_dineLA : Gordon Ramsay.

dineLA is a great opportunity to check out some awesome restaurants at a fixed price, which can all be found here. The best deal is probably fine dining, as I could never afford to go most of the restaurants on that list with $$$.

I decided to hit up the Gordon Ramsay at The London for lunch last week. I browsed online and found that the lunch and dinner menus were pretty much the same thing (dinner menu has a few more choices along with pre-main and pre-dessert).

The London is tucked away on San Vicente Blvd right off of Sunset (or further off of Santa Monica Blvd). I would never have known it was there if not for dineLA. The valet was set up outside and several people waiting to open the door, take the car, escort guests in and direct people in the right direction. Attendees were everywhere and it felt a bit crowded outside.. until we stepped in the hotel.

I remember a lot of.. shiny. Shiny metals were used as decor, there were metallic throw pillows and gold and other precious metal accenting throughout the lobby. We made our way to the restaurant and found it to be near empty. We checked in for our reservation at noon and were escorted to the back where we had a window seat facing Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and beyond.

Moo and I glanced at the menu and decided to share our courses and picked ones we both wanted.

Wild Mushroom Veloute - with sauteed mushrooms and chive cream.

It was a decent dish overall. The veloute was a bit dense and heavier than I thought it would be.. maybe they went overboard with the butter and flour. Or maybe they used a darker stock?


Rabbit and Smoked Bacon Ballottine - with vegetable piccalilli and toasted brioche.

This was the first time I tried rabbit. Honestly, the dish didnt sound too appetizing, but I'm all about trying new things. I think the bacon taste was a bit strong, or maybe the rabbit tasted like the bacon? I couldnt differentiate the tastes. The vegetables were pickled and interesting, and the brioche was nothing but buttery. The thing that.. irked me the most was the presentation. It looks like they just plopped it out of a can as soon as I ordered it.. supposedly, ballottines are an ideal way to serve numerous guests and the shape is "showy". Makes sense for dineLA... I guess?



Crispy Pave of Sea Trout - with white cabbage, pickled ginger, kohlrabi and celeriac cream sauce.

The sea trout tasted more like salmon.. but it makes sense since theyre cousins.. or something. It dish was good.


Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto - with artichoke chips, black truffle and sherry caramel reduction.

The best dish by far. The risotto was cooked well. The artichoke chips added crispness to the risotto and the black truffle/sherry caramel reduction offered the opposite.. a subtlely sweet taste that complemented the dish overall. I'm getting hungry again..

Myer Lemon Pudding Cake - with confit blueberries and buttermilk sherbert.

The first thing I thought of after tasting was "egg yolk". The second thought was "yum". I usually dont like desserts that have a citrus/lemon taste to it (lemon tart, lemon bars, etc). Surprisingly, the lemon wasnt overpowering as lemon usually is. The blueberries, pudding, sherbert and cake blended well together.

Valrhona Chocolate Fondant - with brown butter caramel and vanilla ice cream.

Fondant was the best way to end the meal. It was still baking inside the scorching cup but the top was crispy and the inside was just amazing. The ice cream was the best vanilla ice cream I have ever tried. It looks like a typical lava cake (or fondant) but it was good enough that I almost ordered another.


I was happy with the meal. I wasnt full enough that I would burst, it didnt leave me hungry, but just.. content. The service was commendable. The waiters, waitresses and serving staff walked about in stuffy grey old grandpa suits (yes, both men and women). The cut of the suit wasnt flattering and made the whole place seem a bit outdated. The place was a bit more modern judging by the decor.. I dont get what happened to the dress code.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have dined at Gordon Ramsay. I would say to go for lunch if your schedule permits. The dinner menu has other selections (steamed bamboo and shiitake mushroom chawanmushi amuse and pre-dessert, along with 3 entirely different dessert choices) Both lunch and dinner can be paired additionally with a selection of wines with two different price choices.

Saving up (both money and calories) for dining like this is so worth it.



_edit. Michelin Star, as featured, The London
THE LONDON WEST HOLLYWOOD RECEIVES ACCOLADES FROM PRESTIGIOUS MICHELIN GUIDE - Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood Restaurant Honored with Coveted Michelin Star
In just its first year of eligibility, The London West Hollywood has been recognized in the 2009 Michelin Guide for Los Angeles for both accommodations and cuisine. The London West Hollywood is one of only 33 properties in L.A. acknowledged as an official Recommended hotel, while Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood has been honored with a one Star rating from the esteemed guidebook. Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood is Ramsay's second U.S. restaurant sister to the two-star rated Gordon Ramsay at The London in Manhattan and one of only 16 establishments in L.A. to receive this recognition, out of more than 300 reviewed. The Michelin Guide began rating restaurants and hotels in Europe more than a century ago and today publishes guides in 17 countries and two continents.