When it comes to restaurants, my favorite type are the small ones that know how to make use of their space. I like them so much because the intimate space can evoke conversation and they can feel homey. Aside from conversation and comfort, what I love most is seeing a restaurant that is small in size, but doesn’t limit their offerings to their square footage. They’re fully aware that they may not have the biggest kitchen or dining space, but they still manage to send out well-plated meals that you would expect to see in a large eatery. That’s was the case when I went Status Kuo in Marina Del Rey.

My visit to Status Kuo wasn’t a casual lunch, inside of their petite but nicely colored restaurant. Instead, it was a photo shoot with Platful. Platful is a progressive food tech company that works to solve problems foodies have with most of the restaurant apps currently available. Additionally, they take beautiful food photography and the focus today was on Status Kuo. I was elated to be apart of it and happy to be with my foodie friend, Mallory of Couch Potato Cook who joined me at Simpang Asia.

After we got settled in and chatted a bit with David (owner and chef) the plates began to arrive. And when I say ‘plates’, emphasis should be placed on the plural part of the word–so many great dishes were served! The first dish out of the kitchen was the Green Goddess ($12). The salad took market lettuce, red quinoa, summer squash, baby heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, and radish. It was vibrant and for a meat-loving girl, I wasn’t opposed to eating a salad. I know, I know, it surprised me too. The leafy greens were fresh and crisp and the quinoa aligned with the salad nicely. It didn’t feel like I was eating two dishes that were smashed together, instead, they were cohesive.

Next up was the beautiful Rotisserie Chicken with Market Greens ($15). The young hen was a good size to feed two people easily. Unless you’re greedy then yes, have it all. The golden brown color of the cooked skin was mesmerizing.I love the skin of chicken so I did not shy away from it! Once we sliced into the whole chicken, a soft steam escaped and you could see the moisture of the chicken. It was cooked to excellence and tasted of nothing less. The market salad was a good choice as a side and the pesto dressing gave the salad a delicious accent. My advice, drizzle the salad dressing onto the chicken and enjoy the enhanced flavor.

The chicken on its own was a simple and beautiful plate, but the Mediterranean Seabass with Asian Greens ($24) stole the show. On the clean white plate was a fish that scaled past the rim of the dish. The fish was covered in a red rayu sauce which is a Japanese chili garlic sauce that ups the level of spice. On either side of the fish were deep green broccoli and bright oranges. I didn’t want to cut into the fish because it was so pretty, but my taste buds got past that quickly. The fish was fresh and succulent and the rayu sauce was a tad spicy—but not too hot for those who enjoy spice. Squeezing the oranges across parts of the fish changed the taste of the dish, but not drastically, just enough to give it a bit of a fruity kick.

At this point, you would think we were done. If you did, then you would be wrong.

The next dish to arrive was the Beef Noodle Soup ($12). It was a bowl of braised beef with Asian greens, and house pickles. The bowl wasn’t full of just any beef, but beef cheeks. Heartier and able to absorb the chef’s seasoning to give the beef greater flavor. I didn’t have too much of this dish because I could see more on the way. Instead, I just had a few bites of the beef with the noodles and I enjoyed the taste of the beef. Perfectly marinated and not overdone.

Bagels & Lox ($14) took cured salmon, schmear, and pickles on top of a bagel. Not just any black bagel, but a squid ink bagel. I’ve never had a black bagel (an everything bagel is kind of pushing it for me) but I was willing to give this one a try because of the unique attributes of the bread alone. The toasted bagel was on the crisper side, but it worked with the softness of the salmon and the tartness of the schmear. And of course like the other dishes the salmon was light and fresh as if they caught it from the ocean just before I came in.

Following the soup was the Taiwanese Sunday Gravy ($16). It was a nice portion of stewed pork with pickled mustard greens. The few bites that I had of the delicate pasta and tender pork were nice. Like some of the other dishes, the chef kept the dish simple and it wasn’t lacking anything at all.

The next plate was the Taiwanese Philly Cheese Steak ($15) made with white cheddar, sambal, pickled mustard greens, and onions. Thick chunks of steak silked in white cheddar overflowed out of the roll and it was honestly beautiful to see in front of me. Biting into the portion I cut for myself, the first thing I noticed was that the roll wasn’t too tough. It was firm enough to hold the ingredients together, but not so difficult that I couldn’t enjoy it. The chili pepper taste of the sambal helped to add a distinctive taste to the entire roll, but it was the smooth cheddar affixed to the steak that was the prominent taste.

I was getting full at this point, but the foodie in me wasn’t ready to quit. I persisted and followed the aroma instead of my better judgement. And thankfully I did. The final plate was the Dutch Pancake ($12.00). At a cooking time of 15 minutes, this isn’t a dish you come in to get if you’re short on time. Not just because it takes a while to cook, but because it’s a dish you want to commune and enjoy without haste. The pancake cooked in a Dutch oven is topped with seasonal fruit syrup, milk jam, and powdered sugar. A fork and a knife can be used, but why bother? Tear pieces of the pancake apart, swim it in the syrup and jam, pick up pieces of fruit, and let your eyes roll back as you savor it. It’s incredible. Yes it’s a breakfast dish, but the sweetness of it can make you think you’re also having a dessert. Sounds like a win-win.

I had such a great time at Status Kuo. The small restaurant does one hell of a job at serving a well-conceived menu that engages your appetite from beginning to end. And to think, all of this food came out a little restaurant is a delightful surprise that I would love to do again, and again, and again…

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Address: 3809 Grand View Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066
Phone: (310) 574-7610
Hours: Tuesday to Thursday – 11:30am to 2:30pm and 5:30pm to 9:00pm, Friday – 11:30am to 2:30pm and 5:30pm to 10:00pm, Saturday – 10:00am to 2:30pm and 5:30pm to 10:00pm, Sunday – 10:00am to 2:30pm and 5:30pm to 9:00pm, Closed Monday.
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