Caviar service, craft cocktails and chandeliers at this glitzy new supper club in Koreatown

May 16, 2017 9 AM PT

From a new supper club in Koreatown to a sandbox full of rainbow sprinkles, here’s what’s happening in the Los Angeles food and drink world:

Feeling fancy: Mama Lion, a new supper club helmed by owner Robert Kim and partner-chef Michael Hung (formerly of Jardiniere, La Folie and, in L.A., Viviane and Faith & Flower), is now open in Koreatown. The name Mama Lion is actually the name of the nightclub that once occupied the same space. Hung is behind the food, which is a mix of elevated finger food (crispy avocado samosas, Santa Barbara uni tostaditas) and larger plates of plancha Mediterranean bass and fresh bucatini pasta. The cocktail program was created by head barman Todd Eames and includes a take on the Rusty Nail, made with Johnny Walker Black, Atholl Brose and pecan bitters. Then there’s the ½-ounce Osetra caviar service, with buckwheat blinis, a hard cooked egg, parsley, lemon and shallots. 601 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 377-5277, www.mamalion.com.

For the record:

4:51 p.m. April 23, 2024An earlier version of this story incorrectly said a location of Cafe Gratitude will open in Beverly Hills. Gratitude, a new concept by the Cafe Gratitude team, will open. Also, the story said Botinca serves cocoa-coconut granola, it’s cacao.

Ice cream for everyone: The Museum of Ice Cream in downtown L.A. has released a new round of tickets. The museum, which celebrates all things colorful and sweet (sprinkles, scratch-n-sniff wallpaper, etc.), opened for a limited time in New York City last year. The L.A. run, in the Arts District, was supposed to last through May, but has been extended to mid-August due to popular demand. Tickets can be purchased here. 2018 E. 7th Place, Los Angeles, www.museumoficecream.com.

Magazine business: Botanica, a new restaurant, bar, market and magazine (yes, magazine) is now open in Silver Lake. It’s run by chef-owners and partners Emily Fiffer and Heather Sperling, who used to work as editors of food- and culture-focused media. The restaurant features items such as cacao-coconut granola; and lamb skewers with herb salad. The digital magazine, at BotanicaMag.com, is set up as a destination for home cooks to find recipes and content built around the restaurant and surrounding community. And at the market, you’ll find produce, Bub & Grandma’s bread, smoked labneh and dukkah, beer, wine and more. As for the name, it’s a reference to both botanicals and the the plant-focused menu. The restaurant plans to extend its hours in a month or so. 1620 Silver Lake Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 522-6106, botanicarestaurant.com.

Phoenix transplant: Sam Fox Restaurants, the Phoenix-based group behind 55 restaurants, including the True Food Kitchens in SoCal and the Henry in Phoenix, will open a location of the Henry, at the Robertson Plaza in West Hollywood, as part of the 100,000-square-foot plaza’s multimillion-dollar renovation. The 6,490-square-foot restaurant is expected to open in early 2018 and will include a coffee bar and indoor-outdoor cocktail bar. The menu will feature items such as a quinoa breakfast burrito, short rib pot stickers and Korean-style skirt steak. The plaza’s renovation will also include a new Blue Bottle Coffee location and a cocktail bar called Bibo. 116-164 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, www.foxrc.com.

Still hungry? Mirko Paderno of Culina at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles is taking over chef Dakota Weiss’ kitchen at Estrella on Tuesday night for a pop-up dinner to benefit No Kid Hungry. Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s Trois Mec has launched a new reservation system that will allow diners to make reservations for the restaurant one month in advance. Gratitude, a new restaurant by the team behind the plant-based Café Gratitude, is scheduled to open in Beverly Hills later this month. Jinya Ramen Bar in Studio City and the original Robata Jinya in Beverly Grove are now serving the Wagyu Lagoon, a bowl of ramen with Wagyu beef. Iluggy Recinos is now the bar manager at downtown L.A. restaurant Bestia. Taco Maria chef Carlos Salgado will collaborate on a dinner with chef Eric Samaniego at Michael’s on Naples in Long Beach on May 24. As part of Food Bowl, The Times’ month-long food festival, Michael Cimarusti will cook a special dinner at Providence with chef Dan Hunter of Brae in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday. Citizen in Beverly Hills has started serving brunch.