More Caviar, Please

Vodka Flutes

After being on my restaurants-to-try list for a couple years, I finally found the opportunity to dine at Petrossian Restaurant & Boutique. This French-inspired restaurant has received many accolades, particularly for its high quality caviar.

The interior of Petrossian is modern and elegant–a stark contrast to the West Hollywood street it’s on. The staff was friendly and courteous from the moment we walked in to when we left. Our dinner consisted of a 4-course prix fixe menu, which began with 2 flutes of vodka and ended with coffee service.

Our first course was a modest serving of Royal Transmontanus Caviar (sturgeon roe) with crème fraîche and small blinis. Unlike other (less expensive) caviar I’ve had, this one tasted lush and fresh and wasn’t overly salty. The crème fraîche added a nice creamy texture to each bite without masking the taste of the caviar.

Royal Transmontanus Caviar with Blinis and Crème Fraîche

The second course consisted of a large plate of Hand Sliced Smoked Salmon with crème fraîche and caperberries. A plate of golden brown brioche toast points served as the perfect accompaniment to the smoked salmon. The salmon was so smooth and sumptuous that I could simply devour it on its own. However, taking nibbles of the toast points topped with crème fraîche and smoked salmon, followed by a small bite of the caperberry, added more depth of flavor.

Hand Sliced Smoked Salmon with Brioche Toast Points

Truffle Agnolotti with Salami, Artichoke Hearts, and Pea Shoots

I’ve had incredibly delicious Truffle Agnolotti in the past, so my expectations may be high when it comes to this dish. Petrossian’s Truffle Agnolotti was tossed in a creamy sauce, which was a little too heavy for me and didn’t seem to have the right balance of flavors–the parmesan overpowered the flavor of the truffle. The agnolotti was dressed with small cuts of salami, peas, pea shoots, and artichoke hearts, which helped cut into the heaviness of the pasta.

The East Coast Scallops, although small in size, was plated beautifully. Three nicely seared scallops sat on top of a bed of fresh watercress and thin lime slices. Next to the scallops sat a delicately fried polenta-filled squash blossom on top of a trail of poblano crème. It was unfortunate that I ate quite a bit of sand in two of the three scallops. If the scallops had been cleaned better, this could’ve been an outstanding dish.

East Coast Scallops with Polenta Stuffed Squash Blossom, Poblano Crème , Watercress, and Lime

Latte and Cappuccino

For our last courses, we ordered the Vanilla Panna Cotta and Almond Crème Brûlée. We also ordered cups of Latte and Cappuccino to go with our desserts. Both drinks had a nice crema, but the espresso was not strong enough for my taste.

The panna cotta was topped with espresso beads (which looked like caviar) and paired with a buttery, fragrant cardamom shortbread cookie. The intense flavor of the espresso “caviar” nicely complemented the sweetness of the silky panna cotta.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Espresso Caviar and Cardamom Shortbread Cookie

Almond Crème Brûlée with Tea Cookie

There wasn’t enough caramelization on top of the crème brûlée, but the custard was creamy and the almond flavor added a new element to this popular dessert.

Petrossian is the place to go for caviar. The entrées fell slightly below my expectations, but all the other dishes were delightful. This is an ideal restaurant to take a date for an intimate dinner.

Petrossian Restaurant & Boutique
321 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
http://www.petrossian.com
Price: Promotional 4-Course Prix Fixe Menu for 2, $99