I need you to trust me.

I need you to believe that if I recommend a restaurant that it will be worth your time and money. That if I’ve been to a place, edited the photos, wrote a review, and even shared it across social media that I wouldn’t waste your time. In fact, it would be the opposite. That’s what I hope I’ve done for the last four years of this blog and plan to continue to do. What I find interesting is that I’ve done so by telling you every detail about a restaurant. Those details range from the design of the interior, to the staff, all the way to the delicious ingredients of the dishes that I’ve ordered. I planned to do the same when it came to a recent visit to Kass Restaurant & Wine Bar. I was going to tell you about the dinner and essentially steer you into a direction of whether you should visit them or not. That was my plan until I realized I had little control over the dinner myself.

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I went to Kass with a friend, David.

Walking in we met Chef Eme as he began to prep for the evening ahead. A handshake from across the counter he was pleasant in his greeting and introduction. Before sitting down he asked if we were allergic to anything. A simple no and he smiled as he nodded us away letting us know the majority of the dinner would be selected by him. Sure we could chime in with dishes that caught our attention, but ultimately it would be up to his gut alone.

That was the moment I knew the evening wouldn’t go as planned, but in a good way.

Following the dishes from the heart of Chef Eme led us into a 3-hour tasting menu. With identical plates given to the both of us I was in good company and surrounded by delicious food. The dinner danced between dishes. We started with a few small plates to get the evening going. A bowl of Grilled Octopus ($23) with baby fennel and Yukon potatoes was a vibrant way to begin it all. The dainty octopus swam in a creamy coulis that caused me to stroke the metal of my utensil across the bowl until it disappeared. Next to arrive to the table was the Beet Salad ($18). I loved the plating of this dish as it looked like a trip to the dessert without the long drive. In front of us was a handful of black lentils, beets, and comte cheese. While I’m not the biggest fan of beets, I truly enjoyed having them here. Mixing them across the dark lentils with the thick and smooth cheese was probably one of the best ways I’ve had beets lately. Would I consider ordering them from Kass again? In a heartbeat.

Just as delicious was the Tuna Sashimi ($21). Fresh thin cuts of the red fish sat in a uniform line along the white plate. As much as I wanted to bask in its appearance, my fork brought me back to reality to enjoy it. Slice after slice that was exactly what I did.

Excited at how great the starters were, I was eager to discover what Chef Eme would bring out when it came to the main dishes.

While a plate of Beef Cheeks (not pictured) was brought to the table and was delightful, the dish that won me over between the two was the Roasted Turbot Risotto ($43). Small in size the plate was incredibly surprising. The risotto came with a hefty piece of flatfish that was topped with shavings of black truffle. With it all sitting in a chicken jus, the dish was flavorful until it was gone from the table. I loved the definition of the risotto and how balanced it was in the way in which it was prepared. Going along with the rich broth and the lightly-seasoned fish only made the dish one that was excited to have been given by the chef.

Elated with all of the plates that were delivered by Chef Eme, we let him steer us into the final items of the evening, dessert. David and I split two plates of dessert that weren’t included on the menu – a chocolate and a mandarin. As much as David loved the chocolate, the mandarin was my absolute favorite. The burst of the citrus from the small mandarins were remarkable and the aroma from the mint only accented the flavor. It was a dish I was beyond thrilled to experience and so happy to have Chef Eme steer in my direction.

With all of that said, I hope you can trust me when I say that Kass is a delicious restaurant.

It’s the type of place that you should visit either alone or with someone whose company you can appreciate for hours. What makes the restaurant even more exciting is there are a handful of dishes that can captivate your interests and tastes form the very start and to the end. To make it a night you won’t forget, let Chef Eme steer the dinner and see what beautiful surprises you discover along the ride.

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Address: 320 South La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (323) 413-2299
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday – 5:00pm to 12:00am, Sunday 5:00pm to 9:30pm, and Closed Monday.
Social: Instagram.