Location: 3239 Helms Ave, Culver City, CA 90034. 310.202.6808
Date: November 25, 2016
Cuisine: New Asian
Rating: Pretty damn tasty
It’s been slightly over 5 years since I was at Lukshon — which is amazing considering how much I enjoyed it then. But anyway, I’m back.
Cool outside space was literally cool on this chilly night.
The inside space is just as mod.
The menu is considerably different.
From my cellar: NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this cuvée, but with no lack of vivacity.
NOTE: Lukshon allows 2 bottles for corkage. Not a problem tonight, but I don’t like the limits in general.
pork larb meatballs. cabbage slaw, herbs, “green fire” aioli, puffed rice, peanuts.
sichuan dumplings. kurobuta pork, spicy ma-la vinaigrette, sesame, peanuts. Nice flavors. Not as potent as very good ones at more “authentic” Szechuan places – but great ingredients.
chinese eggplant. fennel raita, tomato sambal, eggplant “fries”. Fabulous eggplant. Blending some Chinese and a whole bunch of other Asian.
kurobuta pork ribs. spicy chicory coffee bbq sauce. Awesome take on the classic Chinese “spare ribs.”
crispy whole branzino. wok charred cucumbers, pickled onions, pecel sauce. Very nice fish with a lot of meat. I loved the green “pecel” sauce too.
beef and broccoli. prime hanger steak, grilled gai lan, black bean ghee, puffed tendon. Not your typical “beef and croccoli” lol.
heirloom black rice. lap cheong, onion, roasted garlic, lilly’s farm fried egg. Great stuff. Very soft and savory.
Mixed up.
crab fried rice. blue crab, jasmine rice, egg, pea tendrils, serrano chile. Yum!
cold sesame noodles. farmers’ market vegetables, sesame dressing, scallions, peanuts. Not as exciting as I would have hoped. The old dan dan they used to have were better.
chiang mai curry noodles. chile, turmeric, lemongrass, chicken, yu choy, rice noodles. Loved this stuff, even if hard to share. Pretty much Laksa.
The refuse.
We didn’t get dessert because I had gelato at home!
Overall Lukshon was still great. Sort of Chinese modernized with more Southeast Asian influences. Lukshon was ahead of the curve with this trend. There are a ton of these exotics now, often with more Vietnamese influence like Cassia or Simbal. But certainly loving it still.
Check out my much older review of Lukshon here.