One of my favorite in LA, I’ve been here a dozen times and every time I left happy
Here’s what we ordered:
Smoked Eggplant & Feta Brûlée with Laffa $21
Corn Tortellini $33
Hanger Steak Kebab $49
Malai Sundae $16
Biscuit Cake $16
The total came to be around $158. Got $50 off via inKind for a total of $108 before tips.
Starter:
We started off with their Eggplant Brulee. This is something I order every time I visit, it is just such a unique flavor. The eggplant feta itself is savory, spicy but topped with a caramelized sugar top adds such a nice sweetness to the dish. Eat it with the Laffa bread, and get it free refill if you run out.
The dish is 10/10 must order if visiting
Main:
Corn Tortellini
My first time ordering the corn tortellini, I think it’s a seasonal dish. Turns out the restaurant nails their pasta dishes as well! Flavorful, sweet corn filling with a sage butter sauce, cut down with a little bit of acid. It’s perfect carb dish to share if you can eat a lot. Need to try the other pasta dishes next time.
The corn tortellini is delicious yes, but at $33 it is kind of steep for a smaller pasta dish. But still, delicious, happy to order again
Hanger Steak Kebab
The Hanger Steak is something I order every single time. I wish they take it off the menu so I’m forced to try something new. Great beef, so tender, so beefy and seasoned perfectly.
The steak sits on top of a giant piece of Laffa, with some hummus and herb salad. Cut the Laffa, throw a piece of steak in there, add some herb salad and roll it up. Delicious, such a great dish to share.
Unfortunately I have to stop myself from ordering this dish next time, and try other entrees on the menu. Maybe some fish dishes!
Dessert
Malabi Sundae- just get this man, just delicious malabi, rose water syrup. Bites of savory pistachio to balance out the sweetness and plenty of crunch in the dish. I think it’s the perfect dessert to end the meal.
Biscuit Cake- I only had a bite of my friend’s. I wasn’t a big fan, too much cream and I couldn’t get into the cake, too sweet for me.
Carmel is just great spot on Melrose, maybe the best restaurant on the street for me. I find myself revisiting every month, maybe twice a month even. The flavors of the dish are executed so well, the restaurant truly embodies Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.
Environment is a 10/10. Great music, spacious and all the staff are good at what they do. Head Chef Maoz roams the dining room frequently to check in with diners. Stop by when you’re in the area next, they do a great brunch menu as well.
by CruelGMS
Dining and Cooking