Hungry Cat

10/04/09

Eases you out of your comfort zone

by Jacqueline Domanus

I went to Hungry Cat with my bf last night. We started off the evening with a tray of assorted oysters. SO GOOD! The flavor of the oysters was exactly what I expected and were served with a great vinegar and cocktail sauce. We were feeling a little adventurous and decided to give the sea urchin a try which turned out to be pretty good. For the price I thought there could have been a little more "meat" to it but it was delicious none the less. I don't see myself ordering the sea urchin on a consistent basis but it could be something fun to order when are guests in town. For our main dishes I ordered the mahi mahi and my bf had the white fish special. Both of our entrees were fantastic! Each bite had wonderful flavor and texture. The mahi mahi is served with this coconut rice. The combination of the sweet and non-sweet flavors really worked well with each other. My bf was hooked on the white fish special with a squash puree and a tarragon butter sauce. We finished up the evening with the tres leches/fig compote cake which was so indulgent but hit the spot perfectly. All in all from the beginning of the evening up until the end we continuously were pleased with the level of service and the cuisine. We'll continue coming here.

• Pros: Fresh, good service, & a party in your mouth :)

07/07/09

Fresh, bright, delicious!

by blbitw

I had the best time watching the chefs hand-craft our salads and raw seafood order... incredibly delicious stuff. I will certainly return.

• Pros: Fabulous raw bar seating
• Cons: Pricey, crowded, small

10/27/08

The gaping void in Hollywood for a great neighborhood seafood restaurant and oyster bar gets filled at this Sunset + Vine favorite.

by Martha Burr

The Scene
Matte black walls and a glass window stretch up to industrial ceiling fixtures, which lend a post-modern vertigo to this intimate space. The centerpiece is a stunning wood and zinc horseshoe bar that wraps around the kitchen and raw bar. Pre-theater and post-moviegoers of all ages have found this casual mall-enclosed spot perfect for a relaxed dinner, though the bar rocks a little harder later on.

The Food
Husband and wife team of chef David Lentz (Opaline, Campanile) and Suzanne Goin (Lucques, A.O.C.) proffer a sophisticated seafood menu inspired by dishes from the Maryland coast. For starters, American sturgeon caviar is accompanied by classic toast points, egg, onion and chive, and Hama Hama oysters are both sweet and briny. Crab cakes made from a 100-year-old family recipe bulge with lump crabmeat; other standout entrees include the robust clams doused in a deep, pungent tomato chorizo broth, and a meltingly sweet and tender pan-roasted skate wing.

08/11/08

I have Crabs!!!!

by jamiekkest

I love this place. Fresh squeezed drinks, raw bar. outside seating. Very cool hip place. A little pricey but worth it. The Crad legs are my favorite. You will enjoy it all

• Pros: cool Ambience and great food
• Cons: do not expect fast service.

07/24/08

Most memorable meal I've had in a while

by ireneszchow

The menu is small, which is fine because clearly they concentrate and do these few things well. My husband and I shared a very flavorful octopus starter that had a nice spike of spice. Our two entrees were completely different in tone and flavor, but both delicious: an earthy dish of nutty scallops served over smoked ham and beans; and a Southeast Asian-inspired dish of astonishingly juicy seared black cod with melon and green papaya slaw over a bed of coconut rice. Skip dessert. There were only two--a bread pudding that sounded too rich for us so we ordered a lemon parfait. It was an underwhelming lemon curd and cream, and our meal would have been better without it. Still, it was the best meal we've had in a while, better than our experiences at some supposedly top L.A. restaurants. We ate at the bar and the service was just fine. I highly recommend this restaurant.

• Pros: great drinks

03/06/08

The Hungry Cat such a dissappointment!

by flakeNYC

This place was a disappointment! First off, the place is incredibly loud. This is not a place to go to have a quiet conversation. They blast the music and you are wedged into a tiny little table with your neighbor practically in your lap! We were seated promptly, but waited 20 minutes to be greeted and to order a cocktail. By the time we ordered our food, another 30 minutes, and by the time the food arrived we were over this place! The food was cold and there was a hair in my wife?s chowder. The management at this place leaves little to be desired and the staff appeared to be overwhelmed. There are better places in LA with better service and food!

• Pros: Good cocktails
• Cons: Poor service, loud, food cold and management leaves little to be desired!

03/04/08

Overcharged & Underserved

by bobbypoole

My friends and I have been talking about going to Hungry Cat for over a year, but it wasn't until tonight that we decided to try it instead of going to Magnolia after the gym. Not the best decision, but you live to live, right? Let my living help you live better, Hungry Cat is a part of life you can do without.

We couldn't be seated immediately, because we had no reservations, which is fine.

We got pointed to the 'beer garden' where we sat in the dark and waited to order drinks. A minute after ordering we were moved to our table. 2 out of the 3 drink orders arrived within 15 minutes, but mine was lost and took another 15 to get. The menu is what it is, but I couldn't find anything I'd order on purpose. One salad option, no vegetarian options, and beyond that NO CHANGES to anything. Everything has eggs in it too, by the way. I did what any trooper would do, and ordered the burger. When asked how I would like burger cooked, I said what I meant, "well done, bordering on burnt". The waitress asked if I was hell-bent (direct quote) on that, and since I don't eat raw cow, I am. "The chef might not want to do that", she said.

Instead of saying ?Why?d you ask me how I wanted it cooked then??, I said "If he won't, I'll take the salad with crab." Right then and there, the burger was scratched off and I was getting the crab salad. Little did I know that I'd be a contestant for the most toilet paper used in Hollywood tonight.

Whatever, we should drink something else, right? We order Vodka Tonics hoping a simple two-component drink would come quicker. No luck, and to top it off, they make their own tonic. Guess what, Schweppes has been doing it fine forever, and the homemade tonic sucked. (note: they have no call-alcohol, all proprietary spirits, and they pack the ice in there)

So, a tiny salad with some gamey bait crab, a cheese plate with one eatable selection, a pasta dish, four drinks and a glass of wine later, we're still hungry, not buzzed, and $145 poorer.

• Pros: easy to avoid location
• Cons: stank seafood, lame drinks, dictator chef

01/27/08

Overrated

by gilinsky

Food, so-so. Small portions and pricey for what you get. Seafood dish that should have been hot came lukewarm. A comment to the waitress only produced an "Oh, really?" Perfunctory service. The coffee was good. Parking validation for one hour only.

01/21/08

What a disappointment!

by eastcoastcritic

A friend took me here for my birthday. Service...not good. We ordered the special and pork & clam stew. The special was a bass and all I got with my first bite was a VERY fishy smelling and tasting fish. My friend and I immediately sent it back noticing that the table beside us was sending one of their dishes back as well. Never a good sign. Our neighbors also told us that they used to eat here once a week but that things have changed and now the food isn't good and the menu not as creative. To end the evening, I left with a horrible stomach ache. My roomate had eaten there the week before and said her friends left with bad stomach aches too. Mmm.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Bad seafood (at least the cooked fish), ambience not good, bad service

01/10/08

The Best Local Oyster Bar that Includes Great Drinks, Food, Service

by missangela2u

Husband and I have been coming here for a while as we live down the street - we were delighted to finally have a good restaurant to walk to. They have yet to disappoint. In the 10 or so times we have visited, the drinks were spot on (specials and on menu), service friendly and attentive and the food fresh and interesting. Their late night raw bar and drinks menu have saved me after other inferior meals. a good solid place all around.

• Pros: Awesome raw bar, hot food, drinks
• Cons: Can get crowded on weekends