Petrossian - Visit Number Trois! (West Hollywood)

Petrossian

Yes folks, I'm back. I'm back at one of my favorite haunts of Los Angeles, Petrossian. Headed by one of the top young minds in the country, Chef Benjamin Bailly, he has transformed Petrossian from a caviar and smoked salmon boutique to one of the favorite dining spots in Los Angeles. Joining me on this go around were Cathy of Gastronomyblog, her now husband Vernon of Stellar Receipes, and Diana of Diana Takes a Bite.

Even though I had been to Petrossian twice previously, Chef Bailly took the burden of ordering off my shoulders and gave us his version of omakase aka "Chef's Tasting" for us that night. Regardless, I was ready to eat!

Blinis with Salmon, Sturgeon, and Trout roes

Here's something I had previously and loved, a simple order of blini with crème fraiche topped with the three various types of roes. I loved the interplay between the saltiness of the roe and the slight tartness of the crème fraiche. Personally, I'm still a sucker for sturgeon roe (caviar) and the ever popular salmon roe (ikura). Great starter!

Hibiscus Champagne

To accompany the blinis, Chef Bailly sent us a round of Hibiscus Champagne. Delicious!

Top: crème fraiche caviar dip, Bottom: Peruvian Purple Potato & Sweet Potato Chips

Next, we have a dip made of crème fraiche, chives, eggs, and caviar to go along with chips made of Peruvian purple potatoes and sweet potatoes. I could easily grab a portion, or two, or three by myself watching a game on Sunday. It was simple, yet luxurious at the same time!

Caviar Surprise

Caviar Surprise, one of my favorites from last time. The main ingredients to the Caviar Surprise were: king crab leg meat, apple cider jelly, crème fraiche, and of course, caviar. Even though there were numerous layers of flavors and textures, trust me, it works!

Hanger Steak Tartare "Spring Roll"

Similar to the steak tartare enjoyed on my first visit, but with a slight Asian twist. The steak tartare was wrapped in rice paper, similar to a Vietnamese spring roll, while it sits on a slice of crustini and a generous portion of caviar is spread on top of the "spring roll." Fantastic! Probably my favorite dish of the night, maybe? The marriage between raw beef and caviar was simply fantastic! I saw this dish on kevinEat's visit to Petrossian, and was glad to try it out for myself!

Crispy Shrimp Papillote - Passion fruit, chilli / ginger sauce

A Petrossian classic for me as I had it on my previous two visits and it's still good as ever! The crispy shrimp wrapped in a won ton wrapper (my guess) topped with a passion fruit glaze and a chilli ginger sauce. Think a lighter version of shrimp tempura with better flavors, enhanced by a fantastic sauce.

Foie Gras Creme Brulee w/ Green Apple Whipped Creme

Here we have the foie gras creme brulee, a dish made famous at Jean Georges in New York City (Which I tried and will review soon), and also on my first visit at Petrossian. I had reservations about the dish after my initial tasting and while I do like it better this time around, I personally feel the foie gras is too strong of a base for a creme brulee, thus I'd personally prefer my creme brulee in a dessert format. This is probably my own personal preference than anything.

"Crispy Egg" - cippolini onion puree, caviar, smoked salmon

Following the foie gras creme brulee, we were served the "crispy egg," which was a soft boiled egg, encrusted with panko and fried to perfection and served on a bed of cippolini onion puree, and smoked salmon topped with sturgeon roe (caviar). Get the picture? I personally preferred this version compared to the "Crispy Peanut Egg" I had on my 2nd visit to Petrossian. I think the panko served as a better crust compared to peanuts. I think we all really enjoyed this dish!

Skate Wing w/ Brown Butter Foam - caper berries, sherry vinegar gelee

By this time, I was getting pretty stuffed, but Chef Bailly sent out a perfectly cooked skate wing with a brown butter foam. It was a fantastic dish, what else can I say?

Truffle Mac 'N Cheese - Orecchiette, Bacon, Parmesean

Finally, the last savory dish of the night, made especially for Diana since I've been raving about this Mac 'N Cheese on Twitter and on my previous two posts for Petrossian. Simply, and utterly delicious. Bacon, Cheese, Truffle, on these orecchiette pasta. I hope you get the picture. Thanks! Just order it!

Dessert Trio - From Top: Strawberry Pistachio Creme Brulee, Mango Panna Cotta, Chocolate Hazelnut Parfait

Finally, my favorite part of every meal, the dessert round. Here we have three variations of desserts presented to us by Chef Bailly. First we have a Strawberry Pistachio Creme Brulee, which I've had many times and loved. Though it's hard for me to not enjoy a dessert version of a creme brulee. The mango panna cotta was fairly standard until I found pop rocks on top of the mango. Yup, those pop rocks, the pop rocks that we loved as kids are back! Vernon and I went pretty crazy with those candy pieces in our mouths. Finally, the chocolate hazelnut parfait. Think the chocolate candy Ferrero Rocher in a dessert form. Though slightly heavy, it was fantastic!

Petrossian is a wonderful place to eat, relax, and to chat amongst friends over a fantastic meal. Whether you want to visit for a brunch or a full course dinner, Chef Bailly will take care of your needs. It's more than just a caviar boutique, as the restaurant portion is definitely top notch. I can't wait to go back for my fourth trip this week. See you soon Chef Bailly!

Petrossian West Hollywood
321 North Robertson Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 271-6300
Official Website