Delightful!
Some…read morecolleagues and I decided to give this place a shot since we work in the area and it had a Dine LA special going on. I could tell from the moment that we were led into the dining room and saw the big grill in the back that this was going to be a fun evening!
Before we even ordered, we were offered a cup of vegetable broth as a starter. The broth was excellent, and appreciated despite it being a hot and humid day. I suspect that the composition varies based on the kitchen scraps, but we all agreed that it was great.
After the broth, the waiter stopped by to walk us through his recommendations and some background about the restaurant. Even though we were doing Dine LA, he was able to give us some suggestions on pairings, and I apprecaited how he walked us through each item as it was brought to the table.
For the first course, we tried both the torta frita with cashew butter, and the chipas with tomato butter. I was impressed with how everythign was thorugh out - the dishes, the butter knives carved out of single pieces of wood. The flowers that popped on the otherwise plain cashew butter, the (if memory serves) toasted buckwheat seeds on the tomato butter. You eat with your eyes first, and mine were feasting while they were laying everything out! The cashew butter was slightly sweet with the honey, and it paired well with the crispy torta. Spreading the butter was a bit awkward, but we made it work. The toamto butter was likewise great. With both breads and butters, what I loved most was actually the combinations of textures. There was thought given to how the ingredients paired together. The crispy torta, for exmaple, was paired with the smooth cashew butter, while the soft chipa was paired with the "crunchy" tomato butter.
The second course was likewise impressive. We mixed and matched a number of different appetizers. I can't speak for the empanada (it was devoured before I could try it!), but the hamachi crudo was fresh, tasty, and delicate, and it was fun to watch them pour the sauce on tableside. What was most impressive, however, was the burnt avocado salad, which has the most unique preparation thad I had ever seen. What looks like an unpeeled avocado is actually a peeled avocado that has been charred so that the blackened surface resembles an avocado skin! The char on the fatty avocado paired well with the bitter salad greens and the vinagraite. The crispy onions and candied lemon bits sprinkeld through out were barely visible yet added delightful little flavor bombs and some texture.
For the third course, each of the entrees was excellent. Two of us ordered steaks, and I noticed that they didn't ask us for our desired doneness. While some might be squeamish, I appreciated they made the call to serve the meat how they thought was best. Their choice delivered. The steaks were great, tender and well seasoned, and with no strong herbs or spices to hide behind. That said, I tried a bite of the short rib, and I think that was even better! Someone else ordered the pork and paired it with the peppers per the waiters suggestion, and that combiantion was delightful.
At the end of the meal, we decided to get deserts, which weren't included with the Dine LA. We ordered a "Ode to DDL" which was basically like a dulce de leche version of molten chocolate cake. Our second desert was a chocolate & Sabayon. I didn't read the menu description carefully enough and didn't realize that the foam... icing? topping? would have a liquor added to it. On its own it was a bit much, but together with the chocolate and the caramel it worked well together. Speaking of which, I attached a photo, but the desert came with a massive piece of caramel crisp that was a lot of fun to break with a spoon!
Overall, it was an incredibly enjoyable experience. The food was great, the staff was fun, attentive, and knowledgeable, and the whole restaurant was thoughtfully put together. It was a little pricey, but I think the experience was worth it. We're already planning our next trip back!
