There’s a new Sri Lankan restaurant next door to 99 Ranch (in the Attari complex) called Seaburry. They have no online presence that I can find except a Google maps/reviews entry, and call themselves a “fine dining” restaurant. What they actually have is a small menu of Sri Lankan dishes (string hoppers, kothu, short eats, lampreis) with a few non-Sri Lankan offerings. The food doesn’t compare to Apey Kade but might be an acceptable offering if you’re in the neighborhood and are not distracted by Attari Cafe next door or by the 99 Ranch food court.
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WAT???
Thanks for the intel.
Too lazy to drive to Tarzana, so happy to try this. And, perhaps this should go in the confessions threads, but I actually only like the lamb at Attari (thought the sandwich I had once was kind of “meh”). And this 99 Ranch doesn’t sell my preferred brand of black-sesame gluten balls. So I will not be terribly distracted (unless I am in the mood for a bang bang w/ The French Way, but one fold is enough for, like, a wk).
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this is a kinda crazy spot based on website/pictures but im so stoked to try.
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There is something sad about it. Someone with big dreams who thinks this all makes sense. An ending that seems inevitable. I will give it a try.
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The menu is all over the place
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Yeah, seems like they’ve really transformed the old Soleil → Table de Sophie spot.
I have to admit that I think one place that offers fettuccine primavera, tom yum soup, and lamprais kind of intrigues me…
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Closed. They didn’t have any permits.
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lol don’t hate the player hate the game
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this happens when the broker alleges the space has a valid license but it actually doesn’t. or at least that’s one of the reasons.
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When a new restaurant opens in a previous restaurant space, does the new restaurant have to pull a license? I would presume yes since the business operating at the address has changed.
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I think there’s a process to transfer the license, but oftentimes, brokers/operators don’t do the due diligence to make that handover legitimate to the health department. The health department comes in later and says you don’t actually have a valid permit and shuts them down, punishing them for ‘illegally operating a food business’ even though it’s not really the new operator’s fault. It’s really on the broker for being shoddy/lazy and the new operator for not knowing the process.
IMO the health department should be forgiving and give the benefit of the doubt to the new business but inspectors have close to zero accountability or oversight, so they act with impunity. There should be a procedure in these situations so that the health department can provide quick notes and offer viable solutions. What ends up happening is that the previous business will make changes to the plans: add sinks, change position of equipment, or whatever, and the new operator hasn’t submitted those plans, hence the discrepancy.
I’m not saying health inspectors have an easy job - it’s very tough to be a health inspector, and they are overworked, but taking it out on earnest operators trying to run a small business isn’t the answer either. Again, I have no idea what happened with Seaburry, I’m just speculating here, but this is based on what I’ve heard from other businesses.
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As you said, the responsibility for opening a new restaurant properly and in accordance with all regulations ultimately rests with the business owner. I am well aware of the arcane bureaucracy and paperwork our city demands for even the smallest of things. I agree with your sentiment - that in a case like this - and assuming there were no major actual health issues found - the business should be issued a demand to comply within x time period, rather than immediately closed. We are talking hypothetically here, as we don’t know the particulars of this situation, and it’s possible they were given time to comply and still failed to do so.
On the other hand, my understanding is that properly permitted restaurants are treated with kid gloves. A restaurant can have some egregious (in my view) health issues and still stay open, perhaps even get an “A”. I have been in numerous restaurants where I have spotted cockroaches and/or rodents that spot big fat "A"s on their door.
Perhaps our health department is too lenient in some respects and too strict in others.
it’s pretty dependent on the inspectors, as I hear they’re all pretty different. I don’t think all of them are out to shutter places or destroy small businesses. they have a standard to uphold so I understand their position. something needs to change in the system though, and I think part of the solution is breaking up the department into sections rather than have them service the entire county (Pasadena and Long Beach have their own departments, for examples).
But yes, owners themselves should be completely aware of what they need permit-wise before they open. The barrier to entry to open restaurants is low, and the education might not be there.
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I didn’t take a close look, but it seemed like it was back in business tonight when I drove by.
That front entry is… bright. As in, retina-searing.
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Happy to report that Seaburry appears to have found its feet. I went back after a long time, and the menu now highlights their crab/lobster shellfish offerings as the centerpiece of a strongly Sri Lankan list of dishes. The restaurant was pleasantly crowded on Saturday evening, and the food was delicious from the kola kenda soup to the watalappam with nuts.
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The food was delicious and interesting. We both liked it. I highly recommend.
Dishes we got: kola kanda, pol roti, squid with pepper sauce, mussels with red curry sauce. Kola kanda is must try. All for around $100–more than enough food for us.
Thanks to ediner for braving it and reviewing.
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According to Yelp, this restaurant is now closed, which is a shame.
But a new Los Feliz Sri Lankan restaurant called Kurrypinch showed up on UberEats, and it appears to be related, as it has overlapping menu items.
The food was tasty and interesting! I will definitely order again.
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Probs not related. KurryPinch has been around for a bit, first in the valley, and now in Los Feliz area. I gotta go back. Sri Lankan is such an underrated cuisine.
How were spice levels today?
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They offered three different spice levels: not spicy, medium, and spicy. We ordered medium. Medium had plenty of spice and flavor, but it was not adrenaline rush spicy. I wouldn’t call it “spicy” in the chili sense.
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