Really outstanding modern take on Chinese cuisine. They apparently change their menu every week so…read morenothing is old. Their service was great and their servers were very knowledgeable. Their drinks also stood out in terms of creativity and the amount of work that goes into them. Overall, I put this on par with Baroo in terms of creativity, service and flavor.

Firstborn is almost shockingly good for Chinatown, whose hip arriviste eateries have all seemed to…read morecoast on far more hype than quality. The menu is New American with Chinese influences served as a four-course prix fixe set, with each course having three choices, and optional additions are available. (There is an à la carte menu available in the bar area.) I went very carnivorous on my selections, choosing the beef tongue carpaccio, duck sausage, and beef short rib. There was not a bad dish among these: The tongue was tender, soft, and delicate. The duck sausage was fantastically good as well; served with an apple jam atop Swiss chard, it was a sort of Chinese-Alpine fusion cuisine of which I never envisioned but instantly wanted more. While delicious, the short rib was overshadowed by its cabbage accompaniment. My server told me it takes four days to make that dish, and I would have happily ordered a full dish of just that. The kaffir lime curd dessert was light and balanced, perfect after the heavier meat courses and like a small vacation to Thailand on a plate. The one dish I did not love was the Chongqing fried chicken course I added. The chicken itself ― a boneless leg quarter ― was a large portion and well-prepared, but the sauce covering it was a thick layer of chilis (which, thankfully, were not inedibly hot) and straight oil, lots of oil. Eating so much oil like that made for gastrointestinal discomfort the rest of the night. The soy pickles helped cut the greasiness a bit, but they weren't vinegary enough to get that level of oiliness off the palate. The duck fat rice, though quite good, also did not help much given its fattiness. Given the chance, I definitely would have requested the oil-sauce on the side. I did appreciate the crunchiness of the batter, which never went soggy despite being soaked in that oily puddle for a long time. I did not find any wines by the glass that bowled me over, so I stuck to cocktails, which were good. Service was warm, personable but not intrusive, and brisk, while the room has the comfortable feel of a mid-century modern den complete with well-worn cookbooks on the shelves lining the walls. I would happily return to try the bar menu with cocktails or when the prix fixe options change. At $68 for four courses, Firstborn's prix fixe is one of the best fine dining offers in L.A. right now, and it makes a trek up to Chinatown worthwhile.

From the minute we called for a reservation to the end of our evening the staff was excellent. The…read morehostess who was also our server could not have been any better . She was bubbly fun and professional. She went out of her way to make our dining experience top notch. The food was delicious and served piping hot. The apple pie out of this world. Great value for money. Decor was really chill and inviting. We had a beautiful booth. I cant say enough good things about Alley. We will definitely be back for more. Thank you to the staff and the owner who hand delivered our meal. Top notch!!!!

How have I lived in Los Angeles this long and never heard of this little gem?…read more I was strolling down Vermont looking for a drink when I happened upon this place. In fact, it's so delightfully understated that you could almost walk right past it. Thankfully, curiosity got the better of me. I grabbed a seat at the bar and what started as a quick stop turned into a truly memorable evening. When I couldn't decide on a cocktail, Jeff--the bartender, mixologist, and apparently part magician--asked what I normally drink and then crafted something just for me. It was absolutely perfect. The food was equally impressive--every bite was delicious and thoughtfully prepared. The ambiance strikes that rare balance of being effortlessly cool without a hint of pretension. Just great energy, great people, great food, and exceptional drinks. Needless to say, what began as an accidental discovery has officially landed on my list of favorite finds.

Amazing service , amazing food , the ambiance was amazing , this is a must go especially with…read morefamily , friends or even a corporate outing , Food 5/5 Drinks 5/5 Service 5/5 Definitely coming back for more

This was my first time at NIKU. Roman, Isabella, Sarah, Jose, Efren, Joe and Julian my it memorable…read morefrom the moment I walked through the door. The person that hired this staff deserves a 5-star rating. NIKU is an edible art studio with exceptional service and quality food wrapped in one. Long Beach Mayoral Candidate Rogelio Martinez

This place is beautiful, with modern ambiance, perfect for both a casual meetup or for a special…read moreoccasion. Initially they mentioned they didn't have uni available, but the attentive manager came to us and shared that he wasn't completely satisfied with the quality of the uni that day, though he was still willing to serve it to me. I really appreciated the honesty and passion for quality. I came here eyeing on the uni pasta, so I had to go for it. Maybe he was right, it was just OK. It wasn't necessarily the uni itself, but the pasta and cream sauce felt slightly overcooked and a bit dry. It could've used more sauce to bring everything together. Still, no ragrets (iykyk). It's something you should try here . We also ordered the hand roll trio and toro, which was yummy. The fish was fresh, beautifully cut, and served in generous pieces. They're partnering with Death & Co, known for their craft cocktails which explains why the drinks here are so uniquely curated and well mixed. Definitely worth exploring their cocktail menu.

I really enjoy eating here because service is fast and friendly. You get a lovely meal and every…read morestaff member you meet is always so friendly. Food is delicious, drinks are good, and parking isn't hard to find if you're willing to walk a little. The design kinda dark inside, but the patio is always nice. The best part? I can be in and out in less than an hour if I wanted!

Reserved a table for my birthday dinner on a saturday. They had a live dj playing and a fire…read moredancer. The dancer performed a few times before I left. The drinks were so good, I got the Caipirinha. The restaurant is in a hotel so you can get some pics before you leave. They're relatively new so it isn't crowded. It's cute for a dinner with the girls!

I came here for my bf's bday and enjoyed the food! The free cheese bread they gave was divine and…read morea great appetizer. The tuna tartare tower was pretty basic, wasn't too special but enjoyable. The cheese fondue was a cheese lover's dream as it was truffle flavored and paired well with the cheese bread (as recommended) Honestly, the crackers provided was alright and they should sub it for something similar to the cheese bread. The star of the show was definitely the picanha as everyone orders. The chimichurri was a nice touch, and the small broccolini was decent, although definitely just for show. The mashed potatoes were nice and creamy! I also got the Brazilian soda which was interesting to try and pretty yummy! Wouldn't say it paired too well with the picanha tho lol The interior is so beautiful and looks like you've been transported to Tulum, which is definitely a stark contrast to DTLA outside.

Food and service was amazing! Would recommend starting with the Gold Tier for first time customers…read moreas you get access to a few A5 Wagyu cuts (limited quantities) and an all you can eat menu as well. The restaurant is clean and the interior is nice as well. They have free drinks and a soft serve ice cream machine! Our server Troy is super chill, attentive, and very helpful guiding us through the process of ordering. He made our first experience awesome and we will definitely be coming back again!

Overall it was an ok experience. The waiter Kevin was good, I would give a 4.5 for customer…read moreservice. Based on the overall restaurants ratings I was expecting something more. Maybe I'm just over Korean bbq. Either way the vibe was cool if you're on a low carb diet Kbbq is always a good option. I don't think for the price it's anything special and the quality left a lot to be desired. 3 star deserved.

Loved dinner with my girlfriends here! It's such a charming space and the service and food were…read moreexcellent. The standouts for me were the squash blossoms and the potato pizza. Would love to come back and try more! Parking, as in most of LA, is tricky. They have valet.

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of this place, and I'm not really understanding all the rave…read morereviews. Is it awful? No. But is it anything special? I don't think so. This was actually my second visit. The first time, my husband and I stopped in for lunch and had a couple of items that were good, but I left feeling like maybe we just didn't order the right things. Since so many people seem to love this place, we decided to give it another shot. This time we came with a group of four and ordered a variety of dishes. We started with the octopus, tartare, and burrata appetizers. For pizzas, we had the Mortadella Pista and the Prosciutto with Truffle Oil Pista. We also ordered the Cacio e Pepe, mushroom risotto, and the Nutella dessert. The appetizers were okay, but the burrata was definitely the highlight. The pizzas were good and enjoyable, but nothing particularly memorable that would have me planning a return visit just for them. The Cacio e Pepe was decent, but the mushroom risotto was honestly the worst mushroom risotto I've ever had. It tasted like Campbell's cream of mushroom soup had been used as the base. The ambiance was nice, the service was good, and the drinks were enjoyable, but again, nothing felt especially memorable or exceptional. On a positive note, the prices were fair for what you get. Overall, I personally don't feel the need to come back. It's a perfectly fine meal, but with so many great dining options around, this just didn't stand out to me.

Still stands-up to the hype after all these years…read more If "Trendy" was a restaurant, Bestia would easily be in top contention, even after being around for more than a decade. That says a lot. Once upon a time (a few years ago), my CFP + banking institution wanted to thank me for being one of their top private clients. They expressed their gratitude with a very generous, all expense paid full-course meal at Bestia. To say that I was impressed would be an understatement. Fast forward to now, I knew that coming back here would be a good idea. Make no mistake, even if you try to book a reservation several weeks in-advance, don't be surprised if the only available seats are at the counter. Granted, I was in a spacey table during my past visit, the counter can be an enjoyable & unintentionally entertaining space. It's great for a more casual vibe, as you get to see some of the kitchen workers put together some of their signature dishes. In many ways, Bestia seems like a microcosm of the city that it rather humbly resides within. What always catches me off-guard, is that the surrounding simple area really doesn't reflect the happening, vibrant, night-life that resides within the building's walls. You feel like you're taken so a different, very social, very bustling world. WINE: Podere 72, Poderi San Lazzaro (Marche region, central Italy) - 8.7 / 10 A very robust blend of Montepulciano & Sangiovese grapes that results in a balanced, medium bodied red wine that stands-up to heartiness of a beef ribeye steak. FOOD: Roasted Bone Marrow - 9.4/ 10 I have several friends that go here just for this particular dish. Funny enough, one can almost always tell that one is at Bestia because of the rather peculiar manner in which this dish is served. Hot, melted bone marrow is appropriately scooped out of the bone & poured onto spinach gnocchetti. It's like eating beef flavored mouth pillows of potato + spinach. It's definitely a dish that will impress whoever you are with. I can never resist ordering this whenever I am here. Oxtail alla Vaccinara - 8.9 / 10 The deep, rich maroon color of the rigatoni (thanks to beets) is a sight to behold. The pasta is firm but not too hard. It's a humble yet complex pasta dish that complements any main course. 26oz Margaret River Wagyu Ribeye - 9.4 / 10 Anybody who knows me knows that I love my ribeye. Any decent fancy restaurant does a ribeye. But no one does a ribeye quite like Bestia. The fermented mushroom cream delivers a punch of pungence not unlike a delectable dijon mustard, but to the highest of levels. This dish also makes me a believer in well-cooked onions served alongside steak. I usually like to take a home a portion of ribeye for later, but this is one of the very few instances when the steak is so good, that I can't help but finish it here. Again, the portion is more than enough to be shared. Fromage Blanc Mousse - 9.1 / 10 This seasonal dish hits all the right notes. It's the fanciest of cheesecakes, so I recommend sharing this. With its decadence, a little truly goes a long way & that's perfectly fine. The richness of the cheese is offset perfectly by the right balance of candied kumquats. A great "bite" to end on. Huge shout-out & thanks to Radu for being the nicest & most enthusiastic of servers. It's little things like him being so down to take pics of you with your party that really make me want to come back here. It the owners / management is reading this, please recognize how pivotal he is to your team. If he was working under me, I would most definitely give him a raise. Also, shout-out to Dani at the hostess stand. She is one of the most personable people. For being the first person that patrons see upon entering, she is the perfect face, attitude, & welcoming personality that the hospitality industry is in dire need of. She's a rockstar of a hostess & a pleasure to talk with. Bestia is a better place because of valuable employees like Radu & Dani. As always, come for the food. Come back for the service. I would definitely come back because of how amazing Radu & Dani are. Years after the hype, the vibe is still very much happening at Bestia.

Bestia was unfortunately very overhyped. The restaurant encourages ordering shareable plates, but…read morethe portions were extremely small, and the food itself was just okay--not bad, but nothing memorable. The biggest disappointment was the service. Our server was unwilling to accommodate even simple requests. One friend in our group doesn't drink, and when we asked if her mocktail could be served in a cocktail glass so she could feel included, he simply said no. He also refused to make an espresso martini despite having the ingredients available. To make matters worse, one of our dishes never arrived. When we brought it up, the server responded, "I asked you if it came out and you said yes," instead of apologizing for the mistake. Afterward, he took the bill and appeared to be talking negatively about our table. For a restaurant with such a stellar reputation, I expected much better. Between the tiny portions, average food, and poor service, I won't be back

The people here are sooo nice and accommodating. Came here with a friend for lunch-our first time…read moreand it was great. Surprise was the happy hour menu offered. We got the nachos and the burger trio and the filet burger sandwich. It was all good esp the filet burger which had 2 big slices of steak! The trio sliders were so good and love the bun with a lot of French fries. The nachos was a big bowl too with all the fixins-guac, beans, cheese choice of chicken or ground beef! This is a neighborhood gem and I'd make it a destination place to go to too. The place has a nice bar area with tvs too Thank you Keith for the wonderful service.

First off, I'm sad to know they are closed :(…read more The last time I went there was around the holidays before the end of the year and enjoyed some good wings and a couple of drinks. The staff was friendly and very attentive. The wings and drinks themselves were super flavorful and I thought I would have more time to enjoy and come back to visit while in town. My partner also tried their burger and fries and decided to stop by the restaurant only to find out they closed a couple of months ago. It was worth the visit when we went there back in December.z The place was cute and it felt comfy.

My first time coming visiting from out of state on a recommendation. Our server, Jillian provided a…read moregreat menu selection and offered great ideas on what we should order all throughout the evening she asked what our favorites were from dinner to dessert. Highly recommend as this is certainly a favorite for service , food and atmosphere. Look up menu and you will not be disappointed... reserve ahead as this place is busy for all the reasons mentioned. And ask for Jillian as your server.

SHOUTOUT TINA BADDEST BJYTXH FOREVERR she was the best server ever always got us drinks and was…read moreso attentive '!!$