Impeccable Space, Questionable Brunch at Faith & Flower

Photos by Elizabeth Daniels

The (relatively) early word on downtown's Faith & Flower has been almost universally positive, and the stunningly opulent restaurant only seems to get busier by the week. General Manager Tyler Dow is already running holes into his shoes, and the summer months have meant an increase in the business on their front patio. There is the Milk Punch at the bar, of course, plus chef Michael Hung's inventive Cali-Med fare, though not everyone is in love with the brunch selections, to say the least. Here now, the good, the bad and the otherwise at Faith & Flower. —Farley Elliott

The J. Gold Report: Gold filed relatively quickly on Faith & Flower, and seemed to come away generally impressed, saying of chef Michael Hung: "Hung's cooking at Faith & Flower has the same technique-intensive Asian edge you find with Roy Choi, Sang Yoon and Bryant Ng." [LA Times]

The Space Situation: Everyone loves the opulent interior, complete with gigantic chandeliers, murals and lots of wood. Even the Chowhounders laud the "great cocktail menu, and food to match. Sophisticated and sexy vibe." [Chow]

· "(A) curiously retro decor by AvroKO (think dark woods and heavy curtains)." [Zagat]

· "The setting is opulent, including a chandelier made from 4,000 feet of gold chain, (and) a huge wall mural by acclaimed street artist Robert Vargas." [LA Weekly]

The Word on the Oxtail Agnolotti: One of the restaurant's most popular dishes comes by way of sous chef Michelle Minori, who previously worked at SF's Flour + Water. The oxtail agnolotti is basically "toothsome parcels sauced with a luscious bone marrow butter and garnished with a tangerine salsa and deep-fried beef tendon." [Gastronomy Blog]

· Featuring a rich bone marrow butter sauce, tangerine salsa, beef tendon, and chicharrones, it's a satisfying dish to say the least. [Brigham Yen]

· "The actual pasta was as tasty as you'd expect thanks to the use of oxtail, but it was the combination of bright, tangy salsa and crunchy, salty chicharrón that really took this dish to the next level." [Kevin Eats]

Brunch Issues: J. Gold is less than upbeat about their weekend late-morning breakfast offerings. "Gravy-drenched bone-marrow waffles are almost as unappealing as they sound." [LA Times]

· We asked twice for the syrup and while waiting our waiter made it a point to swing by the table to tell us they "were still getting the syrup." What? Did they have to milk a maple tree?? [Yelp]

That Milk Punch: One of the city's true throwback cocktails, the Faith & Flower Milk Punch has already gained legions of fans. Its limited availability can be frustrating, however. "Because of the long processing, there are only 15 of these available every night and you better get one. It's one of the best cocktails I've had recently. [Gourmet Pigs]

· "Apparently this takes so much preparation, it is only served in limited amounts per day and they were already sold out." [One More Bite]
· All Good News/Bad News Coverage [~ELA~]
· All Faith & Flower Coverage [~ELA~]