TRAVIS LETT’S BIG LA COMEBACK IS AN ODE TO JAPANESE CALIFORNIA COOKING

After five years away from the Los Angeles dining scene, chef Travis Lett is opening the Venice izakaya RVR (pronounced “river”) today, October 1. The new restaurant picks up where his now-closed restaurant MTN with the Gjelina Group left off, taking over its vacant space on Abbott Kinney Boulevard and building on its culinary foundation. “I thought we did a good job at MTN bringing that spontaneous, seasonal California looseness to Japanese food,” says Lett. “With RVR, we are bringing in a higher level of detail, edit, and curation.”

The restaurant will only be open for dinner to start, but will eventually expand to lunch service, with signature bowls of ramen and hand rolls served all day and shareable Japanese-influenced comfort dishes like grilled skewers and gyoza in the evenings.

While some of the similarities between RVR and MTN are clear, their differences are more subtle. For one, Lett has settled into the role of collaborator and mentor at the new restaurant, bringing on Ian Robinson (formerly of Skippa in Toronto) to lead the charge as RVR’s executive chef. Lett calls Robinson “a truly skilled individual”; the two are shaping the menu together as co-chefs. “Particularly with Japanese food, he has experience and technical ability that I simply don’t have,” says Lett, whose appreciation for Japanese cuisine was sparked early on by his mother. “I’ve been running kitchens in a very hands-on way for a very long time but it feels natural to be changing the dynamics and wanting to support and identify talent and coach them in their growth.” Also on board at RVR is Cean Geronimo, who worked closely with Lett at Gjusta and MTN.

Lett’s vision for RVR and its place in the local Venice dining scene has also changed some to reflect the current environment. From the immense economic pressures within the hospitality industry to the financial strain on individual households — and the environmental and political issues underpinning everything — much has changed since MTN opened its doors in 2017. “This is not one of those moments where everybody’s popping Champagne and celebrating the good life. There are some challenging aspects to life right now, economic and otherwise,” he says. Lett’s desire to be of service to the community informs nearly every aspect of RVR, including its menu, value-minded pricing (dishes range from $6 to $28), extended hours of operations, and “chilled out” service led by Matt Pittenger and Vyas Bishop.

While hours will be limited to start, RVR will serve both lunch and dinner in the coming weeks. There will be some crossover dishes between the two menus, but Lett intends to have the daytime portion feel distinct. These afternoon offerings will center around “simple lunch sets,” where diners choose a protein (fish, meat, plant-based option) that is served with steamed rice, soup, and pickles. Lett wants to limit decision-making and provide a quick meal for folks whose goal is to get in, eat, and be on their way. In addition to the lunch sets, RVR will also offer ramen, salads, and hand rolls.

The multi-section dinner menu begins with a few small plates, including a tempura dish, chicken karaage, and pickle sampler, before moving into half a dozen hand rolls. The rice and seaweed parcels come filled with things like avocado and kimchi, natto (fermented soybeans), pork belly with spicy mustard greens, and roasted miso-cured salmon. “Our hand rolls fit somewhere in between the world of how you might experience an onigiri,” says Lett. “Fresh, vibrant compositions inside rice and nori.” Gyozas arrive either pan-seared or boiled with stuffing like pork and cabbage, shrimp and cilantro, or mixed vegetables.

The heart of RVR’s menu is its locally sourced vegetables, present in a dozen or so dishes that reflect the season and are “processed as little as possible for maximum vibrant deliciousness,” says Lett. The chef is especially fond of the chicory salad with a tofu dressing and anchovy panko that has a “Caesar-like appeal to it.” The charcoal-grilled items follow next, with eight or so fish and meat offerings, including local squid, curried lamb, and a duck meatball with spicy mustard.

The ramen has been updated since it was served at MTN, particularly with regard to the aged noodles made from a blend of organic bread and all-purpose flours from Cairnspring Mills in Washington state. The two traditional ramen, one pork- and chicken-based and the other vegetarian, are complemented by a pair of brothless options better suited for sharing. The two soupless mazemen include a carbonara riff with confit mushrooms and cured egg yolk and one made with clams, herbs, chiles, and scallions.

Diners will have access to “crisp and vibrant wines” that wine director Maggie Glasheen (formerly of Anajak Thai Cuisine, Bettina) sourced mostly from France. The cocktail menu, which Lett collaborated on with Nina Wongsuwat, leans savory with a gin Gibson garnished with a house-pickled onion, along with a Negroni that swaps out traditional Campari for Contratto made from Andy’s Orchard plums.

The interior for RVR, which spans less than 1,000 square feet and seats about 75 people, was reimagined by M. Winter Design to optimize comfort; music will be curated by Carlos Niño. “The space is much more laid back. It’s warmer, it’s brighter,” says Lett. “It feels like an airy, light space with some warm, pubby-tavern elements.” The restaurant’s booths are lit with ’50s-era fixtures sourced from a California home but have a “gentle Japanese influence,” says Lett. A 10-seat communal table sits in the center of the dining room.

“I found with restaurants, there’s food, design, beverage, and service, and then there’s those things that come together and form some type of alchemy that relates to timing,” says Lett. “Food, like other art forms, needs to be contemporaneous. In other words, makes sense for the moment. We’re trying to meet the moment.”

RVR is located at 1305 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice CA 90291.

2024-10-01T18:40:55Z