Food & Drink
At Sylva, Branson and Wareing have developed a process to not only extract the full flavour profile of traditional barrel wood and grain varieties, but explore the use of trees from all over the world.
Then-LA Weekly restaurant critic Jonathan Gold dubbed Son of a Gun “a kick-ass Florida fish house” and called the “smoked steelhead roe with dots of maple-flavored cream and razor-thin shards of pumpernickel toast” his favorite dish.
For the latter, diners can order combos like chicharrĂłn en salsa verde and bistec con papa that make for a formidable plate when accompanied by sides like two fried eggs, rice, refried beans, queso fresco, and five flour tortillas.
Both companies recruited Scratch Restaurant Group veteran chef and Los Angeles native Carlos Couts, who developed a menu of traditional Japanese dishes that employ a casual yet adventurous approach.
Their menu is full of winners, but I suggest the Nasty Nacho Platter—tortilla chips topped with their white queso cheese sauce, jalapeños, tomatoes, scallions, and served with a side of sour cream and salsa.
The food leans American in plating and construction with Indian flavors, like a scallop sliced into thirds swimming in cauliflower crema and okra masala, or an arresting whipped yogurt sauce built into a dreamy pavlova covering crisp pakoda chaat (spinach fritters).
Owners Joram Young, Scott Lunceford, and Sean Kelly opened the New York-style pizza parlor in June 2014 serving traditional slices and out-of-the-box options topped with mole, pulled pork, corn, and queso fresco.
This year, the festival falls on September 17, 2024, and is recognized throughout the Southland in Asian communities like Chinatown and the San Gabriel Valley by gathering with family, lighting lanterns, gazing at the moon, and eating mooncakes.
Cantonese food specialist Johnny Lee, who was previously chef-owner of Pearl River Deli in Chinatown, has partnered with Last Word Hospitality’s Holly Fox and Adam Weisblatt to open a Malaysian and Southeast Asian restaurant in Historic Filipinotown.
The all-day spot blends Latino and Asian flavors, with a morning menu of coffee, various bowls, and sandwiches before transitioning to snackier dishes and natural wines in the evening.
The namesake dish permeates all sections of the menu: served with golden grains of fried rice, submerged in soup or herbaceous green curry, studded with bright chiles and basil leaves, and nestled alongside jade noodles and sauces.
That strategy might’ve proved too ambitious, as the company announced the closure of five Los Angeles-area stores, including Culver City, Silver Lake, Koreatown, Bunker Hill, and Westfield Topanga in Canoga Park, reports Nation’s Restaurant News.