Located in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Hollywood is the Hollywood & Highland shopping complex. Full of superhero impersonators and street vendors, it’s a fun spot to hang out, and people watch. But tucked away on the third level is an area called The Deck that’s brimful of delicious eats.
The Deck at Hollywood & Highland
6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028
hollywoodandhighland.com
During my recent visit to The Deck, I had the chance to experience several different eateries including Jinya, Pokinometry, Fist of Fusion, and Mamacita.
Photo: Vannessa Sanchez
Jinya
This build-your-own ramen spot pleasantly surprised me. I’m pretty picky when it comes to ramen and was skeptical about the idea of creating my own ramen to eat on the go. But the broth was good, and the sauces and toppings were tangy. I also tried the rice bowl but preferred the ramen. The rice bowl certainly had its merits (and the fried chicken was delicious), but this is definitely a ramen spot. PSA: you can add the fried chicken to the ramen!
Photo: Vannessa Sanchez
Pokinometry
I love a good poke bowl, and this joint did not disappoint. My biggest pet peeve with poke places is when they don’t put enough sauce on the fish. But Pokinometry has an excellent method of building the bowls, which allows the sauce to really shine. They also have a surprisingly large number of toppings and are not stingy with their portion sizes. Overall, it’s a delicious, refreshing spot to grab a quick, fishy bite.
Photo: Vannessa Sanchez
Fist of Fusion
This Hawaiian/Filipino style restaurant offers a variety of meals, but I had the crispy tocino spam musubi and the crispy kalua pork sisig taco. They were both awesome, but my favorite hands down was the taco. The mango salsa on top of the taco is amazing, and the pork is flavorful but not overpowering the taco. The outside of the taco is crispy and not soggy at all so when you bite into it; you get a great crunch.
Photo: Vannessa Sanchez
Mamacita Cantina
Mamacita is a modern Peruvian restaurant with a twist. I had a chance to try their Peruvian Sashimi and Peruvian Poke Ceviche. This is probably my favorite restaurant on The Deck. The ceviche was so full of different flavors all working in harmony. The ceviche was not your typical dish. The fish had a spicy kick that balanced out with the roasted sweet potato. The seaweed salad balanced out the white hominy and my favorite, the toasted corn.
Of course, my rendezvous with The Deck couldn’t end there. I had to check out the dessert options. What’s a good dinner without a sweet ending?
Photo: Vannessa Sanchez
Wafflejack
This place is fantastic. I cannot say enough good things about Wafflejack. I had the churro and s’mores waffles. The s’mores was good but not sure I could finish an entire one. But the churro waffle. Oh, my goodness. I fell in love. It was soft and full of cinnamon. It was delicious. You can also get your waffle with a scoop of ice cream, which I’ll be doing next time I visit. You can also take a photo with your favorite waffle and post it on Instagram with the hashtag #Wafflejack and then print out your photo in the store and pin it up on their wall.
The Deck at Hollywood and Highland has a great view of Hollywood but is still secluded enough from the craziness that it would make a cute date night spot. From poke to Peruvian, there are a lot of options and even some great dessert choices.
From June 5-12, when you share a photo of your meal from The Deck on social media with the hashtag #HHTheDeck, you’ll be entered to win a free lunch so get posting!
