Porridge + Puffs

restaurant-in-residence’s upscale tone signifies a shift in formality for Phan, though the rigor of her culinary style has always been evident. Porridge + Puffs’ namesake dish is fundamentally comfort food, though something as simple-sounding as a poultry and

. “They reminded me I’m in my early 40s,” she said. “If I don’t leap into this now, when exactly am I going to do it?” Phan has proven among the most community-minded chefs in Los Angeles. Porridge + Puffs has been dormant since early September, but she

The word “porridge” means something different to everyone, conjuring bowls full of soupy spoon foods from every curve of the globe. At her Historic Filipinotown restaurant Porridge + Puffs, Minh Phan begins her interpretation with a strain of white

. There may be no modern Los Angeles restaurant with a more literal name than Porridge + Puffs. It’s the indy chef equivalent of a fast food chain calling itself Burger and Fries. The twee, alliterative duo sound like affected comfort foods, which belies

cracked. I’m coming back for more this week. Pickup and delivery. 14110 Oxnard St., Van Nuys, (818) 909-2593, kobeefactoryla.com Pork banh mi, Porridge & Puffs It is a given that Minh Phan’s porridge — especially the one with mushrooms, ground turkey and

Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 908-5313, porridgeandpuffs.com The staff prepares takeout orders at Porridge + Puffs. (Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times) Hainan chicken, Cluck2Go Brandon Hayato Go mentioned this place when we were emailing about the

Kobee Factory    Cluck2Go    Pasjoli    Dialogue    Iki Ramen    Dulan's on Crenshaw    Hail Mary Pizza    Porridge + Puffs   

of Los Angeles, past and present. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Porridge + Puffs (29) At her calm, quirky, Historic Filipinotown sanctuary, Minh Phan begins her porridges by simmering Kokuho Rose rice from Central California’s Koda Farms with

-spiked ground turkey is an ideal introduction to her quietly spectacular brand of comfort food. — B.A. 2801 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 908-5313, porridgeandpuffs.com A spread of porridge, puffs and vegetable sides at Porridge + Puffs. (Mariah

Sonoratown    Burritos La Palma    Grand Central Market    Porridge + Puffs    Chichen Itza    Holbox    Northern Thai Food Club    Kobee Factory    Konbi    Mariscos Jalisco    Carnitas El Momo    Langer's    Guisados    Chong Qing Special Noodles    Tsujita    El Coraloense    Howlin' Ray's    X'Tiosu Kitchen    Joy    Dai Ho    Hasiba    Apey Kade    Kogi BBQ   

preserved in yuzu-scented sake leaves — very on brand and very 2019. 2801 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 908-5313, porridgeandpuffs.com Porridge + Puffs’ fermented tea leaf salad with summer fruits and vegetables. (Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times

Colapasta    Kra Z Kai's BBQ    La Diosa de los Moles    Nightshade    Spoon & Pork    Tacos y Birria La Unica    Bulgarini Gelateria    Tacos 1986    Yang's Kitchen    Spoon By H 7158 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles    Pasjoli    Porridge + Puffs    Bon Temps    Hayato    Fiona   

might know its creator, Minh Phan: She’s the chef and owner of Porridge + Puffs in Historic Filipinotown and a bedrock of the L.A. food industry. Phan’s standing among her peers stems from both her cooking (soothing, but also sneakily pyrotechnic in its

generously spaced, kidney-shaped tables among lush greenery and strung lights. While Porridge + Puffs (tiny, communal and with no outdoor space) remains temporarily closed, Phenakite gets all of Phan’s energy. The framework is a 10-course tasting menu, though

and eggplants. Nukazuke pickles are fermented in a pasty, dry-wet brine made from moistened rice bran. Hot vs. cold brine Minh Phan of Porridge + Puffs says you should think of hot brine as something you use to cook dense vegetables or pungent

texture and crunch of a vegetable. Phan recommends translucent or “see-through” vegetables and fruits such as pears, radishes and most herbs for pickling in cold brine. At Porridge + Puffs, Phan pickles watermelon rinds, citrus peels and banana peels, herb

. But I never anticipated a spot like Porridge and Puffs, the semi-elegant restaurant that takes over the lunch counter Field Trip a few nights a week. The porridge is prepared with the obsessive care that the hairy-chested kitchens devote to charcuterie

are wonderful bánh mì made with five-spice-roasted organic chicken, house-made Vietnamese pickles and fresh featherweight baguettes imported from the San Gabriel Valley. Porridge and Puffs is Phan’s permanent pop-up inside Field Trip, which in turn is

on April 16 and Los Angeles chefs Burt Bakman (Slab) and Eric Greenspan on April 17. Ayinde Howell of iEatGrass and Makini Howell of Plum Bistro in Seattle will kick off Weekend 2. Los Angeles chefs Minh Phan, chef-owner at Phenakite and Porridge and

Puffs, and Theresa Montano of Otono will prepare dinner April 23 and Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George of Camphor in downtown Los Angeles will close the festival April 24. Festival passes and advance purchase are required for the dinners.

Now that we're all cooking, trying to stretch stuff, preserve stuff or figure out a way to use up that last CSA box, pickling is the thing to do. Here’s a look at why some chefs in L.A. are getting down with pickled food. Minh Phan, Porridge + Puffs