Commissary at The Line Hotel

3.25.2016

One of the three most significant factors that constitute a great dining spot in my book, aside from the quality of food and price range, is definitely the ambiance. Coincidentally enough, I live in a city where its food culture holds as much regard to an establishment's overall atmosphere as they do in grilling the perfect medium rare steaks, all with the purpose of ensuring a tasty experience that may also warrant at least a three-and-a-half-star review on Yelp from foodies and non-foodies alike.

This is where one of my go-to's come in - Chef Roy Choi's Commissary.

The founding father of the food truck movement, and the man behind the Kogi truck, opened his latest achievement in the summer of 2014 inside The Line Hotel just above his other brainchild, POT.

An all-glass greenhouse adjacent to the hotel pool, situated on the rooftop deck with Koreatown's skyscrapers in full scenic view, Commissary defines ambiance in a different level.

The moment you step in, your eyes are warmly greeted by the greeneries and the generous natural light (during the day) coming in from all corners of the transparent structure.

Fig trees, an assortment of vines, shrubs, and hanging potted plants adorn the interior of the space. The dining area consists of long oak-washed wooden communal tables and gray-topped circular tables laid out all over which blithely contrasts the lush surroundings. There is an eight seater bar on the righthand corner, with several wooden crates behind the counter holding bottles after bottles of alcohol and wine as plants continue to embellish the nook. Outdoor seating is also available, where blankets are additionally provided for chilly nights.

Aside from the verdure characteristic of the venue, Commissary never ceases to deliver a "homey" feel each time I pay it a visit. This mostly comes from the way they present and serve their dishes. Their vegetable-centric menu are prepared on mismatched, multicolored, age-old looking chinas that are partnered with intricately designed utensils and old-fashioned handkerchiefs as table napkins. The style is very much like that of your grandmother at home, especially when all plates are meant to be shared with everyone across the table.

Though definitely not a vegetarian restaurant, the focus of the menu are the greens. Roasted squash (with yellow sauce and parmesan), grilled lettuce (with pear, bacon and avocado), charred carrots (with green sauce and parmesan) and broccolini (with quinoa and kochukaru nuts), and green curry eggplant (with coconut milk, shallots, and thai chilies) are just a few of the items featured.

If you want something crispy as an appetizer, their cauliflower tempura with shoyu dipping sauce is what I absolutely recommend. Of course, the menu isn't complete without LA's true staple - the avocado toast. Topped with goat cheese, chilies, and cured salmon, this toast will get you filled up just in time for lunch without compromising the taste at $15 a pop.

Two of my favorite dishes here are the pan roasted scallops (with green sauce and pea shoots) and spaghetti comprised of pesto, mushrooms, fava, mint and parmesan.

The scallops are literally cooked to perfection - roasted on the outside but tender on the inside. The spaghetti brings out such natural flavors from the pesto and mint which works incredibly well with the mushroom and fava beans. It's so good I wouldn't even think of adding meat, not even bacon (I know!), on it. You have the option to partner up your spaghetti with garlic bread which is actually their house-made focaccia for $6. And let me tell you, just do it. Whatever they mix into their dough is highly addictive.

For the meat-eaters out there, have no fear. Chicken Confit (multi-grain risotto and wild mushrooms), NY Strip (with rainbow sauce and warm potato salad), and Pork Schnitzel (with arugula and yellow sauce) are also on the menu ranging between $22-$31.

I've also tried dishes from their brunch and dinner menus in the past, but I'd have to say that lunch tops my list.

Each dining experience I've had at Commissary had been more than pleasant, to say the least. From the friendly servers to the scrumptious food, even down to the plants in and around the establishment all harmoniously add to the complete ambiance of the place. It's the reason why I keep coming back to it.

If the words Roy Choi and delicious food aren't enough to make you want to check this place out, perhaps dining in an actual greenhouse in the middle of the busy streets of Koreatown will do.