MELISSE (SANTA MONICA, CA)

Melisse

1104 Wilshire Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90401

www.melisse.com

Tel: 310.395.0881

$$$$ ($50+)

Cuisine: French

Thurs, 06/04/2015, 6:30pm appointment
      (5 Piglets)

Chef and owner of Melisse Josiah Citrin has put together a sophisticated and chic restaurant in Santa Monica. The two Michelin star restaurant forks out contemporary French cuisine. The menu is prix fixe based on fresh ingredients for the week, with some signature items remaining on the menu. The staff handpick the ingredients to offer the best possible dishes for the night. Additionally, Citrin shows confidence in his chef de cuisine Ken Takayama to create dishes that would be suitable to the fine diners. 

Chef de Cuisine Ken Takayama hard at work

As soon as you walk through the door, you are taken on a two-three hour journey of scrumptious food and superb service. The ambiance is simple, elegant, with a large chandelier as the main decor. Intricate details make this experience memorable. If you're celebrating a birthday or anniversary, you can expect a little gift courtesy of the restaurant. 

The interior dining room

The kitchen

The staff finishing up with the garnishes

The pastry chef hard at work

Black truffles!! I found the stash! 

MY FAVORITE DISH. EGG CAVIAR: Soft poached egg, lemon creme fraiche, American caviar. This luscious creation was simply, well, orgasmic. The construction of this dish is a masterpiece served in its egg shell (be careful, it can break on you and cause an accident on the tablecloth...).  The egg was nicely poached, the creme fraiche had a light citrus flavor and the caviar was delicious. Served with a crispy biscuit, this salty and creamy dish was  full of flavor and perfectly balanced.  It's a signature dish on the menu. 

A NEW VEGETARIAN DISH ON THE MENU:  Soft egg in a squash blossom over a ratatouille. This dish was perfectly seasoned. The charred eggplant on the side gave a nice balance. The squash blossom was fried to a perfect crisp texture allowing for the egg to coat the squash blossom well.  It was accompanied by a ripe tomato and a green tomato and young garlic sauce to add acidity. I'm not a fan of ratatouille but if it was made like this all the time, I would be a convert! For a vegetarian dish, it was rich and satisfying. 

WAGYU BEEF TARTARE: Smoked tomato emulsion, capers and puffed rice. O.M.G. This was an amazingly delicious beef tartare. It had me at wagyu. It was rich, creamy, with the perfect balance of flavors. The puffed rice was the ideal accompaniment to offer crunch and texture. The only complaint I had with this dish (which is small) was that the smoked tomato emulsion was a bit on the salty end. I'd still eat it nonetheless! 

SALMON ROE WITH GELEE: This remarkable salmon eggs had bursts of flavor in your mouth. It was smooth, juicy and was comprehensively a nice dish. If you like the texture of popping boba (but salty), you'll love these little balls! 

FOIE GRAS TERRINE: Bluberry, meyer lemon, hazelnut, toasted brioche. I love, love, love foie gras and this dish is no exception. It was smooth and creamy. The blueberry and lemon along with the salt cut through the richness. The brioche added the right amount of sweetness. It was the perfect combination and downright delicious! 

LOBSTER BOLOGNESE: Fresh cappelini, basil, brown butter truffle froth. The handmade pasta was cooked al dente and was coated with a rich tomato sauce. The lobster was fresh. The truffle froth added tons of additional flavor to the already exceptional dish. 

AMUSE BOUCHE: Orange gelee, fennel panna cotta, vanilla oil and cashew foam. This is a smooth and decadent amuse bouche. From initial plating, you would expect it to be on the sweeter end based on the ingredients. Little did I know that upon first bite, I was taken to a whole new world in terms of taste and palate. If they always start off a meal this good, then you're in for a real treat! 

AGED LIBERTY DUCK WITH CITRUS SCENTED SEEDS: Have you seen anything more beautiful? This 21 day aged duck was extremely tender. It was probably one of the best pieces of duck I've ever had. It comes with a sauce, but it was better without so you can taste the quality and flavors of this gorgeous duck. 

CORN SOUP: This decadent soup is made to its finest. Served with a creme fraiche, it is creamy, luscious, slightly sweet and full of flavor. Extremely delicious. 

STRAWBERRY DESSERT: Do you like the strawberry pie from Marie Callendar's? Then you'll love this dessert! Inspired by that restaurant's pie, this dessert is the strawberry pie deconstructed with the finest flavors. It isn't super sweet and Melisse picked the ripest strawberries around. Cool, refreshing and light. 

CALIFORNIA KING SALMON: With porcini mushrooms and fava beans. This is one amazing piece of fish. I'm normally not a big cooked salmon type of girl, but because it was cooked rare, it was flaky and light with the perfect texture. The pulverized fava beans added a nice flavor. The porcini mushrooms gave the dish the earthiness it needed. A fantastic dish. Be sure to check out the video below to see the construction of this dish! 

PINEAPPLE SOUFFLE: I absolutely love souffles! Many restaurants fail to get it right, but Melisse surprised me in every way possible. The beautifully standing souffle was filled with freshly diced pineapple in the middle topped with a vanilla and lime zest concoction. It was sweet and well balanced. The perfect way to end a perfect night. 

Overall, Melisse presents dishes that are beautifully plated and sophisticated on the palate. There is a lot of work that goes into dishing out a menu like Melisse. The menu is well thought out with precision in each and every dish. Melisse does not offer one simple menu each night, but various ones from vegetarian to their four course meal and all the way to a ten course meal all distinct from each other. What I love about this restaurant is the fact that the majority of the staff have been with Citrin for 15 years plus. The staff is aware of the ins and outs of this exceptional establishment. The fact that the runners/waiters are the ones expediting the food, not the executive chef is unique to most restaurants. Citrin trusts his staff and vice-versa. Would I come back again? Definitely! Word of advice: It can be a bit pricey and it's not an everyday affair to fork out $500+ for two people (but it was well-worth it)!


Notable dishes: Egg Caviar and the Wagyu Beef Tartare


Check out my experience in the kitchen of Melisse restaurant with chef de cuisine Ken Takayama:

PINGTUNG EAT-IN MARKET (LOS ANGELES, CA)

PingTung Eat-In Market
7455 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
www.pingtungla.com
Tel: 323.866.1866
$$ ($15-$30)
Cuisine: Japanese/Taiwanese
Sun, 05/31/2015, 7:00pm walk-in
  (2.5 Piglets)

Pingtung: A city in Taiwan and home to chef/owner Li Ping. Ping (who has the last name that conveniently includes the name of her restaurant) was raised in Pingtung as well as Tokyo, Japan. The menu is a combination of Taiwanese, Japanese as well as Vietnamese. It is an eclectic mix that ranges from dim sum, to banh mi sandwiches and ramen. A large tea selection is available, which I appreciate. 

The dining area

The bar

PingTung is casual with a small dining room. In the back sits a large, outdoor patio eating area with decorative chairs and wooden benches. It is a warm, simple yet comfortable meeting area with an ambiance that is evocative of Thailand. 

Back patio

 

Another section of the back patio

Condiments

CHICKEN POT STICKERS ($5.95): When I order pot stickers, I think of the usual pot stickers that I grew up with. This was unusual and were pot stickers in disguise. They reminded me more of chicken patties with a thin coat of wonton wrappers. The texture was  comparable to cooked ground chicken/pork. It was not one of my favorite dishes, even with soy sauce to add to the flavors.

MY FAVORITE DISH. CHICKEN ROLL ($6.95): The chicken roll is similar to a Taiwanese beef roll but filled with chicken instead of beef. The chicken was moist and its marinate was sweet. The flatbread was crispy and the scallions added a nice touch. The textures and flavors meshed well together and this was comprehensively, a good dish. 

CRISPY SCALLION PANCAKE ($4.95): I love scallion pancakes. It's one of my favorite things to eat on the menu at a Taiwanese restaurant. They are crispy on the outside with flaky, crisp layers that make the perfect snack item. So when I got the pancake here, I was disappointed. The pancake was dry. Forget the layers...it doesn't exist! This was probably one of the worse tasting scallion pancakes I've had. Sorry, just being honest. 

GYOZA-PORK DUMPLINGS ($6.95): This is what I expected when I ordered the pot stickers...not the gyoza. The gyoza had a nice, crisp exterior wrapper and the pork was succulent. There were bits of shrimp along with the pork filling that I felt should have been noted on the menu (especially for those who have a seafood allergy). This was probably one of the better dishes. 

TUNG TING OOLONG ($5.95): This was a great loose leaf tea. It had a slightly bitter flavor which went well to cut through the richness of the pan-fried dishes. I absolutely adored their version of the teapot as it kept the tea from over-seeping. 

PINGTUNG SWEET FLATBREAD WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM ($5.95): The flatbread was crisp and dry. It reminded me of the scallion pancake, but thicker, denser without the scallions. The ice cream was ok. Together, it did not go well. It is definitely not one of my favorite desserts. 

Overall, PingTung Eat-In Market is a cute meeting spot to have with friends. The food is mediocre and it lacks authenticity. I appreciate that chef Li Ping offers dishes from various regions of Asia, but I was hoping that the food would have more flavor (maybe I'm spoiled with eating in the San Gabriel Valley when I want good Asian cuisine). The service was a bit slow and could use a bit of improvement on speed. Word of advice: Stick with the flatbread rolls. 


Notable dishes: Chicken Roll and Tung Ting Oolong Tea

OSTERIA MOZZA (LOS ANGELES, CA)

Osteria Mozza
6602 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
www.osteriamozza.com
Tel: 323.297.0100
$$$$ ($50+)
Cuisine: Italian
Thurs, 05/21/2015, 9:30pm reservation
    (3.5 Piglets)

From the creators of the casual Pizzeria Mozza comes the more sophisticated fine dining restaurant Osteria Mozza. Located next door from each other, Joe Bastianich, Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton construct an Italian menu composed of pastas, a mozzarella bar, and a multitude of proteins. There is an extensive wine list, including ones from Bastianich's winery.

The bar

The ambiance is sophisticated, yet unpretentious. White table cloths line the tables with squeaky clean wine glasses. High ceilings create a sense of grandeur, but creates an echo throughout the restaurant. A mozzarella bar sits in the middle of the dining room for diners enjoyment. Every detail and intricate decor was met at Osteria Mozza, except the service (which I will go into later...). 

The interior

Place setting

Given a 2012 wine from Bastianich's winery (although on the menu it was listed as a 2011). Good, nonetheless.

BURRATA ($15.00): Grilled asparagus, brown butter, guanciale, and almonds. The burrata was nice and creamy. The cured pork was delicious. The asparagus was cooked well. I appreciated the texture the almonds gave to the dish, but I felt it wasn't cohesive with the overall ingredients.  

GNOCCI ($21.00): With duck ragu. The gnocci was cooked perfectly. The duck ragu was rich, coating the gnocci with every last bite. Overall, it was a good dish.

RICOTTA AND EGG RAVIOLO ($21.00): With brown browned butter. This was probably my favorite pasta dish out of the three. It was one large ravioli with a runny egg yolk and ricotta mixture in the middle. As soon as you cut into the pillow, the mixture oozed out a creamy filling. I loved it and the browned butter was the perfect sauce to the ravioli. My only complaint was that you only get one. 

Inside the ravioli

SQUID INK CHITARRA FREDDI ($25.00): With Dungeness crab, sea urchin, and jalepeno. This pasta is visually stunning. It's served cold with the sea urchin on top for you to mix or enjoy on its own. The pasta had bold flavors with a little spice from the jalepeno, but was not overpowering. The uni was delectable. I think this dish is worth a try, but it wasn't my favorite. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. GRILLED BEEF TAGLIATA ($36.00): Rucola and Parmigiano with aceto Balsamico. The beef was cooked to the perfect medium-rare. It was succulent and moist, but it did take on the flavor of the dressing. Nevertheless, the dish was still delicious. It had a sweet and sour taste with a touch of saltiness to bring out the flavors. I wouldn't mind ordering this again. 

ROSEMARY OLIVE OIL CAKES ($11.00): Olive oil gelato and rosemary brittle. The cakes were good, but I didn't love them. I've always been a fan of the olive oil gelato at Pizzeria Mozza and this is the same one I've tasted. The brittle was a nice touch and gave the dish a bit of crunch. It was a good dish, but I would have rather gone to Pizzeria Mozza for the caramel copetta. 

Overall, the food was good, but not exceptional by any means. The service can use some improvement. It was slow and we waited 30 minutes for our first order to arrive and nearly an additional 30 minutes for our pastas. Drinks didn't arrive until significantly later; we also had to ask for our bottle of wine to be delivered to our table after the arrival of our first dish. Furthermore, the wine we ordered was of a different year and when mentioned to the sommelier, he blew it off. The waitress was inattentive and literally ruined our experience at the restaurant. Luckily, the second waitress we had (when they changed shifts) was more observant. Would I come back here? Maybe...but I definitely wouldn't come out of my way for Osteria Mozza. There are many other exceptional restaurants in Los Angeles. Word of advice: Don't come hungry because you will probably have a 2.5-3 hour dinner for two on a weeknight for an a la carte menu. 


Notable dishes: Grilled Beef Tagliata and Ricotta and Egg Raviolo