Restaurant: Yess
Location: 2001 E 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021.
Date: October 25, 2023
Cuisine: Modern Japanese
Rating: Good, but restrained
From a bright orange sashimi food truck to a haven for smoky wood-grilled dishes, this Arts District spot from lauded London chef Junya Yamasaki fits right in with the buzzing neighborhood. Order something from the ever-changing menu, grab a drink, and then expect to order at least another round.
Modern build out of this warehouse, although my photos suck.
The small menu.
Fresh Water Kimchi with Market Vegetables and Fruits. Very mild flavor. Joe loved these. I prefer a much more vinegar forward pickle flavor as these were very pleasant, but subtle.
Boiled Peanuts. Surprisingly excellent.
Bluefin “Akami Zuke” with Mustard-Pickled Eggplant and Wasabina. Clean straight up tuna with a nice zesty mustard.
Halibut Fritters with Fresh Peppers, Spring Onion, and Ponzu. Delicious fried fish with this strong, and pretty spicy, topping.
Monk’s “Chirashi-Sushi.” This autumn vegetarian version of a chirashi bowl was actually incredible. It was sweet, with varied textures, a smokey autumn vibe, and some subtle vinegar.
Grilled Fig and Cacao Miso Soup. Gorgeous winter style miso with a bit of sweetness.
Tuna Tartar with Soy Cured Egg Yolk and Mixed Vegetable Crisps. Awesome “toro” tartare with great soft texture and extreme richness.
Grilled Miso Black Cod and New Season Turnips.
Grilled Pork Collar. Grilled Peads and Barnetts Pork Collar with Ripe Peppers and Cannellini Bean Mash. Tasty.
Grilled Lamb Loin Chop with Spinach, Mint, Beet Chips and Apple Salad. The lamb itself was nice, but the really great part was that herby salad. Loved the mint etc.
Grilled Beef and Matsutake Mushroom. Stemple Creek Strip Loin and Matsutake Mushroom with Roasted Bone Marrow and Soy Egg Yolk. A pretty “healthy” portion of very solid steak and gorgeous mushrooms. It played nicely with the soy egg and when topped with bone marrow.
Soy Egg Yolk.
Peering at the bone marrow. Erick blew his out and a huge snot globblet of marrow fat landed on his plate!
Hanging with the chef.
This was a very interesting meal. Very different take on modernizing Japanese cuisine in a lovely build out — located in a sketchy DTLA location.