che audrey: Good Eats: The Gorbals

For a belated birthday dinner for my brother, we decided to meet half way and eat in Los Angeles. Originally we were suppose to go to Church & State, but since the reservations were all booked for the night we opted to try The Gorbals. The Gorbals is owned by Top Chef Ilan Hall. This quaint little spot is located in what use to be the Alexandria Hotel. The interior has that speak easy feel it to, simply, simple.

The servings are small plates, meant for everyone to eat "family style". After contemplating what we should get and how many of each we should get, we decided to indulge in the "King's Feast" for a party of 8. I was reluctant to do this at first, but for $40/head it was totally worth it. We were served plenty of dishes from each category on the menu and refused any chicken dishes, so we'd get the most of our money! (haha!) We ended up having a 13 course meal that was ridiculously satisfying.

The break down of our dinner is as follows: (not in this order)

Pork
Bacon wrapped matzoh balls
Spare ribs
Banh mi poutine

Beef
Roasted marrow + oyster mushrooms + walnut + malt vinegar
Burger + onion six ways
Confit tongue + romesco + croutons

Seafood
Grilled squid + lemon + garlic + parsley
Prawns a la plancha + anchovy butter
Squid ink battered local yellowtail + chips

Side Veggies
Latkes + smoke applesauce
Grilled sweet corn + pimenton butter
Broccoli + soy + chilies & vinegar

Dessert
Sticky toffee pudding + ice cream + maldon salt

My favorites were the beef tongue + burger + corn + toffee pudding. The tongue was cooked perfectly, crisp on the outside and oh so tender in the inside! Beef tongue has become one of my must try on menus lately, definitely a new favorite meat. The burger was nice and juicy. I wish, at the time, I took the time to figure out the six different ways the onions came, but it was so good I was savoring the taste and I was starved at this point. I love corn and any way it is served, so of course I would love this dish. I must have eaten at least 3/4 of one of corn plates. The sticky toffee pudding was amazing! The balance of the textures + flavors were on point, sinfully sweet with a slight salty after taste.. I tried to hold my self back to just one bite, but I could not resist!

I would review each dish, but that would take too long! However, I would skip out on the cocktails and get straight to the business of the food. The drinks were overpriced and didn't make any real impression on my meal. Save your money and indulge in the King's Feast, especially if you have a larger group!