WHERE TO INDULGE IN CAVIAR, FOR $12 AND UP
THE HIGH-END SNACK IS TAKING L.A.’S DINING SCENE BY STORM, IN NEW AND ACCESSIBLE WAYS
CAVIAR IS EVERYWHERE,notjustgracing high-end restaurant menus as in days past but offered in fun and approachable formats that have drawn the attention of a new crowd of diners. ¶ And let’s set the record straight: Caviar isn’t just fish eggs. That’s roe, a delicacy that can be sourced from any type of fish. Caviar refers to unfertilized eggs harvested from the sturgeon family of fish — beluga, kaluga, ossetra, sevruga and Siberian sturgeon are some of the most prized species. The highest grades of caviar lend a feeling of immersion into the sea — the description of salty falls frustratingly short. ¶ Historically, caviar was sourced from the Caspian Sea bordering Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Caviar was so beloved by the elite that overfishing led to the endangerment of many sturgeon species and an eventual ban on wild-caught caviar. But advances in aquaculture mean that modern diners don’t have to miss out.
“Producers started farming white sturgeon around the 1970s, which is the most commonly harvested of the sturgeon family because it’s the fastest to grow,” said Blake Shailes, executive chef at Grandmaster Recorders in Hollywood. “More and more fish farms [have been] built since the ’70s, plus other advances like breeding programs. Inflation has gone up so the price is largely the same, it’s just more accessible.”
Increased availability has given chefs license to experiment with caviar. Founded by Russian immigrant Arcady Fixon in Paris in 1927, Caviar Kaspia quietly opened a second location on buzzy Melrose Place last fall. New, American-inspired dishes are exclusive to the L.A. location, including a grilled-cheese sandwich that’s smothered with a layer of the inky eggs.
Caviar bumps are just one way the delicacy is being streamlined, with a spoonful deposited on and eaten from the back of the hand. “The warmth from your hand helps the caviar open up in flavor,” Grandmaster Recorders’ Shailes said. The restaurant has an exclusive partnership with Petrossian, a century-old, Parisfounded caviar chain with a location in West Hollywood, and offers “bumps” of its Royal Ossetra for just $12 apiece — in contrast, full caviar service runs $160 for 30 grams of the same grade.
Here, we share some new favorite restaurants that are putting exciting spins on the classic indulgence, as well as a few with traditional service presented in settings that stand out. From celebrity-favorite Beverly Hills wine bars to Hollywood rooftops, sushi dens, modern Thai restaurants and East Coast-style seafood houses, here’s where to treat yourself to caviar. You deserve it.
ANAJAK THAI
Fried chicken with a side of caviar is a blatant culinary flex — and yet, in the hands of Justin Pichetrungsi, the coupling transcends to genius. The bird needs no embellishment, to be clear: Battered in rice flour and scattered with fried shallots, the recipe is an adaptation of a fried chicken style from Nakhon Si Thammarat, a city in southern Thailand where Pichetrungsi’s mother, Rattikorn, has family. But dolloping on big, buttery beads of kaluga adds satisfying, salty harmonics and a soft pop against the sheath of crunch. The
of the more distinctive presentations you’ll find, with the briny eggs adding a pleasant saltiness that contrasts with the richness of the squash and a crumble of nuts fried chicken is a mainstay providing a satisfying on the daily menu crunch. — D.D. and also appears most ● 141 S. Grand Ave., Los
weeks as part of the Angeles, (213) 972-3535,
restaurant’s famed Thai asteridla.com
Taco Tuesdays. And what pairs better with fried chicken or caviar than Champagne? Anajak has one of L.A.’s most compelling wine lists, including two dozen sparkling options from France and beyond. — B.A. ● 14704 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818)
501-4201, anajakthai.com
ASTERID
This Ray Garcia restaurant next to Walt Disney Concert Hall is the chef ’s highly anticipated return to his hometown, with a far-reaching menu that references L.A.’s winding culinary pathways. While the entire menu is well worth exploring, the abbreviated bar menu offers a selection of indulgent snacks, like a honeynut squash tamal ($45) topped with crema and a generous heaping of schrenckii caviar. It’s one
BROAD STREET OYSTER CO.
Few restaurants play on the concept of high-low balance better than Broad Street Oyster Co., a modernized take on a classic seafood shack where Budweiser chills in the fridges next to custom-labeled natural wines. There are handbreaded calamari steaks, fried oysters, live sea urchins served in their spiky purple shells and massive stone crab claws on ice, but the options for caviar service truly encapsulate that high-low line that founder Christopher Tompkins likes to walk. Care to spruce up your lobster roll? For only $15 more at every Broad Street outpost — be it in Malibu, Grand Central Market, Santa Barbara or on Sundays at Smorgasburg DTLA — one can
add three mounds of California sturgeon caviar from Regiis Ova, a company helmed by French Laundry chef Thomas Keller and former Sterling Caviar CEO Shaoching Bishop. (Not to be outshone by the signature lobster roll, the tuna tartare and the uni spaghetti also offer the caviar upgrade at the full restaurants.) There’s also Broad Street’s caviar service: Available as a 15-gram “snack” ($40), a 50-gram “feast” ($105) or a 125-gram “party” ($235), this option pairs that same caviar with thickcut potato chips, crème fraîche and chives for a spruced-up take on chips and dip. — S.B.
● 23359 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, (424) 6440131, broadstreetoyster .com
BROTHERS SUSHI
There’s something almost otherworldly about the way Mark Okuda augments the flavors of his fresh and dry-aged sushi with caviar. The owner of Brothers Sushi primarily uses Astrea schrenckii (though occasionally royal kaluga) caviar to add extra creaminess to thick cuts of salmon belly, a light salinity to his chawanmushi and pops of texture and brine to gloriously fatty toro. The bluefin tuna caviar sashimi ($52), found in Woodland Hills as well as the newer Santa Monica location, tops weeklong dry-aged tuna with a mountain of caviar and edible gold stars, all of which mingle with miso paste and seaweed over micro shiso for a dish so elegant and complex it’s almost guaranteed to elicit gasps from your table. The six-oyster plate of Seattle Kumamotos ($45) features two topped with caviar for a mellow taste of the sea, while the Ora King sampler ($36) juxtaposes caviar-topped salmon belly with other fresh and dry-aged cuts. Keep an eye out for seasonal specials — such as live whole Hokkaido hairy crab with 30 grams of Astrea caviar — or opt for the omakase ($200), with a caviar-topped chawanmushi course so comforting it’s almost transcendent. — S.B.
● 21418 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, (818) 456-4509, thebrothers sushi.com
CAVIAR KASPIA
A roasted spud splotched with a heap of caviar sounds like a very American contrivance. But a dairy-rich, twice-baked version of the dish has been a specialty of Caviar Kaspia in Paris for decades. Russian expat Arcady Fixon opened the restaurant in 1927 after fleeing his homeland during the Bolshevik Revolution. In recent years, Caviar Kaspia has become a hangout for models and magazine editors; fashion industry investor Sam Ben-Avraham became a fan and decided L.A. needed an outpost. He and Rahav Zuta opened its second location in an airy Art Deco space in West Hollywood last fall with two floors and several indooroutdoor nooks. This is the place for extravagance: Tastings of two or three varieties of white sturgeon, oscietra or sevruga range from $240 to $1,170. The potato delivers all its promised luxury, and a grilled cheese overlaid with caviar created especially for Angelenos hits crisp, oozy, salty pleasure points. The restaurant serves wine but just got its full liquor license. One can sense that when vodka is finally available, reservations will be all but impossible. — B.A.
● 8475 Melrose Place, Los Angeles, caviarkaspiala .com
GRANDMASTER RECORDERS
It’s only fitting that the genre-defying restaurant that once served as a recording studio for music icons like Stevie Wonder and David Bowie would take a rock ’n’ roll approach to caviar. Executive chef Blake Shailes claims almost every table orders the caviar cannoli ($22), two crispy cylinders spilling with the shiny beads and a cloud of crème fraîche in the center. Grandmaster Recorders offers caviar service with Petrossian royal ossetra ($160 for 30 grams) or royal daurenki ($220 for 50 grams), served with potato scallops that reference the fish-and-chip shops Shailes grew up with in Australia. There’s also a take on gnocchi fritto that’s rolled out until it’s crispy and thin, served with seaweed crackers for an umami punch, in addition to the traditional accompaniments. You’ll see caviar bumps offered alongside the alto martini for just $12 each, but don’t be afraid to ask if you prefer the bumps without the cocktail. Or order caviar on the rooftop with a view of the Hollywood sign. — D.D.
● 1518 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 9637800, grandmaster recorders.com
PETROSSIAN AT TIFFANY
Squint past the bling upon entering Tiffany & Co. and you’ll find a caviar oasis hidden in the back. Petrossian is a famous caviar destination, and this one at South Coast Plaza is quite the extravagant experience. The decor — white orchids, sleek floors below and gold mobiles above — gives a nod to the fancy dishes to come. The restaurant serves a traditional preparation with buckwheat blinis and crème fraîche. The Tsar Imperial caviar tasting features baïka, shassetra, ossetra and kaluga — all served on mother-ofpearl spoons. One of my favorite dishes was the finely minced beef tartare with a generous layer of caviar — the selection changes frequently. But the real standout here is the indulgent potato mille-feuille — precariously perched, thinly sliced and buttery potato towers with a dollop of crème fraîche and caviar. The Tiffany Caviartini, the signature drink, made with caviar-infused Guillotine vodka and decorated with an olive plumped with caviar and crème fraîche, was a delight. — C.C.
● 3333 Bristol St., Suite 1236, Costa Mesa, petrossianrestaurants .com/southcoastplaza
SALTIE GIRL
There are many reasons to visit the new, marinetinged West Hollywood outpost of Saltie Girl, a seafood house with locations in Boston and London. Critic Bill Addison hails the lengthy list of tinned fish, columnist Jenn Harris upholds the warm lobster roll as the best in L.A., and I’d like to direct your attention to the caviar menu, which features Saltie Girl’s line of caviar as well as ROE Caviar and several grades of Petrossian. All of the caviar dishes — caviar dip ($32), a caviar and smoked fish sandwich (market price), mezze rigatoni and caviar ($34), 1½ pounds of pan-roasted lobster with caviar and lobster sauce (market price) and a mini caviar roll (a $25 indulgence that’s only worth it if you add market-price, butterpoached lobster) are served with Saltie Girl caviar. Traditional service includes fresh crepes, toast points and a flaky pastry coated in everything bagel seasoning with all the accouterments. There’s a long list of wines for pairing, including a Saltie Girl rosé, but the Saltie cocktail with your choice of vodka or gin, Castelvetrano olive, pickled onion and caviar is the obvious choice. — D.D.
● 8615 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, saltiegirl.com/los -angeles-menus