I first visited De Buena Planta when it was only a pop-up in an empty parking lot on Abbot Kinney in Venice during the pandemic. It was a Tulum inspired concept from the founders of The Butcher’s Daughter, with luscious plants and refreshing mezal/ tequila driven cocktails. Now after seeing success, the “plant-forward” Mexican concept has become its own standing establishment with two locations in Los Angeles. The second offshoot is found on the hip Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake.
The Silver Lake De Buena Planta opened its 5,000 square foot patio in Spring 2022, maintaining that same jungle oasis vibe, making it a desirable destination for summer. Seating is predominately outside with many table tops for smaller groups and long wooden tables for larger parties. There’s also a bar where thirsty revelers can wander in and grab a drink.
In June, De Buena Planta unveiled a new weekend brunch menu and they invited me out to get a taste of the all the deliciousness. More vegetarian than vegan, the extensive menu remixes a number of popular Mexican dishes to integrate plant based ingredients in addition to a number of innovative creations.
To start it off brunch, I had the customary tortilla chips and salsa. Called Los Tres Amigos, the crispy chips were accompanies by a selection of salsas: verde, chile de arbol, and molcajete. Each packed a different levels of tanginess and heat with chile de arbol ending up to be my favorite. Next, I tasted the ‘Chicharrones’ De Arroz. You might wonder why a non-meat restaurant would serve chicharrones (and I was wondering the same), but De Buena Planta’s version is made our of rice paper! It was light, crispy, and seasoned to taste like chicharron. And last for the appetizers was the Un Buen Fundido, cashew & carrot ‘queso’ served with pecan chorizo and house made tortilla chips. This was was so good and was one of the best dishes of the day! It looked exactly like regular queso and tasted just like it.
Moving onto the salad and bowls courses, I tasted the Citrus and Herb Salad. At first bite, I was amazed on how refreshing it was with the flavor from the acidic citrus vinaigrette. This salad is perfect for a warm sunny afternoon. Next, came the Coconut Yogurt bowl, which is a yogurt made in-house at De Buena planta, served with a pink horchata chia drizzle, mangos, melons, and a toasted coconut & pepita crumble. This honestly probably the best thing I ate that afternoon. The combination of all the ingredients fit like a nutritious puzzle, especially the very smooth and creamy yogurt.
For the entrees, I tried the Huevos Divorciados (2 fried eggs served with salsa, green rice, sautéed garlic kale, and black beans) and Chilaquiles Verdes (the usual chilaquiles). These dishes was solid and didn’t wow me, probably because my benchmark was set so high from the previous dishes. Finally, brunch wouldn’t be complete without some drinks. The Oaxacan Colada, made from tequila, coconut cream, and passion fruit puree was excellent and is a drink I would come back to De Buena Planta just for this.
Overall, the brunch menu at De Buena Planta Silver Lake was so good and highly recommended. It’s been really cool to see De Buena Planta when it first started to how it’s matured to becoming a dining destination.
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De Buena Planta
INFO
Address: 2815 Sunset BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90026
Hours of operation: Mon-Fri: 4 PM-11 PM; Sat – Sun: 10 AM- 11 PM
Parking: Street parking
Website
DEEELIZIOUS TIPS
- There’s a speakeasy called La Casita that’s focused on more complex cocktails and mezcal that housed in the building where the kitchen is. It’s open Monday thru Sunday starting at 6PM
