Dinner at Papilles – July 2012

I met Santos Uy at the Live and Dine LA event at the Fairmont in Santa Monica, his food was simply divine, so I was so excited when he invited me to come taste his mouth watering cuisine. His restaurant is tucked away in a small corner mall on busy Franklin Blvd, in Hollywood. It would have to be something you would stumble upon by accident or by word of mouth. Santos was the owner of 2 very successful restaurants, Bacaro and Mignon. In 2011 he sold his shares and started to conceive Papilles. The menu is pre fix and changes weekly.

Tim Carey is the chef. A California native, his first industry job was as a fish monger at Point Loma Seafoods in San Diego. He has worked at Sbicca Bistro in Del Mar and Island Prime in San Diego. While working, he graduated from The California School of Culinary Arts. He knew he had really arrived when he started cooking at Patina, now he is the quintessential chef driving this kitchen where he is very happy with his culinary journey, and what he calls bistronomy at Papilles.

I came on a Tuesday night; with 35 seats half the restaurant was full.  There were some nice menu choices and Santos did the wine pairing for me.

Here’s what I tried:
The bread is served in a cute little red colander, and it is delicious.

First Course:
Potato Leek soup, with a basil coule. Chef Tim Carey specializes in soups and sauces, and this soup hits the spot. Just the right amount of potato leek flavors with a very creamy consistency.

Smoked Salmon Frisee Salad. The smoked salmon is so fantastic, never tasted smoked salmon like this before, a big winner.

The wine paired with both was Ze Ruze 2011  Domaine Du Pas De L’escallete Coteaux du Languedoc. The perfect choice with all its great fruit essence, very bright, with no immediate sweetness that you might expect from a Rose.

Second Course:

Swordfish with eggplant and heirloom tomato, with chorizo saffron nage. This fish is so delicate, and the sauce is the crowning jewel of this most astonishing dish. Chef Tim Carey is a magician, it must be slight of hand, but what is presented to you is truly magical.

Small Loin Lamb Chops confit potato, heirloom beans and lamb jus. The lamb is perfectly grilled, with a nice seasoned crust. The beans are a very interesting choice, they are not mashed or refried, they are just presented in their large original form.

The wines paired with this by Santos:
Gigondas 2007 Greneche and Domaine Du Terme 2007. This wine is so good with the lamb; ripe cherry flavors enhance the meat and the sauce.

Henri Milan – Le Grand Blanc. Rich floral accents in this wine work great with this fish.

Third Course:
Blue Cheese, almonds and honey.

Creamy custard with basil.
The wine paired was a nice sauterne, matched the cheese and the sweetness of the custard.

The décor is simple, with all of the great wines on shelves on one wall, and some nice floral artwork on another. They play a good variety of old 30’s 40’s music, which adds to the overall ambiance.

From what I tasted, everything is prepared with all the little nuances that great food provides. Every attention to detail, and very high-end ingredients are implemented. The same feeling I had when I was in Paris, where you can eat well casually, and need not pay top dollar to enjoy haute cuisine. Santos spent a lot of time in Paris, and has successfully fashioned his dining room like a casual Paris Bistrot. Papille is French for tastebuds, and it is guaranteed to make them sing! I would try this unique restaurant, and know that you are being blessed by a very profound experience. Especially because chef Tim Carey makes it all very worthwhile.

My disappointment:
I try to be upbeat in all of my reviews, and critique the good things, as I am an eternal optimist. Here I had to say something; I noticed that there was a steak for a very inexpensive 33.00 for 2, and asked if I could taste that as well, Santos said it was reserved for some special, or something like that, was not really sure what he said or meant. He basically said that I would not be trying this special. I would have not minded not trying it however, his Mother and Father were sitting at a table with 3 other people right behind me, and Chef Tim Carey made a big deal when he served it to them, and announced it. he served it in a frying pan, and you could not help hear the sizzle and smell the great steak aroma. Then to make matter worse I listened to all of them gush at how good it was. Honestly, when I go to do a proper review I like to taste all of the house specialties. What were they thinking? How can I recommend something when I am not allowed to taste it? I even said something to the chef and he said I should come back and try one. Too late. Oh well, maybe one of my viewers can try for me.

 

Papilles Bistro
(323) 871-2026
6221 Franklin Ave
Los Angeles, CA.
www.papillesla.com

 

 


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