YEE: Cocina Condesa

Such a fun & delicious event! Came in hungry, left with a happy stomach. Cocina Codesa did such an amazing job catering to us. They definitely spoiled us.
I’m seriously still thinking about the queso fundido (which is goat cheese & oaxaca cheese w/​roasted poblano, zucchini & onions) probably one of the best cheese dips ever! The Dulce de Leche Churros were one of my favorite dishes as well :)
Overall, this was such a yummy event. Thanks Katie B for putting together such a fun event. :)
xo
Naomi

Probably one of the best Unilocal events I’ve been too.
The location is pretty and trendy but parking isn’t ideal. We opted for valet because it was convenient but there is street parking. The décor was cute but I had a problem with the seats. I couldn’t touch the floor at all. I had to shimmy my way to my side of the table since there wasn’t much room in-​between the table and bench.
The staff was great. They were so friendly and went above and beyond when taking care of us.
I meet some awesome Unilocalers which made the experience that much more enjoyable.
But the food. .. was pretty ridiculous. I was full to the brim to say the least. The guc was great, not spicy at all but still full of flavor. The sopes, tacos, queso dip, all were absolutely fab. I mean I don’t believe anything left me completely unimpressed. Those drinks were phenomenal, great flavor and a little bit of a creeper.
I’ve already gone back and used my very personalized Unilocal elite coupon. :)
Thanks Katie B. for the awesome event and outstanding Unilocal swag!

This was my first YEE in LA, and it didn’t disappoint. The food was fantabulous, and the owners were gracious enough to print out their very own YEE coupons for us to return again for 2 free drinks/​appetizers! Thanks to Katie B. and her crew for taking care of us.
My favorite dishes were the guacamole, empanadas and churros. My least favorite was the corn and the goat cheese dip/​soup.
It was the first time in a long while leaving the restaurant not being able to walk normally… it was that much food!
And the free Unilocal ice tray and portable battery phone charger were pluses too!
I can’t wait for the next YEE I can go to. Again, thank you so much!

What a simple, wonderful event! Booze and Mexican. Stick to the theme and it doesn’t take much to impress me. I could write you romance novels a la Fifty Shades of Yum about the salsa and their amazing signature cocktail The Bronco but I’ll keep it PG. Unilocal is a family affair.
I really appreciated the diversity of the ingredients and the menu. Not even the tacos were just tacos. The cauliflower variety blew me away. My only regret was how full I already was at the point of their arrival. Even more traditional South American dishes like empanadas and sopes showed up to party (in my mouth). I loved the churros but the other cake-​like dessert stole the show for me.
Regret #2: Too many complimentary beverages and I left Thursday lunch in my Lyft. 26 years old and still learning my limits.
What up, John M! So great to meet such a rad fellow Unilocaler who made a 2-​hour mostly private dinner with a stranger make me that much more enthusiastic about YEE. Thanks to the fantastically attentive barrage of CC staff that kept us stuffed silly and in good hands throughout the night. And of course, thanks to our irreplaceable and much adored Katie B for «just doing her job.»

I was ready for… crickets! What I got instead was truly solid food and stellar drinks amongst super friendly Unilocal Elites and the hostess with the mostess, CM Katie B. There was so much good food that I ended up taking a few tacos to go (they were delicious for lunch the next day!). Rodrigo, our server was wonderful. He kept us happy with cocktails and seemingly never ending servings of tasty Cocina Condesa food.
This restaurant space was, in a previous incarnation, Raphael. Only the restrooms are the same. The bar area has been opened up with brighter colors and a tall chair seating area. The main restaurant isn’t closed in by the pocket garden wall of succulents that Raphael favored. This has given way to an open air structure so that one can sit, eat & drink while watching the world drive by on Ventura Blvd. Warm Latin colors of orange and brown with whimsical design details grace the walls.
The food was solid. Service was gracious. The only small little glitch was that our table didn’t receive the tres leches cake. Rodrigo gave us two baskets of the churros with dulce de leche instead. My favorites of the evening included: Street Corn, Queso Fundido & the Bronco cocktail — whiskey, ginger & watermelon.
I’ll be back for sure to take advantage of their free guacamole offer. Thanks to Katie B. for the cool Unilocal Elite phone charger! And thanks to the folks at Cocina Condesa!

Holy smokes, that was so much good food! Thanks for hosting us last night, Cocina Condesa, and for organizing the intimate YEE, Katie B.
I hadn’t been to a Unilocal event in close to 1.5 years, but when I saw that there would be CHURROS at this event, I HAD TO sign up. Good thing I did because not only did I get a stomach full of delicious Mexican/​Oaxacan cuisine, I also met three really cool new Unilocal buddies. Quick shout out to Cassandra Y., Jaimie L., and Linda T. You girls made the night go by so quickly with your wit and humor.
Now…to the food. So my #1 item for the evening was definitely the street corn. It’s a very interesting take on the elote you’d find in your local neighborhood. I think I have a new love affair with Tajin now. :) My second favorite item was beer battered fish. The fish was definitely good quality and didn’t taste fake like the fish sticks you’d get at the market. You can taste beer, but it wasn’t overwhelming. The batter was light and crispy. My third favorite item was the cauliflower and white bean tacos. I never had something like that before and thought it was pretty interesting.
So did I like the churros they served? I have to say they were a ³⁄₅ in my eyes. I wanted something more airy and the churros were dense. I really liked the dipping sauce though, but it wasn’t anything super out of this world for me.
Overall, I was pretty impressed with the food selection at Cocina Condesa. The corn definitely had me hooked and I wouldn’t mind driving out to Studio City for more of it.

Thank you cocina condesa for feeding us such delicious and abundant Mexican style street food. And thank you Katie for setting up this awesome experience!
colorful yellow building bustling with energy and screaming mexico.
started off with a delicious margarita rimmed with spicy salt that complimented the drink so well.
course 1: appetizers were great, the favorite being the street corns. guacamole was fresh and creamy.
course 2: emapanadas, sopes, queso fundido. great tour of small street eats
course 3: tacos! the fish tacos were crispy and flaky. cauliflower with beans and kale is a delicious and clever alternative to meat.
desserts: churros with an amazing salty caramel sauce. i can just lick the bowl of caramel clean. not only, we had tres leech cake too.
service was attentive, energetic, and personable.
ambiance was relaxing and fun, what a great private room for meetings and parties.
awesome event with good drinks, food, service, and people! had such a filling and fun time. thank you coicina condesa for the taste of mexico!

My gosh where do I start?! First of all, thank you soooo much to Katie B and the wonderful Unilocal staff. You guys truly spoiled us with good food and service! You guys rock!!!
I had a great time from the moment I got there until the moment I left. Not to mention how happy my tummy was the whole time.
This was a 3 course sit down dinner plus dessert. Before I even got seated Katie made me feel super comfortable as I arrived and let me know to get a margarita on the house! Woohoo
We started off with Course 1 that included guac and chips, street corn and chopped chicken salad. All 3 were awesome and fulfilling!
Course 2 included queso fundido that came with tortillas, sopes, and empanadas. The empanadas were amazing, the sopes were a bit hard but they were still really good.
Course 3 was the best part! Wait no I take that back since dessert is always the best part. In this case this course started with asada tacos, cauliflower tacos, beer battered fish tacos, mexican rice and beans. My gosh so much good food! Let me not forget about the Bronco which was made of whiskey, ginger, watermelon, lemon and soda — wow, just wow!
Finally the dessert part… ummmm well we had the tres leches cake omg so good, it was the right amount of sweetness, not too sweet! Thennnnnnn the famous dulce de leche churros! WOW! they were amazing and so happy they were the last plate for the evening.
Such a great event and everything went so smoothly. The staff at Cocina Condesa was also so nice and helpful. They really provided great customer service at all times.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to attend an Elite event let alone a tasting so I was very excited to could go to this one. Plus I just moved and still getting my kitchen in order so free food was MUCH appreciated!
The setting was comfortable and we has our own private room and bar. The servers were very friendly and attentive. Minus the REALLY high booth seats that my short self had a time getting onto, the ambiance and crowd was great.
The food. It never ended! Served family style we had a chance to try a wide array of items from their menu including drinks. I liked that they used a lot of white beans in their dishes, which is less common in some places, especially places serving Mexican food (usually you get black or refried beans). My favorite items were the sopes and cauliflower/​kale tacos (YUMMMMMM!). The churros were really good too, but they were JUST barely chewy. I think I like mine a little bit more crisp (borderline burnt lol). The plates were endless — my only complaint was that they didn’t really clear the finished plates away. We were completely running out of table space for the all the food near the end. Not a huge deal because I’m sure we all appreciate more food rather than less food.
These Elite events are always a great time! Thanks again Katie and the staff at Cocina Condesa!

Dear Katie and Cocina Condesa,
Thank you for giving us a cricket free quacamole! and thank you for setting up a wonderful event. I’m still stuffed 12 hours later:). So many courses and such an explosion of flavor with each bite. My favorites were the queso (loved the addition of goat cheese) and empanadas. I also loved the refried white beans on their own and as a base for the innovative cauliflower tacos. Those little churro bites were icing on the cake.
Now excuse me while I go pop some cute little Unilocal ****** ice cubes in my iced coffee :)

Thank you Katie for giving me the opportunity to get out of the house haha.
Very nice event full of food and drinks. Service was so great; those waiters really did their best to make sure we were all taken care of.
Food wise, my favorite was the empanadas, guacamole and the churros. Some of the other dishes lacked in flavor, but hey, I’m not complaining, I swear!
Great to meet new Unilocalers.

I’m always grateful when a restaurant opens its kitchen to us for these Unilocal events, and Cocina Condesa really treated us to a full meal. It’s awesome because I get a chance to discover things I may not have tried had I just gone on my own. I’m not vegetarian-​inclined, but between the asada, fish, and cauliflower tacos, the cauliflower were definitely my favorite. The guac, sopes, and aoili-​drizzled corn on the cob were perfect snacks, and the warm churro bites capped it all off.
The restaurant space is modern and open, and the staff were super friendly and accommodating. I liked the Condesa Margarita and the Bronco, but later the bartender offered to make me a Spicy Mango Margarita, and that really hit the spot.
As a Studio City resident I look forward to returning, so thanks to Katie B. and Cocina for introducing me!

I’ve had a wonderful time during this event. Thank you for setting this up. The food was delicious, with my favorite being the churros and cauliflower tacos. The presentation was great, and the service was absolutely amazing. I haven’t seen that good of a service at a bug restaurant like that in a whole, so it was very pleasing. Once again, I was very pleased with everything.

What a wonderful «tasting» event. more like a buffet with great-​quality food! Thank you Katie!
This was a great event with just the right amount of attendees. It was a great opportunity to meet other Unilocalers and enjoy great food. The service was great; waiters were funny and friendly. I especially loved the guac, empanadas, fundido, and of course the street corn!

It’s always great coming to these events. I can never tire of food talk with fellow Unilocalers while trying out yummy grub. Thanks Katie for organizing this and Cocina Condesa for having us.
Parking wise — Street parking on the blvd is always a chore so I am thankful for the lovely valet service.
We were situated in the newer part of Cocina Condesa sectioned off on the right. As you sign in you are able to grab their house Margarita. Quite smooth. (There’s also a non alcoholic option).
Food at these tastings are always plentiful. And with 3 courses and a couple of desserts to taste, I wasn’t expecting anything different from the usual swollen food filled belly at the end of the evening.
Noms: (* favs)
1^st Course:
Condesa House Guacamole
* Street Corn — Elotes with a yummy kick. I happily ate the extra portion on the table. Don’t mind if I do.
Chopped Chicken Salad
2^nd Course:
* Queso Fundido — Muy rico. Never had a cheese dip made with goat cheese. Such a great texture. If there were less food to taste, I would’ve definitely devoured this all.
Sopes
* Empanadas — A little bit doughier than the regular empanadas, the tomatillo really gave out a great flavor to this empanadas.
3^rd Course:
Asada Tacos
* Col Rizada y Coliflor Tacos — I mostly usually prefer meat tacos, however this veggie option is quite tasty. My fav from all three taco choices.
Beer Battered Fish Tacos
Mexican Rice and refried white beans — The white beans brought out a lighter and creamier taste.
*Bronco! — Their version of a Moscow mule. Quite a refreshing drink
Dessert:
Dulce de leche churros — Crunchy and sweet on the outside. Warm and extra gooey on the inside.
Tres Leches Cake — Quite a beautiful presentation. The sponge cake most more of a pound cake texture rather than the hearty
Overall, don’t expect traditional Mexican food more of a modernized version of it. After seeing Katie’s post of the guacamole w/​crickets, I am still undecided whether I would try it. Heck, I most likely will so definitely will be back.

What an amazing and epic night!
This was a cute restaurant located on Ventura Blvd. We had our own private dining area. I was warmly greeted by the lovely Katie B. and a Margarita from the bar! I tried the Virgin Margarita and it was yummy!
Met some new Unilocalers and was so happy to share such a wonderful Mexican meal family-​style! We had 3 courses and dessert but it felt like we were treated like royalty because the food and drinks kept coming!
We were able to try their guacamole, chips and salsa, corn, chicken Cobb salad, queso fundido, chicken empanadas, sopes, carne asada tacos, cauliflower tacos, fish tacos, rice and beans, churros & tres leches cake! Along with their version of a Moscow mule called the bronco (whiskey, ginger, watermelon, lemon, soda). Everything was really tasty!
Thanks to Katie B., Unilocal,and the awesome staff at Cocina Condesa for hosting a wonderful YEE! :)

My #1000 Unilocal review goes to… YEE ( Unilocal Elite Event)!!! Perfect way to celebrate~ So excited to be on the guest list. Thank you Katie!
The Service: SOLID 5 Stars for sure! Started from the hostess with warm welcoming smile, very friendly bartender & our super attentive server. THANK YOU for the VIP service!
Love the ambiance here. Nice patio seating area, great energy in the dining room/​bar and we were so lucky to have our event at their private room. That is right… It is Unilocal Party time!!!
When I arrived, first thing first… looked for «Katie’s BIG hugs»! When I sat down, OMG! The cutest Unilocal Ice Cube Tray next to the tasting menu. According to the menu, 3 courses plus dessert. I was thinking… totally doable! Then it turned out… we were trying 9 different dishes, 2 desserts and 2 cocktails. This is not tasting anymore… this is totally full course meal! Love it~
The Food:
1^st Course–
Condesa House Guacamole
Street Corn (MY FAVORITE!)
Condesa Chopped Chicken Salad
2^nd Course–
Queso Fundido (love the goat cheese, super cheesy~)
Sopes
Empanadas
3^rd Course
Asada Tacos
Col Rizada y Coliflor Tacos (my first time trying cauliflower taco, I like it!)
Beer Battered Fish Tacos (MY FAVORITE! crispy outside & tender fish inside)
Mexican Rice and Refried White Beans
Desserts–
Dulce de Leche Churros (bite size, perfect! Love the dulce dipping sauce)
Tres Leches Cake
Cocktails–
Margarita Condesa
Bronco (whiskey, ginger, watermelon, lemon and soda)
The Parking: Valet parking $ 6, Street metered parking (free after 8pm), side street in the residential area (free)
This is a «no plus one» event so more opportunity to meet and chat with other Unilocal Elite. Sat with 3 other lovely ladies and we had a blast!

To Katie and the Unilocal Crew — Muy sabrosa y delicioso — bravo y gracias!!! Y’all are awesome and thank you for putting together this amazing event! This was my first ever YEE in the Valley, and it was bomb! My table mates and I ate so well and was for sure — happily stuffed!!! The presentation and service was friendly, courteous and on point, yay!!! :)
Upon checking in, everyone received hugs from Katie and a welcome margarita, which was refreshing and a great liquid courage opener to help everyone relax while doing meets and greets with other Unilocalers, who sat at their table. The bartender — a completely cutie did an awesome job with the margaritas and Bronco drink (whiskey, ginger, watermelon, lemon and soda). Both drinks were fun, refreshing and didn’t have that nasty alcoholic taste to it, woohoo!
1^st Course:
The chips served with guacamole and salsa was delicious! Everyone in my table thought the guacamole was gonna be served with fried crickets — whew, glad that didn’t happened, lol!
Their street corn — Lemon aioli, tajin, and contija cheese — yummy and tender!
Chicken Chopped House Salad — light and refreshing and the flavors blended nicely and chicken chunks were big and juicy.
2^nd Course:
Queso Fundido: Goat cheese and Oaxoca cheese with roasted poblano, zucchinis and onions — yummy queso-​y dip served with tortillas.
The Sopes — (our waiter was awesome — he made sure we got our Sopes and didn’t get left out, lol) — the toppings were delicious, but the bottom were so hard, and so I just ate the carnitas toppings, which were tender and so flavorful.
The empanadas with braised chicken and Oaxaca cheese were divine, rich and savory!
Rice and refried bean dip — didn’t see it on the menu, but it was pretty good.
3^rd Course: Assorted Tacos!
The Asada Beef, Chicken with Cauliflower and Fish tacos were amazing! Each was so rich and flavorful, and you get a lot on each taco, and it was sooo good! I definitely liked the fish tacos the best — fried perfectly and not overly greasy and dipping with a gang of sauces on it.
4^th Course: Dessert!!! The Best and Final Yummy Finale
Churros with Dulce de Leche Dipping Sauce — chew lil churros fried to perfection, and the dulce de leche sauce was amazing — not too sweet and good thick consistency. Our waiter was so rad, he each gave our table two dish of the dessert cuz he felt bad that our table got accidentally skipped on with the Sopes, lol… so sweet! (Yup, pun intended!)
Tres Leches Cake — Topping with blueberries, chocolate shavings and strawberries, and the condense milk on the sponge cake — mmm, muy sabrosa!
To top off the night, each Unilocaler received two cards to come back to the restaurant next time to redeem it for one delicious margarita condesa or housemade guacamole. It was a super fun night, and once again to Katie and the Unilocal Crew — Muy sabrosa y delicioso — bravo y gracias!!!

Great food and service. The Queso dish was fantastic. The same goes for the veggie tacos. A really cool place to hangout and have delicious Mexican food in Studio City. The place has a nice vibe to it. Katie, you did it again.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Katie and Shai for setting up this spectacular tasting event! OMG, blown away by the flavors, presentation, and service.
The margarita was fresh and perfectly simple.
The chips were crisp and flavorful, a perfect pairing with the fresh guac and salsa.
2^nd course, Queso Fundido was sooooo Queso-​y and delicious. The Sopes were a bit crispy but the carnitas was amazing. The empanadas w/​chicken was fried perfection.
3^rd course, every last taco (cauliflower, skirt steak, and fish) was magical! Again, so blown away by the simplicity and freshness of all the ingredients. :P
Dessert was the cherry on top! Those mini dulche de lece churros melted in your mouth. I have never been so full and so happy in my life! Lol