Pick a Friday night, or any night really, and you'll find beautiful people, delicious food and outstanding service at the Chaya family of restaurants. The original is located in Beverly Hills, and additional restaurants are in downtown Los Angeles and San Francisco, plus cousin M Cafe in BH, Culver City and Hollywood.
I always choose the Chaya location situated along Main Street on the Venice-Santa Monica border as it's easy to get to from the South Bay and parking, while about $5, is never an issue.
Aside from the jam-packed bar that can make ordering a drink feel like a salmon swimming upstream, Chaya Venice is a bustling bistro that specializes in a unique fusion of Franco-Japonaise fare that rarely if ever disappoints. As businessmen ogle flocks of gorgeous women/ fingers of after-work scotch and soda, Executive Chef Shigefume Tachibe's vision comes to life with a full sushi bar as well as a kitchen that churns out such mouth-watering main courses as steak-wrapped scallops, miso sea bass and a buttery Angus rib eye set up by appetizers like the famous lobster enchiladas.
The wait staff is always attentive and knowledgeable, all you can really ask for. Prices are fair, ranging in the $100 range in return for an appetizer, two main courses, two glasses of wine and desert for two. Speaking of wine, Chaya also offers a deal of half off on bottles on Tuesdays.
And there is more eye candy than the food or the L.A. in-crowd who frequent the establishment. On a recent Friday, a friend and I were amused by a street performer dressed as a tree-cum-faun ala the 2006 Mexican-Spanish fantasy film "Pan's Labyrinth."
Just be sure to make reservations.
No comments:
Post a Comment