By 
Lasita has been the talk of the town for a while now. Filipino-American brothers Chase and Chad Valencia originally opened the space in 2017 under the name Lasa — same location, but a very different atmosphere from Lasita. At Lasa, guests were made to feel as if they were dining in a traditional Filipino household.
Lasa closed at the height of the pandemic. It was during this time that Chase decided to step down to focus on his family. In 2021, Chad took over the business with his business partner, chef Nico de Leon. They revamped the space and opened Lasa under a new name: Lasita.
Chad mentioned in an interview with Resy.com that during the pandemic, they started serving chicken inasal and pork belly lechon through the takeout window. It was a hit, and they started seeing the same people once a week, whereas at Lasa, they’d see the same people once every few months. It was then that they decided to change the menu. Just like Lasa, Lasita offers a different twist on traditional Filipino food.
A friend of mine, Philip, who owns the gallery Ends of the Earth in Long Beach, goes there very often. After seeing Lasita featured on Bon Appétit’s list of the 50 best new American restaurants in 2022, I knew that was my cue to go.
Since this was my first time ever trying Filipino food, I asked the waiter what I should order, and without a doubt, he recommended the chicken inasal.
He said: “Filipino rotisserie is different in a way based on how it is brined, stuffed and the seasonings they use.” After I went to Lasita, I did some research on it. The components that you’ll find in the chicken inasal are a mixture of garlic, bay leaf, onion, black pepper, soy sauce, and patis (Filipino fish sauce) — and it’s always cooked on a charcoal spit.
The atmosphere at Lasita is very modern and chic. It feels very immersive and I loved looking at the paintings as I waited for my food. The overhead lighting was great because it let me appreciate the food even more. There is a long countertop in the middle of the space displaying their selection of natural wines. At the other end is the cash register, where customers pay at the end of their meals. When I went there, most people chose to sit on the patio, but I liked the indoor atmosphere better.
Chad took my order and commented: “If you go to the Philippines you won’t find this exact same chicken. It’s our own take on this dish that makes it special.”
He suggested that I order The Plate, a dish that was specifically made for single diners like me. The Plate, which is not on the menu, comes with half a chicken, atchara (pickled seasonal vegetables) and rice of your choice (garlic fried rice or chicken fat rice).
I heeded his advice. If I were to order the sides separately, the check would have been more expensive. However, you’re always more than welcome to order more sides if you’re left hungry. The Plate is $22 and it’s a great value for what you get. It also comes with two sauces: garlic and toyomansi sauce. The latter is a classic Filipino dipping sauce, which is very similar to soy sauce.
Usually, when I eat rotisserie chicken, I tend to leave the skin, but it was hard to resist the exceptionally crispy, smoky skin with hints of garlic. The inside was so tender and juicy, but the best part for me was the sauces. Both the chicken and the rice have subtle garlic flavors. If you want the garlic flavor to hit you in the face, pairing the sauce with the chicken will be an amazing experience.
Enhancing the flavors by mixing and matching the sauces is pretty much what made my whole experience. Once I started, I couldn’t stop! The chicken went well with either sauce, but the garlic fried rice paired much better with the toyomansi sauce. The contrast between the sticky texture of the rice and the citrusy hint of the toyomansi was heavenly. So good. Sooo good.
I didn’t pair the pickled veggies with any of the sauces because they were already seasoned with sweet turmeric vinegar brine. After the mixing and matching of sauces with the chicken and rice, I really liked eating the atchara as a way to finish this unforgettable chicken: sweet, sour and tangy. I wish they had included more atchara! Nonetheless, my taste buds were very satisfied with this seemingly simple yet incredibly flavorful meal.
For dessert, I was really looking forward to trying the calamansi cream pie by Filipino bakery Laroolou, but it was sold out. Chase said that they had sold out on Saturday. This is what it looks like.
I ended up ordering the ube malted crunch ice cream from the popular ice cream shop Wanderlust Creamery. In my opinion, the ice cream texture was too thick, although the candied pinipig redeemed it by giving it a pleasant crunchy texture. You could also add a drizzle of condensed milk to the ice cream for an extra 50 cents.
The other option for dessert was the Mango Sticky Rice ice cream, also by Wanderlust. If you want a homemade dessert, know that desserts at Lasita aren’t exactly their strong suit.
If you’re not too full after your meal, I suggest heading over to Tito Rudy’s, which is owned by the same chef, Nico de Leon. The business was named after Nico’s father, and it offers Halo-halo, which is a popular shaved ice dessert in the Philippines. The kiosk is outside in the plaza and is open Thursdays to Sundays from 5 to 10 pm. I went there the week before my dinner at Lasita and talked to Nico, who said that he was looking into expanding the hours.
Note: Make sure to check the Instagram page first if you want to go because the schedule changes quite a bit.
Instagram @Lasita.la
NO RESERVATIONS. It’s first come, first served!
Address: 727 N Broadway #120, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Far East Plaza
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 5-10pm.
Tito Rudy’s Instagram @titorudys
