Bistro 21 Los Angeles

[carpet bagger]

Last night we revisited Bistro 21. Ko has changed the menu since the last time we went. He always has a limited but exciting menu. There is only room for about 24 people. ( lucky) My wife started with caesar salad which was mild, tasty, tough to make exciting but it was inviting. That was followed by blue crab cake with a beet sauce that was incredible. It was very fresh tasting, unlike some that I have had that were fish tasting. This was prepared in such a way as to allow the natural sweetness to come forth and marry with the beet sauce. The outside was cooked just right, slightly crispy and properly moist inside. Also not heavy or manipulated tasting. I loved it. We ordered the grilled scallops from the specials of the day as an appetiser. The menu listed it as lemon-butter sauce. It actually was in a lemon rosemary combination that was perfectly balanced flavours leaving you wanting more and more. The 3 scallops were absolutely cooked to perfection wit the small bits unevenly cut on the outside slightly crispy then the outside cooked medium (slightly) to rare in the middle. I am not doing justice to my description because I have never had scallops done more perfectly. My mouth is watering as I type this report. I chose the roasted squab listed in white wine reduction gravy sauce. The sauce was delicious, but the squab was cooked in such a way that it was medium rare to rare all the way through. I could not believe the texture and consistancy as I am used to squab being unevenly cooked making it almost inedible. This was the greatest squab I have had. For desert I had the cold cream souffle. At first I couldn't make up my mind because nothing sounded great. Boy was I wrong. The cheese souffle had a marvelous texture, crumbly but moist and I was surprised how much I liked it cold. It was cold but not frozen which also made it wonderful with the heavy cream poured over it. My wife had the flourless chocolte cake, which at other restaurants is frequently dry and tastless as well as flourless. This was moist, sweet without being sickly and absolutely scrumptious. It had a cream topping on it that complemented it perfectly. There are no pretences in this restaurant, but Ko is a wizard with the proper amount to cook whatever the item is. He makes his sauces to go with the dishes and knows what he is doing. If you want an incredible experience at reasonable prices with attentive,( don't let the slow tempo bother you) and proper wine service and glasses then this is a must go to place. I forgot to mention the wines we drank with dinner. I brought half drunk bottles opened the night before, recorked and reopened last night. 2000 Bannockburn by Farr from Geelong Australia. It was very young tasting the night before but was drinking beautifully last night. It had anutty nose and balanced acidity in the med long finish. It went perfectly with the crab cake and the scallops. We also finished from the night before a 2001 Shirvington also from Australia. It is a shiraz and what a mouthful. It had a long finish with a blend of soft and powdery tannins that just enveloped the whole inside of my mouth. It too was better the second night than the first. We also had a 1998 Deutschke St Jacobi shiraz again from Australia. It was really full bodied explosive fruit that did not want to quit. Soft smooth and velvety tannins that coated the mouth and felt great going down the throat. Their corkage is a reasonable $15.00. especially considering they provide proper glasses and knowlegable wine service.

Edited March 31, 2003 by carpet bagger (log)

[lizziee]

carpet bagger,

Knowing that you are a big fan of Sona, how would you compare the two restaurants? Would you consider this a fine dining restaurant or as the name suggests more of a bistro? Is it more in the realm of Mimosa which by the way, I haven't been to in years and would love an update on since de Mori left.

Also, did they charge you the full $15.00 for bottles that were already opened?

As always, thanks for the post.

[carpet bagger]

Lizziee, it is not like Sona in style, presentation and is more bistro like. However the dishes are mouthfeelingly delicious like Sona. Really tasty, beautiful balance in the flavours. He compares very favourably with David at Sona. Just not as varied, and more limited in selection. What Ko does is really perfectly balanced in flavours and combination of ingredients. I know nothing about Mimosa. They did charge the full corkage for the open bottles. I don't mind because they are small and make me feel like family. Besides the food is delicious and with tax and tip and corkage it is approximately $60.00 per person. I have been a number of times and never felt short changed. If you go plan the evening and order lots to get the real flavour of the food. Don't be in a hurry because the tempo is slow but acceptably so. Enjoy! They are very caring and friendly people, and understand wine service. It is not in the league of Sona for service but you will enjoy their way too.

[lizziee]

carpet bagger,

Bistro 21 sounds like a real find and not in the normal LA radar dining scene. I notice from checking the reviews that he adds a Japanese sensibility to his cooking. I would imagine, then, that his style would be similar to Cafe Blanc. We will definitely give it a try as I am becoming more and more disillusioned with LA dining options. Would you suggest doing a tasting menu or ordering a number of dishes as splits? The three dishes most often mentioned in the reviews were the foie gras, the lobster and the duck. Are these must tries for a first time?

As I said, we haven't tried Mimosa in years. Bosc was at one time the chef at Lunaria many, many years ago before he opened his own place.

Their web site is at: http://www.mimosarestaurant.com/mimosa/index.html

[carpet bagger]

Lizziee I would recommend ordering and splitting and sharing at the table. He used to do a tasting menu but I noticed it was not offered last time. If it is available you would have to order in advance. You could not order it the same night. I have not been to Cafe Blanc in quite a while but though I have always enjoyed it ,it has not offered the depth and complexity in the same way Ko at Bistro 21. I don't want to be unkind to Cafe Blanc, but the difference for me is like a great wine with a long finish compared to a great wine with great tastes but short finish. As I mentioned, Ko has an uncanny way with the preparation,knowing how long to cook, and food and herb integrations. The marriages of these are incredible. Some of my friends who have been there have complained about the timing. It is slow but how much can you complain when it is so perfect anyway. Some places that have bad timing also send out inedible food because of the timing. Another difficulty I have had is the menu doesn't change often enough. The only problem with this is that I can't go back as I otherwise would. The food that he turns out is wonderful. Believe it or not I have not tried the foie gras. The duck and the lobster are must tries. Also you must check his specials. One time I had a shell fish that I had never had anywhere before. It was some kind of long East coast shellfish elongated that had a shell on the top and bottom. He told me the name but I have forgotten it. I can assure you I have not forgotten the taste. The sauce he prepared was unforgetable, and the texture was like a perfect giant clam cooked so that it was not crunchy, deliciously chewy. I can still taste it and it has been at least 6 months since I ate it. Please let me know how you like everything when you go. I hope that I am not coming across too passionate but this is the way I feel.

[lizziee]

carpet bagger,

Is it possible that the clam you mentioned is called razor clam?

OK, you have convinced me. Bistro 21 will be our next outing for sure.

I have not been to Cafe Blanc in ages so I honestly have no up-to-date information at all. But from times past, I did feel that cafe Blanc stinted on finesse.

I am never one to complain about "slow" service. In fact, I am of the school, that great cuisine takes time and I rather enjoy a lengthy drawn-out meal. If anything, it lets me eat more.

Thank you so much for putting this in my list of must tries.

[carpet bagger]

Lizziee,

I spoke to Ko about chef's menu and he said he does it with 4-5 days notice gladly for those who ask for it. He said it was confusing for people who thought they could just ordere it. He also mentioned that right now he has a special appertiser "sea urchin in a potato crust in tumeric oil." Sounds great! If you have any special requests he will always try to oblige. He really cares and has the ability to produce. ENJOY!

[lizziee]

Can I have the uni in a potato crust to go right now?

[carpet bagger]

For those that are interested, Bistro 21 has Razor clam this week. I spoke to Ko today. I didn't get the other specials but I can't wait to get Razor clam. :biggrin: