Seasonal tasting menu that is out of this world. Make a reservation ahead of time though. Tight space with less than 12 seats. read more

Le Comptoir - Kitchen counter service. - New American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This restaurant blew me away. I love the minimalist decor, the interactions with the chef and the limited seating. But most importantly Chef Menes works magic with vegetables. All from his urban garden in Long Beach, the textures and flavors he creates are out of this world. The pickled kalamantsi? so refreshing. Grilled lettuce with the perfect char. I could go on forever. Go now. read more

I love everything about Le Comptoir except one thing. The location. Gawd all mighty trying to make the first service on a week night is as bad as it gets in LA. K town traffic is the worst I'm sure all of you know. Aside from that it's as flawless a dinner you can book in L.A. Small, charming, only 10-12 seat counter. The only thing you need to do is trust Chef Menes. Let me break it down for you as I see it. The guy is a master of economy. With a few induction burners, an oven, portable fry station and I'm sure hiding back behind the counter is a sous vide station, a staff of 3 and Chef Gary. No one to my knowledge is working at this high a level with so little. It's basically a catering set up but what this guy does with it is a marvel. For me being a home cook who loves to learn, every visit to LC is like a master class and every bite something to consider on more than just the base "oh my gosh that is so good" level. It is that good but on a higher level than most other restaurants. The play of sweet to savory to acidic or salty all on one plate. Mind blowing! Now for those of you that need a nice fatty piece of protein you can order supplemental courses that will meet your needs but for the most part you are going on a vegetable ride that will forever change how you look at produce. I highly encourage you to go and enjoy. Cheers read more

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Really great place, everyone should try to come here once. Not sure I can add anything new, just wanted to acknowledge how freaking life-changing that sweet potato veloute with breadcrumbs was. Man. Can't stop thinking about it. Apparently 75% of the produce we had was from the chef's farm in Long Beach, the rest he pointed us to us on the menu and gave us each items origin. It can all sound pretentious, but if you listen to this guy, he is SO smart, I was blown away with how much he knows and how genuinely interested in the process of sustainable farming he was. He cares a lot with out being a dick about it. The way he described the supplemental cheese plate made me drop an extra $15 just to try it. He did the same with the Geisha coffee although when we tried it, one of us didn't love it. Tasted like watery coffee, however, I LOVE watery coffee so to me it was the best coffee I've ever had. Hah. My only con was the second seating starts at 8:30 but we didn't get the dinner started until around 9pm. I've read that is common as people from the first seating tend to take their time at the end of the meal but still, it was annoying. Plus when you arrive a guy escorts you around the corner of the street to the Hotel Normandie lobby. You wait there with the other patrons until the restaurant is ready for the next seating. Then that same guy comes back and takes each party INDIVIDUALLY back to the restaurant and you're seated at the counter in the order you arrive. I feel so bad for this guy, like, what a bummer of a job. And like, can't we just all walk over together? I don't see a problem with that? Confused. But it's cool the food is worth it. read more

It's a great space and a great dining experience. 6 course meal for $69 unless you add on supplements, coffee or wine. If you just get the tasting menu, there is no meat. The amuse was delicious! Simple ingredients with complex flavors. Next is the velouté. We had the spring potato and green garlic and it was the smoothest, creamiest, most flavorful soup I've ever had. I just wish we could have seconds! The vegetable and fruit plate was also delicious. It was fun watching them carefully plate each item. It really highlights the wonderful ingredients. The dish was savory, sweet, sour, and spicy. The only supplement I got was the froie grois and it was soooo worth the $20. It just melts in your mouth! Perfectly paired with the tart cherries on the plate. The pasta and the asparagus were wonderful as well. We ended the meal with an orange glazed donut to perfectly end the night on a sweet note. After the chef is done he talks to his customers and he's a really nice guy. Service is great! I think this was a very personal dining experience. The chef sees us, is not behind a closed kitchen, and sees our reaction to his food. I would definitely recommend coming here because it's special, different, delicious and fun. read more

It takes quite a particular type of person to truly enjoy this place. Sure, this place has food that could taste great to pretty much anyone, but to really understand the depth of what is going on here takes maybe just a special kind of crazy, or someone with an avid passion for food. Once you're seated, Chef Menes is likely to embark on an explanation of the logic behind Le Comptoir, which really helps to set the scene for one of the most remarkable meals in LA. The passion with which Chef Menes uses to describe the various items on the menu is unparalleled, and the knowledge he has of the ingredients that he uses are second-to-none. For God's sake, he even grows his own vegetables from his own farm! This rendition of farm-to-table would make any hipster on the Westside happy, making you wonder if this restaurant would be better suited for the more ingredient-considerate diners on the Westside, but it is a very refreshing and exciting restaurant to be in Ktown. Because he grows his own vegetables on his farm, not only is he able to understand these vegetables better than anyone else, it also allows him to exploit these vegetables to their full potential. A perfect example would be the fruit & vegetable plate, with a plethora of vegetables prepared in a variety of ways, ranging from pickled to grilled. Each of the 15 different elements on the plate is prepared in a different fashion, a perfect example of the variety of flavor available at this restaurant. He even spends the time to explain the definition of Grade 3 Hazelnuts, which are what the pigs feed on before they are turned into pork. Or if you wanted to know more about any of the dishes, any one of the 4 other people in the kitchen appear equally as knowledgeable as Chef Menes himself, and it would not be surprising given their focus on the ingredients. The biggest show-stopper on the menu for the evening, however, was the Pasta alla chitarra with summer truffles. The whole plate was managed by Chef Menes himself, starting with the perfect cooking of the pasta (al dente is remarkably rare for restaurants to achieve for pasta like this), served with probably one of the best truffle sauces I've had with any pasta. I've even had the White Truffle tasting menu at SAAM, but I have to say this is probably one of the most enjoyable truffle dishes I've had in LA. Obsession is contagious, and at the end of the meal you may find yourself asking more questions about things that you may not have known that you were interested in, and you will learn way more about food than from dining at any other restaurant in LA. You might learn that the farm rotates crops on a fairly regular interval, leading to changes on the menu, or you might learn that different vegetables (such as beans) have different impact on both the soil they are growing on. Easily one of the best prixe fix experiences available in LA, being back is definitely in the calendar for the future. read more

My favorite vegetable restaurant ! Took my boyfriend here for his 30th birthday and every dish was on point. Totally worth the money and tastes better than most course dish restaurants! People complaining about the chef not making it fun dont understand that he is busy trying to perfect the food. I will definitely be back! read more

Celebrated end of Grad school at Le Comptoir at Hotel Normandie. Farm to Table 8-course French cuisine by Chef Gary Menes - one of the best dining experiences ever. Chef brilliantly showcased his own vegetables and fruits from his Long Beach farm, bringing seed-to-harvest to our plates. He shared background story of his dishes making one appreciate all the details that go into creating a dish. read more

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Le Comptoir has an intimate space inside Hotel Normandie and is following the recent trend of open kitchen counter seats in the world of fine dining. Restaurants that have kitchen counter seats usually also have table seats such as Scarpetta or Trois Mec, but Le Comptoir only features the ten counter seats comparable to minibar in Washington D.C. The food is very approachable with no foul flavors or items you wouldn't dare try and the flavors certainly stand out in a fresh and bold way. If one is not familiar with fine dining and wants a perfect introduction to the world of simple, straightforward tasting menus, Le Comptoir is a great place to start because of the choice of supplements and simple yet delicious dishes. My favorite dish of the night was a Japanese sweet potato velouté with Greek yogurt and fried bread. I admit the dish sounds like baby food...but I can absolutely confirm that this is the best soup I've ever had. The sweet potato's flavor were savory and sweet with the fried bread adding a crunchy contrast to the mushy sweet potato. The creamy Greek yogurt paired with the flavors took me into a euphoric place that one can only understand as the reason why butter and sour cream make a baked potato taste so much better than the vegetable by itself. A signature dish here is the fruit and vegetable plate. A lot going on with this dish as far as ingredients are involved, yet there are so many simple and great flavors that pair together. The dish looks beautiful with so much concentration being tweezed in front of your eyes. I was disappointed with my first amuse and my last bite of dessert. Personally, I eat out to experience new dishes and try things I wouldn't be able to re-create. The amuse was a bite of fried rice and a green pepper and the dessert was a sugar-powdered donut with three accompaniment sauces. The other dessert option is a cheese supplement. This is being nitpicky, but the lack of pastry experience and a low-wow factor of my first bite did not carry this meal into a grand, extraordinary experience. But I still gave Le Comptoir a full 5-stars because it is new and figuring things out and the food is absolutely tasty, there's no disagreement there. I am genuinely excited to return and try a new menu in another season. read more

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Exceptional Fine Dining Experience!! The spot for special occasions! When you walk in, chef will greet you and the team will go through the menu before taking order. Chef Gary grows most of the seasonal produce himself as he will tell you the story of his farm, which is definitely another highlight of Le Comptoir! If you're not a vegetarian, the supplement order of steak is a MUST!!! Chef Gary's steak dish is always cooked to perfection, no matter if it's grilled, sous vide or whatever. I've been here multiple times and the steak served each night will change, but the quality is constant. This steak will always be well-seasoned, juicy, so tender as if it will melt and have a slightly tough texture. If you're into coffee, you don't want to miss out the coffee at the end of the meal. Selections available can get really creative here. The entire dining experience here is just incredible, starting from nothing to the beautiful plate constructed right in front of you. This is definitely a top choice for a special night. I would recommend coming here in small group since there is only up to 10-12 seatings inside the restaurant. Street parking is usually available if you look around the blocks nearby, but Hotel Normandie will have valet available as alternative option. read more

This was an amazing meal, at a very cool little spot in Korea Town. Seating is only for 10 people, which lends a more personal touch to the experience. My initial thought heading in was that it was overpriced for what you were getting because of the mostly vegetarian base, and I'm generally biased in favor of "heavy on the meat", but by the end of the meal I felt like the price was right on target. For two of us, it was $200 before tip. That included 2 glasses of wine for me (opted not to go for the $45 wine pairing, as I'm generally not a fan of whites, which were heavily represented on the pairing list), and a few of the up-charges to the base course ($20 for the porkbelly, $15 for the cheese flight instead of donuts desert). It's definitely more expensive than average in L.A., but that comes with above average quality of ingredients, preparation, presentation, and service. It's not quite as refined as places like Alinea, Charlie Trotters, French Laundry, etc. - but I also don't think it tries to be, and the price point reflects that, hence my ultimate conclusion that it's pretty much right on target for what you get. The style is similar to Schwa in Chicago, for anyone that has been there - very small, upscale food, chill audience, with music like Jay-Z / Mace / Beastie Boys / etc. playing in the background, as opposed to required suit/jacket and classical music. The Service - 4.5 / 5: These guys hustle. It was the chef, and 3 apprentice / helper guys. All super friendly, and you can tell the passion the chef has for fresh and sustainable food. He leases a farm where he grows most of the produce himself, and his initial welcome was all about his approach and philosophy around food. The 3 assistants were very helpful, but were in CONSTANT hustle mode. Because the presentation is so precise and time consuming for each plate, these guys were in "go go go" mode every second of the dinner. It was very cool to watch - it all came together like an orchestra. The only downside is that, while they were able to keep up with everything, there weren't any windows of opportunity where you felt like you could break in and say "hey, can you grab me another glass of wine". I felt like I'd disrupt the flow. I did eventually get one (two, actually), but it just felt like I had to focus for 20 minutes on finding that brief moment where I could interrupt to ask. The Food - 5 / 5: 1) "Something Amusing" - lightly roasted greens of some sort, resulting in a thin crisp texture, seasoned perfectly, with a small garlic / greek yogurt dip. Their take on "chips and dip". Awesome. 2) Some sort of delicious soup poured over a dollop of greek yogurt and pan fried bread crumbs. One of the best I've had. 3) Veggie & Fruit Plate - I can't remember having anything so fresh in recent memory. There were probably 20+ pieces on the plate, each one a different fruit or vegetable, each one pan fried & seasoned separately, and plated with large tweezers for a perfect presentation. 4) 63 degree poached egg - sprinkled Parmesan cheese (or similar) over the egg, butter, lemon, with delicious salad leaves placed over the top, and a thick slice of bread to help mop up the yolk. I am a HUGE fan of eggs, and this was one of the best parts of the entire meal. My wife generally can't stand eggs, and even she enjoyed this. 5) Forget the name, but it was a dish with wheat berries, large squash, what I think were dry cherries, in an amazing sauce. Yum. 6) Pan fried pork belly with dressed lettuce, and a small spread of fresh corn. The salad with the fatty side of the pork belly was hands down the best part of the whole meal. 7) Dessert - default was sourdough donuts, which my wife stuck with and loved. I opted for up-charge to the cheese flight with another thick slice of bread and it was the perfect end to the meal. Three different types - one 10 year Wisconsin Cheddar, one softer goat cheese type, and one similar to a blue cheese. A few pan roasted walnuts on the side, and a dollop of honey in the middle.... yum. Overall, highly recommended spot in LA. Check it out! read more

When you walk by, this place definitely looks like some kind of exclusive club that you aren't a part of. But wait, you can be! Just make reservations, and wait to have a deliciously intimate experience. When we arrived, the door was locked, but you could see inside. One of the staff comes out to greet us, and take us down to the lobby of the Hotel Normandie to wait for the rest of the reservations to get there. We waited a bit, got chummy with others, and were then led back through a secret hallway to our seats. The chef greets everyone, and gives a schpeel about the food, and his farm, and then the "show" starts. There were 7 courses, with substitutions that could be made, wine, and coffee to be added. We added it all. Must add cheese, and coffee. The menu was mostly vegetarian, but modifications could be made. Everything was so beautifully plated, we felt guilty eating it. Such an awesome experience. Like nothing you've had before. Highly recommended. read more

Amazing vegetable focused tasting menu. One of my favorite new restaurants in LA. I've recommended to all my vegetarian friends. Went with a friend and we tried both the vegetarian menu and the meat/fish upgrades. Veggie versions were just as delicious as the fish/meat versions. Protip - the dishes that sound the most basic are the most amazing. Was blown away by the potato. Try it before it becomes impossible to make reservations. read more

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Love the pasta with white TRUFFLE!! So delicious! Service here was splendid. Enough good choice for the wine. Just hope there will be online reservations in the near future - since it is a high end place already, then it should be also have the latest customer care system. read more

Wow! This has to be one of the best restaurant experiences we have had in LA! Not like most places you will visit, but definitely worth it! They do two seatings a night, and only ten seats per seating. You sit at a counter facing the kitchen, and instead of waiters, the kitchen staff serves you the food as soon as it is prepared. The chef, Gary Menes, and his team do a brilliant job of cooking, explaining, and serving. We absolutely loved it! It is a set, multi course chef's menu, with the option of including proteins, and also the option of a wine tasting. The menu changes daily based on what is available (including a lot from the restaurant's own farm), but for illustrative purposes, our meal included: - A beautiful soup made of castelfranco (sort of a green) and sheets milk yogurt with fried bread crumbs - A beautifully artistic plate of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, mostly shaved, and served raw - A poached egg with baby lettuce, brown butter, and home made bread - A diver scallop with corn and meyer lemon - Pole beans and lima beans with nuts and pickled fruit - Pasta alla chitarra with black truffles - Two day braised pot roast (a truly memorable dish, the pot roast has the consistency of a fine steak!) - A selection of cheeses The entire meal was paired with 7 different wines, each perfectly chosen to accompany the food we were being served. We left full and euphoric. Would definitely return for another experience! P.S. If you can, before or after you eat, check out Le Normadie just down the street, very cool speakeasy like bar with some killer craft cocktails! They will even come and fetch you from the bar if you arrive early! read more

If you're going just for the basic tasting menu and don't want to add any of the meats/fish (additional cost) i suggest you skip this. The basic tasting menu is mostly vegetarian and it is kinda good but no where near worth the price you are paying. I thought most of the dishes were ok my biggest complaint, since they only seat like 12 people and you all sit at once and get your courses at same time, is that they spent so much time on presentation that the dishes didn't come piping hot. Really no excuse for that. And they should be ashamed. But when it came to the 2nd to last course which was a pressed pork belly I was blown away. Hands down the best most succulent pork Iv'e ever had and I consider myself hard to impress. Also the dessert was very good. I liked the over all intimate experience and chef explaining everything. I do think they need one dedicated waitress tho so the chefs can focus on food and you can still get drinks when you need them. This dinner plan in it taking about 3 hrs. Overall I will be back just to see what next meat dish they have. read more

Green garlic veloute- subtle flavour, pungent, balanced by the yoghurt. Veggie and fruit plate- composition of seasonal vegetables and fruits from farm. Some pickled, some raw, some cooked. Delicious! Ouefs poche- sous vide egg, brown butter, parmigiano reggiano, greens with acidic dressing. Best part was the wilted lettuce on the bottom of plate. Mop the remaining with the sourdough bread. Fricassee of peas, leeks and carrots tied in with a potato purée topped with a black truffle broth. Some peas were overlooked but other ways a decent dish. For the last dish, we finished off with butternut squash, wheat berries and an acidic sauce. To finish off, we had orange glazed donut hole with chocolate, strawberry, and some diary product ( don't really remember). A homage to the French laundry coffee and donuts. Overall, it was a strong 6 course dinner. There were not a particularly strong stand out dish. Each dish was thought out carefully in terms of acidity, sweetness, and texture. Thank you Gary Menes for the incredible dining experience. We will be here for spring!! read more

What an amazing experience at Le Comptoir! Dinner at Gary Menes' Le Comptoir in Koreatown is top notch. I enjoyed everything he created and the chef and staff were so meticulous and professional at their craft. It was like dinning at one of the restaurants on the show Chef's Table. It was such an incredible variety of California French cooking. I really enjoyed Le Comptoir and will definitely be back. read more

I've never enjoyed vegetables so much before! In order to make reservations, you need to do so on their website. You also need to give them your credit card information in order to secure a seat. They only seat 8-12 people for each meal and the meals are only served at 6pm and 8:30pm. Parking in Ktown is always a task but if you circle around a few times, you are bound to find something at least in a 2 block distance. Just make sure to leave early so that you can make your reservation. There are 6 course with an option for wine pairing. The food is fantastic. All the fruits and veggies are local and menu changes every 2 weeks or so. It was a show to watch all the food being put together. The team worked so well in sync. The bill was a bit pricy. If you end of getting some of the supplements, your bill can add up fast. But the food was so worth it. read more

I've eaten Le Comptoir at every location and it never fails to satisfy. Gary has a way with ingredients that really demonstrates the artistry of his cooking. All his food is delicious with subtle accents from surprising ingredients. Great care goes into the food prep and it's a treat to bear witness. Le Comptoir is one of just a few fine dining experiences in LA read more

Le Comtpoir is a unique treasure, tucked inside the historic Hotel Normandie. Chef Gary Menes has created a fantastic concept which truly brings farm to table. He spends 7 days a week in his organic garden in Long Beach, Ca. farming, composting, rotating crops, and harvesting the most delicious vegetables you may ever see or taste, all free from pesticides, even organic pesticides. The entire menu features these vegetables in a myriad of creative uses. His staff is small, 2 sous chefs and a commi. All well trained and choreographed in their movement. The joy of a 10 seat "counter" style restaurant is that everything is visible. There is no yelling or cursing, like most restaurants, rather it is refined movement and precision. You get to see their expertise, passion and knowledge of food at work. These 4 men are well gifted and have a bright future in the LA culinary scene. Highlights of our meal included the amuse bouche of Dinasaur Kale served with a luscious aioli, the most delicious sweet pea veloute delicately poured over a crisp bread crumb, Greek yoghurt and finely sliced mushroom tower. For this dish, I would gladly have driven hours and I strongly contemplated licking the bowl. My husband savored his choice of "supplement" a tender crispy pork belly with a subtle pickled salad atop. My dear carnivore raved about this. Please choose to savor a cup of the home brewed coffee while you enjoy your 6th and final course. Ours was a rich Caramel pots de creme served with chantilly cream and a salted pecan that was so delicious and unexpected that I might have shed a little tear of joy. Chef Menes introduced me to a unique iced coffee. Not coffee poured over ice. An actual iced coffee, similar in taste and viscosity to an iced tea but, with a savory coffee scent. A fantastic discovery. Someone in a previous comment mentioned the pretentiousness of this restaurant. I disagree. I believe that their passion for their craft is what is really shown here. Le Comptoir is a unique treasure. read more

Amazing. One of our favorite date spots in LA. Highly recommend it and get a sourdough loaf if you can!

A good visit though I see potential improvements for the overall presentation - a solid 4 stars (3/5/2016). We wanted to try here ever since we saw it on a magazine as one of top ten LA restaurants recently opened. Yes, it is strange to have a good French cuisine restaurant in the middle of Korean town, but it is definitely the value addition to the location. All the food was well-presented in a timely manner in the open kitchen where their performance is fully exposed to ten guests. The only disappointing part was the beginning where you get taken to the Normandie hotel lounge after visiting their restaurant. We arrived 5mim prior the reservation, and waited for more than 20min with no entertainment. Sure, the course was awesome, but it could be even better without this 20min of waiting. read more

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I feel utterly and completely blessed to have been a part of the dining experience with Chef Gary. The first thing I want to tell my fellow meat lovers is that you don't even care about the fact that this is a mostly vegetable-based tasting menu. Actually, there were a few moments with the meal where I preferred the vegetable dish over the meat one. Not only did Chef Gary completely transform the way I view vegetables, but the best part about the meal and entire dining experience is that the chef curates everything from the music, the wine pairings, the vegetables from his own garden, and the source coffee beans. Do yourself a favor and go to this restaurant. You will not regret it read more

We are pescatarians so it's great to have found a tasting menu that is vegetarian. We added the scallop, truffle pasta, cheese dish, and my wife had a glass of wine. Total was about $350. Dishes were creative and complex. Each component on the dishes had a purpose and it was not over done. My favorite was the egg course and the scallop. I love sour, so the acidity from the lemon sauce and orange compote in the two dishes were awesome. My wife's favorite was the pea soup and truffle pasta. Only complaint was the charge for the glass of wine. My wife enjoyed it so I told her to take a picture in case she wanted to buy a bottle in the future. Of course she looked it up right away and found she could buy it for $16 a bottle. The glass was $23 so she felt a bit taken advantage of. I guess some things are better left unknown. Even though this was only a small portion of the meal at this price point even small things matter. Overall a great meal and the intimate setting added to the experience. Would highly recommend especially for vegetarians. read more

This is a very special dining experience not to be missed. I will say however, that I find it very disappointing that they do serve Foie Gras in this restaurant. The cruelty involved in producing Foie Gras doesn't quite line up with their whole farm to table philosophy. Other than that, the food is sublime, and watching it be so thoughtfully prepared right in front of you, is not only entertaining, but gives you a little insight into how much care, preparation, and training go into having and sustaining a great restaurant. Congratulations Chef Gary Menes! Le Comptoir is divine in every way, and I absolutely love what you've done. read more

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I never thought I would enjoy vegetables this much. Chef Gary Menes knows how to create magic with his home-bred ingredients. I loved his artichoke soup; I tried to savor each sip. His vegetable/fruit dish was incredible. My husband is so inspired that he wants to change his career to become a chef :) read more

lord help me because it's difficult to type with drool everywhere... My meal here was unparalleled and left me incredibly satisfied. Best part was the music was paired to the food as well! read more

Ahhhh....in the world of casual small plates with wanna be actors wait staffs all over everywhere with over utilized cauliflowers and octopus dishes that is LA dining scene these days, this was a more than five stars deserved. Hubby and I went there on June 5, Friday for what turned out to be an experience that we throughly enjoyed. Do I dare say it was scaled down, way down, but still a good feeling that we got at Brooklyn Fair in Brooklyn a couple of years back to this place.... Well, amuse bouche of fried vege and herbs along with home made creme fraise was so good! The only thing missing was a sparkling wine to go with. But still loved it. First course - THE veloute of potato, greek yogurt and fried tiny bread crumbs just about killed me - so innovative and so good in every spoonful. I am so gonna copy this bread crumbs in my soups. Second - Vegetable and fruit plate. omg, I swear this was cooked all separate and assembled together. Every bite was incredible. Third - Egg dish. Again so wonderful. Fourth - I supplemented this course with pasta with shaved summer truffles and it did not disappoint. I could've eaten nothing but this and would have been more than happy. It just went on and on. We did the wine paring and it was satisfactory. Very good and thoughtful with food pairing by the chef. The only gaff I thought but did not affect the star system was that wine server was not particularly a wine person it seems. He poured vouvray which is chenin blanc grape and told us that "vouvray was LIKE chenin blanc". Duh! Atmosphere is quite corky. Music was going on pretty good and just sit and watch the guys working on plates was entertaining. Did not mind that progressively messy kitchen as the courses went on was in full sight. It was part of the charm. Applause to Chef Gary Menes. I hope you keep doing what you obviously love doing and Thank you for the wonderful evening. read more

My husband & I are well traveled foodies & have been fortunate enough to eat at some of the finest restaurants in the world. This experience was truly one of the most offensive & displeasing nights out we've ever had. Not only was the service horrible, (nearly half an hour waiting with nothing but water & a too long self possessed speech from the chef himself) - the food was lazy & the menu composition baffling. A bowl of creme fraiche with a too thin lacinto kale chip for an amuse bouche? "It's our version of chips & dip!" Ew. The last thing I want after waiting for thirty minutes while over-hydrating & killing my appetite with too much water is a boring bowl of too filling CREAM with a cruciferous vegetable strip that breaks each time I "dip" it. What a way to prepare the stomach for easy digestion! Then the first course was a potato velouté over GREEK YOGURT. More dairy? Next, the vegetable plate with citrus paired with pickles??? WTF? I saw the poached eggs during plating & was horrified - clear, runny, dripping albumen sliding off the yolk. Salmonella waiting to happen. The foie gras was also undercooked. Pork belly was boring & lazy. The Dungeness crab was full of shell & cartilage. And the cassoulet of beans? Just bland beans on a plate & they hadn't bothered to string the green beans! I mean, what kitchen doesn't know how to properly poach an egg or prep their vegetables? So what, the chef grows them? I grow my own vegetables, too & so do a good majority of restaurants these days (farm to table is innovative?) They got my order wrong (there is a very manipulative "supplement" dish or two offered for an extra charge.) And when I went to go to the restroom (I really had to go the entire meal since I drank nothing but water while waiting for the meal to start) - it was the filthiest I'd ever seen. Seat covers wadded up on the floor, the toilet needed flushed, change strewn on the ground, paper towels spilling out of the waste can. It was also locked - one of the attitudinal minions had to grab a key & unlock it for me in the midst of his food prep. Oh, & they'd start off with tongs or spatulas to plate the dishes, but by the end of the night they were all using their hands, none of which were washed at any point that I could see. Gross. Restaurant advice - if the bathroom isn't clean, guess what else most likely isn't? Gary Menes is so full of himself that he put all of his social media information on his cheaply printed menu. My husband called it out, & the classless low blow responses fired back from this con artist were just as weak as his food. And he shouldn't have been on Twitter arguing with a customer while still having their meal - chefs should be in their kitchen tending to their food. This guy is a glorified line cook, at best. He's stolen Ludo Lefebvre's formula & the name of one of the best restaurants in Paris. He's capitalizing on Thomas Keller's name & having trained at French Laundry. (I wonder how long THAT lasted?) Only in LA could this place stay open for as long as it has. All surface & show & hype with no soul or talent or integrity. He sure does think he's celebrity material, though. Your energy & your crew were shamefully condescending. Sorry you got some customers that are just as knowledgable, if not more so, than you are. Word of advice - your food tastes like your character, & it & your customers should be more important than you are, you megalomaniacal narcissist. That was NOT a meal worthy of $400. You're running a scam. A sham... The cheese & wine were acceptable. Maybe you did learn something at French Laundry. read more

I took my best friend to dinner here for her birthday. It is an price fixe menu and it is amazing. There is a counter that seats only 10 people. You can see every dish being played in front of you. It is an intimate and welcoming setting. The food is full of surprises and the produce is so fresh since much of it comes from Chef Menes' own garden. If you are a vegetarian, you'll be in heaven. Even if you are not a vegetarian, you will love everything. I have been to some of the best restaurants that have a prix fixe menu (Providence, N/Naka, Maude, etc.) and this menu is right up there as one of the best I've experienced. Add this to your "must try" list. read more

the restaurant is connected to normandie hotel in ktown, which reminded me of ace hotel in downtown. didn't love everything (could have skipped the egg/bread course; chef, could you come up a warm rice/grain dish, next time?), but some dishes were wanna lick my plate good! the head chef made a point to chat with us after all the cooking was done, he didn't interact with the diners during 2 hour meal because he was busy cooking! which is a good sign. 10 or so diners sat around the counter (similar to scratch bar chef's tasting menu) so we watched from prepping, cooking to washing dishes! things to know before you go-- -$69 for 6 course vegetable prix fixe (plenty to add on--foie gras, truffles, protein--but this is where your bill will increase) -online reservation only (don't even bother calling the number you see on yelp, no one answers) -the day of your reservation, they will 'text' you to confirm (they really don't believe in talking on the phone) -6:00 or 8:30 seating only, book 6:00 if you don't want to wait while first seating is finishing up the last course. - street parking avail on 5th, so do a loop before valeting your car. -if you see the word "velouté," don't be like us and eat all the garnish in the bowl, not realizing they haven't poured the liquid! wanted to crawl under the counter. . . however, they were totally cool about it and said, "hey, whatever makes sense to you. there is no certain way to eat it." a bunch of super cool & groovy, down to earth chefs! read more

What a fantastic experience. From beginning to end this was a meal to remember. You are greeted in the lobby of the Normandie hotel (there is valet) and escorted with your group to your seats at the counter. From there, Chef Menes takes over and talks you through the menu and gets right to work. The plating is beautiful and so thoughtful and the flavors achieved are phenomenal. It certainly can get pricey if you add all of the supplements but if only one of your party adds supplements, you can share so you get a taste of each possible course. I was thrilled by each course from beginning to end. read more