Jan 2020

Pasjoli – Santa Monica

Pasjoli - Santa Monica

Mom and I braved a brutal Friday night drive from Altadena to Santa Monica to experience Chef Dave Beran’s neo-bistro Pasjoli. The place was very much humming along when we arrived for an early dinner.

Pasjoli - Santa Monica

Seated on the quieter side of the brightly lit dining room, we were separated from the open kitchen and casual bar by a wall. Mom sipped some wine while I honed in on the menu of French small and large plates. We focused mostly on the small plates this evening — it’s the way we like to eat.

Pasjoli - Santa Monica

The first dish to arrive was the blue crab with cauliflower cream and sorrel ($26). The tender hunks of crabmeat were dressed ever so deftly so as not to distract from their intrinsic sweetness.

Pasjoli - Santa Monica

One of the richer dishes this evening was the ragoût d’oignons caramélisés, a caramelized onion tart with a pâte brisée crust and gruyère topping ($24). Our server described it as a soup-less onion soup, and she was absolutely spot on.

Pasjoli - Santa Monica

Hitting a lighter note was the perfectly roasted octopus with smoked fennel and fingerling potatoes ($29).

Pasjoli - Santa Monica

The tartare de bœuf ($26) was mostly straightforward with its delicately chopped beef and caper accents.

Pasjoli - Santa Monica

Accompanying the beef tartar was a nasturtium “pesto” and country toast.

Pasjoli - Santa Monica

Rounding out our parade of lighter appetizers was the foie de poulet à la Strasbourgeoise ($39). Each slice contained a smooth lobe of chicken liver forced into hollowed-out brioche and adorned with truffle shavings, chives, and coarse salt. This dish was nothing short of fantastic.

Pasjoli - Santa Monica

Next to arrive were roasted hen of the woods paired with a buckwheat crêpe ($38). The smoked date-laced filling struck a sweetish note that was unexpected and slightly strange.

Pasjoli - Santa Monica

The final savory course was the canard bordelaise, a soul-warming duck confit with preserved cherry and country bread ($26) that stuck to our bones in the best way.

Pasjoli - Santa Monica

Dessert arrived in the form of rice pudding. Presented in an unassuming glass bowl, the riz au lait was prettied with slices of 68-hour roasted pineapple and served with a dark caramel made from the pineapple’s juice. Every spoonful was better than the last until the bowl was scraped clean.

Dinner at Pasjoli was a very lovely experience from start to finish. Service struck a warm and efficient note, while the food was polished with a distinct point of view. Best of all, Mom had a swell time.

Pasjoli
2732 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Phone: 424-330-0020

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