Tag Archives: Magazine

Coqueta Restaurant, chef Michael Chiarello, San Francisco, CA

Home of the hottest tapas spot by the water Coqueta of Napa Valley celeb chef Michael Chiarello. On a beautiful afternoon, you can sit at the bar and get this waterfront view, watch the bartender makes awesome cocktails and sampling on the delicious menu of tapas and pintxos, bite-size skewers $2.50 each, a must try, perfect as a quick bite or just to catch up with your friends over happy hour.

House cured boquerones, white anchovies, olives, pearl onions, and coquetta_pintxoguidilla peppers was my favorite. Chorizo, roasted artichokes, and piquillo peppers, was equally impressive. Serrano, house cured, Mancheco, and apricot-sherry conserva was also very good. And the Quail egg “Diablo”, pickled mustard seed, Jamon Serrano; you must order it, who doesn’t love quail egg and Jamon Serrano?

Coqueta means “flirt” or “infatuation” in Spanish, and represents Michael Chiarello and his team’s exploration and interpretation of Spanish Cuisine, wine and inspired cocktails, while highlighting the bounty of Northern California.

COQUETA
Pier 5, The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94111

Phone: 415.704.8866

Lunch: Tuesday – Sunday 11:30am – 3:00pm
Bar5: Monday – Sunday 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Dinner: Sunday – Wednesday 5:00pm – 10:00pm //
Thursday – Saturday 5:00pm – 11:00pm
Twitter // Facebook 

by Manda Bear – TwitterInstagram

Mourad, Chef Lahlou Mourad, San Francisco, CA

Mourad opens recently in the Fidi, it’s 1 of the hottest restaurant and bar in town. Chef Lahlou, is the owner of the 1 Michelin-starred Aziza in the Richmond, started with this new concept, Moroccan and Californian style, led by chef de cuisine Chris Kajioka (Aziza, Per Se and Hawaii’s Vintage Cave, where he was nominated for James Beard Award Rising Star in Hawaii).

I got to try a few dishes and this ‘Duck Liver with Pistachio, Cocoa, mouradsf_duck_liverTurnip and Satsuma’ was the most memorable dish of all. The dish presented beautifully with edible flowers, colorful, and elegant. On the very first bite, it was smooth, velvety in your mouth, full of flavor and simply amazing.

Mourad takes the culinary resources of the Bay Area and views them through a Moroccan lens. Influenced by traditional ingredients and flavors yet presented with modern technique, a new cuisine has been born which is simultaneously classic and contemporary.

Located at 140 New Montgomery, in the newly renovated PacBell Building, Mourad graciously features authentic Moroccan design in modern interpretation, being in perfect harmony with the cuisine.

Mourad
140 New Montgomery Street, Suite 1
San Francisco, CA 94105
Tel: 1-415-660-2500

Operation Hours
Monday to Sunday 5:30–10pm
Twitter // Facebook 

by Manda Bear – TwitterInstagram

El Dorado Kitchen at El Dorado Hotel, Sonoma, CA

After a long day wine tasting in Sonoma County, we were eldorado1starving and ready to eat  our heart out. El Dorado Kitchen comes to our rescue. Knowing chef Armando Navarro from REDD in Napa, and I was excited to see what he was about to serve us.

El Dorado Kitchen is located in the El Dorado Hotel, it’s such a cute place, open kitchen, a 21-foot-long table fashioned from a single wood plank reclaimed from a Vermont bridge, lots of eldorado3windows for sun light, white trim, fresh flowers, something about this place is so romantic to me. Well, I was in the company of 2 other hot foodies/good friends 🙂

El Dorado Kitchen serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. We were here for a dinner feast, and I wasn’t kidding.eldorado4

– Kusshi, South Puget Sound, Baywater Sweet oysters – a dozen of freshness!

– Ahi Tuna Tartare – Soy vinaigrette, wonton chips, asian pear, avocado, wasabi tobiko, micro cilantro – tasty, generous portion.

– Roasted Young Beets – Goat cheese mousse, orange, watercress, pistachio meringue – perfect for a warm summer night in Sonoma.
eldorado6
– Steamed Mussels – Chorizo, chickpeas, garlic, white wine broth, country croutons – the mussels weren’t plumed, but the broth was perfect for crouton dipping. It soaked up the broth and it was so good!

– The Truffles fries – oh goodness, gracious, this order is BIGGER than my head! However, it was perfect for dipping to the mussels broth!

– Chilled Corn Soup – Corn & shrimp salsa, chili oil, brioche crouton – it was nice and smooth, love.eldorado5

– Pork Belly – cherry tomato, pickled ramps, jalapeño vinaigrette – this was a SPECIAL order, since I’m allergic to watermelon, chef changed up the recipe. I love pork belly and this is why I work out regularly, so I can indulge this kind of goodness!

– Dungeness Crab Cake – Heirloom tomato gazpacho, avocado, sweet 100 tomatoes, pea shoots – fresh and sweet, beautiful plating.

– Housemade Ricotta & Lemon Ravioli – Roasted artichokes, asparagus, rutabaga, parmesan, guazzetto – delicious.

– Pork and ahi tuna tacos, special order from chef Armando Navarro – thank you for this – they offer on the bar menu.

eldoado5DESSERTS:

– Vanilla Tapioca – Peach, rhubarb gel, brioche, raspberry sorbet

– Baked Chocolate Mousse – Chocolate shortbread crumble, crème fraîche froth, mint chocolate chip ice cream

– Cherry Crisp – Lemon curd, streusel, cream cheese sorbet

For the wine list, El Dorado Kitchen carries almost 170 wines by the bottles and 30 by the glasses, majority Sonoma County, Napa, and decent choices of French wines, I’m impressed. I love that how all the local wines are small mark up, that was exactly what we did, ordered Sonoma wines.

Service was good, the food was so reasonably price point, GENEROUS PORTIONS, so we obviously over ordered ourselves. Thank you chef Armando for the extra love and changed the recipe because I was allergic to the watermelon.

eldorado2           During our dinner, there was a black out in Sonoma Square, the restaurant kept calm, and continue to serve us in extra candle lights, just about 5 minutes later, the light was back on, and everything was as smooth as nothing had happened.

My 2 girlfriends and I couldn’t even move by the time we finished the dinner. We are full, satisfied, and happy. I love it here and I can’t wait to bring more friends and family back here soon.

Follow chef on IG: http://instagram.com/chef_g_navarro

El Dorado Kitchen
www.EldoradoSonoma.com
405 1st St W,
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 996-3030

by Manda Bear – @1MandaBear

Bardot Brasserie by Michael Mina at Aria Hotel, Las Vegas

Chef Michael Mina’s newest concept celebrates a renaissance of French technique

262b1314-67fb-4cc1-9fac-da71ad2a72bbBARDOT Brasserie, Las Vegas’ debut French concept from James Beard award-winning chef Michael Mina, is now open for dinner and weekend brunch at ARIA Resort & Casino. Paying homage to the skillful culinary techniques, celebrated libations and sexy atmosphere for which The City of Light is renowned, Chef Mina has created a stylish and unforgettable interpretation of a Parisian brasserie in the center of The Strip.
Le Menu
To create BARDOT’s menu, Chef Mina and Executive Chef Joshua Smith merged their travels to Paris with exceptional culinary techniques to develop an array of imaginative dishes.

  • Inspired Cuisine – Chef Mina pays homage to classic French cuisine presenting an exquisite array of signature dishes that celebrate the iconic café culture of Paris. Traditional Onion Soup Gratinée is a gourmet masterpiece that guests can customize with Perigord truffles, braised oxtail and a soft-poached egg; while wings offer an ode to the traditional Duck À L’Orange dish. BARDOT’s version of a Croque Madame is piled high with Paris Ham and Gruyére Fondue then topped with an over-easy organic egg.
  • FullSizeRender (1)Seafood Selections – BARDOT’s extensive seafood menu includes exotic dishes such as Monkfish Bourride, Sautéed Skate Wing and Yellowfin Tuna Niçoise, in addition to a seafood tower that guests can personalize with lobster, king crab, oysters, clams and shrimp.
  • Steak Frites – BARDOT offers the highest quality cuts of beef c369097a-e1d5-4541-abb0-a5ea8a3750c2cooked over an oak wood and charcoal grill. The restaurant’s Steak Frites is a perfect dish for French food aficionados and novices alike featuring an 8 oz. Flat Iron, 12 oz. Ribeye or 8 oz. Filet, which can be accompanied by béarnaise, au poivre, bordelaise or foie gras butter. Pair the dish with simply sinful beef fat fries and bon appétit!
  • Decadent Desserts – For dessert, Chefs Mina and Smith took the traditional French Macaron and cooked up a large-scale presentation of the ultra-decadent sweet, drizzled with chocolate sauce. Lemon fans will swoon over BARDOT’s Lemon Meringue Tart, prepared with market citrus and fresh berries, while lovers of the classic French desserts will marvel at the Mille Fueille, a caramelized puff pastry with vanilla crème patisserie.

Les Boissons
IMG_0029ARIA’s Mixologist Craig Schoettler, Wine Director Kim Wood and Mina Group’s Director of Cocktails Carlo Splendorini salute French drinking tradition with an inventive beverage menu that cannot be experienced elsewhere.

  • Finest Wines – Wood curated one of the most extensive by-the-glass programs, as well as the largest selection of French wines in Las Vegas at BARDOT, highlighting the finest small production and rare vintages from across the globe. Additionally, BARDOT will be one of the only restaurants in the country offering wines by the houses of Couly-Dutheil, Patrick Piuze and Domaine Cosse Maisonneuve, regarded as some of the finest in France.
  • Innovative Cocktails – The restaurant’s cocktail program 1B9A8C54-E3B7-461C-B65F-0614DAE6390Bcombines the best of French culture and Las Vegas style. Signature sips include And God Created Women, a satisfying layering of French spirits and egg whites; and the Voltaire, a cider-based cocktail that dazzles the senses with baked apple bitters and housemade ginger syrup.
  • Eclectic Brews – Beer enthusiasts will be delighted by more than 80 international hard-to-find varieties such as Germany’s Kulmbacher, Belgium’s N’ice Chouffe and France’s Jade Organic. BARDOT also boasts its own exclusive craft beer, Hors D’âge, brewed in Northern France in collaboration with Stillwater Artisanal Ales.
  • Historic Spirits – Schoettler scoured the beverage world to garner BARDOT Brasserie’s impressive collection of historic spirits, including cognacs dating back to 1811 and Las Vegas’ largest selection of Chartreuse, the legendary French liqueur distilled by Carthusian Monks.

L’atmosphére
ee1ce84a-b8b8-4547-898c-1a5b62c40417Created by Bishop Pass Interior Architectural Design Studio, BARDOT’s space exudes a dark and sexy, almost enigmatic atmosphere.

  • Big Brass Bar – A vibrant location for mingling with friends or grabbing a cocktail, BARDOT’s bar will catch visitors’ attention the minute they walk inside. Perched high above the zinc countertop is a maze of brass pipes connecting to form shelves for the venue’s high-end spirits and alcohol.
  • Chic Dining Room – BARDOT’s main dining room offers a traditional yet luxurious dining space. Walls of black lacquer are paneled with gold pen striping, surrounding a series of Parisian columns. Burgundy leather booths and bistro-style tables spread across a pristine marble floor, where guests can sneak a peek inside the restaurant’s show kitchen as they watch their meals come to life.
  • C2B43A10-F3A0-4AA8-B6E8-FDBE62EEB4B1Sidewalk Café – A nod to Parisian sidewalk cafes, BARDOT features intimate seating outside of the restaurant for an entertaining dining and people-watching experience. Situated in the courtyard overlooking ARIA’s second-floor promenade, the locale’s French-inspired storefront and high windows transport guests to a 20th century literary café in Paris.

BARDOT Brasserie is located on the second floor of ARIA. The restaurant’s hours of operation are:

  • Dinner daily from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
  • Brunch from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday
  • Nightly happy hour from 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the bar and in the lounge

For reservations or for more information call 877.230.2742 or visit www.ARIA.com.  Follow BARDOT on Twitter and Instagram at @Bardot_LV.

Welcome to Dep Lifestyle Magazine.

Dep Lifestyle Magazine features beautiful lifestyle, food, wine, restaurants, chefs, culinary events, charity events, and in English & in Vietnamese at www.VietPressUSA.com.

Locations:  Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and more cities to come… Coming soon in winter 2015.