Orris is a Japanese small plates place located on a stretch of Sawtelle inhabited by Japanese businesses. It?s a small, cozy space where the focus is on the open and busy kitchen. Service is efficient and quick. The food was served quickly and were all quite good. I have to admit however that nothing was so extraordinary as to inspire me to come rushing back ? but it?s a nice place to eat and drink with friends if you happen to be in the area. It is quite crowded so reservations are recommended.\r
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We shared a nice bottle of pinot grigio and had the following plates:\r
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- cheese plate (nice selection of cheeses ? goat cheese, a creamy petite basque, etc. ? other than the goat cheese, they were quite mild. Pleasant but not great.)\r
- tuna tartare with warm crusty bread and seaweed salad (good, but I?m a bit tired of this dish; although the addition of the slightly sweet seaweed salad was a nice touch) ? they were however strangely stingy with the bread. \r
- Crab and cucumber salad (I really liked this one ? very fresh and sweet and light)\r
- Pork medallions (this was ok, not sure what it was but I didn?t really like the mushy texture and aftertaste of this dish).\r
- Seared foie gras over eggplant (I also really liked this one ? perfectly balanced in a wonderful, sweet sauce).\r
- Shrimp mousse ravioli with mushroom sauce (ok, but I was slightly underwhelmed).\r
- Quail over white beans (again, just ok).\r
- Fried chicken (pretty good, but nothing special).\r
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The other reviews have been so phenomenal on this place. perhaps that's why I felt slightly disappointed.\r
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