Le Ka
Chicken Faux Gras with Quince Gelee and Grapes, Gingerbread
Duck Rillettes with Toasted Bread, Pickles, and Mustard
Santa Barbara Uni with Braised Oxtail and Congee
Brioche Bread Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce
In a city where many restaurants present as much (or more) style as substance I had my suspicions the moment I entered the chic space that houses Le Ka and with waitresses as pretty as the space plus a bar scene where I heard a man espousing the reasons he prefers New Zealand to Australia to a duo of female bartenders I only hoped Jonathan Gold’s comments about the ‘faux gras’ would prove to be true…and while I was there, why not try a few other appetizers as well?
Featuring low lights, fancy cocktails, and an open kitchen plus service that is efficient if not necessarily informative the food during my pre-game visit would turn out to be a bit hit and miss; the chicken liver most certainly not foie gras, yet better than the average chicken liver using quince and grapes to mellow some of the harsh metallic tones while the duck rillets would actually prove much more interesting – smoky and moist with simple toasted bread as opposed to the overly spiced gingerbread.
Moving next to the ‘congee’ – you’d be wise to skip this overpriced and undersized mess, the rice not even as creamy as risotto, let alone porridge and the urchin just window dressing over the collagenous beef. Instead, save time and capacity for the bread pudding; a true ‘pudding’ with small croutons of bread swimming in a sauce that at first seems too sweet before showing layers of boozy and buttery complexity – a truly exquisite dessert that rivals Mozza’s budino for best dessert in the city.