New on Resy: NIGHT+MARKET, Hippo, and Elephante

In 2011, Kris Yenbamroong launched a quirky pop-up in a former dry-cleaning space next door to Talesai, a small restaurant on the Sunset Strip, once owned and operated by the chef’s parents. Dubbed NIGHT+MARKET, this new concept specialized in natural wine and Thai drinking food, and quickly cultivated a dedicated following. Three restaurants and countless accolades later, the avant-garde cooking of a kid from NYU film school has transformed the way Los Angeles thinks about Thai food.

The third NIGHT+MARKET outpost, SAHM is the newest restaurant from chef Kris Yenbamroong. If NIGHT+MARKET restaurants were to have a mission statement, it would read as follows: “We aim to make the most delicious and authentic Thai food to facilitate drinking and fun-having amongst friends.” There is a term for this in Thai: “aharn glam lao.”

The James Beard Award-winning chef Matt Molina is at the helm of this brand-new Highland Park darling. Pastas are made in-house, bufala mozzarella comes straight from Italy, and meats are sourced from small, sustainable farms. The team behind Silverlake Wine and Everson Royce Bar assist, offering up a meticulously curated selection of small-batch spirits, house cocktails from acclaimed mixologist Clare Ward, and an all-organic wine list featuring selections from California and the Mediterranean.

With Élephante, the designer and restaurateur Nicholas Mathers aims to transport guests from Los Angeles to the southern Mediterranean. Eats such as tiger prawns with salsa rosa; homemade gemelli with Dungeness crab, sungold tomato, and chili; and veal chop Milanese are complemented by shaken, stirred, draft, and classic cocktails. Custom-made furniture, natural wood and stone, copper finishes, and design pieces from North Africa and Italy complete the picture.

Chef Makoto was only fifteen when he began to pursue a career in traditional Japanese cuisine, otherwise known as “washoku.” It was this early training in Robata-yaki cooking—an exercise in simplicity, requiring an experienced chef to manipulated fire to prepare each dish—that set the stage for the masterfully prepared plates he serves today at The Robata, inside of LDH Kitchen. The restaurant’s dramatic lighting has an energizing effect, which when paired with tuna collar spare ribs and pork belly pie, ensures a night well-spent.

Otoño is a progressive, Spanish-inspired restaurant concept that recreates traditional tapas and paella through a modern, urban lens. Influenced by many cultures and the bounty of California, chef Teresa Montaño crafts dishes like churros de patata bravas and gambas a la plantxa. The bar hones in on the beloved gin and tonic, Spanish beers, “vermut” on draft or by the glass, and Spanish wines ranging from those made by heavy weight producers to lesser-known up-and-comers.

Nerano is the personification of many trips taken to the eponymous village on the Amalfi Coast. Inspired by the temperate climate, simple coastal cuisine, and inviting Italian culture, owners Andy and Carlo Brandon-Gordon built a restaurant with a chic and contemporary design. As for food, plates of pasta shine—think gnudi al tartufo nero and spaghetti with sautéed Italian zucchini, squash blossoms, provolone, and basil.

Seasonal share plates and Neapolitan pies are the specialty at Ronan—a restaurant owned and operated by chef Daniel Cutler, located in the heart of Melrose. From the naturally fermented bread dough to the whole animal butchery program, everything is made in-house and cooked over wood-fire. Beverage director Nick Meyer is behind the menu of craft cocktails and natural wines. Soak up the rest of summer on Ronan’s roomy outdoor patio.

A bar with a mission, Severance aims to tackle beer and wine in an entirely new way. Thus, wine is listed by terroir but without pretension, regional beer shines, and large-format cocktails are driven simply by the integrity of their ingredients. Innovative snacks like smoked gouda beer fondue and ‘nduja flatbread—served until late-night—tie it all together. Pro-tip: a secret sherry Tiki menu will debut in early September and can be yours to peruse upon request.

At Maximiliano, chef Andrew Guerrero is redefining what a neighborhood Italian-American restaurant and pizzeria ought to be. Handmade pastas, scratch-made meatballs, artisanal pizzas, and an incredible variety of house-made pastries, ice cream, and cannoli are on offer, and much of it is vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free friendly. The restaurant also serves as Craftsman Brewery of Pasadena’s tap room, pouring an exclusive and extensive craft beer list alongside an impressive selection of Italian, Old World, and California wines. For views of the restaurant’s own herb garden, opt for an al fresco table.

From restaurateur Michael Cardenas, chef Mario Alberto, and master mixologist Rafael Barba, Mister O’s is a New American restaurant and lounge in Studio City. Mid-century inspired and intimate, the space serves as a backdrop for the chef’s globally-inspired and locally-sourced menu of fried turmeric bread with farmers cheese, mushroom escabeche, and mustard frill; pastrami-rubbed octopus with sauerkraut, dill pickles, and kombu-ajwain aioli; and the like.