On October 6, David Judaken’s Syndicate Hospitality Group—which has specialized in nightlife and entertainment venues like MyHouse and Opera and Crimson—will open its first restaurant, East, inspired by Asian cuisines. “After many years bringing extraordinary nightlife experiences to reality, we are excited to expand our repertoire into the restaurant world with East,” said Judaken in a release. “We have spent a great deal of time developing our approach and have waited patiently to debut the newest addition to our collection. We hope that East’s innovative menu, unique setting, and first-class service will re-energize Hollywood’s restaurant scene.”
The space is 5,000 square feet in all. There are no completely private spaces within, but semiprivate areas can be arranged to hold between 16 and 160 people. Total capacity is about 330, and East is available for full and partial buyouts.
Chef Keven Alan Lee (the former executive chef at Lutèce at the Venetian in Las Vegas) heads up the kitchen. His menu combines Asian foods with a classical French cooking foundation to turn out offerings such as sashimi, a raw bar, and traditional entrees, plus dim sum-style shared plates. East’s signature dishes include Thai red snapper served whole with a spicy citrus tomato and pepper concasse as well as the Kobe Beef Ensemble, a duo plate of Kobe beef carpaccio and Kobe beef tartar topped with a quail egg and a creamy za'atar sauce.
Dodd Mitchell, the designer behind the Hollywood Roosevelt, designed the space with two distinct environments—an indoor lounge and glass-enclosed patio—using natural textures and materials. The space’s interior dining room, lounge, and main bar have low ceilings adorned with suspended leather bowls that double as design elements and soundproofing tools. On the large patio, amid textured stone walls, a canopy of trees, and floating four-foot candelabra, a 65-foot skylight affords views of the sky. Wood-carved walls separate semiprivate booths and banquettes. A 10-foot glass fireplace marks the restaurant facade.