PETIT TROIS (LOS ANGELES, CA)

Petit Trois
718 Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
www.petittrois.com
Tel: 323.468.8916
Cuisine: French
$$ ($15-$30)
Tues, 07/26/2016, 9:15pm walk-in
    (3.5 Piglets)

So, I've been to Paris on various occasions and I can say, I truly love and appreciate French cuisine. Petit Trois is a French bistro offering French food without the fuss of paying for high-end modern sophistication. It's the infamous Ludo Lefebvre's toned down restaurant from his other Trois Mec. Simple, comfort French dishes basically comprises the menu. You would expect complex flavors with typical French sauces that would take hours to make, but unfortunately, the food falls short of delivering just that. 

Located in a weird strip mall next to a donut shop, the restaurant offers parking with valet only. There are no reservations, just walk-ins. A large bar with an open kitchen encompasses the majority of the restaurant; no tables, just counter seating and stools with limited seating. The decor reminds me of a bistro in Paris, so I gotta give him credit for bringing a bit of France to Los Angeles.

The interior

Cooks at work

MY FAVORITE DISH. OMELETTE ($18.00): Boursin Pepper Cheese, Chives. This is probably one, if not, the best omelette you'll find in Los Angeles. It is a traditional French omelette, made with small curds and cheese and chives and their delicious Normandy butter. I thoroughly appreciated this dish because it was kept simple, the way the French do it. It was creamy and light and fluffy. I would seriously come here just for this dish. 

BIG MEC ($18.00): Double Cheeseburger. This is one really rich burger. The burger was pretty darn big, with cheese melting all over. The sauce was smothered everywhere, creating a really soggy bun (which isn't my preference). The sauce was good, but a little too rich.. It was salty, slightly thick with a worcestershire like taste. The meat was pretty moist, so he was able to accomplish the imperative. I think overall, the burger is ok, a bit too saucy, and a bit too much in my opinion. I actually used some of the free baguette to soak up the sauce, and then I thought it was pretty good. Too much sauce and not enough bread sums it up. 

MUSSELS MARINIERE ($24.00): White Wine, Creme Fraiche, Frites. This dish was absolutely horrendous. There was no flavor to the mussels and the broth at the bottom was difficult to get to. When I finally got to it, I was thoroughly disappointed. It was one note, no robust flavor that I was expecting, no balance. I definitely wouldn't order this again. 

CLARIFIED BUTTER FRITES ($9.00): These fries actually came with the mussels, but if you were to order them on the side, they would be $9.00. They were pretty darn good. Super crispy on the outside, with a light buttery taste to finish it off, makes this a good dish. 

Overall, I wasn't overly impressed at Petit Trois. The place is pretty tiny, but I do like the fact you can see the chefs cook with the open kitchen. The valet service seems pretty unnecessary when the restaurant is slow, especially when I can see tons of parking spots where I can park the car myself. The standout dish is the omelette and the free baguette that they offer you. Oh, and the Normandy butter that they provide with the baguette is simply amazeballs! I want to swim in it because it's so freakin good, and it's a plus that it's free! 

Notable Dishes: Omelette and the Complimentary Baguette with Normandy Butter