Festivus Gastronomicus
Review: Sesame Grill
If you are EVER in Los Angeles you will go to the Sesame Grill. Don’t fight it. It is the absolute coolest hidden Jewel I know of. It’s an Asian Fusion restaurant that gets the highest score so far for a Festivus Gastronomicus review.
308 E. Huntington Dr.
Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 821 - 0880
(map)
The Sesame Grill is completely hidden by it’s crappy storefront and unlikely location. It was around for a couple years, literally up the street from my parents house, before anyone took notice of it. I had friends who worked in the same mini mall and nobody knew what it was until we celebrated Will’s acceptance to Harvard there in 2005.
If you can get past the lame atmosphere and printshop clipart menu, it’s a five-star experience. The waiters and waitresses offer an encyclopedic description of the specials when they get to your table and are attentive and helpful throughout the evening. What’s more, they do the whole service in English and Chinese and switch back and forth effortlessly.
We started off with some escargots which were garlicy and good. The first batch of fresh baked bread also made its way to the table.
The Sesame Grill bakes fresh rolls all day long (surprising for a place this size). They are perfect. Except when they are dipped in the escargots garlic butter sauce; then they are better than perfect. Next came some crispy salmon rolls.
The salmon rolls were intense. The texture of the soft warm salmon mixed with the crispy pastry shell was unbelievable. It was spattered with three different and amazing sauces: a light soy based sauce, a wasabi sauce, and a red chili sauce which was sort of similar to sriracha, but milder.
The crispy salmon rolls are a very impressive mix of sauces and textures, and all of it served up beautifully. It looked so good I had to dive into it immediately and forgot to take a picture of the awesome plating before I started.
Pepe and my Mom both ordered a linguine tuttimare which was fantastic. The linguine itself was a two-color thick noodle mixed up with a light white wine sauce. All the seafood mixed in was cooked perfectly and plated expertly.
Notice each dish pictured is on a different style plate with a design that complements the dish? These people are serious.
The linguine was so good my grandfather didn’t have any criticisms - probably the best compliment they’ll ever get. He loved it.
I ordered shrimp stuffed with crab meat and small bay scallops (pictured at top). The succulent shrimp were tastily accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes, vegetables in a balsamic vinaigrette, and a splash of buttery sauce. I was in actual heaven, not figurative heaven.
On other trips to the Sesame Grill I’ve ordered the sea bass with fantastic results. The sea bass scored dead even with my sea bass standard tasted at Yamashiro in Hollywood during the great LA fires of 2003. Likewise the pork that my dad has ordered in the past has been a tender journey to porky deliciousness.
We finished dinner up with some great deserts. The dessert menu boasts a bunch of creamy gelato flavors along with various tortes and mousses. Despite the temptation of their awesome creme brule, I elected the hazelnut terrine (once again) for dessert of the evening.
Look deep into the eyes of this dessert. Do you see the love? Do you feel it? I have felt the true love of this terrine and I only wish I had the words to express the beauty of it to you my lovely readers.
The hazelnut terrine is a gastronomic triumph. The texture of the terrine itself is rich and smooth, but then you have the crunchiness of the caramelized sugar to accompany it. There are 3 different types of chocolate sauce that challenge you to create the perfect bite by mixing them in various levels.
The strawberry gives it a dash of color and acts as a fruity balm for the sugary assault your mouth gets from the rest of the dessert. Think you can’t take another bite of the terrine? Nibble on the strawberry to relieve the palate, now get back to that terrine.
All in all the Sesame Grill is just about perfect. It would be absolutely perfect if they got a liquor license for hard alcohol so they could serve cocktails and if they cleaned up their act in respect to the cheapness of the menu and storefront.
However, these things are tertiary. They accomplish everything you want a restaurant to accomplish. The service is knowledgeable and attentive, the food is inspired and expertly cooked, the wine list is well chosen, and you leave the restaurant thinking you’ve uncovered a wonderful secret.