Got a ‘highly recommended’ from a friend who went
Impression from a local cook.
Judging by the portions, I would imagine that the average check without drinks will probably be around $75 - $100/pp before t&t.
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Like many restaurants stopping outdoor dining, Damian is starting takeout on Dec 3rd.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIEFJJYDCG3/?igshid=1q6cp74ny9ee1
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Went tonight.
Overall impressions:
My wife and I both enjoyed our meal and would go back.
The atmosphere is calm and relaxing.
The food is exceptionally visually appealing – more so than any other LA restaurant in its price range.
The food is prepared very well, but it lacks character. The light flavors remind me of Dama, though Damian’s cooking is higher quality. We preferred Broken Spanish due to its bolder, tastier flavors.
Dishes:
Upper-left corner: Smoked clam with cucumber and avocado with a soy sauce. I thought this was the best dish of the night, though there was nothing really Mexican about it. Probably inspired by Cantonese style geoduck. The light smokiness of the clams was nice. Avocado and soy sauce will one day be recognized as a classic combination.
Lower-right corner: “Tlayuda.” A crispy corn tortilla with a thin bean spread and lots of toppings that make it Instagrammable. A dish that is far more visually impressive than it is tasty. That’s not to say it was bad; it was wholly pleasant. The crispy shrimp shells added a nice touch of umami. But I found the dish, as a whole, somewhat dull.
Upper-right corner. “Tetela.” This was boring. I believe it had only spinach inside. It was paired with a mild ricotta / poblano dip. I think this dish was inspired by something like a Greek or Middle Eastern spinach and feta pie. I don’t see the point.
Left: Grilled fish (sea bream I guess?). Very fresh, cooked perfectly. I liked the blue corn tortillas and accompaniments, though I think this fish is too delicate in flavor for the earthy tortillas. I would have preferred rice to accompany it.
Right: “Quesadilla Suiza.” Chopped morels and gruyere inside; truffle shavings on top. Probably inspired by a “funghi” white pizza, and that’s what it tasted like. This was good, but once again I found it a bit bland. I’d rather eat the funghi misti pizza at Mozza or the mushroom pizza at Gra, to name a couple of examples.
For drinks, the highlight is a good mezcal and tequilla selection. There is also a page of wines by the bottle (some by the glass), none of which stood out to me. I also tried a cocktail, which I found too light for my tastes (despite trying to order the strongest cocktail).
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I thought everything I had was solid, nothing bad but nothing really wowed. the space and presentation was more impressive than the food. I preferred broken spanish.
guacamole, herbs
fish tempura taco - cabbage, ponzu
gordita - dungeness crab, meyer lemon, avocado shiso salsa
uni tostada - caesar salad, parmigiano
smoked clam - chili seed shoyu, cucumber
tlayuda - zucchini, queso fresco, shrimp shell
carne asada, chile relleno, tabbouleh
chamomile soft serve - meyer lemon, honey
hibiscus meringue strawberry
after-dinner ditroit churro
toto
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Fantastic photos. Was it busy?
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That carne estrada looks great! 
thanks. yes it was busy, it looked like every available table (indoor and outdoor) was occupied and there were people waiting outside when I left.
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I am sooooo looking forward to Broken Spanish x NeuHouse tomorrow night
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interested to read what you think, got a resy for next month.
I’ll try to take pics that aren’t shit and give some thoughts. Hard to imagine Ray letting us down.
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for fuck’s sake, report back. thanks man.
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My thoughts were mostly similar. I really love Pujol and Cosme, so was a bit let down. The food was all good but my hopes were high. The tortillas were pretty flaccid and disappointing compared to many you can get around town these days. Cosme has a couple rockstar dishes–namely, the duck carnitas and the lamb barbacoa–that you can build meals around. Right now, Damian does not have that dish.
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agreed, there isn’t that must-order signature dish yet, like the whole fish at mirame or the chicharron at broken spanish.
To be honest, I don’t think it’s better than Mercado. I like Mercado more than many, but they have excellent blue corn tortillas, and an amazing (and generous) carnitas dinner plate I like more than just about anything at Damian. I think I’ll check back in in a few months and see how the menu has developed.
The tuna carnitas on the opening menu was supposed to be “that dish.” Having eaten at Cosme we had high hopes. Didn’t pan out.
Damian’s food reminded us of some legendary restaurant’s 2nd or 3rd hotel franchise branch. We haven’t returned.
After trying Ditroit and being underwhelmed, glad I didn’t pony up for Damian. Letting ingredients “shine” can only take you so far when dishes are under seasoned and are lacking flavor. Sad since I really enjoyed Cosme. Here’s to hoping they make some changes. Agree Broken Spanish was way better.
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