Totally Bazaar!
The opening night of the Bazaar by José Andrés was supposed to be last Monday (11/10), but was delayed until last night (11/17). The restaurant is described as “a modern-day indoor piazza where guests and locals alike can enjoy pioneering culinary creations and intricately-concocted libations throughout several spaces: Bar Centro, Blanco, Rojo and the Pâtisserie.” It sounds a little intimidating I know, but when you walk in the front door the friendly staff are ready to lead you through the evening… and what a fun evening it was!
There were four of us for dinner, my husband Peter, my sister Janet and her husband Paul (whose birthday we were celebrating). We started off with drinks at Bar Centro, which offers a traditional bar menu and modern “new way” drinks. I ordered the “New Way” Dirty martini with spherified olives and brine “air”. I was really excited to try Ferran Adria’s “liquid olive” and it did not disappoint. If you haven’t seen the video clip of Ferran Adria making the liquid olive at el Bulli, then you may not appreciate it as much as I did. The segment was on Mark Bittman’s “The Best Recipes In The World” show on PBS. Episode 9 titled “The Cutting Edge”. It’s worth searching for online if you missed it.
Between the four of us we shared twenty dishes (including two desserts) from both the Rojo (traditional tapas) and Blanco (modern tapas) menu. In addition to cocktails we also tried the White Sangria (which was fantastic), Spanish Marge wine and then finished the evening with Pedro Ximénez Sherry.
Our server Skyler was fantastic. He was enthusiastic, paid great attention to us and really knew the menu inside and out. Simply said, Skyler was a wonderful guide on our trip through the Bazaar!
My favorite dishes (that I would definitely order again and again):
Mozzarella Tomato Pipettes with Micro Basil. These were so fun to eat! At the same time you bite the tomato, you squeeze the pipette into your mouth, a really tasty combination of olive oil and a creamy liquid mozzarella. $8.00
Organized Caesar with Quail Eggs and Parmesan Cheese. This plate was so beautiful we sort of just stared at it for a minute. There was only one quail egg and I was lucky to grab it! Delicious. $9.00
Japanese Baby Peaches with Yogurt and Olive Oil. Sweet and Tart. $12.00
Olives Ferran Adrià. Our server Skyler scooped out the liquid olives from a jar tableside. The plate came with 4 olives, each on it’s own spoon. $10.00 for four “olives”.
Note: If you don’t want to spend the $10 for four liquid olives, just order the “New Way” Dirty Martini… it comes with the olive!
Croquetas de pollo - Chicken and Béchamel Fritters. They tasted like chicken and dumplings mixed inside, crispy on the outside. $7.00
Watermelon Skewers with Pedro Ximénez reduction and Tomato Seeds. A GREAT palate cleanser. $15.00
Jicama Wrapped Guacamole with Micro Cilantro and Corn nuts (above right). $10.00
We also enjoyed:
Selection of five cheeses, served with “picos”, Spanish crispy bread, quince jam and almonds and Pan con tomate - Toasted sliced rustic bread brushed with fresh tomatoes. The Idiazábal cheese was my favorite. $25.00
“Philly Cheesesteak” Air bread filled with cheese and topped with Kobe beef $7.00
Carrilleras de Cerdo con Naranja. Braised Pork Cheeks with California Oranges. $8.00
Gambas al Ajillo. Sautéed Shrimp with Garlic and Guindilla Pepper. $12.00
Patatas Bravas “New Way Jose”. José’s fried potatoes with aioli and spicy tomato sauce. $7.00
Tortilla de Patatas ‘New Way’ - Warm potato foam with a slow cooked egg 63 and caramelized onions. $9.00 (I watched former Top Chef contestant chef Marcel Vigneron make this. It was fun to see him working the foam!)
Bogavante a la Gallega, Galician-style Lobster Medallions with Olive Oil Crushed Potatoes and Smoked Paprika. $15.00
Tempura Avocado with Ponzu Air. $8.00
‘Rossejat’ de Fideos, Traditional fried pasta, paella-style with monkfish and shrimp, cooked in a seafood broth. $10.00
Butifarra con ceps y montgetes del gantxet ‘Daniel Patrick Moynihan’. Homemade pork sausage with white beans $9.00
Lomo de corder con patatas y trufas, Lamb Loin with Mushrooms and Potato. $14.00
Desserts: Apples Carlota, bread pudding and Traditional Spanish Flan with Fresh Cheese and Fruit.
The Bazaar by José Andrés, SLS Hotel
465 South La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 246-5555
http://www.thebazaar.com
______________
12/9/08 - Bazaar Visit #2
Another outstanding dinner at The Bazaar by José Andrés. This time celebrating our friend Laur’s birthday in the “Rojo” dining room, which was warmer and had a more seductive vibe than the “Blanco” we dined in last time.
New dishes we tried this visit included three pretty little “cans” of seafood filled with delicious mussels, oysters and crab called ”Latas Y Conservas”.
From the Rojo menu: “Canning was invented in 1810 in France by Mr. Nicolas Appert. Spain adopted this technique and today is knows for producing the best canned products in the world. Here at the Bazaar by Jose Andres, we make them in house daily.”
Mussels Escabeche, marinated in olive oil, vinegar and smoked paprika $7
Kumamoto Oysters with lemon and black pepper $12
King Crab with Raspberry Vinegar $16
Dashi “Linguini” with tomato seeds, lemon and caviar $9
Traditional Ottoman Carrot Fritters with pistachio sauce $7
Caviar Cone with crème fraîche
My very favorite bite of the night (so much so that I ordered extra!) was the Foie Gras Cotton Candy! Bites of foie gras rolled in crushed CORN NUTS then wrapped in cotton candy. The salty, sweet and super rich flavor was simply incredible.
Dishes we had on our first visit and still enjoyed:
Tortilla de patatas ‘new way’: Warm potato foam with a slow cooked egg at 63 degrees, and caramelized onions $9
‘Philly Cheesesteak’: Air bread stuffed with cheese and topped with Kobe beef $7
‘Rossejat’ de fideos: Traditional fried pasta, paella-style with monkfish and shrimp, cooked in a seafood broth $10
Mozzarella-tomato pipettes with micro basil $8
The Bazaar restaurant is so much fun, especially when you look around and notice that people are smiling at every table. It’s all about jumping in and sharing an exciting new experience together. Whether it’s Ferran Adria’s Liquid Olive (we each had two), potato “foam”, or succulent bites of Kumamoto oysters. I personally feel incredibly grateful that we have our own little bit of “el bulli” right here in L.A.
Thank you José!
Hanging out after dinner…
Positively Delicious Bazaar Reviews Posted on:
With Chef José Andrés at the American Wine & Food Festival, Universal Backlot.
3 Comments
November 19, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Oh my goodness that food all looks so amazing! But that would have been a whole paycheck for me. I’ll have to search for liquid olives, I haven’t heard of them.
November 20, 2008 at 1:33 pm
The pictures are exquisite ! Between you and KevinEats, I have to go there and try the food - it looks so mouth-wateringly GOOD !
November 20, 2008 at 8:47 pm
The pipettes are amazing!
Leave a Reply