Yup, Food Porn Friday is back with a vengeance! Now that we’re in a brand new year, I am vowing to only feature establishments that really deserve a spot on the blog. In the past, I wrote about EVERYWHERE I dined out, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the omg what was I thinking!?!

But that’s all about to change guys! I promise you there will be TONS of food (duh!), really good porn (yaaaas), and now you can visit Haute Khuuture’s Facebook Page for a complete list of all previous Food Porn Friday posts and not just on Friday! WooOoHoooOo!!! Are you ready to dig in to today’s post?

Manuela

907 E. 3^rd St. | Los Angeles | CA 90013

The Vibe

Located in the downtown LA arts district at Hauser and Wirth, Manuela is the only restaurant that occupies this huge industrial open space. Warm woods, aged brick, and velvet settees set the ambiance for this cozy interior. Original works of art have been installed inside the restaurant by greats such as Paul McCarthy, Mark Bradford, Mary Heilmann, Raymond Pettibon, Franz West, Dieter Roth and Subodh Gupta to name a few.

What to Order

Can’t go to a Mexican restaurant without ordering eloté! Scrumptious!

Hickory smoked black cod dip, horseradish, lemon

If you love smoked salmon dip you’ll love this. A perfect starter to this eclectic menu.

Simple, satisfying, the chili adds a much needed kick to offset the char.

Grilled peach, burrata, country ham, garden arugula

I LOVE burrata so anything with a little sweet, a little savory is right up my alley.

Grilled elk loin, house cured bacon vinaigrette, maitake, fermented radicchio

Exceptional flavoring, loved the punch of the mustard seeds; however the meat was overcooked for our medium rare preference. Easy fix.

Very flavorful, perfectly cooked but tiny portions! Who splits 1 quail leg? Order 2 so everyone gets a bite. Served with their version of Turkish yogurt labne.

What to Skip

Charred and grilled green beans, sesame, huacatay, roasted peanuts, mint

Beautiful dish with vibrant color, but just so bland. Pass.

Crispy half chicken, corn succotash, charred spring onion

The portions here are super small, we shared this entire menu with a party of 4. Enough for 1-2 rounds of bites as judging from the size of this tiny chicken dish. Order accordingly.

Know Before You Go

There is plenty of free parking on the streets of downtown, but they also offer paid valet if you can’t find a spot. Manuela keeps up with the trendy farm-to-table style of cuisine complete with their own chicken coop and herb garden in the building adjacent to the restaurant. Stroll on over before or after your meal for a peek! Such a cool gem of a restaurant and the PERFECT spot to book a huge party since they also cater to private and corporate events.