Expect stunning Peruvian seafood (and scrappy charm) at The Hummingbird - Review - Los Angeles - The Infatuation
"We had to double-check Hummingbird’s signage the first time we walked in. Not because we’re thrown by cement floors, stackable banquet chairs, and cheap drop-in ceiling tiles in a restaurant. We just weren’t expecting that level of scrappiness from a Ricardo Zarate restaurant, the former chef of flashy Peruvian restaurants like Rosaliné, Causita, and Picca. The quirks at this Echo Park ceviche bar are everywhere—love notes from guests are scribbled on subway tile walls and a neon sign reading “Muchisimo Amor” casts a pink glow over the room. A piano and a mic are set up in the back. But for all of Hummingbird’s arthouse eccentricities, what you’ll leave talking about is something else: incredible Nikkei-style seafood assembled in front of you with flavors and flourishes that shout fine dining restaurant (at prices that certainly do not). photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp Hummingbird’s kitchen spills out into the ad hoc dining room, creating a sense of theater no matter where you’re sitting. At the bar, you’ll watch Zarate grind homemade salt in a giant molcajete and assemble technicolor raw dishes with a jeweler's precision. Another chef rolls thick temaki stuffed with so much sashimi you’ll want to call KazuNori for a retroactive refund. Sit at one of the tables and you’ll hear iPhone camera shutters throughout the evening as dates around you snap photos of yellowtail tostadas and seared ribeyes plated like main courses at the Met Gala, followed by audible “ohh’s” as they start eating. It’s more than just dramatic food that makes Hummingbird feel like a touring production of the hit indie play Restaurant! though. Servers retrieve water and dinner plates from a table pushed against the front door. Purple corn tea and THC seltzers stand in for beer and wine. The playlist jumps unironically between Britney, Bob Marley, and Madonna. Most dishes hover around $20. Stay late enough and someone in the kitchen might ask you to try a new one they’re working on. Stay later and someone’s roommate will hop on the mic and start singing. Bongos might appear. It’s an offbeat world at The Hummingbird but—as the rule goes in theater—it rewards you for saying yes. Food Rundown photo credit: Jessie Clapp The Handrolls The temaki here are hefty in both flavor and fillings: they’re packed tighter than a sleeping bag and robustly seasoned with things like lemongrass aioli and wasabi jalapeno paste. We recommend ordering two per person at most—they’re big and you need to save room. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Salmon Tiradito When this plate landed on our first visit, we got the sense Hummingbird wasn’t your average neighborhood cevicheria. Then we tasted the curls of rich fatty salmon and zesty orange dressing mixed with spicy miso and knew for sure. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Yellowtail Ceviche Tostada Let’s state the obvious, this dish is a looker. But so are a lot of yellowtail tostadas in LA. This one, however, injected a B12 shot, put some serum under its eyes, and went on a personal enrichment retreat for the weekend. We love the drizzle of citrusy soy-ginger sauce and sprinkle of nutty puffed quinoa on top. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Shrimp Dumpling Ceviche Our favorite dish. The fried dumplings filled with juicy shrimp ceviche are delicious enough on their own, but then wrapped minty perilla leaves? With a smear of zesty lime aioli? We might never eat a plain dumpling again. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Papa No Rellena The crispy fried potato ball and pile of creamy lump crab with avocado that make up this dish are tasty when eaten separately, but together, it all becomes a bit mushy. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Ribeye You’re going to eat a lot of seafood here, so balance things out and order the steak as your entree, an evenly seared eight-ounce cut on a bed of warm yellow pepper hummus. The hummus goes well with the meat, but it’s even better with the fried flatbread that comes on the side. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Purple Corn Iced Tea The Hummingbird doesn’t serve liquor yet, but this sweet, slightly nutty chicha morada with chopped apples on top will hold you over until they do (that, or one of the canned THC seltzers)." - Brant Cox
