Hinoki & The Bird

7/4/2016 Updated review

Been coming here for lunch recently, and loving the open-air vibe. The decor and atmosphere are on point.

The menu feels very typical, no "flavor profiles" (as they say) that floor me - for reference, I've had the chicken sandwich, yellowtail, salads, roasted yam, beef tartare, chili crab toast. But, that said, the quality is consistent and it definitely tastes good. The chili crab toast and fried chicken sandwich hit the spot - but they taste pretty much exactly the way you would imagine. Nothing challenging or unique in the construction. Perhaps they are just catering to the vanilla demographic of Century City - lunch hour is pretty much filled with a room of suits. (Note: I did see a ramen on the menu, and I'll be curious to try that and see if it shakes things up a bit.)

7/7/2016

Update: After posting my review yesterday, Hinoki and The Bird's GM contacted me to express how sorry she was for the first impression I had received. She seemed adamant about getting to the bottom of the phone call I had the day prior with her reservationist and let me know that there would be no problem accommodating our party.

I was hoping to take a larger party of 10-20 people here for my boyfriends bday/dinela dinner, unfortunately, the young girl that answered the phone was extremely rude. I tried to change a reservation that I had made just hours before on open table and she responded with such a bad attitude about them not having it on their books yet that I decided I should call back later.  I then received another attitude call from her to confirm the open table reservation at which point I had to cancel. I can not support a business that condones the treatment of potential customers the way that she does.

6/23/2016

Tonight was actually the 2nd time I've been to this  restaurant for dinner.  Food is delicious and cool atmosphere including an open indoor/outdoor setting.  Good for dates and groups.

Tonight we ordered a handful of items: crispy chicken, fresh market salad, buratta toast, black cod and the rice side.  Everything was good.  Favorite was the crispy chicken followed by the cod.  Both were cooked to perfection

I think the only side of the outing that is an eh is the $10 valet.

7/9/2016

We were here for the special heritage event with Chef Mei and Keiichirro. Everything was beyond good. A different experience for both of us. We're fans of Chef Mei the night was great. No complaints at all. Pay attention to the special events!

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  An extra dish night cap dish form the kitchen!

  An extra dish night cap dish form the kitchen!
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  Caramelized White Chocolate Penna Cotta, Black Sesame, Harry's Berries, Azuki Ice cream - probably the best dessert I've had in my life.

  Caramelized White Chocolate Penna Cotta, Black Sesame, Harry's Berries, Azuki Ice cream - probably the best dessert I've had in my life.
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  Duck "Donabe", Foie gras Crispy Rice, Chinese Sausage, Shiitake, Asparagus - Phenomenal. Perfectly prepared duck.

  Duck "Donabe", Foie gras Crispy Rice, Chinese Sausage, Shiitake, Asparagus - Phenomenal. Perfectly prepared duck.
• See all photos from Jonathan D. for Hinoki & The Bird

6/8/2016

We decided to come here for our second anniversary and overall were pleased, but not blown away.  There were some PHENOMENAL dishes that really made us giddy and others that were a total flop. Overall with the service (good) and the atmosphere/decor/ambiance of the restaurant it was still fair to say 4 stars despite some 1 star dishes, and most dishes also had really great presentation and were just gems.

It was just the two of us and we wanted to try as many things as possible so we went heavy on the smaller dishes/appetizers and just ordered 1 main dish, which I'd say is a good way to go if it's just two people.

THE GOOD:
1. Lobster roll - so pretty yet delicious
2. Fried chicken - delish! the honey sauce was great and perfectly battered/fried. Tenderrrr
3. Crab Toast - nice kick to this, small bites.
4. Oysters - can't go wrong. even little flower petals in each.
5. Lamb Sausages - super tasty with a strawberry? yogurt dip.

THE MOST AWFUL: Mushroom side - WTF? The little slice of lime and sprinkle of salt was suppose to make the plain blanched mushrooms taste delicious? Single dish that had terrible presentation and tasted even worse.  $12 down the drain..

MEH:
1. Miso Cod (main) - Nobu's miso cod is 20x better, this was just a bit salty and meh. Small piece of fish too, for the price I'd much rather go Nobu for sureeee.
2. Hamachi - it's hard to mess up a hamachi starter, usually some citrus and fruit, vibrant colors and flavors but the fava beans were just bitter and overpowered the fish.
3. Octopus - if you are ordering this not loving octopus but can appreciate a good, well prepared dish.. don't do it. Even my octopus loving husband was shaking his head no.

4/25/2016

Used to walk on over to here after work for drinks and dinner when I was located in Century City. Loved that the Bartenders were always friendly whether you are dining at the bar or just grabbing drinks for the night. They make amazing drinks just the way I like it and were always good about giving us space but always making sure we were good with our drinks. Food was always consistent and always very delicious! The ambiance is nice and chic. I love sitting outside on the covered patio for dinner on summer nights.

Crab Toast! Lobster roll! Black Cod! Skirt Steak!

My friends that have a sweet tooth devoured the Mochi and donuts at the end. Soo if you like desserts make sure to try theirs!

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  Crab Toast

  Crab Toast
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  Skirt Steak

  Skirt Steak
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  Lobster Roll

  Lobster Roll

5/31/2016

• 1 check-in

I've had this place bookmarked for a while and I finally got to check it out for my birthday!  It was romantic, quick and delicious, but definitely not worth the price.

There comes a point when price and flavor reach a plateau in correlation and the dishes at Hinoki are far too small and not that unique for what it costs.

Chili Crab Toast - Three bite size pieces of crab on toast, though one of them was burnt to a crisp.  The burnt bread took over the flavor and I was too shy to request another one.

Lobster Roll - Was absolutely tiny. They were as big as a two fat fingers. Son of Gun does a better roll with a larger portion for a smaller price.

Hinoki scented black cod - Very salty, but the cod melts when you bite into it.  It was tasty and a nice portion, but I've had similar at Japanese restaurants.

Duck Fat Rice - Bland especially after the cod.  This dish needs some meat in addition to the egg that was very creamy

Four dishes - $100.

Service was great!  The staff prepared my birthday cake with candles and wished me a happy birthday.  It was wonderful.

We parked for free w/ Gelson validation at the Century City mall and walked over.   It's nice to have that option.  Always take a walk after meals!  It's quite possible that they hype ruined it for me, but it's definitely worth trying for anyone who's curious!

5/5/2016

• 1 check-in

Really nice ambiance here. I went late on a Tuesday night and I was surprised to see such a full house. Had some champagne which was okay $88 for four glasses. The cocktails are all $15 but they're not big.

Lamb sausage meatballs were delicious! Comes with three thumb sized meatballs for $16

Friends had the lobster roll and said it was okay

friends had the fried chicken and said it was amazing

Valet is $10 and before even closing my door the guy was like can I have my tip? I don't like that, don't ask me for a tip. Rude

6/19/2016

Very disappointing. I feel like I've been robbed. Literally.

I bought the Gilt City deal, $78 for one person, 4 course meal with a glass of sparkling wine.

The experience itself was okay. I'd heard a lot about Hinoki and the Bird so i was excited when I saw the offer online. I didn't hesitate to purchase the coupon because it seemed like a great deal.

What we had:

Two glasses of sparkling wine $14 each (they wouldn't let us substitute for a cocktail at the same price.) This was probably the tastiest part of the meal.

One appetizer to share
Arancini (2pcs?! REALLY???) $14

Two salads: (which were humongous and I suspect the portions are that big so you're too full to have the tiny main dishes)
Kale salad $13
Ichiba salad made of 'seasonal fruits and vegetables' (which was just butter lettuce) $13

Two main dishes:
Hinoki scented cod $28
Flat iron steak with gochujang $25

One dessert to share:
miso donuts (4 pieces) with honey caramel sauce $10

Now I wasn't great at math but I believe all of this comes out to only $131, or $142.79 with tax if I had gone without the Gilt deal. Plus they added a kitchen fee $5.46, 20% service charge $31.20 compared to tax that was only $17.34. WTF??? So we ended up paying $210 for a meal that would've been $142.79.

Tell me I'm wrong...

2/15/2016

**** 4 Stars are my Highest Rating **** (because too many fake 5 stars)

Came here on V-Day:
Black Cod- amazing fish! forgettable pickled vegge garnish
Lamb Sausage - i hate lamb but liked this spicy sausage.
Crab Toast- very good, not sure what's the sweet sauce in it but tasty.
Short Rib - fell way 'short' in the 'tender juicy' department.  Too tough to eat!
Dessert, Japanese parfait - amazing!  get it!
Dessert, Cheesecake - very good with fruit toppings, not too sweet

Very good knowledgeable waiter.  Ambience: hip, friendy, not pretentious and not too loud.
It's not really "American" cuisine but 'Mostly-Japanese/Pan-Asian'.

Portions are small...like feeding to the 'The Bird'.

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  Short Rib, too tough! (the red stuff is sauce not blood LOL)

  Short Rib, too tough! (the red stuff is sauce not blood LOL)
• See all photos from Figaro A. for Hinoki & The Bird

7/9/2016

Fabulous ambiance!!  So cute and chic, modern & relaxing. The drink menu is limited but great nevertheless. I've only been there for drinks but I hear their food is amazing too.

1/29/2016

• 1 check-in

• Listed in Trendy or Romantic

Hinoki & The Bird's black cod is without a doubt one of the must-try dish in the Southern California and unfortunately black cod was the only dish that far exceeded my expectations.

Parking: Valet parking is $7 during lunch time and $9.50 during dinner time. If you don't want to pay for valet parking, then you can park at Westfield Century City (just 2 blocks away from the restaurant; $1 per hour for the 1st three hours). Do yourself a favor and forget about the street parking.

I was able to book a same-day 6 PM reservation via the Opentable. Service was friendly, but one of the staff accidentally served an additional lobster roll and my friend was honest enough to inform the staff about the error because he didn't want to pay extra for something we didn't order.

***

Beef Tartare, Pickled Jalapeno, Parmigiano ($15): Excellent toasty bread and it was one of the better beef tartare I've had. (4/5)

Hinoki Scented Black Cod, Dashi, Shishito ($28): Absolutely one of the BEST black cods I've had ... melt-in-your-mouth texture with a burning piece of hinoki wood. Forget about the sides (shishito peppers and weird tasting sliced cucumbers), just focus on the fish. (5/5)

Lobster Roll, Green Curry, Thai Basil (market price, ~$18): I was somewhat disappointed with their squid ink roll - lacked in distinct flavors and not worth the price tag. (2.5/5)

Miso donuts, honey caramel ($10): It came with 4 donut balls with a honey caramel dipping sauce. I can't really taste the miso flavor and dipping sauce overshadowed all other flavors. Great honey caramel, but it started to become too sweet after I finished my 2nd donut ball. (3.75/5)

***

Recommendation: Just order one black cod (or if you are greedy enough, order TWO) and you'll be pretty much done for the day. Why? 95% all other seafood are pale in comparison to Hinoki's black cod. Just keep in mind that Hinoki's $105 DineLA's menu (from Jan 18th to Jan 31st, 2016) doesn't include black cod (which kind of defeat the whole purpose of coming here) ... Finally, most dishes are meant to be shared and there is a very good chance you'll leave here hungry - so be prepared for a second round of light dinner.

P.S. - David Myers (one of the two founders and he left Hinoki & The Bird in June 2014) discussed his vision of restaurant in the following video (vimeo.com/77082006).

P.P.S. - Kuniko Yagi (one of the two founders + executive chef of the restaurant who also stepped out in Dec 2014) was one of Top Chef Season 10 contestants.

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  Beef Tartare, Pickled Jalapeno, Parmigiano ($15)

  Beef Tartare, Pickled Jalapeno, Parmigiano ($15)
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  Hinoki Scented Black Cod, Dashi, Shishito ($28)

  Hinoki Scented Black Cod, Dashi, Shishito ($28)
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  Lobster Roll, Green Curry, Thai Basil (market price, ~$18)

  Lobster Roll, Green Curry, Thai Basil (market price, ~$18)
• See all photos from Luke L. for Hinoki & The Bird

4/13/2016

• Seated via Yelp Reservations
• 1 check-in

I was waiting to come here for a year. It was so worth the wait! I came for dinner with my girl. This place is beautiful. Sexy. And great music. I will say when you come ask to sit outside in the patio area. And make sure you make a reservation.

Cody was our waiter. He absolutely rocked. Great service, gave us great advice, and super nice. We started off with cocktails. I forgot what we had but they were exceptional. Our apps were the spicy chicken and root chips. The spicy chicken was delicious! Served with a habanero jelly/sauce. Seriously one of the best places for chicken and you know I love me a good fried chicken. The root chips were good. With a Japanese ranch.

For dinner we got the black cod, the pork chop, the yam, the duck fat rice, and the brown rice because my friend doesn't eat eggs. Lol. The black cod is a must. It has this amazing crispy skin and had some great shishito peppers and in an amazing broth. The pork chop was money. Flavorful and juicy. The duck fat rice is crack. Wow. That was the best thing I had here. The egg was nice and funny. That jam is no joke! It had perfect lardons in there and it was buttery spectacular.

For dessert we had the miso donuts and the strawberry sorbet. Both are great but those donuts are killer! We loved our experience here. The manager Matt was exceptional and made our experience here very welcoming. This place is a must try.

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  Our beautiful spread!

  Our beautiful spread!
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  My drinkie!

  My drinkie!
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  The root chips!

  The root chips!
• See all photos from Kat S. for Hinoki & The Bird

12/7/2015

I've been here a couple times and I just went for lunch. I prefer that over going for dinner as they have a gorgeous patio that I absolutely am in love with! It's a bit too dark during dinner time and you can barely see anything. Last time, I had to hold the candle to the menu just to read it.

With regards to the food, all the dishes were good with some highlights. I have to say the presentation for everything is just gorgeous! It is definitely food art. Also, if you haven't been here before, fair warning that the portions tend to be on the smaller side for most items.

Beef tartare, pickled jalapeno, parmesan $15 - Really delicious and one of our favorites! This was how a beef tartare should be!

Chili crab toast, spicy cucumber, coriander $16 - We had this before so we knew it was amazing but we almost forgot how amazing it was until we had it again! We were extremely happy eating this.

Yellowfin tuna, penryn orchard pears, white soy $16 - This was good and I enjoyed the contrast of textures but it did seem like there may have been one ingredient too many. There was a lot of things going on with this.

Lobster roll, green curry, thai basil $17 - This seriously sounds so phenomenal but we were a little let down. We did have this before as well and was hoping maybe it was better this time but nope, still the same.

Scottish salmon, broccolini, radish sprouts $24 - We wanted to try the butter lobster ramen which sounded awesome but they were sadly out of it. Our server recommended the salmon and it was good, but just a typical good salmon. It would have been nice to incorporate a flavor that really popped with this one.

Roasted yam, crème fraîche, lardon $9 - A really tasty side dish and one of the items that actually was more substantial.

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  chili crab toast with spicy cucumber & coriander

  chili crab toast with spicy cucumber & coriander
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  Beef tartare, pickled jalapeño, Parmesan

  Beef tartare, pickled jalapeño, Parmesan

6/22/2016

Bought the voucher from Gilt for $78 pp and it was a total ripped off. They charged $36 on tips (20%) plus $7 kitchen fee plus $20 tax so we end up spent $240 for a $140 meal and black cod and flat iron wasn't taste good. They were overcooked and hard to chew. Very disappointed on the experience. Don't know if I'll come back or not.

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  Patio setting very cozy

  Patio setting very cozy
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  Croquet

  Croquet
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  Best mixed salad with beets

  Best mixed salad with beets
• See all photos from Alicia Y. for Hinoki & The Bird

12/29/2015

• 1 check-in

Wow, so good.

I went to this place a few months ago for the first time and I've been dreaming about it ever since. I can't get the chilled crab noodles out of my head! They were absolutely fantastic. Totally unique, fresh, light, and tasty. Unfortunately, I just looked at the lunch menu and I don't see this dish on it anymore! Maybe it's a seasonal thing and it'll come back? (I hope...)

Anyway, even without the chilled crab noodles I would definitely be back. The atmosphere alone is enough to win me over. The entire restaurant is so beautifully designed and the menu is so distinct and fresh, I'm a huge fan.

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  Griffith park swizzle (fun!)

  Griffith park swizzle (fun!)
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  From back to front: BBQ jidori chicken (delicious!), Brussels sprouts (skip, bland), yams (delicious), butter lobster ramen (skip).

  From back to front: BBQ jidori chicken (delicious!), Brussels sprouts (skip, bland), yams (delicious), butter lobster ramen (skip).
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  Butter lobster ramen (looks better than it tastes. It needed seasoning. Skip it.)

  Butter lobster ramen (looks better than it tastes. It needed seasoning. Skip it.)
• See all photos from Melissa D. for Hinoki & The Bird

12/3/2015

• 1 check-in

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary dinner at Hinoki & The Bird. This was a special dinner, since it would be the first time I treated him on our anniversary. After some contemplation as to where we would go, I decided to treat him to Hinoki & the Bird since the food options looked delicious, it had high reviews on Yelp, and it was relatively close by to where we live.

Anyways, to summarize the experience:

RESERVATIONS:
I booked our reservations for 6:45pm on a Wed just to be safe.  Not sure if it was needed, since there weren't that many people at the restaurant when we arrived. I made the reservation through Yelp, so it was pretty convenient. Got a call from the restaurant a day before to confirm our reservations. On the reservation "comments" section, I had mentioned that we would be celebrating our anniversary. I don't know if they never saw it or just forgot, but we had to remind them again to receive our complimentary dessert...

PARKING:
They offer valet parking for $9.50 for dinner. Pretty expensive if you ask me, but that's typical in LA...

AMBIENCE:
It's very dark in the restaurant. There is dim lighting and candles on each table, which makes the ambience romantic and warm. We sat outside in the patio. I think they had heaters outside, because we weren't cold. The restaurant felt very trendy but not too fancy. Most people dressed up, but some people wore outfits that were more causal (but not sloppy). It's a great place for a date / anniversary.

SERVICE:
Wonderful. We had two waitresses (I think one was training) and both of them always asked how we were doing. My water-cup was always refilled before I ran out, which was a big plus. The food came out at a perfect pace. We were never really waiting for anything, besides the first dish and the dessert at the end.

FOOD:
We got the following dishes, which I will rate each separately:
- Hokkaido Scallops w/ yuzu and pomegranate ($19): B+.
The portions of scallops were actually pretty decent, but it was just a little bit too sour for my taste. It kind of masks the sweet taste of the scallops. However, it was still refreshing and reminded me of ceviche. The scallops tasted decadent with the chips that they come with.

- Lobster Roll ($19): A
Yummm. This was definitely my favorite dish of the night. It's pretty tiny, but what do you expect from a $$$$ restaurant. The black (squid ink?) bread was unique and gave it a buttery taste. There was a hint of green curry and thai basil, which gave the lobster a nice kick.

- Chili Crab Toast ($16): B
Hmmm. This dish didn't meet my expectations, especially since all the reviews said it was so good. I've never had chili crab before and was expecting something different. If you like asian-ish chili sauce, you will like this. But I wasn't too fond of it. Maybe because there was too much sauce and it masked the flavor of the crab? The toast was good though. They give you three bite size pieces.

- Yam with Toppings ($9): A-
Was this sweet potato or yam? I'm really not sure. I liked it and it was probably the most interesting yam I've had, but I didn't think it was amazing.

- Miso Cod ($28): B+
The cod was cooked perfectly. I liked the sauce too, but my bf thought the flavor was a little one-dimensional and too salty. Maybe could've used a little sugar.

- Butter Lobster Ramen ($26): B-
My least favorite dish of the night. Sounds so good, but I thought the dish was boring. It tasted buttery and rich, but the flavor itself was underwhelming. They did give a good portion of lobster, though, and the noodles were al dente. But considering the price, I probably would have preferred a bowl of tsukemen from Tsujita LA.

- Vietnamese Coffee Shaved Ice ($10): A
This was a refreshing dessert after a somewhat heavy meal. It reminded me of Haagen Daaz coffee ice cream, but with a stronger coffee flavor. The portions were decent and enough to share between me and my bf.

- Complimentary Chocolate Truffle Cakes ($0): A+
it was free and delicious. Of course it would get an A+!

OVERALL = Solid 4/5 stars. The food and service was great. The value is just okay-- Be prepared to spend some $ (It was a little over $150 for the both of us) and you won't be disappointed. After all, you are also paying for the experience. If you're like me and don't have lots of money to spend on fancy dining, I'd reserve this place for special occasions.

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• See all photos from Stina L. for Hinoki & The Bird

4/3/2016

What a great out door patio and even better food! This restaurant is hidden in century city right next to The Century building. 50% of our group was vegetarian and they had great vegetarian options however I wish they had more vegetarian entree options.
I loved the lobster rolls it was piled on a delicious bread that was so fresh and soft. The lobster had great layers of flavor.
I also absolutely loved their lamb meatballs it was nice and moist on the inside and a bit garlicky which I love.
The Kim Chee aranccini was a surprise I'm not a huge fan of just fried rice balls but they had great layers of texture and was super yummy.
I was also pleasantly surprised by how delicious the brussels sprouts were it was crispy on the outside and was very well seasoned.
My favorite thing of the night had to be the black cod in the dashi sauce. It was so flavorful and light.
Our group indulged in the miso donuts that were amazing!
Can't wait to go back!

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  Aranccini

  Aranccini
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• See all photos from Jasmin D. for Hinoki & The Bird

6/23/2016

We went there with a large group for a birthday party, and there wasn't anything I could eat. Do not go there if you do not eat seafood! I am allergic, but usually can always find something, but they put fish sauce in everything including all of their salads and even their fried chicken dish.
This place is way over-rated! Expensive, snooty, my friends chicken was undercooked, nothing looked good. No one in our group enjoyed it. Very unfortunate.

3/14/2016

4.7 - True rating because of the damn near $10 valet parking (we don't mind paying, but for the egregious rate, the car could have been kept closer or get it back in less than 2 minutes).

THE REVIEW

In terms of experience, my wife and I had an exceptional time here at Hinoki & The Bird. We loved it. Here's a few parts of what made the time there exceptional:

The Drinks

My wife had some moscato and I had the Chet Baker and the Harajuku. Moscato was definitely sweeter than most, but very crisp and refreshing. My grown boy drinks were amazing. Favorite by far, is the Chet Baker. Gotta try it again!

The Food

We went to town and our stomachs paid the price for it, but, it was well worth it!

To start, we had the Hokkaido scallops with yuzu/pomegranate and the Root chips, coupled with a japanese ranch dip. The Hokkaido scallops were amazing as it had a ton of flavors when paired with the pomegranate. We expected more of the "seafood" taste, but it definitely was a bit tangy/sweet, which was great! The root chips are like crack, so buyer beware. You'll keep on eating them without talking to the person next to you. We also ordered the Lobster Roll (green curry/Thai basil) as our waiter, who was also amazing, told us that the portion was small. He cut it in half for us and it was definitely jammed with flavor, but he was spot on as it was definitely smaller than we expected.

For our main entrees, my wife had the Hinoki scented black cod (dashi + shishito). They didn't have the short ribs that night, but had a filet cooked and prepared the same way for us. For the side, we also had the roasted yam (crème fraîche, lardon). The cod and the filet was cooked perfectly for us. The cod came with with the skin crispy and the medium-rare filet was sliced for us in the back, that laid in Korean spices (gochujang type of sauce). While the Korean gochujang was great, I could have had it with the steak only as it was that great. The yams were also flavorful. Toppings were amazing and the shredded pork belly on top of it gave it that extra kick.

To finish it off (yes, we ate a lot!), we had the miso and red bean mochi. Red bean was great, but too much of a fan of the miso (unless you like that flavor, it was done very well).

We'll be back again. I just wished valet was a bit better, but in that area, parking is expensive anywhere you go. Go for the experience, food, and of course, the drinks!

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  Roasted Yams, topped with Pork Belly!

  Roasted Yams, topped with Pork Belly!
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  Chet Baker

  Chet Baker