314961 Fri Aug 04 16:33:54 -0700 2006 0 2 Los Angeles Area 0 1787680 After seeing reviews left and right of the place, I finally decided to take a gander at it myself. So 4 friends/acquaintances and I went... after a few drinks and some curry fries (delicious with their "Indian ketchup", and a good helping for $5) from the Voodoo Room across the street. Bin was not as packed as I thought, which was good (we got a nice seat out on the patio) and surprising (since I know SIV has a bit of an "Oprah effect" on restaurants here... but perhaps it died down since the new Food Section just came out on the LAT.) We didn't get a chance to have David (the owner/sommelier) visit our table ~ but nonetheless enjoyed a good riesling. My friend and I we shared a plate of fried oysters & empanadas -- she ordered a salad for herself and I had the seasonal [wild sockeye salmon] ceviche. Our much more health-conscious dining companions opted for much smaller portions for themselve (and made us feel like pigs!) The oysters were generally good, perfectly fried w/o too much breading, nice sauces (a remoulade & a "mojo" I believe) though a few of them did have that off-taste (which makes me wary of ordering them raw in the future.) The empanadas had a good crisp but not particularly remarkable. My ceviche was an unusual delight -- the salmon tasted cooked and was complimented with a good dose of onions. It also came with cornnuts and duck fat popcorn... nice nibbles while we were talking our heads off. We finally finished off with some desserts -- with my friends and I sharing the dessert sampler ($12) which included a banana rum cheesecake (tasted more plantain-y than banana, but have a nice rum follow-up), heath brownie + heath bar ice cream (good, but not great), raisin duff with "hard sauce" (which reminded me of fruitcake, but with much less dried fruit) and "dessert sushi" -- an almond & dried fruit (fig/date if I have to guess) surrounded by coconut & a "nori" of chocolate. Reminded me of an Almond Joy. All in all - a pretty good experience, so probably worth a re-visit soon. And apparently, to my friends who sat facing the street, a great place to check out WeHo boys too. Fri Aug 04 16:33:54 -0700 2006 11949 AquaW