Perch - Paris Meets Manhattan in DTLA

From the moment I heard about Perch, I had been dying to go check it out.  Something about rooftop dining, in a bloom of greenery amongst concrete/glass skyscrapers, sounded amazing to me.  It reminded me of Manhattan, or Sevva in Hong Kong, a little bit of home.  But with a French twist.  So basically perfection, towering high above Pershing Square. 

Last weekend, 'Designer' and I decided to head over on a whim after the Korean BBQ Cookoff.  We were in 'day wear' - jersey dress / shirt and shorts - and smelled like we just came from a BBQ, so drinks / dining outdoors in a chic but casual space - just minutes away from Ktown - sounded great to us. 

It was a fabulous adventure from the start - Perch is located at the top of the historic Pershing Square Building, which has an amazing vintage vibe, with a welcoming gold-gilded, glass chandeliered lobby.  We had to take two sets of elevators to get to the restaurant, both of which felt as vintage as the building itself.  The first one was marked with a gold bird silhouette plate next to the button for "13" - which launched our already overactive imaginations into overdrive - hardly any buildings have "13" anymore, thanks to longstanding superstition, and the combination of the unlucky number with the slow-moving vintage elevator triggered thoughts of Being John Malkovich.  We half expected the doors to open out to a 'half' floor, where we would have to crawl out through a low-ceilinged hallway to the second elevator bank.

But alas the 13th floor was full-sized, and we were greeted then escorted to our next ride to the 15th floor.  Perch, we learned, occupies two floors - the restaurant and bar is on the 15th, and a open-air rooftop bar with amazing 360 degree views of downtown LA was on the 16th. 

Our excitement to experience the space was deflated when our hostess let us know that the restaurant was booked full for the night, and the 16th floor reserved for a private party. 

Ever the optimists though, we decided to go for drinks at the bar, enjoy the ambiance of the space and go for a quick look around while putting our names on the waitlist in case of cancellations.


The bar/ lounge was beautiful, even tucked inside the building.  The designers definitely spared no expense with attention to even the smallest detail - everywhere you looked, there was some exquisite embossed wall panel, rustic table or chic amber chandelier that exuded Paris through and through.

We parked ourselves at the bar, where bartenders styled with a 20s/30s look greeted us warmly and asked about our drink preferences before proceeding to create delicious off-menu cocktails for us!  It was a hot day, so I wanted to start with something refreshing and light - and got a cucumber-mint gin drink - that I unfortunately can't remember the name of but that was fantastic.  Designer got an Aperol Spritz (with prosecco and aperol).

As we were finishing our drinks, the hostess came up to deliver great news - they had a table open up, but we could only have it for two hours, and did we want it?  Did we want it?  We practically leaped off our barstools.

They gave us an incredible table on the rooftop terrace that stretched along two sides of the bar/lounge area, with breathtaking views of the surrounding art deco / sleek glass structures.  We were in love with the place before the food ever arrived.

We noshed on baby baguettes, churned butter and olive tapenade while perusing the menu. 

Our eyes lit up while going down the list - though light in its first weeks, it had some unusual offerings that really fit the French theme.  I wanted to try more of the things that are hard to find elsewhere, so I went with a few small plates.  The first of these was the Shake N Bake Drumsticks ($10) which were buttermilk marinated frogs legs with lily root and garlic chips, and a Calvados honey glaze.

I was so excited to try this, as I grew up eating frogs legs cooked the Chinese way and love seeing how it's prepared in other cuisines (and of course the French are famous for theirs).  The Cantonese words for frog are 田雞, which if you take the words individually, translate literally to "field chicken" - and chicken is very much what the legs usually taste like, but with much more intense flavor, juice and a lot skinnier and more veiny. 

Perch's presentation of the dish with uniquely shaped lily root chips was great, and we loved the crispness of the batter coupled with the juicy, yieldy meat underneath - though we wanted the flavor of both the batter and frogs legs to be a bit more pronounced.  I think the flavor was intended to come from the honey glaze, but the small dots of it on the plate were so thick and sticky that they weren't really conducive to dipping.

To go with our meal, we ordered a second round of cocktails - this time I went for something on the menu, a Fancy Navel ($12) with Cognac, Creme de Peche, lemon, OJ and fresh muddled peaches, jalapenos.  This was slightly too syrupy and bitter at the same time, and I definitely liked the first off-menu cocktail much better.

 





Next up was Roasted Bone Marrow ($16) - I had been disappointed a few times with the way bone marrow was prepared at other restaurants (way too oily), but for some reason was in the mood to give it another try.  And Perch didn't disappoint - this was probably the best dish of the night, with the bone marrow nice and fatty but not oily, with a unique consistency that was not quite creamy but almost like softened butter.  This was great spread on the slabs of melba toast that came with the dish.  For accompaniments, there were braised plums, elephant garlic, fleur de sel and wild rocket.  The plums to me were much too thick, sticky and chewy, but designer liked it and thought it went well with the marrow, adding sweetness and a slight tang.

Apres, there was the Duck Duck Goose ($9) three mini clubs layered with seared duck breast, apple wood smoked duck bacon, gooseberry jam, mustard frills, roasted tomato on pain au miel (honey bread).  This was unfortunately one of the biggest disappointments of the night - should have been named, Duck, Duck, Sucker.  I was expecting juicy fatty pieces of duck with a nice char from the seared crust, and had looked forward to the taste of the duck bacon, where fat would again be key. 

I got a plate overrun by dry toast, with pieces of duck that verged on undetectable, except for the fact that it was almost drier tasting than the toast.  The duck bacon fared no better, but was denser in consistency and reminded us of jerky.  There were perhaps two small cherry-tomato sized roasted tomatoes that didn't really taste farm fresh.  I really wanted to love this dish, but could not bring myself to.  That said, I know it'd only been a bit over a week since opening, so have hope that the kitchen will work out the kinks soon.

The entrees on the menu were pretty much all slabs of meat - which suited Designer just fine.  She was torn between the filet and the short ribs dish - and at our super friendly and fantastic server's encouragement she decided to go with the Boeuf Bourguignon Deconstruit ($29) - braised short rib, thumb nail carrots, pork belly, candied garlic, potato lace & chives.  An uber-carnivore, it says a lot that Designer enjoyed the veggies on the plate far more than the meat.  This was the other big, and much more pricey, disappointment of the night.  Braised short rib is usually soaked in flavor, and so tender the meat should fall away with a light flick of the fork.  This was more like well-done steak that looked like it was rare (in color).  At least Designer really did enjoy the vegetables.  With so many places doing great short ribs around the city, in order to compete - especially at the hefty price tag of $29, Perch will really have to up its game with this one (unless they want to just trade entirely on the views from the terrace).

We decided to skip dessert due to the disappointment with some of the other dishes, and that the descriptions of the offerings from beignets to pot de creme to apple tart did not really inspire us. Also, we thought we could come back another time for just drinks and appetizers, or dessert if they step up their game as they get into their groove. And we loved that our server took the time to get our feedback on the meal, stating that the kitchen is really looking for honest opinions so that they can adjust accordingly, since they had just opened.

As we were getting ready to leave, we got our second piece of great news - the private party that was occupying the top floor (with 360 degree views) has mysteriously been cancelled, so we were free to visit upstairs!

The rooftop bar offered fantastic views of the DTLA buildings, and seemed like a great place to hang out with a date or with friends - especially at night with a symphony of lights in the distance, and firepits and heat lamps casting warm glows over the seating areas. A petit, cozy bar with two bartenders is tucked into one corner by the stairs.





All in all, an amazing space that to me seems to marry in the best way, iconic qualities of Paris and Manhattan, vintage and sleek, old world and modern.  It's instantly become one of my favorite scenic spots in LA. 

Also loved the all round fantastic staff and service as well.  Looking forward to returning next time I want to venture downtown for drinks, appetizers and perhaps even a full meal again further down the line, when the kitchen finds its groove.


On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5.5 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5 bites
Ambience - 6.5 stars
Service - 6.5 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$$ (4 bite marks mains)
Probability of return visit - 100% (for drinks & appetizers)

[For more photos from Perch, check out the full album on my Facebook page]

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Perch
448 S Hill St, 15th & 16th Floors, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Ph: 213.802.1770
Parking: In open-air lot across street for $6
Website: perchla.com
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Malibu Wines - Yes, There Are Wineries and Vineyards in Malibu (Perfect Staycation Spot!)

Whenever I'm with my friend 'Designer', random but serendipitous things tend to happen to us.  We don't necessarily plan for adventure but somehow end up on them.  Back in May, on a whim we had gone to LACMA's annual Muse Art Walk - as we arrived fairly late in the day, we chose our first gallery for speed - because it was attached to the parking lot we pulled into. It happened to have a wine tasting table outside.  At the time we thought, "cool, free wine, just in time before they call it a night!" - little did we know that was only the start of our next adventure. 

The company hosting the tasting was called Malibu Wines.  On a previous hike up Temescal Canyon, we had spotted vineyards on the hills overlooking the ocean, roughly in the Malibu area - but we thought those might have been private backyard wineries of the rich and famous.  As if reading our minds, the friendly wine rep at Art Walk proceeded to talk about their tasting room up in the hills of Malibu, and that we should check it out sometime.  In fact, she had tokens she was giving out for complimentary tastings at the tasting room!  "Take as many as you want," she said, "it's the end of the day.  Take some for your friends!"  We actually liked the wines they sampled at the show, grabbed a few tokens, made a note to look up the place and moved on to the gallery.

It wasn't until Designer's birthday came up this past week, and we were looking for a daytime activity to celebrate (before hitting the bars, wanted to make a full day of it!) that we remembered the tokens that had landed in our hands so long ago - and decided to use them for a mini staycation. 

We were excited to see that we could bring our own food to eat in their picnic area - as they do not have a restaurant on the premises, which was all the more appealing to us as we are both on a budget! 

So, first order of business was to pick up sandwiches and salads from Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery in Santa Monica - which was conveniently for us on the way to the PCH.

Despite being a weekday, the deli was packed with hungry throngs of people, probably 6 deep, 4 wide by the deli counter - and since we were off to a late start due to pre-Carmageddon traffic, we opted for the pre-made sandwiches and salads.

It was grab and go, then a straight shot up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu. Finding the winery was a bit of a process  - the road up the hill, Mulholland - was a small street that didn't have an obvious sign and we passed right by it the first time.  After getting up the hill it was another challenge to find the entrance to the winery - largely as we had been distracted by an amazing looking Tuscan villa atop a hill (we vow to go back to visit) and Malibu Wines had such an unobtrusive entrance, you wouldn't notice it unless you knew where to look (thank you, iPhone GPS!).

As we finally set foot on the grounds of Malibu Wines, we were completely charmed.  It was a cozy space with just a dozen or so tables out among olive trees and lush greenery, three open bar counters set into stone-walled buildings, with a giant vintage looking water/wine tower, vintage pickup trucks bearing wine barrels, and rustic wooden chair-swing adding personality.  On the far side is a gazebo which we thought was made for weddings, and a silver airstream which we guessed is a service station when they have barbecues for private events.

Apparently Malibu Wines is not a working vineyard - but they do pour two wine labels: Semler (from the vineyard across the street) and Saddlerock. Three tasting flights were on offer: one for each label, and a "Light" flight with combinations of the two.  Each consisted of four wines. 

As it was a hot summer day, we decided to go with the Light flight ($12 normally, but free for us that day with the tokens!) - which included tastings of NV Saddlerock Sparkling, 2010 Semler Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Saddlerock Chardonnay and 2009 Semler Rose.

I am definitely not a wine connoisseur, so not going to attempt to analyze the wines, but to my amateur palate I liked the NV Saddlerock sparkling (Blanc de Blanc) the best - it tasted light and refreshing, pairing perfectly with the gorgeous weather that day!


We took our glasses to the picnic area and unpacked our Bay Cities Deli spread:  'Godmother' sandwiches (with genoa salami, mortadella, coppacola, ham, prosciutto, provolone, lettuce, tomato), caprese, potato salad and the cutest single-serving tiramisu cups with plastic shovel-like spoons packed in!  Not sure if the sandwich was so named as it represents an offer you can't refuse - but the ingredients and fresh bread really was pretty irresistible!

Yamashiro Farmers' Market: Free Fun Fusion Thursdays

Yamashiro is one of those LA landmarks that I've somehow never made it to in my 15 years here.  Though I'd heard of its legendary views in the hills above Hollywood, its prices were of an unreachable altitude for me as a student, and then when I started working there were so many other places which had more irresistible appeal to my inner foodie, and I had to pick and choose based on budget.

But I am a fan of farmers' markets, and when I found out about the one Yamashiro hosts Thursday nights (April to September) - albeit a year late, this is their second year - I invited 'Designer' to check it out with me. 

There were several things to love about Yamashiro's Farmers' Market, even before we ever set foot on the property:

It's one of the few NIGHT markets  - running 5-9pm, the timing is convenient for those who want  to access fresh produce during the week but have day jobs (I have yet to make it to Santa Monica's Wednesday Farmers' Market).  There's always the original Farmers' Market on 3rd and Fairfax, but strolling through the permanent structure just doesn't feel the same as your weekly 'event' markets.

FREE parking and shuttle the word "Hollywood" usually conjures thoughts of "parking nightmare" - and Yamashiro is conscious of this as well as challenges with access to its hilltop location.  So they offer free parking in a lot just off Hollywood and La Brea (at 7107 Hollywood Blvd), with free shuttle service up & down the hill.  This past Thursday, the lot was full as I drove past, but I easily found meter parking a block south on La Brea (free after 6pm).  It was then just a short walk to the lot to catch the shuttle. 

'Designer' overheard the best description of the journey up the tree-lined, winding road to the market from a fellow rider - it felt like a 'field trip'!

We loved the street / food fest vibe of the market - with its 20s/30s crowd milling about, getting wine & beer while perusing the produce and food offerings - bonding easily with strangers over their finds or shared seating at the makeshift tables and chairs lining the length of the terrace overlooking the city. 

We'd heard about the awesome food, with a well-curated collection of vendors and food trucks (including Heirloom LA and Coolhaus last Thursday!) but were most excited to try Yamashiro exec chef  Brock Kleweno's offerings at street food prices. Yamashiro's Market Grill menu had us drooling on sight - it was all we could do to restrain ourselves from ordering the entire list!

Since short rib is now ubiquitous though, we decided to go with the more unique sounding fusion tacos: Black Cod with miso sake marinade ($6) and Duck Confit with blood orange and agave salsa ($5).  You could watch the chefs - including Chef Brock - prepare your food from the open grill at the tent.  Both fusion tacos were amazing, tender, juicy and flavorful, each served with crazy addictive (and free!) sides of Wasabi Guacamole and Pickled Shishito Peppers.  Easily my favorite fusion street tacos. 

I LOVED the wasabi guacamole while Designer was a huge fan of the peppers.  We could have had a meal just of these!  We hustled back to the taco stand before they closed for second rounds of the cod tacos, and when I told Chef Brock how much I loved the guac he was nice enough to give us extra dollops!

Had the guac been for sale I would have bought a bucket full - and was thrilled when Chef Brock said they are thinking about starting to offer it for sale!!!!

We were so obsessed with Yamashiro's food that we didn't really get to peruse of the other stalls after we started in on the food - but they had some fun ones from jewelry to loofah vendors.

Which brings me to the other cool thing about Yamashiro Farmers' Market - the element of the unexpected.  That day they had tweeted an invite for people to "check out the Wolves" and to "Hang out with them above the Pagoda Bar".  I and some other folks at the market thought they were talking about a live band.  When we found out they meant actual, live animals we could pet and play with in the terraces above the market, we had to make a stop there!

Though we weren't entirely sure of the thematic connection...could it be to spark thoughts of being "hungry like a wolf"?...it was for a good cause, their special appearance was in support of a wolf sanctuary to raise awareness and funds.  And I had been trying to train myself recently to stop looking for reason and logic in everything, to stop living in my head so much and just to go with the flow - live in the present to enjoy it. This was one great example of that.  The wolves were beautiful, gentle and adorable. One sleepyhead snuggled against its trainer, while another named "Maya" was at first shy, but when encouraged by her trainer turned friendly and came up to us for head rubs.  We had a fab time playing with and taking pics of the wolves, who were sweet as puppies - loved them!

And last but not least, Yamashiro ("Mountain Palace" in Japanese) is known for its spectacular views, which didn't disappoint.  We sat down at the benches to admire the view at dusk, with lights glowing from buildings below.  Couldn't believe it took us this long to 'discover' this place!

Peaceful and relaxing, it almost felt like we were on vacation - though we should have brought warmer clothes as it got a bit cold once it started getting dark. 

With all the cool/fun stuff happening, I actually forgot about fruit / veggie shopping! D'oh! I do remember the prices, at quick glance, being comparable to other farmers' markets - a bucket of cherries for example was $5, same as at Studio City Farmers' Market.

Before leaving (last shuttle leaves at 10pm) we wandered into the restaurant to check it out.  Built by German brothers in 1914 as a private estate to house their finds from "the orient", which has since evolved to restaurant and public gardens - it definitely doesn't give off the same aura of authenticity (as much as you can get in LA) that Gonpachi boasts of in terms of architecture / decor / vibe, but if you take it for what it is - a historic tourist attraction, that does offer a very LA experience for those who want to sip asian-inspired cocktails with respectively themed names and typography, or enjoy CalAsian fare over amazing views, Yamashiro is a great venue for a night out with friends, private events, or a date depending on who you're with.

For those who want to experience Yamashiro without paying Michelin-star prices - Farmers' Market, which just got named one of the World's Top Night Markets by Travel+Leisure, is a must every Thursday 5-9pm now through September.  Be sure to stop by the ATM first though as the Yamashiro Market Grill is cash only.  I know I'll definitely be back for those tacos and wasabi guac/or just for a refreshing local getaway for a few hours during the week!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark Yamashiro Farmers' Market Grill menu)
Probability of return visit - 100% 

[See more photos from Yamashiro Farmers' Market at my Facebook page]
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Yamashiro Farmers' Market
Thursdays 5-9pm
1999 N. Sycamore Ave., Hollywood, CA 90068
Ph: 323.466.5125

Parking: Free in lot at 7107 Hollywood Blvd, with free shuttle service to market. Also free meter parking after 6pm on La Brea.

Website: yamashirorestaurant.com
Twitter: twitter.com/YamashiroLA
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Providence LA - Celebrating 6th Anniversary of Mind-blowing Creativity Cimarusti-Style

Providence is one of my favorite restaurants in L.A. - even though I'd only been there once before.  You know how sometimes people say you meet the person you're meant to be with, and "you just know"?  And then you think that's really annoying to hear, until you really experience it yourself?  Well I'd experienced that with Providence - I loved everything about it immediately: the sophisticated yet soothing style, the lack of 'scene', utter focus on exquisite cuisine, plates the look of which set my heart racing - and took my breath away on contact - all came together perfectly for me. Though I've only ever been able to afford the 2-Michelin Starred restaurant once, I knew that it had taken hold of a part of me that can never been released to anyone else ever again.

So, I was beyond excited when I learned of Providence's 5-course tasting menu, in celebration of its sixth anniversary - which was 'only' going to be $70 per person.  I had gotten a chance to try Chef Cimarusti's various ingenious creations at other venues like LAWeekly's Gold Standard and Breadbar's Ibaraki Benefit, but hadn't had a chance to go back to his homebase on Melrose for a full-fledged meal.

Last night, a 'normal' Sunday night for everyone else, a small group of us filed into Providence ready for the extraordinary. We were there to experience their 6th anniversary tasting menu, which began with two sets of amuse bouche: a mojito iced gelee with micro-mint, and a sphere containing a cocktail (screwdriver) that reminded me of The Bazaar's liquid olive in terms of preparation.  Smart - bite-sized cocktails to kick off the meal.  The second set of amuse consisted of a prawn, cheese puff and carrot soup in a shot glass.  The near consensus at our table was that the second set of amuse was too salty, the prawn was just a touch overcooked with flavors that slightly overwhelmed the crustacean, masking its natural ocean-fresh sweetness.  But these were amuse, and we were happy to get two sets of them 'gratis', so no complaints there!

The first of five courses to arrive was the Japanese Kanpachi with original accompaniments of red shiso pearl tapioca, plus slivers of cucumber and enoki mushrooms.  I loved the creative use of tapioca to evoke roe, served with the fish.  The fish was incredibly fresh and loved the saltiness of the skin against the pristine, mild-flavored fish.

When a fellow diner at the table and I discovered that we both love uni, we decided to add a dish from the a la carte menu to our meal and split it - Santa Barbara's Finest.  The description reminded me of the amazing creation that Chef Cimarusti served up at Breadbar's Ibaraki benefit, with the main difference being Santa Barbara spot prawns were used instead of geoduck clams, and gold leaf is added to this dish.  Instead of a glass bowl, this time the dish was served up on a plate - but it was every bit as breath-takingly beautiful as the one from Breadbar.  And every bit as mind-blowing in flavor and skillful interplay of creamy, silky and crunchy textures.  Definitely a 'best-in-meal' that I hope they keep on the menu for a long time.

Course #2 was Bobby's Block Island Scallops, which was incredibly tender and naturally sweet.  This also marked the first time I'd had scallop with (forono) beets - an interesting combination.  The scallop was also accompanied by almonds, nori, and upland cress for visual and textural variety.

Course #3: Wild Pacific Halibut (British Columbia) with a crust of smoked sesame seeds, and side of delta asparagus, sunchoke puree and preserved meyer lemon.  The fish was so tender it fell away with a light flick of the fork, and the sesame seeds added a fragrant crunch.  Loved the sunchoke puree, light and foamy, its savory flavors in combination with the citrus, deftly drawing out the natural, sweet flavors of the fish.

Course #4: Marcho Farms Veal Tenderloin (Franconia, PA).  Some of us preferred fish over meat, especially at a place like Providence that specialized in seafood! The staff was kind enough to accommodate our request for a substitution and gave the seafood-lovers sardine instead of veal.  Both land and sea versions of this dish were cooked sous vide, and served with sweet pea puree, buna shimeji mushrooms, turnips, tomato confit. 

We actually got sort of sad when we realized this was the fourth and final savory course.  If Groundhog Day were ever to happen as in the Bill Murray movie, I would want it to happen with tonight, so that I can relive this meal over and over.

In between our last two courses, we were given a pink grapefruit sorbet and yogurt foam as 'palate cleanser'.  The light, subtly tart sorbet was incredible when paired with the almost frothy, light yogurt foam.

Our 5th and final course was dessert:  Chocolate Cremeaux served with cherries compote, salt & pepper ice cream, port caramel, and what other diners described as 'cocoa puffs' for crunch.  LOVED this dessert, which made me think of a deconstructed black forest cake.  I loved that there were hand torn pieces of cake thrown in on each side as what seems like an after thought, versus going the traditional route of layering cream and other ingredients between layers of ccake.  And we all talked about wanting to recreate the delicious salt & pepper ice cream. 

To finish out the meal, Providence provided a plate of mignardises - my favorite of these was the buttery soft caramels. 

All in all, another mind-blowing meal from the kitchens of a chef who is beyond compare.

Counting a glass of wine that was $18, my personal total came to just under $100 - more than I would normally spend on a meal, but WELL worth it for this caliber of food from Cimarusti, who is absolute genius as far as I'm concerned. 

For those who want to check out the place / capitalize on the deal - the $70 prix fixe meal goes through the end of June (dinner only).

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6.5 bites
Presentation - 6.5 bites
Originality - 6.5 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6.5 stars
Overall experience - 6.5 bites
Price - $$$$ (4 bite marks regular menu)
Probability of return visit - 100% 

[To find more deals like this, check out my Daily Specials (dining deals for every night of the week) page, and follow me on Twitter for up to the minute finds!]

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Providence
5955 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038
Ph: 323.460.4170

Website: providencela.com
Look for reservations: Opentable.com
Twitter: twitter.com/Providence_LA
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Gonpachi Beverly Hills - Sublime but for the Sushi

Stillness, tranquility.  Simplicity.  Authenticity.  Endless pursuit of perfection.  All that you could easily identify with Japanese tradition, can be found surprisingly on a high traffic stretch of restaurant row La Cienega.  At least with the beautifully and meticulously crafted space at Gonpachi, if not necessarily everything that ends up on your plate.

From the minute you set foot inside the entrance, you will feel transported to some reclusive hybrid spa / zen temple in Japan.

'Designer' and I were amazed as we pretty much 'stumbled' on this find - 'Designer' had seen a Travelzoo deal for the place a while ago, and had decided it was worth a shot.  The gift cert stayed in her stash until this Saturday - we happened to be in the area for LACMA's Muse ArtWalk, and she had pulled two deals from local restaurants for our post event meal.  It was only when we realized last minute her other deal was not available for use Saturdays, that we ended up with Gonpachi.

It turned out to be the highlight of our week, at least in terms of the space.

Despite (or because of?) its location on famed Restaurant Row in Beverly Hills, alongside luminiaries as The Bazaar by Jose Andres and Matsuhisa, we weren't expecting any sort of authentic
Japanese experience, but perhaps a scenester-ish LA interpretation of Japanese cuisine.  So we were excited to discover that the place is owned by a famous restauranteur in Japan, who was very concerned with creating an authentic Japanese experience - even importing a lot of the building materials from Japan. The setting is gorgeous - with natural, flowing spaces constructed of wood and stone, three wings surrounding a lush, serene central garden.  We passed through a bar that opens out to the koi pond before entering the main dining room, and toured private rooms on the second floor that includes a traditional tatami room with shoji doors.  Third wing is a more sleek, modern looking sushi bar that is enclosed but also ultimately leads out to the garden.

On arriving to the airy dining room with vaulted ceilings, we settled into a high-backed wooden booth, which affords privacy while providing a fantastic view of the garden via huge sunlit windows.  We were there early, around 6:30pm, so perhaps the place gets into a different vibe later into the night, but while we were there it was zen-like.

Starved, but wanting to sample a hopefully representative variety of menu items, we decided quickly on the 5-course tasting menu called "Gonpachi Experience" ($45 per person).  The names of the courses were somewhat cryptic, but as we both like surprises - and thus the idea of omakase - that was part of the charm of the menu.

The first course was the artfully plated Chef's omakase of five daily zensai.  We loved everything in this course - which tasted as great as it looked - fresh and flavorful.  From right to left was: seaweed salad, tuna sashimi wrapped around avocado, mushroom cap stuffed with crab, a fried shrimp dumpling that looked sea urchin inspired - topped with a light sauce that reminded me of nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce) and sprinkled with nori, and finally pickled radish with sesame.

Up next was the Chef's omakase of sashimi and nigiri sushi.  Given the craftsmanship of the space, the careful attention to detail from the overall design to sculpted iron door handles, to the stoneware-style bottle and glasses used to serve sake, and the mention of fish sourced locally and from Tokyo's famed Tsukiji market - we had high expectations for this dish. 

What we ended up getting was a mix of standard types of fish / seafood.  A shrimp roll that tasted dry and tough (it took a combination of gnashing and yanking to bite through the piece - and it was unfortunate that we could tell by the looks of it before we even bit in, that it would not taste fresh at all), and bluefin tuna that was completely tasteless. The albacore tuna sashimi was flaccid.  Even the salmon sashimi, which is one of my favorite fish and hard to go wrong with - was not very compelling:  the knifework simply wasn't there, the pieces were cut too thick, and the texture what I would describe as 'al dente' - not ideal for sashimi - and oily.  The yellowtail was probably the only decent tasting piece of fish on the plate - and I couldn't call it good.  It's possible this was an anomaly specific to the prix fixe courses, and the a la carte rolls / sashimi are perfect - but as the spirit and intention of omakase is for the chef to introduce the diner to the freshest fare available for the day - this was disappointing for us.  We really wanted to love the fish so that we could recommend the place as one of the best mid-tier Japanese dining experiences in LA to friends - but based on what we were served this Saturday night, we could not.  Hopefully it was a fluke and the next time we venture out to Gonpachi, the quality will be there.  Kind of important for a Japanese restaurant with half its menu based on sashimi & nigiri, for them to get the fish right!

Next up was the Seasonal sumiyaki selection and salad - consisting of three skewers, first of perfectly grilled, lightly salted chicken and spring onion sections, a chicken and duck sausage-like skewer that was perfectly grilled and seasoned, tender, juicy inside with an intoxicatingly fragrant char on the outside (though Designer had to send hers back at first since the meat looked a bit undercooked, second time around it was perfect), and a stack of shishito peppers.  Chicken has disappointed me too many times as a bland, tasteless meat, that I would only spend minimal amounts of money on in fried, fast food form (or from LudoTruck) - and I've long decided that it's my least favorite meat.  However, these skewers surprised me with flushes of flavor, tender and juicy without being fatty.  Looking down into the open kitchen, you can tell the care the chefs put into the quality of each skewer - they are cooked one by one, with sous chefs fanning them by hand over the robata grill with paper / bamboo fans.  Would order these again on my next visit.  The shishito peppers were a bit too spicy for my taste - I prefer the ones at Sushi Katsu-ya, but others might enjoy them here as well.

Our last savory course was a Soba tasting - Gonpachi prides itself on their hand-pounded buckwheat soba noodles, threshed and milled on the premises fresh.  So we were looking forward to the course, albeit it being served hot vs. the cold noodles we were more accustomed to.

Perhaps it was the buckwheat, or the preparation (hot), but this one was not a favorite of our meal.  We wanted more layers of complex flavor in the broth, and the noodles to be more smooth and pliable.

For the finish, we had a Traditional dessert of ice cream with pumpkin (?) sauce topped by berries and red bean paste.  Interesting, but I wanted a bit more personality from the sauce - for me it just sort of didn't reallly add anything to the dish more than the vibrant burst of color.  The consistency of the sauce could also have been thicker - as it was, it just didn't come together with the ice cream and toppings cohesively.

Feeling stuffed, we took a quick stroll around the other wings of the restaurant, checking out the museum-style displays of artwork, vintage samurai armor, sake barrels and teaware upstairs,  and took in the beautiful central garden one last time before heading out.

All-in-all, it was a very filling meal with two out of five courses being great, in an amazing setting - for $45 (plus a bottle of sake for $10, which for us made the total bill under $20 extra per person after we applied the Travelzoo gift cert - $35 for $70 off our bill). 

And, I'm happy to report that Gonpachi according to their site also offers daily, Happy hour specials: 5pm-7pm & 10-close: half-price sakana (appetizers and house specialties) and 2-f o r-1 select draft beers, house sake & wines, well cocktails and sakegria - at the bar.  Will definitely be back to check out their Happy Hour.

Valet parking: $3 only!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5.5 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 6.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks regular menu)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Gonpachi Beverly Hills
134 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Ph: 310.659.8887

Website: gonpachi.globaldiningca.com
Look for reservations: Opentable.com/Gonpachi
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