Simon LA Finale: You’ve never had dessert like this


 Hey again,

It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here. Today, I bring you the finale of my experience at Simon LA restaurant, the latest venture from celebrity chef Kerry Simon. The dessert from Simon LA is so intense and exquisite, that it requires a whole separate post to itself. By this picture, you will see what I mean!

So, this dessert looks like absolutely every kids dream dessert, all at once! Well, that’s the point! Simon LA has created this eclectic dessert platter that features everything a kid could get at a candy store. It also features some American favourites! What’s the catch? Everything is homemade by the Simon LA staff.

The cookies are absolutely delicious, featuring white chocolate macadamia nut, moist chocolate chip and butterscotch chip. I saved a couple to have with my morning cappuccino, and damn it was worth it! The rice crispys, both chocolate and regular, were incomparable to most I’ve ever had. I’m not even a fan of dessert!

The sorbet is unbelievable. One was an orange strawberry combination that is extremely fresh and easily cleansed the pallet. The other is a banana version of rocky road. Both were so good, that when I had to rush off to a meeting I took both to-go so I could eat them in the car.

The only thing that I found disappointing was the donut holes. Donut holes are basically the US version of TimBits, if you’re Canadian, you know what I mean. I have yet to taste a TimBit rival, and this wasn’t even close.

The milkshakes were great and complimented the cotton candy, and tasty caramel corn. Our two favourites out of the whole dish were the chocolate cup cakes, which were made to look like Hostess Chocolate Cup Cakes. The were astounding and jaw dropping to any chocolate aficionado. They were not too rich, and had a very moist chocolate flavour. The other highlight of the dessert platter was the pink coconut cream puffs. They had a pink coconut encrusted crust, with a delicious cream filling.

This dessert platter is great to share with a couple friend! There is enough variety for everyone to be happy. In this case, I would definitely say to leave room for dessert! 
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SIMON LA: PART II



It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here. Yesterday, I brought you a review of several appetizers and classics from SIMON LA, the latest venture from celebrity chef Kerry Simon. Today, I bring you a review of a few main courses that I had the opportunity to try.

Truffled macaroni and cheese

This isn’t your typical Kraft mac and cheese or even your mama’s macaroni and cheese. This is mac and cheese, Kerry Simon style.
The top layer of the dish is a delectable conglomeration of various cheeses. As you break into the mac and cheese, your taste buds are delighted by a creamy, but not too rich, cheese-based sauce and plenty elbow noodles. You can smell the aroma of truffle and it is the first flavour that hits your tongue. The truffle aroma slowly fades each bite and is followed by the wonderful texture of the rest of the dish.

If you are a mac and cheese fan, you absolutely have to try this!

Roasted prime new york strip l fava puree, tomato-olive sauce
A nine ounce cut of prime new York steak that is roasted and served in two slices over fava puree with a tomato basil olive sauce (garlic, shallots, roasted tomatoes, mixed olives, chile flakes and fresh basil)

I am really big on steak. I think that if you can cook a steak appropriately with proper garnish and complimentary side dishes, you really have it made. Of course, I had to try the New York Strip at Simon LA. However, I was severely disappointed. Their were two medallion cuts of meat that were cooked appropriately, but I couldn’t get over the fava puree with tomato basil olive sauce. It was extreeemeelly over seasoned to the point where I couldn’t enjoy the dish or the steak. What a bummer!

Bamboo steamed fish l lemon grass, ginger, kaffir lime, bok choy

The Bamboo steamed fish this particular evening was halibut, which I absolutely love and was excited to try. The halibut and complimentary vegetables was served in a bamboo hot pot. I lifted the cover to reveal an amazing aroma of fresh halibut and various spicy seasonings. The dish was simple, the Halibut was extremely fresh and flakey and it was seasoned with the most amazing combination of what I think was paprika, black pepper and chile flakes. The portion was rather small which was disappointing considering I could have eaten it all night!

What’s coming next? A review of Simon LA’s most infamous dessert! 
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Exclusive review of chef Kerry Simon’s latest venture, Simon LA


 Hey,

It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here. As I promised, I am bringing you some exclusive coverage of amazing resorts, restaurants and parties from a 5 star exclusive weekend trip. The first of this coverage is a review of the appetizers from Simon LA, the latest venture from world renowned chef Kerry Simon. Check out my thoughts below!


Marinated spring market vegetables l homemade ricotta, warm crostini Seasonal vegetable that are blanched and marinated in herbaceous olive oil (parsley, basil, rosemary, sage, garlic, shallots, salt, chile flakes) then tossed with lemon juice, fresh parsley, orange zest and served over homemade ricotta cheese and served with a toasted piece of Ciabatta bread. Vegetables may include baby carrots, romanesco, campari tomatoes, fava beans, English peas, pea shoot, fennel etc..

I absolutely love fresh vegetables. The vegetables were flavourful and cooked appropriately with that wonderful warm crunch. However, I wasn’t really impressed with this dish in it’s totality. The ricotta was bland, extremely watery and did not compliment the vegetables in the least and was totally omissible. I also expected more from the “herbaceous olive oil” which I found typical and lacking of the flavours as per the description above. I wish the fava beans, English peas and pea shoots were included in this dish!

Colossal crabcake l young papaya asian slaw

The Colossal crab cake was fine. The crab was fresh and it wasn’t doused in oil, the outer layer had a delicate breading and the texture was enjoyable. However, the flavours didn’t really pop for me. I enjoyed the young papaya Asian

Tuna dynamite l lump crab, red chili aioli
layers of sushi rice, yellowfin tuna, lump crab meat topped with spicy Asian mayonnaise (sambal, sweet chile, soy, ketchup, mirin, mayonnaise). dish is gratineed in salamander caramelizing the mayo; completed dish is topped with a sake/mirin/soy reduction.

Tuna Dynamite had to be the best dish that I got to experience. I actually ordered it three times before leaving the hotel. The flavours and textures of the dish are bold and flavourful. The solid base of the dish is sushi rice, which absorbs the flavours from the sake/mirin/soy reduction and mayo. The tuna is fresh and the most bold flavour with a slight spicy Asian-infused kick. The crab meat is the delicate top layer which ties in all of the flavours, especially the mayo. If you like spicy tuna sushi rolls or sashimi, this dish is a must-try! The best part about this dish is you can definitely split it with two to three people or enjoy it as a satisfying meal yourself! 
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Five Star Exclusives from www.makeaquick.com



It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here. Tomorrow I’m leaving for LA for a business meeting and conference. I will be staying at the tres chic Sofitel which also means I will be bringing you exclusive reviews of the Stone Rose Lounge and SIMON LA.


What is SIMON LA you might ask? It’s the latest venture and top LA restaurant by superstar chef Kerry Simon. Kerry Simon is the only person I’ve seen beat Cat Cora on Iron Chef America. Not only had this culinary star attracted the likes of David Bowie and Iman, Matt Dillon, Diane Keaton, Debbie Harry and INXS, Chef Simon began a trend that renewed the popularity of chef’s tables in kitchens throughout many fine restaurants in the United States. This critical response to Simon’s special brand of culinary genius was noticed by Rolling Stone. In 1991, the magazine named him one of the top personalities of that year, and bestowed him with the unofficial title of “Rock n’ Roll Chef."

I’ll also be checking out some of the hottest clubs in West Hollywood.

What else do I have in store for you?

The meeting then brings me to the Ivy Hotel in San Diego, one of the hottest boutique hotels right in the Gaslamp district. With a renowned rooftop function space, with panoramic views, VIP access to Envy Nightclub and Ultra Lounge, bottle service and Cadillac Escalade service.. It’ll be as if you were here with me!

Check back all of this week for 5 star exclusives from www.makeaquick.com

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