In the past, I wouldn’t have considered myself to be the healthiest eater but I’m getting better. Months prior to today I could eat an entire Kit Kat bar before bed. Although those days may not be so long ago, they are behind me. I can proudly say that I no longer “break a piece of that Kit Kar bar” off as a favorite way to fall asleep. The decision to incorporate better meals into my life came once I gained a drastic amount of weight. Since then, I’ve become excited to find plates that help me do better for myself. Thankfully, places like Fresh LA in West Hollywood are helping me do that.

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I visited the restaurant a few months ago. I enjoyed it then, posted about it then, and then moved back to life as normal. It was great, but at the time I saw it as merely a compilation of a lot of vegetables. There was some truth to that,  but clearly the meat lover in me wouldn’t give it as much credit that it was due. Once my weight hit its highest and I needed to make a lifestyle change, I took a greater appreciation of places like Fresh LA.

What I liked about the restaurant during my first visit that remains true today is the restaurant is beautiful. It absorbs all the light the tall windows let in and the rays bounce across the bright colors creating the décor. Velvet covered seating, hanging lightbulbs, and plants playing a second role as drapes allow the restaurant to be one that your eyes gladly widen to. Interior aside, the menu was interesting previously, but has quickly grown on me as my focus has shifted.

The first dish from the kitchen was the Scramble and Smash ($16). Sliced and grilled sweet potatoes held scrambled tofu, tempeh bacon, avocado with a lemon garlic oil and tomato. Fresh LA does a great job at letting sweet potato be a lovely replacement for bread. In this plate toast was completely forgotten about. Taking the knife and fork and cutting into the dish led to a potato whose sweetness matches well with the accents and textures of the tofu and avocado. The break of citrus from the tomoato halves and the effortless garlic oil brought it all together to create a unanimous item.

After the smash, the second and final dish I ordered was the Beach Bowl (small $15.50, large $19.50). It was full of the things that I truly like and things that I can’t help but be drawn to today. A large bowl of sliced grilled red pepper, greens, sweet potato, avocado, sun-dried tomato, and microgreens were blanketed with the restaurant’s beach sauce—a mixture of olive oil, tamari, and mixed herbs. I thought this dish was a delicious one because it had so many great components to it. It was weighted and it didn’t confuse my taste buds. Each individual piece paired well with the next and carried the prominent flavors nicely.

I liked Fresh LA when I was first introduced to them, but it wasn’t until I realized how good they are for me that I started to take a new perspective on the restaurant. Moving away from heavy plates of sugar and fat, and incorporating more vegetables has become a great move for me and I have the beautiful plates from Fresh LA to thank.

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Address: 8768 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069
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