I saw them last at Kismet, where they ran a beverage program that centered around natural wine and were deft at debunking the genre’s worst kombucha-for-people-who-don’t-know-any-better stereotypes. Kae Whalen is one of my favorite sommeliers. Speaking of wine: A third dream team member, also reappearing in a restaurant for the first time since the pandemic’s nadir, came on board a couple months back. Cocktails are framed as aperitifs, with icebreakers that combine vermouth with cucumber-tinged tonic or mingle Cognac and Chartreuse with sparkling wine. Beyond, say, poached rhubarb paired with raspberry-sumac sorbet, look for an evergreen indulgence of brûléed cheesecake spliced with toffee date cake, served with a spiced coffee anglaise that bridges all the flavors.īar Chelou inhabits its name: The space retained many of the design elements of its previous occupant, short-lived Saso, including starburst tiles and a central oval bar near the entrance that’s been painted emerald green. Most of Morales’ desserts align with the seasons, as they should. Wondering where to eat in Los Angeles right now? Check out our guide to the best new restaurants and bars in L.A., from Italian cuisine to sandwich shops and barbecue. Rankin made it his own then, but in Pasadena he’s landed on a middle ground that is both wilder and more impressively controlled.įood Where to eat and drink in L.A. He had absorbed a key aspect of Lefebvre’s aesthetic: Arrange a plate’s main ingredient in a precise, nearly flat geometry and then, for a feral “Grey Gardens” effect, pummel it with mulchy greens and grains and sprays of seed and spice. In Silver Lake, Rankin’s style pointed to his time in the kitchen with Ludo Lefebvre at Trois Mec and Petit Trois. Bar Chelou seems to have stayed busy since opening in January, for good reason. Having a knack for offbeat abstractions can be a sound business strategy. The gentle paradox is that in a time of exorbitant food costs and labor shortages, when many operators are composing safe, broadly appealing menus to comfort rather than provoke, plenty of us engaged diners still yearn for some individualism, some surprise. Tasting Notes from The Times’ Coast to Coast party.Ĭhelou is a French word that across various online translation apps can be interpreted as “weird,” “strange,” “unexpected,” “shady” or “dodgy.” You get the picture.
Haiki sushi reviews plus#
Plus a guest chef from Thailand who made a fish sauce sorbet. I remember it as much for Rankin’s modernist plates and the 1980s Deco Revival mood (it was very “Miami Vice” in there) as for its timing: It was among the last places I reviewed before the 2020 shutdowns.įood When L.A. This is a symbiotic reunion for Rankin and Morales, who worked together at the maddeningly named, now-closed Bar Restaurant in Silver Lake. The beauty and intensity of pastry chef Raymond Morales’ citrus bomb may conclude a meal, but after spending the previous hour or two with chef Douglas Rankin’s savory counterparts, you’re anticipating something a little eye-opening as a finale. A trip to Tokyo confirms what’s been driving their pursuit for excellence.īar Chelou, housed in the same 98-year-old Spanish Colonial Revival building as the Pasadena Playhouse, brings a welcome jolt of eccentricity to local - and really, regional - dining.
The current generation of omakase chefs in Los Angeles are returning to the essence of the cuisine. For Subscribers What makes L.A.’s sushi scene so great? I found answers in Tokyo
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