French Essence: Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro, Los Angeles

Hi everyone,

We came across Morels while shopping at The Grove, an outdoor shopping complex in Beverly Hills. Since this was our first stop from an early flight into LAX, we were of course quite ravenous by noon. Even though there were no blue skies in Beverly Hills, we still decided to sit outsite on the patio so our dog Oreo could sit near us and “dog watch.”

complimentary baguette with pesto sauce on the side

Morels’ lunch menu is quite extensive. We decided to order entrées that we didn’t usually order, aside from my sister’s favourite: a seafood pasta. Starting off with their freshly baked complimentary baguette, we ordered a seafood fettuccine, a chicken & mushroom crêpe, and a chicken baguette to share amongst us.

Seafood Fettuccine: daily fresh fish, clams, mussels, shrimp, tomato concassee, basil with marinara sauce

There was nothing too special about the seafood fettuccine. I think that’s why my sister likes to order it because you really can’t go wrong with pasta. But one thing was for certain. This fettuccine wasn’t soggy and they were quite generous with the amount of seafood served with the pasta.

Chicken & Mushroom Crêpe: crêpes, mushrooms & chicken with gruyere cheese, béchamel sauce

From what we remembered, this chicken & mushroom crêpe was really good and hot (temperature!) The crêpe itself was not oily, but a perfect balance of crispy and fluffy, if that’s possible. The filling was not too creamy, hence not a heavy entrée.

Chicken Baguette: grilled sliced chicken breast, parsley, pesto, Brie cheese, grilled onions, and arugula

Parisian sandwiches from street stands are one thing I remembered most during my trip there. I’ve been wanting to find that exact experience, and let’s just say this baguette came pretty close. Having a soft spot for melted Brie and pesto sauce, this sandwich was heavenly.

Chocolate Soufflé with the side of whipped cream and chocolate sauce

So the real reason why we decided to stop here for lunch is because of their chocolate soufflé. It’s their house dessert special and it takes approximately 20  minutes to prepare (I suggest you to order the soufflé when the entrées are served, especially if you don’t want to waste too much time sitting when you can be shopping.) Unlike other previous soufflés we have tried before, we loved how big of a portion it was. On the side, it is served with whipped cream and hot chocolate syrup, 2 perfect toppings to add to this chocolate-y dessert. We are no experts at soufflés, but we found this one particularly light and airy yet thick enough for us to really savour it. Morels Bistro is such a beautiful restaurant with a patio on the ground floor and a terrace on the second. It is perfect for anyone who is in the area shopping and needs a place to relax for a bite to eat. Although it wasn’t the best weather when we were there, it would be a waste if you didn’t sit down to enjoy LA’s usual sunny weather.

Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro

189 The Grove Drive, #H10

Los Angeles, CA

t: +1.323.965.9595

$: $$$