Warung Café

Amazing value for a modest price
This review was from 2009’s Dine LA week: Warung Café was the true find of the week, and probably the one I will most likely frequent in the future.
We arrived a half hour early for our reservation (when does THAT ever happen in LA!!!) and though they had said there were no earlier reservations available on the phone, we found the restaurant only half full, and the hostess was more than happy to seat us. I guess maybe they didn’t want to fill up the restaurant with reservations because there were only 2 waitresses on for the night, and throughout the evening we had both of them come by our table. Our main waitress was very sweet and helpful with sake recommendations, offering us a taste of her preferred sake before we made a choice. For sake lovers, this place does not do hot sake, but they do many different tasting flights of cold sake, which we enjoyed.
I couldn’t believe how much delicious food we got for such a reasonable price! Yes, they are small plates, but they more than compensated for that with the extra appetizer pick. Plus, I would rather have lots of little tastes than commit to one entrée that could be a stinker. Luckily, every dish was a hit.
I can’t wait to come back!
Dishes I tried:
Edamame: Not an ordered dish, but an extra appetizer brought to every table. So many great extras at this restaurant!
Mushroom and Tofu Miso Soup: Fairly straightforward miso soup, though I appreciated that it was not overly salty, as too many miso soups are, yet still retained a rich miso flavor.
Homemade Potstickers Stuffed with Mushroom, Napa Cabbage, served with a Plum Wine & Black Bean Sauce: I have never had potstickers like this before. Though filled with mushrooms, the flavor and texture was so much richer than I had expected, more like a steak than a vegetable. In fact, they were meatier than most meat potstickers I’ve had! A great option for vegetarians looking for a rich substitute. The filling was also a bit spicy. The dipping sauce tasted more like steak sauce to me than an asian black bean plum sauce, which added to the bold flavors of the dish. I am definitely getting this next time.
Cold Ramen Noodle Tossed with Homemade Peanut Sauce and Scallions: I love cold peanut noodles, and this was no exception. I could have used a little more spice, but it was still an addictively good dish.
Seared Ahi Tuna over greens with asian vinaigrette: Overall, my least favorite appetizers. The flavors were a little too mild for my palate, though the tuna seemed fresh enough. I think the dressing needed a little more seasoning or lemon, something more, to make this dish stand out. It was good, but I probably wouldn’t order it again.
Filet Mignon served wtih Taro Root Wasabi Mash and Green Apple Teriyaki Sauce: This was the standout meat of my DineLA experience. Though a tiny cut, the juicy succulence of the filet mignon can not be beat. My boyfriend and I were vying for the last bite. The sauce was tasty, and I enjoyed the wasabi mash, although my boyfriend noted it should be called purée, because it is really a thorough blend.
Baby Lamb Chops — Marinated with Mint Basil Pesto Sauce with Arugula Salad and Yogurt Cumin Sauce: The lamb was cooked well, but the flavors implied by the menu description just weren’t there, or didn’t come together quite right. I would have like a more complex yogurt sauce to stand up to the lamb, but it tasted overly sweet and bland. I still enjoyed eating the meat lollipops, but ended up dipping them into the left-​over sauces from other dishes.
Crispy Banana Spring Roll — Candied Walnuts, Thai Vanilla Ice Cream drizzled with Sweet Caramel: A somewhat disappointing dessert, the eggroll did not seem to be crispy enough to counter the soft banana inside. The Thai vanilla ice cream was delicious, especially with the caramel and candied nuts, though in the future we will order the ice cream a la carte.
Coconut Crème Brulee: I thought this was going to be a fairly predictable dessert. I mean, you can’t get more standard than crème brûlée in LA, can you? I figured the coconut would be just an infusion, a light hint that would slightly alter the traditional dish, but nothing spectacular. I was so very wrong.
Rather than the unbroken creamy smoothness beneath the candy coating, I found fresh shredded coconut mixed into the custard. «Blasphemy!» I thought, but I couldn’t stop eating. So intense was the coconut flavor, that I nearly forgot I was eating crème brûlée, but for the sugary shards of the caramelized crust that I mixed into the cream. I look forward to eating this delightfully surprising dish again!

Cold ramen noodles tossed with peanut sauce and scallions and garnished with fresh cucumbers. Who knew a simple dish could taste so good?
Warung Café has become a weekly lunch spot for my coworkers and me. Its modern, urban décor brings a touch of class to downtown, especially our part of downtown. (We are not fortunate enough to have our office building located in the Financial District, where beautiful lunch spots are plentiful. My gfs and I are deprived.) Its usually empty when we go — perhaps it’s more popular at dinner, but less crowds means more attentive service. Our wait staff is always friendly, even stopping to crack some jokes with us!
Favorite dishes to order are:
— Peanut noodles — served cold
— Green curry with chicken — this spicy Thai style curry comes with bite-​sized broccoli mixed in and a scoop of white rice
— Tandoori chicken — comes with yogurt sauce and a cucumber/​tomato salad
Asian tapas = small portions. Some are extra small and not worth the price tag thats attached to it. Good news is they have an Express Lunch Menu, which offers large-​sized portions of their most popular dishes, such as the peanut noodles, Indian Chicken Salad and the Green Curry. Ordering from this menu is definitely the most cost-​efficient method, but if you’ve got a decent group, I say go wild and order a bunch of small plates to share.
Equally delicious are their desserts. Coconut crème brûlée, Thai iced tea ice cream. All their desserts are traditional offerings but with a touch of Asian flair.
This would be a great spot to hit up on Downtown Art Walk nights. Nothing like checking out galleries while on a soju buzz!

My friend wanted to take me to this restaurant when I was in town visiting. (I used to live in LA) All I can say is I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!!! Very small, intimate but cozy! Nice and simple décor. Great ambiance! Service was great! Food was DELICIOUS!!! I will definitely have to come back here next time I am in town. We ordered the following:
1) Tuna Tartar (my least favorite of all the dishes I tried)
2) Crispy Tofu Bites (Yummy!!! We ordered 3! The peanut sauce has a little kick which made it perfect!!!)
3) Vegetable dumplings
4) Black Pepper Garlic Chicken Wings
5) Miso Marinated Scallops
6) Peanut Noodles
7) Black Cod
8) Woked Mongolian Beef
9) Asian Pork Ribs (These were fall off the bone, so tender!!!)
10) Grilled Filet Mignon (This was my FAVORITE dish!!!)
11) Mushroom Potstickers
What I really loved about this restaurant was that the owner, Tom, was present throughout the whole evening! He was mingling with everyone, he even serviced the tables! I think it’s great that he makes an appearance and gets to know his customers! I even took a shot with him! They also give everyone a special treat at 22 minutes after the hour EVERY hour… a soju shot!
I only have one complaint which is why I only gave this 4 stars. The plates are tapas style, but some of them are a little too small for the price. Perhaps that can be improved upon in the future.
Verdict? I had a great time with my friends and everything was really delicious. Can’t wait to go back! One word sums up my feelings: IMPRESSED :-)

Came here for a few weeks ago for dinner with girlfriends. We found street parking less than a block away, and after 6pm there seems to be plenty of spots around on a Monday night.
Décor is cute — they had this huge poinsetta art piece on the wall, and lighting is romantic. Restaurant was smaller than I’d expected, but it was definitely cozy. Our waiter was really friendly, although I think he was the only one working that night so he was pretty busy.
We ordered:
— Organic Mixed Green Salad ($ 4) — ordinary salad but the ginger soy vinaigrette was good
— Tuna Tartar ($ 7) — didn’t try this but my friends seemed to like it
— Crispy Tofu Bites ($ 5) — yummy! they TOTALLY melt in your mouth while they’re crispy on the outside.
— Green Curry with Chicken or Tofu ($ 8) — pretty good, tasted clean.
— Woked Mongolian Beef ($ 7.50) — beef over rice… wasn’t that great, it was a little too meaty and not much different than something you’d get at Panda
— Crispy Banana Springroll ($ 6) for dessert, which came out warm w/​ice cream and it was gooood although pretty small.
Portions are pretty small for the prices, but that’s pretty much what you expect out of a small plates place. Ordered a strawberry lemonade soju cocktail that was really weak and had too much sweet lemonade stuff in it, but my friend’s mint mojito soju cocktail was better tasting.
Overall, cute date place to come to for food and drinks — bill may add up as you try different dishes, so I’d check on Unilocal for other people’s reviews on what to order before you go! I think I’d come again just for the tofu bites. Oh, and the name starts sounding a little funny if you say it alot: P

2.5 stars for the food, plus .5 star for ambiance.
small plates: seafood asian ceviche, black cod, black pepper garlic chicken wings. drinks: lime soju «mojito», soju ‘margarita’
all decently executed, but no wowies here. the thing i did enjoy most was the «mojito».
i liked the décor and vibe, but as far as the food, it didn’t quite measure up. it’s probably best to come here on their $ 22 wednesday dinners if you want to give this a try.

Went here during LA Restaurant Week, so it cost $ 22 for 2 appetizers, entrée and dessert. For appetizers I got the Ahi Tuna Tataki Salad (spot-​on) and Miso Mariated Scallop (scallop + green onions, which was decent). I ordered the Grilled Filet Mignon in root wasabi mash, which was an interesting fusion of mashed potatoes with a slight wasabi taste. Too bad the entrees are ridiculously small! For dessert, I chose the green tea ice cream, which was hands down the best part of the meal and also the most generous portion. So good! It would have cost $ 29.50 without the special, so it was a pretty good deal. Would have probably gone to another restaurant for the same price though, had we known the dishes were sooo small.
Apparently, Wednesdays are their crazy *Warung Wednesday* nights; they have skanky Asian «supermodels» wearing black parade the restaurant. They play loud music where you can barely hear the person sitting across from you and the middle of the restaurant suddenly turns into a dance floor… Okay I know I sound super old and overly conservative so let me clarify. The whole Warung Wednesday concept is actually cool in and of itself… it’s just that I really don’t need to see certain people grinding in front of me while I’m trying to eat my dinner. No thanks… don’t know why they do it on a Wednesday night though (probably to get business!) But the only good thing about it is that they have FREE Soju shots 22 minutes into hour. Granted, it’s super fruity and low in alcohol content but it’s free :-) AND they didn’t card! Can’t think of anywhere else that does that.
Good to try, but I wouldn’t go here with their high prices and ridiculously small portions (seriously, tiny — you probably need a magnifying glass). Sadly, the green ice cream is the only reasonably portioned thing I ate that night.

Petite Fusion Café and Bar
Fusion meals, beers, wine, sojo/​sake cocktails — no liquor, st. parking/​pay garage parking.
Friends and I went to the opening of Warung Wednesdays (Oct 21-​Dec 16 6PM — midnight). Ada and Arlene, the twins from Big Fish, host and celebrate Wednesday nights with complimentary rounds of soju shots ever 22 minutes after the hour all night. $ 22 dinner special choice of 2 appetizers, one entrée, & dessert.

The place is located in the restaurant row of the Old Bank District, which is pretty lively at night with private security and purple patrol roaming around the area. As you enter the cozy place, the décor is has a loft feel to it with piping and wires exposed in the ceilings. The place is covered with brick, dark brown paint on the walls, Asian painting and bamboo scattered throughout the place.
Overall the place is great. I would give it a 3 ½ star.
I ate with a friend for Dine LA so i tried a lot! lol
For the appetizer i tried:
1) Shiite Mushroom Mi-​so served with tofu and green onions — Tasted very good, comparable to other Mi-​so Soups I had.
2) Crispy Tofu Bites, pan seared tofu served with homemade spicy peanut sauce — It was OK, nothing special
3) Peanut Noodle, cold ramen noodle tossed with homemade peanut sauce and scallions — pretty good, reminded me of a Taiwanese noodle dish
4) Tuna Tartar, chopped tuna and avocado with wasabi cream on top of crispy wonton — its OK, not a big fan
Entrée:
5) Sea Bass, 2 oz Chilean sea bass skewers grilled with green apply teriyaki sauce — very good, the fish on the outside was crispy and sweet.
6) Top Sirloin 8 oz. Steak — with garlic mash potatoes, bok choi and a plum wine sauce– Very good steak! bok choi was OK. Funny thing is i normally don’t eat mash potatoes but the one they had was very creamy and good!
Dessert:
7) Crispy Banana Spring roll — candied walnuts, Thai vanilla ice cream drizzled with sweet caramel — Very GOOD!
8) Green Tea Ice Cream — Like everywhere else
Drinks:
They have various Sakes, so we tried the Sake Sampler, its really good!

2 ½ stars!
It was my dads birthday when I decided to take him out with a few family and loves. I don’t know why this place won my heart out of all the places I looked at.
My aunt lives like 2 minutes to the Dodger stadium so picking her up then detouring down to downtown was a nightmare. You should have seen the look on her face. She lives in Chinatown, but she never steps a foot out her door anywhere in downtown after 6. Actually, she doesn’t stop by downtown at all! There we were, poor little thing with the frightening look in her eyes as a few bums strolled by started to mumble jumble.
The food portions were very small, of course this is tapas style. For the price, I would expect the food to be somewhat good. But eh!
The white fish sashimi — did not taste fresh and the flavor was like a new car smell (I know).
Salmon and tuna rice bites — Really? It’s just sushi. Don’t you hate it when you buy market sushi and the rice is all sour? Yeah this was how it was.
Fried tofu — This was okay, but I wish the portions were more for this tiny tiny dish.
black pepper chicken wings — agreed that it was the best of the worst. Tasted amazing compared to everything else.
ASian short ribs — What I liked out of everything. It tasted like there was 5 spice in this. The meat was really tender, easy for my dad to gnaw on :)
Scallop marinated in miso — really? This was NOT worth the money at all! This is an insult to tapas! This looked like a baby has been playing with it and plating the food after they were done. The scallop was very soft. Falling apart soft.
The waitress was nice. She was consistent with her water refills. But our bill was already at 75 (we ordered 2 of everything except for the tofu) and we weren’t even close to full. So we stopped the damage. I paid the bill and we headed out for phở. lol
I don’t recommend this place, just because the prices are high for food that aren’t even up to par. I didn’t taste whats so great about this place. Again, money is not the issue, the food is.
Btw no parking lot so… park on streets or pay for marking around the corner!
KK Mitsuwa market sushi!

This is a charming place! A small place with small plates!
We had the spicy Indian chicken salad which was a little warm for my taste. A salad should be, well, cold. But the sesame dressing was very good. Maybe there was a little too much of it. It would’ve been nice on the side. I loved the crispy wonton; otherwise it might have been borderline a soggy salad. There’s nothing really Indian about this salad except for the Basmati rice, but it was flavorful and that’s all that really mattered to me.
Also had the peanut noodle! Yummy. Think cold ramen noodles with a peanutty dressing. Very nutty and creamy. Loved it. I would order this again but I could just as easily make it at home.
The samosas, nothing special. I’ve had much better at my favorite Indian restaurants. Stuffed with potato, carrots, peas, spices and the minty sauce. You know the drill…
BEST DISH at this restaurant is the 3 oz. filet mignon with the taro root wasabi mashed potatoes! Someone let me bathe in these mashed potatoes! Gallons and gallons of it! They were so good! Better than mashed potatoes I’ve had at 5 star restaurants! The texture was like they mashed these potatoes for hours… so creamy. And it comes with a green apple teriyaki sauce. Amazing combo of flavors. Meat was cooked just right — medium rare, and very tender. Also, the cutest piece of meat I’ve ever seen. I would come here again for this dish!

This is a great place!
It’s small but it has a nice ambiance. All the small plates I had were really good. My favorites are the ahi tuna tataki salad, tuna tartar, seafood Asian ceviche, and the salmon & tuna sashimi rice bites. The takai salad and the tartar are almost the same thing though. All the fish tastes fresh. Overall the offerings aren’t very sophisticated but I haven’t been disappointed. The Thai iced tea is also very good.
The service is also good there. Very prompt. Never had to wait to be seated either, which is great.

I adore Warung! their drinks are tops, from the sake sampler to their signature Martinis. The cucmber martini was a hit with friends. My favorites include their salads, and their agedashi tofu! cut into little light, perfectly fried pieces. Lamb is grand and perfectly cooked. Always attentive service.

No, no, no. The rating says it all.
Stumbled upon this place during the Art Walk. Should’ve gotten the hint, since it was the only place around downtown that did NOT have a wait.
Sat down where two friends were already sitting. Waiter came to bring water but did not hand us any menus. (Hmm, ok maybe he’s busy…)
A couple minutes pass and we just flagged someone over to ask for it. Checked out utensils. My spoon was dirty. (Definitely not acceptable.) Didn’t even bother asking for another one because I knew I wouldn’t be eating. (Had dinner already.)
Our friends did order and when it arrived, it was smaller than I thought. I knew it was tapas, but it was not worth the price. The tuna tartar was not chopped but mashed, which in my opinion is a strategy used to hide the fish’s poor quality. (Blecch!)
Also got my order of thai iced tea which was also very small. (If I had a boba straw, I would’ve been able to suck it all down in 5 sips.)
I’ve never really been much of a fan of asian fusion so maybe I’m a bit biased. In my opinion I got exactly what I expected; pretentious asian food at a high price. Normally I wouldn’t have been so harsh with the 2 stars, but service wasn’t great. Would I try it again? Eh, maybe for happy hour.

3.5 stars
My boyfriend made reservations for Warung on a Friday night. I wasn’t feeling particularly hungry, so the idea of asian fusion tapas sounded enticing.
I think Warung is probably awesome and happening for happy hour. I liked the vibe here, it was modern but not stuffy. When we arrived at 8:30 there was the din of a crowded restaurant, but by 9 pm it was completely dead. Perhaps this is endemic to downtown restaurants, but I felt a little overdressed when it became so quiet.
The food was pretty good. Some dishes — like the spicy peanut noodles and roasted mushrooms — were quite delicious. Others, such as the black cod with curry and the baby lamb chops, were just ok. The shrimp toast was just weird. The sparkling sake, which we had never tried, was awesome.
Extra points for exceptionally nice service. They brought out a wrong dish and then our waiter brought us each extra glasses of sparkling sake to apologize. Totally unnecessary but so nice! The manager also stopped by earlier in the evening to make sure we had everything we needed.
Overall, I’m glad I tried it, and would totally go to happy hour, but wouldn’t run back just for dinner.

I came here with a friend for the dineLA menu. For appetizers we ordered the papaya and tofu salad which came with a lime chili vinaigrette. It was a good balance of flavors but it was more on the tangy side. And we ordered the mushroom potstickers which were just okay.
The appetizers weren’t impressive but the entrees were! The baby lamb chops were marinated with a mint basil pesto sauce and served with arugula salad and a yogurt cumin sauce. The lamb was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The black cod was served with basmati coconut rice and a curry sauce.
The desserts were also winners! The coconut crème bruless had chucks on coconut infused in the crème brûlée! So if you’re a fan of coconut, then you would love this. And the crispy banana spring roll came with candied walnuts and vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel. This will definitely satisfy any sweet tooth.

Warung is in an up-​and-​coming part of town, across from Bar 107 and just north of sketchy Skid Row. Parking is not so easy, though of course there are hundreds of lots nearby. The service is excellent and the Asian tapas are very good. I particularly liked the samosas and the cold ramen salad. The soju drinks are mellow and flavorful, and I really like the big piece of phone book decopauge on the west wall. At least I think it’s west.

EJ: «Hey, I’m hungry. Let’s go to OB Bear!»
‘Tard #1: «K-​Town? But we’re in downtown. I came all the way down here from K-​Town and I could have just met you guys there! [5 mins. of bitching deleted as Unilocal has a limit on the reviews.]»
‘Tard #2: «Let’s go to Casey’s Irish Bar & Grill”*
EJ: «An Irish pub? It’s not anywhere close to St. Patrick’s day. Do they even serve food? And I’m not talking about haggas.»
‘Tards (in unison): «Yeah, sure they serve food!»
[Walk to Casey’s, sit down, expecting fish & chips.]
‘Tard #2: «Aww man, the kitchen’s closed already.»
EJ: «Hey, I’m (still) hungry. Let’s go to OB Bear!»
‘Tard #3: «Since we have to get in a car, let’s go to Warung!»
EJ [mutters beneath breath]: «‘Tards.»
*‘Tard #2 didn’t actually call Casey’s by its whole name: «Casey’s Irish Bar & Grill». I’m just providing more detail for those uninitiated to downtown. You’re welcome.
Nice décor, very «Oriental» (i.e., the décor should delight everyone that gravitates towards these hip and trendy restaurants because, just like all the other «Asian Fusion» restaurant, they’ve decided to take in a variety of Asian architectural style elements and vomit it all up). Guys, this would be a place you should take a date if you want to get laid. Girls, this would be a place you should take a date if you want to get laid. Just don’t forget to tie your hair up and use chopsticks to hold it together. [Actually, girls, to clue you in, you could probably take most guys anywhere, wearing sweats and still get laid.]
— Banana spring rolls
— Green curry with tofu
— Crispy chicken potstickers
— Tuna tartar (surprise, surprise)
Now, don’t get me wrong, judging by the décor alone, I didn’t expect this place to be «authentic” – and I’ve been to some really authentic places (
). However, I did expect a little more on a lot of fronts. Food was definitely: «Meh, I’ve experienced better,» and prices were pretty ridiculous given the extremely small portions. Yeah, I know I’m Asian and I can subsist on rice and a few slices of sauteed tree bark, but even my tapeworm could eat more than this.
I’d come back, but only to drink. Maybe I’d do the gourmand’s equivalent of pre-​partying at my place with 5-​course meal and then come here to drink. And maybe only during happy hour. And only if I was locked out of every other happy hour – so which is to say, maybe never?
In the end, I left thinking: how could everything have gone so horribly warung? Oh yeah, I listened to the ‘Tards instead of stuffing them all in car and going to O B Bear.
Epilogue: In the end, we ended up going to O B Bear, and the ‘Tards ate more than I did.

This place was a fun find. It’s got a great interior, very ambient. The bar is great, it’s not a busy place, but it’s a great place to have drinks with a few people for conversation…
I did Kirin on draft and a few bottles of Sake with some friends there recently… I’ve never actually mixed those two products, but I officially know that that combination will give me a hangover. Luckily they also have Sapporo on draft and I’ve never had gotten a hangover from Sapporo and Sake.
I’ve yet to try the food here so I can’t comment on it yet…
but I can say the staff here is awesome, very friendly and fun.

4.5 if i could.
asian tapas. yummy! i had the crab cake sandwich and the miso scallops. i also had the sake flight (the girly one) and a belini.
the drinks are amazing here. very great and diverse. cocktails were all great. my friend had a passion drink and her husband had a green concoction followed by a blue concoction. he enjoyed both his drinks. my friends ordered the Asian Pork Ribs $ 7, Peanut Noodle $ 5, Grilled Chicken Tandoori $ 6 and Crispy Chicken Potstickers $ 5. I had the Miso Marinated Scallop $ 5 and the Spicy Crab Salad Sandwiches $ 7.
i would def come back here again. free edamame. that’s what i’m talking about!

Ivan runs this place — he’s cool. He’s helpful and he returns calls on time! I’m not related, I’m just a customer of his.
On my visit one Thurs night I was researching a spot for a USC alum party and this was my first place. He explained the menu, gave me a tasting and was very accommodating.
The menu was created by a Japanese consultant and it’s well executed. It’s fusion and the small plate format lets you eat fairly well for $ 12 – 14.
The negs: the pay bar was waiting for the license but it should be in place now. The parking is street and lots. But still, go and visit. Oh, and a cool sneaker store (Blends)) is opposite — I told u so!
**revision**
I had my USC Alum event here — 40 people. Ivan and his staff kept everyone happy and managed very well. I thoroughly recommend Warung Café to your small or medium-​sized gatherings. Good stuff.