Christmas is just around the corner and if you’ve been running around looking for the perfect present for your friends, family, and those who’ve helped you out throughout the year then you’ve probably worked up a major appetite. What an ideal time to reward yourself with something delicious. And for those who don’t go holiday shopping until the very last minute but are hungry regardless, then you too deserve something. You could buy yourself a new gadget, furniture, or you could go the foodie route and opt for a beautiful lunch to sustain you during this busy holiday season. I did just that last week by visiting Ocean Prime in Beverly Hills. While I have to admit I haven’t done any holiday shopping to work up an appetite, I did reward myself with the lunch as if I had.

Sitting in the patio of the restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard I glanced over Ocean Prime’s Holiday Luxe Lunch three course menu at $45 per person (not including tax or gratuity). Running until December 22^nd, 2017 I made it just in time to preview the menu and find a few favorites along with way. With a couple of options to choose between for each course, it was easy to come to a decision.

To start, I had the Oysters on a Half Shell. The arrangement of the oysters was presented in such a nice way that it seemed to pick up the rays of light from the sun coming down. For a moment I was unsure whether I should disrupt them, but the second my stomach groaned for them I let the initial thought pass.  Each individual oyster was so light and refreshing. A gentle squeeze of lemon and a scoop of sauce took the already inviting oysters to a level of Mr. Rogers were you feel so comfortable and excited to settle in with the appetizer.

As the oysters came to a close, the 6oz Filet Mignon arrived. Paired with jumbo garlic shrimp, cream whipped potatoes, and haricot verts all sitting in a garlic sauce it smelled just as good as it looked. Unsure where to begin, I let my fork take the lead. I started with the filet mignon. Cutting into the steak gave way to an incredibly tender filet mignon. Cooked medium rare, the beef held a juicy level of richness that was exciting to savor. Increasing the flavor was the lemon butter garlic sauce that had a touch of Sriracha which flowed nicely through the filet. Resting on top of the meat was a pair of garlic shrimp. Taking cuts of the shrimp gave such fresh seafood that had the same delicious garlic sauce across its exterior. To bring it all together were the potatoes and vegetables. The potatoes held a balance between both soft and solid so nicely. They didn’t stick stagnant to the fork like a boulder and they also didn’t flop childlike as if they were completely weightless. They felt just right and were seasoned so lightly that all you could taste was the simplicity of the potatoes themselves.

The course to close out the lunch was the dessert. I ordered the Five Layer Carrot Cake with small shavings of coconut and paired with a cream cheese icing, pineapple syrup, whipped cream, and a mint leaf. As excited as I was to try the cake, it was too frozen making it fairly hard to enjoy. Being so cold, my fork couldn’t cut through it as smoothly as I would have hoped. Giving it some time to sit allowed the cake to warm and soften a bit to let my fork make its way through it. Once that could happen I was able to take in the sweetness of what could have been a boring cake. I like that it wasn’t as traditional as you would think it could be thanks to the coconut shavings and the sprightly pineapple sauce.

From the beginning to the end, I was glad I got to treat myself to the lunch menu at Ocean Prime. The oysters and the towering filet mignon were both parts of the lunch that instantly captivated me. While the cake was a little hard to dive into as it was placed in front of me, I highly suggest letting it rest before diving into it. After having such nice lunch I feel more than ready to get into my holiday shopping, or maybe I’ll procrastinate a little longer and then panic at the last minute. Whatever I choose to do, I know where to grab a great lunch to get me through it all.

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Address: 9595 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Phone: (310) 859-4818
Hours: Monday through Thursday – 11:30am to 10:00pm, Friday 11:30am to 11:00pm, Saturday 5:00pm to 11:00pm, and Sunday 5:00pm to 9:00pm
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