Sawtelle Kitchen

11/28/07

good lunch spot

by famousblueraincoat at Citysearch

never went when it used to more casual, so can't compare but i had a nice lunch here one day with some coworkers and tried diff stuff. lunch specials are good value, usually about $8.50 each and include soup, salad and rice. i like the 1/2 chicken best, very moist, while the snapper was ok but not remarkable. my spaghettin with roe was interesting, not sure i'd repeat, more of a novelty. wine list is very good, obviously someone knows what they are doing. i think corkage is reasonable. it's gets crowded at lunch. i don't think they take rez, so get there early or be willing to sit solo at the bar. service is good. patio is nice on pretty days.

• Pros: good food, value lunch deals, nice wine list
• Cons: busy at lunch, not as cheap as it used to be

11/18/07

Why is this place so busy?

by marpop at Citysearch

I've only been to this place once, but for me, all it takes is one bad impression. Though it's probably the cutest looking restaurant on the Sawtelle strip, the food is not good. I had the chicken lunch special and just as I had feared, the chicken was all nerve-y and cartilage-like. Gross. The cold artichoke appetizer was unusual but not necessarily tasty. All I kept thinking was, why is this place so busy??

• Pros: Cute exteior with a cottage-like setting
• Cons: The cartilage-filled chicken

09/29/07

Yum!

by role at Citysearch

Very cozy, and tasty. Our server was pleasant and the food came out very quickly. Pastas were great and for dessert, I had the blackberry champagne sorbet, which was tasty.

08/21/07

Sawtelle hot spot offers Italian and American cuisine with a Japanese flair for both daring and conservative palettes.

by Nicolas Rabinovitch at Citysearch

In early 2007, this once kitchen-sized Japanese restaurant was converted into a higher-end eatery but still retains the warm, homey atmosphere of the original. The crowd has an eclectic feel, with local businessmen eating alongside artists, families and ladies who lunch. The romantic patio is a couples-favorite in the early evening, when the western sunset dimly shines on its candlelit tables. Blurring the lines of cultural cuisine, Italian and American dishes are prepared with Japanese ingredients. Plump, shell-clad black mussels are steamed in sake and seaweed, and a cold, lemony-fresh whole artichoke comes with sesame aioli. Among entree highlights are the fried red snapper with a tangy citrus-soy dressing, and a crispy skin-on grilled half chicken. The spicy, intense spaghetti with Pollack caviar, daikon sprouts and squid sounds unusual but is surprisingly delicious. Katsu, the fried soul food of Southern Japan, can be ordered as a rich curry made with chicken, beef or pork.

11/15/06

Great little Japanese/American place

by dmenkes at Citysearch

We were seated fairly quickly on a weeknight and fell in love with the atmosphere immediately. Almost like a house rather than a restaurant, you felt at home and the vibe was warm and conversation not too loud as to be distracting. I ordered the chicken curry with spagetti and thought it was terrific. I'd love to explore their other menu items and come back for dinner.

• Pros: VERY cozy

09/20/06

mmmm...

by stevehoang at Citysearch

japanese style italian food? japanese style french food?

the place is tiny with limited seating and open at the strangest hours. there are a few parking spots along sawtelle, but you'll have to fight with the rest of the sawtelle go-ers for street parking.

undoubtedly, quintessentially, a secondary date spot. go here for great food and for potentially good conversation.

salads were huge; mushrooms were cooked well. potatos. there's something amazing about the seasoning in the roasted side-dish potatos.

there's a distinct japanese twist on most of the dishes: chicken breast soaking in its own juices, yet crunchy because of the skin's cooked. amazing little potato things. like most of the sawtelle places, there's spaghetti and curry and what not, but the food was just better. hands down. same dish, similar pricing, but much, much better.

09/01/06

Nice date place, for all you singles out there.

by puran_sugar at Citysearch

Nice, cozy converted house with a nice patio, with lots of character. A good selection of Fusion of meat and seafood with Japanese cooking style. Good service, excellent prices for the quality of the food you get. On the negative side, real small and hard to get a table on the weekends. Trying in the middle of the week or for lunch.

• Pros: Food, Ambience, patio
• Cons: too small, too crowded

06/14/06

Excellent Food and Service!

by seainla at Citysearch

This place is fabulous. A lovely place to have a quiet dinner. Great ambiance in fun Sawtelle nighborhood. I *always* get the vegetable croquettes in curry and spicy fries. This place speaks for itself.

04/08/06

Terrible food and service!

by krysz731 at Citysearch

Spectacularly unimpressive! The food was horrible! My date and I both ordered a main course; he ordered the yellowtail and I ordered the lamb. Both were overcooked, dry, and frankly, disgusting. The fish tasted and smelled fishy, and the lamb was drowned in a nasty brown sauce that gave the meat the appearance of dog food. The service was terrible; the waitress seemed like she was in a rush to take our order... I wasn't even done with my drink order before she walked away from the table. I thought the servers were totally rude, and after our meals when we told them how unimpressed we were with restaurant, they seemed like they couldn't care less. I have no idea why this place is so popular: poor service, even worse food, completely overpriced and nowhere to park. NEVER coming back here.... EVER!

• Pros: NOTHING
• Cons: EVERYTHING

09/17/05

I Won't Go Back

by cityspace at Citysearch

There is no parking anywhere close........... ..................... ...................... ...deleted!

• Pros: none
• Cons: No Parking, Long Wait, Too Cozy