Ludo Bites

I don’t think I can say anything about Ludo Bites that everyone else has not already said.
What I will say is that it was one wonderfully fabulous evening. I was lucky enough to be invited and I jumped at the chance to go even though I hate a trip into LA. I will travel for good food.
The atmosphere was much more relaxed than I had anticipated. We were seated outside and it felt almost like café style. With all the talk of this place, I really thought it was some swanky joint with people in fancy gear. It was the opposite: inviting, comfortable and friendly.
Another thing that struck me was just how wonderfully friendly and gracious Ludo is. I watched Top Chef Masters and didn’t really know what to expect from him based on what I had seen of his episode but it was so lovely to see his genuine passion for food and see how gracious and friendly he was with everyone. He came out and took pictures with us and sat with us at the end of the evening to chat (we were the only people left cause we just didn’t want to leave). I was very impressed and I haven’t even gotten to the food part. He even made truffle dumplings for us (off menu) just cause he was trying something out.
I love the tapas style. We probably ordered 80 to 90 percent of the menu. I loved that everything was like nothing I had ever tasted. Having said that, I had a few favourites.
The Chorizo Cantaloupe Cornichon soup was entirely beautiful. My first taste was just the soup all I got was that wonderful chorizo flavour. I was really happy to see that there weren’t chunks of chorizo in it, just the flavour, which was very fragrant. My next taste, I got some of the cornichon and the flavour was entirely different. I can’t even begin to describe this second bite except maybe… taste explosion!
The lobster medallion was another favourite. Just one quick bite that I wanted to have over and over again.
It was truly a meal I will not forget and it was only bettered by Ludo himself.

I will single out the parade of small plates at LudoBites as having a slight nose-​hair win over Providence’s chef tasting menu as my favorite dinner this year. Not only for the fineness of food (creative, high quality, brilliantly tasty), but also marvelously friendly yet professional service.
The key difference is the atmosphere and, in this respect, I fully concede to being biased, as I have a preference for casual fine dining. Sure, I enjoy dressing up, but there is nothing like having great food and wine in an intimate, less formal, relaxed setting where you can chill and hang out with the chef. While at Providence, Chef Cimarusti and staff were wonderfully gracious and warm, I still felt very much that we were the recipients of impeccable trained service. However, the experience at LudoBites was strikingly different. Held this time at the Breadbar on 3^rd Street (note: part of the concept of LudoBites is that Ludo and his «guerrilla» set up at different restaurants for a designated period of time and then move on), the ambience was laid-​back and delightfully casual with a great outdoor patio that allowed us to take full advantage of balmy SoCal summer evenings. The chef himself, the very cool, very French hence illegally charming Ludo Lefebvre casually approached tables in jeans and a t-​shirt to get to know patrons and share cooking frustrations (like disastrous dumplings, haha). It felt so much like a fabulous dinner party that he threw together. I was SO happy to be there. Thrilled, to be precise.
As I had predicted, the hottest dinner party in town served the most amazing food. The first dish left the most lasting impression. Indeed, it was my favorite for being nothing like I had expected yet sublimely delicious. Called Chorizo Cantaloupe Cornichon, is it no wonder I imagined some kind of sausage? To my surprise, what arrived was a mango-​colored soup ornamented by pickles and edible flowers. One taste and I was sold. A chilled soup, it is reminiscent of bacon. You heard me, yes, bacon! Ludo extracts the smokiness of bacon and infuses it into the refreshing taste of summer: a whipped smooth gazpacho laced with the essence of pickled radish, smoky pork, and accompanied with cubes of fresh cantaloupe. I loved this so much. It was the dish that captured the nature of his cooking: unique play with high quality ingredients that leaves you wide-​eyed, excited, and deliriously happy because it all tastes soooooo good.
The fois gras black croque Monsieur is just incredible. Injected with black squid ink, the bread takes on the hue of black soot. You dip this fois gras sandwich into a cherry amaretto marmalade that you will want to secretly hoard in your purse so that you can have it with your brekkie toast. Unbelievable how each ingredient is evident in the mouth yet a seamless actor playing one of many parts. The end result is divine.
Several other dishes boast the synergistic use of ingredients to create, literally, most edible art. To be consumed in one bite, the lobster medallions should disappear in a flash, but not so fast that one cannot discern the honey, the sherry, and the finish of rosemary at the end. The fish and chips is unlike any fish and chips I’ve ever had with its marriage of the softest cod with a peanut buttery crust for some trusty crunch. This dish arrives with super mild, defanged kimchi (I’m Korean, I was scratching my head). It all works together, though, especially that beautiful cut of fish with that toasted, honey beer sear. For dessert, nothing bests the Crème Fraiche Panna Cotta Caviar Caramel. The essential taste recalled to mind Salted Caramel ice cream from Bi-​Rite in S.F. yet smoother with fun, luxurious itty-​bitty bubbles of caviar that pop some salty pleasure over your creamy dessert. Fear not, this caviar is super clean-​tasting, no fishy aftertaste whatsoever. Bravo.
The polenta is a revelation. Oh my heavens, this is «haute cuisine» comfort food. Wow, the most warm-​blanky porridge, thick and glutinous, topped with black truffle. Linus would give up his blanky for this stuff. You stick your spoon in and get this heavenly bite of cantal cheese and perfectly cooked polenta. The cantal cheese and truffle: It’s just out of control, crazy good. Next, you pick up that spoon again and go digging for that meat. It might take a while, as the polenta is beautifully thick and hearty, but keep looking. It’s there, like a buried treasure. When you hit that oxtail, pry that sucker out and eat it with the warm polenta and that phenomenal, gooey cheese. You will feel the warmest fuzzies and want to just hug everyone.
On his website, Ludo expresses how he «wants to present an atmosphere similar to the way he grew up in France, people ‘living’ around the table.» I can confidently say that I feel that I have lived at his table, happily visited France, and now I don’t wanna leave!

What an amazing experience and, I feel so fortunate to be able to partake in such a unique and creative culinary experience! Me and my group of friends tried everything on the menu and no matter how peculiar the pairing of ingredients may be, it melded beautifully and tasted great! Some of the dishes that left me lingering for more were the foie gras black croque-​monsieur sandwich (Chef Ludo injected squid ink into the bread dough to give it that color), the best and moistest fried chicken I’ve ever had and the delectable chocolate cup cake with foie gras chantilly, candied bacon-​almonds and maple syrup.
I would also like to add that since it was BYOW (which is awesome!) and we brought 9 bottles of vino amongst the 7 of us, I was less apprehensive on trying the blood pudding (or turine if you want to fancy it up) after the 3^rd glass of wine!

I am so unbelievably grateful that I had a chance to dine here and also so unbelievably sad that we don’t see such innovation and creativity in my home town.
The entire experience was outstanding in a simple, unpretentious, yet utterly delicious and gracious manner. On a side note, Ludo is very easy on the eyes — dreamy French accent, tall dark and handsome :)
Every dish that we ordered was a delight — surprise hitting first, then a gradual but definite mmmm. of satisfaction. Standouts include the liquified chorizo «soup» for lack of a better word. Salty, smokey, slightly chilled served with chunks of sweet cantaloupe. I could have eaten this all night — what a fabulous play on a classic proscuitto and melon pairing. Also loved the polenta with oxtail and truffles, it arrives looking like a soup but once you dig in you find a rich, creamy smooth polenta and a surprising hidden treasure at the bottom of tender oxtail.
Perhaps my favourite though (since I have an insatiable sweet tooth) was the panna cotta with dark caramel and caviar. I was quite literally scared to try this — it sounded frightening, and when it arrived I was newly alarmed. It comes dolloped with quite a generous serving of black caviar (not sure what kind — «American» caviar) How could caviar possibly have a place with desserts? I love caviar and I did not want to be traumatized by a dessert experiment gone wrong. Took a tentative spoonful and it was AMAZING. The saltiness of the caviar, together with the silky smooth cool panna cotta and the richness of the caramel came together like the best salted caramel combination you could imagine. There was no fishiness at all from the caviar. I almost started clapping with excitement, that’s how good it was: P and how dorky I am :)
Oh, if only you would make a trip up North… but if not, it’s only a short 2.5 plane ride away (and yes, I would center a trip around a meal here).

One of the world’s greatest and most inventive chefs serving food at shockingly low prices. Combined with outstanding wait staff, in my opinion this is presently the best restaurant in Los Angeles.
The concept for Ludo Bites is a borrowed location that changes periodically. He will move his nomadic restaurant to a new location soon.
BYOB, no corkage fee.

My mouth is still watering from last night. This is definitely the meal of the year for me. Thank you Shauna D. for recommending this place.
I’m not going to go into detail about the food since everyone has already described it dish by dish. We ordered everything on the menu and I can honestly say that there wasn’t a single thing that I didn’t find enjoyable. Some were absolutely Fantastic.
I came here with a group of 8 and they accommodated us very well for such a large party. Chef Ludo spent a lot of time talking to us and it made the evening even more entertaining. He’s a really funny guy and lets just say the food wasn’t the only thing making the ladies from our table drool.
So we all had a blast and I can’t wait until he opens up in another location.

Quite simply the best meal of my year, and up there with the best meals of all time. LudoBites blew us away, even considering the fact that only a month ago we had dined at Alinea and L2O in Chicago. On top of that, our meal here was literally maybe 10−15% the price of what we paid at those other places. What a steal!
What characterized all the dishes for me was not only the boldness and creativity of the flavor combinations, but the fact that these combinations simply worked, as if they were meant to be, they were just waiting for Chef Ludo to discover them. The meal was a true adventure in flavors and the way those flavors danced and played with each other.
As for the specific dishes, many of them you’ve already read about from other reviewers and food bloggers, and you’ve seen the tantalizing photos. (My own photos are unworthy, but can be found here:
.) Frankly, though, even the best photos don’t do these dishes justice, because they taste much more incredible than they look. It was our goal to make it through the entire menu, but alas, with only 3 of us we ended up falling 3 dishes short at the end of the night. Nonetheless, we were able to have:
Raw Hawaiian tuna topped with white chocolate and wasabi, with a side of Thai jalapenos. We almost didn’t order this dish, but I’m so glad we did. The tuna and the white chocolate was an amazing combination.
Cold soup of liquified chorizo, topped with a granite of cornichon, with cubes of cantaloupe. I think of this dish almost every day, it was that memorable.
Salad of green beans, peaches, apples, sliced coconut, & lemongrass topped with a dollop of horseradish.
Salad of marinated heirloom tomatoes, red onions, and olives, topped with a dollop of feta mousse
Lobster tourte with vadouvan butter
Boudin noir with apple potato purée. Another dish we almost didn’t order but were so glad that we did. Boudin noir is blood pudding, and it had this rich, creamy, mousse-​like texture, which went perfectly with the apple potato purée. I would have loved to spread this boudin noir on toast as if it were nutella.
Creamy polenta with oxtail beef, black truffle, and cantal cheese. Another absolutely amazing dish, one of the highlights of the evening. The oxtail was so tender, it was just falling apart, and the polenta was simply the most creamy and flavorful we’d ever had.
Lobster medallions with a honey sherry vinaigrette, topped with rosemary. This honey sherry vinaigrette was to die for.
The famous foie gras black croque monsieur with ham and cherry amaretto sauce. This was yet another unforgettable dish, where you could taste every single flavor individually but also in combination with everything else. The foie did not overwhelm nor was it buried. Simply perfect execution.
Grilled duck breast with leeks salad, ginger, capers, and black truffle. I admit that at this point we were starting to get a little full and probably did not appreciate this as much as we should have. The meat was perfect, though. Despite the «bites» format, this particular dish was a huge serving.
Prime beef short ribs bourguignon, served with smoked eggplant, cauliflower, and goat cheese. Again, we were getting a little tired at this point, but we were underwhelmed by the beef, which was a little dry. Nonetheless we loved the eggplant and the goat cheese.
Vanilla panna cotta with caramel and caviar. Every bit as delicious as it sounds and looks.
Chocolate cupcake topped with foie gras chantilly, candied bacon, maple, and almonds. Another dish where the flavors just worked together seamlessly. Genius.
We missed a few dishes, including the spaghetti carbonara, the cod, the peach curry mascarpone, and the cheese plate. If only we had one more person in our party, I’m sure we could have done it!
The menu changes daily, so we checked the website mid-​day to coordinate our wine plans, as it is BYOB. It’s hard to pick wines to go with such a variety of flavors, but we got lucky. Corkage was only $ 5, yet another bargain.
It was extremely crowded, busy, and noisy, but despite the hustle and bustle we did manage to have OK service, and we made friends with the people with whom we were sharing a table. We also did get to speak with Chef Ludo a few times, which was nice.
Naturally, after finishing our meal here, the first thing we did was try to make a reservation to come back. Alas, they were completely booked for the last 2 weeks, and Chef Ludo’s last day will be August 22, 2009. As much as I would have loved to have made a return visit, I’m so glad that we at least got to come here the one time. And Chef Ludo will be back, somewhere in LA, and wherever he ends up, we will follow. In one night, he made us fans of his for life.

It pains me to say it, but sometimes you’ve just got to consider following the hype. And if following it involves a most ingenious set of innovative, «tapas-​styled» menu items, there’s one reason. And if following it means those «tapas-​styled» menu items are created by none other than a certain Top Chef Masters contender, well there’s another reason. And if following it means that certain Top Chef Masters contender is none other than Ludo Lefebvre, well, you can just call me a damn follower because I daresay that I’ve been hooked!
Ludo’s brainchild «LudoBites» is truly a culinary haven for the ambitiously open minded foodie, Jonathan Gold, and you and me. Not-​so-​secretly being conducted «after hours» style at the popular breakfast/​lunch-​only spot «BreadBar» on 3^rd street, LudoBites is another one of those experimental «test kitchens» popping up for a limited time, operating in a limited space, with a limited amount of seats. Ludo calls it a «guerilla style pop up restaurant» and he definitely has that one right. With LudoBites’ word-of-mouth’s success in creating, what I’ll call, a dedicated set of regulars (sometimes more than once a week) and a seemingly endless horde of onlookers table-​stalking any one of the table high tops (on a Tuesday, nonetheless), you can’t help but give Ludo and staff a hell-​of-​a-​lot of credit for their success in executing this popular concept.
As far as food goes, Ludo’s «bites» certainly live up to the hype. Breadbar’s bakery atmosphere really lends quite the casual/​deconstructed atmosphere for savoring Ludo’s innovative creations, which are winningly rooted in Michelin training that goes all the way back to a guy named Pierre Gagniere (
). The menu is daily, seasonal and very of-​the-​moment, with a myriad of ingredients used in the most unassuming combinations you could ever envision. For instance, take everything you know and expect about chorizo — and then try to imagine chorizo’s spicy, meaty, and greasy consistency being totally transformed into a smooth, cool and creamy-​like soup. The soup is dotted with a few tiny cubes of orange melon, which are oh-​so-​gracefully topped by some kind of green garnish with a taste that bears a curious resemblance to… cornichons? At first spoonful, while I was floored, I both saw and liked where Ludo was going with all of this. But being liberal in the mixing and matching of flavors on plate is really quite standard at LudoBites. And while it’s clear that Ludo has a set vision for all of this, it’s also apparent that he’s having fun in the kitchen.
But perhaps even more of a standout is Ludo’s winning concept of showcasing the niceties of so-​called «haute-​cuisine» in a mellowed-​out, affordable, «no one’s gonna thumb their nose up at me,» kind of matter. Being able to appreciate the incorporation of foie gras, black truffles, caviar, and other such foods that only the royals might eat is commonplace at LudoBites, except that (surprise-​surprise), it’s not costing you an arm and a leg. But remember, it’s just not a meaty cut of foie gras that will be served. Rather, find yourself sampling a «foie gras black croque monsieur sandwich with ham cherry amaretto» (note: not to be missed!) or maybe a chocolate cup cake topped with «foie gras chantilly frosting,» which is plentifully doused with «a topping of candied bacon, almonds and maple.» Remember, this is Ludo we’re talking about.
Suffice it to say, LudoBites’ «wining and dining» makes for quite the interactive scene. It’s almost like Chef Ludo and his staff are pulling off a dinner party for a huge group of friends (note: you will invariably get to know your neighbors at the next table), so it should not come as a surprise to you that Ludo himself drops by to hang out, share a few laughs, and toast to good health.
But overall, it’s probably unfair of me to post this because LudoBites ends its stint at the Breadbar on August 22^nd. And like Jonathan Gold so appropriately mentions, «it can be harder to get in than UCLA’s film school.» He is definitely right. And there’s good reason for that.
However, Ludo tells us he has plans to open a permanent location in the Los Angeles area very soon. For the love of God and baby Jesus, I hope that location comes quickly. Godspeed Ludo!
Note: BYOB!

breadbar + ludo = genius. we were promptly seated for our culinary journey. right from the get-​go i couldn’t get enough of that lavender/​honey butter!
between our party of four we ordered two dishes each, so we got to sample almost the entire menu. the veal tartare was delightful (my peoples love our raw food!) with that hummus-​like sauce. the black foie gras panini was so rich, and that cherry amaretto marmalade really sung. the polenta with oxtail meat was so rich and satisfying, like a nice pot of meaty mac & cheese. duck breast was nicely done, lobster medallions were good (and i don’t even like lobster)! the carbonara was quite interesting with the celery noodles, and it came with the most heavenly slice of smoky delicious bacon one could ever imagine. i coulda done without the blood sausage terrine though, not my thing.
the beef tenderloin was my hands down favorite, SO tender with the slightest crunchy sear and the best smoked eggplant bits i’ve had in my life.
the desserts all paired the elements of savoury and sweet deliciously. my panna cotta w/​caviar had the most amazing caramel drizzle. the peaches & cream were so sweet and fresh and that foie gras cupcake was richly decadent. props for the candied bacon!
though the scene was chaotic and crowded, everything fell swiftly onto our table and into our bellies. i walked away full but not stuffed, completely satisfied. at ~60 each and our own bottle of wine it was a meal well worth it.

Fantastic and creative!
We were lucky to get reservations before next week when Ludo Bites ends. I read so many great reviews about this place so we were looking forward to trying it out.
It started out with the fresh crusty wheat bread and olive bread, served with lavendar honey butter. omg, that butter was one of the best ever!
Here’s what we ordered (keep in mind they are very small bites).
1. Green Beans Salad, Peach, Coconut, Apple, Horseradish, Lemongrass — not impressed with this dish.
2. Veal tartare, oysters, avocado, almonds, lemon, tonnato sauce — wow, this was so fresh, citrusy, and different. loved it! I didn’t taste the oysters though.
3. Marinated heirloom tomato, feta mousse, red onions, olives — juicy and flavorful!
4. Lobster medallions, honey sherry vinegar vinaigrette, daikon, rosemary — the lobsters were sweet and fresh, I actually wanted more…
5. Lacquered pork belly, mustard ice cream, vadouvan — this was my favorite, it may be the best prepared pork belly I’ve ever had.
6. Cheese plate — I enjoyed the basque but not the blue cheese. The date butter and apricot spread were delicious.
7. Chocolate cup cake, foie gras chantilly, candied bacon almonds, maple syrup — ok I have mixed feelings about this. the cupcake part was better than sprinkles, but the chantilly frosting was kinda groose. we all didn’t like it. Foie gras just doesn’t go well as a dessert. It was $ 12 for a tiny little cupcake!
We enjoyed our experience here although our waiter was an idiot. he kept on forgetting our requests and a bit annoying. Ludo didn’t stop by our table to chat though I saw him chatting with others, maybe because we just got seated? oh well I’ll still check out his restaurant when he opens one up in LA. He uses top quality ingredients and brings creativity and uniqueness to all his dishes. Good job!

Man — this was one of the most enjoyable meals that I have ever eaten. We sat at the counter on tall chairs and were 3 feet from the chefs. The limitations of the space forced Ludo to be creative and he really rose to the challenge. Necessity is the mother of invention. I love the guerrilla restaurant concept (lunch place by day, top chef at night).
Veal tartare in oyster tonnatto sauce — very good — subtle.
Lobster bites with lemon gelee — absolsutely terrific. The lemon really accented the lobster bites. They should serve this on chinese soup spoons.
Fois gras croque misseur with cherry amaretto jam — brilliant use of the bar’s pannini maker. One of my favorite fois gras preparations.
Tuna with jalapeño white chocolate — very innovative
Oxtail ragout with polenta and black truffle oil — I got like one strand of this as my youngest scarfed it — it was really good.
Celery root «spaghetti» with santa barbara prawns, egg and bacon. The prawns were superfluous but the carbonara was amazing although having the bacon on the side forced you to cut it up.
Pork belly with mustard ice cream and curry — this was fantastic — worth a trip to have it. An amazing combination of flavors.
Duck with capers and ginger with leeks — there was too much caper for my tastes and it tasted like capers instead of using the capers as a salt, which I guess was the intent. I would have preferred the duck medium rare. The looks could have been cooked more as well.
Tenderloin with goat cheese and cauliflower. This was ok — I don’t like tenderloin as a rule (no taste).
Cheese plate — very good cabrales
Poached peach with marscarpone — very nice
Chocolate cupcake with fois gras icing and bacon/​maple syrup — interesting and good
panna cotta with caramel and caviar — very good and interesting
BYOB. ($ 5 corkage)
The service was friendly and Ludo gave #1 son a kitchen tour and an apron and hat.
I really hope that Ludo stays with the atelier concept. The limitations force him to be creative and the fact that it is a less expensive restaurant allow him the freedom to experiment. He also owns 100% of each place so he can focus on cooking and not on the nonsense associated with a 2 – 3 Michelin Star eatery (flowers, dishes, etc.)
Imagine what Michaelangelo could have done had he not had to answer to the Medicis.
Bravo.

I’m kicking myself in the ass right now for waiting till the end to taste the lovely bites of ludo! But, better late than never right?
I only had 3 of the dishes offered last night, so I’m definitely going to try to make it out there again before it closes next week. I had the creamy polenta with oxtail, which was delicious. The duck breast was so moist and definitely a highlight of the meal. I also had the spaghetti carbonara with prawns and bacon. By this time, I was so full (I know… I’m weak now… My appetite has shrunk! Oh the travesty!) I couldn’t finish this dish. It was good, but I enjoyed the duck more. I wanted to try to panna cotta, but I could not fit in any dessert for the life of me (I’m so ashamed!).
The service was great. It’s such a great feeling when the waitstaff are not only attentive, but genuinely interested in how your dining experience was. I spoke with Ludo’s wife there and I asked where their next space was going to be. She did mention that they were looking for a more permanent space, but nothing has come up. But, while searching for a permanent home, they will be traveling among spaces in westside to downtown and even Pasadena.
FYI — They were completely booked on a Tuesday night, so this shows how popular they are and how wonderful the food is. I’d definitely try to squeeze in before they close out next weekend.

Ludo is a genius!!!
I was fortunate enough to be invited to come check out Ludobites before August 22, when Chef/​Owner Ludo Lefebvre picks things up and hopefully moves to a new and permanent location.
Our party of 4 had a late reservation for 9 PM and after some initial hesitation, but hostess sat us at a table large enough for 6. The furniture had the same design as the Breadbar in Century City. Of course, Ludo and his staff had set up shop at Breadbar on 3^rd St.
I came in hearing 2 must haves: the black (squid ink) croquet monsieur and the pork belly. We were SOOO lucky and were able to get the LAST pork belly in the house! It was freakin awesome, coming out as about a 1 ½″ x 6″ x 2″ brick of pork product goodness, served alongside a mustard ice cream and some frisee. It was AWESOME. But then again, this is pork belly we’re talking about. When is it NOT awesome???
And the croque monsieur with foie gras and truffles? OMG!!! I could’ve probably had about 3 or 4 of those and be totally satisfied. I know for a fact he will put this on his permanent menu. And I can guarantee you I will be there to get this dish.
We also got the escargot with spinach curry. It didn’t blow me away but it was good nonetheless. We also got the grilled beef tenderloin, served with smoked eggplant, fromage blanc, cauliflower and Radish. This was very good as well.
I know we got a couple of other dishes, but honestly at this point, I can’t remember for the life of me what they were. Cest la vie.
They unfortunately ran out of the bacon tart and we had ordered the duck breast, however our server forgot to put it in and by the time he had remembered, they ran out. Meh.
We finished the meal off with the mysterious foie gras cupcake. When it came out, it LOOKS harmless, but take one bite and you get the foie gras frosting, the bits of candied bacon, the almond pieces and maple syrup… it was HEAVEN!!! I think I could’ve had about 4 or 5 of these and be more than happy.
What would have made the evening better was if we had remembered it was BYOB and we all sulked as we had to drink water instead of wine.
The best part of the night was having Ludo come by each table and chat up his guests. It really shows his dedication to his work, his loyalty to his customers, and down right how nice and genuine of an individual he is.
Ludo, can I come work for you? Need a pastry chef?

WOW. Wait, can I just say it again… WOW. This is by far the best meal I’ve had in years. Truly. This is not a chef but a MAD SCIENTIST! I don’t know how he dreamt some of these combinations together — tuna, white chocolate, and jalapenos — but he nails it. Each bite is perfectly balanced in taste, texture, and color. It’s interesting and unique, and experimental. I was in FOODIE HEAVEN. The staff was awesome too. Chef Ludo was present and very accessible too which gave the evening a very personable feel. It all felt very communal.
This is what made me see stars, forget where I was, and caused me to almost cry…
–Lavendar and honey butter for the bread… good LORD!
–Lobster Medallions with honeysherry vinaigrette and rosemary
–Marinated heirloom tomatoes red onions feta mousse olive (O…M.G)
–Grilled duck breast leeks salad ginger capers black truffle
–Hawaiian tuna white chocolate thai jalapenos wasabi
And to finish it off…
–Vanilla panna cotta carmel caviar
I can’t forget the wonderfully awesome insane bread bar bread — crispy on the outside, soft on the inside… carb heaven… YUM!
It’s BYOB so we brought a bottle of white and a bottle of red. It was perfect! Just perfecto!
I want to go back tonight… and tomorrow night… and the night after.
C’est Magnifique Chef Ludo!!!

It is with great regret that I announce one more fantastic restaurant I probably should not return to after thoroughly embarrassing myself.
one of my favorite things about the restaurant is the communal feeling of sitting up high at big tables and interacting with the chef, his wife, and the rest of the staff.
Not to mention the food was unique, artfully prepared and stands out from most other great LA restaurants. About time I eat somewhere that’s not only delicious, but different, too.

Wow. It’s been a while since I’ve been really impressed with good «simple» food. But I could not find myself putting down my spoon or refrain from saying «this is really good» every 5 minutes while enjoying the salty/​savory dishes at LudoBites.
Previous reviewers have already given a thorough intro to Chef Ludo Lefebvre and his concept so I will stick to the dishes. We ordered:
— Green Beans Salad, Peach, Coconut, Apple, Horseradish, Lemongrass ($ 9)
— Foie Gras Black Croque-​Monsieur, Ham, Cherry, Amaretto ($ 20)
— Creamy Polenta, Cantal Cheese, Oxtail Beef, Black Truffle ($ 14)
— Crème Fraiche Panna Cotta, Caramel, Caviar ($ 15)
The green bean salad was the perfect starter. Refreshing and summer-​y, I could honestly taste every flavor that was intermingling on that plate. The crispness of the green beans, the sweet crunch of asian pears, milky coconut slices, flecks of salt which further brightened each individual flavor, with a light drizzling of oil (lemongrass?) to give it another depth, and the horseradish sauce that was not at all what I was anticipating (it was very light and pleasant)… left me wondering — how? How was this accomplished?
The croque-​monsieur was not at all what I imagined. Why? Because I stopped reading the menu at foie gras, didn’t see the «black.» But that’s ok. I don’t care what color it is. The cherry-​amaretto compote/​reduction was an another amazing pairing. I tried a bite of just the sandwich, good. Now with the cherry-​amaretto, great.
The polenta with ox tail was a nice surprise. Initially, I took a spoonful of the polenta and was immediately enveloped by the flavors of cantal cheese and black truffle. My eyes rolled back into my head. But lo and behold, underneath that decadent richness were tender pieces of oxtail!
For dessert the panna cotta with caramel and caviar. What? You say? (I know, right? me too). UH-​MAY-​ZING! Sweet-​Salty-​Creamy. Think, dipping your french fries into ice cream… but times 1 000 000~! I only wish the panna cotta had been slightly silkier because the textures rolling around in your mouth would’ve been incredible.
I really enjoyed the lavender honey butter as well. It was delicious and the aromatics went well with the tart sourdough like crusty bread. Service was attentive and our server was very helpful with suggestions and objective recommendations.
I really do hope Chef Ludo opens his own restaurant. The food is too creative and delicious to be fully appreciated for such a short time!

I came here with 3 of my guy friends and it was quite a treat. First off, parking is tough to find in the area (most of the side-​streets are permit-​only and Cedars-​Sinai is to the north). So expect to valet — my mistake — I went to the valet for the place next door since the stops are right next to each other.
Ludo Bites is currently at Bread Bar, and it’s a really cool idea having a daytime-​only joint serving dinner. They don’t serve any drinks other than water, though you can bring your own wine (there’s a small corking fee). The menu changes slightly from day to day, but have been pretty similar this past week. I ordered two dishes, since I can’t have the meat here, and the three guys shared eight of the «chef’s choice»; we all split the cheese course and the guys got dessert. Here’s a rundown of the items:
My dishes:
— heirloom tomato salad, feta mousse, onions, olives — it’s a play on a greek salad and really delicious. The feta mouse was airy and tasted just like feta cheese — the different textures really added a lot to the dish.
— tuna, melon, beets — this was served in a bowl of beet juice with strips of raw tuna and cubes of watermelon with (what looked like) radish on top. the tuna seemed really fresh, as did the melon, but the liquid didn’t do much for me. it was an interesting dish, but not my favorite.
the boys got:
— chorizo, cantaloupe, cornichon — this is a soup the color of cheese whiz, and they said it was really interesting. they ate it all up though. the cornichon is a scoop of ice cream on top and there are cubes of cantaloupe.
— bacon tart — this was served with crème fraîche on the side. they said it had hints of cinnamon and gobbled this bad boy up.
— baked snails, herb butter, spinach, parsley, curry yogurt — the snails were swimming in a sea of spinach sauce, with a piece of bread in the bottom of the dish. the snails were a hit, though most of the sauce was left over.
— lobster medallions, honey, sherry vinaigrette — this was one of the larger hits among the men — the lobster was allegedly very fresh and all of the ingredients worked together
— creamy polenta, cheese, oxtail beef, black truffle — perhaps the #1 favorite of the evening. every morsel of this dish was finished and the guys were begging for more. the polenta was on the top of the dish with black truffle sprinkled on top, and a surprise of beef on the bottom.
— foie gras croque monsieur — the foie gras was a bit stingy (although what do you expect, the item’s pricey?) and the sauce that it came with apparently didn’t «go» so well with the sandwich, but it was still eaten.
— beef tenderloin — BIG hit…
— duck with carrots — the protein was apparently well cooked and the carrots were amazing, but the grapefruit sauce on top didn’t mesh as well as the guys wanted
now onto the final bits…
— cheese course — ORDER THIS, it was effing amazing. we had a hard cheese with an apricot preserve, fromage blanc with dates, epoisses with honeycomb, a bleu cheese (can’t remember the condiment) and a brie with cherry vinaigrette. the cheeses were so good — i usually am afraid of «stinky» cheeses but i’m now in love with epoisses.
The guys got dessert. They liked the panna cotta and cupcake (with fois gras is a frosting). The panna cotta is tiny — like a spoonful and has caviar on top.
The service was really good. At times we felt like we were in a bit of a reality show tizzy with both Ludo there and Tabitha (from those bravo hairstyling shows), who showed up reeking of patchouli.
Here’s the rundown:
— if you’re sitting inside its at these high counters, while outside there’s backed chairs
— most dishes combine ingredients that «shouldn’t» work together, and then many surprisingly do. but every so often one ingredient isn’t working too well with the rest of the dish. but very experimental.
— a bit pricey (for us) — including the desserts we had ordered a total of 13 «bites» and the cheese tray ($ 35) and it came to $ 265 before tip… worth it, though
— i guess the location will change after august, so the ambiance may be very different

My star rating isn’t reflecting the food because I was turned Away … Here on Unilocal reservations are not required (duh… famous chef & i expected to just walk right in? lol) but low and behold although I was able to see the French cutie Ludo I did not have a reservation so next weekend when I try this place again I WILL have a reservation and will return here to rave of my experience of which I am sure will be great! =D
***** update***
Ludo oh Ludo where have you gone… ur last couple weeks were booked solid and I couldnt get in =(come back to LA PLEASE!!!

There’s been much flurry over LudoBites as Chef Ludo is a much celebrated chef and currently on TV. I, of course, don’t own a TV and didn’t actually know what he looked like until last night. But I am a self-​admitted foodie and when I heard Linden G describe LudoBites as right up there as Animal (my favorite meal this year), I knew I had to go.
The six of us ordered everything on the menu except the cheese plate. The spaghetti carbonara with Santa Barbara prawn was sold out, however. Still, we had a big, big tasting.
We brought in five bottles of wine; prosecco, dry moscato, vouvray, pinot noir and a bold cabernet sauvignon. It turned out the wine went very well with all the dishes. There is a $ 5 corkage fee per bottle.
Starting with a soup and ending with a foie gras cupcake, everything I had was superb. There were obviously things I enjoyed more but everything was truly fantastic. Maybe I should buy a TV now to continue to enjoy this chef’s cooking?
Chorizo, Cantaloupe, Cornichon ($ 11) — Did this soup really have these three things together? Yes, it did. And it was one of my favorites. The smokey, porky flavor. The bright melon color. The cornichon ice all moved me. It was my first taste of happiness. And I liked the little flowers in the soup, too. Very pretty.
Salmon Rillette, Piment D’Espelette ($ 6) — This wonderful dish was how much? Amazing. We should have gotten two!
Green Beans Salad, Peach, Coconut, Apple, Horseradish, Lemongrass ($ 9) — What a wonderful summer salad. And the horseradish foam (cream?) provided the perfect kick.
Bacon Tart, Green Almond, Cinnamon ($ 8) — when I saw Chef Ludo tweet about this on twitter, I was all about it. Some of us thought about ordering an extra one to eat for breakfast! Or possibly a midnight snack. Or a snack in the car. Or a snack while waiting for the valet to bring the car. Ha.
Snails, Spinach, Curry– Yogurt ($ 12) — So, I’m a huge fan of curry. And spinach. And snails. Yes, I love my escargot. So, I was looking forward to this dish quite a bit. The snails were huge and plump. The bright green of the curry was quite delicious. And what’s this? Garlic. Ah, love.
Lobster Medallions, Honey-​Sherry Vinaigrette, Daikon, Rosemary ($ 18) — OMFG.
Heirloom tomato Salad, Red Onions, Feta Mousse, Oregano, Olives Nicoises ($ 14) — very good.
Foie Gras Black Croque-​Monsieur, Ham, Cherry, Amaretto ($ 20) — I was sad I only got the smallest sliver of foie gras but all the flavors were amazing. I could taste each one individually. Definiely a fan.
Creamy Polenta, Cantal Cheese, Oxtail Beef, Black Truffle ($ 14) — All rich and wonderful.
Monkfish «A La Nage», Leeks, Nutmeg, Lemon, Potato ($ 18) — I kind of thought of this dish as a healthy and modern take of a German or Austrian pork and sauerkraut dish. The flavors were very «European» as my group decided.
Duck Breast, Crispy Skin Purée, Carrot Cake Coulis, Pink Grapefruits, Orange Blossom Water, Baby rainbow carrots ($ 24) — Shut up, get out, leave me alone. I want this baby all to myself but alas I shared it with the other five and had my one bite.
Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Smoke Eggplant, Fromage Blanc, Cauliflower, Radish ($ 24) — excellent. Very smokey eggplant and extremely great beef.
Vanilla Panna Cotta, Caramel, Caviar ($ 15) — We had to order two. It’s tiny but so delicious.
Chocolate cupcake, Foie Gras Chantily, Candied bacon– almonds, maple syrup ($ 12) — we had to get two of these as well. As wonderful as all the things on top of the cupcake were, what I loved was the actual cup cake itself. Perfect.
Organic Strawberry, Wasabi-​marcaspone, Pistachio Parfait ($ 9) — My cousin and I were talking about how strawberries these days no longer taste like strawberries. I see, we haven’t been eating this dessert! I loved it but my favorite dessert was the cupcake.
We spent $ 60 each including tax and tip. I wonder if I can sneak in another trip before August 22 to LudoBites before it leaves BreadBar?
Or I can wait for Chef Ludo to open his own place! Yay!
Thank you to Linden G, Amy K, Mike L, Ally B and Felicia C for your fantastic company on such a memorable night.

Ludo Lefebvre formerly of Bastide and of Iron Chef and Top Chef Masters rocks out experimental cuisine in an experimental atmosphere. His concept is that a roving restaurant «guerilla style,» that changes location every so often. Currently he’s set-​up shop at Breadbar on 3^rd St. until August 22, 2009.
The food, like the moving local concept, is indeed experimental. It’s obvious he’s having fun in the kitchen, but I found the dishes hit and miss. Standouts on the current menu include some of his more conservative options: Creamy polenta with oxtail, the hanger steak with beer foam, and heirloom tomato salad with feta mouse. All classic preps with a twist. On the other hand, dishes such as the tuna with watermelon and beet marshmallow and poached egg with porcini ice cream… not so good. Literally, like lab experiments gone wrong.
I appreciate the concept and the daring. Should be fun to see how this develops.