Orsa & Winston is a gem in need of a polish - Review - Los Angeles - The Infatuation
"In the decade-plus since Orsa & Winston opened in DTLA, the city has seen a boom of creative tasting menu spots—some on the more affordable side, some ultra-luxurious, and some that feel pulled from another universe. Orsa & Winston might be the most understated of all of them, for better or worse. The sleepy white-walled dining room next door to queso and marg spot Bar Amá—both places share the same chef—serves Italian-Japanese dishes that are delicious and unique, even if the experience as a whole isn’t always as inspired. photo credit: Sylvio Martins photo credit: Sylvio Martins photo credit: Sylvio Martins Pause Unmute Reservations are required to eat at Orsa & Winston, but they’re no longer difficult to come by. The lone option for dinner is a five-course tasting menu for $150 per person, which is a reasonable deal compared to most fine dining spots, especially when you factor in the extra bites billed as “gifts from the chef” sent out between courses. Strangely, though, what you’re told is the restaurant’s signature dish—a gorgeous seafood rice porridge that lands on almost every table and is by far the best dish—isn’t included and costs an additional $49. It’s definitely worth ordering, but putting the porridge behind a paywall does shift the financial math of a meal here. The rest of the menu at Orsa & Winston changes frequently but generally marries Italian and Japanese traditions in elegant ways: black cod arancini dusted with black truffle, purple sweet potato tortellini highlighted by an equally sweet lobster cream, and bitter radicchio salad cut with a salty-funky miso-anchovy dressing. Occasionally, the same ingredients pop up in several dishes, as if the kitchen was trying to use up a stash in the pantry, but it mostly works, even if it’s a bit boring at times. If you’re going to splurge on fine dining, there are more exciting options in LA, but even with its lulling soft jazz soundtrack and somewhat stale ambiance, the food at Orsa & Winston is still genuinely interesting and enjoyable—and in the world of fine dining, that counts for something. Food Rundown Five-Course Menu If you’re eating at Orsa & Winston, you’re already locked in for the five-course tasting menu (it’s the only option). Which may not seem like a lot at first, but your server will drop four to six additional dishes at the table seemingly at random. Expect Japanese-Italian fusion dishes like creamy black cod and potato arancini dusted with shaved truffle, scallops basted in miso butter, and grilled-until-crispy sturgeon that pops under a tart huckleberry compote. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Satsuki Rice Seafood Porridge This stunning dish is Orsa & Winston’s signature, which you can order as a $49 add-on to your meal. It’s sort of like congee but also risotto, and its subtle savoriness serves as a canvas for the bouquet of seafood on top. Get a big spoonful of everything, and all of these flavors come together like a satisfying plot resolution: funky parmesan, briny shrimp tomalley, and sweetness from the uni and grilled scallop. photo credit: Sylvio Martins" - Sylvio Martins
