Where to eat and drink this 4th of July weekend? Our critic has suggestions
Not long after the Benjamin opened in Hollywood early last summer, I showed up hoping for a couple unreserved seats at the bar, situated in the center of the restaurant's posh Art Deco room. No go. The staffer put us on a wait list and suggested we hang out at the Moon Room bar located above the restaurant.
We climbed the stairs and peeked in. I could roll with the New York 1970s nostalgia vibe — parquet floors with checkered tiles around the bar counter, wild art, a baby grand. That night, though, the place was so empty it looked lonely. We took a walk until the Benjamin called us back.
Riding on the success of the glamour downstairs, owners Ben Shenassafar, Kate Burr and Jared Meisler reintroduced Moon Room (which Meisler had opened last spring) as Bar Benjamin, replicating the same tasteful woods, moss-colored velvets and dim chandelier lighting as the restaurant below. Much, much improved.
The group brought in two ace bartenders: Chad Austin and Jason Lee. I'm particularly a fan of Lee: A few years back he crafted a summertime cocktail at n/soto of ice, shaved to order, over watermelon juice laced with amaro and lime juice. Then he moved on to Baroo, masterfully devising drinks around Korean spirits or kombucha that synched with Kwang Uh's singular cooking.
At Bar Benjamin, he and Austin distill many of the cuisines that define Los Angeles (Mexican, Thai, Sichuan, Persian) into liquid odes. To work backwards, there's a fun play on the ubiquitous Iranian stew fesenjoon that includes Granada Vallet pomegranate liqueur and walnut-rice orgeat that's sweet enough to qualify as dessert. To start, I'd lean more toward the bumblebee-yellow, mezcal-spiked Last Laugh bright with saffron, pineapple, bell pepper and mango.
A Gibson infused with the essence of an everything bagel? A bit intense in its pickled flavors for me. But then again, I lean purist in the martini realms. I'll choose the lemony Ben's Martini that also happens to nicely match the very edited selection of small plates, including mustardy beef tartare and dilled shrimp salad in a brioche bun.
A fun, fizzing crowd filled the space on a recent weeknight visit. But even if I came upon Bar Benjamin with few customers, the new cocooned atmosphere would be one I'd be happy to have to myself.
How might a bowl of warm borscht appeal in summertime temperatures?
The broth at the version served at Fusion Kitchen in Mid-Wilshire is light, for starters. Chunks of stewed tomato and grated beets and carrot gently vary the textures. Every third or fourth spoonful catches a few strands of beef. Taste first, and then stir in a couple splotches of sour cream. On the side are toasted triangles of rye bread and several slices of melt-on-the-tongue salo — salt pork, similar to Italian lardo, that is ubiquitous to Ukrainian culture.
I've been hungering for more tastes of Eastern European food since writing about Noroc, a restaurant in Sacramento that serves Moldovan dishes, for the 101 Best Restaurants in California guide.
With a name as unfortunately generic as Fusion Kitchen, you need to know what you're looking for. This was previously known as the second location of Mom, Please, the Ukrainian draw in Playa Vista opened by Oleksii Kochetkov, his wife, Inna Kochetkova, and his mother, Olena Kochetkova. The same owners run Fusion Kitchen; only the name changed.
After blitzing through the menu, I have a few strong recommendations beyond borscht. Cabbage rolls show off the same gravity-defying sleight of hand, improbably delicate wrappers bundling minced beef and vegetables scented with basil. Among varenyky and pelmeni, the half-moon dumplings filled with mashed potato and dressed in mushroom sauce turned out to be the most compelling.
And among many options for desserts, zero in on the medovic, or honey cake. It doesn't have the zillion layers of, say, Michelle Polzine's fame-making version at her now-closed 20th Century Cafe in San Francisco. Its sour cream frosting zings, though, with the crucial sweet-smokiness of burnt honey.
I'm ordering too much as usual, calling out chef Natalia Moran's modern takes on Filipino standards: lumpia, sisig, lechon, adobo, kare kare, garlic rice … .
When I'm done, the server studies me. 'You forgot to order the signature dish,' she says. 'There's a reason our name is Manila Inasal.'
Oops. Thanks goodness she steered me right.
Chicken may be the traditional choice for this class of thoroughly marinated and grilled dishes, but the bungus inasal, made with silvery milkfish, is particularly wonderful here. Achiote stains the fish, which has also absorbed the aromatics of lemongrass, ginger and sharply citrusy calamansi juice. Swipe forkfuls through two sauces, one based on green chile and the other on coconut vinegar. With a bit of cucumber salad spooned on the plate, it's a refreshing warm weather meal.
To dive deeper: start with always-easy-to-crunch lumpia or, even better, laing, taro leaves creamed in coconut milk with seasonings like garlic, ginger and shrimp paste. Moran's take is restrained, but pleasantly so, and she presents it as an appetizer dip surrounded by focaccia baked with taro leaves. The vegetable pancit satisfyingly mingles egg and glassy vermicelli noodles in a soy-based sauce with thrumming umami.
Meatier dishes I tried like the kare kare with ultra-tender cuts of beef (including oxtail) and lechon could have been punchier in their flavors; it's hard not to compare them with the masterful versions Maynard Llera prepares at Kuya Lord. As my colleague Stephanie Breijo reported in June, the restaurant opened two months in Silver Lake Plaza, in the same complex on Virgil Avenue that houses Daybird. So it's still settling in and calibrating.
The namesake inasal? I'm already all in.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
K-Traditional Art Thrives Quietly in Burlington's Creative Community
Most people have heard of K-pop, the vibrant and global phenomenon of Korean popular music — but what about K-traditional art? Here in Burlington, a married artist couple from Korea is quietly preserving and sharing centuries-old Korean ceramic traditions in the heart of our community. For the past twenty years, Jung Do Lee and Jin Hee Jun have called Burlington home, creating intricate, thoughtful ceramic art rooted in Korean heritage with a modern touch. Jung Do Lee is a master of buncheong, a traditional Korean pottery technique that dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty of the 13th century. The method involves applying white slip to dark clay, then stamping and carving delicate designs into the surface. Lee has spent more than four decades refining his craft a,nd breathing new life into this ancient form. 'I've been making buncheong art since 1978. Rather than trying to engender beauty artificially, I inspire sympathy through the simple and rustic beauty of my pottery blended with modern technique.' Lee's work is visually stimulating: bowls, jars, and platters coated in white slip and adorned with stylized birds, fish, and florals. The patterns are purposeful but never overpower the form of the vessel. 'I decorate my work with great seriousness,' he says. 'In a tremendously small part of my work, I tend to carefully bring about a minor change to lend vitality to the piece. I hope viewers can feel the beauty, the unique function, and the potter's effort learned from heritage.' His art has travelled far beyond his studio, with some pieces on view at the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Burlington. His work has been featured in exhibitions and collections in Canada, various European countries, the U.S., Japan, and Korea. Yet his purpose remains grounded in the local. 'We've loved living in Burlington — our second hometown. Our Korean background residents are still minorities here, and we'd like to share our cultural heritage with Burlingtonians. I hope that beyond K-pop, people can discover and appreciate K-Traditional arts as well.' While Lee's work leans into minimalist strength and historical elegance, his wife, Jin Hee Jun, uses clay as a deeply personal medium for emotional exploration. A ceramic artist and former professor, Jun's work features hand-built murals, sculptural pillars, and expressive reliefs that reflect her internal world and lived experiences. 'Working with clay always calms me,' she says. 'It helps me focus and communicate. I've worked to express my emotions and daily circumstances in clay, like writing a journal.' Her pieces, whether large-scale installations or intimate figurative forms, often resemble creatures or faces, avatars of memory and emotion. One of her most striking works, The Forest, is a four-panel relief inspired by the view from her former studio in Korea. 'I like the colour and texture of the clay to be obvious,' Jun notes. 'I use ceramic pigment like watercolour in several layers, so as not to ruin the relief detail, then I spray a clear glaze very thinly.' As long-standing members of the Burlington Potters' Guild , housed at the Art Gallery of Burlington, both Lee and Jun are vital contributors to the local arts scene. Their work is also featured in the two annual Arts Burlington sales — a holiday and spring tradition where the public can explore and purchase pieces directly from local artists. The Potters' Guild, which welcomes all levels of experience, has become a nurturing space for these two Korean artists to not only create but also to connect and inspire others through their heritage. The presence of K-traditional art in Burlington is a quiet but powerful reminder of the city's growing cultural mosaic. In their own ways, both Lee and Jun infuse the ancient with the present, inviting us to slow down, observe, and connect with art, with history, and with each other. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Newsweek
17 hours ago
- Newsweek
Heartbreaking Reason Woman Has Kept Homemade Sauce in Fridge for 4 Years
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A woman explaining why she has saved a homemade sauce for four years has gone viral on TikTok, gathering 2.5 million views. Hanna Kim (@becominghanna) shared a video of herself holding an almost empty jar of gochujang—a Korean condiment—on June 28. She explained, "this is what grief looks like." During the clip, Kim, 36, explained it was the last batch her mom Kyung, 72, made before she passed away and added that she has no plans to consume it but will continue to smell it every once in a while. Kim, who lives in Maryland, told Newsweek: "I initially kept the jar from her fridge because I knew gochujang isn't something that spoils quickly and she had made it recently. But I became more protective of it when I remembered how proud she was the day she told me she'd made it." Two screenshots from the viral video showing Kim holding the almost empty jar of sauce. Two screenshots from the viral video showing Kim holding the almost empty jar of sauce. TikTok/@becominghanna Approximately 30.8 percent of people in the United States have lost their biological mother, according to the United States Census Bureau. Slightly more (39.8%) have lost their biological father. When Kyung passed away on April 19, 2021, from lung disease and heart failure, Kim "regretfully" gave away and donated many of her belongings. Kim recalled: "lung disease had left my mom feeling so weak by then that even simple tasks like cooking were major accomplishments. "My husband and I used the gochujang for a while, but last year I realized I was reaching the bottom of the jar. I couldn't bring myself to finish it. It felt like the last meal my mom ever made for me." During the clip, Kim jokes "will I fight anyone that tries to throw it away? Yes." She told Newsweek: "I moved into my current home after my mom passed so seeing the jar in the fridge is a way of bringing my mom with me. "Over time, it's come to represent more than just something she made, it feels like a symbol of her love and strength. It reminds me of her unconditional care, how even when it was hard for her to take care of herself, she still wanted to feed and nurture me. It feels like her way of loving me one last time." Kim and her mom smiling for the camera, both wearing pink items of clothing. Kim and her mom smiling for the camera, both wearing pink items of clothing. Hanna Kim Kim describes her mom as "beautiful and strong," she said: "Life dealt her more than her fair share of challenges, but she still moved through the world with grace and gratitude. "She taught me to lead with kindness and love, even when life felt impossibly hard. I wish more people knew just how loving and generous she was. "Her absence is a loss not just for me, but for everyone who never got the chance to know her." Kim's video has resonated widely, racking up over 456,000 likes. "I think your grief is beautiful," said one comment with more than 25,000 likes. Other users have shared their stories. One said: "I have one perfectly folded t-shirt left that my mom folded for me. It's been sitting in my closet untouched for a decade." "My mom rolled her hair with rollers every night of her adult life until cancer took her. I still have them in a little cloth bag, and sometimes I open it [because] they still smell like her hair," said another.
Los Angeles Times
19 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Where to eat and drink this 4th of July weekend? Our critic has suggestions
However you might be feeling about the state of our country this long holiday weekend (me: angry, troubled, resolute in staying aligned with the progressive values that truly move our nation forward), I hope you have time to rest and regroup. Here are three suggestions for eating and drinking this weekend: They're places that brought me some recent, needed joy. Not long after the Benjamin opened in Hollywood early last summer, I showed up hoping for a couple unreserved seats at the bar, situated in the center of the restaurant's posh Art Deco room. No go. The staffer put us on a wait list and suggested we hang out at the Moon Room bar located above the restaurant. We climbed the stairs and peeked in. I could roll with the New York 1970s nostalgia vibe — parquet floors with checkered tiles around the bar counter, wild art, a baby grand. That night, though, the place was so empty it looked lonely. We took a walk until the Benjamin called us back. Riding on the success of the glamour downstairs, owners Ben Shenassafar, Kate Burr and Jared Meisler reintroduced Moon Room (which Meisler had opened last spring) as Bar Benjamin, replicating the same tasteful woods, moss-colored velvets and dim chandelier lighting as the restaurant below. Much, much improved. The group brought in two ace bartenders: Chad Austin and Jason Lee. I'm particularly a fan of Lee: A few years back he crafted a summertime cocktail at n/soto of ice, shaved to order, over watermelon juice laced with amaro and lime juice. Then he moved on to Baroo, masterfully devising drinks around Korean spirits or kombucha that synched with Kwang Uh's singular cooking. At Bar Benjamin, he and Austin distill many of the cuisines that define Los Angeles (Mexican, Thai, Sichuan, Persian) into liquid odes. To work backwards, there's a fun play on the ubiquitous Iranian stew fesenjoon that includes Granada Vallet pomegranate liqueur and walnut-rice orgeat that's sweet enough to qualify as dessert. To start, I'd lean more toward the bumblebee-yellow, mezcal-spiked Last Laugh bright with saffron, pineapple, bell pepper and mango. A Gibson infused with the essence of an everything bagel? A bit intense in its pickled flavors for me. But then again, I lean purist in the martini realms. I'll choose the lemony Ben's Martini that also happens to nicely match the very edited selection of small plates, including mustardy beef tartare and dilled shrimp salad in a brioche bun. A fun, fizzing crowd filled the space on a recent weeknight visit. But even if I came upon Bar Benjamin with few customers, the new cocooned atmosphere would be one I'd be happy to have to myself. How might a bowl of warm borscht appeal in summertime temperatures? The broth at the version served at Fusion Kitchen in Mid-Wilshire is light, for starters. Chunks of stewed tomato and grated beets and carrot gently vary the textures. Every third or fourth spoonful catches a few strands of beef. Taste first, and then stir in a couple splotches of sour cream. On the side are toasted triangles of rye bread and several slices of melt-on-the-tongue salo — salt pork, similar to Italian lardo, that is ubiquitous to Ukrainian culture. I've been hungering for more tastes of Eastern European food since writing about Noroc, a restaurant in Sacramento that serves Moldovan dishes, for the 101 Best Restaurants in California guide. With a name as unfortunately generic as Fusion Kitchen, you need to know what you're looking for. This was previously known as the second location of Mom, Please, the Ukrainian draw in Playa Vista opened by Oleksii Kochetkov, his wife, Inna Kochetkova, and his mother, Olena Kochetkova. The same owners run Fusion Kitchen; only the name changed. After blitzing through the menu, I have a few strong recommendations beyond borscht. Cabbage rolls show off the same gravity-defying sleight of hand, improbably delicate wrappers bundling minced beef and vegetables scented with basil. Among varenyky and pelmeni, the half-moon dumplings filled with mashed potato and dressed in mushroom sauce turned out to be the most compelling. And among many options for desserts, zero in on the medovic, or honey cake. It doesn't have the zillion layers of, say, Michelle Polzine's fame-making version at her now-closed 20th Century Cafe in San Francisco. Its sour cream frosting zings, though, with the crucial sweet-smokiness of burnt honey. I'm ordering too much as usual, calling out chef Natalia Moran's modern takes on Filipino standards: lumpia, sisig, lechon, adobo, kare kare, garlic rice … . When I'm done, the server studies me. 'You forgot to order the signature dish,' she says. 'There's a reason our name is Manila Inasal.' Oops. Thanks goodness she steered me right. Chicken may be the traditional choice for this class of thoroughly marinated and grilled dishes, but the bungus inasal, made with silvery milkfish, is particularly wonderful here. Achiote stains the fish, which has also absorbed the aromatics of lemongrass, ginger and sharply citrusy calamansi juice. Swipe forkfuls through two sauces, one based on green chile and the other on coconut vinegar. With a bit of cucumber salad spooned on the plate, it's a refreshing warm weather meal. To dive deeper: start with always-easy-to-crunch lumpia or, even better, laing, taro leaves creamed in coconut milk with seasonings like garlic, ginger and shrimp paste. Moran's take is restrained, but pleasantly so, and she presents it as an appetizer dip surrounded by focaccia baked with taro leaves. The vegetable pancit satisfyingly mingles egg and glassy vermicelli noodles in a soy-based sauce with thrumming umami. Meatier dishes I tried like the kare kare with ultra-tender cuts of beef (including oxtail) and lechon could have been punchier in their flavors; it's hard not to compare them with the masterful versions Maynard Llera prepares at Kuya Lord. As my colleague Stephanie Breijo reported in June, the restaurant opened two months in Silver Lake Plaza, in the same complex on Virgil Avenue that houses Daybird. So it's still settling in and calibrating. The namesake inasal? I'm already all in.
