The northeast end of Wilshire Blvd has needed a little injection of life since the pandemic and newly opened restaurant Chelsea aims to do exactly that. The talented father-and-son team of Moez Megji and Karim Megji are behind the endeavor and they bring an abundance of hospitality experience to the table. Former eateries include Wood & Water in Sherman Oaks, Zin Bistro Americana in Westlake Village along with Fins Creekside in Calabasas and the Gallery, also in Westlake Village.
While the menu is an eclectic mix of delicious-sounding dishes, incorporating flavors and themes from across the world, the décor has been designed to loosely resemble a restaurant that might be found in London’s affluent west end suburb, where Moez lived for a time as a child.
In addition to the obvious connection to the UK capital, it also happens that the street just one block southwest of the restaurant is called Chelsea Avenue. “It was as if the stars had aligned,” Karim said regarding the choice of location.
The menu too draws from this West London theme, but it also includes subtle references to Indian and East African cuisine, where Moez also spent time during his extensive travels.
“We call it New American with World influences,” Moez said, adding, “I don’t like the word ‘fusion’ anymore. If you look at the menu, we are adding spices, but we’re not heavy on Indian spices.”
They both stress that as many of the ingredients as possible are sourced locally, but most of the seafood is brought in from further afield, typically Maine and the surrounding area.
The entreés include New Zealand sea bass, hoisin marinated pork chops, pistachio crusted lamb chops, roasted duck breast and 16oz steak and frites. However, Moez says that the tikka masala fried chicken was his signature dish. Having sampled this, it could justifiably be described as a melt-in-your-mouth experience. The chicken is cooked to perfection and no individual flavors are overpowering, which might leave some spice aficionados wanting more, but Moez says he can turn the heat up a little bit upon request.
The accompanying mashed potato reflects that this dish, like many others, is quite literally a mash up. It’s mixed with garlic that complements the chicken well and what you’re left with is a gentle mix of subtle flavors that wash down very well with a glass of Italian red. Interestingly, Italy is well represented on the wine list, along with offerings from California and France.
The other dish sampled was from the Medium portion of the menu, which also includes the house burger, white wine braised pork and clam and bacon risotto. However, both Moez and Karim insisted on serving the lobster in squid ink linguini that comes with leeks, peas and scallions, served in a lobster sauce. And once again, the flavors are understated but effective. The lobster is also cooked to perfection and for a few brief moments you might believe you’re on the coast of Sicily as your taste buds thank you for this Mediterranean-inspired bounty.
There are 70 covers in total, including space at the bar for full menu food. There are also a number of more private spaces tucked away for larger groups. The interior offers a sense of sophistication with a coordinated combination of colors, textures, patterns and prints, curated by designer Hema Persad.
There is also a significantly-sized, self-contained outdoor patio area, complete with wooden decking that Karim says they’re gradually working to revamp, but there is no definitive timescale on when that part of the project will be completed.
Chelsea, at 2460 Wilshire Blvd, is open Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 4pm to 10pm, and Thursday through Saturday from 4pm to 11pm. Visit chelseasm.com for more details.
