The Benjamin Hollywood

The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Year in Los Angeles, 2025 | Eater LA

"I’ve long been wanting to visit the Benjamin, Los Angeles’s hotshot restaurant on Melrose that opened in 2024 from the team behind the Hundreds. I finally had a chance to sidle up to the bar and have one of its martinis and a few snacks before heading upstairs to a celebration at its newer sister haunt Bar Benjamin. Among a compelling slate of starters, orange chicken wings stand out for their deviation from the Panda variety, something you might expect to find at a longtime Chinese American restaurant like Formosa Cafe more than you would a restaurant that feels like a sleek softcore steakhouse. Huge chicken drumsticks and wings come in a neat pile shellacked with orange-infused sweet and sour sauce and pocked by sesame seeds. They’re sticky and hedonistic, just what you want before indulging in a second (or third) martini. Pair them with a side of fries and house pickled cauliflower for an impeccable bar trinity. — Nicole Fellah, Eater editorial manager" - Matthew Kang