Pasjoli
Beurre de Baratte – House-Cultured French Butter, Warm Baguette
Brown Butter Potato Chips
Crabe et Chou-Fleur – Blue Crab, Cauliflower Cream, Sorrel
Ragoût d’oignons Caramélisés – Caramelized Onion, Gruyère, Pâte Brisée
Brandad de Morue – Whipped Black Cod, Potatoes, Toasted Baguette
Tete de Cochon – Pig Head Terrine, Braised Green Lentils, Arugula Salad
Quenelle et Caviar – Scallop, Caviar, Beurre Blanc
Canard à la Rouennaise à la Presse (Escoffier 3476)
Salad of Salanova Lettuce and Crispy Duck Skin
Duck Leg and Preserved Cherry Bread Pudding
Gratin de Fenouil – Sliced Fennel Bulb Gratin
Homard Vol-au-vent – Half Lobster in Puff Pastry, Roasted Broccolini, Sauce Béarnaise
Broccolini – Bayonne Ham, Béarnaise
Omelette aux Truffes – Fines Herbes, Black Truffle, Gruyère, Salad
Champignons – Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, White Beans, Buckwheat Crêpe
Tarte au Fraise – Tamai Family Farms Strawberries, Whipped Yogurt
Mont Blanc – Chestnut Mousse, Hazelnut Praline, Salted Caramel
Soufflé au Chocolat – Bitter Chocolate, Vanilla Ice Cream
Riz au Lait – Rice Pudding, Rum-roasted Pineapple, Pecans
Fromage – Pont-l’Évêque, Almond, Seasonal Jam
Unlike many first-timers at Pasjoli this diner had already tasted Canard à la Presse from Dave Beran, on June 16th 2011 at Next, the passage of time now seeing Chef Beran at his own Restaurant in Santa Monica where dour service and exposed beams feel out of place considering the gorgeous plating and aggressive prices for half-portions (literally and figuratively) of Food.
Taking a step back, the 10,000 foot view as some might say, Pasjoli is self-described as “an elevated French bistro” and from outside seems every bit the part, large glass windows peering into 2732 Main Street where not a seat is to be found as conversations fueled by Wine frequently reach high volume.
An homage to classic French cooking, framed through the lens of Southern California’s bounty, it is once amidst the Restaurant’s off-white glow that guests will notice details such as painted silk wallpaper plus marble, a certain degree of luxury balanced by dusty brick and green foliage leading from bar to open kitchen and brigade within.
Beautiful despite a name translated as “not pretty,” clearly flippant considering the impeccable appearance of everything across a multi-section menu, it was in monotone that a waiter (guaranteed his pay thanks to Pasjoli’s “no-tipping” policy) answered questions, his hedging about portion sizes for five better understood later as there is very little besides the $185 Duck capable of being adequately shared by such a group.
Undoubtedly a skilled Chef, Beran’s cooking style at the same time reflective and improvisational, Pasjoli’s menu fits right into his wheelhouse, “Ragoût d’oignons Caramélisés” for instance riffing on the idea of French Onion Soup inside a delicate Short Crust Shell while perhaps two-ounces of Crab commands $27 amidst creamed Cauliflower not nearly so special as Lincoln Carson’s Crustacean construction at Bon Temps downtown.
Upselling half-Baguettes for $9 by way of House-Cultured French Butter, easily double the cost of Paris’ best, it was at similar price that guests were allowed to purchase eight Brown Butter Potato Chips typically sold with Caviar, their flavor largely indistinguishable from Lay’s though a thicker cut yielded better crunch.
Progressing with all the right terms, several Mother Sauces building up an inclusive glossary, Brandad de Morue was a welcome surprise with texture akin to something made by iSi Whip while $26 Tete de Cochon offered one decent mouthful for the four diners willing to partake, though admittedly the balance achieved between Lentils, Meat and Greens was faultless.
Understanding the cost of Caviar, and thus not surprised that Pasjoli’s Quenelle is as tiny as it is sublime, it was after soaking up all the residual Beurre Blanc with another half-Baguette that a Chef rolled up with his teak trolley, the ruby-red flesh of Duck soon exposed by quick knife strokes and poultry shears before Breast is returned to the kitchen with innards left to be crushed into Sauce tableside.
Straight from Escoffier for the Sauce, expressed Blood slowly simmered with Herbs, Bordeaux and Cognac, the rest of Pasjoli’s Duck is largely like any other Magret, which leaves room to shine for Sides including Duck Skin Salad and decadent Bread Pudding with the Confit Legs of another Bird, though equally impressive is Fennel Gratin and Broccolini with a bit of snap mixed with Béarnaise and Pork.
Not limiting the child of mother Hollandaise to just Vegetables, but using Béarnaise also to top poached Lobster surrounded in Puff Pastry, Beran does not forget vegetarians with the one-two punch of Omelette and Crêpe, and no matter how one feels about eating Animals it is hard to imagine any Restaurant doing “breakfast for dinner” better in 2020.
Placing the aforementioned in Chef de cuisine Matthew Kim’s capable hands, but listing no specific Pastry Chef, Pasjoli runs a gamut of sweets with traditional roots, composed Cheese service as a textural Parfait the highlight along with a textbook Mont Blanc while the $19 half-Tart and five-bite Souffle for $24 are laughable, as too would be 1/4 the portion of L’Ami Jean’s Rice Pudding at a similar cost if the boozy Pineapple and sidecar of Caramel weren’t so good.
www.pasjoli.com