We find any excuse to dine at downtown LA's WP24. A magical city view, sexy decor and Puck's scrumptious Asian fusion make this Ritz-Carlton restaurant one of LA's finest. Recently our excuse for a treat was the newly curated dessert menu, created by WP24's latest addition, Pastry Chef Michael Aguilar. Aguilar replaced Chef Sally Camacho, the talent responsible for creating initial buzz with her infusion of Filipino flavors and Asian flair into the restaurant's desserts. Taking a more classically French approach, Aguilar brings fresh perspective with an exquisite selection of sweets.
In WP24's sleek private dining room, encased in floor-to ceiling-glass, we gazed over the sparkling city, 24 stories below us while sampling the four new desserts on the menu. Before the fruit-filled introduction expertly segued into deep chocolate and espresso, our appetites were ignited with WP24’s signature savory Pork Belly Bao Buns, Peking Duck Rolls and purses of fried shrimp. Promptly following these well-seasoned bites, Chef Aguilar tempered our taste buds with an elegant spoonful of Compressed Strawberries and Lemon-Grass “snow."
Aguilar’s palate-cleansing amuse-bouche and the decadent pastry tasting that followed was a pleasant reminder of the dining caliber delivered at Wolfgang Puck's restaurants. Each dessert component created bites of balanced bliss, from the pairing of Passion Fruit Mango Pudding and Jasmine Rice Sorbet to the flavor profiling in the Miso Butterscotch smeared under Spiced Apple Donuts. Our sweet-filled evening concluded with a plate of Praline Crunch resting across Dark Chocolate Cremeux and Espresso Mousse.
Esquire Magazine selected WP24 as “One of the Best New Restaurants of 2010” while the Los Angeles Times awarded the restaurant three stars. Wolfgang’s interpretation of modern Asian cuisine can be enjoyed in a range of small plates or with an offering of sushi and nigiri. Aside from their new dessert menu, WP24 also offers more than 400 wine labels and a selection of Asian beers by both the bottle and the glass. The expansive drink menu is a nice option for those who wish to pair their after-dinner treats with a beverage.
