Season 1: Alright, Harold rightfully won.
Season 2: I thought Marcel should have won. Well, lucky Angelenos can taste his cooking at Bazaar (the best restaurant I ate at last year), and also at Breadbar Hatchi on December 17, which we just procured reservations - see you then!
Season 3: Yes, Hung deserved it too
Season 4: Although Stephanie was a sweetheart, Blais was spectacular. I thought he should have won
Season 5: Despite his arrogance, I thought Stefan was the most skilled chef in the group.
If this trend continues, we're due for no upsets this season, so season 7 winner would be Kevin (although I secretly want stud Michael V. to win...)
Stefan Richter was the cocky Top Chef finalist from Season 5. I actually thought he was excellent, of course I had never tasted his food, but he seemed to be on top of most of the challenges and his dishes were creative. So when I heard that he was opening up shop in my neighborhood no less, I was estactic. Stefan is Finnish by birth, but grew up in Germany. LB and I spent a week in Finland last Fall and I remembered a lot of vodka (alcohol is the country's #1 killer!) and reindeer. Stefan's food definitely leans towards German but interestingly, his menu is so much more contemporary. Joining me for dinner were Stefan and LB.
Stefan's LA Farm took over the spot of Califonia-French restaurant, LA Farm. I had never been but LB was a fan. It is located in a semi-secluded area on Olympic Blvd in Lantana Center, that houses production offices . You had to take a ticket to park in the center, but if you self park, it's actually free after 9pm (the ticket booth guy leaves at 9). So take your time at dinner if you want free parking. The restaurant space includes an indoor dining area and bar, and an outside patio. The decor is modern and trendy, and the music is great (think old school rock). The menu includes small plates and entrees. The small plates were actually more like little bites; we were advised by our waitress to order one small plate per person as nothing is really big enough for sharing.
Ordered a round of drinks
- Grape Collins; Gin, sour cocktail, grapes. It tasted like a watered down limeade
- Finnish me off: Finlandia tangerine, triple sec, peach tea, fresh lime and cranberry. I liked this drink, it was refreshing. It is served in a martini glass, is a nice orangey color, and looks like something that Carrie Bradshaw would drink
- Wild Lemonade: Wild turkey and lemon
This came out almost immediately after we had ordered our dishes; a bit suspicious. I liked the salt on the foie but I thought that it had a bit too much pepper. The brioche was perfectly toasted, buttery and crispy. I liked the foie and thought it was rich and a nice size. LB thought it was too pungent.
This was my favorite of the small plates. The bisque was spicy and creamy, and I thought the coconut flavor added a richness to the bisque. I also loved the lemongrass, which had a distinct flavor and aroma.
While we gave our orders for our small plates, our waitress asked if any of us liked oysters. We had already read online that the oysters were sub par so we deliberately did not order it. The waitress kept insisting that we order it. It's sooooooooo good, she said. Alright, perhaps the reviewers had a bad batch, so LB decided to give it a chance.
The oyster didn't taste fresh. It was so fishy that LB couldn't even taste the other ingredients.
The schnitzel seemed to be deep fried instead of pan fried. The batter was hard and dry, which sort of overwhelmed the dish; I couldn't really taste the sweetbread. I think it would have been fine if I had thought I was eating a chicken nugget, but knowing that sweetbread was the main component of the dish but yet could not taste it, was really a waste. The schnitzel was served on top a potato salad which I thought was too sour due to the pickles.
An issue I had was that the wait staff would pick up plates without even asking if we were done. Now, I am a pretty fast eater so it wasn't like I was sitting there for a long period of time and not touching my food. I literally looked at my phone and when I looked back up, my plate was gone. This happened a couple of times, the first was when my lovely bisque was taken away even though I clearly still had quite a bit left that I was savoring. Well, I suppose at least their service is efficient.
The meat was fresh and just the right texture (not too coarse and not too fine). It was also seasoned well. Stefan also liked the quail egg that was perfectly poached.
So, off to dessert. Our same waitress raved about dessert. "Everything is amazing". Should we trust her after the oyster misjudgement? Alright, another chance then.
I quite enjoyed my meal at Stefan's. The small plates were fun and was a perfect start to the meal. The meat selections were delicious and well prepared. The small plates were on the more delicate side, while the entrees were heavier comfort food. I was eyeing the mushroom ravioli with foie sauce. Think that will be next on my list.
Hits: Duck, lamb, polenta, wine, bisque
Misses: Oyster, dry schnitzel
Rate: ***
Stefan's at LA Farm
3000 W. Olympic Blvd.,
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