a lil funny to see the LAT just footnote âhis sister, Luluâ like that.
went a few weeks back. drinks were great, service was excellent, and I think the dining room is a good balance of warm and cute (it is a bit loud/echoey, something that theyâre aware of)
food wise, it just felt like a lot of tofu. tofu in the snap peas, in the gnudi, in the tartare, etc. in fact, a lot of the textures were a bit too soft for me, feeling like almost everything was prepared sous vide. wouldâve loved more textural variety.
fried chicken was good, but there are a few seats in the house where you can see howlin rays through the window if you squint hard enough, which is a bittersweet feeling. hehe.
would love for firstborn to hang around and be truly great. thereâs potential and I hope to revisit it later in the year.
W: 7/20. I found the food inoffensive, except for the strawberry dessert, which was good.
P: I think itâs decent. I like the chicken; juicy and flavorful.
Ran through almost ooe last weekend. I liked it! Especially the tartare, tofu gnudi, the cabbage, and the fried chicken. Cocktails were interesting - not all successful but I appreciated the perspective. Paloma was great, as was the old fashioned. Desserts were cool too.
Price note: the half portion of chicken has become standard, itâs listed at $26 now. We ordered two.
The âWhole Halfâ Chicken at Cosetta is $46
anybody been here recently? Itâs already a pretty easy resy, which bums me out. Was thinking of trying it this weekend. Is Lasita the only hipster restaurant that can survive in Chinatown?
Is Majordomo considered Chinatown?
yes, has to be. So Lasita and Majordomo!
Right next to Triste too. Maybe thereâs not as much overlap in clientele?
Was last there in April. Will probably sit at the bar and try the chicken, sweetbreads, and lamb.
Triste clientele is so damn particular, that kind of cosplaying Dimes Square hipster that feels more prevalent in NYC than here. I can see a world in which theyâd drink 80 dollar bottles and smoke cigs on the sidewalk and never make it to Firstborn.
I have been back. I think firstborn has gotten even better and the cocktails still rock.
Do you understand the Trieste crowd? I walk by on random weekdays, itâs always bumping, and wonder, who are these people? Where did they come from?
Just seems so different from everyone else in the neighborhood.
I havenât been back since April⊠My poor wallet & other new places to check out
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These were the most performative ppl from my mfa program, lol
A buddy described it as people who continually bounce between LA and NYC
Good deal?
Thanks for the tip! We reserved for next weekend. Excited!
Went this past week and was favorably impressed but the bill surprised meâ$290 including tax and tip for two diners. We did have two cocktails each because they were inventive and tasty, so that added up. Highlights included sweet and sour sweetbreads (actually would have preferred just a straight sautĂ© as offered in earlier menus but I appreciate efforts to change things up), mapo tofu beef, beef fat rice and salad with wood ear mushrooms. Corn congee was ok but not quite successful. Duck sausage was too salty. Service was excellent. We would return for the cocktails alone. Next time weâll just pay more attention to the prices on the menu.
Returned tonight with a group of 6 and the whole gang was super impressed. Dishes I disliked last time massively improved.
Highlights- all the cocktails, for me the house martini and the Kingston Negroni were winners.
Duck Sausage (combined with duck fat rice) goddamn
Ribs (perf texture great glaze)
Sweet and Sour Sweetbreads
Hakka Mochi / corn / blueberry tart for dessert
Cabbage - still slaps
Most improved - tofu dumplings (way less mushy than last time)
Chicken (way more chili flavor)
Corn Congee (less watery, concentrated corn flavor)
Good - beef tongue and arugula, tomato and nectarine
Miss you - Mapo Tofu Tartare
Thanks for the rundown and tips for cocktails! We have res for tomorrow night for the Dine LA menu. Stoked!
Please report back. Going at the tail end of DLA,