Kosher Asian Fusion Comes to LA

On Oct. 1, I needed a break from the reality of antisemitism. That day, Iran had launched 200 ballistic missiles against Israel (again), Hamas gunmen had killed seven innocent people in a vicious terror attack in Jaffa, and I was compulsively refreshing news sites and growing irreversibly anxious.

I needed an escape, so I drove through the smog, traffic and hustle and bustle of Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles until I arrived at my “secret garden.” It, too, was located on Pico, but one would never know what was waiting inside a kosher restaurant named Bowls N’ Bunz. 

At first glance, the restaurant appears like any other Asian fusion joint in L.A., though the city’s latest kosher Asian fusion establishment is worthy of recognition (it holds O-K Glatt kosher certification). But if one keeps walking inside, that secret garden in the back of the restaurant, replete with greenery and dozens of enchanting Moroccan lanterns that glitter above at nightfall, is a reminder that even in the often-predictable landscape of Pico-Robertson kosher restaurants, there is always more than meets the eye. 

That day, the sun was shining as I helplessly read the news and watched videos of my former homeland attacking my eternal homeland. But somehow, surrounded by that small oasis on Pico Boulevard (and Asian staples like orange chicken and vegetable Lo Mein which, for me, constitute the best of comfort foods), I felt I had given myself the gift of something every Jewish person has needed this year: A break. 

Owners Ellie and Moshe Edison opened Bowls N’ Bunz several months ago, renaming and rebranding their former restaurant at the same location, Kosher Madness, which served everything from Persian kabobs to pastrami fries. The couple amicably parted ways from their former business partner and set out “to create the kind of kosher food we really don’t have here in L.A.,” Moshe told me. He wanted to move beyond “fast-casual” options and instead, offer “fine dining and the experience of quality.” But there was only one challenge: “I choose my passion,” said Moshe, who spent years training as a chef. “My passion is Asian fusion.”

The Edisons are the first to admit their unique challenge: Asian fusion is not often synonymous with fine dining, particularly when it comes to kosher options. That’s where the reality of Moshe’s health considerations informed part of the menu for Bowls N’ Bunz: At age 21, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s, a disease that can cause abdominal pain, inflammation and other difficult symptoms. 

How, then, does Moshe eat the succulent foods that he and his chefs prepare for customers, including chicken teriyaki and Korean beef bulgogi (a fan favorite), without triggering a Crohn’s flare-up? Despite a range of deep-fried options, whenever possible, the restaurant takes it easy on the oil and sugar; chef Moshe and his team instead prefer boiling meats and vegetables. “I realized that we Jews don’t really know how to make things al dente, or without sugar and oil,” Ellie told me. “But al dente is our aim.” A quick glimpse into the kitchen revealed a welcome sight: There were no “hot pots” (big pots of various foods simmering in oil until ready to be served); every dish is made to order. 

Moshe’s insistence on fewer and better quality ingredients probably explains why he politely left our interview early, insisting that he “had to go shopping.” Every two days, he visits local Asian markets and hand-picks vegetables that are boiled, sauteed, chopped and diced at Bowls N’ Bunz.

Moshe’s insistence on fewer and better quality ingredients probably explains why he politely left our interview early, insisting that he “had to go shopping.” 

Though I am often helpless in refusing the restaurant’s take on orange chicken (it tastes even better than the Panda Express version, which I enjoyed heartily before committing to kosher dietary laws as an adult), it is the crispy garlic green beans to which I always return. In a menu filled with various sandwiches, Korean and Chinese steak plates and what the Edisons call the city’s first kosher ramen, authentically made with ginger broth, vegetables and a hard-boiled egg, those savory green beans constitute a meal of their own, despite being an option on the appetizer menu. 

The Edisons’ story is one of grit, starting over and resilience: Ellie came to the United States as a child refugee from Iran at age six; Moshe immigrated here with his Iranian family from Israel when he was a one-year-old. They met in Los Angeles, where they married and are raising three daughters. In 2016, the family relocated to Las Vegas to open Ace of Steaks, serving prime kosher steaks and Persian food. Though the couple always shares kind words about their time in Nevada, I suspect that Vegas may not have been ready for five-star kosher steaks and kabobs (Moshe makes an excellent beef koobideh). For various reasons, including the fact that they missed their close-knit Iranian-American family, the Edisons moved back to Los Angeles in 2019.

Moshe tried other business ventures. “One day, he called me and said, ‘I found it. I found home,’” recalled Ellie, who learned that her husband had already given the owner of the space that became Bowls N’ Bunz an offer and received the key. “Moshe said, ‘Ellie, Hashem didn’t put any blocks in my way. He opened my path and it was just handed to me,’” Ellie remembered. 

Over the years, Moshe, who is the ultimate foodie, has acquired a gentle gripe over kosher food in this city: “Kosher restaurants in L.A. feel like they don’t need to give the customer the “Wow” factor,” he lamented. “They know you don’t have a choice, so they don’t have to impress you. In New York or Miami, there are so many kosher options that they have to up their game.” 

Moshe is also “tired of the small portions of meat” at local restaurants, which he patronizes not only because he loves food, but because he understands the importance of supporting kosher establishments. Still, his chefs must comply with his policy that meat dishes can’t be overfilled with vegetables to save a few pennies. “I want customers to have more meat,” declared Moshe (Jewish mothers rejoice). 

I couldn’t help but ask the Edisons if L.A. Jewry is ready for a different kind of restaurant, one that serves Korean barbecue, including galbi (short ribs), and ramen that doesn’t come in a plastic wrapper with a spice pack and a disposable fork. It often seems that every other kosher restaurant that opens in L.A. serves pizza or falafel. “Sometimes, you feel like pizza and falafel,” Ellie gently reminded me. “But it comes down to taste buds. Sometimes, you feel like spoiling yourself.”

Like the time last month, when Israel was under fire and I wandered into that secret garden, a space that is filled with both open air and privacy, at lunchtime. Isn’t it amazing how the best spaces in Los Angeles are the ones that enable you to feel as though you are no longer in L.A.?

In the coming months, Bowls N’ Bunz hopes to host comedy nights and offer customers a chance to grill Korean barbeque right at the table. The space currently accommodates gatherings for up to 100 people and thankfully, their catering menu still features Moshe’s famous kabobs. The venture is a dream come true for Moshe, whose great-great-grandfather earned a modest living by selling lentils back in Iran (in Persian, lentils are called “Adass,” and the family’s long-standing last name was “Adassian” before they changed it to “Edison” upon arrival in the U.S.).

In the coming months, Bowls N’ Bunz hopes to host comedy nights and offer customers a chance to grill Korean barbeque right at the table. 

Last year, Ellie prayed to G-d for “a chance to give people good food” and to enjoy a close-knit relationship with a team of devoted staff. The hours are long and there are always lessons to be learned, but for now, she, too, enters that secret garden and relaxes with her thoughts long after the last customer has been served, and that last lantern dims gently to signal the end of another bustling day on Pico Boulevard.

Tabby Refael is an award-winning writer, speaker and weekly columnist for The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Follow her on X and Instagram @TabbyRefael