July 25, 2011

Versaille Cuban Restaurant, Encino

Versaille is a local Cuban restaurant know for its famous roast chicken and basket of garlic toast. There are four locations scattered throughout the city and every one I've been to was jam packed at dinner time. This location located in the San Fernando Valley on a fairly busy stretch of Ventura Blvd. We met some friends for dinner and waited about 20 minutes to be seated. The restaurant is one large dining room with minimal decorations and lots of tables and chairs to maximize the space.


It had been over five years since our last trip to Versaille and I couldn't wait for the basket of garlic toast. They weren't as buttery and garlicky as I remembered. The toast we received were barely covered and tasted more plain than garlic toast. They used to be drenched in the stuff, but I suppose the new version is better for my arteries.

Famoso Pollo Versailles
11.99


The half roasted chicken arrived with a huge pile of onions and a side of plantains. The aroma of the tangy garlic sauce swimming on the plate was mouthwatering. The chicken was juicy and moist and the sliced onions added a crunchy texture and slight sweetness to balance the sauce. The dish also came with a side of black beans and a plate of rice, which were good.

Bistec De Pollo
10.99


The chicken steak was served with the same garlic sauce as the roasted chicken and topped with caramelized onions. This dish also came with beans, rice and plantains. The steak was very thin and a little overcooked, which made it dry. It did taste good mixed in with the sauce, rice and beans.

Overall, Versaille definitely took the edge off my craving for Cuban food, but I am looking forward to my next trip to Miami for some of the best Cuban food I have ever had. The tangy garlic sauce is very addicting and the portions were big. The ambiance was casual and the dining room was very loud at full capacity.

Versaille
17410 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316

July 17, 2011

Fruute, West Hollywood


Fruute offers seasonal, made from scratch, bite sized tarts inside a small shop right next to Pavilions. With 16 options available at any given time, these precious tarts are presented on a chilled marble like slab waiting to be boxed. If you're a regular at Fruute, then you'll notice the flavors change as the seasons change. The bakery only use the best ingredients and sometimes that means importing certain items from around the world. When Fruute extended an invitation to sample their tarts, it was hard to say no.

Box of Eight Tarts
24
There are two box sizes: four and eight. The box of four is $12, which breaks down to $3 per tart.


Passion fruit (top left)

The crispy vanilla crust is filled with tangy passion fruit ganache that's topped with a light and crispy macaroon. This tart has a great balance of sweet and tangy with a mellow aftertaste.

Mont Blanc (top right)

The chocolate crust holds up well against the chestnut cream and pistachio. The caramel wafer was a nice touch with all the nutty flavors in this tart. The rum flavor was lost, but still a tasty tart.

Matcha (bottom left)

Matcha green tea and berries make a wonderful combination. The cake was dense and worked well with the fresh berries. The creme filling added a welcomed airiness to the tart.

Sea Salt Caramel (bottom right)

This tart is loaded with flavors from macadamia to honey to berries and to top it of, there's the sea salt and caramel. The macadamia was crunchy, the caramel wasn't too thick and the blackberry provided a nice flavor contrast.
Wasabi (top left)

This tart was the must unique out of all the flavors. The wasabi and blood orange filling had a great punch that was mellowed out by the pistachio crust. The mint leaf tempura was thin and crunchy with a subtle wasabi flavor.

Creme Brulee (top right)

Vanilla was used in the cream custard and crust of this tart, but the flavor was lost in the sugar. This was the sweetest tart out of the bunch.

Baileys Puff (bottom left)

By looking at this tart, it might be hard to believe the puffs on top are filled, but they are. The vanilla crust is filled with irish cream and crunchy chocolate pearls that were the best part of the tart. Best to eat this one cold.

Yuzu (bottom right)

This was the best tart out of the box. Everything about this tart was delicate, from the citrus custard to the white chocolate fan. The micro mint leaf brought out every distinct flavor in the tart.

Overall, the tarts at Fruute were tasty, fun and unique. The work that goes into each tart is apparent and the flavors do not disappoint. The tarts to try are yuzu, wasabi, passion fruit and sea salt caramel. Enjoy the tarts while they're chilled for the best taste. Fruute is a welcomed addition to the dessert scene in Los Angeles.


4 out of 5 Stars

Fruute
8951 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite A
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Parking
There is a parking lot and metered parking on Santa Monica Blvd.