Opening up Mas Malo's tequila vault

This type of tequila bottle used to be made by nuns...but why would they make the bottle look like that?

Mas Malo Downtown is a different animale from Silver Lake's original Malo -- located in a former jewelry store that was later Clifton's Silver Spoon cafeteria, it's a cavernous room that holds a few secrets in addition to plenty of tables and a long bar extraordinarily well-stocked with tequila.

Downstairs, there's a '70s styled lounge, while tucked away at the back of the restaurant is the cozy Tequila Vault. The compact room can hold about a dozen people, and it can be used for everything from a romantic anniversary dinner to an exclusive tequila tasting session, and the selection of rare tequilas that lines the walls is muy rico indeed. I was invited to try some of the top-notch tequilas for a tasting ranging from Silver to Reposado to Anejo to Mescal. (Work the next day kept me from ingesting the supposedly-hallucinogenic worm.)
Tequila bottles are always fascinating, and while AsamBroso is known for its extremely phallic bottles, the El Carbonzado variety aged in Tennessee whiskey barrels is also a fine sipping tequila with a hint of butterscotch flavor.
Fortaleza  is from one of the first families to sell tequila, and the Reposado (or "rested") variety has a heady vanilla nose. But the mejor de mejor we tasted in the vault was Casa Noble single barrel Anejo, aged for five years, which is just about the smoothest tequila I've ever tasted, with a buttery, silky finish.There's also a selection of mescals, and Malo beverage director Fred Warner is an able guide through the world of tequila. Mas Malo is also introducing a menu of traditional style cocktails made with tequila, from a Tequila Sazerac to a Tequila Aviation, and you don't need to be in the exclusive vault to order any of the tequilas or cocktails.

The Spice Table: Stylish and fragrant in Little Tokyo

The Spice Table is on Central, next to Weiland Brewery

L.A.'s newfound devotion to modern Vietnamese has taken a giant leap forward with The Spice Table,
which adds Singapore flavors and a urban rustic feel to the former Cuban restaurant in Little Tokyo.
While Sang Yoon's Lukshon near Culver City offers a long menu of Asian-influenced dishes in a sleek modern space, The Spice Table is definitely more Downtown (and just steps from the Gold Line station!). The weathered brick walls and filament lighting in Vietnamese bird cages make space feel more like a restaurant in Portland or San Francisco -- it's warm and inviting, buzzing with conversation and a soundtrack of non-offensive music from the likes of Coldplay, U2 and the Cure.
For now, the menu is fairly brief, though lunch service with house-baked baguettes for banh mi is in the offing. Dishes are based on Singapore, where chef Bryant Ng (opening chef at Pizzeria Mozza) has roots, and Vietnam, where Ng's wife Kim has roots.

The menu is mostly small plates; we didn't try any of the main courses though spicy mackerel and coconut grilled in banana leaves looked fun to try -- others include chicken curry, oxtail and short rib stew and catfish claypot. 

Pâté is a good way to start

House-made  pâté will ably stave off the initial hunger pangs -- it's served with a dish of aioli on soft baguettes that are surely only a pale imitation of what's to come from the bread oven eventually.
Everyone who's been there already mentions the fried cauliflower with a light tempura coating ($7). I still prefer the roasted version at the Lazy Ox, but this one is nicely executed with a salty, spicy dipping sauce that brings the dish to life.
The Singapore influence is seen in the satay section of the menu, which offers chicken, pork, beef, lamb belly and chile prawns. We went for the less-usual lamb belly ($10), and it was tender and just fatty enough carry the lamb flavor, served with the traditional peanut sauce. Kon loh mee was a flavorful bowl of noodles with ground pork ($12) that would have been excellent had it just been served hot instead of tepid.

Though the waiter cautioned we wouldn't have enough food, we were actually fine with the addition of kaffir lime custard, a well-balanced and refreshing end to a light but rich meal. There's also house-made soft serve ice cream, but I had already been to Scoops for lunch, so next time...
The beer list of mostly draft Californian selections is well thought-out with the choice of a 4 oz. sample glass, a 12 oz. pour or a pint. Abita Amber and Alesmith IPA were perfect with our deeply-flavored small plates; other beers on the list include The Bruery's Rugbrod and Orchard White, North Coast Brewing Pranqster and Le Merle Saison, Napa Smith Pilsener, Craftsman Heavenly Hefe and Singapore's Tiger beer in bottles.
Though it's early days, the Spice Table seems like just the kind of restaurant Downtown needs -- multicultural, comfortable and stylish, not too too expensive, with real attention to flavors and drinks -- now if they could just get the baguette oven up and running.
The Spice Table
114 S. Central

213-620-1840

Ray's & Stark Bar: Museum lunching goes modern

The lounge area is outdoors in the museum's breezeway

With Ray's Restaurant and Stark Bar, LACMA finally has a restaurant worthy of the sleek new buildings on its campus. And it's really good news for us Variety staffers, since there's not many good places for business lunches -- or post-work cocktails -- within walking distance of our Wilshire offices. Producer Ray Stark wasn't known as the cuddliest of Hollywood honchos -- Tina Brown called him "the hound from Hell" -- but at least his generous daughter Wendy is livening up LACMA with her donation to launch the restaurant with his name under the Patina Group management. 

House-made bread is ultra-fresh

At lunchtime, the glass-enclosed restaurant is bright and peaceful, half-filled with well-heeled docents and their docile husbands, half with Teva-wearing tourists wondering if a $14 burger is their only option, and even kinda real artists like Mr. Brainwash. There's also plenty of dining on the patio, while the Stark Bar area is completely outside, though well-stocked with heaters. Chef Kris Morningstar has toned down the nose-to-tail urges he pursued at Mercantile and District -- there's no beef deckle, no venison chile rellenos at Ray's. The simple menu hits all the spots this crowd expects -- a perfectly cooked piece of Arctic char ($19 at lunch), a premium burger, hangar steak, flatbreads, along with more modish plates like duck salad, Cornish hen or pork belly.

Arctic char romances its sunchoke costar

Most dishes add to the familiar with more exotic touches -- Greek potato skordalia and nutty sunchokes along with chanterelles are awards-caliber, umami-filled supporting players to the crispy-skinned fish. A small loaf of house-baked bread for each table is irresistible. Looking for your silverware and napkin? You'll find them stowed in a neat drawer under the table -- the cheerful, mid-century design of Ray's, though simple, shows Renzo Piano's touch.

Coffee pudding is rich but not too sweet

Desserts include a deeply-flavored pudding made with LaMill coffee and coffee granita -- though it's a cookie cigarette, not a real one, on top. Ray's might want to add a few more casual dishes to the fairly pricey lunch menu as time goes on, to keep the ladies-who-lunch coming back. But for now, it's already a big improvement on the museum's other Patina-owned restaurant, Pentimento, which is currently closed for renovations.

David's finally open on Sunset

The sign first went up in 2009, but David's is looking more lively now.

It's been over a year since we checked in with David in the old L.A. Chinese spot on Sunset at Parkman, near Cafe Tropical. Now David, owned by caterer David Sutton, is open for breakfast and lunch. At breakfast, try a Mochie crepe with nutella and banana ($7), a Silver Lake Mochie crepe with brie, caramelized apples and bacon ($9), steak and eggs ($15) or Huevos Rancheros ($10). Lunch dishes include a veggie napoleon panini ($9), half pound burger ($9), carne asada plate, penne pasta pomodoro or beet salad. 
(Thanks to Will Campbell for the intel. Read more on Feast.)

Berlin Currywurst...Ich bin ein Silverlaker

paprikawurst -- pork sausage with paprika and garlic

No, EatingLA is not still reporting from Berlin. In a strange, curry-flavored bit of serendipity, while I was wandering around Berlin without ever getting the timing right to try the local specialty of currywurst, Berlin ex-pats Hardeep and Lena Manak and Haike Buentemeyer were opening Berlin Currywurst in the former pupuseria next to Pazzo Gelato in the heart of Sunset Junction. The compact space has been revamped with large black and white photos of Berlin, old school chairs, large glass bottles of curry powder and filament light bulbs. A small outdoor patio provides a bit more seating.
But what is currywurst, which became popular in Berlin after the war and spread to both East and West sides of the divided city? Currywurst is a sausage sliced, doused in a curry-flavored tomato sauce and sprinkled with curry powder.

Berlin icons like the bear symbol and the TV tower decorate the room

At Berlin Currywurst, choose from seven types of sausage including the traditional bratwurst and bockwurst, beef with cheese and jalapenos, chicken and tofu. Then choose a heat level for the ketchup -- #3 has a slow but significant burn, while #4 comes with a stern warning. If you like, add extra flavors themed to Berlin neighborhoods -- my favorite neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg corresponds to fruity, while edgy Kreuzberg is chipotle-tinged. The menu is simple -- the only sides are fries, but sauteed onions or jambalaya can be added on top. While beer would make a good companion to the deliciously salty, spicy and fatty flavors, Hardeep said the space is just too small to apply for a liquor license. It's a shame, since in Berlin, even the tiniest food stalls and trucks serve beer and the country doesn't seem to come to a complete stop just because a sausage shop doesn't have two bathrooms. So how are the currywurst? The sausage is top quality all-natural meat with a hearty porky flavor. I think personally I prefer my sausages with mustard, but my dining companions were very pleased with the housemade ketchup. A currywurst with bread and sauce is $5.89, while fries are $3.49. Hardeep told me the German brown bread is made specially for the restaurant by an eccentric German baker who has been experimenting with the recipe for several months to get it just right.

Get the fries with onions for even more impact

I love well-cooked fries and these are extremely brown, almost too brown but still wonderful with a hit of mayo and some browned bits of onions. Berlin Currywurst is a fun and affordable addition to Silver Lake, with friendly owners who take the time to get to know their customers, which strangely enough doesn't happen often with new places.
Berlin Currywurst
(closed Mondays)
3827 W. Sunset Blvd.
323.663.1989

Silver Lake's Sila says adieu...what now?

Sila on Hyperion at Griffith Park was the new name for Fritzie's, but despite a revamped menu and chef, the reboot never quite gelled. Then there was the strange interlude when it was going to become Hora Bohemian Bistro. Owners Ray and Frank had been planning another revamp into the Rosemary Cafe but decided to call it quits instead, and will serve their last dinner this Saturday. Here's hoping the space can become one of those holy grails of Silver Lake dining: some decent Chinese food, or a reasonably-priced, fresh and casual cafe with awesome breakfasts. Or a real bread bakery. Or a freshly-baked bagel shop. What would you like to see on this high-traffic corner?