Cobi's — Restaurant in Santa Monica

I’ve always walked passed Cobi’s and I’ve always told myself I would one day go in. Time passed and then I heard they had received a Michelin star! So I quickly got a reservation and headed their way before word got around and reservations became harder. It took me a day to decide whether to post this review or not. The selfish side of me didn’t want to spread the word because I know it will attract more people, but, the righteous side made me do it because they 100% deserve it. So my husband and I arrived, we sat in the back patio which is lovely, surrounded by flowers and plants. The dishes are different China patterns and give the ambiance a Sunday country brunch vibe. Very lovely. We decided to go with a nice cold sparkling water and the “Chef’s selection” which consists of 8 dishes of the chefs favorites. We started the meal with a lovely and perfect Kanpachi in finger lime, green chili, coconut dressing. This was surprisingly refreshing and oh so tender. I am not big on raw fish but this, this I would eat everyday. This was topped by Leek ash. They also served the second dish which was a crisp and fresh papaya salad. Filled with mint leaves and tender green beans in a perfectly seasoned dressing. Following this was the Grilled Prawns in a ginger & yellow bean sauce. Delish! After that we received the best samosas I have ever had. They are called Curry Puffs. They are curried split peas & potatoes, served with pickled onion and tamarind ketchup. The pickled onions were my fave to eat with the Puffs. They were so light and at the same time crisp and thin. Just lovely. Following this we received Beef Rendang with chili sambal, crispy shallot, gulai, squash. The curry sauce that came with this was something special. My husband said, and I quote “drown me in this and I’ll die happy” so that will tell you it’s worth coming in just for that. Haha This dish also came with rice and the nicest Roti with a great char. Finally the last dish (before the dessert) came, the short ribs. Again a winner! So tender and sweet. This was served with a tamarind and chili dressing and a side salad reminiscent of the papaya salad but tossed in a tamarind ketchup. (This one I am guessing) was too busy eating to ask. Finally the dessert came, a vanilla soft serve sundae with salted caramel drizzled on top, milo brownie and peanuts. All of this in a delicious dreamy bowl. And that concluded our meal. We were stuffed and happy. The staff was extremely friendly and very descriptive regarding the dishes they brought us. This is a place to enjoy. And I was also informed they have now opened for brunch! I will return time and time again until I eat everything on the menu multiple times and then some. Enjoy. Come ready to eat and with an open mind to try some...

I actually never review restaurants but work in fine dining and was so upset about our experience tonight.

My party of 5 and I all did the Valentine’s Day prix fixe menu which was $95 per person plus $35 for wine pairings. An important note is that the is restaurant is meant to be family style shared plates.

The first course was small and included oysters on the half shell with only 3 oysters for 5 people. It’s clearly not a dish you can share and left us awkwardly deciding amongst ourselves who would try it and who wouldn’t. When we asked our server about it thinking it was a mistake, she said she would talk to her manager and be right back with the other oysters but that never happened. Why is there even a need to ask a manager about that? What a weird environment to be stingy in when we are paying $95 per person.

As the entrees came out and we passed the plates around, it became clear we would leave hungry as the portions were tiny. As we looked around we realized that our party of 5 was receiving the exact same portions and plates as parties of 2. Why were we paying 3x the price for 3x less food?

Those of us who did the wine pairings had to remind servers that we were waiting on the wine. The last pour was given not only after we asked yet again but after the check was dropped on the table. It is not a wine pairing if it doesn’t pair with the courses, and we had already finished dessert.

I spoke with the manager halfway through the meal and although defensive, he made sure we got double the portions for the entree section of the meal, but not the appetizers or dessert. I was mortified to have to find someone to talk to mid meal but truly felt it was unacceptable service and at that price point frankly a shakedown. Again, I never do this.

The dessert sat on our table for about 10 minutes before we could flag down someone to find us some spoons.

The thing that I love about prix fixe menus especially for special occasions is that you don’t have to worry about anything. You can sit back, relax and enjoy the experience and all the food decisions are made for you. When done correctly it is a seamless and unforgettable experience, but this felt more like a scam that left us on edge throughout the meal.

I’ve been the server that is in the weeds before and it is terrible, but no one made so much as a remark that they were busy or acknowledged that our experience was vastly under delivering. Everyone seemed really calm and collected so it was just weird.

Look, you can do the whole nonchalant service thing but you need to lower your price point. You can’t have both and at $95 per person for food alone you better deliver an experience not just good food.

The food was really good by the way. Compliments...

Let's be honest, Los Angeles has its fair share of sceney restaurants. Places where the lighting is better for selfies than seeing the menu, and the food feels like an afterthought. So, imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon Cobi's, tucked away on a quiet street in Koreatown. This wasn't some stark, minimalist space with exposed brick and Edison bulbs. This felt like...well, home.

Walk in, and you're greeted by a riot of flowers – climbing vines, overflowing centerpieces, blooms on every surface. It's the kind of place your grandma might take you for Sunday brunch, with a healthy dose of California cool thrown in. The welcome is just as warm, the staff genuinely happy to see you, ready to guide you through the menu that's a delightful mashup of Thai and Californian influences.

Now, about that menu. Don't let the floral wallpaper fool you, Cobi's takes its food seriously. The hamachi crudo, for instance, was a revelation. Forget the usual limp slices; these were thick, almost steak-like cuts, bathed in a cool citrus-coconut dressing that played beautifully with the fish's natural sweetness.

For something deeper, the daal was a revelation. A symphony of lentils, slow-cooked to creamy perfection, each bite revealing new layers of spice and earthiness. It's the kind of dish that demands a basket of warm roti to mop up every last drop.

And then there's the gai yang, the grilled chicken. Don't let its simplicity fool you. This was a masterclass in chicken cookery. The breast, incredibly moist and tender, possessed a depth of flavor that spoke of long marinades and a skilled hand on the grill.

Let's not forget the finale: the shave ice dessert. A seemingly unassuming mound of milky snow, it arrived adorned with a symphony of texture – agar jelly, popping boba, tofu pudding. One spoonful was a delightful shock – light, refreshing, and surprisingly complex. So good, in fact, that we found ourselves back at Cobi's the very next day, fingers crossed for a walk-in table and another shot at that shave ice magic.

Sure, there were a few stumbles. The nasi goreng felt a bit one-note, and the papaya salad, while perfectly pleasant, didn't quite sing the same song as the other dishes. But these were minor blemishes in an otherwise stellar experience.

Cobi's is more than just a restaurant; it's an invitation. An invitation to slow down, to savor the flavors, to feel the warmth of genuine hospitality. It's a place where the flowers are in bloom, the staff is friendly, and the food, at its best, is nothing short of extraordinary. I know I'll be back, drawn back by the promise of that hamachi crudo, the bottomless well of flavorful daal, and maybe, just maybe, another scoop of that...