Chaya Downtown: Chic Urban Cuisine

I'll be candid and say that Josh and I were invited to this restaurant by their publicist, who arranged for an early dinner on a Friday night, just after I ended work. Luckily for me it's a short commute to this restaurant: go down the elevator, exit the building and walk straight into Chaya. Yes this is officially the closest restaurant to my current day-time abode on the 25th floor of City National Tower.

Much has been said of Drago's supreme location nestled amongst the two Modern-designed towers in LA's Financial District. These towers are actually now the tallest paired non-connected twin towers in the world. Chaya lies opposite Drago in the center-piece building, proudly flaunting its sweeping dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows, a cheery happy hour lounge, a slick patio along the southern edge, and a sophisticated main dining room for the corporate types.

Chaya has been in West Hollywood/Beverly Hill area for over 20 years, where the chef popularized tuna tartare as a common appetizer. I've been to the outpost on Main Street called Chaya Venice, where I had a fanastic meal.



As soon as you walk in, this playful chandelier made with plastic children's toys in dayglow colors greets you. It reminds you that while this restaurant is serious about their food, you can take it easy and have a good time.





I ordered a glass of Gruner Veltliner and thought it was minerally but crisp without being too fruit-forward. I figured it'd pair well with our more Asian-food centric dishes. Overall I'd say that Chaya's wine program probably isn't up to snuff with the better restaurants in the city and could use a little consultation from a good sommelier, but for this clientele it's serviceable.



Josh had a rich, multi-layered bottle of beer to pair with his meal. The first dish was a line of seared scallops atop a velvety potato puree. It was drizzled in white truffle oil that was cloying and overpowering, but the scallops were perfectly cooked.



A cast-iron skillet was stuffed with fresh mussels sided with breaded and fried chicken sausage. The mussels were addictive and delicious, generously portioned and nicely seasoned in a garlicy broth. Big eye tuna was our crudo course, covered in a light olive oil and a subtle acid, this was a winning dish that displayed finesse along with the superior quality of the tuna. The only drawback is the high $18 price.



A surprise dish that we didn't order was a salad of fried sardines with fresh fennel, asparagus, brussels sprouts, and barley. A light lemon vinaigrette evened out the dish. The texture of the sardines was rich and oily with the kind of fat that a fish-lover craves. I grew up on mackerel and pike so this sardine had the unction that I prefer in fish.



A stunning presentation with flecks of green and orange, this tagliatelle with fried uni and avocado was easily the standout dish of the night. The fresh pasta paired with the almost custardy sea urchin while the warm avocado lent even more textural glee. I would've added a tad more salt for my tastes but the dish overcame that with its creativity.



A fantastic ravioli stuffed generously with shrimp and lobster came covered in a green pesto alfredo. It was evident that the seafood was high-quality while the sauce didn't overpower its in richness.



For the main course, I had the mustard-inflected halibut with crunchy roasted grains atop roasted carrots, snap peas, and bok choy. The sauce was luscious while the fish was moist and flavorful. Still, halibut seems like a tired old whitefish that needs to be replaced with something a little more interesting, in my opinion.



The lamb chops and kefta had Middle-eastern elements with spices and a bed of cous cous. The kefta was meaty and savory while the chop was perfectly medium rare and ideally seasoned. There was perhaps a bit too much fat on the chop, but I loved that part and gnawed it to the bone. Roasted squash came as a side but I wondered about its placement on the dish in light of the spring season.



Josh seemed to devour this warm, comforting bread pudding while I was too full to have more than one bite. Any dessert like this must come a la mode.



The banana bread with ice cream was pretty ho-hum in my book but I'd rather have a sweet finish to a meal than a savory one.

Although some dishes lacked imagination, others had an incredible elegance and solid execution. I wanted a bit more fusion elements instead of stronger French-influenced dishes with minute Asian influences. The meal I'd had at Chaya Venice was more of this fusion but Chaya Downtown seems to cater more to the puffy suits than the Westside artists and creative types. Still, the service was gracious and accommodating while the venue made for more than a pleasant meal. Although we were comped, we left a very generous tip.

A quick take on the whole "ethical" food blogging, I'm a huge proponent that bloggers should be proper and ethical. I don't have major qualms with a meal like this insofar as my review is fair. Of course, there's the big chance that our meal couldn't have been as reflective as possible, but I think it's a lot better than standard media dinners were things are presented as hor d'oeurves and in large batches. We were presented a meal like any other table would receive, with the pacing and buildup that I could get on any night. If someone has a problem with the veracity of my review, I suggest you question any top-notch critic in the US. I guarantee that almost all of them are identifiable and would receive similar if not better attention as we did. This dynamic has been apparent since the late 70's when Colman Andrews was romping his way through Ma Maison and other LA restaurants for New West Magazine - everyone knew who he was.

Restaurants know that in this day and age, anyone that wields a camera can yap their way onto Yelp or Chowhound with their strong opinions. Consider this systemic risk, and live with it. We should all hope that people would be decent and fair in their words, knowing that peoples lives and careers are at stake. I believe that its in restaurants' best interests to understand this change of dynamics and utilize the best avenues for marketing themselves, by either inviting bloggers and other Internet food writers, or at least being aware of their presence. In either event, restaurants should treat all customers like VIPs, or else they don't really deserve to exist as a place where people put their hard-earned dollars. People dine at restaurants to be served and entertained, not just fed like livestock and sent out.

I'll continue to dine at Chaya Downtown since it's right next to my office, and I'll report if the quality of my meals are vastly different than this one. Otherwise, I believe that the system that they've set up, as well as the commitment they've shown, will continue the excellence that has made this restaurant chain successful.

Chaya Downtown
525 South Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
213-236-9577