Orris

Last Saturday, I was supposed to be in San Diego. But owing to last minute stuff that needed to be done for work, I ended up staying in LA. I was feeling a little miserable. I was a little sick, my plans were ruined and it was hella cold. A little pick-me-up came in the form of a text from JJ. She wanted to have dinner and I suggested Orris.

I was so excited. Orris is one of the more popular joints on Sawtelle Blvd. They serve tapas-style French-Japanese fare. I haven't been in a while (over a year) and I was already thinking about what I should order.

We didn't make reservations, well, because they didn't take reservations. We decided to brave the wait and to our surprise it wasn't that bad (I guess because we were early - 7pm). I think we waited about 15-20 minutes before we were seated. During the wait, JJ remembered that she had already been to Orris once before - on a date. She doesn't remembered what she ordered except for the fish dish.

Once we were seated, we decided to order 5 dishes to share. We ordered the Albacore Sashimi, Red Snapper Carpaccio, Curry Shrimp Tempura, Foie Gras and Eggplant, and of course the Filet Mignon. Since it's tapas-style, the servings are tiny. These five dishes were enough for two petite girls like me and JJ (perfect if you're on a diet since they don't serve a lot of carb-laden food on the menu). As for the dishes themselves, the Foie Gras and the Filet were the only memorable dishes we had that night (save for dessert...more on that later). The sashimi was a tad too salty, the red snapper was overpowered by the ginger topping, and the tempura was a little bland. The foie gras was heavenly. It went well with the eggplant and the sauce just complemented both items perfectly. The filet was perfectly cooked - soft and tender and pink on the center. The Roquefort butter is a delicious dip for these little morsels of perfection. Needless to say, each bite was savoured.

During dinner, the lady sitting next to us was having dessert - Apple Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce - and it looked too delicious to pass up. And we were right. The tart was baked just right and the thickness of the pastry did not overpower the thinly sliced apples on top. The caramel wasn't too sweet and the ice cream complemented the dish perfectly. We also ordered a scoop of Blackberry and Cabernet Sauvignon sorbet. At first bite, it tastes like frozen cabernet but after a while you get to taste the blackberries. The desserts were a perfect way to end our meal. I can't wait to go back for more!


(Top to bottom: Foie Gras w/ Eggplant, Filet Mignon w/ Roquefort butter)


Photos courtesy of Yelp.com users.