Rafello's Pizza glows neon, giving the storefront the look of floppy, foldable slices of pie or a laundromat.You have to know where you're going if it's the reservation-only Trois Mec you're seeking.
Trois Mec is the mecca of French cooking, mastered by Ludo Lefebvre. I expected tradition and precision, but I found trois surprises as well. Creativity is the first and a delightful audacity comes at a close second, and the first small appetizer is a fantastic shock. The Creme Brûlée is a cream...of MUSTARD. Not a mildly spiced, implicative hint but a ramekin bold and bright like a streak of pungent sunshine. This twist on tradition has some serious flair, and each bite is more interesting than the last.
The third surprise is just how not French Trois Mec can be. Petit Trois next door makes the best things the country has to offer, but here they make the west with inspirations from the east, and the Fried Tapioca is the beginning of a long list of genius. the tiny pearls of tapioca are chewy from the fryer, and the tangy notes of passion fruit dance with the shavings of parmesan snow.
Sweet mixes with the sea in this dried-shrimp Waffle. They fire-grill it in cast iron for a bold roast and a delicate crisp.
Avocado Sushi, gooey and ripe, sliced with paper-thin precision, over a bed of soupy rice. The citrus is breathtaking, sharp lime in airy vinaigrette and a salt cod cream like foamy waves of the sea. The rice isn't quite as cooked as sushi - it maintains a semi-hard texture, much like a firm Italian risotto.
They offer an optional supplement, and the Ceviche with Santa Barbara spot prawn is not to be refused. The leche de tigre imparts a startling tart as the ice chips melt and turn the raw prawns to silk. The bed of black beans adds warm savor and blends seamlessly with the prawns above.
Charred Squid shrouds your palate in smoke. Bold char scratches deep, with an uplift of acid-yuzu vinaigrette and sun-ripe tomato blocks.
The use of citrus is prevalent in every dish, and each works a different kind of magic. Candied Meyer lemon uplifts a Leg of Lamb full of mouth-melting fat and slick with gristle. Greens reveal rather than conceal, and every artichoke is roasted to maximize its nutty savor. The lamb is great, but I've never been so impressed by artichoke.
A palate cleanser performs a post-prandial reset, a bizarrely thick, no-sugar cacio e pepe pairs with an edgy passion sorbet. I would never imagine these together, but they're a match made in heaven...in different world.
Another unexpected mix of sweet with savor, this creme fraiche Panna Cotta submerged in a salted caramel pool. It elevates the popping bubbles of caviar, a briny salt-on-salt with the creme fraiche to amplify.
Mochi with a center of strawberry preserve is my jam, and the Chocolate Tart is rich and dark for a smooth and conclusive finish.
It's rare that fine dining can surprise me, and Trois Mec did it in a way I would never expect. Their food is exquisite, and each dish is one to remember. I know their menu constantly changes, and I'd like to be back for every single change.
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