Chanced upon this gem when I was looking through the list of restaurants and their menus for DineLA. For those of you who don't know what DineLA is, it is basically a 2-week long restaurant week initiative that restaurants can participate in by offering a set lunch or dinner at a fixed price that is usually discounted by varying degrees. It is to allow people to try food at discounted prices, while the restaurants gain publicity and exposure to the people in Los Angeles. After having such a great experience with DineLA, I hoped that Singapore had the same thing. However, from what I saw, Restaurant week Singapore seemed poorly executed, and the prices were probably not quite attractive. (But of course, that is my personal opinion.) At least I could pick cheaper options through DineLA. The price range is between USD$15-100 per course meal. Additionally, I wasn't able to find an exhaustive list of menus offered by the restaurants participating in Singapore's restaurant week. Meanwhile, I was spoilt for choice for DineLA, and I knew what I was in for because the menus were all displayed online. (Link included below if you want to know what I mean.)
I visited Boxwood Cafe by Gordon Ramsay in West Hollywood for the DineLA restaurant week in January 2015. I went for a USD$25 3-course set lunch with 2 other friends, not including tax and tip. The tipping in Los Angeles is usually about 10-15% for lunch, although it is recommended to tip between 15-20% for fine dining. I would say that it was well spent for the food and dining experience, and I would gladly return for the mushroom risotto and steak. However, I don't know how much it would cost to dine here on an average day.
The London Hotel, West Hollywood
Boxwood Cafe
Boxwood Cafe
Appetiser:
The best mushroom truffle risotto I had so far. I did not expect it to be cooked with truffle oil or for it to taste so much more like a truffle risotto because of its name on the menu. However, it was rich in taste, and the risotto was not runny. It was easily picked up by fork, and it doesn't collapse into a thick liquid. I was so impressed by it, and it satiated my tastebuds.
Mushroom Risotto
I don't think my friend had expected chicken dumplings to be chicken balls. I guess Americans have a different concept of the word dumplings than Asians..? It didn't look very impressive, but my friend mentioned that it was pretty good, and the sauces were good too.
Crispy Chicken Dumplings
Main Course:
All of us picked the prime rib cap steak although there were 2 other choices. One of the best steaks I had. I never imagined that steak could be tender and soft on the inside, while it remains crisp on the outside. Usually, we get everything tender or it becomes a tough piece of meat when it's poorly executed. I wish I knew where else I could get steaks that are cooked this way.
Prime Rib Cap Steak
Although the Boxwood Cafe is known for its beef wellington, it was not available for the lunch menu for DineLA. It was offered for dinner at USD$70 though.
Dessert:
We ordered all 3 that was available on the menu.
The English Sticky Toffee Pudding is one of their signature dishes. It was delicious, and resembled a fondant.
English Sticky Toffee Pudding
The coconut panna cotta was cylindrical, with a dollop of mango sorbet or puree and a sheet of sugar. It was a pretty good combination.
Coconut Panna Cotta
I think the St. Honore cake was a let down. The puffs were not crispy nor fluffy, and it lacked the strawberry taste as well.
St. Honore Cake
For those of you visiting Los Angeles in January or June, DineLA happens twice a year. Do visit http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela-los-angeles-restaurant-week and experience the magic of DineLA for yourself.
Please do not repost or re-use my photos without permission.
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