Pennsylvania Dutch meets California cuisine meets modern Asian. Say what? Filing my third Scouting Report, “At Field Trip, an only-in-L.A. Asian-Amish mash-up,” on the Los Angeles Times‘ Daily Dish.
Name: Field Trip at the Farmers Kitchen
The chefs: Minh Phan (Gaji, Mignardises pop-up, Beachwood Cafe) dreams up Asian-inflected savories while Sarah Lange (Hart & the Hunter, Flores & the Ladies Gunboat Society) handles the Amish-inspired pastry program.
Concept: Breakfast, lunch or brunch by way of Asia, Amish country and the chefs’ mothers’ kitchens — an only-in-L.A. mash-up that seems odd at first but really delivers on the ground. The menu includes 10 or so sweet and savory dishes, from simple toast with jam to the more filling braised short rib sandwich. Rounding out the menu is a plethora of thoughtful pastries, as well as cold and hot caffeinated beverages using beans from Verve.
What dish represents the restaurant, and why? A Cal-Asian take on oeufs en meurette, a classic Burgundian dish. Field Trip’s homage includes pan-fried heirloom rice mixed with furikake (seaweed seasoning), a ginger-star anise demi-glace, Quang Tran lap cheong (Chinese sausages made in Rosemead), seasonal vegetables and pickles.
Runner-up: The handmade breakfast pretzel, intertwined with two sausage links, is brushed with pork drippings and maple syrup and finished with flaky salt.
Who’s at the next table? Weekends bring well-dressed farmers market-goers fueling up before or after picking up the week’s provisions. Worker bees from nearby offices trickle in on weekdays.
Appropriate for: Breakfast and lunch seekers in and around Hollywood who appreciate innovative yet homey fare centered on seasonal produce.
Uh-oh: With floor-to-ceiling glass paneling, it can feel a bit like a green house inside the restaurant on sunny days.
Service: Smiley and genuinely helpful.
What are you drinking? Cold-brew coffee topped with mint-honey cream and looking forward to the soon-to-be-released miso-caramel coffee.
Info: 1555 Vine St., Suite 119, Los Angeles, (323) 467-7600, www.fieldtripla.com. Open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday; 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.