We first visited Bone Kettle, an East-Asian-inspired eatery, in 2016 as they first opened, and we’ve been eager for a reason to return. DineLA is here! What better reason?
Since that time, they’ve weathered the pandemic storm and have settled comfortably into their home in Pasadena.
The restaurant specializes in its own bone broth, and offers flavorful food with a fine dining edge. You can even eat the flowers many dishes are served with.
“Bone broth is a staple in cuisines around the world, so it is very exciting to see it being embraced by popular culture,” says Chef Erwin Tjahyadi.
But we were here for their DineLA offering, which didn’t disappoint.
Bone Kettle is offering a $55 prix fixe that offers a tasty sample of some of the highlights of their wide ranging menu.
Of the two courses offered to begin dinner, we chose the seasonal raw oysters with a berry gelee. Served on ice, oysters are fishier and brinier than sashimi, and not for the timid. There is a strong, brisk sea flavor, best cut with lemon, and the berry gelee is Chef Tjahyadi’s idea, which will alternate with a passion fruit gelee in days to come. It’s a sweet and tart topping that contrasts nicely with the slurpy, gelatinous shellfish.
From there it was a fistful of hot, fried garlic prawns, which are fried unpeeled, and the crispy shell offers another layer of lighty spicy texture to the bite.
The braised oxtail soup is a specialty of the house and showcases the bone broth that gives the restaurant its moniker. It comes with oxtail that slides off the bone at a whisper, along with noodles and vegetables. Think cold rainy days. Or every day, for that matter.
Dessert brought a Vanilla Panna Cotta, ( Italian for “cooked cream”), sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded, often aromatized with coffee, vanilla, or other flavorings. This one, created by the restaurant’s new sous chef, was a tiny miracle in a cup. Sweet and fresh, and topped with sliced almonds, and strawberries, it was the perfect ending for a dinner that ended far too soon.
Bone Kettle is at 67 North Raymond Avenue, Pasadena (626) 795-5702. www.bonekettle.com.
