I decided to be a diligent food blogger and wait a few months after Trois Mec opened before I tried it. Give them time to work out the kinks.

And by decided to wait, I mean I couldn’t snag a reservation.

I’m not sure, though, if waiting is necessary when a celebrity chef is at the helm, however.

Shouldn’t they already have their merde together?

Well, this one certainly does.

Trois Mec (French for “three guys”) is Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s (the celebrity chef who pretty much invented the pop up restaurant and who’s food truck makes some of the best portable fried foul on the planet) newest mouthwatering restaurant.

Here’s what sets this place apart: You don’t make a reservation, you buy a ticket. Tickets go on sale (via the website) every other Friday morning and usually sell out shortly after.

To be honest, I got my ticket via a last minute cancellation on Twitter (redialing the French Laundry’s number over 200 times for a ressie ruined me to ever do pine over a reservation phone line again) and so I didn’t really have to fight for a spot, so I can’t go into how all that noise works.

Good luck, is all I’ll say.

What makes things simple is you don’t have to bring any money with you to the restaurant. You prepay when you buy your ticket. About $97, which includes tax and tip.

It does NOT include alcohol or any additional menu items (which you’ll want to order unless you’re an idiot) so ignore what I just said and bring your wallet.

The restaurant is located in an old Raffallo’s pizza parlor in a random strip mall in sorta Hollywood. There is no appropriate signage. Pizza lovers and the occasional street urchin will swing open the door throughout your meal. Try not to make eye contact, they’ll try to snatch what’s on your plate.

There is a preset menu, you get everything on it. Just go with that. Don’t ask for substitutions. Don’t complain. Just eat it or push what you don’t like aside while Chef Ludo gives you the stink eye.

Items not allowed: Cell phones, flash photography and keeping your camera on the table while you eat.

This latter request proved difficult as I was seated in a stool where putting away my clonky camera was not convenient, so I just placed it on my lap and ate with one hand.

It was a bit awkward and I felt like a big nerd whipping out my camera, trying not to let Ludo see me.

I’m going to review the actual food in a series of ridiculously simple statements. These are the reasons while I’ll never become a respected food writer:

1. Every dish was creative and delicious.
2. I would go back in a heartbeat.
3. It was totally worth the money

My fondest memory of the meal was that we were seated right in front of Ludo’s station so he personally served us many of our dishes.
I mean, he probably served many other folks their dishes too but who cares about them? They’re not the ones writing this article, are they??

For most of our meal, Chef Ludo was always asking us how we liked everything or to giving me a weird look after I snapped a photo or receiving a compliment from a diner.

I left my Bun Boy business card after paying our check (and my souvenir menus, dammit!) and Ludy looked at it “You left your credit card”.

I leave my business card at the end of pretty much every meal, this was the first time I felt like an absolute idiot for doing so.
Not sure what I was expecting to happen, but I’m 100% sure that card went in the trash moments later.

Who cares, I’ll never forget that delicious meal!

716 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
troismec.com