We hurried to a dumpy parking lot off Highland and Melrose around 11:30 to make sure we staked out a spot for the noon Saturday opening of Petit Trois since they don’t take reservations. Many other LA foodies obviously had the same idea. Right next to Chef Ludo’s many course ‘ticketed’ meal restaurant Trois Mec, the nondescript ghetto looking signage left over from the former establishments adds to the cool factor for me. Below “Tasty Thai” you can make out Petit Trois’s small letters. As we watch the numerous chefs prepare all their duties in unison, I feel like there is some artistic movement going on in there and wonder how long it takes them to get this rhythm of food preparation so smooth in such a tiny space for all eyes to see.
A not very friendly door girl finally lets us in this cozy slim space, and only 15 of us are guided in to sit at the only seats available. There are a few tables and the rest of us huddle at the marble countertop bar as we watch the culinary masters, in awe. Everything we order tastes better than I could possibly imagine. The food is incredible, and can only compare to the food I have had in Paris. I exclaim numerous times through brunch, “This is the best I have ever had!”
First, the crusty flaky warm French Baguette that is soft inside greeted us with room temperature salted butter. Quite possibly the best in LA. The Gruyere Gougère followed and I almost wanted to order another one of these airy French pastry puffs with gruyere cheese since I didn’t even want to share one bite. The Best!
Our next course included Salmon Rillettes, a smoked salmon spread with more toasted bread. Next time I will go with the escargot. Those massive plump snails kept appearing around us and making my mouth water in their garlic scent.
Then, the Omelette with Boursin Cheese and Herbs melted in my mouth as I wondered if they painted the egg with butter or what technique could have been possibly attempted to make this egg concoction taste like no other. This smooth delicate creation came with salad. This truly was the best egg dish I have ever had!! The Best! No surprise that it was rated the Top 100 Dishes in LA by TimeOutLA this week.
My friend ordered the chicken leg, something I would never have thought to order, and wish I had. I am still dreaming of it. I couldn’t stop eating my friend’s chicken leg because once again, it was the best piece of fried chicken I’ve ever had. The Best! Why is this leg so special? It has to do with a high quality chicken leg and a brioche. The staff at Petit Trois bakes fresh brioches everyday for the sole purpose of breaking them down slowly in butter, spices and herbs. The butter and brioche caramelize in small bits and chunks. Some are crunchy and full of flavors. Some create a crust for the chicken. The chicken is prepared as a confit slowly cooked in oil, herbs, and spices in order to preserve all the poultry taste. It is then flash fried before being plated, topped and bathed in the brioche sauce. The fresh salad and its citrus dressing complete the dish.
If this wasn’t enough to quench my carnal desires, I found room for dessert after I saw one of the chefs carefully craft a massive Napoleon, then cut all the edges off to make perfect rectangles. We watched as he layered the smooth vanilla cream on the pastry, sprinkled on powdered sugar, burnt the sugar to get a crispy caramelized top, and then disposed of all the ends that could have easily just gone right in my mouth. They make these exceptional French pastries in small batches so that the flaky puff pastry doesn’t get soggy.
Petit Trois was just proof to me that LA continues to tantalize its people with quality food and when word gets out, people of all cultures and backgrounds will flock to this little French bistro. An elderly simple-looking Asian man pulled up to the seat next to us, while a Jewish mother and her daughter dined to the left of us. Soon after, an older rugged looking white woman came solo and grabbed the seat nearby as she enjoyed reading on her iPad. I watched as the cultural melting of LA came to enjoy The Best food in town, whether it be to savor the food in solace or to spend a little more for excellence. Petit Trois made me happy that such a place exists.
718 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.468.8916
lalascoop.com 
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