Instagram photos by Louis Tikaram @ the_lou_dogg
By Chef Louis Tikaram
I’m originally from Sydney Australia, and worked at Longrain Restaurant there but I moved to Los Angeles in the summer 2014.
Before I moved to Los Angeles, I thought it was a built up city with not much access to farms or meeting the farming community like I had in Australia who grow and produce all the ingredients that I use in the restaurant. Now that I’m here, I think it’s very easy to visit and meet farmers who produce amazing products and are located only a few hours from Hollywood. The food scene here is so large and diverse because of the massive population and mix of cultures.
Instagram photo by Louis Tikaram @ the_lou_dogg
SHOPS & MARKETS
I love cooking with fresh local herbs grown in Fresno such as cilantro, holy basil, Thai basil, mint, and Vietnamese mint. I shop at Silver Lake Farmers Market on Saturday morning and Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesday morning to find them. I like Bangkok Market on Melrose Avenue, because if you are too busy to make it to the farmers markets during the week they constantly stock beautiful fresh produce.
Restaurants
Since I moved here, I’ve been exploring all the beautiful beaches and costal hikes. It's so great to be able to spend your days off in the sun and surf to recharge. Some of the restaurants that I have really enjoyed are Bestia and Son of a Gun. They do a great job of cooking nothing but delicious and fun food with their own personal style.
Photograph courtesy of Bestia
Bestia is the best meal I have eaten in L.A. so far! Chef Ori uses his Israeli heritage to elevate Italian food to a new level and combined with his nose-to-tail philosophy every dish is perfectly balanced in flavor and texture.
Son of a Gun serves small share plates on a seafood driven menu though the cuisine has a personal twist, some dishes may be inspired by Californian produce, Asian or American flavors. It doesn’t really matter where the inspiration originates it is all super tasty.
SILVER LAKE FARMERS MARKET - 3700 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026 | T: 213.484.4002
SANTA MONICA WEDNESDAY FARMERS MARKET - Arizona Ave @ 2nd Street, Santa Monica, CA | www.smgov.net
BANGKOK MARKET - 4757 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029 | T: 323.662.7990 | bangkokmarketinc.com
BESTIA - 2121 East 7th Place, Los Angeles, CA 90021 | T: 213.514.5724 | (Make a Reservation) | bestiala.com
SON OF A GUN - 8370 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048 | T: 323.782.9033 | sonofagunrestaurant.com
Photograph courtesy of E.P. & L.P
Chef Louis Tikaram of the soon-to-open E.P. & L.P.
E.P. & L.P. is going to be an amazing place to eat, drink, and have fun with friends. What I’m most excited about is showcasing the beautiful Californian produce with the flavors and techniques I have learnt throughout my career and upbringing to create something truly unique to LA. For example, some of the dishes on the menu are going to be from my Fijian upbringing using fresh squeezed coconut milk and seaweeds.
Photo Credit: Louis Tikaram
The menu at E.P. & L.P. is a direct reflection of my career. It tells the story of my life, the places I’ve traveled, and the food that inspires me. Some examples of dishes on our menu include: Turmeric & Coconut Curry of Salmon and BBQ Chinese Duck Salad, inspired by my time in the south of Thailand when I visited a restaurant called Raya. My dining experience at this restaurant was amazing, I loved every dish I ordered, and became so memorable that I wanted to pay tribute to my meal there.
Longrain
Chef Louis Tikaram
Longrain is a Modern Thai Restaurant located in Sydney, Australia. This is where I started to cook (seriously). I had previously worked in a mom & pop style Thai restaurant after school in Byron Bay (though this is where my mind was blown by the complex flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine). When I moved to Sydney, I visited Longrain every day until the head chef, and my eventual mentor Martin Boetz (who trained under David Thompson) was willing to offer me a job. He taught me everything about the cuisine and how to respect produce and ingredients to maximize freshness and flavor.
Although I was young during my years at Longrain, it didn’t stop me working every station in the kitchen and traveling to Melbourne alongside Martin to open a second restaurant in 2006. After leaving Longrain to learn other cuisines and travel the world, I returned after five years in 2011 to take over the reigns of Martin as executive chef of Longrain for the next four years.
LONGRAIN
85 Commonwealth Street, Sydney NSW 2010, Australia
T+61.2.9280.2888 | longrain.com
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