Darling has the elements of a blockbuster restaurant: a big, splashy space in West Hollywood, boozy, conversation-starting cocktails, and food cooked over a wood-fire grill from the former Husk chef. On paper, it’s a place that should have something for everyone. And to be sure, the potential here is through the roof. What’s keeping Darling from being great, though, is that none of its distinct elements ever really mesh.
The dining area at Darling is impressive (you might remember it as the Soulmate space in a previous life), but it’s divided into two sections that feel at odds: a chic hi-fi lounge up front and a low-energy room in back, mostly filled with people who wish they were sitting in the hi-fi lounge. It doesn’t help that the seating areas are so spread out that even when the place is relatively full, it feels like eating in a half-empty restaurant.
photo credit: Ron De Angelis
photo credit: Brant Cox
photo credit: Brant Cox
And then there’s the menu, an all-over-the-place collection of overwrought dishes that are equal parts hits and misses. We’re a big fan of the gooey, dry-aged burger that rivals anything in the neighborhood, the buttery abalone and celtuce stew that’s as fantastic as it is unexpected, and a tuna tartare brightened with sorrel that’s tasty if a bit generic. Less enchanting: gummy, squash-filled mochi fritters and a visually striking plate of salmon that ends up tasting like fish with canned tomato soup.
Part of the restaurant’s sales pitch is that its menu changes monthly, but so far, that’s mostly meant minor seasonal tweaks to dishes that largely remain the same. Right now, the best use of the place is popping in for a strong cocktail (the squash-laced Manhattan is nice) and a burger at the hi-fi lounge, while listening to some deep-cut funk records. If you’re lucky, you might even catch the chef on the turntables.
video credit: Garrett Snyder
Food Rundown
Grassy Bar Oysters On Ice
These are plump, well-shucked oysters, but they get completely lost under the dashi jelly heaped on top.
photo credit: Brant Cox
Grilled Bread
A nice snack to have on your table, even if you’re just catching a quick DJ set. This crisp-edged, pie-pan loaf is moist and substantial, with a side of fancy butter paired with a seasonal sweet condiment like hot pepper jelly or honeynut squash puree.
photo credit: Brant Cox
Red Kuri Squash Mochi Fritters
Negatives: The gloopy, overly glutinous fried dough is hard to get down without a beverage. Positives: The sweet, slightly mustardy Vandouvan aioli for dippings that we’ve already attempted to replicate at home.
photo credit: Brant Cox
Abalone Stew
It’s not everyday you get to slurp perfectly buttery abalone stew inside a listening lounge on Robertson, so don’t blow the opportunity. Make sure this standout dish gets ordered.
photo credit: Brant Cox
Dry Aged Steak Burger
Our ideal meal at Darling looks like: A couple cocktails, grilled bread, and this behemoth bar burger. It’s dead simple—a thick beef patty basted in smoky beef fat with melted monterey jack, cornichon special sauce, and raw onion. It also somehow feels appropriate to eat while listening to French disco. They supposedly only make 24 a night, but we’ve never had a problem getting one.
photo credit: Brant Cox
Grilled Coho Salmon
This beautiful dish will likely elicit some “oohs” when it arrives, but that’s where the excitement ends. The skin on the salmon is on the burnt side of crisp and the tomato sauce underneath tastes like somebody dumped a can of Campbell’s on the plate.
photo credit: Brant Cox
Market Apple Sorbet
This doesn’t sound like the most exciting dessert, but the contrast between tart apple sorbet and creamy peanut sauce thickened with fermented rice does remind us of the long lost Sour Apple Abba-Zaba of our youth (a plus). We do wish the sorbet was less icy though.
photo credit: Garrett Snyder
Credit: Source link