Foodie Favorites: Unlimited Possibilities with Dominique Ansel Kitchen

Hi readers! Second post on my foodie adventure, but this time I'm bringing a little New York experience to the table. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of taking a weekend to go to New York just for a little getaway. One of the experiences I looked forward to was this 8 course dessert tasting that had to be booked 7 weeks in advance at Dominique Ansel Kitchen (which is his second business meant for food and pastries made to order). Located in the West Village area, this tasting experience is very private with a max of 8 people, and the tasting happened in the heart of the place, the kitchen. Hosted by Dominique Ansel's executive pastry chef Karys Logue.

The evening started by leading up to the third floor where all the pastries for both locations are made. With the push of a button, the table where we would be dining is lowered from the ceiling and the legs are attached to the table, as space is limited in any New York place.

Right after being seated, we are welcomed to a layout of mini garden veggies to get are palate going. With a carrot, turnip, and 2 mexican gherkins it was served with compound butter that has been sprinkled with sea salt. To be honest....I just wanted to keep going on the butter. It was DELICIOUS.

The entire menu is based on the experience of Firsts. The menu is called "First Memories Last Forever" and the menu most likely will run until December before they decide to change it up.

                          

The first dessert called First Word is meant to represent the first word we took as kids. It was a personal experience for some because they emailed us in advance to ask us what our first words were, and if we didn't know we got question marks which I think is still cool. All tastes are also reminiscence of things a lot of children would eat. Sweet pea ice cream, rice milk, gin, carrot cake, yogurt meringue are flavors tasted in this course.

                       

Second course is called First Kiss; meant to represent a first kiss. Even the dish the dessert was served in was handcrafted in this shape so how to eat this dessert was left up to the taster. Certain diners got a more rough dish and some were smooth to represent different experiences. Inside this dish was roasted peanut water, cream soda pearls, fresh mint, and a raspberry filled with a gel and edible chocolate.

P.S. all the dishes were handpicked or handcrafted for the particular courses so every part of this tasting was thought out to the t.

                         

Third course is called First time living on your own; because when you're living on your own the only thing Dominique Ansel made was carbonara pasta and he didn't even take it out of the pan to eat it from. This was clever and played a trick on our senses because I kept looking at it and felt like it should taste salty. This dish consisted of sweet corn that looked like an egg, crepes sauteed in brown butter, smoked toffee to look like bacon, lemon zest, and anise flavors.

                    

                    

The fourth course is called First Heartbreak. This was definitely an interactive course as we were presented with a box of matches, which we were to light the little paper on our plate to see how far our love would burn. Mine didn't burn that far but my foodie self was happy because I wanted to eat my petals. The bergamot ice cream inside the chocolate shell with piped marshmallow on top. Underneath the chocolate/ice cream goodness was a chocolate pain de genes which is similar to a molten cake. This by far was one of my favorites. The petals were made of marshmallow too or meringue (leaning more towards meringue).

                          

This was the surprise tasting for me which is a sorbet that was used as a palate cleanser halfway through the dishes. Dominique Ansel uses a lot of asian flavors in many of his desserts in his bakery and kitchen, and this was a shiso sorbet. Very tart on the tongue but it was good to cut a lot of sweet notes we had before. It was really pretty that they managed to serve the sorbet in a flower and literally had to lick it out of there.

                    

                    

The fifth course called the First job was represented in a bar graph of all the different things we must juggle once we got our first job. The four different bars represented sleep, taxes, beer money, and caffeine. My favorite were the sleep, taxes, and beer money bars as they all tasted different. The caffeine was so strong on the coffee flavor. In my daily life I'm not even good with coffee on the daily so for the normal tastebuds it was probably delicious. Underneath the bars was a praline feulletine which was crunchy and amazing with the soft textures on top.

                          

Course six called the First fine dining experience is meant to represent a beef wellington. Other than the fact that I wanna try the real meat version, this was definitely as close as I got to trying this dish. I loved the asthetic of this dish the most. The "meat" was a dark chocolate mouse which was super smooth, the sauce was a black currant and red wine reduction which was a bit tart and bitter. The wrap around the mousse was puff pastry, and a dollap of creme fraiche to lighten all the heavier notes on the plate.

                          

Course seven represents the First dance. With an elderflower center covered in a strawberry gel, it was dipped into liquid nitrogen to freeze solid, then the executive chef Karys piped beautiful mascarpone tutus on it. It was meant to be a simple one pop bite. It was delicious and cold. I could use 10 please! 

                          

Last course of the tasting was another refreshing palate cleanser called the next first, which is to send us away saying that there will be many next firsts in our lives which I thought was very touching and sentimental to end on this note. Visually stunning already with the custom plating, there was a sake granita with hints of shiso with a lychee type of "panna cotta" on the bottom. The cherry was also soaked with three different types of liquid. I was so full at this point I was about to POP! 

Overall it was an amazing experience and I would love to try a different menu if they offered one. With the intimate experience and a love for desserts, I would recommend it because I have never experienced something like this before.

As a little parting gift as well, they gave us taro chips that were fried in duck fat with salt. I wish they gave me a bucket of that because it was AMAZING.

I hope you enjoyed my review on this experience and keep reading for some more tasty treats :) Follow me on snapchat: nitaaamin as I usually update something related to food when I go out.

Foodie Favorites: Republique

Hey guyz~~ Surprised with 2 posts in the same week? Well I decided to review all my food excursions because who doesn't like food pictures. 

Hot spot of the day will be Republique (located on La Brea in between 6th street and Wilshire). One of my favorite brunch places with its hipster atmosphere and not to mention amazing food. Interior decor is also pretty breathtaking. Stepping into this quaint place, you're welcomed to a case full of sweets and pastries. I definitely had a hard time deciding what to pick because I wanted them all. 

Pictured above is a chicken salad, a croque madame, and a plate of sweets. Their croque madame is a bit on the heavy side due to the gruyere cheese, ham, and sunny side egg but it still holds to be my favorite to order. 

(That Paris Brest with hazelnuts is so delicately scrumptious! :P)

(Kimchi fried rice with braised short ribs with a side of crispy fries) 

To impress you even more, Republique has an incredible dinner menu where all their pastas are made in house and its family style friendly. Although prices may be a bit steeper, you definitely get your moneys worth in quality and freshness. 

This pan roasted half chicken sitting on succotash. The chicken was extremely moist (probably because it was roasted on the bone). I usually hate white meat but if all chicken was cooked like this I would turn over a new leaf. And no I didn't eat this alone if you're wondering~ 

White corn agnolotti (a specifically shaped pasta with a filling) which is a seasonal dish but fresh pastas are made daily. With clumps of burrata to cut the sweetness of the white corn and mushrooms to add some texture. 

Last but definitely not least, DESSERT! Pictured on the left is a salted caramel chocolate cake which was so moist and the dark chocolate and salted caramel filling was the perfect balance. It was accompanied by a shot of chai milk of some sorts which was an interesting shot. Pictured on the right is a chocolate valrona molten cake topped with ice cream. Ooey gooey center with crispy edges is the way to my heart; with hints of hazelnut on top!

I hope you enjoyed reading about this new LA spot and you should definitely try it out :) Stay tuned for more foodie favorites!

The Icons

@Roman Salon

Hi fellow readers! Its been a while hasn't it?...I guess being out of school and working has really got the best of me. I feel I have so much to update I just don't even know where to start!

I guess based on my selfie situation, its obvious I tried to get myself into this passing summer mode by dying/highlighting my hair. I was introduced to this hair stylist, Sabrina Sanchez at the Roman Salon and she did an amazing job. The salon is really cute too (you know me, I love good ambiance). 

Lately, I've been trying to pull back on shopping but could not turn away at this Saint Laurent suede fringe skirt. 

Uhh...how amazing right? I look very fall-esque but fall is my season so what can I say ;) As I usually say in my previous posts, always buying the best pieces and not just buying clothes. Paired with a simple black tee and black boots, the skirt speaks for itself. 

Speaking of key pieces, this french fry shirt had my name all over it when I saw it. "Fries before guys." Way too good to pass up. 

To end my catch up post, these iconic pieces are more like splurges I couldn't resist. Lets just say I am weak when it comes to peer pressure and Chanel in the same sentence. 

In LOVE with my limited edition purple ombre wallet. And of course I joined the Dior sunglass trend ;) 

Thanks for reading and catch you later! xoxo

May Mashup

Hi readers! Long time no writing. My hiatus has been due to the crazy phases of life that are flashing before my eyes. From adjusting to my new place of employment to officially graduating from college...how unreal (*screaming*)! So many things have been going on that I have not been able to shoot outfits other than from my trusty iphone 6. Therefore, I felt like it was a good time to just have a catchup post of some thrown together outfits with some of my new favorite and oldie but goodie favorite pieces.

These days I like to keep it casual when I'm not working because I feel I have to dress up and never get to wear shorts. I fell in love with ReDone denim. Their take on a the vintage levis in a modern cut is definitely what's trending this summer. Even though its a bit difficult to figure out sizing, a belt usually fixes the problem. My patched bomber jacket is another new favorite obsession I have. As spotted first on my favorite blogger Chiara Ferragni (The Blonde Salad), I just had to have it, and of course it didn't disappoint.

I guess the trend I am embracing right now is that vintage look, even with this vintage remodeled levi military jacket. It's a great piece to wear with any outfit; yes even with dresses. To add that modern touch, I sported my Mansur Gavriel bucket bag with the red interior which is the best bucket bag because it keeps its upright shape. For the quality of the leather, the price was a total steal.

Another way to sport that Mansur Gavriel bucket bag (small size).

Some upclose details on what I wore to my graduation ceremony. A floral ALC dress with a yellow ivory Celine trio. Adding a light toned bag to my collection for a change! I love the geometric pattern at Republique restaurant, and I love their food too hehehe.

Commemorative graduation photo in case you don't believe me.

An oldie but goodie Chanel boot I wish would never deteriorate...must tread lightly... Photographed at one of my favorite coffee shops (Comoncy).

Gotta take a selfie! Just because I rarely show my face in full body shots. Thanks for reading :)

Elegance Meets Casual

Happy spring time readers! It's been a while right? Sorry about that...as I transition into a "full time worker" chapter in my life, sleeping is one of my best friends right now which takes me away from the blogging scene a bit. But don't fret because I will always try to put my best looks together to share with you guys!

If you follow me on instagram, you can see that I just had to post about these Frame jeans I'm wearing. I was hesistant at first about those huge rips on the knees but I am LOVING it. The fabrication of the denim is also more rigid and not as stretchy which is why these are my go-to pair of denim right now. Even though people struggle with the idea of paying a steep price for jeans with rips....all I can say is....you'll love it like I do?

PLUS, in the past weeks that I have not posted, my birthday passed so I'm 22 now!! *cue the Taylor Swift song* I totally treated myself to these amazing, edgy Chanel "sandals" even though they are sort of loafers at the same time. As seen on runway, I love these shoes so I am trying to tread lightly. With a little peep around the middle of your foot and an ankle strap they are just like the best shoes for any outfit. They are more of a fancier sandal, but that does not mean you can't dress it down as I have in my look today!

This is another impromptu look with the Frame denim which is definitely an edgier pair of denim.

Camel Tones

California sunshine is among us finally! Time to bust out shorts and anything that shows a little more skin for that vitamin D. This cute little number is actually called the cali dress ironically, and its from Reformation which is one of my new favorite boutiques. You can go online to their website or they have a boutique on Melrose, and its really hard to not wanna buy everything you see. One of the reasons I really like the brand is that it makes most of the clothing from environmentally friendly and sustainable fabrics (according to their website). I also got another dress from there but that will be for another special occassion this month ;) 

Bomb(ers) Away!

Hey all, hope you had a great Valentines Day! ~ Today I show some 'tude in my all black ensemble and blush pink bomber jacket. I am in love with the idea of the bomber jacket lately. A jacket that is meant to be light to keep you comfortable, yet still enough to avoid any wind. I fell in love with this jacket from Allsaints (no surprise) because of its unique silk fabrication, making it a little more sleek, or as slang goes fleek. The detailing on this jacket is so amazing and not what you would expect when you turn around. 

I'm sure you've also noticed that I am not wearing boots for a change but these nike sneakers. Very unlike me, but I guess my blogger friend has influenced me just a smidgen. Plus with my ever lasting soul cycle love, I guess I gotta balance out the heels for some comfort once in a while. Not having heels for a change is actually very comfortable.....maybe a little TOO comfortable.

**All shot from my iPhone this time ;)