Kat's 9 Lives

Petrossian Boutique & Cafe is a well known place to many foodies but I don't think they get nearly enough praise as it should. This place should be packed nightly but I have yet to see the lines outside. Now why is that? Well it is about time for me to add my 2 cents about the infamous Petrossian Boutique & Cafe headed by Chef Benjamin Bailly. Listen up ladies, according to some people at the table he is charming and has an accent so more reason to visit! lol I enjoy the simplistic elegant decor inside where you can enjoy a nice relaxing evening or just stop in for a quick bite.
To start off the evening we had the Cheese Plate, $18. I was not there when they talked about which cheeses were chosen but they did a fabulous pairing. The honeycomb, preserve, marcona almonds, and onion marmalade was wonderful. Surprisingly the bleu cheese went perfectly with the onion component. Normally I pair it with honeycomb but now I have found another fave. This was definitely a great start to the evening. I have to say this was one of the better cheese plates I have had in a while.
Catty Critic was so sweet in treating all of us to Blinis. On top the mini pancakes are Caviar, Trout Roe, and Salmon Roe. Each little bite was light and flavorful. All the components helped accentuate the natural taste of each egg.
It was a tough choice on what to get for appetizers. Bacon vs. Steak! Eek! In the end I was determined to get the Steak Tartare topped with Quail Egg, Caviar, and Herb Salad. They gave a very generous portion. The quail egg mixes well with the raw meat. I would have liked a little more acid or citrus to make the flavor pop more. Don't get me wrong, the steak tartare was good but could have used just a little more seasoning to help accentuate the palette.
The Frisée aux Lardons comes with a Crispy Poached Egg, Bacon, and Fourme D'Ambert. It was a nicely seasoned salad with a generous portion of bacon. Even though the egg had a crisp outer texture, the yolk was runny and not overcooked.
For the main course the Crab Risotto mixed with Sweet Corn, Mascarpone, and topped with Trout Roe was the best dish of the night. Again, the portion was very generous and the flavors were on point. The subtle hints of crab emanated through the creamy risotto. Adding the trout roe helps to add bursts of flavor throughout. The salty flavor was a great mixture with the sweet corn.
I was able to try one of their signature dishes, their Caviar Pizza. Atop a flat bread like cold pizza they topped it with Crème Fraiche, chopped Egg, Red Onion, Capers, and Chives. This was very light and refreshing, but personally it was too light for me. Yes, it is good and a different take but I like my main courses hot and meaty! O=D Still, I am glad to have tried this and get a full evening's experience of caviar.
The Braised Pork Belly with Farro, Black Rice, Wild Mushroom, and Baby Spinach was flavorful and savory. Out of the three choices for Dine LA this was the heaviest main course, which gives a good spectrum of choices for the diner. The meat was well marbled.
When there is crème brûlée I usually have to have it! So the Pistachio Crème Brûlée was the obvious choice. This was light and you can definitely taste the pistachio. I love burnt sugar and just to hear the slight crackle sound is music to my ears.
All in all I enjoyed my meal and felt great about the entire evening. Chef Benjamin Bailly came out to great and chat with us. I like how he is so personable and passionate of his food. I really want to make it to one of the Southern Comfort Food special menu. It would be really great to see him let loose with some innovative creations. I think Petrossian is a solid place to eat in LA/Beverly Hills and deserves its props. After a nice experience at last year's Dine LA I am glad I came back again to sample a completely new menu. If you ever come, you HAVE to try that cheese plate! It was simply marvelous!

Petrossian Boutique & Cafe
321 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 271-0576