EdiBOL will bowl you over. The creation of owner and chef Andrea Uyeda is one of those exceptional, possibly only-in-LA spots that combines great food with a healthy lifestyle, that offers a fusion of cuisines, and that reflects both the heritage and vitality of its owner in every aspect of the restaurant from it’s physical design to the food on the table.
EdiBOL is a beautiful, industrial chic spot in the heart of the arts district that with its bright, airy interior and a patio for al fresco dining, makes a fine brunch spot, a great place to dine before or after that gallery opening, or simply a spot to linger over delicious food that won’t expand the waistline and break the bank. Can you tell we love the place?
Owner/chef Uyeda is a Jill of all trades. “I’ve always loved cooking, baking, design, and architecture,” Uyeda says. “The inspiration for ediBOL stems from these passions, exploration, building true connections. and my very deep, true desire to create something special with others who also want to share and live their passions.”
To that end she designed the restaurant, including hand-staining blue teak tables, and selecting and polishing lapis lazuli counter tops. She crafted its menu, and she’s the chef who hands-on prepares the restaurant’s delightful mix of dishes. She’s building on her past and making a bright future.
“Our location in the Arts District is just down the block from where my brother Jaret and I grew up practicing/performing the Taiko drums, around the corner from my grandmother’s church, where my dad’s side of the family went to grammar school, and where I used to volunteer at the Japanese American National Museum before the museum had been built, and where my brother spent many sleepless nights as a student across the street at SCI-Arc.”
Uyeda was drawn to cooking at an early age. “I loved baking pies and making sushi rolls with both of my grandmothers.” From there, by the age of 11, she was cooking family dinners every night.
She’s come a long way, but has held fast to the cooking traditions she began as a child. To Uyeda, serving food in a bowl symbolize family, love, and comfort. Her dishes fit morning, brunch, lunch, and dinner options and are all served in bowls. That’s the theme and the quirk – but these meals would be perfect whether served in bowls or on plates, and can hold their own against whatever top celeb spot is trending on La Cienega. Yes, seriously. But enough hyperbole, let the food speak for itself.
The menu includes vegan, vegetarian, or organic pescatarian and carnivore options. The focus is on richly flavored, perfectly seasoned salads, rice, and noodle dishes as well as a plethora of tasty brunch options. The healthy secret is the sparing use of oil, with fresh herbs and spices taking the place of heavy sauces.
The restaurant has only been open eight months, and it’s already drawing a crowd eager to consume her Hot Bols, Cool Bols, little Bols – or sides, a Bol-wich sandwich, Morning Bols and Brunch Bols. And CrumBols baked goods, AddictaBol desserts, and DrinkaBols from fresh juices to house crafted cocktails made with shochu.
Dishes not to miss:
- the VegiBOL, a hot dish combining organic chick peas, with spinach basil pesto, tamari sake heirloom rice, sesame bean sprouts, kohlrabi, candied almonds and a crisp, breaded poached egg. So much flavor, so much zest.
- the Miso Peanut Ramen, a CoolBOL dish featuring chewy ramen noodles in honey miso over greens, red pepper, edamame, pickled carrots, scallions, shiitake mushrooms, and roasted peanuts.
- the cheddar buttermilk biscuit. Order as a side or pair with the softly scrambled eggs on the brunch menu, but order it you must.
- the French toast custard, which can also be ordered as a delightfully sweet main course. It features delicate French toast topped with pure maple syrup, with a frozen custard center.
- the craft cocktails are varied, but one of the freshest and most renewing is the delectaBOL, a crisp blend of lemon shrub, thyme, ginger, and lemongrass with shochu. The energizaBOL features celery, lime, and mint and is a beautiful, refreshing balance of flavors.
- whatever special Uyeda is dishing up. I visited for the second time on Valentine’s Day, and she had a real sweetheart of a dish: New Zealand green mussels, shrimp, wild mahi mahi, coconut milk, lime, ginger, lemon grass, roasted almond rice, and cilantro. Please, make this again, soon.
“I want every bite to be a surprise,” Uyeda says, and it is – so much flavor, so unexpectedly bold but without any overwhelming over-spicing or any one dominant element.
“I’ve eaten out of bowls all my life,” Uyeda explains. “The love and comfort that reprsents is something I want to share.”
And deliciousness. She’s sharing that too.
Experience it seven days a week at 300 S. Santa Fe Avenue. Or, in a rush? You can order ahead online and through EdiBOL’s new app, and make yourself the envy of that next gallery opening you wander into noshing.
- Genie Davis; Photos by Jack Burke