Fine dining restaurants are a rare breed in Los Angeles and ones serving vegetable-focused menus are even more so. However, this doesn’t seem to have deterred chef Gary Menes from crafting eight outstanding courses night after night for the few guests lucky enough to score a spot at his 10-seat counter. A meal Le Comptoir begins with Menes introducing himself and explaining the ethos behind his vegetable inspired menu. Almost all the produce served at the restaurant is sourced from the restaurant’s own garden in Long Beach and courses like the gargouillou–esque vegetable and fruit plate allow the ingredients to truly shine. Other courses like the seasonal velouté with fried bread crumbs and sheep milk yogurt use classical techniques to highlight the impeccable local products being offered. Guests reluctant to commit to a fully vegetarian menu will be happy to hear that supplements like a muki hotate scallop or 48 hour braised pork belly can be added to the menu for an additional charge. We recommend half the party order the fully vegetarian menu and the other order the supplements. That way you can share and enjoy the full range of the menu. If you’re in the mood to splurge go ahead and order the wine pairing. It’s quite interesting and the daily changing offerings complement the menu wonderfully. Whatever you do, don’t forget to order the hand crafted single origin coffee. It just might be the best cup of coffee we’ve had in a restaurant and it tastes amazing with the sourdough donut hole dessert made with the chef’s 22-year-old starter…
Style: Fine dining
Address: 3606 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020 (Koreatown)
Hours: Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday 6-8.30PM
Menu: lecomptoirla.com
Price: Tasting menu $89
Reservations: (213) 290-0750 or Yelp
This review was written by In The Loup contributor Ash Narayan