LASA

Los Angeles, California

I guess I have joined into the Filipino fare phase in Los Angeles. Somewhat recently, multiple restaurants have opened featuring this cuisine. Many are "home cooked" style. Hearty. Comforting. However, LASA was opened with the intension of elevating the food.

The ambiance is sparse and elegant in the small space tucked into an outdoor mall in LA's Chinatown. It seems that many good meals in Los Angeles are found after passing through an unpretentious entrance.

Lumpia Sariwa

brown rice flour crepe, black kale, shaved cabbage, caramelized cauliflower, peanut soy vin

The crispy crepe allowed pieces to be broken from it, which then combined with the soft vegetables below. I enjoyed the peanut flavor throughout the dish, but found the consistency of the vegetables too uniform. Nonetheless, it was tasty.




Sunfed Ranch Beef tongue
smokey eggplant, charred green beans, tatsol, roasted peanut, and bagoong aillade
This dish was remarkably tender, especially considering that it was tongue. It played beautifully with the various textures on the plate that were accented by the various flavors ranging from smoke to char to peanut. I found this enjoyable and interesting to eat. Delicious.




Rockfish Kinilaw
lemon cucumbers, radishes, patismansi, crispy dilis, pickled frescos

I really wanted to love this dish because typically I enjoy fish and it sounded so interesting with the different preparations and vegetables. Unfortunately, I found it to be like a plain, but nicely prepared, sashimi dish that is tender, but not containing powerful flavors.

Beef Kilawin

flat iron tartare, patis aioli, salt and vinegar taro chips

This was delectable as my mouth watered as the bite of the vinegar combined with the crunchy texture of the chops. I found it to be a delightful bite when scooping up the tartare. For me, this was akin to the classic tartare dish, but with the punch of vinegar, which I appreciated.

In general, I think I thought I would find more exotic dishes at LASA, but instead it reminded me of American style appetizers with minor twists. After talking to others who had visited the restaurant at another time, it appears that this may have simply been the menu at the time that I visited. Nonetheless, an admirable and unique place to experience Filipino food that was anything but simple.