Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Petrossian (DineLA)

On a beautiful Sunday morning, my boyfriend and I drove down Robertson Blvd, found the perfect parking spot just across the street from Petrossian, and decided to take our lunch outside. Petrossian had charming little tables set out on the sidewalk and the weather was just perfect. I had been looking forward to this meal all weekend.
Maybe I had too high of hopes. Maybe the dineLA menu didn't showcase Petrossian's specialties. Maybe chef Ben Bailly wasn't in the kitchen that Sunday. Maybe Petrossian is better for dinner. All I know is...

Petrossian, I am unimpressed.

Don't get me wrong, the food wasn't bad or anything. It just wasn't spectacular at all. For all the praise Petrossian's been getting, I was expecting something with more weight and flavor. Everything was just okay.

Petrossian
321 North Robertson Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 271-6300
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Wild Mushroom Cappuccino
braised chestnut, croutons
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Well first of all, there were no braised chestnuts in my cup of soup. There was also no texture or flavor. It was a cup of bland, faintly mushroom-y cream. The three croutons was not able to help this soup very much.

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Classic Cold Borsht
creme fraiche, caviar
This was perhaps the highlight of my meal. I don't usually like beets but this soup was so good and complex! It was deliciously tangy with a hint of what seemed like sweet balsamic vinegar, and every so often, you'd get salty pops of caviar and creamy creme fraiche. This was yummy.

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Black Truffle "Mac 'n' Cheese"
orechiette, bacon, parmesan
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I have read reviews where people raved about how this macaroni and cheese dish is the best they've ever had. It was tasty but how bad can a combination of pasta and cheese and bacon be? It was not nearly as spectacular as I was led to believe. I couldn't even taste the truffle.


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321 Salad
smoked salmon, tomato, cucumber, burrata, citrus vinaigrette
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Their smoked salmon was nice--it wasn't too salty. I loved the creamy burrata. All the ingredients were obviously fresh--crunchy cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, and only the heart of hearts of romaine with their beautiful yellow green color. The dressing was also nice and light.
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Sicilian Pistachio Creme Brulee
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This creme brulee had a weird texture. It was not tender and creamy, but a little...chunky and thick? My boyfriend remarked that it tasted like poppyseed muffins. Maybe there was almond extract involved to enhance the "pistachio" flavor?

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Petrossian Chocolate Moelleux
There was no "moelleux" in this chocolate cake. There was no soft, molten center to the chocolate cake. Yes, it was kind of warm but it was so dry and so disappointing! Definitely over-baked. When I see the word "moelleux" I expect to cut into the cake and have liquid chocolate-ness coming out! Even the picture on the Petrossian website is misleading. It depicts the same little chocolate cake with a waterfall of molten chocolate coming out!

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"Description: This ultra moist little cake with the soft "sunken" center is served warm, its velvety molten chocolate flowing seductively onto the plate with your first taste."

Lies!

8 comments:

  1. Petrossian has been getting an inordinate amount of press as of late. I still need to make my way here, not with DineLA though.

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  2. Hopefully their regular menu is tastier!

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  3. Just like that chocolate moelleux, this may be the first non-gushing review of Petrossian I've seen.

    At least it looked pretty. :)

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  4. I know! I really wanted to gush too! There just unfortunately was not much to gush about. I would give definitely give Petrossian a second chance though...

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  5. the salad looked really yummy... i always am bummed too when i try a place and it's not as great as expected.. i always wonder if the chef (that is famous) wasn't in the kitchen when the meal isn't crazy amazing.

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  6. I'm kinda bummed you didn't enjoy Petrossian and I've loved my three visits there. Chef Bailly takes good care of us, so I'm not sure if he's there that day when you went. When I return (which should be soon), I'll let you know :)

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  7. That would be great! I've been meaning to give Petrossian another chance :)

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