Zen Chi Part IV

Just 'round the corner from Tujunga Village is a little restaurant that can't ever seem to stay in business.  Eight years ago it took two years of construction for it to open as Zen Chi.  That lasted for maybe six months before it rebranded itself Nick's Grill.  That again only lasted six months before it closed and construction began again for Taverna 8 1/2.  Taverna seemed successful, but they apparently walked out on their lease after only 1 year in business.  Now almost two years later it has again reopened as Girasol starring Top Chef Seasons Three and Ten contestant C.J. Jacobson as executive chef.  When signage first appeared for the new restaurant it read that it was a "farm fresh eatery."  For some reason that made me think of eggs and vegetables, so I was thinking it might be a nice cafe style restaurant serving all three meals.  When it finally opened on July 1st I learned I was wrong - it was only open for dinner and they hope in the future to offer Sunday brunch.  On a positive note, the dress code is casual, so I didn't feel bad when I walked in wearing shorts and flip flops even though the decor didn't seem to match my attire.

We went on their seventh day of business and were asked by the waiter if we had dined there before.  Huh? Not likely.  Our best guess is that the waiter was simply seasoned and was used to asking that question.  Or, perhaps, there are people who have been there more than once within the first week.  My biggest, and probably only, complaint about the restaurant is that the tables have legs that are essentially a big box.  They are metal and quite beautiful and actually look like branches extending between the legs which is quite lovely with the overall decor of the restaurant.  That said, beauty doesn't equal function and you can't place your legs under the table, so you have two options: (1) sit with your legs wide open so that the table is remotely close to your body or (2) sit with the table a good distance from your body resulting in either you hunching over the table or dropping food on your lap.  Your choice.

We decided to stay away from the burrata this time and try some other appetizers.  First up was the hamachi.  Look how beautiful the presentation was.  And most importantly, it tasted as wonderful as it looked.  I had to Google nasturium before we ordered and just to let you all know, its essentially just watercress.

Hamachi with Citrus (mandarin, macadamia nut, nasturium, preserved grapefruit, verbena)

Next up was the beet salad.  Again, a gorgeous dish that I wish I didn't have to share.  Everything on the plate was equally portioned out so that you had enough beets to go with the goat cheese and a berry if you so chose.

Beets and Berries (whipped goat cheese, leafy herbs, hazelnuts)

My husband, not surprisingly, went for the whole fried snapper.  The way the fish is scored allows for the diner to easily portion himself a bite for dipping into the scrumptious sauce.  My husband was respectful and didn't start picking up the carcass to get more meat, but that didn't stop me!

Whole Fried Snapper (crispy greens, fermented fresno chili, sauce of kumquat, sorrel and citrus)

I decided for once to go with the simple chicken.  The chicken itself, while beautifully browned with the skin nicely crispy, was just that: simple.  But once you dipped it into the rich au jus, it was out of this world.

Roasted Mary's Citrus Chicken (stone potatoes, baby carrots, au jus)

They don't have a dessert menu that you can peruse and discuss with your date.  Instead the waiter reads the choices off to you and waits for you to decide.  I allowed my husband to choose and he picked the olive oil cake, so imagine my surprise when a plate full of peaches arrives with the tiniest piece of cake.  When I took the picture from directly above the plate, you couldn't even see the cake which necessitated this angled shot.  The cake was tasty and did go well with both the crème fraiche and the peaches.  I'm not sure if what was off to the side was indeed fruit leather as I had to borrow the plate's description from another review, but it seemed to us to be some sort of candied fennel.  The dish was yummy, but I wouldn't advertise it as "Olive Oil Cake."

Olive Oil Cake (peaches, crème fraîche and house-made fruit leather)

We will definitely go back to Girasol.  It's a good restaurant with good food made with fresh ingredients that makes you not feel guilty for eating out.