Quick Take: Manuela
Introducing a new type of review on #GrubTime, the “Quick-Take.” These will be same day reviews of restaurants that will be short, sweet, not digging too deeply into the history of dishes, restaurants, and chefs. A little more rough around the edges, Quick-Takes reflect how I would talk about my experiences at restaurants, the things I liked and didn’t like about it.
Today, we tackle Manuela.
Manuela at Hauser & Wirth
907 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013Chris’s Rating: 3/5
At №22 on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best in LA, Manuela features a mixture of Southern and Middle Eastern cuisine. A bit confusing as a pair, but somehow it works in LA. I stopped by for lunch service as a party of one (no Steph 😢) and got seated in the beautiful, outdoor courtyard. The vibes were nice and calm, and I felt like I could eat and chill at my own pace. Nobody was rushing to get me out of there.
Perhaps it was my seemingly “too casual” attire or the fact that I was a young boy in a semi-expensive establishment, but I felt that the waiters and hosts did not take me as a “serious” patron. Maybe they were in their own rights, as I don’t plan to drop a hefty 25%+ tip anytime soon. But the fact that I was being served under the level I expected of such a bougie restaurant, made me not want to love this place.
I debated for a good 15 minutes of what to order. The menu was really diverse and read really well. After a back and forth between the merguez sausage and a plate of snap peas, I opted for the meat.
The dish was plated as daintily as a meat patty could possibly be. I don’t know the history of merguez, but it’s definitely a country dish, an upscale loco moco to some degree. I started with the sausage patty and the knife cut easily through the tender and moist meat. Though it had the looks of an elementary school breakfast patty, it was definitely made with some really fresh and high quality meat (fresh produce & that stuff is something Manuela prides itself in). Unfortunately, unbeknownst to me when ordering, the merguez was a completely mutton based sausage. I don’t like lamb at all…
But SURPRISE! This little meat patty was the best cut of lamb I’ve ever had. Juicy, spicy, and at the brink of being too seasoned, the “lamb-y” taste that I can’t stand was overpowered by a complex sausage seasoning combination that was quite pleasant. Combine this peppery, almost chorizo-like flavor with the cool, creamy sourness of the labne created a truly fanatic and enjoyable flavor combination. On a hot Los Angeles Day, the mixture of spicy and cool created a nice palate cleansing high-five that brightened the grogginess of the weather. I think a cool, minty, subtly sweet cocktail to round out the meal would have made this something else but…I’m broke. #SupportTheChrisCocktailFund
The baguette was seasoned nicely, and during this meal I realized that baguettes as a side dish are basically glorified tortilla chips. As I analyzed the plate from above and started to mix and match the various elements, I began to put it together. This was a glamorous version of a deconstructed burger. Bread, meat, sauce, greens = in-n-out. Baguette, merguez, labne, arugula salad = fancy Manuela Middle Eastern burger. I enjoyed it.
I give props to the Manuela team for making something out of lamb that I actually enjoyed. But once I saw the dish in its entirety, a really fancy version of a burger, I withdrew from my love of the dish a bit (service def didn’t help the cause here). The food was good and was quite reasonable at ~$15 for lunch. But am I recommending it as a must-go to my friends? No. This is a 3/5 in my book.
But this review is inconclusive. I’m intrigued by Manuela. The diversity of the menu. The merguez + labne interplay was too good to ignore. I’d go again. I need to go again. And as I reflect and spend more time away from the restaurant, the more I want to be there. The writing is on the wall, so maybe after a few more visits, Manuela reaches a 4/5. To be continued…
