Pikoh - Ricardo Zarate’s new project in West LA

Had a great meal here on Sunday night. Ordered the gnocchi with scallops and I absolutely agree with @T3t on that superb and complex sauce. The tonkatsu was also a hit with the table – I’m no tonkatsu expert but it was incredibly satisfying. We also ordered the mushroom and quinoa hot pot, short ribs, and chorizo+lamb ragu. Everyone was happy. The wine and drink program seems very approachable with reasonably priced bottles. I asked for the booziest cocktail and was promptly offered the mezcal-based “El Jimador’s Day Off”, which was indeed boozy and smokey.

I’m definitely adding this place to my rotation list. :+1:

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Hit Pikoh for dinner and it was a bit of a mixed bag overall. None of the dishes were bad per se, but some were much more successful than others.

Beet jerky was probably the best dish of the night. So good we got two orders. The concentrated beet flavor paired surprisingly well with the hoisin, which had a nice spicy kick.

Chicken confit (no pic) was just okay. The chicken was a little dry and the dish overall was too sweet for our taste.

Carrots with gochujang and burrata was similarly just okay. We really couldn’t taste the gochuhjang. Also I was hoping for a temperature contrast between the burrata and carrots but the latter were served cold.

Chorizo and lamb ragu with papardelle was excellent. The pasta, in particular, was cooked perfectly al dente.

The halibut was another hit – probably the second best dish of the night. The fish was cooked perfectly and the consomme was delicate and delicious.

Braised short ribs were a big miss – probably the worst dish we ordered. The ribs were tough and flavorless. I did like the crispy rice from the stone pot though.

Bread pudding for dessert was surprisingly tasty. It came with caramel sauce and some kind of cream with a lovely tart flavor that went great with the pudding.

The beer and cocktail selection was excellent. I enjoyed my pisco sours as well as a pint of La Fin Du Monde on tap.

The place wasn’t full on a Thursday night but still quite lively. Chef Zarate was in the kitchen and clearly engaged, making the rounds and soliciting feedback. I do hope these guys make it and will definitely give them another shot after they’ve had some time to work out the kinks.

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Went for a second time tonight and they added a Happy Hour:

Just do two orders of that pork tonkatsu, vegetable jerky, and some beer. The burger was meh.

Noticed though that their dinner menu has changed a bit, and prices have gone up. For instance $7 hike on that bay scallop/gnocchi dish.

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I’m with the Peruvians. My perfect plate of fries is not one where all are perfectly crisp. But some where it’s soft in the middle and crisper at the ends. sometimes the fries at Five Guys hits the spot for me, although often it’s too soft for me.

Anything recent?

Someone (who know less about Peruvian food than I know about reading hieroglyphics) told me - since the LA Times review - they have made it much more Peruvian.
The online menu seems to bear that out
https://pikohla.com/dinner

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$30 for lomo saltado??? That better be some f*cking delicious beef or a VERY large portion.

Only tangentially related… Has anyone tried Qusqo on Santa Monica Blvd. nearby?

Did they eliminate breakfast & lunch service? :grimacing:

looks like it

Ooooh that smell
Can’t you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you

Why would anyone bankroll this guy? He seems like a nice guy - and Rosaline seems to have some staying power - but his track record is terrible

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from their website

As we are transitioning into our new concept of 100% Peruvian menu offerings, our restaurant hours have changed. We will resume lunch and brunch dining services at a later date.

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Yes, and meh.

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Looks Pikoh is kaput? Partner and I decided to go elsewhere when Don Antonio had longer wait time than usual, and we walked to Pikoh. Light were on, but door was locked. Space where I presume they might’ve put a display menu was empty. No signs explaining why they were closed on a Fri evening. Curiously, a sign stating that brunch service will start on 03/15 was up.

No mention of closure on the website or IG (but the last IG entry was from 10/2019).

Yes, back in October, 2019, Zarate walked away from the project (I don’t know why but it is something he has also done before with other projects in L.A.). Lasted less than a year.

Zarate’s pull out game is strong

:japanese_goblin:

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According to Google maps, Pikoh is permanently closed.

It was reported closed on Eater in October 2019

This space got repainted yesterday. Looks like it’s going to be a restaurant again. Any intel?

Purely speculative take:

  • There’s been no transfer in the ABC licensing, so probably still the same owners.
  • The adjacent mega apartment complex is no longer an active construction site.
  • Tenants (potential customers) moving in.
  • Covid restrictions are about to be lifted.

Seems like a reasonable time to be taking another whack at it.

Zarate was a hired gun so no guarantee he’ll be back.

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seems like he’s just been private cheffing now. no pikoh or any other restaurants to his bio on IG

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It’s gone from a bright blue to a beige/gray, so it seems like a different direction.

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