We had 6:30 reservations and we got there 10 minutes before. The lady inside told us they would be opening in 5 minutes. It started to rain and luckily we were underneath the awning. They didn't let us in until 6:35 pm. It was a beautiful and impressive; everything was red and black. They seated us way inside. They had bar seating but it was not practical for 5 of us to sit there.
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We were there for the tasting menu so we all had it except for one who is allergic to shell fish. They were so accommodating and informed us it would not be a problem. We all didn't have to order the tasting menu which surprised us because in Los Angeles, the entire table has to to order the tasting menu.
We ordered a nice bottle of wine. They brought out some bread that we all enjoyed. We had to tell ourselves to stop eating or we would not be able to finish all 10 courses. We were first served amuse bouche. It was a Crab Royale. We popped the whole thing in our mouths since it was hard to eat otherwise. I don't remember exactly what else was in there but it was good. For Milena who was allergic to shellfish, got a dish that was eggplant that had a celery mashed potato. She was impressed because usually when someone is allergic to something the chef would send a dish that was something that was not good or something that looks like an afterthought. Our third dish was a Salmon with caviar and mashed potato. We all loved that salmon that was beautifully cooked with visible caviar. Again, many times when a dish calls for caviar, they put a microscopic scoop. A Chestnut Truffle Soup with cream and chunks of bacon that was served in a glass was so creamy and yummy that I wanted to ask for straw and sip a whole glassful.
Our fourth dish was Macaroni with Truffles. This looked more like crepes filled with truffle mousse topped with more truffles. The next course was the scallop with an almond froth. The scallop was a bit overcooked. We were all impressed with the presentation of this dish. It was served on scallop dish on top of a plate with a design of a hand as it cradled the scallop dish. We later discovered that the back of the plate had the design of the back of the hands. Milena made out on this course as the chef prepared for her a Mushroom puree with egg and something mysterious which was better than our scallop. She was delirious after eating the truffle bread that looked like a puffy brioche that was absolutely delicious. The sixth course was the Foie Gras with granny apple and a truffled potato puree. Foie gras lovers rejoiced.
The seventh course was our least favorite. It was the John Dory covered with a large piece of truffle. The fish didn't have much flavor and it almost seemed like it might have been overcooked. The eight dish was a choice of Lamb Chops, Angus Beef, or Pigeon. I ordered the lamb to share and Sandi had the angus beef. The lamb which is a signature dish was the best lamb full of flavor served with their signature mashed potato that has probably more butter and cream than potatoes.
The ninth course was designed to cleanse our palates. It was a Brioche with hazelnut cream with orange gelee. The finale was the best dessert' a Chocolate mousse with ice cream and oreo cookies. I really didn't taste the oreo per se but there were small crunchy balls and that might have been the oreos. On top of the glass was a gold disk that was decorated with dots, all edible. The wonderful disc was made of chocolate.
We are not surprised that the restaurant was fully packed even before we left. We were there a total of 3 hours. Service was impeccable. Presentation and ambiance enhanced our dining experience.
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