Susan Feniger’s STREET, Hollywood

742 N Highland Ave · Los Angeles, CA 90038 · Neighborhood: Hollywood

I’m going to guess you haven’t been to STREET in a while. I bet you’re like me… kinda wishing that STREET was on a different street with more foot traffic. Although I practically drive pass the unassuming hip restaurant on a daily basis, I often forget to include it on my list of dinner options. Parking can be difficult in the area and to be honest, the nearest major cross streets – the corner of Highland and Melrose – with the exception of Mozza, is not exactly… bumpin’.

That’s why, (despite its well-known chef at the helm) STREET, to me is a hidden gem.

I was recently re-introduced to their latest menu and thankfully remembered, “Oh, yeah, I like this place!”

I really should frequent more often, after all it’s just a few blocks from my apartment. It’s so close in fact that I decided to lace up my best pair of walking shoes for my latest lunch outing there. It took exactly 7 minutes to huff it making it practically in my backyard.

In case for some odd reason you don’t already know, STREET’S food is brought to you by the bubbly celebrity chef Susan Feniger. The menu is her modern and accessible take on the bold street foods of Asia and other various parts of the world. It’s great for when you want to spice things up and go a little “ethnic” – you know, beyond tacos (which in L.A. by the way, are not even considered ethnic!). Also, their menu changes seasonally, and they have started to offer more vegan and vegetarian friendly dishes.

The dishes are tapas-like in nature; you are meant to order much (2-4 plates) and share with a friend or two. This is really the best way to sample the food as the flavors are very bold and explosive. Many dishes you’ll find have interesting flavor pairings, which seem to work better together than alone. For example, our waiter recommended that we make sure to take a bite of the chicken WITH the waffle for maximum deliciousness.

(pic below)

After insta-gramming this photo, my friend asked me to describe the Chicken and Waffles Croquettes. She said, “So, does it taste like Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles!?” This was the furthest comparison from my mind. “Like apples and oranges,” I said. The chicken here are crispy bite-sized chewy croquettes which are slathered with a pungent spicy maple sauce. The waffles serve as a nice base. It works well.

I sampled a few other items that I hadn’t tried before, and I found myself loosening my belt buckle just a little with each bite. Each dish presenting a unique flavor all it’s own, whether it was sweet, savory or just texturally interesting. I was secretly thinking how glad I was to have the opportunity to walk home. I wanted to INDULGE in this mini feast and walking home made me feel less guilty about ordering two desserts. More on this later.

These Laundry Day Fritters were texturally nice; a gritty crunch on the outside with a soft, tasty center. Two perfect little bites of red beans, rice, hot sauce crema, andouille and scallions.

The Turkish Zucchini Cakes were soft and slightly sweet. They had an amazing dill and spicy pepper sauce that packed a flavorful punch.

STREET’S signature dish, the immensely popular Kaya Toast, is worth ordering if you’ve never tried it – coconut jam lathered between squares of toast, accompanied by soft fried runny egg, drizzled in dark soy and white pepper.

The rotating special of the day was the Rickshaw Noodles. It was a shrimp and sausage chow mien, which I loved. It was just the right amount of noodle to meat ratio, and it had a piquant sauce – spicy without being overwhelming.

Hardly having room for desert, I couldn’t help but order the Egyptian Basbousa Cake. A lightly gritty semolina cake, whipped cream and blood orange-cranberry marmalade. The tangy lime curd made this spongy cake remind me of key-lime pie.

In contrast, the Thai Tea Crème Caramel had a nutty flavor – probably due to the candied Kaffir cashews. It was a light custard, infused with Thai tea and was topped with lime caramel. Different… interesting… and I liked it.

Thank you Leslie for re-introducing me to my neighbor up the street!

BYB Tips:

If you love STREET’s food, you can now purchase Susan’s cookbook. which features many recipes from the restaurant and from Susan’s travels around the world. Purchase at the retaurant and Susan will sign a copy for you!

Visit for lunch or dinner on Fridays to try a globally inspired cocktail or two or four — Happy Hour is from Noon to 7pm! Yes, you read that right. Wherever you sit, all day Friday, get discounted drinks and appetizers.

Also, pay them a visit on “Meatless Mondays” for innovative, you guessed it… meatless dishes.