Trois Familia features French-Mexican fusion


The troisième “trois” has finally come about, in the form of Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s new breakfast and brunch spot, Trois Familia, which follows in the footsteps of his other Los Angeles restaurants Trois Mec and Petit Trois.

The French chef is serving up French-Mexican fusion at his new spot in Silver Lake from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. The restaurant exclusively serves breakfast, brunch and dessert. As the name implies, Trois Familia is a more casual, less costly introduction to Lefebvre’s fare.

Arriving at Trois Familia is a lot like arriving at your favorite local Thai spot. It’s in a strip mall, unassuming, with somewhat garish signage — in this case, rainbow-hued bubble letters spell out the name — but you know something special awaits inside.

The bright coloring doesn’t stop on the outside. The restaurant’s small room is painted in bright red, blue and green hues and decorated with kitschy accessories. White picnic benches serve as communal tables, contributing to the overall relaxed feel of the restaurant.

On a recent Saturday morning, the wait list contained over a page of unseated parties. However, on a Friday afternoon around 1 p.m., the restaurant was just over half full, with groups ranging from families to a group of young guys to couples enjoying the accessible fare of the restaurant.

In some ways, however, the laid-back vibe is a construction that hides the chef’s conceits. Waiters recommend parties share a few dishes between them, but refuse to hand out extra plates, even upon request. That means two people are often awkwardly left looking at one dish placed between them — as dishes are also brought out as soon as they are ready, rather than all together — wondering how to eat it. The restaurant is laid back like a hipster’s $90 “relaxed” t-shirt.

The strictness on concerns such as this is made up for by an extremely friendly staff full of recommendations, readily offering suggestions including the French toast, hash brown chilaquiles and potato tacos — most of the dishes lean more toward the Mexican side of French-Mexican fusion, at least at first glance.

The churro French toast truly lives up to the name. Each bite tasted like its fried cinnamon inspiration, but with the added depth of a soft, eggy center. Topped with Portland-based Salt & Straw ice cream, however, the dish is more dessert than a brunch item, especially when paired with the often spicy, savory dishes that compose most of the rest of the menu.

One such item was the highly recommended crispy hash brown chilaquiles. The brunch-oriented hash browns replace tortilla chips as the star of the dish, but serve the same purpose — a vehicle for salsa and hot sauce that just toes the line of too spicy. The hash browns’ crunchy outer shell masks the soft strips of potato within, which quickly soak up the sauce. Fresh cilantro garnish cuts the fiery taste with a fresh burst of flavor, while a perfectly poached egg further soaks up the sauce and adds a pretty finish to the dish.

Though vegetarian, the double decker potato tacos are surprisingly substantial, filled to the brim with cheese and potatoes and brightly topped with carrots. The “double decker” title refers to a smaller hard shell within a soft flour shell of the tacos, exempting patrons from having to answer the age-old soft/hard taco shell dilemma.

The dishes tend to range from $10-$15, though some meat options come in higher, and a cup of hot coffee is a whopping $5. Dishes tend to be small and the waitress’s recommendation — that two people share three plates — was spot on.

Trois Familia is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 3510 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90026.