If you’ve been living, breathing and eating in Los Angeles these last few years, no doubt you know Roy Choi, L.A.’s son, and the creator of Kogi and Chego. He’s also one of the minds behind A-Frame, a Culver City spot that’s been around for 5 years now (time flies!). The restaurant launched with inspiration from all over—Korean chicken wings, Mexican tacos, etc.—but they revamped the entire menu this year, celebrating the spirit of Aloha with many new items including housemade Spam musubi, mac salad, Hawaiian cocktails and more.

With so many options I needed a good eatin’ buddy and on this night it turned out my friend Chef Brian, a Las Vegas-based private chef, was in town and staying right up the street from A-Frame. Every time I go to dinner with Brian we order about half the menu. Maybe it’s a chef thing, or a food writer thing, but together we’re one giant hurricane with two mouths ready to wreak havok on the meal before us. You may know him from our cooking blog Fat Dude On A Diet but on this particular evening, we’re going to a luau of our own design.

The restaurant is in Culver City, on Washington, and not too far from Venice Beach. The location was a former IHOP, which explains the shape of the building, and is the reason the place is called A-Frame. Seating is communal, so you could end up sitting next to people you didn’t come with, but this is the type of food that’s made for sharing so make new friends if you’re so inclined.

The cocktails went Tiki when the menu went Hawaiian, and there are fun options to choose from including the Blue Maui (Pau Hawaiian Vodka, Blue Curacao, Alvear Oloroso Sherry, Pineapple, Lime) and the Hawaiian Old Fashioned (Evan Williams Bourbon, Plantation Pineapple Rum, Koloa Coconut Rum, Cane Sirop, Bitter Truth Bitters). All drinks are $12.

We started our meal with the obligatory Furikake Kettle Corn, one of a handful of dishes that has been on the menu since the beginning. The sweetness of the glaze contrasts with the salt and umami of the furikake, with chili flakes, chives and butter thrown in for extra oomph.

The plate of Heirloom Pickles, with creamy dip and extra virgin olive oil was great for sharing. Various vegetables were included, but none were better than the acerbic cucumbers and sweet/sour yellow peppers. The dip mellowed out the pucker, without blanketing the flavor.

Musubi two ways, first with housemade Spam, and second, with …

Mochico chicken, wut!?! Both were tasty, but I loved the idea of swapping out the Spam for fried chicken, mostly because you can swap out anything with fried chicken and I’ll endorse it 100 percent.

Korean Chicken Wings are tossed in housemade chili sauce and garnished with green onions. Blue cheese dip on the side. Better than the average; they won’t last long at the table.

The Bakin Fried Rice was the last of the dishes under “Pupus” that we ordered, and it was probably my favorite. The dish includes bacon, chicharron, Fresno chili, pickled ginger, herbs, bean sprouts, a golden sunny and “bakin sauce.” A solid fried rice, with lots of pork and enough veggies to keep it from feeling too heavy. The highlight is when the yolk breaks and coats the grains, adding another layer of richness to this melange.

The O.G. Ribs, another menu veteran, feature baby back bones tossed in hoisin chili glaze and garnished with green onion and sesame. Ask for extra napkins because you’re going to need them for these saucy treats.

Order a side of the Mac Salad with the ribs, because you can’t have Hawaiian food without potato mac. At least, I can’t. A-Frame’s version has the potatoes riced, which yields a softer texture in the finished product.

Many of the other entrees at A-Frame have something to offer, so we had to choose wisely. There’s Yakisoba, Kalua Pork Ramen, Loco Moco, a double cheeseburger, North Shore shrimp, NY Steak and Cracklin’ Beer Can Chicken (with Peruvian salsas), but in the end we went with the Pork Belly Lechon Ssam.

If there’s anything I could see both here and on the Kogi menu, this would be the one (think Paleo Pork Belly Tacos). The crunchy pork pieces were as thick and long as thumbs. A little meaty, a lot of melty fat, and totally delectable. The Island Chimichurri and Green Sriracha sauces bring complexity to the wraps, as sugar, spice and vinegar tap dance together on your tongue.

We aren’t full yet, are you? Actually, we were pretty full, but we couldn’t pass on the sweet stuff. We ordered two of the three desserts, opting to save the Green Tea and Pineapple for another visit. Malasadas are available all over the Hawaiian islands, and they show up here too. There you’ll see them both plain or stuffed; here the fried balls of dough are blasted with powdered sugar and filled with a sweet-tart lemon custard.

A-Frame’s most popular dessert, as much for it’s name as for its pure deliciousness, is the “Chu Don’t Know Mang,” with crispy pound cake tossed in cinnamon and sugar, served with a glass of malted chocolate milk and vanilla ice cream inside. Though the dishes are completely different, the Butterscotch Budino at Mozza and this plate fill me with the same joy that comes from pairing creamy dairy with crunchy pastry; pound cake in this case, and a rosemary-pine nut cookie at Mozza. The malted milk and ice cream on their own work for a nice finish, but the addition of the crispy cake takes this one over the top.

On the way out we talked about the deal painted on the building, an homage to it’s former use. All You Can Eat Pancakes, Saturdays & Sundays only. “Stacks on Stacks,” it promises. We say our goodbyes for now, but we’ll be back for more.

A-Frame

12565 W Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90066

310-398-7700

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