LA’s Hottest Pop-Up (Literally!): Gastro Garage Pop-Up in Los Angeles

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Since launching three years ago, the catering crew of Gastro Garage has been lighting up LA with their signature “Gastro Tanks.” You may recognize these pyromaniacs from their past media appearances, but seeing their live culinary experience blew me away! They now have a pop-up in Los Angeles running every Thursday – Saturday until February 11th, 2017.

Our Gastro Mechanic Jesse in action

What is a “Gastro Tank”? They’re dishes we all know and love deconstructed, then stuffed in a brioche and filled with a nitrous foam (in a variety of flavors depending on your order) then torched with toppings. These foodie reconstructions were all as tasty as the show is fun to watch! The “Gastro Mechanics” (one part Chef, one part Mechanic) put on a very entertaining show and in total welding garb. WARNING: The guys have a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and aren’t shy about interacting with guests. They will dish it, and they can take it. So feel free to sass back at them!

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A video posted by Girls on Food (@girlsonfoodblog) on

POP UP GASTRO GARAGE MENU
“TORCH ME!”
Chef’s Choice
2 Savory Gastro Tanks
2 Drill Bits
1 Gastro Side
2 Sweet Gastro Tanks
**Market Price** Starting at $50
GASTRO TANKS
** Any 3 for $12 **
Savory Gastro Tanks
Filly Tank – Aged Sharp White Cheddar Foam + Torched New York Strip + Caramelized Onion Puree + Truffle Salt
Cubano Tank – Gruyere Foam + Torched 12 Hour Slow Roasted Pork + Applewood Smoked Ham + Mustard Caviar + Dill Plank
Piston Pizza Tank – Mozzarella Foam + Torched Shredded Mozzarella + Tomato Basil Puree + Fresh Basil
Drunken Clucker – Pinot Grigio Fondue Foam + Torched Chardonnay Chicken Suspended in Baby Swiss + Applewood Smoked Ham + Bacon Crunch + Champagne Dijon
Sweet Gastro Tanks
Campfire Tank -Double Chocolate Foam + Torched Marshmallow Pillow & Graham Powder + Milk Chocolate Chunk
Princess Buttercup Tank – Double Chocolate Foam + Torched Sweet Peanut Puree + Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup + Nutter Butter Powder
Apple Pie A La Torch Tank  Sweet Vanilla Bean Foam Cinnamon Apple Puree Torched Sharp Cheddar + Graham Powder

 

Since I was at a media preview, all attendees got the Chef’s Choice, and thankfully, they read my mind with Tanks I wanted to try. Below are my favorite items that I sampled.

Helpful hint: The fillings in the tanks are very hot! I recommend waiting about 30 seconds after arrival if your tongue is heat-sensitive.

Cubano Tank

The Cubano Tank was my favorite Savory Gastro Tank. I adore Cubanos, but the toasted bread always hurts the top of my mouth (I can’t be the only one with that problem!). I love that this is made with brioche, it’s so much softer in texture. The Gruyere foam is savory, slightly nutty and pairs perfectly with the pork and pickle.

Drill Bit – Japanese Marinated Short Rib paired with White Cheddar Foam

They also allowed us to sample “Drill Bits”, which are smaller portions of torched meat paired with selected foams. My favorite is the Japanese Marinated Short Rib paired with White Cheddar Foam. TOO DIE FOR! I could take a bath in the White Cheddar Foam. (Seriously Gastro Mechanics, if you’re reading this, let’s film it!)

Torched Maple Glazed with a Maple Gravy Foam

Tonight’s special was Torched Maple Glazed with a Maple Gravy Foam. The carrot comes skewered, and you can dip it into the foam. This dish is sweet, savory and creamy all in one bite.

For beverages, they offer water, Coke (in a bottle!) and a cocktail. The cocktail of choice tonight was a Sunshine Mule, a more cucumber focused version of the classic Moscow Mule.

Princess Buttercup Tank

For dessert, my favorite Sweet Tank was the Princess Buttercup Tank; it’s the most decadent one. Nothing goes better together than chocolate and peanut butter. Clearly, fit for royalty.

This is hands down, one of the most interactive, unique, dining experiences in LA. If you can’t make it in before Feb. 11th, don’t panic, the Gastro Garage will be opening a shop in DTLA in the Summer. We’ll have more details when it’s about to open.

 Get your tickets to the pop-up here, before they sell out!

Julianne

Actress and Founder of Girls on Food: I was born and raised in the suburbs of Sacramento, California. I grew up a typical “McDonald’s kid”. I was very picky about what I ate and refused to try new foods. No fun, I know. My Mom started taking me on trips to Europe when I was a teenager and that’s when my palate for finer foods began to develop. Some of my most memorable favorite meals include Veal Bolognese in Rome, Gyros in Athens, Paella in Lisbon and Duck L’Orange in Paris. While this helped me grow out of a fast food phase, I still eat out quite a bit. I know I should be at home cooking, but I love dining out. I started working in restaurants in various front of the house positions at age 15. Since my start, I’ve worked in every casual restaurant setting you can think of: a teriyaki stand, brewery, sushi nightclub, trendy Mexican, family-style Italian, American diner, pizza parlor and even a BLT themed food truck. I can't help but notice that many of the LA food bloggers don't have any sort of background working in a restaurant. A lot of my perspective on food and dining out comes from my years of experience in the biz. Since starting this blog, I have shot appearances on a couple of cooking competition shows as a taster (including MasterChef Junior and another upcoming show). We have also started producing a Youtube Channel. IMDb page here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2023647/ For this site I contribute content from all over Los Angeles (and the world) to showcase my favorite fine-dining spots, steakhouses, exclusive supper clubs, Hollywood nightlife and our very own #GOFx events, which I plan and coordinate.

1 Comment

  1. Diana

    June 5, 2017

    No Way?! That looks like one hell of an event! Looks like chemistry + food at play here.

Comments are closed.

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