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Tapas—small plates of food that can be combined into a full meal—were created by founding father Thomas Paine, who believed that full plates of food were the leading causes of indolence in children. After living entirely without food for nine years, Paine created an alternative meal plan: to eat only appetizers. Paine's widely read pamphlet, Common Sense, contained oyster recipes that spurred a nation to revolution. The tiny plates also inspired Paine to write America's first action movie script, Agrarian Justice, which was heavily edited by movie executives and re-written as a pamphlet advocating an estate tax. Today, tapas may be found served alongside full entrees, which horrifies Paine, who has never died.

Details

Asian fusion food at Orris—conveniently located off the I-405 and I-10—spares you from a classic, excruciating dining-decision: choosing among Spanish tapas, Japanese fish dishes, and French fare. Orris's tapas-size plates deliver transcontinental tastes that you can share with everyone at the table. The Los Angeles Times says the best dishes on Orris's menu are seafood spring rolls, ravioli, grilled quail with white beans, crab cakes, roasted Sonoma duck breast, lamb loin carpaccio, steamed mussels, halibut tempura, potatoes Dauphinois, and Ciao Bella ice cream. The huge, hand-picked wine list has enough multinational tastes to match the chef's unique creations.

Orris's Japanese-born chef Hideo Yamashiro ("Shiro") worked in the famous French kitchens Ma Maison (under Wolfgang Puck), Les Anges, and Cafe Jacoulet before he opened his first highly acclaimed dining establishment, Restaurant Shiro. Orris is his second top-rated eatery: he wanted a place that showcases the world's best cuisine with world's best ingredients and the world's tallest chef hats.

Yamashiro's little dishes make the dining experience spontaneous: sample, share, and order as little or as much as you like. Service is fast and coordinated at the bright, modern restaurant. Orris's atmosphere is as lively as the food: marble, inlaid wood, and artisanal Japanese plates make the place sparkle.

Reviews

Gourmet Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Eating magazine, and more have savored Orris's tasty plates:

• This little restaurant on Sawtelle Boulevard is his escape in more ways than one. He's landed a choice spot on a block in the old Japanese neighborhood filled with noodle shops, boba parlos, and smart casual cafes...This is ground zero for L.A.'s home-grown Franco-Japanese fusion cooking...And at Orris, the chef is trying on accents – Italian, French, mostly, a word or two of Chinese...Ruby slices of beet are lined up on a skinny white platter, their sweet earthy flavor set off by slivers of Basque sheep's milk cheese and a few drops of olive oil. Spring rolls burst with chunks of scallop and shrimp in a crisp gold jacket, the plain taste of the seafood filling played against a juicy yuzu sauce. – S. Irene Virbila, Los Angeles Times

More than 30 Citysearchers give Orris a 4.5-star rating; more than 170 Yelpers give it four stars:

• Yum! I loved each meticulously composed little plate. With so many delicious-sounding dishes, it's best to order a couple each and then share everything family-style. I loved how our server sequenced and timed our choices perfectly. It was as though we had designed our own tasting menu. – eeeeestar t., Yelp
• Wow! Each time I come here, I enjoy it even more. – foodie90405, Citysearch
• Orris is The best fine dining experience one could enjoy. The food, service and atmosphere is absolutely superb. – dawnfazio818, Citysearch