Relishing the tiny eats at Bouchees Bistro

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

It’s only been a few years, but like so much of our redeveloped Downtown, CityPlace already seems to be struggling. Lauded as a successor to spots like Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, the mall so far hasn’t broken new ground—a blocks-long chain of big-box facades, populated mostly by those waiting for the next train to rumble in. So it makes sense that the newly opened Bouchees Bistro is the kind of place that Downtown has been pining for—a restaurant that can establish its own identity and, more importantly, offer a slick break in that big-name chain.

Bouchees fits this role well, following the current rush of modern American throwbacks. The styling is there: dark woods; bright, gaudy oranges; bamboo centerpieces. And for the most part, so is the food: a concise menu made up mostly of burgers and sandwiches, all accented with the usual contemporary flair.

But Bouchees’ menu is richer than it might initially seem. That’s because it has two distinct features, the first of which is tied to the restaurant’s name. More than just a French-inspired add-on to an otherwise all-American eatery, “bouchée” best translates to “mouthful”—a clever little ploy that works to promote Bouchees’ miniature side, as the restaurant offers scaled-down versions of nearly every dish on its menu, turning its sandwiches and burgers into bite-sized mouthfuls. Then there are Bouchees’ customization options. Not only can you dictate the size of your dish, but the restaurant also allows you to build your own burger, offering choices on everything from the protein to the toppings and condiments.

Perhaps it’s no surprise, but those menu subtleties are what fare the best at Bouchees. The downsized version of the jumbo lump crab cake sandwich, for instance, is much better than its full-sized counterpart. The flavors are the same, sure, but the smaller version wins out because it’s perfectly portioned: its tiny, golden bun is matched, not outweighed, by a sensibly thick patty. The crab cake itself is excellent—a dense, peppered little ball that eats like a meal in any size. Where the heavy, dense, full-sized sandwich is overwhelming, the miniature version is only a couple savory bites.

Not every sandwich impresses, but that shouldn’t cause any hesitation—just steer toward the burgers. Like the crab cake sandwich, the burgers are best ordered in their diminutive forms. And while there are four set burgers to choose from, the best inevitably come from those you build yourself.

Start with one of four patties—sirloin, turkey, vegetable or ahi tuna. Everything is ground fresh and the vegetable burgers are made in-house, heavy on the garbanzo beans and peppers. The ahi is seared and served on the rare side—the way God intended. After you pick a protein, there’s the matter of toppings. There are classics: lettuce, tomato, pickles and the like. But there are also some slightly more upscale accoutrements: caramelized onions, shiitake mushrooms, jalapeño salsa. Pick up to four toppings and move on to cheeses (cheddar, gruyere, feta, brie, among others) and sauces (green peppercorn dijonnaise, bacon-black pepper ranch, dill yogurt sauce, to name a few). It’s best to find a theme and build around that—Asian-inspired, Mediterranean-influenced—but regardless of how you construct them, Bouchees’ burgers are fantastic—tender and juicy, and, in bite-sized slider form, not too filling.

Most of Bouchees’ other offerings are a bit inconsistent, however. The crab minestrone, for example, is far too thin for such a hearty soup. But when Bouchees does hit the mark, it’s a bulls-eye, like the restaurant’s parmesan herb French fries—fresh and crispy, coated with only a thin sprinkling of parmesan. The fries are served with homemade ketchup, which spares you the corn syrup of its bottled counterpart and instead aims for a style more similar to marinara sauce.

Like any new restaurant, Bouchees is not without its shortcomings. But thankfully the restaurant’s successes far outweigh its few hiccups. Besides, at Bouchees, there’s almost no harm in a misfire. If you don’t like a dish on first bite, you can take solace in the fact that you’ll be done with it in another. And by then, you’ll be able to move on to some other tasty little mouthful.

BOUCHEES BISTRO 515 LONG BEACH BLVD | LONG BEACH 90802 | 562.951.8222 | BOUCHEES.COM | OPEN DAILY, 10AM-9PM | FOOD FOR TWO, $20-30 | BEER, WINE

Tags: bouchees bistro, cityplace, Long Beach