Providence Los Angeles: Providence was one of the 4 restaurants in Los Angeles to received 2 stars from the Michelin Guide. However, Michelin hasn’t rated Los Angeles since 2009.
It baffles me how the guide chooses certain cities. I don’t know how they can give guides for San Francisco, New York, DC and Chicago, but not offer one for Los Angeles is beyond me. However, I do have my theories why Michelin isn’t giving Los Angeles a guide. In my opinion, I think it has a lot to do with demographics. Los Angeles isn’t a heavily influence French or European city. The city is close to 70% Blacks, Mexicans, Asians, and mixed races. In addition, the cuisines are far from the beloved French cooking techniques.
Anyway, I’ve been to Providence a few times. The restaurant was fairly consistent in its service and flavors. In addition, the restaurant isn’t sticklers about the dress code as I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans on all visits. The service was on par with other 2 and 3 Michelin starred restaurants. The waiter explanations were solid. I would come back to a folded napkin every time I left the dining table. The wait staff were kind enough to share a few ingredients and where they are locally sourced.
There are a number of tasting menu options. Also, Providence provides an à la carte menu too. I went with the Signature/Seasonal Tasting Menu (16 courses) and made it a 2.5 hour dining experience. I’m not going to touch on all the main courses and the accompanying amuse-bouches. Here were my favorite dishes:
- Imported A5 Japanese Wagyu – A5 Japanese Wagyu is the one of the best beefs in the world. It’s only bested by A5 Japanese Kobe. The beef is supposed to be eaten in small portions due to the level of marbling on it. Each bite tasted amazing as the first. It was juicy, tender, and cooked to perfection. The veggies and sauce parts of the dish complemented the steak so well. Providence Los Angeles.
Imported A5 Japanese Wagyu - White Truffle Pasta – Who doesn’t love truffle? The white truffles were shaved onto home-made pasta; it blended well with the pasta sauce providing an overall rich flavor. The pasta wasn’t drenched in sauce either; it was the perfect at its al dente. Providence Los Angeles.
White Truffle Pasta - Sashimi Taco w/ Rice Crispy – I hated this dish but I absolutely loved it at the same time. I love how tasty it was, but I hated the small portions. The sashimi taco with rice and a dash of rice crispy wrapped in a leaf. In other words, a nigiri in a leaf. It melted in my mouth. The rice’s temperature was just right and it blended with the other ingredients perfectly. That’s something only the high-end sushi restaurants get right. Providence Los Angeles.
Sashimi Taco w/ Rice Crispy - The Ugly Bunch – This ugly bunch was a plate full of decadent ingredients. It consisted of uni, gold flakes, razor clams, abalone, geo duck, and a dash of roe. The presentation was colorful and bright. The smoked crème fraîche panna cotta had a really nice texture to it and the roe’s saltiness made the dish taste like bacon. Providence Los Angeles.
The Ugly Bunch - Wagyu Cigars – The wagyu cigars’ presentation was clever. They brought this out in a Trinidad cigar box. The “cigar” had a crispy outer shell; the decadent textures complemented the outer shell. Perfection. Providence Los Angeles.
Wagyu Cigars
Overall, Providence is definitely one of my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles. The food was amazing and the consistency was fabulous. It’s very hard for a restaurant to get it right night over night. To summarize, I thought everything was amazing from start to finish and it’s one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles. It’s really hard to miss like tax season.
Check out our other Los Angeles restaurant reviews here.
- Service - 8/108/10
- Presentation - 8/108/10
- Flavors - 8/108/10
- Decor - 8/108/10
- Ambiance - 8/108/10
Summary
Providence was one of the 4 restaurants in Los Angeles to received 2 stars from the Michelin Guide. However, Michelin hasn’t rated Los Angeles since 2009. The seafood based restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles. To summarize, I thought everything was amazing from start to finish and it’s one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles.
