DineLA is here again! I just could not pass this chance to try one of the restaurants on my list! After screening through the menu, I decided to go with Fig and Olive. The lunch menu is only $25 per person and that includes one appetizer, one main course and one dessert. We did order a cocktail, a couple crostini, so ended up paying a little more than that, but if you stick with the dineLA menu, it is a great opportunity to dine out at a fancy place with a budget price.
Before we order, they gave us some bread with 3 different kinds of olive oil (light, medium and strong), and they were so good that I almost got stuffed from bread and olive oil before the actual food came! They do live up to the olive part of their name!
For the appetizer, choices are:
Zucchini Carpaccio Lemon, pine nut, parmesan
Gazpacho Soup Tomato, watermelon, squash seed, basil olive oil
Truffle Mushroom Croquette Truffle aioli, parmesan
We picked the zucchini carpaccio and the truffle mushroom croquette. The zucchini carpaccio was very light and refreshing, and we absolutely LOVE the truffle mushroom croquette. It was super creamy inside, very crunchy outside and the flavors were amazing.
For the entrée, choices are:
Primavera Risotto Asparagus, green pea, parmesan, pea shoot
Chicken Paillard Brussels sprout, haricot vert, red bell pepper, almond, lemon
Paella del Mar Saffron rice, black tiger shrimp, calamari, mussel
Fig & Olive Salad Manchego, fig, gorgonzola dolce, apple, tomato, olive scallion, walnut
We picked the risotto and paella. The risotto was an absolute delight. Love this green risotto so much more than I thought I would. Everything tasted so fresh and felt like I was eating from a farm. On the other hand, the Paella tasted a little disappointing. The seafood did not taste as fresh, but I like the flavor of the saffron rice.
For the dessert, choice are:
Dessert "Crostini" Amarena cherry, mascarpone, pistachio, shortbread
Chocolate Pot de Crème Crunchy hazelnut praline & vanilla cream
We ordered one of each, and we both like the pot de crème a lot more. I think the almond liqueur soaked cherry has too strong of the almond flavor, but I love the mascarpone and shortbread. I feel like it would have tasted so much better with some homemade jam or blueberry sauce. For the pot de crème, strong chocolate flavor, very smooth and the hazelnut praline cookie on the side was amazing.
Overall, for $25 per person, this is a great menu with this value and it is good enough to want to come back and try the regular menu. Just a side note, the dineLA menu often times do not reflect the true quality of the restaurant, which I think is a shame. That's why I usually study the menu a little bit before I decide to try it. But I definitely think dineLA is a great opportunity to try out different restaurants!