Yum? A museum devoted to disgusting food opens in Los Angeles

The Disgusting Food Museum

Durian. Escamoles. Mouse wine and Jell-O salad. Every food culture eats something that most likely freaks everybody else out. That is the subject being explored at the Disgusting Food Museum, which runs from Sunday through Feb. 17 at downtown’s A+D Architecture and Design Museum. You should probably consider eating before you go.

Dec. 9-Feb. 17, $10-$18, 900 E. 4th St., Los Angeles, (213) 346-9734, disgustingfoodmuseum.com/north-america/

Pikunico

Kuniko Yagi, the former executive chef at Comme Ça and Hinoki and the Bird, has opened her Japanese fried chicken restaurant, Pikunico, in downtown’s ROW DTLA. Yagi’s free-range karaage is served solo with fries or ginger onigiri, plus on a sandwich and a rice bowl, as well as in family-size picnic baskets, all available at the restaurant for takeout. You’ll also find chicken egg drop soup, miso de leche cookies and, soon, Japanese craft beer on the menu.

767 S. Alameda St., No. 122, Los Angeles, (213) 278-0407, pikunico.com

Bettina

In Santa Barbara, a new Italian pizza restaurant from a chef who once ran the bread program at Brooklyn’s Roberta’s, is open at the Montecito Country Mart. Brendan Smith and his wife, Rachel Greenspan, who herself used to work with Eleven Madison Park and Per Se, are serving naturally leavened breads and Neapolitan pies topped with chanterelles and nduja, along with salads, small plates and biodynamic wines.

1014 Coast Village Road, Santa Barbara, (805) 9770-2383, bettinapizzeria.com

Fundraiser for Francis Bassa

This Sunday evening at Estrella, restaurants including the Bazaar, Kali, Café Pinot and Chateau Marmont, will participate in a culinary fundraiser for former Alma chef Francis Bassa, who suffered an accident earlier this year leading to a traumatic brain injury. Tickets include unlimited tastings and drinks, plus a silent auction, with proceeds going to Bassa’s GoFundMe recovery account.

Dec. 9, 5-9 p.m., $70, 8800 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 652-6613, eventbrite.com/e/fundraising-for-franky-a-culinary-evening-benefiting-the-francis-bassa-recovery-fund-tickets-52877466927

Dan

A new Chinese restaurant called Dan, is now open in Pasadena’s the Commons. Dan focuses on steamed, pan-fried and crispy dumplings, buns and XLB, noodle soups and fried rice.

146 S. Lake Ave., No. 105, Pasadena, (626) 817-9799, instagram.com/danmodernchinese/

TK92

A new Korean BBQ restaurant called TK92 has opened in San Gabriel. Here the grilling options include high-end meats such as wet-aged, purebred Kurobuta pork, dry and wet-aged Black Angus rib-eye steaks and U.S.-raised wagyu beef. And the restaurant’s anime theme extends to robot wallpaper and retro arcade games.

250 W. Valley Blvd., Ste. P, San Gabriel, (626) 782-7496, https://www.facebook.com/tk92bbq/

Burger Supreme

A New York burger pop-up called Burger Supreme will be at the Smorgasburg downtown L.A. market every Sunday through Dec. 23. Lauded for a griddle-steamed cheeseburger based on the Atlantic City boardwalk style, the booth comes from chef-and-author Mark Andrew Gravel, occupying the weekly food market’s new Smorgasburger Stand. It will also be found this Saturday at Smorgasburg’s pop-up on the Santa Monica Pier.

777 S. Alameda St., Los Angeles , instagram.com/burgersupremeburger/

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