Vin Folk
Fine dining restaurant · Hermosa Beach ·
Parisian-style bistro with French-leaning global dishes
Parisian-style bistro with French-leaning global dishes
"In a charming one-story structure just two blocks away from the Pacific Ocean, chefs Katya Shastova and Kevin De Los Santos debuted an inventive and modern California bistro in late 2024. Don’t mistake Hermosa Beach’s Vin Folk for standard French cuisine; the youthful team puts captivating twists on classics by incorporating the lead chefs’ international backgrounds with a cast of notable supporting cooks. Their spin on classic fish en papillote resembles an impressionist painting. Folded-back parchment paper reveals a fresh catch of the day layered with seasonal ingredients like summer corn, saffron, kohlrabi, leeks, squash, and edible flowers. Share bottles and dishes within view of the large corner windows or settle nicely into a sidewalk table for one of the best dining experiences in Southern California. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Matthew Kang
"A rare South Bay standout just blocks from the Pacific, this intimate Hermosa Beach bistro from chefs Kevin de los Santos and Katya Shastova rewrites fine dining with intention and warmth. Regulars book tables for buttery puff pastry filled with mussels, escabeche, and smoked clam; a saucy Jidori chicken cassoulet; and crudo that reflects the chefs’ Southern Russian and Philippine roots — bluefin tuna with fried shallot oil, Ukrainian eggplant caviar, and capers. The dining room feels like a meal in someone’s home, service is refreshingly utilitarian (a sous chef might drop a dish), and a stellar wine list by de los Santos’s sister Christina Montoya favors sustainable producers. The commitment to a green space extends to shopping the Torrance farmers market, and the point is driven home in a captivating spin on fish en papillote: fold back parchment to an impressionist reveal of the daily catch layered with seasonal touches like summer corn, saffron, kohlrabi, leeks, squash, and edible flowers." - Rebecca Roland
"In a charming one-story structure just two blocks from the Pacific Ocean, this inventive, modern California bistro debuted in late 2024, with chefs Katya Shastova and Kevin De Los Santos leading a youthful team that puts captivating twists on classic dishes by drawing on their international backgrounds and a cast of notable supporting cooks. The intimate, candlelit dining room is romantic yet casual, and everything feels relaxed—even as the kitchen occasionally shouts a coordinated "Oui!"—with most diners sharing bottles and plates by the large corner windows or at sidewalk tables. Crudo may be ubiquitous in LA, but the bluefin tuna with fried shallot oil, Ukrainian eggplant caviar (ikra), and capers is one of the most memorable bites; headcheese toast is as briny and savory as it sounds, with pork headcheese and sauerkraut over Hokkaido milk bread; the chili crab risotto, made with Santa Barbara rock crab and crowned with a creamy cooked egg, will slay at every table; and the spin on fish en papillote resembles an impressionist painting, its folded-back parchment revealing a fresh catch layered with seasonal ingredients like summer corn, saffron, kohlrabi, leeks, squash, and edible flowers. Partner and wine veteran Christina Montoya curates an outstanding list from small producers, and don’t be surprised if someone in a chef coat takes your order—this unusual, front-and-back-of-house approach to exceptional service works, helping make this one of the South Bay’s most unexpected gems." - Mona Holmes
"With pork headcheese toast that shouts patty melt and a low-ABV carajillo riff called the Single White Female, Vin Folk is a spunky neighborhood bistro that’d turn heads in any part of town. But the offbeat menu and sharp wine list demand even more attention on a sleepy corner in Hermosa, a block up from The Strand. Run by two Somni alums, the kitchen injects geeky fun into wine bar standards, like creamy chopped salad boosted with crispy lap xuong bits, and yellowtail crudo layered with Russian eggplant caviar. The chefs double as servers, which is occasionally chaotic and ultimately endearing. Wrap up an unstuffy date night with their elaborate chocolate dessert inspired by Filipino breakfast cereal, then maybe a twilight beach stroll." - brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, garrett snyder, cathy park, cathy park, cathy park, brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, brant cox, brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, brant cox, sylvio martins, brant cox, cathy park, brant cox, brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder, sylvio martins, cathy park
"If you watch enough underdog sports movies, you know there’s always a scene where some character passionately declares their team “has heart.” Vin Folk, a spunky neighborhood bistro in Redondo Beach, is what we’d call a restaurant with heart. On the surface, this laid-back wine bar seems pretty familiar: a candlelit date spot with a small open kitchen and a post-punk playlist that happens to be located a few blocks from the ocean. But peek under the hood and you’ll find distinctive elements that set it apart—not just in the South Bay, but across the city. It starts the moment you sit down, when you’re greeted by someone in an apron and chef’s whites eager to go over the menu. All the chefs double as servers, which means they’re eager to dive into how and why the pea chawanmushi landed on the menu, a personal touch that can sometimes feel like information overload, but is ultimately endearing. photo credit: Kim Fox photo credit: Kim Fox photo credit: Kim Fox video credit: Kim Fox Pause Unmute Run by a husband-and-wife duo who used to cook at tasting-menu spots like Somni and Vespertine, Vin Folk injects geeky fun into the usual wine bar standards, like chopped salad boosted with crispy lap xuong, a pseudo patty melt with pork headcheese, and yellowtail crudo layered with Russian eggplant caviar. Think of it as casual fine dining—a place to drink interesting wines or a low-ABV negroni on a breezy patio, or just have a bite that will remind you why you still bother with small plates. The menu is divided simply into “snacks,” “cold,” and “hot.” The dish descriptions can lean toward the inscrutable, which might seem annoying until you try a few. Did we know what pork jowl, mackerel tonnato, pickled carrots, and mashed potatoes would be doing on the same plate when we ordered it? No. Are we happy we did? Without a doubt. Occasionally, dishes feel a bit too clever for their own good, like a deeply crabby crab risotto with an unnecessary splat of fried egg foam on top, but the misfires are few and far between. We could spend another few paragraphs talking about the reasonably priced wine list full of unique picks or the heady dessert menu engineered by a dedicated pastry chef, but all you need to know is that Vin Folk is run by people who not only have a clear love of restaurants, but know how to make them feel cozy, thoughtful, and a little surprising. If that’s not heart, what is? Food Rundown Headcheese Toast Your server will tell you this two-biter is inspired by the patty melt at Langer’s. That might be a stretch, but it’s a fantastic drinking snack. The soft milk bread is toasted to a golden crunch, the pork headcheese is fatty and juicy, and the molten slice of american adds a touch of nostalgia. Dab on the fiery hot mustard served on the side to cut through the richness. photo credit: Kim Fox Yellowtail Another crudo? Yes, but with enough interesting things going on to demand your attention. A spread of Russian-style eggplant salad on the bottom adds heft, while fried shallots, briny capers, and a dose of aleppo pepper cling to each slice of fish like a toddler with their binky. photo credit: Kim Fox Chopped Salad If you feel the need to order a salad, make it this deceptively simple one. Somewhere between a niçoise and a cobb, it’s got sliced potatoes, snappy green beans, crispy bits of Chinese sausage that crunch like croutons, and a creamy dressing umami-boosted with preserved black beans. photo credit: Kim Fox Jowl & Mackerel The duo you didn’t know you needed. Apparently inspired by a plate of mashed potatoes in Eastern Europe that were so good they made one of the chefs weep, this hodgepodge dish looks like one of those timed challenges on Chopped. But the combo of snappy grilled pork, lush mackerel sauce, escabeche-style pickles, and buttery dill-flecked taters works. photo credit: Kim Fox Chili Crab We’re not sure this creamy risotto quite lives up to the spicy Singaporean dish it’s named for, but it’s certainly tasty and properly crabby, amped up with crab stock and tender flakes of rock crab. It could lose the splat of fried egg “espuma” on top, though, which is a bit of a hat on a hat. photo credit: Kim Fox 30-Day Dry-Aged Steak Don’t let the cheffy whimsy at Vin Folk fool you. They know how to cook a good old-fashioned steak. We love this 16-ounce ribeye’s concentrated beefy flavor, even crust, and spot-on temperature, as well as the pool of herb-rich Café de Paris butter that’s more like a pesto. photo credit: Kim Fox Koko Crunch This over-the-top dessert (named after by a kid’s breakfast cereal from the Phillipines) would be silly if it weren’t so delicious. The menu promises chocolate six ways: milk chocolate crémeux, chocolate squares, chocolate soil, shaved chili-infused chocolate, puffed chocolate rice crackers, and a chocolate amaro sauce poured on top. So yes, it tastes like chocolate. The sea salt grated from a giant rock tableside and a sidecar of ice-cold milk are nice touches. photo credit: Kim Fox" - Garrett Snyder
