HILLSIDE PERCH AN ATTRACTIVE SETTING FOR SKILLFUL BIRDCAGE KITCHEN.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic BIRDCAGE, AN ECLECTIC FUSION RESTAURANT in Studio City, features a colorful mural of fishes, not birds, in its front patio-main dining room. Birdcage replaces Salut in an unusual arrangement of one small building that houses the kitchen plus a series of hillside patios. This pleasant, full-service dining area had no roof during two evening visits - consequently, heaters were needed (and provided) as the temperature dropped from cool to cold. Apologies were profuse pro·fuse adj. 1. Plentiful; copious. 2. Giving or given freely and abundantly; extravagant: were profuse in their compliments. on both occasions, with promises that a canopy would be constructed in the very near future. There were plans, also, we were told, of an upcoming sushi bar Noun 1. sushi bar - a bar where sushi is served bar - a counter where you can obtain food or drink; "he bought a hot dog and a coke at the bar" that would purvey pur·vey tr.v. pur·veyed, pur·vey·ing, pur·veys 1. To supply (food, for example); furnish. 2. To advertise or circulate. ``a different type of sushi'' that would be ``in the shape of a ball'' rather than the familiar narrow, rectangular form, cone-shaped hand-roll or the cut roll. Already in place on the second level, a hookah smoking lounge. It will offer a prix-fixe, multicourse, chef's choice tasting dinner and hookah pipes, the latter available sometime next month. The Birdcage kitchen serves up some excellent food by chef Peter Bellasalma and his crew. But don't expect bargain-basement dining. The current one-page menu charges $10 for its tasty mushroom soup, somewhat understandable with its garnish of diced black truffles and squirt of truffle oil. However, a slightly lower-priced offering, a Thai-style creation of chicken and coconut soup ($7) boosted with lime and chile, is just as good. Other than a house salad ($6) and an Asian-type vegetable roll ($8), the appetizers list at double digits. Fortunately, the majority of the starter plates provide enough food for sharing. A notable example is the smoked fish trio ($15), an elaborately arranged tower of sliced fish, smoked salmon on the outside, escolar and halibut halibut: see flatfish. halibut Any of various flatfishes, especially the Atlantic and Pacific halibuts (genus Hippoglossus, family Pleuronectidae), both of which have eyes and colour on the right side. inside, topped with daubs of osetra caviar and smelt eggs, perched on a crisp potato pancake and ringed with ribbons of creme fraiche. Ask the server for some of that good black bread to go with it. One day, there was a nicely presented off-menu special of two soft-shell crabs on a crunchy seaweed salad ($14) as a starter option, It, too, appeared to be large enough for two to share. Entrees also denote carefully chosen ingredients constructed in the most contemporary manner. Nothing mundane comes out of this kitchen, I assure you. A hefty, meaty, richly sauced short rib ($18) platter made an appreciable impact one night. As with many of the Birdcage recipes, hints of chile pepper spicing gave each bite something extra, and the accompanying Asian slaw slaw n. Chiefly Southern U.S. Coleslaw. Noun 1. slaw - basically shredded cabbage coleslaw salad - food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing; usually consisting of provided a refreshing counterbalance. A bed of lemongrass lemongrass, n Latin name: Cymbopogon citratus; part used: leaves; uses: antitussive, antirheumatic, antiseptic, anxiolytic, antibacterial, antifungal, insomnia, vomiting, high blood pressure, fever; precautions: none known. and ginger-flavored risotto ri·sot·to n. pl. ri·sot·tos A dish of rice cooked in broth, usually with saffron, and served with grated cheese. [Italian, from riso, rice, from Old Italian; see rice. cradled sesame-crusted medallions of juicy pork loin loin (loin) the part of the back between the thorax and pelvis. loin n. The part of the body on either side of the spinal column between the ribs and the pelvis. ($25) another evening. A light drizzle of miso (Multiple Inputs Single Output) Pronounced "my-so," it is the use of multiple transmitters and a single receiver on a wireless device to improve the transmission distance. See MIMO. beurre blanc completed the entrancing taste effect. However, the kitchen changes things frequently. This dish was replaced by a grilled pork chop Pork Chop An arrangement on the floor of the NYSE whereby clerks cover the booth of a floor broker and accept orders, phone calls, and associated tasks. Notes: The clerks in charge of maintaining the booths are directly compensated by the floor brokers who own them. with jerk seasoning and other accompaniments a few nights later. Other entrees worth trying include a signature mushroom-stuffed chicken dish ($20), which displays an inviting potato crust; and a large, almost cumbersome foie gras-stuffed New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of steak in a port sauce with black truffles ($28) and basil mashed potatoes. As for desserts, at present, they're familiar items from Edie's in Canoga Park. Eventually, Birdcage will make some of its own. As a restaurant and entertainment venue in progress, it appears to be doing things carefully, even cautiously. It would be nice to see completion in time for a big New Year's Eve celebration party. Larry Lipson, (818) 713-3668 larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com BIRDCAGE Food: Three and one half stars - Service: Three stars - Wine: one and one half stars Where: 11282 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Phone: (818) 980-0099. Meals/hours: Open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, for dinner from 6 to midnight Tuesday through Thursday, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Food type:International fusion. Cost: Starters from $6 to $17, entrees from $16 to $30, desserts $4.50 each. Credit cards: MC, V. Patio dining: Yes. Parking/valet: Few spaces in rear and street parking. Valet in future. Full bar:No. Beer and wine license. Wine/corkage: Brief starting list of 11 wines by bottle ($20 to $30) or glass ($5 to $8). Corkage cork·age n. A charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises. corkage Noun a charge made at a restaurant for serving wine bought elsewhere : $7. Music/entertainment:Not currently. Plans for live entertainment in near future. Takeout/delivery: Not yet. Reservations:Helpful. Call (818) 980-0099. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Sous n. 1. A corrupt form of Sou. chef Audley Byngs, left, maitre d' Edwin Asherov, executive chef Peter Bellasalma and owner Sabina Rasulov bring creativity and flair to the Birdcage in Studio City. (2) The smoked fish trio - an elaborate tower of smoked salmon, escolar and halibut, topped with osetra caviar and smelt eggs, arranged on a potato pancake and surrounded with creme fraiche - is an architectural triumph. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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