Perch - Paris Meets Manhattan in DTLA

From the moment I heard about Perch, I had been dying to go check it out.  Something about rooftop dining, in a bloom of greenery amongst concrete/glass skyscrapers, sounded amazing to me.  It reminded me of Manhattan, or Sevva in Hong Kong, a little bit of home.  But with a French twist.  So basically perfection, towering high above Pershing Square. 

Last weekend, 'Designer' and I decided to head over on a whim after the Korean BBQ Cookoff.  We were in 'day wear' - jersey dress / shirt and shorts - and smelled like we just came from a BBQ, so drinks / dining outdoors in a chic but casual space - just minutes away from Ktown - sounded great to us. 

It was a fabulous adventure from the start - Perch is located at the top of the historic Pershing Square Building, which has an amazing vintage vibe, with a welcoming gold-gilded, glass chandeliered lobby.  We had to take two sets of elevators to get to the restaurant, both of which felt as vintage as the building itself.  The first one was marked with a gold bird silhouette plate next to the button for "13" - which launched our already overactive imaginations into overdrive - hardly any buildings have "13" anymore, thanks to longstanding superstition, and the combination of the unlucky number with the slow-moving vintage elevator triggered thoughts of Being John Malkovich.  We half expected the doors to open out to a 'half' floor, where we would have to crawl out through a low-ceilinged hallway to the second elevator bank.

But alas the 13th floor was full-sized, and we were greeted then escorted to our next ride to the 15th floor.  Perch, we learned, occupies two floors - the restaurant and bar is on the 15th, and a open-air rooftop bar with amazing 360 degree views of downtown LA was on the 16th. 

Our excitement to experience the space was deflated when our hostess let us know that the restaurant was booked full for the night, and the 16th floor reserved for a private party. 

Ever the optimists though, we decided to go for drinks at the bar, enjoy the ambiance of the space and go for a quick look around while putting our names on the waitlist in case of cancellations.


The bar/ lounge was beautiful, even tucked inside the building.  The designers definitely spared no expense with attention to even the smallest detail - everywhere you looked, there was some exquisite embossed wall panel, rustic table or chic amber chandelier that exuded Paris through and through.

We parked ourselves at the bar, where bartenders styled with a 20s/30s look greeted us warmly and asked about our drink preferences before proceeding to create delicious off-menu cocktails for us!  It was a hot day, so I wanted to start with something refreshing and light - and got a cucumber-mint gin drink - that I unfortunately can't remember the name of but that was fantastic.  Designer got an Aperol Spritz (with prosecco and aperol).

As we were finishing our drinks, the hostess came up to deliver great news - they had a table open up, but we could only have it for two hours, and did we want it?  Did we want it?  We practically leaped off our barstools.

They gave us an incredible table on the rooftop terrace that stretched along two sides of the bar/lounge area, with breathtaking views of the surrounding art deco / sleek glass structures.  We were in love with the place before the food ever arrived.

We noshed on baby baguettes, churned butter and olive tapenade while perusing the menu. 

Our eyes lit up while going down the list - though light in its first weeks, it had some unusual offerings that really fit the French theme.  I wanted to try more of the things that are hard to find elsewhere, so I went with a few small plates.  The first of these was the Shake N Bake Drumsticks ($10) which were buttermilk marinated frogs legs with lily root and garlic chips, and a Calvados honey glaze.

I was so excited to try this, as I grew up eating frogs legs cooked the Chinese way and love seeing how it's prepared in other cuisines (and of course the French are famous for theirs).  The Cantonese words for frog are 田雞, which if you take the words individually, translate literally to "field chicken" - and chicken is very much what the legs usually taste like, but with much more intense flavor, juice and a lot skinnier and more veiny. 

Perch's presentation of the dish with uniquely shaped lily root chips was great, and we loved the crispness of the batter coupled with the juicy, yieldy meat underneath - though we wanted the flavor of both the batter and frogs legs to be a bit more pronounced.  I think the flavor was intended to come from the honey glaze, but the small dots of it on the plate were so thick and sticky that they weren't really conducive to dipping.

To go with our meal, we ordered a second round of cocktails - this time I went for something on the menu, a Fancy Navel ($12) with Cognac, Creme de Peche, lemon, OJ and fresh muddled peaches, jalapenos.  This was slightly too syrupy and bitter at the same time, and I definitely liked the first off-menu cocktail much better.

 





Next up was Roasted Bone Marrow ($16) - I had been disappointed a few times with the way bone marrow was prepared at other restaurants (way too oily), but for some reason was in the mood to give it another try.  And Perch didn't disappoint - this was probably the best dish of the night, with the bone marrow nice and fatty but not oily, with a unique consistency that was not quite creamy but almost like softened butter.  This was great spread on the slabs of melba toast that came with the dish.  For accompaniments, there were braised plums, elephant garlic, fleur de sel and wild rocket.  The plums to me were much too thick, sticky and chewy, but designer liked it and thought it went well with the marrow, adding sweetness and a slight tang.

Apres, there was the Duck Duck Goose ($9) three mini clubs layered with seared duck breast, apple wood smoked duck bacon, gooseberry jam, mustard frills, roasted tomato on pain au miel (honey bread).  This was unfortunately one of the biggest disappointments of the night - should have been named, Duck, Duck, Sucker.  I was expecting juicy fatty pieces of duck with a nice char from the seared crust, and had looked forward to the taste of the duck bacon, where fat would again be key. 

I got a plate overrun by dry toast, with pieces of duck that verged on undetectable, except for the fact that it was almost drier tasting than the toast.  The duck bacon fared no better, but was denser in consistency and reminded us of jerky.  There were perhaps two small cherry-tomato sized roasted tomatoes that didn't really taste farm fresh.  I really wanted to love this dish, but could not bring myself to.  That said, I know it'd only been a bit over a week since opening, so have hope that the kitchen will work out the kinks soon.

The entrees on the menu were pretty much all slabs of meat - which suited Designer just fine.  She was torn between the filet and the short ribs dish - and at our super friendly and fantastic server's encouragement she decided to go with the Boeuf Bourguignon Deconstruit ($29) - braised short rib, thumb nail carrots, pork belly, candied garlic, potato lace & chives.  An uber-carnivore, it says a lot that Designer enjoyed the veggies on the plate far more than the meat.  This was the other big, and much more pricey, disappointment of the night.  Braised short rib is usually soaked in flavor, and so tender the meat should fall away with a light flick of the fork.  This was more like well-done steak that looked like it was rare (in color).  At least Designer really did enjoy the vegetables.  With so many places doing great short ribs around the city, in order to compete - especially at the hefty price tag of $29, Perch will really have to up its game with this one (unless they want to just trade entirely on the views from the terrace).

We decided to skip dessert due to the disappointment with some of the other dishes, and that the descriptions of the offerings from beignets to pot de creme to apple tart did not really inspire us. Also, we thought we could come back another time for just drinks and appetizers, or dessert if they step up their game as they get into their groove. And we loved that our server took the time to get our feedback on the meal, stating that the kitchen is really looking for honest opinions so that they can adjust accordingly, since they had just opened.

As we were getting ready to leave, we got our second piece of great news - the private party that was occupying the top floor (with 360 degree views) has mysteriously been cancelled, so we were free to visit upstairs!

The rooftop bar offered fantastic views of the DTLA buildings, and seemed like a great place to hang out with a date or with friends - especially at night with a symphony of lights in the distance, and firepits and heat lamps casting warm glows over the seating areas. A petit, cozy bar with two bartenders is tucked into one corner by the stairs.





All in all, an amazing space that to me seems to marry in the best way, iconic qualities of Paris and Manhattan, vintage and sleek, old world and modern.  It's instantly become one of my favorite scenic spots in LA. 

Also loved the all round fantastic staff and service as well.  Looking forward to returning next time I want to venture downtown for drinks, appetizers and perhaps even a full meal again further down the line, when the kitchen finds its groove.


On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5.5 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5 bites
Ambience - 6.5 stars
Service - 6.5 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$$ (4 bite marks mains)
Probability of return visit - 100% (for drinks & appetizers)

[For more photos from Perch, check out the full album on my Facebook page]

______________________________________________________________________

Perch
448 S Hill St, 15th & 16th Floors, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Ph: 213.802.1770
Parking: In open-air lot across street for $6
Website: perchla.com
_____________________________________________________________________

Zengo Gives Amazing Space, Takes Foodie Experience

With all the hype surrounding the newly redesigned Santa Monica Place, and its high-end rooftop dining (which now ingeniously allows people to enjoy the nearly year-round gorgeous beach weather!), we were very much looking forward to checking out each venue.  When LivingSocialLA recently posted a deal for Zengo, offering $50 worth of food/drinks for $25, we knew that was our cue for the first place to visit.

Though we neglected to make reservations in advance, the friendly hostess secured a table for us within minutes.

Strolling down the hallway next to the exquisitely decorated, airy La Sandia (and making a mental note that that would be our next stop), we arrived at a second hostess desk placed towards the front of the mall and the promenade - and were given a choice to be seated inside or outside.

At our table on the terrace, our waiter explained (reinforced by an intro at the top of the menu) that "Zengo translates to give and take" - referencing the small plates designed for sharing, and the kitchen culture of delivering plates as they're ready.  What we would discover in the course of dinner on a Sunday evening, is that Zengo 'gives' you an incredible rooftop terrace dining in a space with chic interior design through and through, and great service without attitude, but 'takes' away from the foodie experience that you would expect, with the inconsistent quality of its dishes.

Both the main dining room, with its sleek, black decor tempered by warm, luminous bead-shaped bulbs that hang from the ceiling, and the rooftop terrace opening out into the Santa Monica skies and overlooking the entry-way to third street promenade, are absolutely breathtaking. 

Our waiter gave us a minute to soak in the views, then tempted us with intriguing cocktails including a Tamarind-Togarashi Margarita ($11) - a tamarind margarita with a Japanese chili salt rim.  We had unfortunately already been drinking at the Abbott Kinney Festival earlier in the day, and had to pass on more alcohol - but made a note to try this next time.



Seafood Ceviche ($13)

As we were starving, we dove right in with a Seafood Ceviche ($13) starter - which came on a plate with two separate bowls, one filled with shrimp, octopus, calamari, aji panca,heart of palm, orange and serrano, topped by bonito flakes, and the other with fresh fried plantain chips.  This little dish was packed with incredible layers of flavors - the marinade for the ceviche was so good that we wanted to drink it after the seafood was gone!  The chips were also at the perfect thickness and crispiness, and was an ideal companion to offset the chewy and soupey textures of the ceviche. 

Seeing the reference to foie gras in the Hot & Sour Egg Drop Soup ($7) - in the form of pork dumplings complemented by enoki mushrooms and green onions, we had no choice but to try it. This starter however was disappointing - the key to a good hot & sour soup is balance, and this soup base was overly salty and intense (too much soy sauce and vinegar?), overpowering the flavors of all the other ingredients in the dish.  I could not taste the foie in the dumpling at all, nor the pork, and the dough wrapper was tough and chewy - telltale signs that the dumpling, or at least the wrapper, was not freshly made.  It also didn't help that the whole thing came in a bowl that was about a 1.5 cup serving size - where we could have easily gotten 5 times that portion at any decent Chinese restaurant in town for the same price - and it would have exhibited 5 times the skill in controlling the balance of flavors.



Grilled beef short ribs ($14)

Our next small plate: Grilled Beef Short Ribs ($14) with manchego cheese potato puree, hoisin-adobo, dragon sauce and huitlacoche.  The beef was tender, coming apart even as we lifted them with our chopsticks.  The sweet, salty and slightly spicy flavors were intricately woven in the different sauces, which we loved - but which also unfortunately only reached the top layers of meat.  This dish only delivered on the first few bites - once we got to the middle of the beef tower, the wonderful flavors completely went MIA.



Chipotle-miso Glazed Black Cod ($16)

 Having picked a dish "From the Land", our next plate was "From the Sea" - Chipotle-miso Glazed Black Cod ($16) with daikon radish and lemon-togarashi aioli.  This was easily the best-of-meal dish, slightly crisped with browned sugary edges, and juicy and tender overall, flaking away at the bare touch of our chopsticks.  The daikon radish added a nice crunch to counterbalance the texture of the fish, and unlike its 'land-locked' counterpart, the fish was infused with flavor throughout, and the aioli added a nice kick.

At our friendly and attentive server's suggestion (he noticed when my Arnold Palmer was finished and brought a refill immediately without me having to ask!) - we also ordered Wok Fried Rice ($8 - not pictured) to round out the meal - the rice was packed with duck, shrimp, pork, egg, carrot and scallion - and was a good complement to the other dishes, though again portion size was very small - enough for two people only as sides. But we made the choice to spend the extra $3 to get the fried rice rather than plain jane jasmine rice for $5.

Though the portions were small for the price, we did find that between the two of us, the two starters, two small plates and fried rice was enough to leave us stuffed at the end of the night, with no room for dessert.  And of course, we were happy that after the $50 LivingSocialLA certificate was applied, we only had to pay $30 extra including tip.

All in all, Zengo was indeed a give and take experience - we loved the culinary adventure in concept, with the introduction of ingredients we haven't encountered, or encountered in that combination, in other LA venues before - and enjoyed the incredible rooftop dining space, great ambience, and friendly, attentive service, but the execution of the food was uneven, and were it not for the saving grace of the LivingSocialLA certificate, we would have felt the sting of haute cuisine prices more sharply.  Zengo may serve as a great spot for drinks with friends or a date for the ambience alone - but serious foodies, at least for now (perhaps the food will improve over time), are better off 'giving' their money to other takers.

On a 7 point scale:

Flavor - 5 bites

Presentation - 5.5 bites

Originality - 5.5 bites

Ambience - 6 stars

Service - 6 stars

Overall experience - 5.5 bites

Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)

Probability of return visit - 60%

___________________________________________________________

Zengo
395 Santa Monica Place #306N
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Ph: 310.899.1000
Website: richardsandoval.com/zengosm

___________________________________________________________