Jet-setting chef Hisashi Yoshiara descends on Santa Monica with the New Estate Restaurant & Bar for Asian-inspired fusion fare
When you combine a chef of Japanese heritage with extensive European training and sprinkle in a touch of West Coast influence, you get unique, new Estate Restaurant & Bar.
Opened this summer on the Westside, Executive Chef Hisashi Yoshiara brings quality food and drinks to an otherwise restaurant bare strip of Wilshire Boulevard. The cozy space designed by Thomas Schoos deftly blends ebony wood, white brick walls, leather tufted banquettes and geometric gold accents. Hand-blown glass pendants illuminate the dining room with warm amber lighting.
Between the bar lounge, the sunken “pit” dining room and multiple private dining rooms, the team behind Estate has done well to create a modern and inviting locale.
Known for his use of kitchen-inspired flavor profiles, Mixologist Greg Bryson sources cocktail ingredients such as beet juice, wasabi, lemongrass and sesame oil to introduce new combinations to guests’ palates. Ingredients in drinks such as Dew Process (wilder gin, dolin blanc, honey dew, lavender and lemon) and The Shrink (mezcal, beet juice, honey, lime juice and turmeric) are interesting enough to pique anyone’s interest.
The beer menu, meanwhile, touts local brews from Southern California and spans multiple countries such as Japan, Holland and Germany. Similarly, the well-traveled Yoshiara has crafted a menu that traverses the globe, expertly blending distinct flavor profiles, like Mediterranean and Asian.
The borderless farm-to-table menu features items like Whole Branzino “Aqua Pazza,” served with Mediterranean condiments, caramelized fennel roots and house herbs de Provence; Shrimp “Mojito” with diced watermelon, mint, cucumber, lime and corn chips; and Spicy “Kurobuta” Ramen served with braised pork, corn, onions, bean sprouts and kochijan miso broth.
The Natural Canadian Scallop might not sound incredibly inventive, but when served, it doubles as art on a plate, as the scallop is enveloped in a spun crispy potato and presented over velvety spicy green curry vinaigrette.
For dessert, explore an interpretation of two classics that would never traditionally go together on the same plate: Green Tea Tiramisu—a dish not likely to appear on other menus.
Among the new spate of Los Angeles’ fusion restaurants giving diners more options, Estate whisks them around the world in one night, helping to ease them out of their culinary comfort zones and expand their notions of typical pairings, minus the turbulence.
Estate Restaurant & Bar
1519 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, 90403
310.394.7722 | Estate519.com
Photos courtesy of Estate Restaurant & Bar