It’s been a while since we posted regarding our epic eating tour of Los Angeles (gotta-eat-em-all). Remember that one where we made a list of the must-visit restaurants of 2018? There have been a few things that have gotten in the way since then like our honeymoon, but have no fear, we have stand-out restaurants to review for you! Next stop on our tasting-the-best-of-Los-Angeles list is Lukshon.
Lukshon, a modern restaurant focused on Southeast-Asian flavors, was brought to life by the same chef who opened the famous Father’s Office, Angelenos’ favorite burger & beer spot–Sang Yoon. This man knows how to hit you with flavor and keep your palette guessing and craving for more. The creativity of his work is out of bounds and stunning. Don’t get tricked by the menu prices–this place is pricey because “hot plates” and “cold plates” are small plates and you’re bound to get a good amount of them. Even though we weren’t ready for the price of the meal, we can sit here and tell you that it’s worth it. It’s a dining experience you aren’t likely to forget.
The atmosphere is perhaps one of the only things lacking here, which had an effect on the service, too. We went to dinner here at Lukshon after a movie, to give you a better picture. We sat indoors, though the outside looked lovely. Everything is sleek and modern but with an Asian influence. The tables are close together. The worst part is that they had the music turned up so dang high, it was hard to hear anything, even for us under-30s (we were in a group of four people). It was tough for us to hear, to communicate with the wait staff, and thus, some problems with our order. I really really don’t get blasting music at restaurants. Do restaurant owners think it makes their restaurant seem more trendy? Maybe. And maybe it works. But it’s not for us.
Luckily, even if an atmosphere is lacking or distracting, flavor and great food can always turn it around and outweigh the bad and at Lukshon–that’s exactly what happened. We sampled a lot of food, but we’ll highlight several dishes for you. We started off with some of the single origin teas which were lovely and each had its own unique flavor. For cold plates, we had the tea leaf salad. One of my favorite bites was that tea life salad: the layers of textures and flavors were fun and exciting. I loved the nuttiness and tang of it and how it worked with each other component of the dish. For hot plates, we had New Zealand mussels and the Santa Barbara spot prawns. The prawns were delicious and buttery–they simply melted in your mouth. The mussels had an intense and delicious funk and tang to them that lingered on my fingertips after the meal.
For entrees, we got the crispy whole fish and the grilled lamb brisket. The crispy whole fish was probably the star of the night. It is big. I don’t know what we were expecting, but it wasn’t that. The entire fish (eyes too) was battered and fried to perfection. The sauces that went with it was addictive: it’s called a pecel sauce. It’s slightly sweet with a kick. Though it was Hungry’s dish, I stole many many bites.
Dessert was exciting. Sang Yoon has a killer pastry chef with amazing creativity. We ordered the spring fling and the mango sticky rice “sundae”–both pictured below because it’s difficult to describe the elements. We had so much fun eating these desserts–it was unlike anything we had really eaten before. Elements of molecular gastronomy along with playful textures and unique flavors had us eating incessantly until the plates were clean. So much fun.
Overall, come to Lukshon for the flavors. Your palette is going to be taken on a wild ride and experience things it hasn’t before. However, be ready for a steep check if you delight in multiple dishes or sample their drinks. Still, I say it’s worth it. Make it a special occasion, your taste buds will thank you. It’s an inspiring meal. And as always, stay hungry and fit!
