Providence

I was so excited about writing this blog and yet I've been dreading it because I just didn't know what else to say about this restaurant that I've dined at multiple times in the past years. Sandi and I decided to treat ourselves for our birthdays at Providence.  In the past, they offered 3 different prix-fixe menus, now they have one 8-course meal. We were first to arrive as we were greeted warmly by the maître d. I was surprised to hear that they will be closed for a week for renovations. Their dining room still looks as inviting and elegant as ever.

We were handed a special menu with our names on top which was a nice touch. The Manager, Sarah came by our table. I had a previous conversation with her when I made the reservation and she was very nice on the phone so I told her I wanted to meet her and she made it a point to say hello. Our server Martin was great as well as the rest of the staff. They were all well informed on the dishes. 

Before our main entrée, they presented us with 4 amuse-bouches; the first one was yellow tail tartare with avocado and crème fraîche, salmon between rye crackers, wagyu tartar with something oysters served on a wooden block, and lobster roe with truffles. 

We were now ready to start our 8-course meal. The first one was the North Pacific Oyster, with 8 ounces of Kaluga caviar. My eyes were bulging and I prayed Sandi would not touch hers as she dislikes oysters unless fried and never liked caviar. My prayers were not answered. She loved it and ate the whole thing! I guess I should have started a 9-day novena prior to dining at Providence.

The second course was the Tai Sashimi beautifully presented with different powders and sauces which I cannot recall. Our server suggested dipping the sashimi in all of the sauces. I can only tell you that this was MAGICAL! They served a small loaf of bread wherein the wheat came from Tehachapi! This was served with Norweigan butter and sea salt and it was hard not to eat more than one piece since the bread was nice and crusty and soft inside. The third course was Norweigian King Crab with sweet pea (and boy were they super sweet), sea urchin with aged ham broth. I lucked out this time, Sandi had one bite of the sea urchin and did not care for it so I happily did her a favor of consuming it. 

The fourth course was the Hokkaido Scallop with artichoke, carrots, and bronze fennel; which melted in our mouths. This was followed by the Black Cod with Dutch white asparagus, in jaune, and nori. This was delicious as well with the nice crispy skin.

We had a choice for our main entrée: Troll-Caught California King Salmon with black truffle, turnips from their garden pickled ramps, or the Liberty Farms Duck Breast with cherry, beet, and duck rillettes. The third choice was an a5 Wagyu with porcini, zucchini, confit tomato for an additional charge. I have had that several times and it was wonderful but I wanted to expand my horizon and try something new. I opted for the Salmon and Sandi ordered the Duck.

My Salmon was so beautiful it was hard to take a bite. It was truly luscious. Sandi enjoyed one piece of her duck breast only because she thought she couldn't eat anymore even if she totally enjoyed it. She had to make room for dessert. She also had eaten an extra piece of bread which occupied part of her storage bin. Though mine was filling up by this time, I had an extra bin for dessert.

The seventh course was Raspberry, with shiso and elderflower. This was very nice and refreshing. We both enjoyed that. Our eighth course was the main dessert; House-made Hawaiian Chocolate with banana, barley, and Okinawan black sugar. They had included a candle for us both to make a wish. We had no difficulty eating all of it. I have to mention that upstairs on their deck, they have an assortment of herbs and flowers. All the little edible flowers on the food come from their garden. They even have a beehive! 

Just as we started relaxing and thinking what an incredible evening we'd had, a staff member arrived with a plate of petits fours. We forced ourselves to consume every last bite. The last surprise was a demitasse cup of chocolate tea served with honey from their beehive of course! The tea had a beautiful chocolate aroma and after adding the honey, it was exquisite.

Sarah came by our table again. I asked if Chef Michael Cimarusti was there. Unfortunately, he was not but she offered to show us the kitchen and introduce us to the chef de cuisine, Tristan Aitchison. We felt very privileged to be invited and it was a pleasure meeting Chef Aitchison who was very gracious and charming. We were most impressed with the kitchen that it reminded us of the precise movement of a Swiss watch.

Thank you Sarah for making our dining experience extra special. I also want to thank Stephen, Sandi's son who apparently planned all along to treat the two of us for our birthdays. That is very much appreciated. You will have to dine at Providence the next time you are in California. 

Providence is located at 5955 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles, California.