Ed U.
Yelp
So was I the only idiot who couldn't tell the difference between this place and Gracias Madre next door? I'm an LA ignoramus when it comes to cool spots with hidden signage and didn't realize my mistake until I saw the absence of vegan Mexican dishes on the menu. I asked Jamie W. if he wanted to leave, but he was willing to try what I perceived to be a typically trendy El Lay eatery.
The youngish clientele was mostly tanned and discernibly not on food stamps. Hmm, I was wondering why it was called Great White, but then I noticed the shark emblem on the menu. Oh, I get it now. Anyway, both of us decided to get bowls. Jamie ordered the $24 Harvest Bowl, a truly vegan delight with endive, kale, snap peas, zucchini, carrots, avocado, and rice.
The bowl was smeared with a tasty miso tahini and drizzled with a tangy yuzu ginger dressing (photo: https://yelp.to/gncjuuWaDL). I went a bit heartier with the $30 Salmon Coconut Curry, which was a seared salmon filet with crispy skin over a bed of black rice sitting in a pool of coconut curry mixed with bok choy, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and lime (photo: https://yelp.to/8bC976dhe1). It was very Cali-Thai and quite tasty.
Probably against our better judgment, we decided to share the $18 Mushroom Fries without really knowing what that meant. It turned out to be tempura with a thick coating of deep-fried batter with chili aioli, lemon zest, and Thai basil (photo: https://yelp.to/exvzwHb6A1). Pretty heavy going, but the $8 Arnold Palmer helped wash it all down (photo: https://yelp.to/C3sofzki5E). Service was surprisingly attitude-free, and that helped, too.
FOOD - 4 stars...the bowls worked well albeit with Melrose price points
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...casually upscale Santa Fe vibe
SERVICE - 4 stars...friendlier than I had envisioned
TOTAL - 4 stars...WeHo chill
RELATED - Exploring WeHo? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3TBgdOP