I wasn’t too big a fan of what happened outside CH1VE. [Think unavoidable $15 valet fee], but once we were within the Gaslamp restaurant’s chic confines, it was all good.

In the rare nook where the decor wasn’t shimmery silver or stark white, there was unusual pottery. This was the best of the lot.

Each table receives a dish of warm, sea salt-crusted dish of edamame. CH1VE isn’t especially Asian, but I wasn’t complaining. The edamame were delicious.

Here’s one of the “Tastes,” Alaskan snow crab mac & cheese with panko crust and lemon truffle creme fraiche. Improbably, the dish wasn’t even heavy, but it was some of the best mac & cheese I’ve eaten.

The double-cut pork chop was accompanied by white cheddar and pancetta bread pudding, spinach, and cranberry jus. Yes, it tasted as good as it looks.

Even better was the duck two ways. In the top left corner is a pile of confit with spaghetti squash and pearl onions. Below is a sliced duck breast with savory black pepper spaetzle. The plate is painted with vanilla sage cinnamon gastrique. It was an incredible dish, and a veritable bargain at $23.

Here’s a dish of rice pudding layered with faux Cocoa Krispies for texture and topped with creme brulee, with more faux Cocoa Krispies, cinnamon and powdered sugar dusting the plate.

The better dessert was this molten chocolate cake with vanilla gelato and raspberry coulis.

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This entry is filed under California, Californian, San Diego, Southern California.