Roy Choi’s resurrection of Beechwood, now dubbed Sunny Spot, is opening this Friday, but almost as crucially, we now have an early peek at the Kogi creator’s new menu. While we’re a little screw-faced that he isn’t merging A-Frame’s crisp-skinned, heat-balanced pollo a la brasa with Jamdung spice, we’ve been warned “what sweet nanny goat a go run him belly,” and Choi seems to be looking out with a chicken wing version instead. Better yet, and speaking of our favorite horned bleat-meat, Choi’s tackling slow-roasted whole goat, as well as Caribbean-sparked dishes like lobster with allspice butter, brown sugar scotch bonnet ribs, sugar cane-fried pig’s feet, red bean ham hock stew, pork with a Red Stripe glaze, and fisherman’s stew. And that’s far from everything gracing the most stirring islands-influenced menu we’ve seen to hit L.A.
Elsewhere, the menu draws just as much from the Latin side of the West Indies, while still bearing Choi’s aggro-casual SoCal stamp, with a mofongo of overripe plantains and bacon, rum-glazed prawns with diablo sauce, and something called a “Cuban heater” with pig’s cartilage terrine.
On occasion, Choi also boosts the crucial Asian influence on the region’s cooking through dishes like broiled hamachi collar with banana chili glaze, pickled dragon fruit, charred squid with passion fruit and coconut, and a “two-fisted” burger with tomato ginger jam. As for drinks, it’s mostly reliable rum-based cocktails, with at least one bow to gin and tequila from barman Brian Butler.
Overall, this looks like another soulful, super-grindable selection of grass-roots flavors turned explosive from Choi that should breathe serious fire into the belly of the former Beechwood when it opens this Friday night at 5:00 P.M.
Sunny Spot, open seven days a week at 822 Washington Blvd. Marina del Rey. 310-448-8884.
Earlier: Sunny Spot Signage Goes Up in Venice [GS]
Roy Choi Eats Korean BBQ With James Syhabout and Downs a Kush Cookie Before Bed [GS]
