Reviews

DELICE! A Fabulous French Organic Kosher Bistro!
 
"You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy our food. About a third of our diners come for the cuisine itself," said Julien Bohbot, the proprietor of DELICE (8581 W. Pico Blvd., (310) 289-1702), just west of La Cienega, with free valet parking). "Some people first come because they know we're kosher, but once they taste the fine French food, they spread the good word to friends and we get a host of people just looking for great organic bistro food at a fair price. Thus far, word of mouth has been the main factor in our success." That, and the knowledge that Julien’s new Chef and Co-Proprietor is Jean Claude Lashkar, the legendary Executive Chef of Le Petit Bistro on La Cienega, which for the past 25 years built a reputation for excellent French brasserie dishes at amazingly reasonable prices.
 
The 15 blocks west of La Cienega and Beverly on Pico have gotten the name of ‘Glatt Row’; there is a kosher Subway sandwich shop, a kosher Chinese restaurant, as well as a dairy Israeli pizza palace, but backbone of the area are two Delice establishments. One reason for the immediate success of the Delice French Bistro is that it grew out of the success of Julien’s bakery next door. This has become the most remarkable kosher French bakery in town. A fine glatt-kosher bakery is not an easy enterprise to maintain. Religious observances dictate a strict regimen. Julien goes beyond even these demands. He begins with quality flour from a mill in Canada that follows careful rules about prep - for example, no insect can ever be found in the flour. Their croissants and fabulous breads are, to my mind, the best in this ity. The Los Angeles Times also rated their croissants the best in the city. Born in Morocco, Julien relocated here from Paris where he had two successful restaurants. Since opening the bakery in 2001, after much effort he finally acquired a long lease on the adjacent storefront and opened the Delice Bistro in March, 2008. A stunning 15-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower stands in the center of the room, reaching into a circular painting above resembling a blue sky. Dim lighting and comfortable seating makes it feel "haimish," warm and cozy. "We are the most reasonable fine dining kosher restaurant in the city," he told me. We spoke a bit about two high-end kosher restaurants which closed quickly: The Prime Grill, the high-end Beverly Hills kosher steakhouse which went under after less than a year of spotty operation, and Mamash, which closed in six weeks. We agreed that this showed what a challenge it is to keep a great kosher restaurant thriving. Julien noted that his Steak Frites, made with rib eye steak dry-aged for fifteen days, is served with a choice of sauces and fries ($29.95.) I raved about the Veal Osso Bucco ($24.50), a signature dish of Chef Jean Claude, and how much I also enjoyed the roasted potatoes and braised spinach. Chef also is renowned for his Duck A L’Orange ($27.95), a crispy-skinned rotisserie duck which was basted with honey and orange glaze, served over basmati and wild rice. Two fish dishes stand out: a lackened Chilean Sea Bass ($23.95), lightly spiced and served over haricots vert, carmelized Belgian endive and lemon-capers mushroom sauce. The Wild Alaskan King Salmon ($21.95) is awesome, marinated Asian-style, coated with black and white sesame seeds, served over basmati rice, ginger, daikon sprouts and ginger sauce. Four house specialties are well worth the trip: Bouillabaisse ($22), made with fresh fish (no shellfish), Beef Brisket ($21), Duck Leg Confit ($22), and my new passion, 4 Hour Oven Baked Lamb Shanks ($24). There are some delicious appetizers, from an authentic Onion Soup Gratinee ($7.95) to the best Salmon Tartar ($11.95) I've found in town. Perhaps you'd like Marinated Herring ($11.95)? It’s the real thing. Four smashing pasta dishes, a ½ pound Delice Bistro Burger ($16.50) on a brioche bun, topped with seared pastrami, crispy Maui onion rings, served with pommes frites and béarnaise sauce on the side. Another favorite right now: Seared Veal Sausage ($16.95), served over caramelized onions and braised white cabbage with mashed potatoes and three peppercorn sauce. Delice Bistro provides some sensational desserts: Crème Brulee, Flourless Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Souffle to name a few.
 
DELICE is an anomaly, a truly wonderful French bistro which has the added dimension of being strictly kosher under the highest standard in the kosher industry, Kehilla of Los Angeles. To some people, that could be a curious asset, but I assure you that you will be returning regularly for the delicious food...and feeling somewhat virtuous at the same time. For reservations call (310) 289-1702.
 
Open from 5 PM to 11 PM Monday through Thursday, on Friday they do a big Shabbat take-out business, reopening one hour after Shabbat on Saturday. On Sunday, a truly remarkable brunch from 10 am to 2:30 PM, then dinner from 5 PM to 11 PM.
 
Author: Jay Weston