Si! Mon (Los Angeles, CA)
Si!Mon Restaurant
60 N Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
310-302-0016
www.si-mon.la
Sun 01/05/2025, 07:15p-10:25p
Central American food isn't something that I'm able to enjoy very often, so I was excited to check out Si! Mon for a recent birthday dinner. The place opened on September 14th, 2023, and serves the Panama-meets-Los Angeles cuisine of Chef José Carles, who's most known for his oft-celebrated spot Fonda Lo Que Hay in Panama City. His partners here are Louie Ryan and Netty Ryan of LAM Ryan Hospitality Group, the company behind Hatchet Hall, Menotti's Coffee Stop, and Townhouse Venice.
About the Chef: José Olmedo Carles Rojas was born in January 1986 in Ciudad de Panamá, where he grew up in a Penonomeño-Italian household. As a child, he loved to eat, so his mother made him cook for himself, and he ended up perfecting a few basic recipes, in the process gaining an appreciation for the finer details. After finishing up high school at Colegio San Agustín, he didn't quite know what he wanted to do with his life. Thus, he passed his time surfing and working odd jobs, and even lived by himself in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and El Salvador. However, his father eventually got sick of this arrangement, and pushed his son to seriously consider a career in cooking.
As a result, at around the age of 22, Carles started working for free at a friend's restaurant in Panama, and quickly fell in love with the craft. He subsequently went to culinary school for a year-and-a-half locally while he was still working, but soon realized that he needed to branch out. He thus relocated to Australia to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, and during this period, worked at the likes of Barrio Chino and Lucio's Italian Restaurant. Following graduation, Carles secured employment at Icebergs Dining Room and Bar on Bondi Beach, but didn't find the work challenging enough. He therefore moved to Melbourne to cook under Ben Shewry at Attica, first as an intern and later as a regular employee. However, after being asked by Shewry about Panamanian cuisine and realizing that he didn't know much, he decided to return home to find out.
In December 2012, Carles began a pop-up by the name of Taller Artesano, which lasted for about six months and helped set the stage for his first proper restaurant, Donde José, which opened in January 2014. The place was a tiny, 12-seat, tasting menu spot located at Avenida Central España 1100 in the Casco Antiguo district, and is where the Chef really began making a name for himself. This eventually led to the launch of Taller de José at the end of 2015, a venture focused on culinary R&D that soon morphed into Artesano Gastrolab, set in a nearby building. While renovating said building, Carles discovered that there was space for a small eatery on the ground floor, and thus decided to launch a super-casual, 10-seat, daytime-only, serve-whatever-they-want joint there called Fonda Lo Que Hay in late 2016. The place shut down not long after though, but did reopen in August 2017, only to close again.
The reason for this second shutter was so that the restaurant could move to a larger location on Calle 12 Este in Casco Viejo, which it occupied from 2018 to November 2020. Donde José, meanwhile, relocated to the former home of Ocho y Medio on Calle José D de la Obaldía. Unfortunately, the move happened at the start of 2020, and thus the place was forced to close permanently that November due to the pandemic. Carles transitioned Fonda Lo Que Hay to the space in 2021, and by that point, it was already a full-blown restaurant with table service and a bar, and thus a far cry from its humble beginnings. He then helped create the menu at Caelo, located at the Punta Caelo development in San Carlos.
As for how Si! Mon came to be, it actually started with the Chef's wife, Chevy Tyler (a.k.a. Sarah Tyler), who happens to be a cinematographer-slash-filmmaker (they married in May 2019). Given her line of work, she would spend considerable amounts of time in Southern California, and Carles would visit her every couple of months. He thus came to the logical conclusion that he should open a restaurant in LA. The first thought was a second outpost of Fonda Lo Que Hay, but he quickly realized that the concept should be unique to Panama. Over the course of two years of traveling back and forth, he was introduced to the husband-and-wife team of Louis Ryan and Annette Ryan in 2021. The couple eventually showed him a potential space in January 2023, and once that happened, they soon agreed to start work on opening a restaurant there, which is how we got to where we are today.
Si! Mon resides in a building that previously held James' Beach, which was opened all the way back in 1996 by James Evans and Daniel Samakow, but closed in September 2022. Before that, the address was home to Bruce Marder's West Beach Café. The space has been tastefully redone to fit the theme, with its earthen tones and assortment of greenery, and is divided into an indoor dining room and a semi-enclosed patio area. There's even a "casita" in the back available for use for private events. Note that the photos above were taken at the end of the night with everyone cleared out; the place was pretty packed earlier.
Si! Mon's menu is relatively compact, and features an enticing selection of Panameña-focused, Centroamericana, seafood-centric dishes with modern Angeleno accents, executed on a day-to-day basis by Chef de Cuisine Christian Truong, whom we last saw over at Manuela. To imbibe, you get a handful of beers, some pretty appealing cocktails by Mitchell Bushell, and a respectable, Old World-leaning selection of wines curated by Duncan Mischo. Click for larger versions.
Fair Play [$20.00] | mezcal, gentian, passionfruit, vermouth
Our table wasn't ready when we arrived, so we took a seat at the bar and enjoyed a couple cocktails. With this one, we were instructed to first consume the spoon of sugary "boba," which juxtaposed well with the smokiness from the mezcal, along with the drink's tropical, floral (osmanthus?) nuances.
Love Letter [$18.00] | rye finished rum, apple, pedro ximenez, mexican aperitif, cacao
Even better was this next cocktail, my favorite of the night. I was a big fan of its apple-y sweet spices, commixed with dark fruit, caramel, and chocolate. The drink even reminded me of huà méi at times.
Curry Spiced Sashimi [$21.00] | hamachi, curry mushroom oil, turmeric
After being seated, our first dish was pretty quick to arrive. I appreciated how the assertively savory, spicy nature of the curry complemented the fish without ever overwhelming it, all while the tanginess of lime really completed the equation. A promising start.
Tuna Carpaccio Yuca Tostada [$16.00] | cachucha aioli, smoked achiote oil, black lime
The Chef is somewhat known for his untraditional take on the tostada, so naturally we had to give it a try. What struck me was the uncommon crunch and sweetness of the deep-fried yuca paste and the creaminess of that ají-boosted aioli, while the annatto oil imparted further interest to the dish.
Pulp Friction [$18.00] | tequila, passionfruit, cinnamon, ancho chili
This punnily-monikered cocktail demonstrated loads of tropical passion fruit, perked up by pinpricks of cinnamon and leading to plenty of heat on the close.
Surf Clam Ceviche [$23.00] | culantro leche de tigre, onion, plantain chips
The clam was a favorite of mine thanks to its wonderfully snappy-spongey consistency and sophisticated sweet-salinity. The bivalve paired beautifully with the dish's bright, acidic flavors, while the crisp, slightly sweet fried plantains served as a suitable vessel for consumption.
Sweet Corn "Bollo" [$16.00] | pecorino, "natilla", guajillo chili oil, crispy corn
Here, the sweetness of corn was effortlessly displayed, and well-matched with both the heat from the chili oil and the overt cheesiness of pecorino. At the same time, I appreciated the sour cream-like tang from the natilla, while the fried corn offered some textural contrast. This might actually be the best tamal-like dish I've ever had.
Funky Funk [$20.00] | parmesan washed rum, raicilla, apricot, cashew, lucuma
The use of Parmesan in this next cocktail intrigued me, though I will say that I had to look hard for it, with the saltiness of the cheese making itself known more on the back end. Otherwise, the drink went in a generally tart, tannic direction, with elements of orchard fruit.
Afro-Caribbean Shrimp Dumplings [$25.00] | coconut bisque, charred scallion oil, herbs
These thick-skinned dumplings were another must-try, and exhibited this sort of vaguely Asian-y flavor profile that I didn't mind at all. In fact, I was impressed by how well the brininess and texture of the shrimp were conveyed, and how that all worked with the sweet-heat of the coconut-chili oil combo.
Baked Oysters [$36.00] | caramelized shallot butter, toasted coconut, smoked achiote oil
Oysters showed off a palpable salinity that meshed well with both the warmth of achiote and the dish's herbaceous notes. However, I felt that the sweetness from the coconut was a bit much.
Drink of the Week [$18.00] | ask your server
Si! Mon's version of the daiquiri incorporated the restaurant's own private barrel Oaxacan rum, which was finished in rye whiskey barrels. This rum gave the cocktail a smokier, woodsier, weightier taste compared to most, which I really appreciated as a counterpoint to the drink's sour, citrusy notes.
Dungeness Crab Guacho [$29.00] | rice porridge, rum braised sweet pepper
Given my penchant for rice porridges in general, it should come as no surprise that the guacho was another favorite of mine. I loved how the dish's sweet heat married with the briny nature of the crab, with the rice itself functioning to moderate the flavors going on. Super cozy.
Crispy Pork Belly & Beans [$38.00] | bibb lettuce, fresh herbs, coconut vinegar
The panceta de cerdo was another highlight. The belly's ultra-crispy skin was a joy texturally, and worked hand-in-hand with the savory, slightly sweet lean meat. Though the pork was delicious alone, it was even better wrapped up in lettuce with a sprig of mint and a dash of that spicy, aggressively acidic vinegar.
Smoke Show [$18.00] | tequila, apple, tamarind, pasilla chile
Our penultimate cocktail was all about apples and sweet spices in harmony, backed by tequila and perked up by the sting of pasilla.
Fried Chicken Drumsticks [$23.00] | twice-fried, herbed salt, spicy ketchup, curtido
The leg is actually my favorite piece when it comes to fried chicken, and Si! Mon's version featured juicy, meaty, flavorful interiors alongside uniquely gritty, "chunky" exteriors. The bird was very enjoyable alone, but was further improved with a dab of that ketchup on the side.
Kanpachi en Banana Leaf [$32.00] | coconut oil, makrut lime, Thai basil, roasted garlic
The amberjack was a winner as well, arriving moist and full-flavored, with a particularly hearty mouthfeel. The fish paired effortlessly with the fragrant basil notes in the dish, and I appreciated the additional oomph from that garlic, too.
Egg Nog [$19.00] | Si! Mon private blend rum, whiskey, cognac, sherry, amaretto, egg, condensed milk, cream, spices
Given the cold weather we'd been having, the eggnog certainly made sense as a final cocktail. It was an impressive rendition, with the drink's classically sweet, creamy character melding seamlessly with autumnal spices and traces of dark fruit.
And here we see Si! Mon's compact dessert menu and selection of postprandial beverages. Click for a larger version.
Cacao Yogurt [$12.00] | Orange Ganache, Candied Cacao Nibs
We only had room for one dessert, which showcased the familiar interplay between chocolate and citrus, punctuated by all those crunchy, nutty bits.
Alambique Serrano [$18.00] | Si! Mon private barrel rum
Digestif duties were taken care of by a pour of the restaurant's single-barrel Oaxacan rum. The nose really highlighted the spirit's sugar cane character, backed by a distinct vegetal quality. On the palate, this was teeming with dark fruits commixed with zesty, woodsy, and spicy notes, all making for quite an enjoyable sipper overall.
With Si! Mon, Carles' intent was to explore what it means to be a Central American restaurant in LA, and I think he's done a commendable job answering that question. The cooking speaks to the diversity of the Centroamérica region while also feeling right at home in its Angeleno setting. It isn't quite like anything else I've encountered in SoCal, and seemingly walks the line between accessibility, authenticity, and fine dining sensibilities. Now, something that I'd like the Chef to explore further is the smoking of foods, which I understand is a fairly significant part of Panamanian cookery that warrants examination. Other than that, I'm curious if he'll eventually open up another tasting menu spot in the same vein as Donde José, whether here or back in Panamá.
60 N Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
310-302-0016
www.si-mon.la
Sun 01/05/2025, 07:15p-10:25p
Central American food isn't something that I'm able to enjoy very often, so I was excited to check out Si! Mon for a recent birthday dinner. The place opened on September 14th, 2023, and serves the Panama-meets-Los Angeles cuisine of Chef José Carles, who's most known for his oft-celebrated spot Fonda Lo Que Hay in Panama City. His partners here are Louie Ryan and Netty Ryan of LAM Ryan Hospitality Group, the company behind Hatchet Hall, Menotti's Coffee Stop, and Townhouse Venice.
About the Chef: José Olmedo Carles Rojas was born in January 1986 in Ciudad de Panamá, where he grew up in a Penonomeño-Italian household. As a child, he loved to eat, so his mother made him cook for himself, and he ended up perfecting a few basic recipes, in the process gaining an appreciation for the finer details. After finishing up high school at Colegio San Agustín, he didn't quite know what he wanted to do with his life. Thus, he passed his time surfing and working odd jobs, and even lived by himself in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and El Salvador. However, his father eventually got sick of this arrangement, and pushed his son to seriously consider a career in cooking.
As a result, at around the age of 22, Carles started working for free at a friend's restaurant in Panama, and quickly fell in love with the craft. He subsequently went to culinary school for a year-and-a-half locally while he was still working, but soon realized that he needed to branch out. He thus relocated to Australia to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, and during this period, worked at the likes of Barrio Chino and Lucio's Italian Restaurant. Following graduation, Carles secured employment at Icebergs Dining Room and Bar on Bondi Beach, but didn't find the work challenging enough. He therefore moved to Melbourne to cook under Ben Shewry at Attica, first as an intern and later as a regular employee. However, after being asked by Shewry about Panamanian cuisine and realizing that he didn't know much, he decided to return home to find out.
In December 2012, Carles began a pop-up by the name of Taller Artesano, which lasted for about six months and helped set the stage for his first proper restaurant, Donde José, which opened in January 2014. The place was a tiny, 12-seat, tasting menu spot located at Avenida Central España 1100 in the Casco Antiguo district, and is where the Chef really began making a name for himself. This eventually led to the launch of Taller de José at the end of 2015, a venture focused on culinary R&D that soon morphed into Artesano Gastrolab, set in a nearby building. While renovating said building, Carles discovered that there was space for a small eatery on the ground floor, and thus decided to launch a super-casual, 10-seat, daytime-only, serve-whatever-they-want joint there called Fonda Lo Que Hay in late 2016. The place shut down not long after though, but did reopen in August 2017, only to close again.
The reason for this second shutter was so that the restaurant could move to a larger location on Calle 12 Este in Casco Viejo, which it occupied from 2018 to November 2020. Donde José, meanwhile, relocated to the former home of Ocho y Medio on Calle José D de la Obaldía. Unfortunately, the move happened at the start of 2020, and thus the place was forced to close permanently that November due to the pandemic. Carles transitioned Fonda Lo Que Hay to the space in 2021, and by that point, it was already a full-blown restaurant with table service and a bar, and thus a far cry from its humble beginnings. He then helped create the menu at Caelo, located at the Punta Caelo development in San Carlos.
As for how Si! Mon came to be, it actually started with the Chef's wife, Chevy Tyler (a.k.a. Sarah Tyler), who happens to be a cinematographer-slash-filmmaker (they married in May 2019). Given her line of work, she would spend considerable amounts of time in Southern California, and Carles would visit her every couple of months. He thus came to the logical conclusion that he should open a restaurant in LA. The first thought was a second outpost of Fonda Lo Que Hay, but he quickly realized that the concept should be unique to Panama. Over the course of two years of traveling back and forth, he was introduced to the husband-and-wife team of Louis Ryan and Annette Ryan in 2021. The couple eventually showed him a potential space in January 2023, and once that happened, they soon agreed to start work on opening a restaurant there, which is how we got to where we are today.
Si! Mon resides in a building that previously held James' Beach, which was opened all the way back in 1996 by James Evans and Daniel Samakow, but closed in September 2022. Before that, the address was home to Bruce Marder's West Beach Café. The space has been tastefully redone to fit the theme, with its earthen tones and assortment of greenery, and is divided into an indoor dining room and a semi-enclosed patio area. There's even a "casita" in the back available for use for private events. Note that the photos above were taken at the end of the night with everyone cleared out; the place was pretty packed earlier.
Si! Mon's menu is relatively compact, and features an enticing selection of Panameña-focused, Centroamericana, seafood-centric dishes with modern Angeleno accents, executed on a day-to-day basis by Chef de Cuisine Christian Truong, whom we last saw over at Manuela. To imbibe, you get a handful of beers, some pretty appealing cocktails by Mitchell Bushell, and a respectable, Old World-leaning selection of wines curated by Duncan Mischo. Click for larger versions.
Fair Play [$20.00] | mezcal, gentian, passionfruit, vermouth
Our table wasn't ready when we arrived, so we took a seat at the bar and enjoyed a couple cocktails. With this one, we were instructed to first consume the spoon of sugary "boba," which juxtaposed well with the smokiness from the mezcal, along with the drink's tropical, floral (osmanthus?) nuances.
Love Letter [$18.00] | rye finished rum, apple, pedro ximenez, mexican aperitif, cacao
Even better was this next cocktail, my favorite of the night. I was a big fan of its apple-y sweet spices, commixed with dark fruit, caramel, and chocolate. The drink even reminded me of huà méi at times.
Curry Spiced Sashimi [$21.00] | hamachi, curry mushroom oil, turmeric
After being seated, our first dish was pretty quick to arrive. I appreciated how the assertively savory, spicy nature of the curry complemented the fish without ever overwhelming it, all while the tanginess of lime really completed the equation. A promising start.
Tuna Carpaccio Yuca Tostada [$16.00] | cachucha aioli, smoked achiote oil, black lime
The Chef is somewhat known for his untraditional take on the tostada, so naturally we had to give it a try. What struck me was the uncommon crunch and sweetness of the deep-fried yuca paste and the creaminess of that ají-boosted aioli, while the annatto oil imparted further interest to the dish.
Pulp Friction [$18.00] | tequila, passionfruit, cinnamon, ancho chili
This punnily-monikered cocktail demonstrated loads of tropical passion fruit, perked up by pinpricks of cinnamon and leading to plenty of heat on the close.
Surf Clam Ceviche [$23.00] | culantro leche de tigre, onion, plantain chips
The clam was a favorite of mine thanks to its wonderfully snappy-spongey consistency and sophisticated sweet-salinity. The bivalve paired beautifully with the dish's bright, acidic flavors, while the crisp, slightly sweet fried plantains served as a suitable vessel for consumption.
Sweet Corn "Bollo" [$16.00] | pecorino, "natilla", guajillo chili oil, crispy corn
Here, the sweetness of corn was effortlessly displayed, and well-matched with both the heat from the chili oil and the overt cheesiness of pecorino. At the same time, I appreciated the sour cream-like tang from the natilla, while the fried corn offered some textural contrast. This might actually be the best tamal-like dish I've ever had.
Funky Funk [$20.00] | parmesan washed rum, raicilla, apricot, cashew, lucuma
The use of Parmesan in this next cocktail intrigued me, though I will say that I had to look hard for it, with the saltiness of the cheese making itself known more on the back end. Otherwise, the drink went in a generally tart, tannic direction, with elements of orchard fruit.
Afro-Caribbean Shrimp Dumplings [$25.00] | coconut bisque, charred scallion oil, herbs
These thick-skinned dumplings were another must-try, and exhibited this sort of vaguely Asian-y flavor profile that I didn't mind at all. In fact, I was impressed by how well the brininess and texture of the shrimp were conveyed, and how that all worked with the sweet-heat of the coconut-chili oil combo.
Baked Oysters [$36.00] | caramelized shallot butter, toasted coconut, smoked achiote oil
Oysters showed off a palpable salinity that meshed well with both the warmth of achiote and the dish's herbaceous notes. However, I felt that the sweetness from the coconut was a bit much.
Drink of the Week [$18.00] | ask your server
Si! Mon's version of the daiquiri incorporated the restaurant's own private barrel Oaxacan rum, which was finished in rye whiskey barrels. This rum gave the cocktail a smokier, woodsier, weightier taste compared to most, which I really appreciated as a counterpoint to the drink's sour, citrusy notes.
Dungeness Crab Guacho [$29.00] | rice porridge, rum braised sweet pepper
Given my penchant for rice porridges in general, it should come as no surprise that the guacho was another favorite of mine. I loved how the dish's sweet heat married with the briny nature of the crab, with the rice itself functioning to moderate the flavors going on. Super cozy.
Crispy Pork Belly & Beans [$38.00] | bibb lettuce, fresh herbs, coconut vinegar
The panceta de cerdo was another highlight. The belly's ultra-crispy skin was a joy texturally, and worked hand-in-hand with the savory, slightly sweet lean meat. Though the pork was delicious alone, it was even better wrapped up in lettuce with a sprig of mint and a dash of that spicy, aggressively acidic vinegar.
Smoke Show [$18.00] | tequila, apple, tamarind, pasilla chile
Our penultimate cocktail was all about apples and sweet spices in harmony, backed by tequila and perked up by the sting of pasilla.
Fried Chicken Drumsticks [$23.00] | twice-fried, herbed salt, spicy ketchup, curtido
The leg is actually my favorite piece when it comes to fried chicken, and Si! Mon's version featured juicy, meaty, flavorful interiors alongside uniquely gritty, "chunky" exteriors. The bird was very enjoyable alone, but was further improved with a dab of that ketchup on the side.
Kanpachi en Banana Leaf [$32.00] | coconut oil, makrut lime, Thai basil, roasted garlic
The amberjack was a winner as well, arriving moist and full-flavored, with a particularly hearty mouthfeel. The fish paired effortlessly with the fragrant basil notes in the dish, and I appreciated the additional oomph from that garlic, too.
Egg Nog [$19.00] | Si! Mon private blend rum, whiskey, cognac, sherry, amaretto, egg, condensed milk, cream, spices
Given the cold weather we'd been having, the eggnog certainly made sense as a final cocktail. It was an impressive rendition, with the drink's classically sweet, creamy character melding seamlessly with autumnal spices and traces of dark fruit.
And here we see Si! Mon's compact dessert menu and selection of postprandial beverages. Click for a larger version.
Cacao Yogurt [$12.00] | Orange Ganache, Candied Cacao Nibs
We only had room for one dessert, which showcased the familiar interplay between chocolate and citrus, punctuated by all those crunchy, nutty bits.
Alambique Serrano [$18.00] | Si! Mon private barrel rum
Digestif duties were taken care of by a pour of the restaurant's single-barrel Oaxacan rum. The nose really highlighted the spirit's sugar cane character, backed by a distinct vegetal quality. On the palate, this was teeming with dark fruits commixed with zesty, woodsy, and spicy notes, all making for quite an enjoyable sipper overall.
With Si! Mon, Carles' intent was to explore what it means to be a Central American restaurant in LA, and I think he's done a commendable job answering that question. The cooking speaks to the diversity of the Centroamérica region while also feeling right at home in its Angeleno setting. It isn't quite like anything else I've encountered in SoCal, and seemingly walks the line between accessibility, authenticity, and fine dining sensibilities. Now, something that I'd like the Chef to explore further is the smoking of foods, which I understand is a fairly significant part of Panamanian cookery that warrants examination. Other than that, I'm curious if he'll eventually open up another tasting menu spot in the same vein as Donde José, whether here or back in Panamá.
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