Ceviche Project

When giving a morning-after briefing to friends about “last night at Ceviche Project,” you’re just as apt to remember the chef/master of ceremonies Octavio Olivas and his perfectly manicured habitat as you are the divinely creative ceviche he serves… and that’s not a bad thing. Walking into Ceviche Project, you get the sense that every single moment has been deliciously choreographed, and that Octavio, in his impossibly elegant white suit, is part of this Wes Andersonian experience. He moves about lightly on his feet, with the theatricality yet gravitas of Salvador Dali — who in this case happens to be dead serious about raw fish. He mans the chef’s counter deftly, entertaining guests while tossing around the freshest cuts of the finest sourced fish in fruity brines and crunchy, creamy accompaniments. Ceviche Project, as the name would suggest, is all about ceviche. A few other things are thrown on the menu, probably just to satisfy vegetarians and the people who can’t get past thinking that ceviche doesn’t comprise a full meal. What sets the experience at Ceviche Project apart is the quality of the fish and other ingredients, as well as the inventiveness of the accompaniments. There’s no doubt, for example, that raw snapper is the long lost love of pineapple, and that they should never again be apart. Fresh, light, fruity, and not traditional or simple at all, this is some of the best ceviche out there. One standout: a fresh scallop on a half shell with tangerine, pomegranate, serrano, cilantro, and lava salt — with an optional uni pillow on top. The next time you’re stuck in 5pm traffic on Hyperion, consider stopping at the bar for happy hour and grabbing one of these, or maybe a couple of snow crab claws. As for the larger ceviche plates, the Hawaiian Kanpachi Tostada is the best of the best. Poised on a crispy tostada, tangy grapefruit infused kanpachi sits in a creamy bed of avocado mousse, radish sprouts, and trout roe, and all of the flavors burst through brilliantly. Ceviche Project can be found on an unlikely stretch of Hyperion, a pocket-sized glimmering gem on an otherwise unremarkable block.

Style: Seafood

Address: 2524 1/2 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (Silverlake)

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 5-10PM, Friday-Saturday 5-11PM, Sunday 11AM-5PM

Menu: cevicheproject.com