Black Hogg in Silver Lake: Excellent Pork Belly Tacos and Buttery Mushroom Toast

I've been wanting to check out Black Hogg in Silver Lake for a while and it did not disappoint. The best dishes were the pork belly tacos, super buttery mushroom toast and the grilled octopus. The thick pork belly slices were like butter with lots of flavor and seared on the outside for browned texture. It was topped with an apple and red onion slaw and pickled jalapeno relish, which gave it the kick it needed. The relish was a bit overpowering but overall was a good balance to the wonderful fattiness of the pork. I still dream about that pork belly from time to time.

The roasted mushroom toast in brown butter on a giant toasted brioche was rich and decadent and all those good things but the kicker was that despite all that brown butter, it wasn't that heavy. The mushrooms included hen of the woods, shimeji and crimini mushrooms all mixed together and topped with some refreshing greens. It was filling but something in the brown butter, which tasted like a hint of citrus, counterbalanced the heaviness of the butter. So we totaled this dish, no problem.

The grilled octopus slices paired with some fingerling potatoes and chickpeas were cooked perfectly. I felt the chef skimped on the octopus a bit (all of four slices for a $16 dish) and the Chana Masala -- a healthy Indian chickpea dish -- on the side could have been a bit spicier but was still a winning combination. The whole thing came topped with some fresh micro greens and a sliver of naan bread.

I have a feeling that the chef likes bread, or at least pairing carbs with protein. I just realized that all of the above dishes are paired this way. I'm wondering if it's overkill, because the uni toast wasn't as successful. Call me traditional but while the sea urchin was fresh and delicious (topped with minced chives), the toast it was on didn't do much for the combination. Sure, it was crunchy but flavor-wise, it felt rather flat. True, maybe my palate is trained to want hot, salty and vinegary rice underneath this ozzy goodness. It wasn't bad. I just found the toast to be a distraction rather than complementary to this luxurious dish.

The biggest disappointment was the roasted bone marrow. It came, once again, with some corn tortillas and a bean sauce that I found colossally bland. The marrow was good enough, but if you're going to pair it with some carbs, why not stick to the tried and true toasted crusty bread slices that would gone perfectly with these beauties? I appreciate the desire to innovate and mix it up. I truly do. This one didn't work for me.

The bread pudding dessert disappointed too. I had been eyeing this dessert when I spotted it on the menu. Dubbed Five Leches Bread Pudding with brioche, brown butter (I detect a pattern), applies and toasted pecans with a huge dollop of cream. It was far too sweet for me so I barely touched it. Service was awesome. Our server took this dessert off our bill because we told her it was too sweet for us. She also let us try some of the wines by the glass before ordering.

The decor and size (and high prices) reminded me of cute little small plates New American joints in New York's East Village. Maybe it was influenced by chef Eric Park's stint in New York's standout restos Spotted Pig and one of my personal favorites, Eleven Madison Park. I really liked the vibe of this place. The noise level was manageable and parking was easy. What more could you ask for in LA? I'm sold and will definitely be returning. I would love some more interesting desserts, however. How about a green tea beignet?