a frothy respite for those outside of Baltaire’s flushed Brentwood neighborhood. With its clean, crisp finish, the Blanc de Blancs pairing is, as Arnall says, “the epitome of what Champagne can be.”

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Chloe Miranda

BIRDIE G’S

IN HER HOMETOWN OF MIAMI, Chloe Miranda began her restaurant career at Cindy Hutson’s Ortanique on the Mile. The wine list was incredible, but Miranda, only a teenager, was admittedly in over her head. After high school, she traveled around the country with a children’s theater group. Then an opportunity to work with Max Coane at a rotating chef concept, Fifty Seven, fell into her lap in 2014. She packed up her car and drove 3,000 miles through the Southwest. Falling in love with the city through food and wine, she never wanted to leave.

When the Fifty Seven program ended, she started serving at Ricardo Zarate's Picca and gained enough wine education to sell tableside. Two years later, she nabbed a coveted sommelier role at 2014 Rising Star

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Chef Ori Menashe’s Bestia and learned everything she could from Wine Director Ryan Ibsen. He taught her that wine is about the people who make it—their history, language, culture, and traditions. In May 2019, she became a server and assistant sommelier at 2009 Rising Star Chef Jeremy Fox’s Birdie G’s, then still under construction in Santa Monica. There, she found another mentor in Rustic Canyon Family Wine Director Kathryn Coker, and Miranda was promoted to sommelier and buyer of Birdie G’s six months later. As the pandemic shifts the role of the sommelier, Miranda introduces her passion for wine to her servers and uses her performance background to dazzle guests with pairings that enhance the dining experience.

chloemiranda / birdiegsla Most important pairing rule: I think it’s fundamentally about understanding the relationships between fat and acid, sugar and spice. I also like to approach pairings from a geographical standpoint. If this dish is Eastern European, start with wines from that part of the world. On your nights off, you drink: Mezcal Wine region you’d like to visit: My family is from Galicia. I’ve always wanted to explore Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, etc. while also learning about my own roots. Favorite high-low pairing: Barbecue chips with Laherte Frères Extra Brut Rosé of Meunier Wine list you admire from afar: I really like Victoria James’ list at COTE. I’m a big fan of hers.

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Sam Rethmeier RÉPUBLIQUE AFTER SPENDING his teen years working at a chain restaurant in his native Orange County, Sam Rethmeier’s first big break in hospitality was at the James Beard Awardwinning Frasca Food and Wine. Under partner and Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey in Boulder, Colo., Rethmeier started by expediting food, worked his way through almost every position, and attended the restaurant’s weekly wine class. He stayed with Frasca through a remodel before moving back to L.A. in 2013 to be closer to family and the coast. He scored jobs as floor sommelier at Nancy Silverton’s chi SPACCA, general manager of Eric Railsback’s and Brian McClintic’s Les Marchands, and wine director of Nocciola. He then took a break from the floor to sell bottles for Veritas Imports.

In 2017, Walter and Margarita Manzke recruited Rethmeier to be wine director of République, where he offers luscious pairings such as Marquis d’Angerville Domaine du Pelican with salt-baked black cod and Domaine Simon Bize et Fils Aux Vergelesses with duck à la presse. Under his leadership, République was named one of Wine Spectator’s best L.A.-area wine lists and one of Wine & Spirits’ 100 best wine restaurants in America, both in 2019. In December 2020, Rethmeier founded Wednesday Night Wine Club, a subscription service to educate the consumer about affordable wines. srethmeier / republiquela

Most important pairing rule: Listen to what the guest wants.

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Favorite high-low pairing: Guiborat Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs “Prisme.13” and potato chips

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On your nights off, you drink: Anchor Steam beer Wine list you admire from afar: All Time

PHOTOS: JACLYN WARREN

Favorite wine resource: Inside Burgundy by Jasper Morris

Favorite wine region: Champagne

WHEN THE SOMM CAN'T SMELL BY SAM RETHMEIER

While I was furloughed in April of 2020, I read something to the effect of, “People are losing their sense of taste and smell as a result of COVID-19.” As you might imagine, the loss of either would be the end of my career. I was terrified. I masked up. I washed my hands. I kept my distance. And despite all the precautions, on February 11, 2021, I tested positive. The day after, while I was waiting for the tea my wife made me to cool down, my kids started asking if she had made cookies. What cookies? I asked absentmindedly, “Could it be the tea?” I suddenly realized I couldn’t smell the tea. Panicked, I ran to the kid’s fish tank and opened the gag-inducing fish food. I breathed in deeply. Nothing. I ran (so much running) to the refrigerator, poured a 2.5-ounce shot of hot sauce. And seriously. Nothing. Like water. My kids started chanting, “GHOST PEPPERS! GHOST PEPPERS!” Imagine waking up and not being able to physically feel anything. It’s like that. Cue depression. Panic. Anxiety. Despair. Oh, and warm vodka for a little self-medication. No point in wasting the good stuff. I feel lucky. It only took eight weeks after recovering from COVID-19 to get it all back. And of course, everything seems to smell better. To taste better. And I have learned to slow down and enjoy it all.

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Mike Capoferri THUNDERBOLT

BARTENDER MIKE CAPOFERRI has been making drinks since age 14—at Planet Smoothie, that is. The fun of slinging smoothies in Atlanta led him to prep cook at Wild Times Cafe. When that restaurant shut down, Capoferri became a busser at a local steakhouse before fibbing his way into a bartending position. Thanks to his strong work ethic, his coworkers vouched for him.

The opening of the Sound Table cocktail lounge inspired Capoferri to view bar work as more of a craft. He tried to bring that mindset back to the steakhouse, but the owners weren’t feeling it. Ready for a change, Capoferri dabbled in copywriting, which brought him to Los Angeles. To subsidize the low-paying writing job in 2011, he served then bartended at Soho House, where he met his first bar mentor, Chris Ojeda.

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Next, Capoferri moved to NYC to design the cocktail menu at the upscale edition of breakfast chain Denny’s. He moved on to bartend at No Name Bar, and in 2015, Campari hired him as a brand ambassador. A lot of Aperol spritz parties later, Capoferri returned to Los Angeles and spent four and a half years trying to establish his own bar, a process full of headaches over the liquor license and parking. He built the whole concept around a paragraph in Charles Baker’s Around the World with Jigger Beaker & Flask, which describes an amazing drink outside Savannah, Georgia called Peach Thunderbolt. Capoferri’s own Thunderbolt bar, which finally opened in 2019, is rooted in Southern hospitality and technology-driven cocktails that build an experience while keeping things affordable, efficient, and delicious.

mfcapoferri / thunderboltla Most underrated cocktail ingredient: Crème de cacao Favorite bartending tool: Sharpie Bar trend you’d like to see: The death of the diffuser in agave production Favorite cocktail to make: Love a negroni or variation thereof. I’ve been into explorations of the highball lately. We’ve done a ton of work on our carbonation/soda situation. Cocktail culture you’d most like to explore: Japan! I feel like Japanese cocktail culture is the polar opposite of my approach to drink-making, so I’d love to go see what it’s all about in person. Also, Melbourne. I’m so curious to see how they pull off a cocktail scene with the crazy taxes on booze and limitations on pours.

PHOTOS: WILL BLUNT. SHABNAM FERDOWSI

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Bartender Mike Capoferri of Thunderbolt Adapted by StarChefs

Grapefruit Americano INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Grapefruit Cordial: 500 grams clarified grapefruit juice 450 grams sugar 25 grams grapefruit peels 10 grams citric acid

For the Grapefruit Cordial: To a pot, add grapefruit juice, sugar, and peels. Bring to a simmer then remove from heat, stirring to dissolve all sugar. Strain out solids. Stir in the citric acid then allow to cool. Bottle and reserve.

20% Saline Solution: 100 grams salt

For the 20% Saline Solution: Stir salt into 400 milliliters water until fully incorporated. Set aside.

To Assemble and Serve: Yield: 1 cocktail 1½ ounces Campari 1 ounce blanc vermouth

To Assemble and Serve: Add both ingredients, 1¼ ounces Grapefruit Cordial, 3 drops 20% Saline Solution, and 3¾ ounces water to a carbonation vessel and chill to 20°F. Carbonate 3 rounds at 45 PSI. Can in 8-ounce, slim cans and store at 20°F. Serve with ice. Featured ingredient: Campari

Sour Grapes INGREDIENTS

Methylcellulose Syrup: 3 grams methocel F50 Sugar

METHOD

For the Methylcellulose Syrup: In a Vitamix blender fitted with a disk blade, start spinning 100 milliliters hot water on the lowest setting. Add methylcellulose to the spinning hot water slowly to disperse and hydrate. Slowly pour Pinot Noir “Sour” Syrup: in 200 milliliters ice-cold water into the vortex. 200 milliliters pinot noir Continue spinning on low speed for 4 minutes. Place the entire pitcher in the freezer, allowing To Assemble and Serve: any foam to dissipate, about 10 minutes. Weigh the resulting product and gently whisk in an Yield: 1 cocktail equal amount of sugar. Allow to settle and 2 ounces Buffalo Trace whisk again to incorporate any residual sugar bourbon crystals. Bottle. ¾ ounce lemon juice ¼ ounce Clément Mahina For the Pinot Noir “Sour” Syrup: Coco In a bowl or nonreactive container, whisk pinot noir into 400 milliliters Methylcellulose Syrup. To Assemble and Serve: Add all ingredients plus 1 ounce Pinot Noir “Sour” Syrup to tins and dry shake. Alternatively, pulse ingredients with a stick or immersion blender. Add ice to tins and shake hard. Strain into a chilled, stemmed cocktail glass. Featured ingredient: Buffalo Trace bourbon Featured equipment: Vitamix Commercial blender

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9,000

BY LIZZIE TAKIMOTO

LONO HOLLYWOOD FACED A HEADY PANDEMIC CHALLENGE: MAKE AND BATCH 9,000 HIBISCUS COCKTAILS. Over the past year, cocktail bars have become particularly adept at the pivot. Bar professionals once focused on highly specialized cocktails and ingredients served with specific dilution, temperature, and presentation. Those same drinks now require stability and shelf life, not to mention packaging, labeling, marketing, and means of delivery. Umbrella Hospitality Group managed to stay ahead of this game by starting takeaway services as soon as lockdowns began. When Director of Operations Nick Meyer was contacted by a local luxury subscription service with a call to provide 9,000 drinks, he and his team were ready. The order gave him the opportunity to give jobs to 20 out-of-work industry members, and they knocked out the order in a matter of days from LONO Hollywood, a bar that had mainly turned into a prep space during the pandemic closure. “It was more like operating an assembly line in a factory than running a bar, but I put my operations hat on and knocked it out,” Meyer says. He teamed up with Zwissle, a company specializing in at-home cocktail delivery, that provided glass bottles sized for individual cocktails and darkly tinted to extend shelf-life, along with custom-branded labels. Meyer’s team handled bottling and packaging, working from an extra-large cocktail batch he made in 55-gallon plastic barrels. “It was a humbling experience going back to juicing limes,” Meyer says, “but I’ll never shy away from doing prep, as it taught me a lot about culinary technique.” For the cocktail itself, Meyer turned to a flavor that taco trucks and taquerias made into an L.A. classic. “I wanted to use hibiscus because it’s underused and often not used correctly,” he says. “It’s got acidity and tannin and latches onto other flavors well.” Meyer brewed a hibiscus tea from dried flowers with clove, star anise, and cinnamon to be made into a negroni variation (recipe on page 95). Combined with gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, the tea gives the cocktail depth with delicate floral aromatics and warm spice. The high proofage and lack of fresh juice were a good fit for bottling. “Since COVID hit, the to-go cocktail business has seen the purest form of competition and innovation,” Meyer says. “People are making investments to step up their game. It’s a beautiful thing; I know how hard people are working in order to survive and make sure their establishments can weather this storm.”

HIBISCUS NEGRONI In addition to a salted coffee tincture and a hibiscus tea, the cocktail features Fords gin, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, Campari, and orange bitters.

PHOTOS BY WILL BLUNT

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Suzanne Goin 21

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The 2021 class of Los Angeles Rising Stars anonymously voted on a Mentor Chef Award winner, presented by Vitamix Commercial. The award goes to a chef who supports and inspires young chefs in their city. A NATIVE ANGELENO, Suzanne Goin has been a woman with a culinary mission since high school. By the time she graduated from Brown University, she had worked at Ma Maison, L’Orangerie, Al Forno, and Le Mazarin. From there, she landed a position at Chez Panisse, finding a lifelong mentor in Alice Waters. Two years later, Goin followed her dream of working in France at Pain, Adour et Fantasie; L’Arpège; and Patisserie Christian Potier.

She partnered with Caroline Styne in 1998 to open Lucques, and Food & Wine promptly named Goin one of its Best New Chefs. The partners got their second restaurant, A.O.C., off the ground in 2002. Goin and her husband, fellow chef David Lentz, launched seafood restaurant The Hungry Cat in 2005. In 2006, the James Beard Foundation honored Goin as Best Chef: California and her cookbook Sunday Suppers at Lucques as Best Cookbook from a Professional Viewpoint. (The A.O.C. Cookbook received top honors from the International Association of Culinary Professionals.) In 2016, Goin was recognized as Outstanding Chef of Year at the James Beard Foundation Awards. The next year, Goin was inducted into the foundation’s Who’s Who of American Food & Beverage in America. She became the 11th chef and first woman in the U.S. to win the GAYOT Restaurateur of the Year 2019. The Lucques Group now oversees food and beverages at the famed Hollywood Bowl and its wholesale bakery, Larder Baking Company. This summer, Goin and Styne debut an A.O.C. in Brentwood and two restaurants—Caldo Verde and Cara Cara—at the Proper Hotel. In addition to being a skilled mentor, Goin co-founded L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade, Lunch Matters, and the Independent Restaurant Coalition.

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Za’atar lamb chops Chef Suzanne Goin of A.O.C. Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Za’atar: 1 tablespoon dried thyme or oregano 1 tablespoon sumac 1 tablespoon cumin, toasted and ground 1 tablespoon coriander, toasted and ground 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper ¼ teaspoon black pepper

METHOD Charred Eggplant: 10 pounds Japanese or Thai eggplants, halved Garlic, crushed Salt Black pepper ¼ cup tahini Zest and juice of 2 lemons

Cucumber and Preserved Lemon Salad: ½ cup diced shallots ½ cup lemon juice 3 preserved lemons, flesh removed and finely diced 1 cup extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon black pepper Salt Cucumbers, sliced Purslane, sliced To Assemble and Serve: 1 rack of Australian lamb, cut into chops Mint Parsley Labneh

For the Za’atar: Place all spices in a bowl and mix together well. For the Charred Eggplant: Season eggplants with garlic, salt, and pepper then char over coals. Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides and place in a bowl. Whisk in tahini and lemon zest and juice. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper. For the Cucumber and Preserved Lemon Salad: Place shallots, lemon juice, preserved lemons, oil, and pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add salt if needed. In a separate bowl, combine cucumbers and purslane then toss with some preserved lemon vinaigrette, reserving some for serving. Set aside. To Assemble and Serve: Season lamb with Za’atar then grill. Spoon Charred Eggplant onto a serving plate then add Cucumber and Preserved Lemon Salad. Place grilled lamb over Charred Eggplant. Garnish with mint, parsley, a drizzle of preserved lemon vinaigrette, labneh, and more Za’atar. Featured ingredient: Australian lamb rack

PHOTOS: JACOB RUSHING

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HOST C H E FS

Sam Nuckols, Tyler Curtis SUNDAY HOSPITALITY GROUP

BORN AND RAISED in Los Angeles, Sam Nuckols worked in local restaurants at age 17 before moving cross-country to formalize his training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. While in school, he interned at the acclaimed Café Boulud in New York City and was offered a full-time position when he graduated. Nuckols stayed within Daniel Boulud’s group, later becoming a line cook at Boulud Sud.

LOS ANGELES NATIVE Tyler Curtis began his professional culinary career at Rising Stars alum Chef Michael Voltaggio’s Ink. Curtis’ affinity for innovative techniques blossomed alongside Voltaggio and eventually led him to The NoMad, joining the opening culinary team of the DTLA outpost in early 2018. There, he showed a knack for large-scale events, leading the kitchen through Vanity Fair’s Academy Awards party in 2019.

He returned to his home city in 2013, scoring a job as a sous chef of Rising Stars alum Ludo Lefebvre’s Trois Mec. In 2014, he moved on to San Francisco, where he worked as chef de cuisine of whole-animal-butcheryfocused Cockscomb with Chris Cosentino, followed by Dominique Crenn’s Petit Crenn.

Curtis’ success and passion for the industry brought him to Sunday Hospitality Group during the opening of The Hoxton, DTLA. As chef de cuisine of the group’s Pilot Rooftop Restaurant and Bar, his relentless pursuit of approachable culinary excitement can be experienced on separate menus influenced heavily by the coasts of the Mediterranean.

Most recently, Nuckols has assumed the role of chef de cuisine of Sunday Hospitality Group’s DTLA neighborhood bistro, Sibling Rival. Nuckols brings his wealth of experience in fine dining and passion for homestyle cooking into a harmonious and crave-worthy menu.

During the coronavirus, Curtis and some close industry friends founded FEW for All (named for flour, egg, and water), a nonprofit geared toward members of the L.A. community in need, especially those who worked in hospitality. In 2020, FEW for All donated almost 10,000 pounds of pasta as part of a partnership with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

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Chef Sam Nuckols of Sibling Rival Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Crispy Shallots: 20 grams shallots, peeled and sliced into ⅛-inch-thick rings 100 grams grapeseed oil Salt Whipped Ricotta: 75 grams ricotta cheese 5 grams chopped parsley 5 grams chopped chives Zest of 1 lemon 10 grams lemon juice 3 grams salt 1 gram ground black pepper

METHOD To Assemble and Serve: 1 slice of country bread Olive oil ½ California avocado, peeled Salt Black pepper Lemon juice 1 extra-large egg Fresh Origins micro arugula Fresh Origins micro mustard red

For the Crispy Shallots: In a small pot over low heat, cover shallots in oil. Cook shallots until they are golden brown and the oil stops bubbling, about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove shallots from oil and let drain on a paper towel. Season with salt and store in a cool, dry place. For the Whipped Ricotta: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip ricotta until light and fluffy. Fold in all remaining ingredients. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

To Assemble and Serve: In a sauté pan or toaster, toast country bread with a small amount of olive oil until golden brown. Spread 75 grams Whipped Ricotta over the entire slice of bread. Thinly slice the avocado and fan it out over the Whipped Ricotta. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Top with 10 grams Crispy Shallots. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium flame. Crack egg into the pan and cook on one side until white is set and yolk is still runny. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer fried egg to the avocado toast. In a small bowl, dress microgreens with olive oil and lemon juice. Transfer dressed greens to avocado toast to finish. Featured ingredients: California avocado, Fresh Origins micro arugula and micro mustard red

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Clockwise from top left: Novella Curio offered botanical arrangements; Pastry Chef Kelsey Brito of Milo & Olive; Black Women Lead’s Easter booth.

CRAFT SERVICE Kelsey Brito of Milo & Olive arranges holiday fairs to motivate her staff and engage the community. By AIMAN JAVED FIVE MONTHS into the pandemic, Milo &

Olive Pastry Chef Kelsey Brito watched the holidays approach with none of the holiday spirit. At the Santa Monica bakery and pizzeria, the bread and pastry team that Brito leads was burnt out. After the constant closures and reopenings, Brito needed to pipe excitement back into their routines. Her solution: holiday artisanal fairs. “It came from a place of just missing the community element of this industry,” Brito says. After the first successful Thanksgiving fair, the markets have become a recurring event. The team stays employed, plus it’s a chance to flex their creativity while continuing to support the farmers of the Santa Monica Farmers Market. For the food, they whip up special menus with five to eight items. With hot cross buns for Easter or heart-shaped brioche doughnuts for Valentine’s Day, they really lean into the holiday fervor. Brito says, “Just

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to see the staff be excited about something was big, getting to come outside and talk to guests about the pastries that we made.” Milo & Olive hosts three artisans per event. Sometimes, hairstylist Nikki Mehr shows up with her Blew Candle Co. products. Tiffani Ortiz, a chef furloughed during the pandemic, has hauled in her dried-botanicalresin cheese boards, sold under her brand, Novella Curio. Jasper Sortun, a front-ofhouse staff member from Huckleberry Cafe, offers illustrated postcards and greeting cards. Brito says it’s an opportunity to especially help, highlight, and safely collaborate with struggling female entrepreneurs. The staff all pitches in however they can, pushing outdoor patio tables against the wall so visitors can stroll around. On Valentine’s Day, Baker Maya Zohbi wrote punny valentines like, “You’re my butter half,” and drew bread doodles to go with the

treats. “I’ve always felt like all the ‘cool kids’ work in this industry,” says Brito. “The baker who made your bread doubles as a ceramic artist, designs jewelry, photographs live music, or builds furniture.” Brito also invites nonprofits to participate; on Easter, 5 percent of the sales went to the Asian Americans Advancing Justice, while Black Women Lead’s volunteers gathered donations and educated the community about their work. With this celebration of small joys, Brito says the fairs will continue as vaccinations increase. They might even host and support other food vendors or micro bakeries because it’s been so tough without the everyday conversations with customers. “And that’s so different for this industry, when we’re so accustomed to everything operating from this place of warmth and hospitality,” she says. “It’s nice to be able to interact with the community again.”

I Support

RISING STARS AND THE CAUSES THEY BELIEVE IN

ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | ACLUSOCAL.ORG

DOWNTOWN WOMEN’S CENTER | DOWNTOWNWOMENSCENTER.ORG

PROTECT PUVUNGNA | INSTAGRAM.COM/PROTECTPUVUNGNA

This chapter works in the Southern California region to defend and preserve the rights granted by the laws of the United States. Briana Valdez

The center aims to empower current and formerly homeless women through housing, employment, and wellness efforts. Briana Valdez

Protect Puvungna is a campaign to safeguard the Native American sacred land and archaeological site of Puvungna near Long Beach. Arturo Enciso

BE THE MATCH | BETHEMATCH.ORG

FARM-TO-CONSUMER LEGAL DEFENSE FUND | FARMTOCONSUMER.ORG

REGARDING HER | REGARDINGHERFOOD.COM

Be The Match, a part of the National Marrow Donor Program, connects donors and patients for bone marrow transplants. Jackson Kalb

The FTCLDF protects the rights of farmers and consumers so they can engage in direct commerce. Teresa Cabansag

BLACK WINE PROFESSIONALS | BLACKWINEPROFESSIONALS.COM

INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT COALITION | SAVERESTAURANTS.COM

With event listings, educational resources, job postings, and a discussion forum, this organization uplifts Black professionals in the wine world. Chloe Miranda

COMUNIDADES INDÍGENAS EN LIDERAZGO | MYCIELO.ORG

Formed in response to the pandemic, the IRC lobbied Congress to approve the Independent Restaurant Revitalization Fund and continues to provide economic relief to independent restaurants. Chloe Miranda, Sam Rethmeier

LARGER THAN LIFE | LARGERTHANLIFEUSA.ORG

This indigenous-women-led organization fights for social justice causes, including gender-based violence, language-access rights, cultural preservation, and reproductive justice. Chuy Cervantes

Larger Than Life brings joy to severely ill children and their families through coping mechanisms, trips, and activities. Or Amsalam

DINE FOR DEMOCRACY | DINEFORDEMOCRACY.COM

NO US WITHOUT YOU LA | NOUSWITHOUTYOU.LA

Through grassroots organizations, Dine for Democracy hopes to correct the inequities in the U.S. electoral system by encouraging everyone to vote. Spencer Bezaire

ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH LI

No Us Without You LA was established to relieve the food insecurity of undocumented migrants in the hospitality industry. Briana Valdez

Regarding Her strives to uplift and empower female food and beverage entrepreneurs in the L.A. area and beyond. Justin Pichetrungsi

THE RON FINLEY PROJECT | RONFINLEY.COM The Ron Finley Project teaches communities to tackle food insecurity through gardening. Alex Phaneuf

SAVE THE CHILDREN | SAVETHECHILDREN.ORG Save the Children protects the health, education, and safety of thousands of children around the world. Vivian Ku

STOP AAPI HATE | STOPAAPIHATE.ORG Stop AAPI Hate is a reporting center for tracking and responding to incidents of discrimination and violence that increased against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during COVID-19. Gemma Matsuyama, Daniel Son

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ILLUSTRATION AND PAGE DESIGN BY CAMILY TSAI LOS A NGELES 202 1

R EC I PES To Assemble and Serve: Oil for frying Salt Black pepper, freshly cracked Scallion greens, sliced on a bias

Kitchen Notebook BOULEVARDIER Chef Austin Hennelly of Majordōmo Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Banana Justino Suntory Toki: Two 750-millimeter bottles Suntory Toki whisky 4 ripe bananas 5 grams shiro miso 4 grams Pectinex Ultra SP-L To Assemble and Serve: 2 dashes Angostura bitters 2 dashes Pernod absinthe 2 dashes The Bitter Truth chocolate bitters ¾ ounce Campari ¾ ounce Cocchi Torino sweet vermouth METHOD For the Banana Justino Suntory Toki: To a Vitamix blender, add 1 bottle whisky, bananas, miso, and Pectinex. Blend until smooth. Let rest 15 minutes then transfer to a centrifuge to spin. Combine the mixture with remaining whisky, store, and reserve. To Assemble and Serve: Add all ingredients and 1½ ounces of Banana Justino Suntory Toki to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir then strain over a large, fresh ice cube in a double rocks glass. B.E.C. Chef Cameron Slaugh of The Attic Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Pressed Potatoes: Rice bran oil for frying 2 pounds Idaho or russet potatoes, washed and peeled Egg Scramble: 4 tablespoons butter 8 eggs, whisked Salt ¼ cup shredded aged white cheddar cheese ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 2 scallion whites, chopped Chopped Bacon: 6 slices bacon, chopped

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METHOD For the Pressed Potatoes: Fill a pot no more than half full with rice bran oil. Heat oil to 250°F. Using a cheese grater or food processor, shred potatoes. Immediately drop shredded potatoes into the hot oil then, using a heat-proof spoon, stir for about 30 seconds to prevent from clumping. Using a kitchen strainer, transfer potatoes to a parchmentlined quarter sheet tray. Spread potatoes out as evenly as possible then top with another piece of parchment, followed by another quarter sheet tray. Weigh down the sheet tray with a food-safe item. Place the potato trays over another plate or tray in order to catch any oil that drips out from the pressure. Let potatoes rest in fridge until completely cold.

To Assemble and Serve: Juice of ½ lemon Baguette or rice METHOD For the Braised Sardines and Tomatoes: In a medium fry pan over mediumhigh flame, heat oil. Add red onion and sweat, stirring frequently until the pieces become translucent. Add garlic and tomatoes and stir. Then add sea salt and pepper. When tomatoes start to break down, add oyster sauce, sugar, and paprika. Next, add ½ cup of water and mix well. Add oil from the sardine can, stir, and bring contents to a light simmer. Fold sardines into tomato mixture without breaking them up. Simmer for 5 minutes, adding more water if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. To Assemble and Serve: Finish with lemon and serve with baguette or rice.

For the Egg Scramble: In a nonstick pan, melt butter until foamy. Add eggs and season with salt. Gently and slowly scramble eggs to prevent from browning. Once scrambled, add cheeses then cook about 10 to 15 more seconds to melt. Toss in scallion whites. Remove from heat and set aside. For the Chopped Bacon: In a nonstick pan, render bacon until crispy. To Assemble and Serve: Using a ring mold, cut out Pressed Potatoes. Fry at 350°F until golden brown and crispy. Season well with salt. Place a crispy Pressed Potato cake on a plate. Using the same ring mold, evenly layer the Egg Scramble on top of the Pressed Potato cake. Sprinkle Chopped Bacon on top, followed by black pepper and scallions. BRAISED SARDINES AND TOMATOES Chef Hak Lonh of Gamboge Adapted by StarChefs Yield: 1 to 2 servings

INGREDIENTS Braised Sardines and Tomatoes: 1 teaspoon neutral oil ½ red onion, sliced medium-thick 1 tablespoon minced garlic 16 ounces grape tomatoes, halved ½ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon oyster sauce 1 teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon paprika 1 can sardines packed in olive oil, halved vertically along seams

The Chicken Came First ROASTED HALF CHICKEN, CARROT, PECANS, HOT HONEY Chef Andy Doubrava of Rustic Canyon Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Half Chicken: 30 grams salt 1 chicken, halved, backbone and airline removed Toasted Pecans: Pecans Hot Honey: 1 kilogram raw honey 250 grams apple cider vinegar 20 grams dried Calabrian chiles 20 grams chopped garlic 10 grams salt 10 grams orange peel 10 grams thyme 5 grams smoked paprika 2 grams cayenne Carrot Purée: 1 kilogram peeled Nantes carrots 30 grams extra virgin olive oil

15 grams salt 350 grams butter, softened To Assemble and Serve: Sliced radishes Lemon Olive oil Salt Chicken fat 1 clove garlic 1 sprig rosemary METHOD For the Half Chicken: In a large bowl, combine salt and 1 kilogram water. Place chicken in a nonreactive container, submerge in the saltwater, seal, then brine for 6 hours. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry. Set aside. For the Toasted Pecans: Lay pecans out evenly on a sheet tray. Toast in a convection oven at 275°F until pecans are caramelized. Let cool then chop by hand. For the Hot Honey: In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir well and cover with 2 layers of plastic wrap. Place over a double boiler and let infuse 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat then cool to room temperature. Strain and set aside. For the Carrot Purée: In a food processor, blitz carrots, olive oil, and salt. Transfer to a tall pot over low heat then cook until carrots are completely tender. Transfer carrots to a Vitamix blender, add butter, then purée on high speed until smooth. To Assemble and Serve: In a small bowl, dress radishes with lemon, olive oil, and salt. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt chicken fat. Add chicken skin-side-down and sear until skin is browned. Transfer to a 375°F oven and roast, basting often with garlic and rosemary, until internal temperature reaches 180°F. Let rest at least 10 minutes. To the center of a serving plate, spoon out 2 ounces Carrot Purée and top with roasted Half Chicken. Drizzle Hot Honey all over the skin then lay radish slices over the top. Sprinkle with Toasted Pecans, et voila.

R EC I PES until gluten becomes smooth and aerated. Add remaining eggs and mix until dough is uniform and can stretch to a windowpane. Rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Fold dough then place in walk-in until needed.

Pain Perdu Anew APPLE PAIN PERDU Chef Douglas Rankin of Bar Restaurant Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Brioche: 2.15 kilograms bread flour 56 grams salt 321 grams sugar 26 grams fresh yeast 515 grams milk 17 eggs 1.08 kilograms butter Cooking spray Sugar Dough: 453 grams butter, softened 453 grams sugar 400 grams all-purpose flour Apple Caramel: 4 kilograms fresh-pressed Fuji apple juice, peels reserved Apple Anglaise: 25 grams vanilla paste 266 grams yolks 430 grams milk 1.38 kilograms cream 360 grams sugar Arkansas Black Apple Sorbet: 2 kilograms diced Arkansas black apples, skin on 2 kilograms juiced Arkansas black apples Sorbet syrup Salt Brie Sabayon: 100 grams French brie 260 grams cream cheese 480 grams egg yolks 240 grams sugar 30 grams vanilla paste To Assemble and Serve: Sugar Clarified butter METHOD For the Brioche: Add flour, salt, sugar, yeast, milk, and 15 eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on speed 2 until dough has formed. Add butter in three batches, waiting for one batch to fully emulsify into dough before adding the next. Increase mixer speed to 3 and mix

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When ready to bake, place metal ring molds evenly around a parchment-lined sheet tray then spray heavily with cooking spray. Roughly shape 110 grams of dough into a ball and place into a ring mold. Repeat until you’ve filled all remaining ring molds. Wrap the molds in plastic and let proof for about 1½ hours or until dough has relaxed and doubled in size. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes. Immediately unmold brioche and cool on a wire rack. Wrap in plastic and reserve. For the Sugar Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugar. On speed 2, cream together until light and fluffy. Add flour and mix until dough becomes homogeneous. Separate dough into 3 batches. In between 2 pieces of parchment paper, roll each batch out. Place each batch on a separate sheet tray and freeze until needed. For the Apple Caramel: Add apple juice to a large pot and bring to a boil, making sure to skim any sediment and foam that comes to the top. Bring juice to a simmer and continue cooking until liquid reduces to 900 grams. Strain juice then chill over an ice bath. Transfer caramel to a deli container and reserve. For the Apple Anglaise: In a large metal bowl, whisk together vanilla paste, yolks, and 300 grams Apple Caramel. In a large metal pot, bring milk, cream, and sugar to a rolling boil. Temper boiling cream mixture into yolks. Place anglaise over an ice bath to chill. Transfer to deli containers and refrigerate until needed. For the Apple Powder: Place all reserved Fuji apple peels in a dehydrator. Once peels are fully dehydrated, transfer to a Vitamix blender and blend into a powder. Transfer powder to a deli container with a silica gel packet and reserve. For the Arkansas Black Apple Sorbet: Add apples and apple juice to a large pot and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until apples are tender. Transfer apple mixture to a Vitamix blender and blend until smooth. Using a refractometer to measure, add enough water and sorbet syrup to achieve 27% Brix.

Season with salt, transfer to deli containers, and freeze until needed. For the Brie Sabayon: In a small metal pot over low heat, melt together brie and cream cheese until smooth and glossy. Remove from heat. In a large metal bowl, combine yolks, sugar, and vanilla paste. Cook egg mixture over a double boiler until tripled in volume. Add melted cheese to yolks and whisk until dissolved. Place sabayon over an ice bath to chill. Once cooled, transfer sabayon to deli containers and store in a low boy. To Assemble and Serve: Halve and trim the ends of 7 Brioche pieces. Place in a shallow metal hotel pan then heat in a 325°F oven for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, empty 2 deli containers of Apple Anglaise into a pot and reheat until warm. Remove Brioche from oven and immediately pour warm Apple Anglaise over the top. Using a glove, gently push into the center of each Brioche piece to ensure that the Apple Anglaise reaches the center of the Brioche. Cover and cool in walk-in until needed. When ready to serve, coat Apple Anglaise-covered brioche in sugar. Heat a black steel pan, add clarified butter, and melt. Add Brioche and cook both sides until golden brown. Evenly place pain perdu on a sheet tray lined with parchment. Using a ring cutter that is slightly smaller than the Brioche, cut out circles of Sugar Dough. Place each Sugar Dough round directly in the center of a pain perdu. Bake pain perdu with Sugar Dough at 350°F for 4 minutes then transfer to serving plates. Coat top of pain perdu in Brie Sabayon, allowing it to fall around all sides of pain perdu and cover the entire well of the plate. Cover Brie Sabayon with sugar then torch until evenly brûléed. Top with a small scoop of Arkansas Black Apple Sorbet and a sprinkle of Dehydrated Apple Powder. Serve immediately.

Milk & Conchas BAY LEAF CREAM CONCHA Pastry Chef Thessa Diadem of All Day Baby Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Roux: 300 grams whole milk 120 grams bread flour Dough: 672 grams bread flour, plus more for shaping 16 grams kosher salt 128 grams sugar 20 grams milk powder 20 grams instant dry yeast 2 whole eggs 160 grams cream 60 grams butter, softened Bay Leaf Cream: 650 grams whole milk ½ teaspoon salt 6 whole fresh bay leaves, torn 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 160 grams sugar 50 grams cornstarch 120 grams egg yolks 60 grams butter Concha Topping: 250 grams shortening 265 grams powdered sugar 150 grams all-purpose flour 160 grams cake flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 vanilla pod, scraped METHOD For the Roux: Bring milk to a simmer. While whisking continuously, slowly add the flour. When mixture is combined, switch to a rubber spatula and constantly scrape the bottom of the pot while cooking the roux. Cook until thick. Chill overnight. For the Dough: Whisk bread flour, salt, sugar, milk powder, and yeast. Add the dry ingredients to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add Roux, eggs, cream, and 200 grams water and mix on a low speed. Once the dough looks shaggy, increase the speed and slowly add the butter. Mix until the butter is incorporated. Lower the speed and mix the dough for an additional 10 minutes. The dough should look smooth and will pull from the sides of the bowl. Cover dough and let proof until doubled in size. Portion the dough into 70-gram pieces and shape into balls on a lightly floured surface. Place on a silpat-lined sheet tray with enough room for the dough balls to grow. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and proof until they double in size. For the Bay Leaf Cream: In a heavy saucepan bring milk, salt, bay leaves, vanilla extract, and 80 grams sugar to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let the mixture

R ECIPES steep for 1 hour. Whisk cornstarch, egg yolks, and remaining sugar. Bring the bay leaf milk back to a simmer. Temper in the egg mixture. Cook the custard until thick and all the starch is cooked off. Remove the bay leaves. With an immersion blender, add butter and blend until emulsified. Place in an ice bath and chill. For the Concha Topping: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix shortening and powdered sugar until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flours, salt, and vanilla then add to the shortening mixture. Mix until combined, careful not to overmix. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill. Once the dough is chilled, divide into 4 pieces. Place the dough in between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll to about ¼ centimeter thick and freeze overnight. Repeat with the rest of the dough pieces. Once frozen, punch the sheeted dough with a 3-inch round cutter. Keep in the freezer until ready to use. To Assemble and Serve: Place the Concha Topping on top of the proofed conchas and score carefully. Bake the conchas in a 325°F oven for 12 minutes, rotating

halfway through. When they’re finished baking, immediately move the buns to a cooling rack. Let cool before filling. Gently poke a hole in the concha and create a hollow interior. Put the Bay Leaf Cream in a piping bag with a bismarck piping tip and fill the conchas.

9,000 To Go HIBISCUS NEGRONI Bartender Nick Meyer of Umbrella Hospitality Group Adapted by StarChefs

INGREDIENTS Salted Coffee Tincture: Coffee beans High-proof alcohol Salt

Grilled Octopus and California Avocado

Spiced Jamaica: 120 grams sugar 30 grams dried hibiscus 2 cinnamon sticks, toasted 1 pod star anise, toasted 2 cloves, toasted

and 1 dash Salted Coffee Tincture to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir to incorporate and chill then strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with orange twist.

To Assemble and Serve: Yield: 1 cocktail 1½ ounces Fords gin ¾ ounce Carpano Antica sweet vermouth 1 ounce Campari 1 dash orange bitters 1 orange twist METHOD For the Salted Coffee Tincture: Let coffee beans steep in alcohol for 8 hours. Add salt, following a ratio of 10:1 coffee-infused alcohol to salt. For the Spiced Jamaica: In a pot, bring sugar, hibiscus, and 1 liter water to a boil. Add spices and boil for 8 to 10 additional minutes. Remove from heat then leave to steep 45 to 60 minutes. The longer the steep, the more tannic the Jamaica will get. Strain through a mesh strainer. Reserve. To Assemble and Serve: Add gin, vermouth, Campari, bitters, ¾ ounce Spiced Jamaica,

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