Ludo Bites 3.0 at Royal T: A passionate (non) review

LudoBites defies convention. Not only does the pop-up restaurant lack permanent grounds and emerge where fancy strikes — like a particularly pungent, conspicuous and meaty mushroom — but its menu changes more quickly than couture models backstage.

Case in point: While I admit that procrastinating a week to blog my LudoBites adventures at Royal T was bad on me, I didn’t imagine that my post would already be obsolete once published. I’ve discovered, you see, that only eight days after I attended, Ludo Bites changed its menu completely AND switched from an a la carte experience to a prix fixe meal that features homage-inspiring fried chicken.

So, you know what? I’ll follow suit. This will not be a real review. Oh, I’ll tell you my opinions of the food, but it’s not like you can order it or anything. You just have to sit and stew in my self-indulgent tangential juices.

I will just tell you upfront right now: Everything was good. Okay? Good enough? You can stop reading right now, right?

Well, not necessarily. I believe that people like me, who really indulge and revel in food and the whole dining experience, will appreciate that LudoBites is more than just an “it tastes good” restaurant. We appreciate it all: the flavors, presentation, environment, creativity, excitement, risk-taking, camaraderie and dialog. Food is social, and LudoBites incites activity, discussion and interaction.

How else can you explain this shirt?

Jo of MyLastBite.com understands the passion. She created this one-of-a-kind iron-on shirt of Chef Ludovic Lefebvre (of the rippling musculature and fish-whispering skillz) to attend Ludo’s opening night along with DailyWine’s Lisa.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but had heard the buzz from the previous two incarnations of LudoBites. First, let’s just take his name. If Ludo(vic) Lefebvre isn’t a rock star chef name, I don’t know what is. What have I gotten myself into? I imagined swooning lasses with flaxen hair, puffs of obfuscatory rosemary-scented smoke, plated prestidigitation.

But you know what? Despite the obviously artsy/showy backdrop (Royal T also houses an ever-changing art exhibit, Japanese-inspired cosplay waitresses and a retail shop), the food and service itself weren’t just for show.

Don’t get me wrong: The food was absolutely creative and whimsical, yet it still conveyed a seriousness of intent. Yes, food did all that. Trust.

To start, the usual soju cocktail selections were made available (had the blood orange and pomegranate) in addition to wines specially selected by domaineLA. My dining accomplice that night, Julian of DJ Eats, who graciously filled in at the last minute when my date had to drop out,  tried both of the wine-by-the-glass selections and allowed me sips:

2008 Bielsas Vinas Viejas Garnacha, Spain - Very earthy and deep cherry flavors, but not too heavy
2008 Infinity White Blend of Grenache Blanc and Viognier – Fruity and strangely smooth buttery/acidic all at once. I rather liked it!

Scallop, brown butter, pineapple and black powder.

I cannot resist a scallop, even if it’s going to consort with pineapple, one of my intolerances (but not as bad as my nemesis, the banana). The flesh was fresh and sweet, the butter, uh, buttery. Lovely all around. Julian took one for the team and ate all the pineapple.

Bread soup, poached egg, Gruyere marshmallow

Not only do Ludo Lefebvre and Willy Wonka share the bond of alliteration, but they’re both visionary food Gregor Mendels, creating unforeseen culinary hybrids. This bread soup isn’t a flimsy, mushy concoction of bread soaked in broth, rather it actually conveys the idea of liquified bread, down to the grainy texture.

My mouth was confused and intrigued all at once. The poached egg was the perfect temperature, not too hard, and my only issue with the Gruyere marshmallow (not soft and pillowy, but a bit more solid) was that it was too small.

Monterey squid, chorizo oil, kimchi puree, red onions

Texture! Smoke! Acid! Spice!

The squid tubes were my absolute favorite for the night, fresh and clean and giving away just enough to the teeth, leaving all the complex work to the sauce and garnish. The chorizo oil gave it a little smokiness, and dammit if the puree wasn’t some newfangled, addictive kimchi-flavored Gerber’s baby food.  Vinegary onions made it all brighter.

Confit pork belly, pickles mustard tartine, frisee

Pork belly, like bacon and chocolate, is a crowd pleaser. Ears perk up, salivary gland activate.

My dining companion and I reminisced on how we used to eat pork belly as children and considered it an everyday food. Now, like a newly health-conscious Cookie Monster and his cookies, pork belly is only a sometimes food. Confit made it all the more decadent as six hefty pieces were served tartine-style with the rich, unctuous spread below.

Udon, veal, kombu dashi, mushrooms and sesame seed miso

I’m Asian. Soupy noodles speak to me, so this satisfied. The veal had a more mature texture than I had expected, and I really can’t get enough of any mushrooms, even these garnishy enokis.

Even though I was taking a bit too much time figuring out my camera and allowing the food to get cold, this still struck me as a great example of umami done with subtlety. If Ludo wanted to take a crack at pho, I’d be more than happy to sit down for a bowl.

Foie gras beignet, yellow celery roots

The beignet … it bleeds!

I’m picky about my sweet with my savory, and even though every element was perfectly done, they were disparate in a way that didn’t quite intersect for me.

The smooth lumps of foie gras oozing out of the light and sweet pastry made me glad that I was only eating half a serving. Oddly enough, my favorite element was the celery root. Texture-wise, it kind of reminded me of a less-woody bamboo shoot, but still al dente and intense. I mixed the foie and the root together, and achieved a very good texture/flavor combo.

Wild striped bass, garden vegetables, yuzu aoili

Slightly underdone fish, perfect colorful cauliflower, all delicately flavored. A palate rester and revitalizer.

Marinated hanger steak, baby corn, bok choy, crispy escargot

I felt the steak was so perfectly cooked, I didn’t really need much else with it, and yes, that includes the crunchy escargot, which I would have prefered less charred. That being said, I was so delighted by the baby corn, nestled in the faux husk-bok choy, I wanted more than just one on the plate. Of note is the rich black olive mole sauce that Ludo learned from Glutster’s mom. The foodie world is tight (both meanings — close and awesome — intended)!

Fourme d’amber tourte, red pear, honey-balsalmic

My kind of dessert, which means it was more savory than anything. Baked, flaky cheese tart. Um, yes.

Chocolate cake, coconut sorbet soup, pink pepper meringue

I still enjoy my chocolate though, and this cake was dense, but not too heavy. The sorbet soup wasn’t too rich, but the real wow came from the meringue, which had a lighter foam consistency (and wasn’t very pink looking). It really tasted like bell peppers. Very odd, yet comforting.

Pistachio rice milk and pound cake

A more mild dessert to finish off all the night’s richness.

How much was LudoBites about the total food experience? Ludo’s wife and right hand Krissy completely catered to the food blogger’s need for visual perfection. Yes, she actually provided a light box.

Here I am not quite understanding that the light box is for food photography, not me photography.

Wes, one of the Hungry Pandas, shows me how it’s done. Oh, the food goes inside! His pictures are quite nice. What I love is the waitresses just started delivering the food straight to him at the light box instead of at the table. Priorities!

I gave it a whirl too, but forgot to readjust my white balance, thus, blue tones. Check out my self-portrait in the spoon! Kind of fun, but lacks warmth I think. I kind of dig the more challenging nature of shooting at the table with the light provided.

Overall, I counted myself especially lucky that night. DJ Eats was game to try everything on the menu, which is fortunate since I tend to want the most optimal food experience possible and (irrationally) act like I can never return to a restaurant to try again. Well, in this case that was true since that menu has already moved on.

Also, I’m just grateful that whenever I get jaded by the mundane banality of life around me, there are others like Ludo and Krissy who understand what it means to feed more than the body. Yes, I totally just cheesed out there, but fromage doesn’t make it less true.

LudoBites

Royal/T Cafe
8910 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
T 310 559 6300

Tagged as: art, Ludo Lefebvre, pop-up restaurant, Review