A few days before Here’s Looking at You officially opened to the public, my friend Thien and I attended a sneak peek for friends and family.

Lien Ta, the restaurant’s co-owner and front-of-the-house maven, is our friend and family, and seeing her longtime dream of opening a restaurant come true this evening was, dare I say, quite possibly even better than Chef Jonathan Whitener’s amazing cooking. High-five, L.T.! You did it.

Thien and I were seated at the best table in the house—a bad-ass banquette overlooking the entire dining room. We thrived in our throne all evening!

We started with two perfectly crafted cocktails. For me: the Seascape Swizzle ($15) with Mezcal Espadin, summer berries, fresh lime, cassis, Lillet Rouge, rose, and sea salt; a drink inspired by Sqirl’s seascape berry & rose geranium jam. I’m a total lightweight these days, and this one did me in in the best way.

For Thien: the “Challenge Accepted” ($14) with Diplomatico & Selvarey Cacao Rums, coconut tea, yuzu, lemongrass, and fresh lime. Best of all were the chocolate pearls on top.

Our dinner started off strong with the mackerel ($16) with grapefruit, red ale, smoked soy, and sorrel. The accouterments were light and bright, allowing the fish’s assertive flavors to shine. If you like your fishes musty, this one’s a must.

Served alongside the mackerel was a bold nectarine preparation ($14) with Syrian feta, celery, pigweed, sumac, rye, and lemon. Given the crazy-hot temps, this dish really hit the spot.

And then there were duck hearts ($12), seared just so and served over warm grits with plums, sherry, and tare. This dish was the very definition of comfort.

We also shared HLAY’s signature Beef Tartare ($17) with red chili, ramps, egg yolk, turnip, cress, and charred bread.

I tasted this dish at the Unit 120 pop-up earlier this year, and it was as awesome as I remembered. If you love beef tartare as much as I do, this is a standout preparation.

Our final savory dish of the evening was the rice porridge ($26) with sturgeon, chicken skin, verjus, buttermilk, and seagrass. The chicken skin, crispy and rich, made every bite one to remember.

To finish: a delightful and deliciously different dessert with  yellow peaches, goat’s milk, lemon verbena, popcorn, and cornbread ($12).

Here’s Looking at You is a labor of love. You can feel the soul behind the restaurant in everything from the cooking to the service and ambiance. The Astronomer and I have dinner reservations here next week, and I can’t wait to experience it all over again. This place is a gem.

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Here’s Looking at You
3901 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Phone: 213-568-3573

Elsewhere to eat in Koreatown:

• Aladin Sweets & Market – Los Angeles
• BonChon Chicken – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Chicken Day – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Commissary at The Line Hotel – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Don Dae Gam – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• DonDay – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Dwit Gol Mok (DGM) – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Fat Fish – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Hae Jang Chon – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Hite Kwang-Jang – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Hollys Coffee – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Jae Bu Do – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Jeon Ju Restaurant – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Jun Won Restaurant – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Kobawoo House – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• KyoChon – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Lunch at POT – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Ma Dang Gook Soo – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Mapo Kkak Doo Gee – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Miljip House of Noodles – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Mirak – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• OB Bear – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Olympic Noodle – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• POT – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Shoubo Izakaya – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Soban – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Tahoe Galbi Restaurant – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• The Prince – Los Angeles (Koreatown)
• Tofu Village – Los Angeles (Koreatown)