Hippo (Los Angeles, CA)
Hippo Restaurant
5916 1/2 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
323-545-3536
www.hipporestaurant.com
Sun 07/19/2026, 07:30p-10:20p
If you recall, back in June, I posted about a dinner I had at Cannonball in South Pasadena. Given my positive experience there, I figured that it was about time that I reported on Hippo, another one of Chef Matthew Molina's spots that I'd been meaning to try for a while now. The Italian-ish eatery was created in partnership with Joeseph Capella, Randy Clement, and April Langford, and opened in Highland Park all the way back in July 2018.
Hippo is housed in a structure that's shared with Triple Beam Pizza, Highland Park Wine, and Go Get Em Tiger. The building was the previous home of Mas Precio Loco 99¢, and was apparently a post office before that (Hippo is actually an abbreviation for Highland Park Post Office). In addition to the bow-truss ceiling'd main dining room shown above, there's also patio seating outside.
As we can see, Hippo's Italianate menu is essentially ordered in the familiar cadence of antipasti, primi, secondi, and dolci. To imbibe, you'll find a "natural"-leaning wine list, a handful of beers, and cocktails from Bar Director Carlos Huizar (ex-Eveleigh). Corkage, sadly, is not an option here. Click for larger versions.
"hippo rolls" [$16.00] | sea salt & honey butter.
The restaurant's namesake bread made for a promising start, coming out fluffy, sweet-ish, and perked up by some well-placed pinpricks of salt. The rolls were certainly enjoyable alone, but were indeed approved with a smear of that super smooth, cinnamon-y butter.
post melón [$18.00] | "collins" tequila, melon, french bitters, lemon, cucumber soda.
I have a hard time resisting a good punny cocktail name, hence my first beverage selection. Unsurprisingly, the drink was fun and fizzy, with loads of candied melon (I was actually reminded of Marukawa gum) cut by just enough citrus and bitters.
cool wax beans [$17.00] | fresh serrano chile, toasted hazelnuts, frenchie vinaigrette.
I'm generally a fan of green beans, and tonight was no exception to that rule. The key here was how the vegetal sweetness of the beans played with both the zippiness from all that onion as well as the tanginess of the vinaigrette, with the whole thing punctuated by hits of hazelnutty crunch. I got a nice undercurrent of serrano that crept in later, too.
royal hamachi crudo [$28.00] | plums, lime, mint, fresh serrano chile.
Lush cuts of yellowtail were paired with a wonderfully herby heat and the sweet-tartness of stone fruit, making for a vibrant, refreshing dish that actually veered a bit Southeast Asian-y.
aces high [$18.00] | "old fashioned" bourbon, amaro, peach, sherry.
Our second cocktail was a much more potent concoction, and did a good job intertwining peach with more familiar notes of sweet spices, bitters, brown sugar, and the boozy heft of whiskey.
grilled cauliflower [$22.00] | cauliflower "tahini," walnut raisin caper relish.
I'm quite the cauliflower fiend as you might know, so this next dish immediately caught my eye. The florets showed off a delectable smoke and salt, and melded more easily than I expected with the sweet-nuttiness of that caper relish. There was also a touch of heat here that I quite fancied.
sea legs [$17.00] | "freezer dirty martini" grey goose, house brine, olive.
I do tend to prefer my martinis on the dirtier side, and the bar wasn't kidding about the "dirty" part. Think super briny, super savory, with a proper chill on the cocktail to boot.
broccoli rabe ravioli [$30.00] | manila clams, garlic, white wine, chile flake & breadcrumbs.
In the evening's first pasta course, silky parcels of ravioli brought together the bitterness of rapini and the brine of clams, with that interaction complemented by pungent hits of garlic and the crunch of those crumbs.
sweet corn cappellacci [$30.00] | funghi misti & celery leaf.
Our second stuffed pasta proudly demonstrated the signature sweetness of corn, combining it with brown butter-y nuances and plenty of woodsy mushrooms.
lola [$17.00] | "negroni up" gin, italian bitters, vermouth, raspberry.
This negroni variation showcased the trademark bittersweetness of the classic cocktail, but amped up by both raspberry and a smidgen of heat.
conchiglie [$28.00] | fennel sausage & broccoli rabe ragù, breadcrumbs.
Next came my favorite of our four pasta dishes. The crux here was the familiar zestiness of fennel and how it functioned with both the salty sausage and the bitterness of broccoli raab. And again, the breadcrumbs made for some welcomed textural variation.
vesperado [$17.00] | "vesper" mezcal, gin, california vermouth, verjus, grapefruit bitters.
The night's penultimate cocktail was pleasingly viscous on the palate, offering an adroit balance of fruity, citrusy, boozy, and astringent.
tagliolini [$28.00] | duck ragù.
In our final pasta dish, tagliolini weren't as firm as I'd prefer, but still worked as an apt stage for the cozy, homey flavors of that duck sauce.
cedar smoked trout [$40.00] | sweet corn succotash with green goddess.
Ocean trout arrived with a proper cook, displaying loads of that advertised cedar smoke--especially the skin--along with a cinnamon character that actually made me think of five-spice powder. The fish was tasty alone, but was indeed improved by the brightness of the herbs, corn, and especially the green goddess.
santeria [$17.00] | "daiquiri" mezcal, pineapple, vanilla, lime, cardamom.
My last cocktail was a riff on the daiquiri that deftly incorporated the smokier qualities of mezcal, offsetting it with both vanilla and the assertive piquancy of that rim.
Here we see Hippo's brief dessert menu and after-dinner beverage offerings. Click for larger versions.
chocolate torte cheesecake [$14.00] | chocolate hazelnut crust, chocolate shavings & crème fraîche
A cacao-enriched cheesecake was a nice twist on a classic, with the chocolate being pretty seamlessly integrated. Do note that both desserts tonight were comped, I'm assuming because this was a birthday dinner.
honey panna cotta [$14.00] | peach lime granita & fresh peach.
Last up was a birthday panna cotta that married juicy stone fruit and a bracing citrus granita with a light, honey-enhanced cream.
As was the case with Cannonball, I enjoyed a lovely meal tonight. And similarly to Cannonball, this place represents a neighborhood restaurant that's also interesting enough to serve as a bit of a destination. The cooking speaks to Matt Molina's Italian training, but you can tell he's not afraid to mix things up and have some fun with the food as well. I'll be curious to see what the Chef comes up with next.
5916 1/2 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
323-545-3536
www.hipporestaurant.com
Sun 07/19/2026, 07:30p-10:20p
If you recall, back in June, I posted about a dinner I had at Cannonball in South Pasadena. Given my positive experience there, I figured that it was about time that I reported on Hippo, another one of Chef Matthew Molina's spots that I'd been meaning to try for a while now. The Italian-ish eatery was created in partnership with Joeseph Capella, Randy Clement, and April Langford, and opened in Highland Park all the way back in July 2018.
Hippo is housed in a structure that's shared with Triple Beam Pizza, Highland Park Wine, and Go Get Em Tiger. The building was the previous home of Mas Precio Loco 99¢, and was apparently a post office before that (Hippo is actually an abbreviation for Highland Park Post Office). In addition to the bow-truss ceiling'd main dining room shown above, there's also patio seating outside.
As we can see, Hippo's Italianate menu is essentially ordered in the familiar cadence of antipasti, primi, secondi, and dolci. To imbibe, you'll find a "natural"-leaning wine list, a handful of beers, and cocktails from Bar Director Carlos Huizar (ex-Eveleigh). Corkage, sadly, is not an option here. Click for larger versions.
"hippo rolls" [$16.00] | sea salt & honey butter.
The restaurant's namesake bread made for a promising start, coming out fluffy, sweet-ish, and perked up by some well-placed pinpricks of salt. The rolls were certainly enjoyable alone, but were indeed approved with a smear of that super smooth, cinnamon-y butter.
post melón [$18.00] | "collins" tequila, melon, french bitters, lemon, cucumber soda.
I have a hard time resisting a good punny cocktail name, hence my first beverage selection. Unsurprisingly, the drink was fun and fizzy, with loads of candied melon (I was actually reminded of Marukawa gum) cut by just enough citrus and bitters.
cool wax beans [$17.00] | fresh serrano chile, toasted hazelnuts, frenchie vinaigrette.
I'm generally a fan of green beans, and tonight was no exception to that rule. The key here was how the vegetal sweetness of the beans played with both the zippiness from all that onion as well as the tanginess of the vinaigrette, with the whole thing punctuated by hits of hazelnutty crunch. I got a nice undercurrent of serrano that crept in later, too.
royal hamachi crudo [$28.00] | plums, lime, mint, fresh serrano chile.
Lush cuts of yellowtail were paired with a wonderfully herby heat and the sweet-tartness of stone fruit, making for a vibrant, refreshing dish that actually veered a bit Southeast Asian-y.
aces high [$18.00] | "old fashioned" bourbon, amaro, peach, sherry.
Our second cocktail was a much more potent concoction, and did a good job intertwining peach with more familiar notes of sweet spices, bitters, brown sugar, and the boozy heft of whiskey.
grilled cauliflower [$22.00] | cauliflower "tahini," walnut raisin caper relish.
I'm quite the cauliflower fiend as you might know, so this next dish immediately caught my eye. The florets showed off a delectable smoke and salt, and melded more easily than I expected with the sweet-nuttiness of that caper relish. There was also a touch of heat here that I quite fancied.
sea legs [$17.00] | "freezer dirty martini" grey goose, house brine, olive.
I do tend to prefer my martinis on the dirtier side, and the bar wasn't kidding about the "dirty" part. Think super briny, super savory, with a proper chill on the cocktail to boot.
broccoli rabe ravioli [$30.00] | manila clams, garlic, white wine, chile flake & breadcrumbs.
In the evening's first pasta course, silky parcels of ravioli brought together the bitterness of rapini and the brine of clams, with that interaction complemented by pungent hits of garlic and the crunch of those crumbs.
sweet corn cappellacci [$30.00] | funghi misti & celery leaf.
Our second stuffed pasta proudly demonstrated the signature sweetness of corn, combining it with brown butter-y nuances and plenty of woodsy mushrooms.
lola [$17.00] | "negroni up" gin, italian bitters, vermouth, raspberry.
This negroni variation showcased the trademark bittersweetness of the classic cocktail, but amped up by both raspberry and a smidgen of heat.
conchiglie [$28.00] | fennel sausage & broccoli rabe ragù, breadcrumbs.
Next came my favorite of our four pasta dishes. The crux here was the familiar zestiness of fennel and how it functioned with both the salty sausage and the bitterness of broccoli raab. And again, the breadcrumbs made for some welcomed textural variation.
vesperado [$17.00] | "vesper" mezcal, gin, california vermouth, verjus, grapefruit bitters.
The night's penultimate cocktail was pleasingly viscous on the palate, offering an adroit balance of fruity, citrusy, boozy, and astringent.
tagliolini [$28.00] | duck ragù.
In our final pasta dish, tagliolini weren't as firm as I'd prefer, but still worked as an apt stage for the cozy, homey flavors of that duck sauce.
cedar smoked trout [$40.00] | sweet corn succotash with green goddess.
Ocean trout arrived with a proper cook, displaying loads of that advertised cedar smoke--especially the skin--along with a cinnamon character that actually made me think of five-spice powder. The fish was tasty alone, but was indeed improved by the brightness of the herbs, corn, and especially the green goddess.
santeria [$17.00] | "daiquiri" mezcal, pineapple, vanilla, lime, cardamom.
My last cocktail was a riff on the daiquiri that deftly incorporated the smokier qualities of mezcal, offsetting it with both vanilla and the assertive piquancy of that rim.
Here we see Hippo's brief dessert menu and after-dinner beverage offerings. Click for larger versions.
chocolate torte cheesecake [$14.00] | chocolate hazelnut crust, chocolate shavings & crème fraîche
A cacao-enriched cheesecake was a nice twist on a classic, with the chocolate being pretty seamlessly integrated. Do note that both desserts tonight were comped, I'm assuming because this was a birthday dinner.
honey panna cotta [$14.00] | peach lime granita & fresh peach.
Last up was a birthday panna cotta that married juicy stone fruit and a bracing citrus granita with a light, honey-enhanced cream.
As was the case with Cannonball, I enjoyed a lovely meal tonight. And similarly to Cannonball, this place represents a neighborhood restaurant that's also interesting enough to serve as a bit of a destination. The cooking speaks to Matt Molina's Italian training, but you can tell he's not afraid to mix things up and have some fun with the food as well. I'll be curious to see what the Chef comes up with next.
posted by kevinEats at
7:30 PM
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