After hearing so many great comments, reading so many blog posts/reviews and seeing so many delicious pictures from various other foodies and food blogger friends like KevinEats & DarinDines, I was determined to check out Fraiche LA in Culver City under the new direction of Chef Ben Bailly.
Started off with soft and fresh onion bread. MMM carbs…
Grape Vodka with Lime – Fresh, mashed grapes at the bottom of the glass. This was strong yet tasted fresh with the grapes and lime. I normally love eating grapes but never drinking anything “grape” flavored (wine doesn’t count. I love wine), but because these were fresh grapes, I enjoyed drinking this cocktail.
Lobster Ceviche: Green Apple, Turnip, Lime, Espelette Pepper – Fresh, crisp and light. A great way to start our meal. I liked the crunch of the green apple and the turnip in each bite.
Prime Steak Tartare: Whipped Mustard, Black Olive Caramel – I’m not a big fan of steak tartare in general but I could definitely appreciate the tastes and textures of this dish. The whipped mustard had a subtle bite that went well with the steak. Call it a weird quirk of mine but I love symmetry and patterns. I really liked the presentation of this dish.
Belgian Endives: Coppa, Apple, Goat Cheese, Pecan – I always love endive salads. This dish is pretty similar to other endive salads I’ve had but I welcome it every time. All the flavors and textures blend so well together. The crispness of the endive, the tartness of the apple, the distinct flavor of the goat cheese and the sweetness of the candied pecans. Then there’s the prosciutto; salty, smokey and light, balancing my salad.
House Made Angolotti: Wild Mushrooms, Mascarpone, Truffle Butter – I could smell this dish way before they set it down on the table and I was already salivating. The aroma of the truffle butter (Is it an aphrodisiac?! Coz I swear the smell of truffles gets me hot and bothered haha!) is intense and amazing. The wild mushrooms were delicious. The pasta was cooked to perfection and each bite was an explosion of flavors in my mouth. If my dining partner wasn’t there and I didn’t have to follow the rules of proper decorum, I would have eaten this entire plate and licked it clean right then and there. Then order another one and devour that too. Yes, I loved it THAT much. ;p
Monkfish Picatta: Cauliflower, Almonds, Raisins, Capers – I don’t eat monkfish too often because I always feel that I should save my appetite for other dishes, but I was surprised at how much I liked this one. The monkfish was light and buttery, not heavy at all. However, the highlight of this dish was definitely the cauliflower mash. I loved it! At first glance I thought it was mashed potatoes and didn’t pay much attention to it. After I tasted it, I was pleasantly surprised that it was not potatoes and tasted distinctly of cauliflower. The strong flavor of the cauliflower went well with the subtleness of the monkfish. I’ve learned my lesson and won’t overlook monkfish the next time I see it on a menu.
Lamb Parpadelle: Tomato, Olives, Onetik Goat Cheese – To be honest this was my least favorite dish. It was too heavy for me and too much pasta for my taste. Maybe it was because I was starting to get full and I wanted to make sure I still had room in my stomach for the truffle burger and desserts (the best part of the meal!)? Whatever the reason, this dish was just so-so for me.
Vialone Nano Risotto: Porchini, Arugula, Pine Nuts – Definitely not like my favorite “Panty Dropper Risotto” but I’m always open to trying all the different way risotto is prepared. I prefer my risotto to be simple so that you can indulge on its creamy texture. The flavors of this risotto dish was spot on however it had a lot going on. There were too many varying textures (the pine nuts maybe?) and although I like arugula, I found that I don’t like it in my risotto. This is just a personal preference. If you happen to dine here, definitely give this one a try.
Chef Ben Bailly’s Famous Truffle Burger – I have heard so much about his famed truffle burger. I knew I had to try it. This creation is only available for lunch but I put in a special request for it and Chef Ben was sweet enough to accommodate me. It lives up to the hype! Let me repeat… IT LIVES UP TO THE HYPE! Hands down this is my FAVORITE Truffle Burger! My picture below does not do it justice. Everything from the sweet brioche bread used as the bun to the succulent beef to the truffle cheese and truffle aioli (I told you I’m a sucker for truffles); every bite was delicious and very much savored. If you ever dine at Fraiche LA, you must try the truffle burger. You will not be disappointed!
Pistachio Creme Brulee: Apricot Sorbet, Rosemary Crumble – I love creme brulee but not a fan of pistachio creme brulee. Actually, just pistachios in general. Don’t know what it is, I’m just not into those green nuts… The apricot sorbet was refreshing and I ended up eating more of the sorbet than the pistachio creme brulee.
Vanilla Panna Cotta: Mango, Passion Fruit, Pop Rocks – Great dessert but it tasted similar to the sorbet with its tartness. Both desserts separately are great choices, but I just thought they were too similar to each otther. I would have preferred perhaps a chocolate dessert? I enjoyed the pop rocks though! I was actually picking those out just so I could feel the fizz with each bite. 
MERCI BEAUCOUP Chef Ben for the wonderful dinner! I will definitely be back soon. I’m happy I was finally able to drive up to LA for this meal. Totally worth every bite! I would even drive up just for that truffle burger!
I love the calming atmosphere of Fraiche. Dimly lit, simple and very relaxing.
Click HERE to see all the pictures of my dinner at Fraiche LA.
Fraiche LA: 9411 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232
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Good to see that you made in up here. So did Bailly do a tasting menu for you, or did you just order a la carte?
He did a tasting menu for me
I want to go back again soon.