Scratch Bar & Kitchen

Wow… what an amazing surprise! We booked Scratch because it was located bwt. Studio city, Calabasas and Brentwood. When we arrived We were worried because it was hidden on the 2^nd floor of a CPK-​type valley mall. Our friends are foodies and were bringing their own wine. The room is set up with only a counter and bar tables (note: may be tough for Older guests) The menu is tricky to decipher… had we gone wrong???
OMG no! It was amazing!!! We munched on the charcuterie plate and ordered a reasonable tasting menu. We should have done more because every dish was like a work of art. Perfectly prepared vegetables. Exquisite bay scallops with a «burnt» vege sauce artfully poured over as it was served.
But that all pales next to the salmon shown in my pic… it came actually smoking under glass with a Crème and savory veges on top and with substantial crispy seaweed to use as crackers. And the taste? Big wow people — BIG WOW.
There was a perfect (and beautiful) beef dish and the meal ended with a lovely homemade ice cream sandwich that tasted like dreamsicles.
Unexpected was also the service — after the big chef checks it the actual chef who made it brings it to your table. Everyone was the hardest working nicest person. The service was great —
You have to go — go now! But plz don’t take our table–

So let’s say your meal comes to $ 200.00. And let’s say you would voluntarily pay an 18% tip. That tip would be $ 36. Because it is voluntary, it is not taxable to you per CA and City regs. But because the great and all knowing Owner decided that 18% is mandatory, said tip (SERVICE FEE”) is taxable to you and is subject to State, County and City tax.
«Tips, gratuities, and service charges; Article 8 Regulation 1603:
Payments of tips, gratuities, and service charges are not taxable if they are paid by customers on an entirely optional basis and are retained by employees. Generally, such a payment is optional if your customer adds the amount to the bill, or leaves a separate amount in addition to the actual amount due from your sale of meals, food, and drinks that include services.
Mandatory „tips“ or required service charges, on the other hand, are taxable. In the case of banquets, any gratuities that are agreed to in advance are considered required, not voluntary, and as a result are subject to tax. For example, if your standard banquet agreement states „the suggested gratuity is 15 percent“ and prior to the event, your customer agrees to this or some other negotiated amount, the gratuity is taxable.»
Normally, one would pay $ 200 (meal cost) plus $ 18 (sales tax of 9%) plus $ 36 (18% tip) =$ 254.00.
Now here you pay $ 200 plus $ 21.24 (tax — food plus service fee) plus $ 36 (mandatory 18% tip) =$ 257.25. Your paying $ 3.24 more because of the extra tax on the service fee than you would someplace else with no mandatory service fee. The all knowing Owner does this because it is easier for Him to track tips (for income tax purposes), but to our detriment. And if you wanted to pay the national standard of a 15% gratuity, you would save $ 6 more for a total savings of $ 9.24 cents. For those of you who are wondering, why does Jerry care about pennies? Because if the Owner does, so will I.
Because of the above, I will not spend my money here again.
Now to the food. I ordered a cheeseburger for lunch.
The bun was very dense, the burger dense and somewhat dry but flavorful, the tomato slice was ripe, and you were left with a lingering mustard aftertaste. The requested tap water came cold in a glass bottle. They get credit for that. And the server I had the pleasure of meeting was not cooking (an unreasonable given reason for the extra service fee as the «cooks» were also acting as waiters serving you).

One of my favorite restaurants.
Amazing courses and talented team! We’d spent many weekend here before they moved to the new location. Now the new location maybe a little bit far, but I think it deserves you to spend a little bit more time to try it!
Definitely as amazing as before!

The concept was interesting — you pick one of three price points and the they bring out dishes based on your likes and dislikes. I decided to do a last minute upgrade from the $ 40 menu to the $ 80 menu when I started salivating over my dinner partner’s $ 120 menu items. Each dish was better than the next. I really can’t pinpoint a favorite, nor can I remember all we had because the dishes were so unique and they kept coming. I do remember the popcorn was like crack. Beware though: they start you off with small bite-​sized dishes then they get bigger, so pace yourself. So, so good!

Got to admit came here with Huge expectations expecting dishes to taste extraordinary and have an incredible dining and culinary experience overall.
Some of the items ordered like the Bronzino was very good. Amazing no but good. The other dishes like the squash, steak or the the other items on the menu we ordered weren’t very tasty and because we were sitting in front of the chefs at the bar we weren’t in a kind of setting we would actually share that we didn’t like or enjoy certain dishes.
Since I would say that I am one of the pickiest people in the world I may not be the average consumer as to me things do have to taste extraordinary. This is not a place I would return to but the concept is interesting and I am glad I got to try it for myself to have this opinion.

I’d heard great things about Scratch Bar and based on the plethora of five star reviews I was pretty eager to pay them a visit. I didn’t care for the hold your rezzie with a credit card situation via Opentable because as flex as my schedule is, my boyfriends is not. There are times I may think we can make it somewhere by a certain time and he works hours past that time. So last night, when I gave them a ring before 7P asking about walk ins and the girl on the phone was able to get us a spot inside for 7P I was very grateful and impressed. We drove right over, and found metered street parking in front.
We chose to sit at the bar, because that’s usually a pretty fun spot. This place is working with a really tight fit, not a lot of wiggle room so expect to be right up on the people beside you. Although we were sat at the last two seats against the wall (so not a lot of action down where we were) but close enough to notice the loud, hectic, frazzled type state the kitchen seemed to be in. I couldn’t help but compare this place to my new fav valley restaurant and see the distinct differences. Thank gosh I had a glass of wine because it was such a hurried, near mess back there that I almost felt like a Xanax would help me sit through this.
We were greeted and the menu was explained to us. I wanted to do the $ 40 tasting to try several items, my boyfriend wanted to order a la carte and clearly this wasn’t going to fly which is right where I feel we got off on the wrong foot. Telling me I can’t have what I want, when I’m going to be paying for it makes very little sense to me. We were told they won’t do that, stating they don’t like to see one person eating when another isn’t. Hell, I couldn’t careless if I was working on multiple courses and my boyfriends burger (which he wanted) was good and gone, either would he. We aren’t the type of couple that needs to share each bite in synchrony. Honestly, we were here to relax, enjoy our evening and try something new. Had I wanted to have one item and he wanted the tasting that would have been fine with me too, but not fine with Scratch apparently. This is when I felt the prestigious behavior of a restaurant in a shopping center this far west in the valley was nearly laughable. We are being told we aren’t allowed to order the way we want. Ok, whatever I told my boyfriend I’d have a glass of wine and order the grilled cheese but he agreed he would do the tasting. I felt bad, since that’s not what he wanted but we went that route and I slipped the guy my Visa when my boyfriend went to wash his hands before dinner, because clearly this catastrophe of an evening was going to need to be covered by my checking account since I’m the one who has been pushing to come here.
I won’t make a long story any longer than it needs to be.
Our six course tasting of 5 shared dishes and two individual ice cream sandwiches was only satisfactory in my opinion. Nothing stood out, other than their constant use of salmon roe on everything. I specifically asked for the grilled cheese with caviar and chives since I wanted to try this and the chorizo/​mushroom dish was a big disappointment from what I had envisioned. I don’t care at all for Salmon, it’s my least favorite fish and I try to stay away from it and I don’t like red meat — so finishing off with a salmon dish and the hangar steak wasn’t much fun. My boyfriend seemed to enjoy the steak. I think the warm squash in our spinach salad may have been the only thing I thought tasted ok but nothing in any way blew me away here. Dessert totally bombed as well. All portions are small, I wouldn’t say you’d leave hungry with the $ 40 tasting and had I enjoyed any of the dishes I may have opted for the $ 80 but I couldn’t dare put myself through anything else here.
I may have almost slow jogged out of the place, I couldn’t be done and get out soon enough. It just wasn’t for me, in any way. Even if you picked it up and placed it over the hill and not this deep into the San Fernando Valley I still wouldn’t like it. It wasn’t just the crowd, lack of sincere friendly attention or location, I did not enjoy any of the dishes and felt the entire experience was a waste of time and money.
Different strokes for different folks.

This was my first time here and definitely not my last. I had the cheeseburger with chips and it as amazing. The cheeseburger was the perfect combination of varying flavors and ingredients — I found out afterwards that all the ingredients are homemade, hence the name «Scratch.» The chips were so delicious and light. It was hard to believe I was eating chips — they just melted in your mouth. It was pretty crowded inside so we sat outside while it was drizzling. The waiter was awesome, he made sure we were cozy by brining over two heat lamps to keep us warm. Luckily, this place is right next door to my office so I’m definitely planning on coming back soon.

It was very cramped inside but I was nevertheless ready to start my belated birthday dinner experience. They asked me what I liked for the middle tasting menu but I didn’t get any uni or foie gras… maybe it was too expensive?
The plates were all art and it was tasty. The panna cotta was simply the star and I would return just for that.
This place is in a shopping center upstairs so fyi!

DineLA week, came here with a friend and we were greeted with a warm hello! We were seated at the bar and was entertained the whole time. I love the concept of no servers as the cooks and chefs are the servers. I love the open kitchen where all the magic happens. The food is an art in itself and so DELICIOUS. Very vibrant in taste. Can’t say enough. You just have to come and experience it.
Thank you so much Scratch Bar & Kitchen for your hospitality. I felt very comfortable and at home. Welcome to the neighborhood! See you again soon.

This is exactly what the Valley needs. With most popular restaurant being in the city we were excited to finally havea gem in the Valley.
Extremely friendly staff, some of the best dishes I have ever had and one of the best Hibiscus Iced tea’s.
The 11 course dinner was perfect and they will make sure you are satisfied with every dish.

Hands DOWN one of the BEST dining experiences I have had TO DATE! I truly wish every restaurant was like this (sorry Front of House folks) but having Chefs as your waiters is amazing! Who else can explain the food in such detail and answer any and every question you had about it?
Chef Phillip and the rest of the squad at Scratch Bar, THANK YOU! My husband and I came here for a Valentines Dinner (the day before Vday). Every single person we encountered was so incredibly nice, polite, friendly and fun! I literally felt like I could hang out with you guys all day long! We got a last minute baby sitter and for a husband and wife who are huge foodies and haven’t had a nice dinner out sans baby since he was born — this was simply perfection! You guys made our night! We laughed and we got totally food drunk with each and every one of you and I can’t quite thank you enough!
Honestly, my only regret about Scratch Bar is that I didn’t know about the actual counter top in front of the kitchen. I would have LOVED to sit there or make my reservations for that particular seat. Either way — we were still happy where we sat. Everyone made it a point to chat with us or ask us how our night was going.
Onto the food. We went with the large tasting menu. In total we got about 16 dishes and I couldnt even tell you what they all were or which one was my favorite. Each bite was more magical than the next. Its truly amazing what you guys do behind the counter there — from making your butter from scratch, to the bread (including the butter in the bread) from scratch, to the cheese from scratch — its just all amazing. Some of the stand outs were the Salmon, Branzino, the shooter, the oysters, the cheese (Oh my gawd that humbolt fog), the steak, the grilled cheese (so buttery and delish), the escolar, the squash (You guys got my husband to eat squash and he normaly hates it), the bone marrow mushroom sandwich, the scallops, the shrimp, the icre cream cookie sando… my goodness I am drooling just thinking of all this again.
The best restaurant concept in LIFE! I wish all places were like this. I am halfway shocked ya’ll dont have a cow back there to get milk from on the tap! LOL If they cant make it from scratch they aren’t serving it/​
Dont be afraid of the large tasting menu prices, they have something for every budget and their smaller tasting menu I am positive will satisfy your taste buds and wallet!

DineLA week– kind of broke so I had to choose just ONE restaurant. Me and a girlfriend ended up choosing Scratch Bar & Kitchen because we wanted to try a New American restaurant and the pics looked good.
Walking into the restaurant, you immediately notice that
— it is tiny
— well decorated, fancy
— smokey from the charcoal open kitchen style
They have a regular menu as well as a tasting menu (omakase American style) for $ 40, $ 80, or $ 120. We opted for $ 40 per person, or 5 dishes total shared between the 2 people. Take note — SHARED — so do not go with someone who has a completely opposite palette! You have been warned. Essentially the same as omakase sushi, you just let the chef know what you do not want in your dishes — we asked for more seafood and no burgers or large portions of meat.
1^st dish
Scallops in crème with celery, fraiche & vegetable purée: Surprisingly the scallops were very tender, delicious and fresh. The crème was not overpowering, rather it added on a perfect balance of flavors for the scallops.
2^nd dish
A salad with roasted squash, spinach and a homemade mustard dressing. I really liked this dish — the squash was so flavorful and not dry :) Yummy! The sides of the bowl was smeared with some carrot/​salmon purée?
3^rd dish
Delicious, large roasted prawns with a sauce and root veggies. Favorite dish of the night.
4^th dish
Dry Aged Hanger Steak with mushrooms and braised kale. LOVED the kale. Steak was cooked medium rare and juicy (they didn’t ask… but it was what I wanted)
5^th dish
Pandan panna cotta with Thai basil and passionfruit. 2^nd favorite dish of the night! The passion fruit was a little sour (as it should be), making the perfect combination of flavor with the pandan panna cotta (creamyyyy). The Thai basil was a nice touch of flavor, and I of course loveee basil.
We also ordered a bottle of white wine. It was… amazing. :’)
Overall
Fun experience! First time ‘omakase’ American food style. Yum! I would come back to try their $ 80 tasting menu next time ;)

If you can’t decide whether you want to go to an art show or grab some food, head on over to Scratch Bar’s new location in Encino and you can get both! The place is tucked away in a mall and it’s a rather small restaurant, but it’s very cozy and intimate. Basically any seat in the house puts you up close to all the kitchen action. The service is amazing and everyone was very engaging, making the dining experience definitely one to remember.
If you feel like a baller, go for the Chef’s Dining menu. 20+ courses for $ 120, you will not be disappointed! If you watch Top Chef this season, you know that Phillip Frankland Lee’s style of cooking breaks any traditions and you are guaranteed to have a new experience with all the dishes. My favorite bite was the UNI AND FOIE GRAS SUSHI. Melted in my mouth and was full of flavor. All the plating is also so unique… definitely a great experience for dining and if you want some art to go with your dinner

During the DineLA week my wife and I were searching for a place in the valley that we had never heard of and wasn’t a chain — along came Scratch Bar & Kitchen. The ad was for a tasting menu, that the chef will talk with you at your table and create a custom dinner based on your likes/​dislikes/​allergies/​etc. Chef Phil is a cool laid back guy who doesn’t mind sipping a beer or glass of wine with the patrons and honestly I felt super at home and not pressured for anything because the decisions were being made for me!
We were leaning to go small ($ 40/​person = 5 dishes, they have increasing costs and items) which was perfect for us. Chef Phil started off with their sliced scallops in a celery crème fraîche and vegetable purée — lite and refreshing, usually the «seafood/​dairy rule» would apply for these mollusks, but they were a perfect bite with a zing on the tongue.
2^nd course was a salad, roasted squash with spinach and a homemade mustard dressing, simple and clean.
3^rd course fresh roasted prawns with an asian infused sauce and root veggies — this would be if amaebi was cooked and served grilled and sliced. They were small bites, but enough for you to understand what Chef was hinting at.
4^th course were pieces of grilled USDA prime steak with a carrot purée and more root veggies. I would normally think that the amount of food I saw was not enough to fill my hunger — but surprising Chef Phil understands pacing and quality over quantity.
5^th course was the desert: Ice Cream sandwiches, home made chocolate chip thin cookies with a dulce de leech ice cream and a drizzle of warm caramel. I tried to pick it up and eat it, but ended up with most of the ice cream on the plate… a spook and knife combo is ideal.
Overall; come for the food, stay for the staff, and come back for the experience.
Enjoy!

Scratch Bar is awesome. It is five stars all the way around. The food, the service and the vibe. (It will be nice when they expand to the space next door because it is a bit cramped.)
We had the $ 80 tasting menu and it was delish and just the right amount of food. Great selection and variety of food and they are very accommodating to food preferences. The service is great. The chefs are also the waitstaff. They are very attentive and friendly and genuinely seem interested in what you think of the food and want to make sure you’re enjoying yourself.
It was fun to sit at the bar and watch the action in the kitchen. Controlled chaos. They pay attention to each dish before it goes out and send back anything they aren’t completely satisfied with.
We will definitely be back. So excited to have such a great place in Encino.

Reopened in Encino after one of the strangest restaurant stories of 2015 there was no doubt that Phillip Frankland Lee’s Scratch Bar would receive a primetime spot on my next visit to Los Angeles and although the young Chef himself was uncharacteristically absent during the course of a three hour meal the results were almost universally impressive, a «chefs as servers» concept the only real cause for concern.
At this point inhabiting an unlabeled space on the second story of a outdoor shopping center, the cozy confines consisting of little more than a few tall tables and a Chef’s counter overlooking glowing embers, burners, and a total team of around ten it was with five friends that I sat just minutes after the restaurant’s 5:00pm opening and listening to a bearded Chef describe the a la carte vs «Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced» tastings one could not help but opine for the later, a few dietary discretions at the end of the table yielding a total of 21-​courses including alternates while minor ingredient adjustments were accommodated for other plates.
Wowed by The Gadarene Swine, Lee’s modern vegetarian bungalow in Studio City, and finding a similar degree of creativity at play in a restaurant unwilling to settle for anything less than «Scratch made,» it was with a clever three component shot that the meal got started, the process as interesting as the diversity of flavors with the palate immediately primed for a gooey grilled cheese sandwich topped with briny salmon caviar — an ingredient we’d all soon learn to love.
Starting out light, some plates plated individually while others were delivered per duo, lightly seared prawns next shined amidst a kiss of smoke and spicy Chermoula, the followup of pork belly unfortunately not as fatty as one might have expected while the oyster atop paled in comparison to the briny giant offered up on the half-​shell with bold aromatics of old bay and garlic butter.
Scaling back a bit with scallop sashimi resting beneath flavors bitter, spicy and sweet it was with another raw fish preparation that the meal stretched forward, the delicate Butterfish finding new light atop nuggets of crisp offal as creamy sunchokes provided an earthy backdrop to crisp vegetables and a dusting of amaranth.
Global in its influences, a deep clay bow that appeared to be little more than a simple salad actually one of the meal’s best plates as housemade cheese melded with a curry of mixed nuts and vegetables one only wishes the popping egg atop raw beef would have been nearly as flavorful, the meat underseasoned with silly crisps not nearly plentiful enough to use for scooping, the grilled chorizo to follow a far more impacting flavor atop mushrooms, though salmon eggs both here and on the alternate fish dishes seemed a bit ‘forced,’ especially with several more plates featuring the ingredient to come.
Temporarily standing up to check out the curing room and cheeses as a wide woman knocked my oft-​empty water glass over as a result of tables spaced too close it was on return that the menu revved into high gear, a vegetarian friendly bowl of charred squash showing as well as anything at The Gadarene Swine while a crispy skinned filet of Branzino served at the center of a sunburst was elegantly accented by aromatic onions and brown butter pan sauce.
Impressed by salmon served soft with yogurt and dehydrated florets of broccoli, though others thought far less of the texture and use of more roe, a followup of foie gras and uni was only offered after a reminder to the kitchen that it was promised as part of the meal and although not particularly plentiful in terms of either ingredient the flavor was quite pleasant, an alternate of roast carrots with Bayleaf Aoili actually proving even more impressive… even without adding *more* caviar.
Rounding out the savories with a relatively straightforward Steak and Mushrooms dish for the boys while ladies received a warm cylinder of rice topped in pickled vegetables plus several tongues of urchin it was next to a board of housemade cheeses and charcuterie that each of us were treated, both Triple Creams quite literally eating like butter while the spicy Filleto offered the best bite of cured meat, others seemingly in need of a little more time aging.
Served only one dessert, the quickly melting ice cream subtly imbued with smoke that offset salty caramel, it was with tax and tip already added that the bill was split by six, the price more than fair for a meal so wide-​reaching, and a bargain that seems almost destined to disappear as the menu and service really get dialed-​in considering the crowd waiting for tables as we exited, Chef Lee’s star deservedly on the rise.

So glad Chef Philip reopened Scratch Bar! This is now truly a hidden gem inside a strip mall in the middle of Encino. The place is unassuming and doesn’t even have any signage out front. You can only recognize it by the packed crowd inside!
I came here on a Sunday night and the place was packed out the door. Definitely make reservations before coming! Our group of 5 got seated at the bar, right in front of the plating heat lamps and the charcoal stove. Things got pretty warm, but the food and service was simply amazing!
Our group opted for the full tasting menu. For $ 120, we got 20 dishes (which is basically the entire menu) based on the chef’s recommendation. The 20 didn’t include dessert. Portions were generous and by course 14, we were all getting pretty stuffed already.
Since we had so many dishes, I’ll just list some of my fave.
Grilled cheese sandwich with salmon roe. This is such a creative twist to classic grilled cheese. The brininess of the salmon roe complemented the buttered toast and the cheddar cheese perfectly.
Uni foie gras sushi. Another amazing combination of flavors. The richness of both the foie gras and uni worked so well together without overpowering each other. And the slighty charred sushi rice added a slight smokiness to the whole bite.
Scallops with apple gelee, apple, apple skin. This was such a refreshing dish. The raw scallops were super fresh. And the various parts of the apple gave the dish a sweetness that brought the flavors of the scallops out.
Beef Tartare with egg. The egg is not your typical raw egg you see on top of the usual beef tartare. I’m not sure how they did it, but the egg looks like a cooked round patty on top of the tartare. However, when you pierce into it, the egg yolk oozes out. Mixed together with the beef tartare, this dish was perfect.
Cheese and charcuterie plates. The chef told us that all their cheeses are housemade. They go up to a farm in Cambria and make all their cheeses. The charcuterie meat was delicious as well. We got 3 cheeses and 3 meats on our board.
Pandan panna cotta with thai basil and passionfruit. This was my favorite dessert of the night. The pandan panna cotta had a great texture, not too firm yet not too soft. The creaminess was just right. And the thai basil complemented the flavors so well. The whole dessert was so refreshing after such a heavy meal.
Overall, the food was amazing and creative. The flavors worked really well. Each dish was like a piece of artwork. Service was friendly and on-​point.
They’re building out the space next door. Can’t wait to go back!
Parking: $ 4 flat rate inside the structure.

Favorite new resto: #scratchbarla #philipfranklandlee #topchef and the lovely wife #margaritalee #pastrychef
It takes about 2 weeks to get reservations online through their website as this place seems to be the greatest new elite addition to this part of the valley.
They are flexible in you pushing back your reservations if you need to as I did from last weekend to this past weekend.
They have a $ 40, $ 80, $ 120 «You Pick» omakase style menu aside from their delectable printed menu. They ask you what you can eat and can’t eat in the beginning and then they bring a selection of amazing eats throughout the course of the night.
They continue to check in with you explaining every dish, making sure your dishes are meeting your expectations. I loved how you have the option to always upgrade to a higher set menu selection if you were still hungry or were curious about their additional dishes lurking behind the kitchen counter.
They hinted that the dishes get more interesting as higher number of courses you engage in.
So enticing!!!
My two favorites was the additional Margarita’s favorite dish that she recommended which was off the seafood section of the printed menu which of course we got based on her recommendation: It was the Uni /​Pork Belly /​Sushi Rich dish that she claimed to be her favorite that she orders every night to eat as part of her dinner. This dish was a delicate bed of uni (sea urchin) on top of sushi rice with pork belly that was lightly decorated with barbecue foam.
My other favorite dish was their panna cotta dessert served in a chilled iron plate sprinkled with bits of passion fruit that stole my heart at the first bite.
The experience and exquisite taste comes at a price as it was easily $ 200 with the addition of fine glasses of wine that we paired with our meals.
They advised that this place is less of a kid friendly venu especially in terms of food (s) but they are more than willing to work with you to tailor a dish to meet your kid’s taste buds if they do come in.

Wow! Just wow! Scratch Bar has to be one of the best, if not the best, restaurants in the Valley! Phillip Frankland is both a culinary genius … and a saint for moving back to Encino and opening this truly exceptional restaurant on this side of «the hill»!
Although they have an interesting, and pretty extensive, menu, we decided to put our complete faith in Chef Phillip and do an «omakase» style meal. We even let him choose the wines.
You can choose from a «wimp» tasting menu of 8 plates, a proper tasting menu of 12 plates, or an «I’m starving» menu of 20 plates. The kitchen adjusts the size of the portions so the 20 plate is only about 20% more food than the 8 plate one though.
Tip: if you go with the chef’s choice, you get dishes not on the menu, and he will even customize dishes around your culinary tastes (e.g., if you don’t like uni or bone marrow).
Our culinary adventures through the kitchen included:
— A simple bowl of popcorn, but laced with maldon salt and several other little treats, so it almost tasted like kettle corn
— A shooter with a pickled mussel and avocado and uni mousse on the bottom of the shot glass
— Perfectly sliced quarter-​moons of escolar with sun choke purée, sun choke chips, and mushrooms
— Thinly sliced raw scallops with apple garnish and an apple gelee
— Oysters very lightly cooked with a garlicy butter and served in their shells (I don’t even like oysters!!!)
— Steak tartare
— A home made chorizo with salmon roe and mushroom mouse
— Roasted squash with greens (amazing, again, I normally don’t like squash but this dish was absolutely dynamite!)
— Perfectly cooked hanger steak with potato foam
— Salmon with home made yoghurt and carrots
— Home cured prosciutto (absolutely ethereal!)
— Home made cheese made from goat milk and cow cream
And if that wasn’t enough, we finished the meal with an apple crumble with ice cream, made by Chef Phillip’s adorable wife Margarita.
With all of this gastronomic excess, Chef Phillip chose a beautiful 2014 Thacher Viognier to begin (a superb example of Viognier from Paso), and then brought us a bottle of the 2012 Thacher Triumvirate zinfandel (another beautiful wine, with plenty of fruit but not the cloying hamminess that some zins exhibit), and finally, for dessert, he brought a 375 of the 2010 Thacher Late Harvest Zin (another beautiful wine, not nearly as sweet as most dessert wines, and mildly reminiscent of a good ruby port).
As for the setting, Scratch Bar is tiny, and is dominated by the kitchen so you can watch the preparations (whether you sit at the kitchen front counter or one of the handful of tables). It is very casual and relaxed, and both Chef Phillip and Chef Margarita were on hand to make sure everything was done perfectly. One word of warning, a lot of things are cooked over a beautiful open wood flame, so whatever you are wearing will smell of smoke the next day. But boy is it worth it!
We can’t wait for our next visit to Scratch Bar!

Out of all the places in the Los Angeles area to re-​open/​locate a restaurant of this caliber, Chef Phillip Frankland Lee decided to re-​open his Beverly Hills restaurant in the San Fernando Valley, «the Beverly Hills of the Valley,» which also happens to be the area where the chef grew up.
Chef Phillip and Margarita also have another restaurant in the Valley located in Studio City. It’s a vegan restaurant called Gadarene Swine.
The San Fernando Valley is in desperate need of a chef-​driven, seasonal restaurant and Scratch Bar is filling that void. The only other restaurant I can think of around the same level is Girasol in Toluca Lake, but nothing in this sleepier part of Ventura Boulevard.
I imagine this being a destination restaurant where instead of us Valley people heading over the hill to have a nice meal, many people will be heading to Encino to dine here. Especially when Chef Phillip becomes a household name after this season’s Top Chef on Bravo. Some people might know him as being selected in Zagat’s list of «30 Under 30» or from San Pellegrino selecting him as 2015 «America’s Best Young Chefs.»
The Chef de Cuisine at Scratch Bar 2.0 is Jonathan Portela, who has experience working in the kitchen at Eleven Madison Park (ranked #5 in San Pellegrino’s «The World’s 50 Best Restaurants») and Michelin-​rated Junoon as Chef de Cuisine. I learned tonight that Chefs Phillip and Jonathan both had stints at Alinea in Chicago (ranked #26 in San Pellegrino’s «The World’s 50 Best Restaurants»).
I was so excited to learn about Scratch Bar 2.0 restaurant opening this week in my neighborhood that I just had to check it out this new iteration. I usually don’t like to visit newly opened restaurants because they are still «finding their groove.»
I’ve been a fan of Scratch Bar since my visit to the original location in Beverly Hills. I would have visited Scratch Bar more often if it was located closer to home. What’s unique about Scratch Bar is that they make everything from scratch. He makes everything in house, including the cheese they offered tonight during the tasting.
There won’t be a host when you walk in. You’ll probably see one of the chef’s who will direct you to a seat. I sat at the counter facing the kitchen and in front of all the action. After dinner you will most likely smell like smoke, so I recommend keeping that in mind with the clothing you choose to wear.
Not being too hungry, I went with the intro 6 — 9 course $ 40 tasting menu. What’s great about Scratch Bar is that unlike other restaurants, they listen to the feedback from their guests when discussing their tasting menu. Let them know your preferences or allergies. The most expensive option being $ 120 for an estimated 30 courses. The tasting menu at Scratch Bar is quite reasonable in price. I will eventually be back soon to try the $ 120 tasting menu.
When speaking with Chef Jonathan about the tasting menu, I told him that I am an adventurous eater, not allergic to anything, and would like something different from the old Scratch Bar menu, if possible. I told him that I visited his former restaurant, Junoon NYC, as well last year. Knowing that fact, in one of my dishes tonight, he threw in some curry as a twist to the dish knowing that I like Indian food.
I felt this tasting menu was an excellent value. Each dish was beautifully plated and full of flavor. It was everything I expected it be and more. Being opening week, I didn’t expect perfection.
If you eat chicken only or a vegetarian, you probably won’t enjoy the tasting menu at Scratch Bar.
The nice surprise was the dessert course from Chef Margarita Lee which was an exotic pandan and passionfruit panna cotta.
Mr. Jonathan Gold described his cooking at Scratch Bar 1.0 as hyper-​modern, but I don’t think any of the dishes tonight would fit that description. The cooking here at the new location seems to be more rustic cuisine in feeling — nothing too avant-​garde or Alinea-​ish (for now, at least). It will be interesting to see the innovation and where they take this place.
I recommend being patient with the service at the restaurant. There are no official servers here similar to Le Comptoir or Wolvesmouth. You might have to ask for certain things such as a steak knife as I did or maybe more water. I recommend them getting containers for still or sparking water for each table.
An 18% service charge is included in your bill. This automatic fee might possibly annoy people who expect traditional service.
Parking is located on the street or valet parking in the underground lot. There’s no sign outside the restaurant so head up the stairs or escalator to the second floor to spot it.
I love how they are trying to continually improve as they receive feedback. This is a new restaurant with a young, hardworking, and ambitious team eager to please. I can’t wait to see how this place evolves over time.
Bravo Chef Phillip, Chef Margarita, Chef Jonathan, and the entire Scratch Bar Team!