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Yess Restaurant, LA editors, Ladera Heights listings, Studio Varuni, The Kitchen Table at Hotel Wailea, best bars for more than a drink, picky kid dining, MORE
WORK • Help Wanted
FOUND’s new LA editor, is it you?
We’re looking for a freelance editor to help us create each issue of FOUND LA. The ideal candidate will have impeccable taste and a deep understanding of the LA restaurant scene (and other LA scenes of FOUND interest). Here are the responsibilities:
Edit contributor copy in the weekly LA issue
Write FOUND items regularly across some or all of our categories (restaurants, real estate, shopping, getaway travel, culture & leisure, work)
Help shape and preserve FOUND’s voice
Build weekly link blocks of LA news, intel, and events
Help manage the editorial calendar
Last week, FOUND hit 100K subscribers across the network, and FOUND LA is a key piece in our plans to build the next great global lifestyle media brand. Interested parties should drop us a line at found@itsfoundla.com.
RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table
Serenity now
The Backstory: Previously a food truck, Japanese seafood spot Yess went brick-and-mortar in the Arts District in the spring of 2023. Fittingly, the space, designed by co-owner Kino Kaetsu, has the air of something between a hip art gallery and a cathedral. It’s an inspired setting for chef Junya Yamasaki’s serene plates.
The Experience: Located inside a former 1920s-era bank, the restaurant is restrained but commanding — special occasion dining without the theatrics. The design features soaring ceilings, exposed brick and beams, contemporary art installations, and light wood furniture, with an open kitchen providing a fascinating backdrop for the meal.
The food is a strange mix of solemn and jubilant, a natural continuation of the Japanese temple cuisine shojin ryori, which Yamasaki studied just before landing here. The menu is always slightly different, with whatever is freshest, seasonal, or in the chef’s favor at the moment. Expect a meal rooted in impeccably seasoned, creative plates with vegetables and specialty fish.
Monk’s chirashi, a vegetarian take on a scattered sushi bowl, fashions grapefruit, artichoke, fennel and shiso into delicacies served atop rice. Black cod temaki is another standout, the fish melting into the cucumber and wasabi, buoyed by sweet miso.
Why It’s FOUND: The recent opening of Cafe 2001 — team Yess’s new breezy daytime cafe next door — is as good a reminder as any to visit the original, for one of LA’s most distinct, rewarding dining experiences. –Caitlin White
→ Yess Restaurant (Arts District) • 2001 E 7th St • Wed-Sun 6-9p • Reserve.
LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Ludo Lefebvre’s Trois Mec returning for week-long run starting 05/09 • NYC’s Wildair team taking helm at Broken Shaker • Actress Issa Rae’s pizzeria Downtown Dough opening on Saturday • Are Alinea and SingleThread’s roadtrips creating the restaurant of the future? • North America’s 50 Best Bars 2025 list revealed, Mírate and Thunderbolt make the cut • Anatomy of a modern ‘it’ bar.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three homes in Ladera Heights that have come to market in the past 30 days.
→ 6727 Alvern St (Ladera Heights) • 4BR/4BA, 2935 SF • Ask: $2.395M (reduced from $2.75M) • renovated contemporary with white oak floors • Monthly tax: $591 • Days on market: 20 (and previous) • Agent: Patty Lopez, Keller Williams.
→ 6719 Radlock Ave (Ladera Heights) • 4BR/4BA, 3117 SF • Ask: $2.5M • single-level ranch house, built 1970 • Monthly tax: $475 • Days on market: 3 • Agent: Pat Lang, Pat Lang Realty.
→ 6505 S Halm Ave (Ladera Heights, above) • 5BR/4.1BA, 5630 SF • Ask: $3.15M • 2-story midcentury with 3 fireplaces • Monthly tax: $425 • Days on market: 23 • Agent: Carla Lowe, Coldwell Banker.
WORK & PLAY LINKS: Amid uncertainty, LA’s office market takes a hit • What the Mayor’s recent executive orders mean for rebuilding • Office reports: Gen Z is leading charge back to office… but the office as we know it is never coming back… so turn out the fluorescent lights.
WORK • Thursday Routine
Stop & smell
ROSE JANE JOHNSTON • CEO and founder • By/Rosie Jane
Neighborhood you work in: Glendale
Neighborhood you live in: Eagle Rock
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
9a walk into the office — coffee in hand, inbox overflowing, and a million ideas running through my head before I even sit down. The team is in, working around a central table, heads buried. The energy kicks up as meetings begin — brainstorming new products, refining formulas, reviewing packaging, and strategizing the next big thing for By Rosie Jane. I'm not a big WFH person and I don’t love a remote team, so we’re all in the office together. There’s connection and chemistry. I love that somewhere in between meetings, there’s likely a hilarious debate about the best snacks (because snacks matter), a delivery of something exciting to test, and a moment where you catch yourself sniffing your wrist, making sure a fragrance still hits just right.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Today is a full-on, back-to-back meeting marathon with the team as we align on a major relaunch happening this month. 2025 is shaping up to be even bigger than I expected when it comes to product launches and updates. We’re rolling out a new perfume, expanding into a whole new category, revamping the website… basically, everything is happening at once. And since I’m not just the CEO — I’m also the creative director and CMO — my brain is in full overdrive, juggling all the moving parts.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I’m heading to Barra Santos in Cypress Park for the amazing shared plates in an intimate, cozy atmosphere. It’s one of my absolute favorite restaurants in LA right now.
How about a little leisure or culture?
My favorite music venue in LA is The Greek, hands down. My family loves live music, so we go all the time, even if we don’t know the band. We took our kids to see Khruangbin there, and it was next-level amazing. There’s just something about that outdoor setting, the sound, the vibe — it’s pure magic.
But if you’re looking for something totally unexpected (and a little bizarre), check out the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen — dark, a little eerie, and absolutely fascinating. I took my kids (17, 14, and 8), and they loved it. It’s the kind of place that makes you question everything you’re looking at, in the best way possible.
What was your last great vacation?
Our family trip to Italy was pure magic, equal parts adventure, indulgence, and those unforgettable moments that make you want to book your next trip before you even leave.
We started in Florence, where we indulged in affogato at Vivoli Café, an absolute institution where every bite was perfect, and we enjoyed endless glasses of wine at the cutest little spots tucked away in side streets. From there, we explored Loro Ciuffenna, a dreamy Tuscan village that feels untouched by time. Rolling hills, stone houses, and that slow, peaceful pace that makes you forget real life exists. Panicale was another hidden gem—tiny, charming, and so quintessentially Italian that every moment felt straight out of a movie.
And then there was Rome — chaotic, stunning, and buzzing with energy. We ate our way through the city, but Roscioli was a standout. The kind of meal you dream about long after it’s over — pasta that melts in your mouth, burrata so fresh it should be illegal, and wine that just hits differently in Italy. Rome was history at every turn, long walks through ancient streets, and moments where you just have to stop and take it all in.
What store or service do you always recommend?
My ultimate self-indulgence is a facial from Studio Varuni. Owned and operated by the queen herself, Varuni Palacios, she’s not just an esthetician, she’s a face sculptor. Her hands work magic, and every session feels like a total reset. I go every six weeks, and honestly, it’s pure heaven. If you haven’t been, do yourself (and your skin) a favor.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Playoff Run
Nuggets v Clippers • Game 6 • Intuit Dome (Inglewood) • tonight @ 7p • section 15 (“The Wall”), $153 per
Shaggy • The Fairplex (Pomona) • Sat @ 730p • section S3, $190 per
Beyonce • SoFi Stadium (Inglewood) • Sun @ 7p • section C125, $451 per
GETAWAYS • Hawaii
At the pass
A few weeks ago, I found myself stranded in Maui, caught in the midst of a tropical storm. The rain was relentless, the kind that turns the ocean into a blurred horizon, and we resigned ourselves to a quiet night in at the hotel. Little did I know I was about to have one of the most unforgettable dining experiences of my life.
The Kitchen Table has only two seats available each night. Tucked inside The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea, it offers a front-row experience to the inner workings of a high-end kitchen. The storm had created an unexpected opening in the book, and our timing was just right.
Seated on the pass, we watched as the chefs orchestrated the evening’s service, each movement precise and deliberate. Sous-chef Nicolas was our guide, chatting with us as he plated and checked dishes, creating an atmosphere both exclusive and unpretentious. The rhythm of the kitchen was mesmerizing — orders flying in, sauces spooned, proteins seared to perfection.
The Kitchen Table’s five-course menu takes full advantage of Hawaii’s diverse bounty. We started with a delicate tartlet of local fish and caviar, followed by a crudo with bright citrus. Then came duck ragù tagliatelle, leading into a perfectly cooked onaga (red snapper). The highlight: a duo of A5 Snake River Farms ribeye and Japanese Kobe beef, served with forbidden rice and bordelaise sauce. Dessert was a pineapple semifreddo, a refreshing conclusion to a memorable meal.
Originally built in the ’80s as a private club for Japanese members, Hotel Wailea was acquired in 2008, transformed into an adults-only locally owned and independently operated Relais & Châteaux retreat. With just 72 suites, it’s the antithesis of the mega-resorts lining the island’s shores — the area itself provides a more intimate experience compared to Kaanapali, which feels like a cross between The White Lotus and Vegas-on-the-sea.
Hotel Wailea offers two other private dining experiences: The Treehouse, a single table set beneath a canopy of mango and avocado trees with a private chef and ocean views, and Table 24, nestled in the lush garden offering a curated menu served tableside by the chefs themselves. Guests often need to book these well in advance — unless, of course, you’re lucky enough to find yourself caught in a tropical storm. –Victoire Loup
→ The Kitchen Table at Hotel Wailea (Maui) • 555 Kaukahi St • $1100 for two (optional $250+ per wine pairing) • Booking instructions.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Cal/French Bistro Lagniappe headed to Healdsburg • Chef Charlie Palmer taking over trio of Paso Robles hotel restos • Condor adding new daily LAX-FRA (Frankfurt) route • The perils of Kyoto, a perfect city • Inside the country’s saddest airport lounge.
LOST & FOUND
Still ahead, today’s Nines (best bars for more than a drink), but first:
Last week, a FOUND subscriber asked: What restaurant should we take our picky kids that’s also somewhere I actually want to eat?
A FOUND subscriber responds: