I tried #Otium two years ago when it first opened when my best friend, Marian, took me for my birthday. We went during lunch time and that’s when we discovered that even though the food was so good, the brunch items looked even more intriguing!!!! After all these years, I never went back for brunch until yesterday when I finally went again with my boyfriend after we binge watched #TheFinalTable on #Netflix

Obviously our biggest motivator in driving out to LA and him visiting me was the fact that Chef Timothy Hollingsworth won on the show. And how convenient is it that it’s right near where I live!

Cynar Julep, windford reserve bourbon, cynar, grapefruit, mint. Even though there is bourbon in this drink, I absolutely loved it. The strong smell of orange invites you in to take a sip as you bring the drink closer to your nostrils.

Child of Mine, singani, sipsmith gin, vanilla, rose water, lemon. This is as tasty as it is pretty. Very light and floral and sweet with a slight tang. Very strong and I got very buzzed from just drinking halfway. It didn’t taste like it at all.

Medicina Latina, mezcal, lime, agave, ginger. Tastiest Moscow mule I have ever tried. Seriously. No taste of alcohol and yet so strong in liquor!

Shrimp tom kha, coconut, pineapple, Thai herbs, endive. Wow! This Thai influence was totally transformed into this light, refreshing and airy appetizer. Made me love the cabbage! The pineapple wasn’t overpowerfully sour either. It was so delicious. The shrimp was diced and fresh. It was named my favorite dish off the bat until..

Crispy potatoes, lemon salt, Aleppo pepper, Creme fraiche. This was the only dish that I remembered from eating two years ago. It was my favorite. And guess what? It was only $8 then and now! The aroma of the potatoes so so strong and inviting if it’s simple spices. The crunchiness of the potatoes and crispy skins. The creamy and tangy cream….

Kanpachi, green apple aguachile, cucumber, oxalis. This was my boyfriends favorite dish due to its tangy and sweet. But you know what those little balls are?! Apples and cucumber cut in shapes of PERFECTLY little round balls!!!!!!!

Donabe, fried pork belly, French toast, maple whip. This is a brunch classic that he had two years ago and it was the one dish that I wanted to try on their brunch menu (it isn’t on the lunch menu). My best friend said it was too heavy but there is no heaviness!!!! The fried pork was the lightest and less fattiest pork I have ever had yet so savory! The French toast is so light and airy and bite size. The maple whip was lightly sweet and airy.

Khachapuri, cheese, egg, prosciutto, Aleppo. This was also good but no wow factor. Every other dish wowed is but this one. Yes it’s still very good but compared to all the other foods we’ve eaten, this was just merely tasteful. I’m actually eating this right now as leftover breakfast and it is verryyyy good!

And finally just a plain ole’ latte to sober us up before rock climbing.

We are going to go back again in two weeks to try their lunch menu because I really want to try their pasta! Their pasta is handmade and we were watching them make it from scratch in their open kitchen. They didn’t serve pasta during brunch menu on weekends! Only dinner and weekdays…. 🙁

Plus it’s different items on all of the menus so you have to come at different times to try everything!