Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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from the tandoor and include spicy yogurt-marinated swordfish, lamb, and chicken. While
some dishes are authentically spicy, plenty of others have a mellow flavor for less incendiary
palates. This restaurant is phenomenally popular and gets its shar e of celebrities.
12021 W. Pico Blvd. (at Bundy Dr.), Los Angeles.
&
310/473-3388.
Reservations recommended for din-
ner. Main courses $9-$17. MC, V. Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm and 5-10pm; Sat-Sun 5-10pm. M etered street
parking (lunch); valet parking $3.50 (dinner).
Chaya Brasserie
FRENCH/JAPANESE Open for more than 25 years, Chaya
has a strong reputation as one of Los Angeles's most reliable restaurants. This Continen-
tal bistro with Asian overtones is popular with film agents during lunch and a paticularly
beautiful assembly of stars at night. The place is lo ved for its ex ceptionally good East/
West dishes, unpretentious atmosphere, and flawless martinis. Despite a high noise level,
the stage-lit dining room feels sensuous and swoony. On warm afternoons and evenings,
the best tables are on the outside terrace, overlooking the busy street. Get miso-marinated
white sea bass with wasabi tamari beurr e blanc, Chef Shigefumi Tachibe's lobster ravioli
with basil pesto cream sauce, or the tangy wood-grilled chicken Dijon, a house specialty.
Excellent sushi is av ailable as w ell.
Note:
There's also a Chaya near the beach,
Chaya
Venice
(110 Navy St., Venice;
&
310/396-1179
), and a splashy new location at the City
National Plaza (525 S. Flower St., Downtown;
&
213/236-9577
).
8741 Alden Dr. (east of Rober tson Blvd.), Los Angeles.
&
310/859-8833.
www.thechaya.com. Reserva-
tions recommended. Main courses dinner $15-$27, lunch $10-$16. AE, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 11am-2:30pm
and 6-10:30pm; Fri-Sat 11am-2:30pm and 6-11pm; Sun 11am-3pm and 6-10pm. Valet parking $5.50.
Fraîche
MEDITERRANEAN Like many of L.A. 's rising star chefs, J ason
Travi cut his chops as a sous chef at S pago, cranking out 400 plates a night in that pr es-
sure cooker of a kitchen. N ow he helms one of the mor e popular restaurants along the
Culver City strip. His mornings are spent at the farmers' market—annoying other shop-
pers as he buys up the best pr oduce—and evenings within his impr essive open kitchen
whipping up rustic French and Italian dishes such as tortelli with braised rabbit or lamb
spezzatino
atop celery root gnocchi. His standout dish, ho wever, is the branzino (E uro-
pean sea bass) ser ved en papillote with fennel, r oasted peppers, and fingerling potatoes.
The decor is r eminiscent of a countr y estate, with a liv ely indoor-outdoor terrace o ver-
looking Culver and Main streets.
Tip:
The bar menu is ser ved every night until 1am.
9411 Culver Blvd. (at M ain St.), C ulver City.
&
310/839-6800.
www.fraicherestaurantla.com. Reserva-
tions recommended. Main courses dinner $16-$26, lunch $10-$22. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Lunch Mon-Fri
11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-10:30pm; Sat-Sun 5:30-10:30pm. Valet parking $5.
Frida
Finds
MEXICAN Made from recipes handed down by the owner's ances-
tors, the Mexican cuisine at Frida is as traditional and authentic as it gets on this side of
the border—well, at least for Beverly Hills. Patrons eagerly tuck into handmade soft tacos
brimming with sautéed shrimp bathed in a dar k, tangy pasilla-orange sauce (fantastic),
or generous portions of carnitas in an annatto-seed sauce topped with onion-habaner o
relish and served over fresh corn tortillas. A few standouts include the dark, rich chicken
mole simmered in gr ound pumpkin-seed sauce, and charbr oiled filet mignon on a bed
of dry chile and Mexican truffle sauce
(cuitlacoche)
. The wide selection of superb marga-
ritas is the perfect accompaniment to the spicy dishes.
Tip:
Frida also has locations at the
Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th St., Brentwood (
&
310/394-9440
), and at the new
Americana at Brand mall (750 Americana Way, Glendale;
&
818/551-1666
).
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