A-Frame

Culver City has become an LA hot spot.  With SONY Studios located in the heart of Culver City's downtown core, only the best restaurants manage to stay afloat while catering to the film industry elite.  While Culver Blvd. is a great area to peruse for wining and dining, I would like to point your attention to the new and upcoming restaurant row of Culver City: Washington Blvd.

Stationed by the corner of Centinela Ave., several restaurants have become the buzz of the town; most notably, The Outdoor Grill, Waterloo & City and Corner Door.  Today, I'm going to focus on A-Frame - a Korean inspired restaurant where sharing plates are encouraged and utensils are optional.

I came to A-Frame in a group of four people, which gave us the option of trying several dishes.  The first of which was kitchen fries: wedges of purple potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes with kimchi sour cream and sea salt.  I found this dish to be a balanced blend of sweet and salty, in addition to innovate.  I can see the chef's storyboard introducing a classic American side dish with a Korean inspired potato choice and dipping sauce.  I would definitely order this dish again.

Kitchen Fries ($7)

The next dish my comrades and I shared was the heirloom pickles.  I'm a huge fan of pickles, and found this dish lacked adequate "pickling".  I felt that the vegetables needed to be soaked in vinegar and salt for longer; however, my friends felt that they were salty enough to enjoy in large quantities.  I would give this dish a rating of a B, giving you the option to decide if its worth ordering or not.

Heirloom Pickles ($7)

In an effort to eat something a bit healthier, our next course was the veggie nest.  True to its name, the veggie nest has brussel sprouts, kale, mustard greens, root vegetables, cauliflower, mushrooms, toasted bread crumbs, spicy carrot vinaigrette and celery root puree.  On the surface, it doesn't sound unappealing if you enjoy being a herbivore, but I found this dish to be very unappetizing.  I don't know if it was the vinaigrette or the puree, but it tasted bitter and creamy...in my opinion, an unsavory combination.  In addition, the presentation is very off-putting, almost reminiscing bird regurgitation.  In all honesty, its like an overexposed photo: the vision is there, but the product lacks finesse. This was the only dish during my dining experience that I truly disliked, and would not suggest ordering.  

The Veggie Nest ($15)

Last but not least, we ordered beer can chicken.  This was definitely our favorite dish overall.  The beer surprisingly keeps the chicken very moist, while infusing a subtle flavor of hops and ale.  I particularly enjoyed the crispy skin rubbed in herbs.  Definitely worth ordering again, and eating in slow motion.

Beer Can Chicken ($22)

I felt A-Frame was an excellent choice for dinner for groups.  I enjoyed most of the dishes, and feel that the veggie nest could improve with some modifications on the presentation and sauce.  Consider making A-Frame your new rendezvouz spot, avoiding the crowds from Culver Blvd.  Watch out Costco...people have a new reason to shimmy down to an animated Washington Blvd.!!!

Website: http://aframela.com/new/