Judging Mr. Craftsman

Proud to be a sucker for Top Chef, I was so ecstatic to visit Tom Colicchio's restaurant. For namesake, we're dying to try Tom's crafts and see if the critic is a true craftsman.  Now, the table has turned and it's our time to be the judge.

I was digging the dinning room. It was a modern architecture with a touch of woods and beige color. hundreds of Edison bulbs are dangling all over the ceiling, we appreciate the wonderful settings of the color scheme.

The serving was a family style, so we were enthusiastically shared all the dishes. Amusingly, Craft is very generous with amuse bouche: complimentary bite size hors d'oeurve to tickle our taste buds. In our case, three time's a charm!

Three first courses, five main courses, two side dishes, two desserts, and three amuse bouche later...

artisan bread. sourdough and dark squaw bread. warm and crusty.

First courses:

1st complimentary amuse: butternut squash topped with pumpkin seeds.

Peruvian octopus with pineapple cubes, jalapeno, and yogurt. perfectly grilled to tenderness on the inside. 

roasted foie gras. even though this foie gras was delish, I still would prefer to eat Animal's foie gras on any given day. 

 

Pork Tortellini & Medjool Dates. pretty bland, my least favorite appetizer.

Main Courses:

Venison saddle, cocoa nib & cipollini. medium cooked, juicy, and divinely cooked.

organic farm chicken. flavorful chicken but for me it was just decent. 

 

This one got me drooling over and over. Diver sea scallops. perfectly seared with buttery taste, making the boring-looking sea creatures the most succulent thing on the table. Must try!

 

35 Day Dry-Aged Sirloin. the lightly seasoned, medium cooked meat is rich of flavor. One of my favorite dishes. 

Side dishes:

 Au Gratin. creamy, cheesy, heavy loaded sliced pie potato. yumm...

Yukon Gold Purée. soft textured and light. the boys find it unsatisfying, but for the girls it was a dreamy feeling.

Dessert:

2nd complimentary amuse: yogurt panna cotta with sour gelee. the best stuff keeps on coming! the gelee is very sour but when you get to the vanilla bean, hmmm.... can't beat this on the house dessert.

rhubarb cobbler & mexican vanilla ice cream. my least favorite dessert: uber sour and boiling hot rhubarb. thank goodness for the vanilla ice cream on the other side of the island, my tongue was rescued...

chocolate banana tart, macadamia nuts, dates & coconut sorbet. decadence on a plate, highly recommended!

3rd complimentary amuse: caramel popcorn...+

white macadamia cookie, apple hazelnut cookie

and a home made granola for each of us!

Overall, Craft is pretty outstanding.  Not only the food was mouthwatering, the portion was surprisingly generous. In terms of the restaurant design, it's officially one of the most ravishing layout. Seeing Tom Colicchio himself in person throughout the dinner was another bonus added to the stellar experience. And who can say no to plenteous of amuse bouche?

Craft

10100 Constellation Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90067

(310) 279-4180

www.craftrestaurant.com