Si! Mon

Two Years In, Si! Mon Is Still a Stunner of a Los Angeles Seafood Restaurant | Eater LA

"A Venice Beach Boardwalk–adjacent destination that feels transportive inside, this is where chef José Olmedo Carles Rojas slings a Panamanian menu informed by Los Angeles’s diverse neighborhoods and other Central American foodways—a never-boring cacophony of flavors that feels new every time I go. Start with the delightful uni shooter, a slick two-slurp of uni, littleneck clam, and achiote-spiced ponzu served in a shot glass perched in a small bowl to hold the ponzu’s overflow. If it’s available, the Dungeness crab guacho—Si! Mon’s irresistible Panamanian rice stew—comes spiked with rum; when it’s not on the menu, go for the coconut-marinated kanpachi baked in a lustrous banana leaf if you crave a seafood main during Dungeness crab off-season. The gluten-free fried chicken drumsticks are the stuff of legend: mercilessly crispy from a double-fry and doused with an herb-allium blend—pulverized scallions, mint, basil, and rosemary—lovingly dubbed “chicken salt”; pair them with nontraditional pupusas revueltas packed with chicharrón and loroco, and add curtido because both dishes love it. The space splits its personality between a main dining room of rich jewel-toned, rounded mid-century furnishings and a covered patio of beachy neutrals, woven accents, and big-leaf plants, with a bangin’ bar scene on both sides. Practical tip: it’s fairly easy to find a free street spot on North Venice or South Venice Boulevards on weekdays (weekends are a gamble), and the lot next to the restaurant offers parking for $10." - Nicole Fellah