LASA LA

I’ve been dying to try LASA for the past year, but keep missing the opportunity at their former monthly pop up in Elysian Park. So when I got wind that they have a new residency in DTLA, I made a reservation ASAP.
Turns out I made it for their GRAND OPENING!
The first weekend (this weekend) is BYOB! We totally forgot and when we got there, the hostess Steff/​Steph told us there was a liquor store down the street. So we took a 10 min walk only to find out it was closed!!! But brother Chase was super kind and offered us a little Blue Moon he had stashed away in the back.
So we sat down at our table, and was immediately greeted by Chase who shared the story about their backyard dinners with friends that turned into this popular, high demand pop up! The menu changes every week or 2 weeks, as they get all of their ingredients from the local farmers market. Yay! More support for the local community!
Winter Citrus & Raddichio Salad: Whipped kesong puti (cheese like, or maybe marscapone,) sweet & salty nut (deliciously sweet, like a glazed nut) and sugar cane vin. The salad was very refreshing, and the blend of flavors and textures sets the bar high for the rest of the meal. The dressing is similar to a citrus vinagarette, the sweet nuts add a cripsy crunch and counters the acidity of the grapefruit.
Pancit Egg Noodle: little elements like chives and calamansi balance the sweet noodle flavor. Such a simple dish that packs a big bite.
Crispy Duck Arroz Caldo: uggghhh the ultimate comfort food on a chilly night (which this was.) Its so good its not even fair. Cripsy fried duck sitting on a bed of brown rice, smothered in broth spiced with ginger, pea tendrils (slightly bitter) and garic chips sprinked on top. The duck was seasoned to perfection, and the crispyness matched the garlic chips, and was a perfect compliment to the porrage texture of the arroz caldo.
Pear & Kamote Ginataan: sweet potatoes & pears immersed in coconut milk. That’s all I need to say.
This was my (and my bf’s) first experience with pop up dining, and we absolutely had a blast. Getting to know the young entrepreneurs while being dazzled by their genius creations is something we wont forget. The price per person for this particular menu was $ 48. Which is what I expected. I dont know if that’ll change depending on the menu and ingredients… but what’s great is that they offered BYOB (at least for opening weekend) so you save some dollars there! The only thing I will «complain» about, is that I wanted MORE! hahaha.
We have reservations to return in 2 weeks, cant wait!