This past June I was lucky enough to go visit friends and family in Los Angeles for the first time in about 10 years. Much like Philadelphia and the rest of the U.S., a lot has changed. Los Angeles has always been on the forefront of eating great food, but the city also latched on to eating healthy, organic, locally grown food far before the rest of America. During this recent trip, I had two unforgettable culinary experiences.
Handsome Coffee Roasters
The first experience was at Handsome Coffee Roasters. Being into coffee and espresso, this has been on my bucket list ever since it opened, and it didn’t disappoint. This coffee roaster and shop is tucked away in L.A.’s Downtown district. The neighborhood takes you out of the car culture of Los Angeles that most of the East Coast has come to think of and places you in a setting not unlike that of Brooklyn or Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties/Fishtown neighborhoods.
Michael Phillips, Tyler Wells and Chris Owens started this coffee spot after Michael Phillips won the world barista championship in 2010. The most interesting thing about this shop is that its only menu items are coffee (urn brew, cold brew or chemex), espresso and espresso with milk in a 3 , 6, 9 or 12 oz. size. The menu was designed to take away the formalities and pretense of discerning between a cappuccino, macchiato, latte, flat white, cortado and all the endless multitudes of espresso and milk combinations that are essentially espresso and milk.
I decided to try the 6 oz. espresso and milk (which had a milk texture most similar to a latte) and a plain espresso. The milk really made the latte; it was local milk that was just rich enough without being too heavy. The espresso was easily one of the best I’ve had in my life. All of Handsome’s coffee and espresso had such a diverse, wide range of flavors and deeply layered with rich crema and a full body. The menu is very limited in terms of food service, but I did get a sticky bun with raisins that was a good contrast to the dark espresso and latte. Although this shop may be a bit off the beaten path for most tourists, it was some of the best, if not the best, coffee I’ve ever had.
Hinoki and the Bird
The second great dining experience I had was at Hinoki and the Bird. This restaurant is the brainchild of restaurateur-chef David Myers and chef Kuniko Yagi. Many Philadelphians may not be familiar with David Myers, but he is more or less the Californian Steven Starr, and Yagi received very little culinary training, but it didn’t stop her from making a name for herself on Top Chef.
Together, the duo opened this new venture in March, and it has quickly joined the ranks of L.A.’s finest restaurants. Hinoki and the Bird is situated in West Hollywood, on the ground floor of The Century Condos. One thing that is very Californian about the restaurant is that the seating seems to be predominantly outdoors, with a relatively small indoor dining area. HInoki and the Bird does what seems near impossible to me: makes Asian fusion genuinely good without feeling contrived. Hinoki and the Bird brings amazing flavors and elements of Asian (mostly Japanese) cuisine, while translating them into a New American experience by way of small shared plates. Some of the highlights of Hinoki and the Bird for me included their kale salad, house-made pickles, sambal skate wing, hinoki-scented black cod and caramel-braised pork belly. The pork belly and black cod were flawlessy prepared, both melting in your mouth, and paired extremely well with intriguing sides and innovative sauces.
Apart from the main dishes, desserts and signature cocktails shouldn’t go unnoticed at Hinoki and the Bird. I tried the Birds Cup, their take on a Pimm’s cup with muddled citrus, cucumber, mint and ginger, which was a perfect summer refreshment. On the dessert menu, I tried their dulce de leche mochi, which, for me, far exceeded what all salted caramel desserts try to accomplish. As if the food and drinks weren’t good enough, I even got a chance to meet David Myers and Food Network’s Alex Guarnaschelli.
If you’ve got the urge to revisit Los Angeles or are going for the first time, it’s absolutely worth it. Los Angeles is the perfect relaxation vacation: shopping, fine dining, beautiful beaches and almost anything you can think of. These two restaurants were absolutely sensational—experiences I will never forget and can’t wait to relive.
Find Handsome Coffee Roasters at 582 Mateo in Los Angeles, California. Find Hinoki and the Bird at 10 Century Drive in Los Angeles, California.
- Photography (Hinoki and the Bird): Greg Taffer
- Photography (Handsome Roasters): Handsome Roasters
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