Here’s Looking At You: Mexican Fusion In Koreatown

If you want a read of LA's food scene -- where it is now, and where it's heading -- search no further than Here's Looking At You in Koreatown. This Mexican-Asian fusion spot serves the kind of ingredient-driven, intimately inspired hybrid food we're lusting over lately, and we don't plan on quitting any time soon.

While we love everything on the sexy seasonal menu, we can't help but be impressed by the elegant complexity of the salads, one of which we're sharing below. Yes, there are a lot of ingredients, but Chef Jonathan swears it's actually easy to make. And if his restaurant has taught us anything it's that a little detail can go a long way...

What we ate: Golden beets served with spicy feta, sumac, rye and lemon; shishito peppers with tonnato sauce and huamei; avocado dressed with farmers market citrus, nori, hazelnut, kohlrabi and champagne vinaigrette; yellowtail crudo with tamarind, serrano, cilantro and banana blossom; Persistent Rose cocktail made with Jamacian rum, verjus, pickled rose petals, lime and rosewater.

Why we ate it: Because this is the kind of restaurant where you'll want a little of everything -- and can do just that. The seasonal menu is divided into quadrants: veggies, seafood, meat and desserts. Each dish, inspired by Chef Jonathan Whitener's culturally-colorful upbringing, is alive with punchy flavor and deep layers of creative ideation, resulting in food that feels as fresh and deeply personal as the restaurant space itself. It's like eating reading an artist's diary; one page just wont do.

Why you need it: Going for dinner at the 50-seat HLAY feels like finding a buried treasure. Designed by chef Jonathan and his partner, Lien Ta -- both veterans of the LA food scene -- HLAY's moody Mid-Century interior that is both intimate and energized: think rainbow jars of pickled veggies, vintage rock memorabilia and a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf tucked behind their long wooden bar, populated with books, bottles and ceramic tableware we honestly want to steal. The real star of the show, naturally, is the menu, but it's the combination of these elements that makes HLAY a dining experience. Powered by pure creative expression and culinary expertise, this restaurant truly embodies the best of LA's food scene.

The post Here’s Looking At You: Mexican Fusion In Koreatown appeared first on The Chalkboard.

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