I am absolutely thrilled that Chef Minh Phan has finally found a permanent home for Porridge+Puffs in Historic Filipinotown. As a longtime fan of her wonderfully creative and wholly comforting cooking, I could not be happier for Minh, her team, and the lucky diners who can have their fill of porridge and puffs all day, every day.

The Porridge+Puff’s team converted a former Thai restaurant into an airy, minimalist hideaway that’s as warm and welcoming at the porridge it serves.

Every plate that comes out of the kitchen is unmistakably Minh. The way she takes ingredients and so thoroughly, thoughtfully, and intriguingly transforms them into soulful bowlfuls that can double as works of art never fails to floor me. To love Porridge+Puffs is to love the way Minh’s mind works.

The restaurant is currently in its soft opening phase and operating Tuesdays to Fridays from 11 AM to 3 PM. I came in for lunch with Louise and we proceeded to order almost everything on the menu to share.

We started with one of the daily specials, thinly-sliced roasted eggplant with crispy Makrut lime leaves. Tell me again why all lime leaves aren’t deep-fried? Simply delightful.

Porridge and slaw go together like peas and carrots, so there was no doubt that the “Asian Herb Slaw” ($6) would be ours. The mountain of expertly dressed cabbage came punctuated with rau ram (Vietnamese coriander), shiso, holy basil, peanuts, and sesame seeds.

We didn’t quite know what to expect when we ordered the “Stuffed Mochi” ($8), but were pleased as pie with the fig leaf-wrapped parcels stuffed with mung beans, pork belly, and fig jam and sprinkled with verbena dust. The deep char on the mochi could not be beat.

Louise and I proudly tucked away three bowls of porridge this afternoon in addition to the aforementioned starters. All of the restaurant’s porridges are made with Koda Farms heirloom rice.

First up was the “Malabar+Okra+Amaranth” ($12) that promised to keep us “hydrated and cool from the inside,” according to the menu description. The “summer porridge” included Mucilaginous Malabar spinach, a malabar herb coconut pistou, tomato confit, pickled okra, amaranth flower, and morning glory tempura. Minh has an incredible knack for pulling together unexpected flavors and ingredients in truly harmonious fashion.

My favorite porridge was the “Yakimiso+Sausage” ($12). From the mashup of grilled black eyed peas with miso and nectarine to the numbing spice-braised pork sausage and the fennel in black bean sauce, it was impossible to say which element I adored most. It all tasted so good and so right atop the silky porridge canvas.

For our final porridge, we settled on the “Poultry+Mushrooms” ($12), a Porridge+Puffs classic. Adding an egg pickled in hibiscus and shiso ($2) was an absolute must. Rounding out the bowl was sweet soy-braised chicken, turkey, crispy shallots, pickled celery, and seasonal edible flowers.

An order of “Naked Puffs ($5) was served alongside as the perfect porridge accompaniment. The puffs, a hybrid of Minh’s two favorite Vietnamese doughnuts: banh cam and banh tieu, struck a fantastic balance between heft and lightness.

And finally, a serving of brown butter mochi with miso caramel ($5) for dessert.

Let porridge season commence!

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Porridge+Puffs
2801 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90057
Phone: 213-908-5313

One year ago: Weekend Brunch at Love & Salt – Manhattan Beach
Two years ago: Welcome to the Suburban Years
Three years ago: The Trails Cafe at Griffith Park – Los Angeles
Four years ago: 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria – Pasadena
Five years ago: Shanghainese Home Cooking at Lánxīn Cāntīng – Shanghai
Six years ago: {swoon} Double Cheeseburger at Hawkins House of Burgers
Seven years ago: Saigon Classic: Bún Bò Huế Yên Đỗ
Eight years ago: L.A. County Fair 2010 – Pomona
Nine years ago: Blue Hill at Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills
Ten years ago: Muscadine Cobbler
Eleven years ago: Vegetation Profile: Ambarella
Twelve years ago: Field Greens with Craisins, Mandarin Oranges, Goat Cheese & Balsamic Vinaigrette