tl;dr:
80 bucks for half a rabbit
17 bucks for potatoes
24 bucks for one egg
7 bucks for lemonade
What? Thanks for making me cough up my coffee through my nose. We were considering Kismet for brunch on Saturday. Good thing we didnât. Taking out a HELOC last minute for a meal is hard to justify. 
How was the rabbit? And that egg - why oh why $24?
Seems like that reviewer only understands raw material cost and not labor cost.
(Not making a comment about Kismet at all. Only said reviewer)
And seriously LAW you couldnât use pictures of food the reviewer actually ate? Iâd like to see this 2 leg rabbit and $24 egg.
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hashtag fakenews
Thanks for setting that (and me) straight @Chowseeker1999. Just going off of what I saw listed along with the prices, I was flabbergasted.
I skimmed the article and was left wondering why BR would bring up the prices as she obviously has been to other places that are $$$ and $$$$, without plastering the price issue in the title of the article. I have to wonder why sheâd mark up the prices. And I can only guess that if she made an honest mistake on those menu prices, that she built on that and thought that these are $$$-$$$$ prices in an otherwise $$ eatery. Only conjecture and trying to reason this out.
Iâm not a big rabbit fan (unlike Bugs, itâs kinda boring to me/needs Porky Pigâs belly). But shakshouka is not so common/underrated and I will always order that. So Kismet is back on my list of places to try.
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I havenât been but the prices are accurate (maybe not the descriptions) according to their online menu
the $24 egg is on the menu as the âturkish-ish breakfast - all the things, served with bread & greensâ
the $17 potatoes = âsmashed potatoes with labneh, macadamia nut, cured scallop & urfa pepperâ
the $7 lemonade = ârosewater lemonadeâ
Hi @PorkyBelly,
But itâs misleading what the article is saying. To simplify the âTurkish-ish Breakfastâ (documented in my original post) as $24 for just 1 egg is unfair. Itâs not just 1 egg. Itâs a collection of a bunch of their individually created dishes in a small âtasting menuâ almost. You get Toasted Barbari Bread, their fantastic Housemade Skhug, Marinated Feta & Squash, Harissa Egg, Marinated Olives and Dates, Assortment of Pickled Vegetables, Housemade Labneh and Persian Cucumbers, and a Mixed Green Salad.
Is it pricey even with all of that? I think so, but I understand why they marked it up (labor costs), the fact that each of the small dishes take time to make (itâs not just store-bought, premade stuff (outside of the outsourced Bub & Grandmaâs Barbari)). And I think we wouldnât order it regularly (there are many other items that are wonderful for much less on the same menu).
And again, thatâs an outlier. Thereâs nothing else on the entire Brunch / Lunch menu that is $24.
The $17 âPotatoesâ I havenât tried yet, so I canât speak about that, but itâs Sweet Potatoes, with Cured Scallops and Macadamia Nuts & Urfa Peppers. I donât know the portion size or the quantity of Scallops in there, but to write that off / call it out as being just âpotatoesâ is unfair.
Their Rosewater Lemonade was quite tasty. I didnât remember the price, but it looks like it was $7. Most average places locally sell Mexican Coke for $5. Would I rather pay $2 more for a Housemade Lemonade with Rosewater? Definitely. 
Is it pricey though? Yes, I think so (which is why I wouldnât order this all the time either).
Lastly, this is the same Besha Rodell who doesnât mind paying $27 - $30+ for primi-sized Pasta at Sotto (awarding it 4 Stars âWorld Classâ no less), which my friends and I all thought were âgoodâ but certainly not âWorld Class.â 
And the same Besha that fawned over Gwen, and seemed fine dropping $400 for 2 people for dinner, but sheâs complaining about the prices at Kismet? 
Of course Gwen is run by TV Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone, but hearing the mixed reviews from FTCâers here about it, it feels inconsistent and like a bias by her.
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I felt the place was overpriced too, so I donât completely disagree with Ms. Rodell. I think it is concerning that it got such prominence in the review over the quality of the food. My take on a lot of it was that the sides, yogurts, and various sauces were delicious, but the core items on each plateâbe it the lamb or otherwiseâwere not particularly special. So in the end you are paying a lot for excellent condiments and bread. Admittedly, this is based on one visit for dinner.
What I find concerning is all this discussion about half or whole rabbit, but no evidence that she reached out to the restaurant to find out if it was a whole or half rabbit. That seems like step one in responsible journalism, especially where there is an open question.
I also think any article focused on pricing needs to address two other issues: compensation of restaurant workers and where the food fits in on the spectrum of food within that class. Neither is addressed here.
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Iâm not sure if you read the review, but the actual review includes pretty much all of the details you included.
You are responding to Pork Bellyâs simplification of the review only, not the review itself it seems like.
That being said, it is really bizarre that a food reviewer says a dish of potatoes has scallops and macadamia nuts in it and then goes off on it for being $17 when both scallops and macadamia nuts are considered expensive items in the first place.
The rabbit is the most tragic part of the review to me because she supposedly talked to people who ate it at their old restaurant and confirmed it used to be 4 legs, and generally larger for $4 less (in supposedly costlier NYC).
It is sort of true, why sell it as a whole rabbit if it is only half a rabbit? A bit sad I guess. OTOH, how overpriced is it really? If it really were 4 legs it wouldnât be overpriced, for example. Animal sells two legs for $37, so four for $80 (plus other stuff) would be a good deal! But to me itâs more about being promised one thing and given another =/
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I mean Iâm pretty sure she could tell if the rabbit was whole or not⌠especially given the leg thing.
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The ambiguity is that there is also a rabbit stew involved and she ends up just guessing that it âmust notâ include the rest of the rabbit. But rabbit legs are small, and itâs entirely possible that meat is in the stew.
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I agree, itâs absurd, and seems to betray some kind of bias that is nonsensical.
I was more just saying she includes the information, but still comes to odd/ridiculous conclusions.
But to me PERSONALLY, I do find it upsetting not to get what is promised.
Why do you think the dish only includes 2 rabbitâs legs?
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Just a guess but the front legs are smaller and have a smaller amount of meat so they leave the rear legs whole for presentation and shred the smaller front legs. Itâs most likely all in there. I doubt she asked before running the review.
Sounds like a review for the grilled T-rex from Thagâs back in 1,000,000BC (posted originally on the thread âHow are you using this new invention called fire?â on HuntGatherChow.com)âŚ
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Response of the year!
Update 2:
It had been a few months since our last visit to Kismet; we felt like something on the lighter side and wanted to see what Chefs Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson were up to these days. 
Magic Myrna Potatoes (with Fennel, Meyer Lemon, Aleppo Pepper & Dill):
The Magic Myrna Potatoes were delicious: The Aleppo Pepper providing a nice little kick, then the natural earthiness contrasted by the squeeze of Meyer Lemon, Dill (so fragrant) and Fennel.
Persian Cucumbers (with Cara Cara Orange, Rosewater Labneh & Parsley Seed Zaâatar):
As refreshing as the first time, although they mightâve added too much Labneh this time.
Flaky Bread (with a Soft-Boiled Egg, Labneh, Tomato & Spice):
And then came Chefs Sarah & Saraâs awesome Flaky Bread. Taking a bit of the Poached Egg, adding some of the Tomato SauceâŚ
⌠and some of the incredible Skhug (Spice Mixture of Garlic, Coriander, Chili Peppers and other spices):
⌠placed on top of the Yemenite Malawah Bread:
And you have that magic bite of awesomeness! 
Itâs crunchy, piping hot, toasty Malawah Bread, a bit of the creamy Poached Egg, the really savory Tomato Sauce and the bit of spicy fragrance from the Skhug. Wow! Itâs so good! 
7th Visit:
Returning for dinner, we noticed theyâve added new seasonal items to the menu.
Turkish Iced Coffee:
Pleasantly bitter, refreshing and the Cardamom backnote was a nice touch.
Butter Lettuce (with Avocado, Pumpkin Seed & Kumquat):
For Salad lovers and Salad haters, this was an incredible Salad! 
The Butter Lettuce is tender, so vibrant and yet still has some crispness in the leaves. The ripe Avocado provided a wonderful creaminess, but itâs offset by the Kumquat - with little bursts of Citrus and extremely aromatic flavors - and then the toasty Pumpkin Seeds added not only some nuttiness but textural contrast with some crunch. This was a great Salad!
Freekeh Fritters (& Pickley Green Sauce):
As delectable as before: The Freekeh Wheat Fritters showed up again, piping hot out of the fryer, with a wonderful crunchy crust, which gives way to this creamy, soft center.
And a dab of the âPickley Green Sauceâ which is so interesting - vegetal, a touch piquant, yet savory and a gorgeous green - really elevates each bite.
Eggplant (with Plum, Hazelnut & Tarragon):
Perfectly Roasted Eggplant with a creamy interior (but not oily) matches really well with the Plum, Tarragon and Hazelnut. Itâs a celebration of California produce in interesting ways (not the same usual preparations we see often). Iâd definitely order this again.
Spiced Carrots (with Chickpeas, Cilantro & Almond Broth):
But the most stunning dish of the night was their new Spiced Carrots dish. Initially it sounds rather straightforward, but when it arrives, thereâs a real, distinct, beautiful aroma that wafts up to you.
Then when you take a bite: Wow! The recipe for their spice mixture is outstanding. Itâs layered, complex, helping to elevate Roasted Carrots into something more than the base caramelized sweetness. The Almond Broth gives it an almost buttery, creaminess, and the Roasted Chickpeas and Cilantro add more nuance.
Highlight of the evening.
Service was excellent, with our server being attentive and funny in this casual environment.
Kismet continues to deliver interesting interpretations of California produce with touches of flavors from the Middle East. Their Flaky Bread (w/ Soft Boiled Egg, Tomato Sauce and Spices) is now one of my all-time Brunch favorites with how incredible it tastes. Their Freekeh Fritters and Pickley Green Sauce, new Butter Lettuce Salad, Roasted Eggplant dish and the Spiced Carrots are all fantastic dinner entrees. I canât wait to see whatâs next.
Kismet
4648 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Tel: (323) 409-0404
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Great timing @Chowseeker1999!
Planning on eating there very soon to celebrate an anniversary.
Looking forward to the dishes you recommend.
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Another great report. That salad does look amazing.
Curious to see what you think of Mh Zh. Another israel influenced restaurant not too far from Kismet.
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