4 Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles: March 14 | Eater LA
"Opened in late 2024 in a key corner space that formerly housed Chef Melba’s Bistro, this Parisian-style wine bar is helmed by Somni and Maude veteran Kevin De Los Santos and Katya Shatova (NoMad LA, Vespertine). It serves an ambitious modern French menu infused with international influences and a special focus on Filipino ingredients. Standout items and technical touches include headcheese toast topped with New School American cheese on locally baked milk bread; a chopped salad that blends Caesar and Niçoise flavors with a mild black bean dressing; pea chawanmushi scented with black truffle and oloroso sherry; and a striking tart of stacked escabeche mussels in a thick fennel and whelk cream, presented like a waterfowl of puff pastry. There’s real skill and intricate plating here: beef tongue assembled in elegant slices gets a dash of Russian flavor from hrenovina and is surrounded by gently cooked tatsoi, while desserts are stellar, such as a white chocolate souffle encrusted with sugar crystals for a satisfying crunch. Not everything worked — beautiful slices of locally caught mackerel had grains of charcoal that weren’t pleasant to eat — but for the most part the ideas and execution are beyond anything this part of Hermosa Beach has seen in a while, and as a local resident, it’s thrilling to see. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Eater Staff
