16 minute read
THE HOT LIST
Next Article
West
Birdie G’s
SANTA MONICA » American $$
James Beard Award–nominated chef Jeremy Fox gets personal with a sunny spot named after his young daughter. The high-low menu is full of playful riffs on comfort food, from mixed summer cucumbers to a matzo ball soup with carrot miso to a next-level relish tray. Don’t miss the jiggly Rose Petal pie for dessert. 2421 Michigan Ave., 310-310-3616, or birdiegsla.com. Full bar.
Broad Street Oyster Co.
MALIBU » Seafood $$
If ever there was a car picnic scene, it’s at this open-air spot overlooking Malibu Lagoon State Beach. You can grab a great lobster roll (topped with uni or caviar if you’re feeling extra fancy), towers of raw seafood, delicious clam chowder, and a burger with Nueske’s bacon that shouldn’t be overlooked. 23359 Pacific Coast Hwy., 424-644-0131, or broadstreetoyster.com. Beer and wine.
Cobi’s
SANTA MONICA » Southeast Asian $$$
Coming here is like visiting a perfectly art-directed beach house where everything—from the colors on the walls to the curries on the plates—just pops. Grab a date, grab your friends, and get to the party. Don’t miss the beautifully ferocious Devil Chicken curry, amped up by both fresh and dried bird’s eye chilies and accompanied by a saucer of habanero vinegar that magically cuts the heat and enhances it at the same time. 2104 Main St., 424-238-5195, or cobis.la. Beer and wine.
Colapasta
SANTA MONICA » Italian $
It’s equally pleasant to grab and go or eat at this quiet, affordable spot that features fresh pastas topped with farmers’ market fare. The colorful, poppy-seed-sprinkled beet ravioli is delicate and delicious, while the gramignawith beef ragù is hearty and satisfying. 1241 5th St., 310-310-8336, or colapasta.com. Beer and wine.
W E S T WEST
I n cl u d e s Includes Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Century City, Culver City Malibu Culver City, Malibu, Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Marina del Mar Palms, Santa Monica, Santa Venice, West L A , West L.A., Westwood
D O W N T O W N DOWNTOWN
I n c l u d e s Includes Aliso Village, Arts District, Aliso Arts Bunker Hill, Chinatown, Bunker Historic Core, Little Tokyo, Historic Little South Park
C E N T R A L CENTRAL
I n c l u d e s Includes Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw, Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw, Beverly Grove, East Hollywood, East Fairfax District Fairfax District, Hancock Park, Hollywood, Hancock Jefferson Park, Jefferson Koreatown, Mid City, Koreatown, Mid Mid-Wilshire Mid-Wilshire, Pico-Robertson, Virgil Village, West Hollywood West
E A S T EAST
I n c l u d e s Includes Atwater Village, Atwater Eagle Rock, East L A , East L.A., Echo Park Echo Park, Glassell Park, Glendale, Glassell Highland Park, Lincoln Heights, Lincoln Los Feliz Pasadena Feliz, Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley, San Gabriel Silver Lake
T H E V A L L E Y THE VALLEY
I n c l u d e s Includes Agoura Hills, Burbank, Agoura Calabasas Encino Calabasas, Encino, North Hollywood, North Sherman Oaks, Sherman Studio City, Toluca Lake, Studio City, Toluca Van Nuys Van Nuys, Woodland HIlls
S O U T H SOUTH
I n c l u d e s Includes Bell, Compton, El Segundo, Gardena, El Hermosa Beach Hermosa Beach, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, Manhattan Torrance, Watts Watts
Dear Jane’s
MARINA DEL REY » Seafood $$$$
The sister restaurant to Dear John’s has a lively formal dining area offering a view of the marina. The room evokes a feeling of special occasions, with mannered tableside service for items like shrimp Louie salad, which gets drenched in a citrusy, homemade Thousand Island–like dressing. There also are seafood towers, fish sticks with caviar, Dungeness crab cakes, oysters Rockefeller, and a list of classic dishes like trout amandine, fish-andchips, and cioppino. 13950 Panay Way, 310-301-6442, or dearjanesla.com. Full bar.
Etta
CULVER CITY » Italian $$$
With a sprawling patio, concise menu, and various party tricks, Etta is primed for good times. You can go big and order a $120 short-rib “picnic” with accoutrements for the table or opt to have wine poured into your mouth from a large jug while a server snaps Polaroids. But you can also just pop in for a pizza or excellent pasta at the bar. 8801 Washington Blvd., 424-570-4444, or ettarestaurant.com. Full bar.
The Hideaway
BEVERLY HILLS » Steak House $$$
Hollywood actors Ryan Phillippe and Evan Ross invested in this clubby ode-to-1970s-Baja
California Mexican steak house, where cocktail king Julian Cox makes margaritas to sip alongside snapper ceviche or New York Wagyu steak with chimichurri. 421 N. Rodeo Dr., 310-974-8020, or thehideawaybeverlyhills.com. Full bar.
Matū
BEVERLY HILLS » Steak House $$$
Prolific restaurateur Jerry Greenberg and his partners are convinced that they serve the world’s best beef. After trying their five-course, $85 Wagyu dinner featuring sustainably raised, 100 percent grass-fed beef, you might see things their way. Magnificently marbled steaks are cooked to “warm red,” which is the color of rare and the temperature of medium rare. 239 S. Beverly Dr., Ste. 100, 424-3175031, or matusteak.com. Full bar.
Ospi
VENICE » Italian $$$
Jackson Kalb’s sprawling new Italian joint brings bustle and outdoor tables to a corner along an otherwise quiet stretch. Pastas, including a spicy rigatoni alla vodka and raschiatelli with pork rib ragù, are sublime, and most travel remarkably well if you’re looking to do takeout, which is the only option for lunch. Roman-style pizzas boast a uniquely crispy, cracker-thin crust; to get the full crunch, have a slice as you drive your takeout home. 2025 Pacific Ave., 424-443-5007, or ospivenice.com. Full bar.
Downtown
Asterid
BUNKER HILL » American $$
The dishes are, in some ways, a departure from the extensive fare chef Ray Garcia offered at his previous B.S. Taqueria and Broken Spanish. Here, Garcia’s expertise gets condensed into a modern California-leaning menu with dazzling seasonal starters like sunchoke rösti with crème fraîche and strawberry pepper jam. The chicken liver mousse is covered with a bouquet of grape compote, sliced pear, pickled pearl onions, and mustard, and served with sliced toasted sourdough. 141 S. Grand Ave., 213-972-3535, or asteridla.com. Full bar.
Chef Favorites Ricardo Zarate Causita
Caboco
ARTS DISTRICT » Brazilian $$
Rodrigo Oliveira and fellow chef/partner Victor Vasconcellos are here to show Los Angeles that there’s a lot more to Brazilian food than churrascarias, so they’re serving habit-forming fried tapioca cubes and a vegan stew (moqueca de caju) headlined by cashew fruit that’s startlingly complex. Wash it all down with refreshing caipirinhas—the bar makes no fewer than five different kinds. 1850 Industrial St., 213-405-1434, or cabocola.com. Full bar.
Caldo Verde
ARTS DISTRICT » Portuguese $$$
Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne have opened a Portuguese cousin to their beloved Spanish-infused A.O.C. The restaurant loads up its namesake seafood stew with local rock crab, grilled linguica, mussels, kale, and potato. A starter of Ibérico ham, anchovies, and olives is called “small plate of salty favorites” because Goin understands that you want to enjoy food that’s more intense than what you typically eat at home. 1100 S. Broadway, 213-806-1023, or properhotel.com/downtown-la. Full bar.
Camphor
ARTS DISTRICT » French/Indian $$$$
Camphor is, at its core, a French bistro where plump oysters are served in a bath of amaretto mignonette and the beef tartare comes with a side of tempura-fried herbs. Chefs Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George aim to bring something completely new to L.A.—that is, something distinctively not L.A. Camphor’s access to the spices from George’s southern Indian homeland makes it a standout. 923 E. 3rd St., Ste. 109, 213-626-8888, or camphor.la. Full bar.
Cha Cha Chá
ARTS DISTRICT » Mexican $$
The lively, plant-filled rooftop and some mezcal would make for a good night out at this Mexico City import, but chef Alejandro Guzmán, an alum of Le Comptoir, has packed his menu with quiet thrills. Carnitas get taken up a level by an orange reduction. For dessert, the carrot flan is a small revelation, a surprising, exciting riff on carrot cake. The interior bar, La Barra, offers up unique mezcal cocktails. 812 E. 3rd St., 213-548-8487, or chachacha.la. Full bar.
Girl & the Goat
ARTS DISTRICT » Eclectic $$$
Ruvueltas Pupusas
CALIFORNIA GRILL
“This is my local breakfast corner, and it’s a very simple, Salvadoran familyrun place. They make the best homemade pupusas you’ve ever eaten, and they make them by hand right in front of you.”
$2.32, 800 N. Virgil Ave., East Hollywood, ordercaliforniagrill restaurant.com.
Ceviche
CEVICHE PROJECT
“For that excellent quality, it’s at a fair price, and it’s the only place where I’ll eat ceviche other than my own. Octavio [Olivas] is a great chef, and he serves you like you’re at a sushi bar.” $20, 2524 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake, cevicheproject.com.
Mushroom Pizza OLIVIA
“I love the creativity of everything that chef Mario Alberto presents. My favorite dish is the mushroom pizza. I’ve never tasted a crust like it—I took some home, and the next day, it tasted amazing without even heating it up!” $21, 205 S. Vermont Ave., Koreatown, oliviarestaurantla.com.
—HEATHER PLATT
At long last, Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard has brought her hit Chicago restaurant to a light, airy space and pretty patio in downtown L.A., with seating for 200. The lengthy menu is full of international intrigue and the unexpected flavor combinations for which Izard is known. Roasted beets mingle with a yuzu-kosho vinaigrette. A salmon poke features chili crunch, avocado, and strawberry. Goat makes an appearance in both a liver mousse starter and a hearty curry main. 555-3 Mateo St., 213-799-4628, or girlandthegoat.com. Full bar.
Kodō
ARTS DISTRICT » Japanese $$$
Don’t be fooled by the restaurant’s visual tranquility. The energy of Kodo¯, which translates to “heartbeat,” is boisterous because the chef, Yoya Takahashi, wanted to stay true to what a Kyoto-style izakaya would be—a fun place with traditional Japanese bar fare. A Caesar salad of Little Gem lettuce is blanketed with bonito flakes. The off-menu toro, served with a tangy cilantro sauce, minced tomato, and cucumber, has the kind of fatty, melt-in-your-mouth quality you can’t forget. 710 S. Santa Fe Ave., 213-302-8010, or kodo.la. Full bar.
Pizzeria Bianco
ARTS DISTRICT » Pizza $
Chris Bianco’s L.A. debut at ROW DTLA is a hit. During the day, a line forms for slices of his New
Best Lasik Eye Surgeon, 1999 ANDREW I. CASTER, MD
Great vision, with freedom from the hassle of glasses and contact lenses, is so easy with pain-free, state-of-the-art Lasik.
Dr. Caster is one of the most respected Lasik specialists in the United States. Dr. Caster has corrected the eyesight of many of the world’s top professional athletes and celebrities, and he can help you, too!
CasterEye.com
9100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 265E Beverly Hills (310) 274-1221 | info@CasterVision.com
York-style takeout pizza. At night, it’s full-service dining, featuring the wood-fired pizza Bianco made famous. 1320 E. 7th St., Ste. 100, 213-372-5155, or pizzeriabianco.com. Beer and wine.
San Laurel
BUNKER HILL » California/Spanish $$$$
Chef José Andrés’s new restaurant serves pleasing California cuisine that shows off Spanish flavors. Sea urchin with raw scallops in a pool of gazpacho consommé gets a dazzling dollop of caviar. Though the food seems relatively down-to-earth considering the kind of molecular gastronomy that made Andrés famous, the cocktails are whimsical. A server pours a beaker full of liquid steam into a mezcal drink to give it an aromatic orange-thyme “cloud.” 100 S. Grand Ave., 213-349-8585, or sanlaurel.com.Full bar.
Central
push carts of French washed-rind cheeses and carve thick slices of côte de boeuf tableside. Chef Raphael Francois sends out perfect twists on Caesar salad and plays around with menu items like hamachi crudo on a bed of sweet pickled grapes and jicama with brown butter and cilantro. 6067 Wilshire Blvd., 323-930-3080, or fannysla.com. Full bar.
Found Oyster
EAST HOLLYWOOD » Seafood $$$
This tiny oyster bar was a pre-pandemic favorite, and chef Ari Kolender’s seafood dishes still thrill when taken to go or enjoyed on the restaurant’s “boat deck.” The scallop tostada with yuzu kosho and basil is a must-order, and a bisque sauce takes the basic lobster roll to new heights. Interesting, affordable wines add to the fun. 4880 Fountain Ave., 323-522-6239, or foundoyster.com. Beer and wine.
Harold & Belle’s
JEFFERSON PARK » Southern Creole $$
Bicyclette
PICO-ROBERTSON » French $$$
Walter and Margarita Manzke’s delightful, delicious follow-up to République brings a bit of Paris to Pico. The menu is stocked with exactingly executed bistro standards: onion soup with oozy cheese, hearty short-rib bourguignon, and a luxurious bouillabaisse. Margarita’s baguettes and beautiful desserts are as great as ever. Resisting Bicyclette’s charms is futile. 9575 W. Pico Blvd., 424-500-9575, or bicyclettela.com. Full bar.
Fanny’s
MID-WILSHIRE » French $$$
While by day, Fanny’s is a café that serves salads and sandwiches, by night, it’s a glam, modern vision of an old-school Hollywood hangout. Captains in suits
For Creole-style food—a mélange of French, African, and Native American flavors—Harold & Belle’s is as close to the Dirty Coast as you’ll come on the West Coast. The crawfish étouffée in spicy gravy will have you humming zydeco, while the bourbon bread pudding will leave you with a Sazerac-worthy buzz. 2920 W. Jefferson Blvd., 323-735-9023, or haroldandbelles.com. Full bar.
Horses
HOLLYWOOD » Eclectic $$$
Located in the red-boothed space that was home to Ye Coach & Horses, the mostly European-inspired menu is rooted in both classic technique and freespirited cooking. A sobrassada panino with white American cheese and a drizzle of honey is thin, crispy, sweet, savory, creamy, and spicy—an extremely pleasing little bite. Lumache pasta with vodka sauce gets an unexpected, delightful kick from ’nduja. 7617 W. Sunset Blvd., or horsesla.com. Full bar.
Hotville Chicken
BALDWIN HILLS/CRENSHAW » Fried chicken $ With her hot-chicken joint, Kim Prince is doing her family’s legacy justice—she’s the niece of André Prince Jeffries, owner of Nashville legend Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, where hot fried chicken is said to have originated. Prince adds spice at every step in the cooking process to produce a complex, layered flavor. Sides, like mac and cheese, are also winners. 4070 Marlton Ave., 323-792-4835, or hotvillechicken.com. No alcohol.
KinKan
VIRGIL VILLAGE » Japanese-Thai $$$$
Nan Yimcharoen became an underground sensation during the pandemic, selling jewel box–like chirashi sushi via Instagram. Now she’s got a brick-andmortar spot serving a Japanese-Thai tasting menu with exquisite courses like slices of bluefin tuna larb gorgeously assembled in the shape of a rose, and a resplendent crab curry with blue butterfly-pea-flower noodles and a sauce powered by innards and roe. 771 N. Virgil Ave., 949-793-0194, or @kinkan_la. Sake.
Kinn
KOREATOWN » Korean $$$
Chef Ki Kim uses curated ingredients to delicately weave together Korean flavors into dishes that exist in a genre all their own. At $72 for six courses, Kinn’s is one of the more affordable tasting menus around and includes an evolving, playful menu of thoughtfully crafted dishes like yellowtail in a bath of oyster sauce and charcoal-grilled Wagyu short ribs. 3905 W. 6th St., 213-291-0888, or kinn.la. Beer and wine.
Kuya Lord
EAST HOLLYWOOD » Filipino $$$
The shareable trays are a great way to experience a selection of proteins—sweet or savory sausage, grilled Caledonia blue prawns in garlic crab sauce, or chef Lord Maynard Llera’s famous lucenachon (crispy roasted pork belly)—all while sampling glistening chami noodles, tomato-cucumber salad, and wonderfully bright and vinegary pickled green papaya. Finish a meal here with tangy and sweet Filipino Calamansi key lime pie with pandan whipped cream. 5003 Melrose Ave., or kuyalord.com. No alcohol.
Luv2Eat Thai Bistro
HOLLYWOOD » Thai $$
Vibrant flavors and spices abound at this strip-mall favorite from two Phuket natives. The crab curry, with a whole crustacean swimming in a creamy pool of deliciousness, is not to be missed (it travels surprisingly well), but the expansive menu is full of winners, from the massaman curry to the Thai fried chicken with sticky rice and sweet pepper sauce. 6660 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-498-5835, or luv2eatthai.com. No alcohol.
Meteora
HANCOCK PARK » Eclectic $$$$
Chef Jordan Kahn sees Meteora as a restaurant about rediscovery. A vegetable option includes fire-cooked stone fruit served with crispy brassica leaves, grilled roses, quark, cured duck breast, and lettuce leaves for wrapping. There’s the most perfectly grilled sea bream wrapped in banana leaf. The staff, dressed in white or light earth tones, are clearly trained with precision in mind. 6703 Melrose Ave., 323-402-4311, or meteora.la. Full bar.
Mother Wolf
HOLLYWOOD » Italian $$$ n/soto
With its open kitchen, Mother Wolf is like theater, where chef Evan Funke’s talent and enthusiasm for perfecting Italian cooking is the star. Because he already had a major presence locally with his Venice restaurant, Felix, many are familiar with Funke’s ricotta-and-Parmesan-stuffed squash blossoms paired with an earthy glass of Nebbiolo. 1545 Wilcox Ave., 323-410-6060, or motherwolfla.com. Full bar.
MID CITY » Japanese $$$
Chef-owners Niki Nakayama and Carole IidaNakayama’s izakaya-inspired restaurant, n/soto, offers all of the precision and excellence that earned the pair two Michelin stars for n/naka, their modern kaiseki establishment. But n/soto exudes a more casual, relaxed spirit. Skewers are, of course, the heart of an izakaya, and the tender lamb chops and grilled shiitake mushrooms stand out. The room is filled with diners who know to order the miso-baked bone marrow with umeboshi onigiri rice balls—it lands at most tables. For dessert, the melon float—a bright-green, soda fountain-style coupe—turns heads. 4566 W. Washington Blvd., 323-879-9455, or n-soto.com. Full bar.
Saffy’s
EAST HOLLYWOOD » Middle Eastern $$$$
Chef Ori Menashe has described the food—shawarma and lamb, pork, and chicken kabobs cooked on a wood-burning stove—to be the most like what he and his wife, Genevieve Gergis, might serve to guests in their home. The meat-centric menu is complemented by vegetable-forward sides like green falafel with tahini served atop puddles of a beet zhoug. Gergis’s pastry menu is short and, well, sweet: bergamot-chocolate cake with rose ganache, orange blossom creme caramel, and undoubtedly the best soft-serve around. 4845 Fountain Ave., 424-699-4845, or saffysla.com. Full bar.
Soulmate
WEST HOLLYWOOD » Mediterranean $$$
It’s lovely outside, and there’s a stunning new WeHo spot with a patio that can hold 75 attractive people, plus hours that go to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Starters include various jamóns and spicy paella bites. Further down the menu, there’s a lot of seafood options, from wood-fired octopus with charred romesco to salmon crudo. 631 N. Robertson Blvd., 310-734-7764, or soulmateweho.com.
Full bar.
East
Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery
PASADENA » Eclectic $$
This low-key charmer—the work of two alums of acclaimed San Francisco Italian joint Flour + Water—deftly mixes midwestern hospitality and European technique. The casual lunch is all about cheese and charcuterie boards and sandwiches. At dinner, excellent pastas, smartly prepared proteins, thoughtfully selected wines, and great cocktails join the party on the spacious patio. 40 W. Green St., 626-389-3839, or agnesla.com. Full bar.
All Day Baby
SILVER LAKE » Eclectic $$
Jonathan Whitener’s Here’s Looking at You is, sadly, closed, but his thrilling cooking continues on a bustling Eastside corner. Whether you opt for smoked spare ribs, a hoki fish sandwich, or a breakfast sandwich on pastry chef Thessa Diadem’s sublime biscuits, it’s all great. 3200 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-741-0082, or alldaybabyla.com. Full bar.
Bub and Grandma’s
GLASSELL PARK » Sandwiches $$
This sub shop serves brisket sandwiches made with the same crusty loaves of sourdough and squares of ciabatta that owner Andy Kadin sells to 150 of L.A.’s most prominent restaurants. Kadin refers to the sandwiches as “Bub subs,” which pastry chef Christopher Lier, from Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza, spent at least six months developing. Chef Zach Jarrett heads the kitchen at Bub and Grandma’s, which currently serves breakfast and lunch. 3507 Eagle Rock Blvd., or bubandgrandmas.com. No alcohol.
Dunsmoor
GLASSELL PARK » Southern American $$
“We don’t use processed foods because we try to work within the limitations from before the Gilded Age.” This culinary ethos is the force behind Brian Dunsmoor’s new restaurant, where his devotion to “heritage cookery” is on full display and activity centers on a wood-fired hearth. 3501 Eagle Rock Blvd., 323-686-6027, or dunsmoor.la. Beer and wine.
Hippo
HIGHLAND PARK » Cal-Italian $$
Hidden in a wood-trussed dining room behind Triple Beam Pizza, this Cal-Ital restaurant from Mozza vet Matt Molina balances casual and refined. Snappy wax beans are sluiced with vinaigrette for a picnic-worthy salad. Great pastas and juicy grilled chicken thighs deliver the unfussy pleasure found at the best neighborhood spots.
Eclectic regular specials like haute corn dogs add to the fun. 5916 ½ N. Figueroa St., 323-545-3536, or hipporestaurant.com. Full bar.
Jin Cook
GLENDALE » Korean $
K-Town has the highest concentration of Korean food in the U.S., but it doesn’t get all the hits. Jin Cook works wonders with “authentic Korean soul food” in Glendale. This homey restaurant brings sparkle to dishes like spicy pork. Thinly sliced meat arrives sizzling in a stone bowl and then gets crusty and caramelized and reaches hyperdrive when showered with shredded mozzarella, which magically melds with the spicy meat and enables cheese pulls galore. 310 N. Brand Blvd., 818-637-7822, or jincooks.com. Beer.
Moo’s Craft Barbecue
LINCOLN HEIGHTS » Barbecue $
Some of the best Texas barbecue is actually in L.A. Andrew and Michelle Muñoz’s brisket and beef ribs are meaty bliss that would be taken seriously in Austin. But Moo’s is very much a vital L.A. spot; the Muñozes weave in their Mexican-Angeleno roots with dishes like a cheese-and-poblano-filled beef and pork verde sausage. 2118 N. Broadway, 323-686-4133, or mooscraftbarbecue.com. Beer and wine.
Pijja Palace
SILVER LAKE » Indian-American $ Indian-American restaurateur Avish Naran brings pizza and pasta featuring the flavors of his childhood to a strip-mall sports bar. The innovative menu includes Malai rigatoni with tomato-masala sauce, pizza topped with chicken tikka, and cardamom-and-cookies soft serve. 2711 W. Sunset Blvd., or pijjapalace.com. Full bar.
Playita Mariscos
SILVER LAKE » Mexican $
The team behind the beloved local chainlet Guisados has taken over an old seafood-taco stand on a busy Eastside stretch. The results, as you might expect, are delicious and delightful. Playita has a fresh, beachy blue-and-white aesthetic and a tight menu of well-done ceviches, seafood cocktails, and fish tacos. 3143 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-928-2028, or playitamariscos.com. No alcohol.
Saso
PASADENA » Spanish $$$
The arrival of this splashy new spot suggests that the good times might soon be here again. It shares a charming, sprawling courtyard with the Pasadena Playhouse, and the seafood-heavy menu from chef Dominique Crisp, who previously worked at L&E Oyster Bar, begs for reuniting with friends on nice summer nights. Orange zest enlivens jamón Ibérico crudités, while miso butter takes grilled oysters to new heights. 37 S. El Molino Ave., 626-808-4976, or sasobistro.com. Full bar.
Sōgo Roll Bar
LOS FELIZ » Sushi $$
So¯go is hardly the only concept in town devoted to rolls, but it has mastered the form. Rice is cooked with the same careful consideration and seasoning that sushi master Kiminobu Saito uses at the high-end Sushi Note. Each fish type is thoughtfully paired with ideal accompaniments, from a tangy yuzu-pepper sauce that makes salmon sing to brandy-soaked albacore with garlic-ginger ponzu and crispy onions. 4634 Hollywood Blvd., 323-741-0088, or sogorollbar.com. Beer
( CONTINUED ON PAGE 131)
