Hidden in the middle of LA's Koreatown office buildings and karaoke bars is Commissary, a produce-focused restaurant co-owned by renegade chef Roy Choi, who got his start selling street food. It's perched on the second-floor roof deck of The Line Hotel, a place with fastidiously curated amenities (a Poketo boutique in the lobby, another Choi eatery Pot, custom Linus Bikes, a roof-deck pool)—and yet Commissary manages to trump them all. Its big attraction? A 1,700-square-foot greenhouse designed by Sean Knibb of Knibb Design, potting tables included.
Photography by Art Gray.
Above: "My idea was to capture the feeling of a working greenhouse, without looking overly staged or themed." Enter a masterful mix of vintage pieces (including the potting table turned communal dining table) and organic materials (the driftwood chandelier and webbed John Vogel Chairs) that are punctuated with machine-age accents: industrial stools, fans, exposed ducts, and a chrome espresso machine.
Above: The greenhouse overlooks the hotel pool.
Commissary is the sophomore collaboration between Knibb and Choi. They had worked on transforming a derelict IHOP in Culver City into hot spot A-frame, which was Choi's first restaurant after building his Kogi BBQ Taco Truck empire.
Above: Ivy, ferns, and cyclamen hang from the lofty ceilings. "The mix of plants changes monthly; we rotate the plants around the hotel," says Knibb.
Above: Communal tables are surrounded by topiaries, cascading ivy, and palms.
Above: The eight-seat bar serves cocktails made from farmers' market ingredients. Pimp's Cup (not a typo) is a mix of rhubarb, cucumber, shiso, and ginger. Gin & Juice comes served with your choice of fresh-pressed beets, carrots, watermelon, or pineapple juice.
Like the look of the striped wood? See Trend Alert: 10 Rooms with Color-Washed Wood
Above: Barware and alcohol are put on display in flea market wooden crates.
Above: The concept behind this tableau: "simplicity and utilitarianism, as if the gardener left them behind," says Knibb. That explains the garden hose at the end of the bar.
Above: Vegetables are the star but the menu is far ranging.
Wedding, anyone? The Line Hotel has a Party Department on standby. Take a look at the guest rooms in our post Concrete Chic.
Visiting LA? Put these spots on your bucket list:
- The Simple Life: Malibu Farm Cafe
- The Height of Downtown: The Ace Hotel Rooftop Lounge
- Huntington Gardens: A Magical Glasshouse Garden in Pasadena
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