Los Angeles

Hayato, Los Angeles, 2/8/24

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entrance – 1320 E 7th St #126, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Hayato is the Japanese restaurant of Chef Brandon Hayato Go, where 7 lucky diners are served at a counter 5 nights a week.   The Kaiseki meal of seafood and vegetables was served by Chef himself with a couple of helpers.  The light wood counter faces the cooking area which has a number of options for finishing the dishes.  Well lit with no music it is a peaceful, calm place offering much interaction with the chef.  The menu is a surprise as Chef shops for unique ingredients with impeccable quality to craft the evening’s dinner.  “Less is more”  could be a description because you won’t find fancy sauces and decorations here.  Instead, the ingredients are so pristine that they stand on their own with elegance.  Those who follow me know I’m a flavor junky but this place moves flavor to a different dimension.  Time passed quickly, as there was no lag in service and conversations flowed easily between guests and the chef.  The meal does take 2.5-3  hours and you receive a beautiful menu at the end written in Japanese and English on elegant parchment.  Service was fabulous and it’s easy to see why Michelin has awarded the restaurant 2 stars.  The price is steep for some at $350 per person but if you can get a reservation I urge you to go.  Be aware that these reservations are in such demand that they are being re-sold but that’s a scam, just be persistent and and try and try again when reservations are released on the first of the month.  It’s a fabulous experience. Continue reading →

John O’Groats Restaurant, Los Angeles, 2/8/24

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exterior – 10516 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

John O’Groats Restaurant was opened in 1982 by Angelica and Robert Jacoby, with he as cook and she as waitress for a 20-seat counter place.  They served only breakfast and lunch so they could still have dinner at home with their 2 sons.  After 2 years they moved to a different location while son Paul Tyler was studying restaurant administration. He joined the business after college worked his way up to managing partner by 1994 and created some of the dishes served there today. Under Paul’s leadership, the restaurant expanded in 1995 and again in 2000 adding more square footage.  Paul was there the day we visited and greeted many customers by name.  His brother Carl has also rejoined the team.  You can feel the vibe of a family-run place with so many repeat customers and super friendly staff.  While Robert has passed on Angelica and Paul’s family are often on-site.  The place is spread over a number of rooms with one still offering counter service.   Blue checkered cloths cover the tables set with flowers and music in the background.   The food used quality ingredients that were prepared with care.  I hope I get to go back for another great meal there and that you also have the opportunity. Continue reading →

Kato Restaurant, Los Angeles, 2/7/24

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building – 777 S Alameda St Building 1, Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA

Kato offered only a tasting menu focused on seasonality and innovation in the main dining room and a collection of classic dishes in the Bar Tasting Menu.  Chef Jon Yao, who won Food and Wine’s Best New Chef in 2018, was at the helm.  His Taiwanese menu earned a one Michelin Star rating at the reopening of the place in Feb 2022.  It previously was at a strip mall.  The L-shaped place was in some converted warehouse buildings with a large open kitchen.  Blond wood tables were under an open ceiling with wood beams, metal supports and some acoustic tiles.  Windows made up 2 walls, the lights were lowered and music was in the background.  The tasting menu has optional wine pairings and as part of the Lunar New Year celebration they were offering a pairing of cocktails made by some bartenders from the area. They also had a supplemental course you could add that was Japanese A5 Waygu beef and then you could also add a supplemental wine to go with it.  We opted for a bottle of champagne to go with dinner and a half bottle of red for the meat course.  The food was good but the service pacing was way too slow.  It was 30 minutes before we got our bottle or food started being served.  As the meal progressed more time elapsed between courses until those that arrived an hour after us caught up to our course.  Other service issues were our wine glasses were constantly empty and servers had to be reminded to pour and they picked up the napkin when you went to the bathroom but failed to replace it, but this was later in the meal but still un-Michelin.   It’s a restaurant worth eating at because the food is good but go relaxed and prepared to spend 3-4 hours. Continue reading →

République, Los Angeles, 2/7/24

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front – 624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

République was in a historic building that dates to 1929 and built by Charlie Chaplin.  Later it became La Brea Bakery and Campanile Restaurant.  République is owned by Chefs Walter and Margarita Manzke who have tried to build on this history and offer a casual cafe, bar and a formal dining area in the rear.  In 2023 Chef Margarita won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef for her work at the restaurant.  The couple have worked with a number of well known restaurants and now have 16 Wildflour Bakeries in the Philippines.  They open mornings for breakfast entrees and counter service and offer French-style dinners Tues through Sat.  It was a large airy space spread over multiple rooms with an open kitchen and an open bakery area on each side of one of the rooms.  As you entered there were several counters of baked goods but no greeter so it was a tad confusing, but we found menus and then after asking learned that you placed your order at the counter, got a number and they’d bring the food to your table.   A server located us and brought our coffee pot and a container of water.  There were tables with utensils and napkins which I grabbed but I’m not sure if the server was supposed to bring those too.  The menu had a number of creative items and the baked goods looked inviting.  The food was good but I don’t think we got the best of what they do,  It was quite popular so they’re doing something right.  Give it a try and be sure to get the Morning’s Bread, the baguette was first-rate. Continue reading →

Baroo, Los Angeles, 2/6/24

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entrance – 905 E 2nd St #109, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Baroo, which opened in Sept 2023, was the result of a collaboration between Chef Kwang Uh and his wife Mina Park.  The pair had previous small places starting in 2018 and after much evolution opened this concept featuring a Korean fusion.  Presently they serve only one tasting menu but hope to offer vegetarian options in the future.  Their price point is on the low end of tasting menus in LA at $110 and they also offer wine pairings.  They offer Korean beverage pairings but they were not available that night.  After hearing about the options we ordered our own bottle of wine and a glass of red for the meat course, which is the only course you have a choice on.  The menu offered pork collar but beef short rib could be substituted for $12.  We opted to have one of each.  It was a medium-sized place with small bare wood tables and low lighting.  The fairly spartan interior goes well with the re-developed warehouse district it was in.  The Uber driver drove right past it and dropped us off at the end of the building but it was not hard to find from there.  The friendly staff were willing to answer questions and the pacing of the meal was pretty rapid with no long pauses, almost feeling rushed at times.  However, the food was wonderful and full of flavor.     I understand their earlier ventures were even better but this one is plenty good enough to add to your go-to list.   If you want to read another blogger’s fine accounting of their meal here, check out melhuang1972. Continue reading →

Providence (update), Los Angeles, 6/1/19

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exterior
exterior

It’s been 3 years since we visited Providence.  Since that time Michelin has issued a new California guide that reinstated the previous rank of Providence as a 2 Michelin star restaurant.  Also the restaurant has redone the dining space.  The new gray walls are in place of the patterned ones but are still decorated with the white flowers and the ‘netting material’ continues to cover the ceiling.  They retained an elegance in the room with a double white table cloth covering the large tables that are moderately spaced.  The bench seating is now covered with leather and dark velvet mated on the other side with comfortable chairs. Music plays in the background and service is friendly and very attentive.  They offer 3 tasting menus with optional pairings, additional options (oysters, caviar, uni, and spot prawns) and a full bar.  We chose the Chef’s tasting menu and ordered our own wines.  It was an excellent meal – full of wonderful flavors and textures.    This place gets 2 strong thumbs up from me.  Pacing started rapidly and then slowed down a bit.  Portion control was great. Continue reading →

Animal Restaurant, Los Angeles, 6/1/19

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exterior
exterior

Animal is a medium sized place that serves lots of plates made for sharing.  It is the first restaurant of the group that also owns Jon and Vinny which is across the street down a couple lots.  The menu adds brunch items on weekends but the regular menu is still available.  They have been open 10 years and the menu was originally known for its interesting meat cuts but now mostly features meaty, hearty food.  The dishes were well flavored and fun, so I’d put this one on your list if you’re in town.  Rock music plays in the background but is dampened by the sound tiles in the ceiling.  Plain white walls host just a couple paintings and windows to the street are at one end of the place.  The opposite end is a counter with seats that face the bar and a small window into the kitchen.  The bare wood tables are set with large cloth napkins and ceiling skylights add additional light for daytime dining.  Service was super friendly and helpful.   Continue reading →

Somni, Los Angeles, 5/31/19

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seating counter
seating counter

Somni means “dream” in Catalan and this place is the dream of Chef Aitor Zabala and Chef José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup.  It is inside the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills and offers a surprise tasting menu of about 20 courses.  The menu changes with the seasons and mostly as an individual item at a time and they did have a printed version of the tasting for you when you finished.  They received a 2 star Michelin rating in the new California Michelin Guide.  You entered into the hotel lobby, which felt more like a mini department store, where you waited to be ushered into the dining room.  The dining room is a lovely light wood curved counter with plush chairs for 10 people.  The large group of chefs work at the several counters in front of you and also in a back area that is less visible.  The white surfaces look pristine with the light woods and marble and small spotlights hang over every seat so you can enjoy the artistry of the dishes.  Some art is on the back walls but the real art is in the kitchen in front of you.  It felt elegant and serene.  Service was amazing along with questions easily answered by any of the chefs that served you.  It was a totally delightful and delicious experience.  I suspect that this is the work of manager Eric Jeffay (who we met at D.C.’s Minibar) and is well versed in providing the finest service.  I encourage you to go if you get the chance the food is gorgeous, as is the room, and explodes with flavor.   Continue reading →

Jon & Vinny’s Restaurant, Los Angeles, 5/31/19

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IMG_2616
building

Jon & Vinny’s is a medium sized place with bare blond wood tables for 2 and some booth seating.  The kitchen is on the left as you  enter and you can see the pizza baking and food being prepared.  There are some stools at the counter for eating too.  The two-tops had hinges that looked like they could be expanded for bigger parties.   All the tables are  set with paper napkins and a selection of paper placemats and there is older rock music in the background.   There are windows to the busy street at the front but no seats nearby.  However between those windows and the skylights there is plenty of light in the place.  Helen’s Wines is attached to the back of the dining area and you can go in to select your wine or do it from the list and they’ll bring it out.  Afterwards you can go and buy more of it or something else to take with you.  Service was efficient and friendly and pacing was fairly rapid.  They were happy for us to share everything and willing to bring it out in stages for us to eat but they did overlap sometimes which could make it tight on the small table.  The place was constantly full, especially with lots of young people, with tables turning several times. Stopped into the wine shop afterwards and they were extremely friendly too.   Continue reading →

Melisse Restaurant, Santa Monica, 7/20/16

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exterior
exterior

Melisse is a fairly large restaurant located in Santa Monica near Los Angeles. The chef/owner Josiah Citrin had two Michelin stars when Michelin covered the LA area. It is French cuisine presented in an soft contemporary dining room full of fairly casual people. My understanding is that the dining room was done over in an attempt to obtain that third star, but then Michelin pulled out. There were a ton of service personnel that provided efficient but not overly engaging service. I noticed that not one woman was seen on the staff except for the greeter/hostess. We chose their 10 course tasting and our own bottles of wine. They offer vegetarian and regular tasting menus (numerous choices for each course), with optional supplements.  Continue reading →

Lukshon, Los Angeles, 7/20/16

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exterior
exterior

Lukshon is a medium sized restaurant with very modern motif.  For days of good weather they also have a patio for eating but not much people watching as they are located off the busy street on a pedestrian pass-through.  The service was efficient and helpful but not overly friendly, but in the server’s defense she had a lot of tables to look after. It was DineLA week and so in addition to their usual a la carte menu they had a special menu and the server was right to steer us to it as it contained a couple items not usually on the menu.  It our usual over-ordering way we also threw in one a la carte item and ordered the optional add-on for the DineLA menu.  But let me say that I’m glad we did cause then we got to try so many things.  This place is an amazing value for the flavor they deliver! I would definitely put this on my options for dinner on my next visit or at least come back for lunch. Everything was delicious but some were truly outstanding.   Continue reading →

Orsa & Winston, Los Angeles, 7/19/16

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exterior
exterior

Orsa & Winston is a small restaurant that combines parts of Italian and Japanese cuisines in their food. It is named for the chef’s two dogs, which we and Frankie were able to meet at the end of the evening.  They serve a 6 course tasting as well as a la carte options. However with 48 hours advance notice they will fix you a “super omakase” tasting which is 20 plus courses served to you while you sit at the bar next to the kitchen. There were 4 stools available for this option but we were the only ones that night.  We went well over the 20 courses and they did offer us the option to quit, warning that we had another half dozen savories before they started sweets.   Continue reading →

Spago, Beverly Hills, 7/19/16

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entry
entry

Spago is Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant in Beverly Hills. It is a large space with a glassed in kitchen and a patio that opens into the dining room. Normally this would be nice but on the days when the temperature is higher than the average the dining room does get warm. It is a modern design with warm and very friendly service people. They made the experience as opposed to the food.  We were there at lunch and the menu is all a la carte. Continue reading →

Providence, Los Angeles, 7/18/16

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Exterior
Exterior

This is a second visit to Providence and it hasn’t lost its touch – it’s a lovely dining experience. You can see why Michelin awarded it 2 stars when they covered the LA area. The service is top rate and friendly. There were some similarities to last year’s menu but overall it was a new set of tastes and some different takes on ones we saw last year.  A different table gave me a better feel for the dining room and although it still feels “dated” it also felt quite comfortable.  Most of the guests were dressed well but it’s LA and you’ll still find sneakers and t-shirts. They offered a seasonal tasting menu, one for DineLA week and a chef’s tasting menu which we opted for, all with optional supplements. Continue reading →

Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles, 7/18/16

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building
exterior

Pizzeria Mozza is one of 3 restaurants run by the same group in the area. This one is medium sized, casual with a menu heavy on pizza. Service was friendly, efficient and willing to make suggestions on ordering. We were there during restaurant week and it made a reservation a must for lunch, but the waitress said they do a brisk business. They offer a number of antipasti and salad plates that are easily shared, which was our route. Continue reading →

Ed’s Coffee Shop, Los Angeles, 7/29/15

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Exterior
Exterior

A small place you’d walk right by but don’t. It has endless options of combinations and the efficient and friendly service delivers it to your table fast and hot. Everything was very tasty and honest.

Continue reading →

Trois Mec, Los Angeles, 7/28/15

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Exterior of Tois Mec
Exterior of Tois Mec

A small place that seats several at the kitchen counter and a few tables along the wall, it is located in a former pizza spot and the signage was never changed. The chef has opened another place next door and both were buzzing and he moved between the two. Continue reading →

Maude, Los Angeles, 7/29/15

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Maude exterior
Maude exterior

Another small prix fixe menu but Australian chef Curtis Stone’s twist is that each month the menu revolves around a different seasonal ingredient. Ours was peppers. It is a more relaxed pace but tables did turnover. Another twist was the lovely assortment of old china, so some photos I backed off a little so you can appreciate the plate too. Continue reading →

Providence, Los Angeles, 7/27/15

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A semi large place with a really dated interior that had some reviews of “too old school” but I found it excellent. The table set up was minimal but service was exceptionally nice. The acoustics allowed you to hear the buzz of the other patrons but still have a conversation with your table mate. They do offer a special 4 course tasting menu in the summer but we opted for the Chef’s menu tasting which is a 3+ hour experience. Continue reading →