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…
Breakside celebrates 15 successful years in craft beer
Breakside brewery, barrel aged, b-side, brewing, beer,

One of our favorite west coast breweries is turning 15. Breakside, the award-winning Portland brewery behind outstanding ales ranging from IPA to pilsner to barrel-aged beers, is having a birthday bash all week long and beyond. Special beers will be poured this week and a collaboration beer is about to be dropped.

The brewery just celebrated the opening of its latest taproom, set just across the Columbia River in Vancouver. On May 13th, Breakside will celebrate at its flagship Dekum location with throwback beers and special menu additions like Mediterranean mussels. The next day, the brewery will host a party at its Slabtown location in NW Portland.

Read more
Coffee shops, it’s time to add decaf nitro cold brew to the menu
A missing piece at every coffee shop
Nitro cold brew

Nitro cold brew remains one of my all-around favorite coffee drinks to order. It's truly never disappointed me. Every sip is smooth, creamy (without any actual cream), and has the perfectly velvety texture. When I'm out running errands or traveling, I love treating myself to nitro cold brew because I don't make it at home. Unlike an iced americano or a regular cold brew, which I make at home, making nitro cold brew requires the infusion of tiny nitrogen bubbles.

As much as I love nitro cold brew, I've identified one major problem. The caffeine in nitro cold brew hits hard -- especially if you slurp it down as fast as I do. This drink's smooth and velvety nature makes it so easy to drink quickly. The average nitro cold brew contains between 200 and 300 mg per serving, more than enough to make you feel jittery. Even as a caffeine addict, I find the caffeine in a nitro cold brew to be a bit too much (especially if I've already had another coffee that day). After experiencing the caffeine jitters from nitro cold brew one too many times, I've wondered: Why isn't decaf nitro cold brew a thing? I've searched dozens of coffee shop menus and have never found decaf nitro cold brew on a menu.

Read more
Is there really such a thing as the best merlot wine?
The objective answer is no, but the subjective answer is yes
Merlot being poured into a glass

Those of a certain age might remember Paul Giamatti’s character in the 2004 movie Sideways ("If anyone orders merlot, I’m leaving."), and the subsequent tanking of that particular varietal expression. Was that fair or accurate? No. Are there garbage merlots? You better believe it. But merlot is a fantastic grape, wonderful on its own and fabulous in a blend -- and this leads to the question: Is there such a thing as the best merlot wine?

If you asked me, I’d say it was a toss-up between two famous producers from Bordeaux’s "right bank" -- in other words, wines made primarily with merlot. My first response would be any wine produced by Château Pétrus, especially a Grand Cru. Pétrus, famous since the 19th century, is located in Bordeaux’s subregion of Pomerol. It makes stunningly good wines solely from merlot grapes grown in its blue clay terroir: a wine that’s lush, voluptuous, and silky -- with a hint of earthy truffle.

Read more