BLACK HOGG (SILVERLAKE, LOS ANGELES, CA)

Black Hogg
2852 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
www.blackhogg.com
Tel: 323.953.2820
$$ ($15-$30)
Cuisine: American
Fri, 08/07/2015, 8:30pm reservation
     (4.5 Piglets)

Black Hogg is one of those restaurants that you wish could exist in every little borough of Los Angeles. Nestled in Silverlake, it was a hidden gem that truly brought good food without being overly pretentious. Unfortunately, Chef Eric Park decided to close up shop on Sunday, August 9th, 2015 to spend some quality time with his family (which I think is very admirable). Lucky for me, I was able to savor a few of his dishes before he had his last service.

The restaurant is fairly small. The ambiance definitely has a cool, hipster vibe. Simple decor with industrial lights create a very casual and comfortable atmosphere. The chairs were the best (super comfy)! If getting a table doesn't suit your needs, you could opt for the bar and have a drink with a band member or two. 

Bar seating

The interior

DOMAINE LA HITAIRE BLEND, SOUTHWEST FRANCE 2013 ($8.00/GLASS): This was light, simple and refreshing. It is reminiscent of a table wine and was very easy to drink.  It was a perfect glass for a perfect Friday night. 

ROAST BRUSSELS SPROUT HASH ($9.00): Baby brussels, bacon vinaigrette, fingerlings, organic egg. Oh man, bring on that egg and bacon! The brussels had a perfect char to them and with the egg, it gave a richness that was unmasked. It was smokey and full of flavor offered by the bacon vinaigrette. Absolutely delicious. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. POPCORN BACON ($8.00): Slow-cooked house-made bacon morsels, maple crema. How good is this dish? Good enough for us to order another one of these bad boys. The popcorn bacon was spicy and pepper crusted with a moist and savory interior. The condiment was sweet, which mellowed down the spice. Together, it was the perfect combination.

PORK BELLY TACOS ($12.00): Slow roasted Heritage pork belly, fuji apple slaw, jalapeno relish. The pork belly was rich and not overly fatty, just the way I like them. The Fuji apple slaw added a crispness and freshness to cut through the fat and the jalapeno relish gave the dish a nice kick. A really good taco made by a Korean (better watch out Roy Choi) !

BONE MARROW STREET CORN ($17.00): Grilled sweet corn, roast marrow bone, cotija cheese, chile piquin. This was probably my second favorite dish. It reminded me of Bestia's bone marrow, but with a American/Mexican twist. I loved the sweet corn, which had a bit of char on them. Scoop out the bone marrow and mix it with the corn and you've got an amazing, rich and savory dish. The chile cut through the fat and with the lime, it added a nice acidity to the overall dish.

SALT AND PEPPER WHOLE FISH ($28.00): Whole Mediterranean sea bream, Szechuan pepper, Thai chili vinaigrette. The fish was delightfully crisp and with the Szechuan pepper, it definitely had a whole lot of spice. Considering that I'm very particular with my fish, this was good and full of flavor.

KOREAN PUB CHICKEN ($25.00): Confitted Mary's chicken quarters, house radish pickles, chili honey. OMG. Fried chicken with a twist. The skin was extremely crisp and wasn't overly fatty. I enjoyed this dish with my fellow Korean friends and they said it reminded them of their childhood. The arugula was great to counterbalance the fat of the fried chicken. I loved the condiments, especially the chili honey!

The chicken condiments

MILK AND HONEY ($8.00): Pure milk panna cotta, lavendar honey, aged balsamic, raspberries, honeycomb crumble. It was definitely hard to choose between two delicious desserts, but this was probably my favorite of the two. The panna cotta was perfectly smooth and the honeycomb crumble added a sweetness and a crisp texture. The raspberries provided the freshness it needed while the honey and balsamic were added flavors. Delicious!

FIVE LECHES BREAD PUDDING ($8.00): Brioche, brown butter apples, toasted pecans, salty vanilla ice cream. So good. The bread pudding was warm and not overly sweet. I just wish there was more salty vanilla ice cream cause it was so damn good. It was sweet, savory, crunchy, salty and super yummy.

Overall, the name, Black Hogg was well suited to the restaurant's menu. The food is innovative and downright comforting. The chef is Korean and used some bold ingredients into his dishes. I'm saddened to see that this restaurant will no longer be serving delicious food to hungry foodies, but for good reasons. Chef Eric Park did mention that he will bring back Black Hogg sometime in the future; but for now, he will be renovating his place to serve up some yummy sandwiches (Sopressata) and poke (Ohana Poke Co.).




Notable dishes: Popcorn Bacon and Bone Marrow Street Corn

Thanks Chef Eric Park for an amazing meal!