BEACON an asian cafe

(310) 838-7500

3280 Helms Ave
Culver City, CA 90034 34.03 -118.384

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Neighborhood: McManus

Price:

$$

Last updated 6.11.10

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Notable Chef:

Kazuto Matsusaka

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About BEACON an asian cafe

Featured Review

Tara Lis

Contributor

The Scene – Nestled under the Beacon Laundry marquee in the Helms Bakery complex, this Zen-modern eatery is small, yet airy. Rows of park bench-like banquettes snake around the perimeter, and the exposed kitchen faces the dining room. Concrete walls are affixed with warm fabric-covered wood lanterns; white sconces dangle from the ceiling. Knowledgeable waiters and vigilant attendants cater to locals, foodies and patrons from the adjacent Jazz Bakery. – – The Food – Chef Kazuto Matsusaka prepares Pan-Asian fusion at neighborhood prices. Oysters are pearly and plump…

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
There's no restroom inside the restaurant. You'll have to walk outside to an annexed building.
Where to Sit:
There are two separate smoking and nonsmoking patios. Inside, avoid the lone two-top in the middle of the room, as well as Table 20, which catches drafts when the doors open.
What to Drink:
The wine list offers Asian-food friendly by-the-glass selections, like the well-balanced Australian Redbank pinot gris. Corkage is $12.
ambiance
96.96999549865723% positive
  1. “Service was excellent and ambience was also pretty good.”
  2. “The food, the service & the atmosphere is still the best in Culver City.”
  3. “The food is good and the atmosphere is nice.”
  4. “the food is EXCELLENT and fun to share (appetizers are good size and well priced, main courses are large).”
  5. “great ambience and a unique dining experience”
  6. “As long as you don't get that table, you will have good food, good service, and good ambiance.”
  7. “The atmosphere is clean and hip, but somewhat cramped and loud.”
  8. “The service, the food and the ambience are great.”
  9. “amazing food, cozy ambiance”
  10. “Precisely cooked food, warm modern atmosphere”
  11. “the ambiance is nice, if you like that "we're trying too hard to be zen" type of feel.”
dessert
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “Decent Food, good dessert, bad reservation staff”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “Get the fried oysters and a big beer, you'll think Cape Cod is in Japan.”
  2. “The service was attentive and the food and drinks were great!”
  3. “liked my chicken pad thai, their salads, and their green iced tea (which is a curiously opaque olive-drab green).”
food quality
92.22000122070312% positive
  1. “The food is fast, well-thought-out, and interesting -- not just a tired old collection of marinaded black cods and sushi rolls.”
  2. “The food is always amazingly good.”
  3. “The food, the service & the atmosphere is still the best in Culver City.”
  4. “Plus, the food was mediocre.”
  5. “We gave it one more shot with a group of friends several months later only to find the service was even more disappointing and the food remained under par.”
  6. “For those wanting to try a creative sushi roll without paying someone at Koi $22 for something drizzled in mayonnaise, the Beacon roll is fresh with smoked salmon, crab meat, avocado -- all wrapped in paper-thin cucumber slices.”
  7. “Always amazing food”
  8. “She liked the duck and I really like the steak.”
  9. “As long as you don't get that table, you will have good food, good service, and good ambiance.”
  10. “The only thing that I can say is that the Black Cod dish is amazing.”
  11. “Three of us shared plates of a steak and potatoes dish (amazing steak served with average potato salad), incredible seasoned cod, and perfectly cooked chicken (the mango side was slightly disappointing, but the meats were what we were there for anyway).”
  12. “Bad food.”
  13. “The black cod was to die for, sashimi fresh, most flavors very subtle but very enjoyable.”
  14. “overall i thought the experience was greatl, food was amazing along with the service and the back patio was just wonderfull.”
  15. “the food is EXCELLENT and fun to share (appetizers are good size and well priced, main courses are large).”
  16. “My vegetarian friend said she quite enjoyed her sauteed mushroom salad (despite the fact she doesn't love salads).”
  17. “Good food!”
  18. “If I was insulted again, never though, no food is that good.”
  19. “The food was OK, the prices were reasonable and the service wasn't too bad, but it was not anywhere near what I expected.”
  20. “However, it seems the B- and C-level celebrities do seem to enjoy the food there.”
  21. “The vegetables seemed fresh, but the taste was just fair.”
  22. “(E.g., I thought the tuna sashima pizza was creative, but it's just pizza dough with sashimi on it.”
  23. “The seabass is good if you like asian style fish with a hint of sweetness.”
  24. “great food but prepare for attitude”
  25. “great food.”
  26. “The menu is small but yummy - try the awesome marin.”
  27. “Precisely cooked food, warm modern atmosphere”
  28. “The menu has lots of flavorful comfort food-- I especially like the yaki udon, the pork katzu and the grilled organic chicken.”
  29. “Good food”
  30. “Really clean Asian food.”
  31. “The service was attentive and the food and drinks were great!”
  32. “Great time, great food”
  33. “Great food with an Asian twist”
  34. “The service, the food and the ambience are great.”
  35. “amazing food, cozy ambiance”
  36. “The mushrooms were perfectly stir-fried with an exquisite taste.”
  37. “my date and I secured a seat on the patio on a warm winter's night (heat lamps added some warmth) and we enjoyed the experience of the food and a great Rose.”
  38. “The food is good and the atmosphere is nice.”
  39. “Been there a couple of times and the food has always been great.”
  40. “liked my chicken pad thai, their salads, and their green iced tea (which is a curiously opaque olive-drab green).”
  41. “The plates the food comes on are really unique too.”
  42. “If you love food and don't care much for the other BS, like; not getting your entitlement issues met by the Hostess or Server, then go here!”
  43. “Then we had the spicy tuna rolls, which were decent but it didn't make up for the Udon with Kim chi pork we had - which was just soy sauce mixed with greasy udon noodles.”
  44. “The food was excellent and well-priced.”
  45. “Service was good and I can't rave enough about the food.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “The menu is small but yummy - try the awesome marin.”
  2. “Reasonable portions, good variety, and always new things on the menu.”
  3. “The menu has lots of flavorful comfort food-- I especially like the yaki udon, the pork katzu and the grilled organic chicken.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “obviously it's all in who you 'know' to get good seating in this place.”
  2. “The Helms Bakery is a great space, in a cool, emerging part of L.A. But, I left the place scratching my head.”
service
75.92999935150146% positive
  1. “Decent Food, good dessert, bad reservation staff”
  2. “Chilled sakes are available by the glass or bottle and the attentive staff will explain that (+10) means its dry.”
  3. “The overall service wasn't bad considering the reviews here.”
  4. “The food was OK, the prices were reasonable and the service wasn't too bad, but it was not anywhere near what I expected.”
  5. “As long as you don't get that table, you will have good food, good service, and good ambiance.”
  6. “The service was attentive and the food and drinks were great!”
  7. “The bussing-staff, though, was extremely attentive, swiftly taking away empty plates to make room for the course.”
  8. “The food, the service & the atmosphere is still the best in Culver City.”
  9. “We gave it one more shot with a group of friends several months later only to find the service was even more disappointing and the food remained under par.”
  10. “the service was horrible too.”
  11. “Although we did overstay our welcome for the excellent lychee sorbet, our friendly waiter did not tap his watch (I'm not a sorbet enthusiast, but the flavors worked together beautifully).”
  12. “Or the hostess was just full of it).”
  13. “And they have nice service as well.”
  14. “The service, the food and the ambience are great.”
  15. “Just go eat there and save your persnickety ways, needy issues, and poor service complaints for the lame spots in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.”
  16. “overall i thought the experience was greatl, food was amazing along with the service and the back patio was just wonderfull.”
  17. “The bartender was friendly & helpful.”
  18. “The wait staff was attentive.”
value
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “Overall it is a nice night out at a very reasonable price.”
  2. “The food was OK, the prices were reasonable and the service wasn't too bad, but it was not anywhere near what I expected.”
  3. “Good value”
  4. “Four small plates will cost you about $50, enough for two (if you don't have a huge appetite!)”
  5. “That isn't typical for a good restaurant in LA so I thought it was worth noting.”
  6. “Reasonable portions, good variety, and always new things on the menu.”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “So, we waited a good 15 mins before any waiting approaching us (btw, not a single person walked in that door for the rest of the night.”
  2. “As long as you don't get that table, you will have good food, good service, and good ambiance.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

07/20/10

Beacon does great catering!

by ProCreation

I needed a caterer for a last minute party of 30. It had to be really good because the guest of honor is a very good cook and the rest of us are a bunch of foodies; unfortunately, our tastes often exceed our respective budgets. I called Beacon. Vicki Matsusaka worked with me to put together a menu with all my favorite edibles. Working with her was a pleasure. She tweaked the menu several times and was happy to do so. When the food arrived, on time, I couldn't believe how beautiful it all was. Vicki attended to every detail. Everybody raved about the food and pretty much devoured everything! The price was very reasonable. I have no doubts about who to call next time. Thanks Beacon!

  • Pros: Great food, great service, very reasonable!
  • Cons: can't think of anything!
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/07/10

Good food

by brutusvladimir

Been there a couple of times and the food has always been great. Reasonable portions, good variety, and always new things on the menu. There is one table in the middle so they can squeeze one extra in -- your elbows are literally on the plate of the table next to you. As long as you don't get that table, you will have good food, good service, and good ambiance.

  • Pros: GREAT black cod
  • Cons: awkward table setup
1 Star Rating: Poor

02/16/08

Poor service etiquette

by joclee

I saw the review of Beacon in the Los Angeles Magazine and was excited to try it out.

I made a reservation and when we were seated at a table uncomfortably close to another couple, we asked to sit at the bar. We soon realized that the bar was a place where the waiters gathered to chit chat about how much they had made that night and how much they were required to tip out the sushi chef. It was as if they didn't think that those dining at the bar could hear everything they were saying. The dining experience was ruined by this atmosphere. Plus, the food was mediocre.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

12/30/07

Nice relaxing dinner

by tmigs

My wife and I come here about once a month and are always glad we came back. The short-ribs are really good and the appetizers are decent. The seabass is good if you like asian style fish with a hint of sweetness. And they have nice service as well. Overall it is a nice night out at a very reasonable price. Note: I would recommend making reservations to make sure you are seated promptly.

  • Pros: Great short-ribs
  • Cons: Make reservations
4 Star Rating: Recommended

12/08/07

Best choice for pan-asian in Culver City.

by alefeusch

Ususally when I'm in the mood for asian, I'll head on over to Beacon. The menu has lots of flavorful comfort food-- I especially like the yaki udon, the pork katzu and the grilled organic chicken. The atmosphere is clean and hip, but somewhat cramped and loud. I usually prefer to get take out and eat quietly someplace else. If it's a nice day, definitely sit on the patio.

  • Pros: Good asian comfort food, nice selection
  • Cons: loud and somewhat cramped

The Details on BEACON an asian cafe

Place Categories:

  • great asian food
  • great overall service
  • full restaurant
  • nice modern atmosphere
  • great ambience
  • unique dining experience
  • nice ambiance
  • amazing steak
  • helpful bartender
  • clean cool interior
  • liked salads
  • good spot
  • even more disappointing service
  • attentive wait staff
  • very reasonable price
  • mediocre food
  • decent good dessert
  • really good shortribs
  • awesome marin
  • incredible cooked chicken
  • creative sushi roll
  • fresh vegetables
  • fresh flavors
  • incredible black cod
  • creative tuna sashima pizza
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