RESTAURANT REVIEW: Faith & Flower

705 W 9th Street | Los Angeles, CA 90015 | 213-239-0642 | www.faithandflowerla.com | Prices: $$$

By SIERRA DAVIS | Pali Life Editor

Walking into Faith & Flower, our eyes darted around the enormous, softly lit dining room. Everything is ornate; from the swanky wallpaper to the installations resembling the sequined dress of a dancing flapper girl. Candlelight dances between mirrors and lavish crystal chandeliers hanging by golden chains from the lofted ceilings.

At 8 p.m. on a Thursday, the restaurant was nearly full when we arrived, but we were seated immediately with our reservation. We nestled in an elegantly upholstered scallop booth, set with emerald green water goblets and heavy-handled silverware, offering a full view of the stunning golden bar across the room. The dinner menu is creatively tucked into a hardbound book filled with pages of nondescript Latin words, sprinkled throughout with phrases like champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends and the best things in life are free; the second best are very expensive.
Faith & Flower’s chic vintage décor and Downtown ambience succeeds due to the impeccable attention to detail. Donning a uniform of Chucks and a bowtie, our server Justin walked us through the cocktail menu with a wealth of information.

While my date settled on the Harry Winston – the obvious choice for a whiskey connoisseur with its blend of smooth Nikka Japanese whiskey and citrus on ice – I had tunnel vision for the famed English Milk Punch. Winner of Equire’s “Cocktail of the Year,” Faith & Flower’s Chief of Booze (yes, that’s a real job) Michael Lay spent four years developing this recipe, which is so involved that a batch takes three days to make.
One sip of the silky smooth, crystal clear punch transported me directly to a tropical, white sand beach far from Downtown LA – a possible side effect of the absinthe in the mix.
Blissfully sipping our selections, we indulged in a serving of Kanpachi Ceviche from the raw bar, seared in lime and ginger beer and served with house made potato chips.
Faith & Flower takes a sharable tapas-style approach, which I love because it means more flavors to savor without feeling overstuffed. We started with the Fennel and Citrus Salad; a light, savory mix of manchego cheese, spicy radishes and succulent pieces of citrus fruits. The toasted pistachios added a nice touch.
Giving us a hint of things to come to the revolving menu, Chef Michael Hung sent out a taste of the Celery Root and Kohlrabi Salad with little gem lettuce, knee-buckling ranch dressing and furikake – a Japanese rice seasoning.

The fabulously eccentric sommelier Jared Hooper insisted on pairing our Seared Steelhead Trout, cooked expertly in a light, citrus butter sauce, with a glass of Herdade do Rocim, Amphora. Following his instruction, we alternated between a bite of trout and a sip of wine, bite, sip, bite, sip and were delighted at the wine’s evolving flavor experienced through this technique. Though the by-the-glass menu is light, Faith & Flower is one of just two restaurants in the country serving the Herdade do Rocim by the glass. The bottled options, however, seem limitless – including several rarities.
With the decadent Oxtail Agnolotti, drizzled in rich, bone marrow butter and beef tendon, we paired a glass of 2012 Hannes Reeh, Heideboden Rot, out of Austria. Curated in the cooler Alpine climate and flash aerated at our table, the red table wine was flush with notes of coffee and chocolate that harmonized with the agnolotti’s crispy chicarrones and sweet pear salsa. Our sommelier had yet to lead us astray, but instead to our favorite pairing of the night.

While being dazzled by our dining experience, our early order of the Ribeye had been sizzling over mesquite and was ready to be served alongside a dish of Grilled Broccolini cooked in garlic. A strong, smoky incense rose from the steak, giving a nod to the incredible flavor we experienced upon cutting into the fuchsia center. The meat, cooked in vermouth and oyster jus, was presented – as every dish – with expert care and flair.
Having gained our trust with an unbreakable streak of well-received recommendations, we succumbed to Justin’s suggestion for dessert – Hazelnut Chocolate Feulleitine. Darling dollops of chocolate cremeux, toasted meringue and caramel made for a nice finish with a flaming splash of Russian-style absinthe.