Wow frozen uni! Yikes fuck that shit, thanks for the info.
Even if it wasn’t this batch it would make me question all their neta practices esp at their price point and what they market themselves as.
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Uni-cicle, not to be confused with…
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Unicide
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Damn we were eyeballing these too. I guess kinkant afterall.
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Pictured from top left: wild mushroom and pork pithivier; spiny lobster medallion; seafood platter (beau soleil oysters, Florida stone crabs, and cold poached prawns); Icelandic cod, celery root “risotto style” and truffle; petite baba au rhum.
Attended a private birthday party/early Xmas bash catered by Chef Laurent Quenioux. Loved everything, especially the seafood platter and individual servings of pithivier and baba au rhum. 7 course tasting menu with 2 desserts by the chef and a chestnut cake from Frances Patisserie in Pasadena.
Pictured from top left: FG torchon; imported cheeses from France; lamb chop; 6 courses in box; poached lobster medallion over watercress flan
Decided to order Chef LQ’s Xmas Boxx delivery and like the Thanksgiving Boxx I ordered a few years ago, it didn’t disappoint.
$90 including delivery so it was a splurge, but I didn’t feel like dining in a restaurant so it was the perfect solution.
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We got the Xmas box too and it was great. Sweetbread “shepherd pie” was a highlight. I only wish he had put in more bread!
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I know what you mean @boourns
Agree with you about the sweetbreads being a highlight!
Was so busy reheating and a bit buzz from 
so I didn’t pay much attention to 
lighting, etc. but in case anyone’s curious, below is a before and after of the sweetbreads shepherd pie:
Sometimes I look at LQ’s for menu scratching my head 
but then I see how it all works after the 1st bite.
For fine dining takeout, I appreciate his the most for ease of reheating, etc. He’s been at it for a while and it truly shows.
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Speaking of…
10 Piece Iki Sushi
Yuzu Shio Ramen
Shichida Junmai | Saga
It was nice seeing Iki busy and humming along on a weekday night. 
Happy Holidays Y’all!
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Iki still brings it!! Lovely folks too and they went overboard with that new outside area… LOL! Good for them. 
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True lol. It’s workin on concert nights. My girlfriend and I thought we were going to have a quiet weeknight dinner but it was crowded. Thankfully, concert goers don’t linger. 
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An early morning at The Original Farmers Market for fuel before holiday shopping at The Grove!
Beignet, Cinnamon Roll, Coffee & Espresso w/two Scoops of Foam. Okay we’re ready! First up…
See’s Peanut Brittle is one of the main staples of my December diet… and I buy boxes of it for everyone I can think of. 
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Paradise Dynasty at South Coast Plaza. Is it as good as DTF? Some items are definitely as good or better. The menu has more options with entrees like king pai chicken, honey walnut shrimp and others.
The XLB are very good. Splitting hairs. Paradise Dynasty has much more soup. Very good skins.
Pork chop fried rice reminded me of the OG DTF. Nice sized portion of pork albeit no bone. Rice is fluffy and delicious.
Pea shoots had excellent wok hei and excellent garlic flavor. It’s the first time that my son asked for seconds of veggies.
Original noodle soup with shrimp and pork dumplings. The broth was very refreshing and tasted almost like chicken ramen broth.
The veggie egg rolls were fine but a pass. They sent out the red bean buns midway through the meal. By the time we ate them the bun was very dense and tough. The red bean xlb at DTF much better. The food court at Bloomingdale’s has been completely transformed with Bruxie, fancy egg place, Mochinut, churro place, Phoholic, tea shop and this very intriguing Chinese shrimp ramen broth joint.
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We went in October and found the flavors of the XLB a touch muted. DTF is still the house favorite.
The vegetables were very good.
There were only 2 of us so we didn’t try other menu items.
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Hadn’t heard of the place until you mentioned it (and then I did a quick internet search). Is the place known for being bad? 
Sorry to hear about how bad it (esp the uni) was.
honestly not sure what it’s reputation is…but it was briefly discussed in this thread. but the tl:dr is:
Fashion media person picks up sushi/bento around the pandemic, starts selling bentos on IG w/ stolen bento photos from other japanese chefs, gets featured in LA times with said stolen photo and profits.
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Holy sh*t.
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Is Phoholic open?
I go to South Coast a fair amount and always stop over to Little Saigon for eats, but I was on a marathon shopping trip for fancy frock and I decided to try the Shrimp Ramen place because they had a good selection of dry noodles (My favorite.). I got the Wonton with a side of cucumbers and was very happy with my lunch!
Noodles were very good. They held on to the sauce well and an excellent bite.
The Wonton was really good! Big pieces of Shrimp!
All in all, I was very happy with the quality and cost of the meal. It came out pretty quick and was very filling. And the better news… found my dress. YAY!
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I don’t think Phoholic and the tea shop are open. The signs downstairs said opening Spring 2022 so maybe soon? I had no idea this food court area existed. Did this replace Holsteins or was there another restaurant?
Nice dress.
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Yeah, I went last month for more shopping and to pick up a Shimamoto noodle kit (Not my jam) and it wasn’t open yet, so that is why I got excited. I dunno what is going on with construction there since they appear to be super behind and no real movement between visits. Opted to got to Rodeo and pick up some Brocolini from the steak place and steel pan pizza. Glad to have both
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