Tag Archives: Iron Chef

The New Icons: Jet Tila

The New Potato
June 27, 2012

jet feat The New Icons: Jet TilaJet Tila is not your average restaurateur. Growing up in Los Angeles, Tila learned the ancient traditions of Asian cuisine from his Cantonese Grandmother, and went on to complete his training at Le Cordon Bleu. This killer combination of a mastery of Asian ingredients alongside French technique makes Tila both unique and innovative. Whether appearing on Iron Chef to battle Morimoto, or touring with Anthony Bourdain – who refers to Tila as the unofficial mayor of Thai Town in Hollywood – on No Reservations, Tila is an icon when it comes to Thai food in America. Thai Town evolved from The Bangkock Market (opened in 1972 by Tila’s parents as the first Thai market in the country) making Tila its current expert and champion. Now, this restaurateur is also notable for his food writing in publications such as The Los Angeles Times as well as for opening Wazuzu – the Pan-Asian bistro at Wynn Las Vegas’ Encore casino resort, where he reigned as executive chef until 2011. Tila continues to open numerous pop-up restaurant experiences in Los Vegas and Los Angeles, most recently The Charleston in Santa Monica. The venue features 1930′s decor and live entertainment, alongside Tila’s take on classic American comfort food. It seems there’s no limit to what we can expect from this eclectic restaurateur, whose on-screen, off-screen and on-page presence make him the culinary version of a triple threat.

1. Can you describe what your ideal food day would be?
Dim Sum Breakfast: Fresh Har Gow, Sui Mai, and Chive Dumplings. Then Pineapple Custard Buns.

Lunch: Go back in time head to South Central for Golden Bird Fried Chicken. Damn I miss that place! Dinner at Yai’s in Hollywood with Spicy Basil Pork Belly and Steamed Curry…10,000 calorie day!

2. Where would you like to travel for inspiration that you haven’t been to yet?
Basque for sure. I’ve been dying to get there after working with their chefs at CIA last year.

3. What are your favorite places to travel for food?
Mexico City DF, Bangkok, Singapore, Morocco

4. What do you love about pop-up restaurants? What do they allow for as a restaurateur?
It’s a break from the day to day that all restaurants need. It’s also an opportunity to attract a new demographic. It also promotes collaboration.

5. How does your background play into your food?
Wow. My background is the foundation; it’s my perspective. I see the world through [the eyes of] an Asian American born in a Mexican neighborhood in LA. It’s a unique perspective that allows me to be grounded at all times but understand refinement.

6. What we all should know about Asian cuisine…
That it’s many countries and perspectives! Do not judge all Asian [food] by the trip to one country in Asia or your favorite Asian restaurant! It’s like growing up and only eating Granny Smiths and thinking the world of apples is Granny Smith. You are missing Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, etc. I hate how everyone is a critic with no foundation!

7. What flavors make everything better? Which are overrated?
Balance makes things better…not extremes! What is salt, sour and spice without sweet? More is not better…better is better!

8. What is your go-to recipe when cooking for family and friends?
I can cook the piss out of any piece of meat or seafood! I’m an animal specialist not a vegetable specialist.

9. What do you always put out at a dinner party? Why?
I love balance in a meal, so there will be two or three vegetables to every meat. I love seasonals like snap peas, favas, and amazing seasonal stones and citrus.

10. What are your favorite cities for food? What spots do you go to in each?
Answered above. There’s a Hainanese restaurant in Bangkok called Kuan-ah. My grandparents, parents, cousins have all eaten there. Best Hainanese chicken and rice in the world…no BS!

11. If you could pick a chef to be in the competitive arena with, that you haven’t yet gone up against, who would it be?
Battling Morimoto was awesome. But battling Amanda Frietag, Scott Conant and Aaron Sanchez on Chopped would be fun as hell!

12. What ingredient would you like to be assigned?
Pork Belly, blood clams, bone marrow, and durian!

13. What ingredient would you dread?
Any and all insects!

14. Could you give us some menu favorites from the newly opened Charleston Grand?
Korean Tacos are super fun. Pork Belly Buns, and I’m pretty sure I’m gonna bring the drunken noodles!

15. A recipe you’re willing to share with us…
Please see attached.

16. What would your last meal be, and who would it be with?
Grandma’s sweet soy ginger braised pork trotters with a bowl of jasmine rice and a diet coke!

17. Is there any advice you have for chefs starting out?
Always assume you don’t know shit! Keep your eyes and ears open and mouth shut. Attach yourself to the best always if you want to be the best, and always have high standards. If you find yourself the one in the room that is being thought of as asking too much…you will make it! And just enjoy the journey!

18. Do you have any favorite upcoming chefs?
The two chefs in my kitchen that I work with daily, Carlos Arizaga and Marco Awad.

19. Are there other iconic chefs whose career you’ve always followed?
Fergus Henderson and my grandmother!

20. Whats always in your refrigerator and always on your grocery list?
Schmaltz, Diet coke, braised brisket, and greens.

To view Jet Tila’s recipe for Charleston Korean Tacos, click here

The Charleston: A Westside Speakeasy

by Scott Bridges
Huffington Post
May 23, 2012

The Charleston is what you get when you take a celebrity chef, a menu of classic American comfort foods, a team of mixologists and a friendly staff and put them in a small space full of art deco décor and fill it with live music every night. That might not be anything out of the ordinary downtown, but “Iron Chef” Jet Tila’s latest creation is in Santa Monica, in the location formerly occupied by Angel’s.

Apart from his television celebrity, the Le Cordon Bleu graduate gained respect with his pan-Asian Wazuzu at Steve Wynn’s Encore resort in Las Vegas. But this restaurant is a very different enterprise, featuring Tila’s modern take on traditional comfort foods like mac n’ cheese, shepherd’s pie and pulled pork sliders.

You’ll want to begin with a cocktail. Depending on when you come, there may or may not be room at the bar. It’s worth choosing an off-time just to enjoy the environment and get to know the talented bartenders there. The white leather seats are a nice touch, too. There’s a list of specialty cocktails that should be tried, including the Sazerac (Ri whisky, lemon peel, sugar, peychaud bitters, angostura bitters with Kubler absinthe wash), the Cucumber Cooler (Hendrick’s gin, a slice of cucumber, basil leaves, a sprig of rosemary, fresh lime and honey syrup) and the Ginger Kiss (Bombay Sapphire gin, lime juice, simple syrup, fresh ginger and habanero chili). There’s also a good selection of top-shelf liquors, and for the bold — a variety of absinthe.

For starters, consider the bacon-wrapped dates. Stuffed with marcona almonds, they’re not typical of the appetizer. Another dish worth trying is the short rib tacos with shaved Brussels sprouts and Korean Salsa.

The sides are good, too. The fries — both sweet potato and the garlic & herb — are what you’d expect from a modern take on American cuisine. And you can’t go wrong with the wedge, grilled Caesar or asparagus salad.

One of the most decadent items on the menu is the pork belly bao buns — spiced braised pork belly, pickle, hoisin sauce and five buns. Another is the pulled pork sliders — slow-smoked pork shoulder and cole slaw on a country roll. The cheese-crusted filet mignon crostini is yet one more.

The desserts are pleasantly unique. Imagine a crispy plantain with vanilla ice cream and candied nuts or a heaping scoop of vanilla bean ice cream floated in Guinness stout. I would also suggest the chocolate chip bread pudding, featuring brioche, chocolate chips and crème anglaise.

I’ve heard varying opinions on The Charleston, but everyone seems to agree that the food and drink are great. The discrepancies are a result of the atmosphere you are expecting. There are not a lot of booths — I strongly recommend reservations — and if you’ve got a loud group next to you, that may color your dining experience. The lines outside can be excruciating. The parking is basically valet or no way. The space is small and can become loud and overcrowded. The jazz is fantastic, for those who appreciate it, and the karaoke and ’80s night are fun — again, for those who appreciate it.

The bottom line is that The Charleston is a great experience, but you need to check their website ahead of time to make sure you’re planning a visit that fits with the experience you desire. Pick the time and date that suits your style and you won’t be disappointed. On the contrary, you’ll find a speakeasy like nothing else on this side of town.

The Charleston in Santa Monica now open

With a menu created by chef Jet Tila

by Tiffany Wang
Taste Terminal
March 30, 2012

flat bread 250x163 The Charleston in Santa Monica now openOffering food, drink, and live entertainment, The Charleston in Santa Monica opened its doors last night. This nightlife venue boasts of a culinary program created by chef Jet Tila (as seen on Iron Chef America) and will host occasional pop-ups, an extensive bar program featuring wine, beer, and housemade specialty cocktails, and live entertainment from DJs, jazz, dueling pianos, hip hop acts, rock cover bands, and comedy and karaoke nights.

Chef Tila’s menu showcases his style of American fare with a twist as his menu offers shared plates such as Slow Roasted Short Rib Tacos with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Korean Salsa and the Welsh Rarebit-Welsh Cheese Bread, Country Toast Smothered in Cheese Sauce then Broiled, his flatbreads menu include Bacon, Egg & Cheese and Sausage, Arugula and Fennel, a wide variety of salads and sides, and his selection of entrees including Five Spice Pork Belly Bao Buns and the Charleston Burger with Cheddar, Arugula, Onion Marmalade and Sun Dried Tomato Aioli. And to complementing the cuisine is the bar program, which features specialty cocktails such as the Ginger Kiss- Beefeater Gin, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Fresh Ginger & Habanero Chili, the Jet 75 – Gin, Simple Syrup, Lemon Juice and Brut Champagne, the Kaffir Lime Pie – Stoli Vodka, Stoli Vanilla Vodka, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Egg White & Kaffir Lime Garnish, and the Poison Rose – Beefeater Gin, Monin Rose Syrup, Lilet Rouge & Lemon Juice.

 

Charleston in Charge

Old Hollywood glamour dresses up in Santa Monica

The Rundown LA
March 28, 2012

charlston Charleston in ChargeWith the Great Recession supposedly over, what better time for some Great Depression revelling?

Prep your best suspenders for some proper rug-cutting at The Charleston, where Santa Monica honors those golden days of pomade and prohibition with nightly live entertainment.

Come for everything from burlesque to rock cover bands, and karaoke to dueling pianos. Then stay for the drinks.

Start with the namesake Charleston, a healthy dose of Buffalo Trace whiskey, green chartreuse, Dom Benedictine, and angostura bitters.

For your date? The sweet and tart Kaffir Lime Pie (Stoli Vodka, Stoli Vanilla Vodka, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white).

Make sure to try Iron Chef veteran Jet Tila’s eclectic menu. Divide and conquer the bacon-wrapped dates and Korean salsa (short rib and Brussels sprouts in a corn tortilla) and sausage fennel & arugula flatbread.

Keep the cheese-crusted filet mignon crostini or the Charleston Burger (smoked Cheddar, arugula, onion marmalade and sun-dried tomato aioli) for yourself.

Meat and cheese hoarding: A Depression-era staple, no matter the decade.

A step back in time, via an Iron Chef vet

Thrillist
March 26, 2012

charlestonnew horizontal main A step back in time, via an Iron Chef vet

Grand opening Thurs in Santa Monica, The Charleston is a ’30s-era supperclub-cum-sippery in Santa Monica run by former Iron Chef challenger & lauded restauranteur Jet Tila, whose decked out the old Angel’s space in decade-appropriate beaded chandeliers, a studded, white-leather bar, and plush, red booths, which’re probably the first place to look for left-behind dead presidents.

2601699a inset web A step back in time, via an Iron Chef vet

The food will work in two ways: they’ll do popup dinners by famous chefs like Angeli Caffe exec/KCRW “Good Food” host Evan Kleinman, as well as a there-all-the-timemenu w/ upscale-y bar goodness like short rib tacos w/ shaved Brussels sprouts & Korean salsa; sausage, arugula, and fennel flatbread; and grilled salmon w/ roasted tomatoes and chickpeas, ironically served by a second chick with a cup. Drinkiness leans classic, w/ specialties helped along by a master ‘tail-mixer (who’s developed booze programs at Vegas’ Bellagio, NY’s Po, and SF’s Starlight Room): there’s the Minted Mule (vodka, lime, ginger beer, mint sprig), the namesake Charleston (whiskey, green chartreuse, Dom Benedictine, bitters), and the gin-fronting Poison Rose, which’s really what Leo should’ve done if he wanted a place on that life raft.
2601699c inset web A step back in time, via an Iron Chef vet
They’re also going to have tons of entertainment going on, from ’80s cover bands, to burlesque, to dueling pianos, to karaoke — which, like John Wilkes, you’ll probably straight murder.