Los Angeles Times - Sprigs of Mint, dashes of fire

photo by Lawrence K. Ho
Gingergrass, a modestly priced Vietnamese restaurant on Glendale Boulevard, is welcoming appreciative crowds.

       Everybody in the neighborhood has been watching the windows of the Silver Lake storefront, alert for any signs that the new Vietnamese restaurant was about to open. As usual, it's taken longer than expected, but now Gingergrass has arrived.
       The chef and owner, Mako Antonishek, is the former chef at Le Colonial, the short-lived West Hollywood Vietnamese restaurant. That was a big, bustling place with a bar and a scene that outdid anything a mere cook could produce. Here she's got a small restaurant, a pared-down menu and an appreciative crowd.
       With prices that top out at $12.95 for main courses, don't expect fine cuisine. But if you're looking for something fresh and light, a Los Angeles take on casual Vietnamese cooking, this is the place.
       It has a perfect look for its neighborhood -- a little bit loft-like, with polished cement floors and cork tiles applied to the walls like abstract-patterned rugs (they help to soften the sound level). Those pedestal tabletops that look something like bamboo are actually sorghum, and the chairs are clever knockoffs of a mid-century classic.
       Located on Glendale Boulevard a few doors down from Red Lion Tavern, Gingergrass doesn't need any advertising. Anyone driving by can easily spot the newcomer. It also happens to be directly across from Silver Lake Wine, the new wine shop owned and operated by Campanile's wine director, George Cosette, and his partners. Which comes in handy, since Gingergrass doesn't have a wine list. The folks at this congenial new shop are well versed in wines that go splendidly with Vietnamese cuisine.
       What's to eat? Classics like crispy imperial rolls served with sprigs of mint, pickled vegetables and cucumbers, and lettuce leaves to wrap them up in. They come in vegetarian as well as meat versions.
       Same with the summer rolls. You can get their rice noodle wrappers stuffed with shrimp and pork, or opt for a tofu version served with a vegan nuoc cham dipping sauce.
       If you're in a salad mood, try Mako's salad, which has all sorts of fresh and pickled vegetables tossed together with sprouts, herbs and lemongrass-marinated flank steak.
       She's got pho, the typical Vietnamese soup -- the traditional beef (made with thinly sliced sirloin, in this case), and chicken and seafood versions as well. And filling noodle or rice bowls with some of the same ingredients.
       You can see the chef at work in the open kitchen, beneath a blackboard scrawled with the words "Welcome to Gingergrass!" The staff makes a point of being welcoming too, offering to explain any dishes and weighing in with favorites -- such as shaking beef (marinated beef stir-fried with chiles) or grilled chicken breast flavored with lemon grass and more chiles.
       Not to worry. These are very mild dishes, almost too mild. In fact, I'm hoping Antonishek is still feeling out the neighborhood, because the food I tried seemed a bit cautious.
       That could change. Anyway, if the crowd happily chowing down on banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches on crusty baguettes) is anything to go by, Gingergrass is launched.

-- S. Irene Virbila
Times Restaurant Critic

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