LA Restaurant Review: Pasjoli
A Pasjoli review has been so long over due on here, but I finally thought I would stop gatekeeping and share one of my favorite French restaurants in LA. I originally tried this place for the first time in 2020 and I have been coming back ever since because I was so hooked (at one point I was coming like twice a week). This is the type of place that anything you order off the menu will be delicious and you’ll always get the best service, which totally makes sense why they have a Michelin star now. Also, the restaurant is pretty small (it’s located in Santa Monica on Main St.), but it literally has a super cute, swanky vibe & they have a really nice outdoor area to dine at too. Of all my reviews I have posted on here, this is the one place I whole heartedly would recommend everyone to go to.
Here are some of my favorite dishes:
This is the foie de poulet à la Strasbourgeoise, which is a brioche filled with chicken liver mousse, topped with truffles, and a shallot jam on the side. Even though this is just a starter course, this is probably one of my favorite dishes on the menu because it just tastes so creamy and delicious. Also the menu changes quite often because the chef always is creating new dishes based off of what’s in season, but this dish is a constant there. Thank god.
This is the canard à la Rouennaise à la presse, which is a “roasted duck breast, salad of market lettuce & crispy duck skin, duck leg bread pudding, sauce of roasted duck juices with cognac & red wine.” This is the one of the first things I ever tried from Pasjoli and what made me originally obsessed with their food. While the duck is obviously the main part of the dish, the duck leg bread pudding is the real star in my opinion because it just tastes so rich and flavorful. If you come here, this is an absolutely must try.
Their steak is also amazing here and is always perfectly cooked. The top picture is their steak frites, which they used to serve at their brunch service and the bottom photo is the steak au poivre that they serve at dinner time with onions, mushrooms, and a peppercorn jus. I don’t have a picture of it, but my suggestion to you, if you order the steak, is to also order their potatoes gratin on the side. It will literally change your life.
If you are looking to splurge, the caviar and blinis are amazing too.
For dessert, my favorite thing here is the chocolate soufflé (but I’m kind of bias because I’m the biggest chocolate lover ever)! They’re also famous for their Basque cheese cake if that’s more your style, which is equally as delicious.
Other honorable mentions that I’ve had here & things I loved that are no longer on the menu:
crabe et chou-fleur - “marinated crab, cauliflower custard, fermented yuzu, romanesco, sauce gribiche”
On the bottom left is the crab crepe that used to be on the menu. I’m so sad they don’t have it anymore, but it was literally one of the most delicious things ever.
Their beef tartare was literally to die for and it was served with the most scrumptious nasturtium pesto and country toast. Chef Dave Beran needs to bring this back immediately.
I’d also like a revival of this lobster puff pastry dish, too. Also, is this not one of the most beautiful dishes you’ve ever seen.
They don’t serve brunch here anymore, but when they did I ordered the mussels probably like a million times.