San Laurel — Restaurant in Los Angeles

We made a dinner reservation at San Laurel. We had Sea Urchin and the Rack of Lamb. Sea Urchin was very disappointing. Sea urchin and the caviar did not taste very fresh. It was one of the worst uni I had in a long time. Rack of Lamb was delicious. It was well cooked and seasoned. The meat was tender and the vegetables on the side were delicious. For the desert, we had the pistachio cake which was pretty good. Next morning, we also had breakfast at San Laurel. For breakfast, we ordered Greek Yogurt Parfaits, Olive Oil Mini Pancakes, Avocado Eggs Benedict, and the Fruit of the Day. Even though we ordered the Avocado Eggs Benedict, we got Tortilla El Camino instead. Maybe I miss-pointed when I ordered the menu? We decided to just give it a try. Greek yogurt was very standard. Olive oil mini pancake was very small compared to its cost, and its taste was pretty disappointing. Tortilla El Camino was actually pretty good. Except for again, the caviar tasted kinda weird. Our favorite item was the fruit. We were surprised when we received a pretty big portion. Overall, we enjoyed breakfast more than dinner.

But here comes the issue I had with the restaurant. On my way home, my body started to itch. When I checked my body, I had pretty severe rashes all over my body. Bear in mind I don’t have any kind of food allergy. Even when I eat uni or other sea foods, I never got this sort of rash on my body before. For the past 18 hrs, I only ate food from the hotel and stayed in their room. I did not eat any other food after checking out of the hotel. I could not find any other correlation to the rash other than the restaurant and the hotel. So I decided to give them a call. At first, Conrad Los Angeles also sounded very concerned. They said that they will close down the room that I stayed in and also check the ingredients of the foods that I ate during my stay. They also told me that there is a third party company that comes in and checks all parts of the room. They told me that they will contact me again with their findings. Next day, I receive a call from them again telling me that they did not find anything wrong with their ingredients so there is nothing they can do for me. “What about the sea urchin and the caviar?” “No, we don't think those were the issue.” “What about the room? Did the third party company come in and investigate the room?” “No, since our hotel is brand new, we don’t think that’s the issue. We did not call them.” It looks fine on their end so they are not going to do anything. My condition and experience did not matter to them because according to their investigation, everything is “fine.” I guess in the end, they do not care about their customer once they check out. This basically soured the whole experience. I am still suffering from the rash. When I went to my doctor for a checkup, he told me that’s why you buy higher...

If there is one review you read for this place, I hope it's this one- mainly because I'll give you insider tips on how to mentally and physically prepare yourself in case things go horribly awry - which is what happened to us.

My husband and I made the mistake of coming here on our WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. The general manager, Betty Flores, and hostess greeted us when we arrived and told us "happy anniversary" so they definitely knew we were celebrating. We sat down around 5:30, ordered and watched the restaurant fill up. Our waiter asked us if we were attending a show that night- naively, we said "no." This was our second mistake. If you have dinner at San Laurel check to see if there is a show or opera that night and if there is, lie and say you are going to it because if you don't, you most likely won't get your food- which is exactly what happened to us. Our first course arrived- the food is quite good, when/if you can get it and then we slowly watched as tables around us got their main courses. After waiting AN HOUR AND A HALF, we asked where the rest of our meal was. Our waiter this whole time assured us that the food was on the way- he told us at least five times. Finally, Betty Flores, the general manager, checked in our main course only to arrive with our waiter, both exhibiting this look of sheer horror and remorse, to tell us it was going to be another 1-2 hours because they put EVERYONE ELSES' ORDER AHEAD OF OURS. They acted as though this had never happened in the history of this restaurant, but dum dum me, I finally sat down to read some other reviews only to realize this happened quite often here (side note, the table next to us also got the same spiel but they decided they would return after their show to finish their meal. My husband and I have a toddler and we had gotten a babysitter for the night so this was not an option for us). Betty Flores comped our 3 first courses, my husband's two old fashioneds and my one glass of wine. She gave me her card as though in a gesture of a promise to make it up to us. My husband and I left in a state of shock.

I emailed Betty Flores with no reply and then I called her direct line on her card- it went straight to voice mail. I'm pretty sure the card she gave me was a dummy, decoy card. She had no intention of making this whole fiasco right.

If you go, perhaps pack a snack and/or research other restaurants in the area in case you also get screwed over. The food is worthy but it's not fine dining because the service is not professional. It is amateur at best. They can't handle the rush so should turn people away. I'm surprised Jose Andres is ok with having his name on this restaurant as its tarnishing his legacy. Also, 40, 50 and 60 year olds will be taking selfies galore and videos of the poor waiters pouring frothing cocktails for...

We have an affinity for Chef Jose Andres! Just a quick back story: one year, husband and I took a trip to Washington D.C. and visited 4 of Jose Andres' 5 restaurant, in that same trip! Yes, we love him so much and delighted to have finally dined at San Laurel. It is exquisite. Absolutely one of the finest dining in DTLA.

We started with a couple signature cocktails: Husband had the Saints G&T - St. George fin, St. Germain, Chareau aloe vera liqueur (never heard of this, wow!), ginger, Fever Tree Indian tonic water.

I had the Watermelon Report - Tito's vodka, watermelon, mandarin, lime, cilantro, chipotle, and cumin tincture - what an amazing mixture of fresh ingredients. refreshing and immediately I was in a super good mood after the first sip.

Starters: Hiramasa Crudo - buttermilk leche de tigre, basil cucumber caviar, pickled blueberries, fresno chili, herb oil, lime. that caviar involved some serious science! What a recipe!

Lobster Salpicon - cucumber, tomato, green peppers, salsa rosa, lobster oil - nothing is wasted in Jose's cooking.

Main course: Wild mushrooms in Laurel Cream - fried farm egg (beautiful orange yolk), thyme, toasted pan de cristal (all the way from Spain!)

Wagyu Flat Iron - flat iron wagyu from Blackhawk Farms, kale, Maitake mushrooms escabeche, truffle jus. ordered medium rare, our preference. Was so tender and the kale and mushrooms makes the ultimate pairing, as mushroom is a good source of antioxidants, fiber, and much more :)

Every dish was amazing, with its own special flavor and textures. Each dish was created with a lot of thought and creativity. What a work of art! We practically licked our plates clean by scarpetta (yes we do this often!)

Wine pairing: 2018 Vina Alberdi Reserva Rioja Alta, Tempranillo blend 2021 Embruix Vall Llach Priorat, Garnacha blend

We were celebrating our anniversary that evening and they really know how to make it special for you! Alexandro, our server was super attentive, friendly, and just a perfect as the food was.

For dessert we chose the Pistachio cake and it was just lovely and light. Served with strawberries, lime, and mascarpone sorbet. And Cafe bombon - espresso with condensed milk, for those with a serious sweet tooth!

Oh my, they also presented us with a Happy Anniversary Flan, candle and all. I wanted to cry it was so sweet of them. We thoroughly enjoyed it all.

The view from the outdoor patio is spectacular. It overlooks the wonderful Walt Disney Concert Hall. Kodak moment.

So we will be back next month! Perfect pre-show dinner...