Happy Birthday Viet Linh; Dinner at Raphael
My sister-in-law, Viet Linh’s, birthday is just one day before my sister’s birthday. I’m always exhausted and super busy during March, but it’s always fun. For Viet-Linh’s birthday I was happily invited to dinner at a beautiful restaurant called Raphael. It’s located in the very up-and-coming area of Studio City, where plenty of good food is feeding the mouths of the lavish dining culture in the valley. The clientele is a bit older here, but the décor speaks something of class and elegance.
As we perused the menu, we were told by our very attentive waitress that the restaurant’s menu is devised as a small plates menu and that two or three choices per person would be sufficient for sharing and consuming. My brother and his wife had been here before so they decided on a couple of their favorites and then had me choose some as well. We ordered a good sampling of the menu’s diversity and decided to start with eight dishes and then order more after, in order to see which ones, if any, we would like to have again.
mussels, chorizo, white wine, grilled bread
This dish was decidedly plain, a bit on the flavorless side, with the chorizo being very mealy instead of a crisp addition.
charred octopus, soffrito, romesco verde, “ajo blanco”
This plate is visually stunning. The flavors are interesting, but nothing was very aggressive or intense in flavor, like I thought when I first saw the dish, but still very good.
black cod, caramel, Vietnamese spiced duck broth, herbs
Probably one of my favorite dishes of the night. The spices were aggressive and the duck broth was flavorful and bright, with the addition of a bit of sweetness and the buttery flesh of the perfectly cooked cod. This is a go to dish for Raphael.albacore tartare, Thai flavors
An interesting presentation and a good flavor profile for a classic preparation. Nothing over the top, but a very well executed, delicious dish.
roasted beets, goat cheese, coffee
Visually stunning. The beets were perfectly roasted and their texture wonderful. I don’t know if I generally like the combination of flavors here with the dusty coffee. It didn’t have a very pungent flavor. A beets dish nonetheless; nothing over the top, but wonderful presentation. hawaiian kampachi tiradito, crispy shallot, chile vinaigrette, cilantro, finger lime
Lovely Kampachi. Kampachi is one of my favorite fish, especially when turned into a delicious raw preparation, such as this. The flavors were well-rounded with spice, salt and acid and I loved it.
fried chicken, grilled frisee, mashed potato, chorizo gravy
not pictured
This fried chicken is first sous vide and then fried, leaving the large round mound of meat in the inside, very tender, and the outside, very crisp. It’s a delicious dish with very light and fluffy mashed potatoes and a salt riddled gravy. A highlight in the meal.
pork belly, Vietnamese flavors
This pork belly is served very crispy on the outside and with a delicious pate, almost like a Vietnamese style banh mi, with pickled carrots and daikon, as well as some fresh cilantro. Very appetizing and a wonderful set of textures.
veal cheek, farro “risotto”, truffle
Farro is one of my favorite grains and I’m glad we decided to get this dish, because it was just the perfect luscious consistency. The veal cheek melts in your mouth and the crunch from the hearty farro kept me coming back for more. Well done.
pork tenderloin
The flavor of the dish was good, but by the time I had it, it was difficult to decipher everything in the plate–there was so much going on. The pork was cooked well and the plate itself beautiful.
banana bread pudding tempura bananas, peanut brittle, housemade peanut butter ice cream
I’m not a big fan of bananas, but my sister loves this dessert: it’s her favorite. It was rather well done. I liked the peanut butter ice cream.
lemon meringue three ways
My favorite pairing is raspberry and lemon. The textures and different styles of making the creams and foams of the dish was masterful, interesting and like nothing I’d ever had. I loved the whole thing.
The whole meal was really an interesting progression of flavors, interesting techniques and different ideas put together. Chef Adam and company are doing a wonderful job showcasing flavors of the season and their own multicultural style and I can appreciate and learn from their style and techniques. Thank you for a wonderful meal.