I sometimes shy away from hoity-toity Latin American or Mexican restaurants, because, LBR*, the stand on the corner of Figueroa and Pasadena makes the best shiz ever at a buck a pop.
However, people have been all about Bar Ama, the newest venture from my fave chef of Baco Mercat (Josef Centeno), so I shortlisted it for dinner for Christina, Evan and I. After a disappointing run at LA restaurants (see other September reviews), I needed something with a reputation that actually delivered.
Ambience: typical industrial chic, cozy, candlelit, etc. with well-placed tables and a nice bar.
Note: Take it easy on yourself and make a res.
THE FOOD:
We took the waitress' selection and ordered tapas style, approximately two dishes each.
Guacamole and Chips: Hefty portion with refillable, freshly made chips. Nice dose of cilantro, well-salted (thank god) and overly satisfying
Octopus and Kielbasa Salad: Okay people, this is how you cook octopus. Tender, fresh. I'm not sure about the Kielbasa approach. I love it and I love octopus, but the sausage slightly overwhelmed the taste of the fresh, delicious octopus. But I also have an absurd love for octopus, so a dash of lemon would have been fine, so to each his own.
Pork Belly Chicharron: Meh. I've had better pork belly... like the pork belly sandwich at Baco. Clearly a different way of cooking it, of course. This dish seemed overly heavy, even with the tangy sauce.
Roasted Sweet Potato: Uh. This was like best dish ever. Partly because it fooled you with simplicity but was so lovely and perfectly seasoned (with salt, pepper and honey). You don't always have to be fancy
Summer salad (with cucumber and fig): Anything with figs makes my life, so it was a nice choice. And it was fresh and broke up the richer dishes like the...
Frito Pie: indulgent, but no woo-hoo spark. you know? I need some bite to it, but very much on that needed comfort food level
Christina and I had a Wednesday wine special, which was a grenache. At first a bit too acidic, but mellowed out with the food.
Would definitely go back!
xx
*LBR: let's be real
However, people have been all about Bar Ama, the newest venture from my fave chef of Baco Mercat (Josef Centeno), so I shortlisted it for dinner for Christina, Evan and I. After a disappointing run at LA restaurants (see other September reviews), I needed something with a reputation that actually delivered.
Ambience: typical industrial chic, cozy, candlelit, etc. with well-placed tables and a nice bar.
Note: Take it easy on yourself and make a res.
THE FOOD:
We took the waitress' selection and ordered tapas style, approximately two dishes each.
Guacamole and Chips: Hefty portion with refillable, freshly made chips. Nice dose of cilantro, well-salted (thank god) and overly satisfying
Octopus and Kielbasa Salad: Okay people, this is how you cook octopus. Tender, fresh. I'm not sure about the Kielbasa approach. I love it and I love octopus, but the sausage slightly overwhelmed the taste of the fresh, delicious octopus. But I also have an absurd love for octopus, so a dash of lemon would have been fine, so to each his own.
Ceviche: Fresh, spicy, tender. Maybe a bit too spicy for those with "softer" palettes, but one of my faves.
Summer salad (with cucumber and fig): Anything with figs makes my life, so it was a nice choice. And it was fresh and broke up the richer dishes like the...
Christina and I had a Wednesday wine special, which was a grenache. At first a bit too acidic, but mellowed out with the food.
Would definitely go back!
xx
*LBR: let's be real
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