Black Hogg

There are some restaurants in Silverlake/Echo Park/Los Feliz area I've been wanting to try for a while now.  The problem is, these places are somewhat far or troublesome to get to because it usually requires traversing through DTLA and it's better to have DTLA be your final destination given the horrific traffic. So it can be hard to gather any forces to conquer these places in, but luckily Ho Bag, and two new diners making their debut on the blog, Fat-Skinny-Fat-Less Fat (whose name will probably be in flux as he continues to drop weight for the upcoming bikini season) and Hates Food Porno, readily rallied to my side to check out Black Hogg.  Ho Bag will eat just about anything I suggest, having an unwavering and unquestioning trust in my food judgement.  When it comes to food relationships, I wear the pants, and very rarely does anyone try to fight me on that.  Hates Food Porno probably only came because Ho Bag dragged her.  I don't read minds, but I know she was cursing me under her breath with ever click of my camera, and every "wait wait! I'm not done yet!"  

Uni Toast san diego uni, plugra butter, maldon salt, chives

My name is all over uni anything.  It's such a stark contrast to a few years ago when uni anything made me gag.  The flavors were subtle, but the sweet butteriness of uni was brought out by the fancy buttery and complimented the crunch of the toast.  We split each in two, but I woulda been happier with a whole toast to myself.

Brussels Sprouts Hash twice cooked brussels, yukon golds, bacon vinaigrette, poached egg
It is a FACT.  Every restaurant this side of 2008 has their version of brussels sprouts.  These were pretty good.  I liked the incorporation of the soft luscious potatoes.  The bacon flavor was pretty subtle.  I'm sure the brussels were fried, and so the yolk added only another layer of decadence.

Grilled Prawns "peel and eat" new caledonia blue prawns, thai chimchurri

As much as I wanted to love these, they were a bit overcooked.  I liked the dipping sauce, but I could definitely taste some restraint compared to something bold and fully Thai in origin.

Steak Tartare wagyu, sesame, soy, fish sauce, egg yolk, brioche

I think everything must taste better with yolk.  Cooked, it adds decadence as above.  Raw, it kinda acts like a binder, adding more cohesion to something like a tartare.  Again, the Asian flavors were present, but restrained.  I still liked it.

Pork Belly Tacos roast heritage pork belly, fuji apple slaw, jalapeno relish

I think this might have been my favorite dish of the night, mostly because of the slaw.  I have a penchant for anything pickled and/or citrusy.  The slaw and relish really brought a refreshing brightness that undeniable speaks to my stomach heart.  Yes, I have a stomach heart.

Roast Mushroom Brioche Box hen of the wood, hon shimeji, brown butter

Earthy roasted mushrooms smothered in richy umami packed gravy.  The brioche was the perfect vehicle to soak up all that sauce.

Moules Frites prince edward island mussels, lardons, pinot, butter, fries 

Solid dish, but not particular special.

Jerk Chicken & Coconut Rice grilled half jidori chicken, coconut jasmine rice, jerk sauce

I think we all started to feel like a sinking ship over capacity at this point.  Maybe that's why we didn't think these last two dishes were as good?  The chicken, was just chicken, but definitely with a good smoky heat.  The rice had a great coconut essence, and the jerk sauce added some kick.  But again, just chicken.

Grilled Wagyu Steak snake river farms wagyu, papaya salad, chili-lime fish sauce

The wagyu was disappointingly chewy.  However, it was seasoned well and it was a nice medium rare.  I loved the papaya salad, sweetness balanced out by some citrusy pickled onions.

Five Leches Bread Pudding brioche, brown butter apples, toasted pecans 

Our waitress recommended this dessert.  It was good, but nothing spectacular.  At least it wasn't too sweet or anything.

Good news, I survived Black Hogg without having my inner foodie soul destroyed by Hates Food Porno.  I think its only because she actually likes my non food persona, that I was able to survive this meal.  Ho Bag and Fat-Skinny-Fat-Less Fat also had a good time.  It probably wasn't as amazing as I was expecting it to be.  Some dishes were good, but just not va va voom good.  If you're in the area, its a solid find, but it is much to far off the beaten path for me to visit again.