REVIEW: Bäcoshop astounds in aesthetic, but its dishes lack quality

With a chic rustic beach vibe, the small restaurant immediately draws in the audience’s eye: Bäcoshop is aesthetically pleasing in its architecture, interior design and food. However, despite such elements, the restaurant’s food leaves much to ask for.

Bäcoshop is located in Culver City, on Washington Boulevard and Irving Place. According to the owner and chef, Josef Centeno, in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Bäcoshop is a take-away from Bäco Mercat — his restaurant in downtown Los Angeles — with new variants of the bäco flatbread, Centeno’s signature item.

A group of workers quickly greets the newly arriving guests in the restaurant. The workers are friendly and eager to help, even with the lack of customers. Bäcoshop is styled in the design of the trendy “fast-food, sit-down” restaurants — no server will come to the table to take guest orders. Rather, customers must order at the counter when they arrive. Despite this factor in service, the food is prepared quickly — the second positive element alongside its chic interior design.

Bäcoshop follows the trend of emerging restaurants that have amazing presentation with
health-conscious ingredients. But its substance ends there.

The shop has wide-paneled windows, painted with a bright red that reflects the California sunshine, as small plants and printed lanterns dangle against the crisp white walls. Its countertop is contrasted with navy blue and white tiles, while white chairs outline its clean wooden tabletops. Beauty is only skin deep, and in the case of Bäcoshop, its wow factor is strictly through its impressive aesthetic.

For the grilled steak bäco, the food is initially separated for the customer to mix together. The grilled steak, pickled onions, lettuce, quinoa, almonds and cheese are just a few of the ingredients within it.

However, with the first bite, the textures do not mix well with one’s palate, and the distinct ingredients are incongruent. Although these ingredients are fresh, their individual combined flavors fall flat. The balance of spicy, savory and sweet do not cross and fall into an expected flavor blast; rather, they run parallel.

Another dish on the Bäcoshop menu is the chile shrimp bäcorrito, which is the restaurant’s version of a burrito. The shrimp, while fresh, is the only redeeming quality. The wrap is soggy and the large amount of radishes within the bäcorrito is overwhelming, causing an overpowering taste that masked everything else within the dish, even the shrimp. The shell is also rubbery and hard to chew.

Bäcoshop’s menu ranged further, including vegetarian options and desserts, but it can most likely be assumed that the overall experience is equally unimpressive. For its price, the food left much to be wanted. The average bäco and bäcorito costs around $10 and when factoring in taste and location, it appears overpriced in comparison to other restaurants.