Dinner at Demitasse – May 27, 2016

Located in the part of Hollywood that gets all of the action, Cahuenga Blvd. between Sunset and Hollywood Blvd. Parking is a true commodity and the bridge and tunnel crowd are here in droves. The hipsters, club goers, bottle service crew are all over this area on the weekends, so if you can find a little slice of heaven in this over zealous region your are doing great. Demitasse offers very elegant food in a nice casual coffee house style venue. But don’t let this coffee house facade fool you; if you decide to dine here you will be in for a real treat.

Five years ago, former corporate lawyer Bobby Roshan established the first Demitasse in Downtown L.A.’s Little Tokyo, then opened two more café locations, one in Santa Monica and mid-city on Wilshire Boulevard. Serving his direct-trade hand roasted coffee, before introducing his new elevated sister concept Demitasse Roastery & Kitchen this past February.

Executive Chef Jeff Lustre exercises his culinary virtuosity, and the food has equal star billing with its liquid counterparts. “It always starts with the ingredient,” says Chef Lustre. “I would see something from the Farmers Market and suddenly remember a dish or two from my travels. I play with the idea and it turns into a completely new dish.” Truly an amazing accomplishment.

Here’s What I tried:

Cocktails:

Cocktails are made with Soju or Sake; no typical spirits are served here.

Demi – Mary with organic tomato juice, Soju, fresh horseradish herbs and spices. Smooth and refreshing, you really would not miss the Vodka.

Adult Spiced Latte, with cardamaro, cinnamon syrup, nitro cold brew, cream and organic cinnamon. Nice sweet sensation hits your palate then you get the coffee buzz and the spicy twist.

Sake Swizzle with organic sake, fresh limejuice and pink peppercorn. Very tangy, I added a little bit of honey and it made all the difference in the world for me.

Wine:

Pinot Gris, Didier Gerbelle, Val D’Aosta, Italy 2012. Very floral with an interesting cream color, it went great with the Crudo.

Marsanne, Laurent Habrard, Croze Hermitage, France 2011. I love this wine with the Purple Yam Gnocchi, what a great combination.

Malbec, Mas Del Perie “Escures” Cahors, France 2014. Hands down you have to drink this very mellow Malbec with the Oxtail Caldereta.

Food:

Angus Brisket Sandwich with caramelized onions, Chimichurri, potato, chayote slaw on a cemita bun. Very stringy meat with tenderness that just comes with the preparation. Kind of deli style adorned with pickles. This sandwich rocks.

Barley Salad with roasted beets, baby carrots, and fennel. Very healthy with perfectly cooked red beets and barley that pop in your mouth.

Vegetarian Lumpia with green beans, snap peas, peanuts and black garlic. Not what you would expect, no grease just goodness that wraps itself around your taste buds.

Crudo with yellow tail, ogo seaweed, candlenut, rice pellets and avocado. This is the most amazing thing that is served at Demitasse; you just have to try it.

Purple Yam Gnocchi, made with Maiz fonduta, Enoki mushrooms and corn shoots. My favorite Gnocchi ever. The presentation alone will make you very happy, but when you taste all of these complicated ingredients you will just want to have this dish at least once a week.

Oxtail Caldereta featuring Mandilli de Sea pasta and pecorino. The pasta is so brilliant and the sauce is just pure pleasure.

Trout, accompanied by strawberries, tapioca pearls and pine nuts. The trout is very thinly sliced and the tapioca adds a comfort food element that truly takes you by surprise.

Dessert:

Chocolate Mousse with hazelnut, strawberry and lemon curd. It’s a small portion, which is good, and has all of the strong chocolate flavors that you would expect from a mousse, definitely for the chocolate lover.

Cassava Cake with Sichuan-Pineapple sorbet and Coconut tuile, a very terrific tropical treat with sensational texture, this cake is very special.

Very minimal interiors, with a true coffee house atmosphere, but the outdoor seating area is where you will get all of the good people watching in. Including the passer byes from the side walk, mostly walking up to Hollywood Blvd., and the club scene right on the street, it’s good viewing either way.

The staff is very engaging, my server Dave made everything easy, explained all of the ingredients and what it took to bring these lovely gems to fruition. The presentation is simple and beautiful, with each dish exhibiting their very best in flavors and little nuances that you just don’t find anywhere in the area.

Demitasse Roastery & Kitchen boasts fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, many of which are procured weekly at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market. Demitasse Roastery & Kitchen is open for Breakfast Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 11:30 am; Lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm; Dinner from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm nightly; Brunch Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Demitasse Roastery & Kitchen
1542 North Cahuenga Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028
T: 323.498.5155
www.cafedemitasse.com

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