A Bizare Bazaar

I just had the most incredible dining experience of my life.

My best friend invited me and another friend to dinner to celebrate his acceptance to Stanford University. I've been friends with him since Kindergarten, and I consider myself a de facto family member.

We went to Bazaar (Click to read a WSJ article about this restaurant), which is in Beverly Hills on Restaurant Row. Actually, this is the second time in 2 nights that I've been on Restaurant Row in Beverly Hills. (Makes me sound like a socialite, doesn't it?)

First off, let me describe the setting. The bathroom was astonishing. It made extensive use of mirrors to give the impression of a vast space. Also, there were mirrors in front of the urinals, so I could check myself out while I took a piss. That was a unique experience...

The sinks baffled me for a good several minutes. Unlike most sinks, these did not have any sort of depression. They were flat. That confused me enough, and I even had difficult figuring out how to get water running.

Also, there was a cute guy at the table across from me. He was very poised and classy. Unfortunately, he was a bit too young for me, but I ran into him in the bathroom as he was washing up.

The restaurant is very avant-garde, and it only serves tapas, so each dish is like a taster. The 6 of us (2 parents, 3 teens, and 1 younger sister) ordered 20+ dishes by the end (not to mention cocktails for the adults).

We started with Serrano ham and sweet potato chips. Then we moved on to soups. I had a wild mushroom soup. It came in a shallow bowl with just some mushrooms, shredded cheese, and an egg yolk (just sitting there), and then the waiter poured a mushroom essence/broth over it. Yum!

I can't remember everything we ate, but certain dishes stood out:

Ceviche: Raw tuna was wrapped in avocado. When I first saw it, I thought it was lettuce, but when I went at it with my fork, it just sliced away like butter. I'm not even sure I would classify this dish as ceviche, but it was amazing.

Eel “Taco”: This dish involved a sliver of eel (with some sweet sauce) in a celery stick. It was amazing, especially considering I usually dislike eel.

Chicken with Dates: The chicken was the most tender and flavorful chicken I've ever tasted, and the sweet dates accented them perfectly.

Caviar: The caviar came in a sort of crepe with this light crème (I forget the name). It was the first time I've tried caviar, and I liked it. It tasted like decadence.

Cotton Candy Foie Gras*: This dish got a spotlight in Zagat because of it's unique nature. A chunk of Foie Gras was encased in a web of cotton candy. Our waiter advised that we eat it in one bite, which brought on a sensation of utter richness.

Scallops: Two monster scallops tasted like heaven. I cannot describe it in any other way.

Caprese Salad: The most unique thing about this was the cheese. It looked like a bubble, and it popped when you put it in your mouth releasing a liquid cheese. Very good.


Dessert: After dinner, our waiter guided us to a new room, which had a different atmosphere. I think it's best described as “Alice in Wonderland.” I'm pretty sure I was sitting exactly where the Mad Hatter sat. The dessert menu had a section for WATER. Yes, there were 12 different waters on the menu, and they started at $10.

Flan: The Stanford accepted had flan, which was perfectly done. There's no better way to describe it.

Tres Chocolate Mouse: I ordered this. It came with a pipet full of liquid chocolate. I took pictures too. I'll post them later. Each layer of chocolate was different, and it ended with a dark chocolate that had an almost coffee flavor to it. Sooooo good.

Chocolate Cake: The other friend who was invited had this. It was unlike anything I'd ever tasted. I cannot begin to describe it.


We enjoyed many other dishes, but I have listed the most memorable. I know that this post probably does interest you, especially since it makes me look like some sort of spoiled Los Angeles brat. I assure you that I am not, and the only reason I have enjoyed such a dinner (and two nights on Restaurant Row) is that all my friends are getting accepted at universities and everyone is turning 18 at the same time. I am writing this post for me more than anyone. I never want to forget this dinner.


*Disclaimer: I apologize to anyone who opposes the inhumane treatment of animals as is the case with Foie Gras. I disagree with the treatment, but I believe it's something that needs to be tried once in life.

Oh, some pictures:

Our table was the picnic bench-esque table in the center, closest to the kitchen.

This image shows the crepe-like preparation that surrounded the caviar. However, I do not think this image actually has caviar in it.

This is the bathroom. I think this is the Women's because the Men's had row of urinals on the right. Each urinal had it's own bay, which was surrounded by mirrors.

You would have been confused by this sink too!

P.S. I took a few pictures with my iphone. I will post them later. Unfortunately, they are poor quality.