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What initially captivated me the most about Open Face Foodshop was how stunning the food and the fresh produce looked on their Instagram, but I didn’t expect to have the outstanding eating experience I had.
Open Face Foodshop is a modern mom-and-pop restaurant specializing in Danish food. The founders, Mark from New York and Lene from Denmark, are married. They founded Open Faced Foodshop in December 2017. I’ve never been to a place where food had so much regard. Owner-operated, Open Face Foodshop offers delicious, authentic Danish food through the lens of Chef Lene.
Being at Open Face Foodshop was like being in a history class, which was my favorite subject in school! I learned about the differences between smoked and cured salmon, the history of open face sandwiches, and shrub, which was an American colonial drink.
I went on a weekday, which was perfect because I was the only diner, so I was able to have a deep conversation with Mark. He said he didn’t just want me to have a complimentary meal, but that he wanted me to learn the backstory of the food and the ingredients, and boy, did I learn!
I had the Danish Open Face Sandwich with gravlax and house smoked cod salad.
Everything at Open Face Foodshop is made from scratch, even the bread and the pickles! The greens are from the Farmer’s Market and the farmer is the same supplier to high-end restaurants in LA such as Gjelina (Venice), Providence (Melrose) and more in the Beverly Hills area. The cod was a house-smoked Icelandic cod, very similar to what you’ll find in Denmark. The salmon was cured in-house and farm-raised in the Pacific Northwest.
I would have preferred a fluffier bread. The Danish rye bread (rugbrød) underneath was too hard for my liking, but it is the most popular bread in Denmark and this is exactly how they serve it there. It was nice to try it out but harder bread is not my thing. The mandarin slice you see in the picture is a Page mandarin, which was rich, juicy, sweet and was a beautiful complement to the savory ingredients. Tasting each ingredient was an experience on its own. I had to take the time to fully savor each of them and appreciate the nuances: the tang of the pickles, the buttery texture of lettuce, the tenderness of the asparagus, the freshness of the cod… spectacular is an understatement.
To drink, Mark gave me a Satsuma (orange) shrub and proceeded to tell me about its origins. To make it short, shrub is a fermented drink that harkens back to the 18th century in the United States. It is composed of vinegar, fruit, and sugar, which it’s later diluted with water. I’m very skeptical of these types of beverages, but this one was so incredibly refreshing and flavorful that I ended up drinking all of it. It was like an extra tangy orange soda. The vinegar added a nice acidic edge to the sweet drink. This shrub comes from a farmer based in Temecula.
It was mind-blowing that he could tell me not only where all the ingredients were from, but also the backstories of the farmers who grew all the food on my plate, who, said Mark, they have had a tight business relationship with for many years. This close friendship with the farmers led Mark and Lene to start delivering “farm boxes” to their neighbors and their community when the pandemic hit. The boxes had the information of each farmer so that when people were curious about a particular item in the box, they could order directly from the farmers market vendors to keep their business going. This was a great way to help the farmers in the trying times during 2020.
Farmer’s Market Vegetable Boxes are here! Pick up your box of organic fresh produce from our local farmers while supplies last.
For someone new to Open Face Foodshop, if you’re looking for a Danish food experience, Mark recommends ordering the Danish Open Face Sandwich, which is what I had. You can also order the hot dogs, which are served Danish-style. These are definitely not the standard American hot dogs! If, on the other hand, you’re not in the mood for Danish food, their burgers, said Mark with a dreamy face, are “SO GOOD”.
IG @openfacefoodshop
Make sure you preorder your “Great Dane” Danish Hotdog Box for this weekend before we sell out again! Features an irresistible traditional Danish remoulade 😊
We also talked about salads. Mark said there’s a difference between a lively salad and a salad that looks straight out of a package, and I can totally attest to this! I grew up eating my mom’s salads and it’s one of the things I miss the most about her food. Lene also makes amazing beautiful salads. I mean, just look at the picture!!
I was also given a chocolate chip sun-dried cherry oatmeal cookie. The recipe of this cookie dates back to the mid-90’s when Mark and Lene used to live in New York City. They were invited to a friend’s gathering, but they didn’t know what to bring. Lene put her magic baking skills to the test and made these cookies. Mark told me that the recipe has remained “unchanged” ever since. He also said it was the “world’s most dangerous cookie” and rightfully so. The combination of the sun-dried cherry and chocolate was just delightful. It was deliciously thin and crispy. Thank goodness he only gave me one because had he given me more, I probably would have scarfed them down in one sitting.
Mark and Lene are clearly very connected to their West Adams neighborhood. For example, the countertop seating area was intended for guests to enjoy their meal while looking out into the street and there are herbs outside for neighbors to pick as they walk by. They’re also in the process of organizing some neighborhood activities.
The menu is constantly changing. Some menu items on their Instagram page are no longer available, like their delicious French toast! 🙁 The funny thing about this is, said Mark, that when they had it as a permanent menu item, people didn’t order it enough. Then, they started to offer it as a special and sold out everytime! Don’t forget to check out their weekend brunch menu!!
IG @openfacefoodshop
Brunch time people!! Banana bread French toast is waiting for you at Open Face 😍😍 Not too sweet and perfect with a hot cup of coffee ☕️ #bananabread #frenchtoast #openfacefoodshop ⠀
Update: Mark invited me back to try out more of their menu items! I finally got to try their delicious Danish-style hot dog alongside these two other dishes.
Danish-style hot dogs can be found anywhere in Denmark — they’re omnipresent. Luckily, Open Face Foodshop pays homage to this typical Danish street food like no other place in LA.
This hot dog was not about absentmindedly throwing a sausage in a bun with ketchup and mustard. It was about the amalgamation of the condiments, the texture and the nuances of the ingredients that made eating this a truly unique experience. It was my first time ever trying out this style of hot dog and I couldn’t have asked for a better place where everything is made from scratch.
How can I put it into words? You will not have a hot dog like this anywhere in LA. The sausage was moist and flavorful. So much flavor. The cucumbers were sliced so thin that the texture was velvety-soft. This dish comes with a side of mustard and curry ketchup. You could see from miles away that this was not a run-of-the-mill, store-bought ketchup. The texture was so smooth and the curry added a nice extra kick to it.
The bread was also 10/10. If this was not enough, the inside of the hot dog was filled with remoulade, a very typical sauce in Denmark which consists of mayo, herbs, and pickles. Wow. The crispy onions added a nice crunch and elevated the taste of the hot dog to the next level. The crunchiness of the onions, the tenderness of the bread, along with the creamy-textured condiments made this a marvelous eating experience.
It was my first time trying it and you can bet I will definitely be going back for a second one in the near future.
If it’s your first time at Open Face Foodshop, I cannot recommend this dish enough. The way Lene assembled the hot dog and the attention to detail that went into the presentation is spectacular. It’s also a very generous portion as you can see. To see how the Danish hot dog became a fixture on the streets of Denmark, watch this video, which Mark kindly sent me prior to my visit.
Salad (side)
Like you can see above in this post, the salads served at Open Face Foodshop are not regular salads. All the lettuce leaves come from different farms. This one was a simple yet outstanding salad. I loved the variety of different textures and the tangy vinaigrette, along with the lightly spiced arugula that tied everything together. Super refreshing.
Dessert
You might be interested to know that Lene makes intentionally inspired dessert specials on some days. When I went there, Lene had just made this very typical French custard (Pot De Creme). The flavor was very rich and decadent and the texture was very soft. If you’re a chocolate lover, check the online menu to see what’s available that day.
If you want to go there, check out the menu on their website, but if you want to have a delightful eating experience, then wait it out until their seating space is fully operating.
Make sure to come back to this post because I will be reviewing more of their delicious dishes in the future!
The address is 5577 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016
Hours:
11am- 5pm Tuesday- Friday
10am- 3pm Saturday & Sunday
Closed Monday
