Bistro LQ

Amazing service and memorable food. Left hungry. Olive bread, olive oil, guacamole made with peas, and a pistachio dipping sauce to die for. Not as popular was when they threw pigeon on our table and called it something fancy. Also not a hit was the twenty deserts. The only one worth while was the champagne glass filled with mouse. Will come back for cheeses.

4.20 Weed + Chinese Herb Dinner (somewhere in Downtown)
The 4.20 Weed + Chinese Herb Din Dins by Laurent Quenioux & Thi Tran was a fun affair coordinated by the ever so loopy and affable Commodore Booty McHooters, who actually is wilier than a fox. We all congregated at our secrete rendez-​vous point somewhere near the 4^th Street Bridge on the pretext that we were all assembled for a Lionel Ritchie Tribute Tour. (All this was explained in an e-​mail just the day before.) A middle aged Asian guy in a white Mercedes came by and asked if we were going to the dinner. So we answered back that we were there for the Lionel Ritchie Tour. He gave us a really quizzical look and drove on.
We were led to a loft-​like space with a cocktail reception that included Hemp Beer… no duh. And then we were seated in long rows of tables where you had better have gone to the restroom or forever hold your peace since the seating was so tight. There were five courses where Cannabis was either used as a garnish or as a minor ingredient.
1) Silky Bantam Chicken, Chicken Skin, Avocado, Pink Grapefruit, Cannabis Leaves, Citrus Oil, Pickled Beet, Solomon’s Leaf: The chicken meat was rough ground with red bell pepper and a green herb and baked like a terrine. The chicken skin acted like a casing to enclose the terrine. Solomon’s Seal in the aspargus family was presented as a leaf and helps in healing of cuts & bruises. A darker brown hemp beer that was yeasty and slightly sweet with a brown sugar tone was paired.
2) Sparerib, Angelica Root, Wolfberries, Begamot Glazed Pork Belly, Green Apple, Green Garlic, Coleslaw: The sparerib was meaty, and the porkbelly was grilled to crispness. Angelica root thinly sliced over the meat was lightly oniony and had a faint anise like fragrance. Angelica root is in the carrot family and is used to flavor gin and Chartreuse as well as help in healing wounds. Wolfberries, known as Goji, are in the potato/​tomato family and have antibacterial and antifungal properties. Bergamot is an orange in which the oil is used to flavor Earl Grey Tea, and helps minimize cholesterol production in the body. A drink called the «Chosen One» which had sliced green Shiso Leaf and tasted of bitter citrus was offered.
3) Monkfish, Congee, Cannabis Epazote Pesto, Nettles, Shiso Sprouts, Young Carrot: Monkfish was grilled and set on top of bright green herbal cannabis & epazote pesto infused rice gruel. A super sour, acidic and bitter drink was mated to the dish.
4) Beef Culotte, Onion Bacon Cannabis Tart, Sunchoke, Nameko: Slices of grilled medium rare steak with a starchy onion bacon tart, heart of artichoke, and Nameko which are small, slightly gelatinous Japanese mushrooms, was ringed by a sauce de demi-​glacé. A large Cannabis leaf was laid on top of the beef as a garnish. A complex drink that had scents of diesel, green herbs, Umami of Katsuo Bushi or Japanese dried bonito flakes, and gin was paired.
5) Osmanthus Panna Cotta, Rhubarb, Namelaka, Blood Orange Sorbet, Cannabis Soil, Kumquat, Asparagus: The panna cotta was creamy and had a very light anise-​like scent, and the Cannabis Soil was more like snow since it was a white greasy fluffy powder that had a smokey funky odor. A parboiled asparagus was added for what effect I can’t figure out, but it was fresh and firm. A rum raisin scented egg nog-​like beverage was partnered.
I’m not sure if all the drinks that were paired with the various courses were an ideal pairing, since many of the drinks seemed so intense in flavors based on sour and bitter. However, I found out that drinking all of them, even in relatively small amounts, slowly kicked my ass. Whoever the mixologist was, I credit him/​her for not making weak ass drinks.
The concept of creating a meal with accents of Cannabis was an interesting exercise in aesthetics and cooking technique. I like the novelty of it all… sort of like the forbidden fruit which tastes better because it is forbidden. I salute Laurent Quenioux, Thi Tran, & Commodore Booty for organizing this clandestine soirée. They made us feel as though we were made privy to some secret culinary society and that this was a Eleusinian rite of passage for the food obsessed.

I’m particularly bummed I never managed to write a review for Bistro LQ before it closed recently. I had two magnificent meals there. Chef Laurent is an artist and his poetic soul shines in his food.
I’ll have to look up the menu at Vertical Wine Bar in Pasadena where he’s been consulting. And he says he’ll have a new venture soon he can talk about.
In the meantime, I will dream of his foie gras and seafood. Plus, he had the most amazing cheese cart. More amazing than Providence if that’s even possible.

Hmmmmm… I’d been meaning to get rid of this Unilocal bookmark for the longest time…
Well, that was easy.

closed

I’ve been meaning to post a review of Bistro LQ for some time. Last fall, my friend and I ordered the seven course tasting menu with wine paring.
Laurent Quenioux is a culinary genius.
Simply put, his restaurant is amazing. If you want wonderfully conceived, executed, and tasting French food, you have got to come here. Service and attention to detail was impeccable. The dishes were wonderfully inventive. I still rave about the sea urchin on tapioca pudding. And the pigeon. I now want to eat pigeon all the time. It was one of those moments: Why have I not been eating pigeon all these years if it tastes so damn good? His staff also served us an amuse bouche, intermezzo, a second desert, and sent us home with some truffles. We ate and were treated like kings.
I’m very excited to get back for his winter tasting menu.
Highly, highly recommended. Worth every last penny.

I wanted to give it 5 stars, I almost gave it 3 stars, but I’ll settle for 4 stars with the caveat that the food is largely extrordinary while the service is lackluster at best. There is a very long review in the blog. Highlight dishes were:
«Uni» with Sea Urchin Tapioca Pudding, Yuzu Kosho, and Kumamoto oysters in Lobster gelee. An astoundingly textural dish and perhaps the most unique presentation of urchin outside of that at Joel Robuchon this dish balanced the naturally sweet and unctuous urchin with creamy and smooth tapioca pearls in one dish while the shot glass contained a «gelee» with a texture more akin to jello that tasted precisely like lobster coral. With the gelee resting atop an intense and briny oyster and tempered by the spicy citrus of the yuzukosho the entirety of this dish could best be described as somehow separating the sweetest and most savory aspects of the ocean and serving them on a single plate.
Lobster Salad — Corn Cannoli, Red Beet, Burrata Sorbet” this troika of flavors was fun and tasty. Ordered as a half-​portion (again by mother and aunt) the lobster component was a half-​mit and half-​tail of warm butter poached lobster — no more, no less. Accompanying the crustacean would be a curl of house made corn tortilla filled with succulent corn cream and three jewels of earthy beats topped with creamy, rich, and mildly sweet «Burrata Sorbet» that tasted precisely like the famous cheese, but less dense in texture.
«Black Bass — Lentil, Cippolini, Morcella, Smoked Duck Wing, Pequillo.» Well aware that she had no idea what Morcella was when she ordered the dish I was shocked when she took a bite of the Portuguese blood sausage and said «this is really good — but I don’t know what it is» and impressed when the information didn’t seem to faze her… then again, it was really stellar blood sausage. Not to be outdone, the nicely seared black bass and smoky fried duck wing were also excellent while the toothsome lentils, pungent onions, and mild peppers lent a additional complexity to the otherwise hefty proteins. This dish was the exact sort of dish I’d expected entering Bistro LQ and the subsequent dishes would continue the trend.
Duck 2 Ways, a dish consisting of a whole seared duck breast and a full confit leg resting atop pickled cabbage, pickled huckleberries, and a flat pastry-​like Huckleberry Muffin. With the duck prepared expertly and the bursting huckleberries balancing nicely with the savory cabbage I think my favorite aspect of this dish was pairing bites of the duck’s crunchy skin with the huckleberry and duck fat saturated muffin. At $ 17 this «half» portion would have been a $ 30+ main course at many restaurants elsewhere.
Pork — Braised with Chocolate, Achiote, Epasote and Honey Semolina Cake was a masterpiece and clearly showed off the fact that Chef Quenioux knows more than just French fare. While the pork itself was nicely prepared, it largely just served as a mechanism to show off the topping — somewhere between a mole and savory pork gravy with obvious Hispanic influences the complexities of the sauce reminded me of something from a Bayless kitchen — smoky, savory, spicy, and robust. Seated alongside a hollowed green tomato whose insides had been rendered into a sort of ratatouille and matched with two fried sticks of sweet semolina cake this «half» dish was simply a mountain of flavor.
With the chance to meet the Chef after my meal I will say that of all the chefs I’ve met and spoken to, Chef Quenioux was perhaps the most down to earth aside from RJ Cooper. Pleasant and readily dishing his opinion on the restaurant, the Los Angeles dining scene, and even local sports (I mentioned I was a Kings fan and he knew they were playing Edmonton the following night) I thanked him for the experience and told him the food was largely wonderful because it was. Making our way out of the restaurant, a signed menu in hand, and realizing how full I was I have to say that Bistro LQ is definitely unique and Chef Quenioux is genuinely talented, but a new front of the house will be necessary to truly push Bistro LQ into the upper echelon Quenioux is capable of cooking in.

I didn’t care for it.
First problem was that all the great stuff I read about Bistro LQ and the chef wasn’t available to me when I dined there on NYE.
There was only a 6 course prix fixe menu at $ 90. Some of the courses were OK, but none rose to the level of outstanding or memorable. Except the «scrambled egg» starter that included Caviar and vodka crème and a very odd soft boiled egg concoction in an egg shell. This course was memorable because it made me ill.
The Vol au Vent was OK (the pastry shell was flaky and light), the Black Bass was competent, my venison was good and the lamb loin was reminiscent of Beef Wellington.
Dessert was pear sorbet, a chocolate crunch cake, and a spoonful of tapioca.
Again — it was all just OK. The bill (with wine and tip) came to $ 350 for 2 people.
I never saw the much-​vaunted cheese cart (one of the reasons I came) and never saw any sign of the idiosyncratic inventiveness that LQ is noted for. And I guess that’s down to the fact that it was NYE — but when I spoke with the host via phone to make the res no one ever mentioned that it was a specific prix fixe menu and it was mentioned no where on the web site (which I stutied exhaustively before I came).
Service was attentive, but I wouldn’t say it was warm. The actual restaurant environment was cold (to be fair it was 40 degrees outside).
I’m sorry I missed LQ when he was in So Pasadena, and I looked forward to this but like I said — I should have known better than to go on NYE.
So — maybe yesterday Bistro LQ was great and maybe tomorrow it’ll be transcendent — but for me — on NYE. Nothing special…

French with a modern twist. Took the girl here for her birthday.
I’ve been to several really good restaurants, and I think the service at Bistro LQ is some of the best I’ve ever had. Everything was fast, efficient, friendly, cordial, and professional. There was very little time when we didn’t actually have food on our table, and the few times when we did have gaps, they would magically bring something complimentary out from the chef.
They have a weird small/​regular plate system, and if you choose a small plate that requires at least 3 per person. So we got one regular and three small. We also got dessert, but I’ll get to that later. The portions worked perfectly and even the small plates were bigger than the tapas style plates I was expecting. For small plates we got the Mussels, Clams Shrimps, Octopus (Seafood Mix); Lobster Salad; and the Beef Composition (which came with hanger steak and braised short-​rib). For the regular plate we got Diver Scallops (which came with three scallops).
The reason the restaurant gets four versus five stars is because the food did not blow me away. The service and atmosphere was great, but the food actually wasn’t. The salad was regular, the seafood mix was ok, the braised rib was really tender and good, but the hanger steak seemed overly tough. The only thing I liked a lot were the scallops.
For dessert we got the Candy Bars Plate and the Steamed Persimmon Pudding. The dessert was clearly the best part of the meal; but again, it was not in any way amazing or fabulous (which you’d expect based on the price).
Also, there’s a tiny unmarked parking lot in the back, so if you don’t want to pay for street parking you can use it, then go through the back door and enter through the kitchen (just like… James Bond?).

i’m a little torn. I don’t know whether i’d rate the food a 3 or a 4 star. I was actually quite excited to come here after seeing all the great reviews about this place. I came with 2 friends and we had 2 dine LA and one of us ordered off the menu.
I was a little disappointed after seeing that the dineLA menu online is different from the actual dineLA menu at the restaurant. I really wanted to try the artichoke and the head-​cheese as appetizers that they had listed online. I also wanted to try the pork composition, but it was left out on the dineLA menu. It was replaced by Hanger Steak and Pork with chocolate.
Amuse Buche
Frog legs with tapioca green tea mousse. Interesting dish… the green tea tapioca mousse was really good. The frog legs were a little dry and overcooked. 3.5*
Bread
hot ciabbata roll. I loved the bread because it was fresh and so piping hot! 5*
Appetizers
Mr. Fierson Eggs «meurette Style»
2 poached hen eggs in red wine, with cremini mushroom quarters and thick cubed bacon in a red wine sauce. This dish was actually very surprisingly delicious. I would give this dish a 4.5 *. The egg is actually poached in the red wine and the bacon and mushrooms compliment it well. It sat on a thinly sliced crostini.
Artichoke
steamed artichokes with goat cheese, and tomatoes. This dish was very simply prepared. The artichokes are steamed which made the dish so bland. I would of liked to see the artichokes oven roasted which i think brings out the flavor and gives it a nice crunch on the outside. 2*
Smoked salmon
2 blinis with smoked salmon, dill, and crème fresh? I couldn’t make out what it was. It had the consistency of whipped marscapone, did not taste quite like cream cheese. This is something you can have at home and whip up in no time. The little pancake blinis were too dense and dry. After eating all the ingredients together the blinis made everything kind of crumble in my mouth. I didn’t like that. No one finished this dish btw. 1.5*
Entrees…
Beef composition
Short ribs & Hangar Steak. This dish is mediocre. I liked the plating and design. There was a birds nest made out of potato i believe. That was pretty delicious. I would of liked the short rib to have more flavor. The hangar steak was good though. cooked perfectly medium rare all around. 3.5*
Duck 2 ways (small plate)
This one is off the dineLA menu. Comes with a pan seared duck breast and a braised duck leg. The pan seared duck was served with pickled vegetables in a mustard sauce. The braised duck leg sat on top of wild blueberries. I liked the duck breast better, but with the wild blueberries and sauce better than the duck leg. The duck leg was nothing special. It tastes like something I’ve eaten a million times at a Chinese restaurant. 3.5*
Cod 2 ways
This cod is different from the explanation online. Ours was served with mussels and clams. I thought the sauce was really tasty, but i ddin’t like the fish so much. It was very flaky which is a good thingy, but I guess i didn’t like the texture of the fish. My friend loved it though. Personally I’d give this a 3*, but she would probably give it a 4*
Black Bass (small plate)
we ordered this off the dineLA menu. came with a slice of octopus and blood sausage. The blood sausage was really good. The food was very flaky and cooked well. I liked this dish, but it wasn’t anything special. I don’t crave it, but i do crave the blood sausage. 4*
Desserts…
Pot de Crème
silky chocolate expresso mousse with hazelnut ice cream. This was okay. It was like eating milk chocolate thats been melted down, poured in a little cup and hardened a little, so its not really mousse, but I dont know what to call it! It tasted a little like ferrero roche, but without the crunch. 3*
Sorbet Plate
Blackbery, passion fruit, and guava. It was okay. I would of liked it smoother. it was a little grainy. 3*
Service was great, the food was good, but it didn’t blow me away. The décor of the space is intimate, modern and simple. I liked the space. Would I come back? hmmm maybe not. Nothing really left me wanting more, except for the blood sausage.
3.5 stars all around.

I was pretty on the fence about if I should give Bistro LQ three stars or four stars. There were two things that pushed me over the edge to 4:
1) cheese cart! (and the cheese cart guy, who was pretty cute. call me, cheese cart guy! :P)
2) no foam! seriously, what is it about ever fancy restaurant covering everything in ‘foam’ made from this or that sauce. It annoys me. just give me food and less fluff. This place delivered on that.
The food — my dining partner and I ordered 6 dishes between us (plus the cheese cart) to share. Everything was good. Our main dishes were particularly good — I had the veal, she had the rabbit. I wasn’t as impressed with some of the other dishes, particularly the egg cooked in some polenta with sausage mixture. It still tasted fine, but something seemed missing. Presentation was nice for all the dishes.
Prices were very reasonable for the amount of food we got, and service was more than adequate. Not a bad place for finer dining in LA. Without the cheese cart I think I would have given it 3 stars but hey, gotta give props for the cheese!

I was really, really pleased with my experience at BIstro LQ. I came with a group of 5 with a Blackboard Eats 30% off coupon and we all ordered a random smattering of dishes including: the Uni, Foie 2 ways, Lobster Salad, Haddock and Smoked Herring to start. And for entrees: Salted Cod, Artic Char, Lamb Composition, Rabbit Tart, Veal Sweetbreads and Duck 2 Ways.
Standouts were definitely the Uni, Foie, Lamb and Veal Sweetbreads. So flavorful and very inventive. The fish didn’t wow me, personally — way too healthy tasting :)
Service was great — very attentive and the management even allowed us to use the coupon even though we had more than 4 people. Also random, Top Chef Master Govind Armstrong was eating at the restaurant outside on the patio!
Would definitely go back.

I went here a few nights ago to make use of the Blackboard Eats coupon I received –note to BBE coupon holders, Bistro LQ only lets you use the coupon if you order the regular portions, no half portions.
The ambience of the restaurant was very nice, albeit a little warm for my liking (they had the doors to the patio open, so I guess they decided not to turn on the air). It is a small space but very simple and modern inside. Most of the staff sounded French, which I always like because it adds an air of authenticity.
First, we had a complimentary amuse bouche, which I believe was octopus. Very good.
Next, we ordered three appetizers, all regular portions, which in my opinion were pretty small and easily shared by two people. We ordered the escargot with grits, the lobster salad and the mussels. Of the three, the mussels were definitely my favorite. The sauce was incredible, and they came with these little crostinis with cucumber and tomato as an accompaniment. The escargot was also very good, although the grits in my opinion lacked flavor. The lobster salad was my least favorite – something about the smell reminded me of play-​do, not sure why.
For the mains, I ordered the lamb composition, and my dad ordered the duck two ways, also regular portions. The lamb was very tasty and came with a small shank, a chop and sweetbreads, which I later found out meant brains!!! Apparently I’m not as big of a foodie as I thought, since I had no idea what sweetbreads were. Nevertheless, the shank and chop were great, was not a fan of the brains. I tried the duck as well, and it was excellent – a leg and a breast (the breast had a thick, fatty layer that I could only eat a little of though).
For dessert we had to try the cheese after reading about their infamous cheese cart. We ordered a small plate which came with 7 cheeses. We let the restaurant’s cheese expert pick a selection for us. The cheese also comes with a variety of condiments (at least 10 different ones), so it was fun to experiment with which cheeses tasted good with which condiments.
And last but not least, two more desserts – the pistachio mousse, which was incredible, and a complimentary dessert plate. The pistachio mousse was thick and creamy with a layer of chocolate at the bottom and a side of sorbet. The complimentary dessert plate consisted of a small macaroon, 2 chocolate desserts, a marshmallow of sorts and a small fruity jelly.
Overall, I thought the quality of the food was excellent. The portions sizes in my opinion are pretty small (and we ordered the regular portions), which was ok with me because we were able to try a lot of different things. The restaurant is definitely on the expensive side though, and if I hadn’t had the Blackboard Eats coupon I might have been a little more modest with our number of choices and drinks.

I was excited to try Bistro LQ (picked as the #2 best new restaurant by L.A. Magazine). This was my last visit on that top 10 list and Bistro LQ was the best spot.
The décor was not great. I liked the comfortable-​looking outside dining area as well as how they painted the indoor walls in different colors. The restrooms were nice. The space though was a little boring and the chairs were the kind you would find in a break room. There were a few pieces of art displayed too (they were for sale). The décor was especially lackluster when you consider how well Tavern, Drago Centro and Bottega Louie work (three restaurants on that L.A. Magazine list). Tavern’s separate dining areas blend into each other while remaining distinct (and thus reinforcing its versatility). Drago showcases an upscale Downtown metropolitan feel and Bottega Louie establishes itself as an always lively gathering place (where Downtown L.A. hopes to go in the future).
We started with complimentary warm rolls. There was a little bit of a chew, which I liked. The rolls were okay though they were a tad bland.
I started with the diver scallops and spot prawns. Very fragrant (shellfish, shells, lobster broth). The base of the dish was a mix of oats, fennel and lobster broth. Flavorful and similar to a risotto. The taste was very familiar, but I could not pinpoint it. The scallops were roasted in cinnamon and had a good flavor. Tender and slightly sweet. I prefer my scallops to have a golden sear, but these were still good. The prawns were disappointing. They were a little dry, but the real problem was that they just did not taste good.
Both of my friends started with the sea urchin and tapioca pudding. They said it was inventive and very good.
I went with the Duck 2 Ways, which consisted of both the duck breast and the confit leg. I liked the idea of the dish, but I was skeptical. When you order a nice sounding duo, it seems that one thing shines while the other is mediocre; but here, both the duck breast and the leg were very good.
The duck breast was perfectly pink, tender and moist on the inside. The outside fat was nicely seared and provided a lot of flavor. It was probably the best duck I’ve had in L.A. The duck was glazed with a sweet and savory Bergamot miso jus (complimented the meat well). I also liked the side sauce of lemon curd, which was cool and refreshing.
The duck confit leg was flavorful and tender. I liked what they did with the outside of it. It was kind of like an upscale barbecue dish because the outside was blackened and had a nice smoky taste.
The dish was all protein though. The one veggie on my plate was a purée of shishito pepper, which was bland.
For dessert, I opted for the pistachio mousse. The pistachio mousse was about the size of a Sno Ball snack. It was perfectly molded and had a green tea like color; the look reminded me of bakery items you would get at an Asian bakery. The pistachio mousse was light and airy. It had a very pronounced pistachio taste, which you often don’t get with pistachio desserts. The mousse was garnished with rings of hardened chocolate.
The mousse was paired with a flavorful and refreshing strawberry rhubarb sorbet (that was served on a bed of pistachios).
The cheese cart (with many options) was displayed prominently in the restaurant and my friends opted for that. The server picked the cheese (after asking for preferences) and my friend, who definitely knows a thing about food and cheese, said he made good choices. The cheese was accompanied by cumin seeds, hazelnuts and many different containers of garnishes including a fig compote, honey, homemade green ketchup, and some kind of gelee. The garnishes were pretty impressive looking and several of them were good.
The one negative was the choice of bread. They served tiny bread rolls on sticks (kind of like bread yakitori). It was not the best choice for a cheese plate, but I think they have better bread options.
There were some complimentary petit fours as well as a very good complimentary chocolate mousse that my friend received. The petit fours consisted of a candied fruit gelee, a marshmallow, a chocolate truffle, a miniature chocolate cupcake, and a macaron. I think the macaron was a liquorice flavor; it was my favorite.
The service was friendly and the staff was knowledgeable. There were a few slow spots here and there, but the staff was working hard to make sure we had an enjoyable experience.
The place was a little pricey. We did have a BlackboardEats 30% off coupon, which came in handy.
Our experience at Bistro LQ was good and we would return. Bistro LQ succeeds at having an inventive menu and a staff to execute it properly. Doing both can be difficult and that is what separates Bistro LQ from some of the other fine dining restaurants out there.
Parking is available on the street by meter.

I was optimistic about this new establishment by Chef Quenioux, because of the diverse reviews. Even when I received a coupon from blackboard eats, I still remained hesitant whether if I should go. Sadly, I left the restaurant very disappointed and not at all impressed.
Food:
Complimentary Bread– We were each served a soft and warm ciabatta loaf paired with saccharine butter.
Amuse Bouche– The amuse bouche was a hamachi served with masala powder.
House salad– The house salad was a unique presentation of different mixed greens and lettuces. It was an adequate portion and the flavors were appetizing.
Arctic Char– Arctic char is usually a more flavorful fish, and when cooked properly can taste absolutely luscious. Unfortunately, this is not what we experienced here. The fish was dry, tasteless, and very fishy. We also found exactly eleven bones in the fish and notified the server. He acted as if its nothing, but the bones were hard and could be dangerous if swallowed. I certainly have never came across a restaurant that serves a fish fillet with bones in it. I think that even Red Lobster would take more responsibility for a situation like this.
Halibut– This halibut was presented en papillotte (wrapped in parchment paper). This method of cooking usually makes the fish aromatic and filled of flavors. However, it was very bland, dry, and overcooked. The side of uni emulsion added a little kick of flavor to the fish on the exterior.
Frog legs– The frog legs were the only passable dish of the night. The flavors were sweet, spicy, and sour kung pao style. However, we found the same problem here just like the dishes above– the flavors were only on the exterior and the meat was rater bland. It tasted as if the frog legs had just been defrosted and never marinated. The rice noodle cake were a nice compliment to the dish.
Mignardises– There was a decent variety, including macaroons, lollipops, cupcake, and a fruit gelee. The taste was very weak and it was the worst set of candies I have ever received from a restaurant.
The food was displeasing, mediocre, and way overpriced. I doubt if the chef was in the kitchen tonight, because it’s so hard to believe all the hype after what I experienced. The service needs improvements, especially after seeing how they handled the situation with the arctic char.

Bistro LQ has been on my to-​try list ever since they opened up the Los Angeles location back in July 2009. After meeting Chef Laurent at the Angeleno and Taste of the Nation Event and tasting his signature dish, I knew I was in for a treat and was very excited about my reservations the following weekend. The restaurant is small, but with the modern art against white walls, the space felt inviting and elegant.
1. amuse bouche 1: quail egg, uni topped with caviar, cilantro, nori — The creamy uni and quail egg was delicious and a nice contrast to the salty caviar. I also really enjoyed the cilantro and the nice heat at the end.
2. amuse bouche 2: huckleberry sorbet with foie gras — The second amuse bouche was a nice palate cleanser for me. The dish was refreshing and sweet from the huckleberry sorbet at first. Then, the hint of foie gras comes through giving it a savory finish.
3. sea urchin tapioca pudding, Kumamoto oysters in yuzu lobster gelee — The uni was perfect and I really enjoyed the tapioca pudding, which gave a different spin on how I usually eat uni. The lobster gelee was fairly mild so I welcomed the oyster at the bottom for that great oceanic flavor.
4. Dungeness crab and calamari salad, fennel apple slaw with chorizo vinaigrette, avocado gratin — I wanted a bit more big chunks of crab meat, but the crab flavor was definitely front and center. The calamari gave the whole dish a nice bite, which was nice when eaten with the creamy avocado on top. The fennel and apple slaw made the entire dish bright and the vinaigrette added the perfect amount of spice to this delicate dish.
5. foie gras 3 ways: torchon, terrine & sauteed — I started off with the sauteed which was was on top of an oxtail pastry. The foie was heavy so I really relied on the oxtail pastry to back up the richness. The torchon had a nice floral and citrus finish, but my favorite was the terrine. The bits of kosher salt on top was key in the terrine preparation, which easily made it my favorite. The wasabi marshmallow and the yuzu gelée nicely tempered the unctuous and rich liver.
6. hanger steak, served with glazed shallots, chanterelle, sunchoke purée — The steak was cooked perfectly, but my favorite part of the meal was the roasted shallots. They were so soft and so flavorful, it went perfectly with the hanger steak.
7. veal kidneys and veal sweetbreads, wild mushrooms, Colman mustard jus with tarragon, gratin of gnocchi with artichokes — The sweetbreads were fantastic in texture and in taste, however I thought that the Colman mustard jus was a bit overpowering. Even though I tend to love acid and the vinegar flavor, I thought it took away from the flavor of the sweetbreads and kidneys. The gratin of artichokes did, however, do a great job of tempering the tartness from the jus.
8. pot de crème, espresso & chocolate, butterscotch tapioca, tonka been and white chocolate panna cotta — The butterscotch tapioca was so delicious and nothing like anything I’ve had before. It wasn’t too sweet, but that’s dangerous in that it tricks me into thinking I can have more of it. The pot de crème was the sweetest out of the trio, but still had the nice bitterness from the espresso to round out the sweetness. The panna cotta was also amazing — creamy yet firm. Outstanding dessert.
9. avocado mousse, chocolate macaron and frozen chocolate mousse — This second dessert was brought out as compliments from the chef and it was probably the last dessert I would’ve thought of ordering. The mousse was sweet, but was full of the creamy avocado flavor — it was very interesting. The chocolate mousse was a perfect balance to the avocado mousse — more bitter than sweet. They went really well together.
The chef also hooked it up a small piece of epoisse, which I thought they were out of. The cheese was heavenly! It was salty, creamy and just plain wonderful.
Hardly a bistro, Bistro LQ serves up sophisticated French cuisine with local ingredients in a clean, modern setting. My meal felt like a small journey filled with surprises and new adventures. Many thanks to Chef Laurent and his sous chef, Chef Daniel for taking care of me and making this meal such a memorable one.

We tried this place on the recommendation of someone who raved about it so my expectations were pretty high. I had considered trying the tasting menu but there were some menu items that interested us so we just ordered from the menu. The option of getting ½ sizes on most of the dishes is certainly a plus.
The food was all very well presented and the service was good. Some dishes were better executed than others. My wife loved the hanger steak and thought it was one of the best versions she has ever had. The sliders were creative and the haddock pancake was a good mixture of ingredients. I was impressed with the assortment and accompaniments to the cheese course. This is definitely an experience and something worth trying if you go there. They bring out a wide assortment of cheeses, baked breads, jellies, seasonings and toppings. It could have practically been a meal by itself so save room.

We went to Bistro LQ for the first time last night and were admittedly very impressed. I wouldn’t say that it’s a French bistro, as much as it is French fusion and the food was really interesting and out of the box.
For starters we had the Fois Gras three ways, each one more delicious than the next. We also the smoked haddock pancake (potato pancake, spread, slices of smoked haddock, topped with caviar), which was a perfect balance of smokey, sweet and salty. Our friends had the escargot omelet, which was probably the weakest part of the meal and the only dish to go unfinished.
For our main course I had smoked salmon with sea urchin and it was delicious. Again, a very well balanced dish and the smallish portion size was perfect. My husband had the duck and that also was quite great. As someone who has cooked a lot of duck, I am very picky and usually find that most placed overcook it. LQ’s duck, however, was perfectly cooked so definitely bonus points for that. With this, we had a rather light French Pinot Noir with heavy citrus notes and it paired perfectly with both dishes.
Then it was on to the cheese cart… Again, really delicious and a nice large selection (there must have been 10 cheeses on our plate, all a very nice range). The only downside was that the cheese monger was a bit snippy, but he made up for it by bringing me an extra piece of Epiosses. What can I say… I’ll forgive anyone who gives me cheese. With the cheese plate we had a sweet dessert wine that was recommended by the sommelier and he was spot on, as it paired perfectly with our cheese selection.
After the cheese, they brought out a dessert tray with macarons (again, bonus points… I love macarons and find that most places don’t serve them), cheese cake bites, chocolate and fruit jellies. Delicious and just enough to satisfy our need for something sweet at the end of the meal.
The service was fine, we didn’t really notice our server much but he was always there when we needed him. All in all, we definitely want to go back and try more of this very innovative and delicious food. Highly recommended.

I had never heard of this place, and went with a few friends who had also never heard of the place. Here’s the short and fast jist of things:
Uni sea urchin tapioca pudding with yuzu kosho kumamoto oyster and jelly– 3.5 star (good uni, but i kinda felt sick after)
Mr. Fierson Eggs– 2.5 star SOme eggs in wine. Wasn’t that impressed.
Mussels chowder– 3 star Mussels mighta been the best tasting i ever had, but he chowder was aiite.
Smoked Haddock Pancake– 3 star
— the lemon mousse part was good, but otherwise, i was over it.
Scallops with creamed leaks and sundried tomato sauce– 3 star (def had better scallops before… wasn’t mind blowing)
Cote De Beouf rib eye steak– I’ve had rib eye that’s much better at other places so 3 star.
Wild Bore Shank Sopes Tamales– 3 star. The crispy taco thing on it was delicious, probably the highlight of my night.
Sorry the rates are low. I saw the cheese cart, and DEFINITELY something to go back for… it looks like that might be worth it and delicoius at this place.

Nothing fabulous or amazing. Food, setting, service, or ambiance. But like how they are seasonal with their dishes and use organic ingredients. Also the food was presented very nicely. I’m very visual and I like the placement of everything.
Came here along with S&D for S’s belated bday.
They like to put in the order at once, including dessert – which I thought was a bit odd, but after a period of indecisiveness, we asked that we get our appetizers first – French places tend to be slow anyways and we were starving already. Good thing we did too.
We started with:
Foie Gras, each piece was different which was kinda cool. The first one, Torchon style with Black Chanterelles, Earl Grey tea roll was ok, the second one: marjolaine layered with quince marshmallow and quince gelee was the table favorite and the Sautéed Style: «Vin Chaud», Cinnamon, Orange, Apple-​Scented Red Wine Varnish was good, slightly too sweet for my taste – it masked the taste of the foie gras but was still good.
The mussles were HUGE! Served on a crispy chick pea pancake, Mexican saffron, epazote, huitlacoche
Favored appetizer was the Venison Tartar: Juniper Berries, Chile Serrano, Celery Root Garlic Slaw, tortilla Crisp, Quail egg.
For the main course, I had the Lamb Composition, it was interesting. I love lamb and now I can saw that I’ve also had various parts of it, parts I never really thought to eat. It was a bit overcooked for me, they menu says med-​rare but it was more medium. It consisted of roasted chop, sautéed kidney, sautéed sweetbread, poached tongue, and shoulder confit. Cool, no? Not something I would order again, but def. worth trying just to say that you have.
S had the Chukkar Partridge: with huckleberries, kaffir, chestnuts, and cabbage. Partridge tastes nothing like you would think, very interesting. I also didn’t realize how small the bird is – you think partridge in a pear tree, and picture it bigger? It’s pretty much just a whole partridge-​be wary not to order on a first date – picking at bones doesn’t bring out the best in people.
D had the Pigeon: with duck hearts, duck gizzard pastilla with pistachios, rhubarb and ras el hanout jus. This was the tastiest and the moistest out of the 3. I’d definitely come back to order this for myself.
After reading reviews, I guess I should come back and take a gander at the cheese cart. They have a pretty nice wine list and I’m sure an informed server would be able to help with some fantastic pairings.
Our server wasn’t very helpful – he didn’t seem very informed about the menu or the wine. Maybe because it’s a new restaurant or he just hasn’t had the chance to try most of the items but when asked a question he just recited what was on the menu and wasn’t helpful in selecting an appropriate wine. I think he just needs practice though.
Ambiance was nice, dimly lit with a few booths and tables strewn about. Loved the artwork, the soft french music playing in the back, and the simple white table cloth with an orchid centerpiece was perfect. I hate clutter.
Overall, we enjoyed our dinner, and would probably come back and check it out when the menu has changed for the season.