Monday, January 9, 2017

A Food Affair

Los Angeles, California



Chef Christian Royere and his wife, Babette, were an integral part of my experience at A Food Affair. They live up to one of the quotations graciously greeting patrons that reads "Come as a stranger, leave as family".

Chef Royere is from France, where he attended culinary school before working in restaurants in both France and Los Angeles. All of this was only following his early cooking experiences with his mother. A picture of her still adorns the restaurant walls that she watches over as a dignified woman peering out into the restaurant from the picture frame, pleased to show forth a large pot filled with her creation. Chef Royere's career then included working in restaurants in both France and Los Angeles.

I was fortunate to receive the chef to my table when he came by to inquire as to how we were enjoying our experience. He then readily engaged in conversation and excitedly explained each dish thoroughly for us. Although I would love to think my visit was unique, it appears that he graciously visited each set of guests in the restaurant that evening.

Alaskan Dungeness Crab Cakes with melon, jicama, mango, cilantro, scallion, coconut curry yogurt.

This dish was a pleasing start to the meal. The cake was almost entirely made of just crab, rather than having other fillers added and it was very lightly fried to provide a thin crust on the outside with a subtle citrus flavor permeating through it. The yogurt was the texture of a mayonnaise and added a nice creaminess to the salad that added a crisp and crunchy texture with a mild tanginess from the pomegranate seeds to balance the sweetness of the mango in the salad and the sauce dotted around the plate. I could have eaten an entire plate of the accompanying jicama and mango salad since it was a combination of sweet, tart, and crunchy, appealing on a diverse level to my tongue.


Brussel Sprouts with caramelized onion, hazelnuts, dates, pancetta.




This was ordered with the pancetta omitted, due to my body's intolerance for pork (I will likely lament this endlessly in my writing). Although the saltiness certainly would have added more depth to the dish, it was very tasty with the sweetness of the camelized onions and dates and squash to contrast the mild bitterness possessed by Brussel sprouts, which I was very happy to see added to the plate, as it was not listed on the menu. The hazelnuts added their buttery caramel flavor for a more dynamic bite and was a nice selection over other nuts that may have ended a more bitter or neutral flavor.







Wild Diver Sea Scallop with heirloom cauliflower risotto, asparagus, zucchini, artichoke, citrus glaze.

The cauliflower risotto had a deeply flavorful risotto like salty cheesiness that was creamy and rich. No hint of bitterness was to be found and the texture was certainly akin to that of a risotto, albeit a healthier option. This was enhanced with the roasted flavors of the vegetables and the citrus glaze on the sea scallops was a nice deviation from other preparations that I have had. Not only did it contribute sweetness, but also a brittle case around the scallop without impacting the scallop in retaining tenderness.


Bouillabaisse with manilla clams, PE mussels, Louisiana shrimp,  alaskan cod, Hawaiian Mahi Mahi, pacific rock fish, seafood saffron broth, garlic rouille

The broth was rich, but light with fronds of fennel adding not only to the appearance of the plate, but also an anise aromatics to each bite. It was veritably enjoyable. How can I have so little to say?!?



Coconut Creme Caramel coconut milk, mango, caramelized banana, toasted coconut, pepitas, mango coulis





A light, sweet, and fruity finish to a meal that offered multiple dishes that were well balanced and interesting without being too traditional nor particularly unusual. This was a light and airy pudding with a thin layer of coconut chips as a foundation to marry with the sweetness of the mango and bananas. I would have enjoyed a more caramelized and sweet banana, although the dessert was sweet enough, but I maintain that the firmness of the bananas would have been more appealing had they been softened by caramelization.










French Chocolate Mousse including chocolate mousse, ganache, hint of passion fruit

Beautifully presented plating for a firm mousse with a soft ganache, when I expected a hard shell of chocolate. The chocolate pearls were a much needed textural component, of which I would have added more. After several bites, I would have liked more contrast in flavors to accompany the chocolate richness, such as more fruit or a bitterness of coffee bean, or even a more neutral, but crunch element. The passion fruit I found to be too mild, so I would have made it more than just a "hint" for the one note of chocolate that was the majority of this dessert.

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