Bold Mexican cooking met Bangkok-style street food when Broken Spanish Comedor welcomed Holy Basil for Eater’s first-ever Bang Bang dinner on July 15. The one-night-only dinner showcased the two distinct culinary perspectives back-t0-back on one, two-sided
menu.
Chef Deau and the Holy Basil team set the tone with a menu that blended Thai flavors and Southern California ingredients, with dishes like Thai aguachile, nam prik tostada, and kua kling biryani. A collaborative transition course, Tom Yum Chochoyote — a riff on the rich Northern Thai soup featuring masa dumplings — bridged the two restaurants before Ray Garcia and the Broken Spanish Comedor team took over with modern Mexican plates including kanpachi ceviche, summer squash tamal, and a Mexican dark chocolate tart finished with salsa macha and yuzu.
The dinner highlighted the respect both chefs have for one another and the shared values behind their cooking. As Ray Garcia said, “Holy Basil and Chef Deau bring the kind of food to the table that I crave: powerful, balanced, deeply personal, and cooked with passion. His food has an energy that pulls you in, big, bold, bright flavors with soul and a clear point of view.”
For Chef Deau, the feeling was mutual. “I’m super excited to be cooking with Chef Ray. I have been a fan since I first had his food at Broken Spanish in Downtown Los Angeles years ago. It was one of my favorite places to eat, always a great experience with amazing food. While it was open, every time I have been asked where to dine in Los Angeles, Broken Spanish was always on the list.”
From the opening bites to the final dessert, with plenty of agave and sake in between, the two restaurants set the tone for the Bang Bang dinner series, celebrating collaboration in its truest form. Check out the highlights below and download the Eater app to stay up to date on future Eater events, in Los Angeles and beyond.
