Harrison Street was once at the forefront of the restaurant scene in Hollywood, but in recent years, Hollywood Boulevard, just one block north, has been gaining momentum. Aiding in the revitalization of Harrison is Venezuelan-born restaurateur Cesar Cifuentes, who has introduced Oaxaka, a Mexican-Asian fusion restaurant that complements the newly opened J&C Oyster. Oaxaka, named after Oaxaca in Mexico and Osaka in Japan, initially began as a food stall at the Yellow Green Farmers Market. Cifuentes has plans to open an Italian restaurant in the near future. With his company, CMA, situated right across the street, specializing in digital signage, audio/video, software development, and system automation, Cifuentes is familiar with the Harrison Street area. His timing couldn’t be better, as downtown Hollywood has been energized by the ArtsPark at Young Circle and is currently witnessing a surge in residential development.
Chef Raheem Sealey began his culinary journey in the kitchen alongside his grandmother in St. Croix during his childhood before transitioning to Miami to pursue formal training at Le Cordon Bleu. After honing his skills, he worked under Chef Michael Lewis at Michael’s Genuine, eventually rising to the position of sous chef. Sealey then took on the role of executive chef at KYU, a highly lauded Asian-inspired restaurant in Wynwood. During a pop-up event in Wynwood, he crossed paths with Cifuentes and together they co-founded Drinking Pig BBQ. Additionally, Co-Chef Monika Dominguez, who was mentored by Sealey at Zuma and KYU, brings her expertise from her time at Chug’s Diner and Dale Street Food to the culinary team.
J&C has eight signature cocktails. I opted for the Yuzu Margarita. Yuzu is a citrus fruit combined with Patrón tequila, curacao and lime. It was a refreshing take on a margarita without the often-common cloying sweetness. There’s a Tom Collins with a tarragon twist and the Singani Enzoni with Singani 63, lemon and white grapes. Singani is distilled from grapes high in the Bolivian Andes. There’s a nice selection of sake plus plenty of reds, whites, roses and bubblies to choose from. Many Asian techniques and ingredients are utilized. All the dishes are intended to be shared, so they are served at the center of the table.
We started with a combination of super fresh raw oysters from the East and West Coasts. The accompanying nam prik mignonette sauce, a Thai spicy chili sauce, was a nice accompaniment. Yes, we’ll have mussels, too. It was hard to stop dunking the sourdough toast in the broth flavored with xo butter, togarashi (Japanese 7 Spice), scallions and lime. The king crab had huge chunks of crab with more yuzu in a mayo dip, and the Thai Crab Curry is a culinary delight. The Chilean Sea Bass filet was flaky and tender with miso, ginger, and a vinaigrette herb salad. Despite the seafood emphasis, there were some outstanding meat dishes, starting with the steak tartare with truffle mayo and milk bread. The Korean-style togarashi brined chicken is a must-have, so crispy and flavorful with a house-made barbecue sauce, chili butter and palate-cleansing pickles.
For more information, visit jandcoyster.com.
