NomNoms: The Bazaar by Jose Andres (Los Angeles)

Since DineLA Week is again upon us, I wanted to go back and post about my most memorable Dine LA experience to date: The Bazaar by Jose Andres, located at the SLS Hotel.

As you enter the dining area, you are greeted by the very very dark Bar Centro. It was difficult for me to find my friend because of the darkness. The restaurant itself is divided into a Rojo section and a Blanca section. We were seated in Blanca, which features a stylish all white motif. The restaurant's tapas menu is split up into traditional and modern tapas, so we picked a sampling from each. Jose Andres is known for his playfulness with food and if you've ever seen his PBS show "Made in Spain," you know that he has a larger-than-life personality.

I dined with two others this evening so we decided to share the small plates with each other. With the exception of the Philly Cheesesteak, which we all had to put in an order for, all the dishes were shareable.  I added an order of cotton candy foie gras because I had read so much about it and it was not included on the DineLA menu.  

Our meal consisted of the following dishes: 
Traditional tapas:

 

West coast oysters with lemon and black pepper

 

Mussels with olive oil, vinegar, pimenton

Catalan-style bread with tomato served with jamon

Jamon Serrano

 

Spinach with apple, raisin and pine nut

Pork sausage, white beans, and mushrooms

Hangar Steak

 

Garlic shrimp

Modern Tapas:

 

"Philly Cheesesteak" - air bread, cheddar, Wagyu beef

 

Cotton candy foie gras

 

Ottoman carrot fritters

 

Apple and fennel salad

 

Desserts: Apricot panna cotta, traditional flan, sorbets: coconut, tangerine, raspberry

Most of the dishes were extremely impressive. I loved the Philly Cheesesteak. It was remarkably airy and just a fun concept although most Philadelphians probably find it blasphemous. The apple and fennel salad was very refreshing and light. The Serrano was simply amazing and not at all salty. The cotton candy foie gras was interesting and pretty.

For dessert, our waitress asked if we would like to have it served in the Patisserie and I regret that we didn't accept this change in scenery. The Patisserie also serves afternoon tea, which I would love to try one day.

On a normal night, I would never be able to afford to eat at The Bazaar. Drinks alone were $15 a piece, but because of DineLA prices, I could go on this one time trip to have this exciting dining experience.

DineLA Week runs from January 24-29 and January 31-February 5, 2010.

The Bazaar by Jose Andres

SLS Hotel

465 North La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048