(Searching for…) Helping Each Other Find Specific Dishes in LA

LA has so much to offer in terms of food diversity. But, how about those dishes you’ve had abroad or come across online that you’ve had trouble tracking down locally?

This could be a place for us to chime in on each others’ requests to help find the specific dishes that have eluded them. Not meant to usurp other threads discussing where to find the best version of ________ or discussing dishes more in depth. Those may be worthy of longer discussion threads.

This is more of a casual thing where a dish has piqued your interest, and you want to find it in LA but haven’t yet, and maybe it’s not worth a separate thread…so post up a picture or several and let’s see if we can track it down together.

Rules: please,

  1. post a picture for reference
  2. even if you don’t have the answer, you can post up your own request to keep it moving.

I’ll start:

PASTRY-BAKED FISH

could be the classic, Bocusian LOUP / BAR en CROÛTE

In France (not my pics), (some are at Paul Bocuse)





In Hawaii, at Senia (pics from Instagram)


In Japan, restaurant unknown (pics from Instagram)


Or, in the style of WELLINGTON

In Australia, at St. Peter by Josh Niland (pics from Instagram), various yellowfin tuna Wellington



I’ll settle for COULIBIAC AU SAUMON, too (pic from Instagram - Veronika NYC)

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Nice idea for a topic, I’d love to know the answer cuz those look great especially that tuna Wellington…

Only thing I know is this…maybe skates by on a technicality? (Somi Somi, Ktown, Sawtelle, etc)

Connie and Ted’s has done lobster pie before, also a stretch…

the chefs at Republique with their escargot seem to have the capability …

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I knew someone would post taiyaki! Love those snacks, but I’m looking for the grand tableside carving of en croute or Wellington with a nice sauce

Perhaps the closest I’ll get in LA so far.

In 2019 or so, Josh Niland of St. Peter did a guest dinner at the defunct Tartine at Row (DTLA), but I missed out.

Looks like pastry on just the tops; I’d like the whole thing! If a full en croûte feuilletée, then I want the faux scales, too haha.

I really like the Pâté en croûte and duck pithivier from Nico in San Francisco; but looking for seafood, specifically.

Also looking for…

TORNADO EGG OMURICE

I’ve seen tornado scrambled egg, and I love omurice, but I’ve only seen tornado egg omurice in Japan so far. At chūka ryōri places, specifically.




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I had a half dome of black squid ink fried rice with a thinner kind of omelette on top. No sauce. I still crave that meal from Japan. Nothing like it I’ve seen in LA. I’ll keep my eyes out for the tornado scrambled eggs.

Noted on the fish in the pastry for sure. I hope it can be found.

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If I remember correctly we had at one of our many tasting menus at Bistro LQ once a fish en croute dish from Chef Laurent. So if you are really missing such dishes you could connect with him and see if it could be part of one of his “private” tasting menus which he is now doing

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Sometimes I think LA is a good food city, but then I see this and remember the truth.

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Hi @BradFord ,

Wow that Tornado Egg Omurice looks amazing! :open_mouth: How was it?

Hi @BradFord ,

@honkman has the suggestion. :slight_smile: Chef Laurent at Bistro LQ can do Loup En Croute, but it’s not a regular menu item these days (too expensive in general and a very specific ask). But you can arrange a private party with him to do it.

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I had one similar in Tokyo, not quite as nice looking the one pictured (pictures from Instagram, and a different shop, in Nagoya). It was very good - the comforting type of delicious and I loved that gravy. It was at a pretty busy and casual Chinese restaurant that a business colleague took me for lunch. I don’t remember the name. The main dish was fried pork with black vinegar and green bell peppers.

Thank you! It does require a bit of prep and labor, and it’s one of those tableside dishes that probably requires advanced notice. I think that few restaurants would have it normally on the menu, anyway, but thanks for the heads-up on Bistro LQ.

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Help finding…this kind of “fruit cake” so to speak. Cake and fruit gelee in the fruit. Texturally great, from Japan again. I saw a bunch of these in Tokyo and loved the melon version.

Not my picture, but from Instagram.

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