October 23, 2015: Trois Mec

Trois Mec is a collaboration between three of the most popular celebrity chefs in Los Angeles. Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo's stable of restaurants include Animal, Son of a Gun and Jon & Vinny's, all of which have garnered rave reviews. Ludo Lefebvre used to have the Ludo Truck, which specialized in Provençal style fried chicken. The three have subsequently collaborated on Petit Trois, which is right next door and is a more traditional French bistro experience. Needless to say Trois Mec has been on my shortlist of restaurants to try since they debuted in 2013, but because you have to reserve a table by buying a ticket instead of booking a reservation it was always hard to remember to try and get tickets on the day they were released. The price of the ticket includes the tasting menu, tax, and tip/service charge. The restaurant itself is fairly small with about 28-30 seats total and about 1/3 of them being at the bar where you have a great view of all the chefs in action. We had two bar seats that were lower than the rest and just inside of the door, so it wasn't the most ideal spot, but it really didn't take away anything from the experience.

The dinner started out with five "snacks" that were meant to be finger foods. The first snack was buckwheat popcorn with rice wine vinegar. Christal absolutely loved this. The buckwheat was crispy and when mixed with the vinegar it had the familiar flavor of salt and vinegar chips. Christal really enjoyed having that familiar flavor profile with a familiar ingredient that was prepared in an unfamiliar way.

Buckwheat Popcorn w Rice Wine Vinegar

The next snack was a pistachio tart with wild herbs. This was a really fun bite because you could pop the whole tart in your mouth and it had a really clean flavor. The crust was nice and buttery yet still very crisp and the herbs were a refreshing finish to the mouthful, but I was expecting the flavor of the pistachios to dominate and come through. For whatever reason the pistachio flavor seemed to be kind of muted, but it was still a very pleasant snack.

Pistachio Tart w Wild Herbs

The third snack was foie gras poached in a matsutake broth. Once they said matsutake broth I expected a very subtle and aromatic broth that filled my sinuses with that characteristic matsutake flavor, but instead the broth had a dominant flavor of ume or shiso, which overpowered any hint matsutake that was there. The foie gras was supple and smooth and the flavor of the broth helped to cut through the fattiness making it seem much lighter on the palate. Overall I would say it was a successful dish and the broth itself was very good, but the description was too misleading for me, so it kind of threw off my perspective of the dish as a whole. Unfortunately I forgot to get a picture of this snack.

After the foie gras came crispy tapioca with parmesan and passion fruit. It came out as an unassuming square of crispy golden brown fried tapioca, but when I bit into it the inside yielded to soft tapioca with a salty hit from the parmesan cheese. As I was finishing my first bite and about to swallow a hint of passion fruit aroma came out of nowhere. It was a really interesting sensation to have the passion fruit show up just when I had forgotten that it was supposed to be there.

Crispy Tapioca w Parmesan Cheese & Passion Fruit

The last snack was a smoked hay custard with orange blossom honey and bee pollen. The custard was silky smooth and a little bit rich, but when eaten by itself it did not seem to have much flavor. The orange blossom honey was mixed with rice wine vinegar I think, which made it sweet and tart and you could still smell and taste the orange blossom aroma. The bee pollen added a nice little crunch and a subtle floral flavor. When eaten all together it was a pleasant bite that had a nice combination of richness, sweet, sour, aroma and richness. Unfortunately I forgot to get a picture of this too since the last three snacks all came out at once and I was busy trying to remember what each snack consisted of.

The first "real" course of our meal was tomato sushi served with country bread and tomato pulp mixed with olive oil. The tomato sushi consisted of thin slices of heirloom tomatoes draped over some seasoned rice with a creamy vinaigrette, olive oil and seasonings sprinkled on top. The tomatoes were perfectly ripe, the rice was cooked well and seasoned nicely, and the dressing had some rice wine vinegar in it, which helped to mirror some of the snacks from before. There was something bitter in the dish that I thought was one of the seasonings sprinkled on top, but it helped to balance out the sweetness of both the tomatoes and the dressing and was a pleasant surprise. I wouldn't say this dish was a real stunner, but it was a good plate of food that showcased produce at its peak.

Tomato Sushi

The tomato pulp and olive oil with country bread almost seemed like a palate cleanser to me, but I thought it showed the resourcefulness of the kitchen. The bread itself was really good. It had a crispy yet chewy crust and the inner crumb was moist and fluffy, but could still stand up to the soupy tomato pulp. Like the tomato sushi, the tomato pulp obviously showcased the tomatoes at their peak ripeness and it made for a pleasant side dish.

Tomato Pulp & Olive Oil w Country Bread

Next came beet tartare with smoked eel, cured egg yolk and horseradish crème fraîche. The texture of the tartare wasn't quite as soft as beef, but the beets were tender and it was seasoned well. The smoked eel gave the dish a pleasant hint of smokey, fishy flavor that seemed to add some substance to the dish. The horseradish crème fraîche gave it a nice creamy, tart flavor and spicy hit. The dish also came with a wedge of rösti, which is basically a really crispy hash brown, and it added a really nice textural contrast to the soft beets and creme fraiche. I could not really taste or detect the cured egg yolk, but that didn't take anything away from how good the overall dish was.

Beet Tartare w Smoked Eel, Cured Egg Yolk & Horseradish Cream

A kabocha squash cake with mojo verde, bottarga and toasted sesame was the next dish to come out. The kabocha cake was definitely not what we were expecting. It had thin crispy outer layer and the inside had the texture and consistency of fresh mochi and the flavor reminded me a little bit of the turnip cakes you get at dim sum. The mojo verde added a ton of flavor with pronounced garlic, citrus and cilantro flavors and with each bite of the squash cake we were dragging it through the mojo to get as much as possible. The dish was finished with some julienned green onion and pea shoots that added a nice fresh flavor to lift the dish.

Kabocha Squash Cake w Mojo Verde, Bottarga & Toasted Sesame

The protein portion of the meal was a grilled Kurobuta pork loin with green cabbage, bok choy and juniper. The pork was moist and cooked perfectly. The green cabbage was made into a smooth, creamy puree that highlighted the sweetness of the cabbage and didn't have any of the sulfury flavor that cabbage can sometimes have. The bok choy was char-grilled, which brought out some bitterness to balance to sweetness of the cabbage and richness of the pork. On the side was a cube of what I thought was compressed melon that was infused with the juniper. The juniper paired well with the pork and it added an added sweetness to the dish. As good as the dish was it probably was the least enlightening or exciting dish of the night.

Grilled Kurobuta Pork Loin w Green Cabbage, Bok Choy & Juniper

The dessert course was chocolate with burnt avocado mousse and parmesan cheese. From the first bite Christal couldn't stop raving about it, which is saying something because she isn't the biggest fan of rich, chocolatey desserts. The description was a bit misleading in that it had about five different chocolate components along with the avocado mousse and the parmesan cheese. The bowl was lined on the bottom with the avocado mousse and then a quenelle of chocolate ice cream was laid on top, chocolate ganache truffle pieces were scattered around, a blanket of chocolate mousse was spooned on top, a chocolate soil was sprinkled around the perimeter of the bowl and then a chocolate foam was piped over everything, completely covering it all, and the parmesan cheese was grated to finish. We both really enjoyed how the dessert didn't feel super rich and heavy and it wasn't too sweet, highlighting the balance between sweetness and the natural bitterness of the chocolate. The most amazing thing to both of us though was how all the different textures and temperatures of soft chocolate worked together and created a dessert that we will remember for a long time. Each bite was different depending on which chocolate elements were present in that bite. The chocolate foam had a cloud-like, fluffy texture to it, the soil added a hint of crunch and density, the chocolate mousse was a silky, smooth component, the truffle pieces had a firm, yet tender texture to them and the ice cream was nice and cold and the melted ice cream actually added another texture to the whole dish. The avocado mousse provided some added richness and fruitiness and was a great compliment to all the chocolate and the saltiness of the parmesan cheese helped to tone down the sweetness and balanced the whole dessert.

Chocolate w Burnt Avocado Mousse & Parmesan Cheese

To finish our meal we were served chantilly tarts and cream puffs for the mignardises. They were both very good and a traditional ending to a great meal. Overall we were both impressed with the meal as a whole and neither Christal or I had any real negatives at any point in the evening. I would have to say that Trois Mec exceeded my expectations quite easily and we both thought it was in our top three restaurants that we have visited in Los Angeles.

Chantilly Tarts & Cream Puffs

Food 5/5
Service 5/5
Christal's Rating 5/5
https://troismec.com/index.php

October 10, 2015: Birch

Today was cousin Julie's birthday so we had a potluck breakfast at Jeffrey and Jenny's in the morning and then Julie, David, Uncle Vic, Christal, Luke and I went to dinner at Birch. Julie had texted me earlier in the week for recommendations for dinner and of the places I listed to her she chose Birch. Chef Brendan Collins recently opened Birch after closing Waterloo & City last year and his new restaurant has been getting a lot of positive attention. They recommended ordering family style, which we were planning on doing anyway and with our slightly larger group we were able to order most of the dishes on the menu.

We started with the chicken liver and foie gras mousse with toast. The mousse was everything you expect out of a liver pâté, it was silky smooth, well seasoned and the gamey flavor of liver was not too pronounced. It also had a currant or cherry jelly layer on the top that added a hint of sweetness to help balance the gaminess of the liver and the cornichons lent some acidity to cut through the richness of the mousse. The bread that came with the mousse was toasted well with a crunchy crust and a light, airy texture with a nice chew to it.

Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Mousse w Toast

The fuyu persimmons with burrata, huckleberries, macadamia nuts and butter popcorn came out next. In my opinion the dish may have been mislabeled because it came with a very generous amount of burrata and the fuyu persimmons seemed like more of a complimentary component to the dish than the focus of the dish. Most burrata-centric dishes that I've had usually come with about half the amount of burrata than what this dish came with so the portion size here was a refreshing surprise. Along with the persimmons and huckleberries they also included what I thought were some diced pickled apples on top of the burrata. Maybe I missed it in the portion that I served myself, but I did not detect any of the butter popcorn in the dish. When everything was spread on the grilled bread that was included it all seemed to balance out nicely with the tart sweetness of all the fruits countering the creamy richness of the burrata. The macadamia nuts added a nice crunch and nuttiness to the whole thing that rounded out the dish.

Fuyu Persimmons w Burrata, Huckleberries, Macadamia Nuts & Butter Popcorn

The next dish that came out was the brussel sprouts with crème fraîche, crisp smoked pork belly, pecan and maple. The sprouts were nicely caramelized and perfectly tender. The pork belly was tender and succulent with a hint of smoke on the inside and the outside was fried and crispy when you bit into it. The pecans had a light maple glaze on them that accentuated the sweetness of the brussel sprouts and the nutty flavor and crunch of the pecans blended nicely with the pork belly and sprouts. The crème fraîche was supposed to be there to add some creaminess and acidity to the dish, but for me it did not seem real cohesive to the overall experience. The mound of brussel sprouts and pork belly was topped off with a few chicharrónes that added an additional crispy, indulgent touch to the dish. I would have enjoyed the dish a little bit more though if some vinegar had been incorporated into the dish instead of the crème fraîche. Something like apple cider vinegar would have paired extremely well with both the pork and the brussel sprouts and brought the acidity to cut through the richness of all the fatty pork belly.

Brussel Sprouts w Créme Fraîche, Crisp Smoked Pork Belly, Pecan & Maple

After the brussel sprouts the Spanish octopus with blistered shishito peppers and hummus was brought out. The octopus was extremely tender with a wonderful chargrilled flavor. The shishito peppers were tender and had the characteristic mild pepper flavor and were tossed in a vinaigrette, which added the acidic bite that all seafood requires. The hummus was not a typical hummus. It had a more course texture than other hummuses and the flavor reminded me of a romesco sauce. The plate was garnished with what seemed to be a squid ink puree, which added a earthy, briny flavor to the octopus. 

Spanish Octopus w Blistered Shishito Peppers & Hummus

The lobster capellini with san marzano tomato and basil was our next dish to come out of the kitchen. The capellini was a house-made squid ink pasta that had the perfect combination of al dente chew and tenderness to it. The lobster was cut into a small dice and finished in the san marzano tomato sauce before it was tossed with the squid ink capellini and it was all topped with what I assumed was a lobster foam. The lobster was cooked perfectly so that it was soft and tender with the sweetness of the meat coming through clearly and no hint of rubberiness at all. The tomato sauce was well balanced with a healthy amount of basil flavor that complimented the sweet, tangy tomatoes perfectly. The foam gave the dish a nice hit of shellfish aroma that permeated your sinuses when you took a bite.

Lobster Capellini w San Marzano Tomato & Basil

Our last seafood dish was the monkfish tikka masala with rice cracker and lime pickle. The monkfish was cooked on a skewer with onions and then served over a pool of tikka masala sauce with the lime pickle spread on the side of the plate and the rice cracker draped over the whole thing hiding it all from view. The monkfish was moist and tender and really soaked up the tikka masala marinade. The rice cracker was a nice crispy addition to the dish and the lime pickle added a nice contrast to the tikka masala sauce. Overall we all felt this was one of the weakest dishes. I think we were all kind of expecting a more modern take on a tikka masala, but it turned out to be a pretty traditional interpretation with the monkfish substituting for chicken.

Monkfish Tikka Masala w Rice Cracker & Lime Pickle

They brought out the butternut tortellini with crispy duck, orange, ginger, endive and seared foie gras next. The tortellini was generously stuffed with a rich, smooth butternut squash puree and the pasta was slightly thicker than normal, but it worked well with the amount of puree. The duck was nicely cooked, tender and tasted excellent, but the piece i got was not very crispy. The orange and ginger were perfect accent flavors to both the duck and butternut squash. The seared foie gras added an indulgent richness to the whole dish and kind of took it to another level.

Butternut Tortellini w Crispy Duck, Orange, Ginger, Endive & Seared Foie Gras

The last savory dish we ordered was the pork shank with palm sugar, black garlic hoisin, butter lettuce and za'atar flatbread. It was one of the more impressive looking dishes we ordered, with the whole slow roasted pork shank laying out on the platter with the flatbread rolled up next to it and all the garnishes surrounding. The pork itself was succulent and so tender you could cut it with a knife. The za'atar flatbread was a soft, pillowy, tasty vehicle to deliver the pork into your mouth. They also included a spicy sriracha sauce and some pickled carrots and cucumbers that helped to cut through the fatty richness of the pork. When it was all combined together, with the flatbread and butter lettuce enveloping the pork and pickles with hoisin and sriracha spread throughout, it was an incredibly satisfying experience. 

Pork Shank w Palm Sugar, Black Garlic Hoisin, Butter Lettuce & Za'atar Flatbread

Julie's favorite dessert of the two we ordered was the peanut butter spring roll with chocolate and banana. It was basically a spring roll filled with a peanut butter mousse set on top of a chocolate mousse, sliced banana and a banana ice cream. I personally thought the dessert was good, but it didn't wow me. The spring roll was nice and crispy and both the mousses were silky smooth and the banana was nice and sweet, but I came away from it feeling like it was kind of basic. 

Peanut Butter Spring Roll w Chocolate & Banana

The other dessert we got was the sticky toffee pudding with burnt sugar ice cream. I personally enjoyed this dessert more, even though it was a little on the sweet side. The sticky toffee pudding was very moist and had a nice toffee flavor and a pleasant texture. The burnt sugar ice cream made the dish for me. It had a wonderful bitterness to counterbalance all the sweetness in the pudding as well as providing a cold element to the warm dish. They finished the dessert off by topping it with a nest of fried pastry that provided a nice crunch. Overall I didn't think the desserts really lived up to quite the same high standard that all the savory dishes met, but they were still very good. 

Sticky Toffee Pudding w Burnt Sugar Ice Cream

When Julie picked Birch for her birthday dinner I was extremely excited to go and for me it met all my expectations. It had been on my shortlist of restaurants to try since it opened earlier this year and most everyone really liked it. Both Julie and David said they really enjoyed it and Julie even said that it exceeded her expectations. Christal on the other hand just thought the food was good, but it wasn't her favorite. She felt like everything was a little too rich for her tastes and looking back at our meal all the dishes had at least one component that she isn't the biggest fan of, but she said she still enjoyed the meal. I think from now on I'll try and add her rating for the restaurants we go to, and I may have to go back and edit all my restaurant posts and add her ratings retroactively too. Anyway, we were also busy most of the dinner trying to calm Luke down. While we were walking to the restaurant a fire engine sped by with its horn blaring and woke him up from his nap. Luckily he stayed quietly awake for about the first third of the meal and then he started to get fussy, mainly because I think he was overtired. Then when we were leaving the restaurant and he was calmed down two more fire engines drove by with their horns blaring and irritated him even more. Fortunately he fell asleep within a couple minutes after we started driving home. 

Food 4.5/5

Service 4/5

Christal's Rating 3/5

http://birchlosangeles.com/