Camelia (Los Angeles, CA)

Camélia Restaurant
1850 Industrial St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
213-800-9750
www.cameliadtla.com
Sat 08/24/2024, 06:00p-09:30p





I'm quite a fan of both Tsubaki and Ototo, the brainchildren of husband-and-wife team Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan. Thus, when I heard that the couple (in concert with Sprout LA) was opening up new spot in the old Arts District home of Caboco (and Church & State before that), my interest was instantly piqued, and said interest was further heightened when I found out that the restaurant was going to be a French-Japanese bistro, a concept we don't see enough of here in the Southland. Camelia thus grand-opened on July 6th, and a recent birthday dinner served as the perfect excuse to check it out.


The patio has been given a refresh, and surprisingly, is now where you enter the restaurant.


The interior has seen a much more dramatic transformation, courtesy of the team over at Weekends, the firm also responsible for Ototo. The space definitely has a warmer feel thanks to all that red-hued wood, and apparently, the whole aesthetic was inspired by that of Japanese kissaten.


Camelia's menu is fairly lengthy but also rather enticing, really drawing from the restaurant's Japanese-French ethos. It's executed on a day-to-day basis by Chef de Cuisine Nestor Silva, an LA native who previously ran the Malli pop-up, and was at Rustic Canyon and Lucques before that. Meanwhile, we also see the cocktail list, which is the charge of Bar Lead Kevin Nguyen, an alum of Death & Co, The Walker Inn, and The Normandie Club. Click for larger versions.



And here we have the all-French wine list and sake selection, curated by Kaplan (winner of James Beard's "Outstanding Wine & Other Beverages Program" award in 2023), as well as the array of spirits on offer. Corkage is $35 per bottle (limit two) or $70 per magnum (limit one). Click for larger versions.


Dungeness crab, ikura, purple yam blini, buckwheat honey butter [$12.00/each]
We got things going with some canapés, which can indeed be ordered by the piece. With these first few bites, the sweet brine of Dungeness was clearly displayed, augmented by pops of salinity from the salmon roe while the honey and especially those fluffy blinis softened the flavors at hand.


Whisky Sour [$19.00] | Compass Box Artist Blend Scotch, Amabuki Rosé Sake, Strawberry Amaro, Lemon, Hopped Grapefruit, Egg White
My party ended up trying most of the cocktails, and up first was this rejiggered version of the whiskey sour. Hiding underneath an unusually dense layer of head were a plethora of fruity flavors that went in an almost peach-y direction, well-countered by an underlying bitterness and astringency.


Tuna, avocado, ginger soy, pepper relish, fried ginger, sea grapes, yuzu daikon [$24.00]
Inspired by a dish from EN Japanese Brasserie in NYC, where Chef Namba spent his formative years, this next course perfectly combined the fresh, pickle-y tang of daikon and creamy avocado with cool, briny cuts of tuna. At the same time, a fermented pepper relish added even further interest to the plate, and I liked the tangy, savory finish provided by that ginger-soy, too. My only quibble was that some pieces of the fish were more sinewy than I would've liked.


Signet Ring [$15.00] | Seedlip Notas de Agave, Opuntia, Passion Mix, Bay Laurel, Lime
Unfortunately I didn't get to try this non-alcoholic cocktail, which was reserved for the teetotaler in the group.


Chicken liver mousse toast, cherry jam, green peach confit, oxalis [$6.00/each]
The chicken liver was one of the best I've had in a while, effortlessly marrying the trademark earthiness and depth of the offal with an assertive sugariness from the stone fruit. The toast was also crucial, mixing things up texturally but also moderating the tastes at play


Decibel Martini [$17.00] | Daiyame 25 Shochu, Suntory Haku Vodka, French Vermouths, Umeshu, Lychee, Maraschino, Absinthe & Orange Bitters
An homage to the lychee martini at New York's longstanding Sake Bar Decibel (where Kaplan once bartended), this was a definite favorite. I was a fan of the cocktail's juicy lychee flavors, but even more of a fan of how that coalesced with fragrant plum liqueur and the complexities of vermouth and maraschino, with the shochu-vodka duo providing just enough booziness.


Market lettuces, mango, comté, walnuts, calamansi vinaigrette
Unbeknown to me, it turned out that one of my dining companions was acquainted with the Chef, so we ended up getting a couple of comped dishes, with this salad being the first. Think bright, bitter, crunchy veggies, set against juicy mango, salty shavings of Comté, and nutty-candied bits, all tied together by a tangy citrus vin.


Army Navy [$18.00] | Fords Gin, Green Chartreuse, Mitsuba, Rice Orgeat, Lemon
A riff on the classic Army & Navy cocktail showed off refreshingly sweet and citrusy notes up front, commingled with the multifaceted herbaceousness of gin and Chartreuse.


Otoro toast, taré, shiso, crème fraîche, fresh wasabi [$10.50/each]
Here, luscious cubes of fatty tuna were paired with the satisfyingly savory flavors of tare and the unmistakable kick of wasabi. The shiso worked to lighten the mood, and I also appreciated the tempering effected of that toasty bread, too. Do note that these bites were supposed to be topped with uni as well, but the kitchen had run out (and yes, we got a discount on the price due to the omission). Fortunately, I don't think that the sea urchin was strictly necessary.


Spritz [$16.00] | Capurro Pisco Acholado, Mommenpop Ruby Grapefruit, Hibiscus, Watermelon, Verjus, Rosé
This reimagined spritz was certainly the most quaffable cocktail of the night, as expected. An apt apéritif, it was properly effervescent, and featured candied fruit flavors that actually reminded me of watermelon Jolly Ranchers.


Soft shell crab, sungold tomato sauce vierge [$24.00]
I'm generally not a huge fan of soft-shell crab, but quite enjoyed this preparation. I was particularly impressed with the crab's crunchy exterior, and rather liked how its bountiful amounts of oceany umami played with the piquancy of the vierge sauce.


Milk Punch [$20.00] | Mizu Saga Barley Shochu, Pineau des Charentes, Cacao, Matcha, Muscat
The milk punch came out silky smooth, and showcased this beguiling sweetness and complexity from that pineau-cacao-muscat combo that really appealed to me. Certainly the most intriguing cocktail of the bunch.


Croque Madame of ham katsu, gruyère, mornay sauce, Estevan's shokupan, frisée [$19.00]
I'm a sucker for a croque madame, so this was obviously a must-try. The sandwich was as cheesy, creamy, and "hammy" as you might expect, with the frisée serving as a counterpoint, but the most interesting thing here was the use of milk bread, which resulted in a markedly more refined mouthfeel.


Daiquiri [$18.00] | Probitas Rum, Père Labat Agricole Rhum, Rhine Hall Mango Brandy, Belle de Brillet, Calpico, Pineapple, Peychaud's
This thoroughly reinvented daiquiri was to my liking, with its bevy of fruity, astringent flavors melding smartly with the creamy, milky qualities of the Calpico.


Tuna, avocado, ginger soy, pepper relish, fried ginger, sea grapes, yuzu daikon
A complimentary serving of the tuna above then arrived at our table.


Last Word
At this point, one of my dining companions asked for a "dealer's choice" gin cocktail and received this. What impressed me here was how flawlessly the green Chartreuse was incorporated, playing with the gin and citrus perfectly. Note that we didn't end up getting charged for the drink, but I doubt that was intentional.


Abalone and Florida wild pink shrimp pot pie, king trumpet mushrooms, "snail butter" [$25.00]
As regular readers might know, a pot pie is another one of those things that I just always have to order, and Camelia's didn't let me down. The duet of abalone and shrimp served as a great contrast in textures, and I loved how their savoriness was further boosted by the woodsy umami of those 'shrooms. At the same time, an aggressively herby butter helped bind it all together, and I liked the moderating effect of that crisp, fluffy crust, too. Note that this was actually a nod to the escargot de Bourgogne dish served for years at Church & State.


Old Fashioned [$18.00] | Chateau de Millet VS Bas-Armagnac, François Voyer VS Cognac, Legent Bourbon
This next cocktail was certainly the booziest of the lot, though never overwhelmingly so due to the drink's sweet, fruity, nearly candied nuances, which at times had that Tussin sort of character.


Spaghetti Bolognese à la Japonaise [$28.00]
This Japanese-inspired pasta largely delivered thanks to its well-textured noodles and heady, hearty ragù, which I found gratifyingly meaty and nearly briny at times.


With the cocktails dispensed with, we moved on to a bottle of the Ruppert Leroy Extra Brut '11, 12, 13' Champagne MV [$150], which is ostensibly crafted using the solera method, blending vintages from 2011 and up. The nose on this one was brimming with sweet, almost candied orchard fruits accented by a smidgen of oxidative funk. Taking a sip, I found the sparkler rather acidic, but pleasantly so, while flavors consisted of loads of apple juice commixed with earth, citrus, and mineral. This was drinking quite well tonight.


Binchotan-grilled kinmedai, littleneck clams, dashi ankake, shungiku, yuzu [$49.00]
Golden eye snapper is one of my favorite fish for sushi purposes, so it was refreshing to enjoy it fully cooked for a change. The filet arrived silky and delicate, while flavors were refined yet robust, pairing swimmingly with a touch of smoke and the savoriness of dashi, with the chrysanthemum greens offering up a contrasting grassiness.


Kombu rice, garlic butter, shiso, nori + With house-cured ikura
Also on the house was this lovely presentation of rice, one with the right amount of stickiness and plenty of umami from the seaweed-salmon roe combo, all while the shiso served as a minty balance.


Striped bass, Brentwood corn, summer squash, fresh coco beans, ikura, yuzu kosho sauce [$48.00]
Striped bass was a joy texturally, and came with a healthy sear. The fish certainly made sense with the brightness of those summery veggies, while the roe amped up the saline factor.


Beef cheek, red wine sauce, bok choy, creamed pearl onions, kizami wasabi [$44.00]
Long-cooked beef cheek had those sticky, dark-toned flavors I was looking for, and juxtaposed easily with those bright, crunchy veggies and especially the inimitable kick of wasabi.


Gratin of Tarbais beans, basil pistou, button mushrooms, parmesan breadcrumbs [$20.00]
I have a hard time turning down a gratin of any type, and tonight was no exception. The crux here was that back-and-forth between the beans, pesto-y pistou, and the permeating savoriness of those mushrooms. Nice crunch from the breadcrumbs, too.



Flannery New York steak, hash browns, ginger brandy sauce, arugula salad, fresh ginger (8 oz) [$60.00]
Our final savory was this strip steak. I enjoyed the use of ginger to offset the heft of the beef, which is a combination I'd actually like to see more often. The peppers and greens also worked great to lighten things up, and given my penchant for potatoes, I was unsurprisingly also a fan of those hashbrowns, which I would have no problem eating alone.


Here we see Camelia's selection of desserts and after-dinner libations. The sweet stuff is the responsibility of Pastry Chef Estevan Silva (Nestor's twin brother), who last worked at Wildflour in Manila, which was started by the Manzkes. Before that, he was in San Francisco at Fiorella, Del Popolo, Verjus, Cotogna, and Quince, and in LA at the likes of Lucques and Craft. Silva started his career at wd~50 following his graduation from Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. Click for a larger version.


Gâteau [$14.00] | Chocolate, black sesame, & orange crème anglaise
We ended up ordering all three of the desserts, and up first was this moist, multilayered cake, well-imbued with the signature nutty-sweetness of sesame.


"Tokyo Banana" [$18.00] | Remy Martin 1738 Cognac, Jamaican & Black Strap Rum, Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, Banana, Custard
Our final libation was inspired by Tokyo's iconic souvenir sponge cake, and did a reasonable job conveying the essence of the sweet treat. A fitting dessert cocktail.


Tarte [$15.00] | Pistachio, berries, & yuzu-chartreuse crémeux
This tart commendably combined pistachio and berries with a sturdy pastry crust, though what really stood out was that Chartreuse-enriched custard base.


Pudding [$14.00] | Kokuto caramel, soba-cha, & black mission figs
The pudding was my favorite of the desserts thanks to the deep, dark sugariness of kokuto and how that played with the dish's nutty, bitter qualities and the comparatively restrained fruitiness of the figs.



Since this was a birthday dinner, we also brought along a cantaloupe-mango cake from Patisserie Bluejay in Arcadia. Do note that we were not charged a cake-cutting fee.

We ended up quite pleased with our dinner tonight. The key was really how the team was able to successfully merge French and Japanese sensibilities with a bit of LA flavor without ever getting too trite or "fusiony." The food felt right, and made sense, and I enjoyed the generally convivial vibe of the place as well. Camelia's a more-than-worthy successor to take over this storied restaurant space, and I do hope that it'll stick around for a long while. In fact, I can definitely see this place becoming a go-to spot of mine in Downtown.