Last Tuesday, Abby of Pleasure Palate invited out a slew of food bloggers to a complimentary dinner courtesy of One Sunset. My first inclination was to think of the venue as an intimate late night restaurant situated on the Sunset Strip.

Once inside the large wooden double doors, we converged in the Champagne Lounge to the right of the alcove and host station. 

Here we were served a sparkling wine concoction to kick off the evening: LUSHious Raspberry cocktails brimming with Gloria Ferrer sparkling wine, a touch of Leblon, and a ripe red raspberry sheen; seeds the results of instrumental muddling gathered at the bottom. It was a refreshingly sweet way to start off the evening, and to be sure, everyone looks more sophisticated sporting a rosy filled champagne flute.

The interior space is split into four spaces each flowing harmoniously into each other seamlessly. Our group was seated in a more secluded upper dining lounge, each spacious booth set off with cushy bench seating.

As servers poured Voss sparkling water, chef Jason Ryczek soon appeared bearing the first dish of the evening, a so-called “Breakfast on a Plate”.

This dish was essentially a miniature pancake about the size of a real silver dollar, set off artistically with a poof of bacon foam, crème fraîche, apple caviar, and the tiniest of salty bacon bits. I would’ve easily been amused with a short stack of the tiny discs piled high. Just one pancake was such a tease.

To help wash down our breakfasts, a round of One’s “The Master Cleanse” cocktails were passed around, a mix of Belvedere vodka, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. A bemusing name for a rather unappetizing drink–after a few sips the pleasantly spicy cayenne pepper taste dominated the refreshing citrus aspects of the fresh juice.

Next up we were served Adult Candy, a blue cheese-stuffed date bacon-wrapped and skewered, dished atop a bed of arugula scattered with pine nuts  and dried cranberries. 

The bacon’s flavor was blinded by the predominant shocking sweetness of the date. Even the distinct taste of blue cheese was invisible inside the stickiness of its outer counterpart. I found the arugula to lend a much-needed balance to the dish although their effect was drowned in too much oil.

Continuing on, the Spicy Tuna Tartare made its appearance, a proper scoop of tuna chunks smothered with loathsome spiciness and a sprinkling of red tobiko and black sesame seeds. Each fish mass perched upon a piece of greasy eggplant tempura; a change from the usual sushi rice but I can’t say for the better.  

Heading into lighter fare, the Burrata and Strawberries were a sweet contrast from the salty tartare. Softly toasted cinnamon bruschetta smeared with soft cheese made a base for deliciously soft diced strawberries drizzled with balsamic and sprinkled with basil slivers and pistachio shrapnel. The green sprouts shooting out of the cheese, although fresh and visually appealing, lent a noticeably bitter note to the otherwise subtly sweet dish.

What’s a little late night drinking without some good old meat and carbs to balance things out?

The BBQ pork sliders were a welcome sight–tender pork shreds moist with sweet marinade sandwiched between a carefully sliced King’s Hawaiian style bun. Tucked into each creation was an incognito piece of rich smoked cheddar and a few crispy shallots.

The hand tossed onion rings with accompanying cream horseradish sauce were crisp and balanced alone and paired wonderfully with the sliders.

Continuing with the meat trend, we selected a skewer of what was described as Korean Chicken Satay. Marinated with tamarind and ginger, the chicken had a tangy spice, but was a bit dry with notes of char. The  side of “kimchi” coleslaw was accented with a few shiny crunchy spiced cashews.

Our last cocktail of the evening, the Tropical Sidecar, arrived. Viscous remnants of pineapple chunks and blueberry flesh floated near the surface on a bed of Hennessy touched by Cointreau. This was a very fruit forward cocktail, the high acidity of the citrus masking all but the deepest of cognac flavors.

We launched promptly into the Salade Niςoise plate. Pistachio crusted albacore lay in domino effect nearby an artistic smear of caper aioli with the actual anchovy free salad playing a supporting role in the background. There was talk of a boiled quail egg hidden amongst the foliage, but alas it was scooped up by the deft Ryan of Tangmeister.com.

If I had make a presumptive list of shareable dishes one would see at a lounge,  Turkey Meatballs would never have crossed my mind. They were moist veering towards mushy with grated parmesan, fresh basil, and a spattering of marinara atop. Crispy thin mini-toasts, presumably brushed with olive oil contrasted well with their platter-mates.

Just when I thought we really had just about “One of almost everything” from their menu, the chef whipped out the last whimsical dish: Roasted Clams on the Half Shell. Basically a tablespoon of clam chowder was spooned into the shell with little bits of diced tomatoes, chorizo, and crushed oyster crackers. These rested on a bed of baby arugula with a side of lemon wedge. We were instructed to shoot the shell back and then add the lemon juice to help cut through the richness of the broth. A distinctly different approach to eating chowder, although there was so little of it I can’t be sure quite what it tasted like.

With all the savory dishes out of the way, it was time to spend a little quality time nurturing cavities into fruition. The desserts were simple but comforting and easy to share–a sweet ending to a night of new introductions. “No Carbs” Tony C devoured the Meyer lemon Panna Cotta so quickly I had to get paparazzi on another table’s platter just to document it.

Certainly the most delicate of the three desserts I tried, the lavender oil drizzled panna cotta melted away equally as fast as the round ball of blackberry sorbet perched atop a flaky poppy seed crisp.

I was quite taken with the mini Velvet Rope Cupcakes.

Each exuberantly moist little nub was topped with a dreamy cream cheese frosting that tasted more of marshmallow fluff than the slightly stirred Philly bagel topping I’ve grown wary of. And yes, red sprinkles were in effect.

Lastly, we were treated to a Vegan Godiva Chocolate Gelato, a scoop of chocolate quite reminiscent of a frozen ganache in richness although noticeably filled with thousands of miniscule ice crystals strewn throughout. This was served up alongside a shot of Disaronno which some chose to shoot straight up while others dutifully bathed their scoops before sampling.

At night’s end, my conclusion was that One Sunset is a relaxing plush lounge that might appeal to those looking to share New American style plates and fruit-muddled cocktails. It appears there is some respite on The Strip to cozy up with a new friend or 7 and enjoy cocktails without shouting over music or bumping elbows.