Dominique Ansel’s New 189 Restaurant in Los Angeles
My friends and I went to Dominique Ansel’s new 189 Restaurant in Los Angeles at Caruso’s Grove Mall this past Thursday night to celebrate our friend Amy’s birthday. It is brand new and everyone is just beginning to discover it. It is upstairs from his bakery that serves the famous cronuts and located right across from the Nordstrom department store in the Grove mall.
The restaurant is elegantly designed with a minimalist design and a bar in the middle. The lighting was layered with candles, ceiling, and wall lighting. The seating was comfortable and warm.
Dominique Ansel’s 189 Restaurant’s Menu
The 189’s menu was a fusion of Asian and French flavors. Everything you could possibly want was on the menu.
Dominique Ansel’s 189 Appetizer Menu
We had Bohigas Cava Brut Reserva Catalonia wine from Spain. We shared Sweet Corn “Elotes” Milk Bread, Heirloom Tomato Carpaccio which wrapped ripened Honeydew Melon Wedges that was dressed with aged balsamic, shallot and mint, and Roasted Radicchio, Fresh Honeycomb, Shaved Manchego dressed with lemon hazelnut vinaigrette.
I thought the wine was perfectly balanced for our appetizers because it was dry without being too fruity. The Sweet Corn Milk bread reminded me of tamales and were delicious since I love corn. The Heirloom tomato carpaccio with honeydew melon was a very clever vegetarian take on the prosciutto melon appetizer and worked out great for us since our birthday girl does not eat meat. The Radicchio salad was made to look like a bowl with chopped radicchio inside the radicchio bowl and honeycomb, hazelnuts, and manchego cheese and then drizzled with the lemon hazelnut vinaigrette.
Dominique Ansel’s 189 Entree Menu
Dinner was PEI Mussels, Spicy Chorizo, Rice Vermicelli with garlic, Handmade Acorn squash gnocchi, young radishes, sage and brown butter, 1/4 rotisserie chicken, black garlic rice stuffing, chilled spicy scallion salad, with a shot of chicken au jus to sip while taking bites of chicken. All of it had layers of flavor in every bite. We traded and savored and enjoyed it all. Our birthday girl who does not eat meat had a friend shrimp with shrimp chips and a chimichurri sauce. The chips were reminiscent of the Chinese chips you can pick up from Chinatown with more crunch. (Photo here of Shrimp main course)
Dominique Ansel’s 189 Restaurant Dessert Menu
The Desserts did not disappoint as we know how good Dominique Ansel’s cronuts taste. One dessert course was called “Trimmings” and was a deconstructed dessert where it was made to look like the trimmings of the edges of a round cake. The cake was chocolate with peanut butter and a toffee bottom that you would brush with a rum syrup before eating. It was a delight. I love peanut butter and I love chocolate and this was such an innovative take on chocolate with peanut butter cake. The other dessert we had was called “Traditions” and was reminiscent of Dominique Ansel’s childhood where his mom would make him a milk custard to dip his bread into at home. This sophisticated version of his childhood favorite was an almond sponge cake that was made to look like a piece of toast that we dipped in a 3 milk confection that consisted of a banana flavored custard with a hint of star anise. The Banana custard was made of three milks which were evaporated milk, banana milk and regular milk. The milk was infused with the star anise bouquet with a bit of orange. We dipped the almond bread into the milk and then had it with a little bit of the creme fraiche. It was simple and decadent all at the same time.
Dominique Ansel’s 189 Restaurant is a Must Go
The meal was delicious and I would return again to try other entrees and desserts on the menu. If you are looking for a new place to have dinner in Los Angeles, do not hesitate try Dominique Ansel’s new 189 restaurant in Los Angeles at the Grove.
For those of you who want to have your own wine dinner at home. Check out these wine glasses I found at WilliamsSonoma.com.
