Sampa (Los Angeles, CA)
Sampa Restaurant
449 S Hewitt St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-935-8119
www.wearesampa.com
Fri 01/10/2025, 08:15p-10:15p
Ever since the debut of LASA back in 2016, I've had a hankering for more modern Filipino-American cooking in LA. It's a yearning that hasn't quite been sated, but a recent entrant into the space that caught my attention is Sampa, the creation of Chef Josh Espinosa in partnership with longtime friend Jenny Valles (who comes from the PR/marketing world) and her husband Peter Rosenberg. Named after the sampaguita, the national flower of the Philippines, the restaurant started life as a pandemic-era pop-up before recently taking over the home of the short-lived Kaviar in the Arts District.
About the Chef: Joshua Melo Espinosa was born in December 1988 to an Ilocano father and a mother from Cavite City, and hails from Buena Park, CA. He attended John F. Kennedy high in La Palma, and during this period, joined Kreative Movement, the junior division of UCI's Kaba Modern dance group. It was also around this time when he first began exploring the world of cooking, as his parents temporarily relocated to Korea and he started experimenting with his mom's recipes. Following high school graduation in 2006, Espinosa studied mechanical engineering at Cypress College, but quickly decided it wasn't for him. Instead, he continued dancing and was part of Kaba Modern ('08-'10) before moving over to Kaba Modern Legacy; in addition, he served as artistic director for Kaba Kids. During these years, he also toiled in retail at Los Cerritos Center, taught dance (including at the West Coast School of The Arts from '11 to '14), and worked at Trio, a dance-focused talent agency.
At the urging of his mom, Espinosa decided to enroll at the Le Cordon Bleu outpost in Pasadena in 2013. After achieving his associate degree the following year, his first-ever job in the industry arrived that April, when he became a cook at The Resort at Pelican Hill down in Newport Coast, under Jean-Pierre Dubray, an old-school French chef who proved to be a difficult boss. His next move came in February 2015, when he transitioned over to something completely different: Din Tai Fung, where he mastered the art of folding xiaolongbao. The following March, Espinosa went over to AnQi Bistro, another spot at South Coast Plaza, then, following a six-month stint at Catal, started cooking at Crustacean in December 2017 as sous. There, he trained directly under matriarch Helene An, and she inspired him to do for Filipino food what she did for Vietnamese.
As a result, he teamed up with friend Joon Chang and, in October 2019, started Kaichin, a Filipino-Korean pop-up that lasted a few months. He was still working at Crustacean at this point, and when the pandemic struck, most of the staff was laid off, but he and a few others remained to execute the restaurant's surprisingly brisk takeout business. Seeing that, in August 2020, Espinosa decided to launch a Filipino-Am delivery concept out of his apartment, with Valles (whom he'd known since he was 16--they were both in Kaba) joining in October and eventually convincing him to quit his job at Crustacean. Sampa started out serving the dance community, then got into catering and pop-ups, and then got busy and realized they needed a proper space to work out of. A friend allowed them to set up shop at Lucky Corner (at the edge of Skid Row) in December 2021, and around this time, Rosenberg also started helping out.
Even though it was largely well received, Sampa served its last meal there at the end of June 2022 and effectively went on a year-long hiatus after hitting some roadblocks in the process of opening up a proper restaurant. In July 2023, Sampa returned, popping up for two nights at Melody. Further pop-ups (including at Palihouse in WeHo, Cafe Caravan in Los Feliz, and even Crustacean) and private cheffing followed. Then, in November 2023, it was announced that Espinosa would be starting a lunch residency at Tigran Oganessian's Kaviar in Downtown. However, Kaviar ended up shuttering shortly after that, allowing Sampa to serve dinner and eventually take over the space completely in November last year.
Inside, things really haven't changed much from the Kaviar days, though some of the decor items (e.g. the samurai armor) have indeed been removed. Recall that before Kaviar, this address was home to Duello and Simone. We were one of few guests dining here tonight, as the meal occurred right in the midst of the devasting fires that were happening in early January.
Here's Sampa's refreshingly compact menu, bolstered by a list of specials in celebration of the Chef's birthday. We also see a selection of mocktails from Bar Director Pedro Barriga along with sundry other non-alcoholic beverages (sadly, Sampa's liquor license isn't in place yet). Click for larger versions.
Hamachi Kilawin [$21.00] | yellowtail crudo, tobiko, rice cracker
This Filipino take on a yellowtail tartare displayed a bevy of bright, fresh, fruity, and herbaceous flavors, all set over a briny backbone. At the same time, those light, crunchy rice chips served as a suitable vessel for delivery right into my mouth.
Tuba Sour [$16.00] | calamansi, coconut milk, coconut syrup, thyme, lime, spice tincture, smoked citrus
Our first mocktail possessed an almost bracing sourness from the calamansi that was softened just a smidgen by the coconut, while I would've liked to have tasted more from the tincture and thyme.
Kare-Kare Tamales [$22.00] | braised oxtail, peanut butter velouté, bagoong dust
This was arguably my favorite dish of the night, and one of the best tamal variations that I've had. I got a lovely back-and-forth between the masa dough and the dish's long-cooked shreds of beef, and that whole interaction was well-accented by a plethora of nutty, grassy nuances, along with some additional oomph from the bagoong.
Kuhol [$30.00] | escargot, coconut butter, pandesal crostini
A quintet of snails was just what I wanted texturally, coming out tender, but with just enough chew. I got the buttery, herby flavors that I was seeking, but there was also this really nice astringency that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I didn't mind the tempering effect from those crunchy shards of pan de sal, either. A tasty take on your classic escargots dish.
Ube Horchata [$16.00] | ube, coconut milk, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, bayleaf, clove
I have a hard time turning down anything with ube in it, hence this next mocktail. The purple yam lent a familiar, nutty sweetness to the decidedly creamy drink, and I also detected plenty of sweet spice.
Skyflake Caviar [$42.00] | calamansi crème fraîche, a5 wagyu, uni, caviar
When you have the potency of wagyu beef, sea urchin, and caviar in one bite, you need something to balance all that out, and those airy, crisp, slightly sweet, SkyFlakes-inspired crackers fit the bill.
Uni Gnocchi [$48.00] | ube gnocchi, uni nage, ikura
I've had my fair share of gnocchi before, but never infused with ube. The dumplings came out well-textured, with a relatively restrained sweetness from the yam, which was probably a good thing. Things did get a bit too rich for my liking, especially with the ikura and uni on top, though the dish did have this enveloping sort of sourness that helped for balance.
Melon Pandan Cooler [$16.00] | seasonal melon, pandan syrup, lemon, ginger beer, smoked clove
This long mocktail blended plenty of melon-y sweetness and this herbal sort of bitterness, with the warmth of the pandan making itself known more on the back end.
Crispy Duck Pancit [$48.00] | 8 oz duck breast, garlic pancit
The pansít was certainly calling out to me. The noodles were great texturally, with just the slightest chew, and took well to the dish's tangy flavors. However, the actual duck wasn't as crispy as I'd hoped for, and ate a tad too sweet as well, lacking in that anatine funk I was looking for.
Crab Fat Fried Rice [$38.00] | crab fat butter, garlic crab
A riff on aligue fried rice was another favorite of mine. The sweet, saline depth of the crab was forcefully and delectably conveyed, and I loved the dish's toasty, umami-fueled qualities as well. Super hearty and gratifying, and something that I'd just want to eat a big bowl of.
Tita's Favorite [$16.00] | coconut water, pineapple, cucumber, lemon, vanilla, jamaica salt foam
Auntie's favorite mocktail demonstrated a smart interplay of coconut and vanilla, backed by plenty of fruit, all while the saltiness of that foam kept things in check.
Ube White Chocolate Soufflé [$21.00] | pandan anglaise
Time for dessert. I'm not a huge soufflé person, but I have to say that this was one of the best I've tried. I was impressed by how cleverly the earthy sweetness of ube was incorporated with both the dish's classically chocolate-y notes and that pandan-boosted crème anglaise. Simultaneously, the soufflé's consistency was spot-on, as I loved its sheer fluffiness. Do also note the stencil of the sampaguita flower on the plate.
Clarified Espresso Martini [$16.00] | espresso, calamansi, clarified milk, lemon, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, love, time, & patience
I've had a decent number of espresso martinis in my life, but never a clarified one, so this certainly caught my interest. I'd say that the roasty, bittersweet nature of the coffee itself was less pronounced here. Rather, the focus was more on the contributions from the mocktail's tart, dark fruit notes and subtle hints of baking spice.
Ube Cheesecake [$17.00] | polvoron crust, jackfruit whip
As good as the soufflé was, this cheesecake might've been even better. Again, the ube was effortlessly integrated into the classic dessert, and I was a fan of the cake's crumbly polvorón crust, too. However, what really set this apart were all the salty, savory contrasts from the other components on the plate.
I feel like I've been waiting years for contemporary Philippine cuisine to become a "thing," but Sampa is a promising step in the right direction. Espinosa's cooking features both long-established tropes and untraditional touches, but what I feel sets his food apart is its distinct multicultural influence, which he's able to fold in pretty seamlessly. All in all, I'm quite happy to have Sampa available as one of the few modern Filipino restaurants around town, and I'm looking forward to returning and seeing how the place grows and evolves.
449 S Hewitt St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-935-8119
www.wearesampa.com
Fri 01/10/2025, 08:15p-10:15p
Ever since the debut of LASA back in 2016, I've had a hankering for more modern Filipino-American cooking in LA. It's a yearning that hasn't quite been sated, but a recent entrant into the space that caught my attention is Sampa, the creation of Chef Josh Espinosa in partnership with longtime friend Jenny Valles (who comes from the PR/marketing world) and her husband Peter Rosenberg. Named after the sampaguita, the national flower of the Philippines, the restaurant started life as a pandemic-era pop-up before recently taking over the home of the short-lived Kaviar in the Arts District.
About the Chef: Joshua Melo Espinosa was born in December 1988 to an Ilocano father and a mother from Cavite City, and hails from Buena Park, CA. He attended John F. Kennedy high in La Palma, and during this period, joined Kreative Movement, the junior division of UCI's Kaba Modern dance group. It was also around this time when he first began exploring the world of cooking, as his parents temporarily relocated to Korea and he started experimenting with his mom's recipes. Following high school graduation in 2006, Espinosa studied mechanical engineering at Cypress College, but quickly decided it wasn't for him. Instead, he continued dancing and was part of Kaba Modern ('08-'10) before moving over to Kaba Modern Legacy; in addition, he served as artistic director for Kaba Kids. During these years, he also toiled in retail at Los Cerritos Center, taught dance (including at the West Coast School of The Arts from '11 to '14), and worked at Trio, a dance-focused talent agency.
At the urging of his mom, Espinosa decided to enroll at the Le Cordon Bleu outpost in Pasadena in 2013. After achieving his associate degree the following year, his first-ever job in the industry arrived that April, when he became a cook at The Resort at Pelican Hill down in Newport Coast, under Jean-Pierre Dubray, an old-school French chef who proved to be a difficult boss. His next move came in February 2015, when he transitioned over to something completely different: Din Tai Fung, where he mastered the art of folding xiaolongbao. The following March, Espinosa went over to AnQi Bistro, another spot at South Coast Plaza, then, following a six-month stint at Catal, started cooking at Crustacean in December 2017 as sous. There, he trained directly under matriarch Helene An, and she inspired him to do for Filipino food what she did for Vietnamese.
As a result, he teamed up with friend Joon Chang and, in October 2019, started Kaichin, a Filipino-Korean pop-up that lasted a few months. He was still working at Crustacean at this point, and when the pandemic struck, most of the staff was laid off, but he and a few others remained to execute the restaurant's surprisingly brisk takeout business. Seeing that, in August 2020, Espinosa decided to launch a Filipino-Am delivery concept out of his apartment, with Valles (whom he'd known since he was 16--they were both in Kaba) joining in October and eventually convincing him to quit his job at Crustacean. Sampa started out serving the dance community, then got into catering and pop-ups, and then got busy and realized they needed a proper space to work out of. A friend allowed them to set up shop at Lucky Corner (at the edge of Skid Row) in December 2021, and around this time, Rosenberg also started helping out.
Even though it was largely well received, Sampa served its last meal there at the end of June 2022 and effectively went on a year-long hiatus after hitting some roadblocks in the process of opening up a proper restaurant. In July 2023, Sampa returned, popping up for two nights at Melody. Further pop-ups (including at Palihouse in WeHo, Cafe Caravan in Los Feliz, and even Crustacean) and private cheffing followed. Then, in November 2023, it was announced that Espinosa would be starting a lunch residency at Tigran Oganessian's Kaviar in Downtown. However, Kaviar ended up shuttering shortly after that, allowing Sampa to serve dinner and eventually take over the space completely in November last year.
Inside, things really haven't changed much from the Kaviar days, though some of the decor items (e.g. the samurai armor) have indeed been removed. Recall that before Kaviar, this address was home to Duello and Simone. We were one of few guests dining here tonight, as the meal occurred right in the midst of the devasting fires that were happening in early January.
Here's Sampa's refreshingly compact menu, bolstered by a list of specials in celebration of the Chef's birthday. We also see a selection of mocktails from Bar Director Pedro Barriga along with sundry other non-alcoholic beverages (sadly, Sampa's liquor license isn't in place yet). Click for larger versions.
Hamachi Kilawin [$21.00] | yellowtail crudo, tobiko, rice cracker
This Filipino take on a yellowtail tartare displayed a bevy of bright, fresh, fruity, and herbaceous flavors, all set over a briny backbone. At the same time, those light, crunchy rice chips served as a suitable vessel for delivery right into my mouth.
Tuba Sour [$16.00] | calamansi, coconut milk, coconut syrup, thyme, lime, spice tincture, smoked citrus
Our first mocktail possessed an almost bracing sourness from the calamansi that was softened just a smidgen by the coconut, while I would've liked to have tasted more from the tincture and thyme.
Kare-Kare Tamales [$22.00] | braised oxtail, peanut butter velouté, bagoong dust
This was arguably my favorite dish of the night, and one of the best tamal variations that I've had. I got a lovely back-and-forth between the masa dough and the dish's long-cooked shreds of beef, and that whole interaction was well-accented by a plethora of nutty, grassy nuances, along with some additional oomph from the bagoong.
Kuhol [$30.00] | escargot, coconut butter, pandesal crostini
A quintet of snails was just what I wanted texturally, coming out tender, but with just enough chew. I got the buttery, herby flavors that I was seeking, but there was also this really nice astringency that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I didn't mind the tempering effect from those crunchy shards of pan de sal, either. A tasty take on your classic escargots dish.
Ube Horchata [$16.00] | ube, coconut milk, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, bayleaf, clove
I have a hard time turning down anything with ube in it, hence this next mocktail. The purple yam lent a familiar, nutty sweetness to the decidedly creamy drink, and I also detected plenty of sweet spice.
Skyflake Caviar [$42.00] | calamansi crème fraîche, a5 wagyu, uni, caviar
When you have the potency of wagyu beef, sea urchin, and caviar in one bite, you need something to balance all that out, and those airy, crisp, slightly sweet, SkyFlakes-inspired crackers fit the bill.
Uni Gnocchi [$48.00] | ube gnocchi, uni nage, ikura
I've had my fair share of gnocchi before, but never infused with ube. The dumplings came out well-textured, with a relatively restrained sweetness from the yam, which was probably a good thing. Things did get a bit too rich for my liking, especially with the ikura and uni on top, though the dish did have this enveloping sort of sourness that helped for balance.
Melon Pandan Cooler [$16.00] | seasonal melon, pandan syrup, lemon, ginger beer, smoked clove
This long mocktail blended plenty of melon-y sweetness and this herbal sort of bitterness, with the warmth of the pandan making itself known more on the back end.
Crispy Duck Pancit [$48.00] | 8 oz duck breast, garlic pancit
The pansít was certainly calling out to me. The noodles were great texturally, with just the slightest chew, and took well to the dish's tangy flavors. However, the actual duck wasn't as crispy as I'd hoped for, and ate a tad too sweet as well, lacking in that anatine funk I was looking for.
Crab Fat Fried Rice [$38.00] | crab fat butter, garlic crab
A riff on aligue fried rice was another favorite of mine. The sweet, saline depth of the crab was forcefully and delectably conveyed, and I loved the dish's toasty, umami-fueled qualities as well. Super hearty and gratifying, and something that I'd just want to eat a big bowl of.
Tita's Favorite [$16.00] | coconut water, pineapple, cucumber, lemon, vanilla, jamaica salt foam
Auntie's favorite mocktail demonstrated a smart interplay of coconut and vanilla, backed by plenty of fruit, all while the saltiness of that foam kept things in check.
Ube White Chocolate Soufflé [$21.00] | pandan anglaise
Time for dessert. I'm not a huge soufflé person, but I have to say that this was one of the best I've tried. I was impressed by how cleverly the earthy sweetness of ube was incorporated with both the dish's classically chocolate-y notes and that pandan-boosted crème anglaise. Simultaneously, the soufflé's consistency was spot-on, as I loved its sheer fluffiness. Do also note the stencil of the sampaguita flower on the plate.
Clarified Espresso Martini [$16.00] | espresso, calamansi, clarified milk, lemon, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, love, time, & patience
I've had a decent number of espresso martinis in my life, but never a clarified one, so this certainly caught my interest. I'd say that the roasty, bittersweet nature of the coffee itself was less pronounced here. Rather, the focus was more on the contributions from the mocktail's tart, dark fruit notes and subtle hints of baking spice.
Ube Cheesecake [$17.00] | polvoron crust, jackfruit whip
As good as the soufflé was, this cheesecake might've been even better. Again, the ube was effortlessly integrated into the classic dessert, and I was a fan of the cake's crumbly polvorón crust, too. However, what really set this apart were all the salty, savory contrasts from the other components on the plate.
I feel like I've been waiting years for contemporary Philippine cuisine to become a "thing," but Sampa is a promising step in the right direction. Espinosa's cooking features both long-established tropes and untraditional touches, but what I feel sets his food apart is its distinct multicultural influence, which he's able to fold in pretty seamlessly. All in all, I'm quite happy to have Sampa available as one of the few modern Filipino restaurants around town, and I'm looking forward to returning and seeing how the place grows and evolves.
posted by kevinEats at
8:15 PM
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