Hinoki & The Bird

Original fares, with good flavors and off the beaten path combinations. Trendy spot, cozy ambiance, bit pricey but that comes with the location I guess.Service was good but it took quite a long time to get our dishes and the wait for our entrees was a bit annoying.The sashimi was good. Great quality fish, the sauce was a tad salty for my taste and I could have used a touch of acid.The uni baguette was surprising and I like the flavor and taste. I am wondering if the serving temperature was right or if the plate sat a bit in the kitchen and the temperature of the bread raised the temperature of the uni. The temperature contrast might have been interesting. I didn't ask the waiter if this was the way the chef wanted it or not.The Japanese Okinawan yams were a nice surprise. The pickled onions made everything brighter. Good mouth feel too. The lamb rack was perfectly cooked. The tamarind seasoning was pungent, too salty on its own. However the yogurt sauce tamed it nicely. The surprise was the bed of thai basil it came on. It was actually really adding to the profile of the dish IMHO. The black cod was cook to perfection, glistening, moist, flaky. Very very good.For final, the miso donuts were a bit disappointing. Dense , and didn't get the savory sweet and umami the dish name was promising.

One of the singular features that defines a fine dining establishment is consistency. Is the cuisine as delectable as you remembered it, the service, the attention to details? And, though you might be tempted to recall your last (memorable) visit by ordering a repeat performance, were you adventurous enough to test the menu?Happily, a recent return of Hincoki & The Bird, not only lived up to my previous visit, it went beyond it. From the cordial greeting to the "We look forward to seeing you again," it was a delight, from the designer cocktail to the fresh made donuts and dipping sauce for dessert. But it was the in between dishes-- the butternut squash salad and the remarkable double cut Kurobuta pork chop with miso butter pickled plum that knocked it out of the park. The pork must have been sous vid to be that tender and then grilled, served with a single spare rib as an extra tasty tidbit, garnished with a forest of micro-greens. It will be hard to resist ordering it again, but I will continue to explore the orderings to be had-- the rack of lamb or the whole duck, perhaps.To be continued...

A client invited me for lunch here. And nothing short of fabulous!Up front, exceptional service and hospitality. Named like Bruno and Lady provided stellar customer care. I had the Hanger steak topped with shiitake mushroom jus, oyster mushroom, and sunchoke chips was seasoned mysteriously delicious. My side was outa sight. Japanese yam garnished with umeboshi crème fraiche, and pickled fresno chili. Damn. I'm still thinking I need to go back this week!

Had this place saved in list of to try. The restaurant in its entirety presented with a lot of promises to impress. It has its own valet. Exterior and interior decor without any flaws. Menu was enticing; I wanted to order almost everything. Ultimately had the oysters, gem salad, lobster pasta, strawberry parfait tasting menu with wine pairing and the hamachi, chicken, steak, and donuts tasting menu. Wine pairing here offered very frugal amounts compared other restaurants I've been to. Oysters were delicious, my compliments there, but everything else in my meal (salad, lobster pasta, parfait) was underwhelming. Actually, the lobster pasta was too salty for my tastes (fyi I love salty foods). I'm happy I tried this spot but I'm unlikely to go back or recommend it.

A hidden spot tucked away next to Century City Mall ! The vibes were great and the food was interesting. They serve Asian American dishes, so I had mixed thoughts, some things were hits and misses. Overall though, it's a decent spot to check out if you're in the area !Lobster Roll - Decent! The lobster was great, especially with the hint of curry they add to the lobster mixture. The miss for me here was the charcoal brioche bun, it was a bit tough and had a grainy texture.Crispy Jidori Chicken - Crunchy! The chicken was really crispy on the outside and tender on the inside ! The radish cubes were a great palette cleanser !Hinoki Scented Black Cod - Tender! The cook on the black cod was great, it was very flaky and tender to the touch ! The sunomono cucumbers were refreshing and the charred eggplant was cool. The miss here was the sauce (i think the soy reduction). I like the black sauce, but the light brown one took away from the flavor of the fish.Japanese Okinawan Yam - Sweet! You can't go wrong with Japanese yam, it has the perfect sweetness and this dish was plated beautifully. The miss here was the umeboshi crème fraiche. It tasted like cream cheese, which isn't a bad thing, but there was too much on top of the yam, it took away from the flavor of the actual yam.

I had the Wagyu burger, crispy brussel sprouts, and pommes frites here. The burger was pretty soggy. Two of my other coworkers and I all ordered it and not one of us ate those buns since they got so soggy. The fries were majorly lacking salt and the white sauce that came with the fries was not good. The only thing I loved was the Brussel sprouts. They were very good. I think I just ordered the wrong thing here. I probably should've just had the salmon or their signature poke bowl. I haven't tried these dishes but I'd like to think they'd both be better than the burger.

I recently had lunch with my colleagues in Beverly Hills for the first time in a while, and I was immediately struck by how beautiful the restaurant is. We chose to sit outside in the covered area, which created a lovely atmosphere. We ordered a variety of dishes to share, and everything was flavorful and expertly prepared. I truly enjoyed all of it, except for the pork bánh mì. I found the pork a bit dry, and there was too much bread for my taste. I was hoping for the savory and tangy flavors typical of a Vietnamese bánh mì, but it fell short.The sauteed mushroom was absolutely incredible and you have to try the sweet purple potato with the Savory sour cream. The mix together was sinful. And top off the dinner with matcha creme brulee dessert. You will love it.Despite that, the rest of the dishes were fantastic, and I would definitely return the next time I'm in the area.

What a hidden gem. Easy to get to with valet & self-parking option, however they're the same price. Great for a date, business meal, or friend catch up. The ambiance both inside and on the patio are incredible. It's gorgeous with greenery and low lights. Also not excessively loud.Great, welcoming staff. Our server had some good menu suggestions for us. The drinks were incredible. The Earth, Wind & Fire was a necessity and arrived at the table on fire. Easy to do a mix of staters and mains family style here. The daily sashimi & sourdough were excellent starters. Sourdough is fresh baked. Also started with the kale salad, crispy jidori chicken and crispy pork belly. All were great. The honey sauce on the side of the chicken is to die for. The black cod also came on fire and was absolutely delicious. The Japanese yams taste more like a dessert than a side. For dessert the miso donuts are good but the matcha crème brûlée was the real winner.

THEY DO NO ACCEPT APPLE PAY. Writing this in caps not because I'm upset but just to grab readers attention so they don't make the same mistake I did as leaving my wallet in the car. Save yourself the embarrassment. It's very weird policy, but I'm assuming it's due to their target clientele, which I think id older clients that still write checks. Younger clientele, or people that work in tech are rare in these parts. Seems like a local lunch spot or post work spot for people in the finance or consulting industry, which explains the adherence to more of a conservative/old school way of paying your bill.Interesting given the music selection and the food, selection and rings more contemporary/hip . Think the kind of place Sarah Jessica Parker would go to if she were in LA instead of New York.The food: I ordere two appetizers and two drinks . The Koji butter with a bread definitely taste better at room temperature as the fermented rice butter really develops into a creamy sweetness that perfectly accompanies the fresh baked sourdough bread.I really enjoyed my two drinks as well. I thought the burning of Hinoki wood for the fire and air beverage was an especially Nice touch .

We went here with a group of 4 on a Friday evening. Reservations were made online the night before. It's located just south of the century city mall. There are tables inside and a large spacious covered outdoor patio with heat lamps. It was not very busy during our meal.We ordered the octopus, boar ribs, steak, pork chop and mushroom fried rice to share. We also ordered a round of drinks. The food was so good and flavorful, I really enjoyed the octopus, ribs and pork chop the most but everyone was truly great. Portions are not huge but they are sharable and everyone felt satisfied with the meal. It ended up being about ~$70 per person after tax and tip. Valet parking was $12. Not sure if there was anywhere else to park but there is definitely not street parking.