Mystery Critic
The Best Restaurants Out There - And Much More!
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Chocolat - Los Angeles LA has LOTS of restaurants, and I’m sure there are a ton that makes soufflés. But when I heard anyone dares to claim to make the “best souffle in LA”, I need to go check it out. It's a decent restaurant in an interesting area of LA. Melrose Avenue (hey x-gens, can you somehow relate to this street?) is filled with retail shops and restaurants, but somehow it feels kind of deserted. So I was surprise to find such a restaurant in this kind of neighborhood.  LA is not exactly associated with French cuisine – so the first thing I smelled is that this place is in the process of remaking itself. The menu has classic French selections like onion soup, escargots and filet au poivre, but it also has more Californian selections like combination sashimi, artichoke and osso buco (in a french restaurant - what were they thinking???).
The highlight of the meal (and the reason for me to write about this restaurant!) was the soufflé. When I was asked “Grand Marnier, chocolate or combination”, I thought the waiter was joking. But they did bring out a nicely done ying-yang soufflé that was indeed worth the wait (30 min). I must say that neither chocolate or Grand Marnier tasted strong enough, but the hard part (making the soufflé rise but not collapse) was very well done. I love to criticize LA-style service because 1) I live in the far more civilized SF Bay Area and 2) it is unique in how it combines rudeness and friendliness. The waitresses were young, energetic and professional. They were very courteous (maybe because I dress like I’m dining on an expense account) and responsive. They are also adequately nice, but not too much of that LA casualness that it usually downright fake. Did I mention the cuteness? Eh, right, that’s not important at all. I value quality of service and that’s ALL I care about….. Besides sitting on a street that is fun to stroll along (while you try very hard to find Melrose’s Place), the restaurant itself is actually nicely laid out and tastefully decorated, competed with an outdoor, patio and indoor seating for you to choose from. The night I was there, a Tue night, the place was almost empty, so I enjoyed a patio table overlooking the pedestrian-free street. I would give them five star if I consider the cute-looking waitresses, but my wife would beat me up, so I’ll stick with a four. It's hard to compare this place with the other French restaurants in LA since I've never been to any, but overall considering its location and the setting (nice and big), the prices are not outrageous. You'd get ripped off much worse in a French place anywhere in the SF Bay Area. Souffle is actually a great deal - I don't think there's ANY place that makes souffle under $10 nowadays. BOTTOMLINE If you want a real basic Californian French dinner with very good dessert, you won't be disappointed here. Don't expect a Parisien feast though - this is LA, after all..... BTW Do bring a big party - it's a huge restaurant by any standard. The patio seating would be great for a group dinner at night - nice and romantic, but you can get loud without worrying about noise echo. |
