Burp and Slurp

First of all, we now rank higher than UCLA at 23rd in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 ranking. What what! Hoots of triumph rippled all across downtown LA, while hoots of outrage rang in Westwood, LA. This news has stirred many a caustic debate, that’s for sure.

I’ve not attended UCLA so I can’t judge which school is really better, but it still feels super good to be a Trojan right now. Sorry, Bruins, but we’re not just the University of the Spoiled Children; we’re legitimately smart and talented.

Now, truth be told, there was one thing I always felt the Bruins had better than us, and that was dining options. I think my school campus is gorgeous, but we aren’t exactly the place for gourmands. We have a few notable Latin eateries in the vicinity, but the campus itself just has crap food. Think rubbery chicken, disgusting burgers, and Baja Fresh, which really should be called Bah! Ha! “Fresh”. I mean, we don’t even have an In-N-Out, or a decent grocery store. When it comes to campus dining, the Bruins definitely has a leg up.

Well, all’s about to change, because a few new eateries have arrived into our new Campus Center. Apparently we have a lot of rich alumni who just love to shower money on us, such as George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Recently, this dude Ronald Tutor donated $30 million to build this fabulous building, which only just opened the beginning of this Fall. 
Hm, maybe they’re right. Perhaps we are the University of the Spoiled Children after all, because right now, we’re just being spoiled rotten with all the amazing new facilities and options opening left and right.
Just check out the posh outdoor patio!
Wouldn’t you just love to curl up on one of those seats right there on a warm afternoon, next to the cool rushing fountain, glass of ice-cold lemonade in hand? Looks like several students have already camped here with their drinks and iPhones:
They got the students to vote on which eateries they wanted in the campus center food court, and I was a bit pissed to see Panda Express camped in there. I guess I’m in the minority when it comes to intense bitterness towards bastardized “Chinese” cuisine. But I was thoroughly sedated when I found this snazzy new place on the second floor:
Remember selling lemonade for a few cents when you were a kid? Lemonade is a twist on the elementary school lemonade stand. It combines this concept with the nostalgia of school cafeterias to create a high-end lunch cafe.
Mimi and I have been plotting a lunch date here as soon as we heard about place. We even somehow twisted our Daily Trojan editor’s arm into having our meals comped, so that we can review this place fully.
Playing off the school cafeteria concept means that you get to grab a tray, line up, point at what you want, and have the “lunch ladies” plop food into your plate. Except your “lunch lady” has somehow gotten much nicer, and some were— dare I say— much cuter.
Lemonade may be based off nostalgic, old-school ideas, but its food is completely renovated. The menu they offer is innovative and fascinating—certainly not chicken fingers, and most definitely not from a can or box. Everything they sell, they make from scratch in the kitchen. Just look at those cauldrons toiling away, heavy with rich, slow-cooked roasts and braises. 
It took Mimi and I quite some time to pick what we wanted. There were just too many delicious options! Thus, we decided one trip was not enough. But for the first day, we decided to just get as much sampling as we can done.
The best way to do that was to order from the Marketplace section, which was a huge buffet of picnic-friendly items, and then share it between the two of us. You got to choose from 1 portion, 2 portions, or 3 portions, and if you wanted to sample more varieties, ask them to “split” the portions. Fabulous!

Mimi ordered the 2-portion Marketplace dish, split, with one main dish:
Her main dish was Seared Ahi Tuna, served with Whole Citrus Ponzu dressing:
I’ve heard that you shouldn’t really order seafood in downtown LA, but the tuna was surprisingly fresh. It was nicely seared with a raw pink in the center, and the Citrus Ponzu dressing that came with it gave a bright shot of sweet and sour.

On the side, we had the Beets, Pickled Red Onions, & Hazelnut Vinaigrette:
This actually had whole hazelnuts in there. Awesomeness. The beets could have been cooked a bit more, but the flavor was well-balanced.

Next, Sweet Potatoes & Pistachio:
There weren’t any description. The menu just says “Sweet Potatoes & Pistachio”, but I’m guessing it’s roasted sweet potatoes dressed in some sort of herby vinaigrette, with a bit of crunchy pistachio nuts. Unfortunately, neither of us liked this dish very much, because the sweet potatoes were undercooked. At least, it was to me, because I like to cook the heck out of my root vegetables, and I don’t like crunchy sweet potatoes unless it’s fried.

The Broccoli, Ricotta, & Champagne Vinaigrette was much better:
Again, I would have preferred the broccoli to be seared a bit more, but I overlooked the slight crunch in the center for its amazing fresh whole chunks of ricotta cheese. I’d only experienced creamy, smooth ricotta cheese, so at first I thought those pale cubes were tofu and refused to touch them. Thank god for Mimi, who assured me they were cheese.

The last item on Mimi’s dish was Chicken Breast, Butternut Squash, Grapes, & Oregano:
This was a nice dish. I loved the juicy bursts of grapes in there. But you know what would have made it better? If it was served hot. With fat crumbles of feta cheese. And crispy bits of bacon. Hey Lemonade, you hiring?

Mine was the 3-portion Marketplace dish, split. That means I get six different items to sample:
Dang, look at that glorious piece of art on a plate! Is there anything more gorgeous than ready-to-eat fresh produce? Unfortunately, not everything was stellar. Let me start with the bad egg here first.

Here’s the Watermelon Radish, Ahi Tuna, Snap Pea, & Sesame Seeds:
I took one bite and couldn’t take another. Now, I’m being totally biased here, because I detest the odor of sesame seed oil, and this was really, really heavy on that offensive oil. I don’t mind whole sesame seeds, but I’ve always found the smell and rancid taste of sesame seed oil repelling. I felt bad about leaving this portion basically untouched, because it was by far the prettiest item on my dish.

The Israeli Couscous, Wild Mushrooms, Parmesan, & Truffle Vinaigrette was a little better, but not by much:
I don’t know why I ordered this, because I never liked cold starches. I think starch tastes best hot and steaming, not congealed and hard. I guess I was just attracted by the glamorous-sounding truffle vinaigrette, and the promise of fresh-shaved Parmesan cheese.

Thankfully, things turned up by the time I got to the Mission Fig, Arugula, Blue Cheese, & Balsamic:
Holy fig. They served fresh figs. Good figs! I’m in freaking heaven!

I think this Cauliflower, Golden Raisins, Almonds & Curry was Mimi’s favorite:
I thought it was really flavorful, but wasn’t as impressed because I make a better version at home. And no, I have not shared the recipe yet, because I’m a selfish bi-atch. But I’ll reveal the recipe one day when I’m feeling generous.

I also happen to make the next dish, Braised Cabbage, Apple, Goat Cheese, often at home:
But I was more impressed with this dish because they were so generous with the goat cheese. Instead of just being nice and crunchy, it was also rich and creamy due to the melting hunk of goat cheese in there. I think my eyelashes fluttered a bit while I ate this. I can’t be too sure, because I was seeing stars and hearts.

And last but not least, the Brussels Sprouts, Parmesan Cheese, & Balsamic:
As hard as I try, I just can’t resist a brussel sprouts dish. Okay, fine, I don’t try that hard. But can you blame me? Brussel sprouts, especially served in a sticky, tangy balsamic dressing and sharp, thin Parmesan shavings, is crack.

We finished our fine lunch with a big-ass Pistachio Macaron:
This came highly recommended by a lady at the counter, and I’m glad we listened. It’s big—about the size of my palm—and expensive, at $4 a piece.
You could taste the real ground pistachios in there. It was crunchy, chewy, and creamy all in one bite. I’m pretty sure this is my favorite dessert besides McDonald’s soft-serve cones.

I’m still in shock that such a wonderful, foodie spot opened in the heart of our campus. I’m usually the first one to protest that USC isn’t just filled with perfectly-manicured, well-tweaked Mama’s Boys and Daddy’s Girls, but at this rate, it won’t be long before I turn into an over-indulged, pampered poodle myself.
I think Mimi turned into one after our meal. Just look at that sleepy, contented gaze, that “I own the damn world” stance.

I won’t lie—it doesn’t feel all that bad. And yes, I’ll be back. Two more times, actually. It’s all in the purpose of research, I swear. A reporter must get all her facts, and I still have plenty of dishes I need to…uh, investigate.

Question of the Day: What was/is your favorite food at your school cafeteria? What would you want in your school cafeteria?

P.S. Want to incorporate some traditional Korean ingredients into your daily cooking? Check out my first column. And if you aren’t bored, check out my second column about three essential foodie items!