Chef Ray Garcia brings Broken Spanish back to life on LA’s Westside

Chef Ray Garcia is back on the Westside, serving some of the original Broken Spanish classics – alongside a good salt-air margarita – from his beloved Downtown LA modern Mexican concept that closed during the pandemic.

Wallpaper* dines at Broken Spanish Comedor, Los Angeles

The mood: dinner at abuela’s

Much of the décor, art and accessories are from Shure Design Studio, the retail shop of designer Candice Shure, who carried out the revamp of the former A-Frame restaurant by another star LA chef, Roy Choi. The rest of the pieces were sourced from estate sales, auctions and thrifting, creating vignettes of uniquely collected objects. There are subtle nods to the original Broken Spanish and BS Taqueria in the interiors, from the serape American flag and hanging macramé plant holders to the laser-cut breezeblock-style wood panels and crocheted details on window treatments and table doilies.

The dining room walls are finished in Portola’s Roman Clay texture in the colour ‘Yosemite’, delivering a warm, earthy tone. Curved ceiling light pendants wrapped in gauzy linen cast an ethereal glow. The sage-green, glossy glazed tiles in the kitchen are from local favourite Zia Tiles, and the wallpaper above them was designed by artist Emilia Kun in a bright, energetic block-print-style pattern. The powder rooms feature wallpaper by artist Sharon Turner, showcasing a toile pattern of famous Mexico City landmarks. Plantitas Verdes designed both the interior and exterior planting schemes.

The food: modern Mexican meant for sharing

The design concept flows into a reimagined spirit of modern Mexican dining that is layered and deeply rooted in cultural storytellingjust like Garcia’s cooking, and honours the original restaurant’s legacy. To that end, his crispy pork belly chicharrón and albóndigas (duck meatballs) are back on the menu, much to the delight of his fans.

Other hits include flauta rolled flour tortillas with queso Chihuahua, smoked tuna, and enchiladas with chicken, leek, feta, tomatillo salsa and homemade crema. Some of these favourites feature on the new happy hour menu from 4 to 6 pm, Monday to Friday, alongside crunchy chicharrón pork rinds with bright yuzu avocado (which beats chips and dip any day), or the corn tortilla quesadilla with quesillo and salsa. Whether you arrive for a full meal or just snacks and cocktails, the word ‘comedor’ loosely translates to dining room – a place to eat together – and that conviviality is exactly the point.

Broken Spanish Comedor is located at 12565 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066, United States