Skip to main content

LA’s Newest Destination Restaurant: Hinoki & the Bird

Hinoki & the Bird is spurring many Angelinos, and visitors alike to the fair city of Los Angeles, to do something they probably never considered before— driving to the isolated neighborhood of Century City for something other than a visit to, you know, their agents. Right across the street from famed offices of CAA (the agents everyone in Hollywood wants) and beneath luxury high rise residences of The Century, Hinoki and the Bird has built a culinary nest that’s become LA’s best new destination restaurant.

Having renown chef and restaurateur, David Myers at the helm might have something to do with it. Myers, who you might know from (sadly closed) Michelin starred Sona in LA or Comme Ça brasserie, has imparted the food at Hinoki & the Bird with an informed mix of California Cuisine (think crispy and Raw Kale with curried almonds, pecorino and lemon vinaigrette) with flavors he discovered while traveling through parts of Asia (See below).

Recommended Videos

We had the opportunity to sample just about everything on the menu (don’t hate). Usually when that happens, things get lost or only a few things manage to stand out. Not so here, but pressed to pick….don’t miss the savory Caramel Braised Kurobuta Pork with radish and mustard greens (a play on the Vietnamese classic) or the Hinoki Scented Black Cod with sweet potato and pistachio is the most buttery and divine homage to the restaurant’s fragrant namesake cypress wood you could dream of (Hinoki means cypress in Japanese). Other dishes that stood out include a charcoaled Lobster Roll with green curry and Thai-basil, and Braised Lamb with tiny potatoes and cumin seed. You’ll note that plates in the Simply Grilled section are cooked to perfection over Binchotan, a Japanese charcoal and including the best wing of Skate we’ve ever tasted— Sambal Skate Wing.

Designed by Milo Garcia’s LA-based MAI Studio (Gjelina, Zinque), Hinoki & the Bird comes across as both handsome and cozy, evoking the unexpected combo of an outdoor patio living room with swank library cum cafeteria set within the frame of cedar wood, walnut and brass.

It’s in LA..so mandatory celeb shout outs include Cameron Diaz, David Schwimmer, Joshua Jackson, Molly Ringwald, Conan O’Brien, Chelsea Handler and Timothy Olyphant.

The restaurant is currently serving dinner only, from 5-10pm though plans are in motion to begin a lunch menu before summer. LA’s next power lunch spot? We’d put money on it.

Check them out at www.hinokiandthebird.com

Matt Bell
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Matt Bell is a travel and grooming writer. He's endured Thai face slapping massages, swam in a cage with crocodiles and…
How to make the Campfire Coffee, a drink for Labor Day Weekend gatherings
An espresso drink we could cozy up with
Stranahan's Blue Peak.

Labor Day Weekend means camping for a lot of people. It's a great chance to enjoy good weather, the great outdoors, and a refreshing summer cocktail.

Here's one for the campfire crowd. We hunted down a cocktail that's perfect for outdoors adventures and stargazing. You can pack it into your site as it does not involve too much in the way of ingredients.

Read more
The carnivore’s guide to grilling bold, meaty seafood
Because the grill doesn’t care if it’s turf or surf.
lobster tails on grill

If you’ve built your grill reputation on ribeyes and reverse-seared tomahawks, seafood probably feels like a side gig. Too dainty. Too quick. Too… lemon wedge. But here’s the secret no one told you: the ocean has cuts every bit as bold and meaty as what you’re pulling out of the butcher’s case. You don’t have to surrender your carnivore card to eat fish — you just have to stop treating it like a side salad.
Part of the hesitation is muscle memory. For decades, seafood has been presented as “the lighter option.” Something you order when you’re trying to be virtuous, or the plate that shows up at the wedding reception for the cousin who doesn’t eat red meat. No wonder steak loyalists have kept it at arm’s length.
But grilled right, seafood isn’t delicate, it’s primal. It spits, it sizzles, it leaves grill marks worthy of a cowboy's favorite steakhouse. A swordfish steak dropped on hot grates doesn’t whisper; it announces itself like a bass drum. A tuna steak seared hard and sliced against the grain bleeds ruby in the middle like the best filet you’ve ever cut into. These aren’t “substitutes” for meat, they’re power players in their own right.
And here’s the kicker: seafood rewards the same instincts you already trust when cooking meat. You already know how a ribeye feels when it’s medium-rare, or how chicken thighs behave over coals. Just apply that intuition to fish and shrimp, and you’ll be shocked at how quickly it clicks. The skill set is already in your hands; the ocean just gives you a new playground.

Why seafood belongs on your grill

Read more
Session beers: Low alcohol, full flavor, and perfect for all-day sipping
Everything you've ever wanted to know about session beers
beer

The average alcohol content for a beer ranges between 4%-6% ABV. But if you’re an IPA drinker, you’ve tried your fair share of 7-10% ABV imperial IPAs. The same goes for barrel-aged stout fans who spend their winters imbibing beers well over 12% ABV. But for all of these over-the-top alcohol-content beers, there are countless session beers.

In my opinion, when it comes to summer drinking, there’s nothing better than a well-made session beer. Crafted to be enjoyed in a “session” with more than one beer in one sitting, the session beer is known for its low alcohol content. But there’s so much more to this beer subset than simply less alcohol. Keep scrolling as we take a deep dive into this refreshing, thirst-quenching beer style.
What is a session beer?

Read more