Terra Cotta is now open for business in the Pellissier Building, the Art Deco gem that also houses the historic Wiltern Theater. It’s a much-welcome addition to the block, offering cocktails, wine and lots of unique dishes, including uni rice and an especially amazing seabass.
Terra Cotta replaces Novel Cafe, which felt sort of like a diner with a bar, and which briefly contained yet another iteration Kings of New York Pizzeria. So named for the building's exterior, it comes from Sixth Avenue restaurant group, the company behind Korean neighborhood favorites like Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong and Quarters. The space has been revamped by Sean Knibb of Knibb Design, who also worked on the nearby Line Hotel. You’ll notice shimmering chandeliers hung from high, industrial ceilings, a sleek marble bar, charming tilework on the floor, and three commanding black booths that encompass the diners within.
Chef Danny Ye (Nobu in New York) helms the kitchen, producing a menu that contains many nods to the neighborhood, but a lot of Japanese and Latin American influences as well. Like Horse’s Mouth, another new Koreatown eatery that opened just up Western in August, the menu has lots of seafood, including a raw bar. The oysters on the half-shell are doused in Korean pear mignonette with a dollop of kimchee cocktail sauce, and there's a fresh scallop crudo on the menu, too.
For entrees, we highly recommend the Chilean Seabass, which comes with grilled pineapple, microcilantro, crispy leeks and a slightly sweet yuzo miso. The adventurous might like the Uni Rice, which comes as a brick of rice on a hot stone, topped with uni, ikura (salmon roe) and caviar. For vegetables, the baby beet and carrot salad is fresh and light, and comes with a vegan tzatziki sauce made from tofu.
For a safe dessert, try the creme brûlée, which contains a sweet raspberry-yuza filling beneath the custard; but for something unique, there’s the K-Pop: a chocolate cream popsicle you’ll likely eat with a fork, topped with a crunchy chocolate crumble that feels like Pop Rocks, that childhood candy that bursts in your mouth, once you’ve taken a bite.
The full bar offers a selection of wines, craft beers (both regional and unique imports), a custom gin and tonic menu, and a series of inspired craft cocktails. The Black Velvet is Rhum JM, Angostura 7 year, lime and black sesame. The final ingredient gives the cocktail a charcoal color and an interesting texture, but it’s ultimately quite easy to drink. There’s also a potent libation called the Upside Down that combines a four rum blend with a variety of fruit juices and cinnamon—but you’re only allowed to have two.
Terra Cotta is located at 3760 Wilshire Blvd. in Koreatown.
