REVIEW: The Street: the most amazing food you will ever eat

How often does a restaurant change your life?

 Rating:




That's right, a perfect score! I had seen this place on "Best thing I ever ate", and boy were they right. Susan Feniger's "The Street" is a small, simply decorated temple to all things delectable from all over the world. The cuisine is incredibly different from anything else I've ever eaten, and permanent spoiled my palette.

I suggest you make reservations, first of all, since they get packed really fast. We made a trip for Sunday Brunch since it was our last day in LA. Seated on the patio, it was cool and comfortable especially for outdoor seating. We started off with brunch cocktails (hey, it's vacation after all!). I enjoyed the Pear Blossom, a medium strength cocktail with pear muddled in the drink: delicious! How often do you get actual fruit in the drink in place of some chemically flavored syrup? My girlfriend ordered the Sangria, which was also amazing and full of strawberries, which I felt was a nice bonus. For starters we ordered the world famous "Kaya Toast", or the thing they talk about on "Best Thing I ever Ate". This is where you have to suspend judgment and really keep an open mind about things. The toast is served buttered and topped with coconut jam, and then you dip it in a soft boiled egg covered with dark soy sauce and white pepper, with a little bit of arugula. Don't skip on any ingredient, DO NOT DISASSEMBLE! Trust the chef! This dish is near indescribable: salty and sweet, savory, crunchy, delicate and a little robust some how all at the same time. The portion size is small, too, allowing you to further your adventure.

 

For a meal, I ordered the Croatian Apple Fritters, which came with two small patties of homemade pork sausage and an amazing cinnamon apple sauce. The fritters were crisp and sugar coated on the outside, inside they were doughy and the apple could be easily identified. The mix of the salty pork and the sweet apples were amazing! And it left enough room for dessert! We ordered LaMill coffee lattes, which were served in small portions with the famous Turkish doughnuts. These small, airy desserts are served with rose jam and a sort of sour cream. They aren't very sweet but they are very delicious. And don't be scared by the seemingly large portion they bring to you: they are hollow inside.

As for the rest of the restaurant: even though they were busy, the food and service was timely. The server was knowledgeable, cheerful, and overall very helpful. The restaurant was packed, but I didn't find that is was too loud, and everyone seemed to be into the food. The prices are steep for those used to Fresno: plan on at least $20 a person, but double it if you want to have the kind of adventure I had. Come with friends and share, because you won't want to miss any of this incredible dishes. But be brave, this ain't IHOP.