Restaurant: Camelia
Location: 1850 Industrial St, Los Angeles, CA 90021. *unknown*
Date: February 5, 2025
Cuisine: French Japanese
Rating: Excellent and interesting
Only a month out from the fires I met Erick and friends out for dinner. I didn’t have my camera so had to borrow his photos.
Camelia is in the DTLA arts district. So many good restaurants, so annoying to get to.
Bathed in warm lighting, the restaurant’s carefully curated blend of rustic charm and modern simplicity creates an inviting atmosphere, where the scent of gastronomy wafts from the open kitchen, enhancing the intimate dining experience.
The 2008 Vosne-Romanée “Les Beaux Monts” from Domaine Jean Grivot is an exquisite representation of Burgundy’s terroir. With its bright ruby hue, it offers an expressive bouquet of ripe red fruits, subtle spice, and a hint of earthiness. This medium-bodied Pinot Noir showcases silky tannins and a long, elegant finish, making it a perfect match for duck confit or a rich mushroom risotto.
The 2012 Pol Roger “Sir Winston Churchill” Champagne is a luxurious blend that epitomizes the vivacity and depth of outstanding sparkling wine. With a golden hue and fine bubbles, it reveals notes of freshly baked brioche, toasted nuts, and a hint of citrus zest. Its robust structure and creamy mouthfeel make it a delightful pairing with seafood, especially oysters or lobster, and a splendid choice for celebratory moments.
The menu at Camelia features a sophisticated selection of dishes that blend classic and contemporary techniques, with an emphasis on fresh seafood, seasonal vegetables, and delicate flavors. Highlights include innovative preparations such as black sesame pocket buns and a variety of expertly crafted entrées that showcase a rich tapestry of culinary influences.
Chicken liver mousse toast. Preserved summer peppers, ume aigre-doux. Silky, rich mousse on crisp toast, lifted by the sweet-tart ume and bright, tangy peppers.
Plated with an artist’s precision, this exquisite offering of Petits Fours captivates the eye with its vibrant hues.
Sawara warayaki. Hazelnut su-miso, myoga, sudachi. Straw-seared mackerel is smoky and silky, lifted by sudachi and myoga, while the hazelnut su-miso brings a nutty, gently tangy finish.
Kabocha and chanterelle mushroom agebitashi. Burrata, vadouvan, curry leaf, sweet & sour. Lightly fried and marinated, the squash and mushrooms are tender and umami-rich, with cool creaminess from the burrata and warm, aromatic spice from vadouvan and curry leaf.
Sprouting cauliflower. Miso béarnaise. Tender, lightly charred florets with a nutty sweetness meet a silky, umami-rich sauce that’s gently tangy and aromatic.
Croque Madame of ham katsu. Gruyère, Mornay sauce, Estevan’s shokupan, cornichons. Crisp katsu crunch meets molten cheese and silky sauce on pillowy shokupan, with the cornichons adding a bright, briny snap.
Donabe-steamed clams à la Bouillabaisse. Lobster butter, seeded country bread. Plump and briny with gentle Provençal aromatics, the clams feel silky from the lobster butter, and the seeded country bread is perfect for sopping up the savory juices.
Charred Bread with Golden Sauce.
Abalone and Florida wild pink shrimp pot pie with king trumpet mushrooms and “snail butter.” Briny-sweet and savory, with tender seafood beneath a flaky crust; meaty mushrooms and garlic-herb butter perfume each bite.
Koshihikari risotto. Grilled Monterey Bay squid, uni butter, shiso. Silky, gently chewy grains meet sweet-briny squid and the lush umami of uni butter, brightened by shiso’s herbal lift.
Spaghetti Bolognese à la Japonaise. A Japanese-leaning take on ragù: umami-rich, slightly sweet, and silky, with the sauce hugging al dente spaghetti. Comforting and balanced without heaviness.
Truffle “cream stew” of scallop, blue prawn, and fluke. Bluefoot chanterelle mushrooms, Tokyo turnips, kabocha. Silky and aromatic, it blends sweet ocean brine with earthy truffle and mushroom depth, while the turnips and kabocha lend gentle sweetness and a tender bite.
Beef cheek. Red wine sauce, bok choy, creamed pearl onions, kizami wasabi. Meltingly tender and deeply savory, with the wine’s richness balanced by the bright nip of wasabi, the fresh crunch of bok choy, and the gentle sweetness of the creamed onions.
Kombu rice. Garlic butter, shiso, nori; with house-cured ikura. Umami-rich and gently buttery, with briny pops from the ikura and a fresh, herbal lift from the shiso and nori.
Grilled pork loin. Spätzle, rutabaga, sauerkraut, trotters, red wine honey-mustard sauce. Juicy and lightly smoky, with crisp-edged spätzle and tangy sauerkraut to cut the richness. Trotters add gelatinous depth, while the red wine honey-mustard sauce brings gentle sweetness.
Duck frites. Roasted carrots, snap peas, béarnaise, coriander shichimi. Expect crisp duck with golden frites, a rich béarnaise, and a warm, peppery lift from the shichimi, while the veg add sweetness and crunch.
“pudding” (flan). A silky, gently wobbly custard with a caramel gloss, creamy and lightly sweet with a whisper of vanilla.
Really interesting combinations at this fusion Japanese / French place.