Providence - Culinary Voyage

Finally, I crossed off Providence of my list. After several recommendations and hearing some mixed reviews about Michael Cimarusti's restaurant, we decided to give it a try during Thanksgiving weekend. My first impression, bad bad interior. I expect luxurious decor with cozy ambiance. For a two stars Michelin guide restaurant, and it was plain ugly looking decoration and atmospere.

Lingering on the menu for a good 15 minutes, we decided to go all out on the chef's tasting menu. After 4 hours long of 16 hit and miss courses, I feel like Providence is not just a dinner, it's an impeccable dining experience. The savory courses made by Cimarusti's magical hands were spectacularly genius. Complex ingredients that I never thought of were put together and works well together. Food plating and presentation were flawless and rally my visual senses.

greyhound, mojito, gin and tonic gelee - hit

cured sea trout, gougeres, white soy/ wasabi marshmallow, carrot soup/vadouvan - so-so

hokkaido scallop. nasturtium blossoms, fresh grated wasabi, crispy rice cracker - hit

dungeness crab, mandarin, avocado crepe - hit

santa barbara sea urchin. cauliflower parfait - hit

soft scrambled eggs with italian black truffles. served with toasted brioche - miss

unagi risotto with italian black summer truffles, quail egg - hit

niman ranch pork belly. carrot-orange puree, pickled ramps, mizuna, carrot-ginger butter - miss

wild new zealand john dory. matsutake, rosemary - my favorite!

loin of colorado lamb. cauliflower brussels sprouts - hit, cauliflower never taste that good!

cheese platter 

The service was stellar, no doubt, when you pay so much, you'll expect professional and knowledgeable service. Desserts are exceptionally mind-blowing! Exquisite creativity and combination of ingredients melts in my mouth. Fabulous endings!   

kalamansi gelèe. white chocolate coconut soy milk soup, litchi-shisho sorbet - hit

tangerine. ginger granita, vanilla ice cream, basil - so-so

apples in butterscotch, cashews, north star cherries, miso ice cream - hit

milk chocolate-whiskey panna cotta, bailey's ice cream, coconut ravioto - hit

Providence delivers an extraordinary meals of my life, however how much are you willing to pay for good food? I'm not rushing back to Providence any time soon. $400 (for two) a pop, that's why. But if money were no object, I'll be delighted to eat here on any given day.

Providence
5955 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 460-4170

www.providencela.com