La Cachette [LA]

[Carolyn Tillie]

I flew into Los Angeles on Friday afternoon for a week of visits and eats. Picked up at LAX by my food-writer friend, "R" and talked me out of my usual lunch haunt, Shin-Sen Gumi. Leaving things in his hands, he suggested La Cachette [10506 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90025 - 310.470.4992] The menu looked Provençal and slightly on the pricey side for lunch entrées (north of $30). However we were both very surprised to find tasting options available for lunch - four and five courses with wine pairings!

While debating our lunch options, we were served bread which was obviously freshly baked and perfectly crunchy miniature baguettes. The offering of a type of olive tapenade was watery and pretty lifeless -- the bread was much better on its own with the good quality butter.

Knowing I wouldn't need much to eat later that evening, we opted for the five course tasting. Our first course (heavily hinted that it would be appreciated) was seared foie gras, served with a poached Medjool date topped with huckleberries, a small fried "egg roll" filled with apple compote, and a drizzle of honey. This was paired with a 2003 Chateau Piada Sauternes. The foie was perfectly sautéed and while "R" enjoyed to fruit accompaniments, I found it a bit on the sweet side (as I usually do). The Sauternes was just mediocre, missing that lively botrytis tang which was needed to complement the foie.

The second course was sliced Hamachi (Yellow Tail) which had been seared and dressed with ginger plum dressing and wasabe emulsion. This was served with an heirloom tomato-avocado tower and micro peppercress. This is the third (or fourth?) time in a month that a chef has served raw (or nearly raw) fish with tomatoes and it is a pairing I just don't understand although this certainly was the best version yet. The tomato/avocado combination had little to do with the fish although both were well-prepared and quite tasty. It was the peppercress that elevated this dish and intrigued both of us. It was paired with a 2005 Chateau Maynard Entre-Deux-Mers Haute Benauge. This was a great pairing in that the crispness of the wine next to the Asian flavors in the fish worked quite well -- but I still question tomatoes and avocados with Asian flavors.

Seared sea bass was our next offering, served atop a spoonfill of ratatouille, freshly grilled zucchini blossom, and diced mango and persimmon. The wine pairing was an unknown year of Demessey Bourgogne Chardonnay. The fish itself was outstanding - tender, flaky, and moist with a light crusty exterior. The accompaniments were interesting - the fruit and the stewed vegetables were not as much integral to the fish as they simply were just there but quite tasty. The emulsion served with the fish was rich and flavorful but I was left wondering how the three side components were not so much related to the fish as they were to each other.

Pekin duck “Two Ways” was our last savory course; duck breast marinated and roasted with ginger, orange zest, and an orange oil sauce and duck leg braised in duck orange jus served with braised red cabbage and crispy potatoes. This was served with a 2004 Demessey Pommard which was a bit on the young and fruity side which fought with the predominate orange flavors of the duck. The braised duck leg was the preferred part of the dish; tender and moist which worked well with the red cabbage. The breast was adequate enough - flawlessly rare and tender but just slightly pale in comparison the leg.

As there were two of us, the restaurant was nice enough to serve two different desserts; a molten chocolate cake with mint sauce and a fresh berry tart with guava sorbet. Bonny Doon Framboise was the wine pairing for the dessert. The pastry under the tart was stunningly crisp and faultless. The mint sauce for the chocolate cake was combative with the Framboise; a vanilla or crème anglaise would have been a better choice for the cake which was acceptable but far from memorable.

Overall the service was excellent, the ambience bright and warm, and the atmosphere perfectly charming. The five courses with wine was just over a $100 each and a great bargain even though the pairings were far from exceptional. I would definitely consider a return visit if I lived in SoCal.