Grilled to Perfection
By Jordan Ikeda
Rafu Staff Writer
Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008

Nisei Entrepreneur provides Downtown L.A. with delectable Asian-Mexican fusion cuisine.

Photos by MARIO G. REYES/Rafu Shimpo
Dynamic duo, Watanabe and Diaz.

Crisp calamari with serrano-cilantro-citrus soy dipping sauce.

Watanabe’s father refurbished all and even recreated some of the chairs.

The best carne asada in town.

Miso black cod over udon. Scrumptious!

Green tea-steamed salmon with jasmine rice and gingered

Tucked away amidst the hustle and bustle, inside the underbelly of L.A.’s concrete jungle, lies Pacific Grille.

Owned by Aileen Watanabe, the restaurant acts as a haven for business people and casual diners alike in need of a momentary escape from the daily grind of Downtown life.

Located in the atrium lobby of the Figueroa at Wilshire building, the outside seating feels outside with ample sunshine and open air, but maintains all the amenities pro­vided by inside dining. The inte­rior of the restau­rant is lush and looks extravagant without feeling extravagant.

“Definitely not a stuffy at­mosphere,” Wa­tanabe told the Rafu. “We read our customers when they come in. We know when to give them a hug and when to give them a handshake.”

Cute and laid back, sweet, and slyly funny, Watanabe exudes an affable cool. Pacific Grille is an extension of that personality.

It is a fine dining family restaurant ideal for business folk.

And then there’s the food.

A blending of Asian and Mexican cuisines, Executive Chef Manny Diaz ensures that customers leave blissfully content but with an unquenchable desire to return.

There’s Batman and Robin. Harold and Kumar. Bert and Ernie.

Enter Watanabe and Diaz.

In 2004, as a 31-year-old single mother, Watanabe took ownership of the then flagging restaurant and led it from bankruptcy to smashing success in less than four years.

The Nisei, and now happily mar­ried mother of two, credits much of her success to her parents, Isamu and Hiroko Watanabe who gave her money off of their home in order to get the restaurant up and running.

Adding to familial support was Watanabe’s own entrepreneurial sense.

Incorporating outdoor seating and catering for restauranteurs has become a great way to boost rev­enues, especially in a receding economy. In fact, in 2008, it’s the new fad.

Watanabe, with Pacific Grille Ex­press (a kiosk for those on the go lo­cated just outside the restaurant), has been at both since 2004.

Of course, a restaurant is nothing without an excellent chef, and Diaz, judging by the food that comes out of his kitchen, is one of the best.

For appetizers, the Szechwan shrimp spring rolls, served Viet­namese-style, on their own are quite refreshing. Dipped in the habanero-ginger-ponzu sauce however, and that zest suddenly wallops the taste buds.

Filled with applewood-smoked ba­con, cilantro pesto, fresh mozzarella, Maui onion straws, roasted tomato and beurre blanc, the grilled shrimp BLT combines everyone’s favorite seafood with a classic sandwich to become its own classic.

While the restaurant does serve fries (burgers only) the rest of the dish­es feature sides like Thai peanut slaw, sesame noodles, rustic tortilla chips, edamame and almond rustic slaw.

There’s also carne asada.

“You might think, carne asada, eh, carne asada,” said Watanabe. “But no...it melts in your mouth.”

Brought into the restaurant one fateful Cinco De Mayo a few years ago, Diaz’s recipe has become the restaurant’s most popular dish. It’s juicy and tender and absolutely does melt in your mouth. It’s everything you’d ever want in carne asada. But don’t take my word for it. Trust sales. Pacific Grille buys about 210 lbs of skirt steak every single week.

If you prefer a more Japanese-style dish, the broiled miso marinated black Alaskan cod, served over udon noodles and broth is deli­cate texturally but deliciously rich in flavor. Slurping is not only okay, it’s encouraged.

And, if there is still somehow any ounce of room left in your stom­ach, the Yin Yang chocolate cake, with white choc­olate mousse, is chocolate nirvana in every morsel.

Los Angeles is a melting pot of diversity and culture. For refinement minus the snoot, comfort without sacrificing elegance and a menu suitable for a wide array of palates, from rainbow salad (like a rainbow sushi roll only on a bed of greens) to seared ahi tataki to roasted carnitas, Pacific Grille exudes the best and most delectable parts of L.A.
===
Pacific Grille is located at 601 S. Figueroa St., in the Figueroa at Wilshire building at the lobby level. For more information, a full menu, or for catering visit www.pacific-grille.com or call (213) 485-0927. Pacific Grille Express is located in the kiosk just outside the building and is more casual and for Downtowners on the go. Open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Express serves coffee, breakfast, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches.