On a recent trip to Los Angeles, a group of friends and I stopped in at Susan Feniger’s STREET to check out the multi-ethnic eatery of “street food” located in Hollywood, California. Having lived in Los Angeles for many years, this is where I first began to appreciate diverse food culture, via the sheer variety of this foodie city. This restaurant is the first solo project of Susan Feniger, and offers a variety of interesting small plates, that I believe are meant to be shared among friends.
As there were five of us on this dining occasion, we ordered a variety of dishes. Let’s start with my favorite appetizer of the day – the Kaya Toast ($12). It is described as a uniquely STREET experience; toasted bread spread thick with coconut jam; served with a soft fried egg drizzled in dark soy and white pepper. It was amazing. I could have ate 10 of these plates. The soft fried egg, with the sweet coconut jam and the salty soy all mingled in a very harmonious culmination.
We also started with an order of Lamb Kafta Meatballs ($11). This was another rave hit at the table and they are described as lamb meatballs over warm Syrian cheese wrapped in grape leaf and drizzled with date and carob molasses; served with za’atar spiced flatbread. The wonderful thing about STREET is that flavors are bursting all over the place and the palate’s every whim, from sweet to savory, can typically be satisfied in one dish. Complex flavors that are big and bold are all over the place.
My friend, Crazy Jay, decided to order the Brioche Burger ($13). Yes, it is a $13 hamburger but it is so worth it. For me, I believe the best burgers are served on Brioche buns. The eggy and buttery goodness of Brioche is the perfect vessel for a nice juicy cut of beef. Their burger is made with all natural angus beef, Vermont white cheddar, homemade pickles, and served with a yuzu kosho mayonnaise. Everyone raved about how amazingly juicy the burger was.
My dear friend Amanda (who is a Jeopary champion — seriously) ordered the Sag Paneer & Dal ($13). This South Indian spinach dish is stewed with homemade paneer cheese, tomato and spices; served with masoor dal and mustard seed raita. Again, all the flavors were spot on, and as Amanda is a vegetarian, she was happy for the vegetarian-friendly options on the menu.
I ordered the Tatsutage Fried Chicken ($15). This was not your everyday-run-of-the-mill fried chicken. Oh no. I think it was the batter that truly set it apart. It reminded me of the batter you would find on a really well executed fish and chips. The chicken is first marinated with soy, mirin, and sake, then crispy fried in rice batter and topped with spicy kewpie mayonnaise sauce. It was served with big pieces of ginger, which was perfect for palate cleansing.
Overall, we as a group were very pleased with STREET. Another great thing about STREET is the cocktails. I was loving the Tamarind Ginger Cooler made with homemade ginger syrup, and my husband loved the Sanbitter Sunburst which contains lemonade of Italian aperitif bitters and citrus juices. It is a great place to casually dine with friends, share plates of interesting food, and sip on lovely cocktails. Now that is saying a lot for Hollywood!
Susan Feniger’s STREET is located @ 742 N. Highland Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90038
