There aren’t many reliable success strategies in the restaurant industry, but one has been a winner for over a century: find a place where tourists look at oceans, and then sell them things that swim in it. Those visitors generally don’t demand style or innovation; they’re looking for a place that serves fish and chips and doesn’t mind that you’re wearing a swimsuit and carrying a towel.
The Playa Hermosa Fish and Oyster Company on the Pier Plaza has a perfect location for a tourist trap. There’s an outdoor patio so the sand falling from your flip-flops won’t damage the floor, and the furniture outside has plastic coverings so if your swimsuit is still damp it’s no problem.
Playa Hermosa does serve classic items like fish and chips, as well as clam chowder and fish tacos. But this is Hermosa and they’re catering to the local trade too, so you can also order a dozen oysters and a bottle of 2006 Dom Perignon for a mere $325. The restaurant is a collaboration between Levi Lupercio, formerly of Strand House, and Lisa Hemmat of Lido di Manhattan Beach, and they offer an eclectic mix of upscale and downscale items.
The raw bar includes the expected selection of fresh shellfish as well as some ceviches and Peruvian scallops that come in a ponzu sauce and topped with chopped apple. Depending on your preferences this may not be a good thing, because the ponzu obscures the subtle shellfish. If you like ponzu and want some scallop flavor in the background then feel free to have it as served, but if you really cherish the character of perfect fresh scallop then ask for the sauce on the side. I predict that if you do you won’t use it, because these are luscious unadorned.
The Alaskan codfish ceviche tostada was more successful; the lightly marinated fish accented by mild Fresno chili, radish slices, avocado mousse, purple onion, and shredded basil. All of the elements were in balance, the dash of vinegar and spice accenting but not overwhelming the raw items.
Other starters we tried included oysters Rockefeller, fried oyster sliders with green goddess dressing, and shrimp and grits. There are dozens of recipes for the oysters Rockefeller, and nobody knows which one is right because it is a closely guarded secret among the creator’s descendants. Chefs concoct various permutations of broiled oysters topped with pureed herbs, olive oil, and breadcrumbs, so there are wide variations. The greens here are relatively mild and appear to be based on spinach and garlic without the splash of absinthe that adds a breath of anisette sharpness.
The oyster sliders also worked, the fried shellfish a good match for a judicious dab of the tangy dressing. It’s the fried seafood you’d expect near the beach, but in evening dress.
The only dud dish was the shrimp and grits, which had an excellent flavor balance but an absurdly small portion. Three large grilled shrimp topped a scant half cupful of heirloom Carolina grits that were simmered with cheese and herbs. While it was a fine idea the minuscule few bites was not worth seventeen dollars, the same price as several full size entrees.
We had hoped to try a new item on the menu, a peach and burrata salad, but they had sold out so we tried a kale salad with raisins, apple slices, walnuts, and pecorino cheese with a mild dressing. The best thing about this was what they didn’t do: most restaurants candy or season the nuts. There are times to leave natural flavors alone, they did that here, and it worked.
We decided to try cocktails with our starters and were glad we did, as there are some winning combinations on the menu. The Diplomatico Immunity, named because it has a float of that South American rum, is one of the best modern tiki cocktails I’ve had in some time, while their Bon Scott offered a classic Prohibition-era rye drink aesthetic, alcohol-forward with hints of exotic bitters. This place is primarily a restaurant rather than a bar, but there is plenty of mixological talent at work.
We tried two of the full size items, branzino over a bed of chowder sauce and naturally, the fish and chips. The fish and chips confounded our expectations because the fish was noticeably salty and the fries weren’t; usually it’s the other way around. The portion was generous for fifteen bucks and both fish and fries were excellent, and once we got over the cognitive dissonance we polished it off quickly.
The branzino also was an unusual preparation, the crisp skinned fish served over a bed of clam chowder that had been reduced to make it more intense. The Mediterranean fish with a New England twist was a novel idea and an enjoyable one, but it should have been served with some bread to mop up every molecule of the sauce.
Three desserts were offered, a salted butterscotch pot de crème, strawberry mousse, and something misleadingly called a banana cream pie. We ordered the “pie” and received something that made us doubt that we had gotten the right item. It was a drinking glass with a something salty and only very slightly fruity at the bottom that was topped with some cookie crumbs. There was no crust and it tasted more of salted cream than banana, but our server insisted that this was their version of a banana cream pie. I don’t object to someone serving a cup of salted pudding with cookie crumbles on top, but draw the line at calling it something it isn’t.
Dinner with two cocktails ran $111, which is in line with neighboring establishments. There were high and low points that show ambition and an experimental attitude here, and whatever this is it isn’t a tourist trap. It’s daring and sometimes very successful and sometimes inexplicable. Playa Hermosa is very interesting, and I assume that it will mature into a more consistent restaurant.
Playa Hermosa Fish and Oyster Company is at #19 Pier Avenue in Hermosa. Opens daily at 11:30 a.m., closes 9 p.m. Su-We, 10 p.m. Thu-Sa. Full bar, corkage $20, wheelchair access good, reservations recommended. Menu at playahermosaoyster.com, phone 310-504-0088.
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