Last Night at Test Kitchen with Alain Giraud

By Elina Shatkin Fri., Nov. 5 2010 at 12:30 PM

Categories: L.A. Restaurants, Last Night

Guzzle & Nosh

Last night at Test Kitchen LA with Alain Giraud.

Last night, Alain Giraud made a spectacular debut on the first of his four nights at Test Kitchen LA. Then the chef warned diners they should return later in his run because the first night is always a bit rocky. The man sets a high bar for himself.

Though he's currently without a permanent home -- Anisette closed the end of September -- Giraud is testing ideas for his new concepts, supposedly one in Palos Verdes and another in Pacific Palisades. Who knows what will come to fruition? We do know the 7-course, $70 meal was absolutely worth the splurge.

Perhaps to extend the fennel theme, which shows up in the first course as part of a fennel cream, the cocktail menu included The Fennel Countdown, a mix of Mirabelle plum brandy, green chartreuse, fresh lemon and fennel air. Fennel air? What does the bartender do, burp fennel into your drink? I went with the tamer Chateau du Sang (would that be chateau of blood?): Blanc de Chambery, bourbon, house-made fig jam and absinthe mist. It was fantastic.

Amuse Bouche: raw salmon with fennel cream.

This may look like typical bread. It wasn't. The buttery mini-brioche was dotted with sea salt and the French bread was so perfectly chewy it would make an Atkins asherent weep. The bread was served with...