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Having mastered the narrative and even transcended it in the streetwear world with his brand The Hundreds, Ben Shenassafar now aims to generate the same impact in the restaurant industry.
As many will know, this new project is not just a foray. Over the last few years, Ben has managed to establish himself as one of the great references of the L.A. food scene; both for his tastings and viral culinary content as well as with the creation of his own food festival ‘Family Style Food Festival‘ in which he connects his two great passions: urban fashion and street food.
In addition, Hundreds hosted Tastemade’s Big Appetite programme in which he took viewers around his favourite cities in the US to offer an unusual take on the intersection of food and art.
The Benjamin Hollywood
All those experiences in gastronomy now merge to form the basis of his new project, created in collaboration with Jared Meisler of The Roger Room, cocktail maker Nathan Oliver, and culinary strategist Kate Burr of consultancy agency A La Mode.
‘Jared came to see me in October to show me a space he liked. I walked in and knew it was the right fit. Half a year later I’m ready to announce my first restaurant, @thebenjaminhollywood,’ reads his Instagram.
Today, 25 June, the entrepreneur opens the doors of his first restaurant in Los Angeles called The Benjamin. And he does so in an artistic setting, to say the least: a 1920s Art Deco building in Hollywood where his staff, dressed in The Hundreds looks, will serve an elevated reinterpretation of the luxury of American classics.
Cirelle has then been tasked with designing the culinary proposal with dishes such as prawn cocktails or chicken wings and salads. Even Ben Shenassafar has his own burger: The Benjamin Burger, with hickory sauce, grilled onions and homemade pickles. Other key dishes on the menu will be the house Wagyu strip and the roasted branzino with red chimichurri, to round off the experience with desserts such as carrot cake and butterscotch pudding.
Oliver, meanwhile, has developed an extensive bar menu that offers an innovative twist on classic cocktails with seasonal ingredients, which will fuel this creative and innovative project structured around a 58-seat dining room and a 15-seat bar.
