Hinoki and the Bird

It's been at least a couple of years since I have been to Hinoki and the Bird in Century City. I was curious to see if it was still good since Chefs have come and gone. It was Jody's birthday and since she's never been to Hinoki, I thought it would be a good venue to celebrate her birthday.

We were early so we sat at the bar and ordered drinks. I had a glass of red wine and she ordered a Moscow Mule. I've never had this drink before so I had a sip of mule and absolutely loved it.

At 6 pm we were led to our table on the outside covered patio. I was happy to see the the Lobster Roll was still on the menu and so was the signature Hinoki Scented Cod. In addition to these 2 outstanding items, we ordered the Buckwheat Cavatelli with Dungeness crab and uni cream. This too became a favorite of mine. The Roasted Yam with crème fraîche and lardon was recommended by our server, Angela who swore she loved it even if she disliked yams. I too am not fond of yams but she was quite convincing, so we went for it and were very happy to have taken her suggestion.

They no longer had the Crab Toast which I loved; instead, they had the Kabocha Squash Toast with Burrata and Butterscotch Miso! How different is that? This was unexplainable. A look of awe crept into both our faces after the first bite. Another item we ordered was the Crispy Marinated Chicken served with local honey. That was good but not outstanding.

I finished my red wine so I ordered Jody's Moscow Mule and since she didn't want me to feel bad ordering a second drink, she had another one herself. We were both full but we left a little bit of room for dessert. The Miso Donut with honey caramel was shared between the two of us. It was delicious, especially with that nice caramel.

As we finished our donuts, Angela brought a "Happy Birthday" chocolate and fruit dessert for Jody which she enjoyed. Jody was impressed with everything. She loved the ambiance, food and service.
Hinoki and the Bird is located at 10 Century Drive in Los Angeles. It is off of Avenue of the Stars in Century City.