June 12, 2011
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Song of the Day
Eating Around in L.A. – Summer is around the corner! Time to wine and dine out again! LUKSHON - a new establishment tucked inside the Helm’s Bakery Complex in Culver City. This joint is an edgy, grownup restaurant serving Asian-ized small plates menu, very much the new taste of Los Angeles cuisine. 
We were seated at the kitchen counter with a great view of the action…..
Cocktail – Fujian Cure – isle of Skye 8yr Scotch, lemon, galangal, lapsang and soughing tea; an intriguing drink, with a marked citrus tinge (lemon and galangal), intertwined with the bitterness of Scotch, I love the bit of candied ginger too…..
Baby Monterey squid – Chiangmai pork sausage, candlenut, mint and rau ram…..
Duck popiah – cilantro stems, pickled jicama, house-made hoisin chile sauce…..
I was under the weather, this Chicken dumplings soup has good tasty broth with a boiled egg in it too…..
X.O. Rice – jasmine rice, house-made X.O. sauce, long beans and egg…..
Yu Choy Sum – aged ham, Shoxing wine and garlic; …..
Dessert is complimentary – (front) Mango pana cotta with coconut tapioca and black sesame shortbread; (back) Kiwi soup with jasmine, pineapple, Beijing yogurt; two completely opposite tastes, a dish with the refreshing tartness of yogurt versus the sweetness of coconut and mango…..
I have never had anything quite like the dish of tiny bulbs of squid stuffed with Chiangmai sausage, as well as most of the other dishes in the menu, which do not appear in any known cuisine. But what matters is that they are very delicious! LUKSHON exceeded my expectations with flying colors. Dishes were bold, lustily flavored, and though not 100% authentic, very true to their Southeast Asian roots. This joint is a great addition to the neighborhood, and I think it will do very well indeed!
LUKSHON | 3639 Helms Avenue, Culver City | lukshon.com
Comments (22)
looks so good! definitely going to try this restaurant soon. get well soon!
Thank you! I’d try this place again for their interesting cocktails and tasty dishes.
Very interesting place, I need to give it a try sometime.
Though not 100% authentic, the dishes name are very Asian….and look appetizing !
@stevew918 - Sounds good, shall I reserve a table for you?
@agmhkg - The dishes are kinda interesting and worth a try!
Oh wow… those look good especially the rice dish. I’ve never had scotch as a cocktail before, I usually have it with a splash of water. I even like the counter sitting.
@ElusiveWords - X.O. sauce with rice is pretty tasty, I bought a small bottle of XO sauce from HK, should experiment with fried rice too
Once again, you’re in the know! I’ll have to try this place!
@CareyGLY - I’m glad you like the dishes, Carey. I think you’ll like their cocktails and drinks too!
@CurryPuffy - Nah, I don’t really drink!
This looks so great Gary. Every dish looks like it is very tasty. So when can I come there so you will take me around to let me try some of this magic cuisine?
Hmmm, I would love to try that cocktail. The rest of the dishes are interesting too, quite different from the normal asian fare.
@ZSA_MD - Thank you, Zakiah. You are welcome to visit anytime! I’m all ready here!
@icepearlz - I’m hooked on their drinks, can’t wait to try the other dishes!
That stuffed squid sounds particularly interesting.
It’s quite an unusual dish. Baby squids stuffed with sausage meat, giving a juicy “pop” once you bite into it. Those little bits of fried legs were quite crunchy too!
O wow this looks fantastic. I would definitely have to try this place.
@yang1815 - Highly recommended! When are you guys coming? Let me know too!
@CurryPuffy - I definitely will!
Hmmm…I need to find that Korean crab soup in Toronto!
@brooklyn2028 - I’m pretty sure they have it where there are larger concentrations of Korean communities, right?