Farewell to Foie

I was having dinner at Black Hogg last week and telling WeezerMonkey that I actually don't get invited to attend any media or restaurant events, even though I have a blog. Granted my blog isn't read by thousands (or hundreds or even dozens) of people. But then lo and behold - Anne of TunaToast emailed me this very week to invite me to a Farewell to Foie dinner, completed with wine pairings (most importantly) at Takami Robata and Sushi in DTLA.

There were about 15 other food bloggers and media members in attendance, which gave me an opportunity to meet more bloggers and branch out a bit. The night was very relaxed and welcoming, with a lot of information given about the wine and the food. I'm disclosing here that I'm a super lightweight (like allergic to alcohol lightweight) drinker but I was able to at least try each of the wines ... there were ones that I really liked.

vichysoisse of foie gras

paired with 2011 Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah

seared foie gras, carmelized mango, rose reduction

paired with 2010 Montes Alpha Chardonnay

braised daikon, foie gras, shallot butter broth

paired with 2010 Montes Alpha Pinot Noir

nigiri of ahi tuna & foie gras, eel sauce

paired with 2007 StarAngel by Phones, Syrah, Paso Robles

filet of beef & foie gras, black truffle

paired with 2009 Montes Alpha Carmenere

foie gras truffle, fresh berries, butter wafer

paired with 2010 Montes Late Harvest

Located on the 21st floor of a high rise in DTLA, the restaurant boasts great views and we really enjoyed the private dining section that was closed off for us during the event. Montes Wines (click to go to Facebook page here) are based in Chile and though I'm not a wine expert by any means, I especially liked the cleaness of the Rosé of Syrah, the Alpha Chardonnay and the Late Harvest. I think it is because (and laugh at me if you will) these two wines were a bit sweeter, with a cleaner taste and without a strong alcohol flavor. I did try all of time wines and they paired very well with the food but as you know, a few sips for me (probably totaling 1/3 of a glass) left me feeling a bit lightheaded by the end of the night.

At the end of the night Chef Stan Ota came out to thank us for attending the dinner; he is a Japanese chef who is french trained, as was evident in his cooking. A few years ago, my company had their holiday lunch here and I think the food has really improved since then.

Favorite courses of the night were the seared foie gras with mango (mine) and the filet of beef with foie gras (Boyfriend). The sauce was so good on the beef that Boyfriend said he would bathe in it, if he could. This foie gras menu along with the different wine pairings (with possibly a few tweaks) will be offered as a special until June 30th, upon which the ban on foie gras will take place on July 1, 2012. Each violation adds up to be about $2000 so there will probably be a total black market on foie gras now. Hopefully the ban will be repealed, but until then ... we will have to be driving to Vegas for any foie gras meals in the future. Thanks to Anne for the invite!

Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant
811 Wilshire Blvd, #2100, Los Angeles, CA 90017