Gjelina
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
If you didn't know any better, you would walk past Gjelina, not even realizing what lays inside. Nestled into the heart of Abbot Kinney, this little restaurant is making quite a name for itself. I'd been meaning to go for dinner, but hadn't found the time. On a spontaneous Sunday, Ryan and I decided that it was finally time to make an appearance. Even at 2:30 in the afternoon, the place was packed with groups waiting outside for a table. Luckily, there was room at a communal table so we didn't have to wait.
Gjelina oozes trendiness while maintaining a comfortable environment and quality experience. Unlike my experience at Hinoki and the Bird, I enjoyed the atmosphere at Gjelina. Although the noise level of the restaurant was a little loud, it was from the buzzing voices and energy of the customers rather than the overwhelming music of a wanna-be-trendy destination.
To start the meal off, we ordered the roasted fennel with blood orange, chili, and fennel pollen ($8) as the waiter recommended. I'd never tried fennel before, but I was curious about it. The flavor combination in this dish was wonderful. The sweet and slightly tart blood oranges complemented the light chili flavor of the fennel beautifully. I was very impressed with this simple dish and would definitely order it again.
Next, we tried the braised pork meatballs with tomato and red wine sauce with grilled bread ($13). I'm not a huge meatball person, but I felt like I would give these a try. I was completely blown away at the richness of the flavor in both the meatballs and the sauce. Once I had tasted one of the meatballs, I didn't want to stop. These were unlike any dry, flavorless meatball that you find in the grocery store. These were tender, juicy, and full of rich flavor. Even the sauce, which tasted as though it had meat cooked in it as well, was some of the best tomato sauce I had ever eaten.
For our final course, we had the mushroom, fontina, and truffle tremor goat cheese pizza ($15). In my opinion, it is really easy to make a mediocre pizza, but difficult to make one that makes you want to come back for more. This pizza was one that you want to keep eating even after you are stuffed. The crust was perfectly thin, yet bubbly around the edges, allowing you to fully experience the flavors of the toppings. The goat cheese and the mushrooms combined beautifully atop the base, mixing in such a simple yet astounding way.
I don't usually eat dessert when I go out to eat, but I felt as though I needed to look at the menu at Gjelina. The second I saw the butterscotch pot de crème (with salted caramel & crème fraiche), I knew that I needed to try it. With just one bite, I fell in love. The dish had deep, rich, salty-sweet flavors while maintaining a light and airy texture.
My only disappointment came when the dish was empty and the meal was over. I can't wait to come back to Gjelina and try the rest of the dishes.
*There are no substitutions on the Gjelina menu, but they are not necessary. Unlike Umami burger, the dishes at Gjelina are cooked and seasoned to perfection, and do not need to be changed.
If you didn't know any better, you would walk past Gjelina, not even realizing what lays inside. Nestled into the heart of Abbot Kinney, this little restaurant is making quite a name for itself. I'd been meaning to go for dinner, but hadn't found the time. On a spontaneous Sunday, Ryan and I decided that it was finally time to make an appearance. Even at 2:30 in the afternoon, the place was packed with groups waiting outside for a table. Luckily, there was room at a communal table so we didn't have to wait.
Gjelina oozes trendiness while maintaining a comfortable environment and quality experience. Unlike my experience at Hinoki and the Bird, I enjoyed the atmosphere at Gjelina. Although the noise level of the restaurant was a little loud, it was from the buzzing voices and energy of the customers rather than the overwhelming music of a wanna-be-trendy destination.
To start the meal off, we ordered the roasted fennel with blood orange, chili, and fennel pollen ($8) as the waiter recommended. I'd never tried fennel before, but I was curious about it. The flavor combination in this dish was wonderful. The sweet and slightly tart blood oranges complemented the light chili flavor of the fennel beautifully. I was very impressed with this simple dish and would definitely order it again.
Next, we tried the braised pork meatballs with tomato and red wine sauce with grilled bread ($13). I'm not a huge meatball person, but I felt like I would give these a try. I was completely blown away at the richness of the flavor in both the meatballs and the sauce. Once I had tasted one of the meatballs, I didn't want to stop. These were unlike any dry, flavorless meatball that you find in the grocery store. These were tender, juicy, and full of rich flavor. Even the sauce, which tasted as though it had meat cooked in it as well, was some of the best tomato sauce I had ever eaten.
For our final course, we had the mushroom, fontina, and truffle tremor goat cheese pizza ($15). In my opinion, it is really easy to make a mediocre pizza, but difficult to make one that makes you want to come back for more. This pizza was one that you want to keep eating even after you are stuffed. The crust was perfectly thin, yet bubbly around the edges, allowing you to fully experience the flavors of the toppings. The goat cheese and the mushrooms combined beautifully atop the base, mixing in such a simple yet astounding way.
I don't usually eat dessert when I go out to eat, but I felt as though I needed to look at the menu at Gjelina. The second I saw the butterscotch pot de crème (with salted caramel & crème fraiche), I knew that I needed to try it. With just one bite, I fell in love. The dish had deep, rich, salty-sweet flavors while maintaining a light and airy texture.
My only disappointment came when the dish was empty and the meal was over. I can't wait to come back to Gjelina and try the rest of the dishes.
*There are no substitutions on the Gjelina menu, but they are not necessary. Unlike Umami burger, the dishes at Gjelina are cooked and seasoned to perfection, and do not need to be changed.
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