Located in the heart of the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles sits Hyde Kitchen + Cocktails (Link). The name and the building both have a long iconic history for SBE and Los Angeles nightlife. In its newest iteration, SBE has created a hybrid Los Angeles destination featuring fresh seasonal California cuisine by Top Chef Chris Crary, signature craft cocktails, and an elegant yet inviting atmosphere curated by acclaimed interior designer Waldo Fernandez.
hyde kitchen
The signature cocktail list at Hyde Kitchen features 15 unique concoctions which all boast a blend of fresh ingredients ranging from muddled strawberries mint, Madagascan vanilla, to a cucumber lemon juice. Being that I am not a huge fan of overly sweet cocktails, I was pleased with the knowledge of the server and the bartender to identify the cocktails that best suited my taste. The selection of cocktails also had an impressive selection of liquor including bourbon, tequila, and vodka.
My two favorite cocktails were:
Mezcal Penicillin
El Silencio Mezcal, lemon juice, house blended honey syrup house made ginger syrup, lemon oil
Le Parisian
Grey Goose Pear, St.Germain Elderflower liqueur, cucumber, lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water
I also tried one of the new signature cocktails, the Honey Cocktail, on the menu which was made from Hennessey. Typically I’m not a huge fan of Hennessey but enjoyed the drink with its Cointreau, house blended honey syrup, lemon juice orange oil, and Chamomile tincture.
Moving on to the food menu, I find it’s best to request the chef to choose the dishes he/she would like to showcase. One tends to get the best representation of the menu if you leave the choices in the hands of the creator. The portion sizes are tapas style which plays well with a group that is looking to have a dining experience rather than just eat a meal.
Our first dish was the beef carpaccio which was lightly garnished with Fresno and green onion with a lime soy sauce that gave the perfect amount of flavor.
The second course featured the grilled smokey cauliflower made with walnut, caper, roasted tomato, salami aioli and the crispy Brussel sprouts made with almonds, dates, sherry, and local honey. The vegetable had one of the most unique tastes for a cauliflower dish I have enjoyed in a while.
Next course featured a creative translation of an American favorite, their fried chicken sliders, that was made with an herb buttermilk biscuit, mustard kimchi, and honey aioli. The ratio of bread to meat was a bit too much for my liking, but the chicken was very tasty.
HYDE KITCHEN
The fourth course brought out was their Torchio Bolognese which is a chicken bolognese sprinkled with parmesan cheese. For the pasta lover, this dish is exquisite; full of flavor and the perfect amount of cheese. I was also surprised by the generous portion size considering this is a tapas style restaurant. Paired with the Torchio Bolognese was the steamed Mussels + Clams in a garlic, white wine, coconut milk, thai chili. If you are a big seafood fan, this is the dish for you. I loved the broth they were steamed in. The taste was full of flavor and complimented the steamed mussels and clams well.
The chef saved the best for last as she came out to pay us a visit and make sure we enjoyed her selection. The local Black Cod was cooked to perfection with a miso cauliflower puree, kumquat, and puffed rice garnish. The meat of the fish split with just the slightest touch of my fork; so tender and juicy. This was by far my favorite and definitely a “must-try” menu item in my opinion.
The overall dinner experience was top notch, but then add on to that the nightlife section of Hyde Kitchen to continue to have drinks surrounded the Hollywood crowd, you really must add Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails to your itinerary when visiting Los Angeles.