The first thing was a complimentary mushroom cappuccino. It has great mushroom flavor with a little spicy kick to it. The foam on top integrates perfectly with the creamy mushroom soup. What a great start to the meal.
The bread are all pretty fancy. I can't really tell what ingredients are in them but they are all delicious.
The "JiRaffe" Classic Tomato Tart is amazing. It's tomato season in California and this tart showcases the tomatoes perfectly. The tart crust is paper thin and crispy with a light flavor, which adds texture without overwhelming the taste. The tomatoes are sweet with a slight acidity, which balances great with the rest of the creamy garnishes. There is a little mount of olive puree that takes the whole tart into a completely different dimension when added. It's worth coming here just for this tart alone.
The Hudson Valley Duck Confit is flavorful with perfectly cooked duck. The duck skin is a little bit crispy, and the green beans give it more texture. The black mission figs are the stars though, they are sweet without being overwhelming.
We ordered an extra French Onion soup. It's one of the best onion soup I've ever tasted. The soup itself is sweet and full of flavor. There are little filet Mignon cubes in the soup that really make this soup special. The sour cream compliments the sweet soup perfectly and adds creamy texture.
The entrees were the weakest part of our meal. The Pan Roasted Wild Alaskan Halibut comes with some big mussels. The fish is a tiny bit overcooked. Nothing really special to talk about here.
The Farmer's Market Eggplant-Spinach-Ricotta Ravioli is a little better with some good vegetables in there. The flavor is kinda normal like what you can get at a regular Italian restaurant.
After the entree, I ordered an extra espresso shot. It's pretty good.
The desserts are better than the entrees, but not at the excellence level of the appetizers. The JiRaffe Classic Caramelized Banana Cream Pie has a crispy layer of caramel on top. I like how it is not too sweet and allows the banana flavor to come through.
The Chocolate Truffle Cake is good, but could be a bit more bitter. The flavor of the vanilla ice cream is pretty light and I wouldn't be able to tell it's Tahitian vanilla beans if it's not written on the menu. It does comes with a big Eiffel Tower burnt cookie on top that is the most delicious part of the dessert.
It was a good first experience at JiRaffe for me. The appetizers are outstanding, and I'll come back to try other regular menu entrees.
JiRaffe
502 Santa Monica Blvd,
Santa Monica, CA 90401
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