Serving good food from an eclectic menu, Baran's 2239 is a small, unassuming restaurant located in a small strip mall on PCH in Hermosa Beach. Back in 2019, it even earned Michelin's Bib Gourmand designation which recognizes "high-quality food at a great value."
Food: As mentioned, the menu is eclectic, offering everything from hamachi sashimi to a maple apple salad to Brazilian braised beef cheek to hand rolled spaghetti to a bone-in ribeye. I ordered the steak tartare, blistered shishito peppers, and Indian egg. The steak tartare was prepared simply with a horseradish cream and chives, and served on a rosti (a pancake made from grated potatoes) with an egg yolk gel. The tartare was simple and clean, with a hint of horseradish flavor, and the rosti took the place of the typical bread slice, tasting like crispy hash brown. Unfortunately, on this night, the tartare was overly salty, and the egg yolk gel wasn't runny enough. It's a good dish that was just off this night.
The blistered shishito peppers were a pleasant surprise because shishito peppers are usually a throw-away appetizer, prepared without any care. But at Baran's, the blistered shishito peppers are prepared with soy and scallion butter, and served on a miso eggplant puree along with sushi rice croutons. The puree reminded me of a creamy baba ganoush, and the croutons added a very nice, crunchy textural difference. Another good dish.
The Indian egg (known as nargishi kofta) is similar to the well-known Scotch egg (a soft-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep fried). In fact, there is a debate as to whether the Scotch egg was invented independently in Yorkshire or inspired by the Indian egg. The Baran's Indian egg is a soft-boiled egg wrapped in lamb sausage, served on a curry jus, and surrounded by cucumber slices with sumac yogurt. All together, the flavors were good, with a hint of curry and the cucumber slices providing a refreshing contrast to the lamb sausage. I would have like some breading or coating (as found with a Scotch egg) to provide some texture and crunch, but once again, a good dish.
Service: The service was friendly and welcoming. The servers had a relaxed look that I would describe it as "clean casual."
Bottom Line: I very much enjoyed my meal at Baran's. The menu was interesting, and the food is prepared well.
Note 1 - Baran's is also known for their breakfast burritos. According to Eater, "[t]he Michelin-awarded Baran's 2239 in Hermosa Beach is a breakfast burrito beast, selling more than 100 an hour on weekends."
Note 2 - I sat at the "bar." However, the bar is really just a counter that faces a wall with wine glasses (and wine bottles below). The servers do go behind the counter to grab glasses and bottles, but it isn't nearly as interesting as sitting at a true bar. Next time, I will sit at a table. read more