The Bazaar by José Andrés

I lived in northern Spain for several months and experienced more than my fair share of tapas and pinxos. But the tradition of un café or una caña with a small plate of calamares could never have prepared me for my experience at The Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles this week.

  

The Bazaar is unlike any other tapas restaurant. Divided into traditional and modern tapas, the menu contains everything from traditional salads and croquetas to molecular gastronomy-inspired creations. The restaurant itself is divided into two very distinct styles, much like the menu itself, of Blanca y Rojo. Upon entering, the host whisks you and your party to either the dark, sultry side of the establishment or the funky, decked-in-white half. Don’t expect to find any sort of uniformity in terms of seating: a hodgepodge of sofas, chairs and tables in various sizes and shapes fill the large floor space. An entire wall is covered with black and white photographs of the back of people’s heads; billowing curtains cover the tall windows near our table.

 

 

 

We took advantage of DineLA’s Restaurant Week, which allowed us to choose four tapas/small plates and a dessert from a narrowed-down version of the full menu. Many of the plates are big enough to share, and soon enough, copious amounts of meat began to arrive at our table. The Bazaar imports incredibly delectable jamón serrano from Spain and serves it with petite grilled baguettes slathered in smashed tomatoes – a play on the traditional “pan con tomate” tapa. Molecular gastronomy favorites on the menu include Andrés’ “Philly Cheesesteak,” a small bread roll that, when baked, turns hollow inside – this is filled with a creamy cheese and thin slices of Kobe beef are layed on top. Delicious. Traditional tapas, like scallops in romesco sauce and hangar steak with authentic Spanish red peppers, arrive alongside the creative tapas, including cauliflower “couscous,” which is created with finely chopped cauliflower and grains to resemble a bowl of the Middle Eastern staple.

 

 

Many inventive drinks, such as the caipirinha, are created tableside for imbibing patrons. I enjoyed watching the large group next to us order drink after drink. The bartender pushes a cart up to the appropriate table, adds the ingredients into a large bowl, and whisks briskly as she adds liquid nitrogen. Our neighboring diners get a kick out of the billowing smoke emerging from their cocktails in process. It’s almost a revamped “dinner with a show” concept.

 

 

Beverages come out quickly but service is otherwise hit or miss. The waiter seemed confused as to what tapa was on our table at one point, and all our small plates came out sporadically. There’s not much attention paid to timing here, but servers are generally warm and helpful.

 

 

For dessert, we were whisked off to yet another section of the restaurant: The Patisserie. Reminiscent of an old-fashioned candy shop near the back, the rest of The Patisserie combines high bar tables and low couches – all blindingly sterile white – to create a sort of modernized version of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.  Traditional treats like flan are served alongside homemade whipped cream, transformed into a thick, stringy consistency similar to marshmallow fluff.

 

The Bazaar is a fabulous addition to the L.A. restaurant scene. It’s trendy, but even the pickiest foodies will be wowed.  

 

-EH