A foie gras terrine like you’ve never seen, plus fruity cocktails at Here’s Looking at You in Koreatown
Name of restaurant: Here’s Looking at You. It’s a nod to an old greeting card co-owner Lien Ta found in her stationery collection; it is not a “Casablanca†reference.
“I dug it up, and thought it’d be a cute thing to send to Jonathan [Whitener, the chef and co-owner of the restaurant] in the mail, as he is a huge fan of tiki things,†Ta told The Times in an email. “Then I realized this might be a good enough name for the restaurant, as we had been struggling to name it. And indeed, it was just the right amount of quirky to match our personalities.â€
Where you are: The restaurant has taken over the corner of 6th Street and South Oxford Avenue, in the former Whiz (Korean Philly cheesesteak restaurant) space in Koreatown. You’re in the heart of Koreatown, but don’t expect to find Korean BBQ or kimchi on the menu. The small dining room and bar lean toward the tiki, with occasional blowfish, golden pineapple and tiki totum accents.
Concept: Fusion to the extreme. A lot of new Los Angeles restaurants categorize themselves as “fusion small plates.†This place takes that concept and turns it on its head — which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Whitener, who was chef de cuisine at Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s Animal on Fairfax Avenue, and Ta, who was a manager at Animal and Son of a Gun. Also throughout the menu: Mediterranean, Japanese, French, Italian, Mexican and Chinese flavors.
Order this: The foie gras terrine isn’t your average foie gras dish. Since the ban on foie gras was lifted last year, many chefs haven’t hesitated to put a slab of seared foie gras on a burger, or add a foie gras terrine to a charcuterie board. But the terrine at Here’s Looking at You is unexpected. Running through the middle of the rich, silky foie gras is a sliver of flaky unagi. A drizzle of eel sauce cuts the richness of the terrine, and a sprinkle of green togarashi, a Japanese spice mixture, adds a pinch of heat. To fully appreciate the terrine, attempt the perfect bite: Get a little bit of everything, including the scallion garnish, on one of the pieces of grilled bread provided.
The Heritage pork chop is another item showing up on many new restaurant menus: It’s becoming as common as a Caesar salad. The version at Here’s Looking at You incorporates beer yeast, cabbage, tonkotsu broth and shiitake mushroom.
For the tartare fans: This may be the prettiest beef tartare in town. Course ground beef is topped with red chile, an egg yolk, turnip and cress. The meat, ground rather than chopped, acts as a sponge for the sweet, spicy chile.
Drink this: The Tropical Medicine and the Strawberry Solstice. The cocktail menu, by Allan Katz and Danielle Crouch, features an origin story for each drink. The Tropical Medicine is meant to be a remedy for “the common.†Roasted pineapple-infused 100-proof Cutty Sark is mixed with fresh lemon and ginger, roasted pineapple and a splash of Ardbeg whiskey. The drink is served in a frosty glass. If you’re drinking this the right way, you’ll finish the cocktail before the ice on the outside of the glass melts. Then there’s the Strawberry Solstice, a version of a 50-50 martini, and an homage to a strawberry moon (a name given to a pink-colored summer solstice moon). The cocktail is made with New York Distilling Co. gin, Carpano Bianco vermouth, Winship’s blood orange bitters and a pickled strawberry.
Info: 3901 W. 6th St., Los Angeles, (213) 568-3537, www.hereslookingatyoula.com
The next round is on me. Follow me on Twitter @Jenn_Harris_
ALSO:
Classic frozen cocktails: 7 posh slushies from L.A.-area bars
Fix this quick and easy lemon pasta recipe for dinner tonight
What’s happening: Ramen in the Valley, Cubanos in Redondo Beach
Eat your way across L.A.
Get our weekly Tasting Notes newsletter for reviews, news and more.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
