Bistro LQ Pop-Up - Exquisite French Cooking at "Home" and the Stunning Cheese Cart at the Underground Supper Club [Thoughts + Pics]

It’s the final week in HPB and guys… I just grabbed he last 2 tickets to take my girl who has never been. Won’t even tell her what we are doing. She’s going to lose her mind when the cheese cart shows up . Buzzin

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Someone’s gonna get lucky that night…

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I hope you have a great time @Nemroz! Looking forward to your report back. :slight_smile:

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So overwhelmed with the idea of writing anything about the food. Nothing missed for us. Tremendous night and a sinofsoul sighting

Just so glad we got to hang out at the garden with my lady and an amazing bottle (and their pairings) before it all changes

LQ is my favorite for this sort of food, easily

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What changes?

LQ will be moving to a new home, TBD

Hi @Nemroz,

So glad you had a great meal with Chef Laurent! :slight_smile:

I see you got a full selection of his amazing unpasteurized awesome Cheese Cart! What was your favorite?

Yes we were seated across from a couple that will host for a while until a new spot is sorted

Must have been one of the goat cheeses. They’re in season and he had a few. One with black rind was really good

LQ was so nice. He loved the dried plums I brought him

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Nothing beats his unpasteurized epoisses

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Update 2:

Catching up on meals from awhile back. 2nd-to-Last Supper before stay at home.

It had been too long since we had visited Chef Laurent Quenioux and his Underground / Pop-Up Supper Club series. They used to be held at his home, but recently, he’s been finding commercial kitchens to host.

Bread & Fennel Bordier Butter + Seaweed Bordier Butter (France):

Both of the French Butters were tasty, but the Fennel Bordier Butter was our favorite; beautiful herbal infusion. :blush:

2015 Domaine Jean Foillard Morgon “Athanor”:

bistrolq_014

This Beaujolais wine initially felt a bit too young, but it opened up after a bit of time. It was more fruit forward, tasting of Cherries.

First of the White Asparagus from Europe (Chanterelles, Smoked Duck Breast, Ginger Vinaigrette):

Beautiful, just in season Poached White Asparagus from France. The Green Garlic, Dill and Chives were a great match. The Smoked Duck Breast was very good, offering a great counterpoint to the delicate White Asparagus without overwhelming, but the star of this dish might very well be the Chanterelles from the Pacific Northwest, sauteed with Green Onions.

The Chanterelles were incredible! :heart: Chef Laurent shows off his French culinary skills with this one morsel alone. :blush:

Poached Eggs Meurette in Red Wine (Lardons, Garlic Toast):

This might look rather basic, but it belies the greatness within: Taking a bite, this perfectly Poached Egg’s Yolk breaks open, adding a luscious creaminess to each bite. Mixed with the insane Red Wine Lardon Reduction - so deeply satisfying and mouth-watering, so full of flavor - and a bite from his Garlic Toast, and you have one of the Best Bites of 2020! :heart: :blush: :heart: (@J_L @PorkyBelly @Nemroz @A5KOBE @beefnoguy @Ns1 @TheCookie and others!)

Cassoulet (Tarbais Beans, Duck Leg Confit, Homemade Saucisse de Toulouse, Homemade Saucisson a L’ail, Confit Pork Belly, Lamb Shoulder Baked for Seven Hours):

I’ve had Cassoulet before, but never a Cassoulet like Chef Laurent’s at Bistro LQ. Every single component of this Cassoulet is masterfully executed:

First, the Duck Leg Confit has gorgeously crispy skin(!), there’s moist, succulent meat within, nicely seasoned. Better than most standalone Duck Leg Confit dishes around town right now. :heart:

Then you take a bite of the Homemade Saucisse de Toulouse and their Homemade Saucisson a L’ail, both Sausages were very different, one more zesty and savory with a nice casing snap, the other one more delicate with a great balance of Herbs.

Tender, fatty & lean Pork Belly, and then Lamb Shoulder that’s been baked for 7 hours(!) separately and then incorporated into the Cassoulet. It was meltingly tender, and distinct, but also blended nicely in the Cassoulet. :heart:

But at the heart of this Cassoulet are the Tarbais Beans, slow cooked all day in a Mirepoix, Homemade Chicken Stock and Duck Fat. They were earthy, creamy, but still retained sufficient texture. The whole dish and the Tarbais Beans especially were simply outstanding, and perfect for the chilly night! :heart:

Unpasteurized Cheeses (France):

At this point, it was time for Dessert, starting with Chef Laurent’s legendary Unpasteurized Cheese Cart, from France. For those that have never had it, these Imported Unpasteurized Cheese selections are incredible! There is so much more flavor, nuance, layers compared to the Pasteurized Cheese selections we get here locally. It’s eye-opening.

You can choose, 3, 5 or 7 (or more) Unpasteurized Cheese selections.

7 Cheeses + Truffle Honey:

While I’m generally not a fan of extra stinky Cheeses (I put them in the same category as Durian!), :wink: the selections here are fantastic. My favorites were the soft Cow’s Milk Cheese (similar to a Brie) - it was soft, silky, spreadable, but had more depth of flavor and nuance than most Brie Cheese; and an incredible Goat’s Milk Cheese (semi-hard). There was so much complex flavor in all of the Unpasteurized Cheeses they put to shame the Pasteurized Cheeses we have here. So good! :heart:

The Truffle Honey was also incredible, with Chef Laurent using real Black Truffles steeped in Honey (not some fake Truffle Oil gimmick).

Chicoree “Leroux” Coffee Ice Cream Profiterole (Praline and Chocolate Emulsion):

This was OK. All of the elements were great except the Choux, which was a bit too firm and dense, which took away from the enjoyment. The Chicoree Coffee Ice Cream was very good and I loved the Hot Chocolate Sauce poured on top.

Even though this meal happened before the lockdown, Chef Laurent was already being very cautious, with hand sanitizer and wipes available upon entering. There were only 12 of us, and every seat was spaced out about 3 feet from each other to our left and right, and across the table was about 5 feet or so. Normally Bistro LQ Pop-Ups are a bit pricier, but with their annual Cassoulet Dinner, it’s a bargain at $65(!) (Cheese Course additional).

Bistro LQ continues to be a delightful pop-up / underground supper club, featuring precise, and genuinely delicious cooking from Chef Laurent Quenioux. There is only 1 seating at any of his pop-ups, so there’s no rush, and you’re made to feel like you’re dining with close family or friends.

For this evening, all 3 savory dishes were fantastic, whether it was the in-season White Asparagus from France with the incredible Chanterelle Mushrooms, or the stunning Poached Eggs Meurette in Red Wine Lardon Reduction, or flat-out amazing Cassoulet, with every ingredient being a star, but meshing together (crispy Duck Leg Confit! 2 types of Housemade Sausages; the 7 Hour Baked Lamb Shoulder; and the Tarbais Beans in the Cassoulet itself).

We worry about if Bistro LQ can survive during this coronavirus pandemic and stay at home order. For now, Chef Laurent let us all know he was going to start offering dishes and items To-Go (via his website). He mentioned to us things like Cassoulet(!), Duck Confit, Fo(XX) Gr(XX), Soups, Sweets and other dishes.

In addition, he was debating if it might be possible to do Private Dinners, where he’ll come to your house and cook for your family(!). He has mobile kitchen equipment, so he was thinking about ways to set up and it would be just him and his Sous Chef cooking for your family, either at your home, or he’d open up his home (where his kitchen is isolated from the dining room). But if that doesn’t work, he’d be selling items To-Go and maybe trying Deliver options. See website and email below for more details.

Bistro LQ (Pop-Up Series)
Email: lq@bistrolq.com

http://www.bistrolq.com/lq-foodings

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Laurent cooks fantastically. This looks like another one of his epic meals!

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I posted this elsewhere, but here you go–crazy good bargain from someone like him!

Prepared Meals.

email us at LQ@Bistrolq.com for information.

LQ Foodings@comfort Food Takeout and Delivery

Starting Friday and Saturday (March 27+28) and every weekend thereafter during this crisis. This venture will help us to stay afloat while helping folks who are unable to get a real homemade dish at a reasonable cost. Our goal is to use superb ingredients as well as keeping it very healthy with good nutrient content.

Below is the menu for each week. Each dish is 12.00 per person and comes with either soup or dessert. We will have pick up Saturdays between 12 pm - 4 pm. at our Pasadena kitchen located at Allen and Washington. Cat and I will be prepping the food with the most sanitary guidelines that we have been doing all along, and implementing extra measures to comply with recent guidelines. We will be able to do curbside delivery at the Pasadena location (we will give a number for you to text us) If in need, we can arrange home deliveries as well. Please order a minimum of 48 hours in advance for delivery that will take place Fridays and Saturdays. Keep in mind this is pre-order only and you can order as many quantities you want since the food will last at least 3 to 4 days in the fridge and can be reheated accordingly. This is all new to us and we welcome suggestions. This program will need a fair amount of volume to sustain itself in order for us to keep it going, so please feel free to share with everyone you know that could benefit from it.

If you are interested, please let us know how many orders you would like for pickup or delivery, which protein and/or the vegetarian version. Until our online store is fully operating, once we receive your order we will send you our credit card form to fill out for payment . Feel free to ask for special requests and we will listen as much as we can if we can!

The Menu for the week of March 28th

Your choice of: 16oz of Lentil Soup or Bread Pudding with Chocolate

Your choice of protein (see below): all served with Brown Rice and ALF farm vegetable

*Braised short ribs | Olives | Basil

*North Atlantic Cod | Capers | Lemon emulsion

*1/2 roast Chicken | Herbs | Jus

We will have access to specialty cheeses and other products that will be available through our online store, going live in a few weeks, feel free to ask until then. Keep in mind we will have a wine selection from Chiara at Mission Wines

If you have any interest, please email us back at lq@bistrolq.com

Thank you very much everyone, and feel free to share with others that you think may benefit.

The Team

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LQ
Bistro LQ
P.O. BOX 3802
South Pasadena, CA 91031


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Thanks for posting this @happycat. :slight_smile: It sounds like what Chef Laurent told us in person before the lockdown.

The meals sound tasty and filling and for $12 per person that’s pretty fair.

The key is if we can order the amazing Unpasteurized Cheeses To Go. :slight_smile: If anyone finds out, please chime in. Thanks!

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Update (To-Go):

Chef Laurent Quenioux and his Bistro LQ Pop-Ups have always relied on some word-of-mouth and grass roots marketing to keep his wonderful cooking alive over the years. With the pandemic, Chef Laurent is currently offering a simple 2 Course Dinner for Takeout, with some other marketplace / prepared items from time-to-time that you can also order as well.

The items are prepared fresh for the day, but already packaged and refrigerated for the car ride home, so you’ll have to heat it up yourself (with some simple, easy instructions). For this visit (last week)…

You could choose Potato Leek Soup or Bread Pudding for Course 1.

Potato Leek Soup:

Precise, delicate French cooking that was light and Spring-like: I loved the brightness in this Soup, with the Leeks singing in each sip, and small, lightly earthy cubes of Potato that contrasted, but never took over the dish. It was also not overly heavy, nor did it rely on Butter / Cream to bring out great flavors. :slight_smile:

For Course 2, there was a choice of protein:

  • Rabbit Hind Leg “a la Moutarde” | Spring Vegetables | Mustard
  • North Atlantic Cod | Dill and Sorel | Lemon emulsion
  • Chicken Thigh “au Vin” in Red Wine | Spring Vegetables

Chicken Thigh “au Vin” in Red Wine | Spring Vegetables:

I love a good Coq Au Vin, the traditional French dish of Slow Braised Chicken in Wine, Mushrooms & other veggies.

Chef Laurent’s new To-Go version may not be the best we’ve ever had, but it’s very good, delicious, tender bites of Slow-Braised Chicken infused with a deep Red Wine and Garlic flavor. You could taste the Lardons and Mushroom notes as well. :blush:

The Scalloped Potatoes crisped up nicely on the edges in the oven, but I think in the future we’d heat them separately for even more crispness, but as it was (it was all in 1 simple container that was oven safe) it worked fine. But even as is, they had enough bite and still had a nice creaminess. :blush: (@TheCookie @attran99 @PorkyBelly and others.)

3 French Cheeses (Unpasteurized):

But the highlight of the meal (and good news) is that Chef Laurent is offering his famous Unpasteurized Cheese Cart To-Go! :open_mouth: :heart:

You can choose 3, 5 or 7 Selections (or more - dubbed the “@J_L @PorkyBelly Selection”), :wink: and Chef Laurent will provide a generous slice of the Cheeses you select and package them up with the order.

Flocon de Savoie, Brillat (Cow’s Milk), L’ encalat (Sheep):

Wow, these 3 selections were simply outstanding! :heart:

For Cheese Lovers out there that have never tried Chef Laurent’s imported selection of French / European Unpasteurized Cheeses, it is worth a try at least once!

I loved Flocon de Savoie the most, it was truly buttery, but had a distinct, beautiful aroma coming through that our local Pasteurized Cheeses just don’t have. This firm Cheese was stunning! :heart:

I also loved the Brillat which was a soft Cow’s Milk Cheese, spreadable, delicate, and so good! :blush:

A huge thanks again to @J_L @PorkyBelly @A5KOBE and others for introducing us to Bistro LQ and the incredible Cheese Cart. :slight_smile:

The most impressive thing about Bistro LQ To-Go right now, is that their simple 2 Course Meals for Takeout are selling for about $16(!). :open_mouth: That’s ridiculous QPR, and you could spend more than that on an entree at Claim Jumper, Cheesecake Factory and other generic national chains for far worse quality.

The Cheese Cart add-on is worth it as well for a standout, unique experience in rarer French / European Cheeses (selections vary per week).

For the latest Menu Selections To-Go, email them at:

Bistro LQ (Pop-Up Series)
Email: lq@bistrolq.com

http://www.bistrolq.com/lq-foodings

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I have spent $16 on myself ordering fast food.

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I was there today! Picked up the cod and chicken Provençal. Also got the cold asparagus soup and the chocolate mousse…and a cheese plate. Going to eat the cheese tomorrow. Have to finish leftovers in the fridge tonight before digging into LQ tomorrow.
I wasn’t persistent enough and Chef couldn’t include me in the wine order, but there are wines to pair with your meals. Just make sure you clearly state it and remind the team when you process your order via E-mail.
I had only one hiccup at pick up…I ordered 2 orders each of the cod and the chicken…only got 1 of each. I should have audited the bag before leaving. They’re going to hold my credit for next week…I think they’re going to offer some new things for Mother’s Day.
I did not make it to see Leo (who’s only 2 miles away)…I didn’t have enough time and had to run home.

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L is selling popup tix for corona in June and July. Too far for me but you might be into it

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