The prices here reminded me of some overpriced resort restaurant in hawaii. but instead of being on the beach with a view of the ocean, or being next to the water with a view of the bay bridge like the san francisco angler, this angler is oddly located inside of a dark parking garage underneath a mall with no visible signage or entrance from the street. i made the foolish mistake of thinking there would be some kind of door off la cienga. i walked by the place three times before realizing i had to walk 200ft into the parking garage and make a right to find the place.
Probably best to just valet or self-park in the garage near the “grand court” elevators, take it down to the macy’s men’s cologne section on the first floor, make an immediate u-turn, and look for the la cienga valet exit. the restaurant will be on your left as you make your way through the parked valet cars.
inside skenes’ signature “shitty '80s music” is pumping through the speakers and all the windows are blocked, probably so you’re not reminded that you’re basically dining next to a macy’s inside a parking garage. for being such a seafood focused restaurant, the only thing that reminded me of the sea was a flock of seagulls playing on the sound system.
menu
i just missed the uni liquid toast which was on the menu the next night.
bbq salt
hot sauce
peppers
antelope tartare
Lean and non-gamey, not bad.
bull’s blood beet with embered tomato & walnuts
the beet was dehydrated and then reconstituted which gave it a meaty, chewy texture like a portobello mushroom. highlight.
crispy salt & pepper blowfish tails
the chicken wings of the sea. good.
spot prawns
this was halfway between raw and cooked so it was a bit firm on the outside but still soft on the inside. super sweet and delicious. another highlight and more brain food.
barbecue abalone
this had the same exact texture as korean fish cake you get as banchan. i wasn’t a fan of the texture, i prefer it a bit firmer.
whole poached marble fish
when did flounder become as expensive as japanese wagyu? at $88 for about 6-8oz and described as big enough for two, this was probably the worst qpr and most expensive fish i’ve ever had. unfortunately it was just okay, very mild and light, on the verge of being bland. i needed to add some bbq salt and pepper to give it some flavor. the fried bones with togarashi were pretty good.
milk soft serve ice cream, caramel, cacao nibs, salt
simple but delicious, ask for extra caramel.
toto
ice cold bivalves - capital (seattle, wa), kusshi (vancouver island, bc), pacific gold (morro bay, ca), beausoleil (miramachi bay, nb)
oysters were pretty flawless and the cocktail sauce and seaweed mignonette were also highlights.
radicchio with radicchio x.o. #fulltang
i hate radicchio aka ginger lettuce, but this was a revelation. the bitterness was balanced beautifully with the sweetness from the dressing but it didn’t mask the flavor, it was just a perfect complement. highlight.
amberjack
this was fine.
swordfish, olives
highlight of the night. this could not have been cooked any better, it was meaty but still moist, tender and buttery. i hate olives, but these olives were another revelation. i don’t know how they did it but they weren’t bitter at all and almost sweet, i wish i saved some of the olives for the chicken. so much better than my overpriced 88 dollar flounder.
bull’s blood beet with embered tomato and walnut
like a meaty portabella with chunky bbq sauce.
whole pastured chicken
came with a side of vinegar hot sauce/bbq sauce that went very well with the chicken. the breasts were decently moist, pretty good.
chicken knife
milk soft serve ice cream, smoked caramel, cacao nibs, salt
highlight
melon sorbet
intensely melon-y
the place was packed on a saturday night after the bladdison review.
the 1 comma crab
sea bream ceviche, plantain chips, onions
this was fine, the sauce was a bit too acidic.
striped bass head & collar
two heads are always better than one. came with yuzukosho, sakura salt, and leaves to make wraps and was glazed with a kind of sweet soy. the logistics of picking out enough meat to make a wrap didn’t quite work. i just ended up eating the meat by itself and sucking the face bones.
golden straw mushrooms in broth
i enjoyed sipping on the chicken broth more than the cordyceps, which were pretty mild.
live spot prawn
highlight. pro tip, save the sauce to eat with the parker house rolls.
grilled parker house rolls, cultured butter
highlight. the cultured butter was incredible.
angler potato & cheese sauce
crisp on the edges and soft on the inside.
chinese eggplant buried in the embers
nice and smoky with a sweet glaze on top.
grilled striped bass
the chili-crisp topping was a bit too much and overwhelmed the fish.
cocoa pod
reminded me of a chocolate budino
after-dinner bang after a few amuse bouches at kato.
angler reserve caviar
combine this with the warm, soft, slightly sweet, buttery banana pancake and banana butter for a perfectly balanced, decadent, and delicious baby fish taco 
kusshi (vancouver island, bc), shigoku (willapa bay, wa), pacific gold (morro bay, ca), grassy bar (morro bay, ca)
excellent oysters and the smoky, sweet embered tomato cocktail sauce was the best i’ve ever had.
soft serve sundae
must-order
frozen chocolate bar
like a frozen snickers bar with hazelnuts
@Omotesando as our resident ambiance connoisseur and pescatarian i would think this place is right up your alley, despite it being located inside a mall parking lot. once you’re inside it’s pretty comfortable, with spaced out tables, elegant tableware, lively but not too loud atmosphere, and some of the best service in la. and the food isn’t bad either.
angler reserve caviar
roasted banana peel butter
banana pancake
the best fish taco you’ll ever have
ooe - kumamoto (sheldon, wa), kusshi (vancouver island, bc), shigoku (willapa bay, wa), beausoleil (miramichi bay, nb)
big eye tuna
served with a tomato gelee on top of the tuna tartare
nori rice cracker
sweet chicory caesar
delicious
(new) grilled santa barbara squid
seasoned with sichuan peppercorns that tingled the senses
(new) grilled chicory rosa
a bit too bitter for me
(new) whole grilled porgy
perfectly cooked with a crispy, crackly skin
coconut lemongrass sauce
(new) creamsicle
citrus-y and not too sweet, nice and refreshing.
frozen chocolate bar
Angler
8500 Beverly Blvd Suite 117
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(424) 332-4082
https://www.anglerrestaurants.com/los-angeles
I’d rather go to Holbox again or Animal to check out the interesting things they’re doing with seafood right now. We’ll just keep our pricey seafood dollars in the Providence fund. 
