Roy Choi’s Commissary thrills with exquisite ambiance
Koreatown’s impressive hustle and bustle doesn’t stop for much — one of the busiest sectors of Los Angeles is full of people, lights and activity at all hours. But perched in the middle of the flurry is a small greenhouse full of plants and good food. This greenhouse is home to Commissary, the Line Hotel’s new restaurant that sits on a rooftop above the city offering a peaceful foodie’s escape.
Surprising kick · Chef Roy Choi’s inventive take on vegetables are a hit — the carrot dish (pictured) consists of a few expertly grilled carrots topped with a pesto-like sauce with an unexpected bite. – Mariya Dondonyan | Daily Trojan
Commissary’s atmosphere immediately attracts anyone looking for a quirky but beautiful setting. The greenhouse, filled with hanging planters and soft lights, screams hipster and offers a trendy but serene ambience. After entering through the hotel and taking the elevator to the second floor, guests find themselves outside the door of Commissary — greeted by the cool air as they pass the outdoor dining area complete with umbrellas and tiny, intimate tables, patrons continue into the actual greenhouse, where they are immediately surrounded by the warm, inviting milieu.
The perfectly hip music paired with the softness of the recessed lighting culminate to create a well-balanced, comfortable atmosphere, and the plants add a recherché twist to create a cozy but unique dining space.
The waitstaff is relaxed and kind, many of whom make an effort to have personal conversations with their respective tables and answer questions about the vague menu. The service is also especially quick, including that from the kitchen.
Commissary also goes out of its way to add almost-whimsical touches in unexpected ways. The water glasses and funky napkin rings are all mismatched, and each table gets a packet of seeds. Commissary’s unique menu has pictures — only pictures. The small paper menus are presented in an airmail envelope (see: “screams hipster”) and come with a disclaimer from the chef:
“Welcome to COMMISSARY. There are no description words. I know, I know. Don’t freak out. Trust the pictures. And choose your own adventure. This is the experience. Point and build. And have a great time. — Chef Roy.”
Each picture is of one food type and has one descriptive word — “eggs,” for example, or “lettuce” — forcing each diner to truly “choose their own adventure.” The dishes are fairly small but reasonably priced, and what they lack in quantity, they make up for in quality and complexity of flavor.
The “carrot” dish consists of a variety of types of carrots, grilled to juicy perfection. They are topped with a creamy, pesto-like sauce with an unexpected bite and fresh sprouts. Bursting with flavor, the dish is peculiar and delicious.
The grilled cheese is grilled to slightly crispy perfection — the cheese soft and gooey between two thick slices of good bread with slightly crispy edges — and served with a creamy tomato sauce. The sauce, somewhere between a ketchup and a soup, perfectly complements the sandwich. The dish as a whole, though, is nothing particularly special in terms of flavor or quality.
The fig dish is also small but again makes up for its size by being packed full of flavor. The sweet, fresh figs are balanced by onions and goat cheese and topped with crisp greens and a light, flavorful sauce.
The brown rice and French fries are two of the only four side dishes offered at Commissary and are unfortunately bland. The rice is dry and lacks flavor and the French fries, though well cooked and not greasy, are nothing special.
Commissary’s website boasts its focus on fresh fruit and vegetables. The restaurant is described as one that pays “a homage to all the people and families here in So Cal that work on farms to bring food to our tables.”
The idea of fruit and vegetables as the heart of the restaurant is apparent — the dishes containing fresh produce are more artfully prepared and contain extraordinary flavor — but Commissary comes up a bit short with its bland versions of basic dishes.
Overall, the food, though good, isn’t what makes Commissary memorable. The greenhouse is home to a rare oasis amid Los Angeles’ commotion and provides a romantic escape from the busy city. Its perfect rustic-chic decoration and balanced trendy-cozy ambience meld to create a fun, intimate and very unique restaurant.
Commissary is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Line Hotel, 3515 Wilshire Boulevard.