Porridge and Puffs relocates, Field Trip closes

Porridge and Puffs is closing. But don’t worry, it’s not for long

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At Chef Minh Phan’s pop-up Porridge and Puffs, porridge bowls are the focus. Pictured here, diver scallop porridge with kokuho heirloom rice, prickly ash-makrut butter and herbs. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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The pork! pork! pork! porridge consists of black rice, ham hock stock, ham, loin roulade wish shiso and mushroom, turmeric pickled onions, crispy shallots and herbs. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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“Puffs,” stretchy rice-flour beignets, can be dipped into the porridge. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Porridge can either be served in big bowls or in flights of three. Here, from left, a flight of short ribs, pork! pork! pork!, and diver scallops in XO sauce. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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In the mornings, Minh Phan also runs Field Trip, a brunch destination at the Hollywood Farmers Market. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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In addition to porridge, vegetables are also the focus at Porridge and Puffs, with dishes made from ingredients via the Hollywood farmers market. Here, eggplant and black bean sauce. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Mom and Dad dig in at Porridge and Puffs. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Persimmons and pomegranates are part of the “plants” section of the Porridge and Puffs menu. The other sections are porridge, puffs and libations. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Pickled beets, golden and chioggia. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Autumn velvet and winter melon is one of the seasonal porridges. It includes velvet cream of roasted kabocha, blue hubbard, butternut squash, winter melon, mochis and herbs. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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The short rib porridge includes kokuho heirloom rice, braised beef short ribs, lacto-fermented mustard greens, pickled egg, pickled pears and herbs. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Spicy dandelions and lambsquarters. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Brown butter mochi and miso caramel is one variety of the puffs at the new pop-up. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

By Jenn HarrisColumnist

May 21, 2015 2:26 PM PT

Minh Phan, the woman responsible for the city’s current obsession with rice porridge, will close her modern brunch spot Field Trip (inside the Farmers Kitchen) to focus on Porridge and Puffs, the porridge pop-up Phan is running out of the Field Trip space a couple nights a week.

The last night of Porridge and Puffs service at Field Trip will be May 31. After that, Phan will look for a space to open Porridge and Puffs this summer in Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park or Downtown L.A.

“If it were possible to hand-knit a restaurant from organic wool and put it up for sale on Etsy, it would probably be a lot like Porridge and Puffs,” wrote Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold in a recent review.” Every dish, every gnarled wisp of pottery, every garnish looks like something pulled from a Pinterest board.”

You can also still find Phan’s porridge at the Hollywood Farmers Market this summer at a stand.

“The rent is too high considering our labor of love, the quality of our ingredients and a living wage for our staff,” said Phan in an email.

Porridge + Puffs will be serving dinner all next week with a final brunch and pastries by Sarah Lange on May 31.

1555 Vine St., No. 119 (actually on the southwest corner of Selma Avenue and Morningside Court), Hollywood, (323) 467-7600, fieldtripLA.com.

I go cray for porridge and pickles. Like really cray. Follow me on Twitter @Jenn_Harris_

Porridge and Puffs is closing. But don’t worry, it’s not for long

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