Forage — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Summary: If you want high quality food at 1/2 the price of a 5- star restaurant, this is it!

Have you ever longed to walk into the backyard of a great cook's home and simply able to mingle with local people for great food, feeling welcomed? Forage is the closest to your imagination.

I am not a foodie. I don't really care about restaurant once I learned about the business long time ago. I never talked to restaurant people. I get it. Restaurants need to make money, and most of the time, they cut cost by sacrificing the quality of each ingredient. Cheaper egg, cheaper tomato, cheaper potato, cheaper steak meat and chicken... Well, at the end, every restaurant was my disappointment because I always wanted good ingredients. Food should be flavorful by itself without much seasoning. But those ingredients are usually channeled to fancy 5-star restaurants. And they are beyond my means. I can't afford to dress up and go to those top restaurants all the time. So I never looked to visit any restaurant for the past 20 years. We rather buy high quality vegetables, fruits and meat. We cook at home most of the time... Except when kids asked for something. So take-out foods were our routines for a long time... Until I stepped into Forage almost by accident for a friend's birthday party. The food at the dinner was memorable for me. We shared multiple dishes, and every single one of them broke my prejudice about the restaurant business. The food with high quality ingredients. Menus are adjusted by season based on what's the best ones at that time. Light seasoning since every bite was of full flavor.

I came back for breakfast. Breakfast menus are $19 and under, and every bite is a joy. My son and I tried breakfast burrito and Avocado toast. I feel nourished. Good ingredients with its own flavor, coming together in orchestra. Stuffing yourself up with 2000 calorie burger with fries and soda makes you feel bloated. But the good quality food recharge your body when you need the rest and healing after a long week.

There's technically 4-car parking spots, but they are always full. So you have to park your car in the neighborhood and walk a little (0.1 mile at the most). I love the outdoor ambiance once I walk up to the 2nd floor where the restaurant is. It really feel like you are in the backyard of someone's home. Or a large kitchen connected...

Charging 14$ for a cut of steak that is not but four small slices of meat is outrageous. Flat iron steak comes from the shoulder part of the cow, which is chuck meat. Chuck meat is a lower quality cut of meat. The cashier claimed it was 4 oz of steak, however, it did not say the size on the menu. When I asked about the price the cashier also claimed that it was a higher quality cut of steak. I could have bought 16 oz for 20$ and not 14$. I would have almost preferred to make this myself, less cost that way. As for the taste, I do not consider this a quality meal for the price. The cook of the steak which I asked for was rare. Medium well was given to me. This turned the steak chewy. The broccoli as a side was overly oily. The fries I shared with the table were over fried and felt like fast food fries. I spent 25$ for four slices of steak, broccoli and fries. If you like the sides, then you will be happy with what's provided. The sides were larger than the steak. I would understand the price point if this was an experience restaurant. But given that it is not, to say I am disappointed is a gross...

This small restaurant puts out great food! Our first time here and I have to say I'm impressed. From the tasty, very fresh food to the jazz playing overhead. I had the crispy chicken sandwich. The chicken was tender and juicy, despite being fried. If I had one complaint, it was a bit too spicy for me, but that didn't stop me from devouring it. We tried a lot if their sides. My favorite was the kale and arugula salad. The Bulger wheat salad was also tasty. My wife enjoyed her adobo chicken bowl. It had a whole leg of chicken, arugula salad, on white rice and a fried egg to complete it. She enjoyed it completely. For dessert, we split the buttermilk cake, that had a strawberry on top of the cream cheese icing. It was really, really good. People have remarked that it is pricey, but I felt the quality was well worth it. Also to note, there is a small parking lot in the back. This is my new favorite restaurant for...