viviane
Tai Snapper Kinilaw (Filipino ceviche) with coconut milk, vinegar, charred corn, and crispy shrimp chips on the summer menu at Viviane.

Each week we spotlight top Los Angeles restaurants, dining and drinking experiences you need to try.

Edited by Christina Xenos

Los Angeles Dining Events

Ramen Pop-Up at Nest at WP24
June 30. Slurp $7 bowls of customizable ramen from the Wolfgang Puck culinary team. The first if three pop-ups features Hokkaido-style miso ramen with tender housemade ramen noodles and a delicate broth that takes three days to prepare. The bowl comes with sesame, scallion, and bean sprouts, and is finished with a generous heap of sweet summer corn. For a supplemental cost, you can customize your bowl with additions such as chili marinated bamboo shoots, market vegetables and Santa Barbara spot prawns. Also happens Aug. 4 and Aug. 25. 5-9 p.m. The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, 900 W Olympic Blvd., downtown, 213.743.8824. ritzcarlton.com

Oh Man! Ramen: Exclusive Restaurant Preview
June 28. Luke Reyes and Phillip Frankland Lee will be taking part in a FEASTLY pop-up, prevuing their new ramen concept opening in Encino this summer. The feast include a tiki-style punch bowl, Sapporo, chicken wings with honey-fermented chili, salmon sashimi, chilled spicy noodle, tonkotsu ramen and more. $65/pp. 7:30-10:30 p.m. Address revealed upon ticket purchase. eatfeastly.com

Los Angeles Restaurants

Maré Santa Monica
The second outpost of Chef Eric Greenspan’s and Midcourse Hospitality Group’s breezy European-influenced restaurant is now open in Santa Monica. Find many of your favorite dishes like shellfish served with your choice of broth, and whole branzino with fig-pomegranate glaze. In its initial opening weeks, the restaurant will serve dinner with additions like crispy octopus with lemon mostarda, chili, leeks and fennel; Yukon gold potato gnocchi with mushroom daube, kale, orange puttanesca and olives; and Moorish chicken with chickpea pancake, warm salad of kale, dates, lemon and pistachio. Lunch arrives in a few weeks with dishes like egg shakshuka with orange puttanesca, tomato, baby carrot, crispy bread and crème fraîche;  and charred and raw chopped salad with endive, romaine, currants, pine nuts, pickled onions, red peppers, crispy garlic and garbanzo beans. 502 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. marerestaurants.com

Viviane
Summer is the perfect time to lounge poolside and dine on a menu packed with global flavors from Executive Chef Michael Hung at the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills. For the season, Hung takes familiar, approachable dishes and adds exciting ingredient twists. Highlights include salad of heirloom tomato with cucumber, sour mango, hard-cooked egg and Nuac Cham vinaigrette; burrata cheese and roasted mushroom tartine with Brooks cherries and aged balsamic; and housemade mafalde pasta with star anise-braised quail, broccoli di ciccio sugo, chili vinegar sauce and Thai basil—reminiscent of pho. Cocktails from Director of Bar Programs, Ryan Wainright are a perfect compliment to the menu, and include the Cuba Libre with Bacardi 8yr, Jelinek Amaro, Coca-Cola and a lime wheel; New Orleans Pimms Cup with Pimms, lemon juice, ginger juice and cucumber water; and a martini flight with a traditional gin martini, dirty martini with Kalamata olive-infused vodka and a Delmonico cocktail. 9400 W Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.407.7791. vivianerestaurant.com

Bar Blanca
Relax on the terrace adjacent to The Bazaar by José Andrés to enjoy a new seasonally rotating menu of tapas and drinks highlighting the culinary culture of Andrés’ native Spain. Highlights of the menu include oxtail steamed bun, jicama wrapped guacamole, jamón with idiazábal and Catalan-style toasted bread along drinks like cider, Fino sherry and Basque wine. 4-7 p.m. SLS Beverly Hills, 465 S La Cienega Blvd., L.A., 310.246.5555. slshotels.com

Bar Moruno
Bar Moruno at Grand Central Market is getting ready for its big reveal by offering a limited takeout menu. Find lamb and chicken skewers, sandwiches, bowls and more. Look forward to expanded offerings and drinks like wine, vermouth and sherry to launch later this summer. Grand Central Market, 317 S. Broadway, downtown. morunola.com

Flower Child Santa Monica
The new fast-casual restaurant from Sam Fox (True Food Kitchen) offers healthy, convenient food in a setting reminiscent of a modern bohemian abode. The mix-and-match menu lets you customize combination of seasonal vegetables, fruits and grains such as spicy Japanese eggplant with Thai basil and cashew and heirloom tomatoes and watermelon with olive oil, saba, basil, mint, as well as optional proteins like grass-fed steak and organic tofu. Also find a variety of salads and breakfast offerings. 8 a.m.-10 p.m. 1332 2nd St., Santa Monica. iamaflowerchild.com

Boneyard Bistro
June 29. The latest installment of the restaurant’s World BBQ Tour features barbecue fare from Hawaii. Dine on dishes like lomi-lomi salmon, Kona coffee-glazed spare ribs and Kalua pig with cabbage. 13539 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, 818.906.7428. boneyardbistro.com

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